Laemmle Royal Theatre to host 30th anniversary screening of ‘The Last Seduction’ with special guest, director John Dahl

September 27, 2024 by

“Linda Fiorentino [is] the baddest of the bad women, the most full-blown yet utterly believable femme fatale to come along in years.”

— Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Critic Mick LaSalle was writing about “The Last Seduction” (1994, John Dahl) and if you’ve never seen it, you’d better have a damn good reason!

Angelenos can watch this unforgettable neo-noir on the big screen on Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 7 pm, at the Laemmle Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles. Director John Dahl will be the special guest. In honor of the event, part of Laemmle’s Anniversary Classics Series, we’re rerunning our “Last Seduction” review.

The Last Seduction/1994/ITC/110 min.

Years ago, I wrote a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune. I interviewed experts on ways women could work smart and climb the corporate ladder. Most of the time, no matter what the obstacle or dilemma was – job hunting, negotiating a raise, getting a promotion – the bottom line was: do your homework, highlight your achievements and ask for what you want.

In 1994’s “The Last Seduction” by director John Dahl and writer Steve Barancik, Linda Fiorentino as Bridget Gregory takes this advice to dazzling new heights. As the story unfolds, this career maven excels in not just one job, but several. In the opening scene, she’s a supervisor at a telemarketing sales firm in New York City, where she doesn’t ask, she demands. Then she needles her hapless sales guys mercilessly, calling them “maggots, eunuchs and bastards.”

At least they know where they stand. That pat-on-the-back stuff is way overrated.

Later she becomes Director of Lead Generation at an insurance company in a small town in New York state. Under her own steam (at night, of course, this being a noir) she researches prospects for a telemarketing murder business. Hey, it’s not like there isn’t a market.

And she launches an entrepreneurial venture in which she steals a boatload of cash from her husband, malleable Clay (Bill Pullman) and taps loyal-to-a-fault Mike, her lover/investment partner (Peter Berg), to help her. Neither of these dudes is much of a match for her – their chief virtue (besides being good looking) is that they are good at following orders, which is especially true in Mike’s case.

Bill Pullman and Linda Fiorentino play husband and wife.

When one of Mike’s friends asks him: “whadd’ya see in her?” he replies: “a new set of balls.” Her résumé also includes legs that never stop, bedroom eyes and a ready laugh, especially at the expense of doofuses or dumpy small-town mores. Just when you think an interfering man is going to impede her climb to the top, she flicks him away like a speck of lint from her sleek pinstripe suit.

Having done her due diligence, she’s hoping to close the deal in such a way that neither Clay nor Mike can claim a penny of the profit. Talk about multi-tasking. It’s understandable that so much juggling might make Bridget a little irritable from time to time.

Luckily, Mike is nothing if not supportive and just turns the other (butt) cheek when she calls him a rural Neanderthal. When he suggests they go on a date and chat sometime; she asks: “What for?”

When Mike (Peter Berg) suggests going on an actual date, Bridget (Linda Fiorentino) asks, “What for?”

To say that Fiorentino, a Philly native with a fiery intensity, nails the part is an understatement. She is one of the fiercest femmes fatales in all of neo-noir moviemaking. If I were a guy, I think seeing this performance would surely give me an uneasy night’s sleep. I would have loved to see Fiorentino work with Quentin Tarantino, but her career short-circuited fairly early. I have heard she was a tad hard to work with – shocker! Pullman, Berg and the rest of the cast more than hold their own, underplaying their parts and letting Fiorentino hold bitchy court.

Director Dahl is a neo-noir specialist (he also directed “Red Rock West,” “Kill Me Again” and “Rounders”) and the sharp, funny script is peppered with references to noir classics. For instance, Dahl tips his hat to “Double Indemnity” by having Bridget and Mike both work at an insurance company and, when Bridget calls the police to falsely accuse a guy of exposing himself (so she can make a getaway), she gives her name as “Mrs. Neff.”

