Prime Time: Spy Game (2001)

When Robert Redford died about six months ago I ended up seriously procrastinating when it came to deciding on the movie I wanted to revisit to be reminded of his talent. There were a number of greats, some of which are all-time classics (especially when he was paired up with an effective co-star, best illustrated by his work with Paul Newman), but I was more familiar with those than with some of his other films. Sneakers was very tempting, especially as I don't think I have rewatched it since I owned it on VHS, but Spy Game was another one I couldn't stop considering. I'm glad I made time for it this week.

A sharp script from Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata shows us the last day on the job for Nathan Muir (Redford), a top CIA operative looking forward to relaxing in his retirement. Unfortunately, his last day becomes more problematic when he hears that his past protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been caught while trying to extricate someone from a Chinese prison. Because he was there on a personal matter, and because of some upcoming deal being negotiated, the U.S. government decides that Bishop will have to be left in the hands of the Chinese. Muir doesn't like that thinking, but he'll have to use every trick in the book if he wants to keep Bishop alive, which is all the more difficult while he remains in a building full of suspicious colleagues and peers.

Although you can still recognise this as a Tony Scott film, from the visual style and editing, it's one of the less frenetic of his films, making good use of his technique to provide a full backstory to the relationship of Muir and Bishop, as well as ensuring that the camera can move around and focus on details that are also being spotted by our smart and scheming main character. Nothing detracts from the more cerebral aspects of the film, and it feels like the consistent level of intelligence throughout is something that undoubtedly would have appealed to Redford, as well as the commentary on the shifting morality and landscape of the spy games on display.

Redford is effortlessly cool and calm throughout, making use of his undeniable charisma and charm with just enough of self-deprecation on the side to keep people off his scent while he tries to circumvent those officially in charge of a politically-charged situation. Stephen Dillane and Larry Bryggman are two other main players alongside Redford, and both do very good work in their roles. Pitt may have the lesser of the main roles, but he's good at being idealistic and just vulnerable enough to make his mentor stay invested in him, even as they start to strongly disagree on rules of engagement and what collateral damage is worthwhile for the greater good. Marianne Jean-Baptiste is wonderful as Gladys (a secretary and very strong ally), and is room for enjoyable performances from David Hemmings, Benedict Wong, Omid Djalili, and Charlotte Rampling. Cathering McCormack is a bit disappointing, but the rest of the writing and characters do enough to make up for that weak spot (which is more to do with the screenplay than McCormack's acting).

If you're looking for a classic Robert Redford movie then you're obviously going to go elsewhere, but if you're looking for something that feels like it epitomises the blend of entertainment and intelligence that he so often delivered then I highly recommend this. Everything is done well enough to keep it plausible and grounded, relative to a number of other movies in the same vein anyway, and it's an even better Redford-Pitt project than A River Runs Through It (and you can all hush now . . . I LIKE A River Runs Through It). I'm sure I'll make time for Sneakers soon, and maybe a rewatch of The Last Castle, as well as a few other Redford treats.

8/10

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The Heroin Busters (1977)

I am not going to start this review by giving a full description of poliziotteschi movies, aka Eurocrime flicks from a certain “golden age” of Italian exploitation cinema, but that’s mainly because I have waited far too long to fully explore the movies myself. I have seen two others, I think, and the very enjoyable documentary that celebrates them, but it has long been a blind spot in my cinema knowledge. Once again, there are only so many hours in each day, it can be tough to fit in viewings of everything you want to see. Especially when you want to see everything.

Here are a few things I expected though, and The Heroin Busters delivered. I wanted tough cops who would damn the rule book to hell while pursuing bad guys. I wanted some moments that felt enjoyably random, most probably featuring sex or violence. I wanted stuntwork that puts actors in the kind of peril that would never be covered by insurance in any mainstream movie. And I wanted a ruggedly handsome lead who could be an angel or a bastard, depending on what approach he thought might get the best results. 

In an attempt to get to the top of the drug dealer tree and shake some very bad apples into prison, one determined cop (played by David Hemmings) ends up working an operation that has an undercover agent (Fabio Testi) convincingly portraying someone who wants to start moving up the criminal food chain. That’s all you need to know, and that is all groundwork being laid for a third act that is essentially a 20/30-minute chase sequence.

I have seen other films from director Enzo G. Castellari, who also wrote the script with Massimo De Rita, but nothing in this vein, and I am pleased I made time for this one in my recent viewing schedule. It is exactly what I wanted it to be, and builds from a fairly steady and normal opening act towards a finale stuffed full of great moments, with the stuntwork planned around various locations and vehicles.

Hemmings is gruff and determined, seemingly enjoying himself in a role that gives him less screentime without diminishing his presence, and Testi emanates the kind of cool charisma that assures you of his star status from his earliest scenes. He’s superb in the main role, and ends up involved in some entertainingly danger-filled moments (and I don’t just mean his character, he was definitely asked to take some risks for some of the key sequences). Joshua Sinclair is a fun villain, but there are also a few other supporting players who are very effective when it comes to filling out the “rogue’s gallery” of addicts, henchmen, and drug dealers.

