Prime Time: Cocktail (1988)

Everyone knows that it can be a great life when you make some money working in a bar. Get hired in the right place and you can get great tips, be paid for having fun, and try to boost your sex life. There was also a time, throughout the 1980s, when everyone was encouraged to grab the American dream by the throat, make millions in some comfortable job that allowed you to go full yuppie, and generally have much more money than taste (or manners). Cocktail, one of a number of classic Tom Cruise films that helped him solidify his superstar status, comes up with what seems to be a perfect combination of these life dreams, focusing on a cocky young man who wants to have the fun, wants to have the money, and wants to have a level of respect afforded to him that is rarely given to anyone who is “just a bartender”.

Written by Heywood Gould, and based on his own book, this is a film that somehow ends up being even worse than you remember. I may be wrong, but I don’t THINK many people genuinely loved this when it was released. It was a hit, there were things to enjoy (the soundtrack being a big plus), and it had Cruise being at his most desperately alpha male (can pick up any woman he wants, will make his dreams a reality by sheer force of will, happy to start fighting people when he feels wronged, etc), but even those who enjoyed seeing this when it was first released surely had a number of better films they would always revisit ahead of it. 

I should try to sketch out the plot, and I will put more words here than necessary. Cruise is Brian Flanagan, a young man who has just left the military and wants to make his fortune. He ends up working in a bar alongside Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown), being taught both bar skills and valuable life lessons. One thing leads to another, which leads to Brian working at a bar on a sun-drenched beach, where he meets the lovely Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue), but Brian seems unlikely to be able to ever commit to a full and honest relationship. Can he overcome the big obstacle of his own making by the time the end credits roll? Does a Bloody Mary have tomato juice in it?

Director Roger Donaldson knows the movie he is making here. It isn’t a dark drama. It isn’t an unpredictable journey through the heart of American maleness. It isn’t a “How To” guide for those wanting to segue from bartending to the world of big business. It’s a Tom Cruise movie. And Tom Cruise needs to be Tom Cruise, but at a stage where he can still be taught a thing or two by his elders. 

Cruise aside, and I guess he does fine here (although this is arguably his most obnoxious onscreen role), the real treat of Cocktail is listening to the ridiculous wisdom imparted by Brown, who serves as both a mentor and a grave warning to our “hero”. Brown matches Cruise in terms of attitude and presence, but also shows how quickly someone can become tiresome and laughable when trying to retain an air of cool superiority. Shue is also a welcome presence, even if she is treated as poorly by the script as you might expect. She’s not EXACTLY a trapped princess waiting to be rescued by a brave prince, but it’s pretty damn close. Gina Gershon, Kelly Lynch, and Lisa Barnes all turn up to play three very different women who cross paths with one, or both, of our drink movers and shakers, but it’s only Gershon who is allowed to have a bit of resistance to the charms of Tom, and Roger Dean is good fun in a small role, playing Uncle Pat, who also delivers wisdom while tending his own small bar.

Much like the flair bartending tricks and flourishes at the heart of this, Cocktail is ultimately impractical, pointless, and superficial. It is a showy distraction, but it’s also moderately entertaining while you watch it. And you can always practice those moves at home, in private, with the soundtrack blasting from your speakers. 

5/10

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Mubi Monday: Kaboom (2010)

Although I am not overly familiar with the filmography of writer-director Gregg Araki, I have seen enough (I think I have now seen four) of his films to know that I tend to really like his work. He is an interesting voice in lgbtq+ cinema, often putting his central characters in states of heightened reality that allow some enjoyable cinematic escapism alongside familiar exploration of sexuality.

Kaboom may well be the quintessential Araki movie, in many ways, with a plot that includes a good helping of sex, plenty of confusion, the lingering influence of parents trying to control the lives of their children, and a strange cult possibly preparing for the end of the world.

Thomas Dekker plays Smith, a young man who declares himself as sexually “undeclared” when asked. He spends time with his friend, Stella (Haley Bennett), in between admiring his handsome roommate, Thor (Chris Zylka), and having a new, and intensely physical, relationship with the sexually confident London (Juno Temple). Smith is also having some strange dreams, meeting people he then meets in real life, and there’s a sense of impending doom about the way things are playing out around him.

Enjoyably frank and uninhibited throughout, Kaboom uses sex as a distraction from a central plotline that gradually takes on more importance. But it also often makes the sex, and sexual frustration, just as important as anything else in the film. This is what Araki does so well, especially as so many people have had times in their lives when sex HAS been the most important thing on their mind, and all else be damned.

Dekker is a decent lead, even if his character is often more passive than those around him. He has a great ability to convey a sense of both a lack of energy for everything going on and an inner turmoil from his raging hormones. Temple is the highlight of the film, her bright demeanour perfectly suited to play someone so carefree and frank. Bennett is good, and involved in a number of amusing scenes with a witchy woman named Lorelei, played by Roxane Mesquida, James Duval is fun in a small, but pivotal, role, and Zylka, Andy Fischer-Price, and Jason Olive all play a variety of “meatheads”.

Mixing dream imagery with typical teen angst, and nihilism with sharp wit, Araki takes viewers on a journey that embodies the constant battle many feel rages between our innerspace and the world around us. The cast and script are playful, the pacing allows things to really gain momentum in the third act, and the score and soundtrack works perfectly with the visual method of keeping close and intimate with the main characters. It’s highly recommended, as are most films from the mind of Araki.

8/10

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Prime Time: Road House (1989)

About as '80s as they come, Road House features a lot of fun lines, some bruising fights, a "Bigfoot" truck, a great soundtrack (featuring Jeff Healey, who also appears in the film, and other artists), and the nigh-unbeatable combo, for some of the screentime, of Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott. Cheese, yes, but it's some of the best brie that you can indulge in from this decade.

Swayze is Dalton, the best bouncer in the business (referred to throughout the film as a "cooler"). He's observant, smart, and very tough. Which is why he ends up being hired by Tilghman (Kevin Tighe), a man who wants to make a roaring success of his business, the Double Deuce. Unfortunately, Tilghman's business is located in a town that is choking from the grip of the rich and powerful Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara). Brad employs a number of people, many of them helping him to collect funds from local businesses, but his main right hand man is Jimmy (Marshall Teague). It's only a matter of time until Dalton has to face off against Jimmy and co. 

Directed by the aptly-named Rowdy Herrington (this was his second directorial gig, and most likely remains his best), Road House is a star vehicle for Patrick Swayze that should appeal to all, as long as you're ready for the kind of movie that it is. The script, by David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin, knows just how to keep viewers engaged throughout, mixing in some humour with the action, and helping the pacing along with the introduction of various characters (alongside those already mentioned, Kelly Lynch appears as Doc, a potential love interest, and then everything moves up a notch when Elliott steps into the plot, as Dalton's BFF, Wade Garrett).

The first big fight scene may feel like a cross between The Blues Brothers and Airplane!, but most of the blows feel like they land, and feel impactful. Swayze is not only swoon-inducingly handsome, but also looks convincing whenever he's in fighting mode, especially when it's a bigger challenge (as it is against Jimmy).

The highlights of the movie are the scenes in which Swayze and Elliott are together, undeniably, and both shine in their roles, with the former easily proving his winning status as a leading man and the latter just being the bundle of laid-back charm he usually is. Gazzara is an enjoyably cold villain, flanked by the tough Teague and a ridiculously flirty Julie Michaels (playing Denise, someone else won over by the obvious appeal of Dalton). Lynch is stuck in the typically thankless role required for this kind of film, and she's okay, while everyone else, from Tighe to Healey, gets to have much more fun. I won't mention everyone else, which is a shame as the supporting cast is full of so many enjoyable little turns, but I'll at least namecheck Red West, John William Young, and Kathleen Wilhoite.

It's not wanting to strain your brain, it's not wanting to cause any seismic shift in cinema, Road House is just out to entertain you. Action and attractive women are there for a lot of male viewers, action and some hunky men are there for a lot of female viewers. And it has a level of homo-eroticism running through it that almost rivals Top Gun. It's highly recommended.

8/10

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