We only get one take!

THE HARD WAY (1991)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally viewed in 1991)

"The Hard Way" is largely a generic action-comedy with superb performances and oodles of post-modernist goo to give it a slight lift...maybe a slight lift on a swing set as opposed to a large crane. Without Michael J. Fox or James Woods, the movie would sink fast.

Fox is a Nick Lang, a spoiled movie superstar who makes Indiana Jones clones to make people smile. Lang's agent (Penny Marshall, always the scene-stealer) reminds him that it is his job to make people smile, not think about the darker recesses of the human soul (Those are my words, not paraphrasing, but it is implied). Lang wants to break out of the sequel cycle of his "Smoking Gunn" series, mature and make a gritty, realistic cop movie after watching the news and seeing the hard-bitten cop, NY Detective Moss (James Woods). Lang's plan is to research the role of the cop by living and breathing Moss on a 24-hour basis. Need I remind anyone of the formula that has been beaten to death in buddy-buddy cop lore? You know what to anticipate next. Moss is not interested in educating a naive Hollywood star about the inner workings of good detective work, no sir, yet Lang is undaunted by Moss's resistance - Lang is fascinated and records Moss's thoughts and angry tirades in a tape recorder.

It is a shame that 'The Hard Way" does not stick like glue to this concept - here was the brave, postmodernist opportunity to deconstruct Hollywood buddy-buddy cop thrillers/action comedies from the point of view of a movie actor and a real high-wire cop. There are some priceless moments - I love Lang imitating Moss's girlfriend to Moss - but they are few and far in between. The screenplay is more interested in the Party Crasher (Stephen Lang), a serial killer who shoots the derelicts of society especially drug pushers at nightclubs. Too much time is devoted to this grinning one-dimensional maniac, resulting in two extended action scenes towards the end that stop the movie cold.

Annabella Sciorra as Moss's hapless girlfriend exudes a magnetism that is intoxicating - she provides a slight emotional center (for film fans, you will enjoy seeing a very young Christina Ricci as Sciorra's daughter). Fox and Woods make a good team and have fine chemistry - check out Woods towards the end as he comforts a wounded Fox. But the movie loses focus and patience with these electric, dynamic actors, concentrating instead on a plot that is manufactured television fodder at best. I would have preferred if director John Badham and his writers had fun with Lang and Moss on a 24-hour cycle that involved real grit, real shootouts, real violence - a police procedural with wit to give it some oomph. As it stands and as fitfully entertaining as it is, "The Hard Way" often looks and feels like a Nick Lang movie.

Chris Rock's rigorous honesty

TOP FIVE (2014)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I have not seen too many Chris Rock movies, but his confrontational stand up is always profoundly funny. He also has a habit of bringing a measure of discomfort with his stinging sense of humor, witness his recent provocative "Saturday Night Live" monologue in 2014. "Top Five" is a sneakily charming and often witty comedy from writer-director Chris Rock and although the wit heads for the mildly profane bone, it never loses sight of its unflinching honesty.

Chris Rock is Andre Allen, more or less based on Chris himself, a formerly alcoholic movie star who made people laugh and is now going through a transitional phase into more dramatic territory. His self-centered, gold-digging fiancee, a reality star (Gabrielle Union), has their love story and future marriage shaped into an episode of her own reality show though it is really to meant to boost her career ("I slept with Bradley Cooper!"). Allen's transition from comedy gives way to a serious movie about the Haitian slavery rebellion entitled "Uprize." When he checks a movie theater to see how it is performing, the latest Tyler Perry flick (with Madea in a haunted house) is the winner, not "Uprize." What is Andre Allen going to do if he can presumably be funny only when he drinks?

Enter Rosario Dawson as a New York Times reporter, Chelsea Brown, who is eager to interview Andre and find those sneaky truths or, as recovering alcoholics will tell you, "rigorous honesty." Andre reluctantly accepts her interview request, slowly building trust with Chelsea, even so far as to show his old neighborhood which includes his old friends and an ex (Sherri Shepherd) who wishes she stuck with him. Andre's friends (which includes a barfingly funny cameo by Tracy Morgan) remind Andre of his roots, how his first stand up gigs were disastrous, and also share their favorite five rappers.

