Movie Loner

Do you remember Keith Gordon? As a young actor he carved a nice little niche in the 80s in such films as Dressed to Kill, Christine, The Legend of Billie Jean and Back to School. Around 1988, Gordon decided to quit acting to pursue directing. His resume behind the camera is an impressive list that includes The Chocolate War, A Midnight Clear, Mother Night and the sadly overlooked Waking the Dead. Relegated to TV projects since 2003, here’s hoping the skilled Gordon returns to the big screen soon.

In 1973, Fielding Pierce’s girlfriend Sarah is killed by a car bomb while assisting the Chilean resistance. The idealistic Sarah was devoted to fighting injustice which clashed with Fielding’s conservative views. Despite differences, Sarah was Fielding’s great love and dealing with her sudden death proves difficult. Nine years later, during a Congressional campaign, Fielding is haunted by memories and visions of Sarah, who may or may not be alive. Through a series of flashbacks Fielding and Sarah’s tempestuous relationship comes into full view, revealing the powerful hold that Sarah maintains on Fielding.

As the race for a Congressional seat tightens, Fielding’s sanity begins to erode. Voices in the night, strange sightings, and puzzling phone calls strengthen Fielding’s belief that Sarah has returned from the dead. Friends and family dismiss his erratic behavior in an effort to help him focus on achieving his dream. However, Fielding’s obsession for Sarah consumes his every thought, threatening his run for Congress. Is Sarah’s presence a reality, or does her appearance serve as a subconscious reminder to Fielding not to lose his morals on his climb up the political ladder? It is a mystery not easily solved.

Gordon’s gloomy style is perfect for this dark, intricate story. Deftly weaving the plot between 1973 and 1982, the film disallows any level of comfortability. It’s apparent that Fielding is losing his mind, but we’re never quite certain if Sarah is real or not. Billy Crudup as Fielding and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah are both convincing in their performances. Accepting their nuanced relationship is the key to understanding Waking the Dead. From heated debates to moments of passion, Fielding and Sarah keep the intriguing story conjoined. Waking the Dead is perhaps Gordon’s best film yet, so if you like it check out some of his other movies.

A scene from Waking the Dead:

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Three movies inspired me to study film in college. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, and Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies and Videotape. Each delivered a significant impact, but none more so than Sex, Lies and Videotape. Its style is simple, yet effective and had me convinced I could make a film. Although I never accomplished my goal, my admiration for Soderbergh’s writing and directing remains. His smart, frank approach to sexual repression and infidelity stands as a groundbreaking creation in adult drama. Subtle camera movements, a provocative soundtrack, and outstanding performances accentuate a perceptive story about broken people seeking to find their place in the world.

This scene marks the point when the tables are turned on Graham. Accustomed to being the interrogator, a guarded Graham finds himself in the uncomfortable position of subject as a fed up Ann bombards him with questions in an attempt to exorcise his private demons. I present the verbally intense climax to Sex, Lies and Videotape:

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What is the best science fiction film ever made? Time’s up, I need an answer. If you answered Blade Runner, you are correct. A visual masterpiece that still looks as gorgeous today as it did twenty-five years ago, Ridley Scott’s dystopian noir classic about a 2019 Los Angeles cop assigned to eliminate rogue androids called replicants is as powerful as any movie I’ve seen. It deals with basic questions that have perplexed humanity for centuries: How long do we have? How do we get more time? Life, in all its fleeting preciousness, is often taken for granted. Blade Runner shows us long life is not a guarantee, and despite all our technological genius, the one thing we can’t manufacture is more time.

In the following scene, Deckard breaks the bad news to Rachel that she is a replicant. The painful realization that her existence is nothing more than a series of borrowed memories is both frightening and poignant. I give you a stirring scene from the remarkable Blade Runner:

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For my money, there is no greater movie about war than Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. It captures the massive violence, senseless death, and psychological toll of war better than any film in the genre. Adapted from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, it details the mission of Captain Willard, a burnt out Special Forces Op pegged to venture into Cambodia to assassinate the renegade Colonel Kurtz, who has gone completely insane. The further down river Willard travels, the more uncivilized he and his surroundings become. Madness seeps in, and the hell of war seizes control.

In this scene, Willard and his crew reach Do Long Bridge, where a never-ending battle wages without any presence of organized leadership. A subdued chaos strangles the night air as Willard futilely searches for the commanding officer. Here is an eerie and potent scene from Apocalypse Now:

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Normally, sweeping romantic epics make me ill. I find them to be overly melodramatic and too much in love with the idea of being a sweeping romantic epic. One exception is the late Anthony Minghella’s masterful adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s beautiful novel about a Hungarian mapmaker who falls in love with a married British woman during the final days before the start of World War II. Tragic to be sure, The English Patient is also a poetic parable about the dangers of crossing boundaries, be they literal or figurative.

The following scene is set during a violent sandstorm. Taking refuge inside a truck, Count de Almasy tells Katherine Clifton a tale about winds. A slight touch of her hair reveals more than words, as at this moment two people forbidden to love one another fall in love. I offer a lasting scene from The English Patient:

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I’ve written more than enough praise about Fight Club so I’ll spare you an extended treatise detailing my love for this film. Safe to say it’s a smart examination of male alienation and the decline of masculinity in modern day society. Director David Fincher employs his particular moody style effectively in telling the story of a man who abandons his mundane life at the behest of his newfound “friend” Tyler Durden, an anti-establishment soap-maker with a grand plan.

In this scene, Tyler explains to his protege that someday he will die and until he realizes this simple fact he is a useless waste of humanity. Kick back and experience the pain of chemical burn. This is a scene from Fight Club:

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Amidst all the Dark Knight hoopla and fanfare another comic book classic entered the spotlight Thursday night. Of course I’m talking about the trailer for Watchmen that screened prior to Dark Knight. The highly anticipated adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel is poised to be one of 2009’s biggest movies. Personally, I can’t wait, especially if the film looks as good as the trailer. I’m not a huge comic book guy, but Watchmen is on my short list of favorite books. Looks like Director Zack Snyder got this one right. Here’s the trailer:

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I’ve seen every James Bond movie multiple times. Yes, that includes the laughable Never Say Never Again and the utterly ridiculous License to Kill. What is the best Bond movie? In my mind, there is no doubt. The winner is 2006’s Casino Royale. Like most fans of the series, I was skeptical when Daniel Craig was handed the reigns to one of cinema’s greatest heroes.

Craig, a solid actor in films like Road to Perdition and Munich, captures the rugged essence of 007 better than even the untouchable Sean Connery. Charming, artful, tenacious and vulnerable, Daniel Craig is James Bond. What transformed Bond into an unfeeling killing machine? Casino Royale tells the tale of Bond’s first mission as a 007 agent.

In the following scene, Bond has just finished dispatching two nasty thugs. Upon returning to his hotel room, he discovers the engaging Vesper Lynd in a state of shock after witnessing Bond’s brutal confrontation. While comforting a shaken Vesper, James Bond’s sturdy armor begins to soften. I present a touching and revealing scene from Casino Royale:

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