Tag: Dante Spinotti

CRIMES OF THE HEART (1986)

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Directed By: Bruce Beresford 

Written By: Beth Hanley 

Cinematography: Dante Spinotti 

Editor: Anne Goursaud 

Cast: Diane Keaton, Tess Harper, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, David Carpenter, Hurd Hatfield, Beeson Carroll  

Three sisters with quite different personalities and lives reunite when Babe, the youngest, has just shot her husband. Oldest sister Lenny takes care of their grandfather and is turning into an old maid. Meg, who aspires to make it in Hollywood as a singer and actress, has had a wild, man-filled life. Their reunion is joyful but also stirs up much tension.

This is one of those films that seems to be a claim for its time and while it’s not horrible, not a film can easily get into.

As the story is obviously based on a play and that they’re in lies the problem as lived in as the direction production design and dialogue, tries to feel the acting feels like it is more a writer’s invention rather than necessarily natural.

So that throughout while quirky and revelatory, and at times it might seem relatable. It always feels more like a production than anything that rings true. This can be fine but for such a film that wants us to feel down deep at times, it feels almost like a designing women episode that’s been extended.

Not to mention some of the stories, mindset, and plot lines that make up this film might’ve been passable and somewhat racy back then, but now it feels more taboo and unacceptable, and today’s climate.  

One can understand going for realism, but there is one scene in the use of racial language that just seems maybe natural for the character but just seems inappropriate for the film, and the mood and tone that it seems to be going for don’t sink into the film just throw it off at times. Same thing where Sam Shepard Dr. character has messed up teeth for no reason then to maybe make Shepard not seem like such a dreamboat and more like a regular character or a guy. You might wonder why when this film is hardly a bastion of realism half the time.

All the performances are great and Tess Harper, who got a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for the film truly does stand out as more of the thorn in the side of the characters a busybody, who is always opinionated and shockingly memorable. She is barely in the film. 

This film should be a great triumph with such dramatic actresses altogether on the big screen all at once such as Jessica Lang, Diane Keaton, and Sissy Spacek, and they all are given much to do and characterizations, but unfortunately, the film just doesn’t feel that big or special maybe that strength is that supposed to feel subtle. No, it doesn’t come off as satisfying, and by the end, it just feels like it just stops instead of having any real feeling of resolution.

Grade: C 

FATALE (2020)

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Directed By: Deon Taylor

Written By: David Loughery

Cinematography: Dante Spinotti

Editor: Eric L. Beason & Peck Prior

Cast: Hillary Swank, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter, Damaris Lewis, Tyrin Turner, Danny Pino, Geoffrey Owens, David Holpin, Sam Daly 

After a one-night stand, a successful married man finds himself entangled in a cunning police detective’s latest investigation.

This is a film I could see more getting made out of desperation or at least being seen out of that same feeling. As this seems the cheapest kind of entertainment when there might not be anything else to watch so you settle for it.

The film seems to hate or villainous women throughout. As there seems to not be a single positive female character. As the major ones are conniving, cheating or manipulative, and downright evil.

While one is happy to see multiple best actress Oscar winner Hillary swank in a leading role and she is good in the role but she definitely deserves better. As it seems Hollywood never quite knew how to use her or never seemed to find a stream of roles that worked with her strengths. As one of her talents is being a chameleon so she can fit into most roles. The problem is that leads her to have a light presence when a strong one is needed. 

The film does offer her a kind of Fatale role as the title tries to showcase her. Though even as she has a glamorous entrance and looks the part the movie has her in an initial seduction scene where we barely see any action and then another sec scene that is sudden and rushed. Far from being sensual. Which can only remind some of her role in THE BALCK DAHLIA the last time she was in a more erotic role. Which unfortunately seemed to damage a lot of the stars of that film. 

This is the type of movie in classic Hollywood would be more of a throwaway meant to bring together either studio contract stars who were on the way out and appeared out of contractual obligation or it would be a movie meant to bring two superstars together in the big screen and no matter how silly the film the audience was more there for the star power. 

The film goes in many different directions where it seems to confuse itself as to what exactly its Intentions are, for instance, the event that causes their reunion ends up being more intricate. Though we never even quite solve it.

It might be because the film tries to add so many different elements. Then wants to make sense or try to explain different motivations but has a hard time out of how ridiculous it has gotten through all of this is done with a straight face. Where by each passing scene it feels like it is losing its audience. As it comes across more like a season of a soap opera rolled into one movie. 

Shot by Dante Spinotti the film looks great as do the locations and actors. Trying to make it stand out colorfully and filmed more like a noir. 

So busy trying to titillate that it’s credibility flies . As things are heightened but with little payoff. 

The film Seems to have a happy cookie-cutter ending. Even though for all the entanglements that seem rather impossible. 

Grade: F