The River

Tags

1980's, Drama, Mark Rydell, Mel Gibson, Scott Glenn, Sissy Spacek, The River

Film Title

The River

Director

Mark Rydell

Starring

• Mel Gibson as Tom Garvey
• Sissy Spacek as Mae Garvey
• Scott Glenn as Joe Wade

An uplifting look at the human spirit and the resilience of it are brought to the table in The River, which at the time of release was a socially conscious film that looked at the plight of farmers and their lands, as there became a big call for other business. Some of the things in it don’t quite hold up and there are bits of melodrama that sink in, but The River regains its footing and due to the good work from the cast and

Tom and Mae Garvey are married farmers living on their land in Tennessee with their two young children. Their farm is placed in a precarious position as it lies adjacent to the river, which overflows every so often due to storms. The family struggle along but their unwavering resolve and strength keeps them in tact. Yet tough times are about to arrive in various forms that will test the Garvey’s more than ever before. Recently, the land value has dropped and with the terrible conditions slowly getting worse, many nearby farmers are forced to sell their land. On top of this, slimy land owner Joe Wade has his own plans to flood the family and benefit from the water supply, first trying to buy up all the land that he can. This is something that would put the Garvey family out of a home and a livelihood if it were to go through, but the stoic Tom( whose family has owned the farm for generations) refuses to budge. Part of this is due to fact that Joe used to be in love with Mae years before and animosity between the two men thwarted any chance of friendship. But as Tom has run up debt and supplies dwindle, he and Mae are forced to consider the offer. Refusing, Tom in order to get some extra money to keep the farm going, becomes a scab laborer. Difficulties become noticeable as his stubbornness to even consider Wade’s offer weighs heavily on him and his family. Mae tends to the farm, but as driven as she is, begins to see that the tough times are just beginning for everyone and that it is going to take a lot of work to stop the farm from being swept away. Can Tom and Mae make it through the testing times as the river threatens with intent and Wade keeps pushing?

With unfussy yet intimate directing, Mark Rydell gets us to relate to the Garvey’s in their plight. He unearths the way that their livelihood is so important to them, but how a change could also do just that. The constant wrestling of what they should decide drives a significant part of The River; with Tom standing firm but Mae at least teases the idea to save any more hardship. Now The River is no flawless movie it must be said and a few issues arise. The screenplay, as emotive and soulful as it is, can quickly become a little too black and white when it tries to bring in the politics of business vs the farmer’s resolve. I mean, I can understand the sense of heroism in there, but at times it completely neglects the other side which could have had currency, by becoming a bit melodramatic. The grey areas could have been explored in greater depth as well. Also, at two hours, The River a little too long for its own good and could have been trimmed a bit. All in all, the negative aspects of the film are easily put aside thanks to the heartening tale and sense of hope that emits through even the darker stages. Vilmos Zsigmond brings his assured and striking powers to the cinematography that greatly benefit the movie, by capturing nature as both beautiful and bleak sometimes at the same time. The deepening of the colour palette brings out the harsher and more dramatically driven areas of the story, yet the glimmering sense of something on the horizon for Tom and Mae remains in subtle fashion. John Williams is on score duties and successfully provides a rousing musical accompaniment to the journey of the Garvey’s as they battle adversity head on.

Mel Gibson does especially well in the role of Tom. Embodying an undying stoic and stubborn quality, he is often a flawed man who is trying to do the right thing. The fact that the character is often his own worst enemy aids the drama of The River and Gibson gets this across, while still generating a hardworking and heartening sympathy for the man. Farming and a sense of honor are in this guy’s blood and the fact that he stands up to fight, while being at odds with a lot of things, is quite inspiring. But for me the best performance in The River comes from Sissy Spacek. Her part of the farmer’s wife could have easily been relegated to the sidelines and contributed nothing, but the luminous Spacek breathes life and fresh air into Mae. With her expressive face, we glimpse her love for her husband and family as well as her unbending will, that is challenged significantly by the trying hardships endured. But although the character may look quiet and meek, she is the complete opposite. With Spacek in the part, the emotive quota goes up and her natural warmth and depth of talent are displayed in full glory in what is a winning performance of sincerity. Scott Glenn does quite well as the main villain of the piece, though it must be stated that there are times when all he needs is a moustache and an evil laugh, and he’ll become a joke. The character is not written particularly well, but Glenn being the good actor that he is, at least injects a little something else into a cardboard cutout.

A little over dramatic at times and a tad too long, The River nonetheless stands as a beautifully rendered movie, enlivened and given emotional clout by the vibrant visuals and performances, particularly the one from Sissy Spacek.

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Nights in Rodanthe

Tags

2000's, Christopher Meloni, Diane Lane, Drama, George C. Wolfe, James Franco, Nicholas Sparks, Nights in Rodanthe, Richard Gere, Romance, Scott Glenn, Viola Davis

Film Title

Nights in Rodanthe

Director

George C. Wolfe

Starring

• Diane Lane as Adrienne Willis
• Richard Gere as Dr Paul Flanner
• James Franco as Mark Flanner
• Christopher Meloni as Jack Willis
• Scott Glenn as Robert Torrelson
• Viola Davis as Jean

A predictable and schmaltzy romantic drama, Nights in Rodanthe is made at least watchable and bearable by the presence of Diane Lane and Richard Gere, who bring a much-needed heart to an utterly contrived and unoriginal movie.

Adrienne Willis is a mother of two trying to keep it together after her husband Jack left for another woman. The trouble is now he wants her back and Adrienne is caught in a conundrum of whether to forgive him for his affair or continue as she is. Her strained relationship with her teenage daughter, who always takes her father’s side does little to help matters. So while her kids are staying with their father for the weekend, she decides to go to her best friend Jean’s inn in Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to the rustic place on the beach. She hopes that while there she can come to a decision about her future while clearing her head. Also staying at the inn for the weekend is Dr Paul Flanner; who has his own troubles regarding a patient who died on the operating table, the family of the deceased patient suing him and his fractured relationship with his son, who is also a doctor. At the beginning of the weekend, the terse Paul is withdrawn and not at all talkative towards the conflicted Adrienne. But as Adrienne begins to coax him to talk, he also helps her reveal her pain. With a hurricane forecast and it best to stay inside, it is here where the two emotionally conflicted people really get to know each other. Over the course of the stormy weekend, Adrienne and Paul begin to open up to each other and help at least make some repair to their wounds and conflicts. Soon enough, a genuine romance sparks between them. But can their burgeoning romance blossom when they still have difficult decisions to make?

Firstly before I begin discussing my thoughts on Nights in Rodanthe, I’ll admit that I knew that it would probably be contrived and predictable. I mean it’s based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, who always churns out romances that all bear striking resemblances to the last. But I at least expected there to be something else brought to the table with this movie. Sadly, it settled for the inevitable story line and cloying sentimentality that it seemed destined for. Unconfident direction from George C. Wolfe does nothing to distinguish this movie from the endless glut of schmaltzy romances that populate cinemas on a regular basis. He seems more interested in basking in the glowing sunlight and changes of weather that occur over the weekend, rather than the romance that develops between Paul and Adrienne. And while  everything looks nice in Nights in Rodanthe, the scenery of the beach and crashing waves is pleasant enough, once again the ghost of every other cliché in the unoriginal romantic movie book is ever-present. Cue kisses in the wind, walks along the beach and cuddling by the fire. Clunky dialogue is another problem that makes some of it just feel ridiculous, especially the parts involving Adrienne and her daughter that come off as boring and melodramatic. The music score is lush but uninspired and occasionally lurches all over the show, and doesn’t manage to compliment some nice visuals. Saying all of this, Nights in Rodanthe does have some emotional impact, particularly as it nears the end and it’s inevitable that you’ll be reaching for the tissues.

Thank goodness we at least have Diane Lane and Richard Gere to enliven events and give Nights in Rodanthe at least a shred of believability and lovely chemistry. Diane Lane has always been an actress of depth and authenticity and that shines through here. Showcasing Adrienne’s worries that give way to a more relaxed persons, Lane just feels so radiant and lovely that it’s hard to take your eyes off her. She makes even the most clunky dialogue ring true and that is saying something with the material she’s given here. Richard Gere also does his best as the tortured Paul, haunted by emotions and pain. As previously mentioned, the two of them have a great rapport with each other and work very well together. Having worked together before in Unfaithful, you can just sense that they share something special when working with each other. Sadly, everyone else in this movie suffers from either being seen to little or just having roles that aren’t that interesting. Which is a shame when you have people like James Franco, Christopher Meloni, Scott Glenn and Viola Davis.

So despite the presence of Lane and Gere, boasting natural chemistry, Nights in Rodanthe falls very flat and ends up just another run of the mill romantic drama that you’ve seen been done countless times before.

