Kiele Sanchez

Posts Tagged ‘Steve Zahn’

A Perfect Getaway, Kiele Sanchez – Download on iTunes

Kiele Sanchez

A Perfect Getaway on iTunes

Download on iTunes

6 strangers. 2 killers. No getting away… Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez star in this shocking Unrated version of the gripping suspense thriller from director David Twohy about an island vacation that turns deadly. Honeymooners Cliff (Zahn) and Cydney (Jovovich) are hiking a jungle trail to a remote Hawaiian beach when they hear that police have uncovered a grisly murder scene and the suspected killers are somewhere nearby. Unsure whether to stay or flee, the pair joins two other couples when things start to go horribly wrong. Far from civilization, a brutal battle for survival begins where danger lurks along every twist of the path and no one is who they seem.

© 2009 Rogue Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

A Perfect Getaway

Starring – Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Ruivivar, Dale Dickey, Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, Wendy Braun

Written and Directed by – David Twohy

A newlywed couple on their honeymoon in Hawaii run into two other couples after hearing that a psychopathic couple are killing tourists.

Going into this one I wasn’t expecting much. In fact, if Milla Jovovich hadn’t been in this one I probably never would have watched it but I’m really glad I did. I really enjoyed this one. It’s pretty run of the mill in the grand scheme of things and there’s a twist that should have been quite obvious to me, but it still managed to have me on the edge of my seat.

To raise this flick above the usual thriller standards are the performances of Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich. Olyphant plays this funny yet creepy guy who may or may not be half of the killer couple. His stories of being in Iraq and how he’s survived countless disasters can be pretty hilarious, and after each story his girlfriend has to chime in with ‘He’s just so hard to kill.’ which plays into suggestions of them being the killers. The problem is there’s another couple on the island who seem to be just the right types for psychopathic killers. Who could it be?

I’m pretty sure that anyone even remotely paying attention will see the twist coming. I’ve said numerous times before that these things are always way over my head and I like to think that it helps me to enjoy movies a bit more. This is going to be the downfall of the movie in most peoples eyes because it will take away from the impact of the film. Even with a twist you might already know, Timothy Olyphant’s performance should be enough to entertain you.

I’d like to go more into the movie but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. There must be somebody out there like me, whose brain shuts off when they watch flicks so the surprises are still there, and it wouldn’t be fair to ruin it. On top of great performances there are some amazing shots in there. I’ve never been a fan of leaving Canada since it always seems like it would result in a plane ride and I am seriously afraid of flying but after seeing some of the beautiful scenery on display here I may reconsider. Gorgeous waterfalls and crystal clear water washing onto sandy beaches made me wish I was there now instead of the freezing cold that’s hanging around out here now.

There’s some playing with the audience in this one as well that made the movie fun. Steve Zahn’s character is a screenwriter and Olyphant’s character had once taken a crash course in screenwriting, leading to discussions about the structure of films. This includes throwing in a ‘red herring’ to throw the audience off. They’re basically addressing the same ideas that the film itself is presenting and it seems as if they’re tapping on the fourth wall. Looking back on it now it’s pretty obvious what was going on but if you can get by that you will find an entertaining flick. It doesn’t break the mold but it fits just right and there are some strong performances in the movie that should help you enjoy it.

A Perfect Getaway, DVD USA Release

A PERFECT GETAWAY with Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant Kiele Sanchez , Marley Shelton and Chris Hemsworth. Directed by David Twohy.

A PERFECT Getaway, not to be confused with the 1998 Armand Mastroianni film The Perfect Getaway, is a beautifully shot but ultimately prosaic thriller, which while not exactly predictable, will leave you muttering “oh, get on with it already”.

What could be more blissful for newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) than a tropical honeymoon on a remote Hawaiian island.

Forget cocktails on a tourist beach – Nerdy Hollywood screenwriter Cliff and apparently naive goody two-shoes Cydney are keen for a more authentic experience– hiking along the wild and rugged coastline of a remote archipelago

While driving through the lush subtropical countryside on the way to start the trail in their luxury jeep the couple refuses to give a lift to two skanky pseudo-hippies – Kale (Chris Hemsworth) and Cleo (Marley Shelton), which angers the tall and menacing Kale – a really scary looking character – could this be the mistake of their young lives? In fact the theme of affluence and ostentation comes up often in A perfect Getaway and the theme of jealousy is used to drive the plot.

Later the bumbling city slickers encounter Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina, (Kiele Sanchez) two zany but kind free spirits who help guide them through the jungles and tricky cliff crossing. Nick – it turns out – is a special forces vet and as Gina quips – “is very hard to kill.”

After some flirtatious skinny dipping amid the inviting pools and waterfalls of this island paradise, things take a decidedly darker turn as the Cliff and Cydney learn of a gruesome murder that has recently been committed on an adjacent island. And the police believe the murderers – another couple – are heading this way. Of course the hikers are about to lose cell reception … and thus all contact with the outside world.

While it does deliver a powerful twist-in-the tail, the plot is just too full of holes to ignore and the dialogue and character development is sadly lacking.

The best thing about A Perfect Getaway is the absolutely breathtaking scenery with its ragged bluffs, perfect beaches, lush jungle and sparkling waterfalls. (Does a sensuous, scantily-clad Jovovich and buffed-up, mostly shirtless Olyphant count as scenery?)

Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez

A Perfect Getaway (2009) ***
Dir. David Twohy
Starring: Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth

This surprisingly deceptive thriller takes a fairly old premise and turns it on its head. This is one of those movies where you have two innocents in a tropical paradise being hunted by killers, but they’re not sure who are the killers and who can protect them from the killers. Many reviews at the time of its theatrical release praised its original approach up until the killers were revealed, saying it went on autopilot from that point on. But that happens so late in the movie, it doesn’t have much left to resolve.

Marley Shelton :: KieleSanchez.com

When three creepy couples all meet in a secluded hiking spot in Hawaii, right after there was a murder in which the alleged killers are a pair of honeymooners. Which of these three couples are the killers?

I have to say that I thought this would be a good “thriller”, like Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, but it was really more like Scooby Doo. This film did a good job of making all the couples look creepy and building toward the whodunit ending, and the ending was certainly gory with a twist and turn or two, but I knew who the bad guys were.

However, even though I thought it was predictable, it’s worth the rent for sure. I had the option to watch either the unrated directors cut or the theater version, and I went with the theater version, and I was glad I did, since I thought it was pretty gory and bloody, as well as sexual situations, as the MMPA would say.

This stars Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovoich, and Kiele Sanchez.

Timothy Olyphant at KieleSanchez.com

Timothy Olyphant x Kiele Sanchez have the American Spirit in A Perfect Getaway!

The Film starts with a couple, Cliff and Cydney Anderson, honeymooning on the Hawaiian Islands.  While taking in the scenery of the great outdoors during an 11-mile nature trek across one of the islands, they come across a group of girls who have just learned that there have been some murders on the islands and that the killers have yet to be caught.  Fearing that it might be the abrasive couple that they didn’t give a ride to and is now on the same hike that they are on, they decide to continue on with another couple, Nick and Gina.  However, the idea of “safety in numbers” starts to seem fallible as paranoia sets in and everyone starts to become suspicious of everyone else, changing the hike into a game of “everyone’s a suspect.”

Starting with hand held footage from the wedding, this film quickly puts the viewer on their guard.  After all, beginning a film of this genre with something as happy and nostalgic as a wedding video can never be a good sign for the characters involved.  Then the story picks up with the couple in a really beautiful part of Hawaii (and Puerto Rico if you are keeping track of actual shooting locations) that’s sunny and romantic, yet creepy thanks to the surrounding dense greenery with iffy cell phone reception.  By keeping the footage shot mainly to the daytime, the story becomes slightly more off-putting and uncomfortable thanks to the sunshine mixed with the potential for brutality like with what has been done in The Ruins and Lost.

Though the setting and how the film is shot adds a lot to the overall feel of the film, most of the creepy factor actually comes from the characters themselves.  Though there are a few obvious standouts as to who can be suspected of being murderers, this film is full of potential red herrings.  First there is the above-mentioned couple, Cleo and Kale (Marley Shelton and Chris Hemsworth), who appear to be stalking Cliff and Cydney and seem to have enough anger issues to kill someone over not being given a ride.  Then there is Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez), whose hospitality mixed with death-defying wild stories makes them a prime contender for the murderous couple as well.  But then after the main couples are assessed, there are plenty of other characters to start to wonder about, and every action and word spoken becomes a potential clue as to the killers’ identities.  Every glace becomes suspicious, and at one point I was even willing to throw the group of girls from the beginning of the film into the suspect pot.  In other words, everyone is a suspect, and it is easy to spend every moment trying to piece what is really happening together until the murderers are revealed.  And though this revelation may not be that surprising once it finally enters out into the open, it is still deserved because of all the work up to that point.  But I will say the flashback scene following is a little much and drags on longer than it should, sticking out like a soar thumb thanks to the monotonous use of blue throughout its entirety.

The “who-done-it” element is one of the best parts of the film thanks to the cast being filled with actors capable of great performances, with Olyphant’s portrayal of the off kilter war vet being a highlight.  Plus, the film warrants as many cheers as it does “ugh! Don’t do that!” cries because these characters obviously don’t always show the best decision making for the type of film they find themselves in.  But with its minor flaws, A Perfect Getaway remains an entertaining thriller that keeps you reassessing what you know the whole time.

Final Grade: A-

Kiele Sanchez Running...

It starts off like Deliverance in Hawaii, but writer-director David Twohy’s A Perfect Getaway soon develops into an enjoyably off-kilter suspense thriller that has considerable fun toying with genre conventions and audience expectations. While the plot twists will present some marketing challenges, word of mouth – and the casting of Milla Jovovich in one of the four lead roles – could make this Relativity Media production a solid performer for independent distributors worldwide.

Relativity’s Rogue Pictures opens the R-rated thriller wide in the US this weekend (August 7). Competing releases with built-in appeal – the female-skewing Julie & Julia and actioner G I Joe – are likely to grab most of the weekend’s available moviegoers so Rogue will have to hope that
its entry has some staying power.

Independents outside the US which have acquired rights from QED International may be able to find easier slots in which to launch the film. And they should be able to make more of the presence of Jovovich, whose three Resident Evil movies have all done better internationally than in North America.

Twohy-Merkin – who made his mark as a screenwriter on The Fugitive before adding a directing hat for Pitch Black and other genre projects – sets the story up as a fairly conventional urbanites-in-the-wild thriller.

Up-and-coming but nerdy Hollywood screenwriter Cliff (Zahn) and his new bride Cydney (Jovovich) are honeymooning on Hawaii’s lush Kauai island when they set out to hike to a secluded beach. Along the way they meet two other couples: rugged adventurers Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Sanchez) and mysterious hitchhikers Kale (Hemsworth) and Cleo (Shelton).

When news reaches the group that a pair of serial killers may be at large on the island the couples stick together for safety – but also start eyeing each other nervously.

The film’s first half-hour seems to be laying the ground for a thoroughly formulaic psycho murderer thriller (complete with the now requisite scene establishing that no one can get a mobile phone signal).

But things get more interesting as Twohy offers up telling details about Cliff, Cydney, Nick and Gina, suggesting new possibilities as to who are the hunters and who are the hunted.

The tension is nicely off-set by touches of Hitchcockian humour, some of which provides additional clues about who’s who.

An hour into the story, Twohy throws convention to the wind by revealing the killers’ identities. It’s a bold and surprising move that just about works, even though the extended flashback sequence – spookily shot on digital infrared black and white film – that follows the revelation robs the story of some momentum.

From then on the film becomes a more familiar and slightly cartoonish – though still quite witty – couple-in-peril nail-biter.

Besides Twohy, the actors deserve credit for helping to make the big plot twist credible. Olyphant is especially engaging as the cocky Nick, who claims a secret military background and likes to refer to himself as “an American Jedi.” And Zahn displays his acting chops in a pivotal role.
Jovovich and Sanchez get less to work with but both add a bit of character depth to what might otherwise have been a generic story.
Shot (because of financial incentives) in Puerto Rico, the production uses visual effects to transform Puerto Rican locations into some impressive Hawaiian settings.

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Milla Jovovich

The premise of A Perfect Getaway is fairly simple – a newly-wed couple backpack through the idyllic terrain of a remote Hawaiian island, only to discover that some other honeymooners have just been murdered by a young couple.

So which of the two couples they meet on the way could be the murderers?

This thriller stars Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez, although the twist is easy to spot.

Extras include a Making Of movie, plus the director’s cut option on the Blu-ray.

Kiele Sanchez

Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez

Cliff: Not that me isn’t my favorite subject, but can we talk about something else for a while?

A couple honeymooning in Hawaii hears about some murders that took place recently on another island and start to wonder if the couple they’re hiking with might be the killers.

This is not a groundbreaking movie, and it’s not going to be winning any awards, but I thought it was a pretty good time.  From the title and the initial set up, it seems like it’s going to be one of these torture movies, like Hostel maybe, but it ends up being a bit more cerebral than that.  It was fun watching the verbal and mental games the characters play with each other as they’re all suspecting each other of being the killers who have been stalking the Hawaiian islands.

All the actors do a good job, and the characters are all likable and watchable, but I think Tim Olyphant really steals the show as Nick.  He’s entertaining every time he’s on the screen, and you’re never sure if you want to like him or if you should suspect that he’s a psychopath.  Kiele Sanchez, who I only knew as Nikki from Lost (guess she likes filming things in Hawaii), is better than I expected as well, good choice by the Director… Sure, she’s easy on the eyes, but she turns in a compelling performance as well; Kiele has a real future in movies rather than television.

As for the story, it’s somewhat routine, but the fun is in guessing who the villains are.  There’s really only a few possibilities, but, of course, the filmmakers keep tossing conflicting clues at the audience to constantly steer them in different directions of thought.  While the end sort of seems like a bit of a cheat, it does seem to logically work out, but a long sequence of flashbacks is required in order to really explain everything.  That sequence was a bit too long, but not terrible.

Naturally, it degenerates into a sequence of strong violence at the end.  I guess that’s the stuff people really want to see.  Despite that by-the-numbers finale, it’s an enjoyable ride up to that point.

Don’t talk to strangers is even applicable even in Hawaii…

I loved the Violent finale, even though some of it feels like a bit of a cheat or that it doesn’t entirely make sense, I still liked this film, so I gave it a 7.7 / 10