Sydney Pollackwas an American filmmaker active between 1965 and 2018.He started out as an actorbefore stepping behind the camera, which may explain his talent for eliciting great performances from his stars.Pollack was adept at combining blockbuster filmmaking with artistic respectability, directing classics likeThree Days of the Condor,Out of Africa, andTootsie. Part of their success lay in the fact that Pollack was clearly aware of the prevailing social moods of his era and told stories that spoke to them.
He directed forty features over the course of his career and produced many more, includingMichael ClaytonandSense and Sensibility. He had considerable range, handling espionage thrillers and zany comedies with equal skill. Pollack’s best movies feature engaging, propulsive plots alongside complex characters and ample food for thought. These are the finest of them, ranked.
10’The Interpreter' (2005)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Jesper Christensen
“Vengeance is a lazy form of grief.“Nicole Kidmanstars in this political thriller as Silvia Broome, a United Nations interpreter who accidentally overhears a plot to assassinate an African dictator. With the help of federal agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn), she races to prevent a political catastrophe and confronts her own troubled past along the way.
The Interpreterhad a lot of potential but, a few solid scenes notwithstanding, it ultimately falls short.The political themes (and particularly the role of translation in international affairs) could have been explored more deeply. The thinly veiled critique of the Zimbabwean government, for instance, should have been fleshed out. Additionally, the plot strains credulity at times, and the suspense is a little under-cooked. For example, there are scenes filmed in the actual UN headquarters in New York - an interesting novelty - but the space also constrains the blocking and comes off looking a little dull.
The Interpreter
The Interpretercan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
Rent on Amazon
9’The Firm' (1993)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Holly Hunter
“Being a tax lawyer’s got nothing to do with the law. It’s a game.“The Firmis Pollack’s take on the bestsellingJohn Grisham novel, andit remains the strongest adaptation of the author’s work.Tom Cruiseleads the cast as Mitch McDeere, a promising young attorney who is lured into a prestigious Memphis law firm with a too-good-to-be-true offer. As Mitch delves deeper into the company’s inner workings, led by the charismatic Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman), he discovers that it is not the paradise it seems.
The Firmis a confident, enjoyable fusion of a legal drama and a crime thriller.Despite its 2 and a half hour runtime, it unfolds at a brisk pace thanks toengaging direction and solid performances. Cruise is great as an innocent young professional in over his head, while Hackman turns in a somber performance as a decent man corrupted by a lifetime of small, immoral decisions. The highlight, however, isHolly Hunteras the chain-smoking secretary who becomes Mitch’s closest ally.
The Firmcan be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Watch on Paramount+
8’The Way We Were' (1973)
Starring: Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, Lois Chiles
“Peoplearetheir principles.” Beginning in the 1930s and spanning several decades,The Way We Werechronicles the unlikely romance between Katie (Barbra Streisand), an outspoken activist, and Hubbell (Robert Redford), an apolitical writer. Despite their ideological differences, they fall deeply in love and marry. However, their relationship is constantly tested by Hubbell’s reluctance to fully commit to Katie’s causes and his own career ambitions.
Katie represents a world of adventure and meaning to Hubbell, while he symbolizes comfort and conventionality to her. But they both engage in deception to maintain the relationship, which is the heart of the drama.One or two plot developments are a bit jarring but, overall,The Way We Weremakes for a refreshingly honest portrait of a relationship.It also deserves praise for the way it uses these two characters' development over time to make points about US history: their story unfolds against a shifting background of World War II, McCarthyism, and anti-nuclear protests.
The Way We Were
The Way We Werecan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
7’The Yakuza' (1974)
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman
“Ken is a relic, a leftover of another age, of another country.” Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) is a former soldier turned private detective, who is called upon by an old acquaintance, George Tanner (Brian Keith), to rescue his daughter, who has been kidnapped bythe Japanese mafia. Kilmer travels to Japan and enlists the help of his former love interest, Eiko Tanaka (Keiko Kishi) to navigate this dangerous underworld.
The Yakuzaisn’t your typical crime drama; it’s more of a study in regret and lost relationships.Pollack crafts a melancholy atmosphere, where the pain of missed opportunities is keenly felt. Specifically, he uses a seemingly straightforward plot to delve deep into the protagonist’s life and his complex relationships with the friends and lovers he left behind upon returning to America. While the violence is harsh, it’s the emotional wounds that cut deepest. The film’s admirers includeQuentin Tarantino,who saidit had “one of the great endings of any movie of its era”.
The Yakuza
The Yakuzacan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
6’Absence of Malice' (1981)
Starring: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
“Boy, the last time there was a leak like this, Noah built hisself a boat!” WithAbsence of Malice, Pollack sets his sights on the world of journalism.Paul Newmanplays Michael Gallagher, the heir to a Miami newspaper empire who becomes embroiled in a scandal when he is falsely implicated in a federal investigation.Sally Fieldis Megan Carter, the ambitious reporter who published the story based on leaked information, unaware of its inaccuracies and the damage it will cause.
