Gareth's Movie Reviews Past and Present V
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Cecil B DeMille's 1952 circus epic is a BIG movie. I was so impressed by the scale of the production, although I should point out that this is the first DeMille movie I've seen, believe it or not.
Charlton Heston is Brad Braden, "bossman" of the circus, under pressure from his superiors to keep in profit or risk having their summer season cut short. To boost takings and "bums on seats", he brings in a high-flying trapeze artist, "The Great Sebastian" (Cornel Wilde), but this upsets Brad's girlfriend, Holly (Betty Hutton), who wanted the centre ring for herself. This kicks off a 3-way love triangle. Brad has the circus as his number one priority, thereby neglecting Holly. Sebastian fancies Holly (he's a bit of a womanising tart anyway) and begins to woo her away. Holly is interested but deep down still loves Brad. However Sebastian's advances are unrelenting - will she be able to resist his French charms? Whatever happens on the ground, in the air, they start a dangerous game of one-upmanship as each tries to outdo the other with increasingly risky stunts.
Throughout the movie we are treated to the spectacle of the big top. In fact, some of it plays like a documentary with an official-sounding voice-over. But I found it all very interesting, seeing the day to day life of the circus. Indeed, we also see much of the show itself and boy, does DeMille show us! The set is huge, complete with all the attractions, wild animals and a massive audience. We see all the acts including lion taming, elephants, sealions, clowns and, most spectacularly, the trapeze artists. We see the innocent delight on childrens' faces, and often on those of adults too (watch out for Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the crowd).
So, I mentioned the love triangle, but we also have other sub-plots mixed in here. My favourite actor, James Stewart, pops up a dubiously-named clown "Buttons". He is everybody's friend but there are many hints of a darker history to the man and we have to wait until nearer the end to find out. We have elephant trainer, Klaus, who is after the affections of Angel (Gloria Grahame - It's a Wonderful Life). She is a past conquest of lusty Sebastian but now she kind of fancies Brad and when Holly shows interest in the frenchman, Angel moves in on him. On top of everything else there is racketeer, Henderson (lawrence Tierney), who wants to run bent concessions at the circus but Brad, to his ultimate detriment, refuses, being the honest and upright man that he is. It might all seem a bit of a tangle but it never gets confusing because the subplots are clearly set out.
This is a huge nostalgia trip. You might watch it for Charlton Heston's usual solid performance, or James Stewart's quiet role as the mysterious clown, or the ridiculous love triangle (I thought Holly to be a fickle woman, being in love with one man and suddenly falling in love with another). But if nothing else, watch it for the spectacle of the circus as it used to be. Of course, there are ethical questions about the use of lions, elephants, etc in the circus, but whatever you think, it is a piece of American history that will be indelibly printed in the memories of all who experienced it first-hand. DeMille has recreated the greatest show on earth and shown us that the people within it are all as important as the whole: the characters, the relationships, the rivalry .. .. .. The film is spectacular, from the erecting of the big top, through the dazzling acts in the ring, to the (for its time) amazing train crash. It has its flaws (some of the script is poor and that Holly is fickle!) but this is a film that has to be seen to be believed.
Opposites do attract, it's true! This is highlighted big-time in Steven Soderbergh's big screen adaptation of Get Shorty scribe Elmore Leonard's novel. George Clooney is Jack Foley, a solo bank robber who, having robbed 200 banks, escapes from his second prison term. He is aided by Buddy (Ving Rhames), who is there to help his getaway. At the crucial moment, a fly in the ointment - federal marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) is just arriving at the prison and unwillingly gets dragged along with them. The attraction between Jack and Karen is instant and she finds herself torn in two between the path of the righteous and that of the unlawful.
You have to concentrate because we dodge about between three different time periods - the events after the escape, Jack's experiences in prison and the events leading up to his imprisonment - so pay attention! I had to keep explaining to my girlfriend which bit was which!!
The bulk of the movie follows the events after the prison break with Jack and Buddy attempting to rip off 5 million-worth of uncut diamonds from rich bastard Ripley, a former fellow con. Hot on their trail is Karen and a team of marshalls intent on bringing them back to prison. Except of course Karen whose mind isn't entirely focussed on the job in hand, her hormones having gone into overdrive. Is it the thrill of maybe copping off with a bank robber? Does she genuinely like him? Does he want to be able to say he's bonked a US Marshall? Does HE genuinely like her? All these are questions they ask themselves when the inevitable happens and they get together. There are some sizzling scenes between them, Clooney and Lopez making a gorgeous couple and the on-screen chemistry is very evident.
Like in Get Shorty, Elmore Leonard's criminals are likeable. Clooney's inherent charm makes Jack Foley the original Nice Guy (even if he has ripped off umpteen banks). His sidekick Buddy clearly cares very much for his friend and even the "bad guys" have a certain appeal. Soderbergh pieces together an intelligent story with these great characters (including a couple of famous cameo stars) and some Get Shorty-style moments of great amusement (watch out for a sick, pant-wettingly funny, moment towards the end). I love these crime flicks and although it isn't as good as Get Shorty (whose director, Barry Sonnenfeld, is credited as an Executive Producer), Out of Sight will entertain, amuse and ultimately satisfy.
This British film, directed by Mark Herman (director of Brassed Off) focuses on a girl called LV (short for Little Voice), wonderfully played by Jane Horrocks. She is a softly spoken girl, living the life of a recluse in a small house in the seaside town of Scarborough with her middle-aged tart of a mother Marie (Brenda Blethyn). LVs life revolves around her passion for songs from the golden age - Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe and co. - and the memories of her deceased father, whose picture hangs above her bed.
The story begins with Marie excitedly welcoming the telephone men who are installing a phone in her house. One of the men is Billy (Ewan McGregor) who meets LV and they are instantly attracted to each other but each having their own communication problems, preventing them from doing anything about it. The story of the growing friendship between these two is secondary to what happens when Marie's new fella, wannabe showbiz bigshot Ray Say (Michael Caine), overhears LV singing to one of her records. She sounds exactly like Judy Garland. Ray sees potential for big bucks and sets out to "help" her get on the road to stardom (and him on the road to fortune).
LV is terrified of singing in public. She only sings in her bedroom and even then because she is singing for her father, or the ghost of. But Ray and Marie are able to persuade her to try. I won't spoil things by revealing whether she succeeds or not but let me say a little about the film itself, rather than the plot. This film is frequently hysterically funny. Marie is such an over-bearing woman and as her, Brenda Blethyn steals nearly every scene she is in, the concert scenes excepted. The concert scenes belong to Jane Horrocks who, as LV, portrays a terribly shy and insecure girl - thanks to her selfish and boistrous mother. The metaphor of birds in cages, being freed to fly (Billy keeps racing pigeons) is made very obvious because when she sings, LV is free. Horrocks performance is excellent and her voice is incredible - she sings all her own songs and her impressions of singers such as Garland and Piaff, are spot on. Michael Caine is great value for money too and, although maybe typecast as the crafty cockney, his role as Ray is hugely entertaining. Ewan McGregor takes more of a back seat and doesn't have a great deal to do, although my girlfriend would want me to point out that "he still looks gorgeous". Brenda Blethyn received an Oscar nom for Secrets and Lies a few years back and it wouldn't surprise me if she did for this too. Little Voice looks ok from the trailer but go and see it and you will be hugely rewarded. It's great entertainment.
An terrific cast heads up a classic Sergio Leone spaghetti western not starring Mr Eastwood. Charles Bronson is the mysterious Harmonica-playing Man out for revenge. For what we do not know until well into the movie. Henry Fonda is Frank, a cold-blooded mercenary working for a crippled railroad tycoon Morton, clearing the way for the tracks by whatever means, fair or foul. When foul, Frank sets it up to implicate criminal with a heart Cheyenne (Jason Robards). The deed that sets the movie in motion is the slaughter of the McBain family whose property the father had refused to sell to Morton. Frank kills them and makes it look like Cheyenne did it. Then there's the girl Jill (Claudia Cardinale) who is arriving on a train, having earlier married McBain, and finds her new husband and his children killed.
And so the scene is set with each character somehow connected with another. But what of Harmonica? He also arrives in town, on a train, and sets out to seek his revenge on Frank of all people! He and Cheyenne show their good hearts through darker deeds but ultimately to help save Jill and the McBain property from the sweaty clutches of Morton.
So that's the setting for what is a truly sweeping western. The cinematography is fantastic with lots of evocative wide shots and lingering close ups. Leone's direction is once again first rate and he rarely lets the film slack. Then there's the score by Leone favourite Ennio Morricone, rousing when necessary and always complimenting the action perfectly. But it's not just the score, the soundtrack itself is memorable. Soak up the opening scene where three hoods are at the station, awaiting "something". While they wait, we see each of them in great detail trying to patiently pass the time and all the while we have subtle sound effects, most notably the monotonous, perpetual squeaking of a metal windmill.
The movie is full of great characters and cameos and the performances of the actors are all excellent in their own ways. Once Upon a Time in the West is a memorable movie for several reasons, each of which I have touched on: the acting, the characters, the scenery, the soundtrack and score, the direction and quite a good story too! It now features in my top ten western list.