Little remembered but an early crystallisation of the screen persona of Burt Reynolds - swaggering, funny, brash, brave, a good friend and comfortable with women. It was written by William Norton who later wrote White Lightning a key film in establishing Reynolds' stardom.
This wasn't a hit and I wonder why. Maybe because it mixed two films which don't normally go together - underwater treasure hunting and Western. It's weird to see cowboys in diving equipment.
Also I think it was a mistake to wait so long to bring in Burt's crew (Clint Walker, Ossie Davis). We spend all this time with him and Angie Dickinson (sexy as ever) then late in the day it becomes an ensemble piece. I actually had the same problem with Rough Cut with Reynolds later on.
Not bad - enjoyable. But flawed. Burt is clearly having a great time.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Movie review - "High Risk" (1981) **1/2
Stewart Raffill isn't a namemuch beloved by auteurists but he definitely had a singular vision for a while there - adventure films about families and animals. When the market for that dried up he moved more to action, such as this.
It has a high concept-y premise - four friends decided to parachute into Columbia to stealoff a drug lord and have adventures. Raffill keeps it at a light touch, the production values are strong and the acting is good - there are cameos (or roles that could be shot in 2-3 days, anyway) from Ernest Borgnine, James Coburn and Anthony Quinn, and energetic lead performances from James Brolin (who looks great with a beard), Linday Wagner (great shoulders, and her hair always seems wet), Cleavon Little, Bruce Davidson, and Chick Vennera.
The tone is never completely right - it's a little bit jokey but a little bit serious. These people are in over their head but you never get the sense they are in danger. Some people die, but it doesn't seem to mean anything. I don't know - it's hard to describe. A film about amateurs taking on drug lords and revolutionaries feels as though it should be a bit more serious. But maybe that wouldn't have worked. Maybe if the characters had been all ex military or something like The A Team? I don't know.
I do wish more work had been done on the characters - it was hard to tell the four leads apart, except Little was black and Brolin glowered. Wagner at least had a character - a drug taker who'd been arrested.
I kept wishing for extra plot complications - for two of the heroes to be brothers, say, or for someone to turn traitor or have a personal vendetta against Coburn, or for Coburn's mistress to come along, or a love triangle. I expected Wagner and Brolin to hook up but they have barely any scenes together - it's her and Vennera which isn't very exciting. Anthony Quinn's revolutionary looks as though he's going to be really interesting but he isn't.
I would have been easy to give the leads more sympathy - like say Coburn kidnapped one of them or they had kids on drugs. As it was they just want the money, which even though its stealing from a drug dealer feels a little lazy.
This feels like a Howard Hawks film where Hawks didn't direct. Still it's not bad and is easy to take.
It has a high concept-y premise - four friends decided to parachute into Columbia to stealoff a drug lord and have adventures. Raffill keeps it at a light touch, the production values are strong and the acting is good - there are cameos (or roles that could be shot in 2-3 days, anyway) from Ernest Borgnine, James Coburn and Anthony Quinn, and energetic lead performances from James Brolin (who looks great with a beard), Linday Wagner (great shoulders, and her hair always seems wet), Cleavon Little, Bruce Davidson, and Chick Vennera.
The tone is never completely right - it's a little bit jokey but a little bit serious. These people are in over their head but you never get the sense they are in danger. Some people die, but it doesn't seem to mean anything. I don't know - it's hard to describe. A film about amateurs taking on drug lords and revolutionaries feels as though it should be a bit more serious. But maybe that wouldn't have worked. Maybe if the characters had been all ex military or something like The A Team? I don't know.
I do wish more work had been done on the characters - it was hard to tell the four leads apart, except Little was black and Brolin glowered. Wagner at least had a character - a drug taker who'd been arrested.
I kept wishing for extra plot complications - for two of the heroes to be brothers, say, or for someone to turn traitor or have a personal vendetta against Coburn, or for Coburn's mistress to come along, or a love triangle. I expected Wagner and Brolin to hook up but they have barely any scenes together - it's her and Vennera which isn't very exciting. Anthony Quinn's revolutionary looks as though he's going to be really interesting but he isn't.
I would have been easy to give the leads more sympathy - like say Coburn kidnapped one of them or they had kids on drugs. As it was they just want the money, which even though its stealing from a drug dealer feels a little lazy.
