The Commuter
This movie needed to be either a taut, semi-plausible thriller or completely Fast & Furious-level over-the-top. It tries to do both, works as neither, and all-in-all feels like a waste (especially considering the cast includes such luminaries as Jonathan Banks and Sam Neill).
This isn’t exactly a surprise considering director Jaume Collet-Serra has mostly done F-U-It’s-January-type stuff (although Non-Stop was actually decent), but I had hopes that this one would at least be entertaining.
Not so much.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
12 Strong
I wouldn’t put this on quite the same level as American Sniper or even 13 Hours in terms of overall film-making, probably because 12 Strong is Nicolai Fuglsig’s feature debut, which shows through at times, but the true story is extraordinary and that’s ultimately the key here, though it’s worth noting that the action is well-executed for what it needs to be and downright harrowing to watch.
Well worth your time.
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Road Movie (2016)
Based on the trailer, I know some of you might be thinking, “Sixty-five minutes of Russian dashcam footage; can’t I just go to YouTube for that?”
Sure, you could, but assuming you can even find all of the best bits that Dmitrii Kalashnikov has assembled, it’ll take you a lot longer than that to make your playlist, not to mention he’s already put an artful touch on it so you don’t have to.
It’s a fascinating slice of real life, and a real window into the nonchalant mindset of the people of Russia, who apparently deal with the absurd on a daily basis.
Worth supporting if there’s a screening near you.
Rating: ★★★½
Den of Thieves (2018)
I almost feel bad for not giving this slow burn heist thriller a higher rating, given that it entertained me for nearly two-and-a-half hours, but overall it’s just not on par with its influences (although I do love the cast top-to-bottom).
That said, kudos to writer/director Christian Gudegast for making a heck of a feature debut, and also to director of photography Terry Stacey, because the cinematography felt old school in a great way (with a few new tricks, like that opening drone shot).
If only they had embraced their Georgia location (like a certain other heist movie) instead of trying to pass for Los Angeles, maybe I would have tossed another star their way, but I definitely won’t talk you out of seeing it.
Rating: ★★★½
Hostiles
I’ll say this right off the bat:
This is not a popcorn movie, and I mean that literally (because I speak from experience).
If Wind River is a quiet thriller then Hostiles is practically a whisper. Not to say that there’s no action whatsoever, there is, but it’s quick and brutal when it comes. Most of the time though, like the environs the characters pass through, it is calm, yet not altogether peaceful.
To be honest, I’m not sure how remarkable this movie would be if not for the remarkable cast, which is a credit to their talents, and many will find this movie difficult to sit through, but it’s one of the better Westerns I’ve seen of late, and it is impeccably shot.
It might be more for the arthouse crowd than general audiences, but I appreciate what Scott Cooper has done here.
Rating: ★★★★☆