Logging

Film: The Onion Field

In the past year, there are only two films that have blown my mind. The first was watching Burt Reynolds in White Lightning at the QT festival at the New Beverly. I think that movie could play alongside Badlands and hold its own. The second is The Onion Field, which I just watched on Netflix instant. The only movie I can remember structured in a similar way is Zodiac. The story revolves around a single incident in an onion field outside Bakersfield - a crime - and the aftermath and how the crime affects all the people involved - victims, families, the perpetrators, the system of justice. Just an amazing overall movie. Might be James Woods best performance as the creepy and smart low-level criminal. One of Harold Becker's first movies - the guy who directed Sea of Love, City Hall, and Malice. There is a movie of his called The Boost with James Woods that I will watch based upon how good this film was.

Part of me is saddened by only being blown away by older movies, but logically speaking, it makes sense. This year is competing against all the years before it minus the films I've already seen, which surely still amounts to vastly more films than new ones. I'm struggling to think of the last new movie that blew me away. It might still be No Country For Old Men. Is that possible? Game of Thrones blew me away. It is certainly the best new TV show.

Goes to show not all movies need to be constructed in the same way. For those who would focus on building through character want, this is an example about building around an incident. And the characters are so good, still.