SILK ROAD

Ross Ulbricht     Jason Clarke     Jennifer Yun     Jimmi Simpson 

     This film seems to have a number of targets; there is the old school “street” agent working to bring in dope smugglers, and the cyber threat from criminals using encrypted software and Bitcoin to bring in the dough.  We see how these two positions are pitted against each other in Silk Road, but we also see other kinds of conflicts, which are not well spelled out.

Silk Road is interesting in its introduction of a young political libertarian with high ideals who wants to allow people freedom at the expense of the “state” (i.e., the government).  One win for the individual is a loss to the state, in his way of thinking.

Ross (Ulbricht) is from an upper middle-class family, whose father has (perhaps vicarious) aspirations for him, but he has an itch to succeed on his own terms.  He keeps looking for something that will confirm his philosophical position, and he has only a dim view of his potential success.

     He comes up with an idea of using Bitcoin to finance illicit drugs—non-traceable and most of all, outside the government’s authority.  He’s only mildly interested in some drugs, and has given no thought to the ultimate implications of his plan; the plan he has come up with seems to be perfect from his point of view.  He has no inkling of the number of users who would click on “Silk Road” and make him a wealthy man.

     Enter Rick Bowden (Clarke), a DEA agent who has been disparaged for his previous actions as a “street cop” for getting involved in cocaine use.  After rehabilitation, he is now being assigned to the cyber division of the DEA, for which he is ill prepared, being considered as a dinosaur (e.g., no self-respecting cyber agent would deign to use street methods, his primary modus operandi).  He is being put to pasture; his supervisor tells him that all he has to do is sit at his desk doing whatever, and he will get his pension in nine months.

     Can Rick do this?  Of course not; we get the impression he has never backed away from a challenge.  But there is an interesting juxtaposition in the movie between what older Rick can accomplish as opposed to what the younger Ross can accomplish.  Underlying that dilemma is the contest between “street smarts” versus “intellectual strategies.” The film seems to imply that the newer cyber techniques accomplish the job without the dirt and grime of the former.  But another component of the ending seems to imply that there might be something of worth in the dirt and grime.

     I see the techniques used by Rick in “solving” the case as a huge and unnecessary distraction in the telling of the story.  It also muddies the waters in terms of what the filmmakers had in mind.  If they wanted to show how young people are naïve sometimes in their visions for society, they did that very well.  But inserting the torture of one of the players in demonstrating street techniques is unnecessary, misleading, and revolting.

 

A crime story pitting newer technologies against older street-smart approaches in fighting crime.

 

Grade:  C                 By Donna R. Copeland

SERENITY

Matthew McConaughey     Anne  Hathaway     Diane Lane     Djmon Hounsou

Jason Clarke     Jeremy Strong     Rafael Sayegh

     The complexity of the plot in Serenity (which is far from serene) hypes up the excitement and intrigue, and keeps you guessing throughout.  The theme of “What is real?” gives it an added boost in depth as the viewer is forced to ask the question over and over in terms of the plot, but also in terms of each of the characters and their minds—along with ethical questions that will arise.  It is the talented work of Writer/Director Steven Knight who has given us previous—sometimes quiet—thrillers, as in Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises, andLocke, that stay on one’s mind after leaving the theater.

     The story starts out as a simple tale about a fisherman who seems to be suffering from PTSD following his medal-earning service in Iraq, which he is self-treating with alcohol.  He is gruff and single-minded, seems to have no inkling about human management and relationships, and is compulsive about finding a certain tuna in the ocean that he has named “Justice” (which, like everything else in the film smolders with symbolic meaning).  

     Baker Dill (McConaughey)—not his real name, of course—is shown to run rough-shod over employees such as loyal Duke (Hounsou) and clients, every incident of which always gets spread through the town of Plymouth, where “everybody knows everything.”  And they do seem to know; the instance something happens everybody knows about it, even deals made supposedly in secret. There’s only one bar in town, which is part of the explanation, and a certain cat owner named Constance (Lane) has a perfect view of the dock from where all boats go to sea, but word also seems to travel mysteriously.

     Some may get turned off by the occult references in the film, but, to me, that only adds to its intrigue.  It’s done so subtly (and some kinds of supernatural events have been accepted in some circles), and for substantive reasons (as in a father connecting with his son), I could easily accept it as part of the story. Besides, the ending is so ambiguous in terms of what really happened, it’s one of those delightful films where you can pick the ending you favor.  Either it’s a fantasy of someone’s mind, or it’s a realistic account of what happened.  The capper for these thoughts is Baker’s comment about a telephone call he’s just had:  “I didn’t have enough coins to get in that conversation” [about what was real]. 

