Displaying items by tag: JK Simmons

JUROR #2

US, 2024, 114 minutes, Colour.

Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Chris Messina, Zoe Deutch, Kiefer Sutherland, J.K.Simmons, Cedric Yarborough, Amy Aquino, Gabriel Basso.

Directed by Clint Eastwood.

A Clint Eastwood film. The multi-Oscar-winning director made this film when he was turning 93. A strong acting career, a musician, and then a director as he turned 40, and the extraordinary variety of themes, principally westerns, police dramas, psychological dramas, American history, the music…

As with one of his key moral-themed films, Gran Torino, this film is rather small-scale, from the American suburbs. But, as with many, it is a film of reality and conscience.

Nicholas Hoult plays Justin, a reformed alcoholic, married to the teacher (Zoe Deutch) who helped him in recovery, expecting a baby. Then he is called to jury duty, wanting out because of the imminent pregnancy but, as with other jurors who protest, is compelled to serve.

The case concerns the death of a woman, on the highway at night, her body down the cliff face. The accused is her partner, a violent man, drug convictions, and all the evidence against him, an argument in the bar, his pursuing her, the dark night.

There is an interesting supporting cast. Toni Collette is the determined prosecutor, believing in the guilt, but also involved in campaigning for political election. The defence lawyer, sympathetic to the man accused, is played by Chris Messina. Kiefer Sutherland plays a friend who runs the AA meetings and offers advice. J.K.Simmons is a retired policeman who decides to investigate aspects of the case himself.

But, in this setting, there are complications for Justin, juror #2. He realises that he was in the bar that night, remembers some of the interchange, was tempted to drink but didn’t, drove home disturbed, hit a deer on the road, had not thought about this afterwards. As he listens, disturbed, beginning to question what had happened that night, pressured by the discussions of the jurors, sensitive to his wife and the imminent birth, interactions with the prosecutor, the members of the jury going as a group to the site of the death…

It is interesting to see that Clint Eastwood after so many films has decided to go for a smaller scale drama, a look at family life, interactions and a small town, the significance of the law and jury duty and decisions, the conscience of the prosecutor who had a fixed opinion on guilt but is challenged by the lawyer for the defence and an interview with the accused, challenged to do her own investigations.

Justin is also challenged in his conscience and makes decisions. So, a challenge to the audience as well, sympathies, justice, conscience, extenuating circumstances, and Clint Eastwood leaving what could be his final film with a conscience-challenge to his audience.

1. The films of Clint Eastwood? Themes of justice, crime, police? Filmed in his 90s?
2. The Georgia setting, homes, the courts, bars, the countryside, the highway, the scene of the death? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on Justin Kemp, his marriage, pregnant wife, the loss of earlier babies, the third trimester, his concern? The gradual revelation of his life, alcohol, the accident, rehabilitation and AA, the courts and social work, teaching, meeting his wife, the marriage? His reform, going to AA meetings, the encouragement of Larry Lasko? The chance encounter with the DEA?
4. The case, the accused, in the court, his manner, the flashbacks, his reputation, drug dealing, tattoos, his girlfriend, drinking in the bar, the argument, following her outside, the altercation, her leaving in the rain, his driving away? The evidence against him? The patrons videoing the altercation, played in court? His reputation? Driving away, the identification by the old man?
5. Justin, called to jury duty, his background of writing articles, not wanting to be away from his wife, the judge ordering him to stay, the other jurors and objections overruled? His sitting in the court, listening to the case, place in times, the beginnings of the flashbacks? The cumulative effect of the flashbacks, his reason for being in the bar, not drinking, upset, driving away, lack of attention, hitting what he thought was the deer, his looking around, driving away, no report? The issue of the repairs to the car and Faith checking out possible suspects, the visit to the house, Justin’s wife and her testimony?
6. The skills of the prosecution, her determination, personality, interactions with the defence counsel, her ambitions, the interviews, politics and her role? Her manner in the court, assured, convinced of guilt? The contrast with the defence counsel, his manner, presentation, the arguments, cross examinations? The role of the judge?
7. The effect on Justin, his conscience, his talking with the Larry? Larry giving the worst possible scenario? Later meeting with Larry, issues of conscience?
8. The personalities of the jurors, the jury taking charge in managing the discussions, the angry man and the death of his brother, condemnation of the accused? The variety of personalities, age, the discussions, the medical student and her analysis of the wounds?
9. The pressure on Justin, to protect himself, fairness to the accused being innocent? His raising questions after the almost unanimous decision? The range of discussions, angers, shifts of attitude, questions, the revival reliability of the old man and his identifying the accused? The weather, hit run? The interactions amongst themselves, the interactions with Justin?
10. The surprise that the verdict did not coming quickly? Justin, going home, reassurances for his wife, the tensions, her asking the truth?
11. The request to visit the site, the strictures, in the bus, the angry juror and his eye on Justin, analysing the situation, the pressure on Justin? The need for a verdict?
12. The audience surprise at the verdict of guilty? Justin absent from the reading, being with his wife, the birth? The result for the prosecutor, defence, the prisoner himself, his declarations?
13. Faith, the discussions with the defence, his pleading that the accused was not a murderer, the issue of the juror, former policeman, his contributions, going to the scene of the death, aware that Justin was there, his collecting all the documents about repairs? Including Justin’s? Justin contriving to drop the documents, the consequences, the former policeman dismissed? Justin to stay?
14. Faith, her checking out the repairs, the interview with Justin’s wife, the aftermath of the decision, her discussions with Justin outside? The meeting with the accused and the defence present, her checking whether she believed him guilty or not?
15. Her success, her role as DA? Her conscience, justice?
16. The audience’s attitude toward Justin, saving himself, the guilty verdict, his attitude towards the accused?
17. The final moment of the film, the knock on the door, faith present, the focus on Justin? His wife and the baby? The future?

THE ACCOUNTANT 2

US, 2025, 133 minutes, Colour.

Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addaii-Robinson, J.K.Simmons, Alison Robertson, Daniela Pineda, Robert Morgan, Grant Harvey.

Directed by Gavin O'Connor.

The Accountant was one of the best thrillers of 2016. It is surprising that there has not been a sequel sooner. This version was written by the original writer, Bill Dubuque, and there is the same director, Gavin O’Connor.  There are a lot of resemblances between the two films in characterisation, in plot, plot development. But, this sequel matches the original.

Here is a very entertaining thriller that keeps the audience continually alert, needing to pay attention to the wide-ranging plot developments. With such a simple title, The Accountant, not much is revealed – but the screenplay offers quite an amount of revelation. This review perhaps errs on the side of cautiousness in not revealing any of the key aspects of the plot.

Actually, the previous paragraph was the opening of the review for the original film. It takes us back to origins in the first film but is important for the central character, Christian Wolf, Ben Affleck. And noting the key theme of the original:

One of the major themes of this film is autism. It opens at an Institute in the 1980s and a little boy, who has the makings of a genius, manifests the narrow autistic focus as well as the potential for being deeply disturbed by failure in what he wanted to accomplish and physical and psychological effects. His military father decides that he needs to face the world rather than an institution, even though the boy has made friends with a little girl there.

And the same comment on Ben Affleck’s character and performance. 

Ben Affleck is the accountant. This is one of his better performances, his being able to capitalise on what some critics have referred to as his woodenness in performance – he brings it to bear on the focused autistic characteristics, the genius of maths, the intensity of finishing work undertaken, being taught how to recognise emotional situations while not being able to identify with them.

That was the language of 2016. The language of 2025 refers to neurological divergence.

Two characters from the original film are highlighted, J.K.Simmons as a Treasury official and Cynthia Adaii Robinson, supporting in the original, but here taking a central role, investigating a murder, being introduced to a far wider conspiracy.

Part of the drama, with some comedy touches, is question Will getting in touch with his younger brother, long alienate it and who has disappeared, Braxton. John Benthal is obviously enjoying herself in the role, trying to deal with his brother’s new divergence. Ultimately, travelling through Latin America, to the rescue, guns blazing, they make a formidable team.

This is quite a long film, and the complex plot of a network of paid assassins, issues of the Latin American cartels, and mysterious central character, the ruthless assassin who has quite an extraordinary back history of amnesia.

