 There tends to be a fair share of names that are attached to movies that are bound to get my attention enough to be a sort of "Golden Ticket" to something that's, at the very least, objectively "good." One of those names is Leonardo DiCaprio, who, while perhaps seen as more of a teenage heartthrob back in the day, has since grown into a chameleon of an actor and can play anything from suave and intelligent to what he delivers here, as he portrays a far-left extremist who also happens to be a reclusive paranoid stoner.
Adding a little more draw to the film is director Paul Thomas Anderson, who has his own slightly more realistic, if a bit wacky, storytelling style, conjuring up some real classics like 'Boogie Nights,' 'Inherent Vice' and 'There Will Be Blood' to name a few. Here, he gives us a few more of his famously complex characters and gives the otherwise rather serious story a dark, comedic spin. The viewer isn't gonna be slapping their knees or anything. Still, the film isn't without a few much-needed moments to lighten things up, generally revolving around DiCaprio's performance. In this film, we hit the ground running as "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (DiCaprio) meets up with the French 75, a far-left revolutionary group which includes Pat's lover, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor). I'm still trying to work out how much of that is her real name, and how much is a nickname. Regardless, the group embarks on a mission to rescue immigrants from the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, CA. During the mission, Perfidia finds commanding officer Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) and, noticing how creepily he looks at her, sexually humiliates him, which he seems to have a bit of a fetish for. Once Perfidia detains Lockjaw, she and Pat escape after a job well done, and continue their acts of revolutionary terrorism, all while keeping an amorous sex life. On one such mission, Lockjaw catches Perfidia planting a bomb, agreeing only to release her for sexual favours. Perfidia soon ends up with a baby that Pat takes on as their daughter. Still, Perfidia's not finished fighting her war, and abandons them both, only to end up in witness protection while Pat and the baby, Charlene, take on aliases Bob and Willa Ferguson as they go off the grid to hide from authorities. Sixteen years pass, Lockjaw manages to move up the rankings to Colonel, and he gets invited to join the extreme far right secret society, The Christmas Adventurers Club, which is full of white supremicists who insist that their members steer clear of interracial relationships, which prompts Lockjaw to seek out Willa, who could be his daughter, in an effort to cover up his past. A distress signal is soon sent out to other members of the French 75, including Bob, who quickly realizes that authorities are after his daughter, whom he means to intercept with the help of his "Sensei" (Benicio Del Toro) before something extreme occurs. Everyone is good in this; it's a testament to Anderson's directorial skills. For as much as DiCaprio carries the film, though, I'd be hard-pressed not to point out Penn's performance as the villain here just the same. Penn plays a pathetic, sleazy creep so incredibly well that I'd say he makes my list of most memorable movie villains for the year. I must also mention the surprise performance of Regina Hall, who plays Deandra, there to help Willa hide from those after her. I know her best as the over-the-top Brenda in the 'Scary Movie' series, and here, she really manages to show her acting chops. At the end of the day, this is a political thriller with doses of comedy that tackles real-world issues, and it has been seen as "bold" for addressing some of the subject matter. I can basically agree with everything positive that the film has going for it, and on top of that, I tend not to enjoy political thrillers. This movie did things in a way that made it easier for me to empathize with the characters than I usually do, and it helps that the film goes to certain extremes to keep my attention. Speaking as a fan, I wouldn't say it's a favourite DiCaprio title, but it's certainly worth a sit-through if you have nearly 3 hours to kill. 4/5  Considering the reviews I've read and the names attached to it, it frankly surprises me that this film hasn't been talked about more, seemingly caught somewhere between the latest 'Conjuring' movie and the controversial remake of 'The Toxic Avenger.' But I recommend not overlooking this title entirely. Speaking for myself, I'm not going to call it "perfect" or even among my top films this year, but there is definitely something to it that I enjoy. I could see myself coming back to it and allowing it to grow on me over time.
