Road to redemption

Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron in "Mad Max: Fury Road"

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about summer blockbusters and my disdain for the growing crop of qualifiers (and would-be qualifiers) over the last few years. “Mad Max: Fury Road” is on track to be one of this summer’s mega hits, and I’m happy to report that after seeing it Sunday, I think it’s a worthy entry to the summer blockbuster canon.

There is a lot to see in this Mad Max series reboot with Tom Hardy taking over the role of the tormented former cop from Mel Gibson, but I’m going to keep this brief and try to limit my use of the words “post-apocalyptic” and “wasteland” to this sentence. The Earth has more or less been destroyed due to a nuclear holocaust that has left much of the population disfigured and desolate. But there’s a place called The Citadel where there is water and even plants, but of course it is controlled with cruelty by a warlord known as Immortan Joe. It’s similar to the set up in “Total Recall” except that was set on Mars. Immortan Joe is backed by his sons and an army of brainwashed “war boys” who believe their greatest glory would be to die in battle for Joe.

The title is fitting when it comes to Fury Road since that’s where the bulk of the movie takes place. Charlize Theron plays Furiosa, a trusted driver for Joe who decides to flee Joe’s brutal world and set off for her homeland with some precious cargo in tow. It doesn’t take long before Joe gets wise to Furiosa’s plan and pursues her with nearly all the “troops” in his desert army, including a live soundtrack provided by a comical, souped-up electric guitarist on an equally souped-up rig that also carries a backdrop of amplifiers.

You may be wondering where Max fits into all this, especially since I’m already four paragraphs into this review. Well that’s precisely why the title is not so fitting as far as Mad Max goes. Max’s journey is defined by these other characters. He is captured at the beginning of the film by Immortan Joe’s war boys and crosses paths with Furiosa when the war boy he is chained to (Nicholas Hoult) manages to be the only one to catch up with Furiosa’s rig on the initial chase. In one scene when Max goes off to try to thwart one particularly tenacious car of bad guys, the audience doesn’t even get to go with him and see him take them down. The camera stays with Furiosa and her crew.

Yes, the movie belongs to Furiosa, but Max definitely pulls his weight once they join forces. Both Max and Furiosa are seeking redemption for the people they failed to save earlier in their lives. At first it’s a matter of flight, but eventually it becomes a plan to fight. And that spirit is what gives the movie its heart – the “all in” nature of their commitment. Still, it’s riveting from the start. You can’t ask for better action sequences. You may want them to be less confusing because of all the chaos, but they are intense, eye-popping and effective. Even when the action slows down, which is not often, you are invested in the characters and intrigued by the landscape. It’s a very basic story of good vs. evil, but as with most enjoyable stories, it’s all about the journey. And to add to the many clichés out there already, this journey up and down Fury Road is worth taking.

DIRECTOR: George Miller | HEADLINERS: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult

Easy living isn't easy

BY THE BOOK

In 1990, novelist Walter Mosley introduced the world to a tough, resourceful private detective going up against ruthless crime lords, corrupt politicians, femme fatales and antagonistic cops of the 1940s and ‘50s in the mold of Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. The detective’s name is Easy Rawlins, and as a black man in the mostly white lineup of crime literature sleuths he brings an uncommon, riveting and relevant perspective.

As a huge fan of detective novels, I remember being thrilled to finally be able to read one that was well-written and engaging featuring African-Americans as the central characters. In addition to his deductive abilities, judicious use of strong-arm tactics, uncanny knack for getting out of tough situations and magnetism with the opposite sex – all traits the best gumshoes possess – Easy brings the specific burdens of being a black man seeking justice for others when he barely could expect justice for himself when needed. He has to be twice as smart as his adversaries within the case he’s working and in the society at large – so savvy that he can eliminate them entirely or make them see it’s in their best interests to go along with his best interests.   

Denzel Washington in "Devil in a Blue Dress"

Other readers and critics were just as impressed with Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins mysteries, and even though it’s often difficult even today to greenlight major motion pictures featuring black principal characters, Mosley’s first Easy Rawlins’ novel, “Devil in a Blue Dress,” made it to the big screen in 1995. By that time there had already been three more mysteries in the series published, all successful. But the biggest boost to getting the movie made had to be the box office power of the man set to play Easy – Denzel Washington, who served as a co-producer as well.     

Director Carl Franklin, who also wrote the screenplay, did a fine job of bringing Easy’s world of 1948 Los Angeles to life on the screen. After serving in WWII, Easy has purchased a house but can’t seem to find steady work to keep up his mortgage. Easy’s friend Joppy, who owns the local watering hole, introduces Easy to a man named Albright who needs help with a missing persons case. Albright, played with seedy abandon by Tom Sizemore, says he's working for a hotshot mayoral candidate whose fiancée, Daphne, is missing, but they don’t want to make a big fuss about it. Albright needs Easy because the fiancée, played by Jennifer Beals, has been known to hang around black clubs where Albright would not be given the time of day. Easy is reluctant at first because of his lack of experience and his lack of faith in Albright, but his lack of money wins out.

Of course, almost immediately after he starts asking around about Daphne, his troubles begin – troubles that escalate unrelentingly the way they do in detective stories until the case is solved. But although these troubles have a familiar air about them, the story is made fresh because of how Easy has to operate within the confines of the system and all the wonderful characters you meet along the way. It contains a motley crew of good-natured neighbors, oversexed vixens, ultraviolent thugs, evasive power brokers and, as referenced earlier, abusive cops.

In fairness, the cops are almost always abusive in detective stories – at least the ones that I’ve read and seen in movies. Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade nearly comes to blows with one of the cops working his case every time they see each other in “The Maltese Falcon.” They clearly don’t like each other, and the cop does hit Sam Spade in one scene, but even though you know they’d throw Spade in jail if Spade hit the cop back, the threat of what would happen to him in custody is not nearly as ominous as it would be for a black man in the same era. And considering the abuses and crimes against black men in police custody made public across the country in the last few years, times have not changed very much.  

Easy faces his share of danger and racial prejudices, but he has at least one ally he can rely on – one of the best characters in the books and easily the best character in the movie – Easy’s best friend Mouse, played wonderfully by Don Cheadle. If there’s such a thing as an endearing sociopath, Mouse is it. But then, you’d only find him endearing if he was on your side; otherwise, you’d find him terrifying. There are no shades of gray with Mouse – you’re either his friend, or you’re his enemy. Just as Easy finds himself getting in over his head with the case, Mouse swoops in like a blessing and a curse – a blessing when circumstances call for hard ball, a curse when they call for patience and subtlety. Cheadle plays him with humor and menace, but because the menace is born out of a basic outlook of “These are just the consequences of crossing me,” it doesn’t come off as vicious as much as practical (although it may seem vicious to the poor soul who steps on Mouse’s shoes without apologizing).

Jennifer Beals in "Devil in a Blue Dress"

But as much as I love superlative characters, unless you’re Terence Malick or Richard Linklater, I usually require a good plot, particularly in detective stories. The mystery is definitely satisfying, but it didn’t feel as compelling in the movie as it did in the book. It could be the story seemed more see-through because I knew it already, but that’s been true of other films I thought were better than the book.

Franklin definitely knows how to handle this kind of material. He did it brilliantly in his woefully little-seen 1992 film “One False Move” and again with Washington in 2003’s “Out of Time.” The film noir vibe was strong in “Devil in a Blue Dress” even without moody cinematography, but it lacked the gritty realism conveyed in Franklin's other films in this genre. There are some similarities to “Chinatown” because of the time period, location and one particular scene with the femme fatale, but I don’t mind them. I do think the element of danger and darkness would’ve been enhanced with a more vivid sense of people like the opposing mayoral candidates. And although I think highly of Washington’s acting ability, and he was solid in this movie, I couldn’t help feeling like there might have been another actor more suited to playing Easy. No one else comes to mind, but it’s a nagging thought.  

Overall, I enjoyed the ride, though, and was anxious to see a few sequels. But “Devil in a Blue Dress” did not get a warm reception at the box office, and no one has taken up the banner of bringing Easy to the big screen since, which I think is a shame. If not the big screen, in the right hands, it could be a phenomenal series for HBO – a different kind of true detective.

DIRECTOR: Carl Franklin | HEADLINERS: Denzel Washington, Jennifer Beals, Tom Sizemore, Don Cheadle

WHAT I'M WATCHING

“Little White Lies” (2010)
This French film from the writer and director of the 2006 thriller “Tell No One” took a lot of cues from “The Big Chill” right down to the 1960’s soundtrack. The differences: This group of friends is in relatively constant contact; they are brought together not by a friend’s death but by a friend’s hospitalization due to a nearly fatal traffic accident, and they are about to embark on an annual vacation (as opposed to a weekend reunion) haunted by their friend’s absence and myriad secrets they are trying to keep from each other and themselves.

