The reason I added
Atomic Blonde (2017) to my Netflix list is Charlize Theron, a dynamic cinematic presence. The movie was what I expected, action galore, adherence to one of Hollywood's modern cliches - the kick-ass woman capable of dispatching several trained tough guys at once. Set in the days leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, it's the story of a British agent sent to recover a stolen list of spies. She navigates her way way through the city, described as "the wild west" by a colleague, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake. Although it is obvious who the main villain is from the early moments, there's a fun twist at the end. Style is more important than substance, although a quote from Machiavelli is injected: "It's a double pleasure to deceive the deceiver." It's a fast-moving flick that comes in under two hours. The action scenes are well-coordinated by director David Leitch, a former stuntman who received full credit for the first time on this effort. He will get plenty more work. The screenplay was adapted by Kurt Johnstad from the graphic novel series
The Coldest City by Anthony Johnston, illustrated by Sam Hart. Made on a budget of $30 million, it returned $73 worldwide, so a sequel is possible. Even if Theron refuses to participate, her role could easily be assumed by many actresses willing to don a wig or dye if necessary, and smoke up a storm. 116,000+ users at IMDb have rated
Atomic Blonde, forging to a consensus of 6.7 on a scale of ten. Action fans would not be disappointed. Those squeamish about violence should pass, as there is more blood-letting than I'd seen in a while. James MCAvoy and John Goodman lend yeoman support, and Sofia Boutella, an Algerian, makes a good impression as a French agent. The 80's sound track is excellent, especially in the opening scene, a brief chase to New Order's
Blue Monday. "How does it feel?" - Ouch! Surprising for its absence, Blondie's
Atomic. Here's a pic of Theron in the role:
RIP Milos Forman, 86, who had a glorious run as a director. Born in Czechoslovakia, he saw his parents, protestants accused of subversion, hauled off to separate concentration camps, where they died. He emigrated to America in 1968. In 1975 he became an American citizen. He took on the daunting task of bringing Ken Kesey's
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) to the screen and won the Oscar for best picture. It is a rare instance of a film being better than the book. In 1979 he adapted an energetic version of
Hair, in 1981 a solid adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's epic,
Ragtime. Amadeus (1984) was a surprise hit that won him a second Academy Award for Best Picture. He also has 13 writing credits listed at IMDb, and nine in acting. Here's a partial quote from him: "... The Communist Party was my Nurse Ratched, telling me what I could and could not do; what I was or was not allowed to say; where I was and was not allowed to go; even who I was and was not." Well done, sir. Thank you. Here he is directing his cinematographer:
Friday the 13th proved spooky for a golfer at this week stop on the PGA tour in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Kelly Kraft hit a seven-iron off the tee of the par three 14th hole. The ball glanced off a big bird in flight and landed in a water hazard. He made double bogey and missed the cut by one shot. The bird was unharmed.
My thanks to the old gentleman who bought a gangster epic in Russian, to the young one who paid double for an entry in
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and to the woman who bought kid's books for her granddaughters and
Five Cents for herself, saying she wanted to see what I was all about.
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