Written and directed by Paul Schrader, Dying of the Light is the story of a CIA agent who is trying to track down a terrorist as he copes with memory loss that is worsening by the day. The film is a psychological thriller of a man trying to stop a terrorist from doing more harm only to become a liability to himself. Starring Nicolas Cage, Anton Yelchin, and Irene Jacob. Dying of the Light is a by-the-numbers and unexciting film from Paul Schrader.
22 years after an incident that left him with a lot of bad memories and a severed right ear lobe, the film follows a CIA agent who believes that a terrorist who tortured him is still alive as he is aided by his protégé to help find this terrorist. That is the premise as a whole as it play into this man trying to stop the terrorist who nearly killed him as he is convinced the man is alive. Yet, he is starting to unravel due to the fact that he’s ill with an early stage of frontal temporal dementia as he is seen as a liability to the CIA. Paul Schrader’s screenplay does have a unique premise that seems to work on paper but it is clear that whatever ideas he had to create a thriller that is more about a man dealing with his illness and confront his past falls by the wayside into something that is more by-the-book that is expected in these political-based thrillers.
Schrader’s direction does have some unique compositions and moments that are interesting yet it is clear that whatever ideas he had to stray from convention were tampered with during the film’s post-production. Shot on various locations in Bucharest, Romania, Washington D.C. and nearby locations in Virginia, and locations in Queensland and the Gold Coast in Australia as Kenya. The film does have this worldly feel as it play into the idea of global terrorism as Schrader is also focused on the plight that CIA agent Evan Lake (Nicolas Cage) is dealing with where he would be aided by his protégé in Milton Schultz (Anton Yelchin). The moments of the two having a simple conversation are the most interesting scenes in the film yet it gets bogged down by not just some of the visuals but also these stories and scene that relate to the mission in hand.
Many of the visual elements of the film that include Gabriel Kosuth’s cinematography feel like it’s been given a polished look as whatever idea that Kosuth and Schrader wanted to do visually definitely was changed in the post-production without Schrader’s consent along with the input of one of its executive producers in Nicolas Winding Refn. The photography has something that feels way too clean and emphasizes more on the beauty of a location which is far from what Schrader wanted while its third act that include the climatic meeting between Lake and his dying torturer in Muhammad Banir (Alexander Karim) should’ve been compelling but the presentation with its usage of flashback montages end up making it conventional that is followed by a big shoot out that feels like it comes from another film. Overall, the film is a thriller that plays too much into its traditional schematics forcing its director Paul Schrader to not do anything new or break away from its conventions.
Editor Tim Silano does terrible work with the editing as it doesn’t do enough to build up the suspense as well as emphasize a lot of flashback montages while not doing enough to let shots play out longer in some of the film’s conversation scenes. Production designer Russell Barnes, with set decorator Gina Calin plus art directors Adam Head and Serban Porupca, does fantastic work with the look of Lake’s home as well as the Bucharest medical building he goes to. Costume designer Oana Paunescu does nice work with the costumes as it is casual for many of the characters in the film.
Hair/makeup designer Francesca Tampieri does terrific work with the look that Lake would use to play a Romanian doctor to meet Banir. Special effects supervisor Lucian Iordache and visual effects supervisor Danny S. Kim do OK work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing that eventually add to the film’s bland look. Sound designer Trevor Gates does superb work with the sound in creating an atmosphere in some of the locations though it gets unfortunately drowned out by Frederik Wiedmann’s score that is mainly a low-key electronic music that gets bombastic to the point of overblown. Music supervisor Gina Amador provides a soundtrack that doesn’t stand out as it is a mixture of pop and world music that never does anything.
The casting by Carolyn McLeod is alright as it feature some notable small roles from Serban Celea as the Romanian doctor in Dr. Iulian Cornel, Silas Carson as a CIA official trying to stop Lake from doing his assignment as well as express concern for the man’s health, Geff Francis as Lake’s doctor who reveals the severity of Lake’s condition, Adetomiwa Edun as a courier of Banir, and Alexander Karim as the terrorist Muhammad Banir as this man who tortured Lake many years ago only to re-emerge as a dying figure who is eager to live so he can plot another major attack. Irene Jacob is pretty good as the journalist Michelle Zuberain as a former lover of Lake who help Lake and Schultz in trying to get information as her character is underused largely due to the post-production work to reduce her performance.
