Tag: Car Chase

CRIME 101 – Review

Though it may seem that way, Spring and Summer aren’t the only release seasons for “high octane” action-packed crime thrillers. And this new mid-February release proves it. It’s packed with cops, gun-wielding “robbers”, and roaring car chases through congested Los Angeles. Yes, it’s very “street-level,” which is a big “change of venue” since the three main leads are multi-film Marvel Cinematic Universe vets, so no powers, just keen skills. And, no, it’s not about them passing on their talents to eager college students in big lecture halls. The triple numbers in the title refer to a very busy California freeway, which is the “route” favored by the main criminal, hence its moniker, CRIME 101.


The story starts in the pre-dawn hours as the three principals begin their “prep” for the day. Sharon Combs (Halle Berry) applies her make-up (almost like “war paint”) to charm another rich jerk into signing an insurance contract with her prestigious “protection” firm. Groggy police detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo) stumbles about in the dark until he begins his bathroom “constitutional” while scrolling the online news concerning another jewelry courier hijacking. And finally, there’s Mike (Chris Hemsworth), who scrubs every loose bit of skin and hair off his body before donning his work attire: crisp white shirt, black suit with tie, and a gun. Using some spiffy high-tech gizmos, he intercepts a big diamond transfer from a grungy downtown shop to swanky Beverly Hills. Mike always displays his weapon, but never fires, as he tries to grab the goods without gunplay. But this morning is different when he nearly takes a bullet. It’s his “come to Jesus” moment, contemplating his future while making an almost clean getaway. Soon, Lou is called in with his partner Tllman (Corey Hawkins) to comb the crime scene. Later, Lou will present his theory on a lone hijacker making hits along the 101 freeway to an uninterested squadroom (and a “by-the-books” captain). As for Sharon, she almost “seals the deal” with the wealthy client, then heads to the office for a staff meeting where she’s assigned that same robbery, while her morning “gig” is handed off to the newly-hired, much younger saleslady. Oh, and the higher-ups tell Sharon that they need to table her promotion request (“Let’s put a pin in it”). As the “heat” starts to die down, Mike makes the “ice” tranfer to his long-time connection/ fence Money (Nick Nolte). They discuss the unplanned gunplay during the last job, with Mike stating that he wants “out” after the next score. Money then meets with another “staffer”, Ormon (Barry Keoghan), a violent biker with a hair-trigger. Money thinks Mike has lost his “nerve” and assigns that next job to him. Plus Money thinks that Mike is planning his own “big score” and orders Ormon to tail him and scoop up the “spoils”. He’s right, as Mike’s “side project” before he “gets out of the game” will involve Sharon, and eventually Lou and the deranged Omron. Could this truly be Mike’s “last score”, in more ways than one?

Well, this is quite a dramatic turn from the main trio’s heroic roles in the MCU. The story’s real center is the mysterious Mike (if that is his real name) played with heavy gravitas by Hemsworth. There’s nothing of the affable “thunder god” to be found in the somber, stoic “soldier thief” as his pre-job ritual is almost like donning a uniform before battle. With his clipped delivery and downturned eyes. Hemsworth conveys that Mike is not only on the run from the law, but he’s trying to escape his troubled past. We do get a glimpse of his vulnerability and his yearning for human connection through his blossoming romance with Maya, played by the talented Monica Barbaro (superb as Joan Baez in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN). She’s trying to pierce his protective hide, but Mike can’t doff his emotional armor. His “Javert”, Lou has his own internal conflicts. Ruffalo tones down his usual superior intellectual persona to convey the “working stiff” quality of this beaten-down “seen it all” cop, who, like Mike, also has a yearning to break free of his dodrums that have inspired too many bad habits (smoking, boozing, being out of shape), and feeling the need to start anew after an unexpected end to his marriage. Unfortunately, we only see his wife in a diner break-up scene, so the talented Jennifer Jason-Leigh is woefully underutilized (maybe much of her work is on the cutting-room floor). What a pleasure to see Ms. Berry again, here using her acting skills to give us a seasoned professional (her maturity factors in quite a lot) who is a cog caught in the gears of a greedy, chauvinistic machine that seems to delight in squandering her spirit until she’s pushed aside for a shiny, new model. Berry shows the sparkle in her eyes when a chance to break out of the “boys club” appears as a way to end her frustration. The film’s real “wild card” is Keoghan, who makes Ormon an unpredictable demon of destruction, a devil in punk-ish bleached-blonde hair. Nolte is settling into these veteran character roles well, as he croaks out sinister threats and orders. Hawkins is very good as Lou’s cynical buddy partner, who wants to avoid his career path. And this serious tone is lightened a touch by the comedic performance of Tate Donovan as the “too much dough for his own good” millionaire “mark”.

They’re all directed by Bart Layton, who also adapted the Don Winslow novella, though it feels like this is from a weightier tome. Maybe that’s due to the pacing problems, which contribute to it needing a good twenty-minute trim. There are too many little subplots that don’t really contribute much, especially as Lou deals with lots of either disinterested or downright dirty cops right out of SERPICO-style flicks. And the whole crumbling-marriage asides feel distracting from the cat-and-mouse action sequences. And they are pretty solid as Mike zips his sleek cars (especially a cherry green classic Mustang) all around day and night LA (the latter is a great backdrop for a pursuit of cycle-soaring Ormon). Luckily, this superb trio of actors keeps our interest high even as the end results fail to emulate (and it really tries) the cool caper crime flicks like THIEF, HEAT, and DRIVE (and maybe BABY DRIVER, too). So, all the fans of furious, fast auto exploits will get their adrenaline fix before the big Summer action blockbusters, but their patience and endurance will be sorely tested by the fuzzy, meandering of the many detours of the slickly made (the familiar LA locations are given a high-gloss sheen) CRIME 101.


2.5 Out of 4


CRIME 101 is now playing in theatres everywhere

DRIVE – The Review

Nicolas Winding Refn’s DRIVE is simply perfect. Not since Michael Mann’s 1981 crime drama THIEF, has a film of this type had such an impact, and dare I say DRIVE is even better? Yes, I do. Every woman’s newest sweetheart, Ryan Gosling (CRAZY STUPID LOVE) is Driver, a nameless Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. He lives simply, adhering to a strict set of rules, which keeps him at the top of his game, out of prison… and alive. On the surface, he’s a pretty boy with a quiet disposition, but hidden within is a strong, efficient survivor with the capacity to be brutal when necessary.

Working as a mechanic for Shannon, played by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, the two men hold a partnership that handles the criminal side jobs. When Shannon approaches former motion picture producer turned organized crime boss Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) about a loan to get his driver behind the wheel of a stock car to race professionally, it marks the beginning of a downward spiral for both men. Shortly thereafter, the driver meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). This is the moment everything changes for the driver.

DRIVE is adapted from James Sallis’ book by Hossein Amini (THE FOUR FEATHERS, KILLSHOT) and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, a young auteur whose previous films (BRANSON, VALHALLA RISING) have cemented him on my radar of filmmakers to watch like a hawk. The story takes place in the ‘90s, an era not generally known for any memorable, defining nostalgia. Despite this, Refn somehow creates his own nostalgia in which to place the driver, a loner but likable anti-hero. Sporting a pearling white windbreaker with a golden scorpion embroidered on the back, the driver walks with a subtle, unassuming confidence, seemingly invisible to the public eye.

This apparent invisibility is not a chance occurrence. Whatever his training, whatever his life experience up to now, the driver is clearly in control of every aspect of his life, until he meets Irene. Falling almost instantly for her, and bonding as quickly to her son Benicio, the driver takes on a role of responsibility for them. This becomes undeniably crucial when Irene’s past returns to throw everything in jeopardy. Jeopardy is another name for two men; Bernie Rose and Nino, played by veteran character actor Ron Perlman (HELLBOY). One of my personal favorites, Perlman delivers precisely the level of creepy charisma I’ve come to expect, and it works marvelously.

The truly astounding performance in DRIVE however, is Albert Brooks (THE MUSE, DEFENDING YOUR LIFE). Refn has managed to work with Brooks to take every ounce of what makes him such a unique comical character and flips him, fully converted to the dark side. Intelligent, witty and sharp-tongued, Brooks finds that elusive something that equates to a memorably unnerving villain, a bad guy the audience has difficulty disliking. Hands down, Brooks delivers one of the best performances from any supporting actor of 2011.

Ryan Gosling, an actor on the fast lane to greatness, has given audiences stellar work in HALF-NELSON, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, and BLUE VALENTINE. Unfortunately, he’s probably best known for the lesser quality films he’s done, but has still managed to stand out as the beacon amidst foggier films. Gosling’s performance is quiet, solemn and meticulously paced, much like the film itself. DRIVE is a slowly building roller coaster of tension, the type that takes 90% of its time gradually ratcheting the audience up to the tip top of the incline, before finally letting loose for the final 10% sending the audience into a sudden free-fall, landing firmly within a cushion of existential epiphany.

Carey Mulligan (AN EDUCATION, NEVER LET ME GO) is almost too cute and adorable to imagine in such a film, has offered audiences far more defining performances. For the role of Irene, she succeeds at being a means to an end for the driver’s character development, remaining just within his shadow, but giving us more than enough reason to believe she is the catalyst for the driver’s shift in purpose. In the first act of DRIVE, Gosling and Mulligan build a fascinating chemistry with barely enough dialogue to fill a single page of script.

This silence is a multifaceted thematic element that runs throughout the film. The atmospheric score from Cliff Martinez (THE LINCOLN LAWYER, CONTAGION) is alluring and gentle, but with an edge, occasionally rising to the surface just enough to grab the viewer by the throat as if to squeeze gently, reminding us of the pending danger the driver willing chooses to face head on for the sake of a woman he barely knows. Newton Thomas Sigel provides the cinematography, but is clearly channeling Refn’s visual flair. DRIVE is filled with softly contoured contrast and deep, saturated color woven seamlessly into the shadows to the point of being a subconscious afterthought.

The palette of DRIVE is not unlike that of BRONSON, but inverted from the hyper-intense into more of an ultra-mellow version of itself. More importantly, Refn continues to play with the visual canvas as a storytelling medium, relying less with each film on the traditional dialogue-driven approach, constructing shots and scenes that may have made Hitchcock raise an eyebrow. The care given to composition of frame, to every moment and measure of camera movement, allows Refn to strengthen the impact of his story on the viewer without exposing his presence. This is particularly true in the final moments of the final act, when the driver confronts his villain. Refn creatively conceals details, forcing the audience to inch up to the very edge of their seats, patiently but anxiously.

DRIVE offers all this, but still engages the viewer in the dirty underbelly of the criminal world. Without being overly flashy, Refn incorporates some of the best car chase sequences in recent years. The kind of high speed, articulate stunt driving that has the crowd in awe. As for myself, I had to fight the urge to replicate the driving as I left the theater. It’s that infectious. Likewise, Refn does not hold back on the violence, displaying key moments of passionate brutality, but only when the driver is cornered, like an angry badger defending its young. DRIVE is an R-rated film at heart, but only in the sense that it’s a mature, honest portrayal of a side of society most of us never experience outside of cinema. DRIVE has a few subdued moments of humor, most of which are presented by Albert Brooks, but ultimately proves to be an exemplary achievement as a film from a director as comfortable with style as he is with the actors, resulting in what I consider to be the best film of 2011.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars