Donkey Skin (1970)

Donkey Skin takes the unique world of Jacques Demy and steps it up a couple of notches. The story is based off a fairy tale and brims with all the necessary trappings accented by the French director's own flourishes.

Once again the music is supplied by Michel Legrande and the songs are a mix of playfully fun and sometimes solemn songs that help dictate the path the story takes. As far as the tale itself goes it revolves around a beautiful princess who sends herself into a forced exile wearing a donkey skin. It all sounds rather odd, but she is given the idea from her fairy godmother, in order to keep her father from marrying the princess.

The world is a fanciful array of gaudy fake interiors, blue people, red horses, a treasure-dropping donkey, oddly-masked creatures, a talking parrot, princesses, princes, and some rather alarming potential incest. This is no Disney endeavor by any means and its bright colors often call to mind the Hippy culture.

Into this land the princess flees covered in her donkey skin and takes on the lowly role of a scullery maid where she is belittled and looked down upon. However, a glum young prince happens upon her in all her beauty and wants nothing more than to marry her. In fact, he plays sick just so he can be with his gorgeous vision. Instead of Cinderella's slipper, this story deals with a ring which is only to fit the finger of his true love. A whole to do is made out of it with people coming from far and wide. However, the prince already knows who he wishes to wear it, after all it came in a cake that Donkey Skin baked for him.

In the end this fairy tale receives the happy denouement that is expected with plenty of riches and love for all. The film used simple but nonetheless mesmerizing special effects that add a touch of magic to this tale. It also gets book ended by some obligatory narration ending a enchanting fairy story fit for children, mothers, grandmas and anyone else who is willing to partake. Although not as memorable as his earlier musicals, it seems that Donkey Skin sees Jacques Demy at his fully realized creative powers in a way that is uniquely his and fits with many of the trademarks he developed earlier. Furthermore, Catherine Denueve proved that she is beautiful even wearing a donkey skin hoodie. It's hard to say no to a movie with her in it no matter the topic.

3.5/5 Stars

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Starring Bruce Lee in his last major film before his death, Enter the Dragon has Lee going to a martial arts tournament on the isolated island of a former nemesis in order to infiltrate the proceedings and uncover what is really going on there. Along with Lee two other men are invited and we learn early on that they are chums and both very skilled in martial arts. 

Following the first set of bouts, the evening is extremely extravagant and each guest is treated like a king. While the other two revel in this grandeur, Lee tries to make contact with someone who was planted on the island. That same night Lee sneaks out to try and see what he can uncover with some luck. However, the next morning Han gives a stern warning to his visitors before the competition begins again. Later one man is accused of leaving his room and then Han tries to entice the other to join his operation. Lee again sneaks out and this time to messages for help but not before the alarm is sounded. 

What ensues is an epic display of martial arts mastery but Lee is finally quelled. The next morning things are looking bleak but Lee and his fellow competitor join forces against Han’s men and they eventually gain some help. This is the final showdown and while the all about fight continues Lee must chase down a fleeing Han. In a secret room of mirrors their conflict concludes but not without a great deal of devastation. 

This film is an unorthodox combination of a martial arts film and a Hollywood production. Bruce Lee is the undisputed star in an era where Asians were usually only supporting characters. For this reason as well as the action, this is a pretty good one to watch.

4/5 Stars

The Long Goodbye (1973)

In the storied tradition of Film-Noir comes another film in the canon and yet another depiction of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe. However, the world with which Robert Altman places his private eye is far different than any place the character has ever inhabited before. Whereas another Neo-Noir such as Chinatown followed the storied tradition of Noir in many ways, The Long Goodbye is often more of a satire than a new addition to the genre.

Elliott Gould as Phillip Marlowe has the smoking down like Bogart or Dick Powell, the garb and even the car, but his environment is the 1970s making him quite anachronistic and that seems to be just fine with Altman. He subverts the genre by placing Marlowe in a world he does not seem to fit in and yet he himself does not seem to question it.

The girls next door are hardly your typical girl next door. The police station looks like it could be out of the Rockford Files. John Williams and Johnny Mercer's title song pops up in all places from the elevator to the car radio. His tail Harry is an incompetent joke. Passing cars give the security guard time to practice his best movie star impressions. Marlowe as well proves he is not much of an animal guy with a cat that he loses and a dog that hates him.

The drama is not much better in that regard. Two murders supposedly take place (including the death of a friend), which are later followed by a man's suicide and his beautiful wife fleeing the country. All the while on the case Marlowe is scrounging around and coming up mostly empty. The cops bring him in, an unhappy thug roughs him up over some money and he can get very little out of the drunken writer Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden) or his wife (Nina van Pallandt) for that matter before she disappears.

By now we know better than to compare this Marlowe to any predecessor. He gets smashed about by the waves trying to stop the suicide and ends up in the hospital after getting bowled over by a car. He seemingly does his best detective work in a stupor and he somehow escapes a chilling confrontation where everyone is removing their clothes. All these scenarios make little sense and even with the twisted conclusion to the mystery, there still is no explanation for the way things are. Altman gives us a surprising end but no answers as we watch Gould dance off into the distance playing a mini harmonica. Marlowe can often be heard saying, "It's okay with me." It's the story of his life and if he is fine with it I suppose his audience will just have to accept it even if they do not quite like it.

