The Firm (1993)

One of two movies released in 1993 that kick-started an extra-lucrative time in the career of writer John Grisham, The Firm is an enjoyable thriller that focuses on the legal hoops the lead character needs to jump through, while also adding one or two more visceral moments for those wanting immediate thrills in their thrillers.

Tom Cruise is Mitch McDeere, a brilliant young lawyer who is given an offer he can't refuse from a prestigious law firm. He and his wife (Abby, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn) have to relocate, and there are long working days in his near future, but the rewards seem well worth the investment, especially as he is taken under the wing of Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman). Things seem a bit too good to be true though, which means they are. It turns out that the law firm has one or two secrets, and someone may be willing to kill to keep them secret.

There are very few movies adapted from John Grisham novels that don't benefit from having a stacked cast, but The Firm remains a high watermark. Alongside Cruise, Tripplehorn, and Hackman, you get Hal Holbrook, Wilford Brimley, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, David Strathairn, Gary Busey, Tobin Bell, and Dean Norris. There are also two main supporting roles for Terry Kinney and Barbara Garrick, people you will know by sight even if you can't put a face to their names right now. This is a Grisham movie, but it's also very much an actor's movie, and there's nobody here who disappoints (although Bell and Norris are very much locked in to the role of the "deadly stranger" required to add the proper physical threat alongside the legal wrangling, which is saying something in a film that also brings in Paul Sorvino and Joe Viterelli before the end credits roll.

Adapted from the novel by David Rabe, David Rayfiel, and the legendary Robert Towne, things are paced really well as viewers are introduced to the onscreen world, start learning some of the jargon, or at least have enough context clues to get the gist, and can then share the unease as some characters start to become suspicious about the way business is being conducted by the firm. The cast are all very capable of selling the dialogue, and Sydney Pollack once again shows himself to be one of the best in the business when it comes to presenting some potentially dry and dull material in a way that feels impressively engaging and propulsive.

It's hard to pin down why this works as well as it does, and those familiar with the novel may disagree (I know many were unhappy with how the ending changed from page to screen), but the main thing is a feeling of quality, as well as the way in which the plot has been made easily understandable without seeming too patronising. There are a few elements I can point to as being sub-par, maybe some of the score and some of the make up being used to show how tired and strained Cruise is in the second half, and some may be put off by the fact that the runtime is 154 minutes, but I would generally recommend this to anyone after blockbuster entertainment that focuses on the cast ahead of any random explosions and special effects.

8/10

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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

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Written and directed by Robert Towne, Tequila Sunrise couldn't be any more '80s if everyone who saw it was handed a Rubik's Cube and pair of lime green leggings after the end credits rolled. Kurt Russell has very slick hair, Mel Gibson is sporting one of his more cuddly looks, Michelle Pfeiffer is Michelle Pfeiffer (perhaps the most gorgeous actress of the 1980s, though maybe a close second behind Kathleen Turner) and when there's any prospect of sex a saxophone player comes along to provide cheesy musical accompaniment.

Kurt Russell is Nick Frescia, a cop with a solid reputation and a big operation happening in his neck of the woods. That operation is being overseen by DEA Agent Hal Maguire (J. T. Walsh) and focuses on drug dealer Mac McKussick (Mel Gibson). The two big problems with this situation are that a) Mac insists that he's no longer in business and b) he and Frescia have a friendship that stretches back many years. Nick doesn't want to bust his friend, but it's all necessary to capture a man named Carlos, who seems to be quite a big deal in the drug world. Things are complicated when Nick realises that Mac is in love with a restaurant owner (Jo Ann Vallenari, played by Michelle Pfeiffer). It's easy to see why. In fact, Nick also falls for her charms. Or is he just using her to get information about Mac?

It's slick, nicely unconventional and benefits from a few great leads, but Tequila Sunrise is also surprisingly dull. In fact, with other people onscreen this wouldn't even manage to be as average as it is (I rate it just above-average due to my love of Russell and my LOVE of Pfeiffer).

The script has some good lines here and there, and some nice exchanges, but they're scattered too few and far between. Far too many scenes feel like filler material and character motivations are all over the place. It's especially disappointing coming from Towne, who at least always has Chinatown overshadowing everything else on his C.V.

The cast don't disappoint, although it's safe to say that all of the main players in front of the camera also have plenty of better vehicles in their filmographies. Russell, Gibson and Pfeiffer are as dependable as they usually are, J. T. Walsh never turned in a bad performance in his life, Arye Gross does fine in his small role and Raul Julia is a welcome injection of energy into the second half of the movie.

If, like me, you're fans of the actors involved then you will get some enjoyment from this. It's just a shame that this cast couldn't have been put together for something more deserving of their talent.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tequila-Sunrise-DVD-Mel-Gibson/dp/B00004CX8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1359910979&sr=1-1