Lee Child has written 30 novels. I’m not sure if Jack Reacher is
featured in all of them, but he is the hero of many, and they go back as
far as 1997. Hollywood finally caught up in 2012, adapting One Shot as Jack Reacher,
starring Tom Cruise. Many fans were irked at the choice, as the
fictional hero is a foot taller than the actor. The anger is silly.
Height doesn’t matter in films. There are techniques to cope with it.
And Cruise is a terrific actor who has a commanding presence, especially
in the action genre. I enjoyed the movie, which concentrated as much on
plot and character as on thrills. The director, Christopher McQuarrie,
also wrote the screenplay. He has a great track record, having written
one of the best crime films of all time, The Usual Suspects
(1995). Is it perfect? Hardly. The outcome is never in doubt. The
suspense lies in the fate of the other characters. The plot is familiar,
although sound. And Reacher trends more to super-hero than human. The
cast is interesting. Rosamund Pike, a Brit, is thoroughly convincing as a
Pittsburgh D.A.. The sexual tension between her and Cruise is palpable.
David Oyelowo, who played Danny on more than 20 episodes of MI5, also
smoothly portrays a Yank, a detective. Legendary director Werner Herzog
plays the criminal mastermind. And Robert Duvall brings his excellence
to the role of ex-Marine/rifle range owner. His restrained glee during
the final shootout leavened the overall staid, cold tone. The film was
made on a budget of 60 million, and brought in 80. If there is a sequel,
it will be interesting to see if the producers, of which Cruise was
one, inject more spectacular stunts and explosions to lure more
customers. The film is very grounded by modern standards. On a scale of
five, 3.5. It is rated 7.0 of ten at IMDb.
The Wizard of Oz
(1939) has been restored in 3D and is playing a one-week run at the
IMAX theater in Manhattan prior to its release on video. 1000
technicians worked 16 months on the project. NY Post critic Lou Lumenick
says it looks and sounds better than ever. Next year will mark the 75th
anniversary of its debut. To some fans, a 3D version is an abomination.
This would be so only if all the standard prints were destroyed. The
new print may attract children who would otherwise ignore the classic.
“Follow the yellow brick road.”
Occupy Wall Street
celebrated its second anniversary yesterday and, naturally, OWS Jack was
there. He visited the floating book shop today, whistle in tow. "From
New York to Greece, f__k the police," he cried, acting out the
festivities, tooting, turning the heads of people walking along Avenue
Z. He reminisced about New Year's Eve 2011, when he and his cronies
built a huge mound in the middle of Zuccotti park with police
barricades. The cops were deployed in Times Square that night. Anarchy
ruled in lower Manhattan. I believe Jack had had a few this morning, and
on his way back home he was carrying two large cans of Coors in a
plastic bag.
My thanks to the kind folks who bought and donated books on this glorious late summer day.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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