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Killer Elite: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:10 +0000

What do you need to really know about Killer Elite before you see it? It has the words “Killer” and “Elite” in the title, the trailers have a ton of action, Jason Statham stars, and Robert De Niro and Clive Owen are in it. It’s only missing ninjas. Or is it?? Wait, it is, but it does have a lot of other things to look forward to…

Video Review:

The Plot:

Killer Elite is an action-adventure film that follows Danny (Jason Statham), one of the world’s most skilled special-ops agents. Lured out of self-imposed exile, Danny reassembles his crack team of operatives to execute a near-impossible mission of retribution to rescue his former mentor and partner Hunter (Robert De Niro). Together they must penetrate the highly feared and respected military unit, the British Special Air Service (SAS), to take down a rogue cell of soldier assassins and their leader (Clive Owen) before their actions create a global crisis. The film is based on Ranulph Fiennes’ controversial non-fiction bestseller “The Feather Men.”

The Players:

Directed by: Gary McKendry
Written by: Matt Sherring
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell
Director of Photography: Simon Duggan

The Good:

ACTION!!!: Some films become laughable when they drown the entire picture with high octane action, but Killer Elite stays exciting even in “unbelievable” moments.
Cast: The cast shines in this film and holds its lesser qualities together. Statham might be the only legitimate action star today, Clive Owen brings a complexity to a tormented ex-soldier, De Niro is subtle and confident, and Dominic Purcell stands out as a supporting character.

The Bad:

Convoluted Story: Complex details and political topics are left out of the trailers for good reason; it’s confusing. It takes half the film or more to get into the story and piece together the information you need to stay invested.
Inconsistent: Directly related to the problems in the story, the style of the action sequences, though fun and exciting, change throughout the film.
No Ninjas: Seriously, if you’re going to claim to be a serious film but have this much action, at least have one ninja.

Overall:

I appreciated that there was an attempt to make an action movie with a complex controversial backbone even with its problems. The action sequences are exciting and the characters are compelling enough to invest your attention. A must see for action fans.

Rating: 6/10

See Killer Elite in theaters September 23, 2011!

Review written by guest writer Michael May. Video shot my Michael May, produced by Mali Elfman and edited by Mike Small.

Jason Statham vs Clive Owen in Killer Elite Trailer

Damon Houx — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:23:01 +0000

Even tied to a chair, Jason Statham is a formidable foe – at least int he new trailer for Killer Elite. No, it’s not a remake of the old (and not particularly good) Sam Peckinpah film, and yes that’s Statham going toe to toe with Clive Owen. And, yes, that’s Robert De Niro brawling like a man half his age (or with good stuntpeople). Check it out…

On some level, it’s sad to see Owen playing against Statham. Clive Owen is easy on the eyes, and has dramatic chops to boot, but movie stardom has eluded him (to be fair, Hollywood tried), but with the presence of Robert De Niro as well, it seems that this is a classed up action film. And… this trailer is a lot of fun.

With the use of “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” the film seems to be implying all the right things, namely that this is a throwback to the heady action days of the 80′s, when elderly gents like Charles Bronson, and the mustached Chuck Norris were playing drive-in’s across the nation. It’s smart to appeal to that nostalgia as that’s partly what made The Expendables a hundred million dollar hit. The action in this looks good, so hopefully it delivers when it hits theaters September 23.

Who would you rather see win: Owen or Statham?

New Trailer for Trust Starring Clive Owen

Krystal Clark — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:54:22 +0000

Clive Owen is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore! The British actor headlines the upcoming thriller Trust, which is directed by former “Friends” star David Schwimmer. The film takes us on an extremely dark journey that mixes The Social Network with Taken. If that sounds like something you’re interested in seeing, check out the trailer…

The film’s premise centers on the parents of a 14-year-old girl who are stunned to discover she has been victimized by an adult who gained her trust posing as a teenager in a chat room. Newcomer Liana Liberato plays the daughter of Owen and Catherine Keener’s characters, who is sexually assaulted after meeting up with her new online “friend” in person.

Movies that feature young children being taken advantage of really grinds our gears. What makes the story truly scary is how easily it can happen in real life. Who knew Ross could be so dark as a director? Should we get him to helm Taken 2? It might be up his alley.

Trust opens in theaters on April 1.

What do you think of Owen in Trust?

Source: Apple Trailers

Clive Owen Fights Back in Trust Movie Trailer

Krystal Clark — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:44:54 +0000

Last October we reported on Clive Owen’s latest film entitled, Trust. It’s a dramatic thriller directed by David Schwimmer (yep, Ross from “Friends”) and co-stars Catherine Keener. That was then, this is now and its first teaser trailer has been released. Get your first peek at Owen and Keener in Trust…

The film’s premise centers on the parents of a 14-year-old girl who are stunned to discover she has been victimized by an adult who gained her trust posing as a teenager in a chat room. Newcomer Liana Liberato plays the daughter of Owen and Keener’s characters, who is sexually assaulted after meeting up with her new online “friend” in person.

The cast also includes Oscar nominee Viola Davis, who plays the counselor assigned to the girl’s case. Is it just us or has she been playing a lot of supporting, comforting characters lately? In terms of the trailer, this definitely doesn’t look like a Schwimmer film like his theatrical debut Run, Fat Boy Run with Simon Pegg.

The overall tone of Trust gives a light Taken vibe but Owen isn’t as bad ass as Liam Neeson here. His character doesn’t appear to be a government trained agent with a “particular set of skills” if you know what we mean.

What do you think of the trailer for Trust? Are you interested in seeing the film?

Clive Owen Joins Jason Statham in The Killer Elite

Krystal Clark — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:48:20 +0000

It sounds like Clive Owen is ready to make a return to more action oriented roles with his latest gig entitled, The Killer Elite. According to Variety the Oscar nominated actor will star alongside Jason Statham in the Gary McKendry directed film. When was the last time we saw Owen let off some serious rounds? Was it Shoot’em Up because we blocked that film out of our memory.

The premise for The Killer Elite isn’t particularly original but it might be able to get the job done if the acting and direction is right. It’s based on Ranulph Fiennes’ novel The Feather Men and follows a group of former British special forces members being hunted by a team of assassins led by Statham’s character, a former Navy Seal. Owen will play “a senior field operative and member of a clandestine group protecting former special forces soldiers and their families.”

The shoot will begin on May 13th and run through mid-July in Melbourne, Australia. It will then move over to Wales later that month. Will Owen and Statham fight side by side or be villains with a shared interest? Dun, dun, dun! Either way, it’s time for Owen to get back into the game. During the early 2000s he was such a hot commodity but in recent years his career seems to have simmered down a bit. Someone give this man a gun and let him kick-ass and take names later.

What do you think of the Owen and Statham combo?

Clive Owen To Fend Off Intruders With 28 Weeks Later Director

samuelpeppermint — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 23:09:57 +0000

Clive Owen and Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) are to team up in the thriller Intruders, the newest film from 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. Fresnadillo has been developing an adaptation of the popular video game Bioshock for quite a while now. It seems like Intruders will now take precedent over that. I don’t understand why, as video game adaptations always do so well! (See: Hitman, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., Tomb Raider, and every other video game adaptation… ever).

Details on the movie are being kept tightly under wraps. All we know, according to THR, is that the movie “revolves around an 11-year-old girl who is forced to confront childhood demons.” Owen, unfortunately, will not be playing the 11-year-old girl. He is set to play the father, while the casting for the girl has not yet been released.

Production plans to get underway this June in Madrid and London, so I imagine we should be hearing more details about this as we get closer to shooting.

I don’t understand why they are being so secretive about the plot of a movie like this. I can only hope that it has something to do with Pedobear showing up. What? One can only speculate what “childhood demons” means…

What do you think? Will this bring back the bad-ass Clive Owen we love?

David Schwimmer to Direct Owen and Keener in Trust

Krystal Clark — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:19:22 +0000

Former Friends star David Schwimmer is establishing quite the directing career for himself. Besides the feature comedy Run, Fat Boy Run, he’s helmed several tv shows including the series Little Britain. According to Variety, he’s been hired to take on another film gig, and this time it will be a Millennium Films drama entitled, Trust.

Trust centers on the parents of a 14-year-old girl who are stunned to discover she has been victimized by an adult who gained her trust posing as a teenager in a chat room. Newcomer Liana Liberato will play the daughter, and the parents in the situation will be played by Catherine Keener and Clive Owen. The film will also be co-produced by Schwimmer and Millennium Films’ Avi Lerner.

Trust is scheduled to start production in Michigan on November 9th. As a native Michigander, I wonder what city they’ll be filming in? Also, Schwimmer’s ability to direct drama may come into question here. For the most part he’s only handled comedy. This film will be led by two pretty strong actors and I wonder if his skill set will be up to par with theirs? Only time will tell.

What do you think of David Schwimmer directing Trust?

New DVD Releases: Adventureland, Duplicity, Sunshine Cleaning

Andrew Payne — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:00:34 +0000

Wow! What an excellent week for DVDs. No fewer than seven new features are hitting shelves with even more TV series coming to disc as the fall TV season approaches.

And these aren’t pushovers either. Sunshine Cleaning, “House”, “Californication”, Duplicity, and “NCIS” all explode onto shelves alongside the three worst DVDs of the week and some interesting special editions.

Check it all out below…

FEATURE FILMS

Adventureland

Normally, a trailer for a film gives away far too much. Whether it’s Cast Away showing us Tom Hanks’ escape from the island or the countless comedies that reveal all their best jokes in an endlessly repeated TV spot, previews often give us more than we want.

In the case of Adventureland, it was completely the opposite – the trailer gave away so little it was almost to the point of deception. It was heavy on the Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader scenes, but light on just about everything else, giving the impression of a Superbad-esque comedy when instead it was a teen drama in the vein of a heavier John Hughes flick.

So when you go out to buy this DVD, be forewarned. It isn’t quite what you expect.

Duplicity

Starring: Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. It may finally be true – movie stars no longer matter.

How else do we explain the dreadful box office for a comedy/romance/thriller starring Julia Roberts and supposed mega-star Clive Owen? It’s not like it wasn’t advertised well, it’s not like it didn’t bow in 3500 screens, everything should have worked for this movie.
E

xcept people no longer seem to care who’s in a movie. Maybe it’s years of critics saying it’s the director that matters – not the actor. Maybe it’s the TMZation pop culture, that no longer keeps celebrities on a pedestal as something mysterious, we see them so often for free why would we pay to see them?

Whatever the reason for the collapse of the Hollywood star vehicle, most people will probably first see

Duplicity when they buy the DVD.

Sunshine Cleaning

Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin

It’s strange the way Hollywood tries to replicate success. They see one thing happen well once and decide that’s the only way to do it.

Take the case of Sunshine Cleaning, a charming-looking film that hardly any people ever knew was available to see. Why? Because when it was heavily promoted it was only available in four or five cities, then suddenly it rolled out wide just as everybody had stopped caring about it.

This doesn’t sound like a good idea does it? But that’s the way you have to release indie comedies these days because Little Miss Sunshine and My Big Fat Greek Wedding found great success with this tiered release strategy and nobody wants to go against something that worked well a few times.

So many people across the country were left wondering when a movie they liked as a preview would actually come out in their hometown and when it finally did nobody cared anymore.

Luckily, they can still enjoy this movie on DVD.

Also:

Fighting – Learn More – Buy Now
Goodbye Solo – Learn More – Buy Now
The Informers – Learn More – Buy Now
Trouble the Water – Learn More – Buy Now

TV ON DVD

“Californication” – Season 2

Now that we’re at the height of another “Entourage” season, many people outside Southern California watch it and think they’re getting a glimpse of the real Los Angeles.

If they really want to see what life is like in La-La Land, they need to check out this bit of fun filth from Showtime. “Californication” does what “Entourage” doesn’t, it strips through the phoniness and the glitz and the even more phoniness to find the real sandy and smoggy sun-soaked grime that is Los Angeles.

Plus, it’s very funny. So it’s got that going for it, which is nice. Check out the second season on DVD.

