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Movies screened by our discerning staff (in reverse chronological order) for 2009:

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle"	Peter Yates [1973]
"Sliver"	Phillip Noyce [1993]
"The Bank Job"	Roger Donaldson [2008]
"Romeo Is Bleeding"	Peter Medak [1993]
"Der Tunnel (The Tunnel)"	Roland Suso Richter [2001]
"The First Deadly Sin"	Brian G. Hutton [1980]
"Twilight"	Robert Benton [1998]
"Johnny Got His Gun"	Dalton Trumbo [1971]
"The Last of Shelia"	Herbert Ross [1973]

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Liner Notes.

"This is an Australian film about a bunch of randy men in a small, out of the way mining town who must compete for the favors of the only woman remaining in town ... Oh no, sorry, I got confused. That movie is "The Last Sheila". This is what happens when you have seen too many films.

""The Last of Sheila" is a smartly written mystery, by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. The film was made in 1973 and generally got fine reviews. A bunch of wealthy Hollywood types with sharp tongues go on a yacht to solve a murder mystery by playing a sophisticated game arranged by the wealthy producer, whose wife was murdered a year ago, perhaps by one of the guests.

"Each of the guests was in fact a hot Hollywood ticket at the time: Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin, James Coburn, James Mason, Raquel Welch, Joan Hackett and Ian McShane, which makes the wicked conversation and insider comments seem natural."

--ggf

"Johnny Got His Gun concerns a young US soldier who was blinded and had his arms and legs blown off in WWI just before the armistice. It is an intensely anti-war film in message, but unlike the better known All Quiet On the Western Front [1930], it includes almost no war scenes, instead concentrating almost exclusively on what the soldier thinks about as he lies trapped in a body, lying in a bed for year after year, unable to speak or see, tended to by medical staff who believe for years that he has no consciousness. Johnny relives what he can remember about his past, his fiancée, his father, others he knew and fantasizes about Christ.

"This film is considered a classic by many critics and as a poor film by others. The split occurs because some consider it honest and non-preachy, while others consider it too staged. It is not an easy film to watch and has a consistently depressing atmosphere. Trumbo uses color to denote how Johnny sees his world in his dreams, but uses B&W to depict what happens in the real world around him. In the end Johnny finally is able to communicate with the outside world, but his military doctors refuse to honor his request and allow him to die, leaving him forever trapped in his bodily prison.

"Dalton Trumbo is a legendary figure in Hollywood history. He was one of the Hollywood Ten who were held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1947 to protect the rights of free assembly and speech. Eventually, approximately 160 writers, directors, composers, musicians, journalists, actors and actresses were blacklisted. Attacking Trumbo as an un-American figure in Hollywood was historically peculiar insofar as he wrote perhaps the most successful pro-war propaganda film for the US, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo [1944].

"Trumbo is also a tragic figure, because he felt the need to name the names of those who might be pro-Nazi sympathizers in 1941, but was himself named as a Communist sympathizer in 1947. His acting as an informant for the FBI badly tarnished his reputation as did his adherence to non-intervention by the USA as long as Nazi Germany adhered to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of non-aggression. Trumbo was a member of the Communist Party USA from 1943 until 1948.

"Trumbo was a very talented screenwriter and wrote The Brave One [1956], using the front (false) name of Robert Rich, for which he was awarded an Oscar. He was also posthumously awarded the Oscar for Roman Holiday [1953] for which a stand-in had taken credit to shield him.

"Otto Preminger and Kirk Douglas brave enough to allow Trumbo to use his real name again in credits for the films Exodus [1960] and Spartacus [1960. This helped bring about a rapid end to the blacklist era.

"Johnny Got His Gun [1971] was directed by Dalton Trumbo and is based upon the novel of the same name which he wrote in 1939."

--ggf

"Twilight is a modern film-noir written by Robert Benton and Richard Russo and directed by Benton. It stars three veterans approaching the end of their careers: James Garner, Paul Newman and Gene Hackman. The leading lady is played by Susan Sarandon. The supporting cast includes Stockard Channing.

"There is no question that this film features a cast of heavyweights that provide almost overwhelming presence. The title presumably refers to the fact that the three leading men are in the twilight of their years and well past their prime.

"Critics split over this film, some giving it and A rating, while others thought it mediocre. Why escapes me. The acting is well above average throughout. The story is a good one and the basic noir formula is followed to a tee. The setting makes sense. The locations are good. So what is wrong?

"Some critics complained that the aging actors were visually old and unappealingly sophisticated. Smart people get old too. Tough luck.

"Some critics considered the plot absurd. Baloney! As plots go this one makes sense. A wealthy man paid to cover up what he assumes is his wife's murder of her lover, because he knew she would come back to him, which she did, staying with him subsequently through thick and thin. Both husband and wife are devoted to one another, if admittedly they dally a bit.

"Years go by and a retired, crooked detective decides that lover's supposed disappearance is too pat. He and a dishonest probation officer decide to investigate with the objective of blackmail. Unknown to them, the husband and wife were blackmailed years ago by someone a lot smarter than them and none of the original players want the grief caused by newcomers nosing around. It is into this mess that Paul Newman, an ex-cop, friennd and retired private detective steps. This is a good, entertaining noir."

--ggf

"The First Deadly Sin [1980] is directed by Brian G. Hutton and written by Mann Rubin based on the Lawrence Sanders novel. The basic plot is not surprising. A detective hunts for a smart serial killer in Manhattan. One thing makes this film rise above its genre, the lead character is Frank Sinatra who plays a weary, aging detective just about to retire.

"This role was essentially Sinatra's swan song and he did a good job with it. Sinatra inhabits this role, neither looking nor sounding pretty. This was quite a change from the pop-shlock roles he played earlier, such as in Tony Rome [1967], Lady In Cement [1968] and Dirty Dingus Magee [1970], all of which were unimpressive material.

"While there is nothing particularly special about this film, it is a good piece of entertainment that is well put together.

"The director, Brian Hutton, started as an actor and essentially never rose above supporting roles. By the mid-1960s he had switched to directing and had fairly quick commercial success with Where Eagles Dare [1968] and Kelly's Heroes [1970], both WWII yarns. As an amazing career change, Hutton stopped directing in the mid-1980s and became a plumber. There is probably an interesting story there somewhere."

--ggf

"Der Tunnel (The Tunnel) [2001] was directed by Roland Suso Richter. Based loosely upon actual events, the story begins during the construction of the Berlin wall in 1961. A group of East Germans tries to escape before it becomes too difficult. Some make it and others do not. Those that do decide to dig a tunnel under the wall to get out their loved ones. East German intelligence tries to discover and stop them.

"Heino Ferch plays Harry Melchior, the central character, an East German swimming champion who decided to escape. His sister was caught and remains in the East. Melchior collects sufficient help and skilled individuals to dig his tunnel, making this a large-scale enterprise subject to great risks as the number of people they seek to get out of East Germany grows.

"This is a reasonably taught suspense film, weakened by the treatment of the tunneling, which is both somewhat unbelievable and formulaic. That the hero is nearly buried alive by a cave in is a cliche. It is amusing to see an NBC TV crew blackmailing their way into an exclusive right to film the affair, which has been called by some an early step to 'reality' TV. It is the 'reality' that this escape actually did occur that raises this film a notch."

--ggf

"Romeo Is Bleeding [1993] was directed by Peter Medak. The cast is a serious one, starring Gary Oldman and Lena Olin.

"This is a stylistically overwrought film that tries to be a color noir thriller, but has the sensibility of a comic-book conversion. Oldman plays a crooked cop whose greed for money makes him a very bad man, but one we are oddly supposed to be in sympathy with.

"Olin is particularly effective as an insane Russian immigrant killer. Her performance is over-the-top and when she is in a scene she dominates it. Her character is believable though only in the context of a comic book villain, not as a noir villain.

"Ultimately, this film is unbalanced. It is not clear what it was supposed to be. The ending is also profoundly nihilistic and will be for some both distasteful and depressing."

--ggf

"The Bank Job [2008] is loosely based upon a bank heist that goes awry. Directed by Roger Donaldson, this is a workmanlike film that tells its story reasonably well. The acting is up to par for the story, but none of the performances stand out. The screenplay is very loosely based on an actual robbery. It gives the impression of a jigsaw puzzle fitted together to make an action picture, rather than reality.

"Another weakness of this film is that little time is available to spend on character development. There is too much action and too many plot threads for that to occur. What one is left with then is a reasonable action movie that, while entertaining, in the end is not that memorable."

--ggf

"Sliver [1993] was directed by Phillip Noyce. The screenplay was written by Joe Eszterhas based on the novel by Ira Levin. It stars Sharon Stone, Tom Berenger and William Baldwin.

"This movie is a vehicle to show off Sharon Stone's body, which it does well in the unrated version. The plot is unfortunately much weaker than her body. Rosemary's Baby this isn't.

"Stone's character moves into a condo tower in NY City that was recently the scene of what was thought of as a suicide. The condo tower was constructed and is quietly owned by a somewhat sinister peeping tom, played by William Baldwin.

"Stone's character is pursued by a successful author, who also lives in the tower and by the sleazy owner, who spends most of his hours in a secret studio room watching cameras that tape and show him whatever goes on behind closed doors in his condo tower. This includes his eventual sexual escapades with Stone's character of course.

"Eventually, the police and the condo residents figure out that the supposed suicide is likely a murder and that a serial killer may be living in the condo.

"With all his video taping, knowing that he taped that murder, the sleazy owner 'forgets' that he can use this to ID the murderer? That is absurd unless he himself is the murderer. But no, it turns out he is not the murderer, the successful author is the murderer.

"The completely unconvincing conclusion makes this an unsuccessful film. Even if that had worked, this film would only have been mediocre at best."

--ggf

"The Friends of Eddie Coyle [1973] is an unusual crime film. Directed by Peter Yates, it immerses the viewer in the seedy Boston underworld of the 1970s. Yates knows how to make crime dramas. He is perhaps best known for Bullitt [1968].

"Unlike virtually all crime films, it follows a small-time hood, Eddie Coyle, played by Robert Mitchum, who was recently caught driving a truckload of contraband. His life has been one of working as a lower-echelon functionary for the local mob. Now he has been sentenced and is soon to report to start serving time.

"The film concentrates on how Eddie tries to deal with his immediate situation, given that he has almost nothing to deal with. Surprisingly, Eddie is a loving husband and father, who is very concerned about what will happen to his family when he goes to prison. This pressure causes him to cooperate with a sleazy detective. He turns informer on some other crook he knows who is not in his mob, but that does not get him out of his fix.

"What is depicted in this film is just how insecure a life of crime can be. There is no honor among thieves. Criminal friendships do not amount to much, since anyone might be an informant or setting you up to protect themselves.

"Mitchum was well cast and gives a fine and tragic performance here as a middle-aged crook who is in a bind that he cannot slip. Happy endings are for fairy tales and this film is not a fairy tale."

--ggf

Last update on 1/2/3 at 4:5:6.