Cuba (1979)

Major Robert Dapes (Sean Connery) arrives in Cuba during the revolution.  He has been hired by General Bello (Martin Balsam) to help deal with the revolutionaries.  Dapes is given an assistant/minder, Captain Ramirez (Hector Elizondo), and authority to go where he will.  Though he begins well enough, he forgets his purpose when he spots Alexandra "Alex" Pulido (Brooke Adams), a woman whom he loved in North Africa during World War II.  Alex is married to the owner of a cigar factory, Juan (Chris Sarandon), who is cheating on her with Therese (Lonette McKee).  Therese's brother, Julio, is furious about the affair and intends to kill Juan for the effrontery.  Of course, Julio is also a revolutionary.  Meanwhile, Larry Gutman (Jack Westson) is an American businessman who is eager to purchase the cigar factory.  In order to get the cigars to Miami, he seeks out Donald Skinner (Denholm Elliott), the owner of Skinner Air and a man not above selling ammunition to the revolution.  Yes, there are entirely too many characters in this story, each of whom get solo attention through the movie.

It was funny to see David Rappaport as part of the cast.  He and Connery would star together again in both Time Bandits (1981) and Sword of the Valiant (1984).  His role is small (no pun intended), and partly dubbed.  Either that, or he could really deepen his voice.  His use of a pistol was unintentionally comical.

The ensemble cast is entirely wrong for the movie.  As a mini-series, this lack of focus might have been fine, but here Director Richard Lester only has 2 hours to tell his story.  The emotional rollercoaster between Dapes and Alex is unbelievable.  Dapes acts like Alex was the love of his life and he has not been involved with anyone since.  Maybe he hasn't, but that isn't made clear.  It gets weird when she reveals that she was 15 during the affair.  Yikes.  Clearly, Lester wanted to offer a cross-section of Cuba at the time of the revolution, giving a picture of all facets of society at the time.  Yes, it is often interesting but not entertaining.  It is eager to show how bad Batista was and thus paints the revolution as something positive.  The movie ends on the 'high note' of Castro entering Havana.  Then again, all of the characters we have met are worse off than when they started.

Skip this one.

A Room with a View (1985)

It is 1908.  Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) and her chaperon, Miss Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith) open the window of their room in Florence, Italy to discover an alley.  They had been promised a room with a view.  At dinner that evening, the lack of a view becomes the topic of discussion among the many English visitors staying at the pensione.  Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliott) eagerly offers to switch rooms, since he and his son, George (Julian Sands), care nothing of the view. Charlotte declines as it would place an undue obligation on them.  No, it just wouldn't do.  However, Lucy is more broadminded and wishes that the switch had been accepted.  Reverend Mr. Beebe (Simon Callow) gladly intercedes to overcome the awkwardness of the situation.  As English tourists, it is unsurprising that they go on outings together.  George and Lucy meet more than once without Charlotte, sharing a passionate kiss.  Charlotte intervenes before anything further happens, but she booked immediate passage back to England.

Back in England, Lucy accepts a proposal for marriage from Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis), an unappealing and bookish prig.  He has all the passion of a damp rag.  Still, Lucy appears happy, and her future is set.  Until!  The Emersons arrive and let a villa.  George becomes fast friends with Lucy's brother, Freddy (Rupert Graves).  Thrust together once again, Lucy cannot help but compare the cold fish of Cecil to the torrid desire of George.  What will she do?

The outcome is never in doubt though the path to that destination has its charms.  The exploration of Florence and the surrounding countryside is a highlight.  The characters are generally well-developed.  Rupert Graves as a goofball brother was fun.  He's just overflowing with charm.  Helena Bonham Carter is startlingly young.  She is generally very good though her crying scenes didn't quite ring true.  Not expecting nudity, it was quite surprising when Sands, Graves, and Callow offered the full Monty while 'bathing' at a nearby pond. Funny, sure, but maybe a bit more filming from the waist up or limiting it to butt shots.  Daniel Day-Lewis felt miscast. I am so used to him being a magnetic personality that this vapid empty suit felt all wrong.  Of course, this was early in his career, but it felt like he wasn't trying.  Maggie Smith is excellent as always.

As a romantic period piece, it is well done.  Not my usual fare, but worth a watch for fans of any of the actors.  A glimpse into the mores of Edwardian England and early 20th century Italy.

Saint Jack (1979)

Jack Flowers (Ben Gazzara) is an American living in Singapore in the early 70s.  Though he has a 'job' with Mr. Hing, his true profession is pimp.  His dream job is to run a brothel, but the locals don't like the idea of a foreigner in that position.  Jack seems to know everyone as he wanders the streets.  He makes friends easily, most notably an accountant from Hong Kong, William Leigh (Denholm Elliott).  William follows Jack on his rounds, both witnessing some girls performing for a client and fleeing from angry rivals.  Jack introduces William to the local expat community that includes Yardley (Joss Ackland) and Frogget (James Villiers); they are mostly drunk.  Speaking of alcohol, Jack lives on it.  He is repeatedly told to eat by a matronly Chinese woman and, though he agrees that she is right, pours himself a Scotch.  When things look particularly bleak for Jack, CIA operative Eddie Schuman (Peter Bogdanovich) provides a jackpot opportunity: run a brothel that caters to US servicemen on leave.  Schuman also offers a big score if Jack can get embarrassing photos of a visiting senator (George Lazenby).

Jack is the movie.  There are twists and turns, opportunities and setbacks, successes and tragedies along the way, but not much of a plot.  It is the exploration of the life of a genial but immoral man.  For a man out to make a fortune, he is astonishingly generous.  He gave away the watch he was wearing to a random prostitute so she could gift it to a boyfriend, he offered a music box to another woman he has just met, he buys drinks for virtually anyone he encounters, and yet he is often in financial difficulty that he sold his car.  At one point, he encounters Katie, who says the kids asked about him.  Whoa, he has an ex-wife and kids that he never contacts.  Interesting.  His friendship with William is an annual thing that has three instances.  When in Singapore to check Mr. Hing's books, William and Jack are best friends.  William has plans of returning to England before much longer, but it often seems as though he has a lot more to say but is unwilling to say it.  There is a deeper backstory to William that is only hinted at.

Gazzara is good in the role, managing to be quite likeable for a pimp.  Other than Denholm Elliott, none of the other characters are fleshed out.  It was funny to see George Lazenby, the man who abandoned James Bond after one outing, playing the small role of a US Senator looking for a good time.

Skip.