Tag Archives: Joel Kinnaman

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021): The Things I Liked…

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As far as movie disappointments go, Suicide Squad (2016) is up there for me. And since I’m one of those ‘once bitten, twice shy’ people, I took my sweet time to watch The suicide Squad (2021); DC’s James Gunn directed attempt to redeem themselves. 

My main hope with Gunn’s movie was for the story to be great. And for the finished film to be worthy of Margot Robbie’s super captivating take on Harley Quinn. If you’ve seen the Suicide Squad Comic-Con trailers, then you understand.

I can say without hesitation that The Suicide Squad is unequivocally better than Suicide Squad (2016). But, did I love it? Well, my favourite characters are played by Robbie and Idris Elba; no surprises there. Robbie’s Harley Quinn isn’t even featured particularly heavily. But, thankfully, when she was on screen, missing her a little in other scenes proved just about worth it.

Story-wise, I had more fun with this second movie, thanks in part to one or two surprise twists and turns. There’s also the moments of excellent camerawork, stunt work, special effects and a particularly well-executed last quarter.

The Suicide Squad (2021), Idris Elba, Warner Bros. Pictures
The Suicide Squad (2021), Idris Elba, Warner Bros. Pictures

The parts that made my experience less than desired include the rather annoying characters who worked closely with Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller. There’s also a specific emotional scene between Elba and Cleo Cazo’s Ratcatcher that felt forced and not entirely earned. Lastly, I don’t love rats, AT ALL. But that weasel!

Perhaps I should just be grateful that this movie did a better job of weaving a story around many hardly known characters than the 2016 film. By ‘hardly known’, I mainly mean hardly known by non-readers of comic books, such as myself, of course. I’m certainly glad that Gunn’s movie is an improvement on the Suicide Squad story. Even if the film still has a somewhat empty/surface-level quality to it.

Besides The Suicide Squad being quite fun, particularly towards the end, both films are fixed in my mind as reminders of just how difficult it must be to deliver a truly great story, one that features many comic book characters. 

Watch it if you’re curious. There’s definitely some fun to be had. 

Happy Film Loving 

G 

Crime, Drama

BROTHERS BY BLOOD (2020): New Trailer From Matthias Schoenaerts, Joel Kinnaman, Ryan Phillippe, Maika Monroe…

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Brothers by Blood (2020), Matthias Schoenaerts, Vertical Releasing US
Brothers by Blood (2020), Matthias Schoenaerts, Vertical Releasing US

Brothers by Blood, a.k.a, The Sound of Philadelphia, a.k.a, Sons of Philadelphia are the three names for the latest action/crime/drama starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Joel Kinnaman and Ryan Phillipe.

Set within the Philadelphia mob; director Jérémie Guez’s movie is a tale of family, friendships and betrayal.

I’m honestly not sure how this one’s going to turn out. But what I can bet on is a good Schoenaerts’s performance. Fingers crossed that everything else around his performance falls into place. In which case I won’t have to suggest that you’re better off watching/re-watching The Drop (2014); a very good mob story and another notable Schoenaerts role.

Maika Monroe, Paul Schneider, Nicholas Crovetti, Antoni Corone, Felix Scott, Tim Ahern, Nigel Barber, James Nelson-Joyce, Stilian Keli and Carlos Schram

Brothers by Blood Release Dates: January 22nd, 2021 (US)…

Happy Film Loving

G

Drama, No Spoiler Reviews, Thriller

CHILD 44 (2015): Tom Hardy Shines, As Expected

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Child 44 (2015), Tom Hardy
Child 44 (2015), Tom Hardy

Child 44 is a Stalin-era Soviet Union crime thriller directed by Daniel Espinosa.

Based on Tom Rob Smith’s best-selling book of the same name; Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Vincent Cassel and Joel Kinnaman are the stars.

My main motivation for watching the movie isn’t reading the book because  I haven’t, but the intriguing story. Particularly Hardy’s role as a determined investigator of a series of gruesome child murders. Murders that are taking place during a time when the powers that be refuse to admit that murder is even a real thing.

I wanted Child 44 to be as thrilling as the trailer hinted. However, I did find myself wishing for a quicker pace, a shorter film, less distracting accents and an overall better/more thrilling execution.

All the lacking elements aside, Hardy’s performance is good and one of my favourite things about the movie. The other is the ending and the tension filled scene on the moving train.

Child 44 (2015), Noomi Rapace, Tom Hardy
Child 44 (2015), Noomi Rapace, Tom Hardy

You may be compelled to watch Child 44 because you’ve read the book and or you’re a Tom Hardy fan. One who wants to see how he was able to deliver a notable physical and emotional performance, in spite of the questionable Russian accents. To that I say, follow your curiosity. I did and I have no regrets, I just simply wish that the general result had been better.

Happy Film Loving 🙂

G

Action, Crime, Drama, No Spoiler Reviews

RUN ALL NIGHT (2015): I tuned In For The Chase…

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Run All Night (2015), Liam Neeson
Run All Night (2015), Liam Neeson

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra; there’s another reason I watched Run All Night besides its New York mobster underworld setting and its stars Liam Neeson and Joel Kinnaman. I appreciate how the title implies that the movie is essentially an all night chase sequence.

Run All Night does indeed feature an all night pursuit and you’ll find yourself holding your breath in several tension filled moments. Though, as satisfactory as the chases are, it was very much the less than ideal father/son relationship between Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) and his son Mike (Kinnaman) that kept me invested.

Having now seen Run All Night, my favourite movie chase sequences are still delivered by the Mel Gibson directed Apocalypto (2006) and Tony Scott’s Enemy Of The State (1998).

Watch Run All Night if you’re curious about the father son dynamic mentioned above and if you can’t get enough of films that feature Neeson protecting loved ones and taking down bad guys; something he did most brilliantly in Taken (2008).  Otherwise, for your fix of a recent New York City mobster underworld movie, you can’t go wrong with The Drop (2014).

Ed Harris, Boyd Holbrook, Genesis Rodriguez, Common and Bruce McGill also star in Run All Night.

Happy Film Loving  🙂

G

Action

SUICIDE SQUAD (2016): New Trailer With Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Will Smith…

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Suicide Squad (2016), Margot Robbie
Suicide Squad (2016), Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne, Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Common, Jay Hernandez and a few more are the stars of Suicide Squad…

Teaser Trailer

Trailer 1

Blitz Trailer

David Ayer, the man who brought us Training Day (2001) and Fury (2014) is in the director’s seat. I want to say that there’s no way this isn’t a sure thing… and I just did, so…

Based on all three trailers, it looks like Margot Robbie’s part is a big one, something I have no complaints about since her role looks perfectly badass.

As for  Jared Leto’s Joker, Heath Ledger did such an unforgettable thing with the part in The Dark Knight (2008) that it’s going to take something very special for many film fans not to think of Ledger whenever the Joker is mentioned. With that said, I’m loving what I see in the blitz trailer.

Well done trailer maker, for the excellent editing and choice of music.

The wait for release feels long. Lets all hope that it’s so very worth it indeed.

Release Date (s): August 5th, 2016 (US & UK)…

Happy Film Loving  🙂

G

Crime

CHILD 44 (2015): Tom Hardy Is All The Reason You Need

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Child 44 (2015), Tom Hardy
Child 44 (2015), Tom Hardy

Here is the reason I was yelping with uncontrollable joy today.

There’s been some talk about the authenticity of the Russian accents…

It’s all business of course, the need to get the film to as wide an audience as possible. I’m just happy to watch the very talented cast including Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Vincent Cassel, Noomi Rapace, etc. and fully understanding what they’re saying without difficulty.

Such an interesting story. I can’t wait to see it unfold.

Happy Child 44 🙂

G

Drama, Romance

KNIGHT OF CUPS (2015): The Trailer That Keeps on Giving

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Knight Of Cups (2015), Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett
Knight Of Cups (2015), Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett

If you’ve glanced upon a few of my posts, you may know that I adore the work of Cate Blanchett. But what I’m yet to properly express is my appreciation for the talents of Christian Bale. To talk about that I need another post.

Today however, I sat at my computer as usual, hopeful for some new trailer delights – when Knight of Cups (2015) happened.

First I saw director Terrence Malick’s name, and like a good and loyal canine, up my ears went. Then Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett’s faces appeared. (Yes and yes!) By this point I was sure that my excitement had peaked. But then…

Natalie Portman! I haven’t seen my dear ‘Lady Portman’ in something amazing since Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010). So, right now happiness is most definitely me.

The idea that I’ll be able to maintain any semblance of calm on the day I go see Knight of Cups is very, very wrong. Until then though, I have this…

It’s not particularly the best / most thrilling trailer I’ve ever seen, but the talent… Oh, the talent!

Happy Film Loving

G