Mississippi Grind

Written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Mississippi Grind is the story of two gamblers who meet at a poker game as they travel to New Orleans for a high stakes poker game as they bond through their love of gambling. The film is an exploration of gambling as two men in different paths come together in the hope to get a big score. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds, Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton, Robin Weigert, James Toback, and Alfre Woodard. Mississippi Grind is an exhilarating and engrossing film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Two different gamblers in different directions of winning and losing meet at a poker game as they bond through their love of gambling as they travel from Iowa to New Orleans for a high stakes poker game hoping for a big score. It’s a film that is a road film of sorts but also a story of two men who live through gambling as they both have a love for it but also hope to get a lot of money for a better life. The film’s screenplay by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck follow the different paths of its protagonist as Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a man that constantly loses and going through some financial issues as he owes money to a loan shark in Sam (Alfre Woodard) who is sympathetic to his issues but wants what he owes her. Gerry is also divorced and hasn’t seen his six-year old daughter in years where he knows he messed up and wants to do right but has a gambling addiction with a real estate job that isn’t going anywhere. It’s where he meets a young traveling gambler in Curtis Vonn (Ryan Reynolds) who is on a hot streak hoping to go to New Orleans for a score as he and Gerry meet up and share their stories of gambling and such.

Curtis agrees to take Gerry to New Orleans from Dubuque, Iowa as long as Gerry drives where they would make several stops to various cities down the Mississippi River and would make some money through greyhound races and card games along the way. During a stop in St. Louis, Curtis and Gerry meet a couple of prostitutes in Simone (Sienna Miller) and Vanessa (Analeigh Tipton) as Simone and Curtis have some history that Gerry notices. Gerry would reveal that he still has feelings for his ex-wife Dorothy (Robin Weigert) though his visit to her home at Little Rock, Arkansas would only bring trouble following a set-back for both Curtis and Gerry. The script does show that as flawed as both Gerry and Curtis are as men in their pursuit of gambling. They still carry some humanity and goodness as Curtis’ often talkative and energetic persona is a front for some of the pain he carries into his own life as he also has another reason to go to New Orleans.

The film’s direction from Boden and Fleck is largely intimate in its presentation as it is shot on various locations such as New Orleans, Little Rock, St. Louis, Memphis, and various parts around the Mississippi River. While there’s some wide shots in the direction, Boden and Fleck focus on this intimate friendship between Curtis and Gerry that slowly develops as the latter is someone that is in need of luck while the former is in need to find the next path in his life having traveled so much. The film would often feature Gerry listening to a self-help CD to be a better gambler as it would occur often during the course of the film. Boden and Fleck’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the conversations between Curtis and Gerry in a car or what goes on during a poker game where Boden and Fleck would shoot something on a hand-held camera and focus on what one player is seeing in his head or how he’s reacting physically as it play into the things Gerry is listening to from the CD.

With Boden serving as the film’s editor, there is a fluid and rhythmic approach to the editing where the shots do last to get a sense of the location as well as the way the conversations are edited. The direction also play into these somber moments such as Gerry playing piano with Vanessa sitting beside him while Curtis and Simone listen in the other room. Boden and Fleck would also carry this somber mood into the third act as it relates to Gerry’s bad luck as well as Curtis’ own setbacks and his own insecurities once they reach New Orleans to play in this game that is run by a famed gambler that Curtis knows. It also play into two men who both aren’t sure when to quit but they have this need to win something no matter how much they lose. Overall, Boden and Fleck craft a riveting and compelling film about two gamblers working together to work to play a big game in New Orleans.

Cinematographer Andrij Pakeh does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key and natural lights for many of the interior scenes at night including the casinos and bars while emphasizing on something realistic for the exterior scenes in the day and night. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorator Selina van den Brink and art director James A. Gelarden, does excellent work with the look of the place where Simone and Vanessa work at as well as a few motel rooms and places where Gerry and Curtis play poker. Costume designer Abby O’Sullivan does nice work with the clothes from the stylish clothes that Simone and Vanessa would wear as well as stylish suits that Gerry and Curtis would wear at a riverboat casino.

Visual effects supervisor Luke DiTommaso does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it mainly focuses on set dressing and a low-key dramatic scene during a simple conversation between Gerry and Curtis. Sound designer Abigail Savage does superb work with the sound as it play into the loud sounds of machines at a casino as well as the sounds of crowds at a casino or at a racetrack along with low-key moments in some of the different locations of the film. The film’s music by Scott Bomar is terrific for its blues-based score that help play into the atmosphere of the locations while music supervisor Jim Black provide a soundtrack that mainly focuses on blues, jazz, folk, and other traditional forms of music that play into the atmosphere of the Mississippi River and its many locations.

The casting by Cindy Tolan is fantastic as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from famed country-rock singer/songwriter Marshall Chapman as a club singer in New Orleans, Robin Weigert as Gerry’s ex-wife Dorothy who harbors some mistrust and issues with him, filmmaker James Toback as a revered poker player that Curtis claims to know, and Alfre Woodard in a superb performance as a friend of Gerry who loaned him money as she is sympathetic but also serious about wanting her money back. Analeigh Tipton is excellent as Vanessa as a young prostitute who befriends Gerry as a woman who has a lot more to offer than be pretty as she is still trying to figure things out for herself while finding some support from Gerry in what she wants to do.

Sienna Miller is amazing as Simone as a prostitute and on-off companion of Curtis as she is suspicious about Curtis’ intentions for Gerry while is also unsure about embarking on a serious relationship with Curtis. Finally, there’s the duo of Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds in incredible performances in their respective roles as Gerry and Curtis. Mendelsohn displays a physicality as someone who has been on a major losing streak as well as this humility where Mendelsohn sells his character’s insecurities as well as his determination to win. Reynolds’ performance as Curtis is showier in terms of its energy and being very talkative about anything and everything with a sense of charm yet also displays some vulnerability as someone that really wants a better life for himself. Mendelsohn and Reynolds together are a joy to watch as two men who both want to win but also realize their worth to each other as they have this natural chemistry and rapport where they both bring the best in each other.

Mississippi Grind is a sensational film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck that features great performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Fleck. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous locations, themes of gambling and friendship, and a sumptuous music soundtrack. It’s a film that definitely explore two men who bond through gambling as well as not being afraid in showing how flawed they are as well as this sense of hope that gambling can bring for them. In the end, Mississippi Grind is a spectacular film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Films: Half Nelson - Sugar (2008 film) - It's Kind of a Funny Story - Captain Marvel - The Auteurs #71: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

© thevoid99 2019

Lucy (2014 film)

Written, directed, and edited by Luc Besson, Lucy is the story of an American woman traveling in Taiwan where she unwillingly becomes a drug mule only for the drugs to get into her system which allows her to access the large capacity of her brain. The film is an exploration of a woman who arrives into Taiwan as a typical woman only to become less human as the effects of a mysterious drug has her access all sorts of things mentally while a professor tries to figure out what is going on with her as Scarlett Johansson would play the titular role. Also starring Choi Min-sik, Amr Waked, Analeigh Tipton, and Morgan Freeman. Lucy is an entertaining and captivating film from Luc Besson.

While it is believed that humans only have access to 10% of their brain’s capacity, the film questions about what happens if a human being exceeds that and goes to 100%. That is what the film dares to ask where it revolves around an American student in Taiwan who is forced to become a drug mule for a mysterious drug only for the drug to enter into her body where she is able to access the other 90% of her brain. Throughout her journey, she begins to have powers that goes beyond her mental capabilities as she would ask a famed researcher in Professor Samuel Norman (Morgan Freeman) about his studies about what the human brain might be able to. While the premise itself does seem far-fetched, Luc Besson knows that even though it does dare to asks some big questions. Especially as he knows that he isn’t trying to do anything seriously at all with these questions except suggest about what might happen if a person would access their brain’s entire capability.

