Mad Dog and Glory: Bill Murray's Best and Great Tough Guy Talk

It took me a long while to get around to writing this - things have been very busy at work.

I revisited this movie about 2 weeks ago and I forgot just how quirky and funny it is. Seriously. This is one that nobody talks about...ever. You never get in a film-centric discussion where out of the blue somebody says, " oh my god, do you remember Mad Dog and Glory. Fucking great, man." Nobody says that. Not about this flick.

Well, consider the stars aligned and the clouds parted because this movie is just that - fucking great. Its not perfect. I think the score is lame, distractingly so, and the ending leaves something to be desired because the movie forgets its most fascinating relationship, choosing instead to focus on a different one.

What works, though, is a fantastic script with some really great dialogue. Richard Price, the screenwriter, has written some great Tough Guy flicks with nice street-wise dialogue. This is no different, except, for the characters. This flick is all about its characters and that is a remarkably refreshing thing. Price apparently fell in love with 4 characters here and writes the bejesus out of them; giving them some of the best tough-guy talk and interactions that I think I have ever heard/seen.

The problem, though, is that one pivotal character - the Glory of the title (Uma Thurman) doesn't really have a place in the story. She gets left behind amidst all the tough-guy posturing and bonding.

The story is as follows: Mad Dog (Robert De Niro) is a forensics specialist for the Chicago PD. He is a real puss - the nickname is joke, get it? He aspires to be a photographer, lives alone, and is afraid to confront his neighbor's (Kathy Bates) abusive boyfriend. He's a huge softie. His best friend is his partner, a real Irish pisser played by David Caruso.

Well, one night, while buying gum, he thwarts an attempted robbery and murder of notorious gangster, Frank Milo (Bill Murray). Feeling that he is in Mad Dog's debt, Frank befriends him and brings him to his club, where he performs lousy standup, but everyone laughs because they're scared of him.

These initial scenes of De Niro and Murray trying to become friends, despite being on opposite sides of the law, are fantastic. You can see that despite their differences, they want to be friends and they really listen to one another. Their rapport is fantastic and funny - its like the scene in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles when Steve Martin and John Candy wake up in bed together, all nuzzled up against one another. They're thankful for the good sleep, but disgusted they're cuddling so closely.

Next, to further ingratiate himself to De Niro, Murray provides him with some company - Glory, for an entire week. Well, you can guess what happens; Glory and Mad Dog fall in love and Mad Dog has to test the strength of his budding friendship with vicious mobster Murray.

The love story fails, in my opinion. Glory is not a convincing character and I didn't really care about her or whether she sticks around in the end. What I cared about was Murray and De Niro's relationship, and how De Niro's pussy character sort of awakens to the tough guys around him.

Murray has a henchman in the film, Harold, who is another of the 4 great characters. His timing with some of the film's best lines in impeccable.

Caruso has a few good scenes, but one in particular stands out and, I think, might be the best example of tough-guy talk that I have ever seen. In this scene, Caruso is at a bar and sees Mad Dog's neighbor with a serious black eye - her hulking, abusive, asshole boyfriend is sitting next to her. Now, Caruso is considerably smaller than this guy, but it doesn't matter. He takes out his pistol and hands it to Mad Dog. "Hold This," he says. Then, he strolls over to the boyfriend and proceeds to intimidate, ridicule, and embarrass this guy with some of the best posturing in the history of film. It is a great scene.

Lastly, though, I want to say that this is Bill Murray's greatest performance. I know that he has given quite a few good ones recently, but here he is PERFECT. He is funny, endearing, menacing, and pathetic all at once. This was a performance that should have been recognized by an Academy that loves playing against type. Murray walks away with this film - he is great here.

"Cross me and your life becomes a raging sea." - Frank Milo

In Defense of Steven Seagal

He cannot act, okay. I get it. Guess what, neither could John Wayne. Sorry, old-timers, but John Wayne, The Duke, could not act especially well. What he could do was exude presence, milk his physicality, his 6'4 build, and become the center of whatever universe he occupied. Steve McQueen was similar in that he wasn't much of actor, just an Entity of Cool, a Black and White poster in waiting. If you've seen Bullitt, if you've seen The Getaway, then you know that he was supercool. We have our variations of this too; I think Bruce Willis is more about presence, as well as Harrison Ford. Well, Ford had fantastic timing in just about everything he did, plus, he had this way of always seeming dogged and on the verge of getting beat. People like that. At least, they do now and they did when DIe Hard was released and Indiana Jones survived the Temple of Doom.

There was, however, a brief period where Invincible Karate Stars rose from the EAST , or were taught by educators from the East, to take over our multiplexes. You remember them:

Chuck Norris
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Steve Seagall
Wesley Snipes
Ralph Macchio

Alright, so Macchio doesn't count but the other four, well, they're iconic aren't they. Sure, they've been relegated to the Direct-to-Video markets, but there was a time when they were producing awesome, action/chop-your-face flicks. Of all of them, Snipes is probably the one with the most success, and the more durable career, though he has been making lots of garbage, he is easily the most accomplished actor of the group.

But, people seem to forget what Seagall was. Seagall couldn't act at all. I mean, he had zero ability, zero ability to act anything but badass. Yea, that's right, badass. I mean, think about it; did you ever doubt for one second that Seagall would kick serious ass? Of course not. But, did you ever see him come up against someone where you doubted for one, miniscule moment that he might not win? See, the other guys fought some hard battles. Remember Van Damme in Death Warrant? He was getting his lunch handed to him by The Sandman. What about Snipes? He came up against a pretty formidable villain in PASSENGER 57 (highly nderrated actio flick).

Seagall, you ask? I don't know that he ever broke a sweat with the heavies he was dispatching. There is one scene that completely sums up Seagall: Out for Justice (1991), Seagall shakes down a bar and finds, basically, a line of goons waiting for their shot at him. You've got all the usual suspects here - The HUGE Guy, the guy who eats the Cue Ball, the Guy with Tattoos, the Slick guy with a gun, and then the weapons experts. Sometimes the weapons expert has knives or guns, but this guy uses sticks. Actually, I think they were pool cues. And he wields these sticks like a fucking olympian. Here's the kicker, though - when it is his turn to enter the ring against Seagall, guess what his name turns out to be? Guess what the other, downed fighters call him? STICKS. I shit you not. They call him Sticks. So, Sticks comes out to fight Seagall and Seagall beats the hell out of him. Like, its not a problem at all for him to destroy this guy's face. It never was a problem for Seagall and that's why I believe he was a badass. Let's take a peak:

Above The Law: Tries to be a hard-edged Cop Flick, but Seagall works everyone with ease. He even gets tortured, but to no avail
Out For Justice: His most ridiculous movie. His name is Gino in it. Okay?
Marked For Death: Pretty badass flick with a pretty badass villain. If ever you might doubt Seagall, this is it.
Under Siege: Uh huh. One of the best action films of all time.

See, he ain't so bad. In fact, I suggest right here and now that Seagall's career will be resurrected at some point, and we will all root for his fat ass.

Introducing Michael Clayton

I like genre flicks. I like movies movies that don't pretend to be anymore than what they are; horror, action, science-fiction, courtroom drama, serial killer thrillers, and cop movies - I like all those genres and I can point to hundreds of examples of each that are excellent films.

There is something to be said for the practice of taking a formula and shining it until its glossy sheen almost disguises it as something entirely different. That would be the case with MICHAEL CLAYTON, George Clooney's new legal thriller that looks and feels like a standard Legal Drama, but has been made with such care and intelligence, that it almost feels like its transcending that genre to become something more. A message flick? Perhaps, though I think the film's director and writer, Tony Gilroy, would sneer if people thought this movie was delivering a message of any sort. Its too cynical and diabolical to be strictly a message movie.

Like all legal dramas, this one is talky, but nobody here is given to speech making. People talk, but its about business, about spinning, about making and losing money. I love movies where the filmmakers have a particular ear for the profession they're portraying. Michael Clayton has a hell of an ear. There is a lot of corporate speak, a lot of talk about legal issues, dividing lines, things like that.

But, again, this movie isn't about a larger issue. Its about Michael Clayton and George Clooney is very good here. Much better than he ever was in Syriana. Clooney is an actor that I really like - I think there is a place for him in movies like this, movies that Michael Douglas made in the late 80's and early to mid-nineties. He's got that masculine, intelligent, authoritative thing that Douglas used to have, where you think the guy could handle anything, but spend a moment really listening to him and you sense the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

I like how Clooney changes here. The movie is about a personal shift for him, but Clooney never makes it overly obvious that Clayton is changing and its a credit to Tony Gilroy that Clayton's great discovery is not that he's a bad person, its that he is who he is - Tigers cannot change their stripes, but they can do the right thing from time to time.

I really liked this movie. Its the most entertaining movie I've seen this season. Its not the best, but it is an incredibly polished exercise that leads to a lot of familiar places. It doesn't insult the audience's intelligence, but notice its small details and little ways in which it hooks you. Notice how its a legal thriller with no real interest in "The Case" itself. The movie doesn't have a lot to say about the legal system, instead, its more of a movie about people and their careers - how people ARE their jobs.

This is a common theme of Michael Mann films, which this reminded me of. All of Mann's films are about doing a job, being your career, and fuck everything else. I like the theme of people living that lifestyle, but breaking away from it. Even if its as subtle as it is in Michael Clayton.

1987 Dead-Bang: Don Johnson, What?

People don't rent movies with Don Johnson on the cover. Nobody strolls down the aisles of a rental store looking for Don Johnson movies or even pick up a DVD that has Don Johnson on its cover. This is why the guy did Nash Bridges (read: garbage) for years - because he had no film career. Never.

Now, I'm not ragging on the guy. I personally think that he could possibly, maybe, perhaps be slightly underrated. I could be killed for saying that. People have killed for less.

I have virtually no basis for saying that he is underrated...except, well, for GUILTY AS SIN, where he plays a perfectly good villain, in fact, quite a good, nasty SOB. Some people might say he overacts, but I think he does incredibly well in that film and overwhelms, completely, Rebecca De Mornay, when she was still considered an actress and not just boobs.

Another example of a solid Don Johnson is this little flick - DEAD BANG. Here is a really good, rock-hard cop thriller that is astoundingly well-directed by a master of the action genre, John Frankenheimer. He directed the original Manchurian Candidate, Ronin, The French Connection 2 (read: spectacular sequel) and Grand Prix. This guy can handle taut, realistic action sequences. He wrote the book.

The movie stars Don Johnson as a dogged, alcoholic cop (is there another kind), who finds himself on the trail of some vicious white supremacists. On top of his alcholism, he has a clear rage issue and a divorce from a wife who rarely allows him to see his kids. All he has is his job and Frankenheimer goes to great lengths not to glorify it like other cop flicks - Johnson's cop clearly makes very little money, has nothing outside of his job (ie: personal relationships, hobbies) aside from the bottle. His is a shit existence. So, when he finds a case, he works it to death.

This particular case takes him all over the country and into middle-America where he joins forces, reluctantly, with a buttoned-up FBI agent played by William Forsythe. They really hate each other, but come to respect one another, as these things go. The difference is; theirs is strictly a professional respect, as they could never really be friends, a la Lethal Weapon or 48hrs. Johnson curses up a storm and truly offends Forsythe and their interactions, with rage-fueled Johnson, are really funny.

But, what makes this one unique are the tiny details that Frankenheimer includes: Johnson not getting wire transfers to pay for his trips, Johnson having to REALLY answer to his superiors, Johnson bullying a psychiatrist, and in the film's classic scene - Johnson, severely hungover, puking all over a suspect while he interrogates him. Its gross and hilarious because Movie Cops don't get so hungover they puke on suspects after a footchase. Well, in this movie, they do.

In the Valley of Elah

Let me just get this out of the way; Tommy Lee Jones is the shit. I know that he has a great year of flicks lined up, what with this and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, but damn, this guy has given some superb performances.

JFK: Jones steals the film as the cunning Clay Shaw
Under Siege: One of the great villains - took the film to another level
The Missing: Saved the film from being awful
The Fugitive: His definitive, amazing, Historical performance as a dogged hunter who begins to identify with his prey.

Here, though, in ELAH, Jones gives a career definer. We have seen a number of very physical performances this year - acting that requires much more than the proper voice inflection or suggestion - no, these performances rely on body language, movement, the way that an actor carries himself.

Here, Jones internalizes everything and I don't think I've ever seen an actor's face reflect so much pain so effectively. Watching the film, you worry that he might explode, and you hope that he might allow himself some type of catharsis because there is no way that one man can hold so much emotion inside.

I should point this out now: Jones' performance is easily the best I've seen this year. I know that I raved about Viggo's and Pitt's in their respective films, but honestly, Tommy Lee Jones leaves them so far behind that there's no point in comparing them.

Picture Tommy Lee Jones giving a great performance, one that you liked (The Fugitive), now, imagine that great piece of acting multiplied by infinity, because that is the quality of acting we are seeing here. I thought those other two actors were great, but if we were to talk Oscar Race, Jones would win without losing any votes to the others.

You're rolling your eyes, right?

Its true. I would also like to heap some praise on Charlize Theron. I have loved Charlize Theron since 2 Days in the Valley. I have wanted her to be my wife since The Italian Job. She is very good in Elah. Not nearly as good as MONSTER, or as grandstanding as NORTH COUNTRY, but she is incredibly solid here as she underplays her role fantastically. Her and Jones work well off one another. I feel like Theron has the career that Ashley Judd might have had.

Lets talk about Paul Haggis now. Everyone knows that he wrote and directed CRASH - a very good movie. Not great, but very solid. He also wrote the great MILLION DOLLAR BABY. In fact, I think his major directorial influence must be Clint Eastwood of MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Here, he uses the same cinematographer as Eastwood and achieves the same stark, plain, and contained atmosphere of that film. The movie is full of shadows and dark corners, lit and unlit faces.

His script is very good. I don't know a screenwriter who so cleanly sets up his films, defines the A,B, and C plots, and ties them up as well as Haggis.

Up to a point, Haggis has a great film going. The film never overplays itself by making it an elaborate mystery, a thriller, or an anti-war flick (which it is).

Then, at the exact point when the film should end, it doesn't and Haggis makes a colossal miscalculation that goes a long way towards spoiling the entire movie.

Out of nowhere, Haggis cues some manipulative pop-song in an effort to draw tears, much like he did in CRASH, and the movie falls dead. The audience is totally drawn out of the plight and the movie destroys a lot of what it has accomplished.

I still liked the film very much, but if ever a film cried out to not end with a pop song, The Valley of Elah is it. I highly recommend it, though, and if you want to see truly great, subtle, masterful acting - see Tommy Lee Jones here.

Changing Lanes: Underrated, Undervalued

I was toying with the idea of employing a new weekly post called "Unfounded." Cool, right? It would deal with films that I think are fantastic, but for some reason went unnoticed by the mainstream.

It happens every year.

A film will be released to either good/mediocre reviews, I'll see it, love it, and find no other admirers for me to share my opinions with. Sometimes these films are embraced by critics or the Oscars, a la The Insider (a movie i will write about soon), and sometimes they're huge successes initially, but fade away.

This movie, CHANGING LANES, it is a fucking great movie - the best movie of 2002. I stick by this remark. I think I have only seen the movie once in its entirety - I do that because I can love a movie so much on a first viewing that I don't want to tarnish the first-impression by nit-picking it to death. That does not mean that the movie won't stand up to repeat viewings.

When I saw this movie, it gave me everything I seemed to be looking for in a film at that very moment: smart people saying smart things about honesty, integrity, character, and life. The movie isn't filled with grand setpieces or manipulative suspense - no - this one has these quietly powerful moments where every character gets a moment to say something important, these little speeches which ultimately define who they are and what they stand for. They're sort of jaw-dropping because these characters really stop and really try to articulate their feelings, not necessarily with eloquence, but with the words they have at their disposal in their respective vocabularies. I mean, look at this:

" It's like you go to the beach. You go down to the water. It's a little cold. You're not sure you want to go in. There's a pretty girl standing next to you. She doesn't want to go in either. She sees you, and you know that if you just asked her her name, you would leave with her. Forget your life, whoever you came with, and leave the beach with her. And after that day, you remember. Not every day, every week... she comes back to you. It's the memory of another life you could have had. Today is that girl"

See, people may or may not really talk like this - it doesn't matter - because of how the scene is filmed and how the entire movie builds up to this moment of insight - and sometimes just the ability to say how you're feeling, no matter how abstract - sometimes thats enough to settle old scores.

I love that about this movie because every relationship comes to a turning point that hinges on total and complete honesty.

The ending might be a big false note, but the movie up till that point is a knockout.