Mission: Impossible

Based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller, Mission: Impossible is the story of a spy who being hunted down by his organization after being accused of killing his crew where he has to find the mole in the agency. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Robert Towne and David Koepp from a story by Koepp and Steve Zaillian, the film is suspense-thriller in which a spy has to uncover the truth over a failed mission as well as wonder who to trust. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny, Emilio Estevez, and Vanessa Redgrave. Mission: Impossible is a thrilling and stylish film from Brian de Palma.

The film revolves around a spy who was part of a mission that suddenly goes wrong when he is accused of being a mole after his crew had been killed forcing him to find out who the mole is as it involves a deal with a mysterious arms dealer. It’s a film with a unique premise that is filled with twists and turns by screenwriters David Koepp and Robert Towne as it explores a man who is seeking out the truth as well as wonder who the mole is. The film does have a MacGuffin in this list of spies and their alias where everyone wants it as the spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) decides to steal it as a way to get the mole to come out as well as clear his name with the help of another agent in Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Beart) whom the IMF doesn’t know is still alive as she takes part to get revenge on the people who killed her husband Jim (Jon Voight) who was also Hunt’s mentor.

Claire was also in the botched mission as a getaway driver as Hunt is suspicious about why she is still alive when everyone else in their team was killed including her husband. At the same time, they deal with this mysterious arms dealer in Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who wants this list for her own advantage in this post-Cold War race to get power. Upon hiring the disavowed hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and the pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) for this mission to retrieve the list, Hunt realizes that there are those he can’t trust including Claire as he is convinced the mole is the IMF leader Kittridge (Henry Czerny) due to this play for power.

Brian de Palma’s direction definitely has a flair for style as it opens with a mission to establish what Hunt and his team does as well as play into a few references of the original TV series. Shot on various locations in Prague, London, and parts of Scotland, the film does play into this world where there is still a sense of unease following the end of the Cold War with some wanting to cash in on whoever will win the next war. The film does show de Palma’s penchant for style in the way he captures so much attention to detail in the key scene to capture a Russian spy from retrieving the list as well as what Hunt and his team are doing and the roles they play. There are also these suspenseful moments where de Palma keeps the intrigue going of who is killing who and who are these people in the background. The usage of close-ups and stylish compositions are key to what de Palma is doing in the suspense that includes a post-mission conversation between Hunt and Kittridge as it is show on low slanted camera angles and in a reverse shot as it play into this air of intrigue. The non-action scenes is where de Palma shines as he uses medium shots to play into the way multiple characters interact as well as a few wide shots to establish the location and its geography.

One key sequence that involves Hunt retrieving the list in a very exclusive and highly secretive room as he’s hanging from a ceiling a key example of de Palma’s approach to suspense as it requires silence as well as not make sure a drop of sweat hits the floor or the alarm will go off. It’s a key sequence late in the second act which play into what is at stake but also what Hunt needs to do to find the mole. The third act is about the unveiling of the mole as well as the mole’s motivations as it play into the aftermath of the Cold War and the ideas of the future. Even as Hunt has to do something to expose the truth for the safety of the world in a grand and thrilling climax set on a train in the English Channel. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and entertaining film about a spy trying to uncover a mole who killed his team during a botched mission.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the look of the cities at night as well as some of the interiors of the rooms and places the characters stay at and the room of the secret computer. Editor Paul Hirsch does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, stylish montages, dissolves, and other stylish cuts help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Norman Reynolds, with set decorator Peter Howitt plus art directors Fred Hole and Jonathan McKinstry, does amazing work with the look of the places the characters go to including the secret computer room and the interiors of the train for the film’s climax. Costume designers Penny Rose and Timothy Everest do fantastic work with the costumes as it include a few designer dresses for the mission that would be botched as well as clothes for the characters to wear in disguise.

Makeup designer Lois Burwell, along with special makeup effects artist Rob Bottin, does terrific work with the masks that Hunt would wear in disguise including the look of a senator he would pretend to be for the botched mission. Special effects supervisors David Beavis and Ian Wingrove, along with visual effects supervisors Andrew Eio, John Knoll, and Richard Yuricich, do superb work with the visual effects as it relates to the film’s climax as well as some of the design of the masks that Hunt wears. Sound editor Tom Bellfort does nice work with the sound in creating sound effects for the action as well as the air of silence for the computer room scene to play into the suspense. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible for its orchestral-based score as well as creating variations of the famed TV show theme by Lalo Schifrin that include an electronic-based version by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of the band U2.

The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Olegar Fedoro as the Ukranian spy trying to get the list early in the film, Dale Dye as Kittridge’s aide Frank Barnes, Rolf Saxon as the CIA analyst William Donloe who has access to the secret computer room, and Karel Dobry as Max’s assistant Matthias. In the roles of Hunt’s original team, there’s Ingeborga Dapkunaite as surveyor Hannah and Emilio Estevez in an un-credited role as Hunt’s gadgets creator and hacker Jack Harmon as they’re terrific in their roles as is Kristin Scott Thomas in a small yet superb performance as the spy Sarah Davies. Henry Czerny is excellent as Kittridge as the IMF chief who believes that Hunt is the mole as he does whatever he can to catch him while Jean Reno is fantastic as Franz Krieger as a disavowed agent hired by Hunt to help him retrieve the list as he’s also very ambiguous over what he wants to do with the list. Ving Rhames is brilliant as the hacker Luther Stickell who would prove to be one of the few people Hunt can trust as he is also someone who is good at what he does and be humble about it.

Emmanuelle Beart is wonderful as Claire Phelps as Jim’s wife who survived the botch mission as there is a sense of ambiguity to her about her survival as she is also someone that wants revenge while dealing with her feelings for Hunt. Vanessa Redgrave is amazing as Max as this secretive arms dealer that is eager to get the list for her own thirst of power as it’s a charismatic performance from Redgrave. Jon Voight is incredible as Jim Phelps as Hunt’s mentor and Claire’s husband as a top spy who organized the botched mission unaware of what he’s going after as it’s a low-key yet chilling performance from Voight who maintains this sense of ambiguity. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a phenomenal performance as Ethan Hunt as a spy who finds himself being accused of being a mole where it’s a performance that has Cruise display charm as well as be full of determination and drive as it is one of his finest performances of his career.

Mission: Impossible is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma that features a top-notch performance from Tom Cruise. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, and Danny Elfman’s thrilling score, it’s a blockbuster film that offers a lot of excitement as well as containing some engaging moments of suspense. In the end, Mission: Impossible is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2018

8 Million Ways to Die

Based on the novel by Lawrence Block, 8 Million Ways to Die is the story of a guilt-reddened sheriff who tries to save a hooker from a drug dealer who killed one of her friends. Directed by Hal Ashby and screenplay by Oliver Stone and Robert Towne (in his David Henry Lee pseudonym), the film is a detective thriller that explores the world of high-stakes drug-dealing while a detective deals with his alcoholism and other issues. Starring Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, Alexandra Paul, Randy Brooks, and Andy Garcia. 8 Million Ways to Die is a gripping though somewhat very conventional film from Hal Ashby.

The film is an exploration of a troubled sheriff who struggles with alcoholism following a botched raid as he goes to a party with a hooker who asks for his protection from a drug dealer only for things to go wrong as he asks one of her friends to help him. In some aspects, the film is about a man trying to find redemption as well as do the right thing where he wants to take down a drug lord’s empire. The film’s screenplay by Oliver Stone and Robert Towne does take its time to explore the struggles of its protagonist Matthew Scudder (Jeff Bridges) as he deals with his sins as the mistakes he makes would cause him to drink as he already lost his family and his job as a sheriff in Los Angeles. Upon going into a blind date with a hooker named Sunny (Alexandra Paul), Scudder gets himself into trouble where he learns that Sunny is being targeted by the drug dealer Angel Moldonado (Andy Garcia) who is dating Sunny’s friend Sarah (Rosanna Arquette) who would later help Scudder to bring down Moldonado whose ambition would eventually cause trouble.

Hal Ashby’s direction does have a lot of interesting compositions which includes a lot of wide shots and medium compositions as well as some interesting angle to play into the film’s suspense and drama. Yet, it lacks the quirky sense of humor and realistic drama that Ashby is known for though he does manage to create some very interesting scenes such as Scudder and Moldonado talking trash to each other outside of Dodgers Stadium. Some of the action is quite intense as well as the way Ashby plays into Scudder’s struggles where he would black out from his drinking. The film would have some unique climax where even though it does play to the convention of crime dramas and suspense films, they do manage to keep things engaging. Especially with the script’s attempts to make things more gripping though it ends on a very conventional note despite the fact that it does play into Scudder’s desire for redemption. Overall, Ashby creates a good though somewhat pedestrian film about a former sheriff trying to take down a drug lord.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with some grainy film stock to play into the film‘s grimy look with some unique lighting schemes for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Robert Lawrence and Stuart H. Pappe does nice work with the editing where it plays into some of the rhythm of the film‘s suspense and action along with its dramatic moments. Production designer Michael D. Haller, with art director Mark W. Mansbridge and set decorators Barbara Kreiger and John T. Walker, does terrific work with the set pieces from the Gaudi-inspired home that Moldonado live in to more drab home of Scudder. Costume designer Gloria Gersham does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses the women wear to the suits that Moldonado wears. Sound editor Samuel C. Crutcher does superb work with the sound from some of the voice montages that plays into Scudder‘s head as well as some of the effects that play into the film‘s climatic showdown scenes. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is brilliant for its electronic-heavy score to play into the film’s suspense and drama as

The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Lisa Sloan and Christa Denton in their respective roles as Scudder’s ex-wife and daughter, Wilfredo Hernandez as a drug dealer Scudder would kill early in the film to his own regret, James Avery as a deputy D.A., Vance Valencia as Moldonado’s right-hand man, Vyto Ruginis as Scudder’s former partner, and Tommy “Tiny” Lister as the right-hand man of club owner Chance. Randy Brooks is terrific as a criminal turned gambling club owner/pimp Chance who is trying to become legitimate despite Scudder’s presence as he would later team up with him once he learns what Moldonado wants from him. Alexandra Paul is okay as Sunny as this young hooker who finds herself the target of Moldonado over what she discovers as it’s a character that is often flighty as she would also try to seduce Scudder.

Andy Garcia is brilliant as Angel Moldonado as this very fiery and ambitious drug lord who wants to make it to the top as Garcia manages to do more with a character that could’ve been very conventional yet has a lot of charisma to make him into a very slimy yet cool antagonist. Rosanna Arquette is wonderful as Sarah as this hooker who is also Moldonado’s girlfriend as she struggles with her own vices while helping Scudder take down Moldonado. Finally, there’s Jeff Bridges in an excellent performance as Matt Scudder as this troubled ex-sheriff trying to redeem himself for his actions and fuck-ups by helping a hooker only to find himself in a dangerous world where he has to save some good people and face off against someone like Moldonado.

8 Million Ways to Die is a pretty good film from Hal Ashby thanks in part to the performances of Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette, and Andy Garcia. While it may not have been the way Ashby would’ve ended his feature-film career, it is at least an engaging crime film despite a lot of its conventional elements due to the post-production tinkering of studio executives. In the end, 8 Million Ways to Die is a solid and enjoyable film from Hal Ashby.

