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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2017)
in other words july6 2017 9 Inside Our Films: Jack Reacher (2012) By Jim Bryson Every once in a while I see a movie that really sticks with me. This is not to say that these movies are particularly good examples of great films but instead that they have something about them that really stays with you. Jack Reacher (2012) is a particularly good example of this. There are a great many things to praise about this film but what I would like to point out is the iconic opening scenes. The film tells the story of the title character who is a former military police officer of some distinction who arrives in the story to settle an old score after a tragic mass shooting. As you could guess the story is all about the character of Jack Reacher, played by Tom Cruise. This character is equal parts hero, villian, patriot, and drifter. Now that his official military career has ended he is drifitng around the country, “en- joying the freedom” that he spent so much time fighting for. The movie is based on the books by British writer Lee Childs (Jim Grant). Although I have not read any of these books I have understood that the situation that is laid out in this film is very much an everyday occurence for our title character. Jack Reacher knows what is right and is very much willing to do what is necce- sary to make things correct. In this way he is very much a reflection of Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry (1971) who was also willing to “do what it takes.” The things that stand out about this film are the opening sniper/mass shooting scene and also the untethered willingness of the main character to use violence and his clever intelect to solve the story’s pressing issues. Also the film is marked by excellant per- formances from both Jai Courtney and Rosamund Pike, although the performance of Alexia Fast leaves quite a bit to be desired. Creatures LLC As an added bonus we see an unusual screen appearance from Werner Herzog, the acclaimed di- rector. Personally, Herzog is one of my favorite, all time great direc- tors and found his role in this film excting and satisfying. While Cruise delivers a solid performance and, as al- ways, performs his owns stunts, I found the supporting cast to be the heart of this film. The character of Jack Reacher is the tip of a righteous spear and doesn’t make the same personal connection that the other char- acters of this story do. Jack Reacher (2012) is very much worthy of watch- ing and rewatching. You can imagine my excitement when I saw the sequel Jacker Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) arrive in the library. In all the ways that Jack Reacher is good the se- quel fails to match up. In every viewing of this film I have been struck with the notion that the film makers had missed the rea- sons that made the first film iconic and instead were trying to make a quick buck on the energy of the first and is the same classic Hol- lywood mistake that we have seen over and over. You can find Jack Reach- er (2012) and its sequel, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) and many other wonderful films at your local Vernonia library. Silas Hunter shows off one of the three large mouth bass he caught at Vernonia Lake while fishing with his grandpa, Michael Buesseler, who was visiting from Whitefish, Montana. reach thousands of potential customers Pets, Feeds, Supplies, Tack, U-Wash Facility, Childrens Toys, Gifts, Novelies & More... advertise here! 503-429-PETS (7387) 998 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064 Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm Sat 10:00am-5:00pm Sun 12:00pm-4:00pm Creatures@frontier.com Facebook: Creatures-pet-shop email us: ads@vernoniasvoice.com call us: 503.367.0098 Visit US today for all your financial needs! We saddle shoe. Do you? Muffy’s Josh, Teresa, Juli, Teresa, Margy Josh, Joy, and Lisa 905 Street 905 Bridge Bridge Street (503) 429-6271 950 Bridge Street Vernonia, O8 97064 503.429.5050 or 866.524.5050 www.muffys.com World Headquarters Vernonia, Oregon Grey Dawn Gallery 879 Bridge St. (503) 429-2787 Photography - Bronze Jewelry - Glasswork Pottery - Custom Framing www.greydawngallery.com usbank.com Featuring the finest in northwest art Member FDIC Receive a $5 off coupon Black Bear Coffee Company & Roastery Fresh Roasted Coffe, espresso, baked goods NEW LOCATION 825 Bridge Street • 503-429-0214 Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Full Menu Open Every Day at 6:00 am Bear Creek Pub & Sports Lounge Burgers & Fries 9 Beers on Tap Growlers To Go 831 Bridge Street • 503-429-0214 New Day Massage and Bodyworks Theraputic Massage Specializing in • Auto/Work Injury Rehabilitation • Medical Massage Cupping • Manual Lymph Drainage • Nutritional Counseling • Post Mastectomy Care • Oncology Support • Sauna on-site Heather Lewis, LMT, LMP, CLT, NT 847 Madison Avenue, Vernonia For appointments call: 503-429-4677 Insurance accepted #10732