Plot: What’s it about?
In the early seventies, Elliott Gould made his breakout role on the big screen with his role as the wisecracking but laid back doctor Trapper John McIntyre in the hit M*A*S*H. Before that movie were to be release, Gould was busy acting and producing in a film that started out as a play on Broadway that told the tale of two people, a connection with family and a violent world. These are not just the little things in life, they’re just Little Murders.
Patsy (Marcia Rodd) gets a lot of obscene phone calls in her apartment and her life is lonely. That all changes one day when she breaks up a fight between thugs and a photographer named Alfred (Elliott Gould) who doesn’t mind being at the receiving end of a beating and does nothing to defend himself. Patsy is somewhat attracted to that and introduces him to her family in an effort to make him a better man and to break a streak of lovers that left her for the same party, but even getting married has it’s own share of struggles between them two even in a violent crazy world such as this one.
The first glimpse I had of this film was a photo in a book called The Films of 20th Century Fox and I had a picture in my mind of what this film could be like with reading the summary along with it. After viewing this film, it was much different that my expectations and was an intriguing play to screen that reminded me a bit of the film Glengarry Glen Ross where the environment is for the most part indoors and there is a healthy dose of dialogue courtesy of Jules Feiffer.
The main players give wonderful performances showing between these two that opposites attract even in the most unconventional settings. There are three extended cameos that give a humorous touch to this disturbing tale. As the judge, Lou Jacobi is reflective in stories forgetting he’s supposed to be marrying this couple today, this moment, at this hour. As the long haired bearded minister, Donald Sutherland speaks his mind while legally binding the couple expressing alternative motives but in the end professing that everything will turn up all right. As the neighborhood detective of the piece, Alan Arkin (who also served as the director of this piece) is a down on his luck detective who expresses his frustration and his craziness on the family of our piece coming down to a conclusion that hits close to home and is crazy enough to have been replicated in today’s society making this piece ahead of it’s time. All three are memorable in their approach and in their monologues make for some of the most memorable moments in this film.
At times the film can be stagey but it also is a character piece about a disturbing world that we live in that even love in all it’s sacrifices and all it’s choices can’t always bring the joy it pledges it brings and makes the world a case where if you can’t beat the violent society, no matter what beauty exists, join the violent society. It’s disturbing, it’s touching, it’s not for everybody and it’s funny. Even Arkin takes a break from his stagey film to show a poignant scene with Alfred in Central Park that is quite touching and tragic. It’s curious as to why Arkin didn’t direct more films and maybe the lack of success prevented it, but this little film shows that it would’ve been great to see what he can come up with the literal ear for dialogue and characterization he has with this piece along with an intriguing eye for the camera.
Video: How does it look?
After few incarnations on video, Little Murders makes it’s debut in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen form and the results are sharp for the most parts but with much grain through scenes and a fair amount of speckles and the occasional bit of dirt throughout the film, especially through the beginning. The transfer improves but still carries the same little problems as most seventies films do. I thought there were major problems through the beginning with the 20th logo squeezed. I don’t know if that was the filmmakers intention or a problem with the disc at the beginning. Also, to potential buyers, the film is NOT full-frame as the top label might indicate but the cover certainly tells the truth. A good but not great transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Dolby Stereo track is no stretch for the ears as the majority of the track lies in the middle channels with mostly dialogues and effects, and there are points where I had to raise the volume at certain points to hear what some of the characters were saying. Most of the dialogue comes out clear but lowers itself once in a while and it makes for a decent audio track but not a great groundbreaking one. This disc also has an English and Spanish Mono track along with English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Fox continues it’s trend of little affordable titles with a few extras that make it all worthwhile. The Special Features start off with a full-length commentary track with star Elliott Gould and screenwriter/playwright Jules Feiffer. Both were recorded seperately. The track is mostly dominated by Gould and he gives a very good look at the making of the film along with little tidbits about the cast and his own career and thoughts on how the film resulted giving a actor and producer’s viewpoint. Feiffer, with lesser time, gives some other valuable information about a bit of the run of the play and the points that he made with reasons behind his intentions for some of the themes of the play/script. Both work well together and my only regret was no viewpoint represented by the director as a commentary by Arkin is absent and would’ve been much welcomed as this film represented an extremely experimentally creative time in Arkin’s career.
In addition there are two TV spots and the film’s theatrical trailer along with a nice insert for the film.
Little Murders is an intriguing tale that may not be for all tastes, but is a little gem from the 1970’s that is well worth a discovery on DVD.
