Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Tags

1970's, Alfred Lutter, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Diane Ladd, Drama, Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Scorsese

Film Title

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Director

Martin Scorsese

Starring

• Ellen Burstyn as Alice Hyatt
• Alfred Lutter as Tommy Hyatt
• Kris Kristofferson as David
• Diane Ladd as Flo
• Harvey Keitel as Ben
• Jodie Foster as Audrey

A change of pace for Martin Scorsese, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore provides great evidence of his directorial skill and versatility. Focusing on the odyssey of a woman attempting to discover herself and hoping to fulfill long forgotten dreams, it’s a moving, at times funny and heartfelt film, beautifully lead by an Oscar-winning Ellen Burstyn.

Alice Hyatt is a downtrodden housewife, living in Socorro, New Mexico, with her inattentive husband Donald and precocious 12-year-old son Tommy. She once had some success as a singer, but after marrying gave it up for her husband. Desperately unhappy with a man who she is always trying to please, Alice is starting to come apart. Then Donald is killed in a car accident and Alice is left with barely anything. Packing up Tommy with what little she has, she starts out on a journey back to her childhood home. Alice hopes she can rekindle her old singing job again, especially as it will probably be her only source of income. Because of a money shortage, the two have to stop off every now and then. The first stop is in Phoenix, Arizona, where Alice finds some work as a lounge act. While singing is her passion, her wages are menial and it is becoming a struggle to keep Tommy in line. Add to this volatile Ben, who quickly becomes violent towards her and Alice must leave and attempt to get by once more. Fleeing from Phoenix, Alice, along with spoiled Tommy, stop in Tuscon. It is here that Alice gets a job as a waitress, something she hates at first. But as she manages to get through her days and becomes friends with loud, sassy Flo, life looks like it could be going up. She also meets rancher David, who is a kind but firm man taking an interest in her. Alice, obviously considering her history with men, is apprehensive about pursuing any kind of relationship. Eventually, she lets some of the walls down and opens up to the idea of romance. Yet will Alice’s blooming attraction to make her reconsider her pursuit of her dreams?

While a very different sort of movie than one would expect from Martin Scorsese, his style and command over the camera ensure Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a fine movie. Scorsese really gets the tone of the movie right; with melancholy moments being followed by laughter, much in the way that life can get and best exemplified by the almost always moving camerawork. Some of the film’s passages get uneven, but Scorsese allows the acting and story to play out with a naturalness and warmth that can’t be mistaken. The feminist streak throughout the story was well attuned to the 70’s, yet still bears semblance today as it examines the growing independence and struggles of a woman trying to cope on her own. The character of Alice is wonderfully written and her situation is a universal one that strikes a chord with any viewer. The relatable nature comes through in the first frames of a dream-like memory that resembles an old musical; which is bluntly counteracted by the reveal of Alice’s miserable home life years later. That scene really plays into much of what unfolds, as Alice journeys to discover herself and what she should do, even if its elusive at first. Now as I mentioned earlier, the pacing of the film can sometimes get a little off. I did find that some areas could have been expanded on and a few moments get superfluous, but these quibbles don’t distract from a moving story, undercut by both a bittersweetness and hopefulness. The film really picks up once Alice begins working as a waitress; the gentle humour and drama are wonderfully brought to life through the supporting characters and situations. The almost improvisational approach to the dialogue is another high point, letting everyone have a good rapport with both each other and the audience. A wide collection of songs are featured on the soundtrack, which fit in pretty splendidly with the constant ups and downs of Alice’s life.

Ellen Burstyn is the biggest shining light of the film, winning a much deserved Oscar for her sensitive work as the title character. Blessed with a genuinely sympathetic and expressive face, Burstyn covers the whole gamut of her character’s journey. From despair and uncertainty to growing in confidence, Burstyn’s work is authentic and beautifully done. You feel warmth when she smiles and want to cradle her when the hardships get too much. The biggest compliment I can give her is that she truly makes the part of Alice seem like a real human being, and I think that’s a testament to her talents as an actress. Alfred Lutter is appropriately questioning and pestering as the spoiled Tommy, who drives his mother up the wall. While it is easy to say he’s annoying, the part calls for that the mother and son don’t share the smoothest dynamic with one another, but there is a genuine love that is always present even when they are at loggerheads. Props to both for really forging a believable bond that runs throughout the movie. In what could have been just a role that took advantage of his handsomeness, Kris Kristofferson brings a lot more verve and soul to his part of rancher, smitten by the eponymous Alice. Stealing any scene in which she appears in is Diane Ladd, bringing forth a big personality and brassy mouth to the proceedings. Ladd is fabulous as the tough-talking waitress at first distant from and later close to Alice. The scenes between Ladd and Burstyn are a real delight too. A brief but memorable appearance by Harvey Keitel as a possessive and violent man who becomes involved with Alice, makes the drama really hit hard in his segment. A young Jodie Foster has the spirited attitude and rebelliousness as the girl who befriends Tommy and while it is a pretty small role, its noticeable.

