Happy 40th Birthdays to Jena Malone & Scarlett Johansson!!!!

 

While I am aware that Scarlett Johansson's 40th birthday is the next day. I feel like it is appropriate for both Johansson and Jena Malone to celebrate their birthdays as a two-day event considering that they are both about to turn 40 and let's hope they would be given the respect they deserve as actresses and as women.



© thevoid99 2024

The Substance (2024 film)

 

Written, directed, and co-edited by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is the story of a former Hollywood film star who turns 50 as her career starts to fade until she goes to the black market to get a drug that will make her a younger version of herself. The film is an exploration of aging and body image where a woman deals with a fading career as an aerobics instructor on TV where she takes a drug to become a different person only for things to go wrong. Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid. The Substance is a monstrous and exhilarating film by Coralie Fargeat.

The film revolves around a former Hollywood starlet whose aerobics TV show is abruptly cancelled as she had turned 50 where she is given a mysterious flash drive about a black-market drug known as the Substance that would allow her to become a younger and better version of herself but with some rules. It is a film that explores many themes including aging, body imagery, and the male gaze towards the women they exploit. Coralie Fargeat’s screenplay does have a straightforward narrative where it explores the world of Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) as she was this celebrated figure with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that has been treated with indifference despite the popularity of her aerobics show. Its cancellation is abrupt because she just turned 50 as its producer Harvey (Dennis Quaid) made the decision in the hopes he can get someone younger to drive up ratings. After a car accident, a nurse (Robin Greer) gives Sparkle a flash drive about this drug known as the Substance where she is intrigued by it while also following its specific instructions.

Upon using the Substance, its activator can only be used once where Sparkle’s body becomes unconscious while her new body in Sue (Margaret Qualley) can be conscious but only for seven days as they would have to switch places with no exceptions with balance being key to its success. Sue would get the attention of Harvey following an audition as she would get her own fitness show where ratings go through the roof as she would crave more fame and fortune. Thus, she would break the rules of using the substance which would cause parts of Sparkle’s body to age rapidly. Fargeat’s script doesn’t have a lot of dialogue throughout the film other than moments where events in the second and third act where Sparkle starts to mentally unravel over her physical state as she becomes resentful towards Sue for breaking the balance of their usage of the Substance. For Sue, she becomes annoyed with Sparkle’s own behavior antics that threatens her career as things start to get out of control.

Fargeat’s direction is stylish in every sense of the word in how the film opens with the Substance serum injected into an egg that splits into two and then cuts to Sparkle getting a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Shot on various locations in France with Cote d’Azur being the exterior double for Los Angeles and interiors shot in studios in Paris. Fargeat creates a film that is set in a hyperactive world where it is about giant billboards, flashing cameras, how many people are seeing you, and everything that comes with fame. Fargeat emphasizes on extreme close-ups and medium shots to play into this manic world of celebrity culture as well as the fact that women are often exploited for reasons beyond their control. Fargeat doesn’t hold back when it comes to the male gaze in scenes where Sue is hosting her show with a lot of close-ups of her ass and cleavage being a key part where sex sells. While Sparkle is a beautiful woman for her age, she is not what Harvey wants where there are scenes of her fully-naked where the flaws of her body come into play as it play into Sparkle’s desire to use the Substance. There are wide shots to play into the growing sense of disconnect that happens for Sparkle as she tries to distance herself from Sue.

Editing with Jerome Eltabet and Valentin Feron, Fargeat emphasize on different editing styles such as the overly-stylized fast-cutting common with Hollywood films to play into the chaotic world of celebrity culture. Yet, Fargeat would know when to slow things down as it relates to Sparkle’s own declining physical and mental state where she would also use tracking shots for both her and Sue walking down the hall towards the bathroom. Even as the camera would show them walking from their point of view where it is presented in a hand-held style as if both women would get sick during their time in using the Substance. The second half is where the body horror comes as it doesn’t just play into Sue’s disregard for the rules of using the Substance but its effect on Sparkle where parts of her body would age. Even as there is a moment where Sparkle’s own abuse of her own body would start to affect Sue in a scene where she finds something in her body as it plays into this conflict between the two women.

The film’s third act is where the body horror is intensified as it plays into the fallacies of beauty and fame with Sparkle wanting to end it all just as Sue is about to host a big New Year’s Eve special on TV. What would happen afterward would play into the desperation of wanting to be beautiful and the eventual result is shocking. Shocking would be an understatement to describe the film’s climax as it goes beyond the parameters expected in body horror where Fargeat goes all out and then some. Overall, Fargeat crafts a horrifying and provocative film about an aging starlet taking a mysterious substance where she creates a young woman who shares her consciousness.

Cinematographer Benjamin Kracun does brilliant work with the film’s vibrant and colorful cinematography for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as the scenes in the bathroom along with some stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Production designer Stanislas Reydellet, along with supervising art director Gladys Garot plus set decorators Cecilia Blom, Marion De Villechabrolle, and construction manager Jacques Oursin, does amazing work with the look of the condo that Sparkle lives in as well as the studio hallway where Sue would work at and the office that Harvey works at in all its awful grandeur. Costume designer Emmanuelle Youchnovski does excellent work with the costumes in the revealing fitness clothing that Sue wears for her show as well as the yellow coat that both women share. Special effects makeup designer Pierre Olivier Persin does phenomenal work with the makeup as it is the highlight of the film in the prosthetics breasts of Sue as well as the aging makeup for Sparkle due to the unbalanced effects of the Substance as it is a highlight of the film.

Special effects supervisors Pierre Hugueny and Jean Miel, along with visual effects supervisor Bryan Jones, do terrific work with the visual effects for some set-dressing in scenes outside of the condo as well as other visual elements that play into the horror of the film. Sound designers Valerie Deloof and Victor Fleurant do superb work with the sound in the way Harvey eats shrimp in the most disgusting of ways as well as some of the sparse sound textures in the film that play into the sense of horror and suspense. The film’s music by Benjamin Stefanski, in his Raffertie pseudonym, is incredible for its warbling electronic score that has elements of pulsating sounds and textures to play into Sue’s world but also some somber pieces that play into the horror and anguish that Sparkle goes through while music supervisor Guillaume Baurez creates a soundtrack that is filled with some electronic pieces from Holy Fuck with Lucia Tacchetti, Romanger, Earl Gregory, Thomas Kuralti, and a couple of score pieces by Richard Strauss and Bernard Herrmann.

The casting by Laure Cochener and Lea Moszkowicz is fantastic as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Vincent Colombe as one of Harvey’s executives, Yann Bean as the voice of the Substance, Hugo Diego Garcia as a lover of Sue that appears in the third act, Oscar Lesage as another lover of Sue who is a biker, Tom Morton as a doctor who examines Sparkle early in the film, Robin Greer as a young male nurse that would give Sparkle the flash drive for the Substance, Gore Abrams as a neighbor of Sue/Sparkle, Edward Hamilton Clark as a former classmate of Sparkle that she bumps into whom she almost goes on a date with, and Christian Ericksen as a mysterious old man Sparkle meets at a diner. Dennis Quaid is great as the TV producer Harvey as Quaid goes all out as a man who is the most despicable person in the world. A man that eats large shrimp in the most disgusting of ways that makes all the body horror seem tame in comparison while he is an absolute misogynistic asshole that anyone who comes across with would want to punch him in the face.

Margaret Qualley is phenomenal as Sue as the younger version of Sparkle that comes out of Sparkle’s body where Qualley displays a great sense of physicality into her performance as someone that is fit as well as being able to do the kind of fitness that a fitness model needs to do. There is also a complexity in her personality in the way she presents herself publicly as well as dealing with what Sparkle has done to herself, showcasing a dark edge that would be her own undoing. Finally, there’s Demi Moore in a performance for the ages as Elisabeth Sparkle as a former actress/TV fitness personality who had just turned 50 and lost her job as she copes with aging and not knowing what to do next. Moore brings a lot of wit to her performance once her character starts to age as there is a physicality and a dark edge into her performance where Moore goes all out and then some as it is really the performance of her career.

The Substance is an outstanding film by Coralie Fargeat that features a tremendous leading performance from Demi Moore as well as a great supporting performance from Margaret Qualley. Along with its study of aging, vibrant visuals, a hypnotic music soundtrack, discomforting sound effects, and the incredible special makeup effects that pushes the idea of what body horror could be. It is a film that doesn’t hold back in terms of its exploration of an industry that exploits women and the pressures to be beautiful as well as the effect on those who are forced to retire when they still have much to offer. In the end, The Substance is a magnificent film by Coralie Fargeat.

Revenge (2017 film)

© thevoid99 2024

Revenge (2017 film)

 

Written, co-edited, and directed by Coralie Fargeat, Revenge is the story of a woman who goes on a journey for revenge after she was left for dead by her boyfriend’s friends during a vacation gone wrong. The film is a simple revenge story as it plays into a woman whose planned vacation goes wrong prompting her to go on a hunt on her own while the men who raped her are on a hunting trip of their own. Starring Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, and Guillaume Bouchede. Revenge is a bloody and unforgiving film by Coralie Fargeat.

The film is the story of an American woman who goes to a remote villa in the Moroccan desert with her married boyfriend only to be raped and left for dead by her boyfriend and his friends who embark on a hunting trip only to realize that she is not dead and wants to kill them. It is a film with a simple premise that explores the idea of vengeance, yet it is in its setting and the dynamic between male and female is what makes the story different from typical revenge stories. Notably as writer Coralie Fargeat does explore the male gaze and how their dismissive view on this young woman, they meet would be their undoing. Although the young woman in Jen (Matilda Lutz) is an American woman who believes her boyfriend Richard (Kevin Janssens) would give her all the things she wants. A night of partying, raped by one of his friends, chased, and then be left for dead would force her to face a darker reality in an environment that is foreign to her. Even as she is someone who must go by her own survival instincts as well as a tiny bag of peyote that Richard had to go on a journey for vengeance.

Fargeat’s direction is stylish in the way she emphasizes on different visual traits to play into this journey of revenge with elements of surrealism as well as playing to the male gaze. Shot on location in Morocco with its deserts being a key location for the film, Fargeat utilizes wide and medium shots to get a scope into the vast space of where these characters are. She also uses close-ups and extreme close-ups to play into the sense of dread and exploitation as the first act plays into Jen being this object of desire for Richard as well as his friends Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchede) where the former dances with Jen and later rape her the next morning after she refuses his advances. Richard would come home to learn about what happened only to make her keep quiet about everything until she threatened to tell his wife about what happened is when things escalated badly where she would be chased through the desert and then pushed off a cliff by Richard.

Fargeat’s direction early on has this kinetic style that would also be reflected in the editing where she and co-editors Bruno Safar and Jerome Eltabet would use fast-cuts and offbeat rhythmic cuts to play into a chaotic style that would be prevalent in a sequence involving the peyote that Jen would have possession of. Fargeat would also emphasize a graphic approach to the violence as blood is a major detail in the film in the fact that Jen’s torso lands onto a tree branch that she would have to pull out. There are also these intense extreme close-ups of wounds on body as Fargeat goes into some excruciating detail into the severity of these wounds. The violence is also unforgiving in its overall presentation where Fargeat would slow things down visually to include long and intricate tracking shots which is a direct contrast to the way the film is presented early on. Particularly in the editing where it allows shot to linger for more than a few seconds into minutes to add to the suspense. The film’s climax where Fargeat has this young woman go on this mission for revenge as it is about the man who fucked her over and left her for dead. Overall, Fargeat crafts an unsettling yet enthralling revenge film about a woman who goes on a hunt of her own.

Cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colored shades and mood for the daytime exterior scenes in the desert and at the villa to the usage of available light and fire for the exterior scenes at night in the desert. Costume designer Elisabeth Bornaut does excellent work with the costumes in the stylish clothing Jen would have early in the film including her pink-star earrings with the clothes that the men wear. Special makeup effects artists Pierre Emmanuel Kass and Laetitia Quillery do incredible work with the makeup effects in the way body wounds are presented in graphic detail including scenes involving gore as it is a highlight of the film.

Sound designers Jerome Faurel, Alain Feat, and Eric Mauer do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural sound of the locations as well as the sound effects that play into some of the body horror in the film. The film’s music by Robin Coudert, in his ROB alias, does amazing work with the film’s soundtrack with its eerie and pulsating electronic music score that play into the suspense and terror while music supervisors Stephanie Sfeir, Clement Souchier, and Jeanne Trellu create a soundtrack that include elements of pop and electronic music including pieces from Brodski and Clive Hicks.

The casting by Martin Rougier is wonderful as it feature a voice appearance from Barbara Gateau as the voice of Richard’s wife and Jean-Louis Tribes as the helicopter pilot who drops Richard and Jen off at the villa in the film’s opening scene. Guillaume Bouchede is fantastic as Dimitri as fat slob who is a skilled hunter despite his boorish appearance. Vincent Colombe is excellent as Stan as a hunter and close friend of Richard who flirts with Jen and later rape her where he is shocked over the aftermath only to get himself into some serious trouble. Kevin Janssens is brilliant as Richard as this rich married man who is the embodiment of the male chauvinism where he is this alpha male that has fucked with the wrong woman. Finally, there’s Matilda Lutz in a phenomenal performance as Jen as this young woman who is on a vacation thinking she is there for a good time until she is raped, assaulted, and left for dead. Lutz brings a physicality as a woman who is out of her comfort zone in a desolate environment but with limited survival skills that prove to be useful where she turns into this stone-cold killer who walks barefoot and a peyote hangover. It is truly a breakout performance for the young actress.

Revenge is a spectacular film by Coralie Fargeat that features a great performance from Matilda Lutz. Along with its supporting cast, vibrant visuals, a mesmerizing film soundtrack, uncompromising approach to violence, and a simple yet gripping take on vengeance. This is a film that takes a simple premise and adds a visceral approach to the subject of revenge as it plays into the many fallacies of chauvinism. In the end, Revenge is a tremendous film by Coralie Fargeat.

The Substance (2024 film)

© thevoid99 2024

Anatomy of a Fall

 

Directed by Justine Triet and written by Triet and Arthur Harari, Anatomie d’une chute (Anatomy of a Fall) is the story of writer who is accused of murdering her husband who had died in a fall with their blind son being forced to testify in court in what he might have discovered. The film is a drama in which explores a murder but also the events of a marriage that is crumbling with a writer being forced to defend herself and her family. Starring Sandra Huller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaieb, Camille Rutherford, Anne Rotger, and Sophie Fillieres. Anatomie d’une chute is a gripping and ravishing film by Justine Triet.

The film is about a blind boy who finds his father dead after falling off from his house where questions arise into whether it was an accident, a suicide, or was he killed by his wife following an argument? It is a film that explores a man’s death with his wife and son trying to understand what happened while the wife gets questioned about the events preceding his death. The film’s screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari does use a simple plot about a man’s death yet it explores a lot more such as a marriage, a man’s mental illness and failures, an accident that would blind their son, and other things leading to a trial where this woman is being questioned into whether she killed her husband. There is also questions about who she is as a writer and her approach to creating her stories as a form of autofiction where a lot of things are unveiled. All these questions about the death of Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) would lead to a trial with his wife Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller) being the main suspect and their son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) also having to testify about what he remembered that day.

Triet’s direction is straightforward in terms of its overall presentation as it is shot on locations near the French Alps with Grenoble being a key location in the film including the courtroom scenes and a few shots in Paris. Much of Triet’s direction is intimate in its overall presentation in its usage of close-ups and medium shots where it opens with Sandra talking to a student in Zoe (Camille Rutherford) for an interview where Sandra is more interested in Zoe while Daniel tends to the family dog Snoop (Messi) as he would later go on a walk with Snoop outside. Sometime after Zoe had left Daniel took Snoop for a walk, is when they returned home to find Samuel dead as did Sandra who had woken up from a nap. The film’s first act is not just about Samuel’s death but also Sandra being a suspect for murder as she confers with her lawyer Vincent Renzi (Swan Arlaud) who asks questions on what to do while she and Daniel must cope with police officers and investigators looking into the house to figure out what happened. Daniel would remember something about that day as it adds more complications for Sandra as she is then indicted for killing her husband.

The film’s second act shifts the film to a year later where the trial happens as a lot of things are unveiled including audio recordings at the home including an argument the day before Samuel’s death. Daniel, accompanied by a court-order monitor in Marge (Jehnny Beth), would listen while also having to imagine what might have happened with the prosecutor (Antoine Reinartz) suggesting motives into Sandra killing Samuel. There are some unique wide and medium shots in the courtroom where Triet puts a lot of diligence in the courtroom of what is happening in the foreground and who is watching in the background. Even in a scene where Daniel testifies as the camera pans back and forth towards Vincent and the prosecutor in a game of dominance between the two attorneys. The film’s third act does not just relate to revelations about Sandra’s work as a writer but also Samuel’s failures where Sandra admits to borrowing one of his ideas for her book, but she gave him credit. It is really about Daniel in his search for answers as it relates to an event that happened months ago where he does an experiment to figure out what happened.

Even though Daniel could not see, he could imagine things with his mind as he is forced to figure out his father’s mental state. It is a moment in the film where a boy must comprehend the chaos of his parents’ marriage as well as the guilt that his father had in playing an indirect role in Daniel becoming blind because of an accident. While the trial would put a strain into Daniel’s relationship with his mother, the third act does give him a sense of purpose to understand the truth but also his own interpretation of what happened on the day his father died. Overall, Triet crafts a somber yet rapturous film about the death of a man with his wife and son trying to make sense of what happened.

Cinematographer Simon Beaufils does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward with its usage of natural lighting for the daytime exterior scenes and the usage of available light for the exterior scenes at night including low-key lighting for the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Laurent Senechal does excellent work with the editing where it has a few montage bits as well as some unique rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Emmanuelle Duplay and set decorator Cecile Deleu do amazing work with the look of the home that Sandra and Daniel live in as well as the courtroom in how big it is. Costume designer Isabelle Pannetier does fantastic work with the costumes as they are casual apart from a suit that Sandra wears during her trial.

Visual effects supervisors Nikolas d’Andrade and Niranjan Sivguruthan do terrific work with the film’s visual effects as it relates to computer re-enactment bits shown at the trial. Sound editors Fanny Martin and Jeanne Delplancq do superb work with the sound in capturing the way music sounds from afar and up-close as well as other sparse moments in the film. Music supervisor Thibault Deboaisne does wonderful work in assembling the film’s soundtrack as it features classical piano pieces by Frederic Chopin as well as an instrumental cover of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band which serves as a key moment in the film.

The casting by Cynthia Arra does marvelous work with the casting as it feature some notable small roles from Sophie Fillieres as Daniel’s godmother Monica, Anne Rotger as the judge in the trial, Saadia Bentaieb as Vincent’s paralegal Noub, Camille Rutherford as the student Zoe that was interviewing Sandra in the film’s first scene, and Messi as Daniel’s pet dog Snoop who would play a key part into Daniel’s investigation about his father. Samuel Theis is superb as Sandra’s husband Samuel Maleski as the man who would be found dead as he is seen through flashbacks as a troubled man that tried to be a writer and failed as he often blames it on Sandra while consumed with guilt in playing an indirect role into Daniel’s blindness. Jehnny Beth is fantastic as Marge Berger as this court-appointed caretaker for Daniel as she helps observe Daniel’s behavior while also trying to understand what he is dealing with in relation to his father’s death.

Antoine Reinartz is excellent as the prosecutor who is convinced that Sandra killed Samuel while also analyzing her work as a writer and providing ideas that Sandra did more than just kill Samuel. Swann Arlaud is brilliant as Sandra’s lawyer Vincent Renzi as a man who is defending Sandra while also trying to figure out legal maneuvers in helping her where he would also find himself coming close to a romantic relationship with her. Milo Machado-Graner is phenomenal as Daniel Maleski as a blind boy who would be the one to find his father’s body as he copes with not just his father’s death but also trying to understand what happened. It is a performance filled with intrigue and heartbreak where a boy is trying to understand as well as gather up memories of his life with his dad. Finally, there’s Sandra Huller in a sensational performance as Sandra Voyter as a writer who is troubled by her husband’s death as well as becoming a suspect as she is forced to reflect on the chaos of her marriage which would lead a strain on her relationship with her son.

Anatomie d’une chute is an outstanding film by Justine Triet that features great performances from Sandra Huller and Milo Machado-Graner. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, vibrant visuals, and a compelling story about death and things people could not understand. It is a suspense-drama that is intricate in its exploration of relationships as well as a woman and her son trying to deal with the chaos over what had happened. In the end, Anatomie d’une chute is a magnificent film by Justine Triet.

Justine Triet Films: Age of Panic - In Bed with Victoria - Sibyl

© thevoid99 2024

Films That I Saw: October 2024

 

We are days away from the upcoming U.S. elections and honestly, it is the scariest day of the year. Notably as this country is a mess where inflation has really been kicking everyone in the ass and there is a lot of uncertainty in what will happen after the election. Even though there are 2 candidates that are both unappealing. Yes, Kamala Harris is the more reasonable of the two candidates, but will she continue to do things like Joe Biden? There are things with Biden’s administration that I do not like as he is someone that lacks the balls to get anything done. I do not think Harris will make things that much better though she is the better option of the two. Still, that is not enough to go out there and vote as I do not believe in democracy. Voting is a fucking waste of time.



It is bad enough that I am getting mail from my local election board to get me to vote as I either would tear it to pieces or use it to wipe my ass. It is another thing when I must hear it from my sister telling my mother on the importance of voting as I am like “oh fuck off with that bullshit.” I had two terrible experiences with voting and why would I waste my time going somewhere knowing that my vote does not matter when it is the electoral college that ends up making the decision in the end. Then there is the aftermath of what happens when Harris might get elected leading to MAGA crowd going into a riot or create another insurrection. Do we want to go through that again and become a bigger laughing stock around the world?



I am fucking tired of all this shit and all these political ads. I do not care for politics because it is bullshit. Personally, I would love to see Dookie Tank and his new bitch JD Vance be sent to pound-me-in-the-ass prison with Poo Doody, Harvey Weinstein, and R. Kelly where they can share a cell and fuck each other to their deaths. I would also love to see many of Dookie Tank’s celebrity supporters like Cunt Hogan be deleted from existence.

In the month of October, I saw a total of 21 films in 11 first-timers and 10 re-watches with six of these first-timers being films directed/co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. A slight improvement of last month as a highlight of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Rebecca. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for October 2024:

1. The Nightingale

2. Ferrari

3. Lux Aeterna

4. Reality+

5. The Miu Miu Affair

6. The Art of Filmmaking

7. Hamster PSA

8. Monster

9. How the ‘Dook Stole Christmas

10. The Telegram

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I’m Watching

Hamster PSA



James Gunn’s debut short film is a two-minute and forty-five second that serves as public service announcement on the dangers of buying a hamster. Made with associates of Gunn when he was working for Troma Entertainment at the time. It is a hilarious short that highlights a boy buying a hamster while a woman in a bikini tells him to not buy it as a lot of insane shit happens. It is a fun short as well as something fans of James Gunn should seek out as he is going to be a future Auteurs subject next year.

The Art of Filmmaking



WARNING: ANYONE THAT HAS EPILEPSY SHOULD NOT WATCH THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR HEALTH.

This 15-minute short film that served as a precursor to Lux Aeterna is a film essay of sorts that has Noe creating montages of silent films by Cecil B. DeMille with King of Kings being the dominant footage used in the film. The film features odd narration by Noe as it serves as a form of hypnosis while the images would flicker with aspect ratios changing throughout the entirety of the short. It is not a film for everyone, and it fits in with what Noe was doing for Lux Aeterna. The last thing I would want to do is be responsible for someone having a fit or get someone to watch something and then die.

The Miu Miu Affair

The 28th short film as part of the Women’s Tales short film series from the Miu Miu brand from Prada is from Argentine filmmaker Laura Citarella is about a famous model who does a shoot in this small Argentine town and then suddenly disappears. A police chief, a detective, and a clairvoyant go on with the case while the clues they find turn out to be some Miu Miu clothing as it is a short that is full of fun and joy. Notably as Citarella allow these ordinary women wear some of these expensive and fashionable clothing where it gives them a new spark to their lives. Even as the film plays into elements of the absurd as it is one of the best entries in the short film series.

Reality+

The first of two short films by Coralie Fargeat that I watched as her recent film The Substance will be available exclusively on MUBI on Halloween as I hope to watch that before the year ends. Before I watch that film before the year ends and her first film Revenge, there is a short that she did in 2014 that is currently being shown on MUBI as it relates to a man who gets a microchip installed in the back of neck where he gets to become a much more attractive man, but it only lasts for 12 hours. This 22-minute short is full of wit as well as elements of body horror as it plays into the fallacies of fantasy. Even as this man would meet a beautiful woman unaware of what she really looks like though the film’s ending can be described as sweet.

The Telegram

The second short film of Fargeat that I saw that is available on Vimeo is from 2003 as it is a simpler short than her follow-up. This 12-minute short by Fargeat is about two women in a small French town during World War II awaiting a telegram about the fate of their sons. A postman would arrive with a limp right foot as the air of suspense is key to what is happening in whether he would stop at one of their houses or someone else as it works in its ending.

Monster



This short film by Jennifer Kent that served as a prototype for the film that she would make in The Babadook is this 10-minute short film as it plays into a mother dealing with her young son who claims that his doll has become a monster. It is a 10-minute short film that is shot in black-and-white as it has some style as well as this element of suspense and horror.

How the ‘Dook Stole Christmas



This little animated short by Kent is just this hilarious one-minute clip of the Babadook destroying Christmas. It is a short film worth watching for anyone that loves The Babadook.

Agatha All Along (episodes 4-7)

The show so far has been excellent as I love the different styles each episode has brought in while the sixth episode that explores the identity of the teen is so far the best one. Notably as it does reveal what was obvious as it relates to the character of Wiccan/Billy Maximoff and his motivations for going into the Witches Road. The most recent episode gave Pattie LuPone not just one of the best performances of her career, but also a performance that deserves accolades. Still, there are two more episodes left in the series as far as there is a lot of intrigue as well as more about what Agatha is after and what does Rio want.

Blackhat (Director’s Cut)

I did add a few paragraphs in my original review of the film so for anyone that has not seen what I added. It is in the link below as part of the top 10 re-watches as I will say that the director’s cut that Michael Mann released in 2016 is a vast improvement over its theatrical version. Notably as it shifted some sequences from the theatrical cut as well as add a key scene that has bits of humor while also adding more weight to what is at stake. The pacing is much better than the theatrical version as it is the version to see as I am glad that I purchased the Blu-Ray from Arrow which is a must-have for fans of Mann.

Top 10 Re-Watches

1. Suspiria

2. Lost Highway

3. Toy Story of Terror

4. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

5. Night Shift

6. Blackhat

7. Captain Planet with Don Cheadle

8. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

9. Trick or Treat

10. Lonesome Ghosts

Well, that is all for October. Next month, I will focus on films that came out this year as well as related films from certain filmmakers as I do hope to see Anora in the theaters as I do not really have much interest in what else is coming out. Instead, I will focus on films that are available on the streaming services I have including The Substance as well as David Lean’s Summertime as I have just started work on the Auteurs essay on him. As for my Blind Spots, it is likely I will watch Berlin Alexanderplatz on and off for the rest of the year with Senso also being watched for this month or next month. After one of those films is finished, I will make a proper announcement for the films that I will watch for next year’s edition of the Blind Spot Series.

