The Cold Light of Day

The Cold Light of Day... or as I like to call it, how Bruce Willis got a free vacation to Spain.

Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) arrives in Spain, distracted by his small business in financial trouble (which never materializes into a plot point), to meet with his family for a vacation. Will and his father Martin (Bruce Willis) do not always see eye to eye and when a small accident on Martin's boat happens, Will goes to town for medicine. Upon returning, Will finds the boat abandoned and in disarray.

Back on land, Will speaks with the local police department. The police officers go to the boat where Will meets with a man who knows what happened to Will's family and is willing to show him. Will escapes and in the process meets up with Martin.

Martin informs Will that he has been hiding his true work from Will, that he is a CIA agent (shocking, I know). Martin spits out enough plot; the people who took his family are after a briefcase that Martin took and gave to his superiors, before meeting with villain partner, Jean (Sigourney Weaver). As soon as they end their conversation, Martin exits stage left and Will goes on the run with the brief knowledge that Martin dispensed.

Along the way, Will teams up with a local, Lucia (Veronica Echegui) who holds a not too surprising secret. They are chased all throughout Madrid by various bad guys including Jean's number 1 henchman, Gorman (Joseph Mawle), before the inevitable climax where Will and Jean must face off.

I was on board with this film for about the first half hour or so. I was not watching a film that was re-inventing the wheel, but I didn't hate myself for watching it. As the second half of the film kicked in, though, the plot becomes overly complicated with various needless bad guys. This could have been a standard on the run-type film, but then with a gang of Mossad agents join the fray and the plot gets very murky. After a while, my interest in this film waned and I really didn't care anymore about the briefcase (or MacGuffin, as my dear friend Karina perfectly called it) or what happened to Will's family.

Besides the overly-complicated plot, the biggest issue with this film lies within the acting. Henry Cavill might be a star in the making with the Superman reboot scheduled to launch next year, but his performance in this film is pretty laughable. One scene in particular that made me laugh involved Will being on a bus and getting a phone call. His performance in this supposed emotion-filled scene was very wooden and I ended up laughing. Besides his lack of conveying a proper level of emotion, Henry Cavill never really invests himself into the character, except when he has to be shirtless. Sorry, but he is supposed to be the son of Bruce Willis, and when I see the son of Bruce Willis, I expect someone who can handle themselves somewhat more competently.

Speaking of Bruce Willis, he has no more than an extended cameo. As I said in the beginning, I felt Bruce Willis took this film to hang out in Spain for about a week. Bruce Willis shows up, says his lines of exposition and leaves. Beyond that, he is really there to have his face and name slapped onto the poster and trailer to help sell extra movie tickets. And judging by the box office, that didn't help much.

The other big name in the film is Sigourney Weaver. She doesn't try to hide that she is evil and just chews up her scenery. Sigourney Weaver's Jean just goes through the motions as a government agent doing all she can to "protect America" from terrorists. Sigourney Weaver sits on the other side of the fence as her performance goes over the top without any rhyme or reason as she spouts out one-liners during gunfights and  casually strolls through gunfights as if knowing she wont get hurt. Again, I think she just wanted to hang out in Spain for a while.

The Cold Light of Day is directed by Mabrouk El Mechri who directed the, much better than it should have been, JCVD. In JCVD that film had style with good performances and a solid script. Unfortunately all of those aspects are missing from this film. With the exception of some nice panoramic views of Madrid, there is nothing that El Mechri brought to this film worth seeing.

As an overall experience, this is a really bad film. The stars appeared to have taken this for a paycheck and/or a nice trip to Spain. With the talent involved, this should have been better, but from the acting to writing and to directing, this was a total losing effort. And everyone was on the same page with making this a bad film.

And what was the point of Colm Meaney?

2.5/10

The List: Top 5 Kurt Russell Performances

With the release of Kurt Russell's first feature length film in 5 years, Touchback, I felt it appropriate to revisit my opinion of the top 5 best performances from the greatest actor of all time (well, I exaggerate a bit, but I love this guy).


