list.co.uk/fi lm Reviews | FILM
BLACK COMEDY LIFE OF CRIME (TBC) 94min ●●●●●
A prequel of sorts to Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, in that it features three of the same characters, Life of Crime is writer-director Daniel Schechter’s low-key adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s The Switch. Set in 70s Detroit, the film stars John Hawkes and Yasiin Bey as Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie (played by Robert De Niro and Samuel L Jackson in Jackie Brown), two small-time crooks who kidnap country club socialite Mickey (Jennifer Aniston), the wife of shady businessman Frank (Tim Robbins). However, Frank’s shacked up with his mistress Melanie (Isla Fisher) having just filed for divorce, so is in no hurry to pay the ransom and even figures he might save himself some alimony if things turn nasty.
Hawkes and Bey are an appealing double-act, and Robbins makes a fine sleaze-bag but the stand-out is Aniston who delivers a performance that’s emotionally engaging and consistently surprising. The film features a snappy script, impressive production design and a sharp soundtrack. Yet there’s no sense of escalating danger, with promising sub- plots failing to catch fire. Life of Crime is strong on character and swagger, but hampered by a frustratingly slight plot and a general lack of suspense. (Matthew Turner) ■ General release from Fri 5 Sep.
THRILLER A MOST WANTED MAN (15) 122min ●●●●●
A Chechen refugee, Issa (Grigoriy Dobrygin), seeks asylum in Hamburg with the help of human rights lawyer Annabel (Rachel McAdams), but his situation is complicated by more than brutalisation at home: he has a claim on a fat bank account left for him by his father, a wealthy Russian. Up prick the ears of local spymaster Günther (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who keeps an eye on local Islamic extremists. Is the money earmarked for jihadists and, even if not, could it be used as bait for their supporters? Based on the novel by John le Carré, this tangled tale takes a risk by having recognisable American actors affect German accents, but the performances are strong enough and the narrative sufficiently absorbing that they either convince or at least don’t distract. Director Anton Corbijn (The American) knows how to keep tension high using personalities and politics rather than guns and car chases, and the late Hoffman is a lovely fit as one of le Carré’s dilapidated, disappointed anti-heroes. Only McAdams seems off; the film isolates her unconvincingly and she seems too young and vulnerable to be flying solo over such dangerous ground. (Hannah McGill) ■ General release from Fri 12 Sep.
21 Aug–18 Sep 2014 THE LIST 61
SCI-FI ACTION LUCY (15) 89min ●●●●●
With ambition coming out of its ears and ideas coming out of its arse, Lucy is the wayward brainchild of French writer-director Luc Besson. We’ve recently seen Scarlett Johansson fight alongside superheroes and assume the guise of a curious alien adrift from humanity. Here she combines those skill sets playing a woman surging toward god-likeness as she gains access to 100% of her brain capacity (aparrently, the average person uses just 10%).
We first meet Lucy as a punky bombshell with terrible taste in men. After being set up by the weasel she’s seeing (Pilou Asbæk), Lucy falls into the clutches of Mr Jang (Min-sik Choi), who sews a bag of crystals into her stomach to use her as a mule. As the drug she’s carrying leaks into her system, Lucy swiftly evolves into something superhuman. This (exciting) ordeal runs in parallel with a related lecture given by neuroscientist Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman).
Besson was a pivotal figure in the cinéma du look movement and Lucy proves he can still
deliver directorial chutzpah, although his latest is an uninhibited mess in its final scenes. Scant context is provided, so Lucy before the transformation is a blank page, and her eventual effortless superiority eases much-needed tension. It’s also largely humourless, save moments of accidental comedy.
Still, Johansson acts as a reasonably adhesive glue. Satisfaction can be gained from the urgency of the action, from this terrorised woman being empowered with strength, and from the choice to put a formidably intelligent, physically ferocious female at the fore when the vast majority of mainstream protagonists remain men. Lucy is immensely inconsistent and exceedingly daft and yet it remains a good deal of fun. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 22 Aug.
ROMANTIC COMEDY WHAT IF (15) 102min ●●●●●
Crass, ten-a-penny romcoms have devalued the genre. Where’s the charm these days? The warmth? Despairing traditionalists should eagerly welcome What If, a sweetly engaging 21st century When Harry Met Sally . . . squeezing laughter and tears from the eternal dilemma of whether men and women can ever be just good friends. Director Michael Dowse is better known for broad,
bad taste comedies but, working from a smart adaptation of the play Toothpaste and Cigars, he has created something with wider appeal. Daniel Radcliffe
proves himself a viable romantic lead as Wallace, a lonely fellow with unrealistic expectations of love. He finds a soulmate in Chantry (Zoe Kazan) who shares his sense of humour and tendency toward awkward small talk. However, she already has a nice boyfriend, Ben (Rafe Spall). What If is not without its contrivances and recalls the smarter end of television comedy, complete
with a circle of concerned friends. Incurable romantics will forgive the familiarity especially as a witty Radcliffe and a charming Kazan make the kind of cute couple that you will towards a happy ending. A light, unexpected delight. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Wed 20 Aug.