Netflix's Extraction Is Over-The-Top, Extreme, And Ultimately Effective With Chris Hemsworth Delivering A Strong Performance

    

      Action movies made by Hollywood are done so with the sole purpose of providing solid popcorn entertainment with a reasonable amount of plot and character development tossed in between the films impressive action and fight sequences. Very rarely do action movies carry scripts that allow for a large dose of substance to be given in regards to the films plot or characters. They also rely on a compelling enough lead actor/actress to carry the film to the level of being reasonably satisfying regardless of whether the script is up to par with the action, or is lacking in substantial plot and character growth. In the case of Netflix's Extraction, the film sticks to the basics with delivering a plot with paper-thin character development and exploration with Thor's Chris Hemsworth being chosen as the Arnold Schwarzenegger macho style action hero of the story. Extraction aims to both entertain and dazzle audiences with its intense action set pieces and fight sequences, while making up for its scripts shortcomings with the strength of its main star in the title role. The end result ends up being a decent (Though not great) action flick, that's self-aware in regards to what it wants to be without misleading its audience. The film is primary about action and suspense with it ultimately delivering well on both ends, along with a strong performance from Chris Hemsworth in the films title role.

Based on a graphic novel titled Ciudad, the plot for Extraction centers around the kidnapping of a Indian drug lords teen son named Ovi (Played by Rudhraksh Jaiswal), prompting a mercenary named Tyler (Played by Chris Hemsworth) to extract the boy. While searching for him, the mercenary discovers that government corruption along with roving gangs and a rogue operative (Played by Randeep Hooda), make the already risky mission more perilous. The plot for Extraction is an ideal one given the type of action film it aspires to be with its synopsis being clear-cut, while allowing the action to be diverse in a vein similar to John Wick style action with scenes regarding the films impressive fights, explosions, and gunfire. For Chris Hemsworth, the script presents him the opportunity to dominate the film with his on-screen action hero persona, along with showing he's more than capable of handling an action flick of this magnitude on his own outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Extraction is a fast-paced yet intensely effective action flick, that leaves little room for the audience to exhale in between the films anxiety-driven yet intense action set-pieces. The films plot is a perfect fit for the type of action flick Extraction aspires to be as it doesn't require large amounts of depth to make it work in regards to fleshing out the characters or story in terms of delivering endless exposition, but presents the audience with enough information to
get a gist for both the characters and plot while diving straight into the action with little to no breaking in between. The action is the films main selling point and while the films violence may come across as feeling a bit excessive or too extreme at times, it works in regards to making the overall experience thoroughly entertaining with Hemsworth's performance elevating both the insane action as well as the films standard story to make it a fast-paced action flick, that's overall satisfying under the right expectations in regards to watching it.

      One of the main elements that was always going to determine whether Extraction would be a successful at executing its action-packed story, is the strength of the star chosen for the films main title role. For the John Wick series, Keanu Reeves proved to be the ideal choice for the main role with him creating a character that was both magnetic and kept audiences invested in his character. With Extraction, Chris Hemsworth proves to be an ideal choice for the films lead with him delivering an electrifying performance as the mercenary extractor Tyler Rake, a former SASR operator turned black ops mercenary. Hemsworth proves most effective at creating a likable and sympathetic main character, who experienced personal tragedy in his life prior to his current mission with him being determined to protect and deliver his asset. While Hemsworth's character doesn't come with a great deal of character depth nor exploration, he manages to make the most of the role given to him and crafts a main character, whose thrilling to watch due to both his combat and fighting skills. He also manages to convey his characters haunted past regarding his own personal tragedy, along with showing his reluctance to get back into the fight at first before using his experience of rescuing Ovi as a form of redemption for his past years of bloodshed (This is highly evident with his characters last stand in the films thrilling climax). Rudhraksh Jaiswal shines as Ovi Mahajan, son of Indian crime lord Ovi Mahajan Sr. Jaiswal manages to play his part well despite moments where the audience gets frustrated with his characters actions in regards to being rescued by Hemsworth's character with him not fully trusting him in the beginning. Jaiswal and Hemsworth both work off each other well while sharing some nice moments together in between the action with their characters becoming connected on a personal level. Golshifteh Farahani proves to be likable as mercenary and partner of Tyler with the audience getting a genuine feeling of her characters fondness and loyalty to Hemsworth's character. Randeep Hooda impresses as Saju Rav, a former Special Forces operator and henchmen for Ovi Mahajan Sr. His character not only has some solid action moments, but works well off Hemsworth performance wise. Priyanshu Painyuli does well playing one of the films main antagonists, Amir Asif, a Bangladeshi crime lord who kidnaps Ovi. Painyuli's character has some solidly intense moments with him intimidating and controlling his younger servants into committing his evil deeds. Other notable performances are Stranger Things David Harbor in a minimal yet effective role as former teammate of Tyler named Gasper with Pankaj Tripathi also being effective as Ovi Mahajan Sr, the incarcerated Indian crime lord and father of Ovi, and Sam Hargrove as mercenary and partner of Tyler named Gaetan. An action flick like Extraction relies on the believability and strength of its main ensemble cast in terms of bringing both it's action and story to life in a way that audiences find to be ultimately convincing. Here, that seems to very much be the case as everyone does solid jobs with the roles given to them, even if most are overshadowed by Hemsworth's characters dominance in the story. If it wasn't for the fact that he ends up being a strong leading character in the story, the film wouldn't work as well as it ultimately does. Chris Hemsworth's performance as well as the films kinetic action, are the lifeline of the film and manage to help to make up for the scripts shortcomings where character development and plot exposition fall on the side of being light.

      Directed by Sam Hargove in his feature film debut, he does a solid job of dropping the audience right into the center of the action as evidenced by the films opening sequence. Originally a stuntman who performed numerous stunts for films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hargrove impresses with his directorial debut with most of his praise being directed towards the films intense action sequences, that feel fast and come with a great deal of kinetic energy behind them. The action serves as being the films main selling point with Hargrove giving the audience what they want in terms of delivering the goods. He takes a clear cue from the John Wick series with long fight scenes that are drawn out, yet are brilliantly put together with impressive fight choreography. The films main action highlight is a 12-minute sequence featuring Hemsworth's character fleeing the antagonists with Ovi that's genuinely thrilling to watch. Hargrove keeps the action rampant and lean with the heavy use of it suiting the style of the film given its story. The films quieter and emotional moments are minimal but well-reserved throughout the story with Hargrove making those moments count, particularly the scenes where Tyler and Ovi both get to know as well as grow a mutual understanding and respect for each other. He also does well with keeping the films narrative structure focused with the story being pretty straight-forward for audiences to understand with moments of brutality enhancing the shock value of the plot. Hargrove creates a brutal world that surrounds the main characters with the deaths being gruesome when they appear, including moments where young children are being thrown off rooftops and choosing to cut off their own fingers in appeasing their masters with then being used as child soldiers. The films sound effects and cinematography are both top notch with the films action and explosions being loud and impactful when they happen along with the films visual look being appealing while capturing some great action/fight sequences. The cinematography gives the film a feeling that it feels like one long and continuous shot of action and mayhem that's endless. The films signature moment that showcases its brilliant cinematography is the 12-minute-long action sequence that consists of multiple car chases, car pile ups, hand-to-hand combats involving Hemsworth character and the films baddies, characters running through tenements along with them both leaping and falling off rooftops. Hargrove takes the action in the story to the most extreme with the films editing being both tightly-paced and brisk. With Extraction, Sam Hargrove keeps both the action and story moving continuously without much time for the audience to rest in between the films key set-pieces. In terms of directing, he proves to rise to the occasion in regards to giving audiences an adrenaline-induced rollercoaster ride of thrills and suspense, that makes for a great Friday evening Popcorn flick.

      Written by Joe Russo who helped co-write Avengers: Endgame, Russo creates a serviceable action script that focuses primarily on the action aspect of the story while giving just enough character depth to get audiences connected with Hemsworth's character. None of the films script manages to be groundbreaking work, but it gets the job done in regards to delivering a scenario to audiences that's both exciting and believable. For an action film like Extraction, audiences don't typically expect this type of film to have deep character and plot exploration as the plot is mainly designed to deliver one intense action sequence after another. The moments where the audience gets room to breathe consist of ones in which Tyler and Ovi interact or share emotional moments such as Tyler reflecting on the loss of his son which results in either a tearful recollection or him jumping into the water and sitting at the bottom of the ocean reflecting on his child. While Russo delivers audiences a protagonist with emotional baggage that leaves him scared, it's not enough to make audiences ponder about his characters loss long after the film ends but works well just enough to show his motivation for refusing to take the mission to save Ovi at first then becoming more selfless in his efforts to protect and save him. The films antagonists serve as being typical generic baddies in a story like Extraction with not a great deal of character development behind them other than a few moments shown to remind audiences of how evil they are with the hope that they'll receive their just demise at the hands of Hemsworth's character. The films message ultimately says that redemption is possible when one has a moral code they abide by despite their actions with the film emphasizing that through Hemsworth's character arc. In regards to writing a script that covers themes regarding greed, power, corruption, and bravery, Extraction does a reasonably solid job of covering all of those themes with a script that fulfills the basic functions of making for a decent action movie.

      Overall Extraction works as being a fairly entertaining and exciting action flick that's well-filmed in regards to its action sequences, and can be fully enjoyed if one goes in appreciating the heavy amount of action that the film presents. Whereas the plot offers very little in regards to creativity, the performances and well-executed action scenes are reason enough to recommend this film to action movie fans. If one views the film as being an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride, they'll find Extraction to be a genuinely satisfying experience that serves up the best form of popcorn entertainment. With a sequel being in development due to the surprise success of this film with it being one of the biggest Netflix movie debuts ever in regards to viewership, one hopes that the filmmakers expand on both the characters as well as the story for the next round. Extraction is an action flick that's made with the sole purpose of entertaining its audience to the fullest extinct, and it manages to do just that with the positive elements outweighing the negative ones overall. It's no John Wick but it possesses the style and energy of those films in regards to delivering their action to make this one ultimately worthwhile for action fans.

Final Verdict: For action movie fans as well as fans of Chris Hemsworth, Extraction is a fast-paced and exciting thrill ride that delivers on its promise to give audiences an intense and satisfying action-packed experience.
 

Bombshell Serves As Being A Powerful And Hard-Hitting Biographical Drama Thanks To The Fantastic Performances Of Its Brilliant Cast

      One of the most interesting aspects of watching films, is observing the era in which they're filmed and ultimately released in. There are numerous films that bear with their stories cultural significance in representing the time, mood, and era in which they were released. In the case of Bombshell, the film explores two general shifts in the regular cultural atmosphere. The first is the rise of Donald Trump during the 2016 Presidential election with the film showing his influence on the harassment of popular news anchor and debate moderator Megyn Kelly, as well as the coverage he received from right-leaning Fox News network. The second serves as being one of the early stages of the #Me Too era, as well as a representation of it in which numerous women reject the norm of being sexually harassed on a regular basis by the head of the news station, and decide to fight back by coming forward with their humiliating yet eye-opening stories of misconduct in what's essentially shown to be a toxic working environment at Fox News network. Bombshell's story is significant because it gets right to the heart of the #Me Too movement by showing the vulnerability and fear, that many of its victims had in regards to reporting their abuses due to not wanting to be looked upon as being liars with the fear of retribution from their abusers. The film works well as being an effective true-to-life story of sexual harassment, along with showing how it became normalized at it's news network. The film benefits from the terrific acting performances of its main cast, particularly Charlize Theron who continues to show audiences that she's one of the best actresses working today with Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon, and John Lithgow all rising to the occasion in regards to bringing their A game here. Bombshell is not just a made-for-television drama that shows misconduct in the workplace, the film also serves as being both an experience as well as a revealing one for its audience, even if it doesn't totally explore its story and themes to maximum potential.

      Based on true events, the plot for Bombshell centers around Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson (Played by Nicole Kidman) initiating a lawsuit against the head of Fox News Roger Ailes (Played by John Lithgow) for sexual harassment along with revealing the truth about the toxic environment surrounding the network under his watch, which essentially allowed these actions to be continuous. Her lawsuit was also joined by popular news anchor Megyn Kelly, as well as other numerous employees of Fox News in coming forward with their stories regarding discrimination, harassment, and assault. In an era where the #Me Too movement has emerged and shifted into full force with numerous women coming forward with their stories. Bombshell's story aims right at the heart of the movement, as well as being a perfect representation of its significance. The film is about power, vulnerability, and bravery with all three themes being thoroughly explored and ultimately revealed. The film reveals its engaging plot like a novel with the main story being so interesting it plays out like a page turner. The film chronicles three major cases of sexual misconduct against Roger Ailes with the characters that Theron, Kidman, and Robbie ultimately play. What helps the story be as interesting and effective as it ultimately comes across as being, is the solid storytelling and humanity that the filmmakers bring to the story as well as the realistic performances from its main cast. For the main actresses and actors, this is an important story to tell and they deliver their A game in regards to bringing their characters to life. What makes the story an intriguing one is the realism behind it. Whether audiences agree or disagree with the politics of the network shown in the film, they find themselves sympathizing with the main characters in regards to coming forward with their stories regarding misconduct and discrimination. The films ultimate message is a noble one that says it's always better to speak out when bad things happen in order to prevent them from happening again. Bombshell is a film that works because of it's well-intentions in regards to telling its story with both the filmmakers, as well as the main stars all generating a reasonable amount of sympathy for the main victims, while also exploring the politics behind the controversial news network.

      One of the key elements behind Bombshell that gives it its sheer power in terms of being an effective drama, is the phenomenal performances of its three main actresses along with John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. Charlize Theron is a force in terms of being a dramatic actress with her performance as Megyn Kelly being both a commanding and compelling one. Her performance is spot-on with Theron delivering the right mannerisms to properly imitate her real-life counterpart, along with giving audiences a glimpse of what her character was thinking or feeling during the whole reveal of Roger Ailes mistreatment of female employees at Fox News. Theron adds a great deal of tension and suspense to the story with her trying to piece together the truth regarding the lawsuit against Ailes, along with trying to quietly seek other women with similar stories of abuse against him while still coping with her own assault years prior. Her work in the film is more restrained and reserved compared to her previous performances, but remains powerful nonetheless. Nicole Kidman delivers a terrific performance as Fox newscaster Gretchen Carlson with her character shown to be the one to initiate the lawsuit against Ailes. Kidman beings a similar style of confidence and commanding performance to her part with her character shown to be visibly frustrated at being the only woman to come forward with harassment allegations against Roger with her character knowing there's more stories out there. Margot Robbie proves terrific while adding more emotional weight to the story as Fox News employee Kayla Pospisil with Robbie showing the vulnerability, humiliation, and fear that women have for not standing up to men in power like Roger Ailes. Her character represents a younger generation of women who may or may not carry experiences similar to the one her character endures in the story with Robbie playing the role to absolute perfection along with Theron and Kidman. She easily carries one of the films most intense and powerful moments with her character being blindsided at first to the slimy intentions of her employer, is left completely stunned and helpless as she's forced to lift her skirt up in a humiliating display to fulfill her bosses demands while being threatened with silence. It's a scene that's bound to leave audiences feeling both uncomfortable and angry, but is played to maximum effect by both Robbie and Lithgow. Kate McKinnon shines in her role as Kayla's savvy co-worker Jess Carr with Carr revealing to Kayla that she's an undercover Lesbian/liberal working for Fox News mainly because no one else will hire her due to her association with the network. McKinnon does well and makes the most of her part with her character being both paranoid and fearful of being discovered at Fox News for being gay along with knowing of Kayla's encounters with Roger. Whereas all the main actresses give stellar performances, John Lithgow meets them with a superb performance as the powerful yet deceiving Roger Ailes. Lithgow completely owns his character and gives audiences a villain in the story they grow to to despise other than Donald J. Trump with Ailes using both his reputation and position in power to force his female employees to perform sexual favors for him in exchange for moving up to higher positions in the news station. Lithgow balances out the film with a performance, that matches the caliber of work that the three main female stars bring to the picture. The rest of the supporting cast gives notable performances with Connie Britton as Beth Ailes, Malcom McDowell as Rupert Murdoch, Kevin Dorf as Bill O' Reilly, Spencer Garrett as Sean Hannity, and Richard Kind as Rudy Guliani. The cast of Bombshell goes a long way in regards to making the story come across as being both believable and compelling with all the main actors/actresses taking their roles and adding something to the film. The movie wouldn't work as well as it does without the combined talents of its main stars nor the clear dedication and devotion they bring in regards to telling the story. Of all the performances in the film, it is Charlize Theron that steals the show with her characters strength and determination to get to the truth being projected on the screen, as well as her desire to put other powerful individuals in check with regards to their mistreatment of women.

      The films directing by Jay Roach proves to be both steady and confident with him keeping the film tightly-paced and suspenseful as the story slowly unfolds. Roach directs the film in a style that gives his actors a great deal of free reign to play their roles while adding intensity to the film. He portrays the downfall of a serial abuser as being a compelling story, that carries with it a pacing that's near perfect with the story never coming across as feeling boring nor tiresome. If anything, it leaves the audience wanting more in regards to knowing more about the cases. The film is well-shot with strong cinematography, giving the film a docudrama style feel to it with terrific makeup work that effectively makes the actresses look like their real-life counterparts. Roach balances out the three major stories of harassment committed by Ailes well enough to where none of them feels like they're dominant over the other two or vice versa. Despite Roach doing an effective job of bringing the characters and story to life on the big screen in a way that makes it entertaining and engaging, the film can't help but shake off the feeling that it's an expensive made-for-television film that just happened to receive a theatrical release due to its main stars backing it. Roach gives the film solid production values while proving to be reasonably decent at generating suspense and tension with the films plot. One wonders what more he could've done with the film had the script been more meatier with the past history of Ailes abuses, particularly the one involving Kelly which is barely shown through quick yet effective flashbacks. In terms of the filmmaking aspect of the film, the most impressive element is the fantastic make-up effects as Theron, Kidman, and Lithgow are almost totally unrecognizable in their roles.

      The films screenplay by Charles Randolph works well in terms of balancing out all three major stories of harassment, while showing how they're all connected along with giving the audience behind-the-scenes information regarding the cases and the politics behind the Fox News network. What the script does well is fleshing out the three main female characters to the point where the audience not only has empathy for them but understands their reasonings for not coming forward immediately with their assaults while showing the toxic environment surrounding them, that allowed the harassment of women in the news station to be widespread. The story is presented in a fashion that makes it feel dramatic with a satirical edge to it such as showing the impact of the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary in the background as the events of harassment conducted by Ailes, as well as the lawsuit begin to unfold. What's shown effectively through the writing is Theron's character Kelly's shock and anger at her studios refusal to defend her against constant attacks being directed at her by then Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump. The film shows the fallout of her characters rightful questioning of Trumps attacks on women, while simultaneously questioning his temperament to be president during the first Presidential debate with random people on the street approaching her shouting "Trump 2016" as an act of disapproval and intimidation for her questioning. The script also shows the young female generations desire to make it in corporate America through the characters of Robbie and McKinnon with them also being shown to be afraid of the wrath of the news station they work for if they speak of any misconduct happening, or if McKinnon's characters true sexuality and political ambitions are discovered (It's revealed that she's a closeted Hillary fan). The films most disturbing moments come from the type of language and power that Roger Ailes used in courting young talent in his news organization. The script shows him preying on young and aspiring talent that usually results in him either asking for a favor or using quid pro quo in getting what he wanted out of them, while presenting no other option for them to advance in the news station. What  Bombshell does well with its writing is showing how the abuse of power in regards to both the sexual harassing and assaulting of women went unchecked for so long, and how it was ultimately empowered by its owners. The films noble intentions in regards to showing the courage of the three main women in coming forward against Ailes, is shown to be a noble and righteous act that brought some sense of peace and satisfaction of justice to their cases.

       As effective as Bombshell performs in regards to storytelling, one can't help but wonder how much more the films themes and concepts regarding harassment, the abuse of power, toxic work environment, and sexism could've been explored had the writer and director elaborated further on Roger Alies actions against women. There is enough depth and information given to make the audiences invested in both the characters, as well as the story without it feeling bland or uninspired. The film succeeds in delivering a powerful statement regarding the mistreatment of women with the film serving as encouragement for those with past experiences of harassment or abuse to come forward with their stories. As the film shows, such an act should be looked upon as being both courageous and brave as those who prey on the powerless or take advantage of certain situations deserve to face retribution for their actions. Could the film have explored its plot more in-depth? Yes, Megyn Kelly's encounter with Roger could've been explored upon more by the filmmakers rather than just barely shown through flashbacks with the same being said about Gretchen's character.The film makes a conscious effort to explore the themes of harassment and sexual abuse through the lense of a young generation of women with showing Robbie's character experiencing it firsthand by Ailes and being afraid to speak about it for fear of discipline. Although Bombshell could've gone further with its plot, it still manages to leave a solid impact with audiences in regards to presenting its story while examining the atmosphere surrounding the characters that took the passive approach to things instead of confronting it head on. The film ultimately works as well as it does thanks to the fantastic performances of its main cast, as well as the sincerity and dedication the filmmakers put into telling its story. Ailes was a despicable character with zero filter who genuinely thought he could get away with his mistreatment of women with his ultimate downfall being greatly anticipated by audiences while being watched with a large ounce of satisfaction. Whereas audiences may or may not agree with agree with the political views that the main female characters share (All are presented as being right-leaning conservatives with the exception of Kate McKinnon's character), they will find themselves being united in their desire to seeing the victims of Ailes stand up to their controlling and overbearing boss who should've experienced his downfall much sooner. Bombshell is one of 2019's most beautifully acted and understated films as it's an intense, powerful, and ultimately eye-opening experience for audiences with it showing the early stages of the #Me Too movement coming to fruition.

Final Verdict: For Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie fans and those who enjoy biographical and historical dramas, Bombshell satisfies with its tremendous acting performances from its cast as well as its desire to entertain and enlighten audiences on the climate of sexual harassment both economically as well as politically.

Just Mercy Hits Audiences Hard With Its Powerful Story That Feels Both Engrossing And Timely

 

      Whereas most movies are made with the sole purpose of entertaining their target audience, some films not only aspire to do just that but go beyond in regards to presenting a powerful story to the audience, that ultimately delivers with it a message which resonates with them. Movies like Just Mercy are meant to entertain, inform, and make the audience watching it think as well as reflect on how society as a whole treats one another, and what the presumption of innocence actually means for a certain percentage of American citizens. Films like that are no stranger to controversy nor do they aim to shy away from the brutal reality of the films message. Just Mercy presents itself as being a hard-hitting and moving experience, that doesn't make any attempts to sugarcoat the reality behind its story, but presents it in a way which the audience finds it engaging as well as informative while doing so in a fashion that's both entertaining and doesn't hammer the audience over the head with its message.

      Based upon true events set in the time period between 1987 to 1993, Just Mercy focuses on a recent Harvard Law School graduate (Played by Michael B. Jordan), who opens an office in Alabama to help men sentenced to death on Death Row, while shining a light on a corrupt Southern legal system. One of the first cases he takes involves a man named Walter McMillian (Played by Jamie Foxx), convicted of murder and sentenced to death despite no evidence proving his guilt besides the testimony of a troubled inmate. One of the things that makes Just Mercy such a powerful moviegoing experience is not that it carries with it strong acting performances, steady hand direction, and brilliant writing, but the fact that the film feels both timely and relevant to today's era with the issues the film addresses from the films time period being as important now as they were then. Just Mercy has both a story to tell and a point to make to its audience with it succeeding very effectively in doing both. The film is not a pleasant experience for audiences to endure nor does it desire to be as the filmmakers understand that the best way to convey their message to those watching it, is to put them in the shoes of both the characters. They accomplish that through solid storytelling and a straight-forward narrative, that never loses sight of it's characters nor the films well-intentioned message. The film knows what it wants to be and goes about doing so with the utmost confidence and dedication behind presenting its story. It's a shame that the film was completely overlooked this past award season as Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx give some of the strongest performances of their careers with Brie Larson impressing in a strong supporting role.

      As powerful and emotionally gripping of a story that Just Mercy manages to be, the film owes a great deal of its strength as a film to the terrific performances delivered by its fantastic cast. The acting delivered here is raw and genuinely believable with a feeling of sincerity behind all of the key players. Michael B. Jordan once again demonstrates that he's a talented young actor with tremendous range and a bright future ahead of him. Jordan excels in the role of young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson with Jordan perfectly conveying his characters shock and frustration at a corrupt law system in Alabama, that's deliberately rigged to put innocent people behind bars, particularly African-Americans. The role required an actor who could cover all the different variety of emotions the script called for with the character with Jordan showing that he's capable of meeting those demands and going beyond. Jamie Foxx delivers a strong and compelling performance as wrongly accused Walter McMillian with Foxx delivering his strongest acting performance since his work on Ray. Whereas Jordan's performance is quieter and persuasive, Foxx's is calm, unapologetic when his character vents his frustration, and extremely moving when both seeing the heart and determination that his lawyer has in fighting for his case while dealing with the realistic possibility that he may not be released from prison nor spared execution on Death Row. With both performances, Jordan and Foxx work off each other effectively while showing strong chemistry and respect for both the characters and story they're representing. Brie Larson impresses in her supporting role as Stevenson's loyal friend and co-worker Eva Ansley, whom he also founds the Equal Justice Initiative with. Larson's role is smaller than the ones Jordan and Foxx carry, but she still manages to leave a profoundly impactful role as someone becoming more increasingly aware of the corruption in the South and risks everything to do what's right in setting an example for her children. Larson is a talented actress and makes the most of her characters arc despite the film focusing on both Jordan and Foxx's characters. Her performance can best be described as being the most understated of the main trio as she helps to round out the main leads. Tim Blake Nelson impresses in his supporting role as convicted felon Ralph Meyers with Nelson effectively showing the conflict his character faces in terms of knowing what he did was wrong in regards to wrongfully accusing McMillian of murder with him wanting to rectify the mistake he was forced to make by the authorities, but fears the consequences he'll receive by the authorities for doing so. As a whole, the cast here is terrific and do exceptional jobs in regards to bringing their characters to life, as well as giving the story an emotional punch. The film wouldn't be what it ultimately is without the casts key performances here as everyone shows genuine passion and dedication for wanting to tell this story in the most respectful and honorable way possible.

      The films directing by Destin Daniel Cretton is noteworthy with him directing the film with a firm and steady hand. Cretton creates an atmosphere that feels depressing and somber with him allowing his actors enough freedom to ease into their roles, along with adapting to the atmosphere regarding the films setting. Cretton's work here allows the story to be engrossing with it being appropriately effective, as well as clear handed. He utilizes every minute of the films running time to properly build the story and characters up while presenting the facts surrounding the case to the audience. The film moves at a slow pace but the characters and plot become so engaging once the story begins, that its hard to not want to continue watching it to see what happens next (For those who don't know how the story ends, its even more intense and engrossing). Cretton brilliantly sets up key scenes to show how rigged and discriminatory the justice system in Alabama is towards African-Americans with Jordans character being forced to strip down for a routine search despite being approved to see Foxx's character in prison for no other reason than to be humiliated by the guard on duty. Another scene that reinforces the obstacles that Jordan's character faces in pursuing a retrial is being pulled over and harassed by the local police for no apparent reason other than to intimidate and scare him off. It's moments like those and Larson's character being threatened over the phone with a bomb for helping Stevenson's character defend McMillian, that drive up the sheer power and intensity of the story, ultimately making it an eye-opening experience for audiences largely thanks to the well-executing of those scenes due to Cretton's strong directing. The films cinematography works in regards to showing both the wealth and societal differences between the black and white neighborhoods in Alabama. It also manages to give the film a dream-like feel to it as the audience sits in disbelief at the events unfolding in the story only to realize that its not fiction but reality unfolding. Cretton also makes it a point through the use of the films effective cinematography to give audiences close-up shots of the actors faces during pivotal dramatic moments to capture the emotions on their faces, a move that adds more weight to the films story. As far as the films directing goes, Cretton does an impressive and admirable job of keeping the film both well-balanced and straight-forward with its overall message, without it coming across as being too preachy or manipulative. He allows the characters and story to gradually unfold with the performances being the driving force behind the film being so powerful in terms of being a moving experience with the end being the emotional payoff that audiences anxiously await to see what happens.

      The films screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham is well-handled in basing the bulk of its script off Stevenson's memoir titled: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. The script balances out the development of the characters (Stevenson for example) along with showing the gradual strengthening of the partnership between Stevenson and McMillian in fighting for their case to be reopened. Even though the film opens up with showing McMillian's character being wrongfully framed for the murder he's accused of committing, the heart and soul of the story lies within the development of Bryan Stevenson's character with him witnessing firsthand the injustices of the police system in Alabama while becoming more committed to not just helping Stevenson's character, but the other inmates who are also wrongfully imprisoned with him. Stevenson's determination to win his case becomes absolute when he attends the execution of one of McMillian's fellow inmates in jail, whom he tried to defend simultaneously. For both the audience as well as Stevenson, the scene is disturbing to watch but heightens the stakes in regards to pursuing McMillian's innocence along with his fellow inmates. The script for Just Mercy works as well as it does because it presents the story from the perspective of the young lawyer with him desiring to make a difference in his community, as well as bringing to light the faulty justice system that's purposely rigged against people of color. The audience also witnesses his character become a stronger lawyer as the film progresses with McMillian shown to be objective of his services at first, but later taken by his willingness to visit his family and promise to fight for his release. The message that the film ultimately leaves audience is one that says that true justice is fighting for those who need help the most with film showing that message through the actions of Stevenson, which are reflected during the film as well as the aftermath of the case shown in the films credits.

      What could've easily ended up being a boring made-for-television court drama turns out to be a genuinely moving and powerful experience, that audiences will feel the full impact of long after the credits roll. The film owes much of its success to the stellar performances of its main cast, along with the pure dedication and devotion of the filmmakers in regards to telling the story. The film is affecting in all the right ways and will get audiences angry, shocked, frustrated, and ultimately hopeful as the film shows a real-life version of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird at work with several references to that story being made in the film. Just Mercy is a film that aims to show an injustice that was prevalent then with its universal plot and characters speaking to now with utmost urgency. In an era where more and more are beginning to question both the fairness and truthfulness of the legal system overall, Just Mercy arrives with a message and characters that speak to the audience it targets. It works best as being a touching and inspirational story about hope that will make audiences think and ask the hard-hitting questions the film poses, while making others want to seek justice for those who truly deserve it. One of 2019's most understated and effective films.

Final Verdict: For fans of Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and those looking for a solid emotional drama, Just Mercy hits all the right notes and entertains as well as informs.

Uncut Gems Has Adam Sandler Delivering A Career-Best Performance In A Tense Crime Story

       Going against a type of role that actors/actresses are generally accustomed to can be a difficult task at times ultimately. Not only has the audience gotten used to seeing that person in a particular role, it's difficult for certain actors/actresses to branch out into newer territory as studios don't see them being as marketable as they would be doing their typical work. In the case of Adam Sandler, the comedy/drama   actor is known for silly comedies such as Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy with rare instances where he experiments with playing dramatic parts such as Punch-Drunk Love and Reign On Me. With Uncut Gems, Sandler once again tries his hand at playing a more serious and dramatic part with the end result being his most successful attempt at doing so thus far. Not only was Uncut Gems a box office success, it garnered widespread critical acclaim for Sandler's performance with many feeling that he was snubbed of a Best Actor nomination for his performance at this year's Academy Awards. Those claims appear to be well-founded ones as his performance is nothing short of being terrific work with the rest of the film being an intense, weird, and ultimately effective experience. Uncut Gems certainly may not be everyone's cup of tea (Especially when looking at the majority of Sandler's body of work and comparing how his comedic roles did in comparison to his dramatic ones) as it often feels like an unusual acting experiment for its main star, but it works while managing to instill hope with the audience watching it that Sandler will continue to gain more experience as a serious actor, rightfully put the days of Happy Gilmore and The Waterboy behind him as he's clearly proven that he has more to offer as an actor/entertainer.

      The plot for Uncut Gems centers around a New York Jeweler and investigative gambler named Howard Ratner (Played impressively by Adam Sandler), being obsessed with hitting the big win with him convinced that he's finally figured out the perfect scheme to do so as long as he can outrun all the different​ people he owes money to until his plan becomes a reality. The best way to describe Uncut Gems is that the story is constant with the film feeling like one endless panic attack for the audience due to its sheer intensity. From the moment that audiences get the first glimpse of Sandler's character, the film takes off and doesnt slow down with the audience staying with this character for the rest of the film, along with observing how he both cleverly and manipulatively manuever's around both clients and loved ones. Both Sandler and the filmmakers create a world centered around this central character, that feels realistic as well as anxiety-inducing. The film looks as if it can be taken seriously as true events despite the story being crafted by its filmmakers in a way that maintains the audience interest while keeping it unpredictable, frantic, and visceral. The films technical aspects such as it's cinematography, editing, and music all go hand-in-hand in regards to making the world of the main character an immersive and intense one. For some, the way that the story is presented may become too frustrating as there's no clear path as to where the story is heading in terms of predictability, but the rest of the audience will find that the film both appropriately as well as effectively provokes the right emotions, that's demanded of its audience in regards to feeling the overall impact of the story. Uncut Gems is not a film for everybody nor does it try to be such, it serves as giving audiences a glimpse into the lifestyle of a professional New York hustler whose constantly on the move looking for a way to strike it big, while trying to make sense of the messy lifestyle surrounding his business ventures such as that of his family/lover on the side. In that regard, the film appropriately conveys those emotions and shows those character dynamics off brilliantly.

      The key element to Uncut Gems success was always going to hinge on the strong performance of the actor chosen for the main role. Thankfully in the case of Adam Sandler, he proves to be the ideal choice for the role as he conveys the right emotions and charisma for the part. Sandler is terrific in the part of American Diamond District jeweler Howard Rather with Sandler effectively portraying the characters addiction for gambling. The role proved to be a risky one for Sandler to take with him surpassing expectations, along with reminding audiences that there's more to him than crude humor with him being shown to fully sustain playing a fairly serious and dramatic role, which can be off-putting or awkward for some of Sandler's fans. The little moments of humor that Sandler's character has are well-placed within the film with him playing a straight-forward role for the most part. It becomes apparent for those watching the film that Sandler appears to have a genuine understanding of how his character thinks and operates with him carefully calculating his movements and reactions, as well as balancing out his characters emotions in regards to both comedy and drama with the moments of his character hustling, along with delivering emotional pleas to his family being the moments that make the film work. The rest of the supporting cast that surrounds Sandler does well with their roles with Lakeith Stanfield performing well as Howard's assistant Demany, who helps recruit clients for him. Julia Fox also impresses as Howard's employee and girlfriend Julia De Fiore with her character sharing some strong moments with Sandler performance wise. Basketball star Kevin Garnett succeeds at playing himself with his character given an interesting arc involving his character having a fascination with the uncut gem, that Sandler's character introduces him, with Garnett being convinced that it gives him the power to win pivotal Basketball games leading to an obsession over wanting to purchase it. Other notable performances are Irina Menzel as Howard's wife Dinah Ratner, Eric Bogosian as Howard's brother in law and loan shark Arno, and Judd Hirsch in a small role as Howard's father-in-law Gooey. Given that the film places heavy emphasis on Sandler's performance while structuring the story around his characters perspective, the rest of the cast does very well with working off their main star, as well as the characters and story handed to them. The acting is unequivocally one of the films main areas, that defines its quality with Sandler automatically turning in what's easily his finest acting role to date.

      In terms of the films directing, filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie do a solid job of creating an atmosphere for the story that feels tense and realistic with a killer techno soundtrack to give the film an extra boost of adrenaline. Watching the film, it feels as if the filmmakers were attempting to make the audience feel the anxiousness and desperation that Ratner experiences as his options slowly run out. If that was the intention behind making the film feel anxiety-driven, then the filmmakers highly succeed in that regard. The directors literally grab the audience and doesn't give them much time for relief with the films intensity from the moment the opening credits roll up until the films surprise climax. They present Howard's scenario as being a speeding train heading for derailment with the further the film gets as his character slowly alienates everyone around him. Despite the faults of Howard's character, the Safdie directors succeed in making him sympathetic to the audience in a sense, despite giving them the desire to reach through the screen and smack Howard for his critical mistakes and wrongdoings. The filmmakers prove most effective with handling sequences such as Sandler's character attempting to outrun a pair of henchmen at his daughters school play, or the car scene that follows immediately afterwards. The film is well-shot with cinematography that's effective and emphasizes the brightness of the colors in the background. The films editing goes a long way in regards to adding to the suspense and tension within the story, giving it a frantic pace that doesn't allow the audience much room to rest as they're continuously following around Sandler's character as he bounces around from his work to his personal life with both his distant family and young assistant/lover. Howard's life is shown to be a convoluted mess with the filmmakers appropriately showing that through the rapid pacing. It's often said that some movies are either made or broken on the basis of the type of music scores chosen for their background. That very much proves to be the case with Uncut Gems as the soundtrack here is mean, loud, noisy, and thunderous with it being appropriately scattered throughout the film to add to the tension of key moments in the story. Despite the story taking place in 2012, the soundtrack gives the film a definitive 80's vibe while adding to the energy of the performances from the cast. In regards to the films overall look and execution, Uncut Gems is a well-filmed and brilliantly put together dark comedy that shows one persons desperation to fix some of the problems in his everyday life, despite not realizing that he's simultaneously creating all new ones on the side. The directors manage to provoke all the right emotions from the audience in regards to wanting to see Howard's character succeed in his scheme, while becoming increasingly frustrated with him and his decision making. The filmmakers create an unpleasant rollercoaster ride of emotions for the audience with the end result bound to stick with them long after the credits roll, particularly with how the story ends.

      In the writing category, the films screenplay also by Josh and Benny Safdie along with co-writer Ronald Bronstein, works in regards to keeping the films story structure and narrative straight-forward with the film focusing primarily on Sandler's character. The script places heavy emphasis on Howard's attempts to scheme his way to the top with the frustrations of those associated with him boiling over as he tries to manuever his way through tense situations. The film is very much about hustling, desperation, addiction, and manipulation with the message of the story ultimately saying that luck can be elusive. The film shows Ratner's character to be both winning and losing in terms of luck with his severe gambling addiction proving to ultimately be a self-destructive force. Ratner's obsession with striking it big, is also shown to be his downfall with his personal life being a mess. The relationship between him and his wife is shown to be both a rocky and uneven one with them being in the early stages of their divorce with Howard's wife putting him down with constant insults and sarcasm (One can only imagine what their situation was like prior to the collapse of their marriage), along with scenes showing how checked out Ratner's character is from his family as he finds a Basketball game more important than telling his son goodnight at his wife's persistence. Ratner's imperfection as a husband is also emphasized through his infidelity in regards to his relationship with co-worker and girlfriend Julia. Howard is shown to be happy with his gf while desiring to make things right with his wife when things go sour with Julia. Out of all the themes in the film, the ones that define the story as well as Howard's character are passion, obsession, and a desire to make it big while being completely oblivious to the damage he's further cementing in his own life which the audience sees firsthand. The story is anxiety-ridden with the writers shaping the story to reflect that level of intensity through the actions of both Ratner and the side characters. As much as the audience finds Sandler's character to be a rather unsympathetic figure, who takes advantage of both his clients as well as those closest to him in an effort to gain both wealth and attention, they later find themselves to be rooting for him in the end with how hell-bent he appears in pulling off his scheme. While the films climax won't necessarily leave audiences with a positive feeling after watching it, the film delivers a powerful statement to them in saying that luck isn't always dependable and that unhealthy habits such as addiction, and obsession can wreck and destroy lives rather than advance them. With those themes, the writers of Uncut Gems succeed in conveying that message in an intense yet entertaining fashion without it feeling heavy-handed.

      In the end, Uncut Gems could've proven to be a critical misfire for both its filmmakers and Adam Sandler as the role itself was a huge gamble for him career wise, but the end result surprises as well as inspires other actors to go against type and test the waters in regards to expanding on their talent. The film is smartly written, convincingly acted, and brilliantly directed with a strong visual flare to it that gives audiences flashbacks to Stanley Kubrick's style of filmmaking in regards to the flashy visual shots. This is a film that wasn't made for the masses, but aimed for those who are passionate about Cinema with the film having​ many elements and homages to earlier films in the 70s and 80s era. Uncut Gems is a suspenseful and eye-opening story, that will evoke numerous emotions from its audience ranging from frustration to enjoyment and ultimately being stunned by the films conclusion. It also shows that when given the right material, Sandler can extend his acting range beyond crude humor and sustain it in a more mature role. Uncut Gems is not only one of the best films of 2019 but also serves as being one of the most underrated as the film despite all the critical acclaim it got, failed to receive a single Oscar nomination making it one of the years most overlooked gems. One hopes the lack of award recognition doesn't deter actors like Sandler from taking more challenging roles as the end result could turn out to be a surprising and ultimately rewarding experience. Uncut Gems has Adam Sandler (Similar to his character in the film) at the top of his game delivering a career best performance, that gives power to a film that's relentless in both its intent and desire to entertain.

Final Verdict: For both movie fans and Adam Sandler fans in general, Uncut Gems is a must see as it's out there in regards to style but delivers audiences an unusual experience, that proves to be ultimately satisfying in the end