Showing posts with label Alfred Hitchcock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alfred Hitchcock. Show all posts
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Hitchcock (M)
AS anyone in the film industry could tell you, when films
are made about someone’s personal story on any level is when they are truly
revered by peers and fans alike. That, or there’s some morbid curiosity the
public has with them. For Englishman Alfred Hitchcock it’s a mix of both, as
the man known for his difficult nature and unrelenting persistence remains the
master of suspense to this very day.
What many didn’t know for a long time was the extent of influence
from the great director’s wife on his features. Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony
Hopkins) and Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) were a duo connected by a great love
of intelligence, direction and a good story. When he looked for a project she
would bring up suggestions, and when he went against the grain of everyone
banking on the success of his work she was right by his side.
Psycho was the
risk of Hitchcock’s career. His desire to adapt a book so violent horrified
Paramount Pictures, but his standing in the industry made for worthy persuasion.
What became most important to him during the process is rightfully highlighted
as the most intriguing element and would arguably become cinema’s greatest
scene.
Finding Janet Leigh (Scarlett Johansson) was a triumph, but
to Alma it was something of a case she couldn’t win; another Hitchcock blonde
she saw her husband lust after. But what audiences wouldn’t know is that Alma
had her own episode of potential adultery with friend and former colleague
Whitfield Cook (Danny Huston). It is these circumstances that threw Hitchcock
into a state beyond any previous form of frustration professionally and
personally.
John J McLaughlin’s screenplay, based on Stephen Rebello book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho', plays out like a Hitchcock film by pushing the boundaries. Gervasi goes with an unconventional use of breaking the fourth wall at the film’s bookends to not question the gravitas of the legend and the man, but to acknowledge he was in fact achingly real.
Scenes showing Hitchcock observing and interacting with
criminal Ed Gein, on which Psycho was
based, suggests the director himself wasn’t
so sure of his own reality. His imagination would take him to a troubled place
as he immersed himself onto the project; a self-financed one at that. It was
more than just his reputation that could fall.
Director Sacha Gervasi’s first feature film comes four years
after brilliant 2008 music documentary Anvil:
The Story of Anvil. He films Hopkins and Mirren with ease although the two
are strained in their relationship as hidden secrets are kept from one another.
With a cast also including Jessica Biel and Toni Collette,
there is another reflection of Hitchcock’s desire for the best and nothing
less. But the focus on the film shoot
remains largely in the shadow of the personal story at hand, which for fans of
Hitchcock’s work will come as a slight disappointment.
Hitchcock was a man not only driven by work, but also by
love and rediscovering what that meant during Psycho. The morbid fascination Hollywood still has with this man
continues with good reason – in life and death he kept us guessing.
Rating: 3/5
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 12/1/2013
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Diner (1982)
PROGRESSION from young adulthood to the kind with real responsibility (you know, marriage and babies) is a fact of life, but not all see it that way. Many choose to stay in their own worlds, staunchly of the opinion married life means all hope is gone for a youthful existence.
That idea scares the hell out of six guys in 1959 that reunite in Baltimore for a New Year’s Eve wedding. Eddie (Steve Guttenberg) is unsure of his coming nuptials, but can’t really seek advice from Shrevie (Daniel Stern) - the only one married so far. Shrevie has his own problems with wife Beth (Ellen Barkin), something to come to the attention of gambler student Boogie (Mickey Rourke). Then there’s funnyman Modell (Paul Reiser), likely alcoholic Fenwick (Kevin Bacon) and confused Billy (Timothy Daly).
As the film that launched many of the cast’s careers, its wisecracks are the backbone of the film. They play out through a series of vignettes, disjointed so as to chronicle only the important elements of the week they spend together. The diner at the centre is critical to their wellbeing where they can speak freely and attempt to stay within their bubble.
Eddie’s fiancé is a notable absentee from the story, but for Barry Levinson it works to leave the focus solely on the guys. That makes for some immaturity from them as they get up to laughable antics, but also for memorable comedy in this nostalgic look at the turn of a decade.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) on Wednesday 9/1/2013.
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Jack Reacher.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
In all my hectic days before heading home for a week's holiday I didn't get a couple of classic reviews up. So tonight you're welcome to read my brief thoughts on some of the best from Spike Lee and Alfred Hitchcock. Share if you enjoy :D
Do
The Right Thing (1989)
A Spike Lee Joint (as the
director’s films are known) that hits at the heart of suburban racism, it was
perhaps the biggest impact Lee has made on modern cinema in his years of
directing. His portrayal of the issues surrounding multiple ethnicities
attempting to live in the one community is a disturbing picture, arising from
the simplest of requests.
The story moves through an intensely hot summer’s day in
the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Lee’s a Brooklyn man
and is known for exploring African-American themes in the areas best known to
him.
Mookie (Lee) works at Sal’s Famous
Pizzeria as a delivery boy where he gets through the day by taking his time on
the job to visit friends and his Hispanic partner Tina (Rosie Perez). With that
and some drama with Mookie’s friend Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito), Sal (Danny
Aiello) and sons Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edson) become the
unwarranted centre of attention.
It’s often the little things that
tip us over the edge and what arises out of a seemingly baseless argument turns
nasty. Then there’s the twist that still manages to shock and sadden you as it
did to audiences more than 20 years ago, not holding back as the free-for-all
reveals simmering tensions. There’s a lot of derogatory language as the two
hours creep along, but this is a film that, pardon the pun, packs an almighty
punch. Or swing of the baseball bat.
***
The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock was a fan of novelist Daphne du Maurier’s work, adapting a number of her stories as part of his works. He was also a fan of Tippi Hedren, the newcomer actress in her breakthrough role. She was forever typified by playing Melanie Daniels in a story that still leaves much to be answered, and was supposedly hindered in her later work efforts by the man who directed her here.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) notices Melanie (Hedren) in a pet store, having previously seen her around San Francisco’s courthouse. After their encounter, Melanie is curious enough to follow him to nearby Bodega Bay where a strange natural occurrence sees different bird flocks carry out numerous attacks on the sleepy town.
Why the birds wreak havoc on the community is never answered, and the idea of Melanie going to such efforts to reunite herself with the mysterious Mitch is just as unsettling. The great thing about Hitchcock, and du Maurier’s stories, is that they integrate subtle hints that only might be the key to an answer.
The murder of crows perched on the playground is the film’s most memorable and dread-filled scene, a perfect calm before the storm. It’s one of Hitchcock’s most memorable scenes overall, and the film should have you afraid of the things for some time. Hedren is good in the central role and would rise again in Marnie the next year.
***
The Birds (1963)
Alfred Hitchcock was a fan of novelist Daphne du Maurier’s work, adapting a number of her stories as part of his works. He was also a fan of Tippi Hedren, the newcomer actress in her breakthrough role. She was forever typified by playing Melanie Daniels in a story that still leaves much to be answered, and was supposedly hindered in her later work efforts by the man who directed her here.
Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) notices Melanie (Hedren) in a pet store, having previously seen her around San Francisco’s courthouse. After their encounter, Melanie is curious enough to follow him to nearby Bodega Bay where a strange natural occurrence sees different bird flocks carry out numerous attacks on the sleepy town.
Why the birds wreak havoc on the community is never answered, and the idea of Melanie going to such efforts to reunite herself with the mysterious Mitch is just as unsettling. The great thing about Hitchcock, and du Maurier’s stories, is that they integrate subtle hints that only might be the key to an answer.
The murder of crows perched on the playground is the film’s most memorable and dread-filled scene, a perfect calm before the storm. It’s one of Hitchcock’s most memorable scenes overall, and the film should have you afraid of the things for some time. Hedren is good in the central role and would rise again in Marnie the next year.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sorry it's late! Eurovision weekend was pretty hectic!
