Widows

Tags

2010's, Bryan Tyree Henry, Carrie Coon, Colin Farrell, Cynthia Erivo, Daniel Kaluuya, Drama, Elizabeth Debicki, Jacki Weaver, Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert Duvall, Steve McQueen, Thriller, Viola Davis, Widows

Director

Steve McQueen

Starring

• Viola Davis as Veronica Rawlings
• Michelle Rodriguez as Linda
• Elizabeth Debicki as Alice
• Cynthia Erivo as Belle
• Bryan Tyree Henry as Jamal Manning
• Daniel Kaluuya as Jatemme Manning
• Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan
• Robert Duvall as Tom Mulligan
• Jacki Weaver as Agnieska
• Liam Neeson as Harry Rawlings
• Carrie Coon as Amanda

A reinterpretation of a Lynda La Plante novel that was also a television series in the 80’s, Widows, as directed by Steve McQueen is an enthralling and character driven slow burn of a heist thriller and drama with superb acting.

In Chicago, a heist that was organised by Harry Rawlings goes horribly wrong and results in his and the other members of the criminal group being killed. Following this, Harry’s widow Veronica is threatened by mob boss Jamal Manning , who Harry stole from and who wants money back to finance his campaign to run for alderman. He warns her to get $2 million to pay him back soon or suffer the consequence, which will most likely come in the form of his terrifying brother Jatemme . His rival for his desired position  is Jack Mulligan, a slimy, spoilt politician who wants to step out of his father’s shadow who also will figure in a certain capacity of the story. After acquiring Harry’s notebook of plans for another heist, Veronica contacts the widows of the other dead men. Linda, who owns a dress shop is in a similar predicament as her husband sold her business without much thought for her and Alice is a battered young woman who is strapped for cash and harangued by a harridan of a mother. One widow isn’t interested in it, so Veronica enlists the help of the fierce Belle, who it just so happens to be Linda’s babysitter. She plans to relocate and could do with a chunk of money to help with this. The plans of the heist starts to form with the group, but various things throw up stumbling blocks and set in motion what could be deadly for the ladies if they don’t succeed.

Steve McQueen is already an established director who is on fire here, bringing his knack for looking at dramatic subject matter and blending it with some really tight tension. We get a plot that seems straightforward, but is actually very twisty and frequently takes you by surprise. We also get commentary on many themes such as racism, hypocrisy , sexism and crime, but thankfully they are given good rendering and not heavy-handed. McQueen clearly has something to say and his cinematic talents lend themselves well to his vision. One great example is Mulligan moving from an impoverished area to his plush house which is a minute away. The fact that the windows of his car are blacked out show how little he and sometimes others understand social divide. This is a heist thriller with a difference as the main characters are not professionals in the art of stealing and the heist itself is not the most important part of the film. Undoubtedly, it forms a ticking time bomb for the characters but it’s watching how these people react to the seemingly impossible task ahead that provides Widows with its biggest impact. We get to know these women and their lives and what ultimately brings them together. They don’t want to be friends or even know each other that well, but all are drawn into a certain sisterhood of unfortunate circumstance that leaves them with no choice but to resort to planning a heist. These are women who are realistic and not simply superheroes, a film like this is too good to go down that route to making it a matter of fluffy caper. There are real stakes here and ones dripping with double-crossing danger. Some may take issue with the gradual build up, but I thought it added more dimension to the film as we viewed growth within characters and their actions. McQueen should be commended for how he keeps all the stories and arcs spinning in tune and given time to breathe. It could have fell apart as there is sometimes a lot going on in Widows, but Steve McQueen and the screenplay from him and Gillian Flynn keep us firmly rooted and invested in the ways they link. The editing, which cuts back and forth in time at various intervals and can be choppy one minute and contemplative the next is something to admire. And set against a building and rumbling score from Hans Zimmer, Widows particularly soars.

A string in Widow’s ever impressive is the ensemble cast, which is simply to die for. Viola Davis heads proceedings with an intimidating and grim seriousness, that also allows for humanity and sadness emerging. Davis rocks the role of a woman who has lost everything and becomes an unlikely but indomitable presence in something she never thought she’d have to do. It’s when she doesn’t say anything that she truly comes alive; her face a canvas of subtle and nuanced emotion. It’s a very fine performance by an always impressive actress who it appears is incapable of disappointing. Michelle Rodriguez is a little softer here than the usual tough chick she plays and it works surprisingly well. I just wish she’d get more roles that blend her toughness with that something else like the one displayed here. Elizabeth Debicki is another standout as the often needy and almost childlike Alice, who it appears is incapable of having a relationship with anyone who won’t abuse or mistreat her. Debicki plays her like a broken down China doll, only later on she starts to harden herself and increasingly mature. Cynthia Erivo rounds out the main ladies with an abrasive attitude and no-nonsense visage that is palpable and strong from the moment we see her.

While it is the ladies of the ensemble who take the lion’s share of screen time, the men also show they are no slouches. Particularly of note is rising star Daniel Kaluuya who bristles with an unnerving swagger and alarming intensity. He puts you on edge throughout Widows and it’s a big credit to him that you feel that way. Bryan Tyree Henry also has an intimidating nature, but one that is tempered with shrewd smarts. Colin Farrell is really fleshed out as a conflicted politician who almost expects everything simply because of standing but also a desire to escape the way his father thinks. It’s a fine balancing act and one that is played well opposite the always watchable Robert Duvall. Liam Neeson, mostly seen in flashback, is like a spectre on proceedings as he is the one who instigated everything and has his fingers over all. Also here is Jacki Weaver, who plays in a short but memorable time the vile and suffocating mother of Alice, whose idea of trying to help is by attempting to coerce her into prostitution. Carrie Coon may be given the least amount of screen time but from what we see, her presence figures unexpectedly into things.

With a focus on characters and depth, Widows earns high points and is simply put, a very well made film with heart and tension. Steve McQueen crafts this engaging and twisty thriller drama that must be seen.

Girlfight

Tags

2000's, Drama, Girlfight, Jaime Tirelli, Karyn Kusama, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Calderón, Ray Santiago, Santiago Douglas, Sports Drama

Film Title

Girlfight

Director

Karyn Kusama

Starring

• Michelle Rodriguez as Diana Guzman
• Jaime Tirelli as Hector Soto
• Paul Calderón as Sandro Guzman
• Santiago Douglas as Adrian
• Ray Santiago as Tiny Guzman

A blisteringly powerful but also emotionally stirring debut from writer/ director Karyn Kusama, Girlfight also features the ferocious debut performance from Michelle Rodriguez. Avoiding the pitfalls of the many movies in the sports drama genre, Kusama crafts a journey of self-worth and the taking of control of life with energy and vigour.

Diana Guzman is an angry teenager in her last year of high school. Never far away from a physical or verbal fight, she is just shy of getting expelled from school. Not that she cares anyway, she feels worthless enough as it is. With an abusive father always on her back and the scars left by her mother’s death, Diana has already been put through enough pain in her young years. Living in the Brooklyn projects, she feels like an outsider with nothing in the way of opportunities. That is until she stumbles into a gym where her younger brother Tiny is training as a boxer. It is here that something within her clicks as she witnesses training for the harsh and male-dominated sport . At first, trainer Hector Soto is unconvinced that she can make it training as a boxer. Yet Diana won’t give up, so he gives her a shot, despite his resistance. Diana sees boxing as a way to channel her aggression and also harness it. Little by little as she pushes herself under Hector’s training, she begins to gain his respect, despite his initial reluctance to train her because she is a girl. She also catches the eye of fellow boxer Adrian, and tentatively they begin a relationship. Yet this new-found happiness is jeopardized when Diana and Adrian are selected to fight in a gender blind match.

With a keen eye for the heart of the story and a visionary working of the way the movie is shot, Karyn Kusama imbues Girlfight with heaps of personal feeling and kinetic understanding. She shoots boxing with a gritty determination that makes the sport look incredibly brutal but also highly rewarding for those willing to give it their all. At one point, the camera is rigged to the actors as they box, and as an audience we can also feel every blow from the left hooks and jabs from the participators. This technique is used excellently to convey the sheer physicality of the sport and also Diana’s gradual emergence as a talented opponent. Girlfight may have boxing at the centre, but it is way more than just a film about the sport. It examines the outsider wanting to harness their angst in an arena that is not thought of as right for them. More impressively is how Girlfight handles the romance between Diana and Adrian. Instead of feeling tacked on just for the sake of it, the relationship allows Diana to open up as a person about the burden of pain she has been carrying on her young shoulders for years. A snappy soundtrack of frenetic guitars and finger clicks is remarkably done and builds like Diana to a powerful finish.

In what was her debut role, Michelle Rodriguez radiates fury, pain and attitude as a girl wanting to prove people wrong. Rodriguez brings such an intensity to the part with her transfixing eyes and fiery temper making Diana an outsider protagonist you want to succeed. It truly is a compelling performance of physicality, bruised determination and growing inspiration that lingers in the mind for a long time after seeing it. Jaime Tirelli brings a certain worn-out charisma to trainer Hector, who starts out doubting the troubled Diana’s abilities but who comes to see her burgeoning talent that he helps by pushing her. Paul Calderón is suitably challenging as Diana’s abusive father, who berates her for her behaviour but isn’t exactly a saint himself. Santiago Douglas has excellent chemistry with Michelle Rodriguez as fellow boxer Adrian, who finds their relationship tested by the match between them. Ray Santiago is great as Tiny, Diana’s brother who wants nothing to do with boxing, but takes lessons because of his father’s discipline.

A gritty, hard-edged but very hopeful sports drama emerges from Girlfight as it explores someone who so little is expected of taking on the adversity.

 

Lost Season 2

Tags

2000's, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cynthia Watros, Daniel Dae Kim, Dominic Monaghan, Emilie de Ravin, Evangeline Lilly, Harold Perrineau, Henry Ian Cusick, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Lost, Lost Season 2, Maggie Grace, Malcolm David Kelley, Matthew Fox, Michael Emerson, Michelle Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn, Yunjin Kim

Following on from the jaw-dropping cliffhanger of Season 1, Lost Season 2 carries on the enigmatic and character driven story of these survivors that becomes more gripping as the season progresses. Be warned, spoilers will follow in this overview.

To recap, Michael(Harold Perrineau), Sawyer(Josh Holloway), Jin(Daniel Dae Kim) and Walt(Malcolm David Kelley) had created the raft that would help them escape to find help. That is until ‘The Others’ arrived, kidnapped Walt and destroyed the raft. In the present, Michael and an injured Sawyer have managed to survive by clinging to debris and Jin has managed to swim to the shore. Meanwhile back on the Island, Locke(Terry O’Quinn)  has successfully opened the mysterious hatch and has decided to venture down with Kate(Evangeline Lilly) in tow. Jack(Matthew Fox), on the other hand, is skeptical about exploring the hatch. Upon entering the hatch, Kate and Locke see that they are not alone. A worried Jack enters the hatch and traverses the vast underground before coming face to face with the intriguing Desmond(Henry Ian Cusick), someone who he met in the past. Desmond lives in the underground where he obsessively types in the ominous numbers that Hurley(Jorge Garcia) knows of into a machine that resets, preventing disaster. The hatch is actually the Swan Station, belonging to the DHARMA initiative who were cryptically referenced in season 1 and whose history unravels over the course of season 2.After Desmond runs off, Jack and the others take it in turns to man the computer that holds a doomsday prophecy. Elsewhere, Sawyer, Jin and Michael come into contact with a bunch of survivors from the back of the plane which broke off in mid-air, who have had confrontations with the mysterious ‘Others’ who killed many of the other ‘Tailies’. The group is spearheaded by tough and paranoid cop Ana Lucia(Michelle Rodriguez), with the enigmatic Mr.Eko(Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Libby(Cynthia Watros), a psychologist following. Forming an awkward team, they travel through the dangerous terrain occupied by ‘The Others’ in order to reach Jack and the other survivors, whilst Michael frantically begins searching for Walt and taking great risks in the process. Further secrets are revealed about the characters, various personal dramas unfold and a slowly building animosity forms between the survivors and ‘The Others’. Mysteries abound and characters develop in the exciting season of Lost that carries on the excellent torch of the first series and introduces some interesting new characters to the intriguing mix. It only slips behind the greatness of the first series because of the slowing of pace, but this is a minor flaw in an exciting and revealing season of one addictive and mind-bending TV show.

Firstly, the opening and revealing of the hatch is very intriguing as well as the introduction to Desmond. He is really shaping up to be an interesting character in the season and the whole repeating numbers is really nail-biting. I do hope that Desmond returns to the series after his brief appearances in season 2 because he really is a riveting and complex character who is played very well by Henry Ian Cusick.This season really has suspense going for it, whether it be ‘The Others’ walking in bone chilling silence through the jungle or the visions of Walt that Shannon(Maggie Grace) begins to see in which he talks backwards. I also found the episode in which the Tailies is explored and we see how they have adapted to survival riveting to watch. I liked how the writers crafted certain episodes from one character’s point of view and then showed us another side of the  events replayed.As with the last series, the score is an eerie, mysterious and sonically intriguing listen. The territorial conflict with ‘The Others’ also makes for compulsive  viewing as the battle for leadership on the island increases rapidly and the sinister presence of the smoke monster appears again. I like how the writers through the flashbacks reveal that our characters are not strangers and how their paths have crossed before. It may be a little detail in this great season, but it’s definitely a memorable one for me.It’s only at certain times that balancing the chills with some of the stories that don’t really amount to much that the season loses some of its greatness. This is mainly embodied in Charlie’s(Dominic Monaghan) arc; I feel sympathy for him as he is tempted to do drugs again but his centric episode in which he believes he is the one to take care of baby Aaron is far from great and really jeopardises the blossoming relationship he has with Claire(Emilie de Ravin). But with that little flaw out the way, the season does expand magnificently on many of the character’s lives prior to the crash.

 The newer characters, Ana Lucia, Mr.Eko and Libby make for interesting additions to the series. Michelle Rodriguez embodies the outwardly cold and tough persona whilst letting the audience glimpse the traumas of her past when she was a cop. The main incident that affected her was when she was shot at by a criminal which caused her to lose the baby she was carrying. In flashback, Ana Lucia located the criminal and killed him by shooting, she later quit the force. Because of these traumas, she takes on an unsympathetic attitude to those around her as she can’t face the inner pain. It is Ana Lucia who provides the season with one shocking and unexpected moments, the accidental killing of Shannon. Shannon is convinced that she has seen Walt in the jungle and heads out looking for him with Sayid(Naveen Andrews). After breaking down and telling Sayid that everyone around her abandons her, she hears whispers and sees Walt again. Running into the rain-soaked jungle, Shannon is mistaken for one of ‘The Others’ by Ana Lucia who shoots her. The scene is all the more tragic because Shannon was starting to become a character you could warm to as the season progressed and she died trying to do a good deed. A cruel irony hangs over the scene because Sayid promised he would never leave Shannon and unfortunately that admission is not able to be upheld because of her death. Sayid’s devastated reaction also leaves the viewer in a state of sadness as he carries the lifeless body of his lover back to the camp to the accompaniment of a mournful score as Ana Lucia follows with guilt written all over her face. Ana Lucia later meets her end when she is shot by a desperate Michael in a scene that I didn’t see coming. Mr. Eko makes for an interesting character because of his imposing presence and silent demeanor. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje shows us the deep regret of this character, who was a drug lord in Nigeria whose deals ultimately led to his brother dying. Since the death of his brother, he has found religion but has still never forgotten what happened to his brother. Libby(Cynthia Watros) is a good character for season 2. Cynthia Watros imbues her with a sympathetic personality that also has a glint of mystery. Libby, like Ana Lucia, is also shot by Michael and later dies from the wounds in a heartbreaking scene as Hurley cries at her bedside, mourning the loss of the woman who truly made him feel whole. Another cryptic character that appears is Henry Gale(Michael Emerson), who is captured by Danielle Rousseau, the mysterious French woman stranded on the island for sixteen years who believes that Henry is not to be trusted. Michael Emerson plays Henry with a quiet but highly manipulative streak that lulls the viewer into a false sense of security. He has this snake-like ability to drip poison in the ears of the other characters and wreak havoc with the smallest word. It is later revealed that Rousseau was right not to trust Henry as he turns out to be one of ‘The Others’.

Even though it might not reach the heights of the last season, Lost scores highly on character development and cryptic mystery. A prominent story in Season 2 is the love triangle between Jack, Kate and Sawyer. Kate finally kisses Jack but is torn between the two. The dynamic between the three is very interesting to watch as you wonder who Kate will eventually get with. Kate’s past is further explored, revealing that she killed her father because of his abuse towards her mother. The incident sets up Kate’s emotional state and how she was attempting to save her mother but in turn ended up on the run from justice. Most of the success revolving around Kate’s character is down to Evangeline Lilly, who projects a steely strength and quiet vulnerability. Also in flashbacks, Jack’s marriage crumbles after his wife admits to having an affair. As in the last season, Matthew Fox portrays Jack with subtle skill revealing the depths of this character as he continues in his position of leader. Josh Holloway also gets some great one-liners as the sarcastic but wounded Sawyer. Claire regains her memory and recalls encountering a girl who it appears is the Alex, the kidnapped daughter of Danielle. The girl helped her escape from Ethan who was attempting to take Aaron. Claire’s flashbacks are loaded with enigma and creepy symbolism that really has me interested into what will happen next in her arc. Harold Perrineau excellently portrays Michael’s descent into desperation as he attempts to locate Walt, whilst doing everything in his power to get there. He enters into a deal with ‘The Others’ to free Henry and betray his friends by bringing them to the sinister group who own the island.  Hurley, portrayed with humour and pathos by Jorge Garcia, is just as likable as he was last season. If anything the season excels at showing the serious side to Hurley and the various underlying issues he’s had to deal with. His budding relationship with Libby is also a very nice touch but the tragic loss of Libby is truly heart wrenching. Locke is still one of the most fascinating characters in the show. Played with a wise but dangerous knowledge by Terry O’Quinn he continues to test the audience into wondering what his true intentions are. And it’s great to see Sun(Yunjin Kim) and Jin(Daniel Dae Kim) back together after their breakup when it was revealed Sun could speak English, the fact that she’s pregnant brings them closer together after drifting apart.

So all I have left to say is Lost Season 2 is a worthy entry in the series. It may not be as great as season 1, but it has more than enough positives to rank it extremely high on my list of excellently crafted television. Hopefully Season 3 can carry on the success of the first and second season.

Resident Evil

Tags

2000's, Action, Horror, Marco Beltrami, Marilyn Manson, Michelle Rodriguez, Milla Jovovich, Paul W. S. Anderson, Resident Evil, Resident Evil Film Series, Science Fiction

Film Title

Resident Evil

Director

Paul W. S. Anderson

Cast

• Milla Jovovich as Alice
• Michelle Rodriguez as Rain
• Eric Mabius as Matt
• James Purefoy as Spence
• Martin Crewes as Kaplan
• Colin Salmon as One

If you’re looking for a film with enduring substance, Resident Evil is not the film for you. But if you crave a popcorn movie with action aplenty, bloody combat and a kick ass heroine, it may be the film you have been looking for. Although far from perfect, Resident Evil delivers on the sci-fi action/horror front with rapid editing, inventive methods of death and a ghoulish score by Marco Beltrami and goth rocker Marilyn Manson that keeps suspense ever-present.

The plot revolves around a genetic research facility called The Hive situated under Racoon City, which is owned by the mysterious Umbrella Corporation. In the labs, a strain of bacteria called the T-Virus is released into the air by a thief causing the airtight security to be breached. In response, The Red Queen, an artificial intelligence system seals all of the doors and kills everybody inside. Not long after this, a young women named Alice wakes up suffering from amnesia in a mansion that conceals The Hive. She is shortly after joined by a band of commandos who work with the corporation, who inform her of what happened underground. Still recovering from amnesia, Alice joins them as they travel underground to find out why The Red Queen shut down the secret labs. But what awaits them is not so easy, as the workers who were killed are not really dead. They have now become ravenous zombies who infect others by biting, the victims of this will eventually succumb to the primal need to feed. If that wasn’t enough, they must also battle the malicious security system intent on their demise.

I figured I would get the negatives out the way first before commenting on the positive notes. Although thrilling in parts, the characters are not really an interesting bunch except Alice, who becomes a capable kick-ass heroine and Rain, the sarcastic commando. The other characters serve only the purpose in progressively brutal ways, if they had been fleshed out more it would have sustained interest. This isn’t helped by the screenplay that relegates dialogue to the background and doesn’t allow us to understand the characters. Although the frenetic editing does sometimes add to the overall life or death situation, it eventually becomes stale through overuse.

Now on to the positive things in the movie. Paul W. S. Anderson manages to generate suspense through his choice of lighting and set design, as well as some gruesome effects including rabid Doberman’s with the insatiable need to kill. The ghostly atmosphere is further heightened by Marco Beltrami and Marilyn Manson’s eerie score, that keeps the hairs standing up on the back of your neck as the horror gets more brutal. The action sequences are inventive and pulse pounding to say the least; the best example when the remaining characters have to carefully walk along elevated pipes whilst ravenous zombies to attempt to clamber up in search of  their next meal. From an acting point of view, the two people to watch are Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez who both create capable heroines. Jovovich emits a silent sullen quality as she regains her memory and boy does she kick ass when she gets in touch with her tough inner strength. Michelle Rodriguez ably follows this act as the no-nonsense Rain, who still retains her humour even after facing the knowledge she will become one of the zombies after being infected.

So all in all, Resident Evil is derivative and not particularly original. But it does deliver on the action front and creates a sexy heroine who you don’t want to mess with. It won’t make for dramatic and thought-provoking viewing, but it does make a good popcorn movie.