I first saw this film with my dad and my next door neighbor Ben when I was 14. I remember being quite taken with it. My dad was always quite picky about movies, and while I watched the movie, I wondered if he was liking it. I leaned over to him and whispered the question in his ear, and he, in turn, gave me a thumbs up. It had passed "the dad test". Unfortunately, I remember being somewhat in the dark during the film, because I had no idea what it meant to "defect". Fortunately, the film's overall tone and story was easy enough to follow that I still was able to enjoy it, despite my ignorance of basic Cold War vocabulary. Weeks later, dad went to the trouble of driving me and my cousin Jeremy all the way to the Cinemadome in Orange to see it again on the big screen. At that age, that meant a lot to me.
Watching this movie again recently, I was surprised how well it has aged. This movie is a balancing act almost from the first moment. It deals with somewhat serious subject matter, but has a relentless sense of humor. It runs the risk of being overly drenched in testosterone, but manages to have genuine moments of sensitivity and gentleness. It operates almost entirely within the confined spaces of submarines, yet it manages to feel like a big epic sea battle. The movie is set in 1984, years before the Berlin Wall fell. The movie follows the mysterious intentions of a Soviet submarine captain named Marko Ramius (played with enigmatic precision by Sean Connery). He has taken out the maiden voyage of a cutting edge new submarine, and he suddenly kills the ships political officer and starts heading west. The captain's true intentions are known to the audience, but nearly everyone else in the movie is left guessing. However, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin, who suddenly looked awfully young watching this again) has a theory. While everyone else in the room at the security briefing sees a nuclear threat, Ryan hypothesizes that Ramius is attempting to defect to the west. Both Soviet and American subs begin hunting Ramius, and the climax of the movie is one of the more satisfying pieces of drama one can find on film.
Another way in which this film is a great balancing act is how well the bravado of its dialogue somehow works. In lesser films, lines such as "Get your butt over here", "This one's gonna be close" and "And I.....was never here." would seem like complete cliche. They all work here quite well, because the movie never takes itself too seriously. It combines serious content with an overall sense of humor about some of the situations in which the characters find themselves. The other strength of the movie is the cast. The movie has countless wonderful character actors (James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Stellan Skarsgaard, to name a few), and the movie is able to juggle several sub plots very well. The movies ability to weave all of its elements together is noteworthy. The story moves along very well, and the no loose ends are left in the end.
One of the other things that keeps the movie from being dated is the film's music. The music has a more timeless quality, and the military outfitting of most of the film's characters also helps keep the characters from looking dated. Even though the film is set during the Cold War, there are enough timeless elements here that the story holds up very well. One of the most remarkable scenes is the one which finds Ramius and his first officer (Sam Neill, another fine character actor) discussing their reasons for wanting to escape to the West. The first officer's dreams are somewhat basic--he wants to live in Montana, own an RV and drive from state to state without worrying about papers to travel between states. Ramius at first balks at his first officer's question as to his motives, but when pressed, he shows himself a bit. His answer is remarkable existential, and it gives us a window into this man who has been pressed into a career for the good of the collective. He yearns for simplicity, and he feels that a life change like this may hold a certain amount of peace.
I have seen this movie enough times that it seemed comfortable to watch it again. Its characters are always engaging, and the action is always riveting. Next time you want to watch a good thriller, revisit this one again-you won't be disappointed.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
My 9 Favorite Movie Discoveries of 2012
Even though I don't get to the movie theater that often, I still made some great movie discoveries in 2012. Some of these films are indeed ones that were released this year, but most of them are movies that I watched for the first time this year. Maybe next year I can get to the theater more. Some of the films had a unique emotional impact because the second half of this year has been colored by my father's death in June. In that light, some of the movies impact carried special significance.
Hugo
This movie directed by Martin Scorsese is wonderful. But one of the things that made it unique was that I was able to sit down and watch it with my children without screening it first. As I watched the wondrous vision of the movie, I was brought back to a simple reality...I love cinema, and I love sharing it with my kids. This is a love letter to movies, and I can't think of anyone better suited to make such a movie than Scorsese.
About Schmidt
If there was a movie that reflected a big part of my emotional journey for 2012, it would be this film. I really found some solace in this film. Jack Nicholson plays a man who retires from his insurance career and promptly loses his wife. As a widower, he comes to realize that there is not much meaning to his life. But, in the end, he does discover that there are things worth living for. The depiction of a death in the family (the post-mortem, the people bringing food, the attempts of others to comfort the grief stricken) was spot on, and Nicholson's performance is extraordinary.
Midnight in Paris
A movie with such a warm glow to it that I simply could not stop smiling. Woody Allen directed this story of nostalgia set in Paris. Owen Wilson stars as a writer who can't stop pining for the Paris of the Roaring 20's. As he vacations in Paris with his fiancee and her family, he starts to grow discontent with his own relationship (he is engaged). Then, he finds himself somehow transported to Paris in the 1920's. He meets many of the artists of that period, and learns a lot about life in the process. This is a warm and fun fantasy film. The lives in it are only possible if one is extraordinarily rich, but the story itself still is very enchanting.
Lincoln
One of the nice things about not getting to the movies much is that when I do make it to the movies, I usually end up seeing a "sure thing". This movie was great, and it is made so not only by the performance of Daniel Day Lewis as the nation's 16th president. The supporting cast in this movie is second to none, and I couldn't help but walk out of the film thinking about how much I wish I could have shared it with my dad. This is a special American story brilliantly told by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner.
Tokyo Story
This 1950's Japanese film has been on my list of "movies to see" for years now. It is very interesting that I picked this year to watch it for the first time. Director Yasujiro Ozu gives us a fascinating story of Post World War 2 Japanee domestic life. An elderly couple with four grown children (a fifth child died in the war) travel to Tokyo to visit with their two older children. While in Tokyo, their children treat them as burdens, while their widowed daughter in law goes out of her way to entertain them. As the film moves on, the statements that it makes about family dynamics are profound. Then, as death enters the family, the scenes concerning how a family responds to death resonate so well. This is not just a film, but a composition, and I am so glad I discovered it this year.
Ken Burns' Prohibition
This 5-6 hour documentary by Ken Burns is so relevant. I watched it last May, and I was very impressed by the ideas that it brings to the forefront. The chief idea with which it grapples is how much should the government tell its citizens what to do. In this case, the people themselves (through the government and an amendment) demanded prohibition, so no one is really to blame except the citizens. But the themes that it explores (individual liberty versus collective good) are fascinating. And, in this case (as I believe is the case with most things) a big key to the collective good is indeed individual liberty.
My Father's Glory/My Mother's Castle
These two French films go wonderfully together. They both explore themes of family, rest, individual glory, and childhood. It follows a family who live in Marseilles but who spend their summers in the Provence. The boy who is the central character of the film falls in love with the times he has in the wilderness, and as he grows older and things become more complicated, the holidays he had as a kid provide wonderful memories. Wonderful, simple storytelling.
Brave
I saw this new Pixar movie with my kids, and it is one of my favorites from that studio, despite what the critics had to say about it. This movie gives us a story with teeth, a heroine who is forced to do the right thing instead of the selfish thing, and a bit of classic fairy tale storytelling. The protagonist in this story actually grows, and how often can you say that about a fairy tale?
And last, but not least....
Moonrise Kingdom
I am an unabashed lover of Wes Anderson's films. So his newest entry was a breath of fresh air, because it was my favorite film of his since The Royal Tennebaums. This is a story of innocent young love and disfunction. The cast is great, and the quirky Wes Anderson moments abound. At the center of it all is a misunderstood 12 year old boy, whose pain and life experience spoke to me in a unique way this year.
Hugo
This movie directed by Martin Scorsese is wonderful. But one of the things that made it unique was that I was able to sit down and watch it with my children without screening it first. As I watched the wondrous vision of the movie, I was brought back to a simple reality...I love cinema, and I love sharing it with my kids. This is a love letter to movies, and I can't think of anyone better suited to make such a movie than Scorsese.
About Schmidt
If there was a movie that reflected a big part of my emotional journey for 2012, it would be this film. I really found some solace in this film. Jack Nicholson plays a man who retires from his insurance career and promptly loses his wife. As a widower, he comes to realize that there is not much meaning to his life. But, in the end, he does discover that there are things worth living for. The depiction of a death in the family (the post-mortem, the people bringing food, the attempts of others to comfort the grief stricken) was spot on, and Nicholson's performance is extraordinary.
