MarkCrozier

I was a bit taken aback when I saw that four movies were listed that Sally Field 'is known for' and Norma Rae wasn't one of them?!? I mean, I know Sally has had a phenomenal career but THIS is the movie that launched that career and I still think it's her finest achievement.

It's also one of the films that made 70s movie-making so famous. It's tough, funny, gritty, moving, real and truly uplifting. I mean, if you've never worked a day in a factory in your life, you will feel as if you have by the time you finish watching this film.

Needless to say, Sally is incredible in her role. She literally becomes this character in a way that you can totally believe. The other main character in it, the union organiser played by Ron Liebman, is also amazingly well-sketched.

When you see the one-dimensional dreck that passes for characters in today's films you have to wonder what happened to the movies. These people are so heartbreakingly REAL. And the story feels like a documentary it's so beautifully observed and detailed.

Sally Field won an Oscar for her role and its never been more well-deserved. This is an absolute gem of a film and I think about it often, and I've seen it only once. Especially now that Trump is trying to revive American manufacturing. I wonder if he's seen "Norma Rae'? I doubt it, but he should.

The partnership between Field and director Martin Ritt yielded a few other gems, including the over-looked and underrated Back Roads, which came after this, but none achieved the heights of Norma Rae. Do yourself a huge favour and watch it.

It will teach you more about manufacturing and what it is like to work in a factory than a month's worth of documentaries.

This film is a good example of why I don't make an effort to watch new movies much anymore. I was hopeful, given the leads, that this would be worth a watch. (Although I came to this with a distinct memory of watching Tod Haynes' SAFE and feeling very frustrated by his refusal to use any close-ups of Julianne Moore's beautiful face. I mean, really?).

Anyway, I wanted to try this because of the Portman/Moore line-up, which I suspect is the case for a lot of people. So, cue disappointment to find that Moore is barely in it, and while Portman does not disappoint, the story is a scattered mess that goes nowhere.

Most people are aware of the case this based on (although I couldn't quite put my mind to the actual woman's name without a bit of research). I believe there have been several of these of cases, although the one involved Mary Kay Letourneau is the one that got the most tabloid traction.

So, there's a meaty topic here... but Haynes and co fail to make the most of it. The storyline is vague and fails to pay off. I don't know about you but I hate that. Make a point or don't make anything at all!

If you held a gun to my head I would guess that they are trying to say that those who prey on these type of events are far worse than the subjects themselves. My interpretation was that Portman was preying on them, much like the tabloids, in order to turn their story into entertainment.

Despite her sympathetic and polite façade, she was prepared to do pretty much anything to achieve her goals, which revealed her character's total lack of empathy for the people concerned.

So, that's as much as I could extrapolate from it... but it was far from clear what they were trying to get at. Clearly they had to work in SOME aspect to the whole story, which is why the Joe character confronts his abuser and now wife at one point in the film. But that, too, goes nowhere.

I just find it problematic that so many film-makers feel it's no longer necessary to put something solid down on film. It's almost as if they want their material to be all open-ended and vague so they don't have to account for it at the end of the day.

As a contrast, check out Gus Van Sant's 'To Die For', based on a similar type of situation, which was far more satisfying in every way. While this wasn't an effort to recreate a true crime story, it just had nothing really compelling to say, in the end.

I guess I should comment on the 'performances'. They were all good, with Portman and Melton both standouts (although I didn't buy him as Korean). But there needs to be more than good performances to make a film worth seeing.

Sad and disappointing.

If like me you fell in love with Cybill Shepherd after her appearance in Taxi Driver (1976) then you'll be thrilled to discover this little flick, as I was.

Appearing in the same year as Taxi Driver, it's a fun-filled romp that combines crime and comedy in a way that manages to keep you watching and not become annoyingly cute. That's not as easy as you think.

It starts off with a blast of action as four former Marines, all scarred in one way or another by the Vietnam War, rob a bank and then proceed to execute a tightly-planned getaway. Naturally, things don't work out quite the way they planned and therein lies the pivot to the rest of the film.

Cybill enters the scene at around 25 minutes in and she's a delight from the word go. Clearly there to fulfill the need for a female sidekick, she delivers in spades. Cybill had so much personality and is so naturally flirtatious and filled with mischief, its impossible to take your eyes off her.

I don't know much about Bo Svenson other than he looks like he could be an ex-football player. He has the sort of physicality that lends itself to this role but he struggles a bit with the subtle touches and witty dialogue. It kind of works because he's not required to do TOO much here other than run and fight.

To add some layers to the plot, another character is introduced in the form of a low-level grifter and drug pusher played by Michael C Graff who happens to witness the key plot development.

This serves to drive the film forward and keep our interest piqued. He's ably supported by fellow bad guys played by Vic Tayback (another reliable 70s presence) and Robert Ito.

Also of interest is Jeff Goldblum, who makes an appearance as a motorcycle thug.

All in all its a solidly entertaining film ably directed by Paul Wendkos that delivers the goods (no pun intended) and doesn't take itself too seriously. Particularly a must for fans of Cybill Shepherd.