Movie Review: Trap (2024)

Genre: Thriller  

Director: M. Night Shyamalan  

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: In Philadelphia, firefighter Cooper (Josh Hartnett) accompanies his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert featuring pop superstar Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). While Riley is having the time of her life enjoying the show, Cooper notices an unusually high law enforcement presence at the arena. He soon learns that the authorities have cordoned the venue to capture a serial killer known as The Butcher, who is believed to be attending the concert.

What Works Well: The initial twist is a good re-orientation of character intentions, and Josh Hartnett delivers a layered performance, full of dad-trying-to-fit-in traits and more edgy quirks. In the early scenes Ariel Donoghue adds bouncy energy as a teenager anticipating and enjoying a spectacular night.

What Does Not Work As Well: Way too much time is invested in Saleka's concert performance, unfortunately fanning suspicions that the project is mostly a nepotistic exercise to promote her music career. All the early investment in Riley is sidelined as Lady Raven then Cooper's wife Rachel (Alison Pill) take turns in the spotlight. The law enforcement efforts are an exercise in quantity (seemingly every Philadelphia police and SWAT officer is at the venue) over quality (they are all remarkably ineffective). Once the action moves away from the concert arena, the plot defaults to an endless series of false endings and silly escapes enabled by idiotic behaviour.

Key Quote:

Lady Raven: Monsters aren't real!

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Movie Review: The Roommate (2011)

Genre: Psychological Suspense  

Director: Christian E. Christiansen  

Starring: Leighton Meester, Minka Kelly, Cam Gigandet, Frances Fisher, Billy Zane  

Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: Attending her first year at college, fashion design student Sara (Minka Kelly) befriends her roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester) and party lover Tracy (Aly Michalka). Sara also finds a boyfriend in band drummer Stephen (Cam Gigandet), reconnects with her friend Irene (Danneel Harris), and attempts to impress her professor (Billy Zane). But Rebecca is unhinged and develops an unhealthy attachment to Sara, to the detriment of anyone who gets in the way of her obsession.

What Works Well: The early scenes capture the excited spirit of the first days of college.

What Does Not Work As Well: This miserable and derivative attempt at suspense fails at every level. Never remotely scary or engaging, the plastic writing collides with wooden acting, monotonal line delivery, and superficial characters to suck all energy out of the unimaginative plot. The 94 minutes feel twice as long and drag towards a listless conclusion that also manages to demonize mental illness without even a cursory demonstration of empathy.

Key Quote:

Tracy: Hey, Sara! Listen, something is up with your roommate.

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Movie Review: Hold The Dark (2018)

Genre: Drama Thriller  

Director: Jeremy Saulnier  

Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgard, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough  

Running Time: 125 minutes  

Synopsis: In the remote village of Keelut, Alaska, Medora Slone (Riley Keough) summons published author and wolf hunter Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) to track down and kill the wolf who devoured her young son. The terrain is treacherous, the locals suspicious, the daylight hours short, and the wolves a constant threat. But then Russell stumbles upon a shocking discovery, prompting the return of Melora's husband Vernon (Alexander Skarsgard) from the Iraq War. Vernon's friend Cheeon (Julian Black Antelope) and police Chief Donald Marium (James Badge Dale) also get involved as violence erupts.

What Works Well: The adaptation of the William Giraldi book allows a foreboding mood of dark isolation to hang heavy in the air. Keelut may just as well be located in the middle ages, and this is a place where outsiders are unwelcome, the sun only dares to appear for a few hours each day, and humans need animal instincts to match the unforgiving environment.

What Does Not Work As Well: Beyond the setting and ambience, not much else connects. The trudging narrative lacks a central focus, the primary perspective meandering from Medora to Russell then onto Donald and Vernon, with Cheeon also grabbing a bloody moment in the spotlight. Russell is the most constant presence, but he is just a reactive observer. The theme of locals being as one with nature (and specifically wolves) as a survival imperative, setting them far from civilized behaviour, emerges with crusty layers of soulless opaqueness.

