The film follows an actor who loses a gig due to his claustrophobia and learns that his girlfriend is having an affair as he meets another actor who gives a job to house-sit a home for him where he peeps at a neighbor across the street who would later be murdered. It is a film that play into a man who falls for this woman who was dancing erotically as she mimicked the moves of a porn actress whom he would later hire to get him to solve this mystery. The film’s screenplay by Brian de Palma and Robert J. Avrech does play into the idea of voyeurism as the protagonist in struggling actor Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) meets another actor in Sam Brouchard (Gregg Henry) who is house-sitting a lavish home as he offers Scully to do the job as he’s set to go work outside of Los Angeles.
Brouchard would show Scully a house across from their home as they watch a woman dancing erotically through a telescope where Scully would later watch events where something is off as he would later follow this woman in Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton (with the voice of Helen Shaver)) who is aware she’s being followed as she’s also having issues with her husband. The day she and Scully meet where they’re seen by a mysterious man in a mask, Scully admits to following her as he would later watch her that night where everything goes wrong. The screenplay definitely show that Scully is someone who meant well though being a voyeur to a murder scene didn’t help matters until he discovers a porn film starring Holly Body (Melanie Griffith) who dances in a similar manner that Gloria did where he seeks her help.
The direction of de Palma definitely emphasizes on style as it also borrows some of the visual styles of his favorite filmmaker in Alfred Hitchcock. Shot on location in Los Angeles and Hollywood, de Palma definitely uses its studio backlots, the Hollywood Hills, and other notable locations as characters in the film while the lavish home that Scully is house-sitting is this circular home with a spinning circular bed is the icing on the cake. While there are these intimate moments including some inventive usage of medium shots and close-ups as it play into the drama and suspense. It is de Palma’s usage of wide shots add to the visual quality such as a scene outside of a beachside motel where everything is presented in a wide shot where Gloria is in one part of the motel and Scully on the stairs following her. It is among these shots including a sequence in the mall just minutes before as it is about where the actors are in a part of the mall and such as it showcases de Palma’s usage of geography as it add to the suspense and drama.
The direction also has de Palma explore the subculture of pornography where Scully would audition to be in a film as he uses his acting skills to find and meet Holly leading to its third act. It’s a sequence at a porno film set that featured members of the 80s British pop act Frankie Goes to Hollywood as it is a moment where de Palma brings a bit of humor to a film that is dark. Notably in its climax as it play into the reveal of who has been stalking Gloria and why Scully had to be involved. There are also these stylish moments that play into Scully’s claustrophobia where de Palma create these shots as it adds to the drama including its climax as it mirrors the film’s first scene where Scully freezes during a film shoot because of his claustrophobia. It adds to the suspense and drama but also in how it play into the schematics that is often expected in suspense dramas. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and provocative film about a claustrophobic actor who teams with a porn actress to solve a murder that he witnessed.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lights for some of the film sets as well as the lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night along with some straightforward lighting for the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Gerald B. Greenberg and Bill Pankow do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of slow-motion and jump-cuts as well as an inventive montage in the third act that play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Ida Random, with set decorator Cloudia Rebar and art director William A. Elliott, does amazing work with the interior of the home that Scully house sits with its circular setting as well as the lavish home that Gloria lives in and the porno film set. Costume designer Gloria Gresham does fantastic work with the costumes from the sleazy clothes of the porn actors as well as the stylish designer dress that Gloria wears.
Special makeup effects artist Thomas R. Burman does terrific work with the makeup in some of the makeup that Scully wears in the film’s first scene as well as in the porno film set. Sound editor Stephen Hunter Flick does superb work with the sound as it help play into the suspense including the murder scene and the film’s climax. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is incredible for its score with its lush orchestral piano pieces and other string themes as it also feature some chilling themes and some electronic pieces as the score is a major highlight of the film as its soundtrack includes a music video from a new wave band and a performance from Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Steven Bauer in an un-credited cameo as an assistant director for the porn film shoot, Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford of Frankie Goes to Hollywood as themselves in the porn shoot lip-syncing to their song, Barbara Crampton as Scully’s girlfriend Carol who cheats on him, David Haskell as Scully’s drama teacher, Larry “Flash” Jenkins as an assistant director at the horror film shoot, Al Israel as a porno film producer, Monte Landis as Scully’s agent, and Dennis Franz in a superb performance as a film director who is helming a horror film where Scully freezes due to his claustrophobia. Guy Boyd is fantastic as Detective Jim McLean who investigates the murder and questions Scully as he’s suspicious of him but also is smart enough to know that Scully isn’t the killer.
Deborah Shelton is excellent as Gloria Revelle as a rich woman who is being stalked by a mysterious masked figure who keeps coming to her home secretly as she is also into eroticism unaware she’s being watched with her voice dubbed by Helen Shaver. Melanie Griffith is brilliant as Holly Body as a porn actress who is this charming young woman that is also a lot smarter than people give her credit for while also being aware that she is playing a major part in this murder mystery due to the way Gloria dances. Gregg Henry is amazing as Sam Brouchard as an actor who asks Scully to house-sit a home for him as he’s away for a gig as he helps Scully out in getting a place to stay while also hoping to have Scully enjoy the view. Finally, there’s Craig Wasson in an incredible performance as Jake Scully as a struggling actor whose girlfriend cheated on him and doesn’t have a home as he takes a job for another actor only to find himself in deep shit while dealing with claustrophobia as it is a gripping and engaging performance from Wasson.
Body Double is a spectacular film from Brian de Palma. Featuring a great cast, dazzling visuals, a chilling mix of sex and violence, and Pino Donaggio’s luscious score. The film isn’t just one of de Palma’s quintessential films but also a unique suspense thriller that explores claustrophobia, voyeurism, and desire. In the end, Body Double is a sensational film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters (1973 film) - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession (1976 film) - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale (2002 film) - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2021
The film revolves around a real estate developer who had lost his wife and daughter following a kidnapping attempt over money as he would go to Florence sixteen years later with his business partner as he meets a young woman who bears the same face as his late wife. It is a film that is about man still reeling from the death of his wife and daughter as he feels guilty over how he fumbled the attempt to save them as the presence of this young woman who looks exactly like his late wife has him obsessed about getting a part of his life that he lost. Paul Schrader’s screenplay is a study of grief as it plays into a man consumed with guilt and loss as the land that was meant to be a thriving plot that would make him rich but instead turned it as a memorial for his wife and daughter that is a replica of the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte in Florence. It is where Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) met the woman who would be his wife in Elizabeth (Genevieve Bujold) as he would see a young woman in Sandra (Genevieve Bujold) who looks exactly like Elizabeth as she is restoring a painting in the church.
Courtland’s business partner Robert LaSalle (John Lithgow) also sees the resemblance upon their visit to Florence for business reasons as he returns to New Orleans where Courtland stays in Florence to meet Sandra. Courtland would bring Sandra to his home in New Orleans as those close to Courtland are shocked by how much Sandra looked like Elizabeth as things become more troubling. Schrader’s script does play into Courtland’s own obsession relating to his late wife through Sandra as the ideas of fantasy and reality would blur to the point where even those close to him become concerned. Yet, more revelations would be unveiled in its third act as it plays more into the night Courtland tried to save his wife and daughter along with those who tried to make a play on the kidnappers as it adds to Courtland’s own troubled obsession.
Brian de Palma’s direction is definitely stylish as it does bear some ideas from one of de Palma’s favorite filmmakers in Alfred Hitchcock and his 1958 film Vertigo as both films explore grief and trauma. Shot on location in both New Orleans and Florence along with nearby locations for the former, de Palma does make both cities characters with New Orleans being a vibrant and thriving city where Courtland is about to make his fortune yet wanted to share it with his family as the film opens in 1959 at a party where de Palma maintains an intimacy as well as some dream-like imagery to play into the idyllic world of Courtland at his home with wife and child. It would all crash down the moment Elizabeth and her daughter Amy (Wanda Blackman) get kidnapped as de Palma’s rescue sequence is intense as it’s about what isn’t shown and how Courtland is convinced by the police to try and swindle the kidnappers is where everything went wrong. When the film moves to Florence, the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte is a key location of the film as it is where Courtland met Elizabeth in 1948 and why the memorial for her and Amy is a replica of that church as it is also the moment where Courtland meets Sandra.
The usage of close-ups and medium shots as well as in the latter where de Palma gets so much attention to detail on an object or on a painting, with portraits created by de Palma’s older brother Bart, as it adds to the drama and suspense. Even in the wide shots where de Palma does use the locations including the scenes in Florence as it adds to the sense of intrigue in the film while its third act returns the film to New Orleans where there's some major revelations happening in the film. Notably in a sequence that is somewhat recreated from another scene early in the film yet there is so much that is happening along what had happened before in this recreated sequence as de Palma is all about those small details. Even as it play into Courtland’s obsession as it is clear he never got over the loss of his family and the guilt over his role in their deaths. Yet, the film’s climax isn’t just about revelations but also a study of trauma as well as an ending that is really filled with ambiguity over what Courtland had come to realize and such. Overall, de Palma crafts an intoxicating yet unsettling film about a man who becomes obsessed with a young woman who looks exactly like his late wife.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does brilliant work with the film’s luscious cinematography with its usage of low-key and natural lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as dream-like foggy lenses for some shots in the film as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Paul Hirsch does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of transitional dissolves, jump-cuts, montages, and slow-motion as its emphasis on style adds to the suspense and drama. Art director Jack Senter and set decorator Jerry Wunderlich do excellent work with some of the interiors at Courtland’s home as well as the places in Florence as well as the design of the memorial for Elizabeth and Amy. Costume designer Frank Balchus does nice work with the stylish suit that LaSalle wears as well as some of the clothing from the 1950s that Elizabeth had and the clothes that Sandra would wear throughout the film
The special effects work of Joe Lombardi is terrific for the minimal special effects as it relates to the chase scene early in the film along with a dream-like sequence in the film’s third act. Sound mixer David M. Ronne does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as scenes that involve the suspense including some intense moments in the third act. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is incredible for its rich and mesmerizing orchestral score as it adds to the atmospheric tone of the film along with themes that play for certain characters and scenes that add to the suspense and drama as it is another major highlight of the film.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from William Finley as a man at the airport, Regis Cordic as a newscaster, Sylvia Kuumba Williams as Courtland’s maid, J. Patrick McNamara as a kidnapper, Nella Simoncini Barbieri as Sandra’s mother, Loraine Despres as Courtland’s secretary, Stanley J. Reyes as the police inspector Brie who organizes the rescue attempt on Elizabeth and Amy, Wanda Blackman as Courtland’s daughter Amy, and Stocker Fontelieu as Courtland’s psychiatrist Dr. Ellman who is concerned about Courtland’s obsession as he believes that Courtland is acting hastily. John Lithgow is incredible as Courtland’s business partner Robert LaSalle as a man who is full of charm and wear the finest suits as he becomes concerned about Courtland’s obsession towards Sandra and how much she looks like Elizabeth where he also becomes concerned about his business and whatever financial fallout would happen.
Genevieve Bujold is phenomenal in her dual role as Elizabeth Courtland and Sandra where she brings an enchanting presence in the former despite not saying anything while is more livelier in the latter where Bujold plays this woman who helps restore old paintings while learning more about Elizabeth as it is this restrained yet haunting performance from Bujold who copes with a man’s loss but also something bigger. Finally, there’s Cliff Robertson in a marvelous performance as Michael Courtland as a real estate developer who loses his family following a rescue attempt as he becomes obsessed with a young woman who looks like his late wife where Robertson brings an anguish to his role but also someone that is desperate and later jovial until people question about his relationship with Sandra as it is a rollercoaster of a performance from Robertson.
Obsession is a sensational film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold, and John Lithgow. Along with Paul Schrader’s chilling screenplay, dazzling visuals, hypnotic editing, and Bernard Herrmann’s intoxicating score. It’s a suspense-drama that explores trauma and loss as well as a man’s obsession towards a young woman unaware of what is happening around him as reality would force him to think about the moment he lost everything. In the end, Obsession is a phenomenal film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters (1973 film) - Phantom of the Paradise - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2021
The film revolves around a music composer whose music he wrote was stolen by a producer as an incident left the composer’s face disfigured where he creates a new identity but also makes an uneasy deal with the producer to get his music made while they fight over a woman who wants to become a singing star. It’s a film that is inspired by all sorts material such as Phantom of the Opera, Faust, and The Picture of Dorian Grey but set in a world where a music is eager to latch on to anything and create his rock n’ roll palace where he would get all the talent of the world and make money off of them. The film’s screenplay by Brian de Palma, that features uncredited contributions from Louisa Rose, is largely straightforward as it play into this musician named Winslow Leach (William Finley) who plays at this club during an intermission as he catches the attention of the music producer known as Swan (Paul Williams).
Swan believes that Leach has the right music for his new music palace as he gets his right-hand man Arnold Philbin (George Memmoli) to steal Leach’s music while Leach’s attempts to reach Swan fail as he is sent to prison for a false drug possession charge where Leach breaks out of prison after a rendition of one of his songs being played. During the chase, he becomes disfigured where he adopts a new identity as he’s discovered by Swan who offers him a deal that would become troubling. It all play into these elements of deals with the devil but also the stakes as Leach is someone who just wants to create music but Swan is the one who can bring it to everyone while there is also something mysterious about who Swan is.
The film’s direction by de Palma definitely evokes a lot of style as a lot of it is shot largely on location in New York City while it plays into this world of music and clubs where people go out and see what is considered cool. The film has de Palma create this world that is outlandish as it represents a world of nostalgia, decadence, and wondrous as if it’s a fantasy for anyone that wants to be a star in the world of music. The usage of wide shots add to the scope of this world that Swan has created yet much of de Palma’s compositions emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots as it play into the conversations between Leach and Swan as well as in some of the film’s musical performances. With the help of choreographer Peter Elbling, the performances has this air of camp as it play into Swan’s vision and his take on Leach’s music as it is presented in different styles ranging from 1950s doo-wop rock, 1960s surf music, and the glam rock of the 1970s. It also play into this world that allows Swan to thrive as it adds intrigue into what kind of deal Leach made with him. Even as a young singer named Phoenix (Jessica Harper) comes in as Leach has feelings for her but Swan wants something else for her leading to this lavish climax that relates to ambition and identity. Overall, de Palma crafts a majestic yet chilling film about a songwriter’s uneasy deal with a producer as he would later seek revenge on him.
Cinematographer Larry Pizer does excellent work with its usage of stylish lights for the performances as well as in the usage of low-key lights for some of the exterior/interior scenes at night. Editor Paul Hirsch does brilliant work with the editing as it has some stylish jump-cuts that help play into the humor and musical performances as well as montages that play into Leach and Swan at work. Production designer Jack Fisk does amazing work with the look of the sets including the sets for the stage performances that are lavish and over-the-top as it include some additional set dressing from Fisk’s wife in actress Sissy Spacek. Costume designer Rosanna Norton does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of Leach’s clothes when he becomes the Phantom as well as the lavish clothes of the musical performers including Phoenix and the clothes of Swan.
Makeup designers John Chambers and Thomas R. Burman do terrific work with the look of the disfigured Leach as well as some of the glam makeup for some of the musical performers. The special effects work of Greg Auer is wonderful for a few of the effects that play into some of the musical performances and presentation. The sound work of James M. Tanenbaum is superb for some of the sound effects as well as how instruments sound in a live setting as well as the sounds of crowds. The film’s music by Paul Williams is phenomenal as it is a major highlight of the film for its mixture of piano ballads, stylish rock songs, pop, and all sorts of songs as it help tells the story as Williams also does a lot of Leach’s own singing while music supervisors Michael Arciaga and Jules Chaikin help provide various people to sing those songs that include Raymond Louis Kennedy as the voice for the glam vocalist Beef.
The casting by Sylvia Fay, Geno Havens, and Peggy Taylor is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Rod Serling as the film’s unseen narrator in its opening minutes, Janus Blythe as a groupie, the trio of Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor, and Peter Elbling as a trio of vocalists who moonlight as a trio of acts in the 50s nostalgia act the Juicy Fruits, the surf-rock tribute band the Beach Bums, and a modern band in the Undead, Gerrit Graham as the glam-rock singer Beef who is Swan’s original choice until he is confronted by Leach, and George Memmoli as Swan’s right-hand man Arnold Philbin as a handler who looks like a 1950s greaser as he also manages some of Swan’s businesses. Jessica Harper is brilliant as Phoenix as a woman wanting to sing as she meets Leach at an audition as he believes she is the right singer where she would succeed but used as a tool for Swan to get what he wants.
Paul Williams is incredible as Swan as this mysterious producer who wants to create the ultimate music palace while maintaining this ambiguity about his importance as Williams brings this devilish charm to his role that is a joy to watch. Finally, there’s William Finley in an amazing performance as Winslow Leach and the titular character as a singer-songwriter wanting to create music that he believes has something to say only to go through obstacles and later become a disfigured artist who watches from afar as his music is played but also copes with the troubling deal he made with Swan.
Phantom of the Paradise is a spectacular film from Brian de Palma. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous set designs, dazzling visuals, and a rapturous music soundtrack from Paul Williams. The film is an outlandish yet whirlwind genre-bender that doesn’t play by the rules nor hide its influences to create a story set to the world of rock n’ roll. In the end, Phantom of the Paradise is a sensational film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters (1973 film) - Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eys - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2020
Written and directed by Brian de Palma, Femme Fatale is the story of a thief who double-crosses her accomplices and takes on a new identity where she marries an American ambassador while being hunted by those she double-crossed. The film is a suspense-thriller that involves the idea of identity and greed with a woman caught in the middle of this theft while going after the photographer that would get her in trouble. Starring Rebecca Romijn, Antonio Banderas, Peter Coyote, Rie Rasmussen, Thierry Fremont, and Gregg Henry. Femme Fatale is a ravishing yet thrilling film from Brian de Palma.
The film revolves around a thief who stole diamonds with a team only to double-cross them and disappear by taking on the identity of a doppelganger until a paparazzo takes her photo leading to all sorts of shit. It’s a film that play into a woman trying to leave her past behind only to return to France seven years after the theft under a different identity until a photograph would undo everything forcing her to take action and hide from the men she double-crossed. Brian de Palma’s screenplay focuses on the character of Laure Ashe who takes part in a diamond heist that is happening at the Cannes Film Festival where she steals the diamonds from a model she seduces and then goes into business for herself. Through a series of events where Laure had been seen by one of the thieves she betrayed, she is mistaken by a few people as another woman who had disappeared due to the deaths of her husband and child where she realizes that she has a woman who looks like her.
After taking her identity as Lily, Laure meets and marries a rich man who would later become the American ambassador to France where they travel to France seven years after the theft where a paparazzo named Nicolas Bardo (Antonio Banderas) would take her photo. One of her betrayers, who had been in prison for seven years for the theft, is freed and picked up by his partner as they see the photo and go on a search leading to Laure to try and get revenge on Bardo by making him a stalker and a kidnapper who wants a $10 million ransom. The script has de Palma play into this intrigue and battle of wits with Bardo becoming more curious about what Laure is doing unaware of her true identity and where he knew her from before.
The direction of de Palma is all style in terms of not just the compositions he creates but also the usage of intricate crane shots, split-screens, and scenes that last for more than a minute or two. Shot largely on location in Paris and various locations in France including the 2001 Cannes Film Festival where that location is where the jewel heist takes place. It’s a sequence where a lot is happening as a film premiere is happening where Laure would seduce the model while one of the thieves would switch a piece of diamond jewelry with a fake as it would be this mixture of sensuality and suspense. It’s an intricately rich sequence that would be followed by scenes that have a similar style to the shot of Laure being thrown from a hotel balcony and landing somewhere as she is mistaken for Lily. The scene of Laure seeing Lily where the latter is unaware of being watched has de Palma aim for something simple in the compositions with its medium shots and close-ups while he would employ wide shots for many of the scenes during the second act of the film.
The direction would have de Palma also create scenes that add some foreshadowing as well as intrigue as it relates to Bardo who becomes aware that he might be set up in an act of revenge yet he also is aware that he has very little choice. The film’s third act is one of not just intense sexuality and desire but also fantasy as it relates to Bardo being blackmailed by Laure in her scheme as she knows that time is running out. There is a twist to what de Palma does yet it is all about the decisions that Laure has made following her betrayal forcing her to wonder if there was a way to hide from her past. Overall, de Palma crafts a gripping and evocative film about a beautiful thief who double-crosses her team and tries to reinvent herself as another person only for her past to catch up with her.
Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast does brilliant work with the film’s ravishing cinematography in terms of its approach to lighting for the interiors at the Cannes Film Festival building along with its usage of stylish lighting for some of the daytime scenes as well as its dream-like look for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Bill Pankow does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, split-screens, and other rhythmic cuts to help play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Anne Pritchard, with set decorator Francoise Benoit-Fresco and art director Denis Renault, does excellent work with the look of some of the sets including the women’s bathroom at the Cannes building, Bardo’s apartment, and the club that Bardo and Laure go to during its third act. Costume designer Olivier Beriot does fantastic work with the stylish clothes that Laure wears including the skimpy lingerie during the club scene along with the gold/diamond snake top that was designed by Elli Medeiros for the model to wear at Cannes.
Visual effects supervisor Agnes Sebenne does nice work with some of the visual effects that is largely set-dressing as well as some offbeat compositions that de Palma wanted where one person is in the foreground for a close-up with someone else in the background in a medium shot. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the locations as well as in the quieter moments of the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is incredible for its lush string arrangements including its variations of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero in some parts of the film that is a major highlight while music supervisor Edouard Dubois provides a soundtrack that features a wide mix of score pieces from other films as well as a few contemporary pieces by Dead Fly Syndrome, Vicarious Bliss, and Damien Saez.
The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, and Suzanne Smith is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Cannes Film Festival curator Gilles Jacob, filmmaker Regis Wargnier who was presenting his film East/West, and its star Sandrine Bonnaire. Other notable small roles include Eriq Ebouaney and Edouard Montrouge as the two men Laure betrayed, Eva Darlan as a woman who mistakes Laure for Lily, Thierry Fremont as Inspector Serra who interrogates Bardo over a kidnapping claim, Rie Rasmussen as the model wearing the gold-diamond corset in Veronica, Gregg Henry as a security officer in Shiff who watches over Lily and her husband, and Peter Coyote as the man Laure as Lily would meet in Bruce Hewitt Watts who would later become the American ambassador to France.
Antonio Banderas is marvelous as Nicolas Bardo as a paparazzo who would get a picture of Laure unaware of her true identity as he becomes a figure of blackmail where he deals with Laure and her plans while becoming aroused by her. Finally, there’s Rebecca Romijn in an incredible performance in the dual role of the thief Laure Ash and her doppelganger Lily where she provides an anguish in the latter as a woman who has suffered great loss while is more cool and playful in the former but also cunning as it is Romijn proving that she’s more than just a beautiful woman but also someone that knows how to be cool.
Femme Fatale is a spectacular film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Rebecca Romijn and Antonio Banderas. Along with its gorgeous visuals, riveting script, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s playful score, and study of identity and fate. The film is definitely one of de Palma’s finest films in terms of its love for cinema as well as its willingness to play with the conventions of suspense. In the end, Femme Fatale is a sensational film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the 2010 film Love Crime by Alain Corneau, Passion is the story of two women working for a multi-national corporation as they try reach for a prime position only for the competition to get dangerous. Written for the screen and directed by Brian de Palma, the film is a remake of sorts of Corneau’s film with some different interpretations as it play into two women trying to one-up themselves in a game to reach to the top. Starring Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Karoline Herfurth, Paul Anderson, Rainer Bock, and Benjamin Sadler. Passion is a gripping yet stylish film from Brian de Palma.
An advertising executive takes credit for her subordinate’s idea as she would later try and blackmail her prompting her subordinate to try and one-up her where it would eventually lead to murder. That is the film’s premise as it play into two women trying to vie for position in a multi-national advertising corporation in Berlin as it would intensify with one of them playing mind games over the other. Brian de Palma’s screenplay, which includes additional dialogue by Natalie Carter, focuses on this relationship between Christine Stanford (Rachel McAdams) and her subordinate Isabelle James (Noomi Rapace) as they’re trying to create a new ad yet Stanford would take credit for James’ idea for an ad that she created with her secretary Dani (Karoline Herfurth). Yet, Stanford is a woman that always gets what she wants as her reason to hurt James is due to the fact that James is having an affair with Stanford’s lover in a co-worker in Dirk Harriman (Paul Anderson) who is already in trouble for embezzling money from their company as he’s hoping to pay them back. Stanford’s usage of power and seduction would eventually cause James to break down and the desire to fight back.