5. Captain Ron - Captain Ron, 1992

"Alright, now stay with me: When we left, we had just enough fuel to make it to San Juan. And now... we are out of fuel!"

1992's Captain Ron finds Kurt Russell at his goofiest, and that is a good thing. Martin Short and his family hire a local sailor, Captain Ron to assist with piloting a boat that they just inherited. Captain Ron is a very free and laid back character which initially does not mesh well with Martin Short's Martin Harvey character. Over time, Martin's family becomes won over by Captain Ron, even when faced with danger by guerillas or landing in Cuba.

Captain Ron is by no means an Oscar caliber film, and never tries to be. What it is, is a small and fun film with very quotable lines and a go-for-broke performance from Kurt Russell. Captain Ron seems like a dullard, but in the end, helps the Harvey family grow closer and enjoy the time they have spent together while also providing a very entertaining and likable character.


Stuntman Mike McKay - Death Proof, 2007

"I'm not a cowboy, Pam... I'm a stuntman."

Even though hyped as the main character, Stuntman Mike McKay plays a supporting character in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. Stuntman Mike is, as his nickname says, a stuntman. When not performing stunts in films, he moonlights as a serial killer; using his car as the murder weapon.

As this is a Quentin Tarantino film, this is not an ordinary slasher film. Tarantino basically breaks the film in half: first focusing on a group of women in Texas, then jumping to a group of women in Tennessee. The female characters, as typical in a Quentin Tarantino film are strong, tough and front and center. It is only after long periods of dialogue between these groups of women does Stuntman Mike really emerge. When he does, though, you get a serial killer unlike no other.

What truly makes Stuntman Mike stand out from other serial killers is his transformation. Without going into specifics, the difference from the Stuntman Mike we get in the first half of the movie compared to the second is night and day. Though the transformation is earned due to watching Kurt Russell using his talents with Quentin Tarantino's brilliant characterization of Stuntman Mike. What starts out as a solid serial killer character turns into much more as the film progresses and Kurt Russell makes it work.


R.J. MacReady - The Thing, 1982

"Hey, Sweden!"

This might draw some ire as to why this performance is only number 3. Kurt Russell's R.J. MacReady is the least charismatic performance on the list. MacReady is a helicopter pilot of Outpost 31 for a scientific research facility in Antarctica. After a situation with a group of Swedish scientists, a parasitic alien that can perfectly imitate its host is loose upon Outpost 31. MacReady becomes the reluctant hero as him and his team try to find out who is "the thing" and survive the winter.

When we first meet MacReady, he is drinking and playing chess on a computer. He does not want to be the leader, as he says, "I just want to get up to my shack and get drunk." MacReady has no answers once "the thing" is let loose on Outpost 31. He has his doubts over who is "the thing" as do the other members of Outpost 31. MacReady is weary and tired, but still heroic. There are no heroic speeches or moments done by MacReady, just the truth. He does not know who is who.

This performance is very subtle when compared to other performances by Kurt Russell. He provides the right type of mood for the story created by John Carpenter, in their third collaboration. There is no fun to be had at Outpost 31, and MacReady knows that. He understands the situation they are in and knows that the odds are not stacked in their favor. All they can do is try to trust each other and hope to make it out alive. As reluctant heroes go, R.J. MacReady is one of the best.


Snake Plissken - Escape From New York, 1981

"Get a new president!"

Snake Plissken is one of the greatest anti-heroes in all of cinema. Teaming up with Kurt Russell for the second time, John Carpenter takes us into the then-future (1997) Manhattan Island is a fully-fortified prison. The current president's plane crashes into the island, where he is kidnapped and held hostage by the inmates of the island. With no choice, the U.S. government offers a deal to Snake Plissken to enter the island, find the president along with a top secret cassette tape and escape the island alive. This film, along with its sequel Escape From L.A. showcase what an iconic performance that Snake Plissken truly is.

