Daniel Bernhardt – People Talking

Movie Review – ‘Atomic Blonde’ – “Sound and Fury…”

Directed by David Leitch
Written by Kurt Johnstad, based on the Oni Press graphic novel series “The Coldest City” written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Sam Hart
Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, John Goodman, Toby Jones, James Faulkner, Roland Møller, Sofia Boutella, Bill Skarsgård, Sam Hargrave, Til Schweiger, Daniel Bernhardt
Soundtrack: Tyler Bates

When I first saw the trailer for Atomic Blonde, I wasn’t buying it, but, as time went on, it grew on me, and eventually I realized there was quite a lot to be excited for.

Behind the camera, you’ve got the uncredited co-director of the original (and still superior) John Wick, and, based on the trailer for this film, it looks like he had enough sense to pull the lens back far enough to effectively capture the action (avoiding a Jason Bourne-type situation). You’ve got one of the screenwriters of 300, someone with an understanding of adapting stylized graphic novels to the big screen (also worth noting that Tyler Bates did the musical score for 300 and both John Wicks). And, you’ve got a highly respected cast of actors dedicating themselves to what appears to be a genre piece.

So, does it work?

Well…not really, no.

I’d very much compare my experience seeing Atomic Blonde to my experience seeing Carnage Park, in that it lost me, eventually won me over, then lost me again.

I should have absolutely loved this movie: period piece, Cold War, Berlin Wall, East and West Germany, spies, Charlize Theron throwing it down, little nods here and there to other films, but, overall, it just didn’t click.

First of all, almost the entirety of the narrative is framed within a debriefing/interview/interrogation, which just feels tired (a bit film school-y at this point, honestly), but the biggest problem is that the plot is so convoluted (and needlessly so, especially for a film of this type) that by the end I didn’t even care what happened, I was just glad it was over.

Frankly, I don’t think the movie quite knows what it is. At times it feels like it’s going for a John Wick-type vibe, but it’s not quite cool enough or emotional enough to make that work, and other times it feels like it wants to be a real-life clever spy movie, but it doesn’t have enough intelligence to make that work, so, ultimately it’s just stuck in the middle of the road.

As far as the performances go, I think everyone in the cast does okay with what they’re given; nobody strikes me as an albatross, but nobody really stands out either. Even Wonder Woman had at least one character that stuck with me, even if I didn’t particularly enjoy the movie.

In terms of what works, there’s one sequence in particular in this film that people are already talking about, and it is fairly impressive in its own right, but I hesitate to call it truly groundbreaking. Beyond that, I like a lot of the trappings (production design, costumes, period television clips, cool Eighties tunes), but there’s not much else for the film to hang its hat on.

In the end, I didn’t dislike Atomic Blonde enough to give it a failing grade, because there are some good bits, but not enough to justify a theatrical experience.

Ultimately, it feels like a rental (even matinee feels high).

I’m so sorry.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
There’s no stinger, just in case you decide to not heed my advice.

Movie Review – ‘Logan’ – Who Wants To Live Forever

Alright, break’s over. Time to start reviewing new movies in a timely manner again (and, yes, the title of this review is another Queen reference).

Directed by James Mangold
Written by James Mangold (story and screenplay), Scott Frank (screenplay), and Michael Green (screenplay)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, Daniel Bernhardt
Soundtrack: Marco Beltrami

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been wearied by the fact that there have been eight X-Men films previous to Logan and a total of six of them have been Wolverine movies (regardless of whether or not they actually have “Wolverine” in the title), not to mention he’s got cameos in the other two (First Class and Apocalypse) that aren’t about him.

Frankly, I’ll be happy to see a future X-Men movie that has no Wolverine whatsoever (much like how I’m waiting for a Star Wars movie with no lightsabers).

However, there’s always been that one exceptional idea. You know the one I mean: “Well, if they actually did justice to the character by making an rated-R movie…”

So, when rumors began circulating that the next (and hopefully last) Wolverine movie was going to feature Old Man Logan, and that it might actually be rated-R, I got a little bit excited.

And I was right to feel that way.

It’s hard to quantify exactly what Logan is, because it works on so many levels, but it’s definitely more emotionally substantive than I was expecting (and I was expecting something fairly mature to begin with). Other than a based-on-a-true-story type war movie, I can’t remember the last thing I’ve seen that I could describe as fantastically violent and utterly beautiful at the same time, but Logan earns such a description.

Honestly though, the movie works as a mildly futuristic science fiction film, it works as a violent-as-all-get-out action movie (although, frankly, there might not be enough action to satisfy certain audiences), it works as something of a family drama, there are some western elements at play (not a surprise given writer/director James Mangold’s obvious love of that particular genre), and it works as a comic book movie (again, why this didn’t come out Valentine’s Day weekend, following in Fox’s own footsteps of Kingsman and Deadpool, is a mystery). I won’t claim to be able to recognize every wink and nod to all of the various source materials (plus I think this is largely an original story from Mangold), but I know they’re in there (there’s even one shot that’s straight out of Cop Land).

