Babel

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga from a story by Inarittu and Arriaga, Babel is a hyperlink story set in three different parts of the world as a couple trying to save their marriage in Morocco while their children are being taken to Mexico by their maid so she can attend her son’s wedding as a third story revolves around a young deaf woman in Japan. An exploration into cultural differences, isolation, and death in what is the third part of Inarritu’s trilogy of death, the film is a multi-layered tale with different strands of narrative as these characters are all connected by circumstances in their environment. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Emilio Echevarria, Clifton Collins Jr., Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, and Rinko Kikuchi. Babel is a tremendously harrowing yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Set in three different places in the part of the world as it relates to the concept of the Tower of Babel where everyone started to speak in different languages where no one could understand each other. The film is about a trio of different stories set in three different places around the world. All of which are connected in a crisscross narrative style as an American couple are in Morocco trying to save their marriage where a major event shakes the couple that involved a couple of young boys are trying to kill jackals where they unknowingly cause something. In Mexico, the American couple’s children are back in San Diego as their maid is eager to go to her son’s wedding only to not find anyone prompting her to take the children to Mexico with her nephew as the trip back would be a treacherous one. The third and final story explored a young deaf woman in Japan who is dealing with the loss of her mother as well as growing awareness of her sexuality.

The film’s screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga definitely takes the concept of the Tower of Babel where it explores the idea of misunderstanding and miscommunication in a post 9/11 world where everyone is almost walking on eggshells. The story about the American couple in Richard and Susan Jones (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, respectively) showcase a couple still dealing with the death of their infant son as they’re on a trip to Morocco with tourists as another story emerges about a couple of young boys in Ahmed (Said Tarchani) and Yussef (Boubker Ait El Chaid) who had just gotten a rifle that their father got for a trade where things went wrong. The story would get dramatic as the collision of this story in Morocco would have involve diplomacy issues where the boys get into trouble. It’s a story that plays into a sense of grief but also in a world where tension between Americans and North Africa is very fragile all because of a simple accident.

The second story set in Mexico that concerns the Jones children and their maid Amelia (Adriana Barazzo) as the script would have the children receive a call from their father just as he is dealing with something that is happening in Morocco as two versions of this conversation are presented but in different moments in the narrative. Amelia’s decision to take Debbie (Elle Fanning) and Mike (Nathan Gamble) to Mexico is a foolish one but it’s much more complicated as it involves her nephew Santiago who would get into trouble on their way back from Mexico. It is in that moment where it plays into the sense of mistrust and misunderstanding as Amelia isn’t a legal resident which adds to the stakes of the drama. The third story in Japan doesn’t seem like it would connect anything with the other two though both stories do appear in the background but it does play into the themes that Arriaga is exploring. It involves Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) as she is troubled by her mother’s passing as well as the lack of attention she gets from her father which has her wanting to explore sexually. Even as two detectives come in asking for her father which plays into the events of the two stories.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is definitely intense in terms of not just the situations that occur but also in the drastic stakes that play into much of the film’s drama. The usage of non-linear and crisscross narrative definitely gives a certain edge to Inarritu’s approach to the filmmaking as he aims for a varied degree of different cinematic styles for each location. Some of which involve hand-held cameras for scenes set in Morocco and Mexico while going for something more straightforward in scenes set in Japan. Yet, Inarritu manages to make each story have a different feel in its varied filmmaking style as he would maintain intimate moments between various characters through some close-ups and medium shots. Even as it plays to some of the realism and dramatic stakes of the film.

The direction also play into the ideas of young people coming-of-age sexually such as Yussef who is curious about a girl who lives in one of his homes as well as Chieko who would reveal her exposed crotch to schoolboys as she isn’t wearing underwear. It plays into a sense of growth for these two people who emerge into adulthood yet face real problems that prove to be just as challenging since they’re still children in some respects. Especially as the dramatic stakes become more intense such as Amelia trying to get Debbie and Mike back to the U.S. through the desert as well as Richard and Susan coping with their own encounter with death as things get intense as well as gripping from a visual sense. Particularly in the third act where all of these different stories do come together to see how all of these people are connected in ways that are unexpected. Overall, Inarritu creates a very somber yet exhilarating film about human disconnection and miscommunication in a world that is often very complicated.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized cinematography with its usage of dark shades to surround some of the images as well as its approach to grainy stock footage as there‘s a mixture of beauty and ugliness in the camera work as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. Editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrone do amazing work with the editing to create some unique transitions to move from one story to another with elements of jump-cuts and other offbeat rhythmic cuts to play into the action and drama. Production designer Brigitte Broch does excellent work with the set pieces from the houses in San Diego and Mexico to the posh apartment that Chieko lives with her father in Tokyo.

