jarrod76 Reviews

American Experience: Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004) Season 17, Episode 12

Fascinating Insight

[9/10 · 24 July 2004]

I guess enough time has passed that the strange and fascinating case of Patricia Hearst can be looked at from a safe distance; although the recent post 9/11 interest in terrorism puts the Symbionese Liberation Army and their actions into a whole different context.

This documentary mixes news footage, photographs, tapes recordings and interviews with figures associated with the SLA and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst - yet it has to be said that most of these are marginal figures. Given that most SLA members are now dead, this is unavoidable. The real coup would have been scoring interviews with surviving members Bill and Emily Harris or Hearst herself - although her lack of participation is quite understandable given that her version of the case is already well documented.

The film comes ready-made with the gripping narrative of a thriller - and proves the cliché correct that truth is much stranger than fiction. It must have been quite an odd case to watch unravel in the media and could only have happened in the 70's. I can't quite see Paris Hilton robbing banks for the poor, somehow....

The only criticism I would have with the documentary is that plays on the ambiguity of Hearst - the good girl/bad girl, did she or didn't she mythology while conveniently neglecting facts that may have painted her is a more sympathetic light. It's one thing to play tapes of her calling her parents 'pigs' but quite another to fail to mention that all of her communique's were written for her, that she was kept blindfolded for over a month and expected to have sex with SLA members (all within her closet that she was rarely allowed out of). When arrested her IQ had dropped to a near comatose level, she was seriously malnourished and had ceased menstruating. Hardly a cutting revolutionary figure.

Altogether, it is a gripping and often darkly funny insight into one of the strangest cases in pop culture as well as the annuls of crime. It is thorough and impeccably researched. Highly recommended.

The Cracker Factory (1979 TV Movie)

Brilliant performance

[9/10 · 6 April 2004]

Natalie Wood's performance in 'The Cracker Factory' is quite simply, brilliant. The fact she wasn't nominated for an Emmy for this performance is unforgivable. Her character is a nuanced mix of and belligerence and insecurity - with real depth and humour. When she found a part she could really relate to, there was such honesty in her work.

The film itself rises above the 70's telemovie 'disease of the week' cliche, although it would have made an interesting feature film under the right director.

It's a shame that Natalie died two years after this film, it would have been fascinating to watch her grow and mature as an actress. We have such a great gallery of portraits from her - from child parts (Tomorrow is Forever, Miracle on 34th St) to ingenue roles (Rebel Without a Cause) to the leading lady material of Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. She didn't do too many films in the 70's or 80's - but The Cracker Factory shows how well she had developed.

Great support by Shelley Long, Juliet Mills etc... (the music score is a little distracting though - esp. during her speech to Perry King)

I have seen the movie several times and am floored by Wood's performance each time. Highly recommended.

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

Charming and brilliant

[9/10 · 4 March 2004]

Watching this film today, it's easy to forget how daring it was for its day (1963) -focusing on an illegal abortion.

It's also an fascinating mix of conventional romantic comedy mixed with real grit and passion - and the fact it starts off as unconventional as possible; girl meets boy, girl gets pregnant, girl and boy try to organise an abortion - and THEN girl and boy fall in love.

Natalie Wood was often miscast throughout her career - her dark beauty was used to try and pull of Nat as Hispanic, Nat as half-black, Nat as Mexican. In this film she's cast as Italian, and pulls it off perfectly. This could possibly be her greatest performance (alongside Splendor in the Grass and The Cracker Factory). She received an Academy Award nomination for this film. She gives such a natural performance (usually she's more self-conscious on film) - she is such a joy to watch and absolutely stunning.

Steve McQueen is at his most charming - usually he is playing the hero of an action film, so its great to see him display tenderness. Wood and McQueen have such great chemistry, its a shame this was their only film together.

Added to the mega-watt performances is the beautiful black and white cinematography and the NYC location shooting. A great film. Completely underrated.

Sample People (2000)

A BOLD, BRASH AND EXCITING MESS OF A FILM

[8/10 · 12 May 2000]

The critics have been less than kind to 'Sample People' - so I had expectations that the film will be somewhat of a dud when I saw it. Many of the criticisms of the film are correct; it's a little derivative and quite a messy film - but that's part of it's charm. It's quite brave for an Australian film - it's noisy, colourful and never boring. It contains strong performances from Nathan Page, Ben Mendelsohn, Kylie Minogue and David Field; and a brilliant soundtrack of Australian artists covering classic Australian songs. The film's production design is excellent - it looks like a Gregg Araki film, and the editing and cinematography are relentlessly brash. It's imperative that people go and support films such as this - a low budget Aussie indie pic, because lack of support from critics and lack of distribution and publicity will mean that it remains unseen by the young adult demographic it is intended for. 'Sample People' (brilliant title) is as good as any film I have seen this year.