Set in 1820 in the Oregon territory, the film revolves around a baker who meets a Chinese immigrant as they become friends as they hope to become rich upon encountering a cow that belongs to a rich landowner from Britain. It is a film with a simple premise as it plays into two men trying to create better lives in a land that was in the early stages of being explored while a rich landowner arrives with a cow that he wants to have as he awaits for another cow to create a cattle farm. The film’s screenplay by Jonathan Raymond and Kelly Reichardt does follow a straightforward narrative though it opens with a small scene set nearly 200 years later where a young woman (Alia Shawkat) is walking her dog as she finds a shallow grave as it leads to the story of these two men in the cook/baker Otis “Cookie” Figowitz (John Magaro) and King-Lu (Orion Lee) who befriend each other as they’re both outsiders in this expedition through the Oregon territory. The latter was hiding from the Russians after he killed one of them while the former is treated poorly by fur trappers as the two choose to work together and then meet this cow whom they would milk at night and make food to sell.
Reichardt’s direction is definitely ravishing in the simple compositions that she creates as she shoots the film on location in Oregon while presenting it in a 4:3 full-screen ratio format as it gives the film an intimate look. While there are some wide shots that Reichardt creates to get a look into the locations including the film’s opening sequence with the young woman walking her dog. Much of the film has Reichardt emphasizing on close-ups and medium shot to play into the intimacy while creating shots that do last long to get a sense of the location and what the characters are dealing with in their environment or in a certain situation. It adds to the dramatic suspense in some of the situations that include scenes of Cookie milking the cow while King-Lu is on a tree being a watchdog trying to see if anyone is going to show up. There is this suspense that emerges yet there is also peaceful in the way Cookie talks to this cow.
Also serving as the film’s editor where Reichardt aims for something straightforward in the editing, it adds to the way the film is paced where it is slow but only because time was slower then as it relates to how Cookie creates biscuit or how one walks to town from a house. It also play into this growing discomfort later in the film when the Chief Factor (Toby Jones) takes notice of Cookie and King-Lu’s small business as it leads to this meeting where the two are invited to his home as there is this tension emerging. Notably as it play into what Cookie and King-Lu are figuring out what to do next as they have these small ambitions to make a better life for themselves but there is that danger of being caught. Especially in what leads to that first scene of the woman with her dog finding this shallow grave as its ending is more about these two men contemplating their next move but also lost dreams they have for a new world for themselves. Overall, Reichardt crafts a mesmerizing and engaging film about a loner cook and a Chinese immigrant trying to start a new life with the help of a rich man’s cow in the early days of the Oregon territory.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting and low-key colors to help maintain a realistic look and tone for the film as well as providing vibrant yet dark colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Production designer Anthony Gasparro, with set decorator Vanessa Knoll and art director Lisa Ward, does amazing work with the look of King-Lu’s shack as well as a local pub and the home of the Chief Factor. Costume designer April Napier does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of the time with animal fur for some of the hunters as well as a refined suit that the Chief Factor wears.
Visual effects supervisor Chris Connolly does terrific work with some of the film’s minimal effects as it is mainly set-dressing for a few bits of the film. Sound designer Leslie Shatz does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as maintaining a sparse tone for some of the quieter moments of the film. The film’s music by William Tyler is excellent for its low-key folk based score with its usage of string music including guitars and violins to maintain the film’s somber tone.
The casting by Gayle Keller is superb as it feature some notable small roles from indie musician Stephen Malkamus as a fiddler, Dylan Smith as a fur hunter who berates Cookie early in the film, Gary Farmer as a native guest of the Chief Factor in Totillicum, Lily Gladstone as the Chief Factor’s native wife, Scott Shepherd as a military captain working with the Chief Factor, Ewen Bremner as one of the Chief Factor’s security officers in Lloyd, Alia Shawkat as a woman with a dog who finds the shallow grave in the film’s lone 21st Century scene, and Rene Auberjonois in one of his final film performances as a trader with a raven as he takes a liking to what Cookie and King-Lu have created.
Toby Jones is excellent as the Chief Factor as a British landowner who brings a cow to the Oregon territory as he hopes to make money on the land as he is amazed by what Cookie and King-Lu have created unaware of the source of its creation. Finally, there’s the duo of John Magaro and Orion Lee in great performances in their respective roles as Otis “Cookie” Figowitz and King-Lu as two different men who are outsiders that choose to do things their way to make a new life for themselves with Magaro as a cook who knows what to though he’s a loner while Lee maintains a calm approach to King-Lu as a man that knows how to sell things but also with ideas as Magaro and Lee have an amazing rapport together in just being two men who become friends all because they didn’t want to play by anyone’s rules.
First Cow is a phenomenal film from Kelly Reichardt featuring incredible leading performances from John Magaro and Orion Lee. Along with its understated look and tone, a simple yet engaging story, rich sound design, and a somber music score by William Tyler. The film isn’t just this fascinating story of friendship and small ambition but also a story of two men trying to do things their way during a time where everyone had a role to play on a land that is being discovered. In the end, First Cow is a sensational film from Kelly Reichardt.
