Just saw Bangkok Dangerous

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

RE: Just saw Bangkok Dangerous

Rosita · Senior Member

You know, I haven't been to the cinema for a long long time. I am very very lazy and I usually wait for the movies on TV.
But as sson as BD comes out in Italy I'll bring my child to her granny and I'll go to see it.
All my friends, who invited me to the cinema 100 times, won't believe it and will say "she got crazy!! And besides she's going to see an action movie?!? Unbelievable!!!!!"
All this because once again your review, Bonnie, intrigued me and I'm looking forward to it but still it seems I have to wait!!!!!

Mara, don't worry you didn't ask anything personal, the photo is not my child's. I found it on the net while I was looking for an image and I found it was perfect to express my laughing. I'm glad you liked it.

And Bonnie You are perfectly right when you say:

"Ladies! Ladies! Ladies! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Here I thought that just seeing Nic on the big screen got your bodies vibrating.......I didn't think you needed artificial machines to do the job for ya!"

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

Ladies! Ladies! Ladies! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Here I thought that just seeing Nic on the big screen got your bodies vibrating.......I didn't think you needed artificial machines to do the job for ya!

;)

OOOPS! I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist.....

re: Mara, your vibrating seat adventure has got me thinking..how can I replicate that for the dvd experience?

mara · a grateful fan

Rosita! Excuse me for getting a bit too personal here, but...Please tell me who´s that adorable baby... Is it yours? Any relative´s? He embodies the happiness to be alive no less... Gorgeous pic, thanks for sharing!

Rosita wrote:

Mara,
I just burst out laughing at reading your post.

In the town where I live there aren't such seats but I can ask some friends if they can perform the task while I see "Gone in 60 seconds"!
Imagine the scene of the big jump !!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!

mara · a grateful fan

I love your take on the movie.... Yeah some critics complain that the love story and the hitman´s murders are presented like two separate movies into one but they don´t quite match together... I don´t agree on the whole, but yeah I admit that Joe´s "quieter" moments come unexpected and out of the blue... I think it is intentional to make us feel just as lost as him in the movie... but maybe it doesn´t work as smoothly as the directors had envisioned and it damages the overall result... in that respect you´ve got a point Bonnie. You´re as perceptive as usual...

And yeah our man obviously gave it his all. It´s a "lost and not found for want of proper inner searching" tale. A cautionary tale of sorts. And he just KNEW how to portray that. Brave performance that as it seems is not getting the attention it deserves. Oh well. It will in due time.

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

Oh....Kay......Finally my review on the movie Bangkok Dangerous.....

Last night I checked out the movie with the hub and two 17 year old boys. Movies like this aren't normally my cup of tea but since I am literally surrounded by testostorone in my life....I've seen my fair share of them over the years.

Also....being the loyal Nicfan that I have been for eons now....well....I really didn't have a choice....I just had to see this movie one way or another.

So...anyway......my review........

What can I say? Our man delivers! He really does. What Nic does with the character of Joe is breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL. Nic brings to the role of Joe Wilson.....a hitman who is so damn weary of what he does for a living.....a true sense of yearning and confusion on just HOW to get out of the life he has carefully sculpted for himself but that no longer works on any level to life.

And he does it with very few words and with just his eyes, his voice and the nuances of his body.

Thanks to Nic......we immediately KNOW that Joe wants change in his life..... so damn bad.....that he can TASTE it.

And.....because of Nic's talent......those feelings are literally.....palatable in the film. You can FEEL how dang tired Joe is of it all (the life).....and you can empathize on how he just wants to retire to a normal life.

While at the same time....you can also see that Joe is his own very worst enemy. Joe, you see......is so deeply embroiled in a detached, almost inhuman consciousness that he CAN'T leave the life behind.

On the surface, he figures that if he can just deliver on this one last job....four hits....he can retire into a normal life with plenty of money. But....well.......as WE very well know....that's not how life is.....and Joe....sadly is about to learn that very truth. What ensues is a great character study.

BUT

Sadly....in my honest opinion, the story of Joe's journey is not told in a cohesive way. And that hurts the film. Bigtime. To me the problem with the movie is the way it jumps around. It's like the Pang brothers have tried to EDIT in character backstory and cinematical visuals at the expense of the movie. (The cinematography, btw, is great.....you really feel/believe that you are in Bangkok).

Anyhooo....the love story, especially.....seems disjointed to me. The scene where Joe is watching his love interest dance....comes out of the blue....it's there...all of a sudden.....with no rhyme or reason....and then we're back to the violence of a hitman's life. It's like a flash!

The same is true during the scene where his love interest explains the etomology of her name. It just doesn't flow properly to me. The scene that could have explained so much more as to why Joe's attempt at a new life goes all wrong (the note passing scene) also falls flat and the viewer is left wondering "What If? What if she had just turned around? What if she could have heard? Simply....What If?"

But.....for what it is.....a hit man flick shown thru the eyes of Asian film-makers.....it does it's job.

Also, the guys in my family enjoyed it for the action flick it is. And that's a good thing. Right?

-- Edited by Warped Woman at 22:35, 2008-09-12

Rosita · Senior Member

Mara,
I just burst out laughing at reading your post.

In the town where I live there aren't such seats but I can ask some friends if they can perform the task while I see "Gone in 60 seconds"!
Imagine the scene of the big jump !!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!

mara · a grateful fan

Hmm... by asking someone to kindly rock your armchair back and forth while you´re watching telly? (hey, it´s an idea that can save me the 6 euros next time...will ask for some volunteers to perform the task, LOL!!)

Lula wrote:

Thankyou for your insightful and perceptive review of the film Lalleen! I am more curious about it than ever!

Mara, your vibrating seat adventure has got me thinking..how can I replicate that for the dvd experience?

-- Edited by Lula at 12:01, 2008-09-12

Lula · Beguiled at Heart and Weird non stop

Thankyou for your insightful and perceptive review of the film Lalleen! I am more curious about it than ever!

Mara, your vibrating seat adventure has got me thinking..how can I replicate that for the dvd experience?

-- Edited by Lula at 12:01, 2008-09-12

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

I think I just don't get out enough........LOL!

mara · a grateful fan

Well, I´m sure this red seat thingy is an American invention... Sure there will be plenty of them in the US.

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

Wow Mara!

Apart from interactive stuff at Disney World, I've never been treated to such an experience. Thanks for sharing!

Harrrumph! And they say that the US is up on technology??? LOL!

Warped Woman · Moderator in Motion...........

Hey Laleen! It was great to hear what you had to say about Bangkok Dangerous. I find it inherently interesting what different people take away from seeing the same movie. Your thoughts on the sounds/music and or lack of dialogue makes me look forward to seeing the movie more and more!

-- Edited by Warped Woman at 19:44, 2008-09-10

mara · a grateful fan

Well folks... Just a curiosity. My day in hell (i.e. the office) was even more hellish than usual, sooo... I decided to take shelter and escape from reality (which is oh so stubborn) and run to this hyper modern multiplex after work, and... guess what was my movie of choice, lol...

Only wanted to point out that they had all the state of the arts technical innovations, so I was treated to a so-called "red seat" in the theater... which is a seat that vibrates with the sounds coming from the soundtrack. It was a little distracting at first, but... wow, when I got used to it... what a powerful experience. Whenever someone got shot onscreen, I could "feel" the bullets too in my back... Not sure if this red seat enhances the whole moviegoing routine though, it makes it feel more like a videogame but... for this particular movie, it worked amazingly well!

mara · a grateful fan

Wonderful review Lalleen... I had a feeling you would just love BD... You´re right about the intentional silence / music / lack of dialogue in the soundtrack... I had not realized about that until I read your remarks.... Good point!

lalleen · Member

That was a really good movie! I can't comment much on it as I do not want to reveal the story to people who have not seen it but it is really something that deserves to be seen. Just can't understand why some people said that it was an usual action that doesn't lead to Oscars. It was deeply tragic and Nic played in an unbelievable way the desperation of a man who knows what life costs and how to precisely do his hitman job. He is a great actor indeed.
Next may be a spoiler so if you do not want just do not read it.

