Atomic Blonde

“Atomic Blonde” is the most recent in a growing trend of stuntmen working behind the camera as opposed to in front. This time, it’s David Leitch, a longtime (and well-respected) stunt double and fight choreographer. He shot some scenes in 2014’s “John Wick” and was given a chance to do his own film here. The big test, however, will be next year’s “Deadpool 2,” which is a very low-risk/high-reward proposition with a modest budget.

Fueled by alcohol, a bad attitude, and cigarettes, Charlize Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, a British MI6 superspy who channels James Bond and Jason Bourne as a well-dressed bare-knuckle brawler who puts all of the East German thugs on their backs, and looks really good doing it. When she’s done, she swigs her vodka on the rocks and wallows in her regrets. She’s a master of disguise and fighting in heels, and uses everything within hands reach as a weapon.

Charlize clearly studied fight choreography as several scenes are definitely her and not a double. There isn’t much depth to the character beyond her stoic professionalism, and she clearly works alone, but Theron conveys a very subtle loneliness at times, which is a vulnerable trait you wouldn’t expect with such an uber-confident woman. She fits the role perfectly, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see this character become a franchise figure.

Powered by a steady stream of 80’s pop, and cold war era nostalgia, the film is set in 1989 Berlin, a turbulent and exciting time in history. The days leading up to the taking down of the wall find a British spy killed, and he loses a valuable list of international agents (sound familiar?) that is hidden in a watch. Broughton is dispatched to work with fellow British agent David Percival (James McAvoy) and find the watch before it gets into the KGB’s clutches. Percival is the personality of the film as opposed to Broughton’s calm coolness. He is flamboyant, unorthodox, and seemingly on the cusp of losing his focus on his purpose, and every time he’s about to come unhinged, Broughton seems to reel him back in. It’s really a nice chemistry even if there isn’t a spark.

As they race the clock to find the list, they use assets and leave a trail of battered and bloody bodies, their own included. Joining the team are MI6 handler Gray (Toby Jones), and CIA agent Kurtzfeld (John Goodman) who are used nicely to separate the narrative from the debrief. Sofia Boutella plays Delphine, a vampy French woman who is attracted to Broughton from the moment she sees her. The two of them share a surprisingly steamy scene together, which conjures memories of gratuitous sex and violence in 80’s and 90’s B-movies. Perhaps this was intentional to match the setting and mood of the film, or perhaps not, but either way, I’m not complaining.

One thing that people will inevitably talk about is the stairwell fight scene. Let me be clear, it is absolutely stunning. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is the best fight scene since Viggio Mortenson’s “Eastern Promises” steam room brawl in 2007. It is an eight-minute sequence that appears to be shot in one scene (director Leitch admits there are some hidden cuts, although I couldn’t tell) and it is brutal. Shootings, stabbings, tumbling down stairs, and even a strategically placed corkscrew. Theron did the scene herself, and it catapults her to the top of my female bad-ass list in a single eight-minute swoop. Try to find the cuts while watching, I dare you.

“Atomic Blonde” is more than just a vehicle for gonzo fight scenes. With a 30 million budget, strong reviews and word of mouth, and a story that is actually pretty strong considering the aim, I would expect this to be a surprise hit. There is plenty to criticize, but I was thoroughly entertained, and I can truly appreciate what Theron and Leitch accomplished in this one. The twist at the end might not be surprising, but it is pretty satisfying as well. 8/10.

Dunkirk

Christopher Nolan’s name has become synonymous with brilliant and cerebral science-fiction films ever since breaking on the scene with the masterfully crafted “Memento” in 2000. He followed that with the epic “Batman” trilogy, “Inception,” and most recently, “Interstellar” in 2014. Suffice to say, when he made the decision to give non-fiction a try regarding one of the most pivotal and heroic stories from the British perspective of World War 2, it conjured images of “Saving Private Ryan” and I braced myself for a gripping story filled with graphic images and sensational acting.

A refreshingly unknown cast (besides 3 noticeable Oscar-winning/nominated actors in very unassuming roles) take us back to 1940, when the British allied troops were trapped against the English Channel, pressured by the axis powers from all sides, pushing them as fish into a barrel for the Germans to strafe and bomb. Their only hope is evacuation by sea, but with their Navy decimated by German bombers and U-Boats, all hope falls on the civilian naval corps to cross the scant fifty miles separating the soldiers and their homes.