I suppose that could be evidence of her truly tender heart – in her imagination, the doomed lovers Walter Neff and Phyllis Dietrichson get married and live happily ever after. Yeah, right. But, if Bridget said it, you’d believe her.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Speak No Evil’ tells a suspenseful, satirical tale

September 27, 2024 by

2024/1h 50m

“Speak No Evil” – a psychological thriller written and directed by James Watkins – begins its push-pull of nervous energy from the very first frame. After a mysterious, night-time opening shot, we’re introduced to an American family on vacation in sunny Italy. Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis), her husband Ben (Scoot McNairy) and their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) are trying to enjoy the trip, but can’t quite seem to relax, despite the scenic views and scrumptious food. For one thing, Louise and Ben disagree on a parenting issue. Ben wants Agnes, almost 12, to put away, once and for all, a stuffed rabbit named Hoppy, which she holds tight when she feels anxious. Louise feels it’s better not to make a big deal about it.

One day, while strolling around town, they encounter another family: friendly and charismatic Paddy (James McAvoy), easy-going Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their sweet son Ant (Dan Hough), who is a few years younger than Agnes and has trouble communicating. Paddy instantly impresses Agnes by offering her a ride on his snazzy Vespa.

Later, as the two families share a meal, Ben and Louise reveal that they relocated to London for Ben’s career, but his job was downsized shortly after they moved. Louise works in PR; however, it’s been hard for her to build a new network of contacts. Paddy, a doctor, Ciara, a stay-at-home mom, and Ant live in England’s west country.

The two families meet in Italy. From left to right: Mackenzie Davis, Alix West Lefler, Scoot McNairy, Dan Hough, Aisling Franciosi and James McAvoy.

Once the holiday has ended and the Daltons are back in London, they’re at a loose end workwise and their marital problems are bubbling to the surface. When they receive a letter from Paddy inviting them (for the second time) to come for a visit, Ben and Louise hesitate – it’s a lot of time with new friends they hardly know. On the other hand, they’ve had a nice time together so far and Paddy’s charm makes it hard to say no. After all, what could go wrong?

Quite a lot, actually, with awkward moments starting almost as soon as they arrive at Paddy and Ciara’s rustic farmhouse. Red flags keep popping up and the extent to which Louise and Ben choose to ignore them allows “Speak No Evil” to be a dark comedy of manners as well as an excellent suspenser distinguished by superb storytelling. Though the third act plays out in familiar slasher-movie fashion, it’s preceded by interesting characters played by talented actors, a mood of quiet malice and stunning cinematography (shot in Croatia and Gloucester, England). McAvoy is completely convincing as the jovial alpha male with an undercurrent of hostility while McNairy makes beta male Ben relatable if not entirely likable. Mackenzie Davis is terrific as Louise, who can take charge when needed. Aisling Franciosi plays Ciara with a sweetness that slow-burns into edgy weirdness. Both child actors are excellent as well.

Also, director Watkins (“Eden Lake” 2008 and “The Woman in Black” 2012) deserves praise for the unhurried pacing. (That could be a nod to the Danish film of the same name from 2022 directed by Christian Tafdrup on which Watkins based his movie.) As the story unfolds little by little, layer by layer, we learn more about the cracks in Ben and Louise’s marriage, cringe at the uncomfortable exchanges between the couples, and see well beyond the surface of Paddy and Ciara’s cozy family life – especially when Paddy quotes Philip Larkin’s famous lines about parents and humiliates Ant while the kids are performing a dance they’ve rehearsed. Once the social niceties subside and the polite forbearance finally ends, Louise and Ben must trust each other 100% and work as allies – not to mention wield deadly weapons – to survive this idyllic country getaway, which has spiraled into chilling insanity.

“Speak No Evil” opened Sept. 13 and is playing in theaters nationwide.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Courtroom drama dissects defiance of French far-left activist

September 21, 2024 by

2023 France/2024 US/1h 56m

“The Goldman Case” functions as a tense, often-tumultuous courtroom drama, which is based on a true story. At the same time, the film delves into a turbulent period of modern French history – the late 1960s and 1970s – grappling with political, cultural and social-justice issues as it renders an even-handed portrait of an intellectual/self-described revolutionary/criminal agitator.

That agitator is French far-left activist Pierre Goldman (Arieh Worthalter). His parents (both Polish) were members of a branch of the French Resistance in WW2; after the war, his mother returned to Poland and Pierre was raised primarily by his father in France. At 19, Pierre became a communist and over the next several years spent time in Cuba and Venezuela, where he was involved with guerrilleros. He was part of the Royal Bank of Canada robbery in Venezuela in 1969, but was not identified and returned to Paris.

He continued his criminal activities and was given a life sentence in 1974 after being convicted of a robbery in which two pharmacists were killed. He denied having committed that robbery (although he’d admitted to three other, earlier robberies and had received a 12-year jail sentence).

While in prison, he wrote a book about his case, “Souvenirs obscurs d’un juif polonais né en France” (“Obscure Memories of a Polish Jew Born in France,” 1975), which caught the attention of Simone Signoret, Jean-Paul Sartre and others, and Goldman became a cause célèbre.

Because of the publicity and emerging questions about the police work, Goldman is granted a retrial. In the courtroom, Goldman frequently disregards protocol and speaks out of turn – arguing his cause, criticizing the proceedings (angrily explaining, for example, why he sees character references as pointless) and asserting racism by the police. His outbursts spur cheers from his many supporters in attendance. Though the judges don’t sanction him (no “order in the court!”), his seeming bent on self-destruction frustrates his defense team.

As various witnesses testify and we learn more about Goldman, his family, his relationships and his mental health, we’re unsure from minute to minute as to his innocence or guilt regarding the murder charges. The rousing speeches from passionate lawyers on both sides and the sometimes-arcane idiosyncrasies of French legal proceedings add to the tension. Confining most of the action to the gloomy, harshly lit courtroom creates a pervasive sense of claustrophobia.

Ably directed by Cédric Kahn (he wrote the screenplay with Nathalie Hertzberg), the acting is solid throughout and it’s hard to take your eyes off Worthalter, who fully inhabits the fiery, ferocious Goldman and brings to life a character and a case that remain fascinating and disturbing long after the film ends.

“The Goldman Case” opened Sept. 13 in Los Angeles and is playing in select theaters nationwide.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Sly, stylish “Strange Darling” takes us on a weird and wild ride

September 15, 2024 by

2023 Film Festivals/2024 Theatrical Release/1h 37m

In a summer that’s short on must-see movies, “Strange Darling” ranks as essential viewing for fans of neo-noir thriller/horror flicks. A riveting story of a serial killer on the loose in rural Oregon, the film has much to recommend it: compelling creepy characters; superb acting; first-rate visuals; gritty intensity; and taut pacing, clocking in at 96 minutes. But most memorably, “Strange Darling” upends our expectations of the genre in a strikingly original way.

Bookended by stark black and white photography, the film opens with a moody shot, introducing us to the two leads: the red-headed, doe-eyed Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) and the clean-cut, rugged Demon (Kyle Gallner) – two easy-on-the-eyes, mutually attracted strangers who are sitting in the Demon’s truck swigging booze late one night, deciding whether they will take their party to a room at the nearby Blue Angel hotel. She comments that violence is always a risk for a woman in this situation and asks him if he’s a serial killer. He says no. From there, the story unfolds in six non-linear chapters.

Chapter 3 “Can you please help me?” comes first (and the phrase pops up several times throughout the movie). The next morning, the Lady, pale and frail but wiry, is now a blonde and has changed into hideous red scrubs. Driving a red Pinto, she floors it frantically down a quiet road. The gun-toting Demon is in determined, coke-fueled pursuit, but she escapes into dense, sun-dappled woods and eventually pounds on the door of a rustic cabin, occupied by hippie/doomsdayers (with a penchant for butter-laden breakfasts) Genevieve (Barbara Hershey) and Frederick (Ed Begley Jr.), and they let her in.

Terrified, wounded, hungry and hungover, she feasts, like a feral animal, on what’s left of their hearty morning meal. But when Frederick suggests they call the cops, the Lady vehemently disagrees. (Later, we do meet two officers, well played by Steven Michael Quezada and Madisen Beaty, who fall into a figurative snare that’s constructed from gender stereotypes.)

To reveal more of the plot would ruin the movie, so suffice to say as writer/director JT Mollner skillfully puts the puzzle pieces together, holes are tightened and questions are answered. That is, except for the most perplexing, probably unanswerable, question: how do people become crazy enough to go on a bloody killing binge with zero remorse?

The Demon (Kyle Gallner) is on a mission in rural Oregon.

Watching this masterful work, you feel the influence of Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock. Mollner delivers a picture (his second) that’s bold, clever, sordid and sometimes darkly comic. Shot in 35 mm by cinematographer Giovanni Ribisi, “Strange Darling” is great-looking throughout – boasting rich color and arresting compositions. Composer Craig DeLeon’s score and original songs written and performed by Z Berg help to sustain the suspenseful mood.

