Movie review - "Clint: The Man and the Movies" by Shawn Levy

 Underwhelming. Relies on work done by others especially Patrick McGilligan. Nothing really new or fresh. A lot of reviews. A few smart arse comments. I get the feeling Levy wrote it because he could turn it out in a short time though I might be wrong.

Eastwood's career meants this was easy enough to read but it's a recap really. 

Most interesting characters are Eastwood daughters who come across as hot messes who get involved in escapades. 

Book review - "Confidential: The Life of Secret Agent Turned Hollywood Tycoon - Arnon Milchan" by Meir Dolman and Joseph Gelman (2011)

Arnon Milchan's name is well known to film fans as producer or executive producer on a large number of successful films; buffs got to know him well in the 80s and 90s as a financier and supporter of maverick directors: he helped fund Once Upon a Time in America, almost financed The Big Brass Ring for Orson Welles (something not addressed in this book, interestingly), supported Terry Gilliam in the Brazil battle.

His cinematic CV is very impressive: Fight Club, Gone Girl, Pretty Woman. Obviously as smart as a whip I had heard he was independently wealthy but didn't realise he was a billionaire. More than that he was a spy for Israel, using his business contacts to secure Israeli weapons, including the bomb.

Milchan wasn't a born and bred filmmaker - he is Israeli born (not a refugee, though descended from some), who inherited his father's fertilizer company. He expanded it and used it as a launching pad for other operations, which included helping provide weapons for Israel. It was a patriotic act for him but he also took a commission, and diversified into a bunch of other businesses and activities - including helping provide weapons for apartheid era South Africa.

In the 1970s he got involved in financing films, via Elliott Kastner, the producer who is connected with a lot of people at the early stage of their careers, and became successful at that too.

Not surprisingly, he was a successful womaniser, with various mistresses (usually Swedish) stashed in various parts of the world

This is a sympathetic biography, though I couldn't help feeling a sense of unease with Milchan helping Israel stock up on warheads and supporting the Afrikaaners. I also wished there was more on the movies - the authors seemed more interested in Israeli politics. Still, I learned a hell of a lot and it is a fascinating story.

Book review - "Clint: The Life and Legend" by Patrick McGilligan (2002)

A controversial book when it came out because it took a much harsher view on Eastwood than we normally hear about - charges which demanded to be taken seriously because McGilligan is one of our major film biographers. McGilligan does his typically excellent, professional job - he does plenty of research, there are lots of interviews.

It's just his judgements feel a little... cranky, maybe? Exasperated? McGilligan seems to get really annoyed with the media and critics who easily swallow the Eastwood myth - he's publicity shy, he's a feminist movie maker, he's a great movie maker, he's a great American. I felt McGilligan was a little unfair on the critics and Eastwood himself and perhaps unduly influenced by fawning attitudes of the press.

I should add though that McGilligan provides enough facts for the reader to draw their own conclusions. My own take was Eastwood doesn't come across that badly - a bit ruthless and vindictive, sure; tight with the buck, absolutely. But he is surrounded by people who are always wanting a piece of him - all these "betrayed" friends and associates could try to make money off other projects. Yes he had a big ego, like every Hollywood star. But his survival at the top is remarkable - as are the creative risks he continued to take: Breezy, Play Misty for Me, Every Which Way But Loose, Bronco Billy, Black Hunter White Heart... these were not safe choices.

Anyway back to the book - its superb on Eastwood's family history and early years, especially him breaking into Hollywood and the large number of people who helped him (during the first decade he really coasted in life on his looks). Very thorough on Rawhide and the Leone Westerns. If it feels less strong in the stuff on the 70s through to 90s it may be because that material is more familiar. A strong book nonetheless.

Movie review - "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984) ***

Sergio Leone's gangster epic was at one stage chopped around a bit to get down to a shorter length. Whenever that happens there are critics who will always - always - write "well the full length version is best". I haven't seen shortened versions but to be honest wish I'd had - or that Leone himself had cut this more. Because it's a half masterpiece with brilliant stuff but also hideous moments.

I love the non-linear storytelling - going back and forth at the opening for instance, between gangsters looking for Robert de Niro, and de Niro in an opium den, then de Niro in 1967 coming home, the remembering hanging out with his friends. There are some fantastic Leone moments - that opening sequence, de Niro's return, the bursts of violence. Ennico Morricone's music score is one of his best, which makes it one of the best of all time.

You can't fault the casting either - Robert de Niro is terrific as Noodles, James Woods impresses as Maxie (even though he gets less screen time than I remembered) and there are memorable cameos from Burt Young, Joe Pesci and Treat Williams.

It's the treatment of women where this really stinks. Maybe I'm just an oversensitive snag, or maybe the people who praise this to the skies are inherently misogynistic men, but it was really uncomfortable the way every woman was a madonna or a whore. The Madonna side is taken up by Elizabeth McGovern (played as a child by Jennifer Connelly; both achingly beautiful) - the childhood dream of de Niro's, who spends most of her time looking wistful and beautiful and having this career we hear about but never see... so of course he rapes her in the back of a limo. (Clint Eastwood never raped in the Dollars films; Rod Steiger did in Duck You Sucker but at least the girl was a bitch and Steiger was an anti hero... Why give this act to the hero? Yeah okay character "he has to destroy her" but it was awful.)

The Whore roles are taken by the childhood friend of the boys who gives away sex for money and becomes a fat hooker; then there's Tuesday Weld, who gets turned on during a robbery and demands de Niro have sex with her and hit her - and then becomes Woods' mistress. Weld is very good in the role, incidentally - it's just such an awful part. I wish they'd just cut all the women out.

Movie review - "My Name is Nobody" (1973) **1/2

Sergio Leone provided the idea for, produced and directed some of this entertaining spaghetti Western - the opening sequence in particular feels very Leone, if a derivative of Once Upon a Time in the West; ditto the ending shoot out. The plot is reminiscent of The Gunfighter with Henry Fonda as the top gunslinger who keeps getting hassled by challengers.

Terence Hill is the young up and comer who is a massive fan of Fonda and uses him to get his own revenge. There is an awful lot of voice over by Fonda at the end of this movie, which is an odd combination of Leone western and the more comical Terence Hill Westerns (eg the slapstick moment where Hill slaps people in the face).

Hill is a good looking guy with intense eyes, though for me he's no match for Henry Fonda. (This may be because I'm more familiar with Fonda). I felt it was a bit too convenient that the 150 man Wild Bunch posse taken on by Fonda and Hill at the end all carried dynamite in their pouches to enable them to be defeated.

Still, once I got used to the fact this wasn't pure Leone, and there wasn't gong to be a third big part on it (I felt it needed one), I found it reasonably entertaining. Ennio Morricone provided one of this best scores, there is a decent amount of action imaginatively staged, it has some sweep, and I enjoyed the Sam Peckinpah in jokes. (His name is on a tombstone).

Movie review - "A Fistful of Dynamite" (1971) ***

After four Westerns that have been regarded as classics, Sergio Leone came up with a fifth that isn't - due, one suspects, to the casting in the lead of nobody's favourite action stars, Rod Steiger and James Coburn. Steiger actually is pretty good in a variation of Eli Wallach in The Good the Bad and the Ugly and Jason Robards in Once Upon a Time in the West - a colourful crook who accidentally finds himself the leader of a revolution. (This is a Western set during the Pancho Villa era of the 1910s.) He plays it broad and big as required, even though it's a bit off when we first see him he's urinating and a few minutes later he rapes a woman (I think it's meant to be alright because she's hoity toity).

I always had a soft spot for James Coburn, who does do his best but isn't entirely comfortably cast as an Irish revolutionary whose paths cross with Steiger. (Apparently George Lazenby was offered this role and turned it down!) The role is really meant for a tormented, stoic type - the Bronson/Eastwood part - and Coburn is at his best when gregarious. Also I didn't quite buy the chemistry between the two men.

It isn't as effective as other Leone Westerns but does has its moments - some epic battle scenes, the executions of revolutionaries in the rain, the discovery of the ambushed revolutionaries (it feels more like it was set in a European country occupied by the Nazis fighting a communist revolution), Ennio Morricone's score. 

It's an odd combination of comedy (lots of comic explosions) and melodrama. There's lots of odd flashbacks to Coburn's menage a trois with his mate and a girl back in Ireland which feels a little kinky. Flawed, but interesting.

Movie review - "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966) ****

They don't come much bigger than this, either in terms of close ups, lingering shots, or running time. The best of the Dollars trilogy, with Eli Wallach making a welcome addition to the gang - he has a lively unscrupulousness which adds considerably to the energy of the piece.

Clint Eastwood's "Blondy" is more vulnerable here, spending a far whack of the running time at Wallach's mercy - which actually adds to the tension because he's not an invincible superhero, and makes his re-emergence at the end very satisfactory. Lee Van Cleef's "bad" is a worthy villain (or is that anti-hero?), ruthless and powerful. There is also a fine collection of supporting actors and faces such as the dying solider.

It's a genuinely good script, with plenty of twists and turns and characters double crossing each other, and the powerful motivating force of money. Setting with the Civil War backdrop gives the action extra scopre. The theme song is deservedly famous, although I actually preferred other lesser known tunes like "The Carriage of the Spirit" which are incredibly moving, particularly with all those dead soldiers - this I feel is what gives the movie an extra special resonance.

Movie review - "For a Few Dollars More" (1965) **** (warning: spoilers)

Known for being Part Two of the Clint/Leone Dollars triology, it's a surprise to see that this is actually more a Lee Van Cleef film - Clint's character is really along for the ride. He does do things, mainly shoot peeople and add a bit of tension, but it's LVC's story, really. He's searching for a super baddie for some unknown reason - just like in Once Upon a Time in the West we don't find out why it's so personal until the end (the guy killed his sister - it's not like a massive secret). Clint is another bounty hunter after the same guy and they team up to help zap them.

Gian Maria Volonte is a superb villain with Klaus Kinski offering excellent support - actually there's a whole array of interesting faces to be mown down. Singular, arresting direction by Leone, backed by that incredible Morricone music.

Clint is relatively chatty in this one, feeling like the junior partner a la Rawhide. There's plenty of juicy shoot outs and double crosses, plus some nice wry humour. Stunning photography.

Movie review - "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) ****

You can't blame people for not thinking much of this from the sounds of things - an Italian Western shot in Spain with a US TV star in the lead. But Sergio Leone turned out to be one of the all time great directors and he found his perfect icon in Clint Eastwood, all squinty eyes, three day growth and sucking down a cheroot (the costumer on this deserves all the awards they can get).

The plot gleefully rips off Yojimbo (which ripped off Westerns in turn so there's nice synergy) with Clint playing off two sides against each other until he tries to do the right thing (cue some heavily sentimental music and acting) and suffers for it. But don't worry - super human vengeance awaits.

The action scenes are incredibly well done and the whole piece drips in atmosphere. Clint is remarkably good - every actor should have a vehicle like this one. Gian Maria Volonte is a strong antagonist. And of course the music is divine.

Movie review - "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) ****

Undeniably a masterpiece with so many beautiful moments and scenes but - and I'm sorry if this makes me sound like a philistine - but does it has to be so long? Dragging out Jason Robards' death for ever and ever, the elongated sequence between Henry Fonda and Claudia Cardinale in bed, and all those scenes on the train... they all surely could have been trimmed?

Some of it the length is a benefit - the drawn out suspenseful attack at the train station, the murder of the homesteaders. Charles Bronson is a fantastic Western hero, good as Eastwood would have been; Claudia Cardinale is perhaps the best looking heroine in Western history; Jason Robards adds some lively humour and Henry Fonda a strong villain (with solid support from sympathetic-yet-terrible Gabriele Ferzetti). It has one of the greatest musical scores in history and an all-time great reveal when we find out why Bronson has been after Fonda all this time. 

Absolutely worth seeing but I'd be lying if I didn't admit it dragged for me every now and then.

Movie review - "Sodom and Gomorrah" (1962) ***

Very long at over two and a half hours but full of moments of sheer enjoyment - scenes of post-orgy recovery in Sodom, with Stanley Baker lying exhausted; Anouk Aimee eyeing a young woman lasciviously; good little Jewish girl Rossana Podesta changing into a slutty outfit; Pier Angeli telling Stewart Granger she can give him pleasure he's never dreamt of (he tells her he doesn't want pleasure, he wants her love).

Robert Aldrich directed and the film is not regarded by his fans as one of his greatest - but there are some visual flourishes such as a tracking shot through cornfields as Baker chases after Rosanna Podesta; horizon littered with teams of extras preparing for battle.

There's lots of sexy outfits, allusion to sin and it's funny to watch a film set in Sodom ("I'm Queen of the Sodomites!", "charity from the Sodomites?"). Plenty of spectacle, too - with big battle sequences, dances, and a satisfactory destruction of Sodom (although I did feel they ran out of money).

It is very reminiscent of other Ancient World spectaculars - there's a bit where a crazy haired Lot ushers in a flood to defeat some attackers which is reminiscent of The Ten Commandments - then later on he leads his people out of slavery into the promised land which is from the same movie; the final collapse of the city is like the finale of Samson and Delilah; the evil queen lounges around like Cleopatra; there are dances as in Salome.

Granger isn't the first actor you think of to play Lot, leader of the Hebrews, but he makes a fair go of it - he's got authority and presence, his age helps him. He even pulls off bits like talking to the sky asking for God's help - he's got the right touch of the fanatic to make these parts believable.

Podesta and Pier Angeli are good looking. There's some bland men with beards, as there tends to be in Italian movies of this period. Baker and Aimee are excellent in what are the best parts really - Aimee is a rare Biblical lesbian (they never say it outright but it's fairly clear the dancing girl is her lover. The film is arguably homophobic in this regard - the most evil woman in the movie being a lesbian - but it's more anti-sex. Baker practically rapes Poedsta and she falls in love with him. But Baker is clearly evil and Granger kills him.)