The Sidney Lumet theme must finally come to an end. I have really drawn it out for a long time, but it has been a lot of fun. It is unfortunate that the 80s and 90s were not nearly as good as his earlier work since I reviewed the movies in chronological order, but at least the latest movies ended it on a good note. There is plenty to say about Sidney Lumet and all of his great movies; however, I really have said about all I can in the reviews. He is a great filmmaker. His directing has proven itself time and time again. Just as the critics say, he is not as consistent as Kubrick, but he also made a lot more films. A filmmaker is sure to find himself in a lull at some point. I was very glad to learn more about Lumet and his films though. I hope all of you have had fun learning more about this great filmmaker as well. Below is a full list of his movies and some comments on the movies that I actually got a chance to see as well as the link to those reviews:
1. Getting Out (2009) (in production)
2. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) - The reason I started the whole Lumet theme still proves to be one of my favorites. Certainly I found some of his earlier works in the 50s, 60s, and 70s to be amazing, but this film was the first that I saw that I connected Lumet with and then found that he had also made Serpico (which I loved) and Fail-Safe (which had also been up there on my list). This a great crime drama thriller and has great casting and directing working together again.
3. Find Me Guilty (2006) - Thank you. Finally back to some great Lumet work. And with Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead to follow I have confidence fully restored in Lumet at this point. Gloria definitely marked the low point of Lumet’s career to date and this film was a great way to come back. I did not see the movie before it, but it looks like he took a well needed break before making it so that hopefully he could get his head straight after Gloria. Find Me Guilty has one very remarkable thing to offer in addition to being a great film; a truly great performance by Vin Diesel (yes, Vin Diesel).
4. Rachel, quand du seigneur (2004)
5. Gloria (1999) - Arrrgggghhhhh!!! Seriously, it made me mad!
6. Critical Care (1997)
7. Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) - Good; however it had the potential to be great and it again deals with the police corruption that has been run over by a Lumet steamroller.
8. Guilty as Sin (1993) - It had some flavor to it that I liked and some classic Lumet edginess, but something did not have me convinced. Lumet fell asleep on this one, but he is better on a bad day than most on there best days so I have to give him a pass.
9. A Stranger Among Us (1992) - A Stranger Among Us indeed. Where is the Lumet we once loved. It still feels like the lonely 80s in this early 90s flick.
10. Q & A (1990) - Q & A is another police corruption film; imagine that. Unfortunately the acting was less impressive than the earlier movies with the same theme and the film drearily moped along through to a decent spark at the end. Too little too late however.
11. Family Business (1989) - This one really could have been great with the casting, but the film fell flat on its face torwards the end. I liked it for about 45 minutes somewhere in the middle, but the beginning and end proved boring if anything.
12. Running on Empty (1988) - A good film, but it lost some of the edge that Lumet had had in the past. In addition there was some sloppy directing or editing in parts and the acting was suspect at times. I liked the idea though and it made for an interesting story.
13. The Morning After (1986) - This is the first movie Lumet made that truly made me mad. I wanted it to be good, but it was not.
14. Power (1986) - Power was a good movie; however it does seem to be a definitive turning point in the Lumet films. It marks the beginning of rough times for Lumet fans. Still Gere did a great job and it is always great to seem him acting rather than just making the ladies gawk (is that how you spell it?).
15. Garbo Talks (1984)
16. Daniel (1983)
17. The Verdict (1982) - Although not as much about corruption, it does involve law and a washed up lawyer. Paul Newman was excellent in this one and Lumet still had great movies churning out at this point. The Verdict is no exception. I loved the ending.
18. Deathtrap (1982) - This one truly marks a most interesting change of pace for Lumet. This one felt so much more like a play than any other of the films that were based on plays and it has two very interesting performances in it. Caine and Reeve are tremendous together in this one.
19. Prince of the City (1981) - Another film about police corruption and someone trying to fight it. It has a little different angle, but there is not a lot of new ground to cover after Serpico. Still it is a good movie. Just try not to watch all of these movies about police corruption together; they tend to get old.
20. Just Tell Me What You Want (1980)
21. The Wiz (1978/I)
22. Equus (1977) - Maybe this was his peak. I loved Equus even if it is not for everyone. It reminded me much more of a Kubrick film than any of his other works and that is meant as a great compliment. Maybe it is unfortunate that Lumet has worked in the shadows of Kubrick for so many of his years, but he has proven his own style time and time again and has made many more films.
23. Network (1976) - Instant classic. I loved the beginning, middle, and especially the end. This may have marked the peak of Lumet’s career if not the movie just before his peak.
24. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Another great performance by Al Pacino who at this point had proven his great talent and continued to deliver. He may have gotten more lazy in his old age, but every time I see him in movies these days I still remember the great performances in The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Scarface (yes, I do notice the great performance in Scarface even though I am not a fan of the movie).
25. Murder on the Orient Express (1974) - Although I am usually a big fan of Agatha Christi, I found Murder on the Orient Express less interesting than I was hoping. And Then There was None was always one of may favorite books, but this story did not end as interestingly. Still a great performance by Albert Finney that shouldn’t be overlooked.
26. Lovin’ Molly (1974)
27. Serpico (1973) - The classic film about police corruption and one man who really wants to fight it. Al Pacino was great in Serpico and the film was one that I have watched a few times and loved it every time. Lumet had a difficult time recapturing the magic that he did in this film and so if you are tired of the police corruption films after this one, then you should look to avoid that in his later works as it is an often recurring theme.
28. Child’s Play (1972)
29. The Offence (1972)
30. The Anderson Tapes (1971)
31. King: A Filmed Record… Montgomery to Memphis (1970)
32. Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970)
33. The Appointment (1969)
34. The Sea Gull (1968)
35. Bye Bye Braverman (1968)
36. The Deadly Affair (1966)
37. The Group (1966)
38. The Hill (1965) - This film was a chance to see how Sean Connery worked with Lumet and it appears that they worked well together. The Hill was a great film that seemed a little different from a lot of Lumets later films.
39. Fail-Safe (1964) - Although it is often compared to Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, it is a great movie in itself. Even though it had the same subject matter, the angle was completely different. Fail-Safe is not nearly as much a comedy as Dr. Strangelove. Both movies are great and should definitely not be missed.
40. The Pawnbroker (1964) – This film was slow, but exemplified the Lumet style and set the pattern for many films to come. It had a great inconclusive ending which also came to be something I really loved about Lumet films.
41. Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962)
42. Vu du pont (1961)
43. The Fugitive Kind (1959) – it was interesting to see a film with a young Marlon Brando. Admittedly I have not seen many earlier Marlon Brando films and this one was certainly one that made me curious about his career. It is incredible all of the actors that Lumet has worked with over the years.
44. That Kind of Woman (1959)
45. Stage Struck (1958)
46. 12 Angry Men (1957) – this was a great film and proved that Lumet had a great talent even from the beginning. It is all about the dialog in this classic film based on the play