Film Review: SAFE HOUSE (2012)

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Writer: David Guggenheim
Running time: 115 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 24^th February 2012

Watched on Sky+ Monday 24^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I admit I’m partial to the odd espionage thriller and, on the surface of it; this one appeared to fit the bill. And for the most part, it did; there were a few niggles which I’ll get into later. For now, here’s a very brief summary.

When former CIA agent Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), now considered rogue, turns himself in to the US Consulate in Cape Town, he is sent to a safe house to await interrogation. This particular house is looked after by a young agent; Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds). He is looking to improve his lot and when the interrogation begins the house is attacked. The interrogation team are killed but Weston escapes with Frost; who is soon trying to get into the young agent’s head. Weston contacts headquarters and his superiors; Catherine Linklater (Vera Farmiga) and David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson) tell him to bide his time while they organise an extraction team. But is Frost right, can he really trust them? I’ll leave it there or an interrogation squad will be looking for me (again).

A well made film with some nice stunt work and an awful lot of fight sequences; maybe a couple too many IMO. The performances from both Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds were pretty good, although nobody was particularly stretched. Plot-wise, I guess it was ok but it didn’t particularly do anything we haven’t seen before. If anything I found it about fifteen minutes too long, but still worth a look if you have a couple of hours spare.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…Just)

My score: 7.1/10

IMDb Score: 6.8/10 (based on 86,801 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1599348/

MetaScore: 52/100: (Based on 36 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 53/100 (based on 82 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 65/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 105,660 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/safe_house_2012/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Tobin Frost: That house was a secure location. Whoever crashed it didn't stop by a gas station and ask for directions to the nearest safe house. They were invited. Someone told them, Matthew. Think about it. Someone you know, so you better ask yourself, can you trust your landlord?
Matt Weston: Go ahead. You're not gonna get in my head.
Tobin Frost: I already am in your head. They're going to isolate you, Matt. They're going to be real nice to you at first. They're going to put their arm around you and tell you things like, "You did a decent job, son. We'll take it from here." That's when you know you're screwed. Forget about me, they're going to focus on you. They're going to try and make a connection between you and I. So that if this all goes wrong, they'll have something to fall back on in their little Senate hearings. I'm not your only enemy tonight.

Matt Weston: Are you going to kill me?
Tobin Frost: [Frost shoots the wall next to Weston's head] I only kill professionals.

[on the run, advised to follow protocol]
Matt Weston: Protocol? There is no protocol for this?

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: IN BRUGES (2008) – Re-visited

Writer/Director: Martin McDonagh
Running time: 107 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Drama/Thriller/Comedy
UK Release date: 18^th April 2008

Watched on Sky+ Monday 24^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is my third viewing of this film; I guess I must like it! Very darkly comic with more than a hint of tragedy underlying the narrative; with each viewing I get more out of it. I don’t know whether it’s Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the slightly dim witted hit man or Brendan Gleeson’s take on the world weary and more experienced practitioner of the art. But I find myself having great affection for these two characters despite the fact I really shouldn’t! But I digress, here’s a brief summary before I expand on my thoughts some more… I should say, for the record, that what follows is mostly my original review with a few tweaks and additions.

Two hit men, Ray and Ken have been sent to lie low in Bruges (Belgium, for those that don’t know where it is) by their boss, Harry, after a bungled hit. They check into their hotel only to find, to their dismay, that they will be sharing a room. This does not go down well, but it’s near Christmas and everywhere is fully booked. The two men are complete opposites, Ken is quite cultured and is happy to go sightseeing in the medieval city. Ray, on the other hand, is much younger and would be happier spending his time in a bar. Ken insists they do some culture and Ray acts like a bored teenager. That is until he discovers a film crew who have a dwarf in the cast, he is fascinated with Jimmy. There he also meets the mysterious Chloe, who he invites out on a date. That evening Harry calls and tells Ken the real purpose for their visit. I will leave my summary here so as not to enrage the spoiler police too much.

I think the Bruges tourist board will be very happy with this film; the medieval architecture comes across beautifully. The cinematography is great and the setting adds real atmosphere. Great performances all round, particularly from; Colin Farrell as Ray, Brendan Gleeson as Ken and Ralph Fiennes as Harry, all were excellent. Honourable mentions also go to; Clémence Poésy as Chloe and Jordan Prentice as Jimmy, both were also very good.

