A Tender Goodbye Amidst a Blaze
April 16, 2015
Furious 7 (2015).
D: James Wan. DP: Marc Spicer & Stephen F. Windon. W: Chris Morgan. Starring: Vin Diesel/Paul Walker/Jason Statham/Michelle Rodriquez/Jordana Brewster/Tyrese Gibson/Ludacris/Dwayne Johnson/Kurt Russell/Nathalie Emmanuel/Elsa Pataky/Djimon Hounsou/Lucas Black.
Is there a film more wrought with complications than Furious 7, yet still able to rake in the money it has? Probably not, but this story is not without immense sadness.
The death of actor Paul Walker near the end of 2013 left a community in LA and fans of the franchise reeling, but it also left half of his scenes in Furious 7 not completed. A logistical and emotional problem faced Universal as they decided to continue production and honor Walker, while also working with his brothers to create the rest of his role. For a thread of films founded on loyalty, family, and ultimately brotherhood this decision results in a film that delivers its usual fare, but with more goodbyes.
Malaysian director, James Wan (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring) stepped into the director’s chair for this installment, which at times feels like the pan-ultimate music video. Yes the action is intense, and there is a lot of it, but the stunts with the cars always win out. This film finds Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) being left by Letty (Michelle Rodriquez) who had returned from the presumed dead, but without her memory. Choosing to ‘find her new me’ she leaves and not long after Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) shows up for some Wreck-it-Ralph vengeance for his brother from the previous film, played by Luke Evans.
Never a franchise for heavy plot development, soon enough the vengeance turns out to be a smaller part of a bigger war, gasp, and a haggard Kurt Russell is introduced to make offers and explain everything. Chris Morgan, the writer of all of the films since the original, The Fast & The Furious, (which was written by Gary Scott Thompson in 2001) weaves large scale plot devices that allow the cast to move around the world. With pumping music, flashy cuts, and even a bikini body shot, Furious 7 leaves nothing unturned (even newcomer Nathalie Emmanuel from Game of Thrones must be initiated into the exploitation). At an exhausting two and a half hours, the film blares though as much material as it can, with as much banter stuffed in as it can muster.
Having not seen every film in the bunch it is still a film easy to follow, the dialogue is so basic and one-linery that one almost images Morgan standing in front of mirror practicing lines in his best Diesel impression. Frankly some of the lines could only be said by a man with that level of husk in his pipes. Yet Furious 7 ultimately feels like one long goodbye. Every time Walker is on the screen it’s poignant, not knowing what scenes he actually shot when. There is a painful phone call between him and his on screen wife Mia (Jordana Brewster) that preambles the ending of the film. Yes it is cheesy, but its clearly not the end people imagined. For that the film is forgiven, they say goodbye with a lot of a heart and grace and one leaves with the good feeling that Walker was really loved and will be missed by those who worked with him for nearly fifteen years.
Get in and go…TO THE MOVIES
September 23, 2011
Drive (2011).
D: Nicolas Winding Refn. DP: Newton Thomas Sigel. W: Hossein Amini (based on the book by James Sallis). Starring: Ryan Gosling/Carey Mulligan/Bryan Cranston/Christina Hendricks/Albert Brooks/Oscar Isaac/Ron Pearlman/Kaden Leos.
This fall film season has now seen its first big independent hit with Drive. It’s star, Ryan Gosling, has already been seen this year in the summer comedy, Crazy Stupid Love and has another film, Ides of March, out later this fall. Can you handle the Gosling fever?
Drive rests nearly entirely on Gosling’s shoulders as his turn as the Driver (he’s so mysterious he doesn’t have a name) carries the whole project. Luckily for audiences Gosling’s usual slicked hair, sexy bravado, and goofy grin are coupled with a weighted performance that never reveals all that there is to his character. Rather as the film reaches its crescendo, Gosling pulls back layers and gives the film the strong thread it needs to succeed.
The weight in Gosling also forces the story of Drive to never feel too simple or its construct over stylized. His Driver soon meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) whose literally the girl in the apartment down the hall and befriends her and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). It only gets complicated when Mulligan’s spouse played by Oscar Isaac turns up later on while Gosling’s stunt driving career (moonlighting as a getaway driver) might lead to a race car driving one. Yet none of these other actors can really pull focus from Gosling, whose bigger picture motivations are never actually revealed or relevant. However, Bryan Cranston makes a nice turn as Gosling’s boss/fellow car junkie.
Stylistically, Drive is the most memorable film of the year so far. It commits to its Los Angeles location and the image of the western lone ranger, now late night driver doing his best to get by and disappear. Even better is the contrasting use of music and silence. This allows the music to be delivered so deliberately that it enhances the visuals its coupled with. And therefore also allows the minutes and sequences without background noise to feel raw and stripped, allowing Gosling’s glove squeaking or the clock of a gun to contribute to a scene rather than be lost in it. This clear visual choices for the film are also in a nice balance with Gosling and the other actors’ performances. Whereas normally scenes might feel underplayed and a bit slow, you instantly forgive that since it is in such stark contrast to the music, the editing, and eventually, the distinct and unforgiving uses of violence.
Ultimately, the most impressive thing about Drive is its clarity of vision and use of style to tell a specific story. Although the scenes of violence might not be for all audiences, they are necessary and integral to the story. And who does not expect a bit of violence in a story about a man who crashes cars for a living? Yes, maybe not this level, but is exactly what Drive is. Nothing you expect and everything you want at the same time. All set to a soundtrack that will be played in cars all fall.