Elliot's Watching - June 2023: Reality, Cool Hand Luke, Rohmer's Autumn Tale, Hannah Gadsby
Tina Satter’s film Reality (2023), originally a play, is a nearly unique film experience; it chronicles the arrest of the eponymous Reality (surname Winner - apparently this is not a fabrication) on charges of stealing secret documents (she had access at her workplace, where she was a translator for US intelligence) and leaking the info to a website (I think) that made the controversial contents public. The movie itself shows in specific detail the arrival at her house in Georgia, the search (backed by a warrant) of her house, and the long process of interrogating her and getting her to admit to her illegal actions (she was convicted and sentenced, though this is almost incidental in the film). What makes the film unique is that the search and interrogation of Winner was recorded and the entire film uses only dialog from this recording - so in effect out literally reacts the search and arrest and gives us unprecedented insight into the FBI arrest process - which is chilling in its docility. We see her odd defenses gradually crumble under the subtle and casual pressure from the feds - who, for example, make a big deal about ensuring that her dog and cat are comfortable and cared-for (and out of the way). Strong acting performance from Sydney Sweeney and tight direction from Satter keep us transfixed throughout: So this is what it would feel like to be squeezed by the FBI; the 2 agents in the lead look hardly the type we’d expect, which adds to their power.
Eric Rohmer’s Autumn Tale (1998) concludes his moral-tale quartet, with each film, 2 years apart, is thematically based on one of the seasons. Though some of the segments rely perhaps too much on coincidence and happenstance, all are intelligent love stories, some a bit sad and troubled, one improbable but fun, and some - notably this finale - beautiful heartfelt. Autumn Tale is the most “mature” of the segments, centered on the strange courtship that ensues from the posting of a personal ad, which leads to a # of plot twists and speed-bumps - still and all it’s one of the few movies of its type to feature at the heart two mature and intelligent adults who go about their courtship in a thoughtful and credible manner, unlike so many other so-called romances. I don’t want to give any too many plot details but let’s just leave it at two mature and appealing though far from perfect adults meet for lunch as follow-up to a personal ad, but surprises from the meet-up ensue - and this main plot thread is also woven together with other strands, notably a widow’s prep for a large wedding celebration for her daughter - a plot element that I can from my minted experience attest is very much in the spirit and style of other French en pleine are wedding celebrations. All told, an enjoyable and credible film that perfectly meets its ambitions w/out any pretension or unlikely coincidence or detestable characters or preposterous behavior that mars too many would-be romance comedies.
Hannah Gadsby’s 3rd Netflix one-hour (more or less), Something Special, just further establishes HG as among the best, funniest, and most unconventional of all working comedians, with her takes and themes and often quirky self-deprecatory remarks - many of which are spurned via her accommodations to autism and to her bisexuality - many of the themes of this latest special concern her recent marriage to a stage manager/producer in the entourage. It’s hard to encapsulate her comic style - it’s not based on Paulone-liners or conventional apercus - and much depends on her rapid-fire delivery and her many asides and tangents. To give a sense of her work, take for ex. her rant about telling a story or an anecdote - noting that her mother is great at so doing and he father (and her spouse) are terrible at same - their so-called stories are nothing more than a series of statement of fact. This seemingly innocuous observation leads to some hilarious non-story-telling - often quite revelatory about how she, HG (ditto her partner, Jano) see the world through the autism lens: For ex., they cannot understanding or “read” smiles, which just look to them like flashing of teeth. To the extent that this is a “disability,” Gadsby has without doubt turned her disability into an extraordinary ability to build laughter and good will, a real connection with her enthusiastic audience, live or online.
Paul Newman’s iconic portrayal of the eponymous Cool Hand Luke (1966, Stuart Rosenberg, dir.) is the main reason to watch this film, which today looks somewhat dated. The plot, simple as it is, has Luck committing some petty vandalism (to parking meters), which sends him to an Alabama work prison, about as rough as things can get. There are some really fine scenes, including a poker game (wherefrom Luke gets his moniker), some brutal scenes of the prisoners doing roadwork, the near-to-death torture of Luke pushing him, the strongest of all, to the breaking point. These and some others are exciting and heart-stopping segments - but in the end, what’s the story here? We get no background explaining why Luke is so self-destructive,, no sense of his (or anyone else’s) back story, no truly emotional scene - not even a note of a love story - and not much delineation among the crew of prisoners who generally act boisterous and boyish. The book (by Donn Pearce) may offer more, or maybe less? But in the end Newsman’s portrayal - including his iconic line near the end - make it worth watching today even though it seems somewhat archaic. And btw I guess prisons in Alabama in the 60s were segregated, otherwise I can’t seem how a movie about a prison gang should be comprised of only what inmates (and staff).
