There have been several movies based on James Patterson’s popular series of novels featuring psychologist/ police detective Alex Cross. I’ve not read the books, but Morgan Freeman set the bar high for the character in 1997’s KISS THE GIRLS, and 2001’s ALONG CAME A SPIDER. Tyler Perry took a break from zany comedies to try the role in 2012’s ALEX CROSS. He did fairly well, but the movie didn’t. This debut season of “Cross” lands unfortunately closer to the latter end of the spectrum than to Freeman’s.
Next up is Aldis Hodge filling those shoes in a 10-episode streaming series on Amazon Prime. I was hopeful because I truly enjoyed his Alec Hardison role in the light caper series”Leverage”. He was so important to its entertainment value that the biggest shortcoming of the reboot – “Leverage: Redemption” – is that he’s only a recurring character, rather than one of the principals. So now Hodge dons his serious pants for this relatively dark procedural drama. He’s fine, but the series isn’t.
As is often true for streaming fare, the entire season is about one case, with sidebars of family and romantic subplots for the lead and his colleagues. The cast ranges from adequate to fine, but the pace is dreadfully slow. It’s long on dialog and short on action. The credits show a slew of producers, but only a couple of writers. Somebody negotiated a contract committing them to 10 hours, when the material only supported 5 or 6. Compressed to that amount of running time, it could have approached the dramatic tension level of Freeman’s movies. I was tempted to skip a few and pick it up at the end, but duty required the whole slog for this task of reportage. Sometimes this gig feels more like work than others.
The lighting was so lacking that it was hard to appreciate what was going on quite a bit of the time. In fairness, that could be due to my device, or production factors that will be improved before it’s released for streaming. But I can’t be accurate about how much heat is shown in the romantic moments, or blood and gore in the criminal acts. I don’t think there’s much that would be out of bounds for typical network prime time fare.
Hodge has shown his versatility. There could be a second season for “Cross”, which would be fine if they upgrade the script to a suitably tight, suspenseful package, more in line with those Freeman films. Hodge, the rest of the cast, and Patterson’s source material all deserve better.
2 out of 4 Stars.
Season one will premiere globally on November 14, 2024 on Prime Video.
You can be the destroyer of this world…or you can be its Savior
Black Adam is finally out, and if you haven’t seen it, do. While the first thing that separates the character from a lot of the other superhero movies in the genre, is that, for starters, he’s not a hero. He’s an antihero in its near purest form. Dwayne Johnson, master of shameless self promotion has been touting the greatness of this film for a while now, and this time, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he’s right. And what Black Adam believes is right comes from a place of ultimate struggle… and sacrifice.
Born Teth Adam, the character’s origin story is a tragic one. As penned by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, the film reveals the twist of fate that not only gifted this champion of ancient Kahndaq with his powers, but also left him alone and embittered, wreaking havoc throughout the realm. The Wizards, realizing what has happened, imprison Teth Adam deep within the Rock of Eternity. This is where the black-hearted Black Adam has been entombed for 5,000 years. However, the suspension of time has not weakened him, physically or emotionally; the moment he is freed, he is clearly still imbued with god-like powers, still an invulnerable powerhouse possessing unbelievable strength and lightning-fast speed…and anger. Back with a vengeance and unleashing his own brand of justice amongst those around But forever comes to an end when Teth Adam is suddenly summoned by one word…SHAZAM!
Now, with the same mindset that got him buried 5,000 years earlier, Black Adam’s modern day journey begins. Black Adam’s return is quickly noted by Carter Hall – a.k.a. Hawkman, portrayed by Aldis Hodge – who immediately puts out the call to his friend Kent Nelson, a.k.a. Doctor Fate, played by Pierce Brosnan; Al Rothstein/Atom Smasher, played by Noah Centineo; and Maxine Hunkel/Cyclone, played by Quintessa Swindell.
Re-forming the Justice Society, the team is swiftly galvanized into action to contain the antihero’s destruction halfway around the world. Black Adam has awakened to modern day Kahndaq, in his time a great kingdom but now a shadow of its former self. The once storied and wealthy country, the birthplace of ancient magic and the epicenter of the region’s most vital, priceless resource—Eternium—is being pillaged for that precious resource. Leading the charge is Intergang; a villainous organization simultaneously mining the last vestiges of Eternium and destroying Kahndaq’s citizens’ chance for a prosperous future.
Soon, like everything else around him, the Justice Society proves to be another nuisance. And, even as Black Adam gains a better understanding of this new version of his city and country, he remains conflicted; his anger still burns and his definitive moral code never wavers as he navigates what he’s meant to be for this version of Kahndaq. At the same time there is another, more dangerous adversary growing more powerful, and this triad of opposing foes—Black Adam, the Justice Society and the leader of Intergang— are destined to clash to determine the future of Kahndaq and, perhaps, the world. On a side note: credit is given to Jack Kirby who created the Fourth World. InterGang debuted in Kirby’s Fourth World saga. While it isn’t a straight adaptation of any previous material, nor does the screenplay pull from any of their storylines, it does reference elements readers of The New 52’s The Dark Age and the latest Hawkman comics will recognize.
Teth Adam, the titular hero of the movie, didn’t ASK to be brought back, he was safely and comfortably entombed in the capital city of the fictional country of Khondaq, until some tomb raiders, chasing the real hero of this story, caused his release. But once he’s unleashed, watch out!
He handles the bad guys in a way that we all wish a lot of the other heroes would, especially given this sets brutality. They do get what they have been doling out for apparently years.
From here the film goes into overdrive with an economy of storytelling that is efficient and useful: new characters are brought in without dragging us all through an unnecessarily lengthy and protracted period of exposition. We meet them, we get a few seconds that sets them up for their role in the story, and that’s it, move along, we have stuff to do.
There are returning characters from other DCEU properties, Amanda Waller (played to perfection by Viola Davis) and fellow government stooge from the Suicide Squad, Jennifer Holland as black ops agent Emilia Harcourt as well as some surprise cameos.
Director Collet-Serra’s singular vision is made more powerful by the cinematography of Lawrence Sher, the costume design team of Kurt and Bart, stunt coordinator Tommy Harper and special effects coordinator J.D. Schwalm. The epic score comes from composer Lorne Balfe who captures the essence of the DC comic book world’s antihero. The Black Adam Theme and The Justice Society Theme are highlights of the film.
BLACK ADAM doesn’t do what a LOT of other superhero movies have gotten into the habit of doing lately, which is bogging itself down with an overabundance of side stories and useless character clips. We meet Hawkman (Aldis Hodge, who makes this DC steadfast a real bad ass) and Doctor Fate, played by Pierce Brosnan with so much heart that he makes you forget about any other superhero wizarding types (ahem, sorry BC). Plus there’s great chemistry and team-bonding between Centineo and Swindell. We aren’t spoon-fed background about them, but rather we get to see, not hear, why they matter to the events unfolding.
There is a bit of social commentary in the movie, you aren’t force-fed, but led. It matters though. And there is action. A LOT of action. It’s beautiful, destructive, especially the standard comic book bit where two factions that should be working together meet, and have to fight it out to figure out what side things fall out on. And it is done well.
“We’re the Justice Society…” says Dr. Fate in this brand new and thrilling new trailer for BLACK ADAM, smashing into theaters and IMAX October 21, 2022.
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed and Black Adam has gone from man, to myth, to legend. Now released, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”), Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Mummy”) as Sabbac, Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone, Mo Amer (“Mo,” “Ramy”), Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”), and Pierce Brosnan (the “Mamma Mia!” and James Bond franchises) as Dr. Fate.
(L-r) ALDIS HODGE as Hawkman and MARWAN KENZARI as SabbacNOAH CENTINEO as Atom SmasherQUINTESSA SWINDELL as Cyclone
Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay written by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC, based on characters created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers are Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, with Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Geoff Johns, Eric McLeod and Scott Sheldon executive producing.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Joker”), production designer Tom Meyer (“Real Steel”), editors Mike Sale (“Red Notice,” “Skyscraper”) and John Lee (“Anyone Home?”), costume designers Kurt and Bart (“Deadpool 2,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 & 2”), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer (“Life of Pi,” “Wonder Woman”), and composer Lorne Balfe (“Black Widow”).
New Line Cinema Presents a Seven Bucks/Flynn Co. Production, A Jaume Collet-Serra Film, “Black Adam,” hits theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022, in North America on October 21, 2022. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Dwayne Johnson flew in as DC Super Hero BLACK ADAM during Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical panel at Saturday’s Comic Con panel. This guy know how to make an entrance!
“Hall H, you have been warned. The DC universe will never be the same again,” boomed Johnson.
Johnson tackled an age-old question: who would win in a fight, Black Adam or Superman? Earlier in the week, rumors circulated that Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill might show up or send a video message for the panel, but that didn’t come to fruition.
Said the actor of a matchup between the DC characters: “Pound for pound, they are pretty close. I guess it probably all depends on who is playing Superman. I will just say that.”
Finally, Johnson left the 6,500 Hall H attendees with a gift. Each would receive a free ticket to an IMAX screening of Black Adam. It turns out a post card they received upon entrance was actually a ticket.
“To be here at Comic-Con, Hall H, representing a DC hero, an anti-hero, is a dream come true,” Johnson told the room. “When I started 20 years ago, many moons ago, I would bring movies here and hope people would love it.”
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”).
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”), Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Mummy”), Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone, Mo Amer (“Mo,” “Ramy”), Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”), and Pierce Brosnan (the “Mamma Mia!” and James Bond franchises) as Dr. Fate.
Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay written by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC, based on characters created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers are Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Dany Garcia, with Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Eric McLeod, Geoff Johns and Scott Sheldon executive producing.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Joker”), production designer Tom Meyer (“Real Steel”), editors Mike Sale (“Red Notice,” “Skyscraper”) and John Lee (“Anyone Home?”), costume designers Kurt and Bart (“Deadpool 2,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 & 2”), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer (“Life of Pi,” “Wonder Woman”), and composer Lorne Balfe (“Black Widow”).
New Line Cinema Presents a Seven Bucks/Flynn Co. Production, A Jaume Collet-Serra Film, “Black Adam,” smashing into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022, in North America on October 21, 2022. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action adventure.
The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC Super Hero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”). Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”) as Adrianna, Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Mummy”) as Ishmael, Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone, Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”) as Amon, and Pierce Brosnan (the “Mamma Mia!” and James Bond franchises) as Dr. Fate.
The film marks the first big-screen, live-action appearance of the Justice Society of America, the legendary DC superhero team. Previously fans of the CW show “Smallville” saw the team in the episode “Absolute Justice”. Clark Kent/Superman met up with JSA members Doctor Fate, Stargirl and Hawkman.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Jaume Collet-Serra says of Hawkman.
Hodge’s Hawkman is one of the JSA’s high-flying heroes. The golden-winged warrior has long been a DC staple, and he’s popped up before in live-action TV series like Smallville and the Arrowverse shows. But Hodge’s version is the first to make it to live-action film, and Collet-Serra says he wanted to craft a Hawkman who felt both impossibly strong and agile. “He’s not just a man with wings,” the director explains. “He’s like a fighting beast.”
Collet-Serra adds that he and the costume design team worked to build an avian look that felt new but still honored the character’s decades-long history, and Hodge trained for months to prepare for the extensive wirework required to soar through the air.
Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, screen story by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC. Black Adam was created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers were Beau Flynn, Dwayne Johnson, Hiram Garcia and Dany Garcia, with Richard Brener, Walter Hamada, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Eric McLeod, Geoff Johns and Scott Sheldon.
“Black Adam” smashes into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022 and in North America on October 21, 2022. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
At the dawning of 2021, one of the first big new releases harkens back to a movie trope that goes back nearly eighty years, the “team-up picture”. Probably 1943 really, when Universal Studios had the idea to pair two of its big “monster” properties in FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN, which proved so successful that they added Dracula for their HOUSE OF flicks before sending them out to pasture after encountering comedians Abbott & Costello. The idea would resurface in the 60s as the Japanese giant “beasties” tangled in several films (even our King Kong dropped in for one). In between those series other genres gave it a try with Westerns (Billy the Kid, the James Brothers, the Daltons, etc.) and crime sagas (Al Capone, Dutch Schultz, John Dillinger, etc.), low-cost since they’re historical figures. Most recently the franchises of Marvel and DC have converged for THE AVENGERS (four so far) and JUSTICE LEAGUE. So, why not another “real-life re-uniting”? How about a fictional “get together” of four African American icons? Plus it’s helmed by a star who may become just as famous one day (she’s already earned an Oscar). This momentous “made-up” meeting occurs several decades ago on ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI.
Before that evening, the film introduces us to a difficult incident in each man’s recent past. In 1963 heavyweight boxing sensation Cassius Clay, soon to be better known as Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree) is knocked down by Henry Cooper in their bout at Wembley Stadium (Ali barely recovered). At New York’s Copacabana nightclub, popular new singing star Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) struggles to entertain an indifferent (and mostly white elderly) audience. Down in Georgia, hometown hero Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), celebrated fullback for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, still faces intolerance on a return trip to his roots. Over the airwaves, a CBS News special hosted by Mike Wallace warns of the violent rhetoric of Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), all while he ponders a split with Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam. The story’s setting shifts to Miami, February 25, 1964, as Ali prepares for his world heavyweight fight with current champ Sonny Liston by praying with Malcolm at his sparse room at the Hampton House Hotel. Ali is converting to Islam but has not publicly announced it. Malcolm urges him to do so knowing this will bring followers to his new religious splinter group. Across town, Sam Cooke lounges at the swank Fontainebleau Hotel with his wife as she leaves town solo before the big event. That night, Jim Brown is one of the television “color commentators” at a table at the ring’s edge. After his victory, Ali joins Brown and Cooke at Malcolm’s hotel room and while away the night laughing, arguing, recalling past triumphs and tragedies, and looking ahead to a brighter future.
A gifted quartet of talented current actors succeeds in bringing these historical figures back to vibrant life (thankfully Brown is still with us). As the organizer of the “night”, Ben-Adir channels the passion and focused intelligence of Malcolm X. He’s clear in his purpose as he guides Ali in his quest for spiritual enlightenment serving as a patient mentor while delivering a big dose of “tough love” to Cooke. But Ben-Adir also shows us that look of weary paranoia (though it turns out forces were plotting against him), as he can rarely “let his guard down” away from these few true friends. Building on his sensational Tony-winning work as Burr in HAMILTON (which we all can see finally on Disney+), Odom Jr. is mesmerizing as the smiling “velvety-smooth” crooner Cooke. We see his desire to emulate pop entertainers like Bing and Deano, though he seems to be bouncing off a bigoted “brick wall” in his crossover efforts from records to nightclubs. Odom Jr. flashes a quick easy smile for all until his simmering frustrations boil to the surface as Malcolm prods him to sing songs that matter (oh, his look while listening to Dylan’s 60s anthem). Of the many flashbacks, Odom Jr. shines the brightest as Cooke when he quickly improvises an acapella rendition of “Chain Gang”. After conquering Broadway he’s now a most compelling screen star. Speaking of relative big screen “newcomers”, TV series vet (“Riverdale”) Goree balances the intimidating physical stance of Ali with his playful, clowning acts of self-promotion as an endearing “blowhard” who completely backed up his “boasts”. Perhaps it’s that nasty left from Cooper that rattles him enough to change his personal direction. This is when Goree delivers the quiet introspective “champ” as he faces his trepidations over jeopardizing his public persona to take a stand with his new-found faith. The other sports star, Brown, is another formidable modern-day gladiator courtesy of the quiet charisma of Hodge who gives him the proper senses of swagger but with a look of stoic contemplation. He’s been “in the game” long enough to question those about him. Hodge appears to be “sizing up” everyone to weigh his reply (his instincts fail him in the opening flashback). Hodge also gives us a peek at the “gridiron aggressor” when Malcolm decides to “push his buttons” (after the Cooke record scene) over his desire to be a movie star (the fire in his eyes when his role in RIO CONCHOS is dismissed by Malcolm as the “sacrificial Negro”). Outside the Hampton, there are some excellent supporting performances. Michael Imperioli and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. are great as Ali’s “corner-men” Angelo Dundee and “Bundini” Brown. As Malcolm’s wife Betty Joaquina Kalukango is a forceful, but tender partner to him, while Lance Reddick is a tough solemn sentry as his main “security” force Kareem X. And screen vet Beau Bridge delivers a fabulous comic cameo as Brown’s old “family friend” from “way back”.
And who is the Oscar-winner behind the camera? Fresh off the raves (and an Emmy win) for HBO’s “Watchmen”, Regina King makes her narrative feature filmmaking debut. Aside from guiding the cast to some superb performances, Ms. King shows a real visual flair as she glides the camera through the cramped hotel room, while also capturing the distant atmosphere of each flashback setting, from the boxing rings to the smoky supper clubs to the “safe space” of Malcolm’s modest neighborhood home. She uses these “solo sequences” to keep the pace brisk, never allowing “that night” to get too “talky” or “heavy-handed” with its still resonate message. Kudos must also go to Kemp Powers (one of the talents behind the current animated feature SOUL) who adapts his lauded stage play and “opens it up” for film by delving deep into the backstories of this quartet of bonded brothers. Accentuating the dramatic flow is the subtle score by Terence Blanchard. But a great deal of the story’s power derives from the expert recreation of the era, from hairstyles and fashion to interior furnishings, all assembled by a team of exceptional artists and craftspeople. They all work to make this historical “what if” fable as fresh as any current news website or blog. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI is one powerful and compelling movie experience that will hopefully prompt lots of “searches” into the lives of these monumental men.
3 Out of 4
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI opens in theatres everywhere beginning Friday, January 8, 2021.It is also streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime
The Hi-Pointe Theater, at 1005 McCausland Ave in St. Louis, is the best place to see movies. ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI opens this Friday January 8th at The Hi-Pointe.
Set on the night of February 25, 1964, “One Night in Miami” follows a young, brash Cassius Clay as he emerges from the Miami Beach Convention Center the new Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. Against all odds, he defeated Sonny Liston and shocked the sports world. While crowds of people swarm Miami Beach to celebrate the match, Clay – unable to stay on the island because of Jim Crow-era segregation laws – spends the evening at the Hampton House Motel in Miami’s African American Overtown neighborhood celebrating with three of his closest friends: Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown. During this historic evening, these icons, who each were the very representation of the Pre-Black Power Movement and felt the social pressure their cross-over celebrity brought, shared their thoughts with each other about their responsibilities as influencers, standing up, defending their rights and moving the country forward to equality and empowerment for all black people.
Recalling the classic movie monsters of Hollywood’s Golden Age, visions of those hardworking actors (Karloff, Lugosi, the Chaneys, etc.) suffering through hours of cumbersome, often restrictive make-ups spring to mind. Ah, but one didn’t occupy “make-up marvel” Jack Pierce’s “barbershop” chair. Why? Because he wasn’t “there”, aside from a wig, bandages, dark sunglasses, and hard molded rubber nose. Springing from the imagination of celebrated science fiction/fantasy author H.G. Wells in 1897, “The Invisible Man” joined Universal’s “gallery of the ghoulish” (Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Mummy) in James Whale’s 1933 classic. And, as a twist on the old saying goes, you can’t keep a good “creep” down. The unseen fiend returned with four follow-ups (well, more like spin-offs) in the 1940s before Abbott and Costello met him in 1951, as TV beckoned. At least four action/adventure series began in 1958 (one was a secret agent code-named “Gemini Man” in 1976, no relation to the recent Will Smith feature flop). But the movies weren’t done with the “concept”. It was mined for laughs in 1983’s THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE and 1992’s MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN with Chevy Chase. The serious scares returned with 2000’s HOLLOW MAN and its 2006 home video sequel. Universal’s now teamed with “scare studio” Blumhouse on a modern take. So, will Twenty-First Century audiences still shudder at the transparent terror of THE INVISIBLE MAN?
As with many a “spook story”, this one begins on a “dark and stormy night”. The camera pans over the violent surf to the ultra-modern mansion overlooking the crashing waves. Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) awakens and slides away from her sleeping (we see that she “Micky-Finn-ed” his glass of water) spouse, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Near silently, she evades the many surveillance cameras, tiptoes past his high-tech home laboratory, and enters a lush closet to retrieve the “flight bag” she has stored inside a vent shaft. Cecilia climbs over a wall and runs into the night until spotting the most-welcome headlights of her sister Alice’s (Harriet Dyer) car. It’s then off to her boyfriend’s house, where Cecilia will “hide out” with police detective/single dad James (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (Storm Reid). A few weeks later, Alice makes a surprise visit with the news of Adrian’s death, a suicide. A letter soon arrives from his brother and attorney Tom (Michael Durman) about the reading of the will. It seems she has been quite financially rewarded. But Cecilia still feels his presence as the strange noises during the night increase. After a nocturnal “tug o’ war’ with her bed blanket, she comes to a startling conclusion. Adrain somehow faked his demise and found a way to become invisible. Can this really be true or has she given in to a grief-inspired paranoia? Sure he was a brilliant inventor, but it’s impossible, right? Right?
Though the film’s title reflects the masculine protagonist (really, a monster in all aspects), at its heart is the story of courage and survival of a woman, Cecily, portrayed by Moss is a “movie star”-making performance. Over the last couple of decades, she has riveted TV audiences with superb work in many series, from “The West Wing” to “Mad Men” and continues to garner acclaim and awards for “The Handmaid’s Tale”. The “big screen” hasn’t served as well despite supporting roles in several “indies” and studio films like GET HIM TO THE GREEK and last year’s disappointing THE KITCHEN. This role is a game-changer as we live the horrors of Cecilia through Moss’s expressive, haunted eyes. We’re rooting for her in the opening scene as she escapes the opulent but cold fortress that was once a home. She describes the trauma of that abusive life to her sister with a powerful delivery, though her inability to embrace what should be “good news” speaks volumes. Even as she realizes the new terror in her life, Moss shows us that Cecilia has a fierce intelligence, her sense of survival kicks into high gear as that “ghost’ force tightens around her throat. When she shares her concerns with her friends, her eyes dart about, looking for that unseen demon, but also fearing that anyone hearing her ideas will think she has “snapped”. Moss is a smart formidable, relatable warrior against this unknown evil, more action hero than “scream queen” (though she can heighten the tension with an ear-piercing wail). The flick works due to her considerable acting gifts. And her castmates are no “slouches”. Particularly Hodge as the amiable cop pop, quick to help Cecily, but gobsmacked by what he perceives as her plunge into madness. He’s also got a terrific screen rapport with Reid as his fiesty but still endearing “Daddy’s girl”. Dyer is tough but compassionate as Cecily’s no-nonsense sibling. Dorman is a skeevy white-collar weasel as the estate lawyer and brother to Griffin (nice tie-in to Welles’ literary creation and Claude Rains in the 1933 original), who is pure menace as he teeters the line between distraught apologetic beau and controlling brute ready to strike at the least offense.
That recent label that movie-marketers dreamt up a few years ago, “re-imagining” has gotten a bad rap of late because of the dismal, uninspired remakes (the original word that’s now shunned) and re-do’s (mostly rip-offs). Now writer/director Leigh Whannell has given that phrase legitimacy because this take on the nearly 125-year-old tale is truly imaginative and inspired, offering a fresh “spin” that hooks into current concerns. Rather than a hunched over scholar laboring over bubbling test tubes, a youthful tech guru (probably on the cover of “Wired”-style magazines or websites) has used computer-enhanced “nano-gizmos” for his discovery. But unlike the usual “mad scientists”, he’s not out to rob banks or conquer the world (as in James Whale’s flick), this Griffin creates it for his own warped personal agenda. It’s an SF-spin on recent stalker thrillers like ENOUGH and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, but also a commentary on the use of new conveniences to enable the controlling of others (you’ve heard of young girls having to “check-in” digitally with their beau or suffer their wrath). Aside from his personal “cloak”, Griffin also masters the web to “suffocate” and isolate Cecily, sending hate-spewing emails in her name. This is not to get too much into the “message” aspects since it’s also a tense, edge-of-your-seat exhilarating thrill ride. Whannell frames much of the action “off-center” to have us, like Cecily, to wonder if something’s in that empty corner or vacant space. Plus there’s a restaurant sequence that will go down as a “classic” horror movie moment. And of course, the special effects are state of the art (as is the gore, hence the “R” rating) with no floating objects wobbling with their attached strings. This a rollicking entertainment with a not so subtle message about abusive relationships (and summoning the strength to go forward). Scuse’ the pun, but THE INVISIBLE MAN is really something to see.
CLEMENCY opens in St. Louis January 31st exclusively at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater
Examining the effects of capital punishment from
the eyes of a prison warden may have seemed like a novel idea, but
the new anti-death penalty drama CLEMENCY completely fails in its execution. CLEMENCY
opens with prison Warden Bernadine Williams (Alfre Woodard) presiding over the
12th execution under her watch. A medical tech has trouble finding the prisoner’s
vein for the lethal injection, so the poor guy flops around for a few seconds and
gargles unpleasantly before expiring (no mention is made of what the last
moments of his victim’s life were like). A panicked Warden Bernadine races to
close the curtain between the killer and his family who are witnessing the
execution. The rest of the story revolves Bernadine’s
concerns about another upcoming execution, that of Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge),
a convicted cop-killer whose upcomng fate stresses out the Warden.
A press release claims
director Chinonye Chukwu spent four years researching death row inmates and
convictions in Ohio in preparation for her script for CLEMENCY. I don’t know
what Ms Chukwu did for four years, but I learned nothing about capital
punishment or execution procedures watching this film that I didn’t know from
watching better films such as DEAD MAN WALKING or THE GREEN MILE. CLEMENCY is simply
an agenda-driven anti-death penalty screed. If you’re already against capital
punishment, the film preaches to the choir, but if you’re for it, this movie is
not only too incompetent and poorly presented to change minds, it barely tries.
The script even contradicts itself concerning
the cop-killer’s innocence. In an early scene, he bangs his head against his
prison cell wall, splashing it with blood, and cries “Just kill me now, I did
what I done”. Near the end, when he’s strapped to the gurney, he turns to his
victim’s parents and tearfully asserts his innocence. The incompetent script seems
determined to put the halo of innocence on Woods’ head without evidence or reason or ever addressing
his crimes. He was convicted by a jury of killing a police officer yet none
of the evidence the jurors were shown, damning or exculpatory, is even discussed.
This is not a story, like last month’s JUST MERCY, of someone railroaded for a
crime they didn’t commit. No reason is given why the Governor should grant
clemency at all. Woods’ defense attorney (Richard Schiff) mumbles something unspecific
about his innocence, but don’t they all? He holds his Woods’ hand, telling him he’s “not
alone” and how unfair it is that he can’t see the son he fathered with a high
school girl just before he killed the cop. The son of the murdered cop is never
shown having his hand held.
Alfre Woodard has received a lot of praise for her performance here, but I was unimpressed. The burden of being the Warden of a prison with a death row clearly is taking its toll on this woman. She stares off into space, can’t sleep, drinks straight bourbon in a bar (often alone), and can no longer connect with her husband. Why does she hold this position she is clearly unfit for? Why doesn’t she transfer to a prison that does not have a death row (the vast majority of prisons, even in death penalty states, do not)? Why does it take 12 executions for her to get to this place mentally? None of these questions are addressed. Instead the script gives her repetitive speeches about the ‘dignity’ of those on death row. Woodard delivers every line in the same terse, halting half-whisper that you see on lame TV dramas and she almost never changes her expression. There’s a long wordless shot that holds on a close-up of Woodard’s face for several minutes after a dramatic moment. Her eyes slowly bug out and snot flows out of her nostrils. I’m not sure the purpose of this shot. I guess it’s somehow supposed to show Warden Bernadine as some kind of badass but to me it just made her seem weak and a bit deranged. Woodard can be a capable actress (she has an Oscar nom under her belt), so perhaps she was so confident in her abilities that she chose to give a kind of quiet and unflashy performance here. Or maybe she was directed that way, but this approach leaves a vacuum to be filled and there’s nobody else on screen to do so. Everyone acts in this same lifeless manner. CLEMENCY has zero energy and it’s deadly dull. We get endless domestic navel-gazing soap-opera between Bernadine and her English teacher husband (Wendell Pierce) with plenty of amateurish dialog (delivered with slow dramatic pauses). Some cringe-worthy examples: “I don’t know how it’s going to work. Living an empty shell of a life”, “I don’t think you want to be living in fragments. I think you want to be whole” and “You can’t save the world”. The symbolism in CLEMENCY is shallow and unbearable. The cop-killer’s cell wall is decorated with his artwork of birds (get it? He envies their freedom!) and Bernadine’s husband happens to be teaching his students Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man, the famous 1952 book about black identity. It’s early, but I hope I don’t have to sit through a film worse than CLEMENCY this year.
Okay, sports (and film) fans, ready for another true tale of an underdog athlete overcoming the odds? Of course, since that’s a staple of this popular film genre. Ah, but this is of a somewhat “mixed” cinema breed. That’s because most sports flicks concern a player overcoming physical adversity, be it a disease (MY ALL AMERICAN) or injury (BLEED FOR THIS). Ah, but in this fact-based drama, the hardship is a prison record. So that “mix” is the inspirational sports biography and a “take on the system” courtroom drama. That’s’ the football/legal battle at the heart of the tale of the “real” man named BRIAN BANKS.
His story begins at what should be the end of his long struggle. Brian (Aldis Hodge) is called into the police station office of his parole officer Mick (Dorian Missick). Seems that because of a new California law, all sex offenders (Brian is finally out after doing six years on a rape charge) must wear a GPS ankle monitor and stay a 1000 feet away from any public park or school (and be home at night for the device to charge). This complicates the 27-year-old’s employment search (nobody wants an ex-con). Things look promising at a local gym, especially when Brian meets the cute personal trainer Karina (Melanie Liburd). But the past catches up again, so with the encouragement of his devoted mother Leomia (Sherri Shepherd), Brian sends another letter to Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) at the California Innocence Project (CIP) in hopes of getting their help in overturning the conviction. When Justin explains that they really work with those still in jail, Brian tells him of that incident when he was a sixteen-year-old football phenom at Long Beach ‘s Polytechnic High School. A brief romantic encounter with another student named Kennisha (Xosha Roquemore) in a school stairwell (after some kissing, the noise of other students stops Brian from going “all the way”) leads to him being arrested in his home for her rape. On the advice of his lawyer, Brian pleads no contest in hopes of getting probation. Instead, the judge slaps him with five years in prison. In his first two years in “juevie”, Brian is inspired by a lecturer (Morgan Freeman) whose words help him get through his three years in prison (including 60 days in solitary). Justin and the staff of the CIP decide to take on his case, but time is running out. They must get his day in court before his parole term runs out, otherwise, any dreams of pro football (a long shot for a 27-year-old) will be over. In the words of Brooks, “something miraculous must happen”.
In the title, and in a “breakthrough” performance, is Hodges who brings boundless energy and compassion to the troubled sports star. As yet another wall springs up in his path, Hodges shows us the frustration, much like a kettle on a stove ready to boil over at any moment. But he also shows us that he has learned to temper and back away from that frustration. In those high school sequences, Hodges also shows Brian’s confusion, as though he was gliding about in a waking nightmare, one that’s ended with horror by the sound of the judge’s gavel. He makes Banks a man of quiet dignity and intelligence, who will not give in to sorrow. Kinnear is once again the calm, steady “everyman” who tries to ground and guide Banks in his “justice journey”. His Brooks is a guy you want in “your corner”. Shepherd is the maternal “rock” who provides comfort (and some cash) to her baby boy, though she was surely traumatized when “5-0” cuffed him and dragged young Brian out of the home they shared. Liburd is radiant as the hesitant “angel” who responds to Brian’s spirit despite her own horrific school incident. Missick makes a strong impression as the “wart” on Brian’s backside who always phones just as things are going his way (“Banks, get outta’ there!”). And since he’s in the trailer (but not in the IMDB credits list), I can mention (and praise) the work of Freeman who brings a sense of gravitas and compassion (this guy knows prison life) as the man tossing a needed verbal lifeline to Banks
Though best known for his comedy films (with Jim Carrey, Robin W#illiams, and Eddie Murphy), director Tom Shadyac conveys the outrage of a man drowning in a legal whirlpool. And he shows us the despair of living with a stain on your character, and of a world that won’t allow those who “paid their debt to society” to have a “future”. Unfortunately, his “big house” scenes feel as though they could be lifted in and out of many other dramas. This may be due to the rather pedestrian script which often plays as more of a TV movie, particularly in the cloying romantic subplot and in the CIP office “pep rallies”. Many may find fault with the “big break” in the case, but it really happened (“truth is stranger, in this case really f#&*in’ stranger than fiction). The film does shine a bright spotlight on the court system (Brian fell through many cracks), but the telling here is just not the compelling, heartbreaking call to action that is worthy of Justin Brooks and, certainly, BRIAN BANKS. I’m calling a fumble.
