In the space of a few days I had the luck (I did not say `good luck') to see `The Postman Always Rings Twice' (1981), `Blood and Wine' (1997) and `A Few Good Men' (1992) in that order. The common thread here, evidently, is Jack Nicholson. This actor has become rather stereotyped for me though not necessarily for other people inasmuch that I sometimes feel that he does not need to act or anything, but just plays himself: but how well he plays himself! He has that ability usually, and in these three films specifically, to play the mean b*****d, or the loose-liver, or the shady double-dealer or in all cases, a hard type, and quite often the camera captures that glint in his eyes that makes you feel that he has gone crazy.
I can first remember seeing him in Rafelson's `The Postman Always Rings Twice' with Jessica Lange, the type of film based on a book which, the same as Truman Capote's `In True Blood', has become a classic in the North American genre. The story is powerful, and Nicholson, more than Lange, is up to the mark. However this film has always about three times, now left me asking myself what went wrong: there is something more convincing lacking. A wonderful job with preparing the 30s scenario and all those old trucks and buses. Almost reminded me of an early rendering in black and white of John Steinbeck's `The Grapes of Wrath' possibly still one of the greatest US novels of all times. It's worth mentioning John Colicos as the Greek petrol-station owner, whose apportation is pretty decent.
If in 1981 Nicholson held his own very well with the other principal actors, he had a more difficult job with Jennifer López (who only has to appear on the screen to beat allcomers) and Michael Caine, who in `Blood and Wine' just was not up to his level in `The Cyder House Rules' (1999), also seen again very recently. A much more complex story here as everyone tries to hang on to a near-priceless necklace, though in the end Stephen Dorff does the only honest thing open to any of them. An interesting story: but too stereotyped to Rafelsonian formulas, and with a bit more violence thrown in than really necessary for my liking. The story and the acting was not bad; it was even very nice to see that Miss López is even able to give a rather good performance and is not there just for her pretty face and lovely hair and beautiful eyes and fantastic .. Whoa! I'll try to keep to the film .. However the film left me unamused as Rafelson's directing has lost the (little) charm it had in 1981. And it is pretty obvious that he is not up to Rob Reiner when it comes to getting absolutely the maximum of possibilities out of the Actors.
Reiner's `A Few Good Men' is one of the few court-house dramas to keep me interested to the very end. Arthur Miller's `Twelve Just Men' is the only other film of this type which comes to my mind at this moment. Under Reiner's directing Nicholson probably plays one of his best rôles, certainly the most convincing one I can remember seeing him in. His playing of a Colonel in the Marines is spot on; you feel you identify with that kind of upper-crust navy man. But opposite him he has Tom Cruise excelling himself as a young military lawyer partnered by a magnificent Demi Moore in perhaps the best part I have seen her in. Really good stuff here: gripping story with superb directing.
I have seen each of these films at least twice, and with confidence feel I can say that `A Few Good Men' is not only the better film, but also it is where Jack Nicholson redeems himself and comes up trumps amen better directing and excellent camera-work; the ending scenes are highly memorable.
I can first remember seeing him in Rafelson's `The Postman Always Rings Twice' with Jessica Lange, the type of film based on a book which, the same as Truman Capote's `In True Blood', has become a classic in the North American genre. The story is powerful, and Nicholson, more than Lange, is up to the mark. However this film has always about three times, now left me asking myself what went wrong: there is something more convincing lacking. A wonderful job with preparing the 30s scenario and all those old trucks and buses. Almost reminded me of an early rendering in black and white of John Steinbeck's `The Grapes of Wrath' possibly still one of the greatest US novels of all times. It's worth mentioning John Colicos as the Greek petrol-station owner, whose apportation is pretty decent.
If in 1981 Nicholson held his own very well with the other principal actors, he had a more difficult job with Jennifer López (who only has to appear on the screen to beat allcomers) and Michael Caine, who in `Blood and Wine' just was not up to his level in `The Cyder House Rules' (1999), also seen again very recently. A much more complex story here as everyone tries to hang on to a near-priceless necklace, though in the end Stephen Dorff does the only honest thing open to any of them. An interesting story: but too stereotyped to Rafelsonian formulas, and with a bit more violence thrown in than really necessary for my liking. The story and the acting was not bad; it was even very nice to see that Miss López is even able to give a rather good performance and is not there just for her pretty face and lovely hair and beautiful eyes and fantastic .. Whoa! I'll try to keep to the film .. However the film left me unamused as Rafelson's directing has lost the (little) charm it had in 1981. And it is pretty obvious that he is not up to Rob Reiner when it comes to getting absolutely the maximum of possibilities out of the Actors.
Reiner's `A Few Good Men' is one of the few court-house dramas to keep me interested to the very end. Arthur Miller's `Twelve Just Men' is the only other film of this type which comes to my mind at this moment. Under Reiner's directing Nicholson probably plays one of his best rôles, certainly the most convincing one I can remember seeing him in. His playing of a Colonel in the Marines is spot on; you feel you identify with that kind of upper-crust navy man. But opposite him he has Tom Cruise excelling himself as a young military lawyer partnered by a magnificent Demi Moore in perhaps the best part I have seen her in. Really good stuff here: gripping story with superb directing.
I have seen each of these films at least twice, and with confidence feel I can say that `A Few Good Men' is not only the better film, but also it is where Jack Nicholson redeems himself and comes up trumps amen better directing and excellent camera-work; the ending scenes are highly memorable.