An attempt to make a big budget commercial film for the international market presumably along the lines of The Man from Snowy River only aimed at a younger audience - I wonder why they didn't put an international star in it, or have a couple more subplots. I also wonder how they managed to blow over $5 million on a film with only a couple of characters that was set in the present day. (Well it's not a mystery - they blew it on building a house for the family to live in and a massive nightclub set which wasn't crucial to the plot. It was a waste).
The movie doesn't work but can't be dismissed because at heart it has a great family dynamic - a frustrated former iron man (Nick Tate, over acting too often but he looks fit as hell) has a favoured son Adam (Colin Friels very good), ignoring the younger Steve (Joss McWilliam in a decent debut) despite the fact Steve clearly has talent. This is good drama, very identifiable, and is played out well enough.
Where the film falls over is in subplots - the character of the mother feels as though it needs another beat or some back story despite Robyn Nevin's fine work; Steve's character never feels defined - he kind of wants to be a martial arts guy, and a rock band manager, and an iron man; they introduce Steve wanting to go up a level in martial arts, he's not ready, then he is because he doesn't want it anymore; the part of his martial arts coach seems to be important, Steve asks him to coach... but he says no (why have him in the film); Steve romances a cute ballet dancer, but she doesn't seem to add anything to his journey (wouldn't have been hard to do - she gives him a lesson on professionalism, training tips etc but he ignores her during his training section). There are too many scenes with no drama - watching a band play, people dance. It's frustrating because these things would have been easily fixed in another draft but they're not.
What admittedly could never have been fixed is iron man racing - which on the big screen simply isn't that exciting. It's people running along in little swimmers and hats - hard work but not great cinema, certainly nothing like brumbies going over mountains or boxers slugging each other.
McWilliam has a good look and does some nice tortured sensitive youth - he deserved to be a bigger name than he became. Josephine Smulders is a debit - she seems really nice, moves wonderfully (they keep her moving a lot), but can't handle too much dialogue. She and McWilliam have a really sexy love scene which I remember making a major impression on me as a teenager but her character should have been used more.
It also looks stunning - the Gold Coast has never looked more beautiful on screen, with banana plantations, acqua blue seas, gorgeous sands. This isn't the dud many people remember it, there's lots of good stuff, it's just a shame they couldn't have tightened up the script and spent less money.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Movie review - "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) ***
How to make a commercial movie: take a bunch of old familiar elements (underdog hero joins army and becomes a man, falling in love and earning respect of his peers... that was in Buck Privates) and jazz it up with modern ones: a hit theme song, more explicit sex and swearing, a black drill instructor, a female officer candidate. It also had two new stars (well new-ish, both were coming off hit movies) in Richard Gere and Debra Winger. Gere is handsome, looks good on his motorbike and in whites, but its Winger who is the real star here - she is vivacious, sexy and fun, and looks at him with real adoration (he never seems into her as much but she puts their romance over the line).
Much of this hasn't aged well - the constant homophobia in the dialogue, over the top scenes, the karate sub plot - but it has good atmosphere, decent acting (especially from Winger but David Keith impresses and Lou Gossett Jnr does all his role requires), and a really terrific wish fulfilment ending. Top Gun followed this template closely to rich reward.
Much of this hasn't aged well - the constant homophobia in the dialogue, over the top scenes, the karate sub plot - but it has good atmosphere, decent acting (especially from Winger but David Keith impresses and Lou Gossett Jnr does all his role requires), and a really terrific wish fulfilment ending. Top Gun followed this template closely to rich reward.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Movie review - "Parental Guidance" (2012) **1/2
An attempt at the family film market which Meet the Parents proved was still highly lucrative with the right concept and stars, this is a half success. It's got a strong central idea - forgotten grandparents look after some kids for a spell and create havoc - plus some likeable stars in Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marissa Tomei. But despite some funny and touching moments it never quite works.
For starters it never seems to get its central concept right - Crystal and Midler are a bit wacky but not that strange and their ideas to raise kids aren't really out there or massively different from Tomei's even if Tomei is a bit PC. The film is reluctant to get too stuck into new methods of parenting - and Crystal has such a nice guy persona there's not much fun in the culture clash involved in his methods, the way that say there was with Robert de Niro. (Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been more fun, for instance because he's more clearly a fish out of water.) So the humour proceeds in fits and starts instead of having a clean line.
And it's not very well directed, with awkwardly staged scenes, or written, with moments thrown together - like the little kid recovering his voice. Having said that, there are great bits - it's like it was doctored by a good writer, but he or she only did bright bits: Tomei complaining about being forgotten while waiting then being forgotten, a late night talk between Crystal and Tomei.
Other debits: Bette Midler is wasted, there is no real villain character (the film needed perfect grandparents say), Tom Everett Scott has nothing to do, there's far too much mugging, Crystal looks really old. But it does have something to say and has a certain charm.
For starters it never seems to get its central concept right - Crystal and Midler are a bit wacky but not that strange and their ideas to raise kids aren't really out there or massively different from Tomei's even if Tomei is a bit PC. The film is reluctant to get too stuck into new methods of parenting - and Crystal has such a nice guy persona there's not much fun in the culture clash involved in his methods, the way that say there was with Robert de Niro. (Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been more fun, for instance because he's more clearly a fish out of water.) So the humour proceeds in fits and starts instead of having a clean line.
And it's not very well directed, with awkwardly staged scenes, or written, with moments thrown together - like the little kid recovering his voice. Having said that, there are great bits - it's like it was doctored by a good writer, but he or she only did bright bits: Tomei complaining about being forgotten while waiting then being forgotten, a late night talk between Crystal and Tomei.
Other debits: Bette Midler is wasted, there is no real villain character (the film needed perfect grandparents say), Tom Everett Scott has nothing to do, there's far too much mugging, Crystal looks really old. But it does have something to say and has a certain charm.
Radio review - Suspense - "A Little Piece of Rope" (1948) ***** (warning: spoilers)
Astonishingly bleak episode where Lucille Ball stars as a not very successful actress in LA who makes her living posing as school girls enticing dirty old men into cars, conking them over the head and stealing their money. One night she is picked up by a man who turns out to be a serial killer... she tries to expose him without exposing herself, fails, so tries to kill him. Ultimately he kills her but then dies in a trap she sets for him!!
It's a powerful atmospheric tale with Ball very good in a completely untypical role and stands as an example of what was good about radio at its best.
It's a powerful atmospheric tale with Ball very good in a completely untypical role and stands as an example of what was good about radio at its best.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Play review – “The Shawl” by David Mamet
Con games for Mamet using fortune tellers and inheritances. Not bad, even if the characters aren't that memorable - good theme of honesty and telling the truth, decent story.
Radio review - BBC - "Rumpole and the Right to Privacy" (2009) by John Mortimer ***
Fun stuff as Rumpole defends an editor of a newspaper accused of breaching a man's right to privacy. A strong theme which provides good subplots and an interesting story; solid gags. This is strong Rumpole.
Radio review - BBC - "Rumpole and the Teenage Werewolf" (2009) by John Mortimer **1/2
A great title but a disappointingly tame
entry as Rumpole defends a young man accused of sexually attacking others. It lacks a decent work subplot, there's not enough of the werewolf angle and the conclusion is too easy to spot (and easy for the accused to get out of - his delay is frustrating). Of course there are some good gags and moments, and Timothy West and Prunella Scales were terrific as Rumpole and Hilda but it's not enough.
Radio review – Lux - “Sorry Wrong Number” (1950) ***
Not the radio play but an adaptation of the movie adaptation of the
radio play. Not as good as the original - even at an hour it's padded but there is Barbara Stanwyck repeating her role in the lead. She is good fun and it's still a strong story.
Movie review - "A Time for Dying" (1971) **
Audie Murphy's last film is a real curio with one of his best performances - reprising the role of Jesse James he so effectively conveyed in Kansas Raiders all those years before. He's less psycho here, more worldly as James, who is very much a support bit - the real star is Richard Lapp, in a Audie Murphy type role as a young kid who winds up a gun fighter.
The movie never seems to get its tone right - it could be a comedy or heavy drama or action, and at times it's all three. The script feels patchy - Lapp doesn't decide to become a bounty hunter until way too late - and Lapp isn't much of a star.
But it is consistently interesting, even if (or because of) its flaws - Budd Boetticher didn't make too many boring movies. There's this nihilistic ending where Lapp dies and his wife winds up in a brothel, Murphy's cameo, and Victor Jory as Judge Roy Bean. Worth checking out if you're into Murphy and/or Boetticher.
The movie never seems to get its tone right - it could be a comedy or heavy drama or action, and at times it's all three. The script feels patchy - Lapp doesn't decide to become a bounty hunter until way too late - and Lapp isn't much of a star.
But it is consistently interesting, even if (or because of) its flaws - Budd Boetticher didn't make too many boring movies. There's this nihilistic ending where Lapp dies and his wife winds up in a brothel, Murphy's cameo, and Victor Jory as Judge Roy Bean. Worth checking out if you're into Murphy and/or Boetticher.
Radio review – Escape – “Dead of Night” (1947) ***
The famous creepy dummy segment from the film
adapts extremely well to radio because it’s naturally half an hour and dummies are effective on the wireless (strange but true - look at Edgar Bergen). Solid entertainment.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Movie review - "Sparkle" (2012) **
Destined to be known as Whitney Huston's last film, which gives it something to hang its shingle on. Other than that this is a fairly by the numbers musical flick - some sisters want to sing, they sing, there's conflict, the slutty sister gets involved in drugs and a man who beats her, the good sister struggles to find her inner voice but once she does she's a star, mum (Whitney) is into God and worries about her girls...
It all feels very predictable, and badly needed something different (eg based on a true story, an unexpected twist) but there are some nice tunes, good looking women and stylish costumes.
It all feels very predictable, and badly needed something different (eg based on a true story, an unexpected twist) but there are some nice tunes, good looking women and stylish costumes.
Movie review - Bergman - "The Devil's Eye" (1960) **
Made during the period where Bergman was cranking out masterpieces left right and centre, I've got to admit I'd never heard of this one (apparently he made it to ensure finance for The Virgin Spring). It's a rather silly fantasy sex comedy - the Devil sends Don Juan down to earth to seduce a woman.
Gunnar Bjornstrand is in it, introducing the movie, and there's actors from other Bergman films (Bibi Andersson) but at the risk of sounding like a philistine I really needed some stars who I knew and were experienced in light comedy (don't laugh, but say Robert Cummings). Its not un-entertaining - it bubbles along, there are some funny bits - but it's a very minor work.
Gunnar Bjornstrand is in it, introducing the movie, and there's actors from other Bergman films (Bibi Andersson) but at the risk of sounding like a philistine I really needed some stars who I knew and were experienced in light comedy (don't laugh, but say Robert Cummings). Its not un-entertaining - it bubbles along, there are some funny bits - but it's a very minor work.
Radio review – Lux – “Fancy Pants” (1950) **1/2
The success of The Paleface prompted
Bob Hope to go out west in a loose remake of Ruggles of Red Gap – you wouldn’t
believe him as a butler so he’s an American actor in England who specialized in
playing butlers. Which robs the piece of a lot of its culture clash, fish out of water aspect... but Hope is always fun and he's well matched by Lucille Ball.
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