Displaying items by tag: Jon Voigt

MAN WITH NO PAST 

US, 2025, 102 minutes, Colour.

Adam Woodward, Jon Voight, Marton Csokas, Charlotte Vega, Philip Winchester, Charlotte Weston, Jeff Alexander.

Directed by James Bamford.

A thriller with a difference – but whether it will appeal to audiences is another question.

Adam Woodward plays a man was lost his memory, wakes up in a hotel, is taken in by the proprietress and becomes friends with her daughter. There are local troubles, a wealthy entrepreneur wanting to build in the district, protests against the project, and a sinister character who is an advisor to the entrepreneur but has a group of folks at his disposal. His name is Soach = chaos in reverse!

While this is something of an expected narrative for the present, the hero, Ryder, involved in the exposure of the project, there are three flashbacks in which all the characters reappear in different guises.

There is World War II, 1943, the entrepreneur now a military leader with his sinister adviser, the rounding up of patriots, their executions and Ryder confronting the authorities. There is also a return to the 16^th century, and the atmosphere of witchcraft and persecutions. And, it is back to the Roman Empire with a variation on the same scenario, dangers, the Emperor, his advisers, the women in variations on the theme and Ryder as the hero.

Of particular interest for film buffs, Jon Voight is the entrepreneur as well as the authoritarian figure in the flashbacks. And, expertly sinister, Marton Chokas is chaos personified, malevolence personified.

1. The title, the focus on Ryder? The present, the various sequences in the past?
2. Science psychological fiction, possibility, credibility?
3. The present, filmed in Bulgaria, the city views, the bar, high-rise, executive offices? Neighbourhoods and slums? The World War II setting? The Roman setting? The mediaeval English setting? The musical score?
4. Setting the tone, 1943, Nazi occupation, the commander, his adviser, his henchmen, the troops, the hostages, the plea, the executions? The two sisters? Ryder, his immersion, destruction of the Germans? The return to the sequence? The commander more sympathetic, the subordinates and their business?
5. The present, Ryder awakening, not knowing who he was, the accommodation, going to the bar, the encounter with Stella, with Morgan, at home, accommodation? The psychological experiences, going back to back into the past? The constant presence, the commander, the Iago-like adviser, the ruthless henchman?
6. The Roman setting, gladiator, combat, the Emperor returning thumbs up? The English section, the Middle Ages, the defence of the poor?
7. The issue in the present, the businessman, building the city, owning the land, his advisers? Soach, the opposite of chaos? Iago-like? His presence, sinister, appearance, in each age, having the ear of the controller, his own agenda, commanding Jack? The plans, the abduction of the businessman’s daughter? Setting it in motion, the range of foot soldiers, Ryder included? Businessman and his wife? The plans?
8. The businessman, his calling off the abduction? Ryder, his reaction, the foot soldiers and their shooting, Ryder killing them all? The wounding of the businessman? The final encounter with Jack? The buildup to the final encounter with Soach?
9. The background at the bar, Morgan, her friendship, her reappearing in the past, the young girl, the businessman’s daughter and the threats, Stella, stepping in in each past scenario, friendly, supportive of Ryder? The romance?
10. Ryder, his death, the funeral, the body in the coffin, the women and the businessman present, Morgan turning around, Ryder dead, smiling – and into his future?

REAGAN

US, 2024, 141 minutes, Colour.

Dennis Quaid, Penelope Ann Miller, Mena Suvari, Tommy Ragan, Kevin Dillon, Trevor Donovan, Olek Krupa, Alex Sparrow, Robert Davi, Justin Chatwin, Jennifer O'Neill, Dan Lauria, Leslie-Ann Down, Zander Berkeely, C. Thomas Howell, Elya Baskin, Kevin Sorbo, Nick Searcy, Pat Boone.

Directed by Sean McNamara.

In recent decades there have been many cinema portraits of American presidents, particularly Franklin D Roosevelt but, also of Kennedy, Nixon, and the later 20^th century presidents in the portrait of life in the White House, The Butler. It is now the turn of Ronald Reagan.

This is a two hour 20 minutes study of Reagan as a person and his stances as US president. It is been directed by Sean McNamara, noted for some faith and hope films like Soul Surfer. It is definitely a sympathetic presentation of Reagan. For those who admired him, much to enjoy. For those critical of him, an opportunity to give more considered thought in retrospect about his strengths compared with his alleged weaknesses.

The choice to play Reagan is Dennis Quaid and he acquits himself with a blend of the folksy as well as the determined. Penelope Ann Miller plays his strong-minded wife and support, Nancy. There is a rather large supporting cast bringing to life some of his career in Hollywood, Kevin Dillon as Jack L. Warner and, surprisingly, a somewhat unsympathetic portrayal of actress Jane Wyman, his first wife, by Mena Suvari.

The film uses a very interesting device which may or may not please audiences. The framework for looking at Reagan as a person, as an actor, as a politician, is a very earnest Soviet supporter going to interview Victor Petrovich (played by Jon Voight), a long-time analyst of personalities, looking at Reagan over the decades, making reports to the politburo. Throughout the film, then, he is questioned about Reagan and elaborates on how he has studied him for so long, and the conclusions, rather admiring, calling him The Crusader, that he has drawn and presented.

Which means that Victor Petrovich controls the narrative in many ways, staking opinion and leading to flashbacks covering Reagan’s family and childhood, alcoholic father, religious mother, his early talent for public speaking, good memory, sport, radio, actor, then VP of the Screen Actors’ Guild. There is enough detail in these flashbacks to build up a significant portrait of Reagan young.

His life then moves to politics, his reading about communism, his antagonism towards Communist philosophy, his stances against infiltration of the Actors’ Guild, his political ambitions, becoming Governor of California for two terms. And, his initial encounter with actress Nancy Davis, his marrying her and her continued influence and support.

Also covered is the 1976 campaign, the Republican nominee being Gerald Ford, the victory of Jimmy Carter – and then the campaign of 1980, victory, his presidential commitment, the assassination attempt, and his earnest wanting the elimination of nuclear weapons, the outreach to Russia, to Gorbachev, successes and failures in their interactions, final success, his speech at the Berlin wall – and the consequences of its fall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Finally, his acknowledgement of his oncoming Alzheimer’s, his life at the ranch, loving horseriding, and the voice-over of his final speech about his future and his mental state. And a great number of photos during the final credits.

Definitely for Reagan fans. A challenge for non-Reagan fans.

