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Reviews
Easy Rider (1969)
Essential viewing...
I saw this film some years ago for the first time, and remember liking the bikes and the soundtrack. I've seen it several times since, and have developed a much deeper respect and understanding of American counter-culture of the 60s.
Someone else mentioned that it isn't a blissed-out narrative of 60s flower-power, but more the dark demise of a provocative era. This is true. This film, along with the frightening events at Altamont at the end of 1969, signalled the chequered flag, literally and figuratively, for the hippie movement and the freedom of expression of the 1960s.
1971's 'Vanishing Point' tries to bask in the reflected glory of Easy Rider, yet appears overblown and pretentious in comparison. The photography, location and direction of the film are a perfect foil for our three heroes - Hopper and Fonda already open-minded, Nicholson is the drunk, middle-American who dares to push the (state) boundary and try to understand his new friends' quest.
The irony of Nicholson's death in the film can't be overlooked. Fonda and Hopper are bruised but relatively unscathed. The yokels are punishing the 'real' American for daring to join these free-spirited 'non' Americans - he is one of their own turned bad. It's all very well to look at animals in a cage but it's unacceptable to jump in there and join them. These hillbillies were symptomatic of a reactionary, rural Deep South that was chalk to the big cities cheese.
America is and always has been a country of contrasts and conflicting opinions. Then, as now, there is a tangible sense of social paranoia - who are these people that don't look like me, think like me, worship like me or do what I do? I'm not wrong so it must be them...
**** out of *****
Brannigan (1975)
Exquisite
I can't get enough of these kinds of films. They are simply superb, for all the wrong reasons. The Duke's portrayal of a rebel cop in a horrendous toupee, the cheesy cliched lines, the routine gun-car-chase-almost-love-interest plot. How someone like Richard Attenborough bought into this I'll never know. He plays the haughty, stiff-upper-lipped commander of police at Scotland Yard, who meets Brannigan at a Gentlemen's Club. Then there's the hilarious Yank/Limey bashing, the fact that all the action takes place around London's major tourist attractions (Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square etc.), and the car stunts as Tower Bridge opens, which includes a dreadful cut the worst model set-up of any film ever in the history of cinematography. The ending at the disused factory complex incorporates a double-double cross, which I thought was a classy touch. I can't recommend this film enough. I can't stand John Wayne so I'll put it as his best outing. Go and watch it. **** out of *****
Sleepers (1996)
Just too weak...
I was surprised at how weak this film was. The best thing about it was Dustin Hoffman, and he didn't turn up until half an hour from the end. The script is implausible. Why would the prosecution (okay, they were going to throw the case) not cross-examine the defendants? I'm a big De Niro fan and wasn't too impressed. The directing was slipshod, and not enough emotional compassion was developed for the characters. Okay, boyhood, inseparable friends they may have been, but the film omits the formative years after they're released from Wilkinson Home for Boys. Cold-blooded killers? Assistant district attorney? Alright, but why and how? If this is some kind of buddy movie, I've seem it done much better, with lower budgets and supposedly 'weaker' casts. Disappointing.
Straw Dogs (1971)
Poor Cornish Folk...
I enjoyed this film. It is well-directed and well-acted. There are some violent scenes, but nothing too gory or vivid. I can appreciate why it was banned in Britain - the fact that Amy begins to enjoy the rape, and the negative depiction of South-Western rural communities. There are some classy directoral touches, such as the freeze-frames at the most violent points (as used in The Wild Bunch) and the provocative camera angles between Hoffman and George. Dustin Hoffman is perfectly cast as the outsider.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS - What is he fighting for at the end?? To save his wife? No, as she was ready to leave, and was only restrained by violence on Hoffman's part. The life of Henry Niles? Maybe, but Hoffman knows he is a child molester although he is oblivious of the fact that he has murdered the girl. His house and property? Quite naturally, but what is most interesting is the fact that he is fighting for a cause when in fact he knows he isn't. His marriage seems doomed, Niles has killed the girl, his house is wrecked. At the end, he says to Niles that he too doesn't know his way home, so he has acknowledged his fate. This is a tussle with himself, his masculinity and his role as a man. A mathematician who is loathe to use violence overcomes the odds when the chips are down, to prove to himself he can do it.
The English cast are brilliantly sinister and uncompromising in their attitudes towards Hoffman. All round a good film. **** out of *****
Cruising (1980)
No, not for me thanks...
I was disappointed, I have to say. It's a stock Hollywood whodunnit with a homosexual twist, and a pretty poorly constructed one at that. Friedkin of French Connection and Exorcist fame proves he can't cut it as a writer, Pacino doesn't look right as either a cop or a leather-bound gay man, and his performance is affected accordingly. Pretty weak performance from the normally unswayable Sorvino into the bargain. This could have been used as a double episode of Quincy, regardless of sexuality issues. That it is set in the early 80s S&M underworld of New York is mere window-dressing for a crummy thriller. Are we supposed to think Pacino is "turning" gay in the final scenes with his wife or what?? Poor all round. ** out of *****
Pi (1998)
Different....
Firstly, let me comment on how disappointed I was to read David Heatherly's patronising, hipper-than-thou debunking of November 3rd. While I may be a 24 year-old, who, excuse me, hasn't studied esoteric mathematics, I felt it to be a novel and dynamic experiment with a subject that many of us do not know too much about. Sure there was a lot of style and editing, but I wouldn't have wanted to sit through a two-hour lecture on the ins and outs of number theory. Enough.
I was impressed with Gullette's debut, he certainly cut a mathematician-style figure. Quirky, nerdy, private, general social recluse, with no time for any of the comforts we normally afford ourselves. This man eats, breathes and sleeps mathematics.
Aronofsky is obviously a big fan of the on-body camera, brought to light by Scorsese and Harvey Keitel in Mean Streets, and uses it with good effect. I recently saw Requiem for a Dream and noticed it appearing again. Lighting superb, editing outstanding.
I eagerly await Aronofsky's next installment. Watch it and decide for yourself. **** out of *****
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Happy Days...
The one emotion I felt after watching this was one of warmth. My piddling problems (dumped by girlfriend, soccer injury, no food in the house) seemed like bliss compared to the tribulations of Requiem's characters. How Ellen Burstyn didn't get the Oscar I'll never know. Connelly, Leto, Wayans were all superb. I agree with the comment about making you love the characters and then destroying them all. Leto's attempt to make some cash and abstain when stocks are low, Connelly's dream about the designing, Burstyn's crazed desire to be on TV, and then it all turns to dust. The two girls with the dildo was one of the hardest things I've ever had to watch. The humiliation, the horror, the horror. Stunning directing, amazing editing (it must have taken a while) and top-class acting. A must,must see. Note interestingly symbolic foetal position of all the charcters at the end. Poignant to say the least. ***** out of *****
Runaway Train (1985)
One of Voight's crackers
I first saw this film at the heady age of 12 and it has left a lasting impression. I felt the breathtaking beauty of the location as well as the inspired performances by Voight, Roberts and DeMornay made for a really well-rounded movie incorporating some excellent cinematography and direction. The black beast of a train serves brilliantly as a place more solitary than the Alaska prison that Buck and Manny escape from - the feeling of confinement is ever-present throughout.
Also, the train is a stark contrast the surrounding Alaska countryside, and we are aprty to some stunning helicopter photography to illustrate it. I thought in essence it was a beautiful film - Rankin is quite obviously the real villain. I agree with the contributor that says Rankin is reminiscent of Lenin at the end - now that I think it about it it seems quite marked. What to read into that I'm not quite sure, but maybe I'll have a think and come back.
I loved the film - 4 and a half out of 5
Saps at Sea (1940)
Inimitable Laurel and Hardy from top to tail...
There would be those that argue by 1940, the boys are past their best. This is a reminder of the prowess of these two comedic, cinematic giants. Ollie is diagnosed with hornaphobia (in fact, you're on the verge of hornamania!) by James Finlayson and advised to get some calm ocean air to relieve his jangled nerves. With Stan acting as nurse, the boys hire a boat, intending to stay moored to the dock until their goat (the doctor advises plenty of ghost's milk) gnaws through the mooring and they are left to drift out to sea accompanied by escaped prisoner Nick Grainger (and Nick jr.). Some scenes had me rolling in laughter - Ollie blowing up the lungtester, the banana, the synthetic meal, the dodgy plumbing and the fight scene at the end. If you've seen this film you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't then I recommend you find out. **** out of *****
Duel (1971)
More than a cult classic...
This is, with no word of exaggeration, one of the finest pieces of 70s cinematography there is. Made on a reputed budget of $425,000 dollars, it was Spielberg's first and still one of his best works. There are some flaws that show it to be a tight-purse-strings TV movie - the cameraman visible on the back seat of the car about 25 minutes in, the glass cage that Mann throws at the truck is actually broken when he picks it up, the cough when Mann is asleep by the railway and probabl some more, but intense nit-picking is what sad people practise.
Dennis Weaver is excellent as the browbeaten, hen-pecked husband and run-of-the-mill rep - he has a family car, nothing too flashy and is struggling to meet a client somewhere (once he realises that he'll miss his appointment, he doesn't turn back, which is arguably a sensible option, yet this is a battle with himself).
The truck is a metaphor for his life and his problems - the argument with his wife, the stress of his job, middle-age, insignificance. The mundane country music and the guy who calls the radio station to ask if he can put himself as 'head of the family' on the census form are poignant reminders that all is not well with David Mann even before the chase begins All through the movie he is wrestling with himself, with his ego and his conscience, convincing himself he can vanquish this foe and triumph against the odds.
I don't want to say much more than this, because it really is a very good film, and not just for lads who like car-chases. I would recommend it to anyone, it is one of the few films that does offer edge-of-the-seat entertainment. Anyone who can read between the lines and does not just rely on the visual should watch it. I rank it a 10.
Raging Bull (1980)
The finest two hours on film
There is little to criticize in this film. The splendid camera work, the perfect 1940s New York locations, an unsurpassed cast, splendid editing and of course the inimitable combination of De Niro and Scorsese make for a movie that feels timeless - with most films there is usually a quality that allows one to determine the approximate age. This is due in no small part to the black-and-white film, although few ignorant of its age would guess this film is now 21 years old.
The fight scenes are magnificent - super-real in detail (the fights are reportedly taken punch-for-punch from the original ones) while LaMotta later commented that after a gruelling training regime De Niro could have quite conceivably turned professional. Scorsese used differing sizes of boxing rings to illustrate atmosphere and boxing style. If you ever see the film, take a second to notice.
There are countless memorable moments and endless quotable dialogue, and the everyday scenes counteract the explosive fights. Joe Pesci turns in a lifetime best performance (in my opinion better than Tommy in GoodFellas and Nicky in Casino), while Cathy Moriarty is excellent as LaMotta's long-suffering wife.
There really is too much to write about. Just watch it.
Bullitt (1968)
McQueen does the cop thing...
Steve McQueen had realised by 1968 his worth as a Hollywood icon. Dressed impeccably in Italian fashion and suede Brogues, in the oh-so-cool setting of late 60s San Francisco, Lieutenant Frank Bullitt steps from chic girlfriend Jacqueline Bisset's architect's office in to a throbbing 390 GT Mustang. This was a film of the times.
Supported by Don Gordon as his underling sergeant, Frank rarely involves himself in police procedure and laughs in the face of regulations. With smarmy congressman Robert Vaughan at his heels for the death of a Mob witness that he was ordered to protect, Bullitt goes after the killers, maverick-style. Bullitt contains the grandaddy of all car chases, the ultimate that the French Connection and Ronin can only try to emulate. There's something about a Dodge Charger and a Ford Mustang that adds the touch of muscle - Audi A8s are executive cars, that just don't look cool enough.
The plot is serviceable but nothing special. But the film isn't about that. Overall it's a pleasing movie. It's no La Regle du Jeu or Taxi Driver for production style or direction. It's merely a blockbuster that looks and feels right.