Movie Review: Cisco Pike (1971)

Genre: Drama  

Director: Bill L. Norton  

Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Karen Black, Gene Hackman  

Running Time: 95 minutes  

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, former musician Cisco Pike (Kris Kristofferson) is trying to leave drug dealing behind him to rebuild his music career, with the support of his girlfriend Sue (Karen Black). But corrupt cop Holland (Gene Hackman) pressures Cisco into selling $10,000 worth of weed in less than three days. Cisco has to tap into his underworld network to move the product, leaving Sue disappointed as he interacts with dealers, users, musicians, and assorted hangers-on.

What Works Well: In his directorial debut, Bill L. Norton delves into the seedy Venice Beach area and finds desperate characters chasing unlikely dreams. In this deglamorized and downbeat quest to seek a better future, a has-been like Cisco looks for someone - anyone - to listen to his latest music tape, a crooked cop builds a massive stash of marijuana as an auxiliary income source, and Cisco's pathetic ex-bandmate Jesse (a tragic Harry Dean Stanton) confronts the horrors of aging. Kristofferson (in a solid movie debut) provides a few excellent soundtrack songs.

What Does Not Work As Well: Most of the film consists of Cisco desperately crisscrossing town looking for buyers, as energy runs low, padding creeps in (particularly in episodes featuring actresses Viva and Joy Bang), and the premise runs out of ideas. Gene Hackman's antagonist disappears for long stretches, robbing the drama of a counterpoint.

Key Quote:
Cisco Pike (to Jesse): It ain't your goddamned body they're after, man, it's your soul!



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Movie Review: Bat*21 (1988)

Genre: Vietnam War Drama  
Director: Peter Markle  
Starring: Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jerry Reed  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: During the Vietnam War, Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton (Gene Hackman) parachutes into enemy territory when his reconnaissance plane is shot down. Hambleton is a veteran intelligence officer, and the North Vietnamese prioritize his capture. He makes radio contact with forward air patrol Captain Bartholomew "Birddog" Clark (Danny Glover), flying a Cessna. Birddog becomes Hambleton's main contact with the outside world as he navigates in enemy territory over several days and the army struggles to mount a rescue mission. A looming massive American air strike in the area adds time pressure.

What Works Well: Based on actual events, the story of a war-time rescue under enemy fire enjoys themes of friendship, survival, and most effectively, the difference between the brutality of up-close combat and the comparatively serene world of an intelligence officer far from the front lines. Gene Hackman and Danny Glover establish a remote cockpit-to-ground rapport, and both actors convey the weight of their ordeal through lived-in performances. Director Peter Markle maintains control of the material with no superfluous scenes and a focus on capturing the rigours of a jungle warfare environment, and capably weaves in the improvised golf course code Hambleton used to communicate his arduous travel path.

What Does Not Work As Well: The enemy perspective is non-existent, and this is a men's-only world with no female roles. The climax goes over-the-top in layering on improbabilities, then keeps looking for more.

Key Quote:

Birddog (over the radio to Hambleton): Let's get the basic relationship down... I'm the lifeguard, you're the drowning man. If you relax, I can bring you to shore. If you fight me, then I'll have to slap you around.



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Movie Review: The Mexican (2001)

Genre: Crime Adventure  

Director: Gore Verbinski  

Starring: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, James Gandolfini, J.K. Simmons, Bob Balaban, Gene Hackman  

Running Time: 123 minutes  

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, bungling thief Jerry (Brad Pitt) is dispatched by his boss Bernie (Bob Balaban) south of the border to secure "the Mexican", a precious antique gun. Jerry's girlfriend Sam (Julia Roberts) is tired of being ignored and heads to Las Vegas, but is soon kidnapped and held hostage by tough guy Leroy (James Gandolfini) as a bargaining chip in case Jerry goes rogue. In Mexico, Jerry tangles with local thieves seeking the same prize, and is eventually joined by Ted (J.K. Simmons), another member of Bernie's gang. Back in Vegas, Sam and Leroy get to know each other.

What Works Well: The unexpected bond between a goon and his victim emerges at the heart of a sprawling plot, with J.H. Wyman's script encouraging James Gandolfini to explore a henchman's surprising vulnerability. The different versions of a flashback to the legendary gun's early history are delightful mini faux-epics teasing out the unreliability of oral histories. Overall, the Mexico scenes benefit from gritty locations complemented by an Alan Silvestri music score playfully interpreting Ennio Morricone. Brad Pitt provides Jerry with a pleasing amiability, and Gene Hackman shows up with a late contribution to inject authority.

What Does Not Work As Well: In an example of more is less, the running time drags, false endings give way to more false endings, and new characters are introduced too late to properly contribute, all resulting in a loss of coherence. While Roberts' scenes with Gandolfini are excellent, the script unfortunately reduces Sam to tiresome manic screaming whenever Jerry is within earshot, a complete waste of a dream Hollywood star pairing.

Conclusion: Ragged and undisciplined, but still contains many sparkling moments.

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Movie Review: No Way Out (1987)

Genre: Thriller  

Director: Roger Donaldson  

Starring: Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Will Patton  

Running Time: 114 minutes  

Synopsis: In Washington DC, the US Navy's Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is selected for an intelligence assignment by Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman). Tom also starts an affair with socialite Susan Atwell (Sean Young), who happens to be Brice's mistress. In a fit of jealousy, Brice accidently kills Susan. His chief assistant Scott Pritchard (Will Patton) concocts a cover-up plan to blame Susan's death on non-existent Soviet spy Yuri. But Tom knows what really happened, and has to prove the truth before he himself gets implicated.

What Works Well: This is a slick thriller combining Cold War intrigue, inter-governmental political machinations, lust, romance, and scandal. Robert Garland's screenplay updates the 1946 novel The Big Clock (by Kenneth Fearing), and director Roger Donaldson keeps the pacing brisk and the tension at elevated levels, mixing cocktail parties for the Washington DC elites with backroom plotting and the occasional chase scene. In a star-making role, Kevin Costner oozes confident charisma as the Navy lieutenant sliding into unexpected convolutions at the Pentagon and in his personal life, while Sean Young adds allure. The final controversial twist demonstrates brain-scratching courage. 

What Does Not Work As Well: Starting with the hastily conceived distraction story to chase invisible spy Yuri, the second half plot holes start to consume all logic, culminating in ridiculous actions including defence officials planting evidence in computer systems and allowing a couple of unscreened civilians full access to every room in the Pentagon (the largest building in the world). The notable dip in quality coincides with Gene Hackman being sidelined into a bystander.

Conclusion: Sparkling with talent and enthusiasm, but perforated by sloppy conveniences.



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Movie Review: The Package (1989)

Genre: Cold War Thriller

Director: Andrew Davis

Starring: Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones, Joanna Cassidy, John Heard, Dennis Franz

Running Time: 108 minutes

Synopsis: In Berlin, the US and the USSR agree to sign a nuclear disarmament treaty, but secretly, generals on both sides want to torpedo the deal. US Army Sergeant Johnny Gallagher (Gene Hackman) tangles with the shadowy Colonel Whitacre (John Heard), and is then ordered to escort a prisoner (Tommy Lee Jones) from Germany to the United States. In Washington DC the prisoner escapes, and Johnny turns to his ex-wife and army colonel Eileen (Joanna Cassidy) for help. They uncover the threads of an assassination conspiracy planned for the treaty signing ceremony in Chicago, but Johnny and Eileen are soon being framed and hunted.

What Works Well: Released less than three months before the fall of the Berlin Wall, writer John Bishop's ambitiously complex plot enjoys good production values and multiple characters carrying the load of heavy borrowings from the John F. Kennedy assassination (including the conspiracy angles) and The Day Of The Jackal. The cast is rich in talent, with Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones, John Heard, and Dennis Franz (as a Chicago police commander) all in fine form. Director Andrew Davis maintains primary focus on plot tensions and keeps the action scenes relatively short and sharp.

What Does Not Work As Well: With a plot encompassing multiple bad guys from two countries spread out in several cities, the logic gaps are often startling, best exemplified by the early multiple murder of high-ranking US military men that passes without comment. Joanna Cassidy's role becomes increasingly redundant as the plot moves along, and the breathless racing-around scenes in the third act could have been trimmed in favour of heftier plot justifications.

Conclusion: The Package never threatens to ignite, but still delivers a solid-enough addition to the Cold War thriller subgenre.



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Movie Review: Heist (2001)

Genre: Crime Thriller

Director: David Mamet

Starring: Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon

Running Time: 109 minutes

Synopsis: A specialist in high-value heists, Joe (Gene Hackman) leads a gang consisting of wife Fran (Rebecca Pidgeon) and long-time associates Bobby (Delroy Lindo) and Pinky (Ricky Jay). After his face is exposed during a jewelry store robbery, Joe seeks to retire but has a falling out with criminal financier Mickey (Danny DeVito). He is pressured to proceed with a gold heist and forced to include Mickey's nephew Jimmy (Sam Rockwell) in the plan. 

What Works Well: David Mamet directs with cold efficiency, the dialogue lines are packed with zing, and the action scenes are coiled with tension. Gene Hackman is dependably cerebral.

What Does Not Work Well: The remarkably obscure plot details enable limitless opportunities for requisite backstabbing and double-crossing, which means all the displayed actions and motivations are immediately labeled dubious. The characters remain stubbornly superficial, with Danny DeVito phoning in his performance. The plot is riddled with logic gaps and the final act unravels into an anything-goes muddled mess.

Conclusion: The quest for postured cleverness sacrifices plot fundamentals.



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Movie Review: Absolute Power (1997)

A thriller swirling near the pinnacle of politics, Absolute Power features an outlandish plot and uneven pacing but slick-enough execution.

While robbing the lavish Washington DC mansion of billionaire power broker Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall), aging professional thief Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) secretly witnesses a rough sex session between US President Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman) and Sullivan's much younger wife Christy (Melora Hardin). When the roughness boils over into violence and Christy threatens Richmond with a letter opener, Secret Service agents Burton (Scott Glenn) and Collin (Dennis Haysbert) shoot and kill her. The President's Chief of Staff Gloria Russell (Judy Davis) orchestrates the cover-up.

Detective Seth Frank (Ed Harris) leads the investigation into Christy's death. Luther has a fraught relationship with his daughter Kate (Laura Linney), and is content to leave town before Frank catches up with him. But when Richmond nauseatingly pretends to grieve Sullivan's loss on national television, Luther decides to stick around and expose the President's hypocrisy.

An adaptation of a David Baldacci novel with a screenplay by William Goldman, Absolute Power boasts a strong cast and a glitzy coat of polish. Director and star Clint Eastwood allows the charismatic central character of Luther Whitney to anchor the action, and the aging, laid-back career thief occupies the eye of the storm with veteran ease. Gene Hackman is a welcome foil, but his role as the smarmy President Richmond is almost too easy.

The plot is preposterous and requires a quick surrender to park-your-brain impulses. The peak arrives early: Luther hiding in a secret chamber and watching through a one-way mirror as the President's secret sex liaison starts badly then just gets worse. Eastwood's reaction shots are terrific, and the resulting mess of overlapping crimes is a great jumping-off point for a convoluted cover-up. 

