Phil Spector (2013)

Directed by: David Mamet
Starring: Al Pacino, Helen Mirren, Jeffrey Tambor

Overall Rating: 57.7

The only thing that really differentiates Phil Spector as a TV movie made for HBO and the stereotypical "made for TV movies" shown on Lifetime in the 90's seems to be the star power associated with it.  Despite the likes of Al Pacino and Helen Mirren starring, and David Mamet directing, the tone and delivery of the film just falls flat.

The film follows the trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector (Pacino) as the defense struggles to find ways to defend their client in the midst of a constant media blitz insinuating guilt.  As is constantly pointed out, it doesn't matter if the evidence points to innocence, but rather how the jury feels about the defendant.  It's this struggle that Mamet focuses on: How do you sway public opinion for someone who appears guilty in a court of law, when all anyone talks about is that person's guilt?

Very wisely, the film begins with a disclaimer stating that the film is inspired by facts, but is not based on a true story.  As the real life version of Spector was found guilty and sentenced to 19 years in jail, the film takes great efforts to introduce "evidence" that hints at Spector's innocence, but was never introduced due to legal errors.  So the film is basically saying, "the real life jury never got to see this evidence, but if they had they'd have found Spector innocent".

After winning 2 Emmys for his work with HBO (2010's You Don't Know Jack and 2003's Angels in America), you can understand why Pacino would be willing to participate in a project like this, and for the most part he performs adequately.  Pacino plays the titular eccentric music producer with care, hitting the ferocious spots when intensity is needed, and understating his performance when not.

Unfortunately, that's the extent of the positives.  Helen Mirren plays the sympathetic Linda Kenney Baden who steps in to help Spector's defense team, but comes across as average at best.  For a film about one of the most famous trials of the 21st century so far, we also are only privy to the defense.  We are never even introduced to the prosecution or get a hint that Spector might actually be guilty.  It's this one-sidedness that takes away any drama from the film.

Phil Spector really tries to make Spector a charity case and gain sympathy for the misunderstood genius, but ultimately fails at that task, and at creating an entertaining movie.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 5
Dialogue: 6
Acting: 6
Direction: 4
Audio/Visual: 5

The World According to Dick Cheney (2013)

Directed by: RJ Cutler
Starring: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Lynn Cheney

Overall Rating: 82.4

Being one of the most reclusive public figures to ever hold office, let alone the second highest office in the land, many were surprised to hear about a documentary coming out about former Vice President Dick Cheney.  Whether scrubbing his house from Google Maps, having a "man-sized" safe to store his documents, or his overall mentality of thinking that the legislative branch held no true power, Dick Cheney has always held an aura of sinister about him.  What we find out with The World According to Dick Cheney is that most of that was by design.

Before we even get to the opening credits of RJ Cutler's documentary produced for Showtime, we get a simple Q&A session with Cheney, consisting of softballs like "What is your favorite virtue?" and "What do you appreciate most of your friends?", each getting answered quickly and honestly.  Then the filmmaker asks "What do you consider your main faults?"  What follows next so amazingly demonstrates the disconnect that occurred between the Executive Office and the rest of the world, as Cheney struggles for a gut-wrenching amount of time to come up with an answer.  His face anguishing trying to comprehend how anything about him could possibly be considered a fault.  Finally, he simply responds, "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my faults would be my answer".

Cutler takes a lot of his inspiration from Errol Morris' The Fog of War, which used controversial former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara as it's subject.  From his humble beginnings, to his rise to prosperity in the Nixon administration, to ultimately controlling the free world through proxy, each step is a calculated move by Cheney.

The doc does an astounding job of telling the former Vice President's story from his own perspective.  While there are guest commentators on both sides of the aisle giving their own thoughts and views, the film mostly focuses on Cheney's thought process throughout his life.  There's no need to add a lot of commentary to Cheney's words, as the sincerity he exhumes gives the viewers everything they need to know.  If you're a Bush/Cheney supporter, you will likely walk away with a better understanding of the man.  If you looked at that 8 year period in American history as a series of disasters, you get a behind the scenes look of the thought process behind each decision.

It's Cheney's complete lack of empathy or understanding other people's views that struck this reviewer the most.  At multiple times throughout the film, Cheney tries to proactively defend his decisions by stating that his job wasn't to be popular, but to get things done.  Even the tag line of the film pulls a quote from Cheney: "If you want to be loved, go be a movie star."  I don't believe anyone ever expects that administration to apologize, but the complete void of empathy regarding 9/11, the Iraq war, torture, or the economic collapse is truly astounding to see.

The film is educational, which as a documentary is all you can ask.  Getting a glimpse into the personal life of this reclusive man was an experience, and for that, the film accomplishes what it set out to do.  It's not a documentary to change the way you feel, but rather to enlighten the viewers to a period of history that will not soon be forgotten.

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 8
Dialogue: n/a
Acting: n/a
Direction: 8
Audio/Visual: 7

Killing Them Softly (2012)

Directed by: Andrew Dominik

Starring: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Richard Jenkins

Overall Rating: 77.2

"This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business. Now fuckin' pay me."

I'm sure it's not normal to quote the last lines of a film as the first lines of a review, but I feel it's these lines that so eloquently describe Killing Them Softly.  Being a film that was so critically praised, but scorned by movie-goers, I knew there was going to be a "love it or hate it" mentality associated, but all in all, the film achieves what it sent out to do: It tells a story within a story.

The film takes us into the underground of the 21st century of the mobster-mentality.  A mentality so strongly rooted in its past, but still always looking for innovation and advancement.  When a card game is robbed, the top of the mob food chain has to take action to prevent future crimes from happening, so they send in an enforcer to clean up.  This enforcer named Jackie Cogan, played with unassuming strength by Brad Pitt, harkens the audience back to a day of the Godfather or Goodfellas.  He's a no-nonsense guy who is going to do what he's told, but if he doesn't like what is being told to him, he's also going to make sure you know it.

The brilliance of the movie is the ongoing parallel between the mob and the financial collapse of 2008.  When the card game is robbed, the criminal economy crashes.  Nobody is sure of the security of any other games.  In order to get the money flowing again, the criminal world must be "bailed out", by Cogan and the bosses wiping the slate clean.  Innocent?  It doesn't matter.  If you're implicated, you're guilty.  And if you're guilty, you're going to have to pay so that others can prosper.

Cogan embodies the average American.  When discussing orders with his go-between (Jenkins) and hearing that the decision makers can't make decisions and the whole process of the "mob" has become like a corporation, he broods frustration.  He's willing to do the dirty work to make things right, but is prevented by people above his pay grade.

Scoot McNairy (Argo) shines and gets the majority of screen time.  Frankie is good for a number of laughs, but is also the morality of both sides.  He understands what his role in everything is, but is unwilling to accept it.  Whether working with his dirty partner to knock off the card game, or working with Cogan to save his own ass, McNairy shows both the arrogance of a schlub who was able to rob something that shouldn't have been able to have been robbed, as well as the cowering fear associated with said robbery.

It's easy to see why so many critics gave the film high praise, while the consensus among the audience was negative (a 48% by viewers on Rotten Tomatoes).  While the story may not explode off the screen, the subtlety that director Andrew Dominik displays makes the overall visuals of the film very pleasant.  Whether it's a slow motion car crash or execution, or a camera placed on a car door being opened and closed, we get a slew of unique shots that showcase the talent of the director.  Yes the pacing is slow, but coming from the man who made a Western about Jesse James with all of 3 minutes of action, you should have tempered your expectations going in.

It's not The Sopranos or Goodfellas, but Killing Them Softly does take the audience into the junked up world of the new age of the mob.  It's not glitz and glamor like Scorsese told us, but a dirty, drag-em-out game that very few get to win.  And we come full circle back to the capitalism parallel...

Individual Ratings
Enjoyment Factor: 6
Dialogue: 7
Acting: 7
Direction: 9
Audio/Visual: 9