Karen Rutter reviews
[star rating=”3.5″] THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US. Directed by Hany Abu-Assad with Idris Elba and Kate Winslett.
The plot of The Mountain Between Us to seems plausible enough – two strangers need to get from A to B fast, charter a plane together, and end up stranded in a snowy wilderness when their flight crashes. In fact it’s positively staid compared to XXX in which a team of Argentinian soccer players have to eat each other in order to survive a similar crash. Funnily enough, the former film is fiction, while the latter is not. But I digress –The Mountain Between Us offer a nicely edgy setting for a two-hander that explores a relationship between people who do not know each – but have to trust if they want to live. And both Kate Winslet and Idris Elba give it a great shot. She’s a documentary photographer, he’s a neuro-surgeon – and they have interesting motivations for choosing the decisions they make. Part drama, part action-adventure, it’s pretty engaging for the most part. Plus we’re looking at two award-winning actors carrying the load. Not too shabby. EXTRAS: Love and Survival: Creating Chemistry; Mountain Between Them: Shooting in Isolation; The Wilds: Survival Stunts and more.
[star rating=”3.5″] MARSHALL. Directed by Reginald Hoolin. With Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad and Kate Hudson.
Based on a true episode in the life of activist and first African-American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the movie Marshall focuses on a case which became one of the precursors of the civil rights movement. In conservative Connecticut a black chauffeur has been accused of the rape and attempted murder of a wealthy white socialite. Lawyer Marshall is called upon to defend the man – but is hamstrung by a discriminatory system in the state, and forced to pair up with the inexperienced Samuel Friedman. Together, the two have to fight a hostile system to try and expose the truth. It’s a classic underdog vs evil tale, made more satisfactory because it’s actually based on truth. Boseman makes for a compelling and cool Marshall, Gad is like a sweet and slightly awkward version of Jonah Hill, while Hudson plays it snaky. All well and good, with a smartly-tight pace.
[star rating=”2″] FREE FIRE. Directed by Ben Wheatley with Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Jack Reynor.
Firstly, Quentin Tarantino was making these sort of period-caper pieces way back in the last century. Secondly, describing this as a “biting critique of the insanity of gun violence” is like calling Jaws a pro-shark eco-documentary. Thirdly, even if Martin Scorcese’s name is attached to the producer credits, it’s still a feeble film. Free Fire is basically 90 minutes-plus of people shooting at each other in a barn. That’s what it is. Sure, there’s an attempt at a plot – an arms deal gone wrong – but that’s really irrelevant. The only reason it doesn’t get one star is because Sharlto Copley keeps his South African accent and it’s quite funny for about 10 minutes. Otherwise, it’s all been done before – the 1970s suits, the sideburns, the over-the-top firepower, the wise cracks. And much better. Honestly, I’d say, just watch Reservoir Dogs again. EXTRAS: Audio commentary with Ben Wheatley, Cillian Murphy and Jack Reynor; Making of Free Fire featurette; Interviews with cast and crew.
[star rating=”2″] SNIPER: ULTIMATE KILL. Directed by Claudio Fah with Chad Michael Collins, Billy Zane and Tom Berenger.
Brandon Beckett (Collins), Richard Miller (Billy Zane) and Sgt. Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) join forces to take down a deadly drug cartel in Colombia. But the job moves to the next level when a sniper with a super-powered gun enters the fray. More gun action, but with Sniper: Ultimate Kill the director doesn’t even attempt to be ironic, so it’s actually more honest then Free Fire (see above).
WS