Music from Goblin is another plus, although whether they even bothered about matching the audio to the visuals is something I wouldn’t like to bet money on, and you also have the usual selection of fashions and cool affectations from 1970s Italy, which helps to keep things entertaining throughout the relatively slow first half of the film.

I am just going to assume that this isn’t the best film of this kind, mainly because of the time it takes to get to the most rewarding scenes, but you could do a hell of a lot worse if, like me, you are just starting to dip your toes into those poliziotteschi waters. I had a blast with it, and I already want to give it a rewatch.

8/10

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Shudder Saturday: Thirst (1979)

A sci-fi horror movie that blends vampirism with the experience of being indoctrinated into a cult, Thirst is an interesting oddity that certainly tries to do something a bit different when it comes to the main archetype it deals with. While not entirely successful, especially throughout the first half, it's definitely one that I recommend fans of this subgenre check out.

Chantal Contouri plays Kate Davis, a young woman who is kidnapped by The Brotherhood. They believe her to be a descendant of Elizabeth Bathory, which means she should be an important figure in their organisation. What The Brotherhood does is quite simple, they harvest blood from a number of victims held in an area that is part laboratory and part prison. Drinking the blood should, as far as they are concerned, help them stay youthful and strong. Kate wants no part of the horror that she sees around her, which means it is time to start breaking down her defences with the use of hallucinogenic drugs, a method objected to by Dr. Fraser (David Hemmings). As the movie plays out, Kate becomes more and more unsure of her own mind, and it seems like just a matter of time until she will start drinking blood herself. 

The feature debut from director Rod Hardy, and the only feature script written by John Pinkney, Thirst may be a film to be admired more for its ambition than the execution of the material, but that ambition keeps it a few steps ahead of so many other vampire movies you may enjoy from the '70s and '80s. Although the two may seem far apart, this would make a decent double-bill with the entertaining madness of Zardoz, especially considering the different aspects of potential eternal life being explored.

Contouri isn't a strong lead, but she's not terrible. Perhaps this is due to the script she is working with, considering the fact that she gets a bit stronger when things start to pick up in the second half. Hemmings is his usual enjoyable presence, and you also get a sense of menace provided by Henry Silva and Shirley Cameron, although the former simply exudes menace whether his character is written that way or not. Rod Mulliner is the other main player, a man named Derek who Kate is attached to, and he does perfectly fine work in his role. 

The biggest flaw that Thirst has is the fact that it actually doesn't ever go as far as it could. Whether due to budgetary constraints or a lack of vision, or both, this would have been a better film if it had packed in some more scenes that allowed The Brotherhood to look like a much bigger, and perhaps more dangerous, place. This is horror sci-fi that is a bit light on both (the horror is not horrific enough, despite the implications, and the sci-fi isn't extrapolated further), but it still manages to overcome the obvious flaws thanks to the strength of that intriguing third act.

I would tentatively recommend this, especially to anyone who knows the vampire movie subgenre can encompass films as varied as The Lost Boys, Martin, Lips Of Blood, and The Addiction. You might, as I did, end up appreciating this one more than casual "fang-bangers".

7/10

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Deep Red AKA Profondo Rosso (1975)

Dario Argento is, quite rightly, regarded as a master of horror and has given fans a lot to enjoy over the years. Deep Red may be almost 40 years old by now but it holds up as one of his best films. A sleek and stylish giallo movie with a number of brutal death scenes and nice bit of investigation leading our hero (played by David Hemmings) towards a revelatory finale, this remains a film that you can bring forth as evidence of a master craftsman when arguing against any naysayers.

Of course, there will always be those who tell you that Argento does nothing more than ride on the coat tails of the great Mario Bava but this isn't true. There is SOME truth to it (the visual style and the setting of many scenes are reminiscent of Bava's work) but Argento is, in my view, the man who really helped to show just how involved the camera could be with all of the action. Bava had the style and some nice camera moves but Argento allows the camera to become a free spirit, floating hither and thither in a way that added a layer of balletic choreography to almost every scene.

Sadly, the scripts never tend to come up to the same level of quality as the visuals but Deep Red is one of the better attempts to marry proper movie dialogues to the bloody set-pieces. Sometimes it almost works (the conversations that Hemmings has with Macha Meril, who plays Helga Ulmann, for example) and sometimes it doesn't (pretty much any conversation that involves the character played by Daria Nicolodi).

Never mind though. A picture paints a 1000 words, as the saying goes, and there has never been more apt defence for the works of the great directors who know exactly where they want the camera to be while not always concerning themselves with the actors. Argento certainly fills each scene with enough mood and substance to make up for the weak script.

Deep Red remains an essential giallo for fans of the subgenre and is just as good an entry for newcomers as any other film that I can think of. If you haven't seen it yet then do so ASAP.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Red-Blu-ray-Region-Free/dp/B003NEQ72U