THE BEEKEEPER
US, 2024, 105 minutes, Colour.
Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Bobby Naderi, Josh Hutcherson, Jeremy Irons, David Witts, Taylor James, Phylicia Rashad, Jemma Redgrave, Minnie Driver.
Directed by David Ayer.
Yes, action star, Jason Statham, shows a certain expertise in beekeeping at the beginning of this film. But, he is much more. In fact, bees and beekeeping becomes a dramatic metaphor, frequently spelt out and quite explicitly throughout the film, for a clandestine very secret ops squad. With Jason Statham is the star, with a background of 57 films over 25 years, still maintaining top billing, audiences will know what to expect in terms of action, violence, heroics.
But, many older audiences will immediately identify with the action. On the day of writing this review, the reviewer saw on page 1 of the Melbourne Age, a heading: Thousands Hit by Fraud Scam. With venerable American television icon, Phylicia Rashad, so well remembered from The Cosby Show, sitting at her computer, suddenly getting a message that she is being hacked, responding to a phone number on her screen and, audiences identifying with her, becoming more tense as we (and not she) see a large team of generally young hackers, smug, greedy, affluent, completely amoral, sweet-talking her, giving her instructions, yet mocking her when she is not listening, and emptying her personal and charities account.
But, on her property, is Adam Clay, a very earthy biblical name for the beekeeper, who is indebted to her for her kindness to him. Of course, we are hoping that he will unmask this fraud team, wreak revenge on them. In fact, pretty quickly into the film, he does that, not just personal confrontations but firebombing the whole high-rise tower where they work. We see he has old connections with the beekeeper network.
But, this is only the beginning. He is led into even more avenging, and the characters behind the fraud and scamming have significant American political connections. He is violent in his avenging, the kind of combination, so popular in American films (as with Clint Eastwood, for instance, in High Plains Drifter) of Jews will Angel/Avenging Devil. And his principle for action is to abide by the law. But, when the law fails, justice, including punishment of which is the arbiter, is required.
It is a surprise to find Jeremy Irons co-starring with Jason Statham. He is the former head of the CIA and involved in the finances of an IT company, the owner of the company, played by Jemma Redgrave, has become President of the United States. And the focus is on her 28-year-old son, Josh Hutcherson, smug and smarmy, ultra-narcissistic, no consideration for anyone (except, sometimes, his mother). He is behind the scamming. The audience will find him loathsome. So does the beekeeper…
The film has a strong supporting cast led by Emmy Raver-Lampman, FBI agent, Phylicia Rashad’s daughter. There is also Minnie Driver as a Langley chief.
One hopes it is all highly far-fetched! But, given the emotion of the initial scam and the audience identifying with the drive for justice, action director, David Ayer, carries us along. So that we don’t have time to think about why they have no time for sleep, no meal breaks, no toilet stops, and how on earth the beekeeper could organise all the equipment that he uses, for fires, for weapons, for a final escape, and it all happening within a couple of days. Sequel likely. Very much willing suspension of disbelief!
- The popularity of Jason Statham, as action hero, for more than 25 years? His screen persona, manner, appearance, age, British accent?
- The title, Adam Clay, seen as a beekeeper, the scenes with the bees and the hives? His devotion to Mrs Parker, her care for him? Her episode at the computer, the warning, the phone call, the hackers, smug, greedy, disregard for her, mocking her behind her back, the passwords, her emptying the accounts? Her dismay, the consequences, shooting herself?
- Clay, discovering the truth, his contacts, the information about the hacking company, his immediate action, within 24 hours, the gasoline, getting into the building, guards, his physical violence, going into the room for the hackers, confronting them, touches of violence, some escaping, the leader and Clay challenging him, pouring the gasoline, blowing up the building? Walking free?
- Agent Parker, her story, her brother, proving herself, FBI? Her mother’s death? Her suspicions of Clay, meeting him, the arrest, harsh, the interrogation, no gunpowder were? Letting him go? Her wanting justice, his wanting justice? Issues of the law, application, limits? Vigilante justice? Her options? Clay’s options?
- The pursuit of the case, Clay and is confronting with the leader, the car, his death in the river? Tracking down the other office, the smug group, the leader, confronting Clay? The same procedure, destruction?
- Derek, his age, narcissistic, his dissolute way of life, control, his relationship with his mother, West willed as his minder, his CIA background, personality, issues of money, political connections? His phoning the CIA leader, her willingness to help, learning the truth about the Beekeepers, backing out? His ability to hire thugs, the attack on the beekeeping, destruction of the bees in the hives, burning down Mrs Parker’s house, but the confrontation with Clay, his destroying them?
- The political issues, Derek and his mother, Pres of the US, his coming for the weekend, her devotion to him, spoiling him? The social, Clay and his infiltrating, preparation of weapons, for the getaway raft?
- Derek, presumptuous, the money, control, his contacts, the shock of the destruction, the thugs and their deaths, political protection?
- The buildup to the confrontation, Clay with West willed? Derek, with his mother, her learning the truth, her son financing her campaign, her decision to tell the truth, his reaction? Clay and the confrontation, Derek’s death?
- Agent Parker, the apartment, their interactions, the pursuits, getting information, the FBI meetings, the commission to pursue the issues? The FBI, the social, death? Agent Parker and the personal response to Clay, letting him go at the end?
- Clay, the final escape? The plausibility of the plot? Vigilante violence? Justice when the law cannot administer it?
