Murder Mystery

Murder Mystery (2019)

Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, and Terence Stamp

Directed by Kyle Newacheck

Written by James Vanderbilt

***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

The Girl with All the Gifts

The Girl with All the Gifts (2017)

Starring Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Sennia Nanua, and Glenn Close

Directed by Colm McCarthy

Written by Mike Carey

***This film is currently streaming via Amazon Prime***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A fungus has turned the masses into zombies and some of the remaining British human population are attempting to figure out a cure via a small group of children who have been infected, but still retain many human characteristics including the ability to speak, learn, and empathize.  One girl in particular, Melanie (Sennia Nanua), holds the most potential, but her teacher Mrs. Justineau (Gemma Arterton) and scientist Dr. Caldwell (Glenn Close) hold very different opinions on how to deal with the young subject.

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B

Movie Review - The Voices

The Voices (2015)

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Ella Smith, and Jacki Weaver

Directed by Marjane Satrapi
***This film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime***

More amusing than I expected, The Voices is a dark horror comedy about Jerry (Ryan Reynolds), a factory worker in a small town who had some psychological problems in his past, but has moved on from them...maybe.  You see, with his dog Bosco and his cat Mr. Whiskers talking to him in an angel-on-your-shoulder/devil-on-your-shoulder kind of way, Jerry may not quite be 100% sane yet.  When Jerry goes out to a restaurant with three secretaries from work (Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, and Ella Smith), he begins to think that he may have a chance of starting a relationship with one (or perhaps more) of them...except Jerry's mind has more deviant thoughts and murder is certainly not out of the question.

Embracing the quirky nature of the script, director Marjane Satrapi allows the cast to feel at home with either over-the-top (Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton) or subdued (Anna Kendrick) acting, rather surprisingly meshing the two styles thanks to the dark comedy that runs throughout.  Relishing in comedic gore (which some could admittedly find offensive), The Voices humorously presents the story of a deranged guy desperately trying to better himself with less than successful results.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Byzantium

Byzantium (2013)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Jonny Lee Miller, Daniel Mays, and Caleb Landry Jones

Directed by Neil Jordan

As I draw to the end of my 2013 viewing (the RyMickey Awards will finally be forthcoming in September), I often wonder why I feel the need to see as much as I can movie-wise.  What's the point?  Surprises like Byzantium are why I hold off on my awards.  Now, I can't say for certain that Byzantium will land in the top of any of my categories, but I can at least say that this new take on a classic vampire story breathed new life into a genre that's been beaten down to kid-like, laughable levels as of late thanks to the popularity of the Twilight series.

The alluring Gemma Arterton is Clara and when we first encounter her she's stripping in a seedy bar in England in an attempt to bing in an income to look after her teenage sister Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan).  However, Clara and Eleanor have a secret and when one of Clara's customers reveals that he knows Clara is really a vampire, he meets an untimely end that forces the two sisters to flee their apartment for a new town.  As the two immortal women settle in, they become comfortable with their surroundings which is never a good thing considering the secrets that both Clara and Eleanor hide from everyone.

Neil Jordan's film not only tells the modern-day journey of Clara and Eleanor, but also the two hundred year-old story of how they became immortal vampires in the first place.  Both aspects of the effectively woven story written by Moira Buffini are surprisingly solid, each holding its own and deepening one another via their plots.  Jordan's film ratchets up the tension at key points, is nicely shot, and humorously gory at times -- the latter of which actually added some comedic moments to the otherwise heavy plot.

Saoirse Ronan presses on with her monopoly of mopey kid roles, but this works here because her Eleanor feels trapped not only in her sister's shadow, but also quite literally in her never-aging body that doesn't allow her to become close to anyone since her secret will be revealed should she form a long-term relationship.  Gemma Arterton continues to impress, exuding a dirty sexiness when Clara's pimping herself out to get money to pay the rent while also believably mothering the younger Eleanor in an attempt to save her from those who would do her harm.

Byzantium is much more fun than I expected it to be.  With solid craftsmanship on all levels, this one was a pleasant treat.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Unfinished Song

Unfinished Song (Song for Marion) (2013)

Starring Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton, Christopher Eccleston, and Vanessa Redgrave

Directed by Paul Andrew Williams

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

There's an overwhelming sense of sentimentality in Unfinished Song that you either buy into or don't. Fortunately, I did and I found this little seen British dramedy quite a charming surprise.  The story is quite simple -- Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) is dying.  Cancer has taken its toll and she doesn't have very long to live.  She wants to make the most of her final months so she joins a choir of elderly folks headed by the young and chipper Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). Elizabeth doesn't want her choir to be looked at as a bunch of old fogies so she has them sing modern songs ("Let's Talk About Sex" by Salt 'n' Pepa, "Love Shack" by the B52's) in unique ways.  Marion loves the concept and it makes her incredibly happy, allowing her to forget about her illness.  Her curmudgeonly husband Arthur (Terence Stamp), however, finds the whole thing ridiculous.

It's not difficult to see where writer-director Paul Andrew Williams' film is going to go.  Of course Arthur's going to have a change of heart, but there's something about the innocence coupled with the natural and "real" performances from Terence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arterton, and Christopher Eccleston (as Marion and Arthur's adult son) that make Unfinished Song much more compelling than it probably has any right to be.  Stamp, in particular, manages to make a stock character -- Grumpy Old Man -- into someone that you not only root for, but desperately want to realize the error of his crotchety ways.  His final scene -- good luck trying to keep your eyes dry.  I managed to avoid the tears, but I can totally see how it could cause the waterworks to open up.  [I must say that I rewatched the scene on YouTube and sure enough, it caused a tear to fall.]

