A Commentary on the Films you Need to See

The Sting

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 21:51:19 -0700

Although they made only two films together, “The Sting” helped solidify Paul Newman and Robert Redford as one of the greatest buddy teams of all-time.

After the phenomenal success of “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” it was inevitable that Newman and Redford would be brought together again for another film. Never before or since have two men generated such palpable “buddy” chemistry. For the viewing public their’s was a friendship for the ages, as true and as lasting as any romance between a man and a woman. I was just nine years old when I saw “The Sting” for the first time in a movie theater, and although I didn’t understand everything that was happening, I knew they were a lot of fun to watch.

Once again, Newman and Redford are men living on the other side of the law. This time they are down-on-their-luck con men pulling one over on a depression-era crime boss. Just like a film of the same time period, every aspect of the production is designed to emulate a low budget Warner Bros. gangster film. Newman and Redford are Cagney and Bogart, the sets are obviously on stages or the back lot, and the cinematography is straight forward without a hint of nuance. Had it been shot in black and white the illusion would have been complete. But without Newman and Redford it just wouldn’t have worked. Without their easy charm and oh-so-cool attitudes to distract us the clever production concept would have come off as merely cheap, rather than inspired (“The Sting II). And there in lies the greatness of the film, the relationship between two men whose bond is so strong it is not explained or talked about, it is simply understood.

A friend once told me about the time he was accepted to the Sundance Lab in Park City. The was a group photograph taken for the participants and Newman happened to be there. Everyone sat around waiting for Redford, including Newman who never complained about his friend’s tardiness. Redford finally came along on an old beat up moped. Everyone took a pose and the photograph was taken. Just as Redford was about to leave, Newman approached him with a loud, “Hey!”. Redford responded with a quiet, “Yeah?”. Everyone watched silently as the two icons looked at each other, wondering what Newman was going to say. Newman looked Redford straight in the eye and said, “Give an old man a ride?”. “Sure,” Redford answered, and the two old friends rode silently, literally into the sunset, on a rickety little scooter.

Newman and Redford never made another film together after “The Sting”. They were of course very big stars individually, but more importantly they were wise enough not to spoil a good thing. They got amazingly lucky twice. A third time may have tainted the magic, so why risk it? They were two friends on and off the screen who had nothing to prove. They knew when they had a good thing, and the audience did too.

Lilies of the Field

Tue, 25 May 2010 02:32:44 -0700

The film that garnered Sidney Poitier an Academy Award is a gem of a picture that proves that small stories can make great movies. Even tremendous ones. From the very beginning of “Lilies of the Field” everything about it endears itself to the viewer.

I love this film. I can watch it again and again and again, and never tire of it. It’s funny and sweet, and even has a show-stopping musical moment you’ll have stuck in your head long after the credits roll (and it’s sung by Poitier!). But most most of all it is extremely entertaining. A lot of films from the ‘60s focus on political or social issues, but Lilies makes no mention of politics, race or creed, other than noting that the main character is not of the same faith as the people he ends up helping. Rather amazing since one character is a black, male, Southern Baptist and the other is a white, catholic nun from behind the wall of East Germany, who meet in the predominantly Hispanic South West. Director Ralph Nelson never panders to these hot button topics. He doesn’t even hint by way of direction or composition, because it is not necessary to tell the story.

This story is about people who look beyond their own needs and beyond reason to help each other out, and the results that follow. This story is about ordinary people of strong character who through generosity of spirit realize accomplishments greater than themselves. To do this you need strong actors who play well together, and Lilies brings together one of the all time best duos ever to bring out the best in each other in the history of movies.

First of all you’ve got Sidney Poitier starring as Homer Smith, a vagabond man who lives out of his station wagon in search of handy work and new places to see. Instantaneously we know who this man is based on our assumptions about Poitier, the most likable actor since Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant. His personae, while versatile, is as much a trade mark as any of the great personalities of the silver screen. Just as you know what to expect from Gary Cooper or Tom Hanks, you know what you’re getting from Poitier. And his acting is so natural and effortless it’s easy to believe him in any role. Even though Homer is a regular guy we already know he is capable of extraordinary things, and he represents the ideal man every one wishes they could be. With Poitier, the audience immediately identifies with the hero and has empathy for his character.

You also have Lilia Skala who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress as Mother Maria. Although not as well known as Poitier, Skala still has an instantaneous identification through her physical attributes. Her manner is as harsh as her speech, her ways are as simple as her appearance, and her determination is as hearty as her body. But what could have been a mere caricature with a lesser actress becomes a fully formed and complicated woman in the hands of the impressive Skala. She may not be the name star, but she certainly holds her own while sparring with Poitier, which happens in virtually every scene of the film.

Within seconds of the opening credits Homer stops for some water for his car and Mother Maria takes it as a sign from heaven that her prayers for manual help have been answered. In an underplayed moment Skala convincingly conveys an overwhelming relief of her request having been fulfilled. And there begins the conflict, because Homer is just as sure that he was only passing by. But, in a moment of weakness, he stays to do some odd jobs. But Mother Maria is a very willful woman who time and again manages to keep Homer against his better judgement, which frustrates him to no end.

Ultimately, after many set backs and resistances, arguments and manipulations, hurt feelings and guilty consciences, Homer accomplishes the goal much to everyone’s mutual pleasure. Mother Maria gets a chapel, and Homer has something of permanence in his life. Perhaps most surprising is the bond that has grown between the two. Though they bickered every step of the way they were cast from the same metal, and now hold a special kind of respect for one another. One that will last a lifetime if only in memory.

I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but suffice it to say it’s difficult to imagine a more satisfying ending to this film than the one that already exists. It’s clever, funny and sad all at the same time. Most likely you’ll be smiling with a slight tear in your eye as you realize it’s been awhile since a movie left you feeling this good. Watch it once and I know you will want to see it again and again. I promise you’ll feel good every single time.

Some Like It Hot

Thu, 6 May 2010 22:29:31 -0700

Universally recognized as the funniest film ever made, “Some Like It Hot” is also quiet possibly the most perfect film ever to come out of Hollywood. The more I watch this film the more I love it. And the more I admire director Billy Wilder and the talents of the oft underrated cast of Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and, most especially, Tony Curtis.

Wilder had an amazing career as a writer, director and producer receiving three Academy Awards for his screenplays (“The Lost Weekend”, “Sunset Blvd.”, “The Apartment”), two for directing (“The Lost Weekend” and “The Apartment”) and one for producing (“The Apartment”). Even “Some Like It Hot” was nominated for six Oscars, taking home just one for Orry-Kelly’s costume designs. In fact, a quick glance at Wilder’s imdb.com listing will show you that just about everything he touched became cinematic gold. And even though he did everything from drama (“Stalag 17”) to mystery (“Witness for the Prosecution”) to romance (“Sabrina”), Wilder is most remembered today for his brilliant comedies such as “Some Like It Hot”, the big fat cherry on a pretty spectacular cake.

It has been said that no one else but Wilder could have possibly gotten away with stretching what amounts to an old burlesque gag into a feature length film. I think that’s very true. After all, the plot is a very simple one ( a couple of guys need to get out of town fast and find obstacles and romance along the way), and the jokes are pretty standard (“I tell ya, it’s a whole different sex!”), if not downright predictable (“Where do you think you’re going? - Urbana?”). But it is the execution that makes all the difference. And half the battle is having the right actors in the right roles. This is where Wilder’s true genius shines through: every cast member seems to have been born to play his or her role, which is exactly why their performances have been so under-appreciated throughout the years.

Okay, so Lemmon was actually nominated for an Oscar for his vivacious interpretation of Jerry/Daphne and had previously received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for “Mr. Roberts” and would later earn a Best Actor statuette for “Save the Tiger”. But people don’t seem to remember that, let alone all the many other nominations he received throughout the years. And no such recognition ever came to Monroe or Curtis, not in the form of an Oscar. I believe, like many talented and well deserving actors before them, that they were simply too good looking, too popular, and made it look way too easy to earn the respect of their peers. The way Curtis eases back and forth between the opportunistic Joe, the dignified Josephine, and the aristocratic Millionaire is a pure tour de force. Lemmon is simply a delight when displaying his feminine side, carrying off a plausible relationship with the lovable Joe E. Brown. And Monroe is at her most adorable playing the sexy innocent trying to bag a “rich millionaire” before she reaches the dead end age of twenty-five. These roles just couldn’t be fulfilled with such impact by any other set of actors.

With such results, it’s a shame this team never assembled for another movie. Wilder had worked with Monroe on the “Seven Year Itch” and would go on to work with Lemmon multiple times, but the actors would never re-team, and that’s too bad. Monroe would die just a few years later, and Lemmon and Curtis would become too big to pair up again (with the exception of the ensemble cast of “The Great Race”), keeping their “bromance” to a sweet and memorable one time fling.

It may not have received the recognition it deserved upon its initial release, but at long last “Some Like It Hot” is enjoying a renewed appreciation through prominent rankings on such distinguished lists like AFI’s and packing the theaters at gala screening events such as TCM’s Classic Film Festival. And who knows, perhaps even the Academy will come around to recognizing its mistake in overlooking Tony Curtis all these years by presenting him with a well earned Lifetime Achievement Award, just like it did with his hero, Cary Grant. Here’s hoping.

The Searchers

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 22:11:31 -0700

“The Searchers”, John Ford’s supreme masterpiece, is a spectacular Western that should be required viewing for every movie fan.

Even though Ford has a multitude of exceptional films to his credit (“Stagecoach”, “My Darling Clementine”, “Fort Apache”, etc), “The Searchers” is considered to be the famed director’s ultimate achievement, as well as one of the greatest American films of all time, and one of the most influential films ever made, landing on virtually every “best of” list since its release in 1956. It’s impossible to see this film and not come to the same conclusion.

The accolades are well earned due in large part to the film’s breathtaking cinematography and exceptional cast led by Ford favorite, John Wayne in a role completely against his well established type. Because of this, Ford had to battle with the studio in order to cast Wayne as Ethan Edwards, a formidable man who possesses an overwhelming personality that commands attention from settlers and Comanche alike. Known for his larger than life persona rather than for his acting, The Duke gives the performance of his career as the troubled Civil War veteran who spends five years on a vengeful journey to rescue his kidnapped niece, the only survivor of a brutal Comanche raid.

Wayne ‘s portrayal of the bitter and highly prejudiced man is arguably his finest performance. He delivers a stunning exhibition of his vastly under-appreciated acting ability, full of depth and complexity, proving once and for all that the former football star and prop man was more than just a screen icon. It may be hard to believe, but “The Searchers” proves that Wayne was a real, honest to goodness, actor. Wayne himself considered the role to be the best character he ever portrayed, naming one of his sons Ethan as homage.

Supporting Wayne are many of Ford’s reliable stock actors (Ward Bond, Harry Carey Jr., John Qualen) and a stellar roaster of 1950’s stars, including gorgeous Jeffrey Hunter as Wayne’s half-native nephew and Natalie Wood (“Rebel Without a Cause”) as the grown up niece who has assimilated with her captors. Vera Miles (Janet Leigh’s sister in “Psycho”) also plays a crucial role as the love interest to Hunter, providing some much needed lighter moments when she ultimately gets tired of waiting to get married.

And of course there is the landscape itself. Majestic and beautiful, Ford’s portrait of the frontier is uniquely his own. As David Lean was with “Lawrence of Arabia” and the desert, Ford is with the old west. Whether depicting isolated settlements, or picturesque riverside camps, Ford seems to have had a composition palette inaccessible to any other filmmaker before or since. Every shot, every frame even, is so well constructed you can watch the film with no sound at all and enjoy it just as much. Perhaps even glean more from the pictures than you would have otherwise.

Listed among many prestigious rankings including the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” and “Entertainment Weekly’s Greatest Films of All Time”, “The Searchers” is more than a necessary viewing experience for the classic film enthusiast, it’s a prime example of the height of exceptional filmmaking by one of the art form’s most talented and prolific collaborators, John Ford and John Wayne.

(click on names and titles for IMDB.com listings)

The African Queen

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:49:07 -0800

The African Queen offered one of the most unlikely pairings ever in cinematic history (that of Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn). And yet, under the masterful direction of John Huston, the combination resulted in one of the dearest romances ever to hit the silver screen, and provided Bogart with his one and only acting Oscar.

Promoted as having been filmed in the treacherous wilds of Africa, the film production actually did struggle while working under the harsh conditions of the exotic location, (mandated by Huston himself). Although the director and lead actor enjoyed the rigors of roughing it, everyone else suffered from varying degrees of discomfort, including extreme dysentery. By all accounts, Huston and Bogart managed to avoid any physical ailments by drinking nothing but hard alcohol. Either way, the result was well worth it.

The story takes place at the onset of WWI when, after the loss of her missionary brother, a prim, English spinster (played to perfection by Hepburn) must turn to a lackadaisical no-account (Bogart as you’ve never seen him) who has been delivering mail by boat during many years of solitude. Soon after retreating by river, the two disparate individuals devise a plan to elude the Germans while constructing a makeshift torpedo by which to sink the largest enemy ship in the area. Naturally, the two bicker, run rapids, fend off any manner of beasties, outrun gunfire and fall in love in the process. And even with all of this action taking place, The African Queen is truly one of the all-time most endearing, family friendly stories about how two very different people come to rely on each other, respect each other, and even need each other.

At first, it's hard to imagine that macho man Huston could be responsible for such a sweet and touching story of an old maid and a drunk who depend on one another as they hide from the Germans in the twisting waterways of Africa. However, with a closer look at his impressive resume, one discovers that Huston had a very distinctive career that knew no restrictions when it came to subject or genre. For those familiar with Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison or even Key Largo, it isn't hard to see Huston’s influence on the strong, yet subtle performances drawn from the actors, as well as his adept ability to maintain the ever-present excitement created in this romantic, drama, adventure.

Of course, the true revelation in The African Queen is the chemistry generated between the two aging mega-stars. Theirs is not a hot and steamy romance, but rather, an honest relationship that Bogart and Hepburn develop through a sincere camaraderie. Because they are so very different in image, it’s just plain fun to watch these icons as they transition into a loving couple willing to make the ultimate sacrifice together, rather than go on alone. For a big/little classic, you couldn’t ask for anything for more than what The African Queen has to offer in sheer entertainment.

(click on names for IMDB.com listings)