Review of Reds (1981) by Jennifer B — 17 Feb 2010

The kind of ambitious Hollywood film that doesn't get made anymore, and it's surprising that it was made at all considering the subject matter. It maybe bites off more than it can chew as it tries to be a romance (including a love triangle), a political thriller (with prison sentances and sneaking into foreign countries), and an examination of revolution and communism. Sometimes the classical Hollywood romance conventions feel out of place amidst the political background, but for the most part the tone is consistent.

Beatty plays to his strengths, and his portrayal of Jack Reed as a charming idealist who gets caught up in a political storm helps ground the film when it gets a bit too talky. It helps that Keaton and Nicholson give standout performances turning potentially cliched characters into fully realized people (the fact that Nicholson is able to do so in little more than a handful of scenes is quite remarkable).

Beatty as director manages to find humour where he can, and keeps the three hour film moving (there certainly isn't a shortage of ideas here). It's long, but never boring.