Directed by Martin Scorsese and illuminated by Ellen Burstyn, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore may not be his finest film, but it’s a dramatic triumph of care and heart that retains an impact through its story and mix of drama and comedy.

Falling in Love

Tags

1980's, David Clennon, Dianne Wiest, Drama, Falling in Love, Harvey Keitel, Jane Kaczmarek, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Romance, Ulu Grosbard

Film Title

Falling in Love

Director

Ulu Grosbard

Starring

• Robert De Niro as Frank Raftis
• Meryl Streep as Molly Gilmore
• Jane Kaczmarek as Ann Raftis
• David Clennon as Brian Gilmore
• Harvey Keitel as Ed
• Dianne Wiest as Isabelle

A gentle and subtle romantic drama, Falling in Love scores points for the pairing of Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. Yet it is often achingly slow and some of the dialogue is particularly trite. Goodness can be gleaned from the tentative story and some of it is darn effective in the emotional stakes, but I did expect a bit more from this film than it offered up.

While out shopping for Christmas presents for the respective families, New Yorkers Frank Raftis and Molly Gilmore meet accidentally and a result, their presents get switched. Both don’t think much of this first meeting as they are both happily married, so they continue with their work and families; Frank is an architect, while Molly is a graphic designer. On the train a few months after, they encounter each other again and strike up a conversation. They soon find that they have fun together, and from this point on they meet for friendly talks, often on the train or in a cosy bookshop. What neither Frank nor Molly intended or expected was that this friendship would soon evolve into feelings of love for the other. Even when they are apart, they can’t stop thinking of the other and their feelings only become more difficult to ignore. Although their relationship remains chaste, they have fallen deeply in love with each other unintentionally, which causes all matter of problems as both don’t know how best to deal with these pangs of romance without hurting anyone.

Director Ulu Grosbard manages to ring quite a bit of romance and bittersweet feeling from the largely predictable story, yet it can become a tad heavy-handed at times. He works best when setting up both Molly and Frank, having scenes mirror each other and give growing voice to the quickly growing infatuation. Which brings me on to the topic of the film’s execution, which is mainly one of subtle ruminations and underplayed pacing, that eventually drags in the attempts to be serious. I mean I am all for subtlety in movies, heck anyone who follows my blog will know that I am rather fond of subdued execution and natural delivery. But in Falling in Love, despite the fact that I really felt for both characters and their internal dilemmas, it was just a bit too subtle for its own good. For me, it needed something to pep it up a little and give it more power, instead of settling for the underplayed approach that became too slow. What Falling in Love does get right is a gentle emotion of uncertainty and trepidation for the main lovers, they are shown as ordinary people with complicated feelings, just like everyone else. Though the dialogue varied into clunky territory, the star power of De Niro and Streep helped make it somehow relatable and sincere. And the fact that their relationship remains one of deep love that can’t quite be fulfilled and is far from overly sexual was a bit of a refreshing break from the norm. While the slow and unraveling approach feels appropriate at first, it becomes laborious and then the film starts to feel hackneyed by clichés. The music provided was pleasing at first, but it felt just way to sweet and corny in moments that were supposed to be serious and romantic. I think I was just wanting a bit more from a film like this overall than what the full product emerged as, despite my liking of some of it.

If there is something that makes Falling in Love at least a film that registers on some level, it has to be the lovely performances from Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep. They both convince as everyday people, who are taken aback and more than a little surprised by an unexplainable attraction that could spell bad things for their lives. Robert De Niro dials it down to play Frank as a decent man with a sense of humour and quiet depth that is most befitting of the character. Meryl Streep matches him with a sincere charm, flashes of humour and undercurrent of disbelief in what transpires between the two. They truly work beautifully together; hinting at the feelings between the two that for the most part can’t be acted upon, but are palpable. And their chemistry more than makes up for the slight script, breathing pathos into the dialogue with their respective skills and acting abilities. If there is a redeeming quality to Falling in Love, it lies within the work of these immensely talented actors. Jane Kaczmarek is well served with the role of Frank’s wife, who senses that something is going on, though David Clennon is a might too bland as Molly’s husband. Harvey Keitel and Dianne Wiest do what they can with their supporting roles, though the main thing you’ll remember from Falling in Love is De Niro and Streep.

The two main actors in Falling in Love are the biggest reasons for watching it, as well as the feelings it emits, but the whole production just lacks that extra bit of power to raise it higher. At least, Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep work beautifully together and ensure you feel for them.

Rising Sun

Tags

1990's, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Crime, Harvey Keitel, Kevin Anderson, Philip Kaufman, Ray Wise, Rising Sun, Sean Connery, Thriller, Tia Carrere, Wesley Snipes

Film Title

Rising Sun

Director

Philip Kaufman

Starring

• Sean Connery as Captain John Connor
• Wesley Snipes as Lt. Web Smith
• Harvey Keitel as Lt. Tom Graham
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Eddie Sakamura
• Tia Carrere as Jingo Asakuma
• Kevin Anderson as Bob Richmond
• Ray Wise as Senator John Morton

A compelling but provocative thriller, Rising Sun functions as something of a commentary on the corruption of big business and less than warm relations between East and West. It gets pretty confounding and confusing in stretches, but it retains interest thanks to visuals and good playing from leads Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes.

The setting is Los Angeles, primarily a large, sprawling building that is the place of business for a largely Japanese conglomerate. A party is underway as the company attempts to get a lucrative deal to go through, yet unexpected things will soon take precedence. A blonde escort by the name of Cheryl Austin is found strangled to death in the boardroom, which threatens to cause a scandal for the company. Assigned to the murder case is police detective Web Smith, who is a good enough guy with a few flaws in his past. Also assigned to assist is retired Captain John Connor, whose knowledge of all things Japanese will be beneficial when dealing with suspects within the company. Overseeing things is Smith’s former police partner Tom Graham, who has a vendetta against the Japanese and makes sure everyone knows it. Evidence seems to point towards Eddie Sakamura, a tempestuous playboy who Connor knows the businessman father of. But wise, old Connor suspects that there is a lot more complexity to the case than anyone expected and with his sharp and scrupulous mind, it’s not hard to see why. He is proven right as this turns out to be no open shut case. Both Connor and Smith, though completely opposite in approach, discover it may reach very high up the business ladder and threaten to expose people at the top. Yet just when they think they know what’s going on, something new puts a dangerous spin on things. Chief among these is a tape that could implicate the guilty party, if it wasn’t for tampering with the visuals that are discovered to be altered. The mismatched duo learns to work with each other and used their respective smarts to crack a most bewildering and twisting case.

Philip Kaufman, always a director with a keen eye for visuals, displays that here with stylish atmosphere apparent from the very beginning. He paints a world tinged with noir that is insidious and corrupt from almost every angle( complete with almost constant rain and darkness)  One of the biggest criticisms aimed at both the film and the book on  which it is based is that it bashes Japan and paints a harsh portrait of business. I can’t vouch for either of those accusations as my knowledge of both is pretty limited. But people who say that the Japanese are portrayed badly here, should look at some of the American characters too. Plenty of them are corrupt and nasty as some of those in the company so I can’t see much of a basis for negative slander here. I can see some parts that could be deemed offensive, but I think Kaufman manages to keep most of these at bay. There is a technological side to Rising Sun that looks a bit dated now, but is nonetheless quite intriguing to watch and observe. In this edgy take, images can be distorted and the blame game soon follows, much like old-fashioned movies with a contemporary twist. An atmospheric score provides the strange backdrop for the murder investigation that proves anything but straightforward due to the sense of culture clash at the heart of the matter. It is the attention to details, much like the character of Connor, that impressed me the most in Rising Sun. It does have moments of action, but like a good thriller the investigative parts are what holds the interest as layer upon layer of complexity builds higher. Now after some time Rising Sun does get just a little bit convoluted and confusing to follow, yet it doesn’t bore you as it keeps you watching despite the often overly complex plot. The relationship of Connor and Smith keeps you rooted in the film and is one of the best parts, thanks to the respect and level footing each find eventually with the other.

Sean Connery is one of Rising Sun’s biggest draws. Exuding an almost stately manner through the character’s knowledge of Japanese customs and a twinkling grin that suggest a wily personality, Connery imprints his stamp on the part of an intelligent man whose attention to detail is what drives the shocking case in front of him. He exudes an avuncular tendency towards his younger charge, close to that of master and apprentice. Connery shares a good working relationship with Wesley Snipes, with the two bouncing off each other with their differing approaches to the murder case. Wesley Snipes more than holds his own against the illustrious Connery; generating dedication and wise ass responses as he becomes more bewildered by the shifting investigation in front of him. Harvey Keitel is reliably on hand to play the vicious and intolerant detective who is more than willing to prosecute the wrong man purely out of hatred. A standout part comes courtesy of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Playing the dissolute playboy who may have been taken for a ride and framed, he shows off both a charisma and fear that grows as the case tangles. As one of the only women in the movie, Tia Carrere provides sexiness and smarts as the computer expert who deduces that the tape that could reveal the criminal has been tampered with. Slimy tactics are the name of the game for both Kevin Anderson and Ray Wise as two men caught up in the corruption.

It may boggle the mind on occasion and some of it can become rather in your face, yet due to the good direction of Kaufman and acting from the lead, Rising Sun has its values as a serpentine thriller that is pretty slick.

The Piano

Tags

1990's, Anna Paquin, Drama, Harvey Keitel, Holly Hunter, Jane Campion, Romance, Sam Neill, The Piano

Film Title

The Piano

Director

Jane Campion

Starring

• Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath
• Harvey Keitel as George Baines
• Sam Neill as Alisdair Stewart
• Anna Paquin as Flora McGrath

A stunningly realized tale of passion, sexual awakening and music from Jane Campion, The Piano is a film that slowly burns itself deep into the memory with its mix of mystique, sensuality and atmosphere.

Set in the mid 19th Century, The Piano follows the character of Ada McGrath, a mute Scottish woman who hasn’t spoken a word since the age of six. No one knows why she stopped speaking, let alone Ada. Her father has her married to Alisdair Stewart, a landowner living in New Zealand, on a windy, rain-drenched and misty frontier. Along with her precocious young daughter Flora, who often acts as her mother’s translator, Ada travels to New Zealand to marry a man she has never met before. She immediately takes a dislike to her uptight new husband when he refuses to transport her treasured piano to his home. Alisdair is taken aback by Ada, and because of his attitude towards his workers, which consist of a Maori tribe, he is disliked by many. For Ada, the instrument is an escape and she yearns for the prized piano. George Baines, an illiterate worker for Alisdair who has immersed himself in the Maori culture, agrees to buy the piano from him. Baines has seen Ada’s love for the piano and the passion with which she plays. Ada doesn’t take to kindly to Baines purchasing her treasured piano and goes to see him. It is here that Baines strikes a strange deal with Ada, if she gives him lessons on the instrument, she can regain the instrument. The other part of the deal is that he can do what he likes while she plays, which culminates in advances towards her. Although she is hesitant around him at first, Ada soon comes to care for Baines and the lessons become a string of highly charged passionate encounters as unspoken desires rise to the surface with unusual consequences.

Jane Campion directs with a passionate but objective eye. As well as this, she wrote the screenplay, which delves into the complex characters and shows both their good and bad sides. No character in The Piano is easily identifiable as the hero or villain as they are drawn in such a way that gives them mystery. Campion also manages to successfully incorporate a commentary on burgeoning sexual awakening from a woman’s point of view. Ada is mute in a society in which men are the respected one’s and women are beneath them, this gives her character a certain stubbornness in the way she isn’t conventional of the time in which the movie is set. Striking imagery is ever-present throughout the film, engulfing the characters in dark blues and misty melancholy as passion unfolds from beneath the bonnets and braids of Ada and the uncouth but tender Baines. Eroticism seeps from many a frame as Ada forms an illicit but understanding relationship with Baines. I previously wrote about my love for The Piano’s stunning score in a previous post, but I will do it more justice in this review. Michael Nyman builds his score with beautiful skill, as the music becomes the voice for the silent Ada and engrosses us with its evocative crescendos and lilting lullabies.