Additionally, Mollner elicits terrific performances from the entire cast and especially from the captivating Fitzgerald as she pulls out all the stops playing a Lady you’ll never forget and Gallner, by turns sinister and phlegmatic; threatening and vulnerable.

Granted, “Strange Darling” won’t be everyone’s cup of blood. It’s a dark dive into the world of a serial killer, so if gore and graphic violence are a deal-breaker, you’ll want to give this a pass. (Also, if you’re looking for deep, thoughtful commentary on gender roles and sexual politics, look elsewhere.)

But for those who dig crime tales, sly, stylish “Strange Darling” takes us on a weird and wild ride.

“Strange Darling” opened Aug. 23 and is playing in theaters nationwide.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’ is a flaky, flimsy fairy tale that’s still pretty entertaining

July 31, 2019 by

For Angelenos, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” by Quentin Tarantino, is required viewing if you 1) are too young to have any idea who Charlie Manson’s family was 2) love Brad Pitt 3) are craving cocktails and massive portions at Musso & Frank’s and feel the need to rationalize a visit to the restaurant.

The film is a heavy-handed homage to the slowly collapsing Studio System, in the year 1969, as well as a revisionist and rescue fantasy from a director who gorges on movie lore like some of us feast on popcorn. But as glossy looking (shot by Robert Richardson) and as crammed with period detail as it is, “Once Upon,” has a script that’s thin and unsatisfying; the film has very little tension or much humor to sustain its 2 hour and 41 minute running time. The place, slick and sultry and a bit sinister, is rendered with a sure eye; the mood is often flat.

The story revolves primarily around a macho TV actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo Di Caprio) whose career is starting to wobble and his friendship with his stuntman and helper Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Rick is fond of easing his angst with booze; Cliff is a laconic cool guy, war veteran and mysterious widower – there are rumors that he might have been involved in his wife’s death. Rick happens to live on Cielo Drive, next door to director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) and his wife Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).

In “Once Upon,” Rick plays the villain in “Lancer,” which was an actual Western show that aired on CBS for two seasons, starting in 1968 and starring actor James Stacy (played in “Once Upon” by Timothy Olyphant) and Wayne Maunder (Luke Perry).

Robbie is an ideal choice to play Tate; she exudes young energy and abundant promise. So, it would have been nice if Tarantino had given her more to do than being adorable, acquiescent and slightly vacant.

But hey she is a starlet, after all. We meet lots of stock players in this dark-side-of-the-dream scenario: Al Pacino as a glitzy producer, looking to snag film roles for Rick in Italian movies; Lorenza Izzo as the 2-D, temperamental wife Rick meets while making an Italian movie; and Julia Butters as a precocious child actor (is there any other kind?) and co-star of Rick’s Italian movie. As Tarantino melds reality with fantasy, we also spy Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis), Sam Wanamaker (Nicholas Hammond), Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and others.

The other major plotline, awkwardly lumped in, comes from the fact that cult leader Charlie Manson and his murderous followers also had tangential and tenuous (but 100% real) connections to Tinseltown. Manson once aspired to a music career and mistakenly believed that producer Terry Melcher lived in the Tate-Polanksi residence on Cielo Drive. Also, the Manson “family” lived at Spahn Ranch, which was a filming location for the Jane Russell movie “The Outlaw” and some episodes of the TV show “Bonanza.”

By chance, Cliff picks up a hitchhiking Mansonite named Pussycat (Margaret Qualley, of TV’s “The Leftovers” and “Fosse/Verdon”), drives her to the ranch and stops in for a visit. Apparently, Rick and Cliff once worked there and Cliff remembers George Spahn, who in 1969 was 80 years old and blind.

Long-legged and lithe Pussycat bites her lip repeatedly as part of her seduction but Cliff decides she’s too young for him and takes a pass, on her and the Manson cult. Pussycat might be based in part on Kathryn Lutesinger, who briefly followed Manson but later turned against him. Dakota Fanning and Austin Butler play (real-life) Manson followers and criminals Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Tex Watson. Damon Herriman plays Manson.

“Once Upon …” isn’t a bad movie but it’s not Tarantino at his finest. It’s well acted, especially Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth and Bruce Dern as George Spahn, and it’s all pretty enjoyable, it’s just not that interesting or weird or wild overall. Granted, the reimagining of the Manson Tate murders definitely provides a kooky ending – the problem is it also comes off as strained and random, more gimmick than grand finale.

Welcome to LA.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

‘Film Stars’ offers fine performances, but doesn’t do full justice to the multidimensional Gloria Grahame

December 15, 2017 by

“Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool,” is Paul McGuigan’s film based on Peter Turner’s memoir of his relationship with actress Gloria Grahame, near the end of her life. (She died in New York City on Oct. 5, 1981; she was 57.)

Annette Bening gives a nuanced, highly sympathetic performance as the aging Grahame. Jamie Bell beautifully plays her young lover, Turner, a working-class actor from Liverpool. Julie Walters (as his mother) and Vanessa Redgrave (as Grahame’s mother) also shine in this often-moving, if somewhat predictable, story, scripted by Matt Greenhalgh.

The problem with the movie is that it ultimately becomes a fairly generic yarn about a May-December romance involving a Faded Film Star. The writer and director made the choice to film Turner’s book – rather than to use it as a starting point to illuminate the complicated person and happy-sad-doomed glamour girl that was Gloria Grahame. As a result, her unique identity is lost in the shuffle as we learn more of Turner’s life than we do of hers.

Grahame was a talented stage and film actress of the 1940s and ’50s, who is now often forgotten. For someone unfamiliar with the name, you are left with the impression that she was a Marilyn Monroe wannabe – sexy and blonde, zaftig and sweet. (Of course, that clichéd interpretation sells both women short.)

Both Grahame and Monroe were able to channel an assumed innocence and girlishness that made their characters memorable. Grahame’s breakthrough role was the flirtatious, small-town hottie Violet Bick in “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946, Frank Capra).

Grahame was less otherworldly than the goddess Monroe (both women endured plastic surgery to perfect their faces) but she had a feline beauty, sharp-featured and streetwise, the ideal look for many a femme fatale in some of the finest film noir titles ever produced.

She earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom for “Crossfire” (1947, Edward Dmytryk), held her own with Bogart in the exquisite “In a Lonely Place” (1950, Nicholas Ray, her husband at the time), gave Joan Crawford a run for her money in “Sudden Fear” (1952, David Miller) and tangled with Lee Marvin’s coffee-hurling sociopath in “The Big Heat” (1953, Fritz Lang).

Gloria Grahame was uniquely talented.

She had the vamps down cold and yet she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar playing a well bred Southern socialite/housewife in 1952’s “The Bad and the Beautiful,” directed by Vincente Minnelli.

Grahame had an unusually expressive face and a natural effervescence that is exciting to watch. She also had a slight lisp that renders her a bit goofy – less a celluloid confection and more a real person with flaws.

She was willing to take risks – but sometimes they backfired. Lacking singing and dancing chops, she struggled in “Oklahoma!” (1955, Fred Zinnemann). Oddly miscast in this classic musical, she was insecure; said to be difficult on set and uncooperative with the press.

And Grahame was eccentric, even by Hollywood standards, obstinate and scandalous in a singular way. Her fourth husband was her stepson, Anthony Ray, son of Nicholas Ray. (Jean Luc Godard once said of the famed but tortured director: “The cinema is Nicholas Ray.”)

Though she didn’t marry Anthony Ray until 1960 (he was in his early 20s, she was 36), there is some dispute about when exactly their sexual relationship started. Of her four marriages, theirs was the longest – they divorced in 1974.

To say the least, the unconventional marriage raised eyebrows, lowered her status as a bankable star, gave her ex-husbands grounds for custody disputes and made excellent fodder for the tabloid journalists and gossip columnists she’d already alienated. Grahame suffered a nervous breakdown but after her recovery she continued to work, turning to the stage and TV when movie offers became fewer and far between.

And, to the end, she craved male companionship, as evidenced by Turner’s account of her time in England. She always enjoyed the attention. As she said of her appeal: “It wasn’t the way I looked at a man, it was the thought behind it.”

Grahame is still much loved by movie buffs. And if the cinema is Nicholas Ray, then the cinema, especially film noir, is Gloria Grahame as well.

“Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool” opens today in Los Angeles.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews, Noir Style Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Highly anticipated ‘Snowman’ turns out to be mostly slush

October 20, 2017 by

Looking at the billboard posters for “The Snowman” (2017, Tomas Alfredson), I had the feeling that if I paid close attention while watching the movie, I might see a red flag or perhaps spot a clue that the police miss in a complex and carefully constructed story of a serial killer on the loose.

And since it’s set in Norway (haunting snowscapes, frozen lakes and austere mountains abound), I figured this tipoff to patient viewers would likely be a visual one – the Scandinavians being a tight-lipped crowd for the most part.

But about 45 minutes into this film, in which Michael Fassbender plays Detective Harry Hole, I realized that hanging in there was not going to pay off – that this was a complex and sloppily constructed story that was probably going to leave me feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Despite Alfredson’s success in 2011 with the multilayered “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” he seems out of his depth and overwhelmed with “The Snowman.” The narrative is confusing, the flashbacks don’t connect well with the present, the characterizations are haphazard. A case in point: Early on, we see Harry lying on a park bench shivering. There’s no explanation and the rest of the time he seems calm, measured, decisive and compassionate. Eventually, we learn he is an alcoholic. Oh, OK.

Similarly, his colleague Katrine Bratt (Rebecca Ferguson), despite showing ingenuity and fierce determination, in the end, must resort to time-worn feminine wiles to land her suspect. Good thing she’s gorgeous!

Charlotte Gainsbourg’s character doesn’t have a last name but at least she’s elegantly dressed. Whatever.

Most vacant of all: Chloë Sevigny’s two characters (she plays twins) – one of whom is a dour-faced chicken slaughterer. ’Nuff said.

Considering, too, that the film was based on Jo Nesbø’s best-selling series of novels, there was reason to hope for a well made, intelligent, engrossing movie. Maybe there were too many screenwriters? (Peter Straughan and Hossein Amini lead the list.)

Or maybe this would have been better off as a TV series, where the serpentine storylines could play out and the characters could have more time to develop. Unfortunately, “The Snowman” we ended up with is mostly slush.

“The Snowman” opened Oct. 19 in Los Angeles and is now on general release.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

‘L.A. Confidential,’ a neo-noir classic, turns 20

May 9, 2017 by

Tonight at the Laemmle Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills: Oscar winner Kim Basinger and co-star Guy Pearce will participate in a Q&A after a screening of ‘L.A. Confidential’!

Upon the film’s release, critic Michael Wilmington, writing for the Chicago Tribune, described it as: “A movie bull’s-eye: noir with an attitude, a thriller packing punches. It gives up its evil secrets with a smile.”

In honor of the anniversary, we are rerunning our review from 2010.

L.A. Confidential/1997/Warner Bros./138 min.

Life is good (and glitzy) in 1953 Los Angeles, if you don’t mind smoke and mirrors, hidden crime, rampant racism and more than a few dodgy cops. Corruption in the police force, long an undercurrent in classic noir, takes center stage in “L.A. Confidential,” a wry, stylish and devastating police drama directed by Curtis Hanson.

Hanson sets the tone of glib optimism masking darker secrets by opening the movie with shots of bright and cheerful ’50s postcards, the song “Accentuate the Positive (Eliminate the Negative)” and a Danny DeVito voiceover filling us in on some of the trouble that lurks in paradise.

The sophisticated script, by Hanson and Brian Helgeland, is based on the 1990 novel by James Ellroy, which cleverly weaves in actual Hollywood history while telling the see-speak-and-hear-all-evil story of three cops:

From left: James Cromwell, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey

*The jaded and jazzy Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes (played by Kevin Spacey with a nod to Dean Martin) who pads his bank account by consulting for a TV police show (“Badge of Honor”) and feeding juicy info to “Hush Hush” tabloid columnist Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito). Sid meets looming deadlines with set-ups, celebrity exposés and the odd blackmail scheme. (“Hush Hush” magazine is based on the ’50s scandal mag “Confidential” and “Badge of Honor” is based on TV’s “Dragnet.”)

*Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings ‘Ed’ Exley (Guy Pearce), an ambitious newbie with a gift for finessing police politics. Exley wants to make his Dad proud, follows a strict moral code and doesn’t care about being one of the guys. And he won’t be, given that he testifies against his fellow cops and their part in “Bloody Christmas,” a true incident of LA cops beating up Mexican prisoners.

*Officer Wendell ‘Bud’ White (Russell Crowe), a thuggish beefcake who likes to take justice into his own hands, especially when it comes to violence against women. “His blood’s always up,” Exley says of White.

Presiding over the entire force and clashing with Exley in particular is Capt. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), arrogant but understated until his latent psychopath rears his head.

“Bloody Christmas” is a mere prelude to a detailed catalog of vice and sin, as the story deepens and stretches to accommodate layer after layer of lies, double-dealing, betrayal and cover-up. Funny what can happen when mob leader and “honest haberdasher” Mickey Cohen (Paul Guilfoyle) — a real-life criminal — is getting a time-out in jail.

Central to the tangle is the Nite Owl case, involving kidnapping, rape, robbery and murder, which of course is not what it looks like. White’s ex-partner Dick Stensland (Graham Beckel) was among the bodies found in a dumpy diner, and, in pretty short order, three African-American guys with records end up taking the fall.

Kim Basinger won the Oscar for best supporting actress.

Additionally, the three cops find out about an upscale call-girl service, run by the suave, slick and urbane Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn). Patchett’s gimmick: All the girls resemble popular actresses — or they do after a few trips to a plastic surgeon. For instance, there’s a Veronica Lake look-alike named Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger). Sure enough, such a business did apparently exist in ’50s Tinseltown, as recounted in Garson Kanin’s memoir “Hollywood.”

Bud White proves to be both smart and strong as he asks the tough questions and finds their well-guarded answers, one in the form of a rotten, rat-infested corpse who turns out to be a fellow cop. Shocker!

More storylines surface, such as the romance between Bud and good-hearted golden-girl Lynn, not to be confused with Veronica Lake. (Btw, the Lana Turner mixup scene is a hoot!) And as is the case in noir, it’s not long before Exley meets Lynn and creates a triangle of treachery. As the threads of the story unravel, and we see more darkness and deceit, deadly shoot-outs and bloody dust-ups, it’s clear that all strands lead back to a central source of evil. Hanson and Helgeland, courtesy of Ellroy, tell a tense, crisply paced, funny and chilling story nestled in a near-perfectly rendered world of sun-drenched, sleazy LA.

A hit at the Cannes Film Festival, “L.A. Confidential” also ranked on most major critics Top Ten lists for 1997. The film received Oscar noms for best movie, director, editing, art direction, cinematography, adapted screenplay, supporting actress, sound and music/original dramatic score. Composer Jerry Goldsmith also scored “Chinatown” from 1974 and 1992’s “Basic Instinct.” “L.A. Confidential” won two: Basinger for supporting actress; Hanson and Helgeland for the screenplay.

Hanson’s film stands up beautifully and certainly holds its own among the great neo-noir movies, in the tradition of “Chinatown” and “Body Heat.” Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times sums up the appeal this way: “Its intricate plot is so nihilistic and cold around the heart, its nominal heroes so amoral, so willing to sell out anyone and everyone, that the film is as initially unnerving as it is finally irresistible.”

That said, there are several snags on the accuracy front. We are introduced to Johnny Stompanato (Paolo Seganti) as Lana Turner’s boyfriend, but in reality, the pair didn’t meet until 1957. (The following year, Turner’s teenage daughter Cheryl Crane fatally stabbed Stompanato; it was found to be justifiable homicide.)

And while Mickey Cohen was certainly a major player in the LA underworld, the bigger, though less famous, boss was Jack Dragna, who took over mob business after the murder of Bugsy Siegel in 1947.

Veronica Lake shot by George Hurrell; copyright George Hurrell

Also, Veronica Lake was a 1940s star and, by 1953, her power had faded considerably; the clip that’s shown from “This Gun for Hire” would have been 11 years old. At least Hanson let a 43-year-old actress play the part.

My favorite aspect of “L.A. Confidential” is the stellar performances. (There are 80 speaking parts.) Australians Pearce and Crowe, largely unknown in the U.S. at the time, and Spacey are terrific to watch as their loyalties to each other ebb and flow. Crowe electrifies every scene he’s in and Pearce makes an ideal foil. Spacey coasts through his part with an equal measure of glitz and wit; his brief answer to why he became a cop is stunning. DeVito must have modeled Sid after a mangy dog.

As I mentioned earlier, Basinger won an Oscar for her role as the femme fatale. “She’s one of the few contemporary actresses that you imagine in a George Hurrell photograph—as glamorous as any star in the old studio system,” Hanson said in an AP story from 1997. In the same story, Basinger said of Veronica Lake: “I think she’s more interesting than every character she ever played.”

