compsecure Reviews

The Deer Hunter (1978)

One for the Ages. The thinking mans war movie.

[27 April 2004]

Deerhunter could be remembered as much for the immportant messages it delivers as much as the undoubted brilliant acting of its cast. I use the term cast as it would be unfair to accord all the acting plaudits to the 2 main stars in the movie De Niro & Walken.There is a host other brilliant performances included not the least the work done by Streep who to some extent has been overlooked in this movie which is afterall primarily male orientated in so far as the principal plot is concerned ie Vietnam war.Streeps character obviously did not take part in the war but a proportion of the film deals with her relationship with the 2 main characters and as such is integral to the thread of the movie.The interaction of the group in the hunting trip scenes where powerful & some of the most thought provoking of the movie. I thought the russian roulette scenario was novel in so far as it provided another opportunity for film lovers to observe actors at the top of their game ie Walken & De Niro. Even though the scenes themselves were pure fantasy & not typical of any recorded incidence in the war one got the feeling that they could well have happened none the less.One could not in fact watch the movie without feeling some of the underlying message intended or otherwise.,such was the power & intensity of the potrayals.I would rate this movie in the top 10 of all time for a number of reasons most of which rarely all come together in an individual movie if ever.

The Acting. top shelf in every sense & not just the principal actors.

The obvious brilliant casting as without that the project falls short of expectations & performance.

The screenplay. Absolutely top notch. The canvass on which the actors work.

The set direction. Some of the Vietnam locations were realism personified.Must have been times when things could have gotten sticky ensuring the safety of the crew during filming & just being there at that time of mayhem.

The direction. In the same category as the acting. Need we say more.

All in all a production that will stand the test of time & contain just as many reasons for enjoyment in 50 years time as now. The true test of a movie. In the real world they can,t all live up to that test & most are never pitched with that intention. Just savour those few that do.

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Classic in every sense

[24 April 2004]

This was one of the few movies that in my opinion had everything. Briliant screenplay,Casting,acting,score, one could go on for ever. In addition it was brave enough to deliver a message in some ways not unlike the recent Saving Private Ryan. I saw it when it came out & have watched it countless times since & each time I find something different. Whether one views it as a De Niro fan of which I am one or as a Vietnam vet perhaps who can relate to the period & locations of the movie or whatever, it delivers everytime. It invokes in me anyway, feelings I never knew I had & brought to the surface many emotions that I had either disregarded or failed to recognize.Few movies have this special blend of sensitivity & brutality which is expertly put to use in this classic production. I believe it will stand the test of time. In 50-100 years people will look back on this film & view it for what it is.Brilliantly conceived, brilliantly acted & brilliantly directed.What more could any film lover ask for.

Patton (1970)

The ultimate part for a real character actor

[24 April 2004]

Patton was a case of the right movie coupled with the right man to play the principle character.Therefore the main plaudits must by definition go to the brilliant casting involved before we get to the acting.In my opinion Scotts portrayal of Patton ranks among perhaps the top 3 characterizations of all time right up there with Hackmans Popeye Doyle & Douglas,s Spartacus.Scott was Patton in every sense right down to his shirt buttons & played the part accordingly. The same can be said of Hackman & Douglas. When this coming together of actor & role occurs we get the instant feeling that there is nobody else who could play the part, they are almost one & the same such is the performance.I consider this to be the ultimate in acting ability the skill to totally immerse ones self in the part & to make it look real.You almost come away feeling you have witnessed history having seen the actual person. The ultimate accolade. Maybe thats why so few have reached the standard.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

An true epic in very sense.

[23 April 2004]

The opening & closing scenes were for me the hardest to sit through as they both convey such a powerful message that really the film is somewhat of an anticlimax. I had only stood overlooking Omaha beach where the opening scene was shot about 9 months before they commenced filming. When one looks over onto Omaha beach itself today there is really nothing to indicate the bloodshed that is so graphically portrayed in the film. It is the most peaceful & surreal place one can imagine & a fit resting place for the rows upon row of pure white headstones that adorn this immaculate cemetery. There are several other cemeteries in the area but this one is something special & the opening scene of the movie captures the solemnity & majesty of this monument perfectly. I just stood there among the graves in awe & admiration of the sacrifice made by these young soldiers who died in a foreign country among the depravity of war to ensure that we could live in relative peace. I can understand why so many veterans could not sit through the opening scene & never saw the movie so overcome were they. They would have had just as hard a job with the final scene had they stayed.I feel the film itself will stand as something of a monument to those who fought against the forces of evil & were prepared to die in the process.The sheer scale & logistics of the movie are mindboggling to say the least. Hanks was his brilliant self although I consider Sizemore nearly stole the show with a supporting performance par excellence. Not exactly Spielbergs masterpiece as I believe we will see more of this type of film from him but it will do for the moment thank you.

The French Connection (1971)

Signature role for a great actor

[23 April 2004]

Gene Hackman was made for this role which I consider to be his best work bar none. He carried the film from start to finish was totally believable & brought out the best in the supporting cast some of whom also gave benchmark performances notably cloudy his sidekick who should have won best supporting actor award but with Hackman getting major award was not to be.The film was totally right for the time in which it was made that is to say it dealt with the darker side of the drug trade which up till this point had not been portayed in film in anything like the realistic form done with connection. That Hackman was able to carry on the role in the sequel almost as if they were one movie speaks plenty for both his skills as as an actor & the screenwriting both of which have rarely been equalled & to my mind not surpassed. All in all a benchmark film a benchmark performance what else can one say. The car chase fades into insignificance when stacked against the acting in this movie & to some extent it is a pity that this is what the movis is remembered for. Maybe by car buffs but certainly not those that know something about acting in the truest sense.Popeye will stand the test of time.

Kelly's Heroes (1970)

Have a little heart crapgame have a little heart

[23 April 2004]

One for the war enthusiast who like more than a bit of humour mixed in with the tanks & bazookas. Strangley enough the humour works well with brilliant efforts from Rickles & Sutherland who give stellar performances. Eastwood really gives the only straight performance in the film with Savalas who stole the show giving one of his better efforts no doubting contributing to his later Kojack series.Who could resist seeing Sutherland turn around & look at his assembled compatriots after starting to inspect the guard of honour at the Paracute jump school. I would watch the movie just to see that stupid look on his face again & hear him say those immortal words Where you from son.........neverrr heard of it!. Sutherland completely . what else can one say.

Point Blank (1967)

role made for the original 60s action man

[23 April 2004]

This was a movie made for Marvin. Whether by design or by accident it matters not, this was the perfect vehicle for probably the only authentic believable actor as well qualified to play this type of screen role. Marvin looked like your average definition of a gangster, thug,slick operator, tough guy call it what you will and had the physique, persona, acting skills etc to carry the role and excel in it. Marvin acted above himself in this movie as he did in The Killers several years prior & reunited with Dickinson in the process something that added a special thread throughout the movie.There was sadly not enough of these types of roles to enable Marvin to display his obvious talent in portraying these types of screen characters but there was just enough to wet our apetite for more. Point Blank was probably the pick of them before Marvins career sidetracked to other areas which to my mind while it may have added to his body of work did not amply display to us the full talents of this contemporary one off actor the like of which I sadly fear we will never be fortunate enough to see again. That being said the movie was also notable for many other brilliant performances principally Lloyd Bochner, Carol O,connor & John Vernon who also possessed some of the qualities attributed to Marvin although not on the same scale or intensity.All In all a movie worth watching for a number of reasons. Lee we miss you. Heaven must be a gass with you & cassavetes steve Mcqueen etc.

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Signature role for a one off Actor

[23 April 2004]

This film is notable as being the finest role played by Lee Marvin who was tailor made for the part of Major Reisman. The principle plaudits in my view apart from the acting must surley be attributed to the excellent casting in this film Marvin being the standout. Marvin excelled himself in this role & was totally believable but then one could generally say that about all of Marvins roles. This actor was in his stride in the 60s following on from such standout performances in the Killers & Point Blank which I also rate as highly as Dirty Dozen but for different reasons.Marvin like cassavetes gave %200 involvement & realism to all their roles & their individual personas added that extra punch to more than a few films in this era of filmdom.The film industry is the poorer for the loss of these 2 brilliant performers particularly cassavetes who died much to early. They have left much to enjoy.

