Directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next)
Written by Simon Barett (You're Next)
Starring:
Dan Stevens (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End)
Joel Moore (Bones)
A small film employing a relatively unknown but talented cast that, to the average viewer, will fail to convey the subtle undercurrent of sarcasm is easily overlooked. To those ready to accept a dark silliness, this film is a treat.
Following You're Next with this, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barett have now proven to be worthy of higher expectations. Low key casting coupled with off beat music and unhinged violence, all lathered in a sarcastic ooze make for an enjoyable throwback thriller.
Dan Stevens has star written all over him. He's a charismatic, British version of Josh Lucas. A likable (and British) version of Josh Duhmmel. In The Guest, his American accent is polished and his acting is highly controlled and completely absurd. Glad to see Chase Williamson on the screen after his fantastic work in John Dies in the End.
Maika Monroe, too, holds her own as a girl who is more than a damsel in distress. She may soon find her way to larger projects.
Slickly shot, playfully acted, but slower in pacing it matches You're Next's tone but with a slight hint of otherness. The only thing missing was a broader context. It only teased the grand nature of the situation, which would be fine were it a more flavorful offering. Take John Wick, for example, where it constantly has you immersed in the otherness, and embraces it. The Guest, conversely, shies away from the greatness that was in it's reach. It had the pieces but couldn't quite commit to the right ones.
That said, the action was beautifully shot, the stunts and violence were magnificently choreographed. Stevens showcased a knack for the physicality of being an action star by owning his short bursts of utter mayhem with precise brutality.
This is a film for a particular viewer. If you want anti-hero subversion, and self-aware seriousness, this is a movie for you.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
2014 SQUID Actress of the Year
The race for SQUID Actress of the Year is always a tough one, you can check out the previous winners below and notice that it's slightly less about volume than it is about purely incredible performances. While 2014's candidates may not be as plentiful as their male cohorts, the four horses in this race are proved that they are the real deal.
Jessica Chastain, most exceptionally featured in Interstellar, proved to be the most prolific actress. She also starred in A Most Violent Year, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie, and Salome.
Shilene Woodley firmly entrenched herself as the zeitgeist queen with her various YA vehicles over the past couple years. This year brought forth two particularly noteworthy entries with variable results. The odorous Divergent series sprung forth, starring her amicable performance in a cookie cutter role. The well received adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars garnered a little more genuine praise. Her best received role was in the film White Bird in the Blizzard. All noteworthy but none too special.
Scarlett Johannsen dropped a quartet of films whose range goes unmatched. From swinging and flipping through an explosive blockbuster (Captain America: Winter Soldier) to being center face as the lead in the colorful actioner, Lucy. She went from the deepest depths of strange in the alien-indie Under the Skin, all the way to a sweet supporting job in Chef, Jon Favreau's darling little food truck film. Johannsen brought her stuff in 2014 and it took some serious destiny for her not to win.
Our champion is the holder of that destiny. She's wasn't as present as the others but her performances showcased the wide spectrum of her craft.
Coming from the world of franchises, after dabbling and succeeding quite a few times with heavier fare like Atonement, her 2014 roles were more dominating than she has ever been. As with the SQUID Actor of the Year, our recipient was unquestionably a force to be reckoned with on the silver screen.
Keira Knightley is crowned as 2014 SQUID Actress of the Year. With electric performances, requiring both acting and singing in Begin Again, and beyond-compelling work in the remarkable film, The Imitation Game, she puts forth a twosome that towers above every other actress' work this year. Her characters and her performances in those roles, defied convention spectacularly showing how female characters can be whole, can be an actual agents of change in their story. She added Laggies, a lackluster and contradictory film as far as women's progress goes, but one where she sported an amusing American accent. Knightley was tagged in with the botched attempt to revive a franchise with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. She has managed to build a formidable career after Pirates, one that soars to the top in 2014. Knightley begins 2015 in the adventure ensemble, Everest, where she'll look to carry the momentum of a victory she'll never hear of.
Jessica Chastain, most exceptionally featured in Interstellar, proved to be the most prolific actress. She also starred in A Most Violent Year, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie, and Salome.
Shilene Woodley firmly entrenched herself as the zeitgeist queen with her various YA vehicles over the past couple years. This year brought forth two particularly noteworthy entries with variable results. The odorous Divergent series sprung forth, starring her amicable performance in a cookie cutter role. The well received adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars garnered a little more genuine praise. Her best received role was in the film White Bird in the Blizzard. All noteworthy but none too special.
Scarlett Johannsen dropped a quartet of films whose range goes unmatched. From swinging and flipping through an explosive blockbuster (Captain America: Winter Soldier) to being center face as the lead in the colorful actioner, Lucy. She went from the deepest depths of strange in the alien-indie Under the Skin, all the way to a sweet supporting job in Chef, Jon Favreau's darling little food truck film. Johannsen brought her stuff in 2014 and it took some serious destiny for her not to win.
Our champion is the holder of that destiny. She's wasn't as present as the others but her performances showcased the wide spectrum of her craft.
Coming from the world of franchises, after dabbling and succeeding quite a few times with heavier fare like Atonement, her 2014 roles were more dominating than she has ever been. As with the SQUID Actor of the Year, our recipient was unquestionably a force to be reckoned with on the silver screen.
Keira Knightley is crowned as 2014 SQUID Actress of the Year. With electric performances, requiring both acting and singing in Begin Again, and beyond-compelling work in the remarkable film, The Imitation Game, she puts forth a twosome that towers above every other actress' work this year. Her characters and her performances in those roles, defied convention spectacularly showing how female characters can be whole, can be an actual agents of change in their story. She added Laggies, a lackluster and contradictory film as far as women's progress goes, but one where she sported an amusing American accent. Knightley was tagged in with the botched attempt to revive a franchise with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. She has managed to build a formidable career after Pirates, one that soars to the top in 2014. Knightley begins 2015 in the adventure ensemble, Everest, where she'll look to carry the momentum of a victory she'll never hear of.
SQUID Actress of the Year recipients:
2014 winner - Keira Knightley
The Imitation Game, Begin Again,
2013 winner - Amy Adams
American Hustle, Man of Steel, Her
2012 winner - Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence
Hathaway - Les Miserable and The Dark Night Rises
Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook and The Hunger Games
2011 winner - Emily Blunt
Your Sister's Sister, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Adjustment Bureau, Gnomeo and Juliet, The Muppets
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