Previews, reviews and spoilers

amoviemaniac:

So I saw haywire a couple hrs ago. Its a pretty decent film. The story you have heard before but with woman who can actually kick ass. A lot. Gina carano is forever a hot badass. If you arent turned on by her kicking ass or her insane body you have problems. Let me review this movie before it turns into another appreciation post about gorgeous woman. The story is a conteact spy gets sent on a mission and is double crossed by the company she works for. She has to find who screwed her over and kill them. Nothing special. What makes it special, is the cinematography and the action scenes and the score. Its what saves the movie. The cinematography in soderberghs movies are always great. The score is jazzy and spy like which I love and the fight scenes are perfect. And realistic. It was the s$#! to say the least. The best fight scene was with fassbender. The sexual tension was insane and the choreography was done so well. Carano was a great choice for the fight scenes. Acting probably not. She still needs work. Aside from that its a decent film. 7.5/10.

http://jeremythecritic.blogspot.com/2012/02/haywire.html

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Haywire

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Michael Angarano
Running Time: 93 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)

Steven Soderbergh's Haywire is both more and less than it seems. On one hand, it's an action movie. But on the other, it sort of isn't. It's a conventional spy story that's presented in an unconventional manner, exceeding and subverting expectations while strangely at the same time barely managing to meet them. A second viewing is probably in order, but with only one to go on it's safe to say it distinguishes itself from most other mainstream action movies not so much in terms of plot, but style. It feels like a not-so-distant art house cousin of Drive or The American in the sense that it'll turn off viewers expecting a fast-paced, non-stop mindless action extravaganza (its D+ CinemaScore proves it) and reward those looking for something a little different. But the real story coming out of it is the arrival of a legitimate female action star capable of believably kicking ass. Recently, we've had Angelina Jolie in Salt and Zoe Saldana in Columbiana corner the action market in terms of charisma and willingness to get their hands dirty, but in terms of pure physicality and presence, former MMA fighter and first-time actress Gina Carano puts them both to shame. And her casting that proves just how ingenious Soderbergh is in tailoring his movies to the strengths of his stars.

The film opens in a diner in upstate New York, where we meet Mallory Kane (Carano), a contracted covert operations agent with a private firm employed by the government for missions they'd rather wash their hands of. She sits with a man named Aaron (Channing Tatum) who she thrillingly kicks the crap out of over coffee, breaking his arm and escaping with the help of passing customer Scott (Michael Angarano), who has no idea what he's just gotten himself into to. In flashback, we're told the story of how she was sent by her boss and ex-boyfriend Kenneth (Ewan McGregor) to do a job in Dublin where she'd pose as the wife of a British agent named Paul (Michael Fassbender). But it's all a set-up, putting in motion a chain of events that cause her to go on the run, alternating between being the hunter and the hunted, all while trying to uncover who betrayed her and why.

Initially, the narrative framing device is confusing because it takes a bit to differentiate what's happening in the present from the flashback scenes as the title cards indicate shifts in location (Dublin, Barcelona and New York for anyone keeping track) rather than time. It's worth noting how the picture looks since it doesn't quite visually resemble any other recent action movie. The color looks washed out and the image dim and out of focus, no doubt a deliberate choice by Soderbergh who often works as his own cinematographer in his films and wanted to distinguish this from the slick blockbusters we've grown accustomed to. Once we catch up the plot is pretty basic so most of the thrills come from the style and execution. Otherwise deliberately paced, when the action scenes do arrive they're brutally realistic, especially a hotel room confrontation between Carano and Fassbender that has to rank amongst the most exciting intergender onscreen fights in recent memory. Most of the rest of the action is saved for the final half hour, but it's worth the wait.

What Soderbergh does for Carano is almost exactly what he did for adult film star Sasha Grey in The Girlfriend Experience in taking an untrained actress and placing them in a carefully structured project that plays up their strengths while covering their weaknesses. On a lesser scale it's comparable with what Darren Aronofsky did for Natalie Portman in Black Swan by not only hiding her weaknesses as actress, but actually incorporating them into her character and transforming them into strengths. Soderbergh's careful not to give Carano long monologues and dialogue-heavy scenes that would expose her inexperience, instead playing up her intensity and presence. There's no need for tons of emotion in a movie like this and he's wise to not let Carano attempt to supply any. She's a bad-ass. Plain and simple. But in instances she's called upon to do more in "acting" scenes opposite her seasoned co-stars, she still holds her own, proving she can only improve as a performer moving forward. Pretty and powerful, it's not out of the question she could emerge as a the female equivalent of Jason Statham if she attaches herself to projects that make the best use of her talents. And unlike other action heroines, the ex-American Gladiator doesn't at all look like she can be snapped like a twig.

Soderbergh cleverly plugs in his star-heavy cast in utility supporting roles with Ewan McGregor relishing the rare opportunity to play a sleaze and Michael Douglas slipping into familiar authority figure mode as a powerful government agent. Even Channing Tatum fares really well as Mallory's ex-lover and potential adversary. But the real standout is Fassbender, who in his brief, but extremely memorable turn as a suave, dangerous British agent gives just cause to terminate Daniel Craig's 007 contract after his next outing. As perfect a fit as Carano would seem to be for Wonder Woman, Fassbender is for James Bond. And since the films cover much of the same territory it also wouldn't be off base to claim that the stuck-in-a-rut Bond franchise could stand to look and feel more like this.

If there's anything holding the film back from greatness it's Lem Dobbs' script, which taken altogether seems very conventional and ordinary despite its sometimes convoluted presentation. It's a simple story told in a complicated way that succeeds in making you fell like you're watching something of considerable substance. Without Soderbergh's stylistic choices and such a believable, intimidating lead it wouldn't work at the level it does. But those elements are there and it does work because of them, making me think that once you have the story all sorted out on the first viewing, everything else will likely improve on subsequent ones. Besides marking the arrival of an exciting new action actress, it also provides a reason to re-examine just how talented a filmmaker Soderbergh is. Unlike any of his peers, he's been able to successfully alternate between low budget indie projects and mainstream blockbusters. Now with Haywire, he's proven himself capable of combining both.
Posted by jeremythecritic at 9:45 PM

enternechoplex:
Review of: Haywire.

Steven Soderbergh is one of my favorite directors and while I may not love all of his films, I can’t deny that they all showcase an excellent handle on visuals, story and characters. Among the things that I enjoy about him is the way he’ll take an untrained performer and cater a film to that particular person’s strengths. With The Girlfriend Experience he took pornstar Sasha Grey and assembled a very interesting, dynamic and original film. He brought forth an engaging performance from Grey and kick started her acting career. Now with Haywire, he takes martial arts fighter star Gina Carano and assembles one of the coolest action films in years.

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In Haywire, Gina Carano plays Mallory a former Navy agent who now works for a private company that does various top secret missions. After a successful mission in Barcelona in which she and Aaron (Channing Tatum) extracted a hostage and delivered him safely to Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas), Mallory’s supervisor, Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), gives her another job in Dublin. In this last job things go haywire and Mallory finds herself set-up and running from the people that were supposedly on her side.

The first thing that really struck me about Haywire was the action scenes. We are introduced to Carano and Tatum in a fist fight that is as unexpected as it is badass, as intense as it is awesome and works perfectly as a set-up of how things will unfold. I think this is the first time Soderbergh has directed an action film but judging by the action scenes it feels like he has been doing them for ages. He keeps the camera on the action and doesn’t over edit the fights. We can appreciate the intricate and exciting choreography, and they all have a palpable sense of danger and feel realistic.

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Another element that makes the action here feel unique and real is how Soderbergh shows the fullness of the action. This is especially notable during the escape sequences that last for a long time providing a real sense of how long it really takes for someone to run away from the police or bad guys. During the Dublin mission, Mallory is attempting to escape and she goes through various rooftops and buildings and that whole sequence is simply amazing. The cinematography is beautiful, the score pumps up the adrenaline and Carano handles herself like a prime action star should.

Gina Carano also delivers a surprisingly engaging and wonderful performance. First of all, she exudes badassery from her very presence and manages to convey vulnerability and betrayal during the quiet moments. Physically she is beautiful and a nice change from the overly skinny action starlets we’re used to. Furthermore, because of the way she looks her fights are more believable and you can buy her beating the s$#! out of Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender. I hope she and Soderbergh team up once again for another action-driven flick.

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The supporting cast is not only impressive but also brilliant. Each name is greater than the next and all of them manage to be memorable and cool. Much to my surprise, the most memorable one is Channing Tatum who for the first time delivers an actually good performance. It’s true what they say, a brilliant director can bring out the absolute best of even the most untrained actors. This gives me hope that their next team-up, Magic Mike, will deliver the goods from the acting department. Fassbender is the other notable standout as an assassin who really kicks the s$#! out of Carano.

Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire is easily one of the most entertaining films I’ve seen so far in 2012. From a visual standpoint the film delivers all that you would expect from a Soderbergh film. The acting is great all around and Gina Carano delivers a very promising and badass performance. My only problem is that Haywire is a bit longer than it probably should have been, but the story has enough intrigue to keep you engaged. Furthermore, with the exciting, intense and extremely amazing action scenes you’ll easily be able to forget about time and so forth. Soderbergh has deliver another outstanding film that truly deserves to been seen and receive much more attention. Go watch it.

Rating:

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http://partlydrawn.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/spoiler-alert-saturday-my-thoughts-on-haywire/

Spoiler Alert Saturday :: my thoughts on Haywire
5 Feb

Bullet-pointing for sanity’s sake. This is a movie I could not paragraph about if I tried.

A more efficient title for this movie would be Look! Gina Carano Does Her Own Stunts. That’s really the point of the movie, to see her do stunts. Fighting, running, major ass-kicking: she’s a mixed martial arts fighter, primarily, so it’s pretty crazy stuff sometimes, and it’s neat in that regard.
If you were able to give it a longer fake title, it would probably be Look! Gina Carano Does Her Own Stunts While A Bunch Of Dudes Die. It was a pretty efficient setup/vengeance movie. Lots of people died. In true action movie fashion, the unimportant ones were felled by single bullets, and the main-er characters took multiple minutes of strangleholds and kicking and punching, followed by one ultimate blow (a gunshot, a broken foot and the quickly-approaching tide).
Yes, it’s cool that the protagonist of this particular “oh no, we’re framing a spy” movie is a badass lady. And she is pretty badass. But there was still not a single other woman in the movie, unless you count the bikini babe that Antonio Banderas was cavorting with in the last few minutes. And that’s unfortunate.
I was so so close to being excited that they never actually made much of a deal out of her being a woman, and then Michael Fassbender had to go and say, in the flashback, “I’ve never done (i.e. killed) a woman before,” followed by Ewan McGregor’s “Don’t think of her as a woman.” Meaning, don’t think of her as weak, don’t think of her as helpless, don’t think of her according to damn traditional gender roles that they did a fairly decent job of ignoring until then (save a brief conversation about wearing dresses and an even briefer offhand comment about how she’d probably take longer in the bathroom getting ready). Sigh.
Is Michael Angarano ever going to age? I mean, he was baby William in Almost Famous, and he looked like a little kid then, but since approximately Lords of Dogtown in 2005 he’s looked the same age. They added a bit of stubble on his face this time, but they still said he was 19. And he can pass for it, despite being now 24.
In that one scene where she wore a dress, it was pretty and she looked good, but she… wasn’t wearing the proper underwear. There was this awkward line at her waist like she had on a corset but it stopped abruptly at her hips and stuck out funny, which doesn’t make sense.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to even realize that Rodrigo was played by Antonio Banderas.
I kind of really like the name Mallory. I just do. I always have. I thought about that periodically throughout the film.
Basically, Gina Carano did her own stunts and some dudes died. Yeah.

–your fangirl heroine.

ourbriefencounter:

I saw Haywire a couple of days ago.

Spoilers.

I reckon I spent the first hour and fifteen minutes of this film thinking I was hating it. Then, in the last fifteen minutes, it turned everything around. Of course that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s suddenly an amazing film, but I think it definitely makes a difference to what I would think if I was to see it again.

Firstly, Gina Carano was brilliant as Mallory, the betrayed ‘contractor’ on the run from her previous business associates. The role really played to her strengths, avoiding the tendency to make physically strong female characters either unrealistically powerful in their punches or sexually alluring to every male character in the film. She delivered the dialogue effectively and gives an immediate impression of a no-nonsense character: something which the film frequently centres on. The whole cast is good, I should say. It has a remarkable number of big names for what felt like a relatively low-budget film.

There were good points and bad points about the audio, I thought. I loved the diegetic sounds of the fights, creating a real sense of brutality and realism in the combat. Most films like this relish in combat, but here you’re hearing the sounds of punches crushing into people, people being thrown into hard brick walls and other furniture, the frantic scrambling for life as someone gains the upper hand, and it makes the violence as easy to abhor in the film as it is in reality. There were a few iffy sound effects where I wasn’t entirely convinced, and these, annoyingly, immediately eject the audience from the diegesis, but it’s easy to re-emerge. The most annoying point about the sound was the hideous mismatching of soundtrack. It has some sort of strange jazz infusion orchestra playing in the background of scenes, particularly during scene transitions. It draws far too much attention, seems to hold little relevance, and harks back to dodgy late 20th century spy dramas like Charlie’s Angels and the Bionic Woman, and it’s almost impossible to stop yourself expecting a slow-motion run across a field or something equally nostalgic.

The directing worked well, especially because of how deeply this film is rooted in reality. There’s something almost homely about seeing a chase through an urban jungle and rather than the usual nondescript shop fronts and housing blocks, Mallory runs through recognisable stores (HMV if I remember correctly). It consistently and repeatedly reasserts itself as being set in reality, the same way that 28 Days Later does when Cillian Murphy asks if they’ve got any Fanta in the shop. There’s something that makes the experience all the more real and all the more brutal when seeing it in your world, rather than one you can easily detach from.

The awkward framing device which, luckily, only runs for the first fourty-five minutes or so (Mallory explaining the story so far to the man whose car she’s ‘borrowed’) is irritating in how basic it is. I don’t really think it needed one. Plenty of films startin medias resand nobody seems to mind. It could have that opening scene and then just cut back to the beginning without the need for any device or function character to trigger the story.

The rest of it’s story was remarkably original though, considering it’s such well-trodden ground. It was kind of like the narrative of Salt (starring Angelina Jolie) with the character of Bourne (starring Matt Damon). I quite liked it. It wasn’t outstanding, but not every film has to be. I would definitely see it again, even if just to see how my perception of the first half of the film changes now I know how it ends and how the situation comes to be. That being said, I may mute the sections with the jazz.

moviewography:

What It’s About: After a mission to rescue a hostage in Barcelona, Mallory (Gina Carano) is quickly dispatched on another mission to Dublin. When the operation goes awry and Mallory finds she has been double crossed, she needs to use all of her skills, tricks and abilities to escape an international manhunt, make it back to the United States, protect her family, and exact revenge on those that have betrayed her.

What I Liked: The way the action scenes were shot are a lot different than other actions movies, letting you see the fight choreography and the damage it ensues. You could feel every punch and kick the person felt without the need of quick jump cuts all over the place, it was refreshing to see and it kept things interesting. The supporting cast around the main character were amazing, even Channing Tatum did an alright job which surprised the hell out of me.

What I Didn’t Like: Saying Channing Tatum did an alright job is weird to say, but mostly because he does a better job than the main character played by Gina Carano. Even with a great supporting cast, it still doesn’t hide her poor acting skills which seemed kind of robotic and her dialogue sounded weird and cheesy. I think she should just stick to fighting in mma (which she is awesome in btw), but she won’t since she just got another role in another film. The story wasn’t that great either, it all just happened without any tension and I didn’t feel any real threat for Gina Carano’s character while watching.

Watch This If You Like: Steven Soderbergh films, Gina Carano, any of the supporting cast, action films.

Grade: C+

Haywire - Film Review

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Director Steven Soderbergh delivers an movie with such stunningly viewed action that hundred million box office monster movies could only dream of achieving, with mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano starring as Mallory Kane, a covert operation agent.

Haywire is a spy thriller that’s story gets across the globe as Mallory Kane is out to clear her name from being framed as a threat to the United States while also getting her revenge on the people responsible for all of this. The story is rather less important and I didn’t even truly feel or have any sort of care who the true villain(s) was behind it all, all I wanted to see was Gina Carano kick some ass and work her way out of this, she is the star child here and Soderbergh does an most excellent job showcasing her martial arts skills, her beauty and her utter dominance towards her enemies.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the superb casting this entire film had from Ewan McGregor who plays Kenneth, Mallory’s boss, Michael Fassbender is Paul, another fellow agent in the field. Antonio Banderas is Rodrigo, a contact for the American government agent Coblenz played by none other than Michael Douglas himself. Fans of Fassbender be warned, he isn’t in this movie for more than 15 minutes max.

Added with the beautiful variety of settings, Carano’s performance comes a very smoothing jazz score from David Holmes, which is a pleasure to your ears as mysteries unfold and tensions rise.

There isn’t much more to say, but even though it has the running time of 93 minutes, I still wish it could have lasted longer as Gina Carano is pure eye candy with her self-made stunts. Very enjoyable movie with recent spy thrillers adding a lot of class and style to them, with an all-star cast and great vision from the director, I sure wouldn’t miss this movie out at all.

slippinghusband:
Haywire.

2012, Steven Soderbergh

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For a while now I’ve considered Steven Soderbergh the most exciting director currently working, and Haywire is just another demonstration as to why that is. An Oscar-winning director for his brilliant Traffic, this is a guy who refuses to let himself be pigeon-holed and with almost every project jumps into an entirely new genre of film making. A man who, in the same year, will do a retro CIA comedy with superstar Matt Damon and then a soft drama about the life of a high-end call girl where he casts porn star Sasha Grey in the lead role. A man who in 2012 releases a balls-out action thriller starring MMA fighter Gina Carano, who has never acted before, in the lead role and a few months later releases a drama about a male strip club with Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. Adding on to that, these two films are released less than a year after his sprawling pandemic thriller which starred no fewer than seven Oscar-nominated actors.

If there is anyone currently working in Hollywood who is constantly testing himself along with the audience’s perception of him, it’s Steven Soderbergh. Haywire stands out primarily because of the man behind it, but it’s also a wicked tight action film in it’s own right. A mix of the style of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series with action sequences reminiscent of the Bourne trilogy, Haywire follows black ops agent Mallory Kane as she is betrayed by the company she works for and set up to be taken out. Written by Lem Dobbs, who previously collaborated with Soderbergh on Kafka and The Limey, the premise is incredibly simple and that’s the way it should be. Soderbergh isn’t trying to make a twisty espionage thriller here, he’s creating a vehicle for a genuine action heroine to be a badass in and he makes it work.

Soderbergh built the entire film around the idea of getting a female action star who actually looks like she could beat the hell out of you, and that’s exactly what he does, aided by the untrained and impressive Carano. She keeps her emotions appropriately close to the chest here, instead letting her physicality do the talking and Carano is as convincing an action star as there’s been one. You don’t doubt for a second her abilities to take these men down hard, and by the end of it you’re well aware that her Mallory Kane isn’t someone you’d ever mess with. Soderbergh surrounds her with an impressive ensemble of gifted men such as Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender and Michael Douglas, all of whom give quality work while being well aware that this isn’t an actor’s piece. It’s just a no-bullshit action thriller with Soderbergh’s trademark sleek design and some incredibly choreographed, wicked intense action sequences.

B

Film #145 of The 365 Film Challenge.

movieemporium:
Haywire: Review

Steve Soderberghs action movie about a female black ops officer who is hunted by her own people arrives on DVD and Blu ray tomorrow. Should you watch it? Probably.

The quirk of this film really is that the main character is a woman played by real life MMA fighter Gina Carano. An unknown in a lead role? Well yes, but the supporting cast of men that betray her features Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Antonio Banderes. Michael Douglas is as smooth as ever too.

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All those big names guarantee a plethora of good performances and the story moves quickly as each of these characters come and go in Mallory’s (Carano) life as she journeys through the movie fuelled by the betrayal and surviving on her wits.

The action scenes took me a while to get used to, instead of moving so fast that you can’t see a thing the fight scenes are flinchingly real, something we’re simply not used to seeing on screen but something I really started to enjoy.

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The film manages to stay stylised and interesting all the way through although i have to admit i didn’t find it gripping. Soderbergh however is a the kind of director who likes to provide steady dramatic pieces which is what Haywire is. The soundtrack was also a strange choice, the retro feel didn’t fit with the modern movie and overall i found the OST to be out of tone with the rest of the film.

Overall, if you like Soderbergh you will like this and if you’re a fan of action movies this will give you something different without moving you too far from unfamiliar territory.

@vickyhinault