The mysterious and shadowy world of noir, where shady characters and backstabbing dames co-habitate, is designed to offer contour and texture to The Driver. But in the imaginative hands of director Walter Hill, the film doesn’t always follow the formula; the filmmaker is determined to add a few new twists to the noir canon. This suspenser, with cool anti-hero and hypnotic action set-pieces, plays like a prolonged moment of deep meditation. The evolution of storyline, which is encased in the archetypical three-act heist plot, evolves into a catharsis for the main character that helps him think differently about the circumstances of his existence and the consequences of his actions.

Ryan O’Neal plays the title character; a guy who seems to be on a continuous sef-quest. We don’t even get to know the guy’s real name, which is an obvious indication that we are dealing with an icon, not a real person. In fact, no one in the film has a name – all the characters are identified by their occupations. We also get the mandatory female fatale, played by the beautiful Isabelle Adjani, whose moral ambiguity spices up the story. Bruce Dern is a dirty cop who is obsessed with capturing the bad guys. They are all pictograms. Names are not important. The time and/or the place are not relevant information either. It’s about themes and technique.

The Driver deals with lots of intriguing ideas that should satisfy fans of noir, and caper movies. O’Neal gives one of his most effective performances, Adjani is a very effective anti-heroine, and Dern is a hoot. Director Hill’s direction is economical, yet energetic and very brainy. Hill’s production is probably the best of its kind; an existential car-chase movie. The Driver won’t knock your socks off, but it is more complex than your average action-packed movie. It’s a little gem.

Unsettling and dark, but decidedly impishly kinky, Tightrope is one of Malpaso’s (Clint Eastwood’s film company) most intriguing productions. Eastwood stars as Wes Block, a cop investigating a series of brutal sex-murders. The hunt for the killer is more interesting than usual because Block and the killer have a lot of things in common, something the madman is using to his advantage. The complex character of the cop gives Eastwood a rare opportunity to explore his big macho screen persona and it should be noted that Eastwood looks ready and eager to debunk his tough-guy image. Eastwood plays a character that has been emasculated in more way than one.

Cop Block’s wife has taken off, leaving him to play Mr. Mom to their kids. Block’s dolorous attempts to balance career and parenthood are a pennant for the confusion felt by men during the post-sexual revolution days. Block’s macho bravado suffers even more humiliations. He has no female companionship. The sex-related crimes intrigue Block precisely because they allude to an area of his life that needs attention. The introduction of character Beryl Thibodeaux, played by Geneviève Bujold (Anne of the Thousand Days), a plucky rape-crisis therapist, only makes Block’s obsolete machismo even more glaring. At end, the film is more about Block acknowledging things about his life than about catching a killer.

Back in 1984, when Tightrope was first released in theaters, the film took many of us by surprise. I just rewatched the film and I still think it is one of  Eastwood’s most unusual films. It also contains one of his bravest performances. The film is extremely well-directed by Richard Tuggle, who also wrote the multi-layered script. It is deliberately paced, always determined to linger around murky images (cameraman Bruce Surtees shot the film in the style of classic noir). The morose atmosphere is enticing and it gives the anti-hero of the piece a compatible playpen. More important, the movie forced Eastwood to finally step out of his comfort zone – and he doesn’t disappoint.

Posted in Malpaso Inc. ]]> http://robie2008.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/tightrope-1984-richard-tuggle/feed/ 0 gelpi2008 Tightrope (1984, Richard Tuggle) Tightrope (1984, Richard Tuggle) Tightrope (1984, Richard Tuggle) http://robie2008.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tom-horn-1980-william-wiard/ http://robie2008.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tom-horn-1980-william-wiard/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:40:14 +0000 gelpi2008 http://robie2008.wordpress.com/?p=11181 ]]>

In the very last stretch of his film career, Steve McQueen ended up portraying somewhat serendipitously, two characters that shared more than a few similarities with his public persona. The first character was uncompromising bounty hunter Ralph “Papa” Thorson in Paramount’s The Hunter. The second role was the title character in the western Tom Horn, which tells the true-life story of a man who became a famous hunter of rustlers when he was hired by ranchers to protect their cattle. The latter being better than the former for a variety of reasons.

Tom Horn covers familiar ground. In fact, one could say that the movie steals a few ideas from other, more famous westerns. It is a credit to all the talent involved in the making of the film that the production transcends the common aspects of the material. The film deals with the last days of the old west and ostracization of the frontier man, who ironically laid the foundation for the new civilized world. I liked how the film deconstructs western myths without resorting to the predictable use of realism. The episodic structure of the narrative allows the viewer not only to connect with the main character but also to understand the character’s main moral dilemma. Subsequently, the last vignettes carry plenty of emotional weight.

I did feel the script could have spent more time fleshing out McQueen’s role. Maybe some of the material was left on the cutting room floor. Who knows? However, I think the movie is a fitting farewell to an actor known for his unconventional approach to life. McQueen is excellent. In his very own, understated way, he creates a vivid characterization of a man who has outlived his usefulness. Richard Farnsworth and Linda Evans appear in supporting roles. The lovely cinematography is by John Alonzo. The pulsating music score was written by Ernest Gold. Ignored when it was first released, Tom Horn is an unappreciated production that deserves another look. It’s no masterwork. But like its star, this western has substance and inconspicuous beauty.

Friends who are aware of my fondness for horror films often ask me, “what is the best horror movie you’ve ever seen?” I don’t know if it is the finest, but  The Legend of Hell House is definitely the creepiest film I’ve seen – no matter how many times I’ve watched it, this British production always gets under my skin. This ominous chiller is about a group of experts on paranormal activity that are hired to prove, once and for all, that evil spirits haunt a famous mansion; the place is affectionately known as “Hell House.” At one point, a character says that Hell House is “the Mount Everest of haunted houses,” and I think this film is the Mount Everest of haunted house movies. In terms of suspense and hair-raising horrors, the film kicks the ghostly butts of films like The Haunting and The Others.

Unlike many shockers, the chills are achieved without showing much. There is hardly any blood, violence, or gore, and the horrors are mostly implied, but just try to get this movie out of your head – you just can’t! It is truly remarkable how this film embraces all known haunted house clichés, renovate them, and reintroduce the old tricks in a totally fresh, invigorating manner. Maestro of the misterioso Richard Matheson’s screenplay is so tightly constructed that if you sneeze, you will miss something really important. Every line of dialogue serves a purpose, every scene is essential to the development of the plot. His script is a model of economy, wasting absolutely no time, and grabbing the attention of the viewer from beginning to end.

I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between the characters, but the actors are great in suggesting things that the script doesn’t have time to explore. Roddy McDowall’s reluctant medium is the highlight of the film, but Pamela Franklin is also superb as a young psychic. Clive Revill and Gayle Hunnicutt are also part of the small but talented cast. The locations amount to just a few a few rooms but the ensemble cast and the technical crew work hard to turn these limitations into assets; the claustrophobic, unbearable tense atmosphere of the piece, helps make the house another, very important character. Add director John Hough’s skilful handling of negative spaces to the gloomy ambiance (cameraman Alan Hume deserves praise for his fine work), and you have one spooky film. The ending is a beauty and a real surprise.

Julie Christie’s delicate performance is the main reason to watch Away from Her. It’s “Hallmark Hall of Fame” material but Christie’s magic transforms it into something meaningful and very moving. She’s got to be the sexiest sexagenarian ever, and one of the most talented too. Christie remains as stunningly beautiful, and effective, as when she wooed viewers in classic films like Doctor Zhivago and Darling, almost five decades ago. She also made me think that we really have very few bona fide movie stars working today. Christie is superb here in the role of a woman facing Alzheimer; she conveying brilliantly how the disease zaps your memory, never resorting to obvious mannerisms. The film is full of clichés associates with these kinds of movies but Christie keeps you interested in her plight. Gordon Pinsent and Olympia Dukakis offer solid support in key roles. But it is Christie’s show.