Prime Time: Hidden Agenda (1990)

There's always reason to be wary when about to watch a film set during, or around, "The Troubles", which is all I'm going to say about the setting for Hidden Agenda here. But I was comforted when I saw the main cast for this film, and further comforted by seeing it was directed by Ken Loach. That didn't mean it would necessarily be any less difficult to watch, but everything would hopefully be handled with a sensitivity and intelligence that runs through most of Loach's filmography.

Everything begins with the death of an American human rights lawyer in Northern Ireland. There's a reason given for his shooting (by police who apparently believed he was armed and dangerous), but the messiness of the whole thing leads to an investigation headed up by Peter Kerrigan (Brian Cox). Kerrigan wants to remain impartial and fair, and he is on the side of Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand), a young woman who was Sullivan's assistant, and suspects foul play. Can the two upset those in power without facing some serious, and potentially deadly, repercussions?

Written by Jim Allen, who worked with Loach on stage and screen many times over the years, Hidden Agenda uses the situation at the heart of the tale to look at those who profit from manipulating things from behind the scenes. It also shows how authorities often make excuses to avoid "playing by the rules", making the most of a turbulent and scary situation to tie up any loose ends and maintain their own, as the title says, hidden agenda. Whether fighting against enemies in our own streets or on a remote battlefield, there are rules that govern such things, even if they seem ridiculous in the face of such brutality and bloodshed, and when those rules aren't adhered to then it can be terrifying to think of just how easily people can have carte blanche to reshape narratives and territories.

Loach does well to tread much more carefully than his protagonist. This isn't about being on one side or the other. It's about trying to see proper justice done in a time when many decided they could act with impunity, considering themselves above the law (whether they were part of the establishment or fighting against it).

Cox is fantastic in his role, as strong-willed and smart as ever, and it's fascinating to watch him try his best to keep his moral compass pointed the right way while so many attempts are made to spin the needle in many different directions. McDormand is also very good, able to play someone in peril without seeming like a helpless "damsel in distress". The fact that she is American helps to make her character feel slightly ill-prepared for the true depth of the waters that she has waded into. Jim Norton is equally good, playing a member of the police force who may or may not know more about the killing than he's letting on, and Maurice Roëves excels as someone with a pivotal role in a piece of evidence that could change the entire nature of the investigation, if it can be corroborated.

This may feel like a bit of a dated snapshot to some nowadays, but I would argue that a number of current events make this just as relevant as ever. You can easily connect the dots from this to the importance of keeping checks and balances on Presidential power, for example, or the many times a "battle against terrorism" has been used to strip away rights and kill huge parts of a civilian population. In many ways, the most quaint thing about this is the fact that those pulling the strings did actually try to hide their agenda. That doesn't happen so much nowadays. People just keep over-reaching, and nobody else seems able or willing to force them back into their established boundaries. 

8/10

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Prime Time: Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992)

Arguably the most atypical movie in the filmography of John Carpenter, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man is very much a studio movie/Chevy Chase vehicle that just happens to have been directed by the horror maestro. It's an interesting one to watch, and some of the special effects remain impressive (while some others don't), but it's important to go into it not expecting a Carpenter movie.

Chase plays Nick Halloway, a slick office guy who finds his world turned upside down when he's caught up in an accident that renders him invisible. This makes it more difficult to continue his new relationship with the lovely Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). It also makes him a target for some shady government agent types (headed up by David Jenkins, played by Sam Neill).

Utilising noirish narration throughout most of the story, and paced briskly enough to get you along to the fun of the invisibility, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man is a consistent mix of the old and the new. It gets to restrict the need for hundreds of special effects by showing many scenes with Chase visible, although it often cuts to show the reality of how his invisible self is manipulating the environment or people around him, and the plot focuses just as much on the chase aspect than it does on the problem of no longer being able to see parts of your own body.

The script, credited to Robert Collector, Dana Olsen, and William Goldman (who has never seen the finished product and doesn't know how much of his material was left in there), is a bit of a mess. It's good in the way it moves from one (non)sight gag to another but not so good when weaving between the standard thriller aspects and the moments between Chase and Hannah.

Speaking of the leads, they don't do a bad job. Chase, however, would have been better playing this as audiences expected him to, more comedically. There are scenes that come close to capturing that cheeky twinkle he does so well, and then it's all undone by the need to have him acting seriously, either opposite Hannah or Neill, who is entertainingly ruthless in his bad guy role. Solid support comes from Michael McKean, Stephen Tobolowsky (not onscreen nearly enough), and Jim Norton (mentioned because Father Ted may wish to see "Bishop Brennan" in a John Carpenter movie).

The direction is surprisingly flat, you can tell that this was a paycheck gig for Carpenter, who doesn't provide the soundtrack either. Put this into a player without showing anyone the opening credits and I would defy anyone to put the director's name to it. That doesn't stop it from being fun, and Carpenter does well with the variety of effects (showing a wide array of previously-unseen visuals, as far as I am aware, like an invisible man smoking, and also, at one point, vomiting). It's just not a film with any fingerprints on it.

While not worth putting high on your list of priorities, especially if you have other Carpenter movies to see, this is an easy film to watch and enjoy, with a couple of great set-pieces and a fun ending.

6/10

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