Tag: Crime

PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN (2026)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed by: Tom Harper

Written By: Steven Knight

Cinematography: George Steel and Ben Wilson 

Editor: Mack Eckersley 

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Tim Roth, Barry Keoghan, Stephen Graham, Rebecca Feguson, Sophie Rundle, Packy Lee, Jay Lycurgo

During World War II, Tommy Shelby returns to a bombed Birmingham and becomes involved in secret wartime missions based on true events, facing new threats as he reckons with his past and rising national stakes.

For me, this is the first cillian murphy movie and performance. I’ve seen in which he’s played the lead so while there is more action, it still seems like he’s going with that moody cerebral acting with less dialogue and more everything is told through physicality in his facial expressions and seeming melancholy

It’s dipped into atmosphere and history thst helps shape it and enriches the material that makes it feel deep.  It sure if it’s as satisfying for the audience as it feels more for the creators. Very few characters from the show return which is a bit of a bummer.

If looking more for the gangster aspects of the characters and show or in general. You might be disappointed

All this emotion and dread fits yet gets to be overbearing. As it seems to be more what Cillian Murphy seems to enjoy and be into

with some elements of an underworld story. 

More about the machinations behind the scenes with double crosses and betrayal more at the heart of things. That as slays has a twist at the end. That makes up to how long it took to get there. 

It’s not bad to just expect bigger and better. Rather than settling for the same almost. Only like a shortened season with less of the original cast members. Though some good gust stars to help you forget and it ends the character of Thomas Shelby’s story.

No, I will say this is more made for fans of the show rather than people just coming into the characters. As it doesn’t quite exactly work as a gangster film on its own, especially when it has such a huge history, six seasons of it really.

this seems to be the ultimate series finale that at least part of me could’ve done without as I liked how the show ended for the most part. So in unless they plan on doing the next generation, I believe this might be the end of it all even though they made it seem like there would be a bunch of movies. At least we got six seasons and a movie. Which currently the show COMMUNITY is trying to fulfill that promise

Give the film a chance, but if you’re going to wait around for action, you might be disappointed

Grade: B- 

WOLFS (2024)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Jon Watts

Cinematography: Larkin Seiple

Editor: Andrew Weisblum

Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Richard Kind, Poorna Jagannathan, Zlatko Buric, Sergio Cota Jr. 

Two rival fixers cross paths when they’re both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official’s misstep. Over one explosive night, they’ll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.

This is George Clooney and Brad Pitt making another buddy comedy together and involving crime. This should have been a slam dunk and while the film Has its Moments. They are far and few in between. 

This is another film that seems like they are having more fun than the audience is watching it. As it tries to be formulaic and offer surprises and slights of hand. That by the end will Make the audience think the film Is smart and has an ace up It’s sleeve. Like the OCEAN’S TRILOGY the stars have been in before, but if that movie is calculus this is math 102.

It doesn’t help that the movie stays small scale

Throughout. Which would be great with lesser stars but keeping it small hinders the film and shows how thin the screenplay is. As we have to not only stay with the characters and their various arguments, but somehow find humor, charm and tension. Which the film doesn’t really Offer.

So it comes off as muddled and not a bad recipe, but like someone followed the recipe and shorted some ingredients and added too much of other ones to make up for it. 

Watching the film also makes one come to understand why these movies aren’t Memorable. You have a big name cast, a big name director Jon Watts (SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME) and yet it feels stale, Small Scale and basic, because while it has locations and action. These films obviously are Made For streaming and they have little if any visual Flair and feel compacted. Director Watts even seems to include an inside joke of a Spider-man eque stunt by a young man for those in the know. Though it also leave you

Wondering was this film an audition for an ocean’s sequel. 

The stature seems shrinked then one would expect. Like making a feature film but with the limits of a television movie. Not to mention the villains are all stereotypical with an added dance sequence. 

This is similar to what the Russo brothers 350 Million movie THE GREY MAN with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans felt like any other Netflix movie. Other then a basic script, but the directors aren’t Trying to be subtle or visually Brilliant. They are doing just enough to tell the story and do what it takes without any passion or extra Effort. Sort of like assembly room and like weathermen there are Consequences or punishments.

So it just keeps happening. As Apple+ is no better or worse then any other streaming service. Except they are newer and this feel like when the studio DREAMWORKS SKG. Everyone wants to work with them and they have stars at their disposal and seem to green light anything. As long as a big star is attached, but never seem

To bother to read the script or develop them to be better. So that they come off as basic and the only pull is the stars.

George Clooney hasn’t truly starred in a good movie in awhile. Nor has he made a hit but is still

Treated like an A-lister. When he does choose to be in a film.

Leaving the audience to only marvel at Austin Abrams. Who is the only one in the film Who feels alive and like he is trying.

It feels like the film is disrespectful to the audience by going them, but so much and not giving it their all and feeling like just enough is what the audience deserves and should be honored to get. 

As the leads seem more interested in being cool. The filmmaker seems to want to offer some kind of polished grit. That tries to make things more serious, dangerous, dark and action packed. That never comes across other than polished and dark. Nor does the screenplay come off as smart as it thinks nor as cute. 

Grade: C- 

STONE COLD FOX (2025)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Sophie Tabet

Written By: Sophie Tabet and Julia Roth

Cinematography: Ken Seng 

Editor: Joel Griffen and Jennifer Lee

Cast: Kieran Shipka, Krysten Ritter, Kiefer Sutherland, Jamie Chung, Mishel Prada, Karen Fukuhera, Gabrielle Maiden, Adam Elshar 

In 1986, the defiant Fox breaks out of an abusive commune in search of her family. But when the queenpin kidnaps her little sister and sends a crooked cop after her, Fox has no choice but to infiltrate the very place she escaped.

Set in 1986, though truly could be modern except for a lack of electricity and maybe the fashions. As the film plays like a throwback. Especially when it comes to retreading a familiar story. Only here from more of a female perspective. 

This was a major disappointment, especially considering the cast. As it’s one of those films where they have an actually interesting story in plot and managed to keep it moving and interesting, but at some point, the film just seems to stand there and brings no excitement, nor does it build on the things that it sets up.

It has one clever twist and definitely has style, but you can tell the films limitations because there’s so much more that can be done in the film. Just seems to leave it there and let the audience use their own imaginations which can be inventive if left for us once or twice, but not constant.

The film also offers no real surprises. You know where it’s gonna go as a telegraphs it before it gets there and then when you get there, it just does nothing new or all that interesting except for a few points and perks of the fellow.

Everyone gives a good performance, you just wish there were more to their characters or were given better dialogue, than something a little more to do. as it’s a film that seems like it’s gonna be more but plays pretty basic.

Most of the cast is female and talented females. So that they’re very few men in the film and the few that there are seem very inept. So it’s more like ladies are doing it for themselves. it is a little empowering.

Though there are two characters in the film that just seem to be there for no real reason, more in the background, but they’re not really workers nor are they henchman and they don’t seem to be the main villains even their love interest so are they just there for company it seems and while they are of some use. A little bit more towards the end, they really didn’t still really need to be there.

Going into this film, I wanted to really root for this film as it has a bunch of actresses who I really admire their work Jamie Chung Krysten Ritter, Mishel Prada, and they’re given good roles. It’s just that they all feel a little bit more cliché Mishel Prada is the only one who kind of gets the more interesting not typical role, but it still leaves her with very little to do and few chances to truly go to weird or dark places that the role seems to demand.

Though it is nice for a leading role for Kieran Shipka, who seems to be becoming quite of the character actress and has finally grown into more leading female roles.

Luckily, this film goes by fast. As it’s under 90 minutes

Grade: C- 

THE INSTIGATORS (2024)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Doug Liman 

Written By: Casey Affleck and Chuck Maclean

Cinematography: Henry Braham 

Editor: William Goldenberg, Saar Klein, Brett M. Reed and Tatiana S. Riegel 

Cast: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Jack Harlow, Paul Walter Hauser, Toby Jones 

Rory and Cobby, who team up to rob a corrupt politician but end up in a chaotic escape after the heist goes wrong. Pursued by police and crime bosses, they enlist Rory’s therapist to help them survive.

Considering the cast involved and the director, this film should’ve been much better.

While he plays like a perfectly good crime caper with a good helping of comedy. It also feels like it’s all over the place, especially totally as when it does try to be more action oriented or gritty crime incomes the more comedic elements out of nowhere and then when it’s resting on its more comedic elements, it’ll have the odd intense action sequence.

Also, with its full cast, it feels like most of them are guest starring in the main plot like this is an ongoing series as very few remain throughout the film and only seemed to be there for a senior or two before disappearing and are quickly forgot not that they’re bad in their roles but again there just doesn’t seem to be that much significance for them even though they are just a piece of the puzzle

So that our main stars Casey act like who also who wrote the film and Matt Damon just seemed to be too strangers thrown into this caver together that ends up being more of a buddy comedy as they are different types of thrown in together just trying to survive all of this. Representing their hometown 

Now this should’ve worked, especially as of course, representing its location of Boston and the characters in the neighborhoods of that town but the film just feels a little too quick paste. It never seems to quite slow down for you to get a grip on what is happening or what has happened. So it’s hard for you to get your bearings, even though it shouldn’t be that confusing.

It just seems to flash here in there in the editing, intense not to focus on anything so it even feels faster than the classic 2000s MTV flash editing which only reminds you that this feels more like content more than an actual film. Which might be the result of having four editors on this film, who each might have been aiming at something different. Asbeverything feels so disposable and familiar even when trying to put a new spin or at least anspin on certain conventions.

Again the leads and cast are likable enough. You just wish that this was a film that wasn’t afraid to take its time had more consequences and was quite a bit tougher as the film is more comedic and not darkly comedic more just comedic.

It has spectacle when the film should’ve been more detailed, smaller and tighter. Noah tries to be gritty. It comes across more as a Hollywood production. Then it should which throws all credibility out the window and turns it more into a romp.

there is a certain irony that lays throughout the film whereas Casey Affleck is a best actor Oscar winner here playing more the co-lead and being more comedic or as Matt Damon, who is more thought of as a serious actor is playing the more serious role here and while he has more prestige, he does not have an Oscar for best actor, even though he does have an Oscar for writing. Yet Casey Affleck who has the acting prestige is the Co-Writer here. 

This obviously isn’t there first pairing on screen they have paired up in various projects, but this is the first time where they’ve been costars as a lead in a more comedic, an original production of their own as they were in the film GERRY as costars, and also really, the only leads in that film, as well as one of the only actors in that film

The film has come across as the type of body crime caper comedy that felt more at home in the 70s and 80s try some modernize it, but it has way too much going on for it to truly ever be centered or quite understandable

Grade: C

THE RIP (2026)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Joe Carnahan 

Story By: Michael McGrale 

Cinematography: Juan Miguel Azpiroz 

Editor: Kevin Hale

Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yuen, Kyle Chandler, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Scott Adkins, Nestor Carbonell, Lina Esco 

A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.

This Is a film one wouldn’t have mind seeing in a theater as to me. It’s that exciting visual and good, too good to just be relegated to streaming.

As it has Matt Damon and Ben Affleck back together again, though for once more in a action thriller than necessarily drama or comedy in which you usually see them costarring together in now while they didn’t write or direct this, they’re strictly in this and acting capacity their natural chemistry is still there

The film takes place in Miami of all places which I have never seen filmed darker as usually it’s filmed a lot more colorful and vibrant here. It just seems so cold that it might as well have been set in Boston.

While playing like a thriller in somewhat of a mystery, it’s pretty easy to figure out but appreciate that the film still try to make you question every character and their motives and giving reasons why there is plenty of gun play and Mano Y Mano type attitudes and energy throughout.

Which they really show in the third act by having most of the female character, sit out the action while all the men or the big names on the poster, do it out and share the reveals as well as a few chase scenes.

The film is entertaining in directed and written by Joe Carnahan. I’m not surprised as he has always been a solid Director, who specializes in gritty action films here he does what he does best. As the film stays exciting and entertaining throughout, even though it has very few locations in the film. Makes the best of it and still makes it feel like it in its own world, but identifiable in dark

They don’t make films like this much anymore and it’s nice to see something a little more hard hitting a film that can be itself and doesn’t necessarily care too much about being politically correct. As well as a cast that can do these roles in their sleep, but while it might be casting for some of the cast, it’s about face for others and it allows them to show their range and it’s quite a good look. Is a film made for an adult audience in the action crime junkies will love.

No, of course, Matt, Damon, and Ben Affleck are the leads and get the best scenes dialogue in action, but the supporting cast does as well as as they can with what they are handed and truly do stand out.

The only problem I could foresee with this film is, if there was ever a sequel that mystery element that worked here won’t work out so well in the next film, but you could see ongoing films with this crew and their adventures and what they have to go through, but it’s fine also as just a standalone film

Grade: B- 

EANIE MEENIE (2025)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Shawn Simmons 

Cinematography: Tim Ives 

Editor: Chris Patterson and Dirk Westervelt

Cast: Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Andy Garcia, Steve Zahn, Marshawn Lynch, Jermaine Fowler, Mike O’Malley, Randall Park, Chris Bauer

A reformed teenage getaway driver is dragged back into her unsavory past when a former employer offers her a chance to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.

————————————————————————

This film comes so close, but no cigar as it does play out like an Elmore Leonard story or novel. As it has the gritty details, the quirky characters and the down on their luck protagonist.

It also has a story that is set in the underworld of crime and a high story that doesn’t overreach and make it seem like this is the score of the century or will set everyone up for life but more just a simple heist that will help all involved get out of previous trouble and be financially lucrative .

Even though it is mainly a crime story, it does take its time to be a character piece for the main character played by Samara weaving and explain her character’s choices, upbringing, and mentality, which helps, especially when she is essentially in love with a screwup 

The film has a great cast, but that is the problem while the quirky supporting character shine. We don’t really ever get enough time with them to learn maybe how they tick or just to enjoy them in general. It’s longer than blink and you miss them, but still not quite enough 

Even Marshawn Lynch, who is usually comedic gold in movies here has the chance to create such an iconic character, and while he does, what is necessary, his impact isn’t felt the way that it should nor strong as it should. It feels here more like he scripted rather than where his strength is an improv. 

Samara weaving as the lead is more of the straight woman, whereas she surrounded by all these crazy quirky characters so she lies at the heart of the film, and obviously the protagonist were rooting for .

The film stays surprising throughout as well as engaging with a surprisingly strong and down, tried ending of sorts, though it feels like there’s something missing to push it quite over the top to passable. 

As it is a film, that is entertaining enough, but not quite not worthy to play with the others in its genre. It comes across his lightweight, even though it does have some heavy material. Maybe it’s just because of the story that it tells you want it to be stronger.

Even with it quirky characters it’s surprisingly violent and hard hitting, but it still doesn’t quite make it to Mark

As the film does have the juice and the ingredients and even the recipe, but the taste isn’t quite uproot or tastes fine but not quite special as you had hoped. No matter how it tries. 

Grade: C 

THE LAST RUN (1971)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Directed By: Richard Fleischer 

Written By: Alan Sharp

Cinematography: Sven Nykvist 

Editor: Russell Lloyd 

Cast: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Tony Mustane, Colleen Dewhurst, Aldo Sandrell, Robert Coleby 

A former getaway driver from Chicago has retired to a peaceful life in a Portuguese fishing village. He is asked to pull off one last job, involving driving a dangerous crook and his girl-friend to France. However, the job turns out to be a double-cross and the trio are pursued back to Portugal where they make one last stand on the coast while the enemy assassins attempt to gun them down.

————————————————————————

This might seem typical for its time period. A getaway driver working on his last job after a semi retirement while it has its fair share of car chasing action sequences this film actually seems a little bit more existential.

Though this film had a lot going on behind the scenes. As originally it was set to be directed by John Boorman, until he and Scott disagreed on the script and then John Huston was brought into direct and filmed a few days before him and Scott’s arguing got so big and constant that he quit the film. Usually about the screenplay. Then finally Richard Fleishser was hired to direct the film but, as he was not considered an auteur as the other directors before him. He was never given Final Cut.

The other piece of trivia about this film is that this film spelled the end for his marriage to Colleen Dewhurst. As he met and fell in love with his co-star Trish Van Devere on this film and married her a year later. She wasn’t even the first choice of leading lady. Original director John Huston had hired another actress and Scott and him fought over re-casting the female lead and ended up with Van Devere. So that the relationships his character has with these two ladies on screen, mirrors his personal life in real life at the time.

So that this film is almost like George C. Scott’s. Person of THE GETAWAY in front of and behind the scenes.

That is pretty much said by the end of the film. As Scott’s character is pretty much almost a ghost having a last hurrah on a mission that he knows isn’t necessarily gonna be a suicide mission, but suspects that it might be and this is really the only time where he feels alive on the edge as the desire for survival awakens him, even though he’d rather be dead, especially after losing a child. 

there are points in the story where he could survive and surrender to romantic delusions of the safecracker who he busted out of jail girlfriend as a safe cracker seems to be pretty much a career criminal and wants to be one who idolizes the lifestyle, but is sloppy and not exactly respectful and see George C.  Scott’s character more as ancient and on his way out whereas himself he is one of the new players

Throughout the film, there are constant double crosses, triple crosses, and surprises that keep the story lively, but the film is strangely a lot more greedy and grounded than expected even with international localales 

The film has very few cast members and stay small scale, but feels bigger than just the story it’s telling. It feels more soulful than it should and one wonders is it the script or is it the cast under the direction of Randall Fleischer?

As the director adds plenty of great visuals, but it’s the performance is that really ground the film and make it more noteworthy and effective than expected 

Grade: B 

THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1970)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Leonard Kastle

Cinematography: Oliver Wood

Editor: Stanley Warnow And Richard Brophy 

Cast: Shirley Stoner, Tony Lo Bianco, Doris Roberts, Mary Jane Higby, Kip Mcardle, Barbara Cason, Marilyn Chris, Dora Duckworth

An obese, embittered nurse doesn’t mind if her toupee-wearing boyfriend romances and fleeces other women, as long as he takes her along on his con jobs.

—————————————————————————

This is a failure for me personally. As I heard about over the years, but never took the leap to watch it until recently, as I had even seen a more modern retelling of the tale that it is based on. The 2006 film Lonelyhearts, which starred John Travolta, Salma, Hayek, James Gandolfini, and Jared Leto. This is way better

This film is based on a true crime case of a con man who specialized in romancing and marrying women and stealing their money, and then he met a lonely nurse who fell head over heels for him, and then helped him and his cons but soon they turned deadly as they would begin to kill their victims rather than Just abandon them and run away

What is surprising for this film is that you feel like an accomplice as you watch it you still have an overview, but you’re always there with them and all points of this time and it just has a gritty realism in it that is so believable so that even when eventually, the film turns violet it feels more realistic and you feel sorry for the victims as we have gotten to know them a bit

So at no part, do we root for these killers but we somewhat find ourselves repost, but also a little bit emotional when the nurse part who is seems to be the most cold hearted as she seems to be the one who does the killing most of the time just continuously keeps finding out that her partner has slept with these women that he promised he would never do 

He seems to be the one more in charge at first shocked at her behavior, but soon giving the orders and she seems to become his henchman of sorts, as well as as his partner 

This film was originally supposed to be directed by a young Martin Scorsese, but he ended up not making it past pre-production and was taken over by another director Donald Volkman, who then was fired and finished with another director 

This is one of those treasure cast of films that at first seems like it’s gonna be a cheap bee movie that you would see at a drive-in though it’s so surprisingly well made and the fact that it also takes you off guard when you were expecting, maybe a more harmless, exploiter film and you find this film, surprisingly dramatically resident and more of a thriller than an out and out horror film

It also works again by us, getting to know the victims, even as we know they’re fate and know it’s coming up if personalizes their deaths a little more, and makes it more gruesome and sad than originally intended, especially one victim that you don’t expect them to really carry out and while it happens off screen. You feel like they have reached a new low.

As violence is introduced slowly in the sub at first the killings, though torturous, we don’t really see the handiwork though soon we’re pretty much in the same room as the violence is happening it seems like with each victim, the film and the killers up the game and the violence.

No, this film is definitely a gem not only for true crime aficionados. It truly stands out in the field and sets itself apart. That feels more truthful than a lot of them out there. 

As even the 2006 film Lonelyhearts, based on this case focuses more on the cops in a bit on the killers, this film, we only truly see the killers point of view and a bit of the victims point of view.

This is one of those films that packs such a punch you want to learn all about the true crime case right after you watch it. 

Grade: A – 

CAUGHT STEALING (2025)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

 

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky

Written By: Charlie Huston (Based on his Novel)

Cinematography: Matthew Libatique

Editor: Andrew Weisblum

Cast: Austin Butler, Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Bad Bunny, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Carol Kane, Griffen Dunne, Action Bronson 

Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.

————————————————————————-

This is one of those films that is perfectly serviceable and entertaining yeah, there isn’t much that makes it feel too special and might be one of those films that because it’s of quality and there might be such low quality offerings that it might sometimes be over praised.

This is Austin Butler really getting his first chance to play a lead in a film since his Oscar nomination for Elvis so this film seems like it’s a true test of his box office potential.

tfilm feels like a throwback to where it is set late 80s early 90s New York City.

as even though it’s an adaptation of a thriller novel, it also seems to play as a throwback for its director Darren Aronofsky of the New York of his youth, and also may be a playing ground for his memory of setting such a crime story not only in New York City and getting to explore it in a more underground way, but also the various characters that were around and made up the city

as it is being pushed currently as a starring vehicle for Austin Butler and a high octane thriller it plays more like a surprising, more laid-back thriller, that is more about the characters in the circumstances more than necessarily the story or plot 

now, while it’s not the filmmaker‘s fault, the film seems like it’s gonna be more of a thrill ride when you see the trailer then it actually ends up being which is more of a contained thriller that while unpredictable doesn’t offer anything new in fact, it might be one of the most commercial films next to NOAH from Director Aronofsky. Though this proves to be a return to his roots. Not as surrealistic or artistic. Though still gritty that feels a bit manufactured but hits hard enough. This film ends up Showcasing him as more of a journeyman director 

Which is fine as the film stays entertaining and vivid while you watch it, but don’t know how much will stick with you once you’re finished and walk away from the film. In other words it’s cute a little noteworthy impossible, though I don’t know if it’s all that memorable. 

It feels more like a production then one might say naturally lived in as all of the actors are clearly having fun and giving their all which is kind of infectious for the audience.

The most surprising part of this film is how cruel it is, and it’s execution of characters and violence. They never quite marches to the beat of its own drummer. It always seems like it’s on plan on a plan. 

luckily Austin Butler doesn’t embarrass himself even if his backstory is one of the I guess cheesy parts of the movie but does explain how a lot of people come to New York to forget their past. Begin a new and be just another body or person going in and out and surviving from day-to-day 

One of the more memorable pieces of the film and its own game is Zoe Kravitz, and her performance in the film. As she is sexy, sweet and Street wise, she brings a certain knowing element to the film, which also offer her her most impressive and realistic performance to date. When she is not in a film, it’s felt and you can understand why, but it also loses one of the factors that had going for it.

Now of course when you have cinematographer Matthew Libatique. You know the cinematography is going to be beautiful and gritty, especially when dealing with the streets of New York, where he seems to be the go to cinematographer.

Like then, helps explain the emotional range of the main character also.

This is a crime comedy with colorful characters to distract the audience from the more strait laced lead. Who has to get freaky or colorful to survive. 

It’s wild that this film is set in the early 90’s, yet plays more a film from the 1970’s or 80’s. Dark yet fun.

in the end, the film isn’t bad and it’s perfectly entertaining, but it’s not as wild as many might believe or had hoped it’s strangely at times play it safe even for the times when manages the shock and be a bit heartless and hard edged that was needed more.

Grade: B- 

LORNA’S SILENCE (2008)

~ jbg ~ Leave a comment

Written & Directed By: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne 

Cinematography: Alain Marcoen

Editor: Marie-Helene Dozo

Cast: Arta Dobroshi, Jeremie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Alban Ukaj, Morgan Marinne, Olivier Gourmet, Anton Yakovlev, Gregori Manoukov 

Lorna, a young Albanian woman living in Belgium, has her sights set on opening a snack bar with her lover Sokol. In order to do so, she has become involved in a scam conducted by Fabio, a gangster.

————————————————————————-

A good old fashioned film noir. it’s from explorers the fringe of a criminal underground and has the groundwork of a film noir that plays dark and realistic.

Then, when you think something positive is going to happen in the film, it reveals itself only to sing deeper into the darkness.

Here the femme fatale is the anti-hero of the film. She’s trying to do what she needs to do but isn’t as coldhearted as she would have everyone believe.

She is caught in a situation that should be easy for her to handle which morphs into a no-win one.

What makes this film feel different is that for all the traditional roles the characters play like the mole the mark the femme fatale the mobster the film doesn’t treat or show them as cliché or clueless. It makes them full three-dimensional characters

Wish I could say the film is a Home-run, but it’s not that it isn’t worth watching and the first film by the Dardenne brothers That Is really enjoyable in quite some time. As one haven’t really like any of their films that much since ROSETTA.

Though this one lends itself more to genre then their other films and seems a bit more cruel. then their usual humanist films. 

Grade: B