Triple 9 (2016)
Too many stars. Not enough time.
It's as though the director was trying to combine, Heat (1995) with Colors (1988) but ended up with a film as good as neither.
It begins well with lots of action. Then slows to establish characters, and then desperately tries to speed up again but fails. It just kinda meanders to a stop rather than to an end.
The star studded line-up almost seemed to hold it back. It was as though all the A-listers demanded at least 15 minutes of screen time each, and the end result was lots of scenes which should have ended up on the editing room floor, but didn't.
A story and a cast with tonnes of potential, poorly executed.
A disappointingly average film
The cast for this film really made me want to see this film but unfortunately this film fails to deliver. The premise of this film sees a group of bank robbers trying to make there last score with a unique method. Chiwetel ejiofor plays the main robber and he is a great actor. He does the best job possible in this role its just that his character is so unlikeable that you end up not caring about him. Casey Affleck plays the good cop in this film and He does a really good job in the role and probably gives the best performance in the film. Another good performance is by woody harrelson who plays the cop going after the crew and he gives a charismatic performance. Anthony Mackie gave some humanity to his character which made him the most likable of the crooks. Also aaron paul had an interesting role in the film that I kind of wished had been fleshed out a little more. The story is pretty by the numbers with not much new. There are some good relationships developed but overall pretty basic. Thev script was very dull and boring with not much going on either dramatically or humour wise. The style had some really good suspense to it that had me on the edge of my seat. But the film is a drag at times and goes on for a bit too long. Overall this is a really average movie that I wouldn't say is worth seeing.
Not essential viewing.
Since The Proposition was unleashed on audiences back in 2005, Aussie filmmaker John Hillcoat has made a name for himself as an uncompromising and ambitious auteur, bringing together A-list casts for bleak and uneasy thrillers. His latest Hollywood effort – following The Road and Lawless – dives into the grubby underground of Atlanta, where corrupt cops, ruthless bank robbers and Russian mobsters are often one and the same. A nice world this ain't. There's an unrelenting grimness to this noir-ish street saga that generates the desired mood, and the high level of dread permeating throughout proceedings maintains tension despite a predictably death-happy final act. Yet Hillcoat struggles to fully wrangle Matt Cook's twisty-turny screenplay; what could've been an intriguing web of lies, double-crosses and daring crimes becomes a less believable concoction of coincidences, plot contrivances and dubious character choices. Taking a leaflet out of Michael Mann's book of realistic action, the handful of set pieces are executed with flair, precision and unwavering violence, with an extended gun fight at the halfway point harking back to Mann's own Heat (albeit without topping it). Unfortunately the film is also let down by its vast array of players. Other than Casey Affleck's honest but worn-down cop, everyone else is evil and unpleasant to varying degrees – and rarely more than a caricature – making it hard to care about their fates. Hillcoat's menacing tone and visual ferocity ensure a certain level of interest and entertainment, but narrative and character weaknesses stop Triple 9 from being essential viewing.
A lot of star power with no power
I am at a split when it comes to 'Triple 9'. On one end, there were few moments where I did enjoy the film. The actors are powerhouses and did what they could with the material given to them. Some plot points were interesting to me and had my attention and lastly, I am sure there is a certain symbolism behind the constant use of the color red that is shown in a high majority of scenes. On the other end, however, there was way too much I did not enjoy. From start to finish, I hardly understood any of the characters connections to anyone. They are explained in as little detail as possible. It just was not my cup of tea as far as understanding who the characters were and what was their purpose. Kate Winslet was absolutely atrocious to me. From her seemingly forced role to her forgetful "Russian accent" as she seemed to forget she was Russian at times speaking perfect English and bouncing back to an "accent". The fan- favorite star power of Norman Reedus, Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor and company was no where near enough to save this movie and draw enough of a crowd to make this movie even mistakenly good. Too many negatives and not enough positives. This movie is forgetful to me and nothing special. A few moments do not make up for a near two hours of confusion and plot holes.
Thrilling Action / Short on cogent exposition
Worth a look if you like urban action. There's a lot of action. The good guys and bad guys are really blurred but that's a modern flick for you. The police gang unit team line up to go after a gang member in group housing, up stairs and into the apartment was legendary. Great camera work. You felt like you were lined up with them. Worth the price of admission. After viewing, very few audience members would want to A: Become a police officer in Atlanta, B: Be tasked with arresting a gang member who knows you're coming. Adrenaline time. That's the good, along with plenty of recognizable actors doing representative jobs with what they have to work with. Now for the Not as Good: The plot is there but it is ephemeral. You can kind of follow it but the exposition makes you strain for it. I'd like to say that's on purpose to add an element of mystery but I'm not real sure that's so. Not a thinking person's movie. I've seen worse plots but the bones don't hold up the body to make it recognizable enough, at least for me. By the end you can figure it all out but it isn't built up a block at a time. I enjoyed it and gave it a 7 but it's about a 7.5. Maybe a triple 7?
No comments:
Post a Comment