Antoine Fuqua cut his directing teeth coming up with music videos for the likes of Usher and Coolio; but later moved into film. This resulted in the brilliant Training Day and Brooklyn’s Finest; the so-so Shooter and King Arthur; and most recently the White-House-go-boom blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen. There’s much more to know about this seldom heard of director, so read on and get a clue.
After United 93, Snakes on a Plane, Red Eye and Final Destination, I thought I’d survived the worst airplane disaster movies (despite my fear of flying). That was until Flight came along, loosely based on Alaska Airlines Flight 261, which crashed in the year 2000 killing 89 people, and inspired a whole new level of plane-related fear. Plunging the viewer into the ground at a few hundred miles per hour should be enough to raise the heart rate, but it is Denzel Washington’s story of alcohol addiction that is the most powerful.
Like a resounding fist-bump cementing a job well done, police drama End of Watch is a testosterone-fuelled ride-along through L.A.’s crime-ridden south central district. Proving that sometimes a film doesn’t need to be more than the sum of its parts, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña showcase an infectious chemistry that papers over some noticeable cracks, and confirm there’s life in the Academy yet.
He’s got another mediocre action film out – in this one he plays the grizzled vet to Ryan Reynolds’ wet-behind-the-ears n00b, so THAT’s new and exciting! – and more in the pipeline – has Denzel Washington forgotten the power and flair which won him two Oscars? No, actually, he hasn’t. Hang on, what do you mean you didn’t know about the two Oscars? Nurse – give this patient a Cheat Sheet, stat.
“All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don’t break them for no one.” Beat that, Ayer.
Snipe London
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