You Can't Buy Your Way Out Of A Bad Impression: Pocket Money (1972)

While many times I just grab a quote that I find to be funny, poignant or cool as it relates to a movie, there is the rare treat of one of the pieces of dialogue perfectly summarizing everything about the film, unfortunately for Pocket Money the quote above reminds me of the ways in which Pocket Money fails. On paper, it should be absolutely perfect.  First, it stars Paul Newman who is a brilliant actor and certainly puts on a show here.  Second, it is directed by Stuart Rosenberg who I will always adore for creating my second favorite film ever Cool Hand Luke.  Finally, if these two high selling points were not enough the film was the result of a screen play by Terrence Malick, then simply known as Terry Malick.  You would think given my adoration for Malick (I thoroughly enjoyed To The Wonder and hope to review it come June) that it would be a selling point, especially since like Lynch, Malick has a way of capturing the midwest, as it is envision in this pseudo-modernist western.  All of these pieces would fit together brilliantly were it not for the tragic flaw in the execution of this film.  While Malick's script is clearly interjected with a degree of humor, it is not, I would argue, intended to be played out so comedically and Pocket Money, for all intents and purposes, is expressly a comedy.  Much like Badlands, the humor that pops up throughout is intended to highlight the ignorance of the young couple attempting to make it on their own in the vast wild world.  What is funny is only so because if viewers are not to laugh they will be forced to deal with the crippling tragedy of the innocence lost and decaying of American identity.  Much the same Pocket Money should not have been played so heavy-handedly for its laughs, instead allowing viewers to come to each encounter by way of self-reference and poetic simplicity.  Malick, Rosenberg and Newman could certainly have provided viewers with such a film and it would easily have been heralded as a great cinematic gift, perhaps even trumping each of the respected artists other works. Yet, this is not the case and Pocket Money goes the way of traditional comedic structure, making the critiques of modernity invading lower class America and the false notions of transparent borders seem absurd, when, in fact, the tragedy is so great that to laugh would also mean to share in a defeated agreement.

Pocket Money focuses primarily on the experiences of Jim Kane (Paul Newman) a cowboy and rancher whose recent trouble with a set of horses from Mexico has led to him becoming twisted in debt and looking for any means to escape with his head still attached.  Knowing full and well that he must take money from any avenue possible, Kane agrees to become involved with some under-the-table cattle purchasing for the slimy, drawl Bill Garrett (Strother Martin) and his lackey Stretch Russell (Wayne Rogers).  Given a wad of cash and the promise of reimbursement for expenses the men send Kane to Mexico to purchase a large head of cattle and ship them inconspicuously back through the American border while avoiding quarantine checkpoints and the like.  Upon arrival to Mexico Kane meets up with Leonard (Lee Marvin) whose presence seems almost absurd as he is, at best, a pseudo-ranch hand with his wide ties and hat more reminiscent of a fedora than a cowboy hat.  The two, nonetheless, work beautifully together knowing the magic of bartering often playing off of one another for their respective strengths to get proper deals.  Yet even as the two seem flawless at their jobs a variety of issues get in the way, mostly as a result of language barriers and disgruntled employees, leading to various issues, primarily Kane's brief arrest as a result of fighting a former worker whom Kane fired for his flippant attitude and lazy work habits.  Nonetheless, after scraping enough money together and getting the cattle to the border, Kane and Leonard manage to get them on an train and then on trucks to the meet-up point, of course, cheating their way out of having to pay considering that they have exhausted all resources and have yet to hear back from their employers.  Yet, a chance encounter with Stretch allows for Kane to get some of his money back, as well as discovering the location of Garrett's hotel.  Kane exacts some justice to get his money back, although it proves a bit futile because Garrett too has taken a hit due to quarantine regulations.  Ultimately, the pair of Kane and Leonard are shown awaiting a train to return home, defeated and broke, embracing what very little hope they have entirely in the strength of their relationship.

So while I am not overly thrilled by this movie and am quite frustrated by its genre execution, I am quite adoring of the commentary it is trying to bring forth, primarily the manner with which modernity has alienated the cowboy identity.  Kane is a person who expressly explains his own ignorance, often shying away from lengthy talks or shuffling about his engagements with brokers.  We are shown Kane engaging with a bank executive with such shyness and awkwardness one is led to believe that, psychologically speaking, Kane might be suffering.  Of course, he proves later to be rather adept and quite smart, it is simply a fear for the modern and non-traditional that troubles him.  This is further explained in his his encounters with the livestock auction.  Kane's unable to sell his horses because of some unusual blood issue that has resulted in their being quarantined, although the narrative seems to suggest that they will be fine upon release it is simply a precaution, if an excessive one at that.  The notion of modernity slips in here because Kane, a man who seems to come from a world of bartering and handshakes is baffled by such an precaution, especially since everything seems to suggest that the horses will be fine, perhaps only a decade earlier such paranoia would not have led to their unnecessary quarantine, instead; an agreement to take the horses on loan would have been worked out until they were healthier.  Furthermore, Kane clearly moves through a modernized world of drive-thrus and hotel swimming pools as an outsider, beautifully composed shots of Kane in the foreground, donning his sweat drenched cowboy hat are juxtaposed with children jumping in and out of a pool, Kane's refusal to move into this world, literally marking him as different and suffering as a result.  Of course, this is not to suggest that all of Kane's attachment to the past is to be embraced, in fact, his traditionalism also seems to afford him a belief system that degrades and others the Mexican community he encounters, talking in a foolish form of Spanglish and rejecting the food offered to him by a group he deems fit to dismiss.  In this case modernity has allowed for the advancement of a people and a huge boost in their own self-worth wherein Kane's refusal to adapt is ignorant and self-involved.  Perhaps the best moment of proper rejection on Kane's part comes after his semi-beatdown of Garrett. Kane understands that no amount of traditional talk will allow him to get to Garrett's wallet, therefore, he chucks the hotel television out the window, both a rejection of technology, as well as the reliance on such devices that Garrett and others seem to have.  Finally, it is implied at both Kane and Leonard, in all his city slicker glory, are the last vestiges of traditional western identity and as such desire to ride off into the sunset, but as the closing suggest modernity demands that they wait on a train in order to do so.

Key Scene:  The hotel beatdown is fun and one of the few moments that is acceptable as being played comedic.

I would discourage you from seeking this film out, despite its set of excellent elements they simply do not add up to what one would assume to be brilliant filmmaking.  There are other westerns, other Newman performances and certainly other Malick films well worth checking out instead.

The Brothel There'll Be My Courthouse: The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

First off, I could sell this movie by describing a singular moment: Paul Newman and a bear get drunk together in a saloon.  If that is not enough to convince somebody that this film is anything but extraordinary I would go on to suggest that it is in all likelihood also the most accurate consideration of how modern Texas came into existence...even if it is a comedic oriented version of the western it just goes to such lengths to exist in the inconceivable that it could only have existed in the narrative space of Texas, not to mention that it involves a lot of hangings, making a clear connection to death penalties in the grand and problematic Lone Star State.  Now to be fair, John Huston, a well established director at this point made The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean well before either Bush took office and although Texas was certainly far from the Rick Perry, gun toting madness it has become signified as today.  The film being made in the early seventies probably considers more a general state of America leading up to its imminent bicentennial than a historicized devil-may-care vision of Texas, especially since the film does narratively extend itself and pull in characters from other parts of the country, and to some degree, the world.  Considering all this, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean is nothing short of wonderful, the acting delivered by Paul Newman is perfectly bombastic, yet mellow and incredibly emotive when necessary and the directorial choices made by Huston not only reconsider the western as a genre, but also his entire oeuvre as a filmmaker.  Going into this blindly, I fully expected this to be a rather droll and uninspired mid-grade western, especially considering its just under "good" ratings on popular movie sites.  However, if my string of excellent viewing experiences continues into the remainder of this western film month, I am a bit worried that my top hundred films will turn western heavy.  Either way, what initially started as an uncertain endeavor is quickly proving to be a rewarding navigation through one of my personally overlooked genres as well as one of the genres in desperate need of a return to a consistent Hollywood output.

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, begins with the title character Roy Bean (Paul Newman) entering an off-the-map whorehouse after yet another successful robbery.  High on his pride, Roy mocks the people of the whorehouse who are varying degrees of reprobates an act that quickly leads to his being attacked and tied in a noose, only to be drug out of town by a horse and left for dead in the desert.  Fearing for his life a young Mexican woman named Maria (Victoria Principal) offers Roy water that proves to be his second wind, so much so that the takes it upon himself to personally exact revenge upon the whorehouse and reclaim the area for his own.  This act, leads to his self-appointment as judge of the town and makes himself a courthouse/saloon called the Jersey Lillie in honor of famous actress Lillie Langtry.  Having absolutely know regard for textual law, Roy takes it upon himself to enact justice as he sees fit, even hiring a set of gunslingers on as his appointed marshals, although they clearly concern themselves with making sure a steady flow of money comes to the town, by any means necessary.  Eventually, Roy's shrewd methodology results in his town prospering considerably and becoming the envy of both tycoons and outlaws alike, whether it be the attempts to buy the land by wealth lawyer Frank Gass (Roddy McDowall) or an unannounced shootout involving the albino gunslinger Bad Bob (Stacy Keach).  At one point after a run-in with a distraught Grizzly Adams (John Huston) Roy also comes into custody of a bear who he, as noted earlier, drinks beer with.  Eventually, Roy and Maria becoming seriously involved and after much turmoil in the town and the loss of the bear, she informs Roy that she is pregnant.  Yet, it is during this time that Roy is afforded a chance to meet Lillie Langtry in San Antonio, an endeavor that ends with dire results, leading to Roy's realization that his own idealized community, while nice is far from the truth.  This smack with reality is worsened when he returns to discover that Maria is on her death bed after birth complications.  When she dies, Roy flees town, only to return years later once his daughter Rose (Jacqueline Bisset) has grown to help defend the town from the now wealthy Gass and Texas police.   During this explosive shootout Roy dies in a fire.  The film, however, closes in the future with a visit by the aged Langtry (Ava Gardner) who is told by surviving marshals of the glory of the late Roy Bean.

This film does the exact opposite of pretty much every film I have reviewed up until this point.  Where as main characters often are concerned within the western as being righteous and enactors of justice, Roy Bean is a man who finds the very thought of justice to be absurd and assumes that a profit oriented worldview will suit him.  Yet as a man with notions about the world, Roy is far from above creating laws, his just happen to orient themselves around embracing decadence and vice, and absolutely do not allow for any ill-will to be directed at the image or name of Lillie Langtry.  Roy is a man who is quick to enact a hanging upon a person, but it is often as a result of the individual and their belligerent behavior.  For example, he hangs one man not because of his shooting of a poster of Langtry per se, but more so because he was foolish enough to get stumbling drunk and fire off his gun in a bar repeatedly.  Furthermore, Roy clearly has no stomach for truly terrible people, particularly a man who is willing to kill an elderly woman for a jar of money, regardless of whether or not her racial identity was deemed less than human, a notion Roy openly rejects.  Roy has a distinct worldview and it is one that he certainly forces others to adhere to, although when they do commit to his idea it is often to their benefit, yet his tight control even if in a friendly and non-threatening manner, has its downsides.  For example, he rejects any heavy degree of monogamy with Maria and actively avoids embracing the child she is to have, aside from hoping it is a boy, even leaving her bedside to attempt a meeting with Lillie Langtry.  His assumptions that helping criminals will result in their being forever indebted to him also blows up in his face when he refers to a group of married women in the town by their former job descriptions.  Roy even shoots a man in the back to assure his safety and survival, an act that leads to multiple questions from his marshals about fairness.  These actions do take their consequences on Roy particularly considering that he is abandoned and alone by the film's closing and dies as such, even if it is in a literal blaze of glory.  Fortunately, what Roy does share with some of the previous films' characters is a degree of mythology and his is easily the most grand yet.

Key Scene:  Hearing Paul Newman throwing down an absolutely insane Texas accent while saying "drink your beer bear" is easily one of the greatest cinematic gifts I have ever encountered.

The DVD is a bit pricey and understandably so, I imagine this film only has a devoted cult following, so considering I would suggest renting the film before buying it, although I promise you will want to immediately after the credits roll.

Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing: Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

If it were not for the swooning music of the opening credits, one could instantly describe Somebody Up There Likes Me as Cool Hand Luke version zero, as it essentially shares the same lead actor, as well as eerily similar moments in which that character fights, is imprisoned and escapes from jail, yet Somebody Up There Likes me, an offering from Robert Wise, whose diverse oeuvre is perhaps best known for the snap heavy West Side Story, which like Somebody Up There Likes Me focuses near microscopically on the world of inner city existence, one specifically concerned with those moving between the unseen and lesser spaces of that already othered world.  I would suggest, however, that what makes something like Somebody Up There Likes Me so pertinent and familiar as that it takes many of the singular moments from other films that were its contemporaries, as well as serves as a clear inspiration to so many of its predecessors, that it becomes saturated with a near deja vu quality, only made the greater by the fact that so few people have seen this truly classic work, especially considering that it includes not only a very young Paul Newman, but an equally young, uncredited Steve McQueen.    Entrenched within the traditions of a boxing film, Somebody Up There Likes me is preoccupied with promoting the image of the underdog overcoming difficult odds, in this case particularly insurmountable.  It is also a master's course in chiaroscuro filmmaking, in so much as I can think of only a handful of films with better use of black and white as a construction for mise-en-scene.  The film could seem a bit lengthy in its dialogue heavy nature, yet to construct an appropriate vision of the life of a boxer, the films under two-hour frame is more than watchable and almost lacking in some of the main character's back story, of course this could all be influenced by the fact that Paul Newman is playing lead and it is near impossible not to love the guy, even when he is still finding the correct delivery for is still unestablished acting chops.

Somebody Up There Likes Me, a boxing movie through and through, centers on Rocky (Paul Newman), who is of no relation to the other famous boxer of the same name.  Rocky, as the film shows from the opening scenes, lives far from the stellar life, becoming an occupant of New York street life, as a result of a problematic relationship with his ex-boxer father, whose alcoholism leads him to be somewhat aggressive and always demeaning.  His distancing from his father and his fear of disappointing his mother, leads Rocky to a life of crime, one that allows him to look after his mother, without also giving credence to authority.  Of course, he is eventually caught and placed into prison, although he becomes equally infamous for his ability to escape prison.  However, upon release he is eventually drafted to serve in World War II, a task with equal problems considering that he loathes authority, which results in his going AWOL and finding work in a boxing ring, in which he briefly serves as a sparring partner before managers realize his physical prowess, unbridled rage and relentless make him a machine of a boxer.  After a few bouts, he is caught by Army detectives and forced to serve time for dishonorable discharge in which he is placed on the Army boxing team for a brief time prior to release, in which he returns to boxing with considerable success.  However, even after these issues a past crime figure reemerges and blackmails Rocky to take a dive, for which he is eventually barred, yet again, from boxing.  However, realizing his eventual innocence, Rocky is able to get a rematch for the championship title by boxing in Chicago, a task that proves a success to him, all the while inducing dread in his wife Norma (Pier Angeli), as well as his mother.  After winning he is received with open arms by his community as a local hero, making his somewhat tragic and troubled life justifiable as he celebrates his success by stating the words of the title, although ever cautious to remember that his current athleticism and prowess will fade with age.

