Category Archives: Redemption

The Apostle (1997)

From NetFlix:

When charismatic but troubled Pentecostal preacher Euliss “Sonny” Dewey (Robert Duvall) discovers that his wife (Farrah Fawcett) is having an affair, he promptly puts the other man in a coma and flees his home state of Texas for Louisiana. Once there, he takes on a new name, renovates an old church and brings new life to a congregation. Written and directed by Duvall, the film also earned an Oscar nod for Duvall’s complex, captivating performance.

All the excited Pentecostal preaching, praying, shouting, curing, etc. at the start of the film almost turned me off immediately. But that is the intense atmosphere of this entire story. Although the Bible Belt style of religion might not appeal to everyone, the attraction here is the amazingly energetic performance of that actor’s actor Robert Duvall. Once he gets going in a charismatic fury, there is no stopping him. Could he have actually memorized such a flood of words from a script or was he ad-libbing?

If you can divorce yourself from all the commotion (or SHOULD you?), try to answer my question: was the Apostle insane? Alternatives are:

  • He lived in a culture where such behavior was considered normal.
  • He lived in a state of sane self-delusion.
  • He was perfectly sane and a consummate huckster. This same alternative has been voiced
    against the founders of certain (all?) religions.

And will you recognize Farrah Fawcett as his wife, Billy Bob Thornton as a trouble maker converted in a scene whose probability I had trouble accepting (but again it is a question of that culture), John Beasley as the Reverend Blackwell, or Walton Goggins as the young man crying at the end (Goggins plays Hunt in “Cowboys and Aliens”) ?

Maybe not your cup of tea, but certainly one of the more memorable performances in film history.

Charlie Valentine (2009)

From NetFlix:

When problems come to prey on an otherwise “perfect” crime, hard-boiled gangster Charlie Valentine (Raymond J. Barry) seeks assistance from an unlikely source: his estranged son, Danny (Michael Weatherly), who’s been living his own life in Los Angeles. With father and son working together, a series of crimes starts falling into place. But that doesn’t reduce the danger in teaching Danny the family business.

Michael Weatherly plays Anthony DiNozzo in the TV series “NCIS” which is one of the few TV series related to crime that is not violent (“Bones” is another example). Playing a character in a successful TV series is a wonderful meal ticket. But the question arises: could that actor survive outside the supporting cocoon of the show? As an experiment I watched Weatherly play Danny Valentine, the son of Charlie Valentine played by Raymond J. Barry. My verdict is that Weatherly can act, although in my opinion that acting is weak in the very last scene.

But Raymond Barry captures the show! He was born in my birth year, 1939. So here is a man in his 70’s doing a marvelous acting job. His lifelong list of credits is huge. Recently he plays Arlo Givens in the TV series “Justified”.

In a nutshell: Charlie has been a self-centered, violent sociopath his whole life. He abandoned his wife and son. On the run Charlie seeks help from his son Danny who has ambivalent feelings toward his father. On the one hand he is justifiably resentful, especially since his mother died not too long after his father left them. On the other hand he admires his father and longs to be the same kind of career criminal. So it isn’t that Charlie forcefully perverts his son, rather his son actually asks to learn the resourceful ways of his father.

Meanwhile aging Charlie is starting to feel remorse for his murderous lifestyle. As a climax to the story Charlie is put to some kind of test. Watch the film to witness the test and its resolution.

Get Low (2009)

From NetFlix:

Oscar winners Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek team up to tell the true story of irascible Felix Bush, a backwoods Tennessee loner who planned his funeral in 1938 while he was still around to attend — and enjoy — the proceedings. Director Aaron Schneider’s deft blend of dark humor and poignancy also stars Bill Murray as Frank Quinn, the huckster owner of a failing funeral home, and Lucas Black as his dubious assistant.

Despite the above NetFlix paragraph, Felix Bush did not “enjoy” his funeral. But you will have to watch this wonderful film to understand why.

Even at the age of 78 Robert Duvall is still the master of his craft. I kept thinking “Wow, he really can project the infirmities of old age!”, but perhaps he was not faking all those seemingly painful movements. Here is an actor’s actor who completely adapts to his film character. Moreover Duvall, as far as I can tell, remained true to acting in worthwhile films as opposed to other actors (e.g. Anthony “I’ll play in any piece of trash as long as they pay me” Hopkins).

Sissy Spacek is a young thing of 60 in this film. And yes, she still has the knack.

Forgive me but Bill Murray (age 59) will always be for me one of the “Ghost Busters”. It was shocking to see him so aged.

Lucas Black (a mere 27 years old) adds a touch of sincere honesty to the film. So far I cannot find any memorable film performance in his history.

Question: What happened to all that money ? An answer would be appreciated.

Do not let the slow pacing keep you from this well-acted film.

Killer Elite (1975)

From NetFlix:

One of the least well-known films from legendary director Sam Peckinpah, this action-thriller reunites Godfather co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall. After Mike Locken (Caan) is left crippled by George Hansen (Duvall), his traitorous best friend, Locken quits the CIA. However, he returns to the shadowy spy life as the bodyguard for Chung (Mako), an Eastern diplomat targeted for assassination by Hansen and his hit squad.

Somewhat dated but, if modernized just a bit, this film would be no different from today’s hired killer stories. There are even scenes featuring Kung-Fu in one form or another.

What would probably NOT be in a film today was following in much detail James Caan’s physical rehabilitation after being purposely crippled by Robert Duvall at the very start of the film. We get to watch the removal of plaster casts, stitches, etc. All this rehabilitation serves to show Caan’s determination to get back in action. Considering the damage done to his knee and elbow you have to suspend disbelief to think that he could actually overcome many Kung-Fu style attacks.

Arthur Hill plays the double-dealing Cap Collis. You may remember him as Marcus Welby in the like-named TV series.

Burt Young (Mac) played Paulie in all the “Rocky 1,2,3,4,…” films.

The Missing Person (2008)

From NetFlix:

Hired to shadow a mysterious man leaving on a train from Chicago going to Los Angeles, heavy drinking private investigator John Rosow (Michael Shannon) discovers that the stranger is most definitely not who everyone thinks he is. With a large cash reward offered by the man’s wife dangling before his eyes, Rosow tangles with his own demons as he decides whether to turn the guy in for the money. Noah Buschel directs this moody film noir.

At first I thought this was a film in black and white. But the coloration seems to change as the film progresses and was pleasant in itself. As the film advances you learn more and more details, although often things are not always as they appear. Best not to read other reviews or plot explanations because they would spoil the surprises. All in all I enjoyed this unexpected find from NetFlix.

Michael Shannon was Dex in “Before the Devil Knows You are Dead” but to tell you the truth I never noticed him in any other film. Amy Ryan as Miss Charley was familiar to me as the wife in “Win Win” (a wonderful feel-good film). In 1999-2000 there was a TV series “Now and Again” that introduced Eric Close. In that series Margaret Colin played the caring mother Lisa Wiseman. However, in this film she poses as a prostitute who is really tracking Michael Shannon.

For me not all of the plot was crystal clear. If you would care to share, tell me:

  • What was the favor that Miss Charley did for John Rosow (Michael Shannon) ?
  • If the crooked lawyer wanted to keep Harold Fullmer dead, why did he not kill him ?
  • Why did John Rosow return all that cash to Harold’s wife ?
  • Did Harold understand Don Edgar ?

Slow moving, consistent, good acting, worth the time spent.

21 Grams (2003)

From NetFlix:

A tragic car accident brings together three strangers — a teacher (Sean Penn) with a weak heart, a former drug addict (Naomi Watts) turned housewife and an ex-con (Benicio Del Toro) who’s found Christ — forcing them to face their darkest fears, reevaluate their lives and seek redemption. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu directed this complex drama that earned Oscar nominations for lead actress Watts and supporting actor Del Toro.

Mexican directory Alejandro González Iñárritu is known for possibly disturbing films such as “Babel”, “Amores Perros”, “21 Grams”, and “Biutiful”. His “Nine Lives” did not please me very much.

“21 Grams” is a jigsaw puzzle. Scene sequences are scrambled and you eventually have to figure out what the complete story really is. Some scenes are repeated such that on a succeeding viewing you finally understand what that scene means. Not that the scrambling is random, rather the non-linear sequencing is done very well. What really keeps the film moving is the sudden changes in scene without any warning. Expect some sudden surprising plot twists.

Violence, infidelity, ill health, forgiveness, and possibly redemption are the major themes.

“Redemption” is debatable because Del Toro’s character possibly never forgives himself for what he has done (we are talking ambiguity here). He certainly was a horrible father in addition to his other shortcomings. His little son does a great job showing that he had to keep himself distant from his capricious and often violent father. His daughter accepts him unconditionally.

Sean Penn seemed to me a basically selfish man, mostly concerned with his identity (“who am I with this newly transplanted heart ?”). He finds it easy to abandon the woman who loves him.

Naomi Watts’ character asks the question: “How possible is it to forgive someone who killed your loved ones ?” Watching her life go down the drain is no fun.

Interest never flags in this intense, worthwhile, demanding film.

Man on Fire (2004)

From NetFlix:

Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she’s kidnapped he’s consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life. Tony Scott directs this thriller about a demoralized soul whose sense of purpose is reawakened by a human connection. Christopher Walken and Mickey Rourke co-star.

Seeing one kidnapping film is almost tantamount to seeing all of them. Plot twists keep this kidnapping adventure alive. Also the secondary (primary ?) theme of John Creasy finding something worth living for helps to hold the plot together. Violent revenge takes over after the kidnapping which disappointed me because I thought Creasy was trying to rise above his life of killing. Assumedly the justification is that the action takes place in Mexico which is so corrupt that our American notion of law and justice has no meaning. Unfortunately that is a fairly accurate description of Mexico.

Dakota Fanning as the girl Pita is her usual cute self. I wonder what kind of actress she will eventually become. Denzel Washington plays Denzel Washington.

Amazing Grace (2006)

From NetFlix:

Based on actual events, this historical drama from acclaimed director Michael Apted tells the story of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd), an 18th-century English politician who fought for the abolition of slavery. Despite staunch opposition, Wilberforce waged an aggressive campaign using boycotts, petitions and slogans to bring the British slave trade to a decisive end. Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Rufus Sewell co-star.

Worthwhile but not maudlin feel-good films can be hard to discover. “Amzing Grace” is such a jewel.

For an historical reality check please read the Wikipedia article.

England, through the efforts of Wilberforce, abolished the slave trade in 1807, a half-century before the American Civil War. Stay for the final credits which add that Wilberforce and William Pitt are buried side by side in Westminster Abbey.

Although it is eventually a feel-good film, you will be subjected to unsettling descriptions of the treatment of slaves.

In the film I saw many familiar British actors whose names I have never known. To give some of them credit, you will see:

  • Benedict Cumberbatch was William Pitt. He is currently the Masterpiece Mystery Sherlock Holmes.
  • Michael Gambon was Lord Charles Fox. He was Dumbledore in “Harry Potter”.
  • Rufus Sewell was Thomas Clarkson. He was Alexander Hamilton in “John Adams”.
  • Ciarán Hinds was the evil Lord Tarleton. He was Gaius Julius Cesar in “Rome”.
  • Toby Jones was the cretinous Duke of Clarence. He was Karl Rove in “W”
  • Nicholas Farrell was Henry Thornton. I will always remember him as the young runner Aubrey Montague in “Chariots of Fire”. His screen credits roll on for pages.
  • Albert Finney was John Newton and IS British acting.

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM !!!!

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

The Town (2010)

From NetFlix:

Career bank robber Doug (Ben Affleck) and his volatile partner, Jim (Jeremy Renner), hit a roadblock when Doug falls for bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall), whom he kidnapped during their last heist. Worse, an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) is now trailing the thieves around their Charlestown, Mass., territory. Affleck directs and co-writes this smart, intricate actioner that co-stars Blake Lively as Krista, Jim’s sister and Doug’s troubled former flame.

No doubt about it, Ben Affleck shows how multi-talented he is in this adaptation from Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”!

Yes, there are the mandatory car chases, sex scenes, shoot outs at the OK Coral, etc. But I was always rooting for Affleck’s character Doug, hoping he could turn his life around. However, cooperative crime is a trap, once a member always a member. Somehow his relation with Claire adds something distinct about the film (but then there is always “On the Waterfront”).

Jan Hamm is wonderfully forceful as the FBI lead agent. It’s nice to see him as something other than one of the “Mad Men”.

One of my favorite villains, he plays “The Florist”, is the Cheshire, England born-and-raised Pete Postlethwaite (I wonder how you pronounce that name). His final end in this film is very satisfying.

Please read the Wikipedia article which tries hard to dispel the myth that Charlestown remains a breeding ground for criminals. Too bad the article didn’t explain how they filmed all those destructive car chases.

My one real objection is that at the end of the film (this is not a spoiler) Doug has arranged too many clever details. And just when, amidst the shooting, did he have time for those arrangements?