BY JOHN CAMPBELL E N T E R T A I N M E N T MILE 22 The blood-splattered uberaction flick has evolved in recent times, to the point that we now have not just bullet-proof blokes but also pretty young women blowing people’s brains out with automatic assault rifles that never run out of ammo. But that’s not to say that this isn’t a really good brain-strain movie, despite its manic flow, overdone hand-held closeups and countless gunshot victims. Set mostly in a city of an unnamed Asian country (but filmed in Bogota), we have Mark Wahlberg as James Silva, an aggressive, trash-
talking Special Operations agent with a tragic family history. He is given the task of delivering a defector with a secret code (Iko Uwais – a real-life martial arts champion in Indonesia) to an airstrip, from where he will be flown to the safety of the US. Wahlberg, usually finding himself in more humble or comic parts, does not quite fit the macho bill, but his likability sees him through (that and the bad guys’ inability to shoot straight). In any case, director Peter Berg, with whom he collaborated on Patriots Day (2016), is more interested in
maximising bang for buck with stunts and sfx. And he succeeds admirably, with drone x-ray images, brilliantly executed car and bike chases and clinically choreographed fight sequences – although Uwais’s rumble with his guards might be considered a tad excessive, even for those mouth-breathers who love violence. What is worrying is the moral compass that guides Silva and his boss Bishop (John Malkovich) – there is none. They operate in a lawless environment where ‘whatever it takes’ is the only code they go by to beat the
thin out, after mostly being crammed into the first act, there is a poignant story that looks at the emotional and psychological crises encountered by four women coping with arriving at a certain age. Attempting to
re-energise their sexuality without necessarily yielding to society’s obsession with denying the passage of the years (contrast Jane Fonda’s worked-on face with Diane Keaton’s wrinkles), their amorous adventures are treated with amusement but not mockery by director and co-writer Bill Holderman. Diane, a widow, Vivian, the glamorous owner of fivestar hotels, divorcee Sharon, a federal judge, and Carol, married but in a rut (Keaton, Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen), meet every month at their book club. Vivian’s insistence that they read Fifty Shades of Grey is initially scoffed at, but the ladies are turned on by it and determine to follow its
enemy (Russia – which is back in vogue as the evil state). Only belatedly is there an attempt to link the anarchy and slaughter to human emotions when it is revealed who has been most affected by the killing of an 18-yearold in a previous mission. The intrigue keeps you watching and an ending out of left field ensures that you will hurry back for the sequel.
BOOK CLUB Typically, the funniest scenes in this sweet-natured, oldies’ rom-com had been given away in a trailer that, in hindsight, tended to diminish the movie’s more thoughtful intent. For when the naughty saucy jokes
erotic lead. The humour is risqué but hardly offensive – a Viagra sight-gag brought the house down – and the predictability of the script is lifted by a terrific cast. These are wonderful actresses and, each given equal time, they are flawless in their parts, with Keaton suggesting Annie Hall decades-on and Bergen unafraid to be the frumpy one (but classy, too). It is, however, yet another dose of Hollywood selling us the idea that the problems of a group of self-absorbed, attractive people enjoying perfectly sunny, ice-creamy lives in fabulous big homes really do amount to more than a hill of beans. A party of coiffed and frocked-up biddies, clearly having got stuck into the Chardies at luncheon beforehand, cackled all the way through the session I attended, which enhanced the experience no end and, with an astutely compiled soundtrack of golden oldies (including Hot Chocolate’s horny You Sexy Thing and Roxy Music’s More Than This), the outing was a lot more rewarding than I anticipated.
STARS BY LILITH
ARIES: The yearly wheel circling into its beginagain cycle is always a spritzy time for the zodiac’s first sign, brimming with fresh starts and new shoots of opportunity to inspire you. Mars in its present placement can be a workaholic no-funster, so don’t ignore the feast Venus is spreading on this week’s table of delights.
TAURUS: Nothing says luxurious indulgence more alluringly than Venus in Libra, and about time too. So many planets in reverse recently has meant a lot of background revision on projects and relationships; now Mars moves forward in earthy Capricorn and so do you as life, love, and the universe reboot. GEMINI: The first week of September feels like a new dawn at the end of winter’s tunnel: shaking off old skins and shattering stale patterns. What to expect? A fluffing of feathers and reset of your personal GPS, along with possible work perks, renewed heart flutters and a pleasant business/ pleasure mix. CANCER: Planetary retrogrades can feel like the equivalent of cosmic colonics as buried feelings release emotional debris. But their backwards/ forwards dance isn’t dissimilar to a crabwalk: as in move, pause, go ahead, slow down, stop, change direction… Now, dadaaah! – this week soothes sore spots, tickles your funny bone and refloats your love boat. LEO: With communication principal Mercury in the sign of the Lion, this week’s alive with the sound of Leo opinions and preferences. So remember that life doesn’t just happen to you, Majesties: it responds to you. You’ve got the floor, and what you say will be what you get, especially during lateweek Leo moon. VIRGO: Energetic Mars and taskmaster Saturn, planets of push and achievement in the sign of productivity, bring results and rewards this week. So take a break to relax, receive, enjoy a birthday, celebrate the seasonal shift or weekend new moon in your sign. You know what they say about all work and no play…
44 September 5, 2018 The Byron Shire Echo
SPRING HAS SPRUNG AND WHILE VIRGO’S VERNAL MONTH BRINGS NEW GROWTH, VENUS GETS BUSY WITH A SEASONAL REVAMP… LIBRA: Currently juggling your scales to balance Mars on one side pushing to get stuff done, while Venus on the other just wants to have fun? Since you play by Venusian rules as defined by uber-Libran Oscar Wilde, who could resist anything except temptation; this week’s artful hanky panky is just your delicious cup of bubbly. SCORPIO: Backstage growth and changes simmering away during recent planetary hibernations have produced some seismic mind shifts and life-altering revelations. Now Mercury in the sign of entrepreneurs directs the results of this inner dialogue into outer expression. Tune into the external brain, or hive mind, to expand your visibility and credibility.
SAGITTARIUS: After dancing in the flames of last month’s testing, trying and tricky obstacle course, this week serene Venus gentles your internal weather for a measure of what astrologer Hunter Reynolds calls interpersonal ease. What might that look like? Rebalancing, restoration, pleasing agreements and some ripening energies now ready for a reveal. CAPRICORN: You’ve backtracked over old ground, retreated, reflected, recalibrated: now motivating Mars and hardworking Saturn stride forward in Capricorn to press your Reset switch. And Venus in the sign of dynamic duos asks: Why go it alone? This week supports creative collaboration and exploring strategies for turning competitors into allies. AQUARIUS: In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s not possible to force anything during soulsearching, solutionfinding retrograde cycles, which insist on snipping or retying loose threads and completing unfinished business. This week recommends the small steps of censoring self-limiting language, and when something breaks down being open to what steps up. PISCES: As action planet Mars blazes full steam ahead, Saturn advises spending more time with partners and friends who reflect back to you who you really are, rather than supporting your old stories or social media profile – those not-always-comfortable companions who hold you accountable to being your best self.
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo