Andromeda Strain, The

 

Year of release

1971

Directed by

Robert Wise

Written by

Nelson Gidding (script)

Michael Crichton (novel)

Starring

Arthur Hill

David Wane

James Olson

Kate Reid

The Andromeda Strain

 

Plot - A satellite has crash landed on Earth, in the small town of Piedmont. Bringing with it a virus of extraterrestrial origin, it leaves everyone in the small town dead. All that is except for a young baby and an old man. For the scientists recruited to work at Wildfire discovering why these two escaped unharmed could provide the answer that will save everyone.

While I may be greatly enjoying my 70s thriller season I've came across a problem. I've never felt so paranoid in my life! I feel myself constantly looking over my shoulder and eyeing up shifting-looking people. And that cough/runny nose I thought had been caused by everyone cutting their grass of late? Turns out it's an alien virus!

For people raised only on modern sci-fi films this may not be for them. There aren't any explosions, little action and a real lack of any special effects. This is certainly a film that would fall into the category of 'adult sci-fi'. While it may be science fiction (and let's hope it remains so) it is presented in a very factual manner. It's a film that depicts scientists as scientists. These aren't unlikely action heroes, they are just intelligent people doing the job they're meant to do, using their logic. It presents an accurate portrayal of their process in its methodical and precise, even tedious manner. While the catastrophic event may seem to call for great urgency the process to solve it can be meticulous. In that sense it reminded me of both the journalists process in All the President's Men, and the investigation displayed in Zodiac.

Right from the off I found myself gripped. With little information as to where we are, or what's going on we are dropped right into the middle of a disastrous event. Over the radio we hear two men describing the situation they are seeing. We are shown nothing, which means that right away our brain is engaged, imagining and picturing the scene. And then we see what they see and it is truly haunting, dozens of people cut down right in the middle of going about their lives.

The film is shot in a fairly simple, unflashy way which does create quite a cold, clinical atmosphere. The result is similar to what I mentioned for Day of the Jackal I think in that it comes across as a bit of a docu-drama. The one element that veers off from the simple is a number of examples of a multi shot, split screen technique. Now while this may purely be for show, and nothing more I saw it as a way of showing the sheer complexity and copious amount of the work involved, and just how much of a team effort it is.

For those who do stick with it through what they may find it's slow pace, the final act of the film does move off into more traditional Hollywood ground as the virus begins to break out of the centre and the scientists find themselves in a race against the clock. It is a thrillingly tense finale. After such a long and ponderous wait the eventual burst of action really does capture its frantic and desperate nature. We watch as Hall frenziedly attempts to get to a terminal where he can stop the self destruct, all the while trying to avoid security lasers and poisonous gas.

At times the film does feel very dated, especially in terms of the technology on show. However as part of the impressive production and set design (quite reminiscent of 2001's space station if memory serves me right) the technology is still well constructed. very well done and well shot. And as a piece of 70s cinema it wouldn't feel quite right without a touch of anti-authority sentiment. And we are not disappointed as late on in the film a degree of government conspiracy is unearthed.

With no real background given for any of them, the characters don't have a great deal of depth, frequently coming across as just thinly sketched characters who are slightly different from each other just to present slightly varied actions and reactions to developments. That said the actors are still able to provide solid performances in a restrained fashion; of particular note are Kate Reid, Athur Hill and Paula Kelly.

To keep the suspense going there are a couple of slightly contrived events, essential to prolong the situation. The first, that one of the scientists has epilepsy which proves integral to the plot, at least has an attempted explanation as to why she would cover it up. The second however, that a little piece of paper almost brings everything to a crashing halt, feels a bit thin.

The biggest example of the disaster actually comes right in those opening moments. We don't see anything close to that scale again throughout the next two hours. What we are given however are a number of very striking images which punctuate the action throughout. Whether it be the sight of blood pouring out like a green sand, the melted face mask of a pilot struck down by the disease or the various test animals who we see in distress before they fall still there are a number of powerful moments which mean they threat is always at the forefront of our minds. The animal deaths in particular are very distressing in how realistic they seem, so much so that I actually went and googled to see if they had actually killed any animals on set.

While the slow pace may be off-putting for some I felt like it actually added to the tension. If the film had been Hollywood-ised (by today's standards) there would likely have been more action, more heroics and probably an ill-fated romance between two of the scientists working on the cure. It may have been fun but the tense atmosphere would have been put on the back burner. The meticulous pace and heavy attention to detail make the whole premise more plausible, and as a result a good deal more chilling.

Conclusion – An intelligent, absorbing piece of paranoia-inducing cinema. While it is a great film, it's so cold and calculated that I'm not sure it's a film I could ever truly fall in love with.

 

An American Werewolf in London

 

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

first viewing

"Beware the moon, lads."

I'm not really a big horror fan. There are only a few I own on DVD, and they have to have a dark streak of comedy or satire in them for me to enjoy them. Thankfully this falls into that category.

Two American backpackers are attacked on the English moors by a wild creature. One of them, Jack, is killed but David survives, but not before being bitten. In London he experiences one of life's great highs by falling in love with the nurse treating him, Alex. And also the unfortunate lows of being haunted by a decomposing Jack, and turning into a werewolf. Don't ya just hate when that happens?

It's the classic werewolf tale; but infused with a slick script, engaging performances, excellent choice of music, some big laughs and suspense-filled moments and scenes, it rises above your standard fare to become something rather wonderful.

And then on top of all that there are the effects. Revolutionary in their time and still damn impressive today, the effects help bring horror and comedy to proceedings. The transformation scene is truly something to behold as David's body stretches and elongates, with gruesome sounding bone cracks which made me wince with each snap. It really captures the horror and pain of what is happening. I also enjoyed the effects used to create the ever changing face of Jack. And while I'm not sure if I was meant to or not I found the continuing decay of Jack's face to be morbidly entertaining!

A number of scenes stood out and made an impression, either for the tension or laughs they generated. There were those that were actually happening – the gloriously weird patrons and behaviour at the Slaughtered Lamb pub, a commuter being hunted through the tunnels of the London Underground and the incredible finale set in Piccadilly circus. And then there were David's enthralling nightmarish dreams. The horrifying Nazi demons in particular is one of the more wow-inducing scenes I've seen in quite a while.

The film is also quite a sexy thrill, mostly as a result of Jenny Agutter's alluring turn as Alex. She is something rather special. Alongside David Naughton's charming performance as David they make for a great combination.

Conclusion - A ghoulish treat. A film that is just wonderfully entertaining. Hats off to Mr John Landis. If there were more horror films like this it would be a genre I would most likely fall in love with.

 



American Hustle

Year of release

2013

Directed by

David O. Russell

Written by

Eric Warren Singer

David O. Russell

Starring

Christian Bale

Amy Adams

Bradley Cooper

Jennifer Lawrence

Jeremy Renner

Louis C.K.

American Hustle

 

    

 

Plot - A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Adams) is forced to work for wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting. Carmine Polito (Renner) is a passionate and volatile New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Despite all the best laid plans, Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Larence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

I know this film has amassed quite a sizeable fanbase on here but what can I say, I wasn't particularly excited by it. I'll certainly give it credit for being a well made and exceptionally well acted film, unlike the marks that the con artists target however I never felt myself being taken in by their charms. In the knowledge that this may well incite a small riot on here, dare I say I even found it all a little bit......dull? I'd certainly say that was particularly true of the opening hour, with the film really taking considerable time to get into the real swing of things. It was only when the sheikh 'arrived' in the jet and the con got under way that I felt the story start to come to some sort of life. Even then however it never matched my expectations; perhaps it was the fault of the film's advertising but I was expecting a far breezier, more comedic venture. When it comes to con films/TV shows I think it should be a lot slicker, flashier and sexier than what this was. And its running time of 138 minutes felt way too long for a story of this nature. Cutting out a chunk of that running time would perhaps have helped the film find that energy that I felt was lacking.

As I said at the start though the performances across the board are almost uniformly excellent. Christian Bale delivered one of his most impressive performances that I've seen in the role of Irving Rosenfeld. Going by some of the interviews he has given over recent years, I got the impression at times that Bale was never greatly comfortable taking on the mantle of Batman. Well if that were true then he probably couldn't have succeeded in choosing a role more different from the Caped Crusader than Irving Rosenfeld. Sporting a ridiculous combover and substantial beer belly he has left his days of superheroics well and truly behind him with this performance, certainly more sad sack than superhero. He acts as a fairly strong anchor at the heart of the film. Butting heads with Bale's Irving, and following on from their collaboration on Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper once again excels under the direction of Russell. His performance is one of great fire and determination in the role of Richie DiMaso, a man of initially good intentions who eventually begins to capitulate thanks to his excessive ambition. With ever larger carrots being dangled in front of him it's not long before his sights move on from catching mere con artists to politicians, senators and gangsters.

While Bale and Cooper deliver strong work that has already attracted awards recognition, the undoubted stars of the show for me however were the leading ladies of the piece. As the apple of Irving's eye, I thought that Amy Adams was excellent as the manipulative Sydney Prosser, or Lady Edith Greensly depending on the situation. She was the one character that I really couldn't put my finger on, whose intentions I was never entirely sure about. Adams also proves to be damn sexy in a series of elegant and very revealing outfits which allow Russell's camera to place great emphasis on sideboob! So much so that I feel her breasts should actually have gotten their own mention in the end credits. And whoever her costume designer was deserves an Oscar for services to humanity! Despite all this talk of great performances, when it comes to the question of who deserves the MVP plaudits there is no doubt in my mind that it's Jennifer Lawrence. As Irving's wife Rosalyn she was far and away my favourite component of the whole film. Displaying an incredible charisma and alluring nature, whenever she would appear on screen the film gained a spark that I felt was otherwise lacking. She once again shows that she really could be something pretty special, and without a doubt she was the film's saving grace. Well to be fair she was actually one of two saving graces, with the other to be found in the very amusing and combative discourse between Cooper and his boss, played by Louis C.K.

Film Trivia Snippets - The film is a highly fictionalized telling of the Abscam (short for Arab scam) scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s, an FBI operation that began as an investigation of trafficking in stolen property, but was later expanded to include political corruption. /// This is not however the first time that attempts have been made to adapt the story for the screen. In the early 1980s French director Louis Malle adapted the Abscam story into a film script entitled "Moon Over Miami" which was set to star Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Plans for the film were abandoned however with Belushi's death in March of 1982. /// The script was originally titled "American Bullsh*t" and came in eighth place on Hollywood's 2010 Black List. Originally Ben Affleck was in consideration to direct but he dropped out in favour of directing an adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Stand', which he has also dropped out of subsequently. /// In 1980, Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha was targeted by Abscam but not indicted since he didn't accept the bribe. He would later be saved from a House Ethics Committee punishment by Charlie Wilson. Coincidentally Amy Adams also starred in the film Charlie Wilson's War. /// David O. Russell stated that Robert De Niro didn't even recognise Christian Bale on the set even after they were introduced to each other. De Niro pulled Russell aside, pointed to Bale and asked who he was. First De Niro didn't believe it was Bale but after Russell convinced him of that De Niro noted, 'Wow, he looks really different", and nodded his head as a sign of approval. Russell then had to re-introduce the two now that De Niro knew who Bale was.

Alongside the cast that he was able to assemble, also in line for credit are Russell, his cinematographer Linus Sandgren and the production design crew because the film does look and feel very much like the 70s, or at the very least like a 70s movie which is the closest that I can equate to. Oh and Hustle also features a really fun soundtrack as well, composed of an eclectic mix of songs from the period that covers both the very familiar and the lesser so. Russell's direction certainly seems quite confident and assured, with his work and the film as a whole having quite a strong Scorsese vibe. In particular the film attempts to peer inside the world of con artists in a similar fashion as Goodfellas did with the mob, with a great deal of similarities shared between the two films. Both films open in a tremendously similar fashion as the main protagonist delivers a narration that details who they are and the world they operate in, complete with flashbacks to their younger, formative years that attempt to highlight how they ended up where they did. And from then on a great resemblance can be seen throughout between the two films, whether it be in their shared period setting, the cool soundtrack or in Russell's mobile, roaming camera that seems to ape Marty whenever possible. While the film may evoke the work of Scorsese however, I'd certainly class it as 'Scorsese Lite.'

