The 17-minute short film revolves around a British man who is lying still as a friend of his learned there is a snake sleeping on the man’s stomach as he asks for a doctor to help observe the situation. It is a film that plays into a life-and-death scenario as Wes Anderson maintains a straightforward narrative into the script with Timber Woods (Dev Patel) being the narrator of sorts as he watches over his British friend Harry Pope (Benedict Cumberbatch) lying still on his bed as a snake has fallen asleep on his stomach. Woods calls Dr. Ganderbai (Ben Kingsley) about the situation as he arrives where he observes everything as he knows that Pope is in deep shit. It plays into this sense of tension along with some revelations about what is going on with Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) popping in for a couple of scenes as he also talks about the snake that is on Pope’s stomach.
Anderson’s direction aims for a straightforward style while shooting much of the action is shot in a 2:35:1 aspect ratio with the two Dahl scenes shot in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio. Shot at Maidstone Studios in Kent, England, Anderson does bring in some unique compositions where the widescreen aspect ratio allows him to provide a bigger canvas to play into the suspense. Notably when Anderson uses wide and medium shots to get a scope into the situation including shots from above that plays into the scale of the room and what is at stake. There are also some close-ups as it plays into Pope as he is sweating as well as Dr. Ganderbai where it adds to the dramatic suspense. Even though Dr. Ganderbai would use some methods he knows that would prove to be risky, it adds to what is at stake. Overall, Anderson crafts a riveting yet whimsical film about a life-and-death situation involving a snake.
Cinematographer Robert Yeoman does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior sets as well as the emphasis on heightened colors for the scenes involving Dahl. Editors Barney Pilling and Andrew Weisblum do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, along with set decorators Cathy Featherstone and Anna Pinnock plus art directors Claire Peerless and Kevin Timon Hill, does brilliant work with the look of the home that Pope and Woods lived in as well as the artificial background sets and the home of Dr. Ganderbai. Costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone does fantastic work with the clothes of Dr. Ganderbai as well as the pajamas that Pope is wearing.
Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon does nice work with the look of the characters with their facial hair. Special effects supervisors Chris Reynolds and Nick Roberts do terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it consists of moving sets and a brief shot of a snake that is in a jar that Dahl has with him. Sound mixer Valentino Gianni does superb work with the sound in the way sparse noises sound from outside as well as the emphasis on silence. Music supervisor Randall Poster does a wonderful job with the film’s minimal music soundtrack as it features a song by Jarvis Cocker in the film’s final credit in the feature-length version of the film.
The film’s remarkable ensemble cast includes two notable small roles from Benoit Herlin and Eliel Ford as a couple of stagehands with Ralph Fiennes in a superb appearance as Roald Dahl who comments on a couple of moments in the story. Dev Patel is incredible as Timber Woods as a friend of Pope who is narrating everything that is happening while also observing into a dangerous situation that could be fatal to Pope. Ben Kingsley is great as Dr. Ganderbai as a doctor who knows how to deal with snakes while he observes the severity of the situation knowing that one mistake is costly. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a tremendous performance as Harry Pope as a man lying in bed as he believes a snake is sleeping on his stomach as he is restrained but also terrified in this life-and-death situation.
Poison is a phenomenal short film by Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and a gripping story about a life-and-death situation. It is among one of Anderson’s finest short films as well as a great adaptation of a short story by Roald Dahl. In the end, Poison is a sensational film from Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited
- Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) – (Asteroid City) - (The Phoenician Scheme)
© thevoid99 2024
The film is the simple story of a rich man who discovers a book about a doctor’s report on a guru who can see things without his eyes where the man hopes to master this skill to cheat at gambling. It is a film told in a multilayered style as it is told through different characters with Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) doing the narration as well as how he authored this story with claims that it is based on a real man. Notably as the titular character (Benedict Cumberbatch) was at an event bored where he walked to the library where he discovered this book written by Dr. Chatterjee (Dev Patel) who recounts his meeting with a circus performer in Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley) who asked to be blindfolded for an upcoming performance. Dr. Chatterjee and his colleague Dr. Marshall (Richard Ayoade) would ask Khan these questions about where he learned this trade where Khan would tell the story of how he met this guru (Richard Ayoade) as it plays into Henry Sugar’s obsession to learn this skill, yet it would succeed in learning it, but its aftermath would prove to be unfulfilling.
Wes Anderson’s direction plays in a style that includes a lot of static shots and so much mindfulness in the setting where it does feel like the fourth wall is broken. Shot on location at the Maidstone Studios in Kent, England, Anderson’s usage of un-broken long shots, unique camera angles, and sets being moved from set to another adds to this unconventional presentation where characters narrate this story and the layers upon which it plays into Sugar’s newfound obsession. While the film is shot in a 1:33:1 full-frame aspect ratio on 16mm film to maintain an intimate style while still using some wide shots. Anderson’s usage of medium shots and close-ups do add to the sense of whimsy as well as intrigue into whether these stories were true as the characters would talk to the camera to play into this ambiguity with actors also playing multiple roles. It would all play into this journey of a rich yet lonely man who wants more money and wealth, yet it is through this skill to see things without his eyes that would reveal so much more than what wealth can offer to him. Overall, Anderson crafts a delightful and rapturous film about a rich man’s discovery of a secret skill that can make him wealthier.
Cinematographer Robert Yeomen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of vibrant colors and heightened lighting for some of the daytime exteriors as well as stylish lights and low-key lights for some scenes at night. Editors Barney Pilling and Andrew Weisblum do excellent work with the editing as it has a few jump-cuts while a lot of it is straightforward in its cutting in allowing shots to linger for a few minutes. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with supervising art director Kevin Timon Hill plus set decorators Cathy Featherstone and Anna Pinnock, does brilliant work with the look of the sets in the interiors of Sugar’s home, the hospital in India, and some of the backdrops created for Khan’s story. Costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone does fantastic work with the costumes in the posh clothing that Sugar wears as well as the different clothing that Dahl and other characters wear.
Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon does amazing work with the hair/makeup design in the different looks that the characters would have included Sugar late in the film. Special effects supervisor Chris Reynolds, along with visual effects supervisors Jep Hill, David Lebensfeld, Tim Ledbury, and Grant Miller, does terrific work with the special effects in some of the backdrops with some little mechanical animation in the background and rear projection in a few bits. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound as it plays into some of the natural sound effects as well as some sound effects created to play into the environment the characters are in. Music supervisor Randall Poster creates a wonderful soundtrack that consists of a classical music piece that is played sparingly in parts of the film.
The film’s ensemble cast features a few small appearances from Jarvis Cocker in various roles as friends of Sugar as well as a casino receptionist and David Gant as a casino croupier. Richard Ayoade is excellent in a dual role as Dr. Marshall who assists Dr. Chatterjee in his study of Khan as well as the Great Yogi who would teach Khan this trick to see things without his eyes. Dev Patel is amazing in a dual role as Dr. Chatterjee who is fascinated by Khan’s story where he would author the book that Sugar would read and as Sugar’s family accountant John Winston who would oversee Sugar’s business later in the film. Ben Kingsley is brilliant in a dual role as the circus performer Imdad Khan who would gain fame through a trick in seeing things without his eyes where he presents himself in a calm manner and in another role as a casino blackjack dealer.
Ralph Fiennes is incredible in a dual role as Roald Dahl as the man who revealed how learned this story about Henry Sugar and his meetings with him and in a small role as a policeman who is upset with an incident that Sugar causes. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a phenomenal dual performance as the titular character who is this wealthy man that becomes obsessed in learning this skill so he can win at gambling only to gain something even more fulfilling while Cumberbatch also plays a small role as a makeup artist who works for Sugar later in the film.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a tremendous film by Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, wondrous visuals, and an inventive screenplay. It is a short film that takes one of Roald Dahl’s overlooked short stories and turns into a story of a man’s obsession in a story he read only to find something far more valuable than what he originally intended to use with this skill he discovered. In the end, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a spectacular film from Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Swan – The Rat Catcher – Poison – The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) – (Asteroid City)
© thevoid99 2024
The film revolves around a young man who carries a mysterious secret as he’s the son of an immortal criminal who asks for his help believing that his late mother is alive in another world. It is a film that explores a young man, who had left his father’s world years after their mother’s death, who had gone to America to live a life that normal and fun with a friend until a letter from his estranged younger sister came in as it would lead to him and his sister reuniting with their father. The film’s screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton, Dale Callaham, and Andrew Laham does follow a simple structure yet it opens with the story of the Ten Rings that Shang-Chi’s father Wenwu had been carrying for thousands of years as it made him immortal and live for many years until his search for a mysterious land in China with great power is where he met Ying Li (Fala Chen) who was the guardian of this mysterious land as the two fall in love and raise two children until Li’s death.
The script also play into why Shang-Chi left his family to go to America where he and his friend Katy (Awkwafina) work as valets at a hotel and spend their nights doing karaoke and why his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) is pissed off at him as it relates to the day he left. The first act establishes Shang-Chi’s life in San Francisco with Katy that is interrupted by assassins of the Ten Rings organization that included Razorfist (Florian Munteanu) who is trying to get a pendant that Shang-Chi had which was given to him by his mother as it is a clue to what Wenwu is looking for in this mysterious village known as Ta Lo. It’s not just the stakes that the screenplay establish as well as the worlds that Shang-Chi, Katy, and Xialing are entering into but also in the characters as Wenwu is an individual that is a man of power but his life with Li showed that he could change but his past would catch up with him that forced him to return to his dark ways. Shang-Chi isn’t sure if everything his father is saying is true as he is someone filled with conflict about his father’s teachings as well as guilt from his past as a boy. Xialing isn’t just someone who harbors resentment towards her brother for leaving her but also her father whom she felt neglected him following her mother’s death. Katy is this wisecracking outsider that is still trying to find herself as she also gets to know more about Shang-Chi and Xialing where she also learns more about herself.
Cretton’s direction is quite vast in not just the world that these characters are in but also in many of the ancient Chinese ideals and surroundings including the mysterious Ta Lo village as much of the film is shot on location in New South Wales in Australia and studios in Australia along with additional locations in San Francisco. Cretton doesn’t just play into China’s history as well as how Wenwu is involved but also in the creation of the Ten Rings organization as this force of power who controls everything. Through wide and medium shots, the presentation of the Ten Rings organization and the world it has established itself is vast including its fortress where Wenwu lives with his army. Cretton also maintains a sense of mystique and beauty into the world including the village of Ta Lo which feature these mystical creatures that are more than just animals. It is a place where Shang-Chi and Xialing meet their aunt Ying Nan (Michelle Yeoh) whom they had never met as it would add to the film’s stakes but also Shang-Chi’s own revelations about who he is and the conflict he is dealing with over his mother’s death.
Cretton also play into the style of fighting as much of the stunt work and fight choreography is assembled by Bradley James Allan (whom the film is dedicated to) as Cretton knows how to present it with close-ups and medium shots while also knowing to keep the camera going as well as get a sense of rhythm into the fights. Notably in the third act that is about this showdown between the Ten Rings and the forces of Ta Lo as there’s a lot that is happening yet is really about the acceptance of death and the need to let go. Even as both Shang-Chi and Wenwu have to deal with ancient forces that Nan is trying to keep at bay as it play into ancient ideas of life and death as well as what the former has learned from death and who he is. Overall, Cretton crafts a dazzling yet somber film about a young man coping with his identity, loss, and the shadow of his father’s troubled legacy.
Cinematographer William Pope does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as the vibrant colors of the daytime exterior scenes at Ta Lo as it feels dream-like. Editors Nat Sanders, Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, and Harry Yoon do excellent work with the editing as its usage of stylish cuts add to the fight scenes where it does play into its intensity while being straightforward for the dramatic and comedic moments of the film. Production designers Sue Chan and Clint Wallace, along with supervising art director Richard Hobbs plus set decorators Rebecca Cohen, David A. Cook, and Leigh Welsh, do amazing work with the look of the Ten Rings fortress, Xialing’s own underground fighting circuit that she runs, and house and building at Ta Lo that all has its sense of beauty and wonders. Costume designer Kym Barrett does fantastic work with the costumes from the casual look of Katy and Shang-Chi as well as the uniforms that the Ten Rings wear as well as the clothes of the people at Ta Lo including what Nan wears.
Hair/makeup designer Rick Findlater do terrific work with the look of a few characters such as the hair design of Razorfist as well as the look of the people at the Ta Lo village. Special effect supervisor Dan Oliver and visual effects supervisor Christopher Townshend do incredible work with the action set pieces as well as the design of Ta Lo and some of the creatures including a creature named Morris. Sound designer Jeremy Bowker and sound editor Katy Wood do superb work with the sound in the way the sound effects are presented as well as the atmosphere of the locations as it help add to the action and suspense. The film’s music by Joel P. West is phenomenal as its mixture of orchestral bombast and traditional Chinese orchestral music as it help play into the world that Shang-Chi is in while music supervisors Dave Jordan and Nick Lok create a soundtrack that mixes elements of pop, hip-hop, and classic rock as it features music from Niki, Swae Lee, Jhene Aiko, Anderson.Paak, JJ Lin, Saweetie, Rick Ross, and many others including some karaoke songs performed by Shang-Chi and Katy including the Eagles.
The casting by Sarah Finn is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jade Xu as a Black Widow fighting an Extremis warrior in one of the rooms at Xialing’s building, Zach Cherry as a bus rider who records Shang-Chi’s fight in the bus, Stephanie Hsu and Kunal Dudhekar as a couple of friends of Shang-Chi and Katy respectively in Soo and John, Tim Roth in an un-credited voice performance as the gigantic villain Abomination as a fighter in Xialing’s building, Ronny Chieng as Xialing’s right-hand man Jon Jon at her underground building, Dallas Liu as Katy’s younger brother Ruihua, Jodi Long as Katy’s mother, Tsai Chin as Katy’s grandmother, Andy Le as the mysterious assassin known as the Death Dealer who was also the young Shang-Chi’s instructor, Yuen Wah as a Ta Lo leader in Guang Bo, Elodie Fong and Harmonie He in their respective roles as the adolescent and teenage Xialing, Jayden Zhang and Arnold Sun in their respective roles as the adolescent and teenage Shang-Chi, and Ben Kingsley in a hilarious performance as the actor Trevor Slattery whom had played a version of Wenwu many years ago and is imprisoned as he helps out Shang-chi, Xialing, and Katy in finding Ta Lo.
Benedict Wong is superb in his brief appearance as Wong as a master of the mystic arts who fights Abomination and later appears to chat with Shang-Chi and Katy while Florian Munteanu is terrific as the Ten Rings assassin Razorfist as a big man with machete/sword as a right hand as he is a formidable force that is intimidating but also with some personality. Michelle Yeoh is fantastic as Ying Nan as Shang-Chi and Xialing’s aunt who leads the people at the Ta Lo village as well as be a guide to her niece and nephew as well as be aware of Wenwu’s delusions. Fala Chen is excellent in her small role as Shang-Chi and Xialing’s mother Ying Li as a woman who was Ta Lo’s guardian when she met Wenwu as she is also this graceful fighter who gives her children something much more powerful than their father’s fighting style. Meng’er Zhang is incredible as Xu Xialing as Shang-Chi’s estranged sister whom he hadn’t seen in years as she runs an underground fight club in Macau as she also copes with the loss of her mother and her own issues with her father.
Awkwafina is marvelous as Katy as Shang-Chi’s best friend who doesn’t have much ambition while also realizes she doesn’t know Shang-Chi well at all but understands why he’s so guarded as she is a comic relief with a lot of heart but also someone who starts to embrace her Asian identity. Tony Leung Chiu-wai is phenomenal as Xu Wenwu as an immortal crime figure known primarily as the Mandarin as a man that craves power yet is ravaged by grief and the delusion that his wife is alive where Leung maintains a sense of gravitas and charisma to his performance as a man that is hoping to get his family back even if it means having to do horrific things. Finally, there’s Simu Liu in a sensational breakthrough performance as the titular character as a young man who is trying to not to be who he really is while carrying a lot of guilt over his mother’s death as where Liu maintains that sense of restraint while proving to be charismatic in the fight scenes as he is a major discovery in the film.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a sensational film from Destin Daniel Cretton that features a phenomenal ensemble cast led by Simu Liu and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. Along with its supporting cast, dazzling visuals, incredible visual effects, themes of loss and family identity, and a sumptuous music score and soundtrack. The film isn’t just this exhilarating action-adventure blockbuster that introduces audiences to a new superhero let alone an Asian superhero. It is a film that is about a man having to embrace his identity but also do what he can in that identity to bring good to the world. In the end, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a spectacular film from Destin Daniel Cretton.
Destin Daniel Cretton Films: (I Am Not a Hipster) – Short Term 12 - (The Glass Castle (2017 film)) – Just Mercy
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow - Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2021
Set mainly at a house in a peninsula in a South American country that just freed itself from years of dictatorship, the film revolves around a woman whose husband has been picked up by a man driving on the way to their house as she believes that this was the man who tortured her some years ago. It is a film that explores trauma as a woman who was once a political activist with her husband set to possibly work for the new president of their country that is reforming itself as they meet this man who maybe her tormentor. The film’s screenplay by Ariel Dorfman and Rafael Yglesias is largely straightforward as much of the action takes place in and out of this house during a stormy night where the power is out and only candles are lighting the house.
The script features a lot of monologues and conversations between its three principle characters in Paulina Escobar, her lawyer husband Gerardo (Stuart Wilson), and this man in Dr. Roberto Miranda (Ben Kingsley). Paulina is at home making dinner as Gerardo is late as he’s meeting the new president about a new job he has yet to accept while his car had a flat where he is picked up by Dr. Miranda. Dr. Miranda and Gerardo get along immensely yet Paulina recognizes Dr. Miranda’s voice and smell as she would steal his car and destroy it and then take Dr. Miranda hostage with Gerardo watching in horror as Paulina confronts Dr. Miranda about his past. Revelations are upon unveiled with Gerardo also trying to make sense of what happened including his own role as an activist back then as he and Paulina were lovers during that time she was taken prisoner where she was raped and tortured.
Roman Polanski’s direction is largely intimate for the fact that much of it takes place in a house near this cliff side area as it’s shot on location in Chile as it is based on the country’s then-recent history of dictatorship under the rule of Augusto Pinochet that had ended in 1990. While the film opens and ends with a string quartet playing Franz Schubert’s piece in which the film is named after as the piece is also a crucial plot point in the film. While there are wide shots to establish some wide shots in some of the film’s location outside of the house including a lighthouse shown from afar. Much of Polanski’s direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to play into the space of the house as well as having gazing long shots that last a few minutes to play into the monologues and conversations between the characters. The usage of tracking shots and camera pans add to the visual language of the film where Polanski makes sure every room in the film is presented with great detail but also playing into this sense of claustrophobia as the tension rises between Dr. Miranda and Paulina. Polanski also play into the suspense and drama as the power outage and usage of candle lights add to the visual tone where it does feel chilling as it includes a moment where Dr. Miranda needed to pee as it is this uncomfortable yet humorous moment in the film.
There are bits of humor that Polanski puts as much of it is dark though the first act where Dr. Miranda and Gerardo are talking and getting drunk as it’s just this moment in the film where Polanski does loosen things up as it does humanize Dr. Miranda even though it is uncertain if he was Paulina’s tormentor. Even as Dr. Miranda is someone who isn’t sure what Paulina is talking about but he does feel bad for her as Gerardo is stuck in the middle as he gets answers from both of them as it adds to this dramatic tension. Even in the film’s climax as it moves out of the house and at a cliff where Gerardo is trying to reach someone who knows Dr. Miranda to prove his innocence as it is followed by these revelations as it play into what did happen. The ending returns to the same theatre where the string quartet performs yet it is more about who is there and the aftermath of everything as it is an ambiguous ending that raises more questions than answers. Overall, Polanski crafts an engaging yet haunting film about a woman questioning a man who supposedly was her tormentor some years ago.
Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with its emphasis on low-key lights as well as natural lighting for many of the interior scenes as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Herve de Luze does amazing work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few jump-cuts while knowing when not to cut during some of the monologues as it adds to the film’s visual tone. Production designer Pierre Guffroy and art director Claude Moesching do excellent work with the design of the house as well as the rooms as it play into some of the claustrophobic elements of the film.
Costume designer Milena Canonero does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely a bit casual from a red dress that Paulina wears, the suit that Dr. Miranda wears, and a robe that Gerardo is wearing as it adds to the chaos in the film. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does superb work with the sound as it play into atmosphere of the location as well as the sound of what is happening outside of the home. The film’s music by Wojciech Kilar is wonderful for the haunting and understated music pieces that play into the suspense and drama as well as the usage of the music piece by Franz Schubert.
The casting by Patsy Pollock and Mary Selway is terrific as the film feature some appearances from Jonathan and Rodolphe Vega as Dr. Miranda’s son via pictures, Krystia Mova as Dr. Miranda’s wife via picture, and Karen Strassman as a voice on a telephone. Stuart Wilson is incredible as Gerardo Escobar as a lawyer who was a former activist that is set to possibly take an important job as he deals with the chaos of his wife’s accusations towards Dr. Miranda while also seeking answers about what happened when Paulina was taken and did Dr. Miranda did those things.
Ben Kingsley is great as Dr. Roberto Miranda as a man who picks Gerardo up as he later returns a spare tire as he befriends Gerardo while baffled about Paulina as well as the questions she’s giving him where Kingsley display that sense of confusion as well as remorse as someone who is imperfect but also play up the ambiguity of whether or not he was Paulina’s tormentor. Finally, there’s Sigourney Weaver in a sensational performance as Paulina Escobar as a former activist who was captured and taken to prison where she was raped and tortured as a woman still dealing with trauma as she confronts Dr. Miranda where Weaver brings an intensity to her performance as a woman that could be paranoid or is really seeking out the truth as it is one of Weaver’s great performances as a woman in need of answers and closure no matter how unethical she can be at times.
