September 12, 2007

Shoot 'Em Up

I actually attended the world premiere of Shoot 'Em Up in San Diego over a month ago, however I have not reviewed until now because I have had trouble making up my mind of whether it was brilliant or kinda dumb. I admit that during the film, I had the time of my life. Dozens of laughs thanks to the over the top action provided by writer/director Michael Davis (of whom I had the pleasure of meeting). I wouldn't go as far as to call the film a spoof, but it does seem to set out to parody the slippery slope of action movies. However, rather than being a "action movies are stupid and ridiculous" statement, the end result seems to be a comment more like "relax and enjoy, it's just for fun". Something, I myself, may have forgotten of late. The film follows our hero "Mr. Smith" played by Clive Owen, who effortlessly plays it cool for 90 minutes, on the run from our very creepy villain "Mr. Hertz", played by Paul Giamatti who actually puts on quite the performance. Throughout the movie are wonderful thrills and hilarious finishing moves (trust me, you'll never look at a carrot the same way again). And you'll laugh your head off and you're in for a few wonderful surprises as well. So if you want to see a brainy thriller, look away, but if you want to have a good time, rush to to the theatre as soon as possible.

3:10 To Yuma

3:10 To Yuma is the story of a rancher, played flawlessly by Christian Bale, who must escort an outlaw, played flawlessly by Russel Crowe, to a train which will take him to prison, and perhaps his death. It is a simple plot, which isn't hard to believe as it is based on a short story, but it is not a simple film. The two aforementioned main characters are complex and fascinating. The relationship between them is a thrill to watch and is immensely rewarding towards the end. Eventually the two men end up in a room alone, equipped with brilliant dialogue, and it creates a legendary scene that leads to the surprising climax. The action is secondary to the character development and the superb acting. It may not be surprising that Crowe and Bale are terrific but the supporting cast is impressive as well, led by Ben Foster, Peter Fonda and Alan Tudyk. Although some of the gun battles are entertaining, the film is most intense when "Ben Wade" and "Dan Evans" are engaged in conversation. Someone looking for a good old-fashioned shoot 'em up western will be disappointed. Someone looking for a brilliant character study will be more than satisfied.