MARKED MOVIES

TUESDAY’S TRIVIA TIDBITS.

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on November 5, 2012 by Mark Walker

Welcome back to Tuesday’s Trivia Tidbits. For those of you out of the loop, this is a little compilation of 10 movie related facts that I will be posting weekly and info that I always find interesting. So without further ado, this weeks are…

1: In “Angel Heart“, Alan Parker claimed that Robert De Niro’s performance as Louis Cypher was so eerie and realistic that he generally avoided him during his scenes, letting him just direct himself. De Niro’s performance was apparently an impersonation of his long-time friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese.

2: This might not mean much to many but it does to me; John Byrne is a cult and eccentric Scottish playwright/artist who wrote the play “The Slab Boys“. It was first performed as a Broadway production in 1983 starring Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon and Val Kilmer in early acting roles.

3: Steven Spielberg’s original concept for “E.T.” was a much darker movie in which a family was terrorized in their house by aliens. When Spielberg decided to go with a more benevolent alien, the family-in-jeopardy concept was recycled as “Poltergeist“.

4: In “The Third Man“, Cary Grant was considered for the part of Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles). Coincidentally, Grant was a regular lunchtime visitor to the set of the film when the shooting returned to London sound-stages.

5: Sidney Lumet was the first choice to direct the film “Scarface” in 1983 but he backed out and Brian De Palma took over. It was Lumet’s idea to make the characters Cuban and to include the 1980 Mariel harbor boat lift in the story.

6: In “A Few Good Men“, Jack Nicholson repeated his famous courtroom monologue as Col. Jessep off-camera several times so director Rob Reiner could film the reactions of other actors from various angles. Nicholson’s memorable on-camera performance was filmed last, but according to Reiner and the other cast members, Nicholson gave it his all every take as if he was on camera.

7: Nick Nolte has surprisingly been considered for many major roles in film that would probably have changed the films considerably had he been cast. They include: Indiana Jones in “Raiders of The Lost Ark“, Han Solo in “Star Wars“, John Rambo in “First Blood“, Clark Kent in “Superman“, Snake Plissken in “Escape From New York” and Rick Deckard in “Blade Runner” to name a few.

8: There are only five actors to be nominated for acting honors by the Academy Awards over five decades: Paul Newman, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine. Only Olivier (1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s), Caine (1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s) and Nicholson (1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s) have done it consecutively over 5 decades.

9: John Turturro took classes at a secretarial school to learn how to use a typewriter for his role in the Coen brothers’ “Barton Fink“. Between takes, he wrote a rough outline for his future directorial outing “Romance & Cigarettes” on the typewriter he used in the film. The Coens would later produce that movie for Turturro and it also featured Steve Buscemi who plays Chet the bellhop in “Barton Fink”.

10: The boots that Clint Eastwood wore in “Unforgiven” are the same ones he wore in the TV series “Rawhide” where, essentially, he made his name. In essence these boots have book-ended his career in the Western genre.

So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box.
See you next Tuesday…

(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)

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10 Favourite Director’s Quotes Relay Race

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on November 3, 2012 by Mark Walker

I’ve been involved in a couple of excellent Blogathons this year but this is the first relay race that I’ve been invited into. This one was created originally by David at Taste Of Cinema who provided the following as a description and the aim of the relay…

“People love wisdom words from great minds. As a cinephile, I prefer director quotes than words from any other group of people in the world.Their thoughts on cinema not only provide insights into deep understanding of cinema, but also open the window to their own films, their genres, their filmmaking methods, thus they need to receive more exposure as their films did.”

The rules of the relay are quite simple really. There will be a list of 10 directors and direct quotes from them that explain their motivations and reasons in how they see their craft. Every time the relay is received by a blogger they will have to choose which director to omit and replace him/her with a choice of their own and then choose another blogger to continue the race.

I was kindly invited into this by my good friend Keith who runs the fantastic site Keith & The Movies. It’s a site that always one of my regular stopping points as Keith delivers regular well written reviews of both classic and contemporary cinema, as well as, fun and and informative features like The Phenomenal 5 and The Throwdown series. If you are unfamiliar with Keith’s site you should definitely stop by.

Other bloggers involved in this so far have been… Movie and Song 365, And So It Begins…, The Cinematic Spectacle, On Page and Screen and FlixChatter. So without further ado, here is the list of director’s that have made the cut…

Quentin Tarantino

“I steal from every single movie ever made. I love it – if my work has anything it’s that I’m taking this from this and that from that and mixing them together. If people don’t like that, then tough titty, don’t go and see it, all right? I steal from everything. Great artists steal; they don’t do homages.” – Quentin Tarantino

Andrei Tarkovsky

“Unlike all the other art forms, film is able to seize and render the passage of time, to stop it, almost to possess it in infinity. I’d say that film is the sculpting of time.” – Andrei Tarkovsky

Seijun Suzuki

“Why make a movie about something one understands completely? I make movies about things I do not understand, but wish to.” – Seijun Suzuki

Federico Fellini

“I don’t like the idea of ‘understanding’ a film. I don’t believe that rational understanding is an essential element in the reception of any work of art. Either a film has something to say to you or it hasn’t. If you are moved by it, you don’t need it explained to you. If not, no explanation can make you moved by it.” – Federico Fellini

Pedro Almodovar

“When I make a film, I never stop uncovering mysteries, making discoveries. When I’m writing, filming, editing, even doing promotional work, I discover new things about the film, about myself, and about others. That is what I’m subconsciously looking for when shooting a film: to glimpse the enigmas of life, even if I don’t resolve them, but at least to uncover them. Cinema is curiosity in the most intense meaning of the word.” – Pedro Almodovar

Krzysztof Kieslowski

“You make films to give people something, to transport them somewhere else, and it doesn’t matter if you transport them to a world of intuition or a world of intellect…The realm of superstitions, fortune-telling, presentiments, intuition, dreams, all this is the inner life of a human being, and all this is the hardest thing to film… I’ve been trying to get there from the beginning. I’m somebody who doesn’t know, somebody who’s searching.” – Krzysztof Kieslowski

Andrea Arnold

“I wonder whether my bleak-o-meter is set differently from other people’s. I have such passion for what I do that I can’t see it as bleak. When people use that word, or “grim” or “gritty,” I just think, “Oh, come on, look a bit deeper.” My films don’t give you an easy ride. I can see that. The sense I get is that people have quite a physical experience with them. They feel afterwards that they’ve really been through something.” — Andrea Arnold

Jean-Luc Goddard

“A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end… but not necessarily in that order.”
—Jean-Luc Godard

Christopher Nolan

“Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact image that the audience is seeing.” – Christopher Nolan

Kathryn Bigelow

“If there is resistance to women making movies, I choose to ignore it. That is because I cannot change my gender and I refuse to stop making movies.” – Katheryn Bigelow

These are all great quotes and it’s very difficult to take one out but my decision rests with…

Lee Daniels

“Truth is hard to tell! And you have to be willing to be criticized for it.” – Lee Daniels

My reasons for this are solely based on his relative inexperience behind the camera and despite the quote being a great one, it doesn’t shed much light on his work. It was difficult but there has to be a casualty. My addition would be…

Paul Thomas Anderson

“I really subscribe to that old adage that you should never let the audience get ahead of you for a second. So if the film’s abrasive and wrongfoots people then, y’know, that’s great. But I hope it involves an audience. If not, that’s my fuck-up.” – Paul Thomas Anderson

Next in line… I’d like to pass the baton to my good friend and colleague Tyson who runs the site Head In A Vice, where he not only works on his own reviews but has a couple of ambitious and highly interactive projects on the go in reviewing all of the Imdb’s 250 list and working his way through every film that Robert DeNiro has done. Added to which, he’s amassed a very impressive list of bloggers’ Desert Island Picks. Anyway, enough talk! Tyson it’s over to you…

32 Comments »

The Shining * * * * *

Posted in Horror with tags 1980 on October 31, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Stanley Kubrick.
Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick, Diane Johnson.
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Joe Turkel, Anne Jackson.

Despite being one of horror’s most prolific and impressive writers, Stephen King’s novel don’t always transfer well to the screen. Reportedly, he can’t stand this adaptation of his work as director Stanley Kubrick changed a lot from the original source material. If that’s the case and this is the end result, then maybe more director’s should add their own spin on King’s work as this is one of the genre’s finest horror movies.

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is a novelist who agrees to become the caretaker of the secluded ‘Overlook Hotel’ during the winter to work on his new book. To keep him company, Jack takes his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) along with him. However, the hotel has a history of gruesome murders taking place at the hands of the previous caretaker. Not before long, evil and spiritual presences influence the behaviour of an increasingly unstable Jack, while Danny begins to experience prophetic visions.

What can really be said about the The Shining that hasn’t been said already? Quite simply, it’s a classic. I could just leave it at that and move along to something else but I’ll shed a little light on why it can be – and predominantly is – regarded as such. First off, for any horror to achieve it’s full potential, it’s essential that it gets the mood right and this can certainly claim to have that. There is a sense of foreboding and feeling of dread that permeates almost every scene. Kubrick’s approach is to linger long on shots and seemingly empty spaces. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a horror where looking at static furniture in a hallway – waiting for something to happen – has ever been more creepy. That something rarely ever does happen but it’s Kubrick’s use of lavish sets, designed in the most meticulous detail, that’s visual arresting. He uses vast, well lit, rooms and corridors yet creates a smothering feeling of darkness and claustrophobia. The power of the setting itself can often be overlooked as to how horrifying it really is, as most of the horror comes in the form of a maniacal Jack Nicholson; his decent into murderous madness is one of his finest and most iconic performances. There’s not many actors that can channel a character so demented and unbalanced yet remain, very much, a pleasure to watch – even root for. My biggest issue with the film would be Shelley Duvall; I’ve never really been a fan of hers and despite putting in a good show here, she’s too irritating and hysterical – leaving you with the feeling that maybe Jack should just ‘bash her brains in’. That being said, the relationship between the two add a curious nature to the story. On the surface it would seem that’s it’s a decent into madness from Torrance but there’s ambiguity involved. Could it possibly be the vulnerability of Wendy and her unresolved past issues with her husband’s physical abuse of their child, manifesting in her own decent? Does she even exist, or is she a figment of Torrance’s imagination? Or is it vice-verse? It’s this very ambiguity that raises the film above a conventional horror story and Kubrick only teases the audience with the details, never fully revealing them and leaving it open to argument. It’s also benefits from a deliberate pace and some sublime camerawork by John Alcott, not to mention a dynamic, sledgehammer of a score that leaves you shaken and overwhelmed.

This is how unrelenting terror should be delivered; slowly assuredly and with consummate skill in maintaing it’s eerie atmosphere. Kubrick delivers one of his finest pieces of work here and Nicholson follows suit. Let this be a lesson to all.

Mark Walker

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TUESDAY’S TRIVIA TIDBITS.

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on October 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

1: According to Francis Ford Coppola, the term “Don Corleone” is actually incorrect Italian parlance. In Italian, addressing someone as “Don” would be like addressing them as “Uncle” in English, so the correct parlance would be “Don Michael” or “Don Vito”. Coppola says that Mario Puzo, who couldn’t speak Italian, simply made up the idea of using “Don” with a person’s last name, and it has now become a pop culture staple.

2: Kevin Spacey was considered for a role in “Skyfall“, but declined due to scheduling conflicts. It is believed that director Sam Mendes originally offered the role of the villain to Spacey, the part in the film played by Javier Bardem. Spacey worked with Mendes previously on “American Beauty“. Interestingly, in this movie Kevin Spacey’s character complains to his wife that by attending his daughter’s cheer-leading dance he is “missing the James Bond marathon on TNT.”

3: Although a prominent character in “Toy Story 3“, an early version of Lotso can be seen in the original “Toy Story” during the staff meeting. Woody asks if the toys “up on the shelf can hear” him, and we see a shot of a big, pinkish bear. John Lasseter wanted to use Lotso in the original Toy Story, but PIXAR had troubles getting the fur right.

4: There are six people to have won an Academy Award for Best Director, though are mainly known as actors. They are: Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, Richard Attenborough, Kevin Costner and Robert Redford.

5: Christian Bale dropped an amazing 63 pounds for his role as the emaciated insomniac Trevor Reznik in the film “The Machinist” with only a single vitamin consultation with a nutritionist to guide him. For the most part, he only ate salads and apples, chewed gum, smoked cigarettes, and drank nonfat lattes.

6: According to Stanley Kubrick’s wife Christiane, the director would screen every movie he could get a hold of. One of his favorites was “The Jerk“. He considered making “Eyes Wide Shut” a dark sex comedy with Steve Martin in the lead. He even met with Martin to discuss the project.

7: Judi Dench’s 1999 Oscar was awarded for an eight-minute performance in only four scenes as Queen Elizabeth I in “Shakespeare in Love“. It is the second shortest performance ever to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, the only shorter one being Beatrice Straight’s six-minute performance in “Network“.

8: The banner at the top of the early and original ‘Facebook.com’ included a stylized portrait of a young Al Pacino. It was designed by Andrew McCollum, a friend of Mark Zuckerberg (the creator of Facebook). The banner used on the website in the film “The Social Network” uses a portrait of actor Jesse Eisenberg (who plays Zuckerberg in the movie).

9: In “True Romance” there is a head criminal character named ‘Blue Lou Boyle’. He never appears onscreen but was originally a speaking part (with Robert DeNiro as the definite favorite), but many cuts were made to Quentin Tarantino’s script, including a scene featuring him. Instead, he’s briefly mentioned as Vincent Coccotti’s (Christopher Walken) superior.

10: (Courtesy of Fogs’ Movie Reviews)
Due to John Carpenter’s “Halloween“, shoestring budget, the prop department had to use the cheapest mask that they could find in the costume store: a “Star Trek” William Shatner mask. They later spray-painted the face white, teased out the hair, and reshaped the eye holes. Shatner admitted that for years he had no idea his likeness was used for this film. It was only during an interview that someone mentioned his mask was being used. He has since stated that he is honored by this gesture.

So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box.
See you next Tuesday…

(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)

57 Comments »

Leon: The Professional * * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Drama, thriller with tags 1994 on October 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Luc Besson.
Screenplay: Luc Besson.
Starring: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, Michael Badalucco, Ellen Greene, Peter Appel, Willi One Blood, Don Creech, Elizabeth Regen, Frank Senger.

After some successful and highly creative films in his native France, director Luc Besson turned his hand to American cinema in 1994 with “Leon“. He had already covered the story of a lethal assassin in his 1990 film “La Femme Nikita“, which also featured Jean Reno in a small role as a “cleaner”. This time he focuses more on Reno and gives him the lead as a similar hitman for hire. It may be set in New York – with English speakers – but this is still very much an artistic French film.

