RED

US, 2010, 115 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary- Louise Parker, Karl Urban, Richard Dreyfuss, James Remar, Ernest Borgnine, Julian Mc Mahon, Rebecca Pidgeon, Brian Cox.
Directed by Robert Schwentke.

A very entertaining show.

Red does not mean the colour but stands for Retired Extremely Dangerous and refers to CIA operatives (a euphemism for licensed assassins). While that might put off some prospective audiences, especially when they learn that this is a screen version of a graphic novel, this is conspiracy with a difference. The difference is humour.

The witty screenplay, acted to the hilt by quite a top-name cast, each playing to their eccentric strength, is continually a blend of the deadpan and the droll. Most of the time, the audience will be smiling, despite the action up there on the screen. There are all kinds of little bits of play that are also amusing but presented in almost throwaway fashion.

In fact, it seems that the humour makes the action, preposterous as it sometimes is (in the vein of Salt), more acceptable because we are not looking at it in any realistic way. The exaggeration is part of the joke. On the other hand, had it not been amusing, there is enough CIA conspiracy theory and slambang action to satisfy the thriller fan.

Someone is out to kill a list of people who were in Guatamala in 1981 and are potential witnesses to a massacre that could undermine the career of a public figure. Since Frank (Bruce Willis), who, lives a dull life in suburban Cleveland (nicely satirised), finds himself an immediate target, he goes on the run and on the hunt, dragging with him an unwilling (yet increasingly willing) Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), a pension clerk with whom he has a phone friendship. Willis is at his sly-smile best and Parker plays along with gusto. They seek out the old team, Morgan Freeman doing his dignified thing with tongue in cheek, John Malkovich, who often seems a bit odd, even a bit mad in some of his roles, but here he indulges these idiosyncracies in one of his most engaging performances. And then there is Helen Mirren (‘I kill people, dear’), having to give up her baking and flower arrangements, to get behind a machine gun once again, evening dress and all.

And there are more bonuses along the journey which seems to take them all over the eastern US (signalled on screen by postcards). Ernest Borgnine, looking fit, 92 at the time of filming, is the file keeper at Langley and Richard Dreyfuss enjoys himself as a crooked billionaire boasting insistently that the is the baddy. Karl Urban is the CIA pursuer and Rebecca Pidgeon his boss. And Julian McMahon? finally turns up as the Vice President.

It’s not great art, of course, and doesn’t intend to be. But, it hits the spot of what it set out to do: bring to exciting and humorous life a graphic novel - with all acting and action stops out.

1. An entertaining film? The blend of action and humour? From a graphic novel?

2. The transition from graphic novel to screen, the realism, beyond realism, audiences being able to accept the action because of the humour?

3. The range of locations, the postcards from all over America, the variety? The musical score?

4. The strong cast, their characteristics, playing type, or against type? Droll lines? Idiosyncratic behaviour? All working throughout the film?

5. The title, Retired Extremely Dangerous?

6. The initial quiet, the introduction to Frank, the quiet suburbs, the panning around the houses, the Christmas decorations? All normal? The issue of the cheques, the phone calls to Sarah, the chat, reading the trashy novels? The bond with Sarah?

7. The interruption in the night, Frank’s alert, the invasion of the soldiers, Frank getting the better of them, their collapse, his walking out, the tone – the transition from quiet suburbia and the amusing comments on that to the action-packed sequence?

8. Kansas City, Sarah and her boyfriend, the apartment, the date, her reaction to finding Frank in the house, screaming, her previously saying that she enjoyed the extreme action in the novels, her entering into this? Her being unwilling, taped, Frank taking her in the car to New Orleans?

9. The introduction to Joe, his age, memories, not wanting old age, his willingness to help, his memories of past action, Vietnam, Afghanistan? The assassin – and his later being seen to have turned the tables? His arriving suddenly to help Frank and the group? His disguise as the African arms dealer? His taking on Frank’s disguise – and his being shot?

10. Cooper, the CIA man, suave, dapper in his clothes and manner, cleaning up the house, talking on the phone about his children’s permissions? Hanging the man? The contrast with his behaviour and the conversation? Cynthia and her orders, his mission to pursue Frank, killing him? Picking up the New Orleans address from Sarah’s phone call? Her escape? Frank picking her up, the chase, Cooper watching, his frustration, Frank and his ability with cars and radio, their all converging on Cooper? Back in Langley, going to the archives, discussions with the keeper of the archives, the Guatemala file and his finding out the truth? The people on the list to die? The millionaire, his not being on the death list? The scenes at Langley?

11. The visit to Marvin, Sarah and her going with Frank? The bayous, the alligators, the old car, the house underground? The news about the LSD treatment and Marvin’s mad behaviour, phobias, the incident with the woman at the airport – and her later being a gunfighter? Marvin being insulted as referred to as old? His meeting with Frank – and the previous attempt to kill him? Memories of Victoria? Their going to visit Victoria, the team reassembling? Joe’s arrival? Their going to the cargo pilot, the explanations, his reaction, the helicopter and Marvin’s phobia, the pilot being killed? The decision to go to visit the millionaire? Going into the house, Frank and his interview with the millionaire, the escape – but Joe disguised as Frank and his being shot? Marvin and the episode in Washington, as the waiter, supplying the weaponry, the shootouts, the chases, his being able to kill the villain? The final jokey sequence with Marvin in female disguise?

12. Victoria, her past, her love for Igor and shooting him three times? Her past career, the transition to baking and flower arrangements – with contracts on the side? With guns, her ability with strategy? With Sarah and her watching the house with the machine gun? Wanting some time for girl talk? Going to Washington, the pass, glamour, the function, getting the gun? Her leaving, the machine gun, her being wounded, rescued by Igor, reappearing at the end for the confrontation?

13. Igor, Frank’s visit to him, memories of the past, drinking of the vodka, the toasts, Igor’s willingness to help? Helping them with the millionaire? The escape? In Washington, at the function, meeting Victoria, declaring his love, dancing with her at the function, the gas alarm, the shooting, his being in love with Victoria and rescuing her after she was wounded?

14. Cooper, his personality, working with his boss, his home background? Capturing Sarah? The interrogations, Frank and his phone call, bargaining for Sarah, the threats to Cooper’s family? Frank warning him about the truth about Guatemala and the role of the vice president?

15. The Guatemala situation, 1981, the deaths, the set-up, escapes,the journalist finding out about the massacre, the role of the vice president, her having the list, her being murdered, the visit to her mother, the information in the library, the list in the book? The visits to the cargo man, to the millionaire? The encounters with the millionaire, his enjoying presenting himself as the baddie, taunting Frank? The build-up to the vice president, his campaign for president, the function, the team disrupting it, the pursuit of the vice president, the millionaire and his confrontation, shooting him? Handcuffs for Frank, Cooper giving him the key, the final confrontation and shootout?

16. The film giving the strategies, the reputations of the team, the detailed escapades, in the millionaire’s house and the escape, the pursuit? The Washington DC episode, in the banquet room, the corridors, basement, in the carpark?

17. The importance of the droll comedy throughout the film, funny lines, expressions, situations, deadpan? It working well and giving a background to the action which, however impossible, became plausible because of the tone of the film?