Love Like a Bomb: Review of Blue is the Warmest Color

Blue is the Warmest Color

Director: Abdellatif Kechiche

By Alex Watson

 

Since winning the Palme D’or at this years Cannes film Abdellatif Kechiche’s movie, Blue is the Warmest Color has been the centre subject of both major hype and intense controversy due its graphic scenes of lesbian sex. But aside from all this, there have been unanimous positive reviews and it appears as if we could have this years best love story! I was recently lucky to a viewing of this at the wonderful Bell Lightbox cinema in Toronto before it is released in the UK.

Lille school student Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos) is a girl trying to find her true self, but when she meets blue haired bohemian artist Emma (Lea Seydoux) her world is turned upside down and the pair fall deeply in love quickly. But just things seem perfect, certain events will send them tumbling down just as quickly!

Blue is the Warmest Color makes for an extremely worthy Palme D’or winner and at its centre is a love story that will tear your heart to shreds. Kechiche’s film is a very slow burner but it is this factor that makes it stand out and is overplaying of scenes gives his characters room to grow. We start slowly with Adele going her of English classes and early sexual experiences with boys. But the moment she glances Emma, we can tell this is no ordinary girl and that she will have a big part to play as Adele watches whilst standing in the midst of traffic!

The early scenes of the pairs romance blossoming are just lovely and we are given a charming recollection of the buzz that you feel when you first fall for someone. Emma’s world wise and frequently frank attitude to life, sends Adele spinning right away. This also makes way for the now notorious and extended sexual scenes- which yes graphic they may be, but this style of bold film making adds more layers to the characters as it is unashamed and in some ways it brings an ambiance that let’s these scenes shine!

But while this early charm is great, Blue is the Warmest Color’s later acts will reduce even the most stone hearted person into a depressed spiral as through lies, affairs and career changes, the pairs solid romance beginnings to crack! Their eventually break up scene will go down as one of the most powerful and painful of the year and the tears shed and voices rise! Watching Adele trying to exist in an Emma-less world in the films latter part is one that draws us in and from there although we marvel at her heroism, we cannot help but have a sliver of contempt for her actions!

Kechiche’s movie however belongs to the powerhouse performance of Adele Exarchopoulous who rings in an effortless performance that is truly heart breaking. Her plain jane persona makes this all the more refreshingly real and I am happy to announce we have a beautiful new talent on our hands.

Lea Seydoux is equally strong as the out there and fee spirited Emma and from the word go she turns the movie on its head and her performance is ferociously committed and after supporting roles in MI4 as and Robin Hood, we finally get to see her true potential!

Blue is the Warmest Color is by far this year’s greatest romantic drama and piece of world cinema. I suspect many lads will go to see for the ‘blue’ content, but those who have the pleasure of viewing this will be rewarded with a passionate live story that pulls at every heart available. Be sure to stock up on Kleenex, you will need it!

A Man Apart: Review of Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips

Director: Paul Greengrass

By Alex Watson

 

Earlier this year we saw the full effects of a cargo ship being hijacked by Somali pirates in Danish movie A Hijacking. But now established director Paul Greengrass and megastar Tom Hanks give us an unbelievable account of Richard Phillips- a man who selflessly survived against the odds during a daring raid at sea in his movie Captain Phillips. However as we have so often witnessed in these movies, people should prepare for things to get mighty tense because in the wide blue ocean, escape is impossible!

In April 2009 after leaving its port in Oman, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) takes control of the Maersk Alabama ship heading to Mombasa. But during its voyage, the ship comes under threat from a group of Somalia pirates and despite the Phillips and the crew’s best efforts- the ship is boarded! To avoid things getting messy, Phillips is taken as a hostage to save the lives of the crew. Over the next five days, events will become tense and with his captors becoming more desperate, Phillips’ life hangs in the balance!

After a slight misstep with his previous film, Iraq war effort Green Zone, Paul Greengrass is right back on award winning form with Captain Phillips and this film is a tight and tense ride and will guaranteeing heart stopping moments throughout. Its principle strength comes from the main character we are given and Greengrass and writer Billy Ray smartly avoid any hero clichés with Phillips and make him as an ordinary simply wanting to do this job! But it’s how he keeps his head during the movie’s most fist clenching sequences that make him stand out and thanks to his skilful diversions of the captors, his crew are given a fight chance at survival!

Things are slow burning in this drama and events begin with a still calmness with Phillips driving his wife to work in the US and giving a speech about remaining tough and once at sea we are shown the men going about their duties. But when the attacks come, they start as no more than a blip on radar that makes him suspicious- but as they near, it becomes clear they are not just going to pass and when the pirates come, Greengrass’ love of detail shows throughout as we are shown exactly how a major cargo ships repel attacks, but as the pirates get their ladder abroad, we know things are a whole new ball game and these men are no ordinary thugs!

Events  in Captain Phillips are divided into two main parts, the first being the crew of the Alabama being under attack and the second being Phillips becoming hostage in a life raft with a group of money hungry pirates. The second half is where the psychological edge comes into play as Phillips (nicknamed Irish by his captors) is forced to play it smart in order to stay alive and as the US Navy closes in, his captors become more unstuck and soon it becomes clear that his un-killable status is slowly decreasing as their options run out! But there is no reason with these men and as Phillips make a futile effort to convince his chief captor Muse he can change, the man snidely responds “Maybe in America, Irish” By the end of his ordeal, the wear and emotion plays on his face so hard it will be impossible even the steeliest person not to shed a tear!

At the centre of events is a tour de force performance from Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips and right through this movie Hanks gives his character and strength that endears him to us from the very beginning and he makes sure that we experience each emotion along with him. Hanks is surely front runner for the Best Actor Oscar as award season rolls around! There is also a note worth performance from actor Barkhad Abdi as lead pirate Muse and thanks to some excellent work, he makes for a lurking threat throughout as a man driving purely by monetary reasons!

Together Greengrass and Hanks have given us one of the most absorbing and poignant drama’s of 2013 and Captain Phillips is a dead certain to appear on many awards nominations lists this year. There may be times when viewers are compelled to look away in fear, but stick with things and you will rewarded with an ending that will truly strike home and leaving recount events as you walk home. But for those who ever wanted to know how to fend off Pirates at sea, you might want to take note when watching this.

2012: A Year in Review

2012: A YEAR IN REVIEW

By Alex Watson

It has been an interesting year for film, and we have seen all kinds such as Tom Cruise belting out Bon Jovi in Rock of Ages and climb the Burj Khalifa single handed in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. We’ve also been witness to a magnificent viral campaign for Prometheus where the result didn’t properly match the hopes for Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien Universe and we’ve also delved into dark territory in Werner Herzog’s Into the Abyss. There was a sad end of one saga in Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and the triumphant beginning of another in Avengers Assemble. But overall there has been some magnificent viewing in 2012, here is my end of year review.

 

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2012

1.   Argo (USA/Dir: Ben Affleck): This year the former Bennifer truly shed his past and delivered us the most exciting and nerve jangling thriller of the year. Set against the backdrop of hostile 1979 Iran, this gave us the story of one man and his bold idea to make a fake movie so real, it would save the lives of six others. Thanks to Affleck’s stunning direction we had a movie with a heart and determined soul!
2.  The Raid (ID/Dir: Gareth Evans) The combination of Welsh director Gareth Evans and Indonesian martial arts star Iko Uwais gave us the most entertaining and pure thrilling action film of the year. When a team of cops in Jakarta become trapped in a drug lord controlled tower block, they discover all 30 floors are filled with blood thirsty killers, the adrenalin rush goes into overdrive and this never relents. We have a fascinating new pairing on our hands.
3.    Sightseers (UK/Dir: Ben Wheatley): Up and coming British director Ben Wheatley gives us the most raw and funny picture this year and through the brilliant naturalistic performances of star Steve Oram and Alice Lowe we were given the British equivalent of Badlands, just remember who you tick off when visit your next campsite- it can be fatal!
4.   The Imposter (USA/France Dir: Bart Layton): This film was 2012 most shocking documentary and we were given the story of a French con man who out of desperation pretended to be the missing teenager of an American family and was readily accepted! Watch it and let your jaw hang loose while this unbelievable tale is played out!
5.  Shame (UK/Dir: Steve McQueen): The first film ever reviewed on Closer to the Edge was also the most explicit and heartbreaking of the year. With great performances by Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, director Steve McQueen gave us a powerful example of  a sex addict who is struggling with his compulsions and gradually his perfect world is coming apart.
6.  Silver Linings Playbook (USA/Dir: David O Russell); Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper both give charming performances in one of 2012 most offbeat comedies. David O Russell skilfully masterminds the theme of mental illness and gives us a brutally funny and also heart warming tale of two troubled folks who find love in the strangest possible circumstance!
7. 7.       Skyfall (UK/USA Dir: Sam Mendes): Of all the blockbuster’s filmed this year, Daniel Craig’s return as 007 was the most entertaining of them all and gave us some the year’s best action set pieces (including a thrilling opening ride through Istanbul). But of all the recent Bond film this one had the most emotionally driven core and we got to see Bond at the crossroads of life. With a great Baddie turn from Javier Bardem, this made for compulsive viewing.
8. Rust & Bone (FR/Dir: Jacques Audiard): One of the year’s top foreign films boasted a stunning central turn from Marion Cotillard as a woman whose live is changed forever and find solace in the most unlikely man possible. With top support from Matthias Schoenaerts and Jacques Audiard’s brilliant directing, we are given one of the years strongest films and contains a passionate love theme that pulls our heart strings hard.
9. Looper (USA/Dir: Rian Johnson): The hype about Rian Johnson’s follow up to Brick was one that was truly worth it, because the man has produced the most intelligent and thought provoking sci-film of this decade so far, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis excel as the junior and senior versions of the same man who are both trying to atone for past and future mistakes they have made. This will require numerous viewings to understand its concept and they will all be worth it because this one of cleverest films your likely to find.
10. The Master (USA/ Dir: P.T Anderson): After a long wait, PT Anderson finally made his return to the screen and along with him so did Joaquin Phoenix- and it was worth the wait! Anderson brings us one of the most stunning visual films of 2012 about a disturbed man trying to find his way, and ultimately falling into the wrong crowded. With superb performances by Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, it was a welcome return for Anderson!

