Drama, Animation, a Short and Basketball: LA Confidential, Beauty & the Beast, Wasp, Hoosiers

1/7/17 L.A. Confidential, 1997, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, National Film Registry

It's hard to believe that at one point in time Russell Crowe was 'unknown' in the United States, but it's true. Back in 1997 Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce were known mainly in Australia and New Zealand, yet they were put in starring roles in L.A. Confidential. Pearce is an up-and-coming police officer, Ed Exley, living in the shadow of his father, who was killed in the line of duty; Exley is a rule follower, which can be problematic because of the corruption running through parts of the department. Crowe is Bud White, an LAPD detective who has anger issues and isn't above beating a confession out of a suspect. It's 1950s Hollywood and the two men find themselves on opposite ends of case involving a Hollywood gossip magazine writer Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito), a cop/consultant to a Hollywood television series, Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), White's partner, Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) and a call girl who resembles Veronica Lake, Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger in her Oscar winning role for Best Supporting Actress). Does that sound like a lot going on? Yeah, it is. It is not a movie to watch while you're multi-tasking, trust me. I'm not going to try and recap the plot, there's too much going on and if you haven't seen it, I would hate to ruin it for you. I liked the way the story as told, giving you some information up front in your face, but also leaving enough hidden and up to your own detective skills, that it does keep you engaged. Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland won the Oscar for Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay. Exley is earnest in his desire to follow the rules and do things the right way, but he does learn to play the game; White is a good detective, but may look to enforce the law his way; Vincennes seems jaded and skeptical, but something about the case at hand reminds him that he must have been a good detective at one point. 1997 was the year of Titanic, and Gloria Stuart was nominated for her role as 'old' Rose, and she was my sentimental favorite even if I hated the movie itself (okay, not hate, but after seeing it 15 times, I never need to see it again). Minnie Driver was also nominated for her role in Good Will Hunting. L.A. Confidential takes all of the elements from 1950s Hollywood: the scandals, the gossip magazines, taboos (sex and drugs), drugs and corruption, and pulls them into a suspenseful thriller.


1/7/17 Il Divo, nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2008

When I saw that Il Divo was directed by Paolo Sorrentino, who directed The Great Beauty (which I loathed), I almost turned it off. I mean, it was only a nominee after all. But, that would be against the spirit of the almighty list. Il Divo is based (I cannot comment on how accurately) on the political life of former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. Bad things seem to happen to people around Andreotti, like they died under mysterious circumstances. Unless you're reading Wikipedia as you watch this, or you're very familiar with Italian politics, a lot of what happens makes little sense, even with little explanations that pop up on screen. Sorrentino use of music is alternately annoying and interesting; which is what I thought in The Great Beauty and Youth, but it's not enough for me to like the movie. The film was nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling which seems so strange to me considering ALL of the movies released in a year, that this was nominated in that category. It lost to Star Trek.

1/8/17 Wasp, Best Live Action Short, 2004

A friend and I were talking about short features and how they have to pack so much into a really short amount of time (you have read that before from me). A lot of the filler or extra plot lines have to be left out to focus on the one main theme. In this case, it is Zoe, a single mom of four young kids somewhere in England, struggling to just get by. At one point the kids are hungry and she gives the oldest a bag of sugar and tells her to 'share it out' with the other kids. She meets up with an old boyfriend, but can't find anyone to watch the kids, so she brings them to the pub and leaves them outside, bring them two packs of crisps and a Coke to share. Zoe doesn't tell David that she has children, much less that they are outside the pub. This could go all kinds of bad, and I found myself getting ticked off at Zoe, but you can see she loves her kids, and is just so overwhelmed, and is stressed and probably scared and could use some help. There is no telling how this ultimately resolves, but I was hoping for the best.

1/12/17 Beauty and the Beast, 1991 Best Music Original Score, Best Music Original Song, National Film Registry

It has been a very long time since I've seen Beauty and the Beast, and I don't remember loving it the way so many people did and do; don't get me wrong, I like it, I like the 'staff' of the castle, Lumiere (Jerry Orbach) and Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), and of course Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), and the story, of course, but I haven't watched it in 25 years, so clearly, I'm not that attached to it. I wanted to make sure I saw it before the new live action movie comes out in early 2017. The Beast (Robby Benson) has locked himself away in his castle for many years because, he's a beast; he used to be a prince, but because of his arrogance and ill treatment of an old beggar (really an enchantress in disguise), he was turned into a frightening beast and his staff were turned into household items, like a candlestick, armoire, clock, tea cup, etc. Belle (Paige O'Hara) is a young village girl who likes her books and independence; she lives with her father, an inventor. Belle is also pursued by the muscle-bound but clueless, Gaston. After her father disappears, Belle goes looking for him, and finds him in the enchanted castle that also happens to be where the Beast lives. The Beast is less than pleased with the intrusion of Belle and her father, he makes a deal to let her father go, but Belle must stay. At first the relationship is a little tense, but the Beast begins to have feelings for Belle, and as they learn about each other, accept each other's differences, love begins to grow. Of course, it's never that simple. Gaston rallies the villagers against the Beast and attacks the castle; to say that Gaston made a tactical error would be a small understatement. The film score and one of the songs ("Beauty and the Beast" sung by Angela Lansbury and also Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson) won Oscars, music is a large part of what makes the film so beloved. The movie was the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture. Little girls love to be Belle, and I don't think it's just because she gets the prince, but she is an independent young woman, who loves to read and learn and make up her own mind. Clearly the film and story resonate because there have been so many different incarnations: musicals, Disney on Ice, Disney World and Disneyland, straight to video sequels, and of course, the upcoming live action film. So, I guess while I don't personally love it, I did like it and think it's a good story and movie for families.

1/13/17 Hoosiers, 1986, National Film Registry

How have I never seen this movie? Seriously, I have never seen this story about an underdog basketball team from small town Indiana, starring Gene Hackman as head coach Norman Gale. Hoosiers is set in 1950s Hickory, Indiana and the high school team is getting a new head coach. Like many small towns, strangers are looked at with a bit of skepticism, and it's no exception here. Norman Gale has a bit of a mysterious past and some unconventional coaching methods which lead the townspeople to question his every decision. Not only are his coaching methods under scrutiny, but Gale brings in Shooter Flatch (Dennis Hopper), the father of one of his players, who is also the town drunk. Shooter is a fan and student of the game, and Gale gives him a moment to shine in front of his neighbors, and his son. Even though Gale tries to keep his past to himself, one of the teachers, Myra Fleener (Barbara Hershey) finds out why he is no longer coaching college out east, but is in rural Indiana coaching high school. Hopper was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Jerry Goldsmith was nominated for Best Score. 1986 was the year of Platoon, Hannah and Her Sisters, A Room with a View and several other big movies, so maybe there just wasn't enough room at the table for Hoosiers, but it certainly has had lasting value in the pantheon of sports movies. It's a great story of underdogs beating the odds, whether that's the small town of Hickory, its basketball team, Shooter, or Coach Gale finding his place. I really loved this movie. Gene Hackman is one of our great actors, if he is playing Popeye Doyle, Lex Luthor, the coach in The Replacements, the bad guy in Unforgiven, or Coach Gale. There's something about his acting style that doesn't seem like acting. Hopper is really good and less annoying than he was in Blue Velvet. The kids who played the players were good and believable, but I don't know if any of them continued with acting. If, by some freak of movie watching, you have not seen this movie, I totally recommend it.