Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story is the story about a theater director and an actress trying to have amicable divorce as it lead to a troubled custody battle for their son. The film is a study of a marriage disintegrating with two people who care about each other as they both go into different directions and cities but also want to be civil only to get into an ugly custody battle. Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Azhy Robertson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever. Marriage Story is a witty yet touching film from Noah Baumbach.
The marriage between a theater director and his leading lady is ending as the two try to maintain an amicable divorce as the latter moves to Los Angeles to star in a pilot only for the show to be picked up leading to a chaotic custody battle for their young son. That is the film’s overall plot as it’s more about two people falling out of love and trying to understand what is best for their son but also for themselves just as they start to see the flaws in themselves in their marriage. Noah Baumbach’s screenplay is set into two different cities in New York and Los Angeles as the former is where Charlie Barber (Adam Driver) does much of his theater work as he’s about to get a prestigious grant that would help his theater company financially as well as be on Broadway. The latter is where Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is about to star in a TV pilot as she once known as an actress of raunchy teen movies as her work in Charlie’s avant-garde plays have given her acclaim yet she wanted to branch out into doing different things.
The first act is about Charlie and Nicole trying to raise their eight-year old son Henry (Azhy Robertson) with the latter going to L.A. and live temporarily with her mother Sandra (Julie Hagerty) with Henry living with her. The two try to work out a long-distance relationship with Charlie staying in New York City to get his play on Broadway but Nicole’s series gets picked up and Charlie’s plans for his play with Nicole’s involvement falls by the wayside leaving to problems and Nicole hiring Nora Fanshaw (Laura Dern) as her divorce attorney. Charlie is taken aback by the news of Nora prompting him to find a lawyer as he hires retired family lawyer Bert Spitz (Alan Alda) who is more about civility as he would be replaced another attorney Charlie met earlier in the brash Jay Marotta (Ray Liotta). Through many legal things and other things that forces Charlie to buy an apartment in Los Angeles, Charlie and Nicole’s desire for civility and making things work start to fall apart as their own faults come into play.
Baumbach’s direction does have elements of style in some of the compositions he creates yet much of his direction is straightforward. Shot on location in New York City and in Los Angeles as they’re both characters in the film. Baumbach does use close-ups and medium shots to play into the characters conversing with one another yet there are also a lot of wide shots for some of the rooms and places they’re in whether it’s Charlie’s L.A. apartment or Nora’s office. Baumbach does use the wide shots to play into this growing dissolution between Charlie and Nicole as well as their own sense of loneliness as they cope with the divorce. The direction has Baumbach emphasize on locations as it play into Charlie being lost in Los Angeles as he doesn’t know much about the city while he has a hard time trying to do things both in New York and in L.A. It’s one of the film’s comical moments as it play into Charlie’s own awkwardness towards L.A. as well as the fact that he always turns to Nicole’s mother for help as she likes Charlie as she doesn’t want to end their relationship.
The direction does intensify as it reaches the third act in the first court case as Baumbach has some unique compositions where it’s Jay and Nora in the foreground while Charlie and Nicole are in the background as Baumbach would use close-ups of Charlie and Nicole to understand what they’re dealing with. Even to the point that they are forced to realize why they broke up and are in this situation during an intensely dramatic scene as it is clear that both of them do love each other but also hate each other. Baumbach maintains that air of realism as well as not being afraid of painting both Charlie and Nicole as flawed people with good intentions as they want what is best for their son and for each other. Overall, Baumbach crafts a compelling and rapturous film about a couple divorcing each other and dealing with an ugly custody battle.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key colors and lights for some of the scenes in New York City to the more vibrant look of Los Angeles in the daytime with some low-key looks for the scenes at night. Editor Jennifer Lame does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some jump-cuts to play into some of the humor while there’s an inventive montage sequence in the beginning to play into Charlie and Nicole’s notes for each other. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorators Lizzie Boyle, Nickie Ritchie, and Adam Willis plus art directors Andrew Hull and Josh Petersen, does fantastic work with the look of Charlie and Nicole’s home in New York City as well as the home of Nicole’s mother’s house as well as the apartment that Charlie would live in in Los Angeles. Costume designer Mark Bridges does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with the exception of the Halloween costumes Charlie, Nicole, and Henry would wear
Special effects supervisor Joe Pancake and visual effects supervisor Vico Sharabani do terrific work with the look of the design in Charlie’s play as well as in Nicole’s TV pilot as much of the visual effects are minimal as they serve as set-dressing. Sound editor Christopher Scarabosio does superb work with the sound in the way airplanes sound as well as the sound of certain locations that add to the tense atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Randy Newman is incredible for its somber piano-based score and lush orchestral pieces that play into some of the humor and drama as well as the melancholic tone of the film while music supervisor George Drakoulias provides a fun soundtrack that features mainly bits of instrumental pieces from Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips and Bill Evans along with show tunes that include songs by Stephen Sondheim.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jasmine Cepha Jones, Mickey Sumner, and Wallace Shawn as actors in Charlie’s theater company, Mark O’Brien as a man Nicole meets late in the film in Carter, Brooke Bloom as Charlie’s theater manager whom he supposedly had a brief tryst with, Rich Fulcher as a judge, and Martha Kelly in a terrific one-scene performance as a court-appointed evaluator who watches Charlie’s time with Henry in an awkwardly-funny scene. Merritt Wever is superb as Nicole’s sister Cassie who is trying to help Nicole out while having a funny moment involving trying to hide the divorce papers for Charlie. Julie Hagerty is fantastic as Nicole’s mother Sandra as a former actress who is trying to maintain peace as she also helps Charlie find a lawyer in the hope to continue her own relationship with Charlie. Azhy Robertson is excellent as Charlie and Nicole’s son Henry as a young boy trying to find his role in the world where he finds joy in Los Angeles while having a hard time trying to understand what his parents are going through.
Alan Alda is brilliant as Bert Spitz as a retired family lawyer Charlie hires as he is a sensible lawyer who had seen a lot as he gives Charlie some advice on what to do and wanting to make it civil as it would play into Charlie’s frustrations. Ray Liotta is amazing as Jay Marotta as an attorney Charlie meets during the first act and eventually hire him as he’s a more ruthless attorney who also provides Charlie some harsh insights about what he is about go through as Liotta provides a lot of energy into his performance. Laura Dern is incredible as Nicole’s attorney Nora Fanshaw as a woman who understand what Nicole is going through but also has to find angles and such while is full of charisma as is it is Dern in one of her best performances of her career.
Finally, there’s the duo of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Charlie and Nicole Barber. Driver provides this element of quirkiness as a man who tends to live in his own head a lot yet is a good father and a good cook as he copes with having to move to Los Angeles to be near his son though he’s a New York person who loves what he does in theater. Johansson’s performance is filled with unique facial mannerisms but also a woman who is becoming melancholic over her marriage but also in what she wants for herself as she tries to find ways to be civil and a good mother to her son. Driver and Johansson together have this amazing chemistry in the way they deal with each other including in an intense argument scene that showcases two people who have a lot to vent but also realize how much they do care each other as it is a major moment for both of them who definitely give career-defining performances.
