Displaying items by tag: Zoe Kravitz

CAUGHT STEALING

US, 2025, 107 minutes, Colour.

Austin Butler, Regina King, Zoe Kravitz, Griffin Dunne, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky.

50 years ago Martin Scorsese made the striking New York film, Mean Streets, emphasis on the Italians. Caught Stealing takes place 25 years later, moving towards the end of the millennium, but the title of this film as one reviewer suggested would include “sleazy” streets. And this reviewer would add “ugly and insane”.

At the centre of this strange picture of New York gangsters is a hapless young man, Harry/Hank played by Austin Butler who, after his striking performance as Elvis, has proven himself with The Bikeriders, Dune 2, Eddington, a significant American actor who can hold a total film. He is in New York, a transplant from California, prospective baseball player, involved in a deadly car crash, working in a dingy bar, a girlfriend, no major prospects.

But, he is asked by his eccentric roommate, Russ, British actor Matt Smith with a Mohawk, to mind his cat while he goes back to London for his father’s illness. Hank is wary of the cat, it bites, proves itself a nuisance – but, relief for cat lovers, it becomes more important as the narrative goes on, even moments of endearment.

Of course, Russ is unreliable, involved in drugs, in possession of a huge amount of cash which he has hidden in a storeroom. And then the thugs and criminals arrive, assuming that Hank is involved and has all the information. And they want the money.

The old Mean Streets had Italian gangsters. In 1998, there are the Russians, with a capacity for vicious torture. There are also the Hispanic entrepreneurs, running clubs, running drugs. And, most bizarre of all, some Hebrew gangsters – very much Orthodox and observant in Jewish traditions, folksy in their conversations, going home to mother for sabbath and listening to her cautions about driving on that day – but with Hank driving, all is well. And they are played, almost unrecognisable behind the beards and Orthodox clothing, by Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio.

And, there is also a corrupt cop, played by Regina King.

Which means then that Hank is often literally on the run, even when he has had serious kidney punctures due to the vicious torture, trusting in the corrupt cop, manipulated by everyone, upset by the treatment of his girlfriend, but all the time phoning his mother in California with great devotion and baseball intensity, “Go, Giants!”

This is a film with plenty of intense and violent moments, some ironic humour, a great deal of betrayal and set-ups, the issues of whom to trust, and the put-upon Hank becoming shrewd and shrewder in how he can possibly escape from this gangster pursuit. No spoiler – he does, a victory for the little man over presumptuous brutes.

1. Literally arresting title? The status of Austin Butler as a star? The reputation of Darren often ostia as director?
2. 1990s, the mean streets of New York, the shift from Italian gangsters to Russian gangsters, Jewish and Orthodox gangsters…? But the same gangster themes, oppression, innocent victims, torture and killing?
3. Hank’s story, young man, baseball hopes, from California, ringing his mother, Go Giants? Incident, the death of his friend, alcohol, dependence? His accommodation, sharing the apartment, relationship with Russ? At the bar, his work, girlfriend? Prospects?
4. Russ, British, going back to London, criminal, the drug connections, the money? His cat? Interesting the cat to Hank? And the further involvement with the cat…? The important key in its litter box?
5. The Russian gangsters, types, personalities, demands, to the apartment, the brutality with Hank, questioning, assumptions about his guilt, torture, his injuries?? The cat?
6. The Hassidic brothers, their garb, beards, observing the Sabbath, their mother and her insistence on the regulations? Jovial manner? Yet ruthless, with Hank, searching the apartment, interrogations, torture, abducting him, at their home, the final drive – and their comeuppance?
7. Russians, Colorado, his collaboration, the questions, the complications with Hank, the key, losing, his relationship with his girlfriend, realising she is in danger, her being shot?
8. Elise Roman, police, questioning Hank, the information about the dealers? Her involvement with Hank, following leads? The revelation that she was corrupt? Confrontations with Hank? Following him? The final deals, the threats, the information about his girlfriend’s death? The key? Death?
9. Confrontation at Paul’s bar, the fights, the shootings, the key, all killed?
10. Hank, in the streets, the various encounters, his pain and wounds, the entanglements? Searching for the key, Jason, and leaving the key in his abandoned clothes?
11. Russ returning, the storeroom, the amount of money, the Russians, Hank and his handing over Russ, saving the cat?
12. Hank and survival, overcoming the Russians, overcoming the Hassidic brothers? The killing his girlfriend, his crashing the car? Getting the money, impersonating Russ, sending have the money to his mother?

BLINK TWICE

US, 2024, 102 minutes, Colour.

Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adriana Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan.

Directed by Zoe Kravitz.

We, the audience, are invited, whether we like it or not, to take a trip to a Fantasy Island, a horror Fantasy Island.

This is a first film cowritten and directed by actress, Zoe Kravitz. She has invested a great deal of imagination and ingenuity to creating it. It is very much a film of the #MeToo consciousness of the last 20 years or so. And, it brings to mind the criminal behaviour of predator, Jeffrey Epstein, and judgements on him and his behaviour.

But, it doesn’t quite start that way. We are introduced to function cocktail waitress, Frida (Naomi Mackie) rapt in photos on her phone, idolising the guest of honour, Slater King (Channing Tatum in what eventually becomes a demanding role). The function is in honour of Slater King, his regrets for his behaviour in his business career, now a champion of philanthropy.

With his charm, Frida and her roommate, Jess, find themselves, as the audience does, on a plane to Slater’s island. For the next half hour, the guests, half a dozen young women, with some men friends on the island, have what they call a good time, no, “great time”, eating, drinking, gourmet food and alcohol, lazing by the pool, for days on end, losing a sense of time… (Audiences who would envy such a great time,

they will enjoy this hedonistic holiday; those for whom there is more in life than idling it away, it seems a very long time before anything really happens.)

Obviously, there is a danger of spoilers when the action gets going. Perhaps best to say that a key issue is the role of memory. Is it important to go back into the past to remember, to help with explanations of events in life? Or is it better to let the memories go and to move into the future? And so, with this shift in the drama, some of the guests remembering, disturbed by memories, decide to go into action to save themselves and others…

Which means then that the great time turns into something of a messy time and mayhem.

Blink Twice has quite a strong supporting cast including Alia  Shawket and Adria Arjona as two of the young women, Christian Slater and Haley Joel Osment as two of the guests, Kyle MacLachlan as a psychiatrist, Geena Davis as something of the housekeeper of the island.

As might be expected, there is a challenging ending – and the audience having to go away to reflect on the #MeToo implications of what they have just seen.

1. A film from the Me-Too# era? Women and men? Misogyny and exploitation? The island and audience memories of Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes?
2. The film as reality and fantasy? Fantasy Island?
3. The title, the reference to gaze, to photography?
4. The introduction to Frida, the phone, the photos, swiping through, the photos of Slater King, the infatuation? Her friendship with Jess, roommates, shared experiences? The cocktail waitresses? At the annual event, memories of the previous year, the advice of their supervisor, to smile and mingle? Audience identification with the two young women? Younger audiences and identification? Older audiences observing?
5. The story of Slater King, played by Channing Tatum, his reputation, his companies, change of heart, his repeated apologies, the celebration, the host, the guests, the speeches, food and drink, the dancing?
6. Slater, the attraction to Frida, with her, her response, awkwardness, charm, the dancing, with Jess, the invitation to the island? Their leaving everything, the flight to the island?
7. The island, a fantasy Island, the plane, the beauty of the island, the isolation, the main buildings, the grounds, the terrain, giving up the phones? Slater as host, his continued attention to Frida?
8. The range of characters on the island, the young women, seeming friends, but not having met before, the response to Slater, their hopes? The men, Vic, older, his camera? Tom, short, baby-faced, indulgent? Cody, vain, pride in his cooking and announcements? Lucas, younger, thinner, hanger-on?
9. The first 40 minutes, sensual, the accommodation, the clothes, everything available, the food and meals, the lighting, the drink, the drugs, the pool? “A good time”, “a great time”, hedonism, self-indulgence, the effect on the guests, Slater as host?
10. The change in tone, the issue of Jess, her participation in the great time, but wanting her phone, wanting out, her cigarette lighter with her name, the disappearance, nobody remembering?
11. The theme of memory, Slater and Frida and the discussions about memory, not going back into the past, erasing memories, living in the present to the future? The discussions with the therapist, at the party, his visit to the island, collusion with Slater?
12. The mysterious local inhabitants, the old woman, Frida encountering her, not understanding her, the snake, the venom, the drinks? The local workmen? Those who served at the dinner?
13. Frida, uncomfortable, memories of Jess, the friendship with Sarah, Sarah and her memories of being on television, Survivor, their working together, understanding the drinks, the issue of memory, the role of Slater, the other men? Frida and her searching Slater’s room, the photos? Under suspicion?
14. The role of the other girls, caught up in the hedonism? The contrast with Frida and Sara, then manoeuvres, building to the set up, the mood to violence, the knives?
15. The role of Stacy, older, housekeeper, her ditzy manner, dropping things, the issue of the armchair and its place, sometimes sinister presence, with the young women, her death?
16. The uprising, the confrontation of the men, the stabbing of Cody, Tom in the pool, the attack on Vic, Lucas and his death?
17. The role of the therapist, the danger, working with Slater?
18. The unmasking of Slater, exploitation, his charm, his real character?
19. The irony of the ending, the annual show, Frida in charge, control, Slater and his subservient presence? The future?
20. A contemporary drama/horror/parable about men and women in the 21^st-century?