Duchino

As I laid eyes on this new release and saw Cage and Defoe, I immediately checked out the synopsis; 5 minutes later I was watching it and soon chuckling. The funky characters, trippy edits and that classic lowlife-lane vibe kept me entertained throughout – you know that one of their hits and heists is not gonna go down well, but you wanna see how it pans out for these three strange but dangerous goofs. Cage is Hollywood's biggest laughing stock, but undeservedly so; he does pop in all sorts of mediocre movies, from low- to big budget ones, but he does project a persona and at times cracks out prime performances in great tales: see "Joe" (2013), for example. Defoe has his usual solid charisma, jacked up for a wild "Mad Dog" character. 3rd guy is good too. They're all interesting and funny. This is something Tarantino used to know how to do – or could have done – if he weren't preoccupied in stylistically redundant pantomimes.

I picked this one to watch because I like a lot of snow and snowbound adventures/misadventures; while not being wildly original and despite that gorgeous Lefevre being shown too little, it does feature Kinnaman's acting chops in quite a genuine portrayal. Having seen him in other stuff here and there, I was impressed. The story could be run on Lifetime's night lineup, but it's not reducible to that – the series of worsening events snowball inexorably without steering too hard toward this or that direction, holding on to a steady thread of realism. It's something to check out for a late chill-out, especially if curious about Kinnaman's role and work.

My dear friend Ilario, a cultured movie buff, had warmly suggested this film these past days, among the many he mentions and those we get to talk about, and I could perceive that he had figured how this "Land of Mine" would strike many chords with me. And it did; I watched it in original German/Danish with English subs (shaky at times, but OK), and the immersion was immediate from the impactful start. I'm sensitive to war scenarios and characters – especially lesser told ones – as this story tactfully paints a very sad, cruel and almost hopeless reality. The Sergeant is a great figure, the kids are true to life, the skies and beaches cold and lonely too. And full of death. "Under Sandet", instead, is full of cinematographic art.