Among the primary draws to this film will be its director, Darren Aronofsky, who has proven to be an acquired taste with his movies that include titles like 'Requiem for a Dream,' 'Black Swan,' and 'Mother!' among others. If I were to describe his overall style, he's the guy who specializes in films that make you wanna take a shower after watching them. 'Caught Stealing' is really no exception, but what I really appreciate about this film is that, unlike so many of his others, it's a little more straightforward, and to be fair, a little bit outside his norm, which may very well lead die-hard Aronofsky fans to see it as one of his lesser movies. I would personally consider this Aronofsky's movie for your "average Joe." While it's still very much his style, it doesn't go far into that "WTF?" realm he's so known for. He even goes so far as to tackle nostalgia here, subtly, as the film takes place in 1998, and does a good job of showing us the time frame without cramming it down our throats. The film focuses on a bartender named Henry "Hank" Thompson (Austin Butler), who has become something of an alcoholic following a disastrous car crash that he still has nightmares about, which threw off his ambitions to play major league baseball. Hank, despite his dreams going up in smoke, still carries on with his life in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He has a passionate girlfriend named Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz) who takes good care of him, gets regular phone calls from his mother, who shares in his passion for baseball, and seemingly decent neighbours in his apartment complex, one of whom is a hardcore British punk named Russ Miner (Matt Smith), who, despite not being in it a whole hell of a lot, is probably the best part of this movie - a total 180 performance from what I've seen of him playing The Doctor in 'Dr. Who'. When Russ takes off to London to visit his sick father, he leaves his cat, Bud (Tonic), in Hank's care. Things seem to be going okay, but soon, two Russian mobsters, Aleksei and Pavel, come looking for Russ, in search of something important enough to them that when Hank can't give them any answers, they viciously beat him half to death. Although he makes it out of the attack alive, Hank soon finds himself caught up in Russ's problems, and it's not long before things get personal, and Hank has to get to the bottom of it all, with it all going much deeper than he could have expected. As I've mentioned, this is one of those films I really enjoy, but, as with most of Aronofsky's films, it's one I have to be in the mood for. Nothing about that whole feeling of needing a shower after watching the movie really goes away, and it's full of nasty stuff (both in good and bad ways, as Aronofsky does so well). That said, however, it's definitely one of his tamer films in the sense that it doesn't get too hardcore with anything - for that, I'd recommend 'Requiem for a Dream,' which makes this film look like a 'Scooby-Doo' mystery. This title might be a good place to start if you plan to delve into his material and want to start a bit lighter. What makes this stand out lies between the performances of everyone on board, especially Matt Smith, who I didn't even recognize for the first couple of seconds. On top of that, the writing is a near-perfect balance of humour and tension, giving me a few laugh-out-loud moments while still allowing empathy for Hank's character and what he's caught up in. The only criticism I have about it is also what I like about it. For an Aronofsky film, it comes off as a bit more "plain & simple," and the dark, artsy side of him takes a bit of a back seat. For some, it won't quite be what they want, but for me, it's a bit of a breath of... almost fresh air. 4/5  Let's kick this review off with a quick recap of the first film, which will probably involve some spoilers, so if you haven't watched it yet, get on that. It comes as the highest of recommendations from yours truly, featuring good old Saul Goodman as a John Wick-type, complete with pulse-pounding action, incredible fight scenes, and that touch of humour that only Bob Odenkirk can provide. When all was said and done, it gave me the solid 5/5 rating I needed while we were all hiding from Covid (March 2021).
'Nobody' featured a frustrated workaday family man named Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk) whose home is invaded one day. As he tries to keep calm after the break-in, he reaches his boiling point, which exposes his past as a skilled assassin, and inadvertently triggers a war with the Russian mob. As he works his way up the mob ladder, kicking ass and taking names, he eventually finds himself indebted to a man who calls himself "The Barber" (Colin Salmon) and gets forced to do odd, dangerous jobs for him, utilizing his skills, to pay off his debt. That's where this chapter picks up. After everything that has happened and the trouble Hutch has caused, his family have grown distant. Things open up almost the same way as in the first film, showing his day-to-day life, padded with assignments from The Barber. One day, as his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen) is leaving the house, Hutch promises to take the family, which also includes his feisty son, Brady (Gage Munroe), who's like his Dad in many ways; his daughter, Sammy (Paisley Cadorath), who's pretty straight-laced; and his Dad, David (Christopher Lloyd) who was probably the best side character in the first film, on a vacation to his favourite childhood spot, Plummerville. When Hutch tells the Barber that he's taking a break from his assignments in an effort to regain some ground with his family, the Barber reluctantly agrees to it, but makes sure to remind him that trouble tends to follow him wherever he goes, family or not. Just as the family vacation is starting to work out, Brady has a confrontation with a kid named Max (Lucius Hoyos), which ultimately triggers the ire of both Max's Dad, Wyatt (John Ortiz), who asks for the family to leave, and the town's crooked sheriff, Abel (Colin Hanks), who represents the trouble that the Barber forewarned Hutch about. As things escalate with Hutch's refusal to cooperate, it's not long until he finds himself having to find some help against a sadistic crime kingpin named Lendina (Sharon Stone), who tends to take joy in her handywork, runs the town of Plummerville, and is aiming to be Hutch's ultimate downfall. So this one, much as it follows a 'John Wick' type of formula, acts as a bit more of a survival movie than a revenge movie. It is almost as good as its predecessor, with my criticisms being very few and far between. I also have a bias towards this type of high-octane action that dabbles in comedy, so one may take my praise with a grain of salt. The only honest criticisms I have about the movie—and again, take these extremely lightly—some may find it repetitive, especially given how the film opens and ends. On top of that, the family involvement may be a bit much for people, especially when Sammy gets pushed way into the background as someone helpless when she ought to be just as badass as the rest of the household. I also think that for some, Lendina is going to be pretty over-the-top, but I do enjoy how much fun Stone had with her villainous role. I find 'Nobody 2' almost parallel to the original film. I had as much fun here as I did with the first film, and if you're anything like me and just like these kinds of movies by default, you'll enjoy it as much as I did. However, some are bound to see it as "more of the same," and not quite up to snuff with the original. I also feel fatigue with similar films, or even with whatever they may have in common with superhero films (at least as far as the fighting and action go). I recommend watching anything like this when you need to relax after a terrible day, and you'll get more out of it. 4/5  For quite some time now, it seems there hasn't been a whole lot of reflection on those original three 'Naked Gun' movies. They have since aged for various reasons I've already mentioned ad nauseam in my respective reviews for the original trilogy; therefore, we won't go into it here. But it feels safe to say that the spoofy satire that movies like the 'Naked Gun' series officially got worn out by people like Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, whose filmographies frankly speak for themselves.
Suddenly, the random casting idea for Liam Neeson to play some version of Frank Drebin of Police Squad (in this case, Frank's son, continuing the story and providing a soft reboot of the series). Speaking for myself, I was thrilled by the idea, primarily based on his cameo appearance in 'Ted 2,' which showed that he's far more than just an awesome gun-toting action hero. The other side of it is that people forget Leslie Nielsen was also a serious dramatic actor before his spoof days, so there was something very fitting about the whole situation. The film opens with the scene we've all seen from the trailer by now, featuring Frank Drebin Jr. disguised as a little girl, who puts a stop to a bank robbery. He single-handedly takes them down, but his renegade ways get him reassigned by his Chief, Davis (CCH Pounder), as he's become a legal liability. Here, we see that we're dealing with the next generation of Police Squad when Drebin Jr. and others pay homage to their fathers' plaques on the wall in another one of the trailers' great gags when it gets to, as he's actually credited, "Not Nordberg Jr." (Moses Jones). In the meantime, as it turns out, the whole bank robbery was a distraction for the real criminals to break into a safe deposit box and steal the P.L.O.T. ("Primordial Law of Toughness") Device, which the wealthy Richard Cane (Danny Huston) plans to use to reduce the general population to barbaric creatures. At the same time, he and his fellow billionaires remain safe in a prepared bunker. Without getting into it too much, it's