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#140RVW

May be the father of not just 1980’s coming of age stories but really all youth comedies to come. Quest to belong & find your place eternal.

What’s more:

If you haven’t seen it in a while, dust this one off; it holds up gloriously. If you’ve never seen it, you are in for a treat. Remember that it’s 1979, of course; but the lack of polish subtracts nothing.

What is really amazing is how fresh the pacing is for a movie of that era. It’s less a movie from the end of the 1970’s than it feels like the first movie of the 1980’s. Moves along at a fantastic clip; possibly even too brisk. I really wouldn’t have minded a bit more depth to some of the other Cutters.

The cycling aspects of the movie are very well done, even if you are indifferent to cycling (raises hand). The underdog sports story does what it is supposed to, and the races are very exciting. Which is all the more impressive when you consider this really isn’t a sports movie.

The interactions between these aimless friends will be familiar to anyone who saw a movie in the past 35 years. While only Dennis Christopher’s lead Dave Stoller gets significant character development time, the emotions and actions of all of the characters are allowed some room to move, and as a coming of age story it succeeds wonderfully. The humor of the teens doesn’t come against a backdrop of nincompoop adults; everyone is three dimensional. Writer Steve Tesich took home an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

It really is a classic. Go see it.

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Bechdel Test:

Fail

Main Cast	Dennis Christopher Dave, Dennis Quaid Mike, Daniel Stern Cyril, Jackie Earle Haley Moocher
Rating	PG
Release Date	Fri 20 Jul 1979 UTC
Director	Peter Yates
Genres	Comedy, Drama, Sport
Plot	A small-town teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl.
Poster
Runtime	101
Tagline	Somewhere between growing up and settling down… [Australia Theatrical]
Writers	Steve Tesich (written by)
Year	1979

#140RVW

Hollywood’s fascination with con men continues unabated & led to making this amazingly (mostly) true story. Really fun with great pacing…

What’s more:

Always a small source of surprise when Steven Spielberg does some of his best work on a relatively “normal” tale, after spending large chunk of career on supernatural blockbusters. But it is certainly evidence of his talent.

He actually had not intended to direct this film, but it languished in development hell for decades, and when it got rescheduled yet again he moved from producer to the director’s chair. You can certainly see why people tried for so long to adapt this story. Based on the autobiography of Frank Abagnale Jr., Catch Me If You Can tells the improbable but true story of a young man who posed as a pilot, doctor and lawyer while racking up millions in bank fraud, all while in his teens.

Hollywood has a long love affair with confidence men. I suspect it’s because movies are themselves the ultimate deception. Nothing is real; the entire business of motion pictures is based on trickery. So of course the actual flim-flam merchants who build the houses of cards in southern California have a particular interest in on-screen skulduggery. The stories of conjurers, shysters and practitioners of legerdemain have been fascinating audiences for decades.

The story of Abagnale is too good to resist, even if they had chosen only to focus on his real-life exploits. The story behind what drives Frank, though, and the vulnerability DiCaprio shows in his performance are what elevate this movie beyond the tale of a fascinating fraud. I’m quite sure that this is where Spielberg and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson take the most liberties with the actual account, but I’m not complaining. (And apparently neither did Abagnale.) The family dynamic that is a constant through the story is the glue that holds the tale together. Christopher Walken does some of his best work in years as Abagnale Sr.; his influence on young Frank drives the picture and provides an anchor for the more unbelievable parts of the story. The moments between DiCaprio & Walken are special.

This is only one of the two main connections on which this story is built, the second being the relationship between Frank and Tom Hanks’ federal agent Carl Hanratty. The cat & mouse connection of the two men is fascinating, even more so as the rapport builds. Hanks brings his “A”-game to what could have been a much simpler character. (The last man slated to play Hanratty before a delay forced him to abandon the role was James Gandolfini. That would have been interesting…)

Special mention should be made of the Saul Bass inspired opening credits – a thing of beauty. In fact, all of the period touches of the film are nicely handled. Great art direction, set dressing – just a reminder of how many talented people come together to make movies great. DP Janusz Kaminski his usual brilliant self.

