So Far, So...

No End(ing) In Sight

So welcome to this week’s quick look at my take on the world of Movies.

This week that quick look focuses on two JAMES CAAN movies, both absolute belters, both under-referenced and under-hyped imo, and both the sort of creatively brave ballsy & courageous Films that wouldn’t of course stand a chance in hell of getting made in the current weak, wan, and cowardly commissioning climate.

They are THE GAMBLER (1974) and THIEF (1981).

THE GAMBLER starts with a problem it doesn't resolve by then film’s end - namely that Caan’s character has a dangerously singular philosophy not beloved of most gamblers, he plays in order to lose. “That’s what gets my juice going. If I only bet on the games I know, I could at least break even.” But he doesn’t want that. At one point, he’s driven to bet money he doesn’t really have on college basketball games picked almost at random out of the sports pages. It gets worse though. Not only does Axel gamble to lose - feel alive - he’s not interested in paying his gambling debts too.

THIS is a CHARACTER. One whose world, whose mind, whose modus operandi we become as obsessed with as he is. This is character driven storytelling of the highest order.

And yet Caan’s ‘Axel Freed’ is not just a gambler, he’s a complicated man in his mid-thirties who earns his living as a university literature teacher. He teaches Dostoyevsky, William Carlos Williams, Thoreau - but in actuality doesn’t seem to teach their works at all as find in them what he needs to justify his own obsessions. Axel is complex, contrarian, counter-intuitive. The character constantly needs to find things to test himself against, to feel danger, and thus feel alive.

One of the great things about this movie and so many in the 70’s is of course the New Wave influence, and one of the best examples of this is the non-ending ending in this movie. No pretty bows that tie everything together nice ‘n neat. And so where we leave this chapter of Axel’s story feels exactly like that, but a chapter. We leave the movie (and how great to leave an actual Cinema this way) wondering what happens next to Axel, writing our own next moment scene or chapter. This is but a part of what’s missing from so much of the bollocks the faceless bean-counting accountant oriented ‘Studio Executives’ timidly and yet arrogantly present us with these days. Fuck them and that say I.

So do yourself a favour and grab yourself a slice of Karel Reisz’s stone cold classic.

Michael Mann’s THIEF (1981) is one of those fascinating Movies with an 80’s date but 70’s style and sensibilities aplenty if you know what you’re looking for. It’s also just a damn good Film. It knows what it is. It has a palpable air of authority about it. Mann’s in control and he’s got the vision thing going on.

Caan’s thief is a loner. Actually he thinks he’s just a fiercely independent operator and professional criminal. However Mann shows us that he’s more than that - he’s extremely lonely and desperately in need of somebody. Anybody.

First though he's gotta deal with ‘Leo’ (the brilliant Robert Prosky) who sets about manipulating every weakness in Caan’s personality make-up to get what he wants from him, including positing himself as a Father figure and even supplying him with an illegally obtained baby boy when after being rejected as a fit parent by an adoption agency.

The movie ends with an attempted $4m dollar heist resulting in a storm of violence and double-crossing, has no prettily wrapped patronising & pandering ending, and all of this is set to a superb score by Tangerine Dream and stunning photography by Donald Thorin. What more could you want!

Finally for this week then a little heads-up on a much loved Album I heartily recommend to you.

AL JARREAU’s fourth album ‘THIS TIME’ is an absolute peach containing as it does Jarreau’s killer cover of Chick Corea’s mighty ‘Spain’ along with so many other gorgeous tracks that totally show off his legendary vocal skills and talents. Eventually Jarreau crossed over and went global with stuff like the theme tune to seminal 80’s TV show ‘Moonlighting’ and songs like ‘Mornin’ - but before all that there was this album, magically melodic and magnificent.

So I’ll leave you with the wonderful ‘Spain’ (don’t be seduced by it’s opening btw) and I’ll see you next week with another ‘SO FAR, SO…’.