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‘The Last Duel’ Review: Honor, Love, and Other Lies Men Tell Themselves

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‘The Last Duel’ Review: Honor, Love, and Other Lies Men Tell Themselves

At first glimpse, it looks like The Last Duel could be a deeply cringe-worthy experience. Its subject matter involves two men fighting over a rape accusation. The director is a man and two of the three screenwriters are men. But this high-wire act ends up yielding one of the best films of Ridley Scott’s industrious career as he uses his period drama bona fides to draw us deeper into a brutal, nasty, masculine-dominated world that’s far too familiar to our own. Over 600 years may have passed since the events of The Last Duel, but the script from Nicole Holofcener and co-writers and co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck brilliantly shows the full truth not from fragile men but from a woman whose survival rests on seeing the world as it is and not reliant on myths of honor and love. With stunning performances across the cast, immaculate production design, and the same kind of “unleash hell” historical nastiness of works like Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel is a captivating drama that cuts to the heart of toxic masculinity and the systems it imposes.

Set from 1370-1386, The Last Duel uses a Rashomon-like narrative showing the perspectives of its three leads. The first chapter is The Truth According to Jean de Carrouges (Damon), the second is The Truth According to Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), and the final chapter is The Truth According to The Lady Marguerite (Jodie Comer) with the words “The Truth” lingering on screen for Lady Marguerite’s chapter (I would say this was done to erase any confusion that this is a he-said/she-said equivocation, but after my screening I still heard people arguing about whether or not Marguerite was telling the truth, thus reinforcing the film’s themes and severely bumming me out). The case concerns whether or not Le Gris, a former friend of de Carrouges whose fortunes rose thanks to the patronage of his lord liege Pierre d’Alençon (Affleck) while de Carrouges’ fortunes fell, raped Marguerite. For de Carrouges, this was an attack on his personal honor and the final insult after almost two decades of slights. For Le Gris, he claimed he was in love with Marguerite and her protestations were perfunctory and belied her true desire. But Marguerite sees through both men and risks her life so that the truth can come out.

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RELATED: Watch: ‘The Last Duel’s Opening Scene Teases the Epic Scale of Ridley Scott’s Medieval Revenge Tale

Once you see that Scott is giving de Carrouges and his first chapter an overly heroic framing, it’s clear where this story is going to go. This is not about weighing all viewpoints equally but essentially showing, through the lens of the historical drama, “why women don’t report.” This is a world (and remains so) where male vanity sets the rules to cover up its deep frailties. De Carrouges and Le Gris behave the way they do not because they’re mustache-twirling villains (although that’s how they choose to see each other), but because they each believe they’re the hero of the story with Marguerite as a thing to exist in the background of their own narrative, whether it’s the tale of the wronged war hero (as de Carrouges sees himself) or the tale of the mad-with-passion lover (as Le Gris sees himself). Only Marguerite sees this world and these men for who they truly are because that’s how you have to survive as a woman in this world. Romantic notions are for men; women have to live in reality.


That’s why Comer’s performance is such a marvel to behold. She basically has to wait in the background for over 90 minutes while Damon and Driver flex and peacock, and then when it’s time for her chapter she has to absolutely own the entire movie. It’s not simply that Marguerite is “strong” or that she “believes in truth”, although those are both facets of her character. It’s that she has to play to a reality that both de Carrouges and Le Gris seek to obscure. For all the blood they shed and nastiness they impose on the world, they hide behind lies of nobility and chivalry. These are not ideals to aspire towards but rather excuses for atrocious behavior, and Marguerite does not have the benefit of these lies, so she has to live with a far more nuanced reality. Marguerite is the “hero” of the story in that she chooses to live honestly, but honesty is not a virtue this world values, so where does that position her? Watching Comer in this balancing act is remarkable, and it becomes absolutely gut-wrenching when the rape is shown from her perspective (The Last Duel probably should come with a trigger warning of some kind, but since it does not, please consider this review a warning that the rape depicted could definitely be triggering for some viewers).


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Surprisingly, the actor who really allows you to breathe in this film is Affleck. None of his choices as d’Alençon should work. He’s flamboyant, modern, quippy, and snide, and it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t know how Affleck pulled off some of the most interesting work of his acting career here (there are flashes of his terrific supporting performance from Shakespeare in Love), but he made daring choices and they absolutely pay off not only in helping to give The Last Duel a modern context without breaking the historical reality Scott has carefully crafted, but also in showing the callousness of powerful men. D’Alençon is an essential part of this story because he shows that this fight between de Carrouges and Le Gris isn’t really about Marguerite’s “virtue” (virtue neither men possesses or cares about), but about politics, position, and power. At least d’Alençon can sit back and smirk because he knows he’s untouchable.


The grit comes from Scott who is at the top of his game here and making it look effortless. Of course, Scott is no stranger to period films or even to movies about dueling, but his gifts for period detail serve him exceptionally well here in terms of grounding the story in its place and letting the modern parallels come to the audience. There are only rare moments where Scott doesn’t fully trust his audience, but those are few and far between. Most of the time, The Last Duel is unflinching in its brutality (if you like horses, this may not be the movie for you), which juxtaposes against the ridiculous notions of love and honor that these men rely upon for their identity with women like Marguerite caught in their wake.

Scott has never had much of a problem with craftsmanship or speed, but when he has excellent material as he does here, the veteran director is an unstoppable force. The script from Holofcener, Damon, and Affleck never seeps into a polemic, and instead works to upend and deconstruct the various mythologies that work to uphold patriarchal constraints through the guise of a period drama. Perhaps with a less refined and thoughtful script or weaker performances, The Last Duel wouldn’t come to life. Instead, it’s a film that cuts to the core of pathetic male bromides designed to prop up atrocious systems. One man may win the duel, but The Last Duel shows how the real fight is far from over.


Rating: A-

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The Last Duel opens in theaters on October 15th.

KEEP READING: ‘The Last Duel’ Character Posters Reveal the Main Quartet of Ridley Scott’s Medieval Epic


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Bullet Train Review: A Wickedly Funny, High-Octane Thrill Ride

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Bullet Train Review: A Wickedly Funny, High-Octane Thrill Ride

Brad Pitt leads a wickedly funny ensemble in a high-octane actioner loaded with twists. Adapted from the 2010 Japanese novel by Kōtarō Isaka, Bullet Train has a bevy of disparate assassins manipulated by a mysterious criminal mastermind. Stuntman turned action director, David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde), stays true to form with unrelenting bloody and flamboyant violence. The codenamed characters get downright verbose before beating, stabbing, and shooting each other to bits. The loquacious banter tends to run long, but the narrative always bounces back with sharp reveals. Strap in for a helluva ride.

Ladybug (Pitt) boards the overnight bullet train to Tokyo with a newfound sense of self. He’s chock-full of philosophy after recovering from a near fatal ambush. Ladybug ignores his unseen handler’s advice to take a gun. Surely any issues can be resolved peacefully. The job seems straightforward enough. Steal a briefcase with a sticker and exit at the next stop.

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Also on board are Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), ruthless “twins” known for their brutal methods. Lemon is obsessed with the British children’s show “Thomas & Friends”. He reads people by comparing them to the anthropomorphized trains. The twins are escorting the previously kidnapped son (Logan Lerman) of a powerful gangster, the White Death (Michael Shannon).

None of the hired guns are aware of the Father, aka Yuichi Kimura’s (Andrew Koji), mission. He’s out for vengeance but foolishly runs into a deceptive figure. The Prince (Joey King) has a score to settle with the White Death. Meanwhile, the Wolf (Bad Bunny) joins the fray after his truly horrific Mexican wedding. He’s also ready for serious comeuppance. Ladybug quickly realizes they’re all unwitting pawns in a dangerous game. Someone has packed the train with killers for an unknown purpose. He desperately wants to get off but can’t seem to escape the carnage.


Related: I Love My Dad Review: Patton Oswalt’s Delightfully Cringeworthy Catfishing Comedy

Cast of Bullet Train

Bullet Train introduces the cast with splashy entrances that flashes back to their dark pasts. The murderous montages are informative but don’t fill in every gap. The script doles out more critical information as the bodies pile up. Alliances bounce back and forth as everyone wonders who’s actually pulling the strings. The whodunit element works well as the audience becomes embroiled in a series of betrayals. You don’t have a sense of the plot’s true trajectory until the third act. The film builds to a showdown that delivers a huge action payoff.

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Bullet Train has complex characters that each contribute slices of devilish humor. Brad Pitt preaching self-help and understanding is an effective gag throughout. Brian Tyree Henry’s constant comparisons to Thomas & Friends aren’t as comical but play an important role in the story. There are a lot of moving parts. Leitch, who worked as Pitt’s stunt double for years, is clearly fond of his players. He gives everyone a chance to babble incessantly. I would have trimmed the dialogue to be more incisive.


