Paul Newman was truly one of the greats. Although gifted with classic wholesome good looks and his famous blue eyes, he didn't settle for classic parts, instead choosing challenging roles of conflicted characters, at odds with themselves. If anti hero films were a genre of their own, Newman would be one it's patron saints. He preferred films and characters with a message, or sometimes just a question. Few actors have had the staying power of Newman, whose career lasted from 1952 to 2006. His consistency is well demonstrated by his 1986 return to the Fast Eddie character, he had created in 1961, finally winning a long deserved Oscar. In all that time, his acting never lost it's power and his presence could make even a bad movie watchable. In movies like the Road to Perdition, his relatively small part made a good movie great. This list has many omissions as I could choose ten and keep it a top ten list. Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments, as I'd love to hear your thoughts. Outside of the movies, he seemed a much nicer person than his characters, becoming as well known for as philanthropy as he ever was for his acting. Who knows, maybe all those parts taught him something. But we'll certainly never see another like him. Rest in Piece Paul Newman, "The King of Cool."
10)Brick Pollitt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Brick Pollitt loves his alcohol, but has no physical interest in his lovely and desiring wife. He's the golden boy of his family, for his skill at high school football and certainly favored by his father "Big Daddy" over his brother Gooper, who has lived his life by the book, getting a good job and raising a family. They all gather for Big Daddy's birthday and attempt to hide a terminal diagnosis recently given by Big Daddy's doctor. The tension of everyone being together is heightened by concern over inheritance. Brick however, doesn't care about much except trying to drink his demons away, most of them concerning the loss of his best friend, a guy named Skipper, who was likely more a lover than a friend, and whose death Brick feels guilty for. Everyone knows that Brick isn't sleeping with Maggie, and the gathering is a perfect chance to pry. Once they set him off, he also reveals the truth about Skipper, and the truth about Big Daddy's condition, leaving everyone with pieces to pick up.
9)Ben Quick, The Long Hot Summer
Powerful town figure Will Varner (Orson Welles) has a problem, he'd like to have a grandchild before he dies. Not thrilled with the prospect of either of his not very masculine son's producing offspring, he decides to pair up his daughter Clara (Joanne Woodward) with the shady, driven and hyper masculine Ben Quick, a natural con man and suspected criminal, just drifting through, who sees the well off Will Varner as a great profit opportunity, taking a job under Will with the intention of turning it into more. Will quickly sees Ben as more capable of handling the family business than his own sons, which sets up some serious conflict. Clara doesn't like being thought of as property, which sets up a different kind of conflict as Ben is determined to get what he wants. His only real obstacle is that Clara is a lot stronger than he anticipates, and to get what he wants he ends up giving up a little more than he thought he would.
8)Lew Harper, Harper
Lew Harper is a PI out of the Sam Spade school with some contemporary touches. Hired to find Mrs. Sampson's (Lauren Bacall) missing husband, he has to fight and quip his way through a practical carnival of characters, including an armed lawyer, a fading entertainer, a jazz singer, a guru scam artist, and all sorts of thugs, finding more mysteries than he started with. Harper doesn't trust anyone and isn't hung up on pride or principles. he just wants to make a buck. He's not above fishing coffee grounds from the trash to make his morning coffee or making prank calls to amuse himself. He devastates everyone he runs into verbally, while snapping chewing gum. The real question we arrive at is does he care about solving the case more than making a buck, believing as he does that "The bottom is loaded with nice people, Albert. Only cream and bastards rise." You can bet that Harper doesn't plan to hang out on the bottom for too long.
7)The Sting, Henry Gondorff
When Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and his associates con a bagman out of the money he's carrying, the man's boss wants revenge, killing one of them and sending Hooker on the run. Luckily the dead man's old friend, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) is willing to help settle the score with a con game of a much larger scale. Gondorff has all the angles covered, and it's nothing but fun watching Newman and Redford working together. Full of twists and turns, this one will keep you riveted until the end, hoping they can pull it off.
6)Michael Gallagher, Absence of Malice
Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman) is a businessman whose father was a powerful crime figure. When a prosecutor can't make any headway on a certain murder case, he figures that "leaking" information that Gallagher is suspected of involvement will flush out some information. This is only possible with the cooperation of ambitious young reporter, Megan Carter (Sally Field) The story has serious consequences for Gallagher, even costing him the life someone he loves. Megan's story, although false is protected due to "Absence of Malice" Rather than assist in the investigation, Gallagher sets out to even the score in his own way, which is made easier by everyone underestimating his intelligence. A brilliant performance that makes you reevaluate who the good guys are sometimes.
5)John Russell, Hombre
John Russell was raised by the Apache, and considers himself one of them. When his stepfather dies and leaves him a boarding house, he decides to sell it and head to Arizona. This puts the boarding house manager, Jessie, (Diane Cilento) out of work, leading John and Jessie to take the same stage coach. They're joined by Alex and Audra Favor, a well to do couple who profit from shorting the Apache's food shipments, and Cicero (Richard Boone) a thug who forces his way onto the stagecoach in order to set up a robbery. Hearing of Russell's Apache ties, Audra asks that Russell ride on top of the coach rather than share their space. She is taken by the band of robbers afterwards although Russell holds off the robbers enough to keep the money and water, which the robbers become desperate for, intertwining the two groups. Russell has no love for any of them, seeing the affair as a coldly practical matter of survival. He ends up their only chance at survival and luckily for them, he's willing to save them even if they don't deserve it.
4)Butch Cassidy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford) are great friends a partners in robbery. Set in the Wild West, the two live by their wits, Butch being the brains, Sundance, the sharpshooter. After a train robbery goes wrong, they're pursued by a relentless posse, and they decide to head to Bolivia. This doesn't stop their robbing habits however (after a brief attempt at going straight.) They soon end up pursued by not only the Bolivian police but the military as well. Based on actual events, it's an interesting film in that the ending is grimmer than the actual story, which leaves open the possibility that Butch and SUndance got away and lived in hiding for many years. While, it's a fun and solid story, it's the chemistry and energy between Newman and Redford (and Katherine Ross, playing Sundance's girlfriend Etta Place) that make this movie brilliant.
3)Fast Eddie Felson, The Hustler
Fast Eddie is a very skilled poo hustler, who makes his living taking money from unsuspecting pool players. Those stakes aren't enough for him and he works his way up to playing with big time hustlers, the best of them is Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) who of course becomes Eddie's target. Eddie is ruthless, ambitious and quite self destructive and he finds a kindred spirit in Sarah (Piper Laurie) who becomes very important to him when his thumbs are broken. That isn't the end of the journey however, but certainly informs it as he approaches Fats again, changed by his experiences, although it's still quite possible that he can win and lose at the same time. Watching Newman's Fast Eddie is interesting in that this is not a character you cheer for as much as a train wreck that you hope comes off with as little damage as possible.
2)Hud Bannon, HUD
Hud Bannon is the surviving son of Homer Bannon, (Melvyn Douglas) an old school rancher, who values family and morals, far more than profit. Hud is Homer's opposite, thumbing his nose at conventional morality, by habitually sleeping with married women, and urging Homer to look out for himself, when an epidemic hits their cattle. Hud is also looked up to by his nephew Lon, (Brandon De Wilde) a wet behind the ears young man who hs been raised by Homer. Lon finds Hud's selfish, thrill seeking lifestyle intriguing, but he also feels loyalty to Homer's homespun values, although Homer has his own flaws. Despite his seemingly simple amorality, Hud is a complex character, with deep motivations, guilt and disappointments. Despite his charm, he doesn't always get what he wants either, thanks to Alma (Patricia Neal) the Bannon's housekeeper, and eventually "the one who got away." A deep and beautiful movie about Lon's choice, and the changing of patriarchs to match the times.
1)Luke, Cool Hand Luke
Luke is the ultimate non conformist and a man with no goals other than to not buy what society sells him just because it's offered. Sent to a prison work camp for the bizarre offense of beheading parking meters, he finds himself up against unrelenting authority in the form of the ruthless Captain (Strother Martin) and the sinister Man in the sunglasses. His fellow inmates don't appreciate Luke's antics at first, things coming to a head when Dragline (George Kennedy) calls him out to a fight. Luke can't land a good head, but refuses to back down despite the sound beating, winning the respect of all the prisoners who grow to idolize Luke. Luke however, is no match for the brutality of the authority. Although he escapes, he's caught and violently broken, which his admirers can't understand as it shatters their vicarious hopes. In the end, Luke just wants to be left alone, and comes to realize that this will have the heaviest of consequences. Whether he wins or loses is an existential question, but Dragline's account (falsified) of his last stand tells the real story "He was smiling... That's right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn't know it 'fore, they could tell right then that they weren't a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker." In my opinion, Paul Newman's best, and beyond that one of the best performances in the movies.