There are a lot of comic moments in this film, mainly in the form of the things Ray says and does. Few films make me laugh out loud, but this one did in more than a couple of places. The drama comes mainly in the final third and I found this put a much darker complexion on the comedic scenes that preceded it. I liked the ending; it seemed quite poetic in a way (sorry, no clues). Over all, a very enjoyable film with some laughs, excellent cinematography and some great performances…

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.3/10

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 (based on 188,049 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

MetaScore: 67/100: (Based on 34 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 82/100 (based on 160 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 85/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 64,222 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_bruges/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
[first lines]
Ray: After I killed him, I dropped the gun in the Thames, washed the residue off me hands in the bathroom of a Burger King, and walked home to await instructions. Shortly thereafter the instructions came through - "Get the fuck out of London, you dumb fucks. Get to Bruges." I didn't even know where Bruges fucking was.
[pause]
Ray: It's in Belgium.

Ken: Coming up?
Ray: What's up there?
Ken: The view.
Ray: The view of what? The view of down here? I can see that down here.
Ken: Ray, you are about the worst tourist in the whole world.
Ray: Ken, I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

Ray: [reading Harry's profanity-ridden message] Geez, he's swears a lot, doesn't he?

Ray: [after Jimmy doesn't wave back to Ray] Little fucking cunt.

Ray: I saw your midget today. Little prick didn't even say hello.
Chloë: Well, he's on a lot of ketamine.
Ray: What's that?
Chloë: Um, horse tranquilizer.
Ray: Horse tranquilizer? Where'd he get that?
Chloë: I sold it to him.
Ray: You can't sell horse tranquilizers to a midget!

Ken: You from the States?
Jimmy: Yeah. But don't hold it against me.
Ken: I'll try not to... Just try not to say anything too loud or crass.

Marie: [to Ray and Harry] Why don't you both put your guns down, and go home?
Harry: Don't be stupid. This is the shootout.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: THE DESCENDANTS (2011)

Director: Alexander Payne
Writers: Alexander Payne (screenplay), Nat Faxon (screenplay), Jim Rash (screenplay), Kaui Hart Hemmings (novel)
Running time: 115mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama/Comedy
UK Release date: 27^th January 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 23^rd December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I have been wanting to see this film for quite some time now; I remember it coming out in theatres and it making quite an impact with the critics. Of course over the time since release I have heard bits and pieces here and there but I still went into it with an open mind. I found it quite exceptional, both in terms of performance and production; a film that’s a tad more dramatic than comic, although there are comedic elements to it. Here’s a very brief summary.

Matt King (George Clooney) has a wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) who hit her head in a boating accident and is now in hospital in a coma. He has devoted most of his time to his work and so finds it hard to connect with his ten-year-old daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) and his seventeen-year-old daughter Alexandra (Shailene Woodley). Alexandra was at a boarding school but Matt brings her home when her mother ends up in the hospital. She insists on having an old school friend, Sid (Nick Krause), around, much to her father’s dismay; but Sid proves to be quite resourceful. As the drama unfolds we learn more about Elizabeth’s life and there are more than a few surprises in store for Matt. There is also a land deal going on in the background where Matt and his many cousins, who have inherited some prime land, and they are about to vote on who to sell it to. Matt is the trustee and so has the power of veto.

I found this a very touching and quite emotional film which brought echoes of events in my past to the surface (I won’t bore you with the details). Beautifully done with some great Hawaiian music to set the tone; I though that was a very nice touch. All the performances were truly excellent, in particular George Clooney, who really nailed it! This is most certainly a film I will watch again sometime but I do wish the studio wouldn’t promote it as a ‘comedy’; it’s most definitely a drama that has some comic moments.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.9/10

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 110,083 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/

MetaScore: 84/100: (Based on 43 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 89/100 (based on 228 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 79/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 60,885 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_descendants_2011/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[first lines]
Matt King: My friends on the mainland think just because I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise. Like a permanent vacation. We're all just out here sipping Mai Tais, shaking our hips, and catching waves. Are they insane?

Matt King: [voice-over] Paradise? Paradise can go fuck itself.

Matt King: I'm worried about my daughters. I think there's something wrong with them.

Matt King: [voice-over] Don't be fooled by appearances. In Hawaii, some of the most powerful people look like bums and stuntmen.

