Documentaries are certainly one of the best form of presenting a film there is, simply because the creators of them can teach their audiences something in an entertaining way, so when they leave, the writers, director,et al can feel satisfied that they have passed on some knowledge. I have seen many documentaries, i.e. "Murderball" '05, "Pumping Iron" '77, even last year's "Searching for Sugarman", and they all have taught me something that I can take with me done in an artistic, entertaining way, and "Generation Iron" holds no exceptions.
From the producer of the original classic, 1977's "Pumping Iron", comes "Generation Iron", the long awaited true story of dedication, rivalry, victory, defeat, redemption and triumph. The film chronicles the professional sport of bodybuilding today and gives us access to the lives of current bodybuilding stars Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez, Hidetada Yamagishi as well as ambitious newcomer Ben Pakulski, and European sensation Roelly Winklaar on their journey as they vie for the coveted Mr. Olympia 'crown' in Las Vegas. This also interviews past bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and trainers Sibil Peeters, Dennis James and Victor Munoz all being narrated by actor, Mickey Rourke.
This documentary was written and directed with grit and intensity with exhaustive research by Vlad Yudin ("The Last Day of Summer" '09, "Mr. Immortality: The Life and Times of Twista" (Documentary, Direct only) '11. This goes in depth with each of these bodybuilders, whether it be professional, personal, issues, victories, defeats--whether professional or personal. As a good many people think, the stereotypical look at a bodybuilder is, to quote one of them, a box of rocks that's dumb, but then he says, how many people know how to shread fat while at the same time pack on pounds of muscle? Not many. So this really shows these guys in a different light than what one might expect.
If one is into bodybuilding, obviously they will revel, but even if you're not, this is packed with a ton of information that not only will make you think, but it will also give you a heart-wrenching perspective of what these guys go through for a momentary fame.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 106mins.
There have been race car movies in our past to sink our teeth into: "Grand Prix", "Winning", "Driven" plus others, but one in the offing this week gives us that international flair where we can get into two different characters in totally different locales all under the roof of "Rush".
Set against the sexy glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970's, the film is based on a true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), and his methodical, obsessed, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Nikki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die or maimed for life.
Others to round out the cast are Olivia Wilde as Suzy Miller, Alexandra Maria Lara as Marlene Lauda, Pierfrancesco Favino as Clay Regazzoni, David Calder as Louis Stanley, Natalie Dormer as Nurse Gemma, Stephen Mangan as Alastair Caldwell, Christian McKay as Lord Hesketh, Alistair Petrie as Stirling Moss, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Anthony 'Bubbles' Horsley, Colin Stinton as Teddy Mayer, Jamie de Courcey as Harvey 'Doc' Postlethwaite, Augusto Dallara as Enzo Ferrari, and Ilario Calvo as Luca Di Montezemolo.
This was directed with the usual expertise that we've come to expect from Ron Howard ("Grand Theft Auto" '77, "Night Shift" '82, "Splash" '84, "Cocoon" '85, "Gung Ho" '86, "Willow" '88, "Parenthood" '89, "Backdraft" '91, "Far and Away" '92, "The Paper" '94, "Apollo 13" '95, "Ransom" '96, "Edtv" '99, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" 2000, "A Beautiful Mind" '01, "The Missing" '03, "Cinderella Man" '05, "The Da Vinci Code" '06, "Frost/Nixon" '08, "Angels & Demons" '09, and "The Dilemma" '11). Howard was certainly able to pull the underlying animosity between these two rivals in a way that showed anger, but without it coming to fists connecting. It was well written again by the consummate, Peter Morgan ("The Last King of Scotland" '06, "The Queen" '06, "The Other Boleyn Girl" '08, "Frost/Nixon" '08, "The Damned United" '09, "Hereafter" '10, "360" '11). This wasn't quite as cohesive and thought out as that of "The Queen' or "The Last King of Scotland", but it was still taught, riveting, and revealing of these racers.
