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Comments
I was looking forward to this film and it delivered. Far better than the reviews would have you believe. Once again, they are wrong.
There are two ways to simply assess this film:
1. A low rent Heat ripoff
2. A cracking heist 'cops and robbers' actioner
Both descriptions are accurate. Gerard Butler and Pablo Schreiber are no Al Pacino or Robert De Niro respectively, but they are decent enough. The latter in particular is quite impressive actually and would make a great Bond villain. The film has a lengthy running time of 2:30 hrs, but it's quite engaging throughout.
The only knock is that the characters aren't as well developed as they were in Heat, and perhaps that will be a real problem for some. The earlier film had richly textured personalities who one cared about. Here one could be forgiven for not caring at all about any of these individuals. Additionally, the domestic drama feels forced and falls flat unlike in the landmark Mann effort, and perhaps could have been dispensed with entirely. I certainly wouldn't have missed it.
To be fair though, that's not really what this film is about. Rather it's about Butler doing his macho testosterone filled thing. If that's your cup of tea, then you'll be quite happy. The shootout at the beginning and the one at the end are definitely 'Mann worthy' although there's surprisingly not much in the way of action in between. Well worth a viewing.
I could've gone without the last five minutes, too. That whole bit didn't do anything for me. Inject another solid action sequence or two, trim the fat here and there, remove the last five minutes, and it would've gone much better for me. I'd probably give it a 6, maybe 6.5 out of 10. Better than I had expected. Still eager to see The Commuter.
Yes, I agree. I'd give Den of Thieves a 7 out of 10 just for being better than I expected.
The Commuter unfortunately didn't quite hit the spot. Nothing specifically wrong with it, Liam is awesome as always, and it is definitely an entertaining entry, but perhaps my expectations were too high. It's a bit predictable & some of the charismatic actors are underused, so I caution everyone to go in prepared. I'd give that a 6 out of 10.
Enjoy @DaltonCraig007 and let us know how it went.
Great fun. Doesn't take itself seriously and is actually funny. Good performances all round and Care Blanchett is seriously sexy!
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Darkest Hour (2017)
This is the third biopic I’ve seen recently (the others being LBJ & Professor Marston & The Wonder Women). Directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice), it stars Gary Oldman (almost unrecognizable under makeup) in an academy award nominated performance as Winston Churchill, the Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during most of World War 2. The film focuses on Churchill’s early days as leader, starting with him succeeding Neville Chamberlain (who loses the confidence of his party in 1940). The film concludes with the evacuation at Dunkirk which happened just a few weeks after Churchill takes office. This limited timeline focus enables Wright to concentrate on the character of his famous protagonist. Oldman is outstanding in the role and effortlessly showcases Churchill’s indomitable outward spirit & his oratorical power, while also letting the viewer see his private insecurities. Those quieter moments of self doubt are where the film really shines in my view, and are facilitated by great scenes with the always excellent Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI, Kristin Scott Thomas as wife Clementine & Lilly James as secretary Elizabeth. We also see the battles with Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) and Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane), who Churchill famously clashed with and outmaneuvered.
The film reminds me a lot of LBJ which I viewed just last week. Both are limited scope biopics which focus on larger than life leaders of historical consequence. Both similarly rely heavily on exceptional performances by the lead actor. What elevates Darkest Hour above LBJ in my view is the screenplay & direction, which allow a bit more insight into the personality & character of the leader. The score by Dario Marianelli (this is a man who should be considered for Bond) & the cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel (which gives the film a shadowy effect) are also both first class. It’s an interesting film and Oldman is so good that he might just win the big prize this year. If he does, it will certainly be well deserved.
I agree the Academy is very flawed, and I really feel like they choose winners via political reasons many times. Shape of Water has some political themes involved, but they sit in the background where they belong behind the main story.
The Oscars should have a public vote, the nominations would be different I suspect, it will never happen it's such a archaic institution.
In a way the music business is more transparent that way, with The American Music Awards being driven by public vote.
I saw that one in theatres and loved it! Great movie, not just good. Great.
@Lancaster007
I rather like that one. Great atmoshere; very ominous. But I agree it's not the best of the bunch.
Is it a comedy I saw a trailer a few months back, it looked fun in a mindless sense.
It was far more comedy-oriented than horror-oriented. I wasn't scared once. I chuckled a couple times, but to be honest the comedy is sort of hit-and-miss. It's a totally acceptable film, but lacks originality. If you want to watch it as a horror movie, you will be disappointed. As a comedy, a little better; honestly it's sort of a drama film too in some ways.
Very underwhelmed. Played out more like a miniseries than a motion picture. The characters were all pretty basic, which made it hard to understand the attempted injections of drama into the narrative. Could have been an offbeat slasher comedy, or a spooky horror romance but can't make it's mind up.
6/10
I don't my a bit of schlock on occasion, some horror comedy's can be amusing if you just want a film to switch off too. I'll see if it's on any of the streaming services.