Heartbreakers

Tags

2000's, Anne Bancroft, Comedy, Crime, David Mirkin, Gene Hackman, Heartbreakers, Jason Lee, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Sigourney Weaver

A funny, scintillating and often raunchily sharp madcap crime comedy, Heartbreakers crackles with great, comedic performances and a game cast. While it overstays it’s welcome with the running time , it’s still a good knockabout time with scintillating scenes and many great laughs

Max(Sigourney Weaver) and Page Connors(Jennifer Love Hewitt) are a mother daughter con artist duo who have been largely successful in their schemes. Their main ploy is for Max to charm someone with money into marriage. On the wedding night, she falls asleep thus not consummating the marriage. Shortly after, Page poses as a seductive young girl in order to put the man in a compromising position. Max then discovers this indiscretion and files for divorce, earning plenty of money in the process. They begin the movie by pulling this number on hot shot car salesman Dean( Ray Liotta). But this charmed existence is dealt a blow when the IRS catches up with them and they are forced to pay back their ill-gotten gains. Wanting money once more, Max persuades Page to do one last con with her and they head to Palm Beach. They set their sights on the loathsome tobacco baron William B. Tensy(Gene Hackman), who is never without his product and is prone to hacking fits. Page, although obviously close to her mother, feels a tad resentful that Max is always the one who seems to be the most successful and skilful at the con game. And while obviously talented at the game too, thanks to sassy attitude and plenty of sex appeal, Page wants to prove she can do it alone and be as savvy as her mother . Alongside the big con she and her mother are working on, she decides to do one of her own. She meets the sweet and unsuspecting bar owner Jack(Jason Lee), who has been offered a good amount of money for his establishment. What Page hasn’t counted on is developing deep, romantic feelings for him, which threatens to throw a spanner in the works. Also around to complicate matters is the return of Dean who wants to get even , despite the fact he’s still crazy for Max. Much eventfulness unfurls as the elaborate con takes unexpected turns with an out of his mind Dean joining the fray and unexpected feelings getting in the way of a possibly lucrative operation for the scheming mother/daughter duo.

David Mirkin does a commendable job with Heartbreakers. He obviously is enjoying directing this amusing and at times raunchy crime comedy with amoral characters and a few good curveballs. When it comes to the laughs, Heartbreakers does deliver in large part due to the writing and zany events displayed. We have side splitting moments involving a nude statute , Max’s quick thinking in getting out of a possible jam when impersonating an Eastern European mistress and Page being used as the seductive decoy many a time. And basically anytime that Ray Liotta and Gene Hackman are on screen. The bone of contention within Heartbreakers comes with the running time, which it must be said goes on too long . Plus, there are some parts, mainly in the latter stages, that become overly complicated when they shouldn’t. I mean I’m all for twists and turns when observing a con game, but a few too many takes the cake. Thankfully, the vast majority of Heartbreakers is entertaining enough to compensate for these flaws and make it a fun-filled ride. It’s breezy and tart, with gorgeous locales and naughty antics a plenty. A jaunty and breezy score, peppered with fizzy mischief accentuates the fun time that’s being had by just about everyone involved.