Marion Cotilliard and Jean Dujardin would be the most familiar faces to American audiences, both are Oscar winners. Dujardin’s role is small – he plays the severely injured friend, but Cotilliard is one of the key characters – an activist who travels the world and leaves a trail of broken hearts in her wake. The characters live in Paris, but most of the action takes place at the vacation home owned by Max, played by Francois Cluzet. He and his wife voluntarily foot the bill for everything on these annual vacations, and he doesn’t mind mentioning it. His frequent meltdowns, due to a whopper of a revelation from another friend on the trip, are a source of great comedy and drama in the film.

As much as I love American music from the ‘60s, it seemed rather out of place in this film. I kept wondering why they didn’t pull from a decade that might have been specifically nostalgic for these particular characters, like perhaps the ‘80s. And there was no need for the film to be two and a half hours; it would’ve been just as effective, if not more so, at a flat two hours. Cotilliard’s sulking and Cluzet’s petulance definitely started to wear on me.  But generally, it was an interesting foray into the excesses, obsessions and pretenses of dazzling French urbanites with means pushing 40.
DIRECTOR: Guillaume Canet | HEADLINERS: Marion Cotilliard, Francois Cluzet, Jean Dujardin

“They Drive by Night” (1940)
This was one of those pleasant surprises – a movie I had no intention of watching all the way through when I came across it on TCM, but I couldn’t seem to change the channel. Not to be confused with the 1948 Nicholas Ray movie “They Live by Night” starring Farley Granger, which is what came to mind when I saw the title, this movie features Humphrey Bogart just a year or so before his star-making turn as Sam Spade in “The Maltese Falcon.” In fact, there were three names above Bogie’s on this picture: George Raft, Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino – names modern audiences might not know so well unless they are classic movie fans. But at the time, they were all big stars, and Bogart would soon eclipse them by becoming a superstar.

Raft and Bogart play truck drivers who carry loads at all hours, making their trips dangerous because of the inevitable lack of sleep they get, even though they ride as a team. Their dream is to own their own trucking business someday. Raft is inspired to work even harder toward their goal when he meets and falls for Sheridan. And fortuitously, a friend soon offers Raft a great opportunity in that direction. Unfortunately, Raft has a history with his friend’s wife, played by Lupino, and she seems to think Raft ought to rekindle their history – in spite of her married status. Her husband is played by Alan Hale, who years later would become the Skipper on TV’s “Gilligan’s Island.”    

Director Raoul Walsh does a great job of keeping the pace steady and suspenseful, but Ida Lupino is the stand-out as the obsessed woman. The ending could’ve been handled with a little more finesse, but it was sufficiently jarring to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Lupino and Bogart didn’t have any scenes together in this movie, but they made up for it when they starred in Walsh’s next picture the following year, the acclaimed “High Sierra,” which I also recommend.
DIRECTOR: Raoul Walsh | HEADLINERS: George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Humphrey Bogart

The blockbuster

"The Dark Knight"

The summer movie season has begun, and true to form, the anticipated blockbuster “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” topped the box office last weekend. I would like to write that I have nothing against summer blockbusters because in my heart I don’t feel like I am against them. Yet I must confess to being annoyed by the annual onslaught. So I guess what I’m really feeling is exhaustion. I know it’s a frequent sentiment from film critics and movie fans of a certain age. But it’s a legitimate concern when the blockbusters become more and more mindless.

Yes, all movies are a form of escapism. And I love a good fictional explosion as much as the next franchise geek. But what’s wrong with establishing a solid, slightly unpredictable story and vaguely realistic dialogue? I’m not saying abandon all catch phrases, but could more of them contain some real irony or cleverness?

I’m truly not trying to pile on these beleaguered screenwriters who have been force-fed clichés from the time they embarked on their first satellite course. It’s an inevitability, really, this retreading of super hero tropes and high-octane car chases and million-dollar explosions that are bound to be more and more disappointing because we’ve seen it all. Maybe that’s why the demographic for these movies is typically 18- to 25-year-olds – they haven’t seen it all … yet.

I admit there are some franchises that fall into that category that are near and dear to my heart, but that’s because they at least started out with the kind of storytelling, action, suspense and compelling characters the first true “blockbusters” – “Jaws” and “Star Wars” – set the stage for. In fact, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have a pretty unbeatable track records as far as summer blockbusters go – from the Indiana Jones franchise to movies that stood alone like “E.T.” and “Minority Report.”

“Die Hard” comes to mind. It may not seem like a standard-bearer in the aftermath of all its sequels, but it contained an honestly compelling plot, great humor and one of the best movie villains ever (“You ask for miracles, Theo, I give you the FBI.”). “X-Men” had gravitas built into its characters’ struggle for equality, but not so many mutants in the opposing teams that we lost interest in keeping track. They waited for the sequels to do that disservice. “Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight” made Batman a more believable super hero for those of us who didn’t grow up reading the comic books. Tim Burton’s “Batman” was less believable, but still a lot of fun. And there’s nothing mindless about “Alien” or its sequel “Aliens” for that matter. I know I’m in the minority, but I even liked “Alien3.” With those movies you get one of the most legitimately formidable creature-villains ever, the menace of corporate greed and power as an undercurrent, and the rare privilege of seeing a truly heroic woman kick ass for a change.

As for the ones coming up this summer, I am curious about the Mad Max reboot, but that’s mainly because of Tom Hardy (I am so rooting for that man to break through with audiences!) and because “Road Warrior” was so badass. And I will probably always watch the “Mission Impossible” sequels in hopes that one day there will be another sequence as entertaining as the one in the first movie from the time Ethan describes the impossible mission on the train (“Relax, Luther. It’s much worse than you think.”) to the time his team breaks into and back out of CIA headquarters. Of course, that sequence includes the famous scene of Ethan suspended in mid-air in the “impenetrable room fortress.”    

So I am not above loving the blockbuster. I was reared on them. This is more about the formulaic bludgeoning we’ve gotten from the repeat offenders clearly out for profits over the genuine attributes of entertainment value, the “more is more” mindset that is going to yield nearly a dozen films over the next four years from the Marvel cinematic universe alone. 

I get that it's sometimes necessary to milk the cash cow and pay for all the boutique pictures us film snobs dote on so much but don't have that mass appeal. I’m just making a plea for quality control. You don’t have to be Spielberg or Lucas – and you never will be – but just take a cue from them and start with a great story. Perhaps that’s why I don’t mind the upcoming "Star Wars" sequels so much (Although I do mind them a little for the same reason I don’t think people should write sequels to books they didn’t write originally. I don’t care if the original author says it’s OK. Why tamper with the mythology?!). I am a true movie fan, which means I will rarely be completely happy with anything. But I will continue to look forward to the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised by a deliberate summer blockbuster. And I stand in awe of all those filmmakers who try to get it right for those who care and those who just want to see aliens in car chases with super heroes destroying cities while spies fly spacecraft into the earth’s core to save mutant babies. 

My 2015 summer viewing list

Here are the movies I’m looking forward to seeing this summer season. The lack of potential blockbusters is coincidental. The ones I am eagerly awaiting – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice – will not be summer releases.

MAY
“Far from the Maddening Crowd”
Classic English literature, Carey Mulligan as an independent woman trying to choose between three men … Wouldn’t miss it.

“The D Train”
I miss Jack Black.

“Welcome to Me”
Kristen Wiig stars in this comedy about a bipolar woman who wins the lottery and decides to buy her own talk show – an unusual premise to say the least. The trailer looks pretty intriguing, and I like the cast, especially Joan Cusack (I miss her too), Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tim Robbins.

JUNE
“Entourage”
Even though I feel like it’s too late for this to be a movie, I was a fan of the show and definitely want to see what happened to the boys.

“Live from New York!”
Documentary about the not-ready-for-primetime players. I’m in – even though I haven’t regularly watched the show since Will Ferrell and his SNL alumni class left.

JULY
"Trainwreck”
Amy Schumer is damn funny. That is all.

“Mr. Holmes”
Ian McKellen as a retired Sherlock Holmes under the direction of Bill Condon. As a huge fan of the fictional detective, I have to see how well they do.

“Irrational Man”
The latest Woody Allen flick – this time starring Joaquin Phoenix as Woody’s alter ego.

AUGUST
“Straight Outta Compton”
Is the world ready for N.W.A.’s story? Based on the racial issues erupting in the country over the last few years, it is a timely release about the struggles of young marginalized black men who end up beating the odds and finding success.

“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”
I’m an anglophile and a Guy Ritchie fan.

“Dark Places”
I’m also a Gillian Flynn fan, and she wrote the book this movie is based on. I can’t imagine that it will be as successful as “Gone Girl,” but if director Gilles Paquet-Brenner keeps the suspense of the novel, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz and Nicholas Hoult ought to be able to keep it interesting.