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Bechdel Test:

Fail

Main Cast	Leonardo DiCaprio Frank Abagnale Jr., Tom Hanks Carl Hanratty, Christopher Walken Frank Abagnale, Martin Sheen Roger Strong
Rating	PG-13
Release Date	Wed 25 Dec 2002 UTC
Director	Steven Spielberg
Genres	Biography, Crime, Drama
Plot	A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars’ worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.
Poster
Runtime	141
Tagline	The true story of a real fake.
Writers	Jeff Nathanson (screenplay), Frank Abagnale Jr. (as Frank W. Abagnale) (book) …
Year	2002

#140RVW

I haven’t seen them all, so I’m not saying the other nominees shouldn’t win Best Picture, I’m just saying that this one should. Masterful…

What’s more:

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this is an amazing film that deserves all of its praise. It is a captivating story with emotion and feeling and it is a pleasure to watch.

Filmmakers historically have fallen in love with the midwest, and it’s no secret why. The wide-open vistas and endless horizons provide the perfect backdrop for long shots and artsy photography. It’s an instant movie set; just add a few solitary cars and play some atmospheric music and you’ve got a metaphor for life and an “important film”.

So I’m torn; while the black & white photography of cinematographer Phedon Papamichael is unquestionably beautiful, I’m not entirely convinced it couldn’t have been achieved by any DP alive with a wide lens and grainy film stock. The first thing I thought when leaving the theater was “if that was shot in color we wouldn’t have even heard of this movie”. I don’t know what that says exactly. The use of black & white is always subject to some criticism and claims of pretentiousness, and it generally deserves it. It can be a beautiful art form and design choice, but it can also be a calculated, even cynical attempt to elevate the perceived “arty-ness” of a movie by pompous auteurs. I truly don’t know which one this film is.

I can tell you that the original screenplay by Bob Nelson is truly inspired and excellent. The dialogue is consistently fantastic and engaging, and nicely balances the drama and comedy. Story took some unexpected turns that kept it fresh, just as I was wondering how they were going to keep the movie engaging. Oscar worthy.

In terms of the acting, Bruce Dern is exactly as good as you’ve heard, but it’s June Squibb who should really walk away with a statue. Will Forte is really solid in his first dramatic role, far better than expected, and Bob Odenkirk is his usual great self.

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Bechdel Test:

Pass

Main Cast	Bruce Dern Woody Grant, Will Forte David Grant, June Squibb Kate Grant, Bob Odenkirk Ross Grant
Rating	R
Release Date	Fri 24 Jan 2014 UTC
Director	Alexander Payne
Genres	Adventure, Drama
Plot	An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.
Poster
Runtime	115
Tagline
Writers	Bob Nelson (written by)
Year	2013

#140RVW

For all of us who rocked the mullets & banged our heads, “Stand Up And Shout”. Vanilla but tons of fun from the director of Bill & Ted…\m/

What’s more:

Broadly based on the experience of Tim “Ripper” Owens, lead singer of a Judas Priest tribute band who was hired by Priest as their new singer to replace Rob Halford. It’s a fantastic story that really tells itself. There are also plenty of Spinal Tap moments, thankfully.

The execution is nothing spectacular, but it’s pretty solid. Stephen Herek directed Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, so he pretty much gets a free pass for the rest of his life from me.

The music is solid; if you like hair metal, of course. But who doesn’t, right? Steel Dragon is made up of  real-life rockers Jeff Pilson, Zakk Wylde, and Jason Bonham. Watch for a quick part from Myles Kennedy. Marky Mark’s singing voice is overdubbed by Steelheart frontman Miljenko Matijevic.

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Bechdel Test:

Fail

Main Cast	Mark Wahlberg Chris ‘Izzy’ Cole, Jennifer Aniston Emily Poule, Dominic West Kirk Cuddy, Steel Dragon Guitarist, Jason Bonham A.C., Steel Dragon Drummer
Rating	R
Release Date	Fri 07 Sep 2001 UTC
Director	Stephen Herek
Genres	Comedy, Drama, Music
Plot	Lead singer of a tribute band becomes lead singer of the real band he idolizes.
Poster
Runtime	105
Tagline	The story of a wanna be who got to be.
Writers	John Stockwell (written by)
Year	2001