Reviews by:
@the_owlseyes
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Could the means justify the ends? Morally and ethically it doesn't, because it would mean hurting someone in name of our personal gain and it's considered selfish. What if there's no other choice? Is it still wrong? There're people who are obliged to become smugglers and thieves because of a toxic economy. There're people who hurts their relatives and partners out of love, when it's actually done for a lack of it. There're people who kill to "defend" their country in nonsensical wars and, when they come home, they risk to become criminals because the government doesn't help them reintegrate in our society. We could talk about moral and ethics but the fact is that each one of us is an utilitarian. We aren't able to admit it because being aware of it could shatter our reality and makes us feel bad. Is there a way out of it?
Do we really want to be free of it?
PLOT
"The plot follows H, a cold and mysterious character working at a cash truck company responsible for moving hundreds of millions of dollars around Los Angeles each week" or " Taken with a spoon of Heist Movie, a pinch of Guy Ritchie and a lot of Jason Statham".
SCRIPT
That's a well written script but this is the typical case of plot over character, because the characters aren't analyzed in depth and they aren't interesting enough. Considerig the fact that there're too much of them. The protagonist is the only one with an arch but it isn't special. I could say the same for the villains but here this concept is twisted, because everyone is a villain, if you see it from this point of view. I like the fact that every character has a motivation and a goal, which makes everyone an active character. The fact that the movie wanted to deal with the concept of perspective in revenge is interesting because it isn't done a lot. The way the plot is built is ingenious because we're shown an event from differnt point of views, to understand the people involved and how they got there. What comes after it follows a normal timeline but it's helped by the previous acts, which are made by a carefully crafted weaving. The ending is a cliche but overall the movie is impressive for this section. This is what you can expect form a Guy Ritchie movie.
Script: 8/10
ACTING
Usually Jason Statham has just three facial expressions and that usually hurts his movies. Here is different. Here it's what makes the character awesome and interesting. Yes, could be said that it seems more like Statham playing himself but it works, this is what matters. We should also consider that this movie isn't about emotions and empathy but about action, bullets and violence. It's almost like H, Statham's role, embodies it. The other actors do a good job but I don't find it remarkable, especially Scott Eastwood acting, which seems a bit stale and boring. There're some honourable appearances like Andy Garcia, Eddie Marsan and Deobia Oparei but I don't think that a lot of it is added by them.
Acting: 7/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
Some shots are good but I don't find it particularly impressive, because light isn't always used in an interesting way. Right, some scenes are voluntarily darker to give us a sense of unknown and fashion but it's just a stylistic choice. Colours aren't used in a symbolic way and the movie isn't interested in showing us great landscapes because it isn't the movie's purpose and the director style.
Photography: 6/10
EDITING
One of the strength of this movie. Cool shots with an head tracking camera, which reminds me of Rock'n'Rolla, smooth transitions, fades to black which help the audience to take a breath, long shots and effective slow motion. This movie has a great rythm thanks to that and it serves as a reminder of the visual skills of Guy Ritchie, who's alway able to impress with something new. The shots framing is essential to the movie and this is why I think that its value must be acknowledged.
Editing: 8/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
There's a few of that and almost everything is practical, which makes this movie similar to other classic heist movies like Heat and The Town. It's noticeable a blend of editing and vfx during one shot to convey a sensation of atonement and growing rage.
Special Effects: 6/10
SOUNDTRACK
Even though it isn't exceptional and it doesn't vary a lot during the movie, it's pretty consistent and gripping. It gives the main character a sense of quiet ferocity and cold perfectionism. I've liked how it mached the action scenes by creating suspense and keeping you anchored to the screen. It remembered me other soundtracks like Zimmer's The Dark Knight and Balfe's Mission Impossible: Fallout. There're Guy Ritchie's movies with a better soundtrack I think, like The Gentlemen, Sherlock Holmes and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. This movie does something different, which is risky for the director, but it delivers.
Soundtrack: 7/10
COSTUMES
Nothing interesting about that. Usual tactical gear and clothes which match the setting and the characters.
Costumes: 5/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 8/10
Acting: 7/10
Photography: 6/10
Editing: 8/10
Special Effects: 6/10
Soundtrack: 7/10
Costumes: 5/10
AVERAGE: 6,71
A good action thriller movie with a cool lead and an impressive script. Even though this isn't a groundbreaking movie, it's pleasing and could be very entertaining if you're into this genre. I think that only Statham coul've pulled off this performance because of his acting and his physicality. It isn't the best Guy Ritchie movie, but it has the director's trademarks.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenplay: Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson
Cast: Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan, Josh Hartnett, Chris Reilly, Laz Alonso, Raúl Castillo, DeObia Oparei, Eddie Marsan, Scott Eastwood
Soundtrack: Chris Benstead
Cinematography: Alan Stewart
Running Time: 119 minutes
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