Wanted

So, here's a confession that likely won't shock anyone. . . I never really liked the Matrix. The first film, sure, it had that distopian, bleak, yet highly evolved view of the future that's interesting to contemplate. Plus it was sleek. But sleek is nothing compared to the fact that Wanted is both sleek AND sexy. It is both post-modern and contemporary. It has a formalist edge that made Fight Club sexy as fuck; and carries the signature gloss that Timur Bekmambetov brought to Night Watch and Day Watch (two Russian horror/action films that MUST be watched).

Wanted appealed to me on so many more levels than I ever expected it would. It begins as a cubicle rat named Wesley (my beloved James McAvoy) goes about his daily life. This is Jack from Fight Club multiplied, bleached of sarcasm, and 3 times as grim. This is what Jack would have been without a Tyler Durden. His girlfriend is a bitch who is gleefully fucking his phony as hell best friend. His boss is an evil fat cow who wields her Swingline stapler in a manner Office Space's Milton would consider a wet dream. Wesley is a nobody, who is not satisfied to be as such, but has no initiative to change it.

Until he meets Fox.

She, very aptly named, is played by Angelina Jolie, who might have been just slightly too skinny in this role, but is otherwise her typical hot as hell self. She approaches Wesley in the pharmacy one day and tells him his father (whom he never knew) is dead. This propels them both into one hell of a shoot out/car chase scene between a Dodge Viper and bread truck. Pretty slick stuff, really, with poor Wesley squirming and wailing the whole time.

Turns out Wesley was born to be one of a brotherhood of assassins known as The Fraternity. His father was among them, and now he must kill them man who murdered his father. He is rigorously trained, gets his comeuppance against those who wronged him in his boring days, and participates in some pretty amazing action sequences.

Plus, Anton from Night Watch is in it! (small cheer from the Russian fandom section)

Basically, if for no other reason, this film is worth it for the final shoot out action sequence, which rivals and surpasses most anything I have seen in recent memory.

**** out of *****
4 out of 5

PS -
For the Danny Elfman sung "The Little Things" which plays over the end credits, a solid 5 out of 5. Man needs to put out a rock album.

Quantum of Solace

Two things:

1) Triple the number of occurrences of truly well-fitting khakis. Fuck yes.

2) Daniel Craig is the BEST BOND EVER.

**** out of *****
4 out of 5

Steve McQueen Week: The Getaway

"Punch it, baby."
- Doc McCoy

My journey through the filmography of Steve McQueen continues with The Getaway, a heist flick from 1972, co-starring Ali MacGraw (best known for her sappy Love Story role.)
I have yet to be disappointed by any of the McQueen films I've seen so far, and The Getaway was no different. A great action movie, I think the thing I really liked about this movie is that it never dumbed itself down for the audience. So much of the plot goes unspoken, that the twists are genuinely surprising, and the movie takes more than one watch to really capture the nuances of exactly what is happening. If the films maintain the caliber, I may have to take back my negative comments about movies from the 70s.

McQueen plays Doc McCoy, a down on his luck convict who just can't catch a break. When he is refused parole, he sends his devoted wife Carol (MacGraw) in to negotiate his release with a high level official. Doc's plan was that Carol would offer his services as a talented bank robber, however Carol also sleeps with the official, which leads to a great deal of friction later in the film. Doc is released, and sets up a bank robbery that will net the prison boss a cool $500,000. But when things go awry, he and Carol end up on the run from the law, from one of their partners in crime, and a slew of other problems they can't seem to shake, including their own crumbling relationship.

McQueen, as usual, is spot on as Doc, even in the moments where he's unexpectedly raw in is inability to fully readjust to life outside of prison. He is subtle enough to pull it off with real gusto, to the point that when Doc smacks Carol around on the side of the highway, you aren't shocked but rather accepting of it as what he feels she deserves at the time. MacGraw, on the other hand, did nothing to win me over. She had none of the charm of some of McQueen's other leading ladies (especially Natalie Wood). She was inclined to overdo it a bit too much, but she was pretty. Boney as hell, but pretty. McQueen must have agreed, because this was the film that caused both he and MacGraw to leave their spouses and marry each other. A young and exceeding thin Sally Struthers is also featured as the irritatingly slutty Fran, and when she gets her comeuppance from McQueen in a stairwell, it's incredibly satisfying.

Overall, The Getaway works as one hell of an action flick. It's bloody and intense, and the action sequences are a marvel. It also has a sense of humour to keep from getting too overwhelming. There's a great scene where Carol is trying to get the car in gear, and nearly backs over Doc before they can make a getaway.

The movie was remade in 1994 featuring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. I dimly recall seeing it years ago, but it lacked any of the punch of this one. Highly recommended, but only if you can handle a fair amount of violence, some of it directed towards women.

***.5 out of *****
3.5 out of 5