4/5 Stars

What's Up, Doc? (1971)

A nod to the 1930s screwball comedies, this hilarious film is directed by Peter Bogdanovich and stars Ryan O’Neil and Barbra Streisand. It opens with the prologue, “Once upon a time there was a plaid overnight case,” however very soon it becomes obvious that there are four of these cases! 

One belongs to the bookish Ryan O’Neil who is going to a musicologist convention with his annoying fiancée Eunice, the other to the free spirited Judy, one has top secret information, and the last is full of jewels. This dramatic irony is set up early on for the audience and things really get chaotic when Judy tries to pick up Howard. She masquerades as his fiancée and creates a good impression with a Mr. Larabee who is in charge of giving out the grant. However, later, Judy succeeds in completely destroying Howard’s room while causing more problems for Howard with Eunice in the process.  

The next day Howard is invited to a party at the home of Mr. Larabee and he is instructed to bring his charming “fiancée.” That’s where the mayhem hits its peak. All four bags end up together. There are gangsters, government agents, guests, servants, and Judy and Howard all a part of the chaotic ruckus. The unlikely couple finds themselves on the run through the hilly streets of San Fran where an epically frenzied car chase takes place. Put together a pane of glass, some bumpy steps, three cars, a parade, and a large body of water to add up to some hilarious moments. The bedlam carries over into the local courthouse where everything is eventually figured out. Everything is back to equilibrium and Howard flies off into the sunset with his new love and an in flight Bugs Bunny short.

4/5 Stars

Bananas (1971)

In the vast realm of Woody Allen films Bananas feels more like Take the Money and Run (1969) with its zany comedy than his later films which often take on a more somber and philosophical note.

A South American assassination with play-by-play commentary by Howard Cosell is the epitome of this film's humor. A coup de'tait follows in the banana republic of San Marcos and somehow Fielding Mellish (Allen) fits into this picture. He starts out as an inept machine tester, gets beat up on the subway by thugs and falls for a female activist named Nancy (Louise Lasser). In order to impress her he heads to South America and winds up joining a revolutionary group.

Now somehow made president of the rebels, he heads back to the United States to gain support and funds. However, he ends up on trial and things are not looking too good for him. However, he gets back with Nancy and she agrees to marry him. The films ends with the consummation of their marriage book ended nicely by commentary by Howard Cosell once more. Woody Allen has always been a comedian and Bananas truly fits its title. It is utterly wacky.

3.5/5 Stars

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

The title Kramer vs. Kramer brings to mind a film about two people, formerly married fighting over their kid who is stuck in the middle of their feud. It has the potential for high drama and tense courtroom scenes full of malice and bitter resentment. Sounds like a real winner.

Don't get me wrong, there is some of that but Kramer does better than that. It follows the complex relationship between a working man and his 7-year old son as the newly separated man struggles to take care of them both. It shows the pain that forms between former spouses as they try and navigate life as best as they can. It shows the pain and heartache that comes with both loving their boy so dearly. There's a realness and a vulnerability that is extraordinarily hard to discount.

It does not dawdle and within minutes a solemn Joanna Kramer tells her husband she is leaving him and he can hardly believe her words. What comes next is trouble balancing work and his home life. There is an emotional toll that comes understandably since they were together for over 7 years. Their neighbor does not help matters.

The frustration manifests itself in outbursts over breakfast and anger directed pointedly at others. The most vulnerable is little Billy who is a cute kid, but dearly misses his mother. At first he and his dad don't always see eye to eye. He does all the typical kid things. Refuses to eat food, disobeys and causes messes. The best example is the notorious ice cream seen where he defiantly starts eating from a pint of ice cream against his fathers wishes. It's not pretty.

Work is hardly getting any better; in fact it's getting worse as Ted has more responsibilities to worry about at home. His friend and superior is not happy with what he's seeing. On her part, Joanna seems mostly out of the picture, still ending cards to Billy faithfully. His only friend becomes the also separated Margaret (Jane Alexander) and they act as confidantes.

One significant moment occurs at the playground where Billy falls from the jungle gym and cuts himself before his father rushes to his crying sons aid and runs him to the emergency room. He stays with his boy through all the stitches and tears, solidifying their bond and his resolve to continually be there for his boy.

On the work front Ted is regretfully let go and rushes to find another job. On the home front Joanna is back in New York and a custody battle is in the making. However, neither parent understands what they have subjected themselves to. Things get ugly and it is something that neither Ted or Joanna wanted. They don't want to make each other hurt, all they want is their son. It's a complex flood of emotions and feelings as a product of character assassinations. There can be no nuance only "yes" or "no" and that's the way the court will decide the outcome.

When the process is done it is decided that custody of Billy will be awarded to mother. Gasp! However, what Ted does next is more noteworthy. He goes home to his boy and with the greatest of fatherly love he tells his boy he will be going to his mother. Billy will have so much fun with his mommy and they will get to see each other a lot. He is strong and positive for his boy.

Then, in a scene mirroring their earlier morning, they calmly make french toast as a team, happy father and son together. Joanna asks for a meeting and Ted goes down to meet her. Her decision is yet another surprise and this time he peeps through the elevator with a smile waiting downstairs while she goes up to see her boy. It is very taxing to work through divorce. For all parties involved so Kramer vs. Kramer ends at the happiest place it could realistically.

I admire the portrayals however because Hoffman's character is far from an angel (sometimes prone to outbursts) and yet he acknowledges his shortcomings and proves just how all encompassing his love for his son is. Meryl Streep on her part is relatable but it is still difficult to reconcile her leaving. By the end however,  it is quite easy to feel sympathy for her and she too proves to be a well-meaning, all be it, flawed individual.

