The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Although it can be daunting to have an ever-growing “to watch” list, with every main movie title reminding me of at least three or four other movies I have still to get around to, I love any time when the film conversation flows around certain genres or topics in a way that leads to me being encouraged to check out something considered a classic by many. And that is how I came to belatedly watching The Asphalt Jungle recently.

It’s a simple tale. A group of people are put together to commit a robbery, but the job is endangered by the potential for misfortune and treachery. People start to suffer, but the moral core of the film means that viewers will be expecting a downbeat finale from the very opening scenes.

Based on a novel by W. R. Burnett, this is a screenplay co-written by Ben Maddow and director John Huston that nicely blends the prep and execution of the crime with moments showing us some more background of some of the key players. Huston keeps things paced perfectly, and benefits from an excellent cast.

Sterling Hayden is the nominal lead, Dix Handley, and he tries hard to keep a cool head, even as others start to panic. Sam Jaffe is the man with the expertise required to pull off the robbery, allowing himself to trust in the men who make up the brawn surrounding his brain. James Whitmore and Anthony Caruso play Gus and Ciavelli, respectively, the other two men making up the core team. Everyone does good work, but Hayden and Jaffe stand out, helped by the fact that we get to spend a bit more time with their characters. There’s also a great selection of supporting players, allowing us to enjoy great performances from Louis Calhern and Jean Hagen, the former as slippery and untrustworthy as the latter is sweet and dependable. I could reel off many other names, each deserving a mention for their part in making this a consistently gripping tale, but you should just see them all for yourself. Oh, and Marilyn Monroe shines in one main scene (the merest hint of what was to come with her star ascending).

It goes without saying that Huston is a great director for this material, and those familiar with any of his films will know what to expect here. The Asphalt Jungle shows a number of people who end up stuck between a rock and a hard place, some holding on to their own moral code while others are willing to make bigger sacrifices if it gets them an escape route, and it may well have you rooting for one or two people that you wouldn’t normally root for. 

A classic, but most people know that already.

9/10

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Noirvember: Key Largo (1948)

If you are going to swim in the murky waters of noir at any point then you are going to encounter either Humphrey Bogart or Edward G. Robinson, both men having started in some absolutely classic movies. Key Largo is a film that has them both cast in main roles, which makes it pretty much essential viewing. I had already seen it decades ago, but it was one I had been meaning to revisit for decades.

Bogart plays Frank McCloud, a man who has decided to pay a visit to the family of an old war buddy. He knows the hotel they run, situated in Key Largo, and that is where he ends up. Unfortunately, the hotel has been taken over by a gang of crooks, headed up by the notorious Johnny Rocco (Robinson). Frank needs to figure out a way to get out of there, but he also needs to help Nora (Lauren Bacall) and her father-in-law, James (Lionel Barrymore), who were, respectively, the wife and father of his old buddy.

Clocking in at about the 100-minute mark, Key Largo is a film that has a hell of a lot going on, yet never feels rushed. You get some great scenes for some of the supporting characters (a real highlight being Gaye, a drunk ex-nightclub singer, played by Claire Trevor), a sub-plot about some other fugitives on the run, giving an excuse for some vigilant police in the area, and a literal storm brewing that works for the plot and the atmosphere in equal measure.

The screenplay, by Richard Brooks and director John Huston, capably adapts the play by Maxwell Anderson and allows it to feel like a showcase for the actors, yet also allows it to feel less stagey than it so easily could have been. A handful of scenes showing events happening outside the hotel help, as does the brilliant finale.

Huston knows what he’s doing here, and he certainly already had a well-established working relationship with Bogart by this point, so it’s no surprise to find that this is consistently competent throughout, at the very least. I would still think of it as a slightly lesser-recognised film noir, however, especially when it comes to titles that could be named by more casual film fans, and that’s why many might be surprised by just how great this is. Because it is. I would personally sit it alongside many other titles that might usually be ranked ahead of it.

Bogart is his usual greatness, cool and calm under pressure, while Robinson is a hugely entertaining villain, purporting to be cheery and unperturbed even as problems keep arising that may upset his grand plan. Bacall is mesmerising yet again, and mentioning the chemistry between her and Bogart is like mentioning how we stay alive by breathing the air around us, and Barrymore works well in between the main characters, playing someone who is trying to hang on to pride while also trying to just get things back to normality. I have already mentioned Trevor as a highlight, she deservedly won an Academy Award for her performance, and there is also very good work from Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, John Rodney, and Monte Blue (the first two playing crooks, the latter two playing law enforcement).

My main criticism of the film would be in reference to the first 10-15 minutes. It’s an unsteady start, with Bogart entering the hotel akin to that familiar moment when strangers walk into a pub and somehow make every head turn as the jukebox dies, but once everyone is settled into the situation then it quickly improves, and it just keeps getting better and better, all the way to those superb final scenes.

I love it. I suspect those who have seen it will agree with me, but I also suspect that more people need to see it.

9/10

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Mubi Monday: The African Queen (1951)

Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in a dramatic adventure classic with a great helping of romance, I knew I was in for a treat when I finally settled down to watch The African Queen, a film I had been wanting to get to for many years already. And a treat it was.

Bogart is Charlie Allnutt, the captain of a riverboat in Africa. When the country is affected by WWI, Charlie tries to get himself out of the way, but ends up assisting a missionary named Rose (Hepburn). Rose has other ideas, however, and tries to persuade Charlie to turn his boat into a vehicle that can launch a torpedo at an enemy ship. Both Charlie and Rose have to survive rapids, enemies who may get them in their sights, and one another.

Based on a novel by C. S. Forester, The African Queen is an ideal mix of two great characters plunged into a situation that will have you rooting for them from start to finish. The script, by James Agee and director John Huston, sets up the situation easily enough, whizzes from one big moment to the next (big in terms of action or character beats, not necessarily big in scale), and delivers a third act that manages to be bother rewarding and ever so slightly surprising. There are one or two big coincidences, especially during the very last scenes, but the film is so wonderful and enjoyable throughout that it feels earned.

Huston treats his stars well, even doing his best to try making them look glorious as the conditions wear them down and make them look the worse for wear. He knows that they are capable of selling everything they are supposed to be going through, even if the special effects around them vary from sequence to sequence.

What is there to say about Bogart and Hepburn? Thanks to the script and their status in cinema, they work together in one of the best onscreen pairings ever. None of their chemistry develops naturally from the unfolding events, although they're supposed to, but nothing is ever in doubt because it's Bogart and Hepburn. Of course they'd be attracted to one another, and that makes it much easier to believe that their characters would be attracted to one another. Robert Morley has a good few minutes onscreen, and there are others who take part in the second and third act, but the movie needs nothing more than the two leads.

Like so many other films that have been celebrated over the decades, The African Queen has retained the great reputation it has for one simple reason. It IS as good as everyone says it is. And I encourage everyone else to treat themselves to a viewing of it as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

9/10

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Filmstruck Friday: The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)

There's no point in beating around the bush here, The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre is another classic film starring Humphrey Bogart (who certainly either had a great nose for the best projects or a great agent landing him these roles). Directed by John Huston, it's a tale of the dark side of human nature, the ugliness that bubbles up to the surface when greed becomes the main motivator.

Bogart plays Dobbs, an American down on his luck in a Mexican town. He's reduced to asking people for change to get himself food, and he's not the only one in this predicament. Tim Holt plays Bob Curtin, a man very much in the same boat. After one particularly unfortunate episode, the two find themselves listening to an old man (Howard, played by Walter Huston) as he tells tales of prospecting for gold. If they can get together the initial outlay then they have a plan in mind. Which is what happens, leading to the three men heading to the Sierra Madre mountains. There's gold in them there hills. But there are also bandits, there are other people who may notify big businesses (who would muscle in and take over), and there are shadows that grow; shadows of paranoid and murderous thoughts.

The three leads here are all wonderful, with Huston (father of the director) being a particularly enjoyable presence, and that's essential for the film to work. It is, for the most part, a three-hander, the majority of the film focused on their fluid relationship and power dynamic. The script, adapted from a novel by B. Traven, takes just the right amount of time to set things up, helping you to be invested in the characters until things start to change for them. Then, and only then, it feels a bit rushed, with Bogart having to show a mean streak quite suddenly, but that doesn't make the unfolding events much less enjoyable.

Full of great moments, including one iconic exchange that will be familiar even to those who haven't seen this before, The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre is a great blend of highs and lows. The first act gives you a taste of what to come, but only a taste, and then it develops into a cracking adventure that shows some of the best and worst of humanity.

Like a few other Bogart films I could mention, at least a couple of them also directed by Huston, you really do owe it to yourself to see this one. It's iconic, it's smart, it's a shining example of classic cinema and, in case none of that sold you on it, it's also hugely entertaining.

9/10

The movie can be bought here.
Americans can get it here.

Noir November: Chinatown (1974)

One of many classic movies that I start to review with both glee and immense trepidation, Chinatown is a film that you can't help thinking everyone already knows plenty about. Yet there's also the hope that some people either haven't heard of it or somehow haven't heard enough praise for it, and if any extra review added on to the mountain of glowing praise already out there can help then I'm all for that. Of course, it's unlikely, but I like to dream such little dreams.

On the surface, Chinatown is all about a detective named Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) hired to follow a man (Darrell Zwerling) and report on his actions. He believes that he was hired by the man's wife, but things start to twist and turn when he meets people who dispute his take on the situation. As Jake tries to figure out why he may have been set up, he gets deeper and deeper into a mystery that could end up getting him in some big trouble, at the very least. He could even lose his nose.

Dammit. Just looking at the vague paragraph above has made me sigh, realising that I'll never be able to summarise the sheer brilliance of this movie in standard review form. The beauty comes from the details, but those same details must be avoided here for the sake of people who have yet to discover the film. So ignore my attempt to sketch out the plot in the broadest strokes possible and let's just move on.

The direction from Roman Polanski is spot on, with every sequence playing out as a masterclass in how to make a gorgeous film about unpleasantness, but he's helped immensely by a perfect script from Robert Towne. Perhaps things weren't fully locked into place in earlier drafts, but Polanski himself crafted the final reel, which ended up being for the best. The two men are, as becomes clear throughout the movie, working at the top of their game, allowing them to craft what could be considered the best film either has been involved with (despite stiff competition from many other great movies).

Of course, it's a testament to the quality of the film, and the craft on display, that it could also be considered a career-best movie for many of the cast members. Nicholson is on his best form throughout, tempering that famous grin and demeanour with moments of clarity and incisiveness showing why Gittes is such a great detective. Faye Dunaway is a fragile delight, and John Huston is the overbearing polar opposite (playing Noah Cross, a man who can afford to have anyone in his pocket, if he so wishes it). Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Diane Ladd, Burt Young, Bruce Glover and Joe Mantell also do great work. In fact, the standard of the acting across the board is so fantastic that I just want to reel off the entire cast list. But I won't.

Chinatown is one of those pure movie experiences that you can watch repeatedly and rarely grow tired of. It's one of those films that you will always want to watch to from start to finish, with no interruptions (or, at least, as few as possible). The cinematography, the Jerry Goldsmith score, the dialogue, the characters, THAT ending. Every single aspect of the movie is, for my money, perfect. Anyone wanting to disagree with me? Forget it . . . . . . it's Chinatown.

10/10

http://www.amazon.com/Chinatown-Blu-ray-Faye-Dunaway/dp/B00AEFXN46/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-2&qid=1415399781

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Hobbit (1977)

Having enjoyed a lot of the stop-motion work from Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass, I was delighted when I found out that they'd given people an adaptation of The Hobbit back in the 1970s. Unfortunately, that delight started to ebb away not too far into the movie.

The tale will already be familiar to many, either from the book or from the oversized Peter Jackson take on the material. Bilbo Baggins (voiced by Orson Bean) is a hobbit, and his life is changed forever when a wizard named Gandalf (John Huston) comes to his door and teams him up with a group of dwarves who are on a quest to retrieve some treasure from a mighty dragon named Smaug (Richard Boone).

There are some great names attached to this vocal cast. As well as Huston, viewers are treated to the voices of Otto Preminger and Hans Conried. Unfortunately, no collection of names could make up for the lacklustre animation and the poor script, by Romeo Muller. With a story this great, there's really no excuse for such a clumsy adaptation. Yes, there are some direct quotes lifted from the book, but that doesn't make up for the many other changes that crop up in almost every scene. I understand that this was aimed at a young audience, so simplifying/sanitising certain plot points is something I could understand. The unnecessary change, however, to that enjoyable moment when Gandalf has to help stop some trolls from eating the travelling group is one shining example of a bad decision made without any good reason. But watch the film and you will see many others.

I'll admit that I was also disappointed as soon as I saw that this wasn't a stop-motion affair. That is, after all, how I came to know Rankin/Bass, it's a trademark of their most enduring works. My disappointment could have been tempered by fine artwork made with hard work and a lot of heart, but this is quite an ugly piece of work. Yes, it's a TV movie, but it doesn't need to feel like one. And a cheap one, at that.

The good news is that most of the big scenes are included. Those trolls at least provide a threat, goblins also cause some trouble, Gollum takes on Bilbo in a battle of riddles, big spiders go around being all horribly eight-legged and . . . . . . .  far too big, and there's the mighty Smaug himself, of course. Whatever the presentation, these moments are always a treat to watch and that is why the film stays below average, without being completely unwatchable.

As much as I hate to say it, this is one Rankin Bass outing that just isn't worth bothering with. If you do give it your time then you can try to enjoy it, but deep down you might just start thinking about how you could have been rewatching Mad Monster Party.

4/10

Buy this DVD at your own risk, it's had mixed reviews (to put it nicely) - http://www.amazon.com/The-Hobbit-Orson-Bean/dp/B00005MP59/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399077782&sr=8-1&keywords=the+hobbit+1977

Don't forget, every copy of my book sold gets a few pounds in my pocket, and gets you a good read (if I say so myself).

The UK version can be bought here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395945647&sr=1-3&keywords=movie+guide

And American folks can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/TJs-Ramshackle-Movie-Guide-Reviews-ebook/dp/B00J9PLT6Q/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395945752&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=TJs+ramshackle+mov

As much as I love the rest of the world, I can't keep up with all of the different links in different territories, but trust me when I say that it should be there on your local Amazon.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

"My guess might be excellent or it might be crummy, but Mrs. Spade didn't raise any children dippy enough to make guesses in front of a district attorney, and an assistant district attorney and a stenographer."

That is just one of the many gems that will tickle your ears as you watch The Maltese Falcon, another of those classic movies that you watch and quickly realise just how deserving of its status it is.

Humphrey Bogart stars as detective Sam Spade, a man dragged into quite a sticky situation by the titular item of great value. Well, he is first dragged into the situation by a young, nervous woman (Mary Astor). After the death of his partner and another man, Spade is made to feel some pressure from local police. Then it's the turn of a man named Joe Cairo (Peter Lorre). And last, but not least, Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) and his right hand man (Wilmer, played by Elisha Cook Jr.) show just how much they want their hands on the artefact.

Directed by John Huston, who also wrote the screenplay (based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett), this is one of the best directorial debuts I can think of. Of course, Huston had been writing films for over a decade, so he certainly gave himself the best start possible by creating such a great script, but there's something else that makes this so completely and utterly brilliant. The cast are all great, and the camerawork is great, but the different aspects of the film come together to be more than just the sum of their parts. It's pure movie magic.

Bogart is, in case you didn't already know, brilliant in the lead role, and he's surrounded by such a wonderful variety of people doing some of their best work. Astor is very good, but her character impacts the events more offscreen than on. Peter Lorre is someone I will forever be a fan of, and this is yet another great turn from him, while Greenstreet and Cook Jr. both do great in two very different roles, with the former being polite and eloquent while the latter would rather use his gun, if given the chance. And then there's Lee Patrick, adding to the many pleasures that this movie has to offer as Effie, Sam Spade's secretary and, potentially, the most reliable person in the entire movie.

If you haven't seen The Maltese Falcon by now then do so immediately. With that script, that cast, the most famous MacGuffin since "Rosebud" and everything else coming together so perfectly, this is essential viewing for cineastes.

10/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maltese-Falcon-Disc-Special-Edition/dp/B000IOMZTM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1385562226&sr=8-5&keywords=the+maltese+falcon

The Dead (1987)

Based on the short story by James Joyce, the final tale in "Dubliners", The Dead is a handsome and well-acted movie that nevertheless just left me cold. It's also the final film to have been directed by the great John Huston (the story was adapted into screenplay form by his son, Tony).

The plot is all about a Christmas dinner being held by a couple of old spinsters (Cathleen Delany and Helena Carroll). The ladies have invited a mixture of friends and family and everyone gets a chance to make an impression on the crowd, be it with a rendition of poetry or song or a loud debate during the main meal. Two guests in particular, Gabriel and Gretta Conroy (played, respectively, by Donal McCann and Anjelica Huston), find that the evening gives them plenty to think about, cause to reflect on their lives and wonder about past events that led them to become their present selves.

I'm actually explaining the film very badly, and misrepresenting it somewhat, so I can only apologise to those who have already seen the movie and who may be wondering if I even watched the damn thing. I did watch it, I enjoyed it, but it's a very difficult film to pin down, in my opinion. It's the film equivalent of a cloud of damp mist that seems to move through your pores when you walk through it.

I'm not even sure why I didn't like it more than I did. The script was a great mix of lively chat and sombre introspection, with a couple of pieces of very beautiful poetry in there too, and the direction from Huston (who was very near the end of his life and, sadly, died before the film was released) is solid and keeps the naturalistic performances and material always watchable. The cast is pretty flawless. McCann and Huston are very good in their roles but they're more than matched by Delany, Carroll, Donal Donnelly (as the ever-so-slightly drunk Freddy Malins), Dan O'Herlihy (as the ever-so-slightly antagonistic Mr. Browne) and everyone else, including the ever-reliable Colm Meaney.

John Huston deserves a lot of praise for capping a fantastic directorial career with a movie that never reflects just how his health was failing while it was being made but I can't lie, there was something about this movie that left me unengaged. Perhaps just the beauty and the nature of the material left it all feeling slightly too artificial for me to lose myself in. Perhaps.

The Dead is certainly worth your time but whether you end up loving it or not is another matter entirely.

6/10

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