Film Review - A Walk Among The Tombstones (2014)

At the Theater - "A Walk Among The Tombstones" - (2014) - Liam Neeson stars as Matthew Scudder, a former cop turned Private Detective who is hired by a wealthy drug trafficker to track down those responsible for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of his young wife.  I had been looking forward to this film for quite some time and was hoping for a smart, gritty, adult-oriented Crime/Thriller of the first order, yet found a frustratingly muddled and uninspired entry- it does start off promisingly enough, though slowly, but surely, devolves into just another mediocre thriller vehicle for its star.  Neeson is a fine actor and puts in solid work here, yet he can only carry matters so far.

The narrative is predictable and slack, hampered by an uneven script, inconsistent tone and fumble-some direction from Scott Frank.  Every hint of intelligent, seasoned film-making, every notion of subtlety and nuance is countered with amateurish blemishes.  Frank has churned out an impressive resume as a screenwriter (Get Shorty, Minority Report, Out of Sight) and helmed the criminally under-seen "The Lookout", yet strangely appears bewildered with the heart of the material.

Upon reflection, I was perplexed with a number of unnecessary segments and insignificant stock characters- there's very little mystery element to speak of, so setting up potential suspects and red herrings is clearly not the intent.  This particular tale (set in 1999) is laced with Y2K paranoia references and contradictory anti-gun messages, eating up the precious soul (and run-time) of a narrative that should have spent more time fleshing out characters, particularly Neeson's alcoholic, ex-cop turned gumshoe.

Nearly every principal player outside of Neeson's lead is woefully miscast, including a tandem of the most generic serial killers (David Harbor and Adam David Thompson) to have ever been featured upon the silver screen in a serious-minded thriller.  For what it's worth, the film is void of any notable female characters with more than one line of dialogue.

Potential viewers can expect quite a bit of footage of our hero pounding the pavement doing old-school detective work, with one memorable rooftop encounter with a hulking graveyard groundskeeper.  There is one late film gun battle riddled with an extremely odd and distracting juxtaposition of AA's 12 step program, while a climactic showdown between good and evil, set in a dark basement, never really should have reached that point.

For those interested, Matt Scudder is the central character featured in 17 novels (including one collection of short stories) from author Lawrence Block.  Scudder has graced the big screen once before, as played by Jeff Bridges in 1986's 8 Million Ways To Die - it's a scattershot affair, but worth a watch. A Walk Amongst The Tombstones was intended to kick-start a franchise of Scudder films, though I'm pretty sure a weak box-office turnout should put an end to that... for a while anyways.

A Walk... features a forgettable original score from Carlos Rafael Rivera, though Nouela's cover of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, which plays with the onset of the post-film credits, is mighty interesting.  Mihai Malaimare Jr. supplies the cinematography- it's fine during night-time sequences though barely serviceable during daytime scenes... figure that.

The film isn't awful, though it is nowhere near the neighborhood of very good.  All things considered, I would chalk it up as one of the more substantial personal cinematic disappointments of 2014.  Perhaps HBO's outstanding season 1 of True Detective has set the bar too high for future theatrically released Crime/Drama/Thrillers for myself...

Skip it in theaters and wait for rental.

6.5 out of 10

Director: Scott Frank
Cast: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Robert Boyd Holbrook, Adam David Thompson, Brian "Astro" Bradley, Sebastian Roche, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Mark Consuelos
Run-Time: 113 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity

Film Review - Locke (2014)

On DVD and Blu-Ray - "Locke" (2014) - An excellent performance from Tom Hardy drives (quite literally) this Drama/Character Study concerning a construction supervisor and dedicated family man who, on the eve of an enormous career challenge, makes a decision that will irrevocably change his life.   The narrative concerns the defining moment of an imperfect, but well-intentioned soul confronting a moral dilemma of epic proportions as he seeks to take responsibility for a past indiscretion. 

It's important to convey that about 99.5% of this film takes place inside an automobile traveling down a lengthy stretch of highway, with Hardy the lone onscreen actor- his character converses with several other characters (sight unseen) via hands-free phone for the entirety of the film.  If you're O.K. with this particular setup, then continue on.

***SPOILERS***

The night before he's set to coordinate the mother of all concrete pours, our protagonist receives a call from a former one night stand revealing that she is about to give birth to his child- in an attempt to distance himself from the wretched, irresponsible Father that he barely knew, Locke decides to take the two hour trip down a busy highway to attend the delivery.  The decision throws the pour into doubt, which subsequently sets off an irate superior and panics an ill-equipped work colleague.  Locke's wife and teenaged sons are understandably confused while the woman about to have his baby isn't the brightest bulb in the shed.  A series of work-related setbacks ensue while the incessant calls from concerned family members and colleagues finds Locke straining under the mounting pressure.  Throw in a severe head cold and you've got one helluva conflict-riddled night drive.

***END OF SPOILERS***

Hardy (Warrior) is first-rate here- this is dialogue-heavy material and most will get a kick out of his interesting accent.  This is a pure acting clinic for those seeking natural ability and nuance in their film performances- scenes where Locke is railing in the rear-view mirror towards an empty backseat hint at a talent that may very well be near its peak, professionally.  I was on the fence concerning Hardy playing "Mad Max Rockatansky" in 2015's Fury Road, though I find myself much more comfortable with that now. 

I did have issues with the timeline and couldn't believe that one man would be so very important to such a large build.  It would be rather short-sighted and implausible, although not impossible, to have one man's absence destroy a massive construction endeavor.

The film features a worthwhile musical score and the various shots of nighttime traffic lights as they splay upon the vehicle's windshield makes for beautifully simplistic cinematography.  Director Steven Knight (Redemption) keeps the camera angles and editing fresh and active- although the stage/setting does not change, I don't believe I ever zoned out.

Although there's very little replay value to speak of, Locke comes recommended for those looking for an excellent, singular, showcase performance framed in a minimalist setting.


8.0 out of 10


Director: Steven Knight
Cast: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Ben Daniels, Tom Holland, Bill Milner and Danny Webb
Run-Time: 85 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language throughout.

Film Review - The Rover (2014)

Currently on VOD, releasing on DVD and Blu Ray on September 23rd, 2014-

"The Rover" - Set a decade after a global economic collapse, a hardened loner (Guy Pearce) pursues the men who stole his last remaining possession across a desolate expanse of the sweltering Australian outback. Crossing paths with the young, wounded simpleton (Robert Pattinson) that the gang left behind, the two form an uneasy alliance along the way.

Director David Michod's (Animal Kingdom) bleak, violent, contemporary Western is short of being profound, though admirable in its simplicity- I appreciated it as a triumph of the less-is-more approach to film-making.  The Rover is a smaller-budgeted affair, though it is well-filmed and features an interesting musical score- a few small details nagged at me, though the performances, direction and overall atmosphere won me over and maintained my interest throughout.

Guy Pearce's (Memento) performance as the mangy, world-weary drifter drives the film- he's a dangerous, hollowed-out soul hell-bent on reclaiming what's left of his past.  While dialogue is sporadic, there's a fierceness in the immensely talented Aussie actor's eyes that speaks volumes.  It bothers me to no end that Pearce doesn't land more higher-profiled, leading roles.

I haven't considered the 28-year-old Robert Pattinson (The Twilight films) all that impressive up until now, with the English actor's turn as a fidgety, naive sort surprising the heck out of me.  Perhaps it's a testament to the film's Director, or Pattinson has genuinely matured at his craft- I guess we'll know for sure after a few more years/films.

Though the duo's journey is sparsely populated, there are a handful of engaging encounters with the unsavory dregs and diamonds in the dusty rough that one would expect in a narrative of this nature.  There are a wealth of dynamic, lingering shots punctuated by short bursts of tense, bloody gunplay.  This is unmistakably adult material, aimed at an apparently dwindling demographic- it's CGI-free and packing a visceral punch that should stick to the ribs.  The final scene will more than likely find most reconsidering the film's title...

Recommended for the guys, it should prove to be a worthwhile companion piece to Director John Hillcoat's 2005 Western, "The Proposition" (also set in Australia and starring Guy Pearce).

8.0 out of 10

Director: David Michod
Cast: Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, David Field, Tawanda Manyimo, Gillian Jones, Susan Prior and Anthony Hayes
Run-Time: 103 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for language and some bloody violence

Film Review - The November Man (2014)

At the Theater - "The November Man" (2014) -Pierce Brosnan stars as "Devereaux", an ex-CIA agent who is lured back into the espionage game when a former lover runs afoul of a crooked Russian politician.  Luke Bracey (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) portrays our super-agent's former protege who is charged with tracking him down, while Olga Kurylenko (Quantum Of Solace) is the social worker harboring the whereabouts of a key witness that could turn the tide of an election.

The film (based upon Bill Granger's Novel, There Are No Spies) is essentially a cat-and-mouse Spy Thriller/Action film in the vein of the Bourne films, though this particular offering in the genre is rarely intelligent while mixing familiar, derivative material in a tired and clunky fashion.  The logic is a bit off-kilter and the narrative flow is intermittently disjointed, as if two films from two different filmmakers had been spliced together out of last-minute desperation.  Strangely enough, the problems I had with this film often reminded me of issues I had with two recent and underwhelming Jason Statham actioners; 2011's The Mechanic and 2013's Parker.  Director Roger Donaldson (No Way Out, White Sands, The Getaway and The Bank Job) has helmed a handful of fine action/thrillers in the past, yet seems to be either uncomfortable with the material or disinterested...

Pierce Brosnan is edgier than the last several films in which he's been featured, though a particular scene about halfway through the film's run-time will leave most on the fence regarding how they feel concerning his character- it's a strangely unnecessary and pointlessly brutal sequence that I was sure would turn out to be a dream (it's just that bad), but was sorely mistaken.  Myself, I just couldn't get back on Devereaux's bandwagon after the occurrence.

The 25-year-old Bracey, although in the infancy of his film career, has his work cut out for him in progressing as an actor.  At this point, the Aussie will continue to get work simply because he's handsome.

Olga Kurylenko continues to make strides as an actress, though she's utilized as little more than the obligatory damsel in distress here. The Ukrainian actress is a bit too thin for my tastes, yet she does have amazing legs... I digress.

This film's hard R rating is welcomed- this is a decidedly violent and bloody venture, with devastating gunshot wounds and a bit of jugular wine flowing about, while a sequence set in a Russian nightclub features a bevy of bare-breasted strippers- never saw any of that in a Bond film.

All things considered, though, The November Man is a substantial disappointment- the film fails to get simple aspects of the genre right, from hare-brained plot twists, tonal schisms, lackluster main villains, characters that disappear with no explanation and a myriad of outright dumb decisions (from the filmmakers and characters alike), my call is to skip it.  There's just too damned many quality films in the Spy Thriller genre to waste time on this one...

5.0 out of 10

Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Bill Smitrovich, Will Patton, Lazar Ristovski, Amila Terzimehic, Mediha Musliovic, Eliza Taylor, Caterina Scorsone and Patrick Kennedy
Run-Time: 108 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for strong violence including a sexual assault, language, sexuality/nudity and brief drug use