Gideon58's Reviews

It's always a little unsettling when a film doesn't live up to expectations that I have unfairly placed upon it. I almost always do it when the film is based on material from another medium because there's a part of me that always expects an exact reproduction of the original source material, but that's an unfair cheat to the filmmaker and ultimately rather a bore for the viewer.

I have to admit I was concerned when I learned that Clint Eastwood was going to direct the film version of Jersey Boys, the 2014 film version of the Tony-award winning Broadway musical, which was rather stupid because I never saw the show. The movie was absolutely not what I expected...it was riveting and vivid entertainment surpassing all my expectations.

As for my expectations, I thought we were going to be privy to a standard biopic about Frank Valli, that incredible instrument that was his voice and his rise to fame with the Four Seasons, but the movie was so much more than that. This movie was about four guys from Jersey in the 1950's and 1960's and everything that goes along with that and how they happened to become Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

According to this screenplay by Marshall Brickman (Oscar winner for Annie Hall) and Rick Elice, mob money was instrumental to the group's start-up, thanks to Tommy DeVito, the guy who started the group and childhood pal of Frankie, who discovered Frankie was the one with the voice and put him up front, though Tommy always made it clear he was the boss, not only to Frankie, but to Bob Gaudio and Tommy's brother Nick, the other two "Seasons". Between the pressure of juggling mob debt, delicate show business egos, family neglect, we once again see the connection between show business and the mob and how it can make and break careers and lives.

Clint Eastwood has mounted a loving tribute to not only a great group of musicians, but an entire era and the Jersey sensibility that pervaded television shows like The Sopranos...no matter what level of fame these guys reach, we are never allowed to forget that these are "four guys from Jersey." Love the inside joke of Tommy DeVito ending up working for Joe Pesci, whose character name in Goodfellas was Tommy DeVito.

Eastwood shows undeniable respect for the music of Frankie Valli and has presented authentic sounding music that has its own richness and captures the spirit of the original recordings without being mere copies.

Eastwood also showed respect for the stage origins by casting three of the original stars of the Broadway show in the movie, including Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young as Frankie, whose voice is absolutely amazing, I could listen to him sing all day, though sometimes his acting was still a little too stagy. Ironically, Vincent Piazza, the only actor who wasn't in the stage show, gives the strongest performance of the four as DeVito, the manipulative creator of the four seasons who eventually would pay consequences for his actions in getting the group off the ground.

As he always does, Eastwood has poured a lot of money into this production and every penny shows onscreen...authentic and loving attention to period detail pervade this production and, maybe because it's a musical, the sound and sound editing deserve a special nod here. This film is a triumph for Eastwood, for Frankie Valli, and for everything Jersey.

Disney Pixar has knocked another one out of the park with their creation of an eye-popping animated adventure called Wreck-It-Ralph, a brilliant and imaginative adult journey based on childhood imagination and what can stem from it that explores a possible look at what happens when a video junkie sees the words "Game Over" flash on the screen and the arcade locks its doors. From this simple concept the viewer is led on a dazzling adult adventure sprung from childhood sensibility that touches on classic cinematic subjects like self-loathing and social acceptance through an exciting journey that will keep the young and the young at heart glued to the screen.

The title character is the villain in a video game called Fix-It-Felix who is tired of being the villain in the game. While the rest of the characters in the game live and party together in the building where the game is set, Ralph lives alone in a dump and goes to a support group for video villains. Tired of being a bad guy, Ralph decides to change his life by earning a medal in another game called Hero's Duty, but becomes separated from his medal and the journey to retrieve leads him to another game called Sugar Rush where a little girl turns out to be the key to getting his medal back but, of course, there are a few hundred strings attached. Meanwhile, Fix-It-Felix and Hero's Duty have both been threatened with Out of Order signs due to Ralph's actions and their leaders must work together to get Ralph to return where he belongs.

Director and co-screenwriter Rich Moore has created a fascinating adventure filled with all kinds of interesting characters and situations, building some very human relationships and presenting in such a surprisingly adult manner that, as an animated film, you have to wonder who the intended demographic was for this film, because there is so much going on here that I have a difficult time believing children would grasp.

But what really shines through in this story is two relationships: the one between Ralph (wonderfully voiced by John C. Reilly) and the little girl Vannelope (voiced by Sarah Silverman) and the relationship that develops between Fix-It-Felix (voiced by Jack MacBrayer) and the leader of Hero's Duty, Calhoun (brilliantly voiced by Jane Lynch) and it is these two relationships that formulate the heart that brews underneath all the razzle dazzle going on here.

There's so much going on here it's impossible to catch it all, there are things you just have to let go and move the same pace as the story. The film also scores in the area of art direction, set direction, and sound editing. There is joy and imagination to spare in one of the most amazing offerings from Disney Pixar I have ever seen.

I had been wondering what had happened to Jim Carrey because I hadn't seen much of him, but I have a feeling that his career has been seriously affected by comedies like Yes Man, a dull and unimaginative comedy which just doesn't work due to a storyline premise that just doesn't make sense and all we're left with is Carrey's prowess at physical comedy, which is utilized but is not enough to carry the proceedings.

This 2008 comedy casts Carrey as Carl, a bank loan officer who is a social hermit and commitment-phobe who is constantly lying to everyone about everything in order to be left alone. Carl is persuaded to attend a seminar by a famous author (Terrence Stamp) about the power of saying "yes" and Carl is persuaded to change his life by saying "yes" to everything for a year and the positive and negative impact this life-altering commitment has on him.

This story, incredibly based on a book by Danny Wallace, just doesn't hold water because I don't buy the fact that this character would continue to say yes to everything after all the ridiculously negative things that happen to him. I found myself flashing to a far superior Carrey comedy called Liar Liar which had a similar premise, but that one worked because Fletcher, Carrey's character in that film, was under the control of a wish made by his son, he had no choice but to tell the truth for 24 hours. Unlike Fletcher, Carl has a power of choice here and the fact that he keeps saying yes just doesn't make sense and neither do some of the over-the-top outrageous situations that Carl's commitment creates.

The screenplay, which actually took three writers, is all over the place and Peyton Reed's undisciplined direction doesn't help either. Carrey works very hard at making Carl likable but it is a real chore. I never bought the relationship with leading lady Zooey Deschanel, which just seemed to get in the way of the primary story. Bradley Cooper and Danny Masterson do provide some fun as Carl's BFF's despite their severely underwritten roles. I do have to give a shout out to Luis Guzman, who has a very funny cameo as a jumper who Carl prevents from committing suicide.

I've always liked Jim Carrey but getting through this film was a real chore...I almost turned it off about halfway through, but didn't think it would be right to review half the film. I think I also was hoping for some unforeseen rewards for sitting through the first half; however, they never came. For hard-core Jim Carrey fans only.

I am not familiar with the work of Charlie Chaplin but am aware of his reputation and his influence on American cinema history but my curiosity has definitely been piqued after viewing Chaplin, the lavishly mounted 1992 biopic that covers the life of the Little Tramp from his troubled childhood in England to his original Hollywood job working in Mack Sennett comedies to establishing his own identity as a movie star while dealing with disturbing family and romantic entanglements along the way, all the classic elements of the Hollywood biopic, but this one is worth investing in due to the extraordinary performance by Robert Downey Jr. in the title role.

The film attempts an original hook by framing the story around a now retired Charlie narrating his life story to a biographer (Anthony Hopkins), who doesn't just take dictation but attempts to find out what made Chaplin tick and determine when Chaplin is not giving him the entire story and the funny thing is, he doesn't have to do a lot of prodding to get the entire story either. The give and take between the star and his biographer serves as a fun launching pad for several of the episodes in Chaplin's career.

Director Richard Attenborough and screenwriters William Boyd, Bryan Forbes, and Williams Goldman have mounted a loving, respectful, and detailed look at the cinema legend...perhaps a little too detailed possibly because it was known the intended demographic here was not familiar with the subject (myself included) and wanted to provide as much insight as they could into this tragic clown.

The film becomes another in a large group of films over the last few decades that has driven home the point of how unhappy and screwed up people comedians and comedy actors are. Charlie's mother is presented here as mentally unstable (he is even assigned partial blame) and his relationship with his brother was stormy as well. Add the struggle for Hollywood respect, the multiple marriages, the advent of talkies (a subject humorously addressed in SIngin in the Rain is addressed a little more seriously here), and the Hollywood blacklisting of the 50's that destroyed so many Hollywood careers and you have a story that is engrossing but perhaps tries to cover too much ground.

There is no denying the power of Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in the title role...the actor looses himself in a role with such authenticity the performance did earn him his first Oscar nomination. Mention should also be made of Geraldine Chaplin playing her own grandmother and Kevin Kline in a flashy turn as Douglas Fairbanks.

The film is beautifully photographed and effectively recreates old Hollywood and as entertainment value, it has its merits but it does go on way too long.

Warren Beatty took control of his career way back in the mid 60's when he produced and starred in Bonnie and Clyde, so I was intrigued when I learned he had accepted the lead in 2001's Town & Country, a tired all-star comedy that has little more than star power going for it. After complete control of his career for almost 40 years, what would motivate Beatty to accept a role in a film merely as an actor?

Beatty plays Porter Stoddard who cheats on his wife (Diane Keaton) right round the same time his best friend,Griffin (Garry Shandling) cheats on his wife (Goldie Hawn), which motivates the guys to take off to a mountain cabin retreat, which leads to even further adultery and outrageous slapstick adventures.

Michael Laughlin and Buck Henry's screenplay plays like bad Woody Allen, a dizzying musical beds chronicle with a "spot the star" cast which might have worked with a younger, more energetic cast, but the cast that director Peter Chelsom has assembled for this piece is just too old for this kind of sexual slapstick.

Oscar winners Beatty, Keaton, and Hawn have all been seen to better advantage and appear to be appropriately embarrassed to be involved in these silly proceedings. Natassjia Kinski, Andie McDowell, Jenna Elfmann, Josh Hartnett, and Charlton Heston also somehow got trapped in this mess. Co-screenwriter Henry even makes a cameo as a divorce attorney.

The film just appears to have been mounted in a rather haphazard fashion...the film even appears to have a grainy look like it was made back in the 70's or something. I had never heard of this director prior to this film and now I can see why...this cast deserves a lot better.

2003's Finding Nemo is another richly entertaining comic adventure from Disney Pixar that brings a wonderfully imaginative story to the screen via some entertaining characters and a perfect voice cast.

Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould) is the son of a clown fish named Marlin (wonderfully voiced by Albert Brooks) who is kidnapped by a scuba diver on his first day of school and ends up in a dentist's fish aquarium in Sydney, Australia. We then watch Marlin try to find his son with the help of an emotionally crippled fish named Dory (voiced by EllenDeGeneres) while it is also revealed that Nemo is going to be a gift to the dentist's neice, a little girl named Darla who accidentally kills fish.

The screenplay sadly and effectively sets up the relationship with Marlin and Nemo in the opening scene, establishing their relationship and making us want to see them back together more than anything in the world.

The voice cast is wonderful with some standout work from Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, and Allison Janney as other tenants of the aquarium but the film is easily stolen by DeGeneres as Dory, the hot mess of a fish with nothing but good intentions. Disney Pixar scored big time here and actually won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Finding Nemo is one of my favorite animated movies. I love Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, and I can't wait to see the sequel.

Not since Beauty and the Beast have I been so completely enchanted by an animated fantasy as I was by the 2013 Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature, Frozen, a magical entertainment that is part love story, part Broadway musical, part adventure, a multi-layered and original look at cinematic staples like the responsibility that comes with power, guilt, family is family, and, of course, that love conquers all.

Elsa and Anna are sisters and princesses who have been raised separately in the castle because of a childhood accident stemming from Elsa's discovery that she has the power to freeze things but doesn't always have complete control of said power. A conflict with Anna causes Elsa to freeze the kingdom and leave, prompting Anna to find her sister and simultaneously save their kingdom.

This fairy tale sucked me in from the beginning and had me riveted to the closing credits. As has become accustomed with the Disney Pixar I've been exposed to thus far, the overly intricate screenplay is rich with deliciously flawed and human characters who are adults with brains and seem to have been designed for adult consumption, despite the fact that this is an animated film. I can't recall an animated film that actually featured a love triangle. These kind of characters are usually assigned to animals in previous Disney Pixar features but it was nice to see them assigned to actual human characters this time, with the exception of a horse named Sven and a snowman named Olaf. I liked that Sven had a character but didn't really speak...his relationship with Kristoff reminded me of Han Solo and Chewbacca.

The film features some wonderful songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez that enhance characters and advance story, highlights being "Let it Go", which won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Song and "In Summer", an absolutely brilliant comic confection sung by Olaf the Snowman about how he can't wait for summertime.

Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell voice the sisters beautifully and I also loved Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Joshua Gad stole all his scenes as the voice of Olaf. A once-in-a-lifetime cinematic experience that was 100-megawatt entertainment and way too smart for kids.

Great review of Frozen, another great Disney movie.

I agree, this was a fantastic movie. Great review.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

I'm becoming totally addicted to Disney Pixar...these movies are amazing...it started when I finally broke down and watched Toy Story about six months ago and I can't believe what I've been missing...any suggestions on what I should watch next? I was thinking about Up or Ratatouile.

I think you may have seen them already, but if you haven't seen WALL-E and Monsters Inc., I would highly recommend both of these movies.

I have seen Monsters, Inc, I wrote a review on this thread, but I haven't seen Wall-E, thanks for the suggestion.

My recent journey through the world of animated cinema recently brought me to 2007's The Bee Movie, a bee's eye view of the world which piqued my curiosity because I thought it might be Disney Pixar, but it turned out to be Dreamworks and I could definitely tell the difference, though Jerry Seinfeld being the creative force behind it did motivate me to give it a look. It's no Frozen or Monsters Inc, but it's watchable with an impressive all-star voice cast.

Seinfeld provides the voice for Barry B. Benson, a recent bee college graduate, not terribly thrilled about the well-worn bee tradition of making honey, who escapes the hive and defies bee law by befriending a human named Vanessa (voiced by Renee Zellweger) who leads Barry to the discovery that human beings have been storing and selling honey for years, which motivates Barry to sue the entire human race for profiting from the bee's livelihood, which expands into an even bigger story involving ecological principles and the common man VS big bad corporate America.

The sometimes overly cute screenplay by Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin manages to incorporate every single play on words involving bees that they could think of and I found myself wishing they could have been a little more selective in the stories they are attempting to tell. It seemed like we were originally going to get a story of inter-species romance between Barry and Vanessa, but the story expands to the point where the film has at least two too many endings, though I was amused by Vanessa's boyfriend, Ken, being so jealous of her relationship with Barry.

As mentioned, Seinfeld has gathered some solid actors to voice his characters with standout work from John Goodman as a pompous attorney, Matthew Broderick as Barry's BFF Adam, Rip Torn as the pollen jockeys leader, and especially Patrick Warburton as Ken. The film goes on a little too long, but Seinfeld's reputation in this business and his fantastic voice cast do make the film a curio, to say the least.

If you've ever been harassed on the phone by a salesperson or telemarketer, you might want to check out Glengarry Glen Ross, the scorching 1992 drama, based on David Mamet's play, which sheds an unflattering light on the real estate business and on salesman in general and the deception, betrayal, and desperation of those in the field to be number one on the board again.

Set in a seedy, second rate real estate office, a small group of salesman are threatened with termination if they don't start closing more deals. The sales staff agree that the reason sales are down is due to a lack of strong leads. When a new set of leads find their way to the office, the Glengarry leads, the office manager refuses to let go of them which forces someone to break into the office and steal them, resulting in some startling repercussions for everyone in the office.

The players involved here are strikingly realistic, rich with resentments and hidden agendas regarding their work. Shelley "The Machine" Levine (Jack Lemmon) is the veteran salesman whose best days are behind him, desperate to get back on the board again and stay from underneath the bills for his hospitalized daughter. Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) is currently leading sales in the office, apparently because he gets the strongest leads, but also because some of his sales techniques are less than kosher. Dave Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) are the two sales guys stuck in the middle and lost in the shuffle, convinced that stronger leads are their ticket out. All four salesman are given motive and opportunity to steal the Glengarry leads and therein the effective mystery and drama lie. It's also fascinating watching the salesman involved in their individual sales techniques over the phone and how much of it is just smoke and mirrors.

Director James Foley creates a dark and moody atmosphere here...it is raining during most of the story's running time and it almost always seems to be early in the evening here, implying that these guys have put everything else in their lives on the back burner in pursuit of the strongest leads. David Mamet's adaptation of his own play is brilliant and Oscar-worthy, with sizzling dialogue delivered by Foley's hand-picked cast.

Al Pacino received an Oscar nomination for his Ricky Roma, a cocky know it all whose short cuts to success are a mystery for most of the story. Jack Lemmon delivers the performance of his career, which should have earned him an Oscar nomination, as the grasping and desperate Shelley, the sales veteran willing to do anything to stay in the game. I love that Roma and Shelley, who should be mortal enemies, seem to have a strong mutual respect for each other, which effectively works its way into the climax of the film. Harris and Arkin have their share of explosive moments and Kevin Spacey is appropriately greasy as the office manager, who is definitely painted in shades of gray and there is a brilliant cameo from Alec Baldwin as the corporate honcho who introduces the termination threats that fuel this volatile story.

A once in a lifetime drama fueled by sizzling dialogue, vivid and atmospheric direction, and knockout performances.

The world of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll has rarely provided a more effective canvas for a film than in 1986's Sid and Nancy, an unapologetic and voyeuristic look at the relationship between 1980's punk rocker Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and longtime girlfriend Nancy Spungen, whose murder scene opens the story.

This gritty and uncompromising drama looks at a relationship that defies logic and sense most of the time but does make for compelling movie viewing. According to director and co-screenwriter Alex Cox, Vicious was a self-destructive drug addict who really didn't care about anything, including Nancy or his career and why Nancy stays with him and defends him also defies logic. The film follows the Sex Pistols' humble beginnings on London's lower west end to the American tour which destroyed the group and Sid's feeble attempts to ignite a solo career with Nancy's help, but it all takes a back seat to their addiction and how nothing else becomes important.

This gritty story is fueled by two electrifying starring performances...Gary Oldman is strikingly unhinged as Sid, a performance so riveting that it should have earned him an Oscar nomination. Oldman completely loses himself in this performance and apparently began his career as one of cinema's greatest chameleons. Chloe Webb's explosive performance as Nancy matches him note for note and these performances make this film worth investing in.

The film is pretty much a long anti-drug commercial and goes where you expect it to and you see the tragedy of Sid and Nancy when they connect to the real world, which comes shining through in a scene where they visit Nancy's grandparents. The film is long and depressing but the performances of Oldman and Webb make it worth watching.

Disney Pixar does it again with the Oscar-winning Up, an imaginative, logic-defying, and emotionally manipulative 2009 fantasy that has all the accustomed Disney Pixar touches, including an intricate screenplay that reveals a rather sad backstory that seemingly provides too much information, but as the story progresses, all the information we have been provided falls into place.

Carl (voiced by Edward Asner) is a cantankerous old widower who has been sentenced to living in a nursing home after striking a construction worker. Just as the men in the white coats (or blue in this case) come take him away, his house magically takes off, powered by a huge pile of balloons. It is revealed that Carl had this escape planned and the destination is a South American location that he planned to visit with his late wife. Carl finds his plan complicated when a young boy named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai) stows away in the house. Carl and Russell then find themselves facing a childhood idol of Carl's and helping a female bird named Kevin.

Co-directors and screenwriters Peter Docter and Bob Peterson have mounted a lovely and heartwarming story that starts off with exposition that we don't really know is exposition as it's happening. We see Carl's entire relationship with his late wife, Ellie laid out so that we immediately understand why Carl's journey to Paradise is so important to him and the way Ellie is kept a viable character throughout the story as Carl's through line is amazingly effective. We even get a wonderful contemporary backstory for Russell when it is revealed he is neglected by his dad and dad's new wife. The film also features some wonderful non-human characters, especially Kevin, who is part Big Bird, part Chewbacca, and part Jar Jar Binks.

The animation is gorgeous and lush as is the music score and the voice work by Edward Asner and Christopher Plummer is outstanding. Like most Disney Pixar work, the somewhat complicated screenplay has a few too many endings but you will want to make sure you know how each one turns out. Another animated treat for the young at heart.

A recent re-watch of the 1984 comedy The Lonely Guy revealed that the film does not hold up as well as I was hoping it might, despite a solid lead performance from Steve Martin in the title role and sporadic humorous elements of the screenplay.

Martin plays Larry Hubbard, a greeting card writer who has been dumped by his cheating girlfriend (Robyn Douglass) and finds himself starting life over again as a "lonely guy" and gets guidance on his new life from a "lonely" veteran (Charles Grodin) while attempting to romance a woman (Judith Ivey) who has been married six times and a self-proclaimed "lonely guy" expert.

Neil Simon contributed to the unfocused screenplay, along with Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger, two of the writers behind The Mary Tyler Moore Show, provides some some funny moments here and there, but is not sure what kind of story they're trying to tell...the writing is not tongue in cheek enough to be a true satire and there's too much breaking of the 4th wall for it to be a true character study of Larry or romantic comedy and Arthur Hiller, a director not known for romantic comedy or satire, provides a manic pacing to the film that doesn't always fit the story. There are a couple of on-target scenes though...I especially LOVE the scene where Larry goes to a restaurant to eat by himself and how a single diner in a restaurant is treated...just hysterical.

Martin invests completely in the character of Larry and keeps him likable and Grodin's turn as Martin's guide through the world of loneliness is beautifully understated. Despite some dated plot elements and a screenplay that is kind of all over the place, Steve Martin fans should definitely check it out.

Barbra Streisand made a more serious impression as a director with 1991's The Prince of Tides, a sensitive adult drama/romance that is far superior to her directorial debut in Yentl because Streisand has chosen to let go of her ego a bit and not let the entire film revolve around her and therefore produced quality entertainment that actually earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

Based on the runaway bestseller by Pat Conroy, this is the story of a guy named Tom Wingo, an unemployed teacher and football coach who lives on the South Carolina coastline, whose marriage is falling apart and learns that his twin sister, Savannah, has tried to commit suicide for the third time. At the bequest of his sister's psychiatrist, Tom travels to Manhattan to help the doctor learn more about Savannah in order to help her and ends up becoming romantically involved with the doctor.

Streisand has mounted an expensive and detailed look at a troubled family history...almost too troubled, it's almost hard to accept everything that happens to Tom, his brother, and his sister, but it does help to explain Savannah's terminal unhappiness, not to mention a detailed look at Lila Wingo, Tom's mother who appears to be a different kind of woman in every scene in which she appears...when she's with her children, she appears to be a confident and self-assured woman but at home with her abusive husband, she appears to be completely helpless, except for when she fixes him a dinner made out of dog food. We learn initially that Tom hates his mother, but in the flashback sequences Tom seems to think the sun and the moon sets on her. There's a lot of contradictory emotions presented here that sometimes makes it hard to invest in what's going on.

Streisand did strike gold with the casting of Nick Nolte in the role of Tom, a performance that effortlessly blends strength and sensitivity and earned Nolte an Oscar nomination. Kate Nelligan's quietly powerful turn as Lila Wingo earned her an Oscar nomination as well. Blythe Danner has some effective moments as Tom's wife, Sally, as does Jeroen Krabbe as Streisand's philandering husband. Jason Gould, Streisand's real life son, also appears as her son here, who develops a relationship with Tom that is one of the more entertaining and believable aspects of the film. The only performance I found a bit troubling was Streisand's as Dr. Susan Lowenstein...I just think Streisand let her ego get the best of her here because I just didn't buy her as a psychiatrist nor did I buy into the romance with Nolte's character, which just came off as forced and something that was enhanced for the purpose of making this story more entertaining to movie audiences. The film is worth watching thanks primarily to Nolte and Streisand's direction, which actually earned her a nomination.

The stylish direction and intelligent screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and a brilliant lead performance by Gene Hackman make 1974's The Conversation appointment viewing for the serious student of film making and film acting. This is a chilling and voyeuristic look into a world that has an almost underground sensibility in its anonymity, seamlessly blending with a stark character study of a man whose work often finds the lines between work and obsession blurring to a point where the man has lost any sense of self.

Hackman plays Harry Caul, a surveillance expert based in San Francisco, who is reputedly the best in the business. He has his own business and own equipment and works out of his spacious but sparse loft. He contacts his clients on pay telephones because he has no phone in his home but partly because of his work, he also has no life and basically no other human contact in his life. There are several moments in the film where multiple characters mention to Harry that they don't know anything about him and he avoids revealing any personal information at all cost.

Harry's latest client, referred to here as "the director" (Robert Duvall), hires him to conduct surveillance on a couple (Frederic Forrest, Cindy Williams) without knowing why and that seems to be OK with Harry since he's being paid $15,000 for his services and his silence, until his surveillance uncovers the possibility that the lives of this couple might be in danger, which ignites a crisis of conscience in Harry that actually forces him to initially refuse the money and try to save this couple.

Coppola has mounted a sizzling and riveting story that offers mystery and surprises at every turn and just when you think you've figured out what's going on, you find out you're wrong. But the intense story actually takes a back seat to the stunning creation of Harry Caul, embodied by Gene Hackman...Hackman beautifully internalizes this character whose obsession with his work has made him practically incapable of human contact. There's a wonderful moment in the film where Harry realizes he's been bugged and he loses it and Hackman's work in the climax of the film is devastating...or watch how comfortable Harry is when he slips under a hotel bathroom sink to listen to what's going on next door...like he belongs there. Hackman didn't even receive a nomination for this amazing performance, which I'm pretty sure trumps Art Carney's work in Harry and Tonto.

It's so easy to overlook this quiet little thriller that Coppola sandwiched between his two Godfather movies, but there are rewards here for the brave and it's an absolute must for fans of the amazing Gene Hackman.