Sleight of Film

Today’s quick review: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is a high-strung New Orleans detective with a drug problem and flexible ethics. He gets the chance to prove himself when he is assigned to a multiple homicide case, but as his behavior grows increasingly erratic, his bad decisions start to catch up with him, threatening his investigation and his career.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a gritty crime drama set in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Nicolas Cage stars as Terence McDonagh, a cop with severe personal issues. Despite his outward appearance as a stand-up member of the force, Terry has a crippling drug addiction and no problem lying or stealing to support it. His questionable tactics make him an effective detective but risk landing him a situation he can’t talk his way out of.

Bad Lieutenant has a decent script, interesting performances, and an unpredictable plot. The core plot involves a homicide that Terry pins on Big Fate (Xzibit), a local drug dealer, but cannot prove. The story also touches on Terry’s relationships with Frankie (Eva Mendes), a prostitute with a drug habit, his father Pat (Tom Bower), a recovering alcoholic, and Stevie (Val Kilmer), a colleague with even looser morals than Terry.

Nicolas Cage deserves special mention for his performance in the film. Terry walks a fine line between fallen hero and total maniac, and Cage handles the balance well. His actions are explicitly despicable, yet he never quite crosses over into irredeemable territory and his police work is almost admirable. The result is a bizarrely fascinating look at a character perched on a ledge, with Nicolas Cage’s remarkable drug-fueled meltdowns as added payoff.

Beyond that, Bad Lieutenant is a mixed bag. The plot has interesting ideas but is not all that gripping. The ending is strange but oddly satisfying. The direction has a couple of quirks, such as lingering close-up shots of reptiles. The characteres are not quite likable, but not far off it either, in spite of their misdeeds. The tone is not as dark as it could have been; the movie draws the line at rampant drug use, swearing, and extortion, without much violence.

Watch Bad Lieutenant if you are the curious type or are a fan of Nicolas Cage’s darker roles. Neither the subject matter nor the execution make Bad Lieutenant a good movie, but it holds a perverse sort of appeal. Most viewers are better off skipping it, but those looking for either a seamy crime drama or Nic Cage at his most erratic should give it a watch.

6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent execution, unpleasant subject matter, and oddly high watchability.

Today’s quick review: Tango & Cash. Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone), a precise, effective Los Angeles cop, and Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell), his loudmouthed counterpart from across town, finally meet their match when crime lord Yves Perrett (Jack Palance) frames them for murder. Wrongly convincted and set up to die in prison, Tango and Cash must put aside their differences long enough to break out of jail and clear their names.

Tango & Cash is an action comedy with a thin plot, sparkling dialogue, and plenty of 80s-flavored fun. A buddy cop movie in the classic mold, Tango & Cash pairs action stars Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell as two of L.A.’s best cops. The duo’s differences are only skin-deep, and the two heroes soon find themselves fighting side by side, trading quips as they search for a way out of Perrett’s fiendish trap.

Tango & Cash offers nothing beyond the 80s buddy cop formula, but it delivers that in spades. The plot is as simple as they come, the villains are paper-thin, and no time is wasted on drama or character development. But Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell make for a phenomenal pair, and the script gives them plenty of raw material to work with. The dialogue ranges from cheesy to hilarious and has enough one-liners to please the most voracious fan.

As far as action goes, Tango & Cash has a little bit of everything: brawls, shootouts, and chase scenes, with a few demolitions to top things off. The stunts are the usual 80s blend of decent combat and big setpieces, all delivered with a sense of fun and a knack for excess. Though not an action masterpiece, Tango & Cash has enough action to keep the adrenaline pumping and the plot rolling forward.

Watch Tango & Cash when you are in the mood for a rollicking action comedy. Tango & Cash is an excellent popcorn flick that is well worth a watch for any 80s action fan. Though a little light on substance, it has an unusually strong script and a great pair of leads. Anyone who dislikes the genre should steer well clear, as should anyone looking for a real plot, anyone looking for real tension, or anyone who has even a mild aversion to quips.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for unadulterated 80s fun.

Today’s quick review: Dark Blue. Against the backdrop of the Rodney King trial, Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell), a corrupt Los Angeles cop, and his rookie partner Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman) investigate a quadruple homicide that their boss Jack Van Meter (Brendan Gleeson) wants them to hush up. Meanwhile, Arthur Holland (Ving Rhames), a principled cop angling for the position of chief, hunts for the evidence to prove Perry’s misdeeds.

