In a retrospective on the occasion of his 2005 honorary Oscar (he lost all five for which he competed), Manohla Dargis called him "one of the last of the great movie moralists," noting:
Mr. Lumet has remained stubbornly engaged with the world... his films express both the dramatist's concern with human struggles and a social scientist's interest in society and social change. Few American filmmakers capture the dirty gleam of enamel-paint walls, the chipped wood-veneer and naked light-bulb ugliness of institutions as persuasively as Mr. Lumet. He has been doing his part to sustain Hollywood's great humanist tradition.
The NYT is right about it being unsuccessful, but my favorite Lumet was always the underappreciated little gem Running On Empty. Excellent collection of actors, wonderful script and Lumets direction is top notch. I always loved just how good River Phoenix and Martha Plimpton are together in it.
ReplyDeleteIn college I took a course on WWII/Holocaust history, and we watched The Pawnbroker. I wasn't sure how I would respond, having read the novel, but it stayed with me for many many years. That's why I've always been so awed by Lumet - his movies stick.
ReplyDeleteWas there any director who more fit the definition of a professional? Lumet was always technically great, got great performances and like Adam said, brought a sense of reality to everything, even the most surreal scenes in Network. What he didn't ever seem to do was point out the fact that he was directing a movie. He wasn't as flashy as Scorcese, wasn't as precise as Kubrick, instead he disappeared behind the camera but every movie he made was well above average and many of them were great.
ReplyDeleteSeconding @JJF on Running on Empty. Outstanding and criminally underseen.
ReplyDeleteLumet's last film, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, was also terrific (not top tier of his oeuvre, but still terrific), and he shot it when he was like 82.
Remember Lumet for his movies about the injustice of the social justice system, but don't forget that he made one of the funniest romantic comedies (about New York: "Just Tell Me What You Want" starring Ali McGraw and Alan King. Sidesplitting. And it sticks just as much as "The PAwnbroker" and "THe Verdict."
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