Mad Max: Fury Road

Tags

2010's, Abbey Lee, Action, Charlize Theron, Courtney Eaton, George Miller, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Mad Max: Fury Road, Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keough, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tom Hardy, Zoë Kravitz

Film Title

Mad Max: Fury Road

Director

George Miller

Starring

• Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky
• Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa
• Nicholas Hoult as Nux
• Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe
• Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as The Splendid Angharad
• Riley Keough as Capable
• Zoë Kravitz as Toast
• Abbey Lee as The Dag
• Courtney Eaton as Cheedo the Fragile

When I heard there was going to be another Mad Max movie, I was a little ambivalent as to how it would turn out. Thankfully after hearing the praise for it from almost every critic, I finally watched it and boy did it deliver in spades. Fury Road is one exhilarating spectacle of high-octane action and dystopian craziness. To say I enjoyed this movie, would be a huge understatement.

In the distant future of vast and arid wasteland where resources are scarce and humanity has descended into utter madness, we have Max. A shell of a man, his only instinct is to survive the chaos that surrounds him while dealing with haunting visions of people he was unable to save in the past. We begin with Max being captured by fanatical War Boys, who worship the tyrannical leader Immortan Joe. The grotesque Joe has a complete hold on remaining survivors and keeps them in check by depriving them of water. Max is imprisoned and is forced to be the blood donor to one of the sick War Boys known as Nux, who has been utterly brainwashed by the leader. While attempting to escape, another incident sets in motion dangerous consequences. The driver of Joe’s war rig Imperator Furiosa has had enough of the conditions and escapes with precious cargo Joe’s harem of wives; Angharad, Capable, Toast, The Dag and Cheedo. These girls have been enslaved by the cult leader and used so he can produce an heir. When Joe sees what Furiosa has done, he sends out his armed men on a high-speed chase through the deserts. Max is strapped to the front of one of the trucks and manages to survive the carnage that awaits. Teaming with the fierce Furiosa, he helps her in her quest to reach the land where she was born in hopes of safety and redemption. It won’t be easy with two tons of heavily armed disciples tracing them and attacking, but Max and Furiosa muster their strength to fight back and survive in this time of hopelessness.

Right from the start George Miller brings his expertise to the forefront and bring electrifying life to Fury Road. As the original director of the movies, he has lost none of his touch when it comes to delivering pulse-pounding action and explosive set pieces. From a chase through a violent sandstorm that engulfs everything in its path to the vast arsenal of vehicles and weapons used, he just brings such style to it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie with so much action that just leaves your heart pounding and your knuckles white. For a film that runs for two hours, it sure doesn’t feel like it because of the sheer intensity of the movie. The whole visuals are outstanding, with the burnt oranges of the desert and the swirling dust showing us the destruction of humanity and the billowing white worn by the Wives as they flee their imprisonment creating a strikingly angelic impact against this unforgiving land. The sonic elements of this flick deserve so much credit. When watching this, you can hear everything amplified for maximum impact. The gears crunching, the bones breaking and the shrieks of madness, they’re all here and just arrest you from start to finish. And not forgetting the score, which resonates with epic drama and furious action. Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t just a film, it’s a reverberating and action packed event.

Stepping into Mel Gibson’s shoes must have been an extremely daunting task for Tom Hardy. Yet he brings the right strength to the role and nails the laconic demeanor of the character. Hardy has always been a physical actor and here it works excellently as with little dialogue, he conveys the primal need to survive in an extraordinary situation. But I must say that as effective as Hardy was in the role, Charlize Theron was the one who captured my attentions in her portrayal of Imperator Furiosa. Theron creates an intense and extremely determined character of stoic anger, responsibility and bravery. Most of this is conveyed through her eyes, which burn through the screen with steely ferocity. With her buzz cut, oil slicked across her face and a bionic arm, she really is an unforgettable creation and an asset to the movie embodied excellently by Charlize Theron. Nicholas Hoult gives insane and unstable energy to the role of Nux, the brainwashed War Boy who defies Joe and begins to help Max and the others in their attempt to survive. With his rumbling voice and physical presence, Hugh Keays-Byrne makes Immortan Joe a despicable and utterly grotesque villain. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley plays Angharad, Joe’s favourite of his wives who is heavily pregnant and while she isn’t the most competent actress, she brings a definite spark of innocence to the part. Riley Keough and Zoë Kravitz are also good as two of the escaped wives. Abbey Lee stands out the most among the quintet with her large eyes and grim sense of humour undercutting the danger all of them are involved in. Courtney Eaton rounds out the wives as Cheedo, the youngest of the girls.

Brutal, bloody and rip-roaring in the extreme, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best experiences I’ve had in the cinema for a long time and one that is impossible to forget.

 

Gorgeous Ladies

Tags

Charlie Hunnam, Emily Blunt, Gorgeous Ladies, Katheryn Winnick, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy, Travis Fimmel

With me being a generous guy, here is another post of gorgeous women. And not forgetting the guys for all those ladies out there.

With her dark hair and porcelain skin, Emily Blunt is just a beauty in every sense of the word.

The super sexy Margot Robbie sizzles for my Aussie buddy Jordan Dodd.

The long blonde locks and shapely legs of Katheryn Winnick are on display for V.

And now for the handsome guys for you ladies.

Once again for V, we have Travis Fimmel in his modelling days.

The masculinity of Tom Hardy is very much on show in this dapper shot.

Bringing brooding and athletic charm to this shot, Charlie Hunnam is here for all of you in all his shirtless glory.

 

 

 

 

 

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tags

2010's, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, David Dencik, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, John Le Carre, Kathy Burke, Mark Strong, Simon McBurney, Spy, Stephen Graham, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, Tomas Alfredson

Film Title

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Director

Tomas Alfredson

Starring

• Gary Oldman as George Smiley
• Colin Firth as Bill Haydon
• Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr
• John Hurt as Control
• Toby Jones as Percy Alleline
• Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam
• Ciarán Hinds as Roy Bland
• David Dencik as Toby Esterhase
• Simon McBurney as Oliver Lacon
• Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs
• Stephen Graham as Jerry Westerby
• Svetlana Khodchenkova as Irina

Based on the classic by John Le Carre, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a labyrinthine spy thriller with a perfect eye for detail and intelligent plot full of puzzles and mysteries. Boasting an all-star cast, precise and articulate direction by Tomas Alfredson and hauntingly scored by Alberto Iglesias, the film proves that the intelligent spy film that favours covert affairs and deception over shoot em up action are not dead.

The time is the 1970’s and London is a dour place of muddy yellows and muted mauve. Control, the elderly head of British Intelligence( commonly nicknamed “The Circus”) sends agent Jim Prideaux on a mission in Hungary to uncover information. The mission goes wrong when Jim is shot, captured and later presumed dead. In the ensuring crisis, Control and his right hand man, George Smiley are pushed into retirement. A year later, Control has died and Smiley is contacted by Oliver Lacon, a civil servant with a particularly interesting case. It appears that Ricki Tarr, an agent who was believed to have defected, has unearthed knowledge of a Soviet mole at the top of British Intelligence. It is either one of a few men including; the new aggressive chief Percy, the suave deputy Bill Haydon, the slimy Toby Esterhase or the silently menacing Roy Bland. Before his death, Control had the same suspicions about one of these men and as a result George accepts the difficult task of finding who the mole is in a web of lies, covert information, shifting identities and Cold War intrigue. Prepare for a spy thriller with a precise plot and genuine sense of suspense as Smiley uncovers many things as he nears the mole he is so desperately searching for.

One word of advice before watching the film is to not expect an action-packed narrative, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy relies more on secret meeting, cryptic code names and shifting loyalties to keep the meticulous plot going. It is the kind of film that demands your attention, if you blink you could miss an important plot point or something of significance. There are those that will say it is boring, but if you like intrigue with intelligence then watch this. Tomas Alfredson directs with an inventive eye for detail and framing, capturing the weary existence that these characters occupy in this distrustful world. The complicated plot is carefully handled and you are really left wondering who the mole could be. The evocative score by Alberto Iglesias compliments the melancholy time and the many revelations uncovered in the course of Smiley’s investigation.

The biggest draw of the piece has to be the exceptionally talented cast assembled. Leading the cast is Gary Oldman in a restrained performance as George Smiley. Oldman excels at showing the rather unassuming looking and seemingly cold man but quietly revealing the immense intelligence that lies within him. His voice rarely rises above a whisper, but you can sense the emotions within him because of Oldman’s excellent portrayal. Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds and David Dencik all rivet the attention as the men suspected of being the Soviet mole within the high-ranking part of the service. Mark Strong is very effective as Jim Prideaux, the rather unlucky agent whose shooting opens the film. Strong imbues Jim with both a desolation and a determination that compliments his character’s journey in the complex narrative. Tom Hardy is another person who makes his part his own, as Ricki Tarr who wrestles with his duty whilst falling in love with a beautiful Russian woman in Istanbul. Benedict Cumberbatch is utilized to great effect as Peter, who becomes George’s right hand man in the search for the mole. The ever reliable John Hurt, commonly seen in flashback, is a great choice for the part of the elderly Control. In smaller parts, Kathy Burke and Stephen Graham appear as two staff members who were removed from the service. Simon McBurney has his moments as the pompous civil servant drawing Smiley into the ring of deception. Svetlana Khodchenkova is luminous and mysterious as Irina, the woman who steals Ricki Tarr’s heart whilst holding some valuable information.

As scrupulous as the mechanics of a prized watch and as twisting as a serpent, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a classy, stylish and complex spy film. There are those that will become lost in the many turns and become confused by the many facts thrown at them, but the film succeeds none the less at capturing a specific time and creating interesting characters who populate a labyrinth of uncertainty and intrigue.