Into the Ashes
1.5/4
Starring: Luke Grimes, Robert Taylor, Frank Grillo, James Badge Dale, Margeruite Moreau, Brady Smith, David Cade, Scott Peat
Not Rated (probable R for Strong Violence and Language)
When did movies stop being fun? When I watch an R rated action movie, I frequently find myself asking that question. For the most part, the characters are bitter, grim and bent on homicidal revenge or whatnot. I remember movies like "Face/Off" and "The Rock," which are just as violent but about a hundred times more entertaining. Those movies had the joy of filmmaking imbued in their very DNA. These days, it's all about who is more grim.
Of course, that makes sense, seeing as "Into the Ashes" is a revenge story. Considering what happens to Nick Brenner (Grimes), it makes sense for him to want to make his tormentors pay in blood. It's just that it's hard to care about a guy who doesn't talk much, never smiles, or shows any semblance of a personality. Nick is a stick figure; a writer's prop to get the story from one scene to the next. Such a description would be too generous for just about everyone else in this movie. Who cares about what happens to these people? I didn't.
Nick is a man with a bad past, but he's determined to make something of himself. He has a wife Tara (Moreau) who loves him even though her father Frank (Taylor) doesn't trust him. He is a hard worker and his best friend Sal (Dale) is just as devoted to him as Tara. But the men from the life he left behind have found him and are determined to bring him back into the fold.
"Into the Ashes" does almost everything wrong. For one thing, the film is turgidly paced. It's one thing to make a slow-burn thriller. It's quite another to do it right. Writer/director Aaron Harvey repeatedly mistakes silence for "dramatic pauses." I kept thinking of Alan Arkin's character in "City Island" who complained about too many pauses. That happens here. There are moments of dead silence between every line (most of which are mumbled for "intensity"). Perhaps Harvey thinks that if we see them "thinking" we won't notice how boring they are.
The acting, with one exception, does not impress. Luke Grimes is a blank slate. Granted, Nick isn't the most emotive of characters, but the guy is a dullard. Frank Grillo, a character actor on the rise, is a disappointing villain. For the most part, Sloan lacks real menace. When a guy has just committed murder and then starts asking for ice cream, it's hard to take him seriously. Unlike Grimes his character is more interesting when he doesn't talk. And Robert Taylor is just annoying. He's supposed to be one of those gruff folks who uses "poetic" monologues to express what his character can't say, but his ramblings about fate and the biblical figure Samson come across as desperate and contrived. I wished I was watching that campy Christian film about the aforementioned biblical hero instead of this turkey.
The only actor who brings anything to this movie is James Badge Dale. He plays Nick's friend Sal, a lively and colorful character (two things this movie could have used a lot more of). Dale is one of those actors who makes big impressions even with small appearances (he stole "Flight" from Denzel Washington with only a minute or two of screen time, for example). Even in terrible movies like "Hold the Dark," he's always good. Which is why it's heartbreaking to watch him be forced to appear in drek like this to make a living. He needs a new agent. Like now.
"Into the Ashes" also violates the rules of basic storytelling. For example, we never find out what happened in Nick's past. Who are these people? What did they do with Nick? I think it was alluded that they robbed banks, but including this basic tidbit of information seems like a no-brainer. Yet for reasons unknown, Harvey decided to leave it up to the audience to guess. Finally there's a switch in perspective at the tail end of the film that serves no purpose. The majority of the film centers on Nick, but for reasons known only to the director, the film switches protagonists and Frank takes center stage. Then a key scene is revealed in flashback. There's no reason to do this, nor was there any hint that this would happen. Playing around with timelines is fine, but if you're going to do it, you have to set it up and prepare the audience for it. Here, it comes across as gimmicky and desperate.
The film isn't devoid of suspense, even though if it is poorly motivated (credit should go to composer James Curd for the success in this department). And there are some laughs along the way, although none are intentional. All in all, this movie is a waste of time. It's boring, occasionally pretentious, and frequently tries too hard. I was reminded of "Dragged Across Concrete," which is really all that needs to be said. At least this one is an hour shorter. Huzzah for small favors, I guess.
Starring: Luke Grimes, Robert Taylor, Frank Grillo, James Badge Dale, Margeruite Moreau, Brady Smith, David Cade, Scott Peat
Not Rated (probable R for Strong Violence and Language)
When did movies stop being fun? When I watch an R rated action movie, I frequently find myself asking that question. For the most part, the characters are bitter, grim and bent on homicidal revenge or whatnot. I remember movies like "Face/Off" and "The Rock," which are just as violent but about a hundred times more entertaining. Those movies had the joy of filmmaking imbued in their very DNA. These days, it's all about who is more grim.
Of course, that makes sense, seeing as "Into the Ashes" is a revenge story. Considering what happens to Nick Brenner (Grimes), it makes sense for him to want to make his tormentors pay in blood. It's just that it's hard to care about a guy who doesn't talk much, never smiles, or shows any semblance of a personality. Nick is a stick figure; a writer's prop to get the story from one scene to the next. Such a description would be too generous for just about everyone else in this movie. Who cares about what happens to these people? I didn't.
Nick is a man with a bad past, but he's determined to make something of himself. He has a wife Tara (Moreau) who loves him even though her father Frank (Taylor) doesn't trust him. He is a hard worker and his best friend Sal (Dale) is just as devoted to him as Tara. But the men from the life he left behind have found him and are determined to bring him back into the fold.
"Into the Ashes" does almost everything wrong. For one thing, the film is turgidly paced. It's one thing to make a slow-burn thriller. It's quite another to do it right. Writer/director Aaron Harvey repeatedly mistakes silence for "dramatic pauses." I kept thinking of Alan Arkin's character in "City Island" who complained about too many pauses. That happens here. There are moments of dead silence between every line (most of which are mumbled for "intensity"). Perhaps Harvey thinks that if we see them "thinking" we won't notice how boring they are.
The acting, with one exception, does not impress. Luke Grimes is a blank slate. Granted, Nick isn't the most emotive of characters, but the guy is a dullard. Frank Grillo, a character actor on the rise, is a disappointing villain. For the most part, Sloan lacks real menace. When a guy has just committed murder and then starts asking for ice cream, it's hard to take him seriously. Unlike Grimes his character is more interesting when he doesn't talk. And Robert Taylor is just annoying. He's supposed to be one of those gruff folks who uses "poetic" monologues to express what his character can't say, but his ramblings about fate and the biblical figure Samson come across as desperate and contrived. I wished I was watching that campy Christian film about the aforementioned biblical hero instead of this turkey.
The only actor who brings anything to this movie is James Badge Dale. He plays Nick's friend Sal, a lively and colorful character (two things this movie could have used a lot more of). Dale is one of those actors who makes big impressions even with small appearances (he stole "Flight" from Denzel Washington with only a minute or two of screen time, for example). Even in terrible movies like "Hold the Dark," he's always good. Which is why it's heartbreaking to watch him be forced to appear in drek like this to make a living. He needs a new agent. Like now.
"Into the Ashes" also violates the rules of basic storytelling. For example, we never find out what happened in Nick's past. Who are these people? What did they do with Nick? I think it was alluded that they robbed banks, but including this basic tidbit of information seems like a no-brainer. Yet for reasons unknown, Harvey decided to leave it up to the audience to guess. Finally there's a switch in perspective at the tail end of the film that serves no purpose. The majority of the film centers on Nick, but for reasons known only to the director, the film switches protagonists and Frank takes center stage. Then a key scene is revealed in flashback. There's no reason to do this, nor was there any hint that this would happen. Playing around with timelines is fine, but if you're going to do it, you have to set it up and prepare the audience for it. Here, it comes across as gimmicky and desperate.
The film isn't devoid of suspense, even though if it is poorly motivated (credit should go to composer James Curd for the success in this department). And there are some laughs along the way, although none are intentional. All in all, this movie is a waste of time. It's boring, occasionally pretentious, and frequently tries too hard. I was reminded of "Dragged Across Concrete," which is really all that needs to be said. At least this one is an hour shorter. Huzzah for small favors, I guess.
boring and dumb
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