Fairly early in “Killerman,” , writer-director Malik Bader (“Cash Only”) more or less announces that he’s seen every gritty ‘70s crime drama that you have, and maybe a few that you missed, and he’s intent on distilling the down-and-dirty essence of those blasts from the past in a derivative yet dynamic mashup. In other words, he gives you fair warning, and he’s true to his word.
Liam Hemsworth stars as the aptly named Moe Diamond, a dark prince of New York’s diamond district, a smooth operator who, within the space of an hour or two on a typical afternoon, can translate huge quantities of a client’s illicit cash into expensive commodities, and then into a fistful of cashier’s checks. When we first see Moe, he and good buddy Bobby “Skunk” Santos (Emory Cohen) are poised to score a cool million each by discreetly moving money...
Liam Hemsworth stars as the aptly named Moe Diamond, a dark prince of New York’s diamond district, a smooth operator who, within the space of an hour or two on a typical afternoon, can translate huge quantities of a client’s illicit cash into expensive commodities, and then into a fistful of cashier’s checks. When we first see Moe, he and good buddy Bobby “Skunk” Santos (Emory Cohen) are poised to score a cool million each by discreetly moving money...
- 8/29/2019
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
Liam Hemsworth takes a machete stab at playing a furious antihero in writer-director Malik Bader’s testosterone-soaked crime thriller “Killerman,” a movie made by men, about simplistically ruthless men, aimed to entice other men aching for those manly outdated movies “they don’t make anymore,” where distorted alpha masculinity was solely portrayed through vicious violence, gratuitous sex, and impenetrable coldness.
Tired of the minimal cut they receive from money laundering in NYC, gracelessly ambitious Skunk (Emory Cohen) and well-groomed hustler Moe (Hemsworth) plan to make their own big move buying cocaine for cheap with money that belongs to Skunk’s uncle, an archetypical kingpin played by Zlatko Buric (“Teen Spirit”). Cohen leans heavily on a thick New York accent, while Hemsworth builds his drug dealer swagger with flamboyant shirts and a nonchalant walk.
“Moe, you are a fucking godsend,” says Skunk about the brother-in-crime he has only known for about two years,...
Tired of the minimal cut they receive from money laundering in NYC, gracelessly ambitious Skunk (Emory Cohen) and well-groomed hustler Moe (Hemsworth) plan to make their own big move buying cocaine for cheap with money that belongs to Skunk’s uncle, an archetypical kingpin played by Zlatko Buric (“Teen Spirit”). Cohen leans heavily on a thick New York accent, while Hemsworth builds his drug dealer swagger with flamboyant shirts and a nonchalant walk.
“Moe, you are a fucking godsend,” says Skunk about the brother-in-crime he has only known for about two years,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
Sony’s Destiny-themed Glacier White DualShock 4 won’t be the only coloured variation of the popular controller to hit North America this fall, which is good news for those of us who are starting to get sick of matte black. It will be joined by both a Wave Blue version, which previously launched in both Europe and Japan, and an Urban Camouflage design.
Months have passed since news pertaining to this Wave Blue option last surfaced. Official news, that is. You see, it was originally hinted that both it and its Magma Red counterpart would come Stateside shortly after the PlayStation 4′s North American launch. That never happened, though, and many folks were left questioning why. Now, we (thankfully) have something concrete to look forward to, even if it only pertains to half of what was once promised.
Here’s hoping that the Magma Red variation will soon be added to this release list,...
Months have passed since news pertaining to this Wave Blue option last surfaced. Official news, that is. You see, it was originally hinted that both it and its Magma Red counterpart would come Stateside shortly after the PlayStation 4′s North American launch. That never happened, though, and many folks were left questioning why. Now, we (thankfully) have something concrete to look forward to, even if it only pertains to half of what was once promised.
Here’s hoping that the Magma Red variation will soon be added to this release list,...
- 6/25/2014
- by Chad Goodmurphy
- We Got This Covered
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Based on a real event from a California high school in 1967 and transposed to Germany today, The Wave is a cautionary tale about the roots of fascism. Seductive and horrifying at the same time, it suggests that anything is possible in today's unstable environment.