The movie struggles with its identity a bit, wavering between drama, romance, and neo-noir. The soundtrack, in particular, sometimes feels mismatched with the tone of the scenes.Despite this inconsistency, Newman, Field, and Melinda Dillon shine.The former is compelling as a man fighting to reclaim his life, while Field turns in a complex performance despite a script that sometimes lets the character down. Dillon, too, is scene-stealing as Gallagher’s fierce friend Terese.
Absence of Malice
Absence of Malicecan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
5’Out of Africa' (1985)
Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen
“I like animals. Nothing they do is half-hearted.“Out of Africais a sweeping epic set in 1913 Kenya. Based on the memoirs of Danish authorKaren Blixen, the story follows Blixen (Meryl Streep) as she moves to Africa to marry a distant cousin and run a coffee plantation. There, she finds herself drawn to the adventurous Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a big-game hunter and aviator.
The visuals here are grand yet still warm, thanks to the talents ofChariots of FirecinematographerDavid Watkin.Streep’s layered performance is a match for the gorgeous imagery: compelling, complex, sympathetic.She’s an impressive character who shoulders major burdens and looks out for those around her. Redford isn’t quite as good; this is one of his least charismatic performances. Not all ofOut of Africa’s story elements have aged well, but it was a big hit on release,grossing $227mandwinning Pollack the Best Director Oscar.
Out of Africa
Out of Africacan be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.
Watch on Netflix
4’Three Days of the Condor' (1975)
Starring: Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow
“Maybe there’s another CIA, inside the CIA.” Joseph Turner (Robert Redford), a CIA analyst codenamed Condor, has his life turned upside down when he returns from lunch to find his entire office murdered. With nowhere else to turn, Turner goes on the run, piecing together clues and evading capture as he tries to uncover the truth behind the massacre. His mission brings him up against the assassin Joubert (Max von Sydow).
Three Days of the Condoris a well-crafted thriller burdened by an unnecessary and ill-fitting romantic subplot. While the dynamics between Robertson and Von Sydow are captivating, each time the focus shifts back to Redford and love interest Kathy (Faye Dunaway), the tension dissipates. Nevertheless, the writing here is top-notch, resulting in iconic lines like “You think not getting caught in a lie is the same thing as telling the truth?“ScreenwritersLorenzo Semple Jr.andDavid Rayfielweave a tale that reflects the era’s post-Watergate disillusionment.
Three Days Of The Condor
Three Days of the Condorcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
Watch on Prime
3’Tootsie' (1982)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman
“I’ll pick you up at ten and enrage you.” On the more lighthearted end of Pollack’s filmography isTootsie, a comedy about struggling actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) who disguises himself as a woman named to land a role on a popular soap opera. To his surprise, Michael’s alter ego becomes a sensation. Success poses its own problems though, as he attempts to juggle his dual identities. Along the way, he falls for co-star Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange).
Tootsieharks back to the zany comedies of the 1940s with its blend of absurdity, social critique, and surprisingly tender moments.The dialogue is silly but frequently hilarious. It’s thematically sharp too; the movie takes on sexism while also satirizing show business and snobbery.Buried beneath all the gags is a decent love storyto boot. For these reasons, the film connected with audiences at the time, raking in $271m worldwide and winning Lange the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Tootsiecan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
2’Jeremiah Johnson' (1972)
Starring: Robert Redford, Will Geer, Stefan Gierasch, Delle Bolton
“By God, I am a mountain man, and I’ll live ‘til an arrow or a bullet finds me.” Inspired by a real outdoorsman,Jeremiah Johnsonsees Robert Redford taking on the title role, a disillusioned soldier who retreats into the Rocky Mountains to escape the harsh realities of civilization. There, he learns the ways of the land from a seasoned mountain man named Bear Claw (Will Geer). As Jeremiah builds a new life for himself, he faces a series of trials, including encounters with hostile Native American tribes, ruthless fur traders, and the unforgiving forces of nature.
The film works because it doesn’t romanticize Johnson’s life.His is a hard existence, defined by hunger, cold, uncertainty, and endless work. Danger lurks around every corner. The best part of the movie is the way Pollack shoots and edits the action scenes. There’s a visceral sequence where Johnson takes on a pack of wolves and another where he fights several Crow warriors.
Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah Johnsoncan be streamed on Amazon in the U.S.
1’They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’ (1969)
Starring: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young
“I may not know a winner when I see one, but I sure as hell can spot a loser.” Set during the Great Depression,They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?follows the lives of several desperate individuals who compete in a grueling dance contest, hoping to win a cash prize that could offer them a chance at a better life. The ordeal pushes the contestants to their physical and emotional limits. Among them is Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda), a cynical but determined young woman who partners with the brash Robert Syverton (Michael Sarrazin).
Under Pollack’s direction, the marathon evolves into a gritty, debased microcosm of life during the tumultuous year of 1932. The drama gets harrowing, almost existential. The film could have collapsed under the weight of its own bleakness, but the cast keeps it engaging and grounded throughout. Interesting bit of trivia:They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?holds the recordfor the most Academy Award nominations without a nomination for Best Picture, at nine.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?is currently not available for streaming or purchase.
