Body Double (1984)

Body Double [DVD]; Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2004; screenplay by Robert J. Avrech and Brian DePalma; produced and directed by Brian De Palma. Originally produced in 1984 as a motion picture. Music, Pino Donaggio; director of photography, Stephen H. Burum; edited by Jerry Greenberg.

Performers: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Greg Henry, Deborah Shelton. Summary: a voyeuristic, unemployed actor spies on a neighbor's nightly disrobing and sees more than he wants to. A grisly murder leads him into an obsessive quest through the world of pornographic film-making.

style ***1/2

substance ***

Watching Body Double is not a warm experience. Hardly. In fact it’s a seedy, downright sleazy experience, but that’s part of the fun. And it can be enjoyed with a certain smugness and a minimum of self-inflicted guilt simply because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Gaudy? Sensationalist? Yes, absolutely. Irresistible? Well, maybe, and maybe not. But it has a high gloss patina and is somehow very easy to watch, in a cringeworthy sort of way – is that perhaps the working definition of a guilty pleasure? In any case for the viewer who fancies this kind of over-the-top thriller, one could do a lot worse on a cloudy, rainy night.

Director Brian De Palma has been called an acquired taste, and indeed considering all the polarized reviews of BD floating around the ‘Net this would seem to be an understatement. His admiration for and borrowing from the original suspense master Alfred Hitchcock has been much commented on so we won’t belabor the issue here, except to note that Body Double, as some of Hitchcock’s films tend to be, is more about style than substance. And the story itself, with its heavy doses of voyeurism, romantic obsession, reality and illusion, and lots of camera trickery, is a kind of commentary on the art, uses, and sometimes abuses, of filmmaking.

Thus Body Double also invokes, albeit faintly so, those cinematic behind-the-scenes critiques of the film industry, so memorably invoked in arguably – in some cases definitely – artistically superior films like Sunset Blvd., The Player, The Oscar and A Star is Born. True, the film ventures perilously close to pornography, and by implication, trash, but somehow it has a quirky elegance that at least partially redeems the tawdry subject matter. Besides, the film never really lapses into graphic porn, since it generally suggests more than it actually depicts.

Whatever his flaws as a director, De Palma has a great sense of camera angles as well as flair for soft, rich colors, and one of the joys of his movies is the fine visuals. Even if the content falters, the story is always presented in a visceral way, edited and filmed for maximum emotional impact. As to the cast, Craig Wasson, one of the most forgettable of actors, here as the flawed (non)hero, is perfectly cast precisely because of his numbing ordinariness and forgettableness, and he delivers a serviceable if not exactly brilliant performance. Both our leading ladies Deborah Shelton and Melanie Griffith are very easy on the eyes and Melanie in particular is appealing as the porn star with a heart of stone.

Eminently 1980s and especially enjoyable for the Hitchcock references, Body Double is a fun watch,  and in its way much recommended, with the usual not-for-all-tastes caveat for this kind of material. It may not be a masterpiece per se and may not even be De Palma’s masterpiece, but it’s a quintessential erotic thriller and certainly deserving of its status as a top-shelf cult favorite.

 

Mysteria (2011)

Mysteria [(DVD)]. Arramis Films presents a Mysteria LLC production in association with Gruntworks Entertainment and Omnicomm Films; written and directed by Lucius C. Kuert. [Boca Raton, Fla.]: Green Apple Entertainment, 2012. Originally released as a motion picture in 2011. Performers: Martin Landau, Danny Glover, Billy Zane, Michael Rooker, Robert Miano.
Summary: a has-been writer drafts the story of his life, and quite possibly his death. Once celebrated, Aleister Bain is now a whiskey-soaked, washed-up Hollywood screenwriter. Secluded in a sleazy hotel, he's desperately struggling to finish a script, with no success. But in this noir-esque thriller, truth is stranger than fiction and the chain-smoking Bain abruptly finds himself at the center of an investigation into the murder of a prominent politician's wife.

style ***

substance ***

Mysteria wasn’t an easy film for me to warm to, but as I got accustomed to the quirky pacing and flashback/flash forward style I liked it more and more until it became, as they say, compulsively watchable. It's difficult to categorize Mysteria: the closest to a broad brushstroke description would be neo-noir, but more specifically it's a kind of existential retro-thriller parody with lots of B movie overtones, which I suppose is a long-winded way of saying it’s neo-noir. The story takes place in a Los Angeles-like environ in a frozen, late 80s (or thereabouts) gestalt, but it's all a little vague.

To some extent Mysteria has to be catnip to fans of noir, and of course several noir films are specifically mentioned, including The Killing, the choppy, nonlinear style of which Mysteria mimics. Other films that are referenced, either by design or no, include Dead of Night, The Usual Suspects, Memento, and especially Mulholland Drive.

Mysteria is well-cast. The familiar names – Landau, Zane, and Glover – have what amount to little more than extended cameos. But it's Robert Miano's movie all the way and he's perfect for the role: he essays the confused, unkempt, unshaven, needing-a-shower, always late, always-smoking-a-cigarette hero in eminently underplayed style and somehow it works perfectly.

Mysteria pulls out just about every neo-noir trope in the book: along with the murky look and labyrinthine plot we have near-caricatures of the sleazy private eye and especially the down-on-his-luck screenwriter (is there any other kind?). Aleister Bain is a gin-swilling, chain smoking, disheveled, onetime success who lives in a low-class hotel where he can't pay his rent, and of course he has writer's block. A bright spot in his life is the beautiful blonde film student (played by Meadow Williams) who's his biggest fan and a kind of Gal Friday wannabe.

Ultimately the story leaves quite a bit unresolved, to say the least. And I like that. And as some commentators have noted Mysteria was obviously produced on a small budget, thus its mildly amateurish look and feel. But that’s not a problem for me, in fact it’s more of a strength. In any case it’s a fun movie. 

Movies I hate to love : Man with a Gun (1995)

Man With a Gun. Image and October Films presents an Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short Northwoods Pictures. Released as a feature film in 1995. Based on the novel The Shroud Society by Hugh C. Rae. David Wyles, director; George Blondheim, music; Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik; Jan Kiesser, director of photography. With: Michael Madsen, Jennifer Tilly, Gary Busey, Robert Loggia, Ian Tracey.

Pros: score, acting, settings, action scenes 

Cons: murky script, murkier look

Neo-noir gone awry

Man with a Gun is an offbeat thriller about a hit man hired by a shady real estate developer who moonlights as a mob boss wannabe. The job is to do in the mobster’s blackmailing wife. The twist is the mark just happens to be the assassin’s girlfriend. Also, said girlfriend has a twin sister. As we might expect, things get complicated along the way.

I can’t quite decide whether MWAG is a neglected minor masterpiece or just a glossed up, schlocky noir parody. Not so surprising then that most of the opinions I’ve read have been mixed to the point of polarized. The movie reminded me of Mulholland Falls, made at much the same time and a more polished film, but similarly criticized for being too much surface but not enough substance. MWAG also has overtones of the much more recent tough guy film Parker, also reviewed in these pages. 

Actually the cast is rather good: Madsen seems a natural for the role of the proverbial hit man with a conscience. And he does the hardboiled voice-over very effectively, in wearier-than-world-weary manner. Loggia is silken smooth as the aging don and Meg is convincing as extreme opposite good/bad sisters.

But the cast may be most noteworthy for Ian Tracy as a mob strongman. Tracey later went on to a huge career in Canada. The writer knows him mostly through the Canadian TV movies Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence.

Canadian-made and notable for its novel Pacific Northwest locales, MWAG was apparently filmed in Vancouver, BC, but the visuals seem to suggest the story takes place in Seattle or Tacoma. As mentioned the film is a neo-noir, with heavy emphasis on the noirish look: Man with a Gun has a murky, smoky patina that makes most classic noirs seem like a Kansas cornfield at noon in July. Recommended, more or less.

style ***
substance **1/2

Revenge noir, neo style

Parker. Starring: Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Chiklis, Nick Nolte, Patti LuPone. Directed by: Taylor Hackford. Based on the character created by Donald Westlake. Running time: 118 minutes. Summary : an unscrupulous real estate agent (Lopez) assists uber-cool tough guy Statham on his revenge quest.

style ***1/2

substance ***

pros : Lopez, Statham, LuPone, direction

cons : familiar story; murky ending; a little long

I just saw the film Parker and enjoyed it very much: it's well acted and directed, with lots of style and atmosphere. There are great on-location scenes in Ohio and, later, Palm Beach, where the film really hits its stride. 

Jason Statham makes a perfect Parker. Indeed, the character might well have been written with him in mind. He’s smart, world weary, intense, stubbly-faced (of course), and always one step ahead of his rivals, well, most of the time. Basically he's the incarnation of the likable criminal. Parker also boasts a terrific supporting cast, especially Parker's future father-in-law Nick Nolte and the Jennifer Lopez character’s slightly ditzy but appealing mother (Patti LuPone). But the real standout is Jennifer Lopez; she not only looks great but does some terrific acting as well, showing a range of emotions which often imply much more than what’s said.

One can nitpick about this or that plot problem, but Michael Curtiz-like, director Taylor Hackford keeps things flowing so well, with the tension & story twists in the foreground, that we really don’t bother to ask too many questions. Thus the film breezes along in its deceptively leisurely 118 minutes. I did wonder why Statham ended up in a Covington, Kentucky, hospital when he and his partners in crime had just committed a robbery, presumably only a few minutes prior, in Columbus, Ohio. Whatever.

The only major credibility problem I had was how Statham could choose the anorexic blonde over a smoldering real woman like Jennifer Lopez, especially after he’s seen her undressed, to say nothing of Jennifer’s heroics in putting herself in harm’s way to help him out. Moreover, Statham and Lopez simply have a lot more on-screen chemistry than Statham and Emma Booth. BTW speaking of the Jennifer Lopez character it seems she could do a lot worse than the cop so obviously besmitten with her.

Parker isn't exactly profound or original, and, truth be told, has much the patina a well produced television program. But it's one bobsled ride of a movie, intelligent, well-crafted and worthy of more critical and popular respect than it's received. In sum, Parker is a terrific slice of neo-noir served up icy cool.

Neo-torero

Not really film noir in the classic sense and much less Mexican noir, Matador is nonetheless a quirky little hitman movie containing a few pivotal scenes which actually take place in Mexico City. In fact it may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that Mexico City is the best part of the film, as the movie makes it seem such a cool place to visit, or to live in, for that matter. 

Anyway, Matador provides another cast-against-type star vehicle for Pierce Brosnan. Portraying an edgy assassin with an unkempt  appearance, Brosnan is indeed the film’s titular matador. His character is mirrored by the real-life matador in the film, but my limited (to say the least) expertise on the subject of bullfighting precludes my saying anything very insightful as to the scenes'  true-to-life accuracy. Suffice to say that to me they they seemed highly effective and authentic.

Aside : I wonder if they ever compiled a list of the best bullfighting films - a Googling of the terms as well as a glance at the Amazon listmanias reveals no such listing for matador/bullfighting films. However, there are indeed numerous compilations of best assassin movies.  Anyway, here’s my uninformed contribution as to the most likely suspects in the cinematic toreador pantheon : The Sun Also Rises, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, Snows of Kilimanjaro, Blood and Sand.

In any case, Matador’s other strengths include the fast pacing, well-measured editing, and fine supporting cast, especially the redoubtable Philip Baker Hall as Brosnan’s suavely sinister handler. A minor criticism would be the story’s somewhat murky ending. But ultimately for me the acting of Brosnan and the colorful Mexican settings carry the day in this appetizing little slice of neo-noir [1]. 

  [1] Matador has been much reviewed, with most of the notices being favorable. My favorite is Andrew O’Hehir’s take in Salon.

[The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Stratus Film Company and DEJ Productions present, in association with Equity Pictures, a Furst Films/Irish Dreamtime production, in association with Arclight Films. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Philip Baker Hall, Dylan Baker, Adam Scott. Directed and written by Richard Shepard; produced by Pierce Brosnan, Beau St. Clair, Sean Furst and Bryan Furst; music by Rolfe Kent; director of photography, David Tattersall; production designer, Rob Pearson; costume designer, Catherine Thomas; film editor, Carole Kravetz-Aykanian.]