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‘A Working Man’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

At 57-years-old, Jason Statham has made quite a career out of playing the Jason Statham character. Some might say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, I think it’s reached the point where it’s starting to become quite tedious and laborious to see him simply spinning his wheels with his film choices. Do his characters even need names or backstories? You can just call them, ‘The Jason Statham character’. His latest film, “A Working Man,” was directed by David Ayer, who collaborated with him on 2024’s “The Beekeeper.” While “The Beekeeper” was good fun, there isn’t a whole lot of entertainment value in “A Working Man.”

Statham stars as Levon Cade, a man with a background in the Royal Marines. After the death of his wife, he’s now working in construction for the Garcia family in Chicago. He is looking to keep a low profile, keep his head above water, and also spend some time with his daughter. She’s currently staying with his father-in-law who is not a fan of Levon.  As a matter of fact, he blames Levon for the death of his daughter, as she passed away while he was in combat. He’s trying to get more time with his daughter, but his father-in-law is not only extremely rich, but he’s fueled by anger and bitterness. He looks at Levon as someone who can’t control his anger and thinks violence is the only answer.

Arianna Rivas, Michael Peña and Jason Statham star in the film “A Working Man.” (OSV News photo/courtesy Dan Smith, Amazon MGM Studios)

One night, Jenny Garcia (Arianna Rivas), the only daughter of Joe and Carla (Michael Peña and Noemí González) goes missing when she goes out to celebrate an academic achievement. They suspect foul play is involved, so they look to Levon Cade for help, as they get a feeling that he has a background that might lend itself to helping them out. At first, Levon is hesitant to get himself involved in anything, as he says he’s a different person now. He decides to help them out because he’s having a battle for visitation rights over his daughter and he’s fiercely loyal to the Garcia’s who have helped and been patient with him during a difficult time in his life. 

From this point forward, you have a paint-by-numbers revenge flick where Statham is bound and determined to find the men and women responsible for Jenny’s disappearance. On paper, this might sound like a fun flick to sit back and relax while you shut off your brain. This would be true if we hadn’t seen this countless times over with Statham. Let me put it this way—Pizza is great, but if you start to have pizza every night of the week, it starts to make you feel sick. The bad guys in the film are these cheesy, over-the-top Russians who are laughable and can’t be taken seriously. You know what’s going to happen, but it takes almost two hours to reach our destination. I was long checked out of this film mentally by the time it was nearing its conclusion. 

I’m a fan of movies that are so bad, they’re good, but make no mistake about it, “A Working Man” is just bad. This film is all about the action sequences, the kills, and the explosions. I can’t sit through another Jason Statham film unless he plays against type, which I don’t see happening anytime soon.  I’d be happy to be proven wrong, but “A Working Man” is only for diehard Statham fans who want to seek out his entire filmography.  For everyone else, like me, who is feeling extreme fatigue from another Statham film with no imagination, bland kills and a lazy plot, you’ll be wise to skip this one.

* out of * * * *

4K Info: A Working Man is being released on a single-disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It has a running time of 116 minutes and is rated R for strong violence, language throughout and drug content. It also comes with a digital copy of the film.

4K Video Info: The 4K HDR transfer is incredible. The picture is clear, vivid, and full of color and life.  Even though the film isn’t much to watch from an entertainment perspective, it looks stunning in 4K.

4K Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos track really pops on this release as well, as it brings the film to life in your home theater.

Special Features:

NONE

Should You Buy It?

“A Working Man” is an A+ movie when it comes to the audio and visual aspects of this 4K release.  It looks mesmerizing, and it also sounds terrific.  Sadly, it’s a D movie.  Moving forward, unless Jason Statham makes a real effort to think outside the box with his film choices, I’m going to politely decline his future projects. I went into this movie with low expectations, as I thought it would be harmless fun, but instead, it’s just a dull, lifeless, and listless movie. Even though I enjoy the style of director David Ayer, this screenplay, which was co-written by Sylvester Stallone, is dead on arrival. The characters here are so vanilla and one-note. The writing is absolutely terrible. I don’t know if these were real Russians in the film or not, but they came across as fake and phony villains. They spend about 15 minutes setting up this plot and the rest is all in the chase, but I didn’t care about the chase because I barely had time to get to know these characters.  I know you might be tempted to seek this film out, as a late-night quality pleasure, but make no mistake about it: This film is only for fanatical Statham fans. 

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Companion’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

Hollywood is famous for reflecting what is happening in our world, especially when it comes to current events.  Everywhere we turn these days, we hear about artificial intelligence.  As someone who owns Apple products, I can have my emails and text messages summarized and changed in order to sound friendly, professional, or concise. My incoming emails can also be summarized for me. While I think certain aspects of artificial intelligence can be useful or interesting, it is like most things in life: too much of a good thing can quickly turn into a bad thing.  “Companion,” directed by Drew Hancock, is the latest artificial intelligence film from Hollywood.

“Companion” opens up by introducing us to Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and Josh (Jack Quaid) who have a meet-cute in a grocery store where he knocks over oranges.  At first, they seem like your normal, everyday couple who meet, hit it off, and fall in love.  Iris informs the audience of two pivotal moments in her life: the day she met Josh and the day she killed him. Iris and Josh meet up with Josh’s friends, Patrick (Lukas Gage), Eli (Harvey Guillén), Kat (Megan Suri), and Sergey (Rupert Friend). Sergey has a beautiful home with an even better view, so they look forward to a weekend of friendship, booze, and good times.  However, it doesn’t take long for things to take a turn for the worse when Iris ends up killing Sergey.

After this unfolds, all hell breaks loose for the remaining five characters. Speaking of the characters, they are unlikable and one-note. “Companion” was a low-budget film, as it was made for $10 million and takes place in essentially one setting.  However, a low budget film isn’t an excuse for lazy writing or poor character development.  These are not interesting people to spend time with, unfortunately. Josh is an insecure manchild who plays the victim card. Kat is an ice queen. Eli and Patrick are a one-note gay couple. Sergey is just a boring pervert. There isn’t a lot of meat on the bones with these characters.

The film doesn’t offer a lot of new insights or opinions on the issue of artificial intelligence, control, or how we view and treat each other or robots. It is clear Josh is abusing his relationship with his robot Iris, but we have seen films in the past where the robots look for revenge on their human counterparts because the humans treat them in an inhumane fashion. The discussion about abuse of power has been done to death in films, and this film falls flat after a promising start. Maybe I’ve become jaded to these films, but what else can really be said about the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence?

When I think of a great film on the subject of artificial intelligence, I think of 2014’s “Ex Machina.” I also think of the 2019 remake of “Child’s Play” and 2022’s “M3GAN.” The groundwork has been laid for these films in the past, and I know we have seen robots and humans in the “Terminator” franchise. I could go back even further, but you get the picture. “Companion” feels like a gimmick, and when a movie is a gimmick without a proper story or well-written characters, it feels like we have been there, done that. Plus, the market is so oversaturated with these films at the moment.  If you can count on Hollywood for anything, it is to take a popular idea and run it into the ground.  I think they need to let this genre breathe for a while and return with a new take on the genre.

Even though I’m aware this review sounds incredibly negative, there are certain aspects of the film I did like. I thought it was beautifully shot and had a tremendous soundtrack filled with banger after banger. The performance from Sophie Thatcher was fantastic, as she appears very fragile and vulnerable but also bad-ass and tough. It runs a brisk 97 minutes and is not bad to watch, but it doesn’t break any new ground.  It’s an average movie that is inoffensive and forgettable but well made. You won’t hate yourself for having watched it, but you won’t remember much about it after it’s over.

* * out of * * * *

4K Info: “Companion” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It has a running time of 97 minutes and is rated R for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout. There is a digital copy of the film included inside the 4K packaging.

4K Video Info: On 4K HDR, the film lends itself perfectly to the format with a striking and vibrant transfer.  A 2025 film like “Companion” stands out on 4K, as the picture quality is stunning.

4K Audio Info:  The Dolby Atmos track was top-notch throughout the course of the film, as I only had to adjust the volume twice when it was a little top heavy during a party scene. Subtitles are included in English, Spanish, and French.

Special Features:

I Feel, Therefore I Am

Love, Eli

AI Horror

Should You Buy It?

“Companion” is a film that doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to the subject of artificial intelligence in cinema, and it left me feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. When a film is low-budget, it needs to be high on ideas, but this one doesn’t have anything new to say about this subject matter.  The cast is full of likable actors, but their characters are one-dimensional and bland.  The kills are run-of-the-mill and ordinary.  There was clearly a lot of skill behind the camera, but this film needed a sharper screenplay to really set itself apart and allow it to stand out. The 4K with a slipcover offers a remarkable visual and audio experience, so if you did enjoy “Companion,” you will be happy with the presentation. You will also be pleased with the special features included here. For everyone else, I think you need to rent or stream the film first before you decide to add it to your collection. While the film has a high score on Rotten Tomatoes, it didn’t work for me.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Se7en’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

When it comes to 1990’s cinema, it’s difficult to find a film as popular or as well-received as “Se7en.”  It became part of the pop-culture zeitgeist when it was released, and it still is a film which elicits a strong reaction from audiences today.  Whenever people talk about it, they instantly quote Brad Pitt’s famous line of, “What’s in the box?”  The film also served as inspiration for the “Saw” franchise and was ahead of its time in terms of the true crime genre. Now, the film is celebrating its 30th anniversary on 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  This is sure to be one of the most popular 4K releases of the year.

“Se7en” opens up by introducing the audience to Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) who is one week away from his retirement before he is thrown into a case which captures his attention.  It starts off with a man who is found dead after being forced to eat spaghetti over and over again until he perishes.  Somerset teams up with a hot shot detective named David Mills, played by Brad Pitt.  He recently moved with his wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) to the city, and he’s looking to make a name for himself.  Somerset and Mills could not be more different in how they approach their jobs.

Mills has a short fuse and is ready to fly off the handle at anyone who gets in his way. He also doesn’t play by the rules.  Somerset is even-keeled, a deep thinker, and someone who believes you have to look at these cases as more than just black and white, crazy and sane. Before long, more murders are occurring, and the serial killer is murdering people based on the seven deadly sins. For Mills, he simply thinks the killer is a crazy person and writes him off as someone who is going to get caught and isn’t thinking straight. Somerset, on the other hand, sees there is a clear motive and agenda by the killer.

“Se7en” was one of my favorite films growing up. I was 10 years old when it was released, and I saw it when I was 15.  It was very much ahead of its time with its gritty, down and dirty filmmaking style.  When I watched it in 2025, I liked the film a lot and I admire the craft and precision which went into making it, along with the incredible performance by Freeman.  However, I do see some flaws in the film, such as Pitt’s performance.  Of course, his “What’s in the box?” scene has become a legendary meme, but he’s way too over-the-top here.  After a while, it becomes hard to spend too much time with his character.

I also wanted to learn more about Tracy, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.  Paltrow is a terrific actress, and her scenes with Freeman, especially at the diner, give the film some much needed levity. Her character isn’t given enough to do though, besides stay at home and just be written as a one-note character. She and her character deserved better. Going back to Pitt for a moment, I understand what he was going for with his performance, but he plays it too big.  In a serious movie like “Se7en,” it almost feels like his character doesn’t belong here. Freeman makes it look easy, and he’s able to portray all of his emotions on his face perfectly.   I understand the film was showing the contrast between the two characters, but it doesn’t work as well as I remembered it.

When it comes to films like “Se7en” which rely on a twist, they don’t always hold up as well on multiple viewings because the element of surprise is gone.  I still think it is a really good film though, and I enjoyed revisiting it on 4K.  The atmosphere and the sense of dread is on full-display from David Fincher.  The film also has a lot to say when it comes to its views on the world and the people in it.  While Mills believes he can make a change and clean up the world, Somerset is more realistic on what he can do and what the world is capable of as a whole.  It’s a film with some brainy ideas, but those ideas sometimes get lost in the middle of trying to solve the crime.

Overall, I still like “Se7en,” even though this might sound like a negative review.  I’m just not as enthusiastic about it as I was 10 or 15 years ago. I see more of the film’s flaws than I did in the past.  The second half, especially the big reveal, is still as powerful as it was upon its release.  The film works best when it allows its actors room to show off their acting chops and really get into the meat and potatoes of their characters.  I found the police work and the case itself not as interesting or multifaceted as I remembered it being in the past. “Se7en” is still a film worth revisiting and owning, despite some new flaws I’ve noticed along the way.

* * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “Se7en” is released on single-disc 4K Digibook or Steelbook from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  It comes with a digital copy of the film as well. It has a running time of 127 minutes and is rated R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language.

4K Video Info: “Se7en” is a dark and grisly film, and this specific visual aesthetic is perfect for the 4K format.  I don’t think anyone is expecting the film to look crisp, clear and colorful in 4K. The 4K is not as washed out or bright as the Blu-ray, and this is a good thing. It has a more film-like look to it, which is what I was hoping for with this 4K release. 4K is supposed to bring out the best elements of what the director was looking to achieve with the picture, and “Se7en” is a solid 4K release.

4k Audio Info: “Se7en” comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack for the film, which is consistent and steady throughout the course of the film.  This is a pretty quiet film with moments of loud and intense dialogue, but it never feels like it’s too much. Subtitles are included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Commentaries –

The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman

The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael De Luca, David Fincher

The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, Richard Dyer, David Fincher

The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, Richard Dyer, David Fincher

Deleted Scenes

Alternate endings

Still Photographs (featurettes) –

Production Design (featurette)

Mastering for the Home Theater (featurette)

Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Early Storyboards (featurette)

Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Rough Version (featurette)

Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Final Edit (featurette)

Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary One – The Concept – Designer Kyle Cooper (featurette)

Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary Two – The Sound – Brant Biles & Robert Margouleff (featurette)

Theatrical EPK

Should You Buy It?

