Give 'em Hell, Malone

[ashrik]

Give 'em Hell Malone is an upcoming action/crime film directed by Russell Mulcahy, from such films as Highlander I and II, RE: Extinction, The Scorpion King 2, and a slew of other movies I was either too young to experience or otherwise never heard of. It stars Thomas Jane as the private dick Malone, opposite Ving Rhames as a man named Boulder trying to recover something from Malone. Elsa Pataky (Queen of Swords, Snakes on a Plane) plays the femme fatale somehow wrapped up in all of their business.

I can't help but love movies that ooze this type of noir style, since I don't see them very often from my shut-in mancave. An ultra-violent film noir featuring that punisher guy that people love for some reason. Has anyone heard more about this movie? There's very little information to go on besides the bare bones of the plot and the video clips.

Redband Trailers (sorta NWS):
Trailer
Teaser

[gryeyes]

How could the director of the first Highlander possibly be responsible for the second? A pox on him.

[schild]

I had a list of modern (post 1990) film noir movies here, but it was getting so long that I felt like I was beating you up. Let's just say this: It has not fallen off the map and I'd wager most film noir movies have more style than this one will.

It might still be worth watching, but there's no need to just make stuff up. I like the title of this movie.

[ashrik]

I probably just haven't seen them or heard of them. Not much of a movie buff, I guess, so I miss quite a bit. I'd take that list, though.

[HaemishM]

You want modern noir? Start with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and go from there.

This looks fun, though.

[schild]

You want modern noir? Start with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and go from there.

This looks fun, though.

More like LA Confidential, but I'd go further back to Batman Returns.

[ashrik]

You want modern noir? Start with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and go from there.

This looks fun, though.

I loved that movie. The only other I had seen semi-recently was Brick.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, LA Confidential was fantastic but I was thinking modern timelines not set in the typical noir period (30's to 50's). And of course there's always Chinatown and the Two Jakes.

[gryeyes]

I was always partial to Angel Heart. But there a wide spectrum of modern noir films,Reservoir Dogs,Dark City,Blade Runner,Sin City,Usual Suspects.

[stray]

Angel Heart, yeah. LA Confidential.. Kiss Kiss..

Big Lebowski is the most noir shit ever, but in an non-obvious way.

Don't really consider Usual Suspects one. No evil bitches in it.

[Bunk]

Has anyone else actually seen Scorpion King 2? That movie was on the level of Uwe Boll badness in direction.

[Murgos]

I was always partial to Angel Heart. But there a wide spectrum of modern noir films,Reservoir Dogs,Dark City,Blade Runner,Sin City,Usual Suspects.

No Country for Old Men comes to mind.  Actually, a lot of what the Coen bros do is Noir.

[Cadaverine]

Looks 

Any car buff types know what the old 40's car he was driving about midway through the trailer was?

[stray]

Looks like a 49/50 Merc.

[Johny Cee]

I was always partial to Angel Heart. But there a wide spectrum of modern noir films,Reservoir Dogs,Dark City,Blade Runner,Sin City,Usual Suspects.

No Country for Old Men comes to mind.  Actually, a lot of what the Coen bros do is Noir.

Hmm. 

I always considered noir as having a setting where the system/authority is at best corrupt and uncaring, and at worst actively malevolent, on top of the traditional hard-boiled vibe. 

If it's a Normal World, but with a hard-boiled detective, they're more of an Anti-hero.  In a noir setting, the sleazy hard-boiled protagonist is the flat-out hero... it's just that that setting sucks and he's the best you got.

LA Confidential has a pretty noir setting.  The "heros" are a self-serving publicity hound that isn't above petty corruption, a borderline sociopath who beats his girlfriend, and a jealous ladder climber who plays hard office politics.  The setting has the press and the police authority as the ultimate villains.

[Murgos]

I'm not sure that I want to argue what Noir is with you based on your weighting an attribute shared by some major characters in Noir movies higher than things like tone, atmosphere or use of color.

Anyway, I don't think you can say that the system was corrupt and uncaring in movies like, The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon.  Unaware maybe, but what authority that existed in those movies was attempting to be competent and concerned.  Also, Bogart's characters in both those movies is not an Anti-hero, he flat out fits the hero arch-type.  I'm pretty sure that even though the concept of Film Noir is rather nebulous everyone puts those two movies firmly into the, "HEY THIS IS NOIR" as well as "HARD-FUCKING-BOILED" buckets.

[stray]

Noir might be a meaningless term at this point. If you looked at the Wiki listing, it's like every damn movie, except "Herbie Goes Bananas" and "Tommy Boy" are noir.

I mostly just like a certain type of noir where it's about some sclub getting screwed over by a woman, I guess. Half of the time, there are no typical gritty characters (like cops or detectives), and styles vary. Sunset Blvd is noir about a screenwriter and his psychotic milfy benefactor; Double Indemnity an insurance man and a woman who wants her husband dead (sort of sets the standard for "troubled woman's cry for help noir".. See Postman Always Rings Twice, U-Turn as well.. ).. In the case of cynical cops or criminal characters who know better, the only difference is they walk into the mess almost consciously aware it's going to blow up in their face (they might even offer sly commentary on their impending death in their narration). [edit] Hmm, actually you could say the Sunset Blvd and Double Indemnity dudes were just as cynical... seeing as both movies start off as them lying dead, telling you why, and taking you into a flashback. Talk about cynical!