Tag: Eddie Marsan

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 – ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ – #FAMILY First

Directed by David Leitch
Written by Chris Morgan (story and screenplay) and Drew Pearce (screenplay), based on characters created by Gary Scott Thompson
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Eddie Marsan, Helen Mirren, Cliff Curtis, Eliana Sua, Lori Pelenise Tuisano, Joe ‘Roman Reigns’ Anoa’i, Josh Mauga, John Tui
Soundtrack: Tyler Bates

So, the franchise of crazy big heist/street racing movies that began with a simple Point Break-with-cars premise that revolved around stealing DVD players is now getting spin-offs?

You know what? I’m fine with that.

After Furious 7, I really didn’t need another full-blown Fast & Furious movie, but we got Fast 8 anyway, which in the end was passable, but I’ll probably never watch it again.

Hobbs & Shaw, on the other hand, while it has some problems, never took me to a place where I said, “You know, I think I’m done with this.” I know that sounds like a back-handed compliment, but, after Fast 8, I really just needed something that was consistently fun, which Hobbs & Shaw delivers (sort of like Solo following the frustrations of Rogue One and The Last Jedi).

As you might glean from the title, this movie is essentially Tango & Cash on steroids, with a good bit of classic James Bond/modern Mission: Impossible mixed in for good measure (not too surprising given writer Drew Pearce worked on Rogue Nation).

Its only real downfall is twofold: some ham-fisted messaging about teamwork, and its length (which is ballooned by some cameos that are fine unto themselves, but questionable as to whether they needed to make the final cut). As much as I love Fast Five, it also set the precedent that these movies all need to be 130 minutes long, which they don’t, but Hobbs & Shaw leans into that anyway (in contrast, Tango & Cash clocks in at a comparatively lean 104 minutes).

Still, by and large, Hobbs & Shaw is reasonably well-executed and a lot of fun, no doubt because of the chases and explosions and punching (I mean, that’s why we’re here), but also thanks to the lead performances. The Rock and Jason Statham are everything we’ve come to expect from them (some of the quipping is a bit much, but forgivable), but the true savior of the film is Vanessa Kirby, who’s smart, charming, and properly humorous when necessary (like what I think Captain Marvel was going for, but failed), but also handles the action surprisingly well (a la Colin Firth in Kingsman).

Not a life-changing film by any stretch, but if you need an action fix that isn’t just all headshots all the time, it’ll do just fine.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Twofer Movie Review – ‘The Predator’ and ‘White Boy Rick’ – On the Hunt

Full disclosure, it’s been such a down year for movies (especially compared to last year) that I may be overrating both of these, but what are you going to do?

Directed by Shane Black
Written by Fred Dekker & Shane Black, based on characters created by Jim & John Thomas
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Yvonne Strahovski, Jake Busey, Niall Matter, Brian A. Prince
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman

Shane Black films are notoriously difficult to market because he has such a specific tone (and often suffers from studio interference), The Predator being no exception, but I think his fans get largely what they expect from him with this one, as the movie feels like a mix of John McTiernan’s 1987 original with another film from that same year, The Monster Squad, which seems appropriate given that Black and [Fred] Dekker wrote that one as well.

It’s a shame that the title is such soft reboot nonsense, because this is a legitimate sequel, keeping at least Predator and Predator 2 in canon (I’ve still not seen Predators even though everybody tells me it’s alright; I’ll get to it eventually).  Certain fan service moments feel a bit cringy, but overall I can’t fault Black and Dekker for wanting to make a movie for existing fans, while also putting their own stamp on it (and I really appreciated Henry Jackman’s adaptation of many pieces from Alan Silvestri’s scores from the first two, giving the film a nice throwback feel at least in the music).

Now, I’ve seen at least one person call the movie “a mess”, and I can understand why they would say that, because there are a number of elements that shouldn’t necessarily be in the same film together, but, nevertheless, I had fun, which is all I really wanted (and if nothing else it’s a more satisfying experience than Predator 2).

And I’m so glad it’s R-rated.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

Directed by Yann Demange
Written by Andy Weiss and Logan & Noah Miller
Cast: Richie Merritt, Matthew McConaughey, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, Rory Cochrane, RJ Cyler, Jonathan Majors, Eddie Marsan, Bruce Dern, Piper Laurie, YG, Taylour Paige, Danny Brown, IshDARR, Kyanna Simone Simpson, Kwon Haynes
Soundtrack: Max Richter

The synopsis for this movie is in big, bold letters right on the poster, so there’s no need to waste too much time on it, but suffice it to say it’s a story worth bringing to the silver screen.

White Boy Rick effectively rests on the shoulders of two actors, newcomer Richie Merritt and old hand Matthew McConaughey, and they carry it with aplomb.

Sure, the true life story is actually interesting, and I can’t think of a supporting actor who truly sticks out like a sore thumb, but without these two guys executing at the level that they do, the film would be much worse off.

Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention director Yann Demange (if he wasn’t already he’s definitely a director to keep an eye on now), who manages to bring together an entertaining yet poignant movie out of some pretty dark and dour material.  I’m sure some people will try to argue that the movie glorifies crime (like always), but I think it’s akin to Goodfellas in terms of a frank look at the lifestyle, the reasoning, and the consequences.

Lastly, composer Max Richter continues to do outstanding minimalist work, and his score for White Boy Rick is pitch perfect, appropriately apportioning synth-wave and traditional sounds with the right touch of melody and dissonance when needed.

And, again, I’m glad the movie’s R-rated.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Almost Summer Shandy – ‘Deadpool’ & ‘Deadpool 2’ – Up for Whatever

One of the beauties of the Deadpool films (although I can see how some might see it as an annoyance) is that anything can happen: gunfights, car chases, proper action, fourth wall breaking, super-meta humor, Neil Sedaka, whatever; anything is possible.

In a genre chock-full of cookie-cutter (and safe) movies (not that I don’t enjoy the MCU, but, let’s be real), I find this level of anarchy quite refreshing.

Not to say that these two films don’t have their own fair share of boiler plate material (one of my only real criticisms of the sequel is that the core plot is highly reminiscent of a certain 2012 sci-fi thriller), but, honestly, it’s just nice to have some villains with a goal other than ruling the world with a giant blue space laser.

You know what else is refreshing?  Each movie is a only a solid two hours in length (even less in the case of the first installment).  I can handle long run times perfectly fine, but not every movie has to have a story that (often needlessly) takes two-and-a-half hours to tell.  Sometimes I like to enjoy a nice, tightly-scripted movie that’s incredibly well-paced (especially true of the first; less so in the second, but still more than acceptable).

I suppose the most credit for these films even existing goes to Ryan Reynolds, who worked for an entire decade just to get the first one green-lit, but, second to that, I have to hand it to writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who first came together on Zombieland, which makes sense).  They seem to genuinely understand the character they’re working with and also how to balance some really effervescent comedic material with other much darker elements, all the while maintaining personal stakes along the way.

Speaking of the character though, Deadpool himself is crass, cynical, violent, sarcastic, and crass (did I say crass?), and the films (like Logan, but for different reasons) are appropriately R-rated.  Not every comic book adaptation needs to be, and some absolutely shouldn’t be, but in this case the 17-and-up rating is downright necessary.  Not that this is all entirely groundbreaking or anything (as Ryan Reynolds well knows, having starred in Blade: Trinity), but I’m nonetheless happy to be getting these at full strength as opposed to some watered-down versions.

Getting back to the movies themselves though, one aspect of the first film I particularly enjoy, and which helps to give it the top-notch pacing it has, is that it chops up the story-line in the first half so you don’t just get the standard origin story in the standard order.  Again, not groundbreaking, but nice that they did something to keep it relatively fresh.

Let’s not overlook the performances though.  Obviously Ryan Reynolds is playing the role he was born to play, but Morena Baccarin is special as well (and I love that their relationship is essentially an R-rated and upgraded version of Holly and Michael from The Office), T.J. Miller works as an ordinary human sideman, Ed Skrein is effectively villainous (even if he isn’t a supervillain), and who doesn’t love Gina Carano doing anything?

Part two brings more of the same in the way that most sequels do, but it does elevate in story and tone (even if the plot is derivative, as I mentioned before), but I think it’s just a half step off in terms of execution compared to its predecessor.

Still though, it’s highly entertaining and full of fun little surprises.  The core cast from the first movie is still firing, Josh Brolin makes a great Cable, Julian Dennison isn’t quite as enjoyable as he was in Hunt for the Wilderpeople but I’m not sure he’s really meant to be anyway, and Zazie Beetz pretty much steals any scene she’s in.

I’ve said this before about Guardians of the Galaxy and Kingsman, and it applies here as well: If you liked the first one, you’ll probably like the second one, too; if you didn’t like the first one, you probably won’t like the sequel, so don’t waste your time.

If you’ve never seen either though, and you’re not easily offended by gratuitous sex and violence (definitely more of the latter than the former), I say give them both a whirl.

And, of course, make sure you stick around til the very end of the first one, and I guess halfway through the credits of the second one.

Enjoy (or don’t)!

Ratings:
Deadpool: ★★★★½
Deadpool 2: ★★★★☆