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Reviews
Charley Varrick (1973)
The Maltese Falcon of the "small timer accidentally steals mob's money" genre
A classic 70's anti-hero, caper movie that does not disappoint - Don Siegel, half the supporting cast of Dirty Harry (including the S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum, only this time in the hands of Andy Robinson), Walter Matthau, Joe Don Baker and awesome southwestern remote locations. It's the grandfather of No Country For Old Men...Enjoy!
It has only two real weaknesses: 1) A rather odd and rare romance scene for Walter Matthau - I am completely convinced that it is a filmed practical joke to put Matthau in bed with his favorite collaborator's real-life wife, Felicia Farr (married to Jack Lemmon). 2) The police are a wee bit too slow getting to the eponymous anti-hero's lair during the climax.
A strong 8...Check it out.
Clear History (2013)
A Funny Master Class in Dramatic Irony
When you've experienced a life setback and need a laugh, this one is for you. My favorite examples of against-type casting over the years: Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Ray Winstone AND Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. Clear History may have bested all three, with the casting of Jon Hamm as the electric car magnate / philanthropist, playing opposite to Larry David's Nathan Flomm - a character hiding from his past and living a new life (just like Don Draper from Mad Men). Brilliant.
To be kind, Larry David vehicles tend to be a one-trick pony of sarcasm and misanthropy - if that's not your cup of tea, I completely understand. I wasn't burned out by Curb Your Enthusiasm, as it wasn't ever really on my radar, not being an HBO subscriber during its run.
Give this one a view.
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (2019)
Working Title: USA Gymnastics Abused Young Girls for 30 Years...and Larry Nassar Did Too
Interesting documentary. Larry Nassar is guilty, and deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail.
Unfortunately, Nassar is responsible for 99.9997% of the sexual abuse in the sport, but only about 2% of the overall abuse. The other forms - Physical, Mental, Emotional, Medical - will continue. The USOC, USAG, NCAA, Michigan State University, Academia-at-Large, NBC, ESPN / Disney, GE and a host of Fortune 500 sponsors and hangers-on, have their Fall Guy and they're sticking to it.
No Time to Die (2021)
No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Bi!
FFS...And the Internet had a mini-meltdown when the rocket scientists at CBS rebooted Jonathan Quayle Higgins with a uterus. Standby gang - James Bond, as you have known on the big screen for 60 years, will NOT return.
Night Moves (1975)
A Hackman Gem
The plot has gaping holes...The script is only a bit more developed than an outline, but the performances are completely top shelf. 1975 is on exquisitely dysfunctional display - bad hair, polyester, middle-age with city miles - and it works. If there was ever a Franz Kafka gumshoe story, Night Moves is it. Wanna know why Gene Hackman has two statues? The confrontation scene between Harry (Gene Hackman) and Marty (Harris Yullin) at their first meeting will answer that. Restrained and brooding, it's perhaps his most-sublimely brilliant 5 minutes on film.
Star Trek: Patterns of Force (1968)
Art Imitating Our Kafka-esque Life?
No...No, I didn't think about Joe Biden once during this episode.