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Watched HOMEFRONT (2013), a Jason Statham flick undergoing a bit of resurgence on Netflix. Directed by Gary Fleder, screenplay by Sylvester Stallone, great supporting cast (James Franco! Winona Ryder! Frank Grillo! Clancy Brown!). Solid action, *really* interesting script.
People forget that Stallone is an Oscar-winning screenwriter, and HOMEFRONT isn’t Oscar-worthy but it’s got some really clever, not obvious choices in the plotting that keep it nicely grounded.
Gonna go through some of them:
Gonna go through some of them:
Jason Statham is introduced in an action cold open wherein he, undercover DEA, busts up an outlaw motorcycle gang. The gang leader’s son is killed in the arrest. The gang leader blames Statham.
You expect the movie to be about him trying to find Statham? It is not.
You expect the movie to be about him trying to find Statham? It is not.
The movie jumps forward a couple of years. Statham is no longer DEA. He lives in a quiet rural town with his daughter, his wife having passed the previous year.
Nota bene: when a producer reads the words “quiet rural town,” he sees the words “tax incentives.”
Nota bene: when a producer reads the words “quiet rural town,” he sees the words “tax incentives.”
Statham’s daughter has some trouble on the playground with another kid. She takes the bully down, bc *raised by Jason Statham.*
The bully’s mom (Kate Bosworth!), an insecure woman with a meth problem, goads her husband into trying to punch Statham, who easily takes *him* down.
The bully’s mom (Kate Bosworth!), an insecure woman with a meth problem, goads her husband into trying to punch Statham, who easily takes *him* down.
Now the bully’s mom is *really* upset. Freakin’ borderers; whatcha gonna do? So she wants to escalate, bringing in her more competent brother (James Franco!), who gets some guys to jump Statham. This goes as well as you would expect, but Statham is still looking to calm the beef.
At this point, things get interesting. Because Statham *does* quash the beef.
He starts with the dad, who never really wanted the beef in the first place. Statham is willing to offer concessions, and the dad suggests some, and is happy to get them.
He starts with the dad, who never really wanted the beef in the first place. Statham is willing to offer concessions, and the dad suggests some, and is happy to get them.
Statham and his daughter make nice with the bully, inviting him to the daughter’s birthday party. He even offers to replace the kid’s bloodied shirt, mollifying the (somewhat discomfited) mom.
Notice: we have had some action, but this is all low-stakes. Comedy of manners, even.
Notice: we have had some action, but this is all low-stakes. Comedy of manners, even.
But here’s the thing: it is interesting! Because a social situation is evolving, and Statham is trying to solve a problem outside of his wheelhouse.
The toughest guy in the room has to figure out how to *not* be tough!
The toughest guy in the room has to figure out how to *not* be tough!
But here’s the problem: *James Franco is competent,* and his sister is not, and she has charged Franco with fucking up Statham’s life, and *she has not told Franco that she has now changed her mind.*
This is a complication — not just for Franco and Statham, but for her!
This is a complication — not just for Franco and Statham, but for her!
So Franco continues his quest: he breaks into Statham’s house. Steals his daughter’s toy. Steals his daughter’s cat (the cat survives the film). Steals some old DEA files.
Learns who Statham is, who he was... and who one of his enemies is.
Learns who Statham is, who he was... and who one of his enemies is.
Yeah: the motorcycle gang leader isn’t looking for Statham — he is *sold* Statham by Franco, who is looking to solve his sister’s problem.
The actual sale is delegated to Winona Ryder (!), who sells psycho biker Frank Grillo on the deal on the leader’s behalf.
The actual sale is delegated to Winona Ryder (!), who sells psycho biker Frank Grillo on the deal on the leader’s behalf.
So all of this is tense and interesting, it is an escalating situation...
...and almost all of it is just people talking to each other! A big action scene at the beginning, and after that so far just couple of small fights so far. It is cheap as chips to shoot!
...and almost all of it is just people talking to each other! A big action scene at the beginning, and after that so far just couple of small fights so far. It is cheap as chips to shoot!
So psycho motorcycle gang lieutenant Frank Grillo, acting on behalf of the incarcerated leader who hates Statham, comes to town with a bunch of killers.
To do a murder that the person who commissioned it doesn’t want... but Franco does, to get the gang to distribute his meth.
To do a murder that the person who commissioned it doesn’t want... but Franco does, to get the gang to distribute his meth.
The killers raid Statham’s house, taking Franco’s flunky Winona Ryder along... and by the time the action is done:
* the bikers are dead
* ineffectual Winona Ryder has shanghaied Statham’s daughter to Franco’s place
* Statham, who knew Franco is behind the break-in, is in pursuit
* the bikers are dead
* ineffectual Winona Ryder has shanghaied Statham’s daughter to Franco’s place
* Statham, who knew Franco is behind the break-in, is in pursuit
So I want to point something out that is interesting:
*James Franco is not the most dangerous bad guy in this movie.*
That is Frank Grillo. And Frank Grillo is now dead.
When Winona Ryder shows up with Statham’s daughter, Franco freaks out! He does not want this!
*James Franco is not the most dangerous bad guy in this movie.*
That is Frank Grillo. And Frank Grillo is now dead.
When Winona Ryder shows up with Statham’s daughter, Franco freaks out! He does not want this!
Repeat: *this movie is heading into the climax with the most dangerous bad guy already dead and the biggest bad guy standing wanting no part of any of this.*
This is a COMPLETE INVERSION of the usual stake-raising in action movies!
This is a COMPLETE INVERSION of the usual stake-raising in action movies!
Now, bear in mind: Jason Statham does not know any of this.
From Jason Statham’s perspective, James Franco is logically The Bad Guy. Statham knew about Franco first. Franco brought in the other guys. Therefore, this is all Franco’s plan.
From Jason Statham’s perspective, James Franco is logically The Bad Guy. Statham knew about Franco first. Franco brought in the other guys. Therefore, this is all Franco’s plan.
From Franco’s and the audience’s perspective, Franco was just trying to solve a family problem and saw a way to do so that would create a business opportunity.
James Franco really doesn’t care about Jason Statham himself at all.
James Franco really doesn’t care about Jason Statham himself at all.
Jason Statham doesn’t know any of that, and he doesn’t know that Franco’s plan, such as it was, is already over. But the audience knows: he’s not racing to foil Franco, bc Franco is foiled.
And it doesn’t matter. The ending works even as the stakes are *falling.*
And it doesn’t matter. The ending works even as the stakes are *falling.*
I don’t think I’ve seen an action movie make an offbeat choice in handling its villains like that since maybe BILLY JACK.
Really solid little flick; lots of interesting writing choices. Check it out.
Really solid little flick; lots of interesting writing choices. Check it out.
