Directed by Michael Petroni, known for directing The Book Thief, combines paranormal with a mystery in a plot that twists suspense to an all-time high. The story is like The Sixth Sense but in reverse. It is refreshing to watch a movie that is so different.
Oscar winner, Adrien Brody, and Sam Neill star in the spine-chilling thriller, Backtrack. Suspense is the key word because it kept me on the edge of my seat as the shocking story slowly unfolds.
We follow Psychologist Peter Bower, played by Brody, as his life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers that the patients he has been seeing are ghosts. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right.
I am not a fan of psychologists because the profession is built on the premise that man is an animal. I completely disagree. Though, this movie is really good.
The Blu-ray and DVD have some nice behind-the-scenes featurettes including “The Psychology of Backtrack.”
All in all, Brody carries the movie along with strong supporting actors. The story is just as strong with a resolution that is believable.
Directed by Daniel Lee, Dragon Blade is a fine example of the materialization of the growing motion picture market in China. The industry is so dominate in Asia that Western stars arrive on the scene in Chinese productions. Like Dragon Blade, the movies are cultural dramas on a grand-scaled of historical epics. Lee’s movie has done well as a moneymaker, gaining over $120 million in the China market. The storyline is unique and pleasurable with Jackie Chan, John Cusack, and Adrien Brody. Cusack and Brody appear out of place in the empire of men swinging swords and wearing sandals, whereas Chan does a fine job of martial arts and plays a familiar role.
The movie transports the story back to 48 B.C. where Huo An, played by Chan, is a well-intended and compassionate leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. His squad comes across as a dedicated group. Huo protects and fights altruistically in order to hold harmony for the sanctioned Road.
Thereupon, Huo and his men are framed for gold smuggling and are banished to Wild Goose Gate. They are required to rebuild an entire city in two weeks or be put to death. Clearly an impossible task, something miraculous happens, and they connect up with a lost Roman army. Command by general Lucius, played by Cusack, is a scoundrel. He immediately picks a fight with Huo. After the brawl, they become fast friends with singing, parades, and drinking. Lucius confesses he is trying to avoid being captured by the Romans and has a sick boy, Publius, played by Joey Jozef. The boy is the lawful heir to the Roman throne, and his evil brother, Tiberious, played by Brody, is out to assassinate him. He recently just murdered their father, so we know he is serious. With that in mind, Lucius’ men and other local tribes along with Huo turn the city into a symbol of the peace. Something Huo has desired for most his life.
The visuals are not only majestic but also ambiguous. Seeing Chan in a sword fight with Cusack is conflicting. We are in Asia and here is a Westerner. It is intriguing but unreal for an epic. The $65 million budget availed gigantic spectacles where Lee effectively created a war-torn China during the Han Dynasty.
This is purely fictional with no regard for historical authenticity. True. The Romans and Asians shared commerce and the Silk Road, but nothing more. The many battle scenes are exceptional with the combination of Roman fighting techniques and traditional Chinese martial arts. The movie is invigorating while witnessing the development of a friendship between Huo and Lucius.
Overall, Dragon Blade is a movie worth seeing with Chan outshining his Western co-stars.
Directed by Sarik Andreasyan, American Heist is your typical thug movie without anything special to mention. With lines like “It was always me and you against the world.”, originality is lacking big time. Frankie, played by Adrien Brody, is just out of jail. His brother and crime partner, played by Hansen Christensen, is living a clean life after getting his act together while his brother was in jail. But, Frankie doesn’t have any money or home. He needs his brother’s help to carry out one last heist. The final heist isn’t just for Frankie. Its success will help them both. Added to the mix is some bad boy rappers, and they don’t really ad that much to the movie. Sorry boys.
I wasn’t bored watching the movie, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a bad movie at all. There are some points in the movie that I did enjoy, but the story is pretty nonspecific with Brody carrying the movie on his shoulders by pure talent. When I see Christensen in a movie, I am looking for the Shatter Glass performance that impressed me so. Not in this movie, I am still hoping and watching.
Hollywood heist movies are very popular if done right. Such movies as Ocean Eleven, Reservoir Dogs, and The Usual Suspects are fine examples of these movies using elements that set them apart from parallel stories. American Heist is not unique in that sense, which is its downfall. It is a typical movie that needs some panache in order to be good and worth watching.
Directed by Michael Petroni, known for directing The Book Thief, combines paranormal with a mystery in a plot that twists suspense to an all-time high. The story is like The Sixth Sense but in reverse. It is refreshing to watch a movie that is so different.