Thanks to the talent involved and high production values, the follow-through is never less than engaging, but also riddled with dead-ends and logic gaps. Richard Jenkins appears as a hit-man then disappears just as mysteriously; the two secret service agents pursue their own agendas leading to nowhere; and Judy Davis' Chief of Staff starts strong then dwindles to irrelevance. Meanwhile, Eastwood unnecessarily prolongs most scenes, then loses rhythmic control in the final 15 minutes. The film ends in a jumbled rush of barely coherent events and actions inconsistent with the careful build-up.

Elsewhere, the father-daughter dynamics between Luther and Kate are decent, Eastwood finding ways to tease out Luther's essence while avoiding most cliches. The stuttering would-be romance between detective Frank and Kate is less impressive and never grinds out of the awkward gear. Absolute Power does not fulfill all its promises, but still provides passable potency.



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Movie Review: Hoosiers (1986)

A sports drama, Hoosiers (also known as Best Shot) is a traditional underdog story with plenty of heart and no shortage of platitudes.

It's 1951, and middle-aged Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) arrives in the backwater of Hickory, Indiana, to coach the local high school basketball team. Due to a chequered history, this is Dale's final chance at redemption. He immediately clashes with fellow teacher Myra (Barbara Hershey), and his more serious coaching methods disillusion a vocal and passionate group of parents.

The school's star basketball player Jimmy Chitwood has decided not to play this year for personal reasons, and without him the team struggles with a string of bad results. Shooter Flatch (Dennis Hopper) is the perpetually drunk father of one of the players but also an astute student of the game, and Dale recruits him as an assistant coach. Unsatisfied with progress, the parents try to force Dale out as pressure mounts for the new coach to deliver better results.

Loosely inspired by the 1954 exploits of Indiana's Milan High School, Hoosiers encourages old fashioned stand-up-and-cheer exuberance. The hokiness is earned, though, as the Angelo Pizzo script puts coach Dale through the wringer on multiple fronts before the bounces start to go his way. Director David Anspaugh deploys rural charm in good doses, finds poignant locker room moments, and excels at staging coherent on-court action for the many in-game snippets.

Just as the team's journey to overcome adversity and achieve success is positively celebratory, the film's many weaknesses are also plain to see. Apart from Dale, Myra, and Shooter, the other characters are poorly defined, perhaps due to budget constraints limiting the available supporting acting talent. Star player Jimmy gets four short lines of dialogue and is denied the opportunity to explain his rationale for first leaving then rejoining the team. The turnaround in the team's fortunes coincides with Jimmy's return, but Anspaugh skips over explaining whether the coach's methods or one overpowered player triggered the winning streak.  A few other side characters, including Myra's mother, are introduced with promise then simply discarded. 

The 18 years of age difference between Hackman and Hershey is obvious and grating, and what could have been a stellar friendship between coach Dale and teacher Myra is sacrificed for an awful romantic moment. 

But Hoosiers also offers plenty of honest passion, and it's impossible not to admire and cheer the trajectory of the plucky small town team forging a winning spirit, battling larger and better funded schools, and riding momentum all the way to the state tournament. Hackman does his part injecting sideline spikiness, navigating around his initial disdain of small town attitudes, seeking allies where he can find them, and arguing every call until he inevitably gets tossed. His reclamation project to uncover the man hiding beneath Shooter's drunkenness is a satisfying supplementary plot.

The corn is plentiful and sometimes uncultivated, but Hoosiers sinks the basket when it matters most.



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Movie Review: Class Action (1991)

A legal drama, Class Action adds father-daughter tensions to a court room battle. The familial conflict and the pursuit of justice are both adequate, but vie for the same space.

In San Francisco, Jed Ward (Gene Hackman) is a celebrated lawyer at a small firm, known for representing victims of accidents caused by corporate negligence. His daughter Maggie (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) is also a lawyer, but the opposite of her father. She is on a partner track at a soulless law firm defending large corporate interests. Maggie is also in a romantic relationship with her boss Michael Grazier (Colin Friels).

Maggie and Jed are barely on speaking terms. She blames him for emotionally abandoning the family and enjoying numerous affairs. Her mother Estelle (Joanna Merlin) suffered in silence, and the marriage survived. Now Jed and Maggie find themselves on opposite sides of the same case. He is representing burn victims claiming a defective design caused cars to explode on impact. She is defending the auto manufacturer. Estelle pleads with Maggie to turn down the case, but both father and daughter relish the opportunity to match wits in the court room.

Combining a David vs. Goliath court case with an inter-family feud guarantees drama at every turn, and director Michael Apted delivers as expected. Class Action is a proficient effort, corporate maleficence and cross-generational squabbling providing twin robust storylines to pursue. The production values are high, the visuals slick but controlled, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, without ever looking quite comfortable, does enough to avoid being mismatched by the dependable Gene Hackman.

But the script by Carolyn Shelby, Christopher Ames, and Samantha Shad is trying to tell two substantive stories in 105 minutes, and so predictably defaults to short cuts. On the home front, Jed's womanizing and his wife Etelle's decision to stand by her man are flash fried, leaving Maggie to simmer in rage as a perpetually angry daughter. In the courtroom, the testimony fast forwards only to the most essential witnesses, in a highlights package format devoid of build-up. And with all the event crowding in the middle, the car crash victims are marginalized and reduced to almost disrespectful sketch representations. 

The two narratives merge in Jed and Maggie's face off as representatives for the plaintiffs and defendants respectively. Class Action fleetingly pretends to walk the neutral line, before overlapping nefarious cover ups at the auto company and Maggie's law firm comprehensively tilt the balance towards Jed's cause. Here coincidences become far-fetched contrivances and a series of less than professional actions shine a bad light on several lawyers.

The talented supporting cast helps navigate the rough patches, and includes Laurence Fishburne as one of Jed's associates, Donald Moffat as the senior partner at Maggie's firm, and Matt Clark as the presiding judge.

In taking on perhaps too much drama, Class Action doesn't lose any arguments, but neither does it fully convince.



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Movie Review: Extreme Measures (1996)

A medical thriller, Extreme Measures effectively combines a nefarious conspiracy with a measured moral dilemma.

In New York City, emergency room doctor Guy Lathan (Hugh Grant) is unable to save patient Claude Minkins, a homeless man who dies in agony for inexplicable reasons. Guy's suspicions are aroused when he receives a phoney autopsy report then Minkins' body disappears. His boss Dr. Jeffrey Manko (Paul Guilfoyle) urges him to move on, but Guy delves into the archives and finds disturbing similar cases of homeless men's files being mishandled.

Guy is framed for a drug offence and his promising career appears to be over. But with help from nurse Jodie Trammel (Sarah Jessica Parker) he continues investigating, and uncovers the secret Triphase medical facility run by the distinguished Dr. Lawrence Myrick (Gene Hackman). Protected by corrupt FBI agent Frank Hare (David Morse) and police detective Bob Burke (Bill Nunn), Myrick is conducting unauthorized spinal nerve regeneration research using homeless men as unwilling test subjects. As Guy gets closer to the truth, his life is endangered.

Carrying strong echoes from 1978's Coma, Extreme Measures explores impetus for unsanctioned science. Here Dr. Myrick's motivation is not profit, but rather a genuine desire to reverse paralysis caused by spinal injury. Pursuing groundbreaking techniques and funded by the family and friends of spinal injury patients but running out of time due to his age, Myrick argues his homeless test subjects are worthwhile sacrificial heroes finally adding societal value.

In the hands of director Michael Apted and screenwriter Tony Gilroy (adapting a Michael Palmer book), this intellectual challenge is turned into a sleek thriller. Events move quickly but stay in focus, Guy adopting a determined and principled stance to uncover what really caused the horrible demise of his patient, albeit a patient he only knew for a few minutes. From there the mystery is revealed in layers, culminating in a good climax where action and words play an equal role.

The middle third is a weak spot, as Guy searches for another escapee from Myrick's institution within a homeless encampment located in tunnels deep below the subway system. The film points a flashlight at a sanitized version of human misery then meekly backs away, the episode registering as unnecessary padding for the longish 118 minutes of running time.

Star power easily rides out the rough spots. Extreme Measures is more about Hugh Grant than Gene Hackman, and it's good to see Grant tackling something other than a routine rom-com. He still brings his quip-ready persona to the role of Dr. Lathan, but is also serious when he needs to be. Hackman has just the few scenes, and makes the most of them with considerable gravitational pull. A pre-stardom Sarah Jessica Parker suggests untapped coy dramatic talents.

Despite less than perfect treatment, Extreme Measures finds most of the right doses.



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Movie Review: Mississippi Burning (1988)

A drama and thriller about the racial divide in the deep South, Mississippi Burning is an unblinking look at blind hatred stoking violence.

In 1964, three civil rights activists (two whites and one black) advocating for black voter registration are shot and killed in Jessup County, Mississippi. Initially only aware that the men are missing, the FBI send agent-in-charge Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and veteran agent Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman) to investigate. Ward is urbane, young and idealistic; the grizzled Anderson is originally from the south, and the two men disagree about almost everything.

Ward and Anderson immediately clash with Sheriff Ray Stuckey (Gailard Sartain) and his Deputy Sheriff Clinton Pell (Brad Dourif), who are both racists and friendly with local Ku Klux Klan leader Clayton Townley (Stephen Tobolowsky) and his chief goon Frank Bailey (Michael Rooker). Ward calls for support from more FBI agents, creating a media storm, infuriating Mayor Tilman (R. Lee Ermey), and increasing arson and violence against blacks in the community. With the locals stonewalling the investigation, Anderson attempts to get close to Pell's wife (Frances McDormand), who may hold key information about the missing men.

A deep dive into a boiling cauldron, Mississippi Burning explores the naked face of racism, not only alive and well but also in control of civic institutions. Loosely based on the murders of activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, director Alan Parker and writer Chris Gerolmo craft a gorgeous-looking and soulful drama, an ironically beautiful portrait of nefariousness.

The elegant cinematography by Peter Biziou majestically captures a rustic setting of dusty roads, rural backwoods, dilapidating structures, and remote swamps stuck in time. Against this backdrop the excellent cast shines, Gene Hackman a particular joy as a seen-it-all agent deploying charismatic old-school methods to shake up the inhabitants of a gutter. Frances McDormand also stands out in a fragile role as the one local who may represent a path to enlightenment.

Beyond the rampant racism, the film finds enormous power from a tension-is-everywhere ethos. The locals resent the intrusion of the suited FBI agents. Ward and Anderson are at each other's throats, sometime literally. Secrets reside in the walls at Deputy Pell's household. Black community members are intimidated into silence. Churches and homes are firebombed, as the endless investigation causes tempers to boil over. And with Anderson's prodding, fissures eventually develop among the Klan members.

The film is not without faults. The narrative focusses only on white characters (as both heroes and bad guys), with the black community respectfully represented but confined to the background without a single prominent role. The three victims are also short-changed, and in fact barely named. And the final third, while still inspired by real events, leans towards gung-ho investigative tactics as a pressure relief valve to wrap up proceedings.

But Mississippi Burning glows brightly where it matters most, exposing the inhumane consequences of emboldened rot nurtured by poverty and ignorance.



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Movie Review: Under Fire (1983)

A tense drama set within Nicaragua's civil war, Under Fire captures the bracing chaos faced by journalists trying to make sense of a revolution in progress.

After covering the civil war in Chad, photojournalist Russell Price (Nick Nolte), and reporters Claire (Joanna Cassidy) and Alex (Gene Hackman) relocate to Nicaragua, where a leftist revolution is threatening to overthrow the US-backed regime of President Anastasio Somoza (René Enríquez). Alex then returns to the US to accept a job as anchor, breaking off a strained relationship with Claire and allowing her to pursue a passionate romance with Russell.

The Nicaraguan rebels, inspired by reclusive leader Rafael, are quickly advancing through the countryside and capturing key towns. Russell meets well-connected French businessman/spy Jazy (Jean-Louis Trintignant), as well as mercenary Oates (Ed Harris). American public relations expert Hub Kittle (Richard Masur) tries to burnish the President's reputation, despite Somoza's infatuation with Miss Panama (Jenny Gago) while the country burns. When rumours of Rafael's death threaten the rebels' progress, Russell and Claire are forced to make decisions that could alter the war's trajectory.

Filmed in Mexico, Under Fire recreates a country convulsing under the pressure of a Cold War fueled revolution. The script by Clayton Frohman and Ron Shelton lends sympathy to the rebels at the expense of the Somoza dictatorship, but is also under no illusions. Frenchman Jazy, at the point of losing everything, is blunt in his assessment of the country's prospects, under any regime.

Meanwhile director Roger Spottiswoode brilliantly evokes the horrific sights and smells of a furious conflict consuming the country. Under Fire captures the disorienting reality of deserted streets littered with destroyed equipment and abandoned dead bodies, civilians sheltering from the horror, the warring factions barely in control of opposite sides of small towns, the combatants themselves unsure where the front lines are. In one scene Russell and Claire, desperate to find a path to safety, encounter two rebels stationed at a street corner who just shrug in disinterested ignorance when asked whether the revolutionaries control that neighbourhood.

As the death count rises, Russell and Claire witness increasing atrocities. Their objectivity erodes and they enter the danger zone where the appeal of taking sides rises. With his cameras and photographs emerging as potent weapons, Russell's exhausted psyche is put to the test, seemingly in a position to wield power but also unaware of his status as a pawn. Alex's unexpected return to Nicaragua threatens to elevate all of Russell's risks into disasters, but just like the endless neighbourhood mazes, more twists await. 

At a running length of 128 minutes, Spottiswoode allows the drama to breathe with adequate time and space afforded for both character development and taut on-the-street action. Nolte, Cassidy and Hackman are provided enough context to round their characters into believable war correspondents, although the romantic entanglements are predictably clunky. Ed Harris as the mercenary Oates has a small but chilling role, the misery of nations providing gainful employment for men happy to kill for a living.

Unblinking, harrowing and riveting, Under Fire radiates with the intensity of infernal combat and impossible dilemmas.



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Movie Review: The Domino Principle (1977)

A conspiracy thriller, The Domino Principle (also known as The Domino Killings) takes forever to get to the point only to realize it does not have one.

Decorated Vietnam War veteran Roy Tucker (Gene Hackman) is serving a long prison sentence at San Quentin for murdering the former husband of his wife Ellie (Candice Bergen). He passes the time enduring the tall tales of his talkative cellmate Spiventa (Mickey Rooney). Tagge (Richard Widmark) and Ross (Eddie Albert) represent mysterious interests and start visiting Tucker in prison, delving into his background with a promise of an early release in exchange for unspecified assignments.

Eventually Tucker and Spiventa gain their freedom in a staged escape. Transported to Costa Rica, Tucker is provided with a fake identity and bank account and reunited with Ellie at a lavish villa. He also meets retired General Reser (Eli Wallach), another of Tagge's associates. Relocated to Long Beach, Tucker balks at the designated assassination assignment, endangering Ellie's life.

Director and producer Stanley Kramer, known for his cerebral socially conscious dramas from decades past, steps way outside his comfort zone and predictably stumbles. The Domino Principle clambers onto the post-Watergate, post-Vietnam pile of films tapping into government mistrust, but the adaptation of Adam Kennedy's book is a vacuous exercise in hinting at something that never happens.

The premise of dark hands manipulating everyone and everything is used as an excuse to explain nothing, and instead the film settles down first as a prolonged prison interview and then a travelogue hopping from San Francisco to Costa Rica then Long Beach. The cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp and Ernest Laszlo is often spectacular and always bright and colourful, but cannot hide the absence of actual content.

Tagge, Ross and General Reser represent a heavy-hitting trio of mystery men (and talented actors) who never reveal anything beyond shuffling Tucker from one location to another. The assassination assignment is inferred, neither the victim nor the cause ever discussed. And Tucker's insubordination at every turn, attempting with decreasing success to wrangle free from the men now controlling his life, becomes the tired focus of the film.

All of which is a waste of a stellar cast. Gene Hackman, Richard Widmark and Eli Wallach all deserved better, and even Eddie Albert and Mickey Rooney deliver better-than-usual work here, all of it unfortunately misdirected. The biggest victim is Candice Bergen, miscast and struggling mightily in deglamorized role.

The Domino Principle bungles both the set-up and the knock-down.

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Movie Review: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

A comedy about family and dashed dreams, The Royal Tenenbaums introduces plenty of peculiar characters but drowns them in uninspiring incompetence.

Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) separates from his wife Etheline (Anjelica Huston), shocking their three young kids Chas, Richie and the adopted Margot. Each of the children possesses genius talent: Chas in business, Richie in tennis and Margot in writing. Meanwhile, Richie's best friend Eli spends all his hours with the Tenenbaums.

Twenty two years later a financially broke but still upbeat Royal learns that Etheline may be falling in love with her accountant Henry (Danny Glover), and reappears at the family home to try and win back her love and make amends with the children.

The now-grown kids are not doing so well. Richie (Luke Wilson) is a has-been tennis prodigy after suffering an on-court meltdown during a competitive match; Chas (Ben Stiller) has become paranoid after losing his wife in a fire, and the still morose Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) is stuck in a miserable marriage with Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray), and having an affair with Eli (Owen Wilson).

Directed by Wes Anderson and exquisitely photographed by Robert Yeoman, The Royal Tenenbaums features character quantity and compositional splendour but not narrative quality. While the film exhibits all the typical Anderson quirkiness, the various plot threads never weave together, and the story idles rather than thrives.

The opening is promising, and the emerging potential of genius kids offers no shortage of possibilities. But after the time jump the children emerge as adults who never blossomed, and The Royal Tenenbaums has nowhere to go. Despite a game cast there is limited enjoyment to be found in watching multiple wasted lives weighed down by the luggage of broken hearts, decades-long grudges, neglect and unmet expectations, but this is where the film resides, and no amount of attempted dry humour can save it.

The script lacks a cutting edge, the dialogue is listless, and the characters range from boring to irritating, with none likeable. Attempts to inject some drama and humour include two men (other than her husband) in love with Margot, a suicide attempt, and a brief Benny Hill-style madcap chase. None succeed in enlivening proceedings.

The cast members pose rather than act, in typical Anderson fashion precise symmetrical scene composition more important than individual showiness. The Royal Tenenbaums is always intriguing to look at, but more as a series of paintings than an engaging movie.

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Movie Review: Under Suspicion (2000)

An interrogation murder mystery, Under Suspicion establishes a tense premise and builds impetus before stumbling badly.

In Puerto Rico, influential lawyer Henry Hearst (Gene Hackman) and his wife Chantal (Monica Bellucci) are getting ready for a gala fundraising event when he is summoned by Police Captain Victor Benezet (Morgan Freeman) for a few questions. Victor and Detective Felix Owens (Thomas Jane) delve into Henry's version of events from the previous day, when he found the dead body of young girl while out jogging with a neighbourhood dog.

Victor and Felix suspect that Henry is hiding something, and when Henry starts to change some details of his story, the suspicions grow. Victor steers the interrogation towards Henry's strained relationship with Chantal, as well as Henry's whereabouts when an earlier murder of another young girl occurred a few weeks back. With Chantal impatiently waiting for her husband at the fundraiser, Henry's interrogation ordeal stretches into the night.

Directed by Stephen Hopkins and co-produced by Hackman and Freeman, Under Suspicion is a character study of a rich man hiding layers of secrets. With Hackman in fine form as Henry Hearst and Freeman and Jane providing the persistent prodding (calm and agitated, respectively), the film's premise provides rich soil to nurture a story of the miseries, frustrations and desires hiding behind facades of tuxedos, mansions and swanky evening gowns.

Intentionally or not, the film is also very much about two carefully planned and staged rapes and murders, the victims innocent young girls, with Henry in the vicinity of both crime scenes. Victor's objective for the night is to solve two heinous crimes, and shredding Henry's carefully cultivated image of success and confronting him with an impressive mound of circumstantial evidence is a means to an end.

With the foundation well constructed, the film's ending falls down in spectacular fashion. Accompanying Henry and Chantal to the smoldering wreck of their relationship core carries some merit, but not when all the other plot points, carefully cultivated over 110 minutes, are abandoned in a flash. Under Suspicion attempts a bait and switch, but sells itself short.

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Movie Review: Crimson Tide (1995)

A post-Cold War submarine thriller, Crimson Tide expertly explores a tense scenario involving a high-stakes conflict among commanders.

Hunter (Denzel Washington) is the new Executive Officer (XO) on the USS Alabama, a submarine armed with nuclear missiles and commanded by Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman). Ramsey is a cigar-chomping old school leader who creates his own rules but is respected by his men. Hunter is younger, more cerebral and willing to think through situations before pulling the trigger. When a rebel faction of the Russian army takes control of a nuclear facility and threatens to launch nukes at the United States, the Alabama sets sail in readiness for a potential war. The boat's officers include Zimmer (Matt Craven), Cob (George Dzundza), Weps (Viggo Mortensen) and Dougherty (James Gandolfini).

Hunter and Ramsey clash frequently as the sub approaches waters off Asia. Then an enemy sub is spotted, and at the same time orders are received to prepare for the launch of nuclear weapons against Russian targets. But after the Alabama sustains damage, including a breakdown of the communications system, another incomplete message is received, potentially canceling the missile launch orders. Ramsey insists on pressing ahead with the potentially world-altering launch of nukes, but Hunter demands a delay to verify the orders. A tense stand-off ensues, testing the loyalty of the the men on board.

Directed by Tony Scott and produced by the Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer power duo, Crimson Tide is a better example of what the glitzy 1990s could deliver in terms of cerebral-oriented thrillers. Mostly aiming for tension, mental strain and building drama instead of cheap thrillers and explosions, Scott makes good use of an original Michael Schiffer screenplay, and Crimson Tide is a fine example of the submarine war drama sub-genre, carrying echoes of classic command conflict dramas such as Run Silent, Run Deep and The Caine Mutiny.

