SPECTRE (2015)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Running Length: 2:28
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott
Director: Sam Mendes
Screenplay: John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth

SPECTRE is one technically accomplished and sleek Bond film. However, the screenplay pales in comparison to Skyfall, its immediate predecessor (also directed by Sam Mendes). The screenwriters tried to tie-in all the previous Daniel Craig's Bond into this film and as a result, it felt forced and patchy. Also, it gave me the vibe that Sam Mendes and team were not terribly motivated to make this film. To be fair, perhaps my expectations of Spectre was so high because Skyfall was just too good.

It starts off big with an engaging tracking shot of Bond working his way through a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. But it goes downhill and bloated thereafter where Bond's agenda this round is to follow the cookie crumbs left behind by his former boss. It kinda picked up towards the end when the big baddie revealed his masterplan but unfortunately, it just didn't redeem the entire movie. And the last 20 minutes which involved M vs. C was unnecessary. (Side note: "C" played by Andrew Scott is extremely distracting here. Those who watched BBC's Sherlock will get what I mean).

To me, Daniel Craig's Bond has always been more gritty and real for eg. he uses more hand-to-hand and fist fights. In summary, he "bleeds". But this round, the filmmakers seem to go back to the classic Bond where he seems invincible, overly suave and can fly a plane (and two helicopters) without breaking a sweat. Yes, even the corny, "'So James, what should we do now?' whispers the girl seductively" is present in this movie. The dude sitting next to me in the cinema hall couldn't helped but chuckled when the obvious happened thereafter.

As the main villain, Christoph Waltz is criminally underused. He is menacing in a somewhat cool demeanour. But compared to Javier Bardem's Silva, Waltz's baddie seems tame. Thankfully, the action set pieces are very well executed and the cinematography is breathtaking. And the score is exhilarating (however, that can't be said of Sam Smith's theme song; it was only marginally improved when coupled with the credit sequence visual feast).

Although Spectre is flawed, it's still an above average 007-outing.

Rating: 6.5/10

SOUTHPAW (2015)

Genre: Drama
Running Length: 2:04
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence, 50 Cent, Naomie Harris
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Screenplay: Kurt Sutter 

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” Rocky Balboa 

Sports drama (particularly boxing movies) are like romantic comedies; they follow tried-and-true formulas and audiences will walk away feeling satisfied because they got what they were expecting for. Just like Rocky, SOUTHPAW is less about winning or losing but more about the hero's journey towards redemption. It's more about personal growth and relationships. 

Antoine Fuqua has given us another technically flawless motion picture. The actors' performance are solid, the fights in the ring are intense, the score by the late James Horner is emotional at all the right spots and of course, the screenplay is focused. That said, there is something which is missing which I can't put a finger on it. For a dramatic film, one should feel the punch in the emotional gut at its climax but Southpaw didn't do it for me. Nevertheless, it's still a well crafted film with a knockout performance by Gyllenhaal (with Prisoners, Nightcrawler and the up-coming Everest, Gyllenhaal is one committed actor). In this movie, his switch from rage to vulnerability and his physical transformation are admirable. The rest of the supporting cast are solid especially Whitaker and McAdams. A big shout out to Oona Laurence's commanding performance as our hero's young daughter. 

Although the narrative is predictable, the depth of its characters and their relationships elevate this film to a compelling watch.

Rating: 7/10