BEST OF THE REST

• The Dark Knight Rises (USA/UK Dir: Christopher Nolan) The finale of Chris Nolan’s Batman saga was a truly worth one and featured Christian Bale at his very best and also gave him a tough test in Tom Hardy’s hard as nails villain Bane. The thrilling battle of Gotham finale presented us a blood pumping last act! I wish the best of luck for the next man who is brave enough to reboot this series!
• Marley (UK Dir: Kevin MacDonald): A fascinating view of the life of one of music’s best loved stars, Bob Marley. Your knowledge of the man is regardless because we are given a brilliant account of his hard up bringing in Kingston, Jamaica and his rapid rise to top of music. If you’re not singing ‘No woman, No Cry’ by the end credits then hang your head in shame!
• Avenger’s Assemble (USA/ Dir: Joss Whedon): Another of the yea’rs most entertaining films and a pure fanboy’s delight as Marvel’s finest came to together to stop the tyrannical evil of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo among others made an awesome team- come back soon fellas!
• The Hunger Games (USA /Dir: Gary Ross): Jennifer Lawrence shines in the Gary Ross’ adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ beloved children’s novel. Be warned- Twilight this film isn’t and the theme of a society desensitized to violence as kids from different districts fight for survival is as shocking as it is entertaining. This is probably the closest we’ll get to a western Battle Royale.
• Anna Karenina (UK / Dir: Joe Wright): The adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s 864 page novel could have been one of years hardest viewings. But instead we are given a visual stunning and heart rendering film, with a star turn from Keira Knightley as the doomed Anna as she sets tongues wagging in Imperial Russia as her sordid affair with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Vronsky plays out.

 

MALE STAR OF THE YEAR- TOM HARDY: This year the British actor took centre stage and delivered us a series of memorable turns in This Means War, Lawless and became Bruce Wayne’s biggest problem in The Dark Knight Rises. With his roughish charm, Hardy is an actor of multiple talents and has a presence of screen that is undeniable, it would seem we have a new star in waiting.

FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR-JENNIFER LAWRENCE: With her stunning and tough performance in The Hunger Games and her bizarre yet endearing turn in Silver Linings Playbook are evidence enough that this woman is the most exciting young female talent in film today and this year she has stolen our hearts. No doubt the awards season will see her name mentioned numerous times and in future this will be a name to get used because Lawrence is going to be a woman to beat!

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR- GARETH EVANS (THE RAID): The Welshman grabbed our attention for all the right reasons with his breathtaking execution of Indonesian film The Raid and his skilful handling of proceedings gave us one of martial arts’ future classics. His next film can’t come soon enough and you have to wonder what him and star Iko Uwais are capable of next?

Scene of the Year- Stephanie Connects with her Killer Whale (Rust & Bone): The simplest yet heart rendering moment of 2012 came as Marion Cotillard gestured to an orca whale. Action here spoke loudest of all and the longing for Stephanie to return to her former life broke our hearts in two!

Teenage Dream: Review of Badlands

Classic from the Vault

Badlands (1973)

Director: Terrence Malick

By Alex Watson

 

When waiting for a Terrence Malick film to appear, one can be waiting rather a long time. And when they do come along, we take what we can get. The director has become something of an enigma in the world of cinema and since the 1970’s he has only made six films. Notably he took a 20 year hiatus from making his landmark film Days of Heaven in 1978 to his comeback in 1998 with The Thin Red Line. But what makes his films so notable? With Malick’s films they are always beautifully shot and there is always a dreamlike quality to all his features. But more than anything Malick is able to perfectly capture the beauty and brutality of youth in his pictures. Through this we got one of the best debut features of all time and one of the 1970’s great films in Badlands.

The film focuses on young teenager Holly (Sissy Spacek) who falls in love with rebel Kit (Martin Sheen), but when their romance is threatened by Holly’s stern father (Warren Oates), Kit shots him and the couple go on the run!  At first things seems idyllic as the couple find refuge at riverside hiding place, but soon bounty hunters find them. The couple then flee towards Canada and as they do Kit’s murderous spree begins to spiral out of control, which will lead them to a showdown in the Badlands in Montana!

Badlands is a very hypnotic feature, with stunning visuals by Malick. His use of natural light gives the film a very romantic feel and adds to the surreal quality of the film. As the film opens to Carl Orff’s ‘Gassenhauer’ it feels like we are entering a dream where everyone is fine and happy. But very soon the rug is smartly pulled from underneath! Malick’s juxtaposition of images is superbly demonstrated, for every lovely image, there is a corrupted one right next to it such as bullet riddled corpses and dead dogs.

But the most shocking aspect of the film is Malick’s casual representation of violence. Throughout the film he never glamorizes the path that Holly and Kit undertake. Through Spacek’s monotone narration gives Badlands an icy chill. As the couple go on the road, Holly narrates the beautiful, yet horrific events as if they are on some great adventure. Her naivety blinds her and when the killings start, rather than running a mile from her trigger happy boyfriend, she merely shuts it out and continues on.

The relationship between the two leads is very romantic but also very destructive. Their initial passion for one another gradually deteriorates as the bodies begin to stack up!  Kit is an intriguing character, a man who possesses a very dark edge, but yet is a charming young man. When Kit murders Holly’s father, he seems almost polite about it and asks him “Suppose I was to shoot you? How’d that be?” this effect makes his murders all the more frightening!

Performance wise Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek give two mesmerising central turns. Spacek gives Holly a doe eyed innocence that draws us to her, as events transpire she seems to be de-sensitized to ensuing violence and we wonder what the affect effects will be. After this Spacek would go on to be a very in demand actress and from this performance it was well deserved. Martin Sheen gives one of his best performances as Kit. Based on killer Charles Starkweather, Kit is presented as cruel and evil child but who also believes in manners and courtesy. Through the film his actions grow more shocking but his humanity makes us almost feel sympathetic for him.

Badlands is the perfect place to begin your Malick education because it is one of the true classics for American cinema. His films always leave you engaged to the very end and his images portrayed are always memorable.  Badlands will remain his signature film and its cold yet beautiful feel will leave you thinking about it for days. We lie in wait for Malick’s next feature, the only question remains, how long will be this time?

Blood, Sweat and Broken Dreams: Review of The Wrestler

New Cult Classic

The Wrestler (2008)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

By Alex Watson

A long time ago we never would have thought that Mickey Rourke’s career could possibly be resurrected and that he would be nominated for a best actor Oscar But it seems that  miracles do indeed exist and and the once fading star has hit a new milestone in his career. Since his astonishing turn as brutish Marv in Robert Rodriquez’s cult film Sin City Rourke once again caught our attention and in 2008 he rung in an amazing turn in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. The subject of Wrestling had been an absent subject for our screens previous and no film had really delved into the events outside the ring and effects is has on the athletes.  Through Aronofsky we were given a fascinating insight into the plight of one man and a brutal view of the world of wrestling.

The story tells the story of old pro wrestler Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a man who has hit bottom in life and has turned to fighting in local matches, here he is still surrounded by the one thing that hasn’t let him down. But Randy’s body is crying for him to stop, but he ignores it and fights through the pain. However he has developed a friendship with stripper/ single mother Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) and is trying to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood). But more interestingly a promoter suggests a  20^th anniversary match with his old opponent ‘The Ayatollah’, is this Randy’s way back to the top or is it all too late?

At first The Wrestler sound like any old Rocky type story where someone is down on his luck and gets a second chance at the big time. If you are thinking this then stop now because this is not a tale of redemption, what we see here is a man who is truly at the cross roads of life and literally his wrestling is all he has. Randy is a fascinating character as he is seemingly ready to embrace reality yet fears the consequences of it. Here proves the heart of the story: what do you do when your body wants you to give up the only thing you know how to do? What happens when your identity is wrapped up in the career that you have to stop?

During the film Randy is forced to takes a job on a supermarket deli counter, here proves the most effective scene. As ‘The Ram’ makes his down the stairs we hear the roar of the crowd in the foreground, in this moment he is still Randy the Ram. But as he steps out into the real world the last strand of his identity is stripped away and he is now reduced to living an ordinary life.

Director Darren Aronofsky’s star has been on the rise ever since his cult film Requiem for a Dream, fans of his work will maybe not recognise this film as a work of his because it seems almost normal next to his previous outings. Aronofsky skilfully handles this film and has a way of conveying emotion and loss like no other. Hope is seemingly a far thing here and Aronofsky makes sure we know the consequences of the paths we choose in life.

Performance wise Mickey Rourke rings in the performance of his career, in some ways it feels like a personal journey of the man himself. Through Rourke we feel like we are connected to Randy, like we are his estranged relative and that we have to pick the pieces with him. The real beauty of his performance, however is that it never lowers into the sentimentality that could have threatened it. Marisa Tomei rings in strong support as stripper Cassidy, she seems to be the one thing in Ram’s life that has any possibility at all. Cassidy is similar to Ram as she a forty something who is seemingly losing appeal to the young men she tries to impress. She may just be Ram’s way out, but like him she seems reluctant to embrace the fear of the real world.

The Wrestler is the most emotional films I have witnessed in recent years but yet it never lowers itself to tear jerker status. Rocky Balboa’s journey was easy compared to the one Randy underwent and I’m sure that the Italian Stallion would concede this just as easily.

I highly recommend this and I can safely say that in the near future this film will stand proudly in your film collection.

Crime and Punishment: Review of Into The Abyss

Into The Abyss

Director: Werner Herzog

By Alex Watson

When going to see a Werner Herzog film the audience should be prepared for anything. Over the last three decades the German director has not only baffled us with his films such as Heart of Glass and Stroszek, but also shocked us with tales of on-set tension in Fitzcarraldo and threats of death whilst making Aguirre: the Wrath of God (both starring Klaus Kinski) to finally tugging at our heart strings with his documentary Grizzly Man. Herzog is one of the more unique directors in the world today and he is never afraid to tackle a subject, no matter how controversial. In his new film he returns to documentary and poses some difficult questions on the subject of death and accuracy of the legal system in new film, Into the Abyss.

Into the Abyss shows Herzog travelling to Conroe, Texas to examine a triple homicide that occurred in 2001 when young men Michael Perry and Jason Burkett were convicted for brutally murdered a 50 year old woman and two young men in order to steal a car! In this film Herzog speaks to people on both sides of the event, from the families of the deceased, to the men inside the system that not only convicted them but eventually kill one of them, to finally the killers themselves. But all the while asking the big question, why do people kill and why does the law feel compelled to do the same thing?

Herzog’s film stays away from the usual shock doc clique’s and delivers us a haunting depiction of people who have paid a terrible price with their lives at the cost of murder.  As we meet the men for the first they come across as almost likeable. In Herzog’s conversations with Michael Perry (who was executed in July 2010), we see a man who is more or less still a boy. But in a few short days after his interview his life will be terminated.

Another surprising element is the absence of Herzog from the screen. In his previous efforts we have always seen him interact with the camera and at times seen the effect the subject has on himself. For instance in Grizzly Man when the viewer saw first-hand how disturbed the man was when he listened to the tape of Timothy Treadwell’s death. But with Into the Abyss, Herzog takes a back seat to proceedings and lets the images speak of themselves.

Into the Abyss treads a fine line and Herzog’s never portrays the men as neither guilty nor innocent.  He leaves the big questions to the audience themselves and here we ask ourselves what any man’s breaking point can be?

All the way through there is a haunting feeling hovering over the film.  As we see the killers sat behind the glass in jail we see men who have been stripped of a life before it has really begun. In one interview, Herzog speaks to Burkett’s father who has spent a life incarcerated. Here he reveals that he gave a testimony at his son’s murder trial and in doing so might have spared his son from Death Row.   His life behind bars has alienated him from the world and as a result, he has never truly known his family. So this one gesture meant so much to the man and through his tears we see his regrets in life.

The most fascinating element of the Into the Abyss is Herzog’s interactions with the men within the system itself. This segment will leave the audience with a heavy heart as we see men who are troubled by the ghosts of dead inmates and in some ways are struggling to cope.

A prominent example of the emotional struggle faced is when Herzog interviews a former captain of a Death House (the last place a convict spends before being executed). The man talks of a female prisoner who simply thanked him for his kindness. After this he experienced a minor break down and was unable to do this job anymore. The Death House graveyard shows us grave stones with contain no names, just numbers. We are shown that some prisoners upon death are just statistic of the state rather than people.

Into the Abyss is one of the more powerful messages of the year because it asks intelligent questions on the accuracy of the capital punishment system and if taking a life for a life is really the answer we seek. Herzog is a great director and although this might not hits the emotional height of Grizzly Man, it’s certainly another interesting and ghostly picture.

The Road to Nowhere: The Last Detail Review

Classic from the Vault

The Last Detail (1973)

Director: Hal Ashby

ByAlex Watson

The films of Hal Ashby have given us some of the forgotten gems of 1970’s American Cinema. He was one of the original pioneers of the New Hollywood Renaissance, from his off-beat romance drama Harold and Maude, to his social satire comedy Being There, Ashby always gave us films that were refreshingly real and depicted real people getting by in everyday life. But behind them was always a powerful message on current state of American Life. But his statements were never more poignant than in his 1973 classic comedy drama The Last Detail.

The story centres of two career Naval Petty Officers, Billy ‘Bad Ass’ Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Richard ‘Mule’ Mulhall (Otis Young) are charged with escorting young Seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) to Naval Prison in New Hampshire. Meadows, has been given 8 Years in jail for being caught stealing $40 from a Polio charity box. Feeling a sense of injustice for him losing his youth, Buddusky and Mule bond with Meadows during the long trip and make it their pledge to show him a good time before he goes away. During their long trip they take in the sights of Washington, New York and Boston- all the while faced with the impending guilt of having to take him to jail.

It could be said that The Last Detail is a bleak road movie. Usually in these films we have a feel good buddy comedy surrounded by hope and pretty scenery. In typical Ashby fashion he went against this. Throughout the film there is a large grey cloud lingering and a constant sense of dread. The cinematography in The Last Detail is distinctly un-glamorous, in their visits to the big cities there are no major sights shown, just the dim lit back room bars and grimy whorehouses. These elements give the audience Ashby’s view of American life and the cynicism that goes with it. This view is also shared in the isolation shared by the three main men. All of them are from poor working class backgrounds and are poorly educated. In order to escape mediocrity it seems the Navy, no matter how many headaches it gives them, is the best option for them in current jobless working climate!

The main theme that surrounds the story is the sense of time running out. We know that Mule and Buddusky have to turn Meadows over and their throughout the film their minds are torn apart by their pending decision. The final scene where they watch Meadows being dragged up the prison stairs to begin his 8 year torture; is truly gut wrenching! The fact is made harder by the friendship they have built up during their long trip. From the beginning we see three solitary figures, all of whom have their issues with the world. Towards the end their tie grows more stead fast and they feel more like brothers, but we know that this will all come at a price- and that price is the loss of Meadows Innocence!

Mule and Buddusky have consigned themselves to the fact that they are ‘lifers’ in the Navy and no matter what they will do their duty. This perhaps influences their desire to make sure Meadows lives a full life in the 5 days he has. As they walk away from the prison muttering to each other, we see them slumping back into the isolated figures they once were.

Jack Nicholson gives one of his best performances in The Last Detail. Buddusky is a compelling character, a Navy man who is finds solace in the violence of frustration. Through Nicholson’s fantastic and aggressive performance we hear Ashby’s voice of opposition to American life and we feel the impact is has through. Randy Quaid does well as the doomed Meadows, Quaid shows us a man who is naive to the ways of the world and this time is last he’ll have before being changed for life. Otis Young gives a measured performance as Mule, his character knows how desolate his situation is and that he has little other option an African American is 1970’s America!

Hal Ashby’s is one of the underrated names of cinema, but after his golden period, his career went into decline and he passed in 1988 largely forgotten! But in recent years his film has developed a cult following. Ashby was one of the last great film makers of the old days and this lead to some memorable, yet off beat pictures. The Last Detail was one of his last great films and it is here I recommend you start!