“Forgotten Hollywood”-21st Century 50 Fav Films (#28, #27)

Posted on July 22, 2021 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P. here…

“`Nearing the halfway point of the countdown of my favorite fifty films of the last two decades. Intrigue and suspense plays a central role in the next two entries.

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~ #28 – RICHARD JEWELL (2019)

“`Directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, the production focuses on the Centennial Olympic Park bombing and the aftermath. Security guard Richard Jewell finds a device during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia and alerts authorities to evacuate. Later, he was wrongly accused of having placed the device himself. Jewell was one of those pseudo-tragic figures like Tonya Harding (I Tonya) and Mary Mapes (Truth).

“`Paul Walter Hauser is spot-on as Jewell and he was clearly snubbed during awards season in my estimation. This is Sam Rockwell’s second of four appearances on the my list, the previous was in JoJo Rabbit. Kathy Bates earned a Best Supporting Actress nod by the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Rounding out the stellar cast… Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde.

“`First hailed as a hero, Jewell was soon considered a suspect by local law enforcement and by the F. B. I. based on scientific profiling. Though never charged, he underwent a trial by media, which carried a toll on his personal and professional life.  Jewell was cleared after eighty-eight days of public scrutiny. Eric Rudolph would eventually confess and plead guilty to the bombing and other attacks.  The public circus surrounding the investigation has been widely cited as an example of law enforcement and media excesses. Jewell died in 2007 of severe heart disease, with diabetes and related complications as a contributing factor. He was only forty-four.

“`Eastwood sets out to characterize Jewell as an apathetic hero, while the director excoriates the justice department and broadcast journalism. His approach offers a pinch of snarky satire and his usual impeccable music score.

   

~ #27 – THE IDES OF MARCH (2011)

“`In 44 BC, the 74th day in the Roman Calendar became the moment in history Julius Caesar was assassinated, which made the Ides of March a turning point in the Roman saga. In 2011, it signified a taut political thriller starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Gosling earned a Golden Globe nod for his performance, while Clooney was part of the team that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

“`A political allegory prior to the Trump-era, this movie experience seems quaint by contrast. At the time, it was a riveting drama that attempted to point out the scheming, lobbying, and manipulation that takes place during any election campaign. And while this may still be true, the candidates at least appear to be civil and focused on given issues of the day.  Amazingly, the talking points seem familiar and relevant by today’s standards.

“`Caesar’s murder was a final chapter in the crisis of the Roman Republic, and triggered a civil war that resulted in the rise to power his adopted heir, Augustus. On the fourth anniversary of Caesar’s assassination in 40 BC,  Augustus executed over three hundred senators and equites to avenge Caesar’s slaying. Centuries later, William Shakespeare dramatized the assassination in his eponymous tragedy.

“`Beware the Ides of March!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 22nd, 2021 at 2:46 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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