Displaying items by tag: Anthony Ramos

A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE

US, 2025, 119 minutes, Colour.

Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Highly explosive.

And, it is beyond highly explosive when there is a threat of nuclear destruction. And this is what A House of Dynamite dramatises, immersing the audience in the crisis, and asking the audience to decide what they would do, what decision they would make, in this world-grave situation.

Over the decades there have been quite a number of films about the nuclear threat. Several notable films emerged after the Russian-US confrontation in October 1962, the missiles of October. And the issue is dramatised in the many films and miniseries about JF Kennedy, especially 13 Days. In 1963-1964, there were Failsafe, Seven Days in May and the frighteningly satiric Dr Strangelove or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and to Love The Bomb. There were a number of films in the early 80s in the same vein, Testament, The Day After.

But, here we are in the mid-2020s, Russian invasion of Ukraine, tensions with China, conflicts on the India-Pakistan border, Israel, Gaza and the Middle East, the bombing of Tehran…

This is an intense film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow who won an Oscar for her immersion in war, The Hurt Locker, then went on to the search for Osama bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty. She brings the same tension to this film, giving a hypothetical scenario, the launching of a nuclear missile by an unknown attacker, threatening an American city, attempts to neutralise it, failures, a small window of time to ward off the attack, to make international contacts, diplomacy, the issue finally coming down to the decision of the American President.

The way that the drama heightens audience attention and anxiety is to introduce us to the wide range of officials in war departments, the White House, command posts in Alaska, crisis management groups in American cities, press briefings in Washington. Very quickly, the audience is introduced to, gets to know, sees in action, a wide range of experts, the pressure on them, intel coming in, changes in information, personal pressures, the demand for quick thinking, prudence, risk-taking, issues of responsibility and consequences.

In contact with Russian authorities, there is the powerful opinion of General Brody, Tracy Letts, strong hawkish stances. Important is the opinion of the Deputy National Security adviser played by Gabriel Basso, caught outside the White House, difficulties with connections, crowds, security getting into buildings, all the time having to make changing assessments as information comes in. His opinion is that the options for the president are national surrender or national suicide.

Just as the countdown is approaching, the screenplay goes back in time, the second part of the film focusing on the President, Idris Elba, enabling the audience to realise, even more fully, the responsibility of the President and his decision, personal cost, repercussions. And, memories of the version of Tom Clancy’s A Clear and Present Danger, the integrity and intelligence needed for the President with his finger on the nuclear button.

At each stage of nuclear fears over the decades, and the films dramatising the crises, audiences have been forced to focus very much on the strengths and weaknesses of incumbent presidents, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, George W. Bush – and, in 2025, Donald Trump.

A demanding film, an uncomfortable screen experience, and the film challenging each of us in the audience as to what decision, surrender or suicide, that we would make.

1. Consciousness of the arms race, nuclear weapons proliferation, the danger of a nuclear attack? In the 21^st-century?
2. The dramatising of the possibility of such an attack? How plausible given 21^st-century technology, surveillance, speed of reaction and information, possibilities for halting the attack?
3. The screenplay, establishing the scenario of the attack, the situation in Alaska, the Armed Forces, their intelligence, their position near Russia? The recognition, communication? The officer in charge, his reaction, going outside into the snow? Contacting Washington? The role played during the attack?
4. The screenplay and the narrative in Washington DC, the ordinariness of the day, Olivia Walker, at home, with her husband, depositions in Washington, going to headquarters? Her position, security issues, authorities, fellow workers? The significance of this room, security, the range of personnel, the backgrounds, personalities, interactions?
5. The information about the attack, not identifying the source, the range of speculation? The film’s detailing the activities of each person, the responsibilities, their judgements, their personal reactions and the interplay for decisions?
6. The connection with the various military personnel, shown in their situations, the Secretary for Defence, his location, personality, abilities, the connection with his daughter and contact with her, protecting her? On the move, his contact with the Deputy National Security Adviser? The adviser outside, the crowds, making his way to the office, phone calls, decisions, advice, security, entering the building? His being finally required to make an observation, Suicide or Surrender?
7. The links with General Brady, his personality, staff, experience, at a distance, but surveillance connection? His hawkish attitudes? Listening for advice, following it, his assessment, the risk of defeat and humiliation?
8. The failure to stop the missile? The visualising this on the screens? The repercussions for all concerned, disappointment, dismay, continuing planning? The uncertainty of the origins?
9. The connection with the Russians, the disavowing the attack, the delays, the consultations, decisions and advice?
10. The transition to the President, the screenplay going over the same time period, the activities of the President, his young Security Adviser in the car with him, the pressures on him, the social activities, everything genial, the crowds, the message, the president having to escape, the car, the advice?
11. The personality of the president, his integrity, intelligence, capacity for decision-making, the range of the dilemmas presented to him, the personal repercussions for his wife and family, the nation, the advice of suicidal surrender?
12. The screenplay not giving the final decision? Throwing it to the audience to empathise and identify with the situation, the decisions to be made, for the audience to make their decision and appreciate the basis for their decision?

THE BAD GUYS 2

US, 2025, 104 minutes, Colour.

Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Kelly Stables.

Directed by Pierre Perifell.

Everybody enjoyed The Bad Guys in 2022. So, here we are again. There is a special Australian interest in this very American animated production. The series of The Bad Guys, graphic novels, designed for children’s audiences, was written by Australian author, former actor, Aaron Blabey. He also serves as executive producer for this film.

So, what would we expect, if we did not know the series, from a movie called The Bad Guys? Whatever it might have been, most audiences will be satisfied, many will be highly entertained.

The characters are well drawn, quite individual, a charming wolf who is the mastermind of The Bad Guys, a slithering snake who wants to be bad, a petite tarantula who is adept at computers and technology, a rather cumbersome shark with a genial personality able to adapt to many situations, and a piranha who likes baring teeth and taking over. And there are some other interesting principal characters, the governor of the state, Diane, a pleasant and attractive fox, a do-gooding Professor, minute, a guinea pig, and a large, forward bending, teeth baring, intense police chief. And, as can be seen by the credits, there is a very talented voice cast.

Actually, these paragraphs came from the review of the first film. So, this sequel will mean that the characters are very familiar, Wolf and the wisecracks, love for Diane, the secrets of the other characters, especially the police chief who is now Commissioner.

In many ways this screenplay is a repetition of the first film, the newly rehabilitated Bad Guys, trying to make good in the world, then suspected of going to the bad, their being set up by a criminal group of female characters. There is a huge climax at a wrestling match which is a cover for stealing the competition winning but which contains a highly desired element.

Then, unexpectedly, the action becomes cosmic, spacecraft, travel into space, a giant station and everyone involved in confrontations and battles.

One of the main advantages for all audiences is that the screenplay is quite humorous, a lot of repartee and banter, some ironies, not just for the young but engaging enough to entertain older audiences.

1. The popularity of Aaron Blabey’s books, graphic novels series? Characters, adventures?
2. The style of the animation, each of the distinctive characters, settings, conventions, prisons, cells, public meetings, the laboratories, the wrestling match, the crowds, the sea of crowds in pursuit, space, spacecraft, the giant plant, conflicts, special effects and stunts? The musical score?
3. The title, the group of animal characters, their reputation, philosophy of life, camaraderie? An interesting group of characters? Plus Professor Marmalade, plus Diane, plus the police chief? The introduction of the trio of villains, female, Susan and Snake and flirting, people in the wrestling, Kitty Cat and the mastermind?
4. The dialogue, the humour, wit, repartee? Engaging for younger audiences? Entertaining for adult audiences?
5. Audience interest in each of the characters, Wolf as leader, his appearance, manner of speaking, self-confidence, thinking himself as a Big Bad Wolf, mastermind, the various crimes and robberies, his plans, his repartee? Reform, lack of opportunities, the romance with Diane and then meetings?
6. Snake, drawing, voice, characteristics of snakes, wanting to be bad, feeling betrayed by Wolf when he becomes good? Skills in the plots, slithering, x-ray eyes? Voice? Suspected of being the thief? The relationship with Susan? The betrayal and disillusionment?
7. Tarantula, many fingers, adept at technology, her voice, loyalties?
8. Shark, large, variety of voices, impersonations, as female, as male, improvising, meeting people, singing, providing diversions?
9. Piranha, teeth, small, vicious, taking over at times, performing and attracting attention?
10. Diane, the governor, the smooth fox, charm, political career, condemning the Bad Guys, her interviews? Her wanting them to be reformed? Handing over to Professor Marmalade? Her supervision, the revelation that she was a jewel thief, her reform, being good, helping people? Her being abducted, the video of her past identity, in the spacecraft, helping Wolf, the final romantic ending?
11. Professor Marmalade? His very British voice? Guinea pig? Diminutive? With Diane, and the revelation about the theft?
12. The police chief, now Commissioner, large, her teeth, her walk, vigorous, always on the attack, wanting to get the Bad Guys? The encounter with Wolf, the element, the belt, the robbery, the wrestling match, the further revelations, the solution, and her plan to show that the Bad Guys had died, but they are about to become secret agents?
13. Susan, her charm, with caps late, the seduction, the revelation, the wrestling match, the peak, setting up The Bad Guys, Kitty Kat and her personality, thief, the gang?
14. The plans, the vast centre, into space, the Bad Guys versus the bad females, battles, Diane and her intervention, the fights? And the transition to the Bad Guys being mourned, dead but heroes?
15. The Commissioner and her plan, the agents, the car, the romantic ending – and the plans for the next sequel?

TWISTERS

US, 2024, 117 minutes, Colour.

Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Haddon-Paton, Sasha Lane, Darrell McCormack, David: Corenswet.

Directed by Isaac Lee Chung.

