HOPSCOTCH (Neame, 1980)
Criterion Collection, Blu-ray, Release Date Aug 15, 2017
Review by Christopher S. Long
Some spies want to save the world, and
some are in it just to get laid. Veteran CIA superagent Miles Kendig
(Walter Matthau) just wants to be a bit of a prick.
Kendig, the protagonist of “Hopscotch”
(1980), has his reasons. After wrapping a flawless mission during
Oktoberfest in Munich, Kendig returns home to learn that he's being
shunted to a desk job by his newly appointed boss Myerson (Ned
Beatty), an officious paper-pusher short on both imagination and
stature. Not one to sulk, Kendig immediately leaps into action,
destroying his files and decamping for Austria where he hooks up with
old flame Isobel (Glenda Jackson), a semi-retired agent with a
similar contempt for the bureaucracy.
Kendig launches one of the most
idiosyncratic plans in the annals of spy thrillers: he writes his
memoirs and taunts agencies around the globe by mailing them a
chapter at a time from various hideouts throughout Europe and
America. A terrified Myerson enlists the aid of Kendig's star CIA
pupil and number one fan Joe Cutter (Sam Waterston) to “eliminate”
the growing threat posed by the rogue retiree.
Matthau was born with drooping jowls
and an AARP card, and it's hard to imagine anyone more perfectly
suited to the role of the smartass who refuses to be put out to
pasture and wants to make sure his bosses know about it (it's equally
difficult to believe he was only 59 at the time). Kendig enacts an
overly elaborate and risky scheme simply because it amuses him. He
could wait until completing his memoirs before sending them to a
publisher, but that wouldn't force Myerson the putz to scramble
agents across the globe, always trailing one step behind. He knows
his phony Southern accent convinces absolutely nobody, but he deploys
it anyway just for shits and giggles. And as for where he decides
ultimately to set up his headquarters, well, that's the ultimate
flipping of the bird.
Though Myerson is exactly the kind of
schmuck who would order Kendig to be “eliminated,” viewers will
soon catch on that “Hopscotch” is not the kind of film in which
Kendig or anyone else will actually get eliminated. Adapted from a
more serious novel by Brian Garfield (author of “Death Wish”
which inspired the gentle, philosophical film starring Charles
Bronson), “Hopscotch” plants tongue firmly in cheek by sending up
the paranoia and pretensions of Cold War spycraft, with the full
force of the CIA deployed in a low-stakes venture where professional
ego, not global security, is all that's on the hook.
Director Ronald Neame claims he had to
be dragged kicking and screaming into the project, finally convinced
only by the casting of Matthau. The immaculately directed film
displays no signs of Neame's initial reluctance, leapfrogging all
across the globe with glee and grace while maintaining a delicate
comic balance. Though Myerson blusters and Matthau's schemes become
implausibly complex at times, Neame (working from a script by
Garfield and Bryan Forbes) still paints in naturalistic tones. His
CIA men and the requisite Russian counterpart (played by the great
character actor Herbert Lom) are entirely plausible buffoons (or, in
the case of Cutter, skeptics who would rather see Kendig get away),
bundles of righteousness and insecurity working out their neuroses in
the field. Occasional dialogue exchanges deflate them with reminders
of their numerous publicly-known failures. If there's one shortcoming
in the film, it's that the magnetic Glenda Jackson is too often
relegated to the sidelines, just waiting around for phone calls from
the impish Kendig who gets to have all the fun.
Matthau is just phenomenal in this
movie. He's one of the very greatest actors of all-time, so he's
phenomenal in just about everything, but every choice he makes here
is pitch perfect. Even a small choice like the way Kendig whistles
and hums along to his beloved Mozart at strategic points adds layers
to the character that no tedious exposition could provide. The
supporting cast is great too, but “Hopscotch” is a pure joy to
watch just for the sheer spectacle of Matthau operating at his peak.
Video:
The film is presented in a 2.39:1
aspect ratio. This 2K high-def restoration is sharp in detail if not
quite eye-popping in terms of depth or vibrancy. I'd rate this a
mid-level Criterion effort which means it is very good, but not quite
top shelf. I don't have the 2002 SD DVD release from Criterion as a
comparison point, but I have no doubt this represents a significant
improvement.
Audio:
The linear PCM audio mix is crisp and
efficient, if not overly dynamic. Dialogue and sound effects are
clear, as is the frequent Mozart music. Not much to say here.
Optional English subtitles support the English dialogue.
Extras:
Criterion hasn't really offered much
new for this 2017 Blu-ray upgrade.
From the 2002 DVD release, they have
imported an interview (22 min.) with director Ronald Neame and
novelist/screenwriter Brian Garfield. Neame talks about his
reluctance to direct the project and the pleasure of working with
Walter Matthau, Garfield talks about his interest in following up the
violent “Death Wish” with a spy novel in which nobody gets hurt
at all. Also imported from the old DVD are a Trailer (3 min.) and a
Teaser (2 min.)
New for this Blu-ray, Criterion has
added an excerpt (22 min.) from a 1980 episode of the “Dick Cavett
Show” with Walter Matthau. It's entertaining, but pretty
lightweight fare.
The slim fold-out insert booklet
features an essay by critic Glenn Kenny.
Final Thoughts:
I had never seen “Hopscotch” before watching it on this disc, and I wasn't expecting much considering the description and my lukewarm reaction to previous Neame films like “The Horse's Mouth” (1958), but I was knocked over by how much I enjoyed this movie. It reminds me a bit of one my favorite '70s films, “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” (1974), with its relaxed approach to narrative and its wry sense of borderline-absurdist humor. I understand that some look down on “Hopscotch” as a “lesser” entry in the Criterion Collection. I'm here to tell you that's nonsense. “Hopscotch” is an absolute blast.
I had never seen “Hopscotch” before watching it on this disc, and I wasn't expecting much considering the description and my lukewarm reaction to previous Neame films like “The Horse's Mouth” (1958), but I was knocked over by how much I enjoyed this movie. It reminds me a bit of one my favorite '70s films, “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” (1974), with its relaxed approach to narrative and its wry sense of borderline-absurdist humor. I understand that some look down on “Hopscotch” as a “lesser” entry in the Criterion Collection. I'm here to tell you that's nonsense. “Hopscotch” is an absolute blast.
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