if only.
actually, the first 40 odd minutes are not bad. then it goes downhill fast, doubling its rate of descent every 15 minutes. i hate to say it but one of the biggest problems with this film is denzel. he’s one of the executive producers and this i think is what led to his character essentially going through the entire catalogue of charming denzel washington tics. casting a lesser known actor, or even someone like jeffrey wright who could disappear into the role, would have been a better idea.
[spoiler warning]
even in a film starring and produced by one of the most popular and bankable black actors in the world the last character standing is white. and it’s ryan fucking reynolds, whose botox is really beginning to show.
Yeah, I agree that Denzel just plays Denzel throughout the movie, and his lovable rogue act is wearing very, very thin. I didn’t hate the movie, and I actually kind of liked the fact that Ryan Reynolds played against Van Wilder type (to borrow a sly joke from Ted). There were a couple of well-choreographed scenes, like the one at the soccer stadium but by that point in the movie, Denzel was becoming tiresome. And gosh, how is it that so many low level spies have gorgeous, smart French girlfriends whose only desire is to spend the afternoon in bed? The minor characters were generally better than the major ones. You know who I liked most in this? “The Killing”‘s Joel Kinnaman. And I liked the Jay-Z and Kanye West song that plays over the credits. Otherwise, not great but passable.
i had to look up joel kinnaman. apparently, he’s going to be the new robocop.
agreed about the minor characters: ruben blades was also excellent for the two minutes he was in the movie. and vera farmigia is always good. brendan gleeson could have been good if his character had not been devised entirely to keep the audience guessing about whether he was indeed going to turn out to be the rat.
music trivia to impress your sons with, chris: the melody line of the jay-z/kanye song that plays over the end credits (“no church in the wild”) is by frank ocean, who recently came out as bisexual. given his associations with the two biggest names in mainstream hip-hop, as well as his association with odd future, this is the most significant strike against the knee-jerk homophobia that remains endemic in rap lyrics.
The son who follows rap is duly impressed. He did not know Frank Ocean had any relationship with Odd Future. And I had never heard of Odd Future!
You kids and your hippity hop. Safe House did indeed suck.
Jeff and I saw Cabin in the Woods and it was a delight. I will try to post on it, and/or on the few things I’ve seen. Or just say hi.