     McConaughey is in his usual form, capturing a character central to the plot of a movie. Here again, he confirms his status as a top-notch actor.  His movies vary considerably in quality, but in Serenity, he has chosen a role within a plot that is both complex and airtight.  The rest of the cast measures up to the task of characters who are presented as strong and convincing:  Anne Hathaway as the somewhat mysterious element of Baker’s/John’s past whose presence unnerves him; Djmon Hounsou as the one Baker asks to be his conscience, but intermittently dismisses; Jason Clarke as a thoroughly reprehensible husband; Jeremy Strong as an ambiguous figure offering an ambiguous bargain; Diane Lane as an important grounding connection for Baker; and finally, young Rafael Sayegh as Patrick, an elusive game-inventor-player who may or may not be real.

A delightful and thrilling exploration into reality/fantasy possibilities and the questioning of the rules of the game.

Grade:  A                        By Donna R. Copeland

WINCHESTER

Helen Mirren     Sarah Snook     Jason Clarke     Finn Scicluna-O’Prey

     This work of horror and intrigue, co-written with Tom Vaughan by Directors Michael and Peter Spierig (identical twins born in Germany and working in Australia), does what such a picture is supposed to do—keep us on the edge of our seats, play into common fears about old mansions, and pull us into the world of spirits and ghosts as it tries to convince the character, Dr. Price (Clarke), that the spirits/ghosts are there for a cause and a purpose. 

     Dr. Price has been contracted by the board of the Winchester Company to evaluate the mental stability of Sarah Winchester (Mirren), heir and half-owner of the Company, out of their concern for the company’s solvency.  Is she still fit to be on the board?  She has been adding onto her mansion in San Jose, California, for years; construction goes on 24 hours a day.  She says the purpose of this work is to calm the spirits of all those who have been killed by Winchester guns.  Sarah is convinced that if she shows them remorse, they will be at peace and go on to a better place.  She builds a room for each of them until they get that peace, then they move on.  (Now, those who never get to a calm place must be locked away in their room with, specifically, 13 nails.)

     Eric Price, a staunch empiricist, is quite prepared to consider Sarah delusional, even though eerie things begin to occur immediately after he arrives at the Winchester mansion—glimpses of strange figures flitting by, the bells tolling precisely at 12:00 every night, and of course unexplained noises at all times of day.  Once, when he goes to investigate, he peers through a door slightly ajar to see Sarah in a trance gazing upward, and sketching instructions for re-building that someone seems to be telepathically sending her. 

     Sarah has her trusted niece Marion (Snook) living in the house with her young son Henry (Scicluna-O’Prey), and he shows strange and even dangerous behaviors from time to time.  The question arises about whether he is cursed as a Winchester or simply showing signs of grief over the loss of his father. 

     As time goes on, the weirdness increases to a point that it looks like everyone and everything will be destroyed. 

     I think Winchester succeeds in what it is attempting to do in its genre, and beyond this, astute observations are made from time to time that give it more depth, such as making the point that sometimes real (i.e., personal) experience is more valuable than professional training.  It especially highlights the motivations that can result from guilt—Mrs. Winchester’s for the damage her gun company has done, and Price’s for his role in his deceased wife’s demise.  Just importantly, it shows how each is able to assuage guilt through action and/or taking a different perspective.

     Helen Mirren’s artful portrayal of a woman with spirit, determination, self-confidence, and a little quirkiness is persuasive in drawing us into her world, just the way she draws in Clarke’s Price.  And he skillfully transitions from a grieving skeptic without a purpose in life to someone drawn in to more meaningful endeavors.  Snook, as the intensely loyal but thoughtful niece shows the bind her character gets into when she gets put between Winchester and Price.  Young Scicluna-O'Prey as Henry is alternately endearing and frightening, depending on whether he is a normal boy or caught up in a spirit’s machination. 

     I interviewed the Spierigs at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2014 where their film Predestination, based on a Robert Heinlein story, premiered.  It has a complex plot, full of intrigue and social issues and, like this film, shows their creative thinking merging with social conscientiousness.  I was impressed with them then, and regard them as filmmakers who will advance the artfulness and thoughtfulness of films for years to come.

An intriguing horror film with a wonderful blend of history, biography, and fantasy.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

ALL I SEE IS YOU

Blake Lively     Jason Clarke     Danny Huston     Ahna O’Reilly     Miguel Fernandez

       I see little value in this production, except for the cinematography, which is stunning right from the beginning in its visual artistry.  Matthias Koenigswieser cleverly indicates Gina’s (Lively) blindness by adjusting the camera to show a blurry, whitish image with vague spots when scenes are from her point of view.  Many of his scenes are impressionistic and/or like an abstract painting that attracts our attention.  He varies the framing in close-ups, such as when the doctor is examining Gina’s eyes, to sweeping land- and seascapes around Barcelona, Spain.  (The picture was filmed in Thailand and Spain.)  Gina and her husband James (Clarke) live in Thailand, so we also get views of that country with its colorful markets, interesting architecture, and lush parks. 

       Koenigswieser is well known for his use of lighting, camera technology, and instincts to achieve artistic effect.  Here is a revealing quote: Atmosphere and lighting go hand in hand for me. I feel it makes everything more natural and relatable. In nature as well as interiors you have a different atmosphere all the time which in turn makes for a certain mood. Different weather conditions, light in different countries and continents, a variety of street light on a clear night, fog or rain. Smokey interiors, and open window next to the ocean and a setting sun. The varieties are endless and the best lighting school is nature (https://fstoppers.com/video/what-we-can-all-learn-beautiful-world-cinematographer-mattias-koenigswieser-2920).

     Gina and James are very much in love, trying to have a baby, and exploring the possibility of eye surgery that will restore her vision after she lost it in an accident.  He is devoted to her, and patiently serves as her visual aid.  She does have to assert herself sometimes in doing things for herself, such as putting in her own eye drops, which she is clearly capable of doing.  Then she undergoes the surgery, which restores her vision in one eye. 

     It is delightful to see her rediscovering colors and all the visual complexities of daily life.  He likewise shows pride and joy for her, and in celebration arranges for a trip to Barcelona to visit her sister and her family and to revisit the places they enjoyed on their honeymoon there.  Unrest begins to creep in, though, when she shows dissatisfaction with how she looks (no makeup) and dresses (conservative, bland), and begins exercising her creativity in changing her appearance.  James clearly expresses ambivalence toward these changes, and begins worrying about losing her to someone else.  He starts getting testy and more possessive and controlling.  It doesn’t help when they get to her sister’s, where Gina’s brother-in-law is an artist with few boundaries or restraint.  James begins to resist joining the others in their escapades, and is seen as a wet blanket.  The situation doesn’t get any better once the couple arrives home, and Gina wants to find a new place to live, just another change that is upsetting to James.

     Despite ramping up the intrigue and mystery in the last half of the film, co-writer (with Sean Conway) and director Marc Forster have delivered a film with a largely predictable plot that comes to resemble a daytime television show.  The two stars play their roles well; Blake Lively is believable as a blind person and one who regains her sight, and Jason Clarke captures well the Type-A personality confronting change that will lessen his control and reveal the insecurities underneath.  Lively herself is more controversial, with sharp contrasts between the “love her” “hate her” camps.  Clarke is more consistently regarded as a talented actor since his most famous role in Zero Dark Thirty. 

See this film primarily for the impressive cinematography.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TERMINATOR GENISYS

Arnold Schwarzenegger     Jason Clarke     Jai Courtney     Emilia Clarke     J. K. Simmons

Thrills, spills, guns, fistfights, explosions, crashes—Terminator Ginisys has it all—but in addition, it has mind games where the identities of the main characters move back and forth in time and even morph into someone else.  Although of the latter, we’re not always sure; maybe their true identity was disguised all along.  And then there is The Terminator (Schwarzenegger) who is challenged by a younger version of himself.

The plot is relatively straightforward; an evil force named Skynet has almost been successful in doing away with humans altogether and replacing them with machines.  And amazing contraptions these are in their abilities to reconstitute themselves after injuries or at will—sometimes into moving metal beings, sometimes into humans, and they can even make their hands grow into very long swords that are able to cut through steel doors.  But there is a small group of humans and one Terminator who will risk their lives to save humankind.

           The story begins with a rebel group of humans led by John Connor (J. Clarke) whose plan is to destroy the heart of Skynet, a machine built to go back in time and kill Connor’s mother so that he will not be born.  So Connor has a brilliant plan to turn their scheme against them; that is, to send his most loyal follower, Kyle Reese (Courtney), back through time to his mother Sarah (E. Clarke), who could foresee the future and told John all about it.  Kyle is to rescue her and destroy the death machine so that Skynet and “Judgment Day” (i.e., doomsday) will never come to pass. 

           Kyle successfully goes back in time, but the situation he encounters is completely different from what he has expected.  But as expected, it is very dangerous, and Kyle will be lucky to escape with his life.

           The conception of this film by screenwriters Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (three Dracula movies) is complex, and they use comic relief from time to time to counter the tension and constant battles and explosions.  For instance, J. K. Simmons has a cameo role as a somewhat bumbling police detective who knows exactly what Kyle and his cohorts are up to; however, no one listens to him.  And The Terminator makes comments about being old but not obsolete, which always brought up a chuckle in the screening.

           Director Alan Taylor, probably best known and awarded for co-directing prime-time television series such as “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones”, seems well up to the task here in a major feature.  Excitement abounds, and the production design (Neil Spisak) and special effects are noteworthy, especially the morphing actions on all the terminators—unless, of course, you’ve seen earlier versions.

           Schwarzenegger is in his usual fine form, and he, Emilia Clarke, and Courtney fit together mostly, although I would have liked to see less bickering, which was probably supposed to be funny, but I found it grating.  I’ve been a fan of Jason Clarke for a number of years, especially his work in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  His performance here is just as good.

           This is a film primarily for those who have not seen the previous Terminator versions (1984, 1991, 2003, 2009) or love them so much they never tire of repeat viewings.  This is the fifth film in the series, and whereas the first two were hits, the last three seem to be stuck in time—which is highly ironic.

The Terminator returns…again!

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland