Man On Fire is an aptly-named drama starring Denzel Washington. He plays John Creasy, an ex-CIA operative/assassin with a haunted past that drives him to self-loathing and alcoholism. We meet up with Creasy in Mexico City at the home of his friend Rayburn, played by Christopher (more cowbell!) Walkin. Due to a wave of kidnappings south of the border, Rayburn suggests that there is good money to be made for someone like Creasy in the booming profession of bodyguarding.
Creasy is quickly hired by a wealthy couple to guard their nine-year-old child, Pita, played by the freakishly-mature Dakota Fanning. Pita wants to be his friend, but Creasy is reluctant, citing that it's not part of his job description. But seriously, who can resist Dakota Fanning? Of course he eventually relents, and becomes attached to the delightful girl who has given him a new-found hope in life.
Since that would be a far too short movie, Pita is soon kidnapped. This is where the "Man On Fire" part comes in. Creasy's new mission is to find Pita and bring the evildoers to justice. In doing so, some dark and disturbing parts of his past resurface, which actually come in quite handy when tracking down and killing bad guys. As his friend Rayburn puts it, "A man can be an artist... in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasey's art is death. He's about to paint his masterpiece." Yikes.
The remainder of the movie is Creasy's bloody quest for justice among the seemingly total corruption of the Mexican social/legal system. It's Denzel going completely Rambo on your butt - in short, a Death Wish movie with a big budget and better acting.
The movie is a little long at over 2.5 hours, but Denzel Washington keeps you interested with his usual intense performance and the many creative ways of off-ing the villains. Warning - this is a violent movie, but I didn't feel it was overly exploitive. There are also thoughtful questions raised about guilt, forgiveness and redemption - although no clear answers are given. The end of the movie gives us a gentle resolution to Creasy's quest for justice - maybe more gentle than it really should have been. However, it's a less-than-perfect ending to a less-than-perfect movie. All in all, Man On Fire is worth viewing, so I say "Go."
Thursday, September 18, 2008
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1 comment:
I absolutely love this movie. John Creasy is a man who has hit rock bottom, and feels that his past demons will forever overshadow any future he may have. When he finally begins to redeem that past through the loving best friend / father-figure relationship with Pita, his new chance at life is ripped away from him.
The ensuing efforts by Creasy to get her back are equally violent & emotional. Though some of the violent scenes are indeed a bit brutal & disturbing, as Jim said, they are not gratuitous. And frankly, they're almost necessary, a natural outlet for the main protagonist as he deals with the extreme grief & loss of circumstances that have taken him back to a place in life he never wanted to be again.
As I said before, I love this movie, and find myself consistently getting choked-up during several parts......I know they're coming, but the movie is in my opinion that emotionally charged. The cast & direction of the film convey it perfectly, & if you haven't seen it already, then I highly recommend you do.
Cheers.
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