1. A portrait of Ronald Reagan, sympathetic and admiring?
2. Audience memories of Ronald Reagan, those who lived through his career and presidency, audiences after Reagan? Favourable? Critical?
3. An overview of American society from the 1920s to the 1990s?
4. The opening, Reagan inaugurated, his speech, pro America, insertion of jokes, jovial? The Secret Service, Rawhide as his codename, the assassination attempt and leaving that sequence till later?
5. The device of introducing Victor Petrovich, his background in providing dossiers, the politburo, the KGB, his studying Reagan and his methods of study, his principles, techniques? The young officer and his patriotic ambitions, interviewing patronage? And the device of perceiving Ronald Reagan’s life through Petrovich’s eyes, his assessment of Reagan, nicknaming him The Crusader? His insights?
6. The selection of sequences to illustrate Reagan’s early life, rural America, alcoholic the genial father, eyes mother, her supporting him, the nickname, Dutch, his reading in church, ability to memorise, bullied but his mother telling him to stand up for himself, sports, radio announcing, reading, ambitions?
7. The selection of sequences for his Hollywood career, his marriage to Jane Wyman, tensions, her success, children, the death of the child of one day, the cemetery sequence, her walking away, the divorce? His film career, some success, B-star? Vice president of the actors union, taking this seriously, wanting to do good, the conversation with Jack L Warner, Harry Sorrell and the Soviet influence in the unions, the hearings of the late 1940s, into the 1950s, Reagan and his stances, ambitions?
8. The encounter with Nancy Davis, in his office, the two names, his being charmed, the evening out, in the restaurant alone, sharing, the horse riding, marriage, children? Her continued support for the next 40 years?
9. The 1960s, political ambitions, the Democrats moving away, Republican, Barry Goldwater, Reagan speeches, making his mark, his wanting to be Governor, campaigning, success? Eight years as governor?
10. Reagan and his reading about communism, the perspective of the 1930s, the discussions with writers like Dalton Trumbo, his attitude at Warner Bros, his speeches, hostility towards communism?
11. And the comments by Victor Petrovich throughout these sequences, his perspectives on Reagan, his intelligence, reading, perspectives, tactics, strategies?
12. The campaign for presidential nomination, competitiveness with Gerald Ford, Ford winning, against Jimmy Carter, his disappointment, the issue of age? Nancy and her support, the quiet years, the ranch, making friends and allies?
13. The 1980 election, his speeches, the attack on Carter? His promises? Success, the portrait of his associates, co-workers, Dayna and his camping on the lawn, his being called in as speechwriter? James Baker, the ethos, George Shultz, Casper Weinberg? The meetings, the Cabinet discussions, the issue of communism? The assassination attempt, Nancy at the hospital, his gradual recovery?
14. The issue of the Cold War, Petrovich’s perceptions and analyses, the sequences with Brezhnev and the other leaders, watching the television, analysing the speeches, the status of the Soviet Union in the 1980s? The building of the Berlin Wall?
15. Reagan, his certain simplicity, seeming naivete, folksy style, with Nancy? The decision to deal with the Russians, the focus on Gorbachev, the first meeting in Geneva, the discussions, the conditions, possibilities, failures? The meeting in Iceland, the entourages, the discussions, friendships, difficulties, aiming for nuclear disarmament?
16. The meetings with Margaret Thatcher, her perspectives, support, calling him a cowboy? The later scene with her acclaim at his success?
17. Re-election, his age, stumbling with the debate with Walter Mondale, his joke about age and referring to Mondale? More opposition taunts, his policies, the criticism about not doing anything for the AIDS epidemic? Nancy and her just say no to drugs campaign?
18. The final years, meetings, his Vice President Bush present at meetings? His sitting at home for the future?
19. Age, retirement, at the Ranch, John and his skill at riding, assigned to ride with the Reagan’s, 10 years, the issue of Alzheimer’s coming on, Nancy and John discussing it, John and his raising the issue, going to the last ride? And the voice-over of Reagan commenting on the onset of Alzheimer’s?
20. The final credits, the recapitulation through photos, the tribute to Reagan, the tribute to Nancy Reagan?
21. A satisfying movie portrait for those who favoured Reagan? An opening out of perspectives for those who did not favour Reagan?

MEGALOPOLIS

US, 2024, 138 minutes, Colour.

Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Natalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shire LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Those who are old, who have lived a full life, deserve the opportunity to reflect on the past and what it has meant, to ponder the present and raise issues, to hope for the future. And this is what Francis Ford Coppola, memories of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has ventured, and the-the-top extravaganza into science fiction, futuristic fantasy, a megalopolis. It was released as Coppola turned 85. And, this review is written from the perspective of someone who is four months and one day younger than Coppola.

The setting is New Rome, a New York of the future, focus on the glitter of the Chrysler Building, other landmarks, but Coppola wants to highlight the decline of American society by likening it to the collapse, before the ultimate fall, of the Roman Empire. And the characters have evocative Roman names, Caesar, Cicero, Julia, Crassus, Clodio…

Coppola has gone for the spectacular, lavish sets, skyscrapers to a neo-coliseum with Ben Hur chariot rides and gladiator wrestling, but in the context of technological and communications developments. There is a powerful inventor of a new creative substance with multi-use, played by Adam Driver, a blend of the idealistic and the self-indulgent. He is the Caesar. There is t Mayor, Giancarlo Esposito, clinging to power. He is the Cicero. There is the ageing banker, Jon Voight, poised for a fall, manipulated by his crazy-ambitious grandson Shia LaBoeuf, and his manipulative wife, Aubrey Plaza. Voight is the Crassus. But, acknowledging the mundane glamour of media, Aubrey Plaza is Wow Platinum.

Dustin Hoffman plays a political manipulator and there are Coppola regulars from the past, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire (his sister) and Jason Schwartzman) his nephew).

This review will enlist the assistance of ideas from psychologist, Carl Jung. It suggests four different perspectives on how Megalopolis might read be viewed and reviewed – and may contribute to an understanding of why Coppola is intended epic has been a box office failure with barbs from critics.

If one looks at the film, really looks, sees the images, hears the music and sounds, is immersed in the sense atmosphere, there is much to dazzle, excite and admire. If one prefers to look beyond this sense excitement, to be excited by ideas, imagination, themes, the New York-N or ew Rome connections, then the film is a feast of intuitions.

There is the more subjective response, personal factors and connections, appreciations of Coppola and his work, the intrigue of the potential collapse of the American Empire, evaluation of the characters and performances, liked or disliked. And, on the other hand, there is a more objective judgement, the perspectives of critics, the question of whether Coppola’s vision is substantial or ephemeral somewhere in between. The issue of whether his insights have depth insight, the consistency of the screenplay, Coppola’s interpretation of the past, his assessment of the present, and the quality of his optimism for the future.

Megalopolis has not been popular with the wide audience, but it surely has its place in the history of cinema.

1. Status of the film? In the career of Francis Ford Coppola? Ambitious, an old man, in his early 80s, filmmaking, screenplay, reflections on message?
2. The visuals of the film, a future New York, New Rome, Chrysler building and reminders of New York City? Parallels with ancient Rome especially the Coliseum, wrestling and chariot races? The special effects, the stopping of time? The editing and pace?
3. The cast, mixture of the young and the veterans, the status they bring to their rules?
4. The use of names, the application of Caesar, Cicero, Crassus, Julia…?
5. The introduction to Caesar Catalina, setting the tone of the film, on the Chrysler building, on the edge, stopping time? His invention, the material and its use? As a person, the death of his wife, the blame, Cicero and the prosecution? His work, ambitions? His lifestyle, the drugs? The encounter with Wow Platinum and the affair? Her role in the media? The antagonism towards Cicero? Crassus and the banking? Clodio and his antagonism? The encounters with Julia, the connections with her father, her attitude, assisting him, managing, the relationship, the pregnancy, her decisions with her father, the baby and her bonding with Caesar? The experience of the banking failure, the consequences? The physical attack, his injuries, hospital, his recovery? His relationship with his mother, her outbursts, seeing her in the crowd at the end?
6. Julia, the initial introduction, the nightclub, her friends, the wildlife, drinking, drugs, sexuality, of relationships? Her relationship with her father? Her changing, the encounters with Caesar, on his side, managing him at events, PR, the relationship, the increasing complications, the pregnancy, the birth of the child? The culmination with her father, her mother, her final choices? The stopping of time?
7. Crassus, the banker, profligate life, drinking, the family, meeting with Wow Platinum, the marriage, her manipulation, the media and interviews, her brashness, with Caesar, opportunist, the marriage, with Clodio, teaming with him, the plan, the management of the bank, to bring down Crassus? His age, careless life, realisation of what was happening, feigning his illness, turning the tables on Clodio and Wow?
8. Cicero, the mayor, his wife, Julia as his daughter, his practice of the law, antagonism towards Caesar? His role in the city, his ambitions, the crises, the conflicts? Relationship with his daughter, the clashes, disappointments? The challenges and his various responses? Mediation, concessions? His reliance on his friend, and sharing the downfall?
9. Clodio, young, his friends, careless, dressing as the Roman woman, partying, yet ambitious, his friend and manipulation, resorting to violence, with Well, the connections, interviews with Crassus, bringing him down, his defeat?
10. Dustin Hoffman as the dealmaker, sinister, his remarks, insinuating, Cicero relying on him – Claudio and turning against him, his death?
11. The chauffeur, his being the narrator, his views on characters and situations, a measure of judgement?
12. The people of New Rome, the populace, the responses to the leaders, victims of the leaders?
13. The film as reflections of an old man, critique of the past, ambivalence towards the present, possible hopes for the future?

MERCY

US, 2023, 85 minutes, Colour.

Leah Gibson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jon Voight, Sebastien Roberts, Anthony Konechny, Patrick Roccas, Anthony Bolognese.

Directed by Tony Dean Smith.

Mercy is a brief action thriller, set in the American city. However, there is an introduction to the central character, a doctor serving overseas, the situation with the soldier struck with bombs, her husband, his excluding the bomb to save her. They have a son.

That the action takes place at the Mercy Hospital, sympathetic doctor, Michelle talented surgeon, pleasant domestic situation with her son’s birthday and the gift of a ball.

In the meantime, the FBI have arrested the presumed he had to a criminal gang, Irish background, who dominate in the city, led by the patriarch, played by Jon Voight, and his psychopathic son, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The criminals ambush the FBI, the son shoots his brother who survives and is rushed to hospital.

Most of the action, familiar enough but always with some tension, is the patriarch and the members of the gang arriving at the hospital, the patriarch wanting a peaceful restitution of his son, the psychopathic son intent on covering his shooting his brother, and with some psychopathic henchmen.

The focus on is on Michelle, Leah Gibson, highly decorated military, martial arts expert, tactics, guns. While she is able to shield the wounded man with the help of a rookie FBI agent, she hides her son in a locker but, he is discovered and becomes the porn for an exchange.

It all builds up to 10 situations, the kindly doctor bomb strapped to him, to intervene with the FBI outside the besieged hospital, hostages, his setting of the explosion to save others. And, within the hospital, the fears, accreditation between father and son, building up to a confrontation between the psychopath and Michele, saved by a swift move by the son.

Brief, popular action.

1. American gangster thriller? The Irish background?
2. The title, the hospital? Themes of mercy and not forgiving?
3. The introduction, Michelle, overseas service, doctor, patience and trauma, her husband, the bomb, is detonating it to save her? At home, surgeons skills? Relationship with her son?
4. Quinn gang, the arrest of Ryan, interrogation, his silence, intended as the heir to Patty? The threats? The FBI? Transporting him, surveillance by the gang, Sean and his intervention, the pursuit, the ambush, the shootout, Sean and his shooting Ryan? The shooting of the agents? Taking the victims to the Mercy Hospital?
5. Dr Terrance, the hospital, friendship with Michelle? Will be on his birthday, the gift of the ball, the plans for the football match? The arrival of the victims? Michelle going to help? Bobby waiting, the encounter with Patty, the friendly talk? The setup for the ambush in the hospital, the siege, and Michelle hiding Bobby in the cupboard?
6. Patty, patriarchal status, favouring Ryan, his criticisms of Sean? The golf game, his associate, the hospital, the interrogations, wanting to find his son? Sean and the gang, the wild young man, his shooting the hospital clerk, and his severing his ear?
7. The contrast with the techniques? Patty, wanting his son, wanting no violence? Sean, covering himself for shooting his brother, his henchmen, the reactions to the shootings?
8. The rookie FBI agent, moving Ryan, Michelle and the treatment, her quick thinking, the attacks, her martial arts schools, and shooting, drawing on her military experience?
9. Confrontation between Paddy and Sean, the truth is told, the anger? The physical conflict, and he wounded, surviving and taken away in the ambulance?
10. The hostages, the threats, finding the clown and his group, joining the others? The security man, initially asking for parking fees, his being knocked out, Michelle want him to disconnect the surveillance? Her skills, hiding Ryan, attending him? The buildup to the confrontations, the deaths?
11. Finding Bobby, his being held as hostages, for the exchange? The final confrontation between Sean and Michelle, his holding Bobby, will be kicking him, Michelle shooting Sean?
12. Popular action material?