R Rogers

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Mads Mikkelsen absolutely moves what could have been just a gore-fest gratuity of a movie to an elevated status that is part Sin City part John Wick and an ALL-Mads vehicle. If you're a fan of the Danish, long-time international actor who has played in a Marvel movie, a Bond film, and a Star Wars film, and just cast as the newest Grindelwald for the Fantastic Beasts3-Potter franchise, you'll love this movie and you'll be happy to see him tear pell-mell like the force of nature he is through this action black comedy based on the comic books. Several reviewers have tried to compare this movie to "middle-aged assassin movie vehicles" like Gross Pointe Blank. And that's not what this movie is. That's comparing apples to oranges, and frankly comparing anyone to John Cusack or vice versa is an exercise in futility. Cusack is in a class all by himself that has never been duplicated. But this is a different kind of movie entirely. It's also a highly recommended roller-coaster ride of pure fun. WARNING: No, it's not about the violence, this warning is about the SEX to women who are watching this, and especially if you are a Mads fan . . . the sex scene followed by intense fight-scene in Duncan's cabin may cause physical damage to your ovaries. Mikkelsen turns his extraordinary physique into a precision mega-weapon in this film and given the fact that he was 53 at the time of filming, ladies seeing this film may find the bar for measuring maleness in middle-age shifting upward quite a bit.

In Boom, the character of Flanders is by all appearances just as the overview describes him: someone who ingratiates himself to the dying rich. And if you watch the movie with only that in your mind, that is what you'll observe. Look closer. I suggest there is an underlying subtext in this film that is rarely seen on film or on paper, and one that is often overlooked and undiscovered in life, and certainly is never discussed by us when the veils do part and give us a surreal glimpse into the much larger universe we live in; and yet, like the Alder King/Stag King/GreenMan in a Faery tome it is before us and all around us in all its glory--something we pretend not to see, something we label as "make-believe" when we do speak of it, but which literally moves the engine of our lives, individually and collectively, in fact the very constructs that we are... and it does so with more passion and more energy than we normally allow ourselves to admit even exists in this world. Namely, that we are all of us playing a role upon a stage as the Bard once alluded to, but that perhaps the role is one we chose at some predetermined or earlier time of our birth and we scarcely remember it? Or perhaps this is just a role our universe keeps thrusting us into despite our best efforts? Perhaps we do this over and over, expiring and returning, immortal, to the peace and collective bliss of the reverently spoken of Akashic records, only to return again and again in an endless loop that gains momentum, grows, and expands? Perhaps we are on the leading-edge of creation, and as the quantum physicists have suggested to us, we are simply shadows, small constructs projected from a unified quantum gravity field, a field of energy, seeing only in 3D, ignoring Einstein's formulas showing us that space-time, the 4th dimension moves in all directions simultaneously while we pretend and agree it is only linear? But I digress... back to the review. Whatever the case, pulling back that curtain is a wondrous and dangerous endeavor, and it is sometimes a thing that cannot be, dare not be said or the speaker risks a social sentence of madness. As Chesire once said, "We're all mad here.' In the case of Boom!, Richard Burton, playing Flanders, he wields the role of Catalyst, Lover, Devil, God, Acolyte, and Master all at once. He is in fact the Grim Reaper, Charon on the River Styx, the Archangel Azriel, and not least, he is an Angel of Mercy and ultimately he is The Flying Dutchman. He is an agent of change, of transformation, a harbinger of not just doom, but of divine knowledge. Looked at from an archetypal viewpoint, Flanders is an usher, bringing Taylor's aptly named "Goforth" character into a new life, which is not based upon the superficiality of her old life or her old vanity, but upon what is essential to who we are underneath what we see: the energy, the nonresistance of immortality passing into light and love from a temporary, momentary existence in the physical.

