Signs (2002)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Story: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix

Music: James Newton Howard

Time: 106 minutes

Bottom-line: One of the worst alien invasion films ever

M. Night Shyamalan’s science fiction drama, Signs, turns out to be one of the most upsetting films I have ever seen. After being awed by his magnum opus, The Sixth Sense, I expected a lot from this film, but with a sloppy script – with too much sentiment and no story – and hardly any science, this film is one you can certainly skip watching (but don’t skip reading!). Here’s why.

The story revolves around Graham Hess (Gibson), who is a former priest. He lives with his asthmatic son, Morgan (Rory Culkin), daughter Bo (Abagail Breslin) and younger brother, Merrill (Phoenix) – a failed minor league baseball player. His wife has died in a car accident, caused by another town local, Ray Reddy (Shyamalan). Things get creepy when Graham finds a large crop circle in his field. He also learns that animals across the town are getting violent for no reason, and in fact, Morgan is forced to kill one of their dogs that attacks Bo. When they watch the news, they see that similar crop circles are being created all across the globe, and possible signs of alien invasion. With shady figures in their farm, unexpected sounds from the baby monitor and finally, visual footage of aliens, the family starts to prepare for the worst. What will these aliens do?

 

Gibson as Graham

I remember reading about crop circles long ago when I had to write an article about some common myths that exist in today’s world. My interest in the film increased all the more when I got to know it dealt with the same topic. Of course, later I got to know the film has barely any science in it, nor action. In one way it is like Arrival – the actual aliens are never shown (till the very end, in this case), but their presence is implied through other means. The suspense is initially built up well, but it leads to big expectations. We are shown a worldwide phenomenon of alien “attacks” and then abruptly, we are told they are all gone.

The theme could possibly be how a family deals with an unknown predator, and how they are there for each other in troubled times. Yet, somehow that emotion that we are supposed to feel never bloomed in me – I just sat there waiting there for some action or plot twist, with no avail. There are few effective scares and chills – especially the first sighting of the alien in the birthday party – and bits of humour. The overall pace is extremely slow, and by the time something actually happens, the film is over. I was at least hoping for the film to end on a high note but again, the anti-climax proved to be disappointing.   

 

(From left) Culkin as Morgan, Phoenix as Merrill,
 and Breslin as Bo

Mel Gibson’s acting was decent – playing the responsible father trying to regroup his family after his wife’s death. Rory Culkin’s acting was quite good; he plays the elder brother, and the far more mature sibling. Bo is undoubtedly the most irritating film character I have seen in a long while. I guess Shyamalan wanted children in his story but he could have done well with just Morgan. I have no idea what Bo’s purpose is! Joaquin Phoenix does a good job in the supporting role.   

Signs is a disappointment in every way except for the acting. The film wasted enough of my time, so please do not make that mistake; watch some other film.

My Rating: 1/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 74%

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Story: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette

Music: James Newton Howard

Time: 107 minutes

Bottom-line: If you are patient enough for the twist ending, you will like it

Arguably M. Night Shyamalan’s magnum opus, and one of the most celebrated supernatural films of all time, The Sixth Sense stars Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in the lead roles, with Toni Collette and Olivia Williams in the supporting roles. Known for its twist ending and acting, the film’s pace is an issue, but by the end, it is one hell of an experience. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, but won none.

I see dead people.

Philadelphia: Doctor Malcolm Crowe (Willis) is a child psychologist who has just been honoured by the Mayor for his work. As he spends the night at home with his wife, Anna (Williams), they find a man in their bathroom, who accuses Crowe of failing him. The man, Vincent, shoots Crowe before committing suicide. The timeline shifts several months ahead, when Crowe is on his next case: a 9-year-old named Cole Sear (Osment), very similar to Vincent. Determined to make up for his failure with Vincent, Crowe devotes all his time to the boy, even putting his family second. Cole’s mother, Lynn (Collette) is also worried about her son, especially after seeing signs of physical abuse. As Crowe and Cole spend more time together, Cole finally reveals his secret that he can see ghosts. As Crowe urges Cole to communicate with the ghosts and find out their purpose, it slowly starts to reflect on his own life and troubles as well. 

 

Osment as Cole, and Willis as Crowe 

Though the story is most famous for its twist ending, Shyamalan wanted to make it more than just a horror tale. Infused with the main story are elements of sentiment, especially involving the relationship between Cole and his mother, and between Crowe and his wife. These seemed to throw the plot off-course, but by the end you realise that it is this sentiment that gives meaning to the incidents you see. There are a lot of hints to guess the twist, but all of them ingeniously hidden.

 

Collette as Lynn, and Osment as Cole

The Sixth Sense is often categorised as a horror film, but it’s not. It involves supernatural elements, yes, but apart from a handful of gory imagery involving lynched bodies and bloodied “corpses” – and one particular scene where Cole encounters the ghost of a young girl – there isn’t much horror. Shyamalan creates that jolt in the viewer because of clever camerawork – and background score – such that you don’t expect the person to suddenly appear – a recurring technique in his films. 

Haley Joel Osment’s acting is something you should look out for. Eleven years old when the film was made, the child actor shows incredible maturity and talent in portraying the troubled boy. Toni Collette’s performance – although overshadowed by that of Osment – is equally brilliant. Her character is quite complex: she is in a position to defend her son’s supernatural abilities though she doesn’t believe them herself. She always puts her son first, in contrast to Crowe, who progressively gives lesser and lesser time to his wife. I also liked Collette’s role as a mother in Little Miss Sunshine.

So, The Sixth Sense is widely regarded as a supernatural classic, known for its acting and climax. The story gets slow at times, but there’s always a surprise around every corner. It’s well worth a watch.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 85%

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Director: Martin Brest

Screenplay: Bo Goldman (remake of the 1974 Italian film Profumo di Donna)

Cast: Al Pacino, Chris O’ Donnell

Music: Thomas Newman

Time: 156 minutes

Bottom-line: Irritably slow-paced at times, but it’s Pacino’s performance that grabs all your attention

Al Pacino’s first and only Oscar win is for his role as Lieutenant Colonel Slade, in this 1992 drama film, Scent of a Woman. Co-starring Chris O’ Donnell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and James Rebhorn, the film is the tale of the relationship between a blind man and a high-school student who has volunteered to take care of him during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Charlie Simms (O’ Donnell) is a student of Baird School, an exclusive prep school. To pay for his flight home for Christmas, he accepts a temporary job during the Thanksgiving weekend: to look after retired Army Ranger Lt. Colonel Frank Slade (Pacino), a blind, irritable, irascible alcoholic. Meanwhile, Charlie and George (Hoffman), another student, witness three students set up a prank that later humiliates the Headmaster, Mr. Trask (Rebhorn). Trask offers Charlie a bribe for his confession, but blackmails him if he remains silent, and asks him to think about it. Slade unexpectedly books a trip for himself and Charlie to New York, where Charlie notices, and becomes part of, Slade’s opulent lifestyle. Slade tells Charlie that he plans on committing suicide by the end of the trip. As the story goes on, Slade turns out to be a far different person than the cantankerous man we thought he was.

When it comes to “suspense”, there are two types: the first one is when you are waiting at the edge of your seat, eager as ever to know what will happen, predicting every scenario in your head. The second type is the “Get to the interesting part already!” type, where the build-up is egregiously bad, with poor dialogue and no thrill at all. Several incidents from Scent of a Woman are of the second category. With 156 minutes of screen time, the film runs at least 30 to 45 minutes more than required. The last 30-40 minutes of the film are also annoyingly slow-paced, with Slade’s speech in the climax being the sole high point – but what a terrific speech it is!

Pacino as Lt. Colonel Slade (left) and O' Donnell as Charlie

The scenes of the film that are good, are the ones where Slade drives a Ferrari on his own, the one where he does tango with a beautiful woman, the tense encounter between Slade and Charlie in the hotel room, and the climax. The transformation of Slade’s character is the highlight of the film. when his niece first describes him as “Deep down, the man is a lump of sugar”, you think of him as anything but. With his quirks, short-temper, sarcasm and downright disparaging comments, he comes on to you as a crazy old man. Slowly, however, his true nature comes out. Well-versed in an enormous range of topics, sensitive, caring, and fearless, he becomes more likeable by the minute – Charlie realises it, and so do we.

Pacino has given better performances compared to this one, but this is the only one where he received the much-deserved long-overdue Academy Award. As I said, the way he plays the irritable grouch in the start to a “lovable” old man in the end, the film shows his versatile talents. That final speech will certainly give you goosebumps ("If I was the man I was five years ago, I would take a FLAMETHROWER to this place!") He is aptly supported by Chris O’ Donnell, the guy who help his nerve against the cranky soldier, and in return, received a friend and experience of a lifetime.

With a gem of a performance by Al Pacino leading the way, Scent of a Woman is a warm and dramatic tale of how you can make the most of what life gives you. Yes, the storyline could have been vastly improved, the pace is slow and there are several places you might want to fast-forward without a second thought, but the experience at the end, is wonderful.

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%

The Darjeeling Limited (2009)

Director: Wes Anderson

Story: Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola

Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody

Time: 91 minutes

Bottom-line: Showcases Anderson’s style, but a disappointing film 

Made as a tribute to Indian director Satyajit Ray, Wes Anderson’s India-based drama is the tale of three brothers on a train journey in the subcontinent. The film stars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Adrien Brody as the brothers, with Amara Khan and Anjelica Huston in the supporting roles, and several others like Bill Murray and Irrfan Khan chipping in with cameos. 

A man, Peter Whitman (Brody) barely boards the train The Darjeeling Limited, where he reunites with his brothers: Jack and Francis (Schwarzman and Wilson), who have not met since their father’s funeral one year earlier. Francis is still recovering from a suicide attempt, Jack is desperate to get back with his ex-girlfriend, and Peter’s wife is nearly eight months pregnant, and he wonders what sort of a father he will be. Francis plans a strict itinerary for the trip, but secretly wants the brothers to meet their estranged mother in the Himalayas. In a journey filled with petty fights, spiritual realisations, and flashes from the past, the three brothers experience an unforgettable trip.

The storyline and acting aspects of the film turned out to be below expectations. While the first half of the film had a proper flow of events and structure, the latter half seemed to fall apart; the writers just put in whatever idea came to their heads without any idea how to end the film. The flashback sequence is unnecessary, several cameos served no purpose, and the climax, was too sudden; there was nothing leading up to it. The basic theme of the film is to tell us the value of family – similar to The Royal Tenenbaums – but with an Indian backdrop. As the story progresses, the Indian elements become dominant, and the story gets distorted.

 

(From left) Schwartzman as Jack, Wilson as Francis
and Brody as Peter 

Anderson’s style of cinematography – he includes several long takes in this film – use of colour – even more vibrant in the subcontinental settings – and nature of characters are evident once again. For the first – and so far, only – time, he does not employ an original background score; the songs and score are adapted from several sources, including Satyajit Ray’s films. The absurdist sense of comedy is also well written into the script, mixing both slapstick and subtle humour, but in the first third of the film alone.

The acting showcases nothing special from any actor, which is sad, considering that every other film had at least one standout performance. Brody, Schwartzman and Wilson (whose face is covered throughout the film by bandages) all put on a sullen look throughout the film. I expected to see the charisma of Schwartzman that he displayed in Rushmore and Wilson’s comic nature, but neither of them brought out their best talents.

So, while the cinematography, colourful visual appeal and portrayal of the Indian subcontinent are the aspects I liked, the acting, storyline and the lack of humour made the film fall below the mark set by other Anderson films. As a Wes Anderson fan, you might still end up liking the film for his style, but overall, this is my least favourite of his directorial features.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 69% 

The 39 Steps (1935)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Charles Bennett and Ian Hay (loosely based on the book by John Buchan)

Cast: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll

Music: Jack Beaver and Louis Levy

Time: 86 minutes

Bottom-line: Filled with twists; short, but engaging  

One of Hitchcock’s early British films, The 39 Steps is a wrong-man thriller where an everyman is mistakenly accused of murdering a spy. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll in the lead roles, with Godfrey Tearle and Lucie Mannheim to support them. The British Film Institute ranks the film as the fourth best British film of all time (after The Third Man, A Brief Encounter and Lawrence of Arabia). 

At a London music hall, the entertainer is a man with extraordinary powers of recall: Mr. Memory. Suddenly, shots are fired from a gun, and in the ensuing panic, a common man, Richard Hannay (Donat), is approached by a frightened woman, Annabella Smith (Mannheim), who later tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins. She mentions a certain  “the 39 steps” but does not reveal what it is. Later that night, Annabella is fatally stabbed, and in her last moments, she hands Hannay a map of Scotland. Hannay travels to the indicated place on the map, but halfway through his train journey, a young woman, Pamela (Carroll), gives him up the police. Hannay escapes, but once in Scotland, he realises that the danger has only increased, and soon he finds himself in the company of killers, spies, and Pamela.

Carroll as Pamela, and Donat as Hannay

The 39 Steps cuts right to the chase, and the pace of the story is exhilarating. There is no major plot twist, like several of Hitchcock’s later films, but there is always a surprise around the corner, and it’s never predictable. This is also a rare Hitchcock films with a lot of humour, from sarcastic remarks to smartly hilarious actions. The climax is most certainly unexpected, and can be considered to a brilliant plot twist or a disappointing one; I, for one, choose the former. Another interesting thing to note here is the scene where Hannay escapes the cops by joining a parade crowd; this was the first film to use that idea, later paid homage to by The Fugitive (1993).

There is minimal background score, and in fact, the music composers are often uncredited for the film. Robert Donat’s acting is a major boost to the film, with his wit, charm and charisma, very similar to the traits of Roger Thornhill later in North by Northwest. Madeleine Carroll’s role is Hitchcock’s first “prototype” of his typical female lead: blonde, and usually with a cold demeanour. The transition of Pamela’s character is another thing to notice: from loathing Hannay, to assuming him to be the murderer, to being handcuffed to him, and finally realising the truth behind everything.

The chase sequences are a bit comical, when they’re not supposed to be, and the background in several places is clearly artificial. Yet, these minor flaws apart, the good acting, excellent plot twists, and hints of the Hitchcockian elements that would later become famous, make this a memorable film.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

The Abyss (1989)

Director: James Cameron

Story: James Cameron

Cast: Ed Harris, Michael Biehn, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Music: Alan Silvestri

Time: 145 minutes

Bottom-line: A spooky, visually breath-taking sci-fi drama

A mammoth cinematic effort by James Cameron – and of course, his crew – The Abyss might be one of his unrecognised and underrated movies, but it is a sci-fi marvel. The film stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn in the lead roles, with few others in minor supporting roles. Among all of Cameron’s major films, I think it’s certain that it is The Abyss that pushed every crew member to his/her limits.

Cayman Trough: The submarine USS Montana has an encounter with an unidentified object underwater, and sinks near the trough. The US government sends a SEAL team to Deep Core, a private rig, to use as a base for operations to recover the sunken submarine, which also carries a nuclear warhead. The foreman of the SEAL team is “Bud” Brigman (Harris), and his ex-wife, Lindsey (Mastrantonio) is the designer of the rig, who also goes with the team. While hurricane threats cause panic on the surface, the underwater exploration has its own surprises, when Lindsey spots an unknown colourful object, that she later claims to be non-terrestrial intelligence. Soon, danger mounts as the rig is rocked by the hurricane, knocking off their mini-sub deeper into the trench and cutting off contact. The SEAL leader, Lt. Coffey (Biehn) seems to have plans of his own, and his selfish motives could well lead to a terrible disaster.

 

Harris as Bud, and Mary as Lindsey 

Most of the film is actually shot underwater. Cameron’s crew built two gigantic artificial tanks in the studio, with capacities of 2.5 and 7.5 million US gallons of freshwater (at that time, the largest freshwater tank!), and the crew spent as much as 6 hours underwater every day. Special suits, cameras and settings were used to create the depth of the ocean, and to ensure clear visual and sound underwater. Shooting also took place in an actual underground lake, in Missouri. This rigorous process is what led to a lot of tension and physical and emotional breakdowns among the acting crew, as well as making the film go $4 million over budget.

 

Biehn as Coffey

With this much effort having been put, the final result is visually dazzling in every way. The lighting and hues used, the action, camerawork and the beauty of the underwater world has been captured superbly, with assistance from Silvestri’s score as well. It’s no surprise that the film won the Oscar for best Visual Effects. The tension is masterfully created in the spooky and unknown atmosphere, and there are few scenes that intensify it even more – the one where Lindsey suffers from hypothermia and Bud’s final plunge into the trench, and the part where the crew meets the alien species, to name a few.

The film has a slow start, but picks up pace after Lindsey’s encounter with the alien species. The thing about the storyline that I didn’t like is that Cameron introduces the NTI species just enough to tempt our imagination, but never actually explores the idea. The species are just shown for about 5 minutes in between and then only at the end, while he could have used more of them in the story (he does, to some extent, in the special edition, with 25 more minutes of screen time). The climax is a bit of a disappointment too.

Usually, in Cameron’s films, there is one standout performance and the others just play along; here however, Biehn, Mary and Harris have all done their best (under enormous stress, given their working environment!). Biehn, after playing the good guy in The Terminator and Aliens, plays a cunning, psychotic, murderous villain with such panache (I also like his new look: with a moustache!) that it is jaw-dropping to watch! In short, watch The Abyss for its stunning visuals and grizzly atmosphere and superb acting; the storyline might put you off, but the film is a delight.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%

Vikram Vedha (2017)

Director: Pushkar and Gayatri

Story: Pushkar and Gayatri

Cast: R. Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha Srinath

Music: Sam C. S

Time: 147 minutes

Bottom-line: Thoroughly entertaining; bonus points for the climax

The much anticipated film of the year, Vikram Vedha stars two highly popular actors: R. Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi, in the lead roles, with a lot of new faces: Kathir, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Shraddha Srinath, in the supporting roles. The story takes its title from the classic tale of King Vikram and the ghost Betal; the king was given a task of capturing the ghost, who would narrate a story to the king on every attempt, and ask a riddle at the end, and would escape if the king answered right.

 

Madhavan as Vikram

Inspector Vikram (Madhavan) is brave, honest, and most importantly, clean as a whistle. Vikram and his partner, Simon, are part of an encounter operation to capture the dreaded criminal, Vedha (Sethupathi). Vedha is not present, but soon after the counter, Vedha himself surrenders himself to the police. When interrogated, he reveals nothing; when Vikram talks to him, Vedha offers to tell his life story, and asks Vikram a moral question at the end. Immediately after, Vedha is bailed out by his lawyer, Vikram’s wife, Priya (Srinath). This causes tension inside the household as well. As the story progresses, Vikram and Vedha play a game of wits against each other. As Vedha questions Vikram further, the latter realises that nothing is as plain as it seems, and no one is as clean as they seem; not even himself.

 

Sethupathi as Vedha

This is one of those films that is understood better in retrospect; it starts to make more sense when you discuss plot elements, and when you sit and think about the story. The structure of the story – and the tales within the tale – is really good. On hearing Vedha’s first story, Vikram understands that no one is born a criminal; by the second story, he finds himself saying that he killed an innocent victim, and by the end of the film, Vikram realises that everyone is a “grey” character; no one’s purely innocent, no one is purely guilty. The humour bits are well-written, and the romance doesn’t take up too much time. The film deserves brownie points for the climax: the cliff-hanger ending keeps tension at screaming point before cutting to black. This is similar to the last scene of Thegidi, but I hope neither film gets a sequel; that would really spoil it.

 

Madhavan, with Shraddha as Priya

The cinematography is good, and I like the way a lot of subtle hints are given – all of which are certainly noticeable and give way to the final plot twist. The few “insignificant” lines of dialogue, the camera shots that capture something off-focus matter too. The standard character intros are craftily created so that they receive maximum cheer from the audience. Sethupathi’s entry is essentially identical to John Doe’s intro in Se7en. Another interesting thing the camera captures is how in the first meeting between Vikram and Vedha, the former wears a white shirt, and in the second, he wears a grey one, and finally, black – corresponding to his change in perception too!

Madhavan has done a decent job playing the protagonist. It was good to see him play a non-chocolate-boy role (his other notable “grey” role being Inba in Ayutha Ezhuthu). Vijay Sethupathi is the star of the film: with his style, cunning, stories and punch lines, the way he toys around with Vikram is downright brilliant. One thing about the casting that I didn’t like is that there are too many characters with minor roles: it is difficult to follow who’s killing whom, who is chasing whom, as well as to keep track between Vedha’s story in the past and Vikram’s doings in the present.

The plot also gets a bit too complicated, but it is nicely patched up in the end. There are too many plot devices though – too many things happening in an illogical manner, just for the sake of the story to go the way it did. But, if you let them all go because they add to the drama, then the storyline is pretty solid. The killer background score, the action and excellent acting are the other things that you should look out for.

My Rating: 4/5

Aliens (1986)

Director: James Cameron
Story: James Cameron
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
Music: James Horner
Time: 137 minutes
Bottom-line: Science, drama, horror... Aliens has it all! 

Following the success of The Terminator, Cameron returns to film-making two years later, with this blockbuster. Aliens is the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien, but this film comes with less gore, more action, more visual effects and the typical James Cameron melodrama
.
There are some places in the universe you don’t go alone...
After 57 years in statis, Ellen Ripley (Weaver) is discovered by the crew of Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and is debriefed about the destruction of her ship. They refuse to believe her when she says that an Alien killed her crew and destroyed her ship (plot of the 1979 film). The exomoon where Ripley’s ship encountered alien eggs is now occupied by 60-70 families – the terraforming colony. When contact with them is suddenly lost, Ripley is asked to be a guide as the marines investigate the matter. Though initially refraining to do so because of her traumatic experience, she reluctantly agrees. But soon the mission brings forth innumerable complications, and one idea becomes clear: this time, it’s war...

Weaver as Ripley (left) and
Henn as Newt

Aliens is one of those sequels that fare better than the prequels in film franchises (of course, the rest of the Alien films in the franchise were major failures!). The film emphasises more on human emotions and connections – portrayed through the relationship between Ripley and Newt, who is a traumatized young female survivor. In fact, this mother-daughter-like relationship is the basis for the dramatic climax, constructed in typical Cameron style. The film starts by introducing the crew members, then letting the audience get acquainted with the aliens before the actual “war”.

Paul Reiser as Burke (middle), Biehn as
Hicks (2nd from right), Paxton as
Hudson (rightmost) 

Throughout the story the special effects and the cinematography are terrific, and these of course became trademarks of Cameron films in the years to come (five of his seven major directorial films have won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects). The settings, including the gargantuan spaceships and the machinery were exciting to watch. Be prepared to deal with visuals of really heinous and grotesque creatures Cameron calls “aliens”, because so perfect is the CGI that these images will creep you out any day!

Sigourney Weaver’s role as Ellen Ripley is widely considered to be her magnum opus. The nomination for the Academy Award was a big event then because it was perhaps the first time a lead character in a science fiction movie was nominated. Displaying strong willpower to survive and to protect those around her, this female hero could well be one of the most powerful heroes in cinema history. The other actors shown predominantly on screen are Michael Biehn – who plays the supportive partner of Ripley – Bill Paxton – who plays the apprehensive and agitated marine – and Carrie Henn as Newt.

With a good mix of action, science and drama in its story, boosted by committed performances by Weaver and the supporting cast, Cameron’s Aliens may not be his most remembered film, and it may not have as strong an impact as Ridley Scott’s prequel, but it does have its own strengths, which make it a sci-fi thriller worth watching!

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98% 

True Lies (1994)

Director: James Cameron

Screenplay: James Cameron (based on the film La Totale!)

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold

Music: Brad Fiedel

Time: 141 minutes

Bottom-line: Bit of humour, loads of action, and amazing stuff from Jamie Lee Curtis

James Cameron’s True Lies – along with Titanic – is, in several ways, different from his other films. Taking a break after directing four science fiction films, Cameron directs the story of a spy leading a double life. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Arnold in the lead roles, with Art Malik, Bill Paxton and Tia Carrere in the supporting roles. 

Harry Tasker (Schwarzenegger) is a family man with a wife, Helen (Curtis) and daughter, Dana. They think he is an ordinary computer salesman, but he is actually a spy for a counter-terrorism organisation called Omega Sector. Harry and his partner, Albert (Arnold) discover the existence of a terrorist group called “Crimson Jihad”, led by Salim Aziz (Malik). As Harry trails the terrorists, he also ends up distancing himself from his family. Soon enough, he finds out that Helen is having an affair with Simon (Paxton), a car salesman pretending to be a spy. When Helen confesses that she needed to spice her life up a little bit, Harry decides to give her the experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, Harry’s setup turns into an actual mission when Aziz and his men kidnap both Harry and Helen.

 

Schwarzenegger as Harry, and Curtis as Helen

While Schwarzenegger is far from being a good actor, he is one guy who has the perfect physique to play a terminator, or better, a secret agent. That is one thing that makes some of the action in the film, believable. Gunfights, a chase on horseback, killing terrorists from a fighter plane and using brute force to beat up bad guys, Harry Tasker can do it all. What Schwarzenegger cannot do, is to play a normal character – like the family man he is supposed to be. Jamie Lee Curtis, on the other hand, has outdone herself in acting. Playing a wife to her husband, posing as a wife for Simon, acting as a prostitute, being a woman of action when the situation demands it, she has done everything. Her performance was the best part of the film. Bill Paxton’s conic supporting role was quite effective.

 

Malik as Aziz

Most of the action in the film is spectacular to see, thanks to the visual effects, which is mostly the reason people watch Cameron films. The explosions, the weaponry, the insane stunts are responsible for the action, while Tom Arnold’s and Bill Paxton’s characters, along with the dialogue, provide the humour content. The storyline of the movie, as such, is not that impressive – then again, none of Cameron’s stories are – but there are several scenes of interest: the one where Harry and Albert interrogate Helen, and later, Simon, the one where Helen acts like a hooker, and the action-packed climax (an inspiration to a certain shootout in Breaking Bad, perhaps?).

 

Paxton as Simon

Yes, the film stretches a lot, the acting – Curtis apart – is below average, but given that it is a Cameron film, it lives up to his reputation of skilled use of special effects, loads of action, and surprisingly, decent humour too. It’s not a great film, but it’s fun.

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 72%  

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Director: Sidney Lumet

Screenplay: Frank Pierson (based on the article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore)

Cast: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Chris Sarandon

Time: 125 minutes

Bottom-line:  Edge-of-the-seat suspense, with riveting tension

The robbery should have taken ten minutes.

Based on the true bank robbery incident orchestrated by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturale in 1972, Dog Day Afternoon is a faithful two-hour recreation of the same incident. The film stars Al Pacino and John Cazale in the lead roles, with Chris Sarandon, Charles Durning and James Broderick in the supporting roles.

Four hours later, the bank was like a circus sideshow.

August 22, 1972: Sonny Wortzik (Pacino) and his partners Salvatore “Sal” Naturale (Cazale) and Stevie plan to rob the First Brooklyn Savings Bank. Almost immediately after they take out their guns, Stevie loses his nerve and flees. Sonny discovers that they have arrived after the daily cash pickup, and so, only $1100 is left in the bank. He then takes all the traveller’s cheques, and to prevent them from being traced, burns the bank register. The fire attracts the attention of the people across the street, and soon, a bunch of cops, led by Sergeant Moretti (Durning), surround the bank. Sonny and Sal hold the members of the bank hostage, while planning a getaway route. As minutes become hours, the tension rises among the robbers, hostages, cops and the public. What is the outcome of this foiled robbery?

Pacino as Sonny (right) and Cazale as Sal 

Eight hours later, it was the hottest thing on TV.

The two-hour duration of the film covers incidents that take place over half a day or so, and as far as viewing experience is concerned, it is effectively in real-time. Lumet – although taking the material from a real incident – gives great importance to the characters rather than the incidents, and that what makes Dog Day Afternoon different from other hostage films, like Die Hard or Speed. Sonny is constantly looking to “keep everyone happy”, by negotiating. His calmness wins the admiration of the public, and even the FBI agent who replaces Moretti later; and in fact, the hostages get along with the robbers – they even toy around with Sonny’s gun. Sal, on the other hand, means only business. All he wants is to get out of the situation at any cost.

Sarandon as Leon

Twelve hours later, it was history.

The psychological games played by Sonny and the cops keep you riveted in your seat. The tension atmosphere that exists within the bank room is superbly created. It is amazing, in retrospect, when you think of all the things that could have gone wrong had Sonny or the cops lost their patience; that level of control is what keeps the suspense at screaming point. Sonny’s psyche is also disturbed with the involvement of Leon (Sarandon), his transgender wife, and his mother, who attempt to dissuade him from the robbery. Al Pacino’s acting takes the film to a whole new level: his bargaining tactics, his cunning, the way he prepares for practically any operation the cops might pull off, and his panache and showmanship in front of his fans… this might not be his most famous roles, but certainly one of his best.

The hostages, along with Sonny

And it is all true.

With Lumet’s splendid direction – he seems to have a knack for directing real time films (12 Angry Men – what a masterpiece!) – and Pacino’s wonderful acting, Dog Day Afternoon is a film that is more than just a hostage situation; there is so much more depth to the characters and way the situations are portrayed… and that makes it considerably more effective.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%