Tag: sharlito copley

BOY KILLS WORLD – Review

Whew, it’s not even May, and the cinematic “body count” rises up considerably with another lone, determined warrior facing nearly insurmountable odds. I suppose this is more of the “JOHN WICK” effect, as filmmakers try to “up the ante” and deliver a flick with near wall-to-wall frenetic action. So far this year we’ve gone from the spy showdowns of ARGYLE to the avenger of the elderly THE BEEKEEPER, and winding up a couple of weeks ago with the manic MONKEY MAN (not to mention the ballistic ballerina ABIGAIL and THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, which wasn’t shown to the press). For this week’s thriller we’re sent to a near future time in an exotic foreign land as, in a nod either to old Variety newspaper headlines or the beloved ABC TGIF sitcom, BOY KILLS WORLD.

And it is a nasty dystopian world for the preteen boy (Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti), who is being trained in the jungle by the surly, “slave-driving” Shaman (Yayan Ruhian). And just what is he being trained for? Revenge, natch’, against the leader (mayor, or perhaps president) of the nearby city-state Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen). It seems there’s been an annual event during her 25 years in office, a big ceremony/celebration known as “The Culling”. Basically, her thug army rounds up a dozen or so troublemakers for a public execution. Recently Hilda took out the boy’s kid sister Mina and their underground rebel mother. Somehow the Shaman whisked the boy into the woods and deprived him of his hearing and speech before the mentoring began. The years pass and the lad becomes an adult (Bill Skarsgard). He and the Shaman head to the city’s market on “Culling Eve” and witness an attack on the populace by Hilda’s forces led by her flashy, sleazy spokesman son-in-law Gideon (Sharlito Copley) and her speech-writing son Glen (Bret Gelman). During the melee, the “Boy” breaks from the Shaman and makes his way to a secret hidden weapons factory. After a furious battle, he teams with an enslaved worker, Basho (Andrew Koji) and the last of the “resistance” Benny (Isaiah Mustafa) to infiltrate the Van Der Koy mansion. But do they stand a chance against the minions commanded by daughter Melanie (Michelle Dockery) and spearheaded by the mysterious, savage June 27 (Jessica Rothe)? Maybe, if the boy can ignore the taunts of the ghost of his kid sister Mina (Quinn Copeland) and heed his inner voice (H. Jon Benjamin)…

After terrifying audiences as the child-killing clown Pennywise in the recent pair of IT flicks, Skarsgard puts those expressive dark eyes to good use as the film’s silent “wrecking ball”. And he communicates thoroughly whether he’s filled with adrenaline prior to battle, or must quickly formulate a new plan as things inevitably go awry. Most importantly Skarsgard conveys Boy’s sadness and his yearning for a time before the violence and the heartbreaking loss. We see that in his scenes with Copeland who goes from cute to snarky to coldly savage as the ghostly kid sister Mina (perhaps a nod to the Dracula heroine). The actors having the most fun might be the crew playing members of the Van Der Koy dynasty. Dockery is pure unbridled ambition as the calculating Melanie. Gelman is an erudite murderous “poison pen” as the pompous scribe Glen, a great sparring partner with the equally arrogant “showboat” Gideon. But none are more chilling than Mama played as an unpredictable unhinged “hair-trigger” by the aloof, slinky Janssen. Though he’s teaching and aiding the boy in his quest for justice, Ruhian could also be considered a “bad guy” as he appears to delight in his tasks of torture and agony. Rothe makes a compelling enforcer (with standards) as the enigmatic 6/27. And I must single out the snarky narration of Benjamin, mixing the Boy’s sense of wonder with the bravado of an old-style action hero.

Director Moritz Mohr, who co-wrote the film based upon his previous self-tittled short, has a kinetic frenetic visual style, which may be what attracted producer Sam Raimi (I’m sure his EVIL DEAD trilogy was an inspiration). He puts you right in the thick of the action as the camera seems to dance about the combatants, weaving in and out, leaving the viewer nearly spent after a big stunt sequence. Yes, the energy is up, but it becomes somewhat repetitive after a bit, even to the point of (sorry) “overkill”. Maybe it’s too soon after the superior MONKEY MAN, but the story seems to lurch between the big battle sequences. Yes, there are some very clever ideas, with “The Culling” mixing elements of THE HUNGER GAMES, THE PURGE, and a touch of THE RUNNING MAN and the visor on the helmet of June 27 projecting digital messages (“Back away”, “No kids” and, of course “F#$* you”). It adds to the casual inhuman cruelty of the Van Der Koys, who also seem to stand in for many despised “one-percenters”. And there are a few amusing “call-backs”, particularly Boy’s inability to read the lips of Benny, resulting in a strange deluge of nonsense words. But just as the script shows a bit of wit, we’re soon drowning in a sea of gore (the CGI plasma bursts quickly became stale), perhaps hitting its zenith with a tribute to the Black Night of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (I kept waiting for the drug-fueled goon to shout, “None shall pass!”). Mohr tries to dazzle us with some third-act plot twists and reveals, but we’re too pummeled by the body count to really care. Even action flick junkies may feel as though they’ve been “over-served” by the indulgences and excess of BOY KILLS WORLD.


2.5 Out of 4

BOY KILLS WORLD is now playing in theatres everywhere

MONKEY MAN (2024) – Review

Since we’re now into the slow slide from Easter/Spring Break into the Summer cinema season, how about an MMA-style action thriller full of fights and daring escapes? Oh, you say we just had that in the remake of ROAD HOUSE just a couple of weeks ago. Well that flick, despite the director’s protests to the press, bypassed the multiplex and went right to a streaming service. And this new release almost went the same route until an Oscar-winning filmmaker saw it, bought it, and helped prep it for a wide theatrical debut. Oh, and speaking of debuts, this is the first feature directed by the star of a Best Picture Oscar winner over a dozen years ago. Yes, he was the lead in that, and he’s in the lead here as the mysterious avenger who is known as the MONKEY MAN. And no, he’s not another comics-based hero.

Rather, his moniker is based on mythology. In the flashback opening sequences, a young mother and her six or seven-year-old son enjoy the peaceful countryside as she tells him of the Indian animal deity Hanuman AKA the “monkey god”. Flash forward to now in an underground mixed martial arts “fight club” somewhere in bustling Mumbai. One of the brawlers is a lanky fellow wearing a rubber simian mask, along with a filthy tank top and sweatpants. Moments after being introduced by the preening ring MC “Tiger” (Sharlito Copley), the Monkey Man (Dev Patel) is pummeled by “King Cobra”. On his way to the locker room, he endures the taunts of a connected “hustler” named Alphonso (Pitobash). MM who also uses the name Bobby tolerates him since he’s part of his master plan to get a job at the exclusive VIP club where Alphonso works. His boss is a cruel mistress named, naturally, “Queenie” (Ashwini Kalsekar). With the aid of several “street people” Bobby gets her wallet, only to return it to her. Instead of a cash reward, Bobby asks for a job in the kitchen. With an assist from Alphonso (he bets on Monkey Man to take a “dive”), Bobby becomes a server in the ultra-exclusive top floor “playpen” where Queenie provides beauties trafficked from around the globe to international “high rollers”. At last, Bobby spots his reason for being there, his “target” a corrupt sadistic police captain named Rana (Sikandar Kher). Seeing him unleashes many painful childhood memories from Bobby’s time in that forest with his mother. Eventually, Bobby saves up to buy a gun, and then figures out a way to get it past the many security “checkpoints”. So does his revenge scenario play out as planned, or will Rana survive and exact his own vengeance?

