Promising Young Woman

 

Written and directed by Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman is the story of a woman who goes on a quest vengeance against men due to a traumatic event that saw another woman be raped and humiliated years ago. The film is a revenge story of sorts but also a character study as it explores a woman who had a lot of promise in her life as she struggles with an incident that affected her as she struggles to forgive but also what happened to her friend many years ago. Starring Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Laverne Cox, Jennifer Coolidge, Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Max Greenfield, Chris Lowell, and Connie Britton. Promising Young Woman is an eerie yet visceral film from Emerald Fennell.

The film follows the exploits of a 30-year old woman who chooses to go after predatory men by pretending to be drunk and then make them uncomfortable as a form of vengeance to cope with the loss of her best friend years ago who had been raped and later humiliated in court that led to her suicide. It is a revenge film of sorts as it plays into this woman who saw her friend in that ordeal as they were both med school students at the time but incident lead both of them to drop out of med school as this woman works at a coffee shop by day and then go after men at night. Emerald Fennell’s screenplay is really a study of its protagonist Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan) who was once a promising med school student who had all of the potential to become a doctor but the rape, humiliation, and eventual suicide of her longtime childhood friend Nina destroyed that dream. For Cassie, the need to play a drunken woman to go after predatory men is a way to cope with her loss though the presence of a former classmate in Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham) who goes to her coffee shop has her thinking about life for herself.

The first act is about Cassie and the life that she leads where she still lives with her parents (Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge) who are unaware of what she does at night while also being courted by Ryan who is a pediatrician as he wonders why Cassie never finished med school. When Ryan makes mention that he’s been invited to the wedding of a former classmate in Al Monroe (Chris Lowell), the man that raped and humiliated Nina. The film’s second act revolves around this act of vengeance for Cassie on those who failed Nina as well as did dirty work for Al as it also play into this growing relationship with Ryan who wants to show her the good things in life unaware of the things Cassie does except on one night where he questions her actions. Fennell’s script is filled with these complexities but also the air of indifference about the rape of a young woman as some want to claim it’s a bunch of he-said, she-said thing when the reality is far more complicated. Even as Cassie would learn more about what happened on that night in the film’s third act.

Fennell’s direction does bear some style in its presentation with its emphasis on vibrant colors being present as backdrops yet much of her ideas in terms of the compositions are straightforward. Shot on location in and around Los Angeles, Fennell opens the film with three guys in a club talking about women as they see a supposedly drunken Cassie who is out of her mind where she accidentally shows her panties where a guy decides to bring her home. It is a sequence that sets the tone as it introduces the kind of woman Cassie is as well as the world she’s in where it is complicated where men are trying to be careful while women either portray themselves as victims or will do things to keep men down. Fennell’s usage of the wide and medium shots not only add a lot of scope into that world such as the home where Cassie lives with her parents or the coffee shop in its interior but also in some of the clubs she goes to.

Fennell also uses close-ups and long shots to play into some of the dramatic tension whether it has Cassie confronting an old friend or having her play a role to get what she wants. Fennell’s approach to the suspense is low-key in the way she builds up tension as if something violent could happen yet it would be typical for a revenge film to have some idea of violence. Fortunately, Fennell aims for minimal violence in just two scenes as one play into a moment where some guy annoys Cassie and the other is in the film’s climax in its third act. The third act isn’t just about these revelations that Cassie learned about the night of Nina’s rape but also who was there as it leads her to this big event where Al is present. It would be followed by an aftermath that do play into this idea of history repeating itself but its ending isn’t just this massive gut-punch that Fennell creates. It is more about a woman trying to bring justice for the friend she lost but also the loss of her own identity. Overall, Fennell crafts a haunting yet darkly-comical film about a woman going on a path of revenge for her late friend.

Cinematographer Benjamin Kracun does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography from the usage of natural lighting for the daytime interior/exterior scenes including some low-key lighting in a few rooms to the usage of stylish colors for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Frederic Thoraval does excellent work with the editing as does have some elements of style in the jump-cuts but also being straightforward in making sure shots linger to establish a moment in the film. Production designer Michael T. Perry, with set decorator Rae Deslich and art director Liz Kloczkowski, does amazing work with the look of the coffee shop in its interiors as well as a few places Cassie goes to as well as her family home.

Costume designer Nancy Steiner does fantastic work with the clothes that Cassie wears as it ranges from stylish to just casual as it adds to her offbeat personality. Sound editor Frederic Dubois does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the parties as well as the way sparse objects sound as it help add to the film’s offbeat tone. The film’s music by Anthony Willis is wonderful for its eerie orchestral score that include some themes that play into the drama along with bits that play into the film’s dark humor while music supervisor Susan Jacobs cultivates a music soundtrack that ranges from pop, electronic, indie, and classical with contributions from Juice Newton, Charli XCX, Maya B, the Spice Girls, DeathbyRomy, Cyn, MUNA, Donna Missal, Jacqueline Taieb, Carmen DeLeon, Lily & Madeleine, Richard Wagner, Sky Ferreira, Lionel Richie, Fletcher, BLESSUS, Kitty White, a string-based version of Britney Spears’ Toxic, Renni Rucci, and Paris Hilton for a touching and light-hearted scene involving Cassie and Ryan.

The casting by Lindsay Graham Ahanonu and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Emerald Fennell as a YouTuber who makes an instructional video on blow job lips, Steve Monroe as a police detective late in the film, Francisca Estevez as a high school student that Cassie uses for a blackmailing scheme, Molly Shannon as Nina’s mother in a lone scene where she tells Cassie to move on, Adam Brody as a guy named Jerry who takes Cassie to his place in the film’s opening sequence, Sam Richardson as Jerry’s friend Paul who would also meet Cassie only to realize something is off, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as a guy named Neil who tries to get her to do drugs and sleep with him only to put himself into trouble as he begs Cassie to not do anything, Max Greenfield as Al’s friend Joe who is the embodiment of a fucking douche, and Alfred Molina in an un-credited yet superb performance as Al’s former attorney Jordan Green as a man who admitted to what he did to Nina as he is filled with a lot of regrets over his actions.

Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge are excellent in their respective roles as Cassie’s parents in Stanley and Susan Thomas as the former is a man that prefers to not to say anything about what Cassie does while the latter is more concerned with trying to get Cassie back on board as she often tries to dodge questions to friends about Cassie. Laverne Cox is fantastic as Cassie’s boss Gail who often asks questions about Cassie’s life and feelings about men while also being someone who is funny and keeps Cassie around because she’s good at her job. Alison Brie is brilliant as a former classmate of Cassie in Madison as a successful woman who prefers not to talk about what happened to Nina thinking that no one should care until Cassie does something to her that would become key in the film’s third act. Connie Britton is amazing as the medical school dean in Walker as someone who was indifferent to the report about Nina as she is forced to deal with what Cassie is doing to her through means of blackmail.

Chris Lowell is incredible as Al Monroe as the man who raped Nina years ago and got away with it as he is about to be married as he is present at his own bachelor party where he meets Cassie unaware of her identity and why she wants to meet him. Bo Burnham is remarkable as Ryan Cooper as a former classmate of Cassie, who is now a pediatrician, who befriends her and tries to show her the good sides of life as he would fall for her as he is this idea of someone that is a good guy but also has some secrets of his own that he doesn’t want to share. Finally, there’s Carey Mulligan in a tremendous performance as Cassie Thomas as a former med student with so much promise to become a doctor only for the loss of her best friend to change all of that where Mulligan brings a lot of wit to her performance as someone that is willing to put men into her place as well as being someone that is also guarded. It is a performance that has Mulligan also slowly displaying her vulnerability but at its most restrained as well as showcase the struggle of wanting revenge but also showing forgiveness.

Promising Young Woman is a spectacular film from Emerald Fennell that features a career-defining performance from Carey Mulligan. Along with its supporting cast, colorful visuals, an offbeat music soundtrack, and its study of loss, vengeance, and forgiveness. It is a film that explores a woman’s journey to bring justice over not just the friend she lost but also her own identity that she lost as well while trying to see if she can find forgiveness and a new life for herself in a toxic environment. In the end, Promising Young Woman is a sensational film from Emerald Fennell.

© thevoid99 2022

Wildlife (2018 film)

Based on the book by Richard Ford, Wildlife is the story of a family coming apart where a teenage boy watches his father tend to raging forest fires while his mother begins a relationship with an automobile dealership owner during the 1960s. Directed by Paul Dano and screenplay by Dano and Zoe Kazan, the film is an exploration of a family disintegrating as the roles of parents begin to change as well as those trying to find themselves during a time when everyone had their place in life. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, and Bill Camp. Wildlife is a mesmerizing and ravishing film from Paul Dano.

Set in 1960, the revolves around a family as they had just moved to Great Falls, Montana as their lives to begin to disintegrate after the father loses his job and volunteers to stop a growing wild fire nearby while the mother finds work and begins a relationship with a much older man much to the shock of their teenage son. It’s a coming-of-age film as well as the study of a family whose life is hampered by not just uncertainty but also disappointment just as this 15 year old kid is trying to understand what is going on. The film’s screenplay by Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan follows the life of the Brinson family as Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal) was working at a country club as a golf pro until he’s fired as he gets rehired but refuses to take his job back. Jerry’s pride creates tension with his wife Jeannette (Carey Mulligan) who takes a job as a swimming instructor while their son Joe (Ed Oxenbould) works at a local photography studio when Jerry leaves to take a job in fighting forest fires nearby.

Joe does what he can but becomes troubled by Jeannette’s time with one of her students in the elderly automobile dealership owner Warren Miller (Bill Camp) as a relationship occurs that makes Joe uneasy. The script succeeds in not just understanding what Joe is seeing but also Jeannette herself as it is clear a side of herself that she had repressed in her marriage is starting to re-emerge but with an air of uncertainty. Even as she had fallen out of love with Jerry whom she felt had failed her while Miller is offering to help her out as well as Joe and Jerry with Joe becoming unsure of what he’s seeing though he doesn’t think Miller is a bad guy. Jerry is a flawed individual who feels hurt upon losing his job as him volunteering to fight fires is a way to instill his role as the breadwinner but upon his return. Things have changed and things become more complicated.

Dano’s direction is definitely rapturous for not just setting and its location but also in some of the compositions he creates to play into this growing disintegration within this family. Shot on various locations in Montana and parts of Oklahoma, Dano maintains this quaintness of this small town in 1960 Montana that does look and feel like it is from that time while playing into this world where everyone had a role and identity that they should play. Dano would maintain an intimacy for much of the direction as it relates to characters interacting with one another as much of it features Joe and whoever he’s with as there are some close-ups and medium shots that help play into the dramatic tension that occurs throughout. Even as Dano would often create shots from Joe’s perspective as he would get a discomforting look of Miller walking out of a bathroom and into his mother’s bedroom. It’s followed by moments of Joe looking at his mother and Miller talking in a car as it adds to this dramatic tension as it is shown largely from Joe’s perspective.

Dano also uses the wide shots to not just get a scope of the locations and what Jerry is facing but also in the home as there’s a great shot of the family home shot from the outside as Joe is in his room getting for bed while Jerry and Jeannette are in the kitchen. It plays into the growing disconnection between all three members with Joe having to realize that his parents not only don’t have all the answers but are deeply flawed as people. Dano does maintain some restraint into heavy drama as he prefers for the actors to find the conflict from within as well as realize that the bubble they live in has already burst. Even as the ending is about three people who are a family despite the fact that they’re not as close as they once were but probably found a way to make peace with themselves. Overall, Dano crafts an intoxicating and riveting film about a family disintegrating through failure and uncertainty in the eyes of a 15-year old boy.

Cinematographer Diego Garcia does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is naturalistic and understated approach to the images including the colors of some of the objects with some low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editors Matthew Hannam and Louise Ford do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts and other minimal stylish touches to help in structuring the story. Production designer Akin McKenzie, with set decorator Melisa Jusufi and art director Miles Michael, does amazing work with the look of the house that the Brinson family live in as well as Miller’s auto dealership and his home. Costume designer Amanda Ford does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward to play into the look of 1960 with the exception of the clothes that Jeannette wears that is stylish including a dress she wears on her dinner date with Miller.

Hair stylist Alexandra Ford does nice work with the look of Jeannette’s hair as it ranges from casual to more stylish during her time with Miller. Visual effects supervisors Philippe Desiront, Sergey Kononenko, and Simon Lecavalier do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it largely relates to the forest fires on the mountains. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff and sound editor Tony Volante do superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse textures in some of the film’s quieter moments. The film’s music by David Lang is wonderful for its somber yet radiant music score that mixes piano, strings, and woodwinds to capture the sense of uncertainty and despair that Joe copes with as he watches his family’s life disintegrate while music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a soundtrack of the music of the times that feature pieces by the Moonglows, Connie Francis, the Elgins, Virgil Warner, Yvonne Devaney, the City of Tomorrow, Dinah Washington, Sue Thompson, the Chantels, Serge Gainsbourg, Kenny Brent & Donna Harris, the Flamingos, and the Marvelettes as well as a classical piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and an ambient music piece by Johann Johansson.

The casting by Jodi Angstreich and Laura Rosenthal is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from Travis Bruyer as the Forester, Darryl Cox as a country club member Jerry befriends, and Zoe Margaret Colletti as Joe’s classmate/love interest Ruth-Ann. Bill Camp is excellent as Warren Miller as a former war veteran/automobile dealership owner who becomes a swim student of Jeannette as he offers to help her as well as be in a relationship where Camp portrays him as a kind man. Ed Oxenbould is incredible as Joe Brinson as a 15-year old kid who watches his parents’ marriage disintegrate as he tries to understand everything while dealing with his own anguish and growing pains in his own role in life.

Jake Gyllenhaal is marvelous as Jerry Brinson as a former golf pro who gets fired from a country club as he becomes a volunteer to get his pride back only to deal with something far more difficult and then come home realizing that his family life is on the rocks. Finally, there’s Carey Mulligan in a sensational performance as Jeanette Brinson as Jerry’s wife and Joe’s mother as a housewife who is angry at her husband’s pride as she takes a job as a swimming instructor while becoming lost in her affair with a much older man as Mulligan provides an understated performance as a woman wracked with internal conflict and confusion as it is one of her finest performances to date.

