Review: John Wick and Force Majeure
NOT even Keanu Reeves knows the exact body count in his violent revenge thriller, John Wick (“I’ve heard 73, I’ve heard 84”) and it’s hard to blame as the corpses mount up. A
John Wick **
Director: Chad Stahelski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist
(15, 101mins)
All because of a dog.
Yes, a young Russian nasty (Alfie Allen) makes the mistake of slaughtering former hitman Wick’s pooch - a gift from his late wife - and the grieving Wick embarks on a demented killing spree. That’s about it plot-wise.
There isn’t a great deal of tension or character interest (Wick once killed “three men in a bar with a pencil” so you know he’s not going to lose) and the endless fight scenes are repetitive, albeit stylishly directed by Chad Stahelski.
You also can’t deny that Reeves is in spanking good shape for 50.
John Wick – Trailer - Official Warner Bros. UK
Force Majeure ****
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Stars: Johannes Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli
(15, 119mins)
When a holidaying Swedish family is caught in the path of an Alpine avalanche, it seems as if we’re in for a nail-biting survival thriller, packed with danger and derring-do, writes Nicholas Barber.
But Force Majeure is a very different sort of film, and all the better for it. The twist is that the tidal wave of snow stops just short of the ski-resort terrace where Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke), Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their two children are having lunch, so no harm comes to any of them.
But, a moment earlier, when it looked as if they were all in deadly peril, Tomas turned and fled, leaving his wife and kids behind him. Oops. It’s a breathtaking sequence, and the film’s writer-director, Ruben Ostland, uses it to set up a sharp, shrewd, flawlessly acted examination of gender roles and marital dynamics.
At first, Tomas tries to laugh off his split-second’s panic, but the tension builds as the traumatised Ebba discusses the incident with friends and strangers at the resort, and her husband struggles to hold onto his masculine pride. The avalanche might not have touched the family, but it may well have destroyed it.
This could be a depressingly grim scenario but Ostland sprinkles his film with wry humour, while the mountain scenery glows with otherworldly beauty. Ostland also treats all of his characters with sympathy, encouraging you to put yourself in their ski boots.
