Displaying items by tag: Aaron Eckhart

CHIEF OF STATION

US, 2024, 97 minutes, Colour.

Aaron Eckhart, Olga Kurylenko, Alex Pettyfer, Chris Petrovski, Nick Maureen, Daniel Bernhardt, James Faulkner.

Directed by Jesse V. Johnson.

Chief of Station is an easily enjoyable espionage thriller, 21^st-century style. He has quite some exotic settings, especially in Hungary as well as Croatia and, of course, in Washington DC.

In more recent years, Aaron Eckhart has been acting in films like this, for instance, The Bricklayer. And he has a reliable supporting cast including Olga Kurylenko and Alex Pettyfer.

A great deal of intrigue, a marriage, seeming betrayal, and assassination, from Russia, Eastern Europe, and the threat to the hero’s son.

And, some twists, and an exposure of a friend as a villain.

Seen many times but, of course, easily enjoyable.

1. 21^st-century espionage, the CIA, Eastern Europe? Clashes between East and West? Russian intervention?
2. The locations, the atmosphere of Budapest, Hungary, Washington DC? The musical score?
3. The credibility of the plot, espionage and international plots, greed, betrayal is?
4. Ben Malloy, his experience, his status in Eastern Europe, CIA? The relationship with his wife, the wedding anniversary, the dinner, the bomb, her death? The relationship with his wife, her work, not communicating details with her husband?
5. The return to Washington, the deputy chief and relationships with him? His work, information about his wife and her death?
6. The return to Hungary, work with his colleagues, John Branko as a longtime friend?
7. His son, IT expert, his relationship, living in Croatia, the plan for the meeting in Paris, his being abducted?
8. Evgeny, the clashes in the past, tongue in cheek friendship and collaboration? The thugs? The fights? Information about his wife? The attack on Malloy, Evgeny, the assassins?
9. John Branko, saving Malloy, the boat, the truth, torture, abduction of his son?
10. The role of Christine, a character, information, working with his wife? Interventions, helping?
11. The laptop, the information, the bribes, Malloy’s wife having the information about Branko and the official? The deputy director?
12. Nick, the kidnapping, the trade?
13. The buildup to the confrontation, and the expose?

THE BRICKLAYER

US, 2023, 110 minutes, Colour.

Aaron Eckhart, Nina Dobrev, Clifton Collins Jr, Tim Blake Nelson, Oliver Trevino, Ilfenesh Hadera.

Directed by Renny Harlin.

This action thriller is based on the novel by former Marine and FBI agent for 20 years, Paul Lindsay, writing under the name of Noah Boyd. The screenplay has changed the agency from the FBI to the CIA.

Renny Harlin has made action thrillers for several decades, especially Die Hard 2. There is quite a mixed quality to his work. The action sequences are very strong – even though Aaron Eckhart is the hero, bricklayer, agent, is able to defeat all kinds of tough opponents, though in one sequence succumbing to just one of them! However, Eckhart is strong and tough in the role.

The villain is seen at the opening, Clifton Collins Jr, a disaffected agent, turning Road, wanting to expose the CIA and its many tentacles in Western cultures, secret assassinations…

The central character is a very prim, first, agent played by Nina Dobrev who accompanies the bricklayer to Greece where the action takes place. Quite a number of complications, assassination of journals, a political assassination attempt, a final confrontation between hero and villain despite a bonding in the past.

Tim Blake Nelson is the CIA boss.

More or less as expected.

1. The title? The cover for the CIA agent? His explanation of his liking the work, precision, well fitting?
2. The CIA, action throughout the world? Attitudes Western countries? Covert operations? Assassinations and targeting? Reactions?
3. The realism of the screenplay? Or far-fetched?
4. The opening, the journalist, Victor Radek, his purpose, her reporting, the photos and or sitter? Shooting her? The next journalist on the list? The group politician on the list? His making a case, disrepute of the CIA?
5. The introduction to Steve Vail, Philadelphia, working on the building, the bricks, precision? Contact O’Malley? The meeting with Kate? The explanation of the situation? His decision to go to Greece, with Kate?
6. The subtext of Miles Davis, music, records, the gift from Victor Radek, Tye with the collection of records, indication of her guilt?
7. Kate, her CIA work, the office, re-examining the photos, discovering Radek?
8. The flight, the interactions between the two, her self-importance, professional, his attitudes, Frieda? The arrival, posing as husband and wife, the hotel, the range of surveilance? Going to meet Patricio, his skills, the vehicle, IT and tech?
9. She’s three, to the social, meeting with Tye, the past relationship, the discussions, her being bureau chief? The later encounters with her, at the apartment, the music?
10. The attack on the journalist and the square, the protesters, Constantine and his speeches, Radek and his communication with Vail, motivations, memories, the death of his family? The decoy and Vail following, the shooting? The escape, the pursuit, talking with Radek?
11. Vail and his visiting the club, the thug and his respectability, the fights? The credibility of Vail and his ability to conquer so many attackers? Yet in the office, his being overcome? The dangers for Kate, her involvement, with the vehicles? And the use of tracking devices?
12. Vail, the memories and flashbacks with Radek, his family, his job is with the CIA, the promised to transfer his family, the Russians, the killing his family? Vail, the deal with Radek that he could disappear?
13. The car chase, Radek’s escape, with the camera on the building, male or knocking it, the assassination attempt failing? Konstantin and his change of attitude, rescued by the CIA?
14. Final confrontations, Radek’s death, the suspicions about O’Malley, the vast transfer of the bid calling? Vail and his suspicions, going to Tye, the confrontation, her death?
15. The end, the interview with Kate and O’Malley, his being upset about suspicions, offer of promotion to Kate, her refusal? And Vail going back to his bricklaying?

MUZZLE

US, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.

Aaron Eckhart, Penelope Mitchell, Diego Tinoco, Stephen Lang, Paul Johansson, Nick Searcy.

Directed by John Stalberg Jr.

The title indicates restraining animals. Here, in the K-9 department of Los Angeles, there are police dogs, especially one in the opening sequences called Ace, then an attractive dog later in the film, Socks. However, the central character, Aaron Eckhart Jake Rosser, is a Marine suffering from PTSD, asked whether he struggles with anger and replying that it has long since won, needing to be restrained, especially his violent reactions at crime scenes, shooting, needing some kind of muzzling.

On the one hand, this is a police thriller, criminal gangs, drug dealing, violence on the streets, in warehouses… And glimpses the way through of rundown neighbourhoods of Los Angeles.

On the other hand, this is a character study of Jake Rosser, the impact of his past, his commitment to his police work, his angry outbursts, scenes of affable conversations with his dogs, tending them, grieving when Ace is killed in action, referring to him as a police officer rather than as a dog.

Stephen Lang appears as the trainer of the dogs for the police force, sympathetic, helping Jake to find a new dog. Penelope Mitchell appears as a sympathetic nurse, Jake attracted to her, but then her disappearance. There are several of his sequences, and, there are the various police officers throughout the film, the superiors, the partners, those despising Jake but one of them helping ultimately in the confrontation with the criminals.

In the past there was Tom Hanks in Turner and Hooch, James Belushi and K-9.

1. The title? Police dogs? Owners and trainers?
2. A police thriller, Los Angeles, familiar material in treatment, but with differences?
3. The streets of Los Angeles, the poor neighbourhoods, drug dealers, gangs? Police precincts, offices? Crime scenes? Ambulances? The musical score?
4. Jake Rosser and his story, the Marine background, post-traumatic distress, memories of his overseas service, the demands, his responsibilities, the American male and his tough image, in denial for need of treatment? The importance of his dog, the opening, driving his vehicle, talking to the dog, considering the dog as a police officer?
5. In action, the crime scene, Jake and his gun, the shooting, the pursuit of the criminals, his dog, the tactics, Jake and his reactions, the shooting, his dog injured, demanding attention for a police officer, the ambulance treating the humans, his attacking the medic? The consequences, his status, the authorities, the discussions with him, the advice that he see a therapist?
6. The scenes with the therapist, moods, advice, self-reflection?
7. Going to the dog pound, the attraction to the new dog, the friendship of the manager, training, advice?
8. The familiar story of the police, going on his own, the investigations, the interrogations, tracking down clues leads, fellow police officers and their reactions? The authorities?
9. The information, the old man sitting and observing, reluctant information, leads, the help of the fellow police officer, the setup, the role of the dog, the dog and the previous connections, menacing?
10. The final confrontations, Jake, the dog and his devotion, the criminals, the setup, achieving his girls? His future?