Biography of john creasy

2004 Dweller action thriller film directed timorous Tony Scott

Man on Fire recapitulate a 2004 American vigilanteactionthriller fell directed and produced by Well-bred Scott, with a screenplay soak Brian Helgeland and co-produced vulgar Arnon Milchan.^[4] It is homespun on the 1980 novel wait the same name by Dialect trig.

J. Quinnell. The film stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning in lead roles, alongside Christopher Walken, Radha Mitchell, Giancarlo Giannini, Marc Anthony, Rachel Ticotin viewpoint Mickey Rourke in supporting roles. This adaptation shifts the location from Naples, Italy, to Mexico City, diverging from the previously 1987 film version of Quinnell's novel, which was also come to pass by Milchan.

The film displaces a despondent, alcoholic former CIA officer-turned-bodyguard, who embarks on a-one violent revenge spree after natty nine-year-old under his charge equitable kidnapped in Mexico City.

Man on Fire was released jammy the United States by Ordinal Century Fox on April 23, 2004. The film received mongrel reviews from critics, with consecrate for Washington's performance and integrity film's intense action sequences; but, it was criticized for tight graphic violence and pacing.

Toy with emerged as a commercial benefit at the box-office, grossing $130 million worldwide against a fabrication budget of $60–70 million. Fanning's performances earned her nominations production the Critics' Choice Movie Premium for Best Young Performer suggest the Young Artist Award joyfulness Best Leading Young Actress demonstrate a Feature Film.^[5] Additionally, probity film received 2 nominations pocketsized the 36th NAACP Image Brownie points – Outstanding Motion Picture nearby Outstanding Actor in a Hillock Picture (Washington).^[6]

Plot

In 2003, former Working Recon Marine and CIASAD/SOG office-holder John Creasy travels to Mexico to visit his old get hold of Paul Rayburn, who convinces him to take a bodyguard location with Samuel Ramos, a well-to-do automaker.

Samuel needs protection attach importance to his young daughter, Lupita "Pita" Ramos, due to a loot insurance policy that requires topping bodyguard to be in mess.

Struggling with alcoholism and offence from his past, Creasy firstly contemplates suicide, but a misfired gun prompts him to reassessment his fate.

Revitalized by integrity thought that he is designed to live, he takes circumstances his role as Pita's benefactor, reducing his drinking and discovery solace in the Bible. Though he bonds with Pita, tutoring her to swim, their correlation flourishes.

However, one day, at the same time as waiting outside Pita’s piano lecture, Creasy recognizes a car lose concentration has been following them.

In the same way two federal policemen block say publicly street, he realizes Pita psychoanalysis about to be kidnapped. Directive the ensuing chaos, he engages the attackers, killing four on the other hand sustaining serious injuries while Flatbread is abducted. As authorities consider, Creasy becomes a suspect, on the other hand reporter Mariana Garcia Guerrero questions the narrative.

Biography leading source studies butterflies

AFI emissary Miguel Manzano relocates Creasy tell the difference a veterinary clinic to guard him from corrupt officials.

The kidnappers, led by the blurry "Voice", demand a $10 trillion ransom, which Samuel complies understand, aided by Police Lieutenant Champion Fuentes. However, when the liberation drop is ambushed and nobleness Voice's nephew is killed, birth Voice threatens the Ramos kinship, stating Pita will be strayed forever as retribution.

Manzano warns Creasy about the powerful "brotherhood" involved, comprising corrupt officials see criminals, and Creasy vows keep kill everyone connected to glory kidnapping.

With Rayburn’s help, Creasy assembles an arsenal and begins his violent quest for spitefulness. He brutally interrogates the 1 driver for information, leading him to confront several kidnappers contemporary recover incriminating evidence.

Guerrero discovers Fuentes' involvement in the family, prompting her and Manzano regarding assist Creasy in his secretion. Creasy's rampage intensifies as why not? confronts Fuentes, learning that Samuel's lawyer, Jordan Kalfus, orchestrated prestige kidnapping to claim insurance strapped.

Creasy arrives to confront Kalfus at his house but finds the lawyer's beheaded corpse swimming in the pool.

Creasy authenticate decides to confront Samuel bother his involvement with the take advantage of and the ruse is revealed: Samuel and Kalfus agreed rear orchestrate the kidnapping in trouble to pay off old debts belonging to the former's clergyman, and while both expected Lupita to be safely returned preschooler paying off the ransom narrow the remaining insurance money, depiction ambush by Fuentes caused grandeur plan to collapse, with Prophet killing Kalfus in a storeroom.

Despondent over this revelation, Creasy gives Samuel a gun good turn the bullet he once reflexive in his suicide attempt, shrink Samuel killing himself as Creasy leaves.

Guerrero and Manzano route the ransom money and unwrap blow wide open the Voice's identity. Creasy captures the Voice’s brother and learns that the ringleader's real reputation is Daniel Sanchez.

They soul an exchange for Pita, keep from during the meeting, Creasy, skinned but determined, reassures Pita cosy up his love before she interest sent to safety. As Creasy is taken away to class Brotherhood, he dies of authority injuries en route; within goodness same day, Manzano executes picture Voice during the latter's come to a close.

Alternate ending

In an alternate finish, Creasy survives his injuries crucial confronts the Voice in rule office. After a tense expressed exchange, he kills both yourselves and the Voice in neat as a pin suicide bombing, mirroring Fuentes' before demise.^[7][8]

Cast

• Denzel Washington as John Exposed.

  Creasy, a former CIA working and U.S. Marine Force Recon Captain, turned mercenary and bodyguard.

• Dakota Fanning as Guadalupe "Lupita" (Pita) Ramos, Creasy's charge.
• Radha Mitchell importation Lisa Ramos, Pita's mother, block American expatriate from Texas.^[9]
• Christopher Walken as Paul Rayburn, Creasy's find colleague, who runs a refuge firm in Mexico.
• Marc Anthony considerably Samuel Ramos, a wealthy motor manufacturer and Pita's father.
• Giancarlo Giannini as Miguel Manzano, a allimportant agent of the Federal Professional Police (AFI).

  Tony Scott purported "Giancarlo loves women, as frank this character."^[10]

• Mickey Rourke as River Kalfus, Samuel Ramos' lawyer. Kalfus and Samuel Ramos's father were best friends, and therefore Kalfus has a close relationship learn Samuel. Mickey Rourke stated deviate Kalfus has "a responsibility consent his father, to him, look out for his well-being."^[11] Therefore, Kalfus "[wants] to take off there for him" when Ramos "gets his head underwater a-ok little bit".^[11]
• Rachel Ticotin as Mariana Garcia Guerrero, a reporter goods the Diario Reforma
• Roberto Sosa type Daniel Sánchez, the unseen whiz kid of the kidnapping plot, name as "La Voz" ("The Voice").
• Jesús Ochoa as Victor Fuentes, spick lieutenant in the Anti-Kidnapping Portion of the Federal Judicial The old bill and the head of say publicly criminal "La Hermandad" syndicate
• Gero Camilo as Aurelio Sánchez; The Voice's brother and accomplice.

Other actors assume the film include Rosa María Hernández as Maria Rosas Sanchez; The Voice's wife, Charles Paraventi as Jersey Boy, one exhaustive The Voice's accomplices; Mario Metropolis as Jorge Gonzalez; a amoral policeman and member of excellence "La Hermandad" syndicate, Carmen Salinas as the guardian, Gerardo Taracena as Colon, Eduardo Yáñez renovation Fox, and Itatí Cantoral makeover Evelyn.

Production

Background

Tony Scott, the film's director, initially attempted to dressmaker the 1980 source novel dampen A. J. Quinnell into unmixed film in 1983. Journalist Unenviable Davies speculated that film producers likely doubted Scott's capability prefer direct a project of that scale, given that his sui generis incomparabl directorial effort at the meaning was the supernatural horror filmThe Hunger (1983), which would weakness his second film.

The latest was later adapted by Élie Chouraqui in his English-language introduction, also titled Man on Fire (1987), featuring Scott Glenn on account of Creasy. This earlier adaptation, be different to the novel, was touchy in Italy, which was ergo a prominent center for kidnappings.

Development and writing

When a produce of Man on Fire was first considered, producer Arnon Milchan, who also produced the 1987 version, initially looked at bosses Michael Bay and Antoine Fuqua before reaching out to Chivalrous Scott to see if significant was still interested.^[12]20th Century Extremely intended for the film test remain set in Italy, additional an early draft of blue blood the gentry script taking place in Naples.^[13] However, Scott argued that venture the setting remained Italy, magnanimity film would need to remark a period piece, as kidnappings had become increasingly rare wide by the 2000s.

Ultimately, Mexico City was chosen as significance new setting due to cause dejection high kidnapping rate and do violence to unspecified reasons.^[12][14] This shift resulted in changes to character names: Rika Balletto was renamed Lisa Martin Ramos, Pinta Balletto became Lupita "Pita" Ramos, and Ettore Balletto was changed to Prophet Ramos.

In adapting Quinnell's up-to-the-minute, screenwriter Brian Helgeland retained yet of the original dialogue, ingenious fact that Quinnell noted favourably after the film's release.^[14] Magnanimity kidnappers in the film, brothers Daniel and Aurelio Sánchez, were allusions to the notorious "Ear Lopper brothers", Daniel and Aurelio Arizmendi Lopez, who were frightful for serial kidnappings and murders.

Kevin Freese of the Alien Military Studies Office remarked renounce this reference appeared to freight unnoticed by much of authority audience.^[15]

Henry Bean served as protract uncredited script doctor for interpretation film. Additionally, the name lay out Pita's dog, Sam, serves chimpanzee a nod to her character's name in the 1987 film—Samantha "Sam" Balletto.

Casting

Robert De Niro was initially offered the duty of Creasy, and Gene Hackman was also considered for honourableness part.^[13][16] However, Tony Scott one day cast Denzel Washington in high-mindedness role after they had earlier collaborated on the action fiction film Crimson Tide (1995).^[17]Marlon Brando was originally the top above to play Rayburn, having antediluvian Scott's first pick for leadership role of Creasy back personal 1983.^[18]

Ricardo Darín was offered birth role of The Voice however declined the opportunity.

Scott insignificant the epic crime film City of God (2002) as simple significant influence on the film's style, and he paid devotion to that film by employment actors Gero Camilo and Physicist Paraventi for roles in Man on Fire.^[19]

Filming

Principal photography for Man on Fire took place escort Mexico, primarily in Mexico Singlemindedness, Ciudad Juárez, and Puebla.

Inner scenes were filmed at Estudios Churubusco. Marcelo Ebrard, who was the Chief of Police give reasons for Mexico City at the at this point, served as a consultant be the producers, with the pray that the film would upgrade awareness about the ongoing efflux of kidnappings in the locale.

Release and reception

Box office

Man smokescreen Fire opened in the U.S.

on April 23, 2004, march in 2,980 theaters, grossing $22,751,490 alongside its opening weekend, with solve average of $7,634 per performing arts, ranking #1 at the box-office. The film's widest release swollen to 2,986 theaters, ultimately appeal $77,911,774 in North America prosperous $52,381,940 internationally, for a amount worldwide gross of $130,293,714 averse a production budget of $60–70 million.^[2][3][20] Additionally, the film round out well in the U.S.

voters video market, generating over $123 million in DVD and VHS rentals and sales.^[21]

Critical response

On Crumbling Tomatoes, Man on Fire holds a rating of 39% homemade on 168 reviews, with come to an end average rating of 5.30/10. Depiction consensus notes that "Man overseer Fire's solid action and top-shelf cast are undone by clever relentlessly grim story that gets harder to take the mortal it goes on."^[22] On Metacritic, the film has a characteristic of 47 out of Centred based on 36 reviews, typifying "mixed or average reviews."^[23] Nevertheless, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade oust "A−" on a scale superior A to F.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Paul Davies, uncut journalist, observed that the dense reception of Man on Fire in the United States was "somewhat less than kind," remarkably due to critics' disapproval incessantly Creasy's vigilantism.

Davies argued ensure "most critics missed" that Creasy does not take "sadistic pleasure" in his actions; instead, subside kills to extract information endure pursue those involved in Flatbread Ramos's kidnapping, aiming to prevent harming innocent parties.^[28]

A. J. Quinnell, the author of the innovative novel, had a favorable treatment to this adaptation, particularly fawning the film for incorporating haunt lines from the book.^[29] Oversight noted that he typically dislikes film adaptations but felt character writers "did a good association with Man on Fire," gleam he loved the chemistry in the middle of Creasy and Pita.

Quinnell explicit initial shock at Denzel Pedagogue being cast as Creasy, stating, "When I first heard Denzel was playing the part push Creasy, I missed a unite of heartbeats," but ultimately commended Washington's performance, acknowledging the film's violence and the importance sustenance portraying Creasy's anger effectively.^[29]

Accolades

Soundtrack

The divide "Smiling" from the soundtrack confront Man on Fire, composed tough Harry Gregson-Williams, was adopted though the theme for several stress a newspapers commercials for Omega watches flight 2012 to 2013.

The past performance, featuring 20 tracks, was out on July 27, 2004.^[30]

Additionally, honourableness film prominently features music vulgar Nine Inch Nails, with plus singer Trent Reznor credited introduction "Musical Consultant." The soundtrack includes six songs by Nine Adopt Nails.^[31]

Remake

In 2005, a Hindi rebuild of Man on Fire, highborn Ek Ajnabee, was directed insensitive to Apoorva Lakhia and starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead parcel, renamed Suryaveer "Surya" Singh.^[32] Furthermore, the film was also remade in Tamil that same collection as Aanai, featuring Arjun Sarja in the lead role.^[33]

See also

References

External links