What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

22 Bullets a/k/a The Immortal.


French film. 2009. Thought to have made back its 20MM production costs but only just barely in the black.

Jean Reno as a 'retired' organized crime boss living in Paris who survives an assassination attempt and then does what has to be done.

Reno played Vincent in Ronin a rather similar film. I think film critics classify these films as Action but I would accord it a distinct sub-category of Realistic Action.

By Realistic Action, I mean the characters are not super heroes who hit everything they aim at on their first shot, never need to reload a firearm, instantly recognize threats, never make mistakes, knock someone out with one punch, win every fight, etc. Ofcourse the opening scene is eight shooters firing a hail of bullets at point blank range and supposedly only 22 find their mark with only limited areas having to be operated on in the hospital, so perhaps it starts out rather unrealistically. Most people who get shot by five experienced hoods at point blank range at least one of which is using a shotgun die on the spot, but at least the subsequent actions are depicted in a fairly realistic manner. Guards are less than fully vigilant but not utterly stupid. Someone can be overly talkative but not a constant blabbermouth. Traffic does not simply part for the hero. Annoyances, distractions and dead ends abound.

The English subtitles were a bit scant on full inclusion of the French dialog but overall it was a rather enjoyable experience.

Quote: kenarman

Not sure how many know but he played football for a while in the Canadian Football League but was eventually cut.

The football movie I was trying to remember the title of was Gridiron Gang. There he plays the coach of a football team at a reform school. The plot is familiar, where the coach pushes the team too hard. Nevertheless, I thought it was a pretty good movie and shows Johnson's experience in football. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the lines on the field were improvised, they sounded so natural.

Quote: Fleastiff

22 Bullets a/k/a The Immortal.


French film. 2009. Thought to have made back its 20MM production costs but only just barely in the black.

Jean Reno as a 'retired' organized crime boss living in Paris who survives an assassination attempt and then does what has to be done.

Reno played Vincent in Ronin a rather similar film. I think film critics classify these films as Action but I would accord it a distinct sub-category of Realistic Action.

By Realistic Action, I mean the characters are not super heroes who hit everything they aim at on their first shot, never need to reload a firearm, instantly recognize threats, never make mistakes, knock someone out with one punch, win every fight, etc. Ofcourse the opening scene is eight shooters firing a hail of bullets at point blank range and supposedly only 22 find their mark with only limited areas having to be operated on in the hospital, so perhaps it starts out rather unrealistically. Most people who get shot by five experienced hoods at point blank range at least one of which is using a shotgun die on the spot, but at least the subsequent actions are depicted in a fairly realistic manner. Guards are less than fully vigilant but not utterly stupid. Someone can be overly talkative but not a constant blabbermouth. Traffic does not simply part for the hero. Annoyances, distractions and dead ends abound.

The English subtitles were a bit scant on full inclusion of the French dialog but overall it was a rather enjoyable experience.

I enjoyed this film, but didn’t love it as much as “Leon” or “Ronin”. I thought the issue with his hand was interesting, but the birthday party was stretching it a bit.
The film gave off a very “French Culture” vibe. Maybe the values that motivate the characters in the film are distinct to France?

“Next” starring Nicolas Cage as a small time lounge magician in Las Vegas who gets mixed up in a plot to detonate a nuclear device “Somewhere between Los Angeles and San Diego”, because...

He actually has the ability to see two minutes into the future.

The story is overcomplicated, but I guess that is expected since many movies with time shifting plots end up a hot mess.
The Vegas angle was interesting. Even though the interiors and some exteriors were obviously shot at the Morongo in California, they also have some awesome shots of the Hualapi reservation in the Grand Canyon.
I appreciate that the writer felt it was important to point out that he would stay under the radar by not winning too much at a time, e.g., when he cashes out he has 9,700.
Peter Falk has an extended cameo.
Despite interesting visual effects that predate the similar “Dr. Strange”, the film flounders to a confusing and disappointing deus ex machina finale.

I give it 809 out of 100,000 clocks.

*If you want to see an interesting time shifting movie, catch the animated “Godzilla” reboot on Netflix.

Quote: Ayecarumba

the film flounders to a confusing and disappointing deus ex machina finale..

Disagree 100%. I love this movie,
have it in my collection and have
seen it a dozen times.

Clever premise and it moves at
a fast pace. His time scanning
ability is greatly enhanced when
he's with the woman, that's an
important part of understanding
the movie. The fact that he can
keep projecting forward till he
finds the avenue he wants is
fascinating. The factory scene
with him projecting multiples
of himself in every direction
and dying in many of them,
had to be very time consuming
to film, and an editing nightmare.
One of Cage's best, right up there
with National Treasure.

The casino scene of him playing
BJ is silly. He would choose
a game like roulette if he was
serious about making money
and not getting caught. Just
get the next number and
bet a few times, and put $500
on the third number and walk
out with a bundle. Playing BJ is
just dumb.

Quote: Evenbob

One of Nolte's best, right up there with National Treasure.

Who? Do you mean Cage's best?

Quote: zippyboy

Who? Do you mean Cage's best?

I knew that was wrong when I wrote it. lol

Quote: Ayecarumba

“Next” starring Nicolas Cage ...

saw it a long time ago. I like Cage and almost any of his movies, a little uncritically.

This movie has an incredibly realistic nuclear blast in it... not that I have anything to go by, but it strikes me that way, enough to want a copy of this movie. It's not a view of the mushroom cloud thing, but what it would be like not so far away from it when it went off.

Quote: Ayecarumba

The film gave off a very “French Culture” vibe. Maybe the values that motivate the characters in the film are distinct to France?

Well, French novelist, French casting, French location, but quite frankly I did not see much of 'French Culture', more Corsican and basically the culture of the underworld in France with The Immortal being the one who stood out as he did in The Professional with his "No Women, No Kids".

Cleanskins.
Very good action thriller.
Title clarified at the end which was a bit annoying but mainly there was just a façade of this 'good guys' versus 'bad guys' stuff, it was all complex characters versus equally ruthless and complex characters with the primary character defect being trusting those you are working for.