Deep Cover – Film Review

Posted on April 23, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Bill Duke

Writers: Michael Tolkin and Henry Bean

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Jeff Goldblum, Yvette Heyden, Charles Martin Smith, Victoria Dillard, Gregory Sierra

Rating: ★★★★

Bill Duke’s 1992 film Deep Cover is based on a book of the same name by a drug-enforcement agent Michael Levine. Originally the film was going to be a sequel to Internal Affairs, and changed into a completely unrelated and stand alone film that deals with corruption, greed and how far people can be pushed before they snap.

Laurence Fishburne, who is credited in the film as Larry Fishburne, stars as Russell Stevens, a police officer who is hired to go undercover as a drug dealer to make his way up the chain. As part of his cover, Russell befriends David Jason (Jeff Goldblum) and together they start to distribute drugs and start to take over territories.

The film stars with Russell Stevens as a child in a car with his father, watching as he robs a store and is killed in front of him. The opening sets up the film perfectly. Russell’s father wants a better life for his son, and tells him to do better, just before getting out of the car to commit the crime. It’s a theme that runs all the way through the film, as Russell tries to help people and becomes a cop. At the start of the film he’s a clean cut, person who doesn’t even drink, and sees himself as someone who never will. What happened to his father echoes throughout his life, as he wants to fulfil his father’s wish of being a better person.

As he goes undercover, he must break his morals one by one, until he no longer recognises himself. He questions whether he is a cop pretending to be a drug dealer, or the other way around. He’s pushed to his limits in attempts to bring down the drug cartel, and at points he starts to cross lines that he can’t come back.

Laurence Fishburne is absolutely great in the film, giving a subtle and powerful performance. He’s quiet, disgusted by the world around him, and tries to stick to his principles. His excellent performance is mirrored by a dark voice over that feels like something straight out of a noir film. It’s brooding and perfectly sets the scene for the film. Jeff Goldblum seems almost out of place as the drug runner who Russell partners up with, but still gives a good performance. There’s a great scene where Goldblum is forced to play a slapping game, to completely mock and undermine him. You can see the exact moment that he snaps and the rest of the film is put into motion. A haunting scene that changes everything and starts the inevitable downfall for his character.

The pacing on this film is incredibly quick. There’s almost no baggage, just essential moments that ramp up the tension and stakes until everything boils over. It’s the kind of film that grabs your attention with the shocking opening of a child witnessing their parent’s death, and doesn’t let it go. Immediately after the opening it shows an adult Russell being questioned, to see if he’s right for the assignment, and the pieces are moving from the word go. It tells you straight away that the film isn’t going to mess around. The whole thing feels like no time has passed at all, but somehow the better part of two hours have flown by.

Deep Cover is a film that has you completely hooked. With a powerful performance from Laurence Fishburne, and strong characters, David Duke’s film is a modern classic crime thriller.

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Morgan – Film Review

Posted on April 22, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Luke Scott

Writer: Seth Owen

Starring: Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti

Rating: ★★

Morgan is a thriller from 2016, directed by Luke Scott and written by Seth Owen, as well as produced by Ridley Scott. Kate Mara stars as Lee Weathers, a risk management specialist, who is sent to assess a facility for her company SynSect, after an incident where Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy) attacked a doctor (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Morgan is an artificial being, that was raised as an experiment.

The first half of the film is essentially debating whether Morgan is alive or not, and what the consequence of the attack should be. There’s a long build up before you get to actually meet Morgan where Lee is being told things about her by the staff at the facility. These people have gotten to know Morgan as a person, and even the doctor she attacked doesn’t blame her for what happened.

We then get a brief introduction to Morgan, before the interview between her and Dr. Alan Shapiro (Paul Giamatti), who is there to evaluate her. The evaluation is the best part of the film, where you’re trying to form your own opinion on the character and her intentions. Anya Taylor-Joy is great in the film, you never know what’s going on in her mind, and the evaluation is where her and the film really shine.

This scene also marks the moment where the film switches, as Dr. Shapiro pushes Morgan too far and she snaps. From that moment onwards the film becomes a loud and dumb action film. Gone is any nuance and character building and it’s replaced with Morgan ruthlessly killing. It’s a strange tonal shift, that doesn’t really hit the mark. You just don’t care enough about the characters enough to care that they are dying, or what Morgan is doing.

When Dr. Shapiro starts to push her, knowing she’s capable of extreme violence, and doesn’t see it coming. You’re just left there watching as he acts like a complete idiot until things go wrong. Why wasn’t there someone else in the room? Why don’t they stop the evaluation sooner when Lee Weathers told them to?

Despite that, the film is still entertaining. Even if the second half is just pure action, it’s well shot and still keeps you engaged. It’s a silly and over the top, but it’s not boring. Overall, Morgan is not a great film, and it’s a shame that it didn’t keep with the more interesting first half.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – Film Review

Posted on April 21, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Jeff Fowler

Writers: Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington

Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Idris Elba, and Jim Carrey

Rating: ★★★★

No one expected the first Sonic the Hedgehog film to be any good, and yet somehow, it’s one of the best video game adaptations ever made. It’s very funny, charming and a really fun time. The mid-credits scene hinted at a sequel, and a little over two years later it’s here and somehow lighting has struck twice.

After being banished to another world, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) finds a way back to Earth with the help of Knuckles (Idris Elba). Together they set forth to find the Master Emerald, which offers unlimited power to whoever possesses it. Meanwhile Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is growing up, while trying to find a use for his powers. Knuckles and Dr. Robotnik attack Sonic, who is saved by Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and the two teams race to find the Emerald first.

Sonic 2 is pretty much more of the first one. It’s an all-round fun and entertaining family film that works for people of all ages. The stakes are raised higher, with the Emeralds finally making an appearance. There are more characters from the games, with even a nice surprise in the mid-credits scene that’s worth staying for.

The animation is brilliant, with the Sonic characters mixing nicely with the live-action world. Knuckles in particular looks great. All the voice actors are amazing. Ben Schwartz is the perfect Sonic, capturing a mix of childishness naivety and snarky comments. Idris Elba sounds great as Knuckles and constantly gets big laughs. The start of the show is Jim Carrey, who is on top form. He’s hilarious every time he’s on screen. If he does go through with retiring, and this turns out to be his final film, then he’s going out on a high.

Whether you’re a fan of Sonic or being dragged to go by children, then Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a fun time. Hopefully the streak will continue with the third film and Knuckles TV show.

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The Northman – Film Review

Posted on April 20, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Robert Eggers

Writers: Sjón and Robert Eggers

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe

Rating: ★★★★

It’s been three years since Robert Eggers last film, the strange and disturbing The Lighthouse. This time around he’s back with a more traditional revenge story, with a Viking setting and a stellar cast. The film is based on the Scandinavian legend of Amleth, which also inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, who as a young boy saw his father killed by his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang). He escaped with one motivation, to avenge his father, save his mother and kill Fjölnir. Years pass and Amleth grows up to be a strong warrior, still searching for his revenge. Upon hearing that Fjölnir has taken his family to Iceland, Amleth passes as a prisoner to be taken as a slave by Fjölnir, to seek his revenge.

If you’ve seen either of Robert Egger’s previous films, then you’re probably expecting this one to be similar in a similar art house style. While it has a bigger budget, and studio backing, The Northman is still a Robert Eggers film. It’s not quite as strange or inaccessible as The Lighthouse, but there’s still some uncanny and bizarre moments, especially when Willem Dafoe is on screen. There’s a few dreamlike visions and folklore elements to the story that makes this feel unique. The film is at its best when there’s nothing holding it back. The head of a dead he-witch telling Amleth his fate, an underground fight that seems to happen in Amleth’s mind, the appearance of mythical Valkyries. It’s when the film gets weird that it’s at its best.

The story is simple, but still has some room for surprises along the way, with an effective twist late into the story. Also, while travelling to Iceland Amleth meets a sorceress, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who helps him in his search for revenge. Olga becomes intertwined with Amleth’s fate and he must make a decision between her and his hatred, a prophecy that is put forward earlier in the film. There’s a really interesting relationship between Amleth and his half-brothers. They don’t know who he is, but he’s protective and almost envious of them. They are living the life that was stolen from him.

There’s a lot of darkness in the world of The Northman. This is a story where Amleth’s father is brutally murdered in front of him, by his uncle. It doesn’t shy away from the brutality of Vikings in anyway. There’s a raid early on, where no one is safe. The fighting is visceral and incredibly brutal, to the point that there’s a few moments that are a little stomach churning. There’s an earthly and grounded quality to everything that makes the violence feel so real, even when there’s moments around the fighting that feel straight out of a fantasy story.

Everyone in the cast is on top form here, bringing a fantastical story to life and making it feel very gritty and real. Alexander Skarsgård is fantastic, as he usually is. Nicole Kidman is exceptional, playing a strange character who changes a lot throughout the film. She’s not in it a lot but leaves an impression. Anya Taylor-Joy is outstanding every time she’s on screen. Claes Bang is completely intimidating and yet also has a vulnerable side when it comes to his children.

Visually the film is a masterpiece, with cinematography from Jarin Blaschke, who previously worked with Eggers on both The Witch and The Lighthouse. The scenery is gorgeous to look at, and the fighting looks incredible. The last fight scene is fantastically shot, and without spoiling anything, is one of the most striking sequences in recent memory. Likewise, the score to this film is imposing and loud, creating a dark and foreboding atmosphere.   

Robert Eggers is one of the most interesting film makers of recent years. All three of his films, so far, have been completely different and absolutely gripping. The Northman works on every level and is a pure spectacle to watch. It may not dive headfirst into the deep end of strange like The Lighthouse, but even being a more standard story it’s still mesmerising to watch.

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The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – Film Review

Posted on April 19, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Tom Gormican

Writers: Tom Gormican

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, and Tiffany Haddish

Rating: ★★★★½

Nicolas Cage has had a strange career, from bizarre comedies like Vampire’s Kiss, an Oscar winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas, which was followed by massive box office success, and a more recent string of low-budget straight-to-on-demand films, where he’s usually the only good thing about them. On top of that he’s also become known as a meme all over the internet, with his strange moments, spending habits, and phrases that he says in interviews, such as calling his acting style ‘Nouveau Shamanic’. In the last couple of years, with films like Mandy, Pig, and The Color Out of Space, Cage is back, not that he went anywhere, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent keeps that streak of brilliant films going.

Nicolas Cage plays a fictionalised version of himself, an actor in decline who needs money fast. He takes a million dollars to appear at obsessive Cage fan Javi Gutierrez’s (Pedro Pascal) birthday party. Before the party begins Cage is picked up by the CIA who believe that Javi is holding the kidnapped daughter of a presidential candidate. They task Cage with going undercover to spy on Javi.

This is one of the funniest and wackiest films in recent years. It’s an absolute blast to watch from start to finish. Nicolas Cage is phenomenal, throwing himself completely into the role he was born to play, showing that he doesn’t take himself that seriously. In full Adaptation style, Cage also plays two versions of himself. Alongside his main role, he also plays Nicky a younger version of himself from the Wild at Heart era of his career. It goes without saying that the scenes with both of them on screen are always excellent. Equally Pedro Pascal is amazing in the film, often coming close to outshining the leading man. The pair on screen together is pure comedic gold and if the whole film was just them messing about, it would still be worth watching.

While there are plenty of references to films in Cage’s career, and an entire room dedicated to props and strange Cage memorabilia, this isn’t just one joke over and over. It’s not all about the gimmick of Cage playing himself. While there are jokes and moments that only work if you’re familiar with Cage, it’s not all the film has to offer, thankfully, it also just works as a buddy-action comedy. What could have been a one-note meta joke that only really works in the trailer, has turned out to be an excellent comedy that’s so much more than just a tribute to Cage.

To stay undercover after the party ends Nic offers to start working on a film idea with Javi, and they set off bouncing ideas of each other. There’s a moment, that’s also in the trailer, where they take LSD together and end up getting very paranoid, that’s seriously hilarious. They play off each other perfectly and you just want to spend more and more time together. Their relationship is the best part of the film, and is a lot of fun to watch.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is yet another highlight in Cage’s career. It’s fantastic. Hopefully Cage can keep up the recent string of great films with next years Renfield.   

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