EPISODE 11: CLINT CATCH UP (Part 1)
Welcome back to those still reading. To those who aren’t still reading, you cannot read this therefore this entire sentence is ridiculous.
We are almost to our conclusion, with 16 films left to go. It’s been an interesting ride thus far and we have managed to tackle many different subjects. At the beginning of this project, the intention was to find a category or consistent theme for each article and pair every single film that worked within that into that particular article. However, due to frequent lapses in my intelligence, I have unfortunately left a few films here and there from their respective categories. Thus we are playing “Clint Catch Up” to rectify this.
The first “Clint Catch Up” will be revisiting the “Being Tender In Your Heart” article which tackled Clint going into emotional territory. The four films poised in that article showed that for the most part, Clint himself is not only capable but also proficient at tackling the human drama through various points of view. The two films we will examine today how he both raises questionable material and how he can actually transcend an already solid source. It is safe to say that at least one of these film has an easy slot for the best of his career period. Furthermore, both do show how he is able to handle depression specifically through a grizzled lens. It is uniquely frank in its approach and tends to be the best part of both films.
So join me as we look at stories that discuss the possibilities of newfound love and the sad realities of newfound loss.
BREEZY
2.5 outta 4 Hitchhiking Trips
BREEZY is an interesting and overlooked film in the Eastwood canon. In some ways thats for the better. The film depicts the story of free spirited, hitchhiking, bubble of joy Breezy (played delightfully by Kay Lenz) who through her travels in early 70’s Los Angeles, ends up at the door of lonely, cynical, and divorced Frank Harmon (William Holden). As their polar opposites attract through the film, they develop a romance that delves into the “Older man dating a younger woman” kerfuffle. This films ingredients are usually a concoction for a relatively interesting examination of “what is love”, but the film tends to side step its potential by playing into the safe space of melodrama tropes. Its hard to tell at points if its the script or direction, because theres an uneasy balance between “Love Conquers All” and “Life is a Sea of Disappointment.” Clint seems to want to push the film into a darker territory, but theres a noticeable hesitancy thank is clearly absent in his career going foreward as a director. Having said that, the chemistry between Holden and Lenz is there despite not having a solid roadmap. It also boasts in its opening 10 minutes a sadly all too relevant moment involving Breezy and a creepy driver, which is unfortunately kinda just an isolated moment rather than a point of discussion. Lastly, Roger C. Carmel (famous for his role as Mudd on the original Star Trek series) has an interesting side arc that, while limited, would be an interesting character to follow on its own. All in all, it does nothing too spectacular to further the Romantic Drama and sadly it does makes sense while Universal shelved it for a spell before its ultimate release.
MYSTIC RIVER
4 outta 4 Walks Down A Sad Boston Street
If it had been any other year, Mystic River would have grabbed the Oscar for Best Picture. But 2003 was, rightfully so, they year to finally honor Peter Jackson’s mighty Middle Earth trilogy. This film is easily the best thing Clint directed that he was not an actor in. Following the story of three men (Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon) who are reconnected through tragedy when Penn’s daughter is murdered. What follows is a deep, dark, and dirty look into grief, loss, regret, and unspeakable real life horror. Clint’s style of dark lighting and moody atmosphere is cranked to eleven for the film, pushing the actors psychologically and sometimes physically into uncomfortable places that keeps the viewer engaged and tense. It has a thriller element involving the investigation of the daughters murder that weaves through complicated emotional situations with superb grace. Clint does not hold back for any single moment in this film from it’s horrifying opening to it’s somber conclusion. It also boasts among the finest performances of the three main leads, with Robbins being the stand out as the most tortured one of the bunch. There are moments of levity with the help of Laurence Fishburn, but even those tend to thankfully service the story as a whole rather than create a true distraction. By the time the film is over, you the viewer are left to ponder over it’s numerous examinations of loss in all its forms. And it intelligently gives you a conditional “happy ending” that is loaded with baggage that can only be unpacked in your mind.
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Thus ending the saga of Tender Clint. Next time, we will be playing catch up once again. And soon, very soon, we will get to Clints most famous trope.