While we usually pick art films, docs and the like as Chosen One, this week we're going to geek out over the latest movie from Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, who's currently helming a movie based on Mark Millar's comic series Wanted:
Day Watch (Fox Searchlight)
Starring Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Valery Zolotukhin, Maria Poroshina, Galina Tunina, Victor Verzhbitsky, Dima Martynov
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch); Written by Sergei Lukyanenko, Timur Bekmambetov, Alexander Talal
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Rated R
Tagline: "Night Becomes Day"
Plot Summary: The tension between the Light and Dark Others continues as Anton (Konstantin Khabensky) tries to reconnect with his son, who has gone over to the Dark side, while training Svetla, who might be
REVIEW
I still remember the first time I heard about Timur Bekmambetov's Night Watch. I was watching the news and there was a segment on this movie that had just opened in Russia and made more money than Lord of the Rings and Spider-Man 2 in their opening weekends, a huge blockbuster made for very little money that was on its way to becoming one of the highest grossing movies in the country's history. Of course, my curiosity was piqued, as was my anticipation to see this movie, and I finally got a chance about a year later when it screened at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival. Although the movie looked very cool, I was kind of disappointed, mainly because I found the premise to be very confusing even compared to recent Hollywood blockbusters involving pirates. (My Review) The movie was then delayed another eight months before it was finally given a limited release where it floundered in obscurity. (Most people had probably already seen it on import DVD by then.)
I'm glad to say that the follow-up Day Watch is far superior in the same way that X2 is better than X-Men and I'm sure Rise of the Silver Surfer will be better than Fantastic Four. Based on a series of popular Russian fantasy novels, the sequel benefits from the fact that the premise of this war between two ancient factions, the Light Others and the Dark Others, is already established, as is the ways that their respective forces, the Night Watch and Day Watch, keep their counterparts in line so that war doesn't reignite between them. Apparently, Bekmambetov filmed a lot of this at the same time as the first movie, but it looks like he spent a bit more time and had a bit more money for the effects and post-production, and the sequel offers a lot more fun and entertainment.
While not everyone will understand what's going on--especially those trying to see it without having seen the first movie--the movie provides the type of fast-paced entertainment that guys from the MTV/video game generation will appreciate, so that Day Watch is just as enjoyable as any of the mega-release sequels this summer. You can read my full review if you want to know what I thought specifically worked or didn't work, but action fans looking for something different this summer might want to give this a look. It certainly got me a lot more excited to see how Bekmambetov's work on Universal's Wanted, based on Mark Millar's comic, turns out when it comes out next March. Opening in New York and L.A. on Friday, this is recommended if you like The Matrix or Blade trilogies, or some of the Michael Bay's wilder movies.
(Check out what else is coming out in limited release, as well as a couple of mini-reviews at the link below.)
Also in Limited Release:
Crazy Love (Magnolia) - A Sundance favorite, this documentary by Dan Klores tells the wild story of Burt and Linda Pugach, a New York couple whose complicated relationship was fueled by Burt's jealousy and rage, culminating in him hiring someone to throw acid in her face, blinding her for life. Torn from the tabloids of yesteryear, the doc opens in three theatres in the New York area.
Mini-Review: This talking heads documentary will certainly be more entertaining to those who don't know anything about the case of the romance gone awry that sold a lot of newspapers back in 1959, a case that was brought back into the headlines in recent years due to the manic behavior by the lecherous Burt Pugach. Even if you do know the background, it might be hard to believe what you're seeing or hearing, but Klores has woven their story into an interesting tapestry using archival photos and footage and music. It's sometimes difficult to get a real sense of time while watching the movie cut between Burt and Linda each telling their side of the story, but neither of them come across particularly well due to their respective actions and decisions. (It's hard to say more about the movie without giving away some of the twists that makes it so riveting.) Despite its talky nature, this is a rather extreme case of "stand by your man" but also an incredible love story (as in "hard to believe"), which might be the greatest date movie ever made but not necessarily the best movie to see on a first or second date. Rating: 8/10
I'm Reed Fish (Red Envelope) - Jay Baruchel (who also appears in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up this week) stars as Reed Fish, a young man whose life turns to chaos when a high school crush (Alexis Bledel of "Gilmore Girls") returns to town. It opens at the Quad Cinema in New York City.
Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman (IFC Films) - Timothy Spall (best known from Mike Leigh's films and as Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies) stars in this biodrama from Mike Leigh's protégé Adrian Shergold about real-life hangman Arthur Pierrepoint, one of England's most famous and respected executioners until capitol punishment was abolished in the country. It opens in L.A. on Friday and in New York on June 8.
Interview with Timothy Spall (Coming Soon!)
Mini-Review: The first thing that might cross your mind as you watch this grim drama is that it's some form of extended Monty Python sketch, because it's kind of funny hearing Timothy Spall as the title character talking about the craft of hanging people as if it's just another day at the job. Once you get past that, it's a rather fascinating character-driven film that's not nearly as grotesque or macabre as you might think. It's a film that allows Timothy Spall's resplendent dramatic chops to shine in a multi-layered performance as the hangman who hit the height of fame when he was commissioned to hang 43 Nazi war criminals in the course of a week. Even if you don't know Pierrepoint's history, things might start to get a bit predictable towards the end, especially when it comes to the subplot involving his friend, played by Eddie Marsan. Still, it's a decently made, well-scripted film with strong performances from the cast, including the always great Juliet Stevenson as Pierrepoint's wife. It isn't hard to make comparisons to Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake," maybe because it's set in the same time period and it essentially handles capitol punishment in a similar way that "Vera Drake" tackled the abortion issue, though it's obviously a bit harder to relate to a man whose primary goal was to become the country's most skilled executioner. Rating: 7/10
Rise: Blood Hunter (Destination/Samuel Goldwyn) - Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis and Carla Gugino star in this long-delayed supernatural thriller produced by Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures, in which Liu plays a reporter that was killed by a cult, but finds out that she can get revenge for her murder with the help of Chiklis, a police detective whose daughter was also killed. It opens in (of all places) Phoenix, Minneapolis and Seattle.
Ten Canoes (Palm Pictures) - Rolf de Heer's Aboriginal epic goes a thousand years back in Australian history for a fable about a young man who covets one of his brother's wives, leading to all sorts of tragedies for their tribe. It opens in New York at the Cinema Village.
Mini-Review: With gorgeous natural jungle environments as its backdrop, Rolf de Heer's intriguing fable is the type of movie that could easily be appreciated by fans of Terrence Malick's The New World or Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, even if sometimes it comes across more like a National Geographic film due to the amount of nudity and the somewhat tiresome narrative. It's certainly an original film experience due to the way de Heer uses modern filmmaking techniques to capture the primitive nature of ancient Aboriginal tribes, but the story often takes a backseat to the characters, their myths and customs, which all seem very convincing. Rating: 7.5/10
The Trials of Darryl Hunt (THINKFilm) - Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's documentary about the wrongful conviction of Daryl Hunt, a man accused of a brutal rape and murder, and the 20 year capital case trying to get him off. Told from the viewpoint of those involved in the case including Hunt himself, this doc opens in select cities.