Hal Ashby Films: The Landlord - Harold & Maude - The Last Detail - Shampoo - Bound for Glory - Coming Home - Being There - Second-Hand Hearts - (Lookin’ to Get Out) - (Let’s Spend the Night Together) - (Solo Trans) - (The Slugger’s Wife)

© thevoid99 2014

Shampoo

Directed by Hal Ashby and written by Warren Beatty and Robert Towne, Shampoo is the story of a hairdresser who deals with his own issues on commitment while seducing many of his female clients in Los Angeles. Set in the span of 24 hours during Election Day in 1968, the film is an exploration into a man dealing with his own identity while his world is starting to change in the course of an entire day as it‘s loosely based on the life of a renowned hairdresser Jay Sebring who would be one of the victims of the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders by the Manson Family. Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Tony Bill, Carrie Fisher, and Jack Warden. Shampoo is an exhilarating and chaotic film from Hal Ashby.

Set in the day of the life of hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) on what is a very crucial day in American history that is Election Day 1968. The film plays into a world where a man’s often carefree life of doing women’s hair and fucking them starts to finally blow up as he faces his own identity as well as the fears in growing up and being committed to someone. Especially as he has a girlfriend in aspiring actress Jill (Goldie Hawn) while sleeping with a rich woman in Felicia (Lee Grant) whose husband Lester Karpf (Jack Warden) is having an affair with one of George’s former lovers in Jackie Shaw (Julie Christie) who still has feelings for George. In the day, George is working on Felicia and Jackie’s hair while trying to get a loan so he can start his own hair salon as he feels unappreciated by his boss Norman (Jay Robinson). Yet, it all comes to ahead through a couple of parties later in the night as it’s not just Roundy’s life that starts to fall apart but also the reality that is to come upon Richard Nixon in becoming the President of the United States of America.

The film’s screenplay by Warren Beatty and Robert Towne doesn’t just explore a man’s life starting to fall apart in a day where things are about to come to an end. It’s a film where a man is trying to grow up but he often succumbs to his own trappings in sleeping with women throughout the course of an entire day. Upon George’s own turbulent journey in juggling his affairs and work, there’s a lot that is happening as Jill just got a job offer that could help her as she befriends producer Johnny Pope (Tony Bill). While George deals with Felicia and Jackie, he would also have an encounter with Lester and Felicia’s 19-year old daughter Lorna (Carrie Fisher) who hates her mother. All of which plays into his own failings as a man and it would eventually start to blow up in a crazy night where he is invited by Lester to a dinner that Jackie, Felicia, and Jill attend with Pope as Jill’s date.

The screenplay also features some racy dialogue such as Jackie’s own drunken desires at the dinner while the script features this sense of foreboding as the world of free love and drugs is starting to come to a dark end. Especially as Lester is a conservative who has a lot of connections to the Nixon campaign though he is aware of politics’ fallacies while he would also encounter a party with hippies as he realizes that they’re not so bad. Yet, it’s an encounter that would also reveal more about George’s own issues with commitment as his own world starts to fall apart. After that climatic party, George not only faces himself but also the realities that are lurking as it becomes clear how distracted he is in his own bullshit and not knowing about the other people in his life. Even as he also deals with the world of women as it becomes clear that he still has a lot to learn about them.

Hal Ashby’s direction is very compelling for the way he creates a world where the characters are unaware of what is about to happen on Election Night and what is to come in the coming years. It plays into this sense of dramatic irony as the audience know what is coming as it would play into a sense that an end of an era is happening for George Roundy. Much of the film is set in Los Angeles where it plays into a world where the rich and established collide with the more idealistic youth culture as Ashby does create something where the two different cultures seem to try and get to know each other during Lester’s encounter with hippies as he decides to loosen up a bit and not worry about his reputation. Ashby infuses a lot of offbeat humor into these situations as well as the dinner-party scene where it is about a celebration of what is to come but it features a moment that showcases how absurd it is.

The direction also has Ashby use some very inventive framing devices in the way he puts his actors into a frame. Some which involve an actor in the background while the other is shot in a near close-up where the actor in the background is obviously listening or wanting to do something. There’s also moments in the framing where there’s these intricate crowd scenes as it’s shot in a wide frame where the main characters are in the background or in the middle of the frame in a medium shot to play into the sense of chaos they’re in. All of which plays into Roundy’s own messy life as its ending is him trying to come to terms with his life and what he wants to do. Especially in who he wants to be with where it’s an ending full of irony where even though he says that he wants to grow up and live a normal life. It is clear that he is more likely to screw things up and live the same life that he knows. Overall, Ashby creates a very witty yet tender film about a man’s life falling apart in the span of an entire day.

Cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with the colorful look of its daytime interior/exterior scenes to the use of lights for some of the scenes at night as well as the psychedelic party that many of the characters go to. Editor Robert C. Jones does brilliant work with the editing with its seamless approach to rhythms for some of the film‘s humorous scenes along with some unique cutting for some of the dramatic reactions in the film. Production designer Richard Sylbert, with set decorator George Gaines and art director W. Stewart Campbell, does fantastic work with the many homes of the characters to play into their personalities as well as the psychedelic party where most of the characters go to. Costume designer Anthea Sylbert does amazing work with the costume in the design of the late 60s clothing that many of the characters wear to play into their personalities.

Hair stylist Jan Van Uchelen and hairdresser Kathryn Blondell do terrific work with the design of the hair styles and cuts some of the women characters would sport to play with what George is creating Sound editor Frank E. Warren does superb work with the sound in the way some of the music is presented as well as the radio and television as it would play into the sense of foreboding in the film‘s political climate. The film’s music by Paul Simon is wonderful as it’s a very low-key piece that is only used sparingly to play into George’s melancholia with its simple folk-based sound. The film’s music soundtrack includes pieces by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Buffalo Springfield, the Monkees, Herb Alpert, Jefferson Airplane, and the Cookies as it’s all played on location to capture that period in time.

