|
|
Post by stephen on Jan 5, 2019 4:32:04 GMT
Not talking about Spoorloos or the godawful American remake, but rather this tiny Scottish indie thriller that is partly The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, partly A Simple Plan, partly The Terror . . . and all-around excellent.
Based on the infamous Flannan Isles Disappearance of 1900, Kristoffer Nyholm's film details the story of three Scottish men (Peter Mullan, Gerard Butler, Connor Swindells) who take on the mantle of being lighthouse keepers on a gloomy windswept rock in the Outer Hebrides. Nyholm's superb direction and Jørgen Johansson's austere cinematography (amplified by some terrific sound design and a foreboding score from Benjamin Wallfisch) create a riveting backdrop to a story of isolation, greed, mistrust and, ultimately, horror.
I don't want to give too much away here, but I will say that Peter Mullan is stunning in a role that I'd consider a career peak from him (and this is coming from a big fan who loves his work in Tyrannosaur and the underseen My Name Is Joe) and will be fully deserving of AMARA love . . . but Gerard Butler surprises in what is far and away the performance of his career. He is remarkably understated throughout much of the film, which will probably surprise the average filmgoer who wonders why he took the role in the first place . . . and then the film and performance pivot, and Butler showcases heretofore uncharted depths as an actor. For his part, newcomer Swindells holds his own against both men remarkably, and I can see him carving out a fine future for himself.
I'm still trying to discern if it counts as a 2018 film by my standards (IMDb says it got a Greek release in 2018, but I want to ensure that wasn't a festival screening), or if 2019 is off to a tremendous start. But regardless of the year, it will rate very highly in my lineups.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mattsby on May 21, 2019 2:22:16 GMT
This was recently added to Prime. I wouldn't have checked it out were it not for this post so thx stephen ! "I thought that men who give out light would stand above this." 7/10 I almost always love this sort of thing - the isolated one location, few characters, unexpected arrivals, tempting potential against routine and tradition, questioned and crushed moral codes, suspicion, violence, guilt. The whole cast is strong - Connor Swindells (also the bully from Sex Education this year) adds some subtle darkness to his character, the actor Søren Malling in such a small role is terrifying, and Peter Mullan the MVP as a man who trusts his instincts and whose sorrow has been trained away by his occupational purpose. I like the way he exudes the confidence of a leader or mentor, the kind of confidence years afford, and how he's content to keep his past in its private position both literally and mentally. Having said that, and while I quite enjoyed this - I thought it was visually lazy and narratively dips after the very tense second act. It sort of drops the tonal build-up and goes a little too sentimental around the end and parries any deeper psychological tangle. The script could've been better detailed and suggest other layers to their crack-ups, such as envy. Maybe - as Butler becomes more of a threat to them, Mullan condones the kid killing Butler, but you'd have to earlier pepper in the envy they'd have of Butler, his family, something the kid never had, and something Mullan has lost. Then, the two boat out to dump the body, Mullan against guilt suggests dumping the money too, so the kid kills him, and of course a stormy night drops on him suddenly, and he's impossibly lost at sea, doomed to disappear, as the lighthouse is without its keepers to guide him. Too much? Btw they should've stuck with the original title, Keepers. |
|
|
|
Post by jakesully on May 23, 2019 14:33:35 GMT
Caught this on Prime this week and really dug it! Definitely much better than its 5.8/10 IMDB rating suggests . Legit intense as hell at times.
The 3 co leads are all top notch here & I was pleasantly surprised with Butler. He's been in some bad bad films over the last few years but he shined here and I hope he continues to mix it with little good indie films like this one (instead of those ______ Has Fallen films haha).
solid 7.5/10
|
|
|
|
Post by Johnny_Hellzapoppin on Jun 15, 2019 17:23:07 GMT
So I checked it out, and it was almost a great film. The main issue I had was some of the inconsistent character development, and also the far to quick descent of James. I think it just needed another fifteen minutes or so, which would have allowed for the story to be better told.
The three guys were all very good. Were do people stand on placements here? I feel like we're in three co-leads territory, though I could understand Swindells being considered supporting.
|
|
|
|
Post by cheesecake on Jun 15, 2019 17:33:38 GMT
I love it. Mood for days and the trio are so incredibly strong here, especially impressed by Butler. Still my favorite of the year so far.
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Jun 15, 2019 17:35:41 GMT
So I checked it out, and it was almost a great film. The main issue I had was some of the inconsistent character development, and also the far to quick descent of James. I think it just needed another fifteen minutes or so, which would have allowed for the story to be better told. The three guys were all very good. Were do people stand on placements here? I feel like we're in three co-leads territory, though I could understand Swindells being considered supporting. I think they're all lead. Swindells has the least perspective, but he's so intrinsic to the dynamic that I can't reconcile him as anything but lead. |
|
|
|
Post by pacinoyes on Jun 25, 2019 3:03:47 GMT
7/10 for me - it has 2 great performances - the amazing Mullan and Søren Malling who is scary as fnck here. The problem is it needs 2 other great ones and doesn't get them. Butler is fine but he's worse when he needs to be better - the last act is a more or less a let down. Odd directorial choices too why spoil what happened in the prologue, why that way OTT bloody death scene and then arbitrarily not showing Donnie's at all, an unsatisfying last shot too ........but some great sequences too especially early. Mullan rings so much out of such seemingly innocent lines - "No you may not" and he is direct and believably grounded - he is a great line reader - he does "I'm not fncking with you" spins on lines in the most beguiling way. I just covered him in the actors across 3 mediums thread and talked about his tremendous gravity and boy does he have it - you feel every line on his forehead and neck. Missed opportunities were not having the island be more of an obstacle to the Norwegians - why isn't that just a house in London say - and that scene comes too early anyway, the resolution is lacking in gradations of madness but still it had me for most of the way. I notice it has a pretty good RT rating and a fairly low IMDB rating - but I don't really think of this a divisive film - there are much worse ways to spend under 2 hours with a film. |
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Jun 25, 2019 19:13:04 GMT
I do think you're a bit harsh on Butler -- I think that he most definitely brings forth that emotionality and that intensity, exactly in the doses it needs to be. I just think that we've been subliminally coached not to expect much from him, and when he does excel, it almost feels like we've prematurely dismissed it. I do think Mullan is better (and great call on Søren Malling, who has a fantastic creepy vibe about him), but I think Butler really showed he's a fine actor when he's given half a chance.
Shame you didn't love it, but at least you felt it worth your time, and now you've seen another fantastic Mullan performance.
|
|
|
|
Post by theycallmemrfish on Jun 27, 2019 0:26:43 GMT
Gonna check this out tonight.
It HAS to be better than Juliet, Naked... I hope. I hope.
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Jun 27, 2019 0:29:44 GMT
Gonna check this out tonight. It HAS to be better than Juliet, Naked... I hope. I hope. You're in for a treat. |
|
|
|
Post by theycallmemrfish on Jun 27, 2019 3:13:43 GMT
***. Solid beginning. FUCKING EPIC second act. But the problem is that third act... not that I didn't like where it went (I did), but it just went to a snail's pace. I love be a slow burn, but I don't think it's best suited when you are following up an adrenaline needle of an act 2. Main trio were all quite good.
Though, I must disagree. Butler's best is still Coriolanus.
|
|
|
|
Post by stephen on Jun 30, 2019 13:31:24 GMT
***. Solid beginning. FUCKING EPIC second act. But the problem is that third act... not that I didn't like where it went (I did), but it just went to a snail's pace. I love be a slow burn, but I don't think it's best suited when you are following up an adrenaline needle of an act 2. Main trio were all quite good. Though, I must disagree. Butler's best is still Coriolanus. I am convinced you only believe this because of the obvious puns that can be made here. |
|
|
|
Post by Martin Stett on Nov 27, 2019 4:15:44 GMT
Peter Mullan is possibly my favorite actor working today. But the movie is a dour, slow letdown. The first act is decently creepy, sets up the characters alright, and then the second act kicks in with alarming obviousness and lack of... of dimension, I guess? Everyone becomes one-dimensional in the second act, and the story becomes a fairly cliched thriller.
And then the third act which doesn't work because these characters haven't been given any proper development. No matter how much the writers try to give Thomas or James "backstory," it doesn't work because Mullan and Butler are being so damn grave that it's impossible to imagine these characters as anything other than gruff pieces of flint. Which REALLY doesn't work when Butler has to actually show some dramatic chops and spectacularly fails (Butler deserves all the shit Keanu Reeves gets for being one-note... oh wait, he does).
It's just gruff and hard and... bland.
Soren Malling is pretty great though.
|
|
