Butler

Hmm. Looking at posts, it seems that there's a lot of love going on here. Probably time to rant.
Without a doubt, the two worst films of my recent memory have been connected by one obvious link. They both starred Gerard Butler. It probably makes sense to tackle the two of these together, as they are also identical in style, tone and sheer unpleasantness. Without further ado,

Gamer (2009, Lionsgate)

Law Abiding Citizen (2009, The Film Department)

For some reason I always thought that I liked Gerard Butler. He was in 300, he voiced the Black Freighter's doomed sailor, and even managed to be mildly charming in Dear Frankie. Maybe it was the Paisley boy-dun-good aspect of his career. I'm not sure. However, with this week's release of The Bounty Hunter, Butler has certainly managed to carve out a niche for any casting agency looking for a hunky misogynist.

When Gamer was first announced it was hoped that it would somehow manage to catch the link from Film to Games that has never quite been created. Perhaps the protagonist's name (Kable) in some ways reflects that. Then they went and cast Dexter as the villain - amazing! Hopes were high in September when I and a fellow teacher plonked ourselves in front of the cinema screen to view.

Fifteen minutes into the film, I turned to my colleague to give him a 'look' signalling my disgust, shock and general awe that this film exists as it does. 

He was already making the same face.

The real issue with Gamer is that it wants to have its cake and eat it. The fast, frenetic editing and buckets of gore appear to be screaming 'LOOK, IT'S JUST LIKE GEARS OF WAR', while with its other hand, Gamer slaps its target audience in the face for daring to play such obscene titles. The most shocking use of this representation is an odious sequence involving an obese, peverted gamer, manipulating a 'character' to fulfil his own fantasies. Are all people who play video games still characterised as fat, weird loners?

After stabbing itself in the face for a while (more on this later with Law Abiding Citizen) with its ham-fisted approach to videogame culture (although from what I've heard, they were too light on their Playstation Home world), Gamer finally devotes some time to Michael C. Hall, the one shining light in this film. His character, idiotically named Ken Castle (is it a reference to his empire? Kuturagi? Or are these too clever for this movie?) is given a song-and-dance number at the film's climax. Watching Hall acting as a marionette whilst singing I've Got You Under My Skin to his game-star Kable is hardly going to win any awards for subtlety, but it is filmed stylishly, in a Chicago-esque black room, and Hall is clearly relishing it. 

Then it's all downhill again. There's some child-threatening, and it reaches its bloody end.

That's where Law Abiding Citizen begins.

Opening with one of the most horrific torture/abuse scenes commited to mainstream Hollywood film, it was probably not the best film to take my girlfriend to. But wait, this was all to provide sympathy for Butler's Clyde Shelton (lol) a man LET DOWN BY THE SYSTEM. So, as is common now, he begins a one man vigilante mission to wipe the government out.

Perhaps its telling that this style of revenge - violence flick is in vogue at the minute. We're in a time of great distrust for politicians, and figures of authority - sounds a little like the early 70s, doesn't it? And that brought The Godfather, Dirty Harry, and Death Wish.

But this was 2009, and what once was shocking is now standard. Where to go from there? I'll tell you. If you've ever wanted to stab someone in the neck with the t-bone from a steak while obnoxious noise-metal plays, then lie down while covered in their arterial blood, Law Abiding Citizen is the film for you.

What's catastrophic about the film is that it is even more confused than Gamer. Why set Shelton up as an anti-authoritarian rebel, then try to make the audience support Foxx's pathetic Nick Rice, trying to take him down? The film ultimately decides that authority is preferable, and Shelton suddenly becomes a trained assassin, educated by the same system that he is attempting to tear down. This nonsense, which (no doubt) the director will have intended as ambiguity then makes the opening of the film even less forgiveable. There is no class to the confused morals of this film, ones that have been better portrayed in films like The Dark Knight or Funny Games. 

Where does this leave Butler? As mentioned, he's currently slapping Jennifer Aniston around onscreen - and he's supposed to be a sex symbol for females. Butler has fallen into the old Scottish stereotype of the 'Hardman'. Both Kable and Shelton are cliched soldiers, clearly feeling that the end justifies the means. 

Butler is set to star in Ralph Fienne's Coriolanus - as Tullus. That'll be a welcome change of pace for him. Wait, he's the one who kills Coriolanus, isn't he?

Oh well.