Young Adam

Written and Directed by David Mackenzie.  Stars Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Emily Mortimer, Peter Mullan.  
2003, 98 minutes, Color, Rated NC-17.

Summary:

Joe (Ewan McGregor), a rootless young drifter, finds work on a barge traveling between Glasgow and Edinburgh, owned by Les (Peter Mullan) and his wife Ella (Tilda Swinton). One afternoon they discover the corpse of a young woman floating in the water. Accident? Suicide? Murder? As the police investigate and the suspect is arrested, we discover that Joe knows more than he is letting on. Gradually we learn of Joe's past relationship with Cathy, the dead woman (Emily Mortimer). Meanwhile, an unspoken attraction develops between Joe and Ella, heightening the claustrophobic tensions in the confined space of the barge.

This is an interesting film, full of unhappy characters, death and what looks like some extremely chilly weather.  It's a mood piece, really, but notable for being intelligent and just ambiguous enough to require the viewer to pay attention.  Character interactions are realistic, the depicted way of life is hard, and there is very little joy in the film.  To say that it is unrelentingly bleak would be accurate but the film has much to offer in its darkness.  Life in the tiny barge is all about enforced intimacy and disillusionment. 

Based on a short 1957 novel by Alexander Trocchi, YOUNG ADAM unfolds in a manner that makes the central mystery difficult to anticipate.  This mirrors, in some ways, the way the book unfolds: it is written in the first person yet still conceals the mystery for an impressive amount of time.  Early in the film we see Joe on the barge from above as it passes by.  He is walking towards the back of the barge, and because the boat is moving forward, it appears as though he is walking in place.  This illusion perfectly mirrors Joe's life at this moment--he is a writer suffering from writer's block and has escaped from that by taking a job loading and unloading cargo on a small, barely solvent barge.  He is neither confronting his past nor trying to move forward.  He is merely keeping time until the next thing comes along.  Walking in place,, as it were. 

We learn that Joe had been seeing a woman named Cathy.  When his relationship with her reaches a crossroads, he takes the easy way out and walks away rather than committing to her.  Joe, as we learn, is somewhat selfish.   The only thing he takes with him is his typewriter, and he throws that into the river.  On the boat, when confronted with his desire of Ella, he ignores the consequences and goes after her.  When this drives away Les and leaves him with more responsibility than he wanted, he again takes the easy way out and walks away.  When he meets up with Cathy months later, and she tells him that she is pregnant, once again, he takes the easy way out and walks away.  When Cathy accidentally falls into the river, he does not jump in after her.  We had already seen him jump into the river to save Ella's son, so we know he has it in him.  One can surmise that there was no upside for him to go after Cathy.  He did not want a relationship with her.  When he jumped in to help Ella's son, it is quite likely he did so to earn her favor.

We never truly understand Joe perhaps, but the trick of the film is disguising his true nature for as long as it does.  There were certainly clues to his character. Joe literally has consensual sex with EVERY woman we meet in the film*.  However, he finds willing partners wherever he goes.  McGregor gives a good performance, remaining genuinely likable even after we learn he was there when Cathy died and kept it to himself, with tragic results.

For all of the above Joe is a troubling character.  If not for the genuine remorse he exhibits when Joe the plumber is arrested for killing Cathy--he knows how she died after all--one could make a case that Joe is a sociopath.  So, not a sociopath, just weak and selfish.

Tilda Swinton gives an impressive performance, infusing her character with a lifetime full of disappointment, and masterfully displays raw sexuality in a real and non-glamorous manner.   They say that when contempt enters a marriage, there is probably no way to recover from it.  Ella has contempt for Les, and it seeps out in their every interaction.   We learn that Les is impotent and unable to satisfy his wife sexually, and he proves to be equally impotent when faced with Joe taking his place in both Ella's bed and as the man of the barge.  

Emily Mortimer as Cathy should have received an award of some sort for a scene in which she is debased with food.   She is less clearly defined than the other characters.  Pretty, intelligent, and capable, she seems to be the idealized companion Joe thinks he wants.  However, in day-to-day life, he sees faults and can't help but be disappointed in her. 

At this point, it might be worth considering the meaning of the film's title.  There is no character named Adam in the story and apparently, Alexander Trocchi never explained what he meant by it.  It's possible he meant Adam in a biblical sense, and if the fruits of the Garden of Eden is a metaphor for sex, then Joe is a main character partaking of many apples.

The film remains in memory long after viewing.  

*Or does he? I admit I missed the possibility of an unreliable narrator the first few times watching the film, even though as the novel is told in the first person it is a shining example of the form.  I haven't re-watched the film since making this connection to see if it really changes anything.  It's just another potential layer of a truly remarkable film.

HD Roundup

Quick blurbs about things I recorded from a variety of HD channels...

CAPOTE
Directed by Bennett Miller.  Written by Dan Futterman
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins, Jr., Catherine Keener
2005, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Long and reasonably engrossing, but I didn't enjoy it.  Can you still admire films you don't enjoy?  I guess so.  I mean, where is it written that you have to enjoy what's good for you?   Trouble is, I can't see how this was good for me.  Still, Philip Seymour Hoffman was really good at playing the little guy.

FIRE IN THE SKY
Directed by Robert Lieberman.  Written by Tracy Torme
Starring D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas, Noble Willingham, James Garner.
1993, 1109 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1 (Super 35)

This looked good in HD, but I didn't get much out of it this time around. Robert Patrick was good in it, though.  It deals with an supposed alien abduction.  Seems pretty tame and silly now compared to things like DARK SKIES and the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY flicks.  Additionally, the movie overtly cheats with the facts--Robert Patrick's character passes a lie detector test in the movie that the person in real life failed.  Good sound mix, though.  Filmed in Super 35, which usually means shot full frame and matted for theatrical presentation.  For this viewing it was matted to a 2.35:1 ratio, but I have seen it at other times opened up (that is, not widescreen).

SURVEILLANCE
Directed by Jennifer Lynch.  Written by Kent Harper and Jennifer Lynch.
Starring Julia Ordmond, Bill Pullman, Pell James
2008, 97 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Directed by Jennifer Lynch and starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond.  I saw where this was going about 10 minutes into it.  Ultimately, I didn't think it made sense.  It's a low budget film that tried to be a mind-fuck but it just doesn't work.  It's always a pleasure to see Ms. Ormond, however.  She was great in SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW.

TROPIC THUNDER
Directed by Ben Stiller.  Written by Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller & Etan Cohen
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan,
2008, 107 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

This was funny for about five minutes but is much too long and convoluted.  Robert Downey, Jr. was a hoot, however.  Tom Cruise is not funny, though.  I never need to see this again.  I'm not sure if I saw the longer unrated version, but if I did maybe the shorter theatrical version would have been better for me.

WILD, WILD WEST
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.  Written by S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman
Starring Will smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, M. Emmet Walsh, Ted Levine
1999, 106 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

I wanted to see if this was as awful as I remembered it.  It is.  As much as I like Kevin Kline, he was incredibly wrong for this.  Will Smith is okay.  Kenneth Branagh is technically good, but the character he plays is so off-putting it's hard to enjoy it.  For that matter, the entire film and setup is pretty painful so maybe no one could have made it work.  Very unfunny and not very exciting to boot.  Pointless special effects.  The best part of the movie is Salma Hayek's ass, one cheek of which is briefly shown unadorned of clothing.  I know, I know--politically incorrect to say but it's really quite nice.

AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
Directed by Joe Roth.  Written by Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan
Starring Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Seth Green, Rainn Wilson
2001, 102 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

Billy Crystal, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones from a few years ago. I dunno, I liked it but I already forget what it was about.

BABYLON, A.D.
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.  Written by Mathieu Kassovitz, Eric Besnard, Joseph Simas
Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh
2008, 90 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Pointless.  ELYSIUM reminded me of this movie.

GET  SMART
Directed by Peter Segal.  Written by Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember
Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terrence Stamp, James Caan, Bill Murray,
2008, 110 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

Had a couple of chuckles, but pretty painful.  Anne Hathaway is watchable, as always.

HANCOCK
Directed by Peter Berg.  Written by Vincent Ngo & Vince Gilligan
Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman,
2008, 92 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

This was a weird movie.  It has almost NO energy and just sort of lumbers along.  It seemed much longer than its short running time would suggest.  There was probably a good idea for a movie somewhere in here.

YANKS
Directed byJohn Schlesinger.  Written by Colin Wellan & Walter Bernstein
Starring Richard Gere, Lisa Eichorn, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane
1979, 138 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

Richard Gere movie from 1979.  It was, um, I guess 'boring' would be the word I'm looking for.  I was interested because it was a Schlesinger film and I'm now attuned to Lisa Eichorn, but it didn't do much for me.  However, thinking about it now I want to watch it again so I guess it did something right.

THE PRINCESS DIARIES
Directed by Garry Marshall.  Written by Gina Wendkos
Starring Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore
2001, 115 minutes, Color, Rated G, 1.85:1

Ostensibly I recorded this as a movie we could watch with our young daughter, but truth be told I like Anne Hathaway.  It helps that the movie was well-made and legitimately funny.

AFTER DARK, MY SWEET
Directed by James Foley.  Written by Robert Redlin, James Foley
Starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Bruce Dern
1990, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Jim Thompson story. Dark, noir-ish, and generally well made if you're in the right mood.  Murky cinematography, which is entirely fitting to the story.

THE COCA-COLA KID

Directed by Dusan Makavejev.  Written by Frank Moorhouse & Denny Lawrence
Starring Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood
1985, 98 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

This is one seriously odd movie, from Eric Roberts' VERY strange lead performance (which grows on you the more times you see the film) to the blunt use of black comedy in the oddest places, this movie would seem to be the definition of "acquired taste".  Still, parts of it are quite funny and it's never boring.  Greta Scacchi gets fully nude several times, which is sure to allow many to overlook the film's faults.  The film never lives up to its initial promise, as it loses steam and focus as the plot progresses.  It also has one of the most patently bizarre endings for a relatively mainstream movie that you will find.

It's hard to say what this movie is really "about".  Maybe it's not supposed to be about anything.  Roberts plays a Coca Cola salesman/marketing specialist trying to increase sales in Australia.  He meets some strong opposition from a local soft drink maker--T. George McDowell--who has successfully kept Coca-Cola out of his region for many years.  Roberts looks upon it as a challenge and becomes determined to win the soft drink battle at any cost.   The film doesn't ultimately develop this storyline, however.  In fact, it kind of peters out after a while and the film slowly becomes more interested in a love story between Roberts and Scacchi.  

It strikes a somewhat uneasy balance between wacky comedy and endearing drama.  At times, it seems like it will work better than it ultimately does.  During my most recent viewing, I noticed continuity issues that may indicate some juggling of scenes during editing.   Of particular note is the musical number that was obviously intended to be earlier in the proceedings.  Also, Roberts' character gets into a fight at one point and his injuries come and go for a bit, although this may simply be sloppiness in the filmmaking process.

Perhaps the fact that it is based on two short stories accounts for the lack of overall cohesiveness. There are some wildly idiosyncratic moments that come from left field that ultimately do more harm than good--including a very strange coda.  It's also possible that I entirely missed the point of the movie the five or six times I've watched it.  I dunno.  The film features attractive actors and a few laughs.   I probably will watch this again sometime, however, so that should stand as my recommendation.

Viewed more recently, Robert's performance seems almost like a template for Matthew McConaughey's performance in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.  Just saying, is all.

THE FINAL PROGRAMME

Directed by Robert Fuest.  Written by Robert Fuest
Starring Jon Finch, Jenny Runacre, Sterling Hayden
1973, 89 minutes (original US running time was 81 minutes), Color, Rated R, 1.77:1

Based on the book by Michael Moorcock, this film concerns itself with a microfilm containing a blueprint for the perfect human, or the "final programme" as it is known in the story.  Jerry Cornelius (Finch) plays the son of the man who developed the programme, and spends much of the film trying to find it.  Along the way he meets many strange characters, and it all takes place in a future where society is in the process of falling apart.

This was released in the US as THE LAST DAYS OF MAN ON EARTH.  It is a very, very strange movie, but full of great ideas that may get lost in the shuffle due to the constant disorienting flow of action, colors and oddball characters.  I found the US version nigh incomprehensible but the UK version released on DVD is 8 minutes longer, so I was hoping for better results.  It's still incomprehensible but it definitely flows better.  Sterling Hayden appears in a scene completely cut out of the US version.

I have read the book this is based on, so I had a pretty good idea of the plot, but, well, it's still hard to follow.  Definite cult possibilities, however, as it is never boring and now features R-rated language and nudity.  Perhaps this gets better and better the more times you watch it, but so far I've only noticed nominal gains in repeat viewings.  Still, it says something that I am still watching it from time to time.

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE

Directed by Nicolas Gessner.  Written by Laird Koenig.  Stars Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen.
1976, 100 minutes, Color, Rated PG.

It is difficult to talk about this movie without using spoilers, so I will be cagey here.

In THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE Jodie Foster plays Rynn, a 13 year old girl who is quite able to take care of herself, and she is borderline astonishing in the role. She brings a compelling reality to the character. The story is truly original, being compelling and intricately plotted. It is a "small" story in that there are only a few characters, but each is distinct and memorable. True, the villains of the piece are a bit too over the top but this is a minor quibble. The film is bolstered so much by Foster's performance (and character) that it's hard to fault the occasional missteps, such as the funky music that not only dates the film but is inappropriate to the story. Like Andrew Powell's score for LADYHAWKE.

It is only upon reflection that the full implications of the story sink in. What kind of character is Rynn? She is not an innocent by any stretch, but is she "bad"? This is a valid question given the events of the film. I think that she is not bad but I wonder how she is going to turn out. Perhaps I mean that I do not think she is bad...yet. Does she get to put the events of the film behind her and live happily ever after, or has she put herself on the road to becoming a sociopathic misfit? It's tough to say. I'd like to hope she turns out okay, but it's more likely that there will be a price later for dealing with all that she has. Come to think of it, catching up with Rynn now would probably be an interesting story.

I was astonished to find nudity in THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE. Initially, I thought that perhaps we were dealing with a European version of the film, but after doing a little digging discovered that the original US version also contained the scene in question. Why the astonishment? The movie was and is rated PG. The nudity is of Jodie Foster's character (though it is a body double) who is 13 in the movie. Someone also utters the word "fuck", which was also in the US theatrical version. Crazy. The 70's were crazy, I tell you.*

* The MPAA used to allow the word "fuck" in PG-rated films. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN uses the word multiple times, as does A BRIDGE TOO FAR. Both of these instances, plus LITTLE GIRL's use the word in a non-sexual manner, as in "don't fuck it up" or "I'll blow your fucking head off". This seems to be the rule of thumb for the use of the word in PG-13-rated films as well--limited to once or twice and only in a non-sexual context. MANHATTAN was given a R-rating for using the word once, though admittedly the rating may have had more to do with the plot point of a middle-age man having an affair with a high-school aged girl. SIXTEEN CANDLES also uses the word, as well as just about every other profanity, but was only rated PG. In that case it was originally rated R and re-rated on appeal without having to make any cuts.

LIFEFORCE

Directed by Tobe Hooper.  Written by  Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby.  Stars Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, Mathilda May.
1985, 116 minutes, Color, Not rated.

Ah, what a mess of a movie, yet very watchable throughout thanks to the varied special effects and nudity.  The movie plays like a long-lost Quatermass story, and if it occasionally does not make sense it is more than made up for by the aforementioned nudity and special effects.  Even in the full-length 116-minute version of the film, it moves along briskly, so if you hit something that doesn't work particularly well you are moving onto the next thing soon enough.

The plot deals with ancient space vampires and is part science fiction, part mystery, and part horror film.  These elements do not always mesh together well with the horror elements feeling the most forced.  The movie has a great concept and this carries the day for quite a while into the running time, but ultimately it degenerates into little more than a zombie movie.  I used to think I didn't like Steve Railsback in the film because I thought he was miscast, but I've changed my mind.  All things considered, I think he did quite a good job, and that many a different actor would have completely embarrassed themselves. 

The DVD was among the earliest releases and is not 16:9 enhanced.  As a result, the image is grainy and somewhat fuzzy, though the 5.1 sound is a definite improvement over the LD.   More recently, MGMHD has shown a truly beautiful Hi-Def version of the longer European cut several times.   For that matter, they've also shown the shorter R-rated 101 minute version in Hi-Def. The full version offers more explanation, doesn't plaster credits over the alien ship's approach and penetration at the beginning, and is the preferred version.  The image is crisp and colorful and greatly enhances the viewing experience.  Truly, a quality presentation will almost always make a mediocre movie enjoyable.  Screen captures are from the HD version.

LONG WEEKEND

Directed by Colin Eggleston, Everett De Roche.  Stars John Hargreaves, Briony Behets.
1978, 92 mins. Color. 2.35:1.

