Tag Archives: crime

#58- Fargo

Quick recap: Based on a true story (not at all), the movie opens with Jerry Lundegaard in a lot of financial trouble. His solution is what most of us would think of in times of crisis: he hires a couple of criminals to kidnap his wealthy wife so that her father will put up ransom money of which he will get a share. Sounds fool proof, right? So, in the course of the kidnapping, 3 people are murdered. Marge, a small town cop, who also happens to be pregnant, takes the case.Much heartier than what she appears to be , Marge is determined to solve the mystery and save the day. url

Fun (?) Fact:  I’m sure that I could scrounge up an interesting fact or two, but instead I’m going to pass on what kept flooding my mind during the movie last night-Steve Buscemi’s eyes. There’s even a Tumblr devoted to photoshopping his eyes onto other people, which I say as if it were a surprise but really, there’s a Tumblr for everything.

For those of you who had already not planned on sleeping much tonight

For those of you who had already not planned on sleeping much tonight

My thoughts: I’m just going to get straight to the point here and say that I loved this movie. I’ve seen it before, many years ago, loved it then and I love it now. The only question that remains: Is it the best Coen brothers film?

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I’ve always had an affinity for Raising Arizona because it was the first Coen brothers film I ever watched. That’s not to say that it isn’t enjoyable, but it has been my favorite by default. After rewatching Fargo,I don’t know what to think anymore. In the category of capturing a group of people perfectly, Fargo wins by a landslide. I could’ve watched two hours of various actors saying random things in a Minnesota accent and been just as satisfied. Especially since William H. Macy is involved. I have no idea if he is from the area, but I don’t care because he was spot on. Also, the scenes with Marge investigating the crime were some of my favorites. On the surface, she seems like she would be a pushover and so sweet, but that’s actually her advantage when it comes to getting information out of people. Even when she knows she is being lied to, she manages to keep her cool and continues the charade of being clueless. It just seems so…..Minnesotoan. 

One of the trademarks I love about the Coen brothers is their attention to detail when it comes to telling a story. It might be something as simple as when Marge and Norm are in her office eating Arby’s or at the end of the movie when Gaear is eating his tv dinner and watching a soap opera. It all adds up to paint a picture of North Dakota that, if I ever visited, would most likely be disappointed that it isn’t like the movie.

I need this

I need this

So, back to the original question of ‘is it the best Coen brothers film’? The verdict is still out, sadly. I think it edges out my (now) former favorite, but I don’t think it would be fair to compare Fargo to a movie like No Country For Old Men. The point, I think, is that when you watch a Coen brothers film, you will be transported into a different world and so there is no point in comparing.

Final review: 5/5. A must see, most definitely. I would even go so far as to say that this is the movie you should start out with if you have never watched a Coen brothers film.

Up next: the Thin Red Line or Woman in the Dunes

 

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#46- On the Waterfront

Quick recap: Terry Malloy, former boxer, is now a dockworker. In order to keep a steady stream of work, Malloy agrees to help the corrupt union, which also involves his brother Charley. He doesn’t mind it for the most part until he helps get a guy murdered and then he realizes that maybe this isn’t the direction his life should be headed. Around the same time, Malloy begins to see the sister of the murdered guy and also comes to the realization that being connected to the union that murdered the brother won’t win him any points with the girl. He attempts to stand up to the union but quickly realizes how dangerous this is because they control everything and also have guns.

Fun (?) Fact: The scene with Edie dropping her glove was for the most part, improvised. In the scene, Malloy picks up the glove and puts it on his hand, playing with it. He continues by talking to Edie about their childhood. The director loved it so much that it was kept in the movie.

On-The-Waterfront-glove

 

My thoughts: When I watch movies on my list, I typically like to do so alone. This is because I don’t want someone else pushing me towards a conclusion that is not my own. So when my husband offered to watch ‘On the Waterfront’ with me,  I was hesitant, seeing as how this is one of his favorite films. It turns out there really wasn’t much to worry about because I too loved this movie from the very beginning.

