Looking for Richard (Al Pacino, 1996)

The Al Pacino season at the BFI has showcased his best work, but it can be difficult to get a sense of what Pacino is like when viewed through the fictional lens of characters like Michael Corleone and Frank Serpico. Looking for Richard is Pacino’s directorial debut, digging deeper into American attitudes towards Shakespeare – specifically the influential historical drama Richard III. This is an insight into Pacino’s acting and his love for the stage. Informative, insightful and playful, Looking for Richard is a theatrical treat for film fans.

Led primarily by Pacino himself and his co-writer Frederic Kimball, they banter and argue about the text and purpose of the documentary. While Pacino is building and amassing footage to create a film to educate and illuminate a centuries old text, Fred is keen to prove how actors understand Shakespeare, while directors and academics don’t hold a candle to the perspective of the actor - who lives and breathes the roles.

Looking for Richard also showcases some of the finest American acting talent. Signing up Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin after working on Glengarry Glen Ross, we see their portrayals of their respective roles effortlessly played. Baldwin particularly clearly has a finesse and style that perfectly suits the betrayed brother of the king (How else can I see Baldwin play Shakespeare?). Winona Ryder appears briefly as the widow, and future wife, of King Richard. Her grace and conflicted young woman is challenged and manipulated so well, it only highlights how strong an actress Ryder can be. It also breaks my heart to see Pacino and Ryder acting alongside each other. Francis Ford Coppola cast Winona Ryder as Michael Corleone’s daughter in The Godfather Part III, but she was taken ill shortly before production and replaced by Sofia Coppola.  Suffice to say, if she can convincingly act Shakespeare, Mary Corleone would be a walk in the park – and what a film it would’ve been.

Pacino cuts between the actors discussing the roles and their motivations to actors and academics who have built their careers on Shakespeare. Vanessa Redgrave tells us of the Iambic Pentameter providing a direct connection to the soul; John Gielgud reveals his belief that Americans are simply not cultured enough to truly understand Shakespeare while James Earl Jones equates Shakespeare with the word of God.

It’s hard to argue with Pacino. The relevance of Shakespeare, and crucially Richard III, is all around us. From the debt House of Cards owes to Richard III, to the politics at play in Game of Thrones, the influence is all around us. In fact, considering the story so far in House of Cards, watching the third act of Richard III may give the plot away for the third season of House of Cards next year.

Though difficult to break down, iconic and unforgettable lines hark back to this specific text. “Now is the winter of our discontent” through to “… a horse, a horse, my Kingdom for a horse”. Looking for Richard deconstructs and reveals the poetry, though an acquired taste, of the language. While shooting some of his most memorable roles (his beard from Carlito’s Way, the use of crew in the final act - borrowed from Michael Mann’s Heat), this is Al Pacino discussing his love for Shakespeare, the stage and acting itself. But now I recall others. Where is ‘Looking for Hamlet’ starring Jude Law or David Tennant? Or Ian McKellan enlightening us with the words of King Lear? This is a fascinating documentary and, if you’ve ever been switched off by the Bard, this is your entrance into his work.

This was originally written for Flickering Myth on 17th March 2014

Fargo (Joel Coen, 1996)

"And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well. I just don't understand it"

Introduction

This was the 'mock-simon-for-having-not-watched-it' film for a long, long time. If you have just listened to the 'Bourne's Brain Baffler' on the podcast page, then you'll know that it was only very recently that I have watched it. Anyone who found I had not seen this would go crazy "You haven't seen this! thats madness!". I could wax-lyrical about No Country for Old Men or The Big Lebowski but Fargo - oh no, that was a crime to have not seen. Well, in the words of that fella' from Gone in Sixty Seconds: "Now you've gone and done it [Raines]". And I have. I knew the demise of Buscemi prior to the film - but luckily, that is not what the film hangs upon. The entire style is what makes it so unique- the Minnesota style, the nice-attitude. Minnesota-nice.

Analysis/Opinion

William H. Macy begins the story 'setting' up his wife as part of a plot to get some money for a real-estate plan. He is thick as shit, thats for sure. But it is the screw-up that the 'outsiders' make that destroy the 'plan' Macy had in place - Buscemi and Stormare, chatty and mute respectively, don't know Minnesota that well - Stormare having never been before and Buscemi only with a passing interest. This is the set-up and, akin to Hitchcocks finest, this is dark-comedy at its best. Upon kidnapping Macys wife, Stormare and Buscemi laugh heartily as she runs around in the snow with a bag on her head trying to escape. It is that kind-of funny.

So, first off, the entire visual style is part-Coen, part-Deakins who stayed as cinematographer again following two previous efforts with the Coens. While we also have regular collaborator, Carter Burwell, who again provides the string soundtrack - eerie and homely in equal measure. Some shots are almost abstract as entire vistas are covered in snow. One show shows an empty car park, the small marks on the car park forming a geometric pattern. The world is important and Fargo, Brainerd and the locations used in Minnesota are as much a character in Fargo as Sheriff Marge Gunderson, played impeccably by Coen-brothers-wife and regular actress Frances McDormand (In Barton Fink, Blood Simple, Millers Crossing, Raising Arizona... even most recently in Burn after Reading).

This is worth exploring. Her character is only introduced halfway into the film. By the time we see her, Macy has hired the kidnappers, he has spoken to his father-in-law about the deal, the kidnappers have kidnapped Macy's wife in an incredible sequence and, as they drove out of town, the kidnappers not only kill a police officer on their tale but also two civilians who simply happened to pass by when the kidnappers were disposing of the policemans body. Akin to Blood Simple, a murder is never an easy task in a Coen brothers film. Even Gabriel Byrne found how difficult it is to shoot a rat in Millers Crossing. Nevertheless, Frances McDormand's 'Madge' is such a force that as soon as we see her and 'Norm' wake up to the call of a homicide, it is she who is the centre of the story. Everything else turns to dust. Her idiosyncrasies and mannerisms, "yah" simply make every sequence amazing to watch. She notes on the documentary that she can only do 'Madge' when in the wig - which doesn't surprise me. Something so fluid can't be turned on and off - you have to physically become the character.

William H. Macy's lead role is additionally an incredible character - though at the same time, a pathetic man. But thats not the first time we have seen this in a Coen's film. Lets think, pathetic lead men - Barton Fink in Barton Fink, Ray in Blood Simple and most recently Larry Gopnik in A Serious Man. All so self-involved that they don't realise the obvious. Then, another Coen-cliche - the barren landscapes. Rather snowscapes than deserts in No Country for Old Men or the fields that I have seen in the adverts for O Brother, Where Art Thou (yes, I will watch it as soon as possible - next is The Hudsucker Proxy and Raising Arizona...)

Then, as previously mention, the theme of a murder. More precisely, murder-going-wrong after a paid-for-hire killer is hired to do such a job. See Millers Crossing and Blood Simple from the same Coen era. This theme in and of itself comes from the Master of Suspense himself - Hitchcock. It always comes down to Hitchcock. Think Rope or Strangers on a Train ... go further than that to simply murders-gone-wrong and we have Psycho, Frenzy, Dial M for Murder ... the list goes on.

In closing, this is a truly great film. It sure does belong 'up there' with the great Coen brothers films. Not only does it bring together many of the Coen's trademarks - but it does so with the most incredible characters in a place so unique that only Joel and Ethan Coen could bring such a place to life with such interest. I thought the film was great and sorry for not having watched it until now.

Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996)

"Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?"

Introduction

I didnt see this film for ages. Released in 1996, I don't think I watched it until 2003 or 2004. Embarrassing. Then again, I didn't watch Pulp Fiction the whole way through until 2002. But I did watch The Godfather in my mid-teens which is pretty good I think. So many people miss out on watching Coppola's masterpiece until their mid-twenties. I knew this would be good though. I don't know why, but from all the footage I have seen, I knew it was going to be hip and cool and, ultimately an entertaining movie. Turns out, it is also incredibly well-acted with Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Kelly MacDonald and Ewan Bremner. All of which, folowing this film, were set up for life. The film itself, in my opinion, began the whole drugs, clubs and fast-paced adreneline movies of the 90's. So, 1996, Trainspotting. Lola Rennt in 1996 and then, both Go and Human Traffic in 1999. I love these movies - yet watched the 1999 movies many times before getting Trainspotting in. So, after a Christmas in 2003, I recieved this and, since then, I have watched it at least 3 times. Never loses its sparkle.

Opinion

It is centred around four characters primarily: Renton (The lead role played by McGregor), Sick Boy (Miller), Begbie (Carlyle), Spud (Bremner). There is a fifth character, Tommy (Kevin McKidd) but I don't feel like we see him as much - important in the first act, but then it moves away from him in the second act and he's not in the last act at all. The story progresses as we initially see a heroin addicts day-to-day life - until it screws-up royally as a baby of another addict dies. Everyone vows to stay clean - and Renton attempts to - but, ultimately, fails. Note that Begbie doesn't do drugs - he is simply the most violent alcoholic ever. Tommy initially doesn't do drugs, but post-break-up with his girlfriend he begins the downward spiral.

The whole film has a surrealist edge - so in a similar way that we visually lost perspective looking up the stairwell in Shallow Grave - in this film it goes further, showing entire surreal sequences as Renton disappears down a toilet and begins swimming amongst pure, water to find the pills he - by mistake - excreted seconds prior. One section shows Renton go cold turkey and try and give-up the drugs, but goes completely nuts. Cue another strange surrealist sequence as a baby crawls on the roof (a baby that recalls the plastic baby toy in Shallow Grave). This whole sequence even has good ol' Dale Winton - one of the UK's mid-nineties TV personalities. One of the few dated aspects to the movie. I guess, now, it would be Ant 'n' Dec.

Based amongst the Edinburgh clubbing, drug scene, Boyle did state that he wanted the music to have a timeless quality to it - and so we have everything from Iggy Pop and Lou Reed through Pulp and Blur and out to Underworld and Leftfield spaning a time period from the 70's through to the 90's. A real fantastic selection of music. I could do a whole blog on the music alone. The use of Lust for Life by Iggy Pop is interesting as it is shown at start (Danny Boyles running-through-the-streets, fast-paced start ... we see it again in Slumdog Millionnaire, even Millions has the two kids running around the house being built around them during the opening credits) and also shown midway through, but with a different tone. What began as sneak-theives and petty-theft becomes, by the second time we see the same sequence with the same music, a sad situation, whereby we feel pity and hopelessness. They still can't kick the habit.

Interesting facet is Swanney's house. Swanney is the dealer in the film and he has a grimy, dirty hole of a house where the druggies go. Boyle mentions on some special features that this house where they shoot up and knock out is representative of skin - with puncture and problems throughout. It has such a damp feeling and you really see how low these character shave got to reside in such a place. Even when Renton OD's to the tune of 'Perfect Day' within the house, it is this horrible place he is taken out from, by his feet, as he is left on a road to be picked up by ambulance.

The whole 'choose life' monologue is incredible and, I'm sure, will remain as one of the most important film-monologues of the nineties. Now theres a feature for 'Empire' or 'Sight and Sound' ... maybe even Adam Kempanaer and Matty Robinson can do a Top 5 'Best Monologues of Cinema from...' each decade? Taxi Driver's 'are you talkin' to me' would be in there. Maybe, having mentioned The Godfather the opening 'I believe in America...'. Whatever the case 'choose life' would be amongst the top 10 at the very least if not the number one.

Righto - its an incredible movie with every aspect you want from a film. It's iconic and always shall be - no doubt constantly rehashed and inspired-from akin to Tarantino's Pulp Fiction two years prior. Iconic to the point that, in 1997, following all the publicity for the film - having not seen the film - my younger brother and I, when set free with a cheap camera took pictures of each other looking like film characters - one of which was the whole Renton holding himself pose in the poster above). At the aged of 10 and 12, thats pretty impressive for a character look and style. Danny Boyle had truly arrived. (We also done a Forrest Gump picture and many pictures of ourselves lay on roads as if we had just been ran over... strange children we were)

I only wish Porno, Irvine Welsh's follow-up novel, was made next. I read the book a short while after having watched the film and it has been written as if the first film was its predescessor. from what I hear, a character omitted from John Hodge's screenplay for Trainspotting is equally missing from Porno which gives the indication that Porno was made, to be made into a film. It has been a while since I have read it but, from what I recall, Renton is in Amsterdam, Sick-boy is the lead character (imagine that, a whole new perspective in the Trainspotting universe!) and Begbie is released from prison and - unintentionally - they all happen to bump into each other. I loved the book and I, even now, still chase up details of the film because so far, all i know, is that some company has got the rights but people are waiting on McGregor and Boyle to agree. Jonny Lee Miller probably needs to jump on this while Carlyle, having fallen from grace into 24:Redemption and Stargate (apparently made, in the hope that it becomes 'cool') shouldn't be too hard to convince. Then there is Kelly MacDonald. Just done Michael Keatons directorial debut and having worked with the Coen Brothers. Might be quite difficult. At least they need to look old and haggard ... so they could film it in another ten years when their credability is completely gone.

Michael Collins (Neil Jordan, 1996)

"You've got to think of him. The way he was... He was what the times demanded. And life without him seems impossible. But he's dead. And life is possible. He made it possible."

Introduction

I visited Ireland recently. Popped over the day term finished - flight from Gatwick (the worst airport in the world) to Dublin, straight to the pub (Doyles) for a Guinness. I saw U2 in Croke Park on the Saturday, went to Limerick for Sunday to see Mum and Dad, and then saw U2 again on Monday night. We were due to fly out on Thursday so between Tuesday and Thursday Sarah and I intended to be complete tourists and visited all the top spots in Dublin (shout-out to Kev, Maura and family for putting us up for the nights: Fantastic!). We went to the Guinness Storehouse, John Jameson & Son Distillery, Dublin Zoo, National Gallery (lots of Reynolds and Gainsboroughs), Museum of Modern Art (Rachael Whiteread and Richard Long amongst others) and, on our counsin's advice, visited Kilmainham Gaol - a jail in Dublin where the leaders of the 1916, Easter Rising in Dublin, were taken and then, out the back, were shot. My Dad has told me that back when he was a boy - and even now - Irish History was/is taught and, from the small snippets I have heard, it truly is fascinating. I'm not a big history buff- far from it - but when smething interests me I do try and have a gander. This Michael Collins chap was incredibly important with regard to forming unity between Ireland and England and, ultimately, the signing of a treaty that enabled Ireland to become a free-state and then, become The Republic of Ireland that it is today. Obviously, the civil war strife continued and what-not, but there is only so much that can be done. This treaty was the first major step in restoring Irelands independence - and Michael Collins (amongst many other memebers of the Irish Republican Army, pre-1921) was behind that.

Anyway, in Kilmainham Gaol, a lot of these important leaders were killed fighting for their country and their freedom and that struck me quite powerfully. First thing to do was get a basic overview and - upon countless Aunties, Uncles and - most importantly - Mum and Dad's advice I purchased the Michael Collins DVD. I also got In the Name of the Father (I had it on video and studied it for Media studies and it is a bloody good film I haven't seen for a long time) and these will sit next to my Angelas Ashes DVD recommended to me by my Mum - who spent her young teenage years in Limerick herself. But in better circumstances than Frank McCourt (R.I.P).

So plowing ahead with Irish cinema (most likely paid for by American studios), I discuss Michael Collins ...

What I reckon ...

So, the film startsff with the failed showdown in 1916: The Easter Rising. The Irish rebels surrendered and the leaders were found - amongst them Pearse, Plunkett, an injured Connelly, DeValera - and many others. Connelly was badly injured and was held at a hospital while the others were jailed in Kilmainham Gaol. As DeValera (Alan Rickman) had American citizenship he could not be executed - while all the other leaders were taken out the back and shot by court marshal. Even Connelly was specially wheeled in from the hospital and shot. The coverage of this horrendous action by British troops was told around the Ireland and, inevitably, created sympathy for the Irish rebels. Prior to this, they did not have as much support.

This is merely the fast-paced introduction to the film. Michael Collins (Liam Neeson) is assists in the Easter Rising in the film, but is released following a short imprisonment. He travels the country gaining support and, unexpectedly, gains support from one of the spies who are following him. This is Broy (Stephen Rea) who, according to Wikipedia - not a great source but... - was an amalgamation of a range of police informers for the rebels, soon to become the Irish Republican Army. Anyway, Broy lets Collins have access to the police records and, turns out, they have a lot of information on them. So, Collins decides they have to cut out an important part of the police investigation - cut out the spies themselves. The 'Dublin Castle' - the police - are gaining all their information from following the known Irish Rebels. A letter is sent and the IRA hire younger violent sympathisers to kill detectives who continue to follow them - thus sending a clear message that 'the IRA will not tolerate being followed'.

Now, my cousin tells me their are many inaccuracies with tthis film - so bear this in mind because, obviously, I wasn't there, I'm just telling you the plot. I'll try and hurry it up a bit though.

This violence against violence leads to Bloody Sunday - whereby following British troops being sent into Dublin, the IRA killed 14 of these troops. In turn, the British got into their tanks and went down to Croke Park where a gaelic football game was being played and shot at the people there. Killing about 14 themselves - and then they tortured known IRA members in the evening for information also - in the film, Broy, is amongst these tortured and is killed in the process, as a few of those who were tortured indeed did themselves. A horrible day in Irish history (See U2 song...)

Anyway, a failed attack from the IRA akin to what happened in 1916, leave the IRA weak but, strangely enough, Britain call for a ceasefire and Collins goes over to England to sign the treaty - he gets independence, but only for the south of Ireland. Northern Ireland remains tied to Great Britain. De Valera is angered by this, but Collins is adamant that this is the first step t independence. Their are pro-treaty and anti-treaty groups and a civil war breaks out - in the hope of stopping this Collins goes to meet De Valera in Cork - his hometown - whereby prior to meeting him, Collins is ambushed and killed by anti-treaty protestors.

There are love interests and friends who are also a big part of the story - so don't feel that that is all it is, but it summarises the Irish history it covers. It truly is epic in scale and the fact that Julia Roberts is in it, explains how much money was put up behind it to make sure it had every chance of success. You can really feel the support the film had. Interestingly enough, Neil Jordan wrote the film also and so has discussed on the DVD the inaccuracies and explains that in most cases he simply didn't want to have to explain the huge amount of history behind this short period of time as it was only a two hour movie, while his approach showing Bloody Sunday (whereby the tanks enter into the Croke Park football ground, rather than wiat outside and shoot from outside) was changed so the sequence would be shorter and more powerful. The fact that people died and they were civilians is bad enough in my book - and that happened in both cases. Its funny, these technical aspects Neil Jordan talks about should really have been listened to by Zack Snyder on his Watchmen film - too long, too much shit. Someone should have said: cut it down, you have to make it two hours. Would have been alot better. Neil Jordan should of made Michael Collins three hours and then establish alot of inaccuracies.

I think my personal problem was this 'epic' tag it clearly had in pre-production. The finale - as we move from the inevitable tragedy of Collins and then cut to love-interest buying a wedding dress is so cliche. Sarah told me she was glad that the love story didn't overshadow the politics. I think she is right - it could have been alot worse - but, why have it at all. Touch on the fact he had family and a girl - but whats with the love triangle? Too much in my book. I did think about 'improvements' that could be made and, from my knowledge, music is so important and, in hindsight, I don't recall a theme or anything specifically heart-wrenching or emotional about the music. Maybe its me, because rarely do people fault a composer such as Elliot Goldenthal (with Sinead O'Conner doing the odd vocal no less), but then again, rarely do you hear people sing his praises! Not to mention, it seemed very unexpected when he died. I mean, if people are watching the film, they know he died - theres no need for shocks. Maybe a focus on Collins as he knew his time was up, alongside some music that simply makes you feel that its all over would just tip you over the edge with emotion - but what happened seemed as if "its an ambush" and, bang, "no, Michael, no! [its a head wound, he's gone] no-o-o-o-o!". The crying over the corpse and Julia Roberts backing away-because-she-knows-without-him-saying, is just a little obvious. We didn't even see Roberts face when she was told because she was running away from the guy - and from us.

I'm not Neil Jordan and, to be honest, he's a great director (The Crying Game ...), so maybe the whole directing job is actually quite difficult, but I did feel that he might of thought that as it was an epic, he had to do certain things - when it was these things which made it very run-of-the-mill, taking it out of a unique story territory to standard-historical-epic territory.

Note the poster-picture chosen - very 'Liberty Leading the People' Delacroix rip-off... seems to be the new craze, as Coldplay just uses it for every single, album and EP they release!