Displaying items by tag: Laurence Fishburne

THE AMATEUR

US, 2025, 123 minutes, Colour.

Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Caitriona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne.

Directed by James Hawes.

Based on a novel by Newsweek reporter, Robert Littel, The Amateur was first filmed in 1981 with John Savage and Christopher Plummer. It was the era of popular spy novels by Robert Ludlum in one wit suggested that this version of The Amateur is “Bourne Again”! Not exactly, action sequences yes, but the central character here, Charlie Heller, played by Oscar winner Rame Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody as Freddie Mercury) would not necessarily be the first choice for an action hero!

In fact, he plays a highly skilled IT expert, perhaps of the “nerd” variety, at home in his sealed office and IT centre, making contacts, tracking, identifying voices, but also discovering that some of the CIA authorities are conducting illegal black ops.

This is where a film version of CIA action in the 1980s has to give considerable way to a version in the 2020s. The developments of IT, social networking, mobile phones, instant connections, instant surveillance, storage of information.

But, Charlie Heller has a loving relationship with his wife, Sarah, Rachel Brosnahan, her going to a meeting in London and to his shock and horror, grief and obsession, discovering that she has been killed during a robbery, offering herself as a hostage for someone else, being shot.

Acceptance of this reality is not the first response of Charlie Heller. Rather, he becomes obsessed with revenge.

As action films go, Charlie Heller’s determination, going through some rigorous CIA action training, but not very good with the gun, is a driving force in this action. And, as a bonus, the audience is treated to a wide range of location action, London, Paris, Marseille, Istanbul, in Romania, the Baltic coast… And Charlie, not only identifying who the villains are, especially the one who pulled the trigger, but he is able to track them down, them, destroy them.

However, as with so many action films, there is the issue of the plausibility, and then the question of credibility. With the action moving fast, what about realism and practical details of food, rest, toilet breaks, money in the pocket, the functioning or not of IT equipment, travel and air tickets…? Audiences accepting omissions because of the action?

As always, there are some moral questions, complications. The role of the CIA, illegal and secret black ops in the name of patriotism, these agents being held to account, International criminal gangs, ruthless business and murders, and, with Charlie Heller himself, the obsession of revenge, motivations of vengeance, and his setting up killings parallel to the set-ups by the villains. And, with Rami Malek the amateur action hero grieving the death of his wife, rather than an all-conquering beefed-up agent, there is also some emotional challenging.

1. Action level of the 1980s? Updating to the 2020s? The transition to the world of IT and espionage?
2. The international settings, Washington DC, London, Paris, Marseille, Istanbul, Turkish coast, Romania, the Russian coast? And the world of the CIA? The musical score?
3. The realism of the plot? Plausibility? Credibility? Practical details of food, rest, toilet breaks, money, close change, travel and air tickets…? Audiences accepting omissions because of the action?
4. The introduction to Charlie and Sarah, at home, ease with each other, love, his work on the plane, not travelling, her going to London? The contacts, the phone calls? And the various flashbacks during the film?
5. Charlie, going to work, his car, the cards, security, his workplace, computers, programming, espionage, his link with the mysterious corresponded, ears, guessing where he lived? Istanbul? And the later contact, revelation of the truth, the man being dead, his wife continuing the communications, Charlie going to her, her collaboration, his eyes in pursuit of the criminals? That they have covered, the siege, the attack, her death?
6. The robbery in London, the dramatics, on the television news, the details, the Chiefs informing Charlie, his reaction? His being seen as something of a nerd, his help with The bear, summoned by the Chiefs, his hold over them, his information about the illegal ops? There confronting him? The meetings with Chief O’Brien? The later investigations, interrogation of Moore, the lunch with him, their deceiving her?
7. Charlie, obsessed, the motivation, his phone, Internet connections, wanting to be trained, work Henderson, the discussions, shooting practice, Charlie and his limitations? Later Henderson being used, following him in Paris, to Marseille, the confrontations, Istanbul, the fight, his being wounded? And is later reappearing?
8. Charlie and his ability to identify the criminals, the techniques, voices and matches, images? His decision to track them down?
9. Money issues, motivation, the travel to London, information, to Paris, identifying the woman, at the gym, the suffocation, the fight, her escape, it by the van? Charlie and the bus to Marseille?
10. Marseilles, tracking down people, business of Henderson, the bar, getting information?
11. The criminal, the pool, his money, the swimming, Charlie and the confrontation, the dynamics of the pool, the water, the pressure, the interrogation, the threats, the explosion and the deluge?
12. Charlie, in Istanbul, the contacts, the information about Romania, his travel, the setting up of the cargo, the confrontation with the criminal, the threat, the explosives?
13. Information about Russia, the travel to the coast, seeing the criminals, the boat, his being abducted, the interrogation, the criminal giving him the gun, his inability to shoot, the criminal indicating Charlie’s motivations and setting up deaths?
14. The delay, in Finnish waters, the arrests? Charlie vindicated?
15. Washington, Director O’Brien, the arrests of the Chiefs, their illegal ops?
16. Charlie, the car, Henderson reappearing, his going home, flying the plane? Achievement?

MEGALOPOLIS

US, 2024, 138 minutes, Colour.

Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Natalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shire LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Those who are old, who have lived a full life, deserve the opportunity to reflect on the past and what it has meant, to ponder the present and raise issues, to hope for the future. And this is what Francis Ford Coppola, memories of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has ventured, and the-the-top extravaganza into science fiction, futuristic fantasy, a megalopolis. It was released as Coppola turned 85. And, this review is written from the perspective of someone who is four months and one day younger than Coppola.

The setting is New Rome, a New York of the future, focus on the glitter of the Chrysler Building, other landmarks, but Coppola wants to highlight the decline of American society by likening it to the collapse, before the ultimate fall, of the Roman Empire. And the characters have evocative Roman names, Caesar, Cicero, Julia, Crassus, Clodio…

Coppola has gone for the spectacular, lavish sets, skyscrapers to a neo-coliseum with Ben Hur chariot rides and gladiator wrestling, but in the context of technological and communications developments. There is a powerful inventor of a new creative substance with multi-use, played by Adam Driver, a blend of the idealistic and the self-indulgent. He is the Caesar. There is t Mayor, Giancarlo Esposito, clinging to power. He is the Cicero. There is the ageing banker, Jon Voight, poised for a fall, manipulated by his crazy-ambitious grandson Shia LaBoeuf, and his manipulative wife, Aubrey Plaza. Voight is the Crassus. But, acknowledging the mundane glamour of media, Aubrey Plaza is Wow Platinum.

Dustin Hoffman plays a political manipulator and there are Coppola regulars from the past, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire (his sister) and Jason Schwartzman) his nephew).

This review will enlist the assistance of ideas from psychologist, Carl Jung. It suggests four different perspectives on how Megalopolis might read be viewed and reviewed – and may contribute to an understanding of why Coppola is intended epic has been a box office failure with barbs from critics.

If one looks at the film, really looks, sees the images, hears the music and sounds, is immersed in the sense atmosphere, there is much to dazzle, excite and admire. If one prefers to look beyond this sense excitement, to be excited by ideas, imagination, themes, the New York-N or ew Rome connections, then the film is a feast of intuitions.

There is the more subjective response, personal factors and connections, appreciations of Coppola and his work, the intrigue of the potential collapse of the American Empire, evaluation of the characters and performances, liked or disliked. And, on the other hand, there is a more objective judgement, the perspectives of critics, the question of whether Coppola’s vision is substantial or ephemeral somewhere in between. The issue of whether his insights have depth insight, the consistency of the screenplay, Coppola’s interpretation of the past, his assessment of the present, and the quality of his optimism for the future.

Megalopolis has not been popular with the wide audience, but it surely has its place in the history of cinema.

1. Status of the film? In the career of Francis Ford Coppola? Ambitious, an old man, in his early 80s, filmmaking, screenplay, reflections on message?
2. The visuals of the film, a future New York, New Rome, Chrysler building and reminders of New York City? Parallels with ancient Rome especially the Coliseum, wrestling and chariot races? The special effects, the stopping of time? The editing and pace?
3. The cast, mixture of the young and the veterans, the status they bring to their rules?
4. The use of names, the application of Caesar, Cicero, Crassus, Julia…?
5. The introduction to Caesar Catalina, setting the tone of the film, on the Chrysler building, on the edge, stopping time? His invention, the material and its use? As a person, the death of his wife, the blame, Cicero and the prosecution? His work, ambitions? His lifestyle, the drugs? The encounter with Wow Platinum and the affair? Her role in the media? The antagonism towards Cicero? Crassus and the banking? Clodio and his antagonism? The encounters with Julia, the connections with her father, her attitude, assisting him, managing, the relationship, the pregnancy, her decisions with her father, the baby and her bonding with Caesar? The experience of the banking failure, the consequences? The physical attack, his injuries, hospital, his recovery? His relationship with his mother, her outbursts, seeing her in the crowd at the end?
6. Julia, the initial introduction, the nightclub, her friends, the wildlife, drinking, drugs, sexuality, of relationships? Her relationship with her father? Her changing, the encounters with Caesar, on his side, managing him at events, PR, the relationship, the increasing complications, the pregnancy, the birth of the child? The culmination with her father, her mother, her final choices? The stopping of time?
7. Crassus, the banker, profligate life, drinking, the family, meeting with Wow Platinum, the marriage, her manipulation, the media and interviews, her brashness, with Caesar, opportunist, the marriage, with Clodio, teaming with him, the plan, the management of the bank, to bring down Crassus? His age, careless life, realisation of what was happening, feigning his illness, turning the tables on Clodio and Wow?
8. Cicero, the mayor, his wife, Julia as his daughter, his practice of the law, antagonism towards Caesar? His role in the city, his ambitions, the crises, the conflicts? Relationship with his daughter, the clashes, disappointments? The challenges and his various responses? Mediation, concessions? His reliance on his friend, and sharing the downfall?
9. Clodio, young, his friends, careless, dressing as the Roman woman, partying, yet ambitious, his friend and manipulation, resorting to violence, with Well, the connections, interviews with Crassus, bringing him down, his defeat?
10. Dustin Hoffman as the dealmaker, sinister, his remarks, insinuating, Cicero relying on him – Claudio and turning against him, his death?
11. The chauffeur, his being the narrator, his views on characters and situations, a measure of judgement?
12. The people of New Rome, the populace, the responses to the leaders, victims of the leaders?
13. The film as reflections of an old man, critique of the past, ambivalence towards the present, possible hopes for the future?