Triple 9

First Hit:  This is a somewhat complicated slow-build up film with a satisfying ending.

“Triple 9” is police code for Officer Shot/Down.

In Atlanta when this call comes over the police radios, all units head to the scene above everything else. This is a critical piece of the plot of this film as we have crooked police officers Franco Rodriguez (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie) working with former federal agents Michael Atwood (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Gabe Welch (Aaron Paul) to obtain hard to get items for a Russian Jewish syndicate led by the crime bosses’ wife Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet).

First they obtain a safe deposit box by robbing a bank and then the get a file box from a NSA secure location. There are additional complications because Atwood has a child with Irina’s sister Elena (Gal Gadot) and both he and Irina use the child to get something they want.

Looking into the robberies and internal issues with the Atlanta Police force are Jeffrey Allen (Woody Harrelson) and Chris Allen (Casey Affleck). The way this film unfolds the story is strong in that it gives you bits of the story and then bits of the characters as it fills out each in the end. The direction was strong and many of the scenes, and ways they were shot, were compelling.

Collins ended up being an intense critical component of this film. When he said he had no issue with a 999 you felt he meant it. Mackie was strong, portrayed a coldness in his police work while occasionally breaking into showing his heart in his role. The development of the partnership with Chris Allen was excellent. Affleck, as Allen, was very good as the no-nonsense brash new guy on the Atlanta force with the balls to move things forward. Ejiofor was very good as the father who was going to, in the end, exact the price for the betrayal of the Russian mob. Winslet was truly a surprise and not a surprise. She played the role of female matriarch and mob leader to perfection. Harrelson was odd and compelling as the strung out police detective who, in his own way, wanted the right thing to happen. Paul was strong as the disintegrating member of the team. His drug use and internal pressure had him spiraling downward. Luis Da Silva Jr. as Luis Pinto was great as the leader of a Latino gang. He showed great presence and a set of cojones when it came towards the police. Matt Cook wrote a very strong script. John Hillcoat did a good job of directing this complex story and creating a solid story and characters.

Overall:  This was a strong film with a few very strong performances.

London Has Fallen

First Hit:  It was as expected and it works – it was entertaining.

As a Secret Service protector of President Asher (Aaron Eckhart), this is what you’d expect a Gerard Butler (as Mike Manning) film to be like.

The basic story is, the US executed a drone attack on Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul) a weapons dealer who sells to terrorists. The drone attack was at his home compound during his daughter’s wedding.

Revenge is deeply bred, and two years later, Barkawi sets up a “natural cause death” of the British Prime Minister which brings all the Western Heads of State to London. Barkawi has an inside connection to British intelligence and surprises all the heads of state by killing most everyone except President Asher who escapes with Manning’s guidance and protection.

To create more tension and softness in the story, Manning’s wife is about to give birth to his first child and he realizes that his job won’t allow him to be much of a dad. Barkawi wants to kill the President on social media in front of the world, however as most Hollywood films end, it ends with the hero winning.

Butler was well cast in this role. There is a certain level of sarcastic humor and physicality that makes his role work. Eckhart is good as the President yet he’s more physical in action than one might expect. Aboutboul was strong and effective as the revengeful father and terrorist. Elsa Mollien as MI agent was wonderful. Angela Bassett as the President’s secretary was good. Morgan Freeman was effective as Vice President Trumbull. Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt, Christian Gudegast, and Chad St. John wrote a typical and entertaining screenplay. Babak Najafi did a good job of creating an entertaining film.

Overall:  It is pure entertainment and it does work.

Race

First Hit:  What a wonderful story of a man whose greatness and perseverance had him rise above and over race and discrimination.

Jesse Owens (Stephen James) was one of the greatest Olympic track and field athletes the United States has ever had.

Raised when racial discrimination was still a huge issue in the US, learning to ignore the external noise, and do what he did best made this story even more phenomenal.

The story follows Jesse, his depressed father, supportive mother and Ruth Solomon (Shanice Banton) his girlfriend and mother of his daughter, as he finds is way through all the external noise to greatness. Guiding him along the way was his Ohio State University coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis).

One of the most powerful lesson delivering scenes was when the track team was in the locker room when the OSU football team comes in and demands that the track team leave, especially because of Jesse and other blacks on the track team. While the football coach is yelling at Larry and the football team yelling at the track team to leave, Larry is speaking about how concentration and listening to one voice, his voice, is how Jesse will be able to persevere against all the racial noise he’s going to get as he races.

During all the yelling, all of a sudden you hear the coaches voice say to Jesse, do you understand? Do you hear me? And the noise drops away from Jesse and hearing his coaches voice above the loud arguing, he says “Yes, I hear you coach.”. It is a wonderful scene and serves Jesse well especially when he goes to the 1936 Olympics and 110,000 people are yelling at him.

As he shows his greatness, the crowd becomes unified with him. It is a great story.

James is outstanding as Jesse. He plays him with humble awareness of doing well and honoring himself as a person. Sudeikis was great as the occasionally sarcastic, caring, and wonderful coach. Banton was wonderful as Jesse’s fiancé and then wife, making sure Jesse makes his own choices. Jeremy Irons was fantastic as the inimitable Avery Brundage. David Kross as Jesse’s Olympic long jump German rival Carl ‘Luz’ Long was great. Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse wrote a wonderfully engaging script. Stephen Hopkins did a wonderful job of directing this film and the shots of Jesse entering the Olympic stadium for the first time were especially effective.

Overall:  This was a wonderful biography of a man who stood heads above the fray of racial injustice.

The Finest Hours

First Hit:  This long film attempted to highlight an amazing true story about a rescue made by the Coast Guard.

This is based on the true 1952 story where two oil tankers broke apart off of Cape Code in a huge storm.

Chris Pine, as Bernie Webber, is a follow the rules member of the Coast Guard. He’s quiet and introspective. He’s lacks outward confidence as shown in the first scene where he meets Miriam (Holliday Grainger) a woman he’s only written and spoken to.

Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) is the engine room seaman on one of the oil tankers. He does not get much respect from the rest of the crew because he is so focused on the ship. However, they end up turning to him for survival after the ship breaks up.

The film very slowly unwinds with the group of seasoned Coast Guard team has little confidence that Bernie is a good enough captain. No one makes it “over the bar” in heavy stormy seas, yet Bernie attempts and makes it.

The tanker crew turns to Sybert because he’s the only one committed to saving them all as a group. The film is about the rescue, about self-belief, confidence and romance.

Pine played this part in such a way that I did not find him very interesting or compelling. I did find Grainger’s character interesting and driven. Affleck was far more compelling in his role and I was engaged watching his role play out. Rachel Brosnahan as Bea Hansen a fisherman’s wife to also be very engaging. Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy wrote this adequate screenplay. I’m not sure whether is was the screenplay, actors or direction of Craig Gillespie that was the cause of this film dragging, although once the rescue actually begins, it gets better.

Overall:  Unfortunately I’m not sure the compelling real story came through in this film.

Hail, Ceasar!

First Hit:  An odd film and despite the star power, lacks being interesting let alone good.

You’ve got Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill, yet the only part that stood out for me was Jonah Hill as Joseph Silverman, the finance guy.

Brolin as Eddie Mannix runs a Hollywood studio and is in the middle of a career crisis. Clooney is the bankable star who gets kidnapped for money. Fiennes plays a highly respected and temperamental film director. Johansson plays a single pregnant star who does swimming films (think Esther Williams). Tilda Swinton plays two roles, twin opposing gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker. Frances McDormand as film editor extraordinary. Tatum was a dancing (think Astaire or Kelly) actor. The story is about the trials of running a studio, the communist edge of the 50’s, the behind the scenes stories about actors. There were some funny parts (Hill and Johansson).

Brolin was OK as the studio head, who had no time for his family. Clooney was fair as the kidnapped star who was highly influenced by his kidnappers. Fiennes was very good and the director stuck with an actor who couldn’t act. Johansson was mediocre as the swimming star. Swinton was good in her two roles. Tatum was OK as the dancing communist. Hill, in his minor role, was for me, the best part of the film. Joel and Ethan Coen both wrote and directed this film and I’m sure it sounded better as a discussion than written or filmed.

Overall:  Mediocre film through and through.