Tag: Heist

Lift (2024) Film Review

Rating 12
Length 1h44
Release 12.01.2024
Director F Gary Gray
About A master thief is wooed by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist with his international crew on a 777 passenger flight from London to Zurich.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Netflix
Trailer:

The Good

Vincent D’Onofrio is incredible in whatever he is in. However, it’s hard not to love him in Lift when he’s clearly having the time of his life. Being a master of disguise, we get to see a wide range of performances from this great. You cannot fault him.

David Proud gives us typical Brit humour and it is incredible. Not only because he gives us some of the funniest moments, it’s also a long time coming having disabled representation in a film as part of the course. That’s true representation.

The heist aspect of the film is good. I mean, I’m a sucker for a heist movie so it was on to a winner there anyway. While there are aspects that are predictable, there are still aspects to this film that are delving into new and uncharted thievery.

No screaming Kevin Hart. I’ll admit, the film hit the hour mark before I lost that fear he wasn’t right for the role but he was perfect… once the action kicked in.

The Bad

Burn Gorman is one of those actors. He pops up in everything; Hollywood and home grown. His American accents come across to me a little ‘fake’ because I grew up watching him in Torchwood and I know he’s a Brit. However, this time I cannot use that. His Irish accent is not only bad, it’s patchy. There’s a scene upon his character meeting Hart’s he straight up says a line in a London accent.

The film takes a little too long to get going. The second half is much better, but it relies on you staying engaged and invested while it takes it’s slow, baby steps.

The Ugly

Why is Hollywood STILL trying to make Sam Worthington happen?! He adds nothing to any film, let alone this one.

Final Thoughts

It’s a heist film by numbers with a very pretty cast. Honestly though, if you want a good heist with heart? Invest in Leverage, not this.

Queenpins (2021) Film Review *with spoilers*

Rating 15
Length 1h50
Release 29.10.2021
Director Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly
About A frustrated suburban housewife and her best friend hatch an illegal coupon-club scheme that scams millions from corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. Hot on their trail is an unlikely duo — a hapless loss-prevention officer and a determined U.S. postal inspector — both looking to end their criminal enterprise.
Moon: none sighted
Where to Watch:
Trailer:

The Good

  • Kristen Bell can do no wrong. She is an utter chameleon and she has the perfect voice for narration. It makes her the ideal casting choice for Connie as not only is she able to sell the character from the beginning, she is able to show the progress and evolution.
  • Kirby-Howell Baptiste is one of my favourite actors at the moment and she is definitely one to watch. her role as JoJo is very different to any character I’ve seen her play to date, so much so that I actually had to double check that it was her.
  • It was nice to see upcoming Stranger Things cast member Eduardo Franco in a small role. I love his hair more than anything, but he also gave a solid, funny, performance.
  • The partnership of Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser was a surprising hoot.

The Bad

  • I don’t like hating Joel McHale! He, unfortunately, is very good at playing this type of asshole. I also really wish the film gave us a little more, so I knew if he was an actual asshole, or if it was his grief.
  • Like, how he responds to Connie is not too far from how I would expect most people to react, so I still retain some of my sympathy for him. Which is a shame, because that then makes me like Connie less.

The Ugly

  • I found the ‘body autonomy’ lesson too righteous. Yes, it is Connie’s body. However, I’m not sure that she has the moral high ground in keeping her IVF treatment from her husband.
    While autonomy, rightly should be given to the women in terms of abortion and the law. There still should be that dialogue within a couple. A man cannot force a woman to keep a pregnancy, but they should be allowed to grieve. My problem is that as a woman, I want equality and I find these sort of messages in film, truly muddy the social waters.
    A fix for this would perhaps be that we have Rick voice his insistence that they will never try for another baby. I need something that doesn’t make what Connie did a really shitty thing.

Final Thoughts

Decent film, well executed and something I would watch again.

Sneakers (1992)

Rating 12
Length 2h 06
Release 13.11.1992
Director Phil Alden Robinson
About Martin Bishop heads a group of experts who specialise in testing security systems. When government agents blackmail him into stealing a top secret black box, his team is embroiled in a dangerous game.

The Good

  • The cast is incredible. Like, I can’t imagine a director getting a better cast assembled. Certainly not one that includes three generations of Oscar talent.
  • In particular, Sidney Poitier was incredible. He really had that paternal vibe down. Then he went and gave Samuel L Jackson a run for his money with the use of “motherfucker.”
  • This is perfect for those who like conspiracy thrillers and heist movies, like Enemy of the State, Lucky Number Slevin and Inside Man. It’s clever and well paced with characters I really rooted for.
  • The final scene is worth everything. Think Armageddon contract negotiation but a thousand times better.
  • Even though technology has advanced, and rendered some of what is mentioned in the plot obsolete, I doubt it impacts on the enjoyment that could be had. Unlike, The Net and perhaps Hackers that don’t fare as well.

The Bad

  • It was a slow burn, which is okay, but with ‘lockdown brain’ I have tended to stick to films under the 1h 40 mark and I did find myself drifting in those first twenty minutes or so. A little tighter editing would smooth out that introduction somewhat.
  • There was a dodgy accent or two that really sounded off. In particular director favourite Lee Garlington would have been better without the European accent.

The Ugly

  • Can someone tell me what Robert Redford used to be able to get through that hot room?! Like, seriously? 99 degrees Fahrenheit and that bastard is as dry as a bone. In a high pressure situation? Bullshit, he would be as wet as Lee Evans after the first half of a gig. Yes, I know this is a weird hang-up, but in a near perfect movie, this stands out so badly.
  • I’m not sure how I feel about David Strathairn’s presentation of a visually impaired person. Why some things that were played for laughs, like talking to someone facing the wrong way, work quite well there are others that don’t sit as well with me. I’m not going to detail it here as it’s not fair for me to say its offensive and I wouldn’t want to prejudice anyone. However, if you’re as like-minded as me; you’ll know when you get to the scene I had the problem with.

Final Thoughts

This is a good movie. Not a movie you’ll watch all the time, but it’s a movie you’ll watch and think, damn I enjoyed that. I also have a sneaking suspicion that a viewer much more familiar with Redford’s back catalogue