Mubi Monday: The Walker (2007)

Although this might seem to be a bit different from other movies we've had from writer-director Paul Schrader, The Walker is ultimately very much in his wheelhouse. It might wear some smarter clothes, and there may be a greater age range in his main cast, but it certainly looks at things through that Schrader lens.

Woody Harrelson plays Carter, a "safe" gay man who works as an escort to some well-to-do ladies in Washington D.C.  He accompanies them to various events, making himself the walker of the title, and also enjoys often playing cards with them. He is a trusted figure, which is why Lynn Lockner (Kristin Scott Thomas) turns to him when she discovers the corpse of a murdered man. Not just any murdered man, but someone she was close to. To save her from any potential embarrassment, tricky questions that could cause problems for her husband, Larry Lockner (Willem Dafoe), Carter decides to claim that he found the body. This makes things problematic when the investigation quickly turns more serious, and Carter realises he may have got himself mixed up in something quite dangerous.

A murder mystery where viewers won't really care about the mystery element, this is a film that I hadn't previously heard of, unusual for me when it comes to the filmography of Schrader. By the time the end credits rolled, I could understand why. There's nothing here that stands out, nothing here to make this memorable in any way. And the sad thing is that a SUPERB cast is largely wasted.

Harrelson is good fun in the lead role, better in the few quieter moments that he has, as opposed to the scenes with him being relentlessly cheery to those around him, and Thomas is effectively vulnerable and quiet during the times when events threaten to overwhelm her. Having kickstarted the chain of events for Carter, her character soon disappears for a while, but her presence continues to overshadow everything. The other main women are played by Lauren Bacall, Lily Tomlin, and Mary Beth Hurt, all giving great performances, and all sorely underused. Dafoe is underused, Ned Beatty has a small role (underused), William Hope has a main scene or two (guess what . . . underused), and there's a solid turn from Geff Francis, playing a detective, that surprisingly gives him just enough screentime to make the best impact. Moritz Bleibtreu also gets a fair few scenes, but his character, and the performance, just doesn't work as well as the other people who should have been allowed to shine a bit brighter.

You should like The Walker, but only because it doesn't have much to actively dislike. There's enough here to enjoy, but it feels like a tray of samples, as opposed to a full, satisfying, meal. Schrader being a bit more restrained than usual ends up working against himself, especially when he is still keen to dissect guilt, the masks that people wear, and just how often no good deed goes unpunished. 

5/10

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Repossessed (1990)

Here it is, The Exorcist spoof you never knew you needed. Or wanted. It's strange to think that this was in UK video stores before The Exorcist itself was deigned suitable for British adults to view in a certificated video form in their own homes (you can look up the history of the film with the BBFC to see what I mean, although many horror fans will already know what I mean).

Anyway, written and directed by Bob Logan, this is a film that relies on two main bits of canny casting. First of all, Linda Blair plays Nancy Aglet, a woman who has her head turned by the devil. Second, Leslie Nielsen plays Father Mayii, the elderly priest who may be the one to save Nancy.

The story is all about Nancy, a married mother of two, becoming alarmed when she starts to utter profanities and spew pea soup. She asks for help from Father Luke Brophy (Anthony Starke), but this also brings her unwanted attention from two fake celebrities (played by Ned Beatty and Lana Schwab) who think they can cure her and get great ratings. Maybe the only one who can really help is Father Mayii, but he is reluctant to take the chance.

Logan throws everything he can at the wall here, and some of it sticks. You gets lots of obvious gags based directly on the source material (the "lick me" turn, as silly as it is, always makes me laugh), and you get lots of tangents, such as the scenes showing Father Mayii trying to get himself fitter and stronger. Unfortunately, the gags that miss the mark sometimes miss by a wide margin. Perhaps the worst moment has an incongruous rap interlude from Father Brophy, it's cringe-inducing to watch nowadays, but there are also a number of moments breaking the fourth wall that are never as witty as they think they are.

Kudos to Blair for accepting the role and having fun with something that derives comedy from her most famous performance, and Starke does well for a lot of his main scenes, but Beatty and Schwab are underused, while Nielsen is overused, often mugging and delivering his lines in a way that undermines the potential laughs.

Many people may still have fond memories of this spoof, but it doesn't hold up very well. The better gags still work, they just remain so few and far between, and nothing is done in a way that manages to distract from how cheap and careless it all is.

