Spring has arrived once again and well; things are pretty fucked up here in America. Yeah. We are in some bad times as everything is now costing more these days. Eggs. Canned food. Imported food and material. Yeah, thanks a lot Elon and Dookie Tank you fucking cunts. I recently joined Reddit as I have created my own account just to check out conversations and news as X is not a place to go to anymore. I have found a lot of interesting things including how the rest of the world sees the U.S. as there was a Swedish newsclip that had a picture of Russian president Vladimir Putin mentioned as the U.S. president. Honestly, they are not wrong. That is right Americans, we are now Russians so we will now have to sing their anthem. Putin is our real president with Elon as the vice president. Dookie Tank as our puppet-in-chief and J.D. Vance is the Bottom Bitch of that bunch.
News reports about people getting taken and deported as there has also been people at the University of Columbia in New York getting arrested with one person having been detained where no one knows where he is. The idea of forced disappearances now feels like a reality as it is now dangerous to live in the U.S. It is amazing that this country is supposed to be the representative of the free world where immigrants can be welcomed and be given the opportunity to prove themselves. That dream has already fucking died. I do not blame the rest of the world for looking down on us and I do not blame Canada and Mexico for putting tariffs on this country since Dookie Tank put tariffs on them first. After all, we did this to ourselves, and we have no one to blame but ourselves for believing in a bullshit system that allows ass-clowns like Dookie Tank to take power with politicians complaining about drag queens.
In the month of March 2025, I saw a total of 15 films 10 first-timers and 5 re-watches with 4 of those first-timers being films directed/co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Down from last month as I just spend time not doing anything while I still have writer’s block for my Auteurs piece on David Lean. The big highlight of the month and the best film of the month easily is my Blind Spot pick in The Sting. Here are the top 9 first-timers that I saw for March 2025:
One of the 2 short films that I saw on MUBI as the first is from Pawel Pawlikowski as it is a five-minute black-and-white silent film short with sound effects as it plays into the dynamic between a piano player and his muse. It is a comical short that explores that dynamic as it stars Malgoratza Bela and Marcin Masecki as the latter also does the music in the film. It is a fun and entrancing short that Pawlikowski makes with an ending that is shocking yet inventive.
Rotten: Behind the Foodfight
Ever wondered what it is like to participate in making one of the worst animated films ever made for the span of 15 years of production? Well, there is this documentary I found on YouTube about the making of the 2012 animated debacle that is Foodfight! Starring Charlie Sheen, Eva Longoria, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady, and Christopher Lloyd among others as it is widely considered one of the worst films ever made. The 54-minute documentary film by Ziggy Cashmere is an exploration of the chaos that went into production that include its director falling for one his animated creations, poor working conditions, theft, and a director’s ego as he tried to schmooze many studios into funding this film that cost ranging from $45 million to $65 million with a final gross of $120,000 where it was released to a few countries including Britain.
Someday
Directed by Spike Jonze and starring Pedro Pascal, this five-minute commercial/short has Pascal dealing with a break-up as he listens to music on his new Apple AirPods 4. It is a five-minute short that plays into a man’s emotions as he deals with heartbreak in the cold weather, but things will be fine as he might get someone new. It is a short filled with unique dance choreography as it displays the many talents that Pascal has dancing and moving around in different color schemes. Jonze creates something that is so fun to watch although who the fuck would break-up with Pedro Pascal?
Leguas
Lucrecia Martel’s 12-minute short that she made in 2015 has her exploring her themes of people living outside of conventional society as it revolves around kids from an Indigenous community in Argentina. Especially as it relates to them dealing with people from conventional society trying to take over their land as it plays into the importance of education. Even as it plays into this post-colonial world where Indigenous communities are shrinking with kids from that community dealing with the lack of a future.
Autobiografia di una Borsetta
The second short that I saw on MUBI is the 29th entry in Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales short films series and easily one of the best entries from that series from director Joanna Hogg. This 24-minute short film is told from the perspective of a Miu Miu handbag as it is purchased by a rich family for their teenage daughter. Then, a series of events happen where the bag would be in possession of one owner and then another throughout the film as it is set in Italy where a lot of things happen. A lot of it is said from that bag’s perspective as it is an unconventional short but one that shows the richness of a handbag that has a lot of personality.
Dark Side of the Ring(season 6, episode 1)
The newest season of the wrestling series on Vice opens with a story that every wrestling fan knows about, which is the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view event from WWE that featured the now-legendary match between the Undertaker and Mick Foley as Mankind in the Hell in the Cell cage match. The match is known for Undertaker throwing Foley off the top of the cage and Foley landing on the Spanish announce table and later being choke-slammed on top of the cage only for that top to break and Foley landing on the ring. The episode is more about Foley’s desire to do something memorable and at the cost of his own health as it features interviews with his wife Collette and a few of their kids including Noelle as the episode featured the infamous clip from Beyond the Mat in which Collette, Noelle, and one of Foley’s other kids watching the Rock hitting Foley with chair shots to the head. While Foley is still in good health having retired from wrestling, the effects of the physical abuse he took in wrestling still looms as his family worry about his mental state as he is getting older. It is an excellent episode though some of the things I learned about the cage including the fact that zip ties were used to hold some of the stuff on top of the cage is scary.
Well, that is all for March. Next month, the theatrical release I will watch will be Ryan Coogler’s Sinners though my Auteurs piece on him will have to wait longer as I want to finish my piece on Lean despite my writer’s block as I prefer to do an essay one at a time. The Blind Spot for next month is going to be Love Streams by John Cassavetes as I had a review prepared for it, but I went with The Sting since it was on Netflix and was about to leave the service. There will be other films I hope to catch up on though it is now more likely that I will not be posting a lot of reviews that I used to years ago.
