Body Double

Tags

1980's, Body Double, Brian De Palma, Craig Wasson, Deborah Shelton, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith, Mystery, Thriller

Film Title

Body Double

Director

Brian De Palma

Starring

• Craig Wasson as Jake Scully
• Gregg Henry as Sam Bouchard
• Melanie Griffith as Holly Body
• Deborah Shelton as Gloria Revelle

An outrageously and stylishly updated reworking of Vertigo and Rear Window, Body Double dials up the lurid material and shocking content. It may bite off more than it can chew, but Body Double is by and large a spellbinding example of Brian De Palma’s signature direction and his gleefully unapologetic content.

Jake Scully is a B-movie actor with a big problem. As he often stars in horror films(frequently as a vampire) he has to be in confined spaces. The trouble is that his latent claustrophobia has evinced itself of late and has lost him jobs. Out of work, things get worse when he finds his girlfriend cheating on him. He moves out and is struggling to find a job, when he meets the charming Sam Bouchard. Also an actor, he takes pity on Jake and takes him under his wing. Sam is currently house sitting for a rich friend and offers Jake the place to stay. Jake jumps at the chance and is taken to the panoramic house in the Hollywood Hills. Sam points out that there is a display that will interest him in one of the houses nearby. With a telescope, Jake views the sultry dancing every night of Gloria Revelle, a beautiful, young housewife. What starts as just a glancing curiosity slows gives way to increasing obsession on Jake’s part. Added to this is his realisation that a strange-looking figure is also observing Gloria with ill intentions. Continuing to grow more infatuated with her, Jake follows her and observes her, once again seeing the grotesque figure looming large. Sadly, through his obsession , Jake is unable to stop Gloria’s brutal murder at the hands of the stalker. As the only witness, he can’t do much as the police know that he was also covertly watching Gloria and didn’t report what he saw. Jake can’t help but feel guilty about his indirect involvement and how he could have prevented the murder. Yet various things are not adding up and what seemed coincidental may in fact be pre-meditated. Still shocked, he finds himself more determined to unravel events that look very untoward and discovers a link between the slaying and the world of X-rated movies. Desperate Jake is soon lead into the dark recesses of the adult film industry, where the gorgeous porn star Holly Body may hold the key to everything.

As is befitting of a film by Brian De Palma, Body Double sports oodles of visual effectiveness and cinematic flourish from the very start. He frequently teases and tests us with what we are witnessing and how true it is, best envisioned by a series of scenes in which we believe we are watching the film, only for it to reveal that it’s the making of a film in the story. A fantastic example is when Jake makes his way on to a porn set and it is played out to the tune of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘Relax’. At first it just appears to be part of the filmic story, before pulling back to show that it’s an adult production within the confines of the plot. We, as the audience, are permitted to be unwitting voyeurs throughout Body Double, whether we like it or not, due to the use of point of view shots to illustrate the illusion of watching. I must confess that in the latter half of Body Double things start to feel a bit rushed, especially in comparison with the slow burn of the earlier pacing. But the outrageous core and De Palma stamp ensure you keep watching as it redeems itself once Holly takes centre stage and brings a much-needed shot in the arm. So it does get uneven in stretches when it could have been tighter and a bit more coherent, but I found myself very engrossed by Body Double that I can somewhat overlook its collection of flaws and bask in the sheer unpredictability of it all. Body Double is a sly beast that is very mysterious and shrouded in red herrings, that you may not quite realise at first glance. Brian De Palma is very impish in what he presents, frequently reeling us into a twisted fantasy that has its tongue jammed firmly in cheek. He is not caring about whether you squirm or find the content repulsive; this is his vision and what he wants to put out there, like it or not. If anything, the winding plot takes a backseat to the directors love of things cinematic and how manipulative the medium can be. A major plus in Body Double(along with the luscious cinematography) is the mood-setting music, courtesy of Pino Donaggio. Using an electronic pulse to produce a slinky and scintillating ambiance, its music that really gets its talons into you and gorgeously sets a scene. The score is akin to the dance that Gloria performs; it invites you in yet knows how to tease and be mysterious.

Craig Wasson is a bit of a wooden actor, yet that very thing is used to great effect in playing the unlucky and low-rent star, caught in a web. His very ordinariness and nothing too special appearance plays in well to the way that he becomes utterly besotted with someone he barely knows and then more than a little suspicious that something stinks. Gregg Henry lends an ingratiating and seemingly supportive presence as the actor who helps Jake, but who may be very different behind it all. Melanie Griffith appears late in the film, but immediately makes an impression as the seductive but brighter than you’d think adult film star. While being obviously attractive, Griffith digs into a street smart attitude and subtle vulnerability of a girl who knows how to handle herself, but doesn’t quite realise the extent of how deep she’s in. Both a smart and confident performer( watch as she reels off just what she will do and not do in a movie) and a pawn, the part of Holly is memorably envisioned by Melanie Griffith. Seen with not much in the way of dialogue, Deborah Shelton is still extremely enigmatic and beautiful as the ill-fated woman, whose demise throws Jake into a tailspin.

I wouldn’t say Body Double is the best film from De Palma, yet it definitely displays some of his finest visual direction and penchant for referencing Hitchcock in typically daring style. Body Double, though uneven, is still a very intriguing thriller that reels you in to the mystery and sleazy aura that if builds so well as it surprises you with some very serpentine twists.

Working Girl

Tags

1980's, Alec Baldwin, Comedy, Harrison Ford, Joan Cusack, Kevin Spacey, Melanie Griffith, Mike Nichols, Oliver Platt, Sigourney Weaver, Working Girl

Film Title

Working Girl

Director

Mike Nichols

Starring

• Melanie Griffith as Tess McGill
• Harrison Ford as Jack Trainer
• Sigourney Weaver as Katharine Parker
• Joan Cusack as Cynthia
• Alec Baldwin as Mick
• Oliver Platt as David Lutz
• Kevin Spacey as Bob Speck

Working Girl is an effervescent and feel good comedy from Mike Nichols, that satirizes the corporate business world and conveys a woman grabbing the opportunity to make something of herself. Light and funny yet also intelligent, this combination, when aided by a very accomplished cast ensures Working Girl is a triumph.

Having just turned 30, Staten Island raised secretary for a stockbroker Tess McGill wishes for something more and wants a job of an executive nature. Sadly, no matter how hard she strives, nothing much seems to come of her diligence. And after a run in with her boss, she is reassigned to a financial firm. She is to be the secretary for Katharine Parker; a seemingly affable and powerful woman who appears to take Tess under her wing and encourages her to pitch ideas. Tess comes up with a pretty neat idea for a lucrative merger that she passes by Katharine, but nothing seems to come of it. Then Katharine is injured during a skiing trip in Europe, which enables Tess to look after business while she recovers. It is here that Tess discovers that Katharine was about to go forward with her idea, without giving her any credit. But two can play at that game and Tess decides that is she wants to make her name for herself, she must take action. And action is what she takes, by styling herself into the persona of a higher executive. Though a risky move, her smarts and innate mind for business make up her artillery as she mounts her idea to a potential merger. Along the way, she enlists the help of the handsome executive Jack Trainer, who could be very handy in aiding her business plans. The thing is Jack believes that Tess is someone higher up in the job than what she is because she is so convincing with the ins and outs of making deals, and Tess manages to keep her proper status this under wraps though. Along the way, Tess and Jack develop romantic feelings for the other. Tess finds herself on the cusp of closing this deal and winning Jack, but a spanner is put in the works with the return of conniving Katharine.

Mike Nichols has always been a director who I admire, mainly for his perceptive probing of people and his approach to the characters. He infuses Working Girl with a funny surface that chimes well with the personable elements of the story, but like always, he cuts a bit deeper and has a ball dissecting big business in New York and the often ruthless tactics employed in it. Nichols work has a crisp and unobtrusive approach to it, knowing exactly when to use the camera for something different and when to just let things flow effortlessly. A stellar example of his craftsmanship is the opening that circles the Statue of Liberty while following Tess on her journey into the concrete jungle, the feeling of enormity and big dreams is very strong here. You get the best of both worlds with Mike Nichols in the director’s chair; on one hand there is the self-made Cinderella story with oodles of 80’s style and then a witty examination of someone striving to make it big in a cutthroat world of sharks. There are those who will view Working Girl with cynicism for its feel good overtones, mainly stemming from the idea that someone can succeed in this kind of world with simply pluck and intelligence( which I could understand, but don’t think it detracts from the enjoyment of it.) But to think of the film purely like that is to miss the rousing and inspiring nature of it, which will win over even the most dejected and grumpy person, as underdog Tess takes destiny and shapes it for herself. You seriously will find it hard not to laugh, due to the sparkling dialogue from Kevin Wade and screwball tropes that are updated to a world of shoulder pads and big hair, befitting of the 80’s colour and atmosphere. And the romance in the film is thankfully something that doesn’t descend into ridiculousness that could have seriously dragged the film down. In actual fact, it extended the enjoyable factor watching Tess and Jack put their heads together and slowly fall for the other, in a dazzling mix of business and pleasure. Add in parts of significant tension, that can be found as the identity of Tess is frequently nearly revealed, Working Girl is a pleasing winner. Only that it is a tad overlong is an extremely minor blemish on a delightfully mounted and performed comedy that nary puts a foot wrong. Lashings of 80’s glamour cover Working Girl and while it’s easy to scoff at some of the outfits, they actually make a good representation of how clothing makes the person which is something Tess knows all about once her Pygmalion style transformation starts. And no discussion of the film would be worth reading without mentioning the music. Largely based around the rousing Carly Simon song ‘Let the River Run’, the music sweeps you up and brings the feel good to the film in large quantities.

Melanie Griffith is inspired casting for Tess; her airy voice and expressive eyes used perfectly to imbue the part with a strength and occasional vulnerability. Griffith triumphs at making Tess a go-getter who isn’t going to just fall by the wayside and takes events, with a little subterfuge, into her hands and puts her business acumen to good use. You root for the character in her search for something worthwhile and you feel her plucky personality emerge through Griffith’s subtle yet endearing interpretation of the part. And seriously, everyone has to agree that Melanie Griffith looks adorable in this film, right? Harrison Ford contributes an affable and low-key performance as the often bewildered but honest executive, who unwittingly becomes the object of affection for both of the main ladies. Ford is a natural with light comedy and his facial expressions and awkwardness induce many laughs, plus his chemistry with both women is excellent. A tremendous supporting turn from Sigourney Weaver is also worthy of note. Playing the high-powered bitch, Weaver imbues the part with a sly charisma that sucks others in and belies her larcenous and greedy tendencies. Fabulous is the best word to describe Sigourney Weaver here, and even though she is wicked, she makes it looks so devilishly fun through her entertaining portrayal of a grinning shark in a corporate capacity with the shoulder pads to match. Joan Cusack provides countless laughs and wisecracks as the wildly dressed best friend, with nowhere near as much ambition as Tess but a supportive enough outlook for advice and salt of the Earth friendship. Alec Baldwin is here as the ne’er-do-well boyfriend who may be a hunk initially in the eyes of Tess( I mean, does this guy actually own a shirt?) but is a philanderer to put it lightly. In small appearances early in their careers, Oliver Platt and Kevin Spacey catch the eye as a pair of downright sleazy guys.

Sparkling, romantic and amusing, the executive suite comedy of Working Girl makes it a ticket to success and enjoyment from the fantastic Mike Nichols and his cast.