This week I look at one newer movie with a big star another by a star director. Plus one oldie worth tracking down
Todays movies coincidentally are all about the performances. I recommend two out of the three. There is also a bonus review and all feature performances worth seeing. No Hard Feelings reveals newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman, to be a talent to watch, Black Angel shows regular baddie Dan Duryea in a new light and The Killer (2023) has Michael Fassbender being Michael Fassbender which is fabulousness itself.
I love The Killer (2023) 🦛🦛🦛1/2 but it took me a few days to get there. I enjoyed it right away but after sitting with it for almost week I have even more admiration for the way that Director David Fincher takes one of the most over used tropes, a story about an assassin for hire and completely deconstructs the genre without changing the typical formula. In the opening scene we meet an unnamed man (credited as “the killer”) played to perfection by Michael Fassbender. Is Fassbender a flawless casting choice, the most ideal David Fincher actor ever, or both? I can’t quite decide. “The killer” is on the job which consists of waiting, and waiting, and waiting until you get the impression that being OCD is a lot more useful in being a paid assassin then the typical macho type in the role. The opening sequence is 15 minutes long and in lesser hands it might have been boring thanks to Fincher and cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt it is visually sublime. Then, and this genuinely surprised because it is so terribly conventional, the job goes wrong. The rest of the movie follows the killer as he saves himself from his employers and gets revenge against those who wrong him. Could it be more typical a plot line? No it could not. The script by Kevin Walker Smith is heavy with dialogue because the killer talks to himself the whole time. This inner voice narration is made up of the killers professional mantras, bits of philosophy and random thoughts. The narration adds to the surface impression that the movie seems tonally inconsistent. I have read the French comic by Alexis “Matz” Nolent that the movie is “based” on and it is a work of subtle genius much like the movie but I do not recall it having the playful undertone found here. There is a sequence where the killer breaks into a another killers home. As our killer drugs the guard dog then sneaks in and moves around in a manner worthy of an 80’s action movie (not credible for those to young to remember) I kept thinking, isn’t this guy supposed to be a pro? Next he is ambushed forcing a battle to the death, then chased by the dog that conveniently wakes up. You get the whole nine yards of cliché and I kept wondering is this supposed to be funny? I certainly found it comic but was I supposed to laugh? The technical precision of the filmmaking and the realistically brutal violence did not give a clue. The whole movie is like this with Fincher and Fassbender keeping such a straight face the entire time I wasn’t sure I was supposed to be funny. If you miss the subtle comedic undertone you might confuse this movie for a pretty one dimensional picture. I’ve never known Fincher to make one dimensional films, even Alien 3 (the final cut was famously taken away from him) had some depth and lots of potential. I point out the tonal conflict as a compliment. The movie is not confused, I was, it just took me a bit of thinking to sort it out. The fact that I had to think about a good action movie is enough to make it a winner. That the thinking led to further enjoyment and admiration makes my appreciation for what the creators did that much deeper. When I first heard about the Killer I was hopeful but hesitant. Had one of the to few remaining big Hollywood auteur directors sold out? Would this be another big Netflix movie like Grey Man (skipped it) or Red Notice (ditto). No, Fincher is to clever for that, he even gave away the secret that this is something a little bit different in the title card which has the word killer with an off kilter “i”. Now that’s clever. He has made an action movie that may leave some Marvel loving fans scratching their heads and wondering if they actually enjoyed what they saw. If that’s you, your ready to go deeper into the widely more interesting world of film than just Marvel movies and David Fincher might be the perfect place to start. Go find a copy of Panic Room a more traditional and excellent action set piece and go from there. For those film lovers who have been waiting it out as superhero’s took over the box office I say this might be the light at the end of the tunnel! Marvels is currently collapsing in theatres, this “action” movie got made and a three hour black and white biopic about physics was a summer blockbuster. 2023 is the year of hope for interesting movies. We need more movies like this, let’s hope we get them.
Where to Watch:
Streaming on Netflix
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Some actors so consistently play a type, often a villain that I wonder if they have any range. Dan Duryea who I have known exclusively as a villain mostly in noir movies is one of those actors so it was a surprise to see him play a good guy in Black Angel (🦛🦛🦛). It was probably a nice change of pace for Duryea and he is decent enough but his performance has none of the magic he normally brings to his standard role of the oily slightly sleazy villain. He is Martin Blair ex-husband of murdered Mavis Marlowe (Constance Dowling) and his role is to help co-star June Vincent who plays Catherine Bennett prove the innocence of her husband Kirk who has been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of the murdered Mavis who was his lover. We know Kirk did not do it because the movie opens with the murder and though we don’t see the murderers face we see Kirk discover the body right after. Roy Chandler wrote the script but the prize for original concept go to the prolific Cornell Woolrich who wrote the book it is based on. Duryea‘s Martin is a hapless hangdog fellow who had a dominating ex-wife. It comes as no surprise when he starts falling for the Catherine who is herself a strong woman. The only significant difference between the two woman is morals, Catherine has them. She has them to the point that she goes out of her way to prove that her wayward husband may be a cheater but he is not a killer. Catherine is not a helpless female who can’t live without her man. Yes she loves him so much that she can’t bear to let him die but Vincent plays Catherine as serious, sensible and level headed. Hovering in the background is original case investigator Captain Flood played by the always good Broderick Crawford. Flood seeming happy to let the unlikely duo investigate the case and just be ready to step in when it’s time to arrest the murderer. Crawford is likeable in a role that reminded me of wallpaper, nice to have but not essential and sometimes you even forget it’s there. Lurking about is the best lurker in the business Peter Lorrre as a local club manager and most likely murderer. After the twist premise the bulk of the movie is uneventful in the imagination department but pleasant enough to watch with likeable performances. The ending is happy for noir i.e. the wrong man doesn’t die but it caught me off guard in a pleasant way. Director Roy William Neil of Rathbone and Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies fame makes the whole thing look good and at 81 minutes keeps things from dragging. Plus it has a heck of a cast. Definitely watch it if you’d like to see Dan Duryea do something different or you can’t get enough noir.
Where to Watch:
The link below is to a free version of the full movie on YouTube
Rent on AppleTV
Thoughts? Feel free to weigh in!
If only the title No Hard Feelings (🦛🦛) was true. I do harbour hard feelings towards the director/co-writer Gene Stupnitsky and co-writer Josh Phillips for poor use of two winsome stars and a premise filled with potential. Set in Montauk one of America’s summer playgrounds for the rich Jennifer Lawrence stars as Maddie a local behind on her bills and in danger of losing her house. Maddie is a hostile, angry thirty two year old woman who has never had a stable romantic life and has two friends played by Natalie Morales and Scott MacArthur both of whom are charming and funny when we see them which is far to little. When Maddie’s car is repossessed she is in dire straits because she is a part time Uber driver, and needs to make her summer income in order keep her house. Desperately looking for options she answers an add on Craigslist from two parents looking for a young woman to help their 19 year old son come out of his shell by dating and having sex with him. As payment they are offering a Buick Regal. A wasted Matthew Broderick as Percy’s dad explains to Maddie that having sex helped him blossom into the man he is today, so they are thinking it will work for Percy to. Laura Benanti as Percy’s mom has little to do by be a fussy, weepy, hapless mom. Comedy or not maybe we should be offended at another lifeless “woman’s” role. The premise, based on a real add, is played for laughs and could have worked if the script better and bolder. Right away Stupintsky and Phillips give a knowing wink to the audience that Maddie is not actually going to seduce Percy. We understand that if Maddie and Percy have sex it will be tender and based on mutual feelings. Did I want 32 year old Maddie to seduce 19 year old Percy? Not really, but I wanted a script willing to do it. Instead this scripts plays out will they won’t they comedic seduction scenes with no real weight for the first half of the movie with mixed results. One scene has Maddie getting Percy and herself naked on an empty beach that stretches incredulity to the breaking point. The idea that a heterosexual 19 year old with no moral compunction is not going to give it up to someone that looks like Jennifer Lawrence is