Kelly Reichardt Films: River of Grass - Old Joy - Wendy & Lucy - Meek's Cutoff - Night Moves (2013 film) - Certain Women - Showing Up - The Auteurs #72: Kelly Reichardt
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Irvin Kershner and screenplay by John Carpenter and David Zelag Goodman from a story by John Carpenter, Eyes of Laura Mars is the story of a fashion photographer who is known for shooting violent images starts to see things through the eyes of a killer. The film is a suspense-thriller that play into the mind of a woman who is dealing with what she is seeing as her own life starts to unravel. Starring Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, Raul Julia, Michael Tucker, and Rene Auberjonois. Eyes of Laura Mars is a thrilling but underwhelming film from Irvin Kershner.
A controversial yet revered fashion photographer known for creating macabre images in her work finds herself seeing murders happening through the eyes of a killer who are targeting those that she knows. With the help of a detective, she would try and find the killer while falling for the man who is protecting her. It’s a premise that is intriguing and simple yet it would fall apart due to its screenplay as would play into the things that the titular character (Faye Dunaway) would see as there are suspects on who could be the killer. The script unfortunately doesn’t do enough to maintain that intrigue where the audience can get an idea on who it might be while there is also this love story between Laura Mars and the detective Lieutenant John Neville (Tommy Lee Jones) that occurs in the middle of the film that feels tacked on and brings a lot of ideas about who is killing her as he is first introduced at one of her galleries criticizing her work to her unaware of who she is.
Irvin Kershner’s direction does have its moments in terms of the visuals and establishing the locations into what Laura sees through her strange psychic visions. Shot on location in New York City and parts of New Jersey, Kershner’s direction does have some unique compositions such as the photoshoots that Laura creates with some unique wide and medium shots along with the usage of close-ups to play into the visions that she sees. There are some visual tricks that Kershner would use to play into Laura’s visions that are blurry as it plays from the point-of-view of the killer yet it becomes repetitive as the story progresses. The film’s screenplay definitely hinders Kershner’s approach to the suspense as it includes a third act where Lt. Neville finds a suspect but had also fallen for Laura which complicates things as it tries to be thrilling but it doesn’t do enough to be ambiguous. Even in the reveal where it doesn’t have the impact it should’ve had as it is over-the-top and ridiculous that includes a monologue that reveals too much. Overall, Kershner crafts a film that starts off well only to fumble big time in its second half in a half-baked film about a woman who sees murders through the eyes of a killer.
Cinematographer Victor J. Kemper does excellent work with the cinematography to play into some of the visuals in the way the gallery looks along with some of the exteriors for scenes set in the day and night. Editor Michael Kahn does nice work with the editing as it does have bits of style to play into the suspense with its cuts of what Laura sees from the killer’s point of view. Production designer Gene Callahan, with set decorator John Godfrey and art director Robert Gundlach, does fantastic work with the look of the gallery as well as Laura’s home and the studio where she does some of her photo shoots.
Costume designer Theoni V. Alderedge does brilliant work with the costumes in the clothes that Laura wears along with the models and her friends wear. Sound editor Charles L. Campbell does terrific work with the sound as it does play into the atmosphere of the suspense including scenes in some of the film’s locations. The film’s music by Artie Kane is good for its orchestral score that play into the film’s suspense and drama while music supervisor Charles Koppelman provides a fun soundtrack that is filled with some disco music but also a lame and overwrought love ballad sung by Barbra Streisand.
The film’s superb cast include some notable small roles and appearances from Michael Tucker as an associate of Mars in Bert, Lisa Taylor and Darlanne Fluegel as a couple of models of Mars in their respective roles as Michelle and Lulu, Meg Mundy as a friend of Mars in Doris Spenser, Rose Gregorio as another friend of Mars in Elaine, and Frank Adonis as a detective who helps Lt. Neville in the case in Sal Volpe. Raul Julia is terrific in a brief yet memorable performance as Mars’ ex-husband Michael Reisler as a man who is an initial suspect of the murders though he had been dating one of Mars’ friends and is dealing with failure of his work as a writer. Rene Auberjonois is fantastic as the flamboyant Donald Phelps as a friend of Mars who also handles her business as well as try to figure out how to deal with the presence of the killer.
Brad Dourif is superb as Tommy as Mars’ driver who definitely has the look of being a suspect as he is someone that doesn’t like Phelps while always carrying a knife as he has the many obvious traits in being the killer. Tommy Lee Jones is pretty good in the film whenever he’s being charming and cunning in the role of the Lt. John Neville yet it is the moments where Neville and Mars fall for each other that doesn’t work as Jones is just miscast as the romantic. Finally, there’s Faye Dunaway in an excellent performance as the titular character as it’s a performance that has Dunaway display the anguish and fear of what she’s seeing though there’s moments that the script doesn’t do her any favors where she doesn’t do enough to break out of the conventions of suspense while she and Jones don’t really have any chemistry in the romantic scenes.
Despite its ensemble cast, some gorgeous visuals, and an intriguing premise, Eyes of Laura Mars is a film that starts off well only to falter by its conventions in the genre and not enough trust into unveiling the killer in the end. Even as its attempt to be this giallo-inspired film from someone like John Carpenter who understands the genre only to have his script play into cheap scares and a stupid ending. In the end, Eyes of Laura Mars is just a hackneyed and disappointing film from Irvin Kershner.
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Robert Altman and written by Doran William Cannon, Brewster McCloud is the story of a recluse who lives in a shelter at the Houston Astrodome as he dreams of wanting to fly where he would create a flying machine. The film is an offbeat comedy that plays into a young man wanting to do the impossible as it mixes fantasy and reality into this man’s desire to fly. Starring Bud Cort, Sally Kellerman, Michael Murphy, Rene Auberjonois, Stacy Keach, Margaret Hamilton, Jennifer Salt, and introducing Shelley Duvall. Brewster McCloud is a witty and whimsical film from Robert Altman.
The film is about a young recluse who yearns to fly as he creates a flying machine that would give him the chance to fly as he would deal with others who threaten him leading to a murder investigation led a detective from San Francisco. Set entirely in the city of Houston with the Astrodome in the center of the story, the film follows this titular character (Bud Cort) as he is trying to get an idea of how to fly with these wings he created. The film’s screenplay by Doran William Cannon sets up the main premise yet much of the film is improvised by director Robert Altman who would include small subplots into the film as it relates to Brewster McCloud.
Popping up every now and then is a lecturer (Rene Auberjonois) talking about birds and their wings while another subplot involves this detective in Frank Shaft (Michael Murphy) who arrives from San Francisco to investigate these mysterious murders as the one key evidence in these killings are bird shit. McCloud would try to mind his own business despite being aided by a mysterious woman in a trench coat named Louise (Sally Kellerman) and getting the attention of a tour guide in Suzanne (Shelley Duvall). Still, he is determined to prove that man can fly no matter what obstacles he faces.
Altman’s direction is offbeat as it opens with a band rehearsing the American national anthem until its singer (Margaret Williams) stops it because the band was off-key prompting to start all over again with the opening credits appearing once again. Shot on location in Houston, Texas and in and out of the Astrodome, the film does play into this strange mixture of fantasy and reality as it relates to what Brewster is trying to do in being able to fly. Yet, he also has to make a living as he would be first seen being a chauffeur to a miserly old man (Stacy Keach) while he also deals with an off-duty narcotics officer who tries to plant drugs on him at the zoo. Both men would meet their fate in bizarre ways as it adds to the film’s offbeat tone. Much of Altman’s direction is loose as he does use wide shots to get a look of the locations as well as shots inside the Astrodome. There are also some medium shots and close-ups that play into the characters and their interaction with a location including a scene of Brewster hiding from a security guard where he finds himself party of a touring group.
The film also play into these offbeat moments that happen as if something else is happening during a key scene which adds to Altman’s approach to the story as it play into so much that is happening including overlapping dialogue that would become a trademark of Altman’s style. Even as there is this car chase during the third act where it’s a riff of the car chase in some respects but also play into this confrontation with reality for some of the characters. The film’s climax is about Brewster’s flight and everything he thought about into his attempt to fly and what he would do to make this dream happen just as discoveries are made about these bizarre murders. Overall, Altman crafts an odd yet rapturous film about a young recluse wanting to fly inside the Astrodome.
Cinematographers Lamar Boden and Jordan Cronenweth do excellent work with the film’s cinematography to capture the sunny look of the daytime exterior scenes in Houston as well as the interiors for some scenes at night as well as the interiors of the Astrodome. Editor Lou Lombardo does brilliant work with the editing with some stylish jump-cuts to play into the humor and parts of the suspense as well as some playful montages that play into the bits of fantasy colliding with reality. Art directors E. Preston Ames and George W. Davis, with set decorators Robert R. Benton and Hugh Hunt, do fantastic work with the look of the shelter that Brewster lives in as well as the home of some of the victims along with the place that Suzanne lives in that she takes Brewster too.
Special makeup effects artist/wing designer Leon Ericksen does amazing work with the look of the old man that Brewster works for early in the film as well as the design of the wings. The sound work of William L. McCaughey and Harry W. Tetrick do superb work with the sound as it help capture the sound of the crowd as well as the atmosphere of the stadium when it isn’t full as well as some of the film’s natural elements. The film’s music by Gene Page is terrific for its playful orchestral score with elements of folk and country that include some original songs by John Phillips that play into the sense of adventure.
The casting by Gary Chason is wonderful that include some notable small roles from G. Wood as a skeptical police captain in Crandall who isn’t fond of Shaft, Bert Remsen as the corrupt narcotics officer Breen, John Schuck as the officer Johnson who helps out Shaft, William Baldwin as Suzanne’s boyfriend Bernard who works for the top police official Weeks, Stacy Keach as a stingy and cruel old man who collects money from old folks home in Abraham, Corey Fischer as an officer who helps Crandall, Margaret Hamilton as a singer in Daphne Heap that is cruel to the band playing for her, and Jennifer Salt as a young woman named Hope who helps out Brewster while also being sexually attracted to him. Rene Auberjonois is fantastic as the lecturer as this mad professor who talks about birds and their power in a comical way while William Windom is terrific as the top police official Haskell Weeks who hires Shaft to investigate while trying to smooth things over within the city.
In her film debut, Shelley Duvall is excellent as Suzanne as a tour guide for the Astrodome that meets Brewster when he’s trying to steal her car as they evade the police while learning about what Brewster is doing. Michael Murphy is brilliant as detective Frank Shaft as a man with piercing blue eyes who lead the investigation over these bizarre murders as he’s an offbeat man that is trying to investigate the case where he is the closest to anyone getting any answers of what is going on. Sally Kellerman is amazing as Louise as this mysterious woman who helps Brewster in his quest as she is this caretaker of sorts while also giving him advice on what to do to achieve his dream. Finally, there’s Bud Cort in a marvelous performance as the titular character as this young man that is wanting to fly as it’s an odd performance of a kid who is shy and reclusive yet is so determined to wanting to fly.
