Review of Everly (2015) by Quincy T — 14 Feb 2015
After almost two decades Salma Hayek once again finds herself in a killing zone from dawn till dusk. Everly makes no attempt in masking its wacky premise, it's gun blazing and dark humor from start to finish. There's plenty of B-movie type action as well as bloody gore to keep the fun going, although the pace trips towards the second half. As much as it's enjoyable to see casual carnage, Everly is harassed by a good deal of flaws, preventing it to be more than mindless fun.
The titular Everly (Salma Hayek) is a female escort as well as a trained assassin. She is on the most brutal night of her life, fighting women of same occupation and hordes of henchmen. While it's a strange concept, this one against many theme has an odd appeal. Salma Hayek is a capable lead, she displays charisma for more dramatic moments and quirkiness for comedy relief. While it's been a while since she performs in this type of role, Hayek is still charming and fit enough to pull it off.
Cinematography is exceptionally efficient, gives a new meaning to best bang for your buck. It sets almost exclusively on a particular spot, it's amazing how they can squeeze every last opportunity for the action sequences. It may not have a polished choreography, not every shot or stab is meticulously crafted, but it compensates this drawback with ludicrous over-the-top brutality. The amount of bloody mess is a nightmare for interior design and housekeeping.
Script tries to balance the humor and plot, it only partially succeeds in doing so. The movie offers a few chuckles, but the pace is inconsistent. It gradually becomes monotonous as the second half approaches. There's definitely influence of Quentin Tarantino at play here, although it's not nearly as focused as his works. Its allure of badass female protagonist worn out at the end.
If it had more budget, here's hoping for better spinoff or sequel in the future, Everly could've been so much more interesting. Given larger scale, probably in an exotic town as the setting or even across the country while Everly escapes with her daughter ala Bonnie and Clyde, it would be such a delightful mayhem.
I particularly like this lavish gunslinger genre, but Everly's one night last stand is just a little above mediocrity.
This review of Everly (2015) was written by Quincy T on 14 Feb 2015.
Everly has generally received mixed reviews.
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