Matt King: I don't want my daughters growing up entitled and spoiled. And I agree with my father - you give your children enough money to do something but not enough to do nothing.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thedescendants/
Trailer:

Film Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)

Director: Brad Bird
Writers: Josh Appelbaum (written by), André Nemec (written by), Bruce Geller (television series “Mission: Impossible”)
Running time: 133 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Thriller
UK Release date: 26^th December 2011

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 23^rd December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

The Mission Impossible films have had a few highs and lows over the years and I’m very pleased to report that this one is a bit of a high! We have all the usual elements, an impossible mission; great stunts, make-up, costumes, locations etc and the obligatory totally implausible plotline. And despite all this we have a film that, for the most part, works (with a little suspension of belief of course). Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

When terrorist, and all round bad guy, Kurt Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist) blows up the Kremlin the finger of suspicion points at the IMF team in the locality led by Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). The IMF Secretary has no choice but to enforce the ‘Ghost Protocol’ which means the team is effectively disavowed by their own government and are to the tried as criminals. Of course this doesn’t happen and Hunt, along with his team; Jane Carter (Paula Patton), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Set out to track down Hendricks who has stolen the launch codes to some Russian nuclear missiles. Of course, a Russian agent, Anatoly Sidorov (Vladimir Mashkov) is also after the codes, and Hunt for good measure. I’ll leave it there or I may give too much away and the IMF team will be after me!

A film that takes the audience from Budapest to Moscow to Dubai to India and maybe a few other international destinations in-between! There is some spectacular looking stunt work and some cracking effects; hats off to those guys! All the performances were very good with Tom Cruise playing Ethan Hunt with his usual aplomb. It was nice to see a little comic relief provided by the inclusion of Simon Pegg; the comedic two-and-fro between him and Jeremy Renner was particularly amusing. Maybe the plot might have been a little over-complicated, but over all I found it a pretty enjoyable watch.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.5/10

IMDb Score: 7.4/10 (based on 181,886 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1229238/

MetaScore: 73/100: (Based on 38 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 94/100 (based on 207 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 85/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 102,135 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mission_impossible_ghost_protocol/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Ethan Hunt: Light the fuse.

IMF Secretary: The President has initiated Ghost Protocol. The entire IMF has been disavowed.
Ethan Hunt: So what happens now?
IMF Secretary: Now, I've been ordered to take you back to Washington, where the DOD will label you as a rogue extremist and hang the Kremlin bombing on you and your team. Unless, you were to escape somewhere between here and the airport, having assaulted Mr. Brandt and me.
Brandt: Sir?
IMF Secretary: You would then illegally scrounge whatever material you could from a backup supply cache that I've overlooked. The same cache where your team are waiting for further orders.
Brandt: Sir, you may want to...
IMF Secretary: You will then disappear, and this conversation never having taken place, your intentions would be unclear. But if any one of your team is caught or killed, they will be branded terrorists, out to incite global nuclear war.
[handing Ethan a USB drive]
IMF Secretary: Your mission, should you choose to accept it.

Benji Dunn: [explaining Ethan's gloves] Easy way to remember: blue is glue.
Ethan Hunt: And when it's red?
Benji Dunn: Dead.

[repeated line]
Benji Dunn: [to Brandt] And I catch you.

[last lines]
Recorded Voice: Good evening, Mr. Hunt. 36 hours ago, there was a breach in our military's communication network. Now, an emerging terror organization known as The Syndicate has control of our entire drone fleet. Their targets unknown. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.missionimpossible.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: MOTHER (2009)

[Original Title: MADEO]

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Writers: Joon-ho Bong (story/screenplay), Eun-kyo Park (screenplay)
Running time: 128 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
South Korea Release date: 28^th May 2009

Watched on Sky+ Monday 17^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is another film I heard about around the time of its release but it never made it to any screen near me until it turned up on TV the other week. I have to admit I did put off watching this one until I was certain I was in the mood for it. A critically acclaimed Korean film with subtitles has to be savoured after all! The critics were right by the way… It’s really good!... I’ll tell you why after this very brief summary.

A mother (Hye-ja Kim), we never know her name, works in a store selling herbal medications (from what I can gather). She’s generally there alone and so keeps a close eye on her son, Yoon Do-joon (Bin Won), who usually hangs out across the street. After a run-in with some speeding golfers, Do-joon and his friend, Jin-tae (Ku Jin), end up in trouble with the police. I should point out here that Do-joon is quite a simple-minded young man. The pair of them are released and Do-joon decides he’s going to meet Jin-tae for a drink. Of course Jin-tae never turns up and Do-joon manages to get home on his own quite drunk. The following day his mother is shocked when she sees him dragged off by the police. It appears a schoolgirl, Moon Ah-jeong (Hee-ra Mun) had been murdered the night before. Do-joon can’t remember the events of the previous night, but even so, ends up signing a confession. His mother is totally convinced of his innocence and is determined to prove as much… But how far will she go?

