Infernal Affairs (2002)

Original Title

無間道 Mou gaan dou

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Andrew Lau

Country

Hong Kong

Cast

Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Chapman To, Gordon Lam, Kelly Chen, Sammi Cheng, Berg Ng, Wan Chi-keung, Dion Lam, Elva Hsiao, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue

Storyline

Chan Wing Yan (Shawn Yue), a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming (Edison Chen), a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan (Tony Leung) and Inspector Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau), respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.

Opinion

In the past months I've talked about this film a couple of times. It was always in relation to Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" which, in case you didn't know, is the American remake and one of the few times a remake is better than the original.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that "Infernal Affairs" is not a good film. Indeed it is a quite gripping and tense crime film that hasn't a lot to envy to its American copy.

First of all, the story is absolutely amazing. Even though the opening scenes where the characters start to settle down are a little confusing - using different actors for the same characters just to show time passing does not help -, the film features a gripping, simple yet smart story from the beginning, that not only is well written but also well told.

The main topic of the film is the contrast between good and evil, and is portrayed with its two main characters, their similarities and their moral obstacles. These two characters, Yan and Ming, are all you need to great a good film, and they have very well developed.

The reason why I do prefer Scorsese's to this one basically comes down to the supporting characters. Unfortunately "Infernal Affairs" doesn't feature any strong supporting character, and the female characters don't have a real purpose in the film other than being just the girlfriends.

The other reason is the dialogue. Even though Scorsese's was filled with cursing and profanities - and it's not only limited to the language -, it was more brilliant. This film indeed has quite simple dialogue.

As for the acting, the two leading actors, Tony Leung as the undercover cop and Andy Lau as the corrupted cop, both do a good job. A little side note on Leung though, his lack of charm makes it hard for you to root for his character.

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

Genre

Comedy | Crime

Director

Charles Crichton | John Cleese

Country

USA | UK

Cast

John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Maria Aitken, Tom Georgeson, Patricia Hayes, Cynthia Cleese, Geoffrey Palmer, Roger Brierley, Llewellyn Rees, Stephen Fry, John Bird

Storyline

Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her boyfriend Otto (Kevin Kline) are in England to plot alongside George (Tom Georgeson) and Ken (Michael Palin) the robbery of a diamond collection. Since they want the stolen goods for themselves, Wanda and Otto inform the police about George, not knowing that he has already moved the diamonds to another secret place, and Wanda thinks the best way to find out is by getting close to George's lawyer, Archie Leach (John Cleese).

Opinion

Outrageously hilarious and clever, and with a solid cast, A Fish Called Wanda is a classic comedy that is the perfect mix of British and American humor.

Brilliantly written by Charles Crichton and John Cleese, the screenplay works on a lot of different levels - the heist, the romantic comedy, the eternal conflict between Brits and Americans, the hitman -, it is full of both British and American humour - so to please a bigger audience - and is enriched with ridiculous situations, misunderstandings and puns that make the film a real pleasure.

The characters are pure genius. Wanda is a sexy and seductive American who seduced men to get from them what she needs, only to backstab them in the future. Archie Leach is the well-mannered English lawyer whose marriage is in crisis, and vents his sexual desires with Wanda. Ken is a shy, stuttering hitman who is secretly in love with Wanda, and tenderly loves animals. And then there is Otto, the American with a deep aversion to the word 'stupid', an immeasurable obsession with Buddhist meditation and Nietzsche's philosophy - that doesn't even understand because too stupid - and his uncontrollable hatred towards the British.

The film is packed with exhilarating scenes, but some of the most memorable are Otto torturing Ken, ramming french fries up his nose and chomping down his beloved fishes; Archie's striptease that accidentally puts him in the situation to be naked in front of a couple and their children; Ken's revenge in the finale.

The acting is solid like a stone. John Cleese is excellent in the role of lawyer Archie Leach, Jamie Lee Curtis unleashes all her friendliness to play Wanda, Michael Palin does a great job in the role of Ken, but Kevin Kline is unarguably standing out as he rocks the show as Otto. 

Reasons you should watch and like the film in a nutshell: direction, screenplay, and performances.

Quotes

Wanda: I was dealing with something delicate, Otto. I'm setting up a guy who's incredibly important to us, who's going to tell me where the loot is and if they're going to come and arrest you. And you come loping in like Rambo without a jockstrap and you dangle him out a fifth-floor window. Now, was that smart? Was it shrewd? Was it good tactics? Or was it stupid?

Otto: Don't call me stupid.

Wanda: Oh, right! To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you. I've worn dresses with higher IQs. But you think you're an intellectual, don't you, ape?

Otto: Apes don't read philosophy.

Wanda: Yes they do, Otto. They just don't understand it. Now let me correct you on a couple of things, OK? Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not "Every man for himself." And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.

Siberian Education (2013)

Original Title

Educazione siberiana

Genre

Crime | Drama

Director

Gabriele Salvatores

Country

Italy

Cast

Arnas Fedaravicius, Peter Stormare, John Malkovich, Vilius Tumalavicius, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jonas Trukanas, Vitalij Porshnev, Arnas Sliesoraitis, Pijus Grude, Ernestas Markevicius, Erikas Zaremba, Arvydas Lebeliunas, Viktoras Karpusenkovas, Daiva Stumbraite

Storyline

Kolyma (Arnas Fedaravicius) and Gagarin (Vilius Tumalavicius) grow up like brothers, raised by Kolyma's grandfather Kuzja (John Malkovich) who imposes very strict education to the children, focusing on hatred for the Soviets. In a robbery by two boys and two friends of theirs, Gagarin is stopped and arrested. Seven years later he is freed, but the world has changed, and he ends up in strong contrast with Kolyma.

Opinion

I did not read the book of Russian writer Lilin, but I read that the film doesn't stick much to the book. Now I believe that a film doesn't need to be identical to the book to be appreciated. However, still based on what I read about the book, I feel like the film could have been so much better.

Very interesting in terms of acting and aesthetic, Siberian Education is pretty much an ordinary gangster movie that seems half accomplished.

I'm really impressed that Italian director Gabriele Salvatores has tried something new, and has dealt with a part of history most of us don't know, but the film does have its flaws.

The main problem is the screenplay. Stefano Rulli, Sandro Petraglia and Salvatores do not find a way to carry the story, not even with the help of Lilin himself, and the result is a quite awkward script that alternates well made parts - childhood, criminal education, and carousel scene - to incomplete ones - the arrival of Xenya doesn't not bring the emotions it was supposed to, and the ending is nothing but hurried and also lacks emotions.

Despite many said they are different from the book, the characters are very interesting, in particular the extraordinary figure of Granpa Kuzja, reference point both of his family and of the Siberian clan. But, again, the character of Xenya has not been properly written.

The good thing is that the film gives some lessons that break off from the modern society we live in. First of all, money, whether they come from good or bad, is dirty. Second, we must help, and defend the weakest, because they are not able to do it themselves.

The acting steps up the film's game. When it comes to bad guys John Malkovich is the right pick. He lights up the film every time he is on screen, and delivers a stunning performance as the Russian Godfather, and makes you almost forget the fact that the characters speak English, with an accent but still English, instead of their native language. The others, Arnas Fedaravicius, Vilius Tumalavicius, Peter Stormare and Eleanor Tomlinson all do a fine job.

Quotes

Grandfather Kuzya: Man cannot possess more than his heart can love.

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

David Michôd

Country

Australia

Cast

James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Sullivan Stapleton, Luke Ford, Dan Wyllie, Anthony Hayes, Laura Wheelwright, Mirrah Foulkes, Justin Rosniak, Susan Prior, Clayton Jacobson, Anna Lise Phillips

Storyline

After his mother dies, seventeen year-old J Cody (James Frecheville) has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), who rules her criminal family with a borderline incestuos love over her three sons. Among blood brothers and blood, manipulated trial sand revenge served cold, J will soon lose his innocence.

Opinion

The extremely impressive debut from Australian director David Michôd, Animal Kingdom is a tense, gloomy, innovative and mesmerizing crime family drama.

In this bitter and dramatic film, Michôd tells the gangster life as if it was an animal kingdom, where the strongest, the one that eats the weakest wins, and also makes a criticism to those men - and women - who are neither men nor animals. He shows all this with a cynical eye, with no compassion, and wonderfully manages to convey violence without aestheticizing it. 

However, the moral condemnation aforementioned soon stops to make room for a world where no one is really good or bad. In fact, whether criminals or cops there is no difference: they all use others for their own ends. Only detective Leckie makes exception. 

Also, don't expect long shooting scenes, or robberies or car chases because there are none in Animal Kingdom, as the action is reduced to a minimum.

The films makes use of the minimalist synthesiser music from Antony Partos to create an air of dread and tension.

The cast is uniformly excellent. In his debut James Frecheville is basically a piece of wood as J (in a good way), he is in a constant catatonic state, seemingly frail and confused, Ben Mendelsohn delivers a convincing performance as terrifying psychopath Pope, Guy Pearce gives a wonderful and intense performance as detective Leckie, and Jacki Weaver gives a strong performance as Smurf, the matriarch of the family with the psychotic smiles. 

A Perfect Murder (1998)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Andrew Davis

Country

USA

Cast

Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, David Suchet, Sarita Choudhury, Michael P. Moran, Novella Nelson, Constance Towers, David Eigenberg, Will Lyman, Maeve McGuire, Stephen Singer, Adrian Martinez, Laurinda Barrett, Aideen O'Kelly, Reed Birney, Robert Vincent Smith

Storyline

When millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor (Michael Douglas) learns that his wife Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) is having an affair and is in love with an artist, David (Viggo Mortensen), he approaches the man and sets out to commit the perfect murder. Unfortunately for Steven, the perfect plan doesn't go as planned. 

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I know I should have watched Hitchcock's first, but I think this way I'll be able to give the film an impartial review. And it really needs one.

Atrociously written, A Perfect Murder is an average thriller whose only source of suspense is the tons of surprise events. 

Spending time and money trying to make a beautiful looking film populated with good actors doesn't have a point if you don't take some time for the writing, which is the most important part. And here, the lack of a good script pops out like an oasis in a desert.

The film starts promisingly but then it bumps into a series of unfortunate events. 

First let's talk about plot holes. Why would Emily leave a hot bath to answer the phone? I would never do that. Why is Steven so easily dismissed as a suspect? The phone call doesn't prove he didn't hire someone to do the dirty work. Why does it matter than Emily's ring his in David's loft? If he blackmailed Steven, I suppose he would have copies of those photos. And lastly, when Steven and David meet in Washington Square Park, David says "commemorative copy", which basically sells out the ending.

The characters are another major issue. I don't know if this was just me, or the director wanted it to happen, but I've found myself cheering for Douglas's character. I know he was the villain, but I really wanted him to get away with the murder(s). Maybe it's also the fault of Paltrow's unlikable characters. Also, I don't get why we need to know Emily speaks all those languages. But the real problem is the detective. The way he is introduced suggests that he'll have an important role, but then he disappears, only to appear again later, only for a moment.

Michael Douglas once again proves what an actor he is, and deserves all the credits for making you feel sympathy for his character. Gwyneth Paltrow gives a quite convincing performance as Emily. Viggo Mortensen is also good in the role of the artist/lover. But, pairing Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow as the leads was not a good idea. There is no chemistry between them. Same goes for Paltrow and Mortensen, as their love affair doesn't exactly transpire passion.

Pride and Glory (2008)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Gavin O'Connor

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich, Shea Whigham, Frank Grillo, John Ortiz, Manny Perez, Lake Bell, Rick Gonzalez, Christina Cabot, Jennifer Ehle, Declan Quinn

Storyline

Honest homicide detective Ray Tierney (Edward Norton) is assigned to investigate the death of four cops of the precinct run by his potentially crooked older brother Francis (Noah Emmerich). As the investigation begins to reveal some troubling facts about the precinct, it gradually becomes apparent that Jimmy Egan, the policeman who is also Tierney's brother-in-law, may be the man orchestrating many of the suspected crimes.

Opinion

Edward Norton has long been one of my favourite actors, and even though he hasn't chosen particularly good projects lately, I decided to give this film a try, also because it stars Colin Farrell too, another of my favourite actors. Well, they didn't disappoint me, but the film, what to say about it.

Atrociously written, predictable, tedious, and tenseless, Pride and Glory is a complete mess, hard to watch, and hard to follow.

First of all the length. This film could have been easily a half hour shorter: maybe the result would have been better that way.

The writing is an absolute disaster. The storyline is good, but it's unbelievable how terribly it has been developed. The story jumps from place to place until it makes no more sense. Some parts are completely useless, such as the football game at the beginning - was it supposed to make you think Jimmy Egan is a good guy? I don't know.

The good cop/bad cop story slowly turns into a family drama. The dying wife is a good motivator, but we don't need to see so much of her story, same goes with Jimmy as a family man. Also, every single character has an emotional breakdown. 

The dialogue completely lacks intelligence. Basically everybody swears. Then there's Spanish. There are some scenes where they talk in Spanish, but no subtitles are given. I understand a little bit of Spanish, but I know how frustrating can be watching something and having no clue of what their saying.

The up and down camera movements are annoying, and the editing is another big fail - the constant switching between the game and black screen in the opening isn't good to look at. So basically the film is just flat until Sage Francis's Waterline over the closing credits.

The acting is good though. Edward Norton and Colin Farrell both give a strong performance. But I have to say that Farrell sounds a bit Irish here and there, and he wasn't the right guy to play the tough cop - come on, Farrell willing to burn a baby for information is the less credible thing on this planet. Noah Emmerich and Jon Voight do a good job.

The Departed (2006)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Martin Scorsese

Country

USA

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, James Badge Dale, David O'Hara, Mark Rolston, Kevin Corrigan, John Cenatiempo, Armen Garo, Robert Wahlberg, Kristen Dalton, Conor Donovan

Storyline

In South Boston, the state police force is waging war on Irish American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.

Opinion

Remake of the Hong Kong 2002 film Infernal Affairs, The Departed is a brilliant and engaging film, filled with action, suspense and black humour, which offers food for thought on honesty, betrayal, good and evil.

Protagonist of the film is the eternal fight between good and evil, and as happens in real life is not always easy to distinguish one from the other. Actually these two entities are so close that it's almost impossible to see them as two separate notions.

The good, played by Leonardo DiCaprio's Costigan, is dirty outside but clean inside. The evil, on the other side, played by Matt Damon's Sullivan, is capable of living among us well disguised, and knows how to act in the land of lies, and feels at ease.  This is what misleads us, human beings, and the reason why we are fascinated by people like Sullivan, and afraid of people like Costigan. I'd say don't judge a book by its cover, but as my literature teacher always said, "Leave the commonplaces to the mass".

Martin Scorsese has left the bloody, gloomy New York for a bold Boston with a great desire to show off his talent, and he wonderfully succeeded. In fact, with a simple plot and almost two hours and a half to fill, he was able to keep the viewer's interest and to keep up the suspense. There is a but though. Those who know Tarantino, and have seen Reservoir Dogs will find many of their elements. The mole, the betrayal, the impossibility to distinguish good from evil, and the Shakespearean finale where everyone dies. About the ending, it didn't really convince me. It feels forced, with the purpose of pleasing the audience and bringing back balance between good and evil.

Screenwriter William Monahan follows the structure of Infernal Affairs, but added lot of depth to the characters, and put down on paper a better dialogue. 

The acting is first class. Grown up, hefty but still with a baby face,  Leonardo DiCaprio gives a wonderful performance as Billy Costigan. Matt Damon does a great job out of his comfort zone as Sullivan. Devilish Jack Nicholson is huge as usual, and steals the scene, even though he doesn't much in the film. Mark Wahlberg should have had more screen time, but shines between a f**k and another. Great performances also from Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Vera Farmiga.

Quotes

Frank Costello: When you decide to be something, you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?

The Name of the Rose (1986)

Original Titles

Il nome della rosa, Der Name der Rose, Le nom de la rose

Genre

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Director

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Country

Italy | West Germany | France

Cast

Sean Connery, F. Murray Abraham, Christian Slater, Helmut Qualtinger, Elya Baskin, Michael Lonsdale, Volker Prechtel, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., William Hickey, Michael Habeck, Urs Althaus, Valentina Vargas, Ron Perlman, Leopoldo Trieste, Franco Valobra, Vernon Dobtcheff, Donal O'Brien, Andrew Birkin, Lucien Bodard, Peter Berling, Pete Lancaster, Dwight Weist

Storyline

When a murder occurs at a secluded Benedictine Abbey, monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) is called in to investigate. As he and his apprentice, Adso von Melk (Christian Slater), delve deeper and deeper into the case, more dead bodies begin to turn up.

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Freely based on Umberto Eco's novel of the same name, The Name of the Rose is a dark and moody mystery film that may fail in keeping you interested if you have read the book.

Despite all the differences between the book and the film, the story is well told, and does not bore. However, I had some hard time processing some things. I'll start with the ending. I don't like the Hollywood fairytale, the "and they lived happily ever after" bullshit, because it's not how the story was supposed to end. In the book, there was a real hell on earth and that's was I was expecting. Another annoying thing is that the bad guys, or villains - I don't really know how to call them - are all portrayed like completely evil people. Eco blurred the line between good and evil, as evil can come from good, and  vice versa. And at last, the meaning of the title. The film makes you think it refers to the girl, if not for the Latin locution - stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus, the ancient rose remains by its name, naked names are all that we have.

While the wonderful citations from the novel got lost in this cinematic adaptation, the gloomy atmosphere is spot on. First of all everything looks and sounds medieval - and being a lover of the Middle Ages, watching this has been a great pleasure and experience. Second, the cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli is wonderful. Despite the darkness, it finds the perfect glimmers of light to illuminate the faces.

The characters. Beside from the English monk with a Scottish accent and Sherlock Holmes's mind, the most impressive is Jorge. On one hand he is afraid of Aristotle's second book of poetics, and would like to destroy it; on the other hand he is sentimental about it, he realises that no matter how sinful the book is, it's just too precious to be destroyed.

Many strong performances make the film entertaining, and definitely worth watching, from Sean Connery's excellent portrayal of William of Baskerville, to Ron Perlman's outstanding portrayal of the heretical hunchback. However, F. Murray Abraham's talent is wasted.

Overall the film represents a good effort, but the book is way far more satisfying. 

Quotes

William of Baskerville: The only evidence I see of the antichrist here is everyone's desire to see him at work.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)

Genre

Crime | Thriller

Director

J Blakeson

Country

UK

Cast

Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, Gemma Arterton

Storyline

Two criminals, Vic (Eddie Marsan) and Danny (Martin Compston), kidnap Alice Creed (Gemma Arterton), the daughter of a millionaire. The kidnappers have worked out a meticulous plan: will it work?

Opinion

Months ago I was asked to review this film, and since it was on TV last night I took the chance right away. The reviews were promising and the film started well, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would have.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a quite entertaining crime flick, with lots of attempts at tension, but exaggerates with plot twists.

The idea to set the film entirely in the places of the kidnapping, the choice of focusing on the psyche of the kidnappers and the kidnapped and putting aside the family and the investigation is excellent. Also, the film manages to avoid to fall into the clichéd kidnappings territory: there is no torture; the victim is humiliated though.

What really bothered me were the twists. Usually a plot twist serves as a mean to keep the viewer engaged and interested in what he is seeing. That's what happens in the first part of the film. But in the second part, there are way too many twists, they lose effectiveness, and it looks like the Blakeson didn't know how to fill the time. Also, as the film goes on, the twists are predictable and the level of engagement falls. Not to mention the disappointing ending.

Also there is what I like to call the Clark Kent effect. Everybody knows that Clark Kent takes off his glasses when turning into Superman. And everybody also knows that none of the people he knows does recognize him. The same thing happened here. At some point it transpires that two of the characters knew each other, but how didn't recognize each other from their voices?

Gemma Arterton is more than just a pretty face and she shows it with a great performance. Eddie Marsan is great as always. Martin Compston gets way too much screen time and he is not that good.

A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Anton Corbijn

Country

UK | USA | Germany

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Derya Alabora, Daniel Brühl, Nina Hoss, Herbert Grönemeyer, Martin Wuttke, Kostja Ullmann, Homayoun Ershadi, Mehdi Dehbi Vicky Krieps, Rainer Bock, Charlotte Schwab

Storyline

When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant (Grigoriy Dobrygin) turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true identity - oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist?

Opinion

Based on John le Carrè's novel of the same name, A Most Wanted Man is a thoughtful spy thriller that includes one of the greatest, and sadly the last of Philip Seymour Hoffman's performances.

Instead of the classic action spy story, the film faces with an introspective view on espionage, showing a reconstruction of the investigation, allowing the viewer to know how security agencies work, and which methods spies use to reach to their purpose - methods that sometimes encroach on illegality.

Despite the slow pacing, director Anton Corbijn perfectly manages to keep the tension high, and the audience engaged. Like the spy, the viewer will follow the investigation step by step, getting more and more engaged as the film goes on.

Alongside the tension filled plot, there is a witty dialogue - I would have appreciated some subs because the accents and all spoken dialogue were a bit too difficult to follow. Among the characters, Hoffman's is the layered and most interesting one. The relationship between the young lawyer played by Rachel McAdams and the Chechen Issa could have been interesting if better developed.

