A Time to Kill

Tags

1990's, A Time to Kill, Ashley Judd, Brenda Fricker, Charles S. Dutton, Chris Cooper, Courtroom Drama, Crime, Donald Sutherland, Drama, Joel Schumacher, John Grisham, Kevin Spacey, Kiefer Sutherland, Legal Drama, Matthew McConaughey, Oliver Platt, Patrick McGoohan, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock

Film Title

A Time to Kill

Director

Joel Schumacher

Starring

• Matthew McConaughey as Jake Brigance
• Samuel L. Jackson as Carl Lee Hailey
• Sandra Bullock as Ellen Roark
• Kevin Spacey as Rufus Buckley
• Oliver Platt as Harry Rex Vonner
• Kiefer Sutherland as Freddie Lee Cobb
• Donald Sutherland as Lucien Wilbanks
• Ashley Judd as Carla Brigance
• Brenda Fricker as Ethel Twitty
• Charles S. Dutton as Sheriff Ozzie Walls
• Chris Cooper as Dwayne Looney
• Patrick McGoohan as Judge Omar Noose

An incendiary and well mounted adaptation of the John Grisham legal/courtroom drama, A Time to Kill ensures that the moral and ethical debates come through strong, thanks to the story, script and cast.

In the town of Canton, Mississippi, a 10-year-old black girl by the name of Tonya Hailey is walking home after getting groceries from the local store. Suddenly, she is targeted by two sneering and utterly vile rednecks who violently rape and attempt to kill her by hanging. Tonya survives, but the damage to her has been done, which sends shock waves through the community. Tonya’s father Carl Lee is devastated when he discovers what has happened to his little girl and knowing that due to the racism that pervades the town and that the two men may get a light sentence, decides to take matters into his own hands. He responds by gunning down both men on their way to trial, in front of over a dozen witnesses. Arrested, Carl Lee contacts young and idealistic lawyer Jake Brigance to represent him. Jake had previously helped Carl Lee’s brother in the past and feels he must represent him; mainly because he was aware that Carl Lee might have gone through with his retribution after talking with him earlier. Jake is warned that this case will be dangerous and because he doesn’t have that much experience, he is bright and wants to help. Hurdles and stumbling blocks come up as the manipulative district attorney and prosecutor Rufus Buckley, who has his eye on office, decides to seek the death penalty and manages to stir the situation up. The climate of racism and clashing opposition makes the whole thing a powder keg as Jake finds his life in danger, as well as those closest to him being threatened by a resurgent faction of the Ku Klux Klan, brought out by one of the brothers of the men slain by Carl Lee. Yet with all the hostility and violence being thrown his way, Jake refuses to back down and his resolve is strengthened as he is soon in the courtroom representing his client in a case that could spark even more eruptions of unrest and horror for everyone. He is aided by the young law student Ellen Roark, who is a know it all but very passionate and good friend plus occasional divorce lawyer cynical Harry Rex Vonner. Yet getting a fair trial is going to be anything but easy as tensions threaten to explode.

Joel Schumacher impeccably displays a flair for the material; making it both extremely gripping and equally as powerful in what it brings to the table. A Time to Kill raises many moral questions in a series of ways that delve into the quagmire of what is deemed right and wrong, and how there is a difficult grey area in between. There are those that will say that the movie is more in favour of one view than the other, but even if that is true, A Time to Kill deserves credit for presenting issues like justice, fairness and racism with many degrees of thought-provoking effectiveness. I believe that the film tries to show both sides of things. While Carl Lee did kill the men who raped his daughter, you can understand many of the reasons why he did it. A Time to Kill asks us to consider what we would do in that situation, which allows the film to get under the skin deeply. The difficulty in the topic of morality and justice is best summed up by a speech given by Donald Sutherland’s character. He says, “If you win this case, justice will prevail, and if you lose, justice will also prevail”, which perfectly and simply reflects the complex issue at hand. The legal nature of A Time to Kill is pretty compelling to watch as the ethics of lawyers and the inevitable courtroom examinations of whether someone is guilty are put under the spotlight. The build up to the courtroom is equally as excellent, showing just how dangerous a case of this magnitude can be in a climate of uncertainty and intolerance. Yet when the courtroom drama hits, the fireworks really start to occur. The testimonies and confrontations have rippling consequences that influence the society around them, that is already at boiling point on account of racism and violence. The dignified and quick-moving script makes the legal terminology easy to digest, yet doesn’t forget the battle going on between many things within the fabric of the story. And speaking of quick-moving, A Time to Kill runs for two and a half hours, yet interest is kept in check and held throughout most of it. Sure some moments could have been expanded on, but the atmosphere and climate of the piece brings immediate attention and confronting intent to the viewer, that will get them to look at the ethics of the trial intensely. The music provided by Elliot Goldenthal is dynamic and matches the escalating emotions and tensions within the story.

A Time to Kill was the movie that really launched Matthew McConaughey to stardom and it isn’t difficult to see why. With his charming yet astute persona, he naturally plays Jake as a man put through the difficulties of the case, yet spurned on by what he sees as just cause. The gravity of the situation dawns on him after realising how complex events will turn out, but he won’t give up on this case and soldiers through it with unwavering determination. McConaughey is the right fit for the part and his closing speech in the film is powerful stuff that shows just what an excellent actor he is. Samuel L. Jackson is particularly memorable as the man on trial, evoking the self-possessed man whose temper was pushed to the edge by the brutality his daughter endured. Jackson’s work is very subtle and while he has two scenes of outburst( the first when he kills the men and the second in court) he is largely a modulated presence, though behind his eyes the fury and hurt is there as clear as day. This performance impressed me as I usually think of Jackson as manic and loud, yet he delivered a finely tuned performance as the avenging Carl Lee that reveals another side to him. We have Sandra Bullock portraying the over-eager and brainy Ellen with a good mix of sass and smarts, while Kevin Spacey can be discovered slithering his way across the screen, inhabiting the egotistical and ambitious prosecutor. Oliver Platt provides some levity from the intense drama in the sidekick role of being a cynical wise ass with questionable morals, yet also with surprising depth to match. Kiefer Sutherland is appropriately nasty and shocking, starring as the angered brother of one of the slain who riles up the Klan once more and delights in causing horror to all in order to get what he perceives as his own justice. His father Donald also makes a hell of a mark, exuding the wily silver fox persona ideal for his part of Jake’s former mentor, who despite being disbarred from court, manages to aid his young charge. It is interesting to note that Donald and Kiefer never share a scene in the film. Ashley Judd and Brenda Fricker have less to do in the film, but each is good in their respective roles of concerned wife and long-serving secretary. In smaller roles, Charles S. Dutton, Chris Cooper and Patrick McGoohan add their expertise to various people involved in the case and make the most of the time they get to be shown.

A Time to Kill emerges as an engaging crime drama that explores culpability, legality and racism in a powerful way, benefiting from confident direction and a star-studded cast.

Alien 3

Tags

1990's, Alien 3, Brian Glover, Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton, Danny Webb, David Fincher, Holt McCallany, Horror, Lance Henriksen, Paul McGann, Pete Postlethwaite, Peter Guinness, Ralph Brown, Science Fiction, Sigourney Weaver

Film Title

Alien 3

Director

David Fincher

Starring

• Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley
• Charles S. Dutton as Dillon
• Charles Dance as Clemens
• Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews
• Ralph Brown as Aaron
• Paul McGann as Golic
• Danny Webb as Morse
• Lance Henriksen as Bishop
• Pete Postlethwaite as David
• Holt McCallany as Junior
• Peter Guinness as Gregor

Coming after the effective Alien and action-packed Aliens, Alien 3 didn’t really stand much of a chance. Add to that studio interference and a troubled production that later saw debut director David Fincher express his dislike of the film, Alien 3 wasn’t received warmly upon release. But with the emergence of The Assembly Cut that restores crucial parts to the story, Alien 3 does still have its effective moments. It may still be flawed, but The Assembly Cut is well worth seeing as an improvement upon the version that hit cinemas.

After surviving the events of Aliens, Ripley is in orbit while in hyper sleep with Hicks, Newt and what is left of the android Bishop. A fire on board the spaceship causes their escape pods to be released, resulting in them crash landing on Fury 161. The planet is a bleak place for male prisoners who have now taken on religion in the hopes of repenting for their sins. The Facility is run by Superintendent Andrews, who is helped by his lap dog Aaron. Unfortunately for Ripley, Hicks and Newt perish in the landing which devastates her. Her already grim outlook on things is not helped when she finds evidence that an Alien was in fact on board their ship. Stranded on this hostile planet, Ripley, her hair shorn as a precaution against lice, gains the trust of medical officer Clemens, who has a mysterious past. Andrews however is not too happy about Ripley’s presence among the dangerous prisoners. Matters later become shocking as brutal deaths involving inmates are committed. Ripley soon sees that her old nemesis is back and on another killing spree. At first alienated from the inmates, she later gets assistance from Dillon, the wise leader of the prisoners who believes her story. As bodies continue to mount, it’s only a matter of time before the Alien gets to Ripley. But a shocking revelation that links Ripley with the savage creature casts a different light on the subject and Ripley must decide her ultimate fate.

I think I’ll get the flaws of Alien 3 out of the way first. For starters, it gets a little confusing identifying certain characters because they all look very similar with shaved heads and bar code tattoos at the base of their necks. There is also the matter of the design this time around for the Alien. It is still terrifying to look at, but some dodgy CGI involved with it really detracts from some of the effective scenes of horror. Some of the film does feel disjointed and occasionally Alien 3 leaps from scene to scene without a thought. With those negatives out the way, here are the positives, of which many will be surprised that there are quite a lot in this film. David Fincher, although later disappointed with the film, actually makes a good stab at it. He creates a gloomy and hopeless atmosphere of dread among the prison, with roving camerawork capturing every dark corner and dimly lit corridor to Gothic perfection. He also directs some very creepy scenes of horror, including the Alien cornering an unarmed Ripley and the prisoners using themselves as bait in a terrifying chase. The killing of Hicks and Newt may have detracted many and I was very sad that they died, but I have to say it was a really ballsy idea. The deaths of the characters further contributes to the feeling of a grim future and outcome as the traumatized Ripley must contend with the loss of those closest while trying to remain alive. Out of all the Alien films, Alien 3 is the one that feels most like a requiem for the characters, most of all Ripley who has endured so much suffering at the hands of the Alien but has managed to fight back every time. Elliot Goldenthal contributes a gloomy score of Latin chanting and doom heavy synths to capture the religious beliefs of the inmates and the savagery that will soon befall many of them.

Sigourney Weaver is once again on powerful form as battle-scarred and hard-edged survivor Ripley, filling her with pain, strength and emotional depth. Ripley has become such a rounded character over the course of the last two films and much of this is down to the incomparable work of the talented Sigourney Weaver, who brings so much to the role and delivers an outstanding performance. Charles S. Dutton is supremely effective as the leader of the prisoners, who inspires them with his speeches but will stand for no one stepping out of line and disobeying orders. Charles Dance is used very well as the informative but slightly mysterious doctor who takes a liking to Ripley, while Brian Glover brings gruff and blustering actions to his role as the superintendent of the prison. Ralph Brown is suitably cast as the assistant to the superintendent, who seems to repeat everything he says and doesn’t know what to do when confronted with a mounting crisis. Paul McGann is frightening as the disturbed prisoner Golic, who develops a fascination with the Alien, while Danny Webb is droll and sarcastic as prisoner Morse. Lance Henriksen is unfortunately underused this time as the battered Bishop and this is a real shame. The same goes for Pete Postlethwaite, Holt McCallany and Peter Guinness who are given barely anything to do as other inmates of the facility.

Flawed it may be, but Alien 3, primarily the Assembly Cut, certainly has its merits in terms of atmosphere and main performance from Sigourney Weaver.

 

 

 

 

Gothika

Tags

2000's, Charles S. Dutton, Gothika, Halle Berry, Horror, John Carroll Lynch, Mathieu Kassovitz, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr, Supernatural Thriller

Film Title

Gothika

Director

Mathieu Kassovitz

Starring

• Halle Berry as Dr. Miranda Grey
• Robert Downey, Jr. as Dr. Pete Graham
• Charles S. Dutton as Dr. Doug Grey
• Penélope Cruz as Chloe Sava
• John Carroll Lynch as Sheriff Ryan

Yes the plot may be preposterous and the final act may fly off the rails, but for the  first hour or so Gothika does keep you entertained and evokes some genuinely scary moments.  It is very much a film of two halves, but if you go into it without questioning logic and reason, you might just enjoy this horror/ supernatural thriller.

Miranda Grey is a gifted psychiatrist working at a mental hospital for women. Married to the director Doug and very rational when it comes to her work, Miranda’s life is ordinary enough. Until, one stormy night after her session with a patient named Chloe, Miranda is driving home when she has to take a detour after a closure of a number of roads. Whilst driving, she crashes her car after swerving from a young girl standing in the road. Upon exiting her car, she comes face to face with the girl who suddenly bursts into flames. The next thing Miranda knows she is back in the mental hospital, only this time she is one of the patients. She has been asleep for three days and to make matters worse, she is being accused of murdering her husband. Confused and deeply horrified, Miranda attempts to fathom the events that occurred that fateful night as those around her, including a good friend Dr. Pete Graham, begin to doubt Miranda’s story. The girl who she saw before she blacked out keeps appearing, is she real or just a figment of Miranda’s imagination? Delving deep into her mind, Miranda begins to slowly recover her memory and is pushed to the edge of her sanity as her world falls apart and the events around her become darker. Although full of schlock and a certain unevenness to its tone, Gothika at least succeeds in part due to its stylish direction from Mathieu Kassovitz.

For the good first hour or so, Mathieu Kassovitz keeps Gothika ticking over with frightening imagery, moody lighting and kinetic camera angles that capture Miranda’s life being turned upside down. If anything, the overall visual look and chilling sets keep Gothika rising above the by the numbers script.The atmosphere created is very spooky indeed as we are thrown into Miranda’s tailspin of emotions as she questions what really happened and how she ended up on the other side of the glass. The music provided is suitably eerie and frequently utilised to great effect. Unfortunately, the film as a whole does not feel even enough, as plot holes begin to appear during the last act. It does have its share of scary moments, but many of these feel repetitive and clichéd to say the least. The supernatural element is handled in an ok fashion in the beginning but soon descends into hokey elements. What does keep Gothika from being all bad is the performances. Halle Berry rises above the scripts flaws and excellently portrays Miranda as she is thrown into a nightmare and attempts a way out of the bizarre case. She evokes a sense of confusion and shock that does make you feel for her. Robert Downey Jr. is great as the psychiatrist who is forced to leave his personal feelings at the door when it comes to analysing what Miranda remembers and whether or not she is mentally unstable or indeed innocent of the crime of which she stands accused. In supporting roles, Charles S. Dutton and John Carroll Lynch are fine as the murdered man and his lifelong best friend and sheriff attached to the murder case. Penélope Cruz creates an interesting character in Chloe, injecting menace and a certain vulnerability, as we watch her and Miranda go from patient and psychiatrist relationship to trusting one another.

So all in all, Gothika is flawed and full of plot holes. But if you don’t question this you may enjoy the scary atmosphere, Kassovitz’s visual style and some good performances.

Cookie’s Fortune

Tags

1990's, Charles S. Dutton, Chris O'Donnell, Comedy, Cookie's Fortune, Drama, Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Ned Beatty, Patricia Neal, Robert Altman

Film Title

Cookie’s Fortune

Director

Robert Altman

Cast

• Glenn Close as Camille Dixon
• Julianne Moore as Cora Duvall
• Liv Tyler as Emma Duvall
• Chris O’Donnell as Jason Brown
• Charles S. Dutton as Willis Richland
• Patricia Neal as Jewel Mae “Cookie” Orcutt
• Ned Beatty as Lester Boyle

Brimming with engaging characters and laced with an eccentric humour, Cookie’s Fortune continues to show Robert Altman’s deft skill with talented ensemble casts. Focusing on the effects of an old woman’s suicide on the many eccentric people in her life, this yarn boasts off-kilter humour and bittersweet drama in equal measure.

Jewel Mae or Cookie as she is often called is the no-nonsense, ageing resident in the quiet town of Holly Springs, Mississippi. For years she has missed her husband and has pined for his presence in her life. She lives in an old but grand house with loyal handyman and best friend Willis Richland. Also living in the town are Cookie’s nieces, Camille and Cora. The sisters are polar opposites; Camille is a domineering, overly dramatic woman and Cora is naive and easily led by everything her sister says. Also arriving in town is Cora’s daughter Emma, a rebellious teenager who genuinely cares for her aunt and is engaged in an on-off relationship with a comically inept cop called Jason. Cookie decides it is time she joined her late husband and plans her own suicide by shooting herself as Easter approaches. After going through with it, she is found by Camille, who is presiding over the Easter performance of Salome. The already highly strung madam destroys the evidence of a suicide attempt and tries to make it look like the old woman was murdered. The reasons for this are Camille’s opinion that it will shame her family’s name and more prominently her desire to inherit the riches of the woman. After convincing Cora to help her, the police begin to investigate. The blame falls upon the kind Willis, but Emma is not so convinced by it and sets out to unearth the truth. As skeletons begin to rattle and secrets rise to the surface, dark humour is found in Camille’s desperate attempts to avoid being found out. Touching moments also appear as we watch Emma try to save her friend from imprisonment. As usual, Robert Altman keeps the story ticking over with an eccentric ensemble cast, bittersweet revelations and a darkly comic undertone.

Although dealing with crime and accusations of murder, there is an almost breezy lightness and playfulness that pervades the film and keeps the drama and humour excellently intertwined and convincing. It may be said that it is one of Altman’s most accessible films, mainly because it focuses on the ensemble cast but doesn’t feature the cross-cutting between too many characters that his other films do very effectively but can also confuse viewers. The cast is the main reason to watch Cookie’s Fortune. Most of the humour comes from moments in Glenn Close’s theatrical and hysterical performance, such as the side-splitting moment in which she elaborately plans the way the “murderer” would have entered the house. Ably Supporting her is Julianne Moore in full on quirky mode as the subservient and odd Cora. Liv Tyler is impressive as the rebellious outcast Emma, capturing her youthful, spunky spirit and sullen disdain for her hypocritical aunt. Chris O’Donnell is a hoot as Jason, the inept and inexperienced cop who woos Emma. Charles S. Dutton has one of the best roles, exuding subtle emotions as the fiercely loyal handyman Willis, who out of most of the people actually cared for the old Cookie. In the small but pivotal role as the eponymous Cookie, Patricia Neal is superbly cast. It is through her character that every event unravels and the various deceit and lies come to the forefront of the plot. Rounding out the impressively assembled cast is Ned Beatty as the head cop who uses fishing as a philosophy for life and what happens in it. Credit must go to the screenplay for injecting the oddball sense of humour that punctuates into the narrative. The simple but well-chosen bluegrass and jazz soundtrack adds to the Southern atmosphere of this crime comedy drama.

In my opinion, Cookie’s Fortune is a neglected gem in Altman’s canon. If it’s an oddball comedy filled with drama and finely drawn characters that you want to see, Cookie’s Fortune is a certain safe bet.