Hey folks, Harry here with Naughty McFly's look at THE GUYS. And from the sound of it, it is actually really really quite good. And we have a new filmmaker to be following called Jim Simpson. Without further from me, here ya go...
Greetings and salutations, Harry. Post this, don't post this, whatever, but hear my ramblings. I just wanted to report on "The Guys", which I saw over this past weekend at the Philadelphia weekend Film Festival. I didn't know anything about this film walking in, other than the fact that it starred the festival's guest of honor, Sigourney Weaver. I would not call myself a Weaver fan, but I did enjoy her work in "Ghostbusters", "Alien", and other prestigous, Academy Award winning features. However, I must say, her and her costar, Aussie thesp Anthony LaPaglia, have performed in one of the most powerful films of the past year.
The story deals with a reporter, played by Weaver, living in New York, who is contacted by LaPaglia's fire marshal 10 days after 9-11. He is having trouble writing eulogies for the 8 men who died under his command on that fateful day, and needs a writer for help. Weaver complies, figuring she can pay some homage to the 'heroes' that she hears about on the news. However, when they get down to writing the eulogies, she begins to realize that these men weren't heroes in the Rambo or Indiana Jones sense. These were ordinary Joes who had personalities who were doing their job on a day that required them to sacrifice their lives. We hear the fire chief explain about the quiet mentor, the fresh-faced newbie, the family man, and the goof-off, who all lost their lives attempting to save a few.
I will first begin with the good, because that will take a bit longer. Stage director (and husband of Weaver), Jim Simpson has made a powerful film debut with "The Guys". Aside from a few amateurly repeated stock footage of fire house security cameras and real firemen, he handles the job with subtlety and grace. He never succumbs to the tempting use of footage of the towers collapsing or the news broadcasts, because he knows that the audience is fully aware of the situation. Weaver and LaPaglia both do magnificant performances, even under an unexpected quandry- during the editing of the film, Simpson realized that the entire movie had been shot out of focus, and the low budget (750 grand) didn't permit for him to use dailies during the shoot. So he had to reassemble his wife and LaPaglia, and forced them to reconnect themselves with the characters, which added a necessary wearriness to the characters unexpected in a production like this.
Jim Simpson has made an INCREDIBLY emotional and powerful film, especially for New Yorkers and Jersey boys and girls, such as meself. And aside from a few repetitive moments, Simpson's film is tight and knows what works and what doesn't. My three favorite 'talkie' films, in order, are "Glenngarry Glen Ross", "The Big Kahuna", and now, "The Guys". This is a movie worth watching on the big screen, with many people, so you won't feel like the only one who's eyes are moist. Adios.
And, for manner's sake, I must provide you with a name. I suppose you shall call me...
Naughty McFly!!
