Prime Time: Relay (2025)

A slightly different look at the world of whistleblowing, and a slightly different way to create an enjoyably tense and entertaining action thriller, Relay is the first produced screenplay from writer Justin Piasecki, and it bodes well for what he may give us in the future.

Riz Ahmed plays Ash, a young man who helps whistleblowers, but not necessarily in the way that you might expect. He helps them when they want to put a stop to any intimidation tactics and threats to their lives, helping to negotiate a big payday that will leave his main client safe and a bit better off while the big business goes back to whatever status quo it previously enjoyed. The latest client sent to Ash is Sarah (Lily James), and there are some people who are increasingly desperate to cut off her "escape" options.

Directed by David Mackenzie, someone who has built up an interestingly eclectic filmography throughout the first quarter of this century, Relay is fascinating and intelligent stuff. The title refers to the phone messaging service used by Ash to communicate with his clients, trying to ensure that the two never make direct contact, and that their conversations are private and safe from even the most determined snoopers. A lot of the film, certainly in the first half, plays out through those phone conversations, with Ash also hiding his voice by using a telecommunications device normally thosed by people with hearing or speech issues.

Ahmed is great in the main role, believably smart and determined, seeming to come alive when in the thick of more "gameplay" with the dangerous people wanting him to fail. James is very good, and her attempts to develop a rapport with an anonymous caller feel believable, coming from someone who has had to become very solitary in a very short space of time. Sam Worthington is the main villain of the piece, just following orders from his corporate overlords (of course), and he does well, flanked by Willa Fitzgerald and Jared Abrahamson.

You get one or two very good chase sequences, you get a real sense of increasing danger as the net starts to close around our two leads, and you get enough small set-pieces and enjoyable moments to make the 112-minute runtime fly by. There's also an interesting attempt to consider the price being paid for the peace of mind that Ash gives to his clients. Is their personal safety worth more than the safety of so many others who may have been protected by the information that should have been put out into the world? Relay doesn't give a clean and easy answer, but I'm glad it even took the time to raise the question? 

Those after an action thriller would do well to give this a go, as long as you know that it's not aiming to provide you with gunfights and loud explosions. It's still propulsive, it's still got some physical confrontations, but this is a world removed from a Tom Cruise star vehicle or a Jack Reacher yarn. Personally, I thought that just added to the appeal. 

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Nimona (2023)

It's good to spend some time hearing about a fairly new release that was never on your radar. Nimona appeared on Netflix here in the UK a week or two ago, and it was never going to be a viewing choice that I prioritised, especially when I am yet to watch the alleged excellence of The Sea Beast (which I believe is also still tucked away somewhere on there). But people started to praise Nimona, and a few people I trust started to praise it highly. I figured that I should make time for it. Yep, those praising this film were right to do so, and I hope I can help some other people decide to give it there time.

Set in a futuristic world, but one that still holds on to the idea of knights being in place to protect the citizens, Nimona is all about one "common man" (Ballister Boldheart, voiced by Riz Ahmed) who has been given the chance to become a knight. This is a break from tradition, but the queen believes this is the way forward, and a good opportunity to show the people that anyone can reach such an exalted position. Things don't go according to plan, however, and Ballister ends up losing an arm and his reputation in a shocking turn of events that turn him into public enemy number one. Struggling to figure out a way to clear his name, and maybe find the real culprit, Ballister ends up befriended by a young girl named Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz). Nimona has the power to transform into a variety of shapes and sizes, and she's much more willing than Ballister to hurt people seeking to hurt them. 

I watched Nimona yesterday and agreed with a friend about how great it was. I just didn't think it was quite as great as they considered it, because the superb Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse was mentioned in the conversation. Pondering the entire film while writing this review though, it is increasingly hard to find fault with it. The animation is generally beautiful, although I could be picky and mention some of the more plain background environments, the energy and feeling of anarchy ensures that you're never too far away from a moment of great fun, and the life lessons are nicely woven around the action in a way that keeps them impactful without ever dragging everything to a standstill while things get serious and morose.

Things are helped enormously by the voice cast, with both Ahmed and Moretz excellent in the lead roles. Both have voices that perfectly suit their characters, and they interact brilliantly with one another. Eugene Lee Yang is also very good, playing a knight named Ambrosius Goldenloin who is also the partner of Ballister, a relationship shown and talked about in a more pleasingly overt way than the BS lip-service we have had in many other family movies from the past decade. Frances Conroy is cool and quietly menacing as The Director, the woman in charge who maintains a search for what she claims is the major threat against the people, and Beck Bennett is amusing as Sir Thoddeus Sureblade, a bit of a dolt who never liked Ballister from the very beginning, and is therefore most keen to be able to capture and punish him.

Based on the graphic novel by Nate Stevenson, writers Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor, working with a few others to shape the story, have delivered something that directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane have polished into what can only be described as quite a lovely gem. Full credit to all of the artists and grafters behind the scenes who worked together to deliver this, a delight all the more unexpected after the directors previously gave us the enjoyable, but underwhelming, Spies In Disguise (a film so forgettable that I actually forgot to rate and review it when I saw it a couple of years ago . . . *runs off to put it on the rewatch list). That was also co-written by Taylor, although I couldn't tell you how many other people worked on both that film and this one.

People might ignore this review, especially if they are adults who have for some reason decided to never watch animated features aimed at younger viewers, but that's their loss. I took note of the glowing praise that some people gave this, and I'm glad I did. If someone takes note of this glowing praise, and ends up watching and enjoying the film, then I can feel satisfied that I've done my good deed for the day.

9/10

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Prime Time: Sound Of Metal (2019)

I am not sure what I was expecting from Sound Of Metal, a film summarized best as being about a rock drummer who loses his hearing, and I have to say that I remained free of expectations as I watched the plot unfold. And yet, annoyingly enough, by the time the end scene occurred, everything felt inevitable and satisfying. I should have seen it coming from near the very start. But I didn’t, and I was happy to have been taken on such an interesting and thought-provoking journey.

Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, the central character. He plays in a band with his partner/manager, Lou (Olivia Cooke). When Ruben starts to lose his hearing, it happens very quickly. Thinking he might be able to get by until it returns, Ruben soon gets a reality check from a doctor. The main solution is implants, but they’re costly. In the meantime, Ruben ends up staying at a small community for the deaf, headed up by Joe (Paul Raci), where people are taught the communicaton skills and attitude required to live a life without hearing.

Directed by Darius Marder, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Abraham Marder, reworking a documentary project by Derek Cianfrance into a standard narrative feature, Sound Of Metal is well-handled by everyone involved, but viewers will think of two main aspects as the end credits roll. First is the sound design, and second is the cast.

The sound design throughout is phenomenal, placing viewers inside the headspace of Ruben, whether he is thrashing away on his drum kit or struggling to hear what anyone is saying to him. It also feels like a valuable reminder to people to make use of as many communication tools as possible, whether that is via technology, via art, or via ASL.

Ahmed is as great as ever in the lead role, spiked attitude matching his spiked blonde hair, and his anger and frustration are completely understandable, even while viewers can see the moments in which he makes choices that aren’t in his best interests. Cooke is also very good, although she benefits from the later scenes in which she can show a very different side to her character. Raci is the typical sage for this kind of tale, and he fits the bill well, constantly trying to motivate Ahmed’s character with tough love and valuable lessons. His last scene in the film is a brilliant display of both his strength and his earnest consideration for others. Mathieu Amalric and Lauren Ridloff add to the main cast, both coming into the story at different times in order to really help open the eyes of our lead, albeit in very different ways.

Not an easy watch, and maybe not one that will prove immediately satisfying (this is a film that I think you need to spend some time mulling over after having just watched it), Sound Of Metal is a sweet and soft-centered lesson wrapped in layers of intimidating armour. Although specifically about loss of hearing, it could be about any number of things that affect our lives. Sometimes we spend hours, days, years even, trying to fix parts of ourselves when maybe it would give us more peace and happiness to just figure out a way to accept how we are.

