Andhra Pradesh

Stylised action flick

REVENGE DRAMA: A still from the film ‘Max Payne’.

Max Payne (English)

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Chris O’Donnell, Olga Kurylenko

Director: John Moore

The greatest excitement in ‘Max Payne’ is watching a searing hot Olga Kurylenko in a little red dress and thigh-high boots make the moves on a stony-faced Mark Wahlberg.

More on stony face later. Ms. Kurylenko, hot off her assignation with Mr. Daniel ‘James Bond’ Craig in ‘Quantum of Solace’ is stuck with another cold, revenge fixated man, Detective Max Payne.

Based on a video game of the same name, ‘Max Payne’ has a fascinating visual style.

Unfortunately, that is about all one can say about the film. It tells the story of an NYPD homicide detective, Payne, whose wife and child are murdered and he is never the same again.

Payne is transferred to the cold case unit and is walking the cold, icy streets of New York in search of his family’s killer.

The movie has loads of stylistically-choreographed violence, and as mentioned earlier a fascinating palette.

There is also some story about a defence cover up, the war on terror, shady pharmaceutical companies, drug abuse and the Valkyrie, but that is all just an excuse for slow-mo shoot outs, sultry babes, involved tattoos, hard rock and some interestingly trippy hallucinations.

Mark Wahlberg is a fascinating actor. Just see the way he has decided to hide his crackerjack performance as Dignam in ‘The Departed’ behind his stony face as Max Payne.

Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges is grave and gravelly as the detective Bravura, while Mila Kunis is suitably sexy as Mona Sax, Payne sidekick or is it adversary?

Max Payne for all its razor-sharp editing and stylised action is a plod through its 100-minute running time.

MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER

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