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Brandon Cronenberg's latest motion picture had me seriously hyped up for the last few months. Its trailer really sold me "Possessor". Then, after its October release, I read reviews and breakdowns of the storyline, all sorts of exciting comments caught my attention, the likes of "Brandon Cronenberg is cut from the same cloth as his extremely talented father"; comparisons were drawn with the likes of "Looper", "eXistenZ", and heck, even "Inception"; The visual effects department barely relies to any computer generated imagery at all; The film contains this bizarre, organic and bloody imagery that is so reminiscent of David Cronenberg's earlier films; the film intelligently explores themes that are very "du jour", such as the underlying risks of constantly evolving technology, and how allowing the wrong hands to pull its strings can lead to a twisted form of puppetry that most cannot even imagine. The list goes on and on, and it sure fostered interest toward this movie as far as I was concerned.
"Possessor" tells the story of Tasya Vos, a woman who works for a company that wealthy clients hire to commit assassinations of high-profile targets. The company uses a technology that certainly is reminiscent of iconic bizarre imagery and sci-fi elements within David Cornenberg's filmography : It allows Tasya to connect to another body into which an implant has been injected beforehand, and take control of that body, which she uses to fulfill her contract, and of which she then must dispose by making that body commit suicide. Since I do not want to give too much away, I will only say that, at some point, as Tasya is possessing another body, things take an unexpected turn.
Besides the fact that there are various obvious similarities with themes that were so dear to Brandon Cronenberg's father, more importantly (I think!), there are also various reminiscent story codes at the very core of the fictional universe that is on display such as how the abuse of this "organic technology" ends up destroying both the minds and bodies of its users. The parallel with "eXistenZ" immediately comes to mind, and so is the case with "The Fly", "Videodrome" and "Scanners". Let's make it clear, though, that "Possessor" clearly draws us into a world that is closer to the one we know, at least in depiction, than what David Cronenberg's marquee sci-fi films have got us accustomed to.
"Possessor" never over explains things. I think this is a bit of a double-edged sword that may please some viewers and upset others, as there are certain layers of complexity within the story that are somewhat reminiscent of "Inception". But unlike Chris Nolan's film, Cronenberg does not dedicate twenty minutes or so to showing characters walking through demonstrations of the particularities of the world he's creating, or explicitly explaining how the technology that is core to the story works, or the origin and reason for every tiny related detail (artifacts, implants, etc.). Instead, it lets the viewer put all the pieces together, hopefully well enough to get the idea at a more general, "big picture" level. As I said, I'm fine with it, but I can understand the complaints from other viewers too, especially given how much time is spent on a few other aspects that could either have been toned down (i.e., the extended sequences of extreme violence, for instance) or simply shortened (i.e., certain scenes involving Colin's entourage that do not really contribute to character development) without compromising the quality of the film and storytelling. It doesn't feel like any of the above was done at the expense of something else in particular, though, but it could have been time spent on providing the audience a better grasp on this somewhat intangible and bizarre universe in which it is set to spend a hundred minutes, and be more immersed meanwhile.
Cronenberg's direction is superb, allowing this nightmarish journey to unfold in a manner that is just as oddly beautiful as it is terrifying. I particularly enjoyed all the distorted, lurid imagery and those fascinating and psychedelic sequences when the technology operates and Tasya transitions into another human body. What makes it even more impressive is that this was apparently achieved without relying to CGI, and it shows...in a really good way. Cronenberg also plays a lot with symmetry and asymmetry in the framing of his shots, and uses some slow and hypnotic camera movements, which really help create a unique atmosphere. Needless to say, he is a talented director with great visual flair. The ambient-type soundtrack aligns perfectly with the bizarre and nightmarish situations and settings, and makes for quite an interesting sensorial experience throughout.
As a fan of practical makeup and gore effects, "Possessor" was a ton of fun to watch, and those practical effects showing the human body seriously damaged in all sorts of imaginable ways are incredibly effective. Some of the kills on display in this film had me wincing, at times, from being so nasty. It will be off-putting to some viewers, and understandably so, but the violence is an integral part of the story, and I'm glad to see that it was not delivered through a plethora of goofy-looking CGI blood spurts and splats. Personally, I did not mind how graphic it was, although I thought it might have been overstretched in terms of screen time, in proportion with how important it is as a theme within this story, and how other much more central themes do not appear to get such a preferential treatment as far as screen time is concerned.
The cast is all-around great, with Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, and Christopher Abbott as both Colin Tate and Colin Tate's body possessed by Tasya. Riseborough feels truly invested in her performance, and Abbott does a really good job bringing to life two characters within the same body, literally. You can tell when he's Colin, and when he's Tasya. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also pretty damn creepy in the supporting role of an executive from the company that employs Tasya.
