Showing posts with label melissa leo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label melissa leo. Show all posts

Monday, January 30, 2017

"SNOWDEN" (2016) Review




"SNOWDEN" (2016) Review

When I heard that director Oliver Stone was about to release a movie about tech whistleblower, Edward Snowden, I did not know what to expect. I still harbored memories of "THE FIFTH ESTATE", the 2013 movie about Julian Assange. Unlike many others, I did not dislike the film. But I did not find it particularly impressive. But curiosity won in regard to this movie about Snowden and I decided to watch it. 

Structured as a flashback, "SNOWDEN" began three years earlier in Hong Kong, where Snowden had agreed to meet with The Guardian and Washington Post journalists and reveal the details leading to his decision to expose the National Security Agency (N.S.A.)'s illegal cyber-snooping on millions of unsuspecting American citizens. The flashbacks began with Snowden's departure from the U.S. Army due to a major injury and covered his years with the C.I.A. and as a contractee for Dell, which manages computer systems for multiple government agencies like the N.S.A. The movie also covered Snowden's profession and growing knowledge of the American government's illegal use of cybertech affected his tumultuous relationship with girlfriend Lindsay Mills and his health for nearly a decade.

Personally, I thought "SNOWDEN" was a pretty damn good movie. It is not the first biopic or movie with a strong historic background that Oliver Stone had directed. And if I must be brutally honest, it is not his best. I cannot put my finger on why "SNOWDEN" failed to rank up there with the likes of "PLATOON""BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY" and especially "JFK". Was it the subject matter? One would think Edward Snowden's actions would generate plenty of controversy. An N.S.A. contractor exposing the U.S. government for illegally spying on the American public would seems controversial. Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald's screenplay even went into details behind Snowden's discoveries - details that left many Americans outraged when news of Snowden's leaks hit the newspapers and the Internet. The screenplay also detailed the emotional consequences that Snowden had suffered from his years with the C.I.A. and his employment as a N.S.A. contractor.

"SNOWDEN" also featured some pretty top notch performances from the cast. Performers like Zachary Quinto, Melissa Leo, Nicholas Cage, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Eastwood, Keith Stanfield, Ben Schnetzer, Logan Marshall-Green and Joely Richardson gave solid, yet colorful performances. I was very impressed by Rhys Ifan, who have a subtle, yet slightly sinister performance as Snowden's C.I.A. mentor Corbin O'Brian. Shailene Woodley was excellent as Snowden's girlfriend, Lindsay Mills, who nearly became an emotional victim of his profession. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave an outstanding performance as the titled character, Edward Snowden. His performance was subtle, emotional and very skillful . . . worthy of an acting nomination.

So, why did "SNOWDEN" fail to impress me? The performances were top-notch. The topic of illegal government surveillance struck me as not only controversial, but also relevant. Or perhaps the topic had ceased to be relevant with American moviegoers. Society's taste in entertainment has grown disturbingly conservative over the past several years. It is possible that many moviegoers were more outraged over Snowden's actions, than the government's. Or perhaps Stone's timing for the movie's production and release was a year or two late. 

But if I must be honest, "SNOWDEN" seemed to lack something . . . perhaps some touch of magic or energy that made some of his past films memorable to this day. In fact, the movie reminded me of the 2010 Best Picture winner, "THE KING'S SPEECH". Many recall that movie was a box office and garnered a great deal of accolades. True. But aside from Colin Firth's Best Actor win, I never thought it deserved its accolades. Both movies struck me as entertaining, yet unoriginal biopics. I suspect that the 2010 movie benefited from the public's growing conservative taste in entertainment. And it did not help that "SNOWDEN" ended with an appearance from the actual man himself. I dislike it when a filmmaker does this. For me, it is like tacking on a "behind-the-scenes" featurette at the end of a film, giving the latter a weak ending.

Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed "SNOWDEN". I found its topic very interesting and relevant. I was also impressed by the cast, which was led by the very talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the title role. Oliver Stone did a solid job in covering the years that led to Edward Snowden's whistle blowing. And thanks to him, the movie featured some interesting moments from a cinematic point-of-view. But overall, "SNOWDEN" struck me as a not-so-dazzling effort from Stone. It struck me as a bit too typical for a historical drama and biopic.

