MAX PAYNE : A MOVIE REVIEW
Max picks up party gal at snitch's wingding.
Max Payne and Mona Sax are a firepower-packing duo.
This film has a stylized, often slightly metalic look to it. This has a certain resonance with the protagonist’s name and modus operandi. Mark Wahlberg has been virtually type-cast as a toughguy maverick. He may be an outlaw or an officer of the law, but in either case he takes care of business according to his rules. Hence, even as an outlaw, he is merely outside their law–not his. As an officer of the law, he does not let legal or police department procedures get in the way of his personal rules of justice. Max Payne is a sort of vigilante within the police department. In this he calls to mind the Al Pacino/Robert Da Niro duo in Righteous Kill (2008). In the Max Payne case the moviegoer is coaxed into sympathy, as his wife and child were murdered, while he was out writing parking tickets (or some other mundane police work). This hurts. This embitters. This induces the thought of seeing that justice is served upon the malefactors.
Max Payne has himself transferred to the hidden-away room where the “cold cases” are maintained. As dedicated as a monk to reams of ancient scriptural parchments was Max Payne to the “cold cases.” He was certain that the one overlooked clue needed to solve the murder of his wife and child resided somewhere in the dry, cold pages in the secured room behind his desk. Max Payne was a man on a mission. He barely tolerated the presence of his fellow cops, and they did not welcome his company.
Mark Wahlberg looks like he might be a cop. However, he doesn’t act much like a cop. He’s not loud and full of wisecracks. He doesn’t clump together like cheerios with other cops. He’s at odds with his old partner, whom he partially blames for allowing the murders to happen.
All of these elements would tend to make the film seem to be a “dark study” of an injured (in the heart) cop and how he “works out” the problem(s) that haunt him. However, this film is one that is suffused with spiritism. You see, folks, Max Payne has visions. In an “other-worldly” lighting he sometimes sees and “discusses” his situation with his deceased wife (Marianthi Evans), as she cares for their deceased child, usually in a homelike setting. The issue usually is: Should he give up the flesh and join her or abide longer? She usually counsels him, “Not yet, Max.” There are some loose ends that have to be properly tied by Max.
Parenthetically, why does Max see his wife in a familiar, homelike setting? Well, that is where he knew her and felt that she belonged and where he felt she was most happy. At any rate, who can envision Heaven?
Besides this seemingly authentic vision by Max, there are other visions which others experience, which have the character of delusions blended with para-biblical demonology and Teutonic mythology.
Now, a parallel storyline, which will bend and converge with the mission which engages Max Payne, involves a large corporation name Aesir. It is likely to be the sort of company that has its fingers in many pies, but for this film its mainly depicted as a member of the “military-industrial complex,” of which D. D. Eisenhower warned his fellow citizens. You know the kind: filled with Richard Cheneys and Donald Rumsfelds. This company, Aesir, has worked to develop a biological mechanism which would unleash the super-warrior lurking within “G.I. Joe Mensch.” Naturally, the chemical proves to have side effects. In perhaps 1% of men the chemical does produce a stronger, faster, quicker-healing soldier. However, for the rest, the chemical proves to be a “bad trip.” The inoculated men have hallucinations, become suicidal, and extremely edgy. Invariably, they begin to “see” dark, winged beasts–dubbed “valkyries”–but which are also likened to angels of death.
There is also an associated myth involving the “proper way of the warrior.” Men who die ignobly are taken away by the demons to a place one may call ‘hell.” For those men to whom the chemical proves transforming into an ultimate warrior, this associated myth reenforces mentally and spiritually what was physically achieved by the chemical. Incidentally, the Aesir company logo is stylized black wings. The “valkyrie” or “angels of death” also sport prominent black wings. Furthermore, all the superwarriors, “failed projects,” and sundry associated people and things wear this logo as tattoos or designs. I will note that Stephen R. Hart, the actor playing the tattoo artist/shopowner, executed a memorable, allbeit brief, scene.
This is an urban based film. It opens with a narration inwhich Mark Wahlberg tells of his present situation and hints of dark deeds. Meanwhile, the moviegoer sees a man struggling at the surface of a body of water, He is tied and weighted. He seems to give in, submitting to the inevitable: he would join the army of dead at the bottom. Indeed, as he sinks, the bodies below make a seemingly eerie welcoming committee. Then, there is a camera cut to Max Payne’s city. He there. He’s a cop. Don’t get in the way of his mission.
The Film Capsule: A detective named Max Payne enjoys his job as a police detective. He enjoys a good relationship with his partner of some years. Then his life is derailed, and nothing will ever be the same again. He comes home to find his beautiful wife and child murdered. He blames his partner in part for this in the sense of not finding the killers and breaks up the team. He is obsessed with finding them and bringing “justice” down upon their heads. He eventually gives up his former police deparyment work for command of the “Cold Case” Department. He devotes his time to sorting through the data in the cold case files in a pen behind his desk. He knows that somewhere in here is the clue that will solve the murder of his wife riddle. There is a seemingly unrelated story going on involving a company named Aesir. It is run by a cold, ruthless sort of woman, whose behavior seems similar to a crime-family boss who wants the dirty deeds he orders to be done to be very remote from and legally untraceable to him. She has a security chief to shield her. Her company makes “modern super-warriors,” actually. Their mission is to design ultimate fighting men for sale or lease. Unfortunately, to find a few good men, they have to filtered out a horde of men of a lesser cut. These human debris live marginalized lives in the urban jungle, trying to deal with the “bats in their belfries.” Well, strictly speaking, they’re angels of death. Or Valkyrie. Or demons. Or something–hmmm–ELSE! They are black, winged and demonic-looking. Maybe they are real, or maybe the are hallucinated visions conjured by brains that stepped off the plane years ago. Whatever. As Max Payne goes out on the solo to pound and pressure informants (snitches) into redoubling their efforts to find him a lead, he stumbles across a gaggle of hoodlum types at a party thrown by one of his snitches. One is Jason Colvin (Chris O’Donnell), who is shirtless, allowing the moviegoer to inspect his low bodyfat which is partially obscured by tattoos. Among those dark lines of body graffiti he discerns a pair of stylized, graceful black wings. He’s not the only one. Present also is “Natasha” (Olga Kurylenko). She is a tall, shapely gal in red. She’s a pretty woman. Moviegoers may remember her from Hitman (2008), in which she played a similar party girl. She takes a fancy to Max, and goes forth into the night with him. She can’t imagine that he won’t “check her out” real closely. To help him out, she gets nearly naked. Max, suddenly thinking of his wife on that same bed, tells her to get out, which she does, while taunting him with her incensed, mocking horselaugh. At the party Max had also met Natasha’s pistol-packing sister, “Mona Sax” (Mia Kunis). They will team up, after Natasha is killed/suicided. Folks, she was lapping up the blue elixir of Aesir, too. Names such as BB Hensley (Beau Bridges) and Alex Balder (Donal Logue) crop up, as Max’s pursuit of his wife’s killer(s) gets warmer. On one of those solitary occasions in the “Cold Case” Department’s file room, which is his official beat, he notices some papers by his wife’s hand, he sees the logo of Aesir. Darn! Didn’t Michelle work for them? Before Max can get too far along, he is captured by hoodlums and thrown into the drink, which is the scene we encountered at the opening of the film. This time we hear Max’s wife tell him: “It’s not time, Max.” He promptly struggles his way back to the surface, as the disappointed dead reach up to him in sad farewell: “Max, we hardly knew you!.” Almost frozen from his swim, he fishes out a vial of blue elixir which he had “impounded” earlier, and gulps it down. Guess what? He a 1% man. This stuff makes him superduper-tough. Of course, there are those darn demon critters he’s now hallucinating, but–hey!–you got to take the bad with the good. Right? Yeah! Max goes to Aesir headquarters to pistol whip a young executive who knew Michelle and some other people of interest, too, so Max could get the right answers. Well, the private army of Aesir is called into the fray. Max Payne is armed with a handgun, possibly a 45 caliber, 15-clip, semi-automatic. Hence, an army of super-warriors armed with fully automatic, 50-clip handheld weapons would have little chance. The intense battle works itself to the roof, where Max–now backed up by Mona–confronts the Aesir boss lady (said by some to be modelled on Katherine Meyer Graham and by others on Myra Lanski Boland). It takes a whirlybird, some demons, Mona and Max to sort it all out. Suffice it to say that at the end of the film, there weren’t as many people as there had been a little while ago.
All rights reserved. Gobigfoot, 2008.
TWILIGHT: A MOVIE REVIEW WITH COMMENTARY.
Vampires in the Global Village
Bloodlust? Or stone-cold love?
"Hobo" vampires enter the Cullen clan's space.
In a small town in the State of Washington a surprisingly disparate collection of inhabitants struggle to get along with each other. There are forks in the road that challenge more than a few of them. Choices! They sometimes can’t be finessed. In this film some made very bad choices. Folks, there are animals running loose in the woods. The Green Revolution has returned The Children of the Night to cool, cloudy Washington, as well as other parts of the great Northwest. If they kill, it’s because they were born that way. Nature! Love it or leave it! Don’t be cold to a heart that’s cruel. It’s just doing it’s thang.
Well, I’m going over the top a bit here. The moviegoer, in fact, sees in this film valuable lessons in “getting along” with others. They honestly try, even when part of the community appears to be unusually white, cold-to-the-touch, creepy-looking and clannish. So, who’s perfect?
Speaking of which, this film has a counterpoint to The Cold Ones in the form of a clan of Quileute Indians. From a member of this Quileute clan, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), the heroine, Isabella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and the moviegoers learn important facts about the first group, the Cullen clan. Even the name of this Indian suggests incompatability with the pale Cullens, as the color black is the absolute opposite of the color white. Yet, the moviegoer learns of an ancient modus vivendi which was established between these two groups. It is a positive touch, which the writer(s) added. Yet, as it is clear that they detest each other, one may be granted leave to wonder how much longer can this tense entente continue.
Now, the heroine, Bella, once she reaches the critical mass of curiosity, behaves in a very standard (and handy) horror flick mode: she researches vampires. One might also observe that her childhood friend, Jacob Black, as well as his father, Billy (Gil Birmingham), serve as a collective Professor Abraham Van Helsing, who are not easily fooled in matters vampire. Incidentally, notice that both the professor and the Indian lad have first names that conger up ancient Hebrew patriarchs. They are righteous blocks of granite before the Unnatural Ones.
Speaking of which, the Cullen family, arriving at highschool, or the like, have a truly weird “air” about them, suggesting a group of “stoned” homosexuals ready to check in at Club 54. This may have been directorial humor – or malice of a cineme verite kind..
Another curious and, perhaps controversial, matter issuing from this film is that the name “Cullen” is spoken in such a way that it suggests the word “Cohen.” Being unfamiliar with the author or nearly anything else about this film, I was not familiar with any names which would be encountered. Hence, it took several pronunciations for me to establish firmly in my mind that the word was, indeed, “Cullen.” This may have been intended, as it has been the hard lot of Jews to be compared to vampires in folk tales, drama, books, films, et al. It is founded largely on the twin issues of “draining a host nation of its blood” (money), which has led to numerous expulsions from various European nations–often more than once, and allegations of ritual murders. Probably, rumors about golems didn’t help to still troubled waters.
The vulgar minds of most nonJews would not perceive the connection. One of the reasons that the first film Blade was a guaranteed classic, as well as cult film, was that it introduced this issue again, not just once, but in two antagonistic sets of vampires that might be likened to Capitalists and Revolutionaries, which were metaphorical proxies for Jews and their primary known role(s) in the world.
Be that as it may, the Cullen family seemed to suggest an “our crowd” sort of social attitude.
A weak point in the legend of the Quileute clan’s discovery of and relationship with the Cullen clan involves the initial chance encounter in Quileute hunting grounds of the two groups. Why did they not “get it on” right then and there? Were the Quileutes a basically peaceful tribe of hunter-gatherers? As we learn from Edward Cullen, he (and presumably all vampires) were made to be the greatest predators, blessed as they were with strength and speed. The awkward confrontation with the Quileutes might have easily been settled by attacking them, ripping off their heads (literally), and possibly getting drunk on their human blood. Possibly? Well, the reader should be apprised of the fact that these are “modernists” vampires who have voluntarily committed themselves to animal blood only. For them to drink human blood would violate their pledge of abstinence. Edward quips to Bella that they were the “vegetarians” of the vampire people.
People, the Cold Ones really just wanted to be part of the community. No more moving from one place to another, as villagers hunted them with pitchforks and torchfire. Being ”consciousness-raised” vampires, the Cullen’s only sought their own home in the Global Village. “Dr. Carlisle Cullen” (Peter Fascinelli) even provided needed medical skills, which the folks appreciated. He could also identify a vampire kill as a ”death by animal” case. In such cases it usually a meant “hobo” vampire had traveled through the Forks vicinity. No sense in Dr. Cullen being too explicit or detailed in regard to the “animal.”
Who was the weirdest member of the Cullen clan, according to appearance? For my money it was Jackson Rathbone, playing “Jasper Hale.” He almost catches the weirdo look of bleached-out zombies blended with Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rainman. Were these “people” similar to what the moviegoer sees, before they were “turned” by diluted venom-vaccine from the “choppers” of another vampire? Or is the vampirization process something of a complete body make-over? I can’t say.
This is not to denigrate Robert Pattinson’s “Edward Cullen,” who could certainly strike up an outre appearance. He can hit the moviegoer with the creepy-eyes, too. It is a “look” that engenders a startled & stunned state of mind in others initially. But – Hey! – the kids got use to it. However, I never saw any of the school clowns mimicking one of the Cullens before their peers. I would certainly have done that. There is a sense that maybe you keep such things to yourself. Sort of like what you might do in the presence of 1970s Dallas Cowboys running back, Duane Thomas, when he leveled his “stare” (he was pretty cold, too).
Yet, Pattinson has a classic, good-looking appearance which is unusual in leading roles in films today, especially in Hollywood movies, where men such as Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Kam Penn abound. He is something of a throw-back to the James Dean type. In fact this film has some resonance with the film Rebel Without A Cause. One can see in Kristen Stewart’s role some of the same qualities and motivations as did Natalie Wood’s character in the teen classic just referenced. “Fitting in” can be a bitch.
I believe that there is an almost zany Romeo and Juliette aspect too. Yet, for all the elements in this film that might have been turned into “howlers” in another film which put a different spin on the story, Director Hardwicke was able to develop a credibly romantic tale. I thought that she was skillful in weaving in stock characters in such a way that the film might be comsidered a perfect homage to filmland’s trite strategems for explaining motivation or bridging plot gaps.Imagine what a Mel Brooke might have done with it! The performances by Stewart and Pattinson in their roles were sufficiently good to smooth the irritations caused by the prickly points along the film path.
Essential to this accomplishment was the fact that “Bella Swan” did not fit too well into her social environment. Although she lived until the age of four with her father and mother in Forks, Washington, she now lived in Phoenix, Arizona, with her divorced and recently remarried mom. She likes Phoenix, as it’s warm. Mom’s husband, the coach, is taking a job in Jacksonville, Florida, and they will soon move there. Uncomfortable with the newlyweds and not desiring to go to Jacksonville, she makes the decision to return to Forks and make a new home with her dad, Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), who is the sheriff there. Dad has given his approval.
Part of our understanding of this attractive teen is provided by her by means of narration. She shares some of her feelings, most telling of which was that if she had to die, doing so in behalf of the person she loved wasn’t such a bad route. This concept gets to play out at least twice, 1) to save her mother and 2) to be with her lover.
A Big Capsule: A teenage woman, Isabella, makes the decision to return to Forks, Washington, when her divorcee mom decides to remarry and head east to Florida with her new hubby. She will join her father, who is a strong, silent type. He’s not pefectly at ease with the situation and shows a bit of awkwardness. She’s “kool” with her father because he doesn’t “hover.” Her father is joined by “Billy Black” for a football game on TV. His son, Jacob, is with him, and the lad greets his playmate, Bella. It isn’t long before Billy sells his old red truck to the sheriff, as a getabout gift to Bella. She goes to the local school in her truck. She doesn’t know anyone really. Jacob Black goes to school at the reservation, so he won’t be there. Nevertheless, as the daughter of the sheriff and living in a small town, she must be known to the others, however thinly. At school, she is promptly greeted by “Eric Yorkie” (Justin Chon), who functions as a film type that apprises Bella of the new school environment, its personalties of note, and the general “lay of the land.” She is both alert to him and aloof from the school’s major personalties and interests. Yet, from the moment that Eric points out the mysterious Cullen clan’s student body contributions, especially Edward, she is attracted to him and finds herself stealing glances at him. At such times he often seems to be glancing at her. Chance places them together at a lab table as “partners in science.” He is acting a bit uncomfortable with her. What gives! Then he just vanishes for a couple of days. The damp, cloudy climate might be depressing to a sun-loving Arizona expatriot, such as Bella, but she takes to it. As a cute gal, she has most of the boys well in hand. Her mood is presently reflective, and the lush, moist, somber environment fits it well enough. There is a camera cut, as she first returns to Forks, that depicts a solitary deer picking its way through verdant terrain. It startles at something and begins to run. After bounding through the woods, spurred by fear, it is captured by what appears to be a bipedal creature–possibly even a human, who takes it down to the ground for the predator’s kill. Although her name suggests “beautiful swan,” her story in this film is more like that of this pretty deer. Of interests to the moviegoer is who that “predator” was and is. Is there a “Beauty and the Beast” aspect to this film? Her relationship with Edward really “warms up,” after he returns from his two day absence. He has changed somewhat and becomes more “forward” in his approach to Bella. Her curiosity makes her open to his placating advances. It’s not long before he confesses that he “can’t resist her” any more. At an earlier point he had warned her about involving herself with him. Now, he won’t take no for an answer. So, the moviegoer witnesses the attraction bonding them. In her narrator role she confesses to being in love with him (even though his hands are mighty cold). Edward has proven to her that he can be more protective than “a caveman” cause he knows she “wants a brave man.” He literally stops an out-of-control van from crushing her by extending a hand in a “stop” gesture. He also saves her “honor” from a potentially dangerous situation involving some “high” Frat Boys. Edward can read the minds of others (except Bella’s) and was incensed by the Frat Boys’ “impure thoughts.” After they escape in his “hot wheels,” he tells her he feels like going back and ripping off their heads (which the moviegoer comes to realise he can literally do). Now, sometime in this period, Jacob Black counsels Bella, and she comes to learn of the Quileute Legend. She goes to a handy Quileute-run library where she purchases a book on the legends, myths & facts about what the Indians call “Big Tooth.” With this and Google she gathers enough circumstantial evidence to convince herself that she was hopelessly in love with a vampire. Bummer? Not really. Bella is a little different herself. Well, then, are the moviegoers going to be forced to witness “star-crossed” lovers? An unexpected event occurs at an almost all-Cullen baseball game. Bella is there, too, and has been reasonably well accepted by Dr. Cullen’s unnatural brood as part – sort of – of their crowd. A lightning-graced storm has given the Cullen’s clan the sports field all to themselves. They are a trip to watch, due to their techniques, speed and power. Suddenly, they see three strangers ambling out of the woods, as if summa cum laude graduates from the Mark Wahlberg School of Tough-Guy Walking. Two men and one woman confront and are confronted by the Cullen clan. The young black vampire, “Laurent” (Edi Gathegi) , who is 3oo years old and seems to have a Caribbean lilt, acts as the trio’s spokesperson. He is respectful and conciliatory toward the Cullen clan, noting that they were just pacing through and wouldn’t disturb the Cullen’s “kool” with the Forksian folks. However, the moviegoer has already witnessed them drain a local restaurant owner and town favorite. Bella is half hiding behind Edward, as the Cullen’s hoped she wouldn’t be discovered by “peopleotarians.” The other male, “James” (Cam Gigandet), who is a young white vampire, wearing his hair in a modified, Thomas Jefferson-style, begins to inhale deeply. The more perceptive moviegoers realised that he was on the scent of Edward’s “chick.” “Fie! Fi! Fo! Fum! I smell the blood of a hu-man!” Where once there was discussion of the trio joining the baseball game, suddenly they all are at war (excepting Bella). Vampires know how to kill vampires. No peasant superstitions here; instead, they rip off heads and tear bodies apart. Bella is with Edward, but James is tracking the scent. If she goes home, he’ll kill dear old dad. Bella is caught in a tough situation. Edward is planning to drive her to a safe spot. However, James has tracked her to mom’s, who is now being held as prisoner. Either Bella comes to Phoenix (mom has returned, alarmed about news from dad), or mom gets drained. “Alice Cullen” (Ashley Greene) has “seen” the future and predicts that Bella will die. She has drawn a likeness of the spot. It looks like a room in her old high school! That must be where James is holding mom. The potential moviegoers well may imagine how the two sides gather there for a “show-down.” Let me tell you that things get bloody. There’s a lot of venom between the two groups. How will our dear Bella fare? It can be a cold world. Love helps.
All rights reserved. Gobigfoot, 2008.
