Message in a Bottle

Tags

1990's, Drama, Illeana Douglas, Kevin Costner, Luis Mandoki, Message in a Bottle, Nicholas Sparks, Paul Newman, Robbie Coltrane, Robin Wright Penn, Romance

Film Title

Message in a Bottle

Director

Luis Mandoki

Starring

• Robin Wright Penn as Theresa Osborne
• Kevin Costner as Garret Blake
• Paul Newman as Dodge Blake
• Illeana Douglas as Lina
• Robbie Coltrane as Charlie

A totally trite, over familiar and plodding romance, Message in a Bottle only holds the attention for the cast and some lush scenery. Other than that, this film is one to avoid as it is predictable with a capital P and not even enjoyably predictable.

Theresa Osborne is a researcher who works for the Chicago Tribune. One day while on the beach after finishing a story in Cape Cod, Theresa unearths a message in a bottle washed up on shore. Inside, she finds a heartfelt love letter to a woman called Catherine, signed with the initial G. Theresa is moved and curious about the letter and decides to discover just who wrote it and where it came from. Her research, thanks to help from work and friends that reveals more letters, leads her to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and to a man identified as Garret Blake. She travels to the area and approaches Garret, not telling him about the letters she discovered. Garret is an emotionally shut off man who furnishes boats and largely keeps to himself. This arose from his wife( the Catherine of the letter), and her death in childbirth two years before. Gradually, Theresa begins to warm to Garret and he in turn slowly lightens in her presence, planting the seeds of undeniable attraction. Though while Garret has still not gotten over his wife’s death and nurses his feelings quietly, his wise, irascible father Dodge prods him to take a chance with Theresa. Sure enough, love slowly blossoms for them. Yet Theresa can’t help but fight internally with the knowledge that she hasn’t told Garret of how she came into contact with him, which would no doubt change the burgeoning love between them.

Luis Mandoki has shown real greatness as a movie maker, but his outing in this venture is sadly one of his lesser achievements. It isn’t that he doesn’t direct well, he is just unable to bring anything really excellent to a film that is wholly unrealistic. Believe me, no amount of embellishment could make this a winning movie. This film is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks, which really should have been a forewarning of the quality presented. But as usual, I thought to myself I may as well try it and see if it confounds my expectations. Sadly, the film left me begging for the shore as it was so stranded in unrealistic and schmaltzy moments, that failed to resonate with me. Now I’m no cynic and I like a good romance as much as the next person( even sometimes ones that are predictable), but I didn’t find much to praise or be entertained by in Message in a Bottle. Instead the hallmarks of the Sparks factory where on full parade; rain-soaked confrontations, overlapping scenes of letter reading and just cringe-inducing sweetness. Even when the film reaches the stages of being tear jerking, it just doesn’t have the required impact because the whole script and story has been so utterly clunky and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how Message in a Bottle will conclude. Contrary to my disdain for the overall movie, it did have its virtues. One is the lovely cinematography that feels so idyllic and luscious among the many instances of water, that you can’t help but marvel at the lighting and palette it has going for it. And to be honest, the score wasn’t to bad either. The problem is that the sappy soundtrack got more play time in Message in a Bottle, which made it sugary as a sweet shop.

Hope is found however in the work from the main cast, who are well above this material and add some of their abilities to make this not a flat-out failure. The glowing Robin Wright Penn manages to ring emotion and vibrancy out of her character; with a smile that lights up the screen and a soulful, unaffected delivery. Kevin Costner’s strong and stoic type is not much of a stretch in terms of the acting muscles, but it is the actor’s strong suit and one that he mines pretty well here. Stealing the show however are the bright eyes and undying charisma of Paul Newman, playing Costner’s salty but helpful father. Newman is a real hoot and at times a very owlish presence and with him being an old pro, he brings a hell of a lot more to the part than I’m sure was intended. The film picks up whenever Newman is around and sinks back into boredom once he isn’t there, because his mere aura is one of fine acting and spirit. Illeana Douglas and Robbie Coltrane pop up in supporting roles, but neither is given an opportunity to do anything of note.

So in the end, Message in a Bottle is a film that has moments of goodness but nothing in the way of exceptional quality, except the work of the main cast. Put simply, Message in a Bottle is a film totally lost at sea.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Tags

1960's, Buddy Film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, George Roy Hill, Katharine Ross, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Western

Film Title

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Director

George Roy Hill

Starring

• Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy
• Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid
• Katharine Ross as Etta Place

Exciting, engaging and entertaining are the three words that spring to mind when I think of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Featuring two affable main characters and loosely based on true events, it is damn near impossible to not be swept up in the funny and irreverent western.

It is the time of the Wild West and outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid belong to the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang. The gang go about robbing banks, thanks to the charisma of Butch and the precise aim with a gun from Sundance when needed. Everything is going pretty amazing for them thanks to the combined skill set of both men in their line of work. Yet the law soon catches up with both of them after a spectacularly explosive hold up and a posse is dispatched to find them, causing our charismatic twosome to flee. Wherever the duo seem to run too, whether it be through the desert, canyons or over rivers, the seemingly tireless posse continues to be hot on their trail. Finally, the outlaws, along with Sundance’s schoolteacher lover Etta Place, flee to Bolivia in search of respite from being chased and of course new opportunities of making money. They go about conducting more successful robberies, but the idyll is shattered when it appears that justice is not going to let go of either of them.

It is obvious almost from the start of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that director George Roy Hill is having the time of his life displaying a confidence and intrinsic cheekiness in his mounting of this engrossing film. He utilizes experimental touches that are very jaunty and set the film’s tone as firmly tongue in cheek, in stark contrast to a lot of westerns that are very bloody and brutal. Take the opening for example; bathed in sepia, we are introduced to our main characters by way of a silent movie style montage that is bracingly amusing and informs you of all you need to know about the titular outlaws. A crackerjack script(that garnered an Oscar win) has a laugh a minute, particularly in the exchanges between Butch and Sundance that crackle with humour as they get themselves into precarious situations constantly. There are just so many memorable moments that abound in this film that it’s difficult to choose only a few to talk about, but I’ll give it a go. The aforementioned opening is sublime as well as a newspaper and photograph clipping detail of Butch, Sundance and Etta’s interlude throughout various cities. The jump off a gorge, despite the fact Sundance can’t swim is a stand out moment and of course Butch riding without a care in the world on a bicycle with Etta to the strains of ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’. And who can forget that final freeze frame that immortalizes both characters? Credit must be given highly for introducing us to two of the most charismatic characters to grace the screen. Criminals they may be, but boy are they an affable and amusing duo together on their journey of outrunning the encroaching law. While it has a lot of humour in it, an impending tragedy percolates away in there, bringing with it notes of bittersweetness as death lurks for the outlaws at almost every stop. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is as much a buddy movie as it is a western, as while it adheres to the conventions of a western, the focus is squarely on the main characters more than many westerns and it has a lot more laughs in it, followed by approaching sadness. Beautiful scenery is bountiful and you can’t help but marvel at the various shots of mountains, rivers and hills that are to be found here. There are minor things that time hasn’t been kind to, but I could count these on one hand which shows how it still makes a damn fine impact and experience for any viewer. A nice and skittish score is the ideal representation of how spirited this film is, while not forgetting the eventual feeling of tragedy that will befall our amusing duo.

A simply sublime cast is on hand to give this western a golden boost, in particular the perfect pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the somewhat opposite desperadoes whose bond is nonetheless strong. Butch is the talkative one with the big ideas, while Sundance is the laconic and more grave individual. Their differences and similarities fit together perfectly, and have us rooting for this dynamic duo. Paul Newman is bright-eyed and full of roguish adventure as Butch, who always has a scheme or plan even in the most dire circumstances. Robert Redford makes Sundance a quiet and collected man with a deadly shot, who is the more serious-minded and cool half of the team. It is impossible to talk about this film without mentioning how Paul Newman and Robert Redford share an unbeatable chemistry, that makes the quips of both characters register with conviction and easy humour. The film would simply have not been the same without both of these actors complimenting the other in an uncannily excellent and amiable fashion. Katharine Ross plays the other important role of Etta, the schoolteacher in love with Sundance along for the ride. Ross is pleasing and softly spoken, yet very assertive when it is called for. Her role in the story is the less of the three as Butch and Sundance take up the majority, but Ross ensures that she holds her own in the part.

An enjoyable experience, the evergreen delights of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remain for all to view in a film coloured with laughs and eventual tragedy.

The Long, Hot Summer

Tags

1950's, Angela Lansbury, Anthony Franciosa, Drama, Joanne Woodward, Lee Remick, Martin Ritt, Melodrama, Orson Welles, Paul Newman, Richard Anderson, The Long Hot Summer

Film Title

The Long, Hot Summer

Director

Martin Ritt

Starring

• Paul Newman as Ben Quick
• Joanne Woodward as Clara Varner
• Orson Welles as Will Varner
• Anthony Franciosa as Jody Varner
• Lee Remick as Eula Varner
• Angela Lansbury as Minnie Littlejohn
• Richard Anderson as Alan Stewart

A gloriously enjoyable and overheated Southern drama, The Long, Hot Summer gains extra points due to the stellar cast headed by Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who would later become man and wife when the film wrapped. Filled with colourful characters, briskly paced and sizzling with heat, it’s a fine movie that has a surprising amount of innuendo for its time.

Ben Quick is a handsome, charismatic drifter who at the beginning of the film is accused of being a barn burner. Expelled from the town he was residing in he journeys away and ends up in Mississippi. He then hitches a ride with snippy Clara Varner, a local schoolteacher and Eula, her vivacious sister-in-law into the nearby town of Frenchman’s Bend. It turns out Clara is the daughter of prominent land baron Will Varner, who owns practically everything there is to own in town. Will also has a son Jody(who is married to the giggly Eula, who is becoming wary of his lack of opportunities and prospects), who tries to take on parts of his father’s business but is too weak-willed to get any approval from his overbearing father. While the head of the family is away, Ben, eager for a job approaches the Varner family and manages to acquire one after talking with stand in Jody. When the thundering land baron returns from a spell in the hospital and finds Ben working for him, he is initially reluctant because of his less than respectable reputation. But as the days go on, Will begins to take a shine to the charming Ben and sees a quality to make decisions and a deep ambition, that he can’t find in his own son. Jody, seeing that he could be muscled out, becomes increasingly jealous of Ben and is left seething that his father has taken such a liking to the stranger. Meanwhile, Will concocts a plan to give Ben a lot of land and power if he marries his daughter Clara, who he thinks will become a spinster if she waits around for her current suitor Alan, who doesn’t really show much interest in her at all. The driven Ben accepts this and pursues her, but then begins to fall genuinely in love with her. The thing is, Clara is a smart and self-assured young woman, who while she wants to fall in love in the future, has no desire to be forced into it, and knows exactly how to voice her disapproval at her father’s insistence. Yet it is obvious that both Ben and Clara are attracted to each other, Clara just doesn’t know how to express it. What will become of the union between them as Ben genuinely falls in love with her and Clara does the same? And what desperate lengths will Jody go to in order to prove his worth to his belittling father?

Martin Ritt brings verve and energy to the torrid emotions that rise in this tale and he makes it very enjoyable to watch. He successfully employs a brisk pace that makes sure that something is always happening to keep us glued. Now the film is overheated as it is a melodrama, but don’t let that discourage you as it doesn’t completely topple over into ridiculousness thanks to Ritt’s energetic direction. The stunning cinematography conjures up the sweltering cauldron of passion and jealousy within The Long, Hot Summer that seeps from every frame. And with an abundance of colourful characters to add to the mix, it’s hard not to be impressed with this movie. What really struck me about The Long, Hot Summer was the double entendres and innuendo that it had running through it. Considering films of that time were usually at the mercy of censorship, this movie manages to get a little more heat into it and makes it a very sexy film, although no actual nudity is ever seen. I guess it just goes to show that you don’t need bedroom acrobatics shown graphically to make a movie sexy. When you have a script like this that crackles with sexual tension and naughty lines, you can still be saucy in a more refined way. Suggestion can be just as saucy when it’s done like this. The languid score is a delight to the ears as it mixes jazz riffs with romantic strings and a stellar title song.

Heading the cast is the magnetic charisma and likability of Paul Newman. With his striking blue eyes and easy smile, it’s impossible not to be taken in by Newman’s performance as the ambitious Ben. He may have a devil-may-care attitude and a questionable past, but the way Newman portrays him, it’s impossible not to like the guy. And when he’s alongside Joanne Woodward, the sparks fly. Woodward is very good as the opinionated and intelligent Clara, who comes off as aloof to Ben but really starts to likes him as time goes on and the heat rises. The scenes the two share crackle with wit and sexual tension that is a sight to behold and it later lead to their marriage off-screen too. The larger than life persona of Orson Welles dominates the scenes he has in the movies as the blustering patriarch, worried that his family name isn’t going to be upheld. Welles is a hoot in this movie and all the little tics and mannerisms he gives Will are marvellous. Then there is Anthony Franciosa who is impressive playing the weak and belittled Jody, whose jealousy begins to burn when he sees that his position is under threat from the charismatic Ben. A lovely Lee Remick is kittenish and free-spirited as Jody’s wife, who spends her days shopping and gossiping with others. Angela Lansbury is amusingly tart and saucy as Minnie, Will’s feisty mistress who is desperate to be hitched to him, despite his misgivings and refusal to commit. The only person who really gets short-changed in this movie is Richard Anderson, as he is required to play a role too similar to that of Jody to really be at all interesting.

Sensual and dramatic, with a good amount of censor navigating saucy lines, The Long, Hot Summer is an easy affair that is the perfect way to kill and hour or two in the company of distinguished Hollywood stars at the peak of their powers