THE SCOOP Director: Costa-Gavras
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron
Plot: When an idealistic writer disappears during the Right Wing military coup in 1973 Chile, his wife and American businessman father try to find him.
Genre: Drama/History/Mystery
Awards: Won 1 Oscar - Best Adapted Screenplay. Nom. for 3 Oscars - Best Picture, Leading Actor, Lead Actress. Won Palme d'Or and Best Actor (Cannes).
Runtime: 122min
Rating: PG
TRAILER:
OST:
IN RETROSPECT
Most remember Costa-Gavras as a daring filmmaker, a creative artist willing to push the boundaries of what cinema is capable of in its pursuit of truth. Long before the likes of Oliver Stone (JFK, 1991; Nixon, 1995; W., 2008) or even Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, 2002; Fahrenheit 9/11, 2004), Costa-Gavras has already made his fair share of politically-driven films. Two of them are a testament of his skill as a filmmaker and his courage to explore and expose dirty politics - Z (1969), the film that won Best Foreign Language Feature at the Oscars, launching his international career, and Missing, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Starring legendary
actor Jack Lemmon, and first-rate actress Sissy Spacek as Ed and Beth Horman
respectively, Missing is a
captivating dramatization of a true incident that occurred during the 1973 coup
in Chile that left thousands dead in tragic circumstances. Ed, a shrewd
businessman and father of Charles (John Shea), flies down to the volatile
country to find his missing son. He meets Beth, Charles' wife, as they set out
in determined fashion to uncover the hidden truth behind Charles' mysterious
disappearance. What they find, and as you will see, is a disturbing look at the
worst of politics, people in power, and everything in between.
Missing is a competently shot film, and engages us through the way
Costa-Gavras moves the camera. Combining a gritty, documentary style in its
depiction of the armed military rule in the film's exterior shots, with a more
settling and intimate style for its lead characters, Missing is not only an absorbing political thriller, but also a
surprisingly emotional drama. The director does not lose sight of the inherent
human drama amid the chaos and destruction, allowing us to empathize with Ed and
Beth. Lemmon and Spacek's magnetic performances provide an introspective depth
to the events that unfold in the film, affording us some clarity even as the
truth continues to elude them.
By leveraging on a
personal victimization, Costa-Gavras probes into the larger picture that is the
Chilean coup. The question he is asking is: Did the American government played
any part in the instigation of the armed conflict? And on an even more serious
note, did the American government know and cause the disappearance of a fellow
American citizen? Conspiracy theories are tossed around like a beach ball, and
like the best political thrillers, they incite controversy. And yes, Missing is a controversial film. Its
epilogue sequence doesn't fuel fire, but ends on a quiet, reflective note. And
that is enough to make an impact.
Verdict: Superb political mystery-thriller that
is stimulating, and featuring magnetic performances from Jack Lemmon and Sissy
Spacek.
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