The Odessa File (1974)

Ronald Neame - Director

Kenneth Ross, George Markstein –Screenplay (based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth)

Andrew Lloyd Webber- Score

Jon Voight

Turns out Angelina’s not the only with action chops. Her father takes a star turn as a 70’s Jason Bourne, chasing down Nazis, changing identities, fightin’ the bad guys and being basically an all around 70’s bad ass.

The movie, set is picturesque Austria and Germany, sets the stage for an action drama with German crime journalist, Paul Miller (Voight), following a lead found in the diary of a Riga Concentration Camp victim after his recent suicide. The diary purports that sadistic former SS officer Eduard Roschmann, “The Butcher of Riga,” (Maximillian Schell) is still alive and well, despite being thought dead since the war’s end in 1945. Following his investigative instincts, Miller sets off on a cross continental journey to uncover Odessa, a group of former Nazis being protected by the government. With help from his girlfriend (a ditzy, classic 70’s archetype played by Mary Tamm) and an underground group of Israeli agents vowed to take down Nazi war criminals, he finds that Roschmann has more of a connection to him than he thought.

Yes, The Odessa File has elements of a James Bond-esque movie. Between chase scenes, gun fights, and suspenseful “will he be discovered?” moments, it is a mystery action through and through. But it also has the wonderful, and at the same time utterly ridiculous, 70’s aspects that are lost in today’s hi tech explosions and obsession with constant action. Throughout the film, Miller clumsily scales trees and trestle drawbridges, locates conveniently placed hidden entrances to castle basements, navigates ancient manors and underground basements full to capacity with twisted corridors and passageways as though he himself had designed them, and traverses a series of rickety staircases and heavy wooden doors without making nary a peep or being spotted by any of the apparently well trained former Nazi guards. Simply amazing. All accomplished while sporting an incredibly fetching array of matching turtleneck-leisure pant ensembles and hair coiffed to perfection (need I mention the ever popular 70's music?) Whereas a Bourne or Bond would be leaping off 35 ft high walls, dropping into an aikido roll and coming up perfectly positioned next to a gassed up and running Audi A6, Miller chooses to hide his Mercedes in a modest clump of trees, mere feet from the guard station, wander through bushes quite literally holding a branch in front of his face for camouflage before flattening himself against a wall in order not to be spotted by a passing guard –a maneuver I thought was reserved for the type of children who believed closing their eyes rendered themselves invisible.

The Odessa File has the wonderful classic throwback charm of the earlier Bonds and the added bonus of actually incorporating a number of true facts (Roschmann, “The Butcher of Riga” did exist and, after the exposure of the Odessa, was actually captured and arrested in Argentina.) For those looking for a cgi experience with trucks being blown to smithereens and whole cities coming down in ruins, you might be disappointed. But for anyone who can appreciate an action film, 70’s style, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Being There (1979)

Hal Ashby- Director

Jerzy Kosinski –Screenplay (based on his novel by the same name)

Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden  

If you’re like me, you grew up loathing anything that wasn’t put out in the last 3 years, starred Johnny Depp, or had at least half a dozen car chases or explosions. And yet somehow in the past 5 years, I have my found myself reverting to yesteryear, enjoying heartily the calmingly optimistic narration of Robert Osborne and tuning more and more often to the perennially loved channel, Turner Classic Movies.

My father, whose favorite shows include Swamp People, refers lovingly to TCM as “top hats and dancing,” a moniker I can only assume is in reference to their penchant for featuring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney in an increasingly alarming number of musical features. However, alongside their variety pack of tightly panted men and women in hats, are a few gems.

Being There is perhaps one of the funniest and unassuming movies of the last half century. It doesn’t accost you with slapstick or attempt to prove its superior wit with topical humor. No one is naked (save a chastely nightgown-clad MacLaine) and Mike Tyson does not make a cameo.  Rather, Peter Sellers’ brand of the driest humor mixed with the classic situations inherent in a case of mistaken identity serve to make this film effortlessly and unerringly hilarious.

The movie is based on a dimwitted, “rice pudding between the ears” gardener, Chance, who gets kicked out of his house when his caretaker, “The Old Man”, dies. Through a series of mistakes, Chance gets picked up by wealthy wife to a financeer, Eve played by Shirley MacLaine, and brought to the house, which happens to be the Biltmore Estate. Now dubbed Chauncy Gardner, the hapless Sellers charms Ben, the dying billionaire, the President and the entire international, financial community, all by saying little beyond “Yes, I understand.” He is assumed a reclusive government protected genius, a status he perpetuates by providing suggestions on how to run a garden, all of which are mistaken for brilliant political and financial insights.

While much of the best humor of the movie is said not through words but rather deliberate silences and perfect facial expressions – both of which can make the film seem a tad long and drawn out – it is a refreshing example of classic humor without the tricks and gimmicks of some of today’s comedies. Sellers shines in one of his last movies before his death in 1980, proving that he truly was one of the best comedians of our time. He carries the movie without saying more than perhaps 100 words of dialogue, relying instead on facial expressions and well executed silences to say more than a thousand pages could. Likewise, Shirley MacLaine, proves she had the IT factor at 45 every bit as much as she does as a well seasoned actress in her later films. Her timing and obvious comedic chemistry with Sellers in undeniable.

Truly one of the greats, Being There is the kind of movie that showcases the best of Hollywood and makes you appreciate once again that the bests are not necessarily the newest. 

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Lisa Cholodenko – Director

Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg – Screenplay

Annette Benning, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowski

Ok, I’m not trying to say that I have seen all the movies up for Academy Awards, and I’m not trying to make some big sweeping generalizations but, I think the theme this year is… "If you do a lesbian sex scene: Oscar/ Golden Globe/ SAG nod!” Ok now that I’ve got that out…

With Oscar buzz abounding, this is perhaps not the first movie on your list to see before the big night (especially if you find yourself a male of the species.) However, it should be. With the perfect mix of humor and drama, this flawless cast and down to earth, effortlessly topical screenplay delivers a wonderfully entertaining film that leaves the audience thinking.

 I have to be honest, when I first saw the previews for the movie, the liberal in me was all set to be like, Yea! Lesbians! With kids! Alright! I am going to see this movie and debate and make my views on homosexuality and social justices known!  So I sat down with my customary glass of wine and equally liberal roommate, ready to cheers each other for our stunning acceptance and support of alternative lifestyles. And we were flabbergasted to find that the lesbian angle had little to do with the actual movie. While you can tell that the writer (or perhaps behind the scenes, politically correct, liberal media producers) attempted to slightly emphasize it – the constant and obvious references to “moms” or the “is our son gay?” debate – the overarching question of “what makes a family?” and the struggles everyone faces prevail.

To set the general framework, the film opens with the kids of a lesbian couple, Nic (Benning) and Jules (Moore), attempting to contact their sperm donor father. Clearly not taking the turn anyone expected, no sooner does hippie, carefree dad, Paul (Ruffulo), enter the picture, than he begins a passionate affair with hippie, carefree Jules. Upon discovery by Nic, the alpha, control freak half of the partnership, the family falls into utter disarray, leaving everyone questioning their role in the family structure. Alongside, is the brilliant and sensitive daughter, Joni (Wasikowski), cautiously getting excited for her first year of college, and her more reticent brother (Josh Hutcherson) trying to live his teenage years without getting caught up in the wrong crowd.

While the editing could have been a bit more discerning – a few story lines go nowhere and could have been cut to make a long movie feel tighter and more forward moving – the effortless screenplay makes even the more stagnant moments foreplay to the next scene. Speaking of foreplay, it should come as no surprise that there are more than a few sex scenes. To name one  - Julianne Moore, Annette Benning, a vibrator, porn. Hey, it’s a lesbian film, you’ve got have some. However (not to ruin it for anyone looking for a thrill) the sex, like the lesbian relationship itself, mostly serves to set the scene for a more important message. Not that lesbian couples have sex, but that when you accidentally hit the remote and turn hard core porn to maximum levels and your kids hear, its awk. For everyone.

Overall, whether you’re in a relationship, gay, an angsty teen, a sperm donor or just an unfortunate soul praying not to hear their parents doing it, this movie will speak to you. The acting is superb (keep an eye out for Mia Wasikowski!) While everyone and their grandmother knows that Benning, Moore, and Ruffulo have well-crafted acting chops, newcomer – well not quite but relatively - Wasikowski effortlessly plays Joni as simultaneously a clever, astute observer of adult dynamics as well as an innocent, sensitive teen who quickly finds out there’s more to marriage than she can comprehend.

*Peepers open for Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for Original Screenplay

Black Swan (2010)

Darren Aronofsky –Director

Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John McLaughlin – Screenplay

Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Barbara Hersey

I don’t know if you’re the kind of person who pre-games pretty much every nighttime activity but… I would suggest perhaps a ginger ale before this one. Black Swan is pretty much a redo of Requiem for a Dream – unsurprising as it was Aronofsky’s golden ticket to Hollywood carte blanche- basically with half clad ballerinas standing in for smack. You’ve got your quick cuts, the intense camera angles, a psychological delve into madness and, overall, a nauseous, overwhelming portrait of obsession.  And you know what, the formula still works.

The psychological drama is an utterly… well... intense view of Natalie Portman as Nina Sears, the tormented ballerina struggling with inner and, perhaps, outer demons as she attempts to gracefully claw her way to stardom. A twisted reimagining of the classic Swan Lake, Sears is the epitome of the delicate and virginal White Swan. Playing the “sweet girl” for her demented and overbearing mother (played as the ultimate momager by Barbara Hersey), she fights to embrace her dark side and embody the dangerous and promiscuous Black Swan. Between her mother, a creepily interested director (Vincent Cassell), her dangerously unstable dethroned rival (Winona Ryder no doubt looking for her comeback), and a beautiful and clearly sexually liberated peer (hello! Mila Kunis!), there are enough dark forces to drag anyone down. And yet poor Nina’s innate ethereal timidity and utter terror to lose any semblance of control, continue to envelop her. But like any good, well controlled girl, Sears is a full-on basketcase on the verge of a breakdown.  

While the movie is clearly a showcase of some beautiful talent (Mila Kunis plays the role of the free-spirited, real life incarnation of the Black Swan to a tee), it is totally and completely Natalie Portman’s stage. She literally carries the camera on her chest and shoulders and invites the audience into the most private (and provocative) scenes of her demise. She is the definition of giving one’s self for a role, obviously enduring mental and physical anguishes to embody the dancer, even  dropping down to nothing but bone and muscle.

Undoubtedly one of the year’s best, Black Swan comes off with a unique mixture of fictional biopic and horrifying psycho thriller reminiscent of Hitchcock or Carrie. While the twist is one that many may see coming, it leaves you on the edge of your seat, hands gripping the armrest and panting (lesbian scene anyone?) for a second viewing to pick up more.

*Eyes akimbo for Natalie Portman picking up a Best Actress