Tag: Ralph Ineson

Twofer Movie Review: ‘Green Room’ and ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ – Dark & Stormy

So, we’ve got two movies this weekend, one not quite yet going wide and the other going full spread; both look like they could use a little boost.

Green Room

Written and Directed by Jeremy Saulnier
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Mark Webber, Imogen Poots, Taylor Tunes, Macon Blair, Eric Edelstein, David W. Thompson, and Sir Patrick Stewart
Soundtrack: Brooke Blair and Will Blair

I know this movie’s really good because I already want to go see it again.

Let it be said that writer/directer Jeremy Saulnier likes what he knows and knows what he likes, namely hardcore punk, grisly violence, and ratcheting up tension.

This was true in his sophomore effort, ‘Blue Ruin‘, and it’s even more true for ‘Green Room’.

Everybody knows that horror is not exactly my bailiwick, but ‘Green Room’ is my kind of serious bloody thriller: no stupid jump-scares, no dumb CGI monsters, and no torture porn.  It’s just a simple story about a punk band in the wrong place at the wrong time.  As much as I enjoy big movies with big struggles (gotta save the earth, again), I also enjoy movies where small things become dramatic elements (like in ‘A Most Wanted Man‘, I never knew how important someone merely signing a piece of paper could feel).  ‘Green Room’ revels in the small details.  There are no waves of nameless, faceless drones; everything is personal.

Now, it’s not like we haven’t seen this kind of movie before (‘Assault on Precinct 13‘ comes to mind), but what makes ‘Green Room’ unique is the cultural setting (hardcore punk scene), and the performances, namely of one Sir Patrick Stewart as a neo-Nazi club owner.  He has such presence in general whenever he appears on screen, but in this case he’s that villain you love to hate.  I think he truly relished the role and it shines through in every frame he appears.

Order of the British Empire aside, I’d be remiss if I didn’t praise the efforts of our band of survivors, Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, and Imogen Poots.  I’m not saying there’s anything Oscar-worthy happening here, but they all put in solid performances as, punk aesthetics aside, otherwise ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.

Ultimately, I like ‘Green Room’ because it’s a movie that punches above its weight class.  It’s small and not too flashy, but it delivers big.  Whether you’re into more slasher type horror or traditional Hitchcockian thrillers, or if you just like hardcore punk, you should definitely see it, although I bet it’ll make you think twice about stepping foot in a skinhead club ever again.

Rating: ★★★★☆

 

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
Written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Craig Mazin, based on characters created by Evan Daugherty
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Sam Hazeldine, Sam Claflin, Ralph Ineson
Soundtrack: James Newton Howard

I’m not sure what’s up with all these fairy tale movies and TV shows the past few years, other than the usual trope of Hollywood selling literally anything people recognize (including but not limited to board games), but at least ‘Snow White and The Huntsman‘ tried to interject some original ideas.  The biggest problem with that film, despite how great it looked (way better looking than that ridiculous ‘Hobbit’ trilogy), was it was pretty much just dark and brooding the entire time.

In comparison to its predecessor, ‘Winter’s War’ (which is both a prequel and a sequel; for good measure, I suppose) is bloodier, sexier, and, most importantly, has more humor.  Most of the laughs come from the natural comedic chemistry of Rob Brydon and Nick Frost, but plenty of other characters have moments as well.  This is not to say that ‘Winter’s War’ is a comedy, but it’s nice to have a chuckle once and a while to ease the tension (even Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ Trilogy had moments of levity for the audience).  After all, this is by and large a general audience movie, not some kind of horror film.

Now, I’m not going to put ‘Winter’s War’ in the must-see category, but if you just feel like going to the movies sometime in the next month, it’s an acceptable choice, and even if you haven’t seen the prior film, I’m sure you’ll follow along just fine.  It’s got a good cast, fairly state-of-the-art visuals, and provides enough entertainment to take a flyer on.  Plus, it’s a rare sequel that trumps the first movie.

(I mean, seriously; when are Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, and Jessica Chastain ever going to be in the same movie again?)

