Looper (2012)

Directed and Written By: Rian Johnson 

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt

Plot: In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.

Review:

There has been a lot of internet mockery over the casting of Bruce Willis as the older version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Even I have to admit that the notion was preposturous, but having seen the movie, I am full of regret and shame. Gordon-Levitt's impersonation of Willis, combined with a bit of hollywood makeup magic is chillingly accurate. Every scene with Gordon-Levitt seemed less like Gordon-Levitt and more like we were actually seeing a twentysomething Bruce Willis. 

Gordon-Levitt plays "Joe," a hired-gun for the future mob. "Future mob," you ask? Yes, in the future, the mob has a terrible time getting rid of bodies, so they send them back to the past, via time travel, and loopers like Joe dispose of the bodies for a small fee. Joe is enjoying the looper life, and drugs, until he he is forced to kill himself. When Bruce Willis’ “Old Joe” is sent back, he has other ideas about his ending and prevents his younger self from completing the deed- running away in dramatic fashion. Thus a complicated game of cat and mouse, or rather, mouse/mouse/cat-mouse/cats game ensues. Later on you meet Emily Blunt who plays "Sarah," but I refuse to tell you how or why. 

I had high expectations for Looper and was thoroughly relieved to not only see a good movie, but more importantly, an original movie. That word is a rarity in Hollywood.

Pleasantly, anytime you think the movie will fall on any sort of expected plot twist, it goes in the other direction. We don’t see a lot of time travel clichés, hero clichés, anti-hero clichés, heroine clichés, but we do see typical mob bad-guy clichés- which I am perfectly ok with.

The movie has great playback and I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to see this flick. Not too mention any upcoming projects for Gordon-Levitt and Johnson. 

Tidbit: Emily Blunt only read half the script and didn't know who her character was when she agreed to star in the movie. 

Drink of Choice: This movie reminds me of my official “Huckleberry Hat (WSU Ultimate Hat Tourney)” drink, Apple Pie.  Apple pie is half 151 Vodka, combined with Apple Cider that has been infused with 5-6 cinnamon sticks. It is soothing to the palate, but packs a punch. I promise to imbibe that delicious treat until I’m as cinebriated as this movie.

Bufallo 66 (1998)

Directed By: Vincent Gallo

Written By: Vincent Gallo

Players: Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci and Ben Gazzara

Review: What for some reason I would've originally envisioned as a quirky comedy, or a wannabe cool crime caper in the vein of Pulp Fiction, Vincent Gallo's semi-autographical tale comes across as a suprisingly original character study.  Directing, writing, and starring, Gallo also adds his creative talents through the soundtrack, making this comedy/drama effectively his.  Based on its understated focus and brilliance, I cannot imagine that this association is unwelcome. 

Just released from Prison, Billy (Gallo) gradually appears to have a mission to get back his former life in the city of Buffalo.  We discover everything from why he was imprisoned in the first place, what his ultimate plan is, and how truly obsessive a fan his mother (Anjelica Huston) is of the Buffalo Bills.

Right away, we begin to discover the character through all interaction and reaction.  While it may appear as having purely comic intentions, his desperate attempts to find a bathroom moments after becoming a free man showcase desperation, annoyance and negativity he relays in all future instances.  As we proceed not only to this inadvertently causing his meeting (but intentional kidnapping) of Christina Ricci's character, we see our understanding of Billy grow, from his history with his unsympathetic parents, to his seemingly only cherished memories: those of a juvenile bowling champion.  Every happenstance plays into who Billy is, giving us the knowledge to gradually empathize with him more and more, even as he knowingly/unknowingly emulates selfish and narcissistic attitudes ostensibly caused by his parents’ lack of tutelage and respect. 

Keeping a very fine balance between drama and comedy, it can be difficult to decide when to laugh and when to remain silent.  However this is just one of the film's many strengths, along with beautifully stark cinematography and a minimalist and atmospheric score, appropriate for the film's tone and some of its more bizarre showcases (one scene shows Ricci tap-dancing alone in a bowling alley).  The plot may not scream "vitality" or "excitement" at the viewer, but the film's in-depth and concentrated look at this child of Buffalo, NY is more than enough to keep me enthralled.  

Tidbit: Gallo grew up in the house we see Billy's parent living in.  

