Sleepers (1996) dir. Barry Levinson
Starring: Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman

**1/2

By Alan Bacchus

Back in 1996, in the weeks prior to the film’s fall theatrical release the excitement was palpable. Going by the all star cast, the fantastic director and the promise of a crime saga in the tradition of Once Upon a Time in America, or Goodfellas, this film had the makings of a classic. Sadly the film failed to live up these expectations, resulting an epic too self-conscious of its intended legacy with these other films, in effect dying under it’s own sword.

Now 15 years later (has it been THAT long?) the new Blu-Ray release of Barry Levinson’s Sleepers is as sparse and no frills as can be. Special features include only one trailer, the cover art features the theatrical photo, wasting no time or money on expensive designs, and even the menu screen is a plain still image, bare bones work, the absolute minimum to get this onto the shelves.

The original source material comes from Lorenzo Carcaterra’s book of the same name an autobiographical tale of he and three other Hell’s Kitchen boys who in the 60's go to juvie prison after an innocent prank goes wrong. Barry Levinson seemed the right choice of director. His ensemble work with new actors in Diner launched his career. His nostaglic work in Avalon seemed the right fit for Carcaterra’s recollections of youth in New York.

Yet, Levinson’s lazy screenplay and direction is shamelessly on-the-nose. At every turn the film’s themes and metaphors are thrown in our faces. Bruno Kirby’s character for instance seems to be acting in a different movie, through Carcaterra’s (Patric) father we’re supposed to see the domestic abuse pervasive in the community, but at the same time the lessons of hard work and American dream. Instead Kirby’s stories of revenge pride and revenge of the neighbourhood gangster King Benny telegraph the entire path of this film. Same with the prison metaphors of The Count of Monte Cristo which Carcaterra reads with in prison.

The first half of the picture featuring the four main characters as ikmpressionable young kids learning life on the street seem to recreate the opening acts of Goodfellas and Once Upon a Time in America. Levinson showers us to dreamy nostalgia and earnestness. And sadly, the kids are only just passable. The adult versions of these kids are even less interesting. Brad Pitt looks handsome as an older Brad Renfro, and Jason Patric is mostly dull as the brooding alter ego of Joseph Perrino. The best of bunch are then newbies Ron Eldard and Billy Crudup who have grown up to be the neighbourhood gangsters. Anchoring both eras of the picture is Kevin Bacon as the dittling pedophile in the Juvenile prison who is effectively terrifying.

What fails the picture though are the enormous plot holes in the present – that is, the court case wherein Brad Pitt’s character choosing to represent the prosecution despite being childhood friends of the accused. We’re told that no one would make the connection since ‘juvenile records’ are destroyed after the children leave, but after painting the picture of Hell Kitchen as a place where everyone know each other, this notion just doesn’t tread water.

With this domino falling so does the rest of the film. The only bright spot is watching Robert De Niro, effective as the streetwise priest and Dustin Hoffman, as the drunken defence lawyer, sharing the same space and acting together. Wait for Barry Levinson’s Wag the Dog a year later to see these guys in action in a far superior film.

Sleepers is available on Blu-Ray from Warner Home Entertainment

Rain Man (1988) dir. Barry Levinson
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Valeria Golino

***1/2

By Alan Bacchus

Rain Man survives well these many years, and having few legitimate contendors (remember it was the 80’s) it probably deserved the Best Picture Oscar that year. It’s chock full of Hollywood schmaltz, essentially a road movie, two characters with a predictable trajectory touching the soft doughy parts of our emotions but executed so well it’s difficult even for the most hardened art house cine-snob not to feel something from this movie.

Tom Cruise plays the same character we saw in his previous three films Top Gun, Cocktail and Color Money, Charlie Babbitt a cocky self-absorbed egomaniac who operates his own smarmy luxory automobile distribution business. It’s a typical character of the cutthroat capitalist 80’s, a man who chews up and spits out anything that comes in his path toward his entitled fortune.

But when Charlie discovers his estranged father has passed, he looks to have found his fortune instantly through a large inheritance. Unfortunately for Charlie the money has been put in trust of Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), his severely autististic brother he never knew about. Charlie kidnaps Raymond in hopes of ransoming him off for his share of the money. While at first Charlie finds Raymond’s idiosyncracies annoying and frustrating a genuine and bond of brotherhood grows between the two, thus finding the real family Charlie never had before.

Barry Levinson finds himself at the height of his career directing with complete confidence. He was arguably one of the top Hollywood directors of the 80’s, directing one memorable film after another from 1982 to 1991 including Diner, Young Sherlock Holmes, Tin Men, Good Morning Vietnam, Avalon, and Bugsy. His direction in Rain Man is unflashy yet efficient, letting his actors command the screen. Yet, he finds time to choreograph a number of iconic scenes and individual shots which have stayed in the pop culture public consciousness. First, the memorable long shot of Cruise and Hoffman leaving the grounds of Wallbrook, as seen by the Center’s director. There’s also Cruise and Hoffman’s slow descent on the Casino escalator, revealing both characters wearing identical grey suits, ready to beat the house.

While Hoffman won all the accolades, showcasing his talents in transforming himself into a mysterious yet sympathetic idiot savant, Tom Cruise deserves as much credit. On the surface his characterization of Charlie as a soulless bloodsucker comes off as histrionics, but Cruise goes through the largest and most profound transformation of the two characters. The irony that the meek, unassuming socially stunted man breaking down such a streetwise intimitading person makes for great comedy. And this couldn’t happen without Cruise’s reactions and comic timing to Hoffman's Oscar-performance.

Rain Man also survives intact despite an awful sense of fashion which permeated most other movies of it’s day. The movie admirably surmounts Tom Cruise’s pleated pants and polo shirt buttoned up to the top, as well as Valeria Golina’s awful comnbination of tapered jogging pants and converse high-tops.

Most impressive of all is that Rain Man survives Tropic Thunder’s pinpoint accurate scathing of these Oscar-baiting movies where famous actors 'go retard' shamelessly exploiting audiences sympathies.

Rain Man is available on Blu-Ray from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The Natural (1984) dir. Barry Levinson
Starring: Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Robert Duvall

***1/2

“The Natural” is the best of its kind, a sports film that mythologizes America’s pastime into something beyond the bat and ball. The story of Rob Hobbs’ journey from youthful talent to failed talent to resurrection is indeed the stuff of legend and myth and could be a chapter in a Joseph Campbell book.

Rob Hobbs (Robert Redford) is introduced at an early age as a prodigious talent. Somewhere in the American Midwest (where American myths are born) during a county fair Hobbs gets roped into a bet that he can pitch three strikes to a Babe Ruth-esque baseball superstar. Of course Hobbs is reluctant but is eventually persuaded into the challenge. Hobbs strikes him out and thus the myth is born. But before Hobbs can launch his career though he is shot by a crazed seductress fan (Barbara Hershey).

The film moves forward 16 years to tell the tale of Hobbs’ comeback as an older man way past his prime. He walks into the dugout of the New York Knights claiming he’s been brought up from the minors. Hobbs makes the team but isn’t allowed to play, until he’s pinch hits for the team superstar. Hobbs literally takes the cover off the ball in his first big league hit. Hobbs quickly turns into a superstar player. But with the highs come the lows. His affair with one of the wives of the players gives him ‘bad luck’ and suffers near-season-ending losing streak. It isn’t until his old flame from the past Iris (Glenn Close) returns to his life, sparks his talent and reignites the team to victory.

“The Natural” is based on a 1952 novel by Bernard Malamud, and one his inspirations was the story of Percival and the Court of King Arthur. A boy from a talented pedigree takes a journey over the course of his life. He ends up in a wasteland presided by a dying king. Pop Fisher (like “the Fisher King”) is the coach of the team. He miraculously heals the team (and Fisher’s athlete’s foot) and turns them into a winner. Etc etc. The allegory to Percival doesn’t make the film great, it’s the heart and earnestness that it wears on its sleeve that is the reason to watch the film. If Frank Capra made a sports film, it would have been this.

Hobbs’ first hit is so thoroughly enjoyable, the smile on my face hurt my cheeks. Much of it is due in part to Randy Newman’s grand music score which accompanies all of Hobbs’ key moments. The simple cue is a just a few notes but it’s so effective it’s become synonymous with miraculous moments in all sports. Even now, it’s still a powerful piece of music.

“The Natural” is one of Barry Levinson’s best films as well. It was Levinson’s second film and it’s great second film – one which expands and builds upon the personal work of his first film (“Diner”) and showed everyone he’s a real filmmaker capable of telling a great story. His shot selection, framing and direction on Caleb Deschanel’s lighting creates the mythological nature of the film. Watch how he frames Glenn Close in the film. Her character, Iris Gaines, is supposed to be Hobb’s saviour and the one who brings him and the team out of despair. She is shot with supreme backlit angelic beauty. Her white hat even glows like an angel’s halo. It’s so overt and obvious, but it’s in keeping with the tone of the film, so it works tremendously. Levinson shoots and edits the baseball scenes superbly as well. The final climatic game should be a case study in extending and lengthening real time for a heightened cinematic reality. The final minute of real time in the final game is edited into about 5 minutes of screen time with just the right shots to get the biggest bang for its buck. And what a bang that is.

It’s easy to criticize the film. It’s overacted, overshot, overedited, and overscored. But it’s a film that establishes and plays within these rules from the outset and so it becomes a genre unto its own – the mythological sports film. I don’t care who you are, the final scene from beginning to end as Hobb’s rounds those bases, I guarantee, will put shivers down to your spine. Enjoy.

Buy it here: The Natural (Director's Cut)

Here’s Hobbs in batting practice:



And here Hobb's grand finale: