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Tag Archives: Martin Scorsese

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

31 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 33 Comments

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.

The Age Of Innocence

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 35 Comments

Tags

1990's, Daniel Day-Lewis, Drama, Edith Wharton, Joanne Woodward, Martin Scorsese, Michelle Pfeiffer, Period Drama, Romance, The Age of Innocence, Winona Ryder

Film Title

The Age Of Innocence

Director

Martin Scorsese

Cast

  • Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer
  • Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska
  • Winona Ryder as May Welland
  • Richard E. Grant as Larry Lefferts
  • Miriam Margoyles as Mrs. Mingott
  • Joanne Woodward as Narrator

Martin Scorsese once described his adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence as the most violent film he has made. When I read about this and viewed the film, I was unsure of what he meant. But then I realised, he didn’t mean actual violence but internal violence arising from conflicting emotions. Bringing this to the period romance, Scorsese succeeds in showing the arcane machinations of higher class society, the rigorous attempts to uphold tradition and the consequences of trying to challenge it as the main love story is played out. Sumptuous, acute and scathing in equal measure, The Age of Innocence is a welcome departure for Scorsese that emphasises his versatility.

The age of innocenceIn 1870’s New York, Newland Archer is a respected lawyer.He is engaged to May Welland, the seemingly naive and innocent daughter of a prominent family. The marriage is socially acceptable as it joins two of the most prominent families in New York. Although he obeys the many rules of this close society, Newland secretly resents the pressure and many social standards that have to be obeyed.As there engagement is announced, May’s cousin Countess Ellen Olenska arrives from Europe. She is unconventional and independent for a woman of her time, and the society immediately takes a dislike towards her. Her reputation isn’t helped when it is announced that she is planning to divorce her husband after an unhappy courtship. Although shunned by many, Newland becomes enchanted by her as she lives by her own rules and doesn’t conform to the oppressive demands of society. The two eventually fall in love, but can this relationship last against the iron will of rules and regulations enforced upon them?

Firstly, the camerawork used in the film is absolutely marvellous in the way it shows the minute details of decor and finery, whilst emphasising the struggle to survive in a world of tradition. Costume design is stunning, really capturing the sumptuous and prosperous attitudes and styles of the 1870’s. The evocative screenplay delves deep into conflicted emotions and reflects on the Newland and Ellenstate of affairs apparent. The use of Joanne Woodward as the narrator is a stroke of genius, her voice filled with reflection, humour and pathos as she tells the story of Newland and Ellen. The main reason for the movie’s success is the three central performances by Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. As the confused and troubled Newland, Day-Lewis exudes a weariness and desire to escape from social standards and cantankerous rules imposed on him. Michelle Pfeiffer adds luminous poignancy as the scandalous Ellen, showing her unconventional behaviour as an act of defiance but subtly revealing the melancholy inflicted on her by her marriage. It is Ellen who drives the story along, awakening a hidden fire that burns within Newland, with the desire to escape and live free of controlling influences. Unlike many period romances that feature copious amounts of bodice-ripping, The Age of Innocence instead focuses on the passion between the two in an emotionally restrained and tender way. When Newland slowly removes Ellen’s glove and gently caresses her face, there is more passion in that moment than in any of the explicit bedroom antics of the usual period drama. Rounding out the excellent troika isMay Welland Winona Ryder as Newland’s wife May Welland. At first glance she appears to be naive, clueless and unsuspecting, but as the story moves on and because of Ryder’s subtly expressive face, we begin to see a young woman who isn’t as lily-white and innocent as her outward exterior would have use believe. This in turn makes her an interesting character to observe as the film goes on.

The only gripe I can think of that may put off some audience members is the slow and reflective pace at which the film runs. But in actual fact, it is more effective as it satirically observes hypocrisy and the cloistered attempts to uphold tradition with a scathing eye. Whether viewing it as a scathing account of society or a romance doomed by conflicting attitudes, The Age of Innocence is excellent either way, filled with pathos, reflection and a unscrupulous melancholy that haunts the mind.

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