Before I bid adieu, I want to express my condolences on those who passed away this month in such figures as Richard Chamberlain, George Foreman, Richard Norton, music engineer Terry Manning, Dodgers organist Nancy Bea Hefley, Denis Arndt, New York Times journalist Max Frankel, Bill Mercer, BBC Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles, music video director Marty Callner, Emelie Dequenne, Jesse Colin Young of the Youngbloods, Wing Hauser, Jim Breazeale of the Atlanta Braves/Chicago White Sox, Bruce Glover, the original Emperor Palpatine in Clive Revill, film producer Stanley R. Jaffe, D’Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone`!, Roy Ayers, George Lowe aka Space Ghost, Angie Stone, and Joey Molland of Badfinger. We will miss you. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Written and directed by Mati Diop, Dahomey is a documentary film about 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are held in a museum in France as a portion of these 7000 treasures are returned to Benin. The film is a study of colonialism as well as the artifacts that are collected as they are told from the perspective of the artifacts voiced by Makenzy Orcel. The result is a tremendously riveting film by Mati Diop.
In 1892 during a colonial conflict between France and the Kingdom of Dahomey, 7000 artifacts were taken from the French as they would be put in museums with the Musee du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac being the most notable of these museums to display these artifacts. For over a century, these artifacts would be in display in these museums until November of 2021 when 26 of these artifacts from the Kingdom of Dahomey would be returned to the country of Benin in an act of reparation. Mati Diop creates a film about the return of 26 of these artifacts though the remaining artifacts that the French took during a period of colonialism have set to be returned as many believed this act is the first step of France atoning for their sins. Shot from November of 2021 to February of 2022, Diop explores the 26 artifacts that include statues of Dahomey’s two kings in Glele and Behanzin.
With Makenzy Orcel being the voice of these two statues and other artifacts, Diop chooses to film things from the perspective of these statues as they deal with returning home but also the world around them. Even as they return to a world that has changed some things have not changed as if there is an air of familiarity around them. Upon their arrival at Benin where newspapers are calling this event historical as there is a national sense of pride for the country. Not everyone is happy about this return as students at University of Abomey-Calvai debate about the return of the artifacts. Some believe this is a positive first step of France atoning for their actions as well as the chance for more artifacts to come. Even as a filmmaker believes that the return of these treasures could do more for the people of Benin as they would speak their native language of Fon instead of French. Others feel this is a political stunt for the leaders of Benin and France while wondering why more artifacts have not been returned and only 26 so far.
Diop also displays the location where the artifacts are held and shown to the public at the museum at Abomey where they are first shown to dignitaries and political officials first and later the public at large. Yet, students at the university feel like it would not be enough for those who live in villages and might not have the funding to see these artifacts. Diop’s direction does use a lot of surveillance footage in the museums in France and Benin while also placing cameras inside these crate boxes where the artifacts are put upon traveling. With the aid of cinematographer Josephine Drouin-Viallard, Diop captures the city of Abomey as well as its museum just as it was being restored. She also captures areas in the city on the day and at night as there is an entrancing quality to what she and Drouin-Viallard capture as the people continue with their daily lives but there is also this sense of hope that is happening now that these artifacts have returned to their homeland.
With the help of editor Gabriel Gonzalez, Diop also maintains a steady pace to the film with its 68-minute running time as well as aiming for cuts that are straightforward with a few montages in some parts of the film as she also knows when to keep the camera steady. Sound designer Nicolas Becker also helps with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of a museum or a room when it is silent as well as the sounds of a city from the outside of the museum. The film’s music by Wally Badarou and Dean Blunt is incredible for its hypnotic electronic music score with elements of synthesizers and ambient textures along with a music piece by Actress that has elements of African tribal chants as it plays into this sense of calm but also loss considering how long these artifacts have been away from their homeland.
Dahomey is a spectacular film by Mati Diop. It is a documentary film that explores a key event in Benin’s history as it reclaims a lost part of its identity and heritage while also exploring the many fallacies of colonialism. Notably as it is a film that has people not only deal with the ruins of colonialism but also wonder if they can move on despite the troubled history that led to the death of the Kingdom of Dahomey. In the end, Dahomey is a magnificent film by Mati Diop.
Directed by George Roy Hill and written by David S. Ward, The Sting is the story of two con artists who team up to get revenge in pulling off the ultimate con by stealing money from a rich mobster. Inspired by the real-life exploits of Fred and Charley Gondorff and a book about their exploits in The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man by David Maurer. The film is caper film set in the 1930s in which two different men team up to swindle money from a man who had wronged a mutual friend. Starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and Robert Shaw. The Sting is a witty and exhilarating film by George Roy Hill.
Set in 1936 Chicago during the final years of the Great Depression, the film is about a grifter who steals money from a courier with his partner only for his partner to be killed as the money belonged to a rich mobster forcing the grifter to team up with a veteran con artist in creating the ultimate con against this mobster. It is a film that is a bit of a revenge film but a caper film in which two men decide to go after a man who killed an acquaintance of theirs as well as using criminal activities to gain influence in corrupting those in politics and in the law enforcement. David S. Ward’s screenplay has a unique approach to structure as it plays into the journey that both the young grifter in Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and the veteran con man Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) take in pulling the ultimate con on the Irish-American mob boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw).
Ward’s script plays into Hooker’s motivations as he and his partner in Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) had stolen money from a courier with help from their friend Joe Erie (Jack Kehoe) as it turned out the man was carrying $11,000 that was to be delivered to Lonnegan. Coleman planned to retire with his cut of the money only to be killed forcing Hooker to go to a friend of Coleman in Gondorff who is reluctant to go into the con game due to his own experiences and failures but becomes convinced as he assembles a team to go after Lonnegan. Ward also plays into Hooker being pursued by a corrupt detective in Lt. William Snyder (Charles Durning) as well as people working for Lonnegan even though Lonnegan does not know that Hooker is the one who stole from him. The script is also filled with twists and turns with several of Gondorff’s friends playing different roles in the con including Erie who joins in the con.
George Roy Hill’s direction is rapturous in terms of its overall presentation displaying a period during the waning years of the Great Depression. Shot on location at the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood along with additional location shots in Wheeling, West Virgina, the Santa Monica pier carousel that stands as Gondorff’s home, and Chicago. Hill maintains a feel of the times in the usage of wide and medium shots to play into the energy as well as the sense of despair that was happening at the time. Even as Hill gives the film a look that does play into that period with its muted colors while he also uses wide and medium shots to get a scope of what it was like in Chicago as well as in the interiors such as a club that Gondorff and his team create to fool Lonnegan. Hill also maintains an intimacy in his close-ups as well as scenes where a poker game happens including a scene on a train where Gondorff acts as a boorish crime boss to play against Lonnegan while also aware that Lonnegan is a cheat. Hill’s direction highlights the detail into how Gondorff would beat Lonnegan in his own game with Hooker playing a role in this con.
Hill also plays into this sense of intrigue that occurs on whether everyone is playing each other in the con with Hooker wondering about its outcome as the FBI gets involved. The presence of the FBI does add more suspense and intrigue with Lonnegan also trying to figure out what to do and who to trust leading to this climax that is all about his own ego and thirst for power. The climax is also about Gondorff and Hooker both trying to understand what they want to do as individuals but also as partners where the stakes are big in terms of the money, they want to swindle from Lonnegan. Overall, Hill crafts a whimsical and riveting film about two men who decide to create the ultimate con against an Irish-American mobster who craves money and power.
Cinematographer Robert Surtees does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its muted colors for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as the usage of stylish lights for some of the scenes at night. Editor William Reynolds does excellent work with the editing for its usage of transition wipes, montages, and other stylish cuts to play into the humor and its offbeat energy. Art director Henry Bumstead, along with set decorators James W. Payne and Emile Kuri, does amazing work with the look of the sets from the building that Gondorff buys to create a fake gambling house as well as the places the characters go to. Costume designer Edith Head does fantastic work with the look of the suits the men wear in the film as well as the clothes the women wore as well as the design of the hats in those times.
The sound work of Ronald Pierce and Robert R. Bertrand is terrific for its approach to sound as it is presented on location as well as the way sound is presented from a radio during the horse races and in the effects used in some scenes in the film. The film’s music by Scott Joplin, which is adapted by Marvin Hamlisch, is incredible for its playful approach to ragtime piano music. Notably as Hamlisch brings in that sense of energy and melodic elements to the music, including his take on some standards of those times as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by William Batliner and Robert J. LaSanka is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Sally Kirkland as a showgirl that Hooker goes out with early in the film, Ken Samson as a Western Union executive, Paulene Myers as Luther’s wife Alva, Joe Tornatore as a mysterious gunman, Lee Paul as a bodyguard of Lonnegan, James J. Sloyan as Lonnegan’s right-hand man Mottola, Dimitra Arliss as a diner waitress Hooker befriends in Loretta, Jack Kehoe as Hooker’s friend Erie Kid who joins Hooker and Gondorff in the con, and Dana Elcar as a FBI agent pursuing Gondorff. Other notable small roles as members of Gondorff and Hooker’s team include John Heffernan as Eddie Niles who pretends to be a casino cashier, Harold Gould as the veteran conman Kid Twist who would fool Lonnegan as a financier working with Hooker, and Ray Walston as J.J. Singleton who would get the racing results and help make the announcements.
Robert Earl Jones is superb as Luther Coleman as Hooker’s partner/mentor who has decided to retire only to get himself in trouble with Lonnegan and his business. Eileen Brennan is excellent as Billie as a brothel madam whom Gondorff is in a relationship with as she helps Gondorff and Hooker in the con as she also finds way to be involved and outsmart Lonnegan. Charles Durning is brilliant as Lt. William Snyder as a corrupt detective who is pursuing Hooker over some counterfeit money unaware that Hooker stole from Lonnegan as he is also a bully to others as he shares Lonnegan’s views on maintaining power. Robert Shaw is phenomenal as Doyle Lonnegan as an Irish-American mob boss that is eager to become legitimate through his connections as he becomes upset that someone stole money from him as well as endure some humility that he is unable to deal with.
Finally, there is the duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in spectacular performances in their respective roles like Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker. Newman’s performance has this air of charm and humor as a man who has been through the con game for years yet is inspired to do this to humiliate Lonnegan who he sees as a threat where Newman also brings a lot of laughs during a poker game where he acts like a buffoon. Redford’s performance as Hooker is the more serious of the two as someone that wants to avenge Luther’s death as well as learning more about the con game where he also learns about the tricks of the trade. Newman and Redford together has this rapport where they know how to play off one another, where they know what the other person thinks as well as the sense of trust that they have in one another as they are major highlights of the film.
The Sting is an outstanding film by George Roy Hill that features the tremendous leading performances of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, lively visuals, David S. Ward’s inventive screenplay, and a fun music soundtrack by Marvin Hamlisch. It is a caper film that is full of energy, wit, and suspense while also being this study of two men trying to outwit a powerful criminal and show him some humility. In the end, The Sting is a magnificent film by George Roy Hill.
