Lake Placid

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1990's, Betty White, Bill Pullman, Brendan Gleeson, Bridget Fonda, Comedy, Horror, Lake Placid, Oliver Platt, Steve Miner

A horror-comedy hybrid about a giant crocodile terrorising a quiet Maine waterway, Lake Placid is something of a mixed bag. For all the flashes of humour and parts that have great tension, the rest of the enterprise fails to impress with the script straddling actors with roles that aren’t that interesting. Still, it’s a fun if slightly forgettable movie but it has some entertainment value amid its often confused identity .

A brutal attack that renders a scuba diver cut in half on Black Lake, Maine, raises immense concern for the safety of others. Gruff Sheriff Hank Keough( Brendan Gleeson) ,who was there with the river but didn’t see what killed him is understandably worried about the future at this point. He is soon joined by a diverse group of people from different fields who arrive to discover just what caused this bloody death. We have the calm and collected Fish and Game Warden Jack Wells( Bill Pullman) , who is skilled in the art of sarcasm. Following him is uptight and prissy palaeontologist  Kelly Scott( Bridget Fonda)who is assigned following a botched fling with her boss and is there because the fragment of an unidentified but very sharp tooth was discovered in the body, though she is not prepared for outdoor conditions in the slightest . And finally we have the eccentric mythology expert Hector Cyr( Oliver Platt) with oodles of money and not much in the way of tact. At first, some think it might be the result of a bear, though Hector is convinced that it is from a crocodile as he is something of an expert in that field. Everyone begins butting heads over the best course of action for the still unseen predator, but soon everyone must band together when terror strikes. It transpires that the creature in the lake is in fact a 30 ft saltwater crocodile that has a rather ferocious appetite. The rag tag group has to decide what to do before they end up as the beast’s next meal. But will any of them actually survive the carnage to tell the tale?

The directing of Steve Miner is passable enough and at least the running time is quite short which means Lake Placid is at least not a long movie. I must give kudos to some great set pieces that give bite to a muddled film. One really stands out for the suspense it induces. In it, the unusual Hector ,who believes that crocodiles are mythological and that he is immune to danger as he’s never been attacked, finds himself in the lake with the beast right behind him. His mix of awe and fear is palpable as it draws closer to him as if studying his every move and patiently waiting to pounce. If only the rest of the film could have been this thrilling, Lake Placid would have had it mad. Miner does very well in these parts, but can’t save the whole exercise from a feeling of lethargy. The script is the point of contention here. Scripted by David E. Kelley, who is known for rapid fire and very dry dialogue, some parts of his ideas work. They just end up feeling repetitive and juvenile as it goes on which doesn’t help matter. Some of it really has a snap too it with some humorous exchanges, but it ends up not mixing with the horror elements effectively.  At least Lake Placid looks good from a visual standpoint and the crocodile is rendered very well, it helps that we only see snippets of it before it lets loose. Stan Winston and his skilful animatronic work, blended with some pretty nifty CGI, make the predatory crocodile intense and believable, even if the film that houses it is not. The music is decent enough at dialling up notches of tension when it needs to but is nothing groundbreaking.

As the leads, we have Bill Pullman and Bridget Fonda. Both are actors I admire and have seen plenty of great work from. The thing is both are somewhat left with roles that don’t stretch them or really let them come alive. Pullman comes off better with his casual attitude and sarcasm providing a few great moments. Unfortunately Fonda is saddled with an annoying character which even her considerable talents can save. The part is whiny, bitchy and often obnoxious . Make no mistake, Bridget Fonda does what she can with material, she’s just left all at sea with a part that should have been better written. The best acting comes from Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Platt, who form something of a chalk and cheese duo who are always at each other’s throats. Gleeson is all scowling, not too bright but authoritative law enforcement, while Platt is out there ideas and an overzealous dedication to his vision that puts everyone in danger. Together the two are a complete blast, sparking off the other with witty retorts and snarling disdain that gives Lake Placid a much needed shot in the arm when it really needs it. They are by far the most entertaining actors and characters here it must be said. And if we are speaking of scene stealing, there’s a very amusing and outrageous small but memorable role for Betty White. She’s loud, foul mouthed and all knowing, plus clearly having a blast in a part you wouldn’t expect from her. I loved it whenever she appeared on screen and went for the jugular with her attitude.

So taking everything into account, Lake Placid is a daft, sometimes funny and scary film. But it just could have mingled better when melding the genres for my liking. It has its good parts though so at least that is something to take away.

Scandal

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1980's, Based on a true story, Bridget Fonda, Britt Ekland, Drama, Ian McKellen, Jeroen Krabbé, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, John Hurt, Michael Caton-Jones, Scandal

A dramatisation of the Profumo Scandal of the early 60’s, Scandal is a stylish and well acted evocation of the time and excellently focuses on the nature of guilt and a powder keg situation and who suffers and rises as a result of it.

In 1959, society osteopath and charming man Stephen Ward( John Hurt) meets the beautiful young showgirl by the name of Christine Keeler(Joanne Whalley-Kilmer). Immediately entranced, he asks her to live with him and she accepts. Their relationship is mainly platonic as he schools her in the art of moving in higher circles to which he aspires. After a makeover, Christine is ready for the future as Ward introduces her to wealthy gentlemen who she can spend the night with. Joining her is the saucy and fun loving fellow showgirl Mandy Rice-Davies(Bridget Fonda), who goes along with the fun of the time and enjoys the attention. At first, the girls are in it for the fun and Stephen is their sponsor as they share the beds of powerful men and he hears details. Keeler in particular is between the sheets with most notably Minister of War, John Profumo( Ian McKellen) and alleged spy Eugene Ivanov( Jeroen Krabbé) . An inevitable fallout begins when Christine feels used by the whole situation and you can see that Ward is realising he is out of his depth. Scandal engulfs everyone when an angry and dejected Christine sells the story to the papers, setting off a tragic set of events that brings down the Conservative Government and embarrasses the Establishment in the early 1960’s.

Michael Caton-Jones has the right feel for the time where you can sense that times were for the changing and the Sexual Revolution was about to explode. We also get insights into the people behind the headlines and a bit of insight into this revealing affair that captured everyone. Parts of the film drag on occasion and can get a bit dull, but the dark second half more than makes up for any langurs. I would have liked to have seen some characters a little more such as Profumo and , but when they were on screen they were good to view. A tiny bit of expansion is what I wanted just a bit more of, though I understand that the story was mainly focused on Ward. Although it deals with affairs and sexual encounters, Scandal isn’t overtly sleazy. Yes there is nudity and some unusual activity going on, but it doesn’t feel cheap and exploitative because of this immensely watchable true story that was quite the event in its day and shook things up on a massive scale. Plus, I think it skewers the whole myth of those higher up in society being above others in terms of decency, when in fact they are just as bad as anyone else. And who can forget the allure of Christine and Mandy getting ready for a night out; eyeliner going on and stockings being applied, to the sound of ‘Apache’? On a visual level, the glamour and chance of new promise that started with the 60’s is rendered beautifully.

The ever excellent John Hurt turns in one of his most underrated performances as the eventual scapegoat in the spiralling situation. While Ward was no angel, he was used as whipping boy and discarded by the friends in high society who themselves were far from lily white. John Hurt masterfully plays to the flaws of this charming man, but finds sympathy to his eventual fate that befell Ward, who paid for his attempts to move in the right circles. It’s a hard act to pull off, but Hurt does it with considerable skill in finding the lonely heart of a man undone by his actions and given the lions share of blame. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer project a feeling of naive innocence to start and then progress to unearth a sexy and alluring confidence. Whalley-Kilmer is a sensual presence on screen with her dark hair and doe eyes shining. Her biggest triumph is the mystery she encapsulates when playing Keeler; sometimes you are unsure of what she is thinking or likely to do. Through subtle flashes, we view a young woman at the centre of controversy and reacting in all sorts of ways to it.

A wonderfully and impeccably cast Bridget Fonda is a high point; clearly savouring her role as the sexy Mandy with whom Christine finds herself friends with. She’s got the confidence, razor sharp wit and slinky glamour that is superbly put to great use. It’s her who gets the humour and good lines in Scandal and makes the most of them. Although I would have liked to have seen more of him, Ian McKellen is reliably good as Profumo, showing a man paying for his desires and jeopardising everything he’s worked for in return for the company of a beautiful young woman. The same can be said of Jeroen Krabbé, though it’s Mckellen who emerges as the most interesting of the two. A sexy supporting part is afforded to Britt Ekland, who is a stunning beauty and makes the most of her short time on screen.

A well directed and well cast look at The Profumo Affair, Scandal is intriguing and inviting in its exploration of culpability and Parliamentary ruin.