Category: 1980s

Matewan (1987) starring Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, & David Strathairn

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Director John Sayles at AFI Silver Theater on May 17, 2017.

I’d never seen this movie (part of DC Labor Film Fest this year) before, though I’m a BIG fan of independent director John Sayles. On this blog, you’ll find reviews of Passion Fish and Casa de Los Babys– two of his more female-centered works. In my view, Sayles was a “masculine feminist” even before the term became popular. He writes BOTH male and female characters who are multi-dimensional living inside stories which are realistic.

Now, you may be thinking- HOW does Sayles keep doing his own high-quality, yet rather low-budget projects!? He explained that his day job is “writer for hire”- he worked on movie and TV scripts, many of which didn’t get made by the big Hollywood studios. “In the past 15 years or so, studios seem to want their leads to be like Tony Soprano,” Sayles explained in the Q&A session after the film. (Most of the audience laughed at this part.) 

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Union organizer Joe Kennehan (Chris Cooper) addresses the miners.

Matewan is based on true events which occurred in a rural town in 1920s West Virginia. Some of the character names are real; others are amalgams of several people. When I first saw the trailer for the film two weeks ago, it reminded me of the Western genre (which Sayles was inspired by). The cinematographer here was Hollywood veteran Haskell Wexler (d. 2015); he won two Oscars, one for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and the other for Days of Heaven (1978)- considered one of the MOST beautiful films by critics and fans alike. The music is also a crucial element here; there is a blending of different styles.

A stranger- Union organizer Joe Kennehan (Chris Cooper in his first film role)- arrives in the town of Matewan. (Cooper plays the lead in Sayles’ Lone Star, which also stars a young Matthew McConaughey.) He gets a room at a boarding house run by a widow, Elma Radnor (Mary McDonnell- lead in Passion Fish), and her teenage son Danny (Will Oldham, then just 17 y.o.) Danny recently went to work in the mines, though he’s NOT yet 15 y.o. His real passion is preaching. 

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Few Clothes (James Earl Jones) is a representative/leader of the black miners.

Joe meets w/ (white/native born) coal miners at the local restaurant. These workers, struggling to form a union, are up against the Stone Mountain Coal Company operators and thugs from the Baldwin-Felts agency (basically guns for hire). Black and newly-arrived Italian immigrants, brought in by the company to break the strike, are caught in the middle. A tall, burly black miner- nicknamed Few Clothes (James Earl Jones)- boldly comes to this meeting. He’s an advocate for the African-American men brought in to work recently from further South. The local white miners don’t want to include the black men (or Italians) in the union; they consider these two groups to be a threat to their livelihood. (Well, some things NEVER change! And yeah, Italians were NOT considered “white” at this time in American history.)  

You think this man is the enemy? Huh? This is a worker! Any union keeps this man out ain’t a union, it’s a goddamn club! They got you fightin’ white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain’t but two sides in this world – them that work and them that don’t. You work, they don’t. That’s all you got to know about the enemy. -Joe explains to the white miners

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Police chief Sid Hatfield (David Strathairn) readies his pistol in his office.

I’ve met Mr. Felts. I wouldn’t pee on him if his heart was on fire. -Sid Hatfield tells the men from the Baldwin-Felts agency

This film contains some colorful characters, including stone-faced cop Sid Hatfield (David Strathairn). Kevin Tighe (a veteran of film and TV) and Gordon Clapp (who later made a name on NYPD Blue) play the main villains. Sayles is in the small role of a fiery, anti-union Baptist preacher. Producer Maggie Renzi (herself of Italian heritage) takes on the role of Rosaria, wife to one of the Italian miners and mother to several kids. Sayles and Renzi have been creative and life partners since their days as students at Williams College. Sayles also met Strathairn at Williams; they’re good friends. Local people (NOT professional actors) were used in MANY of the scenes of Matewan; they give authenticity to the film, as does the setting.

I think ALL the actors did a fine job; I esp. liked the characters played by Jones (what a great get for young filmmakers) and Renzi (who spoke in Italian). Cooper was the first actor who auditioned for the role of Joe; he had ONLY done theater before. Sayles revealed that several well-known actors also went in for the part, BUT he and Renzi kept thinking back to Cooper. As for Jones, they wanted someone like him, b/c they thought there was a small chance of the man behind Darth Vader taking on a supporting role. Well, you NEVER know until you try!

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

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Photo from the poster of the film

Hannah (Mia Farrow), Holly (Dianne Wiest), and Lee (Barbara Hershey) are sisters (somewhere in their 30s) from a show business family in Manhattan. Their parents, Norma (Maureen O’Sullivan- Farrow’s real mother) and Evan (Lloyd Nolan) are still together, though can be combative and cranky towards each other.

