Missing (1982)
IMDb: 7.7 (5,880 votes)
Missing is a slow-burn political thriller about the coup in Chile. The film oddly provides little in context or broader scope. While cities and political affiliations are mentioned, "Chile", "Allende", "Pinochet" are noticeably absent. A short primer: in 1973, US semi-secretly provided aid and support for right-wing military figures to overthrow the (elected) Marxist president, Salvador Allende. You've probably heard the name Pinochet. He led the junta and assumed presidency for close to two decades, cracking down on opposition through human rights violations. It's a dark moment in US foreign policy history.
The story told in the film is smaller in scope, following U.S. citizen and independent journalist Charles Horman's case. Horman disappears three days into the coup, and his wife (Sissy Spacek) fears the worst, since he was left-wing, idealistic, and a bit loud-mouthed. Jack Lemmon, in a fantastic performance, plays Horman's father stuck in all the red tape. He slowly comes to the realization that the U.S. officials in Chile are intentionally obstructing him in his search. I'll be honest - the film starts off very slowly. I was feeling like I was watching the international version of a prestige picture - quality acting, but just formulaic and uninspired. Yet, the film builds to a great climax and becomes more and more agonizing to watch, especially for an American. The last 40 minutes or so are a real firecracker. Full recommendation for those into political thrillers and/or Jack Lemmon. The soundtrack is very synth-heavy, but it's probably one of the better soundtracks of that kind.
The Big Chill (1983)
IMDb: 7.0 (13,549 votes)
The premise here is that a bunch of counter-cultural friends who came of age in the '60s are all grown up. They gather for a funeral of a friend and catch up. They
chill out. Funerals can be like that - it's a time when friends or families all travel to the same place, and awkward fellowship ensues. Unfortunately, the tone rang false to me. The awkward edge during reunions of this sort was missing from the film. It was like the writers tried to write in little times during the film when it was "awkward time", but it never worked. Glenn Close was fantastic in
Dangerous Liaisons, yet she had nothing interesting to work with in this film. In fact, the actor who stood out was Jeff Goldblum, as the awkward, un-suave guy.
I think
The Big Chill may resonate for Baby Boomers who can fill in the character holes with their own life experiences. The characters have had rather archetypal trajectories prior to the events in the film, perhaps to tap into the audience's experiences in that way. Unfortunately, that leaves younger people (like myself) out in the cold, and the film seems to have no interest in explicating the Baby Boomer experience for outsiders. If the movie is going to be about chilling out, I'd like to gain authentic insights into the characters. And there's no excuse for resorting to "classic song + montage of everyone doing stuff" three times in the first 40 minutes alone.
Verdict: Missing is the better crafted film with superior performances, so it moves on.