Nightcrawler

First Hit:  Amazing performance in a film about a dark undercurrent theme of our society.

We like voyeur’s views of the world. How do I know, watch television news. News programs would not be as popular as they are without having a certain voyeuristic view into other people’s lives, our lives.

Here we have Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is trying to make a life for himself. He’s a thief who sells stolen metal at junk yards. He runs up on a freeway accident where he watches a videographer filming the gruesome scene. He finds out that TV news stations buy this kind of video so he decides to become an independent videographer as a way to make an interesting living. It is to the depth in which he dives into this new role that highlights the film and the story.

Louis’ sleazy looks, acts of righteous knowledgeable indignation, slumping posture, while embodying the role of providing gory TV news film for money – that makes this film all-encompassing and watchable. While this film is about Louis’ voyeuristic ways, it is also about the audiences’ engagement with the video Louis shoots as well as viewing Louis’ life.

Gyllenhaal was so immersed and engaged that I believed everything about this character. Rene Russo (playing Nina Romina the News Director who buys Louis’ video) is absolutely fabulous. Her facial expressions at the date/dinner she has with Louis are amazing. Her directness in decision making in the newsroom – perfect. Riz Ahmed as Rick, Louis’ right hand man was extraordinary. Dan Gilroy wrote and directed this film. The writing was superb and his direction of the actors and scenes was, at times, riveting.

Overall:  This film was well done and Gyllenhaal made it this way.

John Wick

First Hit:  The best thing is how Wick handles a gun and there’s lots of that in this film.

Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a retired hitman assassin for a Russian mob. He retired because he fell in love and then his wife dies. Because it was long-term illness, after her death she pre-arranged to have a puppy sent to John. After a few days of dealing with a puppy, he becomes totally engaged and loves this dog.

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), son of John’s former boss Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) wants John’s car and decides to rob him by invading his house, killing his dog and stealing his car. This does not go over well and the rest of the film is about Wick getting revenge.

The plot, although weak, is an interesting way to make Wick have a soft heart while giving him a vehicle to kill everyone in Viggo’s organization and he does. The best part was the choreography of the shooting scenes, Wick is a master at movement and shooting and Reeves voice, body language and movement makes it work.

Reeves makes this script and film work with the aloofness that comes naturally to him. His body awareness and abilities, probably gained from the “Matrix” series, are an asset here. Allen is perfect as the spoiled, unthoughtful, and stupid son of the Russian Mafioso. Nyqvist is excellent as the head of the mob, by being cynical, irreverent, and mean. Willem Dafoe as Reeves friend Marcus is very good at having Wick’s back. I also thought Adrianne Palicki was strong as a woman assassin who wanted to cash in on the price on Wick’s head. Derek Kolstad wrote an OK screen play which tried to create a backstory but it was all about killing lots of people. David Leitch and Chad Stahelski co-directed the film and despite a weak plot, the execution of choreographed killing scenes worked out well.

Overall:  It was entertaining but is was also simply a vehicle for guns and killings.

Gone Girl

First Hit:  This was like watching two different films – the first section, a long ~2 hour segment was fascinating, the last part was a very different film and not as interesting although more pointed.

I’m really not sure why this story was created this way.

In the first two hours the audience watches Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) squirm to try to prove his innocence of killing his missing wife. Affleck is perfect at giving the sense that he’s innocent as well as guilty all at the same time. His enigmatic personality is well used in this role because as soon as you believe he’s innocent then he does something that makes you wonder.

When the film moves to show Amy Dunne’s (Rosamund Pike) story it adds to the film greatly. However, as this section moves forward, there is a point about 2 hours into the film where I think it takes a turn too far to the left. As we watch Amy’s escape plan fail, it gets to the point where her sickness is pushed more into physicality of action.

It is at this point that her actions with Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) where the second film begins. From here I was reeling from the change of view and pace of the film. And although I found the new story interesting, it was so much more upfront and in your face than the previous two hours.

