Missing (1982)

Missing (1982)
Director: Costa-Gravas
Cast: Sissy Spacek, Jack Lemmon, John Shea, Melanie Mayron, David Clennon, Joe Regalbuto
Memorable Line(s): "If you weren't personally involved in this unfortunate incident, you'd be sitting at home - complacent and more or less oblivious to all of this. This mission is here to protect American interests."

*Underrated and Overlooked*
Missing is a largely forgotten movie, but it really shouldn't be because it is a powerful movie which tells a story that was went quietly ignored by the world as the events of the plot unfolded in reality. It's not a feel good movie, but one that is moving and should be a must see for thinking movie goers.

The Plot of Missing
Charlie Horman (Shea) and his wife, Beth (Spacek) are young and idealistic searching for some truth in Chile during a turbulent time in the countries history. While they think they were making a difference, they are really dilettantes playing in dangerous water way above their heads. Charlie fancies himself a writer and stumbles upon information that he shouldn't know and comes up missing.

The story really gets going when Charlie's father (Lemmon) comes on the scene to find his son and carrying his own blinding sense of idealism. He immediately sees his daughter-in-law as a left-wing reactionary who's meddling caused his sons disappearance. But the more he looks, the more he learns that their our forces at work behind the scenes that must be investigated if he is to find what happened to his son.

We not only get to see the story of the search for a son, but also the unveiling of a country being dismantled and a people disenfranchised from their own rights by a powerful military coup while both father and wife search without much hope.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Missing
Both story telling and performances compliment each other perfectly in this movie. Costa-Gravas balances a tenuous beam between giving us a political perspective on oppression and how the U.S. aids and abets these acts in their interest along providing us an emotionally compelling story of the conflict between generations and how they can learn to respect each other against the backdrop of an epic tragedy.

All the performances are spot on including all the supporting characters. Spacek shines in her role, but the real stand-out is Lemmon. He shows the right combination of pride and ignorance when he first appears, but also portrays an man evolving as his eyes are opened. He also is spot on showing us a man's anguish at the disappearance of his only child.

This is a first rate script. We get to know the characters intimately and know their frustrations and struggles. Costa-Gravas' script also uncovers the unwinding of a political mystery without becoming too pedantic or didactic.

The other added element that enhances the story telling is Vangelis' haunting score.

Summary Judgment on Missing
Missing tells a layered story with many angles. One layer is intricately political and is completely compelling on it's own, but the director knows that true hook is the emotional bonds are between father and son and husband and wife. Costa-Gravas walks the tight-wire of telling us both the individual tale of this family along with unveiling a truth that we all should have paid a lot more attention to, but ignored.

Continental Divide

Continental Divide (1981)

Director: Michael Apted
Cast: John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield, Val Avery
Memorable Line: "I want to stay here only marginally more than I want to die trying to escape."

This is a variation on theme of the fish out of water story. This time it's the big city reporter way out of his element in the great outdoors

The Plot of Continental Divide

Ernie Souchak (Belushi) is the typical hard-nosed big city reporter who specializes in getting all the dirt on corrupt city fathers. When he steps on the wrong toes, he finds his life in danger and, at the urging of his boss, he takes a sabbatical trip into the Rockies to interview a reclusive researcher (Brown) who specializes in eagle research.

They are obviously badly mis-matched and initially don't get along at all as she wants nothing to do with him and he wants nothing to do with the nature scene. The sparks fly as their philosophies and styles clash, but Souchak starts finding this independent and attractive woman of nature quite alluring. She, of course, rebukes him -- initially, but something about him starts to win her over.

Souchak, being the hopeless news hound that he is, has to find a story and does he decides to write about the researcher and her work with the endanger eagles. After two bad bouts with nature, Souchak ends up staying past his planned departure date, but it's not nature that fells the mighty Souchak, but love.

