Here are three releases that display quality, even as they straddle different genres. On HBO Max, we have the latest Action Thriller from Taylor Sheridan, while Netflix ‘rescues’ a Crime Psychodrama from South Korea. And there’s the latest film adaptation of a Patrick deWitt novel.
Those Who Wish Me Dead (HBO Max) - Taylor Sheridan directs and writes this Action-Suspense film, and I’ve admired Sheridan from afar for some time now. Originally a screenplay writer, he wrote Sicario and Hell or High Water, and wrote and directed Wind River. With Those Who Wish, he’s once again giving us the loner hero, thrust into a dire situation; the big difference being that his main protagonist is a female fire fighter/forest ranger, and the dire situation comes in the form of protecting a young boy whose father has been killed by paramilitary hit men, and her rescuing has to be done while a forest fire is raging. As you can perceive, these are all strong elements that lend themselves to what should be a nail-biting, memorable film.
I’ll say it here, Sheridan puts in the work setting up the characters and the situation, but some may feel he takes too long. It’s really only halfway into the film, when our heroine meets up with the young boy that things truly pick up, and the film becomes a virtual roller coaster to the very end. Angelina Jolie plays our main protagonist, while Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult are the hired goons. Finn Little takes on the young boy role, while Jon Bernthal is on board as the local Sheriff. What I found problematic beyond the superb last half of this film is how Angelina’s Hannah turns out to be the least interesting character in the cast. Lucky for us that everyone else around her put in stellar performances and keep us riveted to the film.
Memoir of a Murderer (Netflix South Korea) - This isn’t actually a new drop; but I just recently discovered that this film adaptation is available for viewing on Netflix. It’s a film adaptation of a South Korean crime novel I thoroughly enjoyed, as written by Kim Young-Ha. Directed by Won Sin-Yeon, and with the screenplay by Hwang Jo-Yun; its a product of South Korea that’s more in consonance with such output as 2003’s Old Boy and last year’s Parasite, than the popular K-Dramas of today. The premise is so inventive - a veterinarian is suffering from Alzheimer’s and big chunks of his memories are disappearing. A widower, he takes care of his daughter, but is in fact hiding a big secret - a past double life as a serial murderer, in the name of society cleansing.
Complications arise when a chance minor road accident leads him to encounter a man who could be behind the spate of murders plaguing the community. Turns out that this young ‘suspect’ works in the police force, and begins courting the vet’s daughter. In fact, the courting is more about playing a cat and mouse game with our fading protagonist. In a race against time, can he remember what he’s planning to stop this serial killer, or are all his plans ending up for naught with his mental deterioration. Will he be able to save his daughter, or is his reluctance to reveal his own past crimes, going to lead to inaction and tragedy?
French Exit (Sony Pictures Video On Demand) - This one is based on a novel by Patrick deWitt, a writer known for his quirky sense of humor. He wrote The Sisters Brothers (which was also adapted to film), and Undermajordomo Minor (my hilarious, personal favorite). French Exit stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges as socialite mother and adult son. She’s widowed, and much of the plot has to do with examining the very unconventional relationship and dynamic between the two. It’s what Sony would consider a prestige project, one with literary credentials, and given the green light to hopefully garner awards. And to be fair, Pfeiffer enjoyed luminous reviews for her portrayal.
The premise has to do with Pfeiffer’s character, Frances, finding out that with no visible means of generating income, she’s tottering on the edge of bankruptcy. A friend offers her use of a Paris apartment, and so off they fly, to give the impending financial disaster a change of location. You’ll love the one-liners, the way the bitchy remarks roll off the tongue of Frances. When asked what was she thinking, spending like there’s no tomorrow, she deadpans that she thought she’d be dead before the money ran out. Essentially a string of vignettes, the film is short of narrative drive, or resolution. It has it’s moments but has problems sustaining. Not my favorite deWitt film adaptation, but I still recommend the novel - and if this is an entry point to deWitt’s literary world, so be it.