Geum-ja Lee (Yeong-ae Lee) has spent thirteen years in prison for the murder of a little boy and is about to be released. We see a group of carolers dressed in bright red Santa Claus suits, waiting for her release. One of them remarks that Geum-ja is rumored to be an angel. A man dressed in normal clothes, the Preacher ( Byeong-ok Kim) waits with them and seeing her come out, directs them to sing. Guem-ja approaches, stops and stares at the camera stone faced. Although it's snowing and very cold she is wearing only light clothing. The preacher asks about the winter clothes he sent her, and then uncovers a big block of tofu, presenting it to her. Grinning, he says " It's been hard, hasn't it? 13 and a half years. I'm so proud of you."
We see news footage about Geum-ja, covering the murder of a little boy, Park Won-mo. One of his class mates describes the last time he saw the boy. We're told that Geum-ja, 19 years old at the time, confessed to the murder and we see her in police custody before a crowd. The news announcer explains that as shocking as the brutal murder was, everyone was more shocked at Geum-ja's good looks. A director wanted to make a movie about her, and the public took to wearing polka dot dresses, similar to what she wore when arrested.
We see Geum-ja, newly in prison, meeting with the preacher who says "Behind that wicked witch's face of yours, I saw the presence of an angel." We see her praying with the preacher. She tells another prisoner "An angel, could that be true? Do you really think an angel resides in me? If so, where was that angel when I was committing such an evil act? I always wondered about this after hearing what the preacher said, and then I realized, that the angel inside me only reveals itself when I invoke it." We see Geum-ja helping other prisoners. She comforts an elderly woman, does another woman's make up, bakes a beautiful cake, and helps a woman study. She explains that the act of invoking an angel is called prayer and says "Actually, prison is an ideal place to learn to pray, because we know that we are all sinners in here." We see that Geum-is speaking into a microphone and there's a banner behind her which says "Testimonials of faith day for Inmates, 1997" She receives much applause from prisoners and officials alike. The preacher is extra enthusiastic, standing to clap for her.
We then catch up with the preacher and Geum-ja in present day, resuming with a look at the tofu block. The preacher explains "It's a tradition to eat tofu on release, so that you'll live white and never sin again. Geum-ja reaches for the tofu, but rather than take it she intentionally knocks it to the ground, stunning the carolers and leaving the preacher shaken, in tears. She looks at him coldly and says "Why don't you go screw yourself?" and leaves.
Guem-ja visits a hair salon to see her friend and former fellow inmate, Kim Yang-hee (Yeong-ju Seo) Kim is overoyed to see her, crying and giving Geum-ja a hug. We flashback to prison, and see Yang-hee arriving, mentioning that she heard of someone in this prison whose "face would shine." Yang-hee is tripped by another inmate, Ma-nyeo (Ko Su-hee) also known as "the witch" before they all go to bed. While everyone sleeps, we see Geum-ja from behind, sitting, facing a wall, as her face gives off a very bright light.Kim recounts her offense, strangling her pimp. Geum-ja teaches her to pray and lament past lives, and we see that Kim's face glows when she prays. In the present, Kim brings Geum-ja to her home. Kim tries to be affectionate and when Guem-ja is only cold, she remarks that she's changed, and asks if she's started the plan already. Geum-ja says "No. The plan was already started 13 years ago." THey go to to bed, and Geum-ja prays until having a vision of a snowy wasteland, where she is dragging what appears to be a dog with a man's head across the snow. She looks him in the eye and says "Farewell" and shoots him in the forehead. We see that she has dark red eye shadow as she smiles afterwards. We see that the sleeping Geum-ja is also smiling.
The next day we see Geum-ja walking down a city street and ending up at Won Mo's parents' kitchen table. Geum-ja has a knife in her hand and slams it down, cutting off one of her own fingers. We're told that she planned to beg their forgiveness until she had no fingers left. The parents are horrified and call an ambulance. Won-mo's father restrains her while they wait for it to arrive. All of the money she had, is needed to get her a finger operation. Days later, she finds work at a bakery, working for a Mr. Chang (Dal-su Oh). She unintentionally causes a scene when a young employee, Geun-shik (Shi-Hoo Kim) is so taken with her beauty that he drops everything he's carrying. He awkwardly asks if he can call her "elder sister." She responds "Just call me Geum-ja."
We see her meeting with another ex fellow inmate, Woo Soo Yong (Bu-Seon Kim) who describes the early days of prison, saying "She cried like a baby.Man, it was so depressing." We see a flashback of this happening, and her cell mates getting annoyed with her. A quick flashback shows her robbing a place in a mask with her boyfriend. She explains that she felt like she was going to die because she couldn't be with him. We then see her passing out in the prison yard, as she narrates that she had kidney failure, adding "Then this bitch says she'll give me one of her kidneys. It's not as if a kidney's a bit of fluff, you give away so easily." We see Geum-ju in the medical ward in the bed next to her.Geum-ja looks at her and says "Damn bitch. It brings me bad luck. Stop crying!" before smiling. Geum-ja then meets Woo Soo's boyfriend and we see another flashback of the robbery, as he describes how fearless she was saying he's "married to a goddess." Woo Soo blames him being at her side for her fearlessness. The two fawn all over each other while Guem-ja stares at them expressionless. Woo Soo tells her boyfriend that Geum-ja is "readying a magnificent plan." and asks him to help her. Geum-ja produces a book which contains many folded pieces of paper, which they pin to the wall, producing what looks like plans to build a gun. He asks where she got it, and we see another flashback in prison.
Guem-ja is sitting with an elderly woman, Ko Sun-sook, who tells her "Go save yourself." Ko was a spy from North Korea who had Alzheimer's. She speaks to Geum-ja about dogs and chicken bones, while Guem-ja calmly looks after her. We're told that she volunteered to do this. She gives Geum-ja the book, saying "for you have vengeance to take, comrade."
We meet another inmate via flashback, Oh Soo-hee (Mi-ran Ra.) We see her getting taking advantage of by a Ma-nyeo, who forces Soo-hee to pleasure her. This happens again another day in the prison bath. Behind them, we see someone cleaning the floor with a mop and leaving. Once sexually satisfied, the tough woman walks away while Soo-hee cries. She slips on the wet floor however, and hits her head on the floor. Soo-hee looks back and sees this, as well as Geum-ja returning to the room looking over the woman's body. Geum-ja waves at Soo-hee, showing a bar of soap in her hand. Soo-hee in the present asks about the red eye shadow. Guem-ja answers "People are always saying I look kind hearted." Soo-hee is a sculptor, and Guem-ja hands her a paper with a drawing, asking if she can make it in silver. Soo hee asks is she's killed "the bastard" yet. Guem-ja says "Not yet." and says she's been busy. She agrees though that she's "saving the best for last."
We see Guem-ja at work at the bakery. A man seems fascinated with her and approaches her saying she's changed a lot and he barely recognized her. The man is the detective who was in charge of her case. When the detective's wife asks who Geum-ja "was" Geum-ja tells her story, even teasing the woman saying "I kidnapped and killed a boy...Don't worry, I didn't eat him." The woman leaves the bakery, hysterical, dropping her goods, saying "These were made by hands that have killed." We flashback and see the detective questioning her. Geum-ja is almost angry, insisting that she killed the boy. The detective doesn't seem convinced, asking her to describe a marble the boy had, which went missing, which she can't do. We then see the police escorting her through crime scenes, forcing her to reenact how she did it. At all the scenes, Mr. Baek (Min-sik Choi) is there, and makes slight finger gestures which appear to have some meaning to her.
Guem-ja visits an adoption agency. The woman there tells her she can't give out any records. We flashback to see 18 year old Geum-ja, who the narrator describes as "pretty enough to turn any boy's head, but wasn't the least bit particular." We see her calling her teacher, Mr. Baek, reminding him that he told her she was sexy. She tells him that she's pregnant and asks if she can live with him. He asks about her parents and the baby's father, but she says her parents don't want her there, and the father is "just a big kid, not ready for fatherhood." We see her at Mr. Baek's place, getting surprised that he comes to see her, right out of the shower without clothes. Back in the present, Geum-ja climbs up the building where the adoption agency is, breaks a window and steals some files.
She then goes to the bakery late that night, surprising Mr. Chang. She asks him for an advance. He says no, but she helps him decorate a cake which he seems to have trouble with, as his hands are shaky. He tells her that he was astonished at a strawberry mousse made by a prison inmate who, using poor ingredients, made a dessert "fit for a king." (referring to her) She just says "Three months advance." He doesn't agree but she acts as if he does, writing down her bank account number, and leaving the cake looking magnificent. She leaves with Guen-shik, who is asking her about killing, figuring she had done something wrong and paid for it and that was it. She tells him however, that she's planning to kill someone else.
He's nervous around her, and talks about his future. She gets him back to his room and propositions him to have sex, taking him completely off guard. Afterwards, she tells him, "Mr. Baek said there are good kidnappings and bad kidnappings. He said it was a good kidnapping if the child was returned safely. ANd since they're rich, a little ransom wouldn't make much difference. And, although they'd have to worry for a few days, the emotional reunion would make the family bond more closely. That's what he said, but then he went and killed Won-mo. The boy kept crying and Mr. Baek said he'd kill him if he didn't stop in five minutes. But then he really did kill him. If he were alive, he'd be your age now, but he's dead. Then the police found a witness. SOmeone saw me taking Won-mo to a bathhouse.Then one day when i came home from the market, my daughter was gone. I got a call from Mr. Baek. He said to confess and take all the blame or my girl would die too. The kidnapper had kidnapped a kidnapper's kid. Isn't that funny?" She gives him her keys and tells him to keep her candles burning.
She flies to Australia, where her daughter lives with adoptive parents. We see her reading them a letter in English, which says she came to see her daughter "once and for all." They don't seem very pleased about it, but they have drinks and they lighten up. The stepmother (Anne Cordiner) tells Geum-ja she's jealous, that she had such a beautiful daughter, but adds "She is now our life!" Bothe her and Geum-ja laugh wildly about it, geu-ja laughing herself right out of her chair. The stepfather (Tony Barry) shows her a picture and says "We love her very much. She's got such a beautiful soul." The stepparents quickly shift from laughing to crying the stepmother saying "What would we do without our Jenny?" That night Geum-ja shares the room with her daughter Jenny (Yea-Young Kwon) who asks if she can take her to Seoul. Geum-ja refuses, reminding her of her "parents." Jenny won't accept that answer and the two argue loudly. In the morning we see the stepparents on the couch looking devastated. Jenny flies to Korea with Geum-ja.
We see that her plans are coming together, The pistol is completed and has elaborate silver sculpting on the handle. Woo Soo Young asks "What's the use of all this fanciness?" Geum-ja insists "It has to be pretty. Everything should be pretty." Woo Soo Young's boyfriend tells her she'll need to be up close as it has a very short range. That night, before bed Jenny asks "Why'd you dump me?" Geum-ja answers by telling her they'll go on a picnic. She asks again, however. This time she answers "That's right, a picnic." Jenny wakes up in the night and sees Won-mo playing marbles. She goes back to bed when he doesn't speak English.
Geum-ja takes Jenny out the next day and they pick up a puppy. Geun-shik drives them around and Jenny sits in the back seat painting her face to look like a cat. They go out into the woods and find an abandoned schoolhouse. Geun-shik tries to teach Jenny Korean, while Geum-ja takes the gun out for practice.She remembers Mr. Baek in a classroom. We see Mr. Baek eating dinner with a younger woman. He gets up while she's still eating and lifts up her dress from behind, initiating sex. While he's taking her, she informs him of dinner plans. He insists that she isn't the one to pay. We see the caption showing that her name is Park Yi-jeong (Seung-shin Lee) and she served time with Guem-ja. He sits back down at the table to finish his dinner. We see Yi-jeong 's flashback to prison. She's being bullied by Ma-nyeo who had intimidated Oh So-hee, only she's getting beaten up.
Geum-ja is later feeding Ma-nyeo in the medical ward. We see that her hair is coming out in clumps. Ma-nyeo says "I used to have a strong stomach. I don't know what the problem is." Geum-ja smiles and feeds her and says "I enjoy helping you." Ma-nyeo remarks "You really are kind hearted." Ma-nyeo is having serious and audible stomach issues. She reassures Geum-ja that she only likes "plump girls." Geum-ja however, tells her, that she'd be happy to eat a lot and put on weight as long as she keeps taking her "medicine." which Geum-ja then puts all over her food. Ma-nyeo leans over to get sick and Geum-ja adds "And, hurry up and die." We see Yi-jeong asking Geum-ja later "You fed her bleach? For how long?" Geum-ja says "Three years." After that Guem-ja inherited the nickname "Witch" which Ma-nyeo had, but was still called "kind hearted Geum-ja." We see Park talking with Geum-ja, saying "It has to be tonight, I can't take it anymore." The narrator explains that another ex inmate found where Mr. Baek was working and they arranged to have Park Yi-jeong visit him, leading to a "romance."
The preacher meets Mr. Baek in a classroom. He gives Mr. Baek a picture of Geum-ja at the bakery, meeting with Yi-jeong . He pays the preacher, who says the money will be used for the lord's work. Mr. Baek calls Yi-jeong, (while looking at pictures of her and Geum-ja) and she tells him to start dinner without her. He says he'll wait. We see that he has two other men at the table with him. Guem-ja calls, and Park tells her she has to make Mr. Baek eat before they do something. The two men who were with Mr. Baek, watch Geum-ja leave work with Jenny. The men attempt to abduct them and we see that Park has already been delivered to Mr. Baek, and she watches him eat while tied to a chair. They beat on Geum-ja for a while assuming she's unconscious. She surprises them by getting up and shooting the closest guy in the head, while the guy holding Jenny attempts to back away. She catches him getting right up to him before firing.
We see that Mr. Baek has fallen unconscious with his face right into his plate. A badly beaten Yi-jeong laughs. Geum-ja and Jenny get there and Geum-ja pushes him to the floor with a spoon. She then starts cutting off his hair. Shortly, we see Yi-jeong and Geum-ja with Mr. Baek bound on the floor and Jenny asleep nearby. Geum-ja finds a letter Jenny had written, explaining how she felt about being dumped, that she wants to know the reasons, and telling her saying sorry once is not enough, but she should apologize at least three times. Geum-ja uses a Korean-English dictionary to read the letter. Yi-jeong drives to the abandoned classroom they'd found on their picnic, with Jenny and Mr. Baek in the back.
Geum-ja writes a letter to Jenny, explaining that she wanted to have her very much and loved her, but had to go to jail. She adds that she plans to return her to Australia when she's done with Mr. Baek, as her "sins are too big and deep and I don't deserve a sweet child like you. You're innocent, but you had to grow up without a mother.But, that's also part of the punishment I must take. Listen carefully. Everyone makes mistakes. But, if you sin, you have to make atonement for it. Atonement, understand? Atonement. That's right. You have to make atonement. Big atonement for big sins, small atonement for small sins." Jenny asks if she's going to kill Mr. Baek, and wen she says yes, she asks why. Geum-ja says "Because, he made a sinner out of me." Jenny asks what she's done and she answers "This man kidnapped and killed a little boy, and, I helped him." Jenny offers to "say sorry to his mother." which makes Geum-ja both laugh and cry. Jenny asks "You were happy with me, right?" and she says "Too happy, for a sinner." Geum-ja then says "I'm sorry." in English, three times and even adds another.
She puts the gun up to Mr. Baek's head, but hears his phone ring and finds a key chain attached to it, with little toys hanging from it. She holds it in front of him and removes his gag. He asks "What's with the eye shadow?" prompting her to pull him backwards to the floor with his own tie. She starts kicking him. She gags him again, and then shoots him in each foot. She calls the detective, who is out with a team, who have found some children's bodies in the woods and are digging them up. She meets with him and shows him the key chain, including the missing marble. She tells him "If you'd found the real killer back then, these children wouldn't have died. Right? You know how this feels. There were four." While Geum-ja is digging through Mr. Baek's place, Mr. Chang calls her and she tells him she can't come to work. He says there are two people looking for her who won't say who they are. We see that it's the Australian stepparents, who both smile, but can't speak anything but English. She finds video of the murdered children and shows the detective, who has to throw up. We see the Australians with Jenny, who is watching video of her cat playing.
Geum-ja calls all of the parents of the murdered children to the classroom along with the detective and shows them the video with Mr. Baek in it clearly. Of course, there are extreme reactions, from screaming to throwing things, and some don't appear to register anything at all. She acknowledges each child writing their names and the dates on the chalkboard. Grief stricken, they break down uncontrollably. Once calm, she tells them "He was a teacher at English schools in affluent neighborhoods. He'd pick his victim, kidnap and kill them, then move on to another school. He'd never pick a child from one of his own classes, which is why he was never under suspicion. Children annoyed him, so he would tape them right after kidnapping them and killed them straightaway. The voices you heard on the line while negotiating the ransom were taped off the videos after the kids were already dead. Now, you have two options. If you want lawful punishment we will hand him over to Chief Choi here. But, if you want a speedier, more personalized death for him, you can have it right here and now.
One of the parents asks "Does he have a child of his own?" Geum-ja says he's supposed to be sterile. Another parent asked what he needed the money for. She explains that he just put it in the bank and it will be returned. A mother agrees "With no kid, what did he need all that money for?" Geum-ja says "He was going to buy a yacht."
They all discuss the options before them. One woman suggesting that turning him in would just lead to long trials. Another suggests that they let Geum-ja do it, since she's already been to jail. Another counters that that is too cowardly as they were their own children. One of them stresses that no one should be forced to cross a line they don't choose to. They start to take a vote, and the concern is raised that someone who votes against their own justice could tell the police. Geum-ja settles it by implying that if anyone informs she will come after them. Won Mo's mother suggests that they all do it together, reminding her husband that he couldn't touch Geum-ja's severed finger. They agree that they "visit" Mr. Baek in groups as they choose. We see then that Mr. Baek has been able to hear the whole conversation via speaker, from the room where he's tied and gagged. They pick numbers on slips of paper to decide who goes in first. They're all given plastic coats and various weapons are available. The detective gives them some tips on proper handling of a knife, to avoid them getting hurt. Won Mo's mother goes first with Geum-ja accompanying her. She asks him Why. He answers "Ma'am there's no such thing as a perfect person." She leaves the room dazed with a bloody knife in her hand. Four of them go in together the next visit. One of the men says "This isn't going to bring our son back. Is it honey?" No one answers, as they all rush to attack him and Geum-ja watches.
One of the women in the waiting room, one of the boy's sister, mentions to another's grandmother that the parents all look well off. She says that they could barely afford to keep her brother in his school, and lost their house and everything they had to come up with the ransom. The grandmother listens and answers "My daughter in law killed herself and my son left the country. We all have our own stories to tell." Her father rushes up with an ax to take his turn. She reminds him that the grandmother still has a turn. He collapses on the way out the door, covered in blood and they help him to the other room. The grandmother gets her turn and doesn't bother with the plastic. She looks at him and walks out. We next see the detective pulling scissors with a name tag on them out of Mr. Baek's neck.
They work together to drain the blood from the plastic sheet beneath Mr. Baek, and dispose of the evidence. The detective takes a group picture of them all and they bury everytihng including the body in the woods together. Geum-ja asks them to give her a moment before filling in the hole. SHe shoots him with her custom pistol, then drops it in with him and they resume filling.
We see everyone together later, sharing a cake at the bakery. They sing happy birthday and blow out candles. The sister of one of the boys whispers to Geum-ja asking if she'll wire the money to their account, giving her the account number, prompting the others to give their own. Everything turns silent and one of the parents says "In France, when there's a break in the conversation like this, they say an angel is passing, causing them all to look up.Guen-shik comes into the bakery and they realize it's snowing and rush out. Geum-ja gets a cigarette from her purse and sees Won Mo's marble roll across the floor. She then sees Won-mo in the corner as if he'd rolled it. He's smoking a cigarette although he's only a little boy. She starts to apologize, but he puts a gag in her mouth, as he ages to how old he would've been and stands up leaving her kneeling in front of him. He looks down at her and walks away.
We see Jenny in bed with her stepparents, woken up by smoke, although they still sleep. Geum-ja leaves the bakery and Geun-shik sings after her, the lyrics in the song daring her to look back. He asks if she's really sending Jenny back, she doesn't look back or answer. We see Jenny walking also through the snow barefoot. The narrator says "Geum-ja made a great mistake in her youth, and used other people to achieve
her own goals. But she still didn't find the redemption she so desired." We see her start running with Geun-shik following a little behind. We see that she's run into Jenny and kneels, giving her a hug. THe narrator picks up "In spite of this, no. because of this, I liked Geum-ja." Geum-ja stands offering Jenny a cake. She says "Be white. Live white. Like this." Jenny sticks her finger in the cake and licks it off. She then sticks her finger in it again, but offers it to Geum-ja. "You too." she says, although she licks it off her finger herself when Geum-ja doesn't act. Jenny looks at the snow coming down and says "More white." opening her mouth to catch a snowflake. Geun-shik does the same thing. Geum-ja looks up and smiles, shaking as if she just realized something. She then strikes her head into the cake. Jenny hugs her from behind and the narrator says "Farewell Geum-ja" and we watch the snow fall on the three of them.
What About it?
Lady Vengeance is the third and last part of Park's "Vengeance trilogy," consisting of, in order, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Old Boy and Lady Vengeance. Without getting too much into the preceding films, it would seem that Park was aware that this was the final piece in the trilogy, approaching vengeance from a completely different point of view, no less violent but more passive in the planning, feminine as the other side of masculine. While Geum-ja is certainly not immune to rage at times, she doesn't feed it testosterone, but rather plans the details carefully, down to the "pretty" adornment on her custom made pistol. "Everything should be pretty." she says, although clearly some of that is out of her control. It's noted in the film that people were shocked as much by her beauty as by the horrific crime she served time for. There's no denying that her appearance affects her story and the actions of those around her.
While a man can easily be accepted as noble yet flawed, Geum-ja doesn't receive that same consideration. Many in the story (herself included) can't accept that "kind hearted Geum-ja" is also capable of horrific murder. A sort of accommodation is made, when she takes over the nickname "Witch" after killing Ma-nyeo by feeding her bleach for three years. She retains the nickname "Kind hearted Geum-ja" and adds the other as an alternate. This allows others to deal with her contradictions, although her beauty still makes them prefer "Kind hearted Geum-ja" as if beauty and kindness must be linked. Once out of prison, she has no desire to be seen as kind hearted, and the red eye shadow shows us her desire to be seen as harder than that.
We could assume that her "conversion" was an act in order to build alliances and further her plan. That doesn't seem sound to me however, as the concepts of sin and atonement clearly plague her constantly. Her deepest desire would seem to be to "live white" yet she doesn't consider the preacher's tofu for an instant as she is on a course she feels she cannot deviate from. She chooses to be "the Witch" to complete her task which will require heavy sins. Her sins are the main reason for her revenge, as she tells Jenny "He made me a sinner." While it's true that she didn't murder the boy, it's also true that she was involved in the the process including the kidnapping. This is not an innocent woman imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. It's more a case of a woman who claims complete guilt when she should only claim a part. She has sinned. She feels this acutely, and adds to the list while in prison, leaving a true murderer, which morally renders the wrongness of her imprisonment a moot point. When she leaves, she has earned her sentence and more. While it's true that her actions helped other inmates, she sees them as sins anyway. She does however, claim what she's owed for her kindness, enlisting each woman she's helped to help complete her plan.
In the favors she collects, Geum-ja becomes worse than Ma-nyeo. She spares two woman sexual abuse and humiliation from Ma-nyeo, but then requires that Yi-jeong become the girlfriend of the monster, Mr. Baek. We are shown quite clearly what she must endure as the man she despises comes to think of her as property, to be thrown over the kitchen table for his pleasure, as a mild dinner interruption. Yi-jeong torture has an element that her struggle with Ma-nyeo never had. She must not only endure it, but she must cause it to happen and appear to welcome it, at Geum-ja's request. WHile some of Guem-ja's fellow inmates are asked for nothing more than help building a gun, it's plain that she will ask whatever she feels is required to accomplish her goal. The witch is capable of this so she clings to that perception of herself.
Her attempts at maintaining a pristine duality however, are foiled by Jenny's presence. Taking Jenny with her to Korea was not in her plan, yet she's unable to refuse her. This forces "kindhearted Geum-ja" and "the Witch" to share the same space. It's not coincidental that this happens shortly before capturing Mr. Baek. The Geum-ja that finally faces Mr. Baek, is Geum-ja with a daughter in tow. Her malice has not disappeared, but she has become more hesitant. Finding the key chain full of souvenirs from murdered children allows her to step back, her intricate and precise plan altered. Her new plan tellingly places the ultimate responsibility on others. It also mirrors her first offense. Geum-ja is responsible for the kidnapping and for being present, but does not commit the murder herself. Giving responsibility for Mr. Baek's fate to the parents of those he murdered does have an appealing symmetry, and on the surface may appear to be an attempt at justice. It may well be a plan that proves helpful to the relatives, providing some closure and personal power, but becoming a murderer to punish a murderer is sure to leave some scars as well. Geum-ja has at the very least, placed the relatives in her own position, perhaps trying to thin her own sin and guilt.
I don't think there's ever much question at the choice the relatives make. Turning the murderer over to the courts would appear to others as a confession that they didn't care enough about their lost sons. Perhaps individually reason would factor in more heavily, but once a "group" is formed, the likelihood of anything but drastic action is eliminated. As each party "visits" Mr. Baek, Geum-ja observes in the room, just as she observed Baek kill Won-mo. She did not kill him, but set up his death and was an active participant in it. That said, Geum-ja does not attempt to dodge the guilt. She accepts that she is not worthy to eat from the white cake, that she offers to her daughter. Yet, the white flakes of snow falling as if a taunt, are finally what break her resolve. She is forced to see that whatever her guilt, it is she herself who is clinging to the role of the "sinner." while "whiteness falls from the sky anyway.She not only tries to eat the cake but buries her face in it, as if to smother herself with "white."
The narrator says "Geum-ja made a great mistake in her youth, and used other people to achieve her own goals. But she still didn't find the redemption she so desired. In spite of this, no. because of this, I liked Geum-ja." Geum-ja who prays constantly and believes firmly in atonement, desires redemption more than anything in the world, yet has set herself against it, in order to achieve "justice." She has grown used to being, the "witch" and the "sinner." The woman avenging the fact that she has become those things, no longer feels those things, simply sees the errors that must be corrected. The ritual is observed. Won-mo will not accept her apology, as is his prerogative, but he does appear before her with a cigarette, shortly before Jenny is awakened by smoke and sent running towards her mother. Her path to redemption is simply her daughter's answer when she tells her to "Be white. Live white. Like this." Jenny (who sees not a "sinner" but a mother she loves and wants to understand) simply says "You too." and offers a taste of her own white cake. Without her many sins, would she ever have arrived at that place?
Technically the movie is beautiful, Park's attention to each shot in the film makes it ate times feel like a fairy tale and at others a gritty cautionary story. He notices the color of skin and of shoes and how the colors affect each other. He's also very playful with the fact that it is a film and doesn't need to hide it. There's a scene where Jenny is looking at the clouds in Australia, and sees them spell out "You have no Mom" only to have the "NO" disappear a moment later, heralding Geum-ja's arrival. Geum-ja looks at a photo of Jenny, which makes faces at her, when she considers that Jenny shouldn't leave the nice parents she lives with. These flourishes can happen at any time, breaking from the rules of the narrative, to remind you that anything could happen. I should mention that for this review I watched the standard color version of the film, but there is also a version called the "fade to black" version in which the film gradually shifts to black and white. Having seen the fade to black version first, I prefer it, but the color version is certainly beautiful as well. The story itself is very simple, which is not to say it has no depth. In the story's framework, we're presented with questions about many basic "truths" Ultimately this is a beautiful film about ugly things, which need to be faced before accepting a greater beauty, that of a "sinner" finding a moment of grace, which is only possible, because it's undeserved.
Yeong-ae Lee is transcendent as Geum-ja, her character covering such extremes that we would have trouble, as her fellow characters did accepting that one woman contains both the "angel" and the "devil" She displays every emotion possible here and believably enough, that like Geun-shik, we're tempted to dismiss what she's done, given the first excuse that allows it. Min Sik Choi is also great. WHile it's a relatively small role, his presence (after starring in Old Boy) gives a satisfying sense of continuity, not that the two characters share very much. Yae Yong Kwon's Jenny is also wonderful as her peart is more demanding than it looks, giving Geum-ja a believable reason to hope and to listen. The other performances are all top notch, particularly when there are so many characters involved. Everyone's presence adds to the whole. Even the relatives of the murdered boys give strong showings, remarking considering they're all introduced at once, near the end of the film. The nature of their gathering allows some chaos, but they don't step on each other, and everyone of them adds to the picture rather than takes away from it.
Lady Vengeance is a fitting end to the trilogy. It doesn't attempt to sell us anything like "sometimes revenge is justified." or "Murder is Ok for the right reasons." This a world where terrible things happen, and are answered with more horrors. Life is no easily solved equation. The murderer Mr. Baek says "There is no such thing as a perfect person." and we must agree, although this truth does not gain him any consideration. That doesn't make murder less horrible. It doesn't matter whether killing Mr. Baek is justified, it was a course of action they couldn't turn away from, tied as it was to their pain and the love of their missing sons. The real question posed is, once that has been done, how do you live with it? We don't see how the relatives deal with it, although perhaps they continue to celebrate it as a "birthday." believing their sons are now angels passing by. We only see Geum-ja grasping to make herself right, as anyone must do, if none of us is perfect, She sets aside her need for atonement to accept a gift and where this takes her we don't know, but it's a miraculous moment that could be the start of anything and we can understand the narrator saying that it was not in spite of her mistake, but because of it, that she liked Geum-ja. I understand, because I like her too, and I'd like to think she can "live white" after so much striving.
Grifters starts out with a quote from "The Lady is a Tramp" a song by Hart and Rodgers, "I've wined and dined on mulligan stew/and never wished for turkey,/As I hitched and hiked and grifted too/ from Maine to Albuquerque..." before giving the credits over changing views of city skylines.
We then follow cars into the Paloma Downs horse race track. A narrator tells us "Around the country the bookies pay off winners at track odds. It's dangerous when a long shot comes in, unless you have somebody at the tracks to lower those odds." On that note we see Lilly Dillon (Anjelica Huston) parking her car and walking into the track.
The screen splits and elsewhere we see Roy Dillon (John Cusack) park his car and throw a binder into his trunk about to enter a bar.
The screen then spits into three and we see Myra Langtry (Annette Benning) park her car and head for a jewelry and watch repair store. Each of them wear sunglasses, and all three turn towards the camera at the same time as if somebody called them.
Roy makes his way through the busy bar and sits at the bar counter. He sees a patron setting pennies on end and bets him he can't do it with a quarter, telling him he'll pay him a dime for every quarter he can do that with. The man is sure that he can and accepts his bet of "a dime for every quarter" Roy orders a drink, showing the bartender a distinctively folded twenty as he asks for it. He then drops a ten he has beneath the twenty, folded the same way, onto the bar (palming the twenty.) The bartender brings his drink, grabs his ten from the bar (assuming it's the twenty) and gives Roy change for a twenty. The man placing the quarters on end has managed to set ten on end. Roy tosses him a dollar and while the man grabs it, Roy scoops up the quarters, telling the surprised man, "That was the deal, a dime for every quarter."
Lilly is still at the racetrack. The next race is set to start in minutes and she checks the board showing the odds for the horses to win, The #3 horse starts at at 7/0 odds. She reaches into her bag which has folders containing $1,000.00 bundles of cash. She bets $5,000.00 on the #3 horse, placing the betting slips in her bag, where she has folders for each race. She sees the #3 horse's odds change to 3/6 before visiting another teller and placing another $2,000.00 on the #3 horse, and nodding as the odds change to 2/2.
Myra Langtry is waiting as the jeweler (Stephen Tobolowsky) inspects at a piece of her jewelry. He is sympathetically giving her the bad news that the stones in the piece are not diamonds. Myra looks shocked, saying "they must be, they cut glass!" The jeweler tells her "glass will cut glass, almost anything will." and shows her a more reliable test. She says it's ok, and it isn't his fault. As she leaves he asks her to keep him in mind if she has anything else he might be interested in. She smiles at the door and says "Well, I have only one thing now." turning back to face him she asks "Are you interested?" He tells her "I would have to see it, of course." She responds, "Well you are seeing it. You're looking right at it." He talks about her fake jewelry again, reassuring her , that this very rarely happens, and that he feels bad when it does. He takes off his glasses and says "I always hope I'm mistaken."
Roy walks around the bar and orders a drink from a different bartender. He tries his trick with the twenty and ten again, but this bartender must have seen it before, as rather than grab the bill, he grabs Roy's wrist and exposes the palmed twenty. He holds Roy there and reaches under the bar grabbing a club, which he jabs into Roy's gut, sending him across the room. Roy leaves doubled over, having trouble breathing.
Lilly, still at the track, gathers people's discarded betting slips. Roy spends a minute leaning over into his car, when a police officer shows up assuming he's had too many drinks. The officer tells him he seems pretty sick. Roy blames bad shrimp. The officer offers to get him to the doctor, but Roy says he has clients to see.
Lilly goes out to her car and places some slips in an envelope addressed to "Bobo Justus" She also reveals that she has a large stash of bills hidden at the bottom of her trunk. She makes a phone call, telling Irv (Michael Laskin) that she's done at the racetrack and asking if she can come back to Baltimore. Irv tells her that Bobo wants her to go on to La Jolla. She reminds Irv that it's 1,000 miles away and she never goes to California. Irv tells her "You don't argue with Bobo." She considers stopping in Los Angeles on the way. Irv tells her to take a few days and call when she gets there.
Roy gets home to the hotel he's living at and tells the owner that Mrs. Langtry may be stopping by. Roy empties his pockets of the money he made and practices tossing a coin. He hallucinates his old mentor, Mintz (Eddie Jones) in his room asking "What do you want, kid?" and then remembers a past meeting. He approaches Mintz, wanting to learn from him. Impressed that Roy figured out a card trick he offers to show him a few things. He confronts Mintz.
Roy: I want to learn everything.
Mintz: You want to be a grifter?
Roy: A grifter...yes.
Mintz: Not partners. That's your first lesson. Cuts your score in half right down the middle. Worse than that, you take a partner, you put an apple on your head and hand the other guy a shotgun. Grifters, huh? You're one all right. Grifters got an irresistible urge to beat a guy who's wise. There's nothing to whipping a fool. Hell, fools are made to be whipped. But, to take another pro, even your partner, who knows you, and has his eye on you, that's a score, no matter what happens."
He offers to teach Roy a few tricks but reminds him that his hand is not going into his pocket. He also tells Roy "Forget the long con. If the fool tips, you're caught. You'll do time. Never do time."
In the present, Roy half sleeping, laughs at the memory, awakening when Myra shows up. She says "Well, that's fine. Two months we've known each other, you're already so bored you fall asleep before I get here." They start fooling around.
The phone rings and we see that Roy is asleep in bed alone. Simms is calling to tell him he has a visitor. Roy asks who it is and Simms says "a very attractive young lady, who says she's your mother." Roy tells Simms to send her up. She knocks and he says "Come on in Lilly." Lilly says "Long time no see." and kisses him on the lips. Roy answers "Eight years." before offering her some instant coffee. They sit down for coffee. Lilly tells him she's still working for a bookie. Roy remarks "an easy life." She answers "Usually." Lilly says suspiciously, "I'm not sure what you're up to."
Roy: Up to? I'm not up to anything.
Lilly: Come on Roy. You can't kid me. You got so much more on the ball than i ever did, an you know what it does to a person...
Roy: Lilly, why don't you mind your own goddamned business?
Roy closes his eyes, obviously in pain and Lilly gets concerned. She checks his forehead and realizes he's ice cold. He reveals he was hit in the stomach. He doesn't want to go into details, but she decides she needs to call him a doctor. The doctor attempts to be short with her, but she reminds him she works for Bobo Justus, and he changes his tune, even apologizing when he shows up with paramedics. The doctor tells her that Roy's bleeding to death and his blood pressure's under 100, almost saying that he doesn't think Roy will make it to the hospital. Lilly reminds him who she works for again and says "My son is gonna be alright. If not, I'll have you killed."
Myra comes to visit Roy in the hospital and ends up meeting Lilly. She flatters Lilly, that she couldn't be old enough to be Roy's mother, and introduces herself as "Roy's friend." Lilly adds "I imagine you're lots of people's friend." Myra takes a look at her and says "Oh of course, now that I see you in the light, you're plenty old enough to be his mother." Roy comes to and tells them not to fight. Myra tells Roy that he was bleeding inside and his mother saved his life. Lilly remarks "Second time I gave it to you." Roy isn't very grateful, telling Myra that he was "inconvenient" for her and that she was 14 when she had him and used to tell him he was her kid brother. Lilly gets flustered and tells them she's late and has a two hour drive to the track. He thanks her before she leaves and says "I guess I owe you my life." and she says "You always did." before leaving. Myra is fascinated to hear that Lilly works at the track. Just before the race, we see Lilly stuck in traffic and the racetrack announces a horse, Troubadour, with odds of 70/1. Lilly listens to the race on the radio and hears Troubadour win with odds of 70/1.
Myra is quizzing Roy now about what he'll do when he gets out. He asks if she's talking about marriage and she says no, adding "I'm a very practical little girl and I don't believe in giving any more than I get. And that might be pretty awkward for a matchbook salesman or whatever you are."
Roy: Everybody needs matches.
Myra: What do you sell anyway?
Roy: Self confidence.
Myra: God knows you have it to spare.
Myra leaves as Lilly returns to the hospital. She sniffs the air in the room and tells Roy "Myra's been here." She tells Roy she picked up his mail and it was only bills, which she offers to take care of. He insists that he can take care of them himself. She tells him that his boss called, and questions his job selling peanuts for commission, accusing him of using the job as a front while working some angle. He brings up her own job, saying "You're one to talk. You still running playback money for the mob?"
Lilly: That's me. That's who I am. You were never cut out for the rackets, Roy and if you..
Roy: How come?
Lilly: You aren't tough enough.
Roy: Not as tough as you, huh?
Lilly: How'd you get that punch to the stomach, Roy?
Roy: I tripped on a chair.
Lilly: Get off the grift, Roy.
Roy: Why?
Lilly: You haven't got the stomach for it.
Their talk is interrupted by Roy's nurse, Carol, who Lilly reveals she hired to keep an eye on him. Roy is upset as he "makes his own decisions." and asks Carol if she knows why Lilly hired her. Carol responds innocently reciting when she's to check on him. Roy tells her "She hired you for me to fuck." This catches Carol off guard, and Lilly insists that that isn't true. Lilly dismisses Carol and Roy an Lilly continue talking.
Roy: you're just throwing that wallflower at me ;cause you don't like Myra.
Lilly: Myra's nothing. She's less than nothing.
Roy: Than why does she bug you? You jealous?
Lilly: Of what? You want to lie down with dogs?
Roy: And I'll pick the dog.
Myra gets home and her landlord is waiting for her. She attempts to talk nonsense to him to stay off the subject, but he insists that she settle her bill. She invites him in and asks for a second to get her money together. She calls him into the bedroom and when he opens the door he finds her naked on the bed telling him "the lady, or the loot." He picks the lady.
Lilly goes to her car and finds Bobo waiting for her, clearly unhappy.
Bobo: Did I buy you that dress you piece of shit?
Lilly: Well, I guess so, you're the guy I work for.
Bobo: I'm the guy you work for huh? Well in that case I may just flush you down the toilet.
He tells Lilly to take him to his hotel. On the ride he mentions Troubadour, the horse that paid 70/1, and asks her how much she got paid to let that happen. She tries to claim she was down on the horse but there was too much action and he asks "Do you want to stick to that story or do you want to keep your teeth?"
She finally tells him the real story, that she missed it because she was at the hospital with her son. Bob asks her if she has a long coat she can wear over her dress. When she says no, he offers to loan her a raincoat. As soon as they get to the hotel he punches her in the stomach and then tells her to bring him a towel from the bathroom. He lights a cigar and when she returns with a towel, he asks her if she's "heard about the oranges." and then asks her to tell him about the oranges while she wraps oranges in a towel. She explains to him that it's an old insurance scam, to beat someone with oranges wrapped in a towel, which done right leaves nasty bruise without real damage, but done wrong can cause permanent harm. She starts stuttering, having difficulty with the words, but complies when he asks her to bring the towel. He acts as if he's going to hit her with it, but lets the oranges fall out of the towel, opting instead to hold her down and burn her hand with a cigar. He gives her a raincoat to wear home, and offers her a drink before she leaves. He then gives her the ten grand she sent him for Troubadour winning and tells her she can keep it. He asks her how she's doing with money and when he asks if she's skimming form him, she tells him "clip a buck here, a buck there, not enough to notice."
Bobo: That's right, take a little, leave a little.
Lilly: A person who don't look out for himself, is too dumb to look out for anybody else. He's a liability, right, Bobo?
Bobo: That's 1000% right Lilly.
Lilly: Or else he's working an angle. If he's not stealing a little, he's stealing a lot.
Bobo seems happy to hear his philosophy's repeated.
Roy is back at his apartment. We see that he has stacks of cash hidden inside his wall paintings. He takes out some cash and packs a bag, meeting up with Myra for a train ride. He tells Myra he's going to stretch his legs. She tells him she'll wait for him. Roy pretends to stumble into a table full of sailors spilling their drinks in order to start a conversation. He "finds" a die and starts rolling it for drinks and eventually for cash. Myra comes out and sees what he's doing, grinning wide as she realizes for sure, that he's a short con operator.
Myra starts pitching Roy a long con, revealing that she saw him "working the tat on those sailor boys." He initially protests but Myra says "Come on Roy, the tat, what you do for a living. You're on the grift, same as me." When Roy tells her that no does the long con alone she tells him "I was a team ten years with the best in the business, Cole Langley." Roy's heard of him so she explains what they used to do and we see it in flashback. She explains that she was "the roper" and we see her escorting a businessman into an office building rented by Cole (J.T. Walsh) Cole acts as if, Myra wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but she acts as if she's already told the mark all about it. Cole then acts as if he;ll trust her and Cole pulls out a large amount of money as if it's Myra's. Cole tells the mark that their transaction is technically illegal, which doesn't bother him. He explains that their system is based on a them having a hacker who can cause a seven second delay in the transfer of information from the Tokyo to New York stock exchange, giving them seven seconds before the market opens to act on insider stock tips. Myra explains that Cole "was so crooked he could eat soup with a corkscrew." Myra tells him that they took one guy for $185,000.00. When Roy asks why the mark doesn't call the cops she explains the "blow off" and we see She and Cole with the client, surprised by supposed FBI agents bursting in the room which causes Cole to "shoot" Myra and sends the client running without his money. Roy asks "What happened to Cole?"
Myra: He retired.
Roy: Where?
Myra Upstate.
Roy: Upstate where?
Myra: Atascedero.
We see Cole locked away in a mental hospital, mumbling that he can't move. Roy asks "That's where they keep the criminally insane isn't it?" Myra says "He retired and that's it. But I didn't. I'm still the best long con roper you'll ever see." Roy answers "I bet you are, and now you're trying to rope me." She answers "Join up with you!"
We then catch up with Lilly drinking coffee in a diner. A male patron comes to her booth and starts aggressively hitting on her, although she shows absolutely no interest even telling a waitress the man is bothering her. He doesn't listen to the waitress and Lilly elbows him in the throat when he sits next to her.
