The Safe House - Expositions

Hey folks, Harry here... With these two films and the upcoming INSOMNIA we get Robin WIlliams back... We get glances of his potential from time to time in movies like WHAT DREAMS MAY COME and THE FISHER KING, but usually these moments pass to the mundane banality of 'harmless safe entertainment'. It pays the bills, but where is that dangerous comic that Robin Williams was? Well it seems he's back in Smoochy, and he's just plain scary in ONE HOUR PHOTO. Here's that crusty lovable hug-munch of a manly man... That's right the sailing satyr of the seven seas... QUINT...

Ahoy there, squirts. 'Tis I, the eggshell driving crusty ol' seaman, Quint, here with two big upcoming Robin Williams flicks, One Hour Photo and Death To Smoochy.

I saw One Hour Photo last week in Los Angeles while accompanying Harry on his book tour. You see, that redheaded ratbastard saw Episode 2, without inviting me... grumble... grumble... but because he saw the flick he spent most of his time in LA doing press. CNN, Entertainment Weekly, Access Hollywood... Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it was fun for him, but for me it was just him talking about how cool Episode 2 was... Well, honestly I was getting a bit jealous.

I ended up leaving Knowles to his interviews and spent a day out on the town. I can't tell you how I saw One Hour Photo, as I'd probably be getting someone in trouble, but I can say it came about due to a series of weird events that I could not have foreseen and I definitely wasn't expecting.

But I'm glad I saw the movie 'cause it kicked my ass pretty hard. The story is about a tragically lonely express photo employee named Sy, played with great restraint by Robin Williams, whose world is so void of love or even friendship that he starts to become obsessed with a regular customer and her family. There's a hole in his life that he's trying desperately to fill, so desperately that the line between fantasy and reality starts to blur. Through this family's photos, he starts setting up a fantasy life for himself, being part of the family, receiving the love that he so desperately needs. Of course to the family, he's just that kinda offbeat photo guy.

As the lines between reality and fantasy start to blur for Sy, it also blurs for us, the audience, as well. We start seeing Sy's daydreams, his nightmares and then get sucked back into reality with him as his boss (played by the best "Boss" actor around, Gary Cole who you may remember as Lumbergh from Office Space) interrupts his fantasy. We very much are dependent on this kinda creepy guy to get us through the film, which makes for a really great moviegoing experience because you don't know exactly what is next. I'm not going to ruin anything for you folks, but when you see the flick keep an eye out for Sy's nightmare... good jesus. Just thinking about it creeps me out.

Williams plays this role perfectly, striking the perfect balance between creepy and sympathetic. He doesn't once go over the top with his performance, yet you never get the sense that it's Robing Williams acting for the Academy. The subtlety of his creepiness is masterful. He plays the role perfectly giving what is undoubtedly one of the best performances of his life.

Connie Nelson (yeah, the cutie from Gladiator) is the unsuspecting customer and mother of the family Williams covets. She didn't blow me away with her performance, but she's not supposed to act circles around everyone in this film. She's supposed to be the average mother and wife and I never go the impression that she was anything else.

Director Mark Romanek impresses me to no end. I had only heard he was a music video director before seeing the film and I doubted the accuracy of that information after the film ended. There are no quick cuts, fancy strobe lighting effects, screwy camera angles or blaring music. The film has long, confident takes, terrifically orchestrated reveals and some great, focused framing. IMDB confirms his music video background, but you sure wouldn't think the film a product of someone who came from that school of storytelling.

I love films featuring deranged lead characters, like Hannibal Lecter, but flicks like Silence of the Lambs are grand, cinematic portrayals of the creepy and demented. One Hour Photo feels like real life. This is how I see someone like John Doe in Seven would come about in real life.

Now, to wrap up this review, the one question I was left with at the end of the film... Is Sy telling the truth or is he lying? You don't have any idea what I'm talking about now, but you'll be asking yourself the same thing when you do see the film. Romanek made a great move by leaving that question as the last thing in the film, ensuring discussion in the theater lobby or at a nearby restaurant as people for both sides debate endlessly. Great move.

Now to completely change gears and dive headfirst into Death To Smoochy. Now, the site has been flooded with Death to Smoochy reviews, so I'll try not to go off on tangents. Here's a very quick recap: Robin Williams plays Rainbow Randolph Smiley, the host of a huge kids show who isn't the nicest guy in the world and ends up getting arrested. As a result his show is canceled and given to Sheldon Mopes (played by Ed Norton) who is a squeaky clean up and comer with his character of Smoochy, a Barney-esque Rhino. Williams loses his money, his place in life and his mind and decides the only way to regain his spot at the top of the kiddie programming mountain is to knock Smoochy off his perch.

I haven't liked Robin Williams this much in ages. Now that's not to say his performance in Smoochy is as complex or perfect as One Hour Photo or What Dreams May Come, but in terms of the simple childhood joy of seeing Williams do his thing, playing a great comic character... well, Rainbow Randolph is tops. It felt like a return to his early standup days. He's hilarious, raunchy and energetic. If nothing else worked in this movie, it'd still be worth the ticket price to see Williams at the top of his game once more.

But lucky for us a lot more of the film works than just Robin Williams. Ed Norton is perfect as Smoochy and proves to be a talented comic singer/songwriter. I dare any of you out there to not chuckle during his performance of "Your Stepdad's Not Mean (He's Just Adjusting)." Catherine Keener can play a great bitch and she proves it yet again in this film. Danny DeVito plays a good sleaze ball agent and Vincent Schiavelli (aka the creepiest man alive... You might remember him as the Subway Ghost that teaches Patrick Swayze how to affect the real world in GHOST) is fantastic as the substance abusing former kiddie show host/assassin.

The greatest thing the film has going for it is the way the satire is laid out for us. You have the blatant spoofing of the Sid and Marty Krofft style show and the obvious comedy of Robin Williams and Ed Norton used to get each of their agendas across to the kids. In Williams case it was to sell Rainbow Randolph merchandise and in Norton's case it was to teach about the evils of sugar and unhealthy foods... like meat and salty pretzels. But with all that, there's a smarter, more subtle satire. For instance, the bad guys in the movie are charities and the the good guys are the mob. I spoke to a few people after the screening that didn't make that connection. Plus there are a whole lot of midgets in the movie. As everyone knows, midgets = comedy gold. I still hold that if a midget or a monkey is in your film it automatically adds at least one and a half stars to it.

Now, this film isn't perfect. I think it struggles to find its pace in the first 15 minutes or so, but when the film gets its footing it takes off like a bat outta hell. I also think Jon Stewart was kinda wasted in his small role. I know he's funnier than what he does in the movie. It might not have been DeVito's intention as a director to make Stewart's character humorous, but why have him in your film if you're not going to use him?

Those are two minor complaints. Overall, I would definitely recommend this film. Keep in mind this is kind of a culty flick. I loved it. All of my group loved it, but we were almost the only people in the theater laughing during the film. It might have been that we were in the press theater, which was a bit cold and stuffy, because the "public screening" theater had people walking out laughing and smiling.

I think Death To Smoochy will be remembered as the film that brought Robin Williams back from the mediocre dramas (Patch Adams anyone?) and bad slapstick (can we say Father's Day?). Just think... Five years ago Robin Williams would have chosen to play the clean, goodguy character of Sheldon Mopes instead of the seedy Rainbow Randolph. Death to Smoochy marks his return to edgy comedy, One Hour Photo marks his change of roles to subtly creepy and the upcoming Insomnia remake breaks him into the not so subtle creepy role. Where will he go from here? I for one hope he keeps taking the edgier roles and keep us, the audience, on our toes and guessing "What's next?"

That's it for me, squirts. You'll soon be drowning in a sea of Quint reports as I'm set to write up everything I've fallen behind on in the last few weeks. So keep yer eye's open for set visits, script reviews and even a few more movie reviews. 'Til that day, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.

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