Tag: Rosanna Arquette

New & Old Twofer – ‘Hal’ and ‘Coming Home’

Hal

Directed by Amy Scott
Interviewees: Allison Anders, Judd Apatow, Rosanna Arquette, Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges, Lisa Cholodenko, Caleb Deschanel, Pablo Ferro, Jane Fonda, Louis Gossett Jr., Lee Grant, Grif Griffis, Norman Jewison, Robert C. Jones, Adam McKay, Charles Mulvehill, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Cat Stevens, Robert Towne, Jon Voight, Haskell Wexler, Jeff Wexler, and Ben Foster as the voice of Hal Ashby
Soundtrack: Heather McIntosh

Most people know the influential American directors of the Seventies: Spielberg, Coppola, Lumet, Lucas, Friedkin, Altman, Kubrick, Scorsese, even Brian De Palma is finally getting some due, but Hal Ashby tends to get overlooked; and, to be sure, his films don’t necessarily have the same level of name recognition as the others, but, make no mistake, the filmmakers of today know his work.

I wasn’t a total newbie to Ashby, the old dope-smoking, music-loving beatnik-turned-master auteur, before seeing this documentary.  I’d seen a couple of his directorial efforts (The Last Detail and Being There) in my lifetime; and I’d seen a couple of his editorial collaborations with Norman Jewison (The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and In The Heat of the Night, which he won the Best Editing Oscar for), but it’s fair to say I was relatively unfamiliar with the man himself.

He was born to humble means in Ogden, Utah (though never a Mormon), made his way to Hollywood, and worked on films for William Wyler and George Stevens (among others) before meeting Norman Jewison, who essentially gave him a promotion to editor in the late-Sixties before finally striking out on his own as a full-fledged director.

As a documentary, I found Hal entertaining, it’s definitely much more slickly made than others in the genre, but at the same time I was expecting more content.  To put it another way, I’m not sure it goes much deeper than its trailer (which is also basically the introduction to the film).  It’s still a fun ride, and certainly a good primer for the uninitiated, and I don’t want to downplay the labor of love aspect, but, I struggle to give it a theatrical recommendation.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

 

Coming Home

Original Release Date: February 15, 1978
Directed by Hal Ashby
Written by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones (screenplay), Nancy Dowd (story)
Cast: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Robert Carradine, Robert Ginty, Mary Gregory, Kathleen Miller, Beeson Carroll, Willie Tyler, Lou Carello, Charles Cyphers, Olivia Cole, Tresa Hughes, Bruce French, Jonathan Banks, Marc McClure

I know Coming Home got a whole bunch of awards season love at the time, and it’s a fine film, and I’m not even mad about its politics (after all, I love All Quiet on the Western Front), but, forty years on, it seems clear that much of the love was politically motivated (it’s not even the best Hal Ashby movie I’ve seen), which is nothing new, it still happens, and that’s all I’ll say about that.

It’s a heavy film, to be sure, and (something I feel like I’ve been saying a lot lately) on the whole it might be more interesting than good, but it’s worth a watch if only for the strong performances (especially Jon Voight) and unconventional use of music.  We’ve become accustomed to “needle-drop” movies that use portions of songs, usually cutting in time to the music, but Coming Home utilizes licensed songs more like John Carpenter uses his score, like “wallpaper”.  I honestly can’t think of another movie that does this and it made for quite the unique experience.

Still, there’s something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on.  Perhaps it’s because the story and characterization are over-simplistic in places, and, personally, I wish the movie established itself more as the period piece it is, but, ultimately, it does get its message across, and there’s something to be said for that.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

Quick Thoughts – Autumn Round-Up, Part 2

In November, I took a week’s vacation in Colorado, and I got to see a couple of classic movies at the Alamo Drafthouse in Littleton while I was out there.

After Hours (1985)

You know that Family Guy bit where Stewie keeps demanding Brian to name more songs named after girls?  If you did a similar exercise with movies directed by Martin Scorsese, I don’t imagine too many people would name After Hours.

Obscurity aside, the movie is essentially a version of Homer’s Odyssey played out over a night in SoHo.  All our protagonist (played by Griffin Dunne) wants is a little fun on a date with a girl he just met, and, once that fails, to just get home; but, despite all efforts, he can’t do it, and things only get worse as the night goes on.  It’s the sort of meandering story that you think you have figured out until you don’t.

Honestly, I liked the movie well enough once it was over, but I don’t really see myself revisiting it in the future.  I think I got more enjoyment out of spotting all the familiar faces (the cast is quite expansive) than the story itself, which is not to say I wouldn’t recommend it.

If you’re into darker comedies, New York-heavy movies, or are a Scorsese completionist, definitely give After Hours a whirl.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

 

The Shining (1980)

I’m sure I’ll take a lot of heat for this, but I think Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is vastly overrated.

Is the cinematography excellent?  Of course; that’s a Kubrick staple.

Is it sometimes successful at being legitimately creepy?  Yes.

Does it work overall as a movie?  No.

I don’t need to get into plot points or performances; I’m sure if you’re reading this then you’ve either seen the movie already or are familiar enough with it through cultural osmosis.

What it all comes down to is that the character of Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson playing Jack Nicholson) as written and portrayed in this film begins the movie as a jerk, and ends the movie as a jerk.  Regardless of any involvement of supernatural forces, he is essentially the same character throughout, which is to say he effectively has no arc, and if he doesn’t have an arc, then there is no real tension, and what is horror without tension?

All of this is not to say Kubrick is not an all-time great filmmaker.  Clearly, he is.  It’s just that in this particular area, he’s not as effective as, say, Alfred Hitchcock.

Rating: ★★½