The scene that really solidified this film for me had to be when Ted is reading to his son from The Adventures of Tintin. It's a classic moment and it hit home because it was a story I read many a time with my own father and will hopefully get to read to my own kids. That's what makes movies truly wonderful. When they transcend time and place making it possible for us to relate to them on even the most basic or mundane level. That is part of the reason Kramer worked for me. At it's most intimate it's about connections. Between men and women and fathers and sons. Not always pretty but always a integral part of life.

4.5/5 Stars

Love and Death (1975)

Most every Tom, Dick and Harry has heard of the great Russian epic War and Peace. Love and Death is Woody Allen's companion piece. It has nods to Tolstoy, Dostoevysky and channels a bit of the Marx Brothers. As one would expect, Boris aka Woody Allen comes from your typical Russian family where he is atypical in his stereotypical, bookish and misanthropic way. He was not made for 19th century Russia trading in valor and facial hair for his glasses and nihilistic philosophy. But he winds up going to war anyway watching his beloved second cousin (Diane Keaton) marry herself off to a run of the mill fishmonger.

Eventually, Boris is able to get his true love back and they are wed. It's a union full of philosophical debates as only Woody Allen could have. But the invasion of Napoleon puts all this on hold as Sonja resolves to go and assassinate the Little Corporal. Boris hesitantly agrees to accompany her. In an ending fit for a Woody Allen film  parodying Bergman, Sonja goes through a life altering conversation while the recently executed Boris skips off with The Grim Reaper. It's hard to beat Annie Hall but this still fairly early Allen piece has its quintessentially Woody Allen moments that are quirky and fun poke at Russian culture.

3.5/5 Stars

Kelly's Heroes (1970)

Kelly's Heroes suffers from the same deliberate pacing problem that the Dirty Dozen has. However, if you accept that and accept that this is not your typical war film, you will learn to enjoy it. With a name that hearkens back to Hogan's Heroes, Clint Eastwood plays Kelly, a man intent on going behind enemy lines to grab his weight in gold bars during WWII.

The lure of gold proves tempting enough to bring many men on board for this ludicrous mission. Among the gang you have Telly Savalas, the always whining Don Rickles,  Donald Sutherland, Gavin Macleod, and Stuart Margolin. Overall the cast was a fun mix of stars of the big and small screens. Do not assume that this is simply a comedy. It has its fair share of explosions and drama. In other words this film has Don Rickles (comedy) sure, but it has Clint Eastwood (action) to bring it back.

All in all Kelly's Hereos is a decently fun romp right up there with The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare.

3.5/5 Stars

Little Big Man (1970)

Although the film certainly had so good parts for some reason it did not quite jell with me. Focusing on the positive first, this was a revisionist western that tried to depict an alternative picture of the American west from the eyes of Native Americans. Although not perfect it was trying. Dustin Hoffman also gave an impressive performance that found him drifting between the worlds of "the White man" and "the Indians."

Here is where I get into the main problem that I had with the film. Most of it had to do with age and casting. It was brave and somewhat strange that Dustin Hoffman portrayed his character from his teen years up until he was over a century old. For the most part Hoffman pulled it off. I also was kind of uncomfortable with his sister Caroline who looked like she was 30 even though she was only supposed to be a child. Then, you have Faye Dunaway. That had to be the strangest thing in the film. Although younger in real life, she was Dustin Hoffman's adopted mother for a time and she played it up.

In some ways this film reminded me a bit of The Butler because we have a main character who grows old in front of us and he ultimately has a role in many diverse bits of history. Like that film, Little Big Man is quite interesting and at times entertaining, but the implausibility of the plot can get to you.

In defense of this film, I really did not know what I was getting myself into and so it surprised me with its mix of violent drama and asprinkling of comedy. I would have liked to have seen more of Faye Dunaway and Martin Balsalm, but it is what it is. Chief Dan George was the breakout character for sure. He was very enjoyable to listen to as he mentored Little Big Man.

3.5/5 Stars

Paper Moon (1972)

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring the father, daughter pair of Ryan O’Neil and Tatum O’Neil, this film is set filmed in stark black and white and set during the Depression. 

Addie Loggins is a little girl who has just lost her mother and her closest relation is the shifty Bible salesman Moses Pray. Reluctantly he agrees to take Addie along to some kin in St. Joseph’s Missouri where she can be cared for and he also pockets $200 which is rightfully hers. Sparks fly from the beginning between the perpetually grouchy Addie and the constantly annoyed Moze. However, with the tricks of Moze and the cuteness of Addie, this unlikely pair is able to sell numerous Bibles all over the state to hapless widows. 

However, all that is put on hold when they stop at a carnival and Moze becomes infatuated with a high maintenance, exotic dancer named Trixie (Madeleine Kahn). Trixie and her young maid tag along and Addie becomes annoyed with all the attention Trixie now receives. Addies devises a plan with Imogene and it results in a disgusted Moze heading back on the road with Addie. 

Their next job includes taking a store of whiskey from a bootlegger so they can sell it back. However, they run into trouble with the local sheriff, who just happens to be the bootleggers brother! They escape thanks to Addie, pawn the car, and get across to Missouri. There everything catches up with Moze and he gets beat up and all their money is stolen. Soon after, he and Addie finally part ways. But in the end this rag tag pair realizes they actually care for each other and they head out to pull more cons all across the country… so Moze can pay Addie her $200. 

The strained relationship between the two leads unfortunately reflected the real relationship of father and daughter. In the film however, they were great together adding both humor and drama to this bleak story. As always Bogdanovich loves his nostalgia and there is plenty of it here to be enjoyed.

4/5 Stars

A New Leaf (1971)

Elaine May garnered fame in the early 1960s as the female half in the comedy duo alongside Mike Nichols who later directed such classics as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate. This was May's film debut and she did everything; directing, writing and of course acting as Henrietta Lowell. Interestingly enough, the film we see is not necessarily the film she wanted but it is what it is I suppose.

Obviously Elaine May did a lot for this film, but the story starts with Walter Matthau who gives another memorable turn playing a variation on his prototypical grumpy grouch of a character. This time he's stuffy Henry Graham who lives beyond his means riding horses, driving a Ferrari and keeping servants. But he is very bad at what he does...which is nothing. His Ferrari suffers from carbon on the valves, his latest check has bounced and Mr. Graham is not a happy camper much to the chagrin of his long suffering lawyer Beckett (William Redfield). His only hope is to get his uncle to bail him out one last time, but it does not come without a price. $50,000 with interest unless Henry can find a wife lickety-split. The prospects seem grim and both men know it. On the urging of his faithful manservant Harold it becomes a mad race against the clock to find a lady with money to spare.

At a social gathering he finds the perfect object for his mock affection. Clumsy, bespectacled, messy and filthy rich botany professor Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May). The courtship is quick and as clumsy as ever because Henrietta is present. Henry only has one objective: get the girl and get the money with her. A little glass in the knee and wine on the rug means little. The wedding happens and what ensues is strangely comedic. Henry has outwitted his uncle and Henrietta's shady lawyer with his own intentions ahead of him. Soon he is running his wife's home, firing her servants, putting her life in order and generally being condescending. He even dabbles in toxicology over their honeymoon, because a nice simple murder would be nice.

But in a sentimental moment Henrietta names her new species after her hubby who actually is touched by the honor. On a camping and canoe trip in the Adirondacks Graham is as miffed as ever as he prepares to get rid of his wifey. Their canoe capsizes and it's the opportune moment since she cannot swim. In a moment of weakness he goes to her rescue and resigns himself to be a professor as she has always dreamed. He's a married man now. He'll need to leave the pesticides alone at least for awhile.

This is far from your typical comedy and yet Walter Matthau is quite enjoyable as he navigates the upper echelon with an air of snootiness and bother. In some strange sense I suppose it's even a love story because in some weird way Henry Graham needs Henrietta. She for one fell in love with him. But as Harold notes she has caused Henry to be far more competent than he has ever been in his life. By the end we're not really sure what to think. In some indirect way they are a match because they seem oh so wrong.

3.5/5 Stars

Alien (1979)

In the wake of other Sci-Fi smashes like Star Wars (1977) and Close Encounter of the Third Kind (1977), Alien was a radically different film which lacked the same sentiment of its precursors. One would wager a guess that this core variance stems from director Ridley Scott who certainly is no George Lucas are Spielberg. His films are generally darker, more world wearied and disillusioned. Blade Runner is the a perfect illustration of this, but three years earlier came Alien a Sci-Fi Horror film of immense critical acclaim and impact even to this day.

The film opens as a spacecraft called the Nostromo gets ready for a return trip to earth after a commercial excursion by its 7 member crew. However, a distress signal halts their plans and the Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) resolves to go investigate. On the surface of the abandoned planet are the remnants of what seems to be an ancient alien empire. One member of the crew Kane (John Hurt) comes upon a chamber full of what appear to be eggs and as is expected he is attacked. We knew it was building up to this point.

Back on the craft, Kane is still alive but now has a octopus like alien attached to his head. It's a acidic situation because it appears to be feeding him oxygen and it has no plans of coming off anytime soon. Next comes the calm before the much anticipated storm as the tension slowly increases exponentially.

What ensues is a cat and mouse game between the crew and this belligerent alien which has grown increasingly larger. Its evolutionary adaptations make it seemingly immune to extermination, but the crew tries desperately to destroy it with electric prods and flamethrowers. Soon it's difficult to know who the cat and who the mouse are, but it favors the alien.

It doesn't help that Jones the cat is on the loose and there is even a bit of mutiny aboard the craft. It feels a bit like a tense Agatha Christie novel with person after person slowly getting knocked off. But that sensation does not last long when we actually see what we are dealing with. This creature has no conscience. No humanity. It only cares about survival by killing its prey. To win you must do the same and beat it at the game.

Thus, although I initially thought it a weakness to only have one alien, it turns out that it makes this film all the more tense. Also, very little of the action actually takes place outside of the ship. They are stuck on board in the middle of outer space fighting for their lives. Not much can be more horrific than that and it is a very unnerving ride with surprisingly good pacing and many graphically shocking moments

The cast is a nice diverse group of actors including Skerritt, Hurt and Ian Holm, but Sigourney Weaver is undoubtedly the standout as 3rd in command Ellen Ripley. She is last one to keep her head and her story would set the framework for the entire Alien franchise. Not to mention the role propelling Weaver to stardom and introducing the model for future female protagonists.

Alien definitely has a lot to offer and I am excited to see the next installment Aliens. That added "s" has me intrigued to say the least.

4.5/5 Stars

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

The beauty of The Holy Grail is that it is absurd in every sense and it is keenly self-aware the entire time. The comic troupe Monty Python found fame from its British T.V. show Monty Python and the Flying Circus. Now Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin transferred their brand of humor to the big screen. What better canvas for their brand of humor than Medieval Europe? It's got Castles, Trojan Rabbits, French Soldiers, Swords, Knights who say Ni,  Head banging monks, a killer rabbit and so

They offer us the weirdest, oddest and down right hilarious revisionist parody of King Arthur's legend.  I use the term plot loosely because The Holy Grail follows no strict set of parameters or plot points. The quest for the Grail by Arthur and his right-hand man Patsy is purely an excuse for gag upon gag upon gag. Even while he recruits his Round Table, the fun is not in the completion of the quest but in the detours the plot takes for the sake of a laugh. And it goes all over the place. Tangents abound and the story jumps back and forth, oftentimes for no good reason. The film has the oddest of openings (think llamas) and it ends just us weirdly as it began with the arrival of the police. Don't question it. Just enjoy.

When is the optimal time to watch The Holy Grail you ask? The real answer is anytime, but it reaches its maximum potential when you watch with others late at night in a giddy delirium. Let the comic absurdity of it all carry you off into the Monty Python world. The first time watching it you might be a little befuddled but the beauty is that it gets better nearly every time. Anachronisms become your friend, quotability skyrockets and their is a kind of joy that surfaces from each vignette of comedic madness.

It works so well because the ensemble is so wacky and fun with no one individual outshining the others completely. They are never relegated to a certain role but instead are given free reign to show off their skills in many zany incarnations. Thus, the actor playing a certain character becomes less important and  the comedy that is found in that role takes precedence.

I never have been too keen about living in the Middle Ages, and after watching The Holy Grail I... definitely would not want to live in the Middle Ages. It's certainly good for a few laughs though. Ni! Ni! Ni!

4.5/5 Stars

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

In this precursor to other gritty Boston crime films like The Departed, Eddie "Fingers" Royle (Robert Mitchum) is a middle aged truck driver who does some gun running on the side for the mob. On one occasion he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and it means two more years of jail time. He's seen the clink before.

Three men have been pulling off bank jobs in clear daylight using hostages and new guns each time. Eddie is the guy who has been delivering the guns and he deals with a young thug (Steven Keats) who acquires the stolen merchandise.

Eddie also gets acquainted with F.B.I. agent Dave Folley (Richard Jordan) who tells Eddie his only way to dodge prison is to become an informer. Unbeknownst to Eddie, Folley has another informant working for him, in fact its the man who set Eddie up. Now Eddie is thinking of himself and so he sets up the gunrunner Jackie, because he has everything he needs. Folley closes in and nabs the guy. Eddie wants to be done with it but Folley wants more. Eddie's buddies who have been pulling the heists are his next victims, but Folley's other man gives him the information faster and Royle is left with nothing to bargain with. To top it off he is suspected to be the stool pigeon, and a hit is secretly planned on him. The middle-aged, hopeless, beat down, world weary, nobody is knocked off and no one loses any sleep over it.  The manipulative stooge reaps the benefit and agent Folley has what he wants. Royle was the one who got the short end of the stick. Some friends he had.

Peter Yates proves again after Bullitt that he can deliver on gritty crime films. He left San Francisco and car chases behind for Boston, Mass. and bank jobs. Murder seems prevalent everywhere and with the killing comes a wide array of tough guy types. The violence is not over the top and neither is the drama, but it is cool, collected and unsentimental.

I cannot help but compare Mitchum's performance to earlier crime films of his like Out of the Past. He has some of the same grittiness and toughness but he is decidedly more weary in this film. He has similar moral ambiguity but his death is far more pitiful. There is no redemption here and he is a lowlife loser to the end. Despite his rough edges and shady activity, it is difficult not to feel just a little sorry for the man. The films title only helps to point out the irony of his situation. We thought he was the rat but it turned out it was someone else. He needed to find new friends, but then again it takes one to know one. They were a product of their environment and that environment was not the friendliest place to be.

4/5 Stars

"Look, I'm getin' old, you hear? I spent most of my life hanging around crummy joints with a buncha punks drinkin' the beer, eatin' the hash and the hot dogs and watchin' the other people go off to Florida while I'm sweatin' out how I'm gonna pay the plumber. I done time and I stood up but I can't take no more chances. Next time, it's gonna be me goin' to Florida." ~ Eddie Coyle

Star Wars (1977) - Updated

Star Wars has such a giant mythology and full blown culture surrounding it that it makes it impossible to separate the entire galaxy from the film franchise. It is so much more than just a movie with a plot and some characters going on an adventure. Sure, George Lucas let his boyhood imagination run wild taking pages out of numerous playbooks from John Ford's westerns, Kurosawa's samurai and the serialized sci-fi adventures of Buck Rogers.

However, when I look at this classic that I grew up with for so many years now, it is nearly impossible to shed the role of a pure fan and take on the role of a film critic. One prime example would be Sir Alec Guinness. All my knowledge of film history tells me he is one of the greatest English actors of all time and for good reason. However, there is also this innate conflict that says he's Obi Wan Kenobi since that's what I knew him for originally. That's what I identify him with and I probably always will. Because as I said before Star Wars: A New Hope (As it was later titled) means so much to so many people like me on a personal level.

But let me hold off on that for a moment and focus on Star Wars the film. First, and foremost you would be hard pressed to find a more colorful array of characters. C3PO and R2D2 are the films jesters and the story is told from point of view to begin with. You have the hapless farm boy, the wise old man, a spunky princess a dashing tough guy and his ever faithful fuzzy sidekick. Not to mention the greatest, most imposing villain every developed for the silver screen. And it took some developing with three different actors, a mask, a cape and SCUBA sounds all joined to create his persona.

That aside the world Lucas created is so astounding and inventive that it has become second nature to true Star War fans. Jawas on Tatooine, the Cantina in Mos Eisely and Storm Troopers on the Death Star are simply a no brainer. They are part of our lexicon just as many of these quotes easily role off our tongue. "May the force be with you," "I've got a bad feeling about this," "Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, your my only hope." You get the idea.

Then, it goes without saying that John Williams propelled this film from being good to great. Because without his iconic scoring Star Wars is just not the same. It lacks the same energy and epic vibrancy that pulses through every scene. One prime example is the final scene in the Throne Room on Yavin 4. That could have been the longest most awkward award ceremony in history.  When you think about it no one is talking, they just stair at each other as the medals get bestowed. But with Williams score it develops a grand crescendo that caps the film on the highest notes as the credits role.

I am also convinced that Ben Burtt is a genius, because he breathed still more life into the Star Wars world through his sound design. He gave us blaster noises, RD-D2's "voice," Chewie's distinctive growls and of course the hum of lightsabers and Darth Vader's iconic breathing. A personal favorite of mine is the ever present Wilhelm Scream, but I digress.

Thus, what we witnessed the first time we saw Star Wars (followed by countless more times) was not just a film, but a revolution and I'm not just talking about the rebel alliance blowing up the Death Star.

As I suggested before Star Wars is so affecting because it is not simply a movie we watch. In many respects it brings up flash bulb memories in our lives. I remember birthday parties, childhood afternoons playing Legos or being a Jedi with my very own lightsaber. Star Wars infected my entire adolescence and so when I watch this film it causes all the many great memories to flood back.

It is a joy to watch it again because I almost feel like a kid once more, experiencing the same excitement all over again as if it's the first time around. My taste in films may continue to mature and evolve, but I dearly hope I never lose my affinity for Star Wars. In many it would be like losing some of my memories and even a little bit of my humanity.

Not to worry though, because based on this most recent viewing I will not be dismissing Star Wars any time soon. As some wise man once  said, "absence makes the heart grow fonder." I forgot how much I missed "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away." It was great seeing an old friend.

5/5 Stars

The Conversation (1974)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, this film begins with a commonplace conversation between a young man and woman in the relatively busy Union Square in San Francisco. As they make their way around their words seem of little importance and yet unbeknownst to them they are being followed and recorded. 

The mastermind behind it all is the surveillance expert Harry Caul who uses his know how and a small team to track their words from a van.  As a professional and a highly respected member of his field, Caul is guarded and he tries not to concern himself with the reasons behind his surveillance. However, as he works his magic in his private lab space, Caul finally does become affected when he picks up on bits and pieces of the conversation. It deeply troubles him and he continually plays the tapes back. 

Because of his concern Caul holds out on giving the tapes to the assistant of the Director, the man who commissioned the job. The aide pressures him more and more and then finally Caul finds the tapes are stolen. Fearing that the couple are in grave danger, Caul takes the room right next to theirs, but unfortunately despite his best efforts his fears seem to be confirmed. After searching the empty room Caul goes to confront the Director only to find that things are not as they seem and Caul is the only one who realizes it. The disillusioned man is then threatened over the phone and informed that now the shoe is on the other foot and he is under constant surveillance. Little did he know the implications of the conversation… 

Gene Hackman may have played more memorable characters like Popeye Doyle, Lex Luthor, or even Norman Dale in the Hoosiers, however I am not sure if he played a more complex character than Harry Caul. He is a detached man who has no telephone, tells white lies about his birthday, has multiple locks on his door, keeps his equipment caged and he has no significant relationships. The other side of him loves the saxophone and is a devout Catholic. He is no hero and not what we would normally call a villain. He is Harry Caul a lonely, confused human who has tendencies for good, but still constantly struggles to reconcile that with his career. Above all, The Conversation is a thought provoking psychological thriller which gives the audience lots to think about.

4.5/5 Stars

American Graffitti (1973) - Updated

The year was 1962. Cars were cool, the music was hopping and teens were young and in love. It's a simpler world, but it is not a world without your typical worries, especially since high school is over and college is just around the corner for some.

Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) is destined for college with a big scholarship under his belt, but he is still not convinced it's the right fit for him.

Steve (Ron Howard) is also college bound, but he finds himself spending his last night patching things up with his girlfriend, Curt's sister Laurie (Cindy Williams).

Their friend Toad (Charles Martin Smith) has the night of his life with Debbie (Candy Clark), leaving his puny Vespa behind after Steve's loans his ride to the lovable geek.

Cool king of the strip John Milner (Paul Le Mat) gains an annoying co-passenger and winds up having an unorthodox but memorable night all the same.

It would be a pleasure to dive further and further into each arc, but it seems wholly unnecessary. The joy of American Graffiti is the ride it takes you on. The differing perspectives, varying experiences and ultimately a full realization of a certain time and place. True, I was never around in 1962, but it feels like I was. Some of Buddy Holly's thunder has been stolen by the Beach Boys. JD (James Dean) is boss and Ozzie and Harriet can be seen on the picture tube. It goes without saying that the hottest pastimes are cruising and necking.

Understandably, George Lucas pulled from his own past love of cars and music to transport us back in time. That would have been impossible without the music that acts as the ultimate jukebox and it is pervasive wherever the night takes us. With that nostalgia comes Wolfman Jack who highlights the lightness of the age while also making a more somber cameo which contrasts with the image that he created on the radio waves.

This is a story about young adolescents and it certainly is a comedy as life is often a comedy. There are memorable moments, fights and times where we just need to puke. Through it all we learn a little about ourselves and those around us. Dreams can be made and re-imagined as they were for Steve and Curt. However, when it all comes down to it, each one of us has our own path we must carve an existence out of. For each individual it looked a little different. However, one of the reasons I always come back to American Graffiti is the timelessness or rather the way it so wonderfully freezes time. I feel like I'm there in the moment with these characters. I laugh, cheer and empathize with them. Perhaps the time and place of their world differs from mine, but their worries and aspirations are universal.

No one wants to fade into the past and we all are looking for our girl in the white T-Bird. Only time will tell what actually happens. We just have to live life and see what kind of ride we get taken for.

5/5 Stars

Serpico (1973)

"Come on Frank. Let's face it. Who can trust a cop who don't take money?"

This is the state of affairs in the police department that green police academy grad Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) finds himself thrown into. At first he is unaware of it all as he moves up the ranks as a young uniformed cop. In fact he looks exactly like a post-war Michael Corleone at this point. His new role seems like a honorable life of camaraderie, duty and public service. The corrupt is obvious and distinct from the good. Soon his brash, forthright style creates waves but it soon becomes apparent that he is not one to care about hurting egos.

He moves on with his career working in plainclothes and getting a new apartment followed by a new dog. His appearance begins to change as well as he starts wearing a thick bushy beard and wearing hippy garb. It suits him fine in his work and outside he meets a pretty girl named Leslie Lane, but it's not meant to be.

Serpico corroborates with colleague Bob Blair (Tony Roberts) trying to figure out how to bring attention to the bribes he has been offered. But honest help is hard to find especially from someone who makes it stick. The higher ups care more about the reputation of the department over corruption, making progress difficult to come by. He continually bounces around from division to division and nobody seems to want him or trust him for that matter. There only a few honest Joes around and they are few and far between. Serpico gets transferred this time to the "upright" 7th division and begins seeing his next door neighbor named Laurie. Too soon he learns that one of his acquaintances is instrumental in the extortion that takes place apartment wide. By now Frank is feared, hated and despised because he will not take money under any circumstances. It takes its toll to be all alone in the force and he lashes out at Laurie who leaves him for good. Now he is truly alone.

He becomes increasingly combative and paranoid as he gets ready to testify before the grand jury. Another case of bribes comes out and when Serpico and his upright partner try and report it nothing is done. As a last resort Frank goes to The New York Times and they blow the cover right off. He soon receives an ominous death threat and gets shot when trying to bust someone.

He lays in the hospital recuperating asking for his guards to be relieved and watching the hate mail pile up. His badge is returned to him but he rejects it in disgust soon resigning from the police and waiting for a slow boat to Switzerland. That's as far from New York as he could get.

It seems like there are so very many close-ups of Frank Serpico and thus over the course of the film we get the opportunity to truly study his face, or rather the face of Pacino as he embodies this character. His cold, aloof eyes, his facial hair that goes under several transformation, but that is only the outward appearance. It is his inner-transformation that is most important because that is where his conscious lies, to guide him each and everyday on the beat.

My New York geography leaves something to be desired but that's not the problem of native New Yorker Sidney Lumet. This is a story that takes place in New York, made for New York and fit perfectly with its director. It seems like he knew the streets of the New York like the back of his hand, really creating an authentic atmosphere for this police biopic. It has a feel of The French Connection and yet it is a far more personal look at the life of Serpico himself.


This is also extraordinary because the story of Serpico was so fresh still only a year or two old at most. Furthermore, the film has the same disillusioning and depressing tone of other dramas that came out of the 1970s. Back in the 1950s films like 12 Angry Men (Lumet's debut) still had an air of idealism. That had mostly dissipated in the New Hollywood period, because the good guys aren't black and white. Serpico is not the greatest guy around but the one thing he has going for him is he is not crooked and that's saying a lot in the corrupt world of policemen. This is his story told with all the blemishes, personal troubles and drama that went with it. The greatest service to him is that his story got told and hopefully truthfully enough.

4.5/5 Stars

The Parallax View (1974)

"Fella you don't know what this story means"

The first shot and we know where we are. We've been here before. It's Seattle. The occasion is a Fourth of July parade honoring Senator Charles Carol. Any viewer paying attention knows something fishy is a foot and in perhaps the most intense moment of the whole film the man is violently assassinated. A committee deliberates and comes to the conclusion that the perpetrator was acting alone. And so begins the Parallax View.

Second rate journalist Joseph Frady is known for getting into trouble or causing it most of the time. So when he is interesting in rehashing the old story his long suffering supervisor is skeptical (Hume Cronym). It all starts because news reporter Lee Carter comes to Frady fearful for her life. It turns out that 6 of the people who were there during the assassination have all died one by one. It's all very circumstantial and seemingly harmless enough. Soon Carter herself is dead due to barbiturates and alcohol. Frady heads first to the town of Salmon Tale (in search of the elusive Austin Tucker) where he runs into trouble with the local authorities and stumbles upon the Parallax Corporation. He gets his rendezvous with Tucker who is also fearful for his life. Minutes later Kabooom.

He continues winding up with more questions than answers as new bits and pieces crop up. It turns out Parallax is in the very lucrative business of recruiting assassins, so he goes off the grid to join them. His training includes a montage of images to condition him and the audience is submitted to the process as well. Frady diverts a bomb threat thanks to a stack of napkins but still another one bites the dust. He is finally finds his way to a convention hall where a big to do is in the works for a senator. In a perfect bookend another man is shot and after deliberating the committee concludes Joseph Frady acted alone. The biggest conspiracy in the country gets away with murder again and slinks back in the shadows.

Gordon Willises cinematography exhibits beautiful wide and long shots framing his subjects in their environments. Beatty is fit to play the somewhat rogue reporter but very few of the other characters are memorable. Perhaps that's precisely the point. The film has extremely deliberate pacing (ie. Two men ride up an elevator one after another in no immediate hurry). However, the paranoia elevates as the film progresses because we have little idea what is going on, we just know that something is going on. I am partial to The Manchurian Candidate but here is a film that represents the 1970s, a decade still fraught with political unrest and a myriad of recent assassination attempts.

3.5/5 Stars

Annie Hall (1977) - Updated

"I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member. That's the key joke of my adult life, in terms of my relationships with women."

So begins Annie Hall a film that Woody Allen also known as Alvy Singer begins with an opening monologue borrowing a quip from Grouch Marx. It acts as a lead in to his life story, romantic and otherwise.

He had a childhood characterized as being morose, depressed and so on, because as he noted early on "the universe is expanding." He grew up living under a roller coaster and having fun with the local bumper cars. He grew up to be a comic with the same despondent outlook on life. In one memorable long shot of a sidewalk we listen to Alvy talking to his friend about people making jokes about him being a Jew and his assertions seem uncalled for.

When Alvy was dating Annie, they went to Ingmar Bergman films and The Sorrow and the Pity was a personal favorite of Alvy. A favorite film with a perfect title and subject for the pessimistic fellow. However what really vexes him are puffed up know it alls who pontificate on and on like they are God's gift to the universe. It seems necessary at this point to break the fourth wall.

As Alvy recalls his early childhood and first relationship which began at an Adlai Stevenson rally, it is rather funny that he remains unchanged the whole time. Physically Woody Allen is playing Alvy as a young man and an old man without any change.

Then there is the fiasco with the lobsters and the memories of his first meeting with Annie over tennis. That was when he met the girl who came out of the Norman Rockwell painting. Seemingly the antithesis of Alvy himself.

Their relationship is examined with all its quirks from a trivial conversation about art with underlying subtitles that reflect their real thoughts to Annie's stint as a nightclub singer. They have a comical time people watching and Alvy recalls his second wife and the one who was a Rolling Stone reporter. His relationship with Annie also has its share of arguments, over spiders at 3 in the morning and adult education. Through it all Alvy still views Annie as a cartoon version as the Wicked Queen from Snow White, who he secretly loves.

It is during a famous split screen sequence (actually a split room) where the stark differences not only between the pair but the genders are pointed out. Things are changing. They take a trip out to sunny California and Alvy cannot help but hate it compared to pleasantly grey New York. They have laugh tracks, wheat germ killers and trash which is subsequently made into T.V. shows. Annie loves it all.

The inevitable comes and Annie breaks up only to have Alvy soon revisit California to propose marriage. Needless to say it does not happen. He returns to New York and makes his first play about their last conversation verbatim, with one small revision. Alvy sees Annie one last time when she returns to New York and they share some laughs while highlights role across the screen.

Allen's stand in Alvy sums it all up with one final joke about a guy who has a brother who thinks he a chicken, but he fails to do anything about it because he needs the eggs. That's how he feels about relationships. "They're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd" but you keep on because you need the eggs. Another philosophical gem from Alvy Singer.

The irony of Annie Hall is that many a person has gone on to pontificate on and on about it, but if we actually pulled an Alvy Singer and dragged Woody Allen from out behind a movie poster I'm sure he could set us straight. Annie Hall is chock full of humor, a far from typical type of romance and people trying to find their way in life. Take away discussion about psychoanalysis, modernism, antisemitism, and what you are left with are people just talking. Some of what they say is about such philosophical topics, but sometimes it's not. Its about memories, simple observations of life and the little things that happen along the way. There are clashing worldviews that come up against each other like New York and California (brought to us by the cinematography of Gordon Willis). There are different sorts of people like Alvy Singer and Annie Hall. Yet we still go through relationships "because we need the eggs" so to speak. We are searching for that type of intimacy and closeness and very often we keep looking and looking. It is painful, seemingly necessary and all the same it can feel pointless. It's part of being human I suppose.

Annie Hall works for me because of the quirks that give a fresh face to the typical romantic comedy and it will be the measuring stick for other such films that are being released for years to come. I am not usually a major fan of Woody Allen films, but this one is his undisputed masterpiece. It exemplifies his general philosophy and approach to comedy. Not to mention his typical players in Diane Keaton and Tony Roberts.


4.5/5 Stars