Triple 9 Review
RYAN: Triple 9 means something – it’s police code for something. I didn’t know what it was until this film and if you see it, you’ll understand too.It’s an intense, gritty, suspenseful movie that is this year’s first, proper, edge of your seat movie.
CHUCK: Absolutely. I squired and gasped and was on the edge.
RYAN: I grabbed your arm at one point I thought I might have hurt you, I was so shocked.
CHUCK: Yeah and I think I whacked you a couple times. This movie really keeps you glued to the screen, wanting to know what’s going to happen next. It moves forward well. I love the intensity.
RYAN: Never a dull moment – I never wanted to check the time at all. It’s a good story that develops in a way where you figure things out just when you’re supposed to. It’s not predictable, but it’s not too hard either.
CHUCK: There were a few moments I thought that scoring could have been used more.
RYAN: I liked the score that was there. It was almost like a thriller score, in an action drama.
CHUCK: I liked it too, just would have liked more of it in some scenes.
RYAN: I loved the editing and lighting; it was moody like a Martin Scorsese film. You can really see shades of his influence here.
CHUCK: Yes.
RYAN: It’s not Italian mobster in this story. It’s Russian Jewish mobster, that’s different.
CHUCK: That is different.
RYAN: The only criticism I have for this movie is, and I can’t believe I’m going to say it, because I love her… it’s Kate Winslet’s accent. She’s supposed to be doing a Russian accent and it comes and goes. She sounds very American and it’s strange because she’s British. And since she’s one of our greatest living talents, she should be expected to pull off any accent flawlessly. So they either didn’t have a dialect coach, or who knows what; but it’s the only real problem in the film.
CHUCK: Yeah it did come and go. I don’t know why they didn’t just let her sound American.
RYAN: Because she’s playing a Russian.
CHUCK: True. You really only heard it with her G’s. Her performance is great but the accent wasn’t.
RYAN: And her makeup and hair is insane-fantastic! They were also channeling Scorsese with her character. She looks very Sharon Stone in Casino in this movie. Or she looks like she belongs in a David O. Russell movie or something.
CHUCK: (laughs) It is fantastic. Chiwetel Ejiofor blew me away. So good! Unlike anything I’ve seen him do before. He was tough but sympathetic as a bad guy. Anthony Mackie – also ridiculous.
RYAN: And Casey Affleck with longish hair. Great talent across the board here.
CHUCK: Casey has become one of my favorite actors.
RYAN: He is very underrated – consistently good, and chooses interesting roles. The Finest Hours last month and now this.
CHUCK: The cast is good because the script is fantastic. I was unsure how all the threads would come together and it really pays off. You get this woven piece of brilliance – to use a metaphor.
RYAN: It is an ensemble. Woody Harrelson plays a glitter version of his Haymitch from Hunger Games, basically. And then Wonder Woman (aka Gal Gadot) plays Kate’s sis. It’s a cool, violent, film. Gritty is in.