Holly Hunters turns in a tour de force performance that deservedly garnered her the Best Actress Oscar. Almost wordlessly, Hunter conveys joy, pain, anger and passion as Ada with adroit intelligence and keen understanding. She forms the beating heart of the romantic drama and is just amazing in her delivery. Harvey Keitel is also highly effective as the rough-hewn but caring Baines, who becomes entranced by the passion of Ada and her piano. Sam Neill is subtle as Alisdair, and interestingly plays him as not just a villain but as a conflicted man not used to the surroundings and with no time to communicate with his wife. A young Anna Paquin also scooped an Oscar win for her excellent performance as the mischievous Flora, who often makes up fanciful tales and dances like a sprite among the misty splendor of the forest. There is a refreshing maturity to Paquin’s performance, as she manages to convey very intense and serious emotions far beyond her young years.

Visually arresting, sonically enthralling and excellently acted, Jane Campion’s The Piano is a passionate and sensual film that is very hard to forget once you’ve finished watching it.

 

 

Thelma and Louise

Tags

1990's, Brad Pitt, Callie Khouri, Drama, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Ridley Scott, Road Movie, Susan Sarandon, Thelma and Louise

Film title

Thelma and Louise

Director

Ridley Scott

Cast

• Susan Sarandon as Louise Sawyer
• Geena Davis as Thelma Dickinson
• Harvey Keitel as Detective Hal Slocumb
• Michael Madsen as Jimmy Lennox
• Brad Pitt as J.D
• Christopher McDonald as Darryl Dickinson

The story of two best friends going on a vacation that turns into something completely different and ending in an unforgettable finale, Thelma and Louise struck a chord with many upon its release in 1991, maybe because of its road movie revamping and its new female spin on a male dominated genre. Whatever your view on it, there can be no debating the amount of buzz and arguments it has caused over the years since it’s release. Anyway, back to the review of it.

Thelma Dickinson is a meek, put upon housewife whose husband controls everything she does, her best friend Louise Sawyer is a tough-talking, world-weary waitress whose unexplained trauma that happened years prior has made her that way. Both bored in their uneventful and small Arkansas town, Louise suggests going on a trip, just the two of them. They both decide to do it and along the way stop at a bar, planning to leave after a short break. A suave man named Harlan begins to flirt with Thelma and eventually gets the timid housewife drunk. When she goes outside for air, his charming demeanor changes to violent as he tries to brutally rape her. Louise, stops him with the aid of a gun and threatens him. After yelling obscenities at her, Louise shoots him dead. Fearing the consequences of the incident, the duo go on the lam in an attempt to escape imprisonment, and so begins a thrilling journey of self-discovery and the power of friendship, that involves theft, guns and a spectacular chase through the Grand Canyon.

What is so interesting upon viewing Thelma and Louise, is its merging of various genres and its dusting off of old clichés in the form of new ones. At the heart of it, it is a road movie, but it also includes many instances of crime, action and drama. This is all handled under the thoughtful direction of Ridley Scott. Although I wouldn’t expect Scott to make a film such as this, he actually pulls off the film admirably and memorably. The Oscar-winning script by Callie Khouri furthers our engagement, emotional tie and understanding of the women and gets to the heart of their characters. Credit should also be given to Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, who both create convincingly outstanding portrayals as the eponymous best friends. All the way through the film, they anchor the proceedings and keep us watching as the women try to find a way to escape imprisonment whilst driving through the twists and turns of the American frontier. Harvey Keitel is also used to great effect as a sympathetic detective, who tries numerous times to persuade the women to stop running. Film buffs should also look out for a young Brad Pitt as a charismatic thief who Thelma takes a shine to after picking him up.

Debate rages on as to whether the film is man-hating, that its depiction of crime is one of a positive nature and that if it shows women in a positive or negative light. The film is also a hot topic when it comes to the ending, which I won’t divulge in case people reading it haven’t seen it. Those who have will know exactly what I’m talking about. Arguments made against it have labelled it flawed and cop-out, whilst others have disagreed. All of this aside, Thelma and Louise makes for memorable viewing because of its re-writing of genre and gender favorability, its title characters that are brought vividly to life by Sarandon and Davis and its mix of humour, drama and emotion.