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| Courtesy of Paramount |
(Rated R for violence, sexual content, language throughout, and some drug use.)
The cast: Blake Lively, Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown
What it’s about: Based on Mark Burnell’s best-selling novel series (with a screenplay by the author), Lively plays Stephanie Patrick, an ordinary woman on a path of self-destruction after her family dies in a plane crash. When she discovers the tragedy wasn’t an accident, she enters a dark world of espionage to seek revenge.
The good: I admire that James Bond series producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are attempting to branch out and focus on a woman at the center of a similar world full of spies, shady organizations and ruthless killers. I also respect Lively, a talented actress who hasn’t found the right project to launch her onto the A-list, wanting to immerse herself in a dark character to show audiences that she’s more than just another pretty blonde actress.
Plus, it’s great to see Jude Law continuing to pivot from handsome leading man into fun character actor. I just wish all these positive traits were in service of a film that wasn’t a dull, nonsensical retread of material we’ve seen a million better versions of.
The not-so-good: The Rhythm Section is frequently tough to watch, both metaphorically and literally. The former because Lively’s character spends the first 30 minutes spiraling into drug abuse and prostitution, while zoning out to experience hazy flashbacks of happier times. The latter since cinematographer Sean Bobbitt mimics Paul Greengrass’ notorious “shaky cam” effect from the Bourne movies without understanding why it was effective in them. Here, it prevents the audience from getting a clear picture of what the heck is happening.
It also doesn’t help that Stephanie Patrick is meant to be a female version of Bond or Bourne, but she’s absolutely terrible at her job. It would be one thing if we watched her improve over the course of the film, but there’s no upward trajectory. She just goes from making mistakes that get innocent people killed to suddenly being a superhero in the last two scenes. There’s no coherent narrative trajectory.
Finally, the film commits the cardinal sin of wasting the outstanding Brown (best known for This Is Us and recently heard in Frozen II) in a thankless role that could’ve been played by anyone. The Rhythm Section is designed to set up a new franchise, but I’ll be shocked if we see another one any time soon. There’s a reason it’s opening in the doldrums of winter.
Grade: D
The Gentlemen
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| Courtesy of STX |
(Rated R for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug content.)
The cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding and Hugh Grant.
What it’s about: Writer-director Guy Ritchie returns to his British gangster roots with this action comedy about an American expat (McConaughey) who spent decades building a lucrative marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to retire, it triggers a twisted series of plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail from his enemies and competitors to determine who will become his successor.
The good: Based on how he crams three hours of profane insanity into a 110-minute movie, it’s clear Ritchie is excited to be off the leash after directing last year’s family-friendly Aladdin remake. The Gentlemen is funny, violent, a little scary, and packed with so many convoluted twists and turns that I stopped trying to keep up with the plot and just let it wash over me.
Plus, it’s delightfully meta in places – a movie that’s very much about movies and the way we watch them. I imagine both the plot and filmmaking on display will richly reward multiple viewings.
Although McConaughey’s the star, his character is mostly the steady presence that allows his co-stars to go crazy. It’s honestly a selfless performance. Hunnam gets to play against type as a calm, bookish associate of McConaughey’s character, while Grant and Golding have a blast chewing the scenery. Dockery and Strong also get to challenge audience’s perceptions of their previous roles by playing against type, while a quietly assured Farrell shows up in the second half to make a phenomenal cast even better.
The not-so-good: The labyrinthine plotting could prove too confusing for casual viewers and the variety of accents is tough to understand in places. I noticed a few people walk out of my opening weekend screening, so it’s clearly not for everyone.
Unfortunately, The Gentlemen sometimes feels like a relic from different time, including jarring moments of casual racism directed at minority characters for comedic effect. Granted, these characters aren’t good people and would probably use that kind of language. But it’s still jarring to see those aspects make it through the modern studio system.
Grade: B
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| Courtesy of Saban |
DVD Review: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
(Rated R for pervasive strong crude sexual content, language throughout, drug use and some nudity.)
The cast: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith and Harley Quinn Smith.
What it’s about: Stoner icons Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith, who also wrote and directed) are back, 25 years after their first appearance in the indie hit Clerks. When the dimwitted duo learn that Hollywood is rebooting the Bluntman and Chronic movie they set out to stop in 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, they embark on yet another cross-country mission to sabotage it one more time. Along the way, the cross paths with a host of weird characters played by famous faces.
The good: For those familiar with Smith’s previous work – especially over the last decade or so – Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is exactly the movie you think it is. Whether you consider that a recommendation or a warning depends on if you’re a part of the writer-director’s fanbase. Those who like his juvenile, foul-mouthed comedic stylings will be in heaven, while those who can’t stand him won’t find anything here to change their minds.
Smith was one of my favorite filmmakers in college (I practically had Chasing Amy memorized) and I even have a soft spot for his maligned Ben Affleck dramedy Jersey Girl. But his track record since 2010’s dreadful Cop Out has been less-than-stellar.
Although I try not to let nostalgia get the best of me, Smith’s latest is a silly, sweet walk down memory lane thanks to a ton of big names reprising their roles from his previous films. That includes Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams staging a brief Chasing Amy sequel that both addresses the film’s problematic social politics and came out of nowhere to sucker-punch my emotions.
The not-so-good: Again, the peculiar combination of raunchy language and so-lame-they’re-funny puns and dad jokes are an acquired taste that probably won’t appeal to most mainstream viewers. (Hence the film’s tiny theatrical release consisting of a Fathom Events screening and a roadshow-style tour with Smith and Mewes presenting it in person.) But if you’ve seen his previous films and are morbidly curious, spending two bucks at a Redbox kiosk is a low-risk gamble.
Special features: cast and crew interviews, bloopers and hair reel.
Grade: C+
The cast: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith and Harley Quinn Smith.
What it’s about: Stoner icons Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith, who also wrote and directed) are back, 25 years after their first appearance in the indie hit Clerks. When the dimwitted duo learn that Hollywood is rebooting the Bluntman and Chronic movie they set out to stop in 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, they embark on yet another cross-country mission to sabotage it one more time. Along the way, the cross paths with a host of weird characters played by famous faces.
The good: For those familiar with Smith’s previous work – especially over the last decade or so – Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is exactly the movie you think it is. Whether you consider that a recommendation or a warning depends on if you’re a part of the writer-director’s fanbase. Those who like his juvenile, foul-mouthed comedic stylings will be in heaven, while those who can’t stand him won’t find anything here to change their minds.
Smith was one of my favorite filmmakers in college (I practically had Chasing Amy memorized) and I even have a soft spot for his maligned Ben Affleck dramedy Jersey Girl. But his track record since 2010’s dreadful Cop Out has been less-than-stellar.
Although I try not to let nostalgia get the best of me, Smith’s latest is a silly, sweet walk down memory lane thanks to a ton of big names reprising their roles from his previous films. That includes Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams staging a brief Chasing Amy sequel that both addresses the film’s problematic social politics and came out of nowhere to sucker-punch my emotions.
The not-so-good: Again, the peculiar combination of raunchy language and so-lame-they’re-funny puns and dad jokes are an acquired taste that probably won’t appeal to most mainstream viewers. (Hence the film’s tiny theatrical release consisting of a Fathom Events screening and a roadshow-style tour with Smith and Mewes presenting it in person.) But if you’ve seen his previous films and are morbidly curious, spending two bucks at a Redbox kiosk is a low-risk gamble.
Special features: cast and crew interviews, bloopers and hair reel.
Grade: C+
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