Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

Tags

1980's, Diane Lane, Drama, Fee Waybill, Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains, Laura Dern, Lou Adler, Marin Kanter, Music, Paul Cook, Paul Simonon, Ray Winstone, Steve Jones

Film Title

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

Director

Lou Adler

Starring

• Diane Lane as Corinne Burns
• Ray Winstone as Billy
• Marin Kanter as Tracy Burns
• Laura Dern as Jessica McNeil
• Steve Jones as Steve
• Paul Cook as Danny
• Paul Simonon as Johnny
• Fee Waybill as Lou Corpse

A film that has developed into something of a cult hit, after being shelved back in the 80’s and gaining exposure later on television, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is a gritty, backstage look at the rise of a punk band and the inevitable challenges of angst a d fall that follows. It’s not the best movie ever as passages don’t hold up as well as they might have once done, but it’s worthy of attention for its music and lead performance from Diane Lane.

Corinne Burns is an angry, aggressive and bored teenager, whose mother died of cancer a few months prior. She has no real direction in life and holds disdain for almost everything, which is witnessed we she is interviewed by local radio and accosts them. Yet when she sees up and coming punk band The Looters performing live as opening act for has been rockers The Metal Corpses, she is swept away by their attitude and observes them as a way out of her boring life. You see Corinne already has a band of sorts consisting of her sister Tracy and cousin Jessica(despite the fact that none of them have any real talent or practice in performing). With the two bands always at each other’s throats, The Stains are surprisingly signed to be another opening act and the girls set out on tour. On their first performance, their lack of experience shows and the audience lets them know it. But Corinne, now decked out in sheer red blouse, bikini briefs and hair resembling a skunk, lets her fury be heard to the audience. This could have been a disaster for them, yet Corinne’s tirade is picked up by many people as a rallying cry for young girls, thanks to news reporting and a shocked audience. Soon enough, The Stains are gaining major exposure, with young girls copying the look of the band, adopting a fierce rebellious streak and spouting the phrase ‘We don’t put out’. Yet times can chance very quickly in the business and audiences can become fickle, as well as the price of Corinne’s obnoxious ambition which starts to get the better of her and become very noticeable.

Lou Adler adds airs of authenticity to the film, stemming from his background as a music producer. He shoots scenes, particularly the performance segments with a good eye for the kinetic stage presence of the bands. Where The Fabulous Stains really scores is the depiction of influence on others, mainly fandom and the media’s portrayal of the band. The way it is explored is still as timely as today and shows how pernicious it can be and how you can be built up so high, that it’s a given that you will stumble. As an audience, people latch on to things and then drop them quickly, which is shown very well in this movie. On the flawed side, The Fabulous Stains can often veer from one scene to the next, without giving much thought for what came before it. However once the pace settles, things pick up and really take flight in the performance scenes as well as the media coverage parts that poses a double-edged sword for the band. It must also be noted that character development among the supporting part is a bit stilted, with no one particularly standing out. Then again, Corinne and her band are that memorable it more than makes sense and whenever they’re on screen, The Fabulous Stains is very accomplished and memorable. Those are the only real flaws to be found in this flick as the rest of it is pretty well mounted and deserving of the cult status it has attained.

Bringing ferocious bite and lashings of attitude is young Diane Lane in the lead role of front woman Corinne. Lane never softens the character to be overly sympathetic and this goes a long way to showing us how dissatisfied and angry the character is. Topped off with a memorable look, Diane Lane makes a hell of an impression as a wounded youth with one lacerating glare. A young Ray Winstone has the required mercurial tendencies for his part of the up and coming punk, whose band is overtaken by The Stains. The roles of the other members of The Stains are less well-defined, but still acted with assurance by Marin Kanter and Laura Dern. Adding another dimension to the picture is the casting of members of punk and rock staple bands The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Tubes. The parts don’t require much acting, but their presence as performers is felt and appreciated when the performances roll around.

Dated though some of it is, The Fabulous Stains is a genuinely intriguing and at times very relevant look at the fickle nature of fame and the dissatisfaction of youth. Bolstered by some killer music and good work from Diane Lane, it’s good to see a movie like this getting more attention again.

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Under the Tuscan Sun

Tags

2000's, Audrey Wells, Diane Lane, Drama, Lindsay Duncan, Pawel Szajda, Raoul Bova, Romantic Comedy, Sandra Oh, Under the Tuscan Sun, Vincent Riotta

Film Title

Under the Tuscan Sun

Director

Audrey Wells

Starring

• Diane Lane as Frances Mayes
• Sandra Oh as Patti
• Lindsay Duncan as Katherine
• Raoul Bova as Marcello
• Vincent Riotta as Martini
• Pawel Szajda as Pawel

However formulaic and reliant on a tried and tested formula it is, Under the Tuscan Sun boasts an unexpected poignancy and vibrant Diane Lane that make the movie enjoyably warm and involving for the audience to relate to. No new ground is broken, but Under the Tuscan Sun never promises that and it succeeds as a romantic comedy-drama all the same.

Frances Mayes is a San Francisco writer who appears to have a wonderful life. Yet as the film opens, it is blown apart when she unearths that her husband has been cheating on her. Divorce soon follows for a devastated Frances, who falls into the doldrums and can’t seem to get out of them. Her best friend Patti, a lesbian who has just discovered she is pregnant, worries for her friend yet has a surprise that could help her. She gives her the tickets to a tour of Tuscany hoping her friend will find some comfort there. At first extremely hesitant to take the trip to Tuscany, Frances eventually gives in and decides to go. Once there, she impulsively buys a run down villa after a sign appears to her twice in the same day. She has no idea what made her buy the place, but something about it captures her attention. Realising the place needs a desperate makeover, she employs a band of Polish workers with the help of good-hearted real estate agent Martini, who throughout the film supports Frances with his words of wisdom. Along the way, she develops friendships with the workers, particularly Pawel, as well as the eccentric British actress Katherine who lives in the moment and the hunky Marcello, who provides sexiness and passion for Frances. Little by little, Frances begins to open up to the possibilities of life and adventure as she immerses herself in another culture and sets about making changes to herself. And even though not every experience she has turns out well, she regains a part of herself that she thought had been lost forever.

Audrey Wells direction is not entirely devoid of the touchstones of the genre, but she memorably invests Under the Tuscan Sun with a healthy sensitivity and emotional core that is successful at bringing out the many moving moments to be found. Wells also wrote the screenplay which also displays her talent for finding depth among the laughs and colourful characters. As I said, some of the film definitely belongs in the formulaic camp but there are a wealth of moments that delightfully tweak parts of what we usually expect. Take for example the dalliance between Frances and Marcello that at first looks as if it’s going to lead to love(as we’ve seen in God knows how many movies), yet decides to take another unpredictable path we might not have seen coming. Little touches such as this from Audrey Wells script and direction that don’t play to the usual rules give another sense of curiosity and difference to be discovered in Under the Tuscan Sun. It must be stated that the location work in this flick is sublime, and creates Tuscany as a breathtaking paradise. Clothed in a glowing passion and warmth, the countryside and other locales are dazzling and good enough to eat. I have a fondness for Italian things so that’s probably one reason why Under the Tuscan Sun appealed to me so much, as well as a sprightly score.

By by far one of the best assets in Under the Tuscan Sun is the effervescent Diane Lane. One thing about her that has impressed me since the first time I saw her was Diane Lane’s exemplary gift for getting the audience to feel empathy for the characters she portrays. It’s a wonderful talent that she possesses and it never feels phony or contrived. Charting Frances’ slowly building strength to reclaim excitement and enjoyment in life after being left broken, Lane is splendidly moving, funny and thoroughly on point throughout. Sandra Oh supplies the sly humour as Patti, who comes to visit her friend with her usual witty rapport. A splendid Lindsay Duncan sashays onto the screen as the adventure loving Katherine, who has a taste for danger and younger men. Duncan revels in the wonderful supporting role of snappy dialogue and seductive allure of an old-fashioned movie star. Raoul Bova is on hand for the smoldering love interest and is more than adept at playing the handsome possible lover for Frances. The role isn’t one that shows off a lot of acting talent but it’s layered with charisma nonetheless. A warm turn from Vincent Riotta as the well-mannered estate agent who becomes something of a romantic anchor for Frances is nicely observed, while Pawel Szajda has a youthful enthusiasm in his role.

