Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter and Trey Wilson in the Coen Brothers movie ‘Raising Arizona’

With a tip of the cap to comedy based in criminality from just before my teenage years, we visit Raising Arizona (1987) as written, directed and produced by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The Coen brothers film pokes fun at the notion of competing lifestyles humorously incompatible put into situations where laughter ensues to keep you from crying, should you join in the romp meant to highlight the humor.

(From left, Holly Hunter as Edwina ‘Ed’ McDunnough and Nicolas Cage as Herbert I. (H.I.) ‘Hi’ McDunnough in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Raising Arizona opens with repeat offender Herbert I. ‘Hi’ McDunnough getting arrested for robbing convenience stores. At each instance, police officer Edwina (aka ‘Ed’) photographs McDunnough at intake, with an increasing banter between the two leading to an eventual romantic interest following the last arrest. The pair, portrayed by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, respectively, get married. Wanting kids and being unable to become parents in the standard way, the pair resort to something more dramatic when they also cannot adopt due to McDonnough’s criminal past.

(From left, Trey Wilson as Nathan Arizona, Sr. and Lynne Kitei as Florence Arizona in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

As this develops, it becomes known in their Arizona community that furniture magnate Nathan Arizona, Sr. and his wife Florence, portrayed by Trey Wilson and Lynne Kitei, recently had five babies (quintuplets). Figuring that the Arizonas had more than they needed and could make due with one child fewer, Hi and Ed decide to kidnap one of the five Arizona kids. Humorous interactions surround the abduction, which ultimately succeeds and kicks off the core of the story. T.J. Kuhn portrayed the baby, Nathan Jr.

(Front to back, T.J. Kuhn as Nathan Jr. and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb as Leonard Smalls in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Aiming to make the transition to the straight and narrow in the aftermath of the kidnapping, Hi finds the work that he’s acquired structured enough like prison to make things work. The operation takes its first left turn when brothers Gale and Evelle Snoats, as portrayed by John Goodman and William Forsythe, breakout of prison. The pair looks to the newly minted McDunnough family for a place to hideout. Complications arise when the foreman from Hi’s job, Glen, comes to visit with his wife, Dot, and their unruly kids. Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand portrayed Glen and Dot, respectively.

(From left, William Forsythe as Evelle Snoats and John Goodman as Gale Snoats in the Coen brothers movie Saving Arizona).

A storyline develops next to these wherein Leonard Smalls, as portrayed by Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, seeks to interject himself into the reward process that has opened for the safe return of Nathan Jr. to Nathan Arizona, Sr. and their family. The paths of misunderstandings, criminal behaviors by Smalls, the Snoats brothers and the McDunnoughs, when placed against tomfoolery of Glen and Dot to boot, gives plenty of comedic fodder to the quick pacing of the movie that is Raising Arizona.

(From left, Sam McMurray as Glen and Frances McDormand as Dot in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Mostly positive reviews by critics and audiences alike greeted Raising Arizona, as indicated here on Rotten Tomatoes. As I was amused by the movie, I grant Raising Arizona as written, directed and produced by the Coen brothers 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Julianne Moore in the Coen Brothers movie ‘The Big Lebowski’

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen were inspired by the work of Raymond Chandler to write and direct the movie The Big Lebowski (1998). As older brother Joel Coen was quoted in an archived article of IndieWire referenced here, the Coen Brothers “wanted to do a Chandler kind of story – how it moves episodically, and deals with the characters trying to unravel a mystery, as well as having a hopelessly complex plot that’s ultimately unimportant.”

(From left, Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, Steve Buscemi as Theodore Donald ‘Donny’ Kerabatsos and John Goodman as Walter Sobchak in the Coen Brothers movie The Big Lebowski).

Slacker and bowler Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, as portrayed by Jeff Bridges, opens The Big Lebowski as the victim of a crime in his own Los Angeles, California home. Pornography magnate Jackie Treehorn, as portrayed by Ben Gazzara, sends two enforcers after Lebowski to collect on the debts incurred by what the enforcers believe is the Dude’s wife. It’s only after harassing the Dude and damaging his property that the enforcers realize they’ve found the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski.

