Liv Ullman, Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson, Max von Sydow and Bergman were the very definition of synergy. It’s almost like a cult. One I would have taken the Kool-aid to be a part of. The crew made watching his films so much more exciting. And when I finally reached Fanny and Alexander, it was basically my wet dream to have them all in one picture, one last time. All except von Sydow, that is, but that wasn’t his fault.

There are other classic pairings as well. Michelangelo Antonioni claimed the insanely hot Monica Vitti as his muse. He put her in several of her movies, including La Notte, L’avventura, and L’eclisse. I’m not a huge disciple of Antonioni’s, but I can still see the how the chemistry between the two added to the cinematic magic.  Perhaps Guilietta Masina could be considered Federico Fellini’s leading lady?

This enigmatic pairing happens today as well.  Obviously.  Sometimes it’s freaking bitchin’.  Sometimes it’s definitely not.

One of my favorites is Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman.  Sure, they’ve only done three films together.  But look at them: Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill vol. 1 and vol. 2.  If you need proof of the power of that relationship, watch any other film Uma Thurman has done.  She is simply not a leading lady, unless she has Tarantino behind the camera.  Then, she can fill a screen up like few other women in action roles can.

Or how about Mr. Wes Anderson, and Bill Murray.  Of the six feature length films that Anderson has directed, Murray has played large roles in five of them.  The only exception being Bottle Rocket.  And all but one of the five films are real winners.  It seems the two have a similar sense of humor that serves them well as filmmakers.

There are most definitely a few directors and actors that should go their own seperate ways.  One good film together, does not a successful pairing make.  I’ll give Tony Scott and Denzel Washington Man on Fire.  It’s a solid revenge flick that makes me care about Dakota Fanning every time I watch it.  After this success, the two decided to work together again.  And again.  The two put out the mediocre The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, and the less than mediocre Deja Vu.  Their forth project together see them on a train, with no breaks.  Co-starring Chris Pine.  How did this team go so wrong?

And let’s not forget Tony’s brother, and his unfortunate muse, the tool from Down Under, Russell Crowe.  They started out with the mildly good Gladiator, and decided to keep working together.  Sadly, the quality of the films these two put out got progressively worse.  Robin Hood, Body of Lies, American Gangster.  Yeesh.

Regardless of the quality of work produced by this sort relationship, it is one of the most fascinating in the world of filmmaking.  No other association seems to produce the sort of creative results we see through this bond.

What are some of your favorite director/muse pairings? And better yet, whom do you wish would get together to produce some really great film?

Pelham 123 is a remake of 1974 film by the same name, directed by Joseph Sargent.  The plot is this: Ryder (John Travolta) is a highly intelligent psycho with a real potty mouth who decides, with the help of a few faceless douches to cleverly take hostage a subway car in New York.  He starts negotiating with Garber (Washington) and one, two, three, you have a thriller.

Basically, this is a dirty version of Inside Man.  The whole heist is a facade to cover up for some bigger job that isn’t immediately clear.  But it’s really not that interesting.  Scott only wishes that he could have come close to what Spike Lee did in 2006.  I haven’t read the novel by John Godey that this is based off of, but I’m certain the script adapted by Peter Stone was manipulated to play on the stupid, over-harped themes of terrorism.  Shame on Stone for taking the easy way out and, worst of all, not even managing to make it interesting.

Scott’s hyper-frenetic direction is just as frantic as it usually is.  This actually provides for some pretty cool opening sequences, horizons of New York, shots of the subway, playing with sound a visuals.  But then the actors start to talk and, there’s not much there.  Scott does manage to give the audience of a few OMG moments.  But the intensity is quickly Danny Zuko yelling over a radio at Coach Boone to ‘kiss [his] bung hole.’  That’s a quote.  And a good representation of the overly pedestrian script.  As a summer blockbuster, this is a disappointment that should only be provided consideration if The Proposal is sold out.

2 out of 4 stars