Prince of the City (1981) - Sidney Lumet's self-consciously epic tale of dirty cops stars Treat Williams as a top NYPD detective that decides to cooperate with investigators to uncover corruption. His motivation for doing so is unfortunately undersold. What really fascinates Lumet here is the cop's descent once he signs on to his Faustian bargain with prosecutors under the delusion that he'll be able to salvage his conscience and take out corruption without touching his corrupt partners. So Lumet rushes right into that, leaving it up to either the actor to communicate some deeper understanding to the audience non-verbally or for the audience to just try to accept it as is. Lumet is always able to maintain a baseline level of tension in the film almost in spite of the lack of action. Being a nearly three hour movie focusing entirely on one man's struggle with his conscience, however, the film can only soar as high as Treat Williams can take it. And unfortunately, he's limited. Williams is fine, but what the film needs is an actor powerful and good enough to transcend the written words - to communicate in his face and movements what is not said in the film to take us to a higher level of empathy and understanding. But Williams can't manage to take the material to another level. And so what we're left with is a filmmaker that desperately wants an epic character study, but a lead performer that isn't able to take it beyond middling. A scene near the end in which Lumet intercuts prosecutors discussing whether to prosecute Williams' cop with Williams testifying at a hearing on his perjury is the highlight here - it doesn't rely so heavily on Williams but soars mainly because of some outstanding character work from other actors. Worth a watch but just OK. Screened via Warner Archive Instant.
Prime Cut (1972) - The high concept pitch in this Lee Marvin vehicle directed by Michael Ritchie is North by Northwest meets Point Blank. And while it is not as sublime as either of those, it's nonetheless a darn entertaining little neo-noir. Marvin plays an aging enforcer from the crumbling Irish Mob in Chicago. Someone in Kansas City is refusing to pay his tribute to the gang and has killed previous enforcers sent to pick up the money (portrayed in a memorably macabre opening scene). So Marvin heads off to Kansas City to confront Mary Ann, the owner of a cattle ranch and food processing plant played by Gene Hackman. Mary Ann is quite the villain - contemptuous of both his crumbling overseers in Chicago and human life. He's not only selling hamburger - he's selling sex slaves that's he's been grooming from a girls' orphanage he controls. That's where Sissy Spacek comes in - an innocent girl rescued by Marvin from Mary Ann's clutches (Marvin isn't able to help her sister). The movie is fairly compact and takes place over just a couple of days and in a handful of locations (Ritchie incorporates a lot of scenery and likes contrasting the bright lights of Chicago with a backwoods Kansas City). The plot is simple: Marvin wants the money, Hackman doesn't want to pay, and things quickly escalate into a massive shootout. There's also an homage to North by Northwest in which Marvin and Spacek are chased through a field by a massive baler with menacing jaws. The key here is the great Marvin, who is as cool as ever but manages to convey an underlying humanity and a sense of humor. He doesn't play his character as a one-note badass, even though he's not to be trifled with. Definitely worth a watch. Screened on DVD.
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Anita (2014) - If you're over 30 years old, you no doubt remember Anita Hill and probably remember quite a bit about her role in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings that riveted the nation and brought the debate over sexual harassment into the forefront. The film reviews those proceedings and Ms. Hill's role in them, but does so in an effort to provide background humanity to Anita Hill through extensive interviews with her. The film does a decent job explaining what happened and allowing Ms. Hill to comment now on what happened and how she felt some two decades later. She's a confident, personable witness on her own behalf, no doubt helped by the friendly filmmakers as contrasted to the hostile set of old white men she confronted in the Senate back in 1991 (the film notes that those proceedings galvanized women to seek office after the old men embarrassed themselves and demonstrated how clueless they were about issues affecting women). It's a nice background piece and well worth watching in order to see the person - the actual person - behind the caricature that she became in the public eye. Thomas himself doesn't get a lot of time (his wife embarrassed herself by leaving a voicemail for Hill a few years back demanding that she change her story, which seems to have instead sparked this film). What lies at the heart of this documentary is a friendly portrayal of Anita Hill as a human being with all of her dignity intact. Not brilliant, but worthwhile. Screened in the theater at the Playhouse 7, unfortunately with some assholes - a middle-aged couple! - in the audience that apparently couldn't wait until after the movie to discuss it amongst themselves.
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