George Roy Hill Films: (A Night to Remember) – (Period of Adjustment) – (Toys in the Attic) – (The World of Henry Orient) – (Hawaii (1966 film)) – (Thoroughly Modern Millie) – Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid - (Slaughterhouse-Five) – (The Great Waldo Pepper) – (Slap Shot) – (A Little Romance) – (The World According to Garp) – (The Little Drummer Girl) – (Funny Farm)
Written, directed, edited, and sound work by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou, Take Out is the story of an undocumented Chinese immigrant being a deliveryman for a Chinese take-out shop in New York City. The film is an exploration of the post-9/11 New York City in which a Chinese immigrant deals with working day-to-day as he also copes with owing money to smugglers who brought him to America. Starring Charles Jang, Jeng-Hua Yu, Wang-Thye Lee, Justin Wan, and Jeff Huang. Take Out is an enriching and somber film by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou.
Set in the span of an entire cold and rainy day in New York City, the film revolves around an undocumented Chinese immigrant who is given one day to clear his debt with smugglers, or his debt will be doubled with little chance to see his family coming to America. It is a film with simple premises as well as a loose script that explores a day in the life of Ming Ding (Charles Jang) who is in New York City hoping to get his wife and their child to America as he sends money to them but also owes money to the smugglers who brought him here. The film starts with two smugglers trying to find Ding as they want the money, he owes them as he gives them what he has but is given a day to collect the remaining $800 he owes or else he faces dire consequences. Working at this Chinese restaurant own and run by a woman in Big Sister (Wang-Thye Lee) with two cooks in Wei (Justin Wan) and Ma (Jeff Huang) and another deliveryman in Young (Jeng-Hua Yu) who spends much of his time at the restaurant does a few deliveries. During the day, Ding deals with all sorts of customers as some treat him well while others treat him terribly while the restaurant do what they can make orders and such.
The film’s direction by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou is entrancing in its hand-held style as it is made with a $3000 budget with digital video cameras in a style that is like cinema verité. Shot on location in New York City, Baker and Tsou maintain this air of realism with Baker serving as the film’s cinematographer with he and Tsou also recording all the sound on location with sound editors Eric Marks and Rob Marshall providing all the design to capture the overlapping sounds at the restaurant. The restaurant itself is a character in the film as it is a real place as Baker and Tsou capture what happens when the restaurant opens and what everyone at the place does before closing time. The usage of hand-held cameras allow Baker and Tsou to use close-ups and medium shots to capture the sense of claustrophobia in the restaurant in the space that the kitchen has and what Big Sister must do to get all the orders. There are some wide shots as it relates to Ding riding on his bicycle to deliver food on a cold and horribly rainy day.
Also serving as the editors of the film with the only other crew member in the film is Eva Huang doing makeup on the bruise of Ding’s back due to an altercation he would have with the smugglers. Baker and Tsou’s editing is filled with a few montages and jump-cuts to play into the sense of urgency that Ding must do riding his bicycle in the city. Baker and Tsou would also maintain that element of realism as it play into Ding’s struggle with tension often escalating between him and his co-workers where one of the cooks got a glimpse of the bruise on his back. When the film reaches its third act, set at night with rain still pouring and everything winding down. There is a sense of calm but also something unexpected as it adds to the realism that Ding must go through on a day that has been overwhelming and tiring. Overall, Baker and Tsou craft a riveting and intoxicating film about an undocumented Chinese immigrant’s hard day doing food deliveries all over a rainy day in New York City.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast mainly features non-actors and real people that include Shih-Yuh Tsou and Joe Chien as the smugglers Ding owe money to, Amy Danielson as a bitchy customer from the West End, and Karren Karragulian as a customer who is upset that he got chicken instead of beef that he ordered. Jeff Huang and Justin Wan are excellent in their respective roles as the cook Ma and Wei as the two men who work tirelessly to cook the food that the people ordered as they also talk about their own situations in coming to America with the latter being sympathetic over Ding’s situation though he does not say anything.
Jeng-Hua Yu is fantastic as the slacker Young as a deliveryman who does a few deliveries as he brings a lot of humor to play into the mundane elements of the day while also helping Ding with his situation. Wang-Thye Lee is amazing as Big Sister as the restaurant manager/cashier who takes the food orders while also chatting with customers in a playful manner. Finally, there’s Charles Jang in an incredible performance as Ming Ding as an undocumented Chinese immigrant who owes money to smugglers where he does not say much as he does his work while dealing with his own issues as it is a heart wrenching yet intoxicating performance of a man dealing with a lot in his life including missing his wife and newborn baby that he has not met.
Take Out is a tremendous film by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gritty cinematography, a minimalist presentation, and its somber look into the life of an undocumented immigrant working as a deliveryman. It is a film that does not shy away from the struggles that people go through in post-9/11 New York City as well as what an immigrant does to stay in America despite all the shit he has to go through. In the end, Take Out is a sensational film by Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou.
Based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, Mickey 17 is the story of a man who gets a job working for a mysterious corporation where he finds himself dying on the job several times in the hopes of saving mankind. Written and directed for the screen by Bong Joon-Ho, the film is a dystopian comedy that explores a man who finds himself being cloned several times to do odd jobs while dying multiple times in the process. Starring Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Anamaria Vartolomei, Cameron Britton, Holliday Grainger, Patsy Ferran, Daniel Henshall, Stephen Park, and Mark Ruffalo. Mickey 17 is a whimsical and exhilarating film by Bong Joon-ho.
