Directed by Mark L. Lester and screenplay by Steven E. de Souza from a story by de Souza, Joseph Loeb III, and Matthew Weisman, Commando is the story of a former Delta Force commando who is forced by a South American dictator to kill a leader or else the commando’s daughter is killed forcing the man to take action. The film is a simple story that revolves around a commando who is being pushed into doing something he doesn’t want to do while knowing that his daughter’s life is on the line. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Vernon Wells, James Olson, David Patrick Kelly, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, and Dan Hedaya. Commando is an ass-kicking and exciting film from Mark L. Lester.
When a man is being forced to kill a political leader by a dictator in the hopes that he can save his daughter’s life knowing that she’ll still be killed if he does the deed. It’s a dichotomy that is uneasy but if that commando is John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger), then that dictator is going to need a lot of body bags. It’s a film that manages to be very simple in its premise where this former commando is dealing with old foes who definitely have a grudge towards him all because Matrix is a man that stands for what is right as the only thing he has in the world is his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). Knowing that Jenny is likely to be killed, Matrix uses his skills as a commando to do whatever it takes to save her with the help of a flight attendant named Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) who understands the severity of the situation. It’s a film that manages to do so much with a simple story while the script itself does have some funny one-liners and puns that Matrix says like “I eat Green Berets for breakfast”.
Mark L. Lester’s direction is quite simple though it starts off in a very dark way when some individuals are being killed as it is a total contrast to the peace and tranquility that Matrix is having with his daughter. Yet, the film would take a dark turn once Matrix is in danger as Lester’s usage of close-ups and medium shots come into play. Much of the film is shot in California where it would be set in different places in South America as it maintains something that feels like it’s set in another world. Especially in the film’s climax where Matrix arrives at the home of the dictator Arius (Dan Hedaya) where it becomes one of the film’s most violent moments. Some of which is very ridiculous but Lester knows it’s ridiculous which makes it so fun to watch. Especially in the way Matrix kills soldiers as if he is this one-man army as Lester adds a lot of humor to some of the violence no matter how gruesome it is. Overall, Lester creates an exhilarating and explosive film about a commando trying to save his daughter from the bad guys.
Cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti does excellent work with the cinematography from some of the daytime lighting schemes in the Californian mountains to the usage of lights for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Glenn Farr, Mark Goldblatt, and John F. Link do amazing work with the editing from the opening credits montage to the stylistic cuts in the film‘s action sequences including its bloody climax. Production designer John Vallone and set decorator Robert Gould does nice work with the film‘s set design from the home of Arius to the cabin home that Matrix lived in at the Californian mountains. Sound mixer Donald F. Johnson does terrific work with the sound to capture the intensity of the fights and the gunplay that occurs. The film’s music by James Horner is wonderful for its mixture of brooding electronics with calypso percussions and orchestral flourishes to play into the air of suspense and action.
The casting by Jackie Burch is amazing as it features notable small roles from Bill Paxton as naval interceptor, Bill Duke as a former Green Beret that works for Arius in Cooke, David Patrick Kelly as an associate in Arius in Sully, and James Olson as Matrix’ former superior General Kirby who would inform Matrix about some mysterious occurrences involving Arius. Alyssa Milano is wonderful as Matrix’s daughter Jenny as this young girl dealing with being kidnapped as she manages to talk some shit towards Arius. Vernon Wells is excellent as Arius’ henchman Bennett who was an old ally of Matrix who despises him as he wants Matrix dead.
Dan Hedaya is fantastic as Arius as this dictator who has a grudge towards Matrix for usurping him as he wants him to kill the man who had replaced him in his old country as a form of torture. Rae Dawn Chong is superb as Cindy as this flight attendant who joins the ride by accident as she helps Matrix do what is right while being funny and be crafty with a bazooka. Finally, there’s Arnold Schwarzenegger in a phenomenal performance as John Matrix as a former commando that is being pushed to the breaking point about what he’s asked to do only to refuse in an attempt to save his daughter. It’s a performance that has Schwarzenegger be a total badass as well as saying some funny puns and one-liners as it’s one of Schwarzenegger’s quintessential performances.
Commando is a remarkable film from Mark L. Lester that features an incredible performance from Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s a film that isn’t just an entertaining action movie but one that does what it needed to be and more while not being afraid in making itself look ridiculous which adds to the film’s unique approach to humor. While Commando is a spectacular film from Mark L. Lester, there is a lesson to all of this. It’s one thing to kidnap a young girl and be forced to carry out an assassination. If that girl happens to Alyssa Milano and her father is Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then Jabroni, you’re about to be fucked.
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Paul Schrader, American Gigolo is the story of a male escort who finds himself in danger after the death of a client just as his life becomes more complicated when he falls for a politician’s wife. The film is an exploration into the world of a man who lives to give women pleasure while he deals with some of the drawbacks of his world. Starring Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina van Pallandt, and Bill Duke. American Gigolo is an entrancing yet provocative film from Paul Schrader.
The film explores the life of Julian Kaye (Richard Gere) who is an escort that sleeps with many women all over the posh areas of Southern California as he works alone with the exception of a madam named Anne (Nina van Pallandt) who offers him assignments. Kaye’s life becomes complicated following a trick where he is paid by a man named Rheiman (Tom Stewart) to have sex with his wife (Patricia Carr) while he watches as she is later killed that night with Kaye being the suspect. Though he was somewhere else that night, Kaye is unable to find help just as he is starting a relationship with Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton) whose husband is a powerful senator. Michelle knows that he’s telling the truth as his life starts to unravel as he seeks to find answers about why he’s being targeted.
