Wanted (9/10)
posted in Movie Reviews |
It’s funny how some movies can get away with the ridiculous, almost by the simple act of embracing said insanity. From physical insanity like curving bullets to mythological insanity like the “Loom Of Fate” (a truly brilliant piece of make-believe), it’s hard to not be amused.
Writing: Having not read the graphic novel material this is based on, I can’t comment on adaptation qualities. I’ve read other places that the original authors of it were pleased with the adaptation. There’s no denying that it has many story qualities one would find in such source material, and the movie makes such textures and story elements work for itself. The backstory for “The Fraternity” is equal parts genre-standard “skulls” material and audaciously original goofiness. Ultimately, the story pays itself off well in the end. One thing’s for sure, it doesn’t back down on the violence and language.
Production: Director Timur Bekmambetov has a proven track record of being able to direct surprisingly elegant and striking action scenes in his bold Night Watch and its sequels. While the action scenes are spaced a bit apart in this movie, when they kick off, they really kick off. While not all the bits in these sequences come off as realistic, they certainly come off as impressive. From the playful visual effects to the slick editing and unrestrained performances, it all has an odd vibe that works. Sound design is particularly striking. And the cinematography is spot-on.
Cast: The unusual casting of James McAvoy works very well. He brings something akin to Edward Norton’s performance in Fight Club to the film. In fact, there’s a number of moments in the movie that made me think of Fight Club. And while the casting of Morgan Freeman isn’t completely normal for this kind of film, it’s hardly unprecedented (see his great performances in films like Lucky Number Slevin and Hard Rain for example). Freeman definitely brings that stately calm to the role, as well as that slight edge of danger. Terence Stamp is a bit wasted in his brief role. But when it comes to style and action, the real star of this film is Angelina Jolie. It hardly comes as a surprise to see how easily she handles a role like this. I’m sure the film makers had to think for about one billionth of a nanosecond about who would be the easiest casting choice for her role. This is an “Angelina Jolie kind of role,” so why not just cast her in it, confident in your end result. It kind of helps offset the genre-first casting of McAvoy in the lead.
Music: Speaking of unexpected moves, picking Danny Elfman to score this film isn’t exactly a wild notion or anything, it’s just a bit unexpected. One would fully expect one of Hans Zimmer’s stable of composers to take on a film like this, or perhaps the current trend of picking Tyler Bates. Elfman brings a very cool range of styles to the score, fusing it with cool action cues and elegant orchestral and thematic style. It’s one of the highlights of the film, easily. Add to the fact that even does the vocal performances on the main song he wrote (”The Little Things”) that’s used in a couple places in the film (and shares some thematic bits with the rest of the score). One of Elfman’s best scores in recent years.
