Leon

Tags

1990's, Crime, Danny Aiello, Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Leon, Luc Besson, Natalie Portman, Thriller

Film Title

Leon

Director

Luc Besson

Starring

• Jean Reno as Leon
• Natalie Portman as Mathilda
• Gary Oldman as Norman Stansfield
• Danny Aiello as Tony

A stylish but most unusual crime thriller, Leon burns into the memory with explosive set pieces and an attention to the characters that is sometimes rare in the genre. Featuring some off the wall visual tricks and violence a plenty, it’s a thriller that does things a little differently but with panache.

Leon is a solitary hit man living in Little Italy who is emotionally shut off and very efficient at his job of killing others. When he isn’t dispatching of people for mafioso and good friend Tony, he is quite different from the average hit man. This is evidenced in his love of old movies, consumption of milk and dedicated to tending to his plant. In essence, Leon is only in the job to make ends meet. His distance from everyone else is what makes him so good at the job as he never really forms emotional attachments to anyone. That is until he encounters Mathilda; a twelve-year-old girl who comes from a dysfunctional and abusive family and lives down the hall from him. Mathilda’s father, who regularly gives her a black eye, has been stashing cocaine in his apartment for corrupt DEA agents, headed by the crazed and depraved Norman Stansfield. When Stansfield finds out that her father has been cutting the cocaine to keep for himself, Stansfield sends his men around and they kill Mathilda’s father, mother, step-sister and four-year-old brother. Mathilda managed to avoid the carnage as she was out shopping. Seeing what has happened, the scared Mathilda knocks on Leon’s door begging for a safe haven. He has doubts at first, but something within him lets the terrified young girl in. Mathilda is a troubled girl who has had to grow up fast in an unjust world of violence, yet underneath she is still a frightened and innocent little girl. Leon is skeptical about sheltering Mathilda as he is shut off emotionally and doesn’t quite know how to express his feelings. When Mathilda discovers Leon’s job, she asks him to train her in the art of killing, secretly hoping to gain retribution for the killing of her younger brother, who was the only person in her family that she felt close to. Although he is extremely reluctant about this because he knows the dangers, at her behest he trains her and she becomes a quick learner of the art. Slowly, Leon and Mathilda form an unlikely bond with each other as he grows into the role of her protector and opens up emotionally while she emerges as his protégée. Yet Stansfield has realized that he didn’t kill the whole family and sets out to find Mathilda, who herself is learning how to kill and plans to get revenge on him for the slaying of her brother. Leon finds that his job is becoming in danger like never before as Stansfield closes in and Mathilda wants vengeance.

Luc Besson, through striking visual style and interesting writing, creates a thriller that takes many different steps that one would thing. He craftily mixes personal drama and sharp bits of humour into Leon, with the main focus of the film being the relationship between the principal characters and not just the action and violence. This really struck me as something very unique in this kind of film as some thrillers and crimes movies can overlook their characters for flashy tricks. And while Leon does have rapid editing and a bright cinematography to highlight the dingy setting of the flick, complete with bloody violence to cap that off, it never loses us for a second and the scenes between Leon and Mathilda take on a more personal level. Some may find the relationship between Leon and Mathilda as uncomfortable due to overtones of Mathilda’s attraction towards Leon, but I saw it as she does love him, but as she is only a child it is an a way that is out of care and respect as she has never had a father figure like him before. An echoing score of pulsing beats gives electric immediacy to Leon, as well as taking the time to slow down and bring a poignant sense of emotion as Leon opens up as a human being in the presence of young Mathilda.

In the title role of the lonely hit man, Jean Reno is very well cast. His melancholy face is used to great effect as we watch how closed off he has been to anyone and how when he does let someone in, things start to get personal and very dangerous. Reno is the only actor I can think of playing the part, no other actor could have done the part of the hit man with a buried heart so well. Yet the biggest impression made in Leon is Natalie Portman in what was her debut role. Considering she was only twelve-years-old at the time of filming and it was her first movie, Natalie Portman showed how even at her young age she could be remarkably assured as she plays Mathilda with confidence and seeming ease. Some of the things the script calls for are daring for such a young actress to play as the character has had to toughen herself against an abusive home and the horrors of the world, but with an emotional core and sassy demeanor tempered with a troubled nature, Natalie Portman delivers a truly knockout performance. This is the kind of performance that stands as one of the best debuts in celluloid history for its striking maturity and memorability. As the gloriously corrupt and completely whacked out Stansfield, Gary Oldman is frightening and over the top in the extreme, but it fits the unpredictable character so well and makes him a dark villain. Danny Aiello succeeds in making his character of mafioso Tony who has loyalty to Leon, very good and a a good supporting character.

An audacious movie combining style, substance and occasional wit, Leon sets itself apart from many crime thrillers with its detail to characters and fresh approaches to things that make it quite unexpected.

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Tags

1980's, Comedy, Danny Aiello, Fantasy, Jeff Daniels, Mia Farrow, Romance, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Woody Allen

Film Title

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Director

Woody Allen

Starring

• Mia Farrow as Cecilia
• Jeff Daniels as Tom Baxter/ Gil Shepherd
• Danny Aiello as Monk

A comical, bittersweet movie about the magic of cinema and the line between reality and illusion, Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo is tinted with a heartwarming yet poignant charm and own sort of magic that makes it a lovely film.

It is the Great Depression and in New Jersey the poor, put upon waitress Cecilia is trying make ends meet as best as she can. She is trapped in a loveless marriage to the abusive and lazy Monk, who is unemployed but has no intention of getting a job as he is too busy drinking and gambling. To escape her humdrum and miserable life, Cecilia takes refuge in going to the cinema and becoming lost in the movies she watches. Her latest favourite movie is entitled The Purple Rose of Cairo and she has developed a liking of the explorer character Tom. While watching the movie for yet another time, something truly remarkable happens. Tom breaks the fourth wall and literally leaps off-screen, desperate to know the meek Cecilia. Astonished by this, she finds herself swept off her feet by the good-hearted Tom and finds herself growing attached to him, despite the fact that he is a fictional character who has entered reality. The actions of Tom leaving the film sends a wave of pandemonium through the cinema as Tom’s co-stars have no idea what to do without him in the scene, audience members become disgruntled that the movie is changed and even the studio producing the movie begins to panic about what will happen in the fall out. Meanwhile, Cecilia experiences adventures and love with the heroic Tom, who begins to realise that real life is a whole lot different from the glitz of movies. However, another surprise is on the way for Cecilia. The studio behind the movie has contacted Gil Shepherd, the actor who essayed the role of Tom and have sent him to New Jersey to see if he can repair any damage done. In contrast to the gentle and brave Tom, the man behind it is obsessed with keeping his career up and a little full of himself. But upon arrival, he begins to become enchanted with Cecilia too. Now it is up to Cecilia to decide whether to choose either the charming Tom or slightly arrogant Gil or return to the doldrums of her life.

Woody Allen displays masterful direction and writing throughout this bittersweet gem. He lovingly delves into the way that cinema has an impact on people and how it can provide literal and emotional escape from life’s troubles. He peppers events with humour, but it is underpinned by a poignancy that makes The Purple Rose of Cairo very moving. The film is full of delightful highlights from the sight of the movie stars on the screen bickering with discontented customers who want their money back to Tom and Gil confronting each other in amusing fashion, it is hard to fault The Purple Rose of Cairo in terms of ambition and clarity. Allen clearly knows that the audience can each view themselves like Cecilia, and with his beautiful direction and criss cross between comedy, drama and touching romantic fantasy, the results will definitely move you. The cinematography crafts the atmosphere outside as grim and troubled but employs brighter shades when Tom burst off-screen and lights up Cecilia’s life that has been in darkness for too long. A very good jazz score underlines the developing romance of the movie and brings both joy and sadness to the proceedings.

