Post by klep on Apr 1, 2019 7:05:18 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 4/1: The Grifters
CON ARTIST WEEK!
Note: This week's essay is graciously provided by a guest contributor.
Usually, when the actress playing someone's mother is only fifteen years older than the person playing the
child, you cringe a little. In this case, it actually makes her slightly too old for the role. Only a year or
two, but still. What's more, no one in the movie ever observes that the woman playing said character's
girlfriend is herself pretty much immediately between the two in age. I haven't read the book, so I don't
know what her age is there, but here, she just reads as someone who's been playing the child for long
enough to just continue doing so no matter how old she actually is.
The relevant characters here are Roy Dillon (John Cusack), his mother Lilly (Anjelica Huston), and his
girlfriend Myra Langtry (Annette Bening). Roy is a low-level grifter. He never does long cons; he just
quietly switches twenties for tens when paying for beers and so forth, keeping things subtle enough to
avoid prison at all costs. Lilly's job is going to racetracks and, when there's a major longshot, betting
enough to tip the odds downward to prevent her boss, Bobo Justus (Pat Hingle), from making the
occasional enormous payout based solely on odds. As for Myra, her angle is more hidden for the front
half of the movie.
The most unsettling part of the story is the relationship between Roy and Lilly. The age difference
between Annette Bening and her husband, Warren Beatty, is actually larger than that between Anjelica
Huston and John Cusack. What's more, it's quite clear that Lilly's been using her sexuality as a tool,
though we never see her do it. Frankly, it's no coincidence that Myra feels like a bit of a low-rent Lilly—
it's not difficult to imagine the Lilly of Roy's childhood dressing the way Myra does. The movie lingers
on their clothing enough for you to see the similarities, even though it's also apparent that Lilly's clothing
is more expensive and slightly more subdued. They both wear short, tight skirts and incredibly high
heels, for one thing.
Roy is running, and part of what he's running from feels to be himself. It's also unlikely that life with
Lilly prepared him for any other kind of life. He's a grifter not necessarily because he's a good grifter—
Myra says she believes he is, but there's no reason to trust her when she says it—but because he has no
image of what a straight life would be like. He's got no support network. Practically the only people he
talks to other than the two women is his landlord, Mr. Simms (Henry Jones), and his marks. If he could
quietly start a relationship with his nurse, Carol (Noelle Harling), how much better it would be—but he
doesn't know how to do that.
We have not done right by John Cusack. His two costars have done much more consistent work over the
last thirty years. Meanwhile, Cusack has done what feels like a lot of failed Oscar bait and stuff for
paychecks. There's got to be a slot for him somewhere in the MCU, at least, right? I mean, if he's not
going to be in good independent dramas, at least, let him be in a good movie for a paycheck?
As a side note, the single most satisfying moment in the movie to me is when Lilly is trying to have a
quiet meal and figure out what she's doing, and some drunk (Jeff Perry) won't leave her alone. So she hits
him in the throat. (Also, Perry went on to play Mr. Katimsky on My So-Called Life a few years later, and
his friend, Jon Gries, was on The Pretender, and I like both those shows.) There's a deep sense of
rightness to being so far gone that you can do that to someone who won't take no for an answer. Maybe
next time, he will without the trachea damage.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 4/1: Forbidden Planet
SCIENCE FICTION WEEK!
For our latest Science Fiction week we're visiting a strange world where Leslie Nielsen was a dramatic actor instead of the beloved comic bumbler we grew to love. Join us next week as we watch Forbidden Planet! Forbidden Planet is available for rent on Google Play and Vudu.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 4/2: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
As part of a pairing with Jordan Peele's new Us, next week the podcast crew looks at 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Join us for an essay on Philip Kaufman's film on Wednesday. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is available for rent on Vudu.
CON ARTIST WEEK!
Note: This week's essay is graciously provided by a guest contributor.
Usually, when the actress playing someone's mother is only fifteen years older than the person playing the
child, you cringe a little. In this case, it actually makes her slightly too old for the role. Only a year or
two, but still. What's more, no one in the movie ever observes that the woman playing said character's
girlfriend is herself pretty much immediately between the two in age. I haven't read the book, so I don't
know what her age is there, but here, she just reads as someone who's been playing the child for long
enough to just continue doing so no matter how old she actually is.
The relevant characters here are Roy Dillon (John Cusack), his mother Lilly (Anjelica Huston), and his
girlfriend Myra Langtry (Annette Bening). Roy is a low-level grifter. He never does long cons; he just
quietly switches twenties for tens when paying for beers and so forth, keeping things subtle enough to
avoid prison at all costs. Lilly's job is going to racetracks and, when there's a major longshot, betting
enough to tip the odds downward to prevent her boss, Bobo Justus (Pat Hingle), from making the
occasional enormous payout based solely on odds. As for Myra, her angle is more hidden for the front
half of the movie.
The most unsettling part of the story is the relationship between Roy and Lilly. The age difference
between Annette Bening and her husband, Warren Beatty, is actually larger than that between Anjelica
Huston and John Cusack. What's more, it's quite clear that Lilly's been using her sexuality as a tool,
though we never see her do it. Frankly, it's no coincidence that Myra feels like a bit of a low-rent Lilly—
it's not difficult to imagine the Lilly of Roy's childhood dressing the way Myra does. The movie lingers
on their clothing enough for you to see the similarities, even though it's also apparent that Lilly's clothing
is more expensive and slightly more subdued. They both wear short, tight skirts and incredibly high
heels, for one thing.
Roy is running, and part of what he's running from feels to be himself. It's also unlikely that life with
Lilly prepared him for any other kind of life. He's a grifter not necessarily because he's a good grifter—
Myra says she believes he is, but there's no reason to trust her when she says it—but because he has no
image of what a straight life would be like. He's got no support network. Practically the only people he
talks to other than the two women is his landlord, Mr. Simms (Henry Jones), and his marks. If he could
quietly start a relationship with his nurse, Carol (Noelle Harling), how much better it would be—but he
doesn't know how to do that.
We have not done right by John Cusack. His two costars have done much more consistent work over the
last thirty years. Meanwhile, Cusack has done what feels like a lot of failed Oscar bait and stuff for
paychecks. There's got to be a slot for him somewhere in the MCU, at least, right? I mean, if he's not
going to be in good independent dramas, at least, let him be in a good movie for a paycheck?
As a side note, the single most satisfying moment in the movie to me is when Lilly is trying to have a
quiet meal and figure out what she's doing, and some drunk (Jeff Perry) won't leave her alone. So she hits
him in the throat. (Also, Perry went on to play Mr. Katimsky on My So-Called Life a few years later, and
his friend, Jon Gries, was on The Pretender, and I like both those shows.) There's a deep sense of
rightness to being so far gone that you can do that to someone who won't take no for an answer. Maybe
next time, he will without the trachea damage.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 4/1: Forbidden Planet
SCIENCE FICTION WEEK!
For our latest Science Fiction week we're visiting a strange world where Leslie Nielsen was a dramatic actor instead of the beloved comic bumbler we grew to love. Join us next week as we watch Forbidden Planet! Forbidden Planet is available for rent on Google Play and Vudu.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 4/2: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
As part of a pairing with Jordan Peele's new Us, next week the podcast crew looks at 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Join us for an essay on Philip Kaufman's film on Wednesday. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is available for rent on Vudu.