"Venom'

'Venom' Movie Review

'Venom'

Posted on Oct. 4, 2018  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

"Venom"   (2018)

Eddie (Tom Hardy) is an investigative reporter for a network in San Francisco who is own worst enemy. He is engaged to Anne (Michelle Williams), a lawyer that works for a large but shady corporation. Eddie is set to interview the CEO of the corporation, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), a man who developed a way to cure some forms of cancer while in his twenties. Drake, a very self-assured man, is on a mission to save the world, and through his corporation, he is sending out spaceships to look for worlds that humans could inhabit before humans destroy the earth’s environment. One ship comes in contact with extraterrestrial life, and they bring back four samples of alien life. The spaceship crashes and an alien escapes, a blob that has the ability to take over human bodies by osmosis. The alien has many different types of super-human capabilities that allow it to do just about anything.

Eddie is hell-bent on exposing Drake’s shady company, and he opens a file on his fiancée’s computer which has evidence that Drake’s cancer cure is actually killing people. When Eddie tries to expose Drake, he loses his job and his fiancée. A down on his luck, Eddie meets Dr. Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate) who wants Eddie to investigate the experiments that Drake is conducting using  homeless people to fuse with the alien blobs. With the help of Dr. Skirth, Eddie breaks into Drake’s lab and comes in contact with one of the aliens who invade his body. It turns out that the alien is named Venom and can talk to Eddie in his mind, with Eddie talking back out loud. Venom wants Eddie to help him steal one of Drake’s spaceships, so Venom can go back to his world and gather an invasion force to come back and conquer Earth.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

I went into this film with minimum expectations, and all I knew about the Venom character was from the horrible Spiderman 3. That being said, I enjoyed this film. It was very different than what I was expecting. The Venom character is what you would call an ‘anti-hero.’ He really isn’t about the normal Marvel hero who is all about saving lives, he is all about what is best for him. Teaming Venom up with the self-called ‘loser’ in Eddie makes their interactions very funny. Venom doesn’t understand how Eddie’s world works, all Venom knows is how to kill and survive. Eddie becomes someone how can survive just about anything, including falling off a tall building or bullets fired at him. The interactions between Eddie and Venom are quite funny, and when Venom takes over Eddie’s body, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of humor in this film – making it feel very different from other Marvel films (other than Deadpool). This humor may make some of the comic book fans of Venom mad because the comics don’t contain a lot of humor.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

The action sequences are well done, and there is a thrilling chase sequence about halfway through the film up and down the hilly streets of San Francisco. The special effects are well done, and Venomis incredibly scary.

This is a very different role for Tom Hardy. Eddie is a selfish jerk who is willing to do anything to get the story, usually with adverse consequences. It’s hard to root for Hardy’s Eddie at the start of the film, but once Venom takes over, you warm up to Eddie. Michelle Williams isn’t given very much to do until the end of the film, and even then it’s not much. I did like Riz Ahmed as the villain of the story, and I loved Jenny Slate as the doctor with a conscious who helps Eddie try to expose Drake’s evil plan.

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

I didn’t like that fact that it took too long for Venom to show up (about 35 minutes into the movie) which made the film much longer than it needed to be. All in all Venom is a fun ride, it’s not a great film, just fun to watch. Be sure to stick around through all the credits as there are two bonus scenes, one after the main credits and another after all the credits. Both are worth the wait. My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My rating system from best to worst: 1). I Would Pay to See it Again 2). Full Price 3). Bargain Matinee 4). Cable 5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

"The Revenant"

My review of "The Revenant" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter.

"The Revenant"

Posted on Jan. 8, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

"The Revenant'  (2015)

In 1823 South Dakota, a group of fur trappers is guided by scout Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) and aided by his son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck). The trappers are led under the command of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). Their mission is to trap as many animals for fur as they can and then get back to the fort that houses the trading company where they work. It’s hard work, made harder by the harsh winter conditions and the constant threat of Indian attack. Glass is a man of few words, but he is a great scout, capable of finding the best places to trap and a man you want by your side during trouble.

Suddenly, the men are attacked by the Arikara tribe, and it’s very apparent that unless they act quickly, few of the trappers will survive such an attack. Glass and his son lead as many men as they can gather onto their riverboat to escape the merciless Indians. After getting away from the initial attack, Glass convinces most that the way home isn’t by boat, where they will be sitting ducks for any attack, but across the mountains to their fort. Some decide to stay with the boat, but most trust their scout, including Captain Henry. John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) is very vocal in his opposition to following Glass. Fitzgerald is not well liked by his fellow trappers, and he bares the scar of having been partially scalped in his past.

Glass hunts alone for food. Out in the woods he is savagely attacked by a bear that badly mauls him. Captain Henry sends men out to locate Glass and Hawk finds his father near death. The men drag Glass back to their makeshift camp and now Captain Henry must decide to either try and carry what he perceives as the dying Glass over an incredibly rough terrain or leaving him behind with a couple of men, giving them grave digging duty when he dies. Captain Henry decides to leave Glass with Fitzgerald, Hawk and another young man named Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). It’s a decision that all the men will regret for the rest of their lives, with some of those lives will be shorter than others.

“The Revenant” is a brutally violent movie, but that violence is not exploited like a “campy” horror film but is shown to illustrate how harsh the world was. The attack by the bear is horrific and goes on so long it becomes very uncomfortable to watch. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu has created action sequences that are incredible to watch, especially with the knowledge that  it was done with a minimal amount of CGI special effects (mostly to animate the bear) and without “green screens.” The battle sequence between the Indian tribe and the trappers is one of the best war scenes I have ever experienced in a movie theater. The action flows in one almost continuous shot as we follow Glass as he navigates through all the fighting in an attempt to find his son and get him to safety.

The movie is beautifully shot as cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki used only available light to film the outdoor scenes. Lubezki makes the landscape seem gorgeous and threatening all at the same time. There are times the views are breathtaking as the white of the snow contrasts with the dark greens of the forest and landscape shots seem to go on forever. Lubezki also uses light to create moods, such as the ominous looking woods along the river, making us think we see an attacker behind every tree as the men try to escape in the riverboat.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most powerful and captivating performances of his career. If he does win the Oscar for this role, it won’t be because of the dialogue as DiCaprio has more lines in Pawnee than in English. DiCaprio gives the part his all, and we can see it in his face and eyes as he fights for survival in this harsh, cruel world. Tom Hardy, almost unrecognizable under a scraggly beard, partially scalped head and a voice that is more grunts than words matches DiCaprio’s intensity and commitment. He makes us hate his character from the start, spewing out venom to anyone who will listen. It’s the type of role that Hardy excels at, immersing into a character so deeply that we believe his character is that evil to the core.

“The Revenant” is not a perfect film and is let down by some dialogue that sounds downright wooden. I also did not like the numerous dream sequences that Glass has throughout the movie as he reminisces about his life when he was younger with his wife and young son. Iñárritu goes to those dream sequences too many times and making the film feel choppy and lacking pace.

Overall, this is a film that on one hand is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also is a brutal movie to watch as we see men pushed to their very limits in a world that does not forgive. It’s a difficult journey to watch this film, but the performances of DiCaprio and Hardy make it worth the effort      My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“The Revenant” is now playing in Atlanta area theatres.

“The Revenant” Website

"Locke" Movie Review

My review of "Locke" starring Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson.

"Locke"

Published on May 9, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of A24

“Locke” (2013)

The first scene of the film we see Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) leaving a huge construction site with his hard hat, reflective vest and rubber boots on. He gets into a very nice car and drives away from the site, as it’s apparently quitting time. We follow him as he drives down some city streets until he gets to a stop light with his left turn signal on. We don’t know it yet, but Locke is making a decision that might change his life. If he turns left, he goes back to his very stable life as a construction site manager, happily married with two sons. If he turns his car right, he goes into the night with the certainty that his world will be changed. Locke turns right and we go on a journey with him that is one of the most suspenseful and exciting films of 2014.

Soon Locke is fielding phone calls from his kids, who want to know when he is going to be home for the big soccer match. Calls from his boss, who wants to know why he is leaving town on the night before the largest civilian concrete pour ever in Europe, one that he is supposed to be in charge of. Calls from the very worried man who will be in charge of the pour if Locke doesn’t turn the car around and come back to the worksite. And finally, from his wife who wants to know where he is headed to and why.

Thus begins our ride along with Locke, a film that develops in “real time” with Tom Hardy as the only person who appears on screen during the whole film. If you would have told me that a film where we ride along with a character for 85 minutes would have been so well done and incredibly moving, with a performance by Hardy that is truly a Tour de Force, I would have said you were crazy. But it’s because of the script and direction of Steven Knight and the mesmerizing performance of Hardy, that this film feels more like it’s 45 minutes long and puts you on the edge of your seat better than any adventure film released so far.

It’s seems like such a simple idea, follow a man as he makes phones calls while driving down a highway at night but it’s such a tough act to pull off. It takes an actor that we instantly root for to bring this film to its fruition and Hardy is up to the task, in probably his best performance to date. Locke isn’t a complicated man, in fact you can tell by the way he talks to his workers and his kids that he sees things usually in black and white. He is a man to who believe rules are to be followed with discipline and resolve. Locke sees it his duty not to let anyone down. But through Hardy’s performance, we see a man that has to make some tough decisions and some of those decisions are certainly going to hurt some people. For the most part, Hardy gives a restrained performance but as we would expect. He lets us see that this isn’t easy for Locke to make. He is determined to do the right thing, even if it hurts the people that he loves and respects the most. Hardy lets us see in his eyes and his expressions how much this weighs on Locke.

This could have come across as just a character study but under the direction of Knight, it’s more a suspenseful thriller with plenty of twist and turns. Knight uses incredible camera placements, most of which are inside the car, making us feel as closed in and isolated as Locke does. Little character tells come out in the script, as Locke needing to get to his destination as soon as possible, is passed by car after car. If as Knight has created a character who won’t speed, the risk being too high for Locke to try it.

The cinematography by Haris Zambarioukos is superb and the editing, by Justine Wright keeps the pace going, building the tension as the night and the miles roll by. I especially enjoyed the musical score of the film by Dickon Hinchlife. In a lesser film, Locke would have played songs on his car sound system, letting the music tell the story. In this film the soundtrack is kept to a minimum; with many of the scenes accompanied by the sounds of the highway and the tension of the callers voices as they talk to Locke, slowly discovering what he has done.

This is a powerful film with one great performance by Hardy, who delivers what the director provides him with gusto. You won’t regret going on this adventure with Locke, in fact it might be the best road trip you take all year.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst: 1). I Would Pay to See it Again 2). Full Price 3). Bargain Matinee 4). Cable 5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

The film is playing exclusively at UA Cinema Tara 4

“Locke” Website