The audience has to keep paying attention, the interactions of the characters, the deadly twists of the plot.  After watching the film, most audiences would probably say yes to The Accountant 3.

1. The popularity of the first film, audiences enjoying a sequel? Tone, the title, expectations?
2. The American settings, homes, cities, investigation officers? The Latin American settings, the prison camp, the countryside? The musical score?
3. Christian Wolf, the accountant, the explanations in the first film, his back story, autism, his manner, communication, focus, intelligence, skills? Braxton, his brother, the different style? Bonds, clashes, now working together?
4. The opening, El Salvador, the raid, Ray King, his role in past films, initiating the search for Anais, his being killed, the message on his arm? Marybeth Medina reading it, her quest?
5. Marybeth Medina, personality, strong, skills, investigation?
6. Burke, the background, the trafficking, the episode in El Salvador, the family, the death of the father, the taking of the boy, the impact on Anais and her memory loss, the accident, been trained as a killer, her skills and work?
7. Burke, control, Cobb as his thug, his business, cover, his being unmasked?
8. Medina going to Christian, his getting the information, the contact with Braxton, Braxton’s life and style?
9. Justine, the centre, the network, the autistic youngsters, their skills in investigation, information?
10. Anais and her story, in El Salvador, memory loss, assassin, her skills, the transform personality?
11. The contract on Medina, Baly and his targeting, Anais and the attack, the confrontation with Medina, Anais wounded, seeing the photo, memory returning, realisation?
12. The boy, taken, in the camp, autistic?
13. The prison camp, the brothers and the decision for action, arriving, the children, the bus, the countryside, the siege?
14. Justine and the network, with the children, preparing to receive Alberto?
15. Satisfactory conclusion, the role of Medina and her character, strong? The brothers and their bonding? Possibilities for further action?

THE UNION

Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K.Simmons, Mike Colter, Alice Lee, Jessica De Gouw, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Lorraine Bracco, Dana Delaney.

Directed by Julian Farino.

The Union is a secret organisation, very secret, which runs all kinds of international operations – and opening one in Trieste a which fails, the death of several agents.

This is a kind of popular espionage film with some comic touches that has been popular, especially since the 1960s with tongue-in-cheek heroes, paralleling James Bond.

This time it is Mark Wahlberg, an ordinary worker, with very few ambitions and horizons, called on by a former girlfriend, one of the heads of The Union, played by Halle Berry. As a bonus, the boss is played by JK Simmons who is later accused of being a mole.

All is drugged and abducted, wakes in London, goes through all kinds of rigorous training, psychological evaluation, new identity, and, probably most improbably, set out to do all kinds of actions, retrieving money, going to option beatings, in great danger.

Looking at the cast list, there is quite a long list of prominent actors from the past as well as in the present, meaning that the range of supporting characters is always interesting.

Clearly building up to a confrontation a climax, a Revelation of the true mole, kinds of action – and, just as it thinks he is free, the head of the Union comes up with another mission.

The cast and the action keep the audience entertained even though, in retrospect, it is just one another of those undercover espionage action romps.

1. The title, the secret union? Undercover? International? American espionage? Threats and expose?
2. The opening in Trieste, the action, betrayals? Deaths? The London scene, action? The contrast with the ordinariness of New Jersey? The musical score?
3. Roxanne, her role, her relationship with Nick, his death in Trieste? Tom Brennan? The situation, the threat of exposure, suspicions? Who worked for 25 years?
4. Mike, Mark Wahlberg role, his work, ordinary life, day by day, the past, the past with Roxanne? Not likely action film hero?
5. The action sequences, and upkeep audiences interested? The various plots, suspects, the plans?
6. The mission, the abduction of Mike, the hotel, London, Tom Brennan and the explanations?
7. The issue, the information, the option, the representatives from various national interests? The range of spy bidders?
8. Mike, the training, new identity, psychological training?
9. The crisis, the ambush, the money lost, the role of the Koreans?
10. Strategies, undercover, sabotage?
11. Juliet Quinn, collaboration, her role, tactics?
12. Nick, reappearance, alive, tactics, motivation? The relationship with Roxanne? His envy, anger? Involvement? Ruth and his motivations?
13. Mike, tantrums, collaboration, the briefcase, the chases, the fights?
14. The final, the confrontation with the deputy director, Tom Brennan vindicated?
15. The future, Mike and his role in the Union?

RED ONE

US, 2024, 125 minutes, Colour.

Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K.Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Kiernan Shipka.

Directed by Jake Kasdan.

Most films about Santa Claus require quite a suspension of disbelief - except for the littlies. But, this one even more disbelief than usual for those who say they don’t believe in Santa Claus. Most of us!

Santa, the Red One, though initially seen enjoying himself meeting all the children at a Philadelphia shopping mall, is suddenly whisked away in a super-powered sleigh, the sturdiest reindeers you have seen, to an extraordinary mythological North Pole, then the victim of a vast conspiracy, his abduction, an evil which determined to take his place on Christmas Eve rounds and imprisoning forever those on the “Naughty List”!

Not exactly the scenario we might have been expecting for Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans.

This is a piece of Christmas entertainment for older children (of whatever age!). The mythological story of the abduction, draining Santa Claus of his energies, the manufacturing of imprisoning it globes to be distributed on Christmas Eve to trap those naughty, is played out as the equivalent of a high-powered action show. Plenty of action – but always with its heart in the right place but not necessarily all those fighting fists.

Dwayne Johnson is obviously enjoying himself as Cal,  Santa’s long time bodyguard, for several centuries, in fact. And, J.K.Simmons as Santa is enjoying himself even more. He even has bodybuilding sessions at the gym with Dwayne Johnson. As for Chris Evans, we don’t like him at the start, arrogant, mean minded (even snatching a lollipop from a baby in a pram). He has all kinds of tech skills, he is hired out to break into high-class systems, enabling the witch to abduct Santa. And he has a young son who rather idolises him but is disappointed in him.

In fact, there are quite a lot of pauses in the film for Dwayne Johnson to give moralising lessons for the young audience, basically to be good.

So, lots of fantasy, lots of action sequences, particularly enjoyable are those where Cal’s powers enable him to go into miniature form at a moments notice and then reverse, very handy for battling and tricking hefty opponents.

Lucy Liu appears as the director for mythological operations. There is also the Krampus and his ogre-like warriors, Mrs Claus (Bonnie Hunt) a range of elves and a huge benign polar bear key staff-member at the North Pole.

Director, Jake Kasdan, has made the Jumanji films so he is at home with fantasy blends of realism and imagination. Audiences seem to be enjoying the red One – and best to avoid reading reviews by critics who think that this kind of thing is beneath them!

1. Red One, code for Santa Claus?
2. The tone of the film? Christmas film? Santa Claus film? Variations on the theme? Not for the youngest audiences, four boys, for children (of all age)?
3. Audience suspension of disbelief, belief in Santa Claus, Christmas Eve, the North Pole preparing all the gifts, travelling around the world, the deliveries, happy children? Variations on this theme?
4. The opening, the children, the gifts, Jack as very sceptical – and audiences discovering at the end that the young sceptical Jack was the older Jack of the action?
5. Santa Claus, at the mall, enjoying talking with the children, his personality, Cal present as his bodyguard, the intrusive man, the children waiting? Santa, ready to go to the North Pole, the reindeer and their size, the super sleigh, moving through space and time? The dome at the North Pole?
6. Expectations of life at the North Pole, the elves, the polar bear, Santa Claus’s wife, the preparation of the gifts, almost Christmas Eve? Santa, going to the gym, exercise, push-ups, weights… Cal retiring?
7. The witch, her pleasant appearance, her ugly appearance, her henchmen, her plan, abducting Santa, the deception of the break and the dome, keeping him at the North Pole, draining his energy? Her work, creating the globes, their finally worked in, miniaturising and capturing people? The intention to rid the world of naughty children, imprisoning them? Creating a better world?
8. The introduction to Jack, his age, careless, his skills, supervision, taking the lollipop from the baby, visiting his son, the complaint of his wife, phone calls, to take him to meetings? His age, devotion to his father, the disappointments?
9. Cal, the experience of the abduction, Zoe, her being in charge, the various meetings, the plans, the ruining of Christmas?
10. Cal, his personality, the guard for centuries, putting in his letter of resignation, becoming involved, tracking down Jack, the interchanges, hearing about Jack’s son? Knowledge of the witch, Jack identifying the contacts for the plan, going to the resort, the interrogation of the contact, his fears, the arrival of the monsters, icy, transforming others into ice? The humour of the fight sequences, Cal and his being miniaturised? The toy cars and other aspects of the shop, from miniature to full-size, driving away?
11. The visit to Germany, the Krampus, Santa Claus’ brother, the revolt, the ogres, the fight sequences in the slaps? Jack and Cal escaping?
12. Going to the North Pole, the buildup to the confrontation, the witch and her success, the mass production of the globes, trapping both Jack and Dylan? The talk, Jack being good and kind, the breaking of the glass?
13. The witch, preparing all the globes, the sleigh, getting ready to go?
14. The arrival of the Krampus, the witch his ex-wife, his decision to be on the side of good?
15. The fights, the sabotage of the sleigh, the breaking of the globes? Confrontation with the large witch, miniature fight? Her being imprisoned in a globe?
16. Finding Santa, resuscitating him, going on his rounds, the speed and the possibility of delivering all the gifts everywhere in the world on the one night!
17. Jack, the bonding with his son, and the revelation of the sceptical young Jack? Cal and his decision to stay on guard in Santa Claus?