Death and the Maiden is a phenomenal film from Roman Polanski that features great performances from Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and Stuart Wilson. Along with its enchanting visuals, intimate setting, eerie usage of music, and its study of trauma and torment. It is a film that explores a woman confronting her past in this man who could be her tormentor with her husband watching as he’s trying to make sense of everything that happened at a time when their home country is reforming itself. In the end, Death and the Maiden is a spectacular film from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac – The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) – Chinatown - The Tenant – Tess (1979 film) - (Pirates) – Frantic - Bitter Moon - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (2011 film) - (Venus in Fur) – (Based on a True Story) – (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the novel To Reach the Clouds by Philippe Petit, The Walk is the story of Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between on top of the World Trade Center buildings in August of 1974. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and screenplay by Zemeckis and Christopher Browne, the film is a dramatic take on the real-life story of Petit’s legendary walk as he is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Also starring Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Steve Valentine, Ben Schwartz, and Ben Kingsley. The Walk is a thrilling and mesmerizing film from Robert Zemeckis.
On August 6, 1974, French high-wire walker Philippe Petit did a walk on a wire between the two roofs on top of the twin towers of the World Trade Center as it was a feat that seemed to be impossible. The film is about what Petit did and what it took to pull off something like this as it is told by Petit just after he had done the impossible where reflects on what made him become a high-wire walker as well as wanting to do things that had never been done. With the guidance of his mentor Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley) and the support of friends including girlfriend Annie (Charlotte Le Bon), Petit plans to do the high-wire act as it would take time and effort as he also awaits for the buildings to be nearly finished. The film’s script is quite straightforward in some respects as it is told in a reflective manner by Petit with some voice-over narration. Notably as it play into Petit’s fascination with walking on a wire as well as the slow-build into creating the ultimate high-wire walk while the script isn’t afraid to show flaws in Petit’s character as he is quite crazy in what he wants to do as well as being very eccentric.
Robert Zemeckis’ direction is definitely astonishing in terms of the visuals he creates as it is about that sense of the impossible. Even as he re-creates early 1970s New York City where the World Trade Center towers once stood as much of the film is shot in Montreal as parts of Paris and New York City with much of it shot on soundstages. Zemeckis’ usage of wide and medium shots play into the scope and scale of what Petit has to do as well as try to create a sense of realism in the high-wire walks. Zemeckis isn’t afraid to go into stylistic shots whether it’s a low-angle shot or from above as it adds to the sense of danger of what Petit will do.
The recurring shot of Petit talking top of the light at the Statue of Liberty is among one of the stylish moments of the film as it has the World Trade Center towers in the background while Petit is seen in the foreground in a wide-medium shot. The scenes preceding the climatic walk does have a feel of a heist film with its air of suspense and some humor as it would lead to that enthralling climax that is the walk. Overall, Zemeckis creates an evocative and exhilarating film about a man performing a high-wire walk on top of the World Trade Center towers.
Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of black-and-white and de-colored photography for some of the early scenes set in Paris to the lighting for the scenes in setting up the walk as well as the colorful look of the climatic walk. Editor Jeremiah O’Driscoll does nice work with the stylish editing in its usage of jump-cuts as well as some montage-cutting style into the evolution of Petit‘s work as a performer. Production designer Naomi Shohan, with art director Felix Lariviere-Charron and set decorators Geoffrey Gosselin and Ann Smart, does amazing work with the look of the Parisian home that Petit stays as well as the look of the rooftops of the two towers. Costume designer Suttriat Anne Larlarb does fantastic work with the costumes as it plays into the look of the early 70s for many of the characters in the film as well as the simple clothes that Petit wears in his high-wire walk.
Visual effects supervisor Kevin Baillie, Jim Gibbs, Viktor Muller, and Sebastien Moreau do brilliant work with the visual effects from the re-creation of the 1970s New York City and Paris as well as the film‘s climax in the walk. Sound editor Bjorn Ole Schroeder and sound designer Randy Thom do superb work with the sound as it play with the sounds of the elevator and things in the towers as well as some of the calm moments in the film that includes the climatic walk. The film’s music by Alan Silvestri is wonderful for its orchestral-based score with its lush-string arrangements that range from being playful to dramatic as it also includes bits of folk guitar as well as funk where the soundtrack would feature a lot of music from the 70s.
The casting by Scot Boland and Victoria Burrows is marvelous as it include some notable small roles from Ben Schwartz and Benedict Samuel as a couple of Americans who volunteer for the stunt unaware of what they’re getting themselves into as well as a terrific performance from Steve Valentine as a businessman named Barry Greenhouse who joins in knowing who Petit is. Cesar Domboy is superb as the acrophobic Jeff who helps Petit in setting up the wire in the North Tower while Clement Sibony is excellent as Jean-Louis as the man who would take photos of all of Petit’s walks as well as be the accomplice in all of the set-ups for the high-wire walks. James Badge Dale is brilliant as Jean-Pierre as an American who can speak perfect French as he helps Petit and the gang in getting things done as he can bullshit his way through any situation.
Ben Kingsley is amazing as Papa Rudy as Petit’s mentor who would teach him what to do in preparing something as astronomical as his stunt as well as be taken aback by what Petit is trying to do without some form of safety. Charlotte Le Bon is remarkable as Annie as a street musician who meets and falls for Petit as she joins him in the trip as well as do whatever she can to help him and be his moral compass. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a phenomenal performance as Philippe Petit as this kind of crazy but determined performer who can do juggling and all sorts of things while his main gift is to walk on a high wire as he wants to do one of the craziest stunts where Gordon-Levitt provides some charm and energy as it’s one of his finest performances.
The Walk is a sensational film from Robert Zemeckis that features an incredible performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Philippe Petit. Featuring an excellent supporting cast and dazzling visuals, it’s a film that plays into what could be possible with some imagination and determination. While the 2008 James Marsh documentary Man on Wire is the more definitive story of Petit, this is still a fitting companion to Marsh’s film. In the end, The Walk is a remarkable film from Robert Zemeckis.
Related: Man on Wire
Robert Zemeckis Films: (I Wanna Hold Your Hand) - (Used Cars) - (Romancing the Stone) - Back to the Future - (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) - (Back to the Future Part II) - (Back to the Future Part III) - (Death Becomes Her) - (Forrest Gump) - (Contact) - (What Lies Beneath) - (Cast Away) - (The Polar Express) - (Beowulf (2007 film)) - (A Christmas Carol (2009 film)) - Flight (2012 film) - (Doc Brown Saves the World) - (Allied (2016 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Terrence Malick, Knight of Cups is the story of the troubled life of a Hollywood screenwriter who goes on a personal journey to find live and self-discovery during his trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Rumored to be part of an informal trilogy with The Tree of Life and To the Wonder as the films are semi-biographical stories on Malick’s own life. The film is partially inspired by the Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Process and the passages Hymn of the Pearl and Acts of Thomas as they’re featured in a film that plays into a man trying to find his own existence in a decadent world. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Wes Bentley, Imogen Poots, Antonio Banderas, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Brian Dennehy, and the voice of Ben Kingsley. Knight of Cups is a rapturous and exhilarating film from Terrence Malick.
