Monday, February 20, 2012

O Brother, Where Art Thou?


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/14/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.


Written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a loose re-telling of Homer's The Odyssey set during the Great Depression in Mississippi where three dim-witted convicts try to find lost treasure as they get into strange encounters with a trio of sirens, a KKK member, and other places while becoming hit musicians in the process. With an all-star cast that includes Coen Brother regulars Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, Michael Badalucco, John Goodman, and John Turturro along with two future regulars in George Clooney and Stephen Root. Also starring Tim Blake Nelson, Ray McKinnon, Chris Thomas King, Lee Weaver, Wayne Duvall, and Daniel von Bargen. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a whimsical musical-comedy from the Coen Brothers.

Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete Hogwallop (John Tuturro), and Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) have just escaped the chain gang as they go on the run where they meet a blind seer (Lee Weaver) who would reveal their destiny as they seek lost treasure in a soon-to-be flooded valley. With only four days to find it, the men stop at the farm of Pete's cousin Wash where they're betrayed to the authorities led by Sheriff Cooley (Daniel von Bargen). Thanks to Wash's son, they escape as they later encounter a baptism and meet a young black musician named Tommy (Chris Thomas King) who claims to have sold his soul to the devil to become great. In need of money, the three convicts and Tommy stop at a radio station owned by the blind Mr. Lund (Stephen Root) who records their song Man of Constant Sorrow as they become the Soggy Bottom Boys and with a hit song.

Evading Cooley, Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar encounter bank robber George "Baby Face" Nelson (Michael Badalucco) at a robbery as they help Nelson find salvation while gaining his robbery money in return. The journey gets stranger as they trio encounters a trio of beautiful sirens where Ulysses and Delmar awaken from their encounter with Pete missing as Delmar is convinced he's become a toad. A meeting with a one-eyed Bible salesman named Big Dan Teague (John Goodman) turns bad as Ulysses learns about an upcoming election between governor Pappy O'Daniel (Charles Durning) against reform candidate Homer Stokes (Wayne Duvall). Arriving at town, Ulysses also learns that his wife Penny (Holly Hunter) has divorced him and is engaged to Stokes' campaign manager Vernon T. Waltrip (Ray McKinnon) whom he tries to fight against. Learning that Pete is alive and captured by the authorities, Ulysses and Delmar bust him out as they fight about the whereabouts of the treasure.

Running into a Ku Klux Klan meeting where Tommy is about to be hanged, they discover who the leader is as well who is associated with the Klan. After saving Tommy, Ulysses decides to make a chance to win back Penny as he, Pete, Delmar, and Tommy disguise themselves as the Soggy Bottom Boys. Playing their hit song and winning over Governor O'Daniel, the outlook for the men is great as they get closer to the treasure where they would encounter Cooley leading to a fateful intervention for all involved.

What makes this film a unique adaptation isn't its setting but how the Coen Brothers manage to put a lot of references in relation to Homer's epic tale. At the same time, the Coen Brothers create a story that audiences who know of Homer's story can follow through as it's one of their most accessible and entertaining features. The script is filled with stylized dialogue that is in relation to the times as is the music that is an important part of the film. The music helps tell the story and setting as it's all enriched in the roots of American music.

The direction of the Coen Brothers is truly unique as Joel and Ethan Coen create a vision and compositions that are unique to the story. While a lot of the humor is based on slapstick, it's timing and take on simpletons aren't insulting but rather props as it's clear that the Coen Brothers aren't really making fun of them. Yet, put these not-so-bright men in situations and see how it will unfold. Yet, their presentation of each scene and situation is done with such style and energy. It's clear that the Coen Brothers are creating a vision that is true with the times as if it was a time machine while adding a sense of humor and style in the mix. The result is the Coen Brothers being at their finest.

The Coen Brothers' longtime cinematographer Roger Deakins creates superb work to the film and its compositions. With its use of yellowish, sepia-awash colors to create a dream-like style to some of the film's exterior settings. Deakins' emphasis on a depth of field is gorgeous to watch as his daytime exterior work is gorgeous while in the nighttime, there are shades of blues and other colors that are rich. Deakins' work is definitely amazing and true to the style of the Coen Brothers. The Coen Brothers in their Roderick Jaynes alias along with Ethan Coen's wife Tricia Cooke do great work in the film's editing. The rhythmic pacing works with its leisurely with its sense of style with jump-cuts, wipes, and other transitional cuts in dissolves show the Jaynes and Cooke's unique approach to the editing. Especially when it comes from composition to another that moves with such ease.

Longtime production designer Dennis Gassner with set decorator Nancy Haigh and art director Richard L. Johnson create amazing period sets with its decaying farms, landscapes, and other locations. Notably in the scenes that included old props like 1930s microphones and other 1930s objects as Gassner and his team do superb job. Costume designer Mary Zophres, another regular Coen Brothers collaborator, does an amazing job with the film's period costumes that is in tune with Deakins' cinematography of light colors and dresses that Holly Hunter wears to the suits that most of the actors with the exception of its main actors. Visual effects supervisor Erik Nash creates some great visual work in some of the film's visual effects scene that includes a river and a train scene. Longtime Coen Brothers sound editor Skip Lievsay along with sound designer Eugene Gearty do great work in the film's sound to capture the atmosphere of the times as well as the action and hijinks that goes on.

Longtime collaborator Carter Burwell contributes minor music pieces to the film as much of the film's score and soundtrack is supervised by T-Bone Burnett. The film's soundtrack is rich with roots-based American music like bluegrass and country with contributions from artists like James Carter, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and Harry McClintock. The album is one of those few Grammy-award winning albums that deserve its prize as it's filled with a lot of rich music and songs that are memorable that is true to Americana.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is superb with small but memorable performances from Georgia Rae Rainer, Marianna Breland, Lindsey Miller, and Natalie Shedd as Ulysses' daughters, Frank Hollison as Wash Hogswollop, Quinn Gasaway as Wash's son, Gillian Welch as a record buyer, and as the sirens, Christy Taylor, Musetta Vander, and Mia Tate. J. R. Horne and Brian Reddy are great as Pappy O' Daniel's campaign managers who aren't very bright while Del Pentecost is also funny as Pappy's dim-witted son. Ed Gale is great as Homer Stokes' little man who is voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Lee Weaver is great as the blind seer who represents the character of Tiseras, the blind seer in The Odyssey. Stephen Root is excellent as the blind radio station manager Mr. Lund with his comments on the Soggy Bottom Boys while Michael Badalucco is also excellent as George Nelson, a manic-depressive bank robber.

Ray McKinnon is good as Vernon T. Waltrip, a man who threatens Ulysses' role as the pater familias while having some funny moments in his fight scene with Clooney. Wayne Duvall is great as reform candidate Homer Stokes who is very comical and carries a great presence while revealing a dark side into his character. Daniel von Bargen is brilliant as Sheriff Cooley, a man with dark sunglasses and a hound dog that proves to be very menacing as he carries a huge presence. Chris Thomas King, a real-life musician who also contributes to the soundtrack, is great as Tommy whose character is based on blues legend Robert Johnson. Charles Durning is amazing as Pappy O'Daniel with his crusty, frustrated attitude while in the Soggy Bottom Boys performance scene, he lets loose as the famed actor has some great scene-stealing moments. John Goodman is great in his usual role for the Coen Brothers as a Bible-selling, mugging man who is very vicious while his character is based on Cyclops from The Odyssey. Holly Hunter is excellent as Penny, a character based on Penelope of The Odyssey, as a woman disappointed in Ulysses and is trying to raise her family as Hunter is funny in her role.

Tim Blake Nelson is brilliant as the dim-witted yet simple-minded Delmar O'Donnell as he's the less intelligent of the three convicts. Nelson's performance is filled with lots of innocence and charm as Nelson provides a great balance between Clooney and Turturro. John Turturro is brilliant as Pete, a brutish man with dreams to run his own restaurant as he's the guy often arguing with Ulysses as Turturro brings a wonderful, funny performance to his character. Finally, there's George Clooney is a hilarious role as Ulysses. A man with lots of ideals and comments while demanding that he needs Dapper Dan hair gel as Clooney provides great comedic time and commentary as it's one of the actor's finest performances.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a wonderfully funny, entertaining, and gorgeous musical-comedy from the Coen Brothers. With a great cast, great look, and an amazing soundtrack, it's one of the Coen Brothers finest and most accessible films to date. Fans of the filmmaking duo will no doubt see this as one of their finest work. While it may not reach the hilarity heights of films like Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski, the film does stand out on its own while it's famed soundtrack is one of the decade's finest. In the end, for a good time with American roots music, Dapper Dan hair gel, and telling people that you're the pater familias, you're goddamned bona fide! O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the film to go see that's worth watching over and over again.

Coen Brothers Films: (Blood Simple) - (Raising Arizona) - (Miller's Crossing) - (Barton Fink) - (The Hudsucker Proxy) - (Fargo) - (The Big Lebowski) - (The Man Who Wasn't There) - (Intolerable Cruelty) - (The Ladykillers (2004 film)) - Paris Je T'aime-Tuileries - To Each His Own Cinema-World Cinema - No Country for Old Men) - (Burn After Reading) - (A Serious Man) - True Grit (2010 film) - (Inside Llewlyn Davis) - (The Auteurs #9: The Coen Brothers)

(C) thevoid99 2012

Blog News 2/20/12 & Blogging Around


The Oscars are finally coming and well, I don't think there's a lot of excitement happening. Let's be honest, the lack of really surprising and eclectic nominees don't make it very much fun. No Drive, no Melancholia, no We Need to Talk About Kevin, no Shame just makes it dull. I just hope there's some live Oscar-chat thing happening that I can attend with the rest of the blogosphere.

The one thing that might prevent me from attending is the fact that I've been dealing with Internet connection issues for the past few weeks. After having to get a new router from AT&T (scumbags) and learning that I'm on an outdated system for hi-speed wireless Internet (as I'm now connected to Ethernet). It's been a downer-of-sorts for me as I'm unable to download films that I want to see and such that I can't find on DVD, TV, or anywhere. Even films that aren't playing at my local theater that I want to see as I'm trying to find screeners. Fortunately, I've been spending a lot of time just writing and working to just to have something to do as I'm currently starting work on the next essays for my Auteurs and Favorite Film series.

Speaking of the latter, what happened to the essay on Secretary? Long story short, I fucked up. I spent more than a month writing the damn thing and just as I felt it was in near completion. I looked at it and I didn't like what I was writing. I admit to over-writing and writing very long pieces. With that essay, it went way over what I've expected as I felt there was too much about the film's plot and analysis that got over-explained. It got to the point where it wasn't going anywhere as I'm abandoning it till later in the year. That's when I chose to move forward and do the essay on Chungking Express which surprisingly took about a week to do.

That shocked me as I learned what to do and what not to do. I don't have to explain too many things and don't have to reveal a lot about plot points. I just go with the flow and see what I can do. I guess reading all of those essays on those Criterion Collection DVDs have helped me out. I've found an angle where I can write about a film and simplify what I want to say without being overly-pretentious and drawn-out. This new approach is something I'm going to do with my essay on Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom which I will still write for next month as well as Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The Auteurs essays are an entirely different beast where I can take my time on each film but also try to find various projects these directors have done outside of the medium. They usually take a few weeks to a month for me to do depending on the filmmaker and the films that person has made. As I'm going to do the Coen Brothers for March, there's only three films I haven't reviewed from them. Intolerable Cruelty is a film I've seen but don't really remember as I'm going to revisit it while The Hudsucker Proxy and The Ladykillers are the only ones I haven't seen. Everything else is pretty much covered as I will hope to have it late in March. Well, that is all for what's going on in my two blogs.

There's a lot that's going around in the blogosphere that I've been happy to read. First is James @ Cinema Sights who has been watching a couple of films by Vincent Gallo in Bufallo '66 (love that film) and The Brown Bunny (it was OK but I want my money back after discovering that Gallo's cock was a fake).

There's a couple of great reviews of Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin that I think people should read. One from Courtney @ Big Thoughts from a Small Mind and Ryan @ The Matinee.

Dan @ Dan the Man's Movie Reviews presents his Top 10 Films of 2011 which is actually impressive.

Bonjour @ Bonjour Tristesse has been watching a few Dario Argento films that has me interested in the Italian horror filmmaker as it includes a great review of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. I'm not familiar with Argento's work other than his contributions to Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West as well as the films that starred his daughter Asia. Where should I start with Argento?

Andy @ Andy Buckle's Film Emporium has a great piece on an amazing scene in the Coen Brothers' A Serious Man which I think is one of their best films.

Stevee @ Cinematic Paradox has this great conversation with Jodie Foster's The Beaver pondering what worked and what didn't as it's a fun read.

Jessica @ The Velvet Cafe finally sees a film I'm waiting to see in Yorgos Lanthimos' Alps and... I guess I'll have to wait when it comes on the TV.

Corey @ justAtad is doing a 50 book pledge as he reads the much lauded Peter Biskind book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls about New Hollywood. I don't recommend that book at all since I felt it didn't tell more about the movies of that period. I also don't recommend watching the documentary of the same name. Watch A Decade Under the Influence by Richard LaGravenese and Ted Demme.

Sati @ cinematic corner has divulged the secrets of Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan which is making want to revisit the film over and over again.

David @ Taste of Cinema has listed his 10 Favorite Romance Films which is fun to see and who can argue with these choices?

Alex of And So it Begins... gives a great tribute to the late, great Ben Gazzara who will be missed.

Finally, there's a couple of reviews of a film I refuse to see for Oscar season in Stephen Daldry's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as Phil @ Phil on Film & John @ John Likes Movies reveals more reasons not to see and confirm my belief that Stephen Daldry is among one of the worst filmmakers working today.

Well, that is it for now. Expect for me to hash out my old Coen Brothers reviews (in revised and re-edited forms) in the coming weeks as well as watch some 2011 and 2010 films that I've been needing to catch up on. I will close this piece with a video that I think is very adorable and I showed it to my mother who loves it. If any of you doesn't think this video is cool, I will fight you.


And Depeche Mode is awesome!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Fellini's Casanova



Based on the biography of Giacomo Casanova, Fellini’s Casanova is the story about the infamous womanizer as his life is unraveled by a journey that becomes surreal as his life of sexual pleasure becomes troubled. Directed by Federico Fellini and adapted into script by Fellini and Bernardino Zapponi, the film is a different take on the Casanova story as it plays to Fellini’s world of extravagance and surreal imagery. Playing the role of Casanova is Canadian actor Donald Sutherland as the cast also includes Tina Aumont, Cicely Browne, and Daniel Emilfork. Fellini’s Casanova is a strange yet stylish film from Federico Fellini.

After bedding the lover (Margareth Clementti) of a French ambassador, Giacomo Casanova is arrested by authorities for heresy and being connected with black magic. Sent to jail, Casanova reminisces about his time when he was having an affair with a rich seamstress and her ailing servant Anna Maria (Clarissa Mary Roll) whom he adored. After escaping prison and eventually leaving his beloved Venice, Casanova seeks refuge in the court of Madam d’Ufre (Cicely Browne) of Paris. He offers his expertise in alchemy to help her transfer her soul to a younger body so she can be reborn as a man. After moving to another court in a man named Du Bois (Daniel Emilfork), he falls in love with Du Bois’ lover Henrietta (Tina Aumont). The two pledge love to each other until he is overcome with emotion at a party as she performed a cello piece and later disappears the morning after.

Fleeing to London, Casanova endures humiliating ordeals by the hands of two scheming women. During his suicide attempt, he encounters a mysterious woman (Sandra Elaine Harris) and two dwarves where he takes temporary refuge in the Frost fair near the Thames. Traveling all over Europe, Casanova arrives at Rome at the home of Lord Talou (John Karlsen) where he attends a crazed party as he’s forced to compete with a younger man on who can give the woman the most orgasms. Fleeing to Germany where he falls for a scientist named Isabella (Olimipia Carlisi), he hopes to have something with her. Instead, he is tricked into participating in an orgy that leaves him overwhelmed as he would later meet his estranged mother (Mary Marquet) at an opera as the two have a brief conversation.

Taking refuge at another court at another castle in Germany, Casanova deals with the lack of respect of young patrons as he romances a mechanical doll named Rosalba (Leda Lojodice). Later dealing with old age as time passes by, Casanova tries to find his place in the world as he becomes a librarian for count as he endures more acts of insults. Notably as he ponders about his old life in the place he once called home.

