Mark Harris
Pain in the ass
Sidney Lumet has a new movie coming out, at like 86, and so I wanted to go back and review some of his work before checking this out. It had dawned on me that I hadn't seen anything of his in a while. So last night my GF and I got Network. She had not seen it at all before.
I did a search on here and did not find any topics for this, so started one.
If you have not seen it, you need to. It's an epic piece. The Cinematography is nice, but completely unobtrusive. Except for one amazing shot where Ned Beatty is giving his message to Peter Finch, and it is this really great locked down shot down a boardroom table, with the lamps forming perspective lines all directing to Ned Beatty at the far end. But there is no push in, no funny stuff with the camera, just a locked shot that is absolutely mesmerizing.
But in general, one thing I like about Lumet is that the photography is there to serve the story and not star in it. He is an extremely simple and direct filmmaker.
The writing is stellar(though it is wordy, just be warned. Chayefsky was a wordy son of a *****) But some of the most memorable speeches in film history. And the script is frighteningly prescient...
And the performances are off the hook. Bill Holden, Faye Dunaway(an actress with holes in her head where the spirits get in, just shockingly talented), Beatty, Duval, a cast to die for.
If you have not seen it, get it.
Next up I am going to get Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon (You know, back when Pacino could act?
)
I did a search on here and did not find any topics for this, so started one.
If you have not seen it, you need to. It's an epic piece. The Cinematography is nice, but completely unobtrusive. Except for one amazing shot where Ned Beatty is giving his message to Peter Finch, and it is this really great locked down shot down a boardroom table, with the lamps forming perspective lines all directing to Ned Beatty at the far end. But there is no push in, no funny stuff with the camera, just a locked shot that is absolutely mesmerizing.
But in general, one thing I like about Lumet is that the photography is there to serve the story and not star in it. He is an extremely simple and direct filmmaker.
The writing is stellar(though it is wordy, just be warned. Chayefsky was a wordy son of a *****) But some of the most memorable speeches in film history. And the script is frighteningly prescient...
And the performances are off the hook. Bill Holden, Faye Dunaway(an actress with holes in her head where the spirits get in, just shockingly talented), Beatty, Duval, a cast to die for.
If you have not seen it, get it.
Next up I am going to get Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon (You know, back when Pacino could act?
)
