Closer

Tags

2000's, Clive Owen, Closer, Drama, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Mike Nichols, Natalie Portman

Film Title

Closer

Director

Mike Nichols

Starring

• Julia Roberts as Anna
• Jude Law as Dan
• Natalie Portman as Alice
• Clive Owen as Larry

Based on a play, Closer, as directed by Mike Nichols, brutally tears apart the cruelty and manipulative nature of people when it comes to relationships. It’s not cosy watching, but a bruising and frank exposure of betrayal and hurt, aided by the fine direction and four performances at the centre of it all.

Closer begins with obituary writer Dan catching the eye of pretty, spiky haired American Alice on the streets of London. After exchanging glances, Alice is hit by a car but is not seriously injured. Following this, Dan and Alice become romantically involved with each other. Dan is an aspiring writer who speaks of the greatness and depth of love, while Alice is a stripper who doesn’t reveal a lot about herself though seems to be a largely naive young lady looking for something. Later, Dan has written his book( which he has based partly on what Alice has told him about her life) and has his picture taken by the distant photographer Anna, who he can’t help but feel attracted to. She resists his advances and he decides to get even. Frequenting a naughty dating site, he pretends to be Anna and talks with Larry, an alpha-male dermatologist. Dan sets the two up, yet after the initial awkwardness of what they discover was Dan’s doing, Anna and Larry begin to hit it off. It is here that events begin to snowball for everyone as crossed wires and brutal betrayals plague the group and start an unending run of misery for all. Throughout the film, the four people in this love square swap and wreak havoc on their lives as they toy with feelings and the very fabric of attraction.

The dexterous Mike Nichols is on great form with this relationship drama, delving into the darkness with a withering eye and complex touch. Nichols has successfully charted the destructive essence of flawed people in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and succeeds again with how he dives into a harsh and relentlessly honest confrontation of the urban relationships and the harsh betrayals the four pull on each other. He refuses to sweeten anything for the audience, which deserves applause for not being cowed or overly smooth. The mess that Anna, Dan, Alice and Larry is all by their own actions and we never forget that. Even the moments of humour have barbed and caustic sting to them, mocking how these people may not even know what love is considering the way they hurt and inflict harm on each other. Now even those who don’t know that Closer is based on a play will be sure to guess as soon as the quartet open their mouths. There is something literate yet strangely intimate about the dialogue, which goes for the jugular with progressively raw and savage language. Closer sports some of the most adult and brazenly sexual dialogue you are ever likely to hear in a movie. And the fact that Closer feels very much like a play on film will either turn you off or on. Some of it does feel not very cinematic, though in part that is probably largely the point of it. For me, I found the structure and unusual intimacy compelling and uncompromising. Closer jumps forward in time without the easy use of giving us title cards, letting the script fill in some of what has transpired off-screen and leaving the rest up to you. I found myself quite riveted by this approach as it refused to give any respite and truthfully exhibits the easiness with which this group hops in and out of bed and affections with each other. Closer may deal with the themes of love and adultery, but it is far from a raunchy film. It goes under the microscope of attraction to pull out the ugliness in humans when it comes to the heart and sex. Even a scene of Alice stripping and teasing Larry is turned far away from pornographic fantasy into a battle of wills, with Alice getting the upper hand and ironically exposing very little. The limited use of music, save for a few instances of opera or background melodies in club settings, makes it possible for the harsh and piercing core of the film to really surface and linger.

With this kind of film the acting has to be something to form a deep impression, thankfully the four actors of the piece are more than up to that task. Julia Roberts, who is known for being smiley and charming in movies, turns it right down to star as the aloof Anna. I liked how Roberts wasn’t afraid to play this type of character, whose completely spineless and ambivalent actions are just one of many instances of callous behaviour shared by everyone. Jude Law is good casting as the descriptive but smug Dan, who believes he knows everything yet is far from being a figure of model actions. Law has that ability to really show the ugliness and loathing of a character, that is finely tuned to the part of Dan. Natalie Portman is spectacular in one of her best roles. It’s her understanding of Alice’s many contradictions and mystery that makes the role so memorable. Sifting through the layers of the character, from innocent and vulnerable to cold and seductive, Portman doesn’t miss a beat. It’s truly a credit to her that we think we know Alice for a lot of the film and then we are surprised by the little suggestions that she may not be the most angelic member of this quartet, even though it largely seemed to be that way. It’s a daring and naughty part that calls for Portman to show some skin but not reveal a lot outwardly, a challenge that she rises to and delivers a hypnotic piece of work. Filling the last angle of this love square is a ferocious turn from Clive Owen. He essays Larry as a man who is very charming and frequently the dominant person, but little by little the brute force of him comes pouring out in an explosive way. His anguish and brutal mouth are palpably played by Owen and made all the more shocking due to the intensity of his delivery. All of the principal actors are at the top of their respective games, with Natalie Portman and Clive Owen really burning into the mind.

A cutting examination of modern relationships and the tangled parts that result in anguish, Closer retains a theatrical air that can get a bit heavy-handed, yet that should not detract from the sterling quartet of actors and the acute eye of Mike Nichols behind the camera. Definitely a film that won’t be for everyone, but for those who want an adult drama that doesn’t beat around the bush, Closer offers more than enough to satisfy.

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Greenfingers

Tags

2000's, Adam Fogerty, Clive Owen, Comedy, Danny Dyer, David Kelly, Drama, Greenfingers, Helen Mirren, Joel Hershman, Natasha Little, Paterson Joseph, Warren Clark

Film Title

Greenfingers

Director

Joel Hershman

Starring

• Clive Owen as Colin Briggs
• Helen Mirren as Georgina Woodhouse
• David Kelly as Fergus Wilks
• Warren Clark as Governor Hodge
• Adam Fogerty as Raw
• Danny Dyer as Tony
• Paterson Joseph as Jimmy
• Natasha Little as Primrose Woodhouse

A warm comedy-drama that is loosely based on a true story, Greenfingers has enough humour and pathos in it to make it enjoyable. It may not quite reach the heights of films where the characters are not expected to be good at something but are, but Greenfingers is pleasant viewing tempered with some touching moments.

Colin Briggs is a taciturn convict whose serving out the final years of his sentence for a crime he doesn’t speak of. He is then transferred, although he isn’t too keen on this, to a minimum security prison known as Edgehill, where inmates are given a bit more freedom than the average prison and they work to help when they finish their sentences. Colin is the kind of person who can described as antisocial as he keeps himself to himself and doesn’t really form any emotional ties, instead preferring to be quiet and contained. His barriers are worn down by the old, frail lifer Fergus Wilks, who is amiable and charismatic despite failing health. At Christmas, kindly Fergus who often speaks of redemption, who is a fan of gardening, gives the quiet Colin a bag of flower seeds. Reluctantly, Colin plants them not expecting much to happen. In fact, by the time spring rolls around, the seeds grow into beautiful violas that even Colin is surprised about. The firm but warm Governor Hodge takes a look and seeing the talent, asks Colin and Fergus to make a garden; one to boost some morale and two because he wants to promote a good image of the prison and how people can change. Colin is initially unsure of this but is soon discovering his skills in the area and becoming more of a complete person who is a lot more open. Helping them in this venture and also discovering themselves are the large muscle man Raw, who is generally quite soft-spoken despite his massive physical strength, Western Indian father Jimmy, who wants to show his kid that he can be a good person and naughty lad Tony, who is always chasing a female member of staff. The resulting garden is a marvel and it eventually catches the eye of celebrated garden diva Georgina Woodhouse, who brings them on board to help her in her flower circle. She then has the idea to sponsor the group to compete in the Hampton Court Flower Show, after developing a kind relationship with them, despite her reservations at first regarding them. Although Governor Hodge is thrilled by this as he has a fondness for the boys and the boys now finding more purpose in their lives, many others see it as impossible for them to compete due to their less than savory reputations and past misdeeds. It is now down to Colin and his men to prove them all wrong. Can these men, who nothing much is though of actually compete with the posh totty?

Joel Hershman amiably directs this film with a brisk pace that also pauses for moments of drama to weave in. Thankfully, the humour of this unlikely group of guys becoming great gardeners is warm and witty. There are occasions when the treacle is laid on a bit too thick for my liking, but thankfully Greenfingers regains composure and makes a lot of moments surprising touching as well as outrageously funny, due to some salty language and fish-out-of-water mishaps that the group encounter. Despite it being a comedy, with drama in the mix, Greenfingers at its core is a film about second chances and redemption. This is embodied by the role of Governor Hodge, who believes in giving people the benefit of the doubt and helping them, rather than judging them for what they may have done in the past. And as you watch the team go about their work after seeing the passion in it, you can’t help but raise a smile and feel a sense of inspiration running through it. And while the symbolism of flowers blooming and tending to them is an obvious metaphor for rebirth, the film avoids being pat about it and instead brings a sort of crowd-pleasing love to it. While a lot of the story works, the subplot of Colin falling for Georgina’s daughter feels a bit rushed, but with that being the only real part of the film that doesn’t flow, Greenfingers emerges as a winner. A bouncy soundtrack and underlying score of touching emotion provide both a gleeful exuberance and underpinned current of depth to Greenfingers.

Above all, it is the cast of Greenfingers that make it brim with wit and heartwarming charm. As the leading man of the bunch, Clive Owen displays the quiet and taciturn personality of Colin, who at the beginning has basically given up on life. Owen marvellously conveys Colin’s second chance and how he discovers how to open up once more, through a smile here and a laugh there. Helen Mirren is having a ball here, embodying the vivacious Georgina with colour and vitality, plus a refreshingly biting and haughty wit. Mirren is an actress who never lets me down and here is no different. The character of Fergus, who is the first to notice Colin’s horticultural skills, is played with eccentric charm and just visible sadness by David Kelly. It is through him that many of the touching moments from Greenfingers emerge and his acting alongside Clive Owen is superb. Warren Clark exudes a kind-hearted but necessary authority to the role of the warden, who is thrilled by the progress the men are making and is a real help to them all. As the rest of the unlikely gardeners, Adam Fogerty, Danny Dyer and Paterson Joseph all make impacts as the muscled but soft Raw, cheeky chappy Tony and determined Jimmy respectively. The only person in the cast who doesn’t make that much of an impression is Natasha Little. Actually none of this is down to her, as she is sweet enough, but her character is just written to thin to make a mark.

So while it is a bit predictable at times and occasionally lays on the sentimentality, Greenfingers can be forgiven for these things due to the game cast, humour and sense of inspiration it shows.

Shoot Em Up

Tags

2000's, Action, Clive Owen, Michael Davis, Monica Bellucci, Paul Giamatti, Shoot Em Up

Film Title

Shoot Em Up

Director

Michael Davis

Starring

• Clive Owen as Mr. Smith
• Paul Giamatti as Karl Hertz
• Monica Bellucci as Donna Quintano

Balls to the wall set pieces, brutal shoot outs and outrageously dark humour mix in the hugely enjoyable action extravaganza Shoot Em Up. Subtlety and overall logic goes out the window and this movie is all the better for it as it revs up the gears and doesn’t pause for breath. Think of a dozen action movies put in a blender and mixed to the highest speed and you get the general idea of what Shoot Em Up is promising you.

Carrot-munching loner Mr. Smith is minding his own business one night when he sees a heavily pregnant woman being chased by a pack of men with guns. Intervening and showing his own killer skill with any form of firearm, Smith manages to help the woman deliver her baby as he slays the bad guys. Sadly, the woman dies but Smith manages to escape with the baby boy. The leader of the goons after the baby is the crazed  psychopath Karl Hertz, who doesn’t take kindly to Smith coming along and taking the child he wanted to get. Now in a game of violent cat and mouse, Smith flees as Hertz and his tooled up buddies come following at every turn. Smith enlists the help of prostitute Donna Quintano, who specialises in providing lactating services to her clientele. She is initially reluctant to help as her and Smith have history, but eventually comes around when Hertz attempts to find the baby and tortures her. As bullets fly and the chase begins, Smith and Donna must protect the baby from the harm that is coming very close to him in a crazy plot of seedy dealings and blood-splattered carnage, headed by the unstable Hertz.

From the get go, Shoot Em Up announces itself as a movie that moves at a hundred miles an hour and isn’t one for people who are looking for depth and substance. Words like audacious, over the top and outrageous were practically invented to describe a movie like this. Michael Davis successfully directs with daring flair, moving from one shocking set piece to the next while underscoring it with a perverse and mordant humour. And those set pieces are thrilling rides to say the very least; a battle while skydiving, a shootout during a passionate bout of lovemaking between Smith and Donna and Smith’s ingenious use of carrots as weapons. Many will take issue with the sheer preposterous nature of the film, but it is best to just surrender to the action spectacle and let your faith take a leap if you really want to revel in it. A cracking editing format of slow motion combining with razor-sharp cuts makes Shoot Em Up a kinetic movie of the highest order. And a fantastic soundtrack of heavy metal perfectly matches the dark events on the screen and the always on the move characters.

Clive Owen is the perfect person to play the role of the enigmatic but highly skilled Smith. He imbues the part with a cynical attitude and a chivalrous core, not to mention immense athletic prowess and marksmanship. I really couldn’t think of anyone better to play the role of this hero. Paul Giamatti essays the part of the crazed and know it all villain with delicious finesse and barely contained droll humour. To say he is a riot to watch would be a huge understatement to how off the wall he is in this movie. Monica Bellucci is excellent as the seductive prostitute with a heart of gold and a calming influence on Smith, who becomes something of a surrogate mother to the baby boy thrust into her protection from evil. Her chemistry with Owen is marvellous and the way they play off one another is quite something.

Over the top, unabashedly shocking and a complete thrill ride, Shoot Em Up is a crazy film that plays by its own rules and delivers action in spades.

 

 

Duplicity

Tags

2000's, Caper, Clive Owen, Denis O'Hare, Duplicity, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Romance, Spy, Tom Wilkinson, Tony Gilroy

Film Title

Duplicity

Director

Tony Gilroy

Starring

• Clive Owen as Ray Koval
• Julia Roberts as Claire Stenwick
• Tom Wilkinson as Howard Tully
• Paul Giamatti as Dick Garsik
• Denis O’Hare as Duke Monahan

A devilish romantic spy caper, Duplicity is bolstered by the star appeal of Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. And while enjoyable and witty, it become too convoluted and complex for its own good, that seriously leaved you feeling a bit duped by the end. Still it does have a lot to be enjoyed, it just thinks it’s cleverer than it is.

Ray Koval and Claire Stenwick are both former agents; him for MI6 and her for the CIA. They now work as corporate spies for two rival companies, headed by the smart Howard Tully and the over exaggerated Dick Garsik who are constantly in competition and trying to get one up on the other. The thing is that Ray and Claire both have a past together romantically, as we see in flashback when their cases have crossed over the years. Yet both of them have a mutual distrust for one another because of the spy business and the playing of each other during these various encounters around the globe. Now, they both have a plan to con their respective companies for some major new product that could be super lucrative for each of them. This con that they plan to pull is extremely complex and tense as it could go very wrong if someone is caught. But with unease over trust and double crosses along the way in this dangerous game, who is playing who and will Ray and Claire’s personal feelings of sparky romance get in the way of the job in hand?

Now it must be said that Tony Gilroy contributes stylish direction Duplicity. Through split screens and visuals, he crafts an atmosphere laced with deception and humour. There is a lightness to his direction that ties in with the caper aspects of the tale. His script is slickly written and contains many a great scene of romantic banter and innuendo along the way. The wit is a clear highlight of the movie as it crackles between Ray and Claire whose relationship is mutually distrustful and doubting. Though I’m a big fan of twists, Duplicity ultimately goes overboard with them. Yes some of them come off as effective, but there really wasn’t any need for so many as it causes the film to feel cluttered. What should have really been a breezy film with a couple of double crosses becomes something of a muddled mess that could have been trimmed down. On a technical side, Duplicity at least looks great and has that old-fashioned feel of a caper from the 50’s or 60’s. A jazzy score, punctuated by exotic waves romance and cool suspense, manages to keep interest even when the story gets out of hand.

Despite the complicated nature of Duplicity, the cast assembled shines and brings a sense of credibility to it. Clive Owen does the smooth-talking, handsome guy shtick very well while bringing dashes of dry humour to the character of Ray. The chemistry he shares with Julia Roberts is electric and filled with sexual tension as the two dance a tango of uncertainty and passion. Julia Roberts also walks away with a great performance as Claire, who is smart, efficient and can be very calculating when it comes to the business.Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti as feuding business heads have a clear hoot here and their distinguished presence is felt in the scenes in which they are present. The two guys are real gems of the supporting cast and their slow motion fight that covers the opening frames is comedic fare to say the very least. Denis O’Hare is on great form as another corporate spy involved with the dangerous game of cat and mouse at stake.

So it may be a slickly done spy film and boast some very engaging performances, I just wish that Duplicity hadn’t tried to be so overly clever because it really detracts from the good parts of the movie.

Sin City

Tags

2000's, Alexis Bledel, Benicio Del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Crime, Devon Aoki, Elijah Wood, Frank Miller, Jaime King, Jessica Alba, Josh Hartnett, Marley Shelton, Michael Clarke Duncan, Mickey Rourke, Nick Stahl, Powers Boothe, Robert Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, Rutger Hauer, Sin City

Film Title

Sin City

Directors

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

Starring

• Mickey Rourke as Marv
• Bruce Willis as Haritgan
• Clive Owen as Dwight McCarthy
• Jessica Alba as Nancy Callahan
• Benicio Del Toro as Jackie Boy
• Rosario Dawson as Gail
• Brittany Murphy as Shellie
• Devon Aoki as Miho
• Elijah Wood as Kevin
• Jaime King as Goldie/Wendy
• Alexis Bledel as Becky
• Nick Stahl as Roark Junior
• Powers Boothe as Senator Roark
• Michael Clarke Duncan as Manute
• Rutger Hauer as Cardinal Roark
• Josh Hartnett as The Salesman
• Marley Shelton as The Customer

Visually outstanding, brutally realized and violently compelling, Sin City is one hell of a ride. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, from whom the source of graphic novels is based, it may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a film that is hard to get out of your mind.

Sin City comprises of three stories that intertwine on occasion. The setting is Basin City, a dirty, corrupt and downright nasty city of violence, sex and all things bad. One tale concerns honest cop Hartigan, who is ageing and has developed a heart condition but still trying to carry on with his latest case. He manages to save a young girl by the name of Nancy Callahan from serial rapist and child molester Roark Junior, who is also the son of the corrupt Senator of the city. In a cruel twist of fate orchestrated by the Senator, Hartigan is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and spends time in jail. Upon release, he manages to track Nancy down, she has now grown up into a gorgeous young woman who works as an exotic dancer in a saloon. Roark Junior is actually still alive and comes after them and it is up to Hartigan to stop him before it is too late. The middle tale tells of Marv, a lonely man mountain who is slowly slipping into madness. One night, he has a passionate encounter with a hooker named Goldie. Marv falls deeply in love with the girl, but unfortunately for him she is murdered while he sleeps. Heartbroken and filled with vengeance, he hacks his way through those in his way to track down the perpetrator; a psychopathic man named Kevin, who slaughters and then eats what remains of prostitutes. In the last of these overlapping vignettes, Dwight McCarthy protects his brutalized clandestine lover Shellie from her abusive partner Jackie Boy. Following the sadistic Jackie to Old Town, the red-light district, Dwight prowls in the shadows in an attempt to keep the girls safe. Not that they need to be protected, as they are led by the fierce Gail and have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. When violence erupts, chaos emerges and bullets fly as the girls fight back against the corrupt powers that be.

Sin City immediately grabs you from its opening frames because of the stylish way in which it is shot. By combing the noir of black and white and the accentuation of certain colours, we are transported into this walking and breathing comic book story come to life. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller bring so much to the table, skilfully immersing us in this world of violence, broads and deception. It’s like being in a hard-boiled pulp story, and these two really keep you riveted with their assured sense of direction and respect for the material. The structure of Sin City is also a highlight, with the characters slinking their way in and out of the stories at various occasions. Sin City is most certainly not for everyone’s taste, mainly because of the often gruesome and violent content. But for those with a strong stomach, it is well worth a watch. A rip-roaring soundtrack of jazzy riffs and driving guitar rhythms brings more life to the tales of graphic slaying, seductive atmosphere and shadowy dealings.

An accomplished cast fleshes out this cavalcade of tough guys and seductive vixens. Mickey Rourke brings swaggering violence and inconsolable rage to the role of the wronged Marv, who is on a revenge mission even if it kills him. Yet he also brings to the forefront of the tough guy the lonely and severed heart of a man who has the thing he cared about snatched away from him. Bruce Willis is excellent as the emotionally abandoned and ageing Hartigan, whose sole purpose for living is to protect Nancy, who he sees as a daughter. Clive Owen is at his best as the protective but very dangerous Dwight, imbuing the part with grave humour and macho virility. While Jessica Alba is often quite wooden in terms of her acting, she does manage to give the part of Nancy a sense of vulnerability and scorching sex appeal. Benicio Del Toro is skulking menace personified as Jackie Boy, while Rosario Dawson is smoking hot as the tooled-up Gail, who isn’t going to go down without a fight. Brittany Murphy gives sympathy to the role of Shellie and Devon Aoki is a scowling presence as Miho, a mute prostitute who is more than adept with a Samurai sword. Elijah Wood is surprisingly chilling as the light-footed and sadistic serial killer with a taste for blood. Jaime King essays the roles of the ill-fated Goldie and her twin sister Wendy, while Alexis Bledel is suitably naive as Becky, one of the younger prostitutes of Old Town. Nick Stahl is sinister and twisted as Roark Junior, along with a slimy turn from Powers Boothe as his well-connected father. Michael Clarke Duncan is imposing and vicious as a mob enforcer, and Rutger Hauer makes an impression as a member of the Roark family. Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton give mystery and smoky elegance to the enigmatic opening to the film.

Violent, stylish and unforgettable, Sin City is a film that will definitely leave you awestruck.