“Se7en” is a must-own for physical media enthusiasts out there, but there is one problem with this release: the packaging.  If you are going to get the digibook, you should know the film is housed in a sleeve, which makes it very hard to take the disc out without touching the back of it.  As many of you know, 4K’s are easier to scratch and damage than Blu-rays.  While I appreciate the fact they tried something different with this packaging, they should have at least thought about the overall health of the disc. I would recommend you pick up the Steelbook release instead. I’ve noticed a lot of people are unhappy with the lack of updated special features, as these are the same special features that came with the Blu-ray. Special features on older films are not as prevalent in today’s releases as they were originally done during the height of DVDs and Blu-ray releases, and I think it’s important to remember that.  It costs money to interview the actors, and it’s not always easy to track them down for new interviews regarding older films they have done. While it would have been a nice addition to the 4K release, I understand it isn’t cost effective. The film looks sharp and the soundtrack is impressive. For the film itself, as stated in my review, it didn’t hold up as well as I remembered it, but it’s still a really good flick. This is a day-one purchase despite the less than stellar packaging options.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘North by Northwest’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

“North by Northwest” is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film of all time, which is no small feat and it’s not hyperbole.  It is my favorite film from the director because it is his most ambitious.  It has a running time of over two hours, and it is never boring, not even for a second.  It is wall-to-wall suspense, excitement and intrigue. The acting is also top-of-the-line.  Cary Grant has given a lot of great performances in his storied career, but he’s at his best in “North by Northwest” because he’s asked to juggle a lot and he’s also on screen for basically the entire movie. He goes from being cool, calm and calculated to being overwhelmed, frantic and verklempt.  He also has a terrific screen partner in Eva Marie Saint, who recently turned 100-years-old!  She’s a living legend.

Grant plays Roger Thornhill, an advertising executive who is about to have his world turned upside down when he is mistaken for a man by the name of George Kaplan. A group of thugs grab him and throw him into the home of Lester Townsend, who is really Phillip Vandamm (James Mason), a foreign spy who is into importing and exporting government secrets. They set up an elaborate ploy to frame Roger by getting him drunk and putting him behind the wheel of a car, causing him to have a drunk-driving accident.  In this situation, his own mother doesn’t even believe him, as it sounds made up.  It’s all true, and it’s up to Roger to clear his good name and put the pieces back together in this intricate puzzle.

In his travels, he runs into a young woman by the name of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), who takes a liking to Roger, even though his picture is all over the paper for a murder he didn’t commit.  Things have only gone from bad to worse for Roger at this point.  She is willing to help him out and they become romantically involved.  There’s more to her than meets the eye.  That is the beauty of “North by Northwest;” everyone is not who they appear to be upon first glance.  It keeps the audience guessing and it keeps the characters in the film guessing as well.  Hitchcock made a very smart film here which is occupied with very smart people.

Even though there is a lot going on in “North by Northwest,” it never feels complicated or overly convoluted. The film doesn’t need to explain every little thing to the audience, as it trusts that the audience is smart and able to keep up with everything happening on screen. It also doesn’t hurt when you have the legendary Cary Grant on screen, who is so effortlessly charming and fascinating.  He really rolls with the punches here, as Hitchcock puts him in all types of unique and challenging settings, including the crop-dusting scene and a near-death experience on Mount Rushmore.  Hitchcock, who was notoriously tough on actors, has said his favorite actor to work with was Grant.  It’s easy to see why as they made movie magic on screen together.

Saint is sizzling on screen with her sex appeal, confidence and charisma.  She more than holds her own in her scenes with Grant. They go tit for tat with one another, and she smolders on screen.  Whenever they are on-screen together, it’s impossible to ignore their charisma and chemistry. They play off each other so well. James Mason is a great bad guy with depth and complexity and he doesn’t overplay it and is never cheesy or silly.  Mason knows less is more, and he knows how to read his lines in a way where he’s cooler than the other side of the pillow.  He is too good of an actor to just play this role as a typical movie bad guy, and he gives this character sophistication and elegance.

“North by Northwest” is one of those rare movies where you never want it to end.  As soon as it starts, it grabs you and never lets you go.  I didn’t want to get up to use the bathroom during this movie, as I didn’t want to miss anything happening on screen. There is no wasted movement in this film.  Everything adds up to something and means something.  Every single character has a purpose, whether it is to enhance the story or the tension.  I don’t like to use the word “perfect” too often, but when it comes to a movie like this one, it is absolutely perfect from start to finish.  It’s one of my favorite films of all time.

* * * * out of * * * *

4K Info: “North by Northwest” is released on a single 4K disc from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It also comes with a digital copy of the film as well. The film has a running time of 135 minutes and is unrated.  It comes with either a 4K slipcover or a 4K steelbook.

4K Video Info: This is not only one of my favorite films, but also one of my favorite 4K discs of 2024. The picture quality is stunning and breathtaking.  The HDR brings out all of the beautiful colors on display. Warner Brothers has done an incredible job of making this film look vivid and colorful.  Wow! It is all about the details here, and they left no stone unturned in making sure “North by Northwest” was brought to life.

4K Audio Info: The Dolby Atmos soundtrack also adds the right amount of suspense and excitement to the proceedings.  It’s a great audio track which really makes you feel like you are in the film.  Subtitles are included in English, Spanish and French.

Special Features:

Audio Commentary featuring screenwriter Earnest Lehman

North By Northwest: Cinematography, Score and the Art of the Edit Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest

The Master’s Touch: Hitchcock’s Signature Style

North By Northwest: One for the Ages

A Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock

Should You Buy It?

HELL YES! This is a film that needs to be bought immediately and, lucky for you, there are two ways to own it—the standard 4K slipcover or the impressive looking 4K steelbook. Even though the special features have been ported over from the Blu-ray, these are lengthy and informative, and they add a lot of context and insight into the film.  If you loved this movie, you want to know as much about it as possible. As far as the audio and the visuals of the 4K, this is why I love 4K and why I champion this format so much as a movie lover.  My wife and I watched this together on a Friday night and we were transfixed by the film, the mesmerizing visuals and the incredible audio.  Warner Brothers knocked it out of the park with this release. This release gets my highest level of recommendation.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Trap’ Movie and 4K Review

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

The following review was written by Ultimate Rabbit correspondent, Tony Farinella.

It’s interesting how timing can work when watching movies, as I recently checked out “The Sixth Sense” on 4K with it being its 25th anniversary.  “The Sixth Sense” is one of my favorite films from M. Night Shyamalan along with “Unbreakable.” These two are great reminders of what he can do when he’s in the right headspace creatively.  He knows how to hook an audience into his films with suspense and tension.  Lately, however, he has struggled to consistently craft a satisfying conclusion to his films. He’s one of the most polarizing filmmakers today because he relies so much on a “twist” ending and not every movie needs to live and die with a twist.  After all, if you are expecting a twist, is it really a surprise?

