Paying attention to this irregularly unfolding narrative is entirely optional, however, and not particularly recommended, as the film never pauses long enough to linger. Through all the time-jumping and nonstop pedaling (even Bradley Wiggins would struggle to keep pace with this crew), a story eventually emerges involving organized crime, immigrant smuggling and the perils of Pai Gow poker addiction, with hints of a “Chinatown”-esque skeleton in Wilee’s closet explaining his curious aversion to brakes. Immediately intercepted by a sweaty, malevolent detective (Michael Shannon) who’s keen to recover the envelope, Wilee takes off on a street chase that will essentially constitute the rest of the film, further complicating things by attracting the attention of a dogged, accident-prone bike cop (Christopher Place). (The relentlessly non-chronological film is full of onscreen clocks, maps and text messages, which, however chintzy, greatly reduce the need for expositional ballast.)Įmbroiled in some pre-existing drama with fellow messenger and girlfriend Vanessa (Dania Ramirez), who herself seems to be taking a fancy to another co-worker, the jockish Manny (Wole Parks), Wilee had taken on a mysterious delivery earlier in the day, agreeing to shepherd an envelope from Vanessa’s roommate, Chinese exchange student Nima (Jamie Chung), across the borough to a Chinatown dive. Lest the danger of the job escape audiences, the film opens on Wilee’s flailing body hurtling through the air in slow-motion after a collision, immediately flashing back to several hours prior. Spending the vast majority of his screentime sweating atop a bicycle, Wilee is a former law student who fancies himself a samurai of the bike-messenger trade, perilously weaving through traffic on a fixed-gear all-steel model with no brakes. It’s clear that everyone involved, from cast to crew, understands the inherent silliness of the material, but while the film never tries to introduce any undue seriousness into the proceedings, it never winks at them either, earnestly embracing the idea that Manhattan’s kamikaze corps of bicycle messengers exists as a band of Kerouackian urban pirates. Directed and co-scripted by frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator David Koepp (screenwriter on “Jurassic Park,” “War of the Worlds,” etc.), and starring Christopher Nolan muse Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the aptly named protag Wilee, “Premium Rush” feels engineered to provide its principals with a bit of a breather between shouldering blockbusters.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |