Charlize Theron

Atomic Blonde

Wonder Woman created a considerable buzz, becoming the highest grossing female-directed movie of all time. I started thinking about women’s role in film, and how I’m partial to movies that feature ass-kicking women. I probably enjoy movies like Kill Bill and Atomic Blonde because they are a novelty, still. It’s somewhat atypical for a woman to carry an action film, and perhaps that should change. In Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron (The Huntsman: Winter’s War) brawls her way through the streets of Berlin, leaving bloodied foes in her wake and proving every bit as capable as her male counterparts. Although Theron was impressive in the role (she did her own stunts), Atomic Blonde had more style than substance, and it was not as original as some critics would have you believe.

Charlize Theron stars as Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 officer tasked with traveling to Berlin to investigate the death of another spy. The comrade in question was in possession of a covert list of spies and double agents. Set in 1989, the movie takes place in the waning days of The Cold War. Upon arriving in Berlin, Lorraine is met by David Percival (James McAvoy, Split), her handler and point person. He’s a wild card, his unconventional appearance fitting perfectly with the rebellious, revolutionary spirit of the city. Lorraine is stoic, dispassionate and efficient, traits that serve her well in her profession. She brings those considerable skills to bear in pursuit of an asset called Spyglass (Eddie Marsan, Ray Donovan), an informant privy to the list’s contents.

As the movie progresses, Lorraine dispatches adversaries with an impressive ferocity. She takes her fair share of lumps too, one stairwell scene particularly brutal. I tip my hat to Theron, who immersed herself in the role by training relentlessly in preparation and performing her own stunts. The film’s strengths were its action, cinematography, and score. Visually, it was washed out and monochromatic, with intermittent pops of neon color that gave it a sleek, oddly modern look. When Lorraine seduces French agent Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella, Kingsman: The Secret Service), the screen is awash in hot pink. When she soaks in an ice bath after a day of beatings, the screen is nearly devoid of color, save for cool blue undertones. I appreciated these visual elements, along with the pulsating New Age soundtrack.

I’ve praised Theron for her commitment to the role, but her performance felt muted. Perhaps that was intentional; maybe she was just supposed to be a detached spy, but I thought her character felt walled off emotionally. Theron is talented and I know she’s got the chops, so I attribute this to some failing of the script, which was unoriginal and confusing. Moreover, the whole ‘missing list of covert operatives’ storyline was hackneyed and silly. The cast is esteemed, including John Goodman (Kong: Skull Island), the aforementioned McAvoy, and Toby Jones (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), but they can’t save the source material.

In sum, if you’re big on plot and details, you may not care for Atomic Blonde. However, if you’re game for some entertaining summer fare, I think you’ll be pleased. Theron has enough star power to reel you in, and the film was sexy and arresting, visually. It just wasn’t smart. Some critics are treating Atomic Blonde as the first movie to portray a “female James Bond,” and that’s simply inaccurate. Films like the relatively recent Salt, Point of No Return, and its iconic predecessor La Femme Nikita all come to mind as other examples, with two of these three being vastly superior to Theron’s latest offering.

Grade: B+

 

 

Mad Max: Fury Road

Wow. I saw Mad Max: Fury Road about a week ago and as time passes I like it more and more. The trailer mildly intrigued me with its eye-popping cinematography, bolstered by the promise of Tom Hardy (The Drop) and Charlize Theron (A Million Ways To Die in the West), both of whom have been impressive in action-packed roles. I was just a little shorty doo-wop when the 1985 iteration of Mad Max was released, so I’d never seen the post-apocalyptic desert tale. Sci-Fi is not my favorite genre, but it felt lazy to just dismiss Fury Road as being similar to the explosive tripe we’ve come to expect from Michael Bay recently –although there was no shortage of explosions. Undoubtedly this movie won’t be for everyone, but it was a weirdly awesome treat, a beautiful, minimalist non-stop ride.

Mad Max was unique in that there was little dialogue and not much overt plot development. A few early, key scenes clued me in to the overall plot, and the rest of the movie just flowed naturally from its initial premise. Hardy stars as the titular Max, while Theron is Imperator Furiosa, aligned with the evil Immortan Joe, a ruler who emerged after an apocalypse decimated the earth leaving only sand behind. Fuel and water are at a premium, and Joe lords the precious commodities over the poverty-stricken lower class. Joe enslaves the people he rules and even those he holds closer, having a harem of young women with whom he procreates.