Don't misunderstand -- Unfinished Song isn't necessarily a great film.  We've seen everything it presents here before (including the tired trope of old people saying things "young people say" for laughs), but if you're willing to buy into the concept, I can't help but think you'll be won over by the sheer niceness of it all.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Jannsen, Peter Stormare, and Thomas Mann

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

In a movie like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, you have to give in to the complete absurdity and ridiculousness of it all or else you're never going to be able to enjoy it.  Unfortunately, after a pre-opening credits segment in which the traditional Hansel & Gretel fairy tale is depicted and a young Gretel throws a horrid-looking witch into a burning fire followed by uttering the line "Is that hot enough for you, bitch?", I was nearly ready to check out.  While director-screenwriter Tommy Wirkola manages to craft something infinitely better than the similarly themed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement and despite trying to scream "fun" all the time, Hansel & Gretel doesn't have enough substance for its unique spin on the traditional fairy tale story.

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the title brother/sister pair and both are actually quite good playing their characters as if they were seemingly self-aware of the corniness, cheesiness, and insanity that goes on around them as Hansel and Gretel attempt to save a European village from the evil witch Muriel (Famke Jannsen) who is snatching up children in order to complete some massive supernatural spell that will give her incredible control.  Unfortunately, there are a few additional subplots thrown in the mix that bog things down, taking focus away from the main crux of the flick.

Honestly, there's part of me that wants to hate Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters because I'm well aware that it's utterly ridiculous.  However, it was enjoyable enough that it's worth your time should it ever start to stream on Netflix.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, and Jeffrey Wright
Directed by Marc Forster

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD FOR CASINO ROYALE

After a great first experience with Mr. Bond in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace had quite a bit to live up to and, unfortunately, it didn't really come close.  Taking place mere hours after the start of Casino Royale, Quantum is a quasi-sequel in that James Bond is still somewhat reeling (in that reserved British sense of "reeling") over the death of his lover and he finds himself on a mission to enact revenge on those who caused her death.  In and of itself, that would've been a good film, but we're given a eco-friendly villain (Mathieu Amalric) that I really couldn't care about -- the malevolence of taking away clean drinking water from the poor just isn't as much fun as world domination -- which doesn't help matters.

However, the biggest issue with Quantum of Solace is that director Marc Forster has no clue how to properly direct action sequences.  What I love about Casino Royale is that even the most ludicrous of action sequences are believable because of the way they are fluidly shot.  Forster resorts to the quick cuts that are so prevalent in action flicks today and there were several moments where I simply didn't comprehend what was going on.  Right from the opening scene in which two nearly identical black cars are involved in a chase, I knew I was in for disappointment.  When you can't tell which car is being driven by your protagonist and antagonist, you're in for trouble.

Here's hoping Skyfall is more like Casino Royale than this second Daniel Craig-starring venture.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - The Disappearance of Alice Creed

The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2010)

Starring Martin Compston, Eddie Marsan, and Gemma Arterton

Directed by J Blakeson

It's nice every now and then for a movie to come out of nowhere and genuinely surprise you.  The Disappearance of Alice Creed is one of those movies.  I knew next to nothing about it except that this was a taut British thriller, but I also read that the trailer spoiled the film and should be avoided at all costs (which, after watching the film and then the trailer, I'd tend to agree with that assessment).  So, when the film arrived on dvd late last year, I figured I'd check it out and I was pleasantly surprised.  Working with a cast of only three people, first-time feature film writer-director J Blakeson has crafted a nice little kidnapping flick that doesn't necessarily reinvent the genre, but certainly proves to be entertaining.

The film opens with two men prepping a run-down apartment for a kidnapping complete with handcuffs, rope, and soundproof walls.  Shortly thereafter, they have abducted their victim, gagged her, and tied her to the bolted-down bed in the prison-like apartment.  With ninety minutes left to unspool in the film, I was unsure where the flick was going to go from here, but thanks to some clever (and completely believable) twists, Blakeson and his actors kept me completely interested in the goings-on.

With only three people in the film, if there was a single bad apple in the cast, the flick would've failed, but fortunately, all three actors give it their all.  Eddie Marsan as Vic, the career criminal and "man in charge," brings a creepiness that counteracts Martin Compston's subdued and on-edge Danny quite well.  While neither of their roles are "new" in the broad scheme of character development, the screenplay creates enough unique spins to make these two crooks interesting.  

The toughest role belongs to Gemma Arterton who, as the title character, finds herself chained and gagged for much of the film, yet gives her absolute all in a rather riveting performance.  This was not an easy role and I imagine it wasn't an easy undertaking for Arterton who bares all emotionally (and often physically) throughout the entirety of the film.  While I won't subject myself to her roles in Prince of Persia or Clash of the Titans, I look forward to seeing what else this up-and-coming actress has to offer in the future.

It should be noted that The Disappearance of Alice Creed isn't exactly an easy film to watch (and may not be suited for everyone's tastes), but thanks to three great performances and an edge-of-the-seat screenplay courtesy of the film's director, it's a flick that should be checked out by those whose interest I may have piqued with this review.

The RyMickey Rating:  B