On W List of Movie Reviews
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Wolf (1994)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
10/05, 7/15, 3/21
10/05:
Wolf is a super thrilling picture but has a slow pace.
James Spader is delicious. Jack Nicholson turn in a fine performance. Michelle Pfeiffer doesn't
disappoint. The overall cast is brilliant. Hard to overlook is the lush cinematography.
All in all, Wolf is the best werewolf picture made.
7/15:
Wolf is a well-directed picture by Mike Nichols that's heavily buoyed by Giuseppe Rotunno's exquisite cinematography.
It also has fantastic performances by Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and James Spader. These three make it fun to watch.
When Stewart Swinton (what a great name) is revealed as the bad guy, James Spader is at his vintage best, bringing
back memories of when he was Steff in Pretty in Pink and Rip in Less Than Zero. His incessant habit of lying
while being convincing is amusing because it's impossible to tell whether he's honest or not.
Of course, Jack Nicholson is also in top form (when does he ever give a bad performance?). It's true he does look
like a wolf for real. He also brings the best out of Michelle Pfeiffer despite her limited thespic abilities as she shines a
lot given her radiant beauty that's perfectly captured.
Although the pace is slow, it's the story that keeps the film going, setting up a gripping
finale in the last twenty minutes with a surprising twist that I didn't see coming in the first place.
Rick Baker's makeup job, especially how he works with the eyes, is outstanding.
All in all, Wolf is the best werewolf picture I've ever seen, and it's not even close.
3/21:
I have now decided, despite the exquisite photography, Wolf is too long.
It seems to go on and on, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps there's too much buildup in the plot, allowing Jack
Nicholson to develop his character fully. Oddly, James Spader goes missing for the longest time,
and finally, he shows up for the thrilling fifteen-minute fight with Jack Nicholson.
Because of the strong ensemble, the acting is fantastic as usual for a Mike Nichols film. Only Michelle Pfeiffer
looks out of place; she's there for her beauty, nothing more. Toward the end, it's obvious she's wearing too much makeup to be
believable as a wolf. In fact, it's been the case during the film or, if I may say so, her entire career.
Speaking of the cinematography, plenty of edifices are taken advantage of. The office of Alden's Publishing House
is located in the Bradbury Building of Los Angeles, California. Having been in many films, it contains some of the
best-looking ironworks. Alden's house is Old Westbury Gardens in New York with parts showing the Vanderbilt Mansion.
When Will Randall met with the lycanthropy expert, I thought the whole time it was Burt Lancaster, but it's actually Om Puri.
The resemblance is weird for a while, no thanks to the bad makeup job by Rick Baker who's a veteran of many werewolf
pictures. The timing seems to be spot-on because Burt Lancaster died of his third heart attack during the same year.
All in all, some tight editing would help to make Wolf easier to sit through.