San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Sean Connery movies to watch beyond Bond
Sean Connery died Oct. 31 at age 90. Best known for originating the role of James Bond in movies, the Scottish actor had a career that lasted nearly 60 years, most of which he spent playing a variety of “man’s man” roles — from suave spies to violent brutes. At a time when most popular British thespians were known as Shakespeareantrained aesthetes, Connery became an international star with a screen presence that was earthier and sexier. His musical highland burr and aweinspiring physicality immediately drew eyes and ears, even when he was playing opposite some of the most accomplished and attractive performers of his generation. These movies go beyond Bond to illustrate how Connery commanded the screen, from his roguish youth to his distinguished latter years.
“Murder on the Orient Express” ( 1974): In Sidney Lumet’s hit adaptation of the Agatha Christie whodunit, Connery joins a cast of international stars ( Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave and John Gielgud among them) who fall under the penetrating gaze of Hercule Poirot ( Albert Finney) after a passenger is slain on a train. There’s not much to “Murder on the Orient Express” as cinema, since the bulk of the film involves Poirot interrogating the passengers one by one in the same train car. But it’s the ultimate brainteaser for amateur sleuths in the audience, even if they’re unlikely to see the big twist coming. Watch it: Rent on various services, including Google Play.
“The Great Train Robbery” ( 1978): Director Michael Crichton’s crackling adaptation of his own novel has nothing more or less on its mind than delivering a twisty, entertaining little caper, and it pays off handsomely. Looking resplendent in their mid1800s top hats and mutton chops, Connery and Donald Sutherland are an appealingly roguish team of thieves conspiring to steal a gold shipment from a moving train.
This isn’t any ordinary smashandgrab job, however: They first have to acquire four keys from different sources to access two heavily guarded safes. Crichton devotes himself to detailing the complicated logistics of the heist; fun and suspense follow.
Watch it: Rent on various services, including Vudu.
“Time Bandits” ( 1981): The plot of Terry Gilliam’s children’s fantasy — or at least Gilliam’s idea of a children’s fantasy — sends an ordinary little boy through a portal in his wardrobe closet, where he joins a band of thieves as they jump from one notable time period to another. Connery appears as King Agamemnon of ancient Greece, who adopts the boy after he inadvertently assists him in slaying an enemy. It’s the most joyous section of the film, as Agamemnon treats him with fatherly affection and the kingdom cheers him as a conquering hero. The kid looks like he would happily stay in that time and place forever, so it’s a comedown when he’s whisked along to his next stop: the Titanic.
Watch it: Stream on HBO Max.
“The Untouchables” ( 1987): Connery won the best supporting actor Oscar for his robustly entertaining turn as Jim Malone, an Irish American police officer who risks his neck to help Eliot Ness ( Kevin Costner) assemble a team and bring Al Capone ( Robert De Niro) to justice in Prohibitionera Chicago. Connery’s speech about “the Chicago way” is the standout, and it’s also illustrative of the partnership that anchors the film, with Malone providing the muscle and moxie essential for Ness to get Capone. “The Untouchables” is also crackerjack entertainment, reconciling the ostentatious style of director Brian De Palma with the studio sheen of a Hollywood prestige production.
Watch it: Rent on various services, including Amazon Video.
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” ( 1989): Even though director Steven Spielberg added Connery to the Indiana Jones universe primarily as a nod to the actor’s James Bond persona, he fits perfectly alongside Harrison Ford — two growly action heroes playing characters who deftly defy death on a daily basis. As Indy’s emotionally distant father, Connery brings some poignancy to the franchise, and perhaps was even responsible for loosening Spielberg up a bit. “Last Crusade” is lighter and funnier than any other film in the series, with a refreshing smoothness to the storytelling. Watch it: Stream on Netflix.
“The Hunt for Red October” ( 1990): The first and best of the Jack Ryan thrillers casts Connery as a rogue Russian submarine captain who enters into a dangerous catandmouse game with Alec Baldwin’s Ryan, who has to figure out whether the officer intends to defect to America or threaten its eastern shore with a nuclear payload. Connery’s Russian accent may be suspect, but his stolid yet soulful presence in “The Hunt for Red October” is critical to the dramatic tension, which hinges on hidden motives and shrewd calculation. Though director John McTiernan was the top genre filmmaker at the time, hot off “Predator” and “Die Hard,” much of the suspense here comes from the heady, highstakes chess match between the two leads. Watch it: Rent on various services, including Google Play.
Noel Murray and Scott Tobias write about movies and TV for the New York Times.