Panic (2000) - As the credits roll I'm thinking "How have I never heard of this movie?" William H. Macy, Tracy Ullman, John Ritter, Neve Campbell, Donald Sutherland, Barbara Bain. Miguel Sandoval even has a short little role towards the end. A classic spot the stars and yet I've never heard of it. Turns out it was originally an made for HBO movie that was then released to theaters. It didn't make a lot money there. Which is too bad really.
Alex (Macy) is a hit man in the family hit man business but it's begun to weigh on his spirit. So he goes to see a psychologist (Ritter). In the waiting room he meets a challenging, fascinating 23 year old named Sarah (Campbell) who suddenly gives his life a jolt. His parents (Sutherland and Bain) are doing their best to run his life which is not a good thing given that they are unpleasant people. Meanwhile his wife (Ullman) is just trying to understand. When his next hit turns out to be his shrink things begin to spin out of control.
This is exactly the kind of movie I expect Macy to star in and it's why he is on my list of actors I'll go out of my way to watch. Here he is surrounded with wonderful actors reveling in sharp, fun roles. Campbell is amazing as the object of Alex's obsession. She's sexy and self assured while still being vulnerable and fragile. Ullman offers up an astoundingly subtle and understated performance as his wife. Sutherland and Bain do what they've done for decades, crank out another perfect little gem of a performance. Same goes for Ritter. All of them are upstaged by the brief scenes with Alex's son Sammy played by David Dorfman. He is just beyond cute in his film debut as he runs circles around his father. It's written and directed by Henry Bromell a man with a long track record in television.
I want to call it a black comedy. The relationship between father and son grows ever darker while the one between Alex and Sarah bops along to it's own quirky beat. The movie loses the thread of it's humor about half way through and morphs into a quiet little drama. On the whole it's an outstanding little movie.
Rating - **** Recommended
Shane (1953) - Here's one of the great classic Westerns (#3 on the AFI list). The story of a world weary gun fighter named Shane (Alan Ladd) who hooks up with a family of Wyoming homesteaders Joe, Marian and Joey Starrett (Van Heflin, Jean Arthur and Brandon De Wilde). He discovers that there's a range war beginning led by the local cattle baron Ryker (Emile Meyer) and he's drawn into the intrigue when Ryker brings in a hired gun (Jack Palance). It's a classic confrontation between open range cattle men and the farmers who came behind.
Director George Stevens creates his masterwork with this one. Visually this is gorgeous. The Grand Tetons serve as background and the wide open sky of the west frame everything. Cinematographer Loyal Griggs won an Oscar for his work (the movie picked up 5 other nominations including for Director, Picture, Screenplay plus Supporting nods for Palance and De Wilde). Add in a supporting cast with some great folks (Ellen Corby, Edgar Buchanan, Elisha Cook Jr) and you have all the ingredients of a wonderful movie. Stevens goes one step farther and pays attention to every detail. The clothes (costumes by Edith Head), the buildings, right down to making sure there was enough weight in a coffin to be realistic. The final result is something that offers some startling realism combined with typical Hollywood polish. This was Arthur's last movie (she came out of retirement as a favor to Stevens) and De Wilde does a star turn in the role of the son. Add in an iconic line ("Shane, Shane, come back!") and an equally iconic Hollywood ending and a wonderful movie movies into the classic field.
If I have a complaint to make it's the silly story line that shows up in so many westerns. The farmer's wife who falls head over heels for the stranger who rides into their lives. It inevitably happens the moment, the MOMENT, she first lays on him. Guess my opinion of the ladies is a little higher than that.
On the list of classic Westerns I'd take this one over "Rio Bravo" any day.
Rating - **** Recommended
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