With the release of both Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" and Brian De Palma's "Mission to Mars" on the same day, you can say there's more evidence for those who still need it that the 70's era of personal, meaningful filmmaking is long past. While De Palma has always seemed to crave the big studio success that others in his circle have found (in fact, he is rumored to have said as much about the stratosphere that pals Spielberg and Lucas attained), Polanski has until now seemed to have stumbled into his Hollywood success phase ("Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown") while always remaining true to his compulsive desire to make films about obsessive characters and themes. His last undisputed critical success was "Tess," made after he declined to return to the US to face statutory rape charges. While not the nail-biting thriller it aimed to be, "Frantic" was certainly far from a by-the-numbers suspense film. It's no easy feat to make Harrison Ford look ordinary, lost and weak (and hence, a very common man).
Each film deals with men and women who find themselves tested as they move against the status quo to find answers or to survive. It is Polanski himself, playing a thug, who slices Jack Nicholson's nose in "Chinatown" for being too nosy. In "Gate" we seem to be at end-game. While there is a muddled mystery in this stylishly decorated and shot film, our protagonist Johnny Depp does all he can to NOT pursue it. He is forever on the phone with the underused Frank Langella (both here and in general. For Pete's sake, will someone give this man a decent part in a good film!) trying to get out of his assignment of authenticating a rare book on the occult. Not that one could blame him, given the pointless nature of the story.
As a "dishy" older woman, Lena Olin gives the film a few moments of smoldering heat that are never allowed to fully catch on fire. Given the sexual tension of his last effort, "Bitter Moon," it seems odd Polanski doesn't pursue this. Olin, looking very different now in her mid-forties, is all set to correct decades of Older Male/Younger Female couplings with the boyish Depp when Polanski cuts away. The answer becomes clear later. For the point of all this mumbo-jumbo about Satan, burned heretics, secret covens and a heretofore unknown circle of rare occult book bibliophiles is this: Roman Polanski's wife "gettin' some." I'm not making this up, folks. What else explains why it is never laid out (sorry for the pun) what exactly anyone thinks will happen when mystery of the books is solved. Does it bring back Old Nick to rule the world or is it just a one-on-one conference thing?
Depp never seems all that concerned that those around him want Lucifer as their NBF (new best friend for the over-25 crowd). As a matter of fact, Depp doesn't seem too concerned about much of anything. Holding four and five hundred year old tomes in his bare hands, he is prone to smoking directly over these supposedly very expensive volumes. No special cases necessary either, apparently, as he casually tosses the books into a battered shoulder bag only occasionally thinking to wrap them in a besotted rag. A note about the music: another parallel than could be made with "Mission to Mars" is the recycled music. In "Mission" Ennio Morricone blatantly used his "Humanity (Part I and II)" from John Carpenter's "The Thing" and here we have Wojciech Kilar aping parts of the score he did for "Bram Stoker's Dracula." Except for this one piece that pops up occasionally that is almost jaunty, sounding much like the theme from "Ghostbusters."
The most surprising thing about both Depp's character and the movie, is how unconcerned with a religious view they are. There's not even lip-service given to whatever faith he is and not so much as a glimpse of a priest or rabbi in the film. The whole point seems to be we get to watch Emmanuelle Seigner (Mrs. Polanski) have a sweaty session atop a seemingly confused Depp while a building burns behind them. Other than that, I'm grasping at straws to explain what it's about or the significance of the last shot. While she is attractive, I think the next time Polanski wants to make a movie to see his wife get boinked, he needs to use a camcorder. Wait for video, or rent one of THOSE videos.
Each film deals with men and women who find themselves tested as they move against the status quo to find answers or to survive. It is Polanski himself, playing a thug, who slices Jack Nicholson's nose in "Chinatown" for being too nosy. In "Gate" we seem to be at end-game. While there is a muddled mystery in this stylishly decorated and shot film, our protagonist Johnny Depp does all he can to NOT pursue it. He is forever on the phone with the underused Frank Langella (both here and in general. For Pete's sake, will someone give this man a decent part in a good film!) trying to get out of his assignment of authenticating a rare book on the occult. Not that one could blame him, given the pointless nature of the story.
As a "dishy" older woman, Lena Olin gives the film a few moments of smoldering heat that are never allowed to fully catch on fire. Given the sexual tension of his last effort, "Bitter Moon," it seems odd Polanski doesn't pursue this. Olin, looking very different now in her mid-forties, is all set to correct decades of Older Male/Younger Female couplings with the boyish Depp when Polanski cuts away. The answer becomes clear later. For the point of all this mumbo-jumbo about Satan, burned heretics, secret covens and a heretofore unknown circle of rare occult book bibliophiles is this: Roman Polanski's wife "gettin' some." I'm not making this up, folks. What else explains why it is never laid out (sorry for the pun) what exactly anyone thinks will happen when mystery of the books is solved. Does it bring back Old Nick to rule the world or is it just a one-on-one conference thing?
Depp never seems all that concerned that those around him want Lucifer as their NBF (new best friend for the over-25 crowd). As a matter of fact, Depp doesn't seem too concerned about much of anything. Holding four and five hundred year old tomes in his bare hands, he is prone to smoking directly over these supposedly very expensive volumes. No special cases necessary either, apparently, as he casually tosses the books into a battered shoulder bag only occasionally thinking to wrap them in a besotted rag. A note about the music: another parallel than could be made with "Mission to Mars" is the recycled music. In "Mission" Ennio Morricone blatantly used his "Humanity (Part I and II)" from John Carpenter's "The Thing" and here we have Wojciech Kilar aping parts of the score he did for "Bram Stoker's Dracula." Except for this one piece that pops up occasionally that is almost jaunty, sounding much like the theme from "Ghostbusters."
The most surprising thing about both Depp's character and the movie, is how unconcerned with a religious view they are. There's not even lip-service given to whatever faith he is and not so much as a glimpse of a priest or rabbi in the film. The whole point seems to be we get to watch Emmanuelle Seigner (Mrs. Polanski) have a sweaty session atop a seemingly confused Depp while a building burns behind them. Other than that, I'm grasping at straws to explain what it's about or the significance of the last shot. While she is attractive, I think the next time Polanski wants to make a movie to see his wife get boinked, he needs to use a camcorder. Wait for video, or rent one of THOSE videos.