Upon his return to the city, he sleep walks through his job, but when something happens to one of his source, he's back on the trail of corruption and distances himself from his lady love. That is, until she turns up on his turf and then their world collide all over again, leaving the two in limbo, caught in two different worlds.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Continental Divide

This movie has a throw-back quality to it and you have to buy into the fact that this is pure Hollywood. Penned by Lawrence Kasden, the script has its cliches, but it stays consist to it's nature and finds a core that audiences can accept if they don't want reality. They keep most of the schmaltz to a minimum.

Belushi is a bit stiff at times as the leading man, but he has an endearing style that wins you over. I'm a sucker Blair Brown at this stage in her career, but besides that obvious bias, she is convincing in her role.

The music score is over the top at times and doesn't help keep the movie grounded. Some of the moments reek of sentimentality and the balance is tenuous, but there's an irresistible appeal to the movie that engages the viewer.

Summary Judgment on Continental Divide

Not too subtle, the movie has an overall appeal that masks the thin story and schmaltzy scenes, but the ending pushes the limits somewhat. It's shame that Belushi did allow himself to live long enough to cultivate this leading man gig he really only got to audition for in this film.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Near Dark

Near Dark (1987)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Lance Henrikson, Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, Jenny Wright, Jennette Goldstein, Tim Thomerson
Memorable Line(s): "Listen to the night, it's deafening."

A rural boys meets the wrong girl and is suddenly caught up in the wrong crowd - a crowd of vampires. This film became a cult classic and shows some style, albeit, a coarse and brutal one.

The Plot of Near Dark
Caleb (Pasdar) sees himself as rowdy and dangerous, but then he meets Mae (Wright) and she takes him down the path to the dark side. She introduces Caleb to her vampire clan which consists of their leader, Jesse (Henrickson), his girl, Diamondback (Goldstein), a wild one (Paxton), and a vampire child. These are violent and dangerous creatures that operate more like redneck vampires, playing cards and busting up out-of-the way honky-tonks.

After he is turned from human to vampire, Caleb is lost and disoriented, but then the truth becomes all too evident and he must choose their dark path or the one they took from him. The stakes are upped when they take him on a particularly violent escapade and demanding that he get in his first kill. He denies his thirst, but his fate seems inevitable.

His family is doing everything they can to find him, but it seems as if he will be lost unless he can find a way back to his humanity.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Near Dark
This is a heavily stylized movie in places. The pace is deliberate and takes its time, sometimes dragging, but the overall momentum carries the movie forward. Parts of the film do seem somewhat contrived and drawn out and the final showdown is downright clunky in places.

Pasdar has to carry the movie initially and his performance is a bit stiff, but Henrikson, Wright, and Paxton bring the movie up a notch. Wright plays her part with an innocence mixed with the necessary blood lust.

You can tell the movie has a limited budget and it shows in places, but director Bigelow does a great job of getting the most out of her limited resources. There are scenes that just cry out for a few more set-ups. The editing, while probably innovative in it's day, seems a bit turgid in places. Plus, the score works for the most part, but will seem somewhat dated to some.

Summary Judgment on Near Dark
Near Dark isn't for everyone's taste. It is violent and unrelenting for the most part, but there's some heart beneath it. Today, with a bigger budget and some more subtle direction, you could have a real break-out movie, but the movie, as is, still has some appeal.

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Sure Thing

The Sure Thing (1985)
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins
Memorable Line(s): "Then she leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'Do you love me?' Thoughts raced through his mind. Did she really want him? What had he done to deserve this bounty? Does God exist? Who invented liquid soap and why? 'Do you love me?' Staring into her eyes he knew that she really needed to hear it but for the first time in his life, he knew these were no longer just words and if he said it, it would be a lie."

An epic journey across the country with the Holy Grail of treasures at the end -- the perfect girl. She has what every college age guys dreams of -- a nubile body and a willingness to meet his needs. The only problem is the other girl that comes along for the ride.

The Plot of The Sure Thing
Walter (Gib) Gibson (Cusack) is on college break and traveling across the country to find the "sure thing." His starting place is the east coast and his destination is the west coast and a beautiful girl ready and waiting. His traveling companion (Zuniga) is a brainy and up tight co-ed who is on her way to see her boyfriend and is contemplating the next evolutionary step in their relationship.

The wheels come off their journey on several occasions as they find themselves without money, wet, and stranded in a car with a couple who insist on singing show tunes. (And expect participation from their passengers.)

Any number of travails befall our two travelers, and, of course, at first they can't find anything they have in common. But as the journey progresses, they learn more and more about each other and learn the theory of opposites attracting. The only issue is that Gib has the "sure thing" waiting on him and both aren't certain what will happen when that moment of truth comes.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of The Sure Thing
Cusack plays the college guy well and was at a point in his career where he was perfecting the every-day guy who has a brain and some charisma. Because he was still in the building process, it all seems new in this role where later in his career, it got a bit stale. His co-star Zuniga is winning in her own way, too. She plays up-tight and conventional quite well. Tom Robbins has a nice cameo as a show tune loving guy who gives our couple a ride.

This Rob Reiner's second feature film after "This is Spinal Tap" and he shows he knows how to handle a conventional narrative quite well. The pacing is perfect for the road picture genre and the script along with the performances seem to bring a freshness that it is undeniable. There are some truly good laughs and some romantic moments that hit home.

Summary Judgment on The Sure Thing
This is a film that takes on the road picture and does it well. Cusack and Zuniga have a great deal of chemistry and the writing is sharp. If you're looking for something light, you should give The Sure Thing a try.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

An Officer and a Gentleman

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Cast: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Lour Gossett Jr., David Keith, David Caruso
Memorable Line: " I got no place else to go."

An Officer and a Gentleman is, in many ways, a through-back film, but ads both a modern sensibility and some modern steaminess.

The Plot of An Office and a Gentleman
Zack Mayo (Gere) is the typical lone wolf, the guy who's had a rough life and knows no one will watch out for him, so he's not counting on or connecting with anyone. He has only one goal -- become an naval pilot. And nothing or no one is going to stand in his way. Well, except for maybe the tough-as-nails, training sergeant (Gossett) who sees Zack's lack of connection with the other trainees as a character defect that Zack must overcome to become a successful pilot and person.

The only two people Zack even tries to connect with are his lone friend and fellow aviator trainee, Sid (Keith), and a local girl, Paula (Winger), who Zack sees as a only a good-time girl while he is in town.

Both events and people begin to work on Zack. Training Sergeant Foley not only places tremendous physical pressure on Zack through the demanding training, but also emotional leverage to get Zack to open his eyes to the benefits and necessities of connecting and depending on others. Paula also works on Zack to show him that those around him can be trusted and dependable, but Zack had difficulty finding a way to trust even though both Sergeant Foley and Paula know that Zack will never be truly happy until he can find a way.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of An Office and a Gentleman
The performances in An Officer and a Gentleman are really stellar. Both Gere and Winger bring their A-Game. Gere's performance sizzles in his aloofness. Winger shows the depth of desperation of being trapped in a dead end life while also showing she can't compromise her core values to escape, betting it all on truth and honesty. Gossett Jr. has the part of a life time with Sergeant Foley. Yes, he puts on the drill instructor role and commends it, but he also brings depth and wisdom to the character. David Keith (an actor who has an ascending career in the '80s) plays the "aw-shucks" friend who is really living someone else's life and does it quite believably. Also, you will catch David Caruso in one of his first big screen roles as one of the other trainees.

Taylor Hackford knew what he had to do with this movie and that was taking the old fashioned romance and layering it with modern story telling and approach. The depth of the characters and their psychological make-up is broader than movies in the romance genre in the past. The treatment is updated, too, as the intimate scenes are elevated in steaminess to an almost incendiary level. The direction is crisp and Hackford knows how far to take a scene and make it work.

The one thing I really liked about the story is that these people seemed real. The life they live, the places they inhabit, and the whole culture of the movie seems reals. These are mostly lower class folks trying to make it by and maybe getting a break to find a way up at least one wrung of the ladder.

Now, with all that being said, this is a Hollywood movie and there is a predictability about it. Still, it's the journey the character's take that it most important and what draws us in.

Summary Judgment on An Office and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman is romance cut out of modern clothes and one that is worth watching in spite of the contrived conventions of the genre. Plus there are some tremendous performances.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Young Sherlock Holmes

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Director: Barry Levinson

Cast: Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward, Freddie Jones Memorable Line: "The game is afoot."

I remember seeing this movie for the first time many years ago and while I didn't think it was great art, I felt that it would have made a bigger impact. Alas, it did not.

The Plot of Young Sherlock Holmes

Faithful companion and fellow adventurer, Watson (Cox) arrives at a new exclusive boarding school in London and quickly encounters a young man with exceptional perception and a keen intellect and they become fast friends. This new friend is, of course, the young Sherlock Holmes (Rowe).

The plot unfolds as Holmes displays his skills at solving little mysteries, but quickly expands as Holmes and Watson are looking into the murders of several older and upper crust gentleman. Authorities rebuff Holmes insistence that these crimes have a sinister pattern and Holmes and Watson must solve the crimes themselves. Accompanied by Holmes girlfriend, Elizabeth (Ward), they find that not all is right behind the scenes in London.

The Performances, Writing, and Director of Young Sherlock Holmes

Director Levinson might not have been the best pick to direct this movie as most of his prior and later work was more involved with character and this movie is heavily plot burdened. Plus his skills at handling action scenes seems to need some work.

Still, there's a decent, but somewhat preposterous plot that keeps the movie moving along that isn't entirely unenjoyable and is, in fact, quiet engaging. Rowe seems to capture the intellect and haunted drive beneath the character of Holmes. Cox gives a solid performance as the side kick, Watson, and Sophie Ward is enchanting as Holmes love interest.

Summary Judgment on Young Sherlock Holmes

If you're looking for a nice Saturday afternoon, popcorn movie, this Young Sherlock Holmes could easily fit your bill. It's not too intense of the younger set and is somewhat of a throw back movie and one that I wouldn't have minded seeing more of.

E.T.

E.T. (1982)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
Memorable Line: "E.T., phone home"

Steven Spielberg was the darling of the box office at this point of his career and he knew all the ways to manipulate the heart strings of the audiences. E.T. is a good example of that less than subtle skill.

The Plot of E.T.

Elliot (Thomas), a normal young boy in a single parent family discovers an alien and befriends it. Not know what to do, he hides the alien from his family as long as he can, but slowly must introduce it to, first, his sister, then his older brother and finally his mother. Elliot develops a strong empathetic connection with E.T. in the process.

Of course, this can't go on as a shadowy government agency suddenly arrives on the scene and Elliot is sure his new friend will be dissected in unholy experiments. While the government folks work on E.T., the little alien gets sick and because of his connection to Elliot, the boy get sick also. To help his new alien friend out, Elliot plots with his friends to rescue E.T. But will Elliot's plan to get E.T. work or will the government agents take E.T. down?

The Performances, Writing, and Director of E.T.
By now, Spielberg had all his tricks established and he knew just what strings to pull to make the audience dance. For the most part, he's quiet effective, but there are several times in this movie that he stretches the limits of his manipulation. I can remember hearing a grown man behind my crying when E.T. was in peril.

Still Spielberg does a good job of making the family seem real. Thomas stands out as Elliot and holds his own with any adult. Drew Barrymore is a scene-stealer in her own right, though. Dee Wallace does a solid job of playing the harried single parent.

John William's score is a major player in the movie and makes the manipulation a little more evident at times.

Summary Judgment on E.T.
E.T. is a simple crowd pleasing movie. It has a lot of appeal for the mass audience and if you going into the movie with that in mind, you should have no problems and I can now watch it again with my own kids and not feel too manipulated.

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Previous Posts

• Missing (1982)
• Continental Divide
• Near Dark
• The Sure Thing
• An Officer and a Gentleman
• Young Sherlock Holmes
• E.T.
• The Top Five Horror Films of the 1980s
• Absence of Malice
• War Games

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