Surrounding himself in Los Angeles and the world of Hollywood, the film revolves around a screenwriter coping with himself and struggles as he surrounds himself with different women while dealing with issues in his family including his father. It’s a film that doesn’t really have much of a plot nor a traditional narrative structure as it is largely loose in its storytelling structure where it’s largely based on the Knight of Cups tarot cards as each card represents a part of the journey that film’s protagonist Rick (Christian Bale) takes. Along the way, he deals with loss but also regret into things in his past while being aware of the environment he’s in that is filled with temptation, immorality, and decadence. In the course of the film, there are a lot of voice-over narration not just from Rick but also the many characters who are part of his life either temporarily or permanently while there is also this mysterious voice by an unseen character (Ben Kingsley) who recites passages and texts that relate to these tarot cards.
The lack of a conventional screenplay does allow its writer/director Terrence Malick to not just take on some major risks of what he would do as a storyteller. He would also go very deep into a world that might seem disconnected from the real world but also display that sense of disconnect as it relates to the reality that is encountered. Shot largely in Los Angeles as well as some scenes shot in Las Vegas, the Californian/Nevada deserts, and other parts of the American Midwest including St. Louis. It is a film that showcases that sense of conflict in a man who is embarking on this journey of self-discovery where he ventures into all sorts of things with different kinds of people. Among them are representations in the themes of the tarot cards in the form of Rick’s many different lovers in Della (Imogen Poot), a model named Helen (Freida Pinto), a spirited stripper named Karen (Teresa Palmer), a mysterious young woman named Isabel (Isabel Lucas), his ex-wife Nancy (Cate Blanchett), and a former lover in Elizabeth (Natalie Portman).
The usage of wide and medium shots for many of the film’s locations as well as close-ups for some of the intimate moments are very potent in their imagery while Malick’s usage of hand-held cameras in its mixture of 35mm film and digital just add to the sense of beauty of these images. Yet, there is so much more as it play into something that is very off-kilter as it relates to Rick’s own sense of uncertainty, loss, and self-discovery where the camera sort of acts as this unknown being watching over him. Plus, the narration acts as that sense of internal conflict within Rick who is yearning for some meaning in his life but is tempted by things such as money, beautiful women, and all of these things. The scenes involving Rick’s brother Barry (Wes Bentley) and their father Joseph (Brian Dennehy) show that sense of conflict that looms over Rick as well as loss where the narration reveal that they’re all suffering with Barry venturing into a self-destructive path that claimed the life of his brother.
Malick’s usage of handheld cameras do have this very evocative feel to the way everything is filmed while he also plays with time-lapse imagery. While it largely a style that is very experimental and certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It plays into something that does feel very personal where Malick is showing a world that he was a part of but one that showcases that struggle from having it all but also leaving a world where things were simpler. Adding to that air of simplicity is specter of spirituality as it relates to the character of Isabel, some of Helen’s private activities, and what Malick shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as it play into something is calling into Rick in his own personal journey and in the words of this unseen narrator. Overall, Malick creates an intoxicating yet enchanting film about a man’s personal journey of self-discovery through the chaotic world of Hollywood.
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki does spectacular work with the film‘s very naturalistic cinematography to play with the many looks of the locations in the day as well as the scenes set at the home of this amoral millionaire along with some dazzling images of scenes set at night including a strip-club and the scenes set in Las Vegas which is so gorgeous to look at as it‘s one of the highlights of the film. Editors Mark Yoshikawa, Geoffrey Richman, Keith Fraase, and A.J. Edwards do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and disparate cutting montages to play into sense of wonderment that occurs throughout the film as well as some abrupt cuts to help structuralize the film. Production designer Jack Fisk, with set decorator Beauchamp Fontaine and art director Ruth De Jong, does amazing work with the some of the interiors in the homes that Rick encounters including a mansion in its dining room along with the look of the strip club with its neon lights.
Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the clothes that many of the characters wear including the Armani suits that Rick wears and some of the stylish dresses that many of the women in the film wear. Visual effects supervisor Jamison Scott Goei does fantastic work with the film‘s lone visual effects sequence as it relates into the mysterious elements of the universe described in one of Rick‘s voice-over narrations. Sound designers Joel Dougherty and Will Patterson do incredible work with the sound in the way much of the voice-over narrations as well as the sounds of the cities and locations mix without overwhelming each other along with some textures into the parties and such as it add so much to the world that Rick is being tempted by. The film’s music by Hanan Townshend is superb for its classical-based score with its serene string arrangements and low-key percussions while music supervisor Lauren Marie Mikus creates a soundtrack filled with classical pieces as well as contemporary music where the latter play into the parties scenes and what is playing on Rick’s car.
The casting by Francine Maisler and Lauren Grey is phenomenal as it features appearances from Joe Manganiello, Ryan O’Neal, Fabio, Danny Strong, Beau Garrett, Nick Kroll, Nicky Whelan, Jelly Howie, and Katia Winter as themselves appearing in Hollywood parties. Other notable small appearances include Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Clarke, Joel Kinnaman, Peter Matthiesson, and Clifton Collins Jr. as colleagues of Rick who are part of that world as well as appearances from Nick Offerman, Michael Wincott, and Shea Whigham in small roles as Hollywood business personalities, Dane DeHaan as a tarot reader’s son, Jamie Harris and Lawrence Jackson as a couple of burglars, Patrick Whitesell and Rick Hess as a couple of agents, Cherry Jones as a relative of Rick’s, and Armin Mueller-Stahl as a priest who provides Rick some guidance into his own sense of doubt. The voice of Ben Kingsley as this unseen figure is superb for the sense of mystique that looms over the film as well as providing a sense of spiritual context into Rick’s journey.
Imogen Poots is fantastic as this rebellious fling of Rick’s in Della who asks Rick questions about his faithfulness and direction in life while Teresa Palmer is excellent as this stripper named Karen who entrances Rick as she accompanies him to Las Vegas. Freida Pinto is wonderful as the model Helen that Rick meets at a party as he briefly goes out with her while being intrigued by what she does at her home while Isabel Lucas is terrific as this innocent and playful young woman who is interpreted as this angelic figure that helps him find his way home. Wes Bentley is brilliant as Rick’s brother Barry as a man accompanying Rick throughout Los Angeles as he copes with his own issues as well as those relating to their father. Brian Dennehy is amazing as Rick and Barry’s father Joseph who deals with aging and being phased out while providing some somber narration as it relates to much of the text and legends of the tarot cards that would help guide Rick in his journey.
Antonio Banderas is incredible as a Hollywood playboy named Tonio as a man that represents all forms of temptation and immorality as someone that has a lust for life, excess, and women as he is sort of a comical figure in the film but also that representation of what Rick could be. Natalie Portman is radiant as Elizabeth as a former lover of Rick whom he loved dearly as she is seen as someone that could help find redemption for him as well as provide a link into what he could have if he chose the right path. Cate Blanchett is remarkable as Nancy as Rick’s former wife who devotes her time helping people as a physician as she copes with the love they had lost as well as the fact that there’s still feelings for one another as she is a representation of what he had and later gave up. Finally, there’s Christian Bale in a tremendous performance as Rick as a Hollywood screenwriter lost in the world of decadence and temptation as he copes with loss, guilt, and uncertainty where Bale doesn’t say a lot in the film but say a lot in his voice-over work where he would display that anguish and conflict of a man trying to find himself in his own personal journey of self-discovery.
Knight of Cups is a phenomenal film from Terrence Malick. Largely in part to its ensemble cast, a compelling premise, gorgeous visuals, and intoxicating music. It’s a film that is definitely challenging while not being something for everyone due to the fact that is told in a very unconventional form. Even as it displays some big questions about the world of temptation, loss, and life itself in ways that is very personal in the hands of its creator. In the end, Knight of Cups is a sensational film from Terrence Malick.
Terrence Malick Films: Badlands - Days of Heaven - The Thin Red Line - The New World - Tree of Life - To the Wonder - Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience - (Voyage of Time: Life's Journey) - Song to Song - A Hidden Life - (The Way of the Wind)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally, Schindler’s List is the real-life story of a Czech-born German businessman who tries to save thousands of Jews by making them work in his factory during the era of the Holocaust in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg and screenplay by Steve Zaillian, the film is a look into the life of a man who tries to do good during one of the most horrific periods in the history of the world as the role of Oskar Schindler is played by Liam Neeson. Also starring Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz, and Ralph Fiennes. Schindler’s List is a visceral yet evocative film from Steven Spielberg.
Told in the entire span of World War II in Europe from the Invasion of Poland to the aftermath of Germany’s surrender. The film plays into the life of Oskar Schindler during that period in World War II where he decided to have Jews working for him at his factory so they can stay alive while he deals with Nazi officials and such during the days of Polish ghettos and concentration camps. It’s a story that is quite simple yet it is also filled with a lot of graphic detail into what went on in Krakow, Poland and all of these places that the Germans had occupied during World War II. Even as Schindler has to deal with the sadistic Anom Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) who would become a concentration camp leader that has a sense of sick pleasure in killing Jews no matter who they are.
Steve Zaillian’s screenplay does have this very traditional yet broad three-act structure that plays into Schindler’s desire to save the lives of Jews by having him work in his factory and such. Yet, it also display Schindler as a man with some very big flaws such as the fact that he is a member of the Nazi party that would wear a Nazi pin in his suit. He would often socialize with Nazi officers and have drinks with them and was a notorious womanizer despite the fact that he is also married. It is among the many complexities of a man who would do something that is good but he is no saint despite his courageous act of kindness. The first act would play into Schindler’s social life and meeting this Jewish accountant in Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) who has contacts with black markets and such in the Jewish community where he would run Schindler’s enamelware factory in secrecy with Schindler being the one to over see everything.
While Stern is often suspicious of Schindler’s activities in and out of the factory, he is grateful for what Schindler is doing for the Jewish community who had been driven away from their homes and be forced to live in ghettos. The film’s second act plays into Goeth’s arrival and the creation of Plasnow concentration camp as it is a world that is very scary. Especially with Goeth watching over everything as the first taste of that sense of terror is where kills a young woman watching over the building a camp because she made a simple mistake. It adds to this sense of terror where Schindler tries to befriend him in order to keep people safe but it’s not enough where a scene where children are being driven away from their families is a big moment while there’s a few that would hide and manage to stay in the camp. The film’s third act doesn’t just play into the growing realities of what Schindler is facing but also in what he hopes to do as well as see what real power could do.
Steven Spielberg’s direction is very intense not just for some of the graphic violence that occurs in the film from time to time but also in the atmosphere that he creates. While it opens with shot in color of a simple Jewish ceremony where candles are lit, it plays to a world before war but that candle goes out. The film is then presented in black-and-white as it plays into this very chilling period of war and terror. Shot on location in Krakow, Poland and areas nearby, the film does play into a world that becomes undone by prejudice and occupation where Spielberg’s usage of hand-held cameras and tracking shots capture these moments where Jews are driven out of their homes and be cramped into these apartments where overcrowding becomes an issue. Spielberg’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do play into that intimacy but also in moments where there is very little space in comparison to the places where the Germans and Schindler lived in.
The usage of wide shots are also evident to capture the look of the locations as well as these eerie scenes such as the liquidation of Krakow where Schindler and his mistress are watching up on a hill into this moment where many Jews are being killed with some hiding from the Germans. There are also some very eerie scenes of dark comedy in the way Goeth handles situations such as how he kills Jews or a moment where he tries to kill a former rabbi. There are also these moments that play into Schindler’s own sense of disconnect from the realities of what is happening as it features a scene where he’s in a party having fun while Goeth beats a young Jewish maid as that moment is actually far more gruesome than the scenes of people being killed. It is among these moments that showcase not just a stench of death but also some of the eerie symbolism that Schindler is forced to confront that includes this strange image of the little girl in a red coat.
It’s not just these elements of symbolism that Spielberg would put in that are very evident as it relates to Schindler’s disconnect with what he really needed to do but also in how it would relate to the film’s ending. It showcases not just the development in Schindler but also the severity of what he had to do at not just great cost of his own but also in what more could be done. The film features an epilogue as it relates to the people who were saved because of Schindler as they’re presented in color as it reveals not just the fact that some of these people are still alive. It’s a moment where Spielberg breaks the fourth wall and allow these survivors to have their moment into how much Schindler meant to them no matter how flawed he is as a man. Overall, Spielberg creates a tremendously riveting and harrowing film about a man trying to save thousands of Jews in German-occupied Poland.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of lights for some of the scenes set at night as it has elements of film noir and German Expressionism in its black-and-white photography as well as the element of neo-realist images in its usage of tracking shots as it is one of the major highlights of the film. Editor Michael Kahn does amazing work with the editing as he uses some jump-cuts during a scene where Schindler interviews different prospective secretaries as well as some very chilling rhythm cuts that play into the violence and drama in the film. Production designer Allan Starski does excellent work with the look of the some of the interiors in the homes of Schindler and Goeth as well as the look of the concentration camps and some of the even more chilling interiors in Auschwitz. Costume designer Anna B. Sheppard does nice work with the costumes from the dresses that many of the rich women wear as well as the Nazi uniforms of the officers to the ragged look of the Jews.
Hair supervisor Judith A. Cory and makeup supervisor Christina Smith do fantastic work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle of the women in the posh world to the ragged look of the Jews in the numerous stages they would endure. Visual effects supervisor Steve Price does terrific work with two major moments of symbolism in the film from the color of red in the girl in the red coat and the Jewish candlelight scenes. Sound editors Charles L. Campbell and Louis L. Edemann do superb work with the sound in creating layers of sound in some of the chilling moments in the film as it relates to eerie scenes in some of the camps as well as what goes on in the ghettos along with some somber yet eerie moments late in the film. The film’s music by John Williams is great as it is very low key in its orchestration where it plays in these very eerie and somber moments that is supported by Itzhak Perlman’s violin playing as the music also features some of music that was playing in those times including the traditional Jewish prayer hymns.
The casting by Toya Cypin, Lucky Englander, Fritz Fleischhacker, Liat Meiron, Magdalena Szwarcbart, and Juliet Taylor is phenomenal as it features some noteworthy small roles from Oliwia Dabrowska as the little girl in the red coat, Hans-Michael Rehberg as Auschwitz camp leader Rudolf Hoss, and Andrzej Seweryn as SS Officer Julian Scherner that Schindler befriends to get him to ease restrictions for Jews. Other notable roles from Anna Mucha, Rami Heuberger, Piotr Polk, Norbert Weisser, Miri Fabian, Michael Schneider, Adi Nitzan, Jacek Wojcicki, Beata Paluch, Pawel Delag, Mark Ivanir, and Ezra Daga as the many Jewish refugees who would be spared and saved by Schindler as they would endure some of the most humiliating moments that no one should deal with. Jonathan Sagall is superb as Poldek Pfefferberg as a young Polish-Jew who would be an officer for the SS as he would deal with the many complications of his role as well as protecting friends and family.