With his latest film, “Trap,” he sets the scene in a large arena where a father named Cooper, played by Josh Hartnett, is taking his young daughter to a concert.  Cooper sticks out like a sore thumb in this venue as he’s one of the few men at the concert, and he’s also 6’3″. He doesn’t exactly blend in with the crowd.  He’s also very uneasy at this concert and looks quite uncomfortable. His daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) notices her father keeps leaving his seat and appears hypervigilant of his surroundings.  If you have seen the trailer, it’s not a spoiler to reveal the concert is a trap for a killer known as The Butcher. It’s also not a spoiler to reveal The Butcher is also Cooper.

The film then turns into a cat and mouse game as Cooper must find a way to escape the concert and stay one step ahead of security as well as an FBI profiler, played by Hayley Mills. They have security and police at every exit as they have planned for The Butcher to attend this concert, and this is their chance to finally catch him.  On paper, this sounds like an interesting and fun premise for a film, especially considering its venue. He has to interact with various security guards, vendors and even parents. How is he going to remain incognito and avoid being arrested? I can see how it would initially capture an audience’s attention.

The biggest issue with “Trap” is the fact that so many of the characters act incredibly dumb and make it quite easy for The Butcher/Cooper to outsmart them.  The film would work if he was smart, quick on his feet and clever, and he also had to deal with various roadblocks and obstacles.  Instead, he meets a t-shirt vendor who basically tells him everything that is going on and also reveals the security code.  Why are the people in this movie so stupid? They seem completely oblivious, which makes his job so much easier.  After a while, I just started to laugh at Trap because I couldn’t take any of this seriously, especially Hartnett with his cheesy nice-guy smile.  It’s an over-the-top performance in a poorly written movie.

The concert is for Lady Raven, played by Saleka Shyamalan, M. Night’s daughter. This definitely felt like it was a vanity project for his daughter to show off her musical skills. Another issue with was how Cooper seemed to have the ability to appear and reappear without any explanation, whatsoever. I’m all for suspending my disbelief at the movies, but this movie asked too much of me as a viewer. As stated earlier, it became laughable after a while.  There are a ton of plot holes, and it’s impossible to ignore them as they are completely implausible. The ending is also completely ridiculous as, once again, people who are supposed to be smart, well-trained professionals act in ways which only serve the plot instead of supporting the intelligence of the character or the profession.

“Trap” is one of the worst films of 2024 because it’s a big budget movie with big ideas, and they should have treated the audience with more respect and intelligence. This film is lazy.  It almost feels like M. Night Shyamalan is trolling the audience at this point.  He knows how to make movies look great on screen, and he gets all of the little details right in terms of the technical aspects. However, he overlooked the most important part of any movie, which is the screenplay.  Since he’s the writer/director here, the screenplay being a stinker falls solely on his shoulders. This was a huge disappointment.

* out of * * * * 

4K Info: “Trap” is released on a single-disc 4K from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. It comes with a digital copy of the film as well. The film is rated PG-13 for some violent content and brief strong language and has a running time of 105 minutes.

4K Video Info: The Dolby Vision 4K transfer is quite striking, especially during the concert scenes. The dark blacks set a moody and atmospheric environment.  The film looks fantastic on 4K, and it’s a top-notch visual experience. I don’t have anything bad to say about the film from a visual or audio standpoint.  It’s the film itself.

4K Audio Info:  There is also a fantastic Dolby Atmos soundtrack featured here with subtitles in English, Spanish and French. It really pops during the tense moments and also during the musical numbers.  I think that is why the film was such a disappointment for me as a viewer, as it looks and sounds so good.

Special Features:

Setting the Trap: A New M. Night Shyamalan Experience

Saleka as Lady Raven

Deleted Scenes

Extended Concert Scene: Where Did She Go

Should You Buy It?

I’ve noticed “Trap”has elicited a love it or hate it response from a lot of filmgoers. This falls under the category of, “For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.”  If you did enjoy “Trap,” this is a top-notch 4K experience from an audio and visual perspective.  It looks and sounds fantastic.  If you haven’t enjoyed the latest offerings of M. Night Shyamalan, this film is not likely to be in your wheelhouse.  I found the film to be laborious, silly and laughable. It started off with such promise and then it went completely off the rails.  It’s not so bad, it’s good.  It’s just bad.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this film from Warner Brothers to review for free.  The opinions and statements in the review are mine and mine alone.

‘Deadfall’ is an Effective Thriller with Strong Performances and Beautiful Cinematography

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Deadfall movie poster

“Deadfall” is a riveting thriller which held my attention from beginning to end, and sometimes that’s all I ask of certain movies. This one came out under the radar back in 2012, premiering on VOD first and then debuting in a few theaters, and it is no surprise in didn’t catch on with audiences as a result. But while it may not break any new ground in the crime drama genre, and I did have a couple of issues with the script, I did admire the performances from the entire cast. Also, director Stefan Ruzowitzky does strong work in keeping the level of tension high throughout the proceedings, and this is enough for me to give the movie a solid recommendation.

“Deadfall” opens with Addison (Eric Bana) and his sister Liza (Olivia Wilde) driving through a snowy landscape while on their way to the Canadian border. They have just robbed a casino which didn’t go exactly as planned (things like that never do), and their situation gets even more precarious when their car crashes which forces them to split up. The car crash which opens the movie is a hair raiser and pretty nasty, and it reminded me of how deer are more fascinated with oncoming headlights than they have any right to be.

Meanwhile, Jay (Charlie Hunnam) has just been released from prison and is contemplating the possibility of meeting up with his parents June (Sissy Spacek) and Chet (Kris Kristofferson) for Thanksgiving dinner. But things get bad for him as well after he accidently injures a former colleague severely, and he ends up on the run rather than run the risk of going back to jail. While driving through blizzard conditions he comes across Liza who is shivering due to the lack of warm clothes, and he quickly saves her from freezing to death. From there, you know all these characters’ paths will eventually cross with one another by the movie’s end.

The first thing I want to point out is how beautiful the cinematography in “Deadfall” is. It was shot in Canada and director of photography Shane Hurlbut does incredible work in capturing the snow’s beauty as well as how unforgivingly punishing it can be. Even as I watched this in a very nice air-conditioned screening room, I found myself wanting to put my jacket on. This became even more so while watching poor Olivia Wilde walk through a blizzard while wearing a miniskirt. After watching her in “Deadfall,” you cannot say she is not brave actress.

