“There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes.” The world is first introduced to Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta bombing—his report making him a hero whose swift actions save countless lives. But within days, the law enforcement wannabe becomes the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified by press and public alike, his life ripped apart. Reaching out to independent, anti-establishment attorney Watson Bryant, Jewell staunchly professes his innocence. But Bryant finds he is out of his depth as he fights the combined powers of the FBI, GBI and APD to clear his client’s name while keeping Richard from trusting the very people trying to destroy him.

Clint Eastwood has been behind the camera now for more than five decades, and his skills as a director ceases to diminish. And now as only Eastwood can he turns his attention to the life of Richard Jewell, a security guard who was hailed as a hero in the aftermath of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing before being quickly vilified as the villain of the event. It’s a story that carries plenty of heavy-hitting drama and its ripe for Eastwood’s directorial eye and his focus on examining American values and society. With a documentary-like focus, along with his simple and to-the-point filmmaking style, Eastwood takes audiences back to 1996 and a brazen media circus that quickly envelops into flames and is ready to destroy an innocent man’s life. Richard Jewell is an important film that explores themes of duty, justice and the media and even though it’s a portrait of the past it’s entirely contemporary in its significance.

Standing front and centre as our protagonist is rising star Paul Walter Hauser and he gives an utterly magnificent portrayal as Richard Jewell. Richard can essentially be described as a simpleton. A slightly eager to please every man who has fantasist like ambitions of working in law enforcement and whose over-zealous enthusiasm for flaunting an authority he does not possess rubs people the wrong way. After initially being labelled a hero he soon finds himself in the crosshairs of a rabid media circus, undergoing a ‘trial by media’ and harassment by overzealous law enforcement. Hauser’s performance makes this film all the more moving as Jewell because he can’t see the facts and isn’t willing to accept that he’s a suspect. It’s painful to see him trying to ‘help out’ the FBI agents who are trying to convict him as he simply doesn’t understand the severity of the situation that he’s been placed in. Hauser’s performance is one that pulls at your soul and when he does eventually pull himself together and starts to fight for his innocence you’re just hoping that he finds a way to pull through and beat a system of seemingly insurmountable odds.

While Hauser is the central character of Richard Jewell, the heart of the film comes from the presence of Kathy Bates as Jewell’s mother Bobi Lee, and her’s is an especially heart-wrenching performance. Bates’ Bobi Lee is the good neighbour, a perfect picture of wholesome everyday American values who looks after her son and who has raised him with an adherence to a Norman Rockwell type of patriotism and responsibility. Celebrating her son’s heroic turn, she basks in the delight of the good he’s done….until it all turns sour and it’s then that she just can’t deal with it all. With his ‘trial by media’, Richard’s life is torn apart and in turn so is Bobi Lee’s. It’s Bobbi Lee who bears the brunt of the media’s full attack and Bates’ sincere performance and the pain and anguish at having to face down this baying beast gets into your heart and is sure to move you to tears.

Standing next to Hauser’s Jewell in his hour of need is Sam Rockwell as attorney Watson Bryant. And it’s a part and performance that clarifies why Rockwell is one of the most in-demand actors working today. As the irascible, mouthy, and in-your-face Watson, Rockwell jumps off the screen and is a scene-stealer in every single regard. His character is very much the objective centre of this film and as he tries to keep the baying dogs from Jewell’s doorstep, he also has to contend with a system that has blinded itself to the truth amidst an angry mob mentality. As Watson, Rockwell goes toe-to-toe with the other actors in his scenes in Richard Jewell and his hunt for the truth to clear Richard’s name gives this film its substance.

Stepping back from the director’s chair, Olivia Wilde makes a return in front of the camera with Richard Jewell as reporter Kathy Scruggs and she’s a straight-up bitch here. Wilde portrays Scruggs as an overly ambitious, fast-talking egotist who is willing to go to extreme lengths to get what she wants and has no qualms about using people to get there. While she’s the first one to break the Richard Jewell story and swiftly follows through to get more out of it, her hubris gets checked when she discovers that there is no way Jewell could have committed this crime, and she’s left reeling with the fact that she’s condemned an innocent man. Richard Jewell is a film that gives Wilde a challenge when it comes to performance and she rises to meet it.

Bringing the narrative of Richard Jewell together is Jon Hamm as FBI Agent Tom Shaw who feels the full brunt of the Atlanta bombing with it happening on his home turf, and because of this feels indebted to make sure he finds the perpetrator no matter the cost. As Shaw, Hamm takes the gloves off here and his turn as the pursuer crafts him into the role of the villain as he viciously hunts Jewell, even though he’s in all likely innocent. While Eastwood doesn’t out and out vilify Hamm’s Shaw, he does lay it on pretty thick here with Shaw as the idea of law and order left unchecked and which caught up in an unstoppable pressure cooker of hate and obsession, can’t see through to the truth. Hamm doesn’t disappoint in the role, and you can tell that working with Eastwood was a career highlight for the actor, and this most definitely influences the intensity of his performance.

With Richard Jewell Eastwood puts his homeland under a microscope as only he can and examines what happens when due process gets dropped in favour of mob madness. This film is an incredibly harsh critic to the media, and while a definite period piece, we all to often feel the repercussions of a 24-hour news cycle that increasingly favours sensation over the truth. Stylistically, Richard Jewell is a quintessential Eastwood film and is delivered in a similar style to his works like Gran Torino and The Mule, where he tells the story of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times. Richard Jewell is also extremely heavy on the emotion and when the credits do begin to roll there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Filmmakers don’t get more impressive than the likes of Clint Eastwood and Richard Jewell is another fine entry in his long list of credits. It’s a moving, evocative and extremely relevant film to our current time period and is a must-watch for true cinema aficionados.

Image: Roadshow Films

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Earl Stone (Eastwood), a man in his 80s who is broke, alone and facing foreclosure on his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he’s just signed on as a drug courier for the cartel. He does well – so well, in fact, that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl is assigned a handler. But he isn’t the only one keeping tabs on Earl; the mysterious new drug mule has also hit the radar of a hard-charging DEA agent (Bradley Cooper). And even as his money problems become a thing of the past, Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on him, and it’s uncertain if he’ll have time to right those wrongs before law enforcement, or the cartel’s enforcers, catch up to him.

When it comes to cinema there is no set formula for Eastwood and the director is absolutely fearless in his desire to tell any story that interests him. And that’s exactly where The Mule comes in. Based on a remarkable true-crime story of a ninety-year-old man who became a drug mule for the Sinola Cartel to fund his retirement, The Mule is a film that instantly grabs you with its concept and Eastwood really runs with it here.

As a character, Earl Stone is a whole new type of outlaw for Eastwood to play and he really leaves an impression on the audience. Fun loving, rambunctious and a total dude, Earl is a man who is the absolute life of the party, but whose life of constant running has cost him everything that matters in life. Out of desperation, he’s forced back into the run, with the rewards arriving fast and his gregarious personality winning over the hardened cartel soldiers he ends up working for. But while success comes easy in the drug game it’s then that Earl’s conscience really begins to weigh on him as his outlaw status rises and the balance between his good and bad actions begins to tear at his soul.

If I were to describe The Mule in any form I would definitely label it as a ‘sad country song’. While it’s a tale of a reluctant outlaw character who makes one last big gamble there’s a tremendous level of sadness to Earl’s plight and his desire to do the right thing before it all ends. As a portrait of a man who is on his last legs and running out of options, while maintaining a desperate desire to hold onto the past, the metaphorical symbolism of Earl’s life and contemporary American society is definitely not lost on the audience.

While I would class The Mule as a slow burn type of a movie its tension does wrap up quickly and then suddenly moves into breakneck speed as the narrative reaches a fever pitch. As a filmmaker, Eastwood is no stranger to building tension and he really keeps his audience on the edge of their seats as Earl’s easy-going nature begins to wear thin on a dangerously evolving cartel. As Earl’s runs ramp up the risks and rewards grow steeper and things get tense very quickly. Eastwood really pushes his narrative to the extreme and you really grip your seat as it reaches its tipping point and it becomes all too clear that no man can run forever.

As expected, a figure like Eastwood certainly draws a great supporting cast to his projects and here he re-teams with his American Sniper collaborator Bradley Cooper for a great on-screen game of cat and mouse. As hotshot DEA agent Colin Bates, Cooper is slick, smart and clever in his dealings with this dangerous world and he can almost sense at what is at play here. His interactions with Eastwood’s Earl have plenty of weight to them and there’s a deep sense of understanding that resonates between the two men. While Cooper is rapidly coming into his own as a filmmaker and could be considered to be the Eastwood-esque figure of his generation, his presence within The Mule leads to a great performance and helps to elevate the performance of Eastwood and the story that the great director is telling.

No outlaw can run forever and with The Mule Clint Eastwood delivers a moving portrait of one man’s final ride. With its remarkable narrative and a committed and introspective performance from a Hollywood legend, The Mule is a film that demands to be watched and it’ll absolutely hold your attention from beginning to end.

Image: Roadshow Films

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In a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Eastwood has become the go-to-guy for hard charging outlaws and so with the impending release of The Mule, on January 24, we are running down our list of five films you need to see before you watch it:

A Fistful Of Dollars – 1964

For the Eastwood legend this was where it all began as he rode in on a mule, dressed in his trademark poncho and cowboy hat, cigar gripped between his teeth, six shooter at his side, determined to raise hell. Directed by cinematic legend Sergio Leone, A Fistful of Dollars was the first part of the legendary Dollars Trilogy and introduced cinema audiences to Eastwood’s own take on the anti-hero character, and created with it a cinema icon. As the man of few words named Joe, Eastwood was quick on the draw and played off two warring gangs for his own profit. The Coffin Scene is still one of the coolest scenes ever filmed and if you want to know where it all began for Eastwood then A Fistful of Dollars needs to be on your list.

Dirty Harry – 1971

If you wanted justice then Detective Harry Callahan was the man to give it to you. He might have been wearing a badge, but this lawmen certainly didn’t play by the book as he tore across San Francisco in a desperate bid to stop a dangerous serial killer’s killing spree. Armed with his trademark .357 Magnum, Eastwood would deliver one of cinema’s greatest ever monologues in a tense standoff and which ended the film with a bang. He sure might have had his own way of doing things, but when things got bad and you needed someone to get the job done you could count on Dirty Harry.

Every Which Way but Loose – 1978

Eastwood has made a career playing dependable outlaws, and as his career continued he looked to shake things up and this led him to the delightful
Every Which Way but Loose. While the film might not have carried a heavy body count, it did show Eastwood as the ever dependable big rig trucker turned bare knuckle prize fighter Philo Beddoe who along with his pet orangutan Clyde was determined to stand-up for the little guy. Boasting a chiselled wiry physique and two personal hand cannons in the form of his fists, Eastwood took out a bunch of nefarious types with-in the ring while chasing love at the same time in his own distinctive outlaw style.

In the Line of Fire – 1993

As the decades wore on Eastwood certainly never stopped working and this hard-charging graft led him to take on the role of burned out Secret Service operative Frank Horrigan in this high-stakes adrenaline rush. In the Line of Fire was a different change of pace for Eastwood, but it certainly delivered on the thrills. Here the legendary actor played cat and mouse with a dangerous psycho (John Malkovich) and the ending definitely had me on edge. It’s a nail-biting watch from beginning to end and is a great example of Eastwood’s outlaw heroism come full circle.

Gran Torino – 2008

As the decades rolled forward Eastwood continued to act and direct, earning acclaim for both, and his 2008 feature Gran Torino was a very emotional watch. As the bigoted Korean War veteran and widower Walt Kowalski, Eastwood portrayed a grumpy old-man who the world had seemingly forgot until his new immigrant neighbours, who he initially despised, came to see him as a hero after he unintentionally saved one of their own. While Gran Torino is an incredibly sad watch, its moving narrative wraps you up in its heavy emotions and is once again another example of a master filmmaker at work, and Eastwood’s trademark outlaw cool was still present in every frame.

The Mule will be released in cinemas on January 24.

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In Sully Eastwood presents audiences with a beautifully crafted piece of cinema that follows an everyman who finds himself branded as a hero. Hanks masterfully portrays Sullenberger as a regular guy, but one who possesses great courage, conviction and a strong moral compass to do the right thing. While Sully definitely feels every ounce of pressure that is placed on him, he never waivers in his responsibility and duty to his job. Hanks’ calibre as a performer has never been questioned, and in the role of Sully, he really pulls off something amazing.

Paired with Hanks’ gripping performance as the heroic captain is Eastwood’s handling of the subject matter, which examines themes of procedure. While audiences do get to see the extraordinary crash landing that made Sully famous, the film extensively revolves around the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), to determine Sully’s competency. The standoff between Sully and Aaron Eckhardt’s First Officer Jeffrey Skiles with the NTSB creates some highly enjoyable drama, and its here that these two actors really shine. The crash itself is a pulse-pounding sequence, and Eastwood really takes audiences through the motions, keeping them at the edge of their seats.

Two of Hollywood’s best have again proved their considerable talent with this amazing tale of split second heroism, and Sully will no doubt be on Oscar voters mind’s next year.

Image: Roadshow Films

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On January 15, 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 lost both of its engines, and Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was forced to make a high-risk emergency landing that saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew, and was called as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’. This is the story of every moment that lead up to that climatic event, and the fallout that followed Sully as he was hailed as hero after the landing.

Eastwood’s decision to direct a film on the life of Sullenberger is interesting, and parallels the work he did in 2014’s American Sniper. Both film projects were designed to look at the inner workings of a modern heroic man, and the decisions and choices that made them who they were.

Eastwood’s pedigree and talent as a director always lands him the best talent in the business, and it doesn’t get any better than two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. Hanks’s Sully appears to wrestle with the fallout of instant heroism and the fame the followed, as well as having to fend off the accusations that he took unprecedented risks in landing the flight.

Sully will definitely be on the mind of the Academy during the lead up to Oscar season next year, and this thought-provoking film should strike a chord with audiences when it released on September 8 in New Zealand and Australia and on September 9 in the US and UK.

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U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend”. However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. Chris also faces a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq. But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller) and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

The Deadliest Sniper In US History

From the opening frame of American Sniper, Eastwood and Cooper set the stakes high, showcasing just how much of Kyle’s life comes down to a choice between life and death, and whether he will make the right decision. Using a very clear structure permeated by Kyle’s four tours of Iraq, Eastwood tells the story of a man who dreamed of being a warrior, and serving his country. For Kyle, this starts with his boyhood in Texas, before we flash to his rough and tumble cowboy days as a rodeo playboy, and his decision to join the SEALs and undertake the grueling harshness of training. When he’s finally deployed to Iraq, Chris quickly proves his skill as a protector.

While the film’s battle campaigns are epic, the strength of American Sniper comes from the way Eastwood handles the relationship between Kyle and his wife Taya, played by a very compelling Sienna Miller. While Kyle’s love and devotion to his wife and family is absolute, his duty to his country and fellow soldiers begins to trump this, and the tension between these two responsibilities is played out in full. We feel the absence of his home life, and the tension it creates is just as enthralling as his battle tours.

The Legend

While Eastwood may be directing the story of American Sniper, it’s star Bradley Cooper who truly brings the incredible character of Chris Kyle to life in the best performance of his career. Cooper’s work is nothing short of transformative, having completely turned himself into this hulking Navy warrior, complete with spot on Texas twang. From his battlefield demeanor as a silent warrior to his relationship that he shares with his wife, Cooper is simply superb. The most powerful scenes come when Chris is forced to weigh up the battlefield decisions he’s has made, and the lives he saved over the ones he couldn’t. It’s a difficult state of mind to access for any actor, but Cooper manages it beautifully.

Image source: Roadshow Films.

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A brand new behind the scenes featurette has just been released, highlighting Kyle’s incredible life story, and the tolls that he faced as both soldier, husband and father, and his journey to reconcile the two. As Clint Eastwood, the film’s directors says, “it’s about a man who is torn between two great responsibilities. His responsibility to his country, and his responsibility to his family.”

The featurette establishes the importance that Eastwood and Cooper placed on honoring Kyle in American Sniper, who was tragically murdered in 2013, for both his family, and his service to his country. His widow Taya Kyle, portrayed by Sienna Miller in the film, appeared to be blown away by Cooper’s performance and the dedication of the filmmakers. “It was like watching Chris in many, many ways. I walked away in awe.”

American Sniper looks to be an absolute cinema tour de force, honouring the complete portrait of a modern day hero as a soldier, brother, husband and father. This is a must-see on January 15.

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