(From left, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Brandt and David Huddleston as Jeffrey ‘The Big’ Lebowski in the Coen Brothers movie The Big Lebowski).

The appropriate man is, of course, Jeffrey ‘The Big’ Lebowski as portrayed by David Huddleston. After discussing the matter with bowling buddies Walter Sobchak and Theodore Donald ‘Donny’ Kerabatsos, as portrayed by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi respectively, the Dude confronts the Big at the Big’s mansion. The affluent Jeffrey abusively dismisses his slacker namesake in response to a request for restitution. Before encountering Bunny Lebowski as portrayed by Tara Reid when departing the mansion, the Dude uses trickery to convince Brandt as portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman to allow him, that is Dude, to take property from the mansion as recompense for the Dude’s trouble.

(From left, Julianne Moore as Maude Lebowski and Tara Reid as Bunny Lebowski in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

Extending the comedy of absurdity further, Bunny is soon considered kidnapped. The affluent Lebowski hires the Dude to rectify that situation with a briefcase reportedly full of money. Franz, Uli Kunkel and Kieffer, as portrayed by Torsten Voges, Peter Stormare and Flea retrieve the property taken by the Dude owing to the fond feelings that Maude Lebowski, as portrayed by Julianne Moore, has for that property.

(From left, Torsten Voges as Franz, Peter Stormare as Uli Kunkel & Karl Hungus and Flea as Kieffer in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

In addressing the supposed kidnapping, absurd craziness ensues at the behest of Jeffrey ‘the Big’ Lebowski through the hands of Walter Sobchak. The exchange of money for the life goes horribly wrong, with the money getting stolen at the bowling alley later that night. As the comically absurd sequence extends further, we encounter Jesus Quintana as portrayed by John Turturro and The Stranger as portrayed by Sam Elliott for commentaries regarding different aspects of the story that unravels in front of us. The insinuation of Maude Lebowski at seemingly odd times and in bold ways through the unfolding of the mystery adds to the theatre of comedy that this movie presents.

(Sam Elliott as The Stranger in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen movie The Big Lebowski).

Through the episodic and humorously explicit charm of the wild scenes of the movie, the expressively lighthearted way the Dude abides the comedy of what happens around him proves to be the charm that makes the movie work. Jeff Bridges really pulls off the feel good comedy of that part with skill. I grant The Big Lebowski as written and directed by the Coen Brothers 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 29, 2023

The Year 2020 in Movies

With the oddness that has been the year 2020, new movie releases have been few and far between. Matt Lynn Digital continued to look into the past for movies to enjoy and review with you. The year saw us review thirty-six (36) films through the year, which we will share with you by decade, shared from highest rated to lowest.

(Argo starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and  John Goodman was a 2012 gem that leads the 2010s with 4.5-stars from Matt Lynn Digital).

Argo (2012) leads the way for movies from the 2010s. The film earned 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5 stars, which is the highest rating matched only twice for movies this year. Earning 4.0-stars for the decade were Game Night (2018) starring Jason Batemen and Rachel McAdams, Captain Phillips (2013) starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) starring Matthew McConaughey and, for a second time this decade, Bryan Cranston.

(Matt Damon makes two appearances for the 2010s, the first with the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari).

 Ford v Ferrari (2019) offers the first of two starring roles in the Matt Lynn Digital movie reviews for Matt Damon and Christian Bale. The story of the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans earn a rating of 3.75-stars along with The Martian (2015), which starred Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Jeff Daniels and Gravity (2013) starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris.

(Tom Hanks returns to our list with the 4.25-stars granted Cast Away by Matt Lynn Digital).

The Robert Zemeckis film Cast Away (2000) starts in the holiday season where the character portrayed by Tom Hanks faces tremendous odds while delivering an outstanding movie granted 4.25-stars. The movie Ray (2004), starring Jamie Foxx in the role as Ray Charles and the Ang Lee movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) starring Michelle Yeoh and Yun-Fat Chow each earned 4-stars in their 2020 reviews.

(The Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York featured among the best portrayals of a movie villain ever delivered by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film earned 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital).