Men In Black III 3D
Long waits between sequels are generally difficult to pull
off well; unless it’s some sort of reboot, the audience often disenchants
itself with a series as time passes. That’s unless it’s something that sparked
a phenomenon of course, but the Men In Black films never garnered that sort of
attention. As a result, the decision to bring a third film (in as many decades)
to the screen comes as a bit of a surprise.
Sharing 2012’s alien bill with soon-to-be-released Prometheus, Agent J (Will Smith) and
Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) have another extra-terrestrial invasion on their
hands, but different to their previous adventures. They are at the hands of
Boris the Animal (Flight of the Conchords’
Jemaine Clement) after he escapes from Lunar Max prison, who wants to bring his
species back and take over Earth.
J is forced to time-travel back to 1969 because Boris has
altered history by killing K. But a quick exit doesn’t go to plan and J crosses
paths with Young Agent K (Josh Brolin). He takes the chance to team up with the
younger version of his steely partner and find out more about his past.
This instalment, with much less fanfare than its
predecessors, goes about its way with more character growth and less alien
shootings. Slime and guts are never forgotten, but this invasion comes as a
direct threat on the partnership. A villain seeking redemption is this series’
way of re-establishing itself, showing that there is a (slightly) serious side
to these guys. They’re a bit older and a bit wiser - but they do still throw
wisecracks around as they always have. Even when K is forty years younger.
There’s not as much played on the throwback to 1969 as the
idea would suggest, although their use of pop art king Andy Warhol is amusing.
The film moves into the present just as much as returning to the past; the new
decade brings subtle digs at Lady Gaga and presents former Pussycat Doll Nicole
Scherzinger as a prostitute, but the most effective is J’s oh-so-casual
response to ill treatment by police for his skin colour that borderlines
irritating.
After an underwhelming start, the film picks up once J
realises history has been altered. Smith remains an entertaining watch around
the stern faces of Jones and Emma Thompson as new leader Agent O. Even Young
Agent K seems amused by him. A lot of the charm with the film’s stronger
character focus is that Brolin does so well as a younger Jones; it’s uncanny
how effortless he appears in capturing that privateness but with more warmth.
This one comes out as a bit of a surprise overall, and not
just because of the decision to return in the first place. The franchise has
grown up a bit and is smarter for it - Smith even hands over the theme song
reins to rapper Pitbull. Steven Spielberg returned as executive producer for
this one, as did Barry Sonnenfield as director and it’s a fun outing where
nothing is taken too seriously. When Clement’s the bad guy, there’s not a lot
else that can be done.
Rating: 3/5
*Published in the Daily Liberal (Dubbo), Western Advocate (Bathurst), Parkes Champion Post and Midstate Observer (Orange) from Saturday 26/5/2012
***
Marnie (1964)
Alfred Hitchcock is still the master of suspense fifty years on from the bulk of his films, even managing to keep those best at guessing the plot surprised. Every time what’s exactly going on in his head appears clear, Hitchcock pulls out the real secret from under the carpet and gives you something better.
Marnie is no exception. Although not as widely known as the Psychos and Vertigos of his catalogue, the life of Marnie (Tippi Hedren) is no less a problematic character than any other of Hitchcock’s protagonists. While she steals from her employer, gets found out, and does it again with her new employer some time later, the discovery there’s something not quite right with her makes sense. It’s what messed her up that’s a bit more difficult to decipher.
Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) is just as curious as anyone watching, becoming involved with Marnie as a form of pleasurable study as much as love; he wants to work through her issues but does so through extensive means. It’s a twisted game where tension rises above enjoyment amongst the clues leading towards the ultimate truth.
Hedren and Connery work well under Hitchcock, respectively successful after The Birds and James Bond. Uncomfortable scenes still shock and remain questionable regarding actual occurrences, while the final blow off the lid puts everything to rest. That the movie ends with relative closure is perhaps the biggest surprise from this venture of his.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 23/5/2012
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS? See what I thought of The Dictator and Aguirre, The Wrath of God.
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