Category Archives: Thriller

2022 Films, Drama, Thriller

Death on the Nile-2022

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Death on the Nile-2022

Director Kenneth Branagh

Starring Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Gal Gadot

Scott’s Review #1,245

Reviewed April 15, 2022

Grade: B+

Death on the Nile (2022) is a modern remake of the 1978 thriller of the same name, which in turn is based on Agatha Christie’s famous 1937 novel, one of many stories the author wrote.

I love a good whodunit, and the fact that I already knew the outcome from seeing the original film did not lessen the entertainment and suspense that befell me.

It only made me salivate with anticipation about how the new incarnation would handle the inevitable big reveal during the film’s final chapter.

As the suspects are locked in a boat, bar one character boldly announces that the murderer is in this room and will be unmasked.

Death on the Nile is a meat-and-potatoes offering peppered with glamour.

Similar to the remake of Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is once again enshrouded by mysterious folks with money to burn and secrets to hide. One of them has murdered a wealthy young heiress with her own set of secrets, and Poirot must quiz and entrap the perpetrators aboard a sailing vessel.

Or could there be more than one murderer?

The setting of mystical Egypt and the luminous Nile River in northern Africa puts the players amid gorgeous locales. This only enhances the juiciness and the appetite for a good, solid murder mystery.

Our hero’s lush Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamboat turns into a deadly search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is cut short by the killing of one of them.

It turns out that almost everyone aboard has a reason to want her dead. Naturally.

Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, Poirot peels back the onion of the lives of his fellow vacationers. He discovers jealousy and deceit as he gets to know the wealthy cosmopolitan travelers.

The trip includes the honeymooners, Simon and Linnet, played by Armie Hammer and Gal Gadot, Bouc (Tom Bateman), a long-time friend of Poirot’s, Euphemia (Anette Bening), a renowned painter and Bouc’s mother, Salome (Sophie Okonedo), a black jazz singer, and her niece Rosie (Letitia Wright), Linnet’s maid, Linnet’s godmother, and her companion, and a doctor who used to date Linnet.

It would seem as if all roads lead to Linnet, which it does since she is the character who suffers her fateful demise. What is key is that every character has a connection to her, making the puzzle all the more intriguing and interesting to figure out.

Branagh, coming directly from his Oscar-winning film Belfast (2022), deserves the most credit because he not only stars in but directs the movie as he did with Murder on the Orient Express.

Michael Green once again creates the screenplay. The consistency is crucial and satisfying to the overall product, and the two films can be watched back-to-back with ease.

There is trust that the anticipated enjoyment will be fulfilled, and for me, it was.

Death on the Nile is not high art but merely slick entertainment done quite well. There is considerable manipulation for the audience to endure, and the setup of the potential suspects and the victim’s background is presented directly to the viewer.

This was welcomed.

I didn’t mind the implausibility of every character having reason to kill the heiress, nor did I mind a mystery character racing around the ship, causing mayhem, then changing into formal evening wear in less than thirty seconds flat.

The numerous plot devices are to be expected from a film like Death on the Nile, and I happily and willingly fell for them hook, line, and sinker. The wealth of most of the characters is a splendid intrigue and only adds to the enjoyment.

Considering the time is the 1930s, a same-sex relationship and a brewing romance between the caucasian Poirot and the black Salome are fabulous additions.

Rumor has it that there will be another production of an Agatha Christie novel adaptation directed by and starring Branagh, and I can’t wait for this. He has dusted off the old whodunit storyline and updated it with a spectacle about crimes of passion that feels fresh.

The result is a modernized Death on the Nile (2022) brimming with fun and pleasure while never taking itself too seriously.

1975 Films, 70's Horror, Adventure, Animals, Horror, Summer, Thriller

Jaws-1975

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Jaws-1975

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw

Scott’s Review #1,240

Reviewed March 28, 2022

Grade: A

The directorial breakthrough by the iconic Steven Spielberg is Jaws (1975).

The film is such a legendary and familiar project that even stating the name to pretty much any human being immediately conjures images of a man-eating great white shark and the unforgettable ‘duh-duh, duh-duh’ musical score.

It’s the film that famously made people afraid to go into the water, just as Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece, Psycho, made people afraid to take a shower.

Whenever I’m near the ocean, I think of this film.

Jaws is a hybrid horror/thriller/adventure/action film, whereas the subsequent sequels were all straight-ahead horror films that cast more teenagers, and some were better than others.

Spielberg teaches a valuable lesson: much can come from very little, and a small budget can create greatness. What he accomplishes with Jaws is admirable, to say the least.

In Jaws, the story is more about three men trying to destroy a killer shark and their relationship with it. The scary aspect, always terrific in horror, is that we do not know what the shark’s motivation is.

Why does it kill?

It’s a brilliant film that holds up well decades later, even if the shark feels less authentic over time. But you must always keep the time a film was made in mind.

When one summer day, a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches.

He clashes with the mayor, Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who overrules him, fearing the loss of tourist revenue will hurt the town during the summer season.

Dismissed as a mere boating accident, the great white shark then kills a young boy in full view of a beach crowd, resulting in panic and mayhem. It’s as if the shark is determined to be taken seriously.

Oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) offer to help Brody capture the killer shark, and the trio engages in an epic battle with the beast.

Jaws is a film you can watch multiple times and still enjoy. Setting aside the horror elements, the film delivers adventure and heart-pounding thrills every minute once the men dare to try to foil the shark.

The fun, as in any film of this kind, is not knowing when or where danger will strike, only that it inevitably will come.

Scheider excels in his household name-making role as the determined police chief. He cares deeply about the townspeople and is therefore a likable hero.

During frequent scenes, he gazes out to the water, a troubled look on his face, pained and feeling responsible for the deaths.

The audience empathizes with him.

Lorraine Gary, who would later play a lead role in poorly received films, is terrific as the supportive yet challenging wife, Ellen. She is the yin to his yang, and it comes across on-screen.

The best scenes of the film are the very first one, when the girl is eaten by the shark, and the later one, when Brody yells at everyone on a crowded beach to flee the water. Munching on the first victim, this is the scene where the dreaded music makes its debut.

From this point, the audience knows that hearing this music means the shark is nearby.

In the other scene, the panic is breathtaking and palpable, and the audience feels sympathy for Brody. He obediently takes the blame for the chaos and the deaths and makes it personal when his son is victimized.

The scene sets the tone for the scramble and mayhem.

Jaws (1975) has it all: adventure, thrills, horror, action, a hero, and blood. The technical aspects are astounding, with underwater sequences and effects that still hold up.

It arguably created what became known as the summer blockbuster.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Film Editing (won), Best Original Dramatic Score (won), Best Sound (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture-Drama, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score (won)

2021 Films, Film noir, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

Nightmare Alley-2021

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Nightmare Alley-2021

Director Guillermo del Toro

Starring Bradley Cooper

Scott’s Review #1,229

Reviewed February 13, 2022

Grade: B+

I have not seen the original Nightmare Alley, made in 1947, so I can make no comparisons to how the film noir remake in 2021 compares, but I am a fan of respected filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.

His knack for creating such dark treats containing fantastical elements, as seen in Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and The Shape of Water (2017), has similar tones.

Set back in the 1930s and the 1940s, when the United States of America suffered from the Depression and subsequently World War II, a midwestern carnival and then wintry Buffalo, New York, are the chosen settings for his latest film.

Nightmare Alley feels like two different films, and I prefer the first half by a small margin.

Del Toro is a major filmmaker, and while he creates an experience that is gorgeously shot and simmering with practical elements, it’s not one of his best films and certainly not on par with the gems mentioned earlier.

The story stretches believability at times and feels like the film noir elements from the original might have been included just for the sake of making it fit a defined category. The twist at the end shocks and disturbs, which cements the del Toro flavor.

To summarize, the film’s look is exceptional, and the story is engaging, but the two halves, one set in the Midwest and the other in Buffalo, feel disjointed.

When handsome and very charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) meets the clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her aging mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he creates a powerful act utilizing his ability to manipulate townfolks.

He has fled from a dark past involving his father and fire, but the exact details are unknown to us.

Moving on to Buffalo, he enshrouds the wealthy elite of 1940s New York high society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) by his side, Stanton plots to con a wealthy yet vulnerable tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious and pouty psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might have tricks up her sleeve.

Since I adore Blanchett, I was eagerly awaiting her entrance, which unfortunately doesn’t come until midway through the film. Nonetheless, she makes quite an impression as she smokes and drinks in stylish glamour befitting gorgeous women of the time.

Moreover, her character of Lilith Ritter is cold and calculating, as the audience knows she is toying with Stanton, but we don’t know how or why.

While not quite a romantic triangle, Cooper has good chemistry with Mara but tremendous chemistry with Blanchett. Both actresses reunite from their turn together in Carol (2015), but have very little screen time together.

Each of the three delivers a mighty performance, with Cooper and Blanchett simply mesmerizing.

One can even forget the plot entirely and look at the film. It’s that good and polished.

From the dusty and depressing midwestern ordinary towns to the architecturally fabulous Buffalo, del Toro and team construct a lavish production design. Each costume and set piece is perfectly staged.

I was more attuned to the strange and creepy carnival characters, such as the ‘geek’, and the on-screen magnificence of Cooper and Blanchett than to caring as much as I should have about the storyline’s plot holes or inconsistencies.

The unsatisfying reveal about the relationship between Stanton and his father, or the backstory of the wealthy tycoon abusing young girls, only gave me mild interest. The story as a whole becomes too complex and unengaging for me to really care for a while.

The sweet spot of Nightmare Alley (2021) is the grand production design and the flawless acting. Besides an effective ‘oh, shit!’ moment at the conclusion, which confirms Cooper as a great actor, the story mainly meanders.

It’s a terrific effort, but not one of del Toro’s best.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

1995 Films, Action, Crime Thriller, Guy Films, Thriller

Heat-1995

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Heat-1995

Director Michael Mann

Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro

Scott’s Review #1,228

Reviewed February 12, 2022

Grade: A-

Fans of the popular 1980s NBC television series, Miami Vice, will recall that Michael Mann was the Executive Producer of the show during its run.