So do I.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Noir royalty ‘Le Cercle Rouge’ boasts Melville’s chaste classic style, five legendary actors and austere Bressonian rigor … Film Noir Series features three neo-noir titles

May 4, 2017 by

By Mike Wilmington

Film Noir has many faces and that’s proven once again with the French noirs, old and new, shown this year at the 21st edition of the COLCOA French Film Festival, April 24 to May 2 at the Directors Guild theaters – which are appropriately named for three great French cineastes, Jean Renoir, François Truffaut and Jean-Pierre Melville.

Ranging from the sublime to the more predictable, the COLCOA Festival offers a few of those noir faces – including three titles by new young directors, and one classic from a film noir master (Melville himself) that is regarded by many fans and experts as one of the greatest examples of noir cinema: Melville’s all-star heist picture from 1970, “Le Cercle Rouge.”

Returning to his signature themes of life outside the law and honor among thieves, Melville crafted another prototypical crime thriller, with juicy parts from his superstar cast: Alain Delon (as the silky criminal mastermind) Yves Montand (as the genius marksman/alcoholic), Gian Maria Volontè (as the psycho escaped convict), Bourvil (as the truculent pursuer) and François Périer (as a weasely detective).

These five legendary actors, representing the cream of this profession, elevate the film to something near noir royalty and the famous 20-minute jewelry-store robbery (undoubtedly inspired by Jules Dassin’s “Rififi”) is a transfixing suspense piece.

“Le Cercle Rouge,” done with all Melville’s chaste classic style and austere Bressonian rigor, was shown in the Jean Renoir Theater on Friday, April 28, as part of a celebration of Melville’s centenary. Preceding it was the new restoration of Melville’s long-lost debut film, the moving 1946 documentary “A Day in a Clown’s Life,” starring the renowned circus clowns Beby and Maiss.

The two Melvilles are essential viewing for lovers of film noir, or of French cinema in general. The three new noirs, by contrast, are more ordinary, despite the recognition they’ve received in France. The best of them, Thomas Kruithof’s Kafkaesque spy thriller “The Eavesdropper,” gives us that sorrowful-looking French star François Cluzet, as an alcoholic ex-accountant who becomes enmeshed in a right-wing conspiracy when he’s hired to retype some mysterious documents.

Director/co-writer Nicolas Silhol’s “Corporate” is another high-tech corporate thriller that shows us the bad side of business, as experienced by two contentious and beautiful young women (Céline Sallette and Violaine Fumeau). And Jean-Patrick Benes’ “Ares” is another sci-fi gladiatorial tale.

The three newcomers are not bad. But they’re not Melville.

Filed Under: Classic Noir Reviews, Neo Noir Reviews, Out of the Shadows Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With ‘Prevenge,’ Alice Lowe pops out a classic

March 24, 2017 by

Prevenge/2016/88 min.

I don’t know filmmaker and mother Alice Lowe but I’d be willing to bet that if she was given a baby shower, she banned boring guessing games and gluten-free, sugarless cupcakes. Instead, she might have shown “The Shining” and served hefty slabs of juicy red meat.

A bit of a random speculation, perhaps, but not after you see her sly, subversive black comedy, “Prevenge,” which she wrote, directed and starred in, well into her first pregnancy.

Lowe (whose credits include “Hot Fuzz,” “Sightseers” and “Locke”) plays Ruth, a single, soon-to-be mother who’s also a serial murderer with a talent for disguises and a penchant for gore. Why does Ruth kill? Because the demanding little fetus that has taken over her body is telling her to, natch. And because she feels betrayed by the loss of the baby’s father.

Lowe tells a smart, taut and funny yarn, with shades of Stanley Kubrick and Monty Python, raising provocative questions about women, motherhood and the way society tends to pigeonhole women who choose to have kids. She’s joined by a strong cast: Gemma Whelan and Kate Dickie (from “Game of Thrones”), Tom Davis and Kayvan Novak.

Admirably, Lowe takes a few risks with the script. For example, she doesn’t beg the audience to sympathize with the demented Ruth. “Though you might come to like her towards the end, I didn’t want it to be too easy at the start,” said Lowe at a recent screening and reception at Cinefamily in Los Angeles.

Easy, no. But entertaining? Very much so.

“Prevenge” opens on Shudder on Friday, March 24.

The film also screened at AFI FEST 2016 presented by Audi.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »