Movie Review - The Killer

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Kerry O’Malley
 
Description: After a fateful near-miss, an assassin (Michael Fassbender) battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.

Review: After a job gone wrong, an assassin must take more and more victims to escape from his self-made mess.

Director David Fincher is a favorite of mine. He made some of my favorite thrillers ever: “Seven”, “Fight Club” and “Gone Girl” are movies I will never stop recommending. It’s clear the crime-thriller genre is what Fincher excels in.  

That Fincher feels comfortable within this genre is abundantly clear. Everything is clearly portrayed, with the editing and soundtrack effectively contributing to the visuals. Michael Fassbender does a solid job as the cool killer, but his stoic demeanor solidly gets in the way of the film.

The unnamed killer is a man of few words, whose thoughts are conveyed via voice-over. Fassbender conveys everything rather monotonously, perhaps appropriate for an assassin, but it makes it a bit boring to listen to at times.

The story suffers from the same problem, it lacks a compelling plot. The killer travels from place to place, sometimes claiming a victim. It is too little to get invested in. the sporadic outburst of violence are brief, but beautifully crafted. There is especially one fight scene, that is so well-crafted. A hand-to-hand fight that really stuck with me. The film could have used more such moments to ramp up the tension, as you are otherwise never on the edge of your seat.  

“The Killer” is technically a well-made film that just passes by without doing anything to you. The film feels detached, perhaps intentionally, but without any emotional involvement. Still a good film, but not David Fincher greatness.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Review - Mank

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 131 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Charles Dance, Tuppence Middleton, Leven Rambin, Tom Burke, Tom Pelphrey, Arliss Howard, Toby Leonard Moore, Joseph Cross, Jamie McShane, Elvy, Sam Throughton, Natalie Denise Sperl, Ferdinand Kingsley, Adam Shapiro

Description: 1930s Hollywood is reeveluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter herman J, Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane.

Review: Screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, Mank for short, is approached by Orson Welles to work on a film script. Through flashbacks his route to the making of this script will be explained.
I know director David Fincher mainly from his darker work, like “Se7en”, “Zodiac”, “Gone Girl” and his profound series “Mindhunter”. So when I saw his name connected to this film, I was intrigued. And yes, with Gary Oldman in the lead, it quickly got my attention. “Mank” is an ode to film from the late 30s, early 40s. With “Citizen Kane” as the legendary battleship of his catgory. This is a film that cinephiles with a penchant for old Hollywood will enjoy.
“Mank” was shot in that style: completely black and white, with methods of lighting and sound that make you feel like you’re in classic Hollywood. Fincher makes the choice here to e very stylistic, which I didn’t expect him to be. And he did this very well. Gary Oldman plays the charismatic Mank, intellectual chatterbox and professional drunk, and he does this sublime. Amanda Seyfried, who I have never been a big fan of, plays her best role so far. And Charles Dance is always great in whatever he does. But it’s Oldman’s movie and nobody will be able to drink enough to come across as credibly drunk as Oldman does here soberly. And at the same time eh finds the balance between pedanticism and sympathy.  
The script is well put together, but doesn’t have much to do. “Mank” is a bit too long to my taste. The many flashbacks add to how Mank wrote the script for “Citizen Kane”, because that’s what this is all about, and why he made certain script choices. The film certainly isn’t boring, but it won’t appeal to everyone. The cinephiles among us will love it. For the rest: this is a stylistic biographical film you may or may not like. It suits me just fine!

Rating: 3,5 / 5

00s Movie Review - Panic Room

Director: David Fincher
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2002
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 41: A MOVIE MADE BY DAVID FINCHER

Description: A divorced woman (Jodie Foster) and her diabetic daughter (Kristen Stewart) take refuge in their newly-purchased house’s panic room, when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.

Review: Meg Altman, recently divorced from the rich Stephen, moves into a new house with her daughter Sarah. It is a beautiful building; three floors, hardwood floors, an elevator and… a very special room. The previous owner was a paranoid rich guy who had a shelter build, a so-called panic room. This room has concrete walls with thick steel plates, its own telephone circuit, an intercom system with security cameras and enough supplies to survive a small war. On their first night in the house, Meg and Sarah go to sleep quietly while a big thunderstorm rages outside. They don’t realize that three burglars are accessing their house. The intruders didn’t expect anyone to have inhabited the house, so they are just as surprised. Just in the nick of time Meg and Sarah manage to escape into the panic room, closing themselves in. Meg did forget to connect the separate phone line, which means they are safe from the burglars, but also trapped like rats. Because what the men are looking for, is in that room.  
“Panic Room” is a very exciting thriller. Most outstanding is the flawless camerawork, which looks amazing. But also the editing and directing, combined with an atmospheric soundtrack. From the smoot and beautiful computer-enhanced camera movement through the house, to the oppressive dark cinematography, everything has been done to maximize the tension.
Jodie Foster shows what and excellent actress she is. And so does a very young Kristen Stewart. Forest Whitaker shines as the sympathetic bad guy.
What makes the film so exciting is the interaction between the two ‘camps’ of Meg and Sarah versus the burglars. They keep outsmarting each other and that creates an unprecedented tension. Unfortunately, director David Fincher has not received the praise he deserves with this film. And although movies like “Se7en” and “Fight Club” are of course better and are now modern classics, “Panic Room” is an exciting thriller and an underestimated work of a director in his element.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: David Fincher Movies

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood and he has also made some awesome movies that I can count as favorites. Here are my five favorites ranked.

5. The Game
I think most people count “The Game” as one of their least favorites. For some reason I always loved this film. Just the originality of it and how you get dragged into this film so easily.

4. Zodiac
I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, but I do like crime/ detective stories like this. Good acting and an interesting story. Somehow I always watch it when it’s on TV, that must mean it’s good right?

3. Gone Girl
It was high on my to watch list before it came out and it didn’t disappoint. This movie changed my mind about Ben Affleck as an actor, because I’m not a fan. But it was in fact Rosamund Pike that stole the show as Amy. A very good movie.

2. Fight Club
This is a genius story, with some of the best characters in cinema. That twist in the end still gets me and it’s definitely a masterpiece.

1. Seven “Seven” is one of the best thrillers ever made. Frankly, it’s just one of the best movies ever! This movie grabs me ever time, it’s so disturbing, yet interesting and compelling.

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Panic Room