And perhaps this is just a feeling that I imbued the film with personally, but throughout I got a sense of smugness and self-satisfaction about the whole project, with the film seeming really proud of itself. And I really didn't feel that it should have been. The script is often clumsy, relying heavily on contrivances and characters occasionally acting out of character. The plot, especially for its lengthy running time, is pretty basic and lacking in substance while it's characters don't have a great deal of depth, coming across as under developed and largely unlikeable. In fact that was one of the main obstacles to my really enjoying this film; I never came to care for any of the characters and so had little interest in who came out on top of the various games of cat and mouse. That marked a major departure from how I felt about the characters in Russell's last film, Silver Linings Playbook. And while it's not so much a fault as just a missed opportunity, I didn't feel that the film fully exploited its 70s setting. While I understand it was set there due to the true story it is partially based on, I felt it could have explored it more. Other than the odd comment here and there that refers to events of the time there wasn't a great deal of it. Oh and perhaps I'm mistaken but at one point did Amy Adams' character talk about running off to Russia or Estonia? In 1978? Haven't these people ever heard of the Cold War? Surely that would create some issues for that plan.

It's a decent enough film that has its moments, but just as many flaws, and is strongly acted. All in all however I really was left slightly baffled as to why Hollywood and film critics have fallen so in love with it. There already seems to have been a bit of a backlash against the film amongst cinema audiences and I think that will only grow if it somehow sneaks off with the Best Picture at the Oscars. In a few years time I could easily imagine it being talked about as one of the weaker winners of the big prize. To me the film felt like the halfway point between Ocean's Eleven and The Grifters, with it unfortunately coming up short of the respective attributes of both films. I didn't feel it had the slick, flashy frivolity of Oceans; nor did I feel it had the substance, depth or grit of Stephen Frear's The Grifters.

Conclusion - American Hustle actually represents a very accurate depiction of the cons that its central characters ply their trade with. It promises much, looks great and says all the right things but in the end you don't get what you were expecting and are left disappointed. I think that myself, and indeed many other viewers, might have been more welcoming to the film's attributes had it been released in August for example, and billed as just a 'normal' film. Its release smack bang in the middle of awards season however, and all the accolades that said award shows have been quick to lavish upon it means that expectations have been raised. And for all its style I didn't feel it came close to having the substance required to meet those expectations.

All the President's Men

 

Year of release

1976

Directed by

Alan J. Pakula

Written by

William Goldman

Starring

Robert Redford

Dustin Hoffman

Jason Robards

Jack Warden

 

All the President's Men

    

 

An important, landmark film. Probably one of the most essential movies of the 70s. These are accolades I've seen this film labelled with for quite a while. And now that I've seen it, I understand why and would echo those sentiments. It's a finely crafted film of extremely high quality.

A great deal of the interest for me came just from learning about one of the most intriguing and important moments in American history. While I knew the broad strokes of the Watergate/Nixon story it was very intriguing to learn about it more thoroughly, about all the little ins and outs, the facts, the lengths of the investigation and who was involved. As much as it's about the Watergate scandal it's also about the journalistic process. It depicts it at it's purest core, and it comes across very inspiring. I think just about anyone who sees the film will think (even if just for a second) how great it would be to be a journalist, breaking a big story. It really shows what an incredible task Woodward and Bernstein took on; how tough a slog it was, and throughout I kept thinking how easy it would have been for me to give up if I was in their shoes

While I don't know anything about the production of the film it feels like it must have been a risky and tough sell at the time. With it taking such a comprehensive and realistic approach it hardly comes across as the most obviously commercial of films. It doesn't show their journalistic journey as being incredibly exciting or action packed, instead producing a restrained, unshowy account. Add to that the fact of it being extremely dialogue heavy, and that the two lead performers rather tone down their star appeal to play extraordinarily normal, everyday guys and it's a surprise (and quite heartening) that the film was such a large success, coming in as the #4 highest grossing film of the year. I wonder how such an 'adult' film would fare today. In those terms it reminds me of David Fincher's Zodiac; a film that concentrates on the painstaking process of the investigation, rather than concerning itself with a sensationalised reconstruction of the events.

To take that further, when you consider the style in which the film is presented it's a good deal more engrossing than you feel it really should be. It basically follows a pattern of – three scenes where they interview people, two scenes where they are talking on the phone, one scene where there's a meeting in the office and then back to the start on a loop. And yet somehow it completely draws you in. And so many of the moments have now become staples of the genre – the good guys being bugged and having their lives in possible peril, clandestine meetings with a shadowy figure – that at times I felt I had to remind myself that this is actually real. This really happened!

Hoffman and Redford both put in strong, solid performances but I can see why neither was nominated for an Oscar. They are not really allowed to show any great range of emotions, nor do either have personal character arcs. The story has the arc and they are just a part of that. I think they should both be congratulated for not grandstanding, for not attempting to grab the glory. To me it instead feels like their only interest was to just contribute to the whole experience and accomplishmen of the film. Someone else who most certainly merits mention is Jason Robards who portrays Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Washington Post. He provides an injection of weary passion and humour to the film. He also delivers perhaps one of my favourite quotes in quite a while. “Nothing's riding on this except the First Amendment of the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters but if you guys f**k up again I'm gonna get mad.”

My immediate reaction to the ending was one of slight disappointment. I was expecting it to go all the way, climaxing at the point where they uncover the fact that Nixon himself is involved. However after thinking about it for a moment and going back to rewatch it, I really quite loved it in it's low-key, subtle way. You have Richard Nixon on the TV screen being sworn in as President, while in the background Bernstein and Woodward are frantically writing the story that will bring him crashing down, the clacking of the typewriter keys becoming almost deafening. And then the simple, non-sensationalist way they detail what eventually became of all those involved in the crimes and cover-ups.

And if you want two more indications that show just how much I appreciated the film, afterwards I went and further investigated the case, checking to see how long their investigation took and what Bernstein and Woodward did afterwards. After all when you've brought down the President of the United States what do you do for an encore? And the other indicator? That I almost immediately went and bought the DVD so I could learn more from the extras. And I knew right away it was a film I wanted in my collection

Would I call it one of the absolute 'must see films' out there? I'm not sure but at the very, very least it's damn close.

 

Alien Nation

 

Year of release

1988

Directed by

Graham Baker

Written by

Rockne S. O'Bannon

Starring

James Caan

Mandy Patinkin

Terrence Stamp

Leslie Bevis

Kevyn Major Howard

 

Alien Nation

 

Plot - 1991. Three years ago a massive flying saucer landed on Earth carrying 300,000 enslaved aliens, who would come to be known as Newcomers. Following a period of quarantine the aliens start to become integrated into human society, but face a great deal of discrimination. When Newcomer police officer, Sam Francisco (Patinkin), becomes the first alien to make the rank of detective he is assigned a new partner in the form of Matthew Sykes (Caan). Sykes is an admitted bigot and alien-hater, and the only reason he volunteers to take Francisco on as his partner is because his previous partner was just killed by a Newcomer, and Sykes wants to exploit Francisco's knowledge and experience. Together they investigate the seedy underworld of the Newcomer community, all the way up to successful Newcomer businessman, William Harcourt (Stamp)

The plot of Alien Nation is certainly a story that we've seen before, just given an extraterrestrial twist to it. Just as Neill Blomkamp would do a couple of decades later with District 9, Alien Nation tells a story which addresses racism but places an alien face on it. In the film, the aliens, or Newcomers, are just another ethnic minority here on Earth. And in particular they act as an outer space equivalent of African Americans, with a heavy does of social commentary thrown in. It's not a particularly subtle allegory but it works. The Newcomers have apparently been 'accepted' into society and even though a lot of people talk a good game about relations between our peoples, they are treated with disrespect, disgust and pure hatred by most. They are frequently addressed by the derogatory term of 'slag' and are spoken down to in a demeaning manner; it's only a surprise they aren't referred to as 'boy' at any instance. There's a really nice bit of dialogue that Patinkin utters on this phenomenon - "You humans are very curious to us. You invite us to live among you in an atmosphere of equality that we've never known before. You give us ownership of our own lives for the first time, and you ask no more of us than you do of yourselves. I hope you understand how special your world is. I hope you understand how unique a people you humans are. Which is why it is all the more painful and confusing to us that so few of you seem capable of living up to the ideals you set for yourselves."