Now, on the downside, I wish there would have been a more significant amount of character development involved, although what is actually to be found is coined beautifully. And the limited amount of character development that "Possessor" includes really serves the story tremendously. The ending, especially, speaks volumes on that, and is as powerfully symbolic yet subtle as the ending in "A History of Violence", another film indeed directed by Cronenberg the father. Nevertheless, as a viewer, I have to admit that this deficiency prevented me from being emotionally attached to any of the characters. I do have this feeling, however, that this was exactly Brandon Cronenberg's intention.
Overall, "Possessor" is a visually enthralling, nightmarish motion picture that tackles the fascinating and current topic of how dangerous technology could become (especially in the wrong hands), and successfully spins it to create a fine blend of sci-fi, thriller and horror. Despite a few deficiencies in the writing department, where it feels like certain propensities could be harnessed to his advantage in the future, Brandon Cronenberg truly delivered with "Possessor", and proved that everyone, especially genre fans, can expect great cinema from this filmmaker.
"Possessor" tells the story of Tasya Vos, a woman who works for a company that wealthy clients hire to commit assassinations of high-profile targets. The company uses a technology that certainly is reminiscent of iconic bizarre imagery and sci-fi elements within David Cornenberg's filmography : It allows Tasya to connect to another body into which an implant has been injected beforehand, and take control of that body, which she uses to fulfill her contract, and of which she then must dispose by making that body commit suicide. Since I do not want to give too much away, I will only say that, at some point, as Tasya is possessing another body, things take an unexpected turn.
Besides the fact that there are various obvious similarities with themes that were so dear to Brandon Cronenberg's father, more importantly (I think!), there are also various reminiscent story codes at the very core of the fictional universe that is on display such as how the abuse of this "organic technology" ends up destroying both the minds and bodies of its users. The parallel with "eXistenZ" immediately comes to mind, and so is the case with "The Fly", "Videodrome" and "Scanners". Let's make it clear, though, that "Possessor" clearly draws us into a world that is closer to the one we know, at least in depiction, than what David Cronenberg's marquee sci-fi films have got us accustomed to.
"Possessor" never over explains things. I think this is a bit of a double-edged sword that may please some viewers and upset others, as there are certain layers of complexity within the story that are somewhat reminiscent of "Inception". But unlike Chris Nolan's film, Cronenberg does not dedicate twenty minutes or so to showing characters walking through demonstrations of the particularities of the world he's creating, or explicitly explaining how the technology that is core to the story works, or the origin and reason for every tiny related detail (artifacts, implants, etc.). Instead, it lets the viewer put all the pieces together, hopefully well enough to get the idea at a more general, "big picture" level. As I said, I'm fine with it, but I can understand the complaints from other viewers too, especially given how much time is spent on a few other aspects that could either have been toned down (i.e., the extended sequences of extreme violence, for instance) or simply shortened (i.e., certain scenes involving Colin's entourage that do not really contribute to character development) without compromising the quality of the film and storytelling. It doesn't feel like any of the above was done at the expense of something else in particular, though, but it could have been time spent on providing the audience a better grasp on this somewhat intangible and bizarre universe in which it is set to spend a hundred minutes, and be more immersed meanwhile.
Cronenberg's direction is superb, allowing this nightmarish journey to unfold in a manner that is just as oddly beautiful as it is terrifying. I particularly enjoyed all the distorted, lurid imagery and those fascinating and psychedelic sequences when the technology operates and Tasya transitions into another human body. What makes it even more impressive is that this was apparently achieved without relying to CGI, and it shows...in a really good way. Cronenberg also plays a lot with symmetry and asymmetry in the framing of his shots, and uses some slow and hypnotic camera movements, which really help create a unique atmosphere. Needless to say, he is a talented director with great visual flair. The ambient-type soundtrack aligns perfectly with the bizarre and nightmarish situations and settings, and makes for quite an interesting sensorial experience throughout.
As a fan of practical makeup and gore effects, "Possessor" was a ton of fun to watch, and those practical effects showing the human body seriously damaged in all sorts of imaginable ways are incredibly effective. Some of the kills on display in this film had me wincing, at times, from being so nasty. It will be off-putting to some viewers, and understandably so, but the violence is an integral part of the story, and I'm glad to see that it was not delivered through a plethora of goofy-looking CGI blood spurts and splats. Personally, I did not mind how graphic it was, although I thought it might have been overstretched in terms of screen time, in proportion with how important it is as a theme within this story, and how other much more central themes do not appear to get such a preferential treatment as far as screen time is concerned.
The cast is all-around great, with Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, and Christopher Abbott as both Colin Tate and Colin Tate's body possessed by Tasya. Riseborough feels truly invested in her performance, and Abbott does a really good job bringing to life two characters within the same body, literally. You can tell when he's Colin, and when he's Tasya. Jennifer Jason Leigh is also pretty damn creepy in the supporting role of an executive from the company that employs Tasya.
Now, on the downside, I wish there would have been a more significant amount of character development involved, although what is actually to be found is coined beautifully. And the limited amount of character development that "Possessor" includes really serves the story tremendously. The ending, especially, speaks volumes on that, and is as powerfully symbolic yet subtle as the ending in "A History of Violence", another film indeed directed by Cronenberg the father. Nevertheless, as a viewer, I have to admit that this deficiency prevented me from being emotionally attached to any of the characters. I do have this feeling, however, that this was exactly Brandon Cronenberg's intention.
Overall, "Possessor" is a visually enthralling, nightmarish motion picture that tackles the fascinating and current topic of how dangerous technology could become (especially in the wrong hands), and successfully spins it to create a fine blend of sci-fi, thriller and horror. Despite a few deficiencies in the writing department, where it feels like certain propensities could be harnessed to his advantage in the future, Brandon Cronenberg truly delivered with "Possessor", and proved that everyone, especially genre fans, can expect great cinema from this filmmaker.
"Thank you for your service" is based on the true story of a handful of veterans of the Iraq war struggling to reintegrate society after they're done serving. While I always thought these stories were of significant interest, I do find that most films depicting them often lose themselves in preachy patriotism or some sort of either pro- or anti-war narrative that lacks nuance. "Thank you for your service" avoids these traps for the most part, but unfortunately, its narrative framework consistently remains within the realm of clichés throughout its runtime, and the film never attempts to explore and tackle other underlying issues that could have brought much appreciated depth to its story and characters.
This is all very common territory here, with the typical bureaucrats not being too helpful, the veteran affairs facilities being packed leading to tremendous delays in treatment, veterans stuck in poverty and barely able to make ends meet, and eventually drifting into criminal activity. While this accurately reflects the very disturbing reality of a society that's always ready to send its young, uneducated, vulnerable men to fight in its wars, but will shamelessly abandon them afterwards, leaving them financially and mentally broken, the film seems content to present this various components of this harsh reality such as poverty, the centralization of treatment facilities, the lack of resources, the military culture, and others in a very generic manner, and wrap those up as a more general, overarching issue that has already been exposed quite extensively in movies and television.
The film's main strength is definitely its cast, with Miles Teller starring and offering an impressive performance that is complex albeit on the edge of being a tad too stoic at times. Beulah Koale also shines throughout the film, although much like other characters, his could have benefited from a few more elaborate and less predictable narrative developments. Nevertheless, the dialogue is fluid and adds a ton of credibility to these soldiers' "brotherhood" and to their respective struggles within their relationships. Oh, and Amy Schumer is barely recognizable and impresses for as long as she appears on screen.
The direction is overall pretty good, although, again, it just doesn't feel too much out of the ordinary. The film never seems to drag, and is well paced. The war sequences are somewhat conventional, but there are a few standout shots here and there to let you know that Jason Hall knows what he's doing.
"Thank you for your service" is an overall fair undertaking, not ground-breaking by any stretch of the imagination, but nonetheless interesting enough to keep your eyes on the screen for its entire runtime without looking at your watch. To me it felt a bit like a missed opportunity, because I think this harsh reality that these veterans face is a major issue in our society, and warrants a more in-depth meditation, which this film will not not achieve to spark, unfortunately.
This is all very common territory here, with the typical bureaucrats not being too helpful, the veteran affairs facilities being packed leading to tremendous delays in treatment, veterans stuck in poverty and barely able to make ends meet, and eventually drifting into criminal activity. While this accurately reflects the very disturbing reality of a society that's always ready to send its young, uneducated, vulnerable men to fight in its wars, but will shamelessly abandon them afterwards, leaving them financially and mentally broken, the film seems content to present this various components of this harsh reality such as poverty, the centralization of treatment facilities, the lack of resources, the military culture, and others in a very generic manner, and wrap those up as a more general, overarching issue that has already been exposed quite extensively in movies and television.
The film's main strength is definitely its cast, with Miles Teller starring and offering an impressive performance that is complex albeit on the edge of being a tad too stoic at times. Beulah Koale also shines throughout the film, although much like other characters, his could have benefited from a few more elaborate and less predictable narrative developments. Nevertheless, the dialogue is fluid and adds a ton of credibility to these soldiers' "brotherhood" and to their respective struggles within their relationships. Oh, and Amy Schumer is barely recognizable and impresses for as long as she appears on screen.
The direction is overall pretty good, although, again, it just doesn't feel too much out of the ordinary. The film never seems to drag, and is well paced. The war sequences are somewhat conventional, but there are a few standout shots here and there to let you know that Jason Hall knows what he's doing.
"Thank you for your service" is an overall fair undertaking, not ground-breaking by any stretch of the imagination, but nonetheless interesting enough to keep your eyes on the screen for its entire runtime without looking at your watch. To me it felt a bit like a missed opportunity, because I think this harsh reality that these veterans face is a major issue in our society, and warrants a more in-depth meditation, which this film will not not achieve to spark, unfortunately.
The original "Predator" film is one of my all-time favorite action films. John McTiernan's direction is excellent in depicting the geography of the amazing action on screen and generating suspense and thrills accordingly. The testosterone-filled crew of soldiers led by Dutch (a prime Arnold Schwarznegger) is absolutely legendary among action films. The jungle setting gives the film a special atmosphere, which again would not have been the same without McTiernan's abilities as a director. The one-liners are genuinely delightful.
After quite many sequels, reboots and spin-offs, all of which, in my view, were highly forgettable and pretty mediocre, 20th Century Fox hired Shane Black to direct "The Predator", an astoundingly ridiculous sequel that tries really hard to implement many of the elements that made the very first film so enjoyable, but that fails so miserably that it feels disgraceful in a franchise that already included plenty of terrible sequels. "The Predator" is a complete mess in so many departments, I don't even know where to start. And this has nothing to do with my love for the original film: with all objectivity kept, every aspect of "The Predator" is a failure.
Shane Black's direction is the complete opposite of McTiernan's: You can barely understand what's going on throughout this endless string of poorly filmed, chaotic action scenes that are completely devoid of structure and continuity. At the root of this widespread mess is a scenario of staggering stupidity, probably one of the worst scripts that I can remember in recent years, even by B movie standards. The dialogue is laughable, the characters are beyond archetypical and bland (I can't remember one of their names, even the protagonist's), and the generalized silliness of the story extends beyond that of any of this derailed franchise's outings and spin-offs. Take a second, and let this sink in: the crew of soldiers manages to "train" one of the Predator's pets (those ridiculous dog-like creatures that were introduced in "Predators") at some point. Oh boy.
The cast features some of the least charismatic actors I've seen in a major production in years, especially the protagonist, an incredibly far cry from Major Dutch in the original film. It was quite heart-breaking to see Thomas Jane impersonate a totally anonymous, poorly-written character in this wreck of a film. As the interchangeable members of this crew of soldiers get impaled, beheaded or cut in half, you'll most likely remain totally indifferent. Again, that's if the messy direction even allows you to notice who's getting killed.
Finally, the quality of the special effects aligns perfectly with the overall production: they're mediocre to a point where you'll wonder whether this really is a major studio production. All the creatures (especially the "giant" predator), the spaceship and the gore all looked cartoonish, and the overall cinematography feels like a joke of very poor taste.
Needless to say, "The Predator" is an abysmal mess from start to finish, in every department without exception. Do yourself a favor and revisit the original film instead of wasting your time with this cinematic garbage.
After quite many sequels, reboots and spin-offs, all of which, in my view, were highly forgettable and pretty mediocre, 20th Century Fox hired Shane Black to direct "The Predator", an astoundingly ridiculous sequel that tries really hard to implement many of the elements that made the very first film so enjoyable, but that fails so miserably that it feels disgraceful in a franchise that already included plenty of terrible sequels. "The Predator" is a complete mess in so many departments, I don't even know where to start. And this has nothing to do with my love for the original film: with all objectivity kept, every aspect of "The Predator" is a failure.
Shane Black's direction is the complete opposite of McTiernan's: You can barely understand what's going on throughout this endless string of poorly filmed, chaotic action scenes that are completely devoid of structure and continuity. At the root of this widespread mess is a scenario of staggering stupidity, probably one of the worst scripts that I can remember in recent years, even by B movie standards. The dialogue is laughable, the characters are beyond archetypical and bland (I can't remember one of their names, even the protagonist's), and the generalized silliness of the story extends beyond that of any of this derailed franchise's outings and spin-offs. Take a second, and let this sink in: the crew of soldiers manages to "train" one of the Predator's pets (those ridiculous dog-like creatures that were introduced in "Predators") at some point. Oh boy.
The cast features some of the least charismatic actors I've seen in a major production in years, especially the protagonist, an incredibly far cry from Major Dutch in the original film. It was quite heart-breaking to see Thomas Jane impersonate a totally anonymous, poorly-written character in this wreck of a film. As the interchangeable members of this crew of soldiers get impaled, beheaded or cut in half, you'll most likely remain totally indifferent. Again, that's if the messy direction even allows you to notice who's getting killed.
Finally, the quality of the special effects aligns perfectly with the overall production: they're mediocre to a point where you'll wonder whether this really is a major studio production. All the creatures (especially the "giant" predator), the spaceship and the gore all looked cartoonish, and the overall cinematography feels like a joke of very poor taste.
Needless to say, "The Predator" is an abysmal mess from start to finish, in every department without exception. Do yourself a favor and revisit the original film instead of wasting your time with this cinematic garbage.
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