Category: Film Review

F. Gary Gray’s well above average late 90’s thriller The Negotiator remains a solid chop off the Dog Day Afternoon block, telling a riveting story of police corruption, mistaken motives, shadowy conspiracies, and high-pressure bits of action. Exciting and tense direction, smart writing from James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox, crisp editing by Christian Wager, and classically shot by the great cameraman Russell Carpenter – this film really was the total genre package back in the day, and it deserved a higher profile during the summer of 1998, where it was released to solid reviews and solid if unspectacular box office. It’s the sort of movie that I’d love to see get made these days; tough-guy cinema like this is always in short supply.

Truly great “buddy movies” are very hard to find these days, so I find myself often returning to the classics of the genre, with the totally terrific 1982 action-comedy 48 Hrs. continually leading the way. With dynamite chemistry between Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy (in his big-screen debut), macho-man director Walter Hill was armed with a superb screenplay that he co-authored along with Roger Spottiswoode, Larry Gross, Steven E. de Souza, and Jeb Stuart, and he brought the same sense of hard-charging action to all of the set-pieces that he had become known for during the 70’s with his prolific output. Marking the producing debut for future genre overlord Joel Silver, the narrative was fast and loose, with big laughs running parallel to big stunts and shootouts, while the interplay between Nolte (as a crusty cop) and Murphy (as a convict) really helped to elevate the film beyond what it might have been with different actors in the lead roles. The great supporting cast includes an oily James Remar, Annette O’Toole, David Patrick Kelly, Sonny Landham, Brion James, and Jonathan Banks(!). James Horner’s score was big and magnificent, Ric Waite’s cinematography appropriately rugged and gritty, and the tight editing by Bill Weber, Mark Warner, and Freeman Davies kept the film moving at a fast clip.

Helping to revitalize the “buddy cop” genre after films like Busting, The Super Cops, and Freebie and the Bean exploded on the scene in the 70’s, the excellent work done by all of the creative parties on 48 Hrs. would go on to inspire future efforts like Lethal Weapon, Midnight Run, Beverly Hills Cop, and Rush Hour, with many imitators coming and going along the fringes. The film spent a while in development, with various writers and directors all taking shots at the material before Hill settled down to roll cameras; Clint Eastwood was attached to star for a while as well. This is a timeless film. Sure, it was made with an 80’s aesthetic, but because the script is genuinely witty and there are actual stakes to the plot, you become immediately invested, while truly liking the leads and wanting to see them succeed. Nolte and Murphy knew exactly how to play off of one another, resulting in an unlikely pairing that has now become something of cinematic legend. And for Hill, it’s yet another reminder of how sturdy a filmmaker he was in his heyday; his entire body of work is worthy of reconsideration. A critical success and box office hit, this is one of Hill’s most overtly entertaining films, and a true call-back to a different type of action blockbuster.

Al Pacino. Jack Lemmon. Ed Harris. Alan Arkin. Kevin Spacey. Bruce Altman. Jonathan Pryce. Jude Ciccolella. Alec Baldwin. Glengarry Glen Ross. All director James Foley had to do was point his camera and shoot. David Mamet adapted his own blistering play for the screen with a tremendous sense of vulgar energy and edgy verve, so all that was required was someone to capture the words and do little else. But instead, because Foley has quietly fashioned himself into one of the most underrated filmmakers of my lifetime, he brought his own sense of macho style to this testosterone-fueled war of the words, and as a result, the film still feels every bit as incendiary now as it likely did upon first release as a Pulitzer winning play back in 1983. Showcasing the desperate and volatile lives of a group of Chicago-based real estate salesman, this is one of those special narratives that provides every single actor with a serious chance to shine on multiple occasions, while allowing for one of the most show-stopping single scenes of character interaction that’s ever been captured on film to take place (the bit with Baldwin and his hostile threats to the entire group). After the agents come under fire for lack of results, the story’s pace becomes even quicker, with each man doing their best to not be fired by the end of the week. Words are flung like extra-sharp daggers all throughout this whip-fast and supremely observed character study, with Mamet basing certain aspects of the office life depicted on screen on his own experiences working in a real estate office when he was just starting his writing career.

In working with the great cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchia, Foley was able to craft a casually menacing visual atmosphere, shooting through glass with streaks of bold yet smeared color, and lots of rain drops, with an uncertain vibe thanks to the jazzy and cryptic score from James Newton Howard. Howard Smith’s judicious editing kept an extremely fast pace, which is all the more a challenge when a film is as dialogue heavy as this one. And what can one really say about Mamet’s perverse sense of humor and his caustic worldview? Each character in Glengarry Glen Ross is given their own distinct voice, despite everyone letting the F-bombs fly with gusto; few other writers have understood the value and meaningful nature of the word “fuck” the way Mamet does. What you end up hearing all throughout this movie amounts to a form of brutal, tough-guy poetry, and it’s the way that there’s always this sense of honesty and concrete logic to Mamet’s writing that keeps it solidified even when it becomes highly stylized. Despite not catching on at the box office, Foley’s magnetic piece of filmmaking has become a well deserved classic as a result of the VHS and DVD era, and has inspired any number of motion pictures moving forward. Lemmon won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, while Pacino nabbed Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Supporting Actor (while winning Best Actor for Scent of a Woman). Many consider Baldwin’s extended cameo to be his greatest screen achievement. This is a piece of work that simply gets better and better as the years progress.