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| I have yet to really be any good at picture taking, |
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays, Angela Paton.
Director: Wes Craven
So we've reached a film I'm never actually seen. Most of what I've heard about the film isn't overwhelmingly positive, but I always try to keep an open mind. So, let's push on.
Opening on shitheads at a hotel kind of triggers some sort of PTSD from me. Rachel McAdams says "There are no guests who are assholes, only guests with special needs" which I can tell you from experience is totally wrong. There are a LOT of assholes. I did enjoy the telling off the jerk in line at the airport, though...some important things were said that I hope people who saw this movie keep in mind as they live their lives. Nobody wins when you act like a jerk.
These leads are certainly charming. I've never had that much luck being as aggressive as Cillian is here, but I don't look at all like Cillian Murphy. He wears contacts, you know, to make his eyes that color. I don't actually know that.
Doing a series of films by one film maker has it's drawbacks, like noticing stylistic crutches said film maker uses. Lots of news reports coming out Craven. I mean, it works, mostly, it's just kind of a crutch. In this case, I suppose it was necessary.
Murphy is already wowing me with this performance. Both charming with just the smallest hint of menace. It's going to be really excellent when he finally turns on a dime and goes bad guy. And he basically just did it. Good stuff. McAdams is doing a wonderful job playing off of it, too. If this movie can keep this up, I'll be impressed with it. But it's a long movie, and we they kind of blew the roof off quickly. But I'm pretty hooked thus far.
It feels a little silly to be harping on the performances so much, but 1)they're pretty extraordinary so far and 2)there's literally nothing else happening in the film. But the give and take between the two actors is really some wonderful stuff. He just keeps sending that quiet, whispered intensity and McAdams keeps barely holding in veiled terror.
I think that old woman might actually be a professional character actress who specifically plays "annoying woman on plane." The idea of that being a real job makes me so happy that I don't want to know anything else about that actress.
I love Jayma Mays. I wish there was more of her in this film.
Brian Cox, too. I coined the phrase "Brian Cox-ing" with friends of mine. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this movie is going to give him the chance to start doing that wonderfully hammy Brian Cox stuff. I keep hoping, though, and I will through the whole running time of this film.
Can I hope that the little girl is a rival spy? 'Cause that'd be rad. Of course, I'm just being silly.
But really. Is she a rival spy?
I always do have a soft spot for these high concept hostage films. Never have I seen one that would be so easy to get out of-I mean, she COULD just make the phone call and hope things sort themselves out-but I always enjoy those desperate, clever attempts by the main character to alert people, and then the bad guy always figures out how to stop them. It's such a predictable device, but it's usually very effective and suspenseful. Here it would fall apart without the strength of the two leads..and even then it's kinda dragging just a little (the stakes just aren't that high. McAdams says the guy is nice, and we see his family and such...but I don't care, I only care about McAdams). Craven knows the stakes aren't quite there and attempts to adjust course. Now the guy's family is part of the deal. Oh no...I still don't really care as an audience member.
Are we leaving the plane? I feel like that's kinda cheating. I mean, it almost certainly had to happen-I don't know if you could have made an entire film that takes place between two people on an airplane. As I said above, it seemed pretty clear that Craven knew he had to course-correct.
I feel like the Frankenstein pen is Craven being self aware and cute...and it just isn't that cute.
"Fresh Air Airlines" doesn't have a very good ring to it. Whoever made the name for that airline just didn't do a very good job.
Not enough pens-to-the-throat in cinema. Good move, McAdams. Might want to have mentioned to the flight attendant either "Terrorist" or "Bomb."
I'm choosing to believe the little girl is a rival spy, and nobody can tell me anything different. It's my official fan theory. Like Black Widow or something. She was raised by the federal government after her parents were killed by airplane hijackers to recognize and stop terrorist plots on planes. They call her "The Overhead Compartment Angel." She has seventeen confirmed kills.
Does Miami have really poor phone service, or is it just the plot contrivence?
Go Jayma Mays, go! I love her little duck run in the hotel suite. So glad we got more of her in this film. And she's a hero. Love her.
Move, move, move! The most said words in film history, I'm sure.
Oh, yeah, killer outside of Cox's house. I was just kinda thinking "Terrorist plot foiled, isn't the movie over now?" I forgot about the other thing on the line- her Dad. Plus I'm sure she has to fight Cillian, too. Maybe with pens. Like Michael Jackson's "Bad" but with pens instead of knives.
I'm sorry, but I kinda burst out laughing at Cillian's line-read of "Hi!" with his throat damaged. Kinda laid it on too thick that time, Murph. Two head-butts in this film. Awesome. Alas, no more pens. Just knives. Honestly, the gun may have been a better thing to grab, Murph. I'm apparently calling him Murph now.
Doesn't appear like there's going to be any Brian Cox-ing...from Cox, anyway. Murph is certainly doing enough of it.
I will say that Craven has a solid handle on the usage of gender roles. McAdams is doing an amazing job at being a resourceful, tough heroine instead of being a damsel in distress. As soon as they left the plane, she has been in total control of the encounter. The direct reference to his gender role statements on the plane was a bit on-the-nose, but it adds symmetry and I can respect that. Also, the usage of the field hockey stick is just wonderful.
Oh, there's the gun. Oh, and there's Brian Cox. I don't know how I feel about him getting the winning shot off. Especially with all that talk of her being attacked in a parking lot earlier...but, she still confronts him, dismisses him, and ultimately survives him. So, there is that. Plus, she tells off the horrible couple. Hooray for telling shitheads to shut up!
So, that was better than I expected it to be. I had been led to believe that this film wasn't much to write home about, but it was actually pretty solid. It does have its rough edges and bits that really don't work. It's sometimes sloppy and it honestly does wear out its welcome by the end of the third act (honestly, as necessary as it was, once you left the airplane and shot a rocket at a hotel suite you kinda jumped the shark). But that first half is really something special, despite dragging here and there, mostly because of the excellent performances from its leads. Cillian may have forgotten how to act by the end, but early on he gives a heckuva performance. And McAdams has never been better. Plus, I respect a good female protagonist, and a classy portrayl of gender roles in horror. Solid outing.
Final Rating: 3 stars.
Are we leaving the plane? I feel like that's kinda cheating. I mean, it almost certainly had to happen-I don't know if you could have made an entire film that takes place between two people on an airplane. As I said above, it seemed pretty clear that Craven knew he had to course-correct.
I feel like the Frankenstein pen is Craven being self aware and cute...and it just isn't that cute.
"Fresh Air Airlines" doesn't have a very good ring to it. Whoever made the name for that airline just didn't do a very good job.
Not enough pens-to-the-throat in cinema. Good move, McAdams. Might want to have mentioned to the flight attendant either "Terrorist" or "Bomb."
I'm choosing to believe the little girl is a rival spy, and nobody can tell me anything different. It's my official fan theory. Like Black Widow or something. She was raised by the federal government after her parents were killed by airplane hijackers to recognize and stop terrorist plots on planes. They call her "The Overhead Compartment Angel." She has seventeen confirmed kills.
Does Miami have really poor phone service, or is it just the plot contrivence?
Go Jayma Mays, go! I love her little duck run in the hotel suite. So glad we got more of her in this film. And she's a hero. Love her.
Move, move, move! The most said words in film history, I'm sure.
Oh, yeah, killer outside of Cox's house. I was just kinda thinking "Terrorist plot foiled, isn't the movie over now?" I forgot about the other thing on the line- her Dad. Plus I'm sure she has to fight Cillian, too. Maybe with pens. Like Michael Jackson's "Bad" but with pens instead of knives.
I'm sorry, but I kinda burst out laughing at Cillian's line-read of "Hi!" with his throat damaged. Kinda laid it on too thick that time, Murph. Two head-butts in this film. Awesome. Alas, no more pens. Just knives. Honestly, the gun may have been a better thing to grab, Murph. I'm apparently calling him Murph now.
Doesn't appear like there's going to be any Brian Cox-ing...from Cox, anyway. Murph is certainly doing enough of it.
I will say that Craven has a solid handle on the usage of gender roles. McAdams is doing an amazing job at being a resourceful, tough heroine instead of being a damsel in distress. As soon as they left the plane, she has been in total control of the encounter. The direct reference to his gender role statements on the plane was a bit on-the-nose, but it adds symmetry and I can respect that. Also, the usage of the field hockey stick is just wonderful.
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| Hell. Yes. |
So, that was better than I expected it to be. I had been led to believe that this film wasn't much to write home about, but it was actually pretty solid. It does have its rough edges and bits that really don't work. It's sometimes sloppy and it honestly does wear out its welcome by the end of the third act (honestly, as necessary as it was, once you left the airplane and shot a rocket at a hotel suite you kinda jumped the shark). But that first half is really something special, despite dragging here and there, mostly because of the excellent performances from its leads. Cillian may have forgotten how to act by the end, but early on he gives a heckuva performance. And McAdams has never been better. Plus, I respect a good female protagonist, and a classy portrayl of gender roles in horror. Solid outing.
Final Rating: 3 stars.
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