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The Wages of Fear is a black and white movie set in middle-of-nowhere 50s South America. From Col Needham on imdb:
“In the South American jungle supplies of nitroglycerine are needed at a remote oil field. The oil company pays four men to deliver the supplies in two trucks. A tense rivalry develops between the two sets of drivers and on the rough remote roads the slightest jolt can result in death.”
Needless to say it’s a thriller; the constant danger of death/moving vehicle premise reminded me of Speed from 1994. There are a few scenes at the beginning of the movie where the basically-useless female love interest is washing the restaurant floor on all fours without anything to useful say for what seems like minutes; turns out this was director Henri-Georges Clouzot‘s wife. Once the main characters get on the road with their explosive payload, however, the movie really starts, and from here it’s a perfect combination of suspense (will they blow up at any moment?) and philosophy (what’s really important?). I thought the movie’s 131 minute runtime was going to be a problem but it flew past without any trouble. French/Italian/English with subtitles. 7.5/10. Thanks to Bugsy Malone for the recommendation.
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Dog Day Afternoon stars a young Al Pacino as “Sonny” in a movie about a bank-heist gone awry. “alfiehitchie” from imdb:
Based upon a real-life story that happened in the early seventies in which the Chase Manhattan Bank in Flatbush, Brooklyn, was held siege by a gay bank robber determined to steal enough money for his male lover to undergo a sex change operation. On a hot summer afternoon, the First Savings Bank of Brooklyn is held up by Sonny and Sal, two down-and-out characters. Although the bank manager and female tellers agree not to interfere with the robbery, Sonny finds that there’s actually nothing much to steal, as most of the cash has been picked up for the day. Sonny then gets an unexpected phone call from Police Captain Moretti, who tells him the place is surrounded by the city’s entire police force. Having few options under the circumstances, Sonny nervously bargains with Moretti, demanding safe escort to the airport and a plane out of the country in return for the bank employees’ safety.
Directed by Sidney Lumet of Network fame, the story hints at Mr. Lumet’s interest in the media; at one point Al Pacino’s character actually watches himself on live TV while holed up inside the bank. From my notes made during the movie: “Well-paced nuanced tension builder; textured character development; no music; Al Pacino is amazing.” I think that about covers it. 125 minutes. 8/10. Thanks to John Weston for the recommendation.
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