Year of the Gun

Rating:
Summary: A Small And Forgettable But Decent Frankenheimer Movie
Review: I rented this movie merely because I was in the mood for an action movie. "Year Of The Gun" is one of the more passable films that Frankenheimer has made in recent years.

In 1978, Italy is politically divided over the terrorist group The Red Brigades. An American journalist(Andrew McCarthy) is writing a fictional novel about The Red Brigades and the storyline coincidentally presages the actual terrorist plans of the group. The Brigades steal a manuscript of the novel and consider McCarthy to be a threat. As a result, McCarthy is on the run for his own life.

"Year Of The Gun" is a modest and unmemorable but decent Frankenheimer thriller. The acting is mostly wooden and the story has some logic problems. The film also features a very poorly executed bank robbery-sequence. As a Frankenheimer picture, "YOTG" doesn't come close to matching such great films as "Seven Days In May," "The Manchurian Candidate," and "Black Sunday." Nevertheless, "YOTG" actually manages to be one of the more decent thrillers that Frankenheimer has made in recent years. "YOTG" is only slightly inferior to "Ronin." The movie generates a reasonable amount of suspense. The picture also has none of the blatant ludicrousness that has plagued many of Frankenheimer's post-1960s films.

"YOTG" is a forgettable but decent time killer.

Rating:
Summary: A Small And Forgettable But Decent Frankenheimer Movie
Review: I rented this movie merely because I was in the mood for an action movie. "Year Of The Gun" is one of the more passable films that Frankenheimer has made in recent years.

In 1978, Italy is politically divided over the terrorist group The Red Brigades. An American journalist(Andrew McCarthy) is writing a fictional novel about The Red Brigades and the storyline coincidentally presages the actual terrorist plans of the group. The Brigades steal a manuscript of the novel and consider McCarthy to be a threat. As a result, McCarthy is on the run for his own life.

"Year Of The Gun" is a modest and unmemorable but decent Frankenheimer thriller. The acting is mostly wooden and the story has some logic problems. The film also features a very poorly executed bank robbery-sequence. As a Frankenheimer picture, "YOTG" doesn't come close to matching such great films as "Seven Days In May," "The Manchurian Candidate," and "Black Sunday." Nevertheless, "YOTG" actually manages to be one of the more decent thrillers that Frankenheimer has made in recent years. "YOTG" is only slightly inferior to "Ronin." The movie generates a reasonable amount of suspense. The picture also has none of the blatant ludicrousness that has plagued many of Frankenheimer's post-1960s films.

"YOTG" is a forgettable but decent time killer.

Rating:
Summary: To tackle domestic terrorism
Review: It is easy to knock this movie for its already mentioned shortcomings (not all of which are that serious). Yes, this is a real life story of the assasination of Aldo Moro fictionalized, courtesy of John Frankenheimer. But this is Italy in the 1970's, so why worry ?
Is there any contemporary U.S. director ready to tackle a domestic terrorism story ? David Lynch, perhaps ? "Matrix" hacks ? Coen Brothers ? I do not see any impulse in the contemporary Holywood to join the events forming the U.S. global
policy approach, just the customary bunk employing Vim Diesel
and his ilk. What a waste of dramatic potential... What a waste of all these writers hopelessly stuck in their cozy "cold war" track. It is all about a formula, isn't it ? It should be about "worldview", intelligent grasp of contemporary affairs, and, above all, about anti-Grisham revolt.. Once we abolish "Grisham" mentality, we edge closer to reality.Can these hacks retool in time, before the whole thing overtakes them because the "political correctness" ?? But I am afraid, the film-music composers will defend Grisham and his ilk to the death. The Cold War of old was good to the film music mainly, and also to writers who tried to emulate Tolkien, because the reality seemed to.
THEY WERE WRONG !!! All except Solzhenitsyn,for he knew what he was after.
My bet is - Clint Eastwood will likely come up with something that smacks of Globalpolitik and is also exciting. And the style will (and should) be ivolving Neo-Realistic amateur actors plus an inspired director combination, just like in Vittorio De Sicca or Lucchino Visconti times. Who needs Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, etal., you know what I mean ? I myself could act in a film that means SOMETHING, but then I could not be in a movie where they would make me act phony, right ?
BUT, I watch these phony movies all the time and then I get out of the house and see how true to life they are. Do I dare to ask anyone anything ? They all assume we are on the same wavelength because of the media available to us all. How do I tell them that there is a short-wawe radio service that tells of different opinions, if you speak British English or Australian English or South-African English, not to mention if you speak or understand any other language. You would learn a bit more.

Rating:
Summary: Caution!
Review: This DVD does not have english subtitles for the Italian dialogue. Some minor plot points are not clearly expressed because of this (Unless of course you are fluent in Italian). The old VHS versions have the english translations.
The film itself suffers from its flaws. The plot is a bit convoluted but still acceptable. Andrew McCarthy, John Pankow, and Sharon Stone all deliver somewhat lifeless performances. The already bland script is diminished by the poor delivery from the actors, and some questionable editing. The cinematography vacillates between bland and wonderful.
Despite all of its problems, I still manage to like this film. It is a must for any Frankenheimer devotee, also for any admirer of the wonderful Valeria Golino.

Rating:
Summary: The Movie is Better than the Book
Review: This is one of those occasions where the film beats the book.

The greatest enemy of this movie has nothing to do with the film. It has to do with the fact that how many viewers will care enough about Italy and its communist 70's problems.

Dialogue is dialogue unless its written by Ed Wood. The twists in the plot are enough to keep you watching. And you may even be surprised.

Polical films require the viewer to accept some amazing coincidences, the kind of coincidences that occurred in "The Day of the Jacket," which is referred to in this film also.

The film didn't and wouldn't win an award, and who cares who the director is. The novel was thin also, but again, there is no international intrigue, just an American caught in a duplicious situation.

Rating:
Summary: The Movie is Better than the Book
Review: This is one of those occasions where the film beats the book.

The greatest enemy of this movie has nothing to do with the film. It has to do with the fact that how many viewers will care enough about Italy and its communist 70's problems.

Dialogue is dialogue unless its written by Ed Wood. The twists in the plot are enough to keep you watching. And you may even be surprised.

Polical films require the viewer to accept some amazing coincidences, the kind of coincidences that occurred in "The Day of the Jacket," which is referred to in this film also.

The film didn't and wouldn't win an award, and who cares who the director is. The novel was thin also, but again, there is no international intrigue, just an American caught in a duplicious situation.

Rating:
Summary: great idea, awful execution
Review: What a shame that such an interesting idea for a story was botched so, so badly. The acting and dialogue are damnable, and certain segments are pretentious in the extreme. Thankfully most of the movie is bad in a very conventional way.

This is one film that I hope gets remade someday with more competence. Frankenheimer is usually reliable, but goodness me, this movie fails with a vengeance.

Rating:
Summary: great idea, awful execution
Review: What a shame that such an interesting idea for a story was botched so, so badly. The acting and dialogue are damnable, and certain segments are pretentious in the extreme. Thankfully most of the movie is bad in a very conventional way.

This is one film that I hope gets remade someday with more competence. Frankenheimer is usually reliable, but goodness me, this movie fails with a vengeance.