The film is about the life of Giacomo Casanova at a point where his days as this great lover is waning where he would face strange encounters with women he would make love to. Notably as he is traveling all over Europe after being banished from his beloved home of Venice. It’s a very loose take on the Casanova story where Fellini goes for this sort of episodic approach to follow Casanova’s travels. The one mainstay in Fellini’s story is the fact that he portrays Casanova as this melancholic man who knows that his days as a lover is waning. Throughout this journey, Casanova tries to use his knowledge on everything to gain respect but his known reputation as being this great lover would often undermine everything. Notably as Casanova is easily tempted to give in to these things.

Fellini’s direction is pretty much what is expected of him in terms of extravagance and indulgence. Yet, it is done with a vast degree of style and artificiality where he doesn’t care that the audience knows that the water in an early scene in the film is fake. That’s part of his genius as he opens this film with this amazing scene of a party where people attempt to raise a large statue head from the depths of the sea. It’s a scene that would set up Casanova’s fate for the journey he would take in the film. Shot largely in Cinecitta studios in Rome, Fellini creates a world where it plays to Casanova’s love of excess and decadence in the places and parties that he encounters.

Since the set pieces are meant to be these worlds where they aren’t real but rather surreal, it allows Fellini to follow Casanova embark in these strange places. Many of them turn out to be exciting though at times, there’s moments in the film where it does feel a bit laborious because there’s so much going on and a lot of repetition occurs. Yet, it is what Fellini is intending so that Casanova is forced to endure these moments of humiliation. With a lot of grand shots and compositions to get the audience be caught up in the world of Casanova, Fellini aims for something where he gets the audience at the center of these parties and moments. Despite a few sluggish spots as well as Fellini’s approach to having the story be more drawn out. It is still a very fun and engaging film from the Italian master.

Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno does a fantastic job with the film‘s colorful and rapturous cinematography that is filled with amazing nighttime shots of the opening party scene as well as the interiors for the parties that occur in the film. Editor Ruggero Mastroianni does a nice job with the editing by maintaining a sense of style towards the film‘s pacing by utilizing jump-cuts and other rhythmic shots for some of the energy of the party scenes. Art director/costume designer Danilo Donati does an incredible job with the creation of the set pieces for the film that includes the large statue in the opening sequence. Donati’s work in the costumes, with additional contribution from Fellini, definitely play up to the spectacle of the film as well as the artificiality that surrounds Casanova’s life

Makeup artist Rino Carboni and hair stylist Gabriella Borzelli do excellent work in the creation of the wigs worn by the many characters of the film including the make-up to emphasize the world that Casanova embarks in. The sound work of Oscar De Arcangelis is terrific for the atmosphere that occurs in the various interior location that occurs including the parties and Frost fair scene that Casanova is intrigued by. The film’s whimsical score by Nino Rota is a delight to listen to from the playful and dramatic orchestral pieces to the more electronic yet melodic-driven themes played whenever Casanova is having sex as it’s one of Rota’s more underrated scores.

The casting by Paola Roli is pretty good for the large ensemble that is created although there’s not a lot of performances that really stand out. Aside from a few minor performances from Mary Marquet as Casanova’s mother along with Daniel Emilfork and John Karlsen as a couple of counts. There’s only a few of Casanova’s lovers that really get a chance to shine such as Sandra Elaine Harris as the mysterious Angelina, Olimipia Carlisi as the eerie scientist Isabella, Clarissa Mary Roll as the sickly Anna Maria, and Cicely Browne as the aging yet daring Madam d’Ufre. The best of the lovers go to Tina Aumont as the talented yet secretive Henrietta and Leda Lojodice as the robotic Rosalba.

The film’s major highlight is the performance of Donald Sutherland. Although he is dubbed by another actor which is an unfortunate drawback. Sutherland is able to create a performance that is very interesting in the way he expresses his despair and endure them. Another key element of Sutherland’s performance is his physicality in the way he presents himself as if he is this great lover of Casanova. Through these humiliating ordeals, he continually tries to present himself as this larger than life character only to find himself become more human and flawed. It’s a remarkable performance for the legendary actor.

Fellini’s Casanova is a sensational and stellar film from Federico Fellini featuring a superb performance from Donald Sutherland. While it’s a film that is very flawed in its presentation, a heavily-drawn out narrative, and some dubbing issues. It is still a film that has a lot of ambition and amazing scenery that is quite inspiring that only Fellini can do best. In the end, Federico Fellini’s take on Casanova is an extraordinary yet extravagant film from the late yet legendary filmmaker.

Federico Fellini Films: (Variety Lights) - (The White Sheik) - I, Vitelloni - (L’amore in Citta-Un’agenzia matrimoniale) - La Strada - (Il Bidone) - Nights of Cabiria - La Dolce Vita - (Boccaccio ‘70-Le tentazoni del Dottor Antonio) - 8 1/2 - Juliet of the Spirits - (Histoires extraordinaires-Toby Dammit) - (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) - Fellini Satyricon - (I Clowns) - Roma - Amarcord - (Orchestra Rehearsal) - (City of Women) - (And the Ship Sails On) - (Ginger and Fred) - (Intervista) - (The Voice of the Moon)

© thevoid99 2012

Friends with Money



Written and directed by Nicole Holfocener, Friends with Money is the story of a woman who is struggling to maintain her finances by taking a job as a maid while her more financially stable friends as they all deal with personal issues in their life. The film explores the friendship of four women as they all try to help each other but also explore their resentments towards one another Starring Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand, Scott Caan, Jason Isaacs, Simon McBurney, Greg Germann, and Ty Burrell. Friends with Money is a brash yet very intriguing film from Nicole Holofcener.

After quitting her job as a teacher, Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) works cleaning other people’s houses for a living as her friends each live fantastic lives with husbands and kids. While Franny (Joan Cusack) wants to help out as does Christine (Catherine Keener) and Jane (Frances McDormand), Olivia politely declines as she often spends her time going to mall to take free cream samples and calling a former boyfriend (Timm Sharp) whom she’s still hung up on. Franny is a stay-at-home housewife who has money from a trust fund as she really wants to help Olivia out though her account husband Matt (Greg Germann) isn’t sure on the idea. Franny does help out Olivia with her personal life by setting her up with her young personal trainer Mike (Scott Caan) as the two begin a relationship.

Christine’s marriage to husband David (Jason Isaacs) is starting to fall apart as the two try to write a project together while getting a new upstairs floor built much to the chagrin of their neighbor. Jane starts to act out due to the small things happening to her such as being cut in front of a line or having someone take her parking space. Even as her husband Aaron (Simon McBurney) is trying to help her out as Christine suspects that he’s gay while he befriends another guy named Aaron (Ty Burrell). With Olivia struggling to have money problems as Franny still wants to help out. An upcoming charity dinner doesn’t excite everyone as Jane becomes erratic while Christine becomes overwhelmed by the house renovation. Even as Olivia feels like things aren’t going her way as she doesn’t enjoy her time with Mike.

The film is about four women trying to help each other with their personal lives as one of them is struggling with trying to maintain her finances without needing to borrow money from her friends. Throughout the film, this woman is dealing with the fact that her life isn’t going well as she is taking all sorts of jobs while her personal life has her resenting her friends because they’re married and have children. Yet, they’re life isn’t as well-adjusted as she thought they would do as one of them wants to help out but her husband just wants to spend money for his own reasons. Another is dealing with the renovation of a house as well as bickering with her husband over everything while another friend is having a breakdown due to all of the ills of the world around her.

Nicole Holofcener’s script deals with the lives of these women and their relationships with men as the Olivia character is the one trying to find love. While she is hung up on this man she had an affair with some years ago, she dates this very immature personal trainer who has just seen an old flame as their relationship becomes about sex though it ends up being unpleasant. Olivia is definitely the most interesting character of the film due to her situation as well as not being a charity case while she has this great line about all of these charity dinners that happens which really has a lot of truth.

While men like Matt, Mike, and David don’t really get much to do as opposed to sexually-ambiguous Aaron who sort of acts like a fifth woman. It does allow the rest of Olivia’s friends to explore their own faults as well as struggle with the posh world they live in. Of those friends, Jane is the most interesting as she is a clothing designer who has made a lot of money but is on the verge of a breakdown as she doesn’t wash her hair while starts to vent out at people who do the wrong things. Holofcener’s script is quite witty in exploring these characters and their flaws though there are a few issues with some of the characterization as some aren’t as developed or as interesting as some of the key parts in the film.

Holofcener’s direction is quite engrossing in the way she presents the film as she aims for a much looser hand-held style to the direction where the camera is a bit shaky but not overt. The compositions are quite straightforward as there is a bit of a cinema verite approach to the direction where Holofcener is always having the camera at the center or at the side of these conversations. Holofcener does create some funny moments that involves Jane’s outbursts or Olivia wanting to grab as many free samples of skin cream that she needs by going to different malls. Shot in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Holofcener allows the location to be a character of sorts while not aiming for a postcard look to the film. The overall work that Holofcener creates is very engaging in the way she studies and observes the lives of these four women and their different lives.

Cinematographer Terry Stacey does an excellent job with the film‘s colorful cinematography that plays to the sunny world of southern California for its daytime exteriors while utilizing more low-key natural lighting for the nighttime interiors including the dinner scenes in the film. Editor Robert Frazen does a superb job with the editing in creating a loose style to its methodical pacing while using rhythmic jump cuts to capture the intensity of the conversations and action that occur in the film. Production designer Amy B. Ancona, with set decorator Maria Nay and art director Victoria Ruskin do a nice job with the set pieces created from the posh homes that Christine, Franny, and Jane live in to the more modest home that Olivia lives in as well as the other homes she cleans at.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does a wonderful job with the costumes from the more casual look that the women wear to the more modest look of Olivia and Mike to complement the different worlds the characters live in. Sound editor Cormac Funge does terrific work with the sound from the intimacy of the homes that Olivia cleans in to the busy atmosphere of some of the places the characters frequent at including the restaurants. The film’s score by Craig Richey is pretty good for its low-key folk-rock score filled with guitars and melodic keyboards as the music also includes some contributions by Rickie Lee Jones who also provides a similar score including the film’s opening song.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is brilliant for the ensemble that is created for the film. Notable small roles include Timm Sharp as Olivia’s former lover, Alejandra Flores as Christine’s maid, Ileen Getz as Christine’s neighbor, Ty Burrell as the other Aaron that Aaron befriends, and Bob Stephenson as a lonely man whose home Olivia cleans. Scott Caan is alright as the smarmy personal trainer Mike whom Olivia goes out with but barely helps her when she’s working. Jason Isaacs and Greg Germann are very good in their respective roles as Christine’s ambitious yet un-concerned husband David and Franny’s dismissive yet money-obsessed husband Matt. Simon McBurney is brilliant as Jane’s sexually-ambiguous husband Aaron who always try to help everyone out and be supportive while is probably unaware that he might be gay.

Joan Cusack is terrific as Franny who often wants to help out though she doesn’t want to be confrontational as she has a hard time trying to do good. Catherine Keener is excellent as Christine who is trying to write a screenplay while dealing with the renovation of her home and the constant bickering she has with her husband. Frances McDormand is great in a truly scary role as the erratic Jane who starts to act out over the frustrations of her life and everything around her as McDormand brings a lot of great humor to her character. Finally, there’s Jennifer Aniston in a remarkable performance as the lost and confused Olivia. It’s a performance where Aniston doesn’t play pretty while being a woman who is trying to get by while dealing with what she doesn’t have as she is trying to do things herself despite her friends’ desire to help her.

Friends with Money is a superb comedy-drama from Nicole Holfocener. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, and Joan Cusack. It’s a film that revels into the lives of women as they deal with the idea of having everything or having very little as well as the struggle to find some sanity in their lives. It’s a film that is very witty as well as being provocative about the way the world works proving that not everything should be the way it is. In the end, Friends with Money is a funny yet sensational film from Nicole Holofcener.

Nicole Holofcener Films: Walking & Talking - Lovely & Amazing - (Please Give)

© thevoid99 2012

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Ocean's 11 (2001 film)



Based on the 1960 film version that was scribed by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer with story credit by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, Ocean’s 11 is the story of eleven men who plan to rob three casinos in one entire night as they’re owned by the same man. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and screenplay by Ted Griffin, the film is a modern update on the original 1960s Rat Pack film with a new edge. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Cahn, Bernie Mac, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, with Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts. Ocean’s 11 is a fun heist film from Steven Soderbergh.

After being released on parole for various theft crimes, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) decides to organize another theft as he meets up with old friend Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). The plan is to rob a trio of casinos in one night as the money is stored the vault of one of those casinos. Pitching the idea to a former casino owner in Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould), Tishkoff agrees to fund the operation as Ocean and Ryan began to recruit and assemble their team. With Tishkoff and Ocean’s con friend Frank Catton (Bernie Mac) on board, joining the team are mechanics Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, respectively), electronics surveillance expert Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), acrobat Yen (Shaobo Qin), explosives expert Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), old-school con man Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), and a young thief in Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon).

The team scout the Bellagio casino as a big boxing fight is coming as the casino is owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who also owns the other two planned for the robbery. With Linus and Rusty also watching over Benedict, Rusty realizes that Danny’s ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts) is dating Benedict which complicates everything as Rusty wonders about Danny’s true motives for the robbery. With planning still underway including re-creating the vault for practice, things become complicated when Yen gets injured in a theft for a device Basher needs to black out the city for a small amount of time. Danny also sits out due to his feelings for Tess as Rusty takes over as he and the team decide to play roles to get into the casino and its vaults while Livingston watches everything he sees.

On the night of the heist, Danny makes a final plea to Tess before he’s taken away by Benedict’s men while Frank, Linus, Rusty, and Saul poses as different people for the con game with Virgil and Turk assisting them. Things go underway as Danny makes a last-minute assist with a bit of help as he and the gang make the robbery in grand style.

The film is essentially a heist film set in Las Vegas as eleven guys decide to steal more than a $150 million in one night just so they can pull off the impossible. Notably as it involves three casinos and an owner who will do more than put the thieves in jail. Amidst this heist is its leader who has just been paroled and is risking it just so he can claim his ex-wife back from a guy he knows is far more dangerous. The script by Ted Griffin is pretty loose in terms of its storytelling as he creates some wonderful scenes about the set-up of the heist and how the team is assembled. It’s a script that is filled with lots of humor and action while not taking itself very seriously.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction definitely is geared towards style as he creates dazzling compositions and montages to play up the assembling of the team as well as the set-up into the heist. While most of the film is about the set-up of the heist for the first two acts, Soderbergh does allow the film to be quite playful in the way the actors interact and play their con roles. Soderbergh also chooses to play up the film’s romantic moments in an understated tone involving Danny and Tess while keeping the compositions straightforward. Serving as cinematographer under his Peter Andrews alias, the film has a look that is quite stylish to play up to the glitz of Las Vegas from its nighttime and interior lighting to the sunny look of that city in the day. Soderbergh creates a truly crafty and ravishing film that is very funny and exciting for the heist genre.

Editor Stephen Mirrione does a fantastic job with the editing to play up the film‘s sense of style by utilizing rhythmic jump-cuts as well as multiple split-screens to play up some of the montages displayed in the film. Production designer Phillip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Keith P. Cunningham, does excellent work in the set pieces created such as the bar that Rusty manages to Reuben‘s home and the look of Benedict‘s safe. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does some wonderful work in the costumes from the dresses and gowns that Tess wears to the stylish suits that the men wear including the ones for the actual job they do.

Sound editor Larry Blake does a brilliant job with the sound work to capture the raucous world of Las Vegas from the boxing scene to the sounds of what goes in for the actual heist including chaos that occurs in the blackout as the heist is well underway. The film’s score by David Holmes is superb for its playful mix of jazz and electronic music that is perfect for the film’s humor and visual style in relation to the world that is Las Vegas. Particularly as the soundtrack plays to a wide variety of music from the likes of Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Handsome Boy Modeling School with De La Soul, Quincy Jones, Liberace, and classical pieces from Claude Debussy.

The casting by Debra Zane is extraordinary for the ensemble that is created along with the slew of cameo appearances made for the film. Among these cameos include Shane West, Barry Watson, Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace, and Joshua Jackson as Rusty’s poker pupils. Other cameos include the film’s producer Jerry Weintraub as a high-roller poker player, director Steven Soderbergh as one of Basher’s bombing associates, boxers Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, Wayne Newton, Siegfried and Roy, and from the original 1960 film, Angie Dickinson and Henry Silva.

