Film Review: Centurion (2010): Michael Fassbender and Olga Kurylenko in Mesmerizing Roman Era Action

Film Review: Centurion (2010)
 97 min  -  Action | Adventure | Drama  -  30 July 2010 (USA)
Tagline: A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack.
Director: Neil Marshall
Writer: Neil Marshall
Stars: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko

Film Review: Centurion (2010): Michael Fassbender and Olga Kurylenko in Mesmerizing Roman Era Action

For those who love historic action films from Spartacus to Gladiator and 300, Centurion is a wonderful addition to a genre that gets better with time as special effects technology advances to stunning heights.

What Centurion does better than most historic films is maintaining a fair balance. The common inclination among moviemakers is to portray one side as the bad guys and the other as the good guys, making life simpler for viewers at the cost of making films that aren’t lifelike. In reality, as we know, both sides in any human conflict—from major political conflicts to religious, business and personal conflicts—are convinced of their own moral high ground. Centurion takes an unusually brave approach by forgoing moral clarity. It walks a fine line between an honestly brutal portrayal of Rome as an expansionist, violent and oppressive empire, on the one hand, and the individual soldier’s personal struggle for honor, fierce loyalty to his comrades, and human yearning for survival, on the other hand.

Michael Fassbender in the lead role as Centurion Quintus Dias manages to perform in a breathtaking spectrum of scenes, from superb fighting action to physical suffering to emotional and psychological ups and downs. In his own way, Centurion Dias redeems Roman evildoing by being such a fine person, who tries to do the right thing under terrible circumstances and against conflicting loyalties.

Writer and Director Neil Marshall shows an uncanny ability to deliver almost non-stop violence in a series of cruel and bloody fights—most of which are face to face and murderously intimate—but do it all without either side making a clear case of good or bad. The invading Roman oppressors become the hunted underdogs, and the local rebels take on the inhuman methods of their foreign enemy—and even surpass it. The occasional voiceover of Centurion Dias telling his story gives the movie a personal tone of reflection, anchoring the disparate action scene in an underlying story of a man who is clearly decent and honorable.

Supporting Fassbender/Centurion Dias as his fellow Roman soldiers are a capable group of actors, including Liam Cunningham and Noel Clarke. Imogen Poots does an excellent job as a castaway witch who lives in the woods and has no loyalties but to whom she choses (guess who...).

But it is Olga Kurylenko, as Etain the mute, who is truly Centurion Dias’s nemesis—a role she performs with great skill. At times she is enchanting, at times frightening, and always she is spellbinding. Without a single line of dialogue, Kurylenko dominates the screen not only with her bursts of violence and deadly capable fighting, but with her body language, facial expressions, and mannerism. It is fair to say that Kurylenko’s eyes speak louder and clearer than the words of many of the other characters. And with a few facts sprinkled here and there by other characters, Marshall gives us enough information to understand why Etain does what she does and why it’s justified.

Special mention goes to the film’s cinematography, by Sam McCurdy as director of photography, which takes us from the expected—ancient England in harsh winter (or is it their summer—who can tell?) with wide vistas of a beautiful landscape to the minute details of primitive life of that harsh time. The visual experience is intense to the point of enabling the viewers to feel the cold, smell the stench, and touch the roughness of both garments and skin. Ilan Eshkeri composed the music, which ties it all together at a quality rarely heard by moviegoers, lifting us to emotional highs and sinking us to desperate lows along this journey of courage, cruelty, and the extremes of human frailty and strength.

In summary, Centurion delivers a classic historic film with all components working together like clockwork. It is an entertaining and often surprising action story with an excellent cast and a well-deserved (and well-executed) climax, topped by an unexpected yet logical twist at the end—which begets a satisfying resolution for the unquestionable hero, Centurion Dias. Highly recommended!

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review: The Human Stain (2003): Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Ed Harris Bring a Phillip Roth Masterpiece to Life

The Human Stain (2003)

106 min  -  Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline: A former college professor, hiding a 50-year-old secret of his race, sweetens the bitterness of his destroyed career with an unlikely romance with a younger woman, haunted by her own dark past and a malicious ex husband.

Director: Robert Benton

Writers: Philip Roth (novel), Nicholas Meyer (screenplay)

Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise

Film Review: The Human Stain (2003): Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Ed Harris Bring Phillip Roth Masterpiece to Life

This film takes on a daunting, herculean task: to adapt Philip Roth’s novel, The Human Stain, to the screen. To successfully adapt such a complex, emotional and tragic story, painful choices must be made by the screenwriter, the director, and everyone else down the line of production. This process of adaptation from page to screen requires wise choices, creating a tower of cards, with each card representing an artistic choice. A single bad choice, therefore, is like a weak card that brings the whole thing crashing down.

Adaptation choices start with the cutting of a painstakingly detailed story, as it appears on the many pages of a novel, to a quick, under-two-hours visual dramatization in a series of scenes. In other words, a plot must be created by cherry picking actions, conflicts, words, and images from the novel (or invented outside the source material when necessary). Then come the casting choices which, like settings and locations (but much worse) can make or break the spirit of the visual rendition and cripple the film before the camera even turns on. And then there are the performance choices, subtle but not less fateful, which actors and director make about the manner of the actual acting in each scene, both physical and vocal, aiming to maximize the effect of the cast’s combined talents.

From generalities to specifics, the adaptation of The Human Stains to the screen represents many painful choices.

First, the plot, adapted from the novel, is faithful overall to the written story. Those familiar with the novel will notice variations and omissions, which might be missed but do not diminish the overall effect of the story.

The main voice telling the story is that of Roth’s creation, the author Nathan Zukerman, played by Gary Sinise. From a storytelling respect, this works very well as the story goes back and forth in time, sometimes decades ago, to inject pieces of information needed for the viewer’s understanding of the events—past and present. Zukerman’s unique voice, oh so memorable and familiar to Roth's readers, is here. Sinise’s acting, as always, is excellent and sharp. But the original sin here—casting—takes away much of what could have been. Zukerman is supposed to be aging and infirm, a likely contemporary of the main character, while Sinise is youthful, vibrant and barely 40. Thus, even Sinise’s considerable talent is not enough, and Zukerman’s presence at the core of the story is greatly diminished.

The leading character, Coleman Silk, is played by two actors.

The young Silk, played by Wentworth Miller, is well cast and perfectly acted. Not many actors could pass for a black young man pretending to be white and, moreover, make that terrible decision believable both in its reasoning and its practical implication in his life. Miller does it all extremely well, including scenes as a young boxer, a scholar, a lover, and a son. His pain and joy are both apparent, and he is a pleasure to watch. His mother, Mrs. Silk, is equally well played by Anna Deavere Smith, as is his father by Harry Lennix.

The old Professor Silk is played by Anthony Hopkins. While his acting is as wonderful as always, the casting choice here again delivers a painful blow to the adaptation credibility. The viewer would search in vain for that hint of African roots (or resemblance to his younger self played by Miller) in Mr. Hopkins's appearance or behavior. And while he delivers an excellent performance both visually and vocally, the role unfortunately fails to deliver the emotional heat and hurtful jolts that Roth's novel so successfully manages with words alone.

Nicole Kidman as Faunia Farley, the young woman who's Silk’s last love, does an excellent job at bringing that complex and troubled character to life. While Kidman might be too beautiful and sophisticated to pass for a cleaning woman/dairy farm hand, her acting makes up for much of the discrepancy. Ed Harris, as her ex-husband, is wonderfully creepy and full of pain at the same time—a diamond in the rough, literally.

In summary, the film adaptation of The Human Stain is not the screen equivalent of the novel due to unfortunate casting decisions. Yet it is well worth watching, not only because of the wonderful cast of talented actors and the moments of screen magic that remain forever in our memories, but also due to its excellent storytelling quality in delivering a dramatic rendition of Roth’s unique novel and the human imperfections it so aptly explores.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Angel Heart (1987) – Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro are young and restless in a Supernatural Murder Mystery

Film Review: Angel Heart (1987)
113 min  -  Horror | Mystery | Thriller
Tagline: In 1955 NYC, PI Harry Angel is hired to find a missing WWII veteran who doesn't want to be found. The investigation takes Angel to New Orleans and the depth of black magic and ultimate evil.
Director: Alan Parker
Writers: William Hjortsberg (novel), Alan Parker (screenplay)
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet

Angel Heart (1987) – Mickey Rourke and Robert De Niro are young and restless in a Supernatural Murder Mystery

In this well designed period film (1955, with multiple flashbacks), Rourke delivers a captivating performance as Harry Angel, private eye. His case starts with the familiar routine of all such tales when a mystery man, Louis Cyphre (played by the indomitable Robert De Niro), hires him to find an old-time musician/WWII veteran who is missing under strange circumstances. Angel’s search, though, takes him from the ordinary to the highly unordinary, from Harlem to New Orleans, from New York music to southern black magic and sweaty white privilege.

Along the way, Angel experiences recurring bloody memories and actual-yet-inexplicable gruesome occurrences that transform him and the movie—on the go!—from private eye to film noir to serial killer mystery to horror and, finally, to supernatural.

In a glowing testament to Alan Parker’s abilities as writer and director, the gradual transformation of Rourke/Angel and his story through all these starkly different genres is achieved without a single jarring moment. It is an almost perfect arch, taken with the subtle transmuting of the visual sights, the surrounding settings, the changing weather, the actors’ outfits and body changes, and most cleverly, the noises that we hear as Angel descends on his painful journey towards the ghastly conclusion of his fateful investigation. It is interesting to note that Parker’s next film was Mississippi Burning, another excellent cinematic expediting to the southern United States of the good old days.

Particularly enchanting is the performance of then 19-years-old Lisa Bonet, who plays 17-years-old Epiphany Proudfoot, a young mother who is the daughter of the missing man. Especially memorable is Bonet’s acting in an explicit sex scene with the almost twice older Rourke, who makes love to a topless Bonet in a rapidly rising ferocity, with flashback images of blood and brutality mixed in with the lovemaking to the point where past and present become indistinguishable.

In summary, Angel Heart is an unsettling film done incredibly well, with excellent acting by Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet and a wonderful supporting cast. The moral and existential questions it raises, while not necessarily answered by the story, are valid and intriguing long after the credits have run their course.

Avraham Azrieli is the author of ten published books, most recently “Deborah Rising” (HarperCollins 2016) a novel portraying the dramatic rise of the first woman to lead a nation in human history. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review: Sabotage (2014) - Schwarzenegger is Back with a Vengeance

Sabotage (2014)
109 min  -  Action | Crime | Drama
Tagline: Members of an elite DEA task force find themselves being taken down one by one after they rob a drug cartel safe house.
Director: David Ayer
Writers: Skip Woods, David Ayer
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Olivia Williams, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard

Film Review: Sabotage (2014) - Schwarzenegger is Back with a Vengeance

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s screen presence has not diminished since his early days in The Running Man, Total Recall, and the Terminator movies. Yes, he has aged, but every man would wish to age like that. Moreover, in Sabotage he shows a certain Clint Eastwood quality, combining a crusty veteran law enforcer who’s seen it all, the physical capabilities of a much younger man, and the capacity for violent outbursts of a teenager. In other words, with Sabotage, Schwarzenegger fulfills his famous promise -- "I'll be back!" -- and he does it with a vengeance.

Sabotage is an action movie, and as such, it delivers. There is a great deal of violence, including shooting, hacking, punching, bombing, and more shooting, all topped off with bloody body parts galore. The dialogue, if you can call it that, is driven by incessant foul language, not only the classic four letter word, which is used on average twice in every sentence by most characters, but multiple variations of cussing bravado on steroids to the point of becoming borderline comical.

But Sabotage is not about witty dialogue, original character study, or clever plot. In fact, the plot here is a mere vehicle on which all the violence is loaded up and delivered with excellent cinematography and the latest special effects.

Sabotage is the latest of many action movies whose story is driven by the unbearable grieving of someone who lost beloved family members to evil, violent men. The lead character is understandably pushed to irrational and extreme actions by unbearable grief, thirst for revenge, and desire for a violent payoff. In Sabotage, the evil guys are drug cartels, the dead family is the wife and son of the commander of a DEA team, and the extreme action he takes has the good guys commit a cardinal sin that results in betrayal, loss, and deaths—many, many deaths. This is not an original storyline, but Sabotage does it well, with good acting and believable, if exaggerated, tough-guy camaraderie.

What perhaps distinguishes Sabotage more than anything is the absolute dedication to realistic images of human violence and depravity. While we have grown accustomed to squirting blood and hacked body parts in horror movies (and the occasional shocking scenes in mysteries and thrillers) Sabotage takes bloodletting explicitness to uncommon levels of butcher-shop clarity and detail. Perhaps it’s an attempt to compliment Quentin Tarantino by imitation, but Sabotage lacks the redeeming emotional depth of Django Unchained, the cocky charm of Inglorious Brothers, or the visual artistry of Kill Bill.

Not that Sabotage is flat. Schwarzenegger is surprisingly capable and convincing both in his grief and in his care for his team, in addition to delivering great action scenes with aplomb. His character’s moral choices are deeply flawed, and he is believable in that role. In fact, while Sabotage type-cast him in a role similar to his older muscle movies, Schwarzenegger shows an uncanny ability to perform a range of emotions that could be a hint of things to come--in a trajectory similar to Clint Eastwood.

Supporting Schwarzenegger here are very capable actors, including (on his team of agents) Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard and Mireille Enos. But it is Olivia Williams who dominates the screen with a superb performance as a homicide detective who is torn between growing affection and rising suspicion, a classic heart v. mind conflict, which she delivers with subtlety and skill that foretell star roles to come.

In summary, despite its basic flaw of overdone crudeness and bloodiness, Sabotage delivers excellent action, consistent suspense and a familiar yet nuanced plotline, all spiced up with good acting and intense realism. It won’t win an Oscar, but it’s damned good entertainment.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review: 300 (2006) - Spectacular Ancient World Myth Comes to Life

300 (2006)
117 min  -  Action | Fantasy | History
Tagline: King Leonidas and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael Gordon (screenplay), Frank Miller, Lynn Varley (graphic novel)
Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham

Film: 300 (2006) - Spectacular Ancient World Myth Comes to Life

300 is the first of two movies (the second is a 2014 sequel: 300 Rise of an Empire) dramatizing the war between the Persians and the Greeks. Specifically, 300 is loosely based on the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) where reportedly an alliance of Greek city-states attempted to block the unstoppable, immense and all conquering Persian army in the mountain pass at Thermopylae. The small Greek force has been mythologized throughout history for its unwavering last stand, and this movie does them honor. The Persian king, Xerxes (played ably in the movie by Rodrigo Santoro) has over 100,000 fighting men when he invades Greece. The Spartans are only 300, aided by several hundred Arcadians. Xerxes uses various exotic tactics, featured in excellent special effects scenes, and the Spartans, led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) do not accept defeat, fighting on against all odds. Meanwhile, back in Sprata, the Queen (Lena Headey) attempts to rile up support for her husband.

This is a movie whose power lies primarily in breathtaking visual effects, incredible sets, beautiful historic-proper designs and magnificent action scenes, all glued together by wonderful acting.

There are many moments when everything slows down to less than a crawl. The abundance of actual slow-motion action visuals hints of directorial fetish for the device, which works only when used sparingly. Moreover, multiple other scenes are acted very slowly, with long contemplative silences and drawn-out camera work. Consequently, in this movie, the fine line between dramatic and melodramatic is crossed regularly and crudely.

Nevertheless, 300 delivers great entertainment. It offers a powerful storyline, formidable acting by a talented cast, mesmerizing action, and unforgettable depiction of an ancient-world coming alive. It is evident that an enormous amount of hard work and well-directed comingling of various unique talents came together here to produce a truly spectacular historic war movie, whose reputation may join such famous productions as Spartacus, Ben Hur, and Laurence of Arabia. It is a worthwhile movie to watch, especially for those viewers who enjoy historic drama and ancient world spectacles.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review: Murder at 1600 (1997): Diane Lane, Alan Alda and Wesley Snipes Mix Good Action with High Concept in a Brew that Aged Well

Murder at 1600 (1997)
107 min  -  Action | Crime | Drama
Tagline: At a time of international incident, the body of a young female staffer is found in a White House wash room. Homicide detective Harlan Regis is called in to
Director: Dwight H. Little (as Dwight Little)
Writers: Wayne Beach, David Hodgin
Stars: Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane, Alan Alda, Daniel Benzali |

Film Review: Murder at 1600 (1997): Diane Lane, Alan Alda and Wesley Snipes Mix Good Action with High Concept in a Brew that Aged Well

This 1997 movie has benefited from the passage of time. A cast led by two great-looking actors (Snipes and Lane) who give an excellent and credible performance as they go from opponents to collaborators in a plot of high stakes: The U.S. President himself.

The story has all the components of a good thriller: Murder, sex, power, and the threat of war. It builds gradually from an all too common D.C. murder of a young woman—albeit inside the White House—to an investigation that appears easily on its way to an arrest of the murderer, only that the evidence begins to crumble, giving way to a room of mirrors where the good guys become bad, and the patriots become traitors (with good intentions, though.)

Wesley Snipes delivers his best combination of thorny charm, crusty persistence and sweaty violence. Diane Lane is beautiful, even when she gets dirty, which she gradually does as the movie progresses to its violent climax. Alan Alda, as the NSC Chair, is excellent, though he presents a tough case when it comes to suspending disbelieve, unless you are one of those handful of Americans who had not watched M.A.S.H. reruns a million times.

Murder at 1600 is not only good entertainment with a clever, repeatedly surprising plotline, but it raises serious questions about the stability of the presidency, the vulnerability of the president, and the balance of power between the civilian authority and the military, especially in times of perceived threats. This is a very good action movie with a credible high concept that leaves you thinking.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review - Last Love (2013) - Another Delicious Michael Caine Performace

Last Love (2013)
116 min  -  Comedy | Drama
Tagline: A look at the life-changing connection between a retired and widowed American philosophy professor and a young Parisian woman.
Director: Sandra Nettelbeck
Writers: Sandra Nettelbeck (screenplay), Françoise Dorner (novel)
Stars: Michael Caine, Clémence Poésy, Michelle Goddet, Jane Alexander.

Film Review: Last Love (2013) - Another Delicious Michael Caine Performace

On location in Paris, the city of love, this movie manages to portray a realistic chapter in the intersecting lives of the two main characters. On the one hand, a widower unable to accept life without the wife he still deeply loves. On the other hand, a young woman in search of ... love? A father? A meaningful connection untainted by the usual sexual urges?

At its core, this is a story of an unlikely friendship between the old man and the young woman, with the added complexities of his adult children and their issues. As imperfect as modern families are, this one deals with the ‘normal’ issues of losing a lifelong beloved partner, as well as of losing a beloved parent before childhood conflicts have been resolved—or at least discussed in the open.

This movie does justice to its human drama, especially with Michael Caine playing the lead role--except that you quickly forget it's Michael Caine, who takes on the persona of the character in a humble, unassuming and all too human manner.

Clémence Poésy, in the lead female role, is sweet and deep at the same time, completely believable as a dance teacher, who is lonely despite her good looks and the superficial male interest she easily draws.

There is much to love and to identify with in “Last Love.” Some plot developments might discomfort the viewer as wholly unlikely, particularly because the movie as a whole feels so much like real life. Yet overall the story and the setting make the movie more than worthwhile. Whatever one's family circumstances are, this movie touches on relevant emotional issues and, consequently, is heartfelt and thought provoking. In summary, it's a good movie—or even a must-see for Michael Caine fans.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com

Film Review: Noah (2014) - Biblical Myth Spiced up with Monsters, Magic and Family Conflicts

Noah (2014)
138 min  -  Action | Adventure | Drama
Tagline: A man is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writers: Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel
Stars: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson

Film Review: Noah (2014) - Biblical Myth Spiced up with Monsters, Magic and Family Conflicts

The original story, as told in the Bible, describes Noah as “ish tsadik tamim,” the Hebrew words for a man who is virtuous and innocent, or naive. In Russell Crowe’s interpretation, Noah is definitely not naive, hardly innocent, and not exactly virtuous. Rather, he is Russell Crowe as we know him from Gladiator or Robin Hood: a big and strong man who can take care of himself when things get nasty. He’s a man prone to violence, yet he is soulful in a self-doubting, spiritually-agonizing way that appeals to the leading lady. In other words, Crowe, as Noah, delivers on the promise of a mythical Biblical figure of super-human dimensions, but with the sensitivity that allows us to identify with him.

The movie does not follow the tradition of The Ten Commandments or other films that retell a Biblical story in a way that’s loyal to the scriptures yet dramatized to keep modern viewers captivated. While this movie, like the Biblical story of Noah, does feature a flood, an arc and the demise of humanity, save Noah’s family, it veers far from the original in multiple ways. Added to the story are rocky monsters that operate (and sound) just like The Transformers, bad guys who looks like the Death Eaters from Harry Potter, and magical events (i.e. supplemental miracles that the Biblical version accidentally omitted). The main characters have the same names as Noah’s Biblical family, but the abundance of marital, parental and reproductive conflicts could easily be borrowed from a good old redneck family in rural America.

However, despite its oddities, Noah delivers a captivating and enjoyable film, mainly because of its exceptionally talented cast of actors.

Supporting Crowe is Jennifer Connelly, who rises to the challenge and is truly believable as a long-suffering, yet deeply loving wife, not to mention her enchanting beauty even in a faux Biblical attire and poor hygiene.

Equally charming and believable is Emma Watson in a role of an adopted daughter and, later, a young mother. Watson is jettisoned from crisis to crisis requiring her to zigzag between extreme emotions, which she does without losing her edge even when the dizzying plot twists would have caused a lesser actor to break into uncontrolled giggling. Watson clearly has the making of a leading actor.

Outside the core of Noah’s immediate family, Ray Winstone plays the king of the evil masses, who is loosely related to Cain of the original sin. Though too charming to truly convince us of his badness, Winstone fills the screen with his gruff, dominant presence whenever he’s up for action, which he does with characteristic gusto. And last but not least, Anthony Hopkins in a relatively minor role (of Noah’s very, very elderly grandfather) leaves a major impression, as only Hopkins can do.

In summary, Noah is great entertainment. It brings to the screen a wonderful cast of excellent actors, embroils them in painful personal conflicts and exciting action, and charges the whole spectacle with the usual arsenal of breathtaking special affects. But all this might not be enough for everyone. For viewers seeking a faith-based movie to sweetly inspire the kids before Bible class, or those craving an emotional affirmation of the truthiness of theological dogma, this movie will cause severe apoplexies. Similarly, the movie’s frequent use of creationist lingo and the recurrent divine interferences (oh, the convenience of just-in-time miracles!) will make committed atheists lose their cool and hurl rebuttals at the screen. But for those who can leave politics and religion outside the theater and go in to watch a movie, suspend disbelief and have fun, Noah delivers aplenty.

Avraham Azrieli writes novels and screenplays. www.AzrieliBooks.com