U Turn

Tags

1990's, Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Danes, Dark Comedy, Jennifer Lopez, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Voight, Neo Noir, Nick Nolte, Oliver Stone, Powers Boothe, Sean Penn, U Turn

Film Title

U Turn

Director

Oliver Stone

Starring

• Sean Penn as Bobby Cooper
• Jennifer Lopez as Grace McKenna
• Nick Nolte as Jake McKenna
• Powers Boothe as Sheriff Virgil
• Billy Bob Thornton as Darrell
• Claire Danes as Jenny
• Joaquin Phoenix as Toby N. Tucker
• Jon Voight as Blind Indian

A movie that caused a mixed opinion on release, U Turn is actually a head-spinning mashup of noir and dark comedy, wrapped in the guise of a fever dream. This wont be every viewer’s cup of tea, but is inventively strange and overripe with a cast willing to surrender to the baffling weirdness present.

Bobby Cooper is a gambler and two-bit criminal who is driving down the highway to Las Vegas to pay off debts to the mob. Armed with the money, Bobby wants nothing more than to settle the deal and be on his way. His unlucky streak has other ideas as his car breaks down and he’s forced to enter the town of Superior, Arizona. Now to say that this place isn’t a dust bowl and populated by some of the strangest people on Earth is a lie, as Bobby discovers the strange and dark ways that these people live by and how he just wants to leave. The local mechanic Darrell takes delight in annoying him with his obnoxious and unscrupulous ways that test Bobby’s patience no end and his day just goes from bad to worse from then on. A robbery at the local convenience store deprives him of the money he needs to pay of gangsters and puts him in a deadly situation. It’s at this point that the darkness increases with the introduction of seductive Grace McKenna and her brutal, older husband Jake. Grace entrances Bobby with her teasing ways and gorgeous beauty. While Jake makes him an offer that is very tempting but could be tainted. Jake asks that Bobby kill his flirty wife and a lot of money could come his way. Now while Bobby is no saint when it comes to criminal acts, he is more than a little hesitant to commit murder. Yet in a dire situation, what is he supposed to do? Complicating this twisted web is Grace seducing Bobby and bringing him into her plot to have her husband killed and make off with his hidden millions. More encounters with the unusual residents( such as the ditzy nympho Jenny and her short fused psycho boyfriend Toby N. Tucker, as well as a sheriff that is always skulking about) of Superior unnerve and annoy Bobby as he attempts every conceivable way to leave, yet seems to be thwarted at every turn. In need of money quickly and desperate to get out of the creepy town in at least one piece, he is left with either the plan to kill Grace or kill Jake; both of which could get him the stashes of money he craves. Let’s just say that events will go south and very bloody for all involved in this dark neo noir/ black comedy that just brings new meaning to the word weird.

I must say I found U Turn refreshing as it showed me a different side to Oliver Stone’s film making. From what I’ve viewed of his work, he is adept at directing films that confront issues and politics in a very well done way. But I enjoyed seeing him let loose and revel in the darkness of the story and the hazy world of unusual individuals that Bobby finds himself in and tries to inexorably escape from. This isn’t one of Stone’s movies that is addressing any big ideas, but he gives the film a real stamp of his through demented events and weird happenings; all captured in a style highly reminiscent of an acid trip, complete with rapid fire editing, grainy styling and overlapping scenes. Stone is firing on all cylinders here, finding twisted comedy and lurid deceit in the neo noir story at play and obviously having fun with it. You see as much as U Turn is a crime film and noir, it is also something of a black comedy, and let me not forget that Stone tips his hat to the western genre in the setting and some of the tone. It isn’t funny is a way that many people will traditionally laugh at, instead finding humour in disquieting events of which many are so wildly over the top that you will gasp as it basks in perverse glory. Now while U Turn is an underrated surreal film, it’s not without flaws. The main one is the pace growing slightly stale in the middle stretch of the film and your interest could very well wander. The sheer abundance of visuals being thrown at us gets at times a bit bloated, yet there is hope as both flaws are rectified by an electric and twisting final part of the film that redeems whatever flaws came before it. A superlative score that skilfully crosses between the humour and brutality of the film is provided by the great Ennio Morricone, who shapes the score with unusual cues and melodies to further put us under the spell of the hypnotic and surreal events unfurling.

I really enjoyed watching the cast of great actors and actresses put into all these whacked out situations and give it their best shots, all making an impact in some way. Sean Penn is effective in the role of Bobby, who is something of our anti-hero in this strange odyssey. Penn rightfully does make Bobby a really likable guy, instead showcasing his arrogance and intolerance. Yet he imbues the character with a growing sympathy that is hard to forget as he endures the hardships of the crazy town and the murderous plans he is sucked into. Jennifer Lopez sizzles as the femme fatale Grace, lulling Bobby into her devious plans for money. Yet unlike some actresses that just make the temptress role just seductive and nothing else, Lopez excellently brings forth a damaged and saddened side to the character that makes it something different to the usual deadly lady. Granted she is still seductive and dangerous, but it was a bit refreshing to see another interpretation of the femme fatale role. The appropriate nastiness and sleaziness is brought to the table by Nick Nolte as the brutish Jake, who growls his way through life with violence never far away. Then there is Powers Boothe, who appears to be the one decent law-abiding citizen in town, but who may be far from it. A devilish and unrecognizable Billy Bob Thornton turns in a memorable performance as the disagreeable grease monkey that gets more testing to impatient Bobby as the film goes on. With his ragamuffin appearance and sneering smiles, Thornton just adds even more weirdness to the proceedings complete with grimy humour. Claire Danes and Joaquin Phoenix more than gamely play their roles of the floozy with a naive attitude and her petulant, man-child boyfriend. Both stars find ridiculousness and humour within both of the loopy characters. Jon Voight appears as a blind shaman, who talk philosophically to anyone that will listen and is actually pretty spot on about an upcoming carnage that will be brutal.

It does have its moments when it gets a bit much and the middle half drags, but taking all of that into account, U Turn represents an underrated film by Oliver Stone that puts weird into a whole other dimension with editing, good performances and the noir atmosphere tinged with black comedy.

The Golden Bowl

Tags

2000's, Anjelica Huston, James Fox, James Ivory, Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Merchant Ivory, Nick Nolte, Period Drama, The Golden Bowl, Uma Thurman

Film Title

The Golden Bowl

Director

James Ivory

Starring

• Uma Thurman as Charlotte Stant
• Jeremy Northam as Prince Amerigo
• Kate Beckinsale as Maggie Verver
• Nick Nolte as Adam Verver
• Anjelica Huston as Fanny Assingham
• James Fox as Colonel Bob Assingham

An adaptation of the Henry James novel brought to the screen by Merchant Ivory, The Golden Bowl is an elegantly mounted story of betrayal, adultery and love that is finely acted by a star-studded cast and filled with the right period touches you’d expect from a literary production like this.

It’s the turn of the century and Prince Amerigo is a charming but impoverished Italian prince, from a once noble family. Thankfully, he is engaged to the pretty Maggie Verver; an American heiress whose doting father Adam is a billionaire business tycoon whose work largely relates to the world of art. Yet into the pretty picture once the couple are married and have a baby son is Charlotte Stant, who is a friend of Maggie’s from school, but also the former lover of Amerigo. The couple, as we find out, had to part with one another due to both being poor, but the passionate Charlotte is still very much in love with Amerigo. None of this is known to Maggie, who is a sweet and green girl who thinks the best of everyone. Amerigo panics with Charlotte back in the frame and tries to dissuade her, but he himself can’t deny the fire that still burns intensely within him for her. The two resume their affair, while the driven Charlotte, in an attempt to be closer to him and also secure a comfortable lifestyle, marries the much older Adam. The pair believes that due to Maggie being extremely close to her father that their indiscretions will go unnoticed, which id not the case. Watching from the sidelines is society maven and matchmaker Fanny, who knows the secrets of all parties involved due to her eagle-eyed ways. But as betrayal rises and passions spill over, so do suspicions from Maggie and Adam that something is going on with their spouses. What consequences will emerge due to the intertwined relationships?

The work of Henry James is renowned for at times being difficult to transfer to the screen, but with the talents of James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala on board, The Golden Bowl makes for a dazzling film. James Ivory as director loses none of the scathing indictments that Henry James so often focused on, instead bringing out the deceit and treachery with subtle touches and foreshadowing. The symbolism of the eponymous bowl is a great metaphor for the seemingly ideal but cracked underneath unions as the bowl looks so splendid, but has  a flaw when one looks closely upon it. Another excellently written script from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala contributes to the intelligence of the story and the ways that little phrases of dialogue and exchanges can have an extremely big impact on the overall events swirling. Threats and observations from characters are made but hidden behind a veneer of polite society as manipulations begin to figure heavily. Social standing and fortune do come into the story, but The Golden Bowl is much more concerned with the complexities of the heart and the cruel side of human nature when desire comes into play, which it explores magnificently and with assurance. There are a few times when the pace falters during the running time, but that flaw can easily be forgiven due to the engaging and intelligent work on display. A visual style of opulence is employed and contains some stunning pieces, particularly a dance recital of Arabian Nights that also doubles as an expression of the passion and secrets being guarded by everyone. A grand score imbues the film with a passionate core while highlighting the dangerous and manipulative treachery carried out by many of the characters in the name love and station.

One of the biggest draws from The Golden Bowl is the utterly splendid and distinguished cast it has. Making a huge impact is Uma Thurman as the driven and willful Charlotte, whose desire to be with Amerigo and her emotional slips that threatens to bring down the tidy house of cards he has built with Maggie. Any other actress would probably have made Charlotte very villainous, but Uma Thurman wisely plays her as definitely manipulative and sly, yet still with a deep sense of desolation and obsession that can’t be stopped. Jeremy Northam in the part of the impoverished but charming Amerigo shines too; revealing a man caught right in the middle of two women and unable to resist the temptation of the temperamental Charlotte, despite his conscience. Kate Beckinsale is equally as good portraying the initially naive and almost childlike Maggie. Yet once Maggie gets an inkling of something untoward going on, Beckinsale magnificently charts her emergence from the innocent victim to steely and quietly ruthless survivor with conviction. It was good to see Nick Nolte in this film making his character of the gentlemanly Adam appealing, yet laced with the feeling that you wouldn’t want to cross the man with your life. Clearly having an absolute ball in The Golden Bowl is a delightful Anjelica Huston who stars as the meddling matchmaker Fanny, who knows exactly where to put her loyalties and when to play her cards right. Fanny is one of the supporting characters, but Anjelica Huston’s work brings memorability to the character. James Fox is quite amusing as Fanny’s husband, who is a jolly man who leaves matters of the heart and intrigue to his wife, but is still protective to save any bother for her.

With eloquence and subtlety, The Golden Bowl emerges as an underrated film from Merchant Ivory, that more than deserves to be better known due to its compelling story, visual splendour and first-rate performances.

Lorenzo’s Oil

Tags

1990's, Based on a true story, Drama, George Miller, Lorenzo's Oil, Margo Martindale, Nick Nolte, Peter Ustinov, Susan Sarandon, Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Film Title

Lorenzo’s Oil

Director

George Miller

Starring

• Susan Sarandon as Michaela Odone
• Nick Nolte as Augusto Odone
• Peter Ustinov as Professor Nikolais
• Margo Martindale as Wendy Gimble
• Zack O’Malley Greenburg as Lorenzo Odone

A harrowing but inspiring true story is brought to the screen in the drama Lorenzo’s Oil. Focusing on Augusto and Michaela Odone’s unending determination and eventual success in finding a treatment to stabilize their son’s terminal disease, it gains power and deep emotion from heartfelt direction and most successfully two outstanding performances from Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte.

Lorenzo Odone is a five-year-old boy as the movie opens, full of energy and brightness. He lives initially with his banker father Augusto and mother Michaela in the Comoros. The family then relocates back to the United States and this is when things become very worrying for young Lorenzo. He begins to lose some of his hearing, has convulsions and displays neurological problems. His concerned parents have him evaluated and he is then diagnosed with the rare and complex disease ALD, which is usually fatal within two years and . Reeling from the prognosis, Michaela and Augusto find that no doctor is able to treat the disease because of how rare it is. But instead of sitting back and waiting for the inevitable, Michaela and Augusto begin their search for a treatment. Despite neither of them having any real knowledge in medical or scientific study, they soon bury their heads in research, reviewing records of tests and trying any means necessary to treat their son. Along the way, the couple are met with adversity and skepticism from support groups, doctors and scientists who are all about going through the proper channels and waiting until something is found. Undettered by the fact that nothing is in their favour, the two parents continue their crusade, hanging on by sheer will and faith that they will find something and not be torn apart by everything. Eventually they manage to discover the usage of two types of oil that will break the boundaries of modern medicine and assist in stabilizing young Lorenzo’s condition, that many said couldn’t be treated.

George Miller as director crafts this inspiring film from the true story and keeps it rooted in emotion and faith. I admire the way that Miller successfully didn’t make Lorenzo’s Oil yet another  ‘Disease of the week’ style movie, instead bringing forth the heart and steadfast love that both parents exhibit and are willing to use if it means saving their son from an early death. Employing unusual angles and quick camera shots to place us right in the middle of the harrowing turn of events that befall’s Lorenzo and his family, before making the camera smoothly operated as a tiny glimmer of hope begins to appear when at first it looked as if there was none to find. Despite the fact that the audience knows the outcome of the story, this shouldn’t be held against Lorenzo’s Oil as it really cranks up the tension throughout as the Odone’s bury themselves in anything that can be of help to their boy in a desperate time. If anything knowing that the family succeed only makes the film more inspiring and triumphant as it shows the tenacity of their hopes and research, that many wrote off as in vain but was proven wrong.

A major high point of Lorenzo’s Oil is the cast, in particular Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte as the crusading Odone’s. Both actors pour the hearts and souls into the roles and it really shows. Susan Sarandon is a force of nature as Michaela, who holds firm that her son will survive and won’t listen to anyone else who says otherwise. Part of this is why I found her performance so compelling, she never sugar coats the woman or makes her saintly. She snaps at others who don’t share her faith and can be ruthless in order to get what she wants, but all of that comes from a place of love and the soulful eyes of Susan Sarandon wonderfully portray this. Nick Nolte, sporting an Italian accent that gets easier to listen to as the film progresses, is equally as good as Augusto, who throws himself into research. He is the more rational of the two parents, yet while their attitudes at times of what is best to do clash, they are both united in their goal to save their son and Nolte sensitively displays this. Peter Ustinov is very good as a medical professor who wants to help, but whose hands are tied due to ethics, time and bureaucracy. Margo Martindale is hugely effective as the mother of two children afflicted with the disease and is one of the few people to be of support to the Odone’s. As the young Lorenzo, Zack O’Malley Greenburg shows him in the beginning as a vibrant child who is then struck with the disease that affects him significantly and cruelly.

Truly moving, evocatively performed by the cast and never falling into cloying sentimentality, Lorenzo’s Oil is a stirring account of determination in the face of hopelessness and the fighting spirit of a parent’s love for their child.