Hammerle on… “Uncharted,” “The Outfit” and reliving the Oscars

“Uncharted”

To begin with, “Uncharted” tells the story of two clever rogues, played by Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, who join forces to try and find buried treasure left behind by Ferdinand Magellan. Sailing from Spain five centuries ago, Magellan died in the Philippines while one of his ships became the first sailors to circle the globe.

Both Holland and Wahlberg give clever performances as they try to complete a mission while fighting their dislike of each other. Opposed by a Spanish mafia-type organization led by Antonio Banderas, they travel from Europe to the South Pacific in search of a pot of gold.

Thank the cinematic gods that the screenplay saves this film from the trash can. More to the point, its special effects are ridiculous beyond words. You will be left shaking your heads as you watch the leading characters fall from planes and engage in lengthy fights while no one suffers the slightest bruise.

Nonetheless, despite these annoying weaknesses, Sophia Ali and Tati Gabrielle give memorable performances as two nasty villainesses who take a licking and keep on kicking. I can’t help but firmly believe these two women are the principal reason this film is a gigantic box office success.

“The Outfit”

The entire film takes place in a shop run by Leonard, a tailor in Chicago in 1956. It is a post-Al Capone gangster film where everyone dances on the edge of being shot.

Mark Rylance gives a dazzling, low-volume performance as Leonard. He makes suits for his customers, who are mob hitmen. His only employee, Mabel, played memorably by Zoey Deutch, has her own private agenda. Keep an eye on her.

Trouble unfolds one day when two mobsters (Dylan O’Brien and Johnny Flynn) confront Leonard. One is shot and the other has a disk he needs to decode to identify a “rat” that has reported them to the FBI. Mayhem ensues.

There are no good guys in this film. There are no friends, and Leonard is left navigating with his life on the line at every turn.

What makes this movie so fascinating is that the plot unfolds with you seldom knowing what will happen next. For example, is Leonard just a harmless, slow-moving guy, or the smartest SOB in the room?

Written by the Academy Award-winning writer of “The Imitation Game,” Graham Moore, just grab a seat and expect the unexpected.

Reliving the Oscars

First and foremost, revisit my review of “CODA” that I wrote last August. While I named it the best film of 2021 to that point, my view never changed given my prediction that it would win the best picture Oscar.

In addition, this marvelous film was the only thing that saved the Oscars given Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock. Smith demonstrated that he is a contemptable SOB, and it was a pity he wasn’t arrested. Regardless, he should have been removed from the theater while someone else was forced to accept his best actor Oscar.

But Smith’s condemnable assault reflected a problem in our country. Each day begins with news of who was shot in our state the previous night. Our Legislature responds by passing gun legislation that allows most Hoosiers to “pack heat” at their discretion. I feel like I’m living in a remake of “Gunsmoke.”

Then we have parents yelling at school board members who just want their kids to learn a little history. Our Legislature’s response is to minimize learning about slaves and its consequences today on Black citizens. Their motto seems to be changing the slogan “forgive and forget” to simply “forget.”

And let me close with what we all experience on our city streets as we drive our cars. Speed limits mean nothing as you try to avoid thoughtless idiots who rush in and out of lanes. Why are these drivers in such a hurry to get to the next red light? Is it any wonder we have daily accidents?

But “CODA” is an inspiration that allows all of us to briefly tolerate life’s growing absurdities. See it again for your peace of mind.•

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Robert Hammerle practices criminal law in Indianapolis. When he is not in the courtroom of the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.