With “Silent Night,” Hong Kong action director John Woo returns to the big screen to deliver a unique spin on his flamboyant signature style. This time, he abandons dialogue altogether and relies on the visual language of the camera to tell the story. And amid a hail of deadly bullets, this approach works with a bone-crunching flair.
Fans may recognize Woo as the man who gave us 1996’s “Broken Arrow” and 1997’s terrific “Face/Off.” But if you dig deeper into his lengthy filmography, you might discover his work with actor Chow Yun-Fat in 1980’s classics “A Better Tomorrow” and, of course, “The Killer.” The two teamed up again for 1992’s “Hard Boiled,” one of the most entertaining action films ever made.
John Woo directing on the set of “Silent Night.” Photo Credit: Carlos Latapi
“Silent Night” isn’t nearly as good as those movies, but by eliminating the dialogue, Woo gives audiences a universally accessible picture you can’t help but admire. And in actor Joel Kinnaman he finds a star with the physicality for action and the expressiveness to hold our attention without uttering a single word. It’s a remarkable achievement to be lauded.
The story has Swedish actor Kinnaman (see Apple TV’s “For All Mankind” and “The Suicide Squad”) playing family man Brian Godlock. He’s a building contractor of some sort, living the suburban American dream with his wife, Saya (Catalina Sandino Mareno). The day before Christmas, Brian and Saya settle down to play in the yard with their young son. But unknown to them, a gang war is brewing and has come to their sleepy street.
As the battling gangs, guns blazing, ride past the Godlock residence, a stray bullet strikes their boy, killing him instantly. On foot, Brian immediately pursues the gang through the winding streets and is able to catch them and dispatch some of the members. But the leader, the villainous Playa (Harold Torres), survives and shoots Brian in the throat.
Saya rushes Brian to the hospital, where his body eventually survives, but he is left without the ability to speak. His spirit is broken forever as grief overcomes him. But as Brian sinks deeper and deeper into depression, Saya is forced to move out. This separation causes Brian to find a new purpose—revenge.
Director John Woo and Joel Kinnaman on the set of “Silent Night.” Photo Credit: Carlos Latapi
Woo has fun with Brian’s year-long planning and preparation for his Christmas Eve night of vengeance. We see the man training, learning to shoot, outfitting a Ford Mustang with armor, and learning how to fight by watching YouTube. Still, the script smartly doesn’t make Brian out to be some kind of superman. And even though Kinnaman has the sculpted body of an action star, he plays Brian as an everyman who is surprised by his initial success and even a little fearful of what he’s become.
Brian’s ultimate target is Playa, and Torres is good in the scary role. Sporting a wild facial tattoo and carrying himself with a confident, crazed smugness, Playa is an imposing adversary. And his gang members that rule the streets include varied groups of baddies, some of whom can take a licking and keep on ticking.
Harold Torres as Playa in “Silent Night.” Photo Credit: Carlos Latapi
One extended fight is comparable to the sequence that generated buzz for David Fincher’s latest hitman film, “The Killer.” In “Silent Night,” Godlock takes a beatdown from one of Playa’s tough guy enforcers that’s off-the-charts. And the brutal fisticuffs take place in an urban decay location that will remind viewers of a scaled-down version of the apartment building in “The Raid: Redemption.”
“Silent Night” was shot in Mexico, even though it occurs in the United States. And while there’s no dialogue between the characters, the sound design teases a cool, gritty Latin vibe. The production for the film’s conclusion plays colorfully with the location and the seasonal theme by filling the room with basketball-sized glass shiny Christmas bulbs. This set dressing gives the movie a strange, unsettling tone that sharply conflicts with the traditional holiday spirit.
At 77, director John Woo proves he’s still a relevant action master. Next year, we might finally see his remake of “The Killer” with “Lupin” star Omar Sy. In the meantime, “Silent Night” is a solid little actioner punched up by the dialogue-free twist.
