Displaying items by tag: John Woo

THE KILLER

France, 2024, 126 minutes, colour.

Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Said tTaghmaoui, Eric Cantona, Tcheky Karyo.

Directed by John Woo.

In the 1970s and 1980s, John Woo was one of the key directors of action filmmaking in Hong Kong, with a distinctive style, arresting moments, framing and editing, elaborate action sequences.

The Killer was one of his most acclaimed films, a star vehicle for Chow Yun-Fat. Woo then moved to filmmaking in the United States, most strikingly in Face/Off with John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. While he continued to make some films in the United States, he also went back to China, a number of striking historical films.

In his mid-70s, he made this film, a remake of his 1989 film, this time focusing on action in Paris, and the killer being a young woman, Zee with a very troubled background, skilled in assassinations and escapes, disguises, under the control of a Rogue Irishman played by Sam Worthington who works for a crime boss Eric can turn. He is played by British actress, Nathalie Emmanuel, noted for being one of the stars of Francis Ford Coppola’s.Megalopolisa

There are very exciting set pieces in the John Woo manner. There are car chases, confrontations with criminals, quite an episode in a nightclub where a young American singer is wounded, hospitalised, but ordered for elimination. Zee takes compassion on her, pretends to be an American official just as the police come to interrogate. And the policeman is played by Omar Sy with his customary charm. He plays an officer with a chequered career record.

Quite some further complications, orders for assassinations, threats to Zee herself, money deals, a suspicious Arab prince, Zee wanting to protect the singer, threats to her own safety, ultimate confrontations.

While a world of hired assassins is amoral/immoral, the screenplay weaves human themes and conscience issues throughout.

21^st-century audiences will enjoy the film, characters, drama, action –   but many old-timers and critics, probably expectedly, wrote it off as not to be compared with the original.

1. The films of John Woo, in Hong Kong, in the US, in the 20^th century, later films, this remake, 2024?
2. The Paris settings, the views of the city, landmarks, the streets, buildings, car chases, bikes, stunt work and special effects? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Zee, her story, family, exploited, criminal, the revenge on her pimp shooting him, her skills, becoming a hired killer, Finn as her controller, her lonely life, her friendship with the tailor, his making the suit for her, her commission to go to the club, the disguise, suit and hat, searched, Jen singing and her fascination, the confrontation with the criminals, her weapons concealed, the violence of the deaths? Jen hitting her head, going blind? Her escape?
4. The de-consecrated church, the candles and her lighting them for her victims, the images of the crucifix, the way it was filmed, commenting on the action, the Christian symbolism? The empty church, the birds, her going to pray and reflect, the meetings with Finn?
5. The criminal background in Paris, the boss, dealings, ruthless, international connections, his control, known to the police, his moods? His working with Finn? The Prince? The plane, the robbery of the drugs, Finn concealing them?
6. The police, the drug situation, the criminal world, their knowledge, political pressures? The role of the Prince and their shielding him?
7. Sey, his integrity as a police officer, his career, memories of being shot and the revelation that it was Zee who shot him? His partner, the shootouts and chases, his partner wounded, his wife pregnant? The bond between them? The disillusionment of his final betrayal, setting up Sey, snipers, his standing on the spot as target, Zee saving him, shooting the assassin?
8. Sey and his investigations, his relationship with the authorities, his skill with the gun, pursuit, in the car, crashing into the drug dealer, the confrontation, shooting, pursuing him, the confrontation at the water’s edge, his being shot? The further revelations of his drug deals, the stealing of the drugs, the friendship with Jen, listening to her song, her having the information?
9. Sey, the orders to kill Jen, her compassion because of the blindness, the story, pretending to be the American Embassy official, changing her mind about the lethal injection, present at the interview with Sey? His realisation of who she was, her disappearing? Finn and his continued demands that she kill Jen? The hospital, the return, the assassins, corrupt police, on the bike, edging them off, rescuing Jen, the shootout in the hospital? Taking her to a safe place? The discussions about her background, the information, in the church?
10. Finn, with the boss, the boss challenging him, his death? Finn, the other assassins, the women assassins?
11. The buildup to the confrontation with Zee, the abduction of Jen, the bargaining, the information about the drugs? The pursuit, the confrontations, the exploding of the drugs?
12. The fights, choreography, in the church, the female assassin, overcoming her, the rescue of Jen?
13. The finale, the setup, to shoot Sey, the revelation of his friend’s treachery, Zee and her shooting the assassin?
14. Sey and the authorities, his taking a stand, refusing the award, wanting integrity? The meeting with Zee, the possibility of her change and a respectable future?
15. The issue of crime, hired killers, ethics and morality, the lack of morality, but the possibility for human compassion?

SILENT NIGHT

US, 2023, 104 minutes, Colour.

Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres.

Directed by John Woo.

Movie buffs will have great memories of Hong Kong director, John Woo. He was prolific in the 1970s, came to greater attention with his crime thrillers, violent action and stylish filmmaking in the 1980s, making his mark in the US in the 1990s, especially with Face/Off, moving then to a range of films but many focusing on Chinese history.

Now he is back in the USA (though filming in Mexico with a Hispanic team), very much as we used to appreciate him but this time with a great difference. His title is Silent Night, and the Christmas Carol does play in the early part of the film as well as, ironically, and more forcibly in the violent climax. However, he puts the emphasis on Silent. This is very much a silent film. We hear only four words throughout the film (and, unfortunately/realistically, the perennial four letters) – but there are all the sound effects and some muted musical score. This is something of a tour de force, audiences gradually realising that they are not going to hear word spoken, but, as in the old silent days, communication by facial expression and, strongly, by body language.

John Woo turned seventy six while he was filming Silent Night. But he does not seem to have lost any of his verve, especially in staging chases, shootouts, martial arts training, violent fights and spectacular climaxes. All here.

The action focuses very much on Brian, played by Joel Kinnaman. We see him running at first, desperate, looking at a red balloon, hurrying down streets, encountering two cars and a shootout, finally cornered, a tattooed criminal confronting him, shooting him in the throat. But, he survives, unable to speak.

While this must have been a great challenge to Kinnaman and his acting skills, he is completely convincing, recuperating, tensions with his loving wife and her leaving him, the introduction of flashbacks to his playing with his young son and the tragic revelation of what happened.

But, this is a revenge drama, Brian going into vigilante action, audiences sympathetic to the calling to justice of the criminals but also wondering about the destructive effect on the psyche and moral behaviour of a man out for vengeance. On his calendar, he marks Christmas Eve 2022 as the day of vengeance, the anniversary of the death of his son. And, for months, we see him training, using video programs, martial arts, weapons, buying and fortifying a car.

Apart from the criminals, the other main character is a local detective, played by Scott Mescudi (in no way of relying on his musical identity, Kid Scudi).

As mentioned, John Woo has not lost his pace, and this is particularly so in the violent and ultimately fiery climax, high body count, choreographed fights, and Brian turning into something like a human Robocop (and then this reviewer suddenly remembering that in the remake of Robocop, Robocop was indeed played by Joel Kinnaman).

Obviously, a film for the fans rather than for audiences who shun the sight of blood (in close-up early in the film during the throat surgery)!

1. Title, the Christmas him, played at the beginning, during the climax? Christmas Eve, Brian and his being unable to speak, silent vengeance?
2. The career of John Woo, his heyday in Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s, the US in the 1990s, mixture of films, making this film at age 76? His themes, his style, pace, action?
3. The introduction, Brian and his desperate running, the balloon, the pursuing cars, the lanes, crashes, the rival gangs and shooting? His being trapped, shot in the neck?
4. The hospital sequences, reviving him, his wife’s presence and support, the visit of the detective? His being unable to speak? The scenes of rehabilitation, getting strength back, going home, morose, his son’s room, unable to speak, with his wife, her going to work, texting? Her giving up, packing, leaving? His later watching her and her painting?
5. His memories, the insertions in flashbacks, playing with his son, his wife taking photos, the drive-by, the violence, the shooting, his son’s death, Brian in desperate pursuit?
6. John Woo and his decision to have a silent film, communication by face and by body language, keeping the sound effects, more subdued music, Silent Night, some texting, only a few words heard? The equivalent of a silent film and its drama, communication, audience response?
7. Brian going to the police, the office, the range of photos, criminals, most wanted, his taking photos of them all, leaving, putting them on the wall of his workshop? His decision for vengeance, the film as vigilante vengeance? The effect on the criminals? The effect on the vigilantes himself?
8. Buying the car, driving, speed, turns and twists? His bodybuilding, studying the video, the dummy, weapons, building himself up over the months? The calendar, the aim for Christmas Eve, the anniversary of his son’s death? To kill everyone?
9. Taking photos, surveillance, his killer and the girlfriend, luxury, the drugs? The drug deals, the money people? The range of thugs?
10. His abduction of the money man, tying him up, freeing him, the fight, wounds, defeating him, finding him and leaving him at the detective’s door? Map and indications? The effect on the detective, his mission, following through?
11. The climax, Brian becoming the human equivalent of Robocop? In the car, the shootings, in the middle of the gangs, his strengths, his limitations, worms? Infiltration into the building, setting the bomb and the fire, the shootouts?
12. The detective arriving, following through, intervening, confronting Brian, shooting the girl? His being wounded?
13. Brian, the threat of the girl, her malice, her death, going into the adorned room, seeing his adversary, the fight, wounded, killing the murderer, lying on the floor, with the detective?
14. The final sequences, moving from the violence, to the happy memories of former days, the son, his potential for growing up? Regrets, achieving his mission, death?