The World’s Greatest Sinner (1962) – ***
Can anyone watching The World’s Greatest Sinner after the 2016 election not compare Clarence “God” Hilliard to Donald Trump? His burgeoning ego, his increasingly shameless womanizing, his fanatically devoted (and often violent) following, his vague platform based on his status as an antidote to the political status quo…you can definitely draw parallels between Hilliard and #45 if you’re so inclined.
You can also point out the differences between them. Hilliard begins the film as a good-natured middle-class family man, he rejects the corporate rat race (he’s a disillusioned insurance salesman), he builds his movement from the ground up, and he’s even capable of self-doubt and remorse, even if they’re followed by a renewed burst of egotism. I wouldn’t especially want him as a president – and the film ends before he can actually be elected or defeated – but he wouldn’t necessarily be the worst we’ve ever had.
Nor, despite what Frank Zappa (who wrote the score very early in his career) said, is this the worst film ever made. (Though he may not have seriously meant it; he was on The Steve Allen Show when he said it, after all.) The World’s Greatest Sinner can be something of a mess; the story is scattered, the acting is mostly amateurish, and the low budget can be felt throughout. But, like Charlie Brown’s baseball team, it’s profoundly sincere in its strangeness, being the pet project of Timothy Carey, one of the strangest character actors in Hollywood history.
His appearance alone would’ve made him memorable, with his hulking 6’4″ frame, messy mop of hair, permanently narrowed eyes, and grimacing grin, but it was his energy, his hissing-mumbling voice and penchant for going as big as possible, that made him special. (Imagine Nicolas Cage on NyQuil and you’re in the ballpark.) He was apparently hell to work with – he got fired from Paths of Glory for his antics – but he was fascinating to watch.
Here, he gives himself the kind of showcase the mainstream cinema never would’ve dared to. He gets to play the kindly Clarence who simply wants something more out of life, then the lightly deranged Clarence who begins his man-as-God ministry on the streets of L.A., then the quasi-rock star who screams “Please! Please! Please!” in between fits of dancing, then the egomaniacal demagogue “God” who shuns his family in favor of his followers, then the anguished sinner who comes so very close to repenting – but sticks to his profane path.
The results are inconsistent – Carey, like most eccentric actors, was better with a director that could keep him from going too far off the rails – but his commitment, his vigor, and his volume are certainly admirable. You may think he was a mad genius – you may think he was simply mad – but you’ve got to respect his absolute commitment as an actor.
As a director, he actually shows some real promise. He may not have had the money to do the premise justice, and the story doesn’t flow terribly well (the very sporadic narration by the Devil (Paul Frees) only serves to confuse matters), but the cinematography is, at times, rather good (the film had four credited cinematographers, including the notorious Ray Dennis Steckler), and some scenes, like the church sequence towards the end, are genuinely well crafted.
He’s less consistently successful with the actors, some of whom are decent (especially Gil Barretto as his most devoted follower), but many of whom are stiff and amateurish. The sound and editing are both pretty shaky, and comparatively polished sequences sit cheek-by-jowl with those which seem to have been assembled from whatever bits of footage Carey was able to scrape together. Zappa’s score tends to get a bit lost in all the mayhem, but the title song is catchy enough (“As a sinner he’s a winner/Baby, he’s no beginner”).
Tempting as it is to call The World’s Greatest Sinner a great film in spite of its flaws, it’s not; even at only 77 minutes, the scattered story and uneven production values can make it a bit of a slog to watch. But it’s as pure a cult film as anything I’ve ever seen, an All the King’s Men for the midnight-movie crowd, and in its best moments – like “God” trying to make a communion wafer bleed – it’s genuinely provocative. Any serious film buff should try and see it.
Score: 72
I also rewatched Poor Things this week, and while I won’t provide a full review (I updated my initial review), I will say that it’s jumped up my list to be my #1 for 2023, helping cement Yorgos Lanthimos’ status as my favorite working filmmaker.
But I’ve only seen 86 films for the year so far, and there’s several major films I have yet to see. My lists across the board could change before I do my own awards (sometime before the Oscars on March 10). Some of the key films I have yet to see that aren’t immediately available are:
- All of Us Strangers (getting this next week)
- American Fiction (also getting this next week)
- La Chimera (fuck’s sake, Neon, release this already)
- Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (Mubi needs to get this into theaters or stream it already)
- Origin (apparently getting this in three weeks)
- The Peasants (SPC might get this to my neck of the woods in a timely manner)
- Perfect Days (Neon, you’re killing me here)
- The Taste of Things (supposedly getting this around Valentine’s Day)
- The Zone of Interest (getting this in three weeks – relieved that I’ve got confirmation on that)
There are also quite a few films now on streaming that I need to catch up on, including Afire, The Delinquents, Earth Mama, 80 for Brady, Flamin’ Hot, Flora and Son, Godland, Leave the World Behind, Nimona, No Hard Feelings, Nyad, Rebel Moon, Rustin, Scrapper, Showing Up, Society of the Snow, Sound of Freedom, The Starling Girl, They Cloned Tyrone, The Unknown Country, and pretty much every major documentary of the year.
Golden Globes predictions:
This turned out to be a light week for movies, so I’ll throw in my Golden Globes predictions to sweeten the deal. I’ll keep them quick – you can peruse the nominees here.
Motion Picture – Drama: Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest would be a shock, especially since it doesn’t have any acting nominations to support it. Anatomy of a Fall would also be a surprise, since it has another category to win. Maestro feels like a lame duck contender outside of the acting races. Past Lives has an outside shot – the Director nod helps – but the Globes tend not to go small and subtle in this category. That leaves Killers and Oppenheimer, both epic movies with big names on both sides of the camera. Killers could definitely win, but I think Oppenheimer, being a huge hit on top of everything, will be too good to pass up.
Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy: Poor Things
Air isn’t happening. They didn’t nominate the script or Viola Davis. It’s a star-power contender at best. American Fiction has the topical factor in its favor, but it too missed Screenplay and Supporting Actor (for Sterling K. Brown). I wouldn’t bet on it. May December has three acting nods and is pretty buzzy, but the internal competition is pretty strong. The other three all have a shot at winning. The Holdovers underperformed as a nominee – no Director or Screenplay – but it’s a very well-liked movie. Barbie was the biggest hit of the year and they nominated it extensively. Poor Things is a critical darling that opened just in time to be on everyone’s mind during awards season. It’s almost a coin-flip between them, but my gut says that Poor Things will squeak out a win here. (Maybe it’s the dual Supporting Actor nominations.)
Director – Motion Picture: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Celine Song has a better shot in Screenplay. Bradley Cooper has a better shot in Actor. Lanthimos would be an awesome choice, but I’d be surprised if the Globes actually went there. Scorsese is always a contender, but there’s no real narrative to give him this. Gerwig is possible, especially with the Globes, but Nolan is shaping up to be the big winner of the season, and I think the Globes will gladly co-sign that narrative.
Actor – Drama: Bradley Cooper, Maestro
First off is Keoghan – wildly divisive film, no momentum. Then DiCaprio – some people really don’t like the performance (which baffles me) and he’s won his laurels in any case. Then Domingo, who’s well-liked, but the film not being much of a contender outside of him hurts his chances. Scott will get some votes – it’s a film with ardent supporters – but not enough to win. It’s a tight race between Murphy and Cooper, and while either of them could easily win, I’m going to predict the Globes spread the love and take Cooper.
Actress – Drama: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Spaeny is the “lucky to be here” nominee. Bening has two Globes; her overdue narrative is with the Oscars. Plus, her film didn’t make that much of an impact. Lee is a long shot, though if they go for that film a lot more than I’m expecting, it’s a possibility. Mulligan could hypothetically come along with Cooper, but I’m not really feeling it. Hüller is a distinct possibility, especially since she’s in two Picture – Drama nominees, but I’m giving the edge to Gladstone, who’s been winning big all season.
Actor – Musical/Comedy: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
I love that Phoenix was nominated, but he ain’t winning. I love that Cage was nominated (and on performance alone, he should really have a shot at winning), but there’s nothing to suggest he’s got a chance. Chalamet is in a film that’s making bank right now, but I don’t expect that’ll help him overcome the major players in the category. Damon is at least in a Picture nominee, but is there any reason to pick him over the other two? Wright has a definite shot at winning, but the general response to his film has me predicting Giamatti.
Actress – Musical/Comedy: Margot Robbie, Barbie
This might be the trickiest category for me to predict. First off is Lawrence. I’ve heard she’s good in the film, but it’s a total star-power nomination. Then, sadly, Pöysti; she’s great in the film, but even if the two front-runners split votes, she’s not likely to benefit. Then Portman, who’s overshadowed by her co-stars (in the awards race, not in the film). Barrino, I suspect, has a better chance at winning if the top two split votes, but I would still consider her a long shot at best. Robbie and Stone, however, are very, very close – two big stars in two big films. The momentum of the season heavily favors Stone, but as with Actor – Drama I suspect the Globes will spread the love and give Robbie her first Globe, since Stone has won before – and Robbie lost last year for a performance that might well have won in a different year.
Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
He’s wonderful in the film, but I take Dafoe off first; if anyone from the film is winning, it’s Ruffalo. Then De Niro, who’s also amazing, but there isn’t really a need to give him this. I’ll take off Melton next; the competition is stiff and that’s the kind of performance that wins critics’ awards more than Globes. Then Ruffalo, who won a Globe just two years ago and doesn’t have the momentum of the top two. Gosling and Downey have also both won before, Gosling more recently. Either of them could win, but Downey has the greater momentum this season and the weightier role. I think it’s his to lose.
Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Pike getting on at all was a surprise. She’s off. Foster won this category in 2020 in something of an upset, but this time the competition is a lot stronger. Blunt is only likely to win if the film sweeps. Brooks has an outside chance, but with the film underperforming here I’m not predicting her. Moore is the most likely win for her film, but even she’s a distant second to Randolph, who’s been winning awards left and right this season. If they’d nominated Rachel McAdams instead of Pike or Foster, she might be a contender, but as it stands this should be a blow-out.
Screenplay: Past Lives
Honestly, all six of the nominees have a shot at winning. I’d say Killers of the Flower Moon has the least – again, there’s no narrative for it to win. Oppenheimer could win, but only once in the last decade has the same film won Director and Screenplay (it was La La Land, which is hilarious to me). Anatomy of a Fall has a chance, but no Non-English Language nominee has ever won (even if a lot of the dialogue is in English). Barbie doesn’t feel like it would win (I think the writing is the weakest part of the film), but it would be a way to give Gerwig an award. Poor Things and Past Lives are virtually a coin-toss for me, but I’ll predict they use this category to give Celine Song some love, since she’s not winning Director.
Original Score: Oppenheimer
This one’s comparatively easy. Boy and the Heron and Spider-Man are very unlikely. Zone of Interest might pull an All is Lost style upset, but I’m not banking on it. Poor Things would be a fun choice, but unless it sweeps, I think it’s unlikely. Killers of the Flower Moon has a chance, especially as a tribute to the late Robbie Robertson, but I expect Oppenheimer – a score that stands out rather more than Killers‘ – will add to that film’s haul.
Original Song: “I’m Just Ken,” Barbie
This category is always a pain in the ass, and with the weak crop this year, it’s even more guesswork than usual. “Addicted to Romance” is from a film that made no impression; I’ll assume it’s own. “Peaches” is a cute joke of a song, but they’re not going to vote for it. “Dance the Night” seems like the least likely of the three Barbie songs to win. “Road to Freedom” might pull off a win for Lenny Kravitz, but I expect it’s between “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken.” The latter feels more likely, since it’s such a key scene in the film itself.
Motion Picture – Non-English Language: Anatomy of a Fall
The Globes, with their international membership, can be unpredictable here. I’m thinking Io Capitano and Society of the Snow are the least likely, followed by Fallen Leaves. Past Lives is a possibility, since Minari won, but I figure Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall are more likely to take it, and the latter, being more accessible, more likely of the two.
Motion Picture – Animated: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Wish would be a joke if it won. Elemental wouldn’t be much better. Suzume is overshadowed by the bigger films in the category. Super Mario Bros. was a big hit, but does anyone like it that much? Boy and the Heron is a gorgeous film and could very easily win this, but I’ll predict the Globes go for the equally fantastic Across the Spider-Verse and be happy with either outcome.
As for their ridiculous “Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement Award”…who knows? I’ll say Taylor Swift, because she’s Taylor Swift.
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