SATURDAY NIGHT

US, 2024, 109 minutes, Colour.

Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Senott, Corey Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, J.K.Simmons, Nicholas Podany, Robert Wuhl, Jon Batiste, Willem Dafoe, Paul Rust, Tracy Letts, Matthew Rhys.

This history/comedy/memoir was released at the 49^th anniversary of the opening show of what has become an American tradition, Saturday Night Live. While the program is screened in other countries, it is a particularly American television experience, comic experience, social commentary and criticism experience. While it touches the American funny bone, the response of audiences outside the United States might be something of hit and miss.

Which might be also the case with this film, American audiences relishing the re-creation of that first night, the tensions in the last hour and a half before going on air live. And there are many famous names appearing in this film, many of whom through Saturday Night Live became media celebrities – producer Lorne Michaels, comedians Chevy Chase, Jon Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Lorraine Newman, Billy Crystal, George Carlin… And Nicholas Braun as both Andy Kaufmann and Jim Henson.

In many ways, this is a frantic and frenetic film because that is the situation in which Lorne Michaels found himself, the decision to do something new in the mid-1970s, live performances, sketches, satiric songs, social commentary. While NBC allowed it, there was hostility from some of the bosses, dramatised here by the talent director, David Tabet (another sinister performance from Willem Dafoe), and the rivalry with the Johnny Carson show, also dramatised here.

This film purports to be a dramatisation of what actually happened on that night, October 11, 1975. While a lot of this may have happened, putting it all together in the one film means exhaustion for the protagonists, exhaustion for the audience.

So, very much behind the scenes, the young Lorne Michaels and his initiatives, sometimes naive, sometimes shrewd, often the target, trying to get the temperamental Jon Belushi to sign a contract, encouraging his writers, new talent, placating Jim Henson and his concern about the treatment of the Muppets, supported by his wife, Rose Schuster, and all kinds of practical disasters, lighting falling almost on top of the actors, authentic bricks knocked over and having to be reset again, his being squirted with fake blood…

This is very much the show must go on despite… Everything.

The ensemble cast is very effective. Gabriel LaBellel is Lorne Michaels (he had appeared as the young Spielberg in The Fablemans). The impersonators of the famous talent are very good, Michael Wood as Jon Belushi, most credible. Corey Michael Smith as a rather arrogant but quickwitted Chevy Chase. And, surprisingly after seeing him in the Maze Runners and other action films, Dylan O’Brien enjoying himself impersonating Dan Aykroyd. One of the best surprises is the arrival of Milton Berle, arrogant, full of disdain for the younger generation, visiting the set, performing a musical number – and the fact that the performance is by J.K.Simmons rather unlike anything else he has done and making quite an impact.

There are a number of character actors in the supporting roles as well as a number of new faces. It is all put together with speed, momentum, the visuals of the time ticking down, a final crisis as to whether they were permitted to go ahead, the final permission – and, as the cliche says, the rest is history.