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Tag Archives: Jamie Lee Curtis

Knives Out

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

2010's, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, Comedy, Daniel Craig, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford, Knives Out, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Murder Mystery, Noah Segan, Rian Johnson, Toni Collette

A hilarious and thrilling murder mystery, updated to the present and sporting one hell of a talented cast, Knives Out finds Rian Johnson at some of his most skilful and fun.

Harlan Thrombey( Christopher Plummer) is a wealthy but ageing crime author who is celebrating his 85th birthday. His wide, extensive family, of whom most are greedy, are there at his county mansion for the occasion. There is Harlan’s children; gloating businesswoman Linda( Jamie Lee Curtis), uneasy and timid until he has a drink inside him Walt( Michael Shannon) , plus Harlan’s bitchy, self-serving daughter in law Joni( Toni Collette) and her put upon daughter Meg(Katherine Langford). There’s also Linda’s crude husband (Don Johnson), and their man-child brat of a son Ransom( Chris Evans) , plus Walt’s troll child Jacob( Jaeden Martell) who delights in being a nasty young man. Most importantly, Harlan’s nurse Marta( Ana de Armas) is present but treated suspiciously by family when others aren’t looking, though they claim to hold her dear. The next day however, Harlan is discovered with his throat slit, the apparent result of a suicide. Two cops, Detective Lieutenant Elliot (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner( Noah Segan) come to investigate as their soon becomes evidence of foul play afoot. Also on the case, after being mysteriously tipped off about it, is seasoned detective Benoit Blanc( Daniel Craig). He’s an investigator with his own way of doing things that often baffles others but often turns up intriguing possibilities. Sure enough, he sets about investigating and comes to believe that cruel intentions where at work in the demise. Marta, who seems to be the only person who treated Harlan like a human, has a condition where if she tells a lie, she vomits. This immediately puts her as an ally to the side of good or does it as this is one case in which nothing is what it seems? Blanc continues to investigate as the family fights, bickers and basically tears each other apart as they all want a part of the fortune. Marta is the one person who doesn’t seem interested in the money as she valued the companionship and respect she shared with Harlan. What spins out from all this is a most twisty case involving one hell of a dysfunctional family.

Rian Johnson is the man behind the camera and the pen and in both capacities, he doesn’t disappoint with this film. The sharp, scintillating script of cracking one liners and genuine mystery. Rian Johnson is clearly having a blast both paying homage to the murder mystery movies of yesteryear and giving it a contemporary update that is most entertaining. I find it hard to fault when someone is directing and crafting with this level of giddiness and panache. Though it covers many of the genre tropes we know and love, the underlying humour and knowing meta references to all matter of murder mystery TV shows and movies are most welcome and pretty cool to spot. Plus, Knives Out has a brilliant sense of mystery and unease as we try to discover the cause of untimely death for Knives Out truly breathes new life into the genre, and still has time to make comment on immigration, greed and the accountability of family. Thankfully none of this is overbearing or ham fisted, rather it is presented in a manner that flows along with the central mystery and just as entertainingly. Some lulls in the proceedings, (like the film maybe benefiting from a bit of a trim and certain characters not being given much to do) can be forgiven mainly because Knives Out twists and turns us and our expectations. It’s by and large a surprising film that breathlessly speeds along and misdirects you just when you think you’ve got a handle on it’s mystery. It’s a damn fine time that is purely entertaining and keeps you glued. The setting of the house is ace; with the large breadth of the domain and the various ways it is majestically shot with a certain old fashioned flair, really adding to the overall atmosphere of both lightness and darkness but never too overpowering as to detract from the crackerjack script. Plus, I can imagine that upon repeat viewings of Knives Out, you’ll notice something different each time. The music is a scintillating addition, with erratic strings and gorgeous piano conveying the craziness and underlying depth of the piece. Simply sensational is what the score from Nathan Johnson is .

Where Knives Out really hits the jackpot is in the talented cast. Daniel Craig heads up events with a thoroughly hilarious and eccentric turn as the celebrated detective mysteriously on the case. Using a surprising but superb Southern drawl and immensely kooky humour, Craig is having a ball and is one of the big standouts in Knives Out. Seriously, Craig is fantastic here in a role very different from Bond especially in its ability to be sharp as well as flamboyantly tongue in cheek . Matching him with a quiet dignity and decency is Ana de Armas in a role that is a showcase for her considerable talents. With her angelic face, arresting eyes and intelligent authenticity, de Armas is gifted a peach of a role and creates the beating heart of the narrative. Also, she blends areas of mystery within the part that still keep us guessing of her true involvement, though she’s definitely what you’d call the moral centre of Knives Out. I feel like de Armas is an actress of great promise if her work here is anything to go by and I hope she gets more successful roles like this one.

Chris Evans, playing very much against type, relishes being a nasty but hilarious piece of work who provides much in the way of snarky comedy and bratty, entitled antics. He gets some of the most scintillating lines to be found in Knives Out. Toni Collette, who has long been an actress I adore for her versatility, does it again as the vapid, shallow and grasping lifestyle guru who loves to brag about how great her life is. Collette bitches it up as this venal harpy who disguises her nastiness with a coy smile. Also getting some catty one liners and displaying a sense of authority under scrutiny is the ever excellent Jamie Lee Curtis( her comic timing and very sharp-witted presence is sparky and scene-stealing). Michael Shannon also has a lot of presence as the son who feels cit out of the family because of his weaknesses and inability to do things right. We feel some sympathy for the man who feels overlooked in the early scenes when Shannon gets to a level of morality, but Shannon truly comes alive when he’s required to be mercenary and underhand. Don Johnson creates a character of smarmy nastiness and underhand nature, who forms yet another snippet of a viper’s nest that is family.

Unfortunately, Jaeden Martell and Katherine Langford are both saddled with roles that don’t amount to much in the same way the two cops( Lakeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) are largely filler and fail to stand out in an all star cast. But hell, that’s what happens when you have a big ensemble cast to contend with. And none of them are bad, just not utilised effectively. Veteran actor Christopher Plummer, whose very resume is enviable, still shows fantastic talent and fun in the key role of Harlan. We are shown a shrewd, cunning but generous to those who deserved it kind of man. His impact is felt as the story continues following his seemingly untimely demise.

Boasting one cracking ensemble of actors, a director on sizzling form and suspense mingling with laugh out loud comedy, Knives Out is a sly, devilish treat that gives an old genre an upgrade with results that would please the Grande Dame of Murder mystery, Agatha Christie.

Road Games

31 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 37 Comments

Tags

1980's, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Franklin, Road Games, Stacy Keach, Thriller

Film Title

Road Games

Director

Richard Franklin

Starring

  • Stacy Keach as Pat Quid
  • Jamie Lee Curtis as Pamela “Hitch” Rushworth

A tight and bristling with tension thriller that takes a leaf out of Hitchcock’s expertise with suspense, Road Games makes for quite a ride that begins slowly and then gets quicker. Peppered with unexpected touches, it’s undoubtedly an underrated thriller.

Pat Quid is a sardonic truck driver in Australia who specialises in the transportation of meat. He picks up his latest load of pork in Melbourne and then deliver it to Perth. To pass the time, he often speculates on the lives of those he passes on his long journey on the Nullarbor Plain. Quid is a man of tall tales and almost endless trivia, which he regales his pet dingo Boswell with. A lot of this is to make the journey he’s taking to deliver the goods more bearable and quench boredom. On the large and arid Nullarbor Plain, he becomes aware of a certain green van that he saw earlier on his journey. It was at the motel he couldn’t check into and Quid becomes suspicious about this van that always seems to be there and who the person behind the wheel is. After hearing on the radio of a maniac who has been murdering young women, he starts to believe that the man in the van is the culprit. Around this time he picks up Pamela Rushworth, a young woman looking for adventure and who he nicknames Hitch. Bouncing off each other’s humour and ideas, the two play the idea of catching the killer. Hitch believes Quid’s story, even though the police don’t. The duo take it upon themselves to solve the mystery, as no one will listen due to a lack of evidence. The thing is the killer always seems to be one step ahead, and through a sprinkling of breadcrumbs, implicates the innocent Quid. When the killer seems to up the stakes, it becomes a game of cat and mouse as Quid attempts to bring him to justice. It’s a matter of proving it first that is the problem and when Hitch disappears, Quid is put into action.

Richard Franklin is on good form directing this slow building ride into creepiness. His measured pacing is peppered with a certain humour(which I’ll come on to soon) and a feeling of something very sinister around the corner. The Nullarbor Plain makes for a fascinating landscape to set Road Games due to its vast and unpredictable nature. Plus it provides a beautiful backdrop for the tension to take residence in subtle ways. The homages to Hitchcock are well worth the price of admission, with the basic premise of thinking you know something but without any prove is highly reminiscent of the great Master. While it references him, it never becomes a parody and stands on its own merits and talent. What sets Road Games apart from some thrillers is that while the main premise is morbid, the interactions between Quid and Hitch are funny and endearing. Going from a sassy script that sets up a nice rapport, the scenes of them deliberating are funny and sparkle with witty observations. And this extends to scenes of Quid with just his dog as he watches other drivers go by and guesses what they are like, much like the protagonist in Rear Window debates the lives of his neighbours. And while a thriller, Road Games has a lot in common with the road movie genre, only adding a darker and more inquisitive angle to it. The odd misstep now and then does nothing to diminish the effectiveness of Road Games in creating an atmosphere of burgeoning suspense. And because Quid is so tired by his job and worn out by the endless journey, there is that suggestion that maybe he is in fact making up something fanciful. We know there is a murderer on the loose, but is it the person in the van that Quid thinks it is? That very idea is alluded to in some surreal scenes of overlapping road marks and sweltering heat that show him under pressure. This adds a little more mystery to the already curious story that is woven with flair and precision. Road Games is one of those slow burns that is filled with a real dread that becomes more pronounced in the latter stages, which suits it down to the ground. The sheer atmosphere and possibility of Quid maybe not being the most reliable character in his thoughts is a great strength of the picture. A shimmering, adventurous and even jaunty tone to the music is perfectly counterbalanced by the gradual suspense it produces, filling the two capacities of fun and sinister.

Stacy Keach wonderfully plays Quid as a snarky, wise ass with bundles of imagination to spare. His world-weary demeanor and one liners make him a character you enjoy being in the company of, especially when he becomes suspicious of something deadly ahead. The fact that he is prone to imaginative ideas is also addressed, but Keach overall makes Quid a likable, every man hero in the narrative. Jamie Lee Curtis has fun as the sassy hitchhiker with a smart mouth and a quick talking way. Although young, she has a certain maturity that is put along her desire for something exciting to happen in her life. As they are the two principal people throughout, they are very charismatic and enjoyable to watch together. And the platonic chemistry that is filled with heart and a genuine care( not to mention sparkling banter) makes for cool watching.

A Hitchcockian thriller with a surprising amount of snap and verve gone into it, Road Games is both fun and tense, gaining mileage from a witty script, a growing feeling of dread and the main pleasure of and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The Fog

26 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 35 Comments

Tags

1980's, Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, Horror, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, John Carpenter, John Houseman, The Fog, Tom Atkins

Film Title

The Fog

Director

John Carpenter

Starring

  • Adrienne Barbeau as Stevie Wayne
  • Jamie Lee Curtis as Elizabeth Solley
  • Tom Atkins as Nick Castle
  • Janet Leigh as Kathy Williams
  • Hal Holbrook as Father Malone
  • John Houseman as Mr. Machen

The Fog is John Carpenter’s ghostly horror from the 80’s that focuses on a California fishing town celebrating its centenary, only for horror to engulf the festivities . Boasting suspense, a menacing score and chills, it is most certain to keep you scared throughout.

The Fog 1980The Californian town of Antonio Bay is just about to celebrate its centenary. Just before the clock strikes twelve, Mr. Machen, a salty old fisherman is telling a chilling story to young children around a campfire. It details the deaths of many men on a ship named the Elizabeth Dane, that was shipwrecked after seeing the light from a fire all those years ago as the fog rolled in. He tells the children that one day the ghosts of the men who died will rise from their watery grave and seek revenge. Strange phenomena start around the town with car alarms sounding for no reason and phones ringing with no reply. It is around this time that Father Malone, the local priest discovers an old journal in the walls of the church. To his horror he discovers how his grandfather was one of six conspirators who helped lure the ship to the rocks, as the people on board where lepers whose rich leader Blake wanted to establish a colony on Antonio Bay. Meanwhile various residents of the town become frightened by the glowing fog that keeps appearing from midnight to one. The residents consist of Stevie Wayne, the husky voiced, lighthouse bound DJ; town resident Nick Castle; runaway hitchhiker Elizabeth Solley and the organiser of the celebrations Kathy Williams. As events begin to take a sinister turn from jubilant celebration, the residents come to realise that the fog brings with it the spirits of the men who died and are now wanting justice for what happened to them by killing those in their path. Ghostly terror, suspenseful atmosphere and a competent cast make The Fog a creepy tale of nocturnal haunting.

John Carpenter creates a chilling atmosphere from the get go, with the prologue featuring Mr. Machen telling the ghost story around the fire as the children listen intently. It is a genuinely creepy and chilling scene that sets up the ghostly events that will soon follow. The setting makes for eerie viewing, especially the scenes of Stevie Wayne in the lighthouse as the day fades into night and the titular fog rolls in. As with most of his films, Carpenter creates a sonic embodiment of horror and bone chilling menace. From the sound of the fog horns droning to the pulsing electronic score, The Fog is fascinating and spine tingling to listen to. Some of the effects may be dated and some scenes may drag for longer than they need to, but these are minor flaws in this ghostly horror story.

The characters are played with ease by the cast. Adrienne Barbeau makes for a sexy yet warm scream queen who must do battle with the fog whilst in the lighthouse. Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins are good as the hitchhiker and her new boyfriend. Jamie’s real life mother Janet Leigh is uptight and stoic as the town organiser who comes to see that the town is built on lies rather than goodness. Interestingly, they don’t share the screen until late into the movie. Hal Holbrook is effective in the small but pivotal role of Father Malone, the first person to uncover the unholy deed responsible for this terrifying haunting. The cameo of John Houseman as he tells the chilling origins of the town is supremely crafted and bound to linger in the mind.

For spine chilling and ghostly horror, The Fog is the go to movie.

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