CINEMA
CINEMA
CINEMA
Never Say Never Again
Produced by Jack Schwartzman, starring Sean Connery
What must be something like
the fourteenth or fifteenth
James Bond movie opened at the
McDonald Theater last Friday.
Never Say Never Again is unique
because it marks the return of
Sean Connery to the role of 007.
The last time Connery played the
role was in 1971’s Diamonds Are
Forever. The word is that when
he finished that film Connery
said, “Never again.” Hence the
title.
This James Bond movie has
some differences from the Films
we are used to seeing. The famil
iar title music is not used, and
though “Q” and Miss Money
penny are around, they are not
played by the people we are used
to seeing in those roles. The rea
son is: This movie was not pro
duced by the same people who
usually bring us Mr. Bond. Al
bert R. Broccoli didn’t own the
rights to this story the way he
does to all the other Ian Fleming
material.
But have no fear. Jack
Schwartzman, who produced
Never Say Never Again, came as
close to the Broccoli formula as
he could without breaking any
copyrights. Like all the past
Bond Films, this one is a mix of
softcore porn, violence, and
technology. And the screenplay
is full of the glib comments the
films in this series are known
for.
What makes this 007 a little
better than the ones of recent
years is the return of Sean Con
nery. Connery delivers his lines
with much more humor than
Roger Moore has ever mustered.
Moore (of the latter Broccoli
Bond Films) plays Bond flat
footed and flat-voiced. Connery
cannot only change the tone of
his voice; he keeps the tone in his
muscle. At Fifty-three Connery is
still in better shape than most
younger actors. The result is a
vigor he brings to the role that
the lackluster Moore is missing.
But Connery is not the film’s
only saving grace. The overall
acting skills of the cast are way
above what’s been seen in the
most recent Bond films. From
Klaus Maria Brandaure’s villain
to Kim Basinger’s heroine, the
individual characters all give off
a sense of being real people. As
with the return of Connery, this
lifts the movie a little higher than
we’re used to seeing.
The story is the biggest disap
pointment in this film. It’s just a
remake of Thunderball.
Of course, like all the James
Bond films, Never Say Never
Again reeks with the smell of
sexism. Under the thin plot
about stolen “H” bombs, the
men are really battling for the
sexual attention of the women.
And that’s all the women of the
film are given—sexual attention.
Though there is no nudity in the
film, the women are always
dressed in something that looks
like it’s about ready to fall off.
And any time James Bond shows
up—it does.
Irvin Kershner (The Empire
Strikes Back) directed this spy
wars episode. But like the Star
Wars films, the James Bond
films are really the creation of
the producer. And as was stated
before, this one is like the others
in production quality.
This is the twentieth year of
the James Bond films. It all
started in 1963 with Doctor No.
They seem to be telling us some
thing. And it is this: when sexual
prowess is coupled with superior
technology, there is no enemy
who can’t be beaten or woman
who can’t be kept in her place. A
sad comment on our times.
—John Mitchell
(Film reviews by John Mitchell can
also be heard on KLCC 89.7 FM.)
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MOVIES
THIS
WEEK
Big Chill: A group of old college friends
meet for one friend's funeral and spend
weekend
together.
National
(344-3431).
Eddie and the Cruisers: Cinema World
(342-6536).
Emanuelle, The Joys of a Woman: Criti
cally acclaimed. Rated R. Wed.-Sai. Bijou
l .ate Nile (686-2458).
The Golden Seal: A boy saves a seal from
hunters. Springfield Quad (726-9073).
Halloween/The Zombie: Mav flower
(345-1022).
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence: David
Bowie is a British POW in a Japanese
WW II prison camp. Valley River Twin
(686-8633).
Mr. Mom: Dad stays home to raise three
kids while Mom pursues her
Springfield Quad (726-9073).
Never Say Never Again: Sean Connery re
turns to the .lames Bond role. McDonald
(344-4343).
Porky’s II: Oakway Cinema (342-5351).
Revenge of the Ninja: Springfield Quad
(726-9073).
A Romantic Comedv: Cinema World
(342-6536)
Say Amen. Somebody: A delightful and
informative Him about gospel music and
the people behind it, including some of
the most influential of gospel greats. An
intimate look at this unique and wonder
ful piece of American culture. Back by
popular demand. Oct. 13-19. Cinema 7
(687-0733).
Snow White: Disney animation. Showing
with Tron. Cinema World (342-6536).
Survivors: Pine Arts (747-2201).
Tootsie: Dustin Hoffman stars as Tootsie.
Showing with The Survivors. Fine Arts
(747-2201).
Trading Places: Comedy starring Dan
Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. Cinema
World (342-6536).
Tron: Computer fantasy from Disney
studios. Showing with Snow White. Cine
ma World (342-6536).
Vacation: A National I ampoon comedy
with Chew Chase. Springfield Quad
(726-9073).
We of the Never Never: Nominated for six
awards. this Australian film is the story of
a woman who goes to live at a cattle sta
tion in the Outback around the turn of the
century. Bijou (686-2458).
Zelig: Woody Allen's new 111m with Mia
Farrow. Valley River Twin (686-8633).
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ORDER TO GO-343-9587
We of the Never Never
i
Directed by Igor Auzins (Australia, 1982)
Starring Angela Punch McGregor, Arthur Dignam
we or the Never Never, the
second film of young Latvian
born director Igor Auzins, is a
stirring historical drama based
on a classic Australian novel. A
bolder version of Richard
Pearce’s 1979 film, Heartland,
We of the Never Never concerns
thirty-year-old, city-bred Jean
nie, who must make the transi
tion from civilized Melbourne to
the barren outback of the North
ern Territory—called “Never
Never Land” by the aborigi
nes—when she marries the Sta
tion boss (Arthur Dignam).
Jeannie’s struggle to over
come the rejection of the stock
men and the suspicion of the na
tives, and to assert her indepen
dence and strength as a woman
is vividly realized in Angela
Punch McGregor’s commanding
performance as Jeannie Gunn.
Jeannie takes every hardship in
stride, uses her intuition and em
pathy to counter the stockmen’s
resentment and the aborigines’
skepticism of a woman’s pres
ence.
Nominated for six Australian
Academy Awards, the cinema
tography of We of the Never
Never manages to capture the
outback in all its paradoxical
beauty and harshness. The Aus
tralian Film Institute awarded
the Film a posthumous award for
Best Cinematography to Gary
Hansen, who was killed shortly
after the Film’s completion in a
helicopter crash while working
on another project. The combin
ation of cinematic splendor and
thematics such as the struggle to
come to terms with an alien envi
women’s emancipa
ronment,
tion, and racism make We of the
Never Never a visually and intel
lectually striking film.
—Cathy Sarkowsky
tFihn reviews by Cathy Sarkowsky
an also be heard on KLCC 89.7
FM.)
==.
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