Ricki and the Flash

In Memory of Bernie Worrell (1944-2016)

Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, Ricki and the Flash is the story of a middle-aged rock singer who learns about her daughter’s divorce as she goes to see and help her while dealing with the family she left to pursue her dream as a rock star. The film is a simple family drama where a woman returns to her family to help her daughter as well as cope with the decision she made in abandoning them to pursue her dream. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, Audra McDonald, Sebastian Stan, Ben Platt, Nick Westrate, and Rick Springfield. Ricki and the Flash is an exhilarating and heartfelt film from Jonathan Demme.

The film follows a woman who abandoned her family to pursue her dreams to be a rock star as she finally returns home after hearing about her daughter getting a divorce. It’s a film where a woman not only deals with not just the decisions she made to pursue her dreams but also make an attempt to set things right again for herself and her family. Especially as she still wants to play music in California as she fronts a band called the Flash. Diablo Cody’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the world that Linda “Ricki” Rendazzo (Meryl Streep) lives where she plays at a bar with her band that includes her guitarist Greg (Rick Springfield) who has feelings for her. It’s also in the fact that Ricki is struggling to get by as she’s working at an organic supermarket and paying off her debts. The first half of the film is about Ricki returning to Indianapolis to see her ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) and their daughter Julie (Mamie Gummer) as the latter has fallen apart because her husband left her for another woman.

Cody’s script also play into Ricki’s struggle with her family as well as the fact that the void she left was filled by Pete’s second wife Maureen (Audra McDonald) who did a lot for Julie as well Julie’s older brothers Joshua (Sebastian Stan) and Adam (Nick Westrate). The latter of which is gay while the former is about to get married to Ricki’s own surprise as she is also quite conservative in her views despite the music she plays. It adds a lot to the complexity of Ricki but also her own flaws as she is quite selfish as well as ignorant though she means well. Especially when she is confronted by Maureen despite what Ricki had done to help Julie as it would lead to this third act which revolves around Joshua’s wedding.

Jonathan Demme’s direction is quite stylish in terms of the looseness he creates for many of the scenes set in California while going for something that is more controlled and tight for the scenes set in Indianapolis as much of the film is shot in upstate New York. Yet, a lesser director would struggle with trying to create a balance in the two styles but Demme does find that balance where it never feels like two different films. Notably as the film features a lot of music from Ricki playing with her band as well as a scene where she plays a song to Pete and Julie. Demme’s usage of close-ups and medium shots for many of the scenes in Indianapolis are quite intriguing as well as playing into some of the family tension when Ricki sees her sons for the first time in years. The scenes at the bar where the Flash play is quite lively as it include some line dancing as well as moments that are quite raucous where Demme does use a few wide shots to capture the space of the bar. The film’s climax at Joshua’s wedding is a mixture of the different visual styles yet Demme does find a way for all of it to come together. Overall, Demme creates a touching yet entertaining film about middle-aged rocker coming home to help her daughter and mend old wounds with her family.

Cinematographer Declan Quinn does excellent work with the cinematography as it is very straightforward with some unique lighting for the interiors at the bar and the scenes set at night in both California and Indianapolis. Editor Wyatt Smith does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few stylish cuts for some of the musical performances. Production designer Stuart Wurtzel, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Patricia Woodbridge, does brilliant work with the look of the bar Ricki and the Flash play as well as the home that Pete and Maureen lives in at Indianapolis.

Costume designer Ann Roth does terrific work with the costumes from the stylish clothes of Ricki as well as the more straight-laced look of Pete and the mixture of both in Julie. Visual effects supervisor Luke DiTommaso does wonderful work with the minimal visual effects in the film as it‘s mostly a few set-dressing pieces for some of the scenes in Indianapolis. Sound mixer Jeff Pullman does superb work with the sound as it is straightforward as well as play into the energy of the concerts that Ricki and the Flash perform at. The film’s soundtrack features not just a lot of songs ranging from rock to pop music that Ricki and the Flash performs but also music from Spirit, the Feelies, and Electric Light Orchestra that is played in the background.

The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is great as it features cameo appearances from Adam Shulman as a customer at Ricki’s supermarket, Bill Irwin as a father at a donut shop who is annoyed by Ricki and Julie’s conversation, Charlotte Rae as Pete’s mother, Beau Sia as Adam’s partner Desmond, and Gabriel Ebert as Julie’s ex-husband Max whom Pete and Ricki confront during a night-out with Julie. In roles as members of the Flash, there’s legendary Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell as keyboardist Billy, famed session drummer Joe Vitale as the drummer Joe, and famed session bassist Rick Rosas as the bassist Buster (whom the film is dedicated to) as they all provide a great presence to their roles as the musicians. Hailey Gates is wonderful as Joshua’s fiancee Emily who is bewildered by Ricki while Ben Platt is terrific as the bartender Daniel who worships at the altar of Ricki and the Flash. Nick Westrate and Sebastian Stan are excellent in their respective roles as Ricki’s sons Adam and Joshua with the former not really fond of his mother accusing her of being a homophobe with the latter wanting to make peace but is unsure of inviting her to the wedding.

Audra McDonald is brilliant as Pete’s wife Maureen who had become the maternal void filled for Ricki’s children as she tries to make peace with Ricki as well as give her some truths that Ricki has to face. Mamie Gummer is amazing as Julie as Ricki’s daughter who has become a wreck following a divorce as she is quite funny in the way she does things as well as be someone who is very fragile. Rick Springfield is fantastic as Greg as the Flash lead guitarist who is in love with Ricki as he gives her some advice as well as tell her how important she is as a mother. Kevin Kline is incredible as Pete as Ricki’s ex-husband who tells Ricki about Julie as he copes with Julie’s mood as well as trying to maintain the peace in the family while admitting he still cares about Ricki. Finally, there’s Meryl Streep in a sensational performance as Ricki Rendazzo as this middle-aged rocker that is trying to reach her dream while helping out her daughter get back on her feet as it’s a lively and entertaining performance from Streep.

Ricki and the Flash is a marvelous film from Jonathan Demme that features a dazzling performance from Meryl Streep. Also featuring a witty script by Diablo Cody, a fantastic ensemble cast, and a killer soundtrack, the film is a heartfelt yet entertaining film that manages to be fun as well as state the importance of family. In the end, Ricki and the Flash is a remarkable film from Jonathan Demme.

Jonathan Demme Films: (Caged Heat) - (Crazy Mama) - (Fighting Mad) - (Handle with Care) - (Last Embrace) - (Melvin & Howard) - (Who Am I This Time?) - (Swing Shift) - Stop Making Sense - (Something Wild) - (Swimming to Cambodia) - (Married to the Mob) - (The Silence of the Lambs) - (Cousin Bobby) - (Philadelphia) - (Storefront Hitchcock) - (Beloved) - (The Truth About Charlie) - (The Agronomist) - (The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)) - (Neil Young: Heart of Gold) - (Man from Plains) - Rachel Getting Married - (Neil Young Trunk Show) - (Neil Young Journeys) - (A Master Builder)

© thevoid99 2016

Across the Universe

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/14/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Julie Taymor and written by Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, Across the Universe is a musical inspired by the music of the Beatles about a Liverpool boy who travels to America to find his long-lost father as he falls in love with an American girl during the 1960s. The film is an exploration into a period of time set to the music of the Beatles as it plays into the idea of peace and love through some of the most tumultuous moments of the 1960s. Starring Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, T.V. Carpio, and cameos from Eddie Izzard, U2's Bono, and Frida star Salma Hayek. Across the Universe is a dazzling and off-the-wall film from Julie Taymor.

In his dour world of Liverpool, a young man named Jude (Jim Sturgess) is hoping to find his father in America, who left his mother (Angela Mounsey) as a baby. Leaving behind his girlfriend Molly (Lisa Hogg) and the world he's known for all of his life, Jude enters into a new world. Landing himself in Princeton, he finds his father Wes Huber (Robert Clohessy) working as a janitor while revealing that he has his own family. Staying in his father's bunk in Princeton, Jude befriends a student named Max (Joe Anderson) after a night of fun. Max, who lives in an upper class home of sorts, invites Jude to Thanksgiving as they meet Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). When Max announces to his family his decision to drop out of school and go to New York City, only Lucy is supportive of the decision with Jude joining along.

Arriving at the city, they stay at the apartment of a singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs) who has also invited African-American singer-guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) as well as a young Asian-American named Prudence (T.V. Carpio). For a while, things to be great with Jude pursuing his artistic pursuits in drawings and paintings as Max decides to invite Lucy to the city. Lucy, still in mourning over the death of her high school boyfriend Daniel (Spencer Liff) at the war, falls for Jude as everything seems to be fine. Then Max receives news that he's been drafted to join the Army forcing Lucy to deal with her feelings towards the war. With Max hoping not to get drafted, things get tense when Sadie is considered for a label deal of her own rather than her band with JoJo. After a party with Dr. Roberts (Bono), they end up taking a trip and have another party with Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard) as Prudence has joined his circus.

Upon their return to New York City, Max has been drafted and sent to Vietnam for the war. Sadie and JoJo begin to separate while Lucy becomes more involved in activism with an activist named Phil (Michael Ryan). Jude however, decides to not be involved with peace movements in order to pursue his own art which causes friction with Lucy. Yet, as things become tense and nothing is improving over the war or the protests, Jude tells Lucy about her involvement as he and JoJo try to find their own worlds through their art. Finally after another protest where Jude, is suddenly involved, things start to fall apart as Jude gets help from the last he expects to help him as everyone is forced to look inward.

While musicals aren't for all audiences, a musical with music by the Beatles is a tough sell yet the result is definitely spectacular. Even from the mind as someone as ambitious from Julie Taymor. While the result isn't entirely perfect, what she brings to the film is a look that is completely its own and with the music of the Beatles, Taymor brings everything back to the 1960s. With puppet-like sets, visual collages, and everything that seems to represent the psychedelic 60s, it's definitely a film that will stimulate as well as warp the mind of the viewer.

The film's script definitely has an interesting structure in how the music is presented and where it's taking place. The first act starts off very innocently with early music from the Beatles including some more upbeat tracks. From the dour world of Liverpool that Jude lives to the beautiful suburbia that Lucy lives in. Yet, the tone begins to change when both Lucy and JoJo have their first encounter with death, in JoJo's case, the death of a family member following the Detroit riots in '67. In the second act, the music is geared towards mid-60s Beatles where everything at first seems fine and then chaos ensues. By the third act which is around '68-'70, things start to wind down as everyone faces their own sense of disillusionment. Yet, a lot of what happens includes many references to not just that period but also the moments that happened to the Beatles as well.

The script works for the most part though it starts out very clunky and when a musical sequence is going to happen, the audiences tends to know what's going to happen. That's part of the film's weakness at first even as it has the feeling where the performance feels like a music video. Yet, as the film continues, things start to relax as the audiences know what's going to happen where the music and story finally gel. A lot of credit goes to Taymor in her presentation that includes some wonderful sequences that involves dancers and sets where the whole film does feel like theater. Then there's the music that plays to the film and by the second act, it starts to feel very natural and comforting while the message that goes in terms of what was going in the 60s doesn't feel heavy-handed. It's more about what the characters are going through and such.

Helping with Taymor's vision in terms of her staging and musical numbers is choreographer Daniel Ezralow whose choreography feels natural and not in an engaging way that would make the viewer uncomfortable. It actually works to emphasize the emotions and the feeling of where the characters are. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel use of lights from the multi-colored lights mixed in with animation sequences, visual effects design by Dongho Lee that brings some joy and rhythm to whatever sequence that's going on. Delbonnel's photography is exquisite with some wonderful exterior shots that look naturally dreamy while the interiors are amazing to the staging of the film. Editor Francoise Bonnot does some fine work with a lot of the film's editing without making into that rapid, MTV-style of cutting that's dominant in a lot of films. Instead, it moves very well with the rhythm and tone of the music as well as the emotions in the performances.

Production designer Mark Friedberg along with set decorator Ellen Christansen and art director Peter Rogness do some amazing work in the film's production. Whether it's the flashing lights that pop up during the bowling alley sequences, a hospital scene that involved a bunch of nurses played Salma Hayek, the puppets, and a lot of the recreation of 1960s psychedelic clubs, and the Liverpool club that's a reference to the Cavern where the Beatles played in their early years. The overall work on the production is amazing in every detail and look with its use of locations. Costume designer Albert Wosky does some great work with the film's look whether it's the leather-like, black look of Jude, the upper-class look of Lucy, to the psychedelic looks of Sadie and JoJo. Each look the film has in its costume works well with the period. Even in the makeup by Mary Aaron and Louise McCarthy do great work, even with the masks that some of the people wear.

Sound effects editor Wyatt Sprague does some great work in creating the atmosphere of the locations where the characters are as it plays to the tone of the film, particularly in the second and third act. Taymor's husband and music composer Elliot Goldenthal brings a nice film score that plays to Max's horrors at war as well as the sense of disillusionment that comes in the third act with its soft, orchestral score. The rest of the film soundtrack is definitely filled with Beatles covers and to its surprise, they were all actually well performed and sung by the cast. Standout cuts include Jeff Beck's guitar performance of A Day In The Life, Martin Luther McCoy's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Because by the entire cast, and many more. It's an overall fantastic soundtrack.

The cast is definitely unique with cameos from Dylan Baker as Max & Lucy's father, Bill Irwin as their uncle, James Urbaniak as Sadie's manager, Salma Hayek as a gorgeous nurse (who wouldn't want her as 6-7 nurses?), and Joe Cocker doing a cover of Come Together in three different roles including a pimp that's a sight to see. U2's Bono makes a glorious cameo while sporting a cool American accent as this guru named Dr. Roberts. Other small appearances from Robert Clohessy, Angela Mounsey, Linda Emond as Lucy's mother, Lisa Hogg, Spencer Liff, and Michael Ryan are good in their small roles. T.V. Carpio is excellent as the confused Prudence who is trying to find her own identity as well as her own role in the world. Though her role is small, she makes most of her appearances leaving the viewer wanting more as she does a nice cover of I Want To Hold Your Hand. Dana Fuchs is impressive as the bohemian, Janis Joplin-like singer Sadie who is just sexy and a hell of a vocalist as her renditions of a few Beatles song in a bluesy style.

Martin Luther McCoy is great as the Jimi Hendrix-like character JoJo who can play a mean guitar while doing some spirited, soulful renditions of While My Guitar Gently Weeps while his duets with Fuchs are just awe-inspiring to convey their love-hate relationship. The film's real breakthrough performance is Joe Anderson as the non-conforming Max who brings a very energetic, spirited performance that is a sight to watch. The British actor not only sports a perfect American accent but his singing and dance is equally as impressive in songs like Hey Jude, Happiness Is A Warm Gun with Salma Hayek, and With A Little Help From My Friends with Jim Sturgess. Jim Sturgess is incredible as Jude, a young man who just wants to make art and have fun. Sturgess' vocal performance is amazing as he definitely adds emotions and angst into the songs, notably Revolution, Across The Universe, Girl, and Something. Sturgess not only can sing but also act as his chemistry with Evan Rachel Wood is insatiable. Evan Rachel Wood delivers a strong yet complex performance as Lucy who starts out as an innocent young girl who is forced to find reason over the death of her first boyfriend. Wood definitely is the acting veteran among her main cast while proving to sell herself not just in the film's dramatic moments but also the musical performances. Wood's vocals are definitely impressive and natural as she sings them with such life on songs like It Won't Be Long, If I Fell, and Blackbird.

Across the Universe is a marvelous film from Julie Taymor. While it is a very flawed film, it is a film that manages to be a lot of things as it includes a superb cast and amazing technical work. Especially as it has something to offer for fans of the Beatles to see these songs be re-interpreted for a new generation. In the end, Across the Universe is a visually spectacular film from Julie Taymor.

Julie Taymor Films: Titus (1999 film) - Frida - The Tempest (2010 film) - The Auteurs #42: Julie Taymor

© thevoid99 2014

Higher Ground

Based on Carolyn Briggs’ memoir This Dark World: A Story of Faith Found and Lost, Higher Ground is the story of a woman whose life goes through various changes when she becomes religious at 18 only to question her beliefs as a married adult. Directed and starring Vera Farmiga with a screenplay by Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe, the film explores the world of faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman in the course of her life. Also starring John Hawkes, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, Dagmara Dominczyk, Joshua Leonard, and Bill Irwin. Higher Ground is a compelling drama from Vera Farmiga.

Following a period where her mother Kathleen (Donna Murphy) had a miscarriage that would ruin the marriage between her mother and father CW (John Hawkes), a young girl named Corinne (McKenzie Turner) is dealing with a troubled aftermath as she attends church with her young sister Wendy (Taylor Schwenke). At the church, Pastor Bud (Bill Irwin) has a sermon where Corinne accepts Jesus into her heart where she watches her parents’ marriage disintegrate. Years later as an 18-year old (Taissa Farmiga), Corinne meets a young rock singer named Ethan (Boyd Holbrook) where they have a relationship that would lead to Corinne getting married and having a baby. The marriage nearly crumbles following an accident when Ethan’s band goes on the road where he and Corinne decide to give their life towards God.

Time has passed as Corinne (Vera Farmiga) is now an adult with two kids another on the way while she and Ethan (Joshua Leonard) are part of a community of followers that includes Corinne’s friend Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk). A visit from Wendy (Nina Arianda) starts off well until Wendy’s lifestyle starts to get to Ethan while Corinne becomes fascinated by Wendy’s views on God and faith. Though Corinne loves the community, she starts to feel slighted by its restrictions over what to wear and such where it starts to overwhelm her after getting her third child. When Annika starts to feel ill leaving Corinne worried, the result would have an impact on Corinne’s views as it would lead to her marriage to finally unravel. Notably as she starts to have doubts about the way God works leading to Corinne to wonder if she had taken the right path to righteousness.

The film is about a life of a woman spanning through four different decades of her life where she encounters the world of Jesus Christ and faith only to find herself questioning about God’s will. It’s a compelling story that is about faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman who starts off going through tragedy only to find solace in God but later becomes doubtful following the restrictions of her community and various incidents that would impact her doubts. Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe’s screenplay does an excellent job in exploring Corinne’s life in the world of God and such. When it comes to the film’s third act, it gets a bit drawn out because the story starts to drag a bit as Corinne starts to break away from her old life to try and find something new. There’s nothing bad about it but it just takes a lot of out of what the first 2 acts had done in terms of dramatic execution.

Vera Farmiga’s direction is quite engaging and stylish for the way she opened the film with a baptism and then cuts to the narrative to follow this woman’s life. Shot on location in upstate New York, the film has gorgeous images of the fields and cliffs to play out the world that Corrine and her community live in. Farmiga also knows how to set up dramatic moments with her framing and having the actors be placed to create dramatic tension. A lot of it is very interesting despite the flaws in the third act where it loses a bit of steam. While the film is a dramatic take on a woman’s life, Farmiga isn’t afraid to put in some humor including a strange fantasy scene to play out what Corinne might be feeling. Overall, Farmiga does a solid job in creating an insightful film about a woman’s exploration towards faith.

Cinematographer Michael McDonough does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the lush look of the interiors for the scenes in the 60s and 70s to a more naturalistic look for the scenes in the 80s and 90s with some gorgeous exterior shots of the locations. Editor Colleen Sharp does nice work with the editing to create something that is straightforward without a lot of style while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Sharon Lomofsky, with art directors Shawn Carroll and Lisa Meyers and set decorator Diana Bregman, does fantastic work with the set pieces such as the homes that Corinne lives in to the churches that she attends.

Costume designer Amela Baksic does wonderful work with the clothes that Corrine wears to explore her evolution and personality through the dresses she wears in the 70s and 80s to a more casual look in the 90s. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound from the intimacy of the churches to the way music is performed in a lot of those scenes. The film’s score by Alec Puro is superb for its folk-driven sound while its soundtrack that is assembled by music supervisor Levon Broussalian features a lot of folk-based religious music.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Ebon-Moss Bachrach as community member Luke, Norbert Leo Butz as community leader Pastor Bill, Barbara Tuttle as Bill’s wife, Sean Mahon as the Irish mail carrier that Corinne befriends late in the film, Jack Gilpin as a therapist Corinne meets, Michael Chernus as Annika’s husband Ned, and Bill Irwin as the inspiring Pastor Bud. In the roles of Corrine and Ethan’s children, there’s Flynn Hawkey, Luella Roche, and Sarah Little as the eldest daughter Abigail, Sarah Banks and Zoe Allegra as Lily, and Matthew Biltonen as the young child Gabe.

Boyd Holbrook is excellent as the young Ethan with his energetic performance while Kaitlyn Rae King is very good as the teenage Wendy with Taylor Schwenke who is also good as the younger Wendy. McKenzie Turner is wonderful as the young Corinne while Taissa Farmiga is amazing as the teenage Corinne who feels lost in her world as she falls for the young Ethan. Donna Murphy is brilliant as Corinne’s outgoing mother Kathleen while John Hawkes is terrific as Corinne’s troubled yet laconic father CW as the two have a great moment in a scene in the third act. Nina Arianda is superb as Corinne’s troubled sister Wendy who tries to figure out her sister’s world while admitting she is troubled. Dagmara Dominczyk is great as Corinne’s best friend Annika whose view on faith would shape Corinne’s view later on.

Joshua Leonard is fantastic as Corinne’s husband Ethan who tries to maintain his musical side while becoming confused by his wife’s behavior as he tries to hold on to his faith. Finally, there’s Vera Farmiga as Corinne where Farmiga’s performance is entrancing in the way she tries to deal with God and religion only to become confused by her world and its restrictions as it’s one of Farmiga’s essential performances.

Higher Ground is a stellar and fascinating film from Vera Farmiga as it features a terrific ensemble cast that includes Joshua Leonard, Dagmara Dominiczyk, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, and John Hawkes. For audiences that is interested in the world of religious communities and faith will definitely find the film intriguing despite the flaws it carries in its third act. In the end, Higher Ground is a film worth seeing from its star and director Vera Farmiga.

© thevoid99 2012

Rachel Getting Married

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/26/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by first-time screenwriter Jenny Lumet, daughter of legendary director Sidney Lumet, Rachel Getting Married tells the story of a woman about to be married as families from different cultures and worlds celebrate. About to attend this celebration is the bride's younger, troubled ex-model sister whose in-and-out trips to rehab hasn't stopped her volatile, abrasive personality. Upon her arrival, she has to deal with all of the family that goes on including a visit from her estranged mother as secrets from family closets lead to turmoil. The film is an exploration of family dynamics amidst in a moment for a woman's celebration to be wedded while watching her younger sister deal with all of her troubles and its source. With an all-star cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe with a cameo from hip-hop legend Fab 5 Freddy, and Debra Winger. Rachel Getting Married is a charming yet harrowing drama from Jonathan Demme.

It's a big weekend coming as Rachel Buckman (Rosemarie DeWitt) is getting married with friends and family watching. Arriving to attend the wedding ceremony is Rachel's younger sister Kym (Anne Hathaway) who is currently attending rehab for substance abuse. Clean for nine months though her abrasive personality is still in tact, the ex-model is picked up by her father Paul (Bill Irwin) and stepmother Carol (Anna Deavere Smith). Paul is extremely concerned for Kym's safety as Kym sees Rachel along with Rachel's friend Emma (Anisa George). Kym also meets Rachel's fiancee Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) as Kym wonders if her mother Abby (Debra Winger) will show up.

Kym attends a near-by addicts meeting where she meets Kiernan (Mather Zickel), who is Sidney's best man. Yet, Kym learns that Emma is Rachel's maid of honor as Kym gets all dramatic until Rachel has Kym become the maid of honor. During a rehearsal dinner where Kym meets Sidney's family, Abby along with her husband Andrew (Jerome LaPage) show up. During the exuberant dinner, Kym gets her chance to speak as she talks about amends in her dark yet comical presentation. After the dinner, the family drama between Kym and Rachel becomes intense when Rachel makes a big announcement. With the wedding day getting closer, Rachel isn't sure if bringing Kym to the wedding is a good idea.

Kym meanwhile, begins to reveal the source of her troubles during an addicts meeting that involved the death of her younger brother Ethan many years ago. Things get worse during an innocent contest between Sidney and Paul where a plate that belonged to Ethan was accidentally shown. The drama intensifies at a salon when a man encounters Kym over some family secrets that she revealed during rehab that angers Rachel. Another family meeting with Paul and Carol watching reveals some heavy moments leaving Kym upset as Kiernan tries to put some perspective into what Kym had said in her meetings. When Kym goes to her mother, the family secrets over Ethan's death boils over driving Kym distraught. With the wedding now happening and Kym behaving, everyone celebrates as Kym ponders about herself and the fractured relationship she has with her family.

Any film set in a wedding celebration makes for a classic case for a dramatic template. Even when there's some family drama that is surrounding it. What makes this film unique is that it's about a celebration and the one person who is bringing all of the emotional baggage to that celebration. Of course, if it was done in a Hollywood-style type of drama. It would feel often false, contrived, and ends with a cheesy happy ending. Fortunately, Jonathan Demme and first-time screenwriter Jenny Lumet don't go for that route and instead take its time to study the characters and the surrounding that goes on.

Lumet's screenplay is truly top-notch as she explores the unique dynamic between a family and all of its dysfunction. In the center of all of this are the two sisters, Kym and Rachel. Kym is filled with a lot of guilt while is hanging by a thread on the brink of collapse while wanting attention and such. Rachel is a woman who is about to get married and is trying to cope with Kym's presence and the fact that Kym is willing to do a lot to ruin things. Watching all of this is their father who is extremely protective of Kym as he even suggests that she should return home for good so he can watch her. Along with his wife Carol, another person that's watching the drama from afar is their mother Abby. The distant woman is revealed to be part of the source to not just her divorce with Paul but also some of the family drama that goes on including the death of their son, Ethan.

What Lumet reveals is a lot of family secrets with everyone carrying some guilt as well as pointing the fingers over what happened. Yet, the ending clearly shows that this family still needs to figure things out while trying to help Kym, who is clearly fragile despite her selfish behavior. While the film is mostly dramatic, there are some touching moments like the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and reception where it's clearly unique with this diverse group of people. While Lumet's script is definitely brilliant in its study of family dynamic and key characters. It's presented wonderfully and intimately in the hands of its director Jonathan Demme.

Taking cues from his work in documentary as well as the Dogme 95 cinematic style filled with hand-held cameras, no artificial lighting, on location sets, and on-location sound. Demme creates a film where the audience feels and acts like participants in the wedding and family drama that is unfolding. Yet, his approach to the direction is atmospheric and welcoming where the audience is immediately aware that they're watching something that might be going on in real life. Particularly the way he presents the drama with close-ups and perspective shots to reveal what the character is seeing and such.

Demme's direction is truly superb from the way he presents each scene to how the wedding celebration and reception is captured in all of its exuberance. Demme, whose feature-film work had often become conventional in recent years has finally returned to his improvisational, independent filmmaking roots. In this film, Demme creates probably his best and most poignant film since 1986's Something Wild.

Cinematographer Declan Quinn does excellent work with the film's natural, hand-held, Dogme 95 filmmaking style. Shot with digital, high-definition cameras including home video cameras, the film has a look and immediacy that plays true to the Dogme 95 style. The look of the film is grainy yet atmospheric in its look and coloring as it's definitely feels real as opposed to the flashy, sometimes artificiality of Hollywood films. Editor Tim Squyres does great work in the film's editing with the use of jump-cuts and transitions to create a rhythmic feel to the film. Squyres' work is truly superb in its sense of rhythmic cutting, smooth pacing, and immediacy to help Demme in what he wants in the direction of the film.

Production designer Ford Wheeler along with set decorator Chryss Hionis and art director Kim Jennings do a fantastic job with the look of the traditional home of Paul's house, the posh look of Abby's home, and the look of the wedding and its reception. With all of its Indian look and such including great costume design by Susan Lyall, the film has a unique, worldly look that looks inviting to the point that the audience wants to attend a wedding like this. Sound editor Paul Urmson and designer Blake Leyh create great, natural sounds to capture the atmosphere and tension of the film's drama and celebration scenes.

The music by composers Donald Harrison Jr. and Zafer Tawil is wonderfully diverse with mostly on-location playing of string instruments of violins and mandolins. With additional music ranging from hip-hop, indie rock, and world music, contributing to the film's rich soundtrack are TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe singing a Neil Young song and two original songs sung on location by Robyn Hitchcock, who makes a cameo.

The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is truly unique with an array of memorable roles and appearances where along with Robyn Hitchcock, two different icons make cameo appearances. Legendary indie film icon Roger Corman and hip-hop icon Fab 5 Freddy make some noteworthy appearances. Other small but memorable roles that stand out include Mel Jones as a speaker at the wedding, Roslyn Ruff as Kym's nurse in the opening scene, Andre B. Blake as a man who knew Rachel at a rehab meeting, and Jerome Le Page as Abby's husband Andrew. Other notable standout performances come from actors as Sidney's family including Kyrah Julian as his sister, Herreast Harrison as his grandmother, Gonzales Joseph as the cousin, and Carol Jean Lewis in a great role as Sidney's mother.

Mather Zickel is excellent as Kiernan, Sidney's best man and a recovering addict who sympathizes with Kym's issues as he tries to show perspective about addiction and recovery to her family. Anisa George is also excellent as Rachel's friend Emma who doesn't get along with Kym as she gets upset when she loses her role as maid of honor and tries to make Kym feel horrible. TV on the Radio vocalist Tunde Adebimpe is great as Sidney, the man who would marry Rachel as he makes himself part of the family while being the caring guy for both Rachel and Kym. Anna Deavere Smith is wonderful in a small but noteworthy role as Carol, Paul's wife who is trying to keep the peace in the family as she watches all the family drama unfold. Debra Winger is brilliant in her role as Kym and Rachel's distant, aloof mother who watches from afar over Kym's behavior unaware that she might've caused all of the problems in the family.

Bill Irwin is superb in his role as Paul, the family patriarch who is excited over the wedding and Rachel's happiness while extremely concerned for the well-being of Kym. Irwin's performance is filled with light, comical touches in his expressions as well as sadness over the fact that he lost a son and with regrets over how Kym had fallen. Irwin's performance is truly noteworthy and definitely a highlight of the film. Rosemarie DeWitt is great as the title character, Rachel, as she is trying to get ready for the happiest day of her life while dealing with her sister's presence. DeWitt brings a sense of anger and jealousy as she tries to one-up her sister in attention and often wins while having immense hatred for Kym in how Kym tries to be the center of attention. DeWitt is really the anchor of the film as her performance truly stands out as she gets her chance to shine.

If Rosemarie DeWitt is the film's breakthrough performance, then her co-star and lead Anne Hathaway is the film's real revelation and break-out performance. Known mostly for light-hearted comic fare like The Princess Diaries films, Ella Enchanted, The Devil Wears Prada, and most recently, Get Smart. Hathaway had always shown that she can do dramatic roles in films like Nicholas Nickelby, Becoming Jane, Havoc, and Ang Lee's 2005 masterpiece Brokeback Mountain. Yet, none of these films could reveal the pain and angst that Hathaway reveals in her role as Kym where Hathaway brings a raw, fiery, and stripped-down performance. There's moments where Hathaway brings a personality filled with selfishness and diva-esque where she makes her character at times, unlikeable yet reveal that there's something complex about Kym.

Hathaway exudes all of the troubles that Kym is as even when she's not speaking or just struggling, there's a performance that definitely makes the audience re-think of what she can do. There's comical moments in Hathaway's performance but it's often done with sarcasm, wit, and off-putting as opposed to her other light-comedic film work. While many will say that her performance is her trying to get an Oscar nomination, it's those performance that actually work where Hathaway proves that there's more to her than her beauty, winning smile, and comic charm.  It's in this performance that proves that Anne Hathaway is truly one of the best young actresses working today.

Rachel Getting Married is definitely one of the year's best films and certainly Jonathan Demme's most stylish film since 1986's Something Wild. Thanks in large part to Jenny Lumet's character-driven screenplay and the performance of Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Bill Irwin, it's a film that is harrowing yet charming. Fans of Anne Hathaway will be surprised in what the young actress can do while a new discovery is made in Rosemarie DeWitt. With a great soundtrack and a wedding/reception scene that is enjoyable to watch, it's a wedding that certainly anyone would love to attend. In the end, Rachel Getting Married is a film that is truly surprising, inviting, and real thanks to the grand yet intimate vision of director Jonathan Demme.

Jonathan Demme Films: (Caged Heat) - (Crazy Mama) - (Fighting Mad) - (Handle with Care) - (Last Embrace) - (Melvin and Howard) - (Who Am I This Time?) - (Swing Shift) - Stop Making Sense - (Something Wild) - (Swimming to Cambodia) - (Married to the Mob) - (The Silence of the Lambs) - (Cousin Bobby) - (Philadelphia) - (Storefront Hitchcock) - (Beloved) - (The Truth About Charlie) - (The Agronomist) - (The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)) - (Neil Young: Heart of Gold) - (Man from Plains) - (Neil Young Trunk Show) - (Neil Young: Journeys) - (A Master Builder) - Ricki & the Flash

© thevoid99 2011