Assassination (2015)

Director: Choi Dong-hoon

Notable Cast: Gianna Jun, Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Choi Deok-moon

Historical dramas, even if they are within the edges of being a thriller, rarely get reviewed here at Blood Brothers despite some intensely high quality aspects of the films themselves. Nothing against the genre, but it’s not quite the cult material that we tend to dabble in. Assassination, however, is a big exception to the rule. I say big because this film is chock full of genre tropes within its dramatic and historical context and the execution in getting it all into the film is superb. A bit of action, a bit of espionage, a bit of thriller, and a whole lot of awesomeness. Enough so that Assassination is likely to be one of the best, if not THE best, thriller released this year.

As the Japanese occupation of Korea continues into the 1930s, the resistance is struggling to get the upper hand. To do so, they come up with a plan to assassination two key officials in the Japanese military and business communities. It’s going to take a handful of assassins, a sniper (Gianna Jun) a demolitions expert (Choi Deok-moon) and a military gunman (Cho Jin-woong), to pull off the job. With a notorious hitman and his partner in the city (Ha Jung-woo, Oh Dal-soo)and a spy in their midst, it’s going to take a lot more than just detail planning to pull this off.

Team up, time!

While many reviews or critiques of period drama pieces might spend the majority of their time talking about the sets, costumes, and accuracy of time (which as far as I’m concerned are all handled quite well here), Assassination uses those elements to simply paint a visual picture on top of a film that is timeless and universal in its message about power shifts, personal moral drive, and characters that the audience cares about – whether or not they do the wrong or right things. The core of this film is spectacularly dense in its thoughtful writing and it allows the cast and crew to execute a film of only the highest caliber. It helps that the film navigates a variety of genres to get there, a bit of comedy, drama, suspense, and action, but the basis of the film is impressive. It allows for a lot of great things to be built on top of it.

At this core, Assassination is a character and plot driven film. Luckily, the film has some of the sharpest and most engrossing writing for an espionage film in years. At about an hour into the film, there has already been enough plot and twists for an entire film itself…and there is still an hour and twenty minutes to go. Thus, in the rest of the hour and twenty minutes, there are enough shocks and spins to the story that by the time the credits roll, it’s likely you will have motion sickness. It’s impressive. While this kind of ridiculous roller coaster ride of twists and turns can be detrimental to a film, Assassination’s writing is so spot on and the acting is so subtle in its brilliance that it works in spades. The film starts off as a sort of heist flick as the character Yem starts to build a team of fighters for the job, but it’s quick to shift into a thriller concept as things start to get complicated with spies, deaths, and – I kid you not – a long lost twins spin that pops up. By the time the finale rolls around, featuring a full siege of a wedding with guns, grenades, and grit, the viewer has no choice but to keep going just to see how things turn out. Fear not because no matter how ridiculous the plot seems to knot itself up, Assassination ably navigates the various characters and situations with remarkable finesse. As I said, the writing is sharp with a capital ‘S.’

A grand shot.

Not only does Assassination deliver an entertaining story populated by relatable characters, but it delivers a film that carries an emotional resonance that makes the various characters feel utterly real. To add to the complexity of the plot, the film spins its story with what could be described as three main protagonists that drive the action. While all of the roles, no matter how small, gimmicky, or throw-away, are played with detailed precision, it’s the weight of the performances of these three protagonists that truly carry the film. Since the film doesn’t necessarily rely on a lot of action to push the plot forward (there are two major assassination sequences that work to build and break tension) it has to rely on the character arcs and discoveries within the writing to deliver the connection to the audience. Assassination does it with striking effect. Not to give too much away, but there is a lot of depth to the characters and their connections for a viewer, seasoned or not, to sink their teeth into and it makes the emotional side just as effective as the twisting plot.

Assassination is a film that works on all levels: visuals, performances, and script. It’s truly a piece of cinematic art to watch unfold right in front of you as all of the pieces are laid out, scrambled, and put back together in new and effective ways. It’s not the most action packed spy film you’re likely to see, but the combination of various genres and the high quality execution makes it easily one of the best films released this year – no matter what genre. Cinephiles are definitely going to want to take the time to experience Assassination. It’s worth the time and effort to understand it.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Dark Summer (2015)

Director: Paul Solet

Notable Cast: Keir Gilchrist, Stella Maeve, Maestro Harrell, Peter Stormare, Grace Phillips

Despite being released by IFC Midnight originally and then getting a joint home video release by IFC Midnight and Scream Factory, Dark Summer seemed to be just another ‘haunted house’ flick for teens based on the trailer and media being spread for the film. If it wasn’t for its immediate release on Netflix Streaming then I probably wouldn’t have been bothered to dig into the film until much later. For the most part, Dark Summer is exactly as one would expect: a slow burn, teen angst driven, haunted house film. For the most part. Luckily, the film is ignited with a fun third act that damn near saves the entire film from being too cliché. It’s a little too late in many regards, but it does raise of the quality of the film somewhat.

Daniel (Gilchrist) is a young man with a few problems. After being convicted for stalking and invasion of privacy charges against a girl in his school, he’s throw under house arrest for the summer with limited visitations and forbidden to use a computer. When strange things start to happen in his house though, his two friends (Maeve, Harrell) are going to have to help him discover just what is stalking him now.

Seven years. SEVEN YEARS.

To be honest, the first two thirds of Dark Summer are a bit of a chore to get through. The film is a bit of slow burner, meant to be a sort of character study for a character we aren’t necessarily meant to understand (for a reason) who essentially acts like a confused ass for most of this portion. There is also a lot of subtle stuff that is being played out here particularly in some of the weirder plot progressions and details that will eventually come full circle, but the atmosphere and scares are something we’ve seen over and over again in these kinds of modern haunted house films. Creepy tech experiences? Strange shadow work? A mystery to unravel? Been there, done that. Even the occasional presence of genre great Peter Stormare seems a bit strange as the only real adult we see the entire film despite some scene stealing moments. Where is this kid’s parents? Talk about shitty parenting that we don’t even see his supposed mother call or attempt to be a parent when her son is under house arrest when she isn’t there, but that’s beside the point. We get it, he’s isolated. Blah blah blah. It’s just a bit forced overall and doesn’t raise the film above its means at this point.

However…and this is a huge however…the third act makes most of the generic plot progressions, character interactions, and cliché atmospheric touches worth it. It’s not quite enough to simply forgive what the audience had to sit through, but holy shit did Dark Summer try. Not to give too much away plot wise as the surprise of this third act is a big part of the fun, but there are a handful of twists that make paying attention worth your time. There is even a sequence where the twist requires some flashbacks to make sure the audience understands where the twist came from. Normally, I dislike flashbacks as a sort of crutch that films use to create false dynamics, but here it’s almost necessary because the twist works so well that I’m not sure I would have been able to put it together without a bit of a reminder of the events that happened previously. Again, it doesn’t necessarily erase the rather yawn inducing approach to the first two-thirds, but it’s impressive at what it pulls off.

The eyes are the windows to the soul...OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL?!

Horror fans are certain to find Dark Summer to be a bore overall with its generic scare attempts, well-worn tactics, and generally silly characters, but I know plenty of horror films this year that are much worse than this. If you happen to have Netflix Streaming, it’s essentially a free watch so it’s not a terrible way to spend an afternoon. If anything, it might be worth the watch to see a film desperately claw its way from the grave it dug for itself…and almost succeed.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Demolisher, The (2015)

Director: Gabriel Carrer
Notable Cast: Ry Barrett, Tianna Nori, Jessica Vano, Duncan McLellan

We’ve been seeing a lot of the old coming in with the new with genre filmmaking lately. Films such as Hobo with a Shotgun, Astro 6’s Father’s Day and Fantasia favorite Turbo Kid are prime examples of the retro revival craze. Immediately upon reading the synopsis for The Demolisher one can hope for a film similar to 1980’s The Exterminator. The Canadian production that was filmed in Guelph and Toronto, Ontario was directed by Latefox Pictures’ Gabriel Carrer who seems to have graduated from low budget filmmaking after Desperate Souls and If a Tree Falls. However, whether we can say that this transition to a bigger budget was smooth or if we can expect a nostalgic throwback to exploitation type action films of the 70s and 80s is another thing. The Demolisher is much more like today’s modern films than a throwback. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the same can’t be said for the film itself. 

 The Demolisher follows Bruce (played by Ry Barrett) whose ex-policewoman wife Samantha (played by Tianna Nori) was left confined to wheelchair after a run in with a cult-ish gang. Using her riot gear, Bruce’s rage steers him to hunt down the gang (or possibly a gang) to exact revenge against those who crippled his wife. The vigilante’s mental health soon deteriorates as he sets his eyes on an innocent woman named Marie (played by Jessica Vano) after she finds a necklace he lost and his paranoia causes him to shift from being a vigilante to something way worse. 

Instead of focusing on excessive violence, The Demolisher is a film that explores Bruce’s psyche a lot more. So much of the actual violence is nothing but slow motion that we actually forget that it’s supposed to be violence to start with. As a matter of fact, sometimes it feels like a third of the whole film is slow motion which grows tiresome very quick. To accompany the violence and slow motion is the repetitive music. In moments of impending doom or Bruce’s brooding hate is when you can here this loud music and in different scenes it changes, but stays repetitive. Commonly in film are scenes of slow motion that uses this formula, but this is just overkill at this point. While the film clocks in at under a hour and a half, the dialogue is very minimal. For the longest time, I thought the leads were complete mutes! The shock of Samantha’s event had left the main two leads speechless via shock. Carrer had decided since this isn’t a throwback at all to make this a serious venture. The Fantasia audience was much like the characters in the film very quiet throughout until the film’s climax. It’s not all bad news though. The best aspect of the film is the performance by our lead cast, especially Ry Barrett whose descent into madness is riveting. The scenery and cinematography are both excellent too. One thing that I need to take a stab at though is the plot. The best comparison one can make is a knitted sweater that was made so loosely that you can still see the threads just hanging out or one can say that there isn’t really much a plot to start with.

I was quite excited to see The Demolisher originally but all it really did was demolish my expectations. The trailer had been misleading as to make not only me, but other fans of retro action and exploitation films expect a man on a rampage through Toronto. Instead The Demolisher is more so about the deterioration of one man’s mind and morals after his life is changed completely after a traumatic event. Take out whatever violence there was and you would have probably had a drama film. The Demolisher isn’t necessarily a complete waste or even a terrible film but it could have also been way better as it still leaves for something more to be desired. Netflix and Redbox is a better alternative than an outright purchase because The Demolisher just doesn’t live up to the name.

Written By Elise

Police Story: Lockdown (2015)

Director: Ding Sheng

Notable Cast: Jackie Chan, Jing Tian, Liu Ye

While the Police Story franchise remains one of Jackie Chan’s most notable series, thanks to its blend of charm, action, and dramatic flair, the series has become something of a ‘title only’ sequence of sequels rather than the full on follow-ups that comprised the first four films. New Police Story indicated a new direction for the franchise, one that moved away from the massive stunt spectacles and often charming humor (no matter how dumb) and towards an even more serious blend of thriller and drama. It still featured plenty of the action and silly concepts we’ve come to expect from Jackie’s films, but it definitely evolved the series. The latest entry, Police Story: Lockdown (or as it’s known most places Police Story 2013) fully embraces the darker and more serious elements of the series. With no relation to previous entries, Lockdown is more thriller than action film and the move makes for some intriguing choices – for better and worse.

Zhong Wen (Jackie Chan) just wants to reconcile with his daughter (Jing Tian). So she sets up a meeting for them at one of the new big clubs in town run by her new boyfriend Wu (Liu Ye). Unfortunately, a group of highly trained criminals is about to take down the factory themed club for some hostages. What Zhong Wen doesn’t know is that there is a more sinister plan afoot by the criminals and it has to do with an incident from his past…

He doesn't need guns, he just likes to show off.

Sporting a whopping 14% on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving its fair share of backlash from fans, it makes me wonder what exactly the critics and fan base were expecting from Lockdown. One might guess that it was the title Police Story attached to it that carries a handful of expectations. However, despite its flaws, Lockdown is rarely as bad as those reviews make it out to be. It’s different, sure, and it’s certainly not perfect (we’ll get to that in a minute), but it’s far from being a bad film. Perhaps if the title were Crime Story: Lockdown, people would have had proper expectations on what genre this film is…as it definitely isn’t an action comedy.

With the proper expectations locked in place, Lockdown is a fun and dark little thriller. It’s grounded on some well-established tropes of the genre, including a mystery about the villain that increasingly builds as the film goes on, but it works in some solid ways. The setting lends itself to some striking visuals and Jackie Chan pulls out an all-star performance for the film. He’s not necessarily the most likeable of heroes, as the script points out with his familial issues, and his cool and collected performance is balanced out with a strong villain. Many of the secondary characters, some of which are very important to the plot, are not nearly as fleshed out as one might hope, but it works for what it is. Director Ding Sheng brings about a very modern style to the look of the film with lots of blurred imagery, sharp angles, and intriguing color schemes (a far cry from the very traditional look of his previous work with Jackie, Little Big Solider) and it’s easy to see why fans of older Hong Kong thrillers might find offense in the modern style and look of the film when the core is a bit more classic. However, Lockdown sports some downright impressive tension and plenty of shocking twists to keep the audience hooked into the story. While the “he said, she said” third act does seem to detract from the overall tone of the film a bit, the final chase sequence in the train tunnels might be one of the best emotional thriller sequences that Chan has ever been involved in and fans are certain to enjoy many moments like this in the film.

The main issue that plagues Lockdown for most of its runtime though is the odd structure and random flashbacks it utilizes to build the mystery. It’s as if the writers and director knew that the main issue from fans was going to be the general lack of action in the film so they force some unneeded action set pieces into the script. A vehicle chase sequence and a bit of hand to hand combat against a punk assailant seem utterly extraneous when it comes down to it. Sure the action is decent, but it adds nothing to the overall mystery of the thriller and it seems like fan service. All it does is take away much needed time to really build some of the subtle clues and plot devices needed for the final act to work – which it does, but it seems like a massive stretch. The best action sequence, which actually serves the characters and plot, is an intense little cage match which becomes one of the highlights of the film.

It's explosive!

In the end, Police Story: Lockdown is still a flawed thriller for Jackie Chan and company. After the impressive combination of director Ding Sheng and Chan on Little Big Soldier, I would be lying if I didn’t have much bigger expectations myself for this film in execution. However, the film is both new ground for Chan and still retains the heart and soul of some of his earlier flicks like the previously mentioned Crime Story. It isn’t a film that follows the same pattern as the other Police Story films, but it is a strong indication at the range that Chan can deliver if allowed as an actor. Keep your expectations in check and this is going to be a solid night at the movies.

Written By Matt Reifschneider