Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Plot: A mole is afoot in M16 and Control (John Hurt) believes it’s one of the men closest to him. He suspects the higher ups. These include the “Tinker” Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), “Tailor” Bill Hayden (Colin Firth), “Soldier” is Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds) and “Beggarman” is George Smiley (Gary Oldman). The spy is the mole.
Review: Tomas Alfredson had a hard task in front of him. Take John le Carre’s classic novel and contain it into a two hour film. The story is so full of depth and mystery that it’s best suited for a mini-series, which it’s been done as before. Though I felt the film could have benefited from another hour or half hour at least, I have to admit Alfredson did a damn fine job!
He was blessed with an amazing cast. Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hardy, Kathy Burke. The list goes on and on. Some of the best actors working today were all under one roof, so to speak. Alfredson never gets overwhelmed and runs a tight ship. Everybody gets the right amount of screen time.
Gary Oldman proves once again that he’s one of the finest actors working today. He heads up the investigation, as Control trusts him the most. That doesn’t mean he’s not out of questioning. He surveys each suspect while being scrutinized back. It’s as tense as thrillers come, which makes sense. Carre’s novel redefined the spy thriller.
Alfredson moves the plot along with an iron fist. The pacing is quick, yet neutral. It moves along swimmingly, but never feels rushed. There are times where I felt it could have focused a bit more on the suspense. Again, that’s only because of how deep the story actually is. For a two hour adaptation, this is a tightly wound thriller.
Final Rating: B+
Roadie
Plot: Jimmy Testagross (Ron Eldard) spent his life as a roadie for the Blue Oyster Cult. When he is fired, he returns home to Queens. He lives a lie by telling his mother (Lois Smith) that he’s their manager and is going on tour to South America shortly. He tells the same lie to his old flame, Nikki (Jill Hennessy), whose husband, Randy (Bobby Cannavale), tortured Jimmy back in the day. Jimmy copes with his depression by drinking and upholding the lie.
Review: The poster for “Roadie” makes it seem like it’ll be a rock & roll romp, kind of like “Roadie” from 1980 with Meat Loaf (this film has no relation to that one). It’s quite the opposite. Michael Cuesta’s film is a bucolic drama that only explores the tumultuous lifestyle near the end. The first hour is of Jimmy revisiting his old stomping grounds, which I quite enjoyed.
Seeing him purvey his past and fearing it may be his future is pleasing. Ron Eldard delivers a stellar performance as Jimmy! He shows the right kind of restraint when it comes to him trying to be a star in others’ eyes, despite having hit rock bottom. When Randy comes into the picture, you can tell just by his eyes the amount of hate he still has for him. Being hitched to his old flame, who he still holds a candle for, only worsens matters.
Jimmy sees a life he missed in Nikki. Though he slightly attained his dreams of being in a rock band, he left behind the one he loved. Discovering she has a beautiful voice, you can see the hope in his eyes that he may have found a talent in her. Rekindling their friendship is nice, but he’s obviously too late. Still, he pals around with her and Randy for the day.
This is where the film stumbles a bit. Don’t get me wrong, the scenes between the three work. The best scene in the whole film is of them in the hotel room getting drunk and high. This is where Jimmy’s true feelings arise and where the film’s dramatics go into full gear. The only problem is the film doesn’t really go anywhere from here. There’s a payoff, but not a satisfying one. Cuesta had a good thing going, but didn’t quite know how to finish it.
A good payoff may be missing, but the film is still worthwhile. The first hour is solid, as are the performances. Eldard is nearly flawless as Jimmy and the always wonderful Bobby Cannavale is used well. Jill Hennessy saves the clichéd love interest with her electric performance. “Roadie” may not be the rock & roll fantasy the poster allured to, but it’s a cogent drama.
Final Rating: B
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Plot: Lt. Colonel Nascimento (Wagner Moura) is a former police Captain and now a high ranking security officer who is entangled in politics surrounding the paramilitary. Dirty cops are taking over the slums and partnering with politicians, risking many lives. Making matters worse for Nascimento is Diogo Fraga (Irandhir Santos), a State Representative who protests his actions and the police force. He’s also married to his ex-wife, Rosane (Maria Ribeiro) and is influencing his son, Rafael (Pedro Van-Held), to hate him.
Review: “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” is a sequel to “Elite Squad”. You don’t need to see the first to follow along with this one. I know this because I haven’t seen the first. I know this film takes place thirteen years after the events of the first. Nascimento was the focus in that one as well, though his personal demons take precedent in this one.
It’s amazing how well Jose Padilha handles the action and Nascimento’s demons. Directors tend to lose sight of one or the other, canceling one out. The emotional aspects usually feel forced and contrived. Here, they matter the most. Padilha blends his work with his demons by tying the both of them together. The reason Nascimento suffers from a broken marriage and a shamed son is because of his job.
The current issues he’s facing, which is of BOPE being overrun by dirty cops who wipe out the drug dealers then take over their slums for their own profits, slip into his personal life. Being a former member and supporter of BOPE, Fraga constantly accuses of him of unlawful executions and attacks him for currently being in dirty politics. Padilha bases this loosely off of Rio’s own political troubles and he works wonders with it. It’s riveting, dramatic and enthralling! It touches base so strongly that a disclaimer had to be placed in the beginning of the film stating this was a work of fiction. When that needs to be stated, you know there’s some truth hidden in the film.
The action sequences that occur are thrilling and don’t suffer from the jerky camera angles that Hollywood’s blockbusters suffer from. They also serve a point either than being mindless entertainment, though they are highly enjoyable (the police raid in particular). They progress the story and drive home the fact how corrupt this police force is. Very few clean cops remain. The ones that do don’t last long.
It’s difficult to pull of a total package like this. An action thriller with effective drama and strong performances are hard to come by. Jose Padilha strikes gold with his film, hitting all of the right elements. “Elite Squad: The Enemy Within” isn’t just a titillating action film. It’s a powerful dramatic thriller, as well. Add it all together and you get an explosive success!
Final Rating: A
Creature
Plot: A group of friends on a trip to New Orleans take a detour into the backwoods of Louisiana. Rumor has it a creature by the name of Lockjaw lives in the swamps. Chopper (Sid Haig) owns a gas station that showcases the legend, but the group laughs him off. When they jokingly check out his home, they discover the legend is real.
Review: If you go into “Creature” expecting anything other than a B-movie schlock fest, you’ll be disappointed. I’d also question your knowledge, as I don’t know what you expected from a film with the tagline, “This creature has teeth!” Fred Andrews set out to make a creature feature like those from the fifties. He’s done just that, as well as adding a pinch of the eighties gore into the mix.
Even the creature itself, Lockjaw, is an ode to the “classic” creature features. It’s a man in a rubber suit that’s made to resemble a strange hybrid of a crocodile and a man. The legend itself revolves around Grimley (Daniel Bernhardt) who was set to wed and have a child with his sister. When a crocodile devours her, he gets his revenge by ripping it’s jaw off. My first thought was that he was wearing it’s skin. Once we get a good glimpse (which takes awhile), it appears he mated with the crocodile and somehow had an offspring. One that resembles Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla with a quarter of the budget.
As mentioned, Andrews does take his sweet time in revealing the monster. We get a few glimpses, which I love in these types of films. The only problem is he gets distracted with the hillbilly storyline. That centers around Chopper and his band of misfits keeping an eye on the drunken twenty-something year olds. To reveal any more would spoil the twist.
At the very least, Sid Haig and company are fun as the hillbillies. As is the creature feature aspect itself. It’s lowbrow for sure, but it’s meant to be. I love to kick back and enjoy some cheese every now and then. “Creature” fit the bill. It’s cheap, it’s cheesy, it’s fun!
Final Rating: B
Suicide Room
Plot: Dominik Santorksi (Jakub Gierszal) may seem like a typical teenager. He comes from a wealthy family, is apparently popular and has all the riches in the world handed to him. Deep down, he is a depressed soul who questions his sexuality and life. He grows unpopular, finding solace in an internet chat room dubbed the Suicide Room. He strikes up a friendship with Sylwia (Roma Gasiorowska-Zurawska) who gives him the strength to fight back against his selfish, workhaholic parents (Krzysztof Pieczynski & Agata Kulesza).
Review: Suicide is a heavy subject matter, one that’s hard to effectively be put on film. It’s been done numerous times, with quite a few titles handling it well. Jan Komasa handles it the most realistically in “Suicide Room”, showing the true effects of depression. By using the digital format and pixilated animation for the chat room sequences, she keeps the film both grim and beautiful. The Suicide Room is Dominik’s escape from reality, hence why it’s so beautifully shot.
The reality surrounding the computer screen seems lavish at first. Dominik seems popular and happy, with parents who seemingly care for him by providing him with the latest apparel. It’s not until we see his isolation from them, who are barely home, that we understand his turmoil. A sexual altercation with a fellow male classmate labels him an outcast. This drives him to hiding in his room in the darkness, with the light of the computer screen comforting him.
The reality that surrounds Sylwia is never revealed, which was a smart move by Komasa. Dominik doesn’t know, so neither should we. The only information we’re given that he’s not is his parents’ relations with the therapists they obtain for him. This is handled a bit unevenly at points, but does get the selfish nature of the parents across. They’re more concerned about their public image then they are of their son’s happiness. When he mentions he’s gay, they strike him down and make him feel ashamed of himself.
Jan Komasa set out to show the sullen world of depression in hopes of conveying hope to those who share the same feelings. There is a message at the beginning and end of the film giving the viewer a link to a suicide hotline if need be. For some, that may feel like a scapegoat, as they’ll view the film as a hopelessly depressing film. I’d agree with them that it is just that. However, it needs to be in order to get the message across. Komasa did just that.
Final Rating: A-