Harper (1966)

Terrific

[23 April 2004]

Harper was one of a select few in the sixties that still stand out as eminently watchable films if not for the plot then for a host of other notable features. Newman together with Steve Mcqueen were the cool end of town during the sixties and more or less had the field to themselves.In Harper Newman extends himself in the cool department & delivers a classic performance which ranks with the better films he has made to date. In fact in this role Newman probably tried to do Mcqueen better than the man himself & to a great extent succeeded. Who could resist seeing Pamela Tiffen on that springboard in that bikini if you watched it for no other reason that would not be bad start.The look on Newmans face when he sees the pool for the first time and the laconic looping wave of the arm as he departs the pool after the first encounter with Tiffen & Wagner.The supporting cast should not be forgotten with sterling efforts from the adorable Lauren Bacall & Strother Martin to name a couple.Like many 60s movies which were quickly seen & forgotten this one is worthy of a place in the top shelf as Newman says in the film theres something all bright & shiny. All in all !triffic!

The Killers (1964)

Grounding breaking movie earthshattering acting

[23 April 2004]

The fact that this movie was Ronald Reagans last before entering politics seriously is notable in itself but there is much so much more that this movie delivers that is noteworthy. The fact that it was made at all so soon after the Kennedy assassination in late 1963 with the anti violence mood present in the country is testamant to the foresight & committment of Seigel principally & the actors who agreed to star in it. THis probably explains also why it was not released until 1967-1968. This was the movie that first introduced serious film lovers to the acting talents of one Lee Marvin & gave them a taste of what lay in store in Point Blank & Dirty Dozen. If ever there was the definitive character actor it must be Marvin who in my opinion stands out with actors like Gene Hackman & Kirk Douglas as the greatest character actors of their generation. If dynamic characterisation means anything & being totally believable in any role they attempt then these actors including Karl malden stand out.They almost blasted you out of your cinema seat with intensity & realism & most of the films in which they shine are vehicles in which this talent can best be demonstrated eg high volume non stop action all the way bar none.This was also the movie that brought Marvin & Angie Dickenson together & obviously laid the ground work for the later Point Blank where they also shone in a more intimate role. Cassavetes as always shines in this movie & perhaps gives the standout performance as he was prone to do. He was the ultimate actor that gave his better performances when playing these high intensity type roles. THe film industry is the poorer for his early demise.He was a complex personality which is typical of these high octane actors but gave %200 to every role he undertook.Clu Gulager is the fast finishing outsider in this production & with cassavetes gives a standout performance. I think it is a pity we have not seen more of these types of roles tailor made for him as he leaves no dust in portrayal of the young hitman & gives us a lingering taste of his talents. I consider this movie among my all time greats both for the film itself & the actors concerned. A benchmark.

Spartacus (1960)

A fitting tribute to the career of Kirk Douglas.

[19 April 2004]

Even today it is hard to visualise the scale of this epic or the efforts that went into its production. With all the computer generated effects of todays so-called epics eg Gladiator something stands out about this bench mark film. That Kirk Douglas did not win best actor oscar award for this film probably says more about the judging criteria of the day than it does about Douglas,s performance for when you stack it against that of Russell Crowes in gladiator what you are really seeing is the master & apprentice. There is something about the raw boned straight from the hip performance by Douglas that sets it apart from the rest of the so-called sword & sandal epics both past & present. I consider the fact that Douglas did not win an oscar for that role is perhaps the single biggest injustice in the history of the oscars especially when one considers that the film was largely his own in more ways than. I have never seen such an example of an actor carrying a film as it were on his back as without douglas the film would never have worked. The greatest ever Epic of its kind we will ever see.I would love to meet the man & present him with the oscar he never got before he dies what a coup that would be for the academy.