ed_reed Reviews

Michael Clayton (2007)

Great performances, and script and star turn by Tom Wilkinson

[8/10 · 21 October 2007]

An exceptional thriller centred around key players during a crisis within the machinery of big business (a law firm in this instance) and the parts they play in trying to prevent the wheels from coming off.

The strengths of this moving are the strong and wholly believable characters underpinned by a great script delivered excellently by the entire cast. Although the story itself is nothing new the sum of the remaining parts push this thriller into the top band for such films.

All members of the cast are superb. George Clooney deservedly wins plaudits as the flawed 'fixer' at the centre of the unfolding drama, whose own personal problems are no easier to solve. Tilda Swinton puts in a great performance as the powerful corporate lawyer who starts out perhaps a little out of her depth before her character soon finds herself sinking fast into the murky world where criminality meets the corporation.

However for me special praise should go to Tom Wilkinson. He usually turns in a fine performance whatever he's in but here he is understated and superb. As a legendary hard-working bulldog of a lawyer with sporadic mental breakdowns Wilkinson never comes near to the one-dimensional spitting and twitching 'crazy' person so often seen on film and as the critical player in the drama is crucial to make the story work.

This film won't change the world and the story has been seen before - but that is about all I can think of as a criticism, the rest is as good as cinema should and can be.

Spy Game (2001)

Watchable, if never pulsating, middle of the road spy thriller

[6/10 · 21 October 2007]

A more or less by the numbers spy thriller. Saying that though by focusing the plot on Robert Redfords character (the older, wiser and soon to retire) 'old-school', desk bound CIA operative the film doesn't fall into the stereotypical action-cum-spy thriller with pyrotechnics every couple of minutes or rooms full of spy-geeks staring at screens showing the latest satellite 'intel' to cover plot ground.

The film demonstrates that good old fashioned cunning and guile (plus knowing how the system works) is still enough to ensure that the right thing gets done. In this case the right thing is to try and ensure Brad Pitts character (the younger CIA field operative and Refords protégé) is freed from a Chinese prison instead of being left to the executioners in the name of political expediency from powerful people in suits high up in the US Administration and CIA.

This is, in a nutshellm, the film - Redfords must spend his last day at work fighting against the system and senior 'men in suits' to try and get his errant protégé Pitt released from a foreign jail.

Unfortunately the script and plots/sub-plots are never more than efficient, albeit fairly obvious. Brad Pitt hasn't too much to work with (and again he's efficient with what he has). The love interest in this film (and ultimately the reason Pitt's character ends up in the Chinese prison) is really quite weak - there's no on-screen chemistry and it stretches ones credulity a bit much for something so crucial to the story.

All-in-all worth a view. In it's favour the film doesn't fall into the crash-bang-wallop category of other films in this genre, and therefore remains believable, and induces a little empathy for the characters. On the down side there's nothing new here from the actors or the story and it's quietness and averageness will probably ensure you've forgotten you've even seen this film after a couple of weeks.

The Last Castle (2001)

Robert Redford vehicle. Also cheesy ending, no surprises

[5/10 · 1 October 2007]

This film is certainly watchable, but don't expect anything above average. The plot is so obvious (decent guy goes to prison for a 'gallant' mistake, sadistic warden, other inmates ready to follow the mercurial new inmate, rise-up against the system, and so on to obvious ending) that I spent the time guessing which inmate was going to fulfil which 'key' plot turn and what methods were going to be employed to bring about the inevitable uprising...

This is where the average became silly. Robert Redford somehow marshals a few hundred inmates (all ex-army like him)and then moulds them (back) into a fighting force with respect etc etc and on top of this mean feat they also manage to build an arsenal of medieval weaponry - including a 30 foot trebuchet. Well the warden may be a sadist, but he's obviously an idiot. And the less said about the flag waving, god bless America, dying hero ending the better.

Again - not unwatchable at all. Totally forgettable, but can hold the attention just about.

The Human Monster (1939)

Average film with some curiosity value

[5/10 · 5 September 2007]

I was attracted to this film as it is set in London, and I love seeing the Great Wen from this period - shrouded in smog and flat caps. Unfortunately there were precious few outdoor shots and the sets were quite uninspiring too. Saying that though the story was fairly engaging and paced just about quick enough to keep the interest up for the 75 minutes or so. I am not sure why the American police officer was necessary as his role as a sidekick/comic relief to the polite and urbane Scotland Yard officer was ineffective (always wanted to beat criminals with rubber piping or shoot others) unless it was a vain hope to make the film appeal to a US audience.

Bela Lugosi was not as terrible as I had imagined (with a couple of priceless glares into the camera for good measure) and nor were the rest of the cast. I would be interested to know what the National Institute for the Blind thought then (and now) of the depiction of the Home for the Destitute Blind (old men making wicker baskets in an environment that looked more like a prison than a home)seeing as they were credited with helping the production. Also I don't think I have ever seen an earlier film with a British woman police constable in it either - which led to some predictably outmoded comments from the male players.

If you like this genre then I would say overall an average film with some curiosity value. Not a classic, more safe mid-table effort.