Review of The Last Tycoon (1976) by Stuart B — 12 Sep 2011

In hindsight this was probably not the appropriate movie to further expand my knowledge of Kazan's infamously strong body of work. While I was very impressed by the likes of East Of Eden and A Streetcar Named Desire, I surprisingly found myself drifting through the movie, unable to really grasp any attachment with the characters involved in the dramatization of F.

Scott Fitzgerald's novel surrounding a movie producer's spiraling decline due to the intense demands he puts upon himself. Maybe it was intentional for his characters to be so distant, so detached, but it effectively left the movie cold and un-involving.

De Niro obviously does his best, and is by far the standout in a sea of acclaimed talents including Robert Mitchum and Jack Nicholson, but with such methodical direction which left the script stiff and awkward, it was never really a movie I could fully immerse myself in, which ultimately ensured it took three attempts to even finish the 2 hour movie.

That's not to suggest the film is awful, as there are many ideas which are clever and it is beautifully shot, but unfortunately the film just wasn't that interesting and eventually you just don't care.