By Rama Gaind
It is not often that expectations are handsomely rewarded. Such was the case with with the film ‘Red’.
Acronym for Retired and Extremely Dangerous, ‘Red’ gives us a perfect blend of comedy and action.
Jam-packed with older actors led by Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren, this is one film that makes for an entertaining diversion.
Frank Moses (Willis) is a retired CIA operative who is so bored that he strikes up a relationship with Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker), who answers the phone at the pension office.
An assassination target, Frank undertakes what amounts to a cross-country road trip when he picks up Sarah and reassembles his old team that includes Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Mirren).
As they try to discover who wants them dead and why, the tangled web of lies and misinformation slowly unravels, all the while doing battle with Agent Cooper (Karl Urban).
Director Robert Schwentke rightly doesn’t interfere much, leaving the ensemble to do their best – and that is the key to its success.
There was no shortage of fist fights, explosions and gun fire (never seen Mirren using such big guns before), but simultaneously the film manages to maintain the comedic timing.
Do also keep a look-out for performances by Richard Dreyfuss, Julian McMahon and 93-year-old Ernest Borgnine.
A must-see film that will surprise from start to finish.
