MAN WITH NO PAST Review: A Tale Of Cyclic Vengeance That Checks Some Boxes, But Not All
Man With No Past will be available to buy on digital on January 14 by Republic Pictures (a Paramount Pictures Label).
With thirty years of stunt work in the rear view, James Bamford has already begun the staunch effort toward directing, having already etched in a number of television shows next to his extensive stunt resumé. On the film front, fans of his work have been keeping tabs of Bamford whose debut at the helm heretofore was Shaina West starrer, Jade, which got its day in the UK last June. As of this publication, that film is nowhere to be seen in the states, which is a little bewildering to say the least, although his latest, Man With No Past, is a clear and pretty cool indicator that the man newly at the helm these days is still going strong.
The concept executed is something of a different story depending on your tastes, but it makes a solid case for a story worth seeing. Slavic deities and idioms of erelong musings come and go for a film that largely focuses on its cast of characters surrounding Ryder (Adam Woodward), an amnesiac who wakes up in a hotel in a city with no idea as to how he got there. While his only solace is a local bar shepherded by Shelly (Charlotte Weston) and beautiful legal aid and part time barmaid Morgan (Charlotte Vega), we are soon introduced to billionaire developer Sanborn (Jon Voight), who finds himself wedged between listening to his own conscience, or adhering to the manipulative wills of corporate confidant Mr. Soach (Martin Csokas), to push a city redevelopment project that could unhouse millions.
What unfolds is an unraveling of events mired in flashbacks of Ryder in a cyclic contour of past lives that place him squarely as a one-man army against oppressive regimes and rulers, and killer henchmen like Jack (Philip Winchester), a gun for hire whose loyalties and interests of whom he adheres to remain to be seen. Enigmatic mental images of a little girl further thicken the intrigue as Ryder soon finds himself standing at the threshold of time and space, bringing him ever closer to an answer he may not be ready for, as a recalcitrant City Councilman insists on killing Sanborn’s project, forcing Ryder to act.
Producer Steven Paul’s screenplay lends a fascinating and action-packed tale that certainly tickles the fantasy fanservice some (this could have easily been a Highlander flick with a few tweaks here and there). Woodward is a solid choice for the role of Ryder who carries the film well between the modest drama and the action beats in between. Ryder’s inevitable courtship with Morgan is a slowboil as he works to pass muster with Shelly, who herself is much more than meets the eye. Voight’s take on the tycoon-like Sanborn almost emanates that of a certain politician, minus the moral compass and burgeoning internal conflict, while Winchester’s Jack is a feasible offering as Ryder’s routine henchman to beat. The crown among the antagonist lot goes to Csokas, who oozes charisma at every turn in the role of Sanborn’s “architect,” so to speak.
The flashbacks all reveal three different eras and regions of our characters in their past lives. These scenes are crucial to the film’s development, which, in turn, allows Bamford to make a strong case for the film’s action scenes, coordinated and assembled by Stanimir Stamatov, and fight choreographer and cinematographer Radoslav Parvanov. That means gladiator battles, tavern brawls, and an explosive gun battle which all serve as indicators of what’s to come in the finale, and none of it is fully laid out for the viewer until well into the climatic latter half as our hero makes peace with his fate.
What’s fuzzy to me about Man With No Past and the concept Bamford and Paul showcase here is the question of whether or not our titular ‘man’ begins their tale the same way in each of the previous lifetimes as he does in the present day. The film never makes that aspect clear, which sort of leaves things up to the viewer as to whether or not they want to connect those dots themselves. If it’s worth suspending enough disbelief to enjoy, however, then Man With No Past should serve as a feasible, entertaining at-home popcorn thriller for action fans, as Bamford stays the course and sharpens his craft.
