WRATH OF MAN

Jason Statham     Josh Hartnett     Scott Eastwood     Andy Garcia     Eddie Marsan

Holt McCallany     Rocci Williams     Jeffrey Donovan

            The film’s section titles give you some idea of what’s ahead: “A Dark Spirit” (introduction of “H”, a new employee in the security company Fortico that transfers millions of dollars a day for companies; “Scorched Earth”; “Bad Animals Bad”; and “Liver Lungs Spleen Heart.”  This is a Guy Ritchie film, so you’re already prepared.

            We meet our hero named “H” (for Hill) (Statham) by his new supervisor “Bullet” McCallany), who sees him as someone he needs to mentor.  H quickly gains the reputation of “a dark spirit”, as named by the segment title both by his peraonality and his first job.  He proves himself a hero right away in taking out a gang trying to steal Fortico cash.  Although…one supervisor observes that “I’m startin’ to think he’s a psychopath.” 

            In reality, H had worked for another security company that had gone bankrupt, so he was not naïve to the business.  Part of the thrill of Wrath of Man is finding out who this character is, what has brought him into the company, and what, basically, drives him.

            The film is based on a previous French action drama, Le Convoyeur (Cash Truck) directed by Nicolas Boukhrief, and writer-director Guy Ritchie has attempted to convert it to a more Americanized version, bringing in one of his favorite leading men, Jason Statham.  

            Statham is quintessential as the inscrutable player who can mold himself into any environment—but always with an ultimate goal.  He makes this exploration into a detailed plan with contingencies exciting and suspenseful.  It also weaves in some pain and grief, making the plot more understandable.  We see both sides of the ultimate encounter at work, but we cannot tell how it will all turn out.

            There are some “hmmm” moments when what goes on onscreen seem improbable, but for the most part, the story keeps you engaged.  It’s not anything new really or earth-shaking, but it’s an entertaining ride for those ready for such an adventure.

 

Loyalty and truth are the primary themes in this action thriller spotlighting Jason Stathem.

 

Grade:  C                              By Donna R. Copeland

SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO

Benecio Del Toro     Josh Brolin     Isabela Moner     Jeffrey Donovan    Catherine Keener

Elijah Rodriguez     Manuel Garcia     Matthew Modine     Bruno Bichir

     Taylor Sheridan is a writer whose fascination with the western ethos has prompted him to write screenplays highlighting the cultural (and cross-cultural) tugs and binds for people living in the spirit of the American West (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River).  And now comes Sicario:  Day of the Soldado, where he picks up on the Mexican-American border and cartel issues seen in the first Sicario.  Our familiar protagonists, Alejandro (Del Toro) and Matt Graver (Brolin) are charged with pitting two Mexican cartels against each other to stem the tide of human trafficking to the U.S., which has now become the most valuable commodity for them.  

     The immediate plan is to kidnap the daughter of the Reyes cartel “king”, Isabel (Moner), and use her as leverage with the Matamoros cartel.  Things don’t go as planned, of course, and when Isabel escapes amidst gunfire and strikes out on her own, Alejandro goes after her, telling Matt to meet him at the border.  It will not be an easy task.  In the interim will be an encounter with a deaf-mute (fortunately, Alejandro knows sign language), identification of Alejandro and his charge by a sharp young trafficker at the border (Rodriguez), and no communication with the American agents.

     The film purposefully leaves us hanging in its last scenes, and sets us up for the inevitable sequel, which we all get tired of, but which will nevertheless be foisted upon us anyway.  Word on the street is that Emily Blunt will be featured in the third edition, but I hope that Sheridan will figure out how to write a role for her that will show strength and resourcefulness without the stereotypical “female” characteristics, which he seems to be stuck on.  

     One of the things that bothered me most in this film was to see Isabel portrayed in the beginning as a bully-female, beating up a fellow student and showing a narcissistic kind of entitlement when confronted by her school principal.  This scene kept me from sympathizing with her when she got kidnapped.  Yes, a privileged child might behave that way, but how much more inspiring and creative it would be to show her evolving as experience and time transpire.  The film shows a bit of this when she takes up for her captor at one point, but in this case, like with many of Sheridan’s female characters, it’s not a full-blown effect. It would have been better to give her more charisma and feistiness, making her someone the audience could delight in.

     Another underwritten character is Cynthia Foards (Keener), the supervisor of Graver.  She seems to follow her upper-level consultants mindlessly, without any creativity or assertiveness.

     Del Toro and Brolin play their roles as written with expert finesse, being the talented actors they are, but Del Toro can show much more frightening intimidation in his character and Brolin much more calculating bravado than they are given a chance to show here.  

      This is a good film, but seems to be another one in which the filmmakers are so focused on sequels they slight the film they are making.

Border patrol intrigue with twists.

Grade:  B                                                By Donna R. Copeland

LBJ

Woody Harrelson     Jennifer Jason Leigh     Bill Pullman     Richard Jenkins

Jeffrey Donovan     Michael Stahl-David     Michael Mosley

     Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36^th President of the United States is credited with furthering legislation on civil rights, gun control, wilderness preservation, Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, aid to education, the arts, and public services.  It is clearly an impressive record achieved primarily because he was an expert in the “art of the deal”, and had an uncanny ability to know where to compromise and where to stand firm.  Yet, he is not generally regarded as a great President, and is associated more with the Viet Nam War than any social programs.  The LBJ documentary addresses this conundrum at least partially.

     Johnson was very wise, and although he smacked of narcissism, he was a brilliant strategist while he was Speaker of the House of Representatives, Vice President, and President.  He knew that after President Kennedy’s assassination, the country would be receptive to continuing a “martyr’s” agenda soon after his death.  Johnson understood the “strike while the iron is hot” element, and not only brought the country along on his plan, but some of Kennedy’s staff as well. 

     The movie begins with the Kennedys and Johnsons arriving in Dallas on the fateful day President Kennedy was shot.  Thereafter, it cuts back and forth between the events that happened there, and the political process in Washington, both before and after the assassination.  (This is another film that rejects chronological order, the purpose of which is not clear, and which seems to me to be a fad among Hollywood filmmakers, which annoys me.)

     The political process is much more interesting, primarily because we’ve seen the Dallas footage so many times.  The fascinating part of the political process portrayed here is in showing how effective Lyndon Johnson was in using compromise, negotiation, and downright arm-twisting (and “pecker” threats) to get opposing sides to work together.  Based on the film, John Kennedy was largely supportive, but his brother Robert despised Johnson and attempted to thwart him at every turn.  He doesn’t come across looking very well in this film.

     A strong point of LBJ, directed by Rob Reiner, is its honing in on Johnson’s personality—his confidence on the one hand and his insecurities on the other—and his strategic thinking.  His attitude toward Kennedy was one of respect, and some degree of awe.  “I’ve never seen a politician look that good on TV”, he comments to his devoted wife Lady Bird.  He observed that Kennedy was more a “show horse”, whereas he, Lyndon was a “work horse”, and clearly in the beginning he valued the latter more.  Across time, however, he grudgingly admired how much Kennedy’s appearance and charisma helped him achieve the popularity he had, and he held him in great respect. 

     The somewhat surprising casting has Woody Harrelson playing LBJ and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lady Bird.  Harrelson’s Texas accent comes in handy, because despite heavy make-up, Woody doesn’t resemble LBJ that much, but his good acting skills are of considerable help in our seeing him as Johnson.  Leigh does a wonderful job portraying Lady Bird’s devotion and sage advice, and the chemistry between the two actors makes their relationship convincing.  Jeffrey Donovan as JFK and Michael Stahl-David as RFK manage the Boston accents perfectly, and capture the differing personalities of each very well.  Richard Jenkins plays Johnson’s old mentor, Senator Richard Russell, with the considerable talent he always shows, and comes across well as a Southerner who would almost rather die than give in to civil rights advocates.

     I found this movie interesting even though much of the content is not new; but it was good to be reminded of LBJ’s assets, since he could be so off-putting when he was being crude.  Unfortunately for him, a Texas accent has more often been made fun of rather than admired, and that likely worked against him as well.

The power behind a strong political figure toward whom Americans showed considerable ambivalence.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland