ya know, I told myself not to go into a room called The Killing Room, but did I listen to myself? no...

R

Chloe Sevigny, Peter Stormare, Timothy Hutton, Nick Cannon, Shea Whigham

Tony: What language is that?
Crawford: I don’t know.
Tony: Sounds Muslim.
Crawford: That’s not a language…

An up and coming agent, Ms. Reilly (Sevigny), is brought on to a super secret, outside the government, project involving intense psychological tests on civilian volunteers.  As the volunteers begin getting killed off, Reilly has to ask herself if she can actually be a part of this kind of experiment.  Of course, her own life could depend on the answer to that question as well.

You find yourself in a white room with 3 other people, one of which has already been killed, and you’re being subjected to odd psychological tests.  What do you do?  Do you play along with the games?  Try to escape?  Or just do what everybody in these kinds of movies does:  get angry, argumentative, and violent?

So this movie goes.  There’s not much original here, even though there’s a surprising number of fairly highly respected actors involved.  I had to wonder what attracted them all to such a by the numbers script.  I guess it might have been the political angle at the end, but I won’t say any more about that.

I’m having trouble coming up with things to say about this movie because there’s nothing much interesting in it to talk about.  I guess I’d say it’s well made, in that it looks good and moves at a good pace.  There just weren’t many new or thought provoking ideas present.  Plus, the characters mumbled too much.  There were times when I couldn’t understand entire lines of dialogue.  That was very annoying.

The performances are fine, particularly Hutton and Sevigny, but there’s just not enough character development to get us rooting for or against any of them.  When it was over, I realized I had just watched it all with almost complete indifference towards the story and the characters.  Maybe it’s because of that indifference that the final message the movie delivers just seemed annoying rather than compelling.

Don’t reply to shady classified ads.

10 – 2.1 for being so by the numbers – 1 for not being very emotionally involving – 1 for an overly political message at the end = 5.9

The Killing Room 2009
Director: Jonathon Liebsman
Writers: Gus Krieger and Ann Peacock
Starring Chloe Sevigny, Peter Stormare, Timothy Hutton, Clea Duvall, Nick Cannon and Shea Whigham

The Killing Room is yet another variation on the Saw and Cube type of locked room horror film, but unlike a lot of it’s wannabes, this is one is executed perfectly. It has a great conceit, with a great script, director and a exemplary cast. It really makes you think and the film definitely has some shocking moments in the film. Liebsman is really blossoming into a great genre director, his first film Darkness Falls had a great idea but was ultimately flawed and from that he went on to Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, which is the far superior of the modern entire in that series. I aloes think the film is really helped by the anchor of Stormare as the main heavy and he always brings his A game to anything he does. This is a film that you discover more with each repeated viewing and it actually benefits the locked room genre rather than detract from it.
The plot basics are this, four disparate people meet in a stark white room. They have all agreed to be part of some psychological testing for monetary gain. They are all given a large questionnaire to gauge their psychological insight. Once they finish it the one in charge of the test, Dr. Phillips (Stormare) tells them that they will go through a rigorous series of psychological tests. He wants them to all come up with the same answer or there will be dire consequences. Phillips watches this all with rapt attention while boning up a new military scientist (Sevigny) on what he wants to achieve here. She is unsure what to make of his diabolical plans and has a crisis of conscience if she should go along with it or put an end to the charade. While the beleaguered people in the room are trying to work together and all survive intact. But, will that work or are they all doomed to failure?
This is a tense and tightly woven film. Liebsman direction is very claustrophobic and intense. He sets up the stage for what is to happen and then pulls the rug out from the viewer effortlessly. The script is very taut as well, you get feelings for all the characters and actually sympathize with most of them. There are many twists in the films that are shocking but really work well in the context of the film. The cast is great, Stormare is the high point of the film. He just exudes the oily used car salesman persona in this role and he is delightfully maniacal. Chloe Sevigny is great as the scientist who has moral dilemmas about what is happening right in front of her. What was really surprising was the great performance that Nick Cannon gave, this is miles above his horrible performance in the Day of the Dead remake. I did not even recognize him, he fit into his role that well. The SFX in the film is very good too, there is not a lot but what is displayed is used very well. This was a great film in the vein of Saw and Cube, but different enough to be it’s own beast.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Kerstin Ekmans roman Varg har här filmats med Peter Stormare i huvudrollen som samiske Klemens som tillsammans med syskonsonen Nejla försöker leva på rennäringen. Filmen skildrar svårigheterna att bedriva renskötsel i en modern tid där vargens rättigheter upplevs som mer prioriterade än renägarnas. Kulturklyftan blir som tydligast då Nejla i stundens hetta slår ihjäl en varg som tidigare rivit flera djur och han måste tillsammans med Klemens hantera rättsväsendet och skuldfrågan.

Tyvärr är den här filmen så tråkig att klockorna stannar och budskapet blir på något vis så övertydligt att det blir fånigt. Tafatta skådespelarinsatser förutom en helt okej och rätt nedtonad Stormare och vackra fjällmiljöer samt rätt tam intrig gör det här till en medelmåttig film. Hade högre förväntningar på annars duktiga regissören Daniel Alfredson.

Betyg: 2

Cartel de Boot Camp

Cansados de la conducta agresiva de su hija, unos padres deciden inscribirla en un curso en donde supuestamente le enseñarán disciplina. Sospechando algo raro, el novio de la chica entra al lugar, para descubrir que el método de basa en torturas y maltrato, y que salir de ahí será más complicado de lo que imagino. Boot Camp, cinta de Christian Duguay basada supuestamente en un hecho real, causó revuelo en el 2007, cuando se estrenó, y de hecho no se esperaba que llegara a México.  Sin embargo, estará en salas para el 6 de noviembre, y si bien ya pasó mucho tiempo para que se reavive la polémica, no cabe duda de que llamará la atención de los espectadores nacionales.

I’m not sure I agree with you a hundred percent on your police work, there, Lou.

– Marge Gunderson

Fargo is considered the greatest film that the Coen Brothers have ever made. I was ashamed that I have never seen this #124 movie of All Time on IMDb. All I knew about this movie is a pregnant sheriff, a car salesman and the wood chipper. This movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It won Best Actress for Frances McDormand and the brothers for Best Original Screenplay.

This movie is apparently based on true events that happened in Minnesota in 1987. The names have been changed to protect the real life families from the prying eyes of the public.

A frazzled car salesman, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires a pair of thugs, Carl and Gaear (Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare) with a new car and forty thousand dollars to kidnap his wife, Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), because he has outstanding debt to pay off. That was his Plan B.

In a last ditch effort to avoid that is to convince his father-in-law, Wade (Harve Presnell) to purchase some land for a parking lot to get a huge finder’s fee for his efforts.

Things start to get out of the control when Carl and Gaear follow through with the kidnapping that leads to a triple homicide on highway.

Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) is the pregnant Brainerd police chief that investigates the highway murders. She expertly retraces what happens and bring whoever is responsible to justice.

This movie reminded me very much of No Country for Old Men, dealing with a small town living with a silent killer trying to get money back. I know that this movie was made-up and the latter was based on Cormac Macarthy’s book.

I enjoyed the monochromatic imagery of the snow blanketing the entire landscape. The story has you spinning in circles about what will happen next. It could dramatic, comedic, heartfelt and borderline creepy at times. That’s not to say that this is a masterpiece.

The accents on some of the actors slipped in and out. More of the Minnesotans with the “ya” and “you knows” were getting on my nerves. After watching that movie, I don’t understand why Frances won the Oscar. She was okay. She wasn’t spectacular in the movie to deserve the accolade. I also had problems with some plot holes. I will discuss those in the spoiler section.

Judgment: Not the Coens best movie, but it does have good things going for it.

Rating: ****

(SPOILER SECTION)

At the end of the movie when the police come to arrest Jerry, I wondered who is the hell is taking care of his son, Scotty? Remember, Carl shot the grandfather and Gaear shot his wife, Jean. Maybe that was nitpicking. I have to ask.

What happened with Shep Proudfoot? He was involved in the plot. He wasn’t arrested or anything.

When Marge found the car and called for backup, what made her think of confronting Gaear by herself with her little pistol?

What was up with that sequence with the old acquaintance, Mark? Why was that in there?

What kind of debt was Jerry in when he wanted to concoct the scheme to have his wife kidnapped? Whom did he owe money?

What happened to the money that Carl buried in the show after he killed Wade?

Goddamn you Walter! You fuckin’ asshole! Everything’s a fuckin’ travesty with you, man! And what was all that shit about Vietnam? What the FUCK, has anything got to do with Vietnam? What the fuck are you talking about?

– The Dude

The #158 Movie of All Time on IMDb: The Big Lebowski has been a divisive film since its release in 1998. Some people have since it and dismissed as garbage, upon a second viewing they loved it. This is the first time that I have seen it. I am tittering between it being pure genius and pretentious bullshit.

The unemployed bum simply known as “The Dude” (Jeff Bridges) becomes the anti-hero of this story. Being mistaken for a millionaire that share his real name Jeff Lebowski (David Huddleston), a pair of thugs rough him up. During the encounter, one of the thugs pees on his “prized” rug.

The Dude seeks out the other Lebowski to get him to pay for the rug. This action leads to chain of events that spiral out of control. Lebowski and his manservant, Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman) want to get Lebowski’s young wife, Bunny (Tara Reid) back who has been kidnapped.

The Dude is mixed up with a trio of nihilists (Peter Stormare, Flea, Torsten Voges), a pornographer, Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara), Lebowski’s feminist daughter, Maude (Julianne Moore) who all want something from him. There is also his bowling buddies, Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi) that want to occupy his time.

This movie is a mind fuck. You wonder when the ending credits start; did the Coens take LSD when they conceived of the movie? In the beginning, the characters carried on some inane conversations that go around in circles. It infuriated me. “We get it! Move on.”

The sequences go from dark to slapstick to tripped out. I had no idea what I was watching. I tried to make some sense out of it. I concluded with this.

At the core of this movie, you have to understand that every character is living in their own universe. They are self-absorbed, needy, and selfish. The only way the monotonous conversations make any sense is that nobody is listening to each other. Perhaps for a split second before they launch into their polemics about urine soaked rugs, mistaken identity and bowling etiquette.

My mind needs time to digest what I seen.

Judgment: This movie should be watched more than once to understand it fully.

Rating: ***1/2 (with wiggle room)

Bröderna Grimm, spelade av Matt Damon och Heath Ledger reser land och rike runt och lurar folket på landsbygden att de är räddningen när det gäller utdrivning av spöken och andar. De iscensätter olika scenarion där de driver bort spöken och andar och får i utbyte rikligt betalt av den fattiga landsortsbefolkningen. Med risk för att bli avslöjade som bluffmakare tvingas bröderna in i ett fall där det existerar en riktig förtrollning vilket leder till problem. Regissören Terry Gilliam har berättat om problemen med produktionen där filmbolagscheferna ville ha en historia och Gilliam själv hade andra synpunkter på hur filmen skulle se ut i sitt färdiga skick.

Efter mycket om och men färdigställdes dock Bröderna Grimm och det känns som att den versionen vi bjuds på är något av en kompromiss. Filmen är en tämligen rörig och ojämn historia, visuellt vackra scener signerade Terry Gilliam varvas med undermåliga dataeffekter som får den att påminna om Van Helsing (2004). Matt Damon och Heath Ledger sköter sig godkänt med det ojämna manus de fått jobba med, vi får också se en överspelande Peter Stormare som italiensk tortyrälskare. Filmen lider helt klart av att den inte vet vilken riktning den ska ta, ena stunden är det småkusligt i stil med Sleepy Hollow (1999) för att i nästa stund bli skrattretande löjlig. Jag skulle gärna vilja se hur Terry Gilliams version hade sett ut om han hade fått fritt spelrum, troligen hade jag uppskattat denna film på ett annat sätt, i nuvarande skick är Bröderna Grimm varken hackad eller malen. Ska du se något signerat Terry Gilliam, se istället den eminenta Brazil (1985).

Un film del 2009, regia di Jonathan Liebesman, con Timothy Hutton / Peter Stormare / Chloë Sevigny / Bill Stinchcomb. Prodotto da (93min)

Drammatico / Thriller

Quattro individui accettano di sottoporsi a un esperimento scientifico sulla psiche umana, ma scoprono in realtà di essere entrati a far parte di un brutale programma governativo top secret.

NOTA : 7 RECOMANDAT

Download subtitrare  The Killing Room

Trailer The Killing Room :

Es difícil ver una película de los hermanos Coen por primera vez. Sus trabajos no siguen la “lógica” de la mayoría de las cintas a las que uno está acostumbrado. Con esto no quiero decir que hagan malas películas, todo lo contrario. Lo interesante de sus cintas es que en estas los personajes no son tan artificiales como en las demás, y por consiguiente deben enfrentarse con todas esas cosas con que uno lidia en la vida real. Sus trabajos se caracterizan por las situaciones absurdas, malentendidos, errores y problemas que transforman algo que parecía sencillo en un lío de proporciones. A estos elementos se suma el humor negro, que tiene un sitial especial en sus cintas, y sobre todo en Fargo.

La película es protagonizada por Jerry Lundergaard (William H. Macy), un hombre  de Minneapolis que agobiado por sus problemas monetarios contacta a dos sujetos -Carl (Steve Buscemi) y Gaear (Peter Stormare)- para que secuestren a su esposa. El objetivo del plan es que su suegro, Wade (Harve Presnell), pague el rescate, el cual será dividido entre los involucrados, permitiendo que Jerry resuelva sus problemas. Pero como ya se dijo, nada en las películas de los hermanos Coen es tan sencillo como parece. La ley de Murphy sale a relucir en sus trabajos a raíz de los errores y malentendidos que se producen en la historia. El plan se escapa de las manos de Jerry, y para complicar aún más las cosas, aparece una policía llamada Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) quien comienza a investigar el caso.

Es imposible no sentir lástima por el personaje de William H. Macy. Si bien su plan no era lo que podríamos decir “moralmente correcto”, parecía bien pensado, y servía como una manera de vengarse contra su suegro. Pero gracias a Fargo nos damos cuenta que en las películas no todo puede ser perfecto ni alegre para los protagonistas. A medida que avanza la cinta los problemas de Jerry aumentan, y lo conducen a una calle sin salida. La actuación de Macy es notable al momento de transmitir la impotencia de su personaje cuando descubre que otra cosa ha salido mal, o cuando estalla en sus ataques de ira. Su trabajo lo hizo merecedor de una nominación al premio Óscar como mejor actor secundario, pero no ganó.

Por el otro lado se encuentran Steve Buscemi y Peter Stormare, quienes encarnan a los secuestradores. La relación entre ambos aporta la cuota de humor a la película, ya que son dos personajes totalmente distintos. Una de mis escenas favoritas es esa en que ambos van en un auto, tras varias horas de viaje, y el personaje de Buscemi comienza a discutir con el de Stormare debido a que este no había hablado en todo el trayecto. La magia de Fargo radica en esos pequeños momentos, que si bien no contribuyen demasiado a la trama de la película, otorgan una cuota de realidad a quienes la protagonizan. Es por esa razón que los personajes de los hermanos Coen logran ser recordados.

El guión no se limita a estos enredos y problemas, sino que toca además otros temas. El personaje de Frances McDormand pasa a tener gran protagonismo, a pesar de ser ajena al lío central de la película. Los hermanos Coen pasan a una historia a otra, mostrando por una parte  a Jerry Lundergaard lidiando con las consecuencias de sus mentiras, y a Marge Gunderson intentando llevar una vida de policía y esposa al mismo tiempo. Puede parecer raro el contrastar vivencias tan distintas, pero se logra un cierto equilibrio entre ambas; es interesante como en medio de estos enredos de dinero los directores muestran el dilema de Gunderson, los cuales parecen pertenecer a una película totalmente distinta.

Fargo es, en definitiva, una película muy interesante, que logra transmitir humor negro a través de situaciones poco usuales. Los hermanos Coen crearon personajes muy particulares, en torno a los cuales giran los problemas y malentendidos que dan forma a la película. Si bien no es una obra maestra, vale la pena echarle un vistazo.

Prison Break filminden birbirinden güzel kareler..Umarım beğenirsiniz;)

4 people sign up for a research study but find themselves in a much different experiment, one that could result in their deaths.

Directed by – Jonathan Liebesman

Written by – Gus Krieger, Ann Peacock

Starring – Timothy Hutton, Peter Stormare, Chloe Sevigny, Bill Stinchcomb, Nick Cannon, Clea DuVall, Gregory Gast, Meade Patton, Joan Roberts, Shea Whigham

Oh yeah, this is the kinda stuff I like. Amazing movie that everyone needs to see. That and I finally learned who Clea DuVall is. I’m sure I see here all the time in things and I never knew who she was. This one literally stopped my girlfriend in her tracks, she wanted to leave but just couldn’t and had to watch the flick. This should be a must see for all the loyal readers here at The Film Reel.

Under the marquee – Will

Michael Moore is, according to an interview with the Detroit News, planning to transition into narrative filmmaking. Not sure that will be much of a transition for our ‘documentarian’ there.

Though this will please my podcast co-host, it won’t please anyone else. David Twohy and Vin Diesel are hard at work on another Chronicles of Riddick film.

The trailer for The Killing Room is pretty interesting but, to be honest, seems like a little too much is given away as to the tone of the film. We’ll see.

Netflix and Disney-ABC have signed an agreement for a number of top shows on the network to be streamed through the service. Big step into Hulu’s market for Netflix… perhaps not smart to meddle and better to concentrate on making a great movie streaming service first.

The great Michael C Hall from Dexter is to star in an indie comedy called East Fifth Bliss, about a guy who has a relationship with the eighteen-year-old daughter of a buddy.

Un film del 2009, regia di Jonathan Liebesman, con Timothy Hutton / Peter Stormare / Chloë Sevigny / Bill Stinchcomb. Prodotto da (93min)

Drammatico / Thriller

Quattro individui accettano di sottoporsi a un esperimento scientifico sulla psiche umana, ma scoprono in realtà di essere entrati a far parte di un brutale programma governativo top secret.