The film's premise worms its way into a real but unlikely scenario. United States nuclear submarine commanders used to have a certain level of autonomy to launch nukes independent of final confirmation from the President. And the on-board situation conjured up by Schiffer was theoretically possible: both Hunter and Ramsey were correct in their opposing positions. With communications lost Ramsey was justified in following the last received orders and unleashing a holocaust. Hunter had enough reason to refuse to second that command. It's a compelling set-up and cleverly exploits the generational gap between the scar-tested Ramsey and the more circumspect Hunter.

But this is a Tony Scott film, and after a careful build-up the balance occasionally tips towards contrived thrills. Opposing forces are formed, guns are drawn, threats are made, there is a frantic race to fix damaged equipment and of course an artificial countdown clock provides a backdrop to a just-in-time climax.

The weaker moments are more than tolerable thanks to the fine form of the two leading stars. Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman are perfectly cast and expertly play off each other, Hackman comfortable as the seen-it-all crusty veteran confident in his own judgement, and Washington nailing the newcomer who has to tiptoe his way into a pre-established delicate dynamic between Captain and crew. When the two clash head to head, the screen positively sizzles. The supporting cast is disciplined, and Jason Robards makes an uncredited late appearance back on shore.

Crimson Tide streaks through the ocean on a mission to deliver taut entertainment, and the torpedoes mostly register satisfying hits.

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Movie Review: The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

An epic disaster-at-sea story, The Poseidon Adventure helped to ignite the 1970s catastrophe movie cycle and is one of the best examples of the genre.

It's New Year's Eve, and the ocean liner S.S. Poseidon is on a journey from New York to Athens. The passengers include fiery Reverend Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), who has a frayed relationship with the Church and encourages individuals to strongly believe in themselves first. Just after midnight an underwater earthquake in the Mediterranean unleashes a massive wave, and despite the best efforts of Captain Harrison (Leslie Nielsen), the Poseidon is struck and turned upside down, still barely afloat. The surviving passengers in the grand dining room are split on whether to stay put and wait for help, or make their way upwards nearer the surface.

Scott argues strongly that a perilous climb up towards the hull is the only path to salvation, but he convinces only a small group of passengers to follow his lead. His followers include ex-cop Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) and his ex-prostitute wife Linda (Stella Stevens), teenager Susan (Pamela Sue Martin) and her bratty but knowledgeable younger brother Robin (Eric Shea), band singer Nonnie (Carol Lynley), elderly single man James Martin (Red Buttons), older married Jewish couple Manny and Belle Rosen (Jack Albertson and Shelley Winters), and crew member Acres (Roddy McDowall). They start their ascent and are barely able to stay ahead of the rising waters, while frequent explosions rock their perilous surroundings. Scott and Rogo repeatedly clash, and not all the group members will make it to the hull and the chance at a rescue.

Directed by Ronald Neame, The Poseidon Adventure was producer Irwin Allen's first big-screen success. An adaptation of the Paul Gallico book, the film closely adheres to the now familiar formula of a small group of survivors navigating their way out of a disaster zone, with many candidates lined up to win sympathy and then summarily die. The Poseidon Adventure expertly delivers the requisite mix of thrills and human drama, and invests plenty of time in rounding out its characters into relatively interesting people with distinct personalities. Reverend Scott's small flock is a surprisingly memorable group, and they add immeasurably to the film's enjoyment.

The special effects and sets are excellent for the era. Using models, camera tricks and specialty sets, Neame and his production team create a disaster zone for the ages, tipping over a massive ship, creating numerous sets filled with fires, destruction and dead bodies, plus some surreal environments just for good measure: a mammoth blue Christmas tree becomes an essential climbing structure; an upside barbershop and an upside men's bathroom add nothing to the story but are unforgettable touches. Elsewhere, the film offers up a maze of inverted hallways, shafts, staircases, catwalks and submerged rooms for the survivors to try and navigate.

The script is co-written by Stirling Silliphant and Wendell Mayes, and provides plenty of bonus fun in the form of obvious religious parallelisms with the Pilgrim's Progress. Scott is a troubled but passionate reverend, and he works hard to convince a group of strangers, a combination of saints and sinners, to become his followers before leading them up to the light. Scott even gets to drag that Christmas tree over his shoulder in a symbolic nod to the cross. On the way to the top Scott's congregation stumbles across another larger group in an almost catatonic state, following a man of science (the ship's doctor) in the wrong direction.

The cast get into the spirit and deliver wide-eyed and loud performances, suitably amplified to compete with the surreal surroundings. Ernest Borgnine goes furthest to the extremes of boorishness as ex-cop Rogo, and he gets competition from Shelley Winters as the overweight ex-swimmer trudging along with the group, waiting for her moment of divinity to float to the surface. Gene Hackman is the only bona fide current star in the group, and he keeps a straight face and intense tone as a man who finds his mission in the bowels of an upside ocean liner.

The Poseidon Adventure is irresistible Hollywood entertainment: plenty of has-beens, overturned, on fire, in the water, but always looking up.

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Movie Review: Night Moves (1975)

A neo-noir detective thriller, Night Moves is an engrossing character study ironically elevated by an almost incomprehensible plot featuring large gaps and plenty of edges.

Through his friend Nick (Kenneth Mars), Los Angeles based former pro footballer and now private detective Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman) is hired by has-been movie starlet and multiple divorcée Arlene Iverson (Janet Ward) to find her runaway 16 year old daughter Delly (Melanie Griffith). Arlene is less interested in Delly's well-being and more in need of the money generated by her daughter's trust fund. Just as he starts his investigation Harry stumbles on his wife Ellen (Susan Clark) having an affair under his nose with a man called Marty Heller (Harris Yulin). He pushes on regardless and starts to uncover the web of Delly's friends, including greasy mechanic Quentin (James Woods), caustic movie stunt director Joey Ziegler (Edward Binns) and handsome stunt pilot Marv Ellman (Anthony Costello).

Learning that Delly is an uninhibited sexpot who is sleeping her way through her mother's former lovers, Harry makes his way to the Florida keys where he finds Delly hanging out with Arlene's second ex-husband Tom Iverson (John Crawford). Tom appears to have already been ensnared by Delly's sexual charms, but his partner Paula (Jennifer Warren) is nevertheless curiously still standing by him. Harry is attracted to Paula but struggles to make sense of what is going on and is unsure if he should return Delly to her mother. A grisly underwater discovery suddenly makes the case a lot more complicated.

Directed by Arthur Penn and written by Alan Sharp, Night Moves is a beautiful mess. With some jarring editing, audacious risks and a plot that scribbles on the periphery of character disintegration, the movie could have dissolved into irrelevance. Instead Penn conjures up a companion piece to The Big Sleep, stripped of even the pretense of thorny heroism. The story of Night Moves is littered with holes, ill-defined motivations and at least one incredible coincidence. It does not matter. The focus is on Harry Moseby standing witness to his family life and career crumbling around his ears, while he intellectually believes that there is something he can do about it.

The signs are clear early on that Moseby's detective skills fall short. This is a man who could not detect his own wife having an affair, and later cannot untangle the relationship between Tom and Paula. He thinks he is saving Delly by depositing her back with her mother, but that proves to be the worst possible move. All the time he is obsessed with replaying and demonstrating a chess match where a winning strategy involving clever knight moves was missed and the game lost. Moseby is a man always running behind events, falling further back every time he uncovers another piece of the puzzle, and most unfortunately oblivious to his own incompetence.

Penn is not just satisfied with an in depth look at one miserable character: he surrounds him with all that the mid-1970s had to offer in terms of a dispirited society, where 1960s communal idealism crashed against Watergate and the oil crisis, triggering an era of unfettered narcissism. Arlene is a silicone enhanced has-been collecting ex-husbands and still acting the role of being interested in her daughter, while her only real desire is income continuance.

Meanwhile, Delly is not waiting for anyone: she has appropriated the sexual revolution for her selfish purpose, devouring her mother's former lovers in service of personal pleasure. At 16, she is already deploying sex as a weapon of mass escapism across the country. Meanwhile, the movie industry is a cover for illicit activities, the exportation of American culture through on-screen magic a cover-up for a nefarious scheme involving cultural imports.

Moseby walks into this cesspool believing that he is actually good, and Gene Hackman is brilliant at portraying a pathetic man catching up too late with his own incompetence. Ruffled, betrayed, and played repeatedly for a fool, Hackman ensures that Moseby is an unforgettable tragic figure. The supporting cast members share the screen time, planets circling Moseby's dying sun. Particularly effective are Melanie Griffith and James Woods, who both make strong marks in early roles.

Night Moves ends with Moseby coming to terms with the limits of his talent. After chasing the truth back and forth across the country, his fate is simplified into small circles, so that even he can understand it.

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Movie Review: Narrow Margin (1990)

A cramped action movie, Narrow Margin confines itself to a moving train and finds little traction in a contrived plot about a district attorney protecting a reluctant witness to a mob hit.

In Los Angeles, Carol Hunnicut (Anne Archer) meets lawyer Michael Tarlow (J.T. Walsh) for dinner on a blind date arranged by mutual friends. They are interrupted by mob boss Leo Watts (Harris Yulin), who confronts Tarlow about missing money. Leo's goon shoots and kills Tarlow, not knowing that Carol is a witness. She hurriedly leaves town and finds refuge in a remote cabin in Canada's wilderness.

Deputy District Attorney Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman) and Detective Dominick Benti (M. Emmet Walsh) track Carol down and try to convince her to return to Los Angeles to testify against Watts. But a mob hit squad is hot on Caulfield's trail and he has to spring into action to escape the flying bullets and save Carol's life. They jump on a train to Vancouver, triggering a long hide-and-seek game between Caulfeild and assorted henchmen.

Directed and written by Peter Hyams, Narrow Margin is a remake of a 1952 Richard Fleischer film. The modern take stumbles into a prolonged and unconvincing showdown on a slow train, as Caulfield bundles Carol from cabin to cabin and takes off to confront the bad guys in scenes with stale threats punctuated by implausible action.

It is quite clear early on that Caulfield can trust no one, the bad guys have infiltrated the district attorney's office and evil awaits at random stops along the way in the Canadian wilderness. The henchmen suffer from the common disease of instantaneous incompetence when provided with opportunities to finish the job. Caulfield predictably stays one step ahead of all his pursuers, although he too is capable of moronic moments that serve to prolong the chase and run down the clock towards the magical 90 minute mark.

Meanwhile, Carol is reduced to sitting in dark train cabins, staring out of the window and doing little until the next time Caulfield comes knocking on the door for another bout of wooden dialogue. Despite the scarcity of material, the script never takes a meaningful risk to delve into the characters beyond their superficial trappings.

In one of his weaker outings Hackman is not able to rise above the material and offers little to latch onto beyond the typical government agent following his own strong moral compass. Anne Archer fares worse, her 1980s hairdo not helping as she is confined to a static woman-needs-protection role. Neither witty nor entertaining, Narrow Margin is as dismal as its damsel in distress.

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