Marriage Story is an outstanding film from Noah Baumbach that feature sensational performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. Along with its ensemble cast, study of divorce and dissolution, gorgeous photography, Randy Newman’s amazing score, and Baumbach’s willingness to showcase the many highs and lows of divorce. It’s a film that is willing to explore a family coming apart but also wanting what is best for a child who is caught in the middle despite the parents’ attempt to be civil and fair. In the end, Marriage Story is a magnificent film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming (1995 film) - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - (The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the works and characters of George Lucas, The Rise of Skywalker (Star Wars Episode IX) is the final film series of the Skywalker saga as it follows the conclusion of the conflict between the Resistance and the First Order with ties to their respective allegiances in the Jedi and the Sith. Directed by J.J. Abrams with a screenplay by Abrams and Chris Terrio from a story by Abrams, Terrio, Derek Connolly, and Colin Trevorrow, the film follows the Resistance rebuilding itself to go into a final stand with the First Order while Rey deals with Kylo Ren for the final time. Starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher in her final film appearance as Leia Organa. The Rise of Skywalker is an exhilarating yet clunky film from J.J. Abrams.
The film follows events after the previous encounter as the remaining forces of the Resistance learn about the dark secret that Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is alive as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) finds Palpatine learning what he’s created prompting Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) to find out where Palpatine is and why he’s alive. That the film’s main plot as it focuses on Rey making a discovery about her own identity but also what Ren discovered as it relates to Palpatine. The film’s screenplay by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio is largely straightforward in its narrative but considering the risks that the previous story had done with its narrative. It feels more of a step backwards by going back to something that calls back to other narratives of previous films as well as rely on exposition at times that does hinder the narrative.
The revelation about Palpatine and how he survived the events that led to his supposed death reveal a secret cult that relates to the Sith and the Empire along with other revelations about the First Order’s leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Ren at first wants to destroy Palpatine but realizes that Palpatine is too powerful and influential to destroy as one of the film’s main plot points involves finding an object that reveals the location of where Palpatine is and his big secret as it’s part of the narrative that involves Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, and the droids in BB-8 and C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) as they also go in the search for another mysterious object that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) had been trying to find many years ago. It is in that narrative where Rey makes some discovers about herself while still finds herself connected with Ren who had discovered her true identity. Though the narrative does manage to flesh out some of the characters but at the disservice of others in favor of playing into a formula of emphasizing on action scene to another action scene with little time for characterization.
J.J. Abrams’ direction is sprawling in terms of its set pieces, action scenes, and in the many different locations the film is set with much of the film shot at Pinewood Studios in London and some of the desert locations in Jordan. Abrams’ direction does use a lot of wide and medium shots to get a scope of these locations that include a celebration on a planet that happens every 42 years while establishing the rule of the First Order as they venture into many planets of the galaxy to find Rey, Finn, and Poe who have become major targets for the First Order prompting Ren to send the Knights of Ren to find them. Abrams does at least establish what is going on while many of the action sequences and lightsaber battles are thrilling. Those scenes are fun to watch including the film’s climax between the Resistance and the First Order in a massive final battle scene that does have a lot of callbacks to the films of the past including a few notable characters from those past films.
There are some intimate moments that have elements of humor and drama in some of the scenes that Abrams creates with the usage of close-ups and medium shots yet it is hampered by the film’s script and narrative where it never does enough to get the characters to figure out what to do next. Though there are scenes that do play into revelations about Poe’s own background as well as Finn meeting a woman in Jannah (Naomi Ackie) who shares a similar background that Finn had endured. Abrams unfortunately underwhelms when it comes to the scenes involving Palpatine in its third act as there are also a few moments in the third act that are cheesy. Still, Abrams does succeed in creating a fitting conclusion to the series as it is about a young woman understanding who she is but show she chooses to be in the end. Overall, Abrams crafts a thrilling although derivative film about a conflict that reaches its breaking point.
Cinematographer Dan Mindel does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of dark-bluish light for some of the scenes on the planet of Exegol along with scenes on a planet where Poe meets an old friend along with some colorful lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes including some gorgeous work in the film’s ending. Editors Maryann Brandon and Stefan Grube do nice work with the editing as it is does play into the thrill of the action and the rhythm of the lightsaber battles along with some straightforward cuts for some of the non-action scenes. Production designers Rick Carter and Kevin Jenkins, along with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg and supervising art director Paul Inglis, do amazing work with the look of the planet that Palpatine lives in as well as the design of a few ships and the home base of the Resistance. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does fantastic work with costume designs in the look of Poe’s old ally Zorri Bliss (Keri Russell) as well as the ragged look of the Resistance.
Creature designer Neal Scanlan does excellent work with the look of some of the creatures Rey, Poe, and Finn encounter including a tiny hacker named Babu Frik (voice of Shirley Henderson) who would decode something relating to ancient Sith translation. Special effects supervisor Dominic Tuohy and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett do incredible work with the special effects in the usage of practical effects along with computer-based effects for some scenes including a flashback scene of Luke training Leia as it play into a major plot-point for Rey in the film’s third act. Sound editors David Acord and Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound in creating many sound effects and textures into the sound including a collage of voices during Rey’s confrontation with Palpatine. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for its orchestral-based score that feature some familiar themes relating to his work from the past but also some thrilling pieces in the string arrangements and bombastic moments that play into the sense of adventure and drama.
The casting by Nina Gold, April Webster, and Alyssa Weisberg is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jamie Comer and Billy Howle as a couple protecting a young Rey, Mike Quinn and Kipsang Rotich in their respective work as performer and voice of Nien Nunb, music composer John Williams as a bartender, Dominic Monaghan as a Resistance trooper, Greg Grunberg as Resistance pilot Snap Wexley, Shirley Henderson as the voice of hacker Babu Frik, and Billie Lourd as Lt. Connix. The performances of Hassan Taj and Lee Towersey as R2-D2 and the duo of Dave Chapman and Brian Herring as BB-8 are terrific in providing the puppeteer work of the droids with J.J. Abrams as the voice of a droid BB-8 befriends in D-O. Kelly Marie Tran is good as Resistance mechanic/fighter Rose Tico though she doesn’t really much to do while Naomi Ackie is superb as Jannah as a Resistance ally who is part of a group of people that shared similar experiences that Finn went through as a Stormtrooper.
Joonas Suotomo, Anthony Daniels. and Billy Dee Williams are fantastic in their respective roles as Chewbacca, the droid C-3P0 and Lando Calrissian as two war veterans with Chewbacca helping Rey, Poe, and Finn in their mission with C-3P0 joining along as he also provides key information that would help them find their destination while Calrissian appears to give them advice as well as some inspirational words before he rejoins the fight. Richard E. Grant is brilliant as General Pryde as a First Order leader who was also part of the Empire while Domnhall Gleeson is alright as General Hux as a First Order leader who tries to find ways not to get into Ren’s bad side. Keri Russell and Lupita Nyong’o are amazing in their respective roles as an old friend of Poe in Zorri Bliss and the space pirate Maz Kanata with former having some issues with Poe over things from the past while the latter is aware of what is going on as she tries to reach out to other allies. Ian McDiarmid is remarkable as Palpatine as he doesn’t appear much in the film except in the opening sequence and in the third act as the former Sith lord and leader of the Empire who is trying to manipulate and mastermind everything around him while carrying a major secret of his own.
Oscar Isaac and John Boyega are marvelous in their respective roles as Poe Dameron and Finn with the former as a Resistance pilot who becomes concerned with what to do and how to be a leader while the latter becomes more confident in his role yet expresses his own concern for Rey who admits to feeling troubled by her own visions. Mark Hamill is incredible in his brief appearance as Luke Skywalker as the former Jedi master who appears in one key scene to give Rey guidance as well as admit to his own failures. Through a series of archival appearances from previous films, Carrie Fisher is phenomenal as Leia Organa as the Resistance leader who helps Rey in her Jedi training but also is aware of what is happening where she makes a major decision to reach out to Kylo. Daisy Ridley is sensational as Rey as a young scavenger turned Jedi who becomes troubled by her visions and her past leading questions about her true identity as she becomes conflicted and lost. Finally, there’s Adam Driver in a tremendous performance as Kylo Ren as the First Order’s leader who finds Palpatine hoping to end him only to align with him as he struggles with his own issues concerning Rey and her true identity along with the need to prove to himself to the dark side of the Force.
The Rise of Skywalker is a superb though flawed film from J.J. Abrams. Despite its shortcomings in its script and emphasis to play it safe rather than take risks, the film still manages to be exciting and adventurous. Notably as it features great performances from its ensemble cast as well as dazzling visuals. In the end, The Rise of Skywalker is a stellar film from J.J. Abrams.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi
Anthology Series: Rogue One - Solo
Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
George Lucas Films: (THX-1138) – (American Graffiti)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the autobiographical novel Black Klansman by Ron Stallworth, BlacKkKlansman is the real-life story about detective Ron Stallworth who manages to infiltrate a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a white detective as its face. Directed by Spike Lee and screenplay by Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charles Wachtel, and Kevin Willmott, the film is a look into how an African-American detective in Colorado somehow infiltrated a local chapter of the white supremacist group and eventually be a head of one of its chapters with John David Washington starring in the role of Stallworth Also starring Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, Corey Hawkins, Robert John Burke, Harry Belafonte, and Alec Baldwin as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard. BlacKkKlansman is a rapturous and witty film from Spike Lee.
Set in 1972, the film is about the real-life story of rookie cop Ron Stallworth who becomes the first African-American officer to work for the local precinct at Colorado Springs, Colorado where he would move up to intelligence where he finds himself making contact with a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. It’s a film that play into this man who would find himself be part of the notorious white supremacist group as he and another undercover officer in Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) would both play this man wanting to join the KKK in Stallworth’s name. The film’s screenplay does take a few dramatic liberties as the real-life events took place in 1979 yet given the context of the times and the struggle for black identity in the early 1970s. The script does play into this tension that is looming with Stallworth in the middle as a man who just wants to be a good cop and protect all kinds of people.
While he would encounter some racism from a fellow cop who likes to bust other African-Americans in Colorado Springs, Stallworth knows when to not say anything as he is given an opportunity to make a difference in the local precinct. While he knows when to keep his mouth shut, Stallworth would eventually get some serious work as an undercover officer where he first attends a student rally where civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) was speaking to see if Ture is planning something that could cause trouble. Stallworth would get his first serious assignment when he answers an ad from the Ku Klux Klan where he talks in a Caucasian accent as he would fool several leaders but knows that he needs a white face to get in. Zimmerman does it despite the fact that he’s Jewish as he takes Stallworth’s name as he would meet the local chapter’s leader Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold) as well as the psychotic Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Paakkonen). Through their frequent contacts, Stallworth would eventually get to chat on the phone with KKK’s grand wizard in David Duke (Topher Grace).
Much of the film’s second and third act has Stallworth and Zimmerman play as the former to the meetings with the latter having to attend meetings and at shooting ranges as well as the ceremony during the film’s third act. The film does have elements of humor in some of the dialogue as the script doesn’t just play into this idea of how idiotic some of the people in the KKK are but also how it parallels with events that are happening in the 21st Century including this rhetoric of making America great again. It would play into a moment in the film as its climax involves Duke’s appearance at this event but also plans to disrupt an event nearby held by Colorado College’s black student union president Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier) whom Stallworth is embarking on a relationship with.
Spike Lee’s direction is gripping for the way he plays up this idea of white power as it opens with a scene of Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard making a scientific explanation about the dangers of racial integration while using images from films like Gone with the Wind and Birth of a Nation as examples as it would inspire these ideas of white supremacy with African-Americans, Jews, and other racial/ethnic groups as inferior. Shot on location in Ossining, New York as Colorado Springs with some exteriors shot at Colorado Springs, Colorado, the film does play into this small town that is like any other town in America but with this undercurrent of rampant racism that is emerging. Lee would use some wide shots for the locations but also create something that is also intimate with the medium shots and close-ups. Even in some striking compositions and stylistic shots in the way he play into people meeting with one another as well as some of the humor that is created in scenes that has Stallworth talking the KKK on the phone as if he wants to join.
Lee’s direction also play up into the idea of Blaxploitation as an idea of African-American identity as well as the fascination of African-American culture from a few of Stallworth’s colleagues including Zimmerman who is a big fan of Willie Mays. While the character of Dumas is someone who has legit reasons for her disdain for cops, she is forced to listen to reason from Stallworth as well as be aware that not all white cops are bad. Especially as someone like Zimmerman has to listen to anti-Semitic rhetoric from Kendrickson and take it though Zimmerman admits to not acting Jewish or practicing Judaism yet does feel the need to stand up to this idea of hate. The film’s climax is unique in the way Lee presents these two different meetings where one involves the KKK and the other meeting involving black students as there’s a great contrast to how they conduct themselves and such.
The film does have an epilogue as it relates to the KKK and how it’s managed to transform into something bigger and more dangerous where despite Stallworth’s effort to make fools out of them and reveal what they’re about. Little has changed with more now trying to stop this idea of hate and bigotry from a group of people who have nothing good to offer to the world. Overall, Lee creates an entertaining yet gripping film about an African-American police officer who would find his way into the Ku Klux Klan and discover the inner-workings of the hateful organization.
Cinematographer Chayse Irvin does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes on low-key colors for many of the film’s interior and exterior settings with much of the former using some stylish lights to play into the look that is similar to 1970s cinema. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and some split-screen cuts to play into Stallworth’s conversation with Duke on the phone as it help create some comic effects into their conversations. Production designer Curt Beech, with set decorator Cathy T. Marshall and art director Marci Mudd, does amazing work with the look of the police building interiors as well as some of the local places including the home of Kendrickson with his collection of guns and stuff including a lie detector machine as well as the look of the hall where Duke has his ceremony. Costume designer Marci Rodgers does fantastic work with the period costumes that is set in the 70s from the stylish look of Dumas and other students as well as the more ragged look that some of the KKK members wear aside from the KKK robes.
Hair stylist Shaun Perkins, along with makeup artists Janine JP Parrella and Yasmina Smith-Tyson, does wonderful work with the hairstyles and look of the characters as it play into the world of the 1970s including the look of David Duke in the 1970s with his mustache. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with the visual effects as it is appears on a few set pieces including in the montage of close-ups during Ture’s speech. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the meetings and rallies as well as some of the intense moments at Kendrickson’s home and in the film’s climax in how the meetings are presented. The film’s music by Terence Blanchard is incredible for its usage of jazz and funk with elements of soul as it help play into the times as it also includes an orchestral piece that play into the drama while music supervisor Rochelle Claerbaut provides a soundtrack that features an array of diverse music from Emerson, Lake, & Palmer, the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, the Temptations, Looking Glass, and a traditional music piece performed by Prince.
The casting by Kim Coleman is great as it feature some notable small roles from Isiah Whitlock Jr. as an African-American official in Mr. Turrentine who works with the police to meet with Stallworth, Nicholas Turturro as a bomb maker named Walker, Frederick Weller as the racist cop Landers, Ashlie Atkinson as Kendrickson’s wife Connie who also hates African-Americans, Michael Buscemi as a cop in Jimmy Creek who helps out Stallworth and Zimmerman, Ken Garito as Sgt. Trapp whom Stallworth and Zimmerman report to as he gets a kick out of Stallworth’s conversations with Duke, and Robert John Burke as Chief Bridges as the Colorado Springs police chief who wants to ensure that Stallworth stays out of trouble as he wants to make sure things go well. The cameo appearances from Alec Baldwin and Harry Belafonte in their respective roles as Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard and Jerome Turner are superb to play into some of the historical context in what is at stake as Baldwin’s performance is sort of played for laughs while Belafonte is more reserved in how he talks about what African-Americans endured after the Civil War with lynching being common in those days.
Ryan Eggold is terrific as Walter Breachway as the local chapter head of the KKK in Colorado Springs who would be the first to contact Stallworth unaware of his true identity as he’s a more level-headed person who wants nothing to go wrong. Paul Walter Hauser is fantastic as the dim-witted Ivanhoe as a KKK member who often says dumb things while always saying some unintentionally funny stuff. Jasper Paakkonen is excellent as Felix Kendrickson as a wildcard member of the KKK who is always suspicious of those who want to join the KKK as it’s a darkly comical performance that is full of energy and wit. Corey Hawkins is brilliant in his small role as civil rights activist Kwame Ture as a man who wants to help his community though he is aware of the police brutality that he and others are dealing with but also hoping to make some kind of change. Topher Grace is amazing as David Duke as the infamous Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who is trying to make the organization look friendlier but also has this dark idea of what he wants America to be like.
Laura Harrier is marvelous as Patrice Dumas as a student union president for Colorado College as she is trying to get people together to rally against some of the oppression other students face while starting to become less political upon meeting Stallworth as she shows a more human side. Adam Driver is incredible as Flip Zimmerman as a Jewish cop who becomes Stallworth’s face in his infiltration of the KKK where he gets a closer look to what he sees as well as be disturbed by its idea of hate. Finally, there’s John David Washington in a phenomenal breakthrough performance as Ron Stallworth as an African-American rookie cop who finds an ad from the KKK and ends up infiltrating the KKK via phone as it’s a charismatic and grounded performance where he provides some humor but also an idea of what is at stake for himself and everyone who just wants to bring good to the world.
BlacKkKlansman is a tremendous film from Spike Lee that features great performances from John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace. Along with its ensemble cast, stylish visuals, compelling script, and an incredible music score and soundtrack. It’s a film that captures a moment in time when an African-American would find himself in an organization that provides hate and fear in the hope he can put a stop to them even if it’s something small despite the fact that it would escalate into something far worse. Notably as it’s a film that showcases what hate can bring and how a man is willing to put a stop to it for the good of the world. In the end, BlacKkKlansman is a magnificent film from Spike Lee.
Related: Birth of a Nation
Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) – (School Daze) – Doing the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) – Crooklyn - (Clockers) – (Girl 6) – (Get on the Bus) – 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) – Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) – (Bamboozled) – (A Huey P. Newton Story) – 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) – (She Hate Me) – (Inside Man) – (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) – (Miracle at St. Anna) – (Kobe Doin’ Work) – (Passing Strange) – (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) – (Red Hook Summer) – Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) – (Da Blood of Jesus) – (Chiraq) – Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
© thevoid99 2018
Directed, shot, and edited by Steven Soderbergh and written by Rebecca Blunt, Logan Lucky is the story of a trio of siblings who try to end their family’s streak of bad luck and underachievement by robbing the Charlotte Motor Speedway and hope they don’t get caught by the FBI. The film marks a return from Soderbergh following a four-year break from films as he returns to a genre that has brought him success and mixing it with humor. Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Sebastian Stan, Katherine Waterston, Seth McFarlane, Jack Quaid, Brian Gleeson, Dwight Yoakam, and Daniel Craig. Logan Lucky is an exhilarating and whimsical film from Steven Soderbergh.
The film follows two brothers whose lives haven’t gone well as they conspire with their younger sister about stealing money at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with the help of an incarcerated safecracker they know. It’s a film with a simple premise with some complexities and intrigue yet it is about a family trying to change their fortunes and hope to give themselves a better life. Yet, they know they can’t do it by themselves as it’s not just this safecracker they need but also his brothers who aren’t very smart but are dependable. Rebecca Blunt’s screenplay does follow a simple three-act structure as the first act is about the Logan family with the eldest in Jimmy (Channing Tatum) was once a promising football star until his right knee gave out as he works in construction and wanting to be a good dad to his daughter Sadie (Farah Mackenzie) whom he has shared custody with his ex-wife Bobbie Jo Chapman (Katie Holmes).
Yet, he would be laid off due to insurance liabilities relating to his knee as it add to his growing misfortunes that would include his younger brother Clyde (Adam Driver) who lost part of his left arm in the Iraq War and is wearing a prosthetic while working as a bartender. The first act doesn’t just play into the Logans’ misfortune and Jimmy’s motivation to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway but also wanting to change it as he knows what to do, where to steal, and when as they recruit their younger sister Mellie (Riley Keough), the incarcerated safecracker Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), and Bang’s younger brothers Sam (Brian Gleeson) and Fish (Jack Quaid). The second act isn’t just about the heist but also how Joe and Clyde, who would put himself in prison to help Joe, break out and later get back in to serve their sentences but there are also complications as it relates the day of the heist forcing Jimmy to change plans. The third act is about its aftermath where the no-nonsense FBI agent Sarah Grayson (Hilary Swank) come in and figure what is going on as she would prove to be a match for all involved.
Steven Soderbergh’s direction is definitely stylish in some respects in terms of some of the compositions and set pieces he creates yet much of it is still straightforward as it play into the simple world of a trio of unfortunate siblings. Shot on various locations in North Carolina as well as Charlotte including the Charlotte Motor Speedway and parts of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Soderbergh does use the locations to play into this world of the American South as it is set mainly in the border between West Virginia and North Carolina where Jimmy did some of his construction work in the latter though he lives in the former. Soderbergh would emphasize on a simple approach to the compositions such as the opening scene of Jimmy fixing his truck while talking to Sadie about a John Denver song. It’s among these moments where Soderbergh can bring so much by doing so little which would also include a key scene of Sadie doing her pageant performance as the simplicity of the shots are captivating in establishing what is happening but also would serve as a key motivation for the few involved in that scene.
