Cool News
Moriarty Spies On Ridley Scott’s BODY OF LIES!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
At 58%, Rotten Tomatoes is being generous with this film.
Look, I love Ridley Scott as a visual filmmaker. I think he’s got an exceptional eye, and his sense of how to stage a sequence has gotten more and more impressive over time.
BLACK HAWK DOWN, for example, was one of the first few films I bought on BluRay. It’s dead sexy in high-def. That’s why I own it. They spent a lot of fucking money making that movie, and it shakes my entire porch when I crank it up. As a movie to actually sit down and watch from start to finish, it is a harrowing visceral experience, overwhelming, and it’s a politically confused film in some fascinating ways. But I don’t own it because of what it says... I own it because of how it says it.
In fact, if you want to argue for a larger subtext in Ridley Scott’s career as a whole, you could, and I’d hardly categorize him as any sort of left-leaning or liberal filmmaker. If he’s got a political message to his films, I think he’s far more interested in the grind of the machine than he is in reform. I think a world at war is a world where Ridley Scott knows how to shoot it and make it sexy. I’m really interested in seeing what he does with BRAVE NEW WORLD, because it’s a total about-face from this sort of military-might-on-display car commercial sheen that looks like it costs ungodly amounts of money. And I think BODY OF LIES is, as far as Scott is concerned, a dead end of aesthetic. There are any number of wow shots in this film, any number of impressively staged physical sequences. Leonardo Di Caprio and Russell Crowe both threw themselves at their roles, both of them slapping on the Southern drawls and acting really hard into cell phones for most of the shoot. You like the Sorkin walk-and-talk? Well, this is that, but instead of Rob Lowe and Martin Sheen in the hallway between the Oval Office and the Kitchen, it’s Di Caprio in the middle of the desert at a hideout for a terrorist cell and it’s Russell Crowe dropping his little girl off at soccer practice. But it’s still just yak yak high-tech yak yak. It’s mining the exact same political subtext as EAGLE EYE, and it’s just about as deep and important in what it’s saying.
Until I opened the IMDb page, I didn’t realize this was based on a novel. I am shocked. I had no idea how this film got made, and after a while, that’s all I could think about while watching it unfold. “How did this happen? At what stage did this look like a good idea, a story that had to be told?” I can’t imagine. I’m almost compelled now to read the book to see if there would be anything about it that I liked, or if it just stacks up different on the page. I knew that William Monahan wrote it, and to me, it just felt like an airball pretty much all the way through. I don’t buy a word of it. I don’t buy Roger Ferris, the CIA operative in the Middle East who works (mostly) by remote contact with Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) back in Washington. I don’t buy the metaphorically hamhanded romantic subplot between Aisha (Golshifteh Farahani) and Ferris. I particularly don’t buy the big finish, and without giving it away, I’ll just say there was one moment where I thought this film was going to suddenly earn back some merit, where I thought they could pull it out... and they chicken out in the biggest way possible. It’s a final insult after the previous hour and a half of constant affront.
There’s one character that stands out, and if they wanted to make movies about him, that would have been a fascinating and worthwhile choice. Mark Strong’s work as Hani, head of Jordanian Intelligence, is so impressive that I would imagine you’ll see him show up in approximately 134 films produced between 2010 and 2012. He’s “that guy,” starting now. I have talked about him in previous set visit pieces and reviews, and I’ve been watching his work impress in recent films like ROCKNROLLA, STARDUST, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, SUNSHINE, SYRIANA, and OLIVER TWIST. Here, he’s given the best role in the script, the one role that is played at the right pitch, written with some scent of truth. He’s written just well enough that Strong runs with it. His work here reminds me of the work Alec Guiness did for David Lean over the years. It’s not “Mark Strong” in the film; it’s Hani. When audiences see him in KICK-ASS or SHERLOCK HOLMES, I’m willing to bet he’s not going to look like he does here, and he won’t look the same in either of them. He’s the very modern model of a British character actor, and for him, this movie’s one big clip reel.
But that’s not enough. Not nearly enough.
Truth be told, the film bothers me because it doesn’t work if you just want to approach it as mindless entertainment, and it doesn’t work if you expect something more. I don’t think there’s much entertainment value for me personally in watching Hollywood slap together a cartoon character James Bond villain style 21st century terrorist cell leader, just so they can kill a bunch of brown people in their drive to bring him down. I don’t know what that says about me, but I’m being honest. I don’t find it cathartic or entertaining. I think it’s a troubling occupation to be in right now, making big popcorn films about Iraq and Iran and Saudi Arabia, and not because of my own personal feelings about the war. This isn’t World War II. If you’re fighting Hitler, I undertand the need for a propaganda machine that’s working overtime, subverting Hollywood’s biggest guns to America’s purpose. I get that. I think WWII propaganda is some of the most amazing iconography in Hollywood history. But right now, I don’t think we’re dealing with Hitler. I don’t think we need to be cranking out puffed up commercials for just how right our might makes us. And, sure, the movie opens with a quote about what happens to people who do evil in the world, and there are a few distinct buttons in the film to underline the theme, “Don’t start shit if you don’t want shit,” all while never really engaging with any of the various ideas it raises.
At the start of the film, there’s some business about how the terrorists all realized that fighting the CIA is like fighting a man from the future, and so to fight a man from the future, you must live like a man from the past. Completely be opposite him. Go off the grid. The CIA can only track you via electronics if you use electronics, and so the terrorists have gone back to messages carried as folded paper in handshakes, or on whispers in public places, passed carrier to carrier. As low tech as low tech gets, so low tech that the CIA can’t track any of it. Those are some good ideas, and they go resolutely unexplored in any depth in the film. Later, Di Caprio comes up with a fairly ingenious sting operation, and it sounds like the film’s finally kicking in, but it really doesn’t. And that ending I alluded to... the way the film just ditches out on the audience right there... it just sums up the film’s greatest misstep: it has no idea what the fuck it’s really about.
It’s hard to make a political statement if you don’t know what you’re saying, but it’s also hard to make sure you’re not sending the wrong messages entirely. This is empty provocation. Marc Streitenfeld has scored the last few Ridley Scott films, and before that, he worked in the music department on many more. He does a top-notch job here, propulsive and atmospheric. Alexander Witt, a huge name in the second-unit world, steps up as the director of photography here, and, no surprise, it’s a great looking film. Ridley Scott can certainly afford to work with anyone he wants to at this point, and I actually like seeing the way he promotes from within the ranks. Most of his collaborators now are people he’s been working with in some form for a long time now. The great editor Pietro Scalia is, of course, back onboard, and the movie’s genuinely exhilarating at times. So everyone’s work here, technically speaking, is top-notch. This is what The Best Hollywood Money Can Buy looks like in 2008. But all this effort in this particular case is about what? Is this movie saying something? Anything? And if not, if this is just a thrill ride, then why isn’t any of this any fun? If this is meant to just be a badass good-guys/bad-guys thing, why isn’t it more exciting? A movie like BODY OF LIES bothers me in some ways more than an outright awful film because there’s so much raw should-be-great on display, so many talented people in the mix, and with that much energy all working towards the same end, for this to be the result is a disappointment, plain and simple. I’ve heard a few people say that this struck them as more of a Tony Scott movie, but that’s not fair. This movie’s terrible in a whole different way than Tony Scott’s terrible films are. This movie is bad in that special way that only Ridley can manage. It’s GI JANE bad. It’s BLACK RAIN bad. And coming on the heels of the ambitious but charmingly imperfect AMERICAN GANGSTER, this is doubly disappointing.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
-
+ Expand All
-
All these headlines are SHIT!
-
don't think so
-
I like Black Rain...
-
Great cinematographer, sometimes very mediocre director. And for those people who say the Kingdom Of Heaven director's cut is hot shit, go fuck yourself. I've given that movie 3 chances now, and each time it's bored me to tears. Orlando Bloom is a bad actor. The story doesn't deserve or need such a long running time, and most of the few and far between good parts I already saw in Gladiator. Scott's the definition of a hit and miss director, and more frequently with age just comes off as Tony's more pretentious brother.
-
I love me some Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, and sometimes Black Hawk Down and Gladiator, but if you look at his whole filmography you'll see that A) he's overrated, and B) he's got a lot more pieces of shit than pieces of gold.
-
Oct 10, 2008 7:30:15 AM CDT
hmm, you sound like you were less than fully impressed, Mori:
by newc0253
but BLACK RAIN bad? there are worse films to be as bad as, frankly.
-
The trailer looked awful but I like the talent involved. Kingdom of Heaven director's cut is much better than the original cut but it still falls short of greatness. The reason? Orlando Bloom, a terrible terrible actor. To decribe his performance as wooden would be too generous. More like compressed chipboard.
-
for Russell Crowe.
-
Don't understand the hate for that one. Shame about BODY though. It sounds like the studio ordered more explosions after all the other middle east / terrorism movies bombed. After the amazing Kingdom of Heaven DC I thought Scott I thought Scott was on a roll. Moriarty, how does it compare to 'The Kingdom'? I loved that.
-
but this new one does sound pretty crap. Ridley Scott should seek out better material, anybody could make this kind of film. Ridley should be doing something more visionary and passing material like this onto Tony.
-
The man had an amazing start, but since then he's sacrificed his talent to the Hollywood gods. The last film of his I enjoyed was Gladiator, and even that was merely a good action film (it should never have won best picture). People cut the man slack because of Alien and Blade Runner, but the fact remains that he will never again make a great work of art.
-
Thanks for the excellent analysis Mori. I expected you'd hate it and anticipate it'll be hit fairly hard by negative word of mouth.
-
Ok, he's made a couple of duffers in his time, but then any director that bangs out that much work over that many years is never gonna strike oil each time. Hell, even Spielberg has a similar strike rate.
-
Oct 10, 2008 8:31:04 AM CDT
Mark Strong rocks! And is the best thing in Revolver
by col. tigh-fighter
His never-miss assassin Sorter is a creation of genius. Worth watching that movie for him alone
-
Oct 10, 2008 8:35:42 AM CDT
Here's why I dislike Scott and Spielberg's bombs get a pass.
by rbatty024
Because even when Spielberg has an off film (like The Terminal) those movies are at least interesting. Scott hasn't made a truly interesting movie with something to say since G.I. Jane. Say what you will about that film, but it tackled the topic in a surprisingly sophisticated way and had great performances by Mortensen, Bancroft, and even Demi Moore. After that film he somehow morphed into Tony Scott. I can barely tell the two directors apart anymore. They basically put out slick action vehicles to make a buck. At least Spielberg is still interested in being an artist. I can't say the same thing about Scott. He's really thrown his talent away.
-
I'm glad to see Mark Strong is doing well and gaining respect. He is one of our greatest actors.Hey Mori have you seen 'Our Friends In The North'? It was a British mini-series from the mid 90's that starred a then-relatively-unknown Mark Strong, as well the equally unknowns Daniel Craig and Christopher Eccleston. And it was blinking brilliant.
-
I can't find anything on it. IMDB has it listed as 2011, but the only info is available on IMDB Pro.
-
Didn't realize he's making Huxley's novel into a film. Sweet!
-
The film was flat from start to finish. I had the exact same "how did this thing get made" thought while I was watching it. Of all the things Hollywood could spend 100 million bucks on why would they choose this sleeper? And what drew A-listers like Crowe and DiCaprio to it? There really ias nothing here you haven't seen before.
-
Yeah, Indy 4 was artistic as crap...
-
Yeah, let's use this talkback as an opportunity to trast Tarantino... Moron.
Also, Matchstick Men was a very good movie. -
Is one of the greatest science fiction novels, hell one of the greatest novels, ever written and its by Aldous Huxley. It's a satire of communism and modern social values and an astute commentary on religion human nature. I think Scott could be the perfect director for it. Very high hopes for that one...
-
BLACK RAIN is a bit of a product of its time, but at the time I loved it. Must have watched it half a dozen times. Andy Garcia getting decapitated by motorbike Yakuza, Sato chopping off his own finger before killing all his rivals, Michael Douglas going berserk and smashing the place up. So back off the RAIN Mori - it is and always will be a great beers and pizza movie.
-
A director, or a human being, can be and do more than one type of thing. Just because Spielberg made one blatantly commercial film of questionable quality doesn't mean he has given up as an artist. And rbatty024, I think Scott has made some very unconventional choices, some good, some disastrous, over the last few years that would set him far apart from his brother - Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, Matchstick Men, American Gangster. Even Gladiator, while at its heart an action film, has a terrific aesthetic that suggests a keen vision behind it. Tony, on the other hand - Man on Fire? Domino? They couldn't be more different. Although I did think "Spy Game" a few times while watching "Body of Lies". Maybe thats just because they're both boring as hell.
-
Because he can't tell a story. Blade-Runner, for all its wonderful aesthetics, is lacking a strong through-line. He can certainly creative provocative images and I watch his films just for that, but he doesn't understand character and story.
I thought Body of Lies was a good script, though. -
I think Scott just needs an extra year of editing for each one of his movies from now on, especially so that he has time to convince the studio to let him release the longer Cut.
Or he just really dropped the ball on this one. "GI Jane bad" is very disappointing -
I can't be true.
-
is he does not respect script-writing. If you watch the behind the scenes on all his DVD's he is constantly asking for rewrites and mashing new scenes with older scenes. What you get is a semi-coherent mess a lot of the time -- every "bad" Ridely Scott movie has this problem.
-
Perhaps there is a definitive cut waiting to be done (that's what Blade Runner was waiting for, now IMO it's a perfect movie) but I just dislike it. Cruise pisses me off throughout, and just about everything that happens in it is what every fantasy movie should avoid. Can you imagine if Peter Jackson had decided to do Lord of the Rings in this style?? It would have been so very bad. I believe Ridley Scott is gearing up for another sci-fi movie. Hope he can pull it off. It would be good if it was something like Sunshine, which I thought was the return of a brilliant space sci-fi flick, even if it wasn't perfect, just check out the sets and the model work, fucking excellent.
-
1. Blade Runner 2. Alien 3.Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut 4. Gladiator 5. Legend. You can maybe squeeze The Duellists in there as well. Rbatty, you're full of it mate. GI Jane was the last interesting Scott film? No, it was his worst movie (along with A Good Year) and kindom of heaven dc easily stands in his top 5 (maybe 3) and to hell with anyone that says different. you think that film's in any way like tony scott? it isn't, its very classically ridley scott in its style. there's a bit of shaky-cam, but its mostly classically composed and paced in the style of his pre-GI Jane work. and it definitely has something to say. GI Jane was just a gimmicky star vehicle for Demi Moore. "Sucky my dick, Sir?" - Hardly the height of thematic sophistication or progressive gender politics, eh? In fact, if he had cast Goran Visnjic or Paul Bettany in KOH as he had originally wanted to instead of Orlando Bloom (forced on him by the studio) there would be no dispute about this at all. not that bloom wasn't surprisingly decent, if lacking the exceptional acting skills necessary to propel the role into true greatness. but that aside, its a fucking great movie. and black rain - that's a pretty good movie if a little dated. it makes tokyo look like a contemporary companion city to LA in Blade Runner, and for that alone its worth it.
-
the worst feeling i can have after throwing down for a movie and giving up 2 hours of my life is- what was that all about? i don't feel anything. i wasn't moved or umnmoved. i wasn't for or against anything. unless it's a total experimental peice, you shouldn't feel like that after a movie like this one.
-
hey i'm at work and rushed. with errors that bad, i should work for AICN
-
Black Hawk Down is a must-see.
-
Seriously, I can't believe the love for Legend.
You all need to tell me how you keep from falling asleep during it, because I've tried four different times to get through that fucking Ambien-esque thing, and no go. -
At this point there's little difference bewteen the work of Tony & Ridley. They both consistently churn out handsome-looking fluff. Okay, perhaps a noticable difference is that Ridley's work is a tad more bloated and self-important than Tony's. How much longer will TalkBackers give Ridley a free pass off of the reputation of revolutionary films like Alien & Blade Runner?
-
..to mangle a line from the tangerine dream soundtrack.
My love for legend is from childhood. it was a 'dark' fantasy i was allowed to watch repeatedly. the devil's design is still awesomely over the top, and even through a shitty 80's voco-filter, Tim Curry's performance is great. I could do without cruise, he is the most forgettable aspect of the movie, truely not what was intended, him being the hero and tom cruise and all. Many of the lines (everyones) are so stressed or nuanced or badly voiced over that they are burned into memory. the dark sets of the devil's palace and dungeons left me wanting to investigate them more. the Gump still creeps me out, as does the faceless dancer. is it a great movie? no. is it a memorable movie? yes. it's a guilty pleasure i can have on in the background while i'm doing other things. -
I actually dig the hell out of "Deja Vu". A very well-made action film with no high-art pretentions. I thought Tony knocked that out of the park.
-
With Scott, DiCaprio, and Crowe all heavily involved, and the preview still an incomprehensible mess, shoulda known this would be a dog.
-
Maybe better than the first Beverly Hills Cop films as a "fish-out-of-water" sub-genre movies? Just purely for the fact that Douglas was a bent cop, whereas Eddie was just a cheeky chappy.
