The Gunman
Sean Penn co-wrote the screenplay for this foreign-intrigue action thriller whose interesting plot elements vie with routine story devices. The production is buoyed by strong performances by Penn and Javier Bardem as paid assassins in the humanitarian catastrophe of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Romantic rivals, they find themselves targeted by mysterious multinational players who will flinch at nothing. The story jumps to London and Barcelona, where good use is made of the Spanish scenery.
Hard to be a God
Russian director Aleksei German’s final film before his death in 2013 is an adaptation of a novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (who also provided the material for Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker). The story concerns an astronaut mistaken for divine on a planet whose brutal medieval society encourages many comparisons with the Soviet Union. Brilliantly shot in black and white with fish-eye lenses and strangely claustrophobic compositions, Hard to be a God is a rare cinema masterpiece.
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
The title is a misnomer: In Robert Mugge’s documentary of the entertainment industry at war, Bob Hope is one among many stars who played their part in World War II. Some (Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable) enlisted; most opted for United Service Organizations shows, bond drives or Armed Forces Radio. The seldom-seen archival footage is fascinating and includes clips of many of the era’s stars. Humphrey Bogart managed to sound a little cynical even when waxing patriotic.