This feels like a Howard Hawks film where Hawks didn't direct. Still it's not bad and is easy to take.
Movie review - "Thank God He Met Lizzie" (1997) ***1/2
Excellent Australian romantic comedy which isn't really a rom com - more a drama with humour and romance, but its bittersweet. There's some broad comedy around the edges - montages, wacky best friends - but at it's heart this is a truthful drama with nice, decent Richard Roxburgh falling for Frances O'Connor but the spice eventually goes out and they break up when they probably shouldn't, and he goes on to marry the One After (Cate Blanchett).
I liked the structure - around the wedding, with flashbacks - and the use of devices to tell the story, like the kid Roxburgh sponsors. Bright colours, and some excellent actors.
A very very good film, and it's a shame Alexandra Long didn't do more films (that were made, at any rate). Bob Ellis wrote lovingly of this film - his tryst with Long livened up the Sydney scene for a bit in 1999.
I liked the structure - around the wedding, with flashbacks - and the use of devices to tell the story, like the kid Roxburgh sponsors. Bright colours, and some excellent actors.
A very very good film, and it's a shame Alexandra Long didn't do more films (that were made, at any rate). Bob Ellis wrote lovingly of this film - his tryst with Long livened up the Sydney scene for a bit in 1999.
Movie review - "The Adventures of Barry McKenzie" (1972) ***1/2
Very funny ocker comedy which helped prove Australians would go see their own comedies. It's still funny in part because Barry Humphries is ruthless about everyone - he takes on every Australian stereotype as well as British. Barry Crocker has a clean cut nature that works well with his character, Humphries is hilarious.
Movie review - "Maybe This Time" (1980) **
A real Bob Ellis movie, though co written with his wife Anne Brooksbank. Lots of dodgy sexual politics, and monologues, and regret. The one conservative character, Ken Shorter, is a terrible lover. The lefties who are arseholes like Bill Hunter and Mike Preston are great in the sack. It was cut about and edited - Ellis whined about this, as he often would.
There are some effective moments and at least it's different. The acting is pretty good. (Judy Moris is the lead). It's not very well directed.
There are some effective moments and at least it's different. The acting is pretty good. (Judy Moris is the lead). It's not very well directed.
Movie review - "Breaker Morant" (1979) ****
Really excellent Australian film. Strong source material - it was a book and a play, with a guaranteed strong ending - has its perfect director in Bruce Beresford, who probably did the fastest paced Australian films of this time. He keeps the action spanking along, livening up a courtroom drama with flashbacks and a Boer attack.
Very strong acting - Bryan Brown in a role Jack Thompson would have played, Jack Thompson in a role Edward Woodward would have played, Edward Woodward probably just okay as Breaker when someone like say Michael Caine or Sean Connery would have made it sing, but I he's who they could get.
Great movie.
Very strong acting - Bryan Brown in a role Jack Thompson would have played, Jack Thompson in a role Edward Woodward would have played, Edward Woodward probably just okay as Breaker when someone like say Michael Caine or Sean Connery would have made it sing, but I he's who they could get.
Great movie.
Movie review - "Crocodile Dundee" (1986) ***1/2
This has one of the greatest endings in comedy - not just Australian comedy but comedy full stop, with the girl chasing after Mick and declaring her love and Mick climbing over the people to get to her with a wonderful Pete Best score. It's a fantastic ending.
The film itself ambles along - very light on plot. It's a collection of scenes really rather than a proper story. But Hogan is perfect in the role, the support cast very good (Linda Koslowski matches him well).
Some of it isn't very politically correct but I laughed at John Meillion, and David Gulpilil, and it has a wonderful sense of family and community with Dundee making friends with everyone. Paul Hogan and John Cornell were super smart businessmen but this film has genuine heart and an infectious good nature. No wonder they thought they had the magic touch because they did - but it soon faded.
The film itself ambles along - very light on plot. It's a collection of scenes really rather than a proper story. But Hogan is perfect in the role, the support cast very good (Linda Koslowski matches him well).
Some of it isn't very politically correct but I laughed at John Meillion, and David Gulpilil, and it has a wonderful sense of family and community with Dundee making friends with everyone. Paul Hogan and John Cornell were super smart businessmen but this film has genuine heart and an infectious good nature. No wonder they thought they had the magic touch because they did - but it soon faded.
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