Mubi Monday: Carnal Knowledge (1971)

While it's over half a century old, Carnal Knowledge doesn't feel dated. That's as impressive as it is sad. Since finally watching it I keep making a joke about it being a film obviously loved by Neil LaBute, but I'm not sure I mean it. I mean . . . I DO mean it, but probably not as a joke. There's something in the bitterness and the misogyny here that is very much a precursor to the kind of sharp and jagged explorations of the same subject matter that LaBute would deliver in many of his own works.

Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel) are two friends who have plenty of conversations about the women they decide to pursue. This is all set up in the very earliest scene, a sequence that has Sandy trying to establish a connection with Susan (Candice Bergen) after Jonathan basically says "I'll let you have her." Susan doesn't realise that she's going to end up in the middle of a strange three-way relationship with both Sandy and Jonathan, at least until one of them gets bored with things. Jonathan also gets involved with Bobbie (Ann-Margret), a woman who is worn down and seriously affected by the mistreatment she suffers from him. As time rolls on, various women see Jonathan unable to extricate himself from his self-created black hole of self-loathing and inability to view women as nothing more than potential conquests. It just remains to be seen whether or not Sandy will be locked in there with him.

While there's no denying that the heart of Carnal Knowledge is the bold and unflinching screenplay from Jules Feiffer, which lays bare an attitude and culture that persists to this day, it's hard not to give just as much credit to director Mike Nichols and his main cast members. Nichols may not have avoided a number of mistakes throughout his decades-spanning directorial career, but his best works cast a long shadow over a few different eras of cinema. This is one of his best, taking a scalpel to examine some of the wounds of the 1970s that were left to scab over by those wandering around aimlessly in the 1960s. Could Benjamin Braddock have turned into Jonathan one day? Maybe, maybe not. 

Garfunkel does very well in his role, being a bit more timid, yet also far too willing to join in with his friend when it seems as if it may prove to be a winning tactic for him, and all of the women make an impact in various ways (Bergen, Ann-Margret, Cynthia O'Neal, Carol Kane, and Rita Moreno), but the film belongs to Nicholson, who manages to somehow keep his character riveting even as he becomes more and more overtly loathsome. He's quite pathetic and horrible, but that is sometimes hidden away under a projected image of false confidence and bravado. 

Carnal Knowledge isn't an easy watch. I'm not sure I'd even call it an entertaining one. It's thought-provoking and vital though, an essential part of a conversation that is still happening over half a century after it was first released. The fact that we're still having the conversation may well make your heart sink, but it's also better than this kind of behaviour playing out without people having the knowledge to more easily recognise it and call it out. And at least there's a somewhat happy ending here, seeing the lengths one character has to go to in order to hold on to any imagined scrap of power.

9/10

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View From The Top (2003)

I am not sure if others felt the same way, but after reading Ayoade On Top (well, listening to the Audiobook, which I highly recommend) I knew that I had to see this film. In case you aren't aware of the connection, Ayoade On Top is a book in which Richard Ayoade critiques View From The Top in a very funny, very tongue-in-cheek, way, comparing the directorial choices and the performances to great moments in cinematic history. You could watch the film before reading his book, but I assure you that enjoying the book first is the best way to go about things. And don't worry about spoilers, as View From The Top is a film so predictable and bizarre that it's pretty much impossible to spoil.

All you need to know about the plot is that Gwyneth Paltrow plays Donna Jensen, a young woman who dreams of being a flight attendant, aiming for a coveted, classy, route that will take her to Paris. She also develops a nice little romance with Ted Stewart (played by Mark Ruffalo), but that might have to be pushed aside as she focuses on her career goals, all the while following the guidance in a book written by Sally Weston (Candice Bergen), who is essentially the queen of all flight attendants.

It's no surprise to see that this is the first, and so far only, movie script written by Eric Wald. It strives to be so inoffensively bland, and fits everything together like a jigsaw made for 4-year-olds, that it somehow becomes a film that you start to actively dislike. The tone just isn't right either, with the gentle humour (oh Mike Myers and your inward-looking right eye, chortle, chortle) married to material that has Paltrow smiling and winking at viewers, as if everyone is in on "the joke" together. We're not. Mainly because it never feels like there's a proper joke there.

Director Bruno Barreto has an eclectic filmography, and there are certainly other films from him that I am sure I will check out one day (although not because they sound great, they just sound like they could be more fun than this one). Hailing from Brazil, another consideration for the strange experience of View From The Top COULD be something lost in translation. Barreto may have wanted to make something quite different from the final product, it's hard to tell, but we can only judge what we're left with. And we are not left with anything good.

Paltrow doesn't do well in the lead role. Her performance is patronising (considering the kind of small town girl that she's playing) and she doesn't help the comedic tone by simply putting on her big eyes and being overly earnest for most of her scenes. That earnestness affects everyone, however, and Ruffalo is also doing far from his best work here, although he's a bit more likeable, mainly due to his ability to not slavishly follow some set guidelines for a rigid career path that could lead to losing out on love. Bergen does well in her few scenes, nicely fitting into the role of air flight royalty, and Christina Applegate is quite fun in her scenes, as she's the only character in the film who doesn't feel as annoyingly goody goody as everyone else. Myers is allowed to indulge himself with his cross-eyed schtick, and he's not good. He's not good at all, but that tends to be the way with Myers, he will fully commit to something and it either works or it doesn't.

I am sure that someone could enjoy this. There are maybe even quite a few people who would defend it to others. Change just a few details and it's not entirely unlike a thousand other stories of "young woman/man overcomes odds to achieve dream". It just makes enough strange choices, from script to casting, from the music selection to the overall direction of the film, to feel worse than so many of them. By any sane measurement, this is a long way from the top.

3/10

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Mubi Monday: Rules Don't Apply (2016)

A drama loosely based on part of the life of Howard Hughes, Rules Don't Apply allows the character of Hughes (played by writer-director, Warren Beatty) to cast a very long shadow over the lives of a driver/assistant named Frank (Alden Ehrenreich) and a newly-arrived potential film starlet, Marla (Lily Collins).

The main storyline begins when Frank picks up Marla, who has just arrived in town with her mother, Lucy (Annette Bening). The two start to get along right away, but Howard Hughes has strict rules forbidding staff from fraternising with one another. That doesn't stop these two youngsters developing stronger feelings for one another, however, despite the other factors that are working against them. Hughes takes a liking to Frank, asking more and more of him, and both viewers, and Frank, watch the downward spiral of a man who would become a virtual recluse for so many years.

Say what you like about Warren Beatty, and his reputation has preceded him for decades now, the man can put together a film. His sensibilities may be a little old-fashioned for people seeking out films with energy and/or challenging moments, but he picks material that he can work with. He then gives that material the treatment it deserves. Even the much-maligned Dick Tracy movie has a lot going for it, from the effects and production design to the casting. Rules Don't Apply takes two very familiar movie concepts, the "star-crossed" lovers and the legend of Hughes, and blends them together in a way that makes for one engrossing and enjoyable Hollywood presentation.

The script, from a story co-developed with Bo Goldman, is decent, if unspectacular. It keeps Hughes more enigmatic for the first third of the movie, eventually revealing more of the man, flaws and all, as his erratic behaviour is shown, and commented on by those trying to keep their jobs around him. The same goes for the technical side of things, with things like shot choice, soundtrack selections, and everything seen onscreen as well-made and polished as you would expect.

The big boost to the material comes from the cast, something Beatty has always done well with. Ehrenreich is superb in the lead role, and looks absolutely right in this era, while Collins is a very enjoyable female lead. Both deliver the right level of innocence and earnestness, only growing more savvy and cynical as time marches on. Beatty is a decent fit for Hughes, although this is the only role I would have been tempted to recast, and his performance is complemented by great little turns from Matthew Broderick, Martin Sheen, Candice Bergen, and many other familiar faces.

There's nothing new here, but what's here is done well. Really well. And sometimes it's nice to sit back and enjoy something that is so unabashedly old-fashioned and sympathetic to all of the main characters. You get a peek at a strange lifestyle of one of the most rich and famous figures of the 20th century. And you get a couple of young stars being allowed to truly shine.

8/10

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Miss Congeniality (2000)

Once you get beyond the opening act of Miss Congeniality, with numerous scenes built around the fact that Sandra Bullock isn't viewed as a lady because she's strong, smart, doesn't take time to ensure her hair and make-up are flawless every morning, and is generally just "one of the guys", things improve considerably. Instead of just trying to hide Bullock in the wrinkled clothing of "FBI slob", she gets a chance to shine, in terms of her transformed appearance and also, more importantly, in scenes that show her talent for comedy.

The basic plot is nonsense, but nonsense that makes the whole thing easy enough to buy into. Bullock is Gracie Hart, the only agent available at short notice to help infiltrate the Miss United States beauty pageant, which the FBI believes has been targeted by a dangerous criminal who wishes to blow it up. Gracie only has a couple of days to be groomed by Victor Melling (Michael Caine), who initially suspects it's a job that even a man of his skills cannot manage, and she is a pain in the backside of all those involved, be it the hosts (played by Candice Bergen and William Shatner) or her colleagues at the bureau (Benjamin Bratt tries to offer support, Ernie Hudson is the boss none too impressed by the whole escapade).

Director Donald Petrie has a filmography with some solid comedies in there, but few real greats. This is another solid one, almost lifted higher by the performances from a couple of the main players. Although it's all put together competently enough, it suffers from a script that fails to wring as many laughs from each sequence as it could. Marc Lawrence has written a few features that Bullock has starred in, whether by coincidence or by design, but co-writers Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas are names I am less familiar with, and that makes me wonder if there were a number of conflicting voices here that tried to pull the film in too many different directions, tonally, without keeping the comedy at the front and centre of their plans. You have the thriller plotline, often sidelined aside from one or two key sequences, you have the "fish out of water" aspect of Bullock being somewhere she really doesn't want to be, and you get the moments of female bonding. None of these elements spoil the experience, but the shifts in tone are enough to make it feel inconsistent and lacking in cohesion.

The consistency comes from the main performances. Bullock is a lot of fun, making the most of this star vehicle, and Caine works very well alongside her, helped by the fact that he grabs most of the best lines from the script. Bergen and Shatner are both good, with the latter a perfect fit for the role of slick show host, and Heather Burns is very sweet as "Miss Rhode Island", a girl who brings out the protective nature of Bullock's character. Other contestants are played by Melissa De Sousa, Deirdre Quinn, and Wendy Raquel Robinson, although they often have to resign themselves to being scene-setting accessories in most of their scenes. Hudson gets to be angry in a couple of scenes, and that's his whole character (basically), and Bratt gets the thankless role of potential romantic interest, which makes a nice change from a talented actress being stuck in such a role.

There's a good selection of familiar hits in the soundtrack, some amusing lines of dialogue outwith the exchanges between Bullock and Caine (my favourite being the answer to a question about a favourite date), and it just about manages not to outstay its welcome. If you're a massive fan of Bullock then you may want to add an extra point. Everyone else can have more laughs with Drop Dead Gorgeous (a much funnier film with a similar setting, albeit very different thanks to the mock-doc style) first, and then get to this one whenever the opportunity arises.

6/10

You can buy the movie, with the sequel, here.
Americans can buy it here.

Netflix And Chill: Home Again (2017)

There are times when Reese Witherspoon stars in the type of movie that you don't mind sitting through for 90 minutes in between other, often better, movies. She can do "fluff". She has also starred in some genuinely great films, but most of her choices tend to be in the "fluff" section. Look through her filmography for the 21st century and you will see that every second or third movie she has done falls under this category. And I have enjoyed quite a few of them.

I didn't really enjoy Home Again though, which is a horrible rom-com that misses out both the rom and com elements, relying on the star power of Witherspoon to gain the goodwill of viewers.

Witherspoon stars as Alice, she's the daughter of a celebrated film director and the mother of two girls. She is separated from her husband (Michael Sheen) and gets through each day with the help of her own organisational skills and occasional help from her mother (Candice Bergen). After a big birthday night out, Alice wakes up alongside Harry (Pico Alexander). His friends, George (Jon Rudnitsky) and Teddy (Nat Wolff), slept on the sofas. They are all trying to get their first feature film made and, before you can say plot contrivance, all end up staying with Alice as they try to capitalise on a big break with a hotshot movie director (Reid Scott).

There have been worse rom-coms released than this one, a lot worse, but it's hard to think of one right now, especially one with such a relatively big name in the lead role. Witherspoon, Sheen, and Bergen all deserve better, although it's only Sheen who manages to fight his way above the material, and that is despite him playing the designated asshole of the main storyline. Pico Alexander, however, doesn't seem to deserve much better, simply because he doesn't exude the kind of appeal that is required for his role. Rudnitsky and Wolff are both much more enjoyable onscreen, and I wouldn't mind seeing them in some better roles, in some better movies.

Writer-director Haillie Meyers-Shyer shows that being the daughter of someone as comfortable with this kind of material as Nancy Meyers (her mother) does not automatically qualify her as someone talented in the field. From the script, which could have been put together by a malfunctioning computer program, to the casting of ineffective lead players, to the obvious lack of warmth throughout, even during the moments most obviously designed as heartwarming highlights.

I can give you at least 50 rom-coms that are funnier and/or more romantic than this one. At least five of those star Reese Witherspoon. So there's no reason to ever make this a priority viewing.

3/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can buy it here.

A Merry Friggin' Christmas (2014)

At this moment in time, I have no idea of how many movies featuring Robin Williams are still due to be released after his untimely death. All I can say is that I hope some of the others are a damn sight better than this one, which I worry will be received positively by people who simply don't want to speak ill of the dead.

And let me clarify something before I go on. Williams is pretty great in this. He's one of three main highlights. So this isn't a review aiming to have a go at him. It's just a review critical of a movie that he happened to be involved with.

Joel McHale plays Boyd Mitchler, a man who has to return to his family home, with his wife (Lauren Graham) and kids, in order to attend the christening of his nephew on December 24th. It doesn't take long until the greetings give way to animosity and resentment. The main friction comes from Boyd and his father (Williams). Boyd's younger brother, Nelson (Clark Duke), reacts to the more volatile moments by running off to hide, while his sister, Shauna (Wendi McLendon-Covey), is fairly nonplussed by the whole situation. She's busy keeping her kids from causing too much damage and telling her father off whenever he accuses her husband (Tim Heidecker) of being a pervert (for reasons that become clear as the movie plays out). To top everything off, Boyd realises that he forgot the main presents for his youngest son. This is probably the last year that he'll believe in Santa Claus and Boyd wants it to be special, unlike his own childhood Christmas experiences. Can he make the trip back to Chicago, and THEN back to Wisconsin, in time? He's certainly going to try his hardest.

Looking at the credit listings for the main talent behind the camera on this movie, it quickly becomes clear just where the problems stem from. Director Tristram Shapeero has a fine body of work to his name, but most, if not all, of it is TV work (including one of the best TV episodes ever for Brass Eye, and many episodes of Community). This would explain why the film never really feels very cinematic. It is, to all intents and purposes, either a TV movie or a couple of episodes serving as the finale/opener of some show. Unfortunately, that means that viewers are taken along for a ride with characters you have no time, or inclination, to get to know better. Oh, they could have been memorable, they could have been people that were worth watching, if the script had been better. That's where first-timer Michael Brown comes in. Seemingly content to line up the hurdles that McHale needs to overcome in order to enjoy Christmas, Brown forgets to create characters that are interesting enough to invest in. He also forgets to create a fluid narrative that leads to a deserved finale, one ripe with the potential for redemption and change. Whatever happens to these characters before the end credits roll, it just seems unearned.

I already mentioned Williams as a highlight. The other main highlights would be Duke and Oliver Platt (as a down and out Santa). Graham, Mclendon-Covey and Candice Bergen (as the mother of the household) also do solid work, but they're given a lot less to do. Heidecker's character really didn't need to be there, which leaves him with very little to do, although all of the child actors do enough to earn their places onscreen. McHale, as much as I like him on TV, can't overcome the script. His character feels more like an irritant than the lead, most of his behaviour is either stupid or simply stubborn (aka stupid), and part of me kept hoping that yet another obstacle would come along to knock him flat on his ass. That surely wasn't the intention.

I would recommend a number of Hallmark/ABC movies over this one, and I'm not joking or exaggerating when I say that. This was really poor, and a waste of some considerable talent. Skip it, unless you're a real Robin Williams completist (and I know there are a few out there).

3/10

http://www.amazon.com/Merry-Friggin-Christmas-Blu-ray/dp/B00NGAJAOS/ref=sr_1_2_twi_2_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418319820&sr=8-2&keywords=a+merry+friggin%27+christmas

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