destroy-apathy
Joined Nov 2009
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Reviews9
destroy-apathy's rating
Creators: Directed by Simon West, director of the legendary Con Air (didn't know this before viewing; no wonder I was so pleasantly surprised) Story and Screenplay by Lewis John Carlino, writer of the 1972 version (Ignorantly, I had previously no idea of this original's existence). Richard Wenk (16 Blocks) also contributing to the screenplay
What Happened: Plain and simple action/hit-man genre film. Jason Statham's Arthur Bishop takes under his wing Steve McKenna (Ben Foster), the son of his old friend/mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) - who also happens to be his last hit. Bishop tries to bring him up to his regimented standard, but the youthful, unruly McKenna has his own eccentric style. Plenty of over-masculine shenanigans and brutal deaths ensue.
Theme/Message: As a non-ironic display of machismo it is important to concede that most of the point of this film existing is for the spectacle of things blowing up, brains blowing out and screwdrivers rammed through faces. Reading past this a little, I thought that there was a thinly veiled idea that both ends of a spectrum are not healthy. There seemed to be an effort to promote the balance between the overly formulaic control freak (Bishop) and the chaotic, out of control degenerate (McKenna), but this theory didn't hold up toward the end. I don't know if having one of the most physically intimidating and brutish displays of might come from a gay hit-man was some way of counteracting its unapologetic masculinity or not, but it was something to note.
What it did particularly well: The brutality really was entertaining. I was expecting Transporter levels of action, but that wasn't what the film was about. It was a little slower paced than that, but with the violence in the action sequences really ramped up and very graphic. The two leads were really crassly entertaining; never did the uber-machismo bother me, as it sometimes tends to (I'm looking at you Expendables). It was like a really unsophisticated version Corbijn's The American (complete with ridiculously attractive prostitute). In fact, considering The American was a very European film - itself an ironic concept - this was like an American version of The American - Irony overdrive. The film was paced really well too; both the action and the character development (yes it did have a little) were nicely spread throughout so that there were no lulls.
What unimpressed or didn't quite reach potential: Certain plot holes that were a little unforgivable, e.g. when they explained that McKenna was able to make a connection with their next mark because this is his first job. Really, the son of one of the biggest names in hit-man organisation wouldn't ring any alarms to a professional doing some background checks?
Performance of the film: Ben Foster was really something. Still has that slightly psychotic look in his eyes that he had back in Six Feet Under, but he really impresses as a competent and charismatic action star, with his own unique edge. (He was also my best performance of 30 Days of Night)
Scene of the film: Steve McKenna blasting his way out of a pretty dire situation and thus convincing me of both the character's elite status in this film and of the young actor's potential to be a great action star (he can actually even act)
Most outstanding or memorable feature: Brutality of the action.
More film musings and the like at destroy-apathy.blogspot.com or on twitter: @destroyapathy
What Happened: Plain and simple action/hit-man genre film. Jason Statham's Arthur Bishop takes under his wing Steve McKenna (Ben Foster), the son of his old friend/mentor Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland) - who also happens to be his last hit. Bishop tries to bring him up to his regimented standard, but the youthful, unruly McKenna has his own eccentric style. Plenty of over-masculine shenanigans and brutal deaths ensue.
Theme/Message: As a non-ironic display of machismo it is important to concede that most of the point of this film existing is for the spectacle of things blowing up, brains blowing out and screwdrivers rammed through faces. Reading past this a little, I thought that there was a thinly veiled idea that both ends of a spectrum are not healthy. There seemed to be an effort to promote the balance between the overly formulaic control freak (Bishop) and the chaotic, out of control degenerate (McKenna), but this theory didn't hold up toward the end. I don't know if having one of the most physically intimidating and brutish displays of might come from a gay hit-man was some way of counteracting its unapologetic masculinity or not, but it was something to note.
What it did particularly well: The brutality really was entertaining. I was expecting Transporter levels of action, but that wasn't what the film was about. It was a little slower paced than that, but with the violence in the action sequences really ramped up and very graphic. The two leads were really crassly entertaining; never did the uber-machismo bother me, as it sometimes tends to (I'm looking at you Expendables). It was like a really unsophisticated version Corbijn's The American (complete with ridiculously attractive prostitute). In fact, considering The American was a very European film - itself an ironic concept - this was like an American version of The American - Irony overdrive. The film was paced really well too; both the action and the character development (yes it did have a little) were nicely spread throughout so that there were no lulls.
What unimpressed or didn't quite reach potential: Certain plot holes that were a little unforgivable, e.g. when they explained that McKenna was able to make a connection with their next mark because this is his first job. Really, the son of one of the biggest names in hit-man organisation wouldn't ring any alarms to a professional doing some background checks?
Performance of the film: Ben Foster was really something. Still has that slightly psychotic look in his eyes that he had back in Six Feet Under, but he really impresses as a competent and charismatic action star, with his own unique edge. (He was also my best performance of 30 Days of Night)
Scene of the film: Steve McKenna blasting his way out of a pretty dire situation and thus convincing me of both the character's elite status in this film and of the young actor's potential to be a great action star (he can actually even act)
Most outstanding or memorable feature: Brutality of the action.
More film musings and the like at destroy-apathy.blogspot.com or on twitter: @destroyapathy
What Happened: Johnny Depp's Benjamin Barker returns to London under the alias of Sweeney Todd after a life in exile. He intends to exact revenge on the crooked judge Turpin who raped his wife and was the reason that He was sent away. Teaming up with Helena Bonham Carter's Mrs Lovett, he supplies the fresh meat that she needs to liven up her pie shop.
Themes/Message: Although it was mostly spectacle, it did have some thematic points. Mrs Lovett and Todd represent the skilled working classes: a baker and a hairdresser; both representing entrepreneurial sensibilities and have to work for a living. In the period in which the film is set, anybody well-off enough to pay for their shave must be part of the middle classes, most clearly embodied by Todd's original inspiration for this killing spree, judge Turpin. Therefore Todd has no qualms with dispatching these individuals to the meat grinder, whilst biding his time for the judge himself. The song when they hatched the plan was inspired by seeing these social types (Lawyers, Vicars, Bankers, etc) outside on the streets, walking around as if greater than the common man.
What it did particularly well: Once it got going, the spectacle of some of the scenes was entertaining. Bonham-Carter's character, I actually really like, which quite surprised me.
Where it may have fallen short, unimpressed or didn't quite reach potential: Couldn't help going in biased against the Depp-Carter-Burton triangle after severely disliking Alice and Willy Wonka. This prejudice was not helped by the sterile opening and Depp's first song, which was the most uncinematic of a pretty uncinematic bunch of musical numbers. Although there were a couple of good numbers, most were too static and seemed forced. Considering I had just seen Princess and the Frog where these things were so fluid, I was pretty disappointed on the whole.
Performance of the film: Sacha Baron Cohen as the fraudulently uber-Italian rival barber
Scene of the film: The introduction of Sacha Baron Cohen as the rival barber was the point that injected life into the film, which it managed to maintain up until the final act where it unravels a little.
Most outstanding or memorable feature: The couple of songs that it got right were great (they were just few)
More musings and discussion at Twitter - @destroyapathy
Themes/Message: Although it was mostly spectacle, it did have some thematic points. Mrs Lovett and Todd represent the skilled working classes: a baker and a hairdresser; both representing entrepreneurial sensibilities and have to work for a living. In the period in which the film is set, anybody well-off enough to pay for their shave must be part of the middle classes, most clearly embodied by Todd's original inspiration for this killing spree, judge Turpin. Therefore Todd has no qualms with dispatching these individuals to the meat grinder, whilst biding his time for the judge himself. The song when they hatched the plan was inspired by seeing these social types (Lawyers, Vicars, Bankers, etc) outside on the streets, walking around as if greater than the common man.
What it did particularly well: Once it got going, the spectacle of some of the scenes was entertaining. Bonham-Carter's character, I actually really like, which quite surprised me.
Where it may have fallen short, unimpressed or didn't quite reach potential: Couldn't help going in biased against the Depp-Carter-Burton triangle after severely disliking Alice and Willy Wonka. This prejudice was not helped by the sterile opening and Depp's first song, which was the most uncinematic of a pretty uncinematic bunch of musical numbers. Although there were a couple of good numbers, most were too static and seemed forced. Considering I had just seen Princess and the Frog where these things were so fluid, I was pretty disappointed on the whole.
Performance of the film: Sacha Baron Cohen as the fraudulently uber-Italian rival barber
Scene of the film: The introduction of Sacha Baron Cohen as the rival barber was the point that injected life into the film, which it managed to maintain up until the final act where it unravels a little.
Most outstanding or memorable feature: The couple of songs that it got right were great (they were just few)
More musings and discussion at Twitter - @destroyapathy
