more interesting is the vehemence of some of the reviews

Rating: Null/10 (17 November 2006)

I'd seen this on DVD the other night and came here curious about its reviews. What's interesting to me is how vehement the hate is. Why? There are plenty of bad movies. This is one of them. But I don't see that this is really that much worse than the usual slop. But I suppose, not being familiar with the comic and so not feeling betrayed, I can't make myself rise to indignant righteousness over a supernatural-themed mindless shoot-em-up spectacle. And it's hard to get really incensed about the acting (de)merits of Mr. Cool Breeze. Yes, he looks far too sleek here to make believable any real pain or even that disheveled gumshoe cliché of world-weary see-you-in-hell antipathy. But the man is not a character actor. We all know this. Or should. So, doesn't it make all of this disgust over his expressionlessness just a little... gratuitous? As if one expected him to emote??! Actually, I enjoyed his deadpan style in this movie. It made me laugh several times. I don't know if it was his (or the director's) intention, but sometimes the studied deadpan delivery of standard noir gestures and lines made them almost ironic. He does not do either the heartfelt drama or the highbrow very well, but I think he's perfect for these slightly self-conscious and heavy-handed caricature-roles. Incidentally so does Tilda Swinton also seem well-suited to such roles. I thought she looked stunning. The only miscast, ironically, is Rachel Weisz whose lovely performance was altogether too human, touchable, real, and vulnerable for this sort of thing.