THE HUNTED (2003)

Joan Crawford joked in her M-G-M prime that she’d never have a chance at plum roles as long as rival star Norma Shearer was ‘sleeping with the boss.’  And Shearer was, married to M-G-M head-of-production Irving Thalberg.  What Joan didn’t mention was how all that prestige ultimately dragged Norma down.  Crawford, for better or worse, now far better remembered; Shearer more a specialist case.  Something of the sort applies to director William Friedkin at his 1990s career low point when he married Sherry Lansing just before she went from Paramount Pictures producer to first woman ‘Chairman’ of a major Hollywood studio.  And don’t imagine people didn't notice Friedkin now sleeping with the boss.  Ta-ta tv gigs, hello top-tier Paramount pics.  And only at Paramount as long as Lansing was there.  But did it serve Friedkin any more than Thalberg did Shearer?  BLUE CHIPS/’94; JADE/’95; RULES OF ENGAGEMENT/’00 and this nothing-burger action/chase pic coming in at an irresponsible 55 mill.  (Cannon/Golan-Globus would have spent 3 mill.)  All four of Friedkin’s releases seriously over-budget/under-performing; JADE notoriously so.*  And none buffing up a career left in tatters when SORCERER/’77 (unfairly) tanked after the windfall critical/commercial success of FRENCH CONNECTION and EXORCIST.   This one wasting an expensive prologue to show army killing specialist Benicio Del Toro taking out whole units in Kosovo, becoming a psychologically brutalized Silver Star man, now killing off Army men hunting him down back in the States.  Enter teacher/mentor/guru/swami Tommy Lee Jones, a solitary army trainer who’s never actually killed a man.  Now tasked to hunt down this wild animal caught in a trap of his own making.  (Symbolically shown to us in Jones’s intro by having him save a wild animal caught in a trap.  Subtle, no?)  The last twenty-five minutes an elaborate mano-a-mano for the lead boys, with FBI backup so someone can get killed along the way.  This wan attempt to repeat THE FUGITIVE/'93 none too satisfying.  Lansing left Paramount soon after; Friedkin making three or four interesting little films elsewhere.*

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  *Why JADE doesn’t get nailed as a legendary Hollywood boondoggle is a mystery.  Not only a 60 mill loss, it also stopped three major careers: ace scripter Joe Esterhas; tv escapee David Caruso; rising femme fatale Linda Fiorentino.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  *KILLER JOE/’11 probably best of Friedkin’s post Lansing pics.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2013/06/killer-joe-2011.html