Embeth Davidtz is excellent as Helen Hirsch as a Jewish maid hired by Goeth to do things for him as well as be a sick object of desire that she is repulsed by. Caroline Goodall is terrific as Schindler’s wife Emilie as a woman who would see him often though she is aware of his womanizing and such while being the one person he can always turn to for guidance. Ben Kingsley is amazing as Itzhak Stern as a Jewish accountant who serves as the film’s conscience as a good man that would run many of Schindler’s operations as well as be the one person that can connect Schindler to the people. Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as Amon Goeth as this sadistic and insane concentration camp leader who seems to have sick pleasure in killing Jews as well as being someone that is very scary as it is one of the most haunting performances in the film as well as a great breakthrough for Fiennes. Finally, there’s Liam Neeson in a riveting performance as Oskar Schindler as this man who is very flawed in his activities as he tries to make money during the war and hire the Jews to manufacture pots and pans for him where he also deals with the severity of what is happening forcing him to do something in a world where a lot of wrongs are happening.
Schindler’s List is a magnificent film from Steven Spielberg. Armed with a great ensemble cast led by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley as well as some top-notch technical work and a sumptuous score by John Williams. The film isn’t just one of Spielberg’s best films but also one of the most sobering and harrowing films about the Holocaust and what Jews from Poland had to endure during Germany’s occupation during World War II. In the end, Schindler’s List is an outstanding film from Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg Films: (Duel (1971 film)) - (The Sugarland Express) - (Jaws) - (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) - (1941) - (Raiders of the Lost Ark) - (E.T. the Extraterrestrial) - (Twilight Zone: the Movie-Kick the Can) - (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) - (The Color Purple) - (Empire of the Sun) - (Always) - (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) - (Hook) - (Jurassic Park) - (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) - (Amistad) - Saving Private Ryan - (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) - (Minority Report) - Catch Me If You Can - (The Terminal) - (War of the Worlds (2005 film)) - (Munich) - (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) - (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) - (War Horse) - (Lincoln) - (Bridge of Spies) - (The BFG)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Jonathan Glazer and screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto from a story by Andrew Michael Jolley, Sexy Beast is the story of a retired and reformed safe cracker who is asked to take on a job as a crime boss sends a sociopath who is willing to do whatever to get this man on board. The film is an exploration of a criminal trying to do good in his life until elements from his past returns including this man who uses words as weapons who tries to coax this safe cracker into doing the job. Starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, and Ben Kingsley as Don Logan. Sexy Beast is a stylish yet extremely dark film from Jonathan Glazer.
What happens when a former safe cracker is being coaxed out of his idyllic retirement by a man whose choice of weapons is his words as he scares the shit out of everyone by his presence alone? That is pretty much the premise of the film where a man named Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) is living an idyllic life in the middle of the deserts in Spain with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) and some friends as it’s interrupted when he’s being asked to do a job for a crime boss in Teddy Bass (Ray Winstone) in breaking into a safe from a bank that is claimed to be impenetrable. Gal has no intentions in doing the job as Bass’ organizer Don Logan arrives to Spain to convince Gal in doing the job. Yet, Don Logan is a character that doesn’t take no for an answer as he spouts insults and all sorts of things to make those around him grovel and feel awful about themselves.
The film’s screenplay does contain a traditional narrative structure where its first 20 minute explore Gal’s idyllic life with his wife and their friends Aitch (Cavan Kendall) and Jackie (Julianne White) as Gal has definitely put his past behind. That all changes where elements of surrealism start to appear to haunt Gal in his dreams as it would set the tone for Don Logan to arrive as the words that come out of his mouth are beyond obscene. The things Logan says about various people such as Jackie and DeeDee definitely can be described as misogynistic but that is just understating it. Racial slurs and all sorts of offensive things that are said are just small potatoes for Don Logan as he really goes into the core of a person and makes it small. As much as Gal refuses to do the job, he is continuously pushed by Don Logan who will get violent if he has to and he brings fear to everyone.
Jonathan Glazer’s direction is definitely filled with style in terms of not just his compositions but also the air of surrealism and images that he creates in the film. The film opens with a sense of style into the idyllic life of Gal as he’s sunbathing nearby his pool as a boulder nearly kills him and lands on the pool. It’s among these bits of eccentricities that Glazer would infuse as he is aware that he is making a film that is largely style over substance. Yet, it is presented with such care and coolness until news that Don Logan is coming to Spain as the tone of the film changes. Glazer’s compositions are quite striking in the way he puts Don Logan into a frame where he is at the center of attention while everyone else is at the edge of the frame during this tense and first meeting in Gal’s living room. Even a scene where a drink with Don Logan as he’s all by himself and everyone else is in the kitchen just goes to show the sense of discomfort everyone has. One wrong word on Don Logan is likely to get someone killed as Glazer’s direction also uses wide shots to play into that sense of fear and tension.
The scenes set in London also has a sense of style such a montage of Don Logan explaining the job to Gal. Notably in the way it explores the gritty tone of the British crime world as it is a total contrast to the idyllic life that Gal has in Spain. Glazer’s compositions are tighter to play into that grimy world as it includes this orgy scene that Teddy Bass is in as he meets the person who owns the bank he’s going to break into. It adds to the sense of drama that would loom over Gal as he is contemplating whether to do the job or not though he’s leaning more towards the latter due to the fact that he has no desire to return to the criminal world. Even as he has to contend with a force as nihilistic and as intimidating as Don Logan who is the judge, jury, and executioner for Gal whether he likes it or not. Overall, Glazer creates a very intoxicating yet terrifying film about a man who is pushed to the edge into doing another job by one of the scariest men walking on the face of the Earth.
Cinematographer Ivan Bird does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the sunny look of the daytime scenes in Spain to the array of stylish lights for the scenes set in night as well as a more low-key yet stylish look for the scenes in London. Editors John Scott and Sam Sneade, with additional work from Louis Melllis and David Scinto, do amazing work in the editing for it sense of style from its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and slow-motion cuts to play into some of the terror that lurks in the film as well as sense of peace Gal has before Don Logan‘s arrival. Production designer Jan Houllevigue and set decorator Jane Cooke does excellent work with the look of Gal‘s Spanish villa with its swimming pool as well as some of the places in London that is the exact opposite of the serenity of Gal‘s world.
Costume designer Louise Stjernsward does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that DeeDee and Jackie wear to the very straight-laced clothes of Don Logan who looks like he means business. Visual effects supervisor Mark Nelmes does fantastic work with the visual effects from some of the elements of fantasy that plays into Gal‘s life as well as some of the darker moments that involve Don Logan. Sound editor Jeremy Price does terrific work with the sound to play into a sense of atmosphere in how voices are heard as well as in creating the sense of unease whenever Don Logan is in the room. The film’s music by Roque Banos is superb for its low-key yet Spanish-based score while most of the music score is driven by the electronic outfit UNKLE and the British group South with its bass-driven score as the soundtrack also includes music from Wayne Marshall, the Stranglers, Dean Martin, and Henry Mancini to convey that world of British crime.
The casting by Lucy Boulting is incredible as it features a few notable small roles from Darkie Smith as Bass’ associate Stan who tells Don Logan about the assignment, Alvaro Monje as the Spanish boy Enrique who often helps Gal out in his home, Julianne White as Aitch’s wife Jackie who once had a fling with Don Logan that she regrets having as she is uneasy around him, and James Fox as the bank manager Harry who shows Teddy Bass the vault through some very devious means. Cavan Kendall is excellent as Gal’s friend Aitch who is afraid of Don Logan as he knows about his wife’s past with the man as he tries to make him comfortable only to be chewed out by Don Logan. Amanda Redman is fantastic as Gal’s wife DeeDee as a former porn actress who has also reinvented herself as she is the one person that isn’t afraid of Don Logan as everyone else as she does manage to say a few things to him and get away with it.
Ian McShane is brilliant as Teddy Bass as a crime boss who has a job to break into a bank as he asks Don Logan to recruit the best as he is just as ruthless as his recruiter. Ray Winstone is amazing as Gal Dove as a former safecracker who just wants to live a decent life with no trouble as he politely tries to decline Don Logan’s offer only to be pushed to the edge into whether he should do the job or not. Finally, there’s Ben Kingsley in a performance for the ages as Don Logan as Kingsley’s performance is without question one of the scariest ever captured on film. Kingsley toes the line between aspects of dark humor and some of the most profane and vile usage of words as well as carry a presence that will make anyone uneasy as it’s a performance that is described as the anti-Gandhi which Kingsley was famous for nearly 20 years earlier.
Sexy Beast is a phenomenal film from Jonathan Glazer that features a truly unsettling and scary performance from Ben Kingsley. Along with great performances from Ian McShane and Ray Winstone as well as a cool soundtrack and awesome technical work. It’s a film that is infused with some style as well as a sense of terror brought by a man who refuses to take no for an answer as he’s like a dog that will get very dangerous if he bites. In the end, Sexy Beast is a spectacular film from Jonathan Glazer.
Jonathan Glazer Films: (Birth) - Under the Skin
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Maurice is the story about a homosexual relationship in the 20th Century set in a university in Britain. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ivory and Kit-Hesketh-Harvey, the film is an exploration into the world of homosexuality in early 20th Century Britain where two men try to deal with it in a time when homosexuality was taboo. Starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Denholm Elliott, Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw, and Ben Kingsley. Maurice is a touching and mesmerizing film from James Ivory.
Set in the early 20th Century at a university in Cambridge, the film is an exploration into the world of homosexuality in those times as two men fall in love with each other while keeping the relationship a secret. While the two men would play very close friends around their respective families, things would become complicated when a friend is arrested for his homosexuality as their friendship and romance would start to fall apart as the two diverge into different directions. It’s a film that plays into a world where homosexuality was taboo and also considered to be obscene as it is largely set in this Edwardian-period where two men from different class backgrounds have to play into the rules of society in order to get ahead.
The film’s screenplay has a very unique structure where the first half of the film is set in Cambridge where the titular character (James Wilby) meets and falls for the more upper-class Clive (Hugh Grant) as they have this very secretive yet platonic relationship. The second half is set a few years later where Maurice and Clive are in two different worlds of their lives where the former tries to deal with his homosexuality as well as feelings for the latter’s young gamekeeper Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves). Add some very stylized dialogue that plays with the period of the times as well as the world of upper-class aristocracy, there’s a story that plays into some aspect of emotional repression as well as the desire to fit in with the confines of a society that is in a new century but with some old rules intact.
James Ivory’s direction is very simple and understated in the way he presents early 20th Century Britain where much of the film’s first half is shot on location in Cambridge with the second half shot in Wilbury Park. Much of it involves some close-ups and medium-shots along with a few wide shots where Ivory create some dazzling compositions while play into a certain rhythm and tone to that pre-World War I period in Britain. Most notably in its pacing where for a film that’s nearly two-and-a-half hours, Ivory makes it feel a bit shorter in the way he conveys much of the drama as well as some suspenseful moments over the way Maurice deals with his feelings for Clive and later Alec. Even as Maurice would go to all sorts of help where an unconventional American doctor in Lasker-Jones (Ben Kingsley) would offer various suggestions over what he should do. Overall, Ivory crafts a very captivating film about homosexuality in early 20th Century Britain.
Cinematographer Pierre Lhomme does excellent work with the film‘s lush photography from its use of natural light for its exterior scenes as well for some low-key lighting schemes for the interior and nighttime exterior scenes. Editor Katherine Wenning does brilliant work with the editing in creating something that is straightforward in some cases but also with a flair of style that includes a very rich dream sequence. Production designer Brian Ackland-Snow, with art directors Peter James and Brian Savegar, does splendid work with the set pieces from the look of the different homes of Maurice and Clive as well as some of the places they go to during that Edwardian period.
Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes the men wear to the lavish dresses the women wear. The sound work of Mike Shoring is superb for its intimate approach to sound in the way dinners are conducted to some of the outdoor activities that Maurice and Clive do. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is amazing for its low-key yet elegant orchestral score that has some moments of suspense but also some serene moments in its drama and humorous moments.
The casting by Celestia Fox is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it includes a cameo appearance from Helena Bohnam Carter as a guest watching a cricket game as well as notable small performances from Peter Eyre as the very nosy Reverend Borenius, Kitty Aldridge and Helena Michell in their respective roles as Maurice’s sisters Kitty and Ada, Catherine Rabett as Clive’s sister Pippa, Patrick Godfrey as Clive’s family butler Simcox, Barry Foster as Clive and Maurice’s college dean who is bewildered by their behaviors, Mark Tandy as a fellow classmate of the two in Lord Risley, and Phoebe Nicholls in a wonderful performance as Clive’s naïve yet well-meaning wife Anne whom Maurice likes. Denholm Elliott is terrific as Maurice’s family doctor Barry who tries to deal with what Maurice is going through as well as a sublime performance from Simon Callow as Maurice’s old schoolteacher Mr. Ducie who only appears briefly in the film where he would tell a young Maurice about what to expect in puberty.
Billie Whitelaw and Judy Parfitt are superb in their respective roles as Maurice and Clive’s mothers who both bring their own opinions over their friendship while being unaware of the secret relationship they have. Ben Kingsley is great as the very unconventional Lasker-Jones who examines Maurice when he knows what Maurice is and offers him some very insightful advice. Rupert Graves is excellent as the young gamekeeper Alec Scudder who knows what Maurice is as he tries to prompt him into being in a relationship despite the rules of society. Hugh Grant is marvelous as Clive as this upper-class man who falls for Maurice as he tries to prompt to go into a relationship until circumstances forces him to play by the rules of society. Finally, there’s James Wilby in a fantastic performance as the titular character as a man trying to find himself in this new world while dealing with his own feelings in an attempt to fit in as well as becoming lost in his repression.
Maurice is an exquisite yet compelling film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team. With a great cast and some amazing technical work, it’s a film that showcases how a period film can do so much more than just be a film with window-dressing and such. Especially in how it tackles the world of homosexuality in pre-World War I Britain where the risks of exposing something like that was very severe. In the end, Maurice is an incredible film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room With a View - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
