10 Philippine Showbiz Today
December 8 - 21, 2017
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
Sweet
Virginia
(PG) **
The
Killing
of a Sacred
Deer (PG ) *****
Roman J. Israel , Esq. (PG) **
Boxed In!
Judge a man by his deeds. Back to school we go as a legal beagle
enters the world of big city lawyering in Roman J. Israel, Esq. Well-
written and acted with conviction this high-stake drama from Sony
Pictures is now in session at various Cineplex halls of entertaining
across B.C.
Make no mistake about it - Denzel Washington can act. Whether
he plays a drugged-up pilot, a lethal assassin or a jazz loving gumshoe,
this cat can do no wrong. Fans of Denzel will appreciate his going back
to his roots and heritage, so to speak, as a rather crusading New York
City lawyer.
With a mind like a computer, this mild-mannered legal sleuth is
the best as they come. Busy at work in a small two-man firm, our bib-
lical named scholar has his work cut out for him with the death of a
8 - DNA
21,
colleague. In search of the truth, that activist November
streak in Roman’s
is called into question when one too many cases weighs a bit heavy
on his mind.
A brilliant mind and all the good things a man has worked for
come into question as a moral dilemma confounds this bright shining
light. Career advancement can be a good thing. So how a new era de-
velops for Israel under the high-flying George Pearce is rather telling.
Smooth as silk turns out to be Colin Farrell (Phone Booth). Talk about
a chameleon actor - like Denzel, Farrell is terrific as a smug know-it-all
hot shot slick Wall Streeter whose legal ethics seem driven by the bot-
tom line. Watching these two diverse yet highly effective actors duke
it out and transform their personalities is a casebook example of pur-
poseful acting.
Solid performances centred on morality and tradition make
Roman J. Israel, Esq. a well-presented drama ideal for those who seek
out Justice on all fronts. ●
201
Desperado!
The real Roman Israel
Bad things can happen to good people. Worse things can hap-
pen to bad people. See a simple crime spiral out of control in Sweet
Virginia. Check that - make it a bad crime leading to more carnage
in not so sweet Virginia, U.S.A. Either way, folks looking for a slow
building tension driven death pact will find it on view at select Cineplex
Theatres around B.C.
Elevation Pictures used Canadian content to good advantage as
we are privy to a wrong woman seeking revenge. Never try to cheat on
a lady (or man, for that matter). Whether in real life or in the movies,
there is no telling how far a wronged one will go to get revenge. Police
know all too well that domestic disputes and crimes of passion often
lead to confrontation, chaos and even death.
Small town lady Lila suspects her husband is playing around so
employs Elwood, a hired gun, to settle the score. Cast as the victim,
Imogen Poots plays the wronged woman well while the moody and
temperamental Christopher Abbott gives off a chilling portrait of a
pent-up killer whose idea of self-control is a bit wanting.
Almost from the offset this employer/employee relationship seems
destined for failure. Apart from this liaison another new friendship fi-
gures prominently in Sweet Virginia when nice hotel owner Sam for-
ges a special bond with Elwood. Nice in all respects Jon Bernthal
seems to cast a long shadow of reason on this killer only he too falls
prey to a series of events that bring him into direct conflict with a series
of deadly encounters.
Hope, British Columbia is a suitable stand-in for Virginia in this
minor melodrama. This city fits the part with a good small-town at-
mosphere. Too much about to scare your music takes away from the
full impact of those bad encounters about to occur. So, the imminent
danger gets muted as a result of that seeing musical accompaniment.
Less is more and that lesson is not learned here.
Good marks go to the individual characters and solid overall per-
formances. Too bad the overall script couldn’t have been just a tad
more surprising and eventful. ●