The direction of de Palma definitely play into his stylish approach of slanted camera angles, split-screens, perspective shots, and other tricks that he is known for yet he does maintain the importance of the suspense and drama that occurs in the film. Shot on location in Berlin, de Palma avoids many of the city’s landmarks to focus on something that is more intimate in the corporate world that also include these lavish apartments that the main characters live in. There are some wide shots in the film yet de Palma emphasizes more on close-ups and medium shots to not just focus on the characters but in the environment they’re in. Even as he uses webcams and phones for footage as it would play into Stanford’s need to humiliate James in every way she can that include an office party scene that also shows footage of office workers in compromising positions.
The direction also has de Palma maintain this idea of what James might do yet she is already falling apart where she is seen using prescription pills to cope with the humiliation she endured. The usage of split-screen is a method that de Palma is known for where he gets multiple perspectives of what is going on where it focuses on a party Stanford is having as well as who is going to join for an after party while the other focus is on a ballet performance that James is watching. It is a sequence that is offbeat yet it play into the suspense of what is going to happen followed by an aftermath in the third act that is filled with the usual twists and turns over who did it. Even as it raises questions about who and why did it happen where de Palma definitely play with the tropes though it’s ending does get a little over-written towards the end. Overall, de Palma crafts a witty and exhilarating film about a corporate ad executive trying to outdo her subordinate leading to a battle for supremacy and seduction.
Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of bright and vibrant colors for some of the scenes in the day and night along with blue filters and shades for other scenes to express the mood of the characters. Editor Francois Gediger does excellent work with the editing with its approach to rhythmic cuts for the suspense as well as playing up to the style of split-screens. Production designer Cornelia Ott, with set decorator Ute Bergk and supervising art director Astrid Poeschke, does brilliant work with the look of the offices and homes of Stanford and James as well as the restaurants and places they go to. Costume designer Karen Muller Serrau does fantastic work with the costumes with the clothes that Sanford wears including some skimpy and stylish lingerie to the black clothes that James would wear.
Special makeup effects artists Tamar Aviv, Goran Lundstrom, and Jorn Seifert do terrific work with the look of the characters including a mask that Stanford has which matches her face. Visual effects supervisor Sarah Moreau does nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects for some of the film’s set-dressing and scenes involving computers and such. Sound editor Jean Goudier does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the offices and some of the places the characters go to. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is incredible for its lush and eerie orchestral arrangement that play into the suspense with its usage of strings as it adds to the dramatic tension while music supervisor Elise Luguern provide a few classical pieces from Claude Debussy, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as contemporary pieces from Archive, Steve Dudas, and Mark Hart.
The casting by Anja Dihrberg is wonderful as it feature a few notable small roles from Jorg Pintsch as a lover of Stanford in Mark, Michael Rotschopf as James’ attorney, Polina Semionova and Ibrahim Oyku Onal as the ballet dancers, and Dominic Raacke as a corporate boss in J.J. Koch. Benjamin Sadler is terrific as a prosecutor who believes that James is a suspect involved in a murder while Rainer Bock is superb as a police inspector who is suspicious of James yet is aware that something doesn’t feel right. Paul Anderson is fantastic as Dirk Harriman as a co-worker of James and Stanford who is sleeping with both women yet is already in trouble for embezzlement that leads to him being blackmailed by Stanford. Karoline Herfurth is excellent as Dani as James’ secretary who takes part in creating the ad that James wants to present while is also aware of the mind games that Stanford is playing where she becomes protective of James.
The performances of Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams in their respective roles as Isabelle James and Christine Stanford are incredible as two women working for a multi-national corporation as they find themselves fighting to be on top. Rapace’s performance is definitely filled with a lot of anguish and humility as someone who feels like she’s not getting enough credit while being used. McAdams’ performance as Stanford is such a delight in how bitchy she is where she uses her sex appeal to get what she wants as well as be emotionally manipulative that has a darkly comic edge. Rapace and McAdams together are a joy to watch with Rapace being the foil and McAdams being bad as they have this amazing chemistry together as they are the highlights of the film.
Passion is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. Along with its gorgeous visuals, study of multi-national corporate culture, themes of seduction and humility, and Pino Donaggio’s score. It’s a film that has the kind of story that definitely has the touches expected from de Palma while being this erotic thriller of sorts that play into the tropes of the genre. In the end, Passion is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma.
Related: Love Crime
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller, Mission: Impossible is the story of a spy who being hunted down by his organization after being accused of killing his crew where he has to find the mole in the agency. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Robert Towne and David Koepp from a story by Koepp and Steve Zaillian, the film is suspense-thriller in which a spy has to uncover the truth over a failed mission as well as wonder who to trust. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny, Emilio Estevez, and Vanessa Redgrave. Mission: Impossible is a thrilling and stylish film from Brian de Palma.
The film revolves around a spy who was part of a mission that suddenly goes wrong when he is accused of being a mole after his crew had been killed forcing him to find out who the mole is as it involves a deal with a mysterious arms dealer. It’s a film with a unique premise that is filled with twists and turns by screenwriters David Koepp and Robert Towne as it explores a man who is seeking out the truth as well as wonder who the mole is. The film does have a MacGuffin in this list of spies and their alias where everyone wants it as the spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) decides to steal it as a way to get the mole to come out as well as clear his name with the help of another agent in Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Beart) whom the IMF doesn’t know is still alive as she takes part to get revenge on the people who killed her husband Jim (Jon Voight) who was also Hunt’s mentor.
Claire was also in the botched mission as a getaway driver as Hunt is suspicious about why she is still alive when everyone else in their team was killed including her husband. At the same time, they deal with this mysterious arms dealer in Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who wants this list for her own advantage in this post-Cold War race to get power. Upon hiring the disavowed hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and the pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) for this mission to retrieve the list, Hunt realizes that there are those he can’t trust including Claire as he is convinced the mole is the IMF leader Kittridge (Henry Czerny) due to this play for power.