The sweeping photography by Anthony Dod Mantle asc,bsc,dff was reminiscent of that of "Grand Prix" '66, which was photographed by the incredible Lionel Lindon, asc. Of course, "Grand Prix" was shot in the Cinerama (three spliced together screens) process, this was still equal to the grandiose of that 1966 film. Along with the comparable editing by Dan Hanley, ace, and Mike Hill, ace, Howard's longtime editors, this was a well-crafted American film to beat none.
If you're a racing affictionato you well undoubtedly revel, but even if you're not, the bantering back and forth of these drivers, the photography coupled with the editing will certainly capture your attention with this ride around the track.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 123mins.
Epic films are usually something that sticks with society well past their theater circuit. We have seen many film films with this treatment: "Lawrence of Arabia", "Gone with the Wind", "Frankenstein", Dracula", "Cleopatra", "The Bridge Over the River Kwai", "On the Waterfront", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "To Kill a Mockingbird" "Psycho", "Raging Bull", "Out of Africa", "Serpico", "Inherit the Wind", "Judgment at Nuremberg", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Schindler's List" to name a handful. One film we cannot forget which avidly belongs on that impressive list is "The Wizard of Oz",
In this film based on the popular L. Frank Baum stories, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto (Terry) are caught up in a tornado's path and somehow ends up in the land of Oz. Here she meets Glinda (Billie Burke), good witch of the North, who tells her to keep those ruby slippers on no matter what, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) who warns her if she doesn't hand over the slippers, she will suffer the consequences, Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) and Tin Man (Jack Haley) as she follows the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) to help her get home, to give Scarecrow a brain, courage to Cowardly Lion, and a heart to Tin Man.
Others to round out the cast are Charley Grapewin as Uncle Henry, Clara Blandick as Auntie Em, Pat Walshe as Nikko, and The Singer Midgets as The Munchkins.
This was charmingly directed by Victor Fleming ("When the Clouds Roll By" '19, "Lord Jim" '25, "The Awakening" '28, "Renegades" '30, "Treasure Island" '34, "Captains Courageous" '37, "Test Pilot" '38, "Gone with the Wind" '39) and many others. Other directors contributed, but at the end of the day, Fleming received full film credit. It was written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf adapted by Langley based on L. Frank Baum's book. Again, there were a ton of contributing writers, however these three writers got the credit.
Seeing this in IMAX and in the 3D process, one can truly see how this film was incredibly ahead of its time technologically. The effects of the twister, the sets, miniatures, matte paintings, the Technicolor, which was new then was impressive. This film is 74 years old! I'd like to see most of the films of today be as classic as this film is 74 years later. This film is enduring, classic, timeless, and endearing, however, time is of the essence, for this film in its IMAX, 3D format will only be showing at the theater in San Diego for one week. Plan for this so you miss this amazing ride.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG 101mins.
We have all seen films based on a particular person or event, but there are not too many films out there that are originally written for the screen which look like they would be based on an actual event, but actually not. During and after viewing "Prisoners", I had to keep telling myself that this is fictional, even though it was portrayed so realistically.
How far would you go to protect your family? Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing every parent's nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna (Erin Gerasimovich), is missing, together with her young friend, Joy (Kyla-Drew Simmons), and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces his release. As the police pursue multiple leads, and pressure mounts, knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?
Others to round out the cast are Viola Davis as Nancy Birch, mother of Joy, Maria Bello as Grace Dover, wife of Keller, Terrence Howard as Franklin Birch, father of Joy, Melissa Leo as Holly Jones, aunt of Alex, Dylan Minnette as Ralph Dover, brother of Anna, Zoe Soul as Eliza Birch, sister of Joy, Wayne Duvall as Capt. Richard O'Malley, Len Cariou as Father Patrick Dunn, David Dastmalchian as Bob Taylor, Brad James as Officer Carter, Anthony Reynolds as Officer Wedge, and Victoria Staley as Check out girl.
