London Boulevard
2/4
Starring: Colin Farrell, Keira Knightly, Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, Ben Chaplin, Anna Friel, Eddie Marsan
Rated R for Strong Violence, Pervasive Language, Some Nudity and Drug Use
The longer "London Boulevard" goes on, the less sense it makes. It starts off effectively, but loses its way pretty soon after setting the stage. I guess that's what to expect with a movie that's high-powered on both sides of the camera but can't manage a theatrical release. At least it's not as bad as "The Resident."
Mitchel (Farrell) has just been released from a short stint in prison. Not wanting to go back, he decides to leave the criminal life behind him, much to the annoyance of his squirrely friend, Billy (Chaplin). After fending off a few guys who get too close to a beautiful woman, he gets a job as a bodyguard to a shy starlet named Charlotte (Knightly). But his past comes back to haunt him after he wants to get vengeance for a friend who was murdered. That puts him in the sights of a vicious gangster by the name of Gant (Winstone). Also in the mix are Mitchel's drug addicted sister Briony (Friel) and Jordan (Thewlis), the failed actor who lives with Charlotte.
That's as far as I got with the plot. It's really a mess, but it's a watchable mess, and for that I am grateful. Few things are worse than having to watch a bad movie that can't be bothered to let you know what is happening on screen.
The film is saved by the performances and the writing. With a cast like this and the writer of "The Departed" writing the script, it's no surprise. Colin Farrell can always be counted on to give an effective performance, even when he's in a shitty movie like the "Total Recall" remake. I felt his increasingly dangerous position, even if I didn't understand all the ins and outs of it. Keira Knightly is also very good as the withdrawn starlet (life imitating art?), but her role isn't meaty enough for her to do something truly special. Ray Winstone, no stranger to playing vicious thugs ("The Departed," "Nil by Mouth," for example), is menacing, and he does what he can with the few details about the character that he is provided. David Thewlis, an underrated English actor, is also good, but doesn't have a lot to do other than act drugged out and give Mitchel the inside scoop. Ben Chaplin is excellent as the truly annoying Billy (that's a compliment, by the way); he's a far cry from the light roles he is known for.
From this directorial debut, I learned two things about William Monahan: he can write well (which is confirmed by "The Departed") and he knows how to get a good performance out of an actor. And yet something got lost in the translation. The film is confusing to the point where I gave up about halfway through. At least I had the good dialogue and acting to fall back on.
Starring: Colin Farrell, Keira Knightly, Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, Ben Chaplin, Anna Friel, Eddie Marsan
Rated R for Strong Violence, Pervasive Language, Some Nudity and Drug Use
The longer "London Boulevard" goes on, the less sense it makes. It starts off effectively, but loses its way pretty soon after setting the stage. I guess that's what to expect with a movie that's high-powered on both sides of the camera but can't manage a theatrical release. At least it's not as bad as "The Resident."
Mitchel (Farrell) has just been released from a short stint in prison. Not wanting to go back, he decides to leave the criminal life behind him, much to the annoyance of his squirrely friend, Billy (Chaplin). After fending off a few guys who get too close to a beautiful woman, he gets a job as a bodyguard to a shy starlet named Charlotte (Knightly). But his past comes back to haunt him after he wants to get vengeance for a friend who was murdered. That puts him in the sights of a vicious gangster by the name of Gant (Winstone). Also in the mix are Mitchel's drug addicted sister Briony (Friel) and Jordan (Thewlis), the failed actor who lives with Charlotte.
That's as far as I got with the plot. It's really a mess, but it's a watchable mess, and for that I am grateful. Few things are worse than having to watch a bad movie that can't be bothered to let you know what is happening on screen.
The film is saved by the performances and the writing. With a cast like this and the writer of "The Departed" writing the script, it's no surprise. Colin Farrell can always be counted on to give an effective performance, even when he's in a shitty movie like the "Total Recall" remake. I felt his increasingly dangerous position, even if I didn't understand all the ins and outs of it. Keira Knightly is also very good as the withdrawn starlet (life imitating art?), but her role isn't meaty enough for her to do something truly special. Ray Winstone, no stranger to playing vicious thugs ("The Departed," "Nil by Mouth," for example), is menacing, and he does what he can with the few details about the character that he is provided. David Thewlis, an underrated English actor, is also good, but doesn't have a lot to do other than act drugged out and give Mitchel the inside scoop. Ben Chaplin is excellent as the truly annoying Billy (that's a compliment, by the way); he's a far cry from the light roles he is known for.
From this directorial debut, I learned two things about William Monahan: he can write well (which is confirmed by "The Departed") and he knows how to get a good performance out of an actor. And yet something got lost in the translation. The film is confusing to the point where I gave up about halfway through. At least I had the good dialogue and acting to fall back on.
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