As for the performances, the best one was given by Eric Bana as Addison. The actor has left an indelible impression on us in movies like “Chopper,” “Black Hawk Down” and “Munich,” and he makes Addison a very charming bad guy. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Addison’s a psycho and someone we would all be best to keep our distance from but you can also understand why some of the characters in “Deadfall” hang out with him a lot longer than they should. Bana proves to be very unpredictable in the role, and you can never be sure at certain times if he’s going to be naughty or nice.

Wilde also delivers a strong performance as Liza, and she once again proves what a fiercely intelligent actress she is. Throughout “Deadfall,” we watch as she takes Liza from seeming like a lost girl to becoming a person whose confidence in their self continues to build. The relationship Liza ends up developing with Jay helps start the process of freeing her from Addison’s Svengali hold, and Wilde creates a fascinating portrait of a woman who manages to come into her own by the movie’s end.

Charlie Hunnam, best known for his work on the television show “Sons of Anarchy,” looks appropriately tough in the role of Jay. As we watch him getting released from prison at the movie’s start, he looks more than capable of boxing any opponent into complete submission. But the strength of Hunnam’s performance comes from those shades of vulnerability which his character cannot keep hidden. While prison has made him hard, it has not robbed him of his soul. Jay has made some foolish mistakes in his life, but Hunnam makes you care about him to where you cannot help but be deeply involved in his plight.

Kate Mara is also very good here as police officer Hannah, but she is unfortunately saddled with a father who treats her poorly because she’s a girl. Treat Williams plays Hannah’s dad, but while he’s always good, his character feels like an unnecessary addition to “Deadfall.” All we see him do is talk down to his daughter even when we can tell she is absolutely right about everything she sees going on. It’s the stupidity of characters like which really gets on my nerves.

You also have to give credit to Ruzowitzky for taking the time to cast Sissy Spacek and Kris Kristofferson as Jay’s parents. It’s astonishing to realize these two actors have never worked together before, and they bring an authentic down to earth flavor which helps ground the movie’s story in a reality we can recognize. Kristofferson’s part is a little underwritten, but it’s still fun to watch him here.

“Deadfall” ends on a somewhat frustrating note as there are a lot of loose ends left over and the fates of certain characters are left unresolved. Still, I found it to be a very entertaining movie thanks in large part to the terrific performances of the entire cast. And yes, the cinematography was incredibly beautiful, and especially for a movie which cost only $12 million to make. It alone reminds me to bring layers of clothing the next time I visit a blizzard-ridden city as I have been spoiled by the sunny California weather for far too long.

* * * out of * * * *

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW I DID WITH STEFAN RUZOWITZKY FOR WE GOT THIS COVERED.

Brian De Palma’s ‘Domino’ is Not One of His Best Movies, But Not One of his Worst Either

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Domino 2019 movie poster

BRIAN DE PALMA HAS A NEW MOVIE OUT. Now that last sentence was capitalized because I’m fairly certain most of my friends do not know this, and they are big fans of De Palma’s work. His latest film is “Domino,” not to be confused the late Tony Scott’s 2005 film of the same name, and it is being released quietly in a few theaters and on VOD on May 31st. Because of the lack of any real fanfare, many are calling this film “lesser De Palma” even before they have had a chance to view it. Even De Palma doesn’t seem all too excited about its release and is instead more interested in talking about what a difficult and horrible production it was. Now this is not the way you want your movie to open.

Well, I agree that “Domino” belongs in the “lesser De Palma” category, but having seen it twice, it’s actually better than you might expect. Yes, this was an underfunded production, and the movie is a standard cop revenge one we have seen many times before, but it still contains moments which quickly reminded me of what a master filmmaker De Palma can be when he is given the freedom to unleash his cinematic magic.

Things start off in Copenhagen on June 20, 2020. Why this movie takes place in 2020 is never made clear, but anyway. We are introduced to police officers Christian Toft (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Lars Hansen (Soren Malling), and we quickly discover they have been partners for quite some time to where they see one another as family. Even Lars’ wife, Hanne (Paprika Steen), sees Christian as a son, and the closeness they all feel with one another is quite palpable.

But this partnership is brutally destroyed one night when Christian and Lars investigate a domestic disturbance which has them arresting suspected ISIS member Ezra Tarzi (Eriq Ebouaney). While Christian is checking out a crime scene, Ezra breaks free of his handcuffs, attacks Lars and slashes his throat in the process. Christian gives chase, but Ezra ends up being taken away by men who have other uses for his violent talents. Regardless, Christian vows to avenge the attack on Lars and promises to bring Ezra back to face justive.

Clearly this is a straightforward revenge flick, but other layers are added to the plot as we are introduced to duplicitous CIA agent Joe Martin (Guy Pearce) who intends to use Ezra for his own needs such as using him as a pawn to catch other ISIS members. Then there is another Copenhagen cop, Alex Boe (Carice van Houten), who is eager to bring down Ezra as well and for reasons which we will eventually become clear. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but here it comes with an endless set of complications which will lead to many, many lives being threatened.

The attack on Lars leaves Christian riddled with guilt as he made the mistake of leaving his gun behind at home, forcing him to borrow Lars’ and leaving his partner defenseless. I tell you, if this were an American cop, the gun would never have been forgotten or left behind. It would have been remembered because Americans are a little too much in love with their guns, you know? Perhaps the Danish are a bit more relaxed with guns or, better yet, they have better way of dealing with gun control policies than Americans do.

While “Domino” fails to have the same production values which are evident in De Palma’s best work, there are still moments which remind us of what a master filmmaker he can be and how brilliant he is in ratcheting up the suspense. This especially is the case in the movie’s climax in which Christian and Alex chase down a team of ISIS terrorists who are preparing to set off a bomb in an arena. As things escalate to an explosive conclusion, De Palma keeps us on the edge of our seats through some brilliant editing and the music of one of his favorite composers, Pino Donaggio.

De Palma also utilizes split screens here and there, particularly in a terrifying moment when a female suicide bomber lays waste to a red-carpet event with a machine gun. The thought of death terrifies her, but she is endlessly manipulated by ISIS leader Salah Al Din (Mohammed Azaay) who promises her a road to God no one else can give her. Of course, it’s quite telling how he is willing to let others meet God before he does, or maybe he is simply getting others to do things he doesn’t have the guts to do himself.

Some will be quick to point out how stereotypical the terrorists are in “Domino.” Granted, they do fit the stereotypes many people have of Middle East terrorists, but I personally don’t see how you can judge an entire race of people or an ethnicity just from the portrayal of a handful of them in a movie. Then again, this is not a movie eager to dig too deep into the politics or deeply held religious beliefs. It is simply a straightforward thriller eager to give us an exciting, if not altogether memorable, time at the movies or at home on television which is where “Domino” will likely find its biggest audience.

The acting for the most part is serviceable. Coster-Waldau is believable as a cop plagued with guilt, and he gives the movie the protagonist it needs. Ebouaney helps to make Ezra more than the typically stereotypical terrorist as his acts of violence serve a similar need for vengeance involving his own family. It’s always great to see Carice van Houten in anything, and she makes Alex a strong female cop and an interesting foil for Christian. But perhaps the most colorful performance in “Domino” comes from Guy Pearce as the corrupt CIA agent who thinks nothing of working with terrorists to get what he wants, or of the laws being broken in the process. Pearce is a delight to watch as he swiftly moves from one place to another with relative ease and without ever breaking a sweat.

Indeed, “Domino” will not go down as one of De Palma’s best works, but I am glad to see it is far from being one of his worst. It certainly fares much better than “Snake Eyes” which, despite an amazing opening shot, quickly turned into a hopelessly idiotic mystery thriller. It is taut, has a streamlined running time, and while its ending feels a bit too pat, it gets the job done. Although this movie is getting dumped alongside blockbusters such as “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Rocketman,” it is not the complete loss many have made it out to be.

In the documentary “De Palma,” the filmmaker talked about how he feels he can no longer make a studio movie. I thought “Domino” would be his ticket to escaping the shackles Hollywood executives are quick to put any filmmaker regardless of their long-standing reputation, but judging from the behind the scenes stories, it sounds like he didn’t quite break free of them. Regardless, this movie shows he still has his gifts. While many see him as being past his prime, I still believe he has a masterpiece or two left in him. I just hope whoever he works with next gives him the tools he needs instead of forcing him to make do with only what he has been given.

* * * out of * * * *

Exclusive Interview with Guillmero Amoedo About ‘The Stranger’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Guillermo Amoedo photo

Uruguayan writer and director Guillermo Amoedo has left a solid mark on Chilean audiences with his short films and movies, and he was a co-writer on the Eli Roth productions of “Aftershock” and “The Green Inferno.” In 2014, he left his mark on American audiences with the supernatural thriller “The Stranger.”

Cristobal Tapia Montt stars as Martin, a mysterious man who arrives in a small Canadian town to look for his wife. The reasons why Martin seeks her out become clear as the movie goes on, but he quickly discovers she has died and decides to commit suicide as a result. But after he is viciously attacked by a trio of criminals, the incident soon has a snowball effect on the whole town, and its inhabitants soon find themselves ensnared in a nasty bloodbath many of them will be unable to escape.

I got to speak with Guillermo about “The Stranger” and of how he came up with the idea for it. Although it his film, Eli Roth’s name is heavily featured on the movie’s advertisements and it had me asking Guillermo how much the “Hostel” director was involved in its making. Guillermo also discussed how Cristobal was cast, of how a particularly brilliant vampire movie became a strong inspiration for “The Stranger,” and of how family always plays a big part in horror films.

The Stranger 2014 movie poster

Ben Kenber: What was the genesis of “The Stranger’s” story for you?

Guillermo Amoedo: Well it was an idea that I had five years ago in between scripts. It came actually from the idea of what kind of vampire movie I would like to see. I’m actually not a vampire movie fan, but I saw a vampire film called “Let the Right One In.” I really loved the way it is designed by genre and I really loved the way they treated the subject, and I wanted to do something very grounded in the kind of vampire films that I would like to see; more grounded and more character driven than the ones that are out there right now. I wanted to take the tone of that film and make it more grounded, but then also make it my own kind of story that was more of a character driven story about this guy who has to choose between his own family or humankind. I like this kind of character that had this deep moral conflict inside of them and has to make the tough decisions.

BK: On the surface, “The Stranger” looks like a vampire movie, but it also has elements of a ghost movie as well as supernatural elements as well. Was it always your intention to mix up genres with this movie?

GA: Yeah, that was the idea. It has of course some supernatural elements, but it’s more about the people than it was about the supernatural powers. That’s why I wanted to make all the supernatural stuff as minimal as possible. They don’t have wings, they don’t fly, they just have some stuff from the vampire mythology but they’re actually pretty human.

BK: “The Stranger” has Eli Roth’s name on the top of this movie’s advertisements and I know that you worked with him previously on “Aftershock.” What part did he play in the making of “The Stranger?”

GA: Well he helped a lot in the development of the script and had a lot of notes. He also helped us a lot in post-production with different cuts and ideas. He was involved in different stages of this process. This is the fourth film where we have been involved with Eli and we have a very friendly collaboration process with him.

BK: I really enjoyed Cristobal Tapia Montt’s performance as Martin and I love how he holds the audiences’ attention just with a single stare. What was it like directing him in “The Stranger?”

GA: He was amazing. Originally the script was written for someone older, much older, like 45 or 50 years old. But then before doing the film I made a short film and I casted him for it. I changed the age of the character in order to cast him, and he did such a wonderful job that I changed everything so he could play the role of Martin. He’s a terrific actor. He has a lot of experience working in Chilean films and TV, and I hope he can have more opportunities in the future.

BK: I liked that, as a writer, you didn’t go out of your way to spell out everything in the movie’s story for the audience. As a writer, how important is it for you to keep secrets from the audience?

GA: Well I think it has to be a balance of how much you can tell without revealing everything, but you also don’t want to reveal too much. There’s a line that says the secret to being boring is to tell everything. You have to test sometimes the script and then the movie to see how much you can hold back from the audience and how much you have to give them so it’s tricky sometimes. It also depends a lot on the kinds of audiences. Some people get mad because they want to know everything. It’s like the tip of the iceberg; you have to tell as much information as necessary so that the audience can understand the story, but then you can leave a lot of stuff that the audience can fill with their own imagination. So I like to do a lot of that stuff where people have to fill part of the story with their own imagination.

BK: Ariel Levy who plays Caleb, the town bully, was he meant to have the same hairstyle as Eminem in this movie?

GA: (Laughs) That wasn’t actually the idea, but now that you mention he does look a lot like an Eminem fan. It was to change Ariel’s aspect as much is possible, so we changed his haircut and his hair color and he was intended to resemble Ben Foster in “3:10 to Yuma,” but something like that more than Eminem. It was changing Ariel’s aspect everything to get him more involved in his character.

BK: Nicolás Durán’s character of Peter is referred to as a tagger which is slang for graffiti artist, and it was interesting to see the symbolism in what he was painting. Was there any intentional symbolism in what he was spraying over the walls in town?

GA: There is one thing: the symbol that he writes on the walls is the same as the marking that Cristobal’s character has on his wrist. That’s actually the idea that there is some kind of connection between them, and it’s a made up symbol that has to do with something the Greeks used to do. They used to mark the people who are ill before Christ, so we are trying to build a mythology between that and what kind of character that Cristobal plays.

BK: I imagine you had a very tight budget to work with on “The Stranger” and a short schedule to make it in. How much did that force you to be more creative while shooting?

GA: Always limitations, I think, are better. Sometimes you have too many limitations to work with, but when you have enough… It’s a good thing to know your limitations from before, so when I wrote the script I knew how many pages we could shoot a day and how much stuff we could do so I tried to plan everything right from the beginning. Then when there’s so much trouble that I think we were pretty much prepared for the worst, and we ended up doing a pretty good job.

