Displaying items by tag: Ron Perlman

SKIN TRADE

US, 2014, 96 minutes, Colour.

Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, Michael Jai White, Ron Perlman, Celena Jade, Peter Weller.

Directed by Ekaschai Uekribgtham.

Skin Trade is an action film focusing on human trafficking, especially in Asia.

This is very much a Dolph Lundgren film, not only acting in the central role but producing and cowriting. He has a history of action films. Also top billed is Thai martial arts actor, Tony Jaa, given the opportunity to develop a character in this film as well as the opportunity for many fights, including with Lundgren himself.

In many ways, that sets the tone of this dramatising of issues of human trafficking.

There are, some frightening visuals of the trafficking, a young girl in Cambodia answering an advertisement, full of hope, taken over by the criminals, drug, caged. Later in the film there is a sequence, ugly and dramatic, of rows and rows of cages with young girls trapped squalidly in them. On the other hand, there are the clubs in Thailand where these girls have to dance provocatively as well as the prostitution. At the end, there is information about the statistics of human trafficking.

However, it is very much an action film, Dolph Lundgren as a New Jersey detective, trying to track down a trafficking family led by Ron Perlman, through his sons, operatives in Asia, the younger son a student in the US, forced by his father to be violent but ending up killed when the gang go to a ship at the dock, raided by the police, and discover the dead bodies of many girls.

The detective is shot, his house burned down, his wife and daughter killed. Obsessed, he exits from hospital, gets his way to Cambodia, gets all kinds of information, tracking down the traffickers. However, he is under suspicion by the ties, which means that Tony Jaa, police, has to keep tracking Lundgren, eventually fighting with him.

As expected, there are lots of fights, shootouts, gruesome killings, and a final confrontation with the trafficking head villain – and the open end that Lundgren’s daughter was taken alive and has been sold into the trafficking world. A clear sign for a sequel – but there was none.

1. The title and expectations? Human slavery, international, Europe, US, Cambodia and Thailand?
2. Settings in Cambodia, the countryside, in Thailand, Citi sequences, countryside? The US, the American city, police precincts, the docks…? Musical score?
3. Human trafficking, the girl in Cambodia, confident, the invitation, the bus, taken, drugged, imprisonment? The various sequences showing so many girls imprisoned, caged?
4. Dolph Lundgren, producing, cowriting, starring? His career? Strongman? Detective, wife and daughter? Working with the police, the raid? The docks, the confrontation with give each, the death of his son, the revenge on his wife and daughter? The fire, his being shot, in the hospital, leaving, to Thailand?
5. The trek of each family, Victor, European background, Serbia, Russia, his sons, the celebration with his sons, their work, especially in Asia, ruthless? Favouring his son? At the docks, waiting for the shipment, the dead girls, the attack, his son proving himself, dead? Victor getting himself to Asia? His contacts, blackmailing, protection?
6. Police and detectives in the US, the discussions about the human trafficking, Costello, his position, involvement? Read, actively involved?
7. The credibility of Nick Cassidy and his quest, his injuries, getting to Asia, the connections, information, it into Cambodia, his skill in getting information, his perseverance, to find the drag of each son? His being pursued by Tony?
8. Tony Jaa, his reputation, martial arts, his character, with the police, confrontation with the traffickers? His fight sequences? His relationship with his girlfriend, her working in the club, the sequences in the club, the girls dancing, prostitution, clients? His suspicions of Nick Cassidy, pursuing him, the various fights?
9. Nick, tracking people down, the clubs, his violence, shooting the manager, rescuing the girls, the fight with the younger son?
10. The betrayal by the detective? Fights, death?
11. The reconciliation with Tony, their working together, the girlfriend, her being captured, under siege, though, at the airport, his of the sons and their deaths, the final confrontations, fights, helicopter, the rescue?
12. The threat to Nick, but his daughter had been taken from the fire, now part of trafficking?

THE INSTIGATORS

US, 2024, 101 minutes, Colour.

Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Jack Harlow, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman, Toby Jones, Ronnie Cho, Ving Rhames, Paul Walter Hauser.

Directed by Doug Liman.

