Oh me...this movie was actually different than I imagined which I thought was surprising. I mean, how "unknown" can a movie plot be? Especially for me?
Unknown
Director- Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer(s)- Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell, and based upon the novel Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert
Top Billed Cast- Liam Neeson, January Jones, & Diane Kruger
What's this movie about? You guessed it! Man gets into an accident and suddenly he can't seem to get his wife and colleagues to believe they are, in fact, his wife and colleagues. Such a tragedy. We watch as Dr. Martin Harris struggles to try and make sense of this new "reality". Car chases and explosions abound.
PROS-
* Diane Kruger. The last time I saw her was in National Treasure (let's not count that second thing they called a sequel, k?), so I was quite excited to see her in something new. Though I feel she did the best she could with what was there, this isn't a total "pro".
* This movie didn't go the way I thought it was going to go. I mean, I had it mostly figured out 5 minutes in, but I have to give it credit for going a completely different direction. I guess, though, they kind of HAD to go in a different direction since every other facet of the movie is practically identical to every other movie on the planet.
* In my notes I complimented the transition sequence from the credits to the first scene but, honestly, I don't remember enough about this to call it "good". I'll take my word for it though.
* I also noted that the color tones were good. I could really see the cold, which is always important in my book. One of the best examples of color-usage (in my opinion) is the CSI series: within the first 30 seconds of any episode from any of the shows, one can tell where it takes place (Vegas, Miami, or NY).
CONS-
* Whyyyyy is it that these actors can't annunciate?? I mean, with all the training they have at their disposal, they really can't hire a decent dialect/dialog coach? I have a really hard time believing that. There's only so much growling I can handle in a movie...especially when the main character is also responsible for a real "growling" character: Aslan.
* January Jones. I certainly hope she does a better job in Mad Men, because she was seriously lacking in this movie. From scene numero uno I hated her character and her portrayal. I'm really not sure why they cast her. Popularity of Mad Men? Really? Is that all it takes these days? Could we see Lea Michele cast as Anthony Hopkins wife just because Glee is popular? That'd be only a tad more awkward than the January Jones & Liam Neeson pairing...only a tad.
* So many plot holes and so many pointless deaths. I really just thought the whole thing was a bunch of writers and producers sitting around saying "here's a boring bit, let's introduce a minor charrie and then kill 'em off in wildly unlikely fashion...that'll buy us, what? 5-10 minutes? sounds good".
* Are there no rules in these other countries? I'll just leave it at that.
* Diane Kruger, though she tried, was really trying to play her role younger than I felt she should have. I mean...again, with Aslan as your leading male, you really can't have him gallivanting around Europe with a twenty-something-acting female lead believably. Sure, he'd see something in her..but what would she see in him? He's obvi got MAJOR issues. Too complicated. Oh, and while we're on the subject of Diane Kruger...what the HECK with that character's backstory? South Africa? Why?
Now Mother..
This movie is rated PG-13 and contains loads of violence, some brief sexual content, and profanity. Be prepared to also discuss some of the finer points of World War II. Viewer beware..
This movie was just not that impressive. I mean, I didn't expect it to be...but my pre-set thoughts were not changed upon the end credits. 2.5-5 stars just because it wasn't exactly how I thought it would be. Later this weekend I'll be posting my review of Battle: LA, in an out wifi this week.
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