By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
‘Harry Brown’
Directed by Daniel Barber
Rated R, 103 minutes
In Roger Ebert’s review of this summer’s “Inception,” he stated, “These days Michael Caine need only appear on a screen, and we assume he’s wiser than any of the other characters. It’s a gift.” I totally agree, and he shows those skills once again in “Harry Brown.” Caine shines as a retired marine who spends his days at the bedside of his ailing wife (Liz Daniels) or playing chess with his oldest pal, Leonard (David Bradley). But his neighborhood has become a breeding ground for violence, and after he is unable to see his wife before she dies (the gangs have taken over the tunnel leading to the hospital) and Leonard is beat to death, Harry realizes enough is enough. He goes on a revenge rampage like no other. Although Caine is pushing 80, he is still believable as one tough SOB, and “Harry Brown” continues to prove why he is one of the best actors working today. CV
‘Get Carter’
Directed by Mike Hodges
1971, Rated R, 112 minutes
Although “Harry Brown” might be Michael Caine’s final tough guy role, “Get Carter” is the one that started it all. Considered one of the top gangster movies of all time, “Get Carter” is Caine at his best — a formidable, tough and methodical gangster named Jack Carter, who is searching for the truth behind his brother’s untimely death. Sylvester Stallone remade the film in 2000 (with a cameo by Caine as a bar owner), but it was nothing compared to the grimy vibe of this classic. Carter suspects that his brother’s death was not an accident and begins putting the squeeze on everyone involved in the criminal underground. Along the way, he also discovers his niece was forced to participate in a porno, which only fuels his revenge fire. During his numerous interrogations, Carter is a machine, dishing out violent punishment and death whenever he sees fit. “Get Carter” is brutal and unrelenting — but payback always is. CV
