April 20, 2016 The Skanner Page 13
Arts & Entertainment
FILM REVIEW: Brain-Altered
Convict Chases International
Terrorists in ‘Criminal’
FILM REVIEW: Saldana
Successfully Channels Simone
in Controversial ‘Nina’
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
M
Kevin Costner, Freddy Bosche and Emmanuel Imani star in ‘Criminal,’ which is out in theaters
nationwide.
By Kam Williams
For The Skanner News
C
IA Agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reyn-
olds) was in London on assign-
ment to deliver a ransom to a
computer hacker called the
“The Dutchman” (Michael Pitt) when
he was assassinated en route by a
terrorist (Jordi Molla) with a vicious
gun moll (Antje Traue). This would
ordinarily be a big loss for the Agen-
cy, given the veteran spy’s talents
and abilities.
Luckily, government scientist Dr.
Franks has been working on trans-
ferring memories from one brain
to another. And while he’s been suc-
cessful in several attempts with ani-
mals, he considers himself five years
away from being ready for human
trials.
Nevertheless, given the emergen-
cy, he is instructed to immediately
implant Pope’s mind into that of Jer-
icho (Kevin Costner), a death-row
inmate in desperate need of a new
lease on life. Next thing you know,
the psychopathic murderer awak-
ens from the experimental surgery
raring to track down The Dutchman
as well as the creeps who killed Pope.
That is the point of departure of
“Criminal,” a sci-fi splatterfest di-
rected by Ariel Vromen (The Ice-
man). Curiously, the movie marks
Ryan Reynolds’ third venture into
the brain swap genre, his previous
being last fall’s Self/less. There,
however, he played the recipient
rather than the organ donor.
There isn’t much point to my recit-
ing the scatterplot storyline, since it
makes even less sense than the pic-
ture’s farfetched premise. Still, this
high body-count, action thriller is
apt to have a certain appeal to tes-
tosterone-sodden males seeking to
satiate their blood lust by watching
folks being blown away in spectacu-
lar fashion.
In the process, the film fritters
away the services of an impressive
cast which includes Reynolds, Tom-
my Lee Jones, Gary Oldman and Kev-
in Costner. The film features a fair
amount of eye candy, too, in Antje
Traue, Alice Eve, Natalie Burn and
Gal Gadot who plays Pope’s widow,
Jill. As you might easily imagine, She
and her daughter, Emma (Lara Deca-
ro), are in for the surprise of their
lives when hubby/daddy returns re-
incarnated as a redeemed convict in
need of a loving family.
A novel enough spin on the brain
switch theme to recommend, pro-
vided you’re very willing to suspend
disbelief and you’ve got a strong
stomach for senseless gore.
Good HH
Rated R for pervasive profanity and
graphic violence.
Running time: 113 minutes
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
ost of the
pre-release
buzz
sur-
rounding
“Nina” has swirled
around the debate
about Zoe Saldana’s
darkening her skin,
donning an Afro wig
and wearing a pros-
‘Nina”opens this week with mixed reviews
thetic nose to portray
doubtedly be more disappointed by
Nina Simone (1933-2003). Apparent- the absence of the haunting strains
ly, in these politically-correct times, of The High Priestess of Soul’s dis-
some consider the casting of Saldana tinctive voice than by her imperson-
as the dark-skinned title character to ator’s performing in blackface. Again
be a case of cultural appropriation, and again, it’s frustrating to have to
since she is of Dominican and Puerto settle for second-rate renditions of
Rican extraction and thus, by implica- such Simone classics as “My Baby Just
tion, not black enough to play an Afri- Cares for Me,” “Feeling Good,” “Black
can-American.
Is the Colour,” “To Be Young, Gifted
The beleaguered actress was so beat and Black,” “I Put a Spell on You,” and
up in the press that she’s even publicly “Why? (The King of Love Is Dead).”
acknowledged the issue, admitting “I
Thankfully, Zoe does a better job in
didn’t think I was right for the part.” the acting half of the role, convincing-
However, I suspect anyone who actu- ly capturing Nina’s mercurial person-
ally sees the film would find Zoe’s Af- ality, from the imperious air, to the
ricanized features to be less of a dis- violent mood swings, to the substance
traction than her singing.
abuse, to the bouts of depression and
For, while she certainly manages
to hold her own, Nina’s fans will un-
See NINA on page 15
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