Long story short? My Spanish isn't that good if I have to rush to keep up. I had no real concept of what was going on but went along for the ride. The problem arose that this was not a movie available in any formats, and TCM wasn't showing it as part of their rotation. Well, finally it was released on DVD as part of a Newman film collection, and how many years later I was able to catch up with it. I knew going in that it wasn't either actor's best work, but as a fan of both, I wanted to give it a try...in English this time around.
A down on his luck Arizona cowboy, Jim Kane (Newman) has been dealt some bad news when he finds out the horses he's brought to market have to be quarantined with the horse equivalent of an STD. He needed the money he would get for the sale to pay off a bank loan, but now he's up the creek. Looking for work -- any sort of work -- Kane makes a deal with a somewhat shady businessman, Bill Garrett (Strother Martin), to herd cattle up from Mexico into the U.S. for an upcoming rodeo. Something about the deal doesn't strike Kane quite right, but desperate for the cash he takes the job. With help from an old friend and "cattle broker," Leonard (Marvin), he heads south to round up the animals, but nothing is going to go as planned for this perpetually down on his luck cowboy.
The ingredients for a really solid modern western were all here. Marvin and Newman working together for the only time was the only selling point I needed to hear. The plot reminded me some of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses, and when I saw Terrence Malick had written the script I was psyched. Throw in supporting parts for Martin, Wayne Rogers, Matt Clark, Hector Elizondo, Gregory Sierra, and Fred Graham too. Something doesn't make the transition though because the end result is a story that meanders along too much with an already short 99 minute run-time and never really gets anywhere, finishing where it started. It isn't a bad movie, just one that fails to make much of an impression. I watched it last night and early this morning, and I'm already struggling to remember much about it. That's never a good thing.
If you're going to watch this movie though, I'm guessing it will be because of Newman and Marvin in the two lead roles. What makes it worthwhile seeing these two legends work together is that they both play against type. Newman's Jim is a nice enough guy, a hard worker, and a decent cowboy, but he just isn't the sharpest crayon in the box. Stupid is too harsh, and dim-witted sounds too comical, but there's a naivete to the character that you rarely see in a Paul Newman movie. The same for Lee Marvin as Leonard, a businessman and cowboy who always wears a suit and tie while working. He's not as intense or intimidating as so many other roles, but Marvin easily slides into the part.
The chemistry between the two is not in question here. With a story bouncing around between some dramatic scenes and some comedic exchanges, the duo makes it look effortless. It's more impressive when you consider the script just doesn't give them much to do. Maybe it was just early in his career as he was finding his voice, but Malick's script is not a strong one. It relies far too heavily on the star power without developing any sense of pacing or character development. As a topper, it's never quite clear what's going on. There are moments of great quality, especially Marvin's speech to their Mexican cowhands and Newman's confrontation with Martin over their deal, but the long stretches of nothingness handicap the movie too much overall.
I can't put my finger on what went wrong with this movie. Is it drama or comedy? Is it neither? Maybe I'm judging it too harshly, but I came away empty from it as if the movie had left no impression on me at all. I don't know what else to say. The Mexican locations are authentic -- appropriately enough -- and Carole King's song (listen HERE) is pretty standard fare for a folk song theme played over the opening and closing credits. I wish the movie was better, but it never amounts to anything.
Pocket Money <---Youtube clip (1972): **/****
No comments:
Post a Comment