410

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Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

A comedy-drama based on the real events that saw a Congressman named Charlie Wilson building support, in terms of funds and supplies, for the Afghan people being decimated during the Soviet-Afghan War that lasted throughout most of the 1980s, Charlie Wilson's War is an interesting look at the fluidity of loyalty, certainly in comparison to how things stand today. It also underlines the importance of staying to finish a job if you're going to help out a country being ravaged by war, something that America didn't do for the Afghan people, arguably leading to the whole mess that we now find ourselves in.

Tom Hanks stars as Wilson, a role that makes use of his easy likability while refusing to hide the failings of the man (mainly drink and women, not necessarily in that order). Starting from a point of relative ignorance, his journey to Afghanistan, and what he sees there, begins a relatively speedy learning curve that connects him to a wealthy potential donor, Joanne Herring (played by Julia Roberts), and a talented CIA operative (Gust Avrakotos, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman). The three work hard to raise interest and money for something they view as a worthwhile war effort, and there are some startling results as Wilson digs his heels in to negotiate budget packages and effective plans.

The final film directed by Mike Nichols, this belongs much more to the writer, Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin is pretty much THE person to go to when you want to deliver lots of information in a comprehensive, and comprehendible, manner while also fleshing out a variety of main players. Adapting the book by George Crile, Sorkin appears to be in his element as he wrestles the complexities of the diplomatic and political proceedings into a narrative that manages to be both informative and entertaining. But he also makes time and space to give the leads some great moments (the lead role is a doozy for Hanks and the main scene introducing Hoffman's character is one of the funniest things that he's ever done).

Noticing the style of the writing more than the style of direction isn't to say that Nichols does anything wrong here. It's just that he is content to keep everything relatively simple when it comes to letting his impressive ensemble have fun with the script.

Having already praised Hanks and Hoffman, both giving standout performances in a career that isn't short of great turns from them, it's also worth paying compliments to Roberts (who has less screen time but still gets a couple of moments in which to shine) and Amy Adams (playing a dutiful assistant to Charlie Wilson). There are also very enjoyable appearances from Emily Blunt, Om Puri, Ned Beatty, Ken Stott, and others, all serving the script as best they can.

Given the quality of the various aspects, it's a shame that this doesn't quite become the sum of its parts. There's just something holding it back. A reticence to pick at the scab long enough, to take more moments to show the waters getting murkier and murkier, and a third act that doesn't underline the serious consequences of what is played out as a bit of a light romp for some of the main players.

This is a very good film, a smart one aimed at adults, but it could have been tweaked to be even better.

7/10

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Restless Natives (1985)

When I was a young boy I was delighted by my first viewing of Restless Natives. It was a good film, there was that, but I was mainly delighted because much of it was set in the city of Edinburgh. My home. It was, I think, the first time that I'd seen the city in a movie. Thankfully, I have grown to learn that other people have realised what a great setting Edinburgh is, and I've seen it in movies as diverse as The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, Shallow Grave, New Town Killers, Book Of Blood, The Illusionist (where it was in animated form) and The Angel's Share, to name but a few. So while I have discovered Edinburgh in many other movies over the years, I have always had a soft spot for Restless Natives. A recent rewatch of the movie proves that my soft spot for it is deserved. It's a sweet, funny, wonderful film that holds up just as well now as it did back in the mid-1980s. Okay, part of the charm now may stem from being able to see Edinburgh as it was back then, but it still remains a lesser-known gem of a movie.

Will (Vincent Friell) and Ronnie (Joe Mullaney) are two young Scotsmen who aren't really doing great things in life. Will works for the local council, trying to keep Princes Street Gardens clean and tidy, while Ronnie works in a joke shop and gets grief from adults who have been pranked by their children. The two of them try robbery, but they're no good at that either. Until, instead of robbing cars on Highland roads, they decide to don masks (one is a clown and one is a wolf-man), get on a motorbike and rob coaches. Coaches full of rich tourists. Things start to go well and the pair even become celebrities thanks to their unusual brand of criminal behaviour. Will finds himself attracted to a young woman (Teri Lally) he sees during a robbery, Ronnie is thinking ahead to when they can start spending their money and the two keep evading the police thanks to the versatility of their motorbike. But, like any great partnership, cracks soon start to appear as they bask in the glow of their success. It may be time to call it a day soon, especially with a tenacious American (Bender, played by Ned Beatty) determined to capture and arrest them.

There's so much that I want to say about Restless Natives that I worry just how long this review will become. I'll not dilly dally any further anyway. The script was written by Ninian Dunnett, and it's a pretty perfect mix of great characterisations and quotable lines (the fact that there are no "memorable quotes" on the IMDb page for this movie is shocking). This was Dunnett's first script, and also his last. That's just sad. Considering how great this movie is, to even have the chance to see one more penned by Dunnett would be a treat I'd jump at the chance to experience. Wherever you are, Ninian Dunnett, I will always be indebted to you for this movie.

Director Michael Hoffman, on the other hand, moved on from this to films as diverse as Soapdish, Restoration, A Midsummer Night's Dream and, most recently, Gambit. Sadly, I've only seen Gambit, which I didn't enjoy all that much, but the rest have been given a fair bit of praise. Hoffman is obviously a talented guy, but I look forward to eventually checking out the rest of his filmography and seeing if anything really matches this film for sheer likeability.

The cast is super, with relative newcomers like Friell, Mullaney, Taylor and Ian McColl holding their own alongside names such as Beatty, Bernard Hill, Robert Urquhart and Mel Smith (in a cameo role). There are also a lot of people onscreen I forgot to note down the names of, despite each one making a minor supporting role into a potential scene-stealer. They include the two men playing police officers under the command of Urquhart, the girl who plays the younger sister of Friell's character and a group of Japanese TV presenters who end up getting in the middle of a hot pursuit while trying to film the clown and the wolf-man in action, simply to show off the capabilities of the motorbike that they use.

There are two other stars I have yet to mention. One is Edinburgh, with more of it shown onscreen here than in any other film (to my knowledge). Whether it's The Mound, Princes Street itself, parts of Wester Hailes - these names will mean nothing to people who haven't lived in the city, but they'll raise a smile on the faces of those who recognise the landmarks and buildings from a few decades ago.

The second star is Big Country, the Scottish rockers known for their unique "bagpipe guitar" sound. They provided a number of tunes for the soundtrack and it's an absolute beauty. In fact, it's hard to think of the movie without the lively guitar work. Thankfully, we don't have to.

It's about crime, it's about friendship, it's about characters becoming bigger than they could have ever imagined, it's about tourism and it's about legends. Perhaps Restless Natives will always be best appreciated by those who live in Edinburgh and spend a disproportionate amount of time each year wading through crowds of tourists who visit to take in the International Festival, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh Castle and so much more, but I think that it's a film that can turn anyone into a fan. It's probably the sweetest movie about armed robberies ever made.

9/10

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The Deadly Tower (1975)

I'm well aware of the fact that I've not seen every Kurt Russell movie ever made (some of them are just nigh-on impossible to get hold of nowadays) but I'll never know how the hell I went so long without hearing about this one. The Deadly Tower is a movie made after lots of Disney fare and features quite an astounding performance from the boy who had been known to so many up to that point as Dexter Riley. It would be a brave move for any actor to make in this day and age so back in 1975 I don't know how the hell Russell had the bottle to go for it. But go for it, he did.

The movie is based on a true story and Kurt plays Charles Whitman, a young man who has decided that he's had enough and that the world ain't a great place to be. Being a nice young psychopath, he decides to help put a lot of other people out of their misery by shooting them dead from the top of a university building. Yes, you read that right. Dexter Riley became a sniper, picking off any innocent people that he could see through his rifle sight. The police are unprepared for this kind of killing spree, the movie was based on a horrific real-life incident that has been credited as a major factor leading to the development of SWAT teams, but do their best to deal with the situation. In fact, young Ramiro Martinez (Richard Yniguez) may end up having more good luck combined with courage than any of his superior officers (played by a great cast of actors including John Forsythe and Clifton James).

Ned Beatty also has a sizeable role in this unflinching and tense thriller and he's just one of the many reasons to seek it out. The script by William Douglas Lansford, from a story that he co-wrote with Antonio Calderon, mixes in the expected melodrama but also keeps things impressively free of sensationalism for most of the runtime. This very bad thing just happens. The direction by Jerry Jameson operates in the same manner and it helps that all of the main actors are excellent.

Characters are established quickly and effectively and everyone who appears onscreen does a great job. It's a film that shows a lot of restraint but also piles on the horror of the situation throughout every main scene just by calmly showing things in a way that feels very, unnervingly, realistic. A hard movie to track down nowadays but I assure you that it's most definitely worth it.

8/10

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