Daily Archives: November 22, 2013
Violet & Daisy (2011)
Violet & Daisy (2011)
Violet & Daisy is another one of those movies that was made and then thrown on the shelf to collect dust for two years before finally being released in theatres. When it finally made its debut, it was only in limited release. The film was completed in 2011 and not unveiled until midway through 2013.
Movies like this are always intriguing to me because I bet that everybody involved in making the film was just beyond angry that it took two years to be released in theatres. You work so hard to complete something special, and then nothing happens for two years. Not to mention, movies are made to hopefully turn a profit. Wouldn’t you want to try to make your money back right away?
I have a feeling that this movie may have had trouble making it into theatres because the subject matter is very risky. It’s a film about a teenage girl duo hit man squad. With all of the violence going on in our world, it’s probably pretty hard to release a movie about teenage girls who kill people. Of course, the idea was fascinating and I just had to see what it was all about.
The film is about two contract killer teenage girls (Saoirse Ronan and Alexis Bledel). The pair make a killer team, but one day things go wrong during what was supposed to be a simple job.
The movie was written and directed by Geoffrey Fletcher and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes James Gandolfini, Danny Trejo, John Ventimiglia, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Stu ‘Large’ Riley, and Tatiana Maslany.
Violet & Daisy didn’t deserve to be shelved for two years. It’s the kind of movie that could have generated a welcomed sequel or two. But, because it took so long to be released, the teenage girls in the film have already aged too much. Actually, Bledel was already an adult during filming. She pulled off playing a teenager even though she was actually 30 years old when the movie was made. Ronan was closer to half of Bledel’s age. I was shocked when I found that out.
The film was exceptionally fresh and original. It was edgy, cold-blooded and unpredictable. There was a lot of great action and dialogue. There was even a bit of dark comedy thrown into the mix.
Ronan, Bledel, and Gandolfini gave exceptional performances.
The movie is about murder, so don’t be surprised at all of the violence, disturbing images, and language.
Because the movie was delayed for so long, it turned out to be one of Gandolfini’s final film releases, may he rest in peace.
I praise Geoffrey Fletcher for getting this risky movie made.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
The Boondock Saints (1999)
I watched The Boondock Saints for the first time way back in 2000. I had no idea what the film was about before watching it. All I knew was that I was a broken teenaged kid who had recently lost his older brother. I was trying to escape into the world of video games and movies. The movie was supposed to be a distraction, but I couldn’t help but think of my brother throughout the entire film.
The movie is about two Irish twin brothers (Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery) living in the boondocks who band together to deliver their own form of vigilante justice on the scum of Boston. Along the way, they piss off the Russian mob and the FBI.
The film was written and directed by Troy Duffy and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Willem Dafoe, David Della Rocco, Billy Connolly, Carlo Rota, Ron Jeremy, Brian Mahoney, Bob Marley, and Kevin Chapman.
It’s hard not to enjoy a movie about vigilantes cleaning up their city. When bad guys die, who cares? It just makes the world a better place. This film depicts this all very stylishly. Of course, there is a lot of killing, cussing, and drinking involved, but it’s all in good fun.
I have watched the movie maybe a dozen times now, and it gets better each time I watch it. It has a great soundtrack, it’s funny, and you can tell that they had fun filming it.
The film became a cult classic and eventually a sequel followed. In my opinion, the sequel would have been much more successful if it had not taken a decade before being made.
Willem Dafoe’s character in the film is perhaps, the most memorable of his acting career.
The Boondock Saints boosted Norman Reedus’ popularity and he has gone on to become a pretty solid character actor. He is most known for The Boondock Saints and the popular television series, The Walking Dead. However, my favorite film that he is in is Deuces Wild (2002).
Most recently, I enjoyed Sean Patrick Flanery’s performance in the final season of my favorite television series, Dexter.
The closeness between the brothers on screen made me really appreciate the performances of Reedus and Flanery.
Troy Duffy put a very unique spin on the storyline and the way the story unfolds is nothing short of awesome.
Fans of mafia movies should enjoy The Boondock Saints.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
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