Before I bid adieu and go watch some horror, I want to express my condolences to the following who passed away this month. Among them are Teri Garr, Paul Morrissey, Liam Payne of One Direction, Lily Li, David Harris, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, DJ Clark Kent, TV writer Jeri Taylor, Gary Indiana, Jack Jones, Christine Boisson, cinematographer Dick Pope, Michael Newman from the show Baywatch, baseball player Rudy May, Mitzi Gaynor, Ollie Olsen, Cissy Houston, Nicholas Pryor, and El Toro himself Fernando Valenzuela. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for him. For Fernando! Until then, this thevoid99 signing off and L.A. This is for you from a Braves fan…



© thevoid99 2024

2024 Blind Spot Series: Rebecca

 

Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca is the story of a woman who falls in love and marries a widowed aristocrat as he takes her to his mansion where she is haunted by the presence of his late wife. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison and adapted by Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan, the film is the exploration of a woman who finds herself in a new world as she copes with her husband’s grief over his late wife as well as the presence of his late wife whose shadow looms large over the mansion. Starring Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Gladys Cooper, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Florence Bates, Leo G. Carroll, Leonard Carey, Edward Fielding, and Philip Winter. Rebecca is an evocative and rapturous film from Alfred Hitchcock.

The film follows a woman who meets and marries a widow aristocrat only to be haunted by the presence of his late wife who looms an immense shadow over his estate. It is a film that does not just explore a woman inhabiting the new role of a wife but also to become the mistress of an estate where she deals with the stories and presence of her husband’s late wife. The film’s screenplay starts off in a reflective narrative where the voice of an un-named woman (Joan Fontaine) talks about how she met George Fortescue Maximilian “Maxim” de Winter (Laurence Olivier) while she was working as a companion to the wealthy Mrs. Van Hopper (Florence Bates) during a vacation in Monte Carlo. She sees him looking down at a cliff as if he is to jump off as she says something to him as he would stop as they would later meet again at a hotel lobby. The two begin a relationship and then marry where he takes her to his estate known as Manderley which is run by its housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) who takes a dislike towards the new Mrs. de Winter.

The script does not just feature some stylish dialogue but also intrigue into those who talk about Maxim’s late wife Rebecca as his sister Beatrice (Gladys Cooper) and his estate manager Frank Crawley (Nigel Bruce) are both vague in wanting to talk about her knowing that anything about her would upset him. Even as Mrs. de Winter deals with some of the mysteries of the home including a small cottage on the beach as well as a room that belonged to Rebecca. Mrs. de Winter would notice something in the room as well as an unexpected visitor in Rebecca’s cousin in Jack Favell (George Sanders) whom Maxim hates. Things would start to unravel with Maxim becoming angrier while Mrs. de Winter becomes troubled by the comparisons of Maxim’s late wife where revelations would emerge about what happened on the night she died.

Alfred Hitchcock’s direction is stylish in its presentation from the opening sequence of him panning the camera around an estate that is now in ruins as it sets up the tone of what to expect through Mrs. de Winter’s narration in that opening scene. Shot on various locations in California including Big Sur and the Culver Studios in Hollywood for many of its interiors. Hitchcock would use wide shots for some of these exterior locations including scenes set on the beach including the opening shot of the house that was shot at the studio. Hitchcock’s direction also has some unique compositions in the way he shoots scenes in Manderley as it is a character in the film. Even as he would have these interior wide and medium shots that highlights the space of the room including an office where Mrs. de Winter converses with Crawley about Rebecca where it is shot in close-ups and medium shot, and it then moves back to a wide shot. It is among the many visual ideas that Hitchcock would imbue into the film.

Then there is the titular character as there is not a single picture of her nor any flashbacks as it relates to her as she is this unseen presence whose shadow looms large over everyone and the world they inhabit. There is also a lot of allusions as it relates to Rebecca’s relationship towards both her cousin Favell and Mrs. Danvers with the former implying an incestuous relationship while the latter is considered taboo during the time of its production in the late 1930s/early 1940s. There is sexual tension that occurs though it is very subtle due to the production code of those times where Mrs. Danvers tries to get Mrs. de Winter to wear Rebecca’s clothes and such to create discord between Maxim and his new wife. The film’s third act does have Maxim reveal to his wife about Rebecca and their marriage following a discovery that makes Maxim uneasy. Even as Favell and Mrs. Danvers it would bring ruin to Maxim and his new wife being ousted though there are many complications that would be unveiled leading to an ending that is grand. Overall, Hitchcock crafts a riveting and mesmerizing film about a woman who marries a man whose late wife casts a large shadow over their lives.

Cinematographer George Barnes does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography in creating unique lighting for the daytime interior scenes as well as the scenes at night for the scenes at Manderley. Editors Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom do excellent work with the editing in creating rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as some montages to play into Maxim and Mrs. de Winter’s growing relationship in Monte Carlo. Production designer Joseph B. Platt, with set decorator Howard Bristol and art director Lyle Wheeler, does incredible work with the look of Manderley in its many interior settings with the shape of a room as well as its dining hall and the mystery that is Rebecca’s bedroom. Costume designer Irene does fantastic work with the design of the clothes including a costume that Mrs. de Winter would wear for the costume ball.

