Upstairs, Downstairs Murder Mystery

GOSFORD PARK (2001)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2001)

Robert Altman has had a wayward, haywire career as a filmmaker. For ever truly inspiring, creative film like "Short Cuts," "The Player" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," there were unfortunate, abysmal pictures like "Popeye" and "The Gingerbread Man." "Gosford Park" is not in the league of any of those, but it is a supremely entertaining, elegant comedy that shows Altman's strengths at handling ensembles with aplomb.

And what an ensemble he has on board this time. Set in the English countryside in 1932, the film begins with an arrival of guests at an estate belonging to Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon), who is hosting a shooting party for the weekend. The guests include Constance, Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), who is discreet with her own secrets but not with the secrets of others; Lord Stockbridge (Charles Dance), who is hard of hearing; Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), a gay Hollywood producer trying to back the latest Charlie Chan flick, and his supposed valet (Ryan Phillippe); and the famed actor, Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), who appeared in the flop remake of Hitchcock's "The Lodger," among other guests. One person is not a guest and that is Sir William's insufferably bored wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas).

The characters just mentioned sleep in the upstairs wings of the estate, and each of one has their own servant. Let's not forget the downstairs population, mostly servants, footmen, butlers, cooks and maids. The most prominent are Elsie (Emily Watson), a maid who is having a secret affair with Sir William; the head cook, Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins); the trusty butler, Mr. Jennings (Alan Bates), who reminded me of Mr. Stevens in "The Remains of the Day"; the Countess's seemingly virginal maid, Mary (Kelly Macdonald); Probert (Derek Jacobi), Sir William's valet; Lord Stockbridge's glowering valet, Robert (Clive Owen); and finally, and most significantly, the stern head of the household, Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), who admits she is the perfect servant because she has no life.

All the characters from the upstairs and downstairs wings harbor secrets, infidelities and insecurities. Altman introduces so many characters that each one becomes part of a vignette, rather than part of a cohesive plot of well-developed characters (as it should be). That is the trademark Altman style in visual and aural terms. Visual in that he constantly moves the camera ever so slightly in tracking and zoom-in shots. Aural in that everyone talks by interrupting or overlapping other people's conversations. These are the kind of techniques that normally do not occupy a period piece of this nature, nothing like say the unobtrusive camerawork of the fabulous "The Shooting Party" or any classy Merchant Ivory production. As always, Altman seeks to deconstruct the genre he directs, and it works admirably. The characters are all so fascinating and interesting to listen to that they could each spawn their own one-hour slot on "Masterpiece Theatre."

In roughly the three-quarter mark, Altman introduces the murder of Sir William by an unseen killer, who uses both poison and a knife. Now, in true Agatha Christie fashion, every occupant of the estate is a suspect, and since everyone more or less despises the reviled, lewd Sir William, it makes them that much more guilty. But the film is not as interested in the details of the murder or whodunit (though we do discover who the culprit is) as much as the characters, and the subtle witticisms in everyone's personality and style of speaking. In other words, "Gosford Park" bears the hallmarks of all British dramas and satires as such, and it is as intriguing, sophisticated and engaging as any Merchant Ivory production.

"Gosford Park" doesn't approach any level of greatness nor is it as much fun as Altman's "Cookie's Fortune" or "M.A.S.H." for that matter. But it is an understated, juicy, playful delight, a walk in the sunny side for Mr. Altman. At the rich age of 76, he still knows how to coax the best out of any ensemble and one can only admire him for it.

70's Song Remains the Same

A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2004)

The late 60's and the 1970's were the golden age of cinema - a time of reflection on society and the seeping corruption at its core. Racism, a futile war, disco, porno, rebellion in droves, Kent State, Watergate - they all contributed to a different world than many had anticipated. The films of that era were in-your-face when it came to growing concerns over such problems, not to mention the emergence of the sexual revolution, homosexuality, feminism, and so on. "A Decade Under the Influence" aims to reflect those films that essentially were designed to wake us up with a cold slap in the face of such hooey like "Hello, Dolly" and those Doris Day romantic comedies. The problem is that the decade started off with a bang and ended with a whimper, and we are all still whimpering. And this film forgets about the whimper.

Though there are numerous clips from classics such as "French Connection," "Mean Streets," "Taxi Driver," "All the President's Men," "MASH" among many others, there is no real attempt to understand why such cinema was so well-regarded then by audiences when today, nobody could care less. We only get fleeting examples, some more notable than others. A more fitting documentary on such a similar subject was one of the episodes of "American Cinema," where Peter Biskind remarked that "Taxi Driver" could not be made in the 1990's, though it was a box-office success in 1976.

Another problem is that all these directors are treated with reverence and speak reverentially of their work. Not one of them ever discloses that their egoistic self-indulgences helped to ruin a nearly stellar decade. Martin Scorsese, one of America's finest directors, went way overbudget on the deservedly financial disaster known as "New York, New York," released the same year as "Star Wars," a financial blockbuster. William Friedkin's own "Sorcerer," a remake of "The Wages of Fear," was a box-office flop. Francis Ford Coppola is briefly discussed with his own financial gains and follies, as is Michael Cimino's own financial ruin with "Heaven's Gate," a film that destroyed a studio. Yes, yes, yes, the 1970's were never the same again after "Star Wars" and "Heaven's Gate," but the truth is that audiences didn't rely on the 70's mavericks to tell stories anymore - they wanted fantasy and adventure. Look at what transpired in the early 80's. We had "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "E.T.," "The Empire Strikes Back." "Superman II," all of which were major box-office hits. "Raging Bull" is considered the best film of the 1980's but it was a box-office flop. The war between success and talent continues - would you prefer the latest Spielberg extravaganza or a dark Scorsese film from the gut? Yes, brilliant films from the studio system continue to be made but with each passing year, there are less and less. The independent films are the ones to look for, if you can find them at your local theater. Hollywood distribution is the name of the game, particularly at festivals like Sundance. It is all about pure luck to get a highly personal film made today.

Though no documentary, even this one which runs nearly three hours (expanded from the truncated version shown on cable), can hope to represent every film from this period yet the late director Ted Demme and co-director Richard LaGravenese brings some measure of depth to certain directors. It is nice that Monte Hellman's terrific "Two Lane-Blacktop" is discussed, and how its script was published in Esquire before it even got released. It also helps that Hellman further discusses how the film changed drastically from the original script, initially hailed as the film of the year. There is also a brief retrospective of the long-forgotten Hal Ashby, who helmed beautifully made, offbeat films like "Shampoo" and "Coming Home." Jon Voight and Julie Christie throw in their two cents on what a wonderful director he was, even if the 1980's was not kind to him (though no light is shed on this matter). Sidney Lumet expounds on his technique and what he expected from his actors, but unremarkable films from the 1980's like "Family Business" and "Garbo Talks" are not discussed, nor is a brilliant film like "Running on Empty."

"A Decade Under the Influence" refuses to ask their interview subjects why they failed to enliven cinema, to make the kinds of personal films they used to make. So we are left with their highs and lows during the 1970's but rarely do they remark on their current work (some discuss recent independent films from other directors). They just don't make them like they used to.

Chevy Chase is D.O.A and AWOL

FLETCH LIVES (1989)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1989)

There are two exceptionally funny scenes in "Fletch Lives." The wisecracking reporter who is always disguising himself and his voice, Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase), interrupts a KKK group by pretending to be one of them. He cozies up to them, performing some ritual that includes bopping one of them on the head - "It's a California thing." There is also an inspired bit where Fletch dreams a "Song of the South" song rendition of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with animated birds and the like. As I said, two funny scenes in a dreary 98-minute sequel to a riotous 1985 flick that is among Chevy Chase's best comedies.

"Fletch Lives" can't even deliver with the fake Fletch disguises (a blonde wig and using the name Peggy Lee Zorba is among the worst) and a plot that takes itself too seriously. The Deep South and televangelists could've been comic gold but as written by Leon Capetanos (replacing the talented Andrew Bergman from the original), it doesn't exactly tap into the material and exploit it. A whole hour can pass by and you'll hardly elicit a smile, especially with reliable pros like Hal Holbrook and R. Lee Ermey who seem to occupy a different movie. And what is so damn funny about Fletch finding a dead woman in bed with him (played by the wonderful Patricia Kalember of "thirtysomething" fame), whom he just slept with the night before, and having him utter the line, "Well, she was good but not that good." The Fletch from the original film would not have reacted in such a cold-blooded manner.

The original "Fletch" was smart, fast-paced and funny as hell, but it also helped that Chevy Chase made Fletch a human and sympathetic character who was also quick on his feet and could improvise his way out of any situation. This sequel has the late Cleavon Little playing a semi-stereotyped character named Calculus Entropy, and Chevy Chase essentially walks through the movie. Actually, he limps.

Kicking up a storm at the ice factory

THE BIG BOSS aka FISTS OF FURY (1971)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

The late and great Bruce Lee was said to have considered doing more historical martial-arts films post-"Enter the Dragon." I would presume the kind of 16th century or earlier costume epics, not unlike what we seen in the last decade with the likes of "Hero" or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Despite I gather some vicious gangsters wearing 70's fashions, "The Big Boss" could have been set in any era and that is part of its charm. This was the first kung-fu flick for Lee and, though it is awkwardly patched together and exceedingly violent (it is far more bloody than "The Chinese Connection" aka "Fist of Fury"), it is also stunning, lively and well-made.

Bruce Lee is Cheng, a country bumpkin (a role he had played for many years, and did his final version of it in "The Way of the Dragon") who makes a promise to his uncle not to fight, probably because the guy is too damn good a fighter and is always in trouble. Cheng wears a necklace to remind him to stay fight-free. He comes to Thailand to work with his cousins at an ice factory that is actually a front for cocaine smuggling. When any ice block is broken with the evidence in tow, accidentally or not by the workers, the drug syndicate has the workers killed - I do wonder if the workers are unionized. No matter, Cheng eventually finds out the truth and the inevitable slaughter of family members takes shape, leading to a dozen fight scenes in the last half hour.

As always the case with Bruce Lee's kung-fu films, the fight scenes are extraordinary and supernaturally good. They are also exaggerated to the nth degree, complete with flying kick jousts (something Lee objected to) and punches and kicks that are delivered with preternatural sounds (even when Lee tears off his shirt, you can hear it for miles). Sometimes a character can stand still and jump in the air by a good fifty feet without a running start (at one point, Lee jumps over a 12-foot fence without much exertion) Of course, these are the staples of kung-fu pictures by the hundredfold and, though such impossible feats of strength have not always appeared in Lee's films since he craved realism, it adds some flavor of wit.

Most of the actors are quite good for the paper-thin material. Maria Yi is a sweet, becalming actress playing a woman who is Cheng's cousin. James Tien plays another cousin who is seen as the family's leader and who gets into fights often. Yin-chieh Han is the formidable villain who owns the ice factory and is something of a low-level drug lord (he also choreographed the fight scenes) - his last few scenes with Bruce Lee are phantasmagoric and awesomely staged. 

The story in "The Big Boss" is minimal but it is enormously paid off by the electrifying presence of Bruce Lee (who gets to play drunk and show shards of innocence), playing a naive, sympathetic young man who possesses the eruptive anger of a fierce dragon. When he fights, the screen blazes with energy that showcases very clearly why Bruce Lee became a legend. "The Big Boss" is not one of Lee's best action films ("Fist of Fury" that followed clearly is the Master's finest hour) but it has legendary fight scenes that you will want to revisit again and again.

Footnote: The only Bruce Lee action picture not to feature Lee using nunchakus. Instead, he uses knives.

Predicts Boardwalk Empire

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE (1998)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 1998 *updated)

"With Friends Like These" is the umpteenth attempt at self-reflection on moviemaking, that is the attempt at understanding what motivates people to make movies and how it all comes down to backstabbing. It is an idea first brought to prominence in Robert Altman's "The Player." Nothing else has come close since.

The friends are a group of Hollywood actors who are lucky enough to find roles in any film or TV series. They are the character bit players, the ones that audiences are likely to forget. None of them may be happy to recede in the background of the spotlight, but what can they do? The only actor of the bunch who has been around long enough to do more than his fair share is Johnny (Robert Constanzo), a veteran player who has played more corrupt cops and hit men than anything else. Johnny gets a phone call one day that he is up for an audition to play Al Capone in a Martin Scorsese film! This could be his big break! Naturally, Scorsese and his agent (Beverly D'Angelo) remind Johnny to keep it hush-hush because otherwise, goombahs and Italian men from all over will get wind of the film and decide to audition as well. Let's say that Johnny's trusting friends, Dorian (Jon Teney), Steve (Adam Arkin) and Armand (David Straitharn), discover Johnny's secret and decide they all want a shot at the big time.

Some of this is fun to watch but sadly, too much goes a long way. It would have been enough to make a comedy about how desperate people are for fame and fortune, and for the insatiable need to get in the spotlight. But when the film concentrates on the men's wives and the supposed infidelities and jealousies, it becomes a Woody Allen film! Take away the inspired, inside information on how desperate these Scorsese aficionados are to get in to the master director's latest, and you are left with tedious Allenisms on relationships and marriage. Writer-director Philip F. Messina backs away from the filmmaking and backstabbing ideas that are probably the reason for his inspiration for the film in the first place.

"With Friends Like These" has some fun scenes and cute interactions, not to mention a stunning final scene with David Straitharn (the best actor of this bunch), but it is wholly half-hearted and contrived. It fails to deliver the potential of a real comedy about a Scorsese mob film. And that's that.

Footnote: Fascinatingly, years later, Martin Scorsese executive-produced and directed the pilot for the HBO series, "Boardwalk Empire." The pilot included the recurring character of Al Capone, played by Stephen Graham. I wonder how many actors auditioned for that part.

Cryer's trite game of hide and seek

HIDING OUT (1987)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

A hopelessly dopey stockbroker, Andrew Morenski (Jon Cryer, who is hopelessly miscast), is involved in some shady bonds sold to mobsters. Rather than testify against the mob, for fear of being killed after his messy police protection fails, he hides out at his old high-school grounds. Andrew shaves his beard, opts for two-toned colored hair, gives away his expensive Italian jacket for a regular coat from a bum, and decides to enroll as a high-school student despite being nearly 30-years-old. Why? I can't say except he feels he can remain more elusive from hit men and the police if he pretends to be a student. This makes sense since Jon Cryer is more convincing as a high-school student than a stockbroker (only a year earlier, he played a high-school student in "Pretty in Pink."). Andrew gets help from his young cousin (Keith Coogan), falls in love with a 17-year-old senior (Annabeth Gish), and unwillingly runs for Student President! Oh, yes, he also befriends the school janitor who was a former boxing champion.

"Hiding Out" never fleshes out its comic potential, not even a little. The idea of reliving your high-school years  could have been prime comic material and lent a little gravitas to the narrative. But no, the screenwriters keep obstructing their premise with a teen romance subplot that, while cute for a while especially a roller-skating sequence, tested my patience. Wouldn't a 17-year-old sense that this Andrew is not what he is cracked up to be? The subplot involving the hit men also tested my patience, and so did Andrew's consistent whining about his other stockbroker buddies. I could care less about them because, for an alleged comedy, there should be the dramatic situations in high school where Andrew tries to persuade the students that he is a student too - you know, some comic hijinks that Jon Cryer was born to play. The movie just gives us students who never assume Andrew isn't who he says he is - they accept him wholeheartedly. So does Annabeth Gish's father whom Andrew provides tax relief advice. Does the father think something is up? No, not at all. All high-school students are born accountants, I suppose.

"Hiding Out" misses out on comic opportunities, left and right. It never establishes the main character in any real jeopardy from what should've been a comically chaotic and hopeless situation. Instead we get a violent opening and a dramatically violent finish that are at odds with, again, the comedy that we expect. I like Cryer's scene where he antagonizes a history teacher over the pros and cons of President Nixon, or when he is inspired to call himself "Maxwell Hauzer" after the coffee brand. Two decent jokes in a movie that is more inert and cutesy than inspired, filled with occasional bursts of violence from some other bad movie. Grade D for derivative.

I knew I was innocent

PARADISE LOST 2: REVELATIONS (2000)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2002)

The murders of three young boys who were eviscerated in West Memphis, Arkansas on May of 1993 was thrillingly captured in one of the most disturbing documentaries ever made, "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills." Filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Synofsky were granted access to film the trial and members of the victims' families, not to mention the three alleged killers. The killers were Damien Echols, Jessie Miskelley and Jason Baldwin, both at the time in their teens who were seen as suspects for wearing black clothes, for listening to Metallica and for supposedly worshipping the Devil. Jessie may have confessed to the crime out of coercion by the police, though he only had an IQ of 72 (how reliable was his flawed account of the murders?) They are all currently in jail with Echols as the sole defendant on Death Row - the other two are serving life sentences. A crucial piece of evidence at the 1994 trial was a bloody knife owned by one of the murdered boys' fathers, Mark Byers. The knife was given to the filmmakers which was then presented to the police as evidence. For a moment, one wonders if Byers was the killer.

"Paradise Lost 2: Revelations" recapitulates most of the original documentary's events but presents little or no new evidence. We learn the bite marks on the said victims were not identical to the mouths of the three jailbirds. Also, the suspicion that Byers is involved is thrown out the window when he admits to extracting all his teeth because of a specific medication that rotted them. He says they were all extracted long before his child was murdered - it turns out they were extracted in 1997, four years after the murders. It is difficult to say if the three jailed men, now in their 20's, are responsible or if they were the scapegoats in a town looking for scapegoats. Disembowling three young boys and leaving them naked in a ditch is as horrific a crime as one can imagine. Also disturbing is that no trace of blood was found at the crime scene, which one can rightly deduce was not the actual crime scene. The bodies were mutilated elsewhere and left in a ditch, possibly an area well-known by the killer. The point, as addressed by a forensic investigator, is that these killings were not ritualistic since ritual murders are often precise - the violence was brought on by anger. Could it have been Mark Byers who has a history of drug and violence problems? Or is it Echols, Miskelley and Baldwin?

"Paradise Lost 2" has more questions than answers, but I felt uneasy watching how directors Berlinger and Synofsky filmed Mr. Byers. Byers is the star of the show, always addressing the camera with hateful rants on his innocence and calling everyone watching a devil worshipper. He also stages a mock burial of the three defendants at the very site where the three young boys were killed - a truly unsettling scene. But is Byers to be trusted? Did he kill his own wife, Melissa, whose death is still considered "undetermined"? He claims she died of natural causes. Others claim he suffocated her. He is a Bible-thumping madman who agrees to take a lie-detector test. The irony is he passes the test with flying colors. To the camera, he shouts, "I knew I was innocent." One can take that statement as indicative of a murderer who is getting away scot-free, or one can assume he is a depressed father who is growing more vengeful with each passing year - after all, he lost his son and his wife whom he called his best friend.

Most of "Paradise Lost 2" is compelling and deeply disturbing but it all feels vaguely exploitative. Byers appears too much like a madman but documentarians also have the right to tell a man to tone it down - Byers looks like an insane killer on the loose (perhaps that was the idea). The Free Memphis Three group, who support the innocence of the three defendants, remain elusive as to why they felt so compelled to go on the road and pursue the case - the original movie is powerful but not enough to draw people away from their jobs on their own vacation time (heck, I might feel they are innocent but I am not about to go on the road). Nevertheless, I would have liked more footage of Echol's mother and the other defendants' mothers thoughts (many refused to be interviewed again so I can't really blame the filmmakers). Little is said as to why the prosecutors felt the defendants were the killers, outside of a taped confession. This movie just assumes without a doubt that Byers is the killer. Maybe there is evidence to prove it, maybe not - we barely get enough of a hint beyond the bite marks and his contradictory statements. The one question avoided is how could Byers allegedly murder these three second-graders so brutally. The question remains. [NOTE: The third film in this documentary series, "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," is far more powerful than this sequel].