Posts tagged Paris
“Taken” An Exciting Thriller
Feb 4th
An Exciting Thriller
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
TAKEN is a nonstop action thriller that does its job very well, but its job is just to make you enjoy it while watching and then forget about it after it’s over.
In other words, it has no lasting value other than what appears on-screen for 91 minutes.
Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, who is divorced, who has a 17-year-old daughter, and who gave up his career in order to live close to his daughter in Los Angeles.
What was his career? Well, we aren’t told explicitly, but it kept him away from his daughter, Kim, while she was growing up, and he was probably an agent for the C.I.A.
However, what he tells Kim is, “I was a preventer. I prevented bad things from happening.”
And, Boy, does he ever! With all the gadgets and know-how he needs to prove it!
Bryan reluctantly agrees to let Kim go to Paris with her friend, Amanda, but only if Kim will follow all the rules he lays down for her.
And, sure enough, their very first day in Paris, Kim and Amanda are kidnaped out of the apartment they are staying in, which causes Bryan to leap into action and show his stuff.
Through his expertise and contacts, Bryan figures out that he has only 96 hours to rescue Kim or else he will never find her, and so Bryan is off to Paris.
Right at the Paris airport, there is a good chase with a fantastic ending. Then that night at a construction site, there is a big shoot-out and escape. No, there is not quite an escape. Wait, yes, there is.
Bryan knows lots of tricks, and the action is very good.
No, it is outstanding!
Bryan proves to be one ruthless, hard-nosed “preventer,” but the movie might remind you of the 1988 FRANTIC, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Roman Polanski, only this one has more testosterone.
The action is nonstop and is just chase after chase after chase with no depth, but only horizontal action.
Then there is a coda at the end which wraps everything up in a nice, heartwarming bow.
TAKEN should be taken with a grain of salt–no, a spoonful–no, a cup– no, a pound of salt, and then you can enjoy it for what it is, an exciting thriller.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Revolutionary Road – Movie Trailer
Dec 15th
Titanic shipmates Kathy Bates, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet step onboard for director Sam Mendes’ tale of suburban malaise in 1950s-era Connecticut. Adapted from the classic 1961 novel by author Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road tells the tale of a young Connecticut couple whose once-idealistic relationship steadily deteriorates into a ceaseless cycle of petty jealousy and bickering as they strive to retain their independence in the conformity-obsessed world of picket fences and perfectly manicured lawns. Ever since they first met, Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) saw themselves as special and different. They strive to form their relationship around higher ideals, though upon moving into their new home on Revolutionary Road, the defiant couple pledges never to be confined by the social conventions of the era. As time passes, however, Frank and April gradually become the very thing that they both feared most — a typical suburban family complete with abandoned dreams and faded hopes. Frank loses his nerve after taking a comfortable job with a reliable salary, and April morphs into an unsatisfied homemaker desperate for passion and excitement. But April’s independent spirit hasn’t been suffocated just yet, and when she hatches a plan to head for Paris, her need to escape at all costs stands in direct contrast to Frank’s desire to hold on to what they already have.
