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SXSW: Quint picks a fight with some HOOLIGANS and gets beat down when Jet Li is UNLEASHED!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with more SXSW reviews. Tonight I have what was actually a pretty great double feature to report about: HOOLIGANS, the Elijah Wood/Claire Forlani/Charlie Hunnam football (soccer for us yanks) gang flick, and UNLEASHED, a tale of heart and badassery (yes, I said badassery... I dare Rogue Pictures to use that on the poster!) starring Jet Li, Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins.
HOOLIGANS
This was one of those movies that I was just hoping wasn't going to suck. The Dude himself, Jeff Dowd, is repping this film and had set me up with interviews with the director and main cast members (I'm doing that in about 12 hours). I've been in situations before where I've agreed to interview people or have been at a movie where I knew the director was going to ask me what I thought immediately after seeing the film. Unfortunately, that has prompted some very uncomfortable moments.
So, here it is... I was sitting in the theater hoping the film would be a success so I didn't have the director and 4 cast members waiting to hear my opinion of the film the next day. I was pretty confident that it was a solid flick based on the last couple reviews I posted from test screenings last week. Both were positive, one very positive, the other mildly positive.
I have to say this movie kicks a lot of ass. It's not flawless, but it turned out to be more than just "pretty good."
Elijah Wood has been picking some great post LOTR material. He's not going for the big Rom Com or the Universal wet fart gag and cum-drinking comedy. He's gone for smaller roles in great scripts (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND), the total geeked-out stylized flicks (SIN CITY) and taking his time to plan a lead role in an indie flick about soccer hooligans.
Wood found a great bridging character between Frodo and whatever he's going on to in the future. As an American falling into the rough and tumble world off football gangs, Wood has the perfect innocence at the beginning and makes a great transition to a more world worn, rounded person... that likes to punch out those bastards that don't like West Ham.
The beginning of the film is a tad slow, but once Wood gets introduced to Charlie Hunnam (Nicholas Nickleby himself), the head of a particular football gang, the film takes off. It's really the budding friendship between Elijah and Charlie that makes this movie for me. I'm a sucker for a good buddy flick and this definitely is a good buddy flick.
The fighting is a bit choppy, which is a drawback for me, but it is well done. You can tell what's going on. I would have liked to have seen one of the big gang on gang fights from a distance with some time to take it all in (maybe in one of those 40 on 10 ones), but director Lexi Alexander made a choice to keep it as hectic and realistic as possible. That works on a level that having an operatic fisticuffs on a massive scale wouldn't, so she made a good choice. I'm worried it may effect the re-watch factor, though.
Claire Forlani plays Elijah's sister who married an Englander. It's her he goes to visit at the beginning of this film. She has, perhaps, the most challenging role in the film. To be perfectly honest, I usually don't care for Claire Forlani. She's never been the nails on the chalkboard that, say, Tea Leoni or Thandie Newton are to me, but other than MALLRATS, I just haven't cared for any of her performances.
This is easily my favorite thing she's ever done. Like I said above she has perhaps the most challenging role in the film. Her character only pops up in pieces, but she has to sell the emotion of seeing her brother fall in with these thugs, seeing the bruises, scrapes and scars that are leftover from his tussles with very little screen time. She's very subtle, but powerful in this film.
Charlie Hunnam is going to bust out very soon. He damn near steals this film as the leader of the gang. If it wasn't for his chemistry with Elijah Wood, this film would have fallen flat on its face. He's likable, but threatening. He's a badass, but soft where it counts. He's a very well balanced, well performed character. Hunnam has an ease in front of the camera that is striking. He'll go far.
The film is littered with great performances and familiar faces. Leo Gregory, a relatively unknown actor (at least here in America... I know I had never seen him before the movie tonight), is fantastic in the film as the right hand man to Charlie Hunnam's character. Gregory goes through the depths of hell in this film on every level and you see it in his eyes, body language and face. Gregory is one of those actors that wears his humanity, flaws and all, on his face.