Also serving as cinematographer and editor in respective pseudonyms as Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard, Soderbergh’s approach to the visuals as there are some stylistic approach to lighting for some of the interiors and scenes at night whether it’s the usage of dark-yellowish colors or something natural for some scenes set in the daytime. Soderbergh’s editing does have style such as this usage of dissolves in a montage for some characters during the third act but also in some stylish cuts as it play into the heist and its aftermath. The heist sequence has elements of comedy but also intrigue into the attention to detail of what is going on and how they get the money but there’s also some twists and turns along the way such as what is happening at the prison Joe and Clyde are serving at. Soderbergh would also infuse bits of comedy as it relates to a snobbish British businessman in Max Chaliban (Seth MacFarlane) who would rile up the Logan brothers but also put himself into some serious shit. All of which play into two sets of siblings trying to pull off a heist without having the authorities wonder who it is. Overall, Soderbergh crafts as mesmerizing and fun film about a trio of siblings trying to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway to end their family curse.
Production designer Howard Cummings, with set decorators Barbara Munch plus art directors Eric R. Johnson and Rob Simons, does brilliant work with the look of the homes that some of the characters live in as well as the interior of the tube system inside the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Sadie wears for her pageant as well as some of the stylish clothing that Mellie wears. Visual effects supervisors Christina Mitrotti and Lesley Robson-Foster do terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to Clyde without his prosthetic as well as a few set dressing scenes. Sound designer Larry Blake does excellent work with the sound as it play into the way the tube system sounds from the inside as well as the scenes at the race track. The film’s music by David Holmes is amazing for its electronic-jazz score that has a lot of energy in the way it play into the suspense and humor with some blues and rock in the mix while music supervisor Season Kent provides a fun soundtrack of blues, rock, and country from artists and acts like Bo Diddley, John Denver, the Groundhogs, Lord John Sutch, John Fahey, LeAnn Rimes, Dr. John, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The casting by Carmen Cuba is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from real NASCAR racers Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch as state troopers, Jon Eyez as an inmate friend of Joe in Naaman, Kyle Larson as a limo driver, LeAnn Rimes as herself singing America the Beautiful, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano as security guards, the trio of Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, and Mike Joy as themselves commentating the race, Charles Halford as a friend of the Logans in Earl, Macon Blair as Grayson’s partner, Jim O’Heir as Jimmy’s boss early in the film who reluctantly lays him off, David Denman as Bobbie Jo’s husband Moody Chapman, Boden and Sutton Johnston in their respective roles as Moody’s sons Dylan and Levi, Ann Mahoney as a woman working security named Gleema, and Sebastian Stan in a terrific small role as NASCAR racer Dayton White who tries to live a healthy lifestyle despite working for Chaliban.
Katherine Waterston is fantastic in a small role as a former classmate of Jimmy in Sylvia who runs a mobile clinic where she gives Jimmy a tetanus shot. Dwight Yoakam is superb as Warden Burns as a prison warden who tries to uphold some order during a prison riot that lead to Joe and Clyde’s brief escape. Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson are hilarious in their respective roles as Joe’s dim-witted brothers Fish and Sam as two guys who aren’t smart but are still guys who can get the job done. Katie Holmes is wonderful as Bobbie Jo Chapman as Jimmy’s ex-wife who is still bitter about Jimmy’s shortcomings as she is also concerned about her daughter’s performance at the pageant. Farrah Mackenzie is brilliant as Sadie as Jimmy and Bobbie Jo’s daughter who is entering a beauty pageant as she turns to her Aunt Mellie for help while wondering what song to sing at the pageant. Hilary Swank is excellent as Sarah Grayson as a no-nonsense FBI agent who arrives in the film’s third act as she knows something is up but is also aware that whoever stole the money are a lot smarter than anyone realizes.
Seth MacFarlane is a joy to watch as Max Chaliban as a pretentious businessman from Britain with awful hair and a mustache who insults the Logan brothers as well as try to get his racer to drink his awful energy drink as he is just fun to watch. Riley Keough is amazing as Mellie Logan as a hairdresser who doesn’t believe in the family curse but is aware that the family hasn’t done great as she helps her brothers with the robbery in her own way while being there for her niece Sadie for the upcoming pageant. Daniel Craig is incredible as Joe Bang as a safecracker who is doing time in prison that knows how to open safes while Craig is given the chance to be funny and charming as he is a joy to watch. Adam Driver is marvelous as Clyde Logan as a former Iraq War veteran with a prosthetic left arm who also works as a bartender where he is reluctant to be part of the bank robbery as he had gotten arrested before as a kid yet is hoping to reverse the family curse. Finally, there’s Channing Tatum in a remarkable performance as Jimmy Logan as a former football star turned construction worker who decides to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the hope to change his family fortunes but also give his daughter a chance for a future as it is a low-key but charismatic performance from Tatum.
Logan Lucky is a phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a killer music soundtrack, and a witty take on the caper/heist film. The film is definitely one of Soderbergh’s most entertaining films but also one that is full of engaging characters and moment that are full of heart and joy. In the end, Logan Lucky is a spectacular film from Steven Soderbergh.
Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - (Unsane) – (High Flying Bird)
The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2018
(Winner of the Palm Dog Award to Nellie (posthumous) at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival)
Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Paterson is the story of the week in the life of a bus driver who writes poetry to let his day go by. The film is a simple story of a man and his simple life as he lives in a small town in New Jersey as writes about what he sees. Starring Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Chasten Harmon, William Jackson Harper. Masatoshi Nagase, and Barry Shabaka Henley. Paterson is an extraordinarily rich film from Jim Jarmusch.
The film is the story of a bus driver from Paterson, New Jersey who drives the same route every day in the course of a week as he has a routine that he does in his job and in his life while he writes poetry about his surroundings and the things he sees in his life. It’s a film with a simple premise as it follows the week in the life of the titular character (Adam Driver) as he also has a wife named Laura (Golshifteh Farahani) who dreams of becoming a country singer and opening her own cupcake store. Jim Jarmusch’s screenplay is largely told in the span of seven days as it follows Paterson driving the same bus route every day as he listens to the different passengers he has and then returns home to see what Laura has done in creating curtains, clothing, and such and then would walk their English bulldog Marvin (Nellie) on the way to a local bar where he chats with its bartender Doc (Barry Shabaka Henley).
During these days at work, he would see different set of twins as well as see a couple argue every once in a while at Doc’s bar as it play into his life that he would write about in his poetry as the poems are written by Ron Padgett which also references the work of William Carlos William who wrote a book of poems after the city. While Paterson is a good poet, he’s reluctant in having them published as he prefers to keep it to himself to emphasize his lack of ambition and just settle for what he has while being supportive of Laura’s many dreams.
Jarmusch’s direction doesn’t bear a lot of visual styles other than emphasizing on repetitious compositions to play into Paterson’s day-to-day routine in the course of a week. Shot on location in Paterson, New Jersey which is a character in the film in the many different street corners as well as the waterfalls including the Great Falls of the Passaic River where Paterson would often eat lunch and write poetry during his lunch break. While Jarmusch would use some wide shots of the entire city and its locations, much of the direction involves him using close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy of the bus that Paterson drives as well as the scenes at his home with Laura and the scenes at the bar. Still, Jarmusch’s approach to repetition as the path where Paterson walks to the bus station as he passes by old and abandoned factories along the way as well as the path he would walk Marvin to the bar show his simple routine as there’s something different that happens every once in a while. Even as the weekend approaches where Laura would receive a guitar that she wanted to learn to be a country singer as well as a bake sale that is happening on that Saturday.
