KICKING AND SCREAMING (1995) (A-minus) - Going back to the beginning, here is the debut feature from Noah Baumbach, which establishes his ease with banter and fragile male egos surrounded by manic pixie dream girls. It revolves around Grover (Josh Hamilton), who leads a cadre of smart alecks as they are cast adrift after college graduation.
These prepsters can't quit each other as they stumble out of the career gate, preferring to cling to their alma mater, where life remains simple and familiar. Standing out here is the understated Chris Eigeman (who a few years earlier helped launch Whit Stillman's career in "Metropolitan" and "Barcelona") as the sullen Max. We also get the drolly funny Carlos Jacott as Otis (routinely clad in a pajama top) and Jason Wiles as dippy Skippy. These goofballs hang out in the vicinity of perennial student/bartender Chet (Eric Stoltz), the wise Yoda among these rascals.
Olivia D'Abo (transitioning from TV's "The Wonder Years") rocks a retainer as Grover's ingenue who got away (off to Prague, which is treated like a cliche getaway in the mid-'90s), while indie heavyweight Parker Posey (totally in her milieu) and Cara Buono show more of an edge and less patience with these grown boys. The writing is sharp, and the simmering ennui is wonderfully underplayed. This was the emergence of Gen X, and much of the characterizations ring true.
CABARET (1972) (B) - This seems more like a curiosity than a foundational piece of '70s cinema, but it has its moments. Being of the era, this dances around some sensitive issues as it goes back in time 40 years to Berlin on the brink of Nazi rule to filter everything through the lens of a nihilistic nightclub, though it does dare to address (to a degree) free love, homosexuality and abortion.
Bob Fosse recovered from his debut flop (1969's "Sweet Charity") and emerged with his signature visual flair as he mixes in cabaret numbers with the dramatic vignettes revolving around American Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) and her gay British pal Brian (a confident, nuanced Michael York). Joel Grey steals the show as the club's emcee.
The biggest issue here is the refusal to take on the Nazi problem with any depth or sophistication. The brown shirts are a looming menace, but they are treated more conceptually than head-on, depicted more as annoying pamphleteers than bullies. The original source material is to be respected, but the tension between musical decadence and the building political storm results in more affectation than piercing provocation.
Still, Fosse's vision here (his use of distorted images and misdirection are impressive) and the songs of Kander & Ebb (among others) are truly compelling at times, and just try to get some of these tunes out of your head a week later. Minnelli comes across as a lightweight in the first half of the film, but either she grows on you or she simply learned how to act by the end of the production, because she can be affecting down the stretch, leading to the belting out of the title tune and the haunting final visual.
BONUS TRACKS
Let's put together our list, now that we've seen 10, of Noah Baumbach films (as director), in order of preference and with links to reviews:
- The Squid and the Whale
- Frances Ha
- Marriage Story
- Margot at the Wedding
- Kicking and Screaming
- Greenberg
- The Meyerowitz Stories
- DePalma (documentary with Jake Paltrow)
- While We're Young
- Mistress America
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