Wildlife is a tremendous film from Paul Dano that features great performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, and Ed Oxenbould. Along with its rich script, gorgeous visuals, somber music soundtrack, and study of a family coming apart. It is a film that explores a family whose identity is shattered by pride, hardship, and decisions that is seen from the eyes of a teenage boy who copes with these sudden changes. In the end, Wildlife is a phenomenal film from Paul Dano.

© thevoid99 2020

Public Enemies

Based on the non-fiction novel Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934 by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies is the story of the final year of bank robber John Dillinger that features his relationship with Billie Frechette as well as being pursued by FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann, Ronan Bennett, and Ann Biderman, the film is look into the final years of Dillinger’s life as well as the manhunt lead by Purvis as Dillinger is portrayed by Johnny Depp and Purvis is portrayed by Christian Bale. Also starring Marion Cotillard, Stephen Dorff, Channing Tatum, Jason Clarke, David Wenham, Lili Taylor, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, and Billy Crudup J. Edgar Hoover. Public Enemies is a riveting and intense film from Michael Mann.

Set from 1933 to 1934 during the Great Depression, the film is about the final year of John Dillinger who was notorious for robbing banks as he is being pursued by Melvin Purvis upon the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by J. Edgar Hoover. It’s a film that explores what some considered to be the golden age of bank robberies with gangsters robbing places left and right with no one to challenge them until the formation of the FBI where Hoover hires Purvis to hunt Dillinger after Purvis had taken down another gangster in Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). The film’s screenplay by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, and Michael Mann has a unique structure where much of its first half is about Dillinger’s success in robbing banks but also not killing innocent people as he maintains a folklore persona for robbing banks and helping people in need.

It is also around this time he would meet Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who would become his girlfriend as the relationship would be something Dillinger cherishes. Yet, Frechette would be the key to Purvis in trying to find Dillinger as the film’s second half is about Dillinger’s fall where he would get captured and later break out of prison only to learn that members of his gang are scattered with a few he can rely but also other gangsters who play by different rules. It would force Dillinger to rely more on Frechette and hide but also know that Purvis is determined to capture him and bring him to justice. It is a film that does play into a world that is changing where criminals used to have ideas and rules in what they have to do but power eventually becomes misused leading to people of power from the government to handle matters.

Mann’s direction is stylish in its approach to hand-held cameras to capture the action as well as shooting the film on high-definition digital video instead of the traditional 35mm where the look of the film has a crudeness in some of its movements and scenes where the camera shakes. It adds to its offbeat look where it gets a lot of detail in the visuals yet it does feel jarring at times as it is a step away from the norm expected in a gangster film. Shot on various locations in Columbus, Wisconsin as well as various towns in Illinois and Wisconsin along with parts of Chicago and Milwaukee. Along with actual locations where Dillinger did some of his robberies, Mann would maintain an air of grittiness to the visuals as well as use flares for scenes at night that play into the suspense and drama. Even as Mann would use wide shots not just in getting a scope of the locations but also in scenes where some of Purvis’ men are hiding to see where Dillinger could be as well as the scene early in the film where Purvis goes after Pretty Boy Floyd.

Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots also add to the drama and suspense where it does play into some of the situations that Dillinger and Purvis put themselves through as well as the exchanges they have with other characters. While there are some dramatic liberties in the film that relate to some of the people Dillinger meet like Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) as well as when Pretty Boy Floyd was killed. Mann does use the rise-and-fall narrative of Dillinger that play into a man who is considered a folk hero yet just wants to have money and have a good time but is aware that time is running out for him. The film’s climax is all about the locations and geography where Mann takes great care into the events that would mark an end of an era for the world of the gangsters and the emergence of a new world order. Overall, Mann crafts a gripping and rapturous film about the final year in the life of John Dillinger and the manhunt led by Melvin Purvis.

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in its approach to low-key lighting and the usage of available light to get a grittiness of the film though it does have that crude look expected from digital video that is jarring at times. Editors Paul Rubell and Jeffrey Ford do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg plus art directors Patrick Lumb and William Ladd Skinner, does amazing work with the look of some of the places re-created including restaurants, houses, and other places the characters go to. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that the women wore including Billie’s fur coat and the suits the men wore in those times.

Special effects supervisor Bruno Van Zeebroeck and visual effects supervisor Robert Stadd do terrific work with some of the special effects that relate to the action along with a few set-dressing pieces in the visual effects. Sound editors Laurent Kossayan and Jeremy Peirson do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of gunfire and sirens that add to the suspense. The film’s music by Elliot Goldenthal is wonderful for its bombastic string arrangements that add to the drama and suspense to play into the grandeur of Purvis’ manhunt while music supervisors Bob Badami, Bruce Fowler, and Kathy Nelson create a soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times ranging from jazz, blues, ragtime, and pop that would become standards of the time.

The casting by Avy Kaufman and Bonnie Timmermann is great as it feature some notable small roles from Matt Craven as FBI agent Gerry Campbell, Carey Mulligan as a young woman in Carol Slayman who provides Dillinger and his gang a hideout, Leelee Sobieski as Dillinger’s date Polly Hamilton on the night of his death, Branka Katic as another date of Dillinger in Anna Sage on that night, Emile de Ravin as a girlfriend of one of Dillinger’s friends, Bill Camp as the gangster Frank Nitti who refuses to help Dillinger during the second half to cover their bookkeeping scheme, John Ortiz and Domenick Lombardozzi as a couple of Nitti’s men, Giovanni Ribisi as a gangster in Alvin Karpis, Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley whose prison would hold Dillinger for a while, David Wenham and Spencer Garrett as two of Dillinger’s men in their respective roles as Harry Pierpont and Tommy Carroll, and Michael Bentt as the prisoner Herbert Youngblood who helped Dillinger break out of prison during the second half.

Jason Clarke and Stephen Dorff are terrific in their respective roles as Red Hamilton and Homer Van Meter as a couple of Dillinger’s associates who are among his closest allies with Clarke being the closest of the two who helps him escape and handle small matters while Dorff is the getaway driver who also knows what not to do. Stephen Graham is superb as Baby Face Nelson as a gangster who is violent and unruly as he is the kind of person Dillinger is reluctant to associate himself with while Channing Tatum is fantastic in his brief one-scene performance as Pretty Boy Floyd as a young gangster who gets gunned down by Purvis. Stephen Lang is excellent as the Texas Ranger Charles Winstead as the man who would kill Dillinger as he is also someone that is a man of principle and honor where he helps Purvis in pursuing Dillinger. Billy Crudup is brilliant as J. Edgar Hoover as Dillinger’s supervisor who is the public face of the FBI whom he’s just started as he ensures America that the world of crime will end.

Marion Cotillard is incredible as Billie Frechette as the woman who would be the love of Dillinger’s life in his final year as she would learn about who he is and would help him while unknowingly be used as bait to get him where it’s a performance that has Cotillard display a toughness as well as gracefulness that isn’t expected in characters that play a certain type. Christian Bale is marvelous as Melvin Purvis as a FBI agent who is tasked to pursue Dillinger with different methods as he is a cunning and cautious man that just wants to put Dillinger behind bars but is also someone that wants to do what is right where he later finds himself not agreeing with Hoover’s ideals. Finally, there’s Johnny Depp in a phenomenal performance as John Dillinger as the famed bank robber who likes to steal money and live a good life but is also someone that doesn’t kill unless it is necessary as it’s a low-key yet charismatic performance from Depp who displays charm as well as a melancholia as it relates to Dillinger’s fall.

Public Enemies is a remarkable film from Michael Mann that features great performances from Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Along with its ensemble cast, high-octane action, gritty presentation, and sumptuous music soundtrack, it’s a film is intense while play into the thrill of a period in time that was dangerous. Though its presentation is flawed due to the jarring visuals in the high-definition digital, it is still a film expected from Mann in its approach to showcasing the world of the gangsters during the Great Depression. In the end, Public Enemies is an awesome film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief - The Keep – Manhunter - L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans - Heat – The Insider – Ali – Collateral – Miami Vice – Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari - (Heat 2) - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2019

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015 film)

Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd is the story of a young woman in Victorian Britain who finds herself being pursued by three different suitors as she copes with what she wants and the role she needs to take. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and screenplay by David Nicholls, the film is a study of a woman who is offered opportunities to improve her life as well as give into the temptations of the world around her. Starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Juno Temple, Tom Sturridge, Jessica Barden, and Michael Sheen. Far from the Madding Crowd is a sublime and compelling film from Thomas Vinterberg.

Set in 1870 Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria, the film follows the life of an independent-minded young woman who has inherited her uncle’s farm hoping to turn it into a source of income for a small British town as she is pursued by two different men while a farmer who works for her farm pines for her from afar. It’s a film that follows the life of this woman who is well-educated and humble as she is also an outsider of sorts that likes to work the farm as she has been raised by relatives. Yet, Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is also someone determined to make her own mark in the world as David Nicholls’ screenplay follow every move she makes through good and bad times as she struggles to maintain her independence as well as be pursued by three different men. The first in the farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) is this man that is also an individual as he would court Bathsheba early on but after losing his own farm due to circumstances beyond his control. He would help Bathsheba make her farm profitable as it gets the attention of the second suitor in William Boldwood (Michael Sheen).

Boldwood is a character that is just as interesting as Bathsheba and Gabriel as he is a wealthy man that could give Bathsheba a lot to offer as he is also quite kind and has some respect for Oak. Bathsheba, Gabriel, and Boldwood are definitely characters who are more well-defined in not just their development but also as people that characters actually care for. Something the film’s third suitor in Sgt. Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) doesn’t have even though his character arc is well-defined as someone who was supposed to marry someone else but a simple misunderstanding leaves him heartbroken until he meets Bathsheba and seduces her. While his character is meant to be this despicable and dishonorable man that Oak doesn’t approve of, he is someone that seems to be more fleshed out but never develops into something more engaging as he is a major flaw in the film’s script.

Thomas Vinterberg’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the world that he presents as it is largely shot on location in Dorset as well as other rural parts of Britain. While many of the wide and medium shots around the locations are simple, Vinterberg does maintain something that still revels in style as he creates something that owes a lot to period films of the past. Yet, he would create some compositions in the medium shots and close-ups to maintain an air of intimacy in the way the characters interact while displaying bits of restrained sexuality in the way Sgt. Troy seduces Bathsheba in a scene involving a sword. There are moments where there is a liveliness and a sense of community to the farming scenes where Vinterberg definitely has some unique visual ideas for the way the film progresses as many of the scenes set in spring, summer, and fall have something that feels open. Yet, when Sgt. Troy enters the picture is when things become tense and tumultuous where the look changes into something drab and then comes winter where it play into not just decline for Bathsheba but also loss and desperation. All of which play into the journey she took and the role she seems to crave for and try to return to in a world that isn’t welcome to individual ideas. Overall, Vinterberg creates an engaging though flawed film about a woman trying to define herself in Victorian-era Britain.

Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of gorgeous sunlight for many of the exteriors as well as the way some of the interiors are lit for the scenes set at night. Editor Claire Simpson does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s intense moments. Production designer Kave Quinn, with set decorator Niamh Coulter and supervising art director Julia Castle, does amazing work with the set design from the interiors of the estates of Bathsheba and Boldwood to the look of the small town where many of the locals socialize at. Costume designer Janet Patterson does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Bathsheba would wear throughout the course of the film to the clothes of the men including Sgt. Troy‘s uniform.

Makeup artist Belinda Parish and hair stylist Tracy Smith does nice work with the hairstyles of the women of that time as well as some of the beards and mustaches of the men. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound as it play into the liveliness of the social gatherings and meeting as well as in the sparse moments in the intimate scenes involving some of the characters. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful as it has these lovely orchestral flourishes that play into the drama while being low-key in some moments with the music soundtrack filled with folk songs of the time including a ballad sung by Bathsheba and Boldwood.

The casting by Nina Gold and Theo Park is terrific as it feature some notable small roles from Tilly Vosburgh as a relative of Bathsheba early in the film, Bradley Hall as a young farmhand in Joseph, Sam Phillips as a recruiting sergeant for the army, and Hilton McRae as another farmhand in Jacob who proves to be quite loyal to Bathsheba and Oak. Juno Temple is wonderful as Sgt. Troy’s old flame Fanny as a young woman who was supposed to marry him but a misunderstand would lead her to ruins. Jessica Barden is fantastic as Liddy as Bathsheba’s aide who observes a lot of what is going on as well as have her say about what Bathsheba should do. Tom Sturridge’s performance as Sgt. Troy is definitely one of the worst aspects of the film not because his character is underwritten but also for the fact that Sturridge often presents himself as smug at times while never really do anything to make the character interesting.

Michael Sheen is brilliant as William Boldwood as a wealthy but lonely neighbor who has land that is quite profitable as well as court Bathsheba kindly where it’s a performance of restraint and charm as while Sheen also displays some humility as someone that is just a good man. Matthias Schoenaerts is amazing as Gabriel Oak as a farmer who lost it all as he works for Bathsheba where he tries to maintain his feelings for her as it’s one of the film’s best performances as Schoenaerts display that anguish but willingness to be loyal to the woman he cares for. Finally, there’s Carey Mulligan in a sensational performance as Bathsheba Everdene as a young woman who has inherited an estate and farm from her late uncle as she hopes to make it worth something again as she struggles to maintain her independence while coping with the complications of love as it’s one of Mulligan’s finest performances so far.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a stellar film from Thomas Vinterberg thanks in part to great performances from Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Michael Sheen. Despite some of the shortcoming aspects of the script, the film is still an interesting period drama that explores a woman’s search for herself in a world filled with many rules to keep her down. In the end, Far from the Madding Crowd is a superb film from Thomas Vinterberg.

Thomas Vinterberg Films: (The Biggest Heroes) - Dogme #1-The Celebration - (It’s All About Love) - (Dear Wendy) - (Submarino) - The Hunt (2012 film) - (The Commune)

© thevoid99 2016

Suffragette

Directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan, Suffragette is the story of a laundress who takes part of the Suffragette movement in the 1910s in the hopes that she and other women would have the right to vote. The film is a historical drama set in the real-life period of women’s suffrage in Great Britain before World War I. Starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Brendan Gleeson, Natalie Press, Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, and Meryl Streep. Suffragette is a compelling yet evocative film from Sarah Gavron.

Set in 1912 Britain after many attempts to get the right for women to vote, the film is about a young laundress who finds herself being part of the Suffragettes movement where she eventually becomes an active member. It’s a film that follows a woman who is lured into a movement she is reluctant to be part of yet is unable to ignore the treatment that she has endured working in the laundry factor as she notices the teenage daughter of a Suffragette activist is being sexually harassed by her boss. Even as she also realizes that she doesn’t have the legal right to determine the future of her own son which prompts her to not only take part full-on but also learn what it means to stand up for herself and other women. Abi Morgan’s screenplay doesn’t just follow the journey of this young woman in Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) but also the women she would meet as she takes part in this movement.

While she would get herself into some trouble as well as risk losing her son who is forced to be cared by his father Sonny (Ben Whishaw), Maud would find a purpose about what to do as she thinks about the women in the future. Still, she and the other Suffragettes would face numerous challenges and obstacles as they’re seen by those in the government including authority figures such as Inspector Steed (Brendan Gleeson) who is this unconventional antagonist of sorts. Notably as he actually cares about the women yet is aware of the job he has to do while he becomes disgusted with the tactics of those he works for. One aspect of the script that is underwhelming is the appearance of Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) as she is this mysterious figure who makes her appearance in the second act for a big speech and then she is gone as her character would disappear.

Sarah Gavron’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions that are created as it also has some ambition for the fact that it is shot on location in London and in studios to recreate some of the old buildings. The usage of the wide and medium shots play into the locations as well as the tense and grimy atmosphere of the factories where Maud and Sonny work at as it feels repressive and hard. By the time the film hit the streets, Gavron’s direction definitely becomes richer where it does play into this sense of time where protests are happening as well as a very intimate scene where Maud testifies to the government about her own experience as it would lead to a key moment in her development. There are these moments of violence in how the women are beaten by police as well as do small guerilla-style warfare by blowing up mailboxes. Gavron’s usage of close-ups are definitely entrancing as it play into the anguish that Maud endures as well as what she would have to sacrifice. Notably in the climax as it would play into a real-life key moment that would be the catalyst for the Suffragette movement as it would end with images of a real-life event of the movement. Overall, Gavron creates a fascinating and riveting drama about a young woman joining the Suffragettes movement in their right to have a say in the world.

Cinematographer Eduard Grau does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights for the interior scenes at the factory as well as what London looked like at night including a key scene involving the bombing of a Parliament member‘s home. Editor Barney Pilling does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cutting to play into some of the intense moments in the film. Production designer Alice Normington, with art directors Jonathan Houlding and Choi Ho Man and set decorator Barbara Herman-Skelding, does amazing work with the look of the factory as well as the buildings that were prevalent in those times as well as a church where Maud would stay during her time as a Suffragette. Costume designer Jane Petrie does brilliant work with the costumes from the fancy dresses in those times as well as the ragged look of the women during that period of protest and activism.

Hair/makeup designer Sian Grigg does fantastic work with the look of the women in the hairstyles they had as well as some of the burns and scars in Maud‘s skin from years working as a laundress. Visual effects supervisor Simon Hughes does terrific work with the visual effects as it is mostly set-dressing to help create that look of 1912 London in its exterior setting. Sound editors Stephen Griffiths and Andy Shelley do superb work with the sound as it play into the frenzy of the crowd and the protests as well as in the sparse yet eerie moments at the prisons where some of the women would go for their actions. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is wonderful for its orchestral-based score with its lush string arrangements that play into the drama as well as some of the intense moments in the film while music supervisor Karen Elliot create a soundtrack that play into the music of the times.

The casting by Fiona Weir is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from Adam Michael Dodd as Maud and Sonny‘s son George, Grace Stottor as Violet‘s teenage daughter Maggie, Finbar Lynch as Edith‘s loyal husband Hugh, Geoff Bell as the factory foreman Taylor whom Maud dislikes, Samuel West as a government official, and Adrian Schiller as Parliament minister David Lloyd George. Ben Whishaw is terrific as Maud’s husband Sonny as a man that is trying to maintain his role as a man while struggling to take care of his son when Maud isn’t around. Natalie Press is superb as Emily Davidson as a passionate activist who does a lot to herself for the cause as well as be the one person who would make a major sacrifice towards its climax. Romola Garai is fantastic as Alice Haughton as the wife of a government official who is trying to support the Suffragettes any way she can as well as get them to meet with the government. Meryl Streep is excellent in her brief role as Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst as she does have this great presence about her though it’s a role that is just merely a cameo that doesn’t do enough to establish the character.

Brendan Gleeson is amazing as Inspector Steed as a law enforcer whose job is to watch out for the Suffragettes as he is trying to do his job yet is someone that is sympathetic into what these women do as he tries to get them to do less time and such while becoming disgusted with the tactics of his government. Anne-Marie Duff is brilliant as Violet Miller as a woman who had just worked at the laundry factory as she is also quite committed to her work as a Suffragette inviting Maud into the action until she would deal with things beyond her control forcing her to take a step back. Helena Bonham Carter is great as Edith Ellyn as a pharmacist who is one of the organizers of the movement as she is also someone who gives Maud some perspective about what happens if women don‘t get a say about matters into the world. Carey Mulligan is incredible as Maud Watts as this young laundress who is trying to do her role as she is sucked into the world of the Suffragettes where she realizes what it means to her as it‘s performance filled with determination and anguish as it‘s one of Mulligan‘s finest performances to date.

Suffragette is a remarkable film from Sarah Gavron. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and some strong themes about women’s right to vote and say something about the world. It is a film that captures a moment in time that shows what women can do in a world that is afraid of change. In the end, Suffragette is a marvelous film from Sarah Gavron.

Sarah Gavron Films: (This Little Life) - (Brick Lane)

© thevoid99 2016

Inside Llewyn Davis

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis is the story in the week of a life of a struggling folk singer who is talented but also his own worst enemy as he deals with his own failures as well as his lack of success. The film is an exploration into the Greenwich folk music scene of the early 1960s where one man deals with his own gift and his faults as a person as the character is played by Oscar Isaac. Also starring Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, and John Goodman. Inside Llewyn Davis is an extraordinary film from the Coen Brothers.

The film is essentially about a man who is undoubtedly talented but is a wandering fuck-up who manages to make a mess out of himself and the people he’s with. Notably as he is this musician who hasn’t been successful while still grieving over the death of his singing partner as he’s trying to make whatever money he can get and catch a break. Yet, Llewyn Davis is practically his own worst enemy as he is quite critical of others in the Greenwich folk music scene that is happening while he also learns that one of his fellow musicians in Jean (Carey Mulligan) is pregnant as he might be the father. It’s a film that takes place in the span of a week where it’s essentially a character study about this man trying to find his place in the world only to face all sorts of tribulation.