Gangs of New York (2002) leads a stable of five movies to earn 3.75-stars from the decade that began the 21st century. While prominent, the performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Brendan Gleeson, Liam Neeson and John C. Reilly held sway in part for where the ranking placed. Other films from this decade gaining 3.75-stars included The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, The Blind Side (2009) starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw, Friday Night Lights (2004) starring Lucas Black, Billy Bob Thornton and Tim McGraw, and Elf (2003) starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and Zooey Deschanel.  The Skulls (2000) starring Joshua Jackson,  Paul Walker and  Craig T. Nelson earned 3.5-stars.

(Fight Club starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter and the Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco lead the 1990s with 4.5-stars granted by Matt Lynn Digital).

The film Fight Club (1999) and the film Goodfellas (1990) bookend the 1990s with a pair of movies earning the 2020 top rating of 4.5-stars offered by Matt Lynn Digital. The football movie Rudy (1993) starring Sean Astin and Ned Beatty is joined by baseball movie The Sandlot (1993) with Denis Leary and the military, political intrigue movie The Hunt for Red October (1990) starring Sean Connery, James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin and Sam Neill with ratings of 4.0-stars.

(For Love of the Game starring Kevin Costner, John C. Reilly and Kelly Preston lead 1990s films getting 3.75-stars by Matt Lynn Digital).

Baseball and borderline romantic comedy film For Love of the Game (1999) earned 3.75-stars from Matt Lynn Digital in 2020. The film Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) with  Richard Dreyfuss and the Ron Howard film Far and Away (1992) with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman join For Love of the Game with 3.75-stars. Earning 3.25 stars is the film The Usual Suspects (1995), which starred Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio Del Toro and Kevin Pollak.

(The Brian De Palma and Oliver Stone film Scarface with  Al Pacino,  Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia and Steven Bauer kicks off the 1980s with a 4-star rating by Matt Lynn Digital).

The 4-stars earned by the organized crime movie Scarface (1983) is joined by the Steven Spielberg film Empire of the Sun (1987) starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich and Joe Pantoliano and Tim Burton‘s film Beetlejuice (1988) starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. The Richard Donner film Scroooged (1988) starring Bill Murray, John Forsythe, David Johansen and Carol Kane completes the decade with 3.75-stars.

(Ridley Scott‘s film Alien starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and Ian Holm earns the best rating of the 1970s for Matt Lynn Digital at 4.25-stars).

Alien (1979) closed out the 1970s with quite the impact, garnering 4.25-stars for a science fiction story that stands on its own. The Martin Scorsese concert goodbye The Last Waltz (1978) with The Band leads three other productions getting 3.75-stars. Joining The Last Waltz with 3.75-stars include the baseball movie The Bad News Bears (1976) with Walter Mathau and Tatum O’Neal, the western movie The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) starring Clint Eastwood and John Vernon and the comedic war movie Kelly’s Heroes (1970) starring Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O’ Connor and Gavin MacLeod.

(The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance and The Lady Vanishes achieved two different things in two different decades to complete the movie reviews by Matt Lynn Digital in 2020).

The John Ford movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Vance (1962) starred John Wayne, James Stewart, Lee Marvin and Vera Miles in a western that earned 3.75-stars. The Lady Vanishes (1938) put Alfred Hitchcock on the proverbial map with a political commentary in the guise of a thriller starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas and May Whitty. The Lady Vanishes earned 4.0-stars from Matt Lynn Digital.

(Blog friend Cobra reviewed the movies Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight in a single sharing on Matt Lynn Digital).

Matt Lynn Digital also enjoyed sharing a review of Richard Linklater‘s Before Trilogy of movies. Blog friend Cobra reviewed Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) in a single review. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy explore the notion of relationships a bit more fully and cleverly than often happens with any movie franchise. It is with thanks that we look back to this sharing.

Share the Matt Lynn Digital blog with your friends if you see value in what we are doing. We feel these reviews provide excellent content that we would like to continue offering.

Matt – Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, and John Goodman in ‘Argo’

Winning Academy Awards for best picture, best writing, and best achievement in film editing, the film Argo (2012) tells a story based on actual events depicted in a book written by a CIA operative and a 2007 Wired magazine article. The underlying events of the story traced back to a three year hostage crisis in Iran that began in 1979. Based on the fact that the end result was something I knew walking in, I found the movie better than it had to be.

