Great cast, bad film

[up_the_hampipe]

What's been your ultimate disappointment with a film that had a great cast?

For me, it was a 2000 film called Screwed starring Norm Macdonald and Dave Chappelle. Two of my all time favourite comedians. But what a load of bum juice that was.

[garbed_attic]

Obviously Con Air doesn't count because it's a great film.

But it's also got the major players of a Charlie Kaufman movie in it!

[kngen]

The Score: Wow, Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando! Maybe not as good as they used to be, but still ... and, oooh, Ed Norton, right off the back of Fight Club and American History X (and Keeping the Faith, but lets not dwell on that.) He's the hottest young tyro in Hollywood, surely he'll rekindle his co-stars' passion for their craft. And, um, Angela 'Fred' Bassett .... hmmm ... OK. And she's playing De Niro's lover ... riiiiiight. Wait, has he, notorious lover of 'dark meat', just crowbarred someone he fancies into this film in a bid to try and shag her IRL, probably as a dealbreaker for taking the part in the first place? He must have done, because this is pretty ropey even from the get go ... but I'm on a plane, so I'll tough it out. Besides, what else am I going to do? Oh, wait, wait ... I think ... yes, yes, as I suspected, this is total fucking shit. *turns off screen and sits and stares at back of seat instead*

[Fabian Thomsett]

Well, the Woody Allen bits are quite funny.

[DukeDeMondo]

(and Keeping the Faith, but lets not dwell on that.)

I thought Keeping the Faith was great, if maybe a touch overlong. Inventive and sharp and endearing and intelligent. A fine directorial debut, altogether.

[kngen]

I thought Keeping the Faith was great, if maybe a touch overlong. Inventive and sharp and endearing and intelligent. A fine directorial debut, altogether.

Maybe I should give it another chance. It really didn't make an impact on me at all at the time.

[phantom_power]

Natalie Portman
Kevin Kline
Cary Elwes
Greta Gerwig
Lake Bell
Jake Johnson
Mindy Kaling
Result: No Strings Attached

[Catalogue Trousers]

Michael Winner's Parting Shots, a piss-awful revenge comedy with nasty overtones of "vigilanteism is great", has a cast including:

John Cleese
Bob Hoskins
Gareth Hunt
Diana Rigg
Ben Kingsley
Joanna Lumley
Peter Davison

Winner obviously just had a lot of celeb friends and asked them to be in his little film for a nice pay-cheque. Nobody comes out of it looking good. But that's maybe not surprising when you get, to play your "why the hell not?" vengeance-obsessed anti-hero...Chris Rea.

[Ignatius_S]

Well, the Woody Allen bits are quite funny.

Nah, there's an awful lot to enjoy about that film – catchy soundtrack, some inspired set design, good lines and amusing performances. It was a very troubled production and by rights, should have been a lot worse and I can think of many, many worse films

Personally, I think did the production problems influenced popular opinion later on – but thankfully, I think it started being reassessed some years ago and it's viewed more kindly now.

[Wet Blanket]

Michael Winner's Parting Shots, a piss-awful revenge comedy with nasty overtones of "vigilanteism is great", has a cast including:

John Cleese
Bob Hoskins
Gareth Hunt
Diana Rigg
Ben Kingsley
Joanna Lumley
Peter Davison

Winner obviously just had a lot of celeb friends and asked them to be in his little film for a nice pay-cheque. Nobody comes out of it looking good. But that's maybe not surprising when you get, to play your "why the hell not?" vengeance-obsessed anti-hero...Chris Rea.

This is a film so jaw-droppingly awful that I loved every minute of it. They should show it in double-bills with The Room.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Also, I managed to briefly forget that Oliver Reed and Felicity Kendal are both in it as well. Poor Felicity gets to co-star in what must count as one of cinema's least arousing sex scenes with Mr Rea. I really felt for the poor gel.

[Serge]

Natalie Portman
Kevin Kline
Cary Elwes
Greta Gerwig
Lake Bell
Jake Johnson
Mindy Kaling
Result: No Strings Attached

This is the giveaway: Elwes may be a lovely man and probably kind to his mother, but 99% of the films he makes are utter dogshit. I will happily spoil 'Kiss The Girls' by telling you that he plays A NICE-GUY COP WHO ULTIMATELY TURNS OUT TO BE THE KILLER to save you from ever having to sit through it.

[Kane Jones]

This is the giveaway: Elwes may be a lovely man and probably kind to his mother, but 99% of the films he makes are utter dogshit. I will happily spoil 'Kiss The Girls' by telling you that he plays A NICE-GUY COP WHO ULTIMATELY TURNS OUT TO BE THE KILLER to save you from ever having to sit through it.

Yeah. But. The Princess Bride. I'll forgive him a lifetime of shite for that gem.  I guess that's the 1% you're referring to.

[Phil_A]

The Magic Christian.



