As I pointed out in my Album of the Week "sermon," I wanted to do this last week, but I had no wifi access where I was (which is something of a long story).
Shortly before my involuntary technological exile, I learned of the death of Robert Redford. I knew he was pushing 90--he did, in fact, turn 89 just last month--so it's not like I was completely taken aback by the news. But, having grown up on his films, many of which are among my favourites, I was kind of saddened by it nonetheless.
When an actor I like dies, I tend to watch all the different tributes and "appreciations" on all the various news and entertainment outlets. I make notes of classic films that actor made that I've never seen (in this case, The Way We Were, The Candidate, The Great Gatsby, and Three Days of the Condor). I note which films I've always liked that I should watch again (Spy Game, Barefoot in the Park, and The Natural). I also tend to go through my own movie collection and re-watch a few of their films--and with no wifi, I was suddenly glad I had a sizable film library. (For more on this, check out my Film of the Week post for 19 July of this year.)
In Redford's case, I did watch what are likely my three favourite films of his. They're not too heavy, there's a lot of humour and clever dialogue--things I'm typically a sucker for when I watch movies. I still contend that 1992's Sneakers is an incredibly underrated movie. It's a fun caper/heist film about a group of hackers who get paid to break into banks and other such places in order to find weaknesses in their security systems. This may actually be my favourite Sidney Poitier film.
The other two films I made a point of watching were the two he did with Paul Newman. When critiquing films, one thing that gets brought up a lot is chemistry between leading actors. This is especially true in romantic films--after all, as a viewer, you want to feel that there's some kind of connection between the couple that's supposed to get together and live happily ever after. I've always felt that Newman and Redford had more chemistry onscreen than a lot of romantic couples in movies--I'll even go as far as to say I thought they had more chemistry than some real-life romantic couples! It's a shame they didn't make more movies together.
1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is just a classic all around. Directed by George Roy Hill, it made Redford a star and gave him the name for his organization and film festival in Utah that seeks out young independent filmmakers and storytellers. It gave us one of my favourite Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head." It's also one of only two westerns (the other being 1974's Blazing Saddles) that I can watch any time without even having to be in the mood to watch a western.
In 1973, Newman and Redford (and Hill) teamed up again in one of my favourite films of the 1970s which is my film recommendation for this week. Like Sneakers, it's a fun heist film. Like Butch Cassidy, it's a period piece. Set in 1936 in Joliet, Illinois, Redford plays small-time grifter Johnny Hooker. Along with his partners Erie Kid (Jack Kehoe) and Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones), they con a random person one afternoon that turns out to be a numbers runner for "vindictive as hell" Irish mob boss Doyle Lonegan (Robert Shaw). After Luther is murdered, Johnny goes on the lam. Before he died, Luther told him to look up Henry Gondorff (Newman), one of the best con-men alive. The two put together a mob of their own in an effort to swindle Lonegan out of as much money as they can.
The film boats a large supporting cast including Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Dana Elcar, Dimitra Arliss, and Charles Dierkop (who also appeared in Butch Cassidy). It went on to win seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Being the period piece that it is, the set design and costumes are essentially characters as well--so much so that it won Oscars in those categories too. In fact, legendary costume designer Edith Head won her eighth and final Oscar for this film. And Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar-winning adaptation of Scott Joplin's ragtime classics are today synonymous with the film. (In fact, I even have the soundtrack album in the CD player of my car stereo as I write this.) It should also be noted that this is the only movie for which Redford received an Oscar nomination for his acting.
So this week, I recommend one of those movies that I would describe as "cinematic comfort food." It never ceases to make me smile every time I watch it. Please enjoy The Sting.
Until next week, stay safe, be good to your neighbours, and please remember that if at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
Yours in peace, love, and rock 'n' roll!
The Reverend Will the Thrill
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