Heist

I knew the name if not his work necessarily. David Mamet has done a bit of everything in Hollywood from writing to directing to producing. Whatever he is doing though, I can say this. Even with my little knowledge or background info, I knew that Mamet is a talented if eccentric guy. Playing on some genre conventions that will no doubt seem very familiar at times, Mamet directs the simply-titled 2001 film, Heist.

While pulling off an intricate diamond exchange robbery with his team, veteran thief Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) is caught on a security camera and plans to retire from the business. His plans are brought to a halt though when his fence, Mickey Bergman (Danny DeVito), refuses to share his half of the take from the diamond robbery. He'll give him the money, provided he takes on one more job. Everything is set down to the smallest details for the job -- robbing an airplane of a heavy shipment of Swiss gold -- but Joe smells a rat. It seems too easy, especially when Mickey insists his nephew, Jimmy Silk (Sam Rockwell), "tag along" to keep an eye on things. It won't be easy getting out unscathed, but an old pro like Joe has some tricks too.

No matter the talent -- or lack of -- I'll sit down and watch a heist film. Almost always there is some attempt to throw a new wrinkle into the familiar genre, what new job/scheme can be pulled off against the odds? Mamet doesn't go for that new wrinkle, sticking with the old reliables and doing it well. We see familiar characters -- the thief on his last job, his long-time partner, the smooth-talking con man, the shady fence, the femme fatale -- and familiar situations throughout. 'Heist' isn't interested in a BIG story with a huge scale. It stays on a more personal level and has a more believable feel. A shootout is quick and violent, betrayals come left and right, and there's always a twist around the next corner. Subdued or understated isn't the right word, but it's a professionally done story that knows where it wants to get.

I'll save the flaws for later, but the positives are obvious; namely, the cast. No matter the role, I'll give Gene Hackman a chance, and he rarely disappoints. His character -- the veteran thief doing his last job -- is the definition of a stock character we've seen countless times before, but Hackman breathes some new life into that familiar part. I especially liked his partnership with Delroy Lindo's Bob Blane, another experienced, fiery thief who works with Joe like a brother. There few scenes together (just them) provide the most memorable, enjoyable scenes in the whole movie. Also on Joe's team are Rebecca Pidgeon (Mrs. Mamet) as Fran, Joe's wife, and Ricky Jay as Pinky, the chubby, fast-talking con artist who can do a little bit of everything. DeVito and Rockwell (sporting a porno-esque mustache) are solid villains, DeVito's Mickey hamming it up a bit in the sinister intensity department, Rockwell the more sly bad guy. A lot of talent here that all works well together.

So what then goes wrong here? I really can't put my finger on it for sure. I was never bored, enjoyed it all the way to the end, and would recommend it.....but. Yeah, it's missing something, something that stops it from being a great or even just a really good movie. As is, it's a good movie and nothing more. Is it too familiar? Maybe, but that can't be it. It is definitely a movie that might improve on second and multiple viewings. At times, the acting is a little over-dramatic -- almost comical in its delivery -- and Hackman's Joe could possibly be the world's smartest man the way he sees betrayals coming and dances around them. No one....no one...could be that smart, I don't care how "experienced" you are. In being clever though, some major plotholes developed, ones that didn't quite make sense. There are times the movie knows it's smart, well-written and clever. That's the risk you play with movies like this. It knows it is all those things and wants to show how smart and clever it is.

Still, it's a heist movie and a pretty decent one at that. The opening heist in the diamond/jewelry exchange is a gem (yes, pun intended), quick and to the point in its effectiveness. The same goes for the heist of the airliner packed with gold. The build-up is intense in its quietness, as is the heist. Very little dialogue is used at all in the extended sequence which is unique in its setting. How many on-the-tarmac heists have you seen? I can honesty say 'One.' The twists and turns and betrayals get to be a little much in the last 30 minutes, but the ending -- especially the final shot -- is particularly memorable. So what to say about this one? Flawed, but in a good way.

Heist <---trailer (2001): ** 1/2 /****

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

The name Dr. Seuss is synonymous with children's books, and that popularity means it was only a matter of time before those stories were turned into feature films. We've gotten some bad ventures -- The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas -- and some inoffensive entries, like Horton Hears a Who. Recently, one of Dr. Seuss' more underrated stories finally got the big screen treatment, 2012's Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.

In the town of Thneedville, nothing is quite how it should be. A complete lack of nature has forced the residents to rely on fake trees, fake grass, and provided air from rich businessman, Mr. O'Hare (Rob Riggle). Trying to impress his crush, Audrey (country singer Taylor Swift), 13-year old Ted (Zac Efron), goes about trying to find a real tree for her. Audrey's an artist -- drawing countless trees, even a mural on her house -- and would like nothing more than to see one in person. Where to even start? Ted seeks out the Once-ler (Ed Helms), a hermit living outside of the town who is responsible for destroying valleys of beautiful trees for his business years before. From the crotchety old man, Ted hears the story of the Lorax (Danny DeVito), a small furry, mustached character who's job is to guard and protect the woods and animals.

The visual look of the Dr. Seuss books makes for an easy transition from the page to the screen. 'Lorax' is big, bright and colorful, best watched while taking some acid. Sorry, disregard that last statement....seriously though, it's a trippy movie to watch. While I like Pixar and its new wave of animated movies, I like the old-school animated movies that are....well, animated. 'Lorax' doesn't look so over-processed by a computer. Unlike so many other recent animated features, it isn't quirky or eccentric, just unique from the start, good for kids with some laughs for the adults too.

I've always been a fan of Danny DeVito, but over recent years, I've come to know him as Frank Reynolds, the foul-mouthed, gun-toting nut of a father on FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. My first thought when I saw he was playing one of Dr. Seuss' most iconic characters? No freaking way that works....no chance in hell. I was wrong, mostly because I'm so used to 'Sunny.' Playing the Lorax, the small, furry creature with some strong opinions and an epic yellow mustache, DeVito nails the part. His voice is instantly recognizable -- that familiarity ends up working well -- and there's just enough of a dark edge to the character to make it interesting. When Helms' Once-ler disregards his threat, the Lorax and his animal friends steal his bed and let him loose on a gently-flowing (at first) river. That scene provides some of the movie's biggest laughs, DeVito carrying the movie throughout as the iconic Lorax.

The rest of the voice talents are pretty solid across the board, no one a huge, memorable part and no one a train wreck that ruins the movie. The two that stand out the most for all the good reasons are Helms as the Once-ler and Riggle as the evil, diabolical O'Hare. Whether it's on NBC's The Office or his role in The Hangover movies, Helms has a very expressive voice, one that translates well to an animated character, whether it's as a young man or a much, much older guy. Riggle too can fill up the screen with his voice, a funny comparison with O'Hare's visual, a stout, very short man with a bowl cut, his hair cut so he can see out. O'Hare has a great scene late, his verse in a finale song providing some good laughs. Efron and Swift are just fine -- not great, not bad -- as Ted and Audrey. Betty White has some fun as Grammy Norma, Ted's grandma who gives him the idea to seek out the Once-ler in search of the long-gone trees.

Because DeVito and Helms are the more memorable voice talents here, the parts of the story that flow better are the flashback to the history of the Lorax. At 86-minutes, it's not like the movie ever really slows down, but the flashbacks were more entertaining. The visual is there -- especially the unique trees that look like cotton candy palm trees -- and the characters -- the Lorax, Once-ler, the cute animals from a chubby bear to a singing trio of fish -- more appealing. Yes, the movie's 'Save the world' message gets to be a little heavy-handed, and there are a fair share of pretty trippy moments, but it's a fun, entertaining and well-made animated movie. A classic it isn't, but just a good animated movie ain't bad, especially considering the wave of needlessly quirky or repetitive and unnecessary sequels hitting theaters.

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax <---trailer (2012): ***/****

Get Shorty

With his role in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, John Travolta burst back onto the Hollywood scene in a big way.  He was in the Look Who's Talking Movies up to that point, but not much else over a 10-plus year time span. But starting in 1994, Travolta seemed to be marketable again, someone audiences wanted to see in theaters.  Over the next several years, he starred in Michael, Phenomenon, Face/Off, and in one of his best parts, 1995's Get Shorty.

Not to sound smarmy or condescending, but from director Barry Sonnenfeld, this is a movie about movies...literally.  All the characters are working toward (and against each other) about a supposedly can't miss script which we discover little about, which then turns into another movie.  It is stylish and fun with a story that does its fair share of twisting and turning as characters turn on each other over and over again. But more than that, it is a self conscious movie -- in a good way. The story quotes other movies, characters appreciate movie history (especially Travolta), and the movie even ends in a film within a film. Don't be confused though, it all works nicely.

A mobster and loan shark based out of Miami, Chili Palmer (Travolta) is feeling the wrath of new boss and possibly nuts mobster Ray 'Bones' Barboni (Dennis Farina). Palmer heads west after an unpaid debt, finding out that someone who owes him money defrauded the insurance company out of $300,000 and is now in Los Angeles after a successful trip to Las Vegas.  Chili quickly and easily finds the man, but in the process meets B-movie director/producer extraordinaire Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) with who he quickly hits it off through their appreciation of movies. Harry has a can't miss script on his desk and enlists Chili to help him get it made with all his "talents." Not so easy though, even with Chili's ability to get things done because another loan shark, Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), wants in on the movie and isn't worried about ruffling some feathers.

With how wrapped up celebrities and the movie business can get with themselves, it is always nice to see those celebrities poke fun in their own direction. Sonnenfeld's movie paints a big target and rips anyone and everyone involved with the movie business, but it never comes across as mean-spirited or cruel humor, just an honest look at a shady business.  We meet primadonna actors, has-been and never will-be stars, past their prime directors, and loan sharks with an eye for a quick and easy payday.  More than anything though, it is a fun dig at all these people and professions.  If you're going to do that, you'd better have a lot of talent on-board, and Sonnenfeld assembles quite a cast to do so.

I have always liked John Travolta as an actor. The man can act, but when he is at his best, I like to think it is because of his presence, his ability to ham it up at times as his character requires.  His Chili Palmer is a strong mix of both so we get a chance to see Travolta act but also have a lot of fun with a part that allows him to explore some.  He is supremely confident in his abilities but never cocky or arrogant.  He knows he will get a job done.  Most importantly though in his line of work, he is one persuasive S.O.B. but never in an intimidating way. He just has a knack for convincing you that what he needs is what you need to do. The change Chili makes is great too, trying to sell his story of what he's doing at the moment (chasing down a debt) as a feature film. Loan shark and mobster maybe, but he's a movie fan above all else, quoting everything from John Wayne to Bette Davis. Good to see you back, Mr. Travolta.

With Travolta's Chili Palmer, you have a character capable of carrying a movie, and at times, he does, dominating his scenes with ease.  Of course that's not all the movie got. Hackman is perfectly cast as Harry Zimm, a veteran aging director looking for one more hit. I'd like to think this is a spin on Roger Corman, but I could be off-base.  Rene Russo plays Karen Flores, a B-movie scream queen who never quite reached stardom but is still a recognizable face in the movie. Danny DeVito is hilarious and beyond perfect as Martin Weir, an actor's actor, a method actor who wants to BECOME the role he's playing. His scenes with Travolta are priceless as Martin tries to become a loan shark. Farina and Lindo get to milk their bad guy roles, hamming it up as the relatively bad guys with James Gandolfini playing Bear, Lindo's henchman and a former stunt man himself. It would be easy for a cast like this to fight it out for screen-time, but this group has an ease working together that never throws the movie off. Watch out late for a quick but perfect cameo from Harvey Keitel in the finale too.

I'm looking for more to say but coming up with nothing. There is nothing really new or groundbreaking about Sonnenfeld's well-made, stylish comedy. But every weekend when you see really stupid comedies and lazy remakes hitting theaters or being released on DVD, it is nice to see a movie like this. There is an abundance of talent involved, and they're having as much fun making the movie as we are watching it (hopefully at least, I enjoyed it). It is smart and funny right from the start. Now as for the sequel that came 10 years later, 2005's Be Cool? I'll let you know about that one.

Get Shorty <---trailer (1995): ***/****

The Rainmaker (1997)

The name John Grisham is synonymous with courtroom dramas and legal thrillers. There is A Time to Kill, The Firm, Runaway Jury, Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker and The Client to name a few. I've only read one Grisham novel -- A Painted House, his departure from the courtroom ironically enough -- but his stories translate well to film. There is a natural drama to courtroom proceedings that just works well, especially with 1997's The Rainmaker, a drama that isn't flashy or showy, just a well-made, polished story.

The different elements that are all over the place here somehow find a way to click and gel together. Some of that can no doubt be chalked up to Grisham's familiarity and ease with his story and characters which smooth out any number of rough patches. The director here is Francis Ford Coppola, he of The Godfather series, who I wouldn't picture in a courtroom story. Rising star Matt Damon is aided by a pitch-perfect supporting cast with Elmer Bernstein providing a somewhat odd, blues/jazz mix for his soundtrack. It isn't a great movie, and maybe it isn't even a very good movie, but it is GOOD from the get-go.

Fresh out of law school in Memphis, Rudy Baylor (Damon) takes a job with ambulance chasing lawyer Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke) while he waits to pass the Bar exam. Working with insurance agent and attempted lawyer, Deck Shifflet (Danny DeVito), Rudy sees the writing on the wall and knows Bruiser is about to get taken down by the FBI. With Deck, he starts his own small firm. Their only case comes from a lower classic family, the Blacks, including mother Dot (Mary Kay Place) and son, Donny Ray (Johnny Whitworth), who is dying of leukemia. The Blacks' insurance company is denying their claim, but Rudy takes on the case -- his first -- in hopes of bringing the suffering family some peace. He's forced to learn on the fly, especially with his opponent, Leo Drummond (Jon Voight), an experienced, smart, tricky and veteran lawyer looking to take him to pieces.

So we can all agree lawyers suck, right? Okay, that's harsh. Maybe only like 96% of them. Movies have a chance and a way of humanizing them, especially here in the eyes of young, inexperienced lawyer Rudy. You need an underdog in a story like this, and Damon's Rudy supplies it in spades. While intelligent and book smart, he doesn't necessarily know the ins and outs of being a lawyer, the courtroom basics an experienced lawyer would take for granted. Damon's narration is at its best in its simplicity, a young man questioning the system he so wants to be a part of. For all the good it is intended to do, the judicial system is flawed in countless ways, something Rudy finds out quickly. It isn't just right and wrong anymore. It's about winning and losing plain and simple with plenty of money on the line. Innocent and even a little naive, Damon does a great job with this character, a sign of the acting ability we've come to appreciate in the years since.

How good is the cast here? Danny Glover plays the judge trying the case, a civil rights supporter and opponent of big business, and the man isn't even credited. DANNY GLOVER! DeVito gets a showier part -- if a background one -- as Deck, the almost-lawyer who still has a slimy veneer to him even when you can't help but like him and his nose for getting in and out of trouble. Voight is perfect as Leo Drummond, the snake oil lawyer who knows every trick in the business. Place, Whitworth and Red West give the movies its heart as the Black family, their scenes touching and heartbreaking as the story develops. Not enough for you? There's also Rourke, Virginia Madsen as a key witness, Dean Stockwell as an old school judge, Teresa Wright as Rudy's client and landlady, Roy Scheider as a CEO who could make or break the case, and even country singer Randy Travis in a great bit part as a potential juror. Good enough for you?

I liked this movie, but as I write this review I'm struggling to come up with reasons why. Thanks to shows like Law and Order and its countless spin-offs, the courtroom drama is far from original anymore. It seems stupid to be critical of a movie released almost 15 years ago for things that have happened since, but there it is. This Coppola-directed courtroom drama is the equivalent of comfort food. You have a good sense of what's going on, the semi-twists that will eventually be revealed, and in the end...well, let's not go there.  The movie and story are in their comfort zone in the court scenes with an easygoing sense of where they want to go and what they want to accomplish. Damon and Voight play off each other nicely with Glover and DeVito making their impact known as needed. The out-of-court scenes tend to meander a bit, but the movie always rights itself when needed.

