ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

John Malkovich

Valley of the Gods: At the Feet of Power

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It can be easy for us to think so highly of ourselves that we ought.

In this latest film from acclaimed director Lech Majewski, Valley of the Gods explores the nature of power vs. poverty through three separate yet intrinsically-linked narratives. Grappling with his recent divorce, John Ecas (Josh Hartnett) is a struggling writer who is searching for peace. After meeting a homeless man on the street, Ecas is unaware that the man is actually Wes Taurus (John Malkovich), the wealthiest man in the world. Taurus has been posing as a homeless man in order to feel connected to the world around and invites Ecas to write his biography. As the world only trillionaire Taurus is a recluse from society yet is determined to mine on the sacred lands of the Navajo for uranium, upsetting the people of the community.

Beautifully shot by Majewski and Pawel Tybora, Gods is often an overwhelming visual treat. Featuring vast desert landscapes and daunting palacial rooms, the film’s images force the viewer to feel small, as if they are pawns to some otherworldly game of chess. Intentionally linking Taurus’ mansion to Citizen Kane’s Xanadu, there is a cinematic opulence to this trillionaire’s estate unlike anything we’ve seen onscreen in ages. From tennis courts that resemble the Sistine Chapel to operas performed standing in an enormous fountain, every shot within its walls speaks to the incredible power (and loneliness) of vast wealth and creates a gut-wrenching fear towards its enigmatic owner.

Meanwhile, this life of remarkable luxury is held in direct contrast to the awe-inspiring natural world of the Navajo community. Although just as daunting as cool isolation of Taurus’ world, the dry heat of the desert carries an intensely spiritual warmth to the landscapes and carry a deep connection to those that hold them in reverence. As a result, the nervousness that one feels in these scenes is not for a man who lives in a castle but rather for the mysterious power of nature that is rarely taken seriously by outsiders.

By juxtaposing these two diametrically opposed spaces, Majewski puts his emphasis on the emptiness of wealth. In Gods, Majewski understands that that which is deeply spiritual trumps financial fortune, not only in importance but also in power (an idea which comes to literal fruition at the film’s finale). However, what’s most interesting about the film is Malkovich’s Taurus (Isn’t Malkovich almost always the most interesting part of anything he’s in?), who seems to recognize that he’s missing something and looks to feel alive. 

Unlike the Navajo who may live in poverty yet maintain their souls, Taurus’ life remains empty. As the world’s richest man, he literally controls everyone and everything at his disposal yet he remains spiritually poor. Disguised as a homeless man, Taurus honours the poor and the impoverished and moves around the city below in plain sight, yearning for the simplicity of life that has been lost. Though he lives his life like a secluded god in the heavens, he literally descends from on high in order to feel connected to the world around him. Despite his vast fortune, his wealth has become a prison for him and he longs to be set free. 

By recognizing the power of the healthy soul and the value of the impoverished in the face of corporate wealth, there are times when Majewski’s film borders on the profound. Though the story can be difficult to follow because of his staggered and non-traditional use of narrative devices, Valley of the Gods does come together through its thematic and visual beauty. Engulfing the viewer with the sheer magnitude of their surroundings, Majewski shifts their perspective away from themselves and towards something greater.

Because, to him, recognizing that there is something greater helps remind us that we are something less.

Valley of the Gods premieres on Blu-Ray and VOD on August 11th, 2020.

Mile 22 – Ego Is Not Your Amigo

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Directed by Peter Berg (known for a handful of other Mark Wahlberg movies such as Deep Water Horizon and Lone Survivor), Mile 22, set mainly in Indonesia, can be construed as a stereotypical action movie. However, there are definite artistic attempts to jazz it up that I think landed fairly well.

This film opens with an almost perfectly executed raid of a Russian FSB safe-house, where we get a glimpse of the action, violence, and team dynamic that this movie produces. The team is called Overwatch, a division of the CIA.

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CIA agent James (Jimmy) Silva (Mark Wahlberg), is an eccentric, brilliant, and bipolar character that lives and breathes his job. He is fully committed to sacrificing for his country, although he often comes off as down right arrogant. It’s obvious that the thoughts inside of his head often move too fast, which comes through in his quick speech. He wears an elastic around his wrist that he frequently snaps. We learn that this was a gift from his mother, who told him, “Snap this when you can’t slow down.” Jimmy seems to try to tame his thoughts and use them productively in his career. Wahlberg, though playing a fairly typically role for himself, should be commended for his performance. The quick speech of Jimmy Silva was executed very well.

Fellow CIA agent Alice Kerr (Lauren Cohan) is dedicated to her job but preoccupied with her daughter back home, as well as the heartache and complications that come with a family separation. She tries desperately to put her emotions aside but clearly struggles with the balance between motherhood and career.

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The CIA is approached by Li Noor (Iko Uwais) who they were initially told was a low level cop, claiming he had the code to unlock precious information that the CIA needed. His request before providing the code was for asylum and for them to get him out of the country safely. Team Overwatch must transport Noor twenty-two miles to the airport and ensure he is protected. Forced to sign documents by the CIA before embarking on this mission, team Overwatch are told that they are now ghosts, no longer working under the government, and that this was the highest form of patriotism.

Most of the character development in this film was confined to fast clips and voice-overs during the opening credits. I could have used a bit more information about Jimmy’s past and why he is the way he is. And I wanted to know more back story on Alice’s family situation. I wanted to care more about her. At only ninety-five minutes long, I felt that they could have utilized more time to better establish the characters and hash out the plot more clearly. Instead, I found that some scenes were rushed through, causing occasional confusion.

In my opinion, the real star of the film was Iko Uwais. His action scenes were top notch and did not disappoint. Even his sly smile added to the scenes he was in. (Although, if you’re squeamish, you may feel slightly uncomfortable during a few of the action scenes in this film.)

A welcomed addition to the team was the ever intriguing John Malkovich, who played James Bishop, head of the Overwatch command centre, so to speak. He added the typical Malkovich flair without stealing the spotlight. Although I wouldn’t have complained if was in more scenes.

Cinematically, I was impressed with the extreme close-ups, fast cuts and lighting in certain scenes. And the sound editing, specifically with the snapping of the elastic against Jimmy’s skin, did not go unnoticed.

This film wasn’t perfect but, at the end of the day, I left the theatre entertained.

Unlocked: Whom Do You Trust?

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Who can you trust? That concept is central in the new spy thriller from Michael Apted, Unlocked. The story focuses on Alice Racine (Noomi Rapace), who we first see working as a social worker in London. But she used to be one of the CIA’s top interrogators. Her job was to “unlock” the information in people we had captured. A few years ago she failed to break an informant in time to stop a deadly bombing in Paris. Since that time she has been working as an imbed at a social agency, gathering low level info to pass on to MI5.

When the CIA captures someone involved with a plot involving biological weapons, Alice is called back in, even though she no longer trusts herself with such an assignment. But just as she begins to discover the needed intel, she suspects she shouldn’t trust those who have brought her in. But where can she go? Should she go to her mentor Eric Lasch (Michael Douglas), CIA section chief Bob Hunter (John Malkovich), her MI5 contact Emily Knowles (Toni Collette), or Jack Alcott (Orlando Bloom), a military vet who has his own reasons for following terror suspects? The plot twists as Alice seeks to find the truth and stop the attack even while being betrayed by many of those she thought she could rely on.

Such betrayals are nearly always involved in spy thrillers such as this. It shows a world in which there are both external threats and also more hidden diabolical menaces who multiply the dangers. One of the dangers that films like this can have is to use stereotypes and reinforce our fears that are built on them. Is that the case with this film? This film certainly relies on the idea of radicalized Islam as a key feature of the plot. But there are also other factors involved.

SPOILER ALERT

As to the portrayal of Islam in the film, there are indeed terrorists who act out of their understanding of Islam, including a white American who is very involved. But there is a key scene when Alice confronts an imam who is central to the plan. We learn that he has been working to stop the attack, not push it forward. He is seeking to use his religious authority to bring peace, not to do harm. It is the hidden forces within the American government that see the plot as a way to further their own agenda who are the true villains in the story.

END SPOILERS

This brings us back to issues of trust. Alice begins the film unable even to trust herself. And she learns many of those she thought she could trust are unworthy of that trust, but others (including some she only now meets) earn her trust. When we enter into the world of espionage in films, we often assume we know who can be trusted, yet along the way, we begin to see things and people differently. The way Apted and screenwriter Peter O’Brien lead us through this story gives us a chance to have our fears and prejudices challenged. By the time we come out on the other side, we will have discovered that often both our trust and our fears are misplaced.

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate Premiere