Cape Fear (1991)

Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenplay: Wesley Strick (based on the book by John D. MacDonald and James R. Webb’s screenplay of the 1962 film
Cast: Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis
Music:  Elmer Bernstein 
Time: 127 minutes
Bottom-line: Suspenseful and haunting

Counselor! Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Robert De Niro’s menacing voice still echoes in your ears for a long time after you have finished watching Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear. Based on the original 1962 film starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, the 1991 film is the better of the two, in my view, with a far more menacing villain, and with the violence and tension at screaming point.

de Niro as Max Cady

Sam Bowden (Nolte) is a lawyer living with his wife Leigh (Lange) and teenage daughter Danielle (Lewis) in New Essex. Max Cady (de Niro) is a former client of Bowden, who was accused of rape, fourteen years ago. Seeing the brutality of the crime, Bowden himself had buried some critical evidence, which would have eased Cady’s sentence. In his sentence, Cady managed to learn the law on his own and eventually got released. Now he’s in search of the one man who ruined his life. It is Cady’s time to take revenge...

Nolte as Sam (middle), Lewis as Danielle
(right) and Lange as Leigh

The storyline is basically about how Cady repeatedly torments Sam and his family. First, he stalks them in the theatre and then assaults Sam’s friend, and even goes as far as kissing Danielle. The first half introduces the characters and shows how Cady systematically starts to execute his revenge, and the second half is about how Sam tries to protect his family when his “past” tries to haunt them. The highlight of the film is the way Sam and Cady play out each other; just as Sam comes up with better security to protect his loved ones, Cady pulls out an even more cunning trick!

From the beginning, it’s de Niro who has all your attention. With his chilling entry – thanks to the gory images of the tattoos, along with Bernard Herrmann’s original 1962 Max Cady theme – he has his iron grip on you ever since. His seemingly jolly behaviour followed by his merciless barbarity makes him one of the most terrifying villains of all time (of course, credit also goes to the original 1962 villain, played by Mitchum). In my view, I think de Niro deserved the Oscar more than Anthony Hopkins (who won for The Silence of the Lambs). Nick Nolte, Lange and Lewis’ performances are almost completely overshadowed by de Niro, but towards the climax, all of them have done exceptionally well, especially Lewis.

Compared to the 1962 film, as I said earlier, de Niro plays a much more ferocious and violent Max Cady than Robert Mitchum. This film has 25 minutes of additional screen time as well, mainly devoted to the other ways Cady stalks and scares the family, not shown in the original (for example, in the earlier film, Cady never talks directly to Sam's daughter ). Although  Mitchum set the base to portray such a villain, de Niro undoubtedly put on the better show, and Scorsese, the better film.

The original 1962 film poster

Cape Fear isn’t the typical Scorsese, except for the fact that it stars de Niro, in his seventh collaboration with Scorsese. But, in terms of entertainment, the film provides everything, starting from a suspenseful build-up to the thrilling finale at Cape Fear. Look out for the scenes where Cady indirectly accuses Sam of betraying his client, the scene where he stalks Danielle at school and the one where he beats up his own attackers and taunts Sam. The best part is when Cady finally enters Sam’s house and, not to forget, the finale in the houseboat, where Cady truly reveals his power. Remember, “There is nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light. Except fear.” 


My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 76%

Newton (2017)

Director: Amit V. Masurkar

Story: Amit V. Masurkar

Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil

Music: Naren Chandavarkar, Benedict Taylor

Time: 104 minutes

Bottom-line: A well-made political satire addressing a key issue of the country

India’s submission to the 90^th Academy Awards for the category of Best Foreign Film, Masurkar’s Newton is a satire about the voting system in India, in particular, the state of Chhattisgarh.

Newton (Rao) is a government clerk, who is sent to Chhattisgarh on election duty, to collect votes from 76 voters in an area amidst the Naxal-controlled forests of the state. He is assisted by a local officer, Malko Netam (Patil) and Loknath (Raghubhir Yadav). Despite his utmost sincerity in conducting a free and fair election, nothing else goes his way. The armed forces – led by Asst. Commandant Aatma Singh (Tripathi) – warn him of the imminent guerrilla attacks and other dangers in the forest, but Newton is persistent. Initially, no voters show up. However, the moment they receive information that a foreign reporter is covering the incident, the army forces the villagers to cast votes. Newton realises that the villagers are clueless about what the election is; no villager has ever seen a voting machine before. With barely any support from the others, does Newton do his duty? Or does he succumb?

 

Rajkummar Rao as Newton

In a country that is the world’s largest democracy, the number of people who do not cast their vote – despite it being the duty of a citizen – is shockingly high. For various reasons, from laziness, to ignorance, to the “what’s-the-point-nothing-is-going-to-change-anyway” attitude, the voting system has its flaws. In Newton, that is the issue dealt with, against the backdrop of Naxal warfare. We see that the villagers do have voter cards, but are scared and ignorant about the whole process. They show up only when forced, and they have no idea why they vote. The security tells Newton to clear up much earlier than the stipulated time, since no one is willing to vote anyway. Newton desperately tries to teach the villagers the fundamentals, but Aatma Singh, realising that this won’t work, manipulates the villagers by telling them the machine is a toy, and they can press the button for whichever symbol they like.

 

Anjali Patil as Malko

The film is more of a documentary than a feature film, except for the wisely scripted dry humour that appeals to your funny bone as well. Newton’s character is one of those extremely honest officers, surrounded by people who are anything but sincere. Most people in Newton’s position would take the hint in the first go and run for their own safety. That is what happens when you’re the only guy doing his job. One can argue how a mere 76 votes matter anyway in a nation of 1.3 billion people; but if 76 officers in 76 areas with 76 people each, all think the same way, then a problem starts to grow. Educating people about the election is the first step that should be taken.

 

Pankaj Tripathi as Aatma Singh

Rajkummar Rao’s performance is highly commendable. Newton’s tenacity and discipline are very inspiring. The characters of Malko and Loknath bring a blend of humour and other viewpoints on the election. On the other end of the spectrum is Aatma Singh, whose excuse is that nothing useful happens anyway; in one scene he complains how the army hasn’t received night vision goggles even two years after their request. Using just four characters, there is a wide range of opinions and views open to discussion.   

A wake-up call to many Indians, Newton is one of the most well-made films addressing social issues. The pace might slacken now and then, but the movie is worth your time.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Raising Arizona (1987)

Director: Joel Coen

Story: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: Nicholas Cage, Holly Hunter

Music: Carter Burwell

Time: 94 minutes

Bottom-line: A crazily hilarious script; full-on entertainment

The Coen brothers’ first comedy film – and their second feature film – Raising Arizona is unlike any other Coen brothers film! Starring Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter in the lead roles, with Trey Wilson, John Goodman and William Forsythe in the supporting roles, the crime-comedy film is a laugh riot.

H. I. “Hi” McDunnough (Cage) is a convenience store robber, who gets arrested. The officer who takes his mugshots is a woman named Edwina “Ed” (Hunter). When it’s love at first sight for Hi, he starts getting arrested deliberately just to see her. Soon enough, he finds out that her fiancé has left her. Following his latest release, Hi proposes to Ed and they get married. Though Hi comes clean of his old lifestyle, the couple faces another problem when they find out that Ed is infertile, and they cannot adopt any kids because of Hi’s criminal record. Luck turns their way when a local furniture magnate, Nathan Arizona (Wilson), and his wife have quintuplets. Hi and Ed kidnap one of the babies, Nathan Jr. When two of His old inmates come to visit and stay in their house for a night, and when news about the kidnapped baby becomes public, Hi’s family life hits the rocks.

 

Cage as Hi, Hunter as Ed, and the baby

Not only is the storyline egregiously different from the neo-noir Blood Simple (and also their future films), but pretty much everything about the film is! I guess this was an experiment the Coens wanted to try out, as they admitted to purposely making the story as different as possible. The polar opposite characteristics of Hi and Ed, and the nature of Hi’s prison mates: Gale and Evelle Snoats (Goodman and Forsythe) are hilariously portrayed. The comic plot twists and the slapstick humour are similar to the style usually seen in Wes Anderson films.

 

Goodman and Forsythe as Gale and Evelle

The plot revolves around how Hi tries to change himself to be a family man, while nothing around him supports him from doing so. His boss proposes a “wife-swapping” program, his jail-mates try to drag him back to shoplifting, and also find out about the baby, and Hi also has a psychotic murderer on his tail, also looking for the baby. Ed is the only person who is fixated on living a family life, while Hi struggles to overcome his impulses. Hi’s attempt to please his own self and his wife is the source of humour.

Nicholas Cage has always intrigued me as to what role he likes playing (never mind if he is good at it). Every character he takes on seems to be quirky and unstable, and Hi McDunnough is the best example. With his accent, hairstyle and overall comic appearance, his performance is quite impressive. It may not be his most elegant show, but it sure gets you laughing. The Coens wrote the story for Holly Hunter playing Ed, and she fits right in. I am surprised the Coens didn’t continue making a few more “mainstream” comedies after this (except The Big Lebowski); this is not their best film, but an amazing first attempt at a comedy. While the story takes a lot of liberty in terms of being realistic, the important thing is that it’s a comedy – and it will make you laugh.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 91%

Blood Simple (1984)

Director: Joel Coen

Story: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, M. Emmet Walsh, Dan Hedaya 

Music: Carter Burwell

Time: 97 minutes

Bottom-line: An intense, violent, blood-curdling neo-noir

Blood Simple is the start of the long and dazzling journey of two of the most prominent filmmakers of today: the Coen brothers. With a cast of four main members, the film is the story involving double-crossing, revenge, and the interplay of fate, and contains several other technical aspects that would later become trademarks of Coen brothers’ films.

Getz as Ray

In Russia, everyone pulls for everyone else. Down here in Texas, you are on your own.

Texas: Abby (McDormand) is the wife of Marty (Hedaya), a bar owner. However, their marriage is on the rocks, and Abby is having an affair with Ray (Getz), who works in Marty’s bar. Suspecting his wife, Marty hires a (unnamed) private detective (Walsh) to follow her, and send photographs. When Ray goes to collect his pay, Marty confronts him about the affair and warns him, but Ray does not budge. Marty then hires the detective to kill the couple. Soon enough, the detective reports back to Marty with a picture of the couple shot dead, but he has his own scheme. When blood is involved, everyone suddenly finds themselves in extreme danger, in one grizzly tale.

McDormand as Abby

Something about Blood Simple makes it very Hitchcockian: the ambience, the score, and the extended dialogue-less scenes reminded me of sequences from films like Psycho and Dial M for Murder. From the first scene on the headlamp-lit highway to the final scene where light enters the room through bullet holes on the wall, the lighting is an aspect that enhances the eerie atmosphere so effectively. The other thing I liked is, as I mentioned, the extended “silent” scenes – a feature also used in later Coen brothers’ films.

Walsh as the detective

The camerawork, score, and the acting are enough to take us through the progress of events, and dialogues are kept to a minimum, and suspense, on the other hand, is at screaming point. The scenes where the detective trails the couple, the encounter between the detective and Marty, followed by Ray’s arrival, and the climax are some pieces of brilliant filmmaking. The simplicity and the dark humour of the entire story – especially the way fate gives poetic justice to all – also make it stand out. The Coens often intensify violence in their films, and they do an exceptionally good job of giving a solid impact with every plot twist.

Hedaya as Marty

In every Coen brothers’ movie, there is always one “white” character: the clean guy (in this case, Abby), there’s an all-out evil guy (the detective), and a “grey” character (Ray), and it’s always the grey character who’s the most important one. The character development is excellent, and by the end of every film, you ask yourself if everyone got the justice they deserved. Frances McDormand has done a brilliant job in her debut film, especially in the climax. Getz and Walsh have their moments of glory as well, and the way the detective’s character has been created – with his double-crossing schemes – will make you gasp in shock.

Blood Simple has a strong impact on its viewers, with its relatively simplistic story and effective plot twists. The film lays the foundation for several techniques used by the Coens in their later films, but their debut film is equally impressive.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

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%