The Equalizer Review

The Equalizer

Dir: Antione Fuqua

Starring: Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Johnny Skourtis, Bill Pullman, and Melissa Leo

Corkscrews, a nail gun, and closed hand bludgeoning are some of the methods of violence utilized in director Antione Fuqua’s good old-fashioned revenge story. In the calm yet forceful lead is Denzel Washington, making what is an unoriginal and many times copied story of a quiet man hiding specialized deadly skills into something much more interesting than it should be with violent interludes to gratify those waiting for just retribution. 

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) is a mild mannered, well-liked home improvement store employee who has difficulty sleeping at night but utilizes the time to sit at a local diner, drinking tea, and reading literary classics. A young girl named Alina (Chloë Grace Moretz), whose street name is Teri, talks with Robert about his books. Teri is caught in a bad place with bad people; one night the men controlling her beat her badly. Robert, trying to help his friend, makes an impromptu visit to the Russian men that sent her to the hospital. Conversations don’t end well, as Robert’s secretive past makes a bloody appearance leaving him the last man standing. This group of bad guys was merely one brick of a bigger wall.

Antione Fuqua is no stranger to gritty, violent crime stories. Having directed Washington in “Training Day” the director utilizes him to distract from the derivative narrative elements. All the attributes and characters found in revenge films are present, along with the violent altercations designed here with Fuqua’s tendencies for overloaded frames. The choice of music to enliven actions scenes and the slow motion/close-up photography selections that describe Robert’s sensations are distracting and take away from the emotion worked towards within the scene. This may be overly picky, but Fuqua demonstrates restraint and in doing this he forms some compelling scenes between the actors that is sadly lessened by the needless flair. These scenes are quiet and measured, with characters talking intimately with each other during different states of emotion. Whether the intimidating back and forth at a restaurant table between Robert and a deadly Russian problem solver (Marton Csokas) or the compassionate guidance on a lonely street between Robert and Teri, these scenes of character development separate “The Equalizer” from others like it.

The cast is strong. Washington’s great control of the role is nothing new for the seasoned actor who has played this role in different variations a few times now. Chloë Grace Moretz is again good and quite effective in a smaller role. Marton Csokas is a great choice of villain; his intimidating, tattooed character goes from calm businessman to aggressive killer in a blink, unfortunately the character is left in an under-utilized position in the finale.

“The Equalizer” is based on a television show of the same name from the 1980’s. The television series is shadowed in small parts but this film is entirely Fuqua’s work. Denzel Washington is the main attraction here, and he is quite good. While the narrative is a slightly better rehash of other vengeance films, the compulsive style choices are distracting and subtract from the exceptional subtle work the director incorporates between characters. The film is still entertaining and should satisfy fans of Washington and those looking for a no-nonsense action film.

Monte’s Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

Tusk Review

Tusk

Dir: Kevin Smith

Starring: Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, and Haley Joel Osment

Rated R

102 Minutes

It all started with a podcast. Filmmaker Kevin Smith and longtime friend and producing partner Scott Mosier sat down for their weekly podcast. The subject of the show was an advertisement on a craigslist-like website from a man looking for a roommate who would be willing to dress in a walrus suit. Strange, but this story sparked creative juices taking Smith and Mosier through an hour-long formation of a treatment for a film.  Offered to Twitter for approval or disapproval from fans the hash tag, #walrusyes, was overwhelming enough for Smith to pursue the wild idea for major production. With “Tusk” Kevin Smith has made a joking conversation with a friend into a ludicrous, over-the-top comedic horror film tailored for his fans.

Wallace (Justin Long) is an obnoxious podcaster who travels the country looking for odd people to interview. Wallace travels to Manitoba for a meeting with an Internet sensation but things go awry. Stuck in Canada without an interview, Wallace finds an advertisement on a bathroom wall that intrigues him enough to venture deep into the True North to find Howard Howe (Michael Parks), an enigmatic wheel chair bound seafarer with a storied life. Living in a museum-like house Howard shares an outlandish story about being lost at sea just before drugging Wallace and taking him captive. His co-host Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) and girlfriend Ally are worried about his disappearance and travel to Canada to search for him with the help of a peculiar detective.

Smith expertly mixes tones, walking and at times diverting far from the line that separates comedy and horror. It feels like a skill tailored for Smith’s talents. This quality is needed in “Tusk” which begins with a reality-grounding introduction but turns into something completely and grossly outrageous. It’s a sharp curve from the norm, one that Smith guides successfully in parts. As is the case with most of the films in Smith’s catalog, things get verbose quickly. While his flair with characters and dialog can be humorous, it can also be frustrating when it takes away from the positive developing features. Unfortunately, there are a few moments where Smith’s overindulgence within scenes hurts the pacing and takes away from the back and forth tension built by the design utilized in the narrative.

Having the fantastic Michael Parks in your film can hold any wild tangent together. Parks’ performance is committed and exceptional as the sinister seafarer with an obsession with walruses. Justin Long, playing the difficult role here of both man and beast, in extensive makeup, is at times painstakingly annoying when taking advantage of his girlfriend or demeaning Canadians though he is also empathetic albeit by forceful methods of mutilation.  There is also an indulgent cameo by a familiar actor in disguising makeup. While this role is amusing at first, especially for those who listen to Smith’s podcast, the joke runs its course quickly. 

Kevin Smith is clearly making a movie for his own fascinations and die-hard fans. “Tusk” is Smith at his most technically confident, the cinematography here is better than most of his other work and his narrative is filled with stinging humor and in-jokes all wrapped in a dark and demented premise. While the first half of the film establishes great characters with surprising heart and a playful yet dark environment, the gruesome transition in the second half feels somewhat uneven. “Tusk” is strangely unique, especially for a Kevin Smith film. It’s different enough from a genre standpoint to split horror fans appreciation but Jay and Silent Bob would explicitly approve.

Monte’s Rating

3.50 out of 5.00

The Maze Runner Review

The Maze Runner

Dir: Wes Ball

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Ami Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, and Kaya Scodelario

113 Minutes

“Never go beyond the walls”. A rule inherently made to be broken by the young men confined behind massive, mechanical walls in director Wes Ball’s adaptation of James Dashner’s young adult novel “The Maze Runner”. A plethora of films featuring youth in peril in a dystopian future, most based off beloved novels, have saturated the cinema recently. Most of these films are featuring the usual derivative storytelling accompanied by decent enough acting, unfortunately because these kinds of stories are becoming so common nothing feels surprising. “The Maze Runner” falls into some of these pitfalls, however with great performances from supporting roles and a plot that unabashedly keeps the viewer in the dark until the end; the film sustains a sensation of intrigue amidst the confusion.

Waking up in an elevator with a group of young men standing intimidatingly over top of him, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) is imprisoned in a constructed maze. Inside the maze is a community of young men primitively surviving, each of them arriving in the same mysterious way as Thomas. They have organized their own society with rules and responsibilities that each person abides to, and everyday a specific group of members known as “runners” navigate the maze in hopes of finding a way out. Though every night the maze closes and monstrous animals called Grievers arrive to ward off exploration. Thomas’ impulsive actions throws discourse into the population, but the sudden arrival of a young woman who recognizes Thomas changes everything.

Imbued with tones similar to “The Lord of the Flies”, the narrative provides some interesting surface level examinations on brotherhood, maturity, and group mentality influenced by fear and survival. While this in-depth character and narrative development doesn’t continue long enough to get into the more thought-provoking material involving the motivations of these young men, it does offer an attention grabbing introduction. Unfortunately the suspense of the claustrophobic atmosphere is lost once the film transitions into the rolling mystery, which regrettably goes nowhere and instead fills the plot with more damaging questions than satisfying answers. For those that have read the book, the film may have a slightly different appeal, but for those coming in cold, the film feels like a prolonged sequel setup.

Still, the performances from the cast are quite good. In the lead Dylan O’Brien is effective though somewhat overshadowed by the supporting cast. Two in particular offer great contrasts for the group. Ami Ameen plays community leader Alby with concern and control, the figure of positive leadership for the young men. While Will Poulter playing villain hides the inner fear he is feeling with an outward menace that lashes out whenever he gets scared. This comes to characterize his ambitions as his fear gains full control of his emotions.  Unfortunately some improbable motivations from the characters and strained dialog moments interrupt the performances, allowing the flaws within the narrative to show through.

Amidst good performances and some skilled techniques that attempt to add depth to the narrative and build tension within certain scenes, “The Maze Runner” eventually leaves the audience in a place of confusion where only a sequel could remedy the messy plot and satisfy the many pending questions being asked in the end.

Monte’s Rating

3.00 out of 5.00

The Drop Review

The Drop

Dir: Michaël R. Roskam

Starring: Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, Noomi Rapace, Matthias Schoenaerts, and John Ortiz

106 Minutes

The moment the familiar voice-over narration introduces “The Drop”, it’s obvious what kind of film will follow. A quiet man, a lonely woman, tough guy gangsters, and a dive bar establish the setup for director Michaël R. Roskam’s crime film. While the majority of the film is a mere cutout of other better films, the performances are terrific. “The Drop” marks the final film for James Gandolfini who died last June. Gandolfini brings the flair and intimidation of one of his most memorable characters to this role. Roskam’s film suffers from uneven and clichéd storytelling but is elevated by stellar performances.

Bob (Tom Hardy) pours drinks at a local blue-collar bar named after the owner Marv (James Gandolfini). At one point in the past Marv was a feared man, but his days of control have been taken over by a group of Chechen mobsters who run the Brooklyn neighborhood and utilize the bar for their dealings. Bob unintentionally gains the attention of a woman named Nadia (Noomi Rapace) after he finds an abused dog in her trashcan.  Bob, forced into caring for the puppy, gains unwanted and dangerous attention from Nadia’s past. After a robbery at the bar, Bob and Marv are strong-armed by the mob into repaying the stolen money.

Screenwriter Dennis Lehane adapts one of his short stories entitled “Animal Rescue”. Lehane’s work isn’t new to the big screen; a few of his adaptations include “Gone Baby Gone” and “Mystic River”. “The Drop” unfortunately doesn’t come close to the quality of the aforementioned films. Lehane stretches the narrative to the extent of losing the mystery and stifling any built tension, though his characters are crafted well enough to mask some of the flaws within the story. Every character is branded with a dark past with equally dark sins that continue to define their existence. Kindhearted Bob rescues the hurt dog unknowingly walking into the path a sociopathic loner who forces Bob to confront the fears of his past. Time, specifically in regards to the past, is a key element intertwined into every characters motivation here.

The performances are great. Tom Hardy is exceptional as a man whose actions speak louder than the few words he mutters. Nothing surprises him, even when the gruesome gift of a severed limb shows up, Bob’s methodical handling of the situation displays more about his character than him explaining with some overlong monologue. James Gandolfini is threatening and apprehensive, a man who is first to talk but never the first to get his hands dirty. Gandolfini’s emotional duality starts subtly but exaggerates as the situation slips further out of his control.

 “The Drop” can be rather messy and unsurprising from a narrative standpoint, but the measured performances from the group of exceptional actors keeps the film worthwhile to watch. Hardy again demonstrates his developing skill while Gandolfini offers one final display of his impressive talent that will be sorely missed.

Monte’s Rating 

3.25 out of 5.00