When a Man Comes Around: Review of Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

By Alex Watson

 

Many people have differing opinions about Tom Cruise these days and the rumours surrounding his personal life have lead to many bizarre scenarios being gossiped about. But say what you like about the man, because on screen people will still flock to see his pictures and he usually doesn’t disappoint us! After making the Mission: Impossible franchise his own over the last 15 years; Cruise now turns to Lee Child’s acclaimed character Jack Reacher. Many people were shocked it was announced the little man would play the big & tall Reacher, but from past experience, we have been wrong before. So will this mysterious man provide as much entertainment as Ethan Hunt?

On an ordinary day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania a rogue gun man shoot five innocent civilians from long range, on the evidence the police quickly arrest James Barr (Joseph Sikora) an ex army sniper. Instead of signing a confession to the crime Barr requests Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) to clear his name and when Reacher suddenly appears after being missing for two years, District Attorney Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins) is stunned. Reacher must now work with Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) to clear Barr’s name. Meanwhile his name will come to the attention of Russian villain ‘The Zec’ (Werner Herzog).

Jack Reacher will certainly be among the more entertaining film this Christmas time and it gives us an entertaining ride action wise (including a thrilling car chase sequence) and it also possesses a well written central character who presences is felt from the very start. McQuarrie smartly delays the moment that we see Reacher and as he enters we only see him from the back of his head, but from the looks he gets from the opposite sex, we know he’s no ordinary man! And as we watch him take on five wannabe hard men and whip them all single handed, this theory is proven thusly!

In the wrong hands Reacher could have been a bland and formulaic character, but in the hands of McQuarrie and Cruise we are given something which has great potential because this man has an ice cold edge to him which only adds to his intrigue, but most of all he’s an investigator who hates playing by the rules and gives some brutal but immensely funny moments. McQuarrie’s smart dialogue adds to the character’s appeal and ensures we will leave with a smile.

The set up we are given in Jack Reacher is a compelling one because we know from the opening frames that the man is innocent, but with evidence so damning how could the great Reacher prove his innocence? He may seem aloof but Reacher’s unique mind drives the movie forward and as the mystery is unravelled piece by piece we can only marvel at how this man isn’t working for the countries best agencies?

One area where the story lacks however is in the motives of The Zec, although he is a frightening presence from the very get go (upon appearing he coolly orders one of his associates to bite off his own fingers!) his motives for his crimes remain largely anonymous and his back story in the novel, One Shot was laid out before us but here there is only a gentle whisper of it and this somewhat dulls what could have been a memorable villain.

Tom Cruise is on great form in Jack Reacher and once again proves his critics wrong with a smart and funny turn. Though people may have sneer at this choice, Cruise although lacking the height has the heart and the sly wit to convince as the former Army man. Also if anyone needed proof of his ability to handle the action stuff- simply take a look at his resume and that should answer your question!

Werner Herzog proves to be inspired and offbeat casting as The Zec and those who have seen his documentaries will know what poise he brings to each of them, and pushed into villain mode the man has a ball and brings a subtle menace to his character that never once descends into pantomime like performance. Robert Duvall also provides a brief yet memorable appearance as gruff old soldier Cash, even in his twilight years the veteran actor still has great presence and makes the most of his time on screen.

Jack Reacher proves there might just been another potential series left in Cruise yet and even though it may not reach vintage standards of some of his earlier work, it does however still give us solid entertainment and another stunning set of Cruise set pieces. Cruise may be the source of constant speculation in the tabloids, but the one thing that no one can question is what a great entertainer he really is!

The Famous Five: Review of The Usual Suspects

Classic from the Vault

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Director: Bryan Singer

By Alex Watson

To make a truly iconic ending to a film it needs to have an item in it that will stay with people forever- it could be something as ordinary as a Sledge like in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane or the mysterious box delivered at the climax of David Fincher Se7en. But the object that probably was had the most effect on a film’s ending is the notice board in Bryan Singer’s masterpiece crime thriller The Usual Suspects! But aside from the brilliant ending, we had given to us one of the most slick and mysterious thrillers to hit our screens.

US Customs agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) is investigating a brutal shootout in a San Pedro harbour in Los Angeles which has left only one survivor, crippled con man Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey). Although he has immunity from the governor of LA, Kujan is suspicious of Kint’s testimony and forces him to recount the events to him. Through his story, Verbal tells of his meeting of five others felons in a line up including Fenster (Benicio Del Toro), McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Todd (Kevin Pollak) and the notorious ex cop Dean Keaton (Gabriel Bryne). Through his story, Kujan will the shocking truths about their crimes and most interesting element of all, a man named Keyser Soze!

The Usual Suspects is a thriller like no other because the turn of events are so unpredictable when each scene appears you dare not make any assumptions. The narration by Kint adds to the suspense surrounding the story line and from the very get go we wonder how on earth this seemingly small time felons ended up being in involved in an awful massacre where only one of them is left to live?

However Verbal is not a reliable narrator and as Kujan goes back and forth with him, we realize that when he tells a story, its contents are highly questionable.  Especially when he is left alone in a room by himself, which will lead to one of the most shocking endings in the history of cinema and as Kujan’s mug smashes to the ground, the audience will sit wide mouthed in shock when they realize the exact truth about Verbal’s ambiguous tale.

But it’s the presence of the unseen criminal Keyser Soze that provides The Usual Suspects with it mystery element, because his very name alone creates alarm in the underworld! All the way through we are asking who this man is and what makes him so powerful? His identity is a source of continuing guess, is it the famous criminal Keaton? Or could it be Soze’s well informed foreign associate, Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite), a man who seems to know too much about the five for his own good.  Soze’s and his true identity will be the source of repeat viewings in the future because its answer we all want to figure out!

The script by Chris McQuarrie deserved won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and through his brilliant writing we are given a thriller that has earned deserved cult status and a rightful place in film history. Bryan Singer’s excellent direction has also seen him step forward into the list of Hollywood’s elite. Through his impressive visual eye and some impressive editing from John Ottman the picture sings loudly on screen and the impressive ending punch is delivered beautifully!

The film also boasts a magnificent ensemble cast led by Kevin Spacey as the slippery Verbal Kint, through Spacey’s superb Oscar winning performance he brings a great vague quality to Verbal which drives The Usual Suspects forward- this brought Spacey to the public’s full attention and he has been delivering ever since. Gabriel Bryne also gives a strong performance as Keaton, a man trying to going straight but his past is always catching up with him and his joined by other great performances by Pollak, Del Toro and Stephen Baldwin (who never reached the same heights again).

Chazz Palminteri also holds his own and gives a great turn as frustrated cop Kujan and his hard edge that he brings the interrogation sparks the story into life.

The Usual Suspects is a film that deserved repeated viewing because the story is one that you will want to revisit for years to come and each time there are new theories to consider. Singer and McQuarrie have brought a thriller that is as fresh and original as was years before. But the most important question remains, just who is Keyser Soze?