Set in a futuristic galaxy led by an entity known as the Motherland, the two-part film is about a young farmer who decides to leave her farming village with another farmer to gather some warriors to help train the farmers for an upcoming battle against these imperial forces. It is a story with a simple plot, yet it plays into this planet where a village of farmers deal with a large spaceship whose fleet is led by the sadistic Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) who learns about what the planet does and wants all their harvest though his intentions prove to be far more sinister. Especially as it plays into a dark history of planetary domination and acts of genocide in the hands of the Motherland ever since the assassination of their king (Cary Elwes) and his royal family with a former military leader in Balisarius (Fra Fee) being the new leader. The screenplays by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten, in their extended versions, split the story into two parts with the first chapter entitled The Chalice of Blood and the second chapter entitled Curse of Forgiveness.
The Chalice of Blood establishes this sense of dread that the Motherland has impacted on various planets with a moon called Veldt being the center of this conflict within both stories as a farming village where a young woman in Kora (Sofia Boutella) lives in even though she is seen as an outsider in the village. When Admiral Noble arrives on his ship to see the village and what they had to offer, he demands that the farm give them all their grain while leaving his soldiers to watch over everything. Yet, Kora would kill all but one soldier from raping a young farmer, she would leave the village with another farmer in Gunner (Michiel Huisman) to find people who would help them deal with imperialist forces since Gunner had made secret grain trades to rebels. Meanwhile, a rogue imperial robot in JC-1435 aka (Dustin Ceithamer) would watch over the village and secretly help them out where recalls a story of the Motherland when it ruled peacefully for a time with its king and his young daughter Princess Issa (Stella Grace Fitzgerald) as the latter was believed to be this spiritual being that would bring peace. With the help of a mercenary/starship pilot in Kai (Charlie Hunnam), Kora and Gunner would gain the services of a former imperial general in Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a sword master with cyborg hands in Nemesis (Bae Doona), a former nobleman turned blacksmith in Tarak (Staz Nair), and a rebel soldier in Milius (Elise Duffy) who is part of a rebel faction lead by the siblings in Darrian and Devra Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher and Cleopatra Coleman, respectively).
In Curse of Forgiveness, the script plays more into the back stories of the rebels that Kora and Gunner had brought in as well as the past of the former whose family was killed by the Motherland where she met Balisarius who would adopt her. Kora’s last encounter with Admiral Noble would prove to be fatal for Noble as he realizes Kora’s identity hoping to capture her to gain favor from Balisarius as well as a seat in the Motherland’s senate. On Veldt, Titus, Nemesis, Milius, and Tarak not only help the farmers in preparing for battle with the rogue soldier Aris (Sky Yang) who would function as a double agent for the farmers in his reports to Motherland. They also rediscover a life they had lost due to their past encounters with the Motherland, adding more weight to what is at stake with Jimmy making a discovery that would get everyone to prepare for Noble and his forces.
Snyder’s direction is truly grand in terms of not just the massive scale he presents as if it plays into events that are inspired by the realities of war and tyranny but also a reality that those disconnected from modern-day society must deal with. With the scenes on Veldt and other exterior locations shot on location in areas in California, much of Snyder’s work is shot on studio soundstages yet he does create something that does play into a world that is in absolute and total chaos. The Chalice of Blood opens with a sequence of a family trying to defend themselves against a force of imperial soldiers where Admiral Noble coerces Aris to join the Motherland through a horrifying act. Also serving as the film’s cinematographer, Snyder does create some unique visuals some of the planets as they are drenched with unique lighting and color schemes with elements of the Motherland being heightened in their lighting to play into this false utopia they claim to portray. Shot in a 2:76:1 aspect ratio, Snyder uses that format to create images as if they are a wide canvas as the diligence in his wide and medium shots add a lot to the world that these characters live in.
