Cinema
The Killer
Fans of director David Fincher won't be disappointed with his latest movie, as the stylish and provocative auteur takes inspiration from a playfully dark graphic novel about a very ordinary assassin forced to defend himself by any means necessary when a hit goes wrong.
It's a simple set up, and Fincher uses the humdrum casualness of the assassin's approach to his work to set in place what transpires to become a meandering tale of bloody survival.
Michael Fassbender plays 'The Killer' with a cool and aloof charm. When we first meet him, he has set up his sniper's nest in a building across the street from a plush hotel, awaiting the arrival of his target.
But, not like your average screen sniper, the action here takes its time as our killer waits patiently in the darkness, listening to The Smiths and breaking up the boredom by exercising and procrastinating about his philosophy and approach to his work.
Needless to say, when the hit goes pear shaped, the killer soon becomes the target as a clean-up crew are dispatched and sent to eliminate him.
Ironically, David Fincher is a director who also likes to bide his time. He'll not be rushed into making a move unnecessarily, and you'll find that some of his best movies (Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network) take their time to fully blossom on screen. The Killer is the same deal, and will not be rushed.
If you've an appreciation for David Fincher's dark, alluring and seductive style, then The Killer is sure to appeal to you. Just don't go in expecting your normal all-guns-blazing shoot-'em-up – it's not that kind of gig!
Time Addicts
A grimy, gritty and devilishly dark comedy caper that mashes your typical heist movie with some mind-bending, time travelling sci-fi.
Time Addicts is a low budget thriller with a lot going on.
Hailing from Australia, this complex tale about two time-skipping junkies begins with a very simple premise as two down-at-heel friends, Denise and Johnny, find themselves in debt to a maniacal and unpredictable drug dealer.
In order to pay back their debt, the couple agree break into a grimy house on the outskirts of town to steal a stash of some very mysterious narcotics. But things get weird when the hapless Johnny decides to try out the new merchandise, and finds himself transported back in time.
Denise remains in the present, but is soon visited by her more cautious and wiser future self.
From there on in, director Sam Odlum weaves a baffling and complex tale that ducks and weaves its way through the fabric of space and time with the manic momentum of a desperate trolley dash through a damned and deplorable supermarket from hell.
You can't deny the originality of the script, and the proceedings will keep you guessing throughout. Give this one a go if you're in the mood for some suitably dark sci-fi with a dash of grit.
