My local AMC theater was showing a 50th anniversary screening of The Godfather; I had never need it, believe it or not - only parts of it.
First of all -- I wish there were an intermission! Movies that are 3 hours should always have an intermission! It used to be a standard thing in the 1950s and 1960s; what happened in the 70s? Sigh.
But, the movie was good, and emphasizes "family loyalty" in organized crime family. Al Pacino never wanted to be in the family business, but he is drawn in to protect his father at the hospital. His first murder at the restaurant is very suspenseful and dark. It 'feels like this character is being born' says Deep Focus Lens in the video review (see below).
I need to see Part II and Part III to fully experience the full Saga. I remember when Part III came out but just wasn't interested in it or Part II enough. What bothers me in the film is the racism of the characters; several uses of racial slurs are used and makes these characters very unsympathetic to me.
But Al Pacino's character is really the focus of the saga. See Siskel and Ebert's review below in honor of the 25th Anniversary. Siskel says the sequence where Al Pacino hides out in Sicily is something that was never seen in a mob film before. I liked this sequence and I think it is my favorite in the film.
Vlog review of The Godfather by Deep Focus Lens which covers earlier gangster films and how they compare with this film, as well as how it inspires later Italian gangster films like The Sopranos later on.
The trailer for the 50th anniversary show is really cool.
I like how Roger Ebert described the film in his 4-star review: "Like almost all my favorite films, The Great Santini is about people more than it's about a story. It's a study of several characters, most unforgettably the Great Santini himself, played by Robert Duvall."
At the start of the movie we learn that Duvall's character - a marine fighter pilot - is not only a strict disciplinarian, but he's also a jokester who loves to pull all kinds of practical jokes on his comrades, such as pretending a can of soup is vomit. His nickname is "Great Santini" but it's never really explained. In this classic scene, he thinks his buddy is in the stall next to him, and his prank goes wrong ---
He also has a bit of a drinking problem. But as his superior officer tells him, he's a great leader, and gives him a new assignment training pilots in South Carolina where he moves with his wife and 4 children (the film is set in the 1960s) Here's another scene with Duvall with his new squadron:
I also love the part where he meets his new maid, played by Theresa Merrit of the 70s TV show That's My Mama!. She steals the scene when she declares she can take a punch just like a man and challenges Duvall to a fight. It's hilarious. There are some other funny bits in the film, such as when his daughter gives him a taste of his own medicine when she jokes that she's been impregnated by a pacifist.
But the movie is not solely a comedy, though there are quite a few light moments. There are also some serious and touching moments, especially near the end.
The main focus of the story is on Duvall and his oldest son played by Michael O'Keefe. This is the only other movie I've seen with O'Keefe besides Caddyshack; I was really impressed with him in this role and all the scenes he has with Duvall - the arguments, fights, and even moments of bonding, especially when Duvall takes him out for a drink on his 18th birthday and he has a funny "drunk" scene. I also love the scene where Duvall wakes the son up at 4 in the morning to give him his birthday gift - his old WWII bomber jacket.
But throughout the film there is tension between the two. Duvall puts pressure on him to be the best, whether its being the best future pilot or being the best athlete on the team.
There's a subplot in the film is about O'Keefe's black friend (Stan Shaw) who stutters and is teased by some of the local white racists. At first I wondered if this subplot was necessary. but as I thought about it more I realized that it is meant to show real hate and its consequences. At the end of the film we realize that Duvall and O'Keefe never really hated each other, even if it feels like hate.
"Brilliant film about an obsessive surveillance expert (Gene Hackman) who makes a mistake of becoming too involved in a case and finds himself entangled in murder and high-level power plays." (From Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide).
I love this movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It takes place in San Francisco, and a key surveillance sequence takes place in Union Square.
On my trip to there last month I got the chance to see this park, which was really neat. It's changed a bit in 40 years, but it still draws a large crowd just as it did back then.
This film is really thrilling, and has great performances by Gene Hackman and John Cazale, and a very earlyl movie role for Harrison Ford, who follows Hackman through a convention hall. It holds up pretty well after nearly 40 years even though some of the technology is a bit dated.