Notably in the scenes on Veldt in its village setting as it has this naturalistic feel that is also heightened in its lighting reminiscent of 1970s cinema. Snyder would also maintain a sense of intimacy in his approach to medium shots and close-ups as he also plays into the way characters interact with each other or the environment they are in. Notably in some of the scenes during the harvest in Curse of Forgiveness where there is this sense of community where these outsiders take part in and deal with a world that feels idyllic and inclusive. Especially towards characters like Milius and Nemesis who both came from farming villages that they lost due to the actions of the Motherland where they reconnect with a side of themselves that they had lost long ago. Snyder also maintains some unique compositions in the way he presents the different planets the characters go to in The Chalice of Blood as well as some disparate imagery in the way Veldt is shown and the Motherland ship that Admiral Noble lives in.
In these expanded versions of the films that Snyder had intended to make, it allows him to present the violence in a more gruesome manner in some of the battles and attacks to display how extreme war is. Even in moments of conflict such as the first fight between Kora and Noble in the climax of The Chalice of Blood, while the big battle scene in Curse of Forgiveness is far more intense. Especially as there are these chilling elements where Noble has more concern for himself and making the Motherland look good as the original mission to get the grain from the farmers becomes unnecessary. It has elements of anti-war sentiment where some begin to question Noble’s views as it relates to Kora and her identity believing that capturing her would gain him favor of Balisarius. The ending does not just play into what was lost but also the beginning of something bigger in what a rebellion must do. Overall, Snyder has crafted a rapturous and enthralling film about a young woman who gathers some rebels to fight against a tyrannical force led by a madman.
Editor Dody Dorn does brilliant work with the editing where it is filled with lots of style in slow-motion cuts, fast-cuts, and jump-cuts to play into the action and drama while also knowing when to slow things down to let shots linger to establish what is happening in a scene. Production designers Stefan Dechant and Stephen Swain, along with supervising art directors Julien Pougnier and Brett McKenzie plus set decorator Claudia Bonfe, do amazing work with the look of the farm houses and the interior of some of the spaceships. Costume designer Stephanie Portnoy Porter does fantastic work with the costumes from the regal uniforms that the imperialists wear to the more ragged and simpler look of the people on Veldt as well as the different clothes that Titus, Nemesis, and Tarak wear.
Makeup artist Laura Calvo, hair stylist Miki Caporusso, and special makeup effects/puppet designer Justin Raleigh do excellent work with the look of the characters as well as some of the details in the scars that some characters sport as well as the different hairstyles of Kora. Special effects supervisor Michael Gaspar and senior visual effects supervisor Marcus Taormina, along with animation supervisors Nikki Braine, Yvon Jardel, and Nick Starcevic, do tremendous work with the visual effects with its mixture of practical effects and puppetry for some of the small creatures in the film as well as the design of the different planets and their exterior settings as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designers Scott Hecker, Bryan Jerden, and Chuck Michael do superb work with the sound in the way gunfire sounds as well as other sparse and small sounds with elements of bombastic sound effects that play into the terror of these weapons. The film’s music by Tom Holkenburg is incredible for its mixture of bombastic orchestral arrangements, electronic swirls, and folk-based music as it plays into the different worlds that the film presents with a lot of folk-based music having this sense of traditional tone to play into something that Veldt is trying to hold on to.
The casting by Kristy Carlson is marvelous as it features various small roles and appearances from Brandon Auret and Greg Kriek as a couple of imperial soldiers tasked in watching over the village, Derek Mears as a monstrous alien who is part of a group asked to spy for the Motherland, Tony Amendola as a king who shelters the rebellion, Rhian Rees as the queen of the Motherland in the flashbacks, Elizabeth Martinez as the young Kora, Ray Porter as a farmer from another planet that is Tarek’s master, Stuart Martin as a farmer named Den whom Kora would have sex with early in the film, Dominic Buress as a man Kora and Gunner fight with at a bar where they would meet Kai, Ingvar Sigurdsson as an elder farmer in Hagen who was the one that took Kora into the community as well as being a father figure to her, Stella Grace Fitzgerald as the princess Kora was a bodyguard for as she is the spiritual being who is believed to be the key to peace, and Cary Elwes as the king of the Motherland who would change his ways from being a tyrant into wanting to become a more peaceful leader.
Other notable small roles and appearances include Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher in terrific performances as the sibling rebel leaders in Devra and Darrian Bloodaxe who agree to help Kora and her team only from afar with the latter being involved early on with the former coming in late in the film. Corey Stoll is superb as the village leader Sindri who is troubled by the appearance of the Motherland unsure of what to do while also being unaware of their extremities. Jena Malone is fantastic in her brief role as the humanoid-spider Harmada who kidnaps children and causes trouble where she gets into a fight with Nemesis in The Chalice of Blood. Alfonso Herrera is excellent as Noble’s second-in-command Cassius who runs the ground forces and everything else while finds himself questioning Noble’s intentions. Charlotte Maggi is brilliant as Sam as a water girl who nearly gets raped by some imperial soldiers only to fall for the rogue soldier Aris and become a fighter herself. Sky Yang is amazing as Aris who reluctantly serves for the imperialists after his own encounter with Noble only to go rogue and help the farmers to defy the Motherland. Fra Fee is incredible as Balisarius as the leader of the Motherland who rules the galaxy as a tyrant as he is intent on ruling the galaxy while is hoping to find Kora who is his long-lost adopted daughter.
Charlie Hunnam is great in his role as the mercenary Kai who helps Kora and Gunner travel to the galaxy to gather some people to fight with them as he is an ambiguous individual that is also a pessimist while does see the sense of hope in what Kora is fighting for. The performances of Elise Duffy, Staz Nair, and the duo of Dustin Ceithamer and the voice of Anthony Hopkins are phenomenal in their respective roles as the rebel fighter Milius, the former nobleman-turned-slave in Tarak, and the imperialist robot who has gone rogue in JC-1435/Jimmy as they all express a need to return to a life they once had with Milius as a fighter who once had a life in a farmland that was taken from her with Tarak as a prince who went into exile after his planet was taken and Jimmy as this robot who had been programmed to protect the royal family only to rebel after dealing with the abuse of the imperialists soldiers where he would help the farmers in secrecy.
Bae Doona is remarkable as Nemesis as a sword master with android hands who came from a fishing village that used to be a land of violence where she joins Kora in the rebellion where she regains a sense of what was lost in her encounters with the people of the village. Djimon Hounsou is tremendous as General Titus as a former imperialist general who had become an alcoholic as he reluctantly joins Kora where he would regain a sense of purpose while teaching the farmers how to fight with what they have while also knowing Kora’s identity. Michiel Huisman is sensational as Gunner as a farmer who joins Kora in trying to gather people for the rebellion as he secretly sold grain to the Bloodaxe where he gains a sense of bravery and purpose where he hopes to have a future with Kora.
Ed Skrein is magnificent as Admiral Atticus Noble as this monstrous military figure who is willing to do everything for Balisarius where he has this devilish charm to him that also has elements of camp where Skrein goes all out in this role as it is his greatest performance to date. Finally, there’s Sofia Boutella in a spectacular performance as Kora as a woman who had been Balisarius’s adopted daughter only to flee because of an incident where she exiled herself to become a farmer until the Motherland returns prompting her to gather people for a rebellion. Even as Boutella displays the complexities of her emotions in the guilt that she holds in her past actions while also dealing with the fact that she lost a lot in her life only to gain a new purpose and a community that has embraced her.
Rebel Moon, in their extended director’s cuts, is an outstanding film by Zack Snyder. Featuring a great ensemble cast, enthralling visuals, its exploration of war and guilt, a balance of action, suspense, and drama, and an exhilarating music score and soundtrack by Tom Holkenburg. It is a two-part film series that does not just allow Snyder to highlight his full vision of a space conflict but also shows so much more in its exploration of a community that just wants to live a peaceful life despite the threat they must deal with. In the end, Rebel Moon is a magnificent two-part film series by Zack Snyder.
Zack Snyder Films: (Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)) – 300 - Watchmen - (Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole) – Sucker Punch
Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Justice League - Zack Snyder's Justice League - (Army of the Dead)
© thevoid99 2024
(Winner of the Art Cinema Award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on a real-life event in the 1990s where a dance troupe had an after-party where they all unknowingly drank sangria spiked with LSD, the film is about an event where this dance troupe are in a building having a party following a successful rehearsal where things do go wrong following their reaction over what they had drank. That is pretty much what the film is about as Gaspar Noe doesn’t aim for a traditional structure as the film opens with someone crawling out of the building into the snow bleeding and screaming as it then cuts to a bunch of dancers talking and showing who they are from an old VHS tape. Then the first half begins with the dancers doing their routine and finishing it leading to this party where everyone dances and talks to each other while they’re drinking sangria unaware that it’s laced with LSD. The second half is about its effects and all of the chaos that happens throughout as there’s not much plot that goes on where Noe just leave everything happening as it is which gives the story a sense of looseness.
Noe’s direction is definitely stylish as it is shot largely on location in an abandoned school in Paris in the span of 15 days where he utilizes a lot of long takes and intricate tracking shots. The film’s opening dance number is shot in the span of 12 minutes with five minutes of it in a single static wide-medium shot as it showcases the attention to detail in the dancing. With the help of choreographer Nina McNeely, Noe would know when to move the camera to capture the dancing whether it would be in a wide shot or in a medium shot as well as one moment where a dancer gets to have their moment as it is shot from above with the camera only spinning around to capture the dancing. It is among these moments in the first half of the film that also include these little moments and small conversations between some of the dancers that add to the sense of chaos into the film as it does feel energetic and lively.
During a scene where everyone is dancing in the middle of the film, credits appear for the cast and creators of the film as if one part of the film is over as it leads to the second half where things get darker. Notably as the camera movement gets more jarring and stylized where it follows everyone as they all get under the influence of what they have drunk with a few who haven’t drank the sangria becoming the suspects. Yet, Noe would keep things unbroken for a long time with some invisible cutting that he and co-editor Denis Bedlow would do to keep things on-going as it adds to this air of disarray. Even as there’s elements of violence where Noe and Bedlow would create some edits that are intense while continuing to be an unbroken shot while there are also elements that are shocking. The film’s finale is a somber one as it play into all of those involved but also some revelations about those who survived or those who had a bad trip. Overall, Noe crafts a gripping and unsettling film about a party that goes to hell because of spiked sangria.
Cinematographer Benoit Debie does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on colorful lighting as well as using low-key and available lighting in which much of the film is shot inside the building where he maintains a mood for scenes whether they’re dramatic or horrifying. Production designer Jean Rabasse, with set decorator Jessy Kupperman and art director Philippe Prat, does amazing work with the look of the dance hall in the building as well as the hallway and some of the rooms the characters go to dance or to act out in their drugged state. Costume designer Frederic Cambier does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some style to represent many of the individuals involved in the film.
The visual effects work of Alexis Baillia, Rodolphe Chabrier, and Mac Guff Line do excellent work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing to create the invisible cuts for some of the long tracking shots. Sound editor Ken Yasumoto does superb work with the sound in the way music is heard from the speakers from afar or up close as well as how the dialogues are mixed as it is a highlight of the film. Music supervisors Steve Bouyer and Pascal Mayer create an incredible music soundtrack that features a wide mix of music from M/A/R/R/S, Gary Numan, Chris Carter, Marc Cerrone, Patrick Hernandez, Lil’ Louis, Dopplereffekt, Kiddy Smile with Crookers, Thomas Bangalter, Neon, Suburban Knights, Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, Soft Cell, Wild Planet, Cosey Fanni Tutti and CoH, and an instrumental version of the Rolling Stones’ Angie.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast largely feature mostly non-actors and real-life dancers with the exception of a few professional actors. Among the people in the film include Sarah Belala as the dancer Jennifer who often does cocaine and refuses to share it, Alexandre Moreau as crunk-dancer known as Cyborg, Vince Galliot Cumant as a young boy named Tito who is the son of a dancer in Emmanuelle, Claude Gajan Maull as the dancer Emmanuelle who is also the troupe manager that is accused of spiking the sangria, Adrien Sissoko as a teetotaler in Omar who gets accused of spiking the sangria, Lea Vlamos as Eva who deals with the chaos of the violence as it relates to someone who didn’t drink the sangria, Mounia Nassangar as the volatile Dom who would act violently towards someone due to the spiked sangria, Thea Carla Schott as the German dancer Psyche who would act erratic due to the spiked sangria, Giselle Palmer and Taylor Kastle in their respective roles as the siblings Gazelle and Taylor, Sharleen Temple as Ivana who sports an afro of sorts as she is troubled by the spiked sangria, and Kiddy Smile as the dee-jay Daddy who would also drink the sangria unaware of its effects.
Romain Guillermic is excellent as David as a boyfriend of Gazelle who is eager to have sex with anyone while also becomes a suspect. Souheila Yacoub is brilliant as Lou as a dancer who didn’t drink the sangria as she is in the early stages of her pregnancy which also makes her a suspect. Finally, there’s Sofia Boutella in an incredible performance as Selva as one of the lead dancers who also drinks the sangria as she deals with a lot of things while also expressing herself physically as it is definitely a top-tier performance from Boutella.
Climax is a spectacular film from Gaspar Noe. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a killer music soundtrack, dazzling visuals, and its unconventional take of a simple premise and turning it on its head. It is a film that might be Noe’s most accessible film in terms of playing with a genre yet it also this air of danger and provocation that Noe is known. In the end, Climax is a tremendous film from Gaspar Noe.
Gaspar Noe Films: Carne - I Stand Alone - Irreversible - Enter the Void - Love (2015 film) - Lux Aeterna – Vortex (2021 film) – The Auteurs #48: Gaspar Noe
© thevoid99 2022
Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnson and Sam Hart, Atomic Blonde is the story of a spy who travels to East Berlin to find a list of double agents before the collapse of the Berlin Wall during the final days of the Cold War. Directed by David Leitch and screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, the film is a spy thriller of sorts where a woman finds herself dealing with dark forces that want to stop during a crucial moment in world history. Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, and Toby Jones. Atomic Blonde is a high-octane yet exhilarating film from David Leitch.
Set in November of 1989 during the final days of the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the film revolves around a British spy who travels to Berlin before the wall’s collapse to retrieve a list of double agents that was in the hands of another spy. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it’s told in a reflective flashback style by its protagonist Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) who is interrogated by her superior in MI6 executive Eric Gray (Toby Jones) and CIA agent Emmett Kurzfield (John Goodman) over what happened in Berlin as much of the action takes place more than a week earlier where Broughton learns a fellow colleague had been killed as he had a list of double-agents in East Berlin that the Soviet Union wants. Kurt Johnstad’s screenplay plays into the back-and-forth narrative of Broughton telling her story of what had happened as she had been sent by Gray and MI6 boss C (James Faulkner) to travel to West Berlin before the wall is to collapse where she meets her contact in another MI6 agent in David Percival (James McAvoy) to help her retrieve the list.
Percival is an eccentric figure who spends time dealing in black markets in East Berlin as well as live in West Berlin as he is trying to get the list as well as a Stasi defector named Spyglass (Eddie Marsan) to West Berlin as he knows the names on the list that was hidden in a watch from the MI6 agent who had been killed. During the course of finding out what happened and to find this watch, Broughton is aware that she’s a target as there’s KGB spies in both East and West Berlin as she had also been warned about a double-agent named Satchel who might be causing trouble for all sides. At the same time, she meets a rookie French spy named Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella) who also wants the list but also knows that there’s something not right in the scheme of things. Even as there’s also rogue KGB agents that want the list and sell it off for a lot of money no matter who gets it making Broughton’s mission much more difficult.
David Leitch’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the setting as it play into a moment in time where the world is about to change as there are those who aren’t ready for this kind of change. Shot on location in Berlin with additional shooting set in Budapest, the film does play into a world that is changing yet there’s also something exciting over the element of rule breaking and chaos that is to emerge. While Leitch does include many of Berlin’s famous landmarks including a few shots of the re-created Berlin Wall with graffiti sprayed on the wall. Much of Leitch’s direction emphasize on the sense of intrigue as well as who is trying to con who and who can be the one to get the list first as Leitch would use close-ups and medium shots for these moments without emphasizing too much on style. There are some wide shots Leitch use in not just to establish the locations or what is happening in a moment in time but also in some intense set pieces that relate to the action including a scene where Broughton is in a car and fighting against a couple of KGB officers trying to kill her.
One key sequence in the film during the second act is an intricate fight scene set inside a building where Broughton is fighting against several KGB officers as it is presented in a long continuous shot with tracking and hand-held cameras. It’s a moment in the film that really showcases what Broughton has to do as the stakes of her mission becomes important yet there are also these twists and turns as it relates to the people she encounters as there are very few she can really trust. Notably as the scenes where she’s interrogated as she knows she’s being watched emphasize what she knows and what she doesn’t want to reveal as it does add to this blur of who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Overall, Leitch crafts a thrilling and gripping film about a British spy traveling to Berlin to retrieve a list of double agents before the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Cinematographer Jonathan Sela does brilliant with the film’s colorful cinematography with its usage of bluish lights and moods for some of the interior scenes as well as the usage of neon lights in the clubs as well as other stylish looks for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Elisabet Ronaldsdottir does excellent work with the editing with the usage of stylish fast-cuts without being too fast as well as some amazing invisible cuts for the film’s continuous fight sequence. Production designer David Scheunemann, with supervising art director Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner plus set decorators Zsuzsa Mihalek and Mark Rosinski, does fantastic work with the look of the clubs in Berlin as well as the apartments and places the characters go to or live at. Costume designer Cindy Evans does nice work with the costumes as it is stylish from the coats the characters wear to the Soviet and Stasi uniforms some of the officials wear.
Hair/makeup designer Paul Pattison does terrific work with the look of the characters from the different wigs and hairstyles that Broughton wears as well as the look of some of the people she meets. Special effects supervisor Gabor Kiszelly and visual effects supervisor Michael Wortmann do superb work with the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing for some of the exteriors along with a few of the film’s action scenes. Sound designer Jonas Jansson, with sound editors Thomas Huhn and Nicklas Lindh, does amazing work with the sound in capturing the way music sounds in a club or on speakers as well as through the audio tapes that Broughton uses to spy on people and how she would cut the tapes to create what she discovered. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is wonderful for its electronic-based score that play into the action and suspense while music supervisor John Houlihan provides a kick-ass soundtrack of music that definitely play into the period of the 1980s from artists and acts like New Order, David Bowie, Queen, Depeche Mode, Information Society, the Reflex, After the Fire, Nena, Peter Schilling, Til’ Tuesday, A Flock of Seagulls, the Clash, George Michael, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Public Enemy along with covers by Health, Marilyn Manson, and Kaleida plus a couple of Eastern European music of the times.
The casting by Zsolt Csutak, Marisol Roncali, and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Barbara Sukowa as a coroner of the spy who is killed earlier in the film, Sam Hargrave as the MI6 agent James Gascoigne who is killed in the film’s beginning, Johannes Johannesson as the rogue KGB agent Yuri Bakhtin, Roland Moller as a high ranking Soviet official in Aleksander Bremovych, James Faulkner as the MI6 head C, Bill Skarsgard as Broughton’s East German contact in Gordon Merkel, and Til Schweiger in a terrific small role as a reclusive watchmaker who creates special watches with codes as he helps out Broughton. Toby Jones and John Goodman are superb in their respective roles as MI6 superior Eric Gray and CIA official Emmett Kurzfield who interrogate Broughton over what happened in Berlin with the latter also making a brief appearance in West Berlin to give Broughton a debriefing.
Eddie Marsan is excellent as Spyglass as Stasi officer who wants to defect to the West as he knows the names of the double-agents where he becomes someone that Broughton has to protect. Sofia Boutella is fantastic as Delphine Lasalle as a French agent who is also after the list but also has feelings for Broughton as well as be aware of what is going on as she also has an idea of who the mysterious Satchel is. James McAvoy is brilliant as David Percival as a MI6 agent who aids Broughton as he also runs a black markets scheme in East Berlin as it’s an exciting performance from McAvoy who provides a lot of humor and swagger into his performance. Finally, there’s Charlize Theron in a phenomenal performance as Lorraine Broughton as a MI6 spy who goes to Berlin to retrieve a list as it’s an intense performance from Theron who brings some charm as well as a grittiness to the role as a woman who is hell-bent on succeeding in her mission as well as deal with what is at stake as it’s Theron in one of her career-defining performances.
