In 1978, Enzo G. Castellari, directed “ Quel maledetto treno blindato” or as it was released in the United States – THE INGLORIOUS BASTARDS – please note the spelling. It was, a cult classic, along the lines of The Dirty Dozen, except, their tag line was, “Whatever the Dirty Dozen did, they did it dirtier!”. It was made in Italy and starred a few big B-action names from the US – Bo Svenson (Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission, Walking Tall) and Fred Williamson (From Dusk Till Dawn)  who was a big player in the 70’s ”blaxploitation” genre. The film was about a group of American soldiers who were being sent to prison for various infringements, but who escape when a German attack on their convoy sets them free. They immediately run for Switzerland where they hope to find freedom. Along the way, they end up assisting the French underground in stealing a prized weapon from a heavily guarded German base. It was a thoroughly enjoyable film. And, the premise of the “Bastards” putting their freedom on hold, to link up with the French underground, infiltrate a German base, steal a weapon, get it back to the Allies and ensure they weren’t recaptured by their own army made for very entertaining viewing.

32 years later, Tarantino’s version is rather different. And, whilst it borrowed from elements of the original (not the least of which was redesigning the English language for his title), it really is a stand alone film on a completely different playing field. We are introduced to three main characters who lead three separate stories, which by the end of film have intertwined to create what most simply can be described as ‘perfect’ cinema. We have the German Colonel Hans Landa played by Christoph Waltz (which is the finest performance I have seen by any actor. Ever. Period.) who takes his job very seriously and has a ‘knack’ for sniffing out Jews in hiding. He is educated. He is meticulous. He is calculated and cunning. He is a very unpleasant fellow. We have Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), an American soldier who heads up the “Basterds”. He also takes his job seriously – and expects anyone under his command to bring him the scalps of 100 Nazi soldiers. He is just as ruthless, and yet not quite as smart as Landa -but always comes through. And finally, Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Melanie Laurent. She escaped the clutches of Landa once before, and started a new life in France, but finds an opportunity to exact revenge on the man (and leadership) who murdered her family. Each of these stories, has a sub-story running along with it, which further intertwines all of them. This is what keeps you glued to the screen.  

He makes use of four languages (English, German, French and Italian) and the film is heavily subtitled. However, this should not be a deterrent, as all of the actors ability through their actions, expressions and magnificent performances actually translates their speech. It is truly remarkable – you never feel like you are having to read.

At 2 and 1/2 hours (which feels like only 90 mins) we get to see Tarantino at full force. There are all the great momentsthat we have come to expect from his films; including the interesting sound-track, the voice-over, the flash-back and the “one scene that’s hard to watch” (eg. In Reservoir Dogs it was ‘Mr. Blonde lends an ear’, in Pulp Fiction it was ‘Zed and the Gimp’ and in Kill Bill it was ‘Buck and the tub of Vaseline’. You catch my drift?). In this one, it’s the Bear Jew’s introduction! (I haven’t had to cringed that much since Joe Pesci and ‘his brother’ kicked it in Casino.)

The film is so brilliantly made, and the actors (no matter how small their parts) are all at the top of their game. The cast is rounded off by more well knowns like Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger (who impresses me more and more) and Mike Myers (very funny cameo). Listen out for Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel’s voices (both regulars in Tarantino films). Christopher Waltz won the Golden Globe and should win the Oscar. He is really brilliant and deserving – hard to believe he is just an obscure German TV actor. Again – Tarantino may have just jump started another career! He has such a knack for that… (think Travolta and Carradine)

It  is of course violent, and those expecting anything less, should be cautioned. The scalping is vivid – and the Bear Jew is a real slugger. I tried so hard not to watch this film because of 50-50 reviews I had heard from so many different sources. In the end, I decided to see it. I am so glad I did. This may be the best Tarantinofilm ever made – in my opinion it is. In fact, it is essential viewing and is firmly positioned on My Top 10 list. It gets a solid 10/10 and puts a tick next to everything a movie should offer you and everything you should take away from it. This is why I love the movies. Bat’ er up! Tarantino is back!

Years ago, I recall having heard that Morgan Freeman was going to play Nelson Mandela in “A Long Walk To Freedom”. I remember telling myself then that there wasn’t another actor on the planet who was more suited to playing him. I mean, Morgan Freeman, lets be honest - is a truly outstanding actor. He brings to the screen a type of magnetism… you simply want to keep watching him. I think it’s his voice. Think of the narration in Shawshank Redemption. It’s such a hypnotising speech pattern. Always believable, heart-felt, undeniably interesting and some what soothing. It’s the eyes as well, when you look at them, you see truth. He’s not an actor who ever ‘phones in’ his performance. And then, to highlight just some of his filmography… Lean On Me, Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves, Power of One, Unforgiven, Shawshank Redemption, Outbreak, Seven, Kiss The Girls, Amistad, Deep Impact, Along Came A Spider, High Crimes, The Sum Of All Fears, Million Dollar Baby, Batman Begins, An Unfinished Life, Lucky Number Slevin, Gone Baby Gone, The Bucket List, Wanted and The Dark Knight. Morgan as Nelson… to quote Red from Shawshank - ’Goddamn Right!’

So, when it never materialised, I wondered what had happened. Then I caught wind of rumblings on the net about ‘The Human Factor” which was based on the novel ‘Playing The Enemy’ by John Carlin. It was the story of the ‘95 Rugby World Cup and how newly elected President Nelson Mandela used the event to unite a racially divided country. They spoke of Morgan Freeman playing Mandela. Later it was confirmed, as well as that Matt Damon had been cast as Francois Pienaar (World Cup Winning Captain) and that Clint Eastwood would be directing. Things were definitely on the up and up - two leading Hollywood actors directed by a Hollywood Legend. The film’s name had also changed to INVICTUS – which is Latin for INVINCIBLE. It is also the name of an old poem, written by William Ernest Henley, which Mandela read in times of struggle and despair, whilst on Robben Island prison.

A few months later, I’m sitting at home one night, and I get a call from my sister. She’s whispering on the phone, “Nick. Can’t talk for long. Got to be quiet. Come quick. Mowbray. Park around the Fat Cactus area. Hurry. I’m standing here watching Clint Eastwood direct Morgan Freeman!” Needless to say the wife and I are in the car and on the road, before the phone hits the hook. We watched for about 2 hours as a night scene was filmed. Quite something watching some of your favourite actors in real life. The anticipation was truly starting to build. I couldn’t wait.

Later in production, was when I found out that some old school mates, and friends were cast as supporting rugby players for the Springboks, Samoa, Australia and the All Blacks. I knew they were all rugby players, so the realism of the matches was going to be there. Anticipation continued to build.

Finally, opening day arrived. The film itself is very well made. The production value is high and the film covers both the sporting and political aspects with equal importance. Morgan Freeman was born to play this role. He is ‘Madiba’, in an honest portrayal. His speech, which if you have heard Mandela, is more than adequate. It’s not easy. He speaks Afrikaans were necessary, and pulls this off as well. He is if anything the reason to see the movie. I hope an Oscar nominee.

Matt Damon buffs himself up to play hardened Springbok Captain, Francois Pienaar. His accent is pulled off well, in fact it’s very good. For me it was better than Dicaprio’s in Blood Diamond. If you compare the two men in real life; Francois is blond, towering and a very well built fellow, whilst Matt is much shorter – but he dyed his hair and packed on the muscle. I enjoyed, what must have been an in joke in the film, when Francois goes to tea with the President. When asked by one of his associates what Francois is like, one of the secret service men quirks, ‘He’s shorter in real life”.

The rest of the cast of relative unknows, make up the balance of the players in the various visiting teams, and Mandela’s entourage of advisors and secret service. Everyone does a very good job, and nobody drops the ball.

The film opens with Mandela’s release, coupled with real news footage of the violence that erupted across South Africa and his inauguration – obviously with Morgan Freeman digitally enhanced into the footage. Clever. Full marks across the board to those responsible for turning the clock back 15 years… and bringing back the realism of everything that was the ‘95 World Cup. Cotton Traders Jerseys, Elweirda Team Bus, accurate advertising boards in the various stadiums and the correct model/year vehicles back on the roads (bar the latest Range Rover Sport driving past in one of the scenes – think it was Green Point Lighthouse run - if memory serves).  

The film has a couple of very well thought out scenes, which stir real emotion. Mandela’s first day in office was for me, one of the best. It depicts everything about this great man’s character in a few brief moments. He came to do a job of work. He wants help. He wants his staff, regardless of colour, sex or age, to do the their work to the very best of their ability. He spent 27 years in jail, was then released in 1990 and was the first democratically elected President in 1994. After suffering for that period of time at the hands of the white government, many believed he would come out with a charged animosity and turn ’aparthied’ in the opposite direction and oppress the white minority. He didn’t. Instead, he began to try and rebuild a peaceful nation, where all races, creeds and colours were free and provided equal rights and opportunities.

This was always going to be a hard ideology to spread around. Whilst one man – the President - knew it was the only way forward, he had to try and calm down 43 Million people and convince the now majority black population that violence and revenge were not an option. The Springbok emblem had long been seen as a symbol of the oppressive white regime, and for many years blacks had always cheered for the opposing team, regardless of where they were from. One of the first tasks that the new national sports council wanted to do, was remove the emblem and name. Mandela realised that this would only further harm the uniting of black and white, as the Springbok name and emblem was so cherished by white South Africans. He sought to stop the changing of the name, and reassure white South Africans that he was trying to unite and not divide his people even further.   

The story follows Mandela’s journey through his first year in office leading up to the World Cup Final, and Francois Pienaar’s journey to turn his unsuccessful team into World Cup Champions. The areas of the film where their paths cross are the most enjoyable. Mandela takes an interest in Francois, as he sees another ‘leader’ trying to lead by example. He essentially backs the Springboks to win the World Cup and begins to inspire both the team (who are mostly very old regime and believe Mandela is still a terrorist) and the nation. At my second most enjoyable part of the film, Madiba wishes the team well at a practice and gives Francois the poem INVICTUS, prior to the final in order to inspire him. Whether Eastwood has chosen to follow the book page by page, is unknown to me, as I have not read it. But the general consensus from many I have spoken to is that the film is honest to the book. It’s no spoiler to advise that South Africa win, and the pride and respect that followed victory did a great deal to unite millions of South Africans.

For me, the film was fantastic, and I loved watching some of my favourite actors (and close friends), directed by a Hollywood legend, in my home town. They helped me to relive one of the greatest sporting achievements in South African history. That said, when I asked my fellow movie goers, how they believed the film would be received internationally, many said that didn’t believe it would do well. Having giving it a few weeks of thought, and having watched a few other sports films – I know why.

In every sports film; think Chariots of Fire, Remember The Titans, Miracle, Glory Road, Coach Carter, Rudy, The Replacements, Any Given Sunday, etc… there is that moment (the spark) where the team unite, or the coach makes a phenomenal speech, or two rival team mates bond… and you get goose-bumps and finally decide to embrace what you are watching and back the team. That is what is missing from INVICTUS. Particularly on a global scale. As South Africans we have that spark embedded in us, we have it stored away and we can call on it anytime. I know I did. I remembered what it was like watching the final Joel Stransky kick which won us the game. I didn’t need the spark. However, you take any of those 8 Hollywood sports movies above and remove the “spark scene” and you are left with an ordinary film. That’s where INVICTUS may fall short. Many may perceive it more as a documentary type telling of the story. 

Having said that, it’s already had many nominations at the various January awards ceremonies, and we’ll know in a few days time if it will be making an appearance at the Oscars. I’m sure it will. And hopefully that bit of advertising alone will garner it a larger following.

For me, it opened up old emotions, and that’s what movies are about. The escapism to a new world, or an old place. It scores a winning drop kick for me and gets a 9/10.

I’m going to write a review today, on a movie that I grew up on.  When I say that I probably watched this film once a week, every week, for 3 years whilst growing up… I’m not kidding, maybe more.

In 1985, “Savage” Steven Holland (one of the quirkiest and creative writer/directors around), wrote and directed one of the most enjoyable teen comedies of the 80’s - Better Off Dead. 

It’s the story of Lane Myers (John Cusack – one of my favourite and totally underated actors), a teen who loses his grip on life (and reality) after his world collapses when his girlfriend of 6 months, Beth (Amanda Wyss) breaks-up with him for the town’s new more popular ski-jock. It has to be said, nobody can write teens the way Holland does – well, except John Hughes. 

As Lane comes to terms with the break-up, over Christmas, he tries to find a way to get Beth back. This he believes will ultimately be achieved by attempting the K12 (a suicidal ski run above the town) and beating Beth’s new love, Roy Stalin (Aaron Dozier) in a race down it. But, at the same time he starts falling in love with the French exchange student who has moved in across the street.

What makes this film work, apart from Cusack’s incredibly likable nice guy Lane, are the quirky little stories that take place around him. His issues at school, his various attempts at killing himself, the family battle with the nuisance paper-boy, Lane’s daily drag race against two Chinese brothers (one who learned English, and his accent, listening to Howard Cosell), his attempt at finding a job, his lame best friend, his ‘dead’ Chev Camaro car in the family drive-way… and his nemesis neighbour – Ricky (Daniel Schneider).

The film wouldn’t be a Steve Holland special if it didn’t have it’s very odd moments, and these pop up when you are least expecting. They really are gems to watch (i.e the paper boy’s misty night attack and mom’s various creative and frightening dinners) as the actors play them in all seriousness.

The supporting cast are also all a joy to watch, and longtime “Savage” favourite, Curtis Armstrong, as “Charles De Mar” is a highlight. He plays Lane’s best friend, who offers loads of advice which not even he takes seriously. Rather preferring to snort snow, snort jelly and drink eggnog made from lighter fluid. His folks, played by David Ogden Stiers and Kim Darby are also very funny. As is the fact that Lane’s younger brother, Badger Meyer (Scooter Stevens), can pick up ’slutty women’ by simply taking tips from a book!

But the best part of the film, is the slowly building relationship between Lane and the new French exchange student living across the street, Monique (Diane Franklin). She has unfortunately ended up staying with the Smith’s. The son, Ricky, who is a fat, unpleasant, nerdy and forceful fellow believes that love is blossoming between him and Monique via the unspoken ”Language of Love”. But in the end, she finds everything she loves about America (and why she chose to visit) in Lane.      

An entertaining film, and whilst those who didn’t grow up on it, will find it dated - you cannot help but enjoy some of the classic comedic moments which are still very funny. This one gets a nostalgic 7/10 from me, because every time I watch it…  I remember why I have such a love for the movies.

The basic story of the film was about a group of criminals hijacking a busy subway train in order to hold the passengers for ransom. It’s a clever story and one that always begged the question – even if they get paid, how would they get away? Giving it some thought, one almost hesitated to watch the film, because it seemed as though it could get boring. Picture it. A group of armed men, stop a subway car, radio the control room and demand ransom. Where the hell could the action possibly come from and what’s keeping me interested? You needed to see the film to answer that question. The key to the suspense and the glue that kept your eyes on the screen, came solely from the performances and the on-the-money casting of Shaw and Matthau. It has a superb ending – do see it.

In 2009, 35 years later, we have the remake. Brought to the screen by one of the coolest movie director’s ever – Tony Scott. It’s the original film, updated, rebooted, slightly tweaked and on a lethal combination of speed and acid. Then, throw in two of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood; Denzel Washington and John Travolta. It doesn’t get much better than that…

Washington plays Walter Garber (Notice Matthau’s first name and the surname of Matthau’s character in the original. He even wears a tie which matches the colour of Mattau’s outfit from the original!), he’s an everyday Joe  (not a hero), and works for the NYC Subway Station as a train controller. He’s good at what he does but we realise early on that something has happened in his past (I won’t give away what it is, because the opening-of-that-closet-conversation is my favourite scene in the film) that has influenced where he sits in the company. His life is about to be turned upside down, as John Travolta, RYDER (also a one word name, like Blue in the original) and his group of thugs (one of them Luis Guzman, who seems to pop up in just about everything these days) commandeer one of Garber’s trains, which took off from Pelham Station at 1:23pm. Aaah… the title tie in!

John Travolta is simply awesome as Ryder. He’s a complete nut-job with an incredibly likable manner, horrible temper and more dangerously a brilliant plan, of which he will allow nobody to get in the way. At first, it seems like a basic ransom but as the plot pieces fall more into place, we realise he has an ulterior motive. Brilliant.

As Garber realises he’s about to have a very bad day, we are introduced to the Mayor of NYC, played by James Gandolfini, who can play a roll like this with ease and does a superb and believable job, and hostage negotiator, Camonetti, played by the always awesome, John Turturro. I tell you, this guy is incredible. He always gives a flawless and noteworthy performance, even in this smaller supporting roll.

As the various Mayoral, City, Police and negotiating parties get involved, Garber is side-lined due to his utter unimportance in a case of this magnitude. But, Ryder has struck up a ’friendship with him and will now deal with him, and him alone. Garber’s character has a nature and understanding that actually makes him the best man for the job and he slowly becomes a crucial and critical part of keeping Ryder under control and saving the hostages.  The banter and one-on-one’s between Travolta and Washington are the highlight of the film and it’s great to see two actors at the top of their game lashing it out.

Of course, this is a Tony Scott film, and as has become this man’s trademark in the industry, we can expect to see mind-blowing imagery, rapid editing, frenetic back and forth cutting, warped colours and high speed, circling, 360′ camera work.. (Reference : see Domino and Man on Fire). The first 10 minutes of the film alone are enough to make you wonder if the lady behind the food counter slipped LSD into your Slush-Puppy, or laced your popcorn with cocaine. And, then there are the few but spectacular action sequences, which are shot to perfection. One, sees a cop car do about 13 flips off a bridge as it gets plowed into by another vehicle. Even through the devastation, one can almost picture Tony editing the shot to ‘Ode to Joy’. What I love about his change in style is how, graphically, he can describe the different environments, without even trying. The underground subway shots are still, dark, and given the events taking place, very quiet. But, above, the streets are in an insane frenzy of rapid shots, splicing and bright colours whilst we move from the subway control centre to choppers and motor-bikes following police cars trying to deliver the ransom. Ryder’s underground world is one of calm and quiet, whilst he has created utter chaos above. It’s awesome to watch.

Eventually, Ryder wishes to meet Garber, and thank him for helping with executing his plan, albeit against his will. And so the final chase between a nobody and a master-criminal takes place. 

As remakes go, this is undoubtedly one of the best I’ve ever seen. The mix between well established characters, a very clever story and near perfect action scenes makes for an incredibly entertaining 2 hours - which go by very quickly. Never do you sit waiting for the next bit of action to lift your boredom - it’s a constant 120 minute thrill-ride.

This was Tony Scott and Denzel Washington’s 4th collaboration (after Crimson Tide, Man on Fire and DeJa Vu) and they will be returning in 2010 with Unstoppable… which interestingly (and coincidentally) enough, is about  a rail company which frantically works to prevent an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train carrying combustible liquids and poisonous gas from wiping out a city! So Denzel and Tony will be working on the railway again!

I’m going to give this film 8/10 for pure escapism, enjoyment and for the love of hearing John Travolta use the word “M*T**R F**K*R”, creatively every time he opened his mouth. This is one for Blu Ray!

