This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend
Plot Overview
A white elephant is a lavish gift so
costly to maintain as to be undesirable. Crime boss Arnold Solomon
(Bruce Willis)'s trustworthy henchman Gabriel “Gabe”
Tancredi (Michael Rooker) is a friend as well as an employee, which
makes it hard to “retire” him early when he proves unreliable.
He'd been weeping over his wife's grave rather than accompanying his
apprentice Carlos Garcia (Vadhir Derbez) on a critical mob hit, as
a consequence of which there were two cop witnesses that have to be
eliminated as well.
WE
is like the story of Goldilocks and the three bears: one bed was too
soft, one was too hard, and the third one just right. Det. Lance Koschek is a 52-year-old
unmarried cop who doesn't bring his work home with him. He was a soft
target. Glen Follett Esq (John Malkovich)
is the slimy mob defense lawyer/ancient Greek scholar/accountant who
leaves town when he sees his “legitimate business” turning
into a mob war. Gabe and Carlos end up in a pistol duel (“like
a f@cking Western”) pitting experience against quick reflexes.
Ideology
The other cop witness Vanessa
Flynn (Olga Kurylenko) is an Afghanistan vet
not so easy to take down. Furthermore, she could be the poster
child for, (Eccl. 4:9-12) “Two
are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him
that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him
up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one
be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand
him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” She and
her partner Lance had a “good reward” on their stakeout
having each other to talk to, although to be sure one was into football
and the other a hockey fan. They could also admire each other's trophies:
Lance's a hunter's spoils on the wall and Vanessa's her souped-up
Mustang in the driveway.
They had each other's backs, though in Lance's case it was too little, too late. But Vanessa redeems herself when teamed with her next partner.
Dirty cop Walter Koschik died alone a cold John Doe not having his dirty cop partner Daley there with him. Vanessa slept alone on the run in cheap motels until she joined a new partner in his getaway car headed for his redoubt. The new partner was her adversary until in researching her he discovered she had something in common with his beloved deceased wife, then he was on her side.
Production Values
“White Elephant” (2022) was written and directed by Jesse V. Johnson, with additional dialogue by Erik Martinez and Katharine Lee McEwan. It stars Bruce Willis, Olga Kurylenko, and Vadhir Derbez. The acting was mostly adequate except for that of Marcus Lewis playing Big Mike the fight instructor/advisor. He could fight better than he could talk. He was probably miscast with dialogue not suited to his normal dialectic speech, and he was unable to ad lib.
WE is unrated. It contains mob/military crude language and gory/bloody fight scenes but is not sexualized. The cinematography, violence, and action was B-grade top notch for what it's worth. It has a runtime of 1½ hours.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
The action in WE is of a cop who is ex-military pitted against former military bad guys, both sides armed to the teeth and trained to the gills, and Vanessa having been a firearms instructor. The action is not the usual hail of fire mostly off-target but of well-disciplined military action with superior numbers pitted against a desperate good guy, all in an urban setting. That's the most this film has going for it, which is saying a lot if action is your bag. Enough said.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability for children: Not rated, they couldn't afford the process. Special effects: Well done special effects. Video Occasion: Better than watching TV. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Three stars out of five.
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