Tag: ron rifkin

L.A. Confidential (1997)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Maybe it’s that too much time has passed since it was released to have a first-time watch, but I found “L.A. Confidential” surprisingly mediocre despite its on-screen and off-screen cache. In some ways it plays like a TV movie made with a rather naive audience in mind: I realize the movie is set in the more “innocent” 1950s but it’s trying so hard to be thought-provoking about the blind sanctification afforded to white men in charge and its subsequent perversions of justice but it just ends up being redundant by pulling its punches. A modern audience is ahead of its characters so the experience is long-winded and frustrating, while the now-problematic casting of Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey is also terribly distracting: Spacey, in particular, has become defined by the substantiated allegations against him so his smarm here hits a little too close to home. The movie is also stained by a lackluster leading performance by Guy Pearce, although thankfully Kim Basinger and (especially) James Cromwell manage to rise above thinly-written characters, each managing to bring much-needed life whenever onscreen. Ultimately it’s not a bad movie per se; director Curtis Hanson is a dependable studio director capable of making reasonably effective crowd-pleasers out of mediocre screenplays (like “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” and “The River Wild”) so he brings a nice visual flourish and streamlined narrative that keep things moving, but overall it’s on the ‘meh’ side of things.

Rating: ★★ (out of 5)

A Star is Born (2018)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

Watching a twenty-first century version of “A Star is Born” is a strange experience. On the one hand, the film is well-made, with star-director-screenwriter Bradley Cooper delivering a solid performance (even if it sometimes comes across as an impersonation of Kris Kristofferson’s performance in the 1976 version), while the dialogue and camera work are consistently strong. In addition, Lady Gaga makes for an intriguing leading lady in her first major Hollywood role, and it’s obvious that she’s taking the role very seriously. However, by the time the movie’s second half rolls around, things get choppy: There appears to be scenes missing from the narrative, resulting in a half-realized dynamic between Cooper and onscreen brother Sam Elliot that often feels jarring, while Gaga’s progression from unknown performer to major pop star is glossed over. The chemistry between Cooper and Gaga seems to have dissipated by the second half as well, which nullifies the emotional impact required for the film to work as a cohesive whole. The music is good if unremarkable for the most part, although the onscreen duo’s performance of “Shallow” could peel the paint off the walls, making you wish there were more numbers like it. Ultimately it’s not that the movie is bad, it’s that it could have – and should have been – much better than merely okay.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Wolf (1994)

by julienhoule, posted in Uncategorized

There’s an undeniable pedigree to “Wolf,” which manages to be both a strength and a weakness. On the one hand, director Mike Nichols first foray into horror is predictably a classy, well-structured affair, with clear characterizations and terrific work by an ensemble cast. In addition, leads Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer make a surprisingly effective pair and work well together despite the improbable age difference between the two, while the supporting cast is strong all the way through. However, the structured, careful approach to filmmaking with defines many of the movies directed by Nichols works against him here, as his approach to the suspense is too mannered for the movie to really come alive.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)