It’s no Citizen Kane. Let me get that out of the way right now. It would be like saying that Transformers was the Braveheart of sci-fi… they’re too far apart in subject matter. Perhaps the article was referencing another aspect of the film, maybe the actual production. I’m not sure. But, if you take Citizen Kane (as it was back in 1941) as a very fresh, something new and ground-breaking, then we may be moving more along the right track.

This film really is nothing like Superman, Spider-Man or Batman… it has it’s own world. In my opinion, it may be one of the most visually beautiful and gripping films that I have seen. I’ve heard that fans of the comic series were not 100% impressed or behind it, and maybe that is why I can say I enjoyed it so much. I have nothing to compare it to. In fact, as a rule, I don’t read books prior to them being converted. I like to see fresh vision. I take it as though it was made from the ground up. It’s an astounding piece of film.

The story is set in an alternate 1985. It’s a normal world, as it would be today, just on a different course. Nixon is President, starting his 3rd term in fact. And, most interestingly enough, the USA won the Vietnam war. The won it, with the help of the Watchmen, and Dr. Manhattan. The Watchmen are a group of crime-fighters. They are not superheroes in every sense of the world, because only one of them actually has super powers. So, they definitely are closer to versions of Batman. They get dressed up to fight crime and make use of gadgets and craft to make their job easier. Dr. Manhattan is the only one who has power – which is limitless in every sense of the word. He can do just about anything. He can change size, he can tele-port, he can mind-read, he has kinetic ability, he can duplicate, he has a force-field, etc.

Dr. Manhattan, was previously just a normal doctor, Jon Ostermen (Billy Crudup), but a botched experiment turned him into this blue God-like figure who now works with and for the government. His old associates have names like The Comedian (a brilliant Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), Nite Owl (Stephen McHattie), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode) and Rorschach (the finest performance in the film, Jackie Earle Haley). Over the years, the group changed and evolved, but the crew above were essentially a team for a while. The government then passed a law which called for them to be disbanded. They no longer fight crime.

The film has simply the finest opening of a movie I have ever seen. For me, it had always previously been the opening to Reservoir Dogs (the diner conversation), but I challenge anyone to offer me a more comprehensive and entertaining start to a film that the opening of Watchmen. Over the opening minute you are brought right up to speed with the entire history of the Watchmen and significant events (actual history) that shaped the USA. It’s set to some incredible music, which is something else the film has going for it. The awesome cinematography and imagery is enhanced by a brilliant soundtrack.

The Comedian is murdered, and the menacing and sceptical Rorschach (wanted by the authorities because he is still active – a vigilante for lack of a better word) believes the Watchmen are being knocked off. The events are happening around a looming nuclear war between the USA and Russia, and Rorschach believes the Watchmen are being taken out because that way, they are unable to stop the threat. He investigates and tries to touch base with his former team to warn them. They are all in separate worlds and believe he may be paranoid until they all realise that even Dr. Manhattan believes something sinister may be looming. He is actually pre-occupied with designing and finishing a project with Ozymandias (retired superhero and now ’smartest man in the world’) which may actually alleviate the nuclear threat. But, he is having problematic visions which are unclear which he believes means that something terrible is going to happen. The team, or what’s left of them, reform to find those responsible.

The film is very complex, and the above ‘quick-note’ does the film no justice whatsoever, but it’s the basic plot. There are numerous sub-plots which develop the characters (and flash-backs to show their past) beautifully. Every actor and actress does a wonderful job and taking into account the subject matter, screen-writing and how I’m sure many of the scenes had to be filmed (green-screens, etc) they are excellent. Nobody phones the performance in… and Jackie Earle Haley deserves an Oscar. His performance (and career – he only returned to acting recently of a very long hiatus) is masterful. As an extra piece of info - he was recently cast as Freddy Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake from Platinum Dunes (Michael Bay). From this performance, I can tell he is going to be terrifying villan.

The film is going to require you to open your mind. If you go into this expecting any of the recent superhero movies of the past 9 years (Spiderman, Batman, X-Men, Hulk, etc) you are going to be disappointed. Although, I will say, that it probably shares some of it’s closest undertones with The Dark Knight. It has that same darker and gloomy feel. Everythings looks black, charcoal and brown in colour until the superheroes arrive in their colourful outfits. It can be a tense film, and there is always a brooding air of the unfamiliar, with danger around every corner turned. There is nothing predictable, which is something I loved because every scene brings something new. It keeps you interested. Having said that, there are a number of great action set pieces and whilst the Watchmen don’t all have super-powers, they are all lethal weapons.

At almost 3 hours, it’s a long film (something else it shares with The Dark Knight) but it never feels tedious. I urge those who are sceptical to see it for what it is… and remember, it’s not 2009… it’s 24 years ago… 1985! That helps.

So, it’s not Citizen Kane, but we knew that already. It is a very entertaining film, with a great story and very colourful (in both senses of the word) characters. It also covers all of the major superhero movie requirements. I would say, it is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. I liked the fact it put aside copious amounts of mind-numbing action, explosions and fighting to try and be a better film. It doesn’t mind being clever. There is also, no doubt that one scene in the film is going to leave you scratching your head – the Nite Owl/Silk Spectre II sex scene in The Owl… set to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Unbelievable. I’m going to leave it there. It cannot be explained, and maybe that’s best. I’m gonna give it an 8/10… for love of something new, for love of superheroes with no super-powers and for love of watching the Watchmen.

Twice in the last few months, I have sat glued to Sky News for an extra 20 minutes of my already tight morning schedule. Normally, I rush against the time on the clock to see who wins. It involves one point to each team (TIME vs NICK) ’for’ or ‘against’, for every minute the other team gains prior to an exact time at which I aim to get out of the house. I am currently 1095 points down and we’ve only been playing for 3 years. Anyway, as I said before, I have however had no interest in playing the game, for two mornings over the past few months. The first day was the 25th June this year. The second was this morning. Actor, Patrick Swayze, aged 57, died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. I have realised recently, that life has become so fast that we have become numb to everything else going on around us, that isn’t part of our normal routine. We need to stop once and a while, and actually ‘feel something’… to remain in touch. This morning, I did.

Patrick Swayze is one of those actor’s whom in my opinion never really had enough attention paid to him, and that is probably a good thing. Fame in recent years has been less about whom really has talent and excels on the screen, and reserved more for those who can end up on the front page of every major tabloid newspaper. You could achieve this ‘fame’ by either (1) wearing no underwear whilst leaving a vehicle and then deliberately spreading your legs further apart than the ends of the Golden Gate Bridge, (2) releasing a pathetic ’sex-tape’ that you know “nothing” about, (3) snorting cocaine off your boyfriend’s penis in front of a nightclub CCTV camera, (4) crashing your limited edition sports car into a tree, whilst a zillion times over the legal alcohol limit or (5) adopting your 40th child from a poor African country. A great deal of talent required indeed!

And so, whilst many so called “celebrities’ of today do nothing that should even spark an ounce of our attention, I laugh at how many people rush to grab the latest edition of tabloid trash which only ends up fueling idiotic celebrity behaviour to new inconceivable levels. You know who you are – and you are to blame! It’s time we started concentrating on more important issues in the news, rather than trying to see who is shagging who, which female celeb has more cellulite, who is and isn’t in shape and which teenagers are trying to resemble twigs rather than healthy form.

“The Swayz” didn’t ever spend too much time in the news - as don’t many of the other truly great actors and actresses of our time. If you haven’t read about them for a while, it means they are doing what they do best – what they love. Patrick Swayze did however (and many will be amazed to hear this) make 47 film and TV appearances over his 30 years. A testament to what he loved. He was a superb actor. And, just about everyone who knew him or worked with him said that he was genuinely a very good and kind person. Few and far between in Hollywood, I am sure.

He was born on the 18th August, 1952, in Houston, Texas. His mother was a choreographer at a dance school in the town. He often trained with her. Throughout his schooling, he was an exceptional athlete and excelled in all sports. Two talents, that assisted him in bringing a strong sense of reality, and raw ability to future roles he landed.

The first movie that I ever saw him in was Young Blood alongside Rob Louw. I actually snuck into this film with my cousin when I was only 7 years old. I recall it was about ice hockey, and a young up and comer trying to go pro. He had to contend with team mates who didn’t approve of his “me, myself and I” attitude… and his complicated antics off the ice, with his new coaches daughter. It was a typical 80’s film – entertaining. Swayze wasn’t the lead, but you could already see that he had talent back then.

Then of course, we had the film that really threw him into the lime-light and sent young girls hearts racing into over-drive around the world, 1987’s, Dirty Dancing opposite Jennifer Grey. Johnny Castle (Swayze) was a dance instructor at a getaway resort in upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains. Grey’s character Frances “Baby” Houseman falls in love with him over her family vacation there. The story, without giving too much away, involves her relationship with Johnny and the surrounding events that unfold as they fall deeper in love. It was truly a brilliant and heart warming film, with a soundtrack which still sells year in and year out. It was, in fact, one of the original blockbusters and made a significant amount of money based on it’s modest budget. It turned Swayze into an overnight superstar and he became one of the most recognised faces in the world. The film won numerous awards and and was nominated for countless others. It won an Oscar for Best Music and Original Score. Swayze also wrote and performed the song, ‘She’s Like The Wind’, from the movie. If you haven’t seen this one, it is highly recommended. You’ll have the time of your life.

That success was followed up by a bit of change of pace, with 1989’s Road House – my second favourite film that he made. He starred alongside Sam Elliot (such a classic actor) and Kelly Lynch (from Cocktail). Swayze played Dalton, a professional bar bouncer who has the skills to “cool” things down before they get too rough in the establishments in which he is hired to work. He lands a job in a very tough Road House bar called the ‘Double Deuce”. There, he tries to stop a group led by the local town’s rich thug, who has been tearing up the joint. It wasn’t what anyone would confuse as an Oscar winner, but it was the quintessential 80’s action film. Fist-fights, explosions and hot women. It was incredibly entertaining and Swayze was on form, in shape, and gave a commanding and believable performance. The film became an absolute classic and is without a doubt one of the last great films of the crazy 80’s. Ask anyone about ‘Road House’ and 9 out of 10 will remember it. In fact, if you are that 1 that doesn’t, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of the recently released ‘Deluxe Edition’ DVD – which is loaded with all the special features required to get you up to speed. The film changed bar and club security all over the USA, and you are considered a connoisseur if you can quote the dialogue (and there are a few gem lines in it) scene for scene. Do see it.

1990 saw Swayze star opposite Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, in what is arguably his most famous film, Ghost. He returned to the genre (with a twist!) that turned him into a superstar. Sam and Molly (Swayze and Moore) are young lovers torn apart after a brutal botched mugging. Sam is murdered but immediately stays on earth as a ghost. The story follows his journey of trying to come to terms with his untimely death and find out why he is still on earth. It’s because he has unfinished business. As the story unfolds, Sam finds out that his death was not an accident and someone had him killed. The problem for Sam is to find out who did it, and then how to communicate with the living – as he needs to warn Molly about the danger that awaits her. Sam enlists the reluctant help of spiritualist, Oda Mae Brown, (Whoopi Goldberg). It is without a doubt one of the finest films of 1990 and won Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar. The film also won numerous other awards. It gave a whole new meaning to how you reply when someone says ‘I Love You”.

And then came my favourite Swayze film, 1991’s Point Break, starring with Keanu Reeves and Gary Busey (an incredibly odd but entertaining actor). Reeves played Johnny Utah. A young, dumb and full of ***, FBI agent who tries to apprehend a group of bank robbers called the ex Presidents (as they wear masks of former President’s; Reagen, Carter, Nixon and Johnson whilst robbing banks). His partner, Pappas, played by Busey, has a theory that the robbers are also surfers. Utah goes under-cover, learns to surf, mingles with the locals and tries to infiltrate the different surfing groups. He is befriended by Bodhi (Swayze) and whilst hunting for the gang responsible, starts to enjoy his new friend’s spiritual outlook and lifestyle. It starts to cloud his judgement. No doubt a film running on pure adrenalin and an action film of note. Highly entertaining.

Swayze then went onto a more dramatic piece with 1992’s, City of Joy, set in India. And, followed that with a huge change of genre, as a drag queen (alongside fellow cross-dressers, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo) in 1995’s, To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar. It was very similar and co-incidently released less than a year after 1994’s hugely successful Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, to which it’s theme and style shared a number of tones. Essentially, Too Wong Foo, was about a group of drag queens who take a cross country trip. Their car breaks down in a very small and conservative town. At first they are frowned upon, but eventually their charm turns the towns folk’s initial impressions and they begin to accept their new visitors. Interesting film. Very different.

