MY VIEWING DIARY: PART EIGHT

"Only When I Laugh" (1981)

The first thing I was reminded of when I re-watched the dramatic comedy, "Only When I Laugh" from director, Glenn Jordan, is the phenomenal yet underrated talent of Marsha Mason. This warm and charming actress never became a major star like she should have despite receiving some of her best movie roles from her then-husband, the prolific playwright, Neil Simon with Mason getting three of her four Best Actress Oscar nominations from his screenplays (including her performance in this film). 

Based on Simon's 1970 play, "The Gingerbread Lady", Mason plays Georgia Hines, a theater actress who has just been released from rehab for a serious problem with liquor. She's determined to get her life back together with the help of close friends, Jimmy (James Coco), a gay struggling actor and Toby (Joan Hackett), a wealthy socialite. One relationship she desperately wants to repair is with her teenage daughter, Polly (played by Kristy McNichol, an Emmy Award-winning, popular child star who retired from acting in 1998). Currently living with her father and his new wife, Polly wants to move-in with her mother and Georgia reluctantly agrees. While only wanting to focus on her recovery, Georgia receives the script for a new play from her former lover, David (David Dukes) which is based on their alcohol-fueled affair and wants her to play the lead. And not wanting to turn down a great part in a Broadway show, she accepts the offer. But the rehearsals trigger old stresses and habits that are not helpful to Georgia maintaining her goal of sobriety. 

Following in the tradition of humorous tearjerkers like "Terms of Endearment" (which actually is still the greatest example), "Only When I Laugh" uses sharp wit and laugh-out-loud jokes to enliven this exploration in to the continuing struggle of a person's recovery from addiction and the painful trauma it causes their loved ones. And while this film is nowhere near in the same league as that Oscar-winning classic nor even the best work from Neil Simon, "Only When I laugh" is still quite moving and highly enjoyable. All of the performances are wonderful and be on the look-out for a brief appearance by Kevin Bacon in one of his early big-screen roles.

"Knife In The Water (Nóż w wodzie)" (1962)

There was a time, not really so long ago, when Roman Polanski was a revered filmmaker behind such classics as "Repulsion", "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" and "The Pianist". But his accomplished work as a director has been long overshadowed and somewhat diminished through the years due to his personal tragedies and several recent accusations of sexual assault. This has lead to Polanski (who won the Best Director Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2002) even being kicked out as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. And just like with Woody Allen, there have been plenty of arguments regarding whether the films of these once celebrated yet now disgraced directors should be cancelled along with the men behind them. 

The truth of the matter is that nothing about these wonderful and vital movies has changed except your opinion about the directors. I realize that some cannot separate the two and that is perfectly fine. I however do not share in that point-of-view which leads me to my review of the debut feature from Mr. Polanski with "Knife In The Water" from 1962. What I find most impressive about this early drama is that it displays much of the skill and confidence that the then-twenty-nine year old director would utilize in his future cinematic endeavors. 

Set in Polanski's native Poland, a couple, Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) and Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka), drive to the lake to sail on their boat when they almost run over a hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz). As an offer to apologize, they drive him to the marina when the callous and bored Andrzej decides to invite the young man along on their sailing trip, more for amusement than his company. While the day is mostly tranquil and leisurely, the boat is filled with tension; marital discord between Andrzej and Krystyna, macho rivalry between the men and sexual tension sizzling between Krystyna and the young man. And while not much happens in "Knife In The Water" during this boating excursion, all of this tension eventually combusts. Yet the film remains more of a psychological drama than a thriller. Oh, there is a knife and it does end up in the water but how and why this occurs is not exactly what you would expect, perfectly displaying the brilliance and power of Polanski as a filmmaker.



"Just Mercy" (2019)

Based on his memoir and disturbing true story, "Just Mercy" examines the first case of Bryan Stevenson, a young defense attorney who travels to the South to work for death-row inmates who cannot afford proper legal representation. 

Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson, a recent Harvard graduate who starts a non-profit called the Equal Justice Initiative to do legal work largely for the poor African-American community in Alabama. With the assistance of Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), a local wife and mother, Stevenson starts to work on the case for Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (Jamie Foxx), an African-American man convicted of the 1986 murder of Ronda Morrison, a white woman and based solely on the questionable testimony of convicted felon, Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson). And while Stevenson uncovers important evidence that was withheld during McMillian's trial, he fails to understand the ugly, deep-rooted traditions of Alabama law enforcement and the legal system. But Stevenson is tenacious and more than willing to take on this racist system to make sure that justice will truly be served. 

As only the third feature film from director, Destin Daniel Cretton (following the excellent "Short Term 12" and "The Glass Castle"), he continues to impress by making substantial and meaningful dramas for the big screen which is sadly becoming far less common. The director, who co-wrote the screenplay, gets some outstanding performances from his actors, particularly from Mr. Jordan and Mr. Foxx. The film does initially defines many of the characters based upon regional and racial expectations yet as the drama progresses we discover that some are far more complex, tentative and charitable than expected. "Just Mercy" places an important spotlight on the long-standing injustice and inequities that African-Americans face in the American legal system and how we must continue to fight and demand change.