Midnight in Paris
A movie with such a warm glow to it that I simply could not stop smiling. Woody Allen directed this story of nostalgia set in Paris. Owen Wilson stars as a writer who can't stop pining for the Paris of the Roaring 20's. As he vacations in Paris with his fiancee and her family, he starts to grow discontent with his own relationship (he is engaged). Then, he finds himself somehow transported to Paris in the 1920's. He meets many of the artists of that period, and learns a lot about life in the process. This is a warm and fun fantasy film. The lives in it are only possible if one is extraordinarily rich, but the story itself still is very enchanting.
Lincoln
One of the nice things about not getting to the movies much is that when I do make it to the movies, I usually end up seeing a "sure thing". This movie was great, and it is made so not only by the performance of Daniel Day Lewis as the nation's 16th president. The supporting cast in this movie is second to none, and I couldn't help but walk out of the film thinking about how much I wish I could have shared it with my dad. This is a special American story brilliantly told by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner.
Tokyo Story
This 1950's Japanese film has been on my list of "movies to see" for years now. It is very interesting that I picked this year to watch it for the first time. Director Yasujiro Ozu gives us a fascinating story of Post World War 2 Japanee domestic life. An elderly couple with four grown children (a fifth child died in the war) travel to Tokyo to visit with their two older children. While in Tokyo, their children treat them as burdens, while their widowed daughter in law goes out of her way to entertain them. As the film moves on, the statements that it makes about family dynamics are profound. Then, as death enters the family, the scenes concerning how a family responds to death resonate so well. This is not just a film, but a composition, and I am so glad I discovered it this year.
Ken Burns' Prohibition
This 5-6 hour documentary by Ken Burns is so relevant. I watched it last May, and I was very impressed by the ideas that it brings to the forefront. The chief idea with which it grapples is how much should the government tell its citizens what to do. In this case, the people themselves (through the government and an amendment) demanded prohibition, so no one is really to blame except the citizens. But the themes that it explores (individual liberty versus collective good) are fascinating. And, in this case (as I believe is the case with most things) a big key to the collective good is indeed individual liberty.
My Father's Glory/My Mother's Castle
These two French films go wonderfully together. They both explore themes of family, rest, individual glory, and childhood. It follows a family who live in Marseilles but who spend their summers in the Provence. The boy who is the central character of the film falls in love with the times he has in the wilderness, and as he grows older and things become more complicated, the holidays he had as a kid provide wonderful memories. Wonderful, simple storytelling.
Brave
I saw this new Pixar movie with my kids, and it is one of my favorites from that studio, despite what the critics had to say about it. This movie gives us a story with teeth, a heroine who is forced to do the right thing instead of the selfish thing, and a bit of classic fairy tale storytelling. The protagonist in this story actually grows, and how often can you say that about a fairy tale?
And last, but not least....
Moonrise Kingdom
I am an unabashed lover of Wes Anderson's films. So his newest entry was a breath of fresh air, because it was my favorite film of his since The Royal Tennebaums. This is a story of innocent young love and disfunction. The cast is great, and the quirky Wes Anderson moments abound. At the center of it all is a misunderstood 12 year old boy, whose pain and life experience spoke to me in a unique way this year.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Charles Durning
I do not claim to be an aficionado of the work of Charles Durning. What I can say is this...whenever I saw him in a movie, he was utterly believable. I suppose with most character actor we all seem to remember how much they did rather than one role. But for me, I can only think of him in his role as the crooked cop in "The Sting". He played that role so well. He was convincing as a mercenary cop, and any scene that he was in was made immeasurably better.
I also remember his fine work in the brilliant comedy "Tootsie." He was lovable and vulnerable as a widower who has his heart broken by a cross dresser. That sentence on its own seems like an oddity, but he made the role truly heartfelt. And, he was hilarious as the vicious owner of a frog legs franchise determined to hire Kermit as his spokesman in "The Muppet Movie".
Anyhow, he was a great actor, and also an American hero. He stormed the beaches at Normandy and lived to tell about it.
I'm going to have to watch "The Sting" again sometime soon.
I also remember his fine work in the brilliant comedy "Tootsie." He was lovable and vulnerable as a widower who has his heart broken by a cross dresser. That sentence on its own seems like an oddity, but he made the role truly heartfelt. And, he was hilarious as the vicious owner of a frog legs franchise determined to hire Kermit as his spokesman in "The Muppet Movie".
Anyhow, he was a great actor, and also an American hero. He stormed the beaches at Normandy and lived to tell about it.
I'm going to have to watch "The Sting" again sometime soon.
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