Movie Review: Killer Elite (2011)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Gary McKendry  

Starring: Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, Clive Owen, Dominic Purcell  
Running Time: 116 minutes  

Synopsis: In 1980, hitman Danny (Jason Statham) quits the killing business after coming face-to-face with the young son of his latest victim. He relocates to Australia and becomes romantically involved with Anne (Yvonne Strahovski). A year later Danny's partner Hunter (Robert De Niro) is held hostage by an Arab sheik, forcing Danny back into action. To secure Hunter's freedom, Danny has to find and kill three ex-SAS members responsible for killing the Sheik's three sons. Danny assembles a team including Davies (Dominic Purcell) and Meier (Aden Young), but ex-SAS soldier Spike (Clive Owen) is deployed by the shadowy Feathermen organization to disrupt Danny's mission.

What Works Well: Inspired by real events surrounding the Dhofar Rebellion, this action thriller reaches for a deeper context than typical efforts while still enjoying well-staged and stunt-heavy action scenes. Set in Oman and England, Danny's exploits cut across Cold War Middle East tensions, deniable military engagements, the battle to control oil reserves, and deposed ruler vendettas. A further layer of complexity is introduced by the need to stage the killings as accidents, and Spike emerging as an atypical counterweight to Danny, cut from the same cloth and as much a pawn as all guns for hire. Dominic Purcell's lackadaisical Davies adds irreverent presence.

What Does Not Work As Well: Robert De Niro is an afterthought in an underdeveloped role, and the attempts at character depth (primarily through Danny's relationship with Anne) are superficial. The bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat scenes yield remarkably minor bruising for the survivors, and the late plot revelations meld into a muddle of murky agendas.

Key Quote:

Danny: War isn't over until both sides say it is.

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Movie Review: Just Go With It (2011)

Genre: Comedy  

Director: Dennis Dugan  

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker  

Running Time: 117 minutes  

Synopsis: Plastic surgeon Danny (Adam Sandler) has never been married, but always pretends to be stuck in a bad marriage to enjoy commitment-free flings. When he meets and falls in love with school teacher Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), Danny recruits his office manager Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) as his pretend soon-to-be-ex-wife.  A series of deceptions ensue, resulting in Danny, Palmer, Katherine, her two kids, and Danny's cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson) heading to a Hawai'i vacation. The appearance of Katherine's frenemy Devlin (Nicole Kidman) at the vacation resort adds further complications.

What Works Well: This is a surprisingly sharp and often quite funny comedy with a dash of romance. The script (by Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling) is packed with laugh-ready characters, including Katherine's quirky kids, the easy-to-mock Devlin, and the out-there Eddie. Highlights drop in from all directions, including an assortment of plastic surgery mishaps, a hula dancing face-off, a coconut competition, and a sheep in distress. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler share an easy chemistry and roll with plenty of improvised dialogue, while director Dennis Dugan provides bright and cheerful surroundings.

What Does Not Work As Well: Of course Danny's entire predicament would have been resolved with an early commitment to the truth, and for a flighty comedy, the running time could have used a trim. Nick Swardson as cousin Eddie occasionally threatens to exceed his good-in-small-doses limits.

Key Quote:

Palmer (upon finding a wedding ring in Danny's bag): What's this?

Danny: A circle?

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Movie Review: Close (2019)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Vicky Jewson  

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Sophie Nelisse, Indira Varma  

Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: After escorting reporters through a Middle East war zone, close protection officer Sam (Noomi Rapace) is assigned to protect mining company heiress Zoe (Sophie Nelisse) on a trip from Europe to Morocco. Zoe has just inherited all her father's company shares, much to the disappointment of her step-mother Rima (Indira Varma). With the company in the middle of critical negotiations to acquire properties in Zambia, Zoe becomes an attack target as soon as she arrives at the family's fortified kasbah in Morocco. Sam has to protect her client in a foreign country, and is not sure who to trust.

What Works Well: The opening sequence featuring an ambush on a dusty desert road is a thrilling introduction to Sam's skill and temperament. Director Vicky Jewson delivers well-staged and coherent action scenes, and Noomi Rapace's moody persona is a good fit for the dour and frequently bruised security consultant operating in a perpetual trust-free zone.

What Does Not Work As Well: The script is too ambitious for the available budget. The business aspects related to stepmom Rima navigating a high pressure mining deal and fending off a rival company are laughably under-produced. The plot is too late sorting out the bad guys from the good guys, leaving a muddle of loose ends and dead-but-anyway-barely-defined characters to be swept into the bargain bin. 

Key Quote:

Zoe: I don't care what you think about me.

Sam: I don't think anything about you.

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Movie Review: The Life Of Chuck (2024)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Mike Flanagan  

Starring: Tim Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Mark Hamill, Jacob Tremblay  

Running Time: 111 minutes  

Synopsis: The plot unfolds in reverse chronological order, starting with Chapter Three. School teacher Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan) experience the end of the world, but with weird billboards and posters proclaiming "Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years!". In Chapter Two, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) is an accountant attending a conference. He encounters a drummer busker and dances up a storm, joined by the recently dumped Janice (Annalise Basso). In Chapter One, Chuck is an orphaned boy being raised by his grandparents Sarah and Albie (Mia Sara and Mark Hamill). Sarah teaches him to love dancing, while Albie encourages Chuck to pursue accounting as a career.

What Works Well: Adapting a Stephen King short story, writer and director Mike Flanagan unfurls a simple narrative with a deep commitment to the essence of being human. Chuck's whimsical journey sparkles with insights, sometimes subtle, at other times profound, linking one (and every) individual with the greater universe. Inspired by Carl Sagan's Cosmic Calendar and Walt Whitman's I contain multitudes, Chuck is nobody important and everybody who has ever lived, loved, lamented, and experienced unexpected moments of sublime perfection on the uncertain path to a singular certainty.

What Does Not Work As Well: The middle chapter could have been longer beyond the centrepiece dance sequence, and the childhood chapter may have benefitted from a proportionate trim.

Key Quote:

Chuck: I will live my life until my life runs out.

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Movie Review: The Rip (2026)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Joe Carnahan  
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Kyle Chandler  
Running Time: 113 minutes  

Synopsis: In Miami, the leader of a drug enforcement unit is murdered, casting suspicion on her team members. Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) is her second-in-command, and he receives a tip about cartel money stashed in a safe house. He leads the unit on a raid, and after getting past the home occupant Desi (Sasha Calle), they discover $20 million stashed in the attic. Dane and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Ben Affleck) have to help the team resist temptation while improvising a plan to protect and transport the money, guarding against each other, and preparing for an incoming attack.

What Works Well: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck bring a weighty combination of star presence and world weariness to their roles, and almost save a few scenes. The plot borrows from Arnold Schwarzenegger's Sabotage, and does raise sharp questions about the limits of human capacity to push back against greed.

What Does Not Work As Well: The attempts at character building (Dane lost a son to cancer, J.D. was passed over for a promotion) are skimpy enough to be useless. The plot aims for twists and turns, but the predictable revelations are poorly paced and quickly descend into a muddle. The action scenes are badly staged, bathed in murky darkness, and edited into visual morsels of incomprehension. In the quieter moments between shootouts, the script replaces wit with an overload of profanity.

Key Quote:

Dane: C'mon, Desi. You got a Colombian flag hanging over the fireplace downstairs. We're cops, so it kinda takes the mystery outta who the money might belong to.

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Movie Review: The Getaway (1994)

Genre: Crime Thriller  

Director: Roger Donaldson  

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, Jennifer Tilly, James Woods, Richard Farnsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman  

Running Time: 116 minutes  

Synopsis: Master thief "Doc" McCoy (Alec Baldwin) and his wife Carol (Kim Basinger) join fellow criminal Rudy (Michael Madsen) to free a drug cartel member, but after the job Rudy abandons Doc, who spends time in a Mexican jail. Carol trades sexual favours with crime lord Benyon (James Woods) in exchange for Doc's freedom, and Benyon again partners Doc with Rudy to hold up an Arizona dog racing track. The theft turns violent, Rudy attempts a double-cross, but Doc and Carol end up with the heist money and on the run to El Paso, hotly pursued by Rudy and Benyon's men.

What Works Well: This faithful remake of the 1972 Sam Peckinpah original offers sun-scorched southwest locations, well-staged action scenes, and an enjoyable collection of bad and worse criminals doggedly plotting against each other. Kim Basinger is a significant upgrade on Ali MacGraw, and the heat between real-life couple Baldwin and Basinger is intensified by Doc's understandable annoyance at his wife's sexual liaison with Benyon. 

What Does Not Work As Well: While the production is slick and competent, it's also hard to justify. Alec Baldwin tries to exude a sense of cool but is no match for Steve McQueen, and many of the weaknesses carry over from the original. These include Rudy's cartoonish ability to escape death, and his prolonged side-quest romance with a veterinarian's lusty wife (Jennifer Tilly). Doc's pursuit of an unworthy low-level train station thief only serves to prolong the running time.

Key Quote:

Rudy Travis: It's been my experience that having friends is overrated.

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Movie Review: Arlington Road (1999)

Genre: Thriller  

Director: Mark Pellington  

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis  

Running Time: 119 minutes  

Synopsis: In suburban Virginia, Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) is a professor specializing in domestic terrorism, and still grieving the death of his wife, an FBI agent. Michael is now dating his former student Brooke (Hope Davis), and they befriend their neighbours Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack). Oliver claims to be an architect, but Michael starts uncovering evidence that Oliver is lying about his background, and that he may have violent anti-government intentions. Increasingly paranoid but undeterred, Michael keeps investigating and draws himself and his young son into danger.

What Works Well: Inspired by actual events like the Oklahoma City bombing and the Ruby Ridge stand-off, this is a slick, taut, and clever thriller about the threat living in plain sight and just next door. The Ehren Kruger script keeps the mystery alive by revealing only what is necessary and in small but steady increments, casting doubt not only on Oliver's true nature but also Michael's state of mind. Jeff Bridges (intense) and Tim Robbins (calculating) bounce off each other, and the final twist is a welcome departure from the usual clichés. 

What Does Not Work As Well: On the way to an effective and satisfying resolution, the action becomes frantic and dependent on plenty of back-and-forth traveling and some unlikely perfect timing.

Key Quote:

Michael: You can't ask government to be infallible, but you can ask it to be accountable.

Oliver: I can ask it to be honest.

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Movie Review: Rumor Has It... (2005)

Genre: Dramedy  

Director: Rob Reiner  

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Jenkins, Mena Suvari  

Running Time: 96 minutes  

Synopsis: Sarah (Jennifer Aniston) is having second thoughts about her engagement to Jeff (Mark Ruffalo). They travel to Pasadena to attend the wedding of her sister Annie (Mena Suvari), and the family gathering reminds Sarah she is a misfit and has nothing in common with her father Earl (Richard Jenkins). Then Sarah starts piecing together clues suggesting her grandmother Katherine (Shirley MacLaine) was the inspiration for Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate, and she tracks down Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), the potential real-life Benjamin Braddock.

What Works Well: This is an engaging-enough hybrid comedy-drama-romance about family secrets, fitting-in, flexible definitions of love, the enduring across-the-years bond between mother and daughter, and grey zones between fact and fiction. Jennifer Aniston capably carries the load as Sarah is caught in an emotional storm of internal doubt, and she is surrounded by a quality cast with Shirley MacLaine a particular delight. Director Rob Reiner delivers a polished look and brisk pacing.

What Does Not Work As Well: The chemistry-free romance that develops between Sarah and Beau, after she suspects he may be her father, can only be described as icky and made worse by her betrayal of fiancé Jeff. The script frequently lacks zing, exemplified by reaching for an undeserved happy ending while ignoring the bittersweet "now what" uncertainty of The Graduate's resolution.

Key Quote:

Sarah: Maybe every girl in my family has to sleep with you.

Beau: I don't know if they have to, but they certainly have.

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Movie Review: Crazy/Beautiful (2001)

Genre: Romance  

Director: John Stockwell  

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison  

Running Time: 99 minutes  

Synopsis: High school student Carlos (Jay Hernandez) comes from a Hispanic family living on the wrong side of town, but he is nevertheless a good student, a star on the football team, and applying to a military academy. His classmate Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) is the daughter of a wealthy congressman (Bruce Davison). She is also a frequently drunk party girl rebelling against a perceived lack of affection at home. Carlos and Nicole start an intense romantic relationship, but their different backgrounds will cause tension.

What Works Well: Nicole is crazy, Carlos is beautiful, and this "opposites attract" romance carries an admirable intensity. Kirsten Dunst demonstrates impressive range in revealing Nicole's seething anger at a father ignoring her while accommodating his new bride and dotting over a new baby. That the dad takes on a greater role as the drama unfolds is credit to a script willing to treat parents as more than afterthoughts in a teen romance. Tensions between neighbouring communities, peer pressure from the distinct circles of friends surrounding the lovers, and hints of future opportunities all add further texture.

What Does Not Work As Well: Carlos' life plan along the straight-and-narrow path of academic and athletic excellence is fundamentally at odds with succumbing to a distraction like Nicole, and their romance never reconciles this disconnect. The final act is emotionally impressive and allows Dunst to sparkle, but also represents simplistic solutions to deep-seated behavioural issues. 

Key Quote:

Carlos (to Nicole): I want to take you away from everything that makes you crazy.

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Movie Review: Fast Charlie (2023)

Genre: Action  

Director: Phillip Noyce  

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Morena Baccarin, James Caan  

Running Time: 90 minutes  

Synopsis: In Biloxi, Mississippi, Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan) is a hitman and fixer for crime boss Stan (James Caan). A hit on low-level criminal Rollo goes a bit wrong, but allows Charlie to connect with Rollo's ex-wife Marcie (Morena Baccarin), a taxidermist. Meanwhile New Orleans crime boss Beggar (Gbenga Akinnagbe) moves in on Stan's turf, leaving many dead bodies behind. Charlie vows revenge, and learns that Beggar is desperate to recover incriminating evidence hidden by Rollo.

What Works Well: Pierce Brosnan cuts through the action with effortless confidence, and a few moments of viciously dark humour deliver an effective punch. The production values are decent, and the energy level sustained. Charlie's narrated philosophy is better than it needs to be, as is the jagged romance that he develops with Marcie.

What Does Not Work As Well: This is stock hitman's revenge material straight from the generica action file, with an auto-pilot plot that cannot survive any level of scrutiny. Multiple violent murders never seem to trouble any enforcement authorities, a compact disc is still considered a relevant MacGuffin, a large amount of cash is stored in a small flimsy box, barely defined allies pop up to save Charlie at the most opportune moments, and all of the bad guys disappear when convenient. 

Key Quote:

Charlie: It is not really letting go of the past that sticks with you. It's coming to terms with letting go of the future that will never be. 

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