Warning! Contains Spoilers
Most modern film promotion
approaches the intensity of water boarding. It’s nice to have a little change
every now and again. Take “3 Days to Kill”. A trailer appeared on screen many
months ago. “That looks ok” I said. Since then nothing. Suddenly a friend
reminds me that it is out. There are worse things to do on a Monday. Show time!
Ethen Renner (Kevin Costner) is a
badass old school CIA killer. He must wrestle with the need to stop terrorist acquiring
nuclear material while at the same time calling his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld)
to wish her a happy birthday. Thankfully
the later saves his life and allows him to complete the former. However, before
he can apprehend the baddy, our American hero is struck down and loses consciousness
due to an unforeseen force. Cancer. Brain cancer to be precise. He has three
months to live. Renner retires from his cloak and dagger life to try and
reconnect with his long lost family before THE END. His wife (Connie Nielsen)
is wary, his daughter is (of course) an angst teenager and squatters have moved
into his Parisian flat. In walks badass new school CIA killer Vivi (Amber
Heard). She has a possible cure and loads of cash if only Costner will go back
to his killing ways. Now Renner must balance hunting down his prey while trying
to mend his home life. This occurs with preposterous results.
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One man vs. two armoured cars
full of bad guys. Who wins? Did I mention the one guy was an American?
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Cards on the table – this was a
pleasant surprise. McG (I shit you not this is the director’s name) has managed
something with a story that shouldn’t really work. And I just know most people
will not agree. In cooking you have to always come back to flavour. When making
a film you must always come back to tone. No chef wants to actually mix cheese
and chocolate and no director wants to figuratively do the same. Some things
just don’t work so you leave them out or create a great big mess in the attempt.
“3 Days to Kill” tries to mix family drama, a slick spy thriller, gun waving
action, redemption for previous sins, vengeance and a bit of almost Marx
brothers style humour. All these elements are poured into the blender and the switch
is flipped. It’s at this point that I came under its magic spell. “3 Days to
Kill” is so smooth with its jarring elements (almost nonchalant) that it doesn’t
even try to make them work. The audience must simply accept the absurdity and
move on. It does this without being at all condescending. This movie must have
been created by mates sitting round a table, drinking a few beers.
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Vivi in full bitch
mode
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How absurd? At one point Costner
must drag a kidnapped banker back to his home to interrogate him. This is only
slightly inconvenienced by the West African family that now live in his flat,
forcing him to conduct his cross examination in the privacy of the bathroom. Moments
from unleashing precise violence upon the banker, he receives a call from his
daughter who is desperate for a spaghetti sauce recipe to impress her boyfriend.
One the one hand out hero must interrogate the bad guy but he is desperate to connect
with his daughter. By which point he realises that his soon to be victim is
Italian… It’s all as ridiculous as dark chocolate ravioli but oh how I chortled!
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Silly purple bike or
metaphor for a father’s attempt to connect with his daughter. You choose.
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Costner is usually garnished with
criticism for playing douchebags or stoic hero type douchebags. I must say it
is refreshing to see he can still pull of some slick action scenes. “3 Days to
Kill” has some of that gritty euro/spy thriller type action that manages to be
less dark than “Ronin” and less outlandish than any Bond. However, I have
credit for the family story arch. I found the whole thing rather down to earth.
The right mix of cliché and genuine exasperation that every household must deal
with. It’s all rather heart warningly late evening drama on the TV than action
movie sub plot. Amber Heard adds some spice to this mix. Her character is
introduced as an All American office clone (CIA officer worker that is) but
there must be something in the water on Virgin Atlantic flights because in
Paris she really blows the budget. Vivi comes across as a dominatrix spy
master. Her wardrobe and wig collection would put “The Matrix” to shame. Renner’s
meetings with her are so surreal that one wonders if they are a cancer hallucination
or if she is actually playing the Devil, come to tempt our home healing hero. Good
stuff.
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The Devil or rogue
agent?
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That’s about all there is to say
regarding “3 Days to Kill”. I found it charming but not self-indulgent. It
worked for me. I hope you like it too. Chew it over and see what you think.
I give “3 Days to Kill” a very
solid (and I’m sure controversial) four Brian faces out of five.
