It’s been a few years
since Jamie Foxx has been on the big screen with all his talent.
His last outing was Annie (2014), which had a mixed response. It’s great
to see him back, even with this being the sour season for movies, but it’s hard
to imagine an Academy Award winning actor like Foxx not being worthy. Though in
this case that depends on what you’re looking for. So, with what started out as
a plot as simple as a 2D Dr. Seuss book, Sleepless slowly grew enough
legs to make you care. Though there were moments that will make your head shake
rigorously as you’re yelling at the screen.
For having low
expectations, Sleepless may be the one that holds you over until the next
action adventure hits. It’s every film you’ve seen before in the most generic
form possible. That wouldn’t be too bad, considering the cast, but them being
directed by somewhat of a new comer, Baran bo Odar (Who Am I),
didn’t do much help. Within this film he had a strong grasp on how to
choreograph action, but the acting was questionable. It could be the material
was weak or the actors didn’t have much enthusiasm on set. I’m not sure if it
was their paycheck or not, but their acting on film was about as forced as you
having to go to work on a Monday morning. They didn’t want to be there, and
it’s obvious, especially coming from that of T.I. Not much was expected, but he
was still a distraction.
Things start to pick
up once the plot gets moving. The story starts to peel layers back further and
further as the men pulling all the strings begin to reveal themselves. In a
battle versus good and evil, the fight is only as good as the villain.
Sleepless provided several puppet masters, with each new one being more
sinister than the last. You think you’ve seen their range, but shortly after
find out how dangerous they really are. It becomes a guessing game on who to
trust. Crooked cops are falling left and right, and even if the movie says so,
you still don’t know who’s good or bad until the end. While the pacing may not
be the most exhilarating, these random character shifts provide enough energy
to keep you interested.
Odar is clearly an
action enthusiast, with that being the highlight of the film by far. He was
able to use the action in a real life setting that didn’t feel like a typical
Hollywood throw down. Everyone was brawling, from the men to the women, and even
a child if present. No one stood around, lending a helping hand to win the fight.
There were no wasted movements, and every character used their surroundings to
their advantage; which is the life boat for this entire picture. The downfall
was the convenience that was sprinkled throughout the plot to just smooth
things over. Anytime a complicated issue came up to challenge the film to be
better, sloppy writing saved the day.
There was too much of
it, making it hard to take the film seriously. There’s certain actions a
character shouldn’t take, but in this case they did. Leaving evidence on
voicemails, or randomly getting into a shootout not knowing who all the players
are, is unforgivable. The film is only ninety minutes, but finds ways to keep
the story going regardless of how much of a nuisance it is to do so. Ambitious
bold characters are great, but not to the point where they try too hard to
prove themselves. It’s admirable, but sometime more damage is done than
productive work. There is a strong example within the film that will make you
cringe, but towards the end it came together and is somewhat understandable.
6/10
Read more reviews by Brandon Keith Avery at Just My Opinion.net.