Drink of Choice:  Buffalo is the home of the original buffalo wing (Anchor Bar, to be precise).  When I eat wings, I normally have a Tecate with lime (maybe two…).  However, the city being the downtrodden and gray locale that it is, here is something harder as an alternative:

Niagra Falls:

• 2 parts vodka  
• 2 parts orange liquer
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1/2 part sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled)
• 1 splash Ginger Ale

The Conversation (1974)

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Written By: Francis Ford Coppola

Players: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Harrison Ford, Terri Garr and Robert Duvall

Setup: When a secretive surveillance expert is hired to record a couples conversation he feels what he heard could lead to their murder he forgets his cardinal rule: don't get involved.

What follows is an unraveling of control and a smothering paranoia all driven by the guilt of a previous job that ended in cold-blooded murder.

Just be careful what you say, you never know who's listening ...

Review: To say Francis Ford Coppola was on a filmmaking hot streak in the '70's would be an understatement but it still wouldn't be as brilliantly understated as his 1974 thriller The Conversation. The writing is taut and the slow-burning suspense is maddening, couple that with Gene Hackman's layered portrayal of a guilt-ridden surveillence expert Henry Caul and you have the recipe for something that borders on a line between Hitchcock and reality. It's a damn good winning combination (even those highfalutin French folk over in Cannes thought so)!

While many may view this simply as a film about growing paranoia it is Gene Hackman's portrayal that elevates it above most dime-store imitators. His character is a devout Catholic complete with the guilty concience, in his case a decade old triple-murder that was commited after he turned in some audio recordings. This guilt drives him to do things outside of his normally controlled and introverted nature that put him in the middle of a coorporate debacle that could have at least two lives at risk. Support Hackman's performance with that of a loyal, even when pushed away, character of Stan (John Cazale, The Godfather) and a looming and demanding client's assistant in the form of a young Harrison Ford and you've got a cast that can't really be topped.

If you're not a fan of a good slow-burn The Conversation may not be your bag, but I'd argue that its sometimes maddeningly slow pacing is deliberate and allows you to share in the unraveling of Henry Caul's determinedly controlled world. This is a thriller from the words and direction of one of the greatest film auteurs ever to spend time behind a camera and should definitely be checked out if you a fan of the genre, filmmaker or are looking for an phenomally unconventional performance from an actor of Gene Hackman's caliber.

Even though Henry Caul was "the best bugger on the West Coast" he never forgot his roots ...

Tidbit: It was brought to my attention that Gene Hackman's paranoid character Edward Lyle in 1998's Enemy of the State could be seen as a continuation of Henry Caul from The Conversation. I like that idea so much, in fact, that I'm just going to treat it as fact from here on out.

Drink of Choice: Like Henry Caul I'm a man that can enjoy some jazz from time to time (Dave Brubeck and Django Reinhardt are my cats of choice) so why not "The Jazz" Cocktail? The mixings: 1 Oz Campari, 1 Oz Havana Club 3yrs Old Rum, 0.5 Oz Passoa passion fruit liqueur, 1.5 Oz Sweet and sour mix, 2 Spoons passion fruit puree, 3 Oz Sparkling wine or champagne. Add ice and shake to a grooving bass line and serve in a classy highball. Cheers! 

The Lawnmower Man (1992)

Virtual reality is the future, but buyer beware!  VR will be man's saving grace, bestowing piece and prosperity throughout the world.  At the same time however, while it delivers happiness to kids with abusive fathers, it can also turn dumbasses into psychotic geniuses!  And that's not all; just when you thought all they can do is mow a lawn, now they can control the lawn mower AND your mind!  Get virtual reality TODAY!

This pitch was obviously not the intention of the filmmakers, but I still summarized as much from the odd Sci-Fi flick.  Lauded for having effects beyond its time (?), The Lawnmower Man is a mostly nonsensical but decently entertaining follow-up to the revolution that was Terminator 2.  It packs similar music, a unique fantasy concept, new (albeit wannabe) visuals, and to the best of its ability emulates the same cold and blue design, and character archetypes including obsessed scientists and unreliable kids.  Others may notice a bit of Cronenberg here, with obsessions becoming perversions and biological horror running amok.  

What this flick really intends to do is provide a showcase for it's "exemplary" special effects.  Now this film is 20 years old, right when CGI was beginning to rear its beautiful/despicable little head, but the visuals do not assist in keeping one engaged and grounded in this ridiculous story. 