the typical "solve the case, stop the criminal" deal that these tend to be, complete with a mysterious love interest in Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson). Pamela Anderson is known chiefly within my generation as a sort of primary sex symbol, who tended to be all looks, little substance, mainly due to her often being directed to be a bimbo of some kind. Recently, she has really been coming into her own, and her hilarious performance here is more proof of it. Her chemistry with Neeson is just as strong, if not stronger, than Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley in the originals. It's great to see Pam finally move beyond the ditzy blonde trend and flex those acting muscles. She'll give you some solid laughs here. My only slight criticism is that I wish some of the side characters played a bit more of a role, like "Not Nordberg." Having said that, however, it's hard to criticize something I came to expecting to be pleasantly stupid. I got what I came for and then some. Akiva Schaffer and his team behind this really dug in. They did their homework, bringing back some of the better gags we remember so fondly, and even going so far as to bring elements in from the original 'Police Squad' TV series. It's remarkable to say this about something recent that delves into our nostalgia, but everything about this feels right for what it's supposed to be. While it pays homage to the original material, it remains its own entity. The dad jokes and silly gags are abundant, some new, some old, but good. My favourite bit is the running gag about being constantly handed a cup of coffee. Hell, it doesn't even delve into raunchy or violent repetition humour, which seems to be what drives these types of movies these days. It's very clear to anyone who watches this that the filmmakers were fans of all of the original material. 4/5  If the 'Den of Thieves' films end up being a series, it'll probably end up being one of those like 'Lethal Weapon' from my perspective in that while the films are good and entertaining, for some strange reason that I can't quite grasp, they're films I'll see once or twice and be done with them. The problem there is that I have a hard time coming to a solid critical conclusion on these films one way or another. They're both good. This one may be better, but there are other similar movies I'd go back to sooner.
Unfortunately, this is one of those areas where I don't quite understand myself. I love a good heist movie, the chemistry Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. have together on-screen, good action, good dialogue, and these movies have all of that. But they don't quite hit right for me. I really can't explain. But at 2.5 hours, this movie is slightly longer than it needs to be. I may also be a touch brainwashed on the idea that January is the "trash movie" release month when, in fact, there's usually a good sleeper hit or two these days among them. The second film picks up several years after the first film's events, which held a twist at its end, so if you care about seeing the first one and not having anything spoiled for yourself, stop reading now. A heist team known as the "Panther Crew" is led by a lady named Jovanna (Evin Ahmad), whom Donnie Wilson (Jackson Jr.) has become associated with for a heist job involving a red diamond, disguising themselves as a SWAT team. Little do they know just who it is they're stealing this diamond from. Meanwhile, Deputy Sheriff Nick O'Brien (Butler) in Long Beach, California, is a little worse for wear after Donnie got over on him in the last film. On top of that, he's recently divorced and only allowed to see his kid once in a blue moon. With nothing left to lose, he seeks out Donnie in hopes of joining him and the Panthers on their next heist - to rob a vault at the World Diamond Center in Nice, France. From there, you have a heist movie with an unlikely team-up and the audience questions whether or not the Panthers can trust Nick or whether or not Donnie will screw Nick over in the end. As mentioned earlier, things like length have more to do with my disinterest; otherwise, it's hard to put my finger on it. While this almost certainly won't make my "Top 10" by the year's end, I still enjoyed a few key moments within the film. In particular, and without giving too much away, one scene involves Nick and Donnie on a bit of Ecstasy, where they have a "getting to know you" conversation, and it makes for a rather poignant moment within the film, developing both characters much further in a matter of a couple of minutes. Otherwise, I don't know what else to say about the film. Much like I felt about the last movie, it's "good," not mind-blowingly great, nor is it god-awful in any way. Again, I liked other heist movies better, like 'Italian Job' and 'Ocean's Eleven,' which I can see myself returning to despite their age. But that's me. These aren't movies I'd say one should simply avoid. In their ways, the 'Den of Thieves' films have a certain quality, and the chemistry between Jackson Jr. and Butler is quite solid in both films, particularly here. This is one of those reviews where I must tell my readers they'll need to check the movie out for themselves because I can't do much to sway them either way. The good certainly overrules the bad in the 'Den of Thieves' films, and they're a good time in their own right, but they remain a bit under the radar in the grand scheme of things. I'd probably give these films a lot more credit if they were straight to streaming or something, though, because they feel about that quality to me. But again - that's just me! 3/5 |
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