The film’s script does have a sense of humor in the way it asks all of these questions about life and what the human brain can do while it is more about a woman who realizes about these powers she’s having and what they can do. At the same time, she realizes she is becoming less human in the process as she would struggle with what she’s about to lose. Turning to Professor Norman in his research, the two would try to figure things out as Lucy would also gain the help of a French policeman named Del Rio (Amr Waked) to retrieve the three other mules carrying the drug. Still, Lucy and Del Rio would have to deal with the Korean gangster Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik) who wants to use the drug for profit as he and his gang would do whatever to stop Lucy unaware of the drug’s powers. While the script does play into conventions of what is expected from Besson in terms of action and such, he does manage to create a story that is willing to ask some big questions though it would have ideas that are quite ridiculous.

Besson’s direction is definitely stylish as he shoots part of the film in Taipei, Taiwan and in Paris with some bits of Rome and Berlin as it starts off in a comical manner where Lucy talks to a guy she meets about a job she doesn’t want to do. Some of it involves some unique shots and scenes that play into the idea of how someone would gain access to the human brain’s capacity. With Besson as the film’s editor, he would infuse a lot of montages that features images of nature and evolution to play into the idea of humanity itself just as Lucy starts to lose her own humanity to become engrossed with the knowledge that she’s accumulating. While Besson wants to infuse something that is intellectual as well as play into the themes of sci-fi, he does infuse some very spectacular action scenes that are quite entertaining to watch where Besson knows how to present the action and not make it chaotic. Though the overall results of the film is uneven where it wants to be all sorts of things. Besson still manages to make a film that dares to ask some big questions while not wanting to take itself very seriously.

Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the way it captures the vibrancy of the nighttime exterior scenes in Taipei to the more naturalistic look of the scenes in Paris. Production designer Hugues Tissandier and set decorator Evelyne Tissandier do fantastic work with the look of Mr. Jang‘s penthouse as well as the lab where Professor Norman works at. Costume designer Olivier Beriot does terrific work with some of the clothes that Lucy wears in her many adventures.

Visual effects supervisor Nicholas Brooks is brilliant for the design and such that Lucy would see as well as some of the special effects that would revolve around her mind. Sound designers Guillaume Bouchateau, Aymeric Devoldere, and Shannon Mills do superb work with the sound effects in the film as well as in some of the sound montages that would play into Lucy‘s mind. The film’s music by Eric Serra is wonderful for its electronic-based score with some orchestral flourishes while the soundtrack would feature some electronic cuts and classical pieces for one major sequence in the film.

The casting by Nathalie Cheron is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Pilou Asbaek as a guy Lucy met a club and would put her in trouble, Julian Rhind-Tutt as a Limey, Jan Oliver Schroeder and Luca Angeletti as a couple of drug mules, Nicolas Phongpheth as Jang’s top henchman, and Analeigh Tipton as Lucy’s traveling companion in Taiwan. Amr Waked is excellent as the policeman Del Rio as a cop who is the first to see what Lucy can do as he would try to protect her while being the one person she can connect with from a humanity standpoint. Choi Min-sik is brilliant as Jang as this ruthless gangster who is hoping that the drug would make him money as there’s Min-sik has this very deranged quality that makes him a formidable villain.

Morgan Freeman is superb as Professor Samuel Norman as this researcher who realizes that Lucy is the key to the answers for everything he had been wanting to know about as well as the idea of what it might unleash. Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this young woman who starts off as a typical American college student who is then put into a dangerous situation. It’s a performance that has Johansson display a lot of wit as well as this ability to be quite somber and eventually become less human as there is this eerie quality to her performance that just adds more weight to everything her character would endure.

While it is a very uneven film in tone, Lucy is still a stellar and fun film from Luc Besson that features an incredible performance from Scarlett Johansson in the titular role. While it is a film that dares to ask some big questions as well as be something that is entertaining though the overall results aren’t great. It is still an action that manages to be something different while showing that Luc Besson still has a few tricks up his sleeve. In the end, Lucy is a worthwhile film from Luc Besson.

Luc Besson Films: (Le Dernier Combat) - (Subway) - (The Big Blue) - (Nikita) - (Atlantis (1992 film)) - (Leon: The Professional) - (The Fifth Element) - (Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc) - (Angel-A) - (Arthur & the Invisibles) - (Arthur and the Revenge of Malthazard) - (The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec) - (Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds) - (The Lady (2011 film)) - (The Family (2013 film))

© thevoid99 2014

Warm Bodies

Based on the novel by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies is the story of a zombie who falls in love with the daughter of a zombie-resistance leader as he starts to regain semblance of humanity. Written for the screen and directed by Jonathan Levine, the film is a genre-bending film that takes place during a zombie apocalypse where it’s a mixture of the zombie-thriller meets the romantic-comedy. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton, and John Malkovich. Warm Bodies is an extraordinary yet witty film from Jonathan Levine.

The film is set during a zombie apocalypse in which humans are fighting against zombies and skeleton-like creatures called boneys who are hungry for human flesh. Yet, it is a story about one particular zombie whose encounter with the daughter of zombie-resistance leader not only has him falling for her but also regain aspects of his humanity. It’s a strange premise for a film the bends various genres yet manages to work as it’s largely told from the perspective of this zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) who often narrates the film as he deals with his life as a zombie as he also collects things including vinyl records and such. Notably as R reveals a lot of his own feelings and confusion about being a zombie as he is hungry for human flesh and brains where an encounter with a young resistance group has him eating the brains of someone where he sees memories and such that also features the young woman he captures in Julie (Teresa Palmer) whom he falls for.

Jonathan Levine’s screenplay does have a conventional structure that plays into R and Julie’s eventual romance though it takes its time to build that up where Julie is immediately frightened and confused by R and his kind actions. Especially for the fact that he killed and ate the brains of her boyfriend Perry (Dave Franco) where R sees Perry’s memories to know a lot about Julie as she’s the daughter of resistance leader Colonel Grigio (John Malkovich). With Julie staying at an airplane where R lives, she realizes that R is acting human as he starts to say words as it would rub off on the other zombies including his friend M (Rob Corddry). Yet, the zombies’ reintroduction with their humanity causes a conflict with the more-deadly boneys who not only feed on human flesh but anything that has a beating heart. Levine’s script uses R’s voice-over narration to express his feelings as well as his fascination to humanity where he also reveal the sense of loss that Julie had faced in her life as he becomes confused on whether to remain a zombie or to become human again.

Levine’s direction is pretty straightforward for the most part while he also adds some style into the film. Notably as he maintains some different looks to play into the different world of the zombies and human where the zombie world is a bit discolored whereas the human world and the dream sequences have more color. Levine’s use of close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots does manage to help create some unique images as well as play into the developing relationship between R and Julie. Levine does stick to convention as far as the action is concerned while not straying too far into fast-paced cutting for the action while infusing it with bits of humor in the story. Notably the early scenes of R and M grunting to each other as they’re having a zombie conversation as well as a scene where R goes into the human world and Julie’s home that includes a funny homage to a great romantic comedy. Overall, Levine creates a very stylish yet enjoyable genre-bending film about a zombie who falls for a human girl and regains his humanity.

Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does amazing work with the film‘s very stylish cinematography by infusing a mostly discolored look for the scenes set in the airport and most of the locations in Montreal to the more colorful dream sequences that R experiences as well as the scenes involving the humans. Editor Nancy Richardson does excellent work with the editing as it‘s very stylized to play with some of action scenes involving the zombies, boneys, and humans as well as a few montages to play into R and Julie‘s developing romance. Production designer Martin Whist, along with set decorator Suzanne Cloutier and supervising art director Gilles Aird, does superb work with the set pieces from the decayed look of the airport as well as the look of the buildings where there‘s little technology and some places are abandoned. Costume designer George L. Little does nice work with the costumes from the red hoodie that R wears to the flannel shirt that Julie wears as it‘s mostly casual.

