When it comes to films that surround around international intrigue, I can't help but think of those films that Luc Besson created, i.e. Transporter films, the Taken films, Lucy and even The Fifth Element. However, even though "The Rhythm Section" has a similar feel about it, the writer simply needs more experience to get to the point that he needs to be.
Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively) veers down a path of self-destruction through drugs and street prostitution after a tragic plane crash kills her family. An investigative journalist, Keith Proctor (Raza Jeffrey) soon confronts her and she learns that the crash wasn't an accident. So, through a man called 'the source' (Jude Law) whom she knew about through Proctor, she is able to convince him to show her the ropes in fighting and survival tactics in order to extract revenge on the culprits. After her training, the source decides to put her in the field, and she subsequently turns to a former CIA operative, Marc Serra (Sterling K. Brown), however her quest starts unraveling the truth and through this decides to punish those who are responsible.
Others to round out the cast are Max Casella as Leon Giler, Daniel Mays as Dean West, Geoff Bell as Green, Richard Brake as Lehmans, Jade Anouka as Laura Fuller, Jack McEvoy as Conor, Ivana Basic as Oksana, Nasser Memarzia as Suleman Kaif and Amira Ghazalla as Alia Kaif, Suleman's wife.
This was intriguingly directed by Reed Morano ("Meadowland" '15, "I Think We're Alone Now" '18) plus TV and a short. I say intriguingly because through her directing techniques, she was responsible in emotionally transforming Lively from the drug addict that she was to that of the cold, calculating killer she became. And she became a fighting killer with all the inadequacies one would have just coming off training. This is difficult to succeed at, but with Lively providing her expertise, it surely made it easier. It was interestingly written by Mark Burnell based on his novel. For this being his first writing (TV and film), it was an incredible undertaking, however, with his limited experience, the script certainly jumped around and was choppy in places. Like many other films, it starts somewhere in the middle of the story, and then goes back eight months where we are introduced to Stephanie, a troubled, addicted individual whose life is spiraling down the drain. And then she meets Proctor, and the story goes from that point. Although starting a film at mid point of the story and working its way to that point and beyond, because of this writer's inexperience, the storyline was difficult, at times, to keep up with. Not sure why a guy as good as what he did (the source) would jeapordize a mission with someone as inexperienced as Stephanie was, but then there wouldn't be a film. What probably saved this film was the chemistry between Law and Lively. It was the thing that is the success of this, so casting of these two characters was paramount. Truly, Burnell has potential of being a talented screenwriter, and we should soon find out considering that his thriller, "Remote Control" is in development.
The car chases, stunts and the frenetic chemistry between Law and Lively makes this script move its audience right along, but hopefully Burnell will be given more opportunities to show what, I believe, he can really write. It's gritty, intense and, at some points, keeps one on the edge of their seats.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: R 110mins.
War films are as old as silent films themselves, so much so that to list all of them would probably take about three reviews. We've seen war films that have been produced in extremely graphic approaches such as "Platoon" '86, "Saving Private Ryan" '98, the Oscar contender "1917" and now there's "The Last Full Measure".
This tells the true story of Vietnam War hero William H. 'Pits' Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), a U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (also known as PJ) medic who personally saved over sixty men. During a rescue mission on April 11, 1966, he was offered the chance to escape on the last helicopter out of the combat zone heavily under fire, but he stayed behind to save and defend the lives of his fellow soldiers of the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, before making the ultimate sacrifice in the bloodiest battle of the war.
Thirty-two years later, respected Pentagon staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan) on a career fast-track is tasked with investigating a Congressional Medal of Honor request for Pitsenbarger made by his best friend and PJ partner on the mission, Tulley (William Hurt) and his parents, Frank (Christopher Plummer) and Alice (Diane Ladd). Huffman seeks out the testimony of Army veterans who witnessed Pitsenbarger's extraordinary valor, including Takoda (Samuel L. Jackson), Jimmy Burr (Peter Fonda) and Ray Mott (Ed Harris). But as Huffman learns more about Pitsenbarger's courageous acts, he inadvertently uncovers a high-level conspiracy behind the decades-long denial of the medal, prompting him to put his own career on the line to seek justice for the fallen airman.
Others to round out the cast are Bradley Whitford as Carl Stanton, Linus Roache as Whit Peters, John Savage as Kepper, Alison Sudol as Tara Huffman, Scott's wife, Amy Madigan as Donna Burr, Jimmy's wife and Michael Imperioli as Jay Ford.
This was intensely and grittily directed by Todd Robinson ("Angel Fire" '92, "The Legend of Billy the Kid" (TV movie documentary) '94, "Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick" (documentary) '95, "Amargosa" (documentary) 2000, "Stand and Be Counted"(TV movie documentary) 2000, "Lonely Hearts" '06, "Amy Cook: The Spaces in Between" (documentary) '09, "Phantom" '13) plus TV. It should be no surprise why this film would be directed so well considering this filmmaker's exhaustive documentary experience. He knows what it takes to get his actors to appear extremely realistic so as to give the appearance of a documentary without it being one. With the intricate editing and gritty photography, Robinson gave us a war film that is incredibly sobering. It was also equally well crafted by writer Robinson ("The Four Diamonds" (TV movie) '95, "White Squall" '96, "Clubland" '99, "Mermaid" (TV movie) 2000, "Astronauts" (TV movie) '02, "Night and Day" (TV movie) '10) plus TV and the aforementioned list. As I 've mentioned in other reviews, any time the director of a film also writes the film, the script is typically honed well since it is their project, and this is no exception. The way the story goes from the present (mid '90's) to 1966 in the midst of the war and back again was cohesive, tight, concise and fluid. So many films can get lost in the writing being choppy, meandering or 'foggy', but this storyline had none of that. Was this an Academy Award caliber film? Probably not, however, I truly feel that Robinson gave us, the audience, everything that would and could cause us to consider how fortunate we all are in that these soldiers (Pitsenbarger in this case) are willing to lay their lives on the line for us.
This should be shown in high school classes to not only to impress on the kids what happened at that time in our history, but what these guys went through for our freedom and keeping our democracy the way it is. It was written, directed, photographed and edited with amazing clarity, and watching this should keep us sober and humble.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 116mins.
There are films, when directed are not necessarily distinct in knowing who directed them. Then there are directors who have carried a unique style through the years: Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Rob Marshall, John Hughes and now we can add to that list Guy Ritchie with his newly directed "The Gentlemen".
Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is an American expatriate who became rich by building a marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he's looking to cash out of business, it soon triggers an array of plots and schemes from those who want his fortune.
One character here is Fletcher (Hugh Grant) who is a dirty private detective who finds dirt on rich, powerful people then attempts to sell it to the highest bidder. Fletcher claims to have dirt on Mickey which he spews his opinion toward Mickey's associate, Raymond (Charlie Hunnam), and after a prospective buyer of the empire, Matthew (Jeremy Strong) starts conniving with Fletcher, it perks adversaries such as Dry Eye (Henry Golding) and Lord George (Tom Wu). So ensues the double crosses, attempted murders, assassins and a pound of flesh that needs to be claimed that is all wrapped up with gunfights, car chases and gangsters galore.
Others to round out the cast are Michelle Dockery as Rosiland Pearson, Mickey's wife, Colin Farrell as Coach, Eddie Marsan as Big Dave, Lyne Renee as Jackie, Chidi Ajufo as Bunny, Simon Barker as Frazier and Jason Wong as Phuc.
This was distinctly and grittily directed by Guy Ritchie ("Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" '98, "Snatch" 2000, "Swept Away" '02, "Revolver" '05, "Suspect" (TV movie) '07, "RocknRolla" '08, "Sherlock Holmes" '09, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" '11, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." '15, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" '17, "Aladdin" '19) plus shorts and video shorts. As I had mentioned in the preface, this filmmaker has such a slick, polished distinct style when directing films, so much so, it makes it enjoyable to watch his films. This, like his others films was brilliantly and slickly directed. He truly knows how to balance drama and his quirky, dry comedy well. His characters come alive and it's difficult to know who to feel sorry for and who not. It was also well written by Ritchie (resume same as direction), based on a story by Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies. Even though I relish in Ritchie's direction, his writing has a tendency to frustrate me. What starts out as a story that doesn't seem to go very far, ends up, at about half way through, being an incredible screenplay. He starts about in the middle of the story, then goes through a series of flashbacks coming to the part you came in with, then goes from there. This isn't a new idea in writing screenplays, but he puts an all together new spin on it. And this story is narrated by Fletcher as though he's written a draft of a screenplay telling the story we're seeing--you've got the see the film to get this. I always anticipate Ritchie's films since I know it will be directed, written and shot with expertise. If you like his style, his "Cash Truck" is in post-production that he has written and directed.
This is Ritchie at his best. His work is not for the mass audience appeal, and at times his dialects from the actors can be a bit thick--think "Snatch" 2000, but that's the quirkiness we've all come to love about this filmmaker. It's a fun flick for most--definitely a guy flick and if you want to see a mob type film that doesn't take itself so seriously, this is the film for you.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 113mins.
When "Bad Boys" was released in 1995, who knew that the fluffy buddy cop film would really take off? It took off so much that a sequel in 2003 was released, and with that, we now are offered "Bad Boys for Life". If they keep releasing these films, the two lead stars are going to be too old to get the energy it takes to tackle such a physical franchise.
Detective Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) have to confront new issues (career changes and midlife crises), as they reluctantly join the newly created elite team AMMO including Rita (Paola Nunez), Dorn (Alex Ludwig) and Rafe (Charles Melton) of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas (Jacob Scipio), the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.
It turns out that Armas' mother, Isabel Aretas (Kate del Castillo) has it in for several associates of her husband's whereas they doubled crossed him, so, of course, revenge must be extracted. So she brings her young 24 year old son to do her dirty work. Also Mike Lowrey is on the hit list as well because of a past incidence that rocked her world.
Others to round out the cast are Vanessa Hudgens as Kelly, Joe Pantoliano as Captain Howard, Nicky Jam as Zway-Lo and Bianca Bethune as Megan Burnett.
This was intensely yet humorously directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ("Image" '14, "Black" '15, "Gangsta" '18) plus TV and shorts. This was slickly directed in the same vein as Michael Bay's 1995 Bad Boys which was crucial in convincing the audience that these two cops were still the same. It had the same feel, locales and wisecracks as its two predecessors possessed. Seems like these filmmakers didn't have much to do but copy Bay's work, but creating different situations keeping a similar feel as the original can be quite challenging in that the characters must carry the same personality makeup and that can be difficult and hold the audience's attention. It was interestingly written by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan, based on a story by Craig and Carnahan, which is based on characters created by George Gallo. Not sure why Bremner received top billing for writing since this it is his first screenplay--maybe because he has "Sick Day", "National Treasure 3" and "Bad Boys 4" all announced, but both Craig and Carnahan have a great deal of screenwriting experience. They all have films announced, completed, in post-production, etc, and I believe this is why this film was certainly better than I ever projected it would be. Was this an Academy Award caliber film? Of course not, but this is not why films like this are produced as much as they are great escape films that one can enjoy with a bag of popcorn, and for this reason, this was a well thought out premise. The one thing that I had a problem with was that it was a bit long-in-the-tooth--about 10 minutes could've been shaved off the final running time and still give its audience plenty of info to work from. The other stars of this were the stunt coordinators: Mike Gunther and Spiro Razatos. They made the incredible stunts look effortless, and they certainly helped create that frenetic feel of the production.
Unless you're living under a rock, there will be a "Bad Boys 4" coming later, so watch the end so you can see the small piece of film indicating this. For the type of film that it is, this has it all: action, explosions, humor and excitement. Not a great film, but certainly looks great on the large screen.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 124mins.
While there are many franchise films out in the film world, some are better than others--some franchises shouldn't have been franchises, but then others seem to improve with time. When "Doctor Dolittle" was released in 1967 with Rex Harrison and "Doctor Dolittle" in 1998 with Eddie Murphy was also released, who would have thought that yet another film could've ever been resurrected. So now we have "Dolittle" with Robert Downey Jr. to sit back and escape into.
After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.), famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria's England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen (Jessie Buckley) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries, namely Dr. Blair Mudfly (Michael Sheen) and King Rassouli Antonio Banderas), and discovers wondrous creatures. The doctor is joined on his quest by a young, self-appointed apprentice, Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) and a raucous coterie of animal friends, including an anxious gorilla, Chee-Chee (Rami Malek), an enthusiastic but bird-brained duck, Dab-Dab (Octavia Spencer), a bickering duo of a cynical ostrich, Plimpton (Kumail Janjiani), and an upbeat polar bear, Yosti (John Cena), and a headstrong parrot, Polly (Emma Thompson), who serves as Dolittle's most trusted advisor and confidante.
Others to round out the cast are Jim Broadbent as Lord Thomas Badgley, Tom Holland as Jip, Craig Robinson as Kevin, Ralph Fiennes as Barry, Selena Gomez as Betsy and Carmel Laniado as Lady Rose.
