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Yes, that one really sucked.
Absolutely phenomenal action flick from John Wick director David Leitch. Almost 2 hours of non-stop pure entertainment and fun. Charlize Theron totally smashed it as the lead character - super sexy, very charismatic and a total killing machine. James McAvoy chewed the scenery every time he appeared, Sofia Boutella confirms she is a total babe, some cool smaller roles from Toby Jones, John Goodman and Til Schweiger. The soundtrack was awesome, and the action scenes were just mindblowing - that 10 or so minutes single-shot sequence near the end of the film is hands down the best action scene I've ever seen, my jaw dropped multiple times on the floor during that sequence. I can't wait to own this on Blu Ray so I can watch it over and over again, and I hope a sequel happens soon.
The Hitman's Bodyguard will be my cinema trip next Wednesday.
It could do with a remaster also the film is full of ideas, I do struggle with the end it's more nightmarish than wish fulfillment, the end sequence is totally devoid of any humanity though I guess that's the point.
You have made me feel very jealous inside
@chrisisall, I'll check out both versions just to see how they feel. Either ay I think I'll come away with more positive things to say about the movie then my last impressions.
Interesting I have not heard anything about an 'Editors Cut' I have the steel book trilogy boxset of Spiderman, I wonder if those scenes are on the special features.
@Fire_and_Ice_Returns, despite being a mega Spidey fan I also had no idea a new cut had come out, and only knew this by reading the back of the case before my purchase. It'll be interesting to watch them back to back, to see if they feel any different from one another.
I'll have a look on Amazon see if there is a UK release, I will probably buy it if the case is good
Edited: I can't find it on Amazon unfortunately, was hoping for a steelbook, I have two Spiderman Steelbooks so far...
https://smile.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Trilogy-Limited-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B06XZ588HB/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502969164&sr=8-3&keywords=Spider-Man+trilogy+blu-ray
Perhaps you could locate it in your neck of the woods, as it will be listed with the same title and specifics.
George Clooney gives a quiet but strong performance in this Anton Corbijn directed Euro enthused spy film that uses the simple vehicle of a held up assassin to paint an interesting story that delves into many compelling and layered themes and ideas. This movie was originally horrible mis-marketed as an action piece, but it's not that and nobody should go into it with that expectation. Despite Clooney being the star of the film this isn't an American movie, instead created by Europeans, shot in European locations and presented in a very European filmic fashion with a quiet focus on character and story where you are left to get from the movie what strikes you. I find it refreshing on all counts, not only for how different of a spy movie it is from what you see in this current day climate, but also in how Clooney isn't jammed into a charismatic or light role. Here he's very much playing a spy you'd see in a post-war black & white piece, reserved but emotive in a very human and compelling performance that a Richard Burton could manage. His assassin character doesn't speak unless he really must, but all you need to know about what he is feeling and going through is easily transmitted by Clooney's acting in a role unlike any I've seen him take on before. Part of the fun in watching the movie is wondering what this man is thinking as all these events happen around and to him, as the movie doesn't hold your hand or blink context. What you pick up, you pick up, and every watch can uncover new insights into the character as the action unfolds.
This is a film I enjoy the more I see it, and its technical craft, down to the photography, score and overall mood and atmosphere are extremely gripping to me, evoking claustrophobia, paranoia and danger in such simple surroundings. The real magic of the movie is how it's built on distrust. From the first moment you never know what or who to trust, if a passerby is a gun-toting enemy or just an innocent bystander. The film calls back to so many images and ideas it presents early on and plays with dialogue to give you little hints or contradictions about what you are seeing (or think you are seeing) that really excite my analytical side when it comes to scrubbing movies of information. It's smartly assembled such that you can get a clear sense of what is going on if you're keen enough and it's great to see the thought that went into assembling it all by Corbijn and his skilled crew. In your first watch you won't know what are red herrings and what aren't, or what is really unfolding until it's over, but every subsequent watch is fun to see how the movie was leaving clues and tying things together from the whole duration unbeknownst to you.
I'm currently going through the Fleming books right now and I appreciated the movie even more for giving me a feeling approaching one I do when reading some of the great man's work. Now, don't take this as an emphatic comparison. You won't find moments of the bizarre in this movie or fantastical content, but the core idea of Fleming's novels and how he took a tough but compelling man and painted existential questions through his experiences is very much a part of this film as the protagonist faces his life decisions and sins, ponders the state of his soul and where he stands as a man who kills along with other things I don't want to spoil.
For Bond fans there are plenty of flourishes I think those here could appreciate. The female cast are entrapping and evocative European beauties that give great mystery and raw humanity to their characters in the way Fleming would write his ladies, and the overall style of the film and how the cast look and appear evoke a bygone age of old Hollywood where glamor mixes with more modern feelings of paranoia and danger. The influences of Anton Corbijn are wide, from Italian western cinema to post-war spy films that come out quite beautifully throughout the run time. It's got that great atmosphere and mood of The Third Man in particular, using simple characters and circumstances to create an interesting experience for the compelled viewer. I wouldn't mind seeing what Corbijn would do with a Bond film, as his mastery of so many film techniques and his ability to layer messages in a covert and moving way are very interesting, as is his understanding of how to craft a story frame to frame while giving his actors room to lift the material. He's not a well known artist and this movie was only his second at the time, but I'd love to see him head back to the spy genre to tackle something else and a new story with the same heart and intellect.
This isn't a movie for everyone, so take this as a big disclaimer. Fans of big action and second by second pulse-pounding visual carnage, beware. For those like me that enjoy more restrained films that become character studies for interesting figures in the story, this could be for you. For those also like me that love studying movies, how they're made and the themes and hidden messages that artists inject into their work, there's a lot of great content in this movie and questions it leaves you asking long after viewing it that might intrigue you. I think the likes of @chrisisall, @DarthDimi, @Birdleson, @Some_Kind_Of_Hero and a few others would like this in particular. I know that Blade Runner is a particular favorite of those gents and this movie has the same kind of emphasis on quiet characterization and mood and atmosphere as that movie did within the sci-fi genre; you don't get all the answers and one can come away with a different experience of the film that is fascinating to share. I don't want it to be taken as a comparison, as all films are different, but I think those that enjoy the kinds of slightly experimental genre films like the 1982 film will find something to appreciate in how The American manages a twist on the spy story via European style and presentation.
As I am always quick to say when discussing the movie, it won't be for everyone. It's the kind of movie where everything is happening even when nothing may seem to be happening to certain viewers. Some will be engaged by the restrained and subtle content and the layers moving under other layers, while others may snore and reach for the pause button.
I just like bringing it up around here every once in a while because our community boasts a great cinephile sect that I'd love to talk about the movie with. It is still very much engrained in the mood and iconography of the spy genre, so I am endlessly intrigued to see how certain Bond fans find it and what it does with that genre. I know there are some fans around here of it, including @Creasy47 who I've discussed it with before, and I always push to get more folks to check it out.
If we had a thread on here for the community where members recommended a movie every two weeks for us all to discuss in depth for that time, this would be a movie I'd be quick to select.
Then I gave it away.
Me too. It's like waiting for something that never comes. I didn't care about what happened at the end because the film gave me no reason to care. It wasn't even trying to keep me interested so when the end happened I was just like "OK" and turned it off. If you make no attempt to engage the viewer, that's fine, but don't expect them to feel something when you want them to. That's my thoughts anyway.
What's it about, @Thunderfinger? I'd like to check out his other stuff.
That's the beauty of subjective viewing, where what puts you to slip grips me from the very first moment. I wouldn't call it a "Waiting for Godot" situation at all, though. The film has a clear plot and is always driving towards a definite conclusion and big idea with minor diversions that feed into the main story and its themes. It's not Clooney lost around Italy walking up and down streets for two hours, it has a beginning, middle and end that constantly build and develop things.
Whether that plot and development makes you care is what can be debated.
Is that 'The Limits of Control' or did he do one simply titled 'Control'? I recall renting the latter many years back and had an issue with the playback, so I saw maybe ten minutes or so before being forced to stop.
That's easily possible. I'm assuming that's the case.
Looking forward to your review since there seems to be so few of us on these forums that enjoy it. Should be cheap as dirt, too, I think I grabbed my blu-ray copy online for only $4-5.
It was just $5 for me too, @Creasy47. Love those bargain bin deals. I'm the type of guy who goes to the local Wal-Mart and spends an hour and a half looking into piles of blu-rays for special surprises. Those moments where you pick through the filth and get a great one creates an amazing feeling.
Great to hear, @chrisisall. I hope I've not hyped this one up too much. But I think you'll end up finding my Blade Runner comparison and the fashion in which they were made and what they emphasize somewhat proper, and might like it for that feeling. It's quiet character, mood and atmosphere, and some of the same themes and imagery.
An SP and The American fan, very nice @Mathis1. I think the real draw and what makes the movie special is that Clooney isn't in his usual classic Hollywood role with over spilling charisma and nice guy attitude. I appreciated seeing him go somewhere new and restrained, and watching it shows how much he can go to those levels as a performer.