Special effects makeup designer Dave Elsey does brilliant work with the makeup design in the way the zombies look. Visual effects supervisor Dan Schrecker does fantastic work with some of the visual effects for the shots inside the bodies of the zombies as they regain their humanity as well as the look of the boneys. Sound editor Martyn Zub does terrific work with the sound from the way gunfire sounds to the growl of the boneys and the locations the characters encounter. The film’s music by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders is wonderful for its mixture of folk, rock, and orchestral music to play up the action as well as the romance while music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas create a superb collection of music that includes pieces by John Waite, Jimmy Cliff, the National, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Feist, Bon Iver, the Scorpions, Roy Orbison, and M83.

The casting by Joanna Colbert and Richard Mento is incredible as it features some noteworthy small performances from Cory Hardrict as a subordinate of Colonel Grigio and Dave Franco as Julie’s unfortunate boyfriend Perry who starts to act more like Julie’s father. Analeigh Tipton is wonderful as Julie’s friend Nora who survives the zombie raid while trying to figure out R’s growing transformation into becoming human as she brings some humor to the film. Rob Corddry is excellent as R’s friend M as a zombie who also regains his humanity as he helps lead a group of zombies to deal with the boneys as Corddry also brings in some humor to the film. John Malkovich is superb as Colonel Grigio who is hell-bent on killing zombies after losing his wife to the apocalypse while trying to protect his daughter as it’s Malkovich being a badass but also being funny.

Finally, there’s the performances of Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer as both of them do amazing work in their respective roles as R and Julie. Palmer brings a quality that allows her character to be engaging as well as funny as this young woman who is fascinated by this zombie she meets while dealing with the fact that he is becoming human again. Hoult is great as this young zombie who laments over his being while suddenly becoming human again as he brings the hope that the human-zombie war might come to an end. Hoult and Palmer have some wonderful chemistry together in the way they interact as well as being their for each other as they’re the highlight of the film.

Warm Bodies is a sensational film from Jonathan Levine that features winning performances from Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. The film isn’t just a creative genre-bender that is funny, romantic, exciting, and full of some cool action scenes. It’s also a film that takes the zombie film and infuse it with some heart where even zombies have feelings to. In the end, Warm Bodies is a marvelous film from Jonathan Levine.

Jonathan Levine Films: (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) - (The Wackness) - 50/50 - The Night Before (2015 film) - (Snatched) - Long Shot (2019 film)

© thevoid99 2013

Damsels in Distress

Written and directed by Whit Stillman, Damsels in Distress is the story of a transfer student who arrives at a university where she becomes part of a small group of women where they deal with the men in their lives. The film marks the return of Whit Stillman after a thirteen-year gap between films as he once again explores the world of young adults except in a new environment and with a new set of rules. Starring Greta Gerwig, Analeigh Tipton, Adam Brody, Hugo Becker, Megan Echikunwoke, Carrie MacLemore, and Ryan Metcalf. Damsels in Distress is a delightful comedy from Whit Stillman.

College life is a place where people go in the search to find themselves while finding ways to enjoy life. In this film, it revolves around three young women who take in a young transfer student as they deal with the pratfalls of love as well as trying to find ways to make life better no matter how bad things are. Leading the pack is Violet (Greta Gerwig) who is a sociable junior who runs a suicide prevention center with her two roommates Rose (Megan Echikunwoke) and Heather (Carrie MacLemore). The three women are known for their fashion sense and keen observation about the world of college life as they take in sophomore transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton) to be part of their group. Still, both Violet and Lily do get involved with some men in their lives as it makes things complicated where they each have two different ideas on how to deal with depression and disappointment where Violet doesn’t want to give in to the idea that she’s depressed.

Whit Stillman’s screenplay definitely recalls a lot of his past works where characters discuss about their roles in life and what is ahead yet things are different this time around as it’s all set in a university in the American east coast. Violet is definitely a unique individual who had been through some tough times in her life but always try to find someway to keep her spirits up. Yet, a new challenge involving someone she was with forces her to go into a tailspin until she finds something that she believes could help out get out of that tailspin. Lily is the outsider in the film as she is someone who has just transferred to a new school as she is in love with a European man in Xavier (Hugo Becker) while finding herself attracted to a man named Charlie (Adam Brody) whom Violet is suddenly attracted to.

