By: debbie lynn elias
If I knew nothing at all about WANTED before sitting down in my theatre seat, with the opening frame, I would know all that I needed to know to solidify my belief that not only did I want to see this film, I needed to see this film. A huge fan of director Timur Bekmambetov, it only takes a second of frame to know that he is the mastermind, the wizard, behind a film and WANTED is no different. On seeing Bekmambetov’s signature works “Daywatch” and “Nightwatch”, several years ago I predicted that it wouldn’t be long before Bekmambetov’s kick-ass, high octane, hyperkinetic, super-charged, out-of-breath ,visually exhilarating style would capture the attention of Hollywood and the world. And so it has as Bekmambetov ratchets up the excitement, the effects, the stunts and thrills to levels never seen before in filmmaking with WANTED.
Wesley Gibson has a life that no one would want. Stuck in a cubicle by day with a donut-scarfing frustrated loser of a boss whose only form of entertainment and exertion of power comes in the form of clacking a stapler over Wesley’s head every 30 seconds, he leaves that hell only to go home to the hell of a girlfriend who takes nagging to new levels of annoyance and disdainful disgust. Oh, and she just happens to be having an affair with Wesley’s best friend. Plagued by what he believes are anxiety attacks, Wesley medicates himself regularly – and heavily – which only contributes to his downtrodden dejection. If only Wesley knew what was waiting for him around the corner.
And while poor Wesley muddles along in life, on the other side of town there is more action going on than he could ever possibly imagine as high tech assassins are taking aim at one another leaving the town littered with dead bodies on roof tops and kin the streets. But it doesn’t take long before the two worlds collide.
Cornered at the local pharmacy by the oh-so-sexy Fox, Wesley is dropped a bombshell (other than the fact this gorgeous woman is actually talking to him of all people). One of the “dead bodies” in the news was his father. Never knowing his father, Wesley dismisses Fox as a nut job, that is until bullets start flying, with Wesley seemingly the target. But it goes beyond that as the battle at hand defies all known laws of physics. Bullets “bend” in mid-air, bodies manipulate as if moving through another dimension and cars, well, cars defy every known principal and mechanism ever discovered by Henry Ford or the best German automotive experts. But the kicker – all of this is accomplished by honing in on inner talents, genetic traits if you will, training to excess and leading mind and body to new dimensions, all under the guiding hand of a man named Sloan and the secret group of assassin called “The Fraternity.” And Wesley is heir-apparent to the best of them all – his father.
Now this isn’t just any group of assassins. The Fraternity is highly specialized and has a definite and distinct purpose. Founded centuries ago by a group of weavers, the Fraternity believes there is a divine purpose to all aspects of life and it is their sworn duty to insure that life proceeds as Fate would have it go. And for the purposes of Fraternity, Fate is determined by codings interwoven into fabrics woven on a special loom “from above” which has guided the brethren all these hundreds of years. And the man who interprets the codes and hands out “assignments” is Sloan. Cool, calm, collected. He nary breaks a sweat as he assigns each Fraternity member their daily task – kill the person identified by Fate on the loom. And now, he needs Wesley. He wants Wesley in the fold. (Why Sloan wants him so desperately is for you to see for yourself.) And with no life of any consequence, and a chance to avenge his father’s death, Wesley comes under the care, guidance and training of Fox as she unlocks the powers within him that have been dormant all these years.
But as Wesley gets deeper into the Fraternity, truths come to light. Truths that will alter the Fraternity and Fate as we know it and ultimately shape Wesley’s destiny into something unexpected.
I was never very impressed by Angelina Jolie until “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” She blew me out of the water with her action packed, and often comedic, performance. I didn’t think she could top that. Boy, was I wrong. As Fox, she is indescribable. Besides being a kick-ass assassin with mind-blowing unrivaled and unparalleled physicality, the tacitly nuanced aspects she brings to Fox are inspired and again, often quite comedic. (Look for a few scenes where she appears to be channeling Brad Pitt’s “Rusty” from the “Oceans” trilogy and you’ll know what I mean.) Her timing is impeccable. Her facial expressiveness speaks volumes. She is action star personified. According to Bekmembetov, “there is nothing she can’t do.” During the most exhilarating action sequences, Jolie has stated she had one thought. “’God this is fun! Really fun.’ I just had to try to keep a straight face.” Part of the appeal of Fox according to Jolie, and I agree, is that Fox is “like a soldier. She’s not out for a boyfriend or relationships.” She doesn’t see herself as sexy or gorgeous and as a result, she is “very casual about her body…throwing it over a car wearing a cocktail dress and heels.” This makes the character and performance even more intriguing and irrisistable.
Personalizing the part, not only were Jolie’s many tattoos showcased as part of Fox, but temporary ones were added with Bekmamatov focusing on those “related to this sense of justice” as they were intrigal to the theme. “ I have ‘Strength of Will’ in one language, and we added it in four other languages on my arm.” Even quotes from Winston Churchill’s “blood toil, tears and sweat” speech were included.
Talk about a surprise though. James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson. Outstanding. His put-upon antics are lovingly hilarious and his comedic timing flawless. Not known for action or adventure, McAvoy’s physicality is beyond impressive. This is the most well-rounded full-bodied performance of his career. Most notable, however, is his going toe-to-toe with Morgan Freeman. And what about Freeman? As Sloan, he oozes mysterious cool with a collected calm that belies Sloan’s true purpose and nature. And the quickness of a master magician, turns on a dime, and shows an entirely different persona. Magnificent to watch Freeman in action.
And ladies, look out for Thomas Kretschmann as Cross. Gorgeous, talented. As if your heart won’t already be racing from the film’s adrenalin rush, Kretschmann will definitely have yours beating faster. As Cross, he provides an authentic moral grounding or centering, along with veteran Terence Stamps’ Petwarsky, that is courageous and affirming.
Based on the graphic cult “comic book” novel and series created by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, screenwriters Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan do a more than acceptable adaptation, keeping dialogue to a minimum (boding well with the thematic secrecy of The Fraternity), punctuating drama and action with comedy impeccably executed and delivered by the actors and letting Bekmambetov run wild with his patented brand of other-wordly exhilaration. Importantly, the writers spent time delving into the backstory of The Fraternity and the character of Wesley providing depth and reason to the story.
A humble man, Bekmambetov describes the movie magic as “witchcraft.” “You never know how it works. How shots will look. There are a lot of pieces. They are all part of the puzzle.” Key to Timur’s success with this film is his work with Millar and Jones in bringing their comic book vision to the screen. He recently laughingly admitted, “I read the script and didn’t understand how to make this movie. Then I read the comic book. The humor is very British. Very funny.”
Technically, the film is a masterpiece. There is no filmmaker that can compare with Bekmambetov’s technique, style and executuion. Capitalizing on the principles started by the Wachowskis with “Matrix”, starting with “Nightwatch”, Bekmambetov amps up the energy, the thrills, the stunts, the CGI and with WANTED, is no-holds-barred, not a minute to catch your breath action. Mind-boggling. Mind-blowing. A hyperkinetic sensory feast. All of which is thanks in no small part to cinematographer Mitchell Amundsen whose own talents surpass anything he has previously achieved either as a camera operator (which aids with his keen eye for cinematography) or at the right of the likes of Michael Bay and films such as “Transformers”, “Armageddon” or “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Clean, razor-edged lensing is impeccably crisp and beauteous. According to Bekmambetov, the real witchcraft comes in editing. “In the editing room [is] where it all comes together.” Here, he’s got one of the best in David Brenner who together with Bekmambetov “puts all the different pieces together” creating masterful movie magic with rapid-fire pacing building to a heart-pounding frenzy. Oh yeah!!!
As is patented with Bekmambetov, the score is key to the theme and film and he went with one of the best in Danny Elfman who works his own magic with a score to rival the visual intensity and superiority of the on screen imagery.
WANTED. Trust me on this. You want to see WANTED.
Fox: Angelina Jolie Wesley Gibson: James McAvoy Sloan: Morgan Freeman
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Written by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan based on a story by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. Rated R. (110 min)