Brian de Palma’s direction definitely has a flair for style as it opens with a mission to establish what Hunt and his team does as well as play into a few references of the original TV series. Shot on various locations in Prague, London, and parts of Scotland, the film does play into this world where there is still a sense of unease following the end of the Cold War with some wanting to cash in on whoever will win the next war. The film does show de Palma’s penchant for style in the way he captures so much attention to detail in the key scene to capture a Russian spy from retrieving the list as well as what Hunt and his team are doing and the roles they play. There are also these suspenseful moments where de Palma keeps the intrigue going of who is killing who and who are these people in the background. The usage of close-ups and stylish compositions are key to what de Palma is doing in the suspense that includes a post-mission conversation between Hunt and Kittridge as it is show on low slanted camera angles and in a reverse shot as it play into this air of intrigue. The non-action scenes is where de Palma shines as he uses medium shots to play into the way multiple characters interact as well as a few wide shots to establish the location and its geography.
One key sequence that involves Hunt retrieving the list in a very exclusive and highly secretive room as he’s hanging from a ceiling a key example of de Palma’s approach to suspense as it requires silence as well as not make sure a drop of sweat hits the floor or the alarm will go off. It’s a key sequence late in the second act which play into what is at stake but also what Hunt needs to do to find the mole. The third act is about the unveiling of the mole as well as the mole’s motivations as it play into the aftermath of the Cold War and the ideas of the future. Even as Hunt has to do something to expose the truth for the safety of the world in a grand and thrilling climax set on a train in the English Channel. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and entertaining film about a spy trying to uncover a mole who killed his team during a botched mission.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the look of the cities at night as well as some of the interiors of the rooms and places the characters stay at and the room of the secret computer. Editor Paul Hirsch does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, stylish montages, dissolves, and other stylish cuts help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Norman Reynolds, with set decorator Peter Howitt plus art directors Fred Hole and Jonathan McKinstry, does amazing work with the look of the places the characters go to including the secret computer room and the interiors of the train for the film’s climax. Costume designers Penny Rose and Timothy Everest do fantastic work with the costumes as it include a few designer dresses for the mission that would be botched as well as clothes for the characters to wear in disguise.
Makeup designer Lois Burwell, along with special makeup effects artist Rob Bottin, does terrific work with the masks that Hunt would wear in disguise including the look of a senator he would pretend to be for the botched mission. Special effects supervisors David Beavis and Ian Wingrove, along with visual effects supervisors Andrew Eio, John Knoll, and Richard Yuricich, do superb work with the visual effects as it relates to the film’s climax as well as some of the design of the masks that Hunt wears. Sound editor Tom Bellfort does nice work with the sound in creating sound effects for the action as well as the air of silence for the computer room scene to play into the suspense. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible for its orchestral-based score as well as creating variations of the famed TV show theme by Lalo Schifrin that include an electronic-based version by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of the band U2.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Olegar Fedoro as the Ukranian spy trying to get the list early in the film, Dale Dye as Kittridge’s aide Frank Barnes, Rolf Saxon as the CIA analyst William Donloe who has access to the secret computer room, and Karel Dobry as Max’s assistant Matthias. In the roles of Hunt’s original team, there’s Ingeborga Dapkunaite as surveyor Hannah and Emilio Estevez in an un-credited role as Hunt’s gadgets creator and hacker Jack Harmon as they’re terrific in their roles as is Kristin Scott Thomas in a small yet superb performance as the spy Sarah Davies. Henry Czerny is excellent as Kittridge as the IMF chief who believes that Hunt is the mole as he does whatever he can to catch him while Jean Reno is fantastic as Franz Krieger as a disavowed agent hired by Hunt to help him retrieve the list as he’s also very ambiguous over what he wants to do with the list. Ving Rhames is brilliant as the hacker Luther Stickell who would prove to be one of the few people Hunt can trust as he is also someone who is good at what he does and be humble about it.
Emmanuelle Beart is wonderful as Claire Phelps as Jim’s wife who survived the botch mission as there is a sense of ambiguity to her about her survival as she is also someone that wants revenge while dealing with her feelings for Hunt. Vanessa Redgrave is amazing as Max as this secretive arms dealer that is eager to get the list for her own thirst of power as it’s a charismatic performance from Redgrave. Jon Voight is incredible as Jim Phelps as Hunt’s mentor and Claire’s husband as a top spy who organized the botched mission unaware of what he’s going after as it’s a low-key yet chilling performance from Voight who maintains this sense of ambiguity. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a phenomenal performance as Ethan Hunt as a spy who finds himself being accused of being a mole where it’s a performance that has Cruise display charm as well as be full of determination and drive as it is one of his finest performances of his career.
Mission: Impossible is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma that features a top-notch performance from Tom Cruise. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, and Danny Elfman’s thrilling score, it’s a blockbuster film that offers a lot of excitement as well as containing some engaging moments of suspense. In the end, Mission: Impossible is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by David Koepp from a story by de Palma and Koepp, Snake Eyes is the story of a police detective who attends a boxing match with a friend where an assassination takes place with everyone being a suspect. The film is a suspense-thriller that plays into a man dealing with his surroundings as well as wondering if what he claims to see really happened. Starring Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Gugino, John Heard, Stan Shaw, and Kevin Dunn. Snake Eyes is a complex and mesmerizing film from Brian de Palma.
Set in Atlantic City on a rainy night where a major boxing fight is to occur in a hotel/casino before it’s to be torn down, an assassination of a defense secretary happens where a corrupt police detective was sitting in front of the man as he notices something is off as he and a friend find out what’s going on. It’s a film that plays into conspiracy theories over this assassination and who is involved and why where this crooked detective in Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) is there just to see a fight only to suddenly having to work where he would realize that this wasn’t a typical assassination. David Koepp’s screenplay takes this simple premise of an investigation into this assassination where everyone is a suspect including this woman named Julia Costello (Carla Gugino) who was talking the defense secretary Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani) just as he was shot while she would also get a wound in her left arm.
With his friend Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) also investigating as he was Kirkland’s bodyguard who had suspected a woman in red named Serena (Jayne Heitmeyer) for being there without a ticket to the fight. Santoro would notice little things that are suspicious such as the fight as well as some of the people watching it which play into his need to find truth. Though Santoro is a flawed individual as he admittedly takes bribes and always gamble as well as being despicable at times. Still, he is a man that is willing to do his job as he would later deal with the fact that something isn’t right as the script does reveal a key twist during its second act with everything coming ahead for its third as Koepp maintains a sense of intrigue but also motivations into why this defense secretary is killed.