While Paterson’s lack of ambitions of having his poems published do emphasize the need to keep his work for himself as he would meet a 10-year old girl who also wrote a poem as she would keep it in a secret notebook. It also showcases the power of poetry when it has someone writing for himself such as a moment late in the film where Paterson meets a Japanese tourist (Masatoshi Nagase) who is at the town due to his interest in poetry and the town itself. Though Paterson may write about ordinary things about what he sees, hears, or remembers, he uses poetry as a way to feel alive rather than express it publicly for vanity. Overall, Jarmusch crafts a tender yet intoxicating film about the week in the life of a poetic bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey.
Cinematographer Frederick Elmes does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward to play into the natural look of the city in the day and night including the low-key lights for the scenes at the bar. Editor Affonso Goncalves does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, superimposed dissolves for the poetry scenes, and some transitional fade-outs. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Lydia Marks and art director Kim Jennings, does fantastic work with the interiors of the bar as well as some of the creations that Laura made in the curtains at the home she shares with Paterson.
Costume designer Catherine George does amazing work with the clothes that Laura wears that is very stylish with its emphasis on black-and-white while maintaining a more casual look for the rest of the characters in the film. Sound designer Robert Hein does superb work with the sound in capturing the way a bus would sound when it is turned on as well as other low-key yet sparse textures in many of the film’s location. The film’s music by Carter Logan, Jim Jarmusch, and Squrl is terrific for its ambient-based score that appears in a few scenes to play into Paterson’s sense of wonderment while the rest of the music soundtrack appears largely in scenes in the bar or on location as it include cuts by Teddy Pendergrass, Reuben Wilson, Killer Mike, Pouran, Tammy Wynette, Lester Young, Gary Carter, Bad Medicine, and Jerry Brightman.
The casting by Ellen Lewis and Meghan Rafferty is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as a couple of students talking about anarchy on the bus, Sterling Jerins as a young poet that Paterson meets on his way home from work, Chasten Harmon and William Jackson Harper in their respective roles as Marie and Everett as this bickering couple who frequent at the bar, Rizwan Manji as a co-worker of Paterson in Donny, and Cliff “Method Man” Smith as himself working on a rhyme. Masatoshi Nagase is superb as the Japanese tourist that Paterson meets late in the film who shares his love of poetry as well as the work of William Carlos William. Barry Shabaka Henley is excellent as the bartender Doc as a man who loves to play chess and chat with Paterson about their town and the many wonders of their small town.
Golshifteh Farahani is incredible as Laura as a lively woman with big dreams of being a country singer, making cupcakes, and all sorts of things as someone who is supportive of Paterson’s poetry while wanting to ensure they have a good and thriving life. Finally, there’s Adam Driver in a sensational performance as the titular character as bus driver who drives many people around the town of Paterson as he spends a bit of time writing poetry as well as observe all that is around as it’s a quiet yet endearing performance from Driver.
Paterson is a phenomenal film from Jim Jarmusch that features great performances from Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani. Along with its low-key approach to storytelling, poetic tone, naturalistic visuals, and a soothing score. It’s a film that showcases a week in the life of an ordinary man who proves to be just as fascinating as everyone else around him though prefers to keep it quiet. In the end, Paterson is a spectacular film from Jim Jarmusch.
Jim Jarmusch Films: Permanent Vacation - Stranger Than Paradise - Down by Law - Mystery Train - Night on Earth - Dead Man - Year of the Horse - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - Coffee and Cigarettes - Broken Flowers - The Limits of Control - Only Lovers Left Alive - (Gimme Danger) – The Auteurs #27: Jim Jarmusch
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Shusaku Endo, Silence is the story of two Jesuit priests who travel from Macau to Japan to find their mentor who had renounced his faith in his attempt to spread Christianity in 17th Century Japan. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Scorsese and Jay Cocks, the film is the third film in an unofficial trilogy of films exploring the ideas of faith that Scorsese had done with The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun where two young men travel to a world that is isolated from everyone as it showcases two men trying to hold on to their ideals at a time when anything foreign in Japan is forbidden. Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciaran Hinds, and Liam Neeson. Silence is a ravishing yet haunting film from Martin Scorsese.
Set during a period in Japan where Christianity is forbidden in the country due to the belief that it would corrupt its ideals, the film revolves around two Jesuit priests from St. Paul’s College in Macau who travel to the isolated country where their mentor had been in the country in an attempt to spread the ideas of Christianity to the Japanese. Yet, they would arrive into a country where the practice of Christianity is kept in secret as it would lead to this revelation about what Japan is trying to do to suppress ideas outside of Japan forcing these two young priests to face major challenges. The film’s screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks opens with images of torture towards not just these Jesuits priests but also followers where Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) watches in despair as he is unable to do anything to help those being tortured. It would lead to this main narrative where Father Ferreira’s pupils in Father Sebastiao Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) travel to Japan to find their mentor and confirm these rumors that he had committed apostasy.
The film’s first act is about Rodrigues and Garupe learning about their mentor in Japan and their desire to find him knowing that Japan is not easy to enter as they’re aided by a troubled alcoholic guide in Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka) who was a former Christian as he is also trying to seek some salvation. There, they would meet several villagers who practice Christianity in complete secrecy as some would be caught by samurai working for a mysterious inquisitor. The second act has Rodrigues and Garupe take on different paths to help Japanese Christians as much of the film’s narrative is told through the perspective of the former who would endure immense challenges of faith. Throughout the course of the film, Rodrigues would ponder these ideas of faith as well as why there’s a number of high officials of the Japanese consulate that are resistant to Christianity as there are a lot of fallacies to the idea of Christianity. Even as Rodrigues would have to see followers be tortured to death as some would apostatize but others would refuse leading to their own death.
The character of Kichijiro is someone who would continuously stay alive knowing he’s caused trouble as he constantly goes to Rodrigues to confess as it would play into some of the things Rodrigues would see. He would try to appeal to a revered governor in Inoue Masashige (Issey Ogata) who is a unique individual that has this slimy persona as a man that mocks the idea of Christianity yet is also willing to listen to what Rodrigues has to say. The film’s third act is about what has happened to Ferreira and the challenge that Rodrigues faces. Especially as Rodrigues is forced to face his own faults in his devotion as well as what his followers were willing to do to maintain the idea of Christianity.
Scorsese’s direction is definitely rapturous for capturing a moment in time that was intense as far as how Japan was willing to protect itself from outside forces and isolating itself from the rest of the world. Shot mainly in Taiwan, the film has Scorsese going into a world that is mainly set in forests and villages to play into something that is exotic and removed from what is happening in Europe. There are a lot of wide shots of the various locations and settings in the film including some unique high and low camera angles to play into the idea that God is watching yet he remains silent in his action. Scorsese’s usage of medium shots and close-ups play into the struggles that Rodrigues and Garupe would face in the film’s first act as well as the sense of doubt that loom in the latter as he endures some frustration over the living situation in Japan as he and Rodrigues have to hide. The film’s second act has Scorsese take on some imagery that play into the idea of God’s existence such as this shot of Rodrigues drinking water and sees a picture of Jesus Christ in front of his reflection as it’s modeled by this portrait by El Greco.
