Day: April 5, 2020

Director: Ang Lee

Writer: Larry McMurty, Diana Ossana (Screenplay) Annie Proulx (Short Story)

Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, David Harbour

 

Plot: The story of a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys, and their lives over the years.

Tagline – Love Is A Force Of Nature

Runtime: 2 Hours 14 Minutes

 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Absolutely Brilliant

 

Story: Brokeback Mountain starts as we meet two sheep herders Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) & Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) who are hired for one summer job, the two are from different backgrounds and Ennis even has woman back home. As the two spend time together they find themselves involved in a forbidden relationship.

After the summer the two go back to their lives, Ennis marries Alma (Williams) and starts a family, while Jack meets and marries Lureen (Hathaway). When the two get back in contact they start spending weekends together with the love they can’t have.

 

Thoughts on Brokeback Mountain

 

Characters – Ennis Del Mar is one of the two cowboys, he is from the local area and is a man of very few words, he is married to Alma with two children of his own. After spending the summer with Jack he finds a new type of love, one that is forbidden by the people in his field, despite the love he finds a way to try and balance both loves which he struggles with more than he could imagine. Jack Twist is the Texan want to be rodeo that takes the job, at the time he is single and helps pull Ennis from his quiet ways, enjoying the love they had he tries to get on with his life marrying a woman that isn’t always there, giving him time to reconnect with Ennis and share his love with him, only he struggles with the short amount of time they spend together. The two wives Alma and Lureen are both trying to deal with normal lives with their men going away at times.

Performances – Heath Ledger was clearly robbed of the Oscar this year, his performance is easily a career best and shows us just how much we miss this talented actor. Jake Gyllenhaal is also wonderful in his role which could easily have picked up awards. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway are both great in their supporting roles.

Story – The story here follows two cowboys that after spending a summer together fall in love, but know they can’t be together because of homosexual relationship would be forbidden in the 60’s and have normal relationships to cover up their relationship time together. Following their lives for twenty odd years as we see the two lives they live roll on as their relationship and time together gives them drive to make it to those weekends. This is the one of those wonderful dramas that looks at the relationships and how love can come from the least expected location.

Romance – The romance and love Ennis & Jack feel is unlike anything they believed they would find and one that you can only experience once, for the time the film is set, you can understand why they were conflicted with their choice.

Settings – The film gives us amazingly beautiful backdrops to different times the two spend together.

Scene of the Movie – I wish I knew how to quit you.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Just what happens to Jack.

Final Thoughts – This is one of the greatest dramas you will ever see, it has two of the best modern cinema performances from Ledger and Gyllenhaal.

 

Overall: Masterpiece of modern cinema.

Rating

 

 

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Richard Wenk (Screenplay) Michael Sloan, Richard Lindheim (Television Show)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo

 

Plot: Robert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?

Tagline – There will be consequences

Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute

 

There may be spoilers the rest of the review

 

Verdict: Simple Slow Action Film

 

Story: The Equalizer 2 starts as we see how Robert McCall (Washington) driving around helping people when he learns they have been mistreated, just being a good guy around the neighbourhood. Robert still has his connection with the agency in Susan (Leo) who gives him the information to help with problems she can’t deal with.

After she is killed investigating a case, Robert reveals himself to his former partner Dave York (Pascal) who has believed he has been dead for years, to help get the people that killed their friend, all while trying to be a mentor to young man Miles (Sanders) who is being drawn into the gangster life.

 

Thoughts on The Equalizer 2

 

Characters – Robert McCall no longer works at Home Depot, he is a driver for hire around the town and he listens to the people’s stories and where he sees fit to step in to solve the problems. This time somebody makes it personal and he must come out from the shadows to get revenge. Dave York is the former partner of Robert’s who believed he was dead, he sees his new partner killed and is looking for answers to why his friend stayed away so long. Miles is a streetwise teenager on the brink of making a terrible decision to join a gang, Robert aims to guide him to make the right decision. Sam is an elderly client who Robert wants to help out, he is here to show just how good natured Robert is. Brian and Susan Plummer are the only connections with the agency Robert has, he will do anything to help them, as they help him with little matters he has.

Performances – Denzel Washington is an actor that will always give us good performances, this is no different because we get to see the calm character and the deadly which he can switch between without blinking an eye. When we look at the rest of the cast, they are good without being anything overly memorable, with the villain being forgettable and the supporting arcs of the story not being given the time to truly focus on.

Story – The story here continues to show how deadly, but fair Robert McCall can be, he wants to help people out, give them a chance to better their lives or admit to their mistakes. This time the story becomes personal after one of his friends in the agency is killed, sending him on a warpath against anybody involved. This side of the story is easy to watch, the more intense side of the story which is good to watch. The sentimental side of the story is interesting because we see how the problems in the world can be solved with moments of kindness which Robert shows different generations of people in his life, trying to teach people how to treat people, this is nice to watch, only for the two sides of the story struggling to connect to each other.

Action/Crime – The action in the film is good when we get it, the final sequences being the highlight of the action, the crime side shows how one man can use his connections to get a job done to clean up the streets.

Settings – The film shows Robert operating in a normal big city, this shows us how stories can be found in most corners for most people.

Scene of the Movie – The showdown.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The pacing between the serious side stories and the action heavy main story.

Final Thoughts – This is an enjoyable action film that does everything you would imagine, it isn’t going to be one of the greatest just one you can enjoy without worrying too much about what is going on.

 

Overall: Simple and enjoyable action.

Rating