This was grippingly and intensely directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Un 32 aout sur terve" '98, "Maelstrom" 2000, "Polytechnique" '09, "Incendines" '10, "REW-FFWD" (Documentary short) '11). The underlying intensity of Gyllenhaal and the over-the-top raging emotion of Jackman was an amazing display of those that are realistically pushed to their respective limits. With the exception of a couple of small, slow areas in story, this was written with just the right amount of building of story by Aaron Guzikowski ("Contraband" '12). I'd like to see what this guy can do the the future, considering "Contraband" wasn't the best written script, but certainly not the worst. And this being so much better, time will only tell how this guy can write given more projects, which I'm sure he'll receive. With a running time of approximately two and a half hours, this just moved right along, which is difficult, at best, for a seasoned writer. Jackman, Gyllenhaal, and Leo all shine here as their characters.
The way this film was written, directed and especially acted made it seem so real, like it could have easily been based on a true story, but at the end of the day, it's just great storytelling at its best.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 153mins.
Heavy dramas are just that--heavy. They aren't the most upliftng films on the planet, but they usually are well written, directed and acted. As with the case of "Ain't Them Bodies Saints", this is one of those heavy dramas that is a well crafted American film.
Set against the backdrop of 1970's Texas Hill Country, this is a romantic American story that follows three characters on various sides of the law--outlaw Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck), his wife Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), and a local sheriff named Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster), who gets caught up in their crosshairs.
Bob gets sent to prison for burglary, while Ruth sits patiently waiting for her beloved husband. She's pregnant with their baby and, subsequently while he's in prison, has her baby girl. As the girl, Sylvie (Kennadie Smith and Jacklynn Smith) turns four, Bob breaks out of prison in pursuit of finding his wife and the daughter he's never met only to realize she's still in the town they lived in. Finding her and going off happily into the sunset proves to be a problem as there are many people looking for him namely Skerritt (Keith Carradine) and Wheeler, amongst others. So Bob holes himself up at the home/bar of longtime friend Sweetie (Nate Parker) until he can figure out what to do. And what to do is the huge question here.
Others to round out the cast are Rami Malek as Will, Robert Longstreet as Cowboy Hat, Charles Baker as Bear, Augustine Frizzell as Sissy, Kentucker Audley as Freddy, Turner Ross as T.C., and Will Beinbrink as Lt. Townes.
This was painstakingly well delineated by writer/director David Lowery ("Lullaby" 2000, "Deadroom" '05, "St. Nick" '09, "Pioneer" (short) '11). This guy doesn't have a ton of experience under his belt, but what he does have is quality. This film was directed with just the right balance of intensity and poignancy where appropriate. It is written well, however it is not a warm and fuzzy feeling film. It has its up moments, but all in all, don't expect an ending that is all tied up with a nice pretty Hollywood bow. Lowery is a talented writer, in fact this was developed at the Sundance Institute's Writing and Producing Lab, so quality it has. But even though it is written well, you're not seeing this for the story as much as for the talented writing, directing and the incredible acting by Affleck, Mara and Foster. This could be given a second thought come Oscar time. The cinematography by Bradford Young ("Mo" '07, "White Lies, Black Sheep" '07, "Cigarettes for Breakfast" '08, "Mississippi Damned" '09, "Entre nos" '09, "Restless City" '11, "Pariah" '11, "Middle of Nowhere" '12, "Mother of George" '13) really fit the feel of this film--it was simply stunning.
This film isn't for the mass audience appeal in that it isn't an easy film to watch--depressing, the characters in it are so troubled, seemingly hopeless, but if you like a well crafted film--directing, writing, acting, cinematography, etc., then this will definitely give you a great film to study.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 96mins.
Comedy, in and of itself, is one of the best genres to be able to sit back and escape into something fun, rollicking, adventurous, playful and humorous hopefully all rolled into one. But for the better part of the last two decades, it is rare to find a few of these adjectives mentioned, much less all of them which makes watching them, at times, painful. Once in a while, one will fall into your lap that is a film that comes in through the back door, where a lot of people have hardly heard of it, that is simply a gem with a great message. One fell into my lap, and it is titled "Instructions Not Included" (No se Aceptan Devoluciones).