The special effects work of Jack Cosgrove is terrific for some of the visuals that include blurry images as well as backdrops for some scenes where characters are walking or driving. The sound work of Jack Noyes and Arthur Johns is superb for the sound effects that are created as well as the atmosphere of a location to help build up its suspense. The film’s music by Franz Waxman is brilliant for its soaring orchestral score that plays into the suspense and drama as it helps heighten the tension as well as some small moments to help build up the suspense.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Forrester Harvey as an innkeeper who appears in the third act, Philip Winter as the Manderley servant Robert, Edward Fielding as the head Manderley butler Frith whom Mrs. de Winter likes, Lumsden Hare as the boat builder Mr. Tabbs, Leonard Carey as a hermit named Ben who stays at Rebecca’s cottage, Leo G. Carroll in a one-scene performance as a doctor who saw Rebecca the day she died, Melville Cooper as a coroner late in the film, and Florence Bates in an excellent performance as Mrs. de Winter’s employer in Mrs. Edyth Van Hopper who appears in the film’s Monte Carlo sequences as she always has something to say as she is a total delight to watch. Gladys Cooper and Nigel Bruce are superb in their respective roles as Maxim’s sister Beatrice and her husband Major Giles Lacey with the former as someone who knew Rebecca though she admits that there’s things about Rebecca’s relationship with her brother that didn’t feel right while the latter is a comic relief who takes a liking towards the new Mrs. de Winter.

C. Aubrey Smith is fantastic as Colonel Julyan, this police authority figure who comes in during the film’s third act where he investigates what has happened while trying to make sense of why Maxim is being targeted. Reginald Denney is brilliant as Frank Crawley as the estate manager of Manderley and a friend of Maxim who knew Rebecca during her marriage to Maxim while vague about wanting to talk about her. George Sanders is amazing as Jack Favell as Rebecca’s cousin as he is this charming yet devilish figure that only appears in a few scenes as he is someone that has his own motives to create discord for Maxim and Mrs. de Winter. Judith Anderson is tremendous as Mrs. Danvers as the housekeeper of Manderley as she is this woman that is cold towards the new Mrs. de Winter as she is someone who loved Rebecca as she would also create chaos in Maxim’s marriage to his new wife as an act of devotion towards her late mistress.

Finally, there’s the duo of Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in great performances in their respective roles as Maxim and Mrs. de Winter where Olivier displays a man in anguish as someone who is consumed with guilt and grief over the loss of his first wife while is desperate to hold on to his new life with his new wife. Fontaine brings a livelier performance as a woman who is excited in the new life she has given but is troubled by the shadow of Maxim’s late wife. Even as she then deals with the stories of Rebecca and tries to understand everything that had happened with Maxim where she and Olivier have great rapport in the way two people deal with a ghostly presence who tries to destroy their happiness.

Rebecca is a spectacular film by Alfred Hitchcock that features phenomenal leading performances from Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine as well as an outstanding supporting performance from Judith Anderson. Along with its ensemble cast, thrilling music score, entrancing visuals, and its study of loss. It is a film that explores a couple dealing with the presence of a man’s late wife as well as secrets about this woman that is never seen in the film’s entirety. In the end, Rebecca is a sensational film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) – The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) – The Lady Vanishes (1938 film) - (Jamaica Inn) – (Foreign Correspondent) – (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) – Suspicion (1941 film) - (Saboteur) – (Shadow of a Doubt) – Lifeboat - Bon Voyage - (Spellbound) – (Notorious) – (The Paradine Cage) – Rope - (Under Capricorn) – (Stage Fright) – Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) – Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) – (Topaz) – (Frenzy) – (Family Plot)

© thevoid99 2024

The Nightingale (2018 film)

 

Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, The Nightingale is the story of an Irish convict who goes on a journey for revenge following the death of her family in colonial Tasmania where she is aided by Aboriginal Tasmanian tracker who also wants revenge against the British colonists. The film is a psychological thriller set in the early 19th Century as it plays into a woman who lost everything as well as being gang-raped by these colonial soldiers as she and this man trek through the rugged wilderness of Tasmania. Starring Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr, Damon Herriman, Harry Greenwood, Ewen Leslie, Charlie Shotwell, Michael Sheasby, and Magnolia Maymuru. The Nightingale is an unflinching and visceral film by Jennifer Kent.

Set in 1825 Tasmania just before the Black War between the British and Tasmanian Aboriginals, the film revolves around an Irish woman who treks through the Tasmanian wilderness with an Aboriginal Tasmanian tracker on a journey for revenge after being gang-raped and forced to watch her husband and infant daughter killed by two British soldiers and a British officer. It is a revenge film, but it is really a study on the horrors of colonialism with this Irish convict and a Tasmanian Aboriginal dealing with what was lost under the rule of Britain. Jennifer Kent’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative, yet it is filled with this study of colonial rule and how two people are ravaged by the horrors of colonialism as they also endure loss of the most extreme. The film’s protagonist Clare (Aisling Franciosi) is an Irish convict who is hoping to be freed by a colonial detachment leader in Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) so she can have a life of her own with her husband Aidan (Michael Sheasby) and their infant daughter. Yet, Lt. Hawkins is more interested in keeping so he can rape her and use her as property to assert his authority.

When a superior officer arrives to inspect Lt. Hawkins’ post, he chooses to not give him a recommendation where Lt. Hawkins and a couple of his officers decide to gang-rape Clare in front of Aidan where dark events occur leaving Clare alive. Lt. Hawkins and his officers flee their post to travel to Launceston with an Aboriginal guide, two servants, and a young boy who is eager to help them. Clare takes her husband’s horse while a fellow convict suggests she should take an Aboriginal guide of her own where reluctantly accompanying her is Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) who knows how to get to Launceston. During their journey, the two would encounter the wilderness as well as their own prejudices towards one another as Billy despises white people and their ways but they would eventually find a common cause in their hatred for the British. Especially as they are both people who have been exploited and tortured by colonialism, where Clare and Billy each have their own thirst for vengeance. Still, they cope with not just loss but also the horror of a world that is unforgiving.

Kent’s direction is entrancing in its visuals as it is shot on location in Tasmania while it is presented in a 1:37:1 aspect ratio to create an intimacy in its look. While there are several wide shots of the film to capture the scope of the locations including the Tasmanian wilderness as it is a character of its own. Kent also grounds the film in her usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the sense of terror that Clare would go through as Kent also creates compositions that play into what is happening in the foreground with events happening in the background. Notably during the gang-rape scene where Kent does not hold back on the violence though she does not show anything sexually explicit in what is happening to Clare but rather her face and the horror with which she is dealing. The aftermath is just as disturbing of a woman who had just lost everything where Kent’s close-ups says a lot into what this woman has endured. When the film moves into the woods, there is something uneasy about its surroundings where it feels like Hell on Earth. Hung Aboriginals on tree branches. Old couples killed in cabins. Kent does not shy away from the horrors of colonialism where Clare and Billy would bond over their encounters of these atrocities as no one is safe.

Kent also plays into the sadism of Lt. Hawkins where he is just as cruel to those who are loyal to him while he would also do things that are inhumane. One of his officers would kidnap an Aboriginal woman (Magnolia Maymuru) as she would later be raped by that officer and Lt. Hawkins with their Aboriginal guide having to look away. Lt. Hawkins and his entourage would also encounter the wilderness at its most unforgiving, that include Aboriginal tribes who want them dead for all the right reasons. The film’s third act has a calmness though the sense of loss and trauma still looms with both Billy and Clare coping with violence up close but also a rare form of kindness. Still, Kent displays this great sense of inhumanity that Billy and Clare still encounter as it relates to Lt. Hawkins as he is the embodiment of inhumanity as well as the many fallacies of colonialism. Overall, Kent crafts an unsettling and monstrous film about an Irish woman and an Aboriginal Tasmanian going on a dark journey through the Tasmanian wilderness on a quest for revenge.

Cinematographer Radek Ladczuk does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of fire and available light for the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as the usage of natural lighting for the scenes set in the daytime. Editor Simon Njoo does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts for a few scenes as well as rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer Alex Holmes, with set decorator Christian Petersen and art director Sophie Nash, does brilliant work with the look of station post that Lt. Hawkins and his men lived in as well as some of the homes that Clare and Billy encounter along with the town of Launceston. Costume designer Margot Wilson does fantastic work with the green dress that Clare wears for her singing performance early in the film along with ragged clothing she would wear as well as a coat that Billy would get at a house.

Hair/makeup designer Nikki Gooley does brilliant work with the look of the characters including some of the warpaint that the Aboriginal tribes wear during a key battle scene in the film. Special effects supervisor Dan Oliver and visual effects supervisor Marty Pepper do superb work with the visual effects for a few surreal moments in the film including a weird dream scene after Clare was knocked out only to then wake up. Sound designer Robert Mackenzie does phenomenal work with the sound in capturing not just the atmosphere of the location with sounds of animals and nature but also in the way gunfire can sound from afar or up-close as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Jed Kurzel is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that only appears sparingly as it has elements of folk music instrumentation while music supervisor Andrew Kotako creates a rich music soundtrack that features folk and traditional-based music in some of the Irish songs that Clare sings and the war cries of Billy.

The casting by Nikki Barrett is tremendous as it feature some notable small roles from Maya and Addison Christie as Clare and Aidan’s infant baby, Ewen Leslie as the officer Goodwin who refuses to give Lt. Hawkins a recommendation, Magnolia Maymuru as an Aboriginal woman in Lowanna whom Lt. Hawkins and one of his soldiers would take prisoner and rape her, Charlie Jampijinpa Brown as Lt. Hawkins’ Aboriginal guide Uncle Charlie, Charlie Shotwell as a young boy named Eddie who becomes part of Lt. Hawkins’ entourage as he hopes to win him over, Harry Greenwood as one of Lt. Greenwood’s officers in Ensign Jago who is reluctant to do anything for Lt. Hawkins, Damon Herriman as another of Lt. Hawkins’ officer in Sgt. Ruse who is eager to please Lt. Hawkins while also engaging in deplorable behavior, and Michael Sheasby in a superb performance as Clare’s husband Aidan who tries to reason with Lt. Hawkins in releasing Clare so that they can be free.

Sam Claflin is phenomenal as Lt. Hawkins as this monstrous figure that has no problems being abusive towards anyone he encounters while he also feels entitled to having a certain status. Claflin gives a performance that is truly ferocious in the way he treats people as if he is the reflection of inhumanity and the cruelty of colonialism. Baykali Ganambarr is great as Mangana aka Billy as this Aboriginal Tasmanian guide who reluctantly helps Clare in finding Lt. Hawkins as he is someone that has legitimate hatred for white people including the British where he would befriend Clare realizing her own hatred for the British. It is a performance filled with nuances of a man that is trying to hold on to his identity and culture while lamenting everything he had lost. Finally, there’s Aisling Franciosi in a breakout performance as Clare as this young Irish woman that loses everything including her husband and infant daughter where she goes on a journey for revenge. It is a performance that demands a lot of physical and emotional anguish where Franciosi just goes all out while not being afraid to be vulnerable in her reaction to loss as it is a performance for the ages.

The Nightingale is an outstanding film from Jennifer Kent that features a trio of great performances from Aisling Franciosi, Baykali Ganambarr, and Sam Claflin. Along with its ravishing visuals, uncompromising approach to violence, and its ugly depiction of colonialism at its most cruel. It is a film that is not for the faint of heart while it is also a film that goes beyond the parameters of what is expected in a psychological horror film. In the end, The Nightingale is a magnificent film by Jennifer Kent.

The Babadook

© thevoid99 2024