BK: The town where you shot “The Stranger” in has a wonderfully Gothic feel to it as well as a great small-town vibe which fits the movie perfectly. Did you always plan to shoot the movie there, or did this town come to your attention through a location scout?

GA: Well we actually planned to shoot everything at another town that was farther away from the town (we shot in), more South. This town is near a place near another town where one of the producers of the movie has a house where he always goes to for vacation. He told me that this place was great and had lakes and volcanoes and everything. We went there and it was amazing. I mean everywhere you could shoot from anyplace and you would have three volcanoes in a lake in the town in the view and everything. It was an amazing place to shoot.

BK: How would you describe “The Stranger” to an audience that has yet to see it?

GA: I would say it is a supernatural thriller about the clash of two fathers who have to decide why on one side this father has this desire to save his son or put in danger the whole of humankind and decides to save humankind, and there’s the other one who decides to save his kid and puts the whole of humankind in danger. So there’s this clash of morals between fathers.

BK: Family always plays a big part in the best horror films.

GA: Yeah, and that’s what actually the film was about. Aside from the supernatural stuff, it’s about how far would you go to save your kid. How much would you put in and risk to save them? Even though your kid might become a monster, it’s still your kid. So that kind of challenges and creates a moral conflict, and that’s what the movie is about.

A big thank you to Guillermo Amoedo for taking the time to talk with me. “The Stranger” is available to own and rent on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital.

Exclusive Interview with Cristobal Tapia Montt about ‘The Stranger’

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Cristobal Tapia Montt in The Stranger

American audiences may not know who Cristobal Tapia Montt is, but they will not be able to forget him after watching him in Guillermo Amoedo’s horror thriller “The Stranger.” A Chilean actor who has spent much of his career acting in Spanish language movies and television, this Eli Roth production marks his first ever performance in an English language movie.

In “The Stranger,” Cristobal plays Martin, a mysterious man who arrives in a small town in the southern part of Canada to find his wife, Ana. The both of them are afflicted with a horrible disease which gives them a never ending thirst for human blood, and Martin is in town to kill her. But upon discovering that she died some time ago, he decides to commit suicide so he can eradicate this disease once and for all. However, after being brutally attacked by the town bullies, his presence in the town soon creates a snowball effect which will plunge its inhabitants into a bloodbath they have little chance of escaping.

It was a real pleasure talking with Cristobal about his performance in “The Stranger” as well as his other artistic works. Many have noted his unique approach to the characters he has played, and he has also been recognized for his work as an illustrator and musician. We talked about these things and a lot more, and I invite you to read our interview below.

The Stranger 2014 movie poster

Ben Kenber: Your performance in “The Stranger” is really good. I liked how you managed to hold the audiences’ attention with a single stare.

Cristobal Tapia Montt: Yeah, there is a lot of staring in the movie (laughs).

BK: How do you prepare for moments where you have a close-up and stare straight into the camera?

CTM: I don’t know if there’s much preparation for that. I didn’t have a lot of lines so I knew I was going to have to work on this face and attitude where you could actually understand what I was thinking or feeling, so I just jumped into it on set. Guillermo was directing me pretty well so he really knew what he wanted, so it wasn’t really hard at all. It was really easy and everything was pretty clear from the beginning.

BK: In the production notes it says you have a very unique approach to the characters you play. Could you tell us more about your approach?

CTM: Well actually I didn’t go to acting school, so every character I portray comes from a gut feeling. Whenever I try to imagine myself being that person, I see my characters as living beings as friends or people I’ve met. I just try to understand and have empathy on whatever they are going through or what they are going through and just understand them. It’s a really weird way I guess for me because I don’t know if anyone else does it that way, I try to picture living creatures and try to understand and be them for a while. It’s very intuitive and I just play it by my gut and whatever I feel. It sounds pretty scary, but I guess acting is kind of like that for me.

BK: Your character of Martin remains a very mysterious character in this movie. He’s not necessarily a vampire, but he’s also not entirely human. Did you have to create a whole backstory for this character?

CTM: Yeah of course. Actually I asked Guillermo to help me out with that because he had a backstory already, so he shared it with me and we discussed it and I kind of added my own backstory because there was a couple of years and a couple of gaps in between with his wife and what he had gone through. I just had to come up with this whole backstory and the 16 or 17 years that passed by because you don’t really know what happens. The moment that Martin appears in this northern city in Canada I just had to fill in the gap of all those years, so that’s essentially the backstory that had to come out with because no one really knew went on during those years.

BK: I’m guessing Martin has been on this planet for a lot longer than anyone realizes.

CTM: Yeah, exactly. That was the whole idea in the beginning. That was a really interesting transition because you never hear the word vampire in the movie, but you end up understanding that this movie has a lot to do with vampires. Vampires never grow old, but what we wanted to do… You can see a transition through the years. We just wanted him to have the longer beard and we wanted him to look actually beaten up a little bit just because emotionally he got beaten up so we wanted to reflect that physically. I think you see that in the movie as well because in the flashbacks we (Martin and Ana) both look not younger but fresher in a certain way and Martin looks lighter. We wanted to portray them with this burden 16 years after, and I think you can appreciate that in the movie.

BK: Speaking of emotion, this looks like a very emotionally draining part to play. How were you able to maintain such strong emotions throughout shooting?

CTM: I guess as an actor you get trained to get into it, and when you’re on set you do it and then you just disconnect. It’s kind of like a switch, you know? So in that sense it wasn’t really hard. It was just like getting into it and then stepping out of it. We were shooting at night because most of the movie was shot during the night, so whenever I went home to the cabin where we were staying in, I would just sleep so I didn’t really have any time to even think about it. I would get there at like seven in the morning and wake up at four and just go for it again. It’s exhausting as an actor to shoot at night, but emotionally I was doing pretty much okay. It was fine. It wasn’t really that draining.

BK: What was it like shooting in that small town where the movie takes place?

CTM: It was amazing. It’s this beautiful town down in the south of Chile and it’s amazing. It’s like super green, it’s way down south, it’s rainy, it’s gloomy and it sets the perfect mood for the movie as well. I think we were there for 12 or 14 days, and just to be there and to stay at a cabin that was right off the shore of the lake and wake up to that was very inspiring. It’s easier shooting a movie when you’re in such an amazing location.

BK: What interested you most in playing Martin in “The Stranger?”

CTM: Well the fact that it was in English. It was my first opportunity to play a character in English because I’m a Chilean actor so I’ve only played characters that speak Spanish. So it was a huge opportunity acting wise to try that out and see what it was like to act in English and if I could pull it off as well. The opportunity to be in a movie that is being shown in the (United) States was just very, very attractive, and that possibility existed since the beginning of the movie. I speak English and Spanish so I wouldn’t mind trying to act in English for a while because I’m a native speaker. The story was very interesting as well. I’m a horror fan and I’ve always liked vampire movies and science fiction, and it’s my kind of genre so that was pretty cool as well. It’s like, I get to play a vampire! It was a very interesting project so I was attracted to it from the beginning.

