Small Bites: Hanna, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Stake Land

Hanna

Unique take on the coming of age tale. Not quite the action film I was expecting, but I enjoyed it for the most part. The action sequences work well and the set design in the last act is fantastic. There is something a little off about the pacing that irked me. However, I doubt it will be noticeable upon repeat viewings. For her part, Saoirse Ronan does a nice job blending both Hanna’s naivety and her killer instinct. Cate Blanchett is the weak link in the film. She just never reaches the level of her counterparts. Tom Hollander routinely steals Blanchett thunder with his chilling performance as the sadistic Issac.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Just as I was starting to lose faith in Matthew McConaughey’s career choices, he turns it around and reminds me that there may be some magic left. McCounaughey brings his trademark charm to the role of shady lawyer Micky Haller. The film is very reminiscent of Primal Fear though Ryan Phillippe is not as memorable as Edward Norton was in that film. The one major issue I had with the film is that it has multiple endings. The conversation with the mother and the scenes outside Maggie’s (Marisa Tomei) house are completely unnecessary. Last act aside, The Lincoln Lawyer ended up being better than I expected. I would have no problem seeing Mickey Haller in another film.

Stake Land

Although I like to think of this film as its own entity, if pressed I would say it has a Zombieland meets 28 Days Later vibe. The major difference being that this film takes a far more realistic approach to the post-apocalyptic genre. Similar to the zombies in 28 Days, the vampires are the least of mankind’s worries. The real terror in the film comes from the religious zealots whose skewed view causes more damage than anything the vampires can dish out. Director Jim Mickle’s script really shapes the film into a character study about mankind rather than a straight vampire flick. Beside the solid story, it was nice to see both Kelly McGillis and Sean Nelson back on the big screen in prominent roles.