Brewster McCloud is an incredible film from Robert Altman. Featuring a great cast, an offbeat premise, dazzling visuals, and humorous moments that play into the film’s mix of reality and fantasy. It’s a film that definitely displays Altman’s unique vision in telling a story in an unconventional manner while playing up the ideas of fantasy and reality. In the end, Brewster McCloud is a sensational film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) – (The James Dean Story) – Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) – M.A.S.H. - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) – Thieves Like Us - The Long Goodbye - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) – (Quintet) – (A Perfect Couple) – (HealtH) – Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) – (Streamers) – (Secret Honor) – (O.C. and Stiggs) – Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) – (Aria-Les Boreades) – (Tanner ’88) – (Vincent & Theo) – The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) – (The Gingerbread Man) – Cookie's Fortune - Dr. T and the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) – A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the short stories by Maile Meloy, Certain Women is a collection of three different stories involving women dealing with trials and tribulations in their lives. Written for the screen, directed, and edited by Kelly Reichardt, the film follows the lives of different women set in Montana as they deal with their place in the world as well as what they want. Starring Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, James LeGros, Jared Harris, John Getz, Sara Rodier, and Rene Auberjonois. Certain Women is an engrossing yet evocative film from Kelly Reichardt.
Set in small parts of Montana, the film follows the lives of women in three different stories where they deal with something out of ordinary in their day-to-day lives. It all play into this location that is quaint yet it also has something that does feel extraordinary where it revolves around the lives of these three women. Rather than employ a cross-cutting narrative that can be confusing, Kelly Reichardt chose to go for something that is straightforward though its main characters are connected in some way despite rarely interacting with one another. The first story involves a lawyer named Laura Wells (Laura Dern) who is dealing with a client who has become disabled due to what happened at work. It would lead to a moment where he would hold a security guard hostage forcing her to deal with the situation and help him find some justice.
The second story revolves around a couple who want to build their dream home as they’ve set up camp at the site of the house as they want to buy stones from an old man. Yet, Gina Lewis (Michelle Williams) is also dealing with tension with her teenage daughter over the home she wants to build. The third story involves a lonely ranch hand named Jamie (Lily Gladstone) living outside of the small town where the characters live at as she unknowingly attends night school for a class on law where she falls for its young teacher in Beth Travis (Kristen Stewart). For Jamie, this sudden attraction has her wanting to break away from the monotonous life where she tries to find ways to woo Beth as they would go to a diner though Beth has to travel four hours from her town to go and teach in the smaller town and then drive four hours back. It all play into these events that the women had to endure as well as deal with something that can impact their lives.
Reichardt’s direction is actually very simple where doesn’t go into any kind of visual style nor does the film contain a lot of close-ups to emphasize more on the characters and their surroundings. Shot on location in the state of Montana with the town of Livingston being where much of the film is shot as well as other locations in the state. Reichardt would shoot the film during the winter period where it feels true for the location while she would use a lot of wide shots to play into this world that is sort of isolated from much of America in terms of its big cities and high-octane culture for something simpler. Reichardt’s approach to medium shots has more to do with the way characters interact with each other in situations or in how they deal with the typical aspects of their day-to-day life. Also serving as the film’s editor, Reichardt would emphasize a lot on long shots though knows when not to cut as she would infuse some jump-cuts for parts of the film as well as bits of suspense for the story involving Laura and her client. Reichardt would also maintain a sense of low-key melodrama for Gina’s story in her interaction with the old man while the story about Jamie and Beth is more light-hearted but also with a sense of restraint as the film would end with realistic conclusions for these characters who are all dealing with a sense of loneliness in their stark surrounding. Overall, Reichardt creates a riveting yet intoxicating about the extraordinary lives of women in Montana.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvet does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely natural and low-key to play into the realistic yet gorgeous look of the daytime exteriors set in the winter to some low-key lighting for some of the scenes at night. Production designer Anthony Gasparro, with set decorator Pamela Day and art director Kat Ulmansiek, does fantastic work with the look of the tent Gina lives in as well as the classroom where Beth teaches. Costume designer April Napier does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual since it is set in the winter with its big coats, sweaters, and winter boots. Sound designer Kent Sparling does superb work with the sound as it is largely low-key to play into the locations that the characters are in as well as the scenes that play into the drama and suspense. The film’s music by Jeff Grace is wonderful as it’s largely low-key as it only appears sparingly in its mixture of folk and ambient music setting.
The casting by Mark Bennett and Gayle Keller is great as it feature some notable small roles from John Getz as the local sheriff in Livingston, Sara Rodier as Gina and Ryan’s teenage daughter Guthrie who doesn’t like her mother, James LeGros as Gina’s husband Ryan who is trying to keep the peace between mother and daughter, and Rene Auberjonois as the old man Albert whom Gina wants to buy some stones from in the hopes to build her dream house. Jared Harris is superb as Fuller as Laura’s client who is dealing with an injury that has kept him from working as he tries to get some money for the injury that happened to him where he becomes very desperate. Lily Gladstone is excellent as Jamie as a ranch hand who deals with her lonely and monotonous existence where she stumbles into a night school class where she befriends and falls for a lawyer teaching the class about the ideas of the law.
Kristen Stewart is fantastic as Beth as a lawyer who takes the teaching job four hours from where she lives as she copes with her own lonely existence and lack of stability where she finds a friend in Jamie whom she’s intrigued by. Michelle Williams is amazing as Gina as a woman that is eager to build her dream home as she also deals with the sense of disconnect with her daughter as well as some of the immorality she takes part in getting what she wants for her home unaware of Albert’s emotional attachment to the stones. Finally, there’s Laura Dern in a brilliant performance as Laura Wells as a lawyer who is trying to help her disabled client Fuller as well as deal with her own life that doesn’t have much excitement where a crisis would give her that bit of excitement.
Certain Women is a phenomenal film from Kelly Reichardt. Featuring a great cast, compelling stories on loneliness and the need to connect in a rural existence, gorgeous visuals, and a minimalist approach to its storytelling. It’s a film that explores a world that simple yet with characters that want more as they contend with their surroundings and need to either get out or make something of it. In the end, Certain Women is a sensational film from Kelly Reichardt.
Kelly Reichardt Films: River of Grass – Old Joy - Wendy and Lucy - Meek's Cutoff - Night Moves (2013 film) – First Cow - Showing Up - The Auteurs #72: Kelly Reichardt
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Alan Myerson and written by Stephen J. Curwick, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach is the story of a group of police officers who accompany their mentor as he is to accept an award in Miami as he copes with an impending retirement and a gang of jewel thieves. The film marks a departure of sorts in the series where the gang of misfit cops and their eccentric leader travel to Miami where much of the film takes place as well as parts of Southern Florida. With returning cast members Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Tab Thacker, Marion Ramsey, George R. Robertson, Lance Kinsey, G.W. Bailey, and George Gaynes all reprising their roles from previous films. The film also stars Matt McCoy, Janet Jones, and Rene Auberjonois. Police Academy 5: Assignment in Miami Beach is a hilarious and adventurous film from Alan Meyerson.
The film revolves around the group of misfit yet competent cops who accompany their mentor in Commandant Eric Lassard (George Gaynes) who is to receive an award in Miami as the Policeman of the Decade. Yet, the timing for this honor is bittersweet as Lassard learns he is to retire as Captain Harris (G.W. Bailey) is hoping to the job as he goes to Miami in an attempt to gain respect and become the next Commandant. Meanwhile, a jewel theft has happened where the thieves would make an encounter with Lassard who unknowingly has taken their jewels which causes all sorts of trouble. It’s a film that does mark a change of pace of sorts where it sets Lassard and some of the characters from previous films in a different setting where they all relax and have a good time as well as showcase their skills as police officers which leads to a climax in the Everglades against some jewel thieves.
The film’s screenplay not only plays into Commandant Lassard coping with his upcoming retirement but also the fact that he at least wants to go out in style to receive this honor in Miami as he is joined by not just his loyal officers in Lt. Callahan (Leslie Easterbrook), Sgts. Hightower (Bubba Smith), Jones (Michael Winslow), Hooks (Marion Ramsey), Tackleberry (David Graf), and Officer “House” Conklin (Tab Thacker) but also in his nephew in Sgt. Nick Lassard (Matt McCoy) who works for the Miami Police Department. The film has a few subplots which involves Captain Harris trying to impress Miami’s top police officials and its mayor but also nab the thieves in the film’s third act which doesn’t go well due to the idiocy of his aide Lt. Proctor (Lance Kinsey). Another factor to the script that is really successful is the form of an antagonist in a jewel thief in Tony (Rene Auberjonois) who is really one of the funniest characters of the series as he is constantly annoyed by his attempts to go after Lassard while being a victim of Lassard’s unknowing attacks.
Alan Myerson’s direction is very engaging not just in the simple approach to framing but also in finding the right balance between comedy and action. While part of the film is shot in Toronto, the city of Miami Beach is definitely a major character in the film where Myerson shoots the film on location in the famed Fontainebleau Hotel. Much of the compositions in the film involve some inspired use of crane shots and wide shots for some of the film’s action moments including its climax in the Everglades. Even as Myerson uses some unique high camera angles for a very funny moment in a scene shot inside an elevator. The usage of the locations in South Florida allow the film to have a looseness that hadn’t been seen since the first two films as it has moments where Lassard’s officers manage to do things their way for the film’s climax in the Everglades where it has some inspired moments in the action. Overall, Myerson creates a very thrilling and entertaining film about a group of cops honoring the man that had championed them.
Cinematographer James Pergola does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing the vibrant colors for the locations in Miami as well as some of the scenes set at night. Editor Hubert C. de la Bouillerie does excellent work with the editing as it‘s quite straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for the action scenes. Production designer Trevor Williams and set decorator Don K. Ivey do terrific work with some of the minimal set pieces such as Lassard’s penthouse and the look of the police academy and its offices. Costume designer Robert Musco does nice work with the costumes in not just the police uniforms but also in the colorful clothes many of the characters wear off-duty. Sound editor Gordon Daniel does superb work with the sound such as some of the scenes in Miami including a notable one where a parrot calls Captain Lassard a dork. The film’s music by Robert Folk is fantastic for its bombastic orchestral score with some lively pop and rock music to play into the world of Miami as the soundtrack features elements of calypso and dance music.
The casting by Pamela Basker and Fern Champion is brilliant as it features notable small roles from James Hampton as Miami’s mayor, Dan Fitzgerald as the Miami’s police chief Murdock, Ed Kovens as Tony’s boss Dempsey, director Alan Myerson as a cigar smoker in an airplane that Hooks deals with, Archie Hahn and Jerry Lazarus in their respective roles as Tony’s dim-witted henchmen Mouse and Sugar, and George R. Robertson as Commissioner Hurst who would also join Lassard and his fellow officers to Miami to support him. Janet Jones is pretty good as Officer Kate who a Miami policewoman Nick Lassard flirts with while Lance Kinsey is terrific as the idiotic Lt. Proctor who always bungle things up. David Graf, Marion Ramsey, Tab Thacker, Leslie Easterbrook, and Michael Winslow are excellent in their respective roles as Sgt. Tackleberry, Sgt. Hooks, Officer Conklin, Lt. Callahan, and Sgt. Jones as they each provide some funny moments.
Bubba Smith is superb as Sgt. Hightower as he would help lift up Commandant Lassard’s spirits while being the man that prove to be the big hero in the film’s climax. G.W. Bailey is fantastic as Captain Harris as the man who would be the one to get Lassard to embark on his retirement as he tries to find ways to impress Commissioner Hurst that he should be the next Commandant. Matt McCoy is brilliant as Lassard’s nephew Nick as he fills in the void left by Steve Guttenberg’s Mahoney character from the previous films but McCoy plays it straight while displaying some charm and wit into the few pranks he plays on Harris. Rene Auberjonois is phenomenal as Tony as a jewel thief who would have unfortunate encounters with Lassard as he would try to re-take the diamonds he stole as he brings a lot of humor to his role. Finally, there’s George Gaynes in a splendid performance as Commandant Eric Lassard as a police official who is forced to cope with an impending retirement as he would also deal with other things as Gaynes adds a touch of Jacques Tati to some of his performance which makes the film very enjoyable.
Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach is a fun and exciting film from Alan Myerson as it features an amazing ensemble cast as well as an engaging premise that keeps things lively. Even as the film manages to change things a bit and try different things where the results end up being very enjoyable as the setting in Miami just adds a looseness and exuberance to the film. In the end, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach is a remarkable film from Alan Myerson.
Police Academy Films: Police Academy - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment - Police Academy 3: Back in Training - Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol - Police Academy 6: City Under Siege - Police Academy: Mission to Moscow
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/4/07 w/ Additional Edits.
Based on the novel by Richard Hooker, M.A.S.H. is the story about an eccentric group of medical personnel working during the Korean War as they defy the world of the military and all sorts of authority. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Ring Lardner, the film is an exploration into the world of military service and how some deal with their time. With an all-star cast that includes Elliott Gould, Donald Sutherland, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, Bud Cort, Rene Auberjonois, Tom Skerritt, Fred Williamson, Roger Bowen, John Schuck, and Michael Murphy. M.A.S.H. is an absurd yet chaotic war-comedy from Robert Altman.
It's the Korean War as two surgeons named Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland) and Duke (Tom Skerritt) arrived onto base and steal a jeep to go the M.A.S.H. unit miles away from where the fighting is going on. They meet their superior, Lt. Col. Blake (Roger Bowen) along with Cpl. "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), Father "Dago Red" Mulcahy (Rene Auberjonois), and dentist Capt. "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck). While Hawkeye and Duke were drafted into the war, they reveal to be just ordinary guys that just want to help people. Unfortunately, they're forced to live in the same tent with the religious, tough Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall). Going on with their business in surgery and flirting with nurses including Lt. "Dish" Schneider (Jo Ann Pflug), Hawkeye finds a new partner in arriving surgeon in "Trapper John" McIntyre (Elliott Gould).
Trapper John doesn't like the way things are run, especially when Burns blames the death of a patient on an orderly named Private Boone (Bud Cort). Trapper John responds to Burns' attitude by punching him just as new head nurse Major Margaret O'Houlihan (Sally Kellerman) arrives. O'Houlihan's arrival only increases Trapper John and Hawkeye's battle against authority. When they learn that O'Houlihan is having an affair with the married Burns, they learn her nickname to be "Hot Lips" as the medical personnel decide to play a prank on them. After getting Burns into the hot seat, John and Hawkeye continue to work on their wily ways while getting help from their Korean assistant Ho-Jon (Kim Atwood). When Hawkeye learns that Painless Pole is dealing with a problem that reveals that he's not a Don Juan, he finds a solution that will help him as the entire personnel including some reluctance from Dago Red, get involved. After another prank that involved Hot Lips, Hot Lips threatens to resign to Col. Blake.
When John and Hawkeye continue their wild ways, they learn that they can go to Japan to help operate on the son of a congressman. Still, dealing with the authority, Hawkeye and John continue to break the rules as they demand for some food and time to play golf and meet women with the building's doctor Capt. "Me Lay" Marston IV (Michael Murphy). Returning from Japan, they learn that General Hammond (G. Wood) wants to challenge Col. Blake for a football match with his unit. The rowdy personnel including Hot Lips decide to get a ringer named Spearchucker (Fred Williamson) for help to win some money. There, the general is forced to see for himself what the M.A.S.H. unit is really all about.
While films about war often show different sides of what goes on and off the battlefield. Robert Altman chooses to go outside of not just the battlefield but the conventions of war films by making not just an anti-war film but also anti-military. There's not a lot of mention of what was going on in the Korean War but rather as an allegory of sorts about Vietnam and its intentions. So, Altman chooses to explore the military in all of its absurdity and find characters that audiences can relate to. Then there's the story or rather... the lack of a story and plot. Still, Altman chooses to make fun of these things and defy authority through the film's central characters and supporting roles.
While the screenplay and story revels on what it was like working in the M.A.S.H. unit, it's really about a few, ordinary men trying to do their jobs and live their life while trying not to be pushed by their authority figures. Conflict is an important part of the film as characters such as Hawkeye and Trapper John duke it out with anyone like the mean Frank Burns who blames patients deaths on interns or Hot Lips for her strict guidelines. Yet, Altman's direction that is filled with chaos, overlapping dialogue between characters, and scenes that included more than two people in a frame. This became known as the Altman style and it feels very real to its audience where everyone from the big lead to a supporting player gets to have their moments. While the film incorporates a lot of style into this war comedy that includes a lot of low-brow humor and a football game in the end. To the casual film goer, it seems like one too many genres in a film yet Altman makes the film consistent through its irreverent humor where as a result, it's a no-holds-barred, witty comedy about war and the little people involved.
Cinematographer Harold E. Stine does excellent work in capturing the surreal, worldly look of the army bases and cities that the M.A.S.H. unit visit. Art directors Arthur Lonergan, Jack Martin Smith, and Michael Friedman also do excellent work in creating the tents and quirky look of the camps as well as some of the Japanese bases and sushi restaurants. Editor Danford B. Greene does excellent work in bringing rhythm and style to the film's editing with some perspective cuts as well as playing to the film's humor. Sound mixers Bernard Freericks and John D. Stack do great work on the sound to convey the atmosphere and mood of the scenes and settings they're in. Composer Johnny Mandel brings a comical film score to the film while the famous song Suicide Is Painless by Mandell and lyrics by then 14-year old Mike Altman is wonderfully funny ballad about one of the film's characters.
Then there's the cast which is very important to any Altman film. Notable small yet memorable performances from G. Wood, Kim Atwood, Indus Arthur as Col. Blake's mistress, Bobby Troup as Staff Sgt. Gorman, Cathleen Cordell as the head nurse in Japanese base, Danny Goldman as Cpt. Murrhardt, Corey Fischer as Cpt. Bandini, and in their film debuts, Fred Williamson as Spearchucker and Bud Cort as an intern. The voice of Sal Viscuso is very memorable for all the information he reveals about what movies are playing and such. Other small performances from Altman regulars Michael Murphy and Rene Auberjonois are wonderfully memorable for the brief scenes they're in while series regular Gary Burghoff is funny as Radar. Jo Ann Pflug is excellent as the nurse Lt. "Dish" Schneider while John Schuck gives a great performance as Painless Pole. Roger Bowen is wonderfully funny as the leading authority figure Lt. Col. Blake with his own quirky ideas about leading a unit.
Though he's known for dramatic roles, Robert Duvall is given to do a bit of comedy as the insane, religious Frank Burns. Duvall is great in willing to play a comic foil who takes himself too seriously and is willing to compromise his own beliefs. Sally Kellerman is wonderfully funny as another comic foil in Hot Lips with her hysterical behavior after her humiliating moments and her cheering as a cheerleader. Kellerman is very funny in the role that is definitely memorable. Tom Skerritt is also great as Duke with his mischievous ways and love for dope and Hot Lips. Donald Sutherland gives a wonderfully laid-back, funny performance as the easy-going Hawkeye who likes to flirt and cause trouble. Altman regular Elliott Gould is also extremely funny as Hawkeye's partner-in-chaos Trapper John with his hatred for authority and willingness to cause chaos. Gould and Sutherland really own the film by just adding memorable moment and one-liners after another.
M.A.S.H. is an off-the-wall yet extremely hilarious film from Robert Altman. Armed with a great ensemble cast and biting themes on war and authority, it is definitely one of the great films about military service. Notably as it isn't afraid to poke fun at the dark side of dealing with death and such. For those new to Robert Altman, this film is definitely one of the best places to start. In the end, M.A.S.H. is an incredibly funny film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/26/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the novel McCabe by Edward Naughton, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is the story about an entrepreneurial gambler who teams up with a brothel madam to become business partners for ventures in a town that is just developing in the late 1800s. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Altman and Brian McKay, the film is a revisionist western set in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1800s where it explores ambition and the people that would come in to ruin the dreams of these two individuals. Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Rene Auberjonois, William Devane, John Schuck, and Hugh Millais. McCabe & Mrs. Miller is an evocative yet entrancing film from Robert Altman.
John McCabe (Warren Beatty) arrives on a horse to a small town where he stops at a saloon to gamble where he meets its own Sheehan (Rene Auberjonois) and a patron named Smalley (John Schuck). McCabe stays at the saloon where he reveals in wanting to build a new saloon and a gambling casino as well as a bathhouse. With Smalley and other men helping out, McCabe also bring in three homely women as prostitutes until a brothel madam named Constance Miller (Julie Christie) looks on as she meets with McCabe. Miller is aware that McCabe wants to create a brothel but felt the women he brought in aren't good enough as she can get more classier girls from Seattle where they make a deal for Miller to run the brothel while Miller also helps McCabe become successful. With the town being built as a group of people arrive including a barber named Washington (Rodney Gage) and a young woman named Ida Coyle (Shelley Duvall), the small town is finally completed where McCabe and Mrs. Miller's business ventures become successful.
With Ida becoming a prostitute for Mrs. Miller after the death of her husband and the arrival of a young cowboy (Keith Carradine), a local mining business is interested in buying out McCabe as two men in Sears (Michael Murphy) and Hollander (Anthony Holland) offer McCabe a substantial deal. McCabe's decision upsets Miller who thinks that McCabe should've taken the deal but McCabe wants to stick to his dream of running a small independent business. After some discussions with Miller, McCabe starts to consider the offer as he turns to a lawyer (William Devane) who tells McCabe what he should do. Meanwhile, a gunman named Butler (Hugh Millais) arrives with two men whom McCabe believe are from the mining company. After an incident that leaves both McCabe and Mrs. Miller shaken, McCabe realizes what he must do to save his dream.
While Miller & Mrs. McCabe, like many Westerns, have a shootout scene. Altman presents the scene in a more unconventional way, especially done in a hazy, snowy way where McCabe is battling Butler but at the same time, something else is going on in the town. Altman's directing style done in widescreen camera angles is very succinct and elegant in its look, notably for the fact that it doesn't look like any other Western. Thanks to a strong, ambiguous script by him and Brian McKay, the film is filled with many ideas and comparisons to the time of the late 1800s and the Vietnam-era of 1971. The film's business ideals and sense shows the idealism of the 1960s with many of the dialogue done in a more contemporary way with a lot of profanity. Yet, when the third act begins with death, it's not just McCabe's dream that falls but also something that many film critics had suggest that the death of an even bigger dream. This is why Altman's directing is so dead-on in its presentation, especially since he knew that big business would take over the little business soon, one way or another.
Whereas most Westerns had a desert, sunny look, Altman chose for a bleak, rainy, snowy look in McCabe & Mrs. Miller where he shot the film, entirely in Canada. Helping Altman with his hazy vision is the grainy, desaturated cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond, who brings a colorless look of muddy grounds, leaves, and everything else that isn't bright except for the sunlight in one scene. For the lighting, Zsigmond goes for candlelights in a lot of the interior scenes while in the exteriors, goes for graininess in its look. With production designer Leon Erickson and art directors Phillip E. Thomas and Albert J. Locatelli, the film has a very detailed look of the late 1800s Western saloons, bathhouses, and brothels, especially the bridges that connect in some of the lake areas. The film also has a strange, atmospheric sound with its wind and music box chimes that is captured wonderfully while Lou Lombardo's editing really helps give the film a nice pacing while in the shootout scene, help plays to the film's unconventional style.
Then, there's the film's soundtrack which features three songs by Leonard Cohen, The Stranger Song, Sisters Of Mercy, and Winter Song which all came from Cohen's debut album. The use of Cohen's songs helps bring a dark, bleak atmosphere where everything is amiss and a sense of doom is set to emerge. Winter Song serves a nice accompaniment to the opium-induced mind of Mrs. Miller while The Stranger Song is perfect for the brooding McCabe. Sisters Of Mercy is also wonderfully used for the three homely prostitutes McCabe brings. Even in their extended instrumental sections that Cohen added to the film, it's melancholic folk-driven tone really gives the film a different feel in comparison to many Westerns.
Then, there's the film's amazingly sprawling cast of actors. Hugh Millais is wonderfully sadistic and charismatic as Butler with his British, roguish tone where he seems like a likeable villain while Michael Murphy and Anthony Holland are sleazily brilliant in the respective roles of Sears and Hollander. Shelley Duvall is lovely as the aloof mail-order bride Ida who doesn't know much but her scenes with Christie are wonderfully executed. William Devane is exquisitely charismatic as McCabe's attorney who shares his dreams in a way that seems very off but with some humor. Rene Auberjonois is also wonderful in his small role of Sheehan as is John Schuck as McCabe's business associate, Smalley. Rodney Gage, Bert Remsen, and many other small characters are wonderfully acted but biggest standout in the smallest of roles is Keith Carradine as a doomed, young cowboy who gets killed for no reason since all he wanted was to get new socks inside the saloon.
Warren Beatty, often seen as an iconic, handsomely old man, brings in an amazing performance as John McCabe. In his bearded look, Beatty brings a mix of humor, romanticism, idealistic, and charm to his role as the somewhat simpleton, chauvinistic McCabe. The scenes where Beatty talks to himself are funny sometimes but also sad since there's a sense of doom laying for him. Beatty really shines in this performance where he plays against type as a man who is just a bumbling, two-bit gambler who achieves something more than his simple, foolhardy dream. Julie Christie is the film's best performance, not to mention that she received an Oscar nod for Best Actress for this film, thanks to her Cockney British accent and smart, business tactics as Mrs. Constance Miller. Though the character was more interested in her opium pipe rather than the world around her, Christie brings grace and sympathy to her role, as a woman who is trying to ignore the world around her yet couldn't escape it. Christie also brings a sexiness that is a wonderful presence despite not showing a lot of skin as she transcends her beauty with grit and intelligence.
Beatty and Christie are wonderful together in their scenes and thankfully, Altman chose for them to go more into a sense of business rather than into a full-on romance. Though, there's hint of it, Beatty and Christie chose to act like business partners rather than reluctant lovers. Though the two care about each other, they know what's important first. It's one of the best pairings in cinema.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a magnificent film from Robert Altman that features incredible leading performances from Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in the title roles. Armed with a great supporting cast, Vilmos Zsigmond's lush cinematography, strong themes, and Leonard Cohen's seductive soundtrack. It's a film that is definitely among one of Altman's best films as well as one of the most unconventional westerns of that genre. In the end, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a brilliant film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2013
