Bring Him to Me

A real dad movie. Bring him to me was somewhat of a non-planned movie. A friend asked I wanted to go to the movies and this was what was on so I thought why not.

While not relaxing at all, a relaxing movie which you can follow and does not make you think too much while watching it. Also quite short, which is good compared to a lot of other big name movies that are out now. Probably one of those movies that you can put on on a Friday night when you're drinking some beers with a mate or with your dad. A short and concise story with some twists that has everything you need in a guy's movie. Shooting, driving, what else do you need? A recommended watch.

Trailer looked like a lean and mean noir and right up my alley.

I guess the trailer showed me too much or the script was AI generated (I kid?). Let's start with cinematography. It does pay homage to Mann's style but when the scriptwriting is weak, and when you're looking at the cinematography for a redemptive need or want to finish the film, then well, I can see why some would just shut this off and go outside for a walk for the last hour.

It's a formulaic crime "thriller" shrouded in finger pointing with the weight of the red herring in the room (and every scene) as you can feel the familiar twist just waiting to divulge itself. It finally does and it really has lost most of its own steam when it does, as it was more of an "ah" moment versus an enthusiastic "AHA!"

It's not a terrible film, it's just a straight line operation, no one to route for, no single character stands out, the crusty ole veteran criminal, the young prodigy trying to earn a living the wrong way, and a garage full of criminality lead by a strangely accented woman...is that a comedic take on a Boston accent from a film made in Australia?

Yikes.

Boring, derivative, and just suffers a serious case of low energy.

This movie could have been so much more. But really so much more. With Sam Neill as an actor, I thaught: this will be a nice evening with the family. NOPE !

While the performances, including Sam Neill's, are commendable, they are undermined by thin character development and a lack of emotional depth. The pacing is uneven, with moments of tension interrupted by unnecessary filler that dilutes the impact of critical scenes. The film's attempt to delve into themes of trust and betrayal feels superficial, leaving viewers behind waiting for the action. The real action. Overall, "Bring Him to Me" is a missed opportunity that fails to deliver the gripping narrative it promises.

This flic could have have been so much more. It tried to be an action movie but there wasn't a lot of action, instead it centered mostly around driving in a car. It tried to build up emotion for a good revenge movie but it all came too late and then it just abruptly ended. It tried to be a message movie about how crime doesn't pay, but even that simple message got messed up. It even tried to be a straight forward crime drama, but because of the wanderings of the script it didn't even really succeed at that.

The script was definitely sub par, with no continuity at all, despite having some decent actors. The atmosphere was ok, dark and rainy, but it didn't pertain to anything useful in the plot. I do like Barry Pepper, his character acting is great, but the script didn't allow him to come across in any meaningful way; Jamie Costa's performance was also good, but again, he was wasted due to the poor script. Though without him I probably would have rated this more of a 3. Sam Neill's role was one of the few in the movie that made sense, though quite short. Rachel. Griffiths role was quite good as the dragon lady, but even that was pulled down because of all the silliness going on in the end scenes.

All in all, a movie that had the opportunity to make a defining statement, but failed utterly to do so.

As "Bring Him To Me" (2023 release from Australia; 96 min) opens, a driver is ordered to pick up a guy and bring him to crime boss of some sort. In a parallel story, we see the same driver as the getaway driver in a art heist gone bad... At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this movie has a film noir B movie feeling from start to finish, and I don't mean that as a negative. The story line is quite of less importance that the sense of danger that seems to lurk around the corner at any given time. A good chunk of the movie plays out literally in the car itself as we watch the driver and the passenger interact. I will admit I didn't recognize any of these actors (or for that matter the production team including the director). At just over 90 min. This flew by pretty quickly.

I don't know if "Bring Him To Me" had a US theatrical release (I doubt it to be honest). In any event, it is now streaming on Hulu. Where I caught last night. I knew nothing about this movie and simply took a chance on it. It's okay. Not great, not bad, but okay. If you are in the mood for a film noir B movie type, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.