An assured piece of filmmaking by Dennis Gansel, Wave captures the intoxicating power of conformity. Handled properly, it should generate controversy, leading to decent indie business. But this is a story ripe for an American remake.
The film opens with a rush of energy and doesn't let up. Charismatic teacher Rainier Wegner (Jurgen Vogel) is driving to school with the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School" blasting in his car as the camera gazes at the calm life of the city passing outside. It's not going to last long.
This is Project Week at school, and though Wegner, an aging radical with unconventional teaching methods, is disappointed he doesn't get to teach the class on anarchy, he dives headfirst into the preparing for his class on autocracy. It's a hard sell to the indifferent students and as one puts it, "What is there left to be against? All we want is to have fun."
What follows is a textbook study of how fascism starts and takes hold. When Wegner asks if a dictatorship like Hitler's would be possible in Germany today, the students either say no or don't care.
But Wegner gets an idea for an experiment.
So the class elects him as leader and in contrast to his usual easygoing style he demands that students call him Mr. Wegner and stand when they have something to say. The motto for the day is "strength through discipline."
Once he's got the students' attention, things escalate within a week. Fascism has traditionally taken hold among an underprivileged, alienated population, and who is more alienated than high school students? They like the idea of dressing the same to reduce social pressures and they start wearing white shirts. They name the group the Wave and create a logo and secret handshake reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Much to their surprise, and Wegner's, they find that they like the power of unity and soon this newfound discipline spills over to other school activities, and newcomers join the group. One student, Karo (Jennifer Ulrich) resists the rising conformity, but even her boyfriend, Marco (Max Riemelt), is smitten.
The Wave gives kids something to believe in for a change and some of the initial ideas about social equality and the will of the people are appealing, until they go too far. As in the rise of the Nazis, unstable and disturbed individuals latch on and feel powerful for the first time, and the most damaged become the lieutenants. That's what happens to Tim (Fredrick Lau), a disturbed, skittish student who no longer feels like an outsider.
But when the insiders start bullying other students and violence erupts outside school, Wegner realizes things might have gone too far. The genius of the screenplay by Gansel and Peter Thorwarth is that they recognize Wegner's psychology and mixed feelings. His wife, Anke (Christiane Paul), who also teaches at the school, holds him accountable, and he admits he loves being idolized.
Vogel is particularly brilliant in the film's climactic scene as his agreeable face hardens and contorts into a scowl as he becomes the dictator he feared. The cast of kids, especially Ulrich as the dissenter and Lau as the most vulnerable, are convincing enough to command the belief that they really are high school students.
Gansel is obviously dealing with complex issues here and he does so with first class filmmaking. A pounding score of rock songs and music by Heiko Maile adds to the combustible mix and cinematography by Torsten Breuer captures the action, including some aggressive water polo matches, with a combination of outstanding hand-held and slow-motion camera work.
Although the original Third Wave experiment in a Palo Alto high school did not end this way in 1967, Gansel has updated the climax to what could and has happened in schools today. There is something additionally chilling about seeing it take place in Germany. But as the film makes abundantly clear, the roots of fascism grow everywhere.
THE WAVE
A Constantin Film presentation, Christian Becker production, Rat Pack Filmproduktion production
Credits:
Director: Dennis Gansel
Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth
Based on a short story by: William Ron Jones
Producers: Christian Becker, Nina Maag
Director of cinematography: Torsten Breuer
Production designer: Knut Loewe
Music: Heiko Maile
Costume designer: Ivana Milos
Editor: Ueli Christen
Cast:
Rainer Wegner: Jurgen Vogel
Tim: Frederick Lau
Marco: Max Riemelt
Karo: Jennifer Ulrich
Anke Wegner: Christiane Paul
Lisa: Cristina do Rego
Dennis: Jacob Matschentz
Sinan: Elyas M'Barek
Bomber: Maximillian Vollmer
Kevin: Maximillian Mauff
Running time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- Based on a real event from a California high school in 1967 and transposed to Germany today, The Wave is a cautionary tale about the roots of fascism. Seductive and horrifying at the same time, it suggests that anything is possible in today's unstable environment.
An assured piece of filmmaking by Dennis Gansel, Wave captures the intoxicating power of conformity. Handled properly, it should generate controversy, leading to decent indie business. But this is a story ripe for an American remake.
The film opens with a rush of energy and doesn't let up. Charismatic teacher Rainier Wegner (Jurgen Vogel) is driving to school with the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School" blasting in his car as the camera gazes at the calm life of the city passing outside. It's not going to last long.
This is Project Week at school, and though Wegner, an aging radical with unconventional teaching methods, is disappointed he doesn't get to teach the class on anarchy, he dives headfirst into the preparing for his class on autocracy. It's a hard sell to the indifferent students and as one puts it, "What is there left to be against? All we want is to have fun."
What follows is a textbook study of how fascism starts and takes hold. When Wegner asks if a dictatorship like Hitler's would be possible in Germany today, the students either say no or don't care.
But Wegner gets an idea for an experiment.
So the class elects him as leader and in contrast to his usual easygoing style he demands that students call him Mr. Wegner and stand when they have something to say. The motto for the day is "strength through discipline."
Once he's got the students' attention, things escalate within a week. Fascism has traditionally taken hold among an underprivileged, alienated population, and who is more alienated than high school students? They like the idea of dressing the same to reduce social pressures and they start wearing white shirts. They name the group the Wave and create a logo and secret handshake reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Much to their surprise, and Wegner's, they find that they like the power of unity and soon this newfound discipline spills over to other school activities, and newcomers join the group. One student, Karo (Jennifer Ulrich) resists the rising conformity, but even her boyfriend, Marco (Max Riemelt), is smitten.
The Wave gives kids something to believe in for a change and some of the initial ideas about social equality and the will of the people are appealing, until they go too far. As in the rise of the Nazis, unstable and disturbed individuals latch on and feel powerful for the first time, and the most damaged become the lieutenants. That's what happens to Tim (Fredrick Lau), a disturbed, skittish student who no longer feels like an outsider.
But when the insiders start bullying other students and violence erupts outside school, Wegner realizes things might have gone too far. The genius of the screenplay by Gansel and Peter Thorwarth is that they recognize Wegner's psychology and mixed feelings. His wife, Anke (Christiane Paul), who also teaches at the school, holds him accountable, and he admits he loves being idolized.
Vogel is particularly brilliant in the film's climactic scene as his agreeable face hardens and contorts into a scowl as he becomes the dictator he feared. The cast of kids, especially Ulrich as the dissenter and Lau as the most vulnerable, are convincing enough to command the belief that they really are high school students.
Gansel is obviously dealing with complex issues here and he does so with first class filmmaking. A pounding score of rock songs and music by Heiko Maile adds to the combustible mix and cinematography by Torsten Breuer captures the action, including some aggressive water polo matches, with a combination of outstanding hand-held and slow-motion camera work.
Although the original Third Wave experiment in a Palo Alto high school did not end this way in 1967, Gansel has updated the climax to what could and has happened in schools today. There is something additionally chilling about seeing it take place in Germany. But as the film makes abundantly clear, the roots of fascism grow everywhere.
THE WAVE
A Constantin Film presentation, Christian Becker production, Rat Pack Filmproduktion production
Credits:
Director: Dennis Gansel
Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth
Based on a short story by: William Ron Jones
Producers: Christian Becker, Nina Maag
Director of cinematography: Torsten Breuer
Production designer: Knut Loewe
Music: Heiko Maile
Costume designer: Ivana Milos
Editor: Ueli Christen
Cast:
Rainer Wegner: Jurgen Vogel
Tim: Frederick Lau
Marco: Max Riemelt
Karo: Jennifer Ulrich
Anke Wegner: Christiane Paul
Lisa: Cristina do Rego
Dennis: Jacob Matschentz
Sinan: Elyas M'Barek
Bomber: Maximillian Vollmer
Kevin: Maximillian Mauff
Running time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/30/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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