Eagle Eye

Director: D.J. Caruso
Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Michelle Monaghan & Billy Bob Thornton

An entertaining thriller that just about makes up for its preposterous plot and lack of originality by delivering plenty of effective thrills and action sequences.

Reuniting director D.J. Caruso and actor Shia LeBeouf, Eagle Eye is a fairly entertaining action thriller that, like the pair’s previous outing Disturbia, takes a Hitchcock-style premise and adapts it for the Blockbuster generation. Where Disturbia was loosely inspired by Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Eagle Eye owes inspiration to Hitchcock’s North By Northwest in its innocent man on the run for something he didn’t commit with a larger conspiracy at play. However, as many a discerning filmgoer can imagine, no-one can match Hitchcock for building and maintaining suspense and while the set up for Eagle Eye is very strong, the execution and resolution is certainly less effective.

Despite some highly enjoyable action sequences (mostly all chase scenes too), the identity of the mastermind behind why copyboy Jerry (LeBeouf) has been framed as a terrorist and driven on the run along with distraught mother Rachel (Monaghan) is built up to be so powerful that much of the plot itself makes no sense until the end and even then still defies much logic. The necessity that Jerry be drawn into the plot the way he is, makes little sense due to how it draws attention to the mastermind’s plans by government agents Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton) and Perez (Rosario Dawson) and even the why as to why Jerry is picked rather than someone else only begins to make sense much later and stretches the plausibility as to how much Jerry and his, recently deceased, brother are/were alike.

Still, despite the need to suspend a lot of disbelief, the already mentioned chase scenes/action sequences are well executed and certain to satisfy fans of the action/thriller genre. In terms of characters, whilst only Jerry is given any real character development of insight into his past, most of the characters serve their purposes and are helped by the performances of the actors playing them. Billy Bob Thornton delivers a good performance as FBI Agent Morgan, Rosario Dawson is able as Agent Perez although has a certainly less developed role than Thornton’s. Michael Chiklis plays against type as a Secretary of Defense that actually seems to care about lives while Michelle Monaghan is strong enough to generate empathy for here character whilst also being forgettable enough as to not distract scenes away from the film’s star Shia LeBeouf. LaBeouf further demonstrates his likeability as a leading man, though this time around his character is somewhat less enjoyable that previous performances which may be due to his usual nervous wisecracking being toned down for this role. However LeBeouf still manages to carry the film well and is also able to point out the various improbabilities in the plot in a way that makes them a little more acceptable.

Overall, while Eagle Eye suffers under its own attempts to deliver a high-tech, modern blockbuster equivalent of a Hitchcock classic, the execution of the action is enjoyable as are the performances. Enjoyable if not particularly memorable, Eagle Eye is a decent enough film provided you are able to suspend your disbelief.

Rating: 3/5

Burn After Reading

Director: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: George Clooney, Frances McDormand & Brad Pitt

An entertaining, drama/comedy from the Coen Brothers which is enjoyable but less so than many previous efforts.

After the grim, gritty (and later to be award winning) crime drama of No Country For Old Men, it wasn’t too surprising to find the Coens following this up with something lighter as the Coens followed Blood Simple with Raising Arizona and Fargo with The Big Lebowski. This time around they’ve mixed drama and comedy again for a plot involving the CIA, lost documents, inter-marital affairs and internet dating whilst casting big Hollywood names like George Clooney and Brad Pitt into roles where intelligence rarely applies.

There is plenty to like about Burn After Reading. In true Coen style, the plot takes some unpredictable turns, mixes dark moments of humor and violence and features a strong cast delivering, generally, strong performances. The storyline’s central plot involve a fired CIA analyst (John Malkovich) and a copy of his memoirs that turns up in a local gym where two dim-witted employees (McDormand & Pitt) attempt to blackmail the analyst. Meanwhile, a treasury officer (Clooney) who is having an affair with the analyst’s wife also begins dating McDormand’s character. What occurs as a result is a mixture of mixed signals, paranoia, blackmail and murder. Additionally, as the big picture of what is occurring where and to whom, is seen by no one in particular, there are some amusing asides as we meet two CIA chiefs (lead by J.K. Simmons) trying to make sense of everything that occurs and failing (a sly stab at the actual Intelligence operations of the United States on the behalf of the Coens).

While there is much to enjoy, Burn After Reading also has its problems. For all its characters and the sometimes clever juggling of their storylines, Burn After Reading lacks an identifiable central character with which to root for. Is it Clooney’s womanizing treasury officer? McDormand’s slighty-dim if charming gym employee? Malkovich’s spurned analyst? Is it hard to really say, and with most of the characters bearing more unlikable traits that loveable ones, it is somewhat harder to root for any of them as you would have The Dude in The Big Lebowski or Everett in Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

The cast in Burn After Reading is impressive but also somewhat distracting at times. Clooney is entertaining but seems to have chosen to resurrect the same persona he used in Oh Brother Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty and, while it helps establish his character as a womanizer and sleaze, it also threatens to undermine some of the more dramatic scenes that occur later in the film. Pitt, too, is entertaining, letting loose as the gym trainer who lacks the mental stamina to match his physical training. Again, Pitt is entertaining but his status in Hollywood means his presence is often amusing but also distracts from the drama at times. More dependable are McDormand, Malkovich and Tilda Swinton (as the analyst’s ice queen wife) who are more well suited to the roles they perform while J.K. Simmons deadpan performance as a CIA chief is one of the film’s most enjoyable.

Overall, Burn After Reading is a good film and should entertain most audiences whilst satisfying most Coen fans, however, coming so soon after No Country For Old Men, and compared to many of the Coens previous efforts, Burn After Reading is also a little disappointing.

Rating: 3/5

Righteous Kill

Director: Jon Avnet
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino & John Leguizamo

A fairly predictable, cop-thriller that stands out because of the opportunity to see two great actors, DeNiro and Pacino, work side by side on screen. However, while somewhat enjoyable, the experience does not quite live up the expectations.

In 1995, director Michael Mann made movie history with the crime thriller Heat, which was not only an excellent crime film, but boasted the first, shared, on screen appearances of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. DeNiro and Pacino, still considered to be two of the finest actors ever produced, received excellent reviews and after an already long wait to see them on screen together, audiences have been waiting for them to reunite again. In 2008, with Righteous Kill, audiences get that reunion only this time, while enjoyable, it doesn’t quite live up to expectations.

In an effort to come up with material worthy of starring both DeNiro and Pacino, Righteous Kill seems to try and be too clever for its own good. After the success of films like The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and The Sixth Sense in the 1990s, all films that had memorable twists in their endings, there have then been many imitators, most of which, sacrificed good stories and good characters for a big twist at the end and trying to capture the success of those films who began the trend. Righteous Kill broadcasts its intentions early on. With a, supposed, confession from one of its lead characters, Righteous Kill then proceeds to throw in additional suspects for the identity of a serial killer hunting criminals. In doing so, it undermines an otherwise interesting beginning that had potential to be a subtle character piece and builds it up for an expected twist that may, or may not come.

While the film takes a somewhat predictable course, there are still the performances of DeNiro and Pacino to enjoy and they are enjoyable. However, both DeNiro and Pacino have seen better days and neither has had the best record of quality films/performance post-Heat that they had pre-Heat. Both DeNiro and Pacino give decent performances in Righteous Kill and they are certainly enjoyable to watch working together onscreen but the flaws in the film’s script denies them the material with which to deliver a truly memorable performance though DeNiro certainly has more scenes and events to work with than Pacino. DeNiro and Pacino are also, ably, supported by John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahberg as fellow detectives, DeNiro’s love interest in the thrill seeking Carla Gugino and Brian Dennehy fills the stereotypical role of grizzled police captain with ease. The supporting roles are performed well enough without distracting from the central performances of DeNiro and Pacino which is the true attraction for audiences.

Overall, fans of DeNiro and Pacino should be happy, if under whelmed, by this second chance to see these two icons sharing screen time but it is a shame that the material is not worthy of either actor, even in their recent, less outstanding periods in their careers. A decent but disappointing thriller.

Rating: 3/5

Taken

Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace & Famke Janssen

A decent action/thriller that owes most its success to a suitably gritty performance by its star, Liam Neeson.

Taken is another action/thriller from the studios of Luc Besson, but where other efforts have focused on bigger action and featuring less established stars, Taken is a somewhat darker affair and benefits from the lead performance of Liam Neeson, well known as a talented oft-award nominated dramatic actor, who adds much gravitas and credibility to his role as an ex-CIA operative on the hunt for his kidnapped daughter.

The plot of Taken is fairly straight forward, an ex-CIA operative (Neeson), estranged from his ex-wife and daughter, finds his daughter kidnapped while in France leaving him with days to use his skills to locate her or lose her forever. With a lesser known actor, or one with less experience in drama, the abilities and weariness that Neeson infuses the character of Bryan with, might have come across as too forced or unbelievable but, with the credibility that an actor like Neeson brings and the decision to keep the action sequences smaller (i.e. guns but kept close quarters and with few explosions) adds to a genuine feeling of danger and of Bryan’s desperation.

Neeson is excellent choice to play Taken’s lead role, able to add feeling into his character’s expressions and body language to support the dialogue. In supporting roles there are decent, if one-dimensional, performances from Famke Janssen as Bryan’s bitter ex-wife and Maggie Grace as Bryan’s good natured, if spoilt daughter. However, while Taken has a strong hero/anti-hero in Liam Neeson, it is not so well served in the villain department. With no overall mastermind to the operation that kidnaps girls abroad, including Bryan’s daughter, we are left with many, faceless, goons working in various operations. All are dubiously portrayed as ‘foreigners’ (Eastern European or Arab) exploiting young women which, while also somewhat morally unethical, leaves no real impact as Neeson’s Bryan works his way through them one, or a few, at a time.

So, while the performance from Neeson is enjoyable, as is the execution of several action sequences, the overall storyline is less satisfying in its lack of ambition or originality. The dialogue is also somewhat lacking, with only Neeson getting any decent moments to deliver memorable speeches.

Overall, while not particularly original or memorable, Taken is still worthwhile entertainment if only for the strong performance of Liam Neeson who makes an unlikely yet enjoyable action hero.

Rating: 3/5