When it
comes to the combination of action and substance, no one
rules the genre quite like Luc Besson. Since "La Femme
Nikita", Besson has been wowing audiences worldwide with
his ability to blend both heart-stopping action and tear
jerking drama. The highlight of his directing resume
would have to be "The Professional", starring Jean Reno
as an expert assassin who takes in a small girl, played
by Natalie Portman. Though Besson has not directed a
film since 1999's "Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc",
he has been very busy writing and producing for the big
screen. "Unleashed" is his latest cinematic achievement,
this time as writer and producer of the film. Not only
does "Unleashed" serve as Besson's return to form, but
also as one of most astounding achievements as a
filmmaker. Director Louis Leterrier deserves a majority
of the credit for assembling an incredible cast and
crew, but Besson receives more credit for actually
coming up with the story, a story so creative and so
emotionally stirring, that it probably became that much
easier for Leterrier to succeed in bringing the idea to
life. "Unleashed" is an action picked, heart stirring
drama, a true testament to movie magic, and one of the
most engaging cinematic experience of this, or any,
year.
We first meet Danny (Jet Li) working for the sinister
villain Bart, played with stark ferocity by the Oscar
worthy Bob Hoskins. Bart has had Danny since he was a
child and has turned him into a dog, working for his
amusement and turning all would-be foes into mince meat
with his martial arts and animalistic savagery. Danny
wears a collar around his neck. Once Bart removes this
collar and gives the order, Danny can destroy any number
of assailants at a moments notice. However, when an
accident leaves Danny to fend for himself, he finds his
way into the home of a blind piano tuner named Sam
(Morgan Freeman), and his stepdaughter Victoria (Kerry
Condon). Sam and Victoria take care of Danny, nurse him
back to health, and start showing him the world he has
been missing for years and years. Danny's appreciation
for the world begins as an appreciation for music. He
can remember certain songs and certain notes, but does
not know why. Sam and Victoria help him both rediscover
his past and make plans for his future. But, when Bart
comes calling for his dog, things turn ugly. The
remainder of the film revolves around Danny making the
decision between the life he had and the life he has,
and Bart's unwillingness to let his dog get away. This
drama leads up to one of the most incredible sequences
of action in motion picture history, leading to the
inevitable showdown between Danny and Bart.
There is almost a lyrical nature to this film. The
music, the cinematography, and the dialogue -- they all
seem like they are pieces of one big cinematic poem.
Take, for example, the role of music in the film. The
piano literally becomes one of the characters in the
film, and all of the characters (with the exception of
Bart) seem to have such an appreciation for it. Also
consider the way in which violence is used. For Bart,
having Danny do his dirty work is the equivalent of
making sweet music. Danny, in a sense, is Bart's piano,
and Bart can play him as loudly and as frequently as he
wants. But, as with any Jet Li film, the action
sequences steal the majority of the show. They are, in
one word -- 'amazing'. There is an especially jaw
dropping scene between Danny and an attacker in a small
urinal, maybe three feet wide. This sequence lasts for a
minute or so, and is one of the most spectacularly
choreographed fight sequences I have ever seen. And,
everything looks so real. When Jet Li gets hit, it looks
like he is getting hit, and that is something that most
action films fail to attempt to accomplish. Of course,
comparing "Unleashed" to a typical action film is like
comparing "Schindler's List" to a typical drama -- they
are not even in the same ballpark. "Unleashed" has a
power and a beauty that is absent from most action
pictures, and that comes from the performances, hands
down. They make the film.
As Danny, Jet Li delivers the performance of his quite
amazing career. He is soft, vulnerable, and innocent;
however, this innocence can quickly fade at the removal
of the collar. This difference is seen in his eyes. At
the beginning of the film, when his collar is removed,
he turns into something more than himself -- something
predatorial -- something vicious. We can see this
transformation on his face. As Sam, Morgan Freeman
brings a much needed levity to the film. He is the wise
veteran and he has the kind of voice that Sam needs.
And, with his recent Oscar win, Freeman shows that
choosing the perfect script does not always mean tossing
out the action flicks. The standout performance,
however, comes from Bob Hoskins as Bart. Here, Hoskins
gives us one of the greatest movie villains of recent
memory, and certainly one of the most memorable ever. He
is nothing short of electric, serving up venom and
hatred with every other word. Many reviewers have
compared this performance to Ben Kingsley in "Sexy
Beast", but I would take that much farther -- I will say
that Bob Hoskins in "Unleashed" is one of the top twenty
villains in the history of motion pictures. He manages
to tap into a side of human nature that was unknown to
many of us. When he screams "You're My Dog!" to Danny
over and over again, we totally believe him. By the end
of the film, we don't even see Bob Hoskins as Bart. He's
just Bart.
There is really nothing negative that I can say about
"Unleashed". I have tried and tried to think of
something, but cannot seem to do so. The performances
are stellar, the direction is phenomenal, and the
finished product is one of intense beauty. This is not
your typical action film. "Unleashed" opened to a mere
ten million, falling victim to a new comedy from Will
Ferrell and a Jane Fonda comeback vehicle. This is sad.
"Unleashed" is easily leaps and bounds better than
either of those two films, yet it will probably lag
behind the top ten for a couple weeks and then fall off
altogether and enjoy a mediocre DVD release. It will be
a few years from now when people finally start to
appreciate "Unleashed" for the gem that it is. The
Academy can change this. To not nominate Bob Hoskins for
his role in this film after nominating Ben Kingsley for
"Sexy Beast" would be a travesty. Hoskins achieves
something that Kingsley could have never even dreamt of
achieving -- something primitive and something more than
villainous. Think of Strothers Martin in "Cool Hand
Luke" or think of Bob Gunton in "The Shawshank
Redemption" -- those are the performances most similar
to Hoskins in this film. They border on something
more...something more than regular acting.