Spoiler!
LONG WEEKEND is an Australian horror film from 1978.  It was filmed in Panavision and is about an arguing couple who have QUITE a back story going for them--she's just had an abortion and the father was another man.  In fact, the father was the husband of the woman that her husband was sleeping with.  Yes, in fact, they were SWINGERS! The couple go on a long weekend to camp by the beach.   The gist of the film is that man in general is a conspicuous consumer, and the husband in particular is simply bad for the environment.  During the course of the movie he: kills a kangaroo, starts a fire with a carelessly discarded cigarette, shoots a sea otter, litters, starts chopping down a tree "because it's there", and more.  The environment fights back during the weekend.
End Spoiler! 

Truly, aside from the hugely melodramatic back story shared by the couple this is one well-made little thriller.  The two leads are quite good, and the tension is nicely modulated throughout.  Well worth seeing.  Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

KISSED

Directed by Lynne Stopkewich.   Written by Angus Fraser and Lynne Stopkewich.  Stars Molly Parker.
1996, 78 minutes, Color, Rated R.

That's a dead mouse in her hand.

This is probably the best movie about a woman who likes to make love to corpses that you will likely ever see.  Flippancy aside, you might well asked WHY you would want to see such a film.  Fair enough.  While it is NOT an exploitation film (there is a certain lyrical quality to the woman's actions, and considerable time is devoted to developing why this could develop) there are nevertheless times that the woman chucks her clothes off and rubs herself all over dead people, which is not, as you would think, something you see everyday.  Surprisingly, the film does not dwell on these scenes and works overall as a character study of a somewhat--well, I don't want to call her deranged--DIFFERENT person.

Molly Parker is exceptional in the lead role.

Quick Reviews - Part 2

IMPULSE
Directed by Graham Baker.  Written by Nicholas Kazan and Don Carlos Dunaway.  Stars Tim Matheson, Meg Tilly, Hume Cronyn.
1984, 91 minutes, Color, Rated R. 

Spoiler!
 Potboiler that deals with a town that becomes infected with a toxic nerve agent accidentally.  The nerve agent was stored in a government shelter in the woods, and there was an earthquake, and, well, you get the idea.  The townsfolk become less inhibited as a result, and ultimately, everyone dies, killed by the government.  This probably would have worked better in the 70's, but in the 80's it just plays wrong.  It stars Meg Tilley, who is always watchable, and Tim Matheson, who is not.  Rated R for a few choice words, violence, and implied sex (indeed, the worst kind).
End Spoiler! 

DEAD BIRDS 

Directed by Alex Turner.  Written by Simon Barrett.  Stars Henry Thomas, Patrick Fugit, Nicki Aycox.
2004, 91 minutes, Color, Rated R.

This movie almost caused me to drop a deuce in my pants a couple of times.  Somewhat erratic in execution (due no doubt to what was probably a very low budget), but it sure did have some good scares. Nicely acted.

AMITYVILLE-3D (in 2D)

Directed by Richard Fleischer.  Written by William Wales.  Stars Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Meg Ryan.
1983, 105 minutes, Color, Rated PG.

This is not a good movie by any stretch, but as a simple haunted house movie I kind of dug it.  Perhaps because I saw it in the theater way back when I am positively biased towards it, but I can't fault the movie too much for its problems.  It succeeds in being creepy and has a couple of good jolts, and in the end why do we need more?  The DVD is in widescreen and the image looks alternately fuzzy with mis-registered colors, and rock solid.  The sound is 5.1, but rather unimpressive.

FAIR GAME (1986)

Directed by Mario Andreacchio. Written by Rob George. /> Starring Cassandra Delaney, Peter Ford, David Sanford
1986, 86 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1
Umbrella Entertainment, released 2018

This is an Australian/New Zealand movie that seems to have taken it visual cues from RAZORBACK (1984), which is to say it looks a lot like early MTV but with a fair amount of nudity. The plot is a standard "pretty girl harassed by thugs then gets revenge" tale, but the girl in it is attractive and can act reasonably well so it's easy to get involved. The overall plot is more than a little bit pseudo-misogynistic--at one point the thugs strip the girl naked, strap her to the front of their truck and take her for a ride. I say "pseudo" only because the lead actress is openly gawked for almost the entire film, so it's not like it should have come as a surprise. Overall, the film was mildly diverting but I will never watch it again.

The DVD I saw ages ago was full frame.  The more recent Blu-Ray from Umbrella Entertainment is 1.85:1 and is a big improvement compositionally. The combined picture below is from a slow horizontal pan of the lead actress. There was also a slight pan upwards as well, which is why there are areas of white spots. Enjoy. I wasn't able to easily recreate this from the 1.85 Blu-Ray.