I read that the first hitman was deaf mute and it is wonderful how they wrote the storyline in a way he almost never had to say anything. Nic played so that you never think about what Joe may have thought or would have said. I am sure the girl was deaf mute in order keep the silence of the entire movie where almost all the time the only thing you hear is battle or music (very good indeed) or Tai speech. Only after the movie ended I realised that. Mybe I have to stop here and after enough people have seen it we could discuss it more then.

I had really good time watching it. I read it had the leading position in the box office, in my opinion that is strange for a story as tragic as this but I hope that people would like it too. Nic deserves it. smile

mara · a grateful fan

Dear Lula, I too believe you cannot rush inspiration... so, we´re in no hurry. Just let your reviews come to you on due time... And we´ll be delighted to read your thoughts about Nic´s movies. I¨m first in line, lol.

Lula · Beguiled at Heart and Weird non stop

Lol Mara!

I too like the idea of all members having discussions about Nic's films.
It seems to work when one person lights the touch paper and we all make our own contributions. So maybe some of those kind of discussions could be started in the review section as well as past and present movies?

As for writing reviews, I kind of have to ride the waves with my condition which fluctuates and the flow of my creativity, I can't seem to just come up with stuff when I decide to, it has to come through me, the same way as perhaps a poem does! So it's catching the waves when they come!

I agree Mara, writing reviews for all of Nic's films is an awesome task!

-- Edited by Lula at 05:18, 2008-09-02

mara · a grateful fan

Hmm... taking into account our workaholic fave man has shot more than 60 movies so far... It´s an overwhelming task, LOL!

Just kidding. Seriously now, I´d love to read some reviews from other members too... So we could share some differing points of view, that would be cool... I love differences, you can learn so much from them.

We could even be brave enough and come out and talk about the Nic movies we didn´t care for.... Down on my list are Deadfall, which gives me the willies... and Con Air. Such favorite with most people, I know, but I personally didn´t like his choices in that one...

Ok, I´m sure after this shocking confession (LOL) some heated debate will ensue... it will be good to hear from all of your opinions...

Triple B · Moderator

Hey Mara and Lula!

How about if you guys write movie reviews for ALL of the Nic flicks you've watched and post them in the review section?

The two of you have a wonderful way with words and are very movie savvy! It would be a delight to read your reviews on any and all Nic flicks!

The Review section is farther down on the list of topics on this site but it really has only encompassed published movie reviews.

How about it???

OH....and the invitation goes out to everyone who might like to write a movie review for the site! We'd love to hear what you have to say too!

mara · a grateful fan

That´s too bad that you´ve been kept away from something that gives you so much pleasure and comfort, Lula. But you show a steel determination, so trust me, you will see the Bangkok Dangerous DVD on your protable player when it comes out, and will write a wonderfully insightful review about it for all of us to read. (I´m positive the DVD will contain some powerful alternative final scenes: some pics I´ve seen are missing from the final cut). And you will go to the theater to see the rest of Nic´s future movies, and write even better reviews for all of them. Your first-hand reviews will become a permanent fixture around here... So you´re a girl on a mission from now on!

Lula · Beguiled at Heart and Weird non stop

I like you on your soap box Mara!

You are right Joy77, Nic is a genius actor so why should we ever be surprised by another genius performance?

I am a huge film fan Mara. Film, especially Nic's, rescued me from a crisis 20 years ago where I became unable to enjoy books due to the lit crit element of an english literature degree. I was devastated, having been swept away to other worlds and seas of emotion for years by a good old read.

Nic's films have been therapy for me over the years in different ways too.

Alas though, it has been a few years since I have been able to visit a cinema due to my illness. Worse still, 2 years ago I became unable to watch tv or films at all.

