100647 / G / US / 1997 / Levinson, Barry / / political satire
Wag the Dog / Häntä heiluttaa koiraa. © New Line Productions. P: Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Barry Levinson. D: Barry Levinson. SC: Hilary Henkin, David Mamet - based on the novel American Hero by Larry Beinhart. DP: Robert Richardson. M: Mark Knopfler. CAST: Dustin Hoffman (Stanley Motss), Robert De Niro (Conrad Brean), Anne Heche (Winifred Ames), Woody Harrelson (Sgt. William Schumann), Denis Leary (Fad King), Willie Nelson (Johnny Green). 97’. 1,85. MPAA 35158. R = 17. DIST: Warner Bros. Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 9 March 1998. **** Brilliant political satire about media wizards who can manage any situation when the President’s reputation is at stake. It is 11 days to the election, and the President has been implicated in an intimate encounter with a Girl Scout. The President’s spin doctor (De Niro) hires a major Hollywood producer (Hoffman) to manage an international crisis with Albania where the President has several opportunities to show off. The story is brisk and devilish, and the dialogue is so full of sharp jokes that one has to see the film a few more times to fully enjoy them.
Showing posts with label Robert De Niro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert De Niro. Show all posts
Monday, March 09, 1998
Monday, March 02, 1998
Jackie Brown
100633 / 16 / US / 1997 / Tarantino, Quentin / crime
Jackie Brown / Jackie Brown. © Mighty Mighty Aphrodite Productions. A Miramax release. P: Lawrence Bender. D+SC: Quentin Tarantino - based on the novel Rum Punch (1995) by Elmore Leonard. CAST: Pam Grier (Jackie Brown), Samuel L. Jackson (Ordell Robbie), Robert Forster (Max Cherry), Bridget Fonda (Melanie), Michael Keaton (Ray Nicolette), Robert De Niro (Louis Gara). 155’. 1,85. MPAA 35732. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 2 March 1998. *** A total surprise. The Tarantino films so far - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, True Romance, Natural Born Killers, From Dusk Till Dawn - have all been extremely violent. This one is about crime, as well, but with little explicit violence. It’s mostly about character. It has less action than the excellent Elmore Leonard adaptation Get Shorty, also influenced by Tarantino. We see Tarantino moving in the Melville direction: Le Doulos would be a point of comparison. But the visual style of Jackie Brown is flat. Another point of comparison would be Rio Bravo with its long duration, flat cinematography and emphasis on character. But Jackie Brown is much more laid back - at the risk of losing excitement. The dialogue is less flashy than before. The soundtrack CD will be worth buying. True Tarantino aficionados will want to see this film three times.
Jackie Brown / Jackie Brown. © Mighty Mighty Aphrodite Productions. A Miramax release. P: Lawrence Bender. D+SC: Quentin Tarantino - based on the novel Rum Punch (1995) by Elmore Leonard. CAST: Pam Grier (Jackie Brown), Samuel L. Jackson (Ordell Robbie), Robert Forster (Max Cherry), Bridget Fonda (Melanie), Michael Keaton (Ray Nicolette), Robert De Niro (Louis Gara). 155’. 1,85. MPAA 35732. Rated R = 17. Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Timo Porri / Janne Staffans. DIST: Columbia Finland. Viewed in Helsinki, VET, Monday 2 March 1998. *** A total surprise. The Tarantino films so far - Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, True Romance, Natural Born Killers, From Dusk Till Dawn - have all been extremely violent. This one is about crime, as well, but with little explicit violence. It’s mostly about character. It has less action than the excellent Elmore Leonard adaptation Get Shorty, also influenced by Tarantino. We see Tarantino moving in the Melville direction: Le Doulos would be a point of comparison. But the visual style of Jackie Brown is flat. Another point of comparison would be Rio Bravo with its long duration, flat cinematography and emphasis on character. But Jackie Brown is much more laid back - at the risk of losing excitement. The dialogue is less flashy than before. The soundtrack CD will be worth buying. True Tarantino aficionados will want to see this film three times.
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