Flashback to the past

THE LIMEY (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1999)

I don't know about any of you but I can live without seeing another crime picture, especially in this post-Tarantino age. A story about a criminal avenging the death of his daughter from other criminals should not inspire much thought or excitement. But in the hands of the extraordinary director Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight," "Sex, Lies and Videotape"), "The Limey" transforms its paper-thin premise into pure excitement and examines it up close with an extraordinary actor at its center, Terence Stamp.

Stamp stars as the "limey" (slang for a British person, particularly a sailor) otherwise referred to as Wilson, a former criminal released from prison who comes to L.A. in search of his daughter, Jenny (introduced in Wilson's voice-over at the beginning). She is presumed to be dead, possibly killed by a former record producer named Valentine (Peter Fonda, thriving on his "Ulee's Gold" streak). Stamp is relentless in his pursuit, actively waging a war to find the truth. He is lean, mean and vicious...and apparently ignorant of modern society. There's a wonderfully sly scene where he discovers that the men outside of Valentine's grand palace are not bodyguards but valets.

"The Limey" could be a late-night movie of the week or an HBO drama at best if it were not for Soderbergh's flashy direction or Stamp's vulpine charms. He is the heart and soul of the film, supplying both subtle humor and crafty, suggestive mannerisms. Stamp has one great scene after another: whether he is smoothly speaking to an old flame, bashing heads at a factory, throwing people over balconies, or having flashbacks of his daughter, or trying to explain in a thick Cockney accent the turmoil of his life to a police investigator. There is nothing this man can't do - he makes the film eminently watchable.

As in "Out of Sight," Soderbergh cleverly and astutely flashes back and forth between one scene to the next, utilizing freeze-frames and different backdrops while whole conversations take place. This is not a new feat of cinematic interpretation - think back to Godard's wildly jump-cutting scene-shifting in the groundbreaking "Breathless." It is also an added plus to insert footage from Stamp's 1967 film "Poor Cow" throughout, not to mention allusions to Peter Fonda's "Easy Rider" by playing the song "Magic Carpet Ride." "The Limey" is all about allusions to the past, as we follow Wilson on his path to discover the truth of his daughter's possible demise.

"The Limey" also benefits from a great supporting cast, always a necessity in a L.A. noir story. There is the Lesley Ann Warren as the old flame, the terrifically funny Luis Guzman, and, aging like fine wine, Barry Newman as a corrupt aide to Valentine. With a stirring conclusion, wonderful compositions, and a full fledged character study at its center, "The Limey" stands alongside "Jackie Brown" as an exemplary look at the seedy, laid-back lifestyles of Los Angeles.

Time-twisting fun

OUT OF SIGHT (1998)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1998)

Next to Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," "Out of Sight" is the best Elmore Leonard film adaptation yet with the most energetic cast imaginable. And it also helps that the stylish director Steven Soderbergh is also on board.

George Clooney, in his best role by far, is the suave yet none too bright bank robber serving time in prison for a botched robbery attempt. It is there where he meets an assortment of criminals and lowlifes played by such top-notch actors like Ving Rhames (the moralistic friend who steals cars right in front of their owners), Steven Zahn (a clueless pothead), and Don Cheadle (a more cunning villain than I've seen in recent crime films). Together they conspire to rip-off a rich attorney (Albert Brooks) who may be hiding valuable diamonds in his house. Problem is a devastatingly beautiful federal marshal (exotic Jennifer Lopez) is on Clooney's tail.

"Out of Sight" varies from other Leonard adaptations in its time-twisting narrative and brisk, comical dialogue that lends an extra punch to the proceedings. Soderbergh often shuffles sequences out of order creating a universe of disorder - an editing staple that he later took further in 1999's "The Limey." It is a directive that would make Tarantino blush in its exquisite smoothness. My favorite sequence is the Clooney-Lopez sex scene where they are talking intimately as we are shown scenes of their eventual coupling.

Add to that the flashy direction by Steven Soderbergh ("Sex, Lies and Videotape") and a marvelous cast (including the funny cameo by Nancy Allen) and you've got one hell of an entertainment, and one of the best crime films in quite some time. There's also the sizzling chemistry between Clooney and Lopez who manage to swelter the screen as much as Gable and Leigh did. And for major laughs, Albert Brooks and Steve Zahn fit the bill perfectly. An outstanding picture that would make Hollywood blush in its seamless blend of violence and comedy.

Extra bonus: Don't miss the superb cameos by Michael Keaton (reprising his role from "Jackie Brown" as a DEA agent) and Samuel L. Jackson.

Lumet's Big Bad and Funny Turd

GLORIA (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 2000)

"Gloria" is unbelievably funny and so rottenly made that you can't help but like it, for the sheer audacity of it being so bad. Only director Sidney Lumet is not a director who can fail and muster such idiocy with an unrealistic East Coast tale - after all, Lumet is a New York director who has crafted realism in many of his best pictures. This film is directed by someone who has no idea what to do with a project that has the pedigree of John Cassavetes. 

Sharon Stone plays Gloria, a gun moll who attempts to run all over New York City with a supposedly tough yet tender kid (Jean-Luke Figueroa) who is the survivor of a family that was gunned down (he assumes he is the "man"). Gloria also takes along a diskette that contains crucial information needed by the mob (headed by George C. Scott with his main henchman, incredulously played by Jeremy Northam). Gloria runs around in high heels and sexy clothes that scream loudly, yet she manages to outwit her pursuers at every turn (this made me laugh throughout).

A high-speed car chase is actually thrilling at one point and keeps you on edge. But there is not one note that is believable at all. Cassavetes' original 1980 flick by the same name possessed authority with the casting of Gena Rowlands. The original "Gloria" also felt grounded in some reality - it was also thrilling and edgy and it was probably the late master's most accessible film. Here, we just have Sharon Stone with a bad Big Apple accent and turgid villains that utter the same old phrases we have heard at least ONE MILLION times before. Lumet's picture is never really boring, but it is never really much of anything and one wonders what prompted Lumet to remake it. Still, there is Sharon Stone and she is a looker, no matter what she does. 

Police corruption like you've always seen before

NIGHT FALLS ON MANHATTAN (1997)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 1997)

We've been accustomed to seeing Al Pacino play loud, unruly lawyers so it is quite refreshing to see Andy Garcia as a smart, tough lawyer in one of his best roles since "Internal Affairs." The movie may not be great but it is a well-crafted, watchable piece of entertainment.

Garcia stars as Sean Casey, a tough New York City lawyer who has been trying minor cases such as freak accidents, drug dealers, petty thieves, etc. He's no ambulance chaser but he's trying to get ahead by playing the rules, and he was a former cop so he "knows the streets." His father, Liam Casey (Ian Holm), is an undercover cop trying to catch a big-time heroin dealer and is subsequently shot while on a stakeout. Sean is upset by this and so is the whole city since two cops were previously killed by this psycho dealer. The D.A. Morgenstern (Rob Leibman) screams bloody murder and wants the dealer found who managed to escape in an NYPD car! The D.A. makes Sean the leading prosecutor, much to everyone's chagrin, but he's also risking his political future when the defense attorney turns out to be a brilliant shyster, Sam Vigoda (Richard Dreyfuss). It is, theoretically, an easy case and one that could launch Sean's career, but is there police corruption at the core? What do you think? Have you seen movies about corruption before or is this something entirely new to you?

"Night Falls on Manhattan" is not an original film nor should you think that director Sidney Lumet hasn't made similar films before. This time, Lumet has made it fresh by instilling a sense of humanity and making his characters invigorating and real. Garcia's Sean Stone is the moral center of the film - a lawyer who uncovers a hotbed of corruption and lies and people who mask the truth. Could his father, Liam, be concealing evidence? And what about Liam's partner, Joey (James Gandolfini)? And how did all three precincts manage to arrive within seconds after Joey calls for backup during the stakeout? If you haven't heard the disturbing news of New York City cops lately, then you must be residing on a mountain top in Tibet somewhere.

Lumet's problem as a writer is his frequent lack of credibility. For example: why would a psychotic dealer turn himself in to a defense attorney when he could have skipped town? Why would the D.A. assign such a media crazed event over to a small-time lawyer who has no experience trying such cases? Because the lawyer's father is a cop who was badly injured? I don't think such cases occur in New York City but what do I know. This movie was written for the screen by Lumet and based on a pulp novel by Robert Daley. Maybe that explains it.