Set in a futuristic world in the span of nearly 5 years, the film is about a man who joins a space expedition towards a snowy planet that is to be colonized as he signs for a job that would kill him multiple times where his 17th variation makes a discovery about the planet they are colonizing. It is a film that does not play into a certain genre as it blends all sorts of genres from science fiction, satire, suspense, drama, and action as it explores a man who takes a job to escape from loan sharks as the ship is ruled by a politician who plans to rule the colony as he would also bring in a cloning device on his ship although the cloning device is deemed illegal on Earth. Bong Joon-Ho’s screenplay has a lot of layers in its narrative as it is largely told from the perspective of its titular character (Robert Pattinson) as he is a man that has endured a lot of bad luck from the death of his mother as a child as he blames himself for what happened and the trouble his childhood friend Timo (Steven Yeun) has put him in through involving loan sharks.
In taking on the job as an expendable, Mickey would endure a series of odd jobs in which he would be killed or become a lab rat for diseases and such as he would be cloned through a printing machine of sorts though it is a method that is illegal on Earth. The expedition is run by the politician Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) and his wife Ylfa (Toni Collette) in the hopes that he can bring hope to humanity on a new planet although he is revealed to be an idiotic narcissist while Ylfa is the smarter of the two but is also arrogant and obsessed with bad gourmet cooking. Mickey would find friends during his journey including a girlfriend in the security officer Nasha (Naomi Ackie) but becomes annoyed with people asking him what it is like to die. Even as they land on the planet where Mickey makes a discovery about its inhabitants after getting injured on the job and left for dead by Timo. Upon his return, Mickey, in his 17th variation, learns about something else that is happening that is considered forbidden as it explains why Earth is not fond of the idea of cloning. All of this leads to revelations about what Marshall wants to do and the trouble he is creating on the planet he wants to colonize.
Bong’s direction is grand in not just its unique setting and blend of genres but also in its approach to satire. Shot at the Leavesden Studio in Britain, Bong’s creates a world that is chaotic where much of the action takes place inside a spaceship. The usage of close-ups and medium shots in these cramped and claustrophobic rooms that Mickey, Nasha, and others live in do play into this idea of class as the Marshalls live in a spacious and lavish room with the finest food and decors that represents this disconnect that the Marshalls have with everyone else in the ship. Bong also uses wide shots to get a look into the Marshalls’ room as well as the dining hall and scenes on the snowy planet known as Niflheim as it is a key element in the film’s second half as well as the first scene of the film where Mickey 17 is left on a ravine injured where Timo leaves him for dead. It is also the moment where Mickey would discover the original inhabitants of these creatures that look like bugs but something different in their interiors as they were designed by Bong and creature designer Jang Hee-chul.
Bong’s direction also play into this sense of absurdity in the many ways Mickey would die as well as the atmosphere of the spaceship as it has an offbeat presentation of how bureaucracy works as there are also odd things that happen in the film. Even as there is a guy in a pigeon suit (Tim Key) who would come in to be a reporter as a mascot for Marshall. The film does take a serious tone in its third function as it relates to the inhabitants of Niflheim and what Marshall wants to do although Mickey is in a far more complicated situation as it relates to why Earth banned cloning and re-printing humans. Even as he becomes a bigger liability where it leads to Marshall waging war with the inhabitants of Niflheim although they have no issues with humanity. Still, Bong plays into the many fallacies of politics as well as what happened when people put their faith in someone who is an imbecile forcing a regular person to do what he can to save humanity from themselves. Overall, Bong crafts a witty and riveting film about a man who dies constantly on the job during a four-year expedition to colonize a planet for an imbecilic politician.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting for the interior scenes inside the spaceship with low-key lighting for the rooms that Mickey and others live in to the artificial look of the Marshalls’ suite. Editor Yang Jin-mo does excellent work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into the action and suspense along with some stylish cuts for some of the humor. Production designer Fiona Crombie, with set decorator Alice Felton plus supervising art director Jason Knox-Johnston and senior art director Darren Tubby, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of the spaceship including the rooms, dining hall, lab, and garage as well as the caves at Niflheim. Costume designer Catherine George does fantastic work with the costumes from the ordinary jumpsuits many of the people at the spaceship wear to the posher clothing that the Marshalls wear.
Hair & makeup artist Anita Burger does terrific work with some of the makeup that Kenneth Marshall has in his TV appearances including a somewhat-heightened tan on his face. Visual effects supervisors Dan Glass, Arudra Jaykar, and Kelvin McIlwain do incredible work in the look of the planet and the exterior of the spaceship as well as the movement of the body parts from the creatures at Niflheim. Sound designer Eilam Hoffman and sound editor Choi Tae-young do superb work with the sound in the way the creatures sound as well as layers of sound effects for scenes inside the ship as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Jung Jae-il is great in its piano orchestra presentation with elements of bouncy percussions and string arrangements that play into the film’s offbeat tone while its music soundtrack features pieces from Nino Rota, Elliot Smith, Georg Friedrich Handel, and a hilarious original from Jung and Sharon Sung Jae Choi that the Marshalls sing that is full-on camp.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Milo James as a young Mickey, Ian Hanmore as a loan shark Timo and Mickey owes money to, Ellen Robertson as Kai’s girlfriend Jennifer, Tim Key as the man in a pigeon suit, Thomas Turgoose as a security officer who likes to carry a bazooka, Angus Irmie as a security officer known as Shrimp Eyes, Stephen Park as the head security officer Zeke who becomes concerned with what the Marshalls are doing and other activities involving drugs, Holliday Grainger as a Marshall representative whom Mickey meets early in the film about becoming an expendable, Cameron Britton as the science team leader Arkady who is a stooge for Marshall, Patsy Ferran as the scientist Dorothy who cares about Mickey’s well-being, Anna Mouglalis as the voice of the head creeper creature from Niflheim, and Edward Davis as a political figure who was part of the reprinting program who went too far in his studies as he is seen in a flashback.