Andre Allen is also shown as the alcoholic he once was. One particular naughty flashback deals with Cedric the Entertainer as a Texan freewheeler who introduces him to clubs and prostitutes. A hotel room involving pillows and champagne results in...dare I reveal it? Let's say it involves more than a couple of less-than-sanitary spots involving Cedric (it is a sequence that would been at home in "The Wolf of Wall Street"). There are also bouts of aggression when Allen dressed as Hammy the Bear, a character Allen played in three movies (something which Rock himself might not have ever agreed to - perhaps a commentary on how black actors are offered cartoonish roles such as Madea, or perhaps a little dig at Eddie Murphy who dressed up in an amusement park outfit in "Beverly Hills Cop III." According to Rock, it references Whoopi Goldberg's T-Rex partner in the forgotten "Theodore Rex"). The final straw is when Allen sees his Hammy character is used to sell beer.

"Top Five" has big belly laughs but it also has uncomfortable, sincere truths - remember, rigorous honesty. When Allen returns to his old neighborhood, he confronts a seemingly wise codger (Ben Vereen) who knew Allen and needs some cash, despite putting Allen down with regards to returning to his roots only for an interview. It is one of the best scenes in the film - the sly codger turns out to be Allen's father. There is also an uproarious scene where Allen talks to his hollering, frustrated agent (Kevin Hart) - their conversation about how his upcoming marriage is the only thing Allen has got going may recall the Kanye and Kim K. wedding. Added to that is a conversation about how 1968's "Planet of the Apes" might have inspired James Earl Ray to kill Martin Luther King, Jr. (dubious theory, funny at any rate). I can't leave out truly hysterical moments from DMX singing "Smile" and Jerry Seinfeld listing his top five rappers...but you have to stay tuned during the end credits for that.

"Top Five" isn't a top-of-the-line comedy (the cinematography has a rather dim, neutral look) but it has a terrifically bouncy edge to it, and Rosario Dawson's charms and wide smile (almost too wide for widescreen formats) is more than enough juice added to Chris Rock's observations on race and our celebrity obsessed culture. I am just being rigorously honest.  

Pick Tracy Flick

ELECTION (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 1999)

Just when you thought that there was nothing more than brainless, insipid teenager movies obsessed with sex and money comes a delectable treat known as "Election." It is one of the best, quirkiest, smartest and most outrageous movies of the year - a bright, comical triumph from first frame to last. It also boasts one of my favorite performances of the year - from the wondrous fireball of energy known as Reese Witherspoon.

Witherspoon stars as Tracy Flick, a scheming, energetic, overly ambitious, overachieving high school student (how rare nowadays to witness such a person in any movie) with dreams of running for office. Tracy tries so hard that she makes muffins with the logo "Pick Flick" emblazoned on each one while seated at her campaigning table. And campaign she does, as Tracy runs for the upcoming high school election for school president. Only the civics teacher, Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick), is not sure he wants Tracy to win, and she has a hell of a chance since she's the only one running. So he encourages a dumb jock, Paul Metzler (Chris Klein - a keen reminder of Keanu Reeves) into running for the election, thus sending a chord of resentment through some principal characters. Tracy is understandably furious thinking she's the only one who should run. Paul's sister, Tammy (Jessica Campbell), is a rebellious loner with lesbian tendencies, and decides to run for president as an attack against her brother's girlfriend. What transpires are voting posters torn from walls, countless affairs, inarticulate political speeches, bee stings, meditating between power lines, lies, bitter jealousies, and enough catastrophic events to make Monica Lewinsky blush with shock.

"Election" is deftly written and imaginatively directed by Alexander Payne. His first effort, "Citizen Ruth," was a mild, uneven black comedy that nevertheless raised issues about abortion rights - a touchy subject. With "Election," Payne explores and deeply uncovers a cutthroat comic spirit in the realm of politics , and there is an occasional mean streak - all the characters suffer and pay for the consequences of their actions. Yes, even the righteous Mr. McAllister, who knows the difference between morals and ethics but does not apply them to his daily life. As played by Matthew Broderick, it is hard to dislike him, but you can reject his ethical and moral choices.

In "Election," it is impossible to know whom you should be rooting for or whom you should sympathize with. And Payne cleverly shifts from one character's point-of-view to another to the point where we at least hope everyone gets away with their individual actions. We hope that Tracy gets the shot as president, but we start to doubt her ethics (she wants to get ahead in the world, after all). However, is she any worse than McAllister, who has an affair with his friend's wife? Does it matter that his friend was a former geometry professor who had an affair with Tracy and, as a result. ousted from the school? Or what about the dumb, sweet Paul who can't give a speech to save his life? Or Tammi who has ambitions beyond elections, and considers suspensions to be restful vacations?

The cast is uniformly perfect. Reese Witherspoon is a spunky, tense, frighteningly ambitious creature who will do anything to get support (not unlike her similar character in "Freeway") - she is like a tight ball of energy ready to burst. Broderick has his best role in ages - he adeptly switches from an omnipresent, good-natured teacher to a repulsive-looking creature with a bee sting aiming to destroy Tracy - an act Ferris Bueller's principal (the memorable performance by Jeffrey Jones in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") would have been fond of. Jessica Campbell goes against the grain of zit-free, attractive teens with her braces and rebellious attitude towards the school - she would have been a fitting replacement for Rachel Leigh Cook in "She's All That." And the cameo by Colleen Camp as Tracy's mother is a shrewd casting choice - she is as ambitious as her daughter.

"Election" is a hysterical, wonderful movie guaranteed to keep you in stitches throughout. It is original, offbeat, edgy and facetious.

Broken coal in your stocking

JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally viewed in 1996)

Virtually unfunny, crude and masochistic are indicators of Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Jingle All the Way," a comic fantasy selling itself as a family comedy with "family values."

Arnold plays Howard Langston, the workaholic dad who is never around when his son or his pretty wife (Rita Wilson) need him. His son's Christmas wish is to get every kid's favorite action toy figure, Turbo Man. Problem is that every parent wants to get it including a hysterically less-than-amusing Sinbad, who plays a postal worker dad. Please, no gone postal jokes - Arnie is already there.

"Jingle All the Way" is an uncomfortable mix of "Toy Story," "Hook" and arguably Arnie's worst picture, "The Last Action Hero." Instead of the screenplay sticking with the idea of toying with today's obsessive consumerism, "Jingle All the Way" attempts to cajoles us with anything but. There are relentless fistfights, lots of broken glass, eager shoppers shoving and pushing each other, a group of Santa con men led by Jim Belushi, and even a desperate reindeer - this is prime comedy material? There is so much cartoon violence that it becomes nauseating, including a jarring ending with Arnie wearing the Turbo Man outfit to please his kid. Arnie tries to go the route of sentimentality but it is more than heavy-handed - it is darn right delivered with a bulldozer. Funny how Schwarzenegger used to make movies - give us a violent action movie early in the year, then cajole us with some kinder Arnie tale near Christmas as if to redeem his bloodbath trespasses. Early in 1996, he gave us a reasonably entertaining action picture, "Eraser." "Jingle All the Way" will make one yearn to watch "Eraser" again.

The whole cast of "Jingle All the Way" is wasted except for Phil Hartman as the irksome neighbor who rises above this tripe with unblemished wit and grace. If Hartman had played the absentee dad, then it might have developed into a minor Christmas comedy classic, without a doubt. As it stands, Arnie merely jingles all the way to the bank on this one. 

Communicating ideas based on hard facts

THE 50 YEAR ARGUMENT (2014)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I was never an avid reader of the New York Times nor the New York Review of Books so I am approaching this documentary with a cold perspective. "The 50 Year Argument" is an incisive revelation, a rip-roaring guide through the years of the numerous articles, authors and writers who dominated the hot potato of controversy of a magazine that, upon its inception, was anything but what it remains today - an intellectual, eye-opening discourse on politics and key central figures in our history.

The documentary covers the gamut of writers like Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, Isaiah Berlin, Noam Chomsky, W.H. Auden, James Baldwin and Stephen Jay Gould, among many others, who covered a wide range of topics and scrutinized (rather than lionized) many central political figures such as Nixon and, most alarmingly, Leni Riefenstahl, the documentarian of the most beautiful and controversial propaganda film of all time, "Triumph of the Will." Sometimes the focus was on current American issues of the day such as the Vietnam War, feminism and Norman Mailer's own virulent discourse on women (his 1971 Town Hall standoff with Susan Sontag has to be seen believed), and other times it was on the political progression of countries like North Vietnam, post-Vietnam War, and how it implemented power no different than its formerly Communist regime. Naturally, all of these various topics, covering alternative ground on matters that the national dialogue would not permit, is watched, read and analyzed by Robert Silvers, the New York Reviews of Book's founding editor who knew his writers better than they knew themselves.

Three writers stand out in "The 50 Year Argument" - Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal and Joan Didion. Mailer criticizes Vidal for placing his hot-temperedness on the same list as Charles Manson, and for Vidal's understandable concern about Mailer's "sexual violence" leanings in his novels not to mention his opposition to feminism. The two duked it out famously on the Dick Cavett Show.

Writer Joan Didion, who used to be a screenwriter, is featured in one segment as having written that something was askew in the assigning of blame to three black men for allegedly raping the Central Park Jogger. She correctly surmises that the three black men were innocent years before it was fact - assigning quick blame to black men for raping a white woman, something which she mentions casually has happened before. Thus, a historical perspective and a societal mob mentality, with varying degrees of polarization, enables scapegoating the wrong assailants.

"50 Year Argument" is exceptionally shaped and lucidly structured as a document of 50 years of ardent discussion and communication in the little magazine that could. The fact that it helped to shed light on matters of national and societal importance, something which mainstream newspapers couldn't or wouldn't articulate with regards to apparent cultural shifts in foreign and domestic stories, is exemplified by Silvers who sought complex truth, not simplicity. A barrage of clips of authors speaking of the magazine as one whose intellectual prowess reached the isles of Ireland, directors Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi have concocted a massively detailed history in just over a hour and a half without missing a beat. More significantly, the film reminds us of a time where a communication of ideas based on hard facts could take precedence over arguing without them. Today's news could take a page or two from the New York Review of Books.

Revenge of the Mossad Squad

MUNICH (2005)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2006)

Steven Spielberg's "Munich" is a troubling though affecting mess. It is definitely a good film but it lacks an overall center and contains affectless characters. It is also too long, occasionally disjointed and overdone. Despite that, "Munich" will keep you glued to the screen.

In the opening sequence set in 1972 during the Munich Olympics, we see a group of Palestinian terrorists invade an apartment next to the Munich Olympic stadium. They hold a bunch of athletes hostage, and some are executed. Tragedy ensues as all the athletes and virtually all the terrorists, members of the Black September group, are killed. We see this as a mixture of reenactment and actual news footage - some of it is truly spellbinding in how seamless it all is.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir (Lynn Cohen), has decided to take action, to exact revenge - essentially, to compromise their values like every other generation. She asks that a group of ex-Mossad members be assembled and assassinate those responsible for the tragedy. Avner (Eric Bana) is selected as the leader, a former bodyguard for Meir, and heads four teammates. There is Robert (Mathieu Kassovitz), a toymaker who is an expert at disarming bombs rather than building them; the bespectacled Carl (Ciaran Hinds) the Cleaner; Steve (Daniel Craig), the one who is eager to shoot to kill; and Hans (Hanns Zischler), the expert forger. Ephraim (Geoffrey Rush) denies this group their existence for protective reasons and claims they work for no one - the team has to travel under false names and passports. Their link to the Palestinian terrorists is through a Frenchman named Louis (Mathiew Amalric) whom they pay handsomely for information. The question becomes simple: if this Frenchman doesn't work for any government, then can he be trusted? More pointedly, can the Frenchman reveal the identities of the Mossad squad if the price is right? Although insinuated, Spielberg is not interested in going down that path.

"Munich" is essentially a tale of the dehumanizing effects of exacting political revenge when the values of a country are questioned and compromised. Avner begins to suffer a debilitating blow to his conscience - is he doing the right thing by hunting down terrorists and killing them with bombs? Is he no different from the terrorists? Just when the job seems to be over, Avner grows more ambitious - he wants to venture into unsafe territory by going after the leader, presumably hiding in Beirut. At the same time, his team grows wary of this mission. Violence begets violence and there seems no end to it. Peace is barely in the horizon. What makes it worse is that not all the targets are terrorists - some are affiliated or were involved with the Munich hostage plan.

"Munich" asks lots of questions but it lacks the pacing and rhythm of a genuine political thriller such as Costa-Gravas's "Z.". It is highly charged at times, and sometimes it feels ponderous, as did Hitchcock's "Torn Curtain." Some scenes are truly suspenseful, especially the attempt to subvert a booby-trapped bomb inside an apartment where a little girl inadvertently answers the phone. A few bomb blasts keep us on alert, and there are some painfully violent executions. But I think Spielberg lost his way here a little. Once we realize how fruitless the whole righteous assassin scenario is, there is a little too much padding to push the film to an almost unwarranted two hour and forty minute running time. The padding comes in the form of far too many talky scenes, and suspiciously not enough interaction between the team members.

I did enjoy the scenes between Avner and Louis, however, and particularly Louis's father, Papa (Michael Londsdale, who can make any film lively) who explains that Avner is not part of his family despite being invited to a hearty lunch at his manor. There is something sinister and playful about Papa, a former member of the French Resistance - he and his son have access to information on anyone. So, once again, one is left wondering if they have any information on the Mossad. Remember that Father and Son work for no one, or do they? Do they work for the CIA? They can summon information for the right price - would they do the same for the Palestinians as they have for the Israelis? I just felt more friction and unease in those scenes than almost anything else in "Munich."

Perhaps, "Munich" is not economical enough, not brazen enough to be straightforward as a revenge film where morals and ethics among the supposed "heroes" of Israel slowly deteriorate. There just doesn't seem to be enough depth to Avner or his team, not enough exposure of their idealized view of Israel (Avner decides to abandon Israel and move to Brooklyn). There is a powerful scene where Avner discusses with a Palestinian terrorist what the concept of home is to a land that doesn't belong to the Palestinians - it is the only time that the "holy war" is ever mentioned.

As I said, "Munich" is occasionally effective and certainly morally ambiguous, the latter being a departure for the Spielman. I love the ending which ranks among Spielberg's best endings ever, including the subtle allusion to 9/11. But I don't think that "Munich" is meant for Spielberg - the material is too shaky, too contemplative and too morally complex for him to handle. It is overlong and overstuffed, trying too hard to be more intellectually moving as opposed to emotionally moving (similar problems plagued Spielberg's "Amistad"). I like the intellectual approach, the spirited speeches of patriotism or lack thereof, but its overall sensibility is closer to Costa-Gravas or Oliver Stone than Spielberg.

Crime pays for Abagnale

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Originally reviewed in 2002)

The previews for Steven Spielberg's caper comedy are off the mark one-hundred percent. I was led to believe that this was a comedy-drama with thrills every second. I thought it was about the excitement of trying to catch up with a con man on the loose with the FBI on his tail. Well, "Catch Me if You Can" has such moments but this is not a thriller or a comedy in the strictest sense of the words - this is a drama with comical innuendoes. In many ways, it is one of the nicest surprises of 2002.

Inspired by a true story, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank Abagnale, Jr., a 16-year-old teenager with two supposedly loving parents. Christopher Walken plays Frank Sr., who has trouble maintaining house payments and keeping his wife faithful. His French wife, Paula (Nathalie Baye), leaves after a divorce proceeding and Frank Jr. has to choose between the two. Instead, Frank Jr. runs away. This is after Frank had impersonated a substitute teacher for two weeks at the very school where he was attending as a student!

At the age of sixteen, Frank Jr. successfully impersonated an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. During all that time, he forges checks of up to 4 million dollars, gets to travel all around the world, almost gets married to a naive nurse, stays in luxurious hotels, eats at the finest restaurants, and fools everyone along the way with constant variations on his name. But someone is not so easily fooled. Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is the FBI agent on his trail who is convinced that the checks being forged are the work of a sixteen-year-old con man. His foolproof theories are met with initial reluctance by other agents, particularly when Carl mentions that the routing numbers on the checks are indicative of which state Frank is residing in.

Frank's reasoning for his criminal activities is that he wants to help his father and mother enjoy their lives, offering free flights and free Cadillacs. Frank Sr. can't be seen with a Cadillac considering he owes the IRS so much money. Curiously, the opening scenes of Frank Sr. trying to get a loan from a bank may insinuate that junior's cons are hereditary. Another scene shows Frank Sr. trying to get a black suit for his son at a dress shop. The shop hasn't opened for business yet but Frank manages to persuade the owner to open by holding a gold necklace (he claims she lost it in the parking lot). This trick is later repeated by junior in other cons.

"Catch Me If You Can" does not easily fit into a thriller mode or a comedy mode or a dramatic mode. Spielberg seems to be pulling strings everywhere, merely toying with us and conning us every step of the way. In a way, one can enjoy Frank's cons and ability to fool people (my favorite moment is when he convinces Hanratty that he is a Secret Service man) but the film is not merely about conning. On the other hand, one can see this as a comedy-drama but the comedy is lightweight (the film is not really meant to be funny) and the drama is directed not with a sledgehammer of sentimentality (as is sometimes the case with the Spielman) but with minimalist, implicit style. No performance aims to go over the top in this movie. DiCaprio, who gives the finest, most relaxed performance of his career, exudes the right touch of bravado, cleverness and wit. He can seem sad, romantic, desperate, suave (when he dresses like James Bond), enthusiastic and debonair - whenever he is in a tight spot of trouble, he is a quick thinker and eludes any suspicions of whom he pretends to be. One priceless sequence has Abagnale at his fiancee's parents' house. The girl's father (Martin Sheen) asks Abagnale what he does for a living. Mistakenly, he responds he is a doctor and a lawyer and that he graduated from the father's same alma mater. When Sheen asks about a professor's dog, Abagnale responds: "The dog died."

Christopher Walken walks tall in this movie, and gives a towering performance of controlled pain and regret as Abagnale's father. One can't help but feel sympathy towards him when he says to his son: "They will never catch you" or "Frank, I had to take the train to work. I can't be seen with a Cadillac." His early scenes reminded me of Harvey Keitel's con artist in the underrated "Imaginary Crimes," but then we realize this character has made mistakes in his choices. Perhaps he was not such a con man as he first appeared to be (whether he is a con man or not is unclear). This is Walken at his most piercing, giving his most heartrending performance since "The Dead Zone." I want to see an Oscar nomination for this man.

For once, Tom Hanks plays a serious, cartoonish goofball, a "Dragnet"-like FBI man who is as straight as an arrow. He is unable to crack much of a smile, and when he pooh-poohs fellow agents with a crude knock-knock joke, I could not help but laugh. His reaction shots are excellent and perfectly-timed, especially when he narrowly loses Abagnale at every opportunity. Hanks's best rection shot is when he almost traps Abagnale at an airport, using Frank's fiancee as bait. A young man is seated in a car with a pilot's hat and when he turns out to be a limo driver holding Hanratty's name, I was laughing hysterically. Hanks, the righteous Everyman of Hollywood, propagates a comic flair that is as breathless as any of his dramatic roles. I wish he was this freewheeling in the "Dragnet" remake from long ago.

As "Catch Me If You Can" ended, I could not help but feel that Spielberg has matured greatly from his Hollywood wunderkind days. Ever since "Schindler's List," he has given us "Amistad," "Saving Private Ryan," "A.I.," and the sci-fi thriller "Minority Report." He is treading on darker waters than usual, and sometimes aims for some moral ambiguity (though I think he got squeamish about such ambiguity in "Minority Report.") With this film (more lighthearted than dark), he shows us a young man as a sort of innocent, 60's antihero who did no harm to anybody except steal money. And when he goes to jail and gets to work for the FBI in the check fraud department, one can't help but feel that Spielberg is saying something about crime he has never dared to say before: it pays.