In the roles of the various players that forms the heist team, there are definitely some very funny performances from Eddie Jemison as the nervous Livingston Dell, Bernie Mac as the smooth con artist Frank Catton, Shaobo Qin as the Asian acrobatic Yen, Carl Reiner as the old-school yet multiple-accent portraying Saul, and Elliot Gould as the old-school casino owner Ruben Tishkoff. Casey Affleck and Scott Caan are very good as in their respective roles as the bickering brothers Virgil and Turk Malloy while Don Cheadle is brilliant by sporting a Cockney accent as the witty explosive expert Basher. Andy Garcia is excellent as the suave yet vicious casino owner Terry Benedict while Julia Roberts is terrific as Danny’s ex-wife Tess.

Matt Damon is wonderful as the young thief Linus who tries to find his footing as part of the team as well as hoping to break out of his father’s shadow. Brad Pitt is great as the cool Rusty who always try to keep everyone ground while always eating something on the job. George Clooney is superb as the team’s leader Danny Ocean as Clooney brings his usual charm and swagger into the character while also being the kind of guy who can get the job done.

Ocean’s 11 is an entertaining and witty heist film from Steven Soderbergh. Armed with a great ensemble cast and a visual style that is dazzling to watch, it’s a film that aims to just entertain and give the audience a good time. Notably as it’s one of Soderbergh’s more accessible films proving that he can do anything while give the film buffs something to be enamored by. In the end, Ocean’s 11 is a sensational heist film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - (Kafka) - (King of the Hill) - (The Underneath (1995 film)) - (Gray’s Anatomy) - (Schizopolis) - Out of Sight - The Limey - (Erin Brockovich) - Traffic - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - (Eros-Equilibrium) - (Ocean’s 12) - (Bubble) - (The Good German) - (Ocean’s 13) - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - (And Everything is Going Fine) - Contagion - (Haywire) - (Magic Mike)

© thevoid99 2012

Amarcord


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/28/08 w/ Additional Edits.


Directed by Federico Fellini with a script he co-wrote with Tonino Guerra, Amarcord ("I remember") tells the story of a life of a young man's life in a small, coastal Italian town during the Fascist era of 1930s Italy. A semi-autobiographical story based on Fellini's young life in his hometown is a coming of age tale as a young man explores the world in his hometown and his attraction to some of the exotic women in his town. Starring Magali Noel, Bruno Zanin, Pupella Maggio, and Armando Brancia. Amarcord is a wonderful and enchanting film from Federico Fellini.

It's springtime in town of Borgo as a festival to burn wood is happening. Attending are several locals including a sexy hairdresser named Gradisca (Magali Noel), a blind accordion player (Domenica Peterica), a big, buxom tobacconist (Maria Antonietta Beluzzi), and a nymphomaniac named Volpina (Josiane Tanzilli). Also attending are a young man named Titta (Bruno Zanin) and his construction foreman father Aurelio (Armando Brancia). Yet, Titta is a troublemaker as he's often surround himself with a group of trouble-making kids including Ciccio (Fernando de Felice) who pines for the Aldina (Donatella Gambini), the prettiest girl in school. Titta often gets himself in trouble with his father as his mother Miranda (Pupella Maggio) is convinced it's the boys he's around with that causes the trouble. Living with his little brother Oliva (Stefano Proietti), grandfather (Peppino Ianigro), and uncle Lallo (Nando Oferi), Titta is often the attention for his troubles while Lallo lives spending the money of his brother-in-law.

Titta's school life is filled with eccentric teachers as he and Ciccio often cause trouble and hang out with their friends Gigliozzi (Bruno Lenzi) and Ovo (Bruno Scagnetti) while they're often finding themselves attracted to women. Most notably Gradisca, as Titta goes to confession to confess his sins where he reveals his attraction to all of the attractive local women in the town. When a Fascist celebration occurs in the town, Ciccio has a fantasy where the face of Mussolini had him married to Aldina. The celebration is marred later in the night by a recording of anti-Mussolini remarks as Aurelio gets in trouble where he learned he got ratted out due to his anarchist past. The story about how Gradisca got her name is revealed while the local liar and street vendor Biscein (Gennaro Ombra) has claimed to had made love to a group of concubines from a sultan.

A family gathering to the local farm that would include Titta's mentally-ill uncle Teo (Ciccio Ingrassia) starts off fine until he climbs a tree and screams about wanting a woman as he refuses to get down. The event would reveal harsh family secrets while the entire town go on a huge boat trip to await the arrival of a huge cruise liner known as the S.S. Rex that the Fascists had built. After a foggy period for the town, a race through the town happens as both Titta and Ciccio have fantasies about being racers. Yet, Titta's night gets more exciting during an encounter with tobacconist that leaves him overwhelmed. When a big winter arrives into the town, it's greeted with a lot of excitement as Titta watches an extraordinary event while another would change his life forever.

The film is largely about memory as it's really about a young man's coming-of-age journey in the span of one year where he encounter all of these events and changes in his life as he would learn to mature into a man. Yet, the film is told through the perspective of Titta while there's stories about other characters and the town told through a lawyer (Luigi Rossi) who tells his story directly to the audience watching as the fourth wall is broken. Yet, the screenplay is told through a series of vignettes and small stories to give an idea of what life was like back in 1930s Italy during the Fascist era and through this young man's state of mind.

While the script that Fellini and Tonino Guerra creates is filled with whimsical stories that often blurs the idea of fantasy and fiction. It's Fellini's direction that is truly remarkable in its grand vision as well as its sense of nostalgia where it's clear he's telling something that is truly personal. Especially in his location settings where he's basing it on his own hometown with all of its eccentric-looking people and characters that are definitely from his own young life. With amazing visuals including the fog sequence, some of the town events, the boating scene, and even the wonderful, snowy sequence that involved a peacock is truly exquisite. Yet, Fellini's creates wondrous compositions that are definitely flamboyant, engaging, and full of life. While at the same time, he pokes fun at the era of Fascism while revealing the humor behind despite its oppressive nature. Overall, this is truly an amazing, whimsical by Federico Fellini.

Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno does a brilliant job with the film's camera work with intimate interior shots with great shadings of blue while a lot of the film's look ranges from the dark black of some of the town nighttime scenes to bluish evening shots, and even some amazingly, exquisite shots that are just gorgeous. Two sequences that Rotunno shot like the farm scenes with magic hour shots are gorgeous as is the snowy town scenes that are truly beautiful with the white clashing with the red hat or red dress that Gradisca wears. Fellini's longtime editor Ruggero Mastroianni does superb work with the film's sense of rhythm and transitional sequence breaks in using fade-outs and dissolves to help separate each vignette that goes on throughout the film. Yet, with the film's unique structure, Mastroianni succeeds in creating a style and feel that makes it easy to watch without losing sight of its main story.

Production/costume designer Danilo Donati and art director Giorgio Giovanni do wonderful work with the film's set design in the look of the Fascist celebration with the big head of Mussolini as well as the other town celebrations. Donati's costume work is wonderful for the look of Gradisca with her array of red dresses and a red hat to define her look. Sound recordist Oscar de Arcangelis does excellent work in capturing the raucous atmosphere of the events as well as the calm sounds of the countryside and winters. The music of longtime Fellini collaborator and composer Nino Rota is truly amazing with his flourishing melodies, sweeping arrangements, and joyful presentation. Rota's score for the film definitely lives up to his other work with Fellini in the past as it has this sense of romance and nostalgia. Rota also goes for humor with his whimsical pieces with the uses of the flute and accordion as it's definitely one of his greatest score compositions.

The cast is truly unique in its look and performances with standout appearances from Mario Liberati as a theater owner named Ronald Coleman, Franco Magno as a red-haired schoolmaster named Zeus, and as a group of teachers, Fides Stagni, Dina Adorni, Mario Silvestri, and Gianfilippo Carcano. Ferrucia Brembillia has a memorable appearance as a pistol-shooting Fascist while Stefano Proietti is good as Titta's little brother. Other memorable small performances that stand out are Josiane Tanzilli as the nympho prostitute Volpina, Ciccio Ingrassia as the mentally-ill Uncle Teo, Gennaro Ombra as the lying street vendor Biscein, Domenica Peterica as the blind accordion player, and Maria Antonietta Beluzzi as the big, buxom tobacconist who gives Titta an idea of what it would be like with a woman. Bruno Lenzi and Bruno Scagnetti are good as Titta's friends while Fernando de Felice is excellent as the plump friend of Titta who pines for Aldina, played by Donatella Gambini who is good as the object of affection.

Nando Oferi is excellent as Lallo, the slacker, conniving uncle who lives off of his brother-in-law and often encourages Titta to get into trouble. Pupella Maggio is wonderful as Miranda, Titta's mother who provides the wisdom and guidance for Titta to mature. Peppino Ianigro is excellent as the grandfather who often makes jokes about sex while Armando Brancia is amazing as the father who is strict with his son only because he's trying to get him to grow up. Bruno Zanin is great as Titta, the boy who is at the center of the film as he is the character that develops from his trouble-making schemes to maturing right at the end with such restraint and subtlety. Luigi Rossi is superb as the lawyer who tells stories about Rome and Italy in its past as he talks to the camera with such an amazing presence and grace that is enjoyable to watch. The film's most exciting and fun performance to Magali Noel, the exotic and sexy hairdresser who just oozes sexuality while bringing a lot of joy and warmth to nearly every scene she's. Noel's performance is truly fun as she definitely looks like she's having fun being the object of desire for everyone.

Amarcord is an ambitious, sprawling, yet beautiful masterpiece from Federico Fellini. Thanks to an amazing ensemble cast led by Magali Noel, Luigi Rossi, Bruno Zanin, and Armando Brancia, along with Giuseppe Rotunno's cinematography and Nino Rota's score. It's definitely one of the great films ever made though it will debate whether it's his best among other classics like La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and 8 ½. For audiences who want an idea of a time period with elements of nostalgia, romanticism, humor, and lots of fun, sexual innuendo. Amarcord is the film to see in all of its wonders from the great Federico Fellini.

Federico Fellini Films: (Variety Lights) - (The White Sheik) - I, Vitelloni - (L’amore in Citta-Un’agenzia matrimoniale) - La Strada - (Il Bidone) - Nights of Cabiria - La Dolce Vita - (Boccaccio ‘70-Le tentazoni del Dottor Antonio) - 8 1/2 - Juliet of the Spirits - (Histoires extraordinaires-Toby Dammit) - (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) - Fellini Satyricon - (I Clowns) - Roma - Casanova - (Orchestra Rehearsal) - (City of Women) - (And the Ship Sails On) - (Ginger and Fred) - (Intervista) - (The Voice of the Moon)

© thevoid99 2012

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson


One of the new voices of the American film scene following the success of Quentin Tarantino in the early 90s came in the form of one of the most unlikely individuals in Wes Anderson. The Houston-born filmmaker seemed like the last guy who would make films about flawed characters, from rich or middle-class upbringings, striving to make names for themselves or encounter a world they had never been in. Already having released six feature films in his career with a new one called Moonrise Kingdom coming out in 2012. Anderson has already created one of the most fascinating library of films since arriving to the American film scene in the mid-1990s.

Born in Houston Texas on May 1, 1969, Anderson grew up into the world of film as he attended the University of Texas in Austin. There, he met one of his future collaborators in Owen Wilson where the two forged a friendship over their love of films. The two would write scripts together while continuing to study philosophy in the University of Texas. With Owen’s brothers Andrew and Luke, the four would team up to create a short that would become the basis for their very first feature film.



With the release of Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 debut film Reservoir Dogs, the heist/caper film genre suddenly came back to life in a new style. Obviously inspired by that film, Anderson decided to create a short about a caper film involving three guys that would called Bottle Rocket. With Owen Wilson starring and co-writing the script with Anderson, the short also starred Owen’s younger brother Luke and their friend Robert Musgrave. The short told the story of three guys making a plan to rob something to start a career in crime. The short made in 1992 premiered at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival to great buzz.

Among those who had discovered the short film were James L. Brooks and Polly Platt. Brooks was famous for his work as a producer for shows like The Simpsons and The Mary Tyler Moore Show as well as writing, producing, and directing films like Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News. Platt was famous for her work with Peter Bogdanovich in the 1970s serving as his production designer as well as co-writing his 1968 debut film Targets. Brooks and Platt had formed Gracie Films in 1985 where they scored a major hit four years later with Cameron Crowe’s debut film Say Anything… as they also mentored Crowe early in his career.

Brooks and Platt’s involvement with Anderson and Owen Wilson helped gave the two a chance to develop a feature-length script where the two lived in offices for two years. During the development, Anderson and Wilson were able to gather people who would become their collaborators early on which included cinematographer Robert Yeoman and production designer David Wasco. The latter of which, they met on the set of Pulp Fiction where they were invited on set. With the help of Brooks and Platt, Anderson was able to create a film that was different from the heist movies of the 1990s by focusing on the individuals and their emphasis to enter the world of crime rather than the heist itself.

The casting included many friends of Anderson and the Wilson brothers which included Stephen Dignan, Brian Tenenbaum, Dipak Pallana, and Dipak’s father Kumar in the role of a safecracker. With Owen, Luke, and Robert Musgrave in the lead roles along with Andrew Wilson in a small role. The cast’s big coup was getting legendary actor James Caan in the role of crime boss Mr. Henry as well as rising Mexican actress Lumi Cavazos as Luke Wilson’s love interest Inez. The film was made on location in Anderson’s home state of Texas as they went for a very different look due to Yeomen’s colorful cinematography as well as Anderson’s unique approach to framing actors and situations that occur. These ideas along with slow-motion shots, particularly towards the film’s ending, would become part of Anderson’s trademarks as a filmmaker.

Another person who would become a key collaborator for Anderson is Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh who saw the film at a test screening as he offered his services by providing its score. Mothersbaugh brought a unique score that had a jazz element and was very low-key while the soundtrack had an array of music that Anderson loved including Love, the Proclaimers, and the Rolling Stones. In a scene where Luke’s Anthony character runs to Inez in a tracking shot to the tune of Love’s Alone Again Or becomes a prime example of what Anderson can do in matching music and image as it would be the start of a great career. While there was a lot of enthusiasm for the film before its release, the film was hampered by poor test screenings which forced Anderson to do re-shoots and re-edits.

When Brooks tried to get the film to premiere at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, it was rejected as Columbia Pictures did release the film in February of that year to little fanfare as it was a commercial failure. One of its early champions came in the form of L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan who praised the film as he helped Bottle Rocket become a cult hit. Anderson won a Best New Filmmaker prize at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards in June of that year while the film itself became a hit of sorts through the home video market and one of the early releases in the DVD format in 1998. 10 years later, the film was re-released for DVD and Blu-Ray by the Criterion Collection that added to Anderson’s growing reputation as Martin Scorsese named the film one of his 10 favorite films of the 1990s on a 1999 episode of At the Movies with film critic Roger Ebert.



Despite the commercial failure of Bottle Rocket in its initial release, there was buzz available for Wes Anderson and the Wilson brothers. Owen Wilson was suddenly appearing in Hollywood movies such as Ben Stiller’s dark comedy The Cable Guy, the 1997 thriller Anaconda, and Michael Bay’s 1998 asteroid-disaster movie Armageddon. Luke Wilson’s career was also in the rise as he was appearing in numerous low-budget indie and studio pictures at the time. Still, the Wilson brothers and Anderson’s collaborators were developing another project that would become their breakthrough called Rushmore. The story of a 15-year old prep school kid whose love of extracurricular activities and staging plays has him befriending a disillusioned millionaire where they would fight each other for the affections of a widowed first grade teacher.

Anderson wrote the film with Owen Wilson several years back as they re-wrote and created new ideas for the film as they also formed their own company called American Empirical Pictures. With collaborators such as Robert Yeomen, Mark Mothersbaugh, David Wasco, and editor David Moritz involved along with associates such as Luke and Andrew Wilson, Dipak and Kumar Pallana, Stephen Dignan, Brian Tenenbaum, Anderson’s artist brother Eric Chase Anderson, and their friend Wallace Wolodarsky involved. The film would be a bigger project than Bottle Rocket as Anderson chose to shoot the film again in Texas nearby the prep schools that Anderson and the Wilson brothers had attended.

With Owen Wilson unavailable for the production due to scheduling conflicts as an actor while he does make a cameo via photo. Anderson was able to create an ensemble cast that he needed for the film that included veterans like Seymour Cassel and Brian Cox along with up-and-coming British actress Olivia Williams as the widowed first grade teacher Rosemary Cross and an unknown named Jason Schwartzman as the 15-year old prep school kid Max Fischer. Schwartzman was the son of actress Talia Shire whose brother was legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola as he met Anderson at a party held by Schwartzman’s cousin and up-and-coming filmmaker Sofia Coppola.

For the role of millionaire Herman Blume, Anderson wanted Bill Murray for the role though getting in touch with Murray wasn’t easy. Once the script got into Murray’s hands, he accepted the part as production started in the fall of 1997. Wanting to take his visual style to new heights, Anderson went for a more lush look with Yeomen’s help in the photography. Notably in creating a montage about Max’s numerous activities with the use of the Futura bold typeface that was played to the tune of the Creation’s Making Time.

The sense of teen angst and coming-of-age theme that Anderson went for was very different from a lot of the high school movies made at the time as it focused on an individual who wasn’t a great student but a dreamer with lots of ideas. The film, along with Bottle Rocket and subsequent films, would be part of Anderson’s exploration into flawed individuals who are these dreamers but often have to deal with some sort of adversity that could put them down for a while. Max Fischer is probably Wes Anderson’s greatest character for the way he tries to hold on his dreams to impress a woman and fight off an adult for her affections only to realize that he’s hurt some people along the way.

The film premiered at the 1998 Telluride Film Festival to a great reception as it became a major festival hit in the fall of 1998. Though it had a very limited theatrical release in December of 1998 for its Oscar-eligibility, the film did manage to become a major critical hit as it got a wider release in February of 1999. Though it wasn’t able to recoup the $20 million budget spent on the film, the critical acclaim did help the film as it gave Bill Murray a new career for the veteran comedy actor in doing light-dramatic pieces. In 2000, the film was given a special DVD release from the revered Criterion Collection company with numerous special features as it was upgraded for its Blu-Ray release in 2011 making it one of the company’s revered DVDs.



The success of Rushmore as well as the growing cult following for Bottle Rocket helped raise Anderson’s profile as a filmmaker on the rise. Being part of a new wave of American filmmakers like David O. Russell, Alexander Payne, Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze, and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. In the world of the American blockbusters were the films were becoming bigger while a new wave of teen comedies were starting to re-emerge. Anderson and his peers brought a new sensibility that was quirky, humorous, and at times, quite out there. Anderson would refine his themes and much more for his third feature film entitled The Royal Tenenbaums.

The story about the lives of three gifted siblings who became successful early in their life only to face failure and disappointment as adults as their estranged father returns to help them with claims that he’s dying. The film explores the dynamics of family as its patriarch is a selfish man who takes advantage of his children’s early success and lives in a hotel after separating from wife. When the three kids experience trouble as adults, he comes to help them after being kicked out of his hotel while trying to come to terms with his own issues as well as his children and wife.

With his collaborators and associates that would now include Bill Murray being part of the film along with Luke and Owen Wilson, and Kumar Pallana in crucial roles. The casting included a much bigger ensemble than any of Anderson’s previous films as Gene Hackman played the lead role of Royal Tenenbaum with Anjelica Huston as his estranged wife Etheline, Danny Glover as Etheline’s new suitor Henry Sherman, Ben Stiller as Royal and Etheline’s eldest son Chas, and Gwyneth Paltrow as their adopted daughter Margot. With Owen Wilson also co-writing the film with Anderson, the film included narration as it was told in a storybook presentation with narration by Alec Baldwin.

Shot on location in New York City, the film would be a departure of sorts for Anderson in terms of its location as well as going for much broader themes on family and their dysfunctions. Musically, the film also served as a departure as Anderson strayed from his love of 60s British Invasion and British folk for something a bit different as it included obscure cuts by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and John Lennon along with a piece from the Rolling Stones whom Anderson adores. With Mark Mothersbaugh providing a score piece that plays up to the melancholia, the score included an instrumental cover of the Beatles’ Hey Jude for its opening montage of the Tenenbaum kids’ early success.

Another key part to Anderson’s growing maturity in the film is the way he explores the family dynamics such as a scene where Ben Stiller’s Chas tries to confront his father about taking his kids for some fun. They’re in a closet as Royal is understand why Chas is upset but thinks it’s really about something else as he is convinced that Chas is not over his wife’s death. There’s a great mixture of humor and drama that occurs in the film while Luke Wilson’s Richie Tenenbaum is having a hard time with his feelings towards his adopted sister Margot as he reveals to his father who is surprised by the news.

Released in late December 2001 for a limited release, the film drew excellent reviews as it confirmed Anderson’s status as a unique voice in American cinema. The film would also garner a few detractors who felt annoyed by Anderson’s quirky style and eccentric characters as the film did give Anderson some big accolades. Among them was a Golden Globe prize to Gene Hackman for Best Actor from a Musical/Comedy while Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson received their first Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay.



With three films that were acclaimed by critics and hits on the home video market, it seems like Wes Anderson was going to become some wunderkind that specialty studios can invest in to create films that can be modestly successful in the box office while garnering some critical acclaim. Anderson’s next project would be his most ambitious to date as he delved into the world of an oceanographer whose career is spiraling downward as he tries to go after a shark who ate his friend and deal with the long-lost son he just discovered about. The project would be called The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou with Bill Murray would play the titular character.

The film would have Anderson making some changes in his approach to casting and set pieces as he gained the services of Mark Friedberg for production design along with legendary costume designer Milena Canonero, and animator Henry Selick for some of the creation of the creatures Zissou and his team would uncover. Also helping out is Anderson’s friend Roman Coppola, the son of Francis Ford Coppola, as he would shoot second unit for the duration of the film set entirely on the Italian coastal cities. Inspired by the works of Jacques-Yves Cousteau as well as some of the visual flair of Federico Fellini, Anderson went to Italy for its production including doing some work at the famed Cinecetta studio in Rome.

Another major change in Anderson’s approach to the production would be in the form of a new co-writer as Owen Wilson was unavailable to co-write due to his demanding work as an actor. Helping to write Life Aquatic would be filmmaker Noah Baumbach who was a promising filmmaker in the mid and late 1990s with such films as Kicking and Screaming and Mr. Jealousy. Baumbach’s writing is synonymous with Anderson’s exploration into immaturity and growing up as his involvement would help Anderson change his approach to storytelling. Notably as it explored the life of a documentary filmmaker whose career is in the dumps.

With regulars like Bill Murray, Owen Wilson as Zissou’s long-lost son Ned, Anjelica Huston as Zissou’s wife Eleanor, and Seymour Cassel in a small role as Zissou’s ill-fated friend Esteban. The casting proved to be more diverse than anything Anderson has created as it included Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, a very pregnant Cate Blanchett, Noah Taylor, Brazilian actor/singer Seu Jorge, and cult actor Bud Cort who had been in one of Anderson‘s favorite films in Harold & Maude. Anderson’s desire to create a more international cast while going for a very ambitious approach to the filmmaking by shooting on location on an actual boat proved to very daunting.

With its approach to the film’s soundtrack, Anderson and Mark Mothersbaugh chose a very low-key electronic score that was more in tune with Mothersbaugh’s past work with Devo. The soundtrack would also feature the work of David Bowie from the early 70s as it would performed mostly by Seu Jorge who translated the song into Portugese. These were among the many quirks that Anderson had put into the film but a lot of it felt forced and contrived as it didn’t have the naturalness of his previous films. Probably due to the overwhelming $50 million budget spent on the film and its ambitions, it was a film where Anderson seemed to aim very high but doesn’t quite reach the mark on what he wanted as he would later admit his own frustrations with the film’s production.

Released during the Christmas season of 2004 to high expectations, the film drew very mixed reviews from critics and audiences. While there was a lot of praise towards Bill Murray’s performance as Steve Zissou while Seu Jorge’s The Life Aquatic Sessions, released in late 2005, got excellent reviews. The dismal reaction to the film gained many questions on whether Owen Wilson was the reason for Anderson’s early success as he wasn’t involved in writing The Life Aquatic. Anderson went into hiding after its release as he decided to maintain a low profile due to the film’s commercial failure.



After the tepid reaction to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Anderson took a break from film directing as he produced Noah Baumbach’s 2005 film The Squid & the Whale while doing an American Express commercial that featured Jason Schwartzman. At the same time, Anderson and Baumbach were trying to create an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox in collaboration with animator Henry Selick as the project went into development issues for years that led to Selick’s own departure. Taking a break from work on Fantastic Mr. Fox, Anderson chose to go on a trip to India with friends Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman where the three got an idea for Anderson’s next project entitled The Darjeeling Limited.

Inspired by the films of Satyajit Ray as well as the early films of Merchant-Ivory, Robert Altman, and Jean Renoir’s The River. The Darjeeling Limited was the story of three estranged brothers who embark on a spiritual journey to India as they’re all dealing with the loss of their father while searching for their mother who had disappeared. During the development for the project, Anderson decided to make a prequel to the film in the form of a short with Jason Schwartzman called Hotel Chevalier as it involved Schwartzman’s Jack Whitman character meeting up with an ex-girlfriend in his Paris hotel room.


Hotel Chevalier was an experiment Anderson wanted to do to see if he can create a short film as he shot the film on location in a Paris hotel room with Schwartzman and Natalie Portman for two days. The short ended up helping Anderson creatively as he and Schwartzman continued to work on the script with Roman Coppola as production finally began in late 2006. With Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody filling the roles of the two older brothers along with appearances from associates like Wallace Wolodarsky, Waris Ahluwalia, Kumar Pallana, Bill Murray, and Anjelica Huston as the mother of the three brothers. Anderson aimed to go for a much looser approach to the filmmaking with help from Roman Coppola on second unit.

Shooting on location in India while actually using a train car to create the car where the brothers would travel in. Anderson chose to shoot everything with few takes in the city due to the very busy roads that happen. For the train scenes, the cast and crew lived in the train while they also shot scenes in and out in various locations. The production turned out to be a much better experience than Life Aquatic as the film showcased another sign of maturity in Anderson’s work as well as a sense of restraint in his approach to quirky humor and in its technical style.

The film would be also have Anderson making some changes as Mark Mothersbaugh was unavailable for the score while another change in Anderson’s collaborators came in the form of editor Andrew Weisblum. For the film’s soundtrack, Anderson and music supervisor Randall Poster employed score pieces from the various films of Satyajit Ray and the early Merchant-Ivory films for its soundtrack along with a few cuts from the Kinks’ 1970 album Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One and the Rolling Stones’ Play with Fire. Peter Sarstedt’s Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) would also be a key piece as it was played frequently in the film as well as in Hotel Chevalier.

The film premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival as well as opening the New York Film Festival weeks later in the fall of that year. While the reviews were more positive than Life Aquatic, the film still didn’t win over some of Anderson’s detractors while many claimed the film to be Anderson’s best work. Before the film’s theatrical release, Anderson released Hotel Chevalier to iTunes for free where it proved to be a major Internet hit as it was played with The Darjeeling Limited for its theatrical run where the film became a modest box office hit. The film proved to be a real turning point for Anderson as he gained some confidence following the ambitious Life Aquatic as well as



The success of The Darjeeling Limited gave Anderson the chance to shift his focus back on his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Following a troubled production period which involved Revolution Studios as it folded in 2007. After making a deal with 20th Century Fox whose specialty studio Fox Searchlight released The Darjeeling Limited, Anderson and co-writer Noah Baumbach went back to work on the creating their take on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book.

The story of a fox who steals chickens and other sorts of things from farmers to feed his family only to embark in a feud with them is among one of Dahl’s great stories. Anderson and Baumbach visited the home of Roald Dahl for inspiration to write the script as the two infused their own ideas into the story as it involved themes of existentialism, survival, and family dynamics. Though the project was meant to be involved with animator Henry Selick, Selick left the project due to the ongoing development issues as Anderson chose with Mark Gustafson to make a stop-motion animated film.

The decision to do stop-motion animation came at a time when animated films were now driven by computer-animated movies from Pixar as there was also an emphasis for animated films to become 3D. Anderson decided to press on with his idea for a straightforward, 2D stop-motion animated film as the production went on for two years as his cast was already announced once it began. With contributions from his regular core of actors like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Wallace Wolodarsky, Michael Gambon, and Eric Chase Anderson in supporting roles along with voice appearances from Adrien Brody, Brian Cox, Willem Dafoe, Roman Coppola, Owen Wilson, and Anderson himself. The voice cast would be led by George Clooney as the titular character and Meryl Streep replacing Cate Blanchett in the voice of Mr. Fox’s wife.

Choosing not to have the actors do their voices in studios, Anderson and his crew chose to have the actors do their voices outside of the studio as if they’re playing the actual parts. With this approach, Anderson was able to get an energy and emotion he needed for the voices so that animals can look more lively in their stop-motion animation presentation. The look of the film that featured help from production designer Mark Friedberg and cinematographer Tristan Oliver, who filled in for Robert Yeomen, as Anderson wanted the film to feel real as well as the creatures by utilizing real hair and such.

While Mark Mothersbaugh was initially going to do the score, he left due to the developing issues as French composer Alexandre Desplat filled in for the film’s score where he brought in a mix of orchestral music and folk. Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker also contributed a song to the film while the rest of the soundtrack was filled in by music from the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Bobby Fuller Four, Georges Delerue, and many others. In the approach to the music, Anderson wanted the music to be adventurous, fun, and dramatic as it help drives the characters he created for the film.

The film made its premiere by opening the London Film Festival in October of 2009 to a wonderful reaction. A month later in the U.S., the film was released to great critical acclaim as well as modest box office as the film did OK despite facing competition from more successful franchises like the Twilight films and a sequel to Alvin & the Chipmunks. The film would give Anderson his best reviews since Rushmore while nabbing two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Film and Best Original Score along with a special award from the National Board of Review which Anderson accepted in his role as a weasel.

Moonrise Kingdom


Anderson’s seventh feature film will become another major change of sorts as it will be Anderson’s first period film. Set in 1965 in New England, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two 12-year old kids who fall in love and run away into the wilderness. This would lead to a frantic search from the girl’s parents along with a sheriff and the boy’s camp leader. With a cast that is to include Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman along with Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, and Edward Norton. The film is slated to be a mixture of comedy and drama that is filled with Anderson’s unique style.

Written with Roman Coppola, the film’s trailer emphasize a look and feel that is reminiscent of the French New Wave along with music pieces to confirm that feel. With Alexandre Desplat providing the score, it’s likely that the film’s music will be another mix of things along with another possible appearance from the Rolling Stones. Whatever the outcome will be for this film, it’s already clear from the film’s trailer that it’s going to be another film from Wes Anderson as he often delivers.

The Commercials


Anderson’s work in commercials show that even in an ad to sell something, he can do it in his own way. For him, the commercials show that there’s more to an ad than selling something. One of those commercials he created was for American Express as it featured Anderson making a film that featured Jason Schwartzman and Waris Ahluwalia. It’s a very fun commercial as it indicates how involved Anderson is in every part of the production.


Anderson also took part in a series of commercials for AT&T’s Your Seamless World campaign. These commercials featured different themes as it included an appearance from actor Larry Pine, who had played a talk show host in The Royal Tenenbaums, as it would have someone talking while continuously moving from one set to another in one singular take.



Another series of commercial that featured Larry Pine involved the IKEA furniture product where people test out the room and furniture to see if they’ll buy it. It’s all done in a quirky style that Anderson is famously known for.



Another commercial that is rarely seen in the U.S. is one that Anderson made for a Japanese cell phone company that featured Brad Pitt. The commercial, which is an homage to Jacque Tati’s Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday has Pitt playing the Hulot character as it’s shot in one continuous take. It’s definitely one of the most entertaining and creative commercials ever made.


The final big ad Anderson made back in 1999 are a series of promos for the 1999 MTV Movie Awards that featured the young cast of Rushmore acting a few of the nominees for Best Film that year as it includes Out of Sight, Armageddon, and The Truman Show. These performances are true to the spirit of Rushmore as well as bringing a quirky element to the other films.


With another possible project in a remake of Patrice Leconte’s My Best Friend for producer Brian Grazer entitled The Rosenthaler Suite in development. Wes Anderson is already riding high through a wave of critical support and a devoted fan base that is willing to anticipate what he does next. With Moonrise Kingdom ready to come out in 2012, excitement is definitely in the air as many wonder what will Anderson say next in his seventh feature film. Whatever the outcome will be, Anderson has already cultivated a library of films many filmmakers would love to have. Whether it’s about a bunch of wannabe criminals, a dysfunctional family, a trio of estranged brothers on a spiritual journey, an oceanographer seeking revenge, or a teenager wanting to win the heart of a teacher. Only an artist like Wes Anderson could create these characters and make people love them.


© thevoid99 2012