This was whimsically directed by Stephen Gaghan ("Abandon" '02, "Syriana" '05, "Metro" (TV movie) '11, "White City" (TV movie) '15, "Gold" '16). Even though the production stars a captivating star as Downey is, and the visual effects also are a wow factor, the emotions the actors needed to emit was absolutely the mark of talented directing. If you want to see fine directing, rent or stream "Syriana" with George Clooney. It is incredibly gritty and intense. "Dolittle" is effectively written by Gaghan, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, based on a screen story by Thomas Shepherd, which is based on characters created by Hugh Lofting. This version of the beloved story is a great film for the whole family fraught with a charismatic lead, cool animals with quite the individual personalities and even a young queen and apprentice which will woo the youngsters into the multiplex. It was an exciting, adventurous epic tale that has a tight script, and is slickly done. If there were any flaws in it, it would be that Downey's English dialect was a bit difficult to understand at times. Another week or two with his dialect coach would've helped. Plus, the logistics of when the animals spoke and when they made their animal noises so as to show us that he could understand them went a bit back and forth too much, otherwise the script was enjoyable and entertaining. And the visual effects predominantly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company) were seamless as they were effective to the story. Between all the writer's experience (films, shorts and TV), there was a plethora of past work of these filmmakers to create a winning screenplay.
Assuming you're a Dolittle fan, this will please these moviegoers, however even if not, the presence of Downey in the title role will undoubtedly please all who view this. Kids and adults alike will gravitate to this film and with little to no problems with it. This is a great way to escape into another world even if it is for only an hour and three quarters.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG 107mins.
We've all seen sci-fi and horror films throughout the decades, but then Hollywood decides to combine theses genres and after a metamorphosis, we get "Underwater". We've seen similar films with the same treatment--certain ones come to mind: "Alien" '79, Event Horizon" '97 and "Promethus" '12 to mention a few. So when viewing this film, it almost seemed like a homage to those other films or films of the like.
A crew of aquatic researchers including a captain (Vincent Cassel), Norah (Kristen Stewart), Paul (T.J. Miller), Emily (Jessica Henwick), Smith (John Gallagher Jr.) and Rodrigo (Mamoudou Athie) work to get to safety after an apparent earthquake devastates their subterranean laboratory. But as they progress in escaping, the crew has much more than the ocean seabed to fear.
This crew is in a subterranean lab which reaches 6.5 miles under the ocean surface to drill for different deposits we need on the surface, but this means going farther than anyone has ever reached. The 'earthquake' happens early in the morning and awakens Norah, and as she reaches Rodrigo, they must leave where they are only later to find others along the way, the captain included. Now the six of them must find a way to the section of the lab before even more hell breaks loose and they find themselves in a watery grave.
Others to round out the cast are Gunner Wright as Lee and Amanda Troop.
This was rivetingly directed by William Eubank ("Love" '11, "The Signal" '14). Certainly this filmmaker doesn't have a tremendous amount of experience in the director's chair, however he certainly gave his audience an extremely claustrophobic nail-biter that will give any filmgoer the feeling of being dragged through a knothole. I know I was squirming in my seat waiting for the next problem to arise. The cast emitted a truly realistic performance of those going through such an ordeal and that is a talented director at hand. It was effectively written by Brian Duffield ("Insurgent" '15, "Jane Got a Gun" '15, "The Babysitter" '17) plus TV and a short, and Adam Cozad (""Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" '14, "The Legend of Tarzan" '16), based on a story by Duffield. One thing I can respect about this screenplay is that it basically 'cuts to the chase'. Many other films seem to believe that the audience needs a ton of background of certain characters in order for said audience get the plot. This film actually allowed its audience to learn as much as was needed about the characters as the story unfolded to be as informative as it needed for us. This not only gets us involved in the plot quicker, but also adds to the suspense at hand, which is what this film is all about. Kudos to the writers for implementing this. Surely other films might need a certain degree of character development, but clearly not this. Was this script flawless? Certainly not. There were a couple of areas of disjointedness when it comes to the continuity where I had a difficulty of knowing where these characters were given the scene at hand, otherwise it was a very effective storyline. If these writers appeal to you, Duffield's "Spontaneous" is completed and his "Monster Problems" is in post-production. Also Cozad"s "Red Platoon" has been announced. And finally, the visual effects predominantly designed by MPC (Moving Picture Company) were seamless and truly enhanced the claustrophobic feel of this production.