The action scenes are worth the price of admission. Leitch has a great eye for mixing stylized set pieces with intimate fights. He knows when to go big and small. You never feel let down by his pacing. There’s always the right amount of adrenaline to keep your pulse pumping. Bullet Train is another feather in a skilled filmmaker’s cap. Watch out for A-list cameos and a mid-credits scene.

Bullet Train is a production of Columbia Pictures, Fuqua Films, and 87North Productions. It will be released theatrically on August 5th from Sony Pictures.

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Bullet Train Review: Brad Pitt Has A Blast In The Silly And Badass Action Comedy

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Bullet Train Review: Brad Pitt Has A Blast In The Silly And Badass Action Comedy

If orchestrated properly, with adjusted stakes, tone, and atmosphere, there can be a beautiful, symbiotic relationship between intense action and comedy. A hero pulling off a rapid and vicious series of blows against an opponent can be savage and dramatic in one context, but it can also be so deliriously awesome that an audience’s first reaction is to laugh. Fast paced martial arts can be used for wonderful physical humor (see: the legendary career of Jackie Chan), and the best examples provide dual layers of entertainment: you marvel at the skill in all the ass-kicking, and cackle at the creativity in the choreography.

This is a sweet spot that filmmaker David Leitch knows well. After peppering funny moments in John Wick and Atomic Blonde at the start of his directorial career, he brilliantly utilized the action/comedy weapon that is Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool 2, and crafted some excellent physicality with the unique styles of Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. His latest, Bullet Train, is another effort that takes aim at that particular tonal target, this time with his most expansive ensemble yet, and it’s another success. With a sensibility that could be described as early Guy Ritchie with more specific action focus, it’s a movie that is both silly and skilled and inspires its primary star in particular to do energetic and engaging work.

Based on the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka, the film weaves multiple narrative threads through the cars of the titular bullet train as it speeds through the country of Japan – all of the protagonists being killers with their own particular reason and motivation for being aboard. Ladybug (Brad Pitt), for example, is a hired gun who has been tasked by his handler (Sandra Bullock) to perform what sounds like a simple job: find a briefcase marked with a train sticker and steal it. What he doesn’t know, though, is that said briefcase belongs to a pair of British hit men named Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) and Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and that the contents include the recovered ransom for the kidnapped son (Logan Lerman) of a powerful crime lord known as The White Death.

Meanwhile, Kimura a.k.a. The Father (Andrew Koji) is on the bullet train because he is on a mission of vengeance – hunting down the person responsible for nearly killing his son by pushing the boy off of a building. What he doesn’t expect is that the individual he is looking for is a young woman identified as The Prince (Joey King), and that she has purposefully gotten him on the high speed rail with the intention of forcing him to execute an assassination attempt.

And while five killers sharing the space would be enough for most movies, Bullet Train actually has even more that pop in and surprise throughout the film’s runtime – and their roles are worth keeping as a secret pre-release.

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Bullet Train has a chaotic storyline, but the pieces properly connect as a fun puzzle.

Narratively speaking, Bullet Train is a messy movie to put together, as focus briskly ping-pongs between the different players, but everything stays in harmony as the film persistently finds ways to build on each protagonist’s arc. This is particularly cool later in the movie as different characters are drawn together from individual angles and instant conflict is generated from their simple interaction.

The film is at its best when it keeps things simple, but it does let things go off the rails at times (if you’ll pardon the pun). This is especially true as it gets into the third act and it tries to pull off stunts like one of the leads leaping from a platform on to the back of the train as it leaves a station; it’s both a problem for the “rules” of the universe and in its strained use of visual effects. The movie also frequently tries to get a bit too cute and Tarantino-esque with what are admittedly familiar-but-not-quite-stock characters – the most prominent example being an ongoing and quickly tiresome gag with Lemon explaining that he understands people through the lens of Thomas The Tank Engine.

Primarily, though, it’s a movie that is able to generate its entertainment with engaging and quippy dynamics between the members of the ensemble, both when they are talking out their issues and trying to kill one another.

David Leitch puts a lot of exciting and weird fights in a confined space, and is at its best when working with a “less is more” philosophy.

Coming from a stunt background, both as a performer and a coordinator, David Leitch’s bread and butter remains deftly and specifically choreographed action sequences, and Bullet Train proves to be a terrific challenge and opportunity for his skills. Regardless of where you are in the titular transport, space is not a luxury, and the best fights in the movie are those that are being fought only between the characters, but against the limitations provided by the location.

There are guns, knives and explosives in the mix, but Bullet Train also has some terrific “found item” moments that add spice and humor to the various showdowns, whether it’s a pocketed cell phone saving a character’s life from a blade, a laptop making for a solid cudgel, a water bottle making for a useful projectile, or a venomous snake showing up at a perfect moment.

