Jai Courtney

Man Down

First Hit:  This film powerfully brings the point home about PTSD through one soldiers experience.

Writer Adam G. Simon and Director Dito Montiel effectively brings together the effects of war through one soldiers eyes by using three visual amalgamated stories.

It is important to note that every night there are 200,000 vets sleeping on the streets in the United States. And that there are 20 US veterans committing suicide every single day. This film sheds light on the cause.

Gabriel Drummer (Shia LeBeouf) and best lifelong buddy Devin Roberts (Jai Courtney) join the Marines together. They suffer and succeed together. Gabriel is married to Natalie (Kate Mara) and have a son Johnathan (Charlie Shotwell) who Gabriel loves dearly.

The film's stories are interesting and effective. But, until I connected the dots, about two-thirds the way through, the post war apocalyptic scenes didn’t work for me. I was initially frustrated and questioned these scenes, until the clarity came.

The interview scenes with Counselor Payton (Gary Oldman) were excellent. The use of this as a vehicle to share the knowledge that our government knows we have a problem and doesn't necessarily have the best tools to help soldiers was fantastic.

The scenes of the actual firefight were very strong in that they showed the bravery and risk soldiers take in a war such as the ones we fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. To have made a possible error with lives on the line is difficult to accept. To learn of a betrayal while overseas only compounded and added tinder to the raging bull within him.

LeBeouf was outstanding. To show the audience internal rage inside, while controlling the exterior of his face is a rare skill and here it was amazing. I felt the on-the-edge of bursting so much my heart ached. Courtney was excellent as his close friend. Having his back in war and in the apocalyptic world despite the betrayal, was perfect. Mara was wonderful in her role. The way she wanted and needed Gabriel to be there for her was palpable. Oldman was very good as the Marine counselor who worked on getting Gabriel to share his story and feelings. Shotwell was great as the young boy who loved and idolized his dad through it all. Simon wrote a very engaging and strong script. Using “Man Down” as the title and Gabriel and Johnathan’s code words – really worked for me as it expressed it all. Montiel had a great handle on this film. The lighting, sets, and sounds were very effective and he got powerful performances while telling a “need to hear” story.

Overall:  This film is haunting and important.

Insurgent

First Hit:  I liked this slightly better than Divergent, and that’s about it.

We are back in the structured society of 6 factions: Abnegation (Selfless), Dauntless (Brave), Erudite (Intelligent), Amity (Peaceful), Candor (Honest) and Divergent (which is all traits).

They all live in an area where most the buildings are broken down or in small camps in the woods. There are some who live in well maintained and modern buildings. All of this is behind a circular wall where supposedly nothing exists beyond the wall.

The point seemed to be there was a secret box that when someone figures out how it works, the revealed information helps everyone. To get to the point of the film we’ve got to sit through lots of fighting, bravery, and adventure. Was it interesting? Somewhat. Was it believable? At times barely.

Shailene Woodley as Tris was good and she did a really good job with the various feelings and situations she was put in. Theo James as Four was solid. Kate Winslet as leader of the people Jeanine was good given the lines and role. Jai Courtney as Jeanine’s henchman was OK. Miles Teller as Peter was one of the more interesting characters in this film. Brian Duffield and Akiva Goldsman wrote the partially interesting but convoluted script. Robert Schwentke directed the film with some wonderful visuals but it plodded along with a more convoluted plot than needed.

Overall: This second of the series was good enough to see the next film.

A Good Day to Die Hard

First Hit:  More or less, it was aimless, thoughtless and died hard.

I’ve seen and enjoyed most all of the Die Hard films. There was a personality created in them through Bruce Willis as John McClane, the script, and the situation in which these two things came together.

In this fourth incarnation I found myself not caring, looking around the theater and waiting for the film to end. It was overstuffed with car chases, shoot-outs, and special effects (helicopter sequence at Chernobyl).

The basic storyline was that McClane didn’t know his son Jack (played by Jai Courtney) was a CIA operative in Russia (thought his son was a lost soul, dealing or using drugs in Russia). John goes to help his son and gets caught up in Jack’s job which is to find out and capture the guy who is going to smuggle nuclear weapons out of Russia.

The story complicates itself with the poorly written part of a wayward daughter double crossing her father, and John and Jack trying to reconcile their relationship.

Willis is the only occasional bright spot in this film with his usual McClane quips. Courtney is OK as Willis’ son but there is little chemistry to make it seem real. Sebastian Koch (as Komarov) is not very believable as a Russian scientist who is on the outs with the Russian Premier. There was nothing that made me believe that Yuliya Snigir as Irina was Komarov’s daughter. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Willis’ daughter Lucy was OK and was aspect of the film, in her brief parts, that worked. Skip Woods and Roderick Thorp wrote a lazy script that focused on what sort of shooting and chase sequences can we put in. John Moore wasted my time (and probably yours) by trying to put this story on the screen.

Overall:  The worst of this otherwise reasonably entertaining group of Die Hard films.

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