TUCKER; THE MAN AND HIS DREAM

One of Francis Ford Coppola's most underrated films; although a hit at the time, it's now largely been forgotten. A biopic of the maverick American car manufacturer might have seemed like the perfect vehicle, (no pun intended), for Coppola and he didn't disappoint. It's a gorgeously stylish movie, (Storaro was again the DoP), looking just as good as the Tucker Sedan and running just as smoothly and it's splendidly cast.

Jeff Bridges brings just the right degree of boyish charm to his part of the Peter Pan-ish Tucker and Joan Allen is excellent as his ballsy, supportive wife while Martin Landau is Oscar-worthy as the man who helps Tucker secure the funds to build his car. Howard Hughes even puts in an appearance in the unlikely form of Dean Stockwell. Of course, in hindsight you could say the film is as much about Coppola as it is about Tucker and maybe even to a lesser extent about George Lucas who was one of the film's producers. Dreamers all, this is a lovely testament to some very talented men.