For It Is Man's Number: faran tahir

Showing posts with label faran tahir. Show all posts

Saturday, 14 February 2015

Jinn (2014)

Jinn starts off with the potential to be good. It's an interesting take on something that we've seen used again and again in horror movies over the years (with the best treatment being, arguably, in the first couple of Wishmaster movies). That potential soon disappears once the film really gets going, becoming content to put itself forward as a supernatural action movie instead of the interesting horror that it could have been.

Dominic Rains stars as Shawn, a young man who is about to have his life turned upside down as he runs into a destiny that he previously knew nothing about. This could affect, and endanger, his wife, Jasmie (the lovely Serinda Swan), and he doesn't want that. Which partially explains why he's willing to listen to the cryptic Father Westhoff (William Atherton) and his assistant, Gabriel (Ray Park), as they fill him in on that previously-unknown destiny of his. All just in time too, as there's a jinn about to commence battle.

Written and directed by Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, there are elements of Jinn that I liked. It tries to reposition the creature away from the standard type of baddie that we've seen in the likes of Wishmaster and bring something a bit more complex to the table. It tries. And then it seems to decide against it, instead opting for the kind of thing that we've seen so many times before - a hero who has to endure visions designed to trick him, a battle against supernatural enemies, a world of good vs. evil constantly at war without the rest of the population really taking too much notice.

Rains isn't bad in the lead role, especially in the last reel, and Park gets to show off his usual array of moves, but both Atherton and Swan are underused, with the latter particularly missed during the second half of the film. The only other person of note in the cast is Faran Tahir, who tries his best with a role that doesn't do him any favours, landing him with both expository moments and also a selection of cliches.

Nothing here is awful. The presentation is pretty decent, actually, and you can barely get from one scene to the next without it tripping over some good intentions. But it DOES keep tripping, and we all know where a road paved with good intentions can lead. I don't know how else to say it, except that it manages to become much less than the sum of its parts. There's not enough originality on display here, and what we get is just too dull to be entertaining. Horror isn't a genre that relies on originality, of course, but if you're rehashing so many familiar ideas and moments then it should at least all be done with a bit of flair and style, which this lacks.

Basically, it doesn't completely work as a horror movie, it doesn't completely work as a supernatural action movie, and it doesn't completely work as a blend of the two.

4/10

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Sunday, 25 January 2015

Mr. Jones (2013)

Written and directed by Karl Mueller, Mr. Jones is an interesting movie that I just didn't end up liking that much. It did, however, have some decent moments here and there, and it certainly tried to do something interesting.

The basic story concerns a young couple named Scott (Jon Foster) and Penny (Sarah Jones). Scott has taken himself into the middle of some woods to work on a nature documentary, and Penny has decided to join him. As time moves on, it becomes clear that Scott isn't really getting much done. This puts a strain on their relationship. But then a distraction comes along in the shape of the mysterious Mr. Jones, an artist who has become something of a myth to those who know of him. Scott and Penny catch a glimpse of Mr. Jones, before realising who it is, and then quickly put the pieces together once they see where he lives, and spy some of his art. Scott thinks that he could change his documentary subject, but that might not be such a good idea.

While there's a lot of camerawork in Mr. Jones that will deter those who dislike "found footage" films, it's constructed in a way that lets Mueller off the hook when he wants to take a break from that particular stylistic choice. It's to his credit that the filming style changes to suit the aim of the scene without ever feeling like it's cheating.

Foster and Jones both do well, despite the fact that neither really seems strong enough to carry the movie. They work well together, which is the most important part of their performance, and at least aren't turned into caricatures of either good or bad people. This could have easily been a film about two completely innocent souls stuck in a cabin in the woods, or it could have been about two irritating people who spend a lot of time winding each other, and the audience, up. Instead, the two leads are allowed to find a middle ground. A reality, or as real as things can seem when positioned in the middle of this movie premise.

With some interesting ideas, scenes that mix jump scares with a growing atmosphere of intense dread, and general trippiness here and there, Mr. Jones feels like a crossover from the world of experimental cinema and more mainstream horror. I won't watch it again, yet it has one or two sequences that I won't forget.

Despite my disappointment with the final result, and my view of it as being a below-average movie, it wouldn't take much restructuring to turn it into something very impressive. I look forward to seeing what Karl Mueller does next. Well . . . . . . as long as it isn't a sequel to this.

4/10

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Jones-Ethan-Sawyer/dp/B00IF8Q8XC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1416354798&sr=8-5&keywords=mr+jones

Sunday, 6 July 2014

Escape Plan (2013)

You don't watch a movie starring Sylvester Stallone, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, and expect logic and common sense to be the top priorities. I get that, I really do. But Escape Plan, which stars both men in lead roles, is even sillier and full of plot holes than it needs to be. It's so careless that the enjoyment factor is slightly ruined.

Stallone plays Ray Breslin, a man who can escape from pretty much any prison that's been designed. He's so good at it that he's made it his job. He gets incarcerated, under a false identity. He gets out. The prison gets a report that details the weaknesses in their security. When he's offered a bumper fee, Ray allows himself to be grabbed and thrown into another prison. This time, however, things are even tougher than usual. His colleagues have no idea where he is, the prison warden (Jim Caviezel) knows of his reputation and wants to make sure that he doesn't leave, and the prison is full of transparent cells, making for a much tougher challenge. The only plus point comes in the unlikely form of a prisoner named Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger).

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom, and written by Miles Chapman and Jason Keller, this is a film that really could have had anyone behind the camera. There doesn't seem to be any individual style stamped on the thing. That's fine, however, because everything is geared towards getting Sly and Arnie working together onscreen, and that is often enough to carry the whole thing along. Yes, the two worked together on The Expendables movies, but this time around they get to do more than reel off one-liners and cash in on nostalgia.

Both of the leading men are great. They've still got it when it comes to delivering the action. I've never been a fan of Jim Caviezel - I can't think of a leading man with less charisma in the past couple of decades (well, maybe Edward Burns, but that's it) - and, while he does slightly better than usual here, this is another performance that hasn't converted me. It's a part that's crying out for Eric Roberts, of course, and Caviezel sure as hell ain't no Roberts. Faran Tahir does just fine with his part, another prisoner who ends up being important to the grand plan, and Sam Neill is great as the prison doctor, a man who tries to do his job without thinking of the bigger picture. Vincent D'onofrio, Amy Ryan and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson also do well as Sly's colleagues.

Escape Plan is entertaining. It doesn't require too much concentration, the cast have fun and you will root for Sly to win the day. It's a shame, then, that everything wasn't just tightened up ever so slightly. The details revealed to viewers that are supposed to make you think "aaahhhhhhhhh, very smart" just end up highlighting the fact that it all hinges on good fortune and other characters being blind, stupid, or both. The fact that there isn't even one great set-piece is another disappointment.

You'll be able to watch and enjoy this movie, but I don't think it's one that will end up being revisited all that much. Disposable fun, boosted by the charismatic leads.

6/10

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