All this aside, I couldn't help but be slightly entertained by this film.  The bizarre and unique plot took me by surprise, even with the clear crutch holding on other films and filmmakers.  Jeff Fahey and Pierce Brosnan deliver somewhere between conscious fun and unconscious seriousness, but nonetheless give engaging performances, with the former truly surprising as a developmentally disabled gardener whom Brosnan's doctor takes pity on, leading to his using virtual reality to learn (it’s the FUTURE).  While the visuals are weak, they are unique as well; I don't think I've ever seen the like in a film before (though maybe in an early 2000's kid show...) 

Initially I expected to forget this film quickly, yet here I am still thinking about it days later.  While The Lawnmower Man could be worthwhile for genre fans, it's certainly nothing to miss an episode of Breaking Bad over.  

 

Tidbit:  Produced on a budget of $6,000,000 (see "exemplary" special effects), with reported returns of $200,000,000 worldwide... now I know why there's a sequel. 

Drink of Choice:  Virtual Reality; what else?! Mix 1 1/3oz Gin, 2/3oz Calvados, 1/3oz Grenadine, and 1/3oz Lemon Juice, drink, and watch the VR bees fly!

Or you could just mix some Vodka with blue food coloring; just like this movie, kinda looks cool, but is it?

High Noon (1952)

Directed by Fred Zimmerman

Based on the magazine story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham

Adapted by Carl Foreman

Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, and… Lee Van Cleef!!!

Plot:  A recently married Marshall can’t help but give in to the call of duty when three thugs come to town with their fearless leader en route, newly released from prison and out for revenge on the Marshall.

Review:  Knowing someone who holds this film dear to his heart (his top film of ALL time, or just the last 113-136 years), I’ve been meaning to watch this film for quite a while.  I’ve also been fairly excited for it; Gary Cooper stars, it’s a classic western, and it’s touted to be in real time.  With decently modest anticipation building, and a challenge from the ultimate fan that I would never watch it, I finally started the streaming process.

Right from the get-go, it wasn’t exactly what I expected.  The opening credits start with friendly enough western images of what appear to be friends gathering in the desert and riding off to some distant location.  All normal, except for the song (“The Ballad of High Noon”) which provides the true, ominous nature of the scene: these characters have no good intentions (Lee Van Cleef of The Good The Bad & The Ugly fame should be a clear giveaway).   We proceed to the wedding of Marshall Will Kane (Cooper), and the receiving end of news given about Frank Miller, a released convict the Marshall previously arrested, coming back to take back the town and ostensibly Kane’s life. 

From this moment on it is literally a race against the clock (an instrument we see displayed often) before the eponymous time when Miller returns to town.  We see this race in the form of Kane trying to gather other lawmen and townspeople together to defend the town, only finding apathy from most except for his new wife (who is against her husband because he is defending the town).  All other characters he has previous in-depth history with seem to either not care, or actually appear excited at his possible demise.

DRAW!

Everything leading up to the final (see: only) battle make this movie an excellent alternative to westerns, even in this modern age.  I can see how it is regarded as a “Western for people who don’t like Westerns”.  While it takes place in that familiar setting with basic archetypes present, it holds a uniquely tense atmosphere, not presenting any real action until the end (albeit a slightly anticlimactic end).  It also gives plenty of room for character development in its tight runtime (decent acting from all parties, including Grace Kelly in an early role), showing friends and enemies revealing true feelings and much more in the subtext, not only towards the Marshall but also each other during this trying time.  All of this takes place with the opening song peeking throughout its core, and with the beautifully stark cinematography matching the feelings of real heat and dire consequences in store for our protagonist. 

After reading it was meant to mirror Gary Cooper’s own battle with Hollywood and the House Un-American Activities Committee, my opinion slightly lifted (I always appreciated solid symbolism and allegory without being blatantly obvious).  However, I don’t need this knowledge to appreciate a film; most aspects except for the slightly abrupt ending make for a well-acted piece of western cinema that is taut, tense, and terrific.

"Even I know about the Pendleton Roundup "

Drink of choice: Pendelton's Whisky (even though its Canadian, the name Pendelton makes me think of rodeos due to the Pendelton Rodeo...making me think of Westerns...so there).