Year: 2013
Genre: Drama thriller
Director: Eric Heisserer
Plot: A father desperately attempts to keep his newborn baby alive during Hurricane Katrina.
The gist: This was one of Paul Walker's last films before his untimely death recently. It's good to note that unlike his buddy Vin Diesel, he does attempt to try other genres outside of his Fast & Furious series.
Hours stars Walker as Nolan, a man whose wife dies after giving birth to their daughter, who is five weeks too early and has to be put into an incubator until she can breathe on her own. Unfortunately for him, Hurricane Katrina blows in and takes out the power, forcing Nolan to find ways to keep his daughter alive as the entire hospital evacuates.
His only hope is a manual generator which he connects to the incubator, and he has to spin it every 3 minutes or so to keep it going. In between, Nolan tries to find help or connect with his daughter, or recall memories of his late wife.
I like the story here, kudos to writer and director Eric Heisserer for coming up with it. It's a different take on films like 127 Hours and Cast Away, where a singular character carries most of the film alone. The cinematography is also commendable.
The good: Walker does great work here as Nolan. He basically has to act by himself a lot here, and he's solid in the role. I would have loved to see him do more roles like this, it's unfortunate that he's no longer around.
The bad: Heisserer's script needs a bit more work, as it goes against logic several times in deliberately giving Nolan obstacle after obstacle to overcome. The most obvious one would be Nolan trying to get a backup generator in a flooded room working, while having to go back to the incubator to charge it every 3 minutes. The story improves when the looters show up in the third act, but it's not enough to cover this weakness up. The ending is also rather predictable, making the film look like a TV movie.
Verdict: It's a decent drama to be honest, and Paul Walker does a great job here. But it could have been better with a smarter script. (3/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Suspense thriller
Director: Brad Anderson
Plot: A 911 operator attempts to save a kidnapped girl's life when she receives her call, and eventually realises the culprit is someone from her past.
The gist: WWE Studios usually puts out crappy films starring one of their wrestlers, but it's nice to note that this one isn't too bad. Of course, it helps that Halle Berry is in it.
Berry plays a 911 operator who inadvertently causes a break-in victim's life and resorts to training rookie operators until one day, a kidnap victim calls the centre and she tries her best to help. She eventually discovers the kidnapper is the same man who killed the break-in victim earlier.
Credit should be given to Brad Anderson for successfully keeping the audience on the edge of their seats for most of the film's running time. Kudos also to the filmmakers for authentically presenting the world in the 911 operating centre, also known as The Hive. It's truly fascinating watching how operators handle multiple crises with ease.
The good: Halle Berry excels in the role of Jordan, the 911 operator who is determined to save the victim, and portrays her tension in true convincing fashion. Abigail Breslin is also solid as Casey, the kidnap victim, though she screams and sobs a tad too much at times.
The bad: A huge suspension of disbelief is required for the last 15 minutes of the film, when Jordan literally goes from being a 911 operator to a detective. And that ending is especially over the top.
Verdict: Despite its unbelievable final 15 minutes, The Call is mostly entertaining. Something you can take a look at if you have 90 minutes to spare. (3.5/5)
Year: 2013
Genre: Crime thriller
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Plot: In 1949 Los Angeles, a group of cops join forces to take down crime boss Mickey Cohen, off the record.
The gist: Based on the talent involved, this one had a lot of potential. The success of this film was surely hampered by the Aurora theater shooting, but partly also because said potential was wasted by the filmmakers.
Director Ruben Fleischer at least does a decent job with the action sequences, the best being the final fight at the film's climax. But he moves the film too fast for the most part, editing heavily on many scenes till the emotional impact and plot continuity gets lost.
It also doesn't help that the script suffers from some pretty bad lines. Sean Penn's Mickey Cohen actually gets to say "Here comes Santa Claus!" right before engaging in a firefight.
I felt that if they put more focus on the relationship between the squad members and less on Ryan Gosling's relationship with Emma Stone, the film would be so much better.
The good: Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling make good leading men, if only they had formed a memorable partnership in the film, that would be awesome. Mireille Enos also deserves mention as Brolin's wife, she was good. Kudos also to costume and set design that made the era look authentic on screen.
The bad: The script, as mentioned. Sean Penn was too over the top as Mickey Cohen (why does he have to kill or beat somebody whenever he gets angry?). Despite all the time spent on Gosling's affair with Stone, it still feels superficial.
Verdict: It's a decent retro crime flick which could have been as good as The Untouchables, but wasted all its potential. (3/5)
