Chaos Walking

 

Chaos Walking is a dystopian science-fiction action-adventure film adapted from the 2008 young adult novel, The Knife of Never Letting Go by the screenplay writer, Patrick Ness. Set in 2257 AD, on a novel planet called the New World, Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown, an all-male colony, run by Mayor Prentissn. In this town all of the people have all been afflicted with a condition called “the Noise”, which causes everyone to see and hear each other's thoughts. When a woman named Viola crash-lands on the planet, Todd must help her escape and get back to her people.

The plot was unique and engaging. The cinematography was creative in how they showed the thoughts of each character. The script was well written but the character development could have used some more depth for some of the main characters. I would have liked to have learned more about Hildy, the leader of Farbranch, played by Cynthia Erivo, Viola played by Daisy Ridley, Mayor Prentissn played by Mads Mikkelsen, and Todd's adoptive fathers, Cillian and Ben, played by Kurt Sutter and Demián Bichir.

Even with the lack in character development this star studded cast played well off of one another. Mads Mikkelsen has definitely been typecast at this point, but I thought he did well in the role as the cunning Mayor of Prentisstow. David Oyelowo’s choice in role was a surprise, but I liked what he did with it. He was able to successfully show the complexity of Aaron, a radical preacher who is deeply flawed. For me, Holland stole the show with his character, Todd Hewitt. He gave me a bit of his Spider-Man comedic timing and fast talking in this role but I liked it. I also appreciated the wide range of emotions that he presented as it made it easy to connect to his character.

Unfortunately a lot of critics were not a fan of this movie, and it didn’t fare well in theatres, so I’m concerned it won’t be green lit for the adaptation of the final two novels of the trilogy. Hopefully I’m wrong, as I would like to see how this story pans out.

Stillwater

 

Stillwater is a crime drama starring Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin. It follows Bill, an unemployed oil-rig worker from Oklahoma, who travels to France to help his estranged daughter, Allison, who claims innocence to a murder she was convicted of committing.

Even though foreseeable in many parts, I thought that the writers did a good job giving us an interesting and unique plot. There were great themes around second chances, expanding your horizons, and it asks the question of what are you willing to sacrifice for family.

The casting was well done with strong character development. Matt Damon, really transformed into Bill Baker, a proper mid-western roughneck. The costumes, hair and accent were perfect. Seeing Baker’s evolution, while living abroad, outside of his comfort zone, was also something I'm glad was highlighted. Abigail Breslin who played Allison did well, but Lilou Siauvaud, who played Maya, was the most impressive. She was a young force with wide range, who had great chemistry with Damon.

Overall this was a well-made movie, that was suspenseful at times, and did a great job showcasing how even the most closed minded of people can change when they immerse themselves in other cultures and languages.

F9: The Fast Saga

 

F9: The Fast Saga is the ninth movie in the Fast & Furious series and the tenth overall, when you include the spin off, Hobbs & Shaw. Returning as director was Justin Lin, who was the filmmaker of four of the previous movies in the franchise. The story follows Dom who is living a slower paced life with his family, until an international terrorist, who turns out to be his and Mia's estranged brother, forces him out of retirement, to join his crew, in an effort to stop a global catastrophe.

The plot was interesting, I liked the backstory of the brothers at odds, and the themes around family and second chances were compelling. I think it is also great that they always bring back the original cast. The Han story line was lazy though. I wasn’t a fan of how they handled his character arch. I do however like how they are always trying to keep the late Paul Walkers character, Brian, relevant in all the movies since his passing.

The action stunts were over the top and unrealistic. Cars going into space and flying into planes is just ridiculous. What I liked so much about the first movie was that it felt real. Now I feel like the creators are just throwing anything at the wall and hoping it sticks. I also had an issue with some of the lighting and cinematography. One scene in particular looked so terrible, it was like they did reshoots but the lighting was so bright, the actor looked blown out with an angel like halo around him, and the set didn't even look like it was in the same place as the original shot.

I know coming into these movies that they aren’t going to be Oscar worthy. They are the kind of movies that you can just have fun, mindlessly watching. Even with the low expectations though, this one was by far the worst in the franchise. It has already been revealed that they have two more planned so I’ll still see them, because I’ve already gotten this far, but it will be reluctantly.