'Wild Card' - for fans of neo-noir crime films (IANS Movie Review)

Feb 07,2015

Film: "Wild Card"; Director: Simon West; Cast: Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, Anne Heche, Sofia Vergara, Max Casella, Jason Alexander, Stanley Tucci and Hope Davis; Rating: **1/2

"Wild Card" is a typical Hollywood potboiler based on William Goldman's 1985 novel "Heat".

It is a mildly glamorous portrait of Nicholas Wild (Jason Statham), a fearless man with an irrational personality trait. He is also known as Nick.

A fisticuff expert, living in the underbelly of sin-city Las Vegas, Nick is a freelance security consultant. He is a sucker for sob stories and gets equally drawn to the gambling table.

His ultimate goal in life is to collect $500,000 and move away to Italy -- to be far away from the rut that he is living in.

The narration rolls off establishing Nick's personality and gradually focuses on how; his gambling habit and his soft heart get in the way of his goal.

It is when his former girlfriend Holly, after being raped and brutally abused, pleads to him -- "I want my revenge Nicky" -- that he goes into a guilt trip and agrees to identify the culprits.

On figuring out the brute as Danny DeMarco, the son of a powerful crime lord, Nick feels compelled to help Holly. He feels instigated when his well-wisher tells him to stay away from the perpetrators to save his own life. After all he loves challenges, the riskier the better.

After delivering justice to Holly, Nick comes across a fortune that could realise his dreams. But then his impulsive instinct grinds him back into the roller-coaster. He is then bailed out by his one-time client a computer geek Cyrus Kinnick who had approached him to be his bodyguard. But in reality, Cyrus needed Nick to help him, "kill the fear" in him.

While this narration sounds meaningful, director Simon West's film, based on Goldman's screenplay, is chaotic and disappointing. Its racy plot with formulaic crime thriller tropes that consists of; buzzing casinos, seedy crime lords, shady hotels and desperate hustlers is a jigsaw puzzle that settles after the prolonged first act that meanders between two action scenes.

Also, the characters are not well rounded especially Cyrus's. Though he is a loveable character, his presence is jarring and noncontextual.

The dialogues are crisp and packed with snappy retorts spoken in an unconventionally delightful manner that makes you chuckle. But those are few and far between.

On the performance front, Jason Statham as the swift Nick flexing his muscles with agility is convincing. He is ably supported by fine actors like; Michael Angarano as Cyrus Kinnick with his goofy demeanour and gait, Miloo Ventimiglia as the sleazy Danny DeMarco, Dominik Garcia-Lorido as the battered and the revenge seeking Holly and Stanley Tucci as Baby, the mafia boss in Las Vegas.

Visually, cinematographer Shelly Johnson captures the action and drama with fine precision and West has used some dynamic metaphors that standout, especially in the scene that inter cuts Holly's narration of the abuse she had to go through.

These frames are brilliantly layered by editors Padriac McKinley and Thomas J. Nordberg. Their fine razor-sharp edits are worth a mention. And this is further evident in the fine swift action sequences, choreographed by Cory Yuen.

Overall, "Wild Card" is bound to appeal to those who are fond of neo-noir crime films.

Tags:

'Wild Card' - for fans of neo-noir crime films (IANS Movie Review) Simon West in news news about Simon West

Swara Bhasker: 'You are our beloved dictator', Swara shares unseen pictures on daughter Rabia's birthday

Sep 23,2025

Actress Swara Bhaskar and Fahad Ahmed's daughter, Raabia Rama Ahmed, turned two today. The actress wrote a sweet note wishing her a happy birthday. She also shared unseen photos from her birthday celebration. This has been your year of walking and speaking. Swara Bhaskar shared

National Film Awards: This Indian star has won the most National Awards, beating Kangana and Big B.

Sep 23,2025

The National Film Awards are one of the highest-paid awards in Indian cinema. They are organized annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, to encourage Indian film artists. All preparations are underway for this year's 71st National Film Awards.On Augu

Dulquer Salmaan: Customs raid at Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salmaan's house, find out the whole story

Sep 23,2025

The Customs Department is conducting raids at several locations in Kerala, including the Kochi residences of actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. According to reports, these raids are related to vehicles imported from Bhutan. The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department has also arrived.Custom

Drishaym 3: Mohanlal prepares to deliver a triple dose of suspense, a major update on 'Drishyam 3'

Sep 23,2025

Fans are extremely enthusiastic about the films of Malayalam cinema's legendary actor Mohanlal. Mohanlal, who recently won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, is set to star in the third installment of the Drishyam franchise, where he is known for his pivotal role as George Kutty.He has now geare

Bigg Boss 19 Contestant: Bigg Boss's house will become an arena, and this international player will enter Salman Khan's show!

Aug 21,2025

The new season of Bigg Boss, one of the popular reality shows of the television industry, is going to start in just three days. There is a lot of excitement among the audience about the show. Meanwhile, the most talked about contestants coming in the show is. The curiosity of who will be a part o

Priyanka Chopra: Kareena, who was the enemy in 'Aitraaz', praised Priyanka, wrote- 'Made to rule the world'

Jul 18,2025

Priyanka Chopra is celebrating her 43rd birthday today, i.e. on 18th July. On this special occasion, the actress has been congratulated by her film 'Aitraaz' co-star Kareena Kapoor in a different style. Kareena shared an old picture of an award show on Instagram Stories and wrote that Priyanka w

Vidyut Jamwal: Vidyut Jamwal is ready for his Hollywood debut, will play a strong role in this film

Jul 15,2025

Actor Vidyut Jamwal, known for his action, is now going to make his entry in a Hollywood film. He has joined the star cast of the live-action film 'Street Fighter'. It is a film based on an iconic video game franchise.Vidyut's Hollywood entryAccording to a Deadline report, Vidyut will be seen i

Vijay Deverakonda: New update on Vijay Deverakonda's film, Kingdom's new release date will be announced today

Jul 07,2025

Vijay Deverakonda has joined hands with famous director Gautam Tinnanuri for the action drama film 'Kingdom'. There is a lot of excitement about the film since its announcement. The recently released teaser has further increased the expectations of the fans. The new release date of the f