Monday, December 26, 2016

"SNOWDEN" (2016) Photo Gallery



Below are images from Oliver Stone's new biopic called "SNOWDEN". Based on "The Snowden Files" by Luke Harding and "Time of the Octopus" by Anatoly Kucherena, the movie starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden: 


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Sunday, June 16, 2013

"OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" (2013) Review

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"OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" (2013) Review

During the late winter/early spring of 2013, the American public found itself bombarded with constant media coverage of militaristic chest thumping from North Korea. By some strange coincidence, Hollywood released two movies featuring the North Koreans as the main villains between September 2012 and March 2013. One of those movies turned out to be the recent action thriller called "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN"

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" told the story of a disgraced U.S. Secret Service agent forced to rescue the President of the United from North Korean terrorists that have infiltrated and taken over the White House. I might as well start from the beginning. The movie begins with former Army Ranger-turned-Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is serving as lead agent for the Presidential Detail that guards President Benjamin Asher and the latter's wife and son. During a drive from Camp David, the car conveying President Asher and First Lady Margaret Asher crashes against a bridge railing. Banning manages to save the President, but the vehicle falls into the river before he and the rest of the detail can save the First Lady and two other agents. Because the sight of Banning triggers President Asher's memories of his wife's death, Banning is taken off the Presidential Detail. 

Eighteen months later, President Asher finds himself facing a state visit from South Korea's Prime Minister Lee Tae-Woo. Korean-led guerilla forces launch a combined air and ground attack upon Washington D.C. and more specifically, the White House. The attack, led by an ex-North Korean terrorist named Kang Yeonsak, results in the murder of Prime Minister Lee and the capture of President Asher, Vice-President Charlie Rodriguez and Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan. Kang wants the U.S. forces in South Korea to withdraw from the Korean Pennisula and the access codes to the Cerberus system: a fail-safe device that self-detonates any U.S. nuclear missiles during an abort. Meanwhile, Banning was on his way to the White House to ask the President to allow him back on the detail, when he gets caught up in the attack. Banning participates in the defense of the White House led by fellow Agent Roma, but nearly all of the defenders are killed. However Banning manages to get inside the White House and establish contact with Head of the Secret Service Lynne Jacobs, Speaker of the House Allan Trumball, and Chief of Staff General Edward Clegg. Then proceeds to find a way to save the President and other hostages.

The plot for "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" sounds very exciting. It also sounds very familiar. Some critic or blogger once compared it to some other movie I have never seen. But "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" reminded me of the 1997 Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman movie, "AIR FORCE ONE". Let me be frank. I despised "AIR FORCE ONE" when I first saw it in the theaters. I still despise it. There is nothing more ludicrous than the President of the United States as an action hero. "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" has its own share of flaws. But I am so relieved that screenwriters Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt did not transform President Asher into an action hero. But the two movies do share a good number of similarities:

*Both movies feature the U.S. President and personnel being held hostage.
*The hostage situation in both movies are in the presidential settings of either the White House or Air Force One.
*The Vice-President becomes head of state in the 1997 movie. The Speaker of the House becomes head of state in the 2013 film.
*Kazakhstan terrorists disguised as foreign press infiltrate Air Force One. North Korean terrorists disguised as South Korean diplomats infiltrate the White House.
*A Secret Service agent is a mole for the Kazakh terrorists in the 1997 film. A former Secret Service agent is a mole for the North Korean terrorists.


But despite these similarities, I still liked "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN". Somewhat. For me, the movie's major virtue proved to be its more plausible hero. Instead of using the President of the United States as the main hero, the leading man for "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" turned out to be a former Army Ranger-turned-Secret Service agent. And the movie's action struck me as very exciting and well directed by Antoine Fuqua. I was especially impressed by the long sequence that featured the North Korean terrorists' attack upon and takeover of the White House. The movie also benefitted from the emotional connection between Banning and President Asher, thanks to Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart's performances. The pair's connection reminded me of the Jack Bauer/President David Palmer relationship from FOX-TV's "24". What made the Banning/Asher's relationship more interesting is that it was nearly severed by the First Lady's death in the film's first twenty minutes. Rothenberger and Benedikt's screenplay proved to be somewhat decent. But I do feel it may have been somewhat undermined by certain sequences and plotlines.

While watching the first half of "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN", I assumed that the North Koreans' takeover of the White House would prove to be a plot for something bigger - to generate a war between the U.S. and North Korea, resulting in the fall of Communism on the Korean Pennisula. The reason I had made such assumptions was due to my misguided belief that the Hollywood studios had learned to overcome such one-dimensional demonization of another country - especially one that did not harbor Western or non-Communist beliefs. I really should have known better, considering the release of the 2012 remake,"RED DAWN" and the media's continuing penchant for villifying all Muslims - regardless of whether or not they are terrorists. As much as I had enjoyed the action and relationships in "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN", a part of me felt disappointed by the realization that Kang and his followers were behind the attack and the hostage situation all along. I also felt somewhat perplexed.

Think of it. Two (or three) of Kang's people managed to steal a U.S. military plane for an aerial attack on the White House. The theft of the plane was never discovered or reported by the U.S. military. Nor was the plane detected, until it was flying over the capital's airspace. And the U.S. sent only one fighter jet to force it down. And all of this happened in a story set in the post-9/11 world. Are you kidding me? It gets worse. During the movie's last half hour, Kang's surviving men post a stolen advanced anti-aircraft called Hydra 6 on the White House roof to kill approaching teams of U.S. Navy SEALs being conveyed to the presidential home by helicopters. Once again, the terrorists managed to steal advanced U.S. military weaponry in the country's post-9/11 era. No wonder I had originally assumed that some kind of high-level American conspiracy was involved with the terrorists. 

Some of the performances in "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" struck me as first-rate. Gerard Butler made an excellent and likable action hero in his portrayal of Secret Service Agent Mike Banning. And if I must be honest, I have not really enjoyed a performance of his in four years. Considering that Aaron Eckhart is ten years younger than Harrison Ford was when the latter portrayed a U.S. president in "AIR FORCE ONE", I am surprised that the screenwriters and Fuqua did not allow him to indulge in some kind of heroic action. But I must admit that he conveyed his usual intensity and top-notch acting skills in portraying a head-of-state in a dangerous and vulnerable state. Angela Bassett proved to be equally intense and entertaining as Banning's immediate supervisor and head of Secret Service Lynne Jacobs. Actually, I enjoyed her performance in this film a lot more than I did her take on a C.I.A. station chief in "THIS MEANS WAR". Rick Yune gave a subtle, yet menacing performance as leader of the North Korean terrorists, Kang Yeonsak. It is a pity that he has been limited to portraying villains most of his career. With his looks and presence, he should be garnering "good guys" roles by now. Ashley Judd had a brief role as First Lady Margaret Asher and did a very nice job with it. Cole Hauser, whom I last saw in "A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD", portrayed Banning's Secret Service colleague, Agent Roma. Fortunately, he managed to last a bit longer on screen than he did in the former movie. And even more fortunate, his Agent Roma died at the hands of the terrorists with style and balls. I can only hope that his next screen appearance will last even longer.

And there were the performances that did not exactly impress me. Some of them came from actors and actresses for whom I usually have a high regard. I love Morgan Freeman, but his performance as Speaker of the House Allan Trumball struck me as somewhat . . . tired. He spent a good deal of the movie either looking tired or reacting to someone else's dialogue with a stare of disbelief. I am also a fan of Melissa Leo, but her portrayal of Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan seemed a little hammy or frantic at times. I realize that her character was trying to be tough in the face of the terrorists, but . . . well . . . she struck me as a bit hammy. Speaking of hammy, Robert Forster's performance as Chief of Staff General Edward Clegg was in danger of going far beyond over-the-top. Perhaps his performance seemed unusually aggressive in comparison to Freeman's tiredness. Then again . . . who knows? Radha Mitchell gave a nice performance as Banning's wife, Leah. But if I must be honest, she came off as a second-rate Cathy Ryan from the Tom Clancy movies - especially since her character was a nurse. Worst of all, she did not have enough screen time, as far as I am concerned. And finally, there was Dylan McDermott, who portrayed ex-Secret Service Agent Dave Forbes, who became a private bodyguard and mole within the South Korean detail. Hmmm . . . how can I say this? McDermott did not exactly put much effort in hiding his villainy from the audience in the movie's first half. One glance at his shifty expressions led me to correctly guess that he would be working for the terrorists. And McDermott is usually more subtle than this.

I realize that in the end, "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" came off as a somewhat strident message against North Korea, leading me to compare it to one of those old anti-Communist films from the 1950s or even the 1980s. So . . . why do I still like it? One, screenwriters Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt wrote a decent story, despite some flaws. Two, Antoine Fuqua handled the movie's action, pacing and a good number of performances with great skill. Three, there were some pretty good performances in the movie - especially from Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Rick Yune. But most importantly, "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" did not follow the ludicrous example of "AIR FORCE ONE" by allowing its Presidential character engage in heroic actions. For that I am truly grateful to the screenwriters and Fuqua.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

"OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" (2013) Photo Gallery

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Below are images from "OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN", the recent Cold War action thriller. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the movie stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Angela Bassett and Morgan Freeman: 


"OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN" (2013) Photo Gallery

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Friday, December 21, 2012

"FLIGHT" (2012) Review

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"FLIGHT" (2012) Review

For years, I thought that director Robert Zemeckis had lost his way. I thought the Academy Award he had won for the 1994 movie, "FOREST GUMP" had transformed a talented and slightly eccentric filmmaker into a pretentious and boring one.

I realize this is a cruel thing to say. Robert Zemeckis had been one of my favorite directors ever since I first saw his 1978 comedy, "I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND" on television. But after he won a Best Director Oscar for "GUMP", he seemed to have lost his touch. I am not saying that movies like "CONTACT""WHAT LIES BENEATH" and "CASTAWAY" were terrible. For me, they seemed to lack that Zemeckis touch that had made his previous movies magical for me. But after seeing the director's latest endeavor, "FLIGHT", I believe there is a good chance that he may have regained his mojo.

"FLIGHT" tells the story of an airline pilot, who manages to prevent a flight between Orlando and Atlanta from perishing in a fatal crash. Only six people - four passengers and two stewardesses - die in the crash. An investigation of the crash reveals not only malfunctions within the plane, but also evidence of alcohol use by the crew, especially by the pilot, one Whip Whitaker. Whip had used cocaine before the flight to keep himself alert and imbibed alcohol during the flight. The airline pilots' union hires Hugh Lang to defend Whip and prevent the latter from serving time in prison for drug and manslaughter charges. Lang claims he can get the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s toxicology report declared inadmissible in court and focus the investigation on the plane's malfunctions. But both he and Whip's friend and union representative, Charlie Anderson, gradually become aware that Whip is a hardcore alcoholic and drug abuser. And his addictions might stand in the way of any successful defense on Lang's part.

I am not stating that "FLIGHT" is perfect. It had one or two aspects I found questionable. One, I thought a movie that is basically a character study of an alcoholic airline pilot possibly facing the consequences of his substance abuse should not have a running time of 139 minutes. Yes, I believe it was at least fifteen to twenty minutes too long. And one of the scenes I would have trimmed featured a cameo appearance by the very talented James Badge Dale. Do not get me wrong. I thought that Badge Dale gave a superb performance as a cancer patient that Whip Whitaker and future girlfriend/fellow addict Nicole Maggen met in a hospital hallway. Unless Badge Dale had said something that related to the story (and if he did, someone please enlighten me), I saw no reason to include his character into the story. My other problem has a good deal to do with a repentant Whip recounting his alcoholism and drug use to a counseling group. Honestly, it felt as if Bob Zemeckis and screenwriter John Gatins injected a segment from an episode of the "ABC AFTERSCHOOL" television series . . . and that Whip was talking to a group of high school students.

Despite these flaws, I must admit that "FLIGHT" really impressed me. The last time I saw a movie or television series about an alcoholic was CBS's "KNOT'S LANDING" in which the Gary Ewing character (portrayed by actor Ted Shackleford) experienced his last bout of alcoholism and recovery. It was ugly to watch. Since then, I have made a point of deliberately avoiding movies about alcoholics and drug abusers. At least two family members have died from the consequences of drug abuse. When I sat down in a movie theater to watch "FLIGHT", I never thought that Denzel Washington would be portraying such a hardcore substance abuser. But you know what? I am glad that I saw the movie.

There are many aspects about "FLIGHT" that I truly enjoyed. Thanks to Robert Zemeckis' direction, Don Burgess' cinematography and award worthy editing by Jeremiah O'Driscoll, the movie featured a kick ass plane crash sequence that left me breathless and wired at the same time. It was a beautiful thing to watch and worthy of a series of Academy Awards technical nominations. But more importantly, Gatnis created a superb portrayal of the alcoholic airline pilot that gave plenty of meat for both Zemeckis and actor Denzel Washington. Some of the movie's best moments aside from the actual crash included Whip's future girlfriend, Nicole Maggen, nearly dying from a heroin overdose; Lang and Whip's meeting with the president of the airlines; Whip and Nicole's conflict over his constant drinking; Whip's confrontation with his ex-wife and son; Lang's chewing out Whip about the latter's legal situation; and Whip's failed attempt to resist consuming booze he found in a mini bar in a hotel room. My two favorite scenes featured the attempts of Whip's colorful friend/drug dealer Harling Mays to help him recover from another alcoholic binge before he can testify before a NTSB hearing . . . and the actual hearing itself, which ended with a surprising twist.

The performances for "FLIGHT" were superb. I could not find a bad or mediocre performance from any member of the cast. Not one. I have already pointed out James Badge Dale's excellent performance as a cancer patient that Whip and Nicole briefly met. I was also impressed by Tamara Tunie's stalwart, yet emotional performance as senior flight attendant Margaret Thomason; Brian Geraghty as Whip's religious co-pilot Ken Evans, who lost the use of his legs; Peter Gerety's colorful portrayal of airline owner Avington Carr; and Nadine Velazquez's solid performance as Katerina Marquez, the recently deceased flight attendant who had been Whip's lover.

But the performances that really caught my eye came from Melissa Leo, who gave a brief, yet subtle performance as lead NTSB investigator Ellen Block; John Goodman, who was deliciously larger than life as Whip's friend and drug dealer, Harling Mays; and Bruce Greenwood's quiet, yet emotional portrayal of Whip's much put upon friend, Charlie Anderson. Don Cheadle (who last worked with Washington in the 1995 movie, "DEVIL IN THE BLUE DRESS") gave a superb performance, while acting as more or less the backbone of the movie as Whip's uber talented attorney, Hugh Lang. Kelly Reilly finally caught the eyes of critics in her excellent portrayal of recovering drug addict, Nicole Maggen, who ends up falling for Whip.

But the man of the hour was Denzel Washington. Ever since winning his second Academy Award, ten or eleven years ago, he has given a series of solid or excellent performances in movies that were either successful or not. But it was plain to me that his performance as alcoholic Whip Whitaker was one of his very best in years. Washington was always at his best when portraying characters that were complex - with both likeable and dislikeable traits. Only a true performer, in my opinion, is not afraid to tackle such a character. As the last twenty to thirty years of superb performances have shown, Washington has never been afraid to tackle such characters like Whip.

"FLIGHT" may have suffered from a running time that I found too long and an ending that struck me as a little too adolescent for my tastes. But I must admit that it has become for me one of the best movies I have seen this year. As a filmmaker, Robert Zemeckis has returned in top form. And his endeavors were assisted by excellent photography and editing, a top-notch screenplay by John Gatins and first-rate performances from a talented cast led by the always superb Denzel Washington.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

"FLIGHT" (2012) Photo Gallery

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Below are images from "FLIGHT", a new drama that was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Denzel Washington:


"FLIGHT" (2012) Photo Gallery

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