FORCE OF NATURE

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital and On Demand this week from director Michael Polish and Lionsgate comes a mixture of crime and drama when added to a FORCE OF NATURE.

Cardillo (Emile Hirsch) is having trouble with life and his job being a cop. Wanting to do as little as possible is not going to be the order of his day. As a storm moves in, he is ordered to go building to building to evacuate residents. Helping him with this is Jess (Stephanie Cayo) who sees right away that working with Cardillo is not going to be easy.

First problem is Griffin (William Catlett) who refuses to leave until he has fed his cat! They can’t possibly see what’s coming next when they meet Ray (Mel Gibson), an ex-cop who is set in his way and in the chair he has staked his claim to. Arguing with Cardillo and Jess, Troy (Kate Bosworth) steps in to settle the dispute. On another floor there is Cruz (Joksan Ramos) and they convince him to go with them only to be met by men carrying guns.

That would be Migs (Blas Sien Diaz), Dillion (Tyler Jon Olson) and Bennie (Julio Velez) and more who are ordered by John (David Zayas) to get what Cruz has. Confused yet? Oh don’t be because mother nature is about to make her entrance into the mix and with Ray on their side it doesn’t bode well – or does it?

Hirsch as Cardillo is all grown up and in a role that has secrets of his own. Cardillo isn’t happy by any means to go out into the storm, he’d rather stay behind the police desk and ride out the weather. When ordered to go, he is still doing it kicking and screaming and making it clear to anyone who will listen that helping people is not his agenda.

Bosworth as Troy does her best to keep Cardillo and Ray from knocking each other out which helps since she’s a doctor. Helping where she can and having eyes where they need them is her goal. Gibson as Ray sees what everyone is up against as an ex-cop, he does not mind getting in one last shot at the bad guys. He is a grumpy old codger that does not like to be told what to do which is interesting because Cardillo is exactly the same - only 30+ years younger.

Cayo as Jess isn’t having an easy time working with Cardillo but an even less easy time with the bad guys looking for them. New to the precinct, I’m sure this isn’t what she signed up for as a perfect storm is brewing! Catlett as Griffin has a little furry friend that takes precedence over anything else but sometimes furry friends have claws. Griffin wants to leave but quickly becomes part of the chaos.

Now the villainy! Diaz as Migs, Olson as Dillon and Velez as Bennie are men taking orders from Zayas as John. They aren’t about to let a little thing like hurricane winds and torrential rains stop them from getting what they want. I mean what do they have to lose right?

Other cast include: Jorge Ramos as Bergkamp, Vazquez as Pride, Jesy McKinney as Babie, Xavier Reyes as Ernesto and Luillo Ruize as Super Louie Joe.

Lionsgate is a global content leader with a reputation for innovation whose films, television series, location-based and live entertainment attractions and Starz premium pay platform reach next generation audiences around the world. For more information and to see what Lionsgate has to offer please visit www.lionsgate.com.

FORCE OF NATURE is a story filled with twists and turns with the most unlikely of characters calling the shots. Surrounded by a Cat-5 hurricane, it only makes things even more deadly and more dangerous. There are moments where its easy to get wrapped up in both!

The characters aren’t hard to grasp and each has a story to tell, just ask Griffin, and it comes out in bits and pieces are the inner-building game of cat and mouse continues. The hurricane is frosting on the cake.

In the end – when the perfect crime meets the perfect storm!

THE LONG ROAD HOME Begins from National Geographic

Jeri Jacquin

Beginning this week on the National Geographic channel is the global miniseries event with creator Mikko Alanne telling the story of THE LONG  ROAD HOME.

Aguero (E.J. Bonilla) is with the First Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood but also a family man leaving behind wife Amber (Katie Paxton) and two small children to serve overseas. His youngest son Elijah is not taking it well and Aguero explains that he must go with the other soldiers because he is their leader. His son takes it the wrong way but it weighs heavy on his heart.

The next morning the entire company boards their transport to leave for Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq. Getting ready for transfer of authority Gary Volesky (Michael Kelly) prepares for the change working with Troy Denomy (Jason Ritter). Aguero, Sgt. Eric Bourquin (Jon Beavers), SPC Acevedo (Franklin Silverio), SPC Garza (Jorge Diaz), Sgt. Jackson (Joshua Brennan), Spc Carl Wild (Thomas McDonell) and the company are going through town learning the streets.

Stopping to visit with children along with translator Jassim Al-Lani (Darius Homayoun) they are being watched. Sgt. Miltenberger (Jeremy Sisto) makes it clear to the other soldiers that things aren’t always what they appear and that they need to be prepared for that.

Back home Gina Denomy (Kate Bosworth) begins working with Leann Volesky (Sarah Wayne Callies) in putting care packages together for the soldiers. Leann tells the families that help is only a phone call away and they should be afraid to reach out.

In Iraq, the platoon encounters weapons that are inside a mosque and when confronted, tensions rise. Calmed down by allowing the weapons to stay inside the mosque, the soldiers go on their way. Returning to their mission, the convoy is fired upon and they are trapped in an ambush. Taking fire from machine guns, they are forced to run through road blocks and into smoke laden streets where seeing is difficult at best.

At Camp War Eagle the wounded are being brought in and Volesky’s story is told. Celebrating Christmas early with his wife Leann and their young son Alex, the couple deals with last minute life things like changing the oil on the car.

Sadr City has become even more dangerous as the troops begin to search for those shooting at the convoy. This is a fire fight that isn’t going to stop soon.

Bonilla as Aguero is the leader of the group and it is clear why. He knows what needs to be done and leads his men. Trying to find positions to protect them all, he waits while Volesky decides on the next course of action.

Kelly as Commander Volesky believes in the mission of returning every soldier under his command home again. As the ambush breaks out, he must bring about the best plan to take more soldiers into for a rescue. Seeing the wounded men pushes him harder to find answers. Beavers as Sgt. Bourquin doesn’t settle fools lightly and is clear on what he must do. The first casualty brings up Bourquin’s suspicions of their interpreter as he finds it difficult to deal with.

Boseworth as Gina is raising a newborn while waiting word from her husband Troy. When it becomes clear that something is going on in Sadr City, she turns to Leann. Callies as Leann feels she has the trust of the women under her husbands command and does her best to keep them calm. Karina Ortiz is Lupita Garza who is the first to hear about the attack in Sadr City and wants answers.

This is only the first episode with Into the Unknown airing Tuesday, November 14^th at 10 p.m. on National Geographic. It is a series that is to be experienced in it’s telling of the eight-hour battle that happened in Sadr City on April 4, 2004. Told in real time it is a confrontation of innocent Iraqis and trapped soldiers whose families are at home waiting for news.

The film is based on the New York Times bestselling book The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family by Martha Raddatz. She is the chief global affairs correspondent for ABC News and over a twenty year period she has covered the White House and conflict zones world wide. 

Please consider being a part of this experience from National Geographic. Also know that the scenes are intense and in that are the stories of these brave men. There is a frustration level in the first episode alone as these soldiers must come to terms with their situation and how to survive it.

Once again National Geographic has brought a compelling story to television. THE LONG ROAD HOME is just that – compelling and heartfelt in so many ways. This miniseries is worthy of discussion after just the first two episodes and I will be watching every single one of them.

In the end – it is a story of men, their families and a battle for survival.