Hannibal Returns in Fracture

I was looking forward to seeing Fracture because Anthony Hopkins is an excellent actor. The story was slick and had a lot of interesting twists, but I felt like I was watching Hannibal Lecter in another suit of clothes. Hopkins even sounded like Hannibal when he spoke to Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who was prosecuting him for the murder of his wife. Willy was too much like Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, and the script smacked of a contrivance to recreate Hannibal in a new role. There was also a big hole (the murder weapon) in the endgame of the plot, but I can’t tell you because it would spoil the ending.

     After seeing the film, Little Children, I find myself thinking about how the screenwriter achieved such an interesting film with such a familiar plot. This is a story of adultery and the possible consequences of deception.

     Kate Winslet is superb as Sarah, an unhappy wife and mother in search of something more than she has in her life. Along comes, Brad (Patrick Wilson), a stay-at-home father bored with his life and avoiding adult responsibility. Thrown into the mix of a torrid love affair between Sarah and Brad is a convicted pedophile living in the neighborhood and adding suspense to the intrigue.  Interesting plot twists and an unexpected resolution made this film stand out from others in this genre.

   The Queen, a recently released British film, paints an eye-opening portrait of the Queen of England and the Royal Family in the days following the death of Princess Diana. Helen Mirren seamlessly and brilliantly portrays Queen Elizabeth, capturing every nuance of the real Queen. But most important, she depicts the personality of the Queen so deftly that we believe she is Elizabeth.

   The portrayal of the Royal Family and their behavior after Diana’s tragic death in 1997, or rather the absence of any emotional response, is contrasted with the country’s outpouring of grief. Are the Queen and the Royal Family so bound by tradition and privilege that they cannot and will not show emotion? Can nothing shake their everyday habits and customs? See for yourself how the Queen finally responds when the very existence of the British monarchy is threatened by public outrage.

   Personally, my view of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family has been forever changed after seeing this film, though it may be a fictional account.  Peter Morgan wrote the screenplay and recreated the character of the Queen so well that I won’t be surprised if he receives numerous awards this year. And my vote is in for an Academy Award for Helen Mirren.

If the best films are character driven, I can’t think of a better example than Capote. The screenplay, adapted from a book by Dan Futterman, didn’t win the Oscar, but it should have. It was a masterpiece of writing and character development.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Capote, won the 2005 Oscar for Best Actor. He was so outstanding and mesmerizing that it was hard to believe he was acting. We never for a moment doubt that he’s the famous writer, Truman Capote.

The story develops the character of Truman Capote (Hoffman) as he does research for his book, “In Cold Blood,” a true account of the brutal murder of a Kansas family. As Capote establishes a close relationship with the imprisoned killers, two parallel dramas unfold—the story of the killers as they are brought to justice and the story of the complex character of Capote.

Capote’s character is so skillfully delineated that we understand why he lies and manipulates one of the killers emotionally so that he can expose the truth. He helps the killers in their legal defense so that he can ultimately witness their final demise and write the last chapter of his book, “In Cold Blood.”

I like to study this film because I always discover something new about great character development.

       Some films have such a powerful social message that it just hits you in the gut. I recently saw Water, a Deepa Mehta Indian film, that's still haunting me.

      This beautifully filmed movie tells the story of an 8-year-old child, Chuyler, who is sent to live out her life in an ashram (a widows' house) after her husband dies. The story is set in 1938 and exposes the cruelty of a religious practice that ostracized women (and even children), condemning them to a life of social isolation and poverty simply because their husbands' died. Shockingly, this practice is still going on today, which we learn at the end of the film. Over 30 million women in India are still condemned to social isolation because they are widows.

      Water is a commentary on the cruelty of religious fundamentalism wherever it exists. We need more social protest films like this.

   I was very surpised by the quality of Ushpizin, an independent Israeli film produced on a low budget. I admired so many things in this film--the story, the character development, the acting, and the directing.

   The story was simple, but very interesting. Ushpizin (meaning "guests") tells the story of an Orthodox Jewish couple living in Jerusalem whose religious faith is tested when they welcome two escaped prisoners as their guests.

   It's always encouraging to see what is possible in independent filmmaking. You don't need buckets of money. Start with a good scipt and well-developed characters. If you can get a copy of this film on DVD, see it and judge for yourself.

   If you guessed Titanic (1997), you're right. It grossed over 600 million dollars in North America and more than one billion worldwide. That makes it the biggest box-office hit in film history.

   The combination of a true disaster tale and a love story that climaxed in a double tragedy left audiences breathless. Also, the script and direction (James Cameron), the star power of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the hauntingly beautiful musical score (James Horner), the special effects, and a multitude of other elements made Titanic the highest grossing film in history. The film won 11 Oscars, including one for Best Picture.

   Sometimes films cost more to produce than they actually gross at the box office. Titanic cost $200 million to make. That's a healthy profit if you do the math. 

   But here's a bit of irony. The movie cost more to produce than the real Titanic cost to build in 1911.

One of the most recent film trends I've noticed is the remaking of old films. War of the Worlds, Cheaper by the Dozen, Poseidon, King Kong, and The Omen are all remakes of films that were box office successes in the past.

When one studio after another starts rushing to repackage old films, you see a trend. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that the studio will make money on it, considering that they often spend exorbitant amounts of money to remake a film that isn't as good as the original (which cost a lot less).

I often wonder why they do it. I suppose the studios think that they'll get a good return on their investments because audiences who liked the original films will rush to see the remakes. But this isn't necessarily true. And if the remake isn't as good as the oldie, word gets around fast and results in a flop. Personally, I'd rather see a new film with fresh ideas than a remake of an oldie.

   Before I wrote my first screenplay, I read many screenplays that I admired.  By reading and studying the techniques used by produced screenwriters, I learned how to create a tight, exciting plot; how to format scenes; how to write concise action descriptions; and how to create believable characters and punchy dialogue.

   I read and studied The Omen,  Kramer v. Kramer, The Shawshank Redemtion, and many others. The learning process is much like an artist studying the masters who came before him. With so many screenplays now available in published book format and online, it's easier than ever to access great scipts.