Run All Night (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 114 minutes
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: Brad Inglesby
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ed Harris, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Boyd Holbrook, Vincent D'Onofrio, Genesis Rodriguez

Now showing in cinemas everywhere. Distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Underneath it's hard exterior of action and suspense, Run All Night  is a dramatic film about the ties between family and friends that just misses it's emotional calling but is nevertheless entertaining. One time hit man, Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson) is haunted by the ghosts of his past to the point where he is unable to function in daily life. The only person he can still depend on and call a friend is mob boss, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris). By a terrible twist of fate, Jimmy's estranged son, Michael (Joel Kinnaman) witnesses Shawn's son, Danny (Boyd Holbrook) shoot a man dead and Danny wants to make sure Michael keeps his mouth shut by doing the same to him. In order to save his son, Jimmy instead takes Danny's life, which forces Shawn's hand to go after Michael to even things up with his long time friend.

Run All Night has an interesting basis and one that could push the film in the direction of a psychological thriller. The opportunity was there for the film to express the internal battle the characters of Jimmy and Shawn should have been feeling having to do something so atrocious to people they are personally connected to. It is something that is touched upon to an extent, but Run All Night wants to focus primarily on the action and suspense. It succeeds in this department as the film is indeed action packed and thrilling, but would have gone from being a mediocre film to a very good film had there been a greater emotional connection to the characters and their situation.

Yet the family dynamics between the Conlons and the Maguires make an interesting case study. It is obvious who is the more responsible and loving son and it is the one who grew up with an absent father. Michael is incredibly hostile towards his father as he rarely saw him when he was growing up and left Michael and his mother to fend for themselves. He grew up to have a family he loves with two little girls and a son on the way and is an active member of the community. On the other hand, Danny has little respect and love for anyone besides himself and following in his father's footsteps by participating in illegal activities. Yet, Shawn was present for Danny's childhood. Run All Night provides a demonstration of how children will learn from their parents and this is part of who they become. As Michael's dad was absent, he learnt how it felt to not have a parent present and made sure he was there for his family and for others who were without fathers. He was immune to his father's violent world and he played no witness to it, while Danny grew up watching and learning from his mob boss father. This is not a case to make for all parents and children, but an interesting one to contemplate from this film.

Visually Run All Night has it's own character and is unique in it's own way. It's attempts to do something different with it's cinematography and has no lack of continuous camera shots and editing that creates havoc within itself. It is admirable that there is the intent to try something different and it does succeed in doing this, but these attempts do not add anything to the film. In particular the style of editing employed may try to support the high speed intensity, but it is creating more of a sense of craziness and mayhem. The film has plenty of fast paced action sequences which are suspenseful when the film as a whole is largely predictable.

Run All Night is a film that would have truly benefited from an emotional attachment to it's characters through the right direction and allowances in the script. What meek attempts it makes of being sentimental are lost in weak performances by fine actors. There is absolutely no doubt that Liam Neeson, Ed Harris and Joel Kinnaman are capable of delivering stronger performances with the desired level of emotion which their characters should have been granted. All the actors give borderline performances that are not bad for any reason, but not wonderful for a greater reason.

As an action film, Run All Night does enough to make itself watchable and enjoyable. However, the subject content not only allows for more, but demands more to be given as far as you can't be talking about killing your best friend's children in emotionally controlled circumstances.

5.5/10

Love, Actually (2003)

Year: 2003

Director: Richard Curtis

Cast: Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Martin Freeman

Now this is the movie I have had the most requests for the review this Christmas season, so I should be hearing a lot of cheering from outside my window when this review goes live!

Love, Actually is one of the most popular and successful Christmas films of the past decade. There are so many reasons why it is so successful. It is a romantic, feel-good movie that appeals to both males and females and is genuinely funny.  All this in a Christmas movie would normally be ultra-corny, but in Love, Actually it is just beautiful.

So where do you start?

Love, Actually is a multi-protagonist film, which means that there are several main characters and each of these characters have their own story. As is a fairly common in this type of film, all the characters are somehow linked. There is Daniel (Liam Neeson) who has just lost his wife, David (Hugh Grant) who is the new Prime Minister, Sarah (Laura Linney) who is in love with her work colleague, Jamie (Colin Firth) who has just found out his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother, Karen (Emma Thompson) who suspects that her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman) is having an affair and Mark (Andrew Lincoln) who is in love with his best friend’s wife, Juliet (Keira Knightley).