By a happy twist of fate, Twisters is an entertaining crowd-pleaser. Anyone who buys a ticket, keen to see tornadoes in action as well as the human efforts to chase and combat them, will find a multitude of twisters here. The special effects of the tornadoes themselves, the visuals of their destructive force, the ruins and aftermath, are quite spectacular. And the editing keeps the action running at a very brisk pace, often edge-of-the-seat adrenaline pumping.

1996, the original Twister was a holiday entertainment, much the expected theme, two experts, despite divorce proceedings, working together to chase the tornadoes. The director of that film, Jan de Bont, had not heard that there was to be this kind of sequel, making a comment that a sequel could only succeed if the tornadoes were bigger. The filmmakers this time have absolutely taken notice of that observation, not only are they bigger, there are many more of them.

But, the screenplay here places quite a lot of emphasis on the science – whether the audience understands the details of it or not. In fact, the film opens with a young enthusiast, Kate, Daisy Edgar-Jones, leading a team that hopes to release chemicals into the eye of the twister to dissipate its force. There are some scientific explanations. But, the experiment is a tragic failure, the deaths of several of the participants.

Then we go five years later. One of Kate’s former colleagues, Javi (Anthony Ramos) enlists her help with his experiments, placing tracking machines around the tornado in order to get a three-dimensional reading. Again, scientific explanations. By contrast, there is Tyler (a grinning Glen Powell more gung ho at first and he was in Top Gun Maverick), a so-called tornado wrangler, with his own team of scientists (who, In All clothes, do not look like it), and filming his exploits, taking tornado tourists out to witness the phenomena, and a British journalist joining. in

Obviously, there is going to be rivalry. And there is. However, there are some jaw-dropping sequences of the tornadoes and their force, extraordinary destruction and ruin with the challenge to Kate and Tyler and Javi as to whether they pursue their research or go to help people in distress. (And in the background there are themes of corporate exploitation of those whose homes of livelihoods have been destroyed.)

In fact, Kate retires from the chasing and goes home, her mother urging her to do more research, Tyler tracking her down and collaborating – after they go to rodeo, also a tornado victim. Already magazine articles are being headed “whirlwind romance”! At first it is a battle of the sexes, but very strong on equality between men and women, and then scientific collaboration. Actually, there are some sequences during the final credits when audiences are stampeding for the exits, which actually show further plot developments.

Twisters sets out to be an action-disaster holiday entertainment. It succeeds well.

1. The reality of tornadoes, twisters in the United States, the Southern States? The weather phenomena? The impact on towns and populations, on the countryside?
2. The 1996 film and its popularity? Continued films on twisters? This sequel, many more tornadoes, much more devastation, much more scientific speculation, tornado wrangling, tornado tourism, experiments to understand tornadoes, physics and chemistry?
3. The film in the disaster movie tradition? Action, adventure, characters, crises?
4. The opening, Kate and her team, the scientific background, their personalities and interactions, the dangers of the tornado, the attempt to release the chemicals, winds, vehicles overturned, characters blown away? Kate and her relationship with Jeb, the driver, saving her under the bridge, his being blown away?
5. Five years later, Kate New York, her work, observation of storms? Javi and his visit, his story, the Army, experiments, technology to observe twisters, three dimensions? His sympathy, his participation in the early experiment and surviving? Asking Kate to come for a week?
6. Kate, meeting Javi’s team, professional, academic backgrounds, Scott and his hostility to her, his criticisms of her? The connection with developers and the later consequences? The chasing of the tornadoes, Kate and her expertise, the encounter with Tyler, rivalries, her missing out and Javi’s response?
7. Tyler, tornado wrangler, big grin, cowboy, his team, vehicles, theyir not looking scientific, their passengers for tourism, the risks of the dares, the British journalist, observation, anxious (bounced around, later sick, his seatbelt)? The audience later realising that they were scientific and skilled despite appearances?
8. The tornado sequences, the dangers, the twisting, the air, the wind, blasting vehicles, the placing of the machines for the three-dimensional picture?
9. Kate, her background in the state, Tyler underestimating her, the later going to the rodeo? The awareness of the towns in danger, the decisions to go to help, the visuals of the twister attacking the towns, the people, the aftermath? The businessman and his exploiting the survivors, allegedly with financial help? Kate and a sense of disillusionment with Javi and his team?
10. The destruction of the rodeo, the audience enjoying it, Tyler and his saying he used to ride the bulls, the wind, trying to rescue people, the movie theatre, survival, Tyler holding onto his associate? Kate going out, the experiment with the chemicals? Their rescuing her?
11. Kate, distance from her mother, going home, settling in, her equipment, the model village, her looking at her notes? Tyler tracking her down, interest, explanations? Her mother inviting Tyler to stay? Their working together, working out the chemicals, rain precipitation, lessening the impact of the twister?
12. The final opportunity, the tornadoes, going out, the battering, explosions, the dangers?
13. The final success, the release of the chemicals, lessening the impact of the twister?
14. Kate to get back to New York, Tyler the airport and his truck and its ability to dig into the ground and stay, the credits sequences and the photos, the clips, the development of the plot, working together, success, romance…?