Limbo (1999)

Directed and produced by John Sayles

Donna De Angelo (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) is a small-time singer, whose relationship with her daughter, Noelle (Vanessa Martinez), is strained. Joe Gastineau (David Strathairn) is a former fisherman with a troubled past. Donna and Joe’s slowly building romance has a minor snag - Noelle - and then a major problem. Joe’s brother, Bobby (Casey Siemaszko), comes to town asking a favour of his sibling - a favour that could prove costly for everyone.

Writing a synopsis for Limbo is difficult, as the first half of the movie is undramatic but absorbing, while the second half is adventurous but less interesting. A John Sayles movie is certainly different than most others. Indeed, each Sayles movie is usually different from every other. Limbo fulfills that qualification, but in a bad way: it’s the only one I’ve seen that I have found unsatisfying.

Certainly, there is nothing to complain about with the acting. Everyone here is excellent. Strathairn is an old favourite of Sayles, going back to the latter’s first film, Return of the Secaucus 7. Mastrantonio, not quite a star, but definitely an actress, does a fine job as a woman trying to negotiate motherhood while continually striving for a life of her own. (Mastrantonio does her own singing here.) Martinez is very effective as the young girl. As is often the case in Sayles’s films, the lesser roles are filled very well with largely unfamous names, excepting Siemaszko and Kris Kristofferson.

Sayles the director takes full advantage of the setting, a town in Alaska suffering economic hardship. Its fish cannery has closed, fishing itself is suffering, and the only booming industry, tourism, threatens to slap up an artificial image of Alaskan life, while turning the townspeople into props. As in Lone Star, Matewan and other of his films, Sayles uses the setting as a character, giving Alaska a slightly menacing background, as if straying off a paved highway could bring danger.

The script is also typically good with regard to dialogue. Each of the lesser characters is created with just a few lines, letting the audience know what they are like with a minimum of words, yet building on that minimum for detail afterward. Everything sounds natural and realistic.

Unfortunately, the story was less enjoyable, and, eventually, frustrating. For the first portion, when it concentrates on human drama of the every-day, it’s rather engrossing, thanks to the dialogue and the actors. Without giving too much away, I can write that something occurs about three fifths of the way through that alters the tone and direction of the movie, as if there were two distinct stories, almost unrelated to each other. Being a Sayles creation, I suspect very strongly that one was meant to complement the other, but the result does not quite work.

The finale is controversial, some viewers having felt that it was a cop-out, even a non-ending. Unpredictability permeates the story; in the characters’ lives, in their situations. I believe that Sayles wanted to utilise that same quality in the conclusion. I cannot think, however, that an ending such as this, without warning or foreshadowing, is dramatically good; time invested in characters, particularly those the viewer comes to care about, seems wasted if they do not receive a pay-off - happy or otherwise - that rounds out the situation.

As well, the script, as laudable as it is, does leave loose ends. There is a theme of drowning throughout the movie, not just of people, but even of fish ‘drowning in the air’ - note Noelle’s story about the ‘water-baby’. In connection with that, an incident from Joe’s past relates to drowning, yet it seems to have no bearing on the story except to make his personality tragic. Noelle’s crush on Joe is also pointless.

While there is much to admire in Limbo, the admiration is for the pieces, rather than the whole, which is not up to the director/writer’s usual standard.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Directed by Colin Trevorrow; produced by Derek Connolly, Stephanie Langhoff, Peter Saraf, Collin Trevorrow, Marc Turtletaub

Darius Britt (Aubrey Plaza) is disenchanted with her job as an intern at a Seattle-based magazine, and dissatisfied with her life in general. Things may change for her when she is chosen to join reporter Jeff (Jake Johnson) and fellow intern Arnau (Karan Soni) on an assignment. They are sent to a small seaside town to interview Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who advertised for a companion with whom to travel in time. Whether the man is genuine, serious, deluded or crazy, Darius will find her life altered, in more ways than one.

One of the advantages of choosing to watch films based on one-sentence synopses is that sometimes I come across small but quietly delightful films such as Safety Not Guaranteed. Though the description in the first paragraph suggests either a comedy or science fiction, it is in fact a movie about relationships more than anything else, about relationships and how they can create regret and remorse, yet also how they can restore and rehabilitate. The title comes from the advertisement - seen in the poster - and can be applied to relationships as much as to time-travel.

Certainly, there is a large element of comedy in the film. It is low-key, deadpan comedy for the most part. Plaza and, to a lesser extent, Duplass, deliver most of the humour in that style. Johnson’s sarcastic, louder style also provides some fun. The amusing lines feel less like dialogue written for a movie and more like banter among acquaintances. They make the viewer smile rather than laugh; not because they aren’t funny, but because they are realistic, and real life is rarely laugh-out-loud hilarious.

The writing by Derek Connolly, as may be inferred, is very good. This was Connolly’s first cinematic feature, and he shows great talent here. It’s rather a disappointment to see that he went into big budget monster movies afterward. To be fair, I have seen none of those, but I can’t help thinking he has a real flare for the smaller, more intimate stories. His latest - Deep Cover - may be a return to something closer to Safety Not Guaranteed.

The script shows insight into characters as diverse as Darius and Jeff, and actually creates a fuller person in the latter, a cynical, sardonic young man who nonetheless appears to harbour deep, traditional desires. The screenplay ties relationships, and the mistakes and lost opportunities inherent in them, to time-travel, and how most people wish they could go back to repair or re-do what is already written in the stone of the past. There are a few holes in the story, such as Kenneth’s ad stating that he has ‘done this once before’, though nothing is mentioned of this and, indeed, his preparations in the film imply that he has not.

The acting is perfect for the movie. Plaza is quite winning, hiding her character’s vulnerability in a kind of Wednesday Addams morbidity; she is well-paired with Duplass. He creates a character who is part action hero, part science nerd. Johnson’s work is touched upon above: combining with the writing, he makes Jeff someone you might not want to know, but would like to see happy even so.

Safety Not Guaranteed is a well-crafted film, taking the notion of time-travel correcting the past and making that notion more personal and more universal than in many other films with similar premises. It achieves this by showing that the decisions that change lives come not as a result of travel but in the preparations for it. And, in what I perceive to be a clever twist, it encapsulates that idea in the last few lines of dialogue - indeed, in the last two words.

The Battle of the River Plate (1956)

Directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

At the start of World War Two, Germany began its strategy of starving its principal enemy by destroying the ships bringing food and resources to the British Isles. Along with its submarine force, the German Navy used surface raisers. The most dangerous was the ‘pocket battleship’ Admiral Graf Spee. The Royal Navy made it a priority to destroy the ship.

An exciting and, in some ways, unconventional action movie, The Battle of the River Plate is sometimes considered Powell and Pressburger’s most under-rated film. It’s a shame that the film isn’t more widely known, as it is a typically detailed, accurate, well-written and well-directed example of the duo’s art.

It may be that the structure of the film is not to what modern audiences seeking an action flick are accustomed. What many might consider the climax - the actual battle - comes in the middle of the movie. The combat between the powerful Graf Spee and the three British ships (HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter) - though more numerous, substantially weaker - is involving and tense. After this, the suspense switches from action to a more subtle form of psychology, and what will happen next is unknown - at least to those not versed in naval history.

Another unusual aspect of the battle sequence is that it is shown only from the viewpoint of the British involved - the ships’ crews and those Britons held prisoner (from ships the Graf Spee had sunk) in the German ship. This is not bias, but accuracy. There would have been much more difficulty in learning and verifying the German point of view at the time the movie was made than the British. Incidentally, it lends tension, as the audience, like the British officers, can only deduce and surmise what the German captain is or will be doing.

There is also the drama ashore, as the British and Germans both try to influence events and people, particularly the amiable but deceptively tough Uruguayan foreign minister. The machinations of diplomacy and secret service are enough to warrant a movie to themselves.

The typical detail of an Archers (as the pair were known) movie is present. The boredom of being on watch when nothing is happening, the reactions of sailors to words and deeds - especially the less urgent - of the officers, and the banter among the crews, are all well illustrated. Having three British ships involved allowed the captains and their crews to provide differing responses to events, each adding information to the viewers’ interpretation. Meanwhile, on the German ship, the principal British prisoner, merchant seaman Captain Dove, gives commentary to events from that viewpoint. It has been stated that while the officers on the British ships were the brains in the movie, Dove was the heart, giving a stern yet also sympathetic reaction to the Germans.

(The surface ships of the German Navy were often accorded respect by their opponents that the more predatory and ruthless submarine service was not. Langsdorff, the Graf Spee’s captain was in real-life universally respected and admired, and his officers appeared sympathetic to the plight of their captives: note the enthusiasm with which one of them announces that the prisoners would soon be released at a neutral port.)

The acting is very good, involving some well-known players in large and small roles, though, as is always the case in action films, especially those depicting real-life history, character takes a back seat. Peter Finch conveys the pride, determination, courtesy and frustration of Langsdorff, while Anthony Quayle portrays Commodore Harwood, in command of the British squadron, with less depth. John Gregson has a major part as captain of the Exeter, and Bernard Lee is suitably gruff but caring as Dove. Patrick MacNee, John Le Mesurier, Nigel Stock, Donald Moffat, Christopher Lee, Anthony Newley and Barry Foster all have small roles. Jack Gwillim must have known his part well: he played the captain of the Achilles, and had turned actor only after twenty years in the Royal Navy, during which he attained the rank of commander. David Farrar narrates.

The semi-documentary realism and straightforward, convincing acting often found in 1940s and ‘50s British films depicting recent history is prominent in The Battle of the River Plate. It is combined with the quality direction, writing, production and acting always to be had in Powell and Pressburger movies. The result is an excellent war film illustrating a relatively unknown part of World War Two.

The Boss (1956)

Directed by Byron Haskin; produced by Frank N Seltzer

Matt Brady (John Payne) is an abrasive, hard-drinking, iron-fisted veteran of the Great War, who inherits his brother’s political influence when the latter, Tim (Roy Roberts), dies. While Tim was a benevolent ward-boss, Matt has immense ambitions, and no limit to the actions or behaviour that he will use to achieve them.

While The Boss is a mildly entertaining film, I couldn’t help seeing it as a poor man’s All the King’s Men, which was released seven years earlier. While the latter builds its main character and the premise of the movie over the whole running time, The Boss presents a ready-made corrupt politician, with much of his deal-making and strong-arm machine already in place. In other words, instead of seeing what brought Brady to where he is, we see him already there.

This is a problem with the writing, which gives us short-cuts (as one may view them) providing the character with his corruption already formed, then compounds the issue by having Brady soften as he ages, which usually is not the case with authoritarians. It’s true that his machinations and decadence increase as the story progresses, but he himself develops scruples (or, perhaps, finds them maintained from some earlier point in his life). He eventually reaches the stage at which he is almost sympathetic to those who want to bring him down.

The soft-pedalling of the main character, and its effect on the rest of the movie, is rather mysterious, considering the co-writer (uncredited due to his blacklisting) was Dalton Trumbo, the man behind the scripts for Spartacus, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, A Guy Named Joe, Gun Crazy, and other hits. Perhaps the other writer, Ben Perry, is the blame, though there is no proof of this.

Payne (who was also an uncredited producer) does a good job in the lead role, but portrays such an unlikeable character - filling much of the movie with contemptuous sneers and insults - that he creates no sympathy. Nor does he build much hatred, since the character is fairly one-dimensional (another issue of the writing.) There is no motive given for Brady’s insatiable ambition, nor for his retention of the burdensome wife (Gloria McGhee) he marries when drunk, so he comes across more as a caricature than a character - well played but too broad for the viewer’s interest.

The other characters are even less fleshed out than Brady. William Bishop plays Brady’s crooked attorney; though not the stereotypical shyster, he introduces another problem when his final action in the movie comes without precedent. The rest of the cast is mainly unknown even to movie-fans, except perhaps supporting player Rhys Williams as a crusading lawyer (he played James Cagney’s opportunistic accomplice in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, reviewed on this blog last month) and Joe Flynn in a very early part.

While an adequate time-filler, The Boss is rather a generic entry in the corrupt politician genre, a pale version of better movies.

Off Beat (1986)

Directed by Michael Dinner; produced by Harry J Ufland

Joe Gower (Judge Reinhold) works at the New York Pubic Library finding patrons’ requests in the rare book stacks in the basement. When he inadvertently ruins an undercover operation for his policeman friend, Abe (Cleavant Derricks), the latter is ‘volunteered’ by his superiors to participate in a police charity dance event. In turn, Abe ‘volunteers’ Joe to impersonate him temporarily - to make up for Joe’s faux pas. All he has to do is fail the audition and both will be off the hook. But, needled by the attitude of an abrasive fellow participant (Joe Mantegna), and interested in a pretty policewoman, Rachel (Meg Tilly), Joe stays - pretending to be Abe, pretending to be a cop and pretending that he's not in over his head.

A slight comedy, Off Beat benefits from the likeability of Reinhold, and the support of a large number of recognizable faces, some belonging to actors at the beginnings of their careers. There are no laugh-out-loud moments, though a number of amusing situations crop up. The romance aspect of the movie is likewise lukewarm, though it helps that Reinhold and Tilly make a good couple.

The problem with the writing is that it doesn’t make as much of either the comedy or the romance as it could. The main crisis for the latter is, of course, Joe’s pretence of being a policeman: Rachel doesn’t want to fall in love with a cop, but since what he seems to be is a lie, Joe faces a dilemma. This is handled well, but the attraction between the two leads is too pat, too routine, and we don’t see them falling in love; they simply are suddenly at that stage. As well, the comedic situation, while funny, has the potential for much greater humour than it uses.

In other regards, the story calls upon the audience to suspend its disbelief rather strongly. There would be little success in real-life for a Joe Gower to impersonate a cop, wearing a uniform in public and mixing socially with other cops. These problems are used in the script, but, again, the viewer must be willing to treat the situations with a considerable block of salt.

As well, one wonders why, if failing the audition is all that is required for Abe to get out of his assignment to the dance production, why he doesn’t just show up himself and fail. Mantegna’s character is far too volatile - even abusive - for a hostage negotiator, even if he did cheat during his training. And really, one doesn’t expect the character to want to be a hostage negotiator.

On the subject of acting, Mantegna gives a creditable try at comedy, though he’s not really cut out for it. He seems still to be searching for his niche, which he would find the next year when he connected with David Mamet for House of Games. Other actors, familiar from the past and present, include John Turturro (also not quite comfortable here), John Kapelos, William Sadler, James Tolkan (on target here, a year after his most recognizable role in Back to the Future), Anthony Zerbe, Chris Noth, Penn Jillette (the speaking half of Penn & Teller), Mike Starr, Fyvush Finkel, Austin Pendleton, Fred Gwynne and, of all people, Harvey Keitel. Unintentionally, Off Beat sometimes provides entertainment in its who’s who of noted names.

Over all, despite the occasional obscenity, Off Beat is a rather gentle comedy, with a few serious moments, such as when Joe talks about his family’s expectations for him, and his realization that he was not meant for firearms. Its premise, handled adequately but not excellently, is helped by good performances, but doesn’t quite fulfill its promise.

Circle of Danger (1951)

Directed by Jacques Tourneur; produced by Joan Harrison and David E Rose

After several years earning a tidy sum in salvage, former U.S. Navy sailor Clay Douglas (Ray Milland) travels to Britain. His goal is to learn about the death of his brother, Hank, who, in 1940, had joined the British Army and been the only casualty in an otherwise successful and unspectacular commando raid. As he interviews those who knew his sibling, it becomes clear to Douglas that Hank’s death was not as straightforward as many would like him to believe.

There is a mystery in Circle of Danger, but it eventually becomes clear that it is not an exciting one. The interlude of five years or so between the end of the Second World War and the start of Douglas’s quest almost sets the tone for the film: slow, leisurely, and without urgency. The audience soon learns that, despite the title, there is no danger to the protagonist, or to anyone else, except for an unconvincing dab in the finale. The movie is, in fact, boring.

The puzzling aspect about Circle of Danger is why it is boring. The director has done other, good work; Tourneur famously crafted the atmospheric Cat People, and Out of the Past is reckoned by many to be one of the best films noir. None of Tourneur’s talent is particularly evident in Circle of Danger.

Writer Philip MacDonald wrote The Body Snatcher, and adapted the novel Rebecca for the screen: two different movies, both successful. Yet there is no suspense here; Douglas’s peregrinations about Great Britain are more along the lines of a travelogue than a drama. The story itself is a good one, or might have been, if handled better, but the screenplay is bland. The running joke of Douglas being late for his dates with new-found love-interest, Elspeth (Patricia Roc), is tedious, as is her pointless hay fever.

I had the feeling that this was made largely for an American market, with Douglas travelling to Wales, with its stereotypical coal mine, and to Scotland with its lochs and white heather. Then, in London, he visits the Thames and Covent Garden Market, and tries to figure out English money. Most Britons in the film are effusive in their praise of the U.S. and Americans. Though filmed on location, and by a British company, the movie is like one made by a Hollywood crew on a field-trip.

The acting is certainly good. Milland is as likeable a leading man as a movie could want, and is in fine form in thrillers such as The Ministry of Fear, and The Big Clock. Here, he appears a little too snide, perhaps too confident. He is ably supported by Hugh Sinclair as a vaguely misleading Scottish laird, and Marius Goring as an impresario no one would guess used to be a commando. Particularly interesting is Naunton Wayne, cast as a dark and repulsive version of his popular Caldicott character from other films. But ‘good’ and ‘interesting’ don’t make the characters very watchable.

It seems almost as if the movie’s elements, represented by its leading lights, got in each other’s way. The writing couldn’t overcome the story, the story was left limp by the direction, the acting didn’t propel the story… In the end, Circle of Danger has become a plodding tour of Britain, glimpsing the natives at their daily jobs, and leading to a conclusion that is itself mildly implausible.