The film’s screenplay by the Coen Brothers takes it time to showcase the journey that Llewyn Davis takes in the span of an entire week where the first act is about Davis’ struggle in Greenwich where he crashes in various places while dealing with Jean’s news as her husband Jim (Justin Timberlake) asks him to do a session for a song Jim has made. While Llewyn has some respect for Jim, there is some jealousy over the fact that Jim is successful despite the fact that he doesn’t have Llewyn’s gifts as a real artist. After meeting another folk musician that Jim and Jean had befriend in Troy (Stark Sands), the film would have this second act of Llewyn traveling to Chicago with a stray cat he had found. The cat that Llewyn encounters is a symbol of what Llewyn could do if he doesn’t screw up yet there’s a side of him that is definitely full of fear where Llewyn isn’t sure if he can take care of a cat let alone a child since Jean could be carrying his child.

The film’s second act also has Llewyn encountering a strange music impresario named Roland Turner (John Goodman) and his valet Johnny Five (Garrett Hedlund) who accompany him to Chicago for this audition with a renowned manager named Bud Grossman (F. Murray Abraham). The trip itself would be strange where it would add to Llewyn’s own doubts about himself where he would eventually arrive into Chicago with a lot of emotional baggage that he’s gained in the past few days. The third act would be about his return to New York City where it would play into the aftermath of his Chicago trip and the uncertainty of what to do next as it plays into Llewyn’s own fallacies as a man and as a musician.

The direction of the Coen Brothers is truly exquisite in not just the way they recreate the 1960s Greenwich folk music scene but also set it around a man who feels more and more out of place with the scene he was once a part of. Much of the direction have the Coens use a lot of wide and medium shots where it’s largely shot in New York City to play into a world that is constantly changing and thriving. There’s some close-ups and very interesting moments that the Coens create such as a scene of Llewyn trying to catch this stray cat called Ulysses whose owners are these music aficionados who often invite him to crash at their place. Yet, the scenes involving the cat as well as the opening sequence of Llewyn playing at this smoky, dimly-lit venue where it showcases where he’s coming from and the emotional baggage that he’s carrying.

The film does also become a road film of sorts in the second act where the images of the car driving on the road are quite entrancing as it showcases that uncertainty of Llewyn as he’s a man with no home or no direction home. The film in some ways is a folk song being played on screen as the Coens also shoot a few scenes in Chicago where it’s cold and Llewyn faces one bad situation after another before his audition. The compositions become much more stark in not just its imagery but also in the way it explores Llewyn’s own faults and the uncertainty he faces. Overall, the Coen Brothers create a very fascinating and engaging film about a man’s faults and the uncertainty that he carries about who he is and what he does.

Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel does brilliant work with the film‘s very lush and colorful cinematography that is filled with exotic colors for some of the film‘s interior scenes that includes the small venue that Llewyn and other folk musicians play at as well as the richness for some of the film‘s daytime and nighttime exterior scenes. Under the Roderick Jaynes alias, the Coen Brothers do excellent work in the editing where they use a lot of stylish cuts from its fade-outs and transitions to play into the drama that unfolds throughout the film. Production designer Jess Gonchor, along with set decorator Susan Bode Tyson and art director Deborah Jensen, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the folk venue that the characters play at to the very thin hallways in the apartments the characters live in.

Costume designer Mary Zophres does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely based on the clothes of the early 60s from the flamboyant look of Roland Turner to the straight-laced clothes that Jean and Jim wear. Visual effects supervisor Alex Lemke does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects created such as the scenes of snow appearing on the nighttime road scenes. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the film‘s sound from the atmosphere of the folk clubs as well as some of the calmer moments of the scenes on the road. Music archivist T-Bone Burnett does an outstanding work in compiling the film’s soundtrack as many of the actors in the film do their own singing as the songs chosen for the film do help tell the story. Notably as the music features contributions from Marcus Mumford and Chris Elridge in many of the songs played which also includes a rarity from Bob Dylan.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is great for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable appearances from Adam Driver as a folk musician who aids Llewyn in a session for Jim, Jeanine Serralles as Llewyn’s older sister Joy, Max Casella as a folk club owner, Ethan Phillips and Robin Barlett as the music aficionados who let Llewyn crash at their place as they’re also Ulysses’ owner, Alex Karpovsky and Helen Hong as party guests that Llewyn meets at the aficionados’ home, Stark Sands as Jim and Jean’s friend Troy who is a good musician that Llewyn is annoyed by, and F. Murray Abraham in an excellent performance as the revered talent manager Bud Grossman who watches Llewyn plays as he decides his fate. Garrett Hedlund is terrific as Turner’s valet Johnny Five as he is very quiet throughout the film but there is something about him that adds to the strangeness of Llewyn’s encounter with Turner.

John Goodman is fantastic as the eccentric and flamboyant music impresario Roland Turner as a man who walks with two canes while musing on all sorts of things as his presence would leave Llewyn even more troubled. Justin Timberlake is amazing as Jim Berkey as this very talented and successful folk musician who is an all-around nice that just wants to help Llewyn out any way he can. Carey Mulligan is brilliant as Jean Berkey as a folk singer who despises Llewyn as she also tries to help while telling him that she’s pregnant with what might be their child which she has a hard time dealing with. Finally, there’s Oscar Isaac in an incredible performance as the titular character who is talented but unable to take his talents forward as he carries a lot of emotional baggage and a cat. It’s a performance that is eerie to watch where there’s aspects about him which are endearing but he’s also a guy that continuously fucks up every chance he has giving Isaac a career-defining performance.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a remarkable film from Joel and Ethan Coen that features a marvelous performance from Oscar Isaac. The film is not just an intriguing look into the failures and faults of a man but also the 1960s folk music scene in which he was a part of and how he feels out of place in that world. Especially where it’s a film that showcases what a struggling musician has to go through to make it in an ever-changing world. In the end, Inside Llewyn Davis is a phenomenal film from the Coen Brothers.

Coen Brothers Films: Blood Simple - Raising Arizona - Miller's Crossing - Barton Fink - The Hudsucker Proxy - Fargo - The Big Lebowski - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - The Man Who Wasn't There - Intolerable Cruelty - The Ladykillers - Paris Je T'aime-Tulieres -To Each His Own Cinema-World Cinema - No Country for Old Men - Burn After Reading - A Serious Man - True Grit - Hail, Caesar! - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

The Auteurs #9: The Coen Brothers: Part 1 - Part 2

© thevoid99 2013

The Great Gatsby (2013 film)

Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is the story of a millionaire in the Roaring 20s as he lives an extravagant life as his new neighbor tries to get to know him and the mysteries about this millionaire. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, the film is a stylized take on the famed novel with lots of lavish set pieces with a soundtrack that is mixture of 20s jazz with contemporary pop music. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim. The Great Gatsby is a lavish yet mesmerizing film from Baz Luhrmann.

The film is the story a mysterious millionaire who throws these lavish parties in the hopes that an old flame would return to him to rekindle the love they once had. Yet, it is told largely from the perspective that millionaire’s neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who is given personal access to the life and mind of this mysterious man known as Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) as he recalls his time with the millionaire to a doctor (Jack Thompson). While Carraway tells this story, he delves into the mystery of Gatsby and his love for Carraway’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) who is married to a former polo player in Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Yet, secrets are unveiled as Carraway tries to guard everything about Gatsby who is eager to revive an old past that can’t be replicated.

The screenplay that Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce creates moves back-and-forth as it is told from a weary Carraway at a hospital many years after the events of the story. While it’s a narrative device that Luhrmann had used before, it does help to play into the many mysteries that are slowly revealed. Notably the character of Gatsby himself as he throws these very lavish parties but few people see him with the exception of Carraway and a famed golf pro in Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) as the latter sort of knows Gatsby. There is still a traditional three-act structure in the film where the first act is about Carraway’s arrival in 1920s New York City where he lives next door to Gatsby as he later meets him. The second act is Carraway reintroducing Gatsby to Daisy as the two try to replicate what they once had. The third is Gatsby’s attempt to win Daisy all over again for good in an attempt to repeat the past only to be exposed by the jealous Buchanan.

Carraway is the film’s observer as he would also take part in some of the decadence that occurs but he’s also the great protector where he would guard secrets but sometimes it would be the detriment to those involved. The character of Daisy is sort of this aloof young woman who has married this former polo champion who is also a philandering man with a mistress in Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher). By coming back to Gatsby, she is eager to find happiness again but she becomes conflicted in her devotion to Buchanan who is suspicious about Gatsby as he becomes a very conniving individual eager to expose Gatsby to the world. He would also be the person that would play into Gatsby’s fall in the third act as it leads to some tragic consequences that Carraway would never recover from.

Luhrmann’s direction is definitely outrageous as he goes for something that is very decadent as well as extravagant to play up the energy of the 1920s. Still, it emphasizes into what Luhrmann wanted to reveal into a world that is sort of out of touch with reality where Gatsby is this shadowy party host who has more ambiguous intentions for these parties. For the Carraway character, Luhrmann displays him as a man who is in the action but also out of the action as a man lost in a very crazy world. Luhrmann definitely creates a lot of compositions and set pieces that play up to that sense of excitement where these parties are out of control. Yet, he also does slow things a bit when it comes to the romance between Gatsby and Daisy as if it’s all about trying to repeat the past.

Since it is told from Carraway’s perspective as it uses a lot of voice-over narration, it does play into something where it is about a young man trying to find himself in the wake of this very chaotic period of time. Though there’s some flaws in the narration since it does give away a lot, it does help to flesh out some of the characters. While there are moments in the film where the decadent moments can be a bit overwhelming, it is balanced by some very lush scenes that unveil a sense of longing as well as the tragedy that comes into play in the third act. The direction is very stylized in where Luhrmann places the camera as well as the setting he creates where there is some tension but also drama. Overall, Luhrmann creates a very exciting and poignant film about love and secrets in a period of decadence.

Cinematographer Simon Duggan does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its exotic colors of the daytime and nighttime exteriors including some lighting schemes in the interiors plus some lush coloring for some of its flashback scenes. Editors Matt Villa, Jason Ballantine, and Jonathan Redmond do some nice work with the editing though it sometimes go a bit fast to play out that sense of chaos while it does slow down a bit as the film goes on to get a sense of what is happening in the drama. Production/costume designer Catherine Martin, with set decorator Beverley Dunn and supervising art director Ian Gracie, does amazing work with the lavish set pieces such as the Gatsby home and the look of 1920s New York City while the costumes are very colorful and full of style as it plays to the period of the times.

Hair designer Kerry Warn and makeup designer Maurizio Silvi do brilliant work with the look of the characters from the hair and some of the makeup to play that sense of sensationalism. Visual effects supervisor Tony Cole does terrific work with the visual effects for some of the exteriors of New York City to some backdrops for the surroundings the characters inhabit. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound from the way the parties play out with its sense of energy to some of the intimate moments in the film. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful for its lush orchestral music to play out the sense of romance between Gatsby and Daisy as well as some more heavy pieces to play out it‘s melancholia. Music supervisor Anton Monsted creates a very fine soundtrack of music that features an array of 20s jazz music mixed in with contemporary pop music from Jay-Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Emile Sande, Fergie, and many others.

The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some appearances from Barry Otto as a partygoer, Conor Forgarty as Gatsby’s butler, Adelaide Clemons as Myrtle’s cousin Catherine, Callan McAullife as the young Gatsby, and Jack Thompson as Carraway’s doctor Walter Perkins. Amitabh Bachchan is excellent as the gangster Meyer Wolfsheim as a man who is full of charisma as he treats Gatsby like an old friend while Jason Clarke is terrific as the oblivious George Wilson. Isla Fisher is wonderful as the very needy mistress Myrtle Wilson who feels slighted by Buchanan while Elizabeth Debicki is amazing as the very fun yet knowing Jordan Baker who guides Carraway into the world of the rich.

Joel Edgerton is great as the very devious Tom Buchanan as a man who does love Daisy but is suspicious about Gatsby though he admits to his own flaws as a man. Carey Mulligan is superb as Daisy Buchanan as a young woman who becomes conflicted in her devotion to Tom and her love for Gatsby as she’s also sort of flighty. Tobey Maguire is brilliant as Nick Carraway as an outsider who becomes part of the world while becoming the one person bearing the responsibility to carry the secrets he has learned from the people he meets. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable role as Jay Gatsby as he’s a man that exudes charm and with while being totally cool where diCaprio also shows some humor in his performance as well as humility in the third as it is one of his finest performances.

The Great Gatsby is a marvelous film from Baz Luhrmann that features a phenomenal performance from Leonardo diCaprio. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work, the film is definitely a very sensational and excessive film that isn’t afraid to be style over substance. While it does have some flaws, it is still a film that is engaging for exploring that world of 1920s decadence as well as a man’s desire to reclaim the past. In the end, The Great Gatsby is a sprawling yet exciting film from Baz Luhrmann.

Baz Luhrmann Films: Strictly Ballroom - William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet - Moulin Rouge! - Australia - The Auteurs #23: Baz Luhrmann

© thevoid99 2013

An Education

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/5/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, An Education tells the story of a 16-year old schoolgirl living in a quaint yet disciplined suburban home. The girl's life changes when she meets an older man who would take her away from her restrictive life of school and ambition for a world that is broader only to later be hit with a dose of reality. Directed by Lone Scherfig and screenplay by Nick Hornby, the film is a tale of a girl coming of age in the 1960s as she is introduced to a new world. Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. An Education is a brilliant coming-of-age drama from Lone Scherfig & co.

It's 1961 in Twickenham, England as a 16-year old schoolgirl named Jenny Miller (Carey Mulligan) is working hard to go to Oxford. She has great grades and is one of the top students of her class. Though she lives a quiet life with her parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) as Jack hopes she goes to Oxford to have a great education. Jenny isn't so sure if studying and going to Oxford is the way to go. Even as she's pursued by another young student named Graham (Matthew Beard) who Marjorie likes though Jack felt isn't good enough for Jenny. Then on rainy day following a rehearsal for a youth orchestra, Jenny encounters an older man named David (Peter Sarsgaard) who takes Jenny home to school along with her cello.

Jenny befriends the older yet cultured David who shares a love of French music and films along with books and other fine things. David introduces himself to Jenny's parents whom he charms them while he introduces Jenny to his friends Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike). Jenny starts to go into clubs and orchestras as she is having fun. Once she learns what David and Danny does to maintain their posh lifestyle, she is reluctant to leave but stays so she can have fun. Though her grades start to drop much to the concern of her teacher Mrs. Stubbs (Olivia Williams) and headmistress Ms. Walters (Emma Thompson). Jenny continues to live a world of fun with David as he takes to her Paris once she turns 17.

Even Jenny's parents seem to enjoy David's company as Jenny's own academic future becomes troubles as Stubbs and Walters know she has much more to offer. Even Danny becomes worried as David makes a move to the surprise of Jenny and her parents. All of this is changed when David's past starts to catch up with him leaving Jenny pondering about all she had been through.

The film is a coming of age tale based on real life events in the life of its author Lynn Barber. With Nick Hornby, a renowned author in his own right with such works as Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, taking on the adaptation. It plays up as a coming of age story from the mind of a young girl who is bound for Oxford until she encounters this mysterious yet worldly man. The relationship between Jenny and David seems taboo since she was 16 and he in his early 30s. David's sense of charm and wit manages to win her over as well as her parents despite Jack's supposed anti-Semitic feelings. Even though Hornsby creates a film that centers around this young girl. He creates supporting characters that are just as interesting and all providing some sort of guidance to Jenny whether it's right or wrong.

In David, he's a man interested in Jenny because she's intelligent and isn't like other girls while wanting to show her a world that dreams about going to. Paris is among them while David's friends like to play along though Danny seems to the more cautious while Helen is a bit vapid but fun to be around. The parents are portrayed in a multi-dimensional way as Marjorie is a woman who wants Jenny to do well but also have fun though it's Jack that seems to have more to say. He's a man determined for Jenny to have a great education but after meeting David, he realizes that there might be another alternative for Jenny. Only later to realize she might sacrifice something that she will regret and it will be his fault. Other characters like Mrs. Stubbs and Ms. Walters are authority figures who are more sympathetic though Walters is a bit more hard-nosed as she reveals possible consequences. Mrs. Stubbs meanwhile, is also cautious for Jenny while revealing that life without an education won't really mean anything.

All of these characters Jenny interacts with are crucial to her development in life. She starts out as a young girl wanting a life out of school and studying and end up a young woman trying to figure out what she had just went through. Along the way, she is enamored with all of the excess of a rich lifestyle and begins to question about educated life and at times, becomes ignorant on certain things. It's a character that is truly memorable and certainly wonderfully written in the mind of Nick Hornby.

Director Lone Scherfig does an amazing job in recreating 1960s England in its pre-swinging days where things are a bit reserved, calm, and still coming out of the era of World War II with the Cold War still looming around them. A departure from Scherfig's more looser filmmaking style that came from the world of Dogme 95. There is something enchanting of the way Scherfig shoots and composes a scene while presenting the dramatic moments quite intimately while leaving more space for happier, humorous sequences. Scenes like an entire sequence of Jenny and David in Paris is very dream-like as if it gives the audience a feeling they're seeing Paris for the first time while it has a French New Wave feel. Though Scherfig does still employ a hand-held style in more intense sequences where David and Danny do what they do. It's told through an engaging yet intimate style of filmmaking as it is clearly the best work that Scherfig has done so far in her filmmaking career.

Cinematographer John de Borman does a splendid job in capturing the drab yet low-color look of 1960s English suburbia for the film's early sequences with more lighter colors in scenes near London. The work of de Borman works in conveying the mood of the film as it progresses where by the 2nd act, it has a colorful feel only to dim down once the third act begins as the camera work is phenomenal. Editor Barney Pilling does an excellent job with the film's editing with the use of smooth transitions and rhythmic cuts while giving the film a nice, leisurely pace that works overall in its 95-minute feel.

Production designer Andrew McAlpine along with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and art director Ben Smith do a fabulous job in recreating the look of 1960s England. From the look of the cars and shops to the look of the objects at the home of the Millers. Even the recreation of paintings and objects that David has obtained for his rich lifestyle. The costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux is truly wonderful in the more conservative, schoolgirl look for Jenny early on to fancy, colorful dresses and hairdos while the clothes that Helen wears are gorgeous to look at. In recreating the look of 1960s dresses and suits, the costume design is definitely a huge technical highlight of the film. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does an excellent job in the sounds of school halls and ballrooms that Jenny encounters with along with the city of London itself as Freemantle captures the atmosphere of those locations.

The music by Paul Englishby is wonderful in its orchestral feel with flourishing arrangements of strings to convey Jenny's new sense of freedom along with more low-key, dramatic pieces for the heavy drama. The soundtrack features a slew of early, pre-Beatles 1960s pop and classical pieces while the closing song is a track sung by Duffy that she co-wrote with Suede's Bernard Butler.

The casting by Lucy Bevan is wonderful with an amazing ensemble that is truly fun to watch. Small roles such as Matthew Beard as Jenny's friend Graham along with Amanda Fairbank-Hynes and Ellie Kendrick as a couple of Jenny's schoolmates are memorable along with a one-scene performance from Sally Hawkins as a mysterious woman. Rosamund Pike is funny as the vapid, superficial Helen who loves living the high life while wanting to look good throughout. Dominic Cooper is very good as Danny, David's partner-in-crime who is reserved and quiet while being the most cautious as he was wondering when is going to go too far for Jenny. Olivia Williams is superb as Mrs. Stubbs, Jenny's English teacher who sees Jenny going down a troubling path while warning her about what will happen as Williams is wonderfully understated in a very sympathetic authority figure.

In a small but memorable role, Emma Thompson is great as Jenny's headmistress. A stern though sympathetic figure who warns Jenny about the implications of leading a life without an education while reluctantly admitting to the flaws of an educated lifestyle. Cara Seymour is very good as Jenny's mother Marjorie, a woman who is the more sympathetic parent while still a no-nonsense woman who just wants Jenny to succeed but also live a nice life. Alfred Molina is brilliant as Jack, Jenny's strict but caring father who hopes for Jenny to succeed only to be charmed by David into letting Jenny have a carefree life only to realize the consequences and his own faults. Peter Sarsgaard is excellent as David, a charming man who is also mysterious as Sarsgaard plays with him a bit of creepiness but also wit while sporting a fine British accent since he's the only American actor in the film.

Finally, there's Carey Mulligan in a real breakthrough performance as Jenny. Mulligan's performance is definitely the heart and soul of the film as she displays wit, charm, humor, naivete, and vulnerability all in this incredible journey of a young woman coming of age. Early on, she looks like a young 16-year old girl and then ends up a 17-year old woman who had just been through a lot. It's a radiant yet mesmerizing performance for the 24-year old actress and certainly one of the year's best.

An Education is a smart yet brilliant film from Lone Scherfig with a great screenplay by Nick Hornby and a wonderful performance from Carey Mulligan. Featuring a wonderful cast that also includes Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Dominic Cooper, and Rosamund Pike. It is definitely of 2009's best films as An Education is a must-see for anyone that wants to see a coming-of-age story that is worth exploring.

Lone Scherfig Films: (Dogme 12-Italian for Beginners) - (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself) - (Just Like Home) - One Day

(C) thevoid99 2012