It would be all too easy for a movie attempting to accomplish so much to just devolve into utter garbage, but thankfully Logan is anchored by a number of good performances. Obviously Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart have been well-versed in their respective characters for many years, but I’d say they both do an admirable job of bringing something new to the table for this movie specifically. Also, I was impressed with Stephen Merchant in a very much outside-the-box role for him, and, it must be said, Dafne Keen is a young star on the rise. She can say so much without saying anything at all, and at certain points you can’t help but share in her child-like wonder (despite her darker side).

I guess if I were to sum up Logan as one particular thing, it would be a pleasant surprise, because I was not expecting this violent, R-rated mutant romp to be so heartfelt and beautiful in exploring themes of life and family.

Story-wise, I’m not sure exactly how well it will play with people totally unfamiliar with the characters, but it’s certainly more forgiving towards the uninitiated than, say, Rogue One. I actually went into Logan pretty fresh (no research for this one, surprisingly) and was able to pick up the story just fine as it went along (although I did leave with a few questions, but nothing central to the plot).

If I have one particular criticism of Logan, it’s that certain elements become predictable as you get further along into it (and also not every performance is on the same level), but that’s a small chink in the armor of what may very well go down as one of the year’s best.

It’s brutal, it’s beautiful, it’s got just enough levity when it needs it, and it’s a fitting last ride for an iconic actor in an iconic role.

Even for non-X-Men fans, I highly recommend it.

Go see Logan.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
As usual, shout-out to Alamo Drafthouse for getting into the spirit of the thing, including this month’s “Old Man Logan” special cocktail (it’s strong).

Valentine’s Day Shandy – ‘John Wick’ & ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ – Back and Backer

Why see just one when you can see both?

Hollywood’s always trying to figure out how to maximize box office returns, including figuring out what movie to release when. For example, James Cameron’s Titanic was originally slated for a summer release, but got pushed back to the weekend before Christmas, thus making wintertime the new summertime for big budget blockbusters (the Star Wars franchise has been dominating this slot for the past two Decembers and likely will continue to do so indefinitely).

On a much smaller scale from a money standpoint, but equally as revelatory, 20th Century Fox discovered a couple years ago that there’s a market for fresh, fun, violent, R-rated action on Valentine’s Day weekend with a little movie called Kingsman (which itself was originally slated for October, as is its coming sequel). A year later they followed that up with the even more successful Deadpool. Frankly, how Logan is NOT in the same slot this year is utterly baffling. Maybe Lionsgate/Summit just beat Fox to the punch this time around, but, in any case, this year’s contestant in the R-rated Valentine’s Day massacre is the somewhat anticipated John Wick: Chapter 2.

I feel a little guilty that I was as excited for John Wick 2 as I was, because the studio was obviously pandering to my generation with the promised on-screen reunion of Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne (in reference to some other movie), but, what can I say? The marketing got me in the door.

Of course, the natural question is, “Is John Wick: Chapter 2 better than the first one?”

Swarms upon swarms of people are answering, “YAS!” because it has “MOAR ACTION!” but I don’t agree. Chapter 2 might have more (and more stylized) action, but the 2014 original is the superior film because of story and characters.

The first time I saw John Wick was in a real IMAX theater, completely alone. Seriously, I was literally the only person in the theater (I don’t think there were even any staff), so it was LOUD. At the time, I thought it was an okay action movie, but I realized after seeing it again ahead of Chapter 2 that I was missing something: an audience.

I have a rule that I don’t write any reviews here unless I’ve seen a movie theatrically, because movies are meant to be seen theatrically, but there’s something else you don’t get while watching a movie on your couch, and that’s the collective experience of other people in the theater; the oohs and aahs, the audible laughter, the heightened sense of awareness that adds to the enjoyment of the film. I missed that the first time I saw John Wick, and seeing it again under more proper circumstances made me realize I had been underrating it.

Action movies in general aren’t quite what they used to be, largely because of bad CGI, but John Wick is very good for its time, and its biggest strength is its clarity. We know what’s happening, we know why, we connect with why, and John Wick himself is uncomplicated in his quest. Throw in some more-than-competent action, a dash of good humor here and there, and a nice gallery of supporting characters (good and bad), and you’ve got a real crowd-pleaser of a film.

On the other hand, where John Wick is clear, Chapter 2 is muddled. His motivation is less interesting (the first one he did it because he wanted to; now he’s doing it out of obligation), the villains aren’t as strong, there are no supporting characters who can compete with Willem Dafoe from the first one, the plot is more convoluted, and there’s some backtracking with John Wick’s character (trying to soften his edge) that I did not appreciate. Not to mention the third act is a disappointment from a story perspective.

This is not to say that Chapter 2 is utterly useless. I enjoyed how it expanded the secret hitman universe established in the first movie, and the build-up is a lot of fun, but, on the whole, it’s more than a full step down from John Wick. There’s just too much we don’t know or care about, and too much sequelitis (aka “Remember this!?).

They make a fine pairing back-to-back, but the difference is clear.

(Also, as someone familiar with public transportation in and around New York City, I was annoyed with the “geography” of the PATH train in Chapter 2. Like, either use real locations or don’t. I know this is a bit of a nitpick on my part, but it just got to me.)

Ratings:
John Wick: ★★★★☆
Chapter 2: ★★½

P.S.
Shout out to Alamo Drafthouse (as usual) for their John Wick-themed specials this month. The “Carbonara Pizza: Chapter 2” and “Hotel Continental Special” are worth killing for.