(From left, Bryan Cranston as Jack O’Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo).

Argo stars director Ben Affleck as American intelligence officer Tony Mendez, Bryan Cranston as Jack O’Donnell, Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel, and John Goodman as John Chambers. Mendez, O’Donnell, Siegel and Chambers were key members of the American effort to get six members of the American embassy in Tehran in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979. The film took pains to provide the historical context of the time, along with the series of bad ideas to get six Americans to safety.

(From left, John Goodman as John Chambers and Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel in Argo).

The six Americans holed up in the Canadian embassy in Tehran were Kathy Stafford as played by Kerry Bishé, Joe Stafford as played by Scoot McNairy, Mark Lijek as played by Christopher Denham, Bob Anders as played by Tate Donovan, Lee Schatz as played by Rory Cochrane, and Cora Lijek as played by Clea DuVall. Mark and Cora Lijek were a couple.

(From left, Kerry Bishé as Kathy Stafford, Scoot McNairy as Joe Stafford, Christopher Denham as Mark Lijek, Tate Donovan as Bob Anders, Rory Cochrane as Lee Schatz, and Clea DuVall as Cora Lijek in Argo).

Argo as a film was praised for its cinematic experience, as well as the acting in particular of Alan Arkin and John Goodman as film producers that helped bring the fiction of a film within Argo called the same thing. Historical complaints of note for the film included that the Canadian embassy’s part in the rescue was larger than portrayed, that British and New Zealand embassies had turned the Americans away,  and that the actual danger for the six American captives, Mendez, and Ken Taylor (as played by Victor Garber) may have been less than portrayed.

(From left, Victor Garber as Ken Taylor and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in Argo).

The story of the “exfiltration” of six Americans from Tehran, Iran in the midst of a political revolution in the late 1970s during the presidential administration of Jimmy Carter made for good cinema. I appreciated the movie at the time of its release, and I enjoyed it again upon watching the film just recently. My recommendation is that you watch the film. I offer the movie Argo 4.5-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, June 13, 2020

Jeff Daniels, John Goodman and the movie ‘Arachnophobia’

How does a dark comedy thriller sound to you? How do you feel about spiders? Do you have a fear originating in childhood that shall be challenged over the course of two hours? Arachnophobia (1990) just might be the movie for you.

(Harley Jane Kozak as Molly Jennings, left, and Jeff Daniels as Ross Jennings in the movie Arachnophobia).

The movie Arachnophobia starts onsite in a remote Venezuelan village where we meet a nature photographer from Canaima, California. Canaima National Park is an actual park roughly in the center of the Venezuela, and serves as the location where we are introduced to the nature photographer, and Dr. James Atherton, both of whom are central to this tongue-in-cheek homage to the film Jaws (1975). Steven Spielberg, who gained acclaim for his work with Jaws, was an executive producer for Arachnophobia.

(Roy Brocksmith as Irv Kendall, left, Henry Jones as Dr. Sam Metcalf, center, and Stuart Pankin as Sheriff Parsons in the movie Arachnophobia).

Jeff Daniels as Ross Jennings and Harley Jane Kozak as Molly Jennings move to the small town of Canaima, California from San Francisco aiming to settle down to a more rural pace of life. Ross is the Yale trained doctor due to take over the practice of retiring doctor Dr. Sam Metcalf, as portrayed by Henry Jones. Upon the doctors meeting after the Jennings moved, Metcalf announces his desire to continue as town doctor. One defiant and healthy older lady in the town accepts Ross Jennings as her doctor and dies shortly after examination. The doctors feud on doing an autopsy. Stuart Pankin plays Sheriff Parsons of Canaima, and is joined by Irv Kendall as portrayed by Roy Brocksmith, as small town people with an avid distrust for anybody from outside small town Canaima.

(Julian Sands as Dr. James Atherton in the movie Arachnophobia).

Dr. James Atherton, as portrayed by Julian Sands, rejoins the story after the initial scenes from Venezuela. Townspeople from Canaima, California had been dying, Ross Jennings started to gain traction in his belief that a spider was at the center of the spate of deaths in town, and the story moves from one with deaths occurring and little belief for out-of-town experts that were at first viewed as incompetent due to being outsiders. The expertise is slowly revealed that the source of the deaths in town were related to a Venezuelan spider that had hitched a ride back to small town California. In confirming some of that detail, Atherton loses his life in the barn of Dr. Ross Jennings.

(John Goodman as Delbert McClintock in the movie Arachnophobia).

Canaima, California exterminator Delbert McClintock, as portrayed by John Goodman, offers some of the tongue-in-check small town humor that is a hallmark of Arachnophobia. The movie does work to a conclusion that offers a combination of humor, including McClintock, and a thriller quality including Ross Jennings. These two echo aspects of the narrative style of the movie Jaws, though obviously this film inserts spiders, also loosely known as arachnids, through the film. For the dark comedy, entertainment value, and interspersed off screen deaths, this movie scales toward family friendly. That is, if Jaws would be appropriate for your family, so would Arachnophobia. I rate Arachnophobia at 3.5-stars on a scale of one-to-five stars.

Matt – Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Denzel Washington, John Goodman and ‘Fallen’

The movie Fallen (1998) stars a respectable cast of actors covering a story with a clever premise and a handful intriguing turns. Landing better audience reception than critical reception, this criminal drama combining elements of mystery and suspense, a host of stars mixes the genres of supernatural with police thriller. This movie carries a film rating of R.

(Denzel Washington as Detective John Hobbes in Fallen).

Denzel Washington stars as Detective John Hobbes, who we meet at the beginning of Fallen when serial killer Edgar Reese is about to be executed. Elias Koteas stars as Reese, who we see at the start of the meeting in the modern day of the film (think current day for approximately 1995). Singing, left-handedness, and a fondness for Rolling Stones music are Edgar Reese’s distinguishing characteristics beyond the crime for which he is convicted.

(Elias Koteas as serial killer Edgar Reese in Fallen).

The film introduces us to the last moments of Reese’s life, an interview with Hobbes for a documentary of Reese’s last moments of life, and the song Time is on My Side by The Rolling Stones. On either side of that interview and the aftermath of the execution, we meet three members of the police force whom play a large part in Hobbes’ tale. Hobbes’ partner (Jonesy as played by John Goodman) is perhaps the closest friend, though the mystery and suspense built into the realism of this movie makes us even doubt this relationship.

(John Goodman as Jonesy, left, and Denzel Washington as Detective John Hobbes in Fallen).

The introduction of the key members of the police force shortly after the execution day celebration leads to cements perceptions of the meaningful members of the police force while also introducing us to the meaningful members of Detective John Hobbes’ family. John Hobbes lives in an apartment with his intellectually disabled brother, Art Hobbes. Art is played by Gabriel Casseus. The role of Art’s son and John’s nephew Sam was played by Michael J. Pagan. Both of these characters serve to help develop our understanding of John Hobbes as a man while simultaneously bring about resolution to the dramatic resolution to the movie.

(Michael J. Pagan as nephew Sam Hobbes, left, and Gabriel Casseus as intellectually disabled brother Art Hobbes in Fallen).

As with most relationships of boss to employee, there is some ambivalence to the relationship between John Hobbes and his boss. Hobbes’ boss (Lieutenant Stanton) is played by Donald Sutherland. When the story starts leading to the past of a policeman of the year from the 1960s, Stanton indicates that he knows more than he’s going to say while giving Hobbes orders to keep any findings on the investigation into the mysterious death of Robert Milano to himself. This continues through the uncovering of weird parallels between Robert Milano and John Hobbes as Hobbes and his partner, Jonesy, investigate apparent copycat murders in style to those that convicted Edgar Reese.

(Donald Sutherland as Lieutentant Stanton, left, and Denzel Washington as Detective John Hobbes in Fallen).

From an early conversation between John Hobbes and fellow detective Lou (as played by James Gandolfini), there was a sense that Lou may be a corrupt cop that sees the world as gray rather than the black and white world of John Hobbes. Jonesy defends Hobbes to personality attacks from Lou and questions from Lieutenant Stanton as things begin to look strange given the murders that parallel those Hobbes had used with the prosecution to get Edgar Reese a death penalty sentence.

(James Gandolfini as possibly corrupt detective Lou in Fallen).

Within the context of increased doubt over the Edgar Reese execution, the story takes the interesting turn of allowing us John Hobbes to investigate Robert Milano in more detail. We learned earlier that the former Detective Milano had been long deceased. As Detective Milano’s wife had also passed by the current day of the movie, Hobbes begins taking his need for further information to Gretta Milano, the daughter of the former policeman. Gretta supports the telling of the story by revealing in pieces her work in religion at a university, her awareness of a demon named Azazel, and a clear withholding of information until circumstances, in Gretta’s reckoning, warrant further detailed revelation. Embeth Davidtz plays Gretta Milano in Fallen, and is perhaps better known for her role as Miss Honey in the movie Matilda (1996).

(Embeth Davidtz as Gretta Milano, left, and Denzel Washington as Detective John Hobbes in Fallen).

Much of the intrigue that the character background above offers must now indicate that the first half of the movie tells a well paced, realism based telling of a set of developing mysteries in real time rooted in the realism of cause and effect, fact based development that police thriller fans will absolutely enjoy. That the story turns to a more supernatural focus for the second half of the film with a notion of angels, Rolling Stones singing from people other than Edgar Reese, and explanations that defy conventional explanation loses many. Roger Ebert criticizes Fallen for falling into surprises that “become too mechanical and inevitable.” In other words, Ebert saw the end coming.

At first viewing many years ago, I hadn’t seen the turns coming. After maybe a half dozen viewings of the film, I do tend to see see the foreshadowing and turns much more clearly than I did the first time. The tension and suspense more than the mystery work for me with the film. The resolution scenes do pose an impact for me and reward my investment of time in the film. Perhaps the best suggestion I have would have been to reduce the execution of mystery within the film. The dialogue and logical connections did work. Overall, my film rating is 3.50-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, March 9, 2019

Charlize Theron and the movie ‘Atomic Blonde’

In paying homage to the time in history ending the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the movie Atomic Blonde (2017) captures a spy game pitted against the falling of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989.

The movie Atomic Blonde gets a fair degree of distance out of its stylized action sequences and its nostalgic homage to the past that, stylistically if not with the thematic ‘excess’ that is a hallmark of Tarantino, it brings to mind the cinematic experience forthcoming in movies by Quentin Tarantino. The movie, directed by David Leitch, reflects a bold sense of visual mood setting, intermixing of soundtrack that befits the time period, and action.

(Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton)

Charlize Theron stars as the strong female lead and top level MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton. Broughton is tasked taking down an espionage ring in Berlin, where she is ordered to cooperate with Berlin station chief David Percival. The alliance is fraught with duplicity, mistrust, and intrigue that I personally both expect and enjoy in espionage movies.

(James McAvoy as David Percival)

The story of the movie is framed around the concept of Broughton (Theron) explaining to a joint MI6 and CIA after-action committee of Eric Gray of MI6 and Emmett Kurzfeld of CIA precisely how the Berlin action went awry. The full story is known only to Broughton at the start, with the full plot circle coming to revelation in the final minutes of the movie.

(Toby Jones as Eric Gray).

Other reviews of the movie focus on the story being somewhat light. The summary review from Rotten Tomatoes goes so far as to call the story “less hard hitting than its protagonist”. My feeling is that the movie is worth the watch as a first foray into feature film for a potentially effective new director in the form of David Leitch.

(John Goodman as Emmett Kurzfeld)

The soundtrack of Atomic Blonde includes Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst) by Peter Schilling, 99 Luftballoons by Nena, Der Kommissar by After the Fire, I Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls, Voices Carry by ‘Til Tuesday, London Calling by The Clash, and Father Figure by George Michael. That a soundtrack of the 1980s was so intermixed within the movie proved a positive way to take me to when the movie was set.

(Atomic Blonde director David Leitch)

Consider seeing this movie. In fact, run (like a Flock of Seagulls) to see this movie.

Matt – Saturday, September 15, 2018