Saturday, November 7, 2015

Reasons to Watch The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (Movie)


I just finished watching The Man from U.N.C.L.E. for the second time. The first time, I walked out of the theater, turned to my sister and said, "That's one of the very rare movies where I wouldn't change anything. Except maybe the length of some scenes."
                Now, watching it a second time, the same thing holds true. I was almost afraid I wouldn't love it as much the second time around, but my worries were unfounded. The movie may not have smashed the box office apart (although, in my opinion, it should have), but it stole its way into my heart very quickly, and it appears it will remain there.
                Here are a few good reasons why you should watch it, if you haven't already:
• Ilya. I'll admit it - when I heard Armie Hammer was cast as Ilya, I had my doubts. I'd seen him in two movies - Mirror, Mirror and The Lone Ranger, and I wasn't impressed either time. However, when fellow Fangirl Initiative staff-writer Rica went and saw The Man from U.N.C.L.E., she immediately texted me and told me I needed to go see it because of Ilya. Imagine my surprise to find that Armie Hammer could not only act, but he could really, really well. Ilya's character is a fun one - he's definitely a mixed package, combining danger (after all, he's a KGB assassin who suffers psychotic episodes) with endearing adorableness (he has killer puppy-dog eyes). He's one of my favorite characters to grace the cinematic screen in 2015 - impossible not to love.
• Solo. Solo's timing is flawless in every sense. The way he delivers his lines, his comedic timing, his mannerisms - everything he does, he does to utter perfection. He's unique and quirky while still being a cool, classic character who hails back to the days of black-and-white TV, and he provides the perfect counterbalance to Ilya's more serious nature.
• Gabby. I'm usually wary of female leads in movies - either they're useless and wishy-washy, or they're obnoxiously in-your-face. Gabby is a great character and one I'm actually quite fond of - not only is she cute and spunky, but she's clever, sassy, and incorrigible. Not to mention she has perfect hair and makeup all the freaking time.
• The music. The soundtrack for this movie is absolute perfection, trust me. If you don't believe me, look it up and give it a listen.
• The cinematography. The movie is beautifully filmed with a classic style that frequently looks like it's straight out of a music video. The angles, the filtering, and the lighting are beautiful - good enough that it actually stands out to me, which most cinematography does not.
• Last, but certainly not least [actually, it might be the most important] - the bromance. Ilya and Solo have the best bromance of the year, and we get to watch it develop beautifully on-screen. Honestly, good bromances are hard to come by - either they're rife with queerbaiting (looking at you, Moffat) or they tend to revolve around locker-room talk and sex jokes (looking at you, everything else ever). This bromance is wonderful, revolving around their opposing personalities and the way their animosity grows to friendship. Also, they argue over fashion, which is a beautiful thing.

Have you seen the movie - and if not, have I perhaps persuaded you to give it a try? If you have seen it, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!

0 comments:

Post a Comment