Yep how about that for a tragedy. It would make a good story for a film huh? Seriously though, don't dwell on it, I prefer not to. I prefer to use the angst as energy to harness all the healing force in the universe til I'm on my feet and in that cinema again!

The good news is, this year I began to be able to watch film again on a portable dvd player, hardly the best medium for film, but a whole load better than not at all!
So I have been doing some lovely catching up.

so yes, maybe I will be doing some reviews... I feel it is my duty to readdress some of the utter s*** reviews Nic's films have been wrongly given in the last couple of years.

In the meantime Mara, this is why I loved your review so very much. It has a deep quality and gives a real flavour of the film and character.... I may be relying on detailed descriptions of it, so I can run the film on the insides of my eyelids, as is my habit of doing, if I end up not being able to see the dvd myself.

Joy77 · Veteran Member

mara wrote:

Well, I don´t know what to say... Maybe I raised expectations a little bit, lol. This is no master piece, it´s only a good character piece hidden behind a flashy actioner. What I wrote was just my personal opinion and maybe you will not share it when you see the movie... After all I´m no critic and am not versed in filmmaking, I´m only a (frequent) member of the audience. From your comments I gather you´re also very much into cinema, dear Lula, so I can´t wait for your review.

Weekend reviews in my country have not been very possitive. Some critics accused Nic of being an inexpressive performer. Some others said the movie felt hollow and formulaic. I on the other hand believe the movie feels free-flowing but raw, that Nic´s performance raises above the film and beyond the script, and that his take on an assassin´s personality is very much to the point in the sense that he´s blocked all emotions in order to be as effective as possible in his line of work, and when he´s faced with feelings for the first time in his life all his carefully structured existence falls to pieces. I´m under the impression that he chose to play this conflicted and tormented person very inwardly because that was what best suited the character. Belive me, I know a thing or two about the difficulty to acces your own feelings and that deadness sensation. And, as I said, I like Nic´s choices.

What did I feel when I left the theater? That Nic had managed to make me feel for the kind of person who puts a bullet on people´s brains for a living. And I consider that quite a feat.

I remember when I first saw the Weather Man, THE single most underrated performance of his career. I was astonished when the theater lights went on, because... Nic had just told me my life! Do you know that feeling... How the heck can a stranger know so much about me, exactly how I feel, precisely the process I´m into?? Good works of art have this effect, are open to interpretation, and even though they may be misundertood at first, receive due recognition as time goes by.

And I´d better get off the soapbox here before somebody begs me to, LOL...

-- Edited by mara at 16:55, 2008-08-25

I need to say,thanks alot ladies!I`m really glad to read such

reviews and, as Lula said,we don`t need critic`s one!
Actually I have always known that Nic is geniuses actor but I really didn`t mind that his work can do such things(I mean Mara`s post)!Thank you so much for that!!! biggrin

mara · a grateful fan

Well, I don´t know what to say... Maybe I raised expectations a little bit, lol. This is no master piece, it´s only a good character piece hidden behind a flashy actioner. What I wrote was just my personal opinion and maybe you will not share it when you see the movie... After all I´m no critic and am not versed in filmmaking, I´m only a (frequent) member of the audience. From your comments I gather you´re also very much into cinema, dear Lula, so I can´t wait for your review.

Weekend reviews in my country have not been very possitive. Some critics accused Nic of being an inexpressive performer. Some others said the movie felt hollow and formulaic. I on the other hand believe the movie feels free-flowing but raw, that Nic´s performance raises above the film and beyond the script, and that his take on an assassin´s personality is very much to the point in the sense that he´s blocked all emotions in order to be as effective as possible in his line of work, and when he´s faced with feelings for the first time in his life all his carefully structured existence falls to pieces. I´m under the impression that he chose to play this conflicted and tormented person very inwardly because that was what best suited the character. Belive me, I know a thing or two about the difficulty to acces your own feelings and that deadness sensation. And, as I said, I like Nic´s choices.

What did I feel when I left the theater? That Nic had managed to make me feel for the kind of person who puts a bullet on people´s brains for a living. And I consider that quite a feat.