 

Courage Under Fire

Tags

1990's, Courage Under Fire, Denzel Washington, Drama, Edward Zwick, Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon, Meg Ryan, Michael Moriarty, Scott Glenn, Seth Gilliam, Tim Guinee, War

Film Title

Courage Under Fire

Director

Edward Zwick

Starring

• Denzel Washington as Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling
• Meg Ryan as Captain Karen Walden
• Lou Diamond Phillips as Staff Sergeant John Monfriez
• Matt Damon as Specialist Ilario
• Michael Moriarty as Brigadier General Hershberg
• Scott Glenn as Tony Gartner
• Tim Guinee as Warrant Officer Rady
• Seth Gilliam as Sergeant Altameyer

A gripping drama, with the Gulf War as the main backdrop, Courage Under Fire examines how elusive it can be to get to the bottom of the truth and the haunting spectre of war. With intelligence and effective performances, Courage Under Fire becomes a story driven by emotion rather than just a generic war drama.

Dedicated Lieutenant Colonel Nat Serling served during the Gulf War were he experienced something that will haunt him forever. While engaged in combat, he gave an order to shoot what he thought was an enemy tank. It turned out that the tank was in fact one of his own and in effect he killed one of his closest friends. Reeling from this, Nat struggles to cope with this burden, while the army covered up the knowledge of friendly fire. Nat falls into sorrow and can barely hold it together when he is then given a new assignment. He is to evaluate the posthumous candidacy of Captain Karen Walden, a pilot who helped save the lives of many men whose helicopter was shot down, for the Medal of Honor. Although she saved the lives of many, Karen in turn died during later events that crumbling Serling attempts to piece together. He goes about this assignment by talking with members of her team. But Nat soon learns that no two stories are the same. The traumatised medic on the mission Ilario paints Karen as a heroic woman who wouldn’t give up, whereas the Staff Sergeant Monfriez bitterly denounces her as a coward who endangered those around her. The other two people who were there, Warrant Officer Rady who was brutally injured and Sergeant Altameyer both are in no fit state to talk as Rady was unconscious for most of the time and Altameyer is slowly dying. With all these discrepancies and inconsistencies surrounding this, it isn’t going to be easy getting to the bottom of this case. Matters aren’t helped by Tony Gartner, a journalist who is skulking around and Nat’s superior General Hershberg putting pressure on him to finish the job. Nat must now piece together the final moments of Karen’s life to determine if she deserves the award and also confront the possibility of a cover up surrounding her untimely death.

A lot of the gripping power that is derived from Courage Under Fire comes courtesy of director Edward Zwick. Through his deft direction, he presents many plausible angles to the unraveling case that Nat must contend with in order to get to the truth. Zwick brings the intelligently written screenplay to life, capturing the destructive effects the war can have on people’s minds and themes such as self-honour, bravery and deception. And I must commend the film for managing to balance intense scenes of war with drama, and keeping it all together. Courage Under Fire has a lot of power going for it and the structure of it, which allows us to see differing perspectives that could be lies or the truth. It’s only in the last half of the movie that the emotional parts begin to get a bit out of hand, but throughout the majority of it, Courage Under Fires manages to keep you invested and not go overboard on things. The overdoing of emotions in the last half is the only real flaw in a film that is done with clarity and control. The cinematography provided by Roger Deakins is exemplary in its use of colours, from the orange hues of the desert to the grey that suggests the emotional fracturing of minds and the damaging fallout from war, the visuals are a highlight of style here. A slowly building score from James Horner underpins the search for the truth and Nat’s personal demons that he can’t let go of.

Courage Under Fire is given a whole lot of power and heft due to the strongly assembled cast. In the lead role of the troubled Nat, Denzel Washington excels. He never overplays his emotions but lets us glimpse the way that his experience in war has torn him apart and how being assigned this case is a way for him to do something good. Washington exudes a sympathetic decency that is hard to deny and the need to bring the long-buried truth to the surface. In a particular difficult role, Meg Ryan is excellent as the deceased Karen who is portrayed through the eyes of others as many things. Ryan delves into the part and shows us the sides to this tough woman that others witnessed, that could be the truth or lies. Thankfully, instead of over complicating the part, Meg Ryan lends each side of what the character may be plausibility that rings true. Lou Diamond Phillips makes his mark as the arrogant, macho Monfriez who often thinks of himself as higher than his rank. It is Matt Damon who really caught my eye in this movie as the traumatised and drug-addicted Ilario. It has been well-documented the physical transformation that Damon made for the part that lead to health problems for him at the time. But as physically convincing as Damon is, with his gaunt face and emaciated physique, it’s the emotion that he puts into the part that really stands out. In supporting roles, Michael Moriarty and Scott Glenn are well served as Serling’s superior and an opportunistic journalist. Tim Guinee and Seth Gilliam are less well served as two of the men who were in rescue with Karen, but both of them still give credibility to their parts.

An intriguing war drama that is well-paced and acted with power by the cast, Courage Under Fire is filled with a deep sense of urgency to compliment the deep themes it covers and grips you with.

Absolute Power

Tags

1990's, Absolute Power, Clint Eastwood, Dennis Haysbert, E. G. Marshall, Ed Harris, Gene Hackman, Judy Davis, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn, Thriller

Film Title

Absolute Power

Director

Clint Eastwood

Starring

• Clint Eastwood as Luther Whitney
• Gene Hackman as President Alan Richmond
• Ed Harris as Detective Seth Frank
• Laura Linney as Kate Whitney
• Scott Glenn as Bill Burton
• Dennis Haysbert as Tim Collin
• Judy Davis as Gloria Russell
• E. G. Marshall as Walter Sullivan

It may not be a movie that breaks any new ground, but Clint Eastwood’s Absolute Power is a taut and tense thriller that is severely underrated and should be better known due to some fine acting and confident direction.

Luther Whitney is a smart and methodical cat burglar, who is also ageing. Deciding to do one last job, he infiltrates the wealthy home of prominent philanthropist Walter Sullivan. Yet this job proves to be much deadlier and dangerous than his previous work because of what he witnesses. The young wife of the Sullivan named Christy is drunk and cavorting with none other than the President Alan Richmond, yet this liaison becomes very dark as he becomes abusive and she attempts to flee. To Luther’s horror, Secret Service agents come in and shoot her, killing her. The President’s loyal fixer Gloria Russell then orchestrates a cover up. Luther manages to escape with a key piece of evidence. Meanwhile, determined Detective Seth Frank investigates the murder and while suspicious of Luther, doesn’t think he committed murder. Luther is all for skipping the country in fear that he will be discovered and possibly accused of the crime. But just as he is about to leave, he sees a new report detailing a press conference from Richmond in which he condemns violence in society and uses Sullivan as a way of sympathy. Enraged by this, Luther decides to stay and fight for justice. He enlists the help of his estranged prosecutor daughter Kate, who holds deep resentment for him but helps anyway as she is curious to see whether her father really cares for her. With both the police and the president’s men on his detail, Luther must stay sharp if he is to expose the corruption at the top of the political ladder while staying alive.

As a director, Clint Eastwood showcases confident and engaging direction throughout Absolute Power. I admired the way he knew when to slow events down to focus on the personal drama of Luther’s complicated relationship with his daughter, and then ratchet them up a notch to generate suspense and intrigue. The murder sequence and Luther’s escape are fine examples of this skill, as it builds up slowly but surely and then becomes heart-stopping and thrilling. Absolute Power is very well-paced and doesn’t feel the need to rush events, rather it lets them unravel while still being riveting as we watch Luther outwit assailants in his hope to bring the President down. I’ve always found political scandals and cover ups fascinating and Absolute Power definitely reinforces that. The sharp script addresses themes of morality and corruption, while giving the characters some excellent dialogue to read. There are occasional implausibilities along the way, yet they can be forgiven because of how well-mounted and directed the movie is. Praise should go to the editing which compliments the dangerous journey and subsequent attempts to avoid being killed. An excellent score is further helpful in establishing the cat and mouse game at play.

Leading the well-established and talented cast is Clint Eastwood himself. He does a marvellous job portraying Luther, who is smart, efficient and not afraid to admit that he’s getting to old for the thieving business. Instead of the character just being a grumpy old man, Eastwood displays lightness of foot, wry humour yet also a code of moral conduct that means he can’t walk away from the crime he has seen. There may be no honor among thieves, but Eastwood’s character has a heart. As the corrupt president, Gene Hackman is an excellent choice as he conveys a slimy quality and the ability to use those around him for his own dirty work. The ever-reliable Ed Harris is on hand playing the determined but good-hearted detective, whose unconvinced that Luther is guilty of murder but curious to know what knowledge he has. Harris shares a particularly entertaining scene with Eastwood as he tries to get information out of him, but Eastwood bluffs and only offers hints with a dash of wry humour. Laura Linney fills her role of Luther’s estranged daughter with a toughness that belies inner pain at all the times her father wasn’t there for her as a child. Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert are fine as the Secret Service agents with different ideas about how to handle the scandal, Glenn being the one who feels remorse, while Haysbert is the ice-cold killer who asks no questions. Judy Davis is impeccable as the fixer who while good at her job fears that one day her worrying attitude will trip her up. And rounding out the cast in what would be his final screen appearance is E. G. Marshall, who is very as the philanthropist whose wife was murdered.

Tightly constructed and splendidly performed, Absolute Power is a thriller that is crafted with precision from Clint Eastwood.