Certainly if any moviegoer saw and appreciated the likes of "Alien", they will revel with this. The selling slogan for Alien was "In space, no one can hear you scream". Take out the word 'space' and insert 'water', and that selling slogan could've been used for this film.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 95mins.
We all have seen films based on true stories and although they can cause us to think, "Just Mercy" not only causes us to think, it also comes up and wallops us in a way that reminds us how bias we can be given a 'perfect' situation. Whatever your background is culturally and socially, by the time you reach the exit door, this will stay with you long after the end credits roll.
A powerful and thought-provoking true story, this story follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter 'Johnnie D.' McMillian (Jamie Foxx) who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal, Ralph Meyers (Tim Blake Nelson) with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings mostly from District Attorney Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall) and overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) and others like him, with the odds--and the system--stacked against them.
Others to round out the cast are O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Anthony 'Ray' Hinton, Karan Hendrick as Minnie McMillian, Walter's wife, Darrell Britt-Gibson as Darnell Houston, Rhoda Griffis as Judge Pamela Bachab, Claire Bronson as Mrs. Chapman, Tommy's wife, Michael Harding as Sheriff Tate, Dominic Bogart as Doug Ansley, Eva's husband, C.J. LeBlanc as John McMillian, Walter's son and J. Alphonse Nicholson as Henry Davis.
This was delineated extremely carefully by director Destin Daniel Cretton ("I Am Not a Hipster" '12, "Short Term 12" '13, "The Glass Castle" '17) plus shorts and a video documentary. Whether an actor was carrying out dialogue or in a place of stillness, one could feel the emotions that were emitted. The intensity and grit simply spoke volumes, and although there were some incredibly talented actors here, this still takes a honed director to pull this off. It was amazingly well written by Cretton ("I Am Not a Hipster" '12, "Short Term 12" '13, "The Shack" '17, "The Glass Castle" '17) plus shorts and Andrew Lanham ("The Shack" '17, "The Glass Castle" '17, "The Kid" '19) based on the book by Bryan Stevenson. Usually when a screenplay goes beyond a 2-hour running time, I start to get fidgety, but this 2-hour and 15 min. running time moved right along. The script was tight, concise, cohesive and fluid, not to mention that the message it carries will astound the staunchest of critics. As for me, I typically don't pull the race card when it comes to a specific situation, however with this, this man up to die for a crime he clearly didn't commit was blatantly racial and difficult to believe that this type of bigotry still exists even back in the late '80 and early 90's, when this film took place. These writers are to be commended for opening up our eyes to see how much work there is to still do societally.
This film was released in select cities in December and then wide released this month hoping to be nominated come Oscar time. Well, this film was nominated for nothing and I find that difficult to swallow considering the top notch writing, acting and directing. This is not only well crafted film, but one where we all can certainly learn from.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 137mins.
War films are and have been a common staple in Hollywood as far back as the silent film era, and since then a plethora have been produced. "1917" is one of those war films that delve into WWI. I consider this to be the film version of Peter Jackson's 2018 documentary "They Shall Not Grow Old", based on Jackson's WWI's journey at that time. This film is loosely based on director Sam Mendes' great-grandfather's experiences in The Great War.
April 1917. At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) and Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) are given a seemingly impossible mission by General Erinmore (Colin Firth). In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message to Colonel MacKenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) that will stop a deadly attack on 1600 soldiers, Blake's own older brother, Lieutenant Blake (Richard Madden) among them. The two corporals meet many other officers and non alike to push them closer to their destination, but whatever happens, they must forge through since the main thing they are battling is the clock.
Others to round out the cast are Andrew Scott as Lieutenant Leslie, Daniel Mays as Sergeant Sanders, Pip Carter as Lieutenant Gordon, Andy Apollo as Sergeant Miller, Mark Strong as Captain Smith, Richard McCabe as Colonel Collins, Claire Duburcq as Lauri and Adrian Scarborough as Major Hepburn.
This was grittily and intensely directed by film veteran Sam Mendes ("Cabaret" (TV movie) '93, "American Beauty" '99, "Road to Perdition" '02, "Jarhead" '05, "Revolutionary Road" '08, "Away We Go" '09, "Skyfall" '12, "Spectre" '15) plus many others and a video short. Mendes has an abundance of work that shows us all what talented directing looks like, this film being of no exception. The expressions, body movements of the actors were so fluid and realistic, it seemed like we, the audience, were looking into the past at actual people. It was amazingly well written by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (TV, shorts, and a video). Even though Mendes is an accomplished director, and him writing his first screenplay, he is a natural, no doubt because of his film experience. Wilson-Cairns certainly is a natural herself with this her first screenplay. She is so talented, it will be interesting to see her "Last Night in Soho" which is in post-production and her "The Good Nurse" which is in pre-production. This is one of those scripts that even though there is minimal dialogue, it actually speaks volumes. Couple that with fine directing, and there leaves its audience with quite the story. Last, but not least, I must bring up the cinematography by the accomplished Roger Deakins asc/bsc ("1984" '84, "Sid and Nancy" '86, "Air America" '90, "The Hudsucker Proxy" '94, "Fargo" '96, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" 2000, "A Beautiful Mind" '01, "Jarhead" '05, "Doubt" '08, "The Company Men" '10, "Prisoners" '13, "Sicario" '15, "Hail, Caesar!" '16, "Blade Runner 2049" '17, "The Goldfinch" '19) plus many others. Obviously by his very resume, this photographer has proven himself time and again, especially with this film. The crispness of the film enhanced that grittiness and intensity that there were some scenes that were tough to witness because of the stark reality of how this war was incredibly as brutal as it was. This cinematographer has outdone himself and could garner a nomination come Oscar time. This film was actually released in selected cities last month so as to hope to be nominated.
This film is incredibly well directed, written, acted and photographed. If fact, George MacKay as Schofield could possibly get a nod come Oscar time as well--this film has catapulted him hugely. Also this is presented in an awesome IMAX format for those that really want to be up close and personal.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 119mins.
Unless we've missed it, we live in a totally, self-absorbed, greedy, violent and condemning world. This pretty much sums up the adjectives describing "Uncut Gems". When it comes to materialism, the characters in this film range high on that list. There aren't very many films where not feeling sorry for most of the characters is evident...this film is no exception.
This is an electrifying crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime--Ratner has a severe gambling addiction--he must perform a precarious high-wire act, balancing business, hoping to get a precious uncut gem to the auction block, his family, especially with his estranged wife, Dinah (Idina Menzel) and Arno (Eric Bogosian), and encroaching adversaries, including Phil (Keith Williams Richards) and Nico (Tommy Kominik) on all sides, in his relentless pursuit of the ultimate win.
Others to round out the cast are LaKeith Stanfield as Demany, Julie Fox as Julie, Howard's employee and mistress, Kevin Garnett as himself, Judd Hirsch as Gooey, Jacob Dylan Igielski as Beni Ratner, Howard's son, Anthony Mecca as Michael and Noa Fisher as Marcel Ratner, Howard's other son.
Considering the limited feature film experience, this film was surprisingly well directed by Benny Safdie ("Go Get Some Rosemary" '09, "Buttons" (documentary) '11, "Heaven Knows What" '14, "Good Time" '17) plus tons of shorts and Josh Safdie ("The Pleasure of Being Robbed" '08, "Go Get Some Rosemary" '09, "Buttons" (documentary) '11, "Lenny Cooke" (documentary) '13, "Heaven Knows What" '14, "Good Time" '17) plus a ton of shorts as well. The staging, and especially the pacing of this film actually enhanced this film and these filmmakers knew exactly how to pace their actors so as to relay that frenetic feeling to the story at hand. Couple that with intense editing and amazing photography, and this film keeps its audience on the edge of their seats. It was equally well written by Ronald Bronstein and Benny and Josh Safdie. This could've ended up being similar to other films out there with a typical plot like we've seen before, but this was interesting in that the storyline encumbered Howard's Jewish family as Passover looms in the near future, and the retired NBA basketball player, Garnett basically plays himself still on the court. With these aspects, these writers were able to connect these aspects with the typical gratuitous violence in this, and it worked. Other that having a problem getting this film off the ground--the first 45 minutes seemed to drag a bit--the last 75 minutes severely picked up and the film simply soared. And, like I've said in past reviews when reviewing one of Sandler's comedies, he excels (acting wise) when he's in a drama film as compared to a comedy. He should really act in more dramas.
Even though this film was a well crafted film, it wasn't made for the mass audiences. Considering the gratuitous language and violence, this is definitely for the more discrete filmgoer--it is rated R for a reason. But if you're into a well directed, written, acted and photographed film, this is the film for you.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 134mins.