He has a distinctive crime-thriller style that pairs perfectly with Heat, a sizzling 1995 offering starring two film greats, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

The fact that the pair do not appear together on screen too often can be forgiven because, when they do, the stars align, and the power of quiet scenes cannot be outdone. I savored the moment when they first appeared together.

Quality over quantity.

De Niro plays Neil McCauley, a lifelong criminal who is trying to handle the damage caused by one of his men while also planning one last big heist before retiring to parts unknown.

He meets a lovely young Los Angeles-based artist, played by Amy Brenneman, in a diner, and the two plan to relocate abroad.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) is a seasoned officer attempting to track down McCauley and his cohort while dealing with the chaos in his own life, including his wife’s (Diane Venora) infidelity and his stepdaughter’s (Natalie Portman) unhinged mental health.

McCauley and Hanna discover mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other’s plans. The two characters become doppelgangers of one another.

The situation culminates in a cat-and-mouse chase on the tarmac at LAX airport.

To say that Heat is a by-the-numbers 1990s thriller is a fair assessment, although it’s way better than that classification, and it’s of that genre.

For starters, the acting is superior, and obviously, De Niro and Pacino bring a level of professionalism to the film in the lead roles.

My favorite scene is not the one you’d most expect me to say, but rather a quiet and powerful chit-chat in a small coffee shop. They are rivals, having lived opposite lives, yet their troubled lives mirror each other.

Without a doubt, Hanna wants to bring McCauley to justice, yet he admires him and sees parts of himself in him. The feeling is mutual, and the two actors relay this revelation without actually speaking the words.

Viewers immerse themselves in the characters, pivoting from this powerful scene.

There are a ton of characters in Heat, but each one feels like they have much to offer.

Juicy storylines are introduced but never forgotten, even if not part of the main canvas. Hanna’s wife and stepdaughter play a central role in the final act, even though they appear only in the first chapter.

In supporting roles, Val Kilmer and Ashley Judd share beautiful chemistry and a melancholy storyline as a damaged couple trying to survive surrounded by a life of crime.

At two hours and fifty-two minutes, there is plenty of time for each character to make their mark.

I love the rich character development that Heat offers, but sometimes it’s admittedly tough to keep track of the characters’ motivations and how they tie into the main action.

Mann’s style is all over the place, and even the musical score brought me back to the episodic song intervals that Miami Vice created.

The moody, dark atmosphere of dingy, crime-infested Los Angeles is perfectly set against glossy, glamorous high-rise and sprawling estate scenes. The bright and luminous city skyline is a feast for the eyes.

The cop/criminal dynamic is the main draw as Heat flexes its masculine muscles scene after scene. A bloody bank heist gone wrong at the beginning of the film cements what Mann is trying to create here.

A guy’s film with enough juice to hook the introspective film viewer, too.

Not remembered as well as it probably should be, Heat holds up surprisingly well when compared to similar but hokey 1990s action films like Lethal Weapon and the Die Hard films.

Though there’s not a whole lot new in Heat (1995), rich writing and powerful acting win out every time, and, of course, Pacino and De Niro are worth the price of admission.

1997 Films, Psychological Thriller, Thriller

The Game-1997

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The Game-1997

Director David Fincher

Starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn

Scott’s Review #1,226

Reviewed February 5, 2022

Grade: A-

The Game (1997) is a fantastic cat-and-mouse ‘game’ created by director David Fincher, who always gets some street cred where I’m concerned.

The thrills come a mile a minute, reaching a crashing crescendo in the final act.

It’s a film that produces a roller coaster, edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride, or whatever metaphor serves you best. The result is the same- a fantastic and deliciously wicked experience.

Hollywood A-listers Michael Douglas and Sean Penn team up with chemistry and radiance as brothers with a rivalrous streak.

But who is the cat and who is the mouse is the question of the day as the puzzle pieces continue to mount.

Anyone who knows Fincher’s work, especially films like Seven (1995) and Zodiac (2007) realizes that atmosphere and storytelling are his sweet spot and The Game never disappoints.

It grasps the viewer by the neck and never lets go.

The screenplay is intelligent and daring. Now, before anyone gets their knickers in a bit of a twist, I do not dare say that The Game is on the level of Zodiac or Seven, both masterpieces in my opinion.

But The Game plays its cards well and measures up well if we are ranking Fincher films.

Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself, spending most nights alone in his luxurious home. When his estranged brother Conrad (Penn) returns to town on his birthday with an odd gift, Nicholas’s suspicions are piqued.

The gift is a personalized, real-life game that he cannot resist accepting. Beginning slowly, the game grows increasingly personal, and Orton fears for his life as he eludes agents of the mysterious game’s organizers.

With no one left to trust and his money all gone, Orton must find answers for himself before he goes off the rails into psychosis.

Let’s discuss everything but the story first.

The look of The Game is stunning, with perfect lighting and shadows exhibiting the mood. The editing, whether in rapid-fire motion or slow-motion, is brilliantly effective.

Do we feel sorry for the characters? That would be a resounding no, but that’s also the fun of The Game. As Orton spirals down a dark and mysterious path, we are not too invested in the character, so watching the ‘game’ is all the more enjoyable for the viewer.

The message delivered after The Game can either be loved or hated by viewers. I, for one, loved it. Chaos and uncertainty can be argued to be better than complacency, but is it? Nicholas may argue his case when his life is turned on its head.

The conclusion, while unsettling, is riveting and mind-blowing.

Penn has rarely been better, given a healthy dose of mystique and caginess, matched against a musical score that casts a ghostly light on his scenes. The actor does his best when playing a black sheep or an estranged character type, so Conrad is ripe for the picking.

Sandwiched in release between Seven (1995) and Fight Club (1999), both much better remembered than The Game (1997), that is a bit of a shame.

The film deserves a good dusting off, and fans of Fincher will undoubtedly enjoy piecing together a good, solid perplexity, or at least attempting to.

2006 Films, Crime Thriller, Religious, Thriller

The Da Vinci Code-2006

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The Da Vinci Code-2006

Director Ron Howard

Starring Tom Hanks

Scott’s Review #1,223

Reviewed January 23, 2022

Grade: B+

Based on the best-selling 2003 novel written by Dan Brown, Ron Howard directs the film version of The Da Vinci Code (2006).

Since I haven’t read the novel at this writing, I cannot give a fully fair assessment from a comparative perspective, but my hunch is that the book is superior to the film.

Isn’t it usually?

The film is entertainment personified, and Howard wisely casts a big name like Tom Hanks to draw audiences to the theaters.

It’s a slick and adventurous thrill ride, which is all well and good, but it’s also a type of film you can see once, enjoy for what it is, and never need to see again.

The most fun is the controversy the film, like the book, encountered.

It was met with especially harsh criticism by the Catholic Church for the accusation that it is behind a two-thousand-year-old cover-up concerning what the Holy Grail is, the concept that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married, and that the union produced a daughter.

So, those who are sensitive or uptight about religion may want to skip the film and the novel.

But this is Hollywood, after all, and Howard and Hanks do what they do best. They create and produce a fun, solid, blockbuster flick.

When the curator of the Louvre is found murdered in the famed museum’s hallowed halls, Harvard professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and cryptographer Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) must untangle a deadly web of deceit involving the works of Leonardo da Vinci.

The most enjoyable parts are the locales and the focus on art.

The famous Louvre in Paris, France, permitted filming of relevant scenes at its premises. Still, only a replica of the Mona Lisa was used during filming, as the crew was not allowed to illuminate the original work with their lighting.

The Westminster Abbey scenes were instead filmed at Lincoln and Winchester cathedrals.

The Parisian nightlife is gorgeous and murky in its depiction, and a generous number of sequences are shot throughout the United Kingdom, with Scotland and England receiving the most representation.

So, while strict limitations were harbored, there is an international flavor to The Da Vinci Code that works wonderfully, especially for those who have traveled to those locations.

For art lovers, particularly of da Vinci himself, there is a satisfying respect for the art. I always try to improve my art knowledge, so this film is helpful for me and for novice art fans to educate themselves and learn more about the subject.

Hanks, as usual, carries the film in his steady-Freddy approach.

While not as compelling as his roles in either Philadelphia (1993) or Forrest Gump (1994), the actor can convey his suspicious plight and the need and desire to solve the complex puzzle.

Audiences will follow suit.

The Da Vinci Code (2006) was riddled with bad reviews and jests mostly at its ridiculous plot and absurd story. While there is a grain of truth to this, I found the film enjoyable entertainment, and that’s all I expected out of it.

The film pleases and satisfies if not taken too seriously.

1991 Films, Action, Drama, Thriller

Backdraft-1991

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Backdraft-1991

Director Ron Howard

Starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin

Scott’s Review #1,216

Reviewed January 2, 2022

Grade: B

Backdraft (1991) is a highly entertaining yet completely implausible action thriller film directed by Ron Howard.

If made today, it would be on par with Chicago Fire or any other of the slew of similar procedural NBC television shows that currently exist.

The film is even set in Chicago, just like the television series.

The story involves an arsonist on the loose and the subsequent investigation to catch them.

Howard is an influential and respectable director, but his films frequently harbor a safe territory, rarely veering too far left of center.

With Backdraft, I assumed I would get a by-the-numbers masculine film, and that is exactly what I received.

The beefy cast includes Kurt Russell, Billy Baldwin (brother of Alec), and Robert De Niro, with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rebecca De Mornay serving as secondary female characters.

Chicago firefighting brothers Stephen (Russell) and Brian (Baldwin) have been rivals since childhood. Brian, struggling to prove himself as a worthy firefighter, transfers to the arson unit where he aids Inspector Don Rimgale (De Niro) in his current investigation.

There is a rash of fires involving oxygen-induced infernos called backdrafts.

But when a conspiracy implicating a crooked politician and an arsonist leads Brian back to Stephen, he is forced to overcome his brotherly competitiveness to crack the case.

Anyone involved in their local fire department or who has a strong sense of loyalty or brotherhood in a blue-collar vein will love Backdraft for its message.

The strong family unit that pervades most firehouses and police stations is evident throughout the film, fostering a sense of community.

It’s a nice feeling and sets the tone for the viewer to feel a part of things and root for the heroes to defeat whoever is responsible for the arson.

Could it be an unstable member of the fire community or an outsider harboring a grudge?

The story, despite being somewhat of a whodunit, is not the strongest aspect of Backdraft, nor is it much of a reason to tune in and follow. Too often, the writing is lazy or languishes in television-drama territory, with obvious, melodramatic situational setups.

The realism is not there. The fire sequences are completely stagy and meant to perfectly parlay the story elements rather than have an identity of their own.

With all that said, the star of the film is its visuals, which give Backdraft its adventure and edge-of-your-seat thrills. Even though I knew the fires and explosions were manipulated, I felt like I was inside a burning room with the hissing and crackling sounds of the fire and wind enveloping me.

It’s all for dramatic purposes, of course, but the state-of-the-art special effects are cool to experience.

This is the key to the success of a film like Backdraft and is enough for me to keep watching and become invested in the entire work.

Yes, many characters are types, and despite the big A-list stars, Russell and Baldwin are the only ones who have much of anything to do.

Their brotherly relationship, though fraught with friction, is at the heart of the characters, though the corny dialogue sometimes slips into soap-opera territory.

Backdraft (1991) is a cinematic Hollywood mainstream film that works on many levels. Forget the lazy storylines and the predictability factors for a minute. It provides a blazing-hot inferno of sharp visuals that are worthy of commendation and appreciation.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound

1935 Films, British, Thriller

The 39 Steps-1935

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The 39 Steps-1935

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll

Scott’s Review #1,212

Reviewed December 26, 2021

Grade: A-

Before Alfred Hitchcock conquered American audiences in the 1950s and 1960s, he made many British films, many of which are overlooked gems.

The 39 Steps (1935) is a film nestled among that category, providing thrilling escapism and a spy-tinged subject matter that has an everyman on the run.

The plot pattern is very familiar because Hitchcock used it later in his American films, such as The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and The Wrong Man (1956).

Rather than a carbon copy, The 39 Steps is a pure delight for any Hitchcock fan because the viewer can see facets and ideas the director would later bestow on his other films. There is enough originality to please anyone looking for a good thrill.

It is very loosely based on the 1915 adventure novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.

The story centers on Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), a Canadian civilian on holiday in London. He unintentionally becomes involved in preventing an organization of spies nicknamed “The 39 Steps” from stealing British military secrets.

After being mistakenly accused of the murder of a counter-espionage agent, Richard flees to Scotland. He becomes tangled up with an attractive woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) while hoping to stop the spy ring and clear his name.

It’s a simple story that immediately compels viewers to root for Richard since we know he is innocent. Perhaps he can find romance along the way with Pamela and stop the bad guys. So, there is little ambiguity with how the story is supposed to wind up.

The fun is getting there.

Assuming this isn’t one’s first time watching a Hitchcock film, and it has been nearly a hundred years since The 39 Steps was made, I sincerely doubt it. There are oodles of sequences to enjoy. If one asks, “Does this scene seem familiar?” it is because many of them are.

The London Music Hall Theatre and the London Palladium brim with recognition, especially after a catchy tune that Richard cannot forget comes into play. It’s too easy not to think of Doris Day’s hit “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be),” featured as a key element of The Man Who Knew Too Much or even the London setting itself.

To switch for a moment to another Hitchcock masterpiece, North by Northwest (1959), the frequent dashing across the lands by foot or locomotion comes into play in a big way in The 39 Steps.

I loathe making comparisons because The 39 Steps delivers some goods on its own merits. The action in the Scottish Highlands is fantastic and a treat for anyone who has visited the lovely and picturesque area.

Richard’s daring trip aboard the Flying Scotsman expresses that the train to Scotland is a compelling adventure.

The chemistry between Richard and Pamela is decent but not great. It’s not the focal point of the film, so I didn’t necessarily mind that. The clear intent was for her to first fear him but then have the characters fall in love. We never really get there, but it seems to be the purpose.

The main villain is Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle), who Richard tries to prevent from sending secrets out of the country.

Sure, there are better-quality Alfred Hitchcock films to bask in once he got his groove decades later, and one can assuredly boast that Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960) are superior films.

But The 39 Steps (1935) is a blueprint of the brilliance the director had in his head at this time, and it is a pure treat to witness.

2019 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

The Good Liar-2019

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The Good Liar-2019

Director Bill Condon

Starring Ian McKellen, Helen Mirren

Scott’s Review #1,201

Reviewed November 26, 2021

Grade: B+

The Good Liar (2019) is a well-acted film, but by the numbers, the thriller is made as well as it can be, thanks to superior acting. Casting British heavyweights Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren automatically provides enough star power and credibility to save any lame plot.

This is the first time the actors have appeared in a film together, though they have appeared on stage together.

The film moves briskly, and there is never a moment of boredom. While the main storyline at first is intriguing, the inevitable twist at the end is satisfying. Suspension of disbelief is required, and a portion of the backstory is unnecessary.

Nothing is as it seems.

Roy Courtnay (McKellen) is a dashing career con man. He is suave and used to getting what he wants out of people, to their advantage and disadvantage. He cagily dips into the online dating pool and stumbles upon an older woman named Betty McLeish (Mirren) ripe for the picking.

She is rich, divorced, and lonely.

What could go wrong?

As Betty opens her life and home to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.

Betty’s grandson, Steven (Russell Tovey), constantly annoys Roy when he questions Roy’s intentions and urges his grandmother to be wary of the man.

As the plot began, I kept thinking that there was no way Betty could be so gullible, lonely, or not. This kept me engaged until the big reveal that filled the final thirty minutes or so. If The Good Liar did not contain something more than the banal plot, it would have been a real dud.

To continue with the storyline element, Betty’s ultimate motivations, while clever, are hard to believe. Not to ruin any plot points, but the whole Nazi component from the 1940s feels superfluous and easy. The revenge motives feel extremely plot-driven and are meant as a thrown-in explanation.

From a timeline perspective, it also doesn’t make much sense. If events take place during present times, it would put Roy and Betty in their 90s! The characters are assumed to be in their mid-70s.

Despite Roy being the villain, I fell in love with him. His shenanigans appealed to me despite my better judgment. His trickery when he feigns a knee injury to manipulate Betty while dashing into a corporate meeting minutes later was enamoring instead of mortifying.

The chemistry between McKellen and Mirren is tremendous. Both actors know how to carry a film and are confident in their abilities. This comes across onscreen, and the romantic element works.

The Good Liar also gets respect from me for featuring actors in their golden years in leading roles.

Bill Condon has directed various films, including Chicago (2002) and Dreamgirls (2006). The Good Liar is hardly on this level or one of his finest, but the director adds enough seasoning to assure a compelling experience.

The locales of London and later Berlin, Germany, are robust and a treat for any viewer who is partial to international filming—I am! Plenty of busy London streets and German architecture appear during the film.

McKellen and Mirren’s slickness and excellent acting save The Good Liar (2019) from the drivel it might have been with lesser actors and inferior direction. Instead, it’s a clever film that toys with its viewers, keeping them engaged until the end.

2021 Films, Horror, Thriller

Old-2021

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Old-2021

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps

Scott’s Review #1,195

Reviewed November 13, 2021

Grade: B

I am always rather intrigued by any M. Night Shyamalan projects that come down the pike, whether it be a television or film offering. He has a knack for creating twist endings with a supernatural component.

Sometimes, like with The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Village (2004), he knocks it out of the park. Others are more average.

Old (2021) contains a novel and tantalizing premise that sometimes delivers and sometimes lags. It’s a worthy effort that picks up speed in the final fifteen minutes or so with a predictable conclusion I guessed about midway through, but it’s still really cool to see.

The film might have been better as a short film or a shorter episode – think The Twilight Zone.

Nothing in Old is too shocking or scary, and nothing that will make the hair on your neck stand up, but it’s entertaining and provides a message worthy of dissection.

The visionary filmmaker unveils a chilling, mysterious premise that oozes with possibility.

A seemingly happy suburban family decides to treat themselves to a tropical holiday in paradise. Prisca (Vicky Krieps), the wife, stumbles upon the exciting vacation offer online and decides to go for it. This alone should have been a red flag. Her husband, Guy (Gael García Bernal), agrees, and their children, Trent and Maddox, are overjoyed.

What the children don’t realize is that Guy and Prisca plan to divorce after the vacation ends.

The family is lavished with hospitality, food, and drinks and whisked away to a secluded beach where they relax for a few hours with other members of the resort, including a surgeon and his wife, an epileptic psychologist and her husband, and various others.

They realize that something is causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives to a single day.

They panic and try to leave the island, sometimes turning on each other in the process.

M. Night Shyamalan himself has a small role as a resort employee who drives the group to the beach and monitors them.

Filmed primarily on the beaches of the Dominican Republic, the cinematography is outstanding and quite scenic. The film doesn’t specify where the action is supposed to take place, so I guessed it was Hawaii.

The lavish mountains, roaring waves, and exquisite underwater coral sequences give the film a beautiful and calming vibe, despite the drama unfolding.

I also drew comparisons to the popular television series Lost, which ran on ABC from 2004 to 2010. A group of stranded individuals faces complex and startling situations as they desperately try to flee an island.

When one character drowns and another falls to their death from a cliff while trying to leave, I was reminded that maybe the island is a force in itself.

As the title suggests, the characters begin to age rapidly. The makeup effects aren’t as significant as one might hope, and some characters inexplicably age more than others, making the whole idea feel a bit silly.

Some of the characters are written better than others, and there are some stereotypes to overlook, like the schizophrenic doctor who goes mad. His trophy wife is blonde, toned, and obsessed with remaining young. As a positive, the wife of another couple is a doctor and the husband a nurse. Many would expect the opposite.

To that end, I never felt very connected to any of the characters, and most are written as a means to an end. Their backstories are explored, but lack any depth.

The twist at the end, totally expected in a Shyamalan film, lends itself to a discussion that can be had after the movie ends. A question of medicine and playing god is the primary focus, and one character with a small role at the beginning of the film is pivotal in the final events.

Not one of his best but certainly worthy of a watch, M. Night Shyamalan continues to tickle my fancy for crafting good, twisty thrillers.

Old (2021) doesn’t come close to rivaling his classics but provides good entertainment and perhaps a bit more.

1993 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Falling Down-1993

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Falling Down-1993

Director Joel Schumacher

Starring Michael Douglas

Scott’s Review #1,192

Reviewed November 6, 2021

Grade: B+

Falling Down (1993) is a film with a message, or arguably several messages.

It’s about a man fed up with almost everything, on the brink of a full-throttle meltdown.

The film blends entertainment with a message about socio-economic unfairness, inequality, and related issues.

Whether people take these elements as seriously as they should is at risk due to the popcorn qualities. It’s almost like it doesn’t know what it is.

Is it a kick-ass thriller, a black comedy, or a fantasy?

The film certainly entertains.

This is unsurprising because Joel Schumacher is at the helm. The man is a mainstream director churning out hits like The Client (1994), Batman Forever (1995), and Batman & Robin (1997) throughout the 1990s.

Some were more successful than others, but Falling Down is his best work.

I am a big fan of Falling Down, with the awareness that the messages peppered throughout may not be taken as seriously as they ought to be. And the reason is that there are too many of them. It’s almost as if they are boxes being checked off a list.

But it bears repeating that the entertainment factor is fabulous.

One scorching summer day in Los Angeles William Foster (Michael Douglas) an already frustrated middle-aged man who is unemployed and divorced is having a terrible day.

When his car breaks down on the freeway, he leaves his vehicle and begins a trek across the city to attend his daughter’s birthday party.

As he makes his way through urban neighborhoods, William’s frustration and bitterness are tested at every turn, resulting in violent encounters with various people, including a vengeful gang and a pursuing veteran police sergeant, Martin Prendergast (Robert Duvall).

Unfortunately for Prendergast, today is the day before his long-awaited retirement.

Douglas delivers an excellent performance as Foster. He makes the character relatable to every viewer who has ever felt so fed up that they want to discharge the people responsible for the unfairness.

He takes his anger out only on those who deserve it, which makes the character something of a hero.

The white supremacist, the belligerent Korean grocery store owner, the gang members, and the lazy construction workers all deserve their just desserts.

Throughout the film, I cheered Foster mightily and chuckled at his wit.

My favorite sequence takes place at the fast-food joint Whammy Burger. All Foster wants is his breakfast, but he arrives one minute past the cut-off as the unsympathetic cashier smugly tells him.

He proceeds to ravage the restaurant in anger.

Despite the humor that Schumacher adds, the message must be taken seriously. Minority characters are aptly shown as repressed or not treated well, and that point sticks with me until the end.

The least interesting story point is the entanglement between Foster and his ex-wife Beth, played by a woefully underutilized Barbara Hershey.

The Oscar-nominated actress can do so much, but her talents are wasted in a throwaway role as an underdeveloped wife.

I never warmed to Robert Duvall’s police sergeant character either, and while sympathetic to Foster’s cause because of a situation with his son, the plot point never develops fully. Prendergast’s overbearing wife and a young police officer he seems obsessed with are never explored well.

Despite great talent, the film belongs to Michael Douglas.

The mood and cinematography deserve accolades. The humidity is suffocating, and the layers of smog hanging over Los Angeles hammer home the film’s stuffy nature. One can imagine the sweaty environment leading to explosions of anger.

What Schumacher does, besides entertaining the audience, is show them that a once-successful man who had a great job and a happy family life can lose it all and snap.

Falling Down (1993) shows that what happens to Foster can happen to anyone.

Let’s live each happy day to the fullest while we can.

2021 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

The Little Things-2021

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The Little Things-2021

Director John Lee Hancock

Starring Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

Scott’s Review #1,191

Reviewed November 5, 2021

Grade: B

The serial killer genre in film always fascinates me. Gems like Dirty Harry (1971), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Seven (1995), and Zodiac (2007) immediately spring to mind as top-of-the-heap works.

John Lee Hancock, who directs The Little Things (2021), thinks so too, as he borrows from those pictures throughout his film.

The film features superior acting and a fantastic mood, complemented by practical musical score elements and absorbing cinematography of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas.

The script must have been compelling enough to attract heavyweights like Washington, Malek, and Jeto to join on board.

Despite these wins, The Little Things is lackluster and ultimately disappoints. I was ready to award it a solid B+ if not for the confusing and unsatisfying conclusion, which reminds me of a weak copy of those mentioned above, Seven.

Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter (Malek) to search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles. The blueprint is similar to a case that Deacon worked on and ended with a deadly mistake and his resulting heart attack.

As the pair track the suspected culprit, a loner named Albert Sparma (Leto), Baxter becomes aware of Deke’s inner demons and risks going down the same emotionally wrecked path.

A cat-and-mouse game ensues with Sparma continually toying with both Deke and Baxter.

The story is familiar territory and sets the stage for the rest of the film. How many times in film have we seen a detective tortured over a case? Despite Sparma being the only real suspect and presumed serial killer, we never do learn whether or not he did the deeds.

One girl who escaped the killers’ clutches may recognize Sparmas’ boots, but is dismissed after concluding that, since he is in police custody, he must be the killer.

The opening sequence is excellent despite using a direct rip-off of the scene in The Silence of the Lambs where the girl is cruising down an empty desert road at high speed, singing a rock song without a care in the world.

Thankfully, they had her crooning a different song, but the scene mirrors the other. She is pursued by a killer in another car. The scene is a terrific way to start.

The ensemble does good work with the characters they play. Leto gets the showiest role while Washington plays yet another police detective, a role he now can probably play in his sleep, but always does well.

Malek was cast based on the success of his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).

Leto received enough acclaim to earn a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. This prompted me, and undoubtedly others, to see The Little Things, which suffered at the box office due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

I didn’t buy the period of 1990-1991 for a second, regardless of how many shiny Chevy Impalas were used in the production. None of the characters looked like the time that it was supposed to be, though I admired the now old-fashioned diners and storefronts they used.

I don’t know much about Hancock, who both directs and writes The Little Things, but looking at his filmography, he has produced such works as The Blind Side (2009) and Saving Mr. Banks (2013).

Since both of these films are safer works, it’s unsurprising that much of the film resembles watching an episode of CSI.

Hancock could do with a dose of rawness over sleekness in his next film.

The Little Things (2021) pales in comparison to other, better-known genre films and will not be remembered well, despite making a valiant effort to play with the big boys.

Unfortunately, it’s a minor league experience that borrows too heavily from other films and therefore lacks a distinct identity.

I shudder to think of the result if not for the big stars who appear.

1950 Films, British, Film noir, Thriller

Stage Fright-1950

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Stage Fright-1950

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding

Scott’s Review #1,160

Reviewed July 9, 2021

Grade: A-

Stage Fright (1950) is a British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock before his American invasion.

The film feels like a hybrid British/American project with the leading lady, Jane Wyman, being American, but otherwise, it is set in London with many British actors.

Hitchcock mixes plenty of film noir influences with the typical thrills and suspense, creating an excellent film that flies under the radar compared to his other films.

Wyman is cast as an attractive aspiring actress who works on her craft by going undercover to solve a mystery. The film has elements of Nancy Drew, and it’s fun to watch Wyman, who would become Mrs. Ronald Reagan before he entered politics and later became President of the United States.

She reportedly divorced him because she had little interest in entering the political spectrum by association.

The action gets off to a compelling start with two characters driving in a car in apparent peril. Hitchcock loved driving scenes like these. It is learned that the police think actor Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) is a murderer, and now they’re on his tail.

He seeks shelter with his ex-girlfriend Eve (Wyman), who drives him to hide with her father, Commodore Gill (Alastair Sim).

He explains that it was his lover, the famous and snobbish actress Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich), who killed the victim (not coincidentally, her husband). Convinced that Jonathan is innocent, Eve plays detective and assumes multiple disguises, slowly developing feelings for Detective Inspector Wilfred O. Smith (Michael Wilding).

Once embroiled in a web of deception, she realizes that Shakespeare was right and that all the world is a stage.

Wyman is the Hitchcock brunette as opposed to his later fascination with the blonde bombshell. Therefore, her role is more sedate and astute than the sex appeal that would come with Hitchcock’s later characters.

Eve closely resembles Charlie, the character Teresa Wright played in 1943’s Shadow of a Doubt. They are both astute and investigative, with a mystery to unravel. Interestingly, they both fall for detectives.

All the glasses! Hitchcock’s fetish for women wearing glasses is on full display, especially with the character of Nellie, a cockney opportunist played by Kay Walsh. Look closely, and one can spot several minor or background ladies sporting spectacles, and even Eve dons a pair as a disguise.

The director’s daughter, Pat Hitchcock, plays a small role as she would in Strangers on a Train (1951) and Psycho (1960).

Speaking of Strangers on a Train, there are similarities to mention.

Both involve a tit-for-tat exchange in which one character requests another kill someone for a payoff or other motivation.

Marlene Dietrich is as sexy as ever in Charlotte’s pivotal role. She is also self-centered, self-absorbed, and thoughtless. She constantly mispronounces Eve’s fictitious name and barely notices that she is covering for her regular maid/dresser.

But is she evil and capable of killing her husband?

Stage Fright has a thrilling finale. In the climax, the audience finally finds out who has been telling the truth, who has been lying, and what explanations are revealed. There is a pursuit, an attempted killing, and a shocking death by way of a falling safety curtain in the theater, naturally.

What one would expect from a Hitchcock final act.

The focus on theatrical stage actors is a nice topic and adds to the existing drama, as the implications of playing various roles are prominent. So is the prominence early on of the Big Ben landmark in London and other location trimmings.

Stage Fright (1950) doesn’t get the love saved for other Hitchcock masterpieces, and that’s a shame because the film is excellent.

1940 Films, Thriller

Foreign Correspondent-1940

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Foreign Correspondent-1940

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day

Scott’s Review #1,158

Reviewed July 2, 2021

Grade: B+

As a superfan of all films Alfred Hitchcock, I had been chomping to see some of his older selections before he took American audiences by storm throughout his 1950s and 1960s heyday.

Many people do not realize just how many films the “Master of Suspense” made that are not household names.

Foreign Correspondent, made in 1940, is a black-and-white production and a prominent precursor for his later works. Much of the fun is zeroing in on particulars that would be featured in later films.

Hitchcock favorites, such as a tower, a circling airplane, an unwitting and innocent man involved in a political plot, and a false identity, are served up. The director’s obsession with female characters wearing glasses is undoubtedly part of the fun.

What Hitchcock fan doesn’t giggle with glee after discovering the director’s trademark cameo appearance in each of his films?

As an aside, I love the cover artwork for this film.

Foreign Correspondent isn’t one of the best-remembered Hitchcock films because it’s only perfect rather than exceptional.

In 1940, the director was getting his groove following a surprising Best Picture Oscar win for Rebecca (1940), a film that was a very early American effort. He was still finding his footing in production values.

The legendary Costume Designer Edith Head and Music Composer Bernard Hermann had not joined the fold yet as they would in masterpieces like The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and Vertigo (1958), and it shows. The musical score is ordinary, more or less what a picture made in 1940 sounded like.

The costumes are decent but lack the grandeur and style that Head brought to the productions.

New York City-based crime reporter John Jones, later renamed Huntley Haverstock, played by Joel McCrea, is reduced to producing dull copy despite the world being on the cusp of war. His editor hopes a change of scenery will be what Jones needs to get back on track and provide a juicy story.

He is re-assigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent. When he stumbles on a spy ring, he attempts to unravel the truth with the help of a politician, Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall), his daughter Carol (Laraine Day), and an English journalist (George Sanders). But can any or all of them be trusted, or are they in cahoots with the bad guys for their gain?

The plot alone immediately reminded me of Saboteur (1942). Both involve a complicated (maybe overly?) story of government, investigations, and sabotage.

They also each focus on a couple attempting to outwit or outrun authorities. They are both filmed with black and white cinematography.

Foreign Correspondent contains its share of thrills and compelling moments. The best sequence is when John is nearly shoved off the tower of Westminster Cathedral by a hitman, who ultimately plummets to his death. The obvious parallel is to Vertigo, especially when the nuns give the sign of the cross after the body falls.

Other mentions include a terrific airplane finale with astounding, long-lasting special effects. Also unforgettable is a windmill sequence that will remind any Hitchcock fan of the famous cropduster scene from North By Northwest. I half expected a character to exclaim, “The windmill is turning where there isn’t any wind.”

At two hours, even in run time, Foreign Correspondent is a good fifteen minutes too long. The plot takes some time to pick up speed, and John and Carol’s chemistry is relatively weak. They are certainly no Mitch and Melanie like from The Birds (1963).

Foreign Correspondent (1940) is a second-tier Alfred Hitchcock film with enough components to serve as a solid opening act for North By Northwest. This is not such a bad thing, and the film holds its own against similarly patterned films of its day.

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor-Alan Basserman, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects

1973 Films, British, Political Thriller, Thriller

The Day of the Jackal-1973

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The Day of the Jackal-1973

Director Fred Zinnemann

Starring Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale

Scott’s Review #1,155

Reviewed June 22, 2021

Grade: A

Political thrillers can run the gamut from taut plots involving espionage, assassinations, and car chases to the political landscape.

They often risk being overly complicated and losing their audience through too much wordiness and not enough meat and potatoes.

The Day of the Jackal (1973), which tells the story of an assassination attempt on a world leader, is perfectly paced and intriguing, offering titillating elements and nothing run-of-the-mill. It’s not lazy and can be classified as a thinking man’s film.

I loved it.

The complexities and trysts the deadly title character experiences add extra pizazz and spice to the already compelling plot.

And the sequences in Paris and its lovely streets can elevate any film.

A cagey and intelligent underground French paramilitary group is determined to execute President Charles de Gaulle (Adrien Cayla-Legrand). Still, when numerous attempts on his life fail, they resort to hiring the infamous hitman known as “The Jackal” (Edward Fox).

As he plots to assassinate de Gaulle, he takes out others who stand in his way. Meanwhile, Lebel (Michel Lonsdale), a Parisian police detective, begins to solve the mystery of the killer’s identity.

The film is in English, not French.

Fox is the major draw. Charismatic, handsome, and athletic, he hardly looks like a fiend.  But that’s just the point. A lesser film would have cast an actor who looks like a killer. With Fox, we get many more intricacies.

He beds women… and men. Think: a bisexual James Bond.

This is enchanting to see in 1973, though the film is British, and sometimes the Brits were well ahead of American filmmakers in this regard.

The director, Fred Zinnemann, is Austrian, and boy, can he direct.

I wasn’t sure how engaged I would be. After all, the history books can tell us how the assassination attempt ended. It failed. What was the motivation for watching a film, especially one destined to be complicated?

I quickly realized that The Day of the Jackal had that special sauce. It’s more than engaging; it’s enthralling.

The audience is meant to root for Lebel to beat Fox, but so much more is bubbling under the surface. The villain is mysterious, and we know almost nothing about him. The ambiguity continues after the film ends.

This is a positive for the character and, by extension, for the film.

Meanwhile, the hero of the film, the guy after the “Jackal”, is your average, everyday Joe. He is unexciting but very smart and determined to capture Fox.

Lebel is likable for his savviness alone, but I still argue many will root for Fox to escape Lebel’s clutches. I know I did.

Great scenes occur in a swanky hotel when Fox becomes intrigued by Madame de Montpellier, played by Delphine Seyrig.

He picks up the rich and mysterious woman as they chat in the dining room. He later sneaks into her room and gets the girl.

Whoever cast this woman must have seen the Hitchcock classic Frenzy (1972) because she’s a dead ringer for Brenda Blaney (Barbara Leigh-Hunt).

Is it an accident that both meet grisly ends?

Not satisfied with merely bedding rich women, he goes to a Turkish bath to avoid the police and picks up a French gentleman.

It is implied they have a romantic date before the gentleman catches on to Fox’s identity (he is now on the run from the police) and meets his maker in his kitchen.

The Day of the Jackal (1973) is a meticulously crafted film that should be the blueprint for anyone intent on creating a political thriller. It avoids hokey stereotypes or predictability, instead offering an edge-of-your-seat experience with nuances for miles.

It’s exceptional on all levels.

Oscar Nominations: Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-Fred Zinnemann, Best Screenplay

1973 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

The Friends of Eddie Coyle-1973

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The Friends of Eddie Coyle-1973

Director Peter Yates

Starring Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle

Scott’s Review #1,151

Reviewed June 11, 2021

Grade: B+

Borrowing heavily from the standard cop thriller films that emerged during the early 1970s but containing a unique cynicism and a point of view all its own, The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) is a taut and engaging crime thriller that will please fans of the genre but never bailing on those cinema fans seeking a more intellectual experience.

The Boston landscape is plentiful and a treat for fans of locale shoots and 1970s qualities.

A superior film, despite the many similar films created during the decade, there is a moroseness that encompasses the experience. I felt sorry for the main character, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle lacks a clear good-guy-versus-bad-guy standard. This helps the film.

What I’m trying to say is that those crime-thriller fans who desire a clear hero or standard characterization might be unsatisfied or miss the point, though the bank-robbery scenes alone are worth the price of a ticket.

Some say Robert Mitchum, cast in the title role, gives his finest film performance, but I wasn’t entirely blown away.  The film is an ensemble, and at times, Eddie Coyle feels like a supporting character.

Think Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020).

Instead, I ruminated over his brilliant performances in my two favorite films of his, The Night of the Hunter (1955) and Ryan’s Daughter (1970).

His performance is fine, but all the actors bring their A-game.

Aging low-level Boston gunrunner Eddie Coyle (Mitchum) is fearful of the possibility of several years of jail time for participating in a truck hijacking in neighboring New Hampshire. Having a wife and kids dependent on him, and feeling old and desperate, he volunteers to funnel information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), an ATF agent.

Eddie buys some guns from another gunrunner, Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), then gives him up to Foley, but the agent isn’t satisfied. Panicked, Eddie decides to give up the gang of bank robbers he’s been supplying, only to find that Foley already knows about them and that the mob believes Eddie snitched.

These events do not bode well for poor Eddie, who now has a mark on his back.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle has a handful of plots happening simultaneously. There is Eddie’s predicament, the saga of the bank robbers and the bank owners they put in peril, and a bartender played by Peter Boyle (of television Everybody Loves Raymond fame), who is also an informant.

The stories intertwine, but sometimes not quite enough, and a conclusion over how the players relate is sometimes unclear.

From the get-go, I was reminded of Dirty Harry (1971), which arguably propelled the cop/crime thriller/crime drama to mainstream audiences.

Dave Grusin receives credit for the music composition and creates a score similar to Dirty Harry, with a funky tempo and time-relevant arrangements. They work and fit the times perfectly.

Unlike Dirty Harry, which is a superb film in many ways, the messaging differs. Whereas Dirty Harry professes a good-versus-bad approach and a conservative pro-gun stance, The Friends of Eddie Coyle doesn’t take the time to school the audience on most cops’ viewpoints.

The bad guys are complex, nuanced characters with worries and fears to wrestle with.

The location sequences are plentiful and lend the film authenticity and a sense of Boston appreciation. The classic Boston Garden is featured as two characters attend a Boston Bruins hockey game. The Charles River, downtown, and surrounding areas, such as Quincy, are featured.

Director Peter Yates certainly creates a blue-collar, Irish-represented community.

Lovers of classic 1970s American automobiles will be in heaven. I spotted a Ford Galaxy, a Chevy Impala, and similar full-sized cars. One character drives a green muscle car.

I mean, there are tons and tons of car sequences in this film.

With the seedy Boston underworld, a terrific performance by Robert Mitchum, and enough guns, car chases, and bank robberies to satisfy the action audience, The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) is a win.

The film didn’t stick with me as much as I would have liked, but it’s a striking entry in the crime thriller genre.

1975 Films, Action, Crime Thriller, Thriller

French Connection II-1975

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French Connection II-1975

Director John Frankenheimer

Starring Gene Hackman

Scott’s Review #1,148

Reviewed June 2, 2021

Grade: B

The French Connection, the winner of the coveted Best Picture Academy Award for 1971 releases, is a brilliant film that holds up well as a cream-of-the-crop cop film.

An action film winning an Oscar is as rare as a horror film winning one. It’s rare.

The decision to make a sequel is debatable, but French Connection II (1975) stands as a decent action crime thriller, though hardly on par with the original.

Is anyone surprised?

Sequels rarely usurp their predecessors, especially when The French Connection is such a superior genre film. In a way, Part II didn’t have much of a chance to measure up against Part I.

Films like The Godfather (1972) only come around once in a lifetime.

Unfortunately, William Friedkin did not return to the fold to direct, replaced by John Frankenheimer, best known for the nail-biting The Manchurian Candidate (1962).

Thankfully, Gene Hackman did return. He helps the film from an acting perspective and gives his all in a tough role. His partner, played by Roy Scheider, doesn’t appear or get mentioned.

Picking up a couple of years after the first one ended, Detective “Popeye” Doyle (Hackman) is still hot on the heels of cagey and sophisticated drug trafficker Charnier (Fernando Rey).

Doyle hops a flight to lovely Marseilles, France. Away from his familiar New York City territory, he struggles to assimilate himself into a strange city and conquer the drug ring to bring Charnier down.

Doyle is accosted and spends time as a dreary heroin addict in rough confines before being tossed away and forced to recover cold turkey style. He becomes even more determined to bring the bad guys to justice- dead or alive.

As a stand-alone action film, French Connection II is not a bad experience. It is certainly better than the still-to-come 1980s doldrums, like the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon cop/buddy films, that marginalized the genre into cookie-cutter popcorn fare.

The equally compelling French landscape replaces the gripping New York City. Gorgeous locales like the French Riviera and the Mediterranean Sea are featured, but Marseilles is not Paris.

A certain seediness and dirtiness helps the film a bit.

Hackman acts his ass off, especially as a drug addict. I shudder to think of a weaker actor trying to pull off this acting extravaganza.

From scenes featuring his withdrawals to his drug cravings, it is exciting to watch and showcases Hackman’s wonderful acting chops.

But the intent is to produce a good action film, and that effort is mediocre.

French Connection II is not as compelling as The French Connection, and despite some decent chase scenes and a cool finale where Doyle gets his satisfaction, there is little else but by-the-numbers activity.

The final fifteen minutes are the film’s best part.

Remember the frightening car-chasing-a-subway sequence? Or the delicious cat-and-mouse subway sequence between Doyle and Charnier?

Brilliant scenes like this don’t happen often.

A few clichés are bothersome. Predictably, Doyle stands out like a sore thumb in France, and his hot-headedness emerges quickly, offending or pissing off the French authorities.

He is not the most likable character, and I frequently found myself rooting for the bad guys!

I don’t think I was supposed to.

Other implausibilities occur, like the boneheaded decision to send Doyle to Marseilles in the first place. Was he the only detective, including the French authorities, capable of catching Charnier?

What was the point of the old-lady heroin addict stealing Doyle’s watch?

A shadow of The French Connection, the dull-titled French Connection II (1975) is a weaker effort but still respectable compared to other genre films.

This is mostly due to the French landscape and Gene Hackman’s return.

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actor- Drama- Gene Hackman

2002 Films, Erotic, Thriller

Femme Fatale-2002

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Femme Fatale-2002

Director Brian De Palma

Starring Antonio Banderas, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Scott’s Review #1,137

Reviewed April 28, 2021

Grade: B+

The plot of Femme Fatale (2002) is muddy, to say the least, and I was left perplexed by the details by the time the film concluded.

I had to review a synopsis to figure out what happened, but I was willing to do so.

But let’s remember that Brian De Palma directs it, so the beauty lies in the visual style and stimulation, which make the film pay off in spades.

Probably more similar to a modern De Palma film like 2012’s underrated and underappreciated Passion than more familiar turf like Carrie (1976) or Dressed to Kill (1980), Femme Fatale has juicy trademarks that only fans of the director will immediately notice and revel in.

The entire experience that De Palma creates is titillating, erotic, fetishistic, and thrilling. It’s an enrapturing piece.

Unfortunately, Femme Fatale was a box-office dud but has since amassed a cult following, likely due to legions of De Palma fans who appreciate the film’s strong style.

Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, with legs for miles and an abdomen to fry eggs off of, stars as Laure Ash, a master manipulator, who takes part in one last jewel theft, intending to leave behind her life of crime.

Her intention predictably doesn’t turn out so well, but Laura sure does look great in her leather-clad outfits and affair with a female supermodel.

Later, Romijn-Stamos also plays an odd character named Lily, who is suicidal.

Reinvented under the presumption of a respectable married woman, Laura captures the attention of eager photographer Nicolas (Antonio Banderas).

He becomes mesmerized by the elusive woman amid the gorgeous locales of Paris and accidentally shatters her carefully crafted world through his photography.

The steamy women’s bathroom love scene between Laura, who is bisexual, and Veronica, a model with a diamond gold ensemble top, is not just a male chauvinistic turn-on, but hugely important to the storyline.

Laura is supposedly in cahoots with thugs “Black Tie” and Racine, who aggressively wait outside the restroom, but is Laura double-crossing them both? Is she partnered in crime with Veronica, or is she just a mark?

The riddles of the plot are both positive and negative, especially when one scene plays out twice, midstream and during the finale.

There is a mystique that forces the viewer to give up any attempt at comprehension or plausibility regarding Laura, her motivations, and modus operandi.

I chose to immerse myself in the bevy of trimmings that De Palma tosses our way like a hungry dog salivating over a bone.

He borrows a bit from the best of Alfred Hitchcock’s films (when doesn’t he?) and his own, neither a bad thing. The most obvious is from the 1954 masterpiece, Rear Window, an orgy of fetishism, which appears throughout, mostly concerning Nicolas as he spies on Laura again and again, almost obsessively.

Romijn-Stamos isn’t the best actress in the biz, and Banderas would grow as an actor after this film. Still, Femme Fatale is about style, not Academy Award acting, and the beauty is trying to figure out a puzzle and being startled by a twist ending and a replay of the events to provide some explanation.

The twist is quite a doozy and had me rethink the entire film. Plot holes be damned, it was a very good reveal, but it also made most of the rest of the film a bit worthless.

Femme Fatale (2002) will never reach the upper echelons of the best of Brian De Palma’s films, but it’s hardly a waste of time to give it a spin, either.

Forgetting the steaminess altogether, the film is for European appreciating viewers with the astounding and plentiful sequences in and around Paris.

2012 Films, Action, Drama, Political Thriller, Thriller, War

Zero Dark Thirty-2012

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Zero Dark Thirty-2012

Director Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jessica Chastain

Scott’s Review #1,133

Reviewed April 14, 2021

Grade: A-

Director Kathryn Bigelow, not far removed from her Oscar win for The Hurt Locker (2008), returns with a similar style of film centered on war and, more specifically, the emotional toll and psychological effects of not just battlefields but also dangerous missions.

The main character faces many conflicts, and the viewer inevitably does too.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012) is unique in the genre for having a woman in the lead role, and star Jessica Chastain is front and center and terrific.

She is calm, restrained, and in control. She is tough to rattle and a powerful, inspirational character to admire.

Chastain exudes cool in the face of danger.

Chastain does have a brilliant emotional scene at the end of the film. Her character, Maya, boards a military transport back to the U.S. as the sole passenger. She is asked where she wants to go and begins to cry. The emotion finally gets the better of her, as it would to anyone.

The film isn’t all Chastain’s to brag about, and there is little wrong with it.

Beautifully directed, Bigelow layers her film with enough tension and magnificence to enshroud the moral questions viewers will ask, specifically about torture.

It’s somewhat fictionalized, and in fact, Chastain’s character is made up, but Zero Dark Thirty is a gem nonetheless.

But we also know the events happened.

The film starts incredibly well and immediately grabs the viewer’s attention with a brilliant first scene.

Amidst a dark screen and soundtrack of actual calls made to the 911 operator from inside the World Trade Center Towers on 9/11, the scene is about as powerful an opening as a film can have and bravely sets the stage for what follows.

These include many scenes of Arab detainees being interrogated (that is, tortured) for information about Al Qaeda. Is this justified or unnecessary abuse?

The viewer is immediately saddened, in tears, and conflicted about whether the torture is justified, having just heard the 911 calls.

I know I was.

From there, the viewer also hears a summary that puts the pieces of the first scene together.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most wanted men on the planet. The worldwide search for the terrorist leader occupies the resources and attention of two U.S. presidential administrations.

This is the crux of the film and the story told.

Ultimately, a dedicated female operative (Chastain) proves instrumental in finally locating bin Laden. In May 2011, Navy SEALs launched a nighttime strike, killing bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

We all know this, but troubling is the use of torture. I keep coming back to this point.

I think what I like most about the film, besides the riveting pacing, action sequences, and psychological appeal, is the controversy that surrounds it.

The fact that it ruffled feathers at the CIA and in Congress about whether the info was leaked to the filmmakers makes me think that at least some of it is based on facts, despite what other reviewers (likely with a strong political bias) might claim to the contrary.

But as a political junkie, that’s just my belief.

The film’s reproduction of enhanced interrogation techniques is brutal. Some critics, in light of the interrogations being depicted as gaining reliable, useful, and accurate information, considered the scenes pro-torture propaganda.

Acting CIA director Michael Morell felt the film created the false impression that torture was key to finding bin Laden. Others described it as an anti-torture exposure of interrogation practices.

I guess we may never know the truth. But the film compels and provokes feeling.

Bigelow is at the top of her game with Zero Dark Thirty (2012), crafting a genre film (the war one) too often told through a masculine “us versus them” mentality and leaving behind the fascinating nuances that can make the genre a more interesting and less one-note.

The masterful director does just that and makes us think, ponder, and squirm uneasily.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actress-Jessica Chastain, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing (won), Best Film Editing

2020 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Thriller, Thriller

Promising Young Woman-2020

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Promising Young Woman-2020

Director Emerald Fennell

Starring Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham

Scott’s Review #1,132

Reviewed April 13, 2021

Grade: A

Emerald Fennell, making her film directorial debut, kicks her viewers in the ass with significant help from star Carey Mulligan, with Promising Young Woman (2020).

The actress gives the best performance of her career.

The film is a sexy and haunting experience, mixing black comedy and witty dialogue with an important and timely subject matter- the abuse and victimization of young women by men.

Both men and women can be held responsible, as Fennell makes abundantly clear. Predators often have a share of people who choose to “look the other way” and thereby enable.

This is a constant theme throughout the film involving many characters who are called out for their passivity.

Fennell makes this point during two of the film’s most compelling scenes, calling out a high-powered dean and attorney for their betrayals. The scenes are so powerful that I wanted the characters to suffer as much as the revenge seeker does.

There is also a wackiness in the pacing and dialogue that reminds me quite a bit of the 1999 masterpiece, American Beauty.

The film is depravity, bizarreness, and brilliance all rolled into one. I felt this film in my bones.

Almost every scene is a treat in the mysterious and unexpected, and the film features peculiar characters and creative musical score renditions, and includes a scene and music from the underappreciated masterpiece The Night of the Hunter (1955). Fennell knows her classic cinema.

Mulligan stars as a woman named Cassie who seeks to avenge the death of her best friend, who was a victim of rape when they were in medical school, and their young lives had potential, and such possibility lay ahead of them.

Cleverly, we never see her friend, named Nina Fisher, but she is of vital importance and nearly a central character herself despite her absence.

Everyone said Cassie was a “promising young woman” until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But now, at thirty and still living at home, her parents suggest, via a giant suitcase for her birthday, that it may be time for her to move on.

Cassie is tough to figure out since she’s wickedly clever, sometimes wisecracking, and tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. She goes to nightclubs looking drop-dead gorgeous and lures men to her rescue, pretending to be inebriated.

What happens when they go back to their pad is shocking, dark, and justified. The men will never see this coming.

Before the presumption is that Cassie is nothing more than a bad-ass, her intentions are not only admirable, but she has a heart and desires love. Promising Young Woman is a dark character study.

Besides the powerful story, Promising Young Woman is riddled with interesting cinematic techniques. Cassie’s parents lounge in their afternoon, watching The Night of the Hunter, a dark fairy tale for adults.

Later, a haunting version of Britney Spears “I’m a Slave 4 U”, complete with a string arrangement, is featured most uniquely.

All the supporting players add pizzazz and strength, some in odd or unclear ways, until certain revelations bubble to the surface.

Jennifer Coolidge as Cassie’s strange mother, Bo Burnham as the smitten Ryan Cooper, and Alison Brie as Cassie’s college friend Madison McPhee are the best examples.

Bo and Madison have the most to hide, but will they or won’t they face Cassie’s wrath? Not much is worse than a woman scorned.

But the main draw is Mulligan. Startlingly good, with an astonishingly powerful, deeply layered performance by her. She showcases a remarkable acting range, effortlessly shifting from brash to darkly humorous and, at times, emotionally vulnerable in her best performance to date.

Two scenes stand out to me.

The first is a delicious scene between Cassie and the female dean of her school, played by Connie Britton. At first dismissive and annoyed by Cassie’s accusations, Dean Elizabeth Walker finally takes notice when she believes that Cassie had kidnapped her teenage daughter and left her with a group of drunken frat boys. What comes around goes around!

The second is the finale wedding scene, interestingly not featuring Cassie other than by text messages. As the happy young couple says their vows a parade of police cars ruins the moment and the audience cheers victory. It’s a satisfying moment.

The screenplay is original, fresh, and timely. In the “Me Too” movement, the timing is vital and makes the subject matter relevant. Fennell wrote the screenplay- is there anything she can’t do?

Promising Young Woman (2020) is an exceptional film. It’s a controversial revenge film, but it’s so much more. Taking a powerful subject matter and examining the hypocrisy of men and women is telling and eye-opening.

That is why this film is critical to see and brings awareness to a situation that society still too often deems as okay.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Emerald Fennell, Best Actress-Carey Mulligan, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 2 wins-Best Director-Emerald Fennell, Best Female Lead- Carey Mulligan (won), Best Screenplay (won)

2000 Films, Guy Films, Thriller, War

U-571-2000

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U-571-2000

Director Jonathan Mostow

Starring Matthew McConaughey

Scott’s Review #1,126

Reviewed March 25, 2021

Grade: B-

U-571 (2000) is a entertaining film. It’s got excellent cinematography, some thrills, and a clear good-guys vs.-bad-guys mentality with machismo for days.

It’s an American film if there ever was one, and will please American audiences seeking cookie-cutter material with loud noise and a satisfying ending.

It’s also got some scenes of guy peril that will please a certain type of audience demographic- think blue-collar males.

The modus operandi is that all the Americans are good and the Germans are bad. It is World War II after all. It wasn’t that simple, folks, but according to the film, it’s pretty cut-and-dried.

But that’s entertainment and a box-office hit.

It’s not a bad film at all, but a beer-and-pizza-style film, not a martini-and-avocado-dip film.

For those seeking something more authentic versus formulaic and riddled with cliches, U-571 will disappoint. It’s also shamefully inaccurate and severely muddies the waters.

The film does not portray a historical event, so it gets away with a lot.

But it’s a fictional film meant to entertain, so my suggestion is to sit back, grab some popcorn (or beer and pizza), and enjoy it for what it is. Please don’t look for any rationale beyond the studio wanting to make a lot of money.

And there is the exceptional cinematography and cool locales to keep us marginally happy. The story is inane, but the trimmings work.

When a German U-571 submarine (hence the title of the film!) with a sophisticated encryption machine onboard is presumed lost and buried during a World War II battle at sea, the Allies send an American Navy force led by Lieutenant Andrew Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) to retrieve it for study.

Boarding the German ship, the Americans’ cover as a rescue force is quickly blown. Forced to take the crew hostage, the Americans lay their explosives and prepare to destroy the German vessel before the Nazis can send naval backup.

It’s a race-against-time routine frequently seen in masculine thrillers.

About those historical inaccuracies.

The American portrayal is skewed and slanted to be pro-American, and this point offended many of the British military and public. Even Prime Minister Tony Blair got involved.

The Allies captured Enigma-related codebooks and machines about fifteen times during the War; all but two of these by British forces.

Watching the film, one would think the Americans did everything and the British were incompetent.

Let’s ponder for a moment why filmmakers, especially screenwriter David Ayer and director Jonathan Mostow, would embrace such inconsistencies. My hunch is that they were attempting to target their film to male American moviegoers.

The tactic worked, and the film was a hit.

A cool tidbit is the casting of rock star Jon Bon Jovi in the supporting role of Lieutenant Pete Emmett. At this time, launching an acting career that included a role on television’s Ally McBeal, it’s impressive to see him on the big screen and not playing himself.

I’m not sure he pulls it off, but as a fan of the 1980s hitmaker, I enjoyed this aspect.

McConaughey carries the film well and is his usual dashing and charismatic self. Before the actor started doing more quality, character-driven films nearly a decade later, he would later state that he disliked several roles he took on and did them solely for the cash payday.

One wonders if U-571 is one of those films.

Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel have little more to do than act tense and play second fiddle to McConaughey.

From an inclusive perspective, and I kid because there is nary a strong female to be found, there are no strong female characters. It’s a shame that, given the year 2000, Mostow should have known better.

Couldn’t one of the high-ranking majors or lieutenants have been a woman? If nothing else, it could have added some sexual tension—or perhaps a same-sex relationship.

The film does nothing for diversity.

It’s a very intense and exciting war film that accomplishes what it sets out to do. It’s well-executed and a crowd-pleaser, U-571 (2000) doesn’t contain much more than that and will be remembered as a slick, entertaining thriller with a big movie star.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Sound Editing, Best Sound (won)

2007 Films, Christmas, Horror, New York City, Psychological Horror, Slasher, Thriller, Winter

P2-2007

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P2-2007

Director Franck Khalfoun

Starring Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley

Scott’s Review #1,106 

Reviewed January 29, 2021

Grade: B

Franck Khalfoun, a French filmmaker known for the horror genre, makes his directorial debut with P2 (2007).

As a horror buff, I thought the film had a great premise, which made me immediately want to see it. Unfortunately, while the film has its moments of intrigue and plenty of gore, the climax ultimately disappoints, and it turns run-of-the-mill.

Like many of its modern horror brethren, there is little that separates it from other similar films.

It’s fine Saturday night viewing fare, but quite predictable.

Films set during the Christmas holiday, especially in festive New York City, always enrapture me, so P2 gets a leg up.

The film doesn’t utilize the holiday very well, save for a smattering of decorations within an office building, some snow, and one creepy holiday song.

Set on Christmas Eve, the plot follows a young businesswoman named Angela (Rachel Nichols) who becomes trapped in an underground parking garage in midtown Manhattan.

She is pursued by a psychopathic, unhinged security guard (Wes Bentley), who is obsessed with her.

Bentley, known for his terrific role in American Beauty (1999), is the main reason to see this film. He plays creepy and obsessed very well and is a great villain.

His piercing blue eyes are intense and frightening, and his obsession with Elvis Presley and his dog is revealed. He is disturbed, though, for no apparent reason, which is not positive to any character development.

Why is he crazy?

When Thomas plays Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” over the intercom, it’s a festive and delightfully morbid highlight.

I desired to know what makes Thomas tick and why he hunts Angela. Has he been watching her for months, or does he see an opportunity on this particular night and go for the gusto?

The plot reveals a bit of both, which is unsatisfying because there is no payoff.

Does he knock out and kidnap Angela because she rebuffs his advances, or would he have done this anyway if she had agreed to dinner?

He is in love with her, but why? It’s not that she isn’t a catch. She is pretty and a successful businesswoman with a good head on her shoulders. Does she reject him because she gets a bad vibe or because he’s a security guard?

I wanted more backstory for both main characters, but once she is chained to a table, it hardly matters. He’s gone too far off the deep, especially after it’s revealed he has killed others. Thomas’s motivations are not satisfying.

Nichols, a novice actress, is very good at her role. She carries the film and is in a state of peril most of the time. But she neither overacts nor plays the victim.

There is a nice balance between the terror and the task of figuring out what steps to take to save her life and flee the madman.

P2 has a female-empowerment vibe, but Angela does appear in skimpy clothing, thus reflecting the standard state of undress required of their female stars, a formula many horror films stick to.

Angela is smart, quick-thinking, and strong. She tries to outsmart her capturer, and more often than not, she does, and she is victorious in the end.

Surprise!

I noticed multiple nods to the Saw (2004-present) franchise since this series introduced and embraced the torture-horror genre.

Many horror films use this technique to shock and startle viewers rather than offering clever writing or stories. The use of videotape appears in P2, which borrows heavily from Saw.

P2 (2007) is a fine effort and will satisfy horror fans. It may tread into familiar territory and back itself into a corner with limited story possibilities.

Still, I did look over my shoulder a couple of times after viewing the film when I was in my building’s parking garage.

Ironically, I was on level P2.

Maybe the film did leave an impression after all?

1997 Films, Crime Drama, Crime Thriller, Drama, Film noir, Los Angeles, Thriller

L.A. Confidential-1997

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L.A. Confidential-1997

Director Curtis Hanson

Starring Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey

Scott’s Review #1,102

Reviewed January 19, 2021

Grade: A

An enormous critical and commercial hit in 1997, L.A. Confidential spins a tale of intrigue and mystery set in the 1950s, with plenty of big-name stars to go around.

The film can be classified as a throwback, neo-noir escapade, but it’s quite stylistic and fleshed out.

It’s well-made, with slick elements and a Hollywood look and feel, and it’s the seduction and bevy of secrets that will keep viewers glued to their seats, trying to guess what happens next.

As if it doesn’t have enough great elements a powerful whodunit is constructed leading viewers to question if the bad guys are good or the good guys bad.

Stalwarts like Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, and Danny DeVito bring star power, while unknowns at the time, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce are the real reasons to tune in.

L.A. Confidential has a seemingly endless, tangled web to absorb and unravel, but the film is well-paced and never overcomplicates itself. The strong art direction and musical score make it a delight to the eyes and ears.

The film is fraught with a saucerful of secrets just waiting to be brought to the surface.

Based on the James Ellroy 1990 novel of the same name, it’s the third book in his L.A. Quartet series, the others being The Black Dahlia (1987) and The Big Nowhere (1988).

All focus on the Los Angeles Police Department, corruption, and scandal. The former was adapted into an unsuccessful 2006 film starring Josh Hartnett and Scarlett Johansson.

I love films set in the City of Angels with a focus on Hollywood darkness lurking beneath the sunny and swanky exterior. Especially effective was the 1950s, post-World War II, when everything seemed to be coming up roses.

Naturally, murder is the offering of the day.

To summarize, three policemen, each with his motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s.

Detective Lieutenant Exley (Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father’s killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Crowe), implicated in a scandal uncovered by Exley, was one of the victims.

Sergeant Vincennes (Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (DeVito). Basinger portrays Lynn Bracken as a glamorous prostitute.

It’s nice watching the film with the knowledge of the big stars Crowe and Pearce would become. Also interesting is seeing Spacey when he was a big star, eventually destined to become Hollywood mud due to a scandal.

That’s the beauty of watching a classic film: it adds a realistic element unknown at the time of its first release.

From a romantic angle, it’s fun and juicy to wonder who Lynn, a Veronica Lake lookalike, will wind up with. Basinger has chemistry with all of the handsome cops, and one wonders who she will screw and screw over.

The role is the best of Basinger’s career.

L.A. Confidential is a film that can be viewed multiple times to notice intricacies missed during the first go-around. It harkens back to the 1940s in style, pizazz, and texture.

There is something for everyone, and it develops well beyond the film noir genre.

It contains great acting, exceptional writing with twisting storylines and events, bloodshed, and thrills. It is an exceptional crime drama, almost on par with one of the greats, Chinatown (1974).

The 1990s were an excellent decade for well-made films, and L.A. Confidential (1997) is near the top of the pile.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Curtis Hanson, Best Supporting Actress-Kim Basinger (won), Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published (won), Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

1997 Films, Action, Guy Films, Political Thriller, Thriller

Air Force One-1997

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Air Force One-1997

Director Wolfgang Petersen

Starring Harrison Ford

Scott’s Review #1,085

Reviewed November 21, 2020

Grade: B+

If ever a straight-ahead, summer blockbuster, popcorn flick existed, Air Force One (1997) is it.

Surprisingly, this is not a bad thing. It’s not cerebral, but it’s never dull.

The film has hooks and muscle and assembles a thrill ride, edge-of-your-seat action fest. Some would say this is just what the doctor ordered, and they’d be right, provided the mood is for a mind-escaping, meat-and-potatoes affair.

Air Force One is pure Americana.

With a patriotic musical score and a clear hero and villain, it’s easy to know who to root for. Suspension of disbelief is mandatory since some scenes are as implausible as Santa Claus shimmying down a chimney on Christmas Eve, but the film is entertaining.

The action is non-stop.

At the tail end of his prime action-star years (the 1980s and 1990s), Harrison Ford plays James Marshall, the president of the United States of America.

After making a bombastic speech in Moscow vowing never to negotiate with terrorists, a group of them led by the dastardly Ivan (Gary Oldman) hijacked Air Force One with the president and his family on board.

Marshall, a former soldier, hides in the cabin of the plane and races against time to save his family and those aboard the flight from the terrorists.

The plot is implausible and hokey, and it reeks of plot points meant to carry the story along, but surprisingly, the film works. There is no way a president would ever race around performing stunts aboard an airplane, conquering the villains like clockwork.

But Ford has the charisma to make us believe it could happen, and his character is a family man, a Vietnam veteran, and a Medal of Honor recipient.

Can this guy be any more perfect?

Oldman, always reliable as a villain, is perfectly cast. His character’s motivations are simplistic and nationalistic. Ivan believes that the collapse of the Soviet Union has ruined his country, and somehow it’s the fault of the United States.

The reasoning is silly, but it’s in keeping with the patriotic nature of Air Force One- the ‘us versus them’ mentality. The United States is good; Russia is bad.

It’s what middle America wants, and the target audience of this film is clear, back to the Cold War.

Wolfgang Petersen, who directs the film, knows his way around the action genre. After all, he crafted the memorable Das Boot (1981) and Outbreak (1995). The film has a Tom Clancy-Patriot Games meets Die Hard (1988) style.

Petersen meshes the score with the quick editing style to layer the film with more action than slowed-down conversational scenes. We know how it’s going to end, but enjoy the ride.

On closer inspection, the film is not just for the guys.

Glenn Close is cast as a female Vice President and a strong gender-twisting presence. Kathryn Bennett is a bold, careful woman, and the implication is that she is more than capable of taking over should anything happen to the president.

Her scenes mostly take place in the White House Situation Room and provide a nice calm as she is pressured by the Defense Secretary (Dean Stockwell) to declare the president incapable.

The scenes between Stockwell and Close are very strong.

Air Force One (1997) is a cliché-riddled and mainstream Hollywood creation to the max. Both the pacing and the pulsating style make the film a guilty pleasure and quite enjoyable.

When the mood strikes to kick back and relax with a fun, action-packed affair, this one is your choice. Just don’t dissect the details too much or expect real-life to mimic art.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound, Best Film Editing

1973 Films, International, International Thriller, Swedish, Thriller

They Call Her One Eye-1973

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They Call Her One Eye-1973

Director Bo Arne Vibenius

Starring Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf

Scott’s Review #1,061

Reviewed September 14, 2020

Grade: A-

They Call Her One Eye (1973) is a marvelously wicked revenge film that is a must-see for any Quentin Tarantino fan, as it’s a blueprint for his work to come.

The famous director worked as a clerk at a video store (back when they had video stores) and stumbled upon many odd and wonderful, obscure, independent films.

With his stepfather’s guidance, he was encouraged to pursue his love of film by visiting art theaters and similar venues.

Undoubtedly, They Call Her One Eye was one of his findings.

A young woman (Christina Lindberg) struggles to overcome her tortured past but runs into more trouble when she gets mixed up with a seemingly wonderful man (Heinz Hopf), who turns out to be the exact opposite.

After she misses her bus to her job at a farm, the man picks her up and soon has her working as a prostitute and addicted to drugs. Her only chance to escape will be to learn martial arts and exact revenge on her pimp. She spends her time learning to fight and plotting a day of reckoning.

Impossible not to conjure images of Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), the film is told from a female perspective, and revenge is the recipe of the day.

The main character also wears an eye patch, following a horrific scene when her eyeball is removed as punishment for being defiant.

Any fan of Tarantino knows that the character of villainous Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) in Kill Bill also wears an eye patch and is a force to be reckoned with.

The film is focused on the 1970s female revenge genre, so the fun is in witnessing how badly Madeleine is treated by her pimp and her myriad of clients, because we know they will soon be dead.

Director Bo Arne Vibenius makes no bones about what type of film this is and, as a good measure of gender equality, throws in a female client who abuses Madeleine.

They Call Her One Eye is also reminiscent of I Spit on Your Grave, a disturbing 1978 American film with a similar story and more fanfare.

Those with even the slightest hint of prudishness must be forewarned. There is not only extreme nudity (the film is Swedish after all!), but contained within are several pornographic sequences of both vaginal and anal sex.

The scenes are tough to watch, and the unknown is whether the actors appeared in these moments themselves since their faces cannot be seen.

My hunch is that these scenes were spliced in from real pornographic films of the day, but are not necessary or relevant to the rest of the film.

The Swedish locales are lovely, especially those of the countryside or farmland, and the subtitles are nice to have. The film loses a point because my copy of the DVD is dubbed in English rather than authentically Swedish-speaking.

I found this a slight detraction, but other viewers may find this just fine.

The fight scenes are mostly done in slow-motion, which is another Tarantino stamp. This adds some flavor, as the slowed-down scenes become more effective, with blood and saliva spattering at a maximum.

Madeleine is the clear heroine (no pun intended) of the story, so the film doesn’t contain any other good characters except for Madeleine’s parents, who quickly commit suicide after receiving hateful letters they think are from their daughter.

Her plight is lofty since she was raped at a young age by a filthy derelict, which left her mute.

The girl has little luck.

Her pimp, Tony, is dastardly, and when he picks her up on the roadside, we know there is terror in her future, even though he benevolently takes her for dinner.

They Call Her One Eye is so low-budget that it almost feels like someone walked around with a camcorder and videotaped the sequences. Of course, this only lends credence to the grit the film produces and works exceptionally well for offering a seedy, dirty delight.

Rumor has it that during the eye-slicing scene, recommended for only those with steel-lined stomachs, a real corpse was used. Whether or not this is an urban legend is anyone’s guess.

Fans of Tarantino or those of experimental, artsy, horror-meets-thriller productions will adore They Call Her One Eye (1973), as it is rich in disturbing storylines and abundant in blood.

However, the result will leave feminists or anyone championing women with a small smile on their face after the dramatic conclusion.