MOVIE REVIEW: THE PROTEGE

 

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody, Anna is the world's most skilled contract killer. However, when Moody is brutally killed, she vows revenge for the man who taught her everything she knows. As Anna becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer, their confrontation turns deadly, and the loose ends of a life spent killing weave themselves ever tighter.

Director: Martin Campbell

Cast: Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Malahide, David Rintoul, Ori Pfeffer, Ray Fearon, Caroline Loncq, Robert Patrick

Rated R for strong and bloody violence, language, some sexual references and brief nudity

Release Date: August 20, 2021

Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller

Runtime: 1h 49min

Review:

The Protégé plays like a hybrid between Mr. & Mrs. Smith and La Femme Nikita.  The latter fits perfectly for the film's star, Maggie Q, who led the underseen and underappreciated  2010 series Nikita.  Needless to say, she's perfectly in her comfort zone here.  Martin Campbell brings his directorial clout having helmed two well regarded Bond films.  Together they should make for a match in heaven but a hackneyed muddled script hampers what should have been a slam dunk.  Thankfully the action sequences well staged and engaging with Q doing the majority of her own stunts.  In addition to being incredibly adept at the physicality needed for the role but she's equally capable as an actress.  She has the ability to go from stone cold stoic to vulnerable with an impressive subtly.  Samuel L. Jackson, who plays her adoptive father, is more subdued than his recent turn in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard instead he seems to be channeling Jules from Pulp Fiction which is a nice change of pace.  Michael Keaton makes the biggest impression in a supporting roles as he works the sort of wry world weary charm and intensity that worked so well for him in Burton's Batman.  Keaton and Q make for a strange May December pairing since they don't share any tangible romantic chemistry.  Even though their relationship isn't believable both performers are able to make each of their interactions the high points of the film.  So why doesn't the whole thing work better as a cohesive whole?  The script doesn't do any favors for the cast and director as they try their hardest to overcome the inherent limitations in terms of story and dialogue.  Thankfully, The Protégé is able to overcome this and still deliver a fun spy thriller even if its not as good as it could have been.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: HONEST THIEF

 

Hoping to cut a deal, a professional bank robber agrees to return all the money he stole in exchange for a reduced sentence. But when two FBI agents set him up for murder, he must now go on the run to clear his name and bring them to justice.

Director: Mark Williams

Cast: Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Robert Patrick, Anthony Ramos, Jeffrey Donovan, Jai Courtney

Release Date: October 16, 2020

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Rated PG-13 for strong violence, crude references and brief strong language

Runtime: 1 h 39 min

Review:

Honest Thief serves as a fine encapsulation of Liam Neeson’s late career action star turn.  The main issue is this entry lacks any real flair or gusto, instead it all feels kind of perfunctory.  Mark Williams seems to come from the generic filmmaking school since the film is impressively bland and generic.  Liam Neeson goes through the motions while still trying to infuse some gravitas to the proceedings.  The main issue is that the characters are all so thinly written that there is only so much these actors can do with them.  Kate Walsh is given the thankless love interest role that seems to just go along with all the increasingly insane situations with nary a question or concern.  Jai Courtney character is so over the top that the only thing he’s missing is a villainous mustache to twirl throughout the film.  Those expecting some Taken style action to cover up the script’s failings will be left wanting since there’s not much to be found.  Honest Thief seems tailor made for that random mindless cable watching when you put zero effort into your entertainment choices.

C

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Laundromat

Construction having made local traffic an almost insurmountable headache, this weekend I again leaned on Netflix' original content so that I would have something to write about for you--yes, YOU--dear reader(s).  Our film of the week: Cautionary tale the Laundromat.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

A woman widowed in a freak boating accident experiences firsthand the duplicity of big insurance and the networks that support it.

Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman (yes, I'm always going to remind you he's an Oscar winner now) head a decorated cast that also includes Antonio Banderas, James Cromwell, Robert Patrick, Jeffrey Wright, and Sharon Stone, as well as a host of other familiar faces. Many appearances amount to little more than cameos, and you get the feeling the Laundromat's message is important enough that some pretty impressive names just wanted to be a part of it. So, why does it seem like Netflix is burying this picture? I mean, when I log on, the first thing it suggests is that Breaking Bad movie that's a week old already. (Sorry, Netflix, that's a no go.) I had to do a full-on search to get a Netflix original STARRING MERYL STREEP to even show up. Sure there were some legal hassles over this picture, but those were resolved in Netflix' favor. I think the problem here is that--for all its star power--the Laundromat is a barely average movie.

Starting with the positives, the Laundromat's talented cast does a terrific job with the material. Streep is heartbreakingly perfect in the lead, as of course one would take for granted. Oldman and Banderas are fantastic together, a pair of slimy lawyers telling their "side" of this based-on-actual-events tale. Each familiar face that turns up in a smaller role is a nice surprise that makes the movie worth watching, despite its flaws. The story itself is compelling, and it's told here with grim humor. You'll feel dirty for laughing at it, but laugh you might. The attorneys serve as narrators, and their spin gives the picture a different vibe. I doubt it will make anyone sympathize with them, but it's a clever enough turn. The movie transitions with animated frames that also give it a lighter feel that it might have had otherwise; in fact, the whole has something of a theatrical sense to it. On the flip side, the Laundromat is extremely heavy-handed with its message and--while I'd agree its lessons warrant firm and regular reinforcement--that doesn't do the movie any favors. The film moves slowly, and there are very few likable or sympathetic characters, ultimately making it rather a tedious exercise that feels like a poor man's Big Short.

The Laundromat clocks in at 95 minutes and is rated R for "language, some sexual content, and disturbing images."

The Laundromat has an important message that might have been more impactful if its story were more deftly told.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Laundromat gets six.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: LOVELACE

The life of one of the most infamous women in early '70s America gets a dramatization in this offbeat period biopic from co-directors Jeffrey Friedman and Robert Epstein. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Director: Jeffrey Friedman, Robert Epstein

Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Wes Bentley.

Release Date: Aug 09, 2013

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, drug use and some domestic violence.

Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Lovelace boast an excellent cast and provocative subject matter. Unfortunately, the film’s direction and script takes the path of least resistance. The first half plays out like a love letter to the 70s while the second half screams made for TV Lifetime movie. Long time documentary filmmakers, Jeffrey Friedman and Robert Epstein, can’t find a proper tone for the film so they just split it up, giving us 2 versions of the same events. It might have worked if the script wasn’t so simplistic and clichéd. The characters are all broadly drawn with the titular character relegated to a victim for the better part and then short changing her transformation into a house wife and activist. There’s a better film in there somewhere but the people behind the camera can’t find it, it’s a shame because the cast is excellent. Amanda Seyfriend is excellent in the lead role. Seyfriend shows she’s got the range to show the character’s naivety, fear and strength. Peter Sarsgaard is equally tuned in throughout delivering a sleazy portrayal which just oozes through the screen even as the character gets more and more clichéd. The supporting cast is made up of interesting well known actors putting in strong performance in limited capacities; Sharon Stone Chris Noth and Bobby Cannavale are noteworthy. Sadly, Lovelace just can’t overcome its glaring issues with the script and direction.

C-