Based on the 1980s TV series by Anthony Yerkovich, Miami Vice is the story of two Miami police detectives who go undercover to deal with a drug dealer and drug trafficking that is happening in and out of Miami. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a suspense-action thriller that follows two detectives who embark on a case that becomes highly dangerous as they also go into different paths to stop this drug dealer. Starring Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Justin Theroux, Gong Li, Naomie Harris, Ciaran Hinds, Barry Shabaka Henley, Luis Tosar, John Hawkes, Eddie Marsan, and John Ortiz. Miami Vice is an evocative and gripping film from Michael Mann.
The film is about two detectives from Miami who help the FBI by going undercover as drug runners to meet with a drug lord over drug trafficking in and out of Miami as it explores a dark culture of drugs and crime. It’s a film with a simple premise yet Michael Mann doesn’t go for anything simple in terms of the execution in his screenplay as it explore the life of these two detective in James “Sonny” Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) as they both seen at the film’s opening sequence trying to nab a pimp until they get a call from one of their informants over an attempted bust gone bad. After meeting with FBI agent John Fujima (Ciaran Hinds), Crockett and Tubbs agree to help him nab drug cartel security official Jose Yero (John Ortiz) who is trying to continue his drug trafficking ring from Colombia and into the U.S for his boss Arcangel de Jesus Montoya (Luis Tosar).
Mann’s script play into the life that Crockett and Tubbs have as they often do jobs with other cops led by their superior Lt. Martin Castillo (Barry Shabaka Henley) while Tubbs is in a relationship with one of fellow detectives in Trudy Joplin (Naomie Harris). During their undercover work, Crockett meets Montoya’s financial adviser/lover Isabella (Gong Li) whom he would fall for as they begin an affair that eventually leads to trouble. Especially as they learn about what Montoya and Yero are doing and who they’re working with to get the drugs into the U.S. as it complicates matter including putting Crockett and Tubbs’ fellow detectives in danger.
Mann’s direction definitely has some elements of style yet also has this low-key approach into the presentation as it opens at a nightclub where Crockett, Tubbs, Joplin, and other detectives are set to bust a pimp as it goes straight into the action and not waste time. Shot on various locations including Miami as well as other locations in Uruguay, Paraguay, parts of South Florida, and on various Caribbean islands, Mann creates a world where drug trafficking feels like the norm with these gorgeous wide shots of the sea and Miami skylines at night along with shots of the jungles and other places the character go to. Mann’s usage of aerial shots and scenes set on the sea on speed boats and planes also help establish this world while he also makes Miami as a character in the film but not as this vibrant locale that is filled with parties and excitement. Instead, he aims for something far darker and grittier as much of the scenes in Miami are shot at night with few scenes shot in the day as Mann prefers to showcase few of the cities famous sites in favor of just using it as a backdrop and go into parts of the city that not many are aware of.
Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the interaction with the characters but also in the suspense that include a showdown between a group of rednecks and the Miami PD where Detective Gina Calabrese (Elizabeth Rodriguez) is shown in a close-up with fierce intensity as she knows whether the person who wants to kill everyone really can do it but she knows he’s bluffing as she is intent on putting a bullet in his head. Mann also knows when to break from the action as it play into the persona lives of Crockett and Tubbs with the former engaging into this affair with Isabella that would eventually cause trouble. The climatic showdown between the Miami PD and Yero’s men is bloody as there is this great build up to the suspense in the medium shots and close-ups to capture all of the action and violence that is thrilling and dangerous. Especially in what is at stake while the ending is filled with ambiguity into the fates of a few characters but also the reality of the drug culture and what some do to survive. Overall, Mann crafts an intoxicating yet visceral film about the life and work of two Miami police detectives going undercover to stop a drug lord’s empire.
