Review: Gloria

March 6, 2015March 6, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir Buck Henry, Gena Rowlands, Gloria, John Adames, John Cassavetes, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

Gloria is a neo-noir film that showcases the gritty and grimy late 70’s New York City, the film was released in 1980. This film is written and directed by the legendary John Cassavetes. The Independent Spirit Awards, awards presented to independent film. They have an award given every year named after Cassavetes. Blue Ruin, a film I looked at earlier this year, was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award. You can look at that review here:

https://everythingnoir.com/2015/02/10/review-blue-ruin/

Cassavetes only did two neo-noir crime movies, the other was The Killing of a Chinese Bookie from 1976. This was also a good film worth checking out and I hope to re-watch it and review it later on this site.

Gloria is played by Cassavetes wife, Gena Rowlands. Rowlands was nominated for an Academy Award for her role. Gloria is a battle tested mob moll. She shows up at a friend’s apartment to find the family in distress. The family is marked by the mob for death and know it is happening soon. The father played by Buck Henry has evidence in a book and they found out about it. The family asks Gloria to take their son and hide him before the killers get to them. She does and our adventure begins. The son is played by John Adames in his one and only movie role. Adames has flashes of brilliance with some well written lines and other times you can see he is just a kid with no acting experience and looks awkward and out-of-place. You can see Cassavetes got a lot of inspiration from old noir and gangster movies for his dialog in this film.

Gloria is a hardboiled female character, which in itself had to be pretty original for its time. She has a feel of realism in Rowlands portrayal, she isn’t perfect and just, and struggles with what is the right thing to do and what is the smart or easy thing to do.

This film was re-made with Sharron Stone in the lead in 1999, I have not seen this film so I don’t know how it compares. This Gloria is not a perfect film, but is an interesting watch, This is for fans of early independent films and those that like gritty 70’s neo-noir.

New Movie Coming Soon: Man from Reno

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir, News Man from Reno

Man from Reno is a film that has been going around the festival circuit and picking up some awards. Was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards this year. Looks like a promising film, can’t wait to see it. Will be in select theaters on March 27th. Unfortunately, I doubt any of those theaters will be in my area. I will be looking for it on DVD or PPV.

Review: Book Vs. Film: Cold in July

March 4, 2015 bryancyr country noir, Movie, Neo-Noir Cold in July, Don Johnson, Hap and Leonard, Jim Mickle, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael C. Hall, Nick Damici, Sam Shepard, Vinessa Shaw

Cold in July started out as a noir book written by Joe R. Lansdale. Lansdale is a genre writer that writes everything from horror to sci-fi, and of course some noir. Cold in July was first published in 1989.

The screenplay is written by Nick Damici and Jim Mickle who also directs. This team has brought us a few low-budget horror movies including the very good Stake Land. They are also working on a television show based on Hap and Leonard, two characters also created by Lansdale and has 10 books in the series so far. This will hopefully start airing on the Sundance Channel next year.

The Film stars Dexter himself Michael C. Hall in a role just as dark, but a totally different type character. He plays a family man who is married to a lovely wife played by Vinessa Shaw and has a small boy. They have a home invader, who Hall kills in self-defense. He then learns that the man he killed has a father who just got out of prison, played by Sam Shepard. The Father comes to town for revenge on his son’s killer and all hell breaks loose! This might be enough for a complete film, but it is only the start, the direction this goes is far from predictable.

Don Johnson steals the show as Jim Bob, a detective that bleeds Texas and is called in to help on the case. He raises pigs, wears an outfit out of the old west and drives a big Cadillac. We want more Jim Bob! and we might just get it. Jim Bob is a character that also appears in the Hap and Leonard books, so we may see him in the television series at some point.

So what is better, the film or the book. I read the book and then watched the movie twice, and I would have to say I would go with both. Nick Damici and Jim Mickle stay true to the source material, even having the film take place in the late 1980’s when it was written. I actually think watching the movie first may be the way to go. The story is so fresh and original that you will not see what is coming in the film, leaving you with more shock and awe then if you read the book first. Then read the book as soon as you can get your hands on a copy.

Review: A Walk Among the Tombstones

March 3, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir A Walk Among the Tombstones, Charles Willeford, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Hoke Mosely, Lawrence Block, Liam Neeson, Matthew Scudder, Scott Frank

A Walk Among the Tombstones is a Matthew Scudder movie from 2014. Matthew Scudder is a character written by Lawrence Block that has been in one other movie and in 17 books. This story comes from the 10th book in the series. I’ve recently just read the first book in the series and reviewed it here:

https://everythingnoir.com/2015/02/23/review-the-sins-of-the-fathers-by-lawrence-block/

Though I’ve only read one book and now seen this movie, I’m a big fan of Scudder and look forward to reading more of the books. Liam Neeson plays Scudder, a recovering alcoholic, ex-police officer that isn’t a private detective, but does favors for people and for those favors, these people give Scudder gifts.

This film is written for the screen and directed by Scott Frank who also wrote and directed The Lookout. He is also bringing another classic noir character to the screen soon, Hoke Mosely a character that has appeared in 5 books by Charles Willeford. This story will be coming to the television screen instead of the big screen, but I still look forward to seeing it when it is released. Frank has also written many other crime and neo-noir stories for the screen, he seems to have a good sense of taking a classic crime or noir novel and bringing it screen.

Some of the notable supporting cast is David Harbour, who often plays the creepy character, goes above and beyond in this film. Dan Stevens plays a drug dealer/business type very well. Stevens come onto my radar after his starring role in “The Guest.” The Guest is a very fun movie that covers a lot of genres, if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend it as well. Ólafur Darri Ólafsson also plays a pretty creepy role that is a very interesting character.

So the story for this movie is a fellow AA member’s brother needs Scudder’s help. Scudder meets with him and quickly figures out that he is a drug dealer. This dealer has had his wife kidnapped and killed, but because he is a drug dealer he can not ask for the police’s help. He asks Scudder for help and soon Scudder takes on the case. The story takes off from there. This is not only a neo-noir film in story, but is very much filmed in a classic noir style as well. I really enjoyed this story and the visuals of the film. I really hope this is a new franchise for Liam Neeson now that Taken has run its course. I would really look forward to seeing more movies with him as Scudder. If you’re a Lawrence Block fan, or a Liam Neeson fan, or just a fan of a hardboiled tone, you will like this film.

Review: Cut Bank

March 1, 2015March 1, 2015 bryancyr country noir, Movie, Neo-Noir Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Dern, Cut Bank, Ed Gain, John Malkovich, Liam Hemsworth, Matt Shakman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Oliver Platt, Roberto Patino, Sons of Anarchy, Teresa Palmer, The Carrion Birds, Urban Waite

Cut Bank is a country noir written by Roberto Patino. Patino has also worked on Sons of Anarchy and Prime Suspect so he has some good experience with crime and drama. Patino looks to be also working on bringing The Carrion Birds by Urban Waite to the screen. This book is on my to-read list and I hope to review it later on this blog.

Matt Shakman is the director, it is his first feature, but he is an accomplished television director. Because he has worked on so many different kinds of television, he brings a little of everything to the film. We have some black comedy, western, thriller and noir elements through out.

Liam Hemsworth and Teresa Palmer play our young couple that are desperate to leave the small town of Cut Bank, MT. Even though they may be our lead characters, they may be the most boring ones of the film.

Billy Bob Thornton plays Palmer’s father and Hemsworth’s boss. He doesn’t see much screen time but his interactions with Malkovich are great.

John Malkovich worked as a fire fighter in Glacier Park and actually lived in Cut Bank for a short time when he was in college. He really wanted to do this film based on his love for the little town of Cut Bank and stayed attached to the project for over 2 years to be in it. Malkovich plays the local sheriff, that is a fish out of water with this being his first murder case.

Michael Stuhlbarg may be the smallest name on the cast, but plays one of the most interesting parts. He is a recluse in Cut Bank. I don’t know if his character is based on real life serial killer Ed Gain, but if it is not, there are many similarities. Ed Gain is also the basis for Norman Bates in Psycho, Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs and has also had his likeness appear in many other movies and documentaries.

Bruce Dern plays the mailman that everybody recognizes by sight, but not to many people really know.

Oliver Platt plays the post office official sent up from Washington D.C. to give a reward for the evidence of the crime.

I can not find who played the big mute Native American, but he was a cool character and I loved his non-verbal dialog.

So the story starts out with our lead couple in an open field, daydreaming about their future. As Palmer practices her speech for an upcoming beauty pageant and Hemsworth films it, he notices a hooded man walk up to the mail man and shot him 2 times in the chest and gets the whole thing on film. They take the evidence into town and turn it over to the Sheriff. The plot thickens and twists and turns as we try to figure out who’s on who’s side and who knows what. By the way, what is in that lunch box? This is a good story in a unique setting, worth watching for anybody looking for something new to watch in the genre.

Re-Watching the Classics: Dog Day Afternoon

February 28, 2015February 28, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir Al Pacino, Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Dog Day Afternoon, Ernest Aron, Frank Pierson, John Cazale, John Wojtowicz, Lance Henriksen, Penelope Allen, Salvatore Naturile, Sidney Lumet

Dog Day Afternoon is a neo-noir film made in 1975, based on real events from 1972. John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile try to rob a branch of Chase Manhattan bank in Brooklyn, New York. The reason they are trying to rob the bank is for Wojtowicz’s lover, Ernest Aron, who is trying to pay for a sex change operation. This is to crazy to be true but it is!

Even though this film was mostly improvised, Frank Pierson won an Academy Award for his screenplay. He got the idea from a Life Magazine article. This was nominated for 5 Academy Awards in total, but only won one. This movie was unfortunately up against One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest for most of its awards. This will be remembered as one of Al Pacino’s best performances and the 4th time he was nominated for an Academy Award in 4 consecutive years. All 4 nominations where for classic neo-noir roles as well, with The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather Part II, and this performance. All 4 are now legendary roles, but he didn’t win for any of them.

This film was directed by legendary director Sidney Lumet. Lumet made some of the greatest films of all time including many neo-noir films. We will be re-looking at many of his films later on this blog.

Our co-star is John Cazale, who was way to old to play the part of real-life 18-year-old Sal. Pacino insisted on Cazale playing the role, even though Lumet thought he was all wrong. When Lumet saw his audition he hired him on the spot. Cazale, who’s short career only produced 5 films before his death from cancer didn’t disappoint. All 5 films he appeared in were nominated for best picture and all 5 are classics. They are:

The Godfather

The Conversation

The Godfather II

Dog Day Afternoon

The Deer Hunter

Who knows what Cazale could have done if his time here was longer.

Other standouts in the cast are Charles Durning as our Police Sargent in charge, Carol Kane and Penelope Allen as two of the bank tellers who become hostages, and Lance Henriksen as the bus driver.

This is required viewing for the fan of grimy 1970’s film, and noir and neo-noir fans. Trivia note, John Wojtowicz lover did get his sex change operation after all, paid for by Wojtowicz earnings from selling his story for this film.

Film Noir Class 101

February 28, 2015February 28, 2015 bryancyr film-noir, Movie, Neo-Noir Film Noir, Neo-Noir

I just saw this video about the history of Film Noir, very cool video and worth the 17 minutes it takes to view it.

Re-Watching: Zodiac

February 26, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir David Fincher, David Toschi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Avery, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Graysmith, Zodiac, Zodiac Killer

I wanted to re-watch this film because of my review of Bullitt brought up an interesting point. Steve McQueen based his performance of Bullitt on David Toschi, check out my look at Bullitt here:

https://everythingnoir.com/2015/02/21/re-watching-the-classics-bullitt/

Toschi, the lead investigator on the Zodiac case is portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in this film. Toschi is the basis for Dirty Harry as well, so Toschi was a real life badass that has become part of 3 great neo-noir movies.

Zodiac is based on a book by Robert Graysmith, who is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. This movie actually reopened the case of the Zodiac. Though most of this film is based on Graysmith’s take of the case so it is basically from one persons prospective.

The film is directed by one of my favorite directors of all time, David Fincher. We will be re-looking at many more Fincher neo-noir films on this site.

Robert Downey Jr. played Paul Avery, a reporter famous for working on the Zodiac case as well as the Patricia Hearst Kidnapping case.

The dialog in this film has flashing moments of classic noir dialog. I didn’t pick up on this when I watched it the first time back in 2007.

A couple I loved:

Robert Graysmith: Doesn’t it bother you that people call you Shorty?
Shorty: Doesn’t it bother you that people call you retard?
Robert Graysmith: Nobody calls me that.
Shorty: Right.

And:

Paul Avery: What do you do for fun?
Robert Graysmith: I love to read.
Paul Avery: Mhmm.
Robert Graysmith: Umm, I enjoy books.
Paul Avery: Those are the same things.

And maybe the best is David Toschi constantly asking for some Animal Crackers.

David Fincher also does a great job of showing San Francisco in a classic fashion, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Port of San Francisco and the time laps of the Transamerica Pyramid give the film a dark look. The creepy basement scene, with lots of shadows is almost black and white in feel.

This movie comes to a conclusion that a certain suspect was in fact the Zodiac Killer(I will not mention names for those that have not seen the movie). Later DNA testing seems to have cleared this person. There is many other theories on who was the Zodiac Killer, but nobody has officially solved the crime yet. Since this film there has been numerous deathbed confessions and supposed new evidence. One theory actually links the case of the Black Dahlia with the Zodiac Killer. We may never know the real story of this case, but this film is entertaining on its own.

Review: The Lookalike

February 24, 2015February 24, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir Gillian Jacobs, Gina Gershon, Jerry O'Connell, John Corbett, Justin Long, Luis Guzman, Michele Davis-Gray, Richard Gray, Steven Bauer, The Lookalike

The Lookalike is a new neo-noir that has just come out on DVD. The casting is very interesting, it has three actors, known for their comedy and play straight dark characters. They are Justin Long, Gillian Jacobs and Jerry O’Connell. I didn’t know if I could take any of them seriously, but they all did a fine jobs. We have veteran crime actors Gina Gershon, Luis Guzmán and Steven Bauer. Normal good guy John Corbett also plays against type as one of the baddies. Scottie Thompson also plays an important role in the film. I’m not to familiar with her work, but look forward to seeing her in more movies. Felisha Terrell played a smaller role in this, but was a stand out in my opinion.

So a quick idea of what you are getting into without to much of a spoiler. We have a bar owner/drug dealer that hires a lady to have sex with a business partner to help close a deal. This business partner wants this particular lady because she is the daughter of an ex-partner. Unfortunately this lady accidentally dies before this can happen, so our drug dealer must find a lookalike to take her place. This part of the story takes place in the first few minutes and we or off on our adventure.

We have drug dealers, cocaine addicts, loan sharks, strippers, informants, a cancer survivor and some shady cops, all with their own stories that all intertwine into one crazy ride.

This film takes place and is shot in New Orleans, a great location for a modern noir film, but it is not part of the story and simply a great looking back drop in this movie. This film is directed by Richard Gray and written by his wife Michele Davis-Gray, This is their 5th film together and their first crime film. I can see them getting better as they go and hope they revisit the genre in the future. This is a fun little film for noir fans looking for something new to rent and watch on a snowy winters night.

Review: Calvary

February 22, 2015February 22, 2015 bryancyr Movie, Neo-Noir Aidan Gillen, Brandon Gleeson, Calvary, Chris O'Dowd, Garrett Hedlund, Guy Pearce, John Michael McDonagh, Kelly Reilly, Marie-Josee Croze, Michael Pena, War on Everyone

Calvary opens in a confessional as the confessor tells the priest he is going to kill him in one week. The confessor tells him he was raped by priests for 5 years and now he is going to get payback. Our protagonist is not a rapist, he is a good priest, and that is why he is being targeted. Our unknown villain wants to kill a good priest, because killing a bad priest would not bring as much attention. Our good priest is played by Brandon Gleeson who fits this part well. We follow him through out his week as he talks to his parishioners in a small Irish town. Our hero goes through many trial and tribulations through out this week, all these make him question his own beliefs as evil seems to close in on him.

The supporting cast is an eclectic collection of people. Along the week he engages with all these people, each losing their own way in the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons. I would love to go into these, but I think that will take away from this film. All I will say is Chris O’Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Marie-Josée Croze and Aidan Gillen play four of the best supporting characters. This covers some dark material, many of which would have to be covered when dealing with the Catholic Church, but it also shows how between the Church and the economy, small town Ireland is in a bad place. This really delves into what is good and right and what is wrong and evil, as well as what is a sin in today’s world. John Michael McDonagh writes and directs this film, it is his 3rd movie and I look forward to his 4th movie, War on Everyone. War on Everyone has a great concept and a cast that includes Garrett Hedlund, Guy Pearce and Michael Peña.

I think this trailer sums it up well without spoiling too much:

This movie is something very original and I think you will enjoy it.