Mia Farrow turns in a beautifully touching performance as the downtrodden Cecilia. We immediately feel sympathy for her and her circumstances and we’d all love to just reach through the screen and comfort her. Farrow’s performance is so nuanced and filled with little things that make it work; the way her face lights up when viewing the eponymous movie, her silent tears as she realises her position in the world and the giddy sense of delight she feels as Tom courts her. All of this and more is found in a lovely performance from Mia Farrow. Jeff Daniels adroitly portrays two very different characters and delineates their opposing personalities and characteristics. Tom on one hand is the ideal guy with affable charm, whereas Gil is a cynical man more concerned with having nothing ruin his career. Daniels, who I always think can be underrated by many as an actor, shows exceptional talent here by embodying the two characters very well and helping form the emotional core of the movie, along with Mia Farrow. As Cecilia’s boorish husband who berates her at every turn, Danny Aiello is well cast.

Beautifully written, directed and acted, with true depth to the story as well as humour, The Purple Rose of Cairo is a purely magical film making from Woody Allen that delivers warmth and pathos to the story of escaping life with the powers of celluloid.

Jacob’s Ladder

Tags

1990's, Adrian Lyne, Danny Aiello, Elizabeth Peña, Horror, Jacob's Ladder, Matt Craven, Psychological Horror, Psychological Thriller, Tim Robbins

Film Title

Jacob’s Ladder

Director

Adrian Lyne

Starring

• Tim Robbins as Jacob Singer
• Elizabeth Peña as Jezzie
• Danny Aiello as Louis Denardo
• Matt Craven as Michael Newman

A Vietnam vet’s tortured existence that blurs between reality and visions is captured in horrifying detail in Jacob’s Ladder, directed with creepy certainty by Adrian Lyne and anchored by a powerful turn from Tim Robbins. This is a film that will stay with you for a long time not just due to the haunting, disturbing story and bizarre visuals, but for its harrowing emotion rare in a horror film.

Jacob Singer is a Vietnam vet who after the war is now working as a postal worker in New York City. Although now living with his seductive girlfriend Jezzie following a divorce from his first wife Sarah, Jacob is also mourning the death of his young son and recalling a terrifying an experience during the war when he was stabbed with a bayonet by an unseen soldier. Yet as he tries to move on with his life through his new relationship and job, terror soon encroaches upon it due to visions of demonic beings plaguing him in a fragmented fashion. On his way from the subway, a passenger’s face appears distorted and strangely warped. A nurse appears to have horns under her hat. A wild party turns into a room of beasts. What is causing these sights and are they real? Has Jacob’s mind been fractured by the traumatizing events in Vietnam? He begins to believe this theory when fellow members of his platoon come forward with their stories and they become convinced that the government did something to them while they were stationed in Vietnam. But with his visions growing stronger and finding it harder to distinguish what is real and what isn’t, can Jacob uncover the mystery before the horror completely overtakes him and he completely crumbles? With assistance from his kindly chiropractor Louis and a mysterious man named Michael Newman, Jacob attempts to fathom the nature of these visions and the validity of them before it is too late.

Adrian Lyne brings the nightmarish world Jacob inhabits to life with assured direction, that also taps into the deeper emotions of the story. His successful direction gives life to the ambiguities that Jacob’s Ladder throws at us and places us like Jacob in this abyss of not knowing what to believe or see. Visually, Jacob’s Ladder is phantasmagorical with horrific visions and sights. The fragmented nature of the movie as it cuts between past, memories and possibly delusions is edited with a disjointed quality that creates fear and confusion. Two particular scenes stand out that convey the sheer horror of the piece. The first features Jacob witnessing a man at a party’s head spinning violently fast as if in a constant state of convulsion. The second and most memorably terrifying is Jacob being taken into the decaying bowels of a hospital, strewn with body parts and disturbed patients. Strapped to a gurney, he is investigated by sinister doctor, including a man with no eyes. It truly is terror at its most psychological and unsettling. And yet for all of the horror on show, there is a very melancholy tone that pervades the movie, and is embodied by Jacob’s descent. The film can also be commended for the avenues of possibility it opens up. You’ve got the prospect of government experiments, the grief felt by the loss of a loved one and biblical allusions all at play and giving the film layer upon layer of ambiguity. An ambient score from Maurice Jarre backs the mounting events of bizarre terror and unexplained horror excellently, while underlining the tortured soul of Jacob.

In the role of the eponymous Jacob, Tim Robbins is emotionally powerful and devastating. He elicits sympathy for Jacob and the nightmare he is put through, and the audience feels the same way. As emotional as Robbins performance is, he also embodies the character physically. His movements are awkward and gawky due to his tall frame, his bespectacled appearance makes him look like a young boy and his expressive face is a marvel at conveying Jacob’s plight. In short, Robbins delivers powerful work of deep emotion and clarity. Elizabeth Peña smolders as the sexy but concerned Jezzie, whose name seems very appropriate given the biblical parallels of the story. While her sexuality is showcased often here, Peña gives the character a sense of mystery and fear as she watches Jacob’s slowly fall apart. Danny Aiello makes a mark as the almost angelic chiropractor who gives Jacob an important piece of advice in his search for answers, while Matt Craven is enigmatic as someone who knows more about why Jacob has been receiving these visions.

A deeply unsettling movie of horror and emotion, Jacob’s Ladder is simply an unforgettable movie.

Moonstruck

Tags

1980's, Cher, Comedy, Danny Aiello, Moonstruck, Nicolas Cage, Norman Jewison, Olympia Dukakis, Romantic Comedy, Vincent Gardenia

Film Title

Moonstruck

Director

Norman Jewison

Cast

• Cher as Loretta Castorini
• Nicolas Cage as Ronny Cammareri
• Olympia Dukakis as Rose Castorini
• Vincent Gardenia as Cosmo Castorini
• Danny Aiello as Johnny Cammareri

As bright and luminous as the moon that hangs over Brooklyn, Moonstruck is a delightfully funny and gentle tale directed with subtle touches by Norman Jewison and brought to life by its large cast fronted by an Oscar-winning Cher. Although I’m not a huge fan of romantic comedies and the film is unabashedly romantic, Moonstruck charmed and pleasantly surprised me none the less because of its attention to characters and a certain amount of seriousness and drama to level out the comedy.

Loretta Castorini is a 38-year-old dowdy Italian American widow who works as an accountant whilst living at home with her eccentric relatives. Her boyfriend of the moment, the dull Johnny proposes to her one night, and although she is not madly in love with him, she accepts his offer as she believes it is time to marry again. Johnny however has to go back to Sicily to tend to his dying mother and asks Loretta to invite his estranged brother, Ronny. Sure enough, Loretta contacts the volatile and very angry Ronny who holds his older brother responsible for an accident years before. The pair unexpectedly fall madly in love with each other whilst Johnny is away.

The moon referred to in the title is a symbol of the complexities and finicky nature of love.  Whilst Loretta and Ronny fall for each other and face uncertainty of what to do , her wry mother Rose finds out her husband Cosmo is cheating on her. This proves interesting as we watch not one but two relationships unravel in parallel fashion.

The cast is a bonus to the film, especially the supporting players who add humour and nuance to the romance. Cher is outstanding in the main role for which she won an Oscar, playing Loretta with an ease, confidence and subtlety that makes the audience feel for her. Her performance isn’t a loud, over the top portrayal, but a quietly realistic, charming and at times touching one that is all the better for it. Her scene at the opera when she cries is a touching moment especially when Ronny takes her hand and she realises how much she does love him. We all know that Cher can rock looking glamorous, but her morphing from dowdy duckling to glamour girl in pure Cinderella fashion is charming none the less to witness in the film. Cage is also funny too, embodying the wolfish charm and dejected melancholy that pervade his characters actions. Just like the many instances of opera that appear in the picture, his character is the living persona of the classic operatic hero with his over the top gestures and bold speeches about the subject of love. Credit should be given to Dukakis, as she is by turns funny and knowing as Loretta’s mother, her many instances of questions of why men chase women prove interesting viewing as well. Her chemistry with Vincent Gardenia( who is himself marvellous as her philandering husband) and Cher is an added bonus too. In a supporting part, Danny Aiello makes the most of it as the man who proposes to Loretta but is then spirited away, leaving the door open for all sorts of mayhem to occur.

While the film can be over the top at certain times and lull slightly, this should not detract from the hysterical screenplay and fleshed out characters present. Even if you don’t like romantic comedies, it is hard not to fall under the luminous spell of Moonstruck. You just won’t be able to  “Snap out of it” as Loretta tells Ronny in a memorable scene.