Cinematographer Dion Beebe does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is shot largely on digital video to capture some of the grimy look of the city as well as some of the vibrancy in the hand-held shots as well as not aim for anything overtly stylized in favor of something low-key and realistic. Editors William Goldenberg and Paul Rubell do excellent work with the film’s editing as it has some stylish usage of jump-cuts as it also play into some unconventional rhythms in the cutting to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Victor Kempster, with set decorator Jim Erickson plus art directors Carlos Menendez and Seth Reed, does brilliant work with the look of the some of the homes of the Miami PD’s informers as well as the lavish home of Montoya and the casino that Yero runs. Costume designers Michael Kaplan and Janty Yates do fantastic work with some of the stylish clothes that Crockett and Tubbs wear when they go undercover as well as the posh designer clothes that Isabella wears.
Special effects makeup artists Jake Garber and Harrison Lorenzana do superb work with the look of a few characters during some of the film’s violent moments as well as the look of the Aryan gang that work with Yero. Special effects supervisor Rick Thompson and visual effects supervisor Robert Staad do terrific work with visual/special effects as it help play into the action along with some bits of set-dressing in some of the visual effects. Sound designers Elliott Koretz and Tak Ogawa do amazing work with the sound in capturing the sounds of gunfire, boat engines, and the atmosphere of the locations as it help play into the suspense and intrigue that is rampant throughout the film. The film’s music by John Murphy is wonderful for its somber and ambient-based score with some pulsating electronic-based themes that help add to the suspense while music supervisor Vicki Hiatt provides a nice music soundtrack that feature a mixture of ambient, hip-hop, rock, soul, Latin music, and electronic music from Goldfrapp, Audioslave, India.Arie, Mogwai, Nina Simone, Moby with Patti LaBelle, King Britt, Linkin Park w/ Jay-Z, and Emilio Estefan as well as an awful cover of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight by Nonpoint.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and performances from Isaach de Bankole as a pimp Crockett and Tubbs try to nab early in the film, Eddie Marsan as an informant who gives the Miami PD some information, Tom Towles as an American dealer in Nicholas who is aligned with a group of Aryan drug dealers, Domenick Lombardozzi and Justin Theroux in their respective roles as Miami detectives in Stan Switek and Larry Zito who help Crockett and Tubbs with their work, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Detective Gina Calabrese who is a no-nonsense woman that is also dangerous but reliable, John Hawkes as an informant in Alonzo Stevens who calls Crockett and Tubbs early in the film as he makes a chilling discovery that puts him in trouble, and Luis Tosar in a terrific performance as the drug lord Arcangel de Jesus Montoya who runs an empire and wants to control all of Miami. Ciaran Hinds is superb as FBI agent John Fujima as a man who had accidentally ruined Crockett and Tubbs’ case early in the film as he decides to help them to try and stop Montoya despite his dislike towards them.
Barry Shabaka Henley is fantastic as Lt. Martin Castillo as Crockett and Tubbs’ superior who is the mediator between them and Fujima as well as being someone who is aware of what is going on as well as be a father figure of sorts for the team. John Ortiz is excellent as Montoya’s security agent Jose Yero as a man that at first is believed to run an empire yet is someone who watches over Montoya’s drugs and shipments while is also someone extremely dangerous as he grows suspicious towards Crockett and Tubbs. Naomie Harris is brilliant as Detective Trudy Joplin as a detective who also gathers intelligence and information for others while is also Tubbs’ lover as she grounds him while she deals with her own troubles as a detective. Gong Li is amazing as Isabella as Montoya’s financial adviser/lover who works with Crockett and Tubbs only to engage into an affair with the former that eventually becomes troublesome as she copes with falling for Crockett but also handling business for Montoya and Yero.
Finally, there’s the duo of Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in incredible performances in their respective roles as James “Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Both Farrell and Foxx bring a grounded and reserved approach to their characters with Farrell being a bit more dangerous once Crockett has an affair with Isabella making Tubbs uneasy. Foxx is more no-nonsense but is also someone who can do negotiations the right way and win over dealers through his charm and wit. Farrell and Foxx also provide that air of toughness to their characters when it comes to doing their jobs as they both provide the grittiness that the characters needed for the film.
Miami Vice is an incredible film from Michael Mann that features top-notch leading performances from Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, Dion Bebe’s gorgeous photography, emphasis on realism, and John Murphy’s intoxicating score. The film is definitely a low-key yet more reserved approach to the suspense-drama and detective film while not aiming to be a direct remake/homage to the TV series with Mann wanting to do something entirely different yet engaging. In the end, Miami Vice is a remarkable film from Michael Mann.
Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief (1981 film) - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Ali - Collateral - Public Enemies - Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)
© thevoid99 2020
Directed and starring Bradley Cooper and screenplay by Cooper, Will Fetters, and Eric Roth that is based on the 1937 film by William A. Wellman and co-writers Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell that was produced by David O. Selznick, A Star is Born is the story of a troubled country-rock singer who meets an unknown singer as he takes her on tour and help guide her own music career just as his starts to decline. It’s a film that was first told in 1937 and had been remade two more times in 1954 and 1976 as it is now told in another new interpretation for a new generation with Cooper playing the role of the singer Jackson Maine and pop singer Lady Gaga as Ally. Also starring Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle, Anthony Ramos, Rafi Gavron, Greg Grunberg, and Andrew Dice Clay. A Star is Born is a rapturous and heart-wrenching film from Bradley Cooper.
The film is the simple story about the diverging paths of a troubled country-rock singer and the woman he would fall for and make her into a pop star. It’s a story that had been told three different times in its different incarnations as the script by Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters, and Eric Roth use those three different stories to set in the 21st Century where country-rock artist Jackson Maine is touring and making music although his popularity is starting to decline as he would meet this young woman named Ally at a drag club where she sings La Vie En Rose. Ally is also a songwriter but hasn’t made any waves to attract people in the music industry as she’s stuck in a waitressing job and not do much other than live with her father Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay) who runs a chauffeur business with friends. When Maine meets Ally at the drag club and strikes a conversation with her about music, sparks happen as he later invites her to one of his shows as they sing a song that she created.
Immediately, Maine accompanies Ally on their tour yet his older half-brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) is concerned about Maine’s alcoholism as well as his tinnitus which is getting worse while Ally’s songs finally attract the attention of a producer in Rez (Rafi Gavron). Through Rez, Ally would go pop and become immensely successful yet Maine struggles with his own issues as he finds himself playing a show in Memphis for money as he questions his own integrity as well as Ally’s decision to do pop music. The script showcases not just some of the decisions Maine has made in his life and career but also the struggle to realize that Ally has so much to offer as he fears he would ruin her. Yet, Ally is aware of Maine’s troubles as she is eager to help him any way she can as well as willing to risk her own career.
Cooper’s direction does have some elements of style yet much of his direction is straightforward in his presentation of life on the road and on stage as well as the backstage parties, recording sessions, and rehearsals. Shot on various locations with much of it in Arizona and California, Cooper does play into this world that Maine is often surrounded in that include open landscapes, amphitheaters, and music festivals where appearances in such noted festivals as Glastonbury in Britain and Coachella in California are shown. Cooper’s usage of the wide shots showcase the vast world of the venues and festival areas that Maine and later Ally would play to but Cooper also maintains an intimacy as he often captures the performance on the stage with some perspective from the audiences and from the backstage area. The usage of close-ups and medium shots of the performances and some of the action backstage as well as the usage of cell phone footage add to the excitement of the performances in the film.
The non-musical scenes do have an intimacy in the way Ally and Maine would create songs as well as go into discussions about the idea of integrity in music as Cooper knows how to create simple compositions but also in the way characters would react to another. Cooper also maintains that air of simplicity while knowing what not to show during a key dramatic moment late in the film. Notably in the third act as it play into Maine’s own downfall due to his substance abuse as well as growing tinnitus where he is trying to recover but there is also this danger that he could screw things up again. Yet, there is the music as it is what brings him and Ally together as it is a crucial moment for not just its climax but also the ending into the journey that these two endure. Overall, Cooper crafts a touching and ravishing film about the diverging journeys between a country-rock singer and his pop star wife.
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lights for some of the clubs, venues, and bars the characters go to as well as the lighting in some of the concert scenes and some of the natural elements in the film’s exterior scenes. Editor Jay Cassidy does excellent work with the editing where it is straightforward for much of the film while knowing when to keep shots going as well as create a few montages in some parts of the film. Production designer Karen Murphy, with set decorator Ryan Watson plus art directors Matthew Horan and Bradley Rubin, does fantastic work with the look of Maine’s home that he would later share with Ally as well as the home that Ally lived in with her father. Costume designer Erin Benach does nice work with the costumes from the casual and cowboy-like clothing that Maine wears to the more stylish look that Ally would sport in the clothes that she would wear as a pop star.
Hair stylist Joy Zapata and makeup artist Debbie Zoller do terrific work with the look that Ally would venture into from being somewhat plain into being a bit more glamorous into her transformation as a pop star. Visual effects supervisor Bruce Jones does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it mainly serves as set dressing for some scenes in the film. Sound editor Alan Robert Murray does superb work with the sound in the way live music sounds on locations as well as the way music sounds when it’s being recorded as it is a highlight of the film. Music supervisors Julianne Jordan and Julia Michels do incredible work in cultivating the film’s soundtrack as it feature a lot of original songs sung and performed by Cooper and Lady Gaga with the latter co-writing some of the material with Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell, Diane Warren, DJ White Shadow, Mark Ronson, and Andrew Wyatt as its mixture of country, country-rock, pop, and dance pop add to the story as it’s one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature notable small roles and cameo appearances from Alec Baldwin as himself hosting Saturday Night Live, Halsey as herself presenting an award, Marlon Williams and Brandi Carlisle as themselves performing at the awards show, Luenell as a grocery cashier, Eddie Griffin as a local preacher, Drena de Niro as the wife of Maine’s friend Noodles, Greg Grunberg as Maine’s driver Phil, the trio of Barry Shabaka Henley, Michael D. Roberts, and Michael Harney as Lorenzo’s friends, Shangela Laquifa Wadley as the drag club emcee, William Belli as the drag queen Emerald, and Ron Rifkin as Maine’s rehab therapist Carl. Dave Chappelle is superb as Maine’s longtime friend and former musician Noodles as a man who has chosen the simple life as well as offer Maine a glimpse into that life that would inspire him to commit full time to Ally.
Rafi Gavron is terrific as Ally’s manager/producer Rez as a man who would drive a wedge between Ally and Maine but is also aware of Maine’s troubles with drugs and alcohol and uses it against Maine. Anthony Ramos is fantastic as Ally’s friend Ramon who would introduce Maine to Ally as well as be someone who would be on Ally’s side and be one of the few people in her life who keeps her grounded. Andrew Dice Clay is excellent as Ally’s father Lorenzo as a man who is supportive of his daughter while is also worried about her not making it knowing about those who had the talent but never made it as it is a charismatic and grounded performance from Clay that also has an air of tenderness that is unexpected from the comedian. Sam Elliott is amazing as Maine’s older half-brother Bobby who also manages Maine as he is aware of his brother’s troubles with substance abuse and his tinnitus as well as being the one who is trying to take care of everything as it is one of Elliott’s finest performances.
Finally, there’s Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Jackson Maine and Ally. Cooper’s performance as Maine displays a man who is talented but also extremely troubled as years on the road, recording, and partying is starting to take its toll while his tinnitus is starting to get worse as he is in denial about his issues while is forced to face the reality of his troubles. Gaga’s performance as Ally is a marvel to watch as she displays the sense of reluctance to go into a singing career while eventually finding the confidence but is also someone who doesn’t take shit from anyone. Cooper and Gaga together are incredible to watch in the way they bond with one another as well as the scenes where they argue as they added that edge into two people who both have a love for music and each other but at times can’t stand one another as they are a major highlight of the film.
A Star is Born is a spectacular film from Bradley Cooper that features great performances from Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, and Andrew Dice Clay. Along with its evocative soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, a fresh and daring reinterpretation of an old story, and top-notch musical performances. It’s a film that isn’t afraid of being a remake but also find ways to do something new with it while being this whirlwind romantic drama of two singers both going into different paths only to go up when they work together. In the end, A Star is Born is a sensational film from Bradley Cooper.
Related: A Star is Born (1937 film) - (A Star is Born (1954 film)) – (A Star is Born (1976 film))
© thevoid99 2020
Directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie, Collateral is the story of a cab driver who is forced by a hitman to drive him to destinations around Los Angeles to kill various targets during the night. The film is a suspense-thriller that play into a cab driver who is given a troubling night as he deals with the danger of taking a hitman to kill people leading to chaos and violence. Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Irma P. Hall, Bruce McGill, and Javier Bardem. Collateral is a riveting and entrancing film from Michael Mann.
Taking place in the span of nearly 12 hours in Los Angeles, a cab driver is forced by a hitman to drive him to various locations in the city where he is to kill four key witnesses and prosecutor for the man who hired him. It’s a film that explores a cab driver’s awful night as he endures a journey of darkness as he has to accompany this man to destinations as he is there to kill and that is it. Stuart Beattie’s screenplay follows Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx) who is a cab driver with a meticulous personality that works part-time as a cab driver hoping to raise enough money to start a limousine business where one of his first clients is a prosecutor in Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith) whom he converses with as it leads to a brief sense of attraction. Then he meets Vincent (Tom Cruise) who asks to go to this destination and then a body falls onto Max’s cab as it begins a hellish night as Vincent is a professional who carries a list as he does whatever he can to kill making Max uneasy.
Vincent is a mysterious character who can be charming one minute and then ruthless the next minute where Max gets a close look at Vincent’s work and through the trail of bodies he left behind. The script also play into these conversations between Vincent and Max where there is a unique dynamic between the two as the latter knows he’s not in control but is eager to get out. Even as Vincent’s killings would attract the attention of the police including LAPD detective Ray Fanning (Mark Ruffalo) who believes something is up as one of his witnesses had been killed knowing it’s a professional hit. Once the story progresses and body count pile up, Max would do drastic means to stop Vincent from killing more only for things to get more complicated where Max is forced by Vincent to meet up with the man who hired Vincent in Mexican drug lord in Felix Reyes-Torrena (Javier Bardem) who would only raise more suspicion as Max realizes he’s in a far darker world that is not prepared for.
Michael Mann’s direction is astonishing in terms of the visuals he creates as it is shot largely on high-definition digital video with the exception of a nightclub scene shot on 35mm film. Shot on location in Los Angeles which is a character in the film, Mann displays this air of grit into his compositions where he would use a lot of wide and aerial shots to capture so much attention to detail as well as where Max’s cab is at in a certain location. Still, much of the direction is set inside the cab throughout the film where Mann maintains that intimacy through the close-ups and medium shots as well as in the different locations that Max has to take Vincent to. The scenes of violence are brutal though some of it occur off-screen yet there’s one violent scene that is brutal as it relates more to Max’s reaction and how close he is to the violence. Mann’s direction definitely play into this air of cinema verite with its usage of hand-held cameras as well as maintaining this air of realism into the direction.
Mann also creates this air of tension as it relates to the trail of bodies that Vincent leaves behind as detectives, FBI agents, and others go on the case to find out what is going on. The nightclub scene before the film’s third act where a witness is at is among one of the most suspenseful moments in the film as it shows how ruthless Vincent is in his pursuit. The third act is about the final target and what Max is willing to do to protect that person as well as realizing what kind of person Vincent really is. It’s among the most thrilling sequences ever captured on film as Mann uses the locations and compositions to help play into the stakes of a man who is having a bad night. Overall, Mann crafts a visceral yet evocative film about a cab driver being forced to drive a hitman to various destination on a dark night in Los Angeles.
Cinematographers Dion Bebe and Paul Cameron do brilliant work with the film’s digital video photography with Bebe doing much of the work to play into its sense of grit and crudeness but also in some gorgeous imagery for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editors Jim Miller and Paul Rubell do amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Daniel T. Dorrance, does fantastic work with the look of some of the places that Max and Vincent go including a few clubs as well as the nightclub for one of the film’s big shootouts. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward that includes the grey suit that Vincent wears.
Prosthetic/special effects makeup artist Matthew W. Mungle, along with special makeup effects artists Jake Garber, Cleve Gunderman, Jamie Kelman, and Bart Mixon plus prosthetic makeup artist Wesley Wofford, does excellent work with the look of Vincent with his hair as well as the look of a few characters. Visual effects supervisor Robert Stadd does some fine work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for a few shots in the city. Sound designer Elliott Koretz does superb work with the sound to help play into the atmosphere of what it sounds like inside a cab or at a club as well as how music is heard on a certain location. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that has elements of electronic ambient music that help play into the unsettling tone of the film while music supervisor Vicki Hiatt creates a soundtrack that feature some additional score pieces from Antonio Pinto plus music from the Roots with Cody Chesnutt, Groove Armada, Calexico, Tom Rothrock, Green Car Motel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Miles Davis, Paul Oakenfold, and Audioslave.
The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jason Statham as a man Vincent bumps into at the airport early in the film, Bohdi Elfman and Debi Mazar as a couple that Max picks up, the trio of Angelo Tiffe, Thomas Rosales Jr., and Inmo Yuon as Vincent’s targets, Richard T. Jones and Jamie McBride as a couple of traffic cops, Steven Kozlowski as a mugger trying to mug Max, Klea Scott as a FBI official, Emilio Rivera as a bodyguard of Felix, and Javier Bardem in a terrific one-scene appearance as the Mexican drug lord Felix Reyes-Torrena. Barry Shabka Henley is superb as the jazz musician Daniel Baker whom Vincent and Max sees as he’s performing at a club as he talks to them about Miles Davis while Irma P. Hall is fantastic as Max’s mother Ida who is ailing at the hospital as she is concerned about Max’s future while finding herself in an odd conversation with Vincent.
Bruce McGill is excellent as the FBI agent Frank Pedrosa who is spying on Felix as he believes he is involved with these killings while Peter Berg is wonderful as Fanning’s partner Richard Weidner who follows the trail of bodies though he isn’t sure it’s all connected to Felix. Mark Ruffalo is brilliant as detective Ray Fanning as someone who learns that one of his witnesses had been killed as he is aware of what is going on as he also believes that there is a lot more to meet the eye prompting him to find Max and protect him. Jada Pinkett Smith is amazing as Annie Farrell as a prosecutor Max meets early in the film in his cab as they converse about a few things including Farrell’s job as she would also take part in the film’s climatic third act as it relates to the case she’s involved in.
Jamie Foxx is phenomenal as Max Durocher as a cab driver who would have the worst night of his life as he is forced to accompany a hitman to various destinations where Foxx maintains a restraint as well as being this uneasy observer who is troubled by what he sees as he and Cruise do have great rapport to play into the tension and drama. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a tremendous performance as Vincent as a mysterious hitman who is ruthless in his pursuit of targets but is also a professional that is good at his job and is intent on finishing as it’s a dark yet riveting performance from Cruise.
Collateral is a spectacular film from Michael Mann that features great performances from Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, eerie visuals, a gripping music soundtrack, top-tier editing, and a broad sound design. The film is definitely a suspense-thriller that takes a simple premise and amp it up in its exploration of a hitman forcing a cab driver to take him to destinations in Los Angeles so that he can kill some people. In the end, Collateral is a sensational film from Michael Mann.
Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief (1981 film) - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Ali - Miami Vice – Public Enemies (2009 film) - Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)
© thevoid99 2019
(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
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