The Formula (1980 film)

Last updated
The Formula
Formula imp.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by John G. Avildsen
Screenplay by Steve Shagan
Based onThe Formula
1979 novel
by Steve Shagan
Produced bySteve Shagan
Starring
Cinematography James Crabe
Edited by John Carter
Music by Bill Conti
Production
companies
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
CIP Filmproduktion
Distributed by United Artists (North America)
Cinema International Corporation (international)
Release date
  • December 19, 1980 (1980-12-19)
Running time
117 minutes
CountriesWest Germany
United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13.2 million [1]
Box office$8.9 million [2]

The Formula is a 1980 mystery film directed by John G. Avildsen. It was produced and written by Steve Shagan, who adapted his own 1979 novel The Formula. It stars Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud, G. D. Spradlin, and Beatrice Straight.

Contents

The film follows the attempts by different groups who wish to either secure or destroy a synthetic fuel formula invented by the Nazis at the end of World War II which would end reliance on the supply of oil.

Plot

In the final days of World War II, Soviet forces close in on the outskirts of Berlin. Panzer Korps General Helmut Kladen is dispatched to the Swiss frontier with secret documents to be used as a bargaining chip with the Allies to save Germany from the Soviets. He is subsequently intercepted by the U.S. Army and turned over to Army Intelligence.

In contemporary Los Angeles, Lt. Barney Caine is assigned to solve the murder of his former boss and friend Tom Neeley, which presumably occurred during a drug deal gone wrong. However, Neeley has written "Gene" on a newspaper in his own blood, and Caine finds a map of Germany with the name "Obermann" on it. Caine eventually learns that Neeley provided drugs at parties hosted by the tycoon Adam Steiffel. While interviewing Neeley's ex-wife, he catches her in several lies. Returning to interview her a second time, he finds her shot dead in her hot tub.

Steiffel reveals in his interview that Neeley was working for him as a bagman. Neeley was sent overseas by the company to deliver money to business partners. Caine decides he must be in Germany to solve Neeley's murder and convinces his Chief to allow him to go there to continue the investigation. Later, the Chief phones one of Steiffel's cronies to say that Caine has taken the bait.

Caine meets Paul Obermann at the Berlin Zoo. Obermann explains operation "Genesis" - a synthetic fuel formula that the Nazis had produced - could wreck the current oil-economy. Neeley was killed over Genesis. Obermann is then murdered outside the zoo. At his apartment, his niece Lisa shows up to be interviewed by the police. At Obermann's memorial service, Caine asks Lisa to accompany him to act as his interpreter. Lisa agrees and they follow up on a lead that Obermann gave him regarding Professor Siebold who worked on the formula.

During their interview with Siebold, he reveals that the inventor of the formula, Dr. Abraham Esau, is still alive. After they leave his apartment, Siebold is shot in the head through a window. They meet up with Esau, who writes down the formula for Caine after making him promise to make it public. Lisa and Caine make photocopies and send them to the LAPD and a Swiss energy company. Caine also hides two copies from Lisa, depositing them in the hotel's safe. Subsequently, he reveals that he has deduced that she is not Obermann's niece at all, but a spy sent to keep tabs on him. Lisa admits it, but claims she did not sleep with him because of her orders.

At the border with East Berlin, Caine confronts Tadesco who relates how he knew Neeley, and what transpired after his capture by the Americans. As Tadesco walks towards his car, Lisa kills Tadesco, then walks towards East Berlin. At the airport before flying home to Los Angeles, Caine realizes the two copies of the formula in the hotel safe were replaced with fakes by Lisa, and that the only real copies are with the LAPD and the Swiss.

After landing in Los Angeles, he heads straight to Steiffel's office. Steiffel has kidnapped Yosuta, Caine's partner, and is holding him to exchange for the copy of the formula.

After exchanging the formula for Yosuta's release, Caine demands answers from Steiffel. Steiffel then outlines the cartel's plan since the end of the war, to keep the formula secret. They had managed to keep it secret until Swiss businessman, Tauber, began searching for the members of the original Genesis team, hoping to recreate the formula. Tauber's actions made the members of the Genesis team a liability to the cartel, so Steiffel had pulled strings to get Caine sent on a trip to Germany, which would serve as a cover for the cartel's plot to eliminate the remaining members.

Before leaving, Caine reveals that he sent the formula to Tauber. After their meeting, Steiffel calls Tauber, asking him to keep the formula secret for another ten years in exchange for a 25% share of his anthracite holdings. They negotiate, and Tauber agrees to not use the formula for ten years.

Cast

Production

The Formula was partly filmed at the Spandau Studios in West Berlin, with location shooting in St. Moritz and Hamburg. The remainder of the film was shot at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Culver City, California.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 30% rating based on 10 reviews. [3] TV Guide says- "Dull, contrived, and ploddingly directed by John G. Avildsen, this film is a never-ending series of repetitive interviews in which Barney asks questions of a recalcitrant informant. Ultimately, the trail leads back to Brando's corpulent oil magnate. Brando, who appears in only three scenes and walked off with $3 million for his performance, is the only spark of life in the entire film, albeit a highly bizarre one". [4]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryNomineesResult
Academy Awards Best Cinematography James Crabe Nominated
Razzie Awards Worst Picture Steve Shagan Nominated
Worst Director John G. Avildsen Nominated
Worst Supporting Actor Marlon Brando Nominated
Worst Screenplay Steve ShaganNominated
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Supporting ActorMarlon BrandoNominated
Most Annoying Fake Accent: MaleNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob</span> Regarded Patriarch of the Israelites

Jacob, later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, and Islam. Jacob first appears in the Book of Genesis, originating from the Hebrew tradition in the Torah. Described as the son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the grandson of Abraham, Sarah, and Bethuel, Jacob is presented as the second-born among Isaac's children. His fraternal twin brother is the elder, named Esau, according to the biblical account. Jacob is said to have bought Esau's birthright and, with his mother's help, deceived his aging father to bless him instead of Esau. Later in the narrative, following a severe drought in his homeland of Canaan, Jacob and his descendants, with the help of his son Joseph, moved to Egypt where Jacob died at the age of 147. He is supposed to have been buried in the Cave of Machpelah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Brando</span> American actor (1924–2004)

Marlon Brando Jr. was an American actor. He received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Brando is credited with being one of the first actors to bring the Stanislavski system of acting and method acting to mainstream audiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Caine</span> English actor (born 1933)

Sir Michael Caine is an English retired actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over a career that spanned eight decades and is considered a British film icon. He has received numerous awards including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. As of 2017, the films in which Caine has appeared have grossed over $7.8 billion worldwide. Caine is one of only five male actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in five different decades. In 2000, he received a BAFTA Fellowship and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

<i>The Caine Mutiny</i> (1954 film) 1954 war drama film by Edward Dmytryk

The Caine Mutiny is a 1954 American military trial film directed by Edward Dmytryk, produced by Stanley Kramer, and starring Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson, Robert Francis, and Fred MacMurray. It is based on Herman Wouk's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1951 novel of the same name. Set in the Pacific theatre of World War II, the film depicts the events on board a U.S. Navy destroyer-minesweeper and the subsequent court-martial of its executive officer for mutiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John G. Avildsen</span> American film director (1935–2017)

John Guilbert Avildsen was an American film director.

<i>Serpico</i> 1973 biographical-crime film by Sidney Lumet

Serpico is a 1973 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by Peter Maas with the assistance of its subject, Frank Serpico. The story details Serpico's struggle with corruption within the New York City Police Department during his eleven years of service, and his work as a whistleblower that led to the investigation by the Knapp Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gielgud</span> English actor and theatre director (1904–2000)

Sir Arthur John Gielgud, was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. A member of the Terry family theatrical dynasty, he gained his first paid acting work as a junior member of his cousin Phyllis Neilson-Terry's company in 1922. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked in repertory theatre and in the West End before establishing himself at the Old Vic as an exponent of Shakespeare in 1929–31.

<i>One-Eyed Jacks</i> 1961 film

One-Eyed Jacks is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pina Pellicer, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson and Slim Pickens. In 2018, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Scott Lee</span> American actor and martial artist

Jason Scott Lee is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

<i>The Land of Smiles</i> 1929 operetta by Franz Lehár

The Land of Smiles is a 1929 romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda. The performance duration is about 100 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Tauber</span> Austrian tenor and actor

Richard Tauber was an Austrian lyric tenor and film actor. He sang the tenor role in number of operas, including Don Giovanni by Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cue card</span> Cards that help speakers remember what to say

Cue cards, also known as note cards, are cards with words written on them that help actors and speakers remember what they have to say. They are typically used in television productions where they can be held off-camera and are unseen by the audience. Cue cards are being used on many late night talk shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers as well as variety and sketch comedy shows like Saturday Night Live due to the practice of last-minute script changes. Many other TV shows, including game and reality shows, use cue cards due to their mobility, as a teleprompter only allows the actor or broadcaster to look directly into the camera.

<i>William Shakespeares Julius Caesar</i> 1953 Shakespearean film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Julius Caesar is a 1953 American film adaptation of the Shakespearean play, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by John Houseman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, Louis Calhern as Caesar, John Gielgud as Cassius, Edmond O'Brien as Casca, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, and Deborah Kerr as Portia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toledot</span> Sixth portion in the annual Jewish cycle of weekly Torah reading

Toledot, Toldot, Toldos, or Toldoth is the sixth weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. The parashah tells of the conflict between Jacob and Esau, Isaac's passing off his wife Rebekah as his sister, and Isaac's blessing of his sons.

<i>Bedtime Story</i> (1964 film) 1964 film

Bedtime Story is a 1964 American comedy film starring Marlon Brando, David Niven and Shirley Jones. It was made by Brando's company, Pennebaker Productions, directed by Ralph Levy, produced by Stanley Shapiro, with Robert Arthur as executive producer, from a screenplay by Shapiro and Paul Henning. The music score was by Hans J. Salter and the cinematography by Clifford Stine.

<i>The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial</i> (play) 1953 courtroom drama play by Herman Wouk

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial is a two-act play, of the courtroom drama type, that was dramatized for the stage by Herman Wouk, who adapted it from his own 1951 novel, The Caine Mutiny.

<i>Funeral in Berlin</i> (film) 1966 film by Guy Hamilton

Funeral in Berlin is a 1966 British spy film directed by Guy Hamilton and based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Len Deighton. It is the second of three 1960s films starring Michael Caine as the character Harry Palmer that followed the characters from the initial film, The Ipcress File (1965). The third film was Billion Dollar Brain (1967).

<i>The Power of One</i> (film) 1992 film by John G. Avildsen

The Power of One is a 1992 drama film directed and edited by John G. Avildsen, loosely based on Bryce Courtenay's 1989 novel of the same title. The film stars Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Daniel Craig in his feature film debut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brando Eaton</span> American film and television actor

Brando Matthew Eaton is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in Dexter, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Zoey 101.

Stephen H. Shagan was an American novelist, screenwriter, and television and film producer.

References

  1. "The Formula (1980)". AFI . Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. The Formula at Box Office Mojo
  3. "The Formula (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media.
  4. The Formula review at TV Guide