Rating: ★★★½

Movie Review – ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ – Britannia’s Got Bollocks

Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book The Secret Service created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Cast: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill (yes, THAT one), Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Jack Davenport, Geoff Bell, Ralph Ineson, Edward Holcroft, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Hanna Alström, Richard Brake, Corey Johnson, Samantha Womack, Tobi Bakare
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson

When initially asked to describe Kingsman in only three words, I simply said, “Quite a cocktail.”

And it is.

And it’s delicious.

Kingsman is a wonderfully-balanced blend of the following spirits: every Eon–produced James Bond motion picture from 1965 to 1985; Men In Black; John Landis; Quentin Tarantino; Wright/Pegg/Frost; Attack the Block; and Harry Palmer.

The result is the most gleefully fun movie I’ve seen since this past summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

To put it into better context, 2012’s Skyfall, in addition to being “Bond 23”, was a celebration of fifty years of the James Bond franchise, and a fitting tribute it was; very cool, very classy, and very regal.

Kingsman is also largely a celebration of Bond, but more so of the more, shall we say, ‘B-movie’ elements; those guilty pleasures that serious critics might be afraid to admit they love, but, deep down, we as fans all do.  Things like: a villain with some sort of impediment; a henchman with some sort of enhancement; massive underground lairs; unbelievable gadgets; and an outrageous, nefarious plot that puts the whole world in jeopardy; not to mention gunfights, car chases, and proper action.

At its core, Kingsman is a crowd-pleaser.  It gives the people what they want, and does so with style and flair.  I can almost guarantee I’ll go see it at least one more time in a theater.  I know it was originally slated for a fall US release (as you can clearly see at the end of this trailer), but what I can’t figure out is why this wasn’t a summer release.  I guess compared to all the remakes, sequels, and amusement park rides on the way, Kingsman is severely lacking in the “name recognition” department, but, then again, nobody had ever heard of Guardians of the Galaxy before, and look how that turned out; it only made three-quarters of a billion dollars worldwide.

Anyway, I hypothesized that Kingsman would be a welcome return to form for director Matthew Vaughn, after about a ten-year hiatus from the British-produced action films he cut his teeth on, and, boy, was I right.  I mean, Kick-Ass is pretty good, and X-Men: First Class has its moments, but, on the whole, they’re not that great.  Kingsman, at least from an entertainment perspective (I really need to revisit Layer Cake one of these days), is definitely Vaughn’s magnum opus to this point.  His passion for his source material (both direct and indirect) is very apparent, and, much like a Wright/Pegg/Frost production, there’s no trace of parody here; this is a love letter.

Performance-wise, I don’t think there’s an albatross in the bunch.  Colin Firth is his usual classy self as not-“James Bond”, but also most certainly gets special commendation for pulling off a very high percentage of his own stuntwork, which I can’t imagine he’s ever had to do for a film before; not to this degree, anyway.  I mean, can you think of a signature Colin Firth stunt or fight sequence?  I can’t, yet he pulls it off like a total pro here.  Kudos to you, sir.

Besides that: newcomer Taron Egerton (God Bless the Welsh) gives a very natural performance as the street rat savant “Eggsy”; Michael Caine is his regal self as not-“M”; Mark Strong puts on his best Scottish brogue as not-“Q”; and Sam Jackson gives a delightfully playful performance as not-“Steve Jobs”.  Or is it not-“Bill Gates”?  I don’t even know anymore.

If I have one legitimate criticism of Kingsman, it’s that some of the action sequences are shot/edited a little too newfangled for my taste (although it’s admittedly better than the shaky-cam madness of Quantum of Solace), and some of the visual effects could have looked better, but that’s more of a nitpick.  Given that this movie was produced on a budget one-third that of Skyfall, I’m not going to complain that much about such things.

So, if you like James Bond movies, or need a primer on why other people like James Bond movies, or if you just happen to be both an Anglophile and an action fan, then you should definitely go see Kingsman in your local movie house.

It’s fun.  It’s frenetic.  And it’s got balls.

You’ll love it.

Rating: ★★★★½

Oh, P.S.
There’s a stinger during the credits, but not afterwards.

You’re welcome.