Cradle lands with a thud

CRADLE WILL ROCK (1999)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally written in 1999)

The Depression era was rife with political turmoil, destitutes, and the Federal Theatre threatened with Communist accusations and a significant reduction in number of employees. "The Cradle Will Rock," the title is from a 1937 political musical by Marc Blitzstein, examines these trying times but the end result is relentlessly boring and unengaging.

There is the opening, unbroken long take of a homeless woman, Olive Stanton (Emily Watson), waking up in a movie theatre as she leaves hastily, trying to avoid being seen by the management and walking out of the place while other characters march past her such as Joan Cusack as a theatre employer. Then the camera continues to swoop above Watson as it unearths the radical composer Blitzstein (Hank Azaria), seen playing the piano in his apartment. He is dead tired and has had sleepless nights trying to compose the definitive musical. Four years later, the musical is in rehearsals with the director, Orson Welles (Angus Macfayden), who is also enjoying the run of his famous play "Dr. Faustus," and he has producer and rival John Houseman (Cary Elwes) in tow. Emily Watson shows up as the stagehand who hopes to share the limelight with the cast, and wants a chance to play the prostitute role.

There are a number of characters and subplots to juggle here, such as John Cusack as Nelson Rockefeller who is overseeing the mural painted by Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades), though he questions the need for a portrait of Stalin; Vanessa Redgrave as the rich socialite, Countess La Grange, who has high hopes for the musical; Susan Sarandon as the Italian Fascist, who is Mussolini's ex-lover, and also questions Diego's mural; Bill Murray as a stoic ventriloquist who reluctantly holds anticommunist ideals; John Turturro as a loud Italian actor in the musical; the grandly titanic presence of Philip Baker Hall as Gray Mathers, a steel magnate who objects to the musical; and lastly, Cherry Jones as Hallie Flanagan of the Federal Theatre, accused of Communist associations and forced to close down the theatre.

Tim Robbins, serving as writer and director, has an ambitious project at the helm but he fails to make it come alive. The staging and pacing of the film deadens to a halt - the only time the film breathes is when Cherry Jones appears - she delivers firepower and authority as the leading player of the Federal Theatre, defending the right to artistic freedom. The other characters, with the exception of Blades's witty Rivera, slip in and out of the screen barely making an impression. There is some humor in seeing Cusack's Rockefeller arguing with Rivera, or dancing with Frida Kahlo, Rivera's sullen wife, but not enough to take notice. Bill Murray walks away from the film without registering half of the charisma he brought to "Rushmore." Emily Watson, a gifted actress, is dull to watch in this film - the transition from the homeless, sympathetic Olive Stanton to a whimpering cipher does not make for a full-bodied character.

But the biggest disappointment are the portrayals of Welles and Houseman, presented as nothing more than two arrogant, one-dimensional boors. Macfayden rolls his eyes and overdoes Welles's body language - Robbins's interpretation indicates that Welles was a drunk and uncontrollable. If that is true, Welles would not have the repertoire he established in the theatre world from the 30's and onward. Considering this film was originally going to be written and directed by Welles, this is more than a major offense.

"The Cradle Will Rock" has some believably overwrought sequences where we see what it is like to produce a musical play - the pains and frustrations are there in ample supply. I liked the presentation of this fascinating era in all its period decor and fashion style (an Academy Award nomination is due). The final sequence, where we see Blitztein playing the piano and singing all the roles at the Venice Theatre until each actor performs from their seats in the audience, is somewhat touching and sentimental. But it is a hopelessly inert film that caused me to shut my eyes more than once. Instead of rocking us with excitement and entertainment, this cradle lands with a thud.

Risky Business with a Junior Bond

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Combination of my 1996 and 2000 reviews

Back in 1996, I made the comment that Tom Cruise's films seemed to be less 

than stellar achievements. However, since then he has proven to be a solid

actor with "Jerry Maguire," "Eyes Wide Shut," and "Magnolia." Mostly, Cruise

has become the Dick Clark of superstars who never seems to age and always

plays righteous, good all-American boys a'la "Top Gun."  Like some of his

lesser achievements, "Far and Away" and "The Firm," "Mission: Impossible" is

somewhat fluffy and mediocre yet it boasts some electrifying, entertaining

sequences amidst all the muddle.

Based on the hit television series of yesteryear, Tom Cruise plays Ethan

Hunt, an able protege of veteran IMF (as in Impossible Mission Force) agent

Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), and along with Phelps's team of undercover

operatives, they attempt to capture a Russian agent with plans to steal a

disc containing the identities of American agents stationed in Europe. Whew!

Of course, something invariably goes wrong with Phelps's master plan and it

is up to Hunt and a surviving female operative (Emanuelle Beart from "Nelly

and Monsieur Arnaud") to uncover the enemy who may be a former IMF agent.

The movie begins to lose track of an always intriguing premise - corruption

at the heart of an organization, which in this case is the IMF. There are

multiple twists upon twists upon some clever turns, and lots of latex

disguises courtesy of ILM. The elaborate plot does become a bit confusing

after awhile, but at least we have action scenes to marvel at.

There are two terrific action set pieces that are as thrilling and enticing as

anything I've seen since 1993's "The Fugitive." In one spectacular sequence,

Hunt descends from a ceiling onto a computer room which has a heat sensitive

alarm that can be triggered if the room temperature is above 98 degrees. This

sequence is filled with unbridled tension thanks to director De Palma's

uncanny choice of camera shots and editing strategies. The sequence, though,

works mainly because the soundtrack is filled with such utter, complete silence that all you can hear is Hunt's drops of sweat.

Another titillating sequence occurs when the impenetrable Hunt is fighting

the villains on top of a super speeding train, which is also dragging a

helicopter. Scenes like this give "Mission: Impossible" an edge that

literally keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The ultimate flaw in "Mission" is that the plot is so convoluted that we stop

caring about certain characters, including Phelps (a far too restrained Jon

Voight) and the luminous Emanuelle Beart (Phelp's wife), both of whom become

as one-note as you can expect. This is really Cruise's show all the way (he

is also the producer) and he inhabits every single scene, making the

character of Ethan Hunt knowing, charismatic, witty and resourceful like

just about every other character Cruise has played.  I can't imagine anyone

else playing the role with the same level of sincerity - if only he would age

a bit. This often feels like "Risky Business" crossed with the James Bond

genre.

Cruise has some able support from bald-headed Ving Rhames ("Pulp Fiction"),

Jean Reno ("The Professional"), whose character has the tools to break into

any security system, Henry Czerny as the coldly calculating IMF chief, and

the wonderfully restrained Vanessa Redgrave (!) as some kind of underground

mastermind. There is also a funny, unbilled cameo by Emilio Estevez. Only

Voight and Beart seem to be sleepwalking through the proceedings.

Another plus is veteran director Brian De Palma who does a professionally

slick job of directing, though his trademark style of nervous energy is

largely absent this time. For better or worse, "Mission: Impossible" is

fitfully exciting, electrifying nonsense...and terribly confusing and

impossible to follow.

Cruise jumping around sans couch

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

(Original review from 2006)

I could not make much out of the plot of "Mission: Impossible III" but I will say, despite Cruise's increasingly negative personal clout, this movie is entertaining and thrill-happy and Tom Cruise makes a convincing hero. For myself, that is good enough.

Cruise once again plays Ethan Hunt, a devil-may-care, fearless IMF agent who seems willing to settle for domesticity with a Katie Holmes-lookalike (Michelle Monaghan). He is devoted to her and they are

engaged, until he gets a call about locating a certain IMF agent in peril, his protege Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell, who is cast against type ). The agent is rescued in one elaborate set-up, but she also has a time-release explosive charge in her head (guess who else will

suffer that same fate). Eventually, the contraption of a plot involves

some MacGuffin known as the Rabbit's Foot that must be stolen from a

sadistic villain, Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). I wish I could

say more about the villain but there is not much more - he is evil

incarnate and wishes great harm to Ethan and his fiancee. The Rabbit's

Foot is stolen and now the villain expects Hunt to return it to him or

else the fiancee dies.

I'll make it brief: "Mission: Impossible III" works. It is lightning-

paced, despite a fairly slow build-up, it has plenty of high-tech

action scenes, explosions delivered on cue, lots of gunfire and

machine gunfire, and some canny disguises and double-crosses (the

latter of which one is fairly predictable). There is a terrifically

nailbiting sequence where Ethan Hunt is suspended between two towers,

slides in and out of them like a cat, uses a parachute and is almost

hit by a truck. And Tom Cruise is as strong and empathetic as before -

the Sincere Hero is still alive and well and Cruise ably performs this

part to the hilt.

The big disappointment may be Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is fairly

one-note in his acting here (not his fault since it is a one-note,

underwritten part). He is threatening only because he tells us so (as

in the opening scene), but I don't think he is terribly convincing.

Some other actor, perhaps more experienced in cinematic villainy,

might have taken this role and made it a scenery-chewing show-

stopper.

If nothing else, "Mission: Impossible III" is an improvement over the

hazardous-to-your-health "Mission: Impossible II." This movie is more

fun, more energetic, more alive and preposterous as hell. Not a great

movie and not deserving of any list of the best action films of all

time, but that is okay. It is Cruise jumping around the screen with

great ease, instead of jumping around in a couch.

The Hunt for Truth

THE FUGITIVE (1993)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

25th Anniversary of one of the top action films of all time

There are so few action-pictures that qualify as intelligent and character-based with interwoven plots that involve and excite. The beauty of a shining diamond in the rough like 1993's "The Fugitive" is that it holds its characters at the center of the action - they propel the movie forward rather than having action scenes designed to move the movie forward. So many action movies rely on the pyrotechnics of explosions on cue and lots of rampant gunfire to keep everyone awake. "The Fugitive" never fails in its understanding that we want to see these characters, whether it is the good doctor accused of murder, Dr. Richard Kimble (an expertly cast Harrison Ford) or the frustrated U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones, quite possibly the second to best role he has ever had which garnered him an Oscar), or the One-Armed Man who doesn't like people intruding on his business, or even the Chicago detectives who bust Kimble. No role is too small to generate interest, no character or situation too ambiguous to remain inconsequential. That is why "The Fugitive" is one of the few perfect chase pictures in film history, equal to the masterful chase picture from Alfred Hitchcock, "North by Northwest."

That should be sufficient praise for "The Fugitive," a movie I first saw in theaters in the summer of 1993. After seeing it, it was clear to me that it was superior entertainment but what was not lost on me was the investment I had in the characters. Ford's Dr. Kimble is a man of strength and integrity (well, that sums up the real Harrison Ford too), a smart man who wants his wife's murder solved. Truth is that after much digging she was not the target, he was! After escaping within an inch of his life in a prison bus that collides with a train (a stunning sequence), Kimble is on the run, shaving his beard, stitching his wounds, coloring his hair, and somehow matriculating back into society despite all the cops in hot pursuit. Kimble has nightmares about the murder and comes close to getting caught by the relentless Gerard and his team, running through moonlit woods and swimming in icy waters. Although the Chicago surgeon is not a detective, he is able to piece together the puzzle, long before we have everything figured out or the U.S. Marshals.

Of course, Sam Gerard is not a villain here. This is a man who has seen it all and never assumes that any small detail can be overlooked. When Kimble jumps from the high precipice of a dam, Gerard doesn't think for a moment that Kimble did not survive a deadly fall (I am not sure many could make it without at least breaking a rib). Gerard says "I don't care!" when he initially confronts Kimble who reminds Gerard that he did not kill his wife. In another instance, when Gerard kills an escaped prisoner without a moment's hesitation after almost killing another U.S. Marshal (ponytailed Tom Wood), the U.S. Marshal who claims to have ear damage as a result of the shooting asks why Gerard did not choose to bargain with the prisoner. Gerard then answers very politely: "I...don't...bargain." Tommy Lee Jones shows coolness yet projects concern - he did not want one of his own killed in the line of duty.

Every role is memorably conceived and executed whether it is Julianne Moore in the small role of a suspicious doctor; an early performance by Jane Lynch as one of Kimble's friends; Jeroen Krabbé as the duplicitous doctor who was one of Kimble's trusted friends; the late Andreas Katsulas as the One-Armed Man with a prosthetic limb who has a magnetic presence on screen; Sela Ward as Kimble's wife who can hold her own against anyone except for the One-Armed Man; Ron Dean and Joseph Kosalas as Chicago detectives whose characters feel like real Chicago detectives, sans cliches, and much more.

"The Fugitive" is first-class entertainment - humorous, exciting, suspenseful and contains some incredible edge-of-your-seat action scenes. All this works because we see real people on the screen, all desperate to get to the bottom of the life-or-death situation they are involved in. Harrison Ford projects two secret weapons: vulnerability and reluctance and milks them both. He is the thinking man's action hero, the one you root for and have a rooting interest in as well. Tommy Lee Jones is the U.S. Marshal who really does care, nary a sentimental bone in his body. Jones' star-making performance renders his Gerard as one of the more complicated characters in action films ever. We hope he can catch Kimble but only to help him, and Jones subtly makes that his character's purpose. Director Andrew Davis ("Under Siege," "Code of Silence," "The Package") has a knack for character study and suspense, and can conduct a cat-and-mouse chase like a real master. I am not sure he has ever worked again with the same degree of talent but it doesn't matter - so few directors ever make a marvelous movie like "The Fugitive." 

Amy Schumer is no trainwreck

I FEEL PRETTY (2018)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

The Social Justice Warriors attacked the trailer to Amy Schumer's empowering romantic comedy "I Feel Pretty" prior to its theatrical release, criticizing the movie’s alleged message that if you are not a pencil-thin female model then you cannot possibly be confident. Well, seeing the movie now, the assumption is that Schumer's character is not confident of her looks until she hits her head while using an exercise bike and then, like magic (inspired by the Tom Hanks movie "Big"), she is more confident than ever that she is beautiful. Not because she thinks she is thin but because she thinks that she is a knockout, a sexy, upbeat woman that everyone is dying to know. That is the movie's joke on itself, she loves herself and thinks she is amazing. Without the resolute spunk and attitude of Amy Schumer, this movie might have been a disaster.

At first, uptight Renee (Amy Schumer) feels she has zero beauty and could never find a man. When she goes out to the bar with her devoted friends, Renee has trouble ordering a drink. At work in a Chinatown office where she helps manage a website for Lily LeClaire, she wants to communicate with her male worker but it is all work and no play. However, after she hits her head, she examines her belly at the gym, looks at herself in the mirror and says, "Wow! Look at me!" Renee's life turn around completely as she fulfills a dream job - working as a receptionist for fashion designer and CEO Lily LeClaire (played in an all-too-brief performance by Lauren Hutton). Lily's granddaughter is played by Michelle Williams who befriends Renee and asks for tips on their product line. So Renee wants to be a receptionist who just gives makeup tips? Oh, no, is this what supreme confidence does for Renee?

Of course, let's not forget what genre we are talking about here. There has to be a meet-cute of some kind, and that is demure Ethan (Rory Scovel, a brilliant stand-up comedian) whom she picks up at the dry cleaners. Ethan is stricken with love at Renee's confidence and self-esteem, especially when she decides to dance at a bikini contest. Scovel shows such uncommon sensitivity that I was floored by his performance.

"I Feel Pretty" is not the standout comedy that "Trainwreck" was (Amy Schumer's best film by far). The writers have changed since one of them is Abby Kohn (who also co-directed the film), and her past credits include "Never Been Kissed" and "Valentine's Day," not the greatest bedfellows. Why Amy did not write this film is beyond me but so it goes. In terms of its story, I would have preferred if it followed a different path than the whole cosmetic line subplot at a Fifth Avenue fashion company. I am not sure what plot I would have preferred but perhaps Renee could have discovered the real Renee some other way. Her friends (Busy Philipps, Aidy Bryant) are given short-shrift and I would have liked them to have had more screen time - the fact that they love Renee no matter what she looks like is a relationship aspect that deserved more depth. Still, it is fun seeing Amy and Rory together - their relationship has real spice and charisma. In fact, Amy Schumer seems to really sparkle in any shared scene with Rory.

Uh, oh, yes it has happened again. I really enjoyed the heck out of "I Feel Pretty," a movie that was universally dismissed by critics (this ever growing list of heavily underrated movies may depict me as a contrarian but far from it). There is nothing in the film you can't anticipate and the cliches come flying in overtime to be sure. Despite some shortcomings with Michelle Williams' one-note characterization (an actress I usually love), the movie is often diverting enough and has sufficient engaging dialogue to warrant more than a mild recommendation. And when Renee realizes her self-worth, well, eyes will get misty. It is that kind of cute rom-com movie that Amy Schumer can knock out of the park. It's just not a home run.

Fun yet Recycled Webbing

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"Spider-Man Homecoming" is exactly the teenybopper Web-Slinger movie that some Marvel fans wanted from "The Amazing Spider-Man" movies and did not get. It does not have a brooding antihero, much like Andrew Garfield's interpretation in "The Amazing Spider-Man," and it has more humor and more of Peter Parker's romantic flirtations in his high-school years. What it does not have is much of an identity - it looks and feels like a Spider-Man tale but our friendly neighborhood arachnid hero appears to be stuck in recycled webbing.

Eager, ambitious high-school student Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is in awe of his Spider-Man suit, designed by the smarmy Tony Stark aka Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) The suit talks to Spider-Man and has a GPS signal - think of it as an iPhone superhero suit. Before I even thought to my 47-year-old self, hey this is too modernized for me, Spider-Man flies around as only a human spider can, thwarting thieves in an ATM robbery where they are masked with the likenesses of the Avengers (!) Unfortunately, an angry contractor (played by Michael Keaton), who lost his business years ago  to the government, has stolen some alien weapons from a massive alien ship destroyed by the Avengers. Along with some former co-workers, they have been selling these dangerous weapons on the black market. Spidey gets wind of this and tries to prevent further sales but that is not easy when the contractor, Toomes, becomes a supersonic Vulture with mechanical wings (in the comics, he was an old bald man with elongated wings). Nevertheless, Peter has scholastic duties to live up to, like the academic decathlon that he quits and rejoins much to the chagrin of his fellow students.

Watching "Spider-Man Homecoming" can be a strange experience considering this is the third reboot of a franchise that began fifteen years ago! Two actors have played the web-slinger with varying degrees of success, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Tom Holland has the snap, crackle pop of a hopping, anxious Spider-Man but he lacks the presence to hold the screen together as Peter Parker. Somehow, Holland convinces as a high-school teenager learning his ropes around girls and feeling shy enough to go back to his crime-fighting instincts, but he is not a persuasive Peter Parker. I never got the impression he was the same person that occupies that red and blue supersuit. As Spidey, he rocks the screen. As Peter, he looks too generic. If that is the intention, I must ask why when you consider Maguire and Garfield who both resonated strongly as Peter.

A similar problem plagues Michael Keaton's Vulture character - as Toomey, there is seething menace but not so much when he puts on a metal mask. Compared to Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin from way back, the villainy is not as potent.

"Spider-Man Homecoming" is certainly an entertaining ride from start to finish, and there is never a dull moment with hair-raising sequences such as the Washington Monument cliffhanger that will have you grabbing a hold of something to keep you steady. It's got everything you might expect in a superhero movie except a genuine sense of urgency. The webbing still sticks, but they need stronger chemical components. 

Friends Drive Each Other Nuts

S IS FOR STANLEY (2015)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

You might think that a documentary about a film director's personal driver would be less than a spellbinding way to kill 90 minutes. Truth is that "S is For Stanley" is in fact a spellbinding documentary, a richly drawn and intriguing story that delivers an emotional wallop. It is about the fruitful relationship between two men who established a rapport through a friendship that could not die.

S is not just any Stanley, it is the late Stanley Kubrick, the restless taskmaster who hired Emilio D'Alessandro to drive back and forth between London and Kubrick's home which was a good half-hour away. Whether it was transporting the infamous giant phallus used as a weapon in "A Clockwork Orange" or handling the delivery of hundreds of candles for the "Barry Lyndon" shoot, or taking care of Kubrick's various cats or the faulty zipper in a jacket, there was no reprieve from the master filmmaker. D'Alessandro argued with his wife over the countless workdays with no vacation in sight and, during an argument, Stanley called for another favor. Stanley endlessly called Emilio's house until he figured the best thing was to have a private phone line with Emilio (interestingly, a private phone line also existed between Kubrick and Spielberg).

Though it shows Stanley Kubrick as relentless in his work ethic, it also unveils a far more human side than anyone had thought. Kubrick was not a cold, humorless man, he was full of life and had compassion for all living things. Helping to pay for the hospital bills for Emilio's son's or trying to save a donkey from getting slaughtered or wondering why the rabbits are laying in the sun, this man consistently wondered and cared about everything and everyone. In his last few years, especially during the grueling two and a half year shoot for his last film, "Eyes Wide Shut," Emilio reveals how sickly and grayer Kubrick got. Anyone believing in conspiracy theories about Stanley's death at the hands of assassins should hear Emilio's tearful depiction of Stanley's last day before dying - you can't help but choke up.

This intoxicating documentary by director Alex Infascelli also makes sure we get acquainted with Emilio, an Italian immigrant who drove a cab before being discovered by Kubrick. Emilio had a passion for racing car driving but his close relationship with Kubrick also showed he had a patience and a fondness for this man who wrote one memo after another to him. Emilio clearly has soul and empathy too. If the newer documentary "Filmworker," which details the relationship between Kubrick and his longtime assistant Leon Vitali, is half as good as this one then they will have the distinction of being the most introspective insights into the legendary director we'll ever have.

"S is for Stanley" fulfills two rules for any documentary about a renown filmmaker - if the character telling the story about the filmmaker is half as interesting as the filmmaker, you have made a good film. "S is for Stanley" could be subtitled "E is for Emilio."