I remember when I first saw the Weather Man, THE single most underrated performance of his career. I was astonished when the theater lights went on, because... Nic had just told me my life! Do you know that feeling... How the heck can a stranger know so much about me, exactly how I feel, precisely the process I´m into?? Good works of art have this effect, are open to interpretation, and even though they may be misundertood at first, receive due recognition as time goes by.

And I´d better get off the soapbox here before somebody begs me to, LOL...

-- Edited by mara at 16:55, 2008-08-25

Lula · Beguiled at Heart and Weird non stop

Mara, your review has blown my mind! You should be a film critic! Tragedy, action, darkness, duality, inner struggle, romance... Despairing, relentless, visually stimulating....it is your review that is the appetizer!

The film has even more of an allure now!

I find it deeply thrilling, but not surprising, that Nic is continuing to take risks and once again demonstrate the depth and breadth of his acting ability.
He has, in my mind, this unique emotional range and, as you say, he is the master of the conflicted character. I love that whole blurring of boundaries and being emotionally challenged.

Mara, as you say the critics will no doubt not have a good word to say about the film, it seems sometimes that they already have their 'critique' written in their minds; but it is your review I will return to, and really don't feel I will ever need to read another!

A question for you, how did you feel after you left the theatre? I ask because I find there is a rawness and depth in Nic's acting that often leaves me feeling for a long time afterwards, and I get the impression that this is one of those incredible films, and indelible characters, that stays with you.

onlyNic_17 · Terminator!

Rosita wrote:

Anyway, Mara, I agree with you: a good actor is the one who can play well the hero and the anti-hero.
Thank you so much!

Me too!!
And Mara, your review seems to "lure" me to see BD, LOL!! biggrin

When it is on the screen is still unknown here in Taiwan,
but I'll wait patiently and go to theater as soon as it's released!!

p.s. Since Nic says his role in BD is like Joe Enders in some ways, I rent Windtalkers this week to see. Hope this will help me to learn more about his new character!! smile

Rosita · Senior Member

I agree with you ladies,

what a review. Mara you are a wonderful film critic and I, like Triple B, don't like violent movies, but I'd like to see it and share my impressions with all of you, but unfortunately here in Italy we have to wait because we don't see films in original language with subtitles. It's a pity because the voice of an actor is important as far as his acting I think, even if I'm not an expert of course.

Anyway, Mara, I agree with you: a good actor is the one who can play well the hero and the anti-hero.
Thank you so much!

mara · a grateful fan

Glad I piqued your curiosity, the movie deserves it....

On reflection, I want to add that Nic has become quite a master of the portrayal of villains, and Joe might be his most fascinantingly unflattering one... I mean, he doesn´t care if he´s not looking sexy or flamboyant or devilishly charming like in other movies...

He´s playing pure uncompromising evil with just a belated shred of slim hope that´s doomed from the start. The unfeeling Joe suddenly has a sense of purpose and doesn´t quite know what to do with it because the contradiction is eating him alive, and that´s not sexy looking, in fact he looks very scary in the last scenes. I´ve never seen him look like that. It´s like the exact opposite of Seth. Joe is the angel of death, coming straight from hell. And Nic carries the part to its logical conclusion...

It takes a very good actor to pull off exact opposites with equal success... And they say Nic is always playing himself! Baloney!!

Joy77 · Veteran Member

I think it`s very good that Nic flicks let us to become thoughtful.And as usual Nic takes part in an anticommercial projects notwithstanding critics.To my mind, sometimes they judge his movies too strictly!

Triple B · Moderator

Hey Mara!

Thanks for sharing your views on Bangkok Dangerous and especially on Nic's portrayal of this character as well as his choice in doing this role. Your review made me really excited about seeing this movie. I'm not much for violent flicks....I try to stay far away from alot of un-necessary blood and gore. But, I had made up my mind that I would check out this flick anyway, mainly because it's a Nic flick. Now, I find myself looking forward to this movie in more ways than one for more reasons than one.

Thanks Mara for your wonderful review!