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bridalpearlnecklace-blog · 7 years ago

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( Ehudlaniado.com ) - I recently watched an old film in which diamonds play a major role. This led me to the idea that Hollywood has long been fascinated by diamonds. Diamonds are well suited for movies - whether it's a love story, a criminal story or a thrilling thriller, diamonds give both romance and intrigue that movie lovers like. I decided to make a list of several of my favorite films on diamonds and hope to hear about your favorite films as well.

Flawless (Without flaw) - 2007

Although the film never received recognition, which was expected by the producers, it was nevertheless interesting and well received by the audience thanks to the participation of Michael Caine. The film is about the management company of the London Diamond Corporation, performed by Demi Moore, who was several times overlooked by less qualified men. Despite the fact that she will help the company to keep an important contract with the Russians, she is fired from her job, and she is outraged. Together with the cleaner company, she prepared a robbery of the London Diamond Corporation - the theft of diamonds for millions of dollars. The plot was uncovered thanks to the thoughtful investigation of Michael Caine, who showed an excellent game.

This film was first shown in Germany in 2007 and had a limited display in the US in 2008. He collected only $ 6.8 million, despite a budget of $ 20 million.

Blood Diamond - 2006

Most of us, working in the diamond industry, can remember the feeling of excitement with which they went to the premiere of the film "Blood Diamond", and the sensation in the media before its release. Thanks to the participation of Leonardo DiCaprio, who was later nominated as the best actor for this role, this film was very much awaited, and it was shown in many countries around the world.

The film features an African diamond smuggler in the war-torn Sierra Leone, leading a search for a pink diamond the size of an egg. The film was able to shed light on some of the excesses of war in this country, in which, among other things, people amputated their hands so that they could not vote. The ending of the film, showing the conference on conflict diamonds, reflects the historic meeting held in 2000 in Kimberley, South Africa. At this meeting, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was established to prevent the export of diamonds from known conflict zones.

Despite the controversial reviews, the film had a box office success, collecting an estimated $ 171.4 million and bringing awards for the game for DiCaprio and for supporting actor Djimon Hounsou.

Diamonds are forever (Diamonds are Forever) - 1971

The seventh film in the James Bond movie series was widely considered by many as the last Bond film, in which Sean Connery played the legendary super-spy. This is because he has stated publicly many times that he will never play this role again (in part because of some rather stupid scenes, for example, a stolen "Lunokhod" in a fake scenery for a film in the Nevada desert). In this film Bond acts as a smuggler with diamonds, whose goal is to introduce smugglers into the gang, led by his arch-enemy Ernst Blofeld, who intended to use diamonds for the construction of space laser weapons.

Although the producers experimented and used other actors to play the role of Bond, United Artists Studio was so keen to return Connery that he paid him a record (at that time) fee of $ 1.25 million. The film was a commercial success and brought $ 116 million with a budget of only In $ 7.2 million. But some criticized this film for its improbable improbability.

The big jackpot (Snatch) - 2000

After his film "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", which had a sensational success, Guy Ritchie released the "Big Snatch" in 2000, which had a strong cast of actors, including Brad Pitt, Jason Statham and Benicio del Toro. In the film, everything is built around a thief who stole a diamond weighing 86 carats from an Antwerp diamond dealer. In a dynamic film, a lot of plot moves and strange turns of fate that lead away from the diamond, and then return to the gem (which eventually ended up in the dog's stomach).

This film had box office success after its release in the Great Britain, and then debut show in the United States in 2001. It is estimated that it brought $ 83.6 million.

Robbery on Baker Street (The Bank Job) - 2008

Perhaps the most interesting part of this 2008 film is that it appears to have been based on a real robbery in Baker Street in central London in 1971, when the robbers dug a tunnel into the bank's storehouse through the foundation of a nearby store. The film was supposed to reveal the truth about this incident for the first time, because the real story could not be told because of the "D" notice about the ban on transferring information to the media in a case that supposedly existed to protect a well-known member of the British royal family. Many believe that in the storehouse, in which the criminals have made a tunnel, photos were kept compromising the late Princess Margaret.

In real life, many of the 1971 robbery criminals were caught and convicted, although not all of those who were involved were believed to be. In fact, probably only very few know if the events shown in the film were real or not, or what were the true motives for the robbery. In any case, the film had average box office fees, and it was interesting to see. It is estimated that he raised $ 64.8 million.

Marathon Man (1976)

In the film "Marathoners", according to a scenario adapted from the novel by William Goldman (William Goldman) with the same name, published in 1974, a secret network of couriers carrying diamonds stolen from wealthy Jews during World War II is shown. The diamonds were used mainly to finance the concealment of Nazi war criminals who fled to South America, which was an echo of the real escape of the Nazi Josef Mengele, known as the "Angel of Death."

