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Reviews
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Pathetic & Unappetising Film From The Writer of JUNO!
MILD MILD SPOILERS!
I love Diablo Cody's Juno. It was well-written. The internet loves Jennifer's Body which I didn't enjoy that much. It was okay here and there. Both Young Adult and Tully can be categorised as "okayish films elevated by a great Theron." Lisa Frankenstein's trailer made me want to watch the film. The trailer was a lot of fun. The movie began that way and it felt a lot like Heathers. But, it just lacked the things that made Heathers a really good movie. The choices Lisa makes are incredibly selfish but the question you ask at the end of the movie is, did she correct herself and face the consequences. That's what you do with any movie? Does the protagonist change his or her course at the end? What did the protagonist learn? These are basics to storytelling and it helps us connect with said protagonist. I really wanted to connect with Lisa in the same way I connected with Needy from Jennifer's Body. It felt like Diablo just didn't care for Lisa. The movie suffers and despite Zelda Williams giving it her best, it's the writing that pulls it down. If the protagonist you're creating chooses "the big exit" instead of owning up to their erroneous ways, what does that mean to the people who watch it?
I'll say this again. Juno was fantastic. And I guess I'll have to keep waiting till Diablo comes up with a better film.
Peep Show (2003)
WHY DOES EVERY NOVEAU COMEDY HAVE TO HAVE BAD FRIENDS?
Peep Show is about the antics of Mark Corrigan, a loan manager and his flatmate, Jeremy, a good-looking slacker who while being Mark's best mate is also his worst nightmare. As episode after episode pass I wonder why Mark never thinks to dump Jeremy, an egotistical navel-gazing veritable "see you next tuesday" (in the British sense). I guess it's for comedy purposes and this brings me to the bigger problem with comedy television today. Networks and creators seem to assume that as long as there's a loose cannon and a straight guy, the show'll be fine. Well, it's not fine. Peep Show features some of the most Machiavellian thinking and just absolute selfish behaviour. The same people who praise Peep Show criticise Seinfeld for having mean, sociopathic characters. I don't buy it. Peep Show has some really good episodes and as much as I wanted to grow fond of Jeremy, his selfishness ends up ruining the life of his flat mate and the more earnest Mark. But, if this is supposed to be noveau comedy, I'm not surprised why British comedy is in the trash can.
Knife Fight (2012)
Don't Take It Seriously. This Movie Doesn't Either.
Hollywood has seen several political spin doctor satires in the past decade. A notable one being Barry Levinson's Wag The Dog starring Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. Knife Fight is set during the preliminary elections where Paul Turner (Lowe) has his hands full backing two major players - Larry Becker (McCormack) and Stephen Green (Harbour). These two are your standard issue senators: purists onscreen, pigs off-screen. And then, there's the saintly character (Carrie-Anne Moss) who in contrast is presented as a genuinely good person wanting to genuinely serve the society through the tainted prism of politics.
What I enjoyed and hated about Knife Fight was its mostly predictable and mostly comforting script. It doesn't take itself too seriously by blandly harbouring over the complex matter of ethics versus personality. Knife Fight manages to remain light-hearted and while that doesn't make it a worthy film, it's not a bad way of spending 90 minutes. If you like Rob Lowe - and desire a Sam Seaborn-Toby Ziegler reunion - this is it!
Bullitt (1968)
60 Minute TV Episode Stretched Into A 2-Hour Movie
It needs to be said, Bullitt is a slow-moving film. Yes, it's got an exciting car chase that everyone talks about, and that sequence is just about one of the most glorious pieces of cinema I've seen. However, the trouble is that while Bullitt is being billed as an action thriller, it's more of a slow-moving police procedural. An editor could have trimmed this almost 2-hour film into a snappy 95-minute job and it would still feel stretched. This is because almost every scene is allowed to stay much longer than it's needed. Take the scene where (no spoilers) Bullitt and another detective go through a suitcase. First, they unlock it and open it. Then, they rifle through the clothes, towels and all travel-related items. They look into small pouches and camera boxes before they arrive on a piece of paper, but the paper doesn't come into view right away. It stays out of frame until Bullitt notices his partner looking at a piece of paper, and only then do we get a shot of the paper. This whole scene takes about 4 minutes of screentime and could have been done in less than a minute or even shorter than that.
I love Bullitt and will watch it if it's on TV but this movie wastes a lot of our time, making it a perfect background movie - y'know the kind of film you play on your TV or laptop and go about doing your daily tasks, occasionally checking in to catch the important scenes. That's Bullitt and alongside Thomas Crown Affair and The Getaway, it forms the Holy Trinity of McQueen films (excluding The Great Escape since that's got a bigger star cast).
May December (2023)
It's a lot smarter than you think.
May December is a gift that ultimately unwraps in its last act. The film spends plenty of time taking us through the characters as they relive the events from 2 decades ago. What it does best is present a series of dichotomies and keep you firmly on one side while slowly revealing reversals and betrayals that make you wonder if you must jump sides. The atmosphere of this film is excellent but that's not new. This is a Todd Haynes film and he creates intense environments. Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are at the top of their game but it's Natalie who outshines everyone with her titillating performance as a Juilliard trained actress who goes on to star in tv shows and movies she hates and scoffs at the people she's studying for her next role. If you can watch it with an open mind, May December is a treat.
The Fall Guy (2024)
Honestly, I Expected A Better Film.
I loved the stunts. I liked the chemistry. I liked the BGM, the cinematography and the slo-mo shots. But, this movie had a relationship problem. Gosling and Blunt play ex-lovers with a forest fire in the hearts. They clearly are longing for each other - you can tell that right from the first time Emily sees Ryan onscreen (about ten minutes into the movie). But, this leads you through cringe-inducing scenes, one after another. The first half is the movie version of phrase "airing out your dirty laundry."
Look, the stunts were cool, but the story (including the overlong romantic arc) was underdeveloped. Their seems to have been a quick decision to cast actors from Barbie and Oppenheimer (then, unreleased) and capitalise on the market.
It's too silly. It's too outdated. It's too lame.
I loved Nobody and Bullet Train was a decent ride. Both were silly and unbelievable but the craft was better. Fall Guy just did not work for me. The pay-off and the denouement don't really deliver. The second and third acts could have used better writing. Casting could have been better. Hannah Waddingham was great in Ted Lasso but giving her a brunette wig and a god-awful American accent just did not work.
Jailer (2023)
Another Dismal Film From Nelson
It seems that having tentpole actors from other language industries walk around in slo-mo is just what's need to classify movies as Pan-Indian. Anyway, Jailer does just that and this film fails spectacularly. Rajnikanth does what's required of him. However, Nelson doesn't. His screenplay is flaccid. He takes a well-established narrative template and botches it with a paltry execution. Nelson seems preoccupied with lifting scenes from Hollywood films that he's forgotten that making a Superstar film is actually pretty easy. You need a few mass scenes, a few punch dialogues and a simple story that acts as a bridge between the aforementioned mass scenes. How could you botch that up?
After Beast, this is yet another dismal film from Nelson. Forgettable fare.
Blonde (2022)
A cheap and pulpy version of Marilyn
Even non-American people know of Marilyn Monroe's life. Such is her legacy. So, when this movie attempts to create a false world that Marilyn grew up in, you immediately want to reject it for its lies. This is the worst thing to happen to Marilyn Monroe since sleeping pills.
The story is just so awfully written for one to feel pity for Marilyn. The writer and director seem to have forgotten that all we feel for Marilyn is pity because it's well-documented how we feel sorry for her and how much we detest Old Hollywood and JFK for the way her life went to the dumps.
What we needed was a more soulful account of her life and what we got was trashy Page 3/TMZ baloney.
Hunger (2023)
Miss Frownyface and the childish screenplay
Why is it that every Asian movie that's been recommended to me turn out to be riddled with problems?
The protagonist seems to have just a couple of expressions, with the most prominent being the frown. She's either on the verge of crying or getting angry. But, she frowns so much that I'm addressing her as Miss Frownyface. Then, there's the mentor turned antagonist, Chef Paul. His acting is cliched. There's no originality in his performance. The supporting actors are given very little to work with and so, I shall excuse them.
The story progression puzzles me. The writing is unconvincing. Is this Whiplash or is this Parasite or is this that episode of Squid Game where the rich English-speaking gamblers show up? Is this a serious drama about an abusive mentor or an intelligent satire about the class system or a sardonic parody that lets the whole movie down? I'd say Hunger is all of the above. And, that's why it doesn't work.
The pacing is uneven. The characters are illogical. The film is supported by brilliant cinematography and good music but the most important beam that should support the film is the screenplay and actors, and they don't do enough.
I am genuinely interested in watching other films starring the protagonist, just to see if she's Miss Frownyface in other projects as well. I'm not even joking or mocking, I am convinced that she relies on her tiny bag of stock expressions.
Chihiro-san (2023)
An incomplete story that hides behind its visual and metaphorical beauty
Let me be clear: as much as I wanted to like this film, I just couldn't. There were quite a few issues that many people seem to overlook.
I'll admit, I'm a sucker for slow-paced arthouse dramas. Call Me Chihiro should have left me with a wide smile but it doesn't. There are many arcs that are opened and left incomplete. There are many questions that aren't answered. For instance, why is the schoolgirl taking photos of Chihiro in the early scenes? What drove her to do that? We never get to know why she did it. Some might say, that's inconsequential, but it is. If the directors finds it fit to introduce his characters in an odd manner (the schoolgirl certainly is stalking), the reasons matter.
Parenting is at the core of Call Me Chihiro. We see various examples of bad parenting. And, in later scenes, we see the children of these parents rebel but these arcs are incomplete. We don't get a scene where the parents react to this rebelling. Do they accept their flaws, do they openly talk about it with their kids, we don't see it. There are a couple of scenes where one of the parents confronts Chihiro but the same parent doesn't address this with her own child. The film is full of visual metaphors that convey the feelings of the characters which help us read the room but while these add to the story arcs, it feels like you've been robbed of a good ending to these arcs.
I'm also not sure why the protagonist takes it upon herself to bury an old homeless man on her own. Why can't she call the authorities and report the passing of an old homeless man? And, how is it that even when a blind patient is missing from a hospital, no one seems to call the authorities.
The film attempts to find the same vibe as Amelie or Happy-Go-Lucky but it doesn't reach that because while there are some quotable lines, it just doesn't work the same way it did in Amelie or even Ladybird.
Call Me Chihiro at best is a middling letdown. Despite breathtaking visuals and interesting characters, the film's screenplay forgets much of the drama it creates and it exists in a strange and uneven realm.
Suzume no Tojimari (2022)
Stereotypical Characterisation Ruins The Film
Having seen the 2-hour long Suzume, I will admit that the film's emotional core is intriguing. It's that of a 17-year-old girl still grieving her mother who died 12 years prior. Taking this and the brilliant animation aside, the rest of Suzume is quite simply... below average.
As much as I didn't want to hate Suzume, I hated it mainly because of the shoddy characterisations. Even the voice-over actors were unconvincing. As someone who has been indulging in anime, J-dramas and K-dramas, it's that female characters are written rather poorly. Think of the last K-drama you just watched; was the main female lead clingy, confused and almost easy to convince into doing anything?
The titular character of Suzume falls head over heels for a mysterious young man she meets. Moreover, every problem that begets the protagonists is kick-started by Suzume being a clueless and dumb 17-year-old schoolgirl. The film's plot wouldn't be afoot if not for her and throughout the film no one seems to acknowledge that she is the cause of the hell that's about to break loose.
The protagonist creates the mess, cleans it up after a lot of trouble and chalks that up as personal growth. How does this make the film great?
Repeat Shoe (2022)
Stop! Just stop! How low can you go!
Writer's note: IMDB needs to make zero, a rating. Pronto.
First, the filmmakers came for the farmers. Then, they came for our women. Now, they've come for our children. Leave us alone!
Repeat Shoe is a disgusting attempt at filmmaking disguised as a Yogi Babu comedy. Even the comedy is flat. At least Gurkha had one or two funny lines (and let's be honest, Undertaker was awesome) but in Repeat Shoe, the entire film is tone deaf. What is the central theme of this film? Some little girls (as little as 9 or 10 years old) are being sold as sex slaves! A young girl lives with her alcoholic cobbler of a father who openly states that he killed her mother. Two scenes later, the father sells his child as well. Father of the Year, ladies and gentlemen.
Filmmakers and supporters of these filmmakers/films will immediately jump to their defense stating that they are simply reflecting real life stories. In that case, I'd like to ask, why can't you make a documentary about these girls that are being trafficked? Did you really have to direct a movie where a little girl is pushed into a room with an old man? Does the little girl even know what's happening in the scene? This movie is just morally wrong.
Now, we come to the execution. The film runs for less than 2 hours but it's actually runtime is about 30-40 minutes. Every scene is stretched way past the point of no return that almost everything in the film just feels unnecessary. If you don't have a story for at least 90-100 minutes, don't make the gosh darn movie!
I can go on and on but this movie is just the worst. Let me just leave you with this: if you are depicting sexual assault and/or harassment of minors, stop using little girls in that scene! It's shameful and disgusting that you'd do something like this.
Ronin (1998)
Excellent Thriller Drops The Ball In The Third Act
Ronin is an action noir crime procedural thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to steal a box. What's in the box? We don't know. Who hired them? We don't really know much about that either. Ronin is an excellent thriller that charmingly deconstructs the aforementioned genres and scene-after-scene delivers mind-blowing writing, execution, action and performances.
Ten star-film you may say. But no, this 90s action epic drops the ball in the third act and becomes all too predictable instead of being inventive. Whatever the case may be (you may like the third act or agree with me on this), this is a must-watch for fans of action, thriller and noir genres, and for any fans of car chases.
Black Venus (1983)
Commit to the gratuity, Claude!
There cannot be a spoilers mention for this film as there's really not much to it. The first scene tells you what the backstory is. A sculptor is madly in love with a black girl named Venus, who becomes his muse and soon, leaves him penniless. That's the most amount of plot and character development you'll ever see.
This is an erotica. There's plenty of nudity and some softcore level humping in the film but what bothers the most is when the narrator, a wealthy art collector finally takes home the Black Venus, filmmaker Claude Mulot seems to have had cold feet and lets his female lead "stay moral", thereby even if our narrator owns the Black Venus, he does not own the muse. This kind of poetic justice seems rather odd for a film with gratuitous sex. It's kinda like asking "What's another sex scene in an erotica?"
There's literally nothing else for you to look forward to. The acting is third-class, the production design seems to have been borrowed from Merchant-Ivory and it's as if the production always never had enough lights. Every shot feels dark and gloomy, and hence is apt for nighttime viewing only. Given its subject matter, that's a good choice. Cinemax, with its modern filmmaking techniques and better looking girls, is a better choice for you boys.
I'd give this 4/10 mainly because it lacks sex scenes where it was most necessary. You've got to close the arc, Claude!!
Plein soleil (1960)
Exceptional film with a shoddy ending
Mild spoilers ahead.
Plein Soleil is brilliant and it's the kind of movie I wished Talented Mr. Ripley would have been but Anthony Minghella doesn't give us that. He gives you a nearly 140-minute slow-moving film. Plein Soleil on the other hand is exciting and thrilling, right until the last minute where the director decides to undo the novel's amoral character meet a moral end.
In Patricia Highsmith's novel, Tom Ripley is amazed by his own cleverness in getting away. That's what made Ripley a great anti-hero. The last minute of Plein Soleil takes what was already a brilliant film and makes you question it as a whole.
Brilliant performances, stunning cinematography and a perfect Nino Rota score elevate Plein Soleil into a masterpiece. If you can end the film right before the last minute, you'd have watched a brilliant French masterpiece.
Sooryavanshi (2021)
It's Rohit Shetty. What were you expecting? Goodfellas?
MILD SPOILERS AHEAD.
The trailer branded Sooryavanshi as some Avengers kind of ensemble film. To be frank, the other two cops don't show up until the end of the second act. So, this is Akshay Kumar's movie all the way. I do wish that you could have hired someone else instead of Katrina Kaif because she still hasn't grasped acting. All she does is pout, glare and dance in the rain in a skimpy sari.
The last 30 minutes were not only action-packed but incredibly funny too. I love self-referential humour and there's a lot of it when the three characters get together.
I am staggered by Rohit Shetty's attempts to unpack terrorism as he clearly doesn't understand the concept. There's a scene where Akshay and a terrorist have a battle of words that's essentially:
"Why did you kill all those people."
"Well, they killed my family"
"Yeah, but you killed many families in return."
Dude, Rohit, you can't simply put terrorism as they killed my family, so I killed them back. That's petty vengeance. Terrorism is a much bigger monster. But, then again, this is the guy who made Dilwale. So, I shouldn't really complain.
All in all, the action's pretty good. The sound is pretty loud. The plot takes a lot of time to get settled. And, Ranveer is effortlessly funny in the third act. So, that's Sooryavanshi for you. I'll definitely watch if Rohit does a proper ensemble movie but I'll wait for it to come out on Netflix or Prime.
Ted Lasso (2020)
Season 2 Went Sour On Me.
First Season - 10/10
Second Season - 4/10
I LOVED the first season. It won over me. I loved almost all the characters. Season 2 began in a familiar way but halfway through, something strange seems to have happened to the writers who've decided to F up Ted Lasso's good demeanor. Supporting characters that I once rooted for, I now despise and the odd love stories, triangles and quadrangles, were just time fillers.
We all love Coach Beard. He's the silent killer. But that single character episode in season 2 kind of kills the thrill of watching Beard yell out one-liners or make tiny nods. Roy became insufferable in S2 and I had zero empathy for Rebecca or the NFL-inspired sub-plot early on in S2. It just made no sense as to why you'd take something that works well and screw it up over 12 episodes. Great acting by everyone but the writers don't deserve it.
The Searchers (1956)
Stick to the main plot, John.
John Ford's movies are to die for. And when John Wayne's in the lead, you know it's gonna be great. The Searchers is epic in every word. But, it's also an odd mix of a revenge western, a goofy comedy and a sullen romance. That right there is its biggest problem. Instead of staying with the main plot, Ford goes through a roster of characters and scenes that are rather comical - like Lars Jurgensen and his over-the-top accent or the romance/wedding. These scenes take over 20 minutes of valuable screen time and drive you to boredom. You want to see revenge not a silly brawl between two men to win the heart of the woman. You want to see Wayne's growl not laugh. Stick to the main plot, John Ford and you will have a brilliant film.
Sarbath (2021)
Lacks a lot of things
I'm not sure if I should feel bad for Kathir for getting bad projects or be pissed off at him for choosing them. The actor can do wonders - as showcased in Pariyerum Perumal - but here he's just another young man with a short fuse. How many of those have we seen in the last 100 years! It doesn't help that he begins to stalk the heroine. It doesn't help that his character is underdeveloped save for a few mannerisms. It doesn't help that almost all the characters are stereotypical.
There's no originality in the film. Take the scene where the hero and heroine meet for the first time. He's at a bus stand and he gets slapped by the girl who is soon told by her friend that he's not the one who had been harassing her. This meet-cute/slap-cute trick alone has been used in a handful of films in the last decade.
Sarbath just doesn't cut it. Regular Tamil viewers might find it engaging but a seasoned viewer will be scratching his head immediately, knowing the trap that lies ahead.
Clarkson's Farm (2021)
A Staggering Achievement
I was never about Jezza's own show having seen The Great Escapists in which the easily sellable Hamster failed to create an entertaining spectacle while May on the other hand now has two great shows on Prime. Having seen the entire show, I can now proclaim that Clarkson's Farm is the finest show I've seen in the last decade. It's not too pretentious, it's not too dull or technical. It's simple, honest and great fun. From the crops to the sheep to the chickens, there's a great variety of animals and the human contributors (especially Gerald) are also great.
Sheeping, Wilding, Pandemicking and Harvesting were all stunning episodes that elevate the show to a greater heights. Can't wait for Season 2.
Nobody (2021)
Forgettable flick with an empty plot
The lead character has a poorly written backstory which doesn't explain the stories of his sibling or father. So, when they show up, you're confused as to what's happening. Nobody is from the people who brought you John Wick which means that the action is top-notch while the story is severely underwritten with a lot of hushed up moments.
What all did John Wick do before he retired? What is this syndicate really called? Who runs this? How did the associates of Viktor's kid not identify John Wick at the gas station?
There are many similar questions left unanswered in Nobody. But, here's the really good thing about it: Bob Odenkirk owned it. He punches and kicks his way through and gives a thoroughly convincing performance. Could he be the next Liam Neeson? He sells the deadpan delivery, brooding stares and rage. Thankfully, the film is just around 90 minutes and the pace doesn't lag.
So, why am I rating it low: because the story is underdeveloped. Or if this was developed well, it just doesn't show. Action movies usually have a simple plot but we are not in the days of Rambo or Eraser. The third John Wick film showed that you can have an episodic plot with many developments. If you can excuse the lazy writing, you'll enjoy the film. I couldn't excuse the writing mainly because it had more than one writer. So, I enjoyed Odenkirk and the action, but was let down by the rest of it.
96 (2018)
Promotes Simping and Incel culture
It may sound crazy but I think that if reviewers can call this "an ode to love" or "a poignant tale of one-sided love", I think we might as well address the problem with the kind of love we see in films. It's either stalking or simping. Ram, the protagonist in 96 fell in love with Jaanu while in high school. She too falls in love with him. Ram is forced to move to a different town, thereby breaking the connection. They meet over two decades later. Jaanu is happily married while Ram is still single, still a virgin and has never loved any woman or attempted to date any woman other than Jaanu. He somehow thinks that he's fine with not loving again or even feel the company of a woman again.
In the present timeline, Ram is a photographer and his alienated approach to life and women piques an interest in a photography student who accompanies him on his travelogues. This then might be the only shot Ram can have at love. But, in a later scene, Jaanu meets her and spins a yarn as to how they fell in love and got married. So, to put it simply, Jaanu realises that the student had an interest in the mentor and decided to nix it. This then is the greatest ode to Incel culture and simping.
Wild Dog (2021)
An annoyingly slow moving film
Granted Nagarajuna hasn't had a good film in a while. But, why does he tend to choose roles of either maverick policemen, maverick investigators or maverick soldiers? What is it about a job that grants a gun and a team that makes Nagarjuna happy? Is he wanting to return to action? If so, why just this avenue? There are so many stories he can choose from. He's Nagarjuna! The problem with Wild Dog is that it's ineffective from the word 'go'. The writing is lazy and reminded me of an early 90s made-for-TV film starring Peter Weller (I think).
Coming back to Wild Dog. The acting is lazy while the action feels uninspired. The CGI is so 90s while the BGM seems to have been taken straight from first-person shooter games. There is not a single character that sticks in your mind.
When I was watching this film, I was reminded of Payanam, a superbly crafted thriller surrounding a plane hijacking. Nagarjuna plays an NSG in that film and his role in Wild Dog is no different from that, except for the fact that Payanam had far better writing. Wild Dog just isn't wild anymore. I don't think it's even a dog.
Mandela (2021)
An unexpectedly good adaptation of Swing Vote
It wouldn't be wise to not mention Swing Vote, the film that I believe inspired Mandela. I would have been upset had they tried to replicate the film directly. However, Madonne Ashwin gives us a breathtaking and intricate film. Mandela is Yogi Babu's shining glory. It's a phenomenal entertainer. It lives to make you laugh. A majority of the scenes are designed to make you giggle, guffaw, chuckle or even smirk.
The surprise package of the film is Yogi Babu. I expected almost nothing from this film and throughout this almost 135-minute, I was constantly telling myself how good it really is. Mandela is political satire at its sharpest. Something Manivannan would do with gusto. It's great to see such smart films in an era of stupid remakes.
Thief (1981)
Michael Mann invents the cool, slick flick with Thief
There have been many films that can be described as slick, cool and stylish. But, it all began with Thief in my opinion. It's an ultracool film that defines Michael Mann's filmmaking style - darker night shots, grey day shots, a synthesizer-led score, slow-pacing, most dialogues recorded at low volumes, loud gun shots, long and drawing takes and a minimalist approach to storytelling - it's all available in Thief.
It's sad that Mann's later films (including the late 2000s remake of Miami Vice) do not have the same energy as Thief or even his 90s masterpiece, Heat. But, enough about that. Thief is James Caan's film all the way but most characters are written and played well, that everyone has a fair share. Robert Prosky (whom I grew to love in Hill Street Blues) is brilliant as the mob boss, Tuesday Weld's role sadly was under-written. They gave her a history but left it right there. The best of it all was Willie Nelson, who in his first and only talking scene delivers a fine performance. I just loved how Willie as Okla kept staring at James Caan's Frank with joy and glee. It was a spectacular performance.
Thief has its shortcomings. Much like later Mann films, it's slow, the main plot is a little hard to follow (because the dialogues can be too observant), and importantly style can sometimes replace substance (like the improbable climax shootout), but it is nevertheless an early 80s gem and perhaps Mann's finest hour.