But…….the question on everyone’s lips is….will aging rocker, Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) has the number one song at Christmas with the catchy and ridiculous, “Christmas Is All Around”?

If you haven’t seen Love, Actually, from my above plot summary you are probably thinking that the movie just sounds a bit messy. It is anything but. Director, Richard Curtis gives each character the same amount of screen time and the best thing is, you feel an emotional connection to each of the characters. That is something that is hard to grasp in your straight forward film, even harder in a film with as many characters as this. However, there are tears of triumph, happiness and sadness for all in the film.

During the film, there are so many unforgettable moments. You will never hear “Jump For My Love” again without thinking about a dancing Hugh Grant. “Love Is All Around” will always ring of “Christmas Is All Around”, the song that opens the film with obscenities from getting the two songs mixed up. 

It does set high romantic standards for everyone who watches it, which could be dangerous. Who doesn’t want the perfect moment at Christmas though? Love, Actually just brings them to the screen!

There is no one star or standout performance in Love, Actually, but many. Bill Nighy as Billy Mack is absolutely hilarious and so different from any of his other roles. Hugh Grant is an absolutely charming Prime Minister who you wish you could vote in to parliament. Colin Firth is just wonderful and his restaurant scene is what every woman dreams of. Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman work so well together, even when they are having marital problems on screen.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays young Sam who has just lost his mother, but is also the victim of his first love. He is an absolute scene stealer, even with Liam Neeson by his side, who is also wonderful.

Love, Actually is a one of a kind film and the fact that it is a Christmas film makes it even more likable. There is so much beauty as well as humour in the film. It is the best Christmas film to have been released in the last ten years…actually.

9.5/10

The A-Team

The A-Team
Year: 2010
Director: John Carnahan
Cast: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Sharlto Copley

In My Own Words
Ah, another remake! To be completely honest, I have never seen an episode of the TV show “The A-Team”. According to my lovely father, the film version is nowhere near as corny as the television series. Those who are big fans of the original show will most probably see this as a downfall, but those like myself who are not familiar with the show, will most probably see it as a plus. There is nothing worse than going to see a movie which is based on an old television show or movie which you haven’t seen and being completely confused. I guess that’s what directors of these films have to watch, that they don’t discriminate and that they can reach the widest audience possible. “The A-Team” didn’t fall into the “just for fans of the original” category, which is a great thing so people, such as myself, can also enjoy this film! I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this film and happy to say so!

Any “The A-Team” television show fans here? What did you think of the remake? I can only ponder which television show will get its remake next. I have actually heard that there is a “Gidget” remake on it’s way!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
Finally, a great action film with amazing special effects and a solid story. This doesn’t happen too many times in a year, but “The A-Team” is one of those rare films. It is thoroughly entertaining and extremely enjoyable film which will delight not just fans of the television series. The A-Team are Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith (Liam Neeson), Lieutenant Templeton Peck (Bradley Cooper), B. A. Baracus (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson) and Murdock (Sharlto Copley), a group of soldiers who have been accused of a crime they didn’t commit. In order to clear their names, there is a lot of clever planning and illegal activity (eg. Breaking out of jail) to be undertaken. From here, they endeavour to prove their innocence and uncover the true instigator of the crime.

The special effects in “The A-Team” are truly amazing. Special effects in action films these days are getting better and better and “The A-Team” is an example of what they can provide these days. These are plenty of explosions and high-pace action sequences to keep you interested the whole time, there are certainly no boring moments. Although some of the scenes may make those who are afraid of heights or those who suffer from motion sickness feel quite nauseous. The action can become a bit too much at times, meaning that it can sometimes seem just like a showcase of special effects and can be a bit over-indulgent. The story does not lack lustre as a result of this onslaught of action, as many films fail into the habit of doing. The script is very well written and extremely clever. Not only this, but it is also quite funny. The cinematography in particular scenes is also extremely impressive, particularly the court case scene.

The acting is not bad in the film, but it’s not its strongest point. Liam Neeson does well as Hannibal and does actually resemble an older George Peppard, who played the same role in the original television series . Sharlto Copley is probably the stand out of the actors in the main roles in his role as Murdock. He isn’t the standout for the reason that his performance is particularly better than the others, but his character is very well constructed and very funny. Jessica Biel gives an impressive performance as Charisa Sousa, playing the role of a hard-hearted captain who shows no mercy.

“The A-Team” is a lot of fun and a one of the best action films of the year. Not an Oscar winner, but a good film nevertheless.
7/10

Clash Of The Titans

Clash Of The Titans
Year: 2010
Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton

In My Own Words
Curiousity usually gets the better of me with movies. If a film is based on a book, I will read the book before I see it. If the film is a remake, I will see the original before I see it. However, this was not the case with “Clash Of The Titans”. I have not seen the original “Clash Of The Titans”, and this time I was actually really pleased that I hadn’t. It felt like one of the only times I have been able to judge a remade film as a stand alone film. I have heard that fans of the original film have not liked the remake, and that there is numerous differences between the two. So my thoughts on the film may also be different to those of the original film’s fans, as I was watching it in a different way to them. I will watch the original “Clash Of The Titans” in the future. It will be interesting to see whether I like the idea of seeing the original after a movie, more than seeing it before, although I guess that will always depend on the movie I am watching.

My opinion of the film, definitely not the best blockbuster action movie I have seen, far from it. Yet the story kept me entertained for most of it. I have never known much about Greek mythology. I had a crash course during my Media, Ideology and Culture class a year and a half ago in college, but that was only the basics. So I learnt a lot more during this film and I would love to find out more it in the future. Oh, by the way, remember how in my review for “The Rebound” I mentioned how at the cinemas, it is like you are seeing double when seeing what is now showing? This is another type of film I can add to the equation. “Clash Of The Titans” and the upcoming “Prince Of Persia” look incredibly similar in the trailers. Particularly since Gemma Arterton is in both films.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Clash Of The Titans” is a film that could have been so much more. The subject matter is one that so much could have been achieved with, yet it falls remarkably short. For those who are not interested in Greek mythology and special effects don’t strike a chord, this film will be an utter bore. The story and special effects are what save the film. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is found at birth by a fisherman and his wife, who raise him as their own. When the human race rebels against the Gods, Hades (Ralph Fiennes) kills his family in his attack on the people. Perseus vows revenge against the Gods and sets fort with the soldiers of Argos to battle the Gods. It is during this time that Perseus is approached by Io (Gemma Arterton) and told that he is in fact the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson), making him half man, half God.

What makes “Clash Of The Titans” a forgettable film is purely a case of bad directing. The film is not suspenseful or gripping at all in the way that an action film should be. It just feels weak and at no time do you feel completely engrossed in the film. Although Sam Worthington is usually in his element in an action film, as has been proved in “Terminator Salvation” and “Avatar”, this role does not do him any justice. His dialogue feels over-acted and at times almost inappropriate and silly. The camera angles and styles used during several of the crucial scenes do not work well and all and do no justice for the actors or the story. The camera use does not compliment Worthington’s performance at all, and does the same thing for Gemma Arterton’s performance. This also comes down to a bad choice of dialogue in the screenplay. Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson do well as the two deities, but their roles are quite miniscule compared to Worthington’s. One can also argue that there is perhaps too many characters in the film, and not enough room for character development of each of them. Perseus is well constructed, but there is really no room for any more character development for others.

On the other hand, the special effects and the visuals are quite stunning. They are well crafted and bring the world of Greek mythology to life. Such visuals as the Pegasus and Medusa are gorgeous. They also seem completely realistic, which is always a huge advantage when undertaking a mythical project. The interpretation of the ancient, mythical world is well done. It is very interesting and a great lesson for those who are not familiar with Greek mythology. The film does differ from it’s original, which some people will appreciate, while others will not be impressed by.

It is a shame that “Clash Of The Titans” does not measure up to what it could have been. It is nothing more than a mediocre action film with a good subject matter. With a better direction style and a stronger screenplay, it could have been one of the great action/adventure films of 2010, but instead is a film that will not be remembered in years to come, except as maybe a helpful resource when studying Greek mythology and its characters.
5/10