With Robert Duvall, Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest, and Cindy Williams.
What It's About:
In the 1870s, 14-year old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) travels to the town where her father was killed - Fort Smith, Arkansas - and hires a whiskey-drinking US Marshall (John Wayne) to bring the killer (Jeff Corey) to justice. The two are joined by a Texas ranger LaBeef (Glenn Campbell) and they all travel through the wilderness on horseback to find the drifter.
Mattie (Kim Darby) and her father (played by John Pickard)
My take:
I really like this movie, and liked the Cogburn-Mattie "odd couple" relationship. By the end of the film, Cogburn becomes Mattie's surrogate father figure. Kim Darby is very spunky and determined; some critics think she is too old for the part but I thought she was good. Campbell is just ok; I suspect he was cast so no actor could outshine Wayne. Plus it seems like in the 1960s every other pop star was given a part in a major motion picture, from Eddie Fisher to Tony Bennett. The LaBeef character and Cogburn have some funny banter in this film, and it's funny when Wayne calls him a "jaybird". ha ha.
Dinner scene at the boarding house. Mattie eats dumplings.
My favorite part in the movie is the scene in Chen's store, when Mattie comes and eats dinner with a drunken Wayne and Chen, who later play a game of cards. We also get to meet his cat, General Sterling Price.
Mattie (after Cogburn invites her to dinner): I'd like to meet your family! Cogburn (in Chen's store): This is my father, Chen Lee, and (pointing to the cat) my nephew General Sterling Price!
Cogburn, to his cat: Well, General, look what we've got! (referring to the wad of cash that Mattie just gave him)
There's a funny scene when Cogburn shoots a rat dead after he humorously shouts at him. Mattie throws the rat outside and says to the cat, "That was your job!". The cat then runs after the dead mouse to eat it. Ha ha. Wayne and Mattie continue talking about "rat hunting".
I love John Wayne in this movie, drunk scenes and all. The scene that probably clinched the Oscar for him (besides his drunk speeches) is the one where he talks to Mattie at night and tells her about his ex wife and son, and about how he lost his eye. Also great in this is Robert Duvall as Ned Pepper.
There is some great scenery, and an enjoyable score by the great Elmer Bernstein. Co-starring Jeff Corey and Dennis Hopper. Directed by Henry Hathaway.
My rating: A
The film ends with Cogburn and Mattie (with her arm bandaged) visiting her father's grave. Mattie then expresses to Rooster how she would like for him to be buried near her father and family one day. It's a very touching sequence, and a nice ending to a very entertaining film.
Note #1: There are some "spoilers" in this double-review.
Note #2: This is the last in a two part series on alcoholism (yesterday's review was Mad Wednesday)
So, just a few weekends ago, Jeff Bridges won his first Oscar for "Crazy Heart" which has been generating alot of buzz for months. Reviewers continue to draw comparisons to the 1983 classic "Tender Mercies" starring Robert Duvall as "Max Sledge": both movies tell the story of famous (although fictional) country stars who want to leave music behind, but just can't quit. And both have their share of demons, including the bottle.
My main interested in seeing "Crazy" was to find out if it is just an imitation, which they say is the sincerest form of flattery. So last weekend, I went to a local neighborhood theater to check it out. It was a matinee, so the price of admission was thankfully only five dollars. I was expecting alot of "aw, come on" similarities between this and the older, Bruce Beresford-directed film. And sure enough, it did have them. Here is my checklist:
Washed up and broke country singer (check)
Still has legion of fans (check)
Sought after by reporter (check)
Meets single mother and falls for her and the kid (check)
Attempts to reconnect with his long lost kin (check)
Tries to sell some of his songs while trying to keep up with the latest in country music (check)
Puts down the bottle (check)
Also, I was surprised to find out that it also features Duvall himself in a supporting role as the fishing buddy of protagonist Bad Blake, played by Bridges. Bad Blake travels through the southwest alone in his truck looking for bar gigs in between drinks. One night while he's onstage, in the middle of a song, he excuses himself to go out in the alley to puke in a garbage can, only to return to the stage with a stained shirt and slurred voice. His behavior is that pathetic, and it only gets worse later on. I'd say for much of the film, it's very much a story about a trash talking alcoholic singer who is pretty much winging it through life; it's not until the very end of the film - and his closest relationships end - that he starts to sober up and look ahead to a more promising future.
As co-producer, Duvall obviously found alot to like in this film. As I was watching it, I was looking for that, and even imagined this film as a "sequel" of sorts to "Mercies", and seeing his supporting character as an older version of Mac Sledge. It's hard not to think that; in one scene he encourages Bad Blake: I know, I've been there before.
"Crazy Heart" was based on a 1987 novel, and directed by first-time director Scott Cooper, a supporting actor who's had mostly bit parts over the years. But he does get a very good performance out of Bridges, whose character is hard to like.
The best part of the movie is the music. I love country music and loved all these songs, and I was convinced that these were real hits by this former star. There is a young rival, played by Colin Farrell, who is obviously modeled after pop-country star Keith Urban. Even though Bad Blake is of the Kris Kristofferson generation (Bridges even resembles him a bit) he finds time to sing on stage with the younger act; in one exciting scene they both play to a sold-out crowd in a huge ampitheater. You feel like you're at the concert.
"Crazy Heart" has even been compared with "The Wrestler"; there are some scenes where Bad Blake has a few close calls, and I became convinced that he only has a few years to go. It ends with him happy with his career and new life, even though he's still alone.
"Tender Mercies", written by the late Horton Foote (who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) is a film that tells a different story. Max doesn't struggle with drinking throughout the duration of the film like Bad Blake. In the very first scenes, he has already begun to settle down with his new family and has quit drinking. Max finds comfort in his renewed faith, his new family, and his music; he's sought after again by record companies and bands, and he has to deal with it all, especially the musical success of his ex-wife (Betty Buckley), also a singer. All of the main characters are very self reflective throughout, which I think makes this film the classic that it is. Life - and making peace with oneself - is one main theme; death - and it's meaning - is another. Another good performance in this is by the underrated actor Wilford Brimley, who was in lots of 1980s hits, including Cocoon (I think he should have won the Oscar, not Don Ameche). And the young actor who plays Max's stepson Sonny is so good; I was surprised to learn that this was his only film. Sonny never met his real dad, who may or may not have been killed. But he learns to love Max like a father; the ending scene stays with you for a long time and is an inspiring, tender if you will, moment on film. I didn't want this movie to end. With "Crazy Heart", I was glad it was over, I must say. My friend and I left the theater saying to each other "haven't we seen this film before"?
In closing, I highly recommend the 1983 movie, and highly recommend the CD of "Crazy Heart" if you like country music.
BONUS:
Here are the best songs from "Crazy Heart" (they should have been nominated for Oscars):
I first watched this in 2005, curious to see Frank Sinatra play a detective in one of the very first R-rated movies (in the United States, "R" means - "Restricted to persons 18 years of age and over).
Frank plays a detective in this crime drama, but the tone of the movie feels like it's made for television. The French Connection had not yet come out.
Frank investigates a case where a homosexual is killed. He first inspects a room with a corpse...and takes notes of what he finds: "Male Caucasian. Lying nude on floor....Penis cut off...side of skull smashed in...cuts on face and chest...fingers shredded...semen stains on the sheets". It's unusual to hear Frank Sinatra recite those lines.
In small roles are Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman and Al Freeman Jr. ("Malcolm X").
There's some softer moments with his love interest, played by Lee Remick, but I wasn't convinced they were really interested in each other.
Duvall plays a tough cop who goes to a gay hangout to find a suspect, and then beats one of the suspects. Sinatra then calls him a miserable son-of-a-b-----.
There are strange moments like that throughout this film, which is otherwise unmemorable, and doesn't portray the gay community very positively. I was reminded of 1992 when there was alot of protest over similar crime films with gay suspects such as Basic Instinct and Silence of the Lambs.
This is probably a film that may be best enjoyed by fans of Frank Sinatra.