This is a robbery story with a very strong cast, intended as an enjoyable pastime. Audiences might like to ponder who the actual instigators are in this story and what they were instigating in reality!

The setup is a buddy film, but two unlikely characters forced to work together, involved in a high-stakes robbery. We are introduced to the two, Matt Damon, always a solid presence, in therapy with his psychiatrist, Hong Chau, wanting an exact amount of money to be able to reunite with his son. By contrast, there is the alcoholic ex-conman played by Casey Affleck.

The situation is an election in Boston, Ron Perlman as the Mayor, corrupt, aiming for re-election against his ethnic rival, played by Ronnie Cho. The mayor is surrounded by his yes-men, especially his lawyer, played by Toby Jones.

In the meantime, there is a range of criminals played by Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina. They have the plan for the buddies, with the young nephew, to rob the vans carrying the money before it is delivered to the mayor.

They might be instigators but, of course, everything goes wrong. The money has already been transferred, they go into the Mayor’s office, still his keepsake with the number of his safe, a shootout, and escape in the van, chases through the city…

Ving Rhames appears as a corrupt police investigator.

When they are taken, there is a siege situation and the therapist is invited into mediate – enabling her to get out with some of the money to pay off Damon’s debt in view of a happy ending, and Casey Affleck escaping to Canada. The reason that they do escape and there is a happy ending is that the new Mayor, coming into possession of the money, anonymous money from the previous corrupt Mayor, is not declared and they can keep it as long as the two are not arrested and brought to court. So, off to Canada and happy ending.

The director is Doug Lyman (Bourne Identity, Jumper, Edge of Tomorrow), skilled at some action shows – but this is more relaxed for streaming audience.

1. Title? Robberies? Who were the instigators?
2. The Boston setting, the neighbourhoods, public spaces, the streets, car chases and pursuits, the mayor’s office, meeting places planning the robberies? The election – the rooms, corridors, social areas, the strong room with the safe? The musical score?
3. The situation, introduction to Rory, therapy with the doctor, her questions, his responses, his crisis? The situation with his son? The need for money?
4. The setting up of the robbery, the mind behind the robbery, his moods, dealing with his men, with Scalvo, young and inexperienced, the connections with Richie at the bakery? The plan, the testing of Rory and Cobby, details of the plan? The corrupt Mayor, as target, corruption and money?
5. Rory and Cobby, personalities, interactions, slow, the as matter-of-fact, the precise amount needed, the bargain with the boss?
6. The setup, the vans, the election night, the television news, the alternate candidate, Rory praising him, the presumption the corrupt Mayor would win? The scenes of the Mayor, his staff, tough tactics, reliance on his attorney, Alan Flynn?
7. The comedy of the robbery gone wrong, the timing, the amount of money, the earlier van taking the money, guns and shooting, confrontations, the little money in the safe, Rory and the bag, the shooting, the deaths, Scalvo dead? Cobby wounded?
8. Going to the doctor, the pressure on her, the discussion about her being a hostage, going with them, treating the wound, the consequences? Her later being chosen as the mediator for the hostages, her bargain with Rory and getting the money out under her uniform, helping Rory with his debt – but continually asking how he was feeling, especially during the negotiations? And copy finally returning to her?
9. The mayor, his cronies, the defeat, Cobby with the money, the various positions, having the code number to the mayor’s safe, his not being able to remember, the various combinations?
10. The boss, fleeing, contact with Richie, Richie and the interviews, sending the henchmen, tracking down Rory and Cobby, their escaping him? Frank, in the pay of the mayor, the dealings with Richie, his continued pursuit of Rory and Cobby? The finale and their doing the deal with him? And the final credits seen of the boss dead in the snow?
11. The vans, the pursuits, the desperation of the chase, guns, Cobby wounded again, his complaints?
12. The confrontation with the mayor, his desperation, the arrest, in jail?
13. The return to the scene of the crime, Alan Flynn present, to do a bargain deal, opening the safe, all the money? The dilemma, the doctor as mediator? The device for escape, throwing the safes out the window, the scattering of money everywhere, the crowd racing for the money?
14. Rory, finally, deciding to give himself up? The new mayor – and the information about the contracts, the new potential corruption? The two men let out, Rory going to see his son, reconciliation?