Hopscotch

Hopscotch (Criterion #163).
1980 AVCO Embassy Films, StudioCanal & Janus Films.
Starring: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterson, Ned Beatty, Herbert Lom
Director: Ronald Neame
Hopscotch is available from Amazon.

The Criterion Collection does have a few head-scratchers for movies that they've released, notably both of the Michael Bay films they issued on DVD, and most recently, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I also have to agree that Hopscotch, which to my knowledge was never a commercial or critical success, is one of those movies. Criterion has released other films made by director Ronald Neame, so it isn't completely unusual that Hopscotch is present in the collection.

Based on Brian Garfield's novel of the same name, the feature stars Walter Matthau as renegade CIA agent Miles Kendig who plans to publish a book exposing the inner workings of both his employers and the KGB. After Miles participates in a sting operation in Munich, he learns that his supervisor Myerson (Beatty) is planning to force him into semi-retirement and a desk job. Kendig insists that he's a field man, and takes it upon himself to leave, destroying his file on the way out. With the help of Isobel von Schonenberg (Jackson), Kendig starts globehopping, staying one step ahead of his pursuers from America and Russia, even hiding out in Myerson's Georgia home. He also finishes his book while hiding in London.

Kendig fakes his death in England, departing with Isobel for France, and everyone else involve believes that he really is dead, save CIA agent Joe Cutter (Waterson). The book does become a bestseller, though, amid rumors that Miles is alive and hiding in Australia.

Recommended film, although I admit that I didn't pay that close attention to it, as I was spending more time bouncing between various websites trying to read more about the death of Michael Jackson, so my apologies. Fortunately, Hopscotch did pick up the pace after Kendig went on his escape, keeping a step ahead of two powerful government agencies.

The Horse's Mouth

The Horse's Mouth (Criterion #154).
1958 General Film Distributors, United Artists & Janus Films.
Starring: Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh, Renee Houston, Mike Morgan, Robert Coote
Director: Ronald Neame
Buy The Horse's Mouth at Amazon.

Alec Guinness authored the screenplay for this film, based on Joyce Cary's 1944 novel of the same name, and starred as its lead character, the eccentric painter Gulley Jimson. Jimson has just gotten out of jail after a month for telephone harassment of his sponsor, Mr. Hickson (Ernest Thesiger) He is greeted by a young man named Nosey Barbon (Morgan) who wants to pattern his life after Jimson, even if the artist constantly tries to discourage him, even to the point of stealing the youth's bicycle to make his way back home, a houseboat. Miss D. Coker (Walsh) has been watching Jimson's houseboat during his incarceration. She and Jimson have further run-ins with Hickson whenever they try to borrow money from him.

Jimson visits the Beeders (Robert Coote, Veronica Turleigh), who are interested in purchasing one of his earliest works, which is firmly in the possession of Jimson's former wife Sara Monday (Houston), who has no intention of letting it go. He sees a blank wall in their house and is inspired to paint "The Raising of Lazarus", planning to take advantage of their six week holiday to do so. During the process of painting his mural, another artist called Abel (Michael Gough) moves in with a large block of concrete, having been commissioned by British Rail to turn it into a sculpture. Jimson ends up pawning the Beeders' valuables, and the concrete block crashes through the floor one day. Jimson does complete his painting, but the returning Beeders fall through the hole in the floor (covered by a carpet) before getting a good look.

Miss Coker loses her job thanks to the conflict with the suddenly deceased Hickman, who has willed his collection of Jimson's artwork "to the nation". While visiting the displayed artwork, Jimson runs across Sara, who agrees to return that early painting, but tricks the artist. Jimson ends up confronting Sara at her home, with Nosey on their trail. Sara is injured during the fight, which sends Jimson and Nosey ducking for cover in an abandoned church. The building has one large, completely blank wall, Nosey notices, and that inspires Jimson to create his largest work ever, "The Last Judgment". Unfortunately, the church is scheduled to be demolished in the next two weeks, so Jimson, Coker and Nosey recruit local youth (including Lady Beeder) to finish the painting, despite the objections of the local official overseeing the demolition project. "The Last Judgment" is completed just moments before the demolition crew arrives on scheduled. Before anything can happen, Jimson destroys the painting himself with a bulldozer, and runs back to his houseboat, which sets sail down the Thames before Nosey and Coker can catch up with him.

A decent British screwball comedy, where Guinness turns in a strong performance. Highly recommended.