Cradle Will Rock

Starring: Hank Azaria, Ruben Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Philip Baker Hall, Cherry Jones, Angus Macfadyen, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, John Turturro, Emily Watson, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Paul Giamatti, Gretchen Mol, Ned Bellamy
Directed by: Tim Robbins
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1999

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) tries to direct a new play that the government shuts down because they don't like the message. This brings up questions of censorship in art.

Review:

Tim: Tim Robbins' mostly true story, Cradle Will Rock is an underrated film that tells the powerful story of about an original 1937 musical production that was shut down by the government because they did not approve of the play's content. This story is one of many in the film, which are all weaved together to paint a portrait of censorship, art v. politics, union v. nonunion, and this country's fight against communism on the domestic front. Robbins received some criticism for this film (which he wrote, produced, and directed) because there were "too many" storylines, which reportedly prevented any one from achieving its full potential. I admit that there are definitely many storylines and many characters, but they all work together to create an interesting mosaic portraying an interesting time in U.S. history.

Period film don't often do well with audiences, especially ones that polarize with some pretty blatant political commentary. This movie is very leftist and Robbins has no qualms with displaying his political beliefs front and center. While I don't agree with all of Robbins' political beliefs, I felt like I was able to put politics aside to appreciate what he was trying to convey in this film.

I do want to talk about the cast, because it is impressive. I don't have time to discuss everyone, but here goes: Hank Azaria does a good job as the playwright. He was well cast, and gives a good performance. Joan Cusack and John Cusack have smaller roles, but were both enjoyable here. I wish we had more time with John Cusack, because his Nelson Rockefeller was quite good. Cary Elwes was nearly unrecognizable. Bill Murray had an odd role, but he played it very well. Susan Sarandon slapped on an interesting accent for her role. The rest of the cast give various levels of performances. As a whole, though, the cast is extensive and it is genuinely fun to watch all these actors together on screen. Robbins certainly assembles an impressive cast for his third directorial effort. While not all of the big names get much screen time (some are on screen for very little), they each have enough to do to make an impact on the film. I enjoyed seeing all of these good actors working together.

I thought Robbins did a good job behind the camera. This is certainly a very large, complex production, and Robbins handles it quite well. The chaos is manageable, and it was fun to watch on screen.

If you like movies about historical events that also make you think, I'd recommend seeing Cradle Will Rock. It was a little-seen film in 1999, and I bet not too many people have seen it even today. It's worth checking out, though.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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