Also:

“Adventures of Robin Hood″: Complete Series – Buy Now
“House”: Season 5 – Buy Now
“Lie to Me”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“Life”: Season 2 – Buy Now
“NCIS”: Season 6 – Buy Now
“One Tree Hill”: Season 6 – Buy Now
“Samantha Who?”: Season 2 – Buy Now
“Scrubs”: Season 8 – Buy Now
“Smallville”: Season 8 – Buy Now
“thirtysomething”: Season 1 – Buy Now
“Wiseguy”: Season 1 – Buy Now

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Billy Jack Collection

It complete contrast to the release schedule of Sunshine Cleaning is the way the second film in this series was released.

Yes, it doesn’t seem like a borderline racist series of movies that seem more out-of-date than The French Connection could be revolutionary, but Billy Jack was the first movie to launch a massively wide opening with several theaters in the same market and all across the country coming in one weekend.

Of course, now we’ve gone back on an amazing precedent that let a ludicrous series of films about a real salt-of-the-earth guy defending hippies become a phenomenon. Enough of one for a special four DVD set.

Also:

The Last Days of Disco: Criterion Collection – Buy Now

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

Three terrible movies, three new DVDs. Which is the worst? Cast your vote and tell the world!

The nominees are:

Boot Camp

The Case to Vote for It: This is a very strange kind of torture porn movie. Rather than pretty kids absent-mindedly going into a small town to be brutalized, they’re now misfits sent to one of those disciplinary boot camps, to get brutalized. Okay, so maybe it’s like every single other torture porn movie, except this one was made in 2007 and is now finally coming out. Directly to DVD. That’s not good.

Fast Lane

The Case to Vote for It: Don’t you just hate it when you hit the streets of LA to steal a few cars, only to discover there’s another gang with the exact same plan that night, and now you have to get yourself into an all-night war to see who will control the car thievery raquet in the City of Angels.

Well, so do the stars of this straight-to-DVD treat.

Taken in Broad Daylight

The Case to Vote for It: If you’re ever captured by James Van Der Beek, the only way you can ever feel safe is to know that the guy from “Reading Rainbow” is hot on his tail. Right?

Angelina Jolie Back in for Sin City Sequel?

Krystal Clark — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:30:36 +0000

Sin City 2 has been on the back burner for a few years, but lately there have been hints of progression. We heard that Frank Miller has finished the second draft of the screenplay, via co-stars Rosario Dawson and Jamie King, and the production could start anytime from this spring to next year. The biggest casting rumor that’s been surrounding the film concerns Academy Award winning actress, Angelina Jolie. She has been “attached” to star in the movie for a while, but she’s never commented on any definite involvement. Yet, as of late the developing sequel has been gaining momentum, and Jolie’s name has once again popped up as it’s possible star.

Over at Moviehole, they have an exclusive from a high powered producer who’s on the inside of the Sin City fold. From their source they hear that Jolie has resumed talks to star in the film, which makes her rumored attachment more than just a possibility. The actress first spoke to Miller and director Robert Rodriguez about the film three years ago in 2006, but the project went cold and nothing materialize. Now according to their insider Jolie is back in the loop to star as the lead in the “A Dame to Kill For” story.

Jolie would star as Ava, the girlfriend of Clive Owen’s character Dwight McCarthy. She shows up and professes her love for him, and brings a lot of trouble along with her. This film would reunite Jolie and Owen who previously starred in the drama Beyond Borders together. Owen is “loosely” attached to reprise his role, but if everything comes to fruition they would be the on screen team to beat.

I must admit if Jolie does sign on for Sin City 2, she’d fit perfectly with the film’s canvas. She’s already proved that she can balance action along with sex appeal, so she’s knocking out two birds with one stone.

What do you think? Should Angelina just sign on already or would you prefer someone else in the role of Ava?

Duplicity Review: A Funny Michael Clayton

Mali Elfman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:00:15 +0000

It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a good film if you’re looking for a bit of escapism. As I said before after watching the trailer, it’s the “comedic version of Michael Clayton” and I going to stick with that, but then add in a touch of the slick styling of the Ocean‘s series and a more heady version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, into the description. Overall, the film has everything you need, it is fun to watch, and yet it won’t leave you completely void of thought.

The films is about a pair of corporate spies who have one passionate night together (possibly due to chemistry or possibly due to a job) and later reunite to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses. The question is, does anyone ever really know what the other person is up to? Ray Koval (Clive Owen) and Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) spend the entire film trying to steal from their bosses, while making sure that the other person is not trying to steal from them. It makes for a very tricky plot-line in which, no one really understands until the credits role.

The trouble with a lot of these films is that the stories are so complex that you spend most of your time trying to figure out what’s going on and not enough time enjoying the film. Thanks to writer/director Tony Gilroy, this film does not fall victim to it’s own story. Duplicity balances the entertainment and the twisting-turning plot line very well, by keeping you entertained so that you happily go along with the ride until the “ah-ha!” moments come up. There is always something to chew on and in the end they give you an ending that explains enough, but will still keep you thinking.

As far as acting goes. My favorite parts of the film included Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti. The film opens with the two in a slow-motion old man fight, which was absolutely hilarious. Then we have the sexy-movie stars, Owen and Roberts who made a great duo (again). I don’t know if I should thank the script or the actors for their fun, witty banter, but it’s clear that Gilroy knows how to write a script and these two know how to perform it. Even though Owen and Robert’s never have a “real” conversation, I found their chemistry in this film to be much more realistic than their roles in Closer. There was something very natural about both of them in their situation.

Overall, I would say this is a great weekend pick.

Check Duplicity film in theaters now.

Review: The Bank Goes Bad in The International

Krystal Clark — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:00:50 +0000

The International is a political thriller that focuses on the corrupted state of one of the oldest institutions in the world. I’m not referring to the presidency or the military, I’m talking about the bank. Yes, the bank. Money makes the world go round, and according to this film it’s been the main culprit behind every major conflict in history. Inspired by actual events, the film follows an Interpol agent and a New York Assistant D.A. as they try to bring down a bank called the IBBC. The IBBC is an international trust that happens to be involved with everything from money laundering and illegal weapons supply to murder.

The film stars Academy Award nominated actors Clive Owen and Naomi Watts as Agent Louis Salinger and Manhattan Assistant D.A. Eleanor Whitman. Salinger is obsessed with bringing down the heads of the IBBC, and is willing to do everything and anything to make it happen. Originally stationed in London, the agent currently resides in Berlin, Germany where the bank’s headquarters is located. Salinger and D.A. Whitman are brought together by a tragic event that is a direct result of what happens when you get too close to the truth surrounding the IBBC’s unethical activities.

The International is a good name for this film considering the many locations that are featured. Besides Berlin and New York, the characters also travel to Milan, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey. As an audience member you really get to see how embedded this bank is when it comes to it’s involvement with the political turmoil that currently effects so many countries. In the film you are told that the power the bank holds doesn’t come from it’s control over the conflict, but from the debt the conflict creates. Whomever controls the debt, controls the power.

As the film progresses we learn that the IBBC’s influence spreads way beyond what we think is humanly possible. The FBI, CIA, and any other major government team with initials are in knee deep with the bank. With no one to trust and his back against the wall, it’s no wonder Agent Salinger spends the entire film pissed off and disheveled. I really did enjoyed Clive Owen’s performance in this movie. I think he’s a very talented actor and here he did not disappoint. I really think he is the highlight of the entire film.

Overall, I think The International was a decent movie. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t horrible either. The beginning of the film starts off a little slow, so you have to stay on board with it before things start to really get interesting. There is an impressive scene to watch out for that takes place at the renowned Guggenheim Museum in New York. An amazing shootout is staged there, and in my opinion it’s the most thrilling part of the movie. It’s when the story takes a turn for the better, and you get to see how much power the IBBC really has.

The International is rated R, and is directed by Tom Tyker. The film hits theaters nationwide this weekend.

TRAILER: Duplicity – The Comedic Version of Michael Clayton

Mali Elfman — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:06:40 +0000

Spies. Sex. Cool…

Director/Writer: Tony Gilroy
Cast: Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson
Release: March 20, 2009

ScreenCrave.com » Clive Owen

Killer Elite: Movie Review

Video Review:

The Plot:

The Players:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 6/10

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New DVD Releases: Adventureland, Duplicity, Sunshine Cleaning

FEATURE FILMS

Adventureland

Duplicity

Sunshine Cleaning

TV ON DVD

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Horrible Straight-To-DVD Release of the Week

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Angelina Jolie Back in for Sin City Sequel?

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Duplicity Review: A Funny Michael Clayton

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