The cast is what really makes Heartbreakers sizzle and have a great sense of humour. Sigourney Weaver, who is an actress I’ve always admired and been impressed with, flexes her comedic chops here with a charismatic turn. Combining a sense of experience in all things devious with moments of genuine heart, Sigourney Weaver is wholly convincing as a worldly con artist who is afraid to lose her daughter. Weaver is on great form as an commanding and slick criminal who had never grown tired of the grifter existence and displays it with appealing confidence and sexy ease. As her sparring partner in crime and daughter , Jennifer Love Hewitt also excels. Balancing cuteness, sex appeal and tough eye rolling sarcasm, she’s a vixen who develops a heart against her better judgment.  Although constantly scene in figure hugging clothing that is hard to ignore, Jennifer Love Hewitt isn’t relegated to brainless sexpot here. Rather she knows how to flaunt it with a sense of humour and fun that’s most appealing .Weaver and Hewitt share a great chemistry and are genuinely believable as not your average mother daughter. Watching their back and forth is a delight with bickering and double dealings going hand in hands in a joint venture. Both ladies are wonderful and so very watchable in this crime caper. Another big standout is Ray Liotta, having fun with his often intense and unpredictable  persona, is a delight as the out of his mind car dealer caught in the web. Liotta brings new meaning to the word manic with a hilarious performance as a spurned and played man who eventually gets in on the con game action. A scene stealing Gene Hackman is a true hoot as the man targeted by the women for their scheme. Spluttering through endless cigars, wearing heavy make up that makes him look like a reanimated corpse and embodying a sleazy routine as a dirty old man, the ever talented Hackman makes you howl with his comedic antics here. Both and are comedic delights in this movie and the screen lights up with them on it. Jason Lee probably gets the least to do as a potential pawn in the con game and love interest. He’s sweet and sincere, not to mention rather clueless, but he just isn’t as interesting as the other people who occupy the screen. In her last movie appearance before her death, Anne Bancroft has a ball as a shifty lady who you are never sure of. And boy does she have a blast in this supporting role that lets her sign off in style. 

So while it does wear out it’s welcome thanks to the running time getting long in the tooth and things stalling in the midsection, Heartbreakers is still a fun romp through the con game. It’s enlivened by an up for anything and delightful cast and some pretty fantastic laugh out loud moments. This review is dedicated to the exceptional Ray Liotta, who recently passed away. 

The Poseidon Adventure

Tags

1970's, Carol Lynley, Disaster Film, Eric Shea, Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Irwin Allen, Jack Albertson, Leslie Nielsen, Pamela Sue Martin, Red Buttons, Roddy McDowall, Ronald Neame, Shelley Winters, Stella Stevens, The Poseidon Adventure

Film Title

The Poseidon Adventure

Director

Ronald Neame

Starring

• Gene Hackman as Reverend Frank Scott
• Ernest Borgnine as Mike Rogo
• Red Buttons as James
• Stella Stevens as Linda Rogo
• Shelley Winters as Belle Rosen
• Jack Albertson as Manny Rosen
• Roddy McDowall as Acres
• Eric Shea as Robin Shelby
• Pamela Sue Martin as Susan Shelby
• Carol Lynley as Nonnie
• Leslie Nielsen as The Captain

A memorable example of the 70’s disaster movie, The Poseidon Adventure retains its suspense and danger with an all-star cast as the survivors of an overturned ocean liner   attempt to reach safety.

The S.S. Poseidon is a large ship that is making its way from New York to Athens, on what is believed to be its final voyage. The Captain of the ship is concerned about the fact that it’s carrying to heavy a load and knows that if anything where to go wrong while at sea, the ship would turn into a disaster. The new owners however don’t want to hear this and through blackmail forces the ship onward, heading towards a damaging fate. We are then introduced to the principal characters of the piece. Impassioned but unorthodox Reverend Frank Scott is being sent to a different parish for his views, which are mainly that he believes actions are how best to serve God, as opposed to prayer. Growling Detective Mike Rogo and his younger wife Linda, who he rescued from a life of prostitution. Lonely bachelor James Martin, who needs someone to take care of and fill the void of solitude. Middle aged Jewish and long married couple Belle and Manny Rosen, who are travelling to see their young Grandson for the first time. The observant waiter Acres who frequents the resident dining room. Teenager Susan Shelby and her younger, inquisitive brother Robin are travelling back to see their parents. And rounding out things is vulnerable lounge singer Nonnie. The spirit of New Year is in full swing for everyone, in an ironic twist of fate, disaster will soon be at hand. Just as everyone is welcoming in the New Year, a massive tidal wave strikes the ship causing it to capsize. With the Captain and main crew dead, panic sets in as the ship is now upside down. Scott has the right idea and persuades the aforementioned main characters to follow him to what he hopes is safety. Others stay behind believing they will be rescued in time, but Scott is not one to sit around and takes it upon himself to be leader of this band that agree to follow him. The mismatched group of survivors, lead by firebrand Reverend Scott, must now navigate their way through a labyrinth of hazardous corridors, flooded compartments and dangerous events if they are to have any hope of making it out of there alive.

Ronald Neame is in the director’s chair and his flair for drama is evident by how he gets some emotional chapters in among the action, with the characters you sympathise with more than others. Neame is the director and a very astute choice, but the biggest vision comes from the ambitious Irwin Allen, who became something of a pioneering producer with the cycle of well designed obstacle course that is as unpredictable as it is dangerous. The sets, specifically considering that everything is turned on its head, are crafted with immense skill and passion. And if you’re talking about set pieces that stuck in the memory, The Poseidon Adventure is fit to bursting. The first is when the tidal wave hits, which definitely sets the ball rolling and is followed by the survivors using a large Christmas tree on the first step to hopeful safety. Another memorable set piece is when the group must swim for a long period of time through a multitude of chambers to reach the next destination, which involves each holding their breath for longer than expected. There is genuine tension here and seeing when Scott becomes stuck and tenacious(despite her advancing years) swims to rescue him is pretty exhilarating to watch. While some of it creaks in the beginning, the main thing you go into movies like this for is the effects and excitement of it all. And while yes some of the characters aren’t that interesting, there are some parts and various characters that give off a real poignancy. There are some lulls in the action and the opening is a little slow, but once that wave hits, it’s a thrill a minute spectacle. With the production design, the direction of and the grandeur vision of producer Irwin Allen, The Poseidon Adventure definitely delivers on its title in terms of what it presents and the often tense but always engaging struggle for survival from the ragtag group. And as it isn’t an overly CGI fest, because that kind of technology wasn’t even around much at the time, the dangers and perils of the journey are rendered with a bit more grit than the average disaster epic. You can feel the arduous task that lies ahead of them as they attempted to reach the bottom of the hip, which is now ironically the top. Visual effects like explosions and if course the destructive tidal wave are used, but it’s the way that they are employed that ensure it doesn’t feel fake or patchy in the long run. Instead, full on adventure and excitement are the name of the game here and the effects that are used seamlessly give life to the perilous fight for survival. John Williams, one of my favourite film composers, gives a stirring sweep to the adventure at hand, while also pausing for some very moving moments.

A pretty talented ensemble cast play the remaining survivors of the disaster, with many game for the adventure and drama. Heading the cast is the ever excellent Gene Hackman as the passionate Reverend Scott; all unorthodox and unbridled determination and sense of leadership once the tragedy occurs. His ideas are dangerous but necessary as a man of action, as he figures out getting out alive is not going to be a piece of cake. Yet at the same time, Hackman imbues Scott with a potent care for the other survivors and how he really does think with faith, they can pull through instead of sitting around to die. It’s safe to say Hackman gives it his all as a religious man with different ideas, who keeps pushing on for the sake of others, even when faced with a seemingly impossible task. Ernest Borgnine is on typically imposing and bull-dog like form as the oppositional police detective, with a sense of authority that he feels threatened by Scott. A bruised sense of optimism comes courtesy of the delightful Red Buttons, who somehow tries to make the best of this dire situations with his sympathetic care. Stella Stevens has a lot of brassy and brash behaviour on show, playing the former good time girl making her way in a new lifestyle. Shelley Winters nicely plays the older Belle, whose gutsy gumption, sense of humour in crisis and selfless personality are balanced beautifully. The part requires Winters to show off considerable endurance, especially during the famous swimming rescue scene, a challenge the veteran actress rises to admirably as well as emotionally. Jack Albertson plays classily off Winters as her husband; there’s a simplicity and quiet certainty shared between them that is very special and sensitively handled. Roddy McDowall lends his talents to the proceedings well, while young Eric Shea is clearly having fun as the little boy whose interest in ships comes to be invaluable in the situations everyone is caught up in. The only two flaws in the cast are Pamela Sue Martin and Carol Lynley, who both come off as irritatingly whiny in the long run. There is a good cameo from Leslie Nielsen as the ill-fated captain of the vessel.

Thrilling and exciting, and not forgetting huge in terms of sheer spectacle, The Poseidon Adventure is the go to movie for an exhilarating example of a disaster flick that helped kick-start the boom in the genre.

Under Suspicion

Tags

2000's, Gene Hackman, Monica Bellucci, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Jane, Thriller, Under Suspicion

Film Title

Under Suspicion

Director

Stephen Hopkins

• Gene Hackman as Henry Hearst
• Morgan Freeman as Captain Victor Benezet
• Thomas Jane as Detective Felix Owens
• Monica Bellucci as Chantal Hearst

I would hardly describe Under Suspicion as the best thriller I’ve ever seen, but it certainly does the job efficiently with style and a great cast to keep you biting your nails as its mystery is unearthed.

In Puerto Rico, Henry Hearst is a powerful and very rich lawyer who is called in police questioning one night, just as he’s about to give an important speech at a charity fundraiser for aid to the island after a devastating hurricane. The previous day he reported finding the body of a young girl while out jogging and Victor Benezet, a police captain and old friend wants to ask him a few questions about it. The murder of the young girl is the second in a string of crimes and Benezet is under pressure to get to the bottom of it. Aided by the eager and cocky young detective Felix Owens, what starts as normal and routine questioning that was promised to take only a small amount of time slowly evolves into something deeper and darker as the various recounting of Henry’s actions begins to change alarmingly and his seedy private life comes into question. Under the grilling of both, Henry’s story begins to slowly unravel as cracks appear left right and centre, which makes the brash Henry look even more guilty as time slowly pushes on. But what is the truth and what is lies? And when Henry’s much younger trophy wife Chantal is interviewed with regards to her husband, things only get a whole lot more mysterious.

Director Stephen Hopkins brings a sense of visual panache with stylish flashbacks that incorporate the conversations of the present in between them blurring the line between truth and falsehood. As lies and deceit come spilling out of what originally appeared to be a simple routine questioning, Hopkins manages to crank the tension up, even when the movie appears to go down the by the numbers thriller route. As the film enters its final third it does become more than a little overly complex and the ultimate outcome undermines the build up a bit, but you can’t help but watch as it does keep you riveted because of the talent behind the camera and in front of it. The fact that Under Suspicion takes place largely in one setting, in this case police headquarters, lends the film a certain claustrophobic impact as Henry attempts to leave but his stories filled with multitudes of holes keep him from doing so and causes him to lock horns with the searching Victor. The intense score, featuring carnival beats of Puerto Rico, gives another layer of mystery to the film as the case is blown wide open. When the plot gets a little sleepy, the score manages to lift it from slumber and give it life.

Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman are both on cracking form here and there scenes of coming to blows are electric. Hackman possesses that charm and arrogance that belies something darker beneath, and Freeman exudes quiet intelligence and the questioning authority of the police captain. When these two acting greats are on screen, it’s a great thing to behold because of the amount of combined talent between them. Thomas Jane is well cast as the probing and hot-headed detective who from the get go is convinced that Henry is guilty as sin. Like Freeman, Jane’s character clashes with Hackman’s but with more physical force, instead of Freeman’s gradual ways of gaining information. Monica Bellucci is smouldering as the icy trophy wife, who has an air of enigma about her and hides that she’s knows more than she is letting on. For the first half she is largely on the sidelines, but eventually through her subtle face and actions, we see that she plays an important part in this mystery as she comes into her own in the latter part of the movie.

So while sometimes a bit jumbled and overly complex, Under Suspicion is nonetheless an absorbing thriller to watch.

 

Absolute Power

Tags

1990's, Absolute Power, Clint Eastwood, Dennis Haysbert, E. G. Marshall, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman, Judy Davis, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn, Thriller

Film Title

Absolute Power

Director

Clint Eastwood

Starring

• Clint Eastwood as Luther Whitney
• Gene Hackman as President Alan Richmond
• Ed Harris as Detective Seth Frank
• Laura Linney as Kate Whitney
• Scott Glenn as Bill Burton
• Dennis Haysbert as Tim Collin
• Judy Davis as Gloria Russell
• E. G. Marshall as Walter Sullivan

It may not be a movie that breaks any new ground, but Clint Eastwood’s Absolute Power is a taut and tense thriller that is severely underrated and should be better known due to some fine acting and confident direction.

Luther Whitney is a smart and methodical cat burglar, who is also ageing. Deciding to do one last job, he infiltrates the wealthy home of prominent philanthropist Walter Sullivan. Yet this job proves to be much deadlier and dangerous than his previous work because of what he witnesses. The young wife of the Sullivan named Christy is drunk and cavorting with none other than the President Alan Richmond, yet this liaison becomes very dark as he becomes abusive and she attempts to flee. To Luther’s horror, Secret Service agents come in and shoot her, killing her. The President’s loyal fixer Gloria Russell then orchestrates a cover up. Luther manages to escape with a key piece of evidence. Meanwhile, determined Detective Seth Frank investigates the murder and while suspicious of Luther, doesn’t think he committed murder. Luther is all for skipping the country in fear that he will be discovered and possibly accused of the crime. But just as he is about to leave, he sees a new report detailing a press conference from Richmond in which he condemns violence in society and uses Sullivan as a way of sympathy. Enraged by this, Luther decides to stay and fight for justice. He enlists the help of his estranged prosecutor daughter Kate, who holds deep resentment for him but helps anyway as she is curious to see whether her father really cares for her. With both the police and the president’s men on his detail, Luther must stay sharp if he is to expose the corruption at the top of the political ladder while staying alive.

As a director, Clint Eastwood showcases confident and engaging direction throughout Absolute Power. I admired the way he knew when to slow events down to focus on the personal drama of Luther’s complicated relationship with his daughter, and then ratchet them up a notch to generate suspense and intrigue. The murder sequence and Luther’s escape are fine examples of this skill, as it builds up slowly but surely and then becomes heart-stopping and thrilling. Absolute Power is very well-paced and doesn’t feel the need to rush events, rather it lets them unravel while still being riveting as we watch Luther outwit assailants in his hope to bring the President down. I’ve always found political scandals and cover ups fascinating and Absolute Power definitely reinforces that. The sharp script addresses themes of morality and corruption, while giving the characters some excellent dialogue to read. There are occasional implausibilities along the way, yet they can be forgiven because of how well-mounted and directed the movie is. Praise should go to the editing which compliments the dangerous journey and subsequent attempts to avoid being killed. An excellent score is further helpful in establishing the cat and mouse game at play.

Leading the well-established and talented cast is Clint Eastwood himself. He does a marvellous job portraying Luther, who is smart, efficient and not afraid to admit that he’s getting to old for the thieving business. Instead of the character just being a grumpy old man, Eastwood displays lightness of foot, wry humour yet also a code of moral conduct that means he can’t walk away from the crime he has seen. There may be no honor among thieves, but Eastwood’s character has a heart. As the corrupt president, Gene Hackman is an excellent choice as he conveys a slimy quality and the ability to use those around him for his own dirty work. The ever-reliable Ed Harris is on hand playing the determined but good-hearted detective, whose unconvinced that Luther is guilty of murder but curious to know what knowledge he has. Harris shares a particularly entertaining scene with Eastwood as he tries to get information out of him, but Eastwood bluffs and only offers hints with a dash of wry humour. Laura Linney fills her role of Luther’s estranged daughter with a toughness that belies inner pain at all the times her father wasn’t there for her as a child. Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert are fine as the Secret Service agents with different ideas about how to handle the scandal, Glenn being the one who feels remorse, while Haysbert is the ice-cold killer who asks no questions. Judy Davis is impeccable as the fixer who while good at her job fears that one day her worrying attitude will trip her up. And rounding out the cast in what would be his final screen appearance is E. G. Marshall, who is very as the philanthropist whose wife was murdered.

Tightly constructed and splendidly performed, Absolute Power is a thriller that is crafted with precision from Clint Eastwood.