In 1998, Swayze returned in Black Dog, opposite Meat Loaf and Randy Travis. He played an ex-con, Jack Crews, who takes a job driving a truck across the country for Red (Meat Loaf) in order to make some quick cash, to pay the bank to stop foreclosure of his home. What he doesn’t know is that the pay load is full of an illegal arms shipment. He now has the FBI hot on his tail, plus Red’s boys following him to ensure the load reaches it’s destination and his own safety to worry about. There is also the lurking legend of a driver, who stays behind the wheel for too long, coming head to head with a ‘Black Dog’ in his path. This was probably in the critics mind, the lowest point of Swayze’s cinematic career. For action fans, it’s an entertaining 90 minutes.

Swayze’s last memorable film appearance for me, was 2001’s Donnie Darko, where he played Jim Cunningham. A very funny character, in an otherwise dark and disturbing film. He then went on to film a made for TV version of King Solomon’s Mines, in South Africa in 2004. It was another telling of the H. Rider Haggard novel and received very good reviews.

His final performance, followed the tragic news in January 2008, that he had terminal cancer. He chose to continue fighting his affliction and to continue working.  He received critical acclaim across the board, for his performance as Charles Barker in TV’s 2009 series, ”The Beast”, where he played a veteran FBI agent under surveillance from within the unit he works. In early 2009, he was asked a question when accepting the recurring role in ‘The Beast’, … “How do you nurture a positive attitude when all the statistics say that you are a dead man?”, to which he replied, “You go to work.”

Swayze is survived by his long time love, Lisa Niemi, whom he married in 1975. They were together for 34 years.

So in the end, after a few ups and a few downs over the years in film, a legend has passed. He is responsible for some of the most memorable characters ever brought to the screen and has given us some truly outstanding performances. In early 2009, he wrote a book (his memoirs), “Patrick Swayze : One Last Dance” due for release this year. I will definitely be purchasing a copy.

What is life all about? I still don’t know. Some people are born to change the world. Some are just born. Some are going to make a difference and some aren’t. You can either love what you do, or live for what you love. There is a massive difference. I’d like to think that’s what kept Swayze alive for longer than all the doctors and statistics suggested. Think about it. Life is short. Sometimes, even shorter. Mr. Swayze, thanks for all the entertainment! Gone now, but forever immortalised on film.

I then followed him through Rumble Fish with Matt Dillon, Year of The Dragon (a real gem), 9 1/2 Weeks (which I’ll admit I was watching more for Kim Basinger’s nudity and striptease to Joe Cocker’s ”You Can Leave Your Hat On”) and then the film that secured my opinion of this guy being one of the greatest actors that ever graced the screen, Angel Heart, opposite Robert De Niro. If you haven’t seen his performance in this film, or the film itself, you have lost out. It was directed by Alan Parker and is truly a screen classic. You have to pay attention to the story, but  it’s well worth it. Go and find it, and watch it.

Then we had Johnny Handsome (he played the deformed gangster) which was followed by one of my favourite films of the early 90’s - Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man - in which he played Harley opposite Don Johnson’s, Marlboro. In my opinion, this film should have come out in the late 80’s to allow it gain it’s place amongst the rest of the action films from that decade. It would have had more of a following. He then did, White Sands, opposite William Dafoe and Samuel L. Jackson. Also a very good film. But, I then lost touch with him until the mid 90’s when I saw him delivering the best (performance) in an otherwise forgettable film, Bullet.

If anyone decided to argue with me about my opening statement, they could probably gain a small piece of ground due to 1997’s “Double Team” in which he played the villain, Stavros, opposite JCVD (Jean Claude Van Damme). However, I still argue his performance was faultless. Through the the late 90’s and early 2000’s, he had small roles (and cameos) in The Rainmaker, Thursday, Animal Factory, Get Carter, The Pledge (great performance), Spun (another noteworthy performance), Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Man on Fire. Many in Hollywood had however, already written Mickey off, until he had a resurgence in Sin City as the brute Marv, and then Ed Moseby in Tony Scott’s “Domino”. Both cemented the fact he could act and Hollywood started taking notice again. It was about bloody time!

Hollywood can break you, faster than it makes you. And, Mickey was no exception to this rule. His personal life, feelings about Hollywood and then character trait faults ended up in a turbulent fall from grace, until he unfortunately hit rock bottom. In the early to mid 90’s he actually climbed back into the boxing ring (something he had trained for in the late 60’s and 70’s). This was an odd time in his life and was the reason he only made sporadic appearances in film over the period. He actually went pro and was heading for a title fight but threw in the towel (with an undefeated record) before he reached his target. The boxing caused severe facial damage, which he has had numerous operations to repair – the reason he looks like he does today. Prior to his resurgence in Sin City and Domino, he lost everything he had (wife, house, money and friends) and Hollywood forgot about him. He actually became such a contentious issue with studios, that they wouldn’t sign him and nobody would back him. It was the toughest part of his life.  He battled inner demons and turned to all the poisons that path had to offer. But. he has came out clean on the other side…

In 2008, director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), madeTHE WRESTLER. The story had been written for Mickey and Darren wouldn’t do it without him. It’s the story of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson. 20 Years ago, a successful, famous and recognised professional wrestler but today an ageing, deaf, has-been who lives in a trailer-park and ’eeks’ out an exsistence through a few low-key match-ups followed by only his die hard fans. He is a man living on former glory, because it’s all he has left. He lives alone, has nothing and therefore lives for the ring. But, he is forced to look at life outside of it, when he has a severe heart-attack. The doctors save his life but advise him that his world of steroids and high-flying, brutal bouts are over. He is forced to try another path, and quickly tries to tackle the issues he has never needed to deal with outside of his world of wrestling. He tries hard to reconcile his relationship with his estranged daughter (played by Evan Rachel Wood) and also to find love with the only other woman he knows, an ageing stripper (played by Marisa Tomei – whose performance is also awesome in this movie). He also gets a job working behind the meat counter in a grocery store. All three of the new interests in his life seem to be going well but slowly unravel and fall apart. The problem being that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot control his real life as well as he could control his domain as master of the ring. With images still playing in his mind of whom he once was, against those of whom he is becoming, he makes a devastating choice. He would rather die in the ring as ‘The Ram’, than simply fade away and die alone as a nobody… 

“I just want to say to you all tonight I’m very grateful to be here. A lot of people told me that I’d never wrestle again and that’s all I do. You know, if you live hard and play hard and you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price for it. You know in this life you can loose everything you love, everything that loves you. Now I don’t hear as good as I used to and I forget stuff and I ain’t as pretty as I used to be but god damn it I’m still standing here and I’m The Ram. As times goes by, as times goes by, they say “he’s washed up”, “he’s finished” , “he’s a loser”, “he’s all through”. You know what? The only one that’s going to tell me when I’m through doing my thing is you people here!”