The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is incredible as it features a few cameo appearances from Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & Papas, co-writer Robert Towne, and Howard Hesseman as partygoers in the psychedelic party, Jay Robinson as George’s worrisome boss Norman, Ann Weldon as a salon co-worker, and in her film debut, Carrie Fisher as Lester and Felicia’s daughter Lorna who would have a few tricks up her sleeve as a way to react her hostilities towards her mother. Tony Bill is terrific as the producer Johnny Pope who tries to help Jill with her career while being a very good guy though he is mistaken by Lester as George’s boyfriend. Jack Warden is excellent as Lester Karpf as this rich businessman with all sorts of connections who offers George the chance to run his own salon while dealing with his own marriage to Felicia as well as his affair with Jackie as it’s role that is a bit comical but also a bit serious.

Lee Grant is amazing as Lester’s wife Felicia as she is one of George’s many lovers as she is very demanding while becoming tired in her marriage where her discovery about the things in her life starts to show her acting out. Goldie Hawn is brilliant as George’s girlfriend Jill as this insecure and neurotic aspiring actress who is unsure about the part she is to get as she also starts to question about the state of her relationship with George until she makes her own discoveries. Julie Christie is fantastic as Jackie Shaw as this very posh woman who is torn in her devotion for Lester and her feelings for George as she starts to unravel about the decisions she’s making. Finally, there’s Warren Beatty in a phenomenal performance as George Roundy as this very immature man who is good at his job but the years of sleeping around with women and such has made him lose sight of things as he wants to become a responsible adult but has so many issues that prevents him from doing what is right as it’s Beatty at his most vulnerable.

Shampoo is a remarkable film from Hal Ashby that features great performances from Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, and Jack Warden. Along with a great script from Beatty and Robert Towne as well as witty commentary on a world that is changing through a sex-obsessed hairdresser. The film is definitely of Ashby’s finest films as well as showcasing a period in time where many of the behaviors and attitudes of the 1960s would start to fall apart in a much bleaker decade. In the end, Shampoo is a spectacular film from Hal Ashby.

Hal Ashby Films: The Landlord - Harold & Maude - The Last Detail - Bound for Glory - Coming Home - Being There - Second-Hand Hearts - (Lookin’ to Get Out) - (Let’s Spend the Night Together) - (Solo Trans) - (The Slugger’s Wife) - 8 Million Ways to Die

© thevoid99 2014

Frantic

Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach with additional contributions by Robert Towne and Jeff Gross, Frantic is the story about an American doctor who travels to Paris to visit his wife as she suddenly disappears prompting him to go on a search for her whereabouts all over the city. The film is a suspense story that revolves a man’s desire to find his wife as he gets help from a young street-wise woman who knows about the dark underworld that is in the city. Starring Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, John Mahoney, and Emmanuelle Seigner. Frantic is a gripping yet mesmerizing thriller from Roman Polanski.

When the wife of an American doctor is kidnapped in Paris where her husband is trying to find her whereabouts. It is often in the schematics of things for the man to go on the search for his wife by himself. While the film does play into that, it revolves around a suitcase that later belongs to someone else as its owner is a young woman who was supposed to smuggle something in the suitcase unaware of its contents. Once this doctor and young woman figure out why they’re attracting trouble over a suitcase. What occurs is the fact that there is an object in the suitcase that some very important people want as this doctor and young woman are caught in the middle as all the doctor wants is his wife back.

The screenplay by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach does play with the conventions of a suspense-thriller that often involves kidnapping angles. Yet, they add other elements to the stories such as the fact that the film’s protagonist in Dr. Richard Walker (Harrison Ford) has to deal with not just some of the American bureaucracy involved as it complicates issues in the search for his wife. There’s also all sorts of people that wants something in this suitcase that belongs to this young woman named Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner). While Michelle admits that she smuggles drugs for a dealer, she has no idea about some of the contents she was carrying in that suitcase. All because Michelle and Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra (Betty Buckley) each got the wrong suitcase, a whole lot of trouble comes in as Sondra is kidnapped and Dr. Walker goes on this frantic search to find her.

The script does explore the idea of how police and these American political issues complicate things for Dr. Walker as they’re more concerned about other things. Notably as it would also involve various people where Dr. Walker and Michelle realize what they’re after. For Dr. Walker, he can use this object as a bargaining chip to get his wife back while Michelle just wants money for bringing the object to them. Still, they have to deal with forces who are very dangerous and this object, which is a Macguffin, is what everyone else is after where Dr. Walker would finally take control of this deal.

Polanski’s direction is quite entrancing for the way he explores the world of kidnapping and a man’s desire to retrieve his wife. Notably as he creates a lot of interesting compositions to establish the sense of mystery that occurs in the film. Shot on location in Paris, Polanski creates something where it does involve this American who doesn’t speak much French as he’s either dismissed or misinterpreted by the locals. Yet, he does get help from a few people who understand what he’s going through. Polanski uses close-ups to unveil some of the tribulations that Dr. Walker is going through as well as some eerie moments in the nighttime moments where Dr. Walker is trying to uncover the mystery. In this world full of nightclubs filled with lots of reggae music, Dr. Walker is definitely in a world that he doesn’t really know much about as it is a very seedy side of Paris.

Polanski’s direction also allows the film to have a bit of humor such as a scene of Dr. Walker walking on the roof of Michelle’s apartment with the suitcase that reveals his sense of awkwardness while some of the humor also comes from Michelle who is just a young woman that likes to chew bubblegum. Polanski also create moments where he allows the characters to improvise a bit to get out of situations while maintaining that sense of suspense that is prevalent through the film. Notably in the final showdown involving Dr. Walker, Michelle and the people who has Sondra where it is about who gains what yet there are also forces that want something as Polanski maintains that intensity in the suspense. Overall, Polanski crafts a very engaging and chilling suspense film that doesn’t lose sight of its intentions as well as its characters.

Cinematographer Witold Sobocinski does excellent work with the cinematography from some of the nighttime interior shadings in the apartments and at Dr. Walker‘s hotel room to some of the look of Paris at dawn in some of the film‘s exterior scenes. Editor Sam O‘Steen does brilliant work with the editing by using some methodical rhythmic cuts to play out some of the film‘s suspenseful moments as well as some of its comical moments. Production designer Pierre Guffroy does nice work with the look of the hotel rooms that Dr. Walker is staying at as well as the apartment that Michelle lives in.

Costume designer Anthony Powell does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish clothes of Michelle to the more reserved look of Dr. Walker. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does fantastic work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the nightclubs as well as some of the eerie moments in the film. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is phenomenal as Morricone creates this haunting score filled with ominous string arrangements with a bit of guitar in the mix to play out some of its suspense and drama as it’s one of his more overlooked scores in his revered career. The soundtrack features a mix of jazz and electro-pop music with a dash of reggae as it includes contributions by Simply Red and Grace Jones to play out the sense of youth that Michelle revels in.

The film’s cast is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Dominique Pinon as a wino who witnessed what happened to Sondra, Dominique Vitron as the hotel desk clerk, Jacques Ciron as the hotel manager, Jimmie Ray Weeks and John Mahoney as U.S. embassy officials, Thomas M. Pollard as a Rastafarian that Dr. Walker meets, David Huddleston as a colleague Dr. Walker meets at the airport, and Yorgo Voyagis as the kidnapper. Betty Buckley is terrific as Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra who becomes a victim of troubling circumstances in order to get an object that Michelle was supposed to deliver.

Emmanuelle Seigner is superb as the street-wise Michelle who helps Dr. Walker navigate through the streets of Paris to find Sondra while being a woman with her own agenda as it’s a wonderful debut performance for the actress. Finally, there’s Harrison Ford in an incredible performance as Dr. Richard Walker as a man who is just determined to find his wife where Ford brings the every-man into the character as well as a vulnerability that allows him to be very engaging in the plight that he’s facing.

Frantic is a marvelous suspense-thriller from Roman Polanski that is highlighted by the brilliant performances from Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner. While it’s a thriller that does play to conventional tactics, Polanski is able to make it very engaging as well as bring a sense of human drama that is prevalent through the film. It’s also one of Polanski’s more overlooked films for the fact that he is able to create something that does more for the suspense genre. In the end, Frantic is a masterfully-crafted thriller from Roman Polanski.

Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates (1986 film)) - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Olivier Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)

© thevoid99 2013

Chinatown

Considered to be one of the greatest noir films ever made, Chinatown tells the story of a detective investigating a murder that involves a dispute over water in California circa 1937.  Directed by Roman Polanski with an original screenplay by Robert Towne.  Chinatown is considered to be one of the finest mysteries ever told as it also became the first film produced by former Paramount studio head Robert Evans.  Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, Burt Young, Diane Ladd, Perry Lopez, and John Huston.  Chinatown is an extraordinary masterpiece that is still captivating more than 35 years since its release.

After being hired by a woman named Mrs. Mulwray (Diane Ladd) to investigate her husband, whom she accuses him of adultery.  Private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes goes after Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), a chief supervisor working the L.A. County Water and Power Department.  Following him through public meetings and everything else that involved water.  Gittes learns that Mr. Mulwray is having an affair with a young woman (Belinda Palmer) as he takes pictures with help from his associates Duffy (Bruce Glover) and Walsh (Joe Mantell).  The pictures become public where Jake is suddenly being sued by a woman (Faye Dunaway) who is revealed to be Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray.

Realizing he’s been duped all along, Gittes wants to know why when he wants to talk to Hollis Mulwray himself.  After getting some information at Mulwray’s office and meeting with another supervisor named Russ Yelburton (John Hillerman).  Gittes notices pictures of Hollis with an old man (John Huston) whom he previously saw in one of Walsh’s pictures revealed to be Noah Cross, Evelyn’s father.  Gittes goes to a reservoir to meet with Mulwray where he also comes across his former police partner Lt. Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez) where Hollis Mulwray is found dead.  Evelyn is asked to go to the police station for questions as she turns to Jake for help as she wants him to investigate what happened.

With Gittes now on the case to find out what happened to Hollis Mulwray, he also learns about why Mulwray was murdered relating to the owner ship of the water.  Gittes ends up getting into a confrontation with a corrupt sheriff named Mulvihill (Roy Jenson) and his associate (Roman Polanski) who cuts Jake’s nose.  After that incident, Gittes gets a call from the woman who pretended to be Mrs. Mulwray about the obituaries which mentioned some names.  Gittes meets with Noah Cross about Hollis Mulwray where Cross asks Gittes to find Hollis’ mistress.  After finding out about some recent landowners that included one of the deceased names at the obituary.  Gittes goes to an orange grove plantation where he gets in trouble with landowners until Evelyn saves him.

Jake and Evelyn learn more about the motivation for Hollis’ murder in relation to his protest towards a dam being built to prevent water from landowners in the valley.  After evading Mulvihill and his henchmen, Jake and Evelyn hide at her home where Evelyn reveals more about her father.  Evelyn, later gets a call from her butler Kahn (James Wong) to go to a house.  Jake would follow Evelyn as he learns about Evelyn’s dilemma.  After getting another call about some more information about Hollis’ body, Jake confronts Evelyn about Hollis and the mistress where some awful truths come out.  Even as Escobar is going after Jake over withholding evidence as it relates to Noah Cross where it would lead to a climatic confrontation.

