Plastic (2014)

Summary
Plastic is based on a true story where a gang of friends managed to infiltrate one of the biggest credit card companies in the World and pull off one of the biggest and most audacious Diamond Heists ever committed in British History. Plastic is Catch Me If You Can meets The Italian Job.

Genre : Action/Comedy/Crime
Country : UK
 
Cast :
Ed Speleers : Sam
Will Poulter : Fordy
Alfie Allen : Yatesey

Director : Julian Gilbey


My opinion 

“How it started shouldn't matter.
How things end, that's what's important.”

"Plastic". You could call it a sort of "Ocean's Eleven" with some whippersnappers. Apparently it's based on true facts again. Yet it all seems pretty unlikely that a few pubescent boys can set up such a sophisticated system to commit fraud, involving extortion, hacking and setting up an ingenious plan with among other things a private jet and some cheap hired hostesses. There could be some truth in it but most likely the complete story is filled with exaggerated rumors and unverifiable facts so that the whole becomes a grotesque myth. Throw together a bunch of flashy-looking teenagers who resemble the cast of the "Beverly Hills 90210" series (except that the 90210 gang didn't commit credit fraud since their mommies and daddies had sufficient cash), a portion of forced humor, some terrible renditions with embarrassing dialogues, some minimal action and a childish "Mission Imposible" scenario, and you have a perfect summary of "Plastic".

The four "Robin Hood" -like youngsters, who enjoy being crooks besides their student life, are Sam (Ed Speleers), Fordy (Will Poulter), Yatesey (Alfie Allen) and Rafa (Dabastian De Souza). Sam is the founder of the group and the one with the biggest brains. Fordy is the co-founder of the enterprise and is a genius when it comes to computers and hacking someones mailbox. Yatesey is the most unsympathetic member who actually causes trouble constantly. You'll probably start hating him from the outset which is mostly required in these kind of films. And Rafa is the schmuck of the gang who constantly goes about looking dazed and apparently has no idea what's going on. His task is limited in the beginning to copying credit cards at some gas station (later his role is of considerably greater importance). However, it goes wrong when they con a mendacious and dangerous Polish gangster and they are compelled to come up with a considerable sum of money in a short term. After this, the story becomes incredibly unlikely.

With none of the characters I had an affinity. The start was far from bad and it even appeared to become fascinating. The only thing I wondered in the beginning was whether these rascals had any relatives, what motivated them to lead this life of crime and how the hell could they keep clear of the authorities after seeing the pile of stolen credit cards. As the film progressed their interactions with each other and the way they communicated, became terribly innervating. The accumulation of clichés, coincidences and the used archetypes was a bit too much. The stunningly Frankie (Emma Rigby), who  works at a credit card company of course, is required material to bring the beauty ideal to a higher level. It's evident she appears, during their stay in Miami, in a super sexy swimsuit that leaves nothing to the imagination. The moment she strolls along the beach together with the four rascals, I got spontaneous flashbacks of "Baywatch". The fierce gangsters are a cliche image of the Eastern European gangster : the well known dialect, total indifference when it comes to liquidations and an example of total stupidity during the real confrontation.

When the big scam began, it became downright ridiculous. The outcome was extremely predictable. And the denouement with the most laughable shootout ever seen, was too ridiculous for words. At that time, I was categorically sure you should take that "based on a true story" expression with a huge grain of salt. Was there anything positive about this movie ? Yes there was ! The interpretation by Graham McTavish as the arrogant jeweler and smarty-pants (and again it's unlikely someone would take such a decision) was entertaining. And I appreciate Will Poulter ("We're the Millers" and "The Maze Runner") more and more as an actor. But in the end I thought it was just an artificial product: a plastic film, as it were .... 

My rating 3/10
Links : IMDB

Honour (2014)

Summary
Mona is a young British Muslim girl on the on the run from her family after they find out about her plans to run away with her Punjabi boyfriend. In a desperate bid to save face and their family honour; her mother and older brother enlist the help of a bounty hunter to track her down.

Genre : Thriller
Country : UK
 
Cast :
Aiysha Hart : Mona
Paddy Considine
Faraz Ayub : Kasim

Director : Shan Khan



My opinion 

“Two people love each other, why can't people be happy for them?
He's Punjabi, Mona.
He's Muslim, Adel.
Yeah, but that ain't how it works.”

Occasionally you watch a movie with a rarely used (or abused) topic. No alien creatures threatening to destroy humanity, not another childish story about a post-apocalyptic world with a youngster as a liberator, not again cheap humor in a silly comedy with overstressed eager beaver, not an average action story with muscled guys or a horror with once again an evil spirit being driven out by using medieval rituals to the place where it came from. "Honour" is about honor killings. 

Despite our modern society this ancient use is still applicable in some cultures. Especially in the Muslim communities they sometimes fall back on this custom. Mostly the targeted persons are those who ashamed their family and, believe it or not, these mad acts are justified by certain laws of Islam. In some countries the majority of perpetrators go unpunished like in Pakistan. It's a despicable thought that there are hundreds of women being killed each year because they have violated the family honor. And that's the starting point of this film.

"Honour" is a gray and depressing impression of the beautiful Mona (Aiysha Heart) whose life enters a gruesome cycle of violence after she began an affair with a Punjabi and therefore experiences the wrath of her primal conservative mother (Harvey Virdi). Mona's mother (the similarity with the nasty witch from Hansel and Gretel is striking) and brother Kasim (Faraz Ayub) first try to take the law into their own hands. This goes wrong (in an incomprehensible way) and they hire a bounty hunter (Paddy Considine) to liquidate Mona.

You can call the performances of the actress Aiysha Hart and the other actors commendable. Persuasive and dedicated. A cast that does its utmost to realize a credible and realistic story. Considine plays a sublime character role. You can see the duality in his character evolving. From a cold blooded, racist assassin into a true understanding person who apparently still has a bit of humanity inside him. Despite these superb performances, the film still fails on several points. Apparently Shan Khan couldn't really decide whether it should be a didactic documentary or a thriller. It's not a documentary because the background of the problem is pretty vaguely presented and there's hardly any explanation. For a thriller, there's hardly any suspense. Also, the storyline was pretty confusing because of the constant use of time jumps and constantly viewing the same situation from a different viewpoint. The whole movie was like a Spaghetti Bolognaise: tasteful with a clew of storylines.

Despite being a low-budget film, "Honour" partly succeeded to convince. It throws some light on a mysterious and incomprehensible (compared with our standards) culture, where barbaric practices are still honored. All in all I thought it was a good movie and a must see, if only to conclude that unfortunately such practices are still part of our modern society. And despite the dark atmosphere, this film also shows a gentle side so there remains still a bit of hope. Technically, I thought the executed idea of the film being a loop was creative.

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB
  

The Equalizer (2014)

Summary
In Boston, Massachusetts, the methodical and supportive Robert "Bob" McCall works at the Home Mart store, frequently helping his co-workers. Every night, McCall goes to a diner to read a book and drink tea, and he befriends the teenager Russian prostitute Teri, the alias of Alina. One night, Alina's pimp Slavi brutally beats her up. McCall goes to the Russian restaurant where Slavi is and offers US$ 9,800.00 for the freedom of Alina. However Slavi does not accept the offer and McCall kills him and his four bodyguards. The Russian mafia kingpin Vladimir Pushkin sends the cruel enforcer Teddy to find who killed his men. Soon he finds that McCall is the one who killed the mobster and Teddy begins a war against him.

Genre : Action/Crime
Country : USA

Cast :
Denzel Washington : Robert McCall
Marton Csokas  : Teddy
Chloë Grace Moretz : Teri
 
Director : Antoine Fuqua


My Opinion

“When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too.”

Can you remember Denzel Washington's performance in "The Book of Eli" ? His coolness and calmness. The grimness. The power he has to move mountains. Approaching his target confidently , his inner tranquility taking over and with extreme precision dealing with his opponents. Shrewdly assimilating the situation, let it sink in for a moment and than act fast accurately. Masterfully, breathtaking to watch and immensely exciting. He also demonstrates these qualities in "The Equalizer". The only difference is that he's not completely blind here.

