Raging Bull.

Review #1463: Raging Bull.

Cast: 
Robert De Niro (Jake LaMotta), Cathy Moriarty (Vickie LaMotta), Joe Pesci (Joey LaMotta), Frank Vincent (Salvy Batts), Nicholas Colasanto (Tommy Como), Theresa Saldana (Lenore LaMotta), Mario Gallo (Mario), Frank Adonis (Patsy), Joseph Bono (Guido), Frank Topham (Toppy), and Lori Anne Flax (Irma LaMotta) Directed by Martin Scorsese (#990 - Taxi Driver and #992 - The King of Comedy, and #1276 - Mean Streets)

Review: 
"Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our life time, we need to keep them alive."

"I just can't fake acting. I know movies are an illusion, and maybe the first rule is to fake it, but not for me. I'm too curious. I want to deal with all the facts of the character, thin or fat."

It should only figure that one of the best films of the 1980s came about as a chance for Martin Scorsese to save his life and career and for Robert De Niro to have a soulfully devastating performance to lead a film of tremendous quality in their fourth collaboration together. This was the seventh film directed by Scorsese, with his previous effort in New York, New York (1977, a tribute to classic musicals) having been a failure with audiences that had led him to depression and an addiction to cocaine, which nearly led to his death. It was De Niro who had pushed for Scorsese to try and make a film about Jake LaMotta, who had written an memoir in 1970 called Raging Bull: My Story (which he said had a lot of heart despite not being a great book), which had depicted the noted rough fighter's life from youth to the end of fame that was comprised of moments such as his troubled childhood and struggles with the mafia and his own demons outside the ring. De Niro spent years trying to convince Scorsese to take up the project, since he was not a fan of boxing (or sports in general). Scorsese treated this film as if it could have been his last, and it would not prove to be the easiest of shoots for anyone, not particularly for its star or director. It's interesting to note the boxing sequences, which only last a fraction of time in a two-hour film and the fact that they were shot first over a period of ten weeks (having been designed on paper first and meant to be done over three weeks). The film was written by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin, which went through a number of re-writes, with Scorsese and De Niro being soon tasked to do re-writes that were quite significant in molding the film's content, such as eliminating the depiction of LaMotta's father (it should be noted that Schrader's initial re-write, though thought to be potentially X-rated, was the one that had added Joey to the script) alongside the calm re-enactment sequence at the end from On the Waterfront. One great technique that helps in making this such a distinct boxing film is the way those scenes are shot - inside the ring, with distinct sounds that make for a raw and intense experience to view, particularly since the editing (done by Thelma Schoonmaker) cuts everything together with finesse to where one never gets lost in seeing this descent for 129 minutes.

For an actor who is tasked to play such a tormented man over the span of several years, De Niro sinks right into the part with no difficulty at all in an electrifying performance of the soul. This plays out whether when in the ring (having been trained by LaMotta and actually participating in three matches) or when confronting the people that know and love him with his jealousy and self-destructive tendencies as the film goes on and as he starts to wither down and grow old (having gained 60 pounds for the last half of the film) and he has to face his toughest opponent - trying to find redemption. One can't take their eyes off him and his seething performance that beats at you with a tremendous punch every step of the way. Pesci (known by Scorsese and De Niro because of his debut performance in The Death Collector four years prior) proves to be just as great in following along the action as one with plenty of raw spirit in keeping up with De Niro (with occasional confrontation) that make for captivating scenes, particularly with their last one together, where one tries to do a reconciliation, filled with quiet awkwardness to brilliance. Moriarty, making her film debut (thanks to Pesci), proves just as capable in her role, resourceful and knowing as the time goes by for the film. The rest of the cast prove just as well in filling the grimy world around the film, one that dares you in with a stark look from Michael Chapman in cinematography to go alongside tremendous ambition from Scorsese to show a man on the edge without any false sentiment or step. It seems obvious now to call it a masterpiece, although it had a gradual rise in reputation (having proved a fair hit with audiences) that is now considered one of Scorsese's best films (along with one of De Niro's best). With a stark devastating look and feel and a great director and trio at hand, you can't go wrong with this film, one that lands its punches everywhere in emotion.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Eyes of Laura Mars.

Review #1457: Eyes of Laura Mars.

Cast: 
Faye Dunaway (Laura Mars), Tommy Lee Jones (Lieutenant John Neville), Brad Dourif (Tommy Ludlow), René Auberjonois (Donald Phelps), Raúl Juliá (Michael Reisler), Frank Adonis (Sal Volpe), Lisa Taylor (Michelle), and Darlanne Fluegel (Lulu) Directed by Irvin Kershner (#002 - RoboCop 2, #114 - The Empire Strikes Back, and #595 - Never Say Never Again)

Review:
"The thing what you learn in directing is that no matter how complex the shooting, you have to remain sensitive to the people around you or the machine will ultimately take over. If you don't keep in mind the essential humanity of it all, technique will dominate."

This is a film where you can think about what could have been in different hands. John Carpenter had originally written a spec script called "Eyes", which attracted producer-distributor Jack H. Harris (collaborator on Dark Star) to potentially make a film with Roberta Collins as the lead. However, Jon Peters soon caught wind of the script and found it intriguing to potentially do with his then-partner Barbra Streisand as the lead. She ended up not doing the film because of its violent nature (Dunaway being there instead of Streisand is the better choice at least), but she did end up doing the title song for the film. In any case, the film would have script re-writes by David Zelag Goodman (co-writer of Straw Dogs and Logan's Run); Carpenter later described the whole thing as an unpleasant experience, although he would obtain lasting success with Halloween (1978) just two months after the release of his film. Even the director picked wasn't the initial choice: Lindsay Anderson and Michael Miller both passed on the project before Irvin Kershner signed on. Kershner had plenty of study in music and art before becoming a director. He studied at the Tyler School of Fine Arts, the Art Center College of Design, and finally at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he taught photography and took cinema courses. A subsequent still photographer job at the State Department led to further opportunities around the world before he returned back to the United States, where he would start work in television in 1955. He made his feature debut with Stakeout on Dope Street (1958) which happened to be financed by Roger Corman, and this happened to be his 12th film in a fifteen film and 32 year career (who stated that while he believed the initial idea of the film, he did not believe the requirements put on him during production).

One can certainly give plenty of credit to the selection of the cast for this film, which has five tremendous presences headlined by Dunaway, who was quite popular at the time for her dedicated performances in films such as Chinatown (1974) and Network (1976). The one paired with her is Jones, who had cultivated his career in the 1970s with film and television (such as with One Life to Live and Jackson County Jail). If I told you there was a film with tremendous character presence in Dourif, Auberjonois, and Julia, one might really seem like you are in for a really great thrill. Technically one will get a thrill out of the film, but maybe not as much as it really could have been. We are talking about a film that has a character who gets real-time visions of a person who is taking out her friends and colleagues one by one through their eyes, after all (the reason for why she suddenly has these visions are not explained, probably for good reason since I imagine they didn't have a good idea either). It certainly seems promising, since the provocative set-ups for the fashion shoots are inspired by the works of Helmut Newton; there is no bad performance among the core five, either. It just so happens that the film doesn't really have that much mystery going on to it, where eccentricity and style seem to rule the day over making a mystery that seems out of Night Gallery (at least the mediocre episodes, anyway) than anything. It has been argued to be an American version of the giallo genre (Italian films with mystery elements in thriller-horror), although I imagine that if I actually had been familiar with giallo films that this would only seem a pale imitator. Dunaway balances out with dedication and vulnerability that keeps one on their toes for good reason, with a few moments of terror mixed in with a sudden romance with the capably straight-laced Jones. Auberjonois has a few campy moments that seem worthwhile, and Dourif is quite capable in being evasive without being too obvious about it (Julia however doesn't have as much time for ridiculousness). For 104 minutes, we have just four possible people that really could be the killer, and for some it may very well be obvious who it is by the halfway mark, so the only real interest is to see where it may go with its climax. And...it doesn't stick at all. Naturally, the killer just happens to sprinkle a few words before they go to attack the lead about why they are doing it (multiple personalities wasn't my first guess either), and then they haphazardly try to lumber at Dunaway before he tells her to kill him if she loves him. Honestly, I don't know to what to think with this film in a positive light, there just isn't anything here to really make me care about goes on with a premise so obvious and yet so empty in really scaring or captivating anyone that isn't just here for style or casting. I can why some may go for it and see through the flaws to make a cult classic, but for me I just see a half-baked misfire that takes its cast for a house of mediocre mysteries that isn't worth the trouble.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.