Valentin Bravo (Eugenio Derbez) is Acapulco's resident playboy until a former fling, Julie (Jessica Lindsey) leaves her new baby girl on his doorstep claiming he is the father and takes off without a trace. Leaving Mexico to find Julie, Valentin ends up in L.A. finding a new home for himself and his newfound daughter, Maggie. An unlikely father figure, Valentin raises Maggie (Loreto Peralta) for six years while, through his boss/friend, Frank Ryan (Daniel Raymont), also establishing himself as one of Hollywood's top stuntmen to pay the bills, with Maggie acting as his on-set coach/interpreter. As Valentin raises Maggie, she forces him to grow up as well, but their unique and offbeat family is threatened when Julie reappears out of the blue, and Valentin realizes he's in danger of losing his daughter--and his best friend.
Others to round out the cast are Alessandra Rosaldo as Renee, Hugo Stiglitz as Johnny Bravo, Valentin's dad, Sammy Perez as Sammy, Arcelia Ramirez as Judeisy, Agustin Bernal as Lupe, a trucker, Karla Souza as Jackie, Margarita Wynne as Sofia, and Ari Brickman as Director.
This was incredibly well directed by Eugenio Derbez (A ton of TV to his directing credit). The pathos that not only he showcased, but through others in the cast was simply amazing. I smell Oscar nomination around this film. This was brilliantly written by Guillermo Rios and Leticia Lopez Margalli with Derbez as contributing writer. Even with the subtitles, the cohesiveness of this is awesome. Derbez undoubtedly can do it all-- directing, writing and acting. I can understand clearly why his TV shows in Mexico are all doing well in the ratings. Since this is his first time out as director of a theatrical film, I'm anxious to see what he plans to direct next as I'm sure he will.
If you are looking for a subtle, but funny comedy, that is poignant where it will have you laughing and crying in some scenes with a great message about how we connect as family, this IS the film for you. This is one that will 'talk' to you all the while entertaining you at the same time.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 122mins.
We have seen a plethora of mafia, mob related films in the past--enough to have our fill of them for years to come. But, once in a while there is a film or two that parodies this entire genre, and considering the genre, it would make for great fodder in which to create a great farce on the subject. "The Family" is a film whereas the parody is subtle, but definitely puts a smile on your face.
A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of CIA Agent Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), and their children, Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D'Leo) can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the "family" way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings in this darkly funny film by Luc Besson ("Taken", "Transporter").
Others to round out the cast are Jimmy Palumbo as DiCicco and Domenick Lombardozzi as Caputo, Stansfield's CIA assistants, Stan Carp as Don Luchese, Vincent Pastore as Fat Willy, Jon Freda as Rocco, Michael J. Panichelli Jr. as Billy the Bug, Oisin Stack as Henri, Paul Borghese as Albert, Anthony Desio as Bernie, Ted Arcidi as Tommy, David Belle as Mezzo, and Raymond Franza as Paulo.
This was directed with amazing subtlety by Luc Besson ("Le Dernier Combat" ("The Last Battle") '83, "Subway" '85, "The Big Blue" '88, "La Femme Nikita" '90, "Atlantis" (Documentary) '91, "Leon: The Professional" '94, "The Fifth Element" '97, "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" '99, "Angel-A" '05, "Arthur and the Invisibles" '06, "Arthur and the Great Adventure" '09, "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec" '10, "Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds" '10, "The Lady" '11). This could've been depicted in such over-the-top ways, and Besson saw the subtlety in its characters to portray them in more underlying intensity. It was written by Luc Besson and Michael Caleo based on the book, "Malavita" by Tonino Benacquista. As stated above, this is a film where the main character--Fred Manzoni is portrayed as a parody in that the actor who plays him--De Niro clearly is parodying his mob leader roles he's done in so many dramatic films. This is very much like the film, "The Freshman" '90, where, in that film, Marlon Brando basically parodied himself as a character from his 'Godfather' films portrayed to the hilt in that hilarious comedy bouncing his lines off of the very naive Matthew Broderick.
There were a few inconsistencies in script, but if you're looking for a parody in the form of a subtle comedy, and with top notch actors, this will certainly fit the bill.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 110mins.
With all the different kinds of films Hollywood throws at us in hopes that we will buy tickets to give them more money, it's sure comforting to see a film come along once in a while that is truly made to inspire us through the different messages they convey. We have seen "Facing the Giants" '06, "Fireproof" '08, "Soul Surfer" '11, "Courageous" '11, and each one we see, it hopefully brings us to a point that maybe we can reconnect as a society. Well, we now have "The Ultimate Life" to add to that list.
Jason Stevens (Logan Bartholomew) survived the journey his grandfather, Red Stevens (Drew Waters) sent him through for 'The Ultimate Gift'. That gift which includes managing a billion dollar foundation is being challenged by his own family. In a courtroom battle...His assets are seized...His love interest with Alexia (Ali Hillis) gets complicated...Jason could lose it all. After his friend/attorney Ted Hamilton (Bill Cobbs) shows Jason his grandfather's journal, he is so intrigued with it that he is now on a quest, through a series of flashbacks, to re-examine what it truly means to fulfill his destiny.
Others to round out the cast are Austin James as Teenage Red Stevens, Jack DePew as Young Gus Caldwell, Bechir Sylvain as Young Ted Hamilton, Peter Fonda as Jacob Early, David Mann as Hobo Joe, Lee Meriwether as Mrs. Hastings, Abigail Mavity as Teenage Hanna Roberts, Elizabeth Ann Bennett as Adult Hanna, Dave Northcutt as Gus, 40's, Jason Looney as Bill at 20, Joshua Brady as Jay at 18, Matt Mitchell as Jack at 14, Katherine Murdoch as Ruth at 16, Myke Holmes as Geologist, and James Garner has a cameo role as older Red Stevens.
This was directed with compassion and passion by Michael Landon Jr. ("Love Comes Softly" (TV movie) '03, "Love's Enduring Promise" (TV movie) '04, "Love's Long Journey" (TV movie) '05, "Love's Abiding Joy" '06, "The Last Sin Eater" '07, "Saving Sarah Cain" '07, "The Velveteen Rabbit" '09, "The Shunning" (TV movie) '11, "The Confession"
(TV movie) '13). This guy really knows how to pull the emotional strings in us to get the essence of the message across. This was written by Brian Bird and Lisa G. Schillingburg based on a screen story by Cheryl McKay which was based on the novel by Jim Stovall.With the exceptions of very few inconsistencies in script, these writers were definitely able to convey the meaning of this story based in the old adage: The best things in life AREN'T things".No matter how much money people have or how much 'stuff' they have, at the end of the day, it's really about the family and friends in one's life that counts.
This film has a lot to say, as with most inspirational films, and if one is open to the sincerity of its story, I believe that this will give you something more than just that warm and fuzzy feeling.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG 110mins.
As the summer movie season is starting to wane, we are still being wooed to the multiplex with high-budget, adrenaline-packed, high explosive movie fare. This time around we have been handed "Riddick", the much awaited follow up of '04's "The Chronicles of Riddick". What's really amazing is that there has been 9 years between these films. Where has the time gone?
Betrayed by his own kind which is headed up by Vaako (Karl Urban) and his henchman, Krone (Andreas Apergis) and left for dead on a desolate planet, Riddick (Vin Diesel) fights for survival against alien predators and becomes more powerful and dangerous than ever before. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, headed up by Santana (Jordi Molla) and the other captained by Johns (Matt Nable), a man from Riddick's past. But after these bounty hunters arrive, they only find themselves pawns in his greater scheme for revenge. And these bounty hunters only realize that it's not Riddick they need to fear, but something else later on.
Others to round out the cast are Katee Sackhoff as Dahl, Dave Bautista as Diaz, Bokeem Woodbine as Moss, Raoul Trujillo as Lockspur, Conrad Pla as Vargas, Danny Blanco Hall as Falco, Noah Danby as Nunez, Neil Napier as Rubio, Nolan Gerard Funk as Luna, and Keri Lynn Hilson as Santana's Prisoner.
This was written and directed with the exact intensity as its predecessor, "The Chronicles of Riddick" by the same writer/director David Twohy ("Timescape" (only directed) '92, "The Arrival" '96, "Pitch Black" 2000, "Below" '02, "The Chronicles of Riddick" '04, "A Perfect Getaway" '09). This as the other Riddick films were based on characters created by Jim Wheat and Ken Wheat. It was stunningly photographed by David Eggby, acs ("Mad Max" '79, "Buddies" '83, "Kansas" '88, "Quigley Down Under" '90, "Lightning Jack" '94, "Dragonheart" '96, "Daylight" '96, "Virus" '99, "Pitch Black" 2000, "Monte Walsh" '03, "Racing Stripes" '05, "The Marine" '06, "Underdog" '07, "Ironclad" '11) plus many others. The way he used a lot of lens filtering to show that other-worldly feel was ingenious. It was a dark film, but one could still see it without sqinting.
Diesel obviously has a ball with these Riddick films, and why not: he plays a mysterious character who's practically an anti-hero, so he's good, by not like a good guy one would expect.
Because of the aforementioned reason, the Riddick character has always intrigued me, more than the typical 'good guy' role. This is certainly the best or the meatiest role Diesel has played, and as long as they keep the audience glued, I suspect Hollywood will keep churning them out.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 119mins.
Periodically Hollywood becomes fascinated with conspiracy films; we can see them in our past--"Conspiracy Theory" '97, "Munich" '05, "The Conspiracy" '12, and scads of others. They make great fodder for suspense thrillers pitting an individual or a few people against 'the system'. We now have another conspiracy nail-biter in a film titled "Closed Circuit".
A terrorist attack in London results in the capture of suspect Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto). The Attorney General (Jim Broadbent) appoints Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) as special advocate on Erdogan's legal team. On the eve of the trial, Erdogan's attorney dies, and a new defense attorney, Martin Rose (Eric Bana) steps in. Martin and Claudia are former lovers, a fact which must remain hidden. As Martin assembles his case, he and Claudia uncover a sinister and evil conspiracy, placing them both in incredible danger. What is this conspiracy and how can it jeopardize people's lives?
Others to round out the cast are Ciaran Hinds as Devlin, part of Erdogan's legal team, Riz Ahmed as Nazrul Sharma, Anne-Marie Duff as Melissa, head of security, Kenneth Cranham as Cameron Fischer, Julia Stiles as Joanna Reece, Pinar Ogun as Ilkay Erdogan, Hasancan Cifci as Emir Erdogan, James Lowe as Simon Fellowes, the attorney that dies, and Andrew Havill as News Reporter 1.
This was effectively directed by John Crowley ("Intermission" '03, "Celabration" (TV movie) '07, "Boy A" '07, "Is Anybody There?" '08). The pacing was a little off, especially closer to the beginning like these actors had a problem 'being there'. This was adequately written by Steven Knight ("Frankie Howerd on Campus" (TV movie) '90, "Carrott U Like" (TV movie) '94, "Gypsy Woman" '01, "Dirty Pretty Things" '02, "Amazing Grace" '06, "Eastern Promises" '07, "Redemption" '13). Considering this only has a running time of 96 minutes, this does take some time to accelerate, but once it does, it becomes the thriller you paid admission to see. You just need to be patient with this suspense thriller otherwise its pace will have you wanting to walk, and the chemistry between Bana and Hall could have been a little more cohesive to boot.
As said prior, this starts slow, builds slow, and then takes off, and if your genre is the suspense/thriller one, this will fit the bill as long as you crank up your patience quotient.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: R 96mins.
Documentaries are certainly one of the best form of presenting a film there is, simply because the creators of them can teach their audiences something in an entertaining way, so when they leave, the writers, director,et al can feel satisfied that they have passed on some knowledge. I have seen many documentaries, i.e. "Murderball" '05, "Pumping Iron" '77, even last year's "Searching for Sugarman", and they all have taught me something that I can take with me done in an artistic, entertaining way, and "Generation Iron" holds no exceptions.
