Gunpowder Milkshake
I almost passed this movie by because of the too quirky title. After the extended flashback at the beginning of the film I understood what the title meant, but that didn't make it less quirky. Luckily, the rest of the movie is kinda quirky too so the title actually makes sense. What I didn't expect was how well the story and look draws from several well known titles and giving it just enough twist to make it stand strongly alone.
This is a woman's film through and through. All the bad guys are guys, and all the good guys are women. Carla Gugino, who has been in a lot of stuff I've forgotten, gives a great small turn as the mousiest of the Librarians, and has Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians) whisper something romantic in her ear at the start of the Big Brawl. This is the second time I remember seeing Yeoh play gay, or at least there's a heavy hint of it (aka subtext), and this time she's in a suit vest so please forgive the drool. Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) shares a moment of heavy subtext with Angela Bassett (Black Panther), and that's a second time for Headey that I've seen. Subtext works better for her than main text. Karen Gillan (Jumanji, Guardians of the Galaxy) is steely eyed Sam, scarred as a youth and now the best assassin in the world. The biggest revelation is a child actor, always a big risk. Chloe Coleman (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) is this generation's Jodie Foster, I think.
The movie begins with a voiceover explaining there is a group of men who "run things" called The Firm. Basically they are your typical extended gangster ring, all wearing red shirts. Then the flashback shows Sam waiting at The Diner with her two straw milkshake as her mom, Headey, stands her up AGAIN. An assassin comes in to kill mom, cuts Sam's face, and is promptly blown away by mom before she hops into a car and disappears completely from her daughter's life for fifteen years. Next time we see Sam, she's blowing away bad guys all on her own, wearing a very Ingred Bergman hat and taking no names. Darn the luck, she kills someone she shouldn't and every thug in town is now going after her. She winds up with an eight and three quarters year old girl tagging along, mayhem ensues. Gugino, Bassett and Yeoh play the Librarians, who are like the Greek Muses of old and meticulously house books in gorgeous old fashioned shelves in the gorgeous old fashioned library. Some books have a little sumptin sumptin in them besides words. There is a very quick moment when Sam is hurriedly checking titles for corresponding weapons and picks out a book that holds a switchblade knife. It's supposed to be a joke, but I found it too racist to be funny. That was my only quibble in the whole movie.
I don't actually know if there is a specific name for the genre of action film where huge, bloody fights are staged in various cool locations and the real world is only a hazy background for the hidden underworld settings. Think M.I.B, or John Wick, The Kingsmen, Kill Bill, or Streets of Fire. This film is a great example of that kind of shadow world setting, and is really great to look at with a good comics look through lighting, lines and color, and scene composition. There is also the requisite humorous bits among well choreographed and bloody fight set pieces. The music gave hints to other films as well, like a fight with a Kill Bill like soundtrack.
Besides the quick joke that was too racist to be actually funny, the only other negative thing is a sudden slow down near the end of the film. It doesn't fit with the pace of the rest of the film, but doesn't really detract from themovie as a whole. I liked nearly everything in this movie quite a bit and I really recommend this is you don't mind a little humor with your extreme gangster violence and all the heroes being women.
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CFR: In Addition:
Oh Hubby and I saw the advertisement for this and immediately knew we had to watch it. After about 15 minutes, Scott asked me "How did you know I would love this?" Oh honey, it was our kind of movie.
Fun, fun, fun. Crazy, over the top, awesome women, and men, having a great time. If you are not a fan of violence, well this won't be for you. If you love a good action movie with AWESOME characters, and LOTS of humor, this movie is for you.
I think I'll go watch it again.
Thanks Cranky!
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