This would eventually cause tension between Violet and Lily for much of the film’s second half where Lily is having a more active social life though she still wants to be friends with Violet. Violet however, wants to do things to help herself with the help of the sweet Heather and the more cynical Rose as she gets the idea to start a dance craze in the hopes to get people’s spirits up. Even as Violet uses the suicide prevention building as a way for people to dance so that they wouldn’t feel suicidal though some dispute Violet’s beliefs. Another interesting aspect about the film are the way men portrayed where there are those like Charlie who is a unique individual who is just trying to find himself. There are some men who are quite dim but they do offer something that gives them more to do while Xavier is this passionate European who is going through a crisis of identity and spirituality as he would later trouble Lily.

Stillman’s direction is definitely a bit different from his previous work as it’s much broader in some places while maintaining that air of intimacy that he’s been known for. Notably as Stillman goes farther away from the cities to something much more confined but still wild in the world of colleges. Notably as it involves some strange realm of social circles such as frat houses and dorms that are notorious for being very smelly. The world of Violet and her friends is quite different but also simple as they do live in dorms while being observers around their environment. While Stillman’s film is a light-hearted comedy with some low-key aspects of drama. There is something in the film that adds an element of escapism which is in the form of musicals.

With the help of choreographer Justin Cerne, Stillman uses dance as a way to help express Violet’s desire to make people feel better. Even as she attempts to start a new dance craze known as the Sambola which is this a mixture of all sorts of dances rolled into one. That element of the musical definitely gives the film a much more livelier feel as it expresses Violet’s desire to make the world much better. Even if it involves something as simple as the scent of a bar of soap that proves to be a wonderfully effective use of comedy. Overall, Stillman creates a truly splendid and fun film that explores a young woman’s desire to make college life better for the world with some help from her friends.

Cinematographer Doug Emmett does some fantastic work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the sunny exteriors in the campus to some of the more straightforward look in some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editor Andrew Hafitz does nice work with the editing to create some stylish cuts for some of the more light-hearted moments along with some straight cuts in the dramatic portions of the film. Production designer Elizabeth J. Jones, along with set decorator Emmanuelle Hoessly and art director Brian Goodwin, does terrific work with the look of the campuses and places nearby to express a world that is thriving but also being troubled by a dorm that is known for being grungy and smelly.

Costume designer Ciera Wells is absolutely a highlight of the film from the colorful yet bright dresses Violet, Rose, and Heather wear to the more straight-laced look of Lily while they also delve into more stylish clothing as the clothes really add a nuance to the film‘s look. Sound editor Tom Paul does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of some of the party scenes as well as some of the intimate moments in the conversations. The film’s music by Mark Suozzo and Adam Schlesinger is brilliant for its playful use of piano-based music with a bit of jazz and rock into the mix to play out the world of college life along with some original music such as the Sambola song. Music supervisor Annie Pearlman creates a soundtrack that features a wide range of music from rock, 90s dance, and show tunes to establish Violet’s urge for escapism.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, and Paul Schnee is incredible as it features appearances from two of Stillman’s old regulars in Carolyn Farina as a diner waitress and Taylor Nichols as a professor. Other small roles include Alia Shawkat as a student annoyed by Violet’s tap dancing, Aubrey Plaza as a depressed student who often attends the suicide center, Zach Woods as an elitist editor of the school’s paper, Meredith Hagner as Xavier’s old girlfriend Alice, Jermaine Crawford as a friend of the girls who helps them in the suicide center, and Caitlin Fitzgerald as a suicidal student the girls save only to unknowingly betray Violet. Ryan Metcalf and Billy Magnussen are very funny as two dim-witted frat boys who are friends of the girls with Metcalf as an old boyfriend of violet who feels bad for what he did while Magnussen is the more innocent of the two as he is admittedly ignorant but in a sweet way.

Hugo Becker is excellent as the European student Xavier who is confused over his own identity as well as his feelings for Lily. Adam Brody is terrific as Charlie as a well-dressed playboy who is still trying to figure himself out while gaining the attraction of both Violet and Lily. Carrie MacLemore is wonderful as the very sweet Heather who always tries to figure out what to do while she creates an idea that would later prove to be very helpful. Megan Echikunwoke is superb as the British student Rose who is sort of the cynic of the four while trying to figure out how to help everyone else with these issues. Analeigh Tipton is remarkable as Lily as a young transfer student trying to figure out Violet’s view on the world while dealing with her own dating life. Finally, there’s Greta Gerwig in a fabulous performance as Violet as a woman eager to make the world a better place while trying to confront her own issues with men and the world as it’s really a performance that is just so much fun to watch.

Damsels in Distress is a sensational film from Whit Stillman. Armed with a great cast led by Greta Gerwig, it’s a film that explores the world of college life and those trying to find themselves in that environment. It’s also a film that explores a young woman’s desire to create a world for herself that she feels is being bogged down while trying to deal with the pratfalls of love with the women in her life. In the end, Damsels in Distress is a marvelous film from Whit Stillman.

Whit Stillman Films: Metropolitan - Barcelona - The Last Days of Disco - Love & Friendship - The Auteurs #21: Whit Stillman

© thevoid99 2013

The Green Hornet (2011 film)

Based on the radio series and 1960s cult TV show by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, The Green Hornet is about a publishing heir who teams up with his father’s longtime mechanic named Kato to fight crime while dealing with a mob boss going through some personal issues of his own. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film is a modern take on the origin story of the Green Hornet and his friendship with Kato; that was played famously by Bruce Lee on the TV show. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour, and Christoph Waltz. The Green Hornet is an entertaining action-comedy from Michel Gondry.

After the death of his publishing magnet father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) ponders what to do as he’s given control to run his father’s newspaper in Los Angeles. When he decides to rehire Kato (Jay Chou) based on the coffee he made, the two talk about Britt’s dad as Kato reveals the things he’s done for Britt’s dad such as fix up his cars. Britt learns that Kato’s work is far more extensive than the typical mechanic work as the two decide to vandalize the statue of Britt’s dad where they encounter a crime scene as the two fight off criminals. This gives Britt an idea to go vigilante as he and Kato form their own vigilante team with Britt calling himself the Green Hornet.

With Britt telling the paper’s longtime managing editor Mike Axford (Edward James Olmos) to do more coverage on the Green Hornet, Britt gains a new secretary in Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz) who reveals to have a great knowledge on criminology. Yet, the attention about the Green Hornet’s antics gets the attention of crime lord Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) whose days of power is starting to wane. With Chudnofsky having a mid-life crisis, he decides to go after the Green Hornet as tension starts to emerge between Britt and Kato over the attention towards the Green Hornet as well as trying to win Lenore’s affections.

Following a spat with Kato, Britt meets up with one of his father’s longtime colleagues in district attorney Frank Scanlon (David Harbour) where Britt learns that his father’s death may have not been some accident. With help from Lenore based on her crime expertise, Britt realizes that there is a conspiracy going on that involves Chudnofsky as he realizes what to do but couldn’t do it alone.

While the film is essentially an origins story set in modern times about the Green Hornet and his partnership with Kato. Screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do try to infuse their own brand of silly humor to the origins story as they make the Britt Reid character someone who feels insecure about never being able to make his dad proud while finding some kind of brotherhood in Kato. Then there’s Chudnofsky as he’s a criminal who starts to go through issues due to the arrival of younger criminals as he thinks he’s becoming a dinosaur. While Rogen and Goldberg are able to make Reid, Kato, Chudnofsky, and Lenore very interesting characters, the only flaw in the script is that it does follow the formula of a typical origin story that involves hero partnerships. Still, Rogen and Goldberg are able to do more with the formula by bending genres and create engaging characters.

Michel Gondry’s direction is wonderful though it lacks a lot of the stylistic flair that he’s been known for with a lot of his film. While he does do a few ideas such as multiple split-screens, speedy montages, and other abstract shots that is typical of his work. There’s not enough of that as Gondry’s direction is more standard with action-comedies in terms of fast-paced action sequences and light-hearted scenes of humor. Yet, Gondry does make sure the film is entertaining and funny as he was at least able to create a solid film that does what is expected with the genre.

Cinematographer John Schwartzman does a nice job with the cinematography with some stylish shots to complement the comic-book like look of the film or some of the day and nighttime exterior shots while utilizing some wonderful shading for some of the interior scenes. Editor Michael Tronick does a very good job with the editing as he creates some wonderful, fast-paced rhythms for the action scenes along with stylish cuts like the multiple split-screen sequence.

Production designer Owen Paterson and set decorator Ronald R. Reiss do a wonderful job with the set pieces such as the Reid estate garage as well as the Reid mansion along with the building that Britt‘s father runs. Costume designer Kym Barrett does an excellent job with the costumes from the old-school suits that Chudnofsky wears to the costumes that Britt and Kato wear. Visual effects supervisors James Dixon and Justin Jones do some fantastic work with the visual effects such as the stuff involving the Black Beauty cars and various action sequences in the film. Sound mixers Nerses Gezalyan and John Pritchett do some terrific work with the sound to play up the action in all of its chaos.

The film’s score by James Newton Howard is stellar for what is expected with action-comedies in terms of bombastic orchestral scores that flows and such though it’s nothing that is really outstanding. The film’s soundtrack features an array of music ranging into various genres as it features cuts by Anvil, the White Stripes, Digital Underground, Coolio, Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Van Halen, the Greenhornes, and Jay Chou bringing his own Asian-pop into the mix.

The casting by Francine Maisler is brilliant as it features an ensemble cast that includes appearances from Edward Furlong as meth chemist, Jamie Harris and Chad Coleman as a couple of Chudnofsky’s henchmen, Analeigh Tipton as a date of Britt early in the film, and James Franco in a cameo as a young gangster Chudnofsky very early in the film. Edward James Olmos is very good as a longtime editor friend of Britt’s dad who tries to warn Britt about covering the Green Hornet while David Harbour is also good as a district attorney who tries to get Britt involved into schemes for his own political gain. Tom Wilkinson is pretty decent in a very small role as Britt’s dad as it’s really more of a cameo that doesn’t give him much to do. Cameron Diaz is excellent as Lenore, a secretary whose criminology expertise unknowingly helps Britt and Kato in how to create their own schemes while proving to be very smart as it’s a wonderful role for Diaz to be the straight woman.

Christoph Waltz is wonderful as the villain Chudnofsky as Waltz brings a very slimy quality to a criminal that essentially goes into a mid-life crisis while trying to find a way to make himself intimidating. Jay Chou is superb as Kato as Chou brings a real charm to his character though his English at times is a bit hard to understand. Yet, Chou was able to make his character a joy to watch as it’s a great tribute to the late Bruce Lee. Finally, there’s Seth Rogen who brings in his usual comic persona to the character as it’s pretty good performance that allows him to be brash and funny though it doesn’t entirely work at times. Still, he and Chou are able to make a good combo as they’re able to keep things exciting and funny.

The Green Hornet is a pretty good film from Michel Gondry thanks in part to a wonderful ensemble cast and its willingness to be entertaining. In comparison to a lot of other films based on comics or other superhero-driven material, it’s kind of weak since there isn’t a lot that really gives the film a chance to stand out. In terms of the other films that Gondry has done, it’s his weakest work to date despite the fact that he’s able to inject a few of his visual tricks into the film. In the end, The Green Hornet is a fun film that does what is expected for its genre.

Michel Gondry Films: Human Nature - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Dave Chapelle’s Block Party - The Science of Sleep - Be Kind Rewind - Tokyo!-Interior Design - (The Thorn in the Heart) - The We & the I - Mood Indigo - (Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?) - (Microbe & Gasoline)

© thevoid99 2011