Tag: Colin Farrell

Movie Review – ‘The Gentlemen’ – Strong, Smooth, and Sweet

Directed by Guy Ritchie
Written by Guy Ritchie (story and screenplay) and Ivan Atkinson (story) & Marn Davies (story)
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, Chidi Ajufo, Jason Wong, Brittany Ashworth, Samuel West, Eliot Sumner, Lyne Renée, Chris Evangelou, Franz Drameh, Bugzy Malone, Tom Wu
Soundtrack: Christopher Benstead

I like Guy Ritchie. I wouldn’t say that I love him, but his movies are, if nothing else, usually interesting.

He certainly has a style that he’s known for, and, not unlike Shane Black, you could suppose that he’s spent much of his career trying to get a particular idea right, from Lock, Stock…, to Snatch, to RocknRolla (all three of which are entertaining in their own right), to our present subject, The Gentlemen.

Now, I don’t want to over-hype it too much, because it is a matter of personal taste, but Ritchie’s latest effort might just be my personal favorite of his whole output: partially because I think The Gentlemen, particularly in its visual style, is the most mature of Ritchie’s gangster films; but also because, especially in the time we currently live, it’s just so refreshing to have an original movie for adult audiences that is fun.

Which isn’t to say that The Gentlemen is some sort of light and airy romp. I wouldn’t even call it particularly action-packed, but it strikes a sweet balance of serious stakes and roguish humor, punctuated by down-to-earth and motivated set-pieces (that you can actually make out what’s happening!). In some ways, The Gentlemen feels like a throwback with how relatively restrained it is, but the story and setting help keep it fresh and contemporary, without being overbearing in its style.

Now, of course, given that we’re talking about a Guy Ritchie gangster movie, there is a fantastic ensemble cast, and everybody looks like they’re having a great time: McConaughey is exactly what you expect in the lead, just with a villainous tinge; Charlie Hunnam is wonderfully understated; Michelle Dockery gets to shed her posh Downton demeanor and roll around in some Cockney; and Colin Farrell gives his best performance perhaps since The Lobster.

Did I leave anyone out?

Oh, yes.

Hugh Grant.

If he was the cherry on the sundae in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., then Hugh Grant is at least two scoops of ice cream in The Gentlemen. If I ever had a smile on my face during the movie, the vast majority of the time it was because of him, and even though I have no authority to say this, I’m going to go ahead and say it’s the best performance of his career. I don’t even want to know what the movie would be without him.

So, there you have it. The Gentlemen probably deserves better than to be dumped in the low tide of January releases (I’m a little surprised it wasn’t slotted into Valentine’s weekend, a la Kingsman 1, Deadpool 1, and John Wick 2), but, I’m happy it’s here.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie Review – ‘Widows’ – Windy City Heat

Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by Gillian Flynn & Steve McQueen, based on the television series created by Lynda La Plante
Cast: Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Jon Bernthal, Garret Dillahunt, Michael Harney, Lukas Haas, Matt Walsh, Adepero Oduye, Ann Mitchell, Kevin J. O’Connor
Soundtrack: Hans Zimmer

Dear Lord, is anyone (other than Kevin J. O’Connor) in this movie actually from Chicago?

It’s a very specific accent.  It’s not like New York where anybody can just throw it on and be passable, you pretty much need to grab real Chicagoans to do it.  I mean, if the movie took place in Chicago and everybody just had a neutral accent, I’d be fine with it, but the fact that some people do and some people (none of whom are portrayed by Americans) have incredibly hackneyed (borderline comedic, to be honest) Chi-Town accents (like why does Robert Duvall sound like Robert Duvall but his son played by Colin Farrell sounds like a cartoon villain?), and then Garret Dillahunt is doing his West Texas thing, what are we doing?

So, that’s one problem I have.

Shocking as it may be, I did not see 12 Years a Slave, or any other of his films, so I’m unfamiliar with Steve McQueen (the director, not the actor), but I did see Gone Girl (one of the best films of 2014), so I am familiar with the screenwriter Gillian Flynn.  Suffice it to say, Widows is no Gone Girl (although it is better than The Girl on The Train, which is something), which is fine, but it falls in the long line of movies based on BBC miniseries that feel like truncated versions of miniseries (e.g. Edge of Darkness and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy).

Make no mistake, I’m not saying Widows is a “bad movie”.  There’s a lot to like (Daniel Kaluuya in particular steals every scene he’s in and I’m a little upset he’s not in the movie more), but there’s also a lot that feels lazy or not quite entirely thought out.  Perhaps most emblematic of this (other than the questionable accents) is the music.  I like Hans Zimmer fine, but much of the score for Widows just feels like B-sides from The Dark Knight and Dunkirk.  Also, there’s an effort to make some political and social commentary, some of which works in a matter-of-fact way, but most of it just feels clunky.

In the end, it’s entertainment, and it’s okay, but it’s nothing life-changing.  You can wait til it’s at the Redbox or on Netflix.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Thanksgiving Smörgåsbord: ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ – ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’ – ‘Last Flag Flying’ – ‘Lady Bird’

Four auteured films.

No superheroes.
No space battles.
No remakes.

Let’s get it on.

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh
Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landry Jones, Kerry Condon, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Amanda Warren, Malaya Rivera Drew, Sandy Martin, Christopher Berry, Jerry Winsett, Kathryn Newton, Samara Weaving, Clarke Peters, Nick Searcy
Soundtrack: Carter Burwell

Whether it was ever his intention or not, it’s completely fair to refer to Martin McDonagh as the British Isles’ answer to the Coen Brothers.

I mean, all three of his films (In Bruges, Seven Psycopaths, and now Three Billboards) have been crime-related dark comedies, all scored by Carter Burwell, and now he’s finally recruited Frances McDormand as his leading lady.

Not that I’m at all complaining, or throwing shade, or saying he’s ripping anyone off.  He’s not.  His stories are original, his characters are unique, and his films ultimately stick with you, Three Billboards most especially.

I rarely delve into plot, but I’m not spoiling anything by saying that the movie in a nutshell is about a mother’s search for justice for her slain daughter, in a rather messy and definitely confrontational way, weaving a tangled web involving everyone around her.

Three Billboards is fiery, brash, foul-mouthed, and not afraid to go to some dark places, yet somehow, in a very twisted, Martin McDonagh way, it has genuine heart and humanity, which is maybe the most surprising thing about it.

Of course, the movie would not be nearly as noteworthy without quality performances, which you get from almost everybody you need to get them from (I wouldn’t be surprised to see McDormand get some awards season buzz).  The only one who threw me was Abbie Cornish, because I thought she had an American accent early on, but then at one point she slipped into an English accent and kept it for the rest of the movie; I’m still confused as to why.

All-in-all though, Three Billboards, not unexpectedly, is one of the best of the year.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

 

Written and Directed by Dan Gilroy
Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Lynda Gravatt, Amanda Warren, Hugo Armstrong, Sam Gilroy, Tony Plana, DeRon Horton, Amari Cheatom, Vince Cefalu, Nazneen Contractor, Robert Prescott, Shelley Hennig, Annie Sertich, Esperanza Spalding, Jessica Camacho, Ajgie Kirkland, Ludwig Manukian, Joseph David-Jones, Pej Vahdat, Henry G. Sanders, Miles Heizer
Soundtrack: James Newton Howard

Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut was Nightcrawler, which was one of the best films of 2014, and is still one of the best L.A. movies of recent vintage.

It’s a harsh standard to live up to, but Roman J. Israel, Esq. is no Nightcrawler.

Not that I’m going to compare and contrast them to death, because they are ultimately different, but they do both revolve around eccentric characters who come out of their shells a bit and take massive risks for the sake of sizable financial gain.

In the case of Nightcrawler, you’re glued to the screen from start to finish, and the third act in particular is unrelentingly thrilling.

Israel, on the other hand, is very muddled.

Denzel Washington’s performance in the titular role is compelling to watch, and is generally on par with any of the great performances of his career.  The problem is that there’s not much else around him (Colin Farrell in particular feels a little directionless), and in the end I’m left wondering if the movie is trying to be profound and failing, or attempting to be meaningless as a statement, but it’s not clear to me either way, leaving me feeling just a bit empty.

If you’re a huge Denzel fan, Roman J. Israel, Esq. is maybe worth a rental down the road, but that’s about it.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

 

Directed by Richard Linklater
Written by Richard Linklater & Darryl Ponicsan, based on his novel of the same name
Cast: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, J. Quinton Johnson, Deanna Reed-Foster, Yul Vazquez, Cicely Tyson
Soundtrack: Graham Reynolds

To be perfectly honest, I don’t have a particularly high opinion of Richard Linklater as a filmmaker, but I was willing to put that aside for a movie that appears to have a great cast, and a story that serves as a spiritual sequel to 1973’s The Last Detail (which is also based on a Darryl Ponicsan novel and is a movie I would recommend).

Linklater admittedly specializes in films where not a whole lot actually happens, and sometimes such movies can work really well, but Last Flag Flying is not one of them.

In terms of the core (Corps?) performances, Steve Carell is great, Laurence Fishburne is fine, and Bryan Cranston is sub-par.

