Reef-Shark
Joined Aug 2006
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Reef-Shark's rating
Ever wonder what would have happened if Pierce Brosnan had been handed a more gritty Bond script from, say, the Timmothy Dalton or Daniel Craig tenure? That's what we're given in The November Man, a serviceable spy thriller from Relativity Media starring the former 007 himself.
Here Pierce Brosnan plays ex-CIA operative Peter Devereaux, a cold, hard drinking killer who hardly thinks twice about killing. Brought back into the field he winds up in a plot concerning the future of international politics. Naturally the entire operation goes to hell and Devereaux finds himself alone and on the run from the CIA and Russian assassins as he tries to find the mysterious woman at the center of it all.
The real standout in The November Man is Pierce Brosnan himself who really does go above and beyond in his portrayal of Devereaux. Many modern viewers criticize Brosnan's Bond for being on the lighter side, but clearly that had more to do with the series direction and scripts than Brosnan himself. He totally sells the role of a cold blood, professional killer in The November Man and leaves you wondering how things might have been if his tenure as Bond had taken a darker direction. Watching him here I found myself thinking: "Man, give Pierce Brosnan one last Bond film as an aging 007 and he'd be FANTASTIC." Scenes where he confronts his former protégé are especially well executed. As it stands this will be the closest we get to seeing Brosnan play a dark Bond and it is the best element of the film. If you're a fan of Brosnan -as I am- this is reason enough to see The November Man.
Unfortunately, as great as Brosnan is, the movie's plot doesn't live up to his performance. The November Man is needlessly complicated, constantly introducing new plot threads, conflicts, and twists that only serve to muddle the narrative flow. There is nothing wrong with a complex spy thriller, but it needs to be original and The November Man just doesn't bring anything new to the table. There is nothing awful about it, there's just very few memorable moments (and all those hinge on Brosnan's performance).
The November Man could have really benefited from a more focused plot. If the filmmakers had narrowed it down to one or two primary plots and simplified the narrative it would have really been a solid action thriller along the lines of Taken. As it is there are just too many predictable twists and clichés and they pull the film down.
That all being said The November Man is definitely worth a matinée screening in cinemas or rental once it's available at home. At 61 Pierce Brosnan successfully proves he can still carry an action film and shows he can tackle far darker roles than many gave him credit. Even if I don't think The November Man is a knockout it has whet my appetite for future Brosnan action films which hopefully can deliver a script worthy of his talent and on screen charisma.
Here Pierce Brosnan plays ex-CIA operative Peter Devereaux, a cold, hard drinking killer who hardly thinks twice about killing. Brought back into the field he winds up in a plot concerning the future of international politics. Naturally the entire operation goes to hell and Devereaux finds himself alone and on the run from the CIA and Russian assassins as he tries to find the mysterious woman at the center of it all.
The real standout in The November Man is Pierce Brosnan himself who really does go above and beyond in his portrayal of Devereaux. Many modern viewers criticize Brosnan's Bond for being on the lighter side, but clearly that had more to do with the series direction and scripts than Brosnan himself. He totally sells the role of a cold blood, professional killer in The November Man and leaves you wondering how things might have been if his tenure as Bond had taken a darker direction. Watching him here I found myself thinking: "Man, give Pierce Brosnan one last Bond film as an aging 007 and he'd be FANTASTIC." Scenes where he confronts his former protégé are especially well executed. As it stands this will be the closest we get to seeing Brosnan play a dark Bond and it is the best element of the film. If you're a fan of Brosnan -as I am- this is reason enough to see The November Man.
Unfortunately, as great as Brosnan is, the movie's plot doesn't live up to his performance. The November Man is needlessly complicated, constantly introducing new plot threads, conflicts, and twists that only serve to muddle the narrative flow. There is nothing wrong with a complex spy thriller, but it needs to be original and The November Man just doesn't bring anything new to the table. There is nothing awful about it, there's just very few memorable moments (and all those hinge on Brosnan's performance).
The November Man could have really benefited from a more focused plot. If the filmmakers had narrowed it down to one or two primary plots and simplified the narrative it would have really been a solid action thriller along the lines of Taken. As it is there are just too many predictable twists and clichés and they pull the film down.
That all being said The November Man is definitely worth a matinée screening in cinemas or rental once it's available at home. At 61 Pierce Brosnan successfully proves he can still carry an action film and shows he can tackle far darker roles than many gave him credit. Even if I don't think The November Man is a knockout it has whet my appetite for future Brosnan action films which hopefully can deliver a script worthy of his talent and on screen charisma.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is not only a great sequel but perhaps the best standalone Marvel Studios film to date. I wasn't overly fond of the Captain's first feature, so my expectations weren't too high going into this one, but coming out I have to say The Winter Soldier isn't only a great superhero movie, but I'd even venture to say it may even be superior to The Avengers.
At the start of the film Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) is still accumulating to modern life after having been frozen since WWII, and is working under the orders of Nick Fury and SHIELD. Already having doubts about SHIELD's motives and methods Rogers suddenly finds himself at the center of a conflict festering at the heart of SHIELD and must fight alongside other agents to stop a villainous plot to establish a new world order. Along the way he'll have to face a dark figure which may be connected to his past and decide what freedom truly stands for.
As a standalone feature The Winter Soldier is arguably the smartest Marvel Studios film to date. While still providing the fantastical set-pieces, humor, and over the top action spectacles one would expect from a Marvel film The Winter Soldier's antagonist is grounded in real-world fears, and possibilities. For this reason I felt more invested in the film's action than any other Marvel film to date. While movies like The Avengers and the first Iron Man were fun superhero romps The Winter Soldier actually feels like it is addressing real-world concerns regarding government secrecy and drone warfare in a way which made me feel invested in the characters, and the stakes they were up against.
The decision to make it an internal, spy-movie type struggle subdued the annoying question of: "Where the hell are rest of the Avengers?!" which constantly itched at me during Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World.
Then there's Rogers himself who truly defines himself as a superhero in this film. In his first outing and The Avengers Captain America always seemed like a wet blanket, coming across as a giant flag draped Boy Scout. While he was likable enough he never warranted in-depth analysis. That all changes in The Winter Soldier. Here Rogers' reflects on his past, question his own values and whether or not he can uphold them in this cloak and dagger modern world. His character-arc is well-told, and by the film's end credits the Captain had risen to become one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Winter Soldier is the first standalone Marvel movie since the original Iron Man I've felt actually stood proud on its own two feet. While Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World had me saying "Can't wait to see the next Avengers" The Winter Soldier had me leaving the theater saying: "I can't wait to see the next Captain America movie!" For this reason I am giving my full recommendation for Captain America: The Winter Soldier!
At the start of the film Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) is still accumulating to modern life after having been frozen since WWII, and is working under the orders of Nick Fury and SHIELD. Already having doubts about SHIELD's motives and methods Rogers suddenly finds himself at the center of a conflict festering at the heart of SHIELD and must fight alongside other agents to stop a villainous plot to establish a new world order. Along the way he'll have to face a dark figure which may be connected to his past and decide what freedom truly stands for.
As a standalone feature The Winter Soldier is arguably the smartest Marvel Studios film to date. While still providing the fantastical set-pieces, humor, and over the top action spectacles one would expect from a Marvel film The Winter Soldier's antagonist is grounded in real-world fears, and possibilities. For this reason I felt more invested in the film's action than any other Marvel film to date. While movies like The Avengers and the first Iron Man were fun superhero romps The Winter Soldier actually feels like it is addressing real-world concerns regarding government secrecy and drone warfare in a way which made me feel invested in the characters, and the stakes they were up against.
The decision to make it an internal, spy-movie type struggle subdued the annoying question of: "Where the hell are rest of the Avengers?!" which constantly itched at me during Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World.
Then there's Rogers himself who truly defines himself as a superhero in this film. In his first outing and The Avengers Captain America always seemed like a wet blanket, coming across as a giant flag draped Boy Scout. While he was likable enough he never warranted in-depth analysis. That all changes in The Winter Soldier. Here Rogers' reflects on his past, question his own values and whether or not he can uphold them in this cloak and dagger modern world. His character-arc is well-told, and by the film's end credits the Captain had risen to become one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Winter Soldier is the first standalone Marvel movie since the original Iron Man I've felt actually stood proud on its own two feet. While Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World had me saying "Can't wait to see the next Avengers" The Winter Soldier had me leaving the theater saying: "I can't wait to see the next Captain America movie!" For this reason I am giving my full recommendation for Captain America: The Winter Soldier!
Road to Perdition is a movie that brings you in with the strong performances of its acting cast and keeps your interest with cinematography that is some of the finest ever seen in Hollywood. It is a tale of fathers, their sons, and the gangster era of Al Capone. It pits hit man Michael Sulivan (Hanks) against a bounty hunter (Jude Law) who has been hired by his boss, and father figure John Rooney (Paul Newman) as Sulivan attempts to kill Rooney's trigger happy son (Daniel Craig). At the same time Sulivan must teach and protect his son (Tyler Hoechlin).
Without spoiling anymore plot points of the film I can say that the center of this film is the bonds forged by fatherhood. Sulivan seeing John Rooney as a father figure gives this movie an entirely new depth that wasn't seen in Max Allan Collins' graphic novel. Don't get me wrong, the movie also loses several aspects of its source material; I would have liked them to use the ending from the graphic novel that shows what type of man Michael Sulivan Jr. grows up to be. Road to Perdition is a stylish movie adaption of a great graphic novel that knows what to change without ruining the store. In many ways this makes it similar to 1994's The Crow, where the story is drastically changed, but through visuals and music the film not only feels like the graphic novel, but manages to reach greatness all its own.
Acting from Hanks and Newman is absolutely phenomenal. Both actors really give it their best and give off a strong sense of emotional attachment and care. Hanks turns in a great performance as an anti-hero proving that he is one of the greatest actors currently living and Paul Newman makes sure his final performance is a great one. The rest of the cast is good too, but this pair is absolutely dynamite! Sam Mendes and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall (who would win the Academy award for his work in this film) create an awesome visual experience. Sam Mendes said that after the Best Picture winning American Beauty he wanted to make a film that focused more on telling its story through visuals instead of dialogue and he succeeds. This is a well crafted drama that lets its images do all the talking that is needed to tell the story.
The somber score by Thomas Newman captures the mood of this period piece. It doesn't have much excitement in it, but it has a quiet, eerie tune that helps the mood. A song entitled 'Ghosts' which appears in one of the climatic scenes is one of the most beautiful, haunting pieces of music I've ever heard.
Road to Perdition's father and son element is probably the main hook for me as a viewer, and there are imperfections in the film, but for the emotional response it received from me I can't help but give it high-marks. It is stylish, taught, emotional, and a blast to watch as Tom Hanks finds his inner-gangster!
Without spoiling anymore plot points of the film I can say that the center of this film is the bonds forged by fatherhood. Sulivan seeing John Rooney as a father figure gives this movie an entirely new depth that wasn't seen in Max Allan Collins' graphic novel. Don't get me wrong, the movie also loses several aspects of its source material; I would have liked them to use the ending from the graphic novel that shows what type of man Michael Sulivan Jr. grows up to be. Road to Perdition is a stylish movie adaption of a great graphic novel that knows what to change without ruining the store. In many ways this makes it similar to 1994's The Crow, where the story is drastically changed, but through visuals and music the film not only feels like the graphic novel, but manages to reach greatness all its own.
Acting from Hanks and Newman is absolutely phenomenal. Both actors really give it their best and give off a strong sense of emotional attachment and care. Hanks turns in a great performance as an anti-hero proving that he is one of the greatest actors currently living and Paul Newman makes sure his final performance is a great one. The rest of the cast is good too, but this pair is absolutely dynamite! Sam Mendes and cinematographer Conrad L. Hall (who would win the Academy award for his work in this film) create an awesome visual experience. Sam Mendes said that after the Best Picture winning American Beauty he wanted to make a film that focused more on telling its story through visuals instead of dialogue and he succeeds. This is a well crafted drama that lets its images do all the talking that is needed to tell the story.
The somber score by Thomas Newman captures the mood of this period piece. It doesn't have much excitement in it, but it has a quiet, eerie tune that helps the mood. A song entitled 'Ghosts' which appears in one of the climatic scenes is one of the most beautiful, haunting pieces of music I've ever heard.
Road to Perdition's father and son element is probably the main hook for me as a viewer, and there are imperfections in the film, but for the emotional response it received from me I can't help but give it high-marks. It is stylish, taught, emotional, and a blast to watch as Tom Hanks finds his inner-gangster!
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