In the picture: The Old Guard

movie review

The Old Guard is an uneven but entertaining action flick

The Old Guard

Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Tagline: Forever is harder than it looks.

Over the last decade, we have become so accustomed to Marvel and DC escapades ruling the cinematic summer that the current lack of superhero blockbusters seems downright peculiar. But while members of the Avengers and the Justice League have been forced to take an unexpected hiatus, Netflix is making sure that comic book characters aren’t entirely missing from our screens.

The streaming giant’s latest action flick finds the immortal heroes of Greg Rucka’s The Old Guard making their film debut in what Netflix clearly hopes will become the first installment of a successful franchise.

The movie follows a team of mercenaries - Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and their leader Andy (Charlize Theron) - whose regenerative abilities have kept them alive for centuries. But there’s a catch: their healing powers don’t last forever.

Dreadful past experiences have taught the group that they need to hide their presence from the world for fear of being ostracized, captured, experimented on, and/or tortured.

They realize their secret is out, though, when their latest mission turns out to be a set up. Hired by an ex-CIA operative, James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to save kidnapped children, the team instead has to fight their way out of an ambush.

The seemingly miraculous recovery of a U.S. Marine in Afghanistan, meanwhile, alerts the group to the presence of a new immortal, Nile (KiKi Layne), who is then rescued by Andy but is reluctant to accept her destiny.

With or without their newest member, the heroes must try to figure out how to neutralize their foe before they are turned into lab rats for a money hungry pharma exec (Harry Melling) who wants to study them and unlock the secret to their powers.

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood builds an interesting world led by a strong character who is all the more compelling thanks to the performance of the very well cast Charlize Theron; the actress excels at playing such ass-kicking, moody roles. A handful of well-orchestrated action sequences add thrill to the proceedings and are at their best when they make use of the immortality aspect during the fights.

But in its attempt to mix the action with human drama, the film runs into pacing issues. Because of the weaknesses in the screenplay, the exposition isn’t exactly the most riveting part of this two hours long film. There are developments that aren’t entirely convincing and elements that just feel shoehorned into the tale. And even with its overlong running time, the movie still fails to explain even the basics of its immortality premise and the mechanics of the regeneration. (What, for instance, would happen if they were dismembered?)

And for an outfit of amazing immortals, the team sadly doesn’t get the chance to face a worthy foe. Instead we have an antagonist who seems more cartoonish than menacing.

That said, The Old Guard is still a fun, entertaining popcorn flick. The film may make you wish it had shed its more generic elements, and while it may not make the most of its intriguing premise or dig as deep as its themes demand, it does manage to create a fascinating world and deliver an enjoyable action outing.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 19th July, 2020 *

In the picture: Desperados

movie review

An unoriginal premise and a weak, unfunny script make the new Netflix comedy Desperados a complete disappointment

Desperados

Starring: Nasim Pedrad, Anna Camp, Lamorne Morris, Sarah Burns, and Robbie Amell

Directed by: LP

The accidental or regrettable email has been a subplot in several comedies. Anne Hathaway’s frazzled Jules sent one not too long ago in The Intern (2015); her employees then went on a mini heist to delete the offending message from the recipient’s computer. Julia Roberts’ love-struck Jules also wrote one in My Best Friend’s Wedding all the way back in 1997, albeit with entirely different intentions. In each case, the shenanigans revolving around the problematic email were used mostly as brief detours along the central journey. The new film Desperados, however, takes this unoriginal concept and unwisely decides to stretch it to feature length, and, even more unwisely, chooses to pair it with crude humour. The results are more cringe-worthy than amusing.

The sender of the email this time around is shockingly not a Jules but a guidance counselor named Wesley (portrayed by SNL alum Nasim Pedrad) who isn’t having much luck finding a job or a boyfriend. Right after a failed blind date with a man named Sean (Lamorne Morris), a chance encounter with the charming Jared (Robbie Amell) makes her feel like she has found the perfect guy. Desperate to make the relationship work, she hides her eccentricities and turns into a completely different person in the hopes of pleasing her man. But when her new beau proceeds to ghost her, Wesley gets drunk with her best friends, Brooke (Anna Camp) and Kaylie (Sarah Burns), and sends Jared a very insulting email, only to find out that he is in fact injured and stuck in a hospital in Mexico.

Scared that if Jared reads the email it would mean the end of their relationship, Wes goes to Cabo, her BFFs in tow. The ladies’ plan is to break into Jared’s hotel room, find his devices, and delete the message. 

You’d reckon things would go amusingly wrong, but sadly hilarity is in short supply here. Instead you have predictable developments, tired shenanigans, and distasteful gags, courtesy of an unfunny script by Ellen Rapoport and LP’s indistinctive direction.

Desperados clearly wants to emulate the success of the significantly funnier Bridesmaids and Girls Trip but its crew lacks the talent to match the wit and warmth of these acclaimed comedies.

Even its cast, as charming as the actors may be, struggle to do much with the weak material they have been given. Pedrad has chemistry with her onscreen love interests, but there are times when she seems like a supporting player who has been put in charge of a vehicle she can’t fully command. Camp just makes you wish her talent hadn’t been wasted on this tired script.

Towards the end, Desperados tries to deliver a few heartfelt moments and positive messages, but the film ultimately lacks the wit and emotional depth that would make the morals impactful or the journey worthwhile.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 12th July, 2020 *

In the picture: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

movie review

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is charming, feel-good fun

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Mahut, Mikael Persbrandt, and Demi Lovato

Directed by: David Dobkin

Tagline: Nobody wins solo.

The ongoing pandemic may have deprived the world of the Eurovision Song Contest this year, but a new Netflix musical comedy is now here to fill the void left by the campy contest’s absence.

Co-written and co-produced by its star, Will Ferrell, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga warmly captures the Pan-European competition’s over-the-top spectacle and joyous ridiculousness while telling a heart-warming tale of small-town dreamers along the way.

Ferrell plays hapless Icelander Lars who has been obsessed with Eurovision ever since he witnessed ABBA’s legendary winning entry, ‘Waterloo’, in 1974 when he was a child. His lifelong goal thenceforth has been to win the popular show, much to the embarrassment of his disapproving father Erick (Pierce Brosnan). Supporting his ambitions, though, is his childhood friend Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) with whom he has a band called Fire Saga and who happens to have unrequited feelings for him. 

Lars’s musical dreams seem highly improbable, which is why it comes as a complete surprise to everyone when, by the power of flukes, Fire Saga find themselves on track to represent their country at the forthcoming Eurovision ceremony.

As the underdogs progress (almost always despite themselves), each ridiculous turn finds the film amusingly paying homage to the competition that inspired it while gently poking fun at its eccentricities, backstage shenanigans, and politics. Being familiar with the contest certainly helps the viewing experience; there are cameo appearances by past contestants as well as references to others, and plenty of in-jokes that will make more sense to those who have experienced the annual extravaganza.

Even if you’ve never heard of the contest before though, you’ll still find it hard not to be invested in the goofy drama, thanks in large part to the charms of Rachel McAdams who brings such warmth and sweetness to her role that you can’t help but root for her character. Ferrell (not the most intuitive choice for the lead, but this is a project he appears to have spearheaded after all) is likable enough as Lars; however, it’s ultimately McAdams’s talent that makes the unlikely pairing work.

It also helps that the movie’s soundtrack is a catchy, cheesy Europop triumph. The original tracks are so perfectly suited to the setting that it isn’t a stretch to imagine songs like ‘Double Trouble’, ‘Come and Play’, and the hilariously OTT ‘Lion of Love’ being performed on the actual Eurovision stage. Also, the film makes the very wise decision to not let Pierce Brosnan sing and that’s always a plus.

There are, however, several missteps on the Fire Saga trail. The journey is overlong; there are a few slow stretches and times when the tale loses momentum. And the overall take on Eurovision is more affectionate than satirical; a more skewered slant could have potentially made the wit sharper, although then we would have admittedly ended up with an entirely different movie altogether. (Some would also point out the redundancy of lampooning a competition that often seems to accomplish that very goal all by itself.)

Despite all that, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is still a whole lot of escapist fun. The film is very likely to leave you with a smile on your face, and given the kind of year we’re having, this just might be the burst of joyous silliness that this dreary summer needed.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News International - 5th July, 2020 *