Never a favourite in the way … with a Vengeance is or a classic action film like the original; but I enjoyed it much more this time. I could see how hard a concept this is to land successfully as a lone super cop deals with an airport disaster movie whilst being dropped into a military scale threat. So it suffers from bloat in the way action films did as the decade turned; trying to outdo what came before where…
Watched it firstly sound down; a level of detachment to shield myself from a shit sequel but; having enjoyed it I went back to check if it really was any good, and I liked it a lot. I think Keanu has matured like fine wine; he was good 30 years ago and even better now. He can carry a film but this is a sandbox owned by the creators who might have gotten carried away by the first sequels. This…
A simple construction, as if Louis Malle had not gloried in the grace and beauty of Jeanne Moreau quite enough in Lift To The Scaffold. Stripped back to basic elements, so that nothing can obstruct his view of her. He forms a necklace to circle her, of three faces of man, as a way to focus more fully on her. I'm in complete agreement with this treatment. She is worthy of the pedestal upon which he places her. Finally, Malle…
So here's how you incorporate some of that ineffable visual poetry into a b-movie à la Moonrise, and still keep the engines of hell chugging along. The deadweight of a small moon (that's no moon) settles onto your shoulders and pins you. "Ominous" is the word of the day. Raymond Burr does something with the villain akin to a Shakespearean cad, just a lot more vicious. Always with two or three intentions to every action. He isn't the only shining…