It’s a moment that play into Rodrigues’ determination to help many as well as continue this mission to spread the Christian faith in Japan but it’s also a moment that forces him to see what this Japanese council will do to prevent that from happening. Even as there’s these intense moments of violence that Rodrigues would have to witness as Scorsese doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the tortures and such that is happening to these Japanese Christians. The film’s third act that relates to the reveal of what happened to Ferreira as Scorsese would showcase not just this sense of humility that Rodrigues has to endure but also the harsh reality over what he had to do for the survival of those who count on him. The film’s ending is over-drawn as it is told from the perspective of an outsider who watches Rodrigues in the choice he makes as it shows what he would do for the remainder of his life. It does play into the role he has to play for Japan at a time where few outsiders are allowed into the country while contemplating into why he and so many others had suffered for their beliefs. Overall, Scorsese creates a riveting yet evocative film about two Jesuit priests traveling to Japan where Christianity is forbidden as they deal with God’s silence.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for the usage of low-key lights and filters for some of the exterior scenes at night to the more naturalistic look for some of the scenes in the daytime as well as the usage of fire for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does amazing work with the film’s editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and slow-motion to play into the drama as well as some of the things that Rodrigues would see. Production/costume designer Dante Ferretti, with set decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo and supervising art director Wen-Ying Huang, does excellent work with the look of the houses and places in the villages and small towns in Japan as well as the interiors at the church in Portugal along with the look of the robes that many of the characters wear.
Special effects supervisor R. Bruce Steinheimer, with visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman and Jason H. Snell, does fantastic work with a few of the visual effects such as the image of Jesus Christ that Rodrigues would see in a watery reflection as well as a few pieces of set-dressing for some of the location. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it play into the natural atmosphere of the location as well as this idea of silence in an otherworldly environment that is enchanting to hear. The film’s music by Kim Allen Kluge and Kathryn Kluge is terrific for its low-key approach to ambient music mixed in with traditional Japanese music while music supervisors Randall Poster and John Schaefer would create a soundtrack that feature a lot of the traditional Japanese music of the times.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Ryo Kase and Nana Komatsu as a couple of Japanese Christians whom Rodrigues tries to help, Bela Baptiste as the Dutch trader late in the film, and Ciaran Hinds as Alessandro Valignano as a Jesuit leader who is expressing concern over Ferreira as he wonders what has happened in Japan. Issey Ogata is superb as Inoue Masashige as this grand councilor that has this unique presence whenever he appears while he is also kind of slimy in the way he says things as he represents someone that is willing to challenge Rodrigues’ views. Yosuke Kubozuka is fantastic as Kichijiro as an alcoholic Christian who guides Rodrigues and Garupe to Japan as he is also someone full of pity into the things he’s done. Shinya Tsukamoto is excellent as Mokichi as a village leader who is also a Christian that does whatever he can to hide Rodrigues and Garupe where he would endure punishment that is just brutal to watch.
Tadanobu Asano is brilliant as the interpreter to Masashige as a man that is fascinated by Rodrigues’ views yet he remains devoted to Japan’s need to maintain its identity as he is a complex individual that is trying to make sense of the situations that Rodrigues is in. Adam Driver is amazing as Francisco Garupe as a young Jesuit priest who copes with the harsh environment of Japan as well as the frustration of not doing anything where he and Rodrigues would separate to find Ferreira as well as spread Christianity to Japan. Liam Neeson is remarkable as Cristovao Ferreira as Garupe and Rodrigues’ mentor who traveled to Japan to spread Christianity to the country only to disappeared in the belief that he had renounced his faith where he appears briefly for much of the first act and again in the third. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in an incredible performance as Sebastiao Rodrigues as a young Jesuit priest that is determined to find his mentor and carry on in the mission to spread the word of Christianity in a country that is resistant to the idea where he is forced to see what happens to Christians in Japan as well as wonder why God hasn’t done anything to help them or say something.
Silence is a phenomenal film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous images, top-notch editing, and compelling themes on faith and some of its fallacies. It’s a film that explores a moment in time where men’s ideals are being challenged by resistance as well as ponder the existence of God. In the end, Silence is a sensational film from Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) – (Street Scenes) – Boxcar Bertha – (Mean Streets) – Italianamerican – Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York – American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) – Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas – Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence (1993 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home – The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – (The Irishman (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Written for the screen and directed by Rian Johnson that is based on characters created by George Lucas, The Last Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VIII) is the story of a continuing conflict between the First Order and the Resistance as a young woman finds Luke Skywalker in the hopes he can help out the Resistance while being trained in the art of the Force. The second part of a trilogy that explore the chaos of war, the film is also an exploration into the evolution of the Force in which Skywalker discovers a power that drove him away many years ago as he is played by Mark Hamill. Also starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Daniels, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio del Toro, Joonas Suotamo, Jimmy Vee, and Carrie Fisher in her final performance as General Leia Organa. The Last Jedi is a visceral yet rapturous film from Rian Johnson.
Picking up where the previous film left off, the film revolves around a resistance who find themselves trying to evacuate their base to find a new one as they’re forced to confront the First Order who have been tracking them. With Resistance forces dwindling and little options left, the Resistance led by General Leia Organa is on a cruiser that is damaged and running low on fuel. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) is trying to get Luke Skywalker back on board as he is reluctant to help the Resistance as he’s still coping with his own faults believing he failed his apprentice Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Rian Johnson’s screenplay, with contributions from Carrie Fisher, is filled with a lot of complexities as well as a lot of narrative arcs that relate to the Resistance struggling to survive as their fleet is in tatters. Rey's character arc with Luke that include Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and R2-D2 (Jimmy Vee) has her trying to find her place as well as get Luke to train her where he realizes the power that she has. Yet, Rey would find herself communicating with Ren through the Force which lead to some trouble and revelations about why he betrayed Luke.
Another narrative arc involves a leadership struggle in the Resistance following an attack on a large First Order ship where Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) has to deal with the Resistance’s deputy leader Vice Admiral Amilyn Hodo (Laura Dern) who is trying to decide what to do next knowing that the First Order can still track the Resistance through light-speed. Poe would strategize a plan to disable a tracking device from a Star Destroyer with Finn (John Boyega) and the droid BB-8 (voice of Ben Burtt and Bill Hader) teaming with a mechanic in Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) to find a hacker to disable that tracking device. It’s an arc that showcases not just Poe’s own development as someone who is very impulsive and reckless in his actions as he needs to know how to be a leader as well as Finn trying to find his place in the Resistance where he befriends Rose who is dealing with loss. Another arc play into Ren’s rivalry with First Order leader General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) in trying to win the approval of the First Order’s leader Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) who wants to destroy the Resistance while that narrative also showcases Ren’s own struggle with himself.
Johnson’s direction is definitely astronomical into not just the different worlds that the characters go to but also have half the film’s narrative set in space where the Resistance is being pursued by the First Order. With much of the film shot on Pinewood Studios in London as well as scenes shot on location in Ireland, Iceland, Mexico, and Bolivia, the film showcases a world that is starting to come apart as well as see some of the darkest aspects of war. The film begins with the Resistance in evacuation mode where it is immediate as it showcases what the Resistance tries to do but also how the First Order would retaliate. It’s a massive sequence which also has elements of character development that showcases what Poe would do to confront the First Order but it comes at a great cost as there is a lot of drama that goes on where General Leia rightfully scolds Poe for his recklessness.
Johnson’s usage of the wide shots capture not just some of the damage that goes on in war but also into the vast world of the galaxy that the characters are in that include Rose and Finn’s journey to this planet that houses a casino for the galaxy’s wealthiest people. It’s a sequence that is strange as it play into a reality about war where it’s a world of decadence and riches that Rose knows and despises where she and Finn try to find this mysterious hacker where they meet this mysterious man named DJ (Benicio del Toro). There are some close-ups and medium shots that Johnson would use as it include these unique Force conversations between Rey and Kylo who are both dealing their place in the Force. It’s told with some unique reverse shots and scenes that are surreal while Johnson would also include a flashback sequence of what really happened when Kylo betrayed Skywalker.
It’s among these chilling moments as well as the scene where Rey meets Snoke for the first time as it would lead an intense sequence that is about the ideas of the Jedi and the Sith. Johnson would also infuse some humor into the film as it include moments of humility for Poe as well as Snoke’s confrontation towards General Hux. Yet, it is all about this battle between good and evil where the latter has put the former into a corner where the film’s climax is about survival with all that is left for the Resistance. It’s a majestic sequence that has a lot happening as well as characters coming together for a moment that could be the end of everything or just the beginning. Overall, Johnson crafts a riveting and gripping film about a group of resistance fighters trying to survive against an evil empire intent on ruling the galaxy.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the scenes set in the planet of Ahch-To where Luke has been hiding out to the low-key and stylish lighting for the scenes in the spaceships, the casinos, and at the caves in an old Rebellion fortress. Editor Bob Ducsay does excellent work with the editing with its usage of stylish dissolves and match-cuts as well as some rhythmic cutting into the action and suspense as it add some intrigue and establishing what is at stake. Production designer Rick Heinrichs, with set decorator Richard Roberts and senior art director Phil Sims, does amazing work with the look of the cruiser and transport for the Resistance in its interiors to the look of the lavish casino that Finn and Rose go to as well as Snoke’s main room inside the large Star Destroyer.
Costume designer Michael Kaplan does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that General Leia and Vice Admiral Hodo wears to the clothes of the people at the casino. Hair/makeup designer Peter King does superb work with the look of Vice Admiral Hodo with her purple hair as well as the people at the casino who look very posh and decadent. Creature designer Neal Scanlan does incredible work with the look of the tiny creatures at the planet of Ahch-To known as the Porgs as well as some of the inhabitants of the planet and at the casino and the caves. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisor Ben Morris do marvelous work with the design of some of the visual effects for the scenes in space as well as in the design of some of the creatures with its mixture of old-school practical effects and computer-created visual effects.
Sound designers Ben Burtt and Ren Klyce, with sound editor Matthew Wood, do remarkable work with the sound with the sound effects in how the droids make their sounds including an Imperial BB-unit and the sounds of some of the creatures in the film. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for its bombastic orchestral score that is filled with lush string arrangements and themes that range from heavy to somber as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Nina Gold, Milivoj Mestrovic, and Mary Vernieu is great as it feature some notable small roles from Timothy D. Rose as Admiral Ackbar, Mike Quinn as Nien Nubb, Veronica Ngo as Rose’s bomber sister Paige, Billie Lourd as Resistance lieutenant Connix, Jimmy Vee as Luke’s old droid R2-D2 who is dealing with Porgs and wanting Luke to come home, the voice of Ben Burtt and Bill Hader as the droid BB-8 who provide some funny and cool moments in the film, Justin Theroux as a big-time gambler at the casino, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca with special consultation by Peter Mayhew who deals with trying to get Luke home and the Porgs, Anthony Daniels as the protocol droid C-3PO who frets over the situation of the Resistance, Lupita Nyong’o as the famed pirate Maz Kanata who provides Poe some information while dealing with a war involving other pirates, and Gwendoline Christie as the Stormtroopers commander Captain Phasma who has a huge grudge towards Finn as she is willing to go after him anyway she can. Benicio del Toro is superb as a codebreaker/hacker named DJ as a man who is willing to help anyone all for money to display his own cynical views on war.
Domhnall Gleeson is fantastic as General Hux as a First Order military leader that is hell-bent on destroying the Resistance and wanting to win over Snoke where he’s not afraid to be a punching bag in some of the most hilarious moments. Laura Dern is amazing as Vice Admiral Amilyn Hodo as a Resistance leader that briefly takes over for an injured Leia as she spars with Poe over what to do as she is someone that knows what is at stake and what needs to be done as it’s a very graceful performance from Dern. Kelly Marie Tran is wonderful as Rose Tico as a Resistance mechanic who aids Finn and BB-8 in a mission to find a codebreaker to help the Resistance evade the First Order as she is someone who is aware of the corruption of the galaxy as well as being someone that is willing to fight for what is right. Andy Serkis is brilliant as Supreme Leader Snoke as the mysterious Sith lord and leader of the First Order who is eager to know who Rey is and what he can do for her as well as ordering Kylo to bring her in an attempt to get back in his favor.
Oscar Isaac is excellent as Poe Dameron as the Resistance pilot who copes with the leadership struggle in the Resistance as he tries to create a secret mission as he’s forced to deal with some of the reckless decisions he’s made in his need to learn how to be a leader. John Boyega is marvelous as Finn as a former Stormtroooper who decides to take part in a secret mission created by Poe as he would see exactly what is happening and what the First Order is trying to do. Adam Driver is remarkable as Kylo Ren as Luke’s former apprentice who has turned to the dark side of the Force as he copes with failures in the past as well as his own internal conflict into the role he wants to take. Daisy Ridley is incredible as Rey as a scavenger who is trying to find out who she is and her place in the galaxy while trying to get Luke back into the Resistance while dealing with all sorts of things as it’s a powerful performance from Ridley.
Mark Hamill is phenomenal as Luke Skywalker as the famed Jedi master who has distanced himself from the art of the Jedi as there’s an air of nihilism about Luke’s view on the Jedi due to the fact that he’s consumed with guilt over Kylo and his reluctance to train Rey which lead to some revelations over his failures as a Jedi master. Finally, there’s Carrie Fisher in a radiant performance as General Leia Organa as the Resistance leader who is trying to carry a sense of hope for the Resistance as she knows how grim things are as it’s a performance of grace and elegance where Fisher delivers a performance that is one for the ages as it’s a fitting finale for the late Carrie Fisher.
The Last Jedi is a tremendous film from Rian Johnson. Featuring a great cast, dazzling visual effects, a riveting script with many revelations and character arcs, John Williams’ sumptuous score, and high-octane action. It’s a film that manages to be a lot of things expected in a sci-fi epic while also taking some risks to showcase some of the dark aspects of war and the idea of failure and redemption. In the end, The Last Jedi is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Rise of Skywalker
Anthology Series: Rogue One - Solo: A Star Wars Story – (Untitled Star Wars Anthology Film)
Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
George Lucas Films: (THX-1138) – (American Graffiti)
Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Knives Out
© thevoid99 2017