You'll also see familiar faces like Rafe Spall (Timothy Spall's son who you might remember from SHAUN OF THE DEAD as the young Foree Employee that calls Shaun "Grand Dad") and Joel Beckett, who played Lee, the fiancee we all loved to hate, in THE OFFICE. Anyway, the film will surely, surely get picked up and released to theaters. It's a damn good movie. When it does, I'll make sure to let you folks know.
UNLEASHED
UNLEASHED is every bit the kick-ass return to form for Jet Li as Harry made it out to be in review. The film is gritty, harsh and full of skull cracking hits. Although, I must say that there's a lot less fights than I was expecting, but in its place was the heart of the film, which was superbly pulled off by Morgan Freeman (in his elderly negro mentor role... but this one has Freeman hitting on all cylinders, with his charm amped up to 11), Kerry Condon (Freeman's adopted daughter... who's supposed to be "almost 18" but looks more like late 20s... but that really doesn't take away from her character or her work in giving Danny back his humanity) and Jet Li.
Li is incredible in this role. Danny has been caged, trained and abused, having all remnants of his humanity sucked out of him by the slimy and just plain mean Bob Hoskins. You can the intricate research Jet Li did on the facial expressions, body postures and even the angle of one's head. He looks like a dog in this film. Not in a furry '60s Disney way, but his eyes and spirit.
I'm not sure what else I can say that Harry didn't. The fight scenes are impressive, stylized, but not boring or a rehash from any action flick of the last 5 years or so. The pace is quick and the cinematography is gritty and perfectly fit with the story being told. I highly recommend this flick.
Sorry for the short review for UNLEASHED. I really just don't know what else there is to say other than I really dug it.
So, I better get to bed. I gotta wake up early enough to prepare for my now (hopefully) comfortable interview with Lexi Alexander and a good amount of the cast of HOOLIGANS. Fingers crossed that I'll be able to transcribe that interview soon for you folks. SXSW schedule willing. 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
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Hopefully Hooligans gets a wide release, sounds like it deserves it. And hopefully Unleashed can wash out the taste of Kiss of the Dragon and The One; just cos it's a US made action movie, doesn't mean it has to be shit!
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Mar 13, 2005 6:23:23 AM CST
Err, that was a shithouse attempt at an on-topic first post, eve
by monkey butler
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It sounds absoluately fantastic and the fights look superb. It's amazing to me that after all of these years, Yuen Woo Ping can still turn out fresh and exciting fight choreography. He's still got it!!
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Indeed, "Unleashed" sounds truly kick ass. I'm among those who can't wait to see it. "Hooligans" had me slightly interested until Quint mentioned the choppy direction during the fight scenes. I'm sorry, I just can't buy that as a "style" - to me, it's always just seemed like sloppy directing and editing. If I can't tell what's going on in a fight scene, I'm immediately disconnected. So many American movies have been doing it as of late and I just can't bring myself to watch another.
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Your sense of humor sucks my friend. If your going for the whole shock value, leave it to the satire pros. Your jokes fall so flat that it borderlines offensive. First your joke that unnecessarily brought up gays/jews, tho meant in complementive form was still... unnecessary. It couldn't have been easily said an "elderly mentor role". However, it's ok to joke about certain things when your fronting the whole "cynical honkey movie geek with wit staler than BBC sitcoms" which could've been also easily said "cynical movie geek". Perspective is fabulous... ^.~
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I doubt Quint was trying to make an original joke so much as refer to the old movie staple of elderly negro mentors. Somewhat related to the more general staple of the "mystical negro" (see Will Smith in the Matt Damon golfing movie, or MCD in The Green Mile). If you're going to visit a movie geek board, you should know a little something about movies.
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Although I loved both movies, I, personally, liked Hooligans a little better. As for the fight scenes, well, at first, I thought they were choppy too, but then I started to feel like the camera was taking the viewpoint of someone in the fight. All bumpy and disconnected with distorted perception. But, even with that "style" I was still able to tell what was going on. What kind of punches and kicks were happening. I was able to see contact... but the good thing was, the extreme violence of it didn't overwhelm me to the point where I couldn't look (admittedly I did wince a lot!). Remember the director is a Kick Boxing/MA Champ! She isn't going to disappoint people who are looking for the details, but doesn't show details to the point of compromising the story. In Unleashed, I was completely drawn into the fight scenes and they were the highlight of movie...that and, as Harry said, getting to see Jet Li really act and wondering how low the Bob Hoskins character could go were an added treat.
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Hey, thanks for clearing up the "Hooligans" fight scenes. I admit, it'd be easier to accept choppy fight scenes in a movie like this versus a traditional action movie. I imagine no one is going to see "Hooligans" because they're in the mood for stylized, choreographed action. As long as you can see punches/kicks/and contact, it probably works. I might look into seeing this now.
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"...the old movie staple of elderly negro mentors."
That's a film staple? Come on. What would the difference be, had he simply written "elderly mentor?" Surely that is MORE of a film staple. -
I think quint was making a dig at some of the type casting in hollywood and Morgan Freemans tendency to play "elderly negro mentors" (See 'Driving Miss Daisy', 'Shawshank Redemption', 'Million Dollar Baby', 'Seven', 'Glory', 'Clean and Sober', 'Lean on Me,' 'Robin Hood', 'Bruce Almighty') the question is whether or not this is self imposed typecasting, since his non- "elderly negro mentor" roles lately have generally sucked (I'm looking at you, Dream Catcher and The Big Bounce). So you see, I believe Quint's comments were specifically directed at Freeman and not generally at the over all film community. In other words, pull the sticks out of your asses and relax.
P.S.- I have a college degree in English, and all of my incorrect grammar and mis- spellings were completely intentional, 'cause I kick it post-modern style. So hold off on your grammar and spelling corrections, and just enjoy my post for the relevant and post-modern masterpiece that it is
"People who say 'you are either part of the problem or part of the solution' are themselves part of the problem."
- Illuminatus Trilogy -
Quint has contributed a great much to this site and has written many good reviews. I don't dislike Quint as a person.. I just didn't think that was necessary regardless how many talkback groupies seize the opportunity to bash someone for griping about it like as if I were a new Star Wars trailer with defenseless retorts. I'm even fairly upset with myself to even get upset about it and let it bother me enough to waste precious keystrokes about it... but I did. Though I think it's because I'm an old bitter fag that doesn't appreciate double standards thrown in my face like from the poster, Wesley Snipes, above. I've visited this board since it's near birth in the mid-90's and if anyone has "film knowledge" about how Hollywood's continued mockery of minorities, it's surely me. Why don't we just continue this acceptance of "it's ok to put on blackface makeup and act like primitive human being" because that's a ol' Hollywood staple also. Or better yet... dress up The Rock as a queer and make him work as a fashionable hairdresser... that'll be funny!! Because that's what the majority demographic of Paris Hilton panty sniffing heterosexual breeder hermits who visit this site want to see. :P I'm not one to get all worked up over nothing because this is kind of nothing. I even love satire and I'm quick to roll my eyes also at someone with a stick up their bum going on a rant (..like this). Just I guess irony kicked in for me when that something inside you sparks on that personal level to speak up, you lube up that stick, sit on it, and stand up about the issue... which I did. However, that's why I stated to leave satire to the pro's because if the tone of your post is about how seriously great someone's performance was followed by the brilliance of throwing in "typical negro mentor" role concerning that actor just sounded as the Japanese would put it... BAKA! Kind of like replying to this, which I haven't done in years because most of the current batch of talk backers are this years young fresh into college "oh I just found this great site and now I'm a tragic groupie follower that will throw out my failed wit and wayward juvenile insults behind a monitor" motif. I'm not here to point out shortcomings of grammar... because mine is as great as Harry's. Well ok maybe I'll point out failed attempts of "geek elitism" like from Wesley above when really again "geek elitism" should again really be left, for the pro's. ^.~
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Your probably some fat ugly white pasty slob that is just jealous that you could never be with a beautiful woman as Thandie that is why you can't stand to see her huh!
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