Right off the bat, it was clear that this would be a film of action and not dialogue. Chris Nolan did a tremendous job using music and setting to paint the picture of desperation and plight. Dialogue is sparse, which serves the story perfectly. Understated acting draws the viewer’s attention to the tense and harrowing score (by Hans Zimmer) which will be a difficult one to beat on Oscar night. Particularly interesting is the ticking of a stopwatch that continues essentially from start to finish, amplifying the desperation and urgency. Attention is paid to the slightest details from start to finish, with every single frame and sequence intentionally shot. It was almost too intentional, too framed. That doesn’t take away from the beauty and awe at all, but at times I felt that the film was taking the easy way out and was a bit too conservative in its approach to war despite the full-immersion and gripping beauty. Additionally, the PG-13 rating eliminated any bit of violence or blood, which left a much smaller impact on me as a viewer. I’m not saying I was hoping for violence, but it definitely adds effect. It was “Saving Private Ryan” light in a nutshell.

Broken into segments of sea, air, and land, we bounce back and forth following individuals who represent the collective in different perspectives; a civilian sailor (Mark Rylance), a fighter pilot (Tom Hardy), and a trio of soldiers who will do just about anything to get home (Fionn Whitehead, Aneurin Barnard, and Harry Styles). This diversity shows the different struggles, and are even shot with different color hues if you’re paying attention. Everyone is a hero in his own way, yet the heroism isn’t glamorized and is subtle and tasteful in preserving the realism.

What I couldn’t quite gauge from the film was the true number of soldiers either killed or rescued. They mention numbers throughout, but the camera never shows groups as large as I was expecting. There were almost a half a million soldiers on the beach, with roughly eighty-five percent rescued, and that sheer miracle wasn’t punctuated nearly well enough, nor could I envision that many during the climactic rescue. The small bands of pilots, sailors, and infantry were the focal points throughout, which lessened the grandeur and epic scale that could have been. Nolan is a consummate professional, and uses deliberate and minimalist scenes to tell stories with incredible depth, but I never quite was able to visualize four hundred-thousand British in peril.

“Dunkirk” is a fantastic story wrought with heroism, sacrifice, fear, and drama. Nolan clearly had this passion project on his mind for some time, and I can’t find any flaw in his depiction. Maybe I was expecting more violence, and for that I was a bit caught off guard. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but it definitely could have presented more tension or struck a deeper nerve. That said, I can’t overstate the spot-on perfection achieved by the score, with the ticking clock taking center stage. Zimmer proves he is the master of his craft (he took some inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson films on this one) and he truly outshines the cast leaving a lasting impression. The film is of very high quality and an exceptional story. I for one welcome more non-fiction from Nolan. Although his science-fiction is pretty awesome too. 8/10.

War for the Planet of the Apes

I quite enjoyed the first two “Planet of the Apes” remakes. Much more than I expected, and it was largely due to the care and attention to detail in the motion-capture effects of bringing the simians to life. Andy Serkis is not even remotely given his due in terms of the magic he has brought to the screen as characters such as Gollum, King Kong, Supreme Leader Snoke, or Caesar.

The epic finale to the remake of the trilogy finds Caesar (Andy Serkis), the leader of the genetically enhanced society of apes living deep in the Redwood Forest, battling for alpha species status with the last-stand special forces group of monkey-haters, led by the Kurtzesque Colonel McCullough (Woody Harrelson). The film has more than a few “Apocalypse Now” parallels, and as the war rages and the body count stacks up (ape and human), we quickly come to realize that these two species simply can’t live harmoniously on Earth. Or at least in America. Or at least on the West Coast. Caesar and McCullough develop a certain extinction-level hate or rivalry toward each other, and it causes them to make merciless and highly personal decisions in their dueling.

This film has a decidedly different feel than the previous two. Director Matt Reeves (2018’s “The Batman”) conveys an unintentional dark, almost ominous mood, which is a stew of “The Great Escape,” “Full Metal Jacket,” and “Schindler’s List.” You read that right. After a hard and fast battle introduction, I thought I was watching a true blue war film, and it was extremely compelling. I was simultaneously impressed and surprised, but the mood devolved quickly. The war quickly turned into a political statement eerily reminiscent of Nazi Germany, where the humans displayed the deplorable barbarism of humanity, led by none other than Woody Harrelson’s Colonel McCullough.

Harrelson claims that he’s not channeling Marlon Brando, but there is something off about the typically great actor’s performance. It’s much too forced, and the sunglasses in the dark don’t do him any favors. The militaristic approach was a bit too inhumane and jingoistic, but I suppose the intended juxtaposition of audience sympathy is the whole point. Humans bad, apes good. Two species hitting a crossroads evolutionarily; one grasping for its domination through animalistic violence, and the other reluctantly displaying more humanistic tendencies than expected is a great concept, but played out on the screen in two hours, I just thought the idea would make a stronger novel, and the film should have had more action.

That said, the acting was phenomenal; by the apes. Every one of the main characters communicated so much emotion through their eyes, their sign language, and even in some cases, their primal grunts and noises. The humans were devoid of emotional depth however, which left me feeling a bit underwhelmed by the story.

The film was a bit too long, with lengthy segments of inaction, and I question whether horses have the strength to carry gorillas and orangutans on their backs, running at full-speed. That aside, I was absolutely blown away by the realism presented on screen. I would expect numerous Oscar nods in the effects department, and the music kept pace with the action very well, creating what is on the surface a very entertaining film. I can’t overstate how impressed I was by Serkis, and I hope he is finally recognized by the academy (I said that back in 2014 for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and his work as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” films) “War for the Planet of the Apes” is an ambitious but ultimately kind of depressing movie.

Come for the effects and the movie magic, but don’t expect to leave with a smile on your face. It’s plenty entertaining for a summer blockbuster, but just a bit too heavy and emotionally layered. 7/10.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

I’m getting a little tired of film titles with colons and subtitles. Just thought I’d start with that. What I’m not tired of, surprisingly, is superhero films. “Spiderman: Homecoming” is different than the other Avengers films, in that it’s more grounded in the high school drama of an insecure, immature teenager who is grappling with the great power and great responsibility of super strength, super speed, super agility, super spidey senses, and all that other stuff we’ve seen already (five times in the last fifteen years). You would think that this reincarnation would be a bit too recycled and redundant after such a saturated market, but it actually stands out as one of the less formulaic takes on the genre.

We begin our story with the origin of our antagonist, Adrian Toone (Michael Keaton). It’s a masterful performance of which I only have two complaints (see below). He’s a salvage crew chief cleaning up the aftermath of the events of the original “Avengers” when Tony Stark’s company comes in and steals his contract, leaving him no choice but to go rogue. Makes sense, and a pretty compelling character motivation device.

Anyway, in a sharply done sequence, we are introduced to Peter Parker (Tom Holland) through a personal video diary that catches us up on the events of “Captain America: Civil War” through the eyes of the kid. From there, we get to relive our own awkward high school experience through Peter’s nerdy, shy daily struggles as he interacts with girls, teachers, his Aunt May, and the general public of Queens, New York. He more than anything wants to be an Avenger, and his attempts to gain the approval of the elite superhero agency is both endearing and desperate. He finds himself growing up before our eyes as he faces a new type of criminal, the prospect of a hero’s life beyond his Queens childhood home, and talking to the girl of his dreams, Liz (Laura Harrier).

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Iron Man, and serves as the father-figure and the connective tissue to the rest of the MCEU (Marvel Comics Extended Universe). We are teased right and left about the possibility of our favorite Avengers popping in for a cameo, and make no mistake, Spider-Man has joined the team with promise for some epic collaboration in the near future. Downey Jr. has his usual swagger, but he shows a certain soft spot for the kid which adds even more depth to his complex character.

Director Jon Watts (“Cop Car”) provides a different take on the genre. It’s truly more of a high school dramedy at heart than a traditional superhero flick. That’s what keeps it from becoming stale before the opening credits are over. He wisely chooses to skip over the origin story, which every red-blooded American knows by heart by now. Instead, we are immersed into the more banal parts of the hero’s life. It’s as if we were offered a movie of Black Widow doing her grocery shopping and going to the gym instead of actually fighting bad guys all day. It worked.

We root for Spider-Man because he’s everything we wish we were. It’s every child’s fantasy to develop superpowers, and to walk the halls of the high school hiding a secret that is beyond cool. He’s a smart, kind person. Like Captain America without the confidence, experience, or chest hair. Tom Holland does an exceptional job encapsulating the emotion and physicality of a teenager, and although some of his behaviors are aggravating at times, we are constantly reminded that he’s just a kid (something that was missing from the other two attempts with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), and kids make poor choices. His best (and only) friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon) is the goofy, nerdy kid who complements Peter very well, bringing a sense of realism to Parker’s intended persona. Ned’s comic relief is actually more resonant in grounding the high school vibe than even Parker’s, but that’s a whole other essay.

My only gripes are that at times it seems a bit long, some of the dialogue is a little weak and forced, and with the Vulture’s costume. When not in full special effects mode, it doesn’t necessarily work for him. Keaton embraces the opportunity to show a different side of his acting arsenal, and he absolutely nails it. It wouldn’t have worked twenty years ago, but his gruff, aged exterior and his gravelly voice make for a very deep and rich character. Overall, this was an excellent film and an exciting preview of things to come for one of the most iconic superhero characters ever. See it because it’s good, not just because it’s Spider-Man. 9/10.

Baby Driver

“Baby Driver” is one of the more surprisingly refreshing films to cross the silver screen this year. It’s a genre-bending musical action romance that is equal parts Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, and Quentin Tarantino. Writer/director Edgar Wright (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movies) delivers a truly entertaining film that hits the gas pedal right from the opening credits, and doesn’t let up until the very end.

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a driving savant. Cooler than Steve McQueen, behind the wheel, he’s unstoppable. His modus operandi is finding the right music to pace him through mind-blowing vehicular maneuvers, and the soundtrack is all over the place, ranging from Queen to Barry White, Beck, to Golden Earring. The music becomes a character in itself, much like the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. In over his head with crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), Baby is tasked with one last job before he’s left alone, but with his skill set, Doc doesn’t want to let his lucky charm get away. Enter Lily James as Debora, the aw shucks, cute-as-a-button waitress at the local greasy spoon diner. She throws a wrinkle in Baby’s plans when she steals his heart, and it’s all up to Baby to get out of his precarious predicament alive.

The supporting cast has a ball in this one. Jaime Fox, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jon Bernthal add A-list name recognition as various racketeers and unscrupulous crooks, while Lily James (“Cinderella”) channels her inner “True Romance” as the sweet, innocent damsel caught in the crossfire. They all play off each other nicely, embracing each of their respective roles in a way that really amplifies the overall feel of the film, which is inspiring. With the exception of Spacey, who seems to go through the motions doing what he’s done so many times before, they are appropriately cast, although I would have liked to have seen Bernthal on screen a bit longer. Spacey’s character in particular was ripe for someone a bit less stereotypical. If it were me doing the casting, I would have gone another direction and chosen someone more physically imposing, like a Steven Lang or Mickey Rourke (don’t judge, I like him). It may have changed the tone of the film a bit, but it was the one missing piece.

The film not only instantly catapults Ansel Elgort into legitimate leading man territory (see Alden Ehrenreich’s epic cowboy scene in “Hail! Caesar” for comparison), but plays it cool with the impressive supporting cast. Their roles are juggled adroitly by Edgar Wright, who seems on the cusp of greatness himself. People love action. People love music. People love capers. People love fast cars. And people have short attention spans, which makes filmmaking a difficult proposition these days. Good directors keep the pace moving from start to finish, but Wright manages to weave romance, humor, strong dialogue, and a compelling story together into a very impressive manner. “Baby Driver” is the total package for an action film, and I was beyond pleased.

There isn’t much to dislike about “Baby Driver” from a critical perspective. It’s a fun movie that’s been missing so far this summer, and hopefully will spark a turning point in quality of film this summer. Personally, I’m looking forward to numerous July releases, and I can only hope they are as satisfying as “Baby Driver.” 9/10.