It's funny, but all evidence to the contrary, James Foley is an excellent director. For some reason his choice in projects is quite faulty. He's made a botch of a John Grisham adaptation (The Chamber), a sappy Al Pacino film (Two Bits), and a really bad Madonna film (Who's that Girl?). But when the material is correct, there aren't many visual stylists who are superior. Foley's talent makes even a B exploitation thriller like Fear into something far more entertaining that it has any right to be. And with the right script and right actors, you can get something like Glengarry Glen Ross, or At Close Range, a 1986 heartland crime drama with Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. At Close Range is smart, beautifully composed, and the acting from the two leads is as good as anything either has done.
Set in rural Pennsylvania (you know it's really rural because an Amish buggy passes by in one scene), At Close Range is the true story of Brad Whitewood (Walken) and Brad Whitewood Jr.. The older Brad is the head of a local crime syndicate, robbing safes, stealing tractors, and committing murder when the situation calls for it. Young Brad is adrift, smoking pot, drinking beer, and sitting around his house with his even duller brother Tommy (Chris Penn). Brad Jr. has energy, but no outlet until he meets the girl of his dreams (Mary Stuart Masterson) and the father who abandoned him. Getting into his father's business could insure Brad Jr.'s financial future, but it's possible that that's not what he wants.
At Close Range was written by Nicholas Kazan, who began his career with a series of successful true life stories including Frances and Reversal of Fortune. With this story he knows that the dialogue isn't the most important thing. These aren't flashy mobsters and they don't speak in Runyan/Tarantino poetry. What the script does, though, is make every word count. Some of the most emotional scenes don't involve any speaking and in the most menacing scenes, it's the power of the limited words, or their placement that makes it work. A perfect example is a meeting between Masterson and Walken in which an invitation of a bowl of corn flakes becomes chilling.
James Foley has an eye for lighting and he uses diagetic light to enhance the development of characters. Note the way a refracted light bulb gives Walken a halo in one crucial scene, perhaps a divine justification for his actions. Foley (and cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía) create a mood of pastoral tragedy, the perfect setting for criminals who aren't as big as they think they are and punks who don't have anywhere else to turn to for role models.
Even in his worst films, Foley is an excellent actor's director. And for my money, this is Christopher Walken's best performance. His line readings are consistently unique, spinning icy dread out of the most casual comments. This performance is also surprising because Walken frequently isn't creepy. You always know that it's under the surface, but for a limited period he actually seems like a warm funny father. And as for Penn, the best you can say is that when he's on-screen with Walken he never gets upstaged. Playing a slightly underdeveloped role, he finds a perfect balance between muscular physicality and fear. He's touching to watch. Various members of the supporting cast are recognizable faces and do quality work, including Crispin Glover, Keifer Sutherland, Candy Clark, Millie Perkins, and David Strathairn.
At Close Range resists melodrama and as a result comes off as more thoughtful than powerful. The movie works, but it isn't going to blow you away. Its plot seems familiar throughout, but this genre is rarely played much better. I'd give this one an 8/10.
Set in rural Pennsylvania (you know it's really rural because an Amish buggy passes by in one scene), At Close Range is the true story of Brad Whitewood (Walken) and Brad Whitewood Jr.. The older Brad is the head of a local crime syndicate, robbing safes, stealing tractors, and committing murder when the situation calls for it. Young Brad is adrift, smoking pot, drinking beer, and sitting around his house with his even duller brother Tommy (Chris Penn). Brad Jr. has energy, but no outlet until he meets the girl of his dreams (Mary Stuart Masterson) and the father who abandoned him. Getting into his father's business could insure Brad Jr.'s financial future, but it's possible that that's not what he wants.
At Close Range was written by Nicholas Kazan, who began his career with a series of successful true life stories including Frances and Reversal of Fortune. With this story he knows that the dialogue isn't the most important thing. These aren't flashy mobsters and they don't speak in Runyan/Tarantino poetry. What the script does, though, is make every word count. Some of the most emotional scenes don't involve any speaking and in the most menacing scenes, it's the power of the limited words, or their placement that makes it work. A perfect example is a meeting between Masterson and Walken in which an invitation of a bowl of corn flakes becomes chilling.
James Foley has an eye for lighting and he uses diagetic light to enhance the development of characters. Note the way a refracted light bulb gives Walken a halo in one crucial scene, perhaps a divine justification for his actions. Foley (and cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía) create a mood of pastoral tragedy, the perfect setting for criminals who aren't as big as they think they are and punks who don't have anywhere else to turn to for role models.
Even in his worst films, Foley is an excellent actor's director. And for my money, this is Christopher Walken's best performance. His line readings are consistently unique, spinning icy dread out of the most casual comments. This performance is also surprising because Walken frequently isn't creepy. You always know that it's under the surface, but for a limited period he actually seems like a warm funny father. And as for Penn, the best you can say is that when he's on-screen with Walken he never gets upstaged. Playing a slightly underdeveloped role, he finds a perfect balance between muscular physicality and fear. He's touching to watch. Various members of the supporting cast are recognizable faces and do quality work, including Crispin Glover, Keifer Sutherland, Candy Clark, Millie Perkins, and David Strathairn.
At Close Range resists melodrama and as a result comes off as more thoughtful than powerful. The movie works, but it isn't going to blow you away. Its plot seems familiar throughout, but this genre is rarely played much better. I'd give this one an 8/10.