As usual, Lumet's casting is impeccable. Garcia is strong and believable as Sean, a lawyer who by chance becomes D.A. in a movie full of miraculous chances. Richard Dreyfuss is superbly witty as the Alan Dershowitz-type who is trying to reveal the corruption himself. The great British actor Ian Holm is quietly understated as the wise old cop who may or may not be involved, and adores his bewildered son and his partner. James Gandolfini, who has appeared in a slate of mediocre movies, shines brightly and evocatively as Liam's partner - his scene with Ian Holm and Garcia crackles with energy as he begins to admit his involvement. This is an actor to watch for in the future. Veteran actor Rob Leibman shouts and spews with relish in several great scenes as Morgenstern, the D.A. who is always looking for a fight. The one performance that doesn't ring true is Lena Olin ("Unbearable Lightness of Being") as Peggy, a legal assistant to Sam Vigoda. Her frivolous romance with Sean exudes little charisma or excitement and takes up too much screen time.

"Night Falls on Manhattan" falls short when compared to Lumet's great, intelligent police movies such as "Prince of the City" and "Serpico." Nevertheless, it is a fine film and uniformly well acted but it ends with a silly anticlimax that diminishes the power of the first three-quarters (a similar problem pervaded Lumet's "Family Business"). Still, how can you resist a great cast in a generally vivid, exciting picture when we are mostly bombarded by superfluous hogwash nowadays. Don't resist.

You think Jackie is funny?

FIND ME GUILTY (2006)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

For 21 months in the late 1980's, the government persecuted 20 members of the Lucchese crime family of New Jersey on over 70 criminal conspiracy counts. This actual trial has been known as the longest criminal trial in history. A clownish, seemingly honest mobster represents himself as his own attorney and turns the court into a circus. Sounds like it could be decent subject matter for a movie. Only director Sidney Lumet has converted this fascinating trial into a listless, lifeless mess of a movie.

Vin Diesel is the wisecracking mobster, Giacomo "Jackie Dee" DiNorscio, who in the opening scene of the movie, is nearly left for dead after he's shot by his cousin. Then, an impending trial hangs on him - the prosecutor tells Jack he can rat on everyone or get a 30- year-plus sentence. Jack maintains a loyalty to his crew, even to the disapproving mob boss, Nick Calebrese (Alex Rocco) who, for reasons never explained, hates Jack. What is there to hate? Jack is flamboyant, energetic and throws one-liners and get applause from the jury. The presiding judge (Ron Silver) objects and holds him in contempt of court more often than Joe Pesci did in "My Cousin Vinny." But Jackie also loves everybody, even the cousin who betrays him and runs to the feds. I think Jackie might've been out of place in the world of "GoodFellas," but what do I know.

If "Find Me Guilty" had the audacity to poke fun at this relentless trial that makes a mockery of justice, then it might have been a winner. Instead Lumet and his co-writers T.J. Mancini, and Robert J. McCrea play it too straight and narrow - they don't see or acknowledge the humor. This should not be an episode of "Law and Order" - it should be the "Network" of courtroom dramas. It should focus on the ridiculous stature of our legal system. After all, the film seems to say that even if you are a murderer and a drug abuser in the mob, as long as you act like Jay Leno in court, you might have a chance to beat the system and win over a jury. Since that is the theme of this movie, why do the filmmakers exhibit a monotonous level of energy throughout?

Vin Diesel seems like such a clown as Jackie that, had the film been wittier and more pungent, he might have not been miscast. Considering the serious-mindedness of it, he is miscast though he tries to breathe some life into it. I did like the underused Alex Rocco and the magnetic casting of Peter Dinklage as one of the defense attorneys. Also worth noting is the cameo by Annabella Sciorra as Jackie's ex- wife who is stunned Jackie can't attend his mother's funeral. But "Find Me Guilty" lacks energy, focus and punch. Its best passages are narrowed by truly extended, overlong, dull courtroom setpieces that don't amount to much except an outrageous verdict. If only the film had been as outrageous.

The Tale of a Mermaid and a fruit wholesaler

SPLASH (1984)

An Appreciation by Jerry Saravia

Ron Howard's "Splash" is a festive, funny, joyful kind of romantic comedy. It puts you in a silly frame of mind, evoking pleasure through its likable characters and original concept. How often do you see a movie where a guy unknowingly falls in love with a mermaid? (1946's "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" perhaps, though a whole different kind of picture). In 1984, it was certainly an original and fresh take on the usual romantic couplings. Since then, we have had a TV movie sequel (unseen by me), M. Night Shyamalan's eccentric and overlong drama/comedy/thriller/something called "Lady in the Water" which starred Bryce Dallas Howard (ironically, Ron Howard's daughter) and a Hong-Kong inspired tale from 1994 called "Mermaid Got Married." But "Splash" rises above most because it's got Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah as the lovebirds, it's got New York City as its setting, and the lovable eccentricities of John Candy as Hank's brother.

Hanks is Allen Bauer, a co-owner of a a fruit and vegetable wholesale business who finds himself in Cape Cod on a whim. Once there, he gets knocked out by a motorboat and is rescued by a blonde mermaid (Daryl Hannah). Allen wants to get to know her but she is mute. Finally, she finds him at his address thanks to Allen's missing wallet. In a nod to immigrants that came to Ellis Island and perhaps saw their first welcoming landmark, the Statue of Liberty, our mermaid of the wandering seas is at the famous monument completely in the buff. Allen and the mermaid finally reunite, and she calls herself Madison after seeing a Madison Avenue sign. Madison quickly learns English by way of repetitive TV watching and is adept at using Allen's credit cards at Bloomingdales! But when Allen learns that Madison is only in NYC for a short time and that she refuses to give up her big secret, things get a little heated and complicated.

What is a little amazing about "Splash" is how winsome and innocent it is, and how the Allen character is permitted to act a little upset at the unknown dilemma centering on Madison amid all the innocence. Hanks doesn't shy away from losing a little control (there is something a little fierce about how he breaks down the bathroom door when Madison doesn't answer). Yet the movie also features one of the sweetest gifts ever given to anyone that you just started dating - a mermaid fountain that somehow finds its way into Allen's swanky apartment. How it gets in there is not as important as the gift itself and how it was obtained, which is best discovered by first-time viewers. A marriage proposal by Allen is first turned down, then accepted. Allen just deeply loves this mysterious woman, unencumbered by her origins or her secrets - he just wants to know her. If that is not true love, I do not know what it is.

"Splash" also has some comedic bits, more or less on the slapstick side. Hanks can be funny (check out his fumbling about in a taxicab) but it is John Candy as Freddie Bauer who shows warmth and an easygoing attitude - he is a party boy but not an excessive party boy (this is a Disney flick after all). Freddie loves his brother whom he feels should loosen up and pick up more women at bars. Candy is allowed some tomfoolery when playing racquetball and hitting himself on the head, or dropping change on the floor so he can look up women's skirts. This is easily one of Candy's best roles ever, far eclipsing almost anything else in his career. Watch his role in this movie, and then see him as a leading man in the underrated "Only the Lonely" and you will see a dramatic actor of sublime restraint who was often shortchanged ("Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck" excepted).

Another actor who brings a barrel of laughs is Eugene Levy as scientist Walter Kornbluth, who is absolutely certain that a mermaid is walking around New York City. He gets into a few accidents when he can't catch up with Madison and inadvertently sprays a water hose on the wrong women! The idea is that the water hose will change Madison's legs into fins, thus proving his theory.

"Splash" is an intoxicating romantic treat, blending belly laughs and a romance between two leads of blissful chemistry with ease. This might easily be one of Ron Howard's finest films, showing that there are true cinematic pros who can make this kind of upbeat movie just right. I have seen my share of romantic comedies, perhaps one too many post-"Splash" that do not even have a tenth of what makes "Splash" work or any of the classics from way back in the day. The lovely last shot alone possesses a lyricism that defines what true love is. You may shed a tear.

Throw this dog out the window

JUST MARRIED (2003)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Harmless, inoffensive and dumb. Those are three words to describe "Just Married." Also, a major inactive pain to the funny bone in the sense that your funny bone will not be jerked by the maddeningly unfunny movie that transpires. No pain, no gain.

Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy are a young, likable couple who decide to get married. She is rich, he is not (he loves sports and just has to watch them at a bar in Venice, Italy). They are on their honeymoon and get into one scrape after another with each other's attitudes. Their rental car breaks down and they are snowbound for a whole night. The hotel management is not very accommodating. There's an old flame, a hot blonde that tries the moves on Ashton; a poor dog that jumps out the window; unwanted cockroaches; heavy sex in a bathroom in an airplane, and I think you get the point.

We all know that despite the incessant fighting between Kutcher and Murphy, things will work out and they'll recognize that they are in love. Like I said, this movie is harmless, inoffensive, dumb and highly unnecessary with a couple of chuckles along the way (to be absolutely fair). There are, however, too many of these disposable wastes of cliched romantic comedies out there. My advice: make out with your girlfriend instead and throw this movie to the dogs.