Hoffa (1992) - Luminous performances in DeVito's great biopic

♥♥♥♥♥

 

A-list star Jack Nicholson with filmmaker/co-star Danny DeVito chewing a cigarette behind him makes up this poster for DeVito's Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa is an untiring force, when he creates his - later very powerful and lucrative - Teamsters union for truckdrivers in post-war America. But power has a way of corrupting. Or perhaps Hoffa simply didn't shy away from any methods since the outset.

 

Hoffa is written by David Mamet (The Verdict (1982)) and co-produced and directed by the also co-starring great New Jerseyite filmmaker Danny DeVito (Throw Mommy from the Train (1987)). 

Jack Nicholson (Wolf (1994)) is resplendent as the fascinating, faceted title character, and DeVito is also outstanding as his right hand man, (a made up character that's an amalgamation of several people in Hoffa's real-life posse.) The production is splendidly handsome, and Mamet's script is excellent, keeping us engaged as audiences throughout. Hoffa is rich with narrative, and a few stylistic flourishes, of which most of them work really well in what is arguably DeVito's best film as a director.

Hoffa is a relatively open and muscular star biopic, a big time Movie.

 

Related posts:

 

Danny DeVito: Solitary Man (2009) - Forgettable, undistinguished NY egotist dramedy (co-starring)

Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy (co-starring)

Hercules (1997) - Clements and Musker aim for more adult laughs in colorful musical adventure (voice performance)

Get Shorty (1995) - Sonnenfeld's Tinseltown flick is breezy fun (co-starring)

Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters (co-starring) 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Forman's 1970s gold-rimmed classic (actor)

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 35 mil. $

Box office: 29.3 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.83 times its cost)

[Hoffa was released 25 December (USA) and runs 140 minutes. Mamet was reportedly paid 1 mil. $ to write the script, and Nicholson got 10 mil. $ for his performance. DeVito forewent his own salary and became co-guarantor for the film in order to secure a 50 mil. $ budget, of which reportedly 'just' 35 mil. $ was eventually needed. Shooting took place from February - June 1992 in Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California and in Michigan. The film opened #6 to a 6.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 24.2 mil. $ (82.6 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Cinematography (Stephen H. Burum (Mission to Mars (2000))), lost to Philippe Rousselot for A River Runs Through It, and Makeup, lost to Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. DeVito returned with Matilda (1996) as a filmmaker, and in Jack the Bear (1993) as an actor. Nicholson returned in Wolf (1994). Hoffa is rotten at 52 % with a 5.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hoffa?

Breakdown (1997) - Mostow arrives with action-packed, flawed thriller

♥♥

 

A blue-faced Kurt Russell seems to be caught in a scarlet dilemma on this poster for Jonathan Mostow's Breakdown

On their way through Arizona's raw desert, an attractive couple's Jeep breaks down, and the wife catches a ride to the next café, while her husband waits and lets the engine cool down. But when he is able to get to the café shortly after, his wife has disappeared...!

 

Breakdown is written by Sam Montgomery (Sawbones (1995, TV movie)) and co-writer/director Jonathan Mostow (Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers (1989)).

It starts well as a typical 'country-folk-are-cruel-and-hostile' thriller with a well-playing Kurt Russell (Captain Ron (1992)), who gives good fullness to his character. The film develops increasingly action-packed with some good cardboard-type villains, and despite Russell pouring plenty of emotions into his performance, it is correct what one critic noted: The third act especially needs that Russell's character gets mad and shows that he is capable in terms of violence, - because Breakdown wants plenty of action. (Speaking of the action, there is a scene in which Russell hangs under a truck, in which it is obvious that it isn't driving fast, when he drops an object down onto the road.)

But Mostow can stage suspense and action, which some other scenes in Breakdown demonstrate, but on the whole this is a lightweight and thin-legged time-killer.

 

Watch a short TV spot for the film here

Cost: 36 mil. $

Box office: 50.1 mil. $ (North America only)

= Uncertain, but probably a flop (projected return of 2.22 times its cost)

[Breakdown premiered 24 April (Los Angeles) and runs 93 minutes. Russell was paid 15 mil. $ for his performance. Shooting took place from April - June 1996 in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and California. The film opened #1 to a 12.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained in the top 5 for another 3 weekends (#3-#3-#5), grossing 50.1 mil. $. The international gross figures are regrettably not reported online. Figuring on an 80 mil. $ world gross total, the film would rank as a flop. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Mostow returned with Directors on Directors (1997, TV documentary series), From the Earth to the Moon (1998, miniseries) and theatrically with U-571 (2000). Russell returned in Soldier (1998). Breakdown is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Breakdown?