Costume designers Gabriela Diaque, Miwako Kobayashi, and Michael Wilkinson do terrific work with the costumes from the red dress that Amelia wears to the wedding as well as the schoolgirl uniform and stylish clothes that Chieko would wear. Sound designer Martin Hernandez does fantastic work with the sound to convey the layers of sounds in the film‘s different locations including a club scene in Tokyo in how sound is heard and not heard plus some textures that really play into the drama of the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting music that is a mixture of chilling ambient pieces with some stark and plaintive folk-based cuts to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a diverse soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican/hip-hop music, J-pop, and Middle Eastern music.

The casting by Gigi Akoka and Francine Maisler is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Pena as a couple of border patrol officers that Amelia would encounter in different scenes, Abdelkader Bara as a man who owned the rifle as he traded it to Abdullah, Mustapha Rachidi as Yussef and Ahmed’s father Abdullah, Peter Wight as a British tourist, Damian Garcia as Amelia’s son Lucio, Cynthia Montano as Lucio’s bride Patricia, Koji Yakusho as Chieko’s father, Yuko Murata as Chieko’s fellow deaf friend, Shigemitsu Ogi as a dentist Chieko tries to seduce, Nobushige Suematsu as a classmate of Chieko, Kazunori Tozawa as a detective who arrives at Chieko’s apartment, and Satoshi Nikaido as the younger detective whom Chieko tries to connect with. Other noteworthy small roles include Emilio Echevarria in a terrific role as an old flame of Amelia as well as Mohammed Akhzam as the Moroccan tour guide Anwar whom Richard would befriend.

Elle Fanning and Nathan Gamble are excellent in their respective roles ad Debbie and Mike as two kids who find themselves in danger as it relates to a decision Amelia made. Gael Garcia Bernal is fantastic as Amelia’s nephew Santiago who would drive Amelia and the kids to Mexico and back only an act of poor judgment would cause some trouble. Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Chaid are superb in their respective roles as Ahmed and Yussef as two boys whose game of target practice would have serious consequences as they try to figure out what to do. Adriana Barazza is brilliant as Amelia as a Mexican maid/nanny for Debbie and Mike who is trying to watch the children as she reluctantly takes them to Mexico so she can attend her son’s wedding as she endures horrific circumstances when she tries to get the children back home.

Rinko Kikuchi is amazing as Chieko as a young deaf woman still grieving over the loss of her mother as she tries to act out sexually and emotionally in the hope to connect with someone. Finally, there’s Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Susan and Richard Jones where Blanchett brings a reserved approach to her performance as a woman grieving over loss and the state of her marriage while Pitt plays a man trying to find ways to save his marriage while dealing with cultural differences due to the situation he is facing.

Babel is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Armed with an incredible cast as well as a intricate and captivating screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film is definitely a very powerful film that showcases the world as a whole and how many in different parts of the world deal with similar situations into isolation, death, and miscommunication. In the end, Babel is a tremendously visceral and thrilling film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

Pacific Rim

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and screenplay by del Toro and Travis Beacham from a story by Beacham, Pacific Rim is the story about a small band of humans trying to save the world from gigantic monsters known as Kaijus who are destroying Earth in 2020 as they emerged from a portal in the sea. The film is a tribute of sorts to the Japanese monster movies like Godzilla that is mixed in with a human story as a man tries to find redemption with a young rookie in operating a robot that can defeat the monsters. Starring Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr., and Ron Perlman. Pacific Rim is a spectacular yet exhilarating film from Guillermo del Toro.

The film is an apocalyptic tale of sorts where humanity band together to fight these monsters called Kaijus who wreak havoc on humanity as they emerge from a portal in the pacific ocean. With the help of giant robots named Jaegers that are manned by two pilots, they’re able to battle the Kaijus but the monsters have gotten stronger and more dangerous as the world is about to go to an end where a retired pilot named Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) reluctantly returns to the fold to fight the monsters with a rookie named Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi). It’s a premise that is kind of simple in terms of what is expected in a monster movie where man-piloted giant robots have to battle these massive monsters to save the world. Yet, there’s a lot more that Guillermo del Toro and co-screenwriter Travis Beacham offer.

