Tonight's marathon is centered around the theme of obsession and how it evolves once you get to know someone. The title is very broad and allows for that theme to be shown in several different angles such as a guy working at a photo lab becoming obsessed with a family after creating endless photos of them, a cop and a serial killer sharing a unique and disturbing relationship that is largely based around a cat and mouse game, a cop getting involved with his female suspect in a passionate relationship and whose also a potential killer in a homicide, two old colleagues reuniting after a decade to stop a villain more sinister than Hannibal Lecter, and an ex con being released from prison and seeks revenge on the lawyer who defended him 14 years prior and his family. This is a marathon that's strategically planned out and it's objective is to show how deep the rabbit hole goes in regards to obsession. Obsession can be a very dangerous game that's not without it's consequences. Tonight's marathon shows those consequences. We have on our superb menu for this evening:
One Hour Photo 2002, Insomnia 2002, Basic Instinct 1992, Hannibal 2001, and Cape Fear 1991
One Hour Photo 2002, Insomnia 2002, Basic Instinct 1992, Hannibal 2001, and Cape Fear 1991
What makes this marathon stand out is the sheer power of the performances behind the camera. The acting is what makes these movies special and propel the storytelling. A movie like One Hour Photo is made the film it is today because of the career turning performance of academy award winning actor Robin Williams. His convincing turn of a lonely photo shop employee at Save mart with a downright creepy edge made the film exciting and engaging. His second villainous turn in Insomnia alongside acting titan Al Pacino and director Christopher Nolan cemented him as one of the most versatile actors of his generation with this epic turn as a killer. Anthony Hopkins chilling performance as Hannibal Lecter made Hannibal a highly anticipated blockbuster as well as one of the greatest movie villains that ever graced the screen. Cape Fear is the classic remake it is today because of Robert Deniro's unforgettable turn as ex convict Max Cady who reconnects with his lawyer after spending over a decade behind bars swearing vengeance upon him for sabotaging his case of viciously raping a young underage girl. Some of the greatest directors of the last 20 years also help direct these actors to critical acclaim such as Christopher Nolan helming Insomnia, Paul Verhoeven behind Basic Instinct, Ridley Scott behind Hannibal, and Martin Scorsesse behind the 1960's remake of Cape Fear.
The first movie of the night is the 2002 critically acclaimed thriller titled One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, and Michael Vartan. The story centers around an employee at a one- hour photo lab becoming obsessed and infatuated with a young wife, husband, and son through the creation of their pictures from the film they deliver to him on occasion. As Williams gets more obsessed with the family, he begins to gain insight into their personal lives and imagines himself as a member of the family such as the beloved uncle that usually is in the background of the scenery in the pictures. What makes One Hour Photo such an exciting and crafty psychological thriller is you totally buy Williams performance as a man whose lonely in the world and see's his glimmer of light through doing these families photographs but also appears to be someone with a dark side to his nature. Someone that if pushed in a negative way can do some sinister things. One Hour Photo is a triumph not just as a movie but for Williams himself who proved to audiences that he can do much more than just Comedy and Drama. The films quality was always going to rely on the strength of it's lead actor and Williams carried the entire film on his back.
The second movie of the marathon takes Williams dark side and brings it to his full potential with Christopher Nolan's 2002 thriller titled Insomnia. Fresh off the critical success of Memento, Nolan continues to stake his claim as one of the defining directors of the 21st century with his second big Hollywood feature that's a remake of a 1997 Norweigian film where two Los Angeles police detectives are dispatched to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a local teen. The lack of night in the small Alaskan town takes its toll on Pacino's character as he makes a fatal mistake during the pursuit of Williams character and now has his fatal error used against him forcing the two men to join union in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Insomnia ended up becoming one of the best critically reviewed movies of 2002 but failed to generate any awards interest. It succeeds as a fantastic psychological drama due to the performances of Al Pacino and Robin Williams as a unique and fantastic duo combined with Nolan's slick directing and Alaskan scenery.
The third movie of the marathon is the Paul Verhoeven 1992 blockbuster and controversial thriller titled Basic Instinct starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. Nominated for two academy awards including Best Music and Best Film Editing, the story centers around a police detective played by Michael Douglas being placed in charge of a murder investigation involving a beautiful yet seductive woman. During the investigation, he begins a passionate obsession with the seductive woman regardless of the contradictions within the evidence. Basic Instinct received a lot of controversy upon it's release for all the explicit sex scenes and nudity. Sharon Stone's leg crossing moment became one of the most iconic moments in film history, and put her on the map of becoming a major movie star. The moral of this film is this: Cops should not get involved with their suspects.
The fourth movie of the marathon is Ridley Scott's 2001 blockbuster sequel to the 1991 academy award winning film titled Silence Of The Lambs. Taking place a good ten years after the events of the previous film, the story finds Hannibal Lecter trying to reconnect with a disgraced FBI agent named Clarice Sterling after hearing of her missteps while on duty. He comes to her out of help when a more sinister villain targets Lecter with the intention of seeking revenge from a prior meeting. Hannibal didn't quite receive the critical acclaim that Silence Of The Lambs achieved due to a much darker storyline and the loss of Jodie Foster in the role of Clarice Sterling. Although Julianne Moore did a fitting job replacing Jodie Foster in the iconic role, the film lacked the personal interaction between the two which made the first film a classic. Hannibal does come with some iconic moments of it's own such as the famous dinner sequence in which Ray Liotta's brain is served on the menu. The final moments between Hannibal and Clarice are a fanboys dream come true but one wishes the books original ending where Hannibal and Clarice fall in love and run off together was used in the film instead of the original theatrical ending.
The fifth and final movie of the evening is Martin Scorsesse's 1991 thriller titled Cape Fear
starring Robert Deniro and Nick Nolte. Nominated for two academy awards including Best Actor for Robert Deniro and Best Actress for Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear centers around an ex con named Max Cady being released from prison after a 14 year sentence and seeking his revenge by terrorizing the family of the lawyer who defended him prior. The twist in the case is that Cady's sentence was deliberate because Nolte's character Sam made a moral choice to bury evidence that would've set Cady free due to the heinous nature of the crime. Although the film didn't exceed the critical acclaim of the 1962 original starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum but the film is generally considered one of the definitive films that prove that remakes can be great movies on their own right if done correctly. Cape Fear 1991 has stood the test of time as one of the best thrillers ever and brings home the theme of obsession with a man becoming obsessed with a person's family in the same vein Robin Williams got obsessed with the family in One Hour Photo.
So what are these movies trying to say when you put them all together? The message behind the theme of when relationships turn into obsession is that there is ultimately relationships that are healthy and relationships that are unhealthy. The unhealthy relationships can lead to obsession which doesn't come without a disastrous cost and can also be a persons downfall. For a movie like One Hour Photo, the message is that no one takes a picture of something they want to forget. People who act like Robin Williams character just want to be loved and supported but can also take that desire in the wrong direction. Insomnias message is that you should always do the right thing at the end of the day and not lose your way. Basic Instincts message ultimately says that you should never get involved with your clients or suspects no matter how tempting it is. Hannibal says that you cannot escape your past and that it will ultimately catch up with you. Sometimes the one person who is the most unusual individual could end up being the person who understands you more than anyone else. Cape Fear 1991 says that sometimes the most creepy person can teach you a thing or two about commitment and appreciating what you have in front of you. A lawyer should always defend their client to the fullest regardless of whether they believe they are innocent and guilty.
The fifth and final movie of the evening is Martin Scorsesse's 1991 thriller titled Cape Fear
starring Robert Deniro and Nick Nolte. Nominated for two academy awards including Best Actor for Robert Deniro and Best Actress for Juliette Lewis, Cape Fear centers around an ex con named Max Cady being released from prison after a 14 year sentence and seeking his revenge by terrorizing the family of the lawyer who defended him prior. The twist in the case is that Cady's sentence was deliberate because Nolte's character Sam made a moral choice to bury evidence that would've set Cady free due to the heinous nature of the crime. Although the film didn't exceed the critical acclaim of the 1962 original starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum but the film is generally considered one of the definitive films that prove that remakes can be great movies on their own right if done correctly. Cape Fear 1991 has stood the test of time as one of the best thrillers ever and brings home the theme of obsession with a man becoming obsessed with a person's family in the same vein Robin Williams got obsessed with the family in One Hour Photo.
So what are these movies trying to say when you put them all together? The message behind the theme of when relationships turn into obsession is that there is ultimately relationships that are healthy and relationships that are unhealthy. The unhealthy relationships can lead to obsession which doesn't come without a disastrous cost and can also be a persons downfall. For a movie like One Hour Photo, the message is that no one takes a picture of something they want to forget. People who act like Robin Williams character just want to be loved and supported but can also take that desire in the wrong direction. Insomnias message is that you should always do the right thing at the end of the day and not lose your way. Basic Instincts message ultimately says that you should never get involved with your clients or suspects no matter how tempting it is. Hannibal says that you cannot escape your past and that it will ultimately catch up with you. Sometimes the one person who is the most unusual individual could end up being the person who understands you more than anyone else. Cape Fear 1991 says that sometimes the most creepy person can teach you a thing or two about commitment and appreciating what you have in front of you. A lawyer should always defend their client to the fullest regardless of whether they believe they are innocent and guilty.
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