Paul Schrader’s script is full of complexities into the life of this man who loves to have sex with various rich women in Southern California as some of them are married. Kaye is good at what he does but some believe he’s becoming too good at his job where pimps like Anne and Leon (Bill Duke) want him to work for them full-time. Still, Kaye just wants to live a life where he can drive his Mercedes SL, listen to music with his expensive stereo equipment, and wear the finest clothes that is available. It’s a life that is flawed as Kaye is also somewhat full of himself as he wants no complications as he demands to have control. After a trick involving a rich man and his wife that led to the death of the latter, Kaye’s life starts to lose control as he becomes a suspect.
Kaye is known as a professional but his life becomes more complicated by the appearance of Michelle Stratton who is intrigued by what he does as she wants the same things that other women want from him. Yet, they eventually get close as she knows that he didn’t kill Mrs. Ryman but their affair is complicated when Senator Stratton (Brian Davies) becomes aware of what is happening. Schrader’s script is filled with some very rhythmic and stylish dialogue to play out the world that Kaye is in as well as the kind of language he and Michelle talk into as it would also play into the third act when Kaye is targeted by the police led by Detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo). Particularly as paranoia would emerge in Kaye as he is dealing with the mystery over the murder and why is he being framed for it.
Schrader’s direction is very stylized in the way he presents this film as this sort of slick yet gritty film that plays to that sense of excitement and decadence in the life of an escort. Notably as it plays off with a sense of look where Kaye wears Giorgio Armani clothes and lives in a posh apartment complex where Schrader goes for a lot of wide and medium shots to showcase this world that is enthralling but also sort of cold. Schrader also uses a lot of tracking shots to play out some of the suspense as well as close-ups to play into the emotions involving Kaye and Michelle. Largely as Schrader wants to keep many of the scenes low-key and simple while having this air of style that is happening including some chilling moments such as Kaye meeting Leon at a gay disco.
Schrader also manages for the film’s sexual content to be presented in a sense of style that includes a wide full-frontal shot of Kaye as he’s standing in his room while talking to Michelle who is lying in bed. Still, Schrader doesn’t make the sexual content to be overwhelming to the story where he is more focused on the life of this man who is sort of a loner as he starts to unravel by something he didn’t do. Schrader invests a lot of chilling moments into the third act where Kaye becomes more concerned with who is framing him as he no longer cares about how he looks or what car he’s driving. There is still that chill that occurs in the way Schrader presents the mystery and its eventual outcome where it plays to Kaye’s development and the fate that is set for him. Overall, Schrader creates a very harrowing yet mesmerizing film about the life of an escort gone wrong by accusations of murder.
Cinematographer John Bailey does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and stylized photography where it has this sense of vibrancy for many of its daytime exterior scenes while using lots of low-key lighting schemes and shades for some of its nighttime interior and exterior scenes. Editor Richard Halsey does fantastic work with the editing to create some unique montages for a sex scene between Kaye and Michelle along with some methodical cuts for the film‘s suspense. Art director Edward Richardson and set decorator George Gaines do amazing work with the look of some of the film’s set pieces from the gay disco club to some of the restaurants that Kaye goes to as well as his apartment that features additional contributions from production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti.
Sound mixer Barry Thomas does terrific work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of some of the film‘s suspense including some of the intimate moments in Kaye‘s apartment and at the restaurants he goes to. The film’s music by Giorgio Moroder is wonderful for its synthesizer-based score to play up the world that Kaye lives in with its eerie notes as the soundtrack also includes contributions from John Hiatt, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and Blondie whose song Call Me appears in the opening credits as it’s written by Moroder and Blondie vocalist Debbie Harry.
The casting by Vic Ramos is excellent as it features appearances from K Callan as a woman who is a friend of Kaye as she doesn’t want to help him because of her reputation, Tom Stewart and Patricia Carr as the Rheimans who would put Kaye into trouble, Brian Davies as Michelle’s husband, Jessica Potter as Kaye’s neighbor Jill, and Gordon Haight as a mysterious blond boy that hangs around with Leon. Bill Duke is terrific as the more street-wise pimp Leon who was the one that put Kaye into the Rheiman assignment that would get him in trouble while Nina van Pallandt is wonderful as the more refined madam Anne who respects Kaye but feels unappreciated for the things she’s done for him. Hector Elizondo is superb as Detective Sunday as a man who believes that Kaye knows a lot more about what happened to Mrs. Rheiman while trying to see if Kaye is really innocent.
Lauren Hutton is amazing as Michelle Stratton as a woman who is intrigued by Kaye and what he does as she finds someone who she can talk to and have sex with while becoming the one person that might be able to help him with his troubles. Finally, there’s Richard Gere in an incredible performance as Julian Kaye as a male escort who loves his job and what he gets out of it where Gere can be charming but also kind of smug at times. Once Kaye gets in trouble, Gere puts in a lot of humility and intensity as a man who is trying to found out the truth and why he’s being framed as it’s definitely one of Gere’s most iconic performances.
American Gigolo is a remarkable film from Paul Schrader that features a riveting performance from Richard Gere. Along with a great supporting cast and eerie soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder, the film is definitely one of the most provocative and haunting films about sex and murder. Notably as it plays into the life of an escort and some of the flaws in his life as he is also a very lonely man. In the end, American Gigolo is a phenomenal film from Paul Schrader.
Paul Schrader Films: Blue Collar - Hardcore - Cat People (1982 film) - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - (Light of Day) - (Patty Hearst) - (The Comfort of Strangers) - (Light Sleeper) - (Witch Hunt) - (Touch) - Affliction - (Forever Mine) - (Auto Focus) - (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) - (The Walker) - (Adam Resurrected) - (The Canyons) - Dying of the Light - (Dog Eat Dog) - First Reformed - (The Card Counter)
© thevoid99 2013