The outstanding cinematography by Benoît Delhomme delivers a wide range of feelings. The musical score by Herbert Grönemeyer is great.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is huge. Scruffy and sweaty - probably due to his malaise -, he looks more than comfortable in the main character's shoes. Every single scene he is in shines like the sun.
Willem Dafoe steals every scene he's in - except those shared with Hoffman. Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright and Daniel Brühl are decent in their roles. I was delighted to see Nina Hoss; unfortunately her performance wasn't up to my excitement.

Quotes

Dieter Mohr: After 24 hours of questioning, Karpov confessed to taking part in attacks on gas pipelines, transport, infrastructure, police stations.

Irna Frey: After 24 hours of Russian questioning, any one of us would admit to anything.

Punisher: War Zone (2008)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Lexi Alexander

Country

USA | Canada | Germany

Cast

Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz, Colin Salmon, Doug Hutchison, Dash Mihok, Wayne Knight, Romano Orzari, Stephanie Janusauskas, Larry Day, Ron Lea, Tony Calabretta, T.J. Storm, Mark Camacho, Keram Malicki-Sánchez, David Vadim, Aubert Pallascio, Bjanka Murgel

Storyline

After his family was killed by criminals, ex-military man Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) became a vigilante known as the Punisher. After hunting down and killing hundreds of criminals for the past five years, he faces his most deadly foe yet: Jigsaw (Dominic West).

Opinion

As I said three weeks ago, I am a fan of the Punisher, and as I said back then, I have been completely shocked by how bad this film turned out to be, considering Green Street's Lexi Alexander made it. 

Action packed, Punisher: War Zone is still extremely violent - apparently brutality and blood is what the audience wants -, tedious, and definitely does not justice to the great comic book.

The result is pretty much the same, and since two different version of the Punisher is what we are dealing with, it comes natural to compare the 2004 film to this one. In this one there isn't much of a backstory, but at least it is faithful to the comic book, and I really appreciated that. Besides this, I struggled to find something else good in this film.

Silly, and lacking in logic, the plot is probably the worst thing about the film. But I guess tons of people will watch this for the action, and violence, so I won't spend much time on this. 

Another major issue concerns the Punisher's character. He is portrayed as a violent and ruthless man, not an avenger, and the last scene proves it. What kind of "good" man blows up somebody's brain just because he tried to rob his friend's wallet? That's just going around killing people, not getting rid of organised crime. 

Ray Stevenson was the perfect  casting as Frank Castle aka the Punisher. He perfectly fits the role, and he definitely is a way better Punisher than Thomas Jane. Dominic West also is pretty good as Jigsaw, but he could have done better in some scenes.

The Punisher (2004)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Jonathan Hensleigh

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

Thomas Jane, John Travolta, Will Patton, Roy Scheider, Laura Harring, Ben Foster, Rebecca Romijn, John Pinette, Samantha Mathis, Marcus Johns, Russell Andrews, James Carpinello, Eddie Jemison, Eduardo Yáñez, Omar Avila, Kevin Nash, Mark Collie, Veryl Jones, Tom Nowicki, Hank Stone

Storyline

On his final assignment, FBI agent Frank Castle (Thomas Jane) plays his undercover role perfectly, but the operation spins out of control and a young man, Bobby Saint (James Carpinello), is inadvertently killed. Holding Castle responsible for the death of his son, Howard Saint (John Travolta) butchers Frank's family during a reunion and leaves him for dead. But Castle survives and set out to avenge his family, becomes a judge, jury and executioner known as "The Punisher". 

Opinion

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What a shock! As a fan of the Punisher I've been completely shocked by how bad they made this film. If Batman Begins is the perfect comic book character adaptation, The Punisher is the perfect example of what not to do, and how to ruin a character. 

Besides from being extremely violent - I won't complain about it since it's what someone would expect from a film about Frank Castle - the film is tedious, and so painful to watch I had to pause several times to recover from its awfulness.

The script is goddamn awful. First let's talk about the back story, shall we? In the comic book, Frank Castle, his wife, and his sons are having a walk in Central Park, New York, when they witness a Mafia settling of score. In the film, the son of a criminal gets killed, and when Castle is on vacation his whole family is murdered. What is the point in changing the story? We don't even get to know all those characters, so we don't feel anything for them when they die - which is actually what happened for Frank as well, since he doesn't look in much pain or suffering.

Two hours and they don't even explain how a criminal found all those information about an FBI agent. And why does he retire? He won't get any pension so he will have to find another job.

The Russian. He is basically a giant in a red and white shirt, who, like regular people, knocks on the door of the person he has to kill. Not to mention the fact that Frank doesn't even look out the peep-hole. 

I thought it was a film about the Punisher, but it turned out to be the Wolverine 2.0. Yes, the Wolverine, because bullets can't stop him, and when wounded, he heals real fast.

Also since when blackmailing someone because they're gay is cool? And what about the singing hitman from Memphis? The best hitman, a professional, sings Frank a song about his death, and the one who actually gets kills is the hitman himself.

And at last, the hot, lonely woman who falls in love with the guy at first sight, and the guy who goes through torture because Frank is part of the family, but they have barely talked.

Oops, I almost forgot the villain. He kills everyone, his wife, his best friend, Castle's whole family, but he fails at killing the only person he was supposed to kill.

The dialogue is terrible, the music is awful, and wasting two hours waiting for a thrilling action scene that will never happen is just not worth it. 

The acting is painful. They are all equally bad, delivering wooden performances a tree would be jealous of. John Travolta isn't convincing at all as the villain, and the only good acting that comes from him is in one of the latest scenes, when he dies.

Daredevil (2003)

Genre

Action | Crime | Fantasy

Director

Mark Steven Johnson

Country

USA

Cast

Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jon Favreau, Joe Pantoliano, David Keith, Leland Orser, Lennie Loftin, Erick Avari, Ellen Pompeo, Derrick O'Connor, Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, Scott Terra

Storyline

Blinded during a chemical accident when he was a kid, Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is a lawyer at day, and the vigilante known as Daredevil at night.

Opinion

Lot of my fellow reviewers say that one should watch the Director's Cut, because it adds 30 minutes and more sense to the film. I can only imagine 30 extra minutes of pain.

Dark and shallow, Daredevil is probably the most dull superhero film ever made. There is no story and no climax. Just a bunch of characters randomly thrown in the film, something happens - fights mostly - and that's it. End of the film.

I used to think Matt Murdock was a blind human, but according to this film he has superpowers. Otherwise how could he jump 50 or so feet in the air and land without breaking neither his legs nor his ankles? He can also climb high wall with no problems. Now, if those are not superpowers, I don't know what they are. Then other nonsenses about the character come in. He gets stabbed in the shoulder that knocks him down for quite a lot. Then, after Bullseye kills and throws Elektra off the roof - landing next to Daredevil, which was on the roof, if I don't go wrong - Daredevil magically heals, does some other superhero shit, and he defeats the bad guy(s). I almost forgot to talk about those weird Avatar-looking things Murdock could see when raining. 

The action sequences are not that good, having a fight between Elektra and Murdock that couldn't look faker, and a final act in where Bullseye faces off against Daredevil by breaking glass with a gymnastic move, to be envied by the world's best gymnasts, then catching the falling shards one by one, looking like a meth head picking up crystal meth. 

The acting. While he is convincing as the body of Daredevil, Ben Affleck delivers a painful performance. Jennifer Garner is too skinny to portray tough Elektra, and she has no chemistry with Affleck. Michael Clarke Duncan is great as Kingpin. Colin Farrell has had better days, but honestly Affleck's Daredevil is so unengaging you'll probably end up rooting for Farrell's character.

Blow (2001)

Genre

Biography | Crime | Drama

Director

Ted Demme

Country

USA

Cast

Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths, Ray Liotta, Paul Reubens, Jordi Molla, Cliff Curtis, Max Perlich, Miguel Sandoval, Ethan Suplee, Kevin Gage, Tony Amendola, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jesse James, Alan James Morgan, Emma Roberts, Jaime King

Storyline

Son of a struggling small business owner, George Jung (Johnny Depp, adult - Jesse James, young) vows never to share a similar fate. In his twenties, he moves to California where he starts his own post pushing operation. When he goes to jail, he finds out about the wonder of cocaine, and, when released, he establishes the American cocaine market in the 1970's.

Opinion

Recalling Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas every single minute of it, Blow isn't witty, nor engaging as the 1990 masterpiece; instead it is dull, shallow, and, despite its title, it doesn't blow anything.

Director Ted Demme - died in 2002 of accidental cocaine induced thrombosis heart attack, as reported on several websites - made a film that not only glorified criminality, and the same substance and kind of person that eventually killed him, but attempted to make the audience feel sorry for the drug dealer, when you should feel sorry for the lives he has ruined. And what makes me cringe the most is that for many people he succeeded in that. In fact, it is plenty of people out there who thought, "Oh, poor George!".

Having said that, the film doesn't even tell the exact story of George Jung - some filmmakers really like to change people's lives, and yes, I'm talking about Clint Eastwood too. Many things have been omitted in order to clear his name, and to make him look like the good guy.

Among the multiples plot holes, there are some in particular that made me think. How is it possible than both Depp and Cruz's character never showed any drug addiction symptoms, like physical or psychological dependence, after years of heavy use? And shouldn't' be their daughter kind of addicted to cocaine considering her mother was snorting during the whole pregnancy?

At least is has Johnny Depp before he became Jack Sparrow. He gives a great performance, and his portrayal of drug dealer George Jung has depth. Ray Liotta gives a credible performance as Fred Jung, George's father. Notable performance also comes from Penelope Cruz. 

Quotes

Fred Jung: Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on.

Homefront (2013)

Genre

Action | Crime | Drama

Director

Gary Fleder

Country

USA

Cast

Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder, Kate Bosworth, Chuck Zito, Frank Grillo, Rachelle Lefevre, Clancy Brown, Christa Campbell, Stuart Green, Omar Benson Miller, Izabela Vidovic, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Marcus Hester, Austin Craig

Storyline

Former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Statham) moves to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic). The is only one problem: he picked the wrong town.

Opinion

Based on Chuck Logan's novel, and with a quite good cast - I'm not talking about Statham of course -, the film was promising. Then I read Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay, and the house of cards fell apart.

As mentioned before Jason Statham is in it, and his films are pretty much the same thing. This time, he is a quiet guy in need to use his exceptional fighting skills against the bad guys, and he also happens to be the fastest in the west, as usual. 

Having said that, Homefront is an action film Statham's style - his fans are gonna love it -, with no climax, still the action and violence keep you entertained, and it gets a little bit thrilling at the end. Kind of.

Agreeing on the fact that Statham is good at fighting, he is not good at acting. His performance is substanceless, just a smile here, and a smile there. Izabela Vidovic very well plays Statham's daughter. James Franco does a great job as the main bad guy - finally a role that suits him. Winona Ryder does good with his small screen time. Kate Bosworth is pretty good too. I would have like to see more Frank Grillo in here. 

Quotes

Phil Broker: Whatever you're thinking, rethink it.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Genre

Crime | Drama

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Country

USA

Cast

Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Quentin Tarantino, Kirk Baltz, Randy Brooks, Edward Bunker

Storyline

Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney), a small-time crime boss, assembles six strangers with reputations as good thieves to steal a lot diamonds. When the police arrive at the scene before the burglars can even make their getaway, it becomes apparent that one of them is an undercover police officer.

Opinion

Reservoir Dogs is a disturbing, sadistic, violent, yet brilliant film destined to become a cult, and a unique directorial debut from a unique and outstanding director. The film, more about the consequences of the heist rather than the heist itself, tests the trust between the criminals. 

28-year-old Quentin Tarantino already proves to be a master of cinema, brilliantly writing and masterfully directing this outstanding piece of art. The beauty of Tarantino's direction is that the perspective is of someone who knows - and loves - cinema, not having studied it, but having seen it.

Some people said that the violence was unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot, but it has an important role on the character development. It is because of the violence that we can learn more about the characters' personalities - not all of them, though.

The soundtrack couldn't be anything but spectacular, including Blue Swede's "Hooked on a Feeling"  that won't get out of my head easily now. 

With a top-actors cast, there is no surprise the acting is superb. Harvey Keitel is wonderful as Mr. White. Steve Buscemi freaks out for much of the film, still gives a great performance as Mr. Pink. Tim Roth, passed out and dying on the floor for most of the time, does a great job as Mr. Orange, carrying the emotional weight of the film. Lawrence Tierney as Joe, Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde, and Chris Penn as Nice Guy Eddie are great as well. The problem in the acting is Quentin Tarantino, his character, Mr. Brown, is not great, and he is not a great actor.

Quotes

Mr. Pink: I don't wanna kill anybody. But if I gotta get out that door, and you're standing in my way, one way or the other, you're gettin' outta my way.

Mr. Pink: I can say I definitely didn't do it because I know what I did or didn't do. But I cannot definitely say that about anybody else, 'cause I don't definitely know.