The only real complaint I have for the movie, and the one part I genuinely didn't like was a subplot with Damon's Rudy and a client of his, Kelly (Claire Danes), a young wife married to an abusive husband (Andrew Shue). Rudy instantly develops feelings for her, wanting to save her from almost certain doom at the hands of her husband. In an effort to develop Rudy more as a character (unnecessary if you ask me), I felt like the story went down an easy path that Grisham is just better than. The story doesn't dwell too long on these scenes, but the damage is done early. Not a deal breaker, but it does bring the movie down a notch or two.

I'm struggling here. I don't know what else to say. I liked this movie if I didn't love it. Not bad at all, but it never reaches that level of courtroom drama classic. Solid if not so flashy directing from Coppola, and an all-star cast that does not disappoint, but it's just missing something overall. Still worth checking out though.

The Rainmaker <---trailer (1997): ***/****

L.A. Confidential

In its heyday, the film noir genre turned out more than its fair share of classic movies in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These were tough stories often shot in black and white with a typically cynical view of the world. Tough guy actors like Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan dotted these stories which appealed to audiences then and especially now over 60 year later. But as great as some of these movies were, they were limited by the times they were made in with censorship and production codes keeping a tight rein on these stories.

No such problem in 1997 when L.A. Confidential was released in theaters with a moderate success in theaters and almost complete critical acclaim. Director Curtis Hanson revisits much of what made film noir popular with this hard-bitten, rough-edged movie. Hanson uses Los Angeles extensively in location shooting, and much like 1974's Chinatown did, produces a feeling of what the city must have felt like in the past. With no censors holding him back, the story is blunt and straightforward, full of language and violence that never seems extreme and is almost always essential to the story. This one slipped by me since its release, but am I ever glad I caught up with it.

Based on a novel by James Ellroy, L.A. Confidential has a plot that is pretty near impossible explaining here without giving away many of the key twists and turns it takes. Anyways, here's the gist of it. It's 1953 Los Angeles where the LAPD is full of corruption and scandal with three very different cops stepping into the limelight. First, there's Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), a rising star on the force looking to make a name for himself the right way, the moral way. Second, there's Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a veteran of the force and a bit of a celebrity for his work with 'Badge of Honor,' a thinly veiled Dragnet rip-off. Don't be confused though, Vincennes is a good cop, even if he may take some shortcuts in his detective work. And last, there's Bud White (Russell Crowe), a brutish homicide detective not above planting some evidence or beating a confession out of a suspect.

Not always working together, the three officers are all involved in one way or another with a massacre at a little diner where 5 people, including a former cop, were murdered, apparently by three young black men wielding shotguns. But as the trio soon figures out, everything is not so cut and dry as it seems. It's nice to see a deeply-layered story like this that requires the viewer to pay attention to each and every scene, every line of dialogue. Even paying close attention, the story is so convoluted and full of twists and turns that it can be hard to follow. Never fear though, the last 30 minutes wraps everything up nicely with an impressive body count too.

Movies with a big ensemble cast have always appealed to me, and this is one of the best. Pearce, Spacey and Crowe all bring something different to their parts, cops who are very different but also very similar. They go about things differently, but they want the same results. Joining them in the cast is Kim Basinger who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her part as Lynn Bracken, a high-price callgirl involved with Crowe's White and the case they're all working. Often more recognized for her good looks than her acting chops, Basinger delivers a strong performance as a woman who ends up as a pawn in a huge conspiracy. Rounding out the cast are James Cromwell as commissioner Dudley Smith, Danny DeVito as Sid Hudgens, a paparazzi before there was TMZ, and David Strathairn as Pierce Patchett, a millionaire working with the movies, cops, drug dealer and prosititutes.

Racking up Oscar nominations in 1997 like crazy, but only winning two -- stupid Titanic -- this is one of those movies that has it all from casting to cinematography to a great understated score from Jerry Goldsmith. It's a throwback to the movies of classic Hollywood, the Golden Age of movies, albeit with a lot more language, cursing and graphic violence. LA Confidential has a professional feeling hovering around it that too often movies are lacking. Can't recommend this one enough, although the final scene does have a bit of a cop-out. Small potatoes I guess in the bigger picture.

L.A. Confidential <----trailer (1997): ****/****