Building upon the fighting skills he used six years ago in THE WEDDING GUEST, Patel proves more powerful than his tall, slender physique would suggest. In his bouts, we see, despite the mask, a man in a near-constant panic as he struggles in the opening matches. And that same emotion is echoed in the big high-rise throwdown when things go more than a bit “sideways”. That’s not to say that Patel’s often stoic Bobby is all furious fists and feet. His downturned eyes hint at the heavy weight of family tragedy that almost forms a dark cloud over him. He’s not full of 80s action star quips and snark, and barely makes any human connections. Luckily he does befriend one of the “menu women”, a haunted beauty named Sita played with gentle power by Sobhita Dhulipala. Well, Bobby also connects with a hungry “alley pup’, which brings some extra pathos. And the laughs are provided by a talented trio, Pitobash is a motor-mouthed wiseguy whose bravado distracts from his own tragic past. Kalsekar is a foul-mouthed mini-tornado of disdain and abuse (toward her “staff”). And Copley is the ultimate hammy, and quite swarmy, host as he plays to the crowds while insulting the real “talent”. They’re all an amusing counterpoint to the sneering Kher who makes Rana a great villain more than worthy of our hisses and boos.

Yes, as I alluded to earlier, Patel is making his feature film directing debut while also producing and contributing to the script. And what an ambitious undertaking as he’s in nearly every scene with most consisting of very intense fight choreography (and Patel did take his “lumps” via broken bones and even an eye infection). Aside from the stunts, he creates a great gritty atmosphere as we get “down and dirty” on those dusty streets where denizens scramble for space. One memorable image is Patel’s Bobby in the center of dozens of people “sardine-style” as they try to sleep under a nosy auto overpass. These scenes are in great contrast to the gorgeous flashbacks of a forest paradise (that waterfall). But soon we’re back on the move, as Patel often uses a POV angle to place us right in the mayhem as he ramps up a big pursuit that even takes a second to inject some satire (window jumps are tough). And sure, it’s in the JOHN WICK “wheelhouse” with one bit of dialogue referencing the series. Though this is unique as it hooks us with the fairy-tale legends and the political backdrops. Yes, there’s something of a lull between the two major action “set-pieces” in which we get more backstory and the obligatory “training montage”, but the wait is more than worth it as the finale is truly epic Patel is a terrific physical actor and shows us that he’s a filmmaker to watch (just like the flick’s “savior” Jordan Peele) with the fighting fable of MONKEY MAN.

3 out of 4

MONKEY MAN is now playing in theatres everywhere

BEAST (2022) – Review

Hard to believe but Summer will soon be a distant memory, so if you can’t get outta’ town before packing the kids off to school, there’s still time for a virtual “vacay” at the ole’ multiplex. Oops, maybe the tots should skip this excursion. So, is this flick set in romantic Paris, or perhaps on an exotic island? This tale has no ocean or beach, though it has a lot in common with a couple of movie islands (namely Amity and Skull). Still, there are lots of vast open areas to explore and observe the local wildlife (er…see the aforementioned isles). Yes, the wildlife couldn’t be much wilder when a getaway turns deadly when a dad out of his element must protect his daughters from a truly savage ferocious BEAST.

The film’s opening scene sets the tone and premise. An ambush of a lion pride by a group of heavily-armed poachers doesn’t turn out as they hoped when the only surviving cat turns the tables on them. Cut to the next day as a small plane touches down on a dusty South African airstrip. On board is New York doctor Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) who has brought his teenage daughters Norah (Leah Jeffries) and Meredith (Iyana Halley) on vacation to the birthplace of their late mother. The two young women are bickering almost immediately (the heat and no wifi) until the group is met by Nate’s old pal, game preserve manager Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley). The two go way back (Martin introduced Nate to his late wife), so he opens his home to the trio. That evening’s dinner is rough as the girls (especially ‘Mer”) voice their resentment over Nate’s absence during Mom’s illness, as the two had separated earlier. Over late night drinks, Nate tells Martin of his guilt and his hope that the family can bond over the trip. But tomorrow’s a fresh start as Martin loads them up in his jeep for a tour of the sprawling preserve, After a fairly close visit with a friendly pride of lions, the quartet travels to a quaint little village. But instead of friendly faces, they discover eviscerated corpses. And Martin knows the attack is recent (campfires still smoldering), so he hustles his friends back into the jeep just as the killer lion charges them. Naturally, the spot is so remote that they can’t get a signal on their cellphones, walky-talkies, and CB radio. When the jeep fails, can these four possibly survive the jaws and killer claws of this man-killing predator?

Though he’s adept at playing the confident action hero, Elba is able to step into an entirely different heroic role, a man who knows he’s in over his head but somehow pushes himself into protector mode (papa bear, perhaps). As we first meet him, Nate is almost walking on emotional eggshells, trying to say and do the right things to connect with his kin. A few drinks reveal his tremendous remorse over failing to hold the family together. Elba later shows us, through his terrified eyes, that Nate will give his all this time in order to triumph. It helps that he’s got great chemistry with the always engaging Copley whose Martin loves being the “Dutch uncle” while still telling Nate what he needs to hear, the lovely and the ugly. He fawns over the daughters, but his quiet masks a dark secret that will make an impact during the “siege”. Halley as ‘Mer’ mixes the usual teenage rebellion with seething anger towards her dad, thwarting his every effort at re-connecting. The younger Norah played by Jefferies wants to break free of the “baby” role while still craving parental security.

Essential in the “animal attack” genre flick is the impact of the “villain from nature” , so from that aspect the movie works due to the expert CGI rendering and the motion-capture work (I’m sure there will be on the set photos of actors with those padded scuba suits with ping-pong balls and maybe a stuffed lion-head cap). The lion is quite scary and director Baltasar Kormakur knows his thriller history well enough to be frugal with the attacks in the first act. He’s also adept at putting us right “in the action” with his camera swirling about the “prey” as they try to get a ‘lock’ on the attacker’s proximity (the most effect is Nate trying to get out of a maze made of brittle brush and sticks). Ultimately the uneven script gets in his way as the daughters make far too many bad decisions and turn into screeching “bait”. There is a nice sense of panic mixed with claustrophobia in the disabled jeep, though CUJO probably did it better decades ago. And speaking of classic terror creatures, the single-mindedness of the predatory certainly owes much to the JAWS variants as each one seemed to care more about exacting revenge than “chowing down”. And like those “finned fiends”, the unstoppable lion appears to be a very distant relative of Wile E. Coyote (or the more apropos Sylvester the Cat) in that he quickly shakes off any calamity that would disable most animals, and is back in the next sequence with barely a blemish or limp. Plus there are countless “call-backs” as different wildlife trivia and cultural bits are presented early in order to connect with later scenes and the somewhat ludicrous “final showdown”. Elba and Copley do make a terrific team, so let’s hope for another pairing, one more inspired than this fairly “toothless” BEAST.

1.5 Out of 4

BEAST is now playing in theatres everywhere

FREE FIRE – Review

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Hold on to your wallets and purses, here comes the creeps and crooks because it’s crime time once again at the multiplex (and I’m not talking about those concession prices). This week’s flick is more of an offshoot of the crime genre: it’s the heist flick, or more specifically, the heist “gone wrong” flick. Now, this isn’t a sophisticated caper thriller, say like the OCEANS 11 franchise (that all-female “spin” is on its way) or even THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (68′ and 99′). The dudes (and dame) in this movie could never pass in “high society” (like that suave Cary Grant in TO CATCH A THIEF), they’re “working class” criminals. These types have been a very frequent source for “indie” films, from BLOOD SIMPLE and RESERVOIR DOGS to, well, last year’s critical “darling” HELL OR HIGH WATER. This tale varies from the caper formula since they’re not stealing from a bank or a business, though it’s a serious illegal act, a big criminal transaction. Mix in some cheesy nostalgia, simmer over hot tempers, and you’ve got the recipe for a tart and tangy FREE FIRE.

 

Oh, that scent of nostalgia wafts in from the decade of “primo” kitsch, the swingin’ 1970’s. 1978, to be precise, on the mean streets of Boston. In a grungy van parked near the docks sits two pals, Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) and Stevo (Sam Riley) as they wait for their partners on this “job”. Stevo is still smarting from a beat-down he received hours ago from a dude at his favorite “watering hole”. A car driven by Stevo’s father-in-law Frank (Michael Smiley) finally pulls up. Its other occupants are Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Justine (Brie Larson). She has set up a “buy” for Chris. He’s buying guns to ship to his native Ireland (this being the time of the “troubles”). And now they must wait for her connection. Right on time is the laid-back, smooth-talking Ord (Armie Hammer). After a quick “pat-down”, he guides them to a deserted factory (“Whatever they made, nobody wants it anymore”). Then , following a few more minutes of banter, the gun guys arrive. It’s the strange-accented (“Just where is he from?”) motor-mouth Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and his quiet partner (“Not sidekick”) Martin (Babou Ceesay). Their own vehicle full of weapons pulls up, manned by Gordon (Noah Taylor) and Harry (Jack Reynor). Chris is annoyed that these are not the M-16’s he had ordered, but these powerful assault rifles will have to do (for he is “under the gun” of a tight deadline). He hands Vernon a briefcase full of cash while Stevo discovers to his horror that Harry is the guy who smacked him around last night. Despite his attempts to hide his face, Stevo is recognized by Harry. Weapons are drawn, tensions flare, and soon everybody’s diving for cover. Will any of them make it outta’ there alive? What about that case fulla’ cash? And hey, has a third party joined the fracas?

 

 

The cast attack their roles with vigor, relishing the polyester vintage duds and weird facial hair as much as the non-stop gun play and loopy dialogue. In particular, Hammer seems to enjoy a respite from his often bland leading man roles, with a chance to get “down and dirty”. Ord exhibits a sense of stylish grooming, often sneering at the “slobs”, as he delivers snarky insults in a casual “throwaway” nonchalant tone (ala pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds). At the opposite end of the emoting spectrum is Copley, screeching and swaggering as the too often “over the top” Vernon. He seems more concerned about the damage to his hideous “Saville Row” suit than the bullets zipping past. Unfortunately, the talented actor (DISTRICT 9, THE HOLLARS) wasn’t reigned in and his continuous braying becomes more aggravating than funny. Oscar winner Larson is saddled with the “token” female role, there for the goofy guys to impress as she rolls her eyes. And when the battle begins, we’re to be shocked that she’s just as ruthless and deadly as the men. Murphy is the most calming leader, who has little to do aside from hitting on Justine and chain-smoking. Also on the lower end of the energy scale is the subdued Ceesay who has a nice “slow burn” bit as he tries to deal with the bombastic Vernon. Unfortunately this interesting character is reduced to a lumbering, dazed gun-blasting zombie by the film’s middle act. The rest of the actors are merely dim-witted cannon (er, rifle and pistol) fodder, with hair-trigger tempers spouting put-downs and threats. Smiley’s a ball of rage and abuse (slugging his son-in-law) and Reynor (so delightful in last year’s gem SING STREET) is a seething demon of rage and revenge. But they all appear to be having a blast.

 

Just a shame that sense of fun doesn’t seep into the audience. Director and co-writer Ben Wheatley, after last year’s social class satire HIGH RISE, has decided to make a bloody, violent tale to challenge (or maybe it’s a tribute) Tarantino and Guy Ritchie (and Martin Scorsese’s a co-producer), but the result is a tedious excercise in excess. Much like last year’s THE NICE GUYS, he thinks that easy laughs at tacky 70’s junk (Look, it’s an 8-track tape! Playing a mellow country singer during the mayhem! Hysterical, eh?) makes up for compelling characters and an original plot. Happily we’re spared a lengthy run-time, as they gangs think they have 90 minutes tops before they “bleed out”. I’m surprised there wasn’t a plasma red clock in a corner of the screen, ticking away. This a movie for the action flick crowd who thought the JOHN WICK films were way too cerebral (too much “talky-talk”). And the action’s not very well presented. With the quick cuts, ricochet sparks, and screaming, it’s tough to figure out who’s doing what to whom. That also depends on whether you have any attachment to this one-note clichés. And in between the fire fights, there are lots of scenes of the limping and crawling combatants trying to find cover, or the cash. And boy, that 90 minutes feels a lot longer (guess nobody hit an artery). FREE FIRE is a sophomoric, sleazy endurance test for those crooks and for movie goers alike. To quote the much more entertaining  LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, “Peww! Pew! Pew!”.

2 Out of 5

 

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