When Max escapes Joe’s clutches, he sends his gang of minions out to retrieve him. Furiosa has been dispatched, but inexplicably veers off course. The rogue Furiosa and desperate Max become unexpected allies, both railing against crippling oppression. Furiosa has Joe’s harem in tow, liberating the young women while searching for her homeland, a utopia known as the Green Place, where water and life abound. The movie is largely one big pursuit, as Max and Furiosa traverse a vast stretch of desert, beautiful while reflecting the barrenness of the times.

Mad Max was intense, characterized by the stark punk rocker imagery of the characters and their desperate, survivalist behavior. It was a visceral experience with nary a moment of calm. There were no lulls in the movie, and my senses were assaulted for nearly two hours. Director George Miller masterfully depicted futuristic warfare while employing modern twists on traditional elements of the battlefield. During the Revolutionary War, colonial soldiers may have marched forward while sounding a war drum or bugle. Here, Immortan Joe employs a rocker affixed to the front of his vehicle, shredding away on a blaring electric guitar. Awesome.

Here, the landscape was just as much of a character as Max and Furiosa. The setting was one of the most stunning aspects of the film, and there was a weird paradox at play. The desert shows no sign of vitality. Yet it’s coppery beauty was something to behold, utterly mesmerizing. If you think weird is good, this is the movie for you. There was literally never a dull moment, and I felt like I got my money’s worth. It was a visual treat not to be missed. Grade: A

Prometheus

This ain’t gonna be my best review, cuz I wasn’t feelin’ it. Glad to have that disclaimer outta the way.

I don’t care about the backstory of Prometheus.  I know it’s the latest effort by the acclaimed Ridley Scott (American Gangster), but other than that I know nothing about it.  I later discovered that it was intended as a prequel to the Alien franchise, Scott’s hit science fiction offering starring Sigourney Weaver as a space traveler who becomes infected/possessed by an alien.  I wasn’t particularly intrigued by the trailer, but the buzz around Prometheus began to swell, so I thought – why not check it out? The cast looked good, if nothing else.  I’m a fan of Noomi Rapace (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Charlize Theron (Hancock), and Idris Elba (Thor).  Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) was another noteworthy addition.

Rapace stars as Elizabeth Shaw, one of a cadre of intergalactic space travelers who are heading across the galaxy in a quest to uncover the secrets of the universe.  She is joined by Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green, Devil), who shares her rabid curiosity.  In total there are about seven or eight crew members, and their ship is piloted by Elba’s character Janek.  After landing on a foreign planet, two members of the crew discover a mysterious black goo.  They also learn that the human race descended from some early alien species bearing slight resemblance to humans now, only much larger.  Elizabeth is fascinated by the idea of learning about the inception of humanity and wants badly to know who or what created the human race and why.  They think the key to learning this will be instrumental in helping their home planet.  Elizabeth’s curiosity is premised on the idea that we were created by benevolent beings for a meaningful purpose.  This reminded me of the tenets of Christianity, as Christians believe that they were created with love by God in His own image.  However, the crew soon learns that our distant intergalactic ancestors were not so magnanimous in their creation of mankind.  When they encounter one in their exploration, he seems like he doesn’t appreciate being disturbed.  Meanwhile, the two members of the crew that discovered the black substance have been infected by it.  One is dead and the other barely alive.  Charlize Theron’s character is the leader of the crew, and she refuses to let the infected member return to their ship.  Unbeknownst to her, Elizabeth has also been infected, much like Sigourney Weaver was in the previous Aliens movie.  Elizabeth manages to oust the creature from her body, but it is still contained on the ship.

That was a very basic plot synopsis.  I really don’t know what else to say about Prometheus, other than I didn’t care for it.  It was not a bad movie, but it just didn’t do anything for me.  I probably got some of the finer points of the plot incorrect; but it doesn’t really matter, it’s close enough.  I was drawn in the by cast, and I did find them capable – but that was about it.  I asked others what they enjoyed about the film and they mentioned Noomi Rapace’s resilience.  I agree that her character was a strong one, and I do think she is a wonderful actress.  However, it wasn’t enough to say that the movie was ‘good.’  Charlize Theron’s role was almost entirely inconsequential.  No big deal.  Neither was Idris Elba.  His American accent was horrible.  I should have listened to my first instinct and avoided this movie, mainly because Sci-Fi movies are not my preferred genre.  I don’t like the average Sci-Fi movie; I only enjoy the very high concept ones like Inception or Avatar.  I usually give letter grades for movies, but I think I should abstain in this case, because it wasn’t a bad movie; I just didn’t care for it.  Remember those pass/fail classes you took in college, where no letter grade was given, you simply just pass or fail?  Prometheus gets a pass.

Snow White & The Huntsman

You have probably noticed as I have, that occasionally Hollywood releases the same types of movies at the same time.  For example, in 2010 there was Knight & Day and Killers, two very similar movies released within a month of each other.   There are other examples, but the most recent would be earlier this season when both Disney’s Mirror Mirror (starring Julia Roberts) and Universal’s Snow White & The Huntsman were released.  The former looked like children’s fare, while the latter appeared to put a different, darker twist on the classic fairy tale.  I was also drawn in by the cast, which included blonde beauties Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) and Charlize Theron (Hancock).

Theron stars as Ravenna, the evil queen that we’re all familiar with.  In the movie she is both beautiful and cunning, a narcissist who will stop at nothing to maintain her beauty.  Kristen Stewart (Twilight) is Snow White, princess of a thriving kingdom.  When she is just a young girl her mother dies, leaving Snow White and her father behind.  Distraught and vulnerable after his immense loss, the King falls prey to the to the beauty of a prisoner his men encounter on a sojourn in the woods.  He marries the beguiling dame, thus making her queen of his kingdom.  The honeymoon is over almost instantly, and the new queen reveals her true motives.  She murders the king, drawing youth and beauty from the taking of another life.  She banishes Snow White, imprisoning her within the castle walls.  Everyone thinks she is dead, and years go by.  The once thriving kingdom has grown black and joyless.  Every day the Queen asks her “mirror” who is the most beautiful woman in the kingdom.  One day it tells her that another has emerged who is more beautiful.  It is Snow White, and her life is in danger.  She has supplanted her nemesis, a woman who views beauty as power and will stop at nothing to keep it.  Each life taken by the Queen restores and freshens her beauty and youth, ensuring that she is the fairest in the land.  Her mother instilled in her at a young age the importance of her beauty, and now there is a sort of supernatural force enabling her.  Snow White gets wind of the Queen’s plans for her and escapes into the Enchanted Forest.  Unable to retrieve her, the Queen enlists the help of the Huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth.  This guy might end up being typecast as the big brawny hero in all of his movies, because other than Thor I don’t know what else he can do.  Oh well, there’s nothing wrong with using your physical attributes in character portrayals. If he’s capable of greater thespian feats, I’m sure we’ll see it eventually.  Dispatched by the Queen to capture Snow White, The Huntsman intends to follow her orders but changes his mind when he meets Snow White and has cause to question the Queen’s motives.  He ends up protecting her, and they navigate the Enchanted Forest together, along with the dwarves they have befriended.  The longer Snow White lives, the weaker the Queen becomes – because Snow White threatens her beauty and thereby her vitality.  The Queen’s true age is beginning to show and she will stop at nothing to remain eternally beautiful.

That’s the basic plot of the movie, which for the most part was very good.  I’ll admit that my eyelids got heavy at one point, but I attribute that to the warm weather and a momentary lull in the action.  Snow White and The Huntsman spent a lot of inconsequential time in the woods, and it was at that point that I nodded off briefly.  I enjoyed the movie, because I appreciated the more independent, warrior-like dimension they added to the classic character.  Snow White was not a helpless damsel in distress; she was a princess who fought for her kingdom fearlessly.  The Queen was a more complex villain, and Charlize Theron is so beautiful that her natural attributes lent themselves perfectly to the storyline.   Was it the best movie of the season?  Of course not, but Snow White & The Huntsman made for an enjoyable day at the movies. Grade: B+