Friday, November 8, 1996SCREENSCENE"The Secret Agent"
Directed by Christopher Hampton Starring Bob Hoskins, Patricia
Arquette
As an alternative to mindless Hollywood blockbusters with little
character development and rambling plots, the intelligent and
thought-provoking "The Secret Agent" comes as a welcome surprise.
The intense, grand score and the artful direction guide this
compelling story of Verloc (Bob Hoskins), a secret agent
desperately trying to balance a double life.
The movie, based on the novel by Joseph Conrad, is set in Soho,
London in the 1880s. The first half of the movie deals with
Verloc’s involvement with a foreign embassy that is plotting acts
of terrorism. It fluidly segues into an intense emotional drama
that explores the characters’ reactions to Verloc’s plan, which has
gone tragically awry.
Hoskins effectively conveys Verloc’s radically varying emotions,
deftly switching from confusion to repressed anguish and rage.
Patricia Arquette gives an impressively subtle yet intense
performance as Verloc’s dutiful and unsuspecting wife, Winnie; the
powerful gaze of her eyes conveys every emotion necessary. As
Stevie, the mentally disabled younger brother of Winnie, Christian
Bale’s performance is sweet and vulnerable; he effectively sets his
character up as the emotional centerpiece of the movie.
The film’s real strength comes during the second half when it
shows the true psyches of the characters that have been repressed
until tragic events force them to come out. The film does have a
few weaknesses. Gerard Depardieu is strangely miscast as a Russian
anarchist. The movie also relies too heavily on dramatic
flashbacks. But overall, the film delivers an engaging social and
psychological drama.
Ricky Herzog
Grade: A-
"Ransom"
Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo
Don’t be put off by the action-laden fast paced bang-bang
trailer. "Ransom" is actually an intense psychological thriller
which comes close to brilliance … until the formulaic last 20
minutes kick-in which ruins everything. Directed by Opie … er,
Richie … er, Ron Howard and brilliantly photographed by Polish
cinematographer Piotr Sobicinski, "Ransom" is about the kidnapping
of a New York multimillionaire’s son and the battle of will that
ensues once the headstrong tycoon decides to take charge of the
situation.
The cast is top-notch, featuring Mel Gibson with neck veins
a-popping as the tycoon, Rene Russo as his wife, Delroy Lindo as
the Fed assigned to the case, Lili Taylor as the kidnapper’s
accomplice and Gary Sinise as NYPD cop Jimmy Shaker. Howard’s
acting background serves him well as he demonstrates a deft hand
and draws finely tuned performances from his cast.
As a director, Howard has proved himself competent but not
exactly on the vanguard of the craft. His strongest trait may be
his ability to surround himself with good people, including
cameraman Sobicinski. Rarely in a Hollywood film does the
cinematography actually push forward the narrative, but
Sobicinski’s earth tone palette and camera moves not only please
the eye but also tell the story.
As for the script, it’s a mixed bag. Just when you think you can
sit back and settle in for a predictable exercise in genre
filmmaking, the characters start to show a surprising amount of
complexity, namely Gibson’s Tom Mullin. Mullin is flawed and human,
not some rigidly moral Harrison Ford character. Ultimately,
"Ransom" becomes a duel and a battle of wits and wills between
Mullin and the kidnapper; as the plot proceeds, Mullin and his
adversary become locked in a combat that eventually takes on a
mythic, operatic quality.
But in the end, Hollywood triumphs. While the script features
many clever lines and twists, the last 20 minutes sabotage what
could’ve been a bold and compelling resolution. The presence of
many hands can be felt in the plot, but this isn’t a problem until
the end.
"Ransom" still makes for a better than average outing. Howard
shows a skill that surprises his skeptics at first before he
succumbs to the kind of hokey formula stuff one might expect from
him.
Brandon Wilson
Grade: B+
"Mad Dog Time"
Directed by Larry Bishop
Starring Jeff Goldblum, Gabriel Byrne
Every so often a film comes along that’s really entertaining and
well-made, but seems to be lacking something. In the case of "Mad
Dog Time," that certain something is a plot, and somehow it’s
OK.
The movie begins in the middle, so to speak, and fails to
provide some vital background information on the characters.
The story revolves around a group of mobster-types who frequent
a nightclub called Vic’s. The mood of the club is tense, and people
are getting scared.
The reason? Vic (Richard Dreyfuss), the godfather of this
particular scene, is being released from a mental institution, and
he’s going to put everyone back in line.
During Vic’s absence, several of his underdogs had been vying
for top position and they all had a plan to kill off the
competition, including Vic.
