Skip to main content

'Nobody' (15)



Director: Ilya Naishuller

Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen

Where can I watch?: Nobody is streaming on Prime Video

Rating: 4/5

Review: There was a moment, in the first 15 minutes or so, when I thought Nobody might be a genre-defining film, one that took the age-old notion that 'the man of the house should defend the house' and subvert it, so that the movie was a study of what it means to be a man in the 21st century. Dear reader, Nobody is far from an essay on society's obsession with 'the strong man' - it's a gun-toting, ass-kicking, Russian-beating action movie that's entirely enjoyable. Bob Odenkirk is Hutch Mansell - his everyday life is mundane, his marriage is on the rocks and his teenage son is, well, being a teenager. Then everything changes, and the bodies start piling up higher than even Boris Johnson would be comfortable with. 

There are obvious comparisons to be drawn with the John Wick series - a suburban man, a little past his prime, is suddenly thrown back into a world of violence. (Note: no animals were harmed in the making of Nobody.) However, I find that rather unfair: Hutch Mansell is far more grizzled than John Wick, with his slick suit, straight hair and sleek flashing neon backdrops; Hutch doesn't need a black stallion to kill his enemy - he just needs your average commuter bus! In between the slashing, hitting, shooting and stabbing (and there is a lot), the dryly witty script somehow manages to give a layer of depth to Mansell that's quite unexpected, while the excellent soundtrack (whoever picked Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker as the overture to a shootout deserves an Oscar) both delights and surprises. As I said, this isn't ground-breaking stuff, but it is decent, destructive fun that's both solidly written and produced. 

A Must-Watch?: Gory, gruesome and undeniably great fun, this ass-kicking outing marries a concise run time with a witty script and a soundtrack you'll have on repeat for days after. It'll also leave you wondering, is Bob Odenkirk kinda sexy? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

'Eternals' (12A)

Director: Chloé Zhao   Cast:  Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Angelina Jolie Where can I watch?:   Eternals  is in cinemas and available to stream on Disney+ Rating:  2.5/5 Review: When watching a Marvel film, you must suspend some level of disbelief to fully enjoy it. However, Eternals really does push the boat too far. I'm all for a bit of fantasy and a splash of sci-fi, but I found myself drawing the line at big red robot things floating around in space - and I'm not even going to try to explain (or remember!) everything else that was revealed during this strangely boring, yet rather beautiful, superhero experience. Chloé Zhao, fresh from her Best Director win, helms the 26th film (yes, really) in the Marvel franchise, but she fails to make any sort of impact. At times, it feels as though we're veering towards something of a character study, but unfortunately all the characters are painfully shallow and one-dimensional, making the 'intimate' tal...
Post a Comment
Read more

'The Last Duel' (18)

Director: Ridley Scott Cast:  Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer Where can I watch?:   The Last Duel  is in cinemas and available to stream on Disney+ Rating:  3/5 Review: Young people, put down your "fucking cell phones"  and observe how men have been shit to women for literal centuries! That's right, not depressed enough by the state of the world, I decided to watch Ridley Scott's latest 'flop' during the festive period and, boy, did it feel like a battle. Based on a true story from the 14th Century, The Last Duel is a tale of rape and revenge. Focusing on three central characters, Scott's depiction is divided into a trio of interlocking chapters during which Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) give their accounts of the events preceding and following Marguerite's assault. Despite the horrendous wig, Damon gives a strong performance as a highly unlikeable knight, but it's Come...
1 comment
Read more

'Mary Queen of Scots' (15)

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor.  The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life ...
2 comments
Read more