Here are some miniature reviews I just pounded out based on films I’ve seen over the past five months. I was meaning to review them all when I saw them, but I just got behind. Here I am now, catching up.
Heat
1995. Directed by Michael Mann
I’d like to think of Heat as the mother of all modern crime films. It’s got it all: brilliant and ruthless criminals, hard-as-nails cops, devilish heists, huge shoot-outs, tense interrogation room intrigue and real-life family drama. The ice cold, throbbing cinematography is so harsh and powerful it almost can’t be contained by the screen and the action pounds at you with hammer-like force. Pacino and De Niro are larger than life as cop and robber in a titanic struggle for dominance. Neither side is portrayed as the heros and both are shown sympathy. The cops are cold and violent but want what’s right. The criminals will do whatever it takes to pull off their heists but live relatable emotional lives. Two modern conventions are broken: the criminals are actually shown to be immoral villains and the cops are presented as morally superior to the criminals, if not by much. This realism trumps most crime films, which tend to use faulty Robin Hood-esque logic, and the result is an epic film full of pathos and striking action that feels real.
Coffee and Cigarettes
2003. Directed by Jim Jarmusch
It’s hard to review this film because it’s not really a film at all. A series of paired celebrities sit at tables in various dingy diners sipping strong coffee and chain smoking. They talk about all sorts of things. The screenwriting is pretty good because you can’t even tell that there’s a script being recited. Highlights include Bill Murray discussing herbal medicine with members of the Wu-Tang clan, Alfred Molina kissing up to Steve Coogan, the White Stripes discussing science and philosophy and Cate Blanchett playing herself talking to her fictional cousin who is also played by Cate Blanchett. You get the sense that Jarmusch made this based on a dare. It’s amusing but not very re-watchable.
The Fisher King
1991. Directed by Terry Gilliam
On my quest to watch every Terry Gilliam film I ran across this strange hybrid creature lurking in the shadows of the early 90’s. Part psychedelic psychological thriller, part sappy sitcom; a film full of wonderful legends and terrible cliches. It’s as if Gilliam merged for a moment with the Hallmark channel. There was a good film here, it just seems Gilliam accidentally spilled a huge vat of sap all over the script and didn’t take the time to clean it off. Maybe it’s because that script was written by Richard LaGravenese, who also wrote such gems as The Bridges of Madison County, P.S. I Love You and Water For Elephants (gag!) Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges deliver good performances and the cinematography by Roger Pratt is immaculate. A shame really.
Ghost Rider
2007. Directed by Mark Steven Johnson
I liked this? Not very much though. A really mediocre comic book adaptation, Ghost Rider does have a bit of fun to offer. Sam Elliott is enjoyable as the uber-gruff, all knowing graveyard caretaker, and it’s obvious that Nic Cage is having a blast playing the bizarre, skull-flamed hero. I think the idea of Cage’s character rebelling against his demonic master and using his evil powers for good is engaging and could have served a more complex plot. But the plot as it stands is merely serviceable and runs headlong towards an inevitable anti-climactic cg fight scene. All in all a bland film with some cheesy fun and a few good ideas.
The Haunting
1963. Directed by Robert Wise
Less is more has never been more evident on celluloid. I watched this film on a dark and stormy night in October and found it a super effective chill giver. Four people take up residence in an old house to investigate its supposed hauntings. Creepy statues leer from the walls, loud noises pound through the night and mysterious disappearances occur. This is a ghost film that works mostly through mood and the question of what may or may not be hiding off camera. The characters are less in danger of physical attack than they are of psychological trauma. A smashing good ghost story indeed. Note: stay away from the 1999 remake. I’ve been informed that It’s putrid.
Blood Simple
1984. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
I love the Coen brothers but I didn’t particularly love this film. It’s definitely their most violent affair, full of cold-blooded torture and murder, and it lacks their signature sense of humor. It reminds me most of their 2007 film, No Country For Old Men, but even that film, as relentlessly ruthless as it was, had more of a heart. Blood Simple is just plain heartless and full of bad taste. As their freshman effort, I assume they learned from their mistakes, and I can whole heartedly recommend the viewing of every other Coen film. I’d stay far away from this one though.