Anton Yelchin is excellent as Milton Schultz as a protégé of Lake who makes a discovery about Banir and the idea that he’s alive as he is willing to help Lake as it’s a reserved performance that has Yelchin provide strong support though he too is hampered by the post-production tampering where it feels like there’s more to his character. Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage in a brilliant performance as Evan Lake as a CIA agent who is dealing with a disease as he is haunted by bad memories where Cage is given the chance to act crazy and be wild as well as display some calm in the way he’s dealing with his fading memories though he too is hampered by the film’s post-production troubles that doesn’t do more with his performance.
Dying of the Light is a terrible film. Despite the performances of Nicolas Cage and Anton Yelchin, it’s a film that seems to have a good idea from someone as talented and observant as Paul Schrader only for the film to be taken out of his hands and without his input. It’s a film that should’ve felt like a thriller that is also a character study but instead becomes something that never does anything new nor does it bring any kind of thrills. In the end, Dying of the Light is a horrendous film by people who doesn’t understand the language of cinema and take it away in the hands and mind of someone as talented as Paul Schrader.
Paul Schrader Films: Blue Collar - Hardcore – American Gigolo - Cat People (1982 film) - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters – (Light of Day) – (Patty Hearst) – (The Comfort of Strangers) – (Light Sleeper) – (Witch Hunt) – (Touch) – Affliction - (Forever Mine) – (Auto Focus) – (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) – (The Walker) – (Adam Resurrected) – (The Canyons) – (Dog Eat Dog) – First Reformed - (The Card Counter)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds is the story of a high school student and her best friend who create a scheme to kill the former’s stepfather as they hire a drug dealer to do the job. The film is a suspense-drama that play into two girls who try to get a man killed as they cope with what they’re trying to do. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift, and Anton Yelchin. Thoroughbreds is an eerie yet provocative film from Cory Finley.
Two old friends who had been estranged for a few years reunite for a study session as they rekindle their friendship by conspiring to kill one of the girls’ stepfather. It’s a film that play into a simple premise of two young women conspiring to murder a hateful and abusive man as they would get a drug dealer involved to do the job. Cory Finley’s screenplay is told through four chapters as it relates to the strained friendship between Amanda (Olivia Cooke) and Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) as they’re both from upper-class homes yet haven’t really spoken or seen each other since the death of Lily’s father. Amanda is someone who is unemotional due to a mental disorder where she is sent to Lily’s home for tutoring/studying for an upcoming test as things start off awkward until Amanda gets a glimpse at Lily’s stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks) who runs the household with a very strict demeanor.
Even as he’s putting Lily in a boarding school for her behavioral issues which has Lily turning to Amanda for help as the two would scheme and turn to a drug dealer in Tim (Anton Yelchin). Yet, Tim already has a criminal record where he raises concern about if the plan would work with Amanda having figured out a lot of what to do with Lily also becoming unsure if the plan would work. Adding to the stakes is wondering what can go wrong as it’s something Amanda is fully aware of as she is trying to figure out all of the angles with Lily trying to make plans of her own.
Finley’s direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions and setting as it is shot on location in various small towns in Massachusetts as a small upper-class area in Connecticut. While there are some wide shots and some unique tracking shots in parts of the film, much of Finley’s direction emphasizes more on the interaction between characters and the tension at the home where Lily lives with Mark and her mother Cynthia (Francie Swift). Even in scenes where Amanda reveals how she can fake emotions with Lily along with the two chatting and watching old movies where Finley doesn’t really go for any tricks other than a few close-ups to play into the emotion as well as what is happening in the background as it relates to Mark.
By the time Tim is in the picture as he’s introduced in the first act at a party that Lily goes to, the film does get darker in tone with bits of humor while it also play into the attention to detail of what might happen. Yet, the film’s third act isn’t just about the aftermath of the plan but also Lily’s own reaction as well as the need to act on her own with Amanda realizing what Lily is trying to do. It would include this scene where it’s about what is happening off-screen as it focuses more on a character who is probably aware of what is happening but not in a good frame of mind. Overall, Finley crafts a compelling yet rapturous film about two teenage girls conspiring to kill one of the girls’ stepfather with the help of a drug dealer.
Cinematographer Lyle Vincent does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes with some low-key and stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Louise Ford does terrific work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Jeremy Woodward and set decorator Kyra Friedman Curcio do fantastic work with the look of Lily’s home with all of its posh material including a giant chess set in the backyard. Costume designer Alex Bovaird does nice work with the costumes as it is stylish for the clothes that Amanda and Lily wear.
Sound editor Gene Park and sound designer Roland Vajs do superb work with the sound in maintaining an atmosphere into suspense including the film’s climax that is about the action that is happening off-screen. The film’s music by Erik Friedlander is amazing for its percussive-based score with elements of strings and electronics that help add to the suspense and drama while music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a soundtrack that is a wide mix of music genres featuring contributions from A Tribe Called Quest, the Sweet Hurt, King Harvest, Rome Will Burn, Tanis Chalopin, and a classical piece from Franz Schubert.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Stephanie Holbrook is wonderful as it feature a couple of notable small roles from Kaili Vernoff and Francie Swift in their respective roles as Amanda’s mother and Lily’s mother Cynthia. Paul Sparks is superb as Lily’s cruel stepfather Mark as a man who tries to instill his own sense of rules into the home while wanting to send Lily to a boarding school to deal with her own behavioral issues. In one of his final performances, Anton Yelchin is brilliant as Tim as a drug dealer who is hired by Amanda and Lily where he is unsure about doing the job knowing he’s got a criminal record and is trying to maintain a low profile while he raises concern about all of the things that can go wrong.
Finally, there’s the duo of Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in incredible performances in their respective roles as Amanda and Lily. Cooke’s performance is one filled with restraint and dark humor as someone who is devoid of emotion yet is able to figure out what to do and how as it is a performance filled with a lot wit. Taylor-Joy’s performance is also restrained but more emotional as someone that is trying to keep it together while also trying to cope with the scheme she’s doing where she and Cooke have an amazing chemistry in the way they interact as they are major highlights of the film.
Thoroughbreds is a phenomenal film from Cory Finley that features great performances from Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and the late Anton Yelchin. Along with its eerie visuals, chilling music score, and an entrancing story of scheming and friendship, it’s a film that doesn’t follow the many of conventions expected in a suspense film while studying the behavior of two teenage girls dealing with a terrible man. In the end, Thoroughbreds is a sensational film from Cory Finley.
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Green Room is the story of a hardcore punk band who find themselves playing a gig at a place that is the base for a group of neo-Nazi skinheads who go after them after the band had witnessed a murder. The film is an unconventional thriller where a group of people try to escape and fight against a hate group who want them dead. Starring Patrick Stewart, Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, and Joe Cole. Green Room is a gripping yet intense film from Jeremy Saulnier.
The film revolves around a hardcore punk band who take a gig at neo-Nazi club unaware of what it is only to witness a murder as all hell breaks loose forcing them to try and survive this group of neo-Nazi skinheads. It’s a film that takes a simple premise but with an air of intrigue and terror as much of the story is set in a room where a hardcore punk band, a young woman, and a bouncer they’ve held hostage is in the room along with a dead body while its owner and his band of hooligans try to break in. Jeremy Saulnier’s screenplay follows this hardcore punk band in the Ain’t Rights as they are traveling through the Pacific Northwest on tour as stopped to do a radio interview and a gig which was unfortunately cancelled because of screw-ups by promoters forcing a local radio host to call his cousin who works at a club outside Portland to get the band a gig.
Although the band realize the audience is a neo-Nazi group, they still play and find a way to piss them off unaware of what is happening behind the scenes at the green room where the headlining band is at. Slaunier’s script doesn’t just play into what happened but also what the club owner Darcy Banker (Patrick Stewart) is hiding as he’s a dangerous yet calm man that is trying to handle the situation without any real trouble. Still, he has a group of people that will take care of things if needed to as they have weapons and attack dogs with the people in the green room having little to fight back with.
Saulnier’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way he creates the air of tension and terror that looms throughout the film where much of its second and third act is set inside the green room. Shot on location in Portland, Oregon with additional locations in Astoria as well as scenes shot at the Mount Hood National Forest. Saulnier’s direction doesn’t go for a lot of wide shots except in getting a look at the locations yet much of his direction is intimate in its usage of close-ups and medium shots in playing to the atmosphere of the club as well as the tension that goes on inside the green room. Especially as it has this air of claustrophobia where you have the band, the friend of the dead young woman, and a bouncer who had a gun only to be overpowered by the band while outside of the green room is Darcy and his gang. Even as the band try to get out of the green room through other means of searching the room as well as discover something underneath the green room that is even more disturbing as it relates to the area the club is set in. The scenes outside the club where Darcy and his followers are trying to get things ready as well as make a discovery about one of their own add to the intrigue.
Saulnier’s direction also has this eerie element of violence in the way it’s presented as the dead body is seen with a knife on her head but no blood until the knife is pulled out. The violence would intensify during a standoff between Darcy and one of the band members in Pat (Anton Yelchin) who agreed to exchange a handgun for a cell phone only to realize that it was a set-up leaving Pat’s arm to be cut badly. Things would get more violent as the film progresses that would eventually lead to a showdown where it is about a battle of wits and will despite the lack of resources and experience the band and Amber (Imogen Poots) have in a fight or in a battle. Even as it’s all about the impact and sense of will but also the need to survive no matter how much the odds are against this small group of punks. Overall, Saulnier crafts a riveting yet haunting film about a hardcore punk rock band stuck inside a room at a venue for neo-Nazi skinhead punks.
Cinematographer Sean Porter does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it’s low-key in its approach to lighting for many of the interiors in day and night as well as the exterior scenes set at night. Editor Julia Bloch does fantastic work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts play into the suspense and terror without the need to delve into fast-paced cutting by emphasizing on momentum in the suspense. Production designer Ryan Warren Smith, with set decorator Jenelle Giordano and art director Benjamin Hayden, does brilliant work with the look of the club the band plays as well as the green room which is a room to relax until it becomes a safe haven for the band away from the Nazis. Costume designer Amanda Needham does nice work with the costumes from the ragged look of the band as well as the look of the Nazis with their boots and red laces for the group of extremists.
Prosthetic makeup designer Michael Marino does amazing work with the look of gore and some of the violent moments that happen in the film. Visual effects supervisor Chris Connolly does terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it mainly serves as set dressing for some of the violence as well as a few moments in the exterior scenes. Sound designer Roland Vajs does superb work with the sound in capturing the sound of live music heard at the venue or at another room as well as the way feedback is used as a weapon in the film. The film’s music by Brooke and Will Blair is wonderful for its haunting usage of strings and keyboards to create an ominous music score that help play into the suspense and drama while music supervisor Lauren Mikus provides a killer soundtrack filled with a lot of punk rock music from acts like Bad Brains, Fear, Corpus Rottus, Kingsley Fowley, Spectre Folk, Poison Idea, Hochstedder, Patsy Rats, Midnight, Syphilitic Lust, Missionary Position, Obituary, and Harassor along with non-punk music from Napalm Death, Slayer, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The casting by Avy Kaufman is great as it feature some notable small roles from Taylor Tunes as the young woman who would be killed early in the film, David W. Thompson as a punk rock radio host who would get the band a new gig, Kai Lennox as skinhead attack dog trainer Clark, Eric Edelstein as the skinhead bouncer Big Justin, Brent Werzner as a neo-Nazi skinhead musician in Werm, Macon Blair as a skinhead who works at the club who is trying to smooth things out, and Mark Webber as the radio host’s cousin Daniel who is a skinhead that is unaware of what is going on at the green room. Callum Turner and Joe Cole are superb in their respective roles as the singer Tiger and drummer Reece as two musicians trying to deal with the Nazis with former discovering what is underneath the green room while the latter is trying keep Big Justin at bay with some mixed-martial arts moves.
Alia Shawkat is fantastic as guitarist Sam as a musician who is trying to maintain some calm but is also willing to fight back as is kind of the unsung leader of the band. Imogen Poots is excellent as Amber as a friend of the woman who is killed as she is trying to deal with what happened as well was wanting to revenge for her friend while knowing about the environment that everyone is at. Anton Yelchin is brilliant as the band bassist Pat as a young man who is trying to survive as he deals with being assaulted and the chaos around him as he also delivers this great monologue about an experience he had that becomes a rallying pep talk of sorts. Finally, there’s Patrick Stewart in an incredible performance as Darcy Banker as the leader of the neo-Nazis and club owner who is this calm yet dangerous individual that is trying to outsmart the band while knowing what needs to be done as it’s one of his finest performances of his career.
Green Room is a spectacular film from Jeremy Saulnier. Thanks to its ensemble cast, eerie setting, haunting visuals, intense music, and gripping atmosphere. It’s a film that takes a simple setting and situation while amplifying the sense of fear and tension while getting a look from the perspective of two different forces trying to outdo one another. In the end, Green Room is a tremendous film from Jeremy Saulnier.
Jeremy Saulnier Films: (Murder Party) – (Blue Ruin) – (Hold the Dark)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Victor Levin, 5 to 7 is the story of a young writer who meets a married woman as he would have an affair with her unaware that it’s part of an arrangement she has with her husband. The film is an exploration of love as well as young man finding out that the woman he’s with is having an open marriage with her husband. Starring Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella, and Glenn Close. 5 to 7 is a majestic and fascinating film from Victor Levin.
Set entirely in New York City, the film revolves around a young writer whose encounter with a married French woman lead to an arranged affair between five to seven PM. It’s a film with a simple concept as it is largely told by this young man in his 20s who is trying to find himself as a writer but also find ideas to become a great one. Upon meeting this beautiful Frenchwoman in her 30s, he would have this affair but would have to meet between five and seven PM as he would learn that she is married to another man who is also in an open relationship with another woman. Victor Levin’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist Brian Bloom (Anton Yelchin) who is quite young as he hasn’t experienced enough with his life to create anything of worth in his desire to be a writer. When he meets Arielle Pierpont (Berenice Marlohe), he would gain some experience in this affair yet he becomes enamored by Arielle and her life. Though the script does follow scenarios that is typical of romantic-comedies, there are more complexities as it play into this arrangement as well as what it could for Brian’s future.
Levin’s direction is quite simple as it is shot on location in New York City and its various locations where it play into Brian living in a city where it’s known for giving birth to many writers as the city itself is a character in the film. Many of the compositions are simple with its usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy of the scenes as well as in some of the parties. There are a few wide shots in the film yet Levin is more about Brian being part of Arielle’s life as she has two kids while introducing her to his parents who are baffled by this arrangement. The direction is also very playful as it owe a lot to elements of the French New Wave for much of the film’s first half that would include a lot of tracking shots yet the style would become more controlled and less stylized for the third act. Notably as it would play into Brian’s own view of the world and his own idea of love where things become complicated but there are things he would have to accept in his development as a man. Overall, Levin creates an engaging yet charming film about a young man’s affair with a married woman.
Cinematographer Arnaud Potier does excellent work with the cinematography in the way many of the rooms are lit from inside as well as the naturalistic exterior shots in the daytime. Editor Matt Maddox does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few jump cuts and montages in some sequences. Production designer Jeannine Oppewall and set decorator Susan Perlman do fantastic work with the look of the hotel suite Brian and Arielle would often meet at as well as Brian‘s quaint apartment and the lavish one Arielle lives in with her husband.
Costume designer Heidi Bivens does wonderful work with the costumes from the suits that Brian wears to the stylish clothes that Arielle wears. Sound designers J.M. Davey and Zach Seivers do terrific work with the sound as it is mostly low-key to play into the locations as well as in some of the parties that the characters go to. The film’s music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans do superb work with the music as it‘s mostly a mixture of classical and waltz-based music with bits of jazz while music supervisor Laura Katz create a soundtrack filled with jazz, classical, and some French pop music.
The casting by Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, and Heidi Levitt is great as it features appearances from real-life figures Julian Bond, Daniel Bouloud, Alan Gilbert, and David Remnick as themselves along with Milo Mungier Jacob and Brune de Drueille Senecterre in their respective roles as Arielle’s children Marc and Elodie and Eric Stoltz in a one-scene performance as the renowned editor Galassi. Glenn Close and Frank Langella are fantastic as Brian’s parents respectively in Arlene and Sam Bloom with Close as the more quirkier of the two while Langella is the more uptight who isn’t that fond of the relationship. Lambert Wilson is excellent as Arielle’s husband Valery as a man who loves his wife but also has a mistress as he tries to create a situation where everyone is happy as he also sees promise in Brian’s writing talents.
Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Valery’s mistress Jane as an editor who is able to help Brian sort out the arrangements of these affairs but also get him the chance to get his work published as she would be a friend to him. Berenice Marlohe is brilliant as Arielle Pierpont as a woman who meets Brian as she embarks on an affair with him as she learns about some of the aspects of American culture while becoming unsure if she can have a real relationship with him. Finally, there’s Anton Yelchin in a remarkable performance as Brian Bloom as a young writer trying to find experience in life as he meets and falls for Arielle while pondering if he can have a future with her despite their arrangements in Arielle’s open marriage.
5 to 7 is a marvelous film from Victor Levin that features incredible performances from Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, and Olivia Thirlby. It’s a romantic comedy that is very low-key yet is filled with some charm as well as some compelling ideas on open marriages and experiences for the young. In the end, 5 to 7 is an excellent film from Victor Levin.
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Only Lovers Left Alive is the story of two vampire lovers reuniting when one wants to end his eternity as their reunion is shattered by the arrival of one’s sister. The film is a unique take on the vampire story as it plays to the fallacy of eternal life that revolves around a group of vampires who live in a strange world ranging from Tangiers to Detroit. Starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright, and John Hurt. Only Lovers Left Alive is a compelling and intoxicating film from Jim Jarmusch.
The film explores the lives of two vampire lovers who had lived for countless centuries as they reunite after some time apart as they cope with not just mortality but also the human race. Even as these two lovers in Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) live in separate worlds where the former lives in Detroit as a reclusive musician and the latter living in Tangier surrounded by books. Adam’s growing dissatisfaction with humanity has him wanting to end his life which Eve senses as she arrives to Detroit to cheer him up only for their renewed romance to be interrupted by Eve’s wild sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) whom Adam dislikes. It’s a film that explores not just the fallacy of eternity but also in how two vampires who have live their live through influencing humanity only to realize that they have done so little which makes Adam despondent about his role in life.
Jim Jarmusch’s screenplay does use a traditional structure where the first act is set in both Detroit and Tangier to showcase the sense of longing that Adam and Eve have toward one another. Especially as they both have different human contacts where the only person Adam lets into his house is a rock n’ roll kid named Ian (Anton Yelchin) and gets his blood from a mysterious doctor known as Dr. Watson (Jeffrey Wright) whom he pays off. For Eve, she is surrounded by mystical wonders in Tangier as her contact is the famed writer Christopher Marlowe (John Hurt) who is revealed to be a vampire that has faked his death and lives under a different name. The second act is set in Detroit where Adam and Eve reunite as they cope with Adam’s longing to die as well as the beauty that is Detroit with all of its ruined homes and places that once made the city so great.
Ava’s arrival would only create trouble in the film’s second act as it plays to not just Adam’s growing dissatisfaction with humanity but also in the realization that humanity will get worse. The script would play into how Adam and Eve react to humanity where they would see some of its good but also a lot of bad as the latter becomes more evident as their thirst for clean blood becomes more scarce as time goes by. Even as the third act is set in Tangier where the idea of eternal life becomes less evident forcing Adam and Eve to contemplate their own mortality in a world that is rapidly changing.
Jarmusch’s direction is very unique in not just the environments where he sets the film but also in its approach to style. Notably as it involves scenes where the camera is shooting from above as it spins around to play into the sense of mysticism that vampires feel towards one another. Jarmusch’s direction is quite entrancing as the film is shot entirely at night where it plays into this world where vampires are coping with an ever-changing world as Eve surrounds herself with books while Adam is often surrounded by antique musical instruments and other things to connect with what was great about humanity. While a lot of Jarmusch’s compositions are very simple, he manages to do so much in the images he creates while making Tangier and Detroit characters in the film.
Jarmusch also maintains a sense of detachment in his direction where there aren’t a lot of close-ups in favor to showcase Adam and Eve’s observation with the human race in these different places. Especially in the differences between a place like Tangier with all of its beauty and mystique in comparison to the ruins and thrill that is Detroit. Jarmusch’s usage of zoom lenses and keeping things simple add to the sense of detachment and observation that looms over Adam and Eve while the scenes involving Ava are shown with a sense of danger as she is a character who is out of control and unpredictable like humanity itself. Once the film returns to Tangier, it becomes much more melancholic in the sense of uncertainty into whether Adam and Eve should continue or just fade away like the things they held on to for so many centuries. Overall, Jarmusch creates a very eerie yet evocative film about vampire lovers dealing with the fallacy of eternity.
Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from its use of dreamy lighting schemes for many of the film‘s exterior settings along with more low-key lights and shades for some of the interior scenes. Editor Affonso Goncalves does brilliant work in the editing with its stylish usage of dissolves and jump-cuts to play into the mystique and the dream-like world of Adam and Eve. Production designer Marco Bittner Rosser, with art director Anja Fromm and set decorators Christiane Krumwiede and Malte Nitsche, does fantastic work with the different homes of Adam and Eve where the latter is filled with antique instruments and vinyl while the latter is filled with lots of books. Costume designer Bina Daigeler does excellent work with the costumes from the white clothes of Eve to the dark clothes of Adam as well as the more stylish clothes that Ava wears.
Special effects makeup artist Joanna Koch and hair designer Gerd Zeiss do superb work with the look of the characters from the hair that Eve and Ava wear as well as the vampire fangs whenever they‘re thirsty for blood. Visual effects supervisor Malte Sarnes does nice work with the minimal visual effects that only involve the speediness of the vampires. Sound designer Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound from the way some of the locations sounds to the mixing in how records are played as well as the entrancing textures that looms into Adam and Eve in their surroundings. The film’s music by Jozef van Wissem is great as it features this very ominous use of the lute instrument to play into the world of Tangier while the score also features cuts from Jarmusch’s band SQURL that features vocals from Zola Jesus and Yasmine Hamdan that is mostly dense and drone-based music. The music soundtrack also features an array of music from Wanda Jackson, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, White Hills, Bill Laswell, Charlie Feathers, and other music ranging from soul to Middle Eastern music.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is incredible as it features appearances from Yasmine Hamdan and the band White Hills plus a terrific small role from Slimane Dazi as Marlowe’s human assistant Bilal. Jeffrey Wright is excellent as Dr. Watson as the medical doctor who is Adam’s blood supplier who never asks questions while Anton Yelchin is fantastic as Adam’s rock n’ roll friend Ian who often does duties for Adam and his only real contact with the outside world that Adam grows to despise. John Hurt is brilliant as the writer Christopher Marlowe who is Eve’s supplier/mentor as he is an observer that had seen everything while dealing with the ever-changing world. Mia Wasikowska is amazing as Eve’s sister Ava who arrives unexpectedly as she likes to cause trouble and often drinks Adam and Eve’s blood supply to quench her thirst.
Finally, there’s Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton in magnificent performances in their respective roles as Adam and Eve. Hiddleston brings in this very reserved approach in his performance to display his discontent with humanity and the modern world while thinking his time might be up. Swinton has a more entrancing quality to her role as someone who lives in the moment as she is often amazed by her surroundings while being aware of how scarce good blood is becoming. Hiddleston and Swinton have this electrifying chemistry that play into their own observation with the world as well as with death as they bring in some humor and a heavy sense of drama to their performances.
Only Lovers Left Alive is a remarkable film from Jim Jarmusch that features great performances from Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. The film is definitely an unconventional take on the vampire lore while injecting back some bite to the genre that is needed following a period of vampire stories that lack bite. Even as it plays to their own encounter with a modern world that becomes less interesting in its exploration of eternity. In the end, Only Lovers Left Alive is a ravishing yet tremendously rich 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 & Cigarettes - Broken Flowers - The Limits of Control - Paterson - Gimme Danger - The Dead Don’t Die - (Father Mother Sister Brother) - The Auteurs #27: Jim Jarmusch
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Drake Doremus and written by Doremus and Ben York Jones, Like Crazy is the story of two college students who fall in love in Los Angeles as they become a couple until one of them has to return to Britain as they try to salvage their relationship. The film explores young love as well as long-distance relationship between two young people. Starring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Alex Kingston, and Finola Hughes. Like Crazy is a ravishing yet heartfelt romantic drama from Drake Doremus.
At a university in Los Angeles, Jacob (Anton Yelchin) meets British exchange student Anna (Felicity Jones) where the two fall in love as they become a couple. When the semester is about to end as Anna has to return to Britain for the summer, Anna chooses to stay in the U.S. for the summer with Jacob as the two continue their whirlwind romance. After going back to Britain to visit her parents (Oliver Muirhead and Alex Kingston), Anna returns to Los Angeles where she is stopped by customs over her visa as she is banned from the U.S. and forced to return to Britain. Jacob and Anna try a long-distance relationship where Anna’s parents hire a lawyer to deal with immigration ban as the two each venture into their individual pursuits.
With Anna working for a magazine and Jacob starting his furniture business, the two meet again when Jacob travels to London to visit Anna where her father suggests the two marry to help lift the band. Jacob returns to the U.S. where he starts a relationship with his co-worker Samantha (Jennifer Lawrence) while Anna continues to work as she struggles with her feelings for Jacob. Jacob also starts to miss Anna as he returns to Britain to marry her where things eventually get more complicated over the legalities of the ban leading to more issues with the two. With Jacob back in the U.S., Anna would forge a relationship with her neighbor Simon (Charlie Bewley) as she becomes confused over everything when she and Jacob receive news about the ban.
Young love between two people is a special kind of love as it’s just about being together and having fun. For these two young people from different countries, their love is so powerful that it would make them do something that is risky when this young woman decides not to return home to Britain and stay in America a bit longer. This would set up a series of complications that would test their relationship as they struggle to deal with their feelings for each other while they would seek their own individual pursuits that includes dating other people.
The screenplay explores the dynamics between Jacob and Anna as their relationship is a very captivating one as they’re both very young and share interests including the music of Paul Simon. The first act is about the blossoming of their relationship while the second act is about them trying to maintain the long-distance relationship and date other people where they would struggle with their feelings for one another. Then comes this third act that begins with them being married as they struggle with the complications of the immigration ban and themselves as it raises questions about their relationship.
Drake Doremus’ direction is engaging for the way he captures a relationship as he aims for a style that is observes this relationship. Shot largely in Los Angeles and in London with handheld cameras, Doremus makes sure that the audience is intrigued by the blossoming of the relationship where there’s a lot of playful compositions and moments that is thrilling. By the film’s second half, Doremus creates moments where the individual lives of Jacob and Anna show remarkable differences of where their heading. When they’re together, the relationship isn’t obviously close as Doremus is always having the camera fixed on someone to display some form of tension or discomfort that is happening. Even with the film’s ending where it reveals a lot on what’s happening while displaying very little action. Overall, Doremus creates a very fascinating and compelling romantic drama.
Cinematographer John Guleserian does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the sunny look of the exteriors in London and Los Angeles to the stylish array of lights for its nighttime setting. Editor Jonathan Alberts does fantastic work with the editing by creating a stylistic approach through jump-cuts and fade-outs to play out the evolution of the relationship. Production designer Katie Byron and art director Rachael Ferrara do superb work with the set pieces such as the apartments that Jacob and Anna live in as well as the hotel room they stay at in Santa Monica.
Costume designer Mairi Chisholm does nice work with the costume to keep things casual while creating an array of stylish clothes for Anna. Sound designer Andy Hay and sound editors Jesse Pomeroy and Paul Stanley do terrific work with the sound from the atmosphere of the parties the character encounter to the intimacy of their conversations. The film’s music by Dustin O’Halloran is wonderful for its plaintive and melancholic piano-driven score to play out the sense of longing in the relationship. Music supervisor Tiffany Anders creates a soundtrack that features an array of music ranging from electronic and pop as it includes music from M83 and Paul Simon.
The casting by Eyde Belasco is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Finola Hughes as Anna’s boss, Charlie Bewley as Anna’s London boyfriend Simon, Oliver Muirhead and Alex Kingston as Anna’s parents, and Jennifer Lawrence in a low-key yet fine performance as Jacob’s American co-worker/girlfriend Samantha. Finally there’s the duo of Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones as they both give very incredible performance in their respective roles as Jacob and Anna. Even as they provide a lot of emotional weight to their characters as they long for each other while becoming unsure of themselves as both Yelchin and Jones display a great chemistry with each other.
Like Crazy is a stellar yet captivating romantic film from Drake Doremus that is led by the superb performances of Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones. The film is definitely a very interesting piece for the way it explores young long-distance relationships as well as the complications that is furthered by immigration laws. In the end, Like Crazy is a smart and exhilarating film from Drake Doremus.
© thevoid99 2012
