Star 80

On August 14, 1980, Playboy model and rising actress Dorothy Stratten was murdered by her estranged husband Paul Snider, who committed suicide after doing the deed. This being one of the more prolific "if I can't have you, no one can" murders, it still carries a shock over thirty years later. But what provoked this violent act?

Three years after the murder-suicide, Bob Fosse made Star 80, a reference to Snider's vanity plate on his Mercedes Benz. Fosse was no stranger in depicting the cost of fame, be it fictional (Cabaret), factual (Lenny) or semiautobiographical (All That Jazz). But when it's a story that ends in bloodshed, that's where comparisons to his work end.

The film may be based on real events but several names and details were changed, some of them for legal purposes. A number of Stratten's real-life acting jobs were re-titled but the most telling tweak is that Aram Nicholas (Roger Rees) is clearly Peter Bogdonavich, whom Stratten was having an affair with at the time of her murder. (Bogdonavich himself -- who called the film inaccurate -- didn't want Fosse to tell this story because Fosse didn't know the full extent of it.)

Mariel Hemingway may be (pardon the expression) the star attraction of Star 80 but Eric Roberts is the real main draw. By many accounts, Snider was as much of a hustler in real life as he's depicted here. And boy, Roberts really knows how to sleaze it up. (Hugh Hefner even said Roberts was dead-on in his portrayal.)

Star 80 has that lingering sadness to it, knowing that Stratten's successes are tarnished by her ultimate fate. If anything, it serves as a how-to for identifying relationship red flags. Had Stratten known them early on in her courtship with Snider, she might be alive today...

My Rating: ****1/2

Cabaret

With certain directors, you can pick up on certain traits in their work as you watch their films. For some, it's noticeable after one film. For others, it takes a few viewings to notice them.

In regards with Bob Fosse, it depends on which films of his you see. Either way, one of the major characters will have a self-destructive lifestyle. (Lenny Bruce from Lenny and Fosse expy Joe Gideon from All That Jazz are prime examples.)

Sally Bowles from Cabaret is a milder version but a prominent one. She is by no means on the path of self-destruction but she certainly doesn't know when enough is enough. She's the kind of woman who likes the best of everything: alcohol, men and various small luxuries. But she longs for her name in lights more than anything else.

And Liza Minnelli makes Sally radiate. (Then again, whom else but the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli would be ideal as a hopeful entertainer?) Her musical numbers throughout the film are very reminiscent of those of her mother's during her prime. No surprise on how she got that Oscar. (Likewise to Joel Grey.)

Cabaret is a very good film though I'm more fond of Fosse's two succeeding films. Thanks to Minnelli and Grey's vibrant screen presences (as well as Michael York's subtle work), the film depicts carefree lifestyles amid a changing society. On that note, now I want to see a stage production of Cabaret. Thankfully there'll be one on Broadway in a few months' time.

My Rating: ****1/2

All That Jazz

When the name Bob Fosse is mentioned, Cabaret is usually the main film that springs to mind. Not many are perhaps aware of his non-musical films.

One such title is the semi-autobiographical film All That Jazz, which was also his penultimate film. Based on his experience from directing Chicago for the stage, the film shows the chaotic balance between work, pleasure and reality.

Fosse is in the form of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a chain-smoking, pill popping, skirt chasing director. Like Fosse, Gideon's lifestyle of booze, cigarettes, pills and women takes one hell of a toll on his health. Throw in the fact he's working on a troubled musical, and he's on the route to the emergency room.

The film is even more haunting in the knowledge that Fosse intended it to be his final film. (His final film, however, was Star 80, released four years after All That Jazz and another four years before Fosse's death.) He knew his vices were going to win that final battle sooner or later. Might as well (try) to end your career with a bang.

All That Jazz definitely ain't your grandmother's musical. Like Fosse's previous film Lenny (which is also a brilliant film), it's more of a portrait of a man who fought many personal battles and lost most of them. Scheider, in a performance very much far from his Jaws role, is fantastic as someone who just didn't know when or how to quit. Truly fantastic work.

My Rating: *****

Lenny

Bob Fosse is famous for his association with musicals, whether it be directing them (Cabaret, All That Jazz) or acting in them (Kiss Me Kate). But he has also done straight-up dramas.

In this case, Lenny. This biopic is about comedian Lenny Bruce, who preceded George Carlin when it came to lewd comedy. Bruce is portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, who is fantastic here. He goes through the plights the average person would've faced then (drugs, infidelity), but Hoffman also shows what's running through Bruce's mind.

Bruce was one of the most outspoken names in the entertainment business (his acts are solid proof). Hoffman shows that underneath the crass persona, there is a person scared of society. In the scenes set in the courtroom, he's constantly looking around the room. He's looking for a way out, mainly through the jury giving him an acquittal. Take note of the scenes after his first arrest. His acts criticize how society judges others, including himself. He's trying to confront society, but it's a losing battle.

Lenny is one of the great movies of the 1970's. Each actor plays their part excellently. If you haven't seen it, then you're in for a treat.

My Rating: *****