Classic Film Review: The Last Picture Show (1971)

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971)
DIRECTED BY: Peter Bogdanovich
STARRING: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, Ben Johnson and Ellen Burstyn


"I guess if it wasn't for Sam, I'd have missed it, whatever it is. I'd have been one of them amity types that thinks that playin' bridge is about the best thing that life has to offer." 
~Lois Farrow (Ellen Burstyn)~


There are few towns in the world that are smaller than Anarene, Texas. Set in 1952, a time of gender inequality and sexual repression, The Last Picture Show revolves around the growing pains of high school football captain, Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms). Sonny is attracted to Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd, in her film debut), the girlfriend of his best friend, Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges). Though unsuccessful in most of his relationships, Sonny strikes up a spontaneous affair with the lonely wife of his football coach, Ruth Popper (Cloris Leachman). This slice-of-life film is based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Larry McMurty, and it traces Sonny's tumultuous relationships with all of these different characters during a few short months in the town of Anarene.  


As a fan of Larry McMurtry (his Lonesome Dove being one of the greatest novels ever written), I'd been curious about this film for a few years now, however, I never got the chance to see it until recently. McMurtry, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Bogdanovich, has the ability to create wonderfully flawed human beings who lead regular, if not outright boring, lives. The things that happen to his characters are situations that could happen to anyone. McMurtry does not shy away from the prospect of his audience disliking some, if not all, of his characters at some point in the course of his novels. It's part of what makes his storytelling so compelling. The Last Picture Show is no different.


The decision to film it in black and white only serves to amplify the bleak and melancholy atmosphere that hangs over the action onscreen. The Last Picture Show is a frank look at sexuality in a small town where everyone knows each other's business. 

The performances are all subtle, understated and add to the unique qualities of its characters. As Sonny, Timothy Bottoms never fails to gain the viewers sympathy, despite his mistakes, as he moves from relationship to relationship as each one breaks down. Little is known about Sonny's past or his family life, yet Bottom manages to portray Sonny as both a confused, listless teenager and a young man slowly coming to terms with what he wants from life. It's easy to understand why he would be drawn to Ruth Popper, a woman who is more than twenty years older, yet just as lonely and longing for companionship. It's not so much sexual chemistry they share, but a mutual sadness and desire for something more than their little town can offer.


As Ruth, the unhappy wife of the town's football coach, Cloris Leachman is the standout in an already stellar cast. The winner of Best Supporting Actress for her performance, Leachman instills Ruth with the range of mixed emotions a woman in her situation would feel. She never goes over the top and gives a beautifully realized performance of a woman looking for a human connection. 


Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd and Ellen Burstyn are also at the top of their game, although Ben Johnson, like Leachman, is a standout in a strong cast. The winner of Best Supporting Actor for his performance, Johnson plays Sam the Lion; Anarene's longtime resident and its heart and soul. When he gives his climactic speech to Sonny about the love he lost in his youth, you can't help but realize that he represents (and carries) the melancholy and regret of the entire town. 


The films trajectory is interesting as it matures at the same point that Sonny does. The first half is all hormonal teenage angst, before gradually gaining an almost resigned adult air. The film moves past the sexual content leaving its rash teenage notions aside for its more adult consequences. 


This bleak coming-of-age film is also a love letter to film, in general. The title refers to the small town's rapidly declining interest in film. Sam the Lion runs the Royal, the only theatre in town. However, with the advent of the television, the people of Anarene scarcely attend the Royal anymore; they have better things they could be watching in the comfort of their own home. With little profits, the theatre cannot survive. The last picture show screened at the Royal is Tom Ford's 1948 classic, Red River, with its climactic scene of hollering cowboys who are leaving town for a cattle run. Like the cowboys in the film, Sonny and Duane are moving on.


Though not a perfect film, The Last Picture Show has characters and an overall effect that lingers. Like many of McMurtry's novels, you find yourself drawn into this strange little world of quirky, isolated people without fully understanding why: you just know that you want to learn more about the people and their story.


FINAL GRADE: A

30 Day Movie Meme: Day 3

30 DAY MOVIE MEME
Day 3: A FILM THAT GIVES YOU UNADULTERATED PLEASURE


THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT (Australia, 1994)
Written and Directed By: Stephan Elliot
Starring: Hugo Weaving, Terence Stamp and Guy Pearce

THE PLOT
Two drag queens and a transsexual travel across the Australian Outback in order to perform a show at a prestigious resort in a small town. Leaving Sydney behind, Tick/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving), Adam/Felicia (Guy Pearce) and Bernadette (Terence Stamp) decide to travel in a beat-up old lavender-coloured bus they christen Priscilla. Along the way they make new friends, enemies and learn to get along with one another in time to perform their big show.

WHY I LOVE IT
It's campy fun. It's also the only time where I approve of the use of songs by Abba. I'd always been curious about the film but never got around to actually watching it in its entirety. I expected it to be mildly entertaining, at the very least. What I didn't expect was to love every minute of it, from start to finish. It's certainly deserving of its massive cult following.

At times both funny and heartbreaking, all three characters break away from drag queen stereotypes to become real people with ambitions, personal issues and families of their own to take care of. Stephan Elliot's excellent script is made even better by his three lead actors; all of whom turn their characters into genuine people. Hugo Weaving portrays Tick as a sensitive bundle of nerves whose sole focus is the show and the secret he's protecting from the other two. Guy Pearce is campy fun as Adam, a drama queen who loves being noticed but has a softer side when the time calls for it. Terence Stamp gives the strongest performance in a role that seemed to be written for his dry wit (he should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year). Stamp infuses Bernadette with an almost motherly authority, while still having a dark sense of humour and an appetite for performing. Stamp's Bernadette is the heart and soul of the film.

The costumes and make-up are gorgeous, the song and dance numbers excellent and if the cinematography doesn't make you want to catch the next plane out to Australia, than I don't know what will. The film manages to be quintessentially Australian in its portrayal of their culture while allowing audiences from around the world to embrace its themes of equality, perseverance and friendship.

This film goes above and beyond what you'd normally expect from a film about a drag act. It moves past tired stereotypes and develops a coherent script that ha humour, heartbreak and is full of heart.

TOP: Terence Stamp as Bernadette

MIDDLE: Guy Pearce as Tick/Mitzi

BOTTOM: Guy Pearce as Adam/Felicia

30 Day Movie Meme: Day 2

I'm on vacation in Hawaii at the moment so this 30 Day Movie Meme I've started will take well over thirty days to complete. Such is life. ;)

30 Day Movie Meme

Day 2: A FILM THAT IS UNDERRATED

BRAVEHEART (USA/United Kingdom, 1995)

Directed by: Mel Gibson

Starring: Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen and Sophie Marceau

THE PLOT:

The film takes a mostly mythological look at the rise of Scottish rebel William Wallace (Mel Gibson), who has lost his father, brother and young wife to brutal English soldiers during the reign of King Edward I (Patrick McGoohan) in the thirteenth century.

With the help of Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen), the heir to the Scottish throne, Wallace raises an army of Scotsmen willing to fight to the death in the hopes of seeing Scotland become it's own independent nation; separate from England. 

WHY I LOVE IT:

This may seem like a curious choice to consider an underrated film. Granted, it was popular when it was first released. It went on to win Best Picture and Best Director at the 1995 Academy Awards. Like most films that win the top two awards of any given year, there was backlash. Now, with Gibson's current unpopularity due to his drunken outbursts, people seem to have turned their backs on anything he's ever done.

While I don't support Gibson's hate-filled rampages, I do love this film, in particular. Even if Gibson were still as popular as he was in the 1980's and 1990's, I still think this film would have received a bit of backlash. People criticized its historical inaccuracies, however, I defy anyone to name one Hollywood historical epic that has been 100% faithful to historical fact. I was a history major in university, yet I understand why writers change fact into fiction for the sake a solid and entertaining screenplay. There were others who claimed it was nothing but gratuitous violence. Well, it's set during a violent time.

Why do I love it so? It's my favourite historical epic. Period. It's everything a film audience could want: great storytelling, solid acting, stirring speeches, a love story, an inspirational protagonist and epic battles. Is it a flawed film? Yes. However, I don't think it deserves the hate-fest it receives sometimes from critics and film fans alike. 

Like King Arthur, William Wallace is a historical figure shrouded in mystery; his legend is mostly myth. Yet Braveheart, with a nearly three hour running time, manages to take the most fascinating bits and weave them into a rousing epic. The film isn't trying to answer the question: who was William Wallace? It's simply reminding us that someone that influential once existed. It's an emotional, powerful and beautiful film with one hell of an ending.

30 Day Movie Meme: Day 1

I found this meme floating around and it looked like an interesting challenge to only make one choice for each topic.


