WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH? » Clint Eastwood

WWTW Rewind: ‘The Gauntlet’ (1977)

cftoto — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:09:33 +0000

Deposit “The Gauntlet” smack dab in the middle of the Clint Eastwood collection.

It’s neither “Pink Cadillac” awful nor “Unforgiven” great, just a genre exercise handled with a modicum of class until the preposterous finale.

The film also allows us to see Eastwood and former flame Sondra Locke cozy up on screen without that interfering Orangutan getting in the way.

Eastwood plays Ben Shockley, a Phoenix cop who’d rather drown his sorrows in Jim Beam than fight crime. But when his superior assigns him to a special case – bring a low-level witness to a low-level crime from Las Vegas to Phoenix – he’s eager to oblige.

His boss tells he was selected because he’s known for getting the job done.

Most Eastwood characters would have grimaced at such piffle, but Shockley is shattered enough to take the bogus compliment.

The witness, “Gus” Mally (Locke), has the goods on a crime boss with ties to someone within the Phoenix police department. She’s a hooker with a heart of tin and a mouth that needs a thorough scrubbing.

Soon, Ben and Gus are running for their lives as one mother of a double cross leaves them both at the mercy of more bullets than any duo ever faced.

Eastwood does double duty here, directing himself as a cop who’s one good bust away from redemption. The actor’s easy way with a camera gives the thriller a welcome sense of place. This isn’t another Manhattan cop saga, and Eastwood maximizes the mid-west settings like a true cowpoke.

The screenplay struggles to make the Ben/Gus banter both playful and hard-edged, but too many lines sound like outtakes from a failed cop show pilot. And watching Ben go all mushy for Gus later in the film is enough to make any “Dirty Harry” purist puke.

“The Gauntlet’s” signature theme is gunplay aimed at stationary targets. It’s effective the first time around, but the gimmick feels beneath Eastwood.

“The Gauntlet” proved the bridge to a brief comic turn in Eastwood’s career with his twin ape movies, but seen today it’s a serviceable thriller that showed the actor could hit most of the right action notes without breaking a sweat.

(Photo: The poster for “The Gauntlet” came from the canvas of late illustrator Frank Frazetta.)

Blu-ray review: ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)

cftoto — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:20:13 +0000

Before Dirty Harry, “Unforgiven” and all those gleaming Oscars there was The Man With No Name.

Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western era gave us a trio of classic oaters, capped by the epic yarn “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

The film is part of a spanking new Blu-ray three-pack released earlier this month.

The triple-pack features the extended version of the 1966 “Ugly,” a delirious trek through an American West racked by the Civil War.

Even the Good in the title is hardly the white hat type, especially as played by Eastwood at his slit-eyed best.

Eastwood plays a morally-challenged bounty hunter teamed with a scoundrel named Tuco (Eli Wallach).

They can’t stand each other, but their parasitic relationship works – for a while. They soon go their separate ways but keep reconnecting when word leaks of a stash of Confederate gold is ripe for the taking.

They’ll both do almost anything to get their hands on the loot, but so will Setenza (Lee Van Cleef), the “bad” in the title’s equation.

Director Sergio Leone indulges his artistic whims in nearly every scene. His camera work is masterful, with stunning compositions that give life to the occasionally wooden performances.

The trilogy may have made Eastwood a film star, but “Ugly” belongs to Wallach. His character is a glorified cockroach, a creature who can’t be denied or beaten back, let alone squashed.

He’s wicked, conniving and as greedy as Gordon Gekko, but you can’t help rooting for the thug.

Van Cleef is nearly his equal, a subdued portrait of evil who works under his own code of ethics. He’s a fearful presence with the sort of gaze that could scare a lawman silly.

The film features a bevy of classic moments, from a bathtub gunfight to the grand finale shootout, a nerve-wrangling set piece stretched out to a near interminable length. And audiences wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Ugly” boasts that bombastic score by maestro Ennio Morricone, gorgeously shot western landscapes and even the running subplot of the Civil War.

It’s the latter which gives the film its bite. Watching these outlaws run up against men at war raises the stakes to a level not seen in most westerns.

“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” delivers an iconic title, an unforgettable film score and a trio of characters etched permenantly in the halls of the film western.

The Blu-ray extras offer up wide-ranging look at the film and its legacy. “Leone’s West” explores the director’s take on a thoroughly American art form, while “The Leone Style” breaks down his trademark visuals.

We’re also treated to some historical background on the era captured on screen as well as a peek at how the 1955 film was restored to its current condition.

The extras wrap with two deleted scenes and an examination of the great score which helped bring the epic to life.

‘Invictus’ – Eastwood skips through history

cftoto — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:29:17 +0000

Should Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” grab a fistful of Oscar nominations it’ll be thanks to the Academy’s affection for the aging icon – not what you see on the screen.

Eastwood’s latest bears all the marks of a winner, from its remarkable casting to a subject matter too potent to ignore.

What a shame Eastwood delivers a superficial retelling of how Nelson Mandela used the nation’s rugby team as a symbol of healing.

“Invictus” recalls the early days of Mandela’s presidency, a time when the wounds left by decades of apartheid were still blistered and raw.

Mandela (Morgan Freeman) had the support of the voters, but many still viewed him, and black people in general, with suspicion.

So the new leader did all he could to extend a hand to his enemies, even if they had imprisoned him for 27 years. He kept some of the former administrations key executives – even the bodyguards – on staff.

And when the public wanted to dump the historic colors and name of the Springboks, the national rugby team, Mandela gently but firmly said, “no.”

He saw something many couldn’t, that the team had a winner’s instinct hidden beneath its flat performances. He understood citizens might set aside their differences if the team overachieved during the upcoming World Cup.

Mandela reached out to Springboks’ captain (Matt Damon) in order to put his political capital – and charisma – behind the squad.

Eastwood fails to convey more than the bullet points of a story that all but demands to be told on the big screen. What made Mandela act as he did? Did Damon’s character feel conflicted about being used by Mandela for political purposes, or did he come to agree with the leader’s stance on reuniting his country?

We’re never sure.

Damon proves resourceful here, giving a severely underwritten role some depth. He’s helpless when cast against his on-screen father, a avowed racist, and his girlfriend who exists here merely as a prop.

Freeman seemed destined to play Mandela on screen. The real Mandela said as much at one point, and while the performance is technically perfect the lack of texture in the on-screen Mandela will cost him a serious shot at an Oscar.

At one point a guard watching Mandela tells a colleague that their leader is a man, not a saint. But you wouldn’t know it by watching “Invictus.”

He doesn’t make a false move, and while the real Mandela’s heroics are well established, giving him the near deity treatment doesn’t reveal the man behind the presidency.

A few moments do hint at the greater movie lurking within, like watching a black child loitering around the car of white police officers just to hear the radio broadcast of the big rugby match.

Then we’re forced to watch the cliched scenes of people in bars cheering on the home team.

The Rugby sequences are shot with passion – you can hear the thud of muscle colliding with muscle, but those unfamiliar with the sport still won’t walk away itching to see a rugby match on cable.

“Invictus” is alternately inspiring and moving. It’s simply not the great movie that the real events depicted here deserve.

(Photo: Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Spyglass Entertainment’s drama “Invictus,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.)

Eastwood rides again

cftoto — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:05:23 +0000

Clint Eastwood’s storied film career seems like it has no more room left for fresh highlights.

Think again.

The actor’s late 2008 film “Gran Torino” is the number one worldwide Video on Demand (VOD) title of 2009.

That’s right. A 78-year-old action star beat out every young punk in the business this year.

What’s more amazing is that Eastwood’s other 2008 drama, “Changeling,” got far more buzz, acclaim and Oscar attention last year. That Angelina Jolie vehicle proved his weakest directorial effort since “A Perfect World.”

Yes, that Kevin Costner flick has its admirers. Watch it again and tell me you didn’t cringe early and often.

(Photo: Clint Eastwood’s gripping “Gran Torino” is the most requested VOD title of 2009. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Eastwood: Warts and (mostly) all

cftoto — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:55:24 +0000

Clint Eastwood’s journey from TV cowpoke to Oscar darling – with a stop at box office sensation the middle – is one of the most stunning transformations in Hollywood.

A new book based on Eastwood’s remarkable life only tells part of that story.

“American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood” is a great way for Eastwood fans to trace the arc of his stunning career. But if you’re looking to go deeper into the soul of a movie legend, “Rebel” is only fittfully satisfying.

My review in The Denver Post shares more about the new book, available in bookstores now.

(Photo: Clint Eastwood earned his second Best Director Oscar for 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby.”/Warner Bros.)

2009 Fall Preview: Oscar Bait Edition

cftoto — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:43:34 +0000

Director Peter Jackson has had enough of Hobbits and overgrown monkeys.

The Oscar winner turns his talents toward Alice Sebold’s haunting novel “The Lovely Bones” for one of the Fall’s most anticipated films.

It’s just one of several movies with “Oscar nomination” written all over it.

But that’s hardly a guarantee. Need we remember other promising films like “Pay it Forward” or, more recently, “The Soloist,” which also screamed Oscar contender but failed to deliver?

But one upcoming film comes with such Oscar bona fides it’s hard not to imagine the statuettes being engraved with its name as we speak.

Clint Eastwood’s transformation from “Dirty Harry” to Oscar darling is nearly as remarkable as his legendary film career. So seeing his name attached to “Invictus” (Dec. 11), the upcoming biopic of Nelson Mandela, feels like a perfect storm of critical love.

Add Oscar winner Morgan Freeman as the embattled civil rights icon and Matt Damon playing the rugby star Mandela pairs with to unite their country, and you have the film to beat this Oscar season.

Here’s a peek at other movies hoping to give Eastwood’s latest stiff competition:

George Clooney teams with “Juno” director Jason Reitman for “Up in the Air” (release date TBD). The film follows a frequent flier (Clooney) whose hop-scotches across the country to fire people. Trailer Watch
James Cameron’s “Titanic” follow-up, “Avatar” (Dec. 18), promises to crush the box office competition and potentially change the way we look at 3-D pictures. But given his track record Academy voters might want to throw a few nominations his way just to prevent arguments over stuffy films winning the day – again. The film follows a partially paralyzed soldier (Sam Worthington) who uses an avatar to explore a strange new civilization. Trailer Watch
Hilary Swank owns two Oscars already, so it’s not wise to discount her latest film, “Amelia” (Oct. 23). Swank is Amelia Earhart, the flying wonder of the early 20th century. Oscar voters love biopics, and they’re clearly enthralled with Swank. Trailer Watch
“A Serious Man” (Oct. 2) is the latest from the Coen brothers. Need we say more? All right, how’s this … the film is a star-free vehicle set in the ’60s about a very confused professor (Michael Stuhlbarg) juggling personal calamities. Had any other director been behind the project we’d be yawning by now. Not here. Trailer Watch
Mo’Nique might be the last name you think of when talk turns to Oscar. Not this season. Buzz surrounding her role in “Precious,” a bleak story based on the novel by Sapphire, has been rumbling around Hollywood for months. Her acceptance speech could be one for the ages. Trailer Watch
Hollywood fell out of love with musicals decades ago, but every now and then the industry delivers one that’s catnip to Oscar voters. This year’s entry is director Rob Marshall’s “Nine” (Nov. 25), based on the hit Broadway musical, When your cast includes Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman it’s hard to bet against a half dozen nominations – or more. Trailer Watch
And let’s not forget these films which have an outside chance at Oscar nominations: “The Informant” (Sept. 18) teams Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh in the true story of a whistle blower in action, and “Coco Before Chanel” (October TBD) finds Miss Amelie herself, Audrey Tautou, playing fashion icon Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.

Next Up: 2009 Fall Preview Part II: Zombies, vampires and Megan Fox.

(Photo: Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan stars as Susie Salmon in DreamWorks Pictures’ drama “The Lovely Bones,” a Paramount Pictures release. Photo Credit: Dreamworks Studios)

WWTW Rewind – ‘Unforgiven’ (1992)

cftoto — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:25:47 +0000

The second stage of Clint Eastwood’s career – call it his Mea Culpa Tour – began in 1992 with “Unforgiven.”

The celebrated western found The Man With No Name paying the price for all those cinematic killings

But Eastwood was smart enough to wrap those misgivings in a terrific yarn, and even smarter to cast Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman in critical roles.

Oscar glory soon followed, and suddenly Eastwood’s brand became synonymous with award show buzz.

Eastwood stars as Bill Munny, a former gunfighter reduced to wrestling pigs on his modest farm. He stopped killing people years ago, and he doesn’t even touch the bottle like he once did.

But an offer to do a quick killing for a quicker payday is too much to resist. So he re-teams with his old partner Ned (Freeman) and sets out for the hunt. Their paths end up crossing Sheriff Daggett (Hackman, earning an Oscar for his troubles), a lawman with an ego too big for any two-bit town

Bill and Ned aren’t proud of their past, and no horse is hearty enough to ride them past their misdeeds. But right is right, and the actions of the dastardly sheriff and the men he shields from the law must be addressed.

The revisionist western embraces and explodes the genre’s mythos with remarkable grace, and there’s enough conventional action to please fans of Eastwood’s earlier, grittier films.

“Unforgiven” even finds time to introduce English Bob (Richard Harris) a famed gunslinger whose presence adds even more color and texture to a film already overloaded with both.

“Unforgiven” allowed Eastwood to begin aging gracefully on screen, embracing characters who acknowledged the passing of time but still mattered. It’s a journey that continues through today, even as the actor/director nears his 80th birthday.

WWTW Rewind – ‘The Eiger Sanction’

cftoto — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:04:00 +0000

It’s easy – and wrong – to label “Unforgiven” as Clint Eastwood’s pivot point from movie star to directorial wunderkind.

Sure, the film marked the beginning of Oscar’s love affair with the steely-eyed actor, and the dawn of him distancing himself from glorifying on-screen violence. But two of his early ’70s films started the actor in the direction he heads now.

“Play Misty for Me,” which marked Eastwood’s directorial debut, and “The Eiger Sanction” headline a new Eastwood DVD sampler dubbed “American Icon Collection.”

The pack also features “Coogan’s Bluff” and “The Beguiled,” but “Sanction” bears re-watching for the complicated themes embraced by the young director.

“Sanction” finds Eastwood playing Jonathan Hemlock – think Indiana Jones without the hat and whip. He’s an art historian, avid painting collector and mountain climber. Oh, and he’s a retired assassin being dragged back into the game by the mysterious Dragon (Thayer David).

Jonathan is assigned to kill the men who knocked off one of his former fellow agents, and the mission leads him to the Eiger, one of the most imposing mountains to scale in all the world. A number of elite climbers, including the man who may be Jonathon’s target, are prepping to scale the treacherous mountain.

“Sanction” feels like a half dozen movies in one, from spy flick to tough guy romance and, finally, “Cliffhanger” style actioner. Eastwood, the actor, is at his cocky best here, and he’s equally assured behind the camera.

A steady dose of government conspiracy spikes the drama, leaving Jonathan unable to trust friend as well as foe.

And kudos to George Kennedy for rescuing the film’s middle passages as Jonathan’s old climbing mentor.

“Sanction” also features a swishy turn by Jack Cassidy and a few decidely un-PC lines. Who knew you could joke about rape in ’70s era cinema?

“The Eiger Sanction” meanders too much to be stacked alongside Eastwood’s best films, but it boasts stunning cinematography, some juicy secondary roles and, or course, Eastwood at his surliest.

The reason why ‘Torino’ got snubbed?

cftoto — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:47:47 +0000

Oscar voters love Clint Eastwood – at least the post-Dirty Harry version.

Now that Eastwood’s films question the need for violence, rather than bask in mayhem, Academy voters can’t get enough of him.

But that wasn’t enough for the terrific “Gran Torino.”

So what gives?

Sharp film blogger Patrick Goldstein hinted that voters might be uneasy supporting a film that asks viewers to root for a racist.

In Hollywood, a protagonist can be a child rapist (“The Woodsman”) or serial killer (“Monster”) and not alienate Academy voters. But if he or she drops the n-word or another ugly epithet, well, then we have nothing to learn from them.

Just ask Entertainment Weekly’s Mark Harris.

The normally astute columnist wrote this about “Gran Torino” in the mag’s latest edition.

The film “peddles the delusion that even the bigot next door has Something to Teach Us All about heroism and self-sacrifice. No, he doesn’t.”

Wow.

So since Eastwood’s character grew up in a time when many folks were bigoted and didn’t reject those feelings, he simply has nothing to teach us.

I’m not defending the character’s ugly racial views, although in the film he clearly learns to to care for, protect and embrace those of nationalities he once disdained.

MILD SPOILER ALERT

And yes, he does teach them about heroism and self sacrifice. I can’t imagine anyone seeing the film and not coming to the same conclusion.

Goldstein puts it far better than I could:

They were reluctant heroes who, by willing to risk their lives for a greater good, found redemption. It’s a quality you don’t find in many movies today, but it’s all there for the taking in “Gran Torino.”

So how about it. Have there been any racist characters who earned the actor/actress who played them an Oscar? One comes to mind -Rod Steiger winning the Best Actor Oscar for 1967’s “In the Heat of the Night.”

Am I missing some others?

UPDATE: Jack Nicholson won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a vulgar, casually racist man in “As Good As it Gets.”

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(Photo: Clint Eastwood plays a cranky racist in “Gran Torino.”)

Old timers rule the box office?

cftoto — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:21:22 +0000

Think getting older is the kiss of death at the box office?

Some aging icons beg to differ, and they’re sending a message to Clooney, DiCaprio and co. – it’s not your town just yet.

Last year’s death door dramedy “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman brought in $93 million.

Now, “Gran Torino,” starring the 78-year-old Clint Eastwood, is taking no prisoners at the box office.

“Gran Torino” rocketed to number one over the weekend, beating out those battling Brides Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. Monday, “Torino” grossed $2.8 million domestically. The next 3 highest grossing films came in at slightly above or below $1million Monday, according to Warner Bros., the studio behind “Torino.”

So what gives? Audiences could be clamoring for bona fide movies stars – and ignoring the crow’s feet and age spots.

Or perhaps these films serve an underserved market — anyone over 21 years of age who is sick of bad horror sequels and formulaic fare.

A better test comes this week with the release of “Last Chance Harvey.” Will audiences flock to see a senior citizen like Dustin Hoffman woo Emma Thompson, more than two decades his junior but still of a “certain age?”

Let’s hope so, or successes like “Gran Torino” will be the exception that studio bosses choose to ignore.

(Photo: Clint Eastwood is still making our day with “Gran Torino,” his latest box office hit.)