Aside from the fact that it was a very long show and we were all tired by the end, this year’s Academy Awards opener didn’t have the pizazz of previous years. It was a bit of a letdown to start the night with a credit sequence that had a glam Regina King walking an Oscar through Union Station instead of a masterfully edited montage or monologue. Then, when it came time to hand out the first award of the night, we were left with a rather blah speech from the president of the Academy who seemed more interested in promoting his own filmmaking project than the work that made this year’s ceremony so memorable.
What the film lacks in subtlety it makes up for with a sense of edginess and a kind of sultry sizzle that sets it apart from more typical crime films and even from most other noirs. Sam Fuller’s direction is taut, and he uses creative cinematography to tell a story that combines hysteria with a touch of pathos. His use of visual imagery and ekphrastic moments lends a levity to the themes of waste, recycling and our emotional response to the beautiful that are at the core of the story.
While Moment fans who worship at the altar of their Deathwish may be a little bummed to lose some of that ski’s bipolar characteristics in deeper snow, the Underworld is plenty light and fun, with incredible edge hold that holds up well in most conditions.
