Gerard Butler has starred in some of today's biggest action blockbusters, but can also muster up some decent romantic comedies, dramas, and even belt out a solid tune here and there. With the third film in his "Fallen" trilogy coming out called "Angel Has Fallen," I take a look at my five personal favorite Gerard Butler films.
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#5
Machine Gun Preacher
Based off the true story of Sam Childers, a former biker who finds God and heads to Africa to help repair homes ravaged by a civil war, "Machine Gun Preacher" finds Butler in his wheelhouse as a man who must resort to violence to save a group of children who were kidnapped by a rebel tribe as well as try to maintain the peace as he establishes an orphanage in the middle of a literal war zone. The action is explosive, but Butler also gives a solid dramatic performance as a man who sets out to care for the least fortunate of all, and balances violence with benevolence perfectly.
#4
Coriolanus
Based off William Shakespeare's tragedy, "Coriolanus" is a modern telling of a man betrayed by his country, forced to join forces with a former enemy, and find the vengeance he seeks. Ralph Fiennes stars as the titular character (and also serves as his directorial debut), while Gerard Butler stars as Coriolanus's enemy-turned-ally Tullus, and both men give terrific performances that include several lines taken straight from Shakespeare's classic tale. Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave and Jessica Chastain round out the stellar cast, and Butler again gives an admirable performance.
#3
Olympus Has Fallen
Not to be confused with the lesser-film "White House Down," "Olympus Has Fallen" was the other film released the same year that involves terrorists attacking the White House and taking the President hostage - but this one is way better. Butler stars as Mike Banning, a former presidential security officer who finds his way inside the White House and serves as the only means to keeping the President alive. The film is filled with nonstop action and adventure, and with the added benefit of a strong supporting cast including Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman, this is a must-see for any action fan.
#2
Law Abiding Citizen
After a law abiding citizen suffers the loss of his family at the hands of home invaders, Gerard Butler's Clyde Shelton doesn't find justice in the legal system, as the perpetrators were given a lenient plea deal by Jamie Foxx's prosecutor Nick Rice. Clyde goes on a vengeance warpath and focuses on the corrupt judicial system that let him down, and Butler blends action with gut-wrenching drama beautifully.
#1
300
Based off the graphic novel by Frank Miller as well as loosely based off the true story, "300" tells the story of Gerard Butler's Leonidas, a Spartan leader who takes a small army of three hundred to stand against the might of the Persian army who wishes to invade their land. Outnumbered, the three hundred stand their ground valiantly and the film was shot in a unique style that was revolutionary for its time, and still holds all these years later.
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder." When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go. I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen. Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President. Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a...
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a...
The Brutalist Starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn Directed by Brady Corbet When you hear a movie is well over three hours long, you think it's something that'll be difficult to sit through, because in today's world we're given our entertainment in thirty second segments from TikTok and YouTube, and consider sitting through a three-and-a-half hour epic as...well...brutal. One would wonder why a director wouldn't cut his film down to a more audience-approved length, and many would think that the director is pretentious in providing such an elongated cinematic film, thinking the director is too high on his own supply to cut even a second of a film he considers his masterpiece. While pretentious has a negative connotation to it, sometimes we need cinematic thinkers to be pretentious, to provide something they think is worthy of viewing in its lengthy entirety, to butt against the norms and go against the grain in order to provide something mon...
Comments
Post a Comment