In "Marathon" the main role is played by Dustin Hoffman, whose brother is in the center of a network of couriers carrying diamonds. Laurence Olivier (Laurence Olivier), who plays the supporting role in this film, received an Oscar for his role as Dr Zell (Szell), the negative hero in this story. The film raised $ 28 million with a budget of $ 6.5 million.

Titanic (1997)

Although the Titanic, of course, mainly tells of the wreck of an unfortunate ship in 1912, the diamond plays a prominent role in this film. A blue gem called the Heart of the Ocean probably belonged to Louis XVI and is very similar to the diamond Hope. A 56 kilo carat blue heartstone is a gift to the main character of the film, the role of which is performed by Kate Winslet, from her fiancé. At the end of the film, the stone falls into the ocean where the ship crashed.

Of course, the Titanic had a wide success and became one of the most anticipated films of all time. It still ranks second in the total amount of fees, which is over $ 2.2 billion, second only to the Avatar, which is also supplied by James Cameron. This film holds the record with Academy Awards in 14 nominations and won 11 prizes, including the title of the best film of 1997.

A Fish Called Wanda - 1988

The film "A Fish by the Name of Wanda", based on a script written by John Cleese, who also starred in this film, was directed by Charles Crichton. It tells about a gang of diamond thieves who repeatedly deceive each other in an attempt to find stolen gems hidden by the gang leader. In this film, unexpected turns of fate continue until the very last scene. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, and actor Kevin Kline (Kevin Kline) took away the award for the best performance of the role of the second plan.

Shown in London in the summer of 1987, this film grossed $ 62.5 million. After its success, the lineup again gathered in 1997 for the production of a "equal" / similar film (rather than a "sequel / sequel," or "prequel "/ Prequel / - prehistory) called" Fierce Creatures ", but this film could not achieve such success as its predecessor.

Thief - 1981

Хотя фильм «Вор» никогда не имел широкого кассового успеха, все-таки он занимает высокое место среди фильмов, и американский кинокритик Роберт Элберт (Robert Ebert) называет его «одним из самых интеллектуальных триллеров из всех просмотренных им». В основу этого фильма положен роман Фрэнка Хохаймера (Frank Hohimer) 1975 года «Взломщики домов: исповедь вора-домушника» (The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar). Фрэнка Хохаймер - псевдоним реального вора драгоценностей Джона Сейболда (John Seybold), который написал это произведение, находясь в тюрьме. В фильме рассказывается о бывшем заключённом и опытном воре драгоценностей, вступившем в конфликт с воровской шайкой из-за добычи от краж. В главной роли в фильме снялся Джеймс Каан (James Caan). Удивительно хорошо исполняют свои роли Вилли Нельсон (Willie Nelson) и Тьюзди Уэлд (Tuesday Weld).

With a budget of $ 7 million and a fee of $ 11.5 million, this film did not really bring in much money, but it was highly appreciated in the cinematographic circles.

Gentlemen prefer Blondes (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) - 1953

This classic film with Marilyn Monroe, starring Lorelei Lee, a woman who has a passion for diamonds, believes that one of the ways to succeed in life from an economic point of view is to lure a rich husband. This film is probably best known for the performance of Monroe's song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" - a musical number that remains cult so far.

This song, along with the De Beers advertising campaign, using the slogan "A Diamond is Forever", helped bring diamonds to the consumer's minds in the United States, which remain the most important market in the industry. The pink dress in which Monroe was in this role was called "the most important cinematic costume ever exhibited at an auction" when it was sold in 2010 for $ 310,000.

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peeringthroughthe4thwall · 7 years ago

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Michael Mann's first criminal masterpiece, Thief (1981)

I think its fair to say that Michael Mann is known for a certain type of film. Stylish peeks into the criminal underbelly, focusing on hard, tough men who are sometimes impeded by their own psychological complexities. He makes thrillers which, when they are at their best, are more interested in the characters of the protagonists than they are the central story. He has, in fact, been accused of telling the same story over and over again with different characters.

I don’t think this is entirely fair.

For Mann the attraction is not the story, it’s the character, it’s the man at the heart of it.

The origins of this obsession with flawed masculinity can be traced back to his feature debut as a director – Thief (1981) – a film that many still consider his best work. It tells the story of Frank (James Caan), a professional thief, who is trying to achieve a version of the American Dream in a way that only a career criminal can do. There is little room for niceties, just sheer determination. For example, he wants a wife so he goes out and gets her, ignoring any objections she may have. Initially Jessie (Tuesday Weld) is a bit reluctant after Frank appears two hours late for the first date, so he grabs her, forcibly removing her and pointing a gun at whoever complains about his treatment of her. His approach is not exactly romantic but it is straight to the point.

‘ let's cut the mini-moves and the bullshit, and get on with this big romance.’

He is equally direct at work. When he is threatened or double-crossed, he deals with it himself being both cautious and reckless at the same time. After he loses money when his fence is thrown out of a window, he goes to the man he thinks is responsible and demands the money he lost. He takes a gun and makes sure there is someone in the car waiting for him to make the getaway then barges into an office terrorising the women working there.

When he is double-crossed by the local mob boss, Leo (Robert Prosky) Frank holds back no punches – he tells him his position, making demands without thought of consequences.

It is this duality that makes Frank is an interesting and complex character. He may seem to be in control at all times but is in fact being controlled by his emotions. He can’t see this but it is obvious to others who, realising this weakness, wish to control him. In Mann’s 1995 film, Heat, Robert De Niro’s character Neil McCauley repeatedly says ‘Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.’ Frank has a similar philosophy which he developed whilst in prison and as a child being brought up in the system – don’t get tied down to anything. But he also wants to settle, to live an ordinary life. He doesn’t see the conflict between these two perspectives but we can.

This is a flaw that is open to manipulation and that is exactly what Leo does. For example, after Frank rebukes Leo for suggesting this pay should be invested into the ‘company’ (which would increase the mob’s grip on Frank), Leo changes tack and offers to help Frank and Jessie get a child (they can’t adopt because of Frank’s criminal past). Frank jumps at the chance, ignoring the entire preceding conversation and the threat of Leo’s control. This, off course, is going to be used against Frank later. We can see it, Leo can see it but Frank can’t as he is too emotionally involved. He can only see what he wants to see – his dream of family life.

What makes Thief so interesting is that, although it has all the ingredients of a thriller – The Mob, guns, a heist – it is really a character study. It is all about Frank and the pay-off, the explosive finale that one expects with thrillers, is dictated not by plot but by character. How Frank reacts to this manipulation and control dictates the outcome, not a twist or storyline. This is the strength of the film – whatever happens feels psychologically true.

My favourite scene is a simple one, in a diner, sitting across from one another, Frank tries to convince Jessie to be with him, to buy into his dream for the future. He shows her a collage of images cut out from magazines he had made in prison which summed up what he wants out of life. On the surface it resembles the legendary meeting of De Niro and Pacino for the first time on camera in Heat. There the cop and the robber discuss their respect for each other and their willingness to take their pursuits all the way, wherever that may lead. They are articulate and focused.

Frank is not an articulate person, especially when trying to discuss themes and aspirations that he has little experience of. His monologue is rambling, he repeatedly hesitates and mumbles. But this only seems to add to his determination and reveals so much more about the man he really is. Jessie’s response is similar – they are the same person and want the same thing. It is a beautifully acted scene by both Weld and Caan, who consider the scene the best of his career.

The film is beautifully made with some stunning photography, especially the city at night (a Mann speciality – see his film Collateral) and the scenes of the sparks flying towards the camera during the set-piece safe cutting are gorgeous. Who needs 3D!

But despite the stylish photography there is also a sense of work involved. This is not an easy job, it is manual labour and each stage of the operation, although almost wordless, is punctuated with grunts and murmurs. You get a real sense that this work is real, that Frank and his partner Barry (an almost monotone James Belushi, in his first role) have done it countless times before. When the job is complete, Frank sits back and smokes a cigarette, a look of exhausted satisfaction on his face. As I watched I couldn’t help compare it, not with other heist films, but with the industrialisation in the opening scenes of Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter.

The performances are excellent throughout but a special mention as to be made of Robert Prosky as Leo. Before watching Thief I only knew him from playing the drunken letch in Mrs Doubtfire, the kindly cinema usher in The Last Action Hero and the slightly crazy vampire/Late night TV host in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, none of which prepared me for this manipulating mob boss with a truly vicious streak.

Ya kids mine because I bought 'it. You got 'im on loan, he is leased, you are renting him. I'll whack out ya whole family. People'll be eatin' 'em in their lunch tomorrow in their Wimpyburgers and not know it. You get paid what I say. You do what I say, I run you, there is no discussion.

Blues fans like myself will see a brief scene of The Might Joe Young Band playing in a bar and a scene missing from the final cut but well worth looking up on YouTube, of the great Willie Dixon.

Rounding out the cast is Willie Nelson as Frank’s mentor and an early appearance of Dennis Farina as one of Leo’s men. John Santucci,, who had a brief role as a corrupt cop, also acted as a technical adviser on the film and was himself only recently paroled for doing the same job as Frank! The film was also co-written by Frank Hohimer (whose real name was actually John Seybold) a career criminal who wrote the book The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar on which the film was based.

Thief is well worth going back to. It is a solid film with great complexity, brilliant performances and spot on direction.

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#film #michael mann #james caan #Thief

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