aforandromeda
Joined Dec 2011
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Two sets of bitterly divided half brothers convene upon their dying mother's house to discuss their potential inheritance. When the house is unexpectedly laid siege to by masked raiders, a spiral of violence leads to a shocking turn of events.
Mercy, put forward as a Netflix Original, is unfortunately a very dissatisfying film. The initial scenes, although sombre, are well set up with a moody resonance. However, that all falls apart when after the initial assault by the raiders, everything stops, rewinds and what's just happened has to be explained all the way through the middle third. All this ensures is that all tension is lost and the viewer is just simply watching the same scenes all over again, albeit at different angles. When the last third approached, I really lost interest in what was happening.
Things aren't rescued by the utterly implausible plot and the fact that when your central characters are so po-faced, miserable and sketchily drawn, how is the viewer meant to care about whether they escape their predicaments or not? The actors really don't have much to work with when their characters are so two dimensional.
It's a shame really, as there is some good work on show. The cinematography is decent (although literally too dark sometimes), the raiders' look is suitably threatening and the movie is compact and unpretentious. However, just when you're getting suitably tense, events halt and proceedings sag very heavily. The aforementioned plot is chiefly to blame, as the stop-start proceedings are mostly as a result of the film trying to explain the vague and frankly unbelievable events that unfold.
I'm not going to say that Mercy should or could have been so much better, as there is so much intrinsically wrong with it. Simply, Mercy is an attempt at a shocking chiller that will in the end just leave you cold.
Mercy, put forward as a Netflix Original, is unfortunately a very dissatisfying film. The initial scenes, although sombre, are well set up with a moody resonance. However, that all falls apart when after the initial assault by the raiders, everything stops, rewinds and what's just happened has to be explained all the way through the middle third. All this ensures is that all tension is lost and the viewer is just simply watching the same scenes all over again, albeit at different angles. When the last third approached, I really lost interest in what was happening.
Things aren't rescued by the utterly implausible plot and the fact that when your central characters are so po-faced, miserable and sketchily drawn, how is the viewer meant to care about whether they escape their predicaments or not? The actors really don't have much to work with when their characters are so two dimensional.
It's a shame really, as there is some good work on show. The cinematography is decent (although literally too dark sometimes), the raiders' look is suitably threatening and the movie is compact and unpretentious. However, just when you're getting suitably tense, events halt and proceedings sag very heavily. The aforementioned plot is chiefly to blame, as the stop-start proceedings are mostly as a result of the film trying to explain the vague and frankly unbelievable events that unfold.
I'm not going to say that Mercy should or could have been so much better, as there is so much intrinsically wrong with it. Simply, Mercy is an attempt at a shocking chiller that will in the end just leave you cold.
Two Bronx hustlers, Ant (Cam'ron) and Carter (Omar Gooding) are in the middle of a major deal, when suddenly the authorities raid the club. Both make their escape and are advised to lie low, so it's off to Miami to stay with Carter's cousin. However, lying low is not a possibility when the temptation to make fast money takes hold again.
That's about as exciting as it gets, folks. Percentage is a truly dire experience. The laziness that runs throughout this shoddy caper is inexcusable, covering everything from it's terrible camera work, dull locations (how can you make Miami look dull?), poor direction and woeful acting.
The cast list reads well, but everyone looks like they'd rather be somewhere else. Cam'ron leads with a fantastically uncharismatic display (the white b*tches scene is toe curlingly cretinous), Macy Gray gives a rambling, shaky version of her usual shtick and Ving Rhames delivers the most absurd turn you'll ever (not) want to see him in.
As for the plot, it's both nonsensical and boring, I mean really boring. Even the action sequences, what little there are of them, are totally inept. There also seems to be huge chunks missing from key points (and meaningless ones) in the movie. Add in the badly handled editing and you'll neither fully know nor care what's going on by the end.
Unquestionably one to avoid, this is one Percentage that you'll regret taking a cut of.
That's about as exciting as it gets, folks. Percentage is a truly dire experience. The laziness that runs throughout this shoddy caper is inexcusable, covering everything from it's terrible camera work, dull locations (how can you make Miami look dull?), poor direction and woeful acting.
The cast list reads well, but everyone looks like they'd rather be somewhere else. Cam'ron leads with a fantastically uncharismatic display (the white b*tches scene is toe curlingly cretinous), Macy Gray gives a rambling, shaky version of her usual shtick and Ving Rhames delivers the most absurd turn you'll ever (not) want to see him in.
As for the plot, it's both nonsensical and boring, I mean really boring. Even the action sequences, what little there are of them, are totally inept. There also seems to be huge chunks missing from key points (and meaningless ones) in the movie. Add in the badly handled editing and you'll neither fully know nor care what's going on by the end.
Unquestionably one to avoid, this is one Percentage that you'll regret taking a cut of.
Deep in the heart of the city, a group of brilliant young scientists, led by the mysterious Mr. Landau, are on the brink of completing a machine that will let them travel one hour forward in time. When the first to time travel comes back with dire warnings of the rest of the group's impending demise, who can they trust? More to the point, will they survive, or is their fate already sealed?
Paradox has all the usual ingredients of modern, low budget sci-fi thrillers, from the convoluted story packed with twists and turns, to wonky sets, ropey CGI and hammy acting. The thing is, it actually seems to work for the most part.
The movie is pacey, energetic and unpretentious. Despite it's obviously low budget and limited crop of acting talent, the ensuing 90 minutes are rather enjoyable. Naturally, Zoe Bell is the cream of the acting crop here and she's always worth watching. Her physical talent is a touch underused during the film, but when she gets the opportunity, she uses it well. The rest of the largely unknown cast, despite having some truly naff dialogue to work with, are at least appealing despite some, shall we say, enthusiastic performances.
The direction and editing are pretty snappy and the movie motors along at a fair old click. It's silly, perils of time travel sci-fi hokum, so if you're expecting anything more, this movie is not one for you to watch. If however, you fancy some cheesy, undemanding fun with some campy acting thrown in with your thrills and spills, then there will be no contradictions in you giving Paradox a view.
Paradox has all the usual ingredients of modern, low budget sci-fi thrillers, from the convoluted story packed with twists and turns, to wonky sets, ropey CGI and hammy acting. The thing is, it actually seems to work for the most part.
The movie is pacey, energetic and unpretentious. Despite it's obviously low budget and limited crop of acting talent, the ensuing 90 minutes are rather enjoyable. Naturally, Zoe Bell is the cream of the acting crop here and she's always worth watching. Her physical talent is a touch underused during the film, but when she gets the opportunity, she uses it well. The rest of the largely unknown cast, despite having some truly naff dialogue to work with, are at least appealing despite some, shall we say, enthusiastic performances.
The direction and editing are pretty snappy and the movie motors along at a fair old click. It's silly, perils of time travel sci-fi hokum, so if you're expecting anything more, this movie is not one for you to watch. If however, you fancy some cheesy, undemanding fun with some campy acting thrown in with your thrills and spills, then there will be no contradictions in you giving Paradox a view.