Displaying items by tag: Sofia Carson

CARRY-ON

US, 2024, 190 minutes, Colour.

Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Tonatiu, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, 'SinquaWalls, Curtiss Cook, Gill Peres-Abraham.

Directed by Jaume Collett-Serra.

Most audiences would be thinking of Carry-on luggage on planes. However, some British critics raised the objection that “Carry on” was sacrosanct with the series of broad comedies from the 1970s on with Sid James and the Carry on cast…!

This is an action story is set on Christmas Eve, reminding audiences that one of the most popular Christmas films was, in fact, Bruce Willis in .  Die Hard. This is very much in the Die Hard vein.

There is a violent opening, Russian drug dealers, confrontations and killings, and an abduction. Expectations are set. And, with Jaume Collett Serra as the director, with quite a number of action films during his career, especially with Liam Neeson (Non-stop, Run all Night, The Commuter), there are quite some complications and confrontations.

Then the focus is on the main character, Ethan, Taron Egerton (The King’s Man, also playing Elton John in Rocketman), working on security at LAX with his pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson) as an executive job. This gives the basis for the human element during all the dangers at the airport.

The film spends some time showing the workings of security and the staff at Los Angeles vast airport. Then Ethan finds himself pushing for a promotion, given a different desk which, it emerges, upsets the careful plan of the arch criminal, called The Traveller (heard at first, then seen as Jason Bateman calmly and relentlessly and implacably sinister). The aim is to get a bag with nerve gas through security without examination.

The film maintains its tension throughout, the focus on Ethan, the pressures, the threats to kill Nora, his racing through the airport many times, using his wits, the face-to-face with The Traveller, the passenger with the case…

In fact, the film builds up tension with the arrival of the LA police, Homeland security, suspension of security action, flights delayed, the locating of the case, the threat that the nerve gas could pervade the whole airport.

We hope that the scenario would be impossible in real life, but! In the meantime, for those who have celebrated Christmas too often with Die Hard, here is its successor.

1. Christmas crime and potential disaster movie? Action, characters, tension?
2. Los Angeles setting, LAX, outside, arrivals and parking, the interiors of the terminals, the offices? The van, communications with The Traveller? The musical score?
3. The introduction, the Russians, the money, the nerve gas, the killings, the reports? The abduction of the hostage, being held in the van?
4. Ethan and Nora, together, age, relationship, the stories of the backgrounds, police Academy, application and rejection, lying, about his father? Father’s career? Life together, travel to the airport, respective jobs? Nora and her challenger about the police Academy?
5. Ethan, character, hurrying, late, the head and his comments, preparations for Christmas Eve, Ethan asking for a promotion, friendship with Jason, Jason offering the change? The rest of the staff, Eddie, his music, his jobs? The security desks and monitors, the line of travellers, security, the baggage, the collage of personal criticisms and crankiness passengers?
6. The setup, The Traveller, first hearing his voice, the woman and the tray, the earpiece? The situation, The Watcher and everything under surveillance, the connections? Jason as the target, his home watched, the threats to his family? The transition to Nora, getting all the information about her? The Traveller using it?
7. The situation, airport security, Christmas Eve crowds, the threats? Audiences identifying with Ethan, listening, conversations, challenges, the threats to Nora, the phone and the message, cancelled and its later being checked? Unease, the information about the Traveller? The bag, the red tag, the mystery of the contents, its being let through?
8. The cat and mouse with The Traveller, personalities, his calm, control, eventually being seen, meeting with Ethan, their discussions, the threats?
9. Elena, police, the murders and investigation, the burning of the building, the recording, getting some information, deciphering the nerve gas name, googling? Her contacting the agent, his working with her, the revelation of his being a phony, the driving, the crash? Elena, the contact with Homeland, getting to the airport, taking control, the airport manager of the shutdown? List of 50 suspects?
10. Ethan, running through the airport, the lunch with Nora, tension, his hurting her, reconciliation? His changing the name on the list? His finding the case, the instructions for disabling the nerve gas?
11. The interviews, the threat to the chief, the passenger killing him? The deaths, his passing the ticket and message to Lionel, Lionel’s death? Jason, believing Ethan was wanting a promotion, the change of the drink, collapse?
12. The buildup to the tension in the airport, Elena and her control, the encounter with Ethan, his pushing her? With the passenger, the passenger and the earpiece, the fight, his death? Ethan and the swapping of the bags?
13. The passenger, controlled by The Traveller, care for his husband, killing the supervisor, collaboration, The Traveller urging him to kill Ethan, his death?
14. The change of plan, the different flight, Ethan with Nora, the plan, whether the plane should go or not, his getting to the plane, the baggage area, dismantling the nerve gas, The Traveller and his phone, going down, the fight, Ethan and his shrewdness, the final confrontation, the nerve gas in the freezer, The Traveller and his death?
15. The background of the politics, the politician and her move, companies and wanting contracts, a scenario of the nerve gas, her being killed by the Russians, no matter how many deaths – and the threat for the deaths in the airport itself?
16. Nora, the pregnancy, talk about the baby, later, happy baby, going to Tahiti, Jason and his family?

