Displaying items by tag: Riz Ahmed

RELAY

US, 2024, 112 minutes, Colour.

Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald, Jarad Abrahamson, Pun Bandhu, Elsa Davis, Victor Garber.

Directed by David Mackenzie.

For most of the time, this is one of those paranoid thrillers that were popular decades ago, industrial espionage, technological surveillance, threats, dangers, counter surveillance.

The setting is New York. The issue is a big company, food company, working on developments but finding debilitating side-effects in their products, concealing the documentation. And these situations which lead to conscientious whistleblowers, pursuit of the whistleblowers, the recovery of documents.

In this case, the whistleblower is Sarah Grant, played by Lily James, in hiding, with documents, menaced by the company’s agents, taken on by a mysterious personality, a broker (the original name for this film). He is played very effectively by Riz Ahmed, able to live a shadowy existence, master of disguise, unobtrusively infiltrating situations. And, significantly, his mode of communication with Sarah Grant as well as her pursuers, is via at tri-state communication system, Relay.

With Relay, messages are typed for the central exchange and then voiced to the recipient by the staff. This is a method used for hearing impaired people. It also offers an opportunity for voice disguise and identity anonymity.

The group of pursuers is led by Sam Worthington. (Interesting that this New York story is directed by Scottish David Mackenzie and the two leads are British and Sam Worthington, born in England, growing up in Australia.)

What brings some humanity to the film is a gradual revelation of the broker’s story, Muslim background, New York City, 9/11, work on Wall Street, business exposes and his becoming a freelancer broker. But, the way this is revealed is through his attending of AA meetings, bringing some more personal depth to his character.

And, as might be expected, there is a twist in the drama. For this reviewer, the twist was too much, throwing too much doubt on the “realism” credibility of all that we had seen previously. And, while weapons previously were verbal threats and challenges by Relay, the culmination brings us to guns and knives, desperate chases…

Some have relished the dynamism of the story and for most of the film this is quite strong Others have found the twist and its consequences too much.

1. The original title, The Broker, and the focus on –? The film title and the focus on the communication system, tri-state, for hearing impaired, for voice disguising? Its use throughout the film?
2. The New York settings, the city, apartment blocks, the streets, offices, Grand Central station, since in Poughkeepsie? The musical score?
3. The initial situation, setting the tone? Hoffman, the meeting with McVie, with Ash? Documents, payments, at the train station? The introduction to Ash?
4. The new situation, Sarah Grant, the company, third development and experimentation, concealing failures in research, whistleblower, needing protection? Her presence, her character, communication with Ash via Relay? Her speaking, “Go ahead”? The quibble about “all right”? Her isolation, needing protection, the documents?
5. The character of Ash, seeming loner, a lonely life, the importance of the AA meetings, the discussions with Wash? After the meetings? The later meetings and his revelation about himself, Muslim, in New York, 9/11, his drinking, Wall Street, his tasks, broker and cover-ups? The explanation of himself, his personality?
6. The dealings with Sarah, the relay calls, his watching her, his various disguises? Her vulnerability, alone, jogging?
7. The corporations group, their personalities, working together, pursuit, the van, the phone calls through Relay?
8. The details of the plans for the documents, Ash and his cupboard, using US Post, the details, forwarding, collecting them? The news about the missing pages, Sara apologising, her mistake? The plan to put them in the newspaper, the group watching, the false tracking, photos and the use of many cameras, identifying Ash?
9. The plans for the money, sent to California, to be forwarded to Poughkeepsie? The plan is to save Sarah? Her being taken by the group, the Schubert concerto, Ash pulling the alarm, the escape?
10. The twist in the plot, credible or not? Undermining the realism of everything that had gone before, especially Sarah’s character and performance? The extreme detail in presenting the pursuit and finding the truth about it?
11. The shift from menace, paranoia, phones and cameras, Relay? The van, the tasers, guns, capitation his escape, the running, wounded? His previous phone call to Wash, the police arriving, the arrests?
12. The credibility of Sarah, the situation, the reality, her harsh toughness after the seeming romance?
13. Audience interest in this kind of thriller, espionage, psychology – but how much affected by the final twist and the ending?

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME

US, 2025, 101 minutes, Colour.

Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Bill Murray, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Park, Alex Jennings, Donald Sumpter, Scott Shepherd.

Directed by Wes Anderson.

A significant part of the review for The Phoenician Scheme is to look at the huge credits list, many of the cast having appeared in a number of Wes Anderson films. And, of course, expectations from writer-director, Wes Anderson. Anderson has been writing and directing films, including two animation films, for more than a quarter of a century. His tyle and his exploration of themes is, to say the least, highly distinctive.

And, The Phoenician Scheme, is quite idiosyncratically distinctive. It is very stylised in the visuals, the traditional box screen frame, the framing of action, the references to paintings and the staging looking like 20^th century paintings. Then there are the performances, also stylised, often life theatre performances, eccentric and clipped delivery of lines, postures and posing. And, for those audiences ready to surrender to Anderson, there are many who do, these visuals and the performances are readily engaging.

There is a plot. The setting is 1950, an entrepreneurial businessman from Hungary, Korda, played perfectly, both seriously and ironically, by Benicio del Toro. He has survived several plane crashes, assassins out to get him and sabotage his plan for development, rails and tunnels in Phoenicia. We are presented with a chart indicating his plans as well as the contacts he must make to improve a shortfall in income project. They serve as chapters for the film.

Korda has many children, his own and adopted, hoping for an Einstein for the future. But his only daughter, Liesl, a novice nun, played by Mia Threapleton, is seconded, initially unwillingly and firmly committed to her vocation, to be his heir. (Mia Threapleton is following in the footsteps of her mother, Kate Winslet, a very interesting role.) And, there is Kord’a new assistant, expert on insects, played with accent by Michael Cera.

Interspersed throughout it is round table conference of elders who are monitoring Korda’s behaviour judging him and his morality accordingly.

The encounters with the various characters for financial help are highly entertaining, eccentric and satirically humorous in their way, incorporating the various stars listed above until a culmination in the fearsome presence of Benedict Cumberbatch Korda’s brother.

Then there are Korda’s memories and dreams, flashbacks in black-and-white, some of his near death, or momentary post-death, experiences, some ecclesiastical in an Orthodox style, others with biblical overtones, again with a number of stars – and a cameo by Bill Murray, who has been working with Anderson for a long time, culminating in his presence as God.

Anderson has a wry and offbeat sense of humour, so often the unexpected, some realism and then some surrealism, farcical moments, deadly serious moments, tantalising the audience, a treat for those who are willing to be tantalised.

1. A Wes Anderson film, style, visual, verbal, humorous, satirical, ironic? Underlying serious themes? The strengths of his casts, many actors reappearing in his films?
2. The visual style of the film, but colour like 20^th century contemporary paintings? Sets and decor? Photography, the black and white flashbacks? Staging of the action, like stage performance, all postures and posings? The stylised action sequences? The performances, stylised and realism? The language of the screenplay, the particular style of delivery? The overall effect and response?
3. The setting in 1950, memories of World War II, business enterprises after the war, international entrepreneurs, international projects and finance?, Double dealing?
4. The explanation of Korda, his business acumen, the 5%? The background of his marriages? Children and adopted children, hoping for an Einstein? His relationship with his daughter, novice nun, seconding her, naming her as his heir? His staff, his planes, the plans to kill him, his surviving the various crashes?
5. The plane ride, his assistant cut in half and swept away, the crash, surviving? Meeting his daughter, her personality, severe, dedicated to the convent, contact with the mother superior, wanting to make her vows? Her not knowing her father, his reputation with her? Her unwillingness to be part of his empire? The plan, her observing his behaviour, learning more about him, her beads, images, sign of the cross, holy water?
6. Bjorn, Scandinavian background, accent, present on the plane, his role as assistant, his expertise on insects, his attraction to Liesl, declarations? The comic style of his character, interactions?
7. The Phoenician scheme itself, tunnels and railway, the finance, the image on the screen with the various contacts for making up the gap in finance? The structure of the film, the various contacts?
8. The background of the assembly, the business discussions, the following of Korda, the decisions about his business and morality?
9. The Americans, in the tunnel, on the train, the discussions, suspicions, the meeting with the Prince of Phoenicia, the attack by the camel riders, the Prince saving Korda? The financial discussions, the proposal of the basketball competition, the Prince and his ignorance of the game, Korda hopeless, the skill of the two Americans, yet the Prince succeeding? Getting a grant?
10. Going to Marseille Bob, the manager of the club, past relationship with Korda, Liesel and Bjorn observing, the raid on the club, the freedom fighters, the personality of Sergio, Bob upset about the roof, and Korda taking the bullet for Bob? Getting the grant?
11. Marty, fast talking American, suspicious of Korda, Korda shot, Marty providing the blood transfusion, making an agreement?
12. Going to see Hilda, the distant cousin, her financial knowledge, the prospect of the marriage, her place in the family, with Liese?
13. The flight, going to see Nubar, the crash, the jungle, Bjorn and his being unmasked as an agent, his siding with Korda, Korda in the quicksand, Bjorn rescuing him, the arrival of Sergio and his revolutionaries, taking the group to safety?
14. The encounter with Nubar, looking sinister, the relationship, the mastermind behind the assassination attempts, discussing the family, the finance, the satirical physical fight between Nubar and Korda?
15. Korda, death experiences, near death, his life before him, black-and-white photography, the bearded Orthodox-like sequences, the characters, judgements? The biblical sequences, the personalities, the pageantry, Bill Murray as God?
16. Liesl, the contact with the mother superior, her being present for the business deals, the money for the community? Liesl opting to leave the convent?
17. The finale, Korda and his being honest, losing everything, restaurant, the working in the kitchen, father and daughter, reconciled, and a happy life?