Brian de Palma’s direction is definitely stylish with its intricate tracking shots, crane shots, and all sorts of things which is often expected from de Palma. Notably the way he opens the film with this 12-minute continuous tracking shot with some invisible cuts that play into Santoro and his wild persona as the first thing shown is a newscaster (Tamara Tunie) on TV reporting outside of the casino as a major storm is happening and it then the camera pans to another TV screen where another reporter in Lou Logan (Kevin Dunn) is covering the fight and then the camera pans to Logan being filmed with Santoro walking behind him. This intricate shot showcases so much in the wide and medium shots as well as de Palma establishing what is happening and where Santoro is going he is also talking on the phone to his wife and a mistress as well as other people before sitting with Commander Dunne who would leave to deal with the woman in red where Julia would take Dunne’s seat to talk to Kirkland with nothing on the fight shot during this 12-minute sequence. The film would then become this suspense-thriller that showcases the event of the assassination as well as what was happening in the fight as well what was Commander Dunne doing and what Julie was talking to Kirkland about before he died.
These different point-of-views happen early in the second act as well as the twist which definitely show that there is something going on as de Palma uses this reveal to show a much bigger picture. Even as Julia becomes a target as she knows who might’ve planned the assassination yet isn’t able to identify the person because she can’t really see anything without glasses. These little details that include this intricate crane-tracking shot of the hotel rooms from above is among some of de Palma’s finest moments in playing up the suspense. The film’s climax play into not just the reveal of who planned the assassination and why but also the fact that there’s many people involved that someone as corrupt and troubled as Santoro would be likely to take whatever money is offered to not get involved. Yet, de Palma knows that even those who aren’t perfect and corrupt couldn’t exactly walk away from doing the right thing no matter how bad things can be. Overall, de Palma creates a wild yet gripping film about a detective figuring out who killed a man at a boxing match.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in its usage of lights and soft focuses as well as create an atmosphere for many of the interiors including the hotel rooms, the casino, and the arena where the boxing match takes place. Editor Bill Pankow does excellent work with the editing with its usage of stylish invisible cuts, jump-cuts, split-screens, and fade-outs to play into the suspense that looms throughout the film. Production designer Anne Pritchard, with set decorator Daniel Carpentier plus art directors James Fox, Isabelle Guay, and Real Proulx, does amazing work with the look of the hotel rooms, the room of the boxer, and parts of the arena as well as some of the exteriors of the hotel/casino. Costume designer Odette Gadoury does terrific work with the costumes from the wild suit that Santoro wears for the fight to the stylish clothes some of the characters wear in the film.
Special effects supervisor Garry Elmendorf and visual effect supervisor Eric Brevig do fantastic work with some of the visual effects as it relates to the stormy weather for the film’s exterior including its climax. Sound editors Richard P. Cirincione and Maurice Schell do superb work with the sound in creating sound effects for the fight heard off screen as well as the chaos in the arena that relates to the crowd and gunfire. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is wonderful for its orchestral score that play into the suspense with its string arrangements as well as bombastic pieces to play into the intensity of the reveals and other moments in the film.
The casting by Mary Colquhoun is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Adam C. Flores as the challenging boxer Jose Pacific Ruiz, Eric Hoziel as the shooter Tariq Rabat, James Whelan as the mayor of Atlantic City, Chip Chupika as the drunk in the audience, Jayne Heitmeyer as the woman in red named Serena, Chip Zien as Tyler’s manager, Michael Rispoli as Tyler’s agent, Tamara Tunie as the reporter Anthea, Peter McRobbie as a FBI official, Mike Starr as the casino security head Walt McGahn who helps Santoro, David Michael Higgins as a man Julia seduces into his hotel room so she can hide, and Luis Guzman as a friend of Tyler in Cyrus whom Santoro beats up over money which he uses to gamble.
Kevin Dunn is superb as the fight reporter Lou Logan as a friend of Santoro who is eager to get a break while would help Santoro reveal some things that Logan’s crew filmed. John Heard is fantastic as the hotel/casino owner Gilbert Powell who is believed to be part of the conspiracy as a way to get money for the new hotel he wants to create. Joel Fabiani is terrific as the defense secretary Charles Kirkland as the target of this assassination as a man who has the power to do something yet is unaware of what he will do as there are those that want him dead. Stan Shaw is excellent as the boxing champion Lincoln Tyler as a man who is believed to be part of the conspiracy as Santoro suspects his involvement where he is revealed to be a flawed man that is dealing with all sorts of problems.
Carla Gugino is brilliant as Julia Costello as a woman working in the defense department as she has uncovered some things that would harm a program as she also becomes a target forcing Santoro to protect her. Gary Sinise is amazing as Commander Kevin Dunne as Santoro’s best friend as a man that is assigned to protect Kirkland only to botch it as he copes with his shortcomings as well as become intent in uncovering the conspiracy. Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage in an incredible performance as Rick Santoro as a corrupt detective who attends the fight as a spectator only to see something is off as he does whatever he can to find out the truth only to cope with some major revelations as he becomes conflicted into doing what is right as well as loyalty.
Snake Eyes is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma that features a wild and fun performance from Nicolas Cage. Along with its supporting cast, complex twists and turns, dazzling visuals, and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s haunting score, it’s a film that bears a lot of the fun elements expected in a suspense thriller while also being this intriguing study of conspiracy and two men trying to uncover the truth with a woman being targeted for carrying the truth. In the end, Snake Eyes is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible – Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Susan Lacy, Spielberg is a documentary film about the life and career of one of the key figures in cinema in Steven Spielberg. The film chronicles many of the films Spielberg made including some of his rarely-seen student and home movies he made when he was a kid as well as the themes of the films he made told by the man himself as well as many of his collaborators as well as film critics, filmmakers, and members of his family. The result is a fascinating and lively film from Susan Lacy.
The name Steven Spielberg is often synonymous with populist cinema as some claimed that he started the Blockbuster era with 1975’s Jaws and would continue to give the film industry a jolt in the arm financially through films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones film series, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, and Jurassic Park. While he had been criticized from moving American cinema away from personal and more serious subject matter that had dominated in the 1970s. There are those that disagreed with that sentiment including Spielberg himself as he states that many of his films are personal. The difference is that they’re big personal films as his parents Arnold Spielberg and Leah Adler as well as sisters Anne, Nancy, and Sue will agree to that as there’s scenes from his films that is based on his own life and the life of his family.
Among the themes Spielberg often explored is family as it relates to the dysfunctional family life he had when he was young when his parents split up as well as his own growing pains as a child and teenager. Part of his reasons in making Schindler’s List had to do with his own issues about his Jewish faith as he felt ashamed of being a Jew when he was young and had ignored until he married actress Kate Capshaw in 1991 who got him to come to terms with his Jewish faith. Capshaw would be at his side when he made the film as he also chose not to profit from any financial success of the film in order to create a foundation that allowed Holocaust survivors to give their testimonies. It’s among the one of many stories Spielberg would tell as well as why he would make films outside of his comfort zone like The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence as a way to challenge himself but also know his limits as a storyteller.
The film also explore some of the business ventures he did such as founding Dreamworks with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen as well as producing other films for other filmmakers while remaining friends with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Brian de Palma who are also interviewed in the film. Even film critics/historians such as A.O. Scott, Annette Insdorf, David Edelstein, J. Hoberman, and Janet Maslin talk about why his films endure and still matter as well as revealing why Spielberg has had a polarizing relationship with critics despite being championed early in his career by the famed critic Pauline Kael. Collaborators such as cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and screenwriter Melissa Mathison are both interviewed in the film before their respective deaths in 2016 and 2015 as well as Spielberg’s mother who died in February 2017 as the film is dedicated to her as they all talk about Spielberg’s gift in telling stories as well as stories about children. While films such as Always, Hook, The Terminal, and The Adventures of Tintin aren’t mentioned with the other films that are discussed in the documentary at the time Spielberg was in production for his 2015 film Bridge of Spies. Susan Lacy does provide a great insight into his body of work with the aid of editor Deborah Peretz in compiling footage from those films as well as some rare making-of footage.
Cinematographers Ed Marritz and Samuel Painter would film many of the interviews what were filmed which would feature many of the actors who worked with Spielberg along with collaborators who are often part of Spielberg’s filmmaking family. Sound editor Steve Borne would compile some of the audio from other interviews including clips from other films as much of the music that is played on the film is from many of Spielberg’s films which is mainly the music composed by John Williams.
Spielberg is a marvelous film from Susan Lacy. Not only is the film essential for fans of the filmmaker but also an engaging documentary that explore many of the filmmaker’s methods in making films as well as the kind of stories he want to tell. Even as it offers some rare footage of his personal life without revealing too much and give the man the chance to speak for himself as he’s still a vital force in the film industry. In the end, Spielberg is a remarkable film from Susan Lacy.
Steven Spielberg Films: (Duel (1971 TV 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 & the Temple of Doom) – (The Color Purple) – (Empire of the Sun) – (Always) – (Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade) – (Hook) – (Jurassic Park) – Schindler's List - (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 & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) – (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) – (War Horse) – (Lincoln) – (Bridge of Spies) – (BFG) – (The Post (2017 film)) – (Ready Player One)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, De Palma is a documentary film about life and career of one of American cinema’s more revered and controversial filmmakers in Brian de Palma. The film explores the many films de Palma is revered for as well as the infamy he’s gained throughout his career as the man himself tells about the films and his views on what it means to be a filmmaker. The result is an engrossing and mesmerizing film about one of American cinema‘s great filmmakers.
One of the figures of the New Hollywood movement in the 1970s who would have a series of successful films from that decade as well as the 80s and 90s. Brian de Palma is a filmmaker that made interesting films that often reveled into the world of suspense as well as be noted for his unique approach to visuals. While he is revered as someone who was a master of suspense, erotic thrillers, and films that were quite controversial, he was also vilified for his approach to violence and sex in his work. In 2010, de Palma tells his own story from his childhood to the many films he made where he would also provide little anecdotes about his own life and what he put into his own films. The filmmaker also talks about the immense influence Alfred Hitchcock had as he often refers to his films as guidelines of what to do and put his own spin into these films.
While much of the footage that directors Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, with the latter being its cinematographer, shoot is essentially de Palma talking about his own films from his early shorts and the independently-funded films he made such as Murder a la Mod and The Wedding Party as the latter was made in 1963 as it was the first film Robert de Niro was in to the films he was making in the 1970s. While there are several of his films he is fond of, he also talks about the ones he didn’t enjoy making like Get to Know Your Rabbit, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and Mission to Mars as he explained for many different reasons why they didn’t work. Though the interview often has de Palma presented in a medium shot with a rare shot of him walking in the street of New York City. Much of the film is told through rare photos of himself when he was young as well as footage from his own films and the works of other films courtesy of editors Lauren Minnerath and Matt Mayer.
The way de Palma references Hitchcock into his own work is really more of an evolution of the Hitchcock style rather than just a homage while de Palma also talks about his approach to long-takes, compositions, as well as creating the element of suspense. There is also a moment where de Palma talks about something that isn’t around much these days in the film industry as it relates to filmmakers supporting each other as he often helps friends such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Paul Schrader and they would do the same for him as the film features a rare clip of Spielberg in the 1970s leaving a message to de Palma via telephone in his car with his then-wife Amy Irving and de Palma’s then-girlfriend Nancy Allen in the background.
With the aid of sound mixer Paul Hsu with Baumbach doing the sound recording, some of the things de Palma says including additional audio he does in 2013 following the release of 2012’s Passion has him talking about the need to continue making films as he knows when it is time to stop. Much of the music in the film is essentially music from not just de Palma’s own films but also some of Hitchcock’s own films as the only original piece created as it’s really a homage to some of the music that some of de Palma’s collaborators had created.
De Palma is a phenomenal film from Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow. Not only is a great tribute to Brian de Palma as the man himself gets to speak about his entire body of work but it’s also a film that shows one of the great American filmmakers ever. It’s a film that fans of de Palma wouldn’t just enjoy but also allow those who aren’t entirely familiar with the man’s work see why he’s such a big deal to film buffs, film critics, and filmmakers. In the end, De Palma is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow.
Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - (Phantom of the Paradise) - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - (Femme Fatale) - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - (Passion (2012 film)) - (Domino (2018 film))
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - The Meyerwitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2016