Affleck is absolutely amazing as his ability to be enigmatic and be two sides of the story as required by the character. He was perfect for this part. Pike was absolutely beyond amazing. She was sublime in her ability to pull off the character she was supposed to be. She was amazingly calculated, vulnerable, steal skinned, and intellectually manipulative. Tyler Perry as lawyer Tanner Bolt was really a fun and good part of the film. Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne (Nick’s twin sister) was very good. Harris was also strong in his role. Kim Dickens and the lead detective was also very good. Gillian Flynn wrote an interesting screenplay from her own novel, however the story at the end was either too jolting or miss-directed. David Fincher directed this film and as separate parts these films were well directed, but as a single film, it was more difficult to watch the two pieces made into one film.

Overall:  For the most part this film was very good but be jarred as I was, I think the transition could have been better.

The Equalizer

First Hit:  Satisfying film with powerful acting by Denzel Washington in a story that has a slow burn buildup to the inevitable.

Robert McCall (Washington) is a quiet mentor to the people he’s around at the home building supply store where he works. He rarely sleeps at night, reads a lot, and has very specific behavior patterns that he uses to keep his life intact.

From the beginning you have the sense that McCall has a history, one of which he’s not proud, one where he was one of the best, and he’s sad without his wife. He shows up to his peers at work by helping them eat right and supports them to live their dreams. He also rights the wrongs to his friends and he does this with cool calculation.

You see early on he’s an expert at killing and making things right. He gets into a conflict with the Russian mob through late night café meetings with Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz) who wants to be a singer but works as a prostitute to some hardened Russians. When they hurt her, McCall becomes the man who will right this wrong all the way to the top.

His main protagonist Teddy (Marton Csokas) is good for this film as he is as self-assured as McCall is competent. They are a good matchup and the way this film delivers this adversarial relationship is great.

Washington is so clearly perfect in this role. I cannot think of another actor that could have pulled this off as well as he did. Moretz is excellent as the girl who portrays both protective strength and childlike vulnerability. Marton Csokas was perfect as the Russian mob enforcer and guy that fixes problems for the head of the gang. David Harbour (as corrupt policeman, Masters) does a good job of being a hard ass corrupt jerk. Richard Wenk and Michael Sloan wrote a very strong script that allowed us to know Washington’s character not through words but through actions. Antoine Fuqua did an excellent job of directing this action film. My only criticism of this film from a director’s point of view is that it was a little long.

Overall:  Although long, I enjoyed and was totally engaged with this film.

The November Man

First Hit:  Albeit an overly complicated plot, it kept me wondering how it would turn out.

There isn’t much about this film that makes it good.

The complicated plot line: Was it about Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) and Mason (Luke Bracey)? Was it about how the CIA works? Was it about Devereaux and Alice (Olga Kurylenko)? Maybe it was about what being a CIA hit man deals with his/her life? Or was it about age and experience versus youth?

It could have been about Hanley (Bill Smitrovich) the head CIA operative and Devereaux, or was it about Arkady Federov (Lazar Ristovski) the guy trying to win a Russian Presidential election and Alice the girl he raped? There are a couple more I could have mentioned but the point being I never really understood what this film was about.

It is fine to have sub-plots and stories other than the main story, but the main story must be obvious to all – here it wasn’t. One things is for sure, there is a lot of shooting and a lot of bodies are given up for an unknown plot. What was good was Kurylenko’s Alice – she was engaging and created a believable character amongst the film’s lack of clarity.

Brosnan seemed OK but there were too many times that he looked like he was acting a character versus being the character. There was a separation of acting and being that, at times, seemed visible. Kurylenko was good and was fully engaged with her character. Bracey was pretty good as well as the young agent learning  to make choices about his personal and professional life. Smitrovich was very strong as the CIA person only caring about his agenda and what he thinks the US should be doing. Amila Terzimehic was a great unemotional assassin. Michael Finch and Karl Gajdusek wrote a confusing out of focus script. Roger Donaldson directed this with few highlights and mostly just adequate.

Overall:  This will not be a memorable film and needed clarity of plot to work.