Leon (Reno) is a contract killer and is seemingly content with his minimal social life. However, when his young and impressionable 12 year old neighbour Matilda (Natalie Portman) comes home to find her family has been killed by corrupt cop and drug dealer Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman), she runs to him for help. The closer they become, the sooner she discovers Leon’s profession and asks him to teach her the skills so that she can have revenge on her family’s killer.

From the off-set, Besson’s visual style is clearly apparent and he makes wonderful use of New York locations with regular cinematographer Thierry Arbogast. He also allows the characters to blossom and creates and endearing friendship that serves as the heart of the film. Both Reno and especially a young Portman (in her film debut) are marvellous as the unlikely pairing but while they share some genuinely heartfelt moments, the boundaries are blurred with an uncomfortable, sexual subtext between them. Granted, this is formed through the romanticised eyes of a 12 year old and Leon is entirely innocent but it adds a different edge to their sentimental relationship. On the periphery, is the inclusion of a scenery-chewing Gary Oldman that adds a real sense of danger to the proceedings. His performance has been criticised for over-acting but personal I thought he was superb and it’s ranks as one of my favourites from him.
What’s most impressive about the film is Besson’s assured hand and his ability in framing a scene; seemingly insignificant details play a massive part in the sheer beauty of this film while the dynamic music score by Eric Serra is a perfect accompaniment for Besson’s sumptuous attention to detail and deliberate approach. Action movies rarely have such style but this is one that starts and ends with a bang and delivers a warm and affecting emotional core in-between.

A stylish, captivating and emotionally complex film that could comfortably be described as an art-house thriller.

(This post forms part of a “Double-Take” that I done with Eric who runs The IPC blog. Please check out the post in full by going here.)

Mark Walker

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Skyfall * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, thriller with tags 2012 on October 29, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Sam Mendes.
Screenplay: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Rory Kinnear, Ola Rapace, Helen McCrory,

Whenever a new James Bond film is released, it seems to strike up enthusiasm and excitement amongst moviegoers. I’m admittedly not a massive Bond fan but having the reliable Daniel Craig shaking the Martini’s and introducing himself by surname first has worked a treat so far. It’s also not too shabby when Oscar winning director Sam Mendes is at the helm, as well as having an Oscar winning actor play the proverbial nasty. Even though I couldn’t summon the same enthusiasm as others, I also couldn’t resist in seeing what all the fuss could be about.

After a botched mission in Istanbul, Bond (Daniel Craig) is presumed killed in action. In actual fact, he’s been laying low and indulging a bit too much on alcohol. He resurfaces when he hears the news of attacks on M16 headquarters in London and M (Judi Dench) brings him back to resume service. It transpires that the attack on M16 HQ is at the hands of Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) who has a score to settle with M herself.

This is not your average Bond movie at all. Recently they have been doing away with the conventions of the franchise and stripping it back to basics. I, for one, have been a fan of this recent minimal approach but I still wasn’t prepared for how bare this one was. A lot of attention is placed on character development which is almost unheard of from a movie featuring this character. In a lot of ways, it seemed like this film was making a new statement and relaunching a new take on Bond. It dares to make some serious plot developments involving prominent characters and introduces new ones in the shape of Ben Wishaw as a welcome and convincing Q and a new introduction to Miss Moneypenny. The other developments I won’t divulge here. It even gives a little history and backstory to Bond and also shows some weaknesses in his character; Bond isn’t as invincible as some of the earlier instalments which is a welcome change of direction. Of course, this is all handled well by Craig who is very convincing in the role, further fuelling the argument as to whether he’s the best yet.
No Bond write-up would be complete without mentioning the villain of the piece and this is where the excellent Javier Bardem comes in. He puts in a marvellously on edge and surprisingly humorous performance that I really wasn’t expecting. Bardem can do these type of creepy characters with aplomb but unfortunately, it’s the decisions of his character that leave his addition to the ‘Bond baddies’ rather ordinary in comparison. When the writers intend on keeping things more realistic it would probably be wise not leave gaping holes in the story and have the characters behave a little more cautiously. It seemed to me that they’d rather have the best of both: they wanted the realism as well as the indulgence and the two don’t really go hand in hand. The villains in previous Bonds always made critical mistakes but to have one that just stumbles around as if they’re invincible is a little insulting to, not only, the deadly 007 agent but also to the audience. That being said, it’s still a decent flick and there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had with some clever nods to the Bond movies of old and some sumptuous cinematography by Roger Deakins.

I’m not sure how Bond enthusiasts will receive this one. There’s a good chance if you’re into the franchise then you’ll like it but personally, I thought it was a little underwhelming. It doesn’t match the intensity of Craig’s first outing in “Casino Royale” but is admittedly an improvement over his second “Quantum Of Solace“.

Mark Walker

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Killer Joe * * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama, thriller with tags 2012 on October 28, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: William Friedkin.
Screenplay: Tracy Letts.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church, Gina Gershon, Juno Temple, Marc Macauley, Sean O’Hara.

The last time I visited a film directed by William Friedkin was his highly underrated psychological horror “Bug“. That also happened to be written by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Tracy Letts and this foray into the darker recesses of the human psyche is just as impressive and unrelenting as their earlier collaboration.

Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) is a young Texan lowlife that has found himself in considerable debt to local nasties. To get himself out of trouble, he decides to murder his mother and collect the insurance money. He runs it by his father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) and they decide to hire Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) an amoral police detective, who also happens to be a contract killer. As they don’t have the money to pay up front, Chris offers his sister Dottie (Juno Temple) as a retainer until the insurance comes through but things of this nature don’t always go to plan and Chris, Ansel and Dottie realise they’re in way over their heads.

Upon our introduction to this films characters we have a stepmother who answers the door while wearing absolutely nothing from the waist down and the father spits on his own floor after coughing up a lung. Straight away its apparent that these people are completely dysfunctional and lack any moral fibre. From there, things get progressively worse but what you wouldn’t count on, is meeting anyone else actually more disturbed than these detestable people. That is, until McConaughey’s Joe Cooper enters the fray. He is far more depraved than the degenerates and reprobates that we have been introduced to, leaving you with an all round uncomfortable feeling of dread and questioning yourself as to why you’re even spending time with such disreputable company. That’s partly the hook of the film though. It becomes a bit of a guilty pleasure watching what will happen next when there are seemingly no rules or depths that the characters won’t stoop to. Friedkin and Letts deserve the utmost credit for their uncompromising approach here and in a film with no shortage of brave and bold performances, it’s McConaughey that truly excels. He’s a dark, brooding character and a far site from his recent rom-com’s. If he really wants to change his image then this is the way to do it. This man can certainly act and after this, I’m not sure he could go back to rom-com’s even if he wanted to. This is a character that will stick in the minds of many for quite some time. Kudos to the bravery of Gina Gershon also though. She commits herself to one of the most disturbing and outrageous scenes you’re likely to see this year, or any year for that matter. I’m sure by now that many people have at least heard of the depravity of an almost surreal scene involving a (now infamous) chicken drumstick… I didn’t know whether to laugh or balk when it arrived and it left me wondering if the sales of KFC will suffer as a result of this. Poor old Colonel Sanders will be rolling in his grave as it brings a whole new meaning to their slogan “finger licking good“. This is a scene that seems to have overshadowed the word on the film itself which is not entirely unfair as the scene is most certainly shocking but there’s far more to this. Apart from the excellent performances, Friedkin’s direction is up close and personal and captures the claustrophobic nature of Letts’ writing and his blacker than black humour. It’s a lot like “Bug” whereby a lot of the drama comes from the close proximity of the characters. The tension is only heightened because of this and it challenges the viewer to even question their moral standpoint on why would you even find enjoyment in this seedy and lascivious world.

An extremely black, depraved and uncompromising piece of work but it’s also strangely captivating and possesses a humour that’s “darker’n a black steer’s tookus on a moonless prairie night” – as a wiser feller than myself once rambled.

Mark Walker

59 Comments »

The Angels’ Share * * * *

Posted in Comedy, Crime, Drama with tags 2012 on October 27, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Ken Loach.
Screenplay: Paul Laverty.
Starring: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, William Ruane, Gary Maitland, Jasmin Riggins, Roger Allam, Siobhan Reilly, David Goodall, James Casey, Joy McAvoy.

After “One More Kiss” and “Dear Frankie“, the film that concludes my little Scottish trilogy of reviews is the 12th collaboration between director Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty. Their previous efforts have been mostly very successful films and have largely dealt with the hardships of Scottish working class lifestyles. This is another slice of that life and yet another little treasure.

Young Glaswegian Robbie (Paul Brannigan) is sentenced to community service for repeatedly offending. He has a baby on the way and finds himself in a continual circle of violence with his girlfriend’s father but he’s desperate for a way out of his life of crime. He is taken under the wing of social worker Harry (John Henshaw) who teaches him the appreciation of fine malt Whiskies. It’s only then, Robbie discovers a distillery that’s home to a rare Scotch Whisky worth thousands of pounds and involves his friends to take some for themselves.

There is a Scots Gaelic way of referring to the alcoholic beverage Whisky and that is “Uisge Beatha“, literally translating as ‘Water of Life‘. This name, in itself, could be a perfect title for this film (and it’s themes) but Loach has gone and conjured up another one: When Whisky is matured over the years there’s some that escapes from the casket and evaporates into thin air, never to be tasted or seen again. This is referred to as “The Angels’ Share” and, on reflection, is a fitting title for the story.
Loach is one of those directors that has a perfect sense of realism. It just courses right through his films; from the storyline, through the setting to the authentic dialogue and untrained actors. This is no different and it shares a similar theme to two of his and Paul Laverty’s earlier collaborations: “My Name Is Joe” and “Sweet Sixteen“, in terms of a struggling protagonist trying to break free from his brutal environment and make a life for himself. What this has, that those two didn’t, is a sense of humour and a delicate, lightness of touch. It doesn’t get bogged down in the kitchen-sink mentality that you’d expect but breaks free from that mould to become a lighthearted caper movie. Don’t get me wrong, Loach still has the power of gritty authenticity and on a few occasions he displays that but like the beverage they are concerned about in the film, it has a nice balance; it manages to be both rough and smooth. Glasgow is depicted as a brutal environment with damaged disillusioned youths and Loach’s eye for locations and mostly untrained actors is ever present. All the performers deliver admirable and, in some cases, excellent work. A talent that Loach has shown over the years is his ability in finding these quality young actors. In a lot of ways he’s become somewhat of a pioneer for Scottish cinema – the city of Glasgow in particular. No film set in Scotland’s largest city would be complete without the humour though and in this case Loach and Laverty capture the idiom perfectly, delivering regular and balanced humour.

A slight change of pace from Ken Loach and more upbeat than fans of his will be accustomed to but he manages the understatement very well and delivers one of his most feel-good films to date.

Mark Walker

25 Comments »

Dear Frankie * * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama with tags 2004 on October 26, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Shona Auerbach.
Screenplay: Andrea Gibb.
Starring: Emily Mortimer, Gerard Butler, Jack McElhone, Mary Riggans, Sharon Small, Sean Brown, Jayd Johnson, Katy Murphy, Cal Macaninch.

After “One More Kiss“, the second instalment of my Scottish trilogy is this highly underrated little gem from first time feature director Shona Auerbach. It’s a film that shows a real delicacy and understanding for human relationships and a sensitive perception of life in general.

Frankie (Jack McElhone) is a 9 year old deaf boy has never met his father. His mother Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) left him years ago but never had the heart to tell her son. Instead, she concocts a story and tells Frankie that his father is working on a ship, sailing around the world. She also sends letters to Frankie, pretending to be his dad in far off places. Her story threatens to come to pieces though when Frankie discovers that his dad’s ship is due to dock at their hometown of Greenock. Instead of telling Frankie the truth, Lizzie employs the services of a stranger (Gerard Butler) to pretend that he’s Frankie’s father.

Every now and again you come across a low-key drama with real depth and honesty that when it’s all over you are left feeling genuinely touched; a tear may even well-up or for that matter fall. This is that type of drama. It’s a film that tugs on the heartstrings but doesn’t use any form of manipulation to do so. It’s just good, honest, storytelling that uses observation and an understanding of life and the heartbreaking complexities therein. It touches on the extent that parents will go to protect their children and also the difficulties faced by broken, impoverished families. What it also does, is put your faith in the kindness of strangers. That being said, this is not a film that’s depressing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s a life-affirming story filled with humour as well as pathos and everyone hits just the right note. It’s also a film that could claim to showcase the real charm and charisma of Gerard Butler before he hopped aboard the fame train. He’s an enigmatic presence and delivers a wonderfully subtle turn that gained him a lot more recognition amongst critics and filmgoers alike. The same could be said of Emily Mortimer; she is absolutely superb as a supportive but desperate mother striving to protect her son and further excellent support is delivered by young Jack McElhone as the eponymous and gentle natured Frankie. He doesn’t physically talk throughout the film but we get to hear his thoughts through the letters he writes to his absent and elusive father. It’s through these heartfelt, emotional performances that the film really resonates. That’s not to take away from writer Andrea Gibb’s endearing screenplay or director/cinematographer Shona Auerbach’s sensitive handling of the material though; everyone pulls their weight in capturing just the right tone here. It’s a such a shame that Auerbach hasn’t made a film since as on this evidence, she certainly has the ability and a 15 minute standing ovation at Cannes would further fuel that.

A sweet and poignant little drama with fantastic performances all round. A film with a head and a heart and good feel for the moment.

Next up… “The Angels’ Share“.

Mark Walker

20 Comments »

One More Kiss * * * *

Posted in Drama, Romance with tags 1999 on October 25, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Vadim Jean.
Screenplay: S.A. Halewood.
Starring: Valerie Edmond, Gerard Butler, James Cosmo, Valerie Gogan, Carl Proctor, Danny Nussbaum, Dilys Miller, Ron Guthrie.

Over the course of the next couple of days I’ll be posting a little trilogy of Scottish films that will have, no doubt, passed many people by and are certainly worthy of some more attention. I’ll begin with this 1999 film set in the Scottish borders that although it falls into a particular romantic genre, it dares to do things differently and succeeds admirably.

Sarah Hopson (Valerie Edmond) has been living a successful, high-flying lifestyle in New York but when she finds out that she has a terminal illness, she heads back home to Scotland to prepare for her death. When she arrives, she reacquaints with her childhood sweetheart Sam Murray (Gerard Butler). Sam now runs a restaurant and has since married but Sarah approaches his wife (Valerie Gogan) to ask that she spend time with him before her death – causing everyone some mixed emotions.

The film opens with a lone female, arms aloft, teetering on the edge of a skyscraper. It’s a powerful piece of imagery and an opening scene that sets the tone of this heartfelt tale. This is not a film about death but about life, love and relationships. It explores the mistakes and regrets but also delivers a chance of redemption. It’s in the human relationships that this film finds it’s strength. It’s not just about Sarah and her need to tie up loose ends but it confidently explores the effects on the people around her; she brings both a mixture of pleasure and pain to the other characters. At times she can come across as arrogant and selfish yet she also brings hope and instills a belief in people to live their lives fully. This is a film that wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve and for the most part, the performances are great. It’s interesting watching a young Gerard Butler and Valerie Gogan as his suffering wife is fantastic. James Cosmo is also especially memorable as Sarah’s cantankerous, rough diamond father. However, Valerie Edmond as the lead, looked a little stretched at times which I just couldn’t understand; in some scenes she was absolutely superb and in others she was quite poor. This could be down to her delivery of the dialogue though. I tend to be a little harsh on Scottish performers as sometimes the dialogue isn’t delivered properly. Most Scots have a certain slang nature to their dialect and when you hear words uttered with correct English pronunciation it jars a little. Understandably this has to be the case, so as to appeal to a wider audience but as a Scotsman, it seems out of place. That being said, Edmond still gets the job done and although some of the idiom may lost, the film still retains it’s subtle Scottish humour and delivers moments of highly impressive, realistic drama.

Despite some small inconsistencies this is still a beautifully played, poignant and heartfelt life/love story. It’s not normally the type of film I’d be drawn to but I was impressed with it’s execution.

Next up… “Dear Frankie“.

Mark Walker

14 Comments »

TUESDAY’S TRIVIA TIDBITS.

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on October 23, 2012 by Mark Walker

1: George Clooney has done three films under the direction of the Coen brothers. They are: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?“, “Intolerable Cruelty” and “Burn After Reading“. These three films have been dubbed Clooney’s “trilogy of idiots” by the brothers.

2: During the filming of “The Passion Of The Christ“, Jim Caviezel (Jesus) was struck by lightning while filming the sermon on the mountain scene. Extras say they saw an illumination around his whole body. Amazingly enough, he was not seriously injured.

3: In “Terminator 2: Judgment Day“, Arnold Schwarzenegger received a salary of $15 million. The 700 words he spoke translates to $21, 429 per word. Thus “Hasta la vista, baby” cost $85, 716.

4: In “Empire Strikes Back“, Han Solo was frozen in carbonite. This was (at least in part) due to the uncertainty of Harrison Ford returning for a third film. When the original “Star Wars” was made, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were signed on for a three picture deal but Ford refused.

5: In the 1989 Kevin Costner baseball movie “Field of Dreams“, both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are among the thousands of extras in the Fenway Park scene. Over a decade later, when director Phil Alden Robinson worked with Affleck on the production of “The Sum of All Fears“, Affleck said, “Nice working with you again.”

6: In 1992’s “Scent of Woman“, Al Pacino repeatedly shouts “Hoo-ah.” “Hoo-ah” comes from the military acronym “HUA” which stands for “Heard, Understood, Acknowledged.”

7: In all of Quentin Tarantino’s original screenplays, the name of a police detective named Scagnetti is referred to at least once. Most of the times the particular scene was cut out of the final versions but Tom Sizemore actually played the role of police detective Jack Scagnetti in “Natural Born Killers“.

8: Terry Gilliam’s first choice for the lead role in “12 Monkeys” was Jeff Bridges, whom he had enjoyed working with on “The Fisher King“, but the studio wanted a bigger star, so he cast Bruce Willis. Ironically, Willis had originally auditioned for “The Fisher King“, but lost out to Bridges. When Willis got the role Gilliam gave him a list of “Willis acting clichés” not to be used during the film.

9: Woody Harrelson was arrested in 1996 for planting 4 marijuana hemp seeds in rural Kentucky and in his defence he said he was challenging a state law that makes no distinction between marijuana and hemp, even though hemp contains little of the drug found in marijuana and can be used to make a variety of industrial products. The jury dismissed the marijuana possession charge against him.

10: Stanley Kubrick considered both Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams for the role of Jack Torrance in “The Shining” but decided against both of them. Kubrick didn’t think DeNiro would suit the part after watching his performance in “Taxi Driver“, as he deemed De Niro not psychotic enough for the role. He didn’t think Williams would suit the part after watching his performance in “Mork & Mindy“, as he deemed him too psychotic for the role. According to Stephen King, Kubrick also briefly considered Harrison Ford.

So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box.
See you next Tuesday…

(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)

69 Comments »

Machete * * * 1/2

Posted in Action, Comedy, Crime with tags 2010 on October 21, 2012 by Mark Walker

Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis.
Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez, Alvaro Rodriguez.
Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson, Lindsay Lohan, Shea Whigham, Daryl Sabara, Tom Savini, Gilbert Trejo, Billy Blair, Nimrod Antal, James Parks, Stacy Keach.

In 1997, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez released their Grindhouse double bill which consisted of “Death Proof” and “Planet Terror” respectively. They also included a series of trailers beforehand. Of course, these trailers were fictional works but there at least two, so far, that have been made into feature films and director’s Eli Roth and Edgar Wright have expressed interest in adapting their trailers in the future also. One that has already reached the screens is Jason Eisener’s “Hobo With A Shotgun” with Rutger Hauer and the other is this unashamed, violent gore-fest from Rodriguez.

Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) is a former Mexican Federale who is set-up by his corrupt bosses, resulting in the death of his wife and child. He manages to escape death himself and heads over the border to the United States, vowing revenge on those that wronged him. Not before long though, Machete is involved in a failed assassination attempt on US senator John McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro) and again finds himself on the run. It would seem that both betrayals are linked and Machete will stop at nothing to get to those involved.

With a highly stylistic and candid Grindhouse opening that’s nothing less than impressive, it’s apparent very early on what you’re letting yourself in for here. This is not a film that will demand very much from you, other than checking your brain at border control beforehand. I’m surprised that I actually went with this, as I often find Rodriguez’s stuff to be very self-indulgent. This happens to be more of the same and shares Rodriguez’s propensity for some preposterous action scenes. That being said though, it’s still quite a lot of fun. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is and benefits from a great cast of deliciously nasty characters, spouting some choice moments of dialogue. A bit like Tarantino, Rodriguez seems to be able to command a plethora of acting talents and again like Tarantino, gives familiar actors – that have fallen on harder times – another shot onscreen. In this case, Don Johnson, Jeff Fahey and (amazingly) Steven Seagal get interesting characters to play. It’s also fun to see Danny Trejo in a rare leading role and the underrated – but fast rising – Shea Wigham also makes a welcome appearance. The biggest disappointed (as it often is these days) is a criminally underused DeNiro. All in all though, it’s the cast that play a big part in the enjoyment of this cliche ridden homage to 70’s exploitation flicks where it also can’t resist throwing in a satirical commentary on US immigration policy. Rodriguez’s style is, without doubt, an acquired taste and one that I admittedly don’t always have but if you’re a fan of his films then this should go down nicely.

Not a lot can be said about a film that is ultimately about showcasing the many different ways a person can perish at the mercy of a machete. You can either accept the premise and run with it or you can avoid it completely. Either decision would be entirely understandable, as this is a film that will only work on a complete suspension of disbelief.

Mark Walker.

26 Comments »

Killer Elite * *

Posted in Action, thriller with tags 2011 on October 20, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Gary McKendry.
Screenplay: Matt Sherring.
Starring: Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert DeNiro, Dominic Purcell, Aden Young, Ben Mendelsohn, Yvonne Strahovski, Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Whiteley, Matthew Nable, Lachy Hulme.

Jason Statham is normally a ‘type-cast’ kind of actor that I normally steer clear of. It’s not that I dislike him personally but his films tend to be of a particular genre that I don’t much care for. All they seem to consist of, is the “The Stath” serving out his knuckle sandwiches on some stereotypical numskulls. For me, the draw to this film was my liking for Clive Owen and especially my personal favourite Robert DeNiro. Unfortunately, even those two couldn’t save this film from mediocrity.

Former assassin Danny Bryce (Jason Statham), is brought out of retirement to save his mentor Hunter (Robert DeNiro), now held captive by a Oman sheikh. In exchange for Hunter’s freedom, Danny must hunt and kill the SAS officers that the sheikh believes killed his three sons during the Oman war. Danny is certainly up to the job but it’s not made easy when another ex-SAS officer, Spike Logan (Clive Owen) is determined to keep what happened in Oman a secret.

Opening with an intense action set-piece sets this film up well and from the off-set, it promises to be quite a thrilling ride. Statham delivers his usual bad ass schtick and it’s great to see DeNiro flex a little of his (ageing) action muscles too. Once the initial 10 minutes of action is over though, DeNiro takes a back seat, Statham takes over and Clive Owen is brought into the mix of intrigue and espionage. Surprisingly though, it doesn’t deliver the action expected and the intrigue is less than… erm, intriguing. The film falls flat very early on and it seemingly has no chance of redemption. That is, until Statham and Owen finally cross paths in a brutal physical exchange that’s impressively handled and before we know it, the film has found it’s feet again. Or so it would seem for this fleeting moment of fisticuffs. After that’s over and done with, the film falls back into it’s not-so-comfortable formula and fails to ever resurface. Reportedly, it is based on true events (as reflected in ex-SAS and adventurer Rannulph Fiennes’ book “The Feather Men“) but whether that’s true or not, it still doesn’t add anything to the story. The delivery is just a bit too tedious which I found to be quite a conundrum in itself as the material should make for an exciting watch. Added to which, nobody really puts a foot wrong; Statham and Owen deliver the goods and solid support is given by DeNiro and Dominic Purcell from TV’s “Prison Break“; debutant director Gary McKendry also seems to be in command of his material and frames his film well. Sadly, it just doesn’t quite come together, which leads me to the conclusion that it’s the script that’s the major issue here.

This is the type of film that’s neither an out-and-out action movie or a complete spy thriller. It can’t seem to make it’s mind up and as a result will probably disappoint fans from both camps. At one point Statham says “Killing’s easy. Living with it is the hard part“: the same could be said of this film; putting it into the DVD player is easy, getting through to the end is the hard part.

Mark Walker

36 Comments »

Prince Of Darkness

Posted in Horror with tags 1987 on October 18, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Carpenter.
Screenplay: John Carpenter.
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Anne Howard, Ann Yen, Dirk Blocker, Peter Jason, Alice Cooper.

During the 70’s and 80’s director John Carpenter was delivering consistently, innovative pieces of work; his shoestring budget sci-fi “Dark Star“, followed by his homage to Howard Hawks’ “Rio Bravo” with “Assault On Precinct 13” and his horror classic “Halloween” which was one of the original slasher films. He followed these up with cult classic “Escape From New York” before eventually delivering “The Thing” and “Big Trouble in Little China” to poor box-office receipts. Two highly undervalued films but ones that also marked the point where Carpenter couldn’t get his films the proper financial backing anymore. As a result, he went back to making lower budget films and “Prince of Darkness” is one of them. It may be lower budget but Carpenter’s abilities never left him.

For many years, in the basement of an abandoned church lies a vat containing a unknown and moving green liquid. It had been protected by a priest that had belonged to a secret sect and upon his death, the sinister secret of the vat’s existence is passed on to Father Loomis (Donald Pleasance) who enlists the help of a physics Professor (Victor Wong) and his graduate students to investigate. Upon closer inspection, they find that the vat contains the son of Satan who is intent on breaking free and releasing his father into the world.

Like most of John Carpenter’s films it’s his own music score that first grabs your attention – this is no different. His synthesiser mixed with pop sounds set the foreboding tone wonderfully. Not before long, he hits you with a superlative concept of both science and religion combing to understand a super demonic power while also tapping in the subconscious and incorporating dream-states, premonitions and the possibility of time travel through “tachyons“. Of course, while all this is going on, Carpenter is delivering the frights slowly but assuredly. His skill lies in his eerie use of space and being able to make city streets and rooms seem lonely and isolated. By doing so, the horror takes hold. He keeps the danger lurking – as if it’s just outside the door – and shows an absolute command of his material. He knows the tricks; the pace, the mystery and finally the satisfaction of a truly horrific delivery. This film creeps me out every time I see it and regardless of how I get my frights, I still get them. He sets in the panic amongst the characters at just the right time, cranking up his wonderful score and delivering a depth that is so often unappreciated in his work. He’s an intelligent filmmaker and, quite simply, this is one of his most frightening and affecting pieces. Due to budgetary constraints though, the film does have flaws; the acting is certainly one of them (I’ve probably never seen acting so bad in a film that I actually like) but if it wasn’t for these small indiscretions the film might not have worked as well as it does. If anything the abysmal performances add to the overall low-key feel. I don’t want to overstep the mark and fool people into watching something that they just might not appreciate as much as I do but if the faults are overlooked then there is much to admire here. Horror is definitely a genre that I’m highly critical of, so when one happens to be available that far exceeds the dross of today, it deserves to be looked at. Most critics have panned this film and to some extent I can see why but if you see beyond the poor performances, the slightly dated appearance and occasional sticky dialogue then you’ll still find that Carpenter’s intelligence and skill is at the core of this imaginative and deeply unsettling, Lovecraftian horror. (The second instalment in Carpenter’s ‘Apocalypse Trilogy’, starting with “The Thing” and finishing with “In The Mouth Of Madness“).

One of the most underrated horror films of all time with a director working within the confines of a very low budget yet still managing to transcend his restrictions and allow his abilities to astound. If only all horror had as much originality and concepts as ingenious as this.

Mark Walker

53 Comments »

TUESDAY’S TRIVIA TIDBITS.

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on October 15, 2012 by Mark Walker

1: After Michael Madsen was found to be unavailable for the part, Daniel Day-Lewis tried to get the role of Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction“, one of the few times he actively pursued a part. However, by that point in the casting, Quentin Tarantino had John Travolta in mind.

2: Mark Ruffalo claims to be the only actor to date, to play both The Hulk and Bruce Banner in the same movie. Technically, both Eric Bana and Edward Norton have done motion capture work for their respective Hulks, but Ruffalo is the first actor to perform the Hulk live on set via performance capture.

3: When he did the Russian roulette scene in “The Deer Hunter“, Christopher Walken was remembering being sent to summer camp by his parents, which he hated. He felt betrayed, ostracized, alone – and felt the character was experiencing that at that point in the film.

4: Originally in “Rain Man“, Dustin Hoffman was to play Charlie Babbitt (the Tom Cruise character) and Bill Murray was to play the autistic savant Raymond (eventually Hoffman’s role). When Hoffman decided to switch roles, Murray dropped out – he didn’t want to play the straight role. The film also seen director’s Martin Brest, Steven Spielberg and Sydney Pollack attached at one point.

5: “Argo” is the title of the “movie” being filmed within the movie but it originates from Greek mythology. It was the ship Jason and the Argonauts sailed in to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

6: “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy were filmed simultaneously. The back-to-back shoot lasted a record-equaling 274 days, in 16 months – exactly the same time as taken for the principal photography of “Apocalypse Now“.

7: While filming “Awakenings” with Robin Williams and “Mad Dog and Glory” with Bill Murray, Robert DeNiro’s nose was apparently broken by both actors.

8: Matt Damon, along with Jake Gyllenhaal, was one of the studio’s first choices for the role of Jake Sully in “Avatar“, but director James Cameron chose the (back then) more unknown Sam Worthington in the lead role instead.

9: At one point in the movie “Ted“, Ted mentions 9/11. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane both, apparently, narrowly missed being on the planes that hit the World Trade Center. Wahlberg was booked on American Airlines Flight 11 but decided to drive up to New York and fly to California later. McFarlane was scheduled on the same flight but arrived to gate ten minutes late and was unable to board. He was sitting in the airport when he saw that his plane had hit the North Tower of the World trade center.

10: In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, John Goodman stated that The Dude referring to “The Big Lebowski” as a “human paraquat” was one of the only improvised lines to make it into the final film. Virtually every other line, including every ‘man’ and ‘dude,’ was scripted – A ‘Paraquat’ is actually a herbicide. During the late 1970s, a controversial program sponsored by the US government sprayed paraquat on marijuana fields in Mexico.

So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box.
See you next Tuesday…

(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)

54 Comments »

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead * * * * 1/2

Posted in Crime, Drama, thriller with tags 2007 on October 12, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Sidney Lumet.
Screenplay: Kelly Masterson.
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Rosemary Harris, Bryan F. O’Byrne, Amy Ryan, Michael Shannon, Aleksa Palladino, Leonardo Cimino.

Sidney Lumet is a director that’s no stranger to crafting intense pieces of work. In fact, he’s a master at it. Just look at a few from his highly impressive filmography like “12 Angry Men“, “Fail-Safe“, “Network” or “Serpico“. He’s also no stranger to a heist movie, having made one of the sub-genre’s best in “Dog Day Afternoon“. In “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” – his last film before his death – Lumet returns to that sub-genre and, once again, delivers with aplomb.

Hank (Ethan Hawke) and Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are two brothers whose financial woes are having a direct effect on their lives. In order to solve their problems, Andy hatches a plan to rob a jewellery store. He calls it a “mom and pop” operation and it’s quite literally that: the store is owned by the brothers’ parents. If all goes down as it’s supposed to, then nobody will get hurt. Like so many crimes of this nature though, things can and do go wrong, dragging everyone down with a devastating turn of events.

Lumet builds his film slowly and assuredly, revealing the characters’ motivations bit by bit before peeling away the layers of their downfall. To do this, he cleverly plays with timeframes; changing back, forward and during the robbery itself. The focus is on the two brothers, as well as their emotionally stilted father (Albert Finney). Of course, this type of narrative device is nothing new. We have seen it used many times before but Lumet’s skill is in keeping it fresh and gripping. In support of his deft handling of the material, the actors deliver outstanding performances across the board; Tomei nails the ditzy wife routine; Hawke is marvellously high strung and weasel-like; Finney lends his usual reliability and there’s a small but welcome role for a threatening Michael Shannon. Unsurprisingly though, it’s Hoffman’s movie. He has a real presence here shifting from secretive to calculated then deadly with absolute ease. It may be unfair to single out one particular actor but this is another example of Hoffman’s incredible ability to completely inhabit a character. His downfall in particular, is of powerful and tragic Shakespearean proportions and he completely captures the intensity of a deeply immoral man.

Sidney Lumet was in his 80’s when he directed this, yet it shows a vibrancy that could easily be associated with a much younger director. With a canon of top-quality films behind him, this is as good and as riveting as anything he has done. Sadly it was his last but what a film to go out on.

Mark Walker

38 Comments »

Rain Man * * * *

Posted in Drama with tags 1988 on October 11, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: Barry Levinson.
Screenplay: Barry Morrow, Ronald Bass.
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen, Jack Murdock, Michael D. Roberts, Bonnie Hunt, Ralph Seymour, Lucinda Jenney, Beth Grant, Barry Levinson.

I must have been about ten or eleven when Rain Man was released and I remember enough about this time that it was seemingly heralded as a modern classic. The fact that it went on to win several oscars – including Best Picture – would further back this up. In hindsight, it’s not the classic that its proclaimed to be but still remains a solid human drama.

Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is a self-centred car salesman who discovers that his recently deceased father has left his fortune to his older, autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) – that he didn’t know he had. In a bid to get his hands on the money, he kidnaps his brother but rather than it turning into a money making scheme, Charlie finds himself bonding with Raymond on their cross-country journey.

On the surface, Rain Man comes off as a film about family ties, responsibilities and an exploration of learning disabilities. This is true to a great extent but essentially it’s a road movie with two mismatched characters and actors. Hoffman delivers another masterful performance and one that gained him his second Best Actor Oscar after “Kramer Vs Kramer” in 1979. There’s a real sensitivity to his performance, which in turn, brings a lot of humour. The humour can sometimes come across as unintentional but that’s all the more credit to Hoffman’s abilities. As for Cruise, he’s all cocksure arrogance – like most of his performances throughout the 80’s – but he’s perfectly fitting and delivers one of the more grounded and mature performances of his career. He plays off Hoffman brilliantly and after playing alongside Paul Newman in “The Color Of Money” two years previously, this marked the second time that Cruise held his own against two of the screen greats – the two of them also on Oscar winning form at the time. Behind the camera, Levinson does an admirable job but his main strengths lie in capturing the subtleties of the performances. Anything else other than that is generic filmmaking. That’s not to say that it’s poor. It far from that, but I wonder whether it was deserving of a Best Director Oscar. Other candidates from that year included Martin Scorsese for “The Last Temptation of Christ” and Alan Parker for “Mississippi Burning“. At least two, that could arguably have taken the award. However, this is the type of material that the Academy laps up; it’s a difficult subject in highlighting the complexities of autism and although it’s one of very few film’s to tackle it, it doesn’t provide any answers and doesn’t probe as well as it should. Maybe the lack of probing is exactly the point? Autistic savants can’t be understood and it confirms that through Cruise’s frustrated character. Either way, I found that it became a little contrived and formulaic. This is a small gripe though, as the journey that these two go on is filled with humour and pathos and manages to be both touching and emotionally uplifting.

A thoughtful and affecting story that benefits from exemplary performances and great chemistry from the two leads.

Mark Walker

63 Comments »

Bang The Drum Slowly * * * 1/2

Posted in Drama with tags 1973 on October 10, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: John Hancock.
Screenplay: Mark Harris.
Starring: Michael Moriarty, Robert DeNiro, Vincent Gardenia, Phil Foster, Ann Wedgeworth, Patrick McVey, Heather MacRae, Selma Diamond, Barbara Babcock, Tom Ligon, Danny Aiello.

In 1973, two films were released that featured two very different performances from a young Robert DeNiro. One was his first collaboration with director Martin Scorsese in “Mean Streets” and the other was “Bang The Drum Slowly“. However, despite the critical plaudits DeNiro received for the former, it’s was arguably this film that caught everyone’s eye beforehand. Either way, they both marked the arrival of, what would be, one of cinema’s finest performers.

Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty) is the star pitcher of a New York professional Baseball team. He’s the type of player that can name his price when it comes to contractual negotiations. On hearing the news that his friend (and surplus-to-requirements) teammate Bruce Pearson (Robert DeNiro) is terminally ill, Henry negotiates a contract that will keep Bruce in team and save him from being transferred. Henry’s intention is to give Bruce a memorable last season at the club.

On first appearances, this film comes off as a cheap TV movie with a music score that isn’t far from something as cheesy as “Little House on the Prairie“. Quite simply, the music is dreadful but the performances manage to transcend it’s dated approach. It’s interesting watching a young DeNiro before the heights of stardom and it’s easy to see that he always had the acting ability. There’s an innocence and lack of self-confidence to his character and he plays it wonderfully. This, however, adds to another problem in the film; his talents are not utilised as well as they could be. It’s Moriarty that takes the lead and although he also delivers a solid performance, he comes across a little expressionless at times. Despite both actors playing well, the close relationship between their characters is never explained and leaves it hard to fully connect with them or accept the events that take place. That being said, the film does still have a heart and a lightness of touch which help it overcome it’s faults. It’s not a story about a dying man but more a story about life and living it fully. It’s a story about integrity and the camaraderie and teamwork amongst men. It’s also somewhat of a sports film but that becomes secondary to the human relationships. With material of this nature, the film could easily fall prey to cliche but it manages to avoid the pitfalls which is thanks to it’s sensitivity and assured handling by director John Hancock. It’s an enjoyable film but left me feeling a little frustrated at DeNiro being so underused. I know he wasn’t a star at this time but when he’s as good as he is here, you just want to see more. What it does do though, is show that he’s always had a magnetic screen presence.

A touching and poignant drama that also manages to be an understated sports film. Not many films manage to achieve this balance and despite some flaws and it’s now dated appearance, this is still worthy of attention: if only, to witness the early stages of a very illustrious career.

Mark Walker

20 Comments »

TUESDAY’S TRIVIA TIDBITS.

Posted in Uncategorized with tags 2012 on October 7, 2012 by Mark Walker

1: There are an elite 10 actors to have been nominated for both a Supporting and a Lead Acting Academy Award in the same year. They are: Fay Bainter, Teresa Wright, Barry Fitzgerald, Jessica Lange, Al Pacino, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Thompson, Holly Hunter, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore and Jamie Foxx.

2: Robert De Niro’s thick Max Cady accent in “Cape Fear” reportedly gave Martin Scorsese the creeps, and as a joke, De Niro would call the director’s house, leaving messages as Cady.

3: Guillermo del Toro is famous for compiling books full of notes and drawings about his ideas before turning them into films, something he regards as essential to the process. He left years worth of notes for his film “Pan’s Labyrinth” in the back of a cab, and when he discovered them missing, he thought it was the end of the project. However, the cab driver found them and, realizing their importance, tracked him down and returned them at great personal difficulty and expense. Del Toro was convinced that this was a blessing and it made him even more determined to complete the film.

4: Tim Burton was slated to direct “The Fly” with Michael Keaton in the lead role, but he backed out and David Cronenberg took over.

5: Bill Murray has rubbed some collaborators the wrong way because he has a tendency to re-write and improvise his way through scripts until many of his scenes barely resemble the original versions. Most collaborators ultimately find though, it’s to the improvement of the films.

6: Michael J. Fox had always been the first choice for Marty McFly on “Back To The Future” but he was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts with his work on TV show “Family Ties“. Robert Zemeckis then cast Eric Stoltz as Marty based on his performance in “Mask“. After four weeks of filming Zemeckis felt that Stoltz wasn’t right for the part and Stoltz agreed. By this stage, Fox was allowed to leave temporarily from his TV commitments and make the film. Reshooting Stoltz’s scenes added $3 million dollars to the budget.

7: In Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” there is a telephone number (1877) TAME-HER shown on the “Seduce and Destroy” infomercials within the movie. The character Frank T.J. Mackay is played by Tom Cruise and when dialling this number it used to give a recording of Cruise giving the Seduce and Destroy pitch.

8: Although he is barely interested in awards, Woody Allen is one of the Academy’s favorites – his 14 Oscar Nominations for Best Original Screenplay as of 2005 are a record for that category, and puts him ahead of Billy Wilder, who had 19 combined Oscar nominations for Writing and Directing. With 21 nominations in the combination of the top-three categories – acting, directing and writing – he holds the record there as well.

9: Peter Jackson’s first two choices for the role of Aragorn in “The Lord Of The Rings” were Daniel Day-Lewis and Russell Crowe. Crowe was excited about the prospect of being involved with a major motion picture in New Zealand, but couldn’t commit due to scheduling conflicts in America. Stuart Townsend was originally cast as Aragorn, but was replaced by Viggo Mortensen after four days of shooting because Peter Jackson realized that an older actor was needed.

10: “Reservoir Dogs” – In Mr. White’s (Harvey Keitel) flashback, Joe (Lawrence Tierney) asks him about a girl named Alabama. This is a reference to Patricia Arquette’s character from “True Romance“. Quentin Tarantino has stated that he originally intended this character to meet up with Mr. White and to become partners in crime. When “True Romance” was released a year after this film, the ending was changed and so this backstory became inconsistent because Alabama never went on to meet up with Mr. White.

So there you have it. 10 esoteric Tidbits to masticate on. Some you may know. Some you may not. If you have any thoughts, stick your donations in the comment box.
See you next Tuesday…

(For earlier editions of Trivia Tidbits click here.)

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Margin Call * * * *

Posted in Drama with tags 2011 on October 7, 2012 by Mark Walker

Director: J.C. Chandor.
Screenplay: J.C. Chandor.
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Penn Badgley, Mary McDonnell, Aasif Mandvi, Ashley Williams, Susan Blackwell.

Are you feeling the pinch of our current economic crisis? Are you angry at the investment ~~wankers~~ bankers that have put us all in a precarious financial position? If so, you may find a dramatisation of the operations and swindling of these high-flying executives of particular interest. Writer-director J.C. Chandor seems to and has his finger firmly on the pulse when conveying the enormity of greed and dishonesty in corporate business.

In an unnamed New York investment bank, the majority of the work force are losing their jobs. One of the first to go is risk management executive Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci). Before he’s escorted from the building, he hands a USB to analyst Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto) asking him to take a look. Sullivan does so and finds that the company’s profit margins are superseded by it’s debt. It’s unsustainable and will dangerously and inevitably lead to a financial collapse.

Margin Call could, comfortably, be described as a zeitgeist film. It addresses the economic crisis at face value and reflects the very financial situation that has affected a lot of people at this time. It isn’t a film that bombards you with statistics but plays it from the angle of the people behind the scenes and does it admirably with sharp dialogue; the best of which goes to Irons’ CEO when he spouts such choice lines as “The world will always be full of happy fucks and sad sacks” or “It’s spilt milk under the bridge“. There’s a ruthlessness involved in big business and this film captures it well. Ultimately, it may all just come down to number crunching but the job that these people do has a direct effect on all of us and in this respect, debutant J.C. Chandor gets his point across. It’s an impressive and effective first feature and Chandor makes great use of close-up’s on all of his characters. So much so, that every wrinkle, pore and nervous expression is captured – lending the film a real intensity. Across the board, the high-calibre cast are brilliant; how can you go wrong with such talents onscreen when every one of them is given just enough material to sink the their acting chops into? Well, the answer to that is… you can’t. And that’s what makes this film standout. Don’t get me wrong though, this does have it’s narrative flaws and despite a very tense opening and consistent display of captivating boardroom meetings and fast, flowing business jargon, it loses it’s momentum around the midriff. However, it still packs enough of a punch to see itself through to the end.

A worthy reflection on the current financial times and cutthroat nature of business. This is a film that will appeal to fans of “Glengarry Glen Ross” or the underrated and mostly unseen “Boiler Room“. A top quality cast and an excellent directorial debut.

Mark Walker