Can you imagine being 83 and working as hard as Ridley Scott? The legendary English director has two highly anticipated movies out this fall, The Last Duel is in theaters today (see our review below!) and House of Gucci will arrive over Thanksgiving weekend. Since Scott’s career is one of the most fascinating of all living filmmakers, filled with classics and disasters alike, we thought there has never been a better time to do a director spotlight on him.
For this week’s newsletter, we are fortunate to be joined by MOB and Kenny from The CineBoiz Podcast! While DYLA has a frenemy-ish relationship with the ‘Boiz on social media, they were kind enough to have Drew on the podcast a few weeks ago. So, like the gentlemen we are, we returned the favor. Make sure you subscribe to their pod, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and then tell them why DYLA is better.
MOB recommends…
Gladiator (streaming on Netflix)
Do you like a movie that has a main character that has been wronged? How about a movie where this character is willing to put everything he or she has on the line to fight for the honor of his or her family? If you have those things, you obviously need a wicked counterpart who has done something so terrible, so grotesque to him or her that the only way this movie can end is in an epic duel. You do like movies like that? Then boy, oh boy, do I have the flick for you. No, I’m not talking about The Last Duel, which is set to release this weekend. I’m talking about the 2000 masterpiece, Gladiator. (Side note. Am I the only one who thinks these two movies have crazy similarities? I am? Okay. Carry on). Scott does some of his best work in this trying tale of jealousy and revenge. Russell Crowe, who seemingly owned the early 2000s, puts forth one of his best performances as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a former Roman general turned slave fighter. His counterpart for this role, Joaquin Phoenix, obviously doesn’t have to dig too deep to play Commodus, the angsty son who really wants most of all what he can't have: the love and approval of his father. When these two meet on screen, it's easy to get lost in the scene. For some reason, I don't think Mel Gibson, the actor first tapped to play Maximus, would have garnered the same chemistry with Phoenix. So thanks, Mel, for thinking you’d be too old to play a gladiator. Anyway, couple the cinematography with the Hans Zimmer masterpiece of a score (which is later inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean score), and a beautifully written story, you have a film that has and will stand the test of time.
Kenny recommends...
Legend (rent on Apple TV, Amazon, etc.)
Ok, I know what you're thinking; "Does Legend deserve to appear on the list of best Ridley Scott films?" Well there is a simple answer to that question and if you have seen it then you know the answer is "Probably not.” For the casual moviegoer, this is typically not a movie I would recommend but let’s face it -- you subscribe to Do You Like Apples for a reason. I'm a sucker for Ridley Scott. Good or bad he is one of the few directors’ films I will watch regardless of the critical feedback. Legend was the first of his films I was introduced to as a kid and it spooked the ever-living s**t out of me. I realize that as I’ve gotten older that fear has turned into an appreciation for the atmosphere that early Ridley Scott films created. Films like Alien and Blade Runner are visual masterpieces and while his movies have remained visually interesting, his early visual style will likely be what he is most remembered for. Legend released in 1985 and was Ridley’s follow-up to Blade Runner and his version of the fantasy epic. It is full of unicorns, fairies, goblins, dwarves, etc. It also stars a young Tom Cruise in forest-child onesie.The plot and acting (minus a knockout performance from Tim Curry as a crazy-muscular goat-devil) leave much to desire, but if you are a sucker for stunning visuals and atmospheric storytelling, it is definitely worth a watch.
Billy recommends...
Prometheus (streaming on Amazon Prime and Peacock)
I saw Prometheus before I saw the original Alien! Phew… now that I got that off my chest can I get into my short little blurb, please? This movie had some serious hype. First, because it was director Ridley Scott’s first time returning to the franchise. Secondly, for some reason this R-rated horror flick was Dad-approved so I got to see this with my family. Which made all that more memorable.
The opening of this movie shows us “the engineers” for the first time, bringing some mystery right at the forefront. It sets the stage well visually. Puts the story into motion. All things a good opening should do before we get to this ragtag group of scientists visiting this planet to find what they think is the source of human life.
This stacked cast with known names and no names brings their own unique vibe to the crew. All of this mission and horror is seen through the eyes of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), a confident, yet always doubted crew member. She beautifully reacts to the awe of this new world they are on while braving the madness that ensues. Michael Fassbender plays an AI named David that is clouded in mystery. He is probably the standout of this movie.
Yes, this is not as good as the original. Let’s get that out of the way. What we do have, though, is a crew you want to hang out with while they are picked off one by one by this dangerous abandoned civilization they know nothing about. And the way Scott uses the set pieces to create the horrifying bloody mess is still incredibly effective.
Drew recommends...
Matchstick Men (streaming on HBO)
Ridley Scott threw a curveball with this one. In 2003 he was inarguably one of the biggest filmmakers on the planet, coming off the massive box office success of Gladiator, Hannibal, and Black Hawk Down in years prior. And he was still years away from some of his most high-profile failures (Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood, Exodus: Gods and Kings). When Matchstick Men released in 2003, Scott had proven himself as a master of blockbuster epics and sci-fi classics. So you could say this breezy con man movie starring Nicolas Cage was certainly a change of pace.
Matchstick Men is not a small film, per se -- it had a $65 million budget -- but it had to be a breath of fresh air for Scott to step away from intense war dramas and Hannibal Lecter’s evil. The story follows Roy (Cage), an OCD con artist who works with his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) until Roy’s teenage daughter shows up to complicate things. You can imagine how Cage sinks his maw into a role like this. Roy is a mess of manic tics and obsessive routines, and Cage brings his natural unhinged energy to the performance. This can often distract from Cage’s movies, but here the character is given just enough depth for Matchstick Men to avoid self-sabotage. Instead, Cage breathes life into what might otherwise be a forgettable con man flick, and Scott provides him the stage to do it. While it’s far from his best movie, Matchstick Men was another example that Ridley Scott had more range than you might have thought.
Recent Release Mini-Reviews
The Last Duel (in theaters now)
Drew: When you get this much talent behind a captivating true story, good things tend to happen. In his best work in many years, director Ridley Scott helms a searing, thoughtful, and powerful medieval drama. The Last Duel, written by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, is a knights-and-squires tale that centers a female perspective.
Not only is there thrilling action and political intrigue, but the story is most concerned with the intimate relationships of its characters, which exposes the misogyny and faux-heroism of the time that you rarely see in films like this. As good as the male stars are here, especially Adam Driver (when is he not amazing?), it’s Jodie Comer that grabs the spotlight and delivers a tremendous performance of range and resilience.
Most of all, after almost two years without them, I’m just grateful to have an A-list star-laden, non-IP-driven, capital-M Movie back in my life. It’s been too long. - 4.5 / 5 Apples
Links
It’s October so we’re starting to see trailers for next year’s crop of horror movies. Can I interest you in another Scream installment? Or Ethan Hawke as a creepy magician who kidnaps children?
For lighter fare, George Clooney’s latest directorial effort The Tender Bar got a trailer this week. It stars Ben Affleck as a charming no-nonsense uncle and you can see it in theaters on December 17th.
David Fincher has a new Netflix project coming this year. No, it’s not the third season of Mindhunter, sorry. It’s a documentary series called Voir, which will be a collection of “visual essays celebrating cinema.”