A Pause

Dennis Hopper died today. What an icon for our generation (o.k., mine). His long, long resume of acting and directing I will limit here to these favorites:

Rebel Without a Cause
Crash
Blue Velvet
Easy Rider
True Grit
Hang ‘Em High
Cool Hand Luke
Giant
Speed
Apocalypse Now

Wow. If he had only made ONE of these films, it would have been enough.

I liked the guy. In the last few years we saw him popping up on Ameriprise commercials looking like he had harnessed this last phase of life. A recent interview on Sunday Morning highlighted his talent in art and photography as well as his "happy" marriage. Then, within the last few months, acrimonious divorce, assault arrest, and prostate cancer. Jeeze. Just like that.

Do yourself a favor: check out his bio at IMDB.com
RIP, Brother Hopper.

Invictus

By definition, a film directed by Clint Eastwood must be good. Who can forget Mystic River, The Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby? Sorry, sports fans (pun intended), but Invictus is an Eastwood misfire.

There is wonderful material in the movie: Great actors, such as Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (who has really emerged as a star in the films based on Ludlum's novels). Great setting: South Africa post-Apartheid. Great idea: Sports as a focus of national unity.

The film's best moments are when Mandela, played deftly by MF, insists on integrating his staff and presenting a new white/black front. He excels when he takes the high road, refusing to revert to vengeance or one-race politics. I also enjoyed the comraderie of the rugby team, the love of the South Africans for sports, and the flavor of the times. As a history buff, I truly appreciated getting insight into the turbulent, tense days of post-Apartheid.

Yet the story never did more than scratch the surface. After all, Mandela was in prison for 35 years! Flashbacks maybe? Life in jail? Life before jail? How does a man emerge from such injustice and NOT proceed with bitterness? How does the young protester from the 60's become Ghandi-esque, almost a Christ figure?

More questions: Matt Damon's character, the rugby captain, comes from a traditionally racist family. Why is the twenty something so unlike his parents? Why don't the parents react more to their son's views? Why should we care at all about Matt's character?

In fact: Why should we really care about a rugby match? Some films are outstanding in making a single event galvanize a theme: Check out Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. The search for Ryan was the perfect glue that held the brilliant WWII Normandy Invasion together. NOT so with the soccer match. Are we somehow supposed to root for the end to Apartheid because of a sports team?

Even with Eastwood at the helm, the film never makes it off the ground. I'd assign a grade of C to this work. Go home and rewrite the story, then re-submit it to me. Oh, I forgot...I'm no longer in the classroom!

Back to you, film buddy!

The Clint Eastwood Opus

"Go ahead, make my day!" No one but Clint could make that line sound so convincing!

Clint got his start as Rowdy Yates in one of the late 50's westerns, Rawhide. He was never very powerful in that role. He was mostly handsome, so the female audience got to like him. He just smiled in every scene.

He got an interesting break when he was invited by Sergio Leone to be in the "Spaghetti Westerns." Curiously, Sergio interviewed other major parts for the central role in A Fistful of Dollars: Charles Bronson, Steve Reeves, Henry Fonda, and James Coburn. Leone chose Clint because he was already typecast as a rugged cowboy.

Seems our hero was more popular in Italy than the U.S. in the mid 60's! It was only when Clint starred with Lee Van Cleef in A Few Dollars More that his popularity spread to the U.S. Finally, the consummate tough cowboy did The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. He was brilliant as the range rider with few, if any, scruples.

In the Leone classics, Eastwood becomes iconic: He poses with his gritty, unshaven face, cigar in mouth, and deadpan glare before he reaches for his pistol and blasts away the bad guy with cool indifference.

For me, he really proved his mettle in High Plains Drifter. Part bully, part hero, he shows the cowards in the town how a real man deals with evil. He blows away three dudes while having a haircut and later whips an evil-doer to death! Wow!

Yet Clint was more than the violent cowboy, as he soon proved in the Dirty Harry series. As the rebel detective who believes in dealing with outlaws in a primal way, Harry is at once tough, just, and deadly. He follows his own brand of justice and does it with a vengeance!

As he moved mid-career, he did a few films that I could not watch...they were just too stupid. He bombed out (literally and figuratively) with Richard Burton in the long, meandering Where Eagles Dare. He tried a musical, Paint Your Wagon with a fellow lousy singer, Lee Marvin. He did a WWII movie, Kelly's Heroes, with Telly Savalas, that was about as unreal as it gets. He even did some stints as a trucker with a pet monkey. Oh, Clint!

Of course, he got back on track with Million Dollar Baby. As the macho trainer of a female boxer, he and his buddy Morgan Freeman, worked wonders. Hillary Swank got much of the credit, but Clint set the stage for the unusual boxing drama and eventual voyage into euthanasia.

What about my favorite, The Unforgiven? What an original role for our hero! As the reformed alcoholic William Money, former killer of women and children, Clint plays the bounty hunter with such fierce passion!

There are so many more CE films...just too many to mention. But Clint has been, and will always be, our gutsy macho hero. Even with white hair and wrinkled face in Gran Torino, he proves his valor!

What a guy!

Back to you, Valerie, for more comments.

The Secret in Their Eyes

Or, El secreto de sus ojos, now showing at Camelview is a terrific mystery/love film out of Argentina. As the film first unfolded, I thought how much it felt like a Law & Order. A little research later on its director, Juan Jose Campanela, explained it, as he has directed several Law & Order SVU episodes (along with several House).

I thought the direction was outstanding; the use of close ups, unusual angles and sudden camera work during a chase through a soccer stadium appeared to be a one camera, seamless shot. Wow. Really different. By now you know I like multi-layered titles, and this had one. Secrets truly are revealed in the eyes, whether secrets of love or fear or rage or violence or deceit. Campanela's use of extreme close-ups that wrapped around a character's head seemed to allow the camera to penetrate the inner soul.

The film was long with stunning twists and turns, and while I am never daunted by captioned films, I thought that, being a mystery, this might require too much attention for my sometimes-short attention span. But I was riveted, and actually, when a foreign film is good enough, I truly forget that it is captioned.

I recommend this movie - solid, captivating, heartfelt.

Seeing it with my spouse, my film blog partner, and his spouse, it earned thumbs up from us all!

The original Stepford Wives

My esteemed colleague Valerie recommended I see the original Stepford Wives. Well, Val, you were right! What a delight! And how much better than the silly, superficial new version with Nicole Kidman.

Made back in 1975 (the Middle Ages, to today's youth), this masterpiece starred Catherine Ross as the wife who is anguished seeing her fellow female suburbanites transformed into robot types.

Remember Catherine? She was Mrs. Robinson's daughter in The Graduate. She has a delightfully mysterious face throughout the Stepford crisis. She is at once scared, determined, upbeat, and dour as she and her best friend, played by Paula Prentiss, srtuggle with their new reality.

What really makes this film remarkable, however, are the serious feminist messages that emerge as we watch what should be nothing more than a light, entertaining, pseudo sci-fi film. In her marraige, Joanna (CR) struggles to be present, to have her feelings and opinions heard. Her husband (sadly miscast...if only he had been, say, Richard Chamberlain) refuses to acknowledge her concerns, ideas, and complaints.

As the film moves forward, we are thrown into the emotional angst that pervades most '70's films. How do we find happiness in life? How do we make marriage work? Can we trust our friends? Can the suburban world bring fulfillment? In the wake of the turmoil of the 60's, films in the next decade were so full of searching and longing.

How does Catherine fare in her battle to be unique and not turn into a suburban bot? I will not be a spoiler...but suffice it say that CS grabs a knife and becomes violence in one scene that no viewer will forget!

A+ work. Nice call, Valerie!

The Michael Douglas Opus

Michael's father, Kirk, was a fantastic actor. Remember him in Spartacus with Gene Simmons?Wow. My question: Does acting run in genes? In the case of the Douglas family, maybe.

Michael first emerged in The Streets of San Francisco. Playing opposite the very ugly, very talented Karl Malden, the pair looked like Beauty and the Beast. Michael was young and suave, learning the ropes from the old pro. Having grown up in SF, I loved the series. But in fact, it was Douglas' fine acting that really carried the plots.

In The China Syndrome, he played opposite Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon, sporting a dark beard and looking very clever. The pseudo sci-fi hit was a great movie, reminding us that it's okay to have a plot that makes us think! MD again stole the show, even with the young Fonda (another family prodigy, along with Henry and Peter and Bridget) acting up a storm.

In Romancing the Stone, MD turned to comedy, where once again he proved his valor. Playing opposite the gravely-voiced, beautiful Kathleen Turner, Michael was appropriately swash-buckling, brave, heroic, yet vulnerable as the guy who thought he was tough but really wanted to please the damsel in distress. The Jewel of the Nile sequel was almost as good as the original, and again MD played his part fantastically.

Wall Street would prove to be a Michael Douglas classic. As the ruthless broker who knew no bounds, he became a fascinating character, motivated by greed and driven by an ego as big as a NY skyscraper. He played mentor/hero/boss to a very confused, persistent Charlie Sheen, teaching him the ruthless ways of The Street. MD was perfect for the role.

Let's skip a bit chronologically to War of the Roses. With Kathleen Turner again at his side, he worked the role of nasty spouse-gettting-divorced with brutal and believable animosity. A tough film to watch, and bit noir-ish in tone, WoftheR displayed MD's amazing versatility as a comic/tragic hero.

In The Game, Michael is all-too-believable as the guy whose life is one day turned topsy-turvy. Unaware that he is part of a massive hoax, the poor protagonist undergoes one disaster after anothet, until he is a truly broken man. Stunning work.

And speaking of the broken man, MD was brilliant as the poor nerd who loses it one day in Falling Down. How does the handsome actor transform himself so perfectly into the thick-eyeglassed, violent guy who's simply had all he can take? As Michael becomes more dispirited, he plays the role of a simple man on the edge of insanity with delicate finesse.

NO role, however, matches MD's work in Basic Instinct. With Sharon Stone playing the slinky suspect, Michael is all-at-once the hard-boiled cop, gullible lover, stubborn partner, obsessive investigator, and heroic sleeze. Both MD and Sharon Stone should have been Oscar contenders for their roles, but the film might have been just a bit too rough for the average viewer! MD was also perfect in his role as former lover of Beth, played by our favorite Big Love actress, Jeanne Triplethorn.

So, in reviewing the best male actors, let's consider putting Michael Douglas toward the top of the list. I'll defer to you, Valerie, to further enlighten me on this actor's considerable talents.

The Sandra Bullock Opus

Since winning her Oscar, Sandra Bullock has gained new respect and recognition. However, in my mind, she has long been deserving of special praise for her acting and unusual roles.

I remember seeing her first in The Net. Although quite dated by today's hacking standards, and somewhat pioneering in the tech film world, the film stars Sandra as the victim of identity theft. She was super as the desperate seeker of the source of her woes. I will always remember the name Angela Bennett!

Then came Speed. Wow, what a romp! She and Keanu Reeves had perfect chemistry in the bus that could not fall below 50mph! Her humor, pathos, panic, vulnerability, and courage as Annie the bus driver were beyond belief. She was brave and sexy in her role as the common person thrown into an uncommon situation. If it had been up to me, I'd have considered her for an Oscar way back then.

On to her comedic brilliance in Miss Congeniality. She is heartwarming as the tough, feminist FBI agent thrown into the superficial world of the beauty contest. Sandra makes us laugh constantly throughout the film. My favorite scene: Her trying to balance on high heels and tripping. Yes, a bit Chaplinesque, but how well she plays it. She works wonderfully with the gay Michael Caine and very straight Benjamin Bratt, constantly playing off their characters to create a witty, and very funny, character.

What about her fine acting in The Proposal? Again, as the comedian, she approaches the brilliance of Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett. As the executive in charge with a green card problem, she is a riot moving into the role of the "fiancee" in need of a mate. Sandra makes us smile throughout the light-hearted film.

In What About Steve, she continues to display her comic genius. As the goofy, boyfriend-obsessed, idiot-savant who chases a cameraman across the country, Sandra displays some of her most offbeat work. Her relentless pursuit of her love interest reminds us of the two goofballs in Dumb and Dumber who make their way to Denver. But Sandra perhaps does it better! Even when the films turns a bit dour, with Sandra stuck in a pit with a wayward child, the actress moves easily from comedy to drama. Super stuff!

When she finally moves on to The Blind Side, she shows us how versatile she is. Whether playing mom to the big new family member or standing up to street punks, Sandra is perfect. She gets us to chuckle and root for her....as she does in all her films. We've already commented on The Blind Side elsewhere in the Blog.

As I summarize, I realize that I've mentioned only a handful of Sandra's work. I will ask others to fill in movies of hers they might have seen, such as Hope Floats, While You Were Sleeping, The Lake House, Crash, Two Weeks' Notice, and so many more! I commend the actress for her versatility and consistency. When films are released starring Ms. Bullock, I run to see them!

Pulp Fiction

The 1994 Quentin Tarantino classic is a wonder of style and cinematic pizazz!

But first, let's remember a few of the other Tarantino wonders. Reservoir Dogs was pure brilliance. With Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, and Tim Roth leading the crew of bullet-ridden misfits, how could the film go wrong? With the typical fluid time/space traveling story, QT takes us on a strange journey through a heist gone bad. But the real drama unfolds when the bleeding baddies begin to suspect that someone is a mole! For me, the high point of the film is Madsen whimsically dancing to the tune "Stuck in the Middle with You"... as he tries to figure out who to shoot!

On to the more recent Kill Bill duo....wow, what sword-yielding drama! As our heroine tracks down those who betrayed her and left her for dead, we follow the most bizarre, kung-fu-ish story of violence and mayhem. Only QT could pull this off... and leave us feeling awe-stricken at the ghoulish battle scenes. I will never forget Uma taking on the hundred or so baddies in the restaurant foyer! When she declares to the survivors, "Leave your body parts...they belong to me", we can only gasp at the originality of the scene... if, of course, we are not barfing from all the blood!

QT also participates in the south-of-the-border shoot-em-upper, Desperado. The bar scene, with Antonio Banderas blasting away with two .45's, will never be topped! And who can forget the greasy-faced hero in the arms of the lovely Salma Hayek?

Alas, this post is about Pulp Fiction, so I must not meander through the QT opus of genius! Pulp is simply as good as an offbeat thriller can get. The chemistry between the bible-thumping Samuel L Jackson and charmingly indifferent, yet strangely philosophical John Travolta, sets the stage for a number of memorable, gritty moments. Start with the music. The opening intensive notes set the stage for the gripping events to follow. Then there's Uma and John doing the twist in one of moviedom's all-time fantastic moments. On to the showdowns: When SLJ and JT shoot the kid dead in the apartment, only to be fired upon by a hidden gunman, only to find they have miraculously not been hit....which sets off SlJ's biblical vision issues....pow! What can we say? Then there's the restaurant scene, where "honey-bunny" and her boyfriend bungle the heist, only to be lectured to by a very patient SLJ! Or what about the strange scene in the gun shop, where the big boss is abused by baddies...and Bruce Willis, aka the boxer who refuses to take a fall, uses a sword to bale out his enemy. Oh, and how can we forget the car scene, when JT accidently shoots a guy it the face! And have we ever experience a cooler "cleaner" than Harvey Keitel? Strange specialty: cleaning up gun scenes for the mob bosses!

Oh my, too much to compliment! Faced with this kind of film genius, I feel unable to express my thoughts clearly. I ask you, Valerie, to help me here. Maybe you can be more precise in explaining (if you agree) why this film is a standout, worthy of our adoration.

Your Favorite Sci-Fi Film!

OK, trekkies, think long and hard about this one! Sci-fi has been around since the early days of film. First off, let's consider the off-beat versions: I loved ET....what a delightful, benign, touching look at aliens! How many sci-fi pieces bring tears to your eyes? Then there was Alien Nation. The series showed us that alien folks can make good friends. Remember how the aliens loved spoiled milk? Hahahaha. I really enjoyed They Live. The '88 classic stars a trucker type who discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow only him to see the aliens among us. He's a tough dude who takes on the baddies. Keanu Reeves did a nice job in the recent remake of the 50's version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. But Michael Rennie was even better in the original. Great ethical conflict: Be good, earthlings, or lose your planet! John Travolta showed us the positive effects of a blast from outer space in Phenomenon. Though only tangentially sci-fi, the film reminds us that good things can come from outer space, even in the form of blasts of light from stars. Of course, let's not forget the 50's cult film, War of the Worlds. (Sorry, Tom, the original was far better than yours). The creativity behind WotW was the thought that no weapons could take down the bad guys. Their only fallibility was their inability to live in our virus-filled world. Well, so much for the wannabes (where Star-Trek belongs too). The best and top sci-fi film of all time, for me, is The Terminator. The three originals in the series are as good as it gets. When Arnold proclaims, "Ahhhhllll be baaack", we smile, but there is little respite for the fearful audience. The machines that we humans create are way too scary. James Cameron may not be king of the world, but he is a genius when it comes to the top sci-fi winner. Back to you, Valerie, or anyone else, for more insight into one of my favorite genres.