PURPLE HEARTS

US, 2022, 122 minutes, Colour.

Sofia Carson, Nicholas Galitzine, Chosen Jacobs, Linden Ashby, Anthony Ippolito.

Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum.

Purple Hearts is a romance of the 2020s. It was particularly successful, large audiences, when the truth is released to streaming on Netflix.

What makes it distinctive is that the love story starts with quite some hostility, the romance between Luke, Nicholas Galitzine (Mary and George, Idea of You), from a military tradition family, letting loose, stealing and smashing cars, drug addiction, in debt, deciding to join the Marines but not telling his father, and Cassie, alienated from her mother, very independent, playing the piano and singing, composing songs, leading a successful group, suffering from type I diabetes.

Plenty of complications for the relationship.

While there has been overt hostility between Luke and Cassie, they come together with a plan, she having no insurance and incurring debt for her rent and diabetes medications, he having to pay back the thug from whom you borrowed the money. The plan is that they should marry, receive insurance benefits, he came back his loan. They marry, he goes off to war, there are communications, Cassie composing songs (with significant lyrics throughout the film, songs are true composed and sung by the star, Sofia Carson).

Action, an explosion, a friend killed, Luke’s leg injured, the return, his father discovering the truth, recuperation. And Cassie having more success with her group and songs and performance the Hollywood bowl.

Then, the arrest, the judgement, Luke exhilarating Cassie, is going to prison and the emitting their love for each other. And, something of an idyllic happy ending hopes for the future.

1. Themes of the wall? Action? Heroism? Love?
2. The California settings, the boot camp, apartments, musical beings, the Hollywood bowl…?
3. The musical score, composed by Sofia Carson, performance? The lyrics echoing the themes?
4. Cassie’s story, growing up, her relationship with the mother, her mother’s boyfriends? Rebelling against her mother? Her music, piano, composition, performance? Her friends in her band, The Loyal? Performances, response? Fans, agents, further opportunities? Significance of her diabetes, lack of money, no insurance, the medication and bills, not able to pay the rent, refusing help from her mother? The pharmacies, her pleas?
5. Luke, his story, the marine tradition, his father, stern, letter of the law, his mother’s death, his brother, going to pieces, drugs, rebellion, taking his father’s car, smashing it, the loan to repay, joining the Marines, not telling his father? The training? His friendship with Frankie? Relationship with the other men? Going to the bar, the initial counter with Cassie? Hostility? The encounters with Johnny, the violent threats?
6. The plane, tentative, the meetings between Luke and Cassie, the proposition, the marriage, the insurance, paying for the diabetes medication, and his money to pay off the debt? Against the law, the risks? The meetings, the agreement? Difficult in view of Cassie’s clashes with commando and the other men?
7. The ceremony, Frankie, going to Cassie’s apartment, the night together, wanting to ignore it? Luke and his straight up-and-down attitudes? Cassie and her independence, female assertion, critiques of men? Luke having to move out, the farewell, keeping up appearances?
8. The letters, the video links, Cassie and her compositions, playing for the men, their response? Luke, the interactions?
9. Action, with the children, on parole, stepping on the mine, Frankie’s death, funeral, Riley and her grief, his parents, the rituals, Cassie giving Riley the ring?
10. Luke, wounded, his leg, his career in running, hospital? Cassie, performance, success, phone call, her searching for Luke’s brothers number, going to the house, father and son having same name, the father’s reaction? Receiving the Purple Heart?
11. Hospital, the revelation of the truth? The father, his reactions? Jake and his wife, the support? Is father offering to take Luke for rehabilitation twice a week?
12. The return home, keeping up the appearances? Luke is trying to run? Cassie and her further success, the Hollywood bowl? The attack on Cassie’s mother’s house, John and his sending a message to Luke, Luke confronting him?
13. Luke, the arrest, the case, Luke’s speech, accepting responsibility, exonerating Cassie? His going to prison, Cassie and her performance, driving fast, the family’s relief at her turning up, the farewell, admission of love?
14. The aftermath, the two together, romantic, on the beach? The future?
15. A story of initial hostility, friendship, gradual falling in love, mutual understanding?