The film is a masterpiece and Mickey Rourke won a Golden Globe Award for best actor and was nominated as best actor at the Academy Awards. In my opinion he deserved the Oscar as well. It’s a dark and depressing film which at times can really suck the life out of you with it’s depiction of lost hope and utter despair, but I urge you to see it purely to watch an astounding tour de force performance.  The film is also incredibly interesting because Mickey Rourke and his character ’The Ram’ seem to have had  a very similar path in life. They were both once at the top of their game and both have fallen from grace. I’m sure on a number of occasions between cuts, he stood looking in the mirror wondering if he was really on set or just at home. 

But, here in the real world, we are incredibly lucky that our ‘Ram’ has climbed up, dusted himself off and made a choice to get back in front of the camera. It would’ve been a shame if we had never seen this character. I give this one a body-slamming 9/10 for his performance alone and love of his work.

After the success of The Wrestler, things seem to be on the up and up for Mickey… he completed 3 further projects in 2008 and early 2009, and has no less than 7 films coming out in 2010 (including The Expendables and Iron Man 2) and 2 films are already in the pipeline for 2011 (one of them being Rambo 5).

If there’s one thing Hollywood loves more than breaking down a hero, it’s cheering on a comeback – and this is a chap that I’ll be at the front on the ticket queue waiting to see…

For me there have only ever been the ‘Big 3′ in the horror world… Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruger. These dudes are serious contenders. They have all stood the test of time. Michael came back on Halloween night a total of 7 times and then had a jump start courtesy of Rob Zombie in 2007 - which has already spawned a further sequel, coming out this year. Fred’s classy statement, ‘Every town has an Elm Street’ was not far from the truth and our favourite horribly burned janitor (with blades for fingers), sliced and diced his way through 8 films. Freddy is getting his re-make this year. And finally, Jason dispatched numerous ’sexed up’ and ‘drugged up’ teens a total of 10 times (his tenth outing was in space!) prior to his 11th film’s royal rumble with Mr. Kruger in Freddy vs Jason (a surprisingly well made and highly entertaining film). And, only early this year was it time for him to clean up and get a new hockey mask.

Friday 13th has always been a cut above your basic Hollywood horror slasher film – at least I’ve thought so. It does however keep the basic plot of serving up a group (or two) of very good looking teens to be chased around and chopped up. The new film is definitely not short on that… and horror aficionados will also get their dose of gratuitous nudity and sex. It’s a prerequisite for a film of this genre. The cast are all young and up and coming… Jared Padalecki (House of Wax and Cry Wolf – no stranger to the genre!), Danielle Panabaker (whom I thought was outstanding in Mr. Brooks), Amanda Righetti (Role Models), Travis van Winkle (Transformers where his ‘little bunny’ was Megan Fox), Aaron Yoo (21 and Disturbia), Jonathon Sadowski (upcoming The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard), Julianna Guill, Arlen Escarpeta, Ryan Hansen (Superhero Movie), Ben Feldman (Cloverfield) and Derek Mears (Cursed and Hills Have Eyes II) as Jason.

The film essentially combines the original Friday 13th Parts 1 and 2. The films first opening credits covers Mrs. Voorhees going bat-shit mad and killing off the Camp Crystal Lake counselors. Mrs. Voorhees places the blame (of her son Jason drowning) on the shoulders of the counsellors who at the time where sky high on dope and shagging like rabbits in Spring time. The truth is, that Jason never drowned and rather went into seclusion, hiding in the forrest surrounding the lake because of his less than attractive looks.  Jason however witnesses the remaining female counselor lopping his mom’s head-off with a machete. This upsets him greatly, and he picks up his mom’s head and the machete and follows her lead by ensuring the area is teen free in the future.

In the following 20 minutes, we  meet the first group of teens on a camping trip in the region, who hope to find a secret marijuana plantation and get rich by harvesting it and selling it. It’s your basic initial kill fare; group set up camp, spare wheel friend heads off into the darkness, whilst his one mate does his girlfriend in the tent and the other couple head off to explore the old camp site. Jason arrives and all hell breaks loose. What we don’t discover until later, is that one of the group is Whitney Miller (Amanda Righetti) and happens to be our protagonist, Clay Miller’s (Jared Padalecki) sister. The film is about Clay’s journey to find his mysteriously missing sister.

Enter the second group of teens and a lone biker, Clay. This new group are taken to a luxurious cabin on the waters edge, owned by the parents of Travis Van Winkle’s character, Trent. He’s a rich, obnoxious jock (basically the same role he played in Transformers) who is simply showing off his wealth to his transparent friends. They happen to know what he’s doing but simply use him for the weekend getaway and expensive toys at their disposal. Trent’s girl is Jenna (Danielle Panabaker). At a gas station on the way to the cabin, they bump into Clay who is handing out posters about his missing sister, Whitney, who was in the area about 6 weeks prior. There was a full investigation but the police came up empty handed and believe that Whitney ran away with her boyfriend.

As the day progresses, and the group splits up across the lake, the film really begins… as Jason heads out on the rampage and a host of incredibly creative kills takes place, as his chops his way through the supporting cast. We have a wonderful topless wake-boarding scene which doesn’t go down well with our 7 foot, 300 pound hockey player. He does his best Robin Hood, and stops the driver of the boat in his tracks… leaving our topless buxom beauty floating in Crystal Lake. The scene where she’s hiding under the jetty is a classic Jason kill.

Jenna joins Clay in helping him find his sister, whilst those remaining at the Cabin get themselves into compromising situations, whilst alone and in dark rooms. These areas are where our Hockey player tends to lurk. Later we discover that Jason has an underground tunnel system and has actually been holding Whitney captive because she looks like (and reminds him) of his mother. It helps that she found a locket in his old bedroom (in the first 20 mins of the film) which has a photo of him and his mom in it.

It’s now up to Clay and Jenna to rescue Whitney and finally put the big boy down on the ice and score a goal for the visitors team. Easier said than done. Everyone will be listening out for the ‘ki ki ki chi chi chi’  theme … and whilst it is rarely used, it’s still awesome. There is also the classic ending from the original that the new producer and new director of the film decided to keep and it’s also used to brilliant effect.

Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company (which seems to have been started for the sole purpose of remaking horror films), along with New Line Cinema, have redone horror classics like The  Texas Chainsaw Massacre [and it's prequel], The Amityville Horror, The Hitcher and A Nightmare on Elm Street – and now re-team with Director Marcus Nispel who did their remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

It’s a very stylish, well polished and highly entertaining film and you can see that it has far superior production value. The dynamic team behind the film have a clout that easily outranks and kicks the normal, low budget schlock (that gets churned out of Hollywood too easily) into touch.

Having said that, I still felt it lacked a little something, which I currently am unable to put my finger on… so I will watch it again. I give it a healthy 7/10 for love of the genre and the fact that I woke up in my own bed this morning without a bump! Maybe that’s the problem!?

Beautiful Girls was made in 1996. It was directed by Ted Demme, whose most recognisable work after this was 2001’s ‘Blow’ with Johnny Depp. Beautiful Girls has an outstanding cast… Matt Dillon (Something About Mary), Noah Emmerich (Frequency, Pride & Glory), Annabeth Gish (Mystic Pizza, Wyatt Earp), Lauren Holly (Dumb & Dumber), Timothy Hutton (The Dark Half), Rosie O’Donnell (Now & Then), Max Perlich (Cliffhanger, Maverick, Blow), Martha Plimpton (The Mosquito Coast, 200 Cigarettes), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Gattaca, Kill Bill), Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite, Mimic, At First Sight), Michael Rapaport (Metro, Deep Blue Sea, Higher Learning), David Arquette (Scream, Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Natalie Portman (Star Wars, The Professional, Closer).

The story revolves around a group of 5 friends (Dillon, Emmerich, Hutton, Perlich and Rapaport) from a small town. They all grew up together and went to school together. Hutton’s character was the only one who left and tried to make a life for himself elsewhere. The story picks up as he is making his way back to the small town for their school reunion. And then, we experience two weeks back in the lives of these school mates and the ‘beautiful girls’ in their lives. All of the basic scenarios are covered. The guy with the long time girlfriend whom he’s cheating on (with a married woman). The guy with the on-off, on-off, on-off long term girlfriend who has taken too long to pop the question. The guy with no girl. They guy who is waiting for a super-model. The happily married guy with kids. And, the guy with the girl, who just doesn’t know what he wants in life. Over the course of the film, we meet these people and become part of their lives. It’s a very satisfying journey.

The soundtrack is very good and suits the films style perfectly. The cast is excellent with the finest performance of the film coming from Natalie Portman, who only two years earlier had blown me away with her performance in Luc Besson’s, The Professional (Leon). She is incredible and her scenes with Timothy Hutton are one of the highlights of film.

The back and forth banter between the five leads whilst visiting the numerous local ‘water-holes’ provides some of the more enjoyable dialogue through the film. By the end of the movie; Dillon has to come to terms with his girl waiting for him back home and the married woman with whom he’s sleeping, Rapaport needs to confront his on-off long term relationship and make a decision and Hutton will finally find the answers he’s been searching for…

Emmerich is the most grounded of the group and his character plays like the big brother looking after all of them and their best interests. Thurman has an interesting role as one of the most ‘beautiful girls’ who glides into town and basically becomes a ’spirit guide’ for the confused men. And finally, Rosie O’Donnell is the town’s real woman who looks after the girls and keeps the boys in check. She has a hilarious scene in which she explains her feelings on men’s dirty magazines and super-models. Classic writing.

I assure you should you decide to take this journey and watch the film, you will not be disappointed. You’ll probably arrive at the credits and wish there was more. Unfortunately not, 112 minutes is all we get, so enjoy them’. This film gets an 8/10, for love of the movie and the beautiful girls.

The above brings me to today’s review, THE INTERNATIONAL, with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. I heard absolutely nothing about this film, but saw a trailer for it on a DVD that I imported from the States. It looked incredible. And, I’m a big fan of Clive Owen. Ever since I saw him in THE HIRE (the 8 BMW short films produced by 8 different Directors with 8 different casts [awesome casts] back in 2003) which show-cased the latest and greatest vehicles from BMW. Owen was ‘the driver’ for ‘hire’ and was the only actor to appear in all 8 films. He has had a terrific upsurge in Hollywood appearances since then and in my opinion hasn’t really had a dud performance through his career although many will argue that Shoot ‘Em Up was the one that required the least effort. But, if you took that film, with a bag of salt and tongue firmly in cheek and enjoyed the cheese on the side, it was a good action film. (Paul Giamatti had the most fun with it!). We forget that Owen has been making movies since the late ’80s… and since 2000 we’ve seen him in Sin City, The Bourne Identity, Closer, Gosford Park, Inside Man, Derailed, King Arthur, Beyond Borders, and Duplicity. Those are good movies!

Back to THE INTERNATIONAL. Made in 2009. The story of an ex Scotland yard cop, who for one or another reason (we never really find out the full story) is dismissed and joins Interpol. With the help of a NY assistant DA (played by Watts), they decided to try and bring down one of the worlds biggest banks – the IBBC (Fictional International Bank of Business and Credit) – whom they believe are an arms dealing group, buying weapons from around the globe. The IBBC then funds and supplies terrorists and African ‘Lords of War’ (I prefer saying it my way!). The upside for them being that by funding terrorism, causing coups and war, the country feeling the backlash wall fall deeper into debt with them. Those who control the debt, control ‘everything’. Interesting story. Scary at the same time, because ‘everyone’ is involved. How do you stop a business of that size when ‘essentially’ it serves a purpose? Not easy… as Owen’s character begins to find out.

The film is a very tense thriller, along the same lines as ‘The Firm’ where you constantly feel that everyone is involved and Owen is the only one who doesn’t have a clue. It has only sporadic bursts of action but is never slow… rather building pace as every minute passes. The Guggenheim (The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York – one of the 20th Century’s most impressive architectural landmarks) shoot-out is pretty spectacular. Apparently they built a full scale replica which they were able to ‘turn into swiss cheese’.

Although I had a feeling that Owen’s character had a hidden, special forces/James Bond/Liam Neeson in Taken background which he was going to turn to when pushed – he is anything but a hero. This is shown in various sequences throughout the film where he is very uncomfortable with weapons and being shot at constantly. He becomes a man forced over the edge looking for justice.

It’s a very impressive film and has a great supporting cast. My favourite of the lot is Armin Mueller-Stahl who can play a character with a presence of calm yet so calculated and evil like no other. See ‘Eastern Promises’. He is a superb actor and someone who’s work I shudder to say I know very little about – except to say he has a face I know I have seen in plenty of films. I shall seek out more of his work.

The German director, is Tom Tykwer whose only other work I know is Paris, Jetaime and Perfume. The International was released at the Berlin Film festival (the city where a large portion of the film takes place). “Sometimes a man can meet his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” – a quote from the film. I’m glad the road I chose to take to see this wasn’t the norm, it made for a great surprise when I finally found it… for love of the movies.