At first sight Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) looks like an ordinary, well-organized man who has an normal job in a hardware store. Apparently he was one of the Pips performing with Gladys Knight in the distant past (according to the plausible explanation of Robert who as a bonus demonstrates a few sultry dance moves as illustration). The fact he has nothing to do with the Pips, quickly becomes obvious. His true identity is not explained completely in detail. It's evident he had a career as a sort of Special Task Force member which he turned his back on and now runs a meticulously organized and strictly simple life. A sober furnished room with precisely folded bed sheets, a sink that looks spick and span and a daily routine going to a coffee shop with a tea bag tucked in his shirt after a consumed supper and a book in his possession which he puts on the table on the same exact place everytime. He himself is a walking "Wikipedia" who comes up with an appropriate philosophical quote from time to time. So, it's a militaristic ordered life.

But he also has skills to deal with injustices. It's as if he gives the criminals of this world, who placed themselves above the ordinary people and act as untouchable individuals who manipulate defenseless civilians, a taste of their own medicine and knock them off their pedestals. A kind of liquidator. Similarly when the face of Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young hooker Robert met in the coffee shop, is being remodelled by her pimp Slavi (David Meunier) (pimped as it were) after which she ends up in the hospital. When Robert wants to straighten out the situation (by offering Slavi a substantial sum of money, which the Russian of course declines) we finally get what we were waiting for after 30 minutes : no-bullshit action in slow motion with a with precision hitting Washington wiping out a complete Russian gang in about 19 seconds. And apologizing afterwards for it. A beautiful scene with a true avenging angel playing the starring role ! The only drawback is that he has liquidated an important part of the Russian mafia. And of course they are not going to start a Cossack dance. On the contrary. They send Teddy (Marton Csokas), a violent character without emotion and also with deadly skills. He looks after the affairs of a certain Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich). A fearsome opponent for McCall with similar qualities.

That things aren't really believable and the same old clichés are used again, I take that for granted. Washington can set himself as a one-man army and dismantle a Russian gangster mob as a Schwarzenegger, whereby there's slow motion footage and rousing music. Also the usual characteristics of a revenge movie aren't eschewed : the simple way of getting rid of a rather well-organized criminal group, explosions in the background (and of course there's no looking back), again members of the mob who are too dumb for words and are all horrible lousy shooters who'd miss an African elephant even while aiming at it from a meter away and the well-known climax in the end with usage of all available attributes. You know a cliché, you got it. And that the Russians are back, merely has to do with the fact that this is allowed again on an international level. As soon as North Korea stops rocking the boat whenever their country is used in a movie and starts sending threats to certain countries, you can be sure there will be Korean casualties again in future action movies.

Washington is the most suitable man for this part. Just think of the character Joyhn Creasy in "Man on Fire" who leaves a trail of destruction in Mexico city while looking for Lupita. Also the same coolness and determination. He plays those roles with a certain flair, as if they were written specifically for him. His famous "Denzel" -characteristics he uses in each film : the quiet gaze, his typical smile and the icy one-liners. I must admit, I'm a Washington fan. His mutation of a cheerful, helpful and humorous average citizen into an avenger of the top shelf who exhibits sadistic features, is magnificent. And despite her young age, Chloë Grace Moretz shows a lot of maturity. The makeup probably helped with this, but still it's an excellent interpretation by this young talent. The rest of the cast really looks like a bunch of terrifying mobsters with their upper bodies covered by tattoos, their corrupt spirit and their stone-hard indifference.

Despite the long playtime and the slow storyline, I  never felt bored. This action packed revenge movie was over before I knew it. Of course the content is a bit shallow and afterwards you start wondering why the heck there isn't a global group of such figures as McCall who hunt down  organizations worldwide and liquidate them with an arsenal of nail guns. You do get the impression that McCall is a kind of super hero with human vulnerability and that it's just an intense action movie with some mindless hulks. But it was fun and a hell of a rollercoaster ride ...

My rating 8/10
Links : IMDB  

Extraterrestrial (2014)

Summary
A group of friends on a weekend trip to a cabin in the woods find themselves terrorized by alien visitors.

Genre : SF/Horror
Country : Canada

Cast :
Brittany Allen : April
Freddie Stroma : Kyle
Melanie Papalia : Melanie
 
Director : Colin Minihan


My Opinion

It's a basic simple agreement with one cardinal rule: Do not engage.
And you, you engaged.
What do you mean?
Sweetheart, you shot one of them. Broke the treaty. Now they're out for blood.

What happens if you put a bullet in the body of a typical alien ? Yes, you get a kind of pissed E.T. that wants revenge because you have breached a contract. Believe it or not, but after the incident in Roswell, the US government made a pact with the Martians (or whatever other planet they come from). In that way our globe is kept from total destruction. In exchange, these Dr. Josef Mengele-lookalike creatures may abduct from time to time some earthlings so they can use them as guinea pigs during certain experiments. Ultimately it's a kind of "Dark Skies meets Friday the 13th." A typical Sci-fi slasher film with superficial acting, some gore moments and sometimes inanimate SEs (Especially the kidnapping of victims doesn't look that spectacular). But in the end the tone and mood of the film changes completely and you even feel like being aboard of the U.S.C.S.S. Nostromo.

April (Brittany Allen), Kyle (Freddie Stroma) and some mutual friends are the ones that have to go through this confrontation. Oh yeah, the whole thing is set in a cabin somewhere in a godforsaken place (where recently a phone booth was completely sucked up into the air, along with a hysterical woman who was hiding in it). I wouldn't recommend anyone to book a vacation in a cabin somewhere in the woods, because the misery you can encounter there, as Hollywood tries to show us, is terrifying. Ofcourse you get that terrible Hollywood cliché of having the usual annoying brat in between those teens. This time it's Seth who got on my nerves from the outset. The treatment he gets in the end was satisfying enough and even made me smile. Any way, these party animals witness a strange crash in the woods, while bickering like little kids on the porch. And who do you think is so smart to go and investigate? Of course, these by alcohol intoxicated nitwits. Probably they wanted to make some selfies at the scene, so they could have their "five minutes of fame". It turns out to be a crashed flying saucer (everyone immediately gets sober).

 

Despite the sometimes extremely poor dialogues and the accumulation of all possible known ingredients from other SF's and horrors, it was still a highly entertaining film that had some tension, some well-timed (but oh so predictable) scares and a menacing, dark atmosphere. Brittany Allen managed to give a successful interpretation of the with feelings struggling city girl, who emerged into a fierce fighter who tries to survive. The fact that she's surrounded by some stupid idiots, is ofcourse a reason why her personality stands out . The most amusing roles were played by Gil Bellows (Sheriff Murphy) and Michael Ironside (Travis). The last one I couldn't place immediately, but he looked familiar. Until I spontaneously started to shout "Jester's dead. Yeehaw, Jester's Dead". The ultra cool flight instructor from "Top Gun" was transformed into some crazy Vietnam vet who cultivated marijuana on a closed area and meanwhile kept an eye on the universe. Unfortunately, his contribution is fairly limited. Bellows (the rock'n'roll rebel Tommy from "The Shawshank Redemption") plays the tough sheriff who maintains order with an iron fist and is indirectly involved in the whole story of the suddenly emerging space creatures who look like anorexics. The way it turns out for him, was surprising and funny at the same time.

The twists and turns in the story are sometimes unexpected and ensure that it continues to fascinate. As I mentioned earlier, the final part of this movie feels like you've arrived in a completely different film. Only the end was pretty abrupt and unsatisfying. But in general you can assume that the gore horror sections combined with the rather exciting atmosphere and sudden twists, make sure that this is a fast-paced and fun-filled film that provides momentary entertainment. A film that is composed of several layers: a violent horror flick with intense human suffering and sorrow, dislocated families, a struggle for survival, some youngsters struggling in their relationships with each other and at the same time you can feel the humor lurking throughout this motion picture. Despite its limited budget, the camera work is sometimes admirable and some CGI's are masterfully handled. Don't expect for once original created aliens. They still look the same as they were portrayed on a "Asimov's SF Adventure Magazine" : lengthy basketball players, ultra thin with an egg-shaped head with black holes as eyes and as far as I could see I assume their development of the clothing industry is still in its infancy. And as a climax you get the anal scene which looks gruesome and horrible, but at the same time it's hilarious as hell. In other words I appreciated the entertainment value of this flick ...

My rating 5/10
Links : IMDB  

Horns (2013)

Summary
In the aftermath of his girlfriend's mysterious death, a young man awakens to find strange horns sprouting from his temples.

Genre : Horror/Fantasy
Country : USA/Canada

Cast :
Daniel Radcliffe : Ig Perrish
Juno Temple : Merrin Williams
Joe Anderson : Terry perrish

Director : Alexandre Aja


My opinion 

“How about you guys beat the shit out of each other and the winner gets an exclusive interview with me?”

I must admit that I admire Daniel Radcliffe at this moment. He does his utmost best to shake off the mark of "Harry Potter". After years waving around with a magic wand as an apprentice, he aimed his attention to very different projects, soundly deviating from what we are used of him. "The woman in black" was a box-office hit but still had the same atmosphere as his previous work : dark, macabre and it took place in a scary, old mansion (A kind of tiny Hogwarts). "Kill your Darlings" is a totally different category. A philosophical tinted film about revolutionary poets and writers and where Radcliffe probably had to browse intensely through some manuals about homosexuality. And then there is "Horns". A religiously tinged horror with a hefty dose of humor as additive. However, all this can't hide the fact that the basis of the film is a pure romantic story about embracing love and persuasion to undermine this, because fate has decided otherwise.

Add to this a sort of detective story, an old-fashioned revenge motif and a whodunit theme, and you'll soon conclude that this is a melting pot of different genres. At one point I didn't know whether I had to watch it in a relaxing way or in a tense way. Some humorous parts were just attempts to be funny, while the gore horror-like scenes were sometimes laughable. I also thought the motive to saddle Ig with a pair of oversized horns, was rather unclear. Was it because he had to undergo the wrath of God after vandalizing some religious symbols? Or was it a symbolic sign for the demons that lingered inside him ? Or was it Satan himself who granted him the opportunity of a demonic force so he could track down the perpetrator ?

The original story was written by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King), and tells the tale of Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe), who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Merrin (June Temple). Despite the fact that he keeps saying he's innocent, he is treated as a pariah by his hometown and is continuously chased by a gang of paparazzi. Until one day he wakes up with a pair of horns on his forehead. The weird thing is that people spontaneously confess their deepest secrets and obsessions whenever they are near Ig. This leads to some hilarious scenes like visiting the doctor, the gang of journalists, the patrolling police officers or the scene in the local pub. And always you'll see a bewildered Radcliffe who doesn't understand what's going on. Ok, this was fun at the beginning, but after a few times applying this trick, it gets boring. Ultimately, only Ig's brother and his friend Lee continue to support him. Lee is a lawyer and he helps the heavy drinking Ig in a legal way. His brother Terry dwells mostly higher spheres because of the massive use of drugs, but ultimately he's the only one of the family that still believes in the innocence of Ig.

Radcliffe pulls out all the stops to bring the figure Ig as credible as possible. It's his merit that you feel sympathy for this man who stands at the edge looking into the abyss. A desperate victim who by his frantic attempt to apprehend the offender, degenerates into a cruel demonic character with a bunch of snakes as companionship. The transformation Radcliffe undergoes towards the end is wonderful to see. But despite the weathered look and stubble of an alcoholic, Radcliffe continues to look like a teenager. Only Temple can still convince as the charming childhood love of Ig who's also fighting her own demons. The rest of the cast has little impact or plays merely a supporting role. The denouement is a mix of fantasy and horror elements. Apart from a few gore fragments, it's a typical story of which one could make a perfect episode for "Tales of the Crypt". In terms of entertainment, it's quite successful, but it's not of a real high level. A demonic comedy one does not really know which direction it wants to go.

Lucy (2014)

Summary

It was supposed to be a simple job. All Lucy had to do was deliver a mysterious briefcase to Mr. Jang. But immediately Lucy is caught up in a nightmarish deal where she is captured and turned into a drug mule for a new and powerful synthetic drug. When the bag she is carrying inside of her stomach leaks, Lucy's body undergoes unimaginable changes that unlocks her mind's full potential 100%. With her new-found powers, Lucy turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors. She receives invaluable help from Professor Norman, the leading authority on the human mind, and French police captain Pierre Del Rio.

Genre : SF/Thriller/Action

Country : France

Cast :

Scarlett Johansson : Lucy

Morgan Freeman  : Professor Norman

Min-sik Choi : Mr. Jang

Director : Luc Besson

My opinion

"Life was given to us a billion years ago. Now you know what to do with it."

Is Lucy the result of a scientifically based theory or should she join the club of "by chemicals mutated superheroes" like Spiderman, The Hulk and Captain America? We can remove the first item of the list because the theory of us only using 10% of our brains is complete nonsense. That would mean that there's 90% of unexplored territory for grabs in our upper chamber. The risk of brain injury shrinks. And would our skull not be too wide for that small part? Isn't it true that evolution slightly adjusts things so that there's an optimum use of certain features? The second item comes closer to the phenomenon of "Lucy", just that no startling changes were made. No flashy superheroes costume or superhuman attributes such as web spraying additives. Besides the fact that Lucy turns into an emotionless and soulless highly intelligent being who assesses situations in a rational and logical manner, there's nothing of substance that changes her.

The beginning of "Lucy" however, is highly entertaining and intriguing. The fact that Lucy is the victim of a cunning devised Korean plan with tourists used as living containers for transporting a chemical drug, was really original. That the drug, with the not so sexy sounding name CPH4, ends up in Lucy's bloodstream by harshly violence and increases the rate of usage of the brains, sounded plausible. Certainly the statement of an expert in that field (Lucy had at that time not enough brain power to know that) helps with that. The synthetic drugs seems to be the same as the substance which a pregnant woman produces for the fetus,so it will have the energy to build up a bone structure. "For a baby it has the force of an atomic bomb" he claims dramatically. You can imagine what that cocktail of CPH4 does to Lucy's body.

Not only it is a pleasure to look at Scarlett Johansson but it's also fun admiring her acting talent. She demonstrates a whole palette of emotions : from innocent, frightened and distraught to ruthlessly calculated and cold-blooded. In "Her" it was her sultry voice that enchanted you and in "Lucy" her natural beauty enraptures you. "Beauty is the purgation of superfluities" as Michelangelo quoted. In my opinion Johansson purged a lot of superfluities for sure. And in this film, it's not only her looks that makes men dizzy and their head swoon. One look is enough to knock them out. Morgan Freeman just plays himself again and guides you through the story with the full explanation of the phenomenon that we are witnessing, complete with pictures from the animal kingdom and a prehistoric hunter as illustrations. Again a minor contribution to the greater whole as in "Transcendence". What a pitty ! And those are the two protagonists whose story lines go together in a parallel way. The audience is thrown back and forth between those two story lines.The old wise man, a role to play by Morgan, and Johansson as übermensch on the other side of the world.

Strange but true, as the percentage counter increases and Lucy supposedly uses more of her brain, it's up to the viewer to gradually reduce the use of brain cells, because the evolution Lucy undergoes becomes incredible implausible. Becoming more intelligent is automatically linked with the development of paranormal abilities and the reducing of emotional values. The phone call at the beginning of the film still had a high emotional value because the drug wasn't working yet at full power. The development of psychic abilities however, sees to it that the entertainment value of the action-rich parts become valueless. What's so exciting being confronted with an invincible person whose abilities seem almost alien ? Beside the thrilling car chase through Paris, most scenes were pretty somnolent. A snap or a glance was enough to take out the opponents. And the denouement is pretty surreal, with the comprehensive knowledge being summarized on a USB-stick. Apparently that universal knowledge wasn't that big of a deal.

Despite the implausible and nonsensical content sometimes, it's still an extremely fascinating movie. Especially the Tarantino-esque fragments that occur here and there, were much appreciated. Like a patient who gets a few bullets in his body after Lucy made a quick analysis of his health state. Coarse, shocking and gross, but also absurdly humorous. However, I never want to reach that level of intelligence because it will cause loss of deep human feelings like emotion, pleasure and joy.