well, dumb. They get away with it because it morphs into the funniest scene in the movie when a naked Jennifer Lawrence kicks the ass of a some drunk teens. It is funny to watch but the movies biggest laugh is largely shock value, partially at the scene is self but more because a raging Lawrence is completely nude. Would it be funny the second time? I doubt it. During this first half Lawrence is very funny and newcomer Andrew Barth Feldmans performance of Percy’s uncomfortable reluctance makes a fine foil to her brazen come ons. Feldman shows that the has a future in this business giving an engaging performance from start to finish. Lawrence looked like she ran out of steam as the script moved increasingly from comedy to drama until she was boring to watch. The script moves form sex comedy to interpersonal drama. We learn why Maddie hates the rich interlopers that come to Montauk for the summer and are pushing out the locals and Maddie learns why she pushes people away and acts so miserably. Congratulations if you guessed Daddy issues. How terribly cliché is that? Percy learns to stand up to his parents and make his own choices. These personal developments come unearned. There is not enough sense of Maddie and Percy as people to believe in their personal growth. It feels like checklist items in a standard script. The supporting characters suffer a similar fate, existing solely to deliver specific lines and be on hand for significant payoff moments. It is a big misuse of a talented cast. Lawrence said that she thought the script was hilarious which is why she agreed to do the movie. I’d like to ask her if she has seen the finished project and does she genuinely thinks they landed most of the jokes? I don’t. As much as I think the script needed work poor direction did not help. In the scene where Maddie kicks in the bottom panel on a bedroom door Director Stupnitsky is clearly going for zany but the previous scene made a big deal of Maddie stepping up and taking a run at the door like she was going to crash through it. After that lead in, splintering a small hole was a let down of physical comedy. Worse taking a run at something makes it harder to make the kicking motion depicted. Not only was I not laughing I was thinking how poorly the scene was made. Not what you want in a comedy. I gave this two hippos but the second hippo is exclusively for the charming cast who do what they can. This was not a near miss.
Where to Watch:
Streaming on Crave
Rent on AppleTV, Amazon Prime
Recommended Instead:
My recommended instead was Risky Business and I had a review for it so… Bonus Review!
Teen: smoking, fantasies involving naked women and sex with an escort, ah the 80’s. If you are offended by anything in that first sentence Risky Business (🦛🦛🦛) is not the movie for you. If you’re not turned off by it you will be entertained by where this movies goes. Tom Cruise in his breakout role stars as young Joel Goodsen a slightly spoiled affluent teen from the suburbs of Chicago who has some interesting adventures when his parents go out of town. It all starts when Joel is hanging with the boys, playing poker, bullshitting about sexual experiences and a friend does Joel the “favour” of arranging for an escort to come to his house. After some hi jinx along comes the beautiful Lana (Rebecca DeMorney). I have no personal experience with this but in every movie I can think of money upfront is the way these transactions work. Maybe it is different if you meet at a non neutral place. (If nothing else this movie serves as an infomercial for why not to meet an escort from a newspaper add at your parents house). After a night fit to fulfill any teenage boys fantasies it is time to pay up. Joel’s parents left him pizza money but that does not cover the cost of having a professional young lady do a home visit. Up to now the movie has been funny, with the arrival of Lana it gets sexy and even more entertaining as Joel’s life is increasingly complicated by Lana’s presence in it. DeMornay is hot as hell but much of the humour comes from the fact that though they are similar in age Lana is a mature business woman in complete control and Joel is an immature high schooler constantly scrambling to keep up. Cruise’s immaturity as an actor suits Joel and though young his charisma and famous grin are at full wattage. They are used to maximum effect in his famous dance in boxer briefs and a long sleeve shirt that mark the moment his star truly started to rise. These many years later I have to ask why DeMornay’s star did not rise too? The events are quite absurd in the way of teen comedies but writer/director Paul Brickman and his very engaging leads make the it funny, and sexy, and even smart. I was disappointed by the ending when Joel goes on to utilize these experiences towards future success in the upper echelons of white male society and Lana who is easily more qualified is given no such opportunity. This is a condemnation of the society the movie takes place in not the movie but it still felt disappointing.
Where to Watch:
Streaming on Starz
Rent on AppleTV