First, a little history about the lead actor's career before this action-thriller entry, because THE INFORMER is an entertaining vehicle whose primary purpose is moving this actor further toward becoming a household name: Before his role as Takeshi Kovacs in the Cyberpunk series Altered Carbon on Netflix Originals . . . Before playing the hardened survivalist-father in the Prime Original series HANNA . . . And before Kinnaman's turn as the love-tortured military commander involved in paranormal doings in pop-culture entry SUICIDE SQUAD. . . Kinnaman co-starred in a Canadian detective series called THE KILLING. This was arguably one of the best detective series ever produced. The character arc (personal development) of Kinnaman's character, Stephen Holder, was pure change from beginning to end - highly unusual for a not-yet-well-known actor to play, and highly unusual for any series to script, because it stretches believability if not done very well. It's difficult to pull off, even for a well-known actor. However, as Holder, Kinnaman takes his character from a recovering Junkie screw-up when we meet him to a full-blown protector sidekick and later Hero-Knight figure across 3 seasons. Getting the audience to buy it wholly and easily looked surprisingly effortless - a testament to Kinnaman's acting abilities in a series where he is unable to rely on his amazing physique to punch up the volume in a scene. We are able to buy Holder's character hook, line, and sinker, as does his partner in the series, a female detective who loses custody of her son and later begins to lose her moorings and her grip on reality. In the end, she comes to see Holder as a savior, one she didn't imagine she needed, and ultimately, realizes he's been the one steadfast support, her Rock of Gibraltar, helping her to hold her world together while she solves murders - something she's much better at than relationships. Kinnaman's loud announcement in THE KILLING, and in every project since, was akin to a "launch warning" for both the action and the drama genres, telling us in no uncertain terms, "Strap in folks, I'm just getting started." Kinnaman's performance in THE INFORMER makes good on that promise. A husband and father with a felony past, his character helps the FBI infiltrate a target's organization and he finds himself placed in one compromising position after another, both by the Feds and by the target they're after. Filmed with a direct-to-TV-movie feel, it nevertheless rises above that level through Kinnaman's performance and that of the supporting cast, which includes several excellent veteran actors. A crime thriller with an attitude and lots of eye candy to please any gender, this is a solid add to Kinnaman's resume and an entertaining action-thriller that ends on the implication of a possible sequel. While I wouldn't say no to a sequel, I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't prefer to see Netflix strike a deal with Kinnaman to return in an Altered Carbon Season 3 entry, even though Netflix has decided against a Season 3. But an S3 would have had a 3rd actor playing the sleeve-swapping Takeshi Kovacs. However, it wouldn't be that difficult to write an S3 that finds Kovacs' mind-and stack-back in the Kinnaman-based body for more Cyberpunk SciFi Envoy fun. Whatever Kinnaman does next, he's given us fair warning with every project that we need to strap ourselves in for the ride, because he's just getting started.

If you never saw this awesome little escape of a movie in the 80s, locate it on one of your movie feeds or find it at your favorite used book/cd store. It's totally worth seeing. Robbins and Cusack are both uber young and too great together in this. They should have done more movies together, they work off of each other well. This is just one of those funny, silly, wonderfully crazy movies made in the 80s that will take you back and remind you of a time when we were all less tense--more dance. One of the most fun movies of that decade. The soundtrack is wicked good ;)

I am frankly appalled at the reviews I have seen of this movie since it's release years ago. We hear how Bloom was quite miscast (hardly), we hear how difficult it is to take this movie seriously because it was directed by Ridley Scott (really? the same director that made aliens so real it scared the bejeezus out of us?), and we hear how historically inaccurate it was (well perhaps, but wait, are you saying that's unusual for Hollywood?!) I would suggest anyone who has criticisms and casts aspersions on this film to consider that the majority of Hollywood historical epics made across the years are inherently, hysterically nonhistorical. From the wrong type of period clothing altered at the will and whim of whoever was driving the details and concepts from the wardrobe mistress to the director to incorrect sets and characters. It's true there were historical inaccuracies in this film, but the essence of the screenplay captures the insanity that is war, particularly religious ones, while also capturing everything that is redeemable about the good people trying to preserve the human beings caught in the struggle. In the film, Orlando Bloom's character, his conscience challenged by his duty makes the only choice that makes sense in the middle of senseless violence and power struggle, "It is a kingdom of conscience or nothing at all," and later he repeats the oath his father required of him to succeed him as a knight, "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath." While some inaccuracies may be problematic, the essence of human beings caught in the midst of centuries-long strife over religious differences, all making difficult decisions, some failing miserably and some rising above expectation, is absolutely accurate. The only heroes that emerge from this story, historically accurate or not, are those that speak the truth and safeguard the helpless, and those individuals were then, as now, quite few and far between.

This movie is ASTONISHING. Performances by John Cusack (present) & Paul Dano (past) Brian Wilson, will blow you away! As a writer, the "wishy-washy" scene that takes place between Brian Wilson & his father hit me Full-Stop. I have so been there and understand how difficult it can be to pull yourself out of that place and into the light of your own love and healing. Eventually, if you don't give up on yourself and your dream(s) you will gain the ability to distinguish what is real and what is not...what is just someone else's projection and interpretation of you. You are the only one qualified to say "This is who I am, This is what my art means." This is an extremely important, historical and creative narrative of the music of a genius. It's poignant, heartbreaking, inspiring, and an essential film for Rock n' Roll lovers and Creatives of all types, regardless of whether you liked Wilson and the Beach Boys or not. The timeless talent of Wilson is enhanced by the wonderfully vivid performances by Cusack and Dano, who at times make your eyes physically hurt to experience viscerally, an inkling of what Wilson endured during his career. This piece of cinema is essential viewing by Wilson fans, music lovers/creatives of any sort. Thumbs up as we used to say, ....TWO Thumbs up WAY UP. See this movie, released in 2015 (the Google listing is incorrect, it was filmed in 2014, Released in 2015) if you haven't yet. It will humble you, feed you, wake you, shake your tree, and give you hope that mental illness might be understood, discussed, and that we might heal our ostracized Creatives without suffocating the talent that is often connected to their mental illness, and yet so needed by our starving culture.