Review: Intrigue, morality, and fantastic performances make ‘The Forgiven’ a must-watch.

THE FORGIVEN

Based on the Lawrence Osbourne novel, written for the screen, produced, and directed by John Michael McDonagh, The Forgiven centers around privilege and humanity. On their way to an extravagant party in the desert, an argumentive married couple, David and Jo, hit a young man on a dark Morrocan road. Partygoers contemplate the truth as rumors swirl. Things get complicated when the boy’s father arrives. With a cast to die for, The Forgiven is teeming with intrigue and social commentary.

The opening credits are an entity unto themselves. They give the film a thrilling and timeless quality from the very beginning. The cinematography is beautiful, and the costumes are vibrant against the desert backdrop. Watching people so desperately out of touch is a fascinating character study. Arguing with one another is like watching a tennis match. Just shy of a two-hour runtime, there isn’t a single moment to take a breath. These are deliciously complex characters.

Matt Smith plays Richard, a surprisingly down-to-earth, incredibly wealthy host. He’s charming alongside Caleb Landry Jones as his boy toy of the moment. Smith’s chemistry with Jessica Chastain is entertainment for days. His performance is immaculate. I must address the extraordinary turn from Mourad Zaoui. He acts as the mediator of cultures throughout the entire film. He is essential and impressive. Saïd Taghmaoui as Anouar is also quite excellent. He is a safe harbor for Fiennes in many ways.

Ralph Fiennes plays David with a horrendous aura about him. He is loathsome, but his journey surprises. Jessica Chastain seems less vile as Jo, but it’s a facade. Her boredom with her husband bleeds into her disdain for those she deems below her. It’s one hell of a performance. Chastain and Fiennes share an abhorrently dismissive nature that plays like a concerto. Once parted, each reveals their unfiltered self.

The juxtaposition of stories creates relentless tension and a perfect comparison of circumstances. The Forgiven is an exceptional example that ignorance truly is bliss. It is an exquisite character study and a shocking catharsis.


THE FORGIVEN

In Theaters July 1, 2022

DIRECTED & WRITTEN BY:

BASED ON:

STARRING:

 

PRODUCERS:

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:

John Michael McDonagh

Lawrence Osborne’s novel The Forgiven

Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Matt Smith, Ismael Kanater, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbey Lee with Saïd Taghmaoui and Christopher Abbott

John Michael McDonagh, Elizabeth Eves, Trevor Matthews, Nick Gordon

Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Jack Heller, Scott Veltri, Kimberly Fox, Donald Povieng, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek

CO-PRODUCERS:

EDITORS:

CINEMATOGRAPHER:

Mark Lane, James Harris, Carter Stanton

Elizabeth Eves, Chris Gill

Larry Smith

RUN TIME: 117 minutes
RATING: Not yet rated

Review: ‘Spectre’

SpectreDaniel Craig has spent much of the past few months answering questions to his future as the iconic super agent 007, and much of what we’ve heard is a tired actor ready to move on from the franchise, and maybe that’s not a bad idea. Coming off the biggest film in this storied franchise’s history, Skyfall, director Sam Mendes returns with star Craig with Spectre, and action packed thrill ride that feels more like a retread of past Bond films rather than it’s skillfully crafted predecessor.

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Spectre begins with Bond (Craig) tracking a group of terrorists lead by an assassin named Marco Sciarra, who are planning to to blow up a stadium full of people during the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico. The pursuit of Sciarra leads Bond to an ever larger revelation as he comes in possession of a ring with a mysterious octopus symbol on it. On his return to London, Bond is placed on indefinitely leave by M (Ralph Fiennes) after his actions in Mexico. We meet a new player in the Bond universe, C (Andrew Scott), the head of the Joint Intelligence Service, which consists of the recently merged MI5 and MI6. C is intent on disbanding the 00 program and replacing it with “Nine Eyes”, an intelligence co-operation agreement between nine countries set to provide unprecedented surveillance resources to these governments.

Ralph Fiennes in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Ralph Fiennes in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Bond goes dark and continues to investigate the mysterious organization that he comes to know as Spectre, an organization of powerful people headed by Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a man that seems all too familiar to Bond. To infiltrate Spectre, Bond must confront one of his previous foes, Mr White (Jesper Christensen), whose daughter, Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), can help Bond find the answers he’s searching for. The two must travel the globe to follow the clues they hope will lead them to uncover Spectre’s plan, but an assassin and a high-ranking member of Spectre named Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) is in hot pursuit.

Dave Bautista in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Dave Bautista in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Overall, Spectre is a bit of a mess and it relies on way too many Bond cliches, but it’s still a Bond movie with a lot of enjoyable action sequences. The fun about Bond is, of course, seeing the character in action, but if you’re expecting something more groundbreaking than Skyfall, you’ll be left disappointed.

Stars:

3 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer:

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Final Trailer for ‘Spectre’ Has Arrived!

Spectre

EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Sony Pictures Entertainment have released have released the brand new Spectre trailer and we have it for you below!

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

Spectre hits theaters and IMAX on November 6, 2015.

007 is Back in the New Trailer for the Upcoming Sequel ‘Spectre’

spectre_c

EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Sony Pictures Entertainment have released have released the brand new Spectre trailer and we have it for you below!

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

Spectre hits theaters and IMAX on November 6, 2015.

Battle of The Actors Round 1 Matchups Part 7!

Untitled-1Last Week Melissa McCarthy, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Lange and Glenn Close moved on with Charlize Theron beat Uma Thurman in the bonus bracket. This week, it’s the final mens matchup of the first round! Lets get it on!

Brad’s Bracket:

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Jeremy’s Bracket:

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Liz’s Bracket:

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Melissas’ Bracket:

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Michael’s Bracket:

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22 Reasons Why The Cast Loved Working On ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’

Grand Budapest Hotel-00037Re-releasing in theaters, The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of my favorite films of 2014. Now it’s been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume, Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Original Score. So it’s safe to say, people like it. When speaking with the cast for the original release last March, the cast spoke almost exclusively on how much they loved working on this movie. Here are some of the best moments. Enjoy! Read More →

James Bond 24 Cast and Title Announced!

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And there it is..while you were sleeping, Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that the 24th James Bond film will be titled Spectre! This particular name that will no doubt peak the interest of Bond fans everywhere. SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, as well as the films and video games based on those novels.The group is led by evil genius and supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Read More →

Christoph Waltz is Your New Bond Villain

waltzAccording to The Daily Mail , two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz is set to play opposite Daniel Craig  in Sam Mendes untitled Bond 24. The movie also stars Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Dave Bautista. Read More →