Daniel Henshall is terrific as Marshall’s personal assistant Preston as this smarmy man who is willing to goad his boss into anything and film it to boost his boss’s ego. Anamaria Vartolomei is fantastic as the security officer Kai Katz as a woman who is one of Mickey’s friends as she would cope with events that shaped her while also making a discovery that makes her uneasy. Steven Yeun is excellent as Timo as a childhood friend of Mickey who would constantly put him in trouble as he would get a job as a pilot for the ship where he constantly finds a way to advance his position as well as taking part in illegal activities involving drugs. Naomi Ackie is brilliant as Nasha as a security agent who becomes Mickey’s girlfriend as she deals with his own issues while also becoming aware of Marshall’s idiocy where there is a great moment where she calls him out in front of his face into how stupid he is.
Toni Collette is incredible as Ylfa Marshall as Kenneth’s wife who is this woman that wants to create gourmet cooking that she can make money of as well as crave power where Collette has an element of camp that adds to her performance as she is monstrously hilarious. Mark Ruffalo is amazing as Kenneth Marshall, as this political figure who wants to colonize a planet in the belief that he will save humanity except for the fact that he is a narcissistic imbecile who craves attention while Ruffalo speaks in a way that is over-the-top as it adds a level of hilarity to his performance. Finally, there’s Robert Pattinson in a tremendous performance as Mickey Barnes and the many variations he would take including Mickey 17 as this ordinary man who takes the job where he makes himself expendable where he would be cloned and re-printed as a lab rat while doing odd jobs that are considered deadly. Pattinson’s performance is also full of joy in how shy he is as he speaks in an odd way while he would speak more menacingly as another variant as it is one of Pattinson’s finest performances of his career.
Mickey 17 is a spectacular film by Bong Joon-ho that features a phenomenal leading performance from Robert Pattinson. Along with its ensemble cast, grimy visuals, its satirical approach to social standings and political idealism, and a fun music score. The film is an engaging and witty genre-bending film that explores a man who dies constantly for someone’s own idea of power only to become a rebel and realize that man’s ignorance and stupidity over everything. In the end, Mickey 17 is a sensational film by Bong Joon-ho.
Written, directed, and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain is the story of two mismatched Jewish-American cousins who travel to Poland to honor their late grandmother. The film is a buddy-road movie in which two cousins travel to Poland as they both deal with their differences as well as their own issues in a trip to pay tribute to their late grandmother. Also starring Keiran Culkin, Jennifer Grey, Will Sharpe, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Ellora Torchia and Daniel Oreskes. A Real Pain is a heartfelt and witty film by Jesse Eisenberg.
The film follows two Jewish-American cousins who both travel to Poland to honor their late grandmother as they take part in a heritage group tour through the country to connect with their late grandmother and their roots. Along the way, they deal with their growing differences as well as deal with their grandmother’s past and the current state of their lives. Jesse Eisenberg’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative as it is a character study of sorts in the two protagonists, he creates in the strait-laced family man David Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg) and the free-spirited Benji Kaplan (Keiran Culkin). Using the money they inherited from their grandmother, they travel from New York City to Poland where they part of this group tour that include the retiree couple from Shaker Heights, Ohio in Mark and Diane (Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadosky, respectively), the recently-divorced Marcia (Jennifer Grey), a Rwandan genocide survivor in Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan) who converted to Judaism, and their British tour guide in James (Will Sharpe).
Eisenberg’s script brings a lot of depth to the people that David and Benji are with, as Mark and Diane are interested in learning about the former’s family roots while Marcia is also trying to find herself having gone through some recent events in her life. Eloge’s interest in Poland has more to do with his own interest in Judaism as well as wanting to learn the similarities of what he went through and the Jewish community during the Holocaust. During this trip, David and Benji deal with one another as the latter often speaks out over certain things while hiding things about himself that David would later share with the group. The two also leave the group early to see their grandmother’s home in Krasnystaw to honor her with Benji wanting to go there due to the close relationship he had with her.
Eisenberg’s direction is straightforward in terms of its compositions as it is shot on locations in Poland as well as some locations in New York City including JFK International Airport. Notably as he aims for intimate compositions in his presentations for scenes in the airplanes, trains, and buses as well as scenes in hotel rooms and restaurants through close-ups and medium shots. Eisenberg also uses wide shots for some of the locations including shots in various landmarks in cities and towns of Poland include Warsaw, Lublin, and Krasnystaw. Even as Eisenberg would create scenes such as Benji and the tourists reenacting the Warsaw Uprising with its monument behind them as it highlights Benji’s willingness to keep things lively to make the tour a bit more fun for everyone. It is among these lively moments that Eisenberg put into the film though the tour is an exploration of one of the most horrific events of the 20th century. Eisenberg also play into the differences between David and Benji with the former often sending phone messages to his wife back in New York City whenever he is alone while Benji would wander in a hotel where he and David would go on a roof to smoke some marijuana that Benji smuggled.
Eisenberg also plays into the darker elements of the trip as it relates to certain places that James takes the group to including a gravesite where Benji becomes annoyed by James being factual and to be aware that these are real people. It is among some of the somber moments in the film, including a dinner where David reveals to the group about Benji who went to the bathroom. One of the film’s most stark moments involves the group visiting the Mjdanek concentration/extermination camp as Eisenberg keep things simple and at a distance. Even in some of the buildings as it is among the stunning and discomforting moments in the film. Eisenberg still maintains a balance of comedy and tragedy as it plays into David and Benji’s trip to Krasnystaw to find their late grandmother’s home as well as the idea of what is next for them. Overall, Eisenberg crafts a touching and comical film about two mismatched Jewish-American cousins traveling to Poland to honor their late grandmother.
Cinematographer Michal Dymek does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in capturing the naturalistic look of the locations in Poland in the daytime as well as some of the usage of light for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Robert Nassau does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts to play into the some of the comical moments as well as giving the film some offbeat moments in the drama. Production designer Mela Melak does excellent work with the look of David’s home in New York City in its interiors as well as the look of some of the hotel rooms that they stay in. Costume designer Malgorzata Fudala does nice work with the costumes as it is casual that all the characters wear including a baseball cap that David wears and the loose clothing that Benji wears.
Visual effects supervisor Yuval Levy does terrific work with the visual effects as it set-dressing in some of the locations including bits in New York City and the videos that David has on his phone. Sound editor Tim Korn does superb work with the sound in the way a location sounds as well as in some of the sparse moments in the film. Music supervisor Erick Eiser does wonderful work in compiling the music as it features piano pieces by Frederic Chopin that is performed by Tzvi Erez as it adds a somber mood to the film.
The casting by Jessica Kelly is marvelous as it feature a couple of small roles from Ellora Torchia as David’s wife Priya and Jakub Pruski as their son Abe. Daniel Oreskes and Liza Sadovy are superb in their respective roles as the retired couple Mark and Diane as they travel to Poland for the former to learn about his ancestor’s homeland as they both make some witty comments about themselves and their trip. Kurt Egyiawan is fantastic as Eloge as a Rwandan genocide survivor who converted to Judaism as he is someone fascinated by the religion which plays into his own conversion as well as wanting to understand the similarities of how he and those from the Holocaust endured. Will Sharpe is brilliant as the British tour guide James who is full of facts and such though, he is taken aback by Benji’s criticism for not being emotionally connected into the landmarks and such.
Jennifer Grey is amazing as Marcia as California divorcee who just moved back to New York as she travels to Poland to find herself as well as her own roots as she is also going through her own emotional issues in relation to her life. Jesse Eisenberg is incredible as David Kaplan as the straitlaced cousin with a wife and child who is anxious and wanting to be things on schedule where he also deals with his cousin’s behavior as well as things that he is upset about towards him. Finally, there’s Kieran Culkin in a phenomenal performance as Benji Kaplan as a free-spirited slacker who has no filter in what he says while is also someone with some issues. Eisenberg and Culkin together are a joy to watch as they bring a lot of chemistry as these two mismatched cousins who deal with each other as well as why they are not as close as they used to be.
A Real Pain is a sensational film by Jesse Eisenberg that features great performances from Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin. Along with its ensemble cast, usage of Frederic Chopin’s piano pieces, gorgeous imagery, and study of two men going on a journey to honor their grandmother. The film is a funny as well as heartfelt story about two cousins who try to reconnect despite their differences by going to Poland to learn about themselves and their late grandmother. In the end, A Real Pain is a phenomenal film by Jesse Eisenberg.
People getting laid off, people are fearing the loss of all the things that they need for their health, the price of eggs and soft drinks are rising, and people are getting stupider. Yeah, 2025 is off to a fucking great start! Seriously though, this year is going to be shit. The idea of some asshole wanting to know everything about all of us including our medical records, financial records, and all sorts of shit is scary. The idea that people who might seem like a threat to our dictator and his evil puppet master overlord who could then disappear feels real. I feel like the rest of the world is watching this country with laughter about how stupid we have become as well as fear of the chaos that we will bring as we have now become the bad guys.
There is a lot happening with the world as I do keep my eye on what is going on but also not become overwhelmed by it. I distract myself from the news by playing video games or watching silly things on YouTube. Films are also a distraction as I have been fortunate to get access to certain things as well as new means to watch films as I recently has started cultivating a digital collection as a way to watch films in my room. Still, it does not replace the idea of having a physical collection as that is something I still cherish even though I need a new bookshelf because my collection has gotten bigger and richer. Though it has been a welcoming distraction as well as being around my niece and nephew as they are growing though it does worry me about what future holds.
I admit that I do not watch as many films as I used to, nor have I posted more frequently on this blog. Even though I am still working on my Auteurs essay on David Lean that is half-finished, it has taken a lot longer than I realize as plans for other Auteurs profiles will be delayed though I do hope to get to them this year.
In the month of February 2025, I saw a total of 23 films in 12 first-timers and 11 re-watches with 5 of those first-timers being films directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. One of the highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot pick in Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Here are the top 10 first-timers for February 2025:
From Gia Coppola is an 11-minute short made China’s Millennium Advertising Company about a gambler who meets and falls for a young woman who works the roulette table as they trek around Las Vegas while evading a couple of men to whom he owes a debt. It is a fun short that Coppola did as it starred one of her cousins in Robert Schwartzman as the gambler and Zhang Jingchu as the young woman as they both give solid performances in the short. It has style and amazing visuals as it is worth looking out for anyone who is a fan of Gia.
Memory Film
Made in 2012, this short film by David Lynch is a simple short in which he presents the idea of what he would think from time to time. What happens is typical of Lynch not just in its surrealism but also in humor. The things he think about are strange but not surprising as it all relates to his idea of art. Given his passing last month still feels fresh, it is something that fans of need to see as I hope to watch everything he has done in his lifetime.
Touch of Crude
This 28-minute short film from Nicolas Winding Refn that I watch on MUBI is this tremendously intoxicating short that he made for Prada as it follows three different women who are visited by a mysterious floating box with a keyhole as they see what is within. Starring Refn’s wife Liv Corfixen and their daughters Lizzielou and Lola, the short is a strange yet entrancing in its visuals as well as in the usage of music by longtime NWR collaborator Cliff Martinez. It has been a while since Refn made a feature film as it is time that he returned to make a new one.
A Lien
One of the films nominated for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film is a timely one given what is happening here in America. This short film is about an American woman accompanying her husband for an interview with immigration to get a green card as they are with their daughter. What happens is that ICE appears and takes a bunch of undocumented immigrants including this woman’s husband as it plays into this harsh reality that people go through. Even as the idea of a child would be taken away from this horrific force of authority who really do not care about the well-being of other people. In all honesty, FUCK ICE!
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
One of two documentary short films that is nominated for the Best Documentary Short Oscar that I saw is about Orin O’Brien who was the first woman to join the New York Philharmonic Orchestra back in the 1960s under the supervision of Leonard Bernstein. Directed by her niece Molly, the film profiles O’Brien as she is also retiring and moving out of her old apartment. The film is noted as a woman who was the daughter of two famous film stars in George O’Brien and Margaret Churchill who both enjoyed having attention which is a contrast to O’Brien herself given the attention, she received having joined the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The film also shows O’Brien’s passion for teaching as well as why she loves playing the double bass as she is someone who really loves that instrument and understands every little thing that makes it so special. It is a short documentary that people need to see.
Instruments of a Beating Heart
The second documentary short nominated for Best Documentary Short in the Oscars is similar in the power of music, but it is set in an entirely different in Japan. Notably as it is about a young girl who joins the school band as part of an orchestra to welcome the new first grader with everyone else in the orchestra moving into the second grade. The film highlights Japan’s approach to education and how patient they are. They are strict but at least they care about their students as well as knowing how hard it is for children to get a part right. Practice is a key element, as well as students supporting one another as I got emotional in watching this short. I widely recommend this film as it really highlights the importance of education which is something our dumbass dictator does not share which explains a lot.
The Substance: Inside the Screenplay
One of two films by Coralie Fargeat that appears on YouTube this month is a showcase for a woman who is getting a lot of deserved acclaim as she is a nominee for Best Director at the Oscars for The Substance. This 7-minute documentary short from MUBI’s YouTube channel is about the making of the screenplay including descriptions and notes on what Fargeat wanted in the sound as well as her emphasis on creating storyboards and visual references into what she wanted. Notably as it focuses on a key scene in the film with Demi Moore also making commentary from a Q&A that she, Fargeat, and producer Eric Fellner did for the film.
Les guerre des etoiles
The second short by Fargeat that I saw is the first short that she ever did at the age 16/17 as it was presented by Letterboxd on their YouTube channel. Given that this was made by someone in her teens with a love for Star Wars. This is a short film that has a lot of imagination as it is shot on a home video camera with footage from the films along with sound clips from those films including something from the Indiana Jones films. Honestly, this was a joy to watch and if Fargeat is ever going to get the chance to make a Star Wars film. Give her anything she wants including a planet full of blood!
Snodgrass
From a British short film anthology series in Playhouse Presents is a short film by David Blair starring Ian Hart who reprises his role as John Lennon having played him in the 1991 short film The Hours and Times and the 1994 film Backbeat. This short film presents a fascinating scenario on what if The Beatles had recorded the song How Do You Do It? as their first single. The short revealed that Lennon would have quit the band out of protest as it is set entirely in 1991 in which Lennon is unemployed and bitter about his life. He constantly talks to himself and comments on everything while the Beatles are just another band that had success but not as the influential group they would have become. It is an excellent film although I did have a few issues with some of the music that is played considering that if the Beatles were never this influential force. Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit would never exist as a brief snippet of that song is played.
Well, that is all for February. Next month with the Oscars coming. There will be some nominees and winners that I will hopefully watch next month including a couple of films by Sean Baker that I have access to. My next Blind Spot film will be Love Streams by John Cassavetes while the next film I will watch theatrically will be Bong Joon-Ho’s Mickey 17. I am currently unsure if I will have my Auteurs piece on David Lean finished in March as it has become something bigger than even, I had anticipated. I do plan to finish it and then take a bit of a break before I do the new slate of Auteurs profiles that I announced this past December.
Before I bid adieu, this month has been sad with some of the people who had passed on with Gene Hackman being the most recent as he along with his wife Betsy and their dog all died mysteriously at their home in New Mexico. This death is shocking and sad as Hackman is one of these rare actors that can never give a bad performance as he always deliver at the fullest no matter how bad a film could be. Dying at the age of 95 would not have been a surprise but the bizarre circumstances that he, his wife, and their dog is a surprise as I would like to express my condolences to the families and friends of Gene and Betsy Hackman.
I would also like to express my condolences on those who have passed away this month including Michelle Trachtenberg, Boris Spassky, screenwriter Roberto Orci, Rick Buckler of the Jam, Jamie Muir of King Crimson, Roberta Flack, Lynne Marie Stewart, Violetta Wallace, Jerry Butler, filmmaker Souleymane Cisse, Snowy Fleet of the Easybeats, Paquita la del Barrio, Kim Sae-ron, Kevyn Major Howard of Full Metal Jacket, Biff Wiff, Peter “Navy” Tuiasosopo, writer Tom Robbins, Tony Roberts, music producer Dave Jerden, Sal Maida of Sparks & Roxy Music, Omasu Nishimura, and filmmaker George Armitage. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