BK: What would you say are the differences between doing a movie in English and doing a movie in another language?

CTM: I thought it was going to be very, very different and maybe more difficult, but in the end it’s the same thing. It’s the same language film wise. You’re speaking a different language but you’re still telling the story. It’s very much the same, you know? I don’t think it’s different at all. But the main difference is that you will probably reach a larger audience because English is a universal language. A lot more people speak English than Spanish I’m assuming. I could be wrong, but I guess it’s easier to show in different countries if it’s in English, and I guess that’s the main difference from acting in Spanish.

BK: I also read that you are known for your music and illustrations as well as your acting. Can you tell us more about that?

CTM: Yeah sure. I’ve been drawing since I was very young. I’ve been drawn to the artistic world in all its forms. I started playing on the piano when I was 12, so I’ve been always been playing music and drawing since an early age. I dropped out of college. I was there for three years and I was interested in studying design. I just kept on drawing and playing. I’ve played a cello, I’ve played in different bands, and I have a music project that I’ve been a part of as well. I compose and sing and play instruments. I just really enjoy art as a channel of expression. Acting is just another form of that art and it just helps me get stuff out of my system. If I didn’t have that it would drive me nuts. It’s very personal though. I’ve never really gotten my music out there. At art shows I show my drawings and I’ve had two that sold, and I play live sometimes. But it’s not something that… I feel like it’s more personal. I really don’t have the urge to just like put it out there and make everyone listen to my music. It’s more about me expressing myself and putting myself out there.

I want to thank Cristobal for taking the time to talk to me. “The Stranger” is now available to own and rent on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital.

‘Cold Pursuit’ is Far More Devious Than the Average Liam Neeson Film

Posted on by The Ultimate Rabbit

Cold Pursuit movie poster

I went into “Cold Pursuit” believing it would be a typical Liam Neeson action film and a cross between “Taken” and “Death Wish.” Heck, it feels like Neeson has been doing the same movie over and over in recent years as he keeps playing characters who are either out to rescue their children or avenge the loss of a loved one. As we watch Neeson operate heavy machinery in a place which looks infinitely colder than the one he traversed in “The Grey,” I kept waiting for him to say, “I have a particular set of snow plows I have acquired over a very long career…”

Indeed, “Cold Pursuit” has the attributes of the average Neeson action flick, but I was surprised to see it also has a wonderfully twisted sense of humor. Even as the violence gets increasingly brutal and the blood flows more frequently, I found myself laughing endlessly as Neeson’s quest for revenge inadvertently sets off a war between rival gangs intent on protecting their own self-interests. As a result, this film was and was not what I expected, and as it went on I had no idea of the twists and turns the story would end up taking.

Neeson plays Nels Coxman, an ordinary man who lives a quiet life with his wife Grace (Laura Dern) and son Kyle (Micheál Richardson) in the small Colorado town of Kehoe. As “Cold Pursuit” begins, Nels has been given Kehoe’s Citizen of the Year award, something he accepts quite humbly as he considers his job as a snowplow driver nothing particularly special. Nels is also revealed to be a quiet man as his wife encourages him to speak more regularly at the dinner table and use as many words as President Abraham Lincoln said during his address at Gettysburg.

It doesn’t take long for tragedy to strike when Kyle dies of a heroin overdose. Nels refuses to believe his son could ever be a drug addict even when the police, long since hardened by the morbid work they do, remark how parents always say that. From there, the movie does not slow down as Nels goes from being the town’s key citizen to a vigilante as cold as the frosty weather he works in on a daily basis. Seeing him do deadly deeds either with a snowplow or a sawed-off rifle made me think of a line between Chevy Chase and Tim Matheson from “Fletch:”

“You shoot me, you’re liable to lose a lot of these humanitarian awards.”

Neeson inhabits the role of Nels as effectively as any he has played in the past, and I could tell he was having a lot of fun with this particular character from start to finish. Unlike the government agents and trained snipers he has played previously, Nels is nothing like them as he truly is an ordinary guy caught up in a situation he has no control over. At one point he even tells his brother, Brock “Wingman” Coxman (William Forsythe), how he learned about disposing dead bodies from a crime novel he once read.

“Cold Pursuit” also introduces to one of the slimiest and most comical drug kingpins I have seen in some time, Trevor “Viking” Calcote. Trevor is played by Tom Bateman in an inspired performance as he makes this drug dealer as brutal as he is hilariously hypocritical. While he shows no remorse in offing another human being, he is equally intense when it comes to making sure his son learns all he can about life from William Golding’s classic novel “The Lord of the Flies” while eating foods which do not contain the slightest ounce of high fructose corn syrup.

What intrigued me most about “Cold Pursuit” was how Nels’ quest for vengeance ends up triggering a turf war between drug dealers and American Indian gang members. In the process, we are subtly reminded of how America was stolen from the Indians (they are called Native Americans for a reason folks) and that the word “reservation” has more than one meaning. In this small Colorado town, a bad review on Yelp or Trip Advisor can be every bit as damaging as a bullet. This all results in a motion picture with a body count somewhere in between Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and John Woo’s “Hard Boiled.”

“Cold Pursuit” is a remake of the 2014 Norwegian thriller “In Order of Disappearance” which starred Stellan Skarsgard, and both films were directed by the same man, Hans Petter Moland. Learning of this made me wonder if Moland would fall intro the same trap George Sluizer did when he remade “The Vanishing” in America and changed the ending to disastrous effect. However, it looks like little was loss in the translation as this remake retains much of the brutality and black humor of the original. This was a giant relief to me after witnessing the misbegotten remake of “Miss Bala” which all but neutered the original for the sake of a PG-13 rating. Unlike “Miss Bala,” this film is anything but generic.

If there is any issue I have with this film, it is the inescapable fact that Laura Dern is completely wasted here. She is always a welcome appearance in anything she appears in, but she disappears from “Cold Pursuit” way too soon to where I wondered why they bothered casting her at all. Frankly, I am getting sick of seeing Dern reduced to playing the helpless housewife whose love is wasted on male characters who fail to return it in equal measure. She deserves much better.

Still, I was pleasantly surprised by “Cold Pursuit” as it proves to be an effective thriller and a twisted delight. For those who like their humor especially black, this is a film worth checking out as it features everything including a child who knows all there is to know about the Stockholm Syndrome. More importantly, it features female characters played by Emmy Rossum and Julia Jones who are far stronger than their male counterparts who are too caught up in their own jealousy and self-interest. The scene where Jones shows how she has her ex-husband by the balls, literally and figuratively speaking, is one which will never be quickly forgotten.

* * * ½ out of * * * *