Short Takes: Recent Viewings

Grandma (2015) Paul Weitz

Strained relationships, the kind we all face at one time or another in life with both family and friends, is at the heart of this small comedy/drama. It centers around the quirky and crotchety Ellie (Lily Tomlin), an aging poet who has not been able to write since her lesbian lover of more than thirty years passed away. Into her life comes her grandchild, young and pregnant. She wants to have an abortion but has no money.

The characters are well drawn and nicely performed though Lily Tomlin’s performance is a real standout. She’s just wonderful. Some jokes went over the head of the folks I saw the film with, particularly the one when they arrive at the abortion client and Tomlin quips about The Bad Seed who socked her in the face, No one else in the audience got the joke but me who busted out laughing amongst an audience of quietness.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) Delmer Daves

There is a moral compass to 3:10 to Yuma that some may find, sadly, a bit dated. We have a man who stands up for what he believes in; what he believes is morally the right thing to do. There is a similarity to High Noon. Like Gary Cooper’s Will, Van Heflin’s Dan is one man, basically all alone (he does have one alcoholic townie who stays with him, but is killed before the final shootout), fighting off a coming evil as the rest of the town decides to give up, run and hide. Time is another element the two films have it common. For Gary Cooper, there a high noon deadline when his former adversary, recently released from prisoner, is expected to arrive in town on the noon train. For Van Heflin, it’s also a train arriving at 3:10 that forces a final confrontation. In both films, clocks or watches are constantly seen building the tension as the deadlines to a deadly shootout come closer.

Elmore Leonard Remembered 1925 -2013

Elmore Leonard was one of my favorite writers. His crime novels were smart, filled with quirky characters and brilliantly entertaining dialogue. Sadly, Leonard passed away earlier today at the age of 87 after suffering a stroke three weeks ago. Many of his novels were made into films. When done right, they were as unique and as inventive as his books, works like Get Shorty and Jackie Brown, the second based on his novel Rum Punch, was directed by Quentin Tarantino. His characters were a rogueish lot full of brutes and con artists. Unforgettably slick with a dangerous charm; think Chili Palmer, Jack Foley and Raylan Givens, it really didn’t matter what side of the law they were on, they were always memorable.