Ben London (Gabriel Byrne, "The Usual Suspects"), Vic’s personal
thug, is getting too comfortable in the boss’ chair. Mickey
Holliday (Jeff Goldblum, "Jurassic Park," "Independence Day") has
been paying a little too much attention to Vic’s girlfriend, Grace,
while Vic was strapped to his straight-jacket.
The problem now goes back to the plot issue  What is it
that Vic does? Sure, he has a nightclub and everyone respects him,
but why?
What "Mad Dog Time" lacks in explanation is made up for in
style. The characters glide in and out of their scenes, and the
scenes blend into one another. In addition to the large cast, many
small roles are filled with notable celebrities (Billy Idol,
Richard Pryor, Burt Reynolds), which only add to the surrealistic
feel of the film.
Goldblum and Byrne are the highlights of the film. Goldblum is
slick as the fast-drawing heir to Vic’s throne (and girlfriend).
Byrne is funny and uncharacteristically goofy.
Larry Bishop makes his directorial debut with this film, but it
doesn’t seem like it. The film has a distinctively off-beat sense
of humor and remains highly stylized at the same time. It seems
like the work of a pro.
So even without a plot, "Mad Dog Time" has enough appeal in
other more important areas like scenery, acting and dialogue to let
that one slight detail slide.
Lori Swingle
Grade: A-
"The Funeral"
Directed by Abel Ferrara Starring Chris Penn, Benicio del
Toro
Love him or hate him, director Abel Ferrara is definitely one of
the most unique and undiluted voices on the American film scene.
From his controversial "Bad Lieutenant" to last year’s "The
Addiction," Ferrara and longtime collaborator screenwriter Nicholas
St. John have crafted sordid tales loaded with Catholic angst and
the lust for redemption, all of which usually give way to an
orgiastic, cataclysmic burst of mayhem.
Ferrara is also interested in genre, and how to turn its
conventions on their head to create something new. This impulse
fuels his new film "The Funeral." Set in mid-1930s New York City,
the story centers around the brothers of the Tempio family. The
funeral in question is for youngest brother Johnny (Vincent Gallo),
gunned down outside a movie theater. Eldest brother Ray
(Christopher Walken) is the level-headed leader of the mob family
and middle brother Chez (Chris Penn) is a volatile mix of emotional
sensitivity and brutal savagery.
Chez is pure Ferrara, all tears and guilt with the potential for
violence growing with every passing moment, and Penn gets a chance
to shine in the part. Also noteworthy is Benecio Del Toro, quickly
becoming cinema’s most watchable actor, who delivers a typically
idiosyncratic performance as Gaspar, a rival gangster whose fate is
irreversibly tied to the fallen Tempio.
The film is remarkably sober and coherent, Chez notwithstanding,
for a Ferrara film. It poses some meaningful questions about the
meaning of manhood and the ultimately self-destructive nature of
revenge. Of course, the ending is typical for him, but the rest of
the film makes for what could be a new era in the maverick
director’s body of work.
Brandon Wilson
Grade: B-
"No Easy Way"
Directed by Jeffrey Fine
Starring Alan Boyce, Khandi Alexander
It is a story of love in the age of AIDS and a tale of
friendship in a world of interracial tension. "No Easy Way,"
written by Patrick Tobin, delves into the lives of a renowned
concert pianist with AIDS, Matthew Livingston (Alan Boyce), and a
panhandling mother of two on welfare, Diana Campbell (Khandi
Alexander, co-star of NBC’s News Radio and ER) as they both try to
bring hope into each other’s lives.
Director Jeffery Fine has tackled many difficult issues in this
film, but it still seems to be lacking the dynamics to give these
topics the attention they deserve. The film’s approach is very slow
and labored, which makes it difficult to feel the intensity of the
situations the actors encounter. Still, Alexander and Boyce add
spirit to this otherwise lacking film.
Alexander adds essential and convincing emotion to the character
of Diana. Boyce struggles somewhat with his character as he tries
to reveal his alienation and fear of compassion. But Boyce’s
episodes with Alexander bring out the best in his acting as they
passionately play off of each other’s emotions.
"No Easy Way" is the first feature length film for director
Jeffrey Fine and for a first film, it is a credit to his name. But
still, this film does have some rough spots.
Although Tobin has presented a good dialogue to deal with the
subjects presented, the conversation does get forced and rigid at
times. Boyce and Alexander deal well with the difficult parts of
the script, adding life and flavor to otherwise troublesome
areas.
The lack of unique scenery and notable music is also a
bothersome point, but does add some verification to the plot. This
dryness can be seen as a further illustration of the isolation and
loneliness of the characters in the film.
This film is moving, but, a warning to viewers, there are some
trouble spots that need to be overlooked if one is going to feel
and understand the purpose of this film.
Julie Cordua
Grade: B