Once again we see David Leitch work a special magic turning dramatic and comedic actors into badasses with slick and stylish moves, and while everyone shows off some terrific skills, it’s very much the Brad Pitt show at the end of the day.

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Brad Pitt’s joy in the role of Ladybug is palpable.

At the nexus of everything good in Bullet Train is Brad Pitt, who very clearly had a blast reuniting with David Leitch (who performed the actor’s stunts in films including Fight Club, The Mexican, Mr. And Mrs. Smith and Troy). He’s a joy to watch in action not just because of the talented craft he demonstrates in his physicality, but how he channels the psychology of the character. As we meet him, Ladybug is reluctantly getting back into his business following a number of important breakthroughs with his therapist, and Pitt does a fantastic job conveying that he doesn’t ever want to choose violence as a first answer – both via verbal pleas and defense-heavy moves. Action/comedy is a genre he should revisit a lot more often.

Bullet Train doesn’t aim to revolutionize hitman movies, but instead plays with a tongue-in-cheek vibe that lets you recognize the tropes and appreciate how the film plays with them. It’s a slick/goofy action movie that is both contained and wild, and a satisfying late summer release.

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Luck Review: A Spectacular Debut Film from Skydance Animation

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Luck Review: A Spectacular Debut Film from Skydance Animation

The world’s unluckiest woman enters a magical land to change the fortunes of a fellow orphan. Luck will make you smile and possibly shed a few tears. The big-budget, CGI animated fantasy shines a spotlight on needy children while telling a truly original story. An assortment of lucky critters and creatures dazzle in a spectacular setting. The highly imaginative narrative gives age-old superstitions a dynamic new spin. Luck is a brilliant first film from Skydance Animation.

Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada) reaches her eighteenth birthday with trepidation. She’s finally aged out of the foster care system. Sam never found her “forever family”. She spent her entire life living in orphanages. It doesn’t help that Sam has the worst luck. Everything she does or touches ends in abject disaster. Her only thoughts are for young Hazel (Adelynn Spoon), Sam’s roommate at the girls home. Sam has been set up with a job and tiny apartment. She has to stay in school and employed to remain housed.

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Sam’s first day at Marv’s (Lil Rel Howery) floral shop goes exactly as expected. She sadly eats dinner sitting on a sidewalk. Sam learns that Hazel’s weekend trip with a foster family was canceled. She gives half of her sandwich to a curious black cat. It scampers away but leaves a strange penny behind.

The following day is a revelation. Sam’s lucky penny changes everything. Her ecstatic mood sours when she loses the penny in spectacular fashion. Stewing on the sidewalk, Sam’s surprised when the black cat returns. She’s astonished when Bob (Simon Pegg) asks for his penny. The “travel penny” is the only way a creature from the Land of the Luck stays safe in the human world. She follows an unnerved Bob back through the portal to the Land of Luck. Sam has to find another lucky penny to help Hazel. Bob reluctantly agrees, but they have to be careful. Misdeeds end up in banishment to Bad Luck.

Related: Bullet Train Review: A Wickedly Funny, High-Octaine Thrill Ride

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The Land of Luck

The Land of Luck is an absolute joy to behold. Leprechauns, cats, pigs, and rabbits, lucky creatures, are the bureaucrats tasked with spreading good fortune. Bringing Sam in such a place is a recipe for absolute chaos. Bob, and his leprechaun assistant Gerry’s (Colin O’Donoghue), efforts to contain Sam’s bad luck will have audiences in stitches. I’m still chuckling at Sam’s “Latvian leprechaun” disguise; their harebrained excuse for why she’s so much bigger than everyone else.

Luck’s serious themes are artfully addressed. Sam’s lonely childhood, and her desperate efforts to change Hazel’s, brings a melancholic touch to the narrative. The film reminds us to not take love and family for granted. Every kid deserves care, nurturing, and a safe place to grow. It shouldn’t take luck or chance for a child to find a “forever home”.

Insert sigh here. Recent headlines concerning John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars) will undoubtedly cloud this film’s release. The genius storyteller and animator behind Pixar’s success left to head Skydance Animation after awful “Me Too” allegations. He’s brought his incredible talent to Luck, and it shows. This wonderful film deserves to be judged on its own merits. Sometimes we must divorce ourselves from art and the personality of the artist.

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Luck is a production of Skydance Animation and Apple Original Films. It will have an exclusive Apple TV+ premiere on August 5th.

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