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Thanksgiving at Hannah and Elliot’s Upper West Side Manhattan apartment

Hannah has been married to Elliot (Michael Caine) for four years. He is a British financial advisor, but has a penchant for poetry. Unbeknownst to Hannah, he has developed feelings for Lee (revealed via his internal monologue at the opening of the film). 

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Elliot (Michael Caine)

However, Lee has been living for several years w/ an older European painter, Frederick (Max Von Sydow). He isn’t a people person, but is a boyfriend, mentor, and financial support for Lee.  

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A view of Central Park

Hannah is the success of the sibling trio, but taking a break from acting to raise her children. Her first husband, Mickey (Woody Allen), is a comedy show writer and hypochondriac. Mickey goes on a (rather funny) quest for religion, fearing he might die soon.  

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A flashback scene: Mickey (Woody Allen) and Holly (Dianne Wiest) at a concert

Holly is the insecure single sister who is a struggling actress; she recently started a catering business with her actress friend (or perhaps frenemy), April (Carrie Fisher). One time, Hannah even set up Holly w/ Mickey. (Wow, looks like even 30 yrs ago, there was a lack of eligible single men in NYC- LOL!)

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April (Carrie Fisher)

On a catering job, Holly and April meet an architect, Michael (Sam Waterston in an uncredited role). Michael was bored at the party, thought they were pretty, and ended up showing them around Manhattan, pointing out his favorite buildings. (That sounds like a cool date, or in this case- quasi-date!)

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Michael (Sam Waterston) meets Holly (Dianne Weist)

Michael takes Holly to the opera (which he loves); she gets excited about the potential for a relationship. April tells her that Michael also asked her to the opera when they meet after a rehearsal. (Uh oh, not a good sign!) 

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View of a bookstore in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan

Elliot hangs around Lee’s neighborhood, then runs into her one afternoon. They browse through an old bookstore together. He doesn’t reveal his feelings, but insists on buying her a volume of e.e. cummings poetry. 

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Lee (Barbara Hershey) looks through a book of poetry with Elliot (Michael Caine)

I’d never seen this film before, though I’d heard about it many times. Both Caine and Wiest won Oscars for their roles. The dialogue is great, but you shouldn’t expect less from Allen (who wrote and directed). Though the themes are quite serious, there are some funny moments. I also enjoyed seeing the scenery of ’80s NYC- it was quite different from when I lived there (2005-2009). Check out this film for yourself!  

Quick opinions of recent views

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Black Swan (2010)

We all know the story.  Virginal girl, pure and sweet, trapped in the body of a swan.  She desires freedom but only true love can break the spell.  Her wish is nearly granted in the form of a prince, but before he can declare his love her lustful twin, the black swan, tricks and seduces him.  Devastated the white swan leaps of a cliff killing herself and, in death, finds freedom.

This film was highly hyped when it came out, but I think it’s overrated.  It’s edited well and shot beautifully.  There is an atmosphere of claustrophobia in the film, reflecting the very circumscribed life of the main character, NYC-based ballerina Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman).  It was nice to see veteran actress Barbara Hershey as Nina’s overly-concerned mother.  Too bad not much was done with Winona Ryder’s role.  The meaning of the ending is up to the viewer to decide! 

House of Games (1987)

What I’m talking about comes down to a more basic philosophial principle: Don’t trust nobody.

In David Mamet’s film noir (done in his usual style), respected Chicago psychiatrist/author Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) tries to help a troubled young patient with an IOU.  She’s is drawn into the world of  con man Mike (Joe Mantegna), a smooth/charismatic character who teaches her about “hustling” (through real-world experiences).  Margaret can’t resist the dark side, nor Mike, though she may be be the biggest “patsy” in the game.  

You say I acted atrociously.  Yes.  I did.  I do it for a living.

I recommend this film for Mantegna’s fine performance, as well as for the plot twists.  However, I preferred The Winslow Boy and The Spanish Prisoner (two great Mamet films).     

Please Believe Me (1950)

This film has some nice moments/dialogue, but is pretty uneven.  It takes too long to set up the premise, but that’s not unusual for older films.  Sensible single gal, Alison Kirbe (Deborah Kerr) of London, receives a telegram from Texas, that she has inherited a livestock ranch from an old friend. It is plastered throughout newspapers that Alison has become a rich heiress, and is sailing to the United Slates alone to claim her inheritance.  Smooth-taking gambler Terence (Robert Walker from Strangers on a Train), laid-back playboy Jeremy (Peter Lawford), and Jeremy’s no-nonsense lawyer, Matthew (Mark Stevens) take an interest in Alison aboard the ship.

Rage in Heaven (1941)

I wanted to see this film since a young Ingrid Bergman is in the lead role.  I recommend this film, as does my dad.  Stella (Ingrid Bergman), a refugee/ personal secretary to wealthy English widow Mrs. Monrell, accepts the marriage proposal of her son, Philip (Robert Montgomery).  This is a bit of a surprise since Philip seemed to encourage a relationship between his college  friend, Ward Andrews (George Sanders from All About Eve) and Stella.  After Stella and Philip get married, he assumes the lead management role in the family’s steel business.  Philip’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, both at home and in the office.  How will Stella, Ward, and those involved in the steelworks cope?

Valmont (1989)

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Historically, among the French aristocracy, love and marriage did not go together.  Marriages were made because of  wealth, status, etc.   Of course, there was a lot of heartache, cheating, and even… disaster. In such a world, marriage was a burden to be tolerated; lovers/mistresses were common.

At the opening, “innocent,” wide-eyed 15 y.o. Cecile de Volanges (Fairuza Balk) leaves the convent where she’s been studying/living since age 11.  Her mother has already arranged a marriage for her with a wealthy older man, Monseur de Gercourt (Jeffrey Jones).  It turns out that Cecile’s fiance is the (current) lover of Madame de Merteuil (Annette Bening), her mother’s “wise,” beautiful, and widowed cousin. No one notices that Cecile’s young music tutor, Danceny (Henry Thomas, the little boy from E.T.) is interested in her, too.

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At the Paris opera, they meet a former lover of Merteuil’s, Monseur de Valmont (a young Colin Firth).  He invites Merteuil to his aunt’s place.  Valmont goes to the country, as he knows that the lovely/naive young wife of a judge is visiting, Madame de Tourvel (Jennifer Tilly).

Valmont boldly decalres his love for her, but she says that she’ll stay true to her husband.  Wives who cheat are “weak” in her mind.  (Watch for a funny pond scene that is quite different from the one in Pride & Prejudice.)

When Merteuil comes to the estate, she proposes a cruel plan: she wants Valmont to seduce Cecile before her wedding night, as revenge against Gercourt.  The idea bores him, at first, but then she says that he can have her if the plan succeeds.

Cecile’s mother is angry/upset when she learns that her daughter has been receiving love letters from Danceny.  The girl confesses all to Merteuil- she loves Danceny and hates the thought of marrying the “old and ugly” Gercourt.  Merteuil double crosses Cecile and tells the mother.  The young lovers are separated, but Merteuil promises to help them be together.  That’s when the real drama begins!

The leads in this film are much more appealing/younger, and thus better suited, to their roles than Glenn Close and John Malkovich in Dangerous Liaisons, a fine film (I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s interpretation).  You don’t want to miss the sizzling chemistry between Bening and Firth, as Roger Ebert pointed out in his review.   They are just fun to watch!  (This is my third time watching this film.  My mom likes it too, though the some of the characters are  “very naughty.”)

“The Year of Living Dangerously” (1982)

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This is another film I’ve wanted to see for a while!  You’ll see a natural/young Mel before he became a celeb w/ extreme opinions.  Guy Hamilton (Mel Gibson) is an Australian/American foreign correspondant  assigned to cover political unrest in Indonesia under Sukarno in the mid-60s.  (The film was shot in the Philipinnes.)  Guy meets a small group of reporters from Western nations (all w/ varying ideas about Indonesia), as well as a very intelligent Australian/Chinese photographer, Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt).  Billy, who is a little person, takes a keen interest in Guy.  He shows the newbie around Jakarta and helps him get interviews (including one w/ the leader of the Communists).  Billy also serves as narrator for most of the film, and is the most interesting character in the story.  He knows Indonesia (jungles, slums, embassies, etc.), cares deeply about its common people (who face terrible poverty), and has connexs all over.  Some wonder is he’s a spy.           

 

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Billy introduces Guy to one of his closest friends- a beautiful/tough-minded Englishwoman who works at the British Embassy, Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver).  Billy slyly finds a way to bring Jill and Guy together, thinking they’d be good for each other.  (Mel and Sigourney have GREAT chemistry onscreen.)  Just as their romance gets going, all hell breaks loose!  Will Guy keep chasing the story OR run away w/ the woman he loves?    

 

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The title The Year of Living Dangerously is a quote which refers to a famous Italian phrase used by Sukarno: vivere pericoloso, meaning “living dangerously.”  -Wikipedia

 

Mel described his character Guy, saying, “He’s not a silver-tongued devil. He’s kind of immature and he has some rough edges and I guess you could say the same for me.”  -Wikipedia

 

When I first started out there were very few tall actors… Mel  Gibson got on a box, never had a problem.  He was just as sweet as can be.  He was just so secure about my height.  He just thought it was a lark, he thought it was funny.  –Sigourney Weaver