Saturday, November 08, 2014

Nightcrawler, John Wick

I saw and enjoyed John Wick tonight. It's a savvy, smartly made, funny, violent, and very entertaining film, obviously made by people with a taste for John Woo films and maybe rock videos, with a nod or two to past Keanu vehicles and excellent use of Marilyn Manson's music. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

But it's disposable, empty garbage compared to Nightcrawler, which is a film with real meat to it. It had me thinking throughout of Night and the City, not only for its amoral/ immoral but nonetheless charming protagonist, but for its rather thorough skewering of capitalism. I have no idea who Kim Linekin is, who reviewed the film for the Straight, but her advice that you'll enjoy yourself if you set your expectations low isn't really that apt, and her review reveals more about her than about the film. It's really great; if you like films noir, if you like thrillers that reward reflective viewing, you'll eat it up. And it's quite intense at times, too! Go see it - just trust me.

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