-
i dig alot of what he's done, Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven (even if it felt like Gladiators hang-over), Black Hawk Down are great films...but i just couldn't get into Legend, G.I Jane (though Viggo rocked in that), and i probably won't dig this...though i heard Leo's torture sequence is cool.
-
Is that, at almost 71, he probably doesn't want to spend 3 or 4 years sitting around.
-
... Blade Runner and Alien are good 'cause he couldn't fuck the perfect screenplay and acting. But most of the time he's just throwing in distracting nice visuals that serve to a lesser screenplay. Black Hawk Down by the way, was embarrassing, by the way, total propaganda, as Moriarty stated. Watched it twice. First one out of curiosity. Second, to believe they did what they did and that actually they did it THAT way. A pity somalian familys can't sue Scott and his team.
-
The Ridley Scott Problem - his films have an authoratitive, singular textural quality that no one else can even emulate well. And he has had a hand in two of the greatest genre films ever made which all of science fiction are indebted to. But I have a sense that ultimately Scott does understand narrative and so on - what he doesn't understand so well are people or at least how he portrays him. In fact the only Scott characters who ever really come alive are the fucked up, evil ones - Roy Batty is in actual fact the hero of Blade Runner (which does it make it more interesting), and every scene with Russel Crowe in Gladiator seems like it isn't totally eanest as much as his fascination with Joaquin Pheonix's fuckup. It's like his films have this treacly sentimental streak combined with an undercurrent of cynicism that just doesn't mesh. Whenever his stories praise good it feels forced and false.
And politically, too, the man is just naive but dealing with big issues. I knew that Body of Lies would be meh when I read an interview with Scott and DiCaprio where Scott said of course you'd use torture to stop a ticking bomb, right Leo, to which Leo quickly distanced himself from. Or think about Hannibal in its entirety.
Black Hawk Down had more brothers dying in it than at a Sarah Palin rally. It didn't help that he shot all the Africans as subhuman monsters. I mean admittedly he did an amazing job of shooting it, but I think he did a horrible job of humanizing it. Five mintues of Generation Kill has far more depth.
Conversely, his very underrated brother Tony did the totally ignored and morally complicated Spy Games, as well as the nearly avant garde Deja Vu. And he did The Hunger. Come on people! Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve lesbo scene! Give the man a break.
As for Kingdom of Heaven, even the director's cut can't save it from Orlando Bloom's block of balsa wood. Not only is he wooden, he gets blown off the screen by light breezes. Likewise, the true story of Balin of Ibelin is interesting and morally grey, but again Kingdom of Heaven has a bullshit bit of triumphalism where good wins. Undoubtedly art direction wise its staggering.
Seriously, Orlando Bloom a blacksmith.. WTF. -
As influential and important to me personally as Star Wars is to a lot of TBers, Alien showed me what movies can be when everyone involved is at the top of their game, even though I didn't know it at the time, and even though the head-through-table effect with Ash is as clumsy as it gets. Nothing else in his filmography (BR included) holds up as well to me, although it all looks fantastic.
-
Say whut? I watched all of American Gangster and at the end I was still waiting for the movie to start. I figured it was maybe the first part of some planned trilogy like Lord of the Rings where they think just meeting a bunch of characters is enough for one movie and enough to get you back for more. Sorry guys, give me a second act please. But Josh Brolin was an awesome scumbag.
-
Hot and Cold.
-
I never liked "Black Rain" either. In fact, I was amazed the director of "Alien" could direct such a blazingly silly piece of garbage.
If "Body of Lies" is that bad, I'm staying away. -
is Edward Norton.
-
was very cool in Births Marriages & Deaths - one of my tv series of the 90s - next to a manic (and also brilliant) Ray Winstone
-
I've seen Crowe shlubbing himself al over the airways for this film, but no Leo. Then I realized, since the Titanic craze, I can't remember a film he's hustled for since the Beach. does he get it written into his contracts he doesn't have to do press, like everyone else? Titanic was along time ago, dude and you got puffier with age - start shaking your ass with the rest of them.
-
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz. Could have been great. Ever see a documentary on the real events? They were ruthless, bloody and terrible. In the movie? Not so much at all. AMERICAN GANGSTER was boring, safe, tepid, meandering, forgettable-I cant remember one scene that stands out. One of the most forgetable gangster pics ever made...and based on the Real subject matter, it SHOULD have knocked it out of the part. Lame.
-
Before becoming a filmmaker Scott and his brother Tony Made commercials. They set up their own Advertising Company RSA. Both have brought their commercial visual styles to hollywood. with the scotts story takes second place or with tony scott, there doesnt have to be a story at all.
-
and amazing grace playing in the background. wow. American Gangster didnt gell for some reason. SE DVD is the Complete film.
-
2 aicn reviewers are raving about mark strong's performance. am i missing something? He was basically doing Andy Garcia.
-
after you have seen Gomorrah. Based on real events and based on the book called The Gomorrah exposing the naples mafia. The Gomorrah are the real deal.
-
the author of the book is now in hiding.
-
agree with you 100% about American Gangster...totally forgettable, i mean...Denzel was being Denzel and thats fine because he is a great actor and Josh Brolin did an excellent job with what was given to him, but nothing really stands out about that flick.
-
Good times, good times...So you're saying the Scott Bros. know HOW to make a film LOOK good, its just the writing that is not so much..that's not really their fault...they can do only so much with a shitty script
-
I wonder if Bay was there for this....
http://www.app.com/article/20081010/NEWS/81010036 -
Ridley is the serious visual artisan whilst his brother is the handcranking action-vehicle. The way they use their cinematographers is just stellar in both style and execution. Both have worked with teh ZEL [as in Denzel] and both love high shutter = epic win. BODY OF FUCKTASTIC I can't wait.
- GSantos -
Sorry Moriarty, didn't mean anything by the fucko comment. I respect your prose and opinion, however, calling a Ridley Scott film Black Rain Bad is a good thing in my bad little book since I have a semi hard on for this certain movie, as retarded as that may seem. I have fond memories of Mr Douglas and his mullet, moist from said rain, and enjoyed many a cheezy VHS evening with said movie. Anyways I look forward to Mr Scott's latest movie with great interest even if you thought so little of it.
-
Sriously Mori, it can't all be Legend & Blade Runner..besides I'll take a bad Ridley Scott movie over a great Jerry Bruckhiemer any day...
-
You really like the word ICONAGRAPHY, huh?
-
And Ridley seems to have lost it.
-
Oct 10, 2008 3:09:34 PM CDT
"And if there was ONE of you guys who had an original idea
by superunknown85
you'd be so tight that you couldn't even pull it out of your ass!"
Black Rain kicks ass. Kingdom of Haven was a masterpiece. American Gangster was a damn solid piece of filmmaking. Sure Scott's had some blunders here and there, but he's still one of the top filmmakers out there today. -
If you don't see that, I pity you. Yes Orlando Bloom sucks but he's at least watchable in it and I didn't know he had other he wanted to cast that makes a lot of sense and really sucks that he didn't get his way. Fuckin' Studio suits. Brave New World is going to be sicker then AIDS son!
-
Let me go back to sleep, cause i've obviously woken up in bizzaro world.
-
It wasn't liberal enough for Moriarty.
-
I'm surprised Mori didn't say anything about his Ridley's brother's far more superior work in the genre with Spy Game. If someone were to tell me that the director of 'The Fan" would do a better job with a spy thriller, I would've told you were out of your mind. Mori's right on about Strong, but I thought Crowe as usual did a fantastic job. One thing worth mentioning is the crime to acting Scott made. The immensely talented and severely underrated actor from Paradise Now, Kais Nashif, is used in a throwaway role that could've been played by anyone. To just willynilly cast this man in a role like that, to me, is a disrespect to what Nashif did in that brilliant film.
-
... keep trying, buddy. If you think that's got anything to do with it, you're a whack job. You can't back up a comment like that with my history of reviews on the site. Just doesn't add up that way.
-
it could have been so much more. don't get me wrong, Tim Curry IS that movie but everything else is half baked. This was not Ridley's fault though. I have a strange feeling the same man who fucked with Brazil fucked with Legend. I do like Mia Sara dancing to Tangerine Dream though.
-
until I saw the trailer and all the commercials. This review settles it. Pass.
-
I've enjoyed many of his films but he's not exactly a brainiac. The best thing for him is to let themes develop organically, not try and control them with his modest intellect. Not to beat a dead horse, but his explanation in an interview of Deckard being a replicant in Blade Runner, and how pleased he is with the "cleverness" of it - that says it all.
-
..or lack of cleavage, i should say plunging neckline , black lipstick and getup, pretty much ushered in my puberty and goth girl fetish ever since.:/
-
You should see the coffee table Rob Bottin made out of his full-body nude Mia Sara lifecast that he had to do for LEGEND, since that dress was literally sculpted onto her. It's basically her nude body supporting a glass top. God bless Bottin.
-
so "hamhanded" you say... no fisting involved then?
-
aren't Black Rain and GI Jane bad in a Tony Scott kind of way? they're TOTALLY Tony Scott bad.this sounds bad in a "Crash" kind of way, yeah? thinks it's saying something when it's saying nothing? check. takes on a controversial subject with nothing to say? check. reinforces the same stereotypes it pretends to be addressing? check. unnecessary explosions? check. sandra bullock's character changing her motivation completely for no reason? (I don't know, I haven't seen Body of Lies yet...)
-
I didn't mind DejaVu and dug the hell out of Enemy of the State, but there's SO MUCH crap with Tony, it's hard to look forward to another.
As for Ripley (er, sorry Ridley) I have to agree with Mori on Black Rain - FAIL! And if you have to include Legend in your top five films then that's saying something right there.
Can I suggest (IMO) a much better film to use in any discussions about Ridley occasionally making a good film - Thelma and Louise.
Hasn't rated a mention yet but it takes a big furry dump on Legend and Black Rain as far as I'm concerned and disproves any theories about the director not understanding character development.
The problem - as has already been pointed out - is that BOTH Scott's are essentially TV COMMERCIAL directors. Occasionally that aesthetic actually works for a feature film and you have a film like, say Top Gun, which resonates with an audience satiated on a TV diet and becomes... dare I say it... ICONIC.
But most of the time, ask for a commercial director and you will get American Gangster or Domino.
Don't these guys actually have some TV projects they're doing? They could be good - oh wait, are they responsible for the TV Andromeda Strain? I take it back. -
I'm going to go see "Tropic Thunder" which we're getting several months late here in the Philippines, instead of this, which we're getting on time because it's a "big action movie" starring marquee names. This is what I read reviews for; to help (not necessarily determine) me decide what movies to go to when my budget is tight and I'm on the fence. Thanks Mori.
-
I expect the much lower budgeted, South Africa filmed 24 TV movie (that has actors Jon Voight and Robert Carlyle in it) to air on Fox next month will be far better than this.
Also if any readers are into spy thriller action books, CBS Films are intending to cinema film adapt author Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp books and hopefully won't fuck it up. -
...I would consider that one of Scott's worst IMO. It's fun to look at but it's so shallow and just plain crap. Didn't like it. I think his highest point this decade was Kingdom of Heaven Director's Cut. A fucking masterpiece that could have been. Also Gladiator was enjoyable and brought out some pretty good performances and kickass music.
-
...If it's "BLACK RAIN bad". There's some lovely geopolitical / economic / cultural interplay going on under the surface of that show, and the cinematography is worth the trip alone.
-
At least it wasn't a stultifying, finger-wagging wank fest like the 500 Iraq movies released last fall...
-
it came out around the same time as Raul Julia's Columbus flick and I only saw the latter. I was in second grade. BLOCKBUSTER only has the VHS, heh.
-
just looked up Chris Columbus: THe Discovery; shows how much i know, it wasnt Raul at all, heh. like i said, I was second grade. 1992 was a long time ago and i never revisited the pic
-
I've heard about it but I've never been able to find it anywhere. Please release on BluRay!
-
It IS like a stuttering kid trying to recite the goddamn Gettysburg Address. Good shit to say, but the words don't come out correctly. The love interest is shoehorned in, Crowe phones it in (literally), but I did like Leo and LOVED Mark Strong.
-
was a total pussy's way out. Ugh, they completely pulled their biggest punch at the last moment and undermined their entire film in the process.
-
are worth ten of most other directors, at the very least in their visual lexicon. Which is why we're all still discussing the fella on these talkbacks. In fact his work is almost more interesting when he buggers it up - BladeRunner being a prime example. Oh, and anyone who doesn't rate 'Kingdom of Heaven' in any sense is without doubt a bit of a cunt. Really.
-
... I was amazed at how fresh and gorgeous it looked. It wasn't the greatest films I admit, but it's alright. The same goes for THE BROTHERS GRIMM.
-
way past Scott´s bedtime. Horribley Scott, he died half-way Legend.
-
... apart from THELMA AND LOUISE, he had a barren 1990's.
I would love Ridley Scott to have a go at WORLD WAR Z. That would be very interesting. I still wonder what his and Arnie's I AM LEGEND would've been like!?!? -
No chance. I absolutely loved AMERICAN GANGSTER. I think it's really underrated. It was definitely in my top 10, well, maybe top 5 films of 2007. Loved it.
-
where is said table that i may place my bevs on?
-
I saw this movie for the first time in many, many years last winter and it does not hold up to my memories. Beautifully shot, some great costumes and make-up, and I really like the fantasy world that's been created. It feels closer to Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" than "Lord of the Rings" in terms of the kind of fantasy that's taking place. But, it's kind of lame and also lacks some of the epic-ness I had thought was in the film. The villain's threat never feels that severe and his henchmen are a bunch of losers. The swamp witch (played by the hologram doctor from that one Star Trek) is more terrifying than Darkness' little grunts. Also, Tom Cruise's character is kind of milquetoast and Mia Sara never did it for me. (I much preferred the feisty fairy.) Still, anything with Billy Barty in it gets an occasional pass for repeated viewing. (Except maybe "Radioland Murders".) Ridley Scott can be hit or miss. There's no denying the man's got an eye, but sometimes I wonder if he has a heart and blood.
-
I just wanted to add to the love-fest for Black Rain. It's one of those movies, when it comes on in the middle of night on TBS, that I just have to watch.
-
Like Point Break, or any number of Swayze movies, come to think of it."Well fuck you very much." Just for that alone, it's great. Just terrible.
-
oh yeah! how could i forget! she made me feel weird too...
-
you said Black Rain was bad. Body of lies was decent, not great. But for you to attack a classic such as Black Rain - you stepped over the line player...and American Gangster? The director's cut of that rocks..
-
DONT START NO SHIT WON'T BE NO SHIT
-
PLEASE
-
Well, I only read a few pages of it online after seeing the movie, but I can't believe it got published. Really godawful writing.
-
Sue me but I enjoyed this flick, it was great to see DiCaprio after waiting 2 years since Blood Diamond. American Gangster was way worse, just completely overblown nonsense that doesn't add anything to the genre. This was at least a solid thriller with some good performances (and Mark Strong was definitely terrific).
-
Douglas, cinematography, music, you name it! Moriarty crossed the line. He is a bitch, he developed bitch tits!
-
What a piece of Sh-ite! Terrible story. Absolute waste of talent. It was alright TV. Like a double episode of 24 (on its worst days). Is that the film they all signed up to? The ending was an ABSOLUTE cop out. Cinema Cowards. All parties are on a downwards spiral for last few years except Lio just started his disent. Next! (Flop at $13 m opening weekend-diseveredly so)
-
What a piece of Sh-ite! Terrible story. Absolute waste of talent. It was alright TV. Like a double episode of 24 (on its worst days). Is that the film they all signed up to? The ending was an ABSOLUTE cop out. Cinema Cowards. All parties are on a downwards spiral for last few years except Lio just started his disent. Next! (Flop at $13 m opening weekend-diseveredly so)
-
What a piece of Sh-ite! Terrible story. Absolute waste of talent. It was alright TV. Like a double episode of 24 (on its worst days). Is that the film they all signed up to? The ending was an ABSOLUTE cop out. Cinema Cowards. All parties are on a downwards spiral for last few years except Lio just started his disent. Next! (Flop at $13 m opening weekend-diseveredly so)
-
...not that i watched the whole thing.
-
I thought the alegory worked well with Crowe chuckling and shoving chips in his mouth while DiCaprio was on the ground having to deal with it up close - the guys in the boardrooms fuck over everyone. The action sequences worked good, I thought the movie had a good pace to it (even if it was light on the action), and I thought Mark Strong was the worst thing about the movie. Really, he's a moustache twirl away from fucking cartoonish supervilliany and how Every. Line. Has. Implied. Menace. To. It. really drove me nuts after awhile. So, yeah, 100 opposite on that one.
-
MARK STRONG. It was like a panto here in Ireland & England. "Look out! He's behind you!". The film is poor all round. All departments. We'll all have forgotten about this waste of time in a week. CRAP!
-
"You should see the coffee table Rob Bottin made out of his full-body nude Mia Sara lifecast that he had to do for LEGEND"
Indeed I should :). Where do I sell my soul for a glimpse? -
10 bucks
-
Was bored to death.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 273 total posts 271 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 92 total posts 92 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 160 total posts 69 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 151 total posts 63 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 67 total posts 59 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 60 total posts 57 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 484 total posts 49 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 69 total posts 42 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 120 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 183 total posts 24 posts