The final seven are:
dir/scr: Bill Forsyth
High schooler Gregory experiences love, lust, other hijinks. Somewhat amusing, honest portrayal of confusing, fickle teenage emotions. Slight story stretched by non-sequitur, sitcom-level "bits"; oddly cavalier about teacher-student fucking.
The rest, after the jump.....
Butterfly
dir: Matt Cimber
scr: John Goff and Matt Cimber, adaptation by Matt Cimber, based on the novel The Butterfly by James M. Cain
Teenage nympho moves in with estranged daddy. Lolita meets Mudhoney. Its bad reputation isn't totally undeserved, but it's trashy in all the right ways. Performances really are quite good - and even when they aren't, they're a trip.
The Long Good Friday
dir: John Mackenzie
scr: Barrie Keeffe
note: originally released in 1980 in the UK, didn't hit US shores until early 1982
London gangster's empire falls apart on the eve of the biggest deal of his life. Great dialogue; smartly and simply constructed, but it won't slow down for you, so keep your eyes and ears open. And the performances! Truth be told, I wasn't prepared for how across-the-board great this movie is.
Ashes and Embers
dir/scr: Haile Gerima
Black Vietnam vet cannot adjust to life back home. Repetitive headspace of depression rings authentic. Stirring finale, due mostly to the performance from Evelyn A. Blackwell - a commanding presence in a tiny frame. A little too long.
The Verdict
dir: Sidney Lumet
scr: David Mamet, based on the novel by Barry Reed
Oscar Nominee: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Paul Newman), Best Supporting Actor (James Mason), Best Adapted Screenplay
Alcoholic ambulance chaser seeks redemption with malpractice suit. Resonant themes about who executes justice and the manipulation of infrastructures to disfavor those who need them most. Sublime Paul Newman.
That Championship Season
dir/scr: Jason Miller, based on his play
Four friends and their high school basketball coach reunite, face hard truths. Long hard look at fragile masculinity, people who are way into their high school glory days, evolving relationships. Lot of revelatory conversations motivated by the need to spark dramatic conflict, not so much organic tension.
Porky's (#5 at the box office)
dir/scr: Bob Clark
Horny high school boys in 1950s South Florida. Actually shot in South Florida, so I am not allowed to dislike it - good thing it happens to be shockingly funny. Problematic in a lot of ways, even considering when it was made and the period its depicting, but...aw, hell, I liked it!
Starting Monday, we're going through the Oscar categories, starting with Best Original Screenplay: Diner, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Gandhi, An Officer and a Gentleman and Tootsie.
No comments:
Post a Comment