Lawbolisted Powerful

ShangLuda Admirable film.

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

drystyx This film has an atmosphere of "grit" to it, and the title helps suggest that. It's a story of a small person against a large corporation in the early part of the twentieth century.There are four major characters that are the focus of the story. The beautiful young woman played by Faye Dunaway is holding onto a well in which she hopes oil will emerge is the catalyst. John Mills plays her father, a stranger to her, arrives, trying to make amends and help her against a mercenary leader played by Jack Palance, hired by the huge oil company to steal her claim. The fourth is the "drifter", the "everyman" who is swept up into the act as her employee, played by George C Scott.A lot of what happens is very fresh even today, and goes against the "usual story line". Very unexpected events.What makes a simple story become a good story is the supporting characters, and this film cleverly makes the story actually be seen through the eyes mostly of the "fifth and sixth characters", both from very different social castes. These two are the witnesses from both castes who would want something better than the bloodshed that goes on. We only get glimpses of this, as they watch the four main characters duke it out, but both try vainly to bring sense to the situation. They are the "eyes" of the viewer put into the story. It is quite well done.

MARIO GAUCI Arguably the best latter-day Stanley Kramer film (i.e. made during his lean 1969-79 period); being a light-hearted romp with a mean streak, it might also be his oddest. It features an eclectic cast, with both George C. Scott (as a drifter) and John Mills (as Faye Dunaway's estranged father) shining in their comical roles; Dunaway herself (in an unflattering black wig) and Jack Palance (as a menacing thug, what else?) are also well-cast. Henry Mancini's flavorful score (and song) adds to the film's eccentricity, given its proliferation of foul language and occasional bouts of violence. In essence, patchy but generally enjoyable - and occasionally uproarious (Scott's priceless reaction to Dunaway's Third Sex speech and the second Scott-Palance confrontation). I had this on a VHS of wretched quality for years (though the quality of Robert Surtees' cinematography is still evident), but only watched it now to commemorate Palance's passing.

sol- A strange, downbeat western that is just simply dull at times, it nevertheless has a few amusing moments and exciting bits in the mix. George C. Scott does quite a decent job with a charismatic, interesting character, yet all the characters come off as cold and hard to like, particularly the feminist played by Dunaway, who is only angry for most of the time. What occurs between the characters is pretty easy to predict, as is most of the plot, despite its unusualness. Henry Mancini's bouncing score is perhaps the film's strongest point. His music is fitted in a bit awkwardly at times, but it generally provides a western feel quite well. While I cannot think of a large number of reasons to recommend this film, Kramer does not do too poor a job with the material, so perhaps the film is worth a look.

rwint Director Kramer was always much maligned by the critics (he and Pauline Kael never traded Christmas gifts). His 'important' films were considered placid, threadbare, and manipulative. His films on race relations like THE DEFIANT ONES and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER treated the issue in a very simplistic and tasteful way. Giving one the impression that he was more interested in not offending anyone and being acceptable than actually making a real movie. However this one, which is one of his later and least known efforts, tends to break that mold. For Kramer it is actually quite edgy. He still tries to tackle the issue of the day, in this case feminism and a womens place in a mans world, but he does it in a much more sophisticated way. He looks at the issue from different angles and surrounds it with a sense of fun and irreverence. Things aren't quite as obvious as with his other films and the characters are more interesting and quirky. Basically it is a revisionist western with strong willed Dunaway hiring drifter Scott to help protect her property from greedy land baron Palance who wants the land for it's oil. Really though that is all just an excuse to show how although both sexes deserve equal rights there are still many differences between them and how one really does need to other because of this. It also shows the little intricacies that come about when a man and women work together compared to when two men or two women work together. The two leads are perfect. Both have always had very strong on screen personas, yet here Scott deftly underplays his, which makes for a very interesting on screen chemistry. Palance however as the heavy is completely wasted simply because he is not given enough screen time. Overall this is a fun picture that is well paced and should, if anything, keep you entertained. It doesn't really push the limits enough to be a classic, but it does have a few memorable moments. A few of those moments come with some snappy exchanges. At one point Dunaway softens a bit and tries to explain to Scott why she has been so cold to him. She says "I know I have been a bitch, but this world can be very hard place for a women." Then Scott without missing a beat says "Well it can be a hard place for a man too." There's also a conversation where Dunaway explains why she would like to have both the male and female sex organs. Her answer to how she would go about satisfying herself is a good one.