Weekly Review -- Fragments of a mind torn asunder

November (2004) -- Playing out like a noirish, rainy night version of Run Lola Run, this drama is as much a study of a wounded psyche as it is a suspenseful mystery. After her boyfriend Hugh (James LeGros) is murdered in a convenience store robbery, photographer Sophie Jacobs' (Courteney Cox) world starts to unravel, as she finds herself unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. Her memory hazy from the trauma, Sophie is fragile enough without having to hear strange noises and see photographs from the crime scene that start popping up everywhere. She starts her own investigation, but is she prepared for the outcome? I am happy to say that Cox is as far from Scream and "Friends" as she can get, delving into some very dark places in order to palpably demonstrate Sophie's confusion. She possesses an everywoman quality that makes her relatable, yet it is precisely this aura of quiet predictability and routine that creates uneasiness in the already unstable context of the enigma, making the performance stand out. Anne Archer and Nora Dunn have clever supporting turns as Sophie's mother and psychiatrist, respectively. Stylistically, the film borrows a lot of Lynchian elements, particularly with its medley of disjointedly muted sound arrangements and screaming intermezzo images, coming at us straight from humanity's deepest recesses. I should also mention Nancy Schreiber's somber cinematography, a stark reminder of the film's politics of loss. The only major gripe I have about November is that it occasionally gets lost in its own artfulness, while overdosing on the same. I also wish that the story's human relationships had been explored more, an aspect that could have added more depth to the puzzle; the affair, for example, was a very nice touch, but a rather neutral one, neither bringing nor taking away from the central incident. For its few weaker details, this is a calm and composed movie, with a couple of crescendos thrown in for good measure. If you would like to experience a moody mirage that keeps the viewer on the proverbial edge of the seat, see Greg Harrison's November.

7/10

Weekly Review -- Nothing to lose

Taken (2009) -- A sleeper hit that first thrilled the audiences in February, this Luc Besson-produced actioner gives us rough-and-tumble dynamics from start to finish. Ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is trying to remedy his relationship with daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), all the while dodging his angrily acerbic ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), both of whom he had neglected far too long for the cause of the service. When Kim and Lenore announce Kim's intention to travel with a friend to Paris for the summer, Bryan's alarm goes off, as he unsuccessfully tries to get them to reconsider. His instinct proves to be right, as both Kim and her friend are kidnapped practically as soon as they utter "bonjour", and sold into the black hole of human trafficking. Knowing that every second is critical, Bryan travels to Paris, slowly and surely following a trail that will lead him to the most unscrupulous of villains... I have never imagined Neeson as an action hero but, after this movie, I am surprised that no one saw him in this kind of role earlier. His Bryan Mills is not only a force to be reckoned with, he is a hurricane you should run away from, and fast. The man could easily take on Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer at once and come out without a scratch. Janssen is convincingly hostile as Lenore, while Leland Orser is reliable as one of Bryan's old colleagues and Xander Berkeley appealingly sleazy as Lenore's wealthy husband. The only weak link in the cast is Grace, whose occasionally over-the-top performance does not sync up with the rest of the cast's measured intensity. The chase and fight sequences are flashy and, as in all other action movies produced by Besson, fast and briskly edited, their effect emphasized in great part by the beautiful Paris architecture. The criminal underworld is a soul-destroying hell on earth; the auction scene was not the only one that gave me shivers. Yes, some of the narrative's twists are much too convenient at times -- for example, Bryan manages to infiltrate every circle, while none of the vultures he is hunting down spend time questioning who he is -- but this is part of the story's straightforward purpose, which is having ultimate justice dealt to some of the most depraved subhumans in the world. On a different note, I am glad that a mainstream movie was finally made to publicize a very real problem, one that has taken roots in most corners of the planet. It may not have been the filmmakers' intention, but it is one of the many reasons to see Taken, besides its terrific suspense value. For an exciting film with the best of the good guys and the worst of the bad guys, see Taken.

8/10