 Set fifteen years after WWII, Noomi Rapace is a Romani immigrant married to an American doctor in US suburbia, when she spots a fellow whom she recognises as a Nazi SS Officer, guilty of war crimes - including the murder of her sister.
Plotting to gain a confession, things turn bad when she kidnaps him and brings him home to her unwitting husband who finds himself buying in to the games of 'is he or isn’t he', which then pretty much consume the rest of the movie. A few dramatic unexpected twists and turns make it all reasonably convincing, and without these things it might not have been quite as grabbing. Noomi Rapace is great in the lead role and pulls off the flawed and wounded victim well. The other performances are adequate if not dazzling and the climax brings the last unexpected turn which closes the tale. Nice sets and cinematography depicting small town America that has just about gotten over the war but in this, has it resurrected just for Rapace’s character Maja and it seems a bit like ‘oh no not that again’. Worth a look if you like the genre. 8/10
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 If I go to a movie it’s to be entertained rather than informed, so I tend avoid doco type pieces, but this one grabbed my attention so thought I’d give it a whirl.
Think eclectic older English couple, Rupert and Jan Grey, deciding to drive across India in their 1936 Roller and you’d think you’d have a recipe for something intriguing. And guess what, you do! It’s an amusing and interesting journey in a vehicle that perhaps should have been put out to pasture decades ago, however, but for a few minor mishaps and billowing black smoke, seems to just keep chugging along. India is portrayed as a land of mystery to us insulated kiwis and our intrepid explorers face their fair share of red tape, crazy traffic, bomb-cratered roads and other impedances, however they’re handled in such positive light that they’re hardly a blip on the radar. Throughout Rupert & Jan maintain their stoicism and they pretty much get to everywhere they set out to. Did bring back memories of my own short-by-comparison excursion through North East India and had to laugh to myself a few times as R & J encountered many of the same gems as I did. Engaging, entertaining as well as informing, and well worth a look. 7.5/10  Yet another actor-based spinner designed to work off the appeal of the leading man, in this case old Irish eyes himself Liam Neeson.
This time he’s a highly elusive bank robber who meets the love of his life and decides to go straight. First act of virtue is to turn himself in and cut a deal by returning all the money he nicked, but it all goes awry when a couple of nefarious FBI agents enter the fray. From there things go from bad to worse for our boy and pretty soon we have all the customary shoot-outs, blow-ups, car chases and naughty cops that we have come to expect of the genre. Yet notwithstanding, it’s an amusing and entertaining romp through the proceedings which are predictably predictable, and Neeson’s gruff grunt features nicely throughout. No real surprises, although a cameo from Robert Patrick (that really, really, bad melty guy from Terminator 2) does light up the early part of the tale. Overall 7/10 |
Geoff HorneI'm a movie nut from way back with my first ever being The Hallelujah Trail from 1964. Ever since, I've been mesmerized by the giant screen, and the darkness that went on forever. Despite the infernally uncomfortable seats, (plus having to stand for God Save the Queen), I've been enticed ever since to duck into a theatre whenever I can for a few hours of escapism. Archives
November 2021
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