Movie of the Week – The Man Who Would Be King

This week’s movie: The Man Who Would Be King (1975).

This story of friendship follows Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan, two British soldiers in India who decide to leave the army and embark on an adventure to Kafiristan. It is a land in which no white man has stepped since Alexander the Great. In such a land, these two common men could be kings, if not deities.

The film is written and directed by the great Hollywood filmmaker John Huston. He is also responsible for such wonderful films as The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, and The African Queen. The Man Who Would Be King, however, is his last great film and the best of his later years (of note as well: he took a strong supporting role in Chinatown around the same time he made this). Huston worked with excellent composer Maurice Jarre (whose score for Lawrence of Arabia is one of cinema’s best), cinematographer Oswald Morris, and production designer Alexandre Trauner.

The cast is also fantastic. Sean Connery and Michael Caine star, and have great chemistry together. Christopher Plummer and Saeed Jaffrey feature in support.

Based on a story by Rudyard Kipling (the great British poet), The Man Who Would Be King is an exceptional buddy film. Connery and Caine work so well together, making the adventure they undertake an enjoyable cinematic experience with fun action and comedy. And, they are both strong actors as well, enabling the film to also play as a good drama. The film has become somewhat forgotten in time, but it is well worth looking up for fans of Connery, Caine, Huston, and/or adventure films.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week – Chinatown

This week’s movie: Chinatown (1974).

The private detective film is about J.J. Gittes, an investigator who takes on an adultery case. While snooping around, Gittes uncovers a grander scheme of murder that has something to do with water.

Chinatown is writer-director Roman Polanski’s greatest film – his career highlights include: Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby, The Tenant, Frantic, and The Pianist. Polanski works with a wonderful group on the film including composer Jerry Goldsmith (whose score is perfect for the tone), cinematographer John Alonzo, and production designer Richard Sylbert (who worked on many of the best films of New Hollywood, including: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Graduate, and Rosemary’s Baby).

The film stars Jack Nicholson, who gives one of his best performances (maybe only second to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), and co-stars Faye Dunaway and John Huston.

Chinatown was made after the boom of great film noir detective films of the 1940s and 1950s, but still carries many of the genre’s attributes – albeit with a modern aesthetic (which is one of the things that make the film great). It is on IMDb’s top 250, the 2012 Critics’ Poll Top 250, and AFI’s Top 100 films of all-time list, and yet it only won one Oscar (despite being nominated for eleven, including Best Picture). It is a must-see for fans of detective mysteries and those looking to be acquainted with the best films ever made.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming