The second film was The Patchwork Girl of Oz, which boasted a screenplay from L. Frank Baum himself, having written the novel the previous year (the seventh book of the Oz franchise). This was a feature length film, that introduced a wealth of new characters from the land of Oz to the consciousness and sidelined the Scarecrow and Tin Man to more minor roles. It must also be noted that L. Frank Baum had by this point started his own film studio and a lot of these characters were introduced and included in a collection of films around this period to help make his films more marketable.
The Patchwork Girl of Oz told the story of a hungry munchkin boy and his uncle who journey to the Emerald City for a more prosperous life. Along their journey they meet a lot of strange and interesting characters, including a Magician and his wife, who quickly conjure a patchwork girl to help with chores. However she accidentally turns some other Oz residents into statues, and several parties disband to try to find the antidote.
Though both films are very primitive, they do offer some interesting early filming techniques as well as some trick photography that is bound to please anyone truly interested in the evolution of cinema. However what lets both films down is the somewhat messy screenplay and narratives, especially for The Patchwork Girl of Oz, which plot seems to drag out over the 80 minute course. I also think that the characters simply aren't as good as the traditional Oz protagonists, and come across as rather convoluted; and if released today would be cynically accused of being profiteering mechanisms. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (below), does at least benefit from having the more expansive 1939 version to reflect from, and therefore offers a bit more in the way of charm. As well as having a largely more succinct plot and length to it. It's also interesting, and maybe not all too surprising to see the acting in these early silents to come across as very vaudevillian, and is no where near as refined as even the acting just 10 years later.
As a time piece though both films offer a fascinating insight into film during the early silent era, and though maybe these films are only prominent today due to their association with their subject matter, rather than their technical achievements; they do create enough intrigue for one to watch more of the output from the early film industry. However, it's also easy to see how quickly cinema developed in the subsequent few years that followed these films.
It's fair to say that in the past I've thought Burt Lancaster a decent actor, who was prone to trying too hard. In The Leopard however, none of this effort is in vain as he manages to deliver one of his most emphatic performances, which must surely go down as his most glorious on screen performance. Here he plays the effervescent Scicilian aristocrat who, as patriarch of his family, tries to maintain his status in society, during the political and social upheavals of the 1860's.
Not only is Burt Lancaster superb in terms of acting in this role, his good looks also shine despite middle age; and his piercing blue eyes have never looked sharper. The beauty is even greater in his co-stars Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, who are possibly cinema's most beautiful on screen couple. These three players are the perfect physical compliment to Visconti's endurable vision of both Scicilian landscape and life. Days of Heaven maybe one of the most photogenic films ever, but The Leopard is a sheer work of art. Each shot is as majestic as a work by Titian or Vermeer, and the movement of the camera ensures there is much for the audience to consume. Visconti's attention to detail is insurmountable, and it's evident that he ensured every piece of fabric, prop and costume was to a perfect standard before rolling the cameras.
The film itself provides a rich character study of all the characters involved. Though some may criticise the pacing and lack of action within the story, one can only sit back and admire the patience of this meticulous director who's left nothing to chance. Every pause, silence and stillness adds an extra layer to the depth of the story and the characters. Each subtle movement is somehow magnified tenfold because of these techniques.
Admittedly there possibly isn't enough as a story that propels this film amongst the very greatest of Italian cinema; but it is arguably the closest to aesthetic perfection in film history.
Torrid Zone marked the penultimate film partnership of lifelong James Cagney and Pat O'Brien (their final film together was 1981's Ragtime). Set in a central American banana plantation, where a local convict is stirring up unrest amongst the local workers, and the plantation's owner (Pat O'Brien) has to persuade his own foreman (James Cagney) not to leave in order to deal with the trouble. Ann Sheridan plays the American cabaret singer who acts as the main love interest in the film.
Here Cagney perhaps lacks some of the electricity of his gangster films, but his naturalistic style is still on show, and is always a pleasure to watch. The wisecracks amongst the casts are quite sharp and are what keep this film from being forgettable. Unfortunately the screenplay really lets the film down, and it ends up not really going anywhere. This was my first Ann Sheridan film and though her butch wisecracking style isn't to my taste, it manages to work here, and her "oomph" girl status is also evident. A fun film, that lacks anything that sets it apart from other contemporary studio films.
It's funny how a film sometimes acts as an allegory to that of the actors involved. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone certainly contains traces of this, as Jim Carrey stars in this film with Steve Carell as a fading stage magician who is being out performed by a new street magician (Carrey). It's fair to say that Jim Carrey's box office clout has been diminishing noticeably across the last 10 years. Perhaps his physical and over-the-top style isn't to everyone's taste, but I think his performance in Burt Wonderstone only underlined the gap in the market for his style of comedy.
Perhaps The Incredible Burt Wonderstone will be a box-office failure, and perhaps it isn't going to set critics alight. However, it is quite refreshing to see comedies like this being made, when there seem to be a wider market at the moment for seedier and more vulgar comedy. Not that I don't enjoy some of these more modern styles; however, I think that performers such as Carell and Carrey are more naturally funny, and though they do dabble on the seedier side of the line from time to time, more often than not there is a lot of heart to their styles. The film does contain a lot of solid comedy and good laughs, but at times Carell does seem a bit lackadaisical, as if he's simply going through the motions. Carrey however is hilarious as "brain rapist" magician Steve Gray, and he really does dominate the film, whenever he's on screen. Alan Arkin also has a wonderful role that provides the more heartfelt moments of the films, and for the most part the sentiment really works and you get a sense of what magic means to the characters involved. Maybe Olivia Wilde is miscast as a nerdy magician wannabe, but she is has a few funny moments in the film early on; and Buscemi doesn't really add anything to the film, but is always pleasing to watch. Like many films of this ilk, it follows the same formula of protagonist having to lose everything and rediscover what he had before redeeming themselves. However in this instance it was a journey worth taking.
Maybe I've been a bit defensive whilst review this film, but I think it's a shame that comedies like this struggle these days. The film isn't one that you will watch with repeated viewings, but it is both enjoyable and at times touching and serves as a great reminder of the talents of Jim Carrey.
The Contender was a political thriller, that shows us the perception of integrity amongst the political elite and public in Washington. Joan Allen plays the vice presidential candidate chosen by Jeff Bridges' President to join him in his incumbent campaign for another term. Her nomination comes under threat as sordid revelations of her past come under scrutiny; and her position is further manipulated by her political rivals.
The film really works in highlighting the heightened scrutiny that a person's sex is subject too in political office, and how politicians really have to struggle to maintain any privacy as well as integrity whilst in public office. Joan Allen works well in the this role, and the real beauty of the way this film is written is that your opinion and perception of her character changes throughout the movie; as with the other characters in the film. There's also support from Christian Slater, a moustache-less but charasmatic Sam Elliot and the great Gary Oldman, who gives another convincing performance despite the somewhat questionable make-up.
Though perhaps some elements may come across as a bit dated, and the righteousness is a bit overwrought towards the end, this film does provide a great commentary on modern politics. It's a film that can't really be described as satire, because it seems so real at times, which is a credit to the writing. The film has become very overlooked since it's release, and despite it's flaws it's definitely worth a watch.
There are films that I sometimes just never get round to seeing, despite all the hype and recommendations I receive in regards to it. Midnight Express was one such film that I had heard much about, but had never got round to seeing it, until now...
Simply put, this is without doubt one of the greatest prison movies of all time, and there have been many. Based on the true story of Billy Hayes, caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey, and his subsequent jailing and treatment in a Turkish prison. Directed by Alan Parker, the film starts off in fascinating form, as we see Billy strapping the drugs to his body, and then passing through the customs checkpoint as he tries to board the plane with his girlfriend. Giorgio Moredor's score really adds to the suspense and it is just the first of many brilliant orchestrated 'heart in mouth' moments spread across the film. Once in prison Billy (played magnificently by the late Brad Davis) is subjected to a series of brutal punishments and attacks by the Turkish prison warden and guards. He soon befriends fellow inmates played by Randy Quaid, Norbert Weisser and John Hurt, who gives undoubtedly one of his greatest ever on screen performances. Though the inmates remain sceptical or fellow prisoner Rifki, who acts as an informant to the guards.
The film's real strength if the level of emotion it manages to conjure, and it doesn't do it through cheap manipulation or superficial means. Though undoubtedly some of the story has conceded to "artistic license", the story is good enough and believable enough to warrant this. The homosexual undertones are also sensitively and beautifully handled as Billy begins to understand he may be stuck there for the next couple of decades.
The ending is rather abrupt, but it doesn't take anything away from the film, and there is a wonderful sense of fulfilment having been apart of such a harrowing but touching story. There may be an argument to say that the Turkish character are presented in too much of a one dimensional manner, but another aspect of the film is that is does deal with the protagonist in a more balanced way, and it really is a rollercoaster of emotion and feeling for each character. It's a shame that Brad Davis died so young and his career never really took off in the way his performance in this suggests it should have. This simply is a superb bit of cinema, that one can immerse themselves in and evoke those feelings that rarely surface inside.