Although the story is compelling, it is the acting from Marlon Brando that blew me away. It was as if the director went to the dock, plucked him out, gave him a script, and sent him to work. His portrayal of Terry Malloy is one of the best examples of acting in the history of film. He delivers his lines without any real effort as well as his reaction to other characters. It’s a tiny scene, but I love how Brando interacts with the investigators as his waits on his job at the dock. He attempts to blow them off and then gets angry when they don’t leave him alone. After they do finally leave, he goes back to his buddies and gives off this look like he is confused but deep down, knows what really happened. It’s a great example of Brando fully bringing the character of Malloy to life.

When mentioning this  film, most people know the taxi cab scene when Brando says, ‘I coulda been a contender’. It is indeed a powerful exchange, as Malloy realizes that his brother has betrayed him. My favorite scene, however, happens as Malloy discovers that his brother has been murdered by the union. The image of his brother hanging from a hook, gunshot wounds to the heart, is so chilling. Brando is so convincing in his role as Malloy grieves. It was so heartbreaking to watch, although not as sad as when Malloy finds that his pigeons have all been murdered. Animal death is sad enough for me, but seeing Malloy try to mask his pain was almost too much.

Besides the acting, I think I loved this movie because the story is so compelling. The idea of a corrupt union wasn’t a new one and in fact, this movie brought to light real organizations that were doing this same thing to their members. It’s always nice when a movie can expand beyond pure entertainment.

Final review: 5/5. This is a dark movie for its time, but one that I think should be required viewing for any movie fan.

Up Next: Rome Open City and after that it will be October and Horrorfest!

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#45- The Silence of the Lambs

Quick Recap: Clarice Starling, fledging FBI investigator, has been asked to interview one of the most notorious serial killers of all time- Hannibal Lecter. Although he is known to not talk to anyone, he takes a liking to Starling and decides to help her solve the case of another serial killer. Instead of just giving the FBI the information they need, Dr. Lecter gives clues in the form of anagrams and cryptic statements. In the end, Starling cracks the code and saves the day! Lecter, on the other hand, disappears to eat more faces. Awww.

There's a meme for everything! As well as fan fiction, but I'm not jumping down that rabbit hole tonight.

There’s a meme for everything! As well as fan fiction, but I’m not jumping down that rabbit hole tonight.

Fun (?) Fact: In interviews, Anthony Hopkins has said the voice of Lecter is a mix of Truman Capote and Katherine Hepburn.

My thoughts: In full disclosure, I must say that I saw this film back in high school and for some reason really loved it. I immediately went out and read the trilogy by Thomas Harris and also watched the other two movies in the series. Part of me is embarrassed by how much I took to the gruesome story of a serial killer, but then I see that there is a tv show called ‘Hannibal’ that is rather popular and I don’t feel so bad.

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So, in rewatching this movie years later, I can still see why so many people are drawn to its elements. Hell, I was even considering a career in law enforcement after watching Jodie Foster’s excellent portrayal of Starling. A tale of murder is as old as time, if I am allowed to be serious for a moment. It’s an act that most of us can never fathom and thankfully, never have any contact with. And so we are drawn to it. If you are going to write a book about a serial killer, which will later be an Oscar winning movie, might as well make it as gruesome and terrifying as possible, am I right? Give the people what they want. It reminds me of my brief job in high school, working at the public library in my tiny rural town. I used to love the Saturday shifts because it was so quiet and because the patrons that did come in were easy to check out. Most of the time I got two kinds of people on those days: The older women who came in with their paper bags full of trashy romance novels and the older men who came in with their paper bags full of trashy true crime novels. The limit for checking out those kinds of books was like 25 and I remember being so impressed by how quickly these people could get through so many of them in a week. I finally got up the nerve to ask an old man one day and he simply chuckled and responded that he never read the whole book, just ‘the good parts’.

Hannibal Lecter’s character is satisfyingly complex. I spent the entire movie being repulsed by him, only to then find myself rooting for him, and then being repulsed by the fact that I was rooting for him. Like for example, when he agreed to help the investigation. He was flown to another facility, only to then insult and offend the woman who’s daughter had been kidnapped by Buffalo Bill. I found myself laughing at the awfulness of the situation and the fact that Lecter was just being himself. In looking at trivia for ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, I was amazed to find out that Anthony Hopkin’s total screen time for the movie was a mere 16 minutes and yet most people who have never seen the movie know who Hannibal Lector is and may even be able to quote some lines.

In the end, this movie accomplishes what it came to do- it was terrifying. The most unsettling scene for me was when Lecter has escaped. It’s a complex plan, but at one point the police officers are in the elevator, riding with another officer that they believe has had his face eaten. All of a sudden, drops of blood start materializing on the man’s white bed sheet. I knew what was going to happen and yet I was still completely horrified. There is nothing better than a movie that delivers a satisfying shock like that.

Final review: 5/5. Even without Lecter, this is one of the scariest films I have seen. It’s not one that gave me nightmares, but it was deeply unsettling and I think that’s the worst kind of scary.

Up next: If…

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#40- Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Quick recap: Roger Rabbit, a toon, has been framed for the murder of Marvin Acme  and it’s up to Eddie Valient, PI, to help crack the case.

zany, I tells ya

zany, I tells ya!

Fun (?) fact: This movie marked the first time Warner Brothers cartoons and Disney cartoons were together. Warner Brothers agreed to allow its most famous characters to be shown as long as they were given equal time as the Disney characters. This explains the scenes with Daffy Duck and Donald Duck playing piano and later on, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse skydiving. It does not explain the 50 year old baby because where can you even begin?

This disturbed me way more than it should have

This disturbed me way more than it should have

My thoughts: So. I have a confession to make. I don’t like Looney Tunes. I don’t know if this has always been the case and come to think of it, I don’t think it has. I remember owing a VHS of 50 Bugs Bunny cartoons or something like that when I was younger. But now there is no love lost between me and Warner Brothers. I’m going to blame ugly 90’s fashion on this one because at some point, someone decided it would be a good idea for cartoons to be used as a fashion statement.

NO. Also, I'm wondering if there was a crossover between Looney Tunes fashion and those awful No Fear t-shirts

NO. Also, I’m wondering if there was a crossover between Looney Tunes fashion and those awful No Fear t-shirts

 

With that out of the way, I can honestly say that I didn’t hate this movie. Yay! From a sophisticated adult perspective, I appreciate the homage to 40s detective movies as well as to the classic cartoons everyone grew up with. I was also impressed with the way the director balanced out well known characters with new ones. It helped secure the image of ToonTown as a place where all cartoons live, big and small.

I also enjoyed seeing the way humans and cartoons interacted with each other. This had been going on for years but a lot of time and effort was put into making the interactions even more believable. In fact, Disney animators coined the term ‘bump the lamp’ from this movie. The term refers to a scene in which Valient hoists Roger Rabbit into the air while his head repeatedly bumps the lamp. As the lamp swings side to side, it casts realistic shadows on both the human and cartoon. The point is that even though 98% of the audience wouldn’t notice this, it added to the movie’s authenticity. That’s why Disney and Pixar have always been ahead in the animation game, this attention to the most minute things. I’m sure I didn’t catch all of the little jokes in this movie, but I could tell how much work was put into the process.

more of an easter egg, but this attention to detail in the movie Aladdin is a great example of 'bump the lamp'

more of an easter egg, but this attention to detail in the movie Aladdin is a great example of ‘bump the lamp’

The one part that bothered me about this movie is that I could never figure out who the film was geared towards. I mean, the movie is chock full of classic cartoon characters that children love but on the other hand, there is a lot of violence, language and innuendos. So, I guess the demographic was for adults after all, but then I looked online and found Happy Meal toys tied in to the movie. tumblr_m7dwv6PH7N1qaa34so1_500

Final review: 3/5. I don’t think I would watch this again and I don’t know when I would show it to my son. But I can still appreciate how well this movie was made and how much thought was put into it.

Up next: El Topo

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