Falling Down
A film that literally shocked people out of their preordained conceptions about society in 1993 and twenty years later remains incredibly relevant in the wake of mass shootings and the actions of real life people who have become āfed upā with the way this country works, director Joel Schumacher and screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith managed to craft what still remains arguably the best movie of the decade with a story about an average forty something middle class white guy in Los Angeles whom, faced with the everyday negative attitudes and asshole-like behavior of the various people he encounters over the course of one day, winds up completely snapping and going over the edge, literally lashing out with violence and kicking ass and taking names in the process. Michael Douglas in the lead role gives without a doubt his career-best performance, never playing it safe and keeping his acting edgy from beginning to end. The early scenes where he runs afoul of a Korean store owner (who refuses to break change for him) and a couple of Mexican gang members seems to almost give the movie a more racial edge, but as it goes on and the script seems to reflect more and more of the actual flaws throughout society regardless of race, does one come to understand the actual brilliance of the writing when it comes to the rapid fire social commentary in scene after scene, even going so far as to make note of the general uselessness of golf courses as exclusive havens of rich old men when the real estate could be better used for playgrounds and picnics for children and their families. But saying thatās the tip of the iceberg doesnāt even come close. We soon find out what is the primary cause of Douglasā instability: his ex-wife (Barbara Hershey), who seems to have no concern, compassion, or sympathy for him whatsoever, has completely ruined his life as it turns out, having actually accused him of being CAPABLE of violence when he had NEVER been violent towards her ever, and using it to bring a restraining order against him that prevents him from seeing her and their little girl that they had together, even though his daughter seemingly still loves her daddy when she sees him towards the end. Of course, that pretty much means that Douglasā stated goal throughout the film is to āgo homeā to Venice Beach and see his daughter on her birthday, going mostly on foot across LA and experiencing firsthand the sickening decay of the city and its people. Contrasting with that is the performance of Robert Duvall as the about to retire LA cop which, while not Oscar worthy as Douglas was, winds up being a good solid turn which shows Duvallās character as a guy that knows exactly how a guy like Douglas might feel, but yet still knows that he has to bring him down, even as he prepares to retire to the middle of nowhere with his unstable wife played by Tuesday Weld (who like Hershey, was once among the most beautiful actresses to ever live before she got older and gained weight), herself broken to pieces (like Duvall) over the death of their own two year old daughter years before. Indeed, even while stuck behind a desk because he canāt even stand to be on the streets anymore, he regularly finds himself belittled by his fellow cops, yet manages to absorb it all with good cheer probably because he remains happily married and also still good friends with his old female partner played by Rachel Ticotin. And this is a good thing, as Duvallās scenes bring a levity to the film which allows us to catch our breath from one amazing setpiece after another involving Douglas, the most unforgettable being his encounter with a Nazi surplus store owner played by Frederic Forrest, stealing the movie for about ten minutes as he aids and shelters Douglas from the cops before bringing him in the back and showing him his arsenal of weapons and gear. While the film portrays all levels of society from top to bottom, it deserves credit for never getting truly political or ātaking a sideā so to speak despite Douglasā backstory about what he does for a living, portraying him instead as an equal opportunist when it comes to taking out his perceived enemies, which in turn gives it a much more universal appeal while also showing us that when we seek out those who have ruined our country and our standard of living, oftentimes we find the guilty parties to be none other than ourselves and ourselves only. In the end, a truly mesmerizing, absorbing, and important piece of work, for whom teenagers and eternal optimists should have it shown to them before going out into the worldā¦
10/10