8/10

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Prime Time: Encounter (2021)

I think it's fair to start this review by saying that Encounter isn't a bad film. It really isn't. There are two things that affected my opinion of this. The first is a feeling of deja vu. Encounter feels so close to another movie, one from just over 15 years ago, that to discuss that film would spoil this. The second is to do with expectations. A film defying, or subverting, expectations can always be a good thing. It's just a shame when things turn into what feels like something much weaker than it could have been. 

Riz Ahmed plays Malik Khan, an ex-military man who turns up unexpectedly to take his sons away on a road trip. He's convinced that the planet is being invaded by aliens, but not your standard "greys" or Independence Day invaders. These aliens are bugs, parasites that get inside people and make them act out of character. The best way to stay safe is to keep spraying yourself with bug spray. Determined to keep himself and his kids safe, Malik turns to increasingly desperate measures. The threat is growing, and there are a number of people trying to track Malik's movements.

Although directed and co-written by Michael Pearce, Encounter feels strongly influenced by co-writer Joe Barton (who has written films as diverse as iBoy and The Ritual). Pearce definitely has a good eye, and he certainly creates some impressive atmosphere and tension throughout, but the underlying theme, that becomes much more clear in the second half of the film, is something that Barton has explored in a fair bit of his previous work.

Anyone who has watched any performance from Riz Ahmed over the past 10+ years will not need any convincing of his status as one of the best young actors around. His performance here does nothing to affect that status. What could have been overdone and irritating is, thankfully, believably intense and agitated by circumstances. It also helps that the two child actors (Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada) do very good work in their strong supporting roles, and there is some limited screentime for the great Octavia Spencer, Rory Cochrane, and other people who fit well in their roles.

Having thought more on the film as a whole, there IS a third factor that affected my opinion. The first half feels as if it is cheating slightly in what is shown to viewers, the second half feels disappointing in how simple and unambiguous everything is. I may have found this a more satisfying viewing experience if Pearce had chosen one way to let things play out, but he seems unsure of himself. 

The technical side of things is decent, and scenes making use of insect imagery or potential parasitic threats are impressive, but this is a film that just isn't quite deserving enough of the lead performance at the centre of it. The main idea isn't supported as well as it could be, and the end result falls between two stools. It's not a bad film though. It just falls short of being very good.

6/10

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Mubi Monday: The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

There will obviously be a lot of people who don’t want to see The Reluctant Fundamentalist, people who pre-judge it in a way that is sadly in line with the main point being made by the movie. They may be the best people to actually give it a viewing. Because there are lots of bad people in the world, and we seem to hear more and more about terrorists in our constant news cycles. The Reluctant Fundamentalist does not excuse those people, but it certainly shows how our actions and treatment of people can push others to an extreme position that they don’t want to be in.

Riz Ahmed plays Changez, a Pakistani man who has returned home to teach students after time spent forging a successful career in America. His role there was to assess companies, either making them more efficient and profitable or deciding that they need to get the chop. It was all well and good until one day he realised that there was more to any workplace than just the spreadsheets and the bottom line. Liev Schrieber is Bobby Lincoln, a journalist wanting an interview with Changez, but the interview is really about something else. American forces are trying to rescue a high-profile hostage. They believe that Changez has information on his whereabouts. Because surely someone who has gone through what he has gone through has to take a stance against America . . . right?

Ahmed is more well-known nowadays than he was back when this film was released, in 2012, but he has always been a fantastic actor and this gives him one of many superb roles he has bagged throughout his career thus far. Schrieber has an easier time, generally just asking the right questions, but he is as good as ever in his role (and I always tend to like seeing him in anything). Kiefer Sutherland does his best work in years, playing a boss who sees the potential in Ahmed’s character, and he is very nice and helpful until he starts to meet resistance. Blunt, efficient, and not without charm, it feels like a role tailor-made for Sutherland. There are many others filling out the cast roster, not least of which is the legendary Om Puri, but the other main character to mention here is a selfish and inconsiderate artist played by Kate Hudson. Developing a relationship with our lead, this part of the film looks at yet another way in which someone foreign can be used and hurt by an “entitled Westerner”.

Director Mira Nair, working from a screenplay that adapts the novel by Mohsin Hamid, doesn’t shy away from showing any, and all, sides of the ongoing divide, and conflict, that has caused so many people over the past few decades to judge others based solely on their looks and/or home country. This is a nuanced look at a major societal issue that rarely gets treated with nuance, and it is well worth remembering that more people try to keep themselves at a happy medium than at any extreme end of a spectrum. The script, worked on by a number of people bringing different strengths to the material, does a magnificent job of making certain moments ambiguous while also reminding viewers that there shouldn’t be ambiguity. The ambiguity stems from the narrative that viewers have been fed from whatever news they prefer to consume.

Not just a fine bit of dramatic work from all involved, The Reluctant Fundamentalist is important for the way it challenges, and defies, all preconceptions. It’s a comment on the way individuals allow groups to divide them, how that divide grows, and what the ultimate tragic end is, even for those innocents trying to act impartial. It also features a number of scenes that I am sure will be painful to watch for those who have lived those experiences.

9/10

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Mubi Monday: The Sisters Brothers (2018)

A bit of a change of pace for director Jacques Audiard, The Sisters Brothers is an enjoyable dark comedy Western that benefits immensely from two central performances from Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly.

The two play the titular brothers, men who end up on a quest to chase down two men (played by Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal) who may be on to a winning formula for gold prospecting. They encounter difficulties along the way, of course, caused by people who want to end their lives, and the excessive drinking of Charlie.

Although featuring all of the usual things you expect to see in a Western, this is atypical in the way the characters are shown and the situations developed. Our two leads are not on some honourable quest, for example. They are being sent after men by a figure known as The Commodore (Rutger Hauer). Loyalties change, character flaws are not fixed in any major moment of redemption, and you never expect anyone to ride off into the sunset.

Reilly and Phoenix may not be two actors you would think of pairing up as brothers but both work really well in their roles, with the former being slightly in the shadow of the latter, although both can step up to the mark when guns need drawn and the bullets start flying. Ahmed is very good as the young man out to make his fortune with brains over toil, and Gyllenhaal is equally good as the man who does his best to stick close to him. You also get a good selection of supporting players, with enjoyable turns from Rebecca Root, Allison Tolman, and the smallest of roles for Carol Kane.

The script, co-written by Audiard and his frequent collaborator Thomas Bidegain (based on the novel of the same name by Patrick DeWitt), is strong. Characters are fleshed out very quickly, with more being added to them as the plot winds from beat to beat, and there are some cracking lines of dialogue (a favourite of mine being Phoenix talking to the citizens of a town named Mayfield).

The direction is also strong, as you may expect if you've seen anything else from Audiard. He keeps everything feeling firmly rooted in the genre while giving most scenes enough of a little twist to make it all feel slightly different from the norm and fresh. There's also some typically wonderful music throughout from Alexandre Desplat (another favourite collaborator of Audiard) and some nice cinematography throughout from Benoît Debie, making a lot of the more unpleasant moments seem more palatable.

8/10

Here's a disc.
And Americans can get it here.

Venom (2018)

The more I think about Venom, the more I find to like about it. The fact that it is such a strange . . . mess (not unlike the titular character) just adds to its appeal, and Tom Hardy gives a fun central performance, both physically and vocally.

The basic story goes like this. Hardy is Eddie Brock, a journalist who has a habit of pushing things too far in order to get to the heart of any story. His latest story concerns shady happenings at a science facility, overseen by Carlton drake (Riz Ahmed). He ruffles feathers, he gets sacked, and he ends up with a symbiote attached to his body. This is a creature that can stay hidden within Eddie for some time, but breaks out when the host body is put in danger, or when it gets hungry. It can appear at other times but those are the two main motivators. But will it destroy Eddie, or will the inevitable pile of corpses end up with his own being the last one upon it?

I just described the performance by Hardy as fun but that's really the word that I should use to describe this entire film. It's fun, it's a romp, and there are times when it's madder than a bag of badgers. Full marks must go to the cast and director Ruben Fleischer, because everyone somehow knows the best way to work with material that has the potential to vary wildly in tone, yet manages to remain consistently darkly comedic.

The script, written by Kelly Marcel, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg, manages to stay just the right side of dumb. The characters aren't very complex, the main baddie is obvious from the very first scenes, and it seems that everyone understands that viewers want to see Tom Hardy developing new powers and transforming into something that will happily bite the heads off people.

This is Hardy's show, from his conversations with himself to his manic nervousness as he tries and tries to get his body back under his own control, and he's a star completely unafraid to throw himself completely into things. It's easy to praise actors as fearless when they're cast in roles that require them to bare themselves completely, both emotionally and physically, but Hardy is equally fearless in a different way. In fact, it's at least partially down to his sheer presence and force of will that this ends up being as entertaining as it is. Ahmed is fine, although there are a number of scenes when his more understated performance feels a bit out of place, and Michelle Williams plays her part, which leaves her sidelined for a lot of the movie, with a twinkle in her eye that suggests she got paid a decent amount for a role that let her have more fun than many of her more prestigious turns.

Is there anything here to dislike? Of course there is. The CGI is varied in quality (sometimes excellent, sometimes eye-searingly awful, especially in one or two scenes that have far too much going on), the grand finale is a bit of an anti-climax, and, perhaps worst of all for fans of the character, Venom has been turned into a softened version of the beast that comic readers have enjoyed for many years. That will upset some viewers. But it doesn't harm the film in any way, and I already have high hopes for the inevitable sequel.

8/10

Venom is available to buy here.
Americans can pick it up here.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Writer Dan Gilroy takes his first shot in the director's chair for Nightcrawler, and there's no point in me beating about the bush here; I can't wait to see what he does next.

Anchored by a central performance from Jake Gyllenhaal that ranks up there with one of his very best, if not THE best, this is a film that beats with the dark, cold heart of movies such as Ace In The Hole, Sweet Smell Of Success, Taxi Driver, The King Of Comedy and To Die For. It's about the manipulation of news in search of ratings, it's about people who don't care about the cost of getting ahead, and it's about (in a way) attaining a certain celebrity status. Many may debate this last point, but I feel justified in including it, considering how the central character measures his success according to the amount of his footage used on TV.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's backtrack ever so slightly.

Gyllenhaal is Louis Bloom, a young man who tries to present himself to everyone as a potential model employee, a real go-getter with an unimpeachable work ethic. Yet, he doesn't seem to be having much luch in his job search. Perhaps it's due to the way in which he could quickly kill someone in between him and his goal. Never one to be disheartened for too long, Louis finds himself hatching a new career plan when he witnesses an accident, and the people quickest to arrive on the scene to film the carnage. The nightcrawlers. It's not long until Louis is arming himself with a camera and setting out to do better, and get closer, than anyone else in town. He makes a valuable contact (Rene Russo) at a local news station, he hires an employee (Riz Ahmed) and he starts to film some grisly stuff, at times even changing some details to make his film more impactful.

Nightcrawler could just as easily have been called Skincrawling, because that is how you'll probably be feeling as you watch it. This is a film that makes you want to shower and then enjoy some UV light once the end credits have rolled. The script and direction by Gilroy both work to immerse you in the world of Bloom, a world in which events are viewed not through normal eyes, but through slightly detached cameras always looking for the best framing and angles.

Ahmed is great as the young man who starts to have doubts about his new job once he sees the mounting potential dangers, Russo makes the most of her best role in years (she really deserves more work, her performance here quickly assures viewers that she wasn't just picked because of being married to Gilroy), and Bill Paxton reminds you of why he's been getting solid supporting roles for so many years. But this is Gyllenhaal's movie from the first scene to the last. He's unnerving, intense, self-deluded, and yet also able to lay on the charm when in polite company. It's a performance that stands out as the highlight of his career so far, which is no small feat when you think of the body of work that he's already amassed.

Not a comfortable viewing, nor should it be, this is a dark character study. It's also a study of that morbid curiosity that is being catered to more and more in a time of increasing news sensationalism, the ability to instantly upload footage caught on recording devices, and the constant pushing of boundaries by different media outlets.

9/10

http://www.amazon.com/Nightcrawler-Blu-ray-DVD-DIGITAL-UltraViolet/dp/B00Q3DMJZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419276094&sr=8-1&keywords=nightcrawler