Kick-Back Friday: May 2009 Archives
State of Play (2003): Not the recent Russell Crowe movie, but the BBC mini-series (on which the movie was based). There's no rule of privacy that British journalists won't violate when investigating the death of an MP's mistress. The series, comprising 6 twisty episodes, is notable for its prescient casting of up-and-comers Kelly Macdonald (No County for Old Men) and James McAvoy (Atonement). Lesser-known UK actors* John Simm, Bill Nighy (Shaun of the Dead), Polly Walker ("Rome"), Marc Warren, and David Morrissey round out the excellent cast. Morrissey, in particular, is spot-on as the distressed, self-interested MP.
MP = Member of Parliament.
* At least lesser known in America.
Fail-Safe (1964): With its self-important tone and preposterous ending, it's more miss than hit for director Sidney Lumet and his original* cold-war drama. But as a time capsule of doomsday angst, the film has its merits, including a surprisingly touching performance by Larry Hagman (pre-"I Dream of Jeannie") as the President's Russian translator.
* In 2000, Fail-Safe was remade as a live TV broadcast, starring Richard Dreyfuss and George Clooney.
Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski: two crazy men who are crazier together. And it all started with Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), the story of a power-hungry conquistador (Kinski) on his psychotic quest for the mythical El Dorado along the Amazon River. Although the story is only very loosely based on fact, Herzog's allegiance to 16th-century detail—costuming, customs, hair*—conveys a powerful authenticity and, moreover, keeps the movie from becoming dated.
Warning: Some animals were possibly harmed in the making of this film.
* Nothing worse than anachronistic hair.
