Tag Archives: Rupert Evans

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Do not see “Tank 432” (2015)

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[WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A MINOR SPOILER FOR THE FILM.]  “Tank 432” (2015) is alternately boring and confusing.  To be fair, its surreal story aspects are necessary to the plot, but I don’t think that redeems the movie much.

Don’t let the poster’s image of the tank and the soldier fool you — there’s a little bit of action as the film opens, but most of the movie takes place inside the titular abandoned tank, which remains stationary throughout most of the story.  (The protagonists are trapped inside it by a jammed door. )  Thereafter, the unease and claustrophobia they feel are soon felt by the audience.  Maybe that suggests skilled film-making on a certain level, but it certainly doesn’t make for an entertaining viewing experience.

The film is quite slow.  Furthermore, writer-director Nick Gillespie appears to assemble the components of several mysteries as subplots, and then leaves those smaller mysteries with little in the way of an explanation.

I’d rate this movie a 1 out of 10, and that’s only because Rupert Evans is a very good actor.

 

 

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A few quick words on the Season 2 premiere of “The Man in the High Castle”

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“The Man in the High Castle” is still one of the best shows on television in recent years.  It’s ambitious as hell, and frightening in its story device.  It’s smartly, tightly and deliberately plotted, yet still moves at a nice, brisk pace.  We meet, for example, the titular “Man” right in the second season’s first episode; I don’t think that’s much of a spoiler, as it’s been shown in the season’s trailer.

I’d give it a 9 out of 10.  I won’t say much more than that, this is a mystery-thriller with plot points that are too easy to spoil, and I am still trying to persuade certain friends of mine to watch Season 1.  (Why isn’t this fantastic show more popular?)

I will say that maybe the show’s only failing is its scarcity of likable lead characters.  The duplicitous Joe (Luke Kleintank) is mostly flat.  Frank is inexplicably irritating to me, despite being portrayed by the talented Rupert Evans … though he does seem to shine as a mutual foil for the equally talented Brennan Crown’s callow art dealer, Robert.  And the Man in the High Castle is somewhat … disappointing, despite being portrayed by another wonderful actor.  I hope this character’s peculiarities are explained later.  (No. I haven’t read Philip K. Dick’s source material.)

Only Juliana (the terrific Alexa Davos) comes across as a heroine that I like and root for.  And her character too often feels like a damsel in distress — she’s frequently affected by the plot and the actions of others, and seldom vice versa.

Still, this show is superb.  Watch it.

 

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