I must say I found this a really great watch! Aside from the many cultural nuances, of which there are many, I found it a riveting tale with some very nice twists. Beautifully shot with a very nice musical score by Byung-woo Lee, I found it easy to follow (despite the inconvenience of subtitles). All the performances were excellent but I must pull out Hye-ja Kim for her tremendous portrayal of this driven woman, a great piece of work! Over all, it’s hard to find much wrong with filmmaking like this; Hollywood take heed! Definitely well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 9.0/10

IMDb Score: 7.8/10 (based on 13,117 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/

MetaScore: 79/100: (Based on 30 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 95/100 (based on 110 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 86/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 14,133 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/madeo/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
None available.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.motherfilm.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: A SIMPLE PLAN (1998)

Director: Sam Raimi
Writers: Scott B. Smith (novel/screenplay)
Running time: 121 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama
UK Release date: 21^st May 1999

Watched on Sky+ Monday 17^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember this one being mentioned on a film review TV show I watch many years ago. I can’t remember what the review said exactly, but from the fact it was included I knew it might be worth a look. Scanning the TV listings the other week I came across this familiar sounding title and decided to put it in my planner. So what did I think? Well I’ll tell you after this very brief summary.

When three men; brothers Hank (Bill Paxton) and Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jacob’s friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) stumble across a crashed plane in the snow they have no idea just what trouble this discovery will bring. You see there’s a bag in the wreckage containing over four million dollars. They could all do with the money but decide to allow Hank to hold onto it until the plane is discovered. Hank and his wife, Sarah (Bridget Fonda) are expecting a baby and Hank finds he can’t keep the money a secret from her. Of course they want to do the right thing but then they think about all the advantages the money could bring them. And so it stays hidden; but how long can they keep the secret; and how long will it be before Lou or Jacob begin to think about taking the money from Hank? I’ll leave it there or I might give too much away.

All the performances are very good but I thought Billy Bob Thornton was truly excellent in this. He really nailed his performance of this slightly dim-witted man who is, at heart, quite lonely. Also worthy of note were Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda. Aside from the performances I did find this one didn’t quite hold my attention the way I felt it should and I also found it a little over-long. Yes, it’s very dramatic and the audience is given plenty of time to engage with the various characters, but even so I did find my mind wandering in a few places. The plot did put me in mind of an old western; ‘The Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ I think it was; a film about greed when a big gold strike is made. As far as the production goes, well it did feel like I was watching a TV movie rather than a theatrical release. Over all, great performances (particularly BBT) but I felt the production let it down a tad… Still, worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…if a little slow)

My score: 6.8/10

IMDb Score: 7.5/10 (based on 36,050 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0120324/

MetaScore: 82/100: (Based on 28 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 90/100 (based on 52 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 75/100 ‘Liked It’ (based on 37,351 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/simple_plan/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
[noticing the crows in the trees overhead]
Jacob Mitchell: Those things are always waiting for something to die so they can eat it. What a weird job.

Lou Chambers: It's the American Dream in a goddamn gym bag!
Hank Mitchell: You work for the American Dream. You don't steal it.
Lou Chambers: Then this is even better.

Sarah Mitchell: Nobody'd ever believe that you'd be capable of doing what you've done.

Neil Baxter: Well, it looks like we're both going to have a lot of explaining to do.
Hank Mitchell: Just me.

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975)

Director: Sidney Lumet
Writers: P.F. Kluge (article), Thomas Moore (article), Frank Pierson (screenplay), Leslie Waller (book - uncredited)
Running time: 120 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama
USA Release date: 21^st September 1975

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 16^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I knew (before watching) that this film had had its fair share of critical acclaim and I was keen to give it a look. There’s something in the title that conjures a picture in my mind of a violent bank siege; boy was I in for a surprise! It is most definitely not what I was expecting… so slow I had to keep checking my pulse to see if I was still alive! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a slow paced taught drama, but this one didn’t really work for me. I’ll tell you why after this very brief summary.

When Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) rob a bank in Brooklyn on August 22^nd 1972 they get more than they bargained for. Based on a true story, the events of the day slowly unfold. The men take too long getting out and find themselves trapped in the bank with several hostages. The manager, Mulvaney (Sully Boyar) is very cooperative, as is the chief teller, Sylvia (Penelope Allen); even so, the police are soon in touch in the guise of Moretti (Charles Durning). What follows is the usual thing; promises made in return for a hostage or two. Before they know it there are large crowds outside and the whole thing has become a media circus with Sonny even being interviewed by phone live on the air! As all this is going on we learn more about Sonny’s life and his motivations for committing this crime. As things progress the FBI takes over the negotiations in the form of Sheldon (James Broderick). He is much more with the programme and events begin to move more quickly. Is there a way out for these men though?

Quite a daring film for its day, showing events almost exclusively from the point of view of the robbers. There seems to be a little Stockholm Syndrome going on where the hostages begin to identify with their captors, but this isn’t explored too closely. All the performances are very good with Pacino doing some of his very best scenery chewing with Cazale consequently playing it down and very understated (I liked that). It didn’t work for me though because I never bought into the stories we learn about Sonny; it’s him the film concentrates on mostly. He seems quite savvy when it comes to banks and police/FBI procedures and yet still panics when the police first arrive. I never had any connection with for either of the robbers and so found it quite a bumpy road to go down. Having said that I thought it was well made but certain scenes came across like a bit of an improvised scene in an acting class. I doubt I’d watch it again, but at least it’s another I can cross off ‘The List’.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (…just)

My score: 6.1/10

IMDb Score: 8.1/10 (based on 104,663 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0072890/

MetaScore: No data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 97/100 (based on 36 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 47/100 ‘Want to See’ (based on 84,424 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dog_day_afternoon/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
Sonny: [on a TV broadcast over the phone] I'm robbing a bank because they got money here. That's why I'm robbing it.
TV Anchorman: No, what I mean is why do you feel you have to steal for money? Couldn't you get a job?
Sonny: Uh, no. Doing what? You know if you want a job you've got to be a member of a union. See, and if you got no union card you don't get a job.
TV Anchorman: What about non-union occupations?
Sonny: What's wrong with this guy? What do you mean non-union, like what? A bank teller? You know how much a bank teller makes a week? Not much. A hundred and fifteen to start, right? Now are you going to live on that? A got a wife and a couple of kids, how am I going to live on that? What do you make a week?
TV Anchorman: Well I'm here to talk to you Sonny...
Sonny: Well I'm talking to you. We're entertainment, right? What do you got for us?
TV Anchorman: Well what do you want to get for it? Do you expect to be paid because...
Sonny: No, I don't want to be paid; I don't need to be paid. Look, I'm here with my partner and nine other people, see. And we're dying, man. You know? You're going to see our brains on the sidewalk; they're going to spill our guts out. Now are you going to show that on television? Have all your housewives look at that? Instead of As The World Turns? I mean what do you got for me? I want something for that.
TV Anchorman: Sonny, you could give up?
Sonny: Give up? Right. Have you ever been in prison?
TV Anchorman: No!
Sonny: No! Well let's talk about something you fucking know about, okay? How much do you make a week? That's what I want to hear. Are you going to talk to me about that?
TV Anchorman: [a "Please Stand By" graphic appears on the TV screen]
Sonny: Hey, what the fuck happened?
Mulvaney: I guess he didn't appreciate your use of language.
Sonny: Fuck him.

Sonny: I don't wanna talk to some flunky pig trying to calm me man.
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: Now you don't have to be calling me pig for...
Sonny: [Notices other officers moving toward him] What is he doing?
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: [shouts at officers] Will you get back there!
Sonny: What are you moving in there for?
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: [Runs toward closing officers] Will you get the fuck back there! Get back there will you!
Sonny: [Addresses other officers moving toward him] What's he doing? Go back there man! He wants to kill me so bad he can taste it! Huh? ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA!
[Yells it too cheering crowd]
Sonny: ATTICA! ATTICA! REMEMBER ATTICA?

Sonny: Kiss me.
Det. Sgt. Eugene Moretti: What?
Sonny: Kiss me. When I'm being fucked, I like to get kissed a lot.

Sheldon: You handled yourself real well, Sonny. A lot of men would've choked, and we might have had a death or a multiple death on our hands. But you handled it. I respect that. Now don't you try to take Sal. We'll handle him. Just sit tight and you won't get hurt.
[Sheldon turns to walk away]
Sonny: Wait a minute... What are you talking about?
Sheldon: You just sit quiet. We'll handle Sal.
[Sheldon leaves]
Sonny: Do you think I'd sell him out? You fuck!

LINKS:
Trailer:

Film Review: THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987)

Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Oscar Fraley (suggested by book), Eliot Ness (suggested by book), David Mamet (written by)
Running time: 119 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/History
UK Release date: 18^th September 1987

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 15^th December 2012.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film I saw many years ago and have been wanting to see again for some time now. Fortunately it turned up on TV recently and I was able to record it. A very slick telling of the story of Eliot Ness; his team of ‘Untouchables’ and their fight to bring down 1930’s Chicago gangland leader, Al Capone. I have the impression an awful lot of poetic licence was used here, but then I guess the idea is to make it entertaining after all! Here’s a very brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It’s 1930 and Chicago is virtually the property of gangsters like Al Capone (Robert De Niro). They have the police, the courts and all the city officials in their pocket giving them free reign to peddle illicit booze and drugs (prohibition was still in force then). Enter Treasury Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) who has vowed to rid the city of these parasites, and in particular Capone. He soon finds that a corrupt police force is no help and so recruits a small group who are incorruptible (or Untouchable as the title suggests). The group members are Ness (of course), Jim Malone (Sean Connery), Treasury Agent Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) and Agent George Stone (Andy Garcia). They begin a violent campaign, taking down Capone’s empire piece by piece but there is never any evidence linking Capone directly to anything illegal. They eventually come across a ledger that may give them the break they need, but it’s encoded and the guy that wrote it is heavily guarded… I’ll leave it there or I may say too much.

All the performance are excellent, I think Sean Connery got an Oscar for his portrayal of Malone. I thought Robert De Niro was particularly good as Capone and Kevin Costner did a very decent job as Ness. I hadn’t realised that the score was written by Ennio Morricone, and now I know that I also know why I like it so much. The film itself is very well made with some quite memorable set pieces and some nicely phrased dialogue. It’s quite an adventure although I’m not entirely sure about its historical accuracy. As a piece of entertainment though, it does a very good job and I found it well worth a viewing.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.0/10

IMDb Score: 8.0/10 (based on 134,834 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0094226/

MetaScore: No data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 81/100 (based on 43 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 63/100 ‘Want to See’ (based on 189,416 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/untouchables/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE
[first lines]
Title Card: 1930. Prohibition has transformed Chicago into a City at War. Rival gangs compete for control of the city's billion dollar empire of illegal alcohol, enforcing their will with the hand grenade and tommy gun. It is the time of the Ganglords. It is the time of Al Capone.
Reporter: [to Al Capone] An article, which I believe appeared in a newspaper, asked why, since you are, or it would seem that you are, in effect, the mayor of Chicago, you've not simply been appointed to that position.

Malone: You said you wanted to get Capone. Do you really wanna get him? You see what I'm saying is, what are you prepared to do?
Ness: Anything within the law.
Malone: And *then* what are you prepared to do? If you open the can on these worms you must be prepared to go all the way. Because they're not gonna give up the fight, until one of you is dead.
Ness: I want to get Capone! I don't know how to do it.
Malone: You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital; you send one of his to the morgue. *That's* the *Chicago* way! And that's how you get Capone. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that? I'm offering you a deal. Do you want this deal?
Ness: I have sworn to capture this man with all legal powers at my disposal and I will do so.
Malone: Well, the Lord hates a coward.
[jabs Ness with his hand, and Ness shakes it]
Malone: Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr. Ness?
Ness: Yes.
Malone: Good, 'cause you just took one.

Capone: A man becomes preeminent; he's expected to have enthusiasms. Enthusiasms, enthusiasms... What are mine? What draws my admiration? What is that which gives me joy? Baseball! A man stands alone at the plate. This is the time for what? For individual achievement. There he stands alone. But in the field, what? Part of a team. Teamwork... Looks, throws, catches, hustles. Part of one big team. Bats himself the live-long day, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and so on. If his team don't field... what is he? You follow me? No one. Sunny day, the stands are full of fans. What does he have to say? I'm goin' out there for myself. But... I get nowhere unless the team wins.
Hoods: Team!

Mountie Captain: I do not approve of your methods!
Ness: Yeah, well... You're not from Chicago.

Capone: I want you to get this fuck where he breathes! I want you to find this nancy-boy Eliot Ness, I want him DEAD! I want his family DEAD! I want his house burned to the GROUND! I wanna go there in the middle of the night and I wanna PISS ON HIS ASHES!

[last lines]
Scoop: Word is they're going to repeal Prohibition. What'll you do then?
Ness: I think I'll have a drink.

LINKS:
Trailer: