The Formula is one of those
films which, had it been directed and scripted with a little more
discipline, could have been something quite remarkable. It
certainly has some promising plot points and its central concept, the
threat posed by unchecked corporate power, is highly relevant.
Unfortunately, Steve Shagan was totally the wrong person to adapt his
novel (he obviously wants to cram in every last dot and comma) and John
G. Avildsen gives a good impression of a director who couldn't care
less about what he is supposed to be directing. A hideously
labyrinthine plot is made completely unintelligible through a
combination of poor screenwriting and lazy direction, and it doesn't
help that one prominent member of the cast (a horribly overweight
Marlon Brando) clearly doesn't give a damn whether we can make sense of
anything he says. George C. Scott and Marthe Keller are the only
bright lights in this otherwise dismal offering - Scott brings some
degree of focus to the muddled narrative with his solid tough cop
portrayal, whilst Keller is as compelling as ever as the mysterious
femme fatale who is far more than she appears. Alas, not even
the combined efforts of Scott and Keller can save this one
and a promising scenario is carelessly thrown away.
Brando should have been fired on Day One.
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
When Thomas Neely, a former police officer, is found dead at his Los
Angeles home, his old friend Lieutenant Barney Caine is assigned to
investigate his murder. Caine discovers that, in the dying days
of WWII, Neely had contact with a German general who was tasked with
exchanging Nazi secrets in return for an amnesty. These secrets
apparently included a valuable formula for creating a synthetic
alternative to crude oil from coal. Caine heads off to Germany to
seek out answers from those who were involved in the synthetic fuel
project. Unfortunately, everyone Caine contacts meets a violent
death after speaking to him. Someone clearly has a vestige
interest in ensuring the Formula remains forgotten...
Cast:George C. Scott (Lt. Barney Caine LAPD),
Marlon Brando (Adam Steiffel),
Marthe Keller (Lisa Spangler),
John Gielgud (Dr. Abraham Esau),
G.D. Spradlin (Arthur Clements),
Beatrice Straight (Kay Neeley),
Richard Lynch (General Helmut Kladen),
John Van Dreelen (Hans Lehman),
Robin Clarke (Major Tom Neeley),
Ike Eisenmann (Tony),
Marshall Thompson (Geologist 1),
Dieter Schidor (Assassin),
Werner Kreindl (Schellenberg),
Jan Niklas (Gestapo Captain),
Wolfgang Preiss (Franz Tauber),
Calvin Jung (Sergeant Louis Yosuta LAPD Tactical Squad),
Alan North (John Nolan),
David Byrd (Paul Obermann),
Ferdy Mayne (Professor Siebold),
Gerard Murphy (Herbert Glenn)
Country: USA / West Germany
Language: English / Spanish / German
Support: Color
Runtime: 117 min
The best of American film noir
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.
From its birth in 1895, cinema has been an essential part of French culture. Now it is one of the most dynamic, versatile and important of the arts in France.