Recently I have gotten on kicks for both watching and appreciating the works of director Sidney Lumet and the classic (i.e., 70's) performances of Al Pacino. Thus I came across this film, which I had on DVD forever. It'll interesting to watch the recent documentary on the character Pacino portrays, 'The Dog'--just found out about it earlier today. I loved Lumet's films he made before this that I've seen--'12 Angry Men', 'The Fugitive Kind', 'The Hill', 'The Anderson Tapes' and 'Murder on the Orient Express'--and he's superb at getting the gradual self-destruction of his characters that just seethes through the screen. At this point, Pacino could do no wrong in his work--he had that firm grasp on his immense talent and just what he needed from it to do remarkable work, some of the finest characterizations in contemporary cinema. Do both he and yourself a favour and don't bother with anything he's made since 'Heat'.
**A good film, but not as memorable as some people say.** Director Sidney Lumet created this film based on a true incident that is still the subject of study by police cadets today: a homosexual who decides to rob a bank to pay for his partner's sex change, but who takes the manager and the employees as hostages when things get complicated, and desperately tries not to be killed or arrested by the policemen, who surround the place and try to control a maddened crowd, who are not sympathetic to the authorities. The film was made and released in 1975, and it could not be more appropriate to the time in which it was made: the great decade of civil disobedience, of challenge to authorities and the affirmation of the gay movement. I confess that I'm not quite aware of the real incident behind the script. For that reason, I prefer to focus on this very well done dramatization. In addition to the design of sets and costumes, and an intelligent choice of the filming location, the cinematography is very well executed, and the film has very good visual qualities. The pleasant pace is reasonably fast at first, but slows down midway through, perhaps emulating the back and forth of negotiations between the authorities and the clumsy robbers. And if history is a mirror of its time, the same can be said of the dialogues, where swear words are used with a liberality previously unthinkable. Although many consider this film a must-see, I honestly disagree. It's a must-see for fans of Al Pacino or Lumet, it will certainly be a good suggestion for a 70s film cycle, but that's basically it. It's a pretty good film, but it can hardly be classified as memorable. Al Pacino is a great actor and is experiencing a particularly happy moment in his career when he makes this film, but I have to recognize that he made several better films, before and after. Just think of “Godfather 3”, “Scent of a Woman” or “Devil’s Advocate”, to name a few. John Cazale is good in a more understated role, and Charles Durning and Chris Sarandon both deserve praise for a job well done.
Belgian police try to solve the mystery of a tunnel.
Movie Star Rating : 7.4 Read More
Dean is a wreck of a man trapped in an abyss of drugs and unsafe sex, living his life with little concern for himself or others. Teetering on the edge, hardly anything or anyone can affect Dean’s lifestyle except the need for more drugs. Though proclaiming himself “straight” Dean is willing to do just about anything to satisfy his urges, including participating in orgies and gay sex in the back of a car. Other characters include Dean's neighbor Ellsworth who barters Ketamine (special K) for sex, Brioni who throws a party/orgy and Cyja - Dean's ex-girlfriend and drug counselor.
Movie Star Rating : 3 Read More
"Ruptures (or André and Gabriel)" is the last episode of this short film trilogy of love encounters. This film follows Gabriel, while introducing André, his ex-boyfriend, with whom he's meeting by chance in Paris after 10 years. This encounter happens exactly in the moment when Gabriel is filming a documentary about break-ups. Gabriel then ends up inviting André to take part of it.
Movie Star Rating : 7.2 Read More
Heterophobia traces the quick fall into hell of Mariano. A young gay man who, having been first raped and then rejected by an heterosexual friend with whom he had vague romantic illusions, has a sentimental journey from initial guilt and messianistic will of redemption, through flaring spite, up through castrating rage, before arriving to a final conclusion: that the the only possible action against patriarchy is revolution. Made in the margins of the Argentine audiovisual community (from which some of the creative team have been effectively blacklisted). It was produced according to the precepts of guerrilla film making is a romantic torch song-not melancholic, but actually demanding a torch with which to ignite the world.
Movie Star Rating : 2 Read More
Based on the true story of the events that led to the death of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were dispatched to check on him.
Movie Star Rating : 7.5 Read More
Sophie Beaulieu, examining magistrate, cannot manage to find the limits between her work and her family life. The boundaries are further blurred when, following the violent death of her son, the judge finds herself involved in the investigation. Beaulieu thinks he knows who the murderer is, but he manages to escape justice.
Movie Star Rating : 9 Read More
In 1950s Los Angeles, a special crime squad of the LAPD investigates the murder of a young woman.
Movie Star Rating : 5.9 Read More
Abandoned by his prostitute mother in 1920, Douzi was raised by a theater troupe. There he meets Shitou and over the following years the two develop an act entitled "Farewell My Concubine" that brings them fame and fortune. When Shitou marries Juxian, Douzi becomes jealous, the beginnings of the acting duo's explosive breakup and tragic fall take root.
Movie Star Rating : 7.9 Read More
For Dan Gallagher, life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth, and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex, everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.
Movie Star Rating : 6.8 Read More
Grady is a 50-ish English professor who hasn't had a thing published in years—not since he wrote his award winning 'Great American Novel' 7 years ago. This weekend proves even worse than he could imagine as he finds himself reeling from one misadventure to another in the company of a new wonder boy author.
Movie Star Rating : 6.8 Read More
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