Stratton
Theatrial Release: January 5, 2018
Available On Demand & Digital HD: January 5, 2018
Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews
Stratton (based on the novel series of the same name), a Special Boat Service operative for MI6, and his American counterpart Marty, scope a laboratory complex in Iran in order to intercept deadly biochemical weapons. This most complex of missions goes spectacularly wrong however and in the mayhem Marty (Tyler Hoechlin) is mortally wounded. Stratton (Dominic Cooper) knows his trusted friend isn’t going to make it. Back at base Stratton is summoned by the big boss at MI6 (Connie Nielsen). She has received intel that a former Soviet operative, Barovski (Thomas Kretschmann), has gone rogue. Thought to be dead for the last 20 years, it is believed Barovski has plans to take revenge on his former paymasters by using stolen chemical weapons. From hereon in, Stratton and his team (Austin Stowell, Gemma Chan, Jake Fairbrother, & Tom Felton) must draw on all their training and experience to race against time and stop the unimaginable happening.
Stratton is your typical mindless action movie. Reminded us of a lower budget James Bond or Jason Bourne. We found ourselves getting caught up in the plot (at the time), but in a few days we’re sure it will blend into every other movie that’s similar and we’ll forget exactly what the plot was. It was nice seeing Malfoy (Tom Felton) in another movie, that isn’t Harry Potter, but it did lead us to make assumptions about his character in Stratton (and we weren’t too far off). Also in reference to the acting, Gemma Chan… give her more scenes! That certainly wouldn’t have disappointed us if she was more involved.
We’d recommend waiting for Stratton to hit Netflix or a free movie channel as opposed to paying to see it in theaters or renting through On Demand, but we do suggest giving it a watch. And to be honest, we wouldn’t be opposed to seeing a sequel.
Reel ROB Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars
Post Credits Scene: No
We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!
You might think that a film without a single word of dialogue would be difficult or tedious to watch. You’d be completely wrong in the case of festival favorite, Driftwood. After a young woman washes up on shore, an older man “rescues” her and brings her to his home to recoup. But all is not what it seems from the very beginning. The relationship between the two is unsettling at every turn. Is the woman an amnesiac? Performances from all three cast members are equally intriguing. Each wanting for something completely different. Again… all without dialogue! The viewer’s insinuations make this story a unique emotional journey. Writer/director Paul Taylor has done something so new and strange, easily running the gambit of humorous to patriarchal grotesque, Driftwood will leave you scratching your head and wanting to watch again and again. The impact is undoubtedly endless.
Check out the film’s chilling trailer below…
Collier Landry brings us on a journey no child should ever have to go on. 27 years after a horrific crime by the hands of his own father, we learn that Landry had the foresight to keep all the correspondence between the two, adding to the real life, emotionally manipulative drama that endured. This doc has some of the most graphic details shown to an audience as we are privy to the actual crime scene photos alongside Collier. While he attempts to come to terms with the truth about his father, he also explores the greater effect that violence leaves on a community. Through interviews with friends and family, the hold this event still has on so many is more than evident. Landry not only had his mother stolen from his life, not only his innocence, but an adoptive sister. As a viewer, I mourned right along with him at every turn. His determination is contagious and brave. Director Barbara Kopple yet again delves into the lives of people making waves, big and small. A Murder in Mansfield displays a sorrow and engages the detective we all have buried inside. It is both an honest portrait of grieving and a peak inside the chilling mind of a murderer.
If you’ve ever been a victim, A Better Man feels surprising and cathartic. While this is Attiya and Steve’s story, Attiya becomes our emotional surrogate. With so many victims coming forward in this tumultuous climate, especially over the past year, this film is very timely. 1 in 2 women has experienced physical, verbal, emotional and/or sexual abuse in her lifetime. To have the opportunity to revisit an old relationship in a safe and constructive environment might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but I know from firsthand experience that I would gladly take part in such a chance… but perhaps that is a hasty statement. Until it is real, these are just words. Attiya is a brave woman. Steve is a remorseful man. Let it be known, I am not a fan of Steve here, but do acknowledge that not every abuser would be so open and willing to offer a public apology and seek counseling sitting directly across from his victim. A Better Man is a film that is important for audiences to see and I for one hope that they absorb it for the powerful piece it truly is.
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