Movie Loner

The 1980s catches hell for being a shitty decade for movies. Hard to argue the point after notorious bombs like Heaven’s Gate and Ishtar left a foul stench permeating studio backlots. Not to mention four of the worst Best Picture Winners in ten years with the likes of Ordinary People, Chariots of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy, and Dances With Wolves. Alright, so the 80s sucked. However, a lot of quality flicks by great directors went unnoticed without reason. William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. is one such film. Violent and provocative it stands as one of the decade’s best crime thrillers.

U.S. Treasury Agent Richard Chance (William Peterson) just lost his partner at the hands of elusive counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe). Chance, along with new partner John Vukovich, embark on an obsessive mission to bring down Masters. A distraught Chance eschews procedure and will stop at nothing to exact vengeance. His reckless behavior causes tension with Vukovich, but Chance’s experience and charisma are enough to convince his reluctant partner to join him on a path toward personal and professional destruction.

Chance and Vukovich go undercover to get close to Masters. They set up a deal but need $50,000 to buy in. Unable to secure cash from the Agency Chance devises a scheme to rob a drug mule. A simple plan implodes, leaving the drug mule dead, and Chance and Vukovich racing the wrong way down the L.A. freeway with armed gunmen in chase. Narrowly escaping with the 50K the duo secure a meeting with Masters to purchase funny money. A late night rendezvous leads to a bloody and shocking climax.

No one gets out of this movie alive or unscathed. Questions of morality are aplenty as the line between “good” and “bad” is constantly crossed. Everyone breaks the rules, everyone is in it for themselves. I can’t remember seeing a more engaging group of dishonest scumbags in one film, except maybe Pulp Fiction. William Peterson carries the story as the driven, arrogant Chance and Willem Dafoe provides a chilling turn as the serpentine Rick Masters. Friedkin never takes his foot off the gas pushing the action-filled plot forward, highlighted by an intense car chase rivaling the one from his masterful The French Connection. To Live and Die in L.A. belongs on the list of great 80s cop movies alongside 48 HRS., Year of the Dragon, and Lethal Weapon.

The trailer for To Live and Die in L.A.:

No Comments »

I’ve always been an Ang Lee fan. The Ice Storm is one of my favorite movies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is filmmaking at its finest. I’ll forgive him for the overblown misfire that was Hulk, but overall the guy has proven himself time and time again exploring different genres in the process. How Lust, Caution went largely ignored by American audiences is still a mystery. Too bad because it was easily one of last year’s best films.

Hong Kong, 1938. Shy student Wong Chia Chi joins an acting troupe led by Kuang Yu Min, a budding revolutionist who is vehemently opposed to the WWII Japanese occupation of China. Patriotic plays lead to Kuang and his thespian charges embroiled in a plot to assassinate Japanese sympathizer Mr. Yee. Wong Chia Chi adopts the persona of the married Mrs. Mak befriending Mrs. Yee in an attempt to get closer to Mr. Yee. After numerous Mahjong sessions at the Yee home, Mr. Yee takes a keen interest in Mrs. Mak, but a hinted affair is never realized after the Yees abruptly relocate to Shanghai.

Shanghai, 1942. Four years pass and Wong Chai Chi is back in school and living with her aunt. A reunion with Kuang, who is now a player in the anti-Japanese movement, again places Wong in a dangerous spygame to entrap the elusive Mr. Yee. Resurrecting her Mrs. Mak identity, Wong soon begins a torrid affair with Yee. Aggressive sexual encounters draw the two together as Mrs. Mak accepts the role of mistress. Her duties to country become clouded once her feelings for Yee strengthen. Lust turns to love, and Mak/Wong is forced to choose between her loyalty to Kuang or her passion for Yee.

Tony Leung, who I’ve lauded repeatedly on these pages, takes a welcome departure from the brooding, romantic characters he usually plays and turns in a phenomenal performance as the cold-blooded Mr. Yee. But this film is all about Wei Tang, whose portrayal of Wong/Mak is a revelation. This was Wie Tang’s acting debut and if it’s any indication of her talent she has a long career ahead of her. Ang Lee continues to impress bouncing from American to native Taiwan cinema. Lust, Caution secures his rank among today’s top filmmakers.

A scene from Lust, Caution:

No Comments »

Crime doesn’t pay. Who hasn’t heard this before? Still thousands of people every year think they can dupe the system and walk away with a nice cool sum that will solve all of their problems. They’ll spend countless hours trying to justify it to themselves. Nobody will get hurt. It’s a simple job. Is it, really? If you’re thinking about pulling off the perfect robbery or scam do yourself a favor and watch Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. It will scare you straight.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Andy Hanson, a schlub payroll manager with a bored wife and nasty drug habit. Good ‘ol Andy has been embezzling money from his firm and he’s about to get pinched. He needs cash fast so he concocts a scheme to rob his parents suburban jewelry store. To assist in this “victimless crime” Andy enlists his meek little bro Hank (Ethan Hawke), who has financial woes of his own. Andy has it all figured out. All Hank has do is commit the robbery and it’s smooth sailing from there.

Of course, nothing goes as planned. Hank decides he’s too chicken to do it alone so he brings along a friend who happens to bring a gun. The friend is killed, and Andy and Hank’s mother, who wasn’t supposed to be at the store, ends up in the hospital with a gunshot. The brothers’ foolproof plot slowly, and painfully unravels. Guilt and paranoia seep in as Andy and Hank feebly attempt to keep it together. Meanwhile, their heartbroken father Charles (Albert Finney) seeks answers and justice.

This is a tough movie to watch. First-time screenwriter Kelly Masterson weaves a tragic, compelling story that gets bleaker as it progresses. The great director Sidney Lumet employs flashbacks to reveal backstory to this agonizing criminal tale. He provides the audience no glimmer of hope, or chance of redemption for his characters. They are trapped by their own missteps and can’t escape their deserved fates. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is far from the “Feel good movie of the year” but its precise execution and brilliant cast make it worth seeing.

The trailer for Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead:

No Comments »

What do Sid Vicious, Lee Harvey Oswald, Ludwig van Beethoven and Dracula have in common? Two words: Gary Oldman. The great British thespian has portrayed each person at one time or another. I realize I’ve been trashing the Oscars here lately, but it seems appropriate to question their validity when an actor as gifted as Oldman has never received a nomination. His explosive performance in State of Grace went unnoticed because the movie somehow slipped through the cracks. Hopefully, this review will help right a wrong.

After a ten year absence, Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) returns to the tough streets of Hells Kitchen. Reunited with childhood best pal Jackie Flannery (Oldman), Terry resumes a lifestyle of drinking and carousing. A reputation for being a “shooter” lands Terry a spot in the Irish mafia, run by Jackie’s brother Frankie (Ed Harris). A major deal between Frankie and the Italian mob is contingent on Frankie keeping loose-cannon Jackie under control, but the grisly murder of a friend sets an unstable Jackie on a path to revenge.

Terry’s trip down memory lane includes rekindling a romance with first love Kathleen (Robin Wright), who happens to be Jackie and Frankie’s sister. Balancing his feelings for Kathleen and his loyalty to Jackie causes Terry inner turmoil. No amount of booze can drown his demons. Terry reveals a secret that will force him to betray the Flannerys. While dealing with his own duplicity, Terry uncovers another betrayal that threatens Jackie. Terry soon finds himself at odds with Frankie, leading to a bloody St. Patrick’s Day confrontation.

Once you’ve seen The Godfather all other mob movies pale in comparison. However, Coppola’s over-romanticized vision of the mafia is far from reality. The gritty, low-rent picture painted in State of Grace is much more accurate. There’s no ostentatious estates or tailor-made suits to be found. Cramped apartments and cheap leather jackets define Hells Kitchen. Phil Joanou proficiently directs a smart script by Dennis McIntyre. Penn, Harris and Wright are all excellent but Oldman makes the movie. His dead-on portrayal of hotheaded Jackie is among his best. State of Grace is a dynamic film that shouldn’t have been overlooked.

The trailer for State of Grace:

No Comments »

Zodiac landed on many critics ‘Best of 2007′ lists so I wouldn’t exactly call it underrated. However, it was definitely overlooked by audiences and Oscar. I kick myself for not seeing it in the theater because my television screen doesn’t adequately capture the scope of this police procedural epic. Director David Fincher takes us on a complex, nightmarish journey to 1970’s San Francisco to tell the tale of America’s most notorious unsolved serial killer case.

1969, Vallejo, California: A young man and woman are shot repeatedly on lover’s lane. The boy survives, the girl is killed. Thus begins the Zodiac Killer’s 10+ year reign of terror on Northern California. Zodiac announces himself to the world through cryptic puzzle letters sent to the San Francisco Chronicle. The first principals to take an interest are crime-beat writer Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his cartoonist colleague Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) whose early attempts to crack the Zodiac’s code prove frustrating. A murdered cabbie puts Inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner William Armstrong on the case. Together, the press and police set about to track down the Zodiac.

The murders stop, but the letters keep coming. Avery’s dogged pursuit pushes him toward alcoholic burnout. Toschi and Armstrong follow the evidence, coming maddeningly close to catching the killer, only to be disappointed. The introspective Graysmith remains fascinated with Zodiac, unable to shake his need to unmask him. Years pass; Avery, Toschi and Armstrong separate themselves from the case. Standing alone is Graysmith. His obsession compels him to write a book in hopes of finally bringing the Zodiac killer to justice.

Zodiac isn’t about physical killings as much as it is about symbolic killings. The shootings and stabbings are indeed graphic, but more disturbing to watch is the murder of men’s souls. Avery, Toschi and Graysmith lose themselves amid a mountain of circumstantial evidence and dead ends. Their suffering is agonizing and lasting. Fincher has assembled one of the best casts I’ve seen in years. Chief among them is Ruffalo; I’ve always liked this guy, but his portrayal of the driven Dave Toschi is first-rate. Other than Alien 3, Fincher has yet to direct a bad movie. In fact, he gets better each time out.

The trailer for Zodiac:

No Comments »

I’ve written the praises of writer/director Lisa Cholodenko on these pages before. Her cultured debut High Art garnered attention for resurrecting the career of 80s brat-packer Ally Sheedy, but Cholodenko’s talented eye couldn’t be ignored. High Art explored the drug-addled world of New York City photography. In Laurel Canyon Cholodenko heads west to Los Angeles and delves into the laid-back party hard music industry.

Christian Bale plays Sam, a tightly-wound Harvard med school grad who lands a prestigious Psychiatry internship in LA. Joining him is his introverted girlfriend Alex (Kate Beckinsale), who is completing her dissertation on the reproductive habits of fruit flies. The couple moves in with Sam’s mother, Jane (Frances McDormand), a free-spirited record producer. Sam and Alex’s prim-n-proper lifestyle is soon disrupted by Jane and her latest boyfriend Ian’s band as they finish recording an album.

Jane’s rock-n-roll scene brings about temptation for both Sam and Alex. Sam takes a liking to the beautiful Sara, a fellow resident at the hospital. Alex’s protective shell begins to crack the more time she spends with Jane and Ian. Career obsessed Sam gets drunk and hangs with Sara. Studious Alex smokes pot and hangs with the band. The increased time apart puts a strain on Sam and Alex’s relationship. They let their guards down, allowing a little fun into their staid lives. However, desire can prove to be a costly emotion.

Laurel Canyon demonstrates there is a thin line between adulthood and childhood. Jane never really grew up. Sam grew up too soon. The tense mother/son dynamic is at the heart of the film. Bale is quite good as the son desperately seeking his mother’s approval. McDormand scores as usual portraying the mother whose love for her son is masked by her unwillingness to accept the parental role. Also worth noting is Alessandro Nivola; his turn as Casanova front-man Ian McKnight steals the movie. Lisa Cholodenko is a filmmaker to watch. She is currently shooting The Kids Are All Right which should be released early next year. I’ll be on the lookout.

The trailer for Laurel Canyon:

No Comments »

Day 3 of sci-fi week brings us an offering from one of my favorite directors, Michael Winterbottom. Varied and unafraid to experiment with genre and narrative, Winterbottom has delved into the past (Jude, The Claim, 24 Hour Party People), the present (In This World, A Mighty Heart), and finally the future with Code 46, a forgotten little opus that transports us to a future where love is defined through genetics and those without legal ID are exiled to a desert wasteland.

Tim Robbins plays William Weld, an ‘Intuitive’ who investigates fraudulent identifications called “papeles.” William travels to Shanghai to probe a company where fake papeles are being circulated. His prime suspect is Maria Gonzalez (Samantha Morton), a free-spirited young woman whose cryptic dreams reveal her fate. William ignores Maria’s obvious guilt but can’t ignore his attraction to her. Together they hit the town for dinner and drinks, leading them back to Maria’s apartment. A night of passion ends with William flying home to Seattle, unaware that his brief affair has violated society’s most stringent law: Code 46.

His time home is cut short after hearing of a mysterious death in Asia. William returns to Shanghai only to find Maria has gone missing. He soon locates her at a hospital on the city outskirts; Maria believes she is there for a minor procedure, but William learns that her memory of him has been erased as punishment for breaking Code 46. William still exists in Maria’s dreams so they leave Shanghai fully aware the law forbids them to love. On the run, they realize their time together will not last.

Drawing similarities from the superb modern classic Gattaca, Code 46 presents a grim world where government restrictions disallow certain people to procreate. Winterbottom and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce present a tragic love story where science and technology are the real villains. Humans, armed with test tubes and petri dishes, blindly pursue perfection with no concern for the natural order of things. Love and sex are too messy. The science is true, but we can only hope that Code 46 remains fiction. Come on back tomorrow for day 4 of sci-fi week.

A scene from Code 46:

No Comments »

I’m kicking off sci-fi week at Movie Loner with an overlooked prize from last year, Sunshine. Director Danny Boyle seems to run hot and cold. Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and 28 Days Later are minor classics. A Life Less Ordinary and The Beach are almost unwatchable. The talented, genre-jumping Boyle scores a bullseye taking aim at a tried-and-true sci-fi storyline: the doomed space mission.

The sun is dying. The Icarus Project sends a ship but it disappears. Seven years later Icarus II is dispatched, a crew of eight astronauts armed with a stellar bomb designed to reignite the fading star. On approach to Mercury they pickup a distress signal from Icarus I. A heated debate among the team leads to a decision to change course and rendezvous with the lost ship. An omission by the navigator sets off a disastrous chain of events that jeopardizes the operation.

The crippled vessel docks with Icarus I. Oxygen, food, and water are abundant offering the crew hope. But evidence of sabotage and the disturbing death of Icarus I’s astronauts raise suspicions. A curious mechanical failure proves fatal for two and traps the remaining crew aboard a sinking Icarus II. As bodies drop the surviving team discovers they are not alone on their ship. A strange presence threatens to terminate the mission before its completion.

Sunshine accurately depicts the strengths and weaknesses of humans. Our ability to think, or over-think, often lands us in a shitload of trouble. But it’s our willingness to sacrifice ourselves and our determination to do what’s right that makes us unique. The film also correctly portrays us to be a bunch of meddlers. Should we screw with forces beyond our control and comprehension? Most great science fiction poses this question. There is no simple answer. Watch Sunshine and you’ll understand what I mean. Stay tuned tomorrow for episode two of sci-fi week.

A scene from Sunshine:

No Comments »