THE 30 DAY MOVIE MEME
Day 1- FAVOURITE FOREIGN FILM
Day 2- A film that is underrated
Day 3- A film that brings you unadulterated happiness
Day 4- A film cliche that you love
Day5-  Favourite love story in a film
Day 6- Favourite actor/actress
Day 7- The most surprising plot twist/ending
Day 8- The best opening/closing credits
Day 9- The best soundtrack/score to a film
Day 10- Favourite classic film
Day 11- Favourite black and white film
Day 12- A film that permanently altered your point-of-view
Day 13- A guilty pleasure...
Day 14- A film that you used to love but now hate
Day 15- Favourite film sequel
Day 16- Favourite film character
Day 17- Favourite film quote
Day 18- The best overall cast in a film
Day 19- The most hilarious film you've seen
Day 20- A moving (emotional) scene
Day 21- Favourite film from your favourite actor/actress
Day 22- Favourite Academy Award acceptance speech
Day 23- A character you can relate to the most
Day 24- The best page-to-screen adaptation
Day 25- Favourite film villain
Day 26- Favourite film poster
Day 27- A film you wish you had seen in theatres
Day 28- Favourite film from your favourite director
Day 29- A piece of trivia from your favourite film
Day 30- Your favourite film of all time

Day 1: FAVOURITE FOREIGN FILM
BICYCLE THIEVES/Ladri di biciclette (Italy, 1948)
Written and Directed By: Vittorio De Sica
Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola

THE PLOT:
Antonio Ricci is an unemployed father struggling to provide for his family in post-Second World War Italy. He must support his wife and two young children in a tough economy. Antonio has access to a steady job putting up posters around Rome, so long as he has daily access to a bicycle.

His ragged bicycle is inevitably stolen right from under his nose and Antonio spends the rest of the film with his young son, Bruno, searching the streets for the thief who has stolen the only means with which he has to make money for his poverty-stricken family.

WHY I LOVE IT:
Director De Sica wanted to give the film an authentically raw and gritty quality. Bicycle Thieves is now considered one of the most famous Italian neo-realist films of all time. The entire film was shot on location in Rome and De Sica didn't use any professional actors in the roles. Lamberto Maggiorani, who played Antonio, was a factory worker in the city when he was hired for the lead role.

It's a gorgeous little piece of cinema. Its story is so simple, yet the relationships between the characters, especially Antonio and Bruno as father and son, are so genuine that you immediately care about their struggles. Considering none of the cast were professional actors, the performances are all the more remarkable for it. It's stark black and white images only add to the raw realism of the film. You feel as though you are walking the streets of Rome with this man and his young child, watching their relationship deepen as they essentially search for a needle in a haystack. It also has one of the most emotional final scenes in film history.

Favourite Film Scenes: The Godfather (1972)

THE GODFATHER
DIRECTED BY: Francis Ford Coppola
STARRING: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan

BASIC PLOT: Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, it follows the lives of the Corleone family. Set in 1950's New York, when patriarch Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is at his height of power in the Mafia underworld, the plot trails the passing of the torch between Don Vito and his second-oldset son, Michael (Al Pacino). Business remains all in the family.

FAVOURITE SCENE: The restaurant scene when Michael meets with rival Mob leader, Sollozzo, and the dirty cop, McCluskey. Michael's father, Don Vito, has been the target of an assassination attempt and Michael, who is Ivy League-educated and a decorated Second World War veteran, wants vengeance for the actions taken against his father. This is the first time Michael is involved in the "family business" and while he may seen soft-spoken and willing to co-operate with Sollozzo, there is barely concealed anger in his eyes. Will he kill the two men or won't he?

WHY? Francis Ford Coppola lensed countless memorable moments in his masterpiece, however, the restaurant scene leaves a lasting impression due to the fact that, once Michael commits the two murders, there is no turning back for him. It's the start of his journey that will eventually see him move up in the ranks into a leadership position himself.

The scene starts off with a glass of wine and a business discussion in Italian. There are no subtitles to translate the conversation, therefore, the audience is left to come to their own conclusions as to what is being said based on tone of voice, body language and overall expressiveness. The audience is in the same position as Officer McCluskey; left alone outside of the conversation, waiting to see how it will all pan out.

When Michael excuses himself to use the washroom you know that, in actuality, he's looking for the gun that was left for him behind a toilet bowl. The only sounds that can be heard are that of a passing train; reflecting the inner turmoil and brief hesitation we see in Michael as he discovers the gun.

Coppola's decision not to use a background score (until after the murders take place) adds to the building tension in the scene. You can clearly hear the conversation, as well as city sounds in the background. One can perceive that the lack of a musical score at this time reflects Michael's emotional state; he's calm and focused and nothing will distract him from what he's come to do. Only after he's brutally shot the two men at the table, does the score kick in, as though to reflect the release of Michael's tension.

The scene is beautifully executed (no pun intended) and Al Pacino instills Michael with fire and brimstone beneath a calm exterior. In that brief moment we see the man that Michael will become and we understand that, for his character, there is no turning back. His fate was cemented the moment he show Sollozzo and McCluskey as an act of revenge for his father's near-death experience. 

Every subsequent Mafia film has tried, and failed, to capture that same amount of tension and realistic violence Coppola has in his film classic.

Favourite Film Scenes: City Lights (1931)

CITY LIGHTS
DIRECTED BY: Charlie Chaplin
STARRING: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherill

BASIC PLOT: A Tramp (Chaplin) falls in love with a young blind woman (Cherill) who sells flowers on the street as a means of earning money for herself and her grandmother. She hopes to raise enough money to have an operation that will restore her sight. The Tramp does everything in his power to raise money for her, including befriending a wealthy duke and entering a boxing match. The blind woman thinks that the Tramp is a wealthy benefactor and, since he's fallen in love with her, he doesn't want her to know that he's actually poor.

FAVOURITE SCENE: It's the final scene of the film. The blind girl has had the operation and her sight is fully restored, although she never discovered the identity of the man who helped her. She now owns her own flower shop where she witnesses the Tramp being harrassed by people on the street. At first, she laughs along until she notices the way the Tramp is looking at her, through the window of her store. This is probably one of my favourite Chaplin reactions, as he's staring at her through the glass. At first he's shocked to see her, then he just stands there, so thrilled that her life took such a turn for the best. It's obvious he still loves her. Then, she goes outside on the street, to give him a flower and some money. When she touches his hand, she recognizes how it feels, and it slowly dawns on her that the Tramp was the young man who so selflessly raised all that money for her. The title card for Chaplin reads, "You can see now?" to which the girl responds, "Yes, I can see now." Cue tears.

WHY?: Without using actual words, Charlie Chaplin was able to convey one of the most honest and moving  reactions to love that I've ever seen on film. His face is that of genuine happiness.

In high school, my English teacher showed us Modern Times. Everyone knows the iconic image of Chaplin's body flipping around in the wheel of a giant machine. I enjoyed the film but it still took me a few more years to fully appreciate the talent that was Charlie Chaplin. About six years ago I decided to watch City Lights based on the recommendation of one of my friends. He promised me that the ending of the film would blow my mind. But that's all he said. He was right.

I remember watching the American Film Institute's Top 100 Films of All Time. City Lights made the cut (at number 10, if I'm not mistaken) and AFI aired a clip of the late Jack Lemmon commenting on how much he loved the film, specifically the famous final scene. Lemmon choked up just talking about.

Everything about the finale is perfection. Usually, when a film makes you cry, it's out of sadness. Something tragic that has happened to the film's hero. City Lights is part of the small percent of Hollywood classics that make you cry tears of happiness. Even if you've never seen a Chaplin film, please do yourself the favour and watch the clip. It never ceases to amaze me, every time I watch it.

Book Review: Somebody, The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando

SOMEBODY: THE RECKLESS LIFE AND REMARKABLE CAREER OF MARLON BRANDO (2008)
By: Stefan Kanfer

"To the end of his life, Marlon Brando insisted that he had done nothing special. In his view acting was a trade like plumbing or baking. The only difference was that he played characters instead of unclogging drains or kneading loaves of bread. This was not false modesty; he believed what he said. But what he believed was untrue."
~Stefan Kanfer (opening passage from "Somebody")

Film historian Molly Haskell once wrote, "there is only one Brando." In his 2008 biography on the late actor, Kanfer goes above and beyond in proving Haskell's observation. In only 323 pages, Kanfer manages to do what few other Brando biographers have done; portray the man as he really was, without including empty rumours or petty gossip and speculation. Kanfer portrays Brando as a flawed, complex human being with an incredible talent.

Kanfer provides context to the life of Brando, from his early childhood in Omaha to his death in 2004, by setting the stage with issues that were going on in the world at the time. When Brando was born in April of 1924, two youths kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old boy in a Chicago suburb. It was the time of Prohibition. Since the Great War, the area where young Marlon grew up saw a rise in its black population, causing resentment and racial strife. Not only do you learn about Marlon Brando, but Kanfer makes sure his readers are aware of the America in which the actor was growing up.

It becomes a historical text in so many ways. Kanfer discusses America, classic Hollywood and the sex, drugs and rock n'roll culture which Brando witnessed. It helps the reader to better understand why Brando did what he did and why certain causes were closer to his heart than others.

The book is full of interesting anecdotes that Kanfer dug up through his extensive research, including the fact that young Marlon was always drawn to those who were seen as social outcasts. As a child he befriended the only black boy in one of his classes and took a female classmate, who had issues with her vision because her eyes were crossed, to the school dance. Later in life, this could still be seen in his friendship to Michael Jackson, even when the King of Pop was on trial for child molestation charges, and in his dedication to the plight of Native Americans.

Despite these good deeds and his loyalty to those friends who stood by him, Brando had a quick temper and always had volatile relationships with the women in his life. Interesting fact: actress Rita Moreno once attempted suicide after Brando broke up with her. Their relationship, both personal and professional, always remained rocky from then on. Brando was father to ten children, although there are at least two others who claim they are his as well. He never connected on an emotional level with any of his three wives and would often go months, even years, without seeing some of his own children.

However, Brando often considered himself an activist, first and foremost. He battled against racial segregation, he fought to help establish a Jewish state and took up the cause of Native Americans. After the 1968 murder of Martin Luther King Jr., Brando made it his mission to help further the works of the late King Jr. in the public eye.

Kanfer details Brando's time in Tahiti, his love/hate relationship with his acting profession and the Hollywood friendships and enemies (such as his nemesis, Frank Sinatra) he made along the way. Kanfer believes Brando was happiest in Tahiti, although the actor often left for Hollywood for long stretches of time. It seemed that even though Brando hated what Hollywood represented, he was always drawn to film.

Brando often claimed he made films because of the large paycheques (which would help him when it came time to pay what he owed in his divorce settlements and child custody disputes). However, his comments on acting make for some of the best moments in Kanfer's account. Despite his flippant attitude towards his profession, Brando was a master of his craft and, without ever admitting it, seemed to be aware of that fact. One of his most famous interviews took place in his house in 1994. The infamous hour-long Larry King interview truly captures the persona of Marlon Brando, and Kanfer's novel manages to do that as well.

Brando never abused drugs. He drank very little. His vices? Sex and food. Even though he remained married to his third wife, Tarita, until his death, Brando had three children by his housekeeper and ate so much that his weight ballooned in a short span of time.

Kanfer's engaging prose and film knowledge go a long way towards making this one of the best and most unbiased celebrity biographies out there. Regardless of whether or not you are a fan of Marlon Brando, his life and unique personality make for a compelling read.

GRADE: A

BRANDO QUICK FACTS
-Born on April 3, 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska
-Nickname: Bud
-Parents: Marlon Brando Sr. and Dorothy "Dodie" Pennebaker Brando
-Siblings: Two older sisters, Frances and Jocelyn
-His mother became a depressed alcoholic, his father was a traveling salesman who slept with other women
-Pupil of legendary acting teacher, Stella Adler
-Revolutionized film acting, used the Method Approach in his performances
-Tennessee Williams re-wrote the character of Stanley Kowalski (A Streetcar Named Desire) to suit Brando's Broadway portrayal of the character
-First screen role: as a paraplegic in 1950's The Men
-Most famous roles: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!, On the Waterfront (for which he won his first Oscar in 1954), The Godfather (for which he won his second Oscar in 1972) and Last Tango in Paris
-In 1990, son Christian Brando shot and murdered Dag Drollet in Marlon's own house; Marlon attended Christian's trial and even testified in court
-Penned his autobiography, Songs My Mother Taught Me in 1994
-Lived next door to close friends Jack Nicholson and Michael Jackson
-Brando's son, Miko, was Michael Jackson's bodyguard
-In 1995, daughter Cheyenne committed suicide at the age of 25
-Married three times: #1 Anna Kashfi (one son, Christian), #2 Movita Castaneda (two children: son, Miko and daughter, Rebecca), #3 Tarita Teriipaia (two children: son, Simon Teihotu and daughter, Cheyenne)
-Children with his longtime mistress and housekeeper, Maria Christina Ruiz: Ninna, Myles and Timothy
-Other children: Stefano Brando (mother unknown) and one child he adopted on his own, Petra Barrett Brando
-Two others claim they are Marlon's children: Maimiti Brando and Raiatua Brando
-Final film: The Score (2001) with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton
-Gave acting lessons at his house in L.A. during the last two years of his life: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Edward Norton are among those who attended group acting sessions with Brando
-Died on July 1, 2004 in Los Angeles at the age of 80 of complications from pneumonia, diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis
-Considered the greatest screen actor of all time