Key Quote:

Cheeon: When we're killed, the past is killed. When kids are killed... that's different. When kids are killed, the future dies. There's no life without a future.

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Movie Review: Midway (1976)

Genre: Historical World War Two Action  

Director: Jack Smight  

Starring: Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, James Coburn, Hal Holbrook, Toshiro Mifune, Cliff Robertson, Robert Wagner, Edward Albert  

Running Time: 131 minutes  

Synopsis: It's 1942, and the United States Navy is weakened and reeling after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Admiral Yamamoto (Toshiro Mifune) wants to press Japan's advantage and plots an attack on the Midway Atoll in the Pacific. A cryptographic unit led by Commander Rochefort (Hal Holbrook) breaks enough of the Japanese code to allow Admiral Nimitz (Henry Fonda) to plan a high-risk ambush, committing all of the Navy's aircraft carriers. The trusted Captain Matthew Garth (Charlton Heston) is assigned to the USS Yorktown, along with his son Lieutenant Thomas Garth (Edward Albert). With both countries holding nothing back, tense surveillance maneuvers precede an epic battle, with the fate of the Pacific War at stake.

What Works Well: This is a grim-faced and square-jawed recreation of the seminal World War Two naval battle, filled with star presence and impressive hardware. The storytelling represents both sides and seeks the small details that shape history, including a broken radio preventing a crucial transmission, malfunctioning electronics resulting in lost torpedo bombs, and crucial battlefield decisions made within the fog of war and riding on gut instinct. Director Jack Smight admirably translates unfolding battle tactics into comprehensible plot points.

What Does Not Work As Well: A wedged-in romance between Lieutenant Garth and his interned Japanese-American lover is a clunky distraction. Equally clumsy is a hodgepodge of ineloquently inserted historical footage borrowed from other Hollywood productions and unrelated battles. Some stars like Robert Mitchum and particularly James Coburn lend their presence to just a few scenes before cashing their cheques.

Key Quote:

Admiral Nimitz (to Captain Garth): We can't trade them carrier for carrier, Matt.

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Movie Review: Becky (2020)

Genre: Horror  

Directors: Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion  

Starring: Lulu Wilson, Kevin James, Joel McHale, Robert Maillet  

Running Time: 93 minutes  

Synopsis: 13-year-old Becky (Lulu Wilson) is still grieving her deceased mother, who succumbed to cancer a year prior. Becky's father Jeff (Joel McHale) surprises her with a trip to the family cottage, but she is disappointed when they are joined by Jeff's new lover Kayla (Amanda Brugel) and her young son Ty. The awkward gathering gets a lot more dangerous when the cottage is invaded by four escaped prisoners, led by neo-Nazi Dominick (Kevin James). Becky finds herself alone in the woods, having to fight back against violent criminals.

What Works Well: First Blood meets Home Alone in this innovative, entertaining, and gore-happy horror adventure. Becky starts the day angry and rebellious, and she gets an unwanted opportunity to channel all her rage into a visceral fight to survive and avenge harm against her clunky family. Enough humour is sprinkled in the woods to make the disgusting (and they are very yucky) moments more palatable, and Lulu Wilson's determined performance propels the brisk pacing. Kevin James enjoys a serious role, and the mammoth Robert Maillet brings unexpected texture to the one bad guy with a heart.

What Does Not Work As Well: The escaped prisoners are looking for a key, but the importance and relevance of this objective remain opaque. Of course a very deep breath is required to believe that a young teenaged girl, despite the help of one dog, can outsmart and out-harm four hardened and desperate criminals.

Key Quote:

Dominick: I don't want to have to hurt you...

Becky: But I do want to hurt YOU. Real bad.

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Movie Review: Life Or Something Like It (2002)

Genre: Romantic Dramedy  

Director: Stephen Herek  

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Edward Burns, Tony Shalhoub, Stockard Channing  

Running Time: 103 minutes  

Synopsis: Seattle television personality Lanie (Angelina Jolie) has the perfect life: engaged to major league baseball player Cal (Christian Kane), living in a beautiful apartment, and up for a promotion to a national network role in New York. She has a spiky relationship with colleague and cameraman Pete (Edward Burns). But when self-proclaimed street prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub) predicts she will die the following Thursday, and his other predictions (a football score, a hailstorm, and an earthquake) start coming true, Lanie has to re-assess her priorities.

What Works Well: The production is glitzy and the pacing brisk, allowing Angelina Jolie to throw herself into the role of a woman manicuring every detail of her existence: the hairstyle, the makeup, the clothes, the attitude, the lover, and the camera-ready expressions are all geared for greater success. The hollowness inside starts to emerge after Jack's prophecy, and Lanie's conversation with boyfriend Cal is a stunning revelation of superficiality. The cracks in the veneer creep longer and deeper as the fateful day approaches. 

What Does Not Work As Well: The plot is trapped between standard rom-com fare as Lanie and Pete transition from adversaries to lovers, and more profound meaning-of-life intentions. By not committing to either, the emotional energy remains suspended on a yellow light. Through Pete's repeated and tiresome criticisms of Lanie's choices, the script firmly places its weight behind traditional abandon-the-dream conservatism.

Key Quote:

Cal: Is this you breaking up with me? Well will you think about it for a minute?

Lanie: A minute just seems like a really long time to waste.

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Movie Review: Killer Elite (2011)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Gary McKendry  

Starring: Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, Clive Owen, Dominic Purcell  
Running Time: 116 minutes  

Synopsis: In 1980, hitman Danny (Jason Statham) quits the killing business after coming face-to-face with the young son of his latest victim. He relocates to Australia and becomes romantically involved with Anne (Yvonne Strahovski). A year later Danny's partner Hunter (Robert De Niro) is held hostage by an Arab sheik, forcing Danny back into action. To secure Hunter's freedom, Danny has to find and kill three ex-SAS members responsible for killing the Sheik's three sons. Danny assembles a team including Davies (Dominic Purcell) and Meier (Aden Young), but ex-SAS soldier Spike (Clive Owen) is deployed by the shadowy Feathermen organization to disrupt Danny's mission.

What Works Well: Inspired by real events surrounding the Dhofar Rebellion, this action thriller reaches for a deeper context than typical efforts while still enjoying well-staged and stunt-heavy action scenes. Set in Oman and England, Danny's exploits cut across Cold War Middle East tensions, deniable military engagements, the battle to control oil reserves, and deposed ruler vendettas. A further layer of complexity is introduced by the need to stage the killings as accidents, and Spike emerging as an atypical counterweight to Danny, cut from the same cloth and as much a pawn as all guns for hire. Dominic Purcell's lackadaisical Davies adds irreverent presence.

What Does Not Work As Well: Robert De Niro is an afterthought in an underdeveloped role, and the attempts at character depth (primarily through Danny's relationship with Anne) are superficial. The bone-crunching hand-to-hand combat scenes yield remarkably minor bruising for the survivors, and the late plot revelations meld into a muddle of murky agendas.

Key Quote:

Danny: War isn't over until both sides say it is.

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Movie Review: Just Go With It (2011)

Genre: Comedy  

Director: Dennis Dugan  

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Brooklyn Decker  

Running Time: 117 minutes  

Synopsis: Plastic surgeon Danny (Adam Sandler) has never been married, but always pretends to be stuck in a bad marriage to enjoy commitment-free flings. When he meets and falls in love with school teacher Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), Danny recruits his office manager Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) as his pretend soon-to-be-ex-wife.  A series of deceptions ensue, resulting in Danny, Palmer, Katherine, her two kids, and Danny's cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson) heading to a Hawai'i vacation. The appearance of Katherine's frenemy Devlin (Nicole Kidman) at the vacation resort adds further complications.

What Works Well: This is a surprisingly sharp and often quite funny comedy with a dash of romance. The script (by Allan Loeb and Timothy Dowling) is packed with laugh-ready characters, including Katherine's quirky kids, the easy-to-mock Devlin, and the out-there Eddie. Highlights drop in from all directions, including an assortment of plastic surgery mishaps, a hula dancing face-off, a coconut competition, and a sheep in distress. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler share an easy chemistry and roll with plenty of improvised dialogue, while director Dennis Dugan provides bright and cheerful surroundings.

What Does Not Work As Well: Of course Danny's entire predicament would have been resolved with an early commitment to the truth, and for a flighty comedy, the running time could have used a trim. Nick Swardson as cousin Eddie occasionally threatens to exceed his good-in-small-doses limits.

Key Quote:

Palmer (upon finding a wedding ring in Danny's bag): What's this?

Danny: A circle?

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Movie Review: Close (2019)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Vicky Jewson  

Starring: Noomi Rapace, Sophie Nelisse, Indira Varma  

Running Time: 94 minutes  

Synopsis: After escorting reporters through a Middle East war zone, close protection officer Sam (Noomi Rapace) is assigned to protect mining company heiress Zoe (Sophie Nelisse) on a trip from Europe to Morocco. Zoe has just inherited all her father's company shares, much to the disappointment of her step-mother Rima (Indira Varma). With the company in the middle of critical negotiations to acquire properties in Zambia, Zoe becomes an attack target as soon as she arrives at the family's fortified kasbah in Morocco. Sam has to protect her client in a foreign country, and is not sure who to trust.

What Works Well: The opening sequence featuring an ambush on a dusty desert road is a thrilling introduction to Sam's skill and temperament. Director Vicky Jewson delivers well-staged and coherent action scenes, and Noomi Rapace's moody persona is a good fit for the dour and frequently bruised security consultant operating in a perpetual trust-free zone.

What Does Not Work As Well: The script is too ambitious for the available budget. The business aspects related to stepmom Rima navigating a high pressure mining deal and fending off a rival company are laughably under-produced. The plot is too late sorting out the bad guys from the good guys, leaving a muddle of loose ends and dead-but-anyway-barely-defined characters to be swept into the bargain bin. 

Key Quote:

Zoe: I don't care what you think about me.

Sam: I don't think anything about you.

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Movie Review: The Life Of Chuck (2024)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Mike Flanagan  

Starring: Tim Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Mark Hamill, Jacob Tremblay  

Running Time: 111 minutes  

Synopsis: The plot unfolds in reverse chronological order, starting with Chapter Three. School teacher Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his ex-wife Felicia (Karen Gillan) experience the end of the world, but with weird billboards and posters proclaiming "Charles Krantz: 39 Great Years!". In Chapter Two, Chuck (Tom Hiddleston) is an accountant attending a conference. He encounters a drummer busker and dances up a storm, joined by the recently dumped Janice (Annalise Basso). In Chapter One, Chuck is an orphaned boy being raised by his grandparents Sarah and Albie (Mia Sara and Mark Hamill). Sarah teaches him to love dancing, while Albie encourages Chuck to pursue accounting as a career.

What Works Well: Adapting a Stephen King short story, writer and director Mike Flanagan unfurls a simple narrative with a deep commitment to the essence of being human. Chuck's whimsical journey sparkles with insights, sometimes subtle, at other times profound, linking one (and every) individual with the greater universe. Inspired by Carl Sagan's Cosmic Calendar and Walt Whitman's I contain multitudes, Chuck is nobody important and everybody who has ever lived, loved, lamented, and experienced unexpected moments of sublime perfection on the uncertain path to a singular certainty.

What Does Not Work As Well: The middle chapter could have been longer beyond the centrepiece dance sequence, and the childhood chapter may have benefitted from a proportionate trim.

Key Quote:

Chuck: I will live my life until my life runs out.

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