Clint is cool. We all know that.
Clint makes good movies. We all know that too.
Clint has a voice so gravelly, seagulls flock from miles around thinking it’s the sound of ocean waves on a shale beach. We all know that as well.
What we may not have known, however, is that Clint can do a stunning turn as a crotchety old racist, embittered by painful memories of the Korean War, living in a world he no longer truly understands.
The plot: Clint plays the described grouchy old bigot, Walt Kowalski, the last white resident in an all ethnic neighbourhood.
Walt's next door neighbours are Hmong, South East Asians from the mountainous areas of Vietnam, Loas and China and Walt is none too keen on their presence. His mood is not improved when an argument between Thao, the young son next door, and a local gang spills over onto his property, forcing him to draw a gun. Next thing he knows, the Hmong's, through culture, are bringing him gift after gift in gratitude for his bravery and, reluctantly, he takes Thao on as a worker in penance.
Though loathe to admit it, Walt's iciness thaws and, after escalating violence from the gang members towards the Hmong family, he resolves that the only way to improve their lives is to get rid of the gang once and for all.
Laced with biting social commentary and acerbic wit, this is both deeply moving and charged with pointed analysis of modern society.
Clint is simply fantastic as the grizzled old bastard with the classic car fetish, and the storyline builds to a compelling and touchingly inevitable crescendo.
Can't recommend this enough.
5 out of 5
"Get off my lawn!"
Showing posts with label gang culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gang culture. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Brooklyn's Finest (2009) Dir: Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua steps into familiar Training Day territory in this multi-layered crime thriller.
The plot runs in three main strands, each following the lives of three very different police officers, all working for the same department.
Cop 1: Tango, an undercover operative working to expose the major drug dealers in Brooklyn, specifically Wesley Snipes' Caz, recently released from jail and looking to pick up where he left off.
Cop 2: Sal, played with typical nervous energy by Hawke, a wiry bundle of anxiety struggling to pay the bills and, with twins on the way, looking for more unconventional revenue streams, happy to take the spoils of drug trafficking before the city big wigs can get their hands on it to refurbish their expensive office suites.
Cop 3: Eddie, burnt out, alcoholic, starting his days with a large shot of whisky just so he can face donning the uniform one more time. He's on the brink of retirement (yes, that old chestnut, though it is handled well) and finds dealing with the young upstart cops almost as unbearable as the low life criminals he is compelled to endure.
With a grim inevitability, as their lives spiral out of control, the plot strands fuse together, though in an unexpected and pretty original fashion, as the movie culminates in three separate show downs in the same building.
The acting from all parties is excellent, with Gere the stand out in terms of performance, which surprised the hell out of me.
Ethan Hawke is always watchable, and Cheadle was more than acceptable, too.
The director shows flashes of genuine flair (the camera drawback through the building towards the end is exceptionally well done) and the writing is solid too, with believable characters fleshed out with some snappy dialogue, all posturing masculinity and Alpha Male banter.
It's a fairly lengthy film, clocking in just over the two hour mark, but not once did I feel the need to look at my watch or wonder how much longer was left, so it never flags.
With a truly astonishing denouement that just runs and runs, this is quality movie making.
Very good indeed.
4 out of 5.
The plot runs in three main strands, each following the lives of three very different police officers, all working for the same department.
Cop 1: Tango, an undercover operative working to expose the major drug dealers in Brooklyn, specifically Wesley Snipes' Caz, recently released from jail and looking to pick up where he left off.
Cop 2: Sal, played with typical nervous energy by Hawke, a wiry bundle of anxiety struggling to pay the bills and, with twins on the way, looking for more unconventional revenue streams, happy to take the spoils of drug trafficking before the city big wigs can get their hands on it to refurbish their expensive office suites.
Cop 3: Eddie, burnt out, alcoholic, starting his days with a large shot of whisky just so he can face donning the uniform one more time. He's on the brink of retirement (yes, that old chestnut, though it is handled well) and finds dealing with the young upstart cops almost as unbearable as the low life criminals he is compelled to endure.
With a grim inevitability, as their lives spiral out of control, the plot strands fuse together, though in an unexpected and pretty original fashion, as the movie culminates in three separate show downs in the same building.
The acting from all parties is excellent, with Gere the stand out in terms of performance, which surprised the hell out of me.
Ethan Hawke is always watchable, and Cheadle was more than acceptable, too.
The director shows flashes of genuine flair (the camera drawback through the building towards the end is exceptionally well done) and the writing is solid too, with believable characters fleshed out with some snappy dialogue, all posturing masculinity and Alpha Male banter.
It's a fairly lengthy film, clocking in just over the two hour mark, but not once did I feel the need to look at my watch or wonder how much longer was left, so it never flags.
With a truly astonishing denouement that just runs and runs, this is quality movie making.
Very good indeed.
4 out of 5.
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