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I've come to the conclusion that Hollywood is not only out of ideas, but they're precariously close to being out of movie stars, and I think the two go hand in hand. Sure, there are people who are box-office draws, but are they really involved in good projects? Sometimes... but the days when an actor's mere presence in a film meant not only a good performance but a good movie may be gone for good.
[Pictured: Cagney]
In the old studio system days, when actors were owned by the moguls, the best projects, directors and ideas were usually funneled up to the stars, who more often than not said "yes" because they had to than because they wanted to. Once the "free agency" system started to take root, actors began trying to select their own projects - sometimes wisely, sometimes with a horrible knack for the self-indulgent - but studios still controlled the balance of the industry. But with the vast technical changes in the film industry over time, as well as the freshness that any new medium has by definition, movies generated great excitement and stars were born. Cagney, Bogart, Wayne, Stewart, Peck, Davis, and others were household names, larger than life, and the westerns, gangster films, musicals and war movies created vast canvases for them to dance across, in stereo and Cinemascope and in Technicolor.
But any art form eventually grows tired, where the majority starts to repeat themselves and only the true artists emerge as visionaries. Movies that are released today not only have the potential for a sequel, they're already scheduled before the first film is released. Spiderman isn't a film; it's a cash register, loaded with product placements, commercial tie-ins and merchandising... a two-hour advertisement for a marketing company. You'd better believe there is a Spiderman II and III already budgeted, cast and scripted. Not that the script is important in this equation, because it's all about the money, baby. Even films that do have a sense of originality about them - The Matrix, for one - are so expensive to produce that they have to get two films out of a production shoot to have any chance at making money.
I'm not talking about the granddaddy of the movement - Star Wars - or even a worthy follow-up like The Godfather II (don't get me started on Godfather III). But when Indiana Jones and Back To The Future became franchises, they at least had franchise actors in Harrison Ford and Michael J. Fox, and stories that were imaginative and fun. Special effects were an enhancement to the story, and without the story and the spark of the performances they would not have succeeded. Even the hardcore Star Wars fans cringed at the bombastic Episode One, where the annoying Jar Jar Binks was only slightly less distracting than the digital overload blasting on the screen. Where was the hero? Where was the heart of the story? Hollywood has followed the lead of television and the record industry, where "reality shows" and incubated recording artists have replaced well-scripted drama and comedy and a musician's artistic vision and career. Career? One misstep and you're gone.
Whatever happened to movie stars, heroes and anti-heroes like Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. I remember when I could count on people like Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman, and later Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. Jack Nicholson. Gene Hackman. These were movie stars who were actors first, and their string of projects resonated with classic portrayals. What happened? DeNiro's choices continue to astound me - does this man really need a lot of money? Showtime and Fifteen Minutes were horrific films! Nicholson seems bored.
It's easy to tell that the era is over when Al Pacino wins a Best Actor award for portraying a sightless man with a few wisecrack lines. That's the thing to do, you know, play a handicapped or challenged character and walk off with a nomination, if not the prize. Does anyone really believe that Rain Man was Dustin Hoffman's finest hour? Or Sean Penn in I Am Sam? Jack Nicholson won as a phobia-ridden curmudgeon, and even Denzel Washington's Oscar winning performance was a character was in dire need of anger management. Nope, these are paybacks for glaring omissions in the careers of actors who have seen better days. The Academy did it with Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond (Burt Lancaster got hosed!) and they'll continue to do it - apparently they're watching the Grammy Awards and taking their cue from there.
So is there any hope? Tom Hanks looks like the last link to the past, a versatile and thoroughly believable actor with a wide range. I thought Kevin Spacey would be the man until Pay It Forward and The Shipping News came out back-to-back, and he's no spring chicken either. Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson and Ed Harris always hit the mark, but they're not getting the leads. Tom Cruise? Please! Julia Roberts? Yikes! Both bankable stars who wouldn't know a good script if it bit them in the ass... or maybe they're just not capable of rising to the occasion. Out of the crop of new actors, I only see three that might have the right combination of talent and judgement to make a big impact.
Matt Damon, although seemingly joined at the hip to Ben Affleck, looks like he might be headed towards more serious projects than his friend is. He showed great depth in John Dahl's Rounders, and was phenomenal in the underrated The Talented Mr. Ripley. Another actor from that latter project, Philip Seymour Hoffman, might be the best young character actor in Hollywood. His unique energies and interpretations have made his performances glow in films like Boogie Nights, Almost Famous and Magnolia. His choices in both projects and directors have been spot on. The third is Edward Norton, who was astounding in Primal Fear and American History X, and whose work in The Score and Rounders was magnetic. Damon the leading man, Hoffman the character actor, and Norton the anti-hero. Maybe there is hope after all.
*****
Last column's exercise of listing movies I'd like to see released on DVD format seemed to spark some good discussion, so here are ten more. Again, these are not necessarily the ten best movies not available, but they're all great films that would benefit from a digital release. And hey, as long as we're begging, actor commentaries, original trailers and other tidbits would be nice...
Mulholland Falls
Not to be confused with Mulholland Drive, David Lynch's latest offering, this neo-noir stars Nick Nolte playing a gruff detective leading his "Hat Squad" around Los Angeles to squash organized crime. (Does anyone remember the awful Hat Squad television show? Hope not!). An eclectic cast includes a John Malkovich performance that's off the chart even by his standards, a small but solid William Petersen role (aren't they all) and some gratuitous viewing of two of Jennifer Connolly's most prominent features. There's a subplot involving atomic waste, a scenery-chewing Treat Williams role and several other items that will make you chuckle. Yet, somehow... it works!Lost Highway
Speaking of David Lynch, this movie features the always-underrated Bill Pullman getting himself way over his head - like any good Lynch protagonist should - by succumbing to jealousy. Or maybe he's not. Or maybe he isn't even who we think he is. Hell, you know what Lynch films are like... it's dreamlike and circles back onto itself a few times, but there are clues to follow that will lead you to a conclusion. The question is, will the person sitting next to you draw the same conclusions? Probably not.
The Vanishing
Many critics passed on this remake of the moody and dark European original, but I thought the performances of Kiefer Sutherland and Jeff Bridges were first-rate. Sutherland oozes obsession and despair, even when he's trying to hide his emotions and pretend to lead a normal life. And Bridges plays the sick, psychopathic killer with such an even-tempered manner that it's one of the most unnervingly creepy performances of recent memory. Not a date flick by any means.Prince Of The City
Treat Williams' finest hour as a cop who tries to do the right thing, but then everything goes horribly, horribly wrong. Jerry Orbach shows why he's such a natural on Law And Order (he's been on that show for what, eighty years?) by nailing the role of the man torn between loyalty to his partner and the unwritten rules of the Blue Code. Director Sidney Lumet was at his peak during this era, as you'll see below.
Serpico
Al Pacino won an Oscar for playing a blind man who said "hoo-ah!" a lot, but that was only the Academy making good for overlooking dynamic performances like this one. Yet another great Lumet production, and again about a cop informing on corruption in the NYPD. Pacino plays Frank Serpico as a highly moral man who finds himself an outcast and a loner because he tries to uphold the oath he swore to honor. This might be Pacino's best performance, ever... and that is no small achievement.Wyatt Earp
Kevin Costner blew up big in Hollywood and then started chipping away at his reputation by creating a series of overlong, overblown epics that (surprise!) starred Kevin Costner as the hero all the men respected and all the ladies loved. Waterworld, anyone? The Postman? At least this umpteenth version of The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral stayed close to the classic Western storyline. There are several filmed versions of the Wyatt Earp story, and while Costner is good, he can't touch the interpretations by Burt Lancaster, Henry Fonda or even Kurt Russell. But Dennis Quaid's take on Doc Holiday is worth the price of admission and then some.
The Friends Of Eddie Coyle
Robert Mitchum's contained, world-weary portrayal of a low level gangster forced to turn stoolie to survive is a little-known masterpiece. And I hope Peter Boyle doesn't get remembered only for his sitcom roles or comic turns in films like Young Frankenstein, because early in his career he was a hell of a dramatic actor. (Maybe the critical success of Monster's Ball will bring more meaty scripts his way). Win a bar bet with this one - the name of Steven Keats' gun-running lowlife was Jackie Brown.Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte
Gothic horror camp with Olivia DeHaviland psychologically beating Bette Davis' brains out, with the always-oily Joseph Cotton on hand as a devious accomplice. The plot is thick and suspenseful - several scenes were in fact shockingly gruesome for a mainstream movie of its time - and the twist at the end of the film is very well done. By this time in her career, Davis was frightening enough to look at in the light of day, so you can imagine how she looked as a lunatic southern belle past her prime. This scared the hell out of me when I saw it as a kid, thanks in large part to the music and excellent cinematography.
The Comedian
Mickey Rooney playing a rude and egocentric comic who berates, uses and abuses everyone around him. No, really, this is fiction! John Frankenheimer directed this unflinching look at fame gone horribly awry for Playhouse 90, with Rod Serling's taut script giving Rooney one of the best roles of his career. Mel Torme - yes that Mel Torme - is excellent as Rooney's mousy, subservient brother.Kiss Of Death
Critics saw the irony between the title of this movie and David Caruso's worth as a box-office draw, but I like this remake of the original flick that starred Victor Mature and the great Richard Widmark. Lost among the over-the-top performances is a small but brilliant portrayal by Helen Hunt as Caruso's doomed wife. Nicolas Cage goes all Brando on you with a wacky Method Actor turn as a pumped up gangster, but Michael Rappaport is solid as Caruso's weasel cousin as is Stanley Tucci as the snake-like prosecutor. Caruso plays the crooked guy trying to go straight with the right sense of anger and doubt. Ving Rhames, Samuel Jackson and others round out a very deep cast.If you'd like to know more about these movies or have questions about upcoming titles, feel free to drop me a line at bholmes_fm@msn.com. See you next time!
(C) 2002 - Bill Holmes