Tag: ellen barkin

I know a thing or two about a thing or two. “This Boy’s Life” (1993)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Michael Caton-Jones
© 1993 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

If you hear about Leonardo DiCaprio, I bet “Titanic” is the first film that comes to your mind. There are obviously many more, including “Shutter Island”, “Catch Me If You Can”, or “The Revenant” for which he got an Oscar. However, what if I’d like to recommend you a film with a teenage Leo, who even back then absolutely rocked his role? The story is actually based on the life of Tobias Wolff, an American writer, who had a rather difficult childhood, which for sure shaped him in a certain way. He was being raised by his mother Caroline (Ellen Barkin), who wasn’t really ready to take care of a boy like Toby (Leonardo DiCaprio). She decided to find herself a decent man with a good job and manners to provide for the family and make sure they have a brighter future. Then, she meets Dwight Hansen (Robert De Niro). Toby isn’t much thrilled about his mom dating that man, but he’s not the one to choose. Dwight indeed seems like a good partner, so the woman agrees to marry him. And yet before the marriage, Dwight begins to reveal who he really is. Turns out that Toby was right and his mom’s new husband may cause more troubles than they already have. Even though this film is based on a real story of Tobias Wolff, I believe numerous men may see themselves as little Toby. I’m glad that nowadays we try to put a spotlight on the problem of patriarchy and inequality from the perspective of women – we should definitely do more about that – but such films like this one are also incredibly important. The reason why some men act the way they do may be because they grew up surrounded by tons of toxic masculinity. Some of them might have managed their feelings and found a way to express themselves as for example artists, but there are also those who keep on acting the same way as their fathers/grandfathers/uncles because they simply don’t know any other way. I’m not saying that they should be excused for their behaviour, definitely not, but on the other hand, perhaps that makes it easier to understand their motivation to be the way they are. This production is disgusting and I can’t believe someone made me hate Robert De Niro’s character so much… How can you feel anything other than pure love towards this wonderful actor? But still, he created a true monster on the screen, which made me feel as if I was watching some dark documentary. And, as I said at the beginning, let’s not forget about Leo, who was truly born with some extra pinch of acting talent. Call me naive, but I believed that kiddo in everything he was presenting there. Even though that film duo was very toxic, I loved their cooperation and I can’t imagine anyone else doing such a great job in their place. This story reminds us that no matter how difficult our beginnings are, there’s always a chance to make everything better. I know, it sounds like some cheap motivational speech, but if you didn’t have it easy in your early years, then you know how true those words are. Besides, I hope this film reminds my male readers that there’s no such thing as a recipe to be man. You can do and be whoever you want and still call yourself a man. As long as you’re not hurting anyone and you stay happy with yourself – then you’re a man in my eyes. Slightly forgotten yet very good film, so make sure to watch it one day.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I need another’s touch and smile to fill my hut with songs. “Sea of Love” (1989)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Harold Becker
© 1989 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

“Sea of Love” is one of those films which I would describe “meh, nothing special, but watch it for [insert a good actor’s name]”. This time, it’s Al Pacino, and the film honestly isn’t anything spectacular. But let me tell you what the story is about first. Al Pacino plays Frank Keller, a detective who’s been working on this position for way too long. His wife left him, the job doesn’t give him satisfaction anymore and his best friend has become alcohol. One day, however, he gets a task to investigate the murder of some man who was shot in bed while listening to “Sea of Love” song. Barbaric, obviously, but it doesn’t bother Frank much until another man gets killed in the same way. And then the fun begins. He realises that the victims placed their ads in the newspaper’s lonely hearts column. The detective thinks that perhaps it was their date who murdered them. That is why he places his own ad and starts dating women in order to find the one responsible for the crimes. After many unsuccessful meetings, he gets to know Helen (Ellen Barkin), who’s incredibly mysterious and charming. Even though she’s a potential suspect, Frank forgets about his job for a moment and tries to get closer to the woman. So generally, the good guy falls in love with a potential bad girl. Simple. The story itself isn’t somehow exciting or surprising, in my opinion. Even the actress who played Helen, Ellen Barkin, was disappointed working on this film. She said the best thing about it was the fact she could work with Al Pacino. And I have to agree with her. Al Pacino steals the show. He’s marvellous, as always, but he also creates this strange suspense that makes you feel really uncomfortable. Frank has to be cautious all the time, so everything seems suspicious to him – and this is exactly how you may feel watching the film. An interesting experience and amazing acting? Yes. A film that is a must-see? Not really. Personally, I liked it in the end, so I’ll let you decide whether to watch it or not.

My rating: 6/10
S.