| Overall Grade: |
C+ |
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| Story: |
B- |
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|
| Acting: |
B |
|
|
| Direction: |
B- |
|
|
| Visuals: |
C+ |
|
|
Dissapointed After weeks of Eager anticipation
by southernbo2001 (movies profile)
Jan 5, 2007
108
of
195 people found this review helpful
Director Tony Scott's fussy style of hyperimages and flash editing is in full swing here, I for one find it distracting, and adds nothing to the story telling, he perfected this style in earlier melodramas such as "Spy Game" and "Enemy of the State." Washington offers another in a long line of fine performances, and he's one of those actors who commands the screen with calm assurance, his tiny co-star, Dakota Fanning (Of "TAKEN" fame), also turns in another great performance, she is a very talented youngster.
The duo shares many heartwarming scenes during the first half of the story , but about half way through when his clients daughter is kidnapped and he is left for dead, she all buts disappear from view and he becomes a man of brutal sadistic action and pretty much carries this nearly 150 minute movie on his broad shoulders, as he is in nearly every scene.
This is the second attempt of filming the "Man on Fire" novel by author A.J. Quinnell, by producer Arnon Milchan, who also shepherded to the screen a 1987 French⁄Italian production starring Scott Glenn and Joe Pesci and directed by Elie Chouraqui. This production, spends a lot of time on atmosphere (which is often dreary and bleak), stunts, explosions, shoot outs, conflagrations and dramatic confrontations.
The color is often almost non-existent and the picture grainy, I guess for effect.
Denzil is one of those boozy burnt-out characters so beloved by Hollywood. Cinematographer Paul Cameron's engages nervous, pivoting camera moves, film editor Christian Wagner's utilizes quick edits, dizzying sudden shifts in motion, color and a play of light and shadows.
Washington plays it cool, whether a drunk or revenge-minded killer, he is always in control.
There are gaps in the plot, that you and I are suppose to fill in.
The actors are top notched, and the film is always watchable, and the confrontations contain undeniable edgy excitement, but the film falls flat, and the ending lacks excitement and ends on a downbeat note, leaving me feeling cheated and blah.
Lots of sub titles, and this film will never be used by Mexico to lure tourists south of the border. |
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