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Opening Night (1977)
A mixture of brilliant scenes and scenes that make little sense
It's a middle-aged alcoholic actor's breakdown drama within a drama in the 1970s in New Haven, Connecticut, and New York City. "Opening Night" follows the preparation of "The Second Woman," a play previewing in Connecticut before heading for opening night on Broadway. The play's lead is Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands), a famous but aging actor. The fictional play is produced by David Samuels (Paul Stewart), written by Sarah Goode (Joan Blondell), and directed by Manny Victor (Ben Gazzara). The male leads in the play are Maurice Aarons (John Cassavetes) and Gus Simmons (John Tuell).
Myrtle's emotional instability is evident from the start. It is exacerbated by the accidental death of Nancy Stein (Laura Johnson), a teenage fan, whose death Myrtle sees after an early preview. "Opening Night" follows Myrtle's accelerating emotional decay and alcohol abuse due partly to her demons related to Nancy's death. The movie climaxes with opening night on Broadway.
"Opening Night" is standard John Cassavetes fare. There are hand-held close-ups, unusual angles, and sometimes choppy dialogue that reflects its improvisation. His style makes for a mixture of brilliant scenes and scenes that make little sense. Gena Rowlands does another great job of playing a woman experiencing a psychological breakdown. Joan Blondell is excellent as the older playwright, as is John Cassavetes as the fictional play's co-lead. The play within the movie provides very engaging perspectives but extends the film a bit too much. The ending is too neat.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
Even the shorter version doesn't feel finished
It's a neo-noir gangster movie set in Los Angeles, California, over several days in the 1970s. It follows the owner of a strip club, Cosmo Vittelli (Ben Gazzara), who has a gambling problem and, after seven years, has finally paid off a loan shark, Marty Reitz (Al Ruban). We see Cosmo functioning in his seedy club, especially with some of his strippers, especially his girlfriend, Rachel (Azizi Johari). Celebrating that night, Cosmo again goes into debt to Marty for $23,000.
The rest of the film follows the Mob's efforts to get Cosmo to a hit job to pay off a portion of his debt. He interacts with mobsters like Mort (Seymour Cassel) and Flo (Timothy Carey). Cosmo initially resists their demand but then follows through. When it's over, he learns the nature of the hit differs from his assumptions. The movie's end is inconclusive.
The 1978 version of "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is almost 30 minutes shorter than the original 1976 version. I watched the shorter version. It still doesn't work.
There is some excellent cinematography of darkness, close-ups, and chaos. But the dialogue is choppy, and if some was improvised, it didn't work well. Extraneous scenes presumably meant to underscore real-life experiences get dropped in occasionally with little sense. Ben Gazzara is fine, but almost everyone else is forgettable. "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is a potentially interesting story that was never really finished.
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
A grinding and emotional, but excellent, movie
It's a drama about the borderlines of sanity set in Los Angeles, California, over four days in the early 1970s, with a six-month gap between the third and fourth days. Nick Longhetti (Peter Falk) is a blue-collar construction foreman married to Mabel (Gena Rowlands). They have three children: Tony (Matthew Cassel, Angelo (Matthew Laborteaux), and Maria (Christina Grisanti). Nick's mother, Margaret (Katherine Cassavetes), is also prominent, as are Mabel's parents, George (Fred Draper) and Martha (Lady Rowlands). Dr. Zepp (Eddie Shaw), the family's physician and a relative, also plays a significant role.
Mabel is eccentric from the get-go. Nick has learned to live with her eccentricities but is bothered when others see them. His mother is much less understanding and judgmental. When Mabel's eccentric behavior becomes more concerning, Nick doesn't know how to cope and, after a crisis, commits Mabel to an institution. We see Nick's horrible planning for a big party when Mabel returns home and the fallout as her return threatens to fall apart.
"A Woman Under the Influence" is a grinding emotional movie. Neither Mabel nor Nick know how to cope with what has happened to them, and Margaret is no help. Nick's guilty feelings about his sometimes insensitive actions towards Mabel explode in their own destructive ways. Gena Rowland and Peter Falk are both fantastic in their characters. Rowland's portrayal of manic and compulsive behavior at several points is unforgettable, especially on her return home. Nick's mother's character seemed more forced and less natural, and Dr. Zepp was a bit too oily. But this movie deserves a second look when you've recovered from the first look.
A Patch of Blue (1965)
Hasn't aged well, but is emotionally powerful
It's a racial relations drama set in a city in Northern United States in the mid-1960s. We meet Selina D'Arcey (Debi Storm/Elizabeth Hartman), a blind 18-year-old girl living in poor circumstances with her mother, Rose-Ann (Shelley Winters), and grandfather, Ole Pa (Wallace Ford). Rose-Ann is a sex worker in a hotel, and Ole Pa usually comes home drunk at the end of the day. Selina strings beads for necklaces for Mr. Faber (John Qualen) and otherwise does all the housework and cooking. Rose-Anne is particularly abusive to Selina.
One day, Mr. Faber takes Selina to a nearby park, which she finds liberating. She talks Ole Pa into doing the same. She meets a cultured, well-educated African American man, Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier), who has a decent job and lives in an apartment with his younger brother, Mark (Ivan Dixon), a medical student in a nearby hospital.
"A Patch of Blue" unfolds the development of the relationship between Gordon and Selina as they meet regularly in the park. We learn how Selina came to be blind and the various deprivations she has experienced. The film climaxes when Gordon works to place Selina in a school for the blind even while Rose-Ann discovers Selina's relationship with an African American man.
"A Patch of Blue" is highly manipulative with a significant level of unreality. Rose-Ann and Ole Pa portray strong personalities. But Selina is sugary-sweet despite her circumstances, and Gordon is a saint. The problem is the script, which probably had to be that way because it was 1965 and exploring a relationship between a young white woman and an older African American man. I really wish Hartman and Poitier had been allowed more of an edge in their roles. In that sense, "A Patch of Blue" has not aged well.
However, Elizabeth Hartman was three years older than me and went to a high school ten miles from where I grew up. She had a lot of tragedy in her life (she died of depression and suicide), which is almost mirrored in this movie. Despite its limitations, "A Patch of Blue" really got to me emotionally.
Wildcat (2023)
Hawke's cinematic balance between O'Connor's life and her story characters is remarkable
It's a partial biopic of Flannery O'Connor (Maya Hawke), the American novelist and short-story writer between 1948 and about 1953. It's set in New York City, Iowa City, Iowa, and Milledgeville, Georgia. It portrays O'Connor as an obsessive, eccentric writer who is socially inept and profoundly affected by her Roman Catholic faith. Her stories reflect her personality with characters near the psychological edges or with marked handicaps.
"Wildcat" presents biographical scenes with her mother, Regina (Laura Linney) and aunt (Christine Dye), her writing mentor, Robert Lowell (Philip Ettinger), and her priest (Liam Neeson). Frequently interspersed are short fantastical scenes from her short stories in which Flannery and her mother have significant roles embedded in the story's characters. We meet many quirky characters in these scenes. The film ends as Flannery leans into her hereditary illness and embraces her writing.
"Wildcat" includes no great action scenes but does a marvelous job of uncovering O'Connor's struggle to reconcile her writing with her life in rural Georgia, living with people who don't understand her art. Her struggle with her Christian faith is also well portrayed. Ethan Hawke's cinematic balance between O'Connor's life and her story characters is remarkable.
Faces (1968)
Reminds me of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"
It's a marriage-disintegration drama in a North American city in about 1967 over 24 hours. It follows Richard Forst (John Marley), a middle-aged businessman, and his stay-at-home wife, Maria (Lynn Carlin). They are unhappy, and Richard is sexually frustrated.
The film sees Richard in his business setting, followed by drinks with Freddie (Fred Draper) in a local bar. They meet some girls, one of whom, Jeannie Rapp (Gena Rowlands), follows back to her room. When he gets home, a long interaction with Maria ends in conflict, and Richard departs to see Jeannie again. Meanwhile, Maria goes to a nightclub with her bridge friends where they meet Chet (Seymour Cassel). Everyone ends up back at Maria's house.
"Faces" reminds me of the 1966 film, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. In both, an incredible amount of alcohol is consumed, and the films are very dialogue-heavy. "Faces" is also black-and-white with a very contrasty appearance, and John Cassavetes extensively uses in-your-face closeups and cinéma vérité film technique. None of the characters in "Faces" are likable, but their intensity is gripping. The sexism of the 1960s is on full display. Marley, Rowlands, and Carlin give potent performances. However, there was no character I could identify with, and that always loses a point in my ratings.
Shadows (1958)
Fresh but choppy; French filmmakers of the era had better output
It's an early improvisational drama about race relations set in 1957 in New York City, with a few scenes in Philadelphia.
It follows three African American siblings who live together in Greenwich Village. The oldest is Hugh (Hugh Hurd), a jazz singer. Hugh's manager is Rupert (Rupert Crosse). Hugh has a darker skin color than his siblings, who could possibly pass. Ben (Ben Carruthers), the middle sibling, is an aspiring jazz trumpet player who hangs out with Dennis (Dennis Sallas) and Tom (Tom Allen) in restaurants and bars. Lelia (Lelia Goldoni) is an inexperienced 20-year-old dating David (David Politillow), an overbearing literary snob. When she tires of David, she engages with Tony (Anthony Ray), a white man, and Davey (David Jones), a hip Black man.
The film follows an improvisation generated by John Cassevetes' acting class in 1957, with some additional scenes shot in 1958. The class was mixed-race, so the improvisation explores race relations in late-1950s New York in a jazz environment and the relationship between the siblings. There is no plot; it follows the characters over a couple of weeks.
"Shadows" is primitive in its technology. The improvisational nature of the script makes the story fresh but choppy. The editing is rough because of the quality of the film source. The music by Charles Mingus and Shafi Hadi adds depth to the finished product. "Shadows" is interesting as an early American independent film, but it doesn't match the output of some of the French filmmakers of the same era.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
A beautifully made film that has not aged well
It's an epic (3 3/4 hours), somewhat fictional, partial biopic of T. E. Lawrence during World War I from 1916 to 1918 during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. The story focuses on Lieutenant T. E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) of the British army, who had experience in the Middle East. Beginning in Cairo, he works with General Murray (Donald Wolfit), Colonel Brighton (Anthony Quayle), and British diplomat Mr. Dryden (Claude Rains). Because of his experience, Lawrence is sent to explore relationships with Arab leaders like Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness), Ali ibn el Kharish (Omar Sharif), and Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn).
Robert Bolt's script makes Lawrence the Great White Leader of the Arab Revolution. David Lean's direction and Freddie Young's cinematography provide some spectacular scenes in the desert. The most substantial relationship in the film is between Lawrence and the fictional Ali ibn el Kharish. The British military leaders play to superficial stereotypes. There is a strong racist undercurrent in "Lawrence of Arabia," reflecting the era in which David Lean made it.
"Lawrence of Arabia" is a beautifully made film that has not aged well. Its picture of T. E. Lawrence is largely fanciful.
Lola rennt (1998)
A fun watch driven by a frantic pace
It's an absurdist drama set in the 1990s in Berlin, Germany. The action all takes place within a 30-minute timeframe. It follows Lola (Franka Potente) and Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), a young couple who have been together for about a year. Lola is the daughter of a wealthy banker (Herbert Knaup) and an alcoholic mother (Nina Petri). Manni is a small-time hood who works for Ronnie (Heino Ferch). Manni has received payment for a drug deal and is supposed to deliver the 100,000 Deutschmarks to Ronnie at noon. On the subway, he sits next to a homeless man but leaves the train while leaving the bag of money behind. Manni calls Lola from a pay phone in a panic, saying Ronnie will kill him if he can't come up with the cash before noon. Manni considers robbing a nearby grocery store. Lola tells him to wait; she will come immediately. She runs out of the house at 20 minutes to noon.
The film then provides three alternate endings to the story. All of them include Lola running all the way to meet Manni. The events include encounters with her father, her father's mistress, a business associate of her father, an ambulance driver, the homeless man, a pedestrian holding a baby, etc. Chance differences in small incidents make massive differences in the outcome. Between the alternate sequences, we observe Lola and Manni in bed, reflecting on the quality of their relationship.
"Run Lola Run" unfolds at a frantic pace driven by pounding techno music, some use of animation, and Lola's constant running. The compelling pace reflects the quality of Tom Tykwer's script and direction. Franka Potente is a great Lola, and Moritz Beliebtreu is also good. But "Run Lola Run" is driven by its script, not its characters. It's a fun watch but not a profound look at free will and determinism, as some observers have suggested.
The Great Escaper (2023)
A romantic biopic for seniors
It's a romantic biopic for seniors about one couple's experience of the 2014 D-Day celebrations, set in June 2014 in Hove, England, and Normandy, France. 90-year-old Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine/Will Fletcher) and his wife Irene (Glenda Jackson/Laura Marcus) are in an assisted living facility in Hove, England. Bernie is too late to join a group going to the 70th-anniversary celebrations in Normandy, so he goes alone with no planning.
The film follows Bernie's experiences on the ferry crossing the English Channel and his two days in France. We also see Irene's life while he's gone. There are flashbacks to their experiences on D-Day, which helps explain Bernie's compulsion to take this last opportunity to return to France. We meet two care home workers, Judith (Jackie Clune) and Adele (Danielle Vitalis), and several persons Bernie engaged with on his trip, including a former RAF officer, Arthur (John Standing), a veteran of a more recent war (Victor Oshin), and a German D-Day veteran (Wolf Kahler).
"The Great Escaper" is mistitled; it's actually a tender love story of memories and regrets about an old comrade (Elliot Norman) with D-Day as the starting point. Michael Caine is excellent; Glenda Jackson is outstanding (she died less than a year after making the film, at age 87). The film's focus is very narrow; we learn nothing of Bernie and Irene's life between D-Day and 2014, which lessens the depth of the film. Some of Bernie's encounters during his trip present an appropriately complex picture of the tragedy of war. And it's a real treat to see Caine and Jackson functioning at a high level at their age.
Valkyrie (2008)
A Tom Cruise action movie, not a serious historical drama
Today's movie was "Valkyrie" (2008), a historical World War II drama directed by Bryan Singer. In Canada, it's available on Prime Video, Hoopla, and TubiTV. It's on Fubo, MGM+, Ruku, Hoopla, TubiTV, PlutoTV and FilmBox in the United States.
My 5 of 10 review is at:
It's a historical World War II drama set in Germany in 1943-1944. It opens in 1943 when Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) was seriously injured in battle in North Africa. The film then follows Stauffenberg's joining the resistance movement that included General von Tresckow (Kenneth Branagh), General Beck (Terence Stamp), General Olbricht (Bill Nighy), political leader Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (Kevin McNally), Field General Witzleben (David Schofield) and Colonel von Quirnheim (Christian Berkel). We also meet General Fromm (Tom Wilkinson), head of the Reserve Army which was critical to Operation Valkyrie.
The film shows Stauffenberg convincing the others to use, as part of the assignation plot, the Valkyrie plan authorized by Hitler to provide continuity of government in the case of an emergency. Generals Fromm and Olbricht headed the Reserve Army utilized in the plan. It follows efforts to get Adolf Hitler (David Bamber) to sign off on a revised plan and the subsequent efforts by Stauffenberg to plant a bomb near Hitler at a military briefing, and the consequences when things go wrong.
The script for "Valkyrie" treats the historical event like a 1950s World War II movie--it's all plot and action, with no exploration of motivation. And Stauffenberg's motivation for participation in the plot is highly fertile ground for exploration. Tom Cruise's Stauffenberg is the commanding center of everything, while others like Olbricht and Fromm are portrayed as weasels. Some of the dialogue is very contrived, and the musical score belongs in a thriller. Interestingly, it's now clear that Stauffenberg did not originate the Valkyrie idea (it was Tresckow).
"Valkyrie" is a Tom Cruise action movie, not a serious historical drama.
This Property Is Condemned (1966)
Mary Badham has the most interesting role in the movie
It's a Depression-era romantic drama set in the 1930s in the fictional Dodson, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Dodson is a railroad town, and many local workers live in the Starr Boarding House, which is run by Hazel Starr (Kate Reid). Her daughters are the voluptuous 20-something Alva (Natalie Wood) and early teenager Willie (Mary Badham). Mr. Starr has left in search of better fortunes, but his daughters hope he will return.
The film begins with Willie, later in the 1930s, telling a young boy, Tom (Jon Provost), about the boardinghouse, her sister Alva, and what happened when a man from the railroad, Owen Legate (Robert Redford), came to town one week to issue layoff notices to up to 15 men.
A flashback then follows Owen's interaction with all three Starrs, with the inevitable spark finally lit between Owen and Alva. The film's origin is a Tennessee Williams play, which is evident in most of the action taking place in the boardinghouse, and later in Owen's home in New Orleans. Some of Robert Redford's mannerisms relating to women reappear in "Out of Africa." Natalie Wood seems a tad old for the role, though she's two years younger than Redford. Kate Reid is scheming and untrustworthy. Mary Badham is excellent as the narrator and precocious teen. Hers is the most interesting role in the movie. Charles Bronson is a good villain as J. J. Nichols.
From my perspective, the ending is too Tennessee Williams-dark, but so it goes.
Stand by Me (1986)
The four guys are magnificent in their roles
It's a coming-of-age road movie set in rural Oregon in the summer of 1959 and 1986. Richard Dreyfuss narrates the story as "The Writer" in 1986. The film follows four 12-year-old friends just before they are about to enter grade seven. Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) is the natural leader, but comes from a nasty family with a poor reputation. Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) is skinny and unathletic but creative and imaginative. His beloved older brother, Dennis (John Cusack), has recently died in an automobile accident, and his parents (Marshall Bell & Frances Lee McCain) have not recovered. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) is impetuous and has been abused by his father, who is now in a mental institution. Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell) is chubby and somewhat clueless.
Vern has heard that his older brother, Billy (Casey Siemaszko), and a friend (Gary Riley), have discovered the body of a missing boy their age some distance away near a railroad track. Billy is part of a group of juvenile delinquents led by Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland).
The film follows the trek of the four boys overnight and into the next day. They have several adventures, a close call with a train on a trestle over a river, and a scary night in the woods. We also see illustrated a story told that night by Gordie about a boy named Lardass (Andy Lindberg). In parallel, we see Ace's gang decide to return to the body and the final confrontation between the boys and the gang. Ultimately, The Writer summarizes what happened to the boys when they grew up.
The four boys are magnificent in their roles, though some of their shared adventures stretch the imagination. Their dialogue as 12-year-olds is outstanding. The juvenile delinquents are a bit stereotyped, but they look "right" for the era. The soundtrack uses many popular songs from the era. I had forgotten how good "Stand by Me" was.
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Streep and MacLaine have some great scenes between them
It's a drug addiction recovery drama in Southern California in the late 1980s. It follows the crash and complex recovery by Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep), a well-known actress and daughter of an even more famous actress, Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine). We see Suzanne's near-death overdose, her drop-off at the hospital by sleazy producer Jack Faulkner (Dennis Quaid), and her treatment by Dr. Frankenthal (Richard Dreyfuss). We then get a glimpse of Suzanne's experience in a rehab center and then her return to working in a B-movie.
The film then focuses on Suzanne and Doris's relationship. We see how the family traits have been inherited when we meet Grandma (Mary Wickes) and Grandpa (Conrad Bain). There are several family crises, close encounters with relapse, and a return to working with Director Lowell Kolchek (Gene Hackman).
"Postcards from the Edge" is touted as a comedy-drama. It's more drama than comedy but has some humorous edges. The script sometimes can't decide what it is. Streep and MacLaine are both excellent, with some great scenes between them. The number of big names doing cameos is excessive and detracts from the focus on the relationship between a damaged mother and a damaged daughter. The film doesn't go over the top, which would be a real temptation.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
The story is overwrought and feels incomplete
It's a tortured romance set in rural early-19th century northwest England. It follows the romantic experiences that impact two households. It's told through a flashback as a stranger (Miles Mander) enters Wuthering Heights in a snowstorm. His report of seeing a woman on the moors leads the master, Heathcliff (Laurence Olivier), to rush out on the storm. His servant, Ellen (Flora Robson), tells him the story that goes back 30 years.
Mr. Earnshaw (Cecil Kellaway), who owned Wuthering Heights, took in Heathcliff as an orphan boy. Earnshaw's two children were Cathy (Merle Oberon) and Hindley (Hugh Williams). Cathy grew to love Heathcliff, but Hindley, the heir, hated him and relegated him to the stable. Another servant was Joseph (Leo G. Carroll). Dr. Kenneth (Donald Crisp) was the village doctor throughout.
The next-door neighbor was Judge Linton (Cecil Humphreys), who lived in the elaborate Grange with his son, Edgar (David Niven), and daughter, Isabella (Geraldine Fitzgerald). The story follows Cathy and Heathcliff's doomed love and the pain caused to Edgar and Isabella.
The story is overwrought, and the fact that the movie uses part of the novel makes it feel incomplete, with loose ends dangling. There are some excellent scenes between Olivier and Oberon, but Niven and others seem less authentic. It was worth watching for historical purposes.
Unfrosted (2024)
Amusing, but tries to do too much and includes too many people
It's a satiric comedy set in 1963 in Battle Creek, Michigan. It's a comedic send-up about the invention of Pop-Tarts and the battle for breakfast supremacy between Kellogg's and Post. Although based in 1963, it rambles throughout pieces of the 1960s without embarrassment. There are a host of characters, some of whom are funny and some that fall flat. Seinfeld plays Bob Cabana, a senior employee at Kellogg's. His boss is Edsel Kellogg (Jim Gaffigan); the head of Post is Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer). Many Kellogg's cartoon characters appear; Hugh Grant plays Tony the Tiger. There are countless other comedians in the cast.
Along the way, "Unfrosted" takes potshots at John F. Kennedy's sexual predilections, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the January 6 attack on the Capitol. All of it is pointless, but then so was the "Seinfeld" TV series I loved. I smiled frequently but didn't have belly laughs at "Unfrosted." My favorite character was Walter Cronkite (Kyle Dunnigan).
"Unfrosted" tries to do too much and includes too many people. It was amusing, but not much more. If you have an hour and a half, watch it.
Les ordres (1974)
A faint glimpse of the underside when a democracy loses its way
It's a docudrama about five persons imprisoned for up to three weeks during the October 1970 crisis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Based on interviews with 50 of the 450 persons arrested and ultimately released without charge following Pierre Trudeau's invocation of the War Measures Act, it tells the story of five composite characters, making extensive use of the interviews. Clermont Boudreau (Jean Lapointe) is the union steward in a weaving factory. He and his wife, Marie (Hélène Loiselle), have three school-age daughters. Dr. Jean-Marie Beauchemin (Guy Provost) heads a medical clinic. Claudette Dusseault (Louise Forestier) is a social worker. Richard Lavoie (Claude Gauthier) is unemployed but has trouble with structure.
The film begins with a quote from Pierre Trudeau about justice and a little background on the October Crisis. We then turn to interview clips and each person's life immediately before the arrests in black and white. After arrest and while in prison, the drama turns to color. We wait, as the prisoners wait, for any explanation of "Why me"? We wince at the crude and illegal behavior of some of the guards. Then we see people released without explanation or apology.
"Les Ordres" is a faint glimpse of the underside when a democracy loses its way. The film is not polished or commercial. It's not riveting drama, but it makes the viewer cringe, especially this viewer, who generally idolizes Pierre Trudeau for allowing me to come to Canada during the Vietnam War. But there's still a warning in this movie fifty years later.
The Departed (2006)
DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson are all memorable, if somewhat stereotyped
It's an epic and convoluted gangsters and police drama set briefly in the 1980s and then in the early 2000s in Boston, Massachusetts. It follows two police officers. One is Trooper Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who comes from a gang-related family history in South Boston. The second is Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a polished on-the-make cop already in the employ of mob boss Francis Costello (Jack Nicholson). Costigan becomes an undercover cop in Costello's organization, while Sullivan keeps Costello apprised of police efforts against his organization.
Costigan's bosses are Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Costello's principal enforcer is Frenchie French (Ray Winstone). Both Costigan and Sullivan have occasion to interact with police psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga).
The film follows both cops' progression into their roles and the heightened tension and violence when Costello and Queenan believe their side has been infiltrated by the other. By the end, as the bodies mount, we learn about even more layers of infiltration on both sides.
"The Departed" uses many standard Scorsese techniques, including fast pacing, quick shots, and vivid violence. DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson are all memorable, if somewhat stereotyped, in their roles. It's more plot than character development, with a narrow theme of two guys trying to find their true selves despite the life contradictions they have embraced.
Sight (2023)
I could do without the call for donations at the end
It's an inspirational biopic of Ming Wang (Jaydn Zhang/Ben Wang/Terry Chen), an ophthalmologist who survived the Cultural Revolution in China. It's set in Hangzhou, China, MIT in Massachusetts, and Nashville, Tennessee, ranging from 1968 to 2007.
"Sight" begins in Nashville, where we learn that Ming is a brilliant ophthalmologist whose laser science background allows him to be innovative in working with corneas to restore sight. We meet Ming's colleague Misha (Greg Kinnear) and a young Indian girl, Kajal (Mia SwamiNathan), who was deliberately blinded by her parents to make her a more effective beggar.
The film follows Ming's efforts to restore Kajal's sight. At the same time, flashbacks recount his struggles growing up in China under challenging times with his parents, Zhensheng (Donald Heng/Raymond Ma) and Alian (Leanne Wang/Wai Ching), and younger brother, Yu (Kelvin Luo/Garland Chang). There is also his first love, Lili (Kiana Luo/Sara Ye), whose disappearance during the Cultural Revolution haunts him into adulthood. Ming's self-confidence is tested until he works through his spiritual crisis. The film provides modest flashes of the racial bias Ming encountered in the United States.
"Sight" is produced by Angel Studios, so it follows a particular formula. The protagonist faces severe trials, but recovery of faith brings inner resolution. The Christian message is light-handed, except when the real Ming Wang speaks at the end and proposes viewers give an offering to "pay it forward" for other viewers.
Ben Wang and Terry Chen play Ming convincingly. Sara Ye is an excellent Lili, and Mia SwamiNathan is also effective. The rest of the supporting cast is serviceable but not memorable. Given its nature, the scenes in the Cultural Revolution are not over-the-top in violence. The film leaves many gaps in details about Ming's life, e.g., how and when his family got to North America.
Barney's Version (2010)
Paul Giamatti and Rosamund Pike are outstanding
It's a Canadian romantic drama set from the 1970s to 2010 in Rome, Montreal, a cottage outside Montreal, and New York City. It opens when Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is older and is accosted by retired Detective O'Hearne (Mark Addy), who has written a book accusing TV producer Barney of a crime.
The film then flashes back to Barney's three marriages to Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), the unnamed second wife (Minnie Driver), and Miriam (Rosamund Pike). The last marriage was Barney's greatest love, lasted the longest, and produced two children, Michael (Jake Hoffman) and Kate (Anna Hopkins). We also meet Barney's eccentric policeman father, Izzy (Dustin Hoffman), and Barney's close friends, artist Leo (Thomas Trabacchi) and drug-addicted writer Boogie (Scott Speedman).
"Barney's Version" is rooted in Montreal's Jewish community, and much of the film's humor plays off community relationships. Barney, a near-alcoholic television producer, is as erratic as his father and makes some bad choices along the way. By the movie's end, we learn whether Barney committed a crime involving Boogie.
Paul Giamatti is excellent as a flawed Mensch, as is Rosamund Pike as his long-suffering wife who never truly abandons him. Dustin Hoffman is outstanding as a Jewish policeman who has survived in an environment that doesn't welcome him. Scott Speedman also provides a fine performance. The pacing is good, though I wondered if viewers unfamiliar with the novel would have trouble with a story told over many decades.
Hit Man (2023)
A romantic comedy edge with a film noir backdrop
It's a sly undercover police drama set in modern times in New Orleans, Louisiana. It follows a divorced, mild-mannered psychology professor, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), who lives alone with his two cats, Id and Ego. He has also worked part-time with the New Orleans Police Department as a technical advisor on some undercover operations. Suddenly, Jasper (Austin Amelio), the guy who usually plays the undercover role of a hitman, is suspended, and Claudette (Retta) and Phil (Sanjay Rao) co-opt Gary to fill in. Gary proves amazingly skilled at his job with his forgettable face, many disguises, and believable sales pitch. Nonetheless, Gary's ex-wife (Molly Bernard) encourages him to liven up his personality.
Suddenly, Gary meets Madeline Masters (Adria Arjona), a beautiful young woman who wants to have her husband, Ray (Evan Holtzman), killed. Rather than trap her, Gary encourages her to flee her husband and begin her own life. Soon, Gary and Maddy begin a relationship in which she still believes Gary is a hitman, and Gary's police colleagues are unaware of his relationship with a potential suspect. The movie then unfolds through many twists and turns that threaten their relationship and their trust in one another.
"Hit Man" is a supremely clever story loosely based on a real Gary Johnson in Houston. It has a romantic comedy edge against a film noir backdrop. Powell and Arjona have excellent chemistry. The script lags a little in the middle but sprints to the end and has a good film noir ending.
Shenandoah (1965)
A mediocre knock-off of "Bonanza"
It's a Civil War drama set in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1864. It follows a wealthy libertarian widower, Charlie Anderson (James Stewart), who has six sons (Glenn Corbett, Patrick Wayne, Charles Robinson, James, McMullan, Henry Anderson, and Philip Alford), one daughter (Rosemary Forsyth), and one daughter-in-law (Katharine Ross) living under his roof. Charlie is cantankerous, doesn't support owning slaves, and refuses to have anything to do with the Civil War unless it comes onto his farm. His wife, Martha, died 16 years earlier, giving birth to Boy (Philip Alford), making Boy a special favorite. We also meet a young Confederate officer (Doug McClure) who seeks to marry his daughter.
The movie follows events as the Civil War finally impinges on his quiet family life, with some deadly consequences. By the end of "Shenandoah," Charlie learns some of the consequences of his stiff-necked behavior.
"Shenandoah" is a mediocre Western that seems to copy the style of the "Bonanza" TV series. Charlie is the patriarchal head of a family whose children call him "Sir," but there are enough hijinks along the way to display Charlie's mellow side, e.g., a fight with authorities seeking to seize horses that sees the Boy constantly knocked into a water trough.
Charlie Anderson is the only character with any personality; the sons are all ciphers. The two women are meek and submissive. The plot wanders on with no real message except that war seems to decrease family sizes despite anything you might do to protect yourself from it. Some reviewers call "Shenandoah" an anti-war movie, but I think it's just a mediocre knock-off of "Bonanza."
Consenting Adults (1992)
A silly "thriller"
It's a crime thriller set in Atlanta, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1990s. It follows two neighboring couples who become friends over several months. Richard Parker (Kevin Kline) is a musician who writes jingles for advertisements. His wife, Priscilla (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), works with him in the studio. They have one daughter, Lori (Kimberly McCullough).
Eddy (Kevin Spacey) and Kay Otis (Rebecca Miller) move in next door. Eddy is a financial advisor with a reckless edge who constantly pushes the more staid Richard to loosen up. Immediate chemistry is evident between Eddy and Priscilla, as well as between Richard and Kay. Eddy makes suggestive remarks to Richard about swapping partners for a night. Richard initially blows up but eventually comes around.
But things suddenly go south. Kay ends up dead, and Richard is charged with her murder. A convoluted plot reveals that there are even more diabolical layers to the story, and more violent deaths occur by the end.
"Consenting Adults" is a silly thriller. It's a combination of an unbelievable plot and bad direction despite decent acting by some talented people. Kevin Spacey makes a good psychotic, and Kevin Kline is a great unfulfilled musician. Mastrantonio and Miller are less effective but OK. E. G. Marshall is too old for his role as Richard's lawyer. Forest Whitaker is unconvincing as a private eye. It would take some awfully stupid police departments to fall for this plot.
Exotica (1994)
A Canadian psychological drama that holds up well
It's a Canadian psychological drama set in the 1990s in Toronto, Ontario, in a strip club called Exotica and a pet shop selling exotic animals. It follows the interaction between a Revenue Canada tax auditor, Francis Brown (Bruce Greenwood), a young exotic dancer, Christina (Mia Kirshner), the DJ at the strip club, Eric (Elias Koteas), and the gay owner of the store, Thomas Pinto (Don McKellar). Secondary roles include Francis's brother, Harold (Victor Garber), and niece, Tracey (Sarah Polley).
"Exotica" slowly unfolds the relationship of all the characters in the context of past trauma in Francis Brown's life. We don't learn all the pieces until the very end. Atom Egoyan has crafted a very clever story in a highly sexualized atmosphere. Some parts of the narrative are a little too creative (theft of exotic bird eggs by a customs officer), but it works even though it can't be real. And you get to hear Leonard Cohen sing music to strip by.
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Grim and depressing
It's a drug addiction crime drama set in 1971, mainly in Portland, Oregon, and another West Coast town. It follows four drug addicts who sustain their supply by robbing drugstores, not with violence but with subterfuge of various kinds. Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) is the group's 26-year-old leader. His wife and close friend from childhood is Dianne (Kelly Lynch). Rick (James LeGros) is a slightly younger "learner," whose lady is Nadine (Heather Graham), who is naive and possibly 18.
The film unrelentingly follows a couple of successful robberies, interaction with another young dealer, David (Max Perlich), and encounters with a police detective named Gentry (James Remar). A major failure and a sudden death, combined with Bob's superstitions, lead Bob to seek a different path for a time, but "Drugstore Cowboy" ends without resolution or hope.
"Drugstore Cowboy" is grim and depressing. It's also effective in portraying lives consumed with the next drug source, followed by highs that aren't really high. Matt Dillon and Kelly Lynch are good. William S. Burroughs appears as Bob's former drug-addicted priest in an effective cameo role. While effective, it doesn't go anywhere--perhaps like the novel's author, James Fogle, who ended up dying in prison at age 75 after robbing a pharmacy at age 74.