I know that’s a heretical statement, because he’s everyone’s favorite actor because Breaking Bad is the greatest (he’s one of mine, too), but Bryan Cranston is not beyond a turkey of a performance from time to time; I’ve seen it happen before.  And I don’t necessarily blame him, because if this is the performance he brought or the performance he was directed to, and nobody told him it wasn’t great, that’s not his fault.

Anyway, it’s not like he’s the only problem.

The movie overall (especially in the dialogue) feels like a college film (not to mention its an early 2000s period piece that sometimes cares about the details and sometimes doesn’t care at all).  Whether Linklater or Ponicsan is more at fault for the lackluster script, I don’t know, but since this was Linklater’s baby, I’m going to leave the blame on his doorstep.

To put it the most simply, this is a movie that needs to feel real and just doesn’t.  The most egregious example is the mildly antagonistic Marine colonel, who is made-up and lit to look like a pale vampire, as if it’s not already painfully obvious that we are supposed to dislike him.

Maybe I’m wrong.  Maybe Last Flag Flying perfectly portrays the dynamic of three old military buddies getting together after forty years, but it mostly just strikes me as off-base.

Definitely check out The Last Detail though, if you’ve not already seen it.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

 

Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen Henderson, Lois Smith, Odeya Rush, Kathryn Newton, Jake McDorman, Bayne Gibby, Laura Marano, Andy Buckley, Jordan Rodrigues, Kristen Cloke, Daniel Zovatto, Bob Stephenson, Marielle Scott, Myra Turley, Richard Jin, Ithamar Enriquez, Carla Valentine
Soundtrack: Jon Brion

Talk about a surprise.

I really only saw this movie because I needed to kill time before something else, so perhaps it benefits from my complete lack of expectation, but I am honestly at a loss to find much fault with Lady Bird.

I don’t know too much about Greta Gerwig, other than she appears in movies I don’t see because I have no interest in them, but she really knocked it out of the park with this one.  If the “teen girl coming-of-age” sub-genre hasn’t been done to death by now, it’s definitely in a stale place, and yet everything about Lady Bird feels fresh (and it’s an early 2000s period piece that actually cares the whole time, unlike certain other movies).

One of the major reasons why the film works so well is that it’s short, sweet, and to the point, because it covers pretty much a whole year in our main character’s life in ninety minutes, paradoxically using the whole cow and trimming all the fat at the same time.

It’s a fairly familiar story: Senior-itis, young love, teen rebellion, trying to be cool, applying to colleges, etc., but everything feels pretty spot on and earnest, unlike other similar movies where characters often feel like caricatures more so than real people.

Much like Three Billboards (if not to a larger extent), everyone who needs to turn in a quality performance in Lady Bird does so (Tracy Letts in particular stuck out to me in his supporting role as the dad).  Saoirse Ronan is the star, to be sure, but this is ensemble casting at its finest.

It might not be quite appropriate for actual teenagers (and, given that it takes place in a time before they were born, I don’t know that they’d get out of it what a thirty-something audience would), but it definitely belongs in the pantheon of the genre, and it’s for sure one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

Surprisingly.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

Movie Review – ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ – Crazy Like a Fox


Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou
Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Camp

If you enjoyed The Lobster, you’ll probably enjoy The Killing of a Sacred Deer as well.

Realistically, I could end this review right here, because without question neither film is a general audience affair, but I’ll expound a little.

Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou are nothing if not experts in heightened reality.  In a way, it’s fair to call their movies experimental.  Not so much in a film-making sense, mind you (I wouldn’t go as far as to call them avant-garde), but more so in the way of how they set up their worlds, their narratives, and the way each affects their characters.  In the case of Killing of a Sacred Deer, what appears to be a mentorship between a surgeon and an off-beat young man turns out to have a tragic genesis, and there are even more sinister revelations as the story unfolds.

Compared to The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer is much more grounded (there’s no explicit science fiction element), but it’s fair to say everything is still a bit weird.  That said, as a combination of dark comedy and psychological thriller, I was on board.  The performances are admittedly strange but everybody’s clearly invested in what they’re doing, there’s a lot of really great cinematography (in particular, lots of elevated steadicam shots, which I appreciated so much, and a lot of nice long closeups), and the story is a juicy slow burner.

As I said, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but The Killing of a Sacred Deer is nonetheless a quality piece of filmmaking.

If you find yourself needing a break from the usual Hollywood fare, give it a shot.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
Fair warning, the opening shot of the film is presumably an overhead view of open heart surgery, but there’s not much else to worry about if you’re squeamish; certainly nothing else to that degree.