Posts tagged Wayne Duvall
“Prisoners” Dark and Disturbing
Sep 29th
“Dark and Disturbing”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
Prisoners is a disturbing movie in more ways than one.
The subject matter is disturbing, the action of the characters is disturbing, but most of all the ending is disturbing.
In fact, this movie is a prime example for one of those movies with alternate endings on the DVD version.
Hugh Jackman stars as Keller Dover, a survivalist who, when the movie opens, is out deer hunting with his teenage son.
On the way home, Keller tells his son the most important thing his own father ever taught him: “Be ready.”
Mario Bello plays Keller’s wife, they also have a daughter, Anna, who is six years old, and on Thanksgiving the whole family goes to dinner at the home of their friends and neighbors, Franklin and Nancy Birch, played by Terrence Howard and Viola Davis.
After dinner, Anna and her best friend, Joy Birch, go off playing, and the next thing the parents know is that they don’t know where their daughters are.
A frantic search throughout the house, outside, and back at the Dovers’ house leads to nothing, except that a suspicious RV that had been parked in the neighborhood is now gone, too.
When the police get involved, the investigation is led by Detective Loki, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who has solved every case he has ever been assigned.
The only suspect is the driver of that RV, Alex Jones, played by Paul Dano, who is mentally challenged and lives with his aunt, played by Melissa Leo, but no evidence is found in the RV or at the aunt’s house.
The hours that Anna and Joy are missing become days, and Keller is so desperate that he begins following Alex, the only suspect the police had in the case, and he does more than just follow Alex.
We see a lot of police work from Detective Loki, there is a lot of rain that makes the story and the events even darker, and a couple of suspicious characters lead to nothing.
In fact, at some point in the movie, you might come to the conclusion that the movie goes on too long and is far more dramatic than it need be.
But what an ending it has, and as I said, it could even have more than one ending.
Prisoners is disturbing from beginning to end.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Prisoners – Movie Trailer
Sep 28th
From Oscar nominated director Denis Villeneuve, stars Oscar nominees Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal in a story that poses the question: How far would you go to protect your child? Keller Dover (Jackman) is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) arrests its driver, Alex Jones (Paul Dano), but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect’s release. Knowing his child’s life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?
“Pride and Glory” Long and Complicated
Oct 30th
Long and Complicated
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
PRIDE AND GLORY is a police drama with problems, and one of its biggest problems is that it looks like too many other police dramas that we have already seen.
This could be the reason why it was released more than two years after it finished shooting and its release date has been postponed more than once.
On the other hand, it has a strong cast and it looks authentic, probably because director Gavin O’Connor and his brother Gregory, who are sons of a New York City cop, wrote the story together.
Colin Farrell plays Sgt. Jimmy Egan, and he has married into a police family. His brother-in-law, Ray Tierney, is played by Edward Norton, and his father-in-law, Frank Tierney, Sr., who is the chief of detectives in Manhattan, is played by Jon Voight.
Frank has another son, Frank Jr., who is the precinct captain of the station house where Jimmy works.
The story begins with the killing of four police officers in an apartment building, and the severity of the situation is such that only trustworthy cops are wanted to investigate it. All four officers worked in the station house with Jimmy, and one was Ray’s friend and former partner.
So, Frank Sr. asks Ray to be on the task force, telling him, “Raymond, do me a favor. Forget the past.”
You see, Ray has been off the streets for the last two years working in Missing Persons, whereas the previous eight years he had worked on the Major Case Squad before something happened when Ray got shot in the face, and he has the ugly scar to prove it.
Early on, the audience learns that Jimmy was somehow involved in the death of the four policemen, and a lot of cash also figures in the situation.
The story takes place at Christmastime, and we see a lot of family get-togethers with wives and children, but gritty police work is the emphasis of the film. That and the rough language that apparently goes along with it.
Even though Frank Sr. tells Ray to check in with him if Ray gets anything, Ray ignores that directive when Ray is informed that a policeman was involved in both the original killings and in another shoot-out later on.
Then Ray finds trouble.
PRIDE AND GLORY is too long and complicated.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”