What was supposed to be part of a trilogy of stories involving Jake Gittes, the film is an allegory of sorts of the dark, cynical tone of what was happening in the 1970s during the Watergate scandal.  Both screenwriter Robert Towne and director Roman Polanski decided to create a story about corruption set in the late 1930s in the age when film noir was big.  The end result is an intoxicating yet eerie mystery-thriller that has the attitude of the 1970s and take it back in time to the late 1930s.  A film that has all of the ingredients of a stylish noir film that is entertaining and engrossing.

Part of this genius belongs to screenwriter Robert Towne whose witty, rhythmic dialogue is part of the film’s brilliance.  Setting the film during the real-life California Water Wars during the early 1900s.  Towne was able to use that incident as a backdrop while focusing on why was this chief supervisor for the water department was killed and who killed him.  That’s where Jake Gittes comes in as he goes very deep into finding out what is going on.  Though he was originally supposed to do a job to uncover a man committing adultery, he gets more than he bargains for while nearly losing a nose.

Gittes is the typical gumshoe P.I. in a lot of noir films yet has an attitude that sets him apart from those protagonists from the past.  Even as he is a man who is trying to be good while dealing with demons he had in the past in his days as a beat cop at Chinatown.  Then there’s Evelyn Mulwray, the femme fatale of sorts but one with a much bigger secret.  Though she reveals the secret in a famous dialogue, what is revealed is a woman still haunted by what happened to her and how she tries to keep her husband happy despite not being faithful to her husband and vice versa.  Still, in the classic noir formula, Evelyn does become a formidable ally to Gittes whenever he gets himself into trouble and such.

Towne’s approach to the structure of the story is unique not just to the genre but also to its period.  The first act revolves around Gittes’ discovery of Hollis Mulwray’s murder, Evelyn hiring him, and his confrontation with Mulvihill.  The second act has Gittes meeting his first meeting with Noah Cross and his meeting with landowners.  The third act begins with Gittes confronting Evelyn about the mysterious woman at her home which leads to some troubling revelations as well as other dark secrets.  Even to the climatic confrontation at Chinatown.  Towne’s script is truly mesmerizing as it is definitely one of the best examples of a great screenplay.

The direction of Roman Polanski is truly intoxicating with its hypnotic presentation in terms of framing and capturing a moment on film.  Polanski’s camera always follow the action as if he is playing an invisible observer to see what Jake Gittes is doing.  At the same time, he also gives the viewer a chance to soak Los Angeles circa 1937.  Still, Polanski is interested in divulging into the mysterious death of Hollis Mulwray as well as all of the issues that occurred in the Water Wars.  Shooting scenes of rivers, oceans, and ponds become symbolic for the motivation of Gittes’ investigation.  Even in the tiny pond at the Mulwray’s home inside their garden where Gittes would find a major clue.

Polanski’s eerie direction, in terms of capturing action and scenery, is a highlight along with the way he captures the actors in their performances.  Whether it’s using a close-up or a two-shot with various actors.  He always has his eye on Nicholson, who appears in nearly every frame of the film.  Even as he gets the chance for the actors to feel relaxed or give in to some kind of crazed performance.  The overall result of Polanski’s work is magnificent as this is definitely one of his crowning achievements in his prolific career.

Cinematographer John A. Alonzo does an amazing job with the film‘s lush photography to encompass its noir tone.  Alonzo’s photography also has great shadings for many of the film’s sunny day interiors along with wonderful nighttime scenes that play up the dark mood of the film.  Editor Sam O’Steen does fantastic work with the film‘s editing that includes a leisured pace to the film.  Even with fast-paced rhythmic cutting to play up to the snappy dialogue and intense scenes as O’Steen’s editing is truly one of the film’s technical highlights.

Production designer Richard Sylbert, along with set decorator Ruby Levitt and art director W. Stewart Campbell, do a spectacular job in re-creating late 1930s Los Angeles with the use of old cars and places.  Costume designer Anthea Sylbert does a glorious job with the costumes from the suits and hats the men wear to the dresses, hats, and shoes that the women wear.  There’s something to the look and feel in the costumes that is mesmerizing as it adds authenticity to the film. 

Sound editors Howard Beals, Bob Cornett, and Roger Sword do excellent work with the sound to capture gunshots and the atmosphere surrounding the locations.  Music composer Jerry Goldsmith create what is truly one of the best film scores ever composed for a film.  Goldsmith’s lush, scintillating score filled with swooning trumpets and an elegant orchestra to play up the drama of the film along with broad arrangements for many of the film’s suspense sequences.  Featuring a soundtrack filled with jazz music from other composers, it’s one of the best film scores/soundtracks ever made.

The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is marvelous with the array of memorable small and big roles that are portrayed on film.  Among the number of memorable small roles include Ron Howard’s father Rance as an angry farmer at a meeting, Cecil Elliot as an old woman Gittes sweet-talks to, Fritzi Burr as Hollis Mulwray’s secretary, Belinda Palmer as Hollis’ mistress, Nandu Hinds as Gittes’ secretary, Richard Bakalyan as Escobar’s associate Loach, and Darrell Zwerling as Hollis Mulwray.  Other notable small yet memorable roles include Burt Young as a client of Gittes named Curly, Bruce Glover and Joe Mantell as Gittes’ respective associates of Duffy and Walsh, James Hong as Evelyn’s butler, John Hillerman as the evasive Yelburton, Diane Ladd as the fake Mrs. Mulwray, Roy Jenson as the sleazy Mulvihill, and Roman Polanski in the memorable role as a knife-wielding thug.

Perry Lopez is excellent as Lt. Escobar, a by-the-books detective who becomes suspicious about Gittes’ involvement with Evelyn Mulwray as there’s an ambiguity over what side he’s on.  John Huston is brilliant as Noah Cross, a shady businessman who is hell-bent on having power as he tries to manipulate Gittes.  Though it’s a small role, Huston truly stands out with his gravelly voice and intimidating presence as it’s definitely a classic role from the famed Hollywood icon.  Faye Dunaway is superb as Evelyn Mulwray.  Dunaway’s cool yet eerie performance is definitely her most iconic performance of her career.  Dunaway exudes the idea of a femme fatale while her motivations to help Gittes in the investigation adds to her veiled persona.  It’s really an amazing performance from Dunaway.

Finally, there’s Jack Nicholson in one of his finest performance as Jake Gittes.  Nicholson gives a humorous yet cunning performance as a detective trying to find out what is going on.  There’s no quit in a guy like Gittes as he goes head on to find the truth.  Nicholson is pretty restrained throughout the film though his monologue about his nose shows a man being intense without going overboard.  Nicholson gets a chance for others, including Dunaway and Huston, to shine in the scenes he’s in as he just takes a back seat of sorts.  Even with Dunaway where the two have chemistry that is fiery at times but also intoxicating.  It’s definitely an example of Nicholson’s brilliance as an actor.

Released in June of 1974, the film was a massive hit with audiences and critics.  Nominated for several Oscars including Best Picture, the film won Robert Towne an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.  At the Golden Globes months earlier, the film won four for Best Picture, Best Director for Roman Polanski, Best Screenplay for Towne, and Best Actor for Jack Nicholson.  The film’s legacy lived on as in 1991, it was selected to be part of the National Film Registry.  At the same time, the film has consistently been put on many top films list as one of the best.  Though a 1990 sequel directed and starring Nicholson called The Two Jakes with a screenplay by Robert Town was a critical and commercial failure.  It did nothing to taint the brilliance of Chinatown.

Chinatown is truly one of the greatest films ever made.  Thanks to Roman Polanski’s enchanting direction, Robert Towne’s marvelous screenplay, and the tour-de-force performances of Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston.  It’s a film that continues to be as timeless since its original 1974 release as it will always capture the hearts and mind of new viewers.  For film buffs wanting to discover the work of Roman Polanski will no doubt see this film as one of his quintessential as well as those interested in the work of Jack Nicholson.  In the end, Chinatown is a classic noir film that is entertaining and engaging from the wondrous mind of Roman Polanski.

Roman Polanski Reviews: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary’s Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)

© thevoid99 2010

The Last Detail

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/15/09.

After two acclaimed feature films with 1970's The Landlord about a young rich white man becoming a landlord at an African-American community and 1971's Harold & Maude about a 20-year old heir finding life through a lively 78-year old woman. Hal Ashby was definitely a director on the rise. Yet, those two first films would later give Ashby the acclaim and reputation he would have in the years to come. In 1973, Ashby released a film that drew lots of controversy over its language based on a novel by Daryl Poniscan about two sailors accompanying a young man to prison entitled The Last Detail.

Directed by Hal Ashby with an adapted screenplay by Robert Towne, The Last Detail follows two sailors accompanying a much younger sailor to a Naval prison in Portsmouth. During the trip, the sailors deal with the injustice the young sailor is going through as they try to give the young man some freedom before having to ship him off to prison. With an all-star cast led by Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James, Carol Kane, Michael Moriarty, and Nancy Allen. The Last Detail is a harrowing yet comical film from the late, great Hal Ashby.

Billy "Badass" Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and "Mule" Mulhall (Otis Young) are called upon by their M.A.A. superior (Clifton James) to transport an 18-year old sailor named Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) to the Portsmouth Naval Prison. Meadows is charged with stealing $40 from a box belong to the wife of a Naval Commandant where he will serve 8 years in prison. Buddusky and Mulhall are given shore patrol duty to accompany Meadows on a week trip to Portsmouth with stops to Washington D.C., Camden, New York City, and Boston. During this week-long trip, Buddusky and Mulhall noticed that Meadows is a shoplifter as he revealed that he never got the $40 he was meant to stole. After trying to run from them and later confessing he was a shoplifter, the men sympathize with Meadows realizing he's just a kid.

During a stop at D.C., the two men decide to give Meadows a last chance at some freedom before he goes to prison. During a stop at a bar, Buddusky wants to get Meadows some beer but instead threatens the bartender (Don McGovern) only to buy some beer later on. During that period of drunken beer, they talk about things as Buddusky asks Meadows if he ever got angry about anything. Realizing the kid has never confronted anyone, Buddusky shows him some lessons about confrontation. The next day, they stop to Camden to see Meadows' mother only to see that she's not there. Distraught, Meadows hides in the bathroom on the train after some harsh comments from Buddusky where Mulhall warns Buddusky about messing things up.

The trio stop in New York City where they get into a fight with some Marine guys, eat at a sandwich place, and encounter a Buddhist church meeting that Meadows is transfixed by. After doing some chanting, he meets a woman named Donna (Luana Anders) who heard him chanting as she invites the men to a party. The party left a lasting impression as they travel to Boston in hopes for Meadows to get laid, which he succeeds with a young hooker (Carol Kane). With the harsh realization of his final hours, Buddusky and Mulhall are aware that Meadows won't survive prison for eight years because he never really did anything wrong.

The film is a part-buddy comedy, part-road film, and part-social commentary about the military and its ideas of the law. The fact that an 18-year-old kid nearly stole $40 from a charity box from the Commandant's wife and gets 8 years for it seems rather ludicrous. Really, the kid should've gotten some a far lesser punishment like mopping the floor of base camps of something. What the film really is about is a journey of three men giving a young man a last dose of freedom before having to be sent to prison for 8 years where he'll be mistreated and abused by some hard-ass Marine grunts.

The screenplay by Robert Towne is truly phenomenal, particularly its hard-nosed, racy dialogue filled with dirty language in which the usage of the word "fuck" is used prominently. That's the kind of language and talk sailors use as they talk about bad stuff about the Marines and get into fights with them. The screenplay also has some great idea about character as Buddusky is the guy who takes charge of things, the wild one, and the mouthpiece for all that is bad. Then there's Meadows, an innocent kid who likes to steal things while being completely unaware about the real world. Holding it all together is Mule, the straight man to Buddusky as he reminds Buddusky of their duty while having the time to loosen up and speaking his mind on this motherfuckin' chickenshit detail.

The direction of Hal Ashby is superb in having a sense of movement as they travel from Norfolk all the way to Portsmouth. The rambunctiousness in the road trip aspect of the film has something that is unpredictable yet fun to watch. He lets the audience have a good time with these three Naval guys drinking beer, going into fights, and eating hot sausage sandwich. At the same time, he makes them aware that Buddusky and Mule have a duty to do and there's a real sadness to what would happen. Even though Meadows is given a chance to live a little, what he's facing is just wrong. Ashby's approach to the drama, even as he is doing through a constant sense of movement from a train and a bus. What happens in the end is that these two guys have to do their jobs as their Navy for life or else they'll be in trouble. The overall approach to Ashby's direction is truly masterfully as he is providing a sense of observation and study into the themes and individual that play out through this film.

Helping Ashby in his vision is cinematographer Michael Chapman whose hand-held, loose camera work really gives the film a style that works to Ashby's improvisational approach. Some of the exteriors including the scenes in snowy Boston are beautiful while he goes very deep into some of the dramatic action that goes on. The interior work is wonderfully lit as it plays up to the intimate scenes as well as some moments of humor and drama. Editor Robert C. Jones does great work in the film's stylish editing with the use of dissolve transitions and jump-cuts to give the film a rhythmic feel as it works to keep the leisurely pace going.

Production designer Michael D. Haller does fine work in the look of the hotels, church, and the brothel that the three men encounter as it's done with a sense of realism and style. Costume designer Theodore R. Parvin does excellent work in the look of the Naval suits that the three men wear in its detail from the hats and coat buttons. The sound work by Tom Overton and sound editor Sharron Miller do some very good work with the sound capturing the shakiness of the trains and the raucous atmosphere of the cities and train stops. Music composer Johnny Mandel brings a delightful score filled with melodic woodwinds and some themes revolving around a cadence-like drum fill.

The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is phenomenal as it features some early appearances from Gilda Radner as a Buddhist church goer, Nancy Allen as a partygoer, Carol Kane as a hooker, and Michael Moriarty as a Marine officer. Cameos from cinematographer Michael Chapman as a cab driver and director Hal Ashby as a man in a bar along with small roles from Don McGovern as a bartender, Luana Anders as another Buddhist church goer that Meadows encounter, and Clifton James as a Naval superior are also great. The late Otis Young is great as "Mule" Mulhall, the Naval seaman who is one of the patrol officers who is essentially the conscience and straight man of the story. Young's performance is definitely laid back while being the kind of guy you don't want to mess with as he even gets to spew out some harsh things about the detail.

In one of his early film roles, Randy Quaid, who got the part from a young John Travolta at the last minute, delivers a brilliant performance as Larry Meadows. A troubled 18-year-old who has a penchant for stealing things though it's really for things that are childish. Showing some innocence to his performance, Quaid really sells the troubled personality of the young man as it's definitely one of his great performances from the revered character actor. Finally, there's Jack Nicholson in what is truly one of the best roles of his career. Nicholson's exuberant, energetic, and exhilarating personality filled with angst and saucy language is Nicholson at his finest. At the same time, underneath his fiery personality is a man who clearly shows sympathy for the troubled Meadows as he realizes the injustice of it. While the film has Nicholson being the wild, crazy guy he's known for, there's also some depth into the character as he's just a man dealing with the injustice of the military.

Released in December of 1973, after months of delay by Columbia Pictures over the film's excessive use of profanity. The film received some critical attention while nabbing 3 Oscar nominations for Robert Towne for Adapted Screenplay, Randy Quaid for Best Supporting Actor, and Jack Nicholson for Best Actor. Though it wasn't a commercial success, the film did prove to be a big hit at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival where Nicholson won Best Actor that year. Later that year, Nicholson won Best Actor at the British Academy Awards, which he tied himself for his other performance in Roman Polanski's Chinatown. The film's acclaim and accolades helped Ashby's reputation as the film became a seminal classic in the years to come.

In 2006, acclaimed indie director Richard Linklater expressed interest in adapting a sequel to The Last Detail called Last Flag Flying. In the adaptation, Larry Meadows reunites with Buddusky, now a bar owner, after Meadows' own son was killed in the Iraq War. While Randy Quaid had expressed interest in playing the character again after being sent a script by Linklater, he said he would do it if Jack Nicholson was on board. Though Otis Young passed away in 2001, there were rumors that Morgan Freeman would play the role if the film would ever happen.

The Last Detail is a raunchy, funny, and harrowing comedy-drama from Hal Ashby and screenwriter Robert Towne. Led by the great performances of Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, and the late Otis Young, it's a film that is still in-your-face and entertaining as it's filled with laughs and some profound things about the injustice of military laws. For audiences new to Hal Ashby, this is one of his essential films among his prolific period in the 1970s. Audiences who wanted to see why Jack Nicholson is so revered should see this as one of his finest performances to date. In the end, The Last Detail is a superb, chaotic, and enriching film from the late, great Hal Ashby.

Hal Ashby Films: The Landlord - Harold & Maude - Shampoo - Bound for Glory - Coming Home - Being There - Second-Hand Hearts - (Lookin' to Get Out) - (Let's Spend the Night Together) - (Solo Trans) - (The Slugger's Wife) - 8 Million Ways to Die

© thevoid99 2010