Roy and Myra are still on their getaway getting ready for bed. We see that Myra has gotten them separate rooms which Roy questions. She tells him she just prefers separate bathrooms so she can spread her cosmetics out without him knocking them over. She then claims she wore herself out and leaves him to go to his own room, claiming he's tired too, but he's clearly disappointed. In his room, he tells himself "Forget the long con, because I'm the one being conned." The phone rings and it's Myra telling him to open his door. He asks why but she tells him "Open it and find out." He opens the door to find her standing in the doorway of her own room, completely naked. She closes the door and walks over to his room giggling. She says "You should've seen the look on your face when I told you goodnight!"
We see Lilly at a house in La Jolla, disturbed by a knock on her door. Before answering, she grabs a gun and puts it withing easy reach. The knock turns out to be Roy, who she's surprised to see. He tells Lilly that he and Myra came out for a vacation. She tells him "If you come out to the track, don't know me." Roy insists that they won't hit the track. He hands her $4,000.00 as payback for the hospital. She isn't interested in his money but he insists. "I pay my debts." He finds the gun she had laying out under a magazine and asks "Expecting somebody?" Lilly answers "No. That was the point." He notices the cigar burn on her hand and asks about it. She claims it was an accident. They argue about the money, Lilly insisting he keep it. She tells him to get a straight job again. He reassures her that he's "strictly short con." She tells him "The grifts like anything else Roy. You don't stand still, you either go up or down. Usually down, sooner or later." He answers "I'll let it be a surprise then." and leaves, leaving the money behind too. We see that Myra is in the backseat of a car across the street, watching the place and discussing it with the driver who remarks "That's the guy we followed." She insists he stat put and we see her watching Lilly and then following her to the track. Myra watches Lilly and her car with a set of binoculars and sees the money she has hidden beneath the trunk.
Later, Myra meets with Roy and tells him she was at the track. He asks if she saw his mother and Myra says "How could I? I was in the clubhouse." Roy says "Lilly wouldn't be in the clubhouse, would she? How did you know that?" Myra then says that she did see Lilly, but Lilly didn't see her. She mentions that Lilly is always nasty to her and mentions "I called a friend of mine in Baltimore, so now I know who she is." Roy says "You must have some very knowledgeable friends." She acts as if her connections will pay off for the scam she's been pitching.
Myra: You won't regret this, Roy!
Roy: Regret what? I didn't say I was coming aboard.
Myra: But, why not? I thought it was settled.
Roy: Nothing was ever settled.
Myra: It's your mother talking against me, isn't it?
Roy: My mother's got nothing to do with this. I make my own decisions.
Myra: That's not what Lilly thinks.
Roy: Who cares what she thinks? I don't care what she thinks. I left home when I was 17 with nothing but stuff I bought and paid for myself, nothing from Lilly.
We then see Roy at his apartment putting money back into one of his clown paintings, when someone knocks at the door. He rehangs the painting and finds it's Myra knocking. She's bursting to tell him that one of her contacts has found a guy in Tulsa who's "made for them." as well as an office set up that's all ready to go. She tells him that she can come up with $10,000.00 if she tries, which means he needs to come up with $20,000.00. Roy questions whether he has that kind of money and tells her "Maybe I like it where I am." Myra says "Maybe, I don't. I had ten good years with Cole and I want 'em back.I gotta have a partner..."
Roy: Do I get any say in this?
Myra: Noo, because...
Roy: That's what I say. What I say is no. We don't do partners.
Myra: What is it? What's going on? Why don't you want to team up?
Roy: The best reason I can think if is that you scare the hell out of me. I have seen women like you before, baby. You're double tough and you're as sharp as a razor and you get what you want, or else, but you don't make it work forever. Sooner or later the lightning hits, and I'm not gonna be around when it hits you.
Myra: My God. It's your mother. It's Lilly.
Roy: What?
Myra: Sure it is. That's why you act so funny around each other.
Roy: What's that?
Myra: Don't act so goddamned innocent. You and your own mother? You like to go back where you've been, huh?
Roy: Watch your mouth.
Myra: Yeah. Yeah, I'm wise to you. I shouldda seen it before, you rotten son of a bitch. How is it huh? How do you like it?
Roy loses his temper and punches her. He then says it isn't like him and explains that's why they can't work together, telling her "You're disgusting. Your mind is so filthy, it's hard to look at you." He says "Goodbye." and shows her the door. Leaving she remarks "And you don't even know it." Roy starts dialing the phone. We see Myra in the elevator saying "Mama. Mama. You'll get yours Mama." We see Lilly at her place picking up the phone. Roy asks her if they can just talk. She offers to drive up but Roy says he'll come to her. She seems delighted, but says "It won't be a home cooked meal you know."
Lilly watches television and gets ready for Roy to visit. She gets a call from "Irv" who tells her "Someone blew you out with Bobo. The car full of money, he's...Lilly? Lilly? Bobo knows about all the money in the car, the money you stole from him..." Lilly has already left the place not even finishing getting dressed or hanging up the phone. She drives away and we see that Myra was watching across the street in a car and now follows Lilly. Immediately afterwards, two thugs show up and check out Lilly's place, leaving when they don't find her. They mention she's in a black and gold Cadillac and take off. Roy shows up when they leave and finds nobody home.
Lilly finds a hotel in Phoenix and asks for a room in the back so she can park her car out of sight of the road. Myra shows up there right afterwards and also asks for a room in the back. The hotel clerk mentions that she thought Myra was Lilly, (the two are dressed alike) explaining why she didn't run out to check her in. Myra goes to her room and unpacks a huge ring of keys. She tries her keys on Lilly's door, finally getting one that works. She finds Lilly asleep and starts choking her. We then see Roy flying into Phoenix to meet the Phoenix police. They tell him there was a lot of money in the car. They express condolences, but Roy tells them "I don't believe it. Lilly is not a suicide. Nothing would make her check out." They explain that they're sure it's her and it was her gun used. At the police station the explain that they prefer not to do a next of kin ID but there were no fingerprints on file and dental records are useless because "She ate the gun." Roy looks at the body, ID'ing it as Lilly although he checks her hand and finds no cigar burn.
We see Lilly dressed up like Myra, driving to Roy's place. She rushes in and Simms assumes she's Myra. She starts looking through Roy's things and pretty quickly goes for the paintings. SHe starts emptying the money into her bag, but Roy shows up in the process. He explains that he got back from phoenix and she asks if the frame worked. He tells her it's very solid. Roy asks what happened in Phoenix. Lilly says "It was terrible. You read about people killing people and all that, but when it happens, My God. We see Myra attempting to choke Lilly, until Lilly shoots her in the face. She then came up with the only plan that wouldn't end with her running from Bobo and the police. She tells Roy "I hated to take your money." Roy tells her "You're not taking it." She tells him "I can't run without money, and if I can't run, I'm dead." Roy tells her she should use Myra's credit cards and start over legit. She insists she's never had a straight job. Roy tells her he's going to get out himself, but she tells him "I don't have time for this." mentioning that Bobo is after her, not him. She tells him "I'm a survivor Roy. I survive, and to survive my way, I need money." She grabs the case. Roy says "No." She asks him if he wants a drink, but he declines. She then claims that she's thirsty and offers to get him some ice water. She returns with two glasses and says "Take whichever one you want." Roy says "You wouldn't do that." Lilly answers "You don't know what I'd do.You have no idea. To live." Roy tells her "You'll live Lilly." They sit down with their drinks.
Lilly: I know what's bugging you of course. I wasn't a very good mother to you when you were a kid. It was pretty lousy of me I guess, to be a child at the same time you were.
Roy: Oh, for God's sake Lilly.
Lilly: I gave you your life twice. I'm asking you to give me mine once. I need the money Roy.
Roy: [Taking a drink] No.
She gets up and discusses him getting off the grift, reminding him that he almost died from the hit in the gut. He tells her it doesn't matter if he's quitting. She then tells him if he's getting out he doesn't need the money. He gets up and faces her, telling her that his money wouldn't last forever and she'd just end up in the same situation again, reasoning that not giving her the money forces her to go straight. She then tries another tactic.
Lilly: Roy, what if I told you that I wasn't really your mother? That we weren't related?
Roy: What?
Lilly: You'd like that, wouldn't you? Sure you would. You don't have to tell me. [slowly approaching Roy]
Now, why would you like that, Roy?
Roy: What are you talking about? Of course you're my mother. Of course you are.
Lilly: I want that money Roy. I need it. Now what do I have to do to get it? You mean you won't give it to me Roy? [nearly touching him] Will you? or won't you? What can I do to get it? Is there nothing I can do?
Roy: [Lilly almost kissing him] Lilly Jesus, what are you doing?
Lilly: Nothing at all [They kiss]
Roy turns his head away, backs up and has a drink. Lilly grabs the briefcase and hits him with it, shattering the glass he's holding.Lilly looks appalled to see a shard of glass sticking out from his neck as he starts bleeding.and falls to the ground and then onto his back, spitting up blood and dying as Lilly keels over him sobbing. She then starts scooping up the money while she sobs, much of it covered in blood. She washes up and leaves. We see her pulling out into the road and driving away.
What About It?
The characters in "The Grifters" are career criminals, but not the type seen in your standard mob/gang movie. It would seem that being a grifter is a career only for the fiercely independent and mentally agile and with a large streak of a gambler's compulsion. While characters in mob movies may end up betraying their bosses, the three grifters presented here, would be destined to do so from the moment they pretended to have a boss. As Roy's mentor, Mintz says "Grifters got an irresistible urge to beat a guy who's wise. There's nothing to whipping a fool. Hell, fools are made to be whipped. But, to take another pro, even your partner, who knows you, and has his eye on you, that's a score, no matter what happens." This is an odd and brutal game where only the winner really knows the score and whatever triumph he/she might feel belong to him or her alone, as by nature they'd have no one to share it with. These characters don't really have relationships as much as prepared situations with someone about to be taken. Even their most personal relationships boil down to long cons. This is a completely demanding lifestyle, and the only moment the con is not going is when each character is alone, and even then they're likely plotting the details. As a con man's career relies on being sincere and likeable, it's easy to get drawn in to their charm and unconventional wit. The con doesn't stop when you learn they're con men, it's similar to Cole telling a mark that the transaction is illegal, and watches the man hook himself. The danger is part of the allure, and allows him to be comfortable with something that's too good to be true. For a moment, the mark knows how the grifter thinks of himself, a little smarter than the rest of the world.
Stephen Frears provides a unique film experience, using Elmer Bernstein's score as a powerful tool giving a looming sense of danger as while as dark celebration at times conjuring the sense of a menacing carnival, which is certainly appropriate as the traditional grifter is often associated with travelling carnies, a natural source of new marks, a subculture withing a subculture of permanent transience. Everything in the movie looks sharp and authentic so much so that details like Lilly's blonde hair stand out. Until the end, even the violence looks good. I would think it's no accident that Roy's beating gives only internal injuries as if even dying, there can't be an obvious mess. The film recalls the past, but brought up to date and not looking better for the shift.
Roy is our most average character and the center of the story as it's he that ties Myra and Lilly together. It's his injury that causes Lilly to screw up, a concern you would imagine she's had for a long time. Lilly is right about Roy in that he "doesn't have the stomach" to be a grifter. While he's charming and has a few skills, he doesn't have the edge that Myra and Lilly do. He lacks a mean streak and you get the sense that he's simply trying to find an amusing way to make a living. By comparison to the women, it would seem that Roy is dabbling in a game that requires total devotion. He's content to make a few bucks here and there not taking anyone for enough to make them care, until he finds the wrong bartender and realizes that as much as a grifter likes to take someone, there are those that despise the takers, no matter the amount. That's the heart of the lifestyle, and Roy doesn't get it. A lot of the appeal to him is that it allows him to be a "self made man." We see that he's insistent to Lilly that "I pay my debts." He mentions to Myra that he left home with only things he himself had paid for. THis is not a good attitude for a grifter who would more naturally be proud that he left home having stolen all of Lilly's things. His misplaced work ethic doesn't do him any favors. He can't get past issues with Lilly, having acted as if he were her brother when he was a child, he sees her more as a disloyal peer than a mother, and as everyone but he himself can see he has a vulnerability around his Oedipus complex. Unfortunately for him, that's not even sacred to a real grifter, Myra or Lilly. He wants to have a relationship with Lilly, but he can't understand what she is or what she's capable of to survive as she herself points out. He's quick to grab the opportunity to play Lilly's moral authority, having perhaps hoped for the chance his whole life, but in the end, he's a twenty five year old kid without enough cynicism to really play the game. Roy unlike Myra and Lilly is content to be just so comfortable, and so is surprised at their insatiable grasping for more. John Cusack is perfect for the role and pulls off a likeable rogue, perpetually smirking at a private joke. The role fits in well with his other screen roles. He's not unlike Lloyd Dobler in "Say ANything" although this time he's in way over his head.
Myra is another matter. SHe's eternally calculating, and the consummate grifter. Her every waking moment is a con, from paying her rent to having a boyfriend. Given what we see of her, we can assume that before she knows that Roy is a con man, she's already working him for something. Her delight at seeing Roy con the sailor's is beautiful, as if she's finally found the perfect way to "take" him. Myra is a specialist, using her body as her tool. Her easy exhibitionism tells her story. She doesn't even bother with seduction or lingerie, just presenting her whole body as if she's impossible to turn away. It's possible that she really wants to partner up with Roy, as the long con she describes would require a male partner, yet when she tells Roy he needs to come up with $20,000.00 for his end, it seems more likely that Roy is just a short con on the way to the long one. We can believe that she misses the long con, but how she reenters the lifestyle is not likely something she shares with Roy but even if they had become partners, Roy's fears about being conned himself are well justified, as Mintz pointed out, "But, to take another pro, even your partner, who knows you, and has his eye on you, that's a score, no matter what happens." She has no knowledge of Mintz's advice to Roy, and assumes that Lilly is responsible for thwarting her. This shows us the hard nature of a "successful" grifter, as she casually puts Lilly's life in danger, both to punish her, and hoping to take her money. It's not her fault that she underestimates Lilly, who is capable of anything at all. Annette Benning is extraordinry in a unique role. Her Myra is calculating deranged and alluring and convincing as a cold blooded schemer who's practiced at seeming warm.
Lilly is the real star of the movie and Anjelica Huston is brilliant presenting a natural predator, who doesn't even realize her nature. She's like a shark, in that she doesn't ponder her actions but has to keep moving or drown. She has been a grifter her whole life, and working for Bobo has found a golden opportunity with access to easy money, and regular employment while she continues to steal money. Bobo even expects her to steal as she shows when she recites his speech back to him "If he's not stealing a little, he's stealing a lot." Of course the difference between a little and a lot is ambiguous, especially over time. Much relies on the appearance of order, and when Bobo is tipped off, he has no choice to take action even though her actions could well have been well within what was expected of her. That's the hazard of having a "boss." although the premise of working for someone would seem to be part of her grift. The fact that Lilly would work her grift on someone as dangerous as Bobo shows her dedication to the lifestyle. Her quick turnaround of Myra's murder attempt shows that she's the ultimate opportunist, quick witted enough to try and salvage any situation. Her strong dislike for Myra, aside from objections "anyone would have." concerning her son, are likely based on an instant recognition. They recognize each other as full time and dedicated operators, and instinctual competition.
She is not emotionless and we see that she does have feelings for her son Roy, as this causes her to uncharacteristically screw up. From Roy and her accounts, this is not the first time her son has been a liability to her lifestyle. And much like she becomes temporarily lulled by steady employment, she thinks that she can reconcile in some way with Roy. She herself, forgets her own nature until she has no choice but to turn back to it. Once she does, all bets are off. She thinks nothing off attempting to seduce her own son, because there is nothing in the world more important to her than surviving. As She she tells Roy "I'm a survivor. I survive." She warns him that he has no idea what she's capable of, and attempts to take the money through conversation, but she also begins an escalation that can onlty end with her leaving with it, no matter what the outcome for Roy. She likely didn't mean to kill him, but neither does that stop her once in motion. She can mourn her son at her leisure while surviving. SHe will likely end up in the same situation all over again, and she will also likely survive. At what cost, is a consideration she gave up on a long time ago.
Ultimately, "The Grifters" is a mean spirited film about ruthless people being charming for as long as they can. Everyone has something to prove and due to the nature of the grifter, only one of them can really prove it. It's easy to get drawn in to the charm of a man or woman against the world living on his/her wits, at least until we're brought all the way to the downside, which is simply the fact that this leaves you all alone in the world. Lilly gets away and lives, but she hardly gets a happy ending. Roy is a goner as soon as we realize he isn't committed.Caught between Lilly and Myra, anything that has a heart is going to be a casualty. To use Mintz's quote one more time, "But, to take another pro, even your partner, who knows you, and has his eye on you, that's a score, no matter what happens." seems right on the money. Lilly taking Roy is a score, and we see "no matter what happens." vividly illustrated. We might have a tendency to see a score as a happy event, but in their terminology, happy has nothing to do with anything. These people buy and sell confidence. For true grifters like Myra and Lilly, a score is just the marker that tells you you're still alive. Anything but total dedication to it can be fatal as Roy would tell you. Play the game or go straight, there isn't any room for dabblers.
10)Brick Pollitt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
What Happens?
Grifters starts out with a quote from "The Lady is a Tramp" a song by Hart and Rodgers, "I've wined and dined on mulligan stew/and never wished for turkey,/As I hitched and hiked and grifted too/ from Maine to Albuquerque..." before giving the credits over changing views of city skylines.