Atomic Blonde is a tremendous film from David Leitch that features an incredible leading performance from Charlize Theron. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, intense fight scenes, and a killer music soundtrack. The film is definitely a fun and thrilling action-suspense film set during the final days of the Cold War that is filled with intrigue and excitement. In the end, Atomic Blonde is a spectacular film from David Leitch.
David Leitch Films: John Wick - Deadpool 2 - (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the comic book The Secret Service by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service is the story of a young man who is recruited to be part of a secret spy organization where they try to save the world from a megalomaniacal man of great wealth. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and screenplay by Vaughn and Jane Goldman, the film is a take on the world of spies and what it takes to become a badass spy with a sense of style. Starring Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Mark Hamill, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Caine. Kingsman: The Secret Service is an exhilarating and fun film from Matthew Vaughn.
The film revolves around a young man, whose father had died when he was young, as he is recruited to be part of a secret organization from a man who feels he owes a debt to that young man’s father for saving his life. There, the two deal with a wealthy Internet mogul who has plans to wipe out most of the population in favor of saving the world as it forces the secret organization of the Kingsman to save the world. It’s a film with a simple plot that plays into a lot of the tropes that is expected in spy films such as world domination, chaos, and doing what is right. Yet, Matthew Vaughn and co-screenwriter Jane Goldman become aware of these clichés and play with those while investing their time in developing a young man who was going through an aimless life into finding something that has meaning.
The protagonist Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is a young kid who lost his father at a young age where he’s been living with his mother, an abusive stepfather, and infant half-sister where he had all of the grades and potential to be something more than a criminal but has a chip on his shoulder. When he meets Harry Hart aka Galahad (Colin Firth) who knew Eggsy’s father, he would bail him out and show him what he could be as Galahad is a spy that looks like a tailor but proves to be a formidable badass. Yet, Galahad is also dealing with the loss of one of his colleagues and needs a replacement where he and the Kingsman are dealing with this billionaire named Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) who is an odd villain of sorts. A billionaire with a lisp and can’t stand the sight of blood despite what he is doing to the world with his new free software that he gives to the world which really serves as what he is planning to do. Once Galahad and the Kingsman senior agent Merlin (Mark Strong) realize what they’re dealing with, they knew something had to be done which also prompts Eggsy to fulfill his own potential.
Matthew Vaughn’s direction is definitely stylish from some of the tracking shots and long takes he creates for some of the scenes to the mixture of violence and humor that is injected in the film. While it starts off with comical moments of violence, Vaughn does play into some of the impact that occurs such as an opening sequence where Eggsy’s father sacrifices himself to save three men from a suicide bomber which plays into Galahad making an oath to be there for Eggsy. While some of the action and suspenseful moments are quite gripping, Vaughn does find a way to inject some humor but also play into what is at stake where Eggsy learns what he has to do to become a Kingsman. Even in a tense moment where he meets with Kingsman leader Arthur (Michael Caine) that would serve as a major test to see if he can really become one. Vaughn’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do play into the drama as well as Eggsy coming to term with who he is but also someone that has a lot of attachments which is often the reason for why he never able to live up to his promises as a young man.
When the film reaches its third act where the Kingsman have to confront Valentine, it is presented in a grand scale in terms of its set pieces and what is at stake where Eggsy not only fulfills that potential. He also becomes aware of what is at stake where Vaughn does play with the conventions of these climaxes as some of it is very violent but also has this air of dark comedy that manages to be a whole lot of fun to watch. Especially in what Valentine unleashes into the world through his app which gave the world free internet and free cellphone usages which plays into the drawbacks of the modern world. Overall, Vaughn creates a very thrilling yet witty film about a young man who realizes his potential to be something more as well as saving the world.
Cinematographer George Richmond does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of lights for many of the nighttime interior settings including the film‘s climax as well as some of the exteriors in the day to play off its natural look for scenes set in London. Editors Eddie Hamilton and Jon Harris do nice work with the editing as it does have some fast-paced rhythmic cuts for some of the action and conversations while knowing when not to cut such as some of the tracking shots. Production designer Paul Kirby, with supervising art director Andy Thomson and set decorators Naomi Moore, David Morison, and Jennifer Williams, does fantastic work with the set design from the look of the Kingsman base and its training facilities to the secret hideout where Valentine holds his party. Costume designer Arianne Phillips does terrific work with the costumes from the tailored suits the Kingsman wear as well as the stylish clothes of Valentine.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does wonderful work with the hairstyles of the characters including the one Galahad would wear during his brief comatose state. Visual effects supervisors Steven Begg, Huseyin Caner, and Matt Kasmir do fine work with some of the visual effects though some of the background stuff don‘t look finished at times. Sound designer Matthew Collinge and sound editor Danny Sheehan do superb work with the sound in creating some sound effects for some of the gadgets the Kingsman use along with some of the sound that occurs in the locations and places the characters go to. The film’s music by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson is amazing for its mixture of orchestral bombast and some pulsating electronic music as the latter plays more into Eggsy‘s personality while music supervisor Ian Neill creates a fun soundtrack that features a plethora of music ranging from rock, pop, and hip-hop from acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, KC and the Sunshine Band, Dire Straits, Take That, Dizzee Rascal, Iggy Azalea and Ellie Goulding, and Bryan Ferry.
The casting by Reg Poerscout-Edgerton is brilliant as it features notable small roles from Jack Cutmore-Scott, Tom Prior, and Fiona Hampton as a few Kingsman candidates, Hanna Alstrom as the Swedish princess who refuses to make a deal with Valentine, Bjorn Floberg as the Swedish prime minister, Richard Brake as an interrogator for the candidates, Jack Davenport as the original Lancelot who tried to save a professor, Geoff Bell as Eggsy’s abusive stepfather Dean, Samantha Womack as Eggsy’s mother whom he cares about, and Mark Hamill in a terrific role as Professor James Arnold as this man who would be a pawn into what Valentine is creating. Edward Holcroft is superb as the Kingsman candidate Charlie Hesketh who bears all of the attributes to be a Kingsman as he is the total opposite of what Eggsy brings to the organization.
Sofia Boutella is fantastic as Valentine’s amputated henchwoman Gazelle as this woman who is beautiful but dangerous as her sword-like legs are very dangerous. Sophie Cookson is amazing as Kingsman candidate Roxanne as a young woman who befriends Eggsy as she is one of the few who doesn’t dismiss his working-class background while being someone who can be a Kingsman and do what is right. Michael Caine is excellent as Arthur as the Kingsman leader who tries to sort out everything that is happening as well as deal with a world that is changing very rapidly. Mark Strong is awesome as Merlin as a senior Kingsman officer who is also the candidates’ trainer as a man that had seen so much as he is also the film’s conscious of sorts.
Samuel L. Jackson is phenomenal as Richmond Valentine as this megalomaniacal man of wealth who believes he has the answers for all of the problems of the world while doing it in a very evil way where Jackson brings charm but also some humor in his lisps and aversion to blood and violence. Colin Firth is remarkable as Galahad/Harry Hart as a Kingsman agent who personifies all of the things to be a spy that is full of control and style while also being the one person who can show Eggsy what he can be as it’s one of Firth’s finest performances. Finally there’s Taron Egerton in a real breakthrough as Eggsy as young man with a chip on his shoulder as someone that is lost and destined for trouble as he tries to find ways to better himself as well as bring meaning where Egerton manages to have some charm and dramatic weight to his role.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a sensational film from Matthew Vaughn. Featuring a great cast and an inventive premise that manages to be fun and engaging, the film is truly not just a play on spy movies but also showcases the idea of what a gentleman can be when he’s facing the world in danger. In the end, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a rapturous film from Matthew Vaughn.
Matthew Vaughn Films: (Layer Cake) - (Stardust) - Kick-Ass - X-Men: First Class
© thevoid99 2015
