Gideon58's Reviews

Registered User

10-30-16

GENIUS

Movies about real-life figures that I know very little about are so attractive to me as a filmgoer because my lack of knowledge of the story I am about to be brought into allows me to be more objective about what I'm seeing and can properly judge the film purely on its entertainment value...one of the reasons I loved Tim Burton's Big Eyes so much and also why I found 2016's Genius, a riveting docudrama wrapped around a dual character study that introduced me to characters I knew nothing about and gave me insight into others that may or may not have been factually accurate, but was wonderfully entertaining.

It is Depression era Manhattan where we are introduced to Max Perkins (Colin Firth), a book editor at the famed Scribner Publishing Company, where he has completed editing the work of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald and is now finding the greatest challenge of his career reining in a bombastic and arrogant writer named Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) who has brought him his first completed work, which Perkins decides needs a couple hundred pages of editing and Wolfe is willing to do whatever Perkins wants in order to get the work published. "Look Homeward, Angel" is born and is a runaway bestseller. But the crux of this drama begins when Wolfe brings Max his second book and Max insists about 300 pages have to be cut and Wolfe, full of himself after the success of "Look Homeward Angel", thinks every word he has written is golden and fights Max every step of the way.

The working relationship between these two men is complicated by Mrs. Aline Bernstein (Nicole Kidman) a woman of apparent means who left her husband for Wolfe and feels like she is losing Wolfe to Max. Her Svengali-like grip on Wolfe seems to melt away and she finds herself as part of a triangle that she hadn't planned or is accustomed to, as this is clearly a woman who is used to being the apex of the triangle.

Director Michael Grandage and screenwriter John Logan have crafted a beautiful dual character study based on real life figures that takes its time to establish what kind of people Max and Wolfe are. I love the opening scenes of Max reading the rough draft of "Look Homeward Angel"...this is a man who takes his work very seriously and wants to be absolutely fair in assessing the problems with whatever he's reading. There's a moment where he gets home with the manuscript and actually goes into a closet to continue reading in peace. Max is also painted as a man who is keenly aware of the delicacy of writers' egos who when making suggestions, always makes the writer think the changes are the writer's idea. It's so smart watching Max convince Wolfe that the title of his first book is wrong but he never makes it a deal breaker, he just says, "Have you thought about another title?"

Wolfe is portrayed as a man who is as serious about his work as Max is, but not so much with the rest of his life and it is this difference that keeps the relationship between Wolfe and Max crackling, reaching an impasse until Wolfe finally finds a way to make Max lighten up. Unfortunately, it is all at the expense of Wolfe's relationship with Mrs. Bernstein, which is a bit of mystery...the woman clearly doesn't need Wolfe, but is obsessed with him and just won't walk away from him.

Grandage pulls superb performances from the three stars...Firth is beautifully controlled as Max and Jude Law is the polar opposite in a deliciously unhinged turn as Thomas Wolfe that commands the screen. Nicole Kidman is dangerously bitchy as Mrs. Bernstein and mention should also be made of Laura Linney as Max's devoted wife, a woman who has buried her own artistic passions to be what her husband needs her to be. Guy Pearce continues to prove his versatility with his turn as the damaged F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dominic West's cameo as Hemingway was fun too.

Grandage's attention to period detail is on the money, with his cinematography and art direction teams deserving special mention, as well as a quietly melodic musical score that frames the story perfectly. A very special motion picture experience that provided an insightful look at the ego of the artist and the drive and sacrifice involved in the cultivation of said art.

Last edited by Gideon58; 05-12-17 at 11:57 AM.

Evan_Wheatley

Evan Wheatley

10-30-16

Originally Posted by Gideon58

NIGHTCRAWLER

Striking direction, a razor sharp screenplay, and a completely reprehensible central character brought to life by one of our most likable actors combine to make 2014's Nightcrawler an ugly and unsettling crime thriller that left me with my mouth open in amazement, only slightly covering the anger and very bitter taste this film left in my mouth.

Jake Gyllenhaal, cast brilliantly against type, plays Louis Bloom, an unemployed techno geek who happens upon a traffic accident one night and learns from a freelance crime journalist (Bill Paxton) on the scene that he is about to sell the footage to the news station that will pay him the most for it and that a lucrative living is possible if you know what you're doing. Louis goes to a pawn shop and trades an expensive bicycle for a camera and a police scanner. Before we know it, Louis has schooled himself on police procedures and codes and begins bringing crime footage to the news director of a low rated LA station, effectively played by Rene Russo. She recognizes raw talent and when Louis asks for advice on the kind of footage she's looking for, her replay is, "Imagine a woman running down the street with her throat cut."

Louis takes her advice to heart, updates his equipment (not sure how he was able to afford this) and even hires an assistant named Rick (Riz Ahmed) to help him track police calls and monitor the GPS for the quickest routes to the crime scene. Louis gains experience and acquires enough skill (and cajones) that he can name his own price for his work. Louis' work and position with the station move to an entirely new level when Louis gets a tip regarding a triple homicide in the wealthy neighborhood of Granada and Louis actually gets to the scene before the police do.

Revealing anymore at this point would be wrong, but this is also where the story gets really disturbing and brutally unapologetic. I'm not even sure where to begin here...let's start with this central character, Louis Bloom. In a word, this character is extremely intelligent, urbane, educated, never at a loss for words which almost always leave his mouth without filter. He is also a master at the art of negotiation. He is also a scumbag...he possess nothing resembling a conscience or a moral compass. He forgot to get in line when the sensitivity chips were passed out as well. As his skill at what he's doing increases so does his passion and the mission to get the right footage takes precedence over everything and everyone. There is a lot of backstory regarding Louis that is never addressed but comes out in his actions. In one of the film's earliest scenes we actually see Louis beat up a security guard in order to steal his watch. Mental instability is a definite factor with this character but it's either glossed over or assumed.

Director and screenwriter Dan Gilroy really knocks it out of the park here, presenting a story filled with unsympathetic characters doing really rotten things, as well as taking an incisive look at the often unscrupulous media machine that our society has come to depend on for way too much, showing, warts and all, how the story and the ratings come before everything else. Gilroy has constructed a story with meticulous detail and has provided a brutal tale that offers no easy or likable solutions and characters who are not always shown in a flattering light. Russo's character actually seems to be aroused sexually by some of the brutal crime footage she witnesses in her job...the more brutal the footage, the more excited she appears to become.

Jake Gyllenhaal is frightening and creepy in a performance that earned him a Golden Globe nomination and was Oscar worthy in my opinion and Russo, who hasn't been seen onscreen for awhile (at least for me) shows she still knows how to command a movie screen. There is also a star-making performance from Riz Ahmed as Louis' assistant, one of the most vividly human performances I have seen in a long time...this guy has movie star written all over him. Nods to the cinematography and editing teams are also due, but it's the solid work from Dan Gilroy and a cringe worthy turn from Jake Gyllenhaal that make this film appointment viewing, despite a truly troublesome climax, but you be the judge of that.

I enjoyed reading your review, Gideon! I like how you addressed the bitter taste that this film leaves in your mouth. As good as the acting and direction are, the film�s content, implications and pulse-pounding ending are quite disturbing.

Gideon58

Registered User

10-31-16

THE INTERN
The singularly unique screen charisma of two time Oscar winner Robert De Niro is really the only reason to commit to a tired and implausible 2015 comedy called The Intern that tries to tell a contemporary story but acceptance of the story presented here requires the viewer to accept a whole lot that I was unable to accept.

De Niro plays Ben Whitaker, a 70 year old widower who gets hired as a senior intern at an internet fashion company called About the Fit, founded and run by Jules Ostin (Oscar winner Anne Hathaway), a driven workaholic who never sleeps and had no idea that her company had instituted a senior internship program. This company is so financially sound that they actually have a masseuse (Rene Russo) on staff. Needless to say a clashing of general work ethic keep our two principal characters apart as Jules initially gives Ben nothing to do but eventually finds him to be an asset to her professional and personal life.

This movie reminded me of an old Michael J. Fox movie called The Secret of My Success, a film about big business that provided entertainment value as long as you can accept upfront that NOTHING that happens in this movie is based on anything resembling realism. OK, where do I start here...first of all, I don't believe that Jules' staff was able to institute a senior internship program without her knowing anything about it. I also don't believe any company, especially an internet company, would be hiring 70 year old interns to be doing anything. I also didn't buy the respect and reverence that was accorded Ben upon his arrival because senior citizens are just not accepted in a workplace environment as unconditionally as Ben is here.

To find entertainment value here, there had to be some affection for the character of Jules and I had a hard time finding anything to like about this character. I gave it the old college try, but the nail went into her likability coffin the first time Jules sees Ben in her kitchen for the first time.

One thing director/screenwriter Nancy Meyers did get right is our exposure to Jules' personal life, which isn't revealed until about 40 minutes into the movie. We are actually surprised to see that she has a stay-at-home husband and a daughter who are totally neglected and I knew five minutes into the first scene with Jules' husband (Anders Holm) that the guy was cheating on her. Some may consider this a spoiler, but I knew it the second the character appeared onscreen so I don't feel like I'm spoiling anything. What I also found aggravating is this driven workaholic considering giving up control of her company in order to save her marriage...seriously? I do have to credit Meyers for not pairing the leads romantically and allowing Ben to initiate a relationship with Russo's character.

The only thing that kept me committed to this sinfully overlong journey was the charisma of De Niro, which almost made this mess worth sitting through. Hathaway is fighting the script all the way and Russo is wasted. Hardcore De Niro fans might want to check it out, but you would be better off re-watching Taxi Driver.

Last edited by Gideon58; 11-14-16 at 10:45 AM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

10-31-16

We had about the same opinion on The Intern....

What I also found aggravating is this driven workaholic considering giving up control of her company in order to save her marriage...seriously?

Even though I didn't mention that in my review, I agree that part bugged me too. Then again I hated the geeky stay at home husband. I'm not sure if it was the character or the actor, but he was cringe worthy.

Gideon58

Registered User

10-31-16

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

I hated the geeky stay at home husband. I'm not sure if it was the character or the actor, but he was cringe worthy.

Did you also realize the second the guy appeared onscreen that he was cheating on her? It was so obvious.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

10-31-16

Originally Posted by Gideon58

Did you also realize the second the guy appeared onscreen that he was cheating on her? It was so obvious.

Nope I didn't at first, but then again I'm not always that observant...But a short time latter I did start to think he might be having an affair.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-02-16

DEMOLITION
Initially on the surface it appears to be an off beat look at the grieving process, but the 2015 drama Demolition utilizes the grieving process merely as a springboard for a story that often shocks and sometimes fascinates and, for the majority of the running time, had my stomach in knots.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Davis Mitchell, a Wall Street investment broker who loses his wife in a tragic automobile accident (he was in the car with her and he came out without a scratch) whose life implodes when instead of seeking some kind of help with his grieving process, allows what happens to manifest itself in a pattern of destructive behavior that defies explanation, except in the eyes of a sympathetic customer service worker (Naomi Watts) and her young son (Judah Lewis).

Director Jean Marc-Vallee, the director of Dallas Buyers Club and Wild serves Bryan Snipes' unapologetic screenplay with some arresting visual images that serve a story that initially evokes mad sympathy for the central character but as the story progresses, the viewer finds himself alternately feeling sympathy for Davis and actually being frightened of the often unhinged behavior that his grief unleashes. My mouth literally fell open when he walked by the site of a house being demolished and offered the foreman $240.00 if he could be allowed to help. The whole concept of destruction being the only outlet for this man's grief was so unsettling. Normally in a story about this kind of loss, we see flashes throughout of the deceased and what the victim remembers. We are almost 30 minutes into the movie before we actually see Davis experience a memory regarding his wife, despite the fact that his father-in-law (Oscar winner Chris Cooper) is in his face every time he turns around, telling him how to feel and telling him how he should be behaving.

This story challenges the viewer at every turn because we know none of what happens to Davis would have happened if, as his father-in-law suggests, he had just talked to someone but we also see from the funeral on that Davis doesn't want to talk and watching his very unique and frightening grieving process played roughshod with my emotions.

Jake Gyllenhaal delivers another devastating Oscar-worthy performance that just defies description and gets solid support from Cooper and Watts and Lewis is a revelation as the initially hostile child who makes an uneasy connection with Davis that manifests itself in some very unexpected ways. A singularly unique film experience that also features sharp editing and an offbeat musical score. Fans of the work of Paul Thomas Anderson will have a head start here.

Last edited by Gideon58; 11-14-16 at 10:41 AM.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-06-16

A LETTER TO THREE WIVES
Joseph L. Mankiewicz won twin Oscars for writing and directing the Oscar winning Best Picture of 1950, All About Eve. The year before, he also won twin Oscars for writing and directing an absolutely delicious melodrama called A Letter to Three Wives, that shines due to some really strong female characters.

This lovely slice of small town Americana is the story of three suburban wives who wake up one Saturday morning to accompany a group of children on a boat trip/picnic but before the boat leaves, the mailman delivers a letter addressed to all three women from the town tramp named Addie Ross. Addie's short and sweet note announces that she is leaving town and that she is leaving with one of these ladies' husbands, but of course doesn't mention which one. We then get a glimpse into the three marriages at the heart of the story as these women try to determine if their husbands are going to be home when the boat returns to port.

Deborah and Brad Bishop (Jeanne Crain, Jeffrey Lynn) met when Deborah was in the navy, where she was a strong and confident woman who is now insecure about her ability to fit in with the country club set that her husband adores; Rita and George Phipps (Ann Southern, Kirk Douglas) are a radio program writer and a schoolteacher whose roles as primary breadwinner and head of household often blur; Lora Mae and Porter Hollingsway (Linda Darnell, Paul Douglas) met when Porter was Lora Mae's boss and it appears that Lora Mae married Porter for his money. We then learn about a subtle connection that Addie Ross has with each of the husbands and her small part in each story. It's a little unsettling as we watch all three husbands have nothing but wonderful things to say about the woman their wives consider the town tramp.

Mankiewicz' near brilliant screenplay captures the suburban sensibility of a community where everyone knows everyone's business, especially those who are doing dirt and it is clear that during her time in this town, Addie has done some dirt, but the screenplay provides just enough balance in the story that the viewer has absolutely no idea whose husband Addie has left town with and we're not supposed to and that's one of things that makes this movie so much fun.

The other thing that makes it fun is the strength of the female characters and the fact that they are not timid little hausfraus...these are strong career women who have sometimes neglected their husbands in favor of their own agendas but not one of the three women is absolutely convinced that their husband will be home when they get back and they subtly try to glean clues from each other about what will happen when they get home. Ann Southern's driven career woman and Linda Darnell's flawless use of her feminine wiles to get a wedding ring out of Douglas are a pleasure to watch.

The performances are uniformly first rate. Southern is a lot of fun and I don't think Jeanne Crain has ever been better and Darnell is basically sex on legs. Kirk Douglas has rarely been as appealing onscreen as he was here and Paul Douglas makes every moment he has onscreen memorable as does Thelma Ritter, whose tiny role doesn't keep her from stealing every scene she's in. And for anyone who didn't recognize the voice, that is Celeste Holm as the never seen only heard Addie Ross, our hostess for the story. Melodrama lovers will eat this one up...they don't make 'em like this anymore.

Last edited by Gideon58; 01-04-18 at 01:53 PM.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-07-16

BIG BUSINESS

Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin, two of the funniest women in the movies, work very hard at making the 1988 comedy Big Business viable entertainment, but an overly complex story and some fuzzy writing bog down the proceedings and only provide sporadic laughs.

The film opens in the 1940's in a backwoods community called Jupiter Hollow, where a wealthy couple named the Sheltons, who are just passing through, give birth to twin daughters who they decide to name Sadie and Rose. On the same day, a local couple named the Ratliffs, also give birth to twin daughters, who they also name Sadie and Rose. Unfortunately, the dotty nurse in the delivery room gets confused and puts the babies in the wrong cribs.

Flash forward to present day Manhattan where Sadie and Rose Shelton are now co-CEO's of a large corporation called Moramax, who are preparing to negotiate the purchase of a small company called Hollowmade, which is located in a town called Jupiter Hollow and guess which twin sisters have been pegged to go to Manhattan to try and stop Moramax from buying the little company that employs half the town?

This is one of those projects that probably looked really great on paper but definitely lost something in its translation to the screen. The screenplay by Dori Pierson and Marc Rubel asks the viewer to swallow a lot and requires a scorecard to keep track of everything that is going on, despite the fact that both sets of twins end up checked into the Plaza Hotel in suites right next to each other. Then we get something akin to a Noel Coward drawing room comedy with characters from Dogpatch that keep barely missing each other in elevators and restaurants and we have to wait well into the final act for the two sets of twins to meet and though the moment where the two sets of twins finally meet is hysterically funny, it takes way too long to get there and a 90 minute movie feels twice that length.

Jim Abrahams, who directed Midler in Ruthless People puts a lot of detail in the staging of the story that keeps the twins apart for most of the running time, but all the near misses and misunderstandings leading to the rushed conclusion just come off as pat and contrived. Midler and Tomlin appear to be enjoying themselves though and they have a solid supporting cast including Fred Ward, Edward Herrmann, Barry Primus, Michael Gross, and Michele Placido, but it's a very exhausting cinematic journey that doesn't provide anywhere near the entertainment it should. For hardcore Midler and Tomlin fans only.

Last edited by Gideon58; 01-04-18 at 02:09 PM.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-08-16

MEN DON'T LEAVE
Despite a meandering and unfocused screenplay, the performances in a 1990 drama called Men Don't Leave are worth checking out, the story of a family trying to start over and having more than their share of problems doing so.

Beth Macauley (Jessica Lange) is the mother of Chris (Chris O'Donnell) and Matt (Charlie Korsmo) who reside in Bingham, Maryland, but after the sudden death of Beth's husband John (Tom Mason), a mountain of bills force Beth and her sons to start life over again in Baltimore, where Beth gets a job as the assistant manager at a gourmet food store, while her sons begin to act out: Chris begins a totally inappropriate relationship with an older X-ray technician who lives in their building (Joan Cusack) who has no boundaries and Matt becomes BFF's with a pint-sized thief/con man named Winston (Corey Carrier). Then Beth loses her job and she, too, begins to act out, damaging her promising relationship with a sexy and eccentric musician named Charles (Arliss Howard).

I've seen a lot of movies recently regarding loss and the grieving process and what director and co-screenwriter Paul Brickman (Risky Business) is giving us here is a family who was so overwhelmed by the reality of financial issues ruling the period after dad's death that there was no time for the grieving process and how, at some point, grief must manifest itself, even if we don't know that's what happening. Unfortunately, Brickman and Barbara Benedeck's screenplay takes a really leisurely journey with this family that doesn't sustain interest for the running time, not to mention some really squirm worthy moments that are unmotivated. During the first meeting between Matt and Winston, Winston offers to split a milk dud with Matt and in order to do so, cuts it with a switchblade as long as his arm...seriously?

Despite some sluggish spots, the performances work for the most part...Lange is always watchable and Howard lights up the screen as Charles. Never understood why Arliss Howard never become a star because this guy defines charisma. Cusack invests in an initially unsympathetic character and O'Donnell also does a star-making turn as Chris that I'm sure had a lot to do with his casting in Scent of a Woman. Not for all tastes, but Jessica Lange fans should definitely check it out.

Last edited by Gideon58; 11-18-16 at 10:57 AM.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-09-16

LION FOR LAMBS

If intentions were all that mattered in telling a compelling cinematic story, 2007's Lions for Lambs hits a bullseye in its examination of political manipulation, journalistic integrity as opposed to effective sound bytes, and the motivations behind the war in Iraq and Iran, unfortunately director Robert Redford has sacrificed integrity for the subject matter in favor of economy.

The story attempts to tell three separate stories in a real time period whose connections take a little too much time to come into focus. We are first introduced to a Republican US Senator (Tom Cruise) who has invited a television journalist (Meryl Streep) to his office to reveal some new military strategies in Iraq and Iran, while we see the actual mission being executed and two soldiers (Derek Luke, Michael Pena) who are missing and in danger and though it takes a little too long to reveal it, these two soldiers have a connection to the third story, a political science college professor (Redford) trying to re-engage a gifted student (Andrew Garfield) not working to his full potential.

As mentioned, the intentions here are good, but this is one of those films where the parts are better than the whole...the scenes between Senator Cruise and journalist Streep are absolutely fascinating as we watch the Senator doing his best to deliver a well-rehearsed sound byte about a military strategy that Streep's journalist cynically tries to dissect what the Senator is doing as a platform for his own political ambitions, which he, of course, emphatically denies. It's fascinating watching the Senator realize that a past professional relationship with this journalist is not going to play out the way he wants. One of my favorite moments in the story is when Cruise is outlining a specific military action and Streep asks him what he's doing to bring our troops home. Of course, he has no answers.

The depiction of the mission itself could have been quite compelling but it is so poorly photographed that it's hard to tell what's going on and I never really understood what the relationship between Redford and Garfield had to do with the rest of the story, but the Cruise/Streep scenes crackled with tension and were the most interesting aspect of the film...actually, the most interesting aspect of the film were its intentions, but Matthew Michael Carnahan's screenplay fails to legitimize those intentions. This is one of those rare cases where I think the film's economy was a hindrance instead of a benefit.

Last edited by Gideon58; 11-18-16 at 10:59 AM.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-10-16

TEXASVILLE

Peter Bogdanovich went back to his masterpiece as inspiration for 1990's Texasville, the sequel to The Last Picture Show that was probably made about 15 years too late, but mostly is way too dependent on the legacy of the 1971 classic to make anyone care.

It is 1984 and we meet several of the same characters that were introduced in the first film, most notably Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges) who is now married, awash in children and grandchildren, and is the owner of an oil company that has gotten him 12 million dollars in debt. He is suffocating in his marriage to the emasculating Karla (Annie Potts) who has suffered through Duane's constant adultery and other problems and as much as she complains about Duane, refuses to let go of him either. Duane's best friend Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) is hanging on by a thread, going through some kind of emotional meltdown that his friends are aware of but don't take too seriously. And of course, there is the return of Jacy Farrow, the high school tramp who put Duane and Sonny through hell in the first movie. She has recently returned home from Europe after a failed movie career and the death of a husband and child, quietly tryimg to re-ignite her relationship with Duane. We also see how some behavior is genetic as we are introduced to Duane's son, Dickie, who can't keep his fly zipped and is sleeping with several older women in town and has gotten one of them pregnant while agreeing to marry another.

Bogdanovich's screenplay is a little too leisurely in its telling of the story and it also assumes that you've seen the first film. But since the first film was made over 40 years ago, it's hard to believe that there was really an interest in re-visiting these characters in 1990 let alone now. The characters really didn't gain much appeal during their absence either, particularly the character of Jacy, who is so full of herself and convinced that it's all about her that you hate seeing Duane being pulled back into her web and the way she does it, by ingratiating herself to Karla and his family and becoming Karla's new BFF is really unattractive and didn't exactly endear her to this reviewer.

Other actors who appeared in the first film including Cloris Leachman, who won an Oscar for the first film, Eileen Brennan, and Randy Quaid are pretty much wasted here and what they have done to the character of Sonny is just embarrassing. Bridges manages to keep his head above this melodramatic muck, but if the truth be known, Annie Potts walks off with the acting honors in this little-seen sequel that I think most of us could have gone on with our lives if it had never been made.

Last edited by Gideon58; 02-14-20 at 10:57 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-10-16

LION FOR LAMBS

the third story, a political science college professor (Redford) trying to re-engage a gifted student (Andrew Garfield) not working to his full potential.

What did you think of Andrew Garfield's performance?

The depiction of the mission itself could have been quite compelling but it is so poorly photographed that it's hard to tell whats going on

That's what I thought too, it almost seemed like the battle scene was an afterthought.

Cruise/Streep scenes crackled with tension and were the most interesting aspect of the film

They were good together! that was my fav storyline too.

This is one of those rare cases where think the film's economy was a hindrance instead of a benefit.

I agree, it was too short (90 minutes) to tell three different stories.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-13-16

Originally Posted by Citizen Rules

LION FOR LAMBS

What did you think of Andrew Garfield's performance?

Garfield was fine, but like I said, I couldn't figure out what that story had to do with the rest of the movie.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-13-16

OSCAR

The stylish and exuberant direction of John Landis, first rate production values, and a refreshing change of pace for its star make a forgotten gem from 1991 called Oscar worth checking out.

This dead-on satire of gangster melodramas stars Sylvester Stallone as Angelo "Snaps" Provolone, a 1930's mob boss who makes a promise to his dying father to go straight and give up his life of crime. A month later, Provolone is doing his best to keep his promise to his father and is in the process of getting on the board of directors of his local bank when he receives a visit from his young accountant, who demands a raise so that he can afford to marry his daughter.

To reveal anymore of what happens here would just be wrong, suffice it to say that this is the jumping off point for one of the most off-the-wall and roll-on-the-floor-funny satires that requires complete attention from the viewer without causing boredom or confusion. The story is actually based on a play by Claude Magnier which was adapted for the screen by Michael Barrie, a delicious send up of gangster movies that takes all the cliches we associate with the genre and delightfully turns them on their ear, with the aid of some very clever direction and a clear understanding of the genre and the art of satire demonstrated by the director.

The real fun in this film is watching a group of gangsters actually trying to live a crime-free life and not really having a clue how to do it...it is so funny watching these tough guys in pin striped suits serving drinks, answering doors, and preparing meals, but the director and screenwriter never forget that these guys are used to being thumb breakers and are completely out of their element as household staff. I also loved watching Snaps navigate through the nuttiness of everything that happens here while keeping his promise to his father, while police and rival mobsters seem to be clueless about Snaps starting a new life and continue to monitor his every move, further muddying the waters of the domestic troubles that make up the majority of Snaps' adventures in this story.

Landis has put a great deal of care in the mounting of this story...authentic 1930's atmosphere with stunning art direction/set direction, costumes and a cast that is pretty much perfection. Landis really scored here by casting actors not really known for satire who would play the satire with the straight faces it requires and it works. Sylvester Stallone, an actor whose previous attempt at comedy (Rhinestone) was a disaster. absolutely lights up the screen as the hapless gangster whose important day in his rehabilitation is turned completely upside down. This movie proves that with a gifted director like Landis to guide him, Stallone can deliver a comedic performance that works. Stallone's supporting cast is superb with standout work from Peter Riegert and Chazz Palminteri as Snaps' top toadies, Vincent Spano as the accountant, Marisa Tomei as his daughter, Kurtwood Smith as a cocky police detective and a surprisingly funny Ken Howard as the tight-assed bank president who wants nothing to do with Snaps. Also loved the classy cameo by Kirk Dougas opening the comedy as Snaps' father. This film was a triumph for Stallone and John Landis and if you've never seen it, treat yourself.

Last edited by Gideon58; 12-03-16 at 11:22 AM.

cricket

Registered User

11-14-16

John Landis is actually one of my favorite directors, and I love Sly, but I've never been interested in Oscar. A PG rated comedy is something I very rarely watch.

On the other hand, I added A Letter to Three Wives to my 40's watchlist. That sounds really good.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-14-16

SPOTLIGHT

The Oscar winner for Best Picture of 2015, Spotlight is a disturbing, fact-based drama that looks at a dangerous epidemic that has been plaguing this country for way too long but said examination reaches a level in this dangerous story that redefines the phrase "separation of church and state" and had the hair on the back of my neck standing up for most of the running time.

The setting is the 1990's at the Boston Globe newspaper where a new editor-in-chief requests that Spotlight, a four person investigative reporting team who work completely independent of the rest of the paper and choose their own assignments, to drop their current look into Boston police corruption and pick up a story that the paper covered briefly regarding priest pedophilia and how Spotlight's investigation not only reveals the pain and widespread effect of this epidemic, but more importantly, the massive cover up involved in keeping a lot of these incidents quiet and buried when possible, a cover up that actually seems to actually blaze a trail all the way up the Archdiocese.

This film is a triumph for director and co-screenwriter Tom McCarthy who has crafted a docudrama wrapped around a compelling detective story where journalistic integrity and the simple search for the truth on a very delicate subject matter finds our quartet of reporters encountering a wall of silence, that like the walls that protect the police and the military, are almost brick-like in their protection of a group of people who absolutely are unworthy of the protection they are being afforded.

We watch as our team, Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), and Matt Carroll (Brian D'Arcy James) decide to build a case from the outside in and have to look back at the dropped work from five years prior, which leads them to a survivor of priest rape who started a support group for other survivors, which is the springboard for an entire new investigation for our group that reveals there are possibly ninety priests in the Boston area guilty of pedophilia but the Archdiocese had a role in a cover-up of epic proportions which would eventually lead to the dirt on almost 250 priests and uncover over 1000 victims.

McCarthy and co-screenwriter Josh Singer also hit a bullseye with the impact that this investigation has on the personal lives of the Spotlight team, or more specifcally, the lack thereof. These four people appear to have no personal life at all and always seem to be at work. We learn early on that Rezendes is married but we're well into act two before it is revealed that his wife left him because of his obsession with his work and, sadly, he really doesn't seem to care. The investigation also reveals startling personal connections to Robinson, Carroll, and Pfeiffer that might make some back off, but these reporters never take their eye off the prize, even when their investigation is stalled by the events of 9/11.

In addition to the Best Picture Oscar, McCarthy and Singer also picked up the gold for their brilliant screenplay and Ruffalo and McAdams received supporting nominations. Ruffalo is especially explosive as the rogue member of the team who is severely affected by the ugliness of what this investigation is unveiling and goes ballistic when it is suggested to drop the story before they have all the facts. Michael Keaton is also solid as Robinson as are Stanley Tucci as a slimy assistant DA whose allegiances appear a little muddy, John Slattery as Ben Bradlee Jr., and Liev Shcreiber as the new editor who sets this entire ball in motion. This is powerhouse cinematic storytelling that rivets the viewer to the screen and hopefully when it's over, makes him a little angry. Fans of All the President's Men will have a head start here.

Last edited by Gideon58; 02-14-20 at 11:22 PM.

Citizen Rules

Trouble with a capitial 'T'

11-14-16

Spotlight 5/5 rating

glad to see your enthusiasm for it! I thought it was a fine film myself. I wish Hollywood make more films like that, sadly there's probably not as big as audiences for serious subject films like Spotlight. But I'm glad to have seen it.

Gideon58

Registered User

11-17-16

THE NICE GUYS

The creative force behind Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is responsible for an entertaining, slam bang action comedy called The Nice Guys that features some offbeat casting and first rate attention to period detail, but suffers due to a screenplay with just a few too many plotholes.

It's Los Angeles in the 1970's and as our story begins we see a car crash through a house that contains a dead porn actress named Misty Mountains and then we are introduced to a pair of third rate private detectives who have both been hired to locate a woman named Amelia, who is missing and is connected to this dead actress somehow. Jackson Healy is an overweight and methodical detective who loves to bang suspects' heads on tables to get answers out of them. Holland March is a dim-witted detective who has no sense of smell and a 13 year old daughter named Holly who hates him. Eventually, these two detectives learn they are looking for the same person and decide to work together on a convoluted case that seems to be leading to the Department of Justice.

Shane Black is another "flash over substance" director who likes to keep the viewer dazzled with enough action that they will let those unexplained red herrings go and move at the same pace at which he moves the story. Just as he did with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Black has constructed a story that is so convoluted and leaves a lot unanswered but provides such entertaining characters and dazzling action sequences that the viewer is inclined to let the details slide. I did like the idea of giving one of our detectives a daughter who puts herself right in the middle of the action and, ironically, seems to have a lot more respect for Healy than she does for her own father and has a profound effect on both men before the credits fall.

Not since Boogie Nights, have I seen the 1970's so lovingly created onscreen with some exquisite details...I actually noticed a sign for a comedy club where one of the headliners was Elayne Boosler...when was the last time her name was dropped anywhere? Just like he did with Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, Black pulled a pair of great movie star turns from Russell Crowe, who has apparently given up on looking like a leading man and Ryan Gosling, who creates a delightfully human character who when he gets hurt actually screams like a woman. There's also a star-making turn by Angourie Rice as Gosling's daughter. It requires complete attention that doesn't really work, but for the most part, it's a pretty entertaining ride.

Tugg