Dark Blue is a gritty crime drama about police corruption and the abuse of power. Kurt Russell stars as Eldon Perry, a chummy, morally bankrupt cop willing to break any rule for the sake of the department. His new partner, played by Scott Speedman, wants to follow Perry to the top, but has reservations at the crimes Perry asks him to commit in the name of justice. With Holland nipping at his heels, Perry sets about doing what he does best one more time.

Dark Blue is a grim but decent moral drama that relies heavily on its characters. None of its cast are all that remarkable, but they are just strong enough to set up a good final act where the moral conflicts of the movie come to a head. The lack of any clear heroes makes Dark Blue hard to get into, while the real-world events of the Rodney King trial keep the movie from feeling like any sort of escapism.

Watch Dark Blue when you are in the mood for a serious cop drama that touches on real-world issues. Neither the plot nor the characters are enough to make Dark Blue a standout, but decent execution and a worthwhile finale make the movie a passable watch. For a corrupt cop movie with better characters and more tension, check out Training Day. For a corrupt cop thriller with some heart, check out 16 Blocks.

6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a mediocre build-up culminating in a fairly strong ending.

Today’s quick review: Domino. In an FBI interrogation room, Domino Harvey (Keira Knightley), a Los Angeles bounty hunter, recounts her life story to Agent Taryn Mills (Lucy Liu). Her tale meanders through her wealthy childhood, her training under local legend Ed Moseby (Mickey Rourke), and her reality TV deal, all the way up to her latest job, a chaotic affair involving an armored car robbery, the mob, and $10 million in stolen cash.

Domino is a heavily stylized crime drama loosely based on the life of real-world bounty hunter Domino Harvey. Told as a series of flashbacks narrated by Domino, the movie couples a convoluted plot, experimental presentation, and biopic elements to produce a unique crime movie that’s packed with attitude. However, many of the film’s risky stylistic choices do not pay off for it, leaving it a movie with substantial missed potential.

How much you enjoy Domino will depend heavily on how well you like the main character. Keira Knightley’s performance attempts to split the difference between jaded stoic and thrill-seeker, but she gets caught in the middle. Domino’s chilly demeanor undermines her claim that she’s in it for the excitement, while her edgy bluster keeps her from building up any quiet menace. Unless Domino clicks for you as a character, the movie’s central element will be lacking.

The movie also experiments with techniques that are interesting but unsuccessful. The film’s heavily repeated lines are more annoying than stylish, the elaborate camerawork distracts as much as it enhances, and the plot is complicated to the point of confusion. To its credit, Domino’s experiments in nonlinear storytelling and unreliable narration are more successful, but on the whole, Domino’s stylization is a miss.

For all that, Domino has decent production values, a couple of good plot twists, and a solid cast. While Keira Knightley gets mixed results due to the script, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Walken, and Lucy Liu are all fun to watch for the duration they are onscreen. Underneath its tangled presentation and messy ending, the plot has some good ideas. Moreover, Domino attempts to do something new, a failed but worthy attempt to bring new life to the genre.

Ultimately, Domino is a question of taste. If you like stylized, gritty films with plenty of attitude, Domino might just be the rare watch you are looking for. But more likely than not, enough of the film’s many polarizing choices will catch you the wrong way to sour you on it. Check out Lucky Number Slevin instead for a more successful stylized take on the crime genre, or Layer Cake if you want something more serious.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for experimentation that largely fails.

Today’s quick review: Shooter. Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a retired Marine sniper, is recruited by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) to scope out a possible sniper threat against the President. But when the assassination attempt is pinned on Swagger, he must go on the run until he can clear his name. His only allies are Sarah Fenn (Kate Mara), the widow of his partner, and Nick Memphis (Michael Pena), a junior FBI agent who suspects Swagger’s innocence.

Shooter is a suspense thriller with a standard premise and capable execution. Shooter has a well-structured plot, sensible direction, the right amount of tension, and enough twists to stay engaging from start to finish. Mark Wahlberg delivers a solid performance to lead the movie, while his supporting cast of Danny Glover, Michael Pena, and Kate Mara play their roles well.

Shooter is one of the better fugitive thrillers out there. Swagger’s skills are impressive yet plausible; his training, resourcefulness, and determination keep him one step ahead of law enforcement without making him superhuman. For his part, Memphis shows an admirable doggedness in his investigation into swagger. The whole affair is capped off by a handful of impressive sniper scenes, giving Shooter a unique and suitably tense flavor to its action.

Watch Shooter when you are in the mood for a tidy, well-executed suspense thriller. Though not the most innovative entry in its genre, Shooter scratches the itch well, and its sniper combat and strong plot help it stand above the rest. Skip it if you are looking for a less conventional thriller, something lighter in tone, or a more cerebral plot.

7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for solid execution.

Today’s quick review: The Professional. Leon (Jean Reno), a ruthlessly efficient hitman with peculiar habits, takes in Mathilda (Natalie Portman), the twelve-year-old girl who lives down the hall, when her family is murdered. As the two find happiness for the first time, Leon begins to think of a life beyond killing. But Mathilda harbors a dangerous desire to get revenge on Stan (Gary Oldman), the eccentric criminal who killed her family.

The Professional is a crime drama with a great cast, a solid script, and odd sensibilities. Mixing a character-driven story, moments of levity, and a few bursts of impressive violence, The Professional delivers an artful and interesting experience. Though several other movies have similar premises, The Professional is one of the few that has an identity of its own and the craftsmanship to back it up.

The Professional strikes a skillful balance between action and realism. Leon is a force of nature, tearing through armed men like tissue paper, yet his mundane character and odd habits make him much more of an ordinary person than the typical action hero. Mathilda walks a similar line: she is troublesome but not annoying, charming but not saccharine, and driven but not hypercompetent. The result is a movie that earns the right to make its own rules.

The cast is responsible for much of The Professional’s quality. Jean Reno plays a realistic and nuanced Leon, plausibly caught between cold-blooded killer and kind-hearted, unassuming man. Natalie Portman shakes things up as Mathilda, a preteen with a troubled background and a growing bond with Leon. For his part, Gary Oldman plays Stan, a dangerous man whose quirks make him unique without spoiling his credibility.

The Professional does have a few tradeoffs. The plot is basic and slow-paced. The limited cast restricts the world to a few well-fleshed-out characters, rather than the living, breathing settings found in The Boondock Saints or John Wick. What action there is is enough to make Leon a legend, but the characters, not the action sequences, are the focus.

Watch The Professional if you are at all interested in a well-told drama with good action and a personality of its own. Those looking for a straight action movie will not be disappointed but could probably do better. Those looking for a hybrid of drama and action will be pleasantly surprised. The Professional’s strong execution makes it well worth checking out; whether it tips over into greatness will depend on your expectations and taste.

8.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it an 8.0 for all-around high quality.

Today’s quick review: The American. Jack (George Clooney), a reclusive man with a shady past, finds himself the target of a team of hitmen. With no clue who is after him or why, he holes up in a quiet Italian town near Rome. There, he takes a job assembling a custom gun for a client. As the days pass, he finds comfort in the arms of a prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido) but cannot shake the suspicion that he has been followed.

The American is a spy drama with a minimalistic plot and romantic elements. The usual hallmarks of the spy genre are missing: there are no high stakes, no extravagant action sequences, no gadgets, and no espionage. What’s left over is a tone of uncertainty and tension and a protagonist who, if not a spy, could easily be one. The American positions itself as a realistic, dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of rural Italy.

The trouble is that The American strips too much away. Jack is an enigma, a man without a past, an occupation, or even a last name. His motivations are opaque, and his only traits are his spy-like skill set and his justified wariness. His situation is even more mysterious: no reasons are given for the men trying to kill him, the gunsmithing job he takes, or even Jack’s earliest decisions in the movie. The conflict lacks any motivation and the stakes are unclear.

To top it all off, The American is a slow, uneventful movie. The film does a good job of establishing Jack’s cautious nature, but for all that it hints at surprises to come, there is very little payoff. The American occupies its time with Jack’s fleeting glimpses of a normal life, a life the ghosts of his past will not let him live. These interactions are fine on their own, but they lack the structure to support a movie that is already thin on plot.

To its credit, The American has fine craftsmanship and polished presentation. The camerawork takes its time, the performances are decent, and rural Italy makes for a gorgeous setting. The soundtrack is a blend of gentle guitar, piano, and Italian music, matching the scenery well. The film also does a good job of interspersing small but meaningful details, from Jack jolting himself awake in the middle of the night to his subtle hobbies.

The American has niche appeal for those who want the uncertainty of a spy thriller without the plot or action. Its execution is of high enough quality that those looking for its particular blend of elements might find it interesting. But most viewers will find it slow-paced, overly mysterious, and lacking in payoff. Find either a proper spy thriller or a drama with a more involved plot, according to your taste.

6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent production quality held back by a dull script.

Today’s quick review: Welcome to the Punch. Three years after he was shot by Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong), a notorious bank robber, driven London cop Max Lewinsky (James McAvoy) gets another chance to catch the criminal when Sternwood’s son is involved in a shooting. But even with Sternwood drawn out of hiding, catching him proves difficult, and Max’s problems are compounded by the lingering questions surrounding the shooting.

Welcome to the Punch is a crime thriller set in modern-day London. A well-constructed plot, capable direction, and a decent dose of action make Welcome to the Punch a solid midlist thriller. At the same time, its downer tone, weak supporting cast, and limited payoff keep it from rising much higher. The result is a decent but unexceptional crime drama with just enough going on to be worthwhile.

Welcome to the Punch’s main draw is its plot. Though it starts out ordinarily, the story unfolds into a competent mystery involving a tragic shooting, a London crime wave, and shady culprits who have both Max and Jacob at a loss. The plot progresses smoothly, and while the payoff is not smart enough to make Welcome to the Punch a great movie, it is enough to make the movie compelling and cohesive.

Beyond its plot, Welcome to the Punch offers decent action, a solid pair of lead actors, and little else. The plot is winding enough to make the film’s hundred minutes feel full, but the story still has little going on compared to higher-budget productions. James McAvoy delivers a skilled performance as an injured, bitter, and obsessed cop, but Mark Strong is misused, playing a fairly neutral character with little flavor of his own.

Watch Welcome to the Punch when you are in the mood for a decent crime thriller without any frills. Most viewers would be better off looking for a thriller with more of a reputation, but those looking for an idle watch with a serious tone and a fairly meaty plot should check it out.

6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a good plot and average overall quality.

Today’s quick review: Grand Piano. Tom Selznick (Elijah Wood), a world-class pianist with a bad case of nerves, is returning to the stage after five years of retirement. But his comeback performance is hijacked by a hidden sniper (John Cusack) with a simple threat: miss a note and die. Now Tom must find a way to get himself and his wife (Kerry Bishe) out of danger while giving the performance of his life.

Grand Piano is a minimalist thriller with an unusual premise. Elijah Wood stars as Tom Selznick, a pianist who flubbed a difficult piece years ago, shattering his confidence and tanking his career. John Cusack plays opposite him as a voice on the other side of an earpiece, who wants to ensure a perfect performance from Tom for his own mysterious purposes.

From this setup, Grand Piano plays out as a decent thriller with good direction and a linear plot. Elijah Wood and John Cusack both deliver solid performances, and while neither character is all that deep, they fit the story nicely. The plot works up a good bit of tension, setting up a fruitful tug of war between Tom’s tenuous grip on the music, his tormentor’s threats, and Tom’s attempts to worm his way out of the crosshairs.

The whole package is wrapped up by a dramatic classical soundtrack and a good deal of polish for what is clearly a budget production. Grand Piano does have a few failings, however. The concept doesn’t give the film too much to work with, just enough to squeak out an hour and a half of content with some padding. The ending, while satisfying, does not offer much in the way of escalation. The result is a succinct take on a gripping premise rather than a full-blown epic.

Watch Grand Piano when you are in the mood for an unconventional thriller with a few good moments that does not overstay its welcome. Though somewhat limited in scope, Grand Piano delivers what it promises: a tense dramatization of the concept of stage fright. Skip it if you are looking for a thriller with more action, better execution, or a more elaborate plot.

5.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for an inventive premise and decent execution.

“Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll find this guy. But only because, when it comes to you and me, I truly—and I mean this sincerely—I truly have nothing better to do and I despise my job.” —David

Today’s quick review: The Trust. Jim (Nicolas Cage) and David (Elijah Wood), a pair of low-ranking Las Vegas detectives, get a lead on a secure location used by drug dealers to store something valuable. They hatch a scheme to make it in and out with whatever is there, but as their plans lead them farther into a situation they aren’t prepared for, David finds himself having second thoughts.

The Trust is a crime drama with a minimalist setup and a competent pair of leads. Though not a flashy or action-packed movie, The Trust has a smart progression and a strong sense of character. Jim and David are right on the border of competence: probably in over their heads, but just resourceful enough to push forward. The plot’s twists and unanswered questions turn an otherwise straightforward heist into an uncertain endeavor.

The Trust is one of the few recent movies to use Nicolas Cage to good effect. His character of Jim is a goofy police officer with a bit of an edge, and his awkward jokes and suspicious behavior are noted by the other characters in the movie. He plays opposite Elijah Wood’s character of David, a younger cop, a chronic underachiever, and the de facto straight man of the pair. Both characters are well-developed, interesting, and somewhat unpredictable.

The Trust is by no means a masterpiece. Beyond two good characters and a couple of clever twists, the movie has very little going on. Its tinge of nihilism makes it more of an interesting watch than a satisfying one. But for an admittedly midrate crime drama, The Trust shows unusual character and vision. Watch it when you are in the mood for a slightly experimental take on the crime genre and are willing to sacrifice quality to find one.

5.4 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent characters and plot let down by general quality issues.