Alan j. Pakula did some really fine films as a director. All the President's men. Sohphie's Choice. Klute. My personal favorite Love, Pain, and the whole darn things. Others too. All his films have a very strong core of emotions and fears. This one is no exception, and in many ways is his best in terms of creating those emotions and more profoundly those fears. Pakula directs with his heart sometimes more than his head, but that allows him to create some wonderful visuals. The opening of this film is incredibly strong with the assassination of a politician in the Seattle Space Needle We are introduced to our film's lead, Warren Beatty, as a reporter covering this political event. He does not make it up to the event but his friend Paul Prentiss does. She witnesses the killing. Three years go by and she comes to Beatty saying that all those that witnessed the event are being killed. She soon dies and Beatty does some investigating. Well, you will be surprised the direction the film takes as it is not along the storyline I just outlined. The Parallax View is an interesting, taut, suspenseful film that should make you thing. It makes you look for not just conspiracy in every corner but conspiracy in every corner of every corner. It also resonates with much of what is going on today with trust issues with government, media, law enforcement, etc.. The film has some quality acting. Beatty is good. Lots of supporting help by some real good actors like William Daniels, Hume Cronyn, Prentiss, Jim Davis, Kenneth Mars, Kelly Thorsden as a corrupt sheriff, and more. Additionally, there are some excellent shots in the film. Th aforementioned opening, the assassination of a politician at the end(various scenes here), a dam, and many more. The only real problem for me at times was the script. Sometimes it was a bit vague. Sometimes it lingered(like with the monatage). Sometimes it had poor transitions like where the film looks like it is going and where it really goes. But overall this is a powerful film.
Review of The Parallax View