The film is poetic in its approach to the common man and his struggle.  Of course the film is incredibly problematic in its portrays of everything from African-American's to Jewish-American's not to mention its unfortunate display of women, but we must keep historical context in mind when viewing this work.  Nonetheless, through a rather stellar boxing picture Wise is able to show the genuine hardships of an individual whose life has centered around petty thief and the rules of the street, so much so that even when they attempt to make a genuine change in their lives, past issues and a history of trouble invariably reemerge.  Rocky is a person who simply wants to survive and do right by those he loves and trusts in his life, he sees thievery and violence as acts that are necessitated by his own safety and the certainty of comfort for those he cares about.  We realize that even upon his initial engagement with boxing that he sees it as a simple act to get by until he can find higher paying, in all likelihood crime related, work.  It is not until he is able to provide legitimate money to his mother that he realizes the value of his gift as a pugilist, although he must stew on its value while locked in a military work camp.  Upon his release his common man story then centers on trying to reappropriate his image to be wholesome and that of a family man thus expanding the narrative from the common individual to the common collective, all be it on a considerable microcosm.  Nonetheless, as the story progresses it becomes clear to viewer the differences between individuals making an earnest attempt to succeed, whether they be Rocky, his mother or his mangers and those set on ruining others for their benefit as is the case with Rocky's father and his former crime associates.  While the film clearly has a Christian leaning religious context, one cannot help but consider karma when reflecting on Rocky's eventual success.

Key Scene:  There is a great moment, a montage of sorts, in which Rocky returns home from various bouts to his wife and daughter, in each scene the daughter reacts differntly to her father's damaged face, up until a certain age in which she and her mother reverse roles.  It is a great scene to show the physical and emotional effects of boxing on Rocky, as well as a means to advance the narrative considerably.

This is a magnificent work suffering from a severe lack of awareness.  While there is not a bluray in the works at the moment it is well worth owning.  DVD's are not the cheapest ever, but owning it is more than necessary.

Something You Don’t Need, An Excuse: The Hustler (1961)

I am a stalwart fan of Paul Newman as an actor, granted I have not seen his entire filmography, and as such cannot speak to his scope of acting abilities.  That being said, what I have seen from the actor proves to me that he is versatile, earnest and fully involved with any performance he delivers, this is quite clear in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as one of my personal favorite films Cool Hand Luke.  If you add the already nostalgic touch of black and white to such a film then the result is something that only helps to make Paul Newman pop off the screen, at least this is how I felt while watching The Hustler.  What is likely to be my new favorite sports movie, The Hustler is sentimental, yet jarring in its reflection on an era far gone in which even pool sharks had a set of ethics that were followed without question.  Pitting the still young Paul Newman against a veteran actor like Jackie Gleason furthers the enjoyability and acting seems so simple with the aid of Piper Laurie and George C. Scott to the cast.  I assumed going in that there would only be so many ways to shoot a game of pool, but Robert Rossen manages to make even repeated shots seems vibrant and fresh, and is smart enough to let the camera just observe at points in times throughout the movie.  Compose with a clear goal in mind, The Hustler is an exceptional piece of cinema that reflects one of the last mighty breaths of Hollywood filmmaking that would irrevocably change with the onset of the sixties.

The Hustler follows the trials and trebulations of one “Fast” Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) and up and coming pool hustler who has already made a respectable name for him throughout the country.  Along with the help of his manager Charlie (Myron McCormick) Eddie desires nothing more than to verse and destroy rival pool shark Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason).  Eddie is so willing to verse the legend that he goes to his home billiards room and challenges him directly.  Fats, in a rather dismissive manner, agrees to verse Eddie and makes work of the young and inexperienced hustler with sage-like precision.  This loss is rather devastating to Eddie who is now broke and seeks refuge in the town, one that is rather unwelcoming to the infamous hustler.  Despite this trouble he manages to meet a young woman with a bit of a drinking problem named Sarah (Piper Laurie) who instantly takes a liking to the witty ways of Eddie.  Looking for an out, Eddie agrees to help Fats’ manager Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) with the hopes of paying off his debt.  While Bert is certainly willing to help Eddie, he sends him through the ringer a few times in order to assure his power, particularly in the scene involving Eddie losing to a rich aristocrat in multiple games of billiards.  It is at this point that Bert uses Sarah as a means to bring Eddie down and gain monetary reward in the process and humiliating Sarah in the process, leading to her tragic suicide.  All but defeated, Eddie attempts his hand at playing Fats one more time and succeeds in winning a substantial amount of money.  Fats, for the first time in his career, is force to quit and Eddie is the ultimate winner, although he is told forcefully by Bert to never step foot in his billiards hall again.

The Hustler is, like many sports movies, concerned to a great deal with an individual (in some cases a group) making a name for themselves.  However, at the point in which viewers are dropped into the narrative Eddie has already made somewhat a name for himself and desires to obtain accolades previously unimagined.  To him the only thing that matters is winning against Fats, and once he does this, he realizes that in order to be fully satisfied he must not only win, but also completely obliterate the aging pool shark.  It is at this point that the theme of hubris develops within The Hustler and becomes a point of criticism throughout the film.  Eddie’s hubris is the cause of his name being tarnished through a portion of the narrative, just as Bert’s hubris ultimately cost him his relationship with each friend he makes throughout the film.  Similarly, Sarah’s own self-involved quest for meaning borders on hubris in that she seems to treat her rather simple sufferings as a trust fund child as a burden on par with Atlas.  Hubris literally destroys Sarah and greatly harms both Bert and Eddie, at one time Eddie’s fingers are broken.  It is only after severe loss that either men realize the consequences of their pride, although for Eddie it is far to late.  With this notion in mind, it would appear as the only two characters void of such pride are Eddie’s mentor Charlie and Fats, although the latter is an unusual circumstance because we are at no point provided with his past story and are only aware of him as a Goliath like being in the world of pool.  Although his presence and graceful playing style are likely intended to be the example of modesty to the young Eddie, Fats teaches him the most important rule of all, accepting defeat.

Key Scene: The montage involving Eddie and Fats first meeting

 

The Hustler is a staple of American cinema and a giant in the genre of sports films and given the recent bluray release it is necessary to own, not only for its gorgeous cinematography, but for its easily accessible and morally profound message.

For A Gunman, You're One Hell Of A Pessimist: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Sepia-toned Paul Newman is a thing of beauty, as is the rest of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  I had the pleasure of revisiting one of my favorite films last night with a few friends over a glass or two of scotch.  This film is a classic, and for being well over forty years old, it is comparable, if not superior, to the recent remakes of 3:10 to Yuma and True Grit.  The combination of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, paired with a Burt Bacharach soundtrack, makes for an unending adventure complete with robberies, shootouts and tense chase scenes.  While many westerns are by mere existence cinematic, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid allows for the venue of late sixties rebellion and unconventionality to turn the genre on its head.  The film thus becomes not only a western, but a dark comedy as well...although it could be easily missed amidst Sundance's quick draw skills and Cassidy's equally fast wit.  To sum it up, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the coolest films you could ever hope to see.

The film follows the exploits of two members of the infamous Hole In The Wall Gang,  the stoic and stern Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) and the ever amiable Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman).  After a series of successful robberies, the duo is placed permanently on the run from a bitter bank owner.  After picking up their mutual love interest Etta (Katherine Ross) the group flees to Bolivia in hopes of finding shelter.  Once there Sundance and Cassidy grow restless, deciding that their own form of happiness comes in robbing banks.  Unfortunately, their decision to rob a few more banks places them on watch by the Bolivian leading to a shootout between the duo and a insurmountable number of Bolivian soldiers.  The film ends in a freeze frame of the duo drawing their guns against improbable odds.  Save for a few more details this is basically the plot of the film.  While it may seem short and sweet it is far from this, in fact it is one of the most well written, acted and shot films of not only its era, but the history of cinema as a whole.

The film is rather lacking in heavy social critique.  Instead, what Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid represents is a nostalgia for a yesteryear in westerns.  It is a buddy movie of sorts, focusing on unquestioned companionship.  The do is constantly at each other throats berating one another for stupid actions.  Yet when it comes to robbing banks or assuring their survival they work harmoniously.  It is reminiscent of the early work of John Wayne or even Bonanza...a notion that in a world as unpredictable as the Wild West...friendship is the only certainty.  The big factor making this film different, however, is the inclusion of a female into the group.  While brief, it implies the possibility a group unity existing without gender serving as a divide.  Simple in regards to filmic narrative, but huge in changing what was possible in the images of the Western.

Do what I did for this film.  Buy the Blu-ray and drink some scotch...it is a pair made in cinema heaven.