Snake Plissken reluctantly takes the deal, after the police commissioner has injected Snake with microscopic explosives that will kill him in 24 hours. Once on the island, Snake meets various people along the way. Dark action and even some dark humor find their way into the film, mostly from Snake's anti-authorial behavior.

Kurt Russell and his performance are iconic from this film. Snake doesn't want to be put in the position he is. He hates it, but he does what he has to do in order to live. Snake is the face of resistance towards the government that John Carpenter was trying to convey. Kurt Russell made this role his and in the process created one of the most iconic roles in film history.


Jack Burton - Big Trouble in Little China, 1986

"Everybody relax, I'm here."

In my opinion, Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China, is the best performance from Kurt Russell. The story is too complicated to dive into completely, but Jack Burton gets involved in Chinese gangs, Asian black magic, gods, martial arts, monsters, mysticism and one-liners.

Jack Burton finds himself in San Francisco's Chinatown with his friend Wang. Wang's girlfriend is kidnapped by an Asian gang and sets off a chain of events that pulls Jack and Wang further into the dark, seedy Chinatown underworld. Teaming up with an assorted cast of characters, Jack and Wang use their physical skills along with their wits to try and escape alive with Wang's girlfriend.

Kurt Russell's performance of Jack Burton is amazing. Jack is a blowhard truck driver who in actuality is a sidekick in a hero's role. He bumbles his way through the story making mistakes left and right with Wang there to cover for him. Even with Wang saving the day throughout the film, Jack still finds a way to make a one-liner or feel like he contributed more than he did. Kurt Russell infuses the role of Jack Burton with the right amount of humor and gusto. His character doesn't understand the situation he is in, but is willing to do what it takes to get out of it.

The way Kurt Russell makes this character so fun to be with is why Jack Burton is ranked number 1 on my list. He is the best sidekick hero in all of film history and is a load of fun to watch.

Now, there are other roles that stand out to me including Eldon Perry from Dark Blue, Stephen "Bull" McCaffrey and Wyatt Earp from Tombstone. I really enjoy those roles along with the ones listed, but unfortunately with a list that only allows for 5 performances, some roles didn't make the cut. This is a list to just show my appreciation of Kurt Russell and showing off some of his best performances.

If there are some that you feel should be included, obviously feel free to post them.

V/H/S

It's been a while since I have put up a review for a recent film. This is what happens when Summer ends and the holiday season has yet to begin. A new film has finally graced my eyes, but it is not something I wish to have to sit through again. The piece of celluloid that entered my life has a name. And its name is V/H/S.

As this is an anthology film, I will review each segment within the film. The grade I give will be a total for the overall film.

Tape 56:

The story which opens and serves as the wraparound for the entire V/H/S film, follows a group criminals who are hired to retrieve a video tape from a house. The criminals will make a good amount of money and have to find a specific tape (the lead criminal says: "they'll know it when they see it"). During their time in the house, they find a dead man, yet don't really seem fazed by it and actually decide to individually sit in the same room with said dead man and watch various VHS tapes. Each individual begins to disappear until the leader is left. The wraparound then ends abruptly before the final segment begins. A really uninteresting story with uninteresting characters that make dumb moves. Not a great way to begin your anthology.

Amateur Night:

Possibly my least favorite story in V/H/S. 3 douchebag guys go out looking for women to sleep with. One woman acts somewhat strange, yet they bring her along with another female to their motel room for drinks, sex and debauchery. Of course, the strange woman harbors a secret and the three men find out what that is very quickly. Literally within 3 minutes of this story beginning, I already could figure out what was going to happen. The story played out as predictable as it seemed. With the exception of an interesting final shot, this film fell flat on its predictable face. Nothing new whatsoever brought to the table on this one.

Second Honeymoon:

A much more interesting story can be found with 'Second Honeymoon'. A married couple goes to the west and enjoys their time together when the wife, Stephanie, receives a fortune mentioning a loved one. That night a mysterious woman asks the husband, Sam, for a ride (a scene which is completely omitted from the film) which he denies, but is spooked by her presence. Afterwards, a mysterious figure begins entering the motel room and using their camera to spy Sam and Stephanie. This entry starts strong, which some great scenery and decent performances. Unfortunately, as with most of the stories, the ending fails what was built up to be a solid suspense story.

Tuesday the 17th:

A stab (pun definitely intended) at 80's slasher films. 4 friends go out into the woods where a killer might be lurking and waiting for them. With the exception of the killer (his abilities and him/itself, which really isn't explained) this is a very formulaic tale, much like Amateur Night. There really isn't much to say as this follows your standard "killer in the woods" story. Bland, boring and predictable.


The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger:

An interesting idea, about a man and woman chatting through Skype, wherein one person thinks their apartment is haunted. Emily contacts her boyfriend James about noises she hears in her apartment. Through their Skype conversations, supposed apparitions begin to show up. Emily is unsure what to make of the supposed apparitions while James tries to be the comforting voice. An unusual twist by one of the characters gives this an interesting idea, but again this fails to stick the ending. What drags this one down is the forced dialogue to explain what the hell is going on. Overall, this is decent but an imperfect ending keeps this from being recommended more highly.

10/31/98:

The final story brings us a haunted house tale. 4 friends go to a house for a Halloween party but find more than they bargained for. The friends find the house empty except for brief appearances of a ghostly presence. They hear noises in the attic and find something they did not expect. V/H/S ends strongly with 10/31/98. Once the 4 friends discover what is happening, some strong visuals begin to take over the story. I was thoroughly impressed with this story through and through. Solid performances and a ramped-up sense of dread fills this story with a sense of job well done.

Overall, with high expectations put onto this film, I was really let down. All of the stories suffer by having to be about 25 minutes in length. The stories are not strong enough to be condensed into short vignettes. Some of the ideas would work better as a feature-length film while others are weak and could have probably been edited out completely.

2.9/10

RIP: Michael Clarke Duncan

Sad news reported out of Hollywood today. News has reported that Oscar nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan passed away today, September 3, 2012 at the age of 54.

Before breaking out in Hollywood with his Oscar-nominated role in 1999's The Green Mile, Michael Clarke Duncan had bit parts in films including Friday, A Night at the Roxbury and Armageddon. I will admit, both Armageddon and A Night at the Roxbury is where I first noticed Michael Clarke Duncan. He was a big man, but also seemed like a gentle giant in his small roles.

And speaking of gentle giant, his turn as prisoner John Coffey in The Green Mile broke open the doors. Michael Clarke Duncan portrayed John Coffey with the gentlest of touches. Even as his character was a convicted rapist and murderer, he also possessed a gift to "take back" certain things from people including: bringing a mouse to life and removing a brain tumor from the warden's wife.

As he should have, Michael Clarke Duncan, received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance. Ultimately, he lost the award to Michael Caine for The Cider House Rules.

Not letting a loss deter him, Michael Clarke Duncan continued to make films throughout the 2000's including: Planet of the Apes, Daredevil, Sin City and Kung Fu Panda. Though he never was able to return to an Oscar caliber role like The Green Mile, his mark was definitely left in cinema history.

Thank you Michael Clarke Duncan for some great acting and for providing us with over a decade's worth of film memories.

From The Vault: Ghostbusters

A new review thread that I have decided to create is called From The Vault. This will consist of a review for a movie that has been out for some time and I am now revisiting the film in the form of a review. For my first dip into my vault, I have to go with my favorite film of all time: Ghostbusters.

Released in the Summer of 1984, Ghostbusters stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as scientists who find themselves down on their luck. Out of desperation after being denied further teachings and moved off campus, the three men decide to take a chance on a ghost busting business.

After initially struggling to find enough of a business to continue their venture, they then become overwhelmed with ghost busting that they have to hire another ghostbuster, Winston, (Ernie Hudson) while also employing their receptionist Janine Melnitz, (Annie Potts) full time as well.

During their spike in business, Dr. Peter Venkman (Murray) finds love with a client, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). Dana, when not having to avoid the advances of her neighbor, Louis Tully, (Rick Moranis) swears that she saw a devil dog in her refrigerator which called out the name Zuul. During this time, Dr. Ray Stantz, Dr. Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore (Aykroyd, Ramis and Hudson) determine that Zuul is a demigod that serves for Gozer.

With all this information, the Ghostbusters must save Dana, Louis and New York City from the destruction brought forth by Gozer the Destructor.

Ghostbusters is one of those rare films where you have a high-concept idea and everyone involved is at the top of their game. Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wrote a great screenplay that mixes over the top science with broad humor and brought those into a grounded reality where this situation feels like it could happen. The screenplay provides loads of technical mumbo jumbo, usually spoken in the film by Aykroyd and Ramis, that seems to make no sense, yet can be believable.

Regarding the top of their game, all the actors in this film were cast perfect. Everyone from Bill Murray as the smart-ass Dr. Venkman to William Atherton as the antagonistic EPA Agent Walter Peck. All the actors were brought together with the right material at the right time to create a rare film where everything clicks and works perfectly.

There is not enough high praise that I can heap onto this film. You have a bunch of great comedic talent in front and behind the camera. A smart and funny script is combined with great sets and (dated, but adds to the charm) special effects.

There is a sequel that was created 5 years later, Ghostbusters 2. Though I enjoy the film, you can tell all the returning parties tried too hard to recapture the magic of the first film. Ghostbusters 2 certainly isn't awful, but when compared to the brilliance of the first film, it is dwarfed in all ways possible. And because of how Ghostbusters 2 turned out, I truly dread if Ghostbusters 3 ever gets released.

One is all you need.

The List: Top 5 Martin Scorcese Films

As it is another slow weekend at the box office, I have decided to not hit the cinema, but instead compile another film list. Like always, this list is my opinion. As opinions differ, please feel free to add your own favorites or comments below.

So let's get to my personal top 5 films of Martin Scorcese.



5. Raging Bull

This one might draw some fire for being fifth on my list. To be honest, Raging Bull should not be on my list at all. I personally am not a fan of Raging Bull. The film tells the story of embittered boxer Jake LaMotta and his turbulent life in and out of the boxing ring.

The reason I say that Raging Bull should not be on my list is because I personally do not enjoy the film. I feel that Raging Bull has an extremely unlikable main character and tries to make you want to follow along with him on his journey in life. As I do not enjoy Jake LaMotta, I did not enjoy the journey that the script provided.

The reason that I put this film on my list, though, is the amazing performance by Robert De Niro and the great directing by Martin Scorcese. Robert De Niro truly earned his Oscar for this film, not even by shedding the 60 some-odd pounds for the role, but he dived head first and immersed himself into the world of Jake LaMotta. His performance as a tough loser is remarkable and a highlight in this film.

Besides Robert De Niro, the real reason for this film being as good as it is lies squarely with Martin Scorcese. Martin infuses life and style into what is a really depressing story. Shooting the film in black and white to the amazing boxing scenes, this is an amazing film in Martin Scorcese's resume. It has all the feel of a classic Scorcese film, (which it is) but the style shines through what is a very dark film.

4. Bringing Out the Dead

Martin Scorcese and writer Paul Schrader return to the grungy, dirty days of New York City made famous by them in Taxi Driver (see #2). Nicolas Cage stars as Frank Pierce, a New York City paramedic who is burnt out. He wants to quit his job, but finds himself stuck working over a weekend that will change everything.

This is a forgotten Scorcese gem. Bringing Out the Dead provides the dark, Taxi Driver-esque New York City with some comedic elements that can be traced to After Hours. Bringing Out the Dead takes place over 3 days, and teams Frank up with a variety of quirky paramedics (Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore). During this time, Frank also finds solstice and comfort with the daughter of a heart attack victim (Patricia Arquette).

This film was entirely forgotten when initially released, which is a shame. Nicolas Cage provides, for the most part, a quiet, nuanced performance while being surrounded by urgent and crazy people and situations. This is not Martin Scorcese's best film, but provides everything you want in a classic Scorcese film. And when ranking Scorcese films, this should always be a high consideration.


3. The Departed

The film that finally provided Martin Scorcese with that elusive Oscar for Best Director along with Best Picture. The Departed is a crime drama about 2 Boston police officers; one who is an honest undercover (Leonardo DiCaprio) within the mob and the other, a corrupt cop (Matt Damon) working with the mob. Both police officers work closely with the Boston crime boss (Jack Nicholson).

Martin Scorcese returns to the crime genre, which he knows so well, and provides us exactly what you would expect from him. The film is filled with Scorcese archetypes: freeze-frames, jumps in time, Rolling Stones songs, etc. I really enjoy The Departed overall, but it does feel like a step down from Goodfellas. If Goodfellas had never been made, I think The Departed would be talked up almost as high as Goodfellas is today.

Unfortunately, I feel The Departed will forever be linked as a "gimmie" to Martin Scorcese as he should have obviously won at least one Oscar prior to this film. As it is, The Departed is a well made crime film with obvious Scorcese touches and anchored by the strong performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg.


2. Taxi Driver

Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro take us to a darker version of New York City in Taxi Driver. Possibly Martin Scorcese's most renowned film, it tells the story of Travis Bickle, an unhinged taxi driver who becomes disillusioned with the city and its persons. After meeting an underage prostitute, Iris, (Jodie Foster) Travis takes it upon himself to try and help the girl escape her current life and her pimp (Harvey Keitel).

With recurring collaborator, writer Paul Schrader, Martin Scorcese places us into the darkest part of New York City: the 1970's. Full of drug dealers, pimps and lowlifes, we are exposed to every element that Travis experiences. We feel the environment and sometimes can even agree with how he feels. Though after a chance meeting with Iris, his mission in life becomes a psychotic version of saving Iris' life.

Robert De Niro shows us a transformation of a man sick with the life he is in all the way to a psychotic man who is willing to do anything to save a life. Along with the infamous, "You talkin' to me..." sequence, this film is filled with darkness and we are unfortunate enough to ride along with such an unhinged main character.


1. Goodfellas

Martin Scorcese's dark, violent and often funny tale of a lifetime in the mob. We follow Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) from childhood through his downfall in the Italian mafia. Along the way, he works for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and makes friends with Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci).

Based on the true story of the late Henry Hill, Martin Scorcese uses all the tricks he has learned through the years and uses them in this film. The usual freeze frames along with time jumps and more Rolling Stones songs lets you know your are in Martin Scorcese's world. We follow Henry, in this almost 3 hour film, from a curious teenager to a drug-addled gangster all the way through mob informant and the film never bogs down. This is a testament to screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, along with Scorcese, who zip us through this world at a breakneck pace yet completely immersing us within this world.

Goodfellas is a culmination of all the best Scorcese traits. He continues to use his good luck charm, Robert DeNiro and also stays within the genre that he is best known for: the crime drama. This is a close to perfection film and, as Roger Ebert has said, is "the best mob movie ever".


I know people will wonder where Hugo, or The Last Temptation of Christ or Mean Streets might be. As stated, this is my preference and I certainly do like a lot more of Martin Scorcese's films. When it comes down to it, though, these 5 films are the films I identify with Martin Scorcese and feel are his best works.