Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter and Trey Wilson in the Coen Brothers movie ‘Raising Arizona’

With a tip of the cap to comedy based in criminality from just before my teenage years, we visit Raising Arizona (1987) as written, directed and produced by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. The Coen brothers film pokes fun at the notion of competing lifestyles humorously incompatible put into situations where laughter ensues to keep you from crying, should you join in the romp meant to highlight the humor.

(From left, Holly Hunter as Edwina ‘Ed’ McDunnough and Nicolas Cage as Herbert I. (H.I.) ‘Hi’ McDunnough in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Raising Arizona opens with repeat offender Herbert I. ‘Hi’ McDunnough getting arrested for robbing convenience stores. At each instance, police officer Edwina (aka ‘Ed’) photographs McDunnough at intake, with an increasing banter between the two leading to an eventual romantic interest following the last arrest. The pair, portrayed by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, respectively, get married. Wanting kids and being unable to become parents in the standard way, the pair resort to something more dramatic when they also cannot adopt due to McDonnough’s criminal past.

(From left, Trey Wilson as Nathan Arizona, Sr. and Lynne Kitei as Florence Arizona in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

As this develops, it becomes known in their Arizona community that furniture magnate Nathan Arizona, Sr. and his wife Florence, portrayed by Trey Wilson and Lynne Kitei, recently had five babies (quintuplets). Figuring that the Arizonas had more than they needed and could make due with one child fewer, Hi and Ed decide to kidnap one of the five Arizona kids. Humorous interactions surround the abduction, which ultimately succeeds and kicks off the core of the story. T.J. Kuhn portrayed the baby, Nathan Jr.

(Front to back, T.J. Kuhn as Nathan Jr. and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb as Leonard Smalls in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Aiming to make the transition to the straight and narrow in the aftermath of the kidnapping, Hi finds the work that he’s acquired structured enough like prison to make things work. The operation takes its first left turn when brothers Gale and Evelle Snoats, as portrayed by John Goodman and William Forsythe, breakout of prison. The pair looks to the newly minted McDunnough family for a place to hideout. Complications arise when the foreman from Hi’s job, Glen, comes to visit with his wife, Dot, and their unruly kids. Sam McMurray and Frances McDormand portrayed Glen and Dot, respectively.

(From left, William Forsythe as Evelle Snoats and John Goodman as Gale Snoats in the Coen brothers movie Saving Arizona).

A storyline develops next to these wherein Leonard Smalls, as portrayed by Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, seeks to interject himself into the reward process that has opened for the safe return of Nathan Jr. to Nathan Arizona, Sr. and their family. The paths of misunderstandings, criminal behaviors by Smalls, the Snoats brothers and the McDunnoughs, when placed against tomfoolery of Glen and Dot to boot, gives plenty of comedic fodder to the quick pacing of the movie that is Raising Arizona.

(From left, Sam McMurray as Glen and Frances McDormand as Dot in the Coen brothers movie Raising Arizona).

Mostly positive reviews by critics and audiences alike greeted Raising Arizona, as indicated here on Rotten Tomatoes. As I was amused by the movie, I grant Raising Arizona as written, directed and produced by the Coen brothers 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue and Julian Sands in the Mike Figgis movie ‘Leaving Las Vegas’

There was potential for slipping into cliché with the movie adaptation of the John O’Brien book Leaving Las Vegas. The screenplay written and directed by Mike Figgis as the movie Leaving Las Vegas (1995) achieves much while sidestepping the central subject of end stage alcoholism in a way that speaks to something else completely.

(Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson in the Mike Figgis movie Leaving Las Vegas).

The movie Leaving Las Vegas offers an intense and full look into pain confronted with a capacity for tenderness, sweetness and giving. The characters at the center of this are an alcoholic intent on killing himself through this disease, and a prostitute with a heart for providing love in a circumstance that promises little hope for ongoing reciprocation.

(Elisabeth Shue as Sera in the Mike Figgis movie Leaving Las Vegas).

The alcoholic underpinning this story lost his family and left for Las Vegas, Nevada. Ben Sanderson as portrayed by Nicolas Cage gets to the gambling town and nearly hits prostitue Sera, as portrayed by Elisabeth Shue. The immediate impression between the two was less than perfect, leading to the introduction of Sera’s pimp, Yuri Butsov.

(Julian Sands as Yuri Butsov in the Mike Figgis movie Leaving Las Vegas).

Butsov, a Latvian pimp being pursued by Polish mobsters, ends his relationship with Sera in as noble a move as he makes in this film. The intention there was to protect Sera’s safety, with Butsov having been portrayed by Julian Sands. This separation allows Sera to pursue something deeper with Sanderson after Ben seeks an emotional connection without physical strings attached during a $500 session wherein Sera had expected to apply her trade.

(From left, Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson and Elisabeth Shue as Sera in the Mike Figgis movie Leaving Las Vegas).

The sheer complexity of the relationship between Sera and Ben that follows, with no demands beyond understanding the other’s journey with empathy and compassion, unfolds with an unexpected compassion that I hadn’t foreseen. The psychological insights of killing oneself as a way of drinking, and the understated understanding to accept what could be offered by Ben to Sera for Sera was as amazing as it was astonishing. This exploration of a truth brought a sympathy and compassion that defies many stereotypes for what one might have expected from this movie.

(From left, actress Elisabeth Shue with screenwriter / director Mike Figgis onsite of the Mike Figgis movie Leaving Las Vegas).

The movie exceeded the expectations I had for this movie from the start. I grant Leaving Las Vegas as written for screen and directed by Mike Figgis, which experienced the 28th anniversary of its release last month, 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Judge Reinhold in the Amy Heckerling movie ‘Fast Times at Ridgmont High’

With school back in session across much of North America by now, let’s look at a favorite of Daycare Friend, a fan and friend of the blog. The Amy Heckerling feature-length directorial debut Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) featured Cameron Crowe as movie screenwriter and author of the 1981 book Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

(From left, Amanda Wyss as Lisa and Judge Reinhold as Brad Hamilton in the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

Ridgemont High School is a fictional high school based in San Fernando Valley in the County of Los Angeles, California. We are introduced to senior Brad Hamilton with his plans for the school year. Portrayed by Judge Reinhold, we learn that Hamilton hopes to pay off his used car based on work at All-American Burger on his way to breaking up with Lisa, his girlfriend as portrayed by Amanda Wyss. Things don’t exactly go as planned, with the paths the stories of these two taking a point of the movie.

(From left, Phoebe Cates as Linda Barrett and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy Hamilton in the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

While we are learning about Brad and Lisa, we meet Brad’s freshman sister Stacy, a 15-year-old virgin. Stacy Hamilton’s older friend, Linda Barrett, works alongside Stacy at a pizza restaurant in Ridgemont Mall. Based on exaggeration of her own intimate exploits, Linda leads Stacy into an intimate relationship with a stereo salesman named Ron Johnson. Johnson is more than a decade older than Stacy, with this plot point setting up much of the movie’s storylines that follow. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates and D.W. Brown portray Stacy Hamilton, Linda Barrett and Ron Johnson, respectively.

(From left, Brian Backer as Mark ‘Rat’ Ratner and Robert Romanus as Mike Damone in the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

We then meet smooth-talking Mike Damone and his shy yet friendly pal Mark ‘Rat’ Ratner, as portrayed by Robert Romanus and Brian Backer, respectively. Ratner works in the mall across the walkway as a ticket taker in the movie theater, while Damone proves more at ease with communicating with others. Their relationships to the two ladies, along with Brad Hamilton’s fate later in the movie, also become points to engage with through the course of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. That the emotional costs of intimacy are raised in the mixture of contexts are, ultimately, addressed in a compelling manner for the target audience of this movie.

(From left, Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli and Ray Walston as Mr. Hand in the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli provides a particularly enthusiastic example of comic relief for what proves to be a fair mixture of cinematic comedy and drama. Spicoli is an epically carefree surfer that runs afoul of history teacher Mr. Hand, with Mr. Hand being portrayed by Ray Walston. Beyond reinforcing the notion that events are happening at school, Spicoli’s interactions with Charles Jefferson’s little brother while damaging Charles’ car, along with the aftermath for the Lincoln High School football team, is humorous. Forest Whitaker and Stanley Davis Jr. portrayed Charles Jefferson and his brother, respectively.

(From left, Scott Thomson as Arnold and Forest Whitaker as Charles Jefferson in the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

The primary relationship questions for the movie are addressed by the movie’s end. Some measure of humor is offered in small biographies given to a handful of main characters at the end of the movie. That Brooke Shields, Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen are invoked only adds to the relevance of the movie to its place in time.

(Director Amy Heckerling and actor Sean Penn on site of the Amy Heckerling movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

Overall, I found Fast Times at Ridgemont High to be entertaining and on point with the message and sensibilities for the time it was made. The coming-of-age viewpoints for multiple personality types were less stereotypical than I’ve seen in movies from this era, which added to my enjoyment. I give Fast Times at Ridgemont High as directed by Amy Heckerling 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman, Sam Rockwell and the Ridley Scott movie ‘Matchstick Men’

Sticking with the notion of movies that are comedies, following the Matt Lynn Digital review of  The Replacements (2000) last Saturday, we return to the directing magic of Ridley Scott with the film Matchstick Men (2003). Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin take a deft hand to the Matchstick Men book written by Eric Garcia, offering a movie that hits on many levels for a film based in drama, crime and dark comedy.

(From left, Nicolas Cage as Roy Waller and Alison Lohman as Angela in the Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men).

Roy Waller, as portrayed by Nicolas Cage, is the feature character underpinning a criminal partnership with Frank Mercer, as portrayed by Sam Rockwell. Waller takes an overly particular approach to cleanliness and order that extends well beyond customary limits into what we as viewers see interrupts with Waller’s ability to function in his life. Mercer sees this interfering in their criminal enterprise.

(Sam Rockwell as Frank Mercer in the Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men).

Mercer ultimately convinces Roy Waller to see professional help, which leads him to Dr. Harris Klein. Klein, portrayed by Bruce Altman, changes Waller’s medication while setting him on a course that seems to address some of the emotional situations that has been with him since separating from Heather, his ex-wife, more than a decade in the past. Melora Walters portrayed Heather.

(From left, Bruce Altman as Dr. Harris Klein and Nicolas Cage as Roy Waller in the Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men).

The biggest thing, among several, to come from the Dr. Klein and Roy Waller relationship, was Roy’s willingness to pursue a relationship with Angela, his daughter. Portrayed by Alison Lohman, Angela is the 14-year-old daughter that he knew could have been yet had never been connected to for years. Angela pursues a relationship with Roy, which develops in some of the more keenly felt moments through the film. The connection between Roy and Angela makes the movie more than the criminal element, the comedy, or anything that comes up with Chuck Frechette.

(From left, Nicolas Cage as Roy Waller (seen from behind), Sam Rockwell as Frank Mercer and Bruce McGill as Chuck Frechette in the Ridley Scott movie Matchstick Men).

Chuck Frechette, as portrayed by Bruce McGill, becomes an important antagonist in the criminal and emotional layering for the film. The criminal enterprise between Frank Mercer and Roy Waller gets to a place through dealings with Frechette that seem to prove costly to him personally. The depth of the comedy, the crime and the drama all gain their impact in the story driven through this storyline.

(Director Ridley Scott on the set of Matchstick Men managed to serve up a fantastic film that is a bit underrated).

Matchstick Men presents a compelling story that speaks most fully to the relationships between characters. The criminal elements prove satisfying. There were laughs along the way. The soundtrack built into the movie enhances the experience of a film that brings out perhaps the finest performance I’ve seen from Nicolas Cage in a movie. It is for these reasons that we grant Matchstick Men as directed by Ridley Scott 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, September 15, 2021