The large majority of the aliens are resigned to ghetto-like neighbourhoods which humans refer to as 'slagtowns.' Any Newcomer that manages to ascend to a respectable and important position is met with a great degree of resentment. While on this front there is also a question of affirmative action; when Mandy Patinkin's Sam Francisco makes it to the rank of detective after just three years on the force it breeds a real sense of hostility amongst his fellow officers about how quickly he has managed to achieve the rank, with most human officers taking seven years to achieve the same level of success. While the film also plays into the drugs problem that plagues run-down inner cities and its residents, except that in the place of drugs like heroin, cocaine and crack, the aliens have Jabroka; a drug from their past that was used to pacify and enslave them before they found their way to Earth. It's a drug that Francisco describes as a nightmare, which will destroy the lives of countless Newcomers. The plot itself is something I could easily imagine could have featured in more than one blaxploitation flick over the decades. You've got powerful businessmen orchestrating the flow of drugs into the problem area, hoping to control the populous. In fact it's not a million miles away from the plot of blaxploitation spoof, Black Dynamite.

Viewers may be slightly disappointed at the minimal amount of design and make-up work that went into creating the Newcomers. However I think it serves a purpose, again playing into the racial subtext of the film. The only thing that differentiates the aliens from their human counterparts is the top of their head, larger than a human head and covered in coloured markings. That's it! Just as the only difference between an African American individual and a Caucasian is the colour of their skin. All other features are exactly the same, and yet just because of one small difference we can't get along, or in the film's case the humans and aliens can't get along. And just as is the stereotypical case with all other races, whether it be black or Asian or whatever, to the bigoted humans the Newcomers all look the same, they can't tell them apart. And despite the minimal amount of work perhaps required, the make-up provided by the Stan Winston company is still impressive, maintaining a natural look for the Newcomers.

Film Trivia Snippets - In the film, Mandy Patinkin's alien character was given the name of Samuel 'Sam' Francisco by the people in charge of providing names for the Newcomers. However a different name was originally envisaged for the character, that of George Jetson from the classic Jetsons cartoon. Hanna-Barbera however would not allow the filmmakers the rights to the name. James Caan calling Patinkin's character George however was kept as a little in-joke. /// The October 1987 draft of the screenplay credited a rewrite to James Cameron. He is not credit in the final film however. /// It turns out that it's not just Terrence Stamp who should be credited as playing the villainous William Harcourt. Following the character's drug-induced transformation, that is no longer Stamp in the role. He refused to wear the more elaborate make-up required.

After we've been introduced to the idea of alien beings and gotten over the initial adjustment period, the film then settles very quickly into a pretty classic buddy cop routine. If you've seen at least one buddy cop flick in your life then you can probably plot the film out itself, with Alien Nation featuring many of the clichéd scenes you commonly find in the genre. Though while it may not hold many surprises in store it remains entertaining all the same. Having started on very fractious terms and divided by their respective races, we know that by film's end Sykes and Francisco are going to end up putting aside those differences and personal problems, and form a friendship built on a foundation of respect. This will come about as a result of them winding up on a case which will require them to combine the unique talents and experiences they each possess if they are to solve it. Oh and at least one of them will save the life of the other. It's just how this thing is done. We saw it in the previous year's Lethal Weapon, perhaps the definitive buddy movie. And to tie it more into the race aspect of the film we saw a similar dynamic in 48 Hrs. and in the classic In the Heat of the Night. And it's also clear right from the first moment that we meet Terrence Stamp's Newcomer business mogul, William Harcourt, that he is going to be the villain. How do I know this? Because his introduction comes at a large ceremony where he is accepting an award for his humanitarian work. As has been proven in numerous other films, that's as sure a sign of a man's nefarious ways as you're ever likely to see.

Fulfilling that 'seen it all before' buddy cop relationship are the film's two stars, James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, who play it out in fine fashion. James Caan may have appeared in many better films than this, and given many better performances, but that doesn't stop him from turning in a solid, entertaining showing here. He does a very nice job in the classic mould of a cop obsessed with his job to the detriment of his family, who unsurprisingly is quite the hothead and a bit of a slob at home. In the role of Newcomer Sam Francisco, Mandy Patinkin is also very impressive, ironically giving quite a down-to-earth nature to his performance. He just makes Francisco an immensely likeable figure, showing a great strength and resolve in the face of adversity. He's even able to add in some nice nuances and mannerisms despite the make-up and costuming that he is hidden under. The amusing and charming interplay and chemistry they share goes a long way to carrying the film through some of its more stolid moments. They have a lot of little scenes together which while not bringing huge laughs, brought a smile to my face. Moments such as Caan's attempts at explaining Earth humour and getting Francisco to understand the concept of a joke.

Alien Nation may be a bit cheap and cheesy quite often but I just found it a lot of fun. It's got some nice cinematography and I enjoyed a lot of the little touches and character quirks the film gives to the Newcomers. Instead of alcohol what they get drunk on is sour milk, leading to a scene where Francisco drinks a disgustingly lumpy glass of the stuff and ends up with the mother of all hangovers because he is “so milked over.” Another fun little addition is the human names given to the aliens when they arrived on Earth. Those responsible clearly decided to have a bit of a p*ss-take with the aliens, doling out such names as Rudyard Kipling, Harley Davidson, Humphrey Bogart and of course Patinkin's Samuel 'Sam' Francisco. Though there is a nice little spin put on that because the Newcomers likewise find Caan's Sykes to have a highly amusing name, sounding as it does like two words from their language; ss'ai and k'ss, which when translated mean excrement and cranium respectively. Or s*ithead if you will!

Conclusion – As long as you don't go into this one expecting anything especially creative or innovative then I think you could find a lot to like here. Essentially Alien Nation really is one of those classic action comedies that were so prevalent throughout the 80s and early 90s, just given the little twist that one of the characters is an alien. And while it may not explore the possibilities that it opens up to its fullest, it's an enjoyable flick with a couple of engaging performances.

10 Rillington Place

  

 

Year of release

1971

Directed by

Richard Fleischer

Written by

Clive Exton (script)

Ludovic Kennedy (book)

Starring

Richard Attenborough

John Hurt

Judy Geeson

Pat Heywood

10 Rillington Place

 

 

Plot - Detailing the true story of the notorious Christie killings which took place in London in the 1940s and 50s. John Christie (Attenborough) is an unassuming, seemingly innocuous man living at 10 Rillington Place with his wife. While he may not look it, Christie happens to be one of Britain's most infamous serial killers, with a body count totalling at least eight women. In particular this film details events that occurred in 1949. Timothy (Hurt) and Beryl Evans (Geeson) are a young couple with an infant daughter looking for a new home. Sadly for them, they wind up taking the top flat in the same tenement where Christie resides. When he learns that Beryl has an unwanted pregnancy, he offers his apparent expertise at being able to terminate the baby for the couple. What he really does is rape and kill her, passing her death off as an accident as a result of the operation. He is able to manipulate Tim into leaving town and allowing him to take care of everything. This tragically includes the well-being of the young child, Geraldine, who Christie also kills. As a result of his manipulative ways and false confessions on Tim's half, it's Tim who ends up being tried and executed for the crime. Christie would go on for a further three years, killing his wife and three prostitutes in the process, before finally being detected.

HO.....LEE.....SH*T!!! This film, and one performance in particular, absolutely chilled me to the bone! That performance came from Richard Attenborough. I grew up associating Richard Attenborough with films like Jurassic Park and Miracle on 34th Street. As a result I considered him to be quite a kind and gentle presence. Maybe even cuddly! I mean to me he was Santa Claus for goodness sake! Why did no-one warn me when I was growing up that the man was pure evil?!

It's become almost cliché these days that following a notorious killing, the media will track down neighbours who will talk about how 'shocked they are', how they 'could never have imagined they would do something like that', how they were 'one of the nicest people I've ever met', how 'they were really quiet and just kept to themselves.' Well Attenborough's John Christie is one of those guys. Mild of manner and soft of speech, there is just nothing about him that would immediately warn you off. He's not a raving lunatic or a James Bond style villain, he appears to be an ordinary guy. A tremendously ordinary guy in fact! Quiet, actually rather meek and apparently harmless. Attenborough does however hide something in his eyes that just hints at the darkness which lies within him. Part of what makes his actions so disturbing is the fact that we aren't given any background for the murders, no motivation. A truly chilling performance

As chilling and impressive as Attenborough is however, it would be a disservice to the film and in particular John Hurt if that was the only performance I talked about. As the rather simple-minded Timothy Evans he strongly portrays quite a complex character who is not actually a likeable personality whatsoever, so the sympathy we feel for him is not cheaply earned. It's only when the horror of the situation begins to close in on him, and that he attempts to mount a defence which comes too late that we begin to feel so terribly for him. He has just been manipulated and twisted so much that his fate is set in concrete. The character is not romanticised as the greatly wronged man of the piece as he likely would in a fictional film. And in the same fashion the film doesn't really seek to add extra condemnation on Christie. There's no dramatic score reserved for him to let you know that 'oh he's evil.' The film just presents events in a very matter of fact way, with our natural sense of morals guiding our emotions.

Film trivia – Rather creepily the film was actually shot on location on the actual Rillington Place, though following the killings its name had been changed to Ruston Close. The interior scenes were not filmed in the actual house however as the three families who lived there refused to move out for filming. As a result it was filmed in the empty no. 6 block. The street was demolished the following year.

With the action taking place predominantly in tight, confined quarters the film has an uncomfortably claustrophobic feel to it. It almost makes you feel like you're actually there, perhaps sitting across the room from these characters as they interact. You almost feel like you should do something to try and stop these horrible deeds that are taking place, as if you've somehow become complicit if you don't do anything. This very voyeuristic fashion gives it a real Hitchcock vibe in line with films like Rear Window and Psycho. In fact the predicament the viewer finds themselves in seems quite similar to that of L.B. Jeffries in Rear Window. We can see what is going on but are powerless to stop it. Though the film it most strongly evoked for me was another Hitchcock effort, Frenzy. Aside from the obvious sharing of London as its location, both films detail the uncomfortable exploits of a monster with psycho-sexual inclinations and presents it in a very seedy manner. Particularly the moments in both films where we are actually witnesses, up-close and personal to their acts of rape and murder are immensely disturbing and tough to stomach.

It really has the feel of a docudrama. And this is just heightened by the removal of several typically cinematic touches, for example there is barely any examples of score music throughout the whole film. This means that the frequent crying of the Evans' young daughter has great prominence and creates such a feeling of dread. And while it may remind me of Hitchcock's work in some ways, it is certainly lacking in the types of flourishes he would normally include. The whole film shies away from anything stylised or dynamic when it comes to appearance, leaving a very drab and grim palette which certainly fits the atmosphere perfectly. It also gives the film the feel of a kitchen-sink drama, just with a much darker than normal current running through it.

As noted in the plot summary this is based on a true case. As a result the film also works as a fascinating and troubling historically significant artefact. The case of the Christie murders, and that such a tragic miscarriage of justice could occur, played a huge part in the UK abolishing the death penalty in 1965. I also imagine that it acts as an accurate portrait of post-war London, and Britain in general, and the grim economic situation it was in. The film may begin just a few short years after the war had ended, but any sense of jubilation has already seeped far away from this place. We find ourselves in a grim, dingy atmosphere of despair.

Conclusion - While I perhaps admired this film I'm not sure it's one I'd go around recommending to people. I don't imagine too many people 'loving' this film, more than likely most people may find it a tough watch instead. And I don't see it being a film I would revisit all that often. However there is no doubt that it is an effective and chilling film featuring a quite astonishing turn from Attenborough.

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To anyone who has stumbled upon this little blog, welcome. The purpose of this blog is to act as an archive for all of my movie reviews which I have already written on another website; the fantastic forum http://www.movieforums.com/community/

 

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