Engaging and given added depth by Diane Lane’s soulful performance, Under the Tuscan Sun is a delightful film that has the clichés you’d expect but laced with enough different and sometimes unexpected touches to stop it from tipping into an unbearable exercise. And with the stunning locales to look over and laughs( mixed in with sincere emotion), what more can you ask for in a romantic drama?

Nights in Rodanthe

Tags

2000's, Christopher Meloni, Diane Lane, Drama, George C. Wolfe, James Franco, Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe, Richard Gere, Romance, Scott Glenn, Viola Davis

Film Title

Nights in Rodanthe

Director

George C. Wolfe

Starring

• Diane Lane as Adrienne Willis
• Richard Gere as Dr Paul Flanner
• James Franco as Mark Flanner
• Christopher Meloni as Jack Willis
• Scott Glenn as Robert Torrelson
• Viola Davis as Jean

A predictable and schmaltzy romantic drama, Nights in Rodanthe is made at least watchable and bearable by the presence of Diane Lane and Richard Gere, who bring a much-needed heart to an utterly contrived and unoriginal movie.

Adrienne Willis is a mother of two trying to keep it together after her husband Jack left for another woman. The trouble is now he wants her back and Adrienne is caught in a conundrum of whether to forgive him for his affair or continue as she is. Her strained relationship with her teenage daughter, who always takes her father’s side does little to help matters. So while her kids are staying with their father for the weekend, she decides to go to her best friend Jean’s inn in Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to the rustic place on the beach. She hopes that while there she can come to a decision about her future while clearing her head. Also staying at the inn for the weekend is Dr Paul Flanner; who has his own troubles regarding a patient who died on the operating table, the family of the deceased patient suing him and his fractured relationship with his son, who is also a doctor. At the beginning of the weekend, the terse Paul is withdrawn and not at all talkative towards the conflicted Adrienne. But as Adrienne begins to coax him to talk, he also helps her reveal her pain. With a hurricane forecast and it best to stay inside, it is here where the two emotionally conflicted people really get to know each other. Over the course of the stormy weekend, Adrienne and Paul begin to open up to each other and help at least make some repair to their wounds and conflicts. Soon enough, a genuine romance sparks between them. But can their burgeoning romance blossom when they still have difficult decisions to make?

Firstly before I begin discussing my thoughts on Nights in Rodanthe, I’ll admit that I knew that it would probably be contrived and predictable. I mean it’s based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, who always churns out romances that all bear striking resemblances to the last. But I at least expected there to be something else brought to the table with this movie. Sadly, it settled for the inevitable story line and cloying sentimentality that it seemed destined for. Unconfident direction from George C. Wolfe does nothing to distinguish this movie from the endless glut of schmaltzy romances that populate cinemas on a regular basis. He seems more interested in basking in the glowing sunlight and changes of weather that occur over the weekend, rather than the romance that develops between Paul and Adrienne. And while  everything looks nice in Nights in Rodanthe, the scenery of the beach and crashing waves is pleasant enough, once again the ghost of every other cliché in the unoriginal romantic movie book is ever-present. Cue kisses in the wind, walks along the beach and cuddling by the fire. Clunky dialogue is another problem that makes some of it just feel ridiculous, especially the parts involving Adrienne and her daughter that come off as boring and melodramatic. The music score is lush but uninspired and occasionally lurches all over the show, and doesn’t manage to compliment some nice visuals. Saying all of this, Nights in Rodanthe does have some emotional impact, particularly as it nears the end and it’s inevitable that you’ll be reaching for the tissues.

Thank goodness we at least have Diane Lane and Richard Gere to enliven events and give Nights in Rodanthe at least a shred of believability and lovely chemistry. Diane Lane has always been an actress of depth and authenticity and that shines through here. Showcasing Adrienne’s worries that give way to a more relaxed persons, Lane just feels so radiant and lovely that it’s hard to take your eyes off her. She makes even the most clunky dialogue ring true and that is saying something with the material she’s given here. Richard Gere also does his best as the tortured Paul, haunted by emotions and pain. As previously mentioned, the two of them have a great rapport with each other and work very well together. Having worked together before in Unfaithful, you can just sense that they share something special when working with each other. Sadly, everyone else in this movie suffers from either being seen to little or just having roles that aren’t that interesting. Which is a shame when you have people like James Franco, Christopher Meloni, Scott Glenn and Viola Davis.

So despite the presence of Lane and Gere, boasting natural chemistry, Nights in Rodanthe falls very flat and ends up just another run of the mill romantic drama that you’ve seen been done countless times before.

 

Unfaithful

Tags

2000's, Adrian Lyne, Diane Lane, Drama, Erotic Thriller, Olivier Martinez, Richard Gere, Thriller, Unfaithful

Film Title

Unfaithful

Director

Adrian Lyne

Starring

• Diane Lane as Connie Sumner
• Richard Gere as Edward Sumner
• Olivier Martinez as Paul Martel

Executed with style and erotic frisson from director Adrian Lyne, Unfaithful examines the price of a chance encounter between two people and the subsequently dangerous affair that begins.

Connie Sumner appears to have it all: a beautiful house in a New York suburb, Edward, her loving husband and her excitable young son Charlie. While her marriage seems to be stable and all she could ask for, you can’t help but get the feeling that something is missing from it. One day Connie is picking up supplies for her son’s birthday party in downtown SoHo, when a fierce wind blows in. She is literally thrust into the arms of Paul Martel, a handsome, French book seller. He offers to help her clean up her grazed knee and begins to flirt with her. She initially dismisses this and returns home. Yet somehow this chance meeting with a dashing stranger has deeply left a mark upon her. Although she knows what she is about to do is wrong, Connie throws caution to the wind and returns to see Paul, culminating in a passionate love affair. As the relationship grows bolder and Connie becomes consumed by her obsessive desire for the virile Paul, Edward begins to suspect something is wrong. He hires a private detective to watch his wife’s actions to see if she is playing away. Let’s just say that events become complicated and tragic when passion, jealousy and rage meet head-on.

Director Adrian Lyne is the perfect choice to direct Unfaithful as he has dissected adultery and infidelity in many of his films. He gives Unfaithful a stormy and moody visual style as well as a burning amount of animal passion. The camerawork is marvellous in conveying a sense of foreboding such as the sensual windstorm that sweeps Connie into the path of Paul. One can read it as a precursor to the heat that will inevitably drive their affair, but also as a warning for the damage it will cause in the process. And speaking of intense passion, the many love scenes between Connie and Paul are provocative and supremely sexy. With genuine chemistry, sizzling direction and palpable connection, you can practically feel the heat between the characters locked in this love affair. Unfaithful may be billed as an erotic thriller and certain parts of it conform to the genre, but it fares better as a drama about the price of betrayal and obsessive desire. And while some scenes linger on for longer than needed, one can’t deny the steamy and dramatic pulse of the piece. A slow-burning score of clashing passion and serious indecision gives another layer to Unfaithful.

Diane Lane delivers a standout performance in the central role of Connie. We see that Connie is conflicted and passionate at the idea of an affair, but can’t resist the temptation. Rather than make Connie very unsympathetic as a character, Diane Lane brings something else to the part. Coming across as luminous and natural, we may not agree with what Connie is doing but rather we see her wrestle with the scale of what this affair could bring. The crowning moment of this complex performance is Connie on her journey back from sleeping with Paul. A whole collection of emotions flicker across her face: she’s excited, sad, doubtful and slightly elated by the whole thing and Lane makes her feelings so believable and palpable. It truly is a wonderful performance from Diane Lane that gives Unfaithful a whole lot of impact. Richard Gere turns in a quiet performance as Edward, Connie’s husband suspicious of her whereabouts. He is just a mild-mannered man who wants answers and that’s what makes Connie’s betrayal all the more devastating. There is also a rage to Gere’s performance as he begins to feel the betrayal of the women close to him. Olivier Martinez is mainly required to be virile, charming and seductive and he does this with aplomb as he captures Connie’s attention and won’t let go. While the role isn’t much of a stretch in terms of astonishing acting ability, it fits the part well enough.

Sensual and steamy while also being dramatic, Unfaithful is an erotic drama with stylish direction and excellent work from the cast, especially Diane Lane.