Eye Candy #594 - "The Double"

The Double:  This “thriller” feels like a throwback to the 1980’s, like a really bad knockoff of “No Way Out”.  Former CIA operative Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere) is asked to look into the murder of a U.S. senator who was believed to have been killed by a mysterious Soviet assassin named Cassius.  To that end, he is paired with neophyte FBI agent Ben Geary (Topher Grace).  However, it’s made very clear very quickly (as in “as soon as you see the preview”) that Shepherson is Cassius.  And he’s not the only assassin or Soviet-in-agen’ts-clothing we have to deal with.  Martin Sheen and Odette Yustman are here in support.  We also get “True Blood’s” Stephen Moyer in a bit role, continuing Moyer’s inability to actually capitalize on his popularity with “True Blood”.  With a ‘reveal’ shows up less than 20 minutes into the picture, it goes without saying that this film shoots its wad fairly early and then drags you around needlessly complicating the plot before they tack on a goofy twist ending.  Dull, with a plot hook that’s been done better several times before (not to mention it’s incredible lack of timeliness, the Soviets not quite the boogeymen we imagined them to be), with a group of largely unsympathetic characters.  Another middling effort from screenwriter Derek Haas (he also wrote “Wanted” and “2 Fast 2 Furious’) and a disappointing first directorial effort from screenwriter Michael Brandt.  Woodchuck sez, “Skip it.”

Eye Candy #593 - "Norwegian Ninja"

Norwegian Ninja:  Easily one of oddest movies you will ever see based ever so loosely up on the “exploits” of convicted Norwegian spy Arne Treholdt, who was sent to prison in the 1980’s for passing information to the KGB.  However, this film vividly imagines events leading up to his arrest, including his  running a team of nationalist ninja for for Norway’s King Olaf V against an evil, disruptive CIA-backed ‘stay behind’ operation that seeks to foment anti-communist feeling by staging events to turn the Norwegian people against the Soviets.  At times goofy, audacious, deeply weird, and downright silly, it’s really a film that needs to be seen to be believed.  Not for all tastes, surely, but for those in the mood, you may find it entertaining in a very offbeat way.  Woodchuck sez, “Whoa.”

Eye Candy #592 - "War Horse"

War Horse:  Director Steven Spielberg is no stranger to staging large-scale war set pieces, but this is his first foray into World War 1.  Based on the children’s book of the same name by Michael Morpurgo and its subsequent critically-acclaimed theater production (which used life-sized puppets for the horses), it’s the story of a young farm boy Albert (Jeremy Irvine) from Devon in England, who raises a willful colt name Joey to be more than others expect him to be.  On the eve of World War 1, Joey is sold to the military as a cavalry horse out of desperation by Albert’s destitute father Ted (Peter Mullan).  A young captain (Tom Hiddleston) promises to care for Joey, but as the realities of the war set in and its convention-shattering nature is realized (for example, the cavalry charge is now moot in the face of the machine-gun), Joey finds himself, changing hands through various “owners” on both sides of the conflict and in-between, as he and Albert’s fates converge to bring them back together on the battlefields of Europe.  Benedick Cumberbatch, Emily Watson, Liam Cunningham, and David Thewlis are here in support.  Harrowing, violent without being gory, with a fairly even hand (I.e. the Germans aren’t portrayed as inhuman villains, nor are all the British the ’good guys”) with some truly impressive battle sequences (both military charges; one a cavalry charge, the other an infantry charge across no man’s land that equals anything you’ve seen in “Saving Private Ryan”, sans all the blood and entrails).  The film is well-made, with several emotionally powerful moments, but still seems awkward straddling the line between children’s story and adult narrative.  It’s as if it can’t commit to either, so it’s exceptional at neither.  Still it’s a very watchable movie.  Woodchuck sez, “Check it out.”