With a cast like that it couldn't possibly be tedious, over-indulgent mess, could it?


Oh.

[mothman]

Michael Winner's Parting Shots, a piss-awful revenge comedy with nasty overtones of "vigilanteism is great", has a cast including:

John Cleese
Bob Hoskins
Gareth Hunt
Diana Rigg
Ben Kingsley
Joanna Lumley
Peter Davison

Winner obviously just had a lot of celeb friends and asked them to be in his little film for a nice pay-cheque. Nobody comes out of it looking good. But that's maybe not surprising when you get, to play your "why the hell not?" vengeance-obsessed anti-hero...Chris Rea.

On a similar note, and by the same director, he did direct a film starring Roger Moore and Michael Caine. Now, granted most of Moore's non-Bonds (and several of the Bonds, come to think of it) are shite, but Caine can usually deliver (and yes, I'm saying that as someone who lived through his do-anything -for-the-money period in the 70's and 80's). And, The Man Who Would Be King shows that Caine + Bond can work. Hint: Bullseye! SOOO doesn't...

[Rolf Lundgren]

I watched The Magic Christian late one night a few years ago and loved it but after re-reading the plot summary recently I barely remembered any of it and the incredibly dark, nastiest bits I've forgotten entirely. I'm a huge Ringo fan though so that probably swayed me.

The Thin Red Line. Sean Penn, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, John Cusack etc. Nearly 3 hours of fighting in the South Pacific and nothing happens.

[Sam]

The Thin Red Line. Sean Penn, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, John Cusack etc. Nearly 3 hours of fighting in the South Pacific and nothing happens.

What? Even as a slow paced and
philosophical film it still has conventional 'stuff happening' scenes like the taking of the hill/storming of the Japanese, the Nolte/Koteas stand off, the death of Jesus/Witt.

I'd say it's more the opposite: unnecessary actors in a great film. So many stars in bit parts where it could have been anybody, and indeed probably should have been due to the content and themes.

I'm quite astonished that you'd call TTRL a bad film, even if I am a Malick apologist. It's pretty universally lauded as masterpiece of the genre and in general . What stuff needed to 'happen' in that film to satisfy you?

[Puce Moment]

Yeah, I understand that Malick gets funding for his films through star-power casting, but that is a film that very much succeeds in spite of its cast, rather than because of it. Although Nolte does turn in a wonderfully brusque performance.

[Rolf Lundgren]

It's a 3 hour film without a 3 hour story. For all the pondering, monologues and juxtaposing you at least need to make it interesting. There's nothing to carry you through it, to make you want to get to the end. As something to cause you to reflect it may have some value but in terms of storytelling it falls way short.

[Sam]

It's a 3 hour film without a 3 hour story.

So? Why does it need a story?

All the pondering, monologues and juxtaposing you at least need to make it interesting.

But that's what interesting about it (or not, for you). That's the film it's trying to be and is.

There's nothing to carry you through it, to make you want to get to the end.

I was carried all the way through by the wonderous cinematography, direction, and sound and the mesmerising atmosphere. It's completely riveting in that respect, there's plenty to adore in the film if you want to look.

As something to cause you to reflect it may have some value

Heh. I think most art simply tries to do this.
If you're not reflecting it's probably not much cop.

but in terms of storytelling it falls way short.

It may fall short of your personal expectations of what a film should be (have a traditional, linear, restorative 3 act structure seemingly) but it suceeds completely in what it's trying to do. In fact the marvel of that film is that it's a huge logistical operation by someone who hadn't been on a film set for 20 years and yet he managed to pull off an entirely personal and coherent film.

[mothman]

The number of stars is its downfall. Some of them are just... there, they have no real part to play and the character is sometimes only of note because of who is playing it (well, him, really). A case in point is George Clooney. He's the new company commander, he gives one speec h, and then nothing, never seen again. He was (considered?) a huge box-office draw at the time, even after Batman & Robin, and his presence in this movie was consequently bigged up. Others... did Travolta have to play that part? Cusack's role is significant but there's no escaping the fact that he comes out of nowhere, does his heroics, and then vanishes again. I do however think it's a good film for all that, mind.

[Sam]

Yes you're right about all of those points. I'm pretty sure Clooney was inserted by the studio as part of a deal. Malick let them do it because he was getting plenty of other stuff he wanted, I don't think he wanted or needed it to be Clooney for that scene. Conversely actors he did want he couldn't get easily (Mickey Rourke - the studio said no because he was too volatile but Malick personally flew him out to Australia and paid his expenses. His deleted scene is on youtube).

Puce was bang on when he said it succeeds despite not because of the actors. See Richard Gere in Days of Heaven!

[QDRPHNC]

I read an interview with Clooney year's ago where he said he tried to talk Malick out if casting him.

Great movie, but always thought that bit Wher caveezal goes back to the village Nd sees the same things as before but bad now was a bit cack