The Conversation (1974) *****

Between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II Francis Ford Coppola made a film developed from an idea he had almost a decade earlier. Ironically, the main idea behind the film (tape recording) would be the focal point of one of the worst scandals in American history that was going down as this film was being produced and released.

The Conversation is about surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who is a legend in his field, but has skeletons in his closet. Supported by his assistant Stan (the always great John Cazale) Harry has been hired to record and report on a couple (Cindy Williams and Fredrick Forrest) by a man only known as The Director (Robert Duvall). As the job progresses Harry begins to worry about what the consequences of the information he's about to deliver will have on the parties lives based on an incident from his past that still haunts him.

Hackman plays Caul as a very low key individual that doesn't want any attention, yet is the center of attention in his little world of watching and listening. He's an anxious little man that knows his business and understands who to operate his personal life to keep it out of his work life. Hackman had hit it big by this point and The Conversation really is a change of pace compared to some of hos other work, mainly looking at The French Connection.

The other surprising standout in the film is Harrison Ford as Martin Stett, the threatening thug like individual that is the barrier between the world and The Director. Ford's performance is very confrontational, but he doesn't really do anything to give you a reason to fear him. It's all in your head.

The main theme of The Conversation is paranoia. The thing is that the paranoia belongs to Harry Caul. He's the one that's watching people, but he's the most fearful in the film. From the early moments of the movie you see how Harry dictates his entire life to maintain his privacy and you get to the point that you wonder if maybe some of this fear is in his head, held up by Harry having some delusions leading him to fear that history was going to repeat itself.

Where the two Godfather films were expansive films traveling over thousands of miles and involving decades. they're open and airy and give you plenty of room to breathe. The Conversation is the opposite. It's a claustrophobic film that has you breathing heavy from the fear of what's closing in on us. The stinger on all of this is that even though there is no one nearby, you are being held close with the technology that lets you see and hear from elsewhere, which ironically has become even more prevalent forty years later with our advances in tech. The film itself serves as another Coppola classic from his prime era in the 1970's It's a great film that kind of gets pushed away due to the Godfather films. 70's grit at its finest, almost symbolizing the greatness of the cinema of the era.

Chappie (2015) ***1/2

Neill Blomkamp films tend to tread on that future that is just beyond our reach. Looking at previous work, such as District 9, it could be a few months or decades into the future. The present is there, but the cusp of the next big thing exists. It may not be as bleak as some, but there still is a horrifying ingredient of the evil that men do. And yes, it is generally man that commits the heinous act.

In Johannesburg,  crime has spiraled out of control. As a reaction to the rise in illegal activities the police enlist the help of robotic officers. I know what you’re thinking: Robocop. But that’s not where this film goes. It’s merely a cornerstone to the overall story, plus these robots are more agile than Robocop. Think about comparing an elephant to a jaguar. These machines are highly successful and leads their creator (Dev Patel) to obsessively work on a new program that defines consciousness. After “requisitioning” a unit that is going to the scrap heap as a test subject, the creator uploads his software and life begins for Chappie (Sharlto Copley), but not before he’s taken by a group of criminals that had their eye on The Creator to turn off the robots so that they can commit crimes without their interference. The proceeding film follows Chappie as he quickly grows while be influenced not only by his environment, but the rules set down by The Creator.

Obviously, you’re feeling some Biblical references with The Creator and Chappie’s struggle with following his orders and adapting to the environment he lives in, particularly the influence of Mommy and Daddy(Yolandi Visser and Ninja). There is a religious arc throughout the film as the character falls and rises again. There is a definite District 9 feel to the piece that harkens back to that fine film. I will warn you that if you’re seeing this title thinking that it’s a children’s film, you will be sorely mistaken. This is far from it, even with the Short Circuitesque plot. Hugh jackman plays a nemesis that does things to our protagonist that goes way beyond the norm, more like torture, Steer kids away.

Blomkamp has delivered another emotional rollercoaster film that encourages the viewer to think about our society right now, from the viewpoint of a possible future. It also delves into the idea of the meaning of life, but with a refreshing take. Chappie doesn’t try to answer the question of what is the meaning of life, but it follows the process of an individual learning what that really is and that’s really the whole essence of this film. Though it has some flaws, it’s a fine film that delivers some introspection when least expected. ***1/2