Talk about the plot of a movie being stolen from another film. And the film in question just happens to be a classic! That about sums up the latest offering from Netflix. You see the storyline of Mindcage seems to be not so vaguely reminiscent of an Oscar-laden thriller that took the world by storm some 20 years ago. My oh my has that thriller stood the test of time.
With Mindcage you can switch the FBI for a big city police department and you have a near carbon copy of the Sir Anthony Hopkins thriller Silence of the Lambs. Like its more famous counterpart this film features a pair of detectives out to solve some dastardly crimes. Funnyman Martin Lawrence takes a turn for dramatic as the senior officer with a young woman playing his partner.
Since these detectives don’t have a clue as to the killer(s) and the body count continues to rise they seek out the help of a serial killer safely behind bars. Where have we seen that idea before?
Always reliable John Malkovich (In The Line of Fire) sleepwalks his way through the role of the wacko psychopath who apparently someone is imitating.
Mindcage has a few small twists but on the whole there’s a reason it never got a significant theatrical release. Some wooden acting and a lack of real substantial thrills explains why it’s on a streaming service that needs to continue increasing its content quotient to say alive.
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Justice (PG)****
Running Time: 1h 55m
Time’s Up!
By Robert Waldman
Good movies can be made everywhere. Hollywood no longer has a monopoly on audiences as it once had. Netflix shows the way to success with Justice. From Poland with love comes this well-acted head-turner that American studio heads can certainly learn a lot from.
Thought to be inspired by true events settle into a crackerjack of a movie. When some bank employees at a prominent bank in Poland are methodically killed during a robbery it sends shock waves through the country. With Poland’s top police officials and the nations top level security apparatus charged with apprehending the robbers/killers all does not seeming to be going well. When in doubt go deep. And in this case an old washed-up (?) investigator is called back into active duty. It pays to have friends in high places. Or does it?
Man of the hour Olaf Lubaszenko is terrific as the old veteran cop whose methods may not be pretty but his results are. Teamed with a younger woman officer the pair navigate through a minefield of corruption and evil as they search for a killer or two. Or three.
Effective pacing and a tight taut tempo give Justice a very appealing if not thrilling atmosphere. All the characters here are interesting and the action though muted is highly engaging. Top performances and zestful directing from Michal Gazda make Justice a thrilling tale of crime and deceit. Highly enjoyable.
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