Keanu Reeves is reinventing himself again, this time as an slightly angry and intermittently unkempt samurai in this spectacular-looking fantasy romp
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Keanu Reeves is a master of reinvention. If you first saw him as a bumbling slacker in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, it'd be impossible to imagine him as the full-throttle action hero of Speed. And if you first saw him in Speed, it'd be impossible to imagine him as The Matrix's sci-fi messiah figure. But The Matrix ended a decade ago. Surely another Keanu Reeves reinvention is long overdue.
It might just happen at Christmas, when Keanu's new movie, 47 Ronin, is released. Based on the real-life story of a small band of samurai who take on an entire army, 47 Ronin has one of the most spectacular trailers I've ever seen. It makes the film look like a cross between Kagemusha and Lord of The Rings. It piles on so much action that it's genuinely breathtaking to behold. However, it's still a Keanu Reeves film, so I'm going to try and tell you the story of the 47 Ronin trailer purely through Keanu Reeves reaction shots:
Keanu Reeves plays Kai, a man shunned by Japanese society for his mixed-race heritage. As you can see, the shame has caused him to perpetually live in the shadows, where he perspires indiscriminately and develops a slapdash attitude to grooming.
However, over time, Keanu Reeves finds acceptance in the arms of a woman. She tends to his needs and helps to rehabilitate him emotionally, as demonstrated by the fact that he's made some effort with his hair and looks quite tired.
But, despite this, Keanu Reeves is still an outcast. Here he's being beaten with sticks by a circle of officials. Or maybe he's popping a blister and it's squirted blood all over his face. It's hard to tell. But, whatever he's doing, Keanu Reeves is a picture of furious determination.
Now this is spectacular. It's Keanu Reeves fighting an ogre. A real-life, 10-foot-tall, monstrous ogre brimming with weaponry. In the few seconds that we see of the battle, everything is destroyed. It's an orgy of metal and bone and splintered wood. But I'm only supposed to show you close-ups of Keanu Reeves's face, so here it is.
Also, Keanu Reeves is disgruntled by horses.
But now the samurai have taken notice of Keanu Reeves; of his tenderness and resilience and agility and barely concealed equine hatred. They recruit him as one of the titular 47. As a result, he ties his hair back and has a wash. The beard needs clipping, admittedly - but hey, one step at a time.
Now the enormity of the task at hand hits Keanu. He and a select band of samurai must take on and defeat an infinitely large number of soldiers. This is why his brow is furrowed. This is why his nostrils are flared. This is why he's forgotten to use conditioner again.
Again, this is a spellbinding scene. Keanu confronts a woman – possibly a witch – who uses her powers first to transform into a giant piece of billowing cloth, and then into a full-on dragon that plunges directly at the camera. It's amazing. It's unlike anything I've ever seen in a film. But here's Keanu's reaction – he waggles a sword around for a bit, in a very serious way.
So, you just missed a brilliant bit where a monster tore through a forest, angrily swiping at our band of heroes, who were powerless to stop it. It was incredible. Now we're in the majestically climactic part of the trailer where Keanu faces off against a supernatural monk who can teleport around in vivid loops and swirls of colour and fire on top of a mountain. The scene is dizzying, and here's Keanu's reaction. A split second after this, he blinks. It's great.
Finally, Keanu Reeves reaches enlightenment. Which is to say that his face is quite well-lit. That's roughly the same thing, isn't it?
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/jul/30/keanu-reeves-47-ronin-trailer
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