The film begins with Becket’s early successes as well as how the Kaijus arrived into the world and the war that forced many countries to come together and battle these monsters. It’s all told in a 20-minute sequence to establish key elements into the Kaijus as well as why Becket left the Jaeger program due to tragedy. Yet, it plays into Becket’s reluctance into returning to the program as well as the fact that his new partner Mako is someone who also had encountered tragedy due to Kaijus. Since the Jaegers had to be piloted by two people due to its size and need to be monitored mentally as it would be overwhelming for one person. It does play into the drama as well as the tragedies that Becket and Mako shared as well as Mako’s connection with Becket’s former superior Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba).

There’s also elements of comedy where it plays into two scientists in Dr. Newton Geizler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) who are trying to understand the mind of the Kaiju where the former is a bit of a nutcase who considers himself to be a Kaiju-groupie. Yet, their story would play into not just the development of the monsters but more into their intentions as they would evolve into something far more treacherous leaving the small numbers of Jaeger pilots to be overwhelmed. Particularly as the pilots of those Jaegers have some dissent towards Becket for being responsible for the fall of the Jaeger program as well as Mori for being inexperienced. It allows Becket and Mori to connect in many ways as it would help them get ready for battle if anything is going to happen. While it has a storyline that is formulaic, del Toro and Beacham do create enough weight to the story and the characters to make sure that these are people to root for.

The direction of del Toro is quite vast in not just the scope that he presents but also in creating a world that’s in a state of war with monsters as it’s heading into its final days with very little options left. The direction has del Toro not just employing a lot of massive set pieces and battles between robots and monsters but add that human element where two people have to work together or else they will die in the hands of a monster that continues to evolve. The stakes add to the sense of drama where del Toro knows when to focus on the pilots but also balance it with the way they control the robots to fight these monsters. Films in that genre usually tend to overwhelm the audience with a lot of fast-cutting and such to present something chaotic where it’s almost nonsensical. What del Toro does in the action isn’t just slow things down a bit where he gives the audience exactly what is happening but also remind them that there’s a human story involved.

The direction also has some intimacy in the way the relationships between some of the characters are played out as it includes some comedy where it keeps the story lively without the need of too much exposition. Some of these moments include Dr. Geizler’s encounter with a black markets dealer named Hannibal Chau (Ron Perlman) who carries lots of Kaiju body parts that is full of humor as it provides some insight into what Dr. Geizler wants to do but also its dangers. Its climatic battle definitely lives up to not just the spectacle that is needed but also in how big the stakes are where characters have to make decisions in not just trying to save the world but also to stop the Kaijus from creating more havoc in the world just as they’re getting bigger and badder. Overall, del Toro creates a very sensational yet entertaining film that does a lot more than what is expected in a typical summer action-blockbuster.

Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the stylish look of the scenes set in Hong Kong to the looks of the scenes set in the sea and at the station where the Jaeger pilots and crew live and work at. Editors Peter Amundson and John Gilroy do amazing work with the editing in creating some stylish yet rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action scenes without delving into the more common fast-paced chaotic editing style by slowing things down a bit while being more straightforward for the dramatic moments of the film. Production designers Andrew Neskorommy and Carol Spier, with supervising art directors Elinor Rose Galbraith and Richard L. Johnson and set decorator Peter P. Nicolakakos, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the base where the Jaeger crew live at to the look of Hong Kong and Chau’s home.

Costume designers James Hagarty and Kate Hawley do excellent work with the costumes with Hagarty creating the Jaeger pilot suits while he and Hawley create more casual look for some of the characters with the exception of Chau. Visual effects supervisors John Knoll, Eddie Pasquarello, James E. Price, and Zachary Tucker do phenomenal work with many of the visual effects where it has a sense of realism in its look but also play to a world that is ravaged in chaos. Sound designers Scott Martin Gershin and Tim Walston do superb work with the sound to create layers of sound effects in the way the sounds of the robots and monsters as well as some of the locations they‘re in during the battles. The film’s music by Ramin Djawadi is wonderful for its sense of orchestral bombast mixed in with some low-key somber pieces while some of the heavier stuff includes contributions from Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

The casting by Margery Simkin is remarkable for the ensemble that is created as it features some small but notable appearances from Paul Michael Myers as the young Becket, Mana Ashida as the young Mori, Charles, Lance, and Mark Luu as a trio of Chinese Jaeger pilots, Robert Maillet and Heather Doerksen as two Russian Jaeger pilots, and Diego Klattenhofff as Becket’s brother who was also his co-pilot. Mark Martini and Robert Kazinsky are terrific in their respective roles as the father-son Jaeger pilot duo Herc and Chuck Hansen while Clifton Collins Jr. is excellent as the Jaeger technician Tendo Choi who is the brains of sorts behind the machines. Burn Gorman is very good as the very mathematics-based scientist Dr. Herman Gottlieb while Charlie Day is very funny as the more out there scientist Dr. Newton Geizler who finds a way to see what the Kaijus are going to do.

Ron Perlman is fantastic as the black markets dealer Hannibal Chau as Perlman brings a lot of chew-scenery and humor to the film as he is also someone that knows a lot about the Kaijus. Idris Elba is great as Stacker Pentecost as Elba brings a lot of gravitas as a man who is a true leader but also carries a past that haunts where Elba also gets the chance to have a speech before the final battle that is a truly unforgettable moment. Rinko Kikuchi is amazing as Mako Mori as a young woman who is definitely a skilled warrior and knows a lot about what to do in battle but is hampered by her own memories as she knows what she has to do to step up and fight. Finally, there’s Charlie Hunnam in an incredible performance as Raleigh Becket as a former Jaeger pilot who returns to the fold as he tries to deal with his own demons while helping Mako get ready as Hunnam has this sense of humility and guilt that he carries while having good rapport with Kikuchi.

Pacific Rim is an extraordinary yet exciting film from Guillermo del Toro. Thanks to a brilliant ensemble cast and amazing technical work, the film is definitely more than just a cut above most big blockbuster action films. It’s a film that pays tribute to the monster movies of the past while giving it a new spin for the 21st Century. It’s also a film that has enough drama and humor for audiences to be engaged to as well as action that can thrill them. In the end, Pacific Rim is a phenomenal film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic/Mimic (Director's Cut) - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Hellboy - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Crimson Peak - The Shape of Water - Nightmare Alley (2021 film) - Pinocchio (2022 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2013

Capote

Based on Gerald Clarke’s biography on Truman Capote, Capote is the story of famed novelist interviewing the men that would inspire his acclaimed novel In Cold Blood. Directed by Bennett Miller and screenplay by Dan Futterman, the film explores Capote’s life into the making of the book as well as his unique personality as the role is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Also starring Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Bruce Greenwood, Mark Pellegrino, Amy Ryan, and Chris Cooper. Capote is an intriguing yet hypnotic film from Bennett Miller.

After reading the news about a murder in Kansas, Truman Capote is intrigued by the story as he travels to the murder site with friend/fellow author Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) for an article about what happened. After interviewing various locals including enforcement chief Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper) about what might’ve happened as Capote thinks there’s a whole lot more to it. During a dinner with Alvin and his wife (Amy Ryan), news emerged that the killers have been caught as they’re revealed to be Richard Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) and Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.). Capote wants to get to know the killers as he tells his editor William Shawn (Bob Balaban) and novelist/lover Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood) that he wants to do more research about what happened for a book.

Capote gets to know the prisoners as he becomes very attached to Smith as the two share their own experiences where Smith even lends Capote his diary. With Capote using everything he knew from Smith to write his book, he goes to Spain with Dunphy for a year as he waits for news about their appeal. When their appeal is rejected, Capote returns to the U.S. to meet with Smith as he still wants to know what happened that night. Smith eventually tells him while Capote struggles to finish the book despite reading passages to the public some time earlier. With the execution for Smith and Hickock looming and Capote feeling very attached towards Smith, Capote deals with everything he’s experienced as he awaits for the execution of the two killers.

The film is about a period in Capote’s life from the moment he reads about this incident in Kansas that would lead him to write the novel of his career. Yet, there’s a lot more to it in the way Capote presents himself to people when he’s having fun as an openly-gay man while being the serious writer when he’s on the job. What happens in the course of the film is that his research into creating this book would eventually take a toll on him as he becomes attached to one of the killers realizing that they’re just human beings despite their action.

Dan Futterman’s script delves into a Capote’s personality and his persona while making him into a very complex individual that is trying to make a story that humanizes the killers he’s interviewing. Futterman also succeeds in making Capote flawed as he would often lie to Perry Smith about the progress of his book in order to try and get to know him. Other characters such as Smith, Harper Lee, Jack Dunphy, and Alvin Dewey are just as interesting in the way the react to or interact with Capote. Notably Smith as he’s this quiet yet troubled man that is trying to find some form of redemption as he befriends Capote. Futterman’s script succeeds in laying out the events that happens as well as Capote’s research though the story starts to drag a bit towards the third act. Largely because there’s an uncertainty to the way Capote is feeling about the execution as he is waiting for it to happen. Still, Futterman manages to create a script that is compelling and insightful.

Bennett Miller’s direction is truly a marvel to watch from the way he opens the film quietly with this scene of a young woman walking into a house where she would find a dead body. That sense of steady compositions mixed with silence is a great example of what Miller could do as he maintains a very simple yet direct approach to the film. Often having the camera moving slowly or to just shoot something in a very simple presentation. Miller’s direction is very potent as he also can create an atmosphere to the locations that is set in the film whether it’s the Canadian locations as Kansas or other scenes shot in California and Austin, Texas. There is a truly a mesmerizing feel to the film as Miller creates what is truly a fascinating portrait of one of the great writers of the 20th Century.

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel does a brilliant job with the film‘s entrancing photography from the low-key yet colorful nighttime shots for the interior scenes in New York along with some gorgeous yet hypnotic daytime shots for a lot of the Kansas scenes with very little sunlight. Kimmel’s photography in a lot of the daytime scenes has an exquisite beauty that is truly reminiscent of the films made by Terrence Malick as it’s the true technical highlight of the film. Editor Christopher Tellefsen does a superb job with the editing in maintaining a methodical pace throughout the film, despite the slowness of the third act, while utilizing rhythmic cuts and fade-outs to help keep the film going.

Production designer Jess Gonchor, along with art director Gord Peterson and set decorators Maryam Decter and Scott Rossell, does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as the jail cell that Smith lives in as well as the posh Spanish home that Dunphy lives where Capote does some of his writing. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone does a wonderful job with the costumes created from the suits and clothes that Capote wears to the late-50s/early 60s dresses that some of the women wear in the film. Sound editor Ron Bochar does a great job with the sound from the sparseness of the open field Kansas location to the raucous atmosphere of the New York parties that Capote frequently attends to.

The film’s plaintive, piano-driven score by Mychael Danna is truly mesmerizing from the mood that Danna creates to underplay the drama and the horror that surrounds the events as it features a low-key string orchestra to add a heaviness to the music. Music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a soundtrack filled with playful jazz and bossa nova music to complement the world of NYC that Capote lives in as it’s definitely fun to hear.

The casting by Avy Kaufman is amazing as it features a wonderful collective of actors needed for a film like this. In small but notable roles, there’s Allie Mickelson as the young woman who found the bodies at the start of the film, Marshall Bell as the prison warden, Amy Ryan as Alvin Dewey’s wife, Bob Balaban as Capote’s editor William Shawn, and Mark Pellegrino as convicted killer Richard Hickock. Chris Cooper is excellent in a small but memorable role as local law enforcer Alvin Dewey who reluctantly helps out Capote in his research. Bruce Greenwood is terrific as Capote’s lover/fellow novelist who tries to deal with Capote’s research while being there for him as he writes his own novel.

Clifton Collins Jr. is superb as Perry Smith as Collins brings a sensitivity to his performance that is also chilling as a man who is aware of his crimes as he yearns for redemption. Catherine Keener is great as novelist Harper Lee who helps Capote in his research while being the one confidant he can count on. Finally, there’s Philip Seymour Hoffman in a fantastic performance as Truman Capote as Hoffman brings a wonderful sense of charm to the novelist in the way he presents himself publicly. In more somber moments, Hoffman restrains himself in the way he does his research while dealing with his own attachment towards Smith as it’s a truly outstanding performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Capote is phenomenal film from Bennett Miller that features a magnificent performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman as the famed author. The film is a mesmerizing portrait of Truman Capote’s life during the writing of his famed novel In Cold Blood and the toll it took on him as a writer. The film is also a very rich and divine for its imagery while it’s a drama that is very engaging in the way it’s presented. In the end, Capote is brilliant film from Bennett Miller.

Bennett Miller Films: The Cruise - Moneyball - Foxcatcher - The Auteurs #47: Bennett Miller

© thevoid99 2011

American Girl (2002 film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 7/14/05 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Jordan Brady and written by Scott Sandoe, American Girl is the story of a young high school dropout who becomes pregnant as she and her family visit their incarcerated father for an annual picnic in prison. The film explores one girl's desire to find her place only to have intense suicidal thoughts while trying to remember the goodness her father had. Starring Jena Malone Brad Renfro, Chris Mulkey, Clifton Collins Jr., Michelle Forbes, Alicia Witt, Erik von Detten, and Kevin Gage. American Girl, despite its premise and Malone's performance, falls flat as another mediocre independent feature.

Rena Grubb (Jena Malone) is a high school dropout seeking some escape from her trailer park existence as she lives her mother Madge (Michelle Forbes) and her half-sister Barbie (Alicia Witt). Despite having a secret affair with popular high school boy Kenton (Erik von Detten), Rena yearns for a normal, happier ife as her older brother Jay (Brad Renfro) returns home from visiting his uncle. Rena's father John (Chris Mulkey) is serving two-life terms for murder as Rena hopes to go to the family picnic despite Madge's feelings about John who still writes letters to Rena. When Rena learns she is pregnant with Kenton's child and the family finds out, Madge decides to keep it a secret as they decide to go to the picnic.

John is excited to see his family as he decides to have his pal Buddy (Clifton Collins Jr.) on board to meet the family. While Buddy is one of the few prisoners that the guards can trust through bribes, he befriends Buddy who feels insecure around his dad. When Rena tells her father about her pregnancy, things don't go well as she thought it would be as John asks Madge what is going on with the family. While Rena meets another visitor in Hildegarde (O-Lan Jones) as she hopes to get some comfort from her father, the picnic doesn't go well as she thought it would be. Madge converses with a guard named Richard (Kevin Gage) while later learning that John has been having an affair as Buddy and Jay learn who the mistress is. With all of the turmoil going on within the family, Rena becomes more fragile over everything she's going through.

While Jordan Brady does manage to capture sympathy and great dramatic moments, the film often falls into the realm of dreary, melodrama with no direction right at the end. The film's script, which claims is based on true events, is filled with some of the dramatic cliches of TV prison dramas and the limited budget of an independent feature, depending on its premise. Plus, often comes out with some clumsy dialogue except for some of the narration for Malone. While the film does look good in its technical side, it doesn't help its meandering direction to the point that there's only a few memorable characters to enjoy or to sympathize with. Plus, due to its small budget, it’s no wonder the film has a terrible soundtrack filled with nothing but mediocre, middle-of-the-road modern rock music.

While the film has a nice cast with small performances from Kevin Gage, O-Lan Jones, and Micole Mercucio as a neighbor, the film also has a typical, lame performance from pretty-boy actor Erik von Detten who is merely the poor boy's Devon Sawa. Chris Mulkey doesn't bring anything to his role as Rena's father since he is often too over-the-top in his performance while the script just forces him to play a very awful man with nothing to offer. Alicia Witt is often good in whatever film she does but is merely nothing more than a typical, lazy slut as Witt does nothing except humiliate herself. Brad Renfro is good in his role as the sexually-confused older brother as is Michelle Forbes as Malone's stern, hopeful mother. The best supporting performance easily goes to Clifton Collins Jr., who brings in a great charm and sleaze to his performance as a prisoner who knows how to stir things up while flirting with Brad Renfro.

The film's true heart and soul is Jena Malone. While it's not a far cry from the self-destructive, dysfunctional roles she's been playing in films like Donnie Darko or Saved!. Malone does use her ability to give her character every amount of sympathy, no matter how flawed her character is, she needed. Bringing a combination of naivete, desperation, and optimism, Malone shows her ability as a very serious, complex actress.

Despite a good cast and a decent premise, American Girl is a very mediocre film from Jordan Brady. Due to its attempt to be very dramatic and edgy at the same time, it often drowns itself into despair despite Jena Malone's engaging performance. It's a film that doesn't really offer much to people other than fans of Malone though it's not a film that will mark as one of her more memorable works. In the end, American Girl is an OK but over-wrought drama from Jordan Brady.

(C) thevoid99 2011

Traffic

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/23/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

The war on drugs has been a costly battle with the government spending loads of money fighting against drug dealers and crime lords. Yet, the drug wars have shown that not much progress had happened once it arrived into the 21st Century. Films about drugs and drug wars were often glamorized and over the top until a 1989 British TV show called Traffik brought a realistic view of the drug wars and its effects on people. The show caught the attention of renowned independent film director Steven Soderbergh who had just gained a comeback with 1998's Out of Sight and 1999's The Limey. For a film adaptation of the show, Soderbergh took the film's multiple storyline study on drugs for a huge, dramatic feature about the drug trade and drugs on the home front entitled Traffic.

Directed and shot by Steven Soderbergh with a script written by Stephen Gaghan, Traffic tells three different stories about the war on drugs. The first involves a Mexican police officer fighting drugs in his native country only to deal with corruption from the police force he's working for. The second story involves a drug czar fighting a war on drugs for the government while dealing with his daughter's drug addiction. The third and final story involves a wife learning that her husband is a big-time drug lord as she decides to fight for his freedom while battling a couple of DEA agents. Three storylines moving back and forth and intercut with each other as they all connect, the film is a harrowing yet provocative feature about the drug war and its effects on the individuals involved.

Starring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Steven Bauer, Dennis Quaid, Luis Guzman, Jacob Vargas, Tomas Milian, Amy Irving, Miguel Ferrer, Erika Christensen, Topher Grace, Clifton Collins Jr., Peter Riegert, and cameo appearances from Salma Hayek and Albert Finney. Traffic is an eerie yet profound masterpiece from Steven Soderbergh.

Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez (Benicio del Toro) and Manolo Sanchez (Jacob Vargas) are police officers that just got attention over a drug bust in Tijuana, Mexico. General Salazar (Tomas Milian) wants Rodriguez's help to stop the power of the Obregon family as he and Manolo captured the family's top assassin Frankie Flowers (Clifton Collins Jr.). Despite the success, Rodriguez believes that something isn't right as he gets into deep over what he finds. In Ohio, Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) is a judge that just been given a new job to be the new Drug Czar for the President after his predecessor (James Brolin) steps down as he gives Wakefield a warning. With his assistant Jeff Sheridan (D.W. Moffett) helping Wakefield to fight against drugs, his daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) has become a drug addict where her boyfriend Seth (Topher Grace) introduces her to freebased cocaine.

Following a bust, Robert's wife Barbara (Amy Irving) reveals to Robert that she knows about Caroline's addiction prompting him to send his daughter to rehab. With Robert's new job taking much of his time as he meets General Salazar, a DEA bust in San Diego by Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) leads to the capture of Eduard Ruiz (Miguel Ferrer) who rats out his boss Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer). With Ayala revealed to be the Obregon's top distributor as he gets arrested, Ayala's pregnant wife Helena (Catherine Zeta-Jones) turns to Carlos's friend Arnie Metzger (Dennis Quaid) for help. Arnie brings in attorney Michael Adler (Peter Riegert) to deal with the case while Helena learns about her husband's true job as she goes to Frankie Flowers to get Ruiz killed while later meeting Juan Obregon (Benjamin Bratt) to continue business.

After learning that Caroline has escaped rehab, Robert tries to find her with Seth's help prompting him to deal with the demand of his new job. Rodriguez's suspicions have him and Manolo turning to the DEA as trouble occurs as Rodriguez goes to Manolo's wife (Marisa Padilla Sanchez) for help. In turn, Rodriguez would create moves that would change everything for him, Robert Wakefield, and Helena Ayala.

The film can be described as a message film of sorts about the war on drugs, its lack of progress, and how it's troubled certain individuals. Yet, Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan create a film that goes into the world of the drug culture and its effects on government, lifestyles, and the people fighting against. What Soderbergh and Gaghan creates is a political film with some human drama with Gaghan creating a story that isn't conventional. Instead, Gaghan's approach in the script is to move from one storyline to another and to another in a rhythmic, intercutting style of writing to connect one situation to another. Gaghan's screenplay is truly brilliant in its political and social commentary on drugs, its effects on the economy, and how one tries to either fight corruption or use it to maintain a certain lifestyle.

The three storylines created for the film are truly genius due to Gaghan's approach in telling the story. For the story of Javier Rodriguez and his discovery of corruption within the police force he's working for is about a man trying to do the right thing. Even if he has to risk his life and maybe his own moral judgment where his only gain is his conscience and something he wants that isn't for him. In the Robert Wakefield storyline, it's about a conservative judge taking on a role to fight drugs for the President while having to deal with drugs in his home as his daughter spirals down into a world of drugs. The third storyline about Helena Ayala discovering what her husband really does and Montel Gordon's fight to keep Carlos Ayala in jail provides an interesting, dramatic sense of conflict of two people trying to fight for what they each think is right.

Then there's Steven Soderbergh's direction which is truly mesmerizing in his approach to tell the story. Also serving as the film's cinematographer under the Peter Andrews alias, Soderbergh goes for various styles in telling the story for the three different storylines. For all the scenes shot in Mexico, Soderbergh goes for this cinema verite style of handheld cameras, grainy footage awash in sepia-like colors to play up to the country's desert-like climate. The camera work is shaky and loose with interior shots in some places very low in order to create an atmosphere as there's very few moments where the camera is still. In some of the scenes involving Robert Wakefield and his situation, a lot of the daytime scenes are shot in this blue, cold style to represent the chilling feel of addiction in Caroline. The camera work and direction is more steady and dramatic in order to discover the troubles of addiction from a young teenager.

In the scenes shot in California, Texas, the border from the U.S. perspective, and nighttime U.S. scenes, are more traditional though the daytime, exterior and interior shots are more sunny, dream-like, and wondrous for the California feel of the film. The camera work is also more steady and dramatic like the Wakefield sequence as Soderbergh does make it clear in how he wanted each storyline and location to be presented. He creates a film that doesn't play up to convention while creating different worlds in each location and setting while maintaining the film's theme on the war on drugs. The result is truly a film that is unique in its varied visual styles and themes as it's done with such brilliance by Steven Soderbergh.

Editor Stephen Mirrione does spectacular work with the editing in the use of jump-cuts, dissolves, and rhythmic transitions to create a feel to the film that doesn't get boring but also doesn't go way too fast. Mirrone's cutting style is truly fascinating in the way he shifts from one sequence to another with a nice cutting transition as if he plays to a certain rhythm while knowing when not to cut or move to another sequence. Mirrone's work is overall superb in the art of editing. Production designer Phillip Messina along with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Keith P. Cunningham do excellent work with the homes of the various characters from the gritty, urban look of Rodriguez to the posh worlds of the Wakefield and Ayalas. Costume designer Louise Frogley does fine work with the look of Helena's dresses along with the suits that Robert Wakefield wears as well as the urban clothing and street clothes that most of the characters wear.

Sound editor Larry Blake does fantastic work with the sound to help with the film's varied locations with actual location sounds for the film's Mexico sequences that are raw and crisp to capture the Mexican deserts. The U.S. sequences are more layered and mixed with some polish but also to make them atmospheric for the dramatic tension of Gordon-Ayala sequence and haunting in the Wakefield sequence. Blake's work is truly superb in its sense of action and drama. Music composer Cliff Martinez creates a truly haunting, atmospheric score filled with ambient-style textures for it sense of mood and drama with light, percussive pieces in the background, piano performances from noted jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and soft bass melodies from Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, whom Martinez used to play drums for. The soundtrack includes electronic pieces from Morcheeba and Fat Boy Slim plus an ambient piece from Brian Eno.

The casting by Debra Zane is truly phenomenal with appearances from John Slattery as an ADA official, Viola Davis as a social worker, real-life politicians Orrin Hatch, Barbara Boxer, and Charles Grassley. Salma Hayek makes a very memorable cameo as the mistress of a drug lord while Albert Finney is good in a small role as Chief of Staff. Other small roles like Alec Roberts as Helena's son David, Corey Spears as a friend of Seth and Caroline who overdoses, Rena Sofer and Stacey Travis as a couple of Helena's friends, and Eddie Velez as a FBI agent Javier Rodriguez turns to. Steven Bauer is good in his small role as Carlos Ayala, a distributor who is jailed as he gives his wife information on how to get him out. Marisa Padilla Sanchez is also good as Manolo's wife who suspects something is wrong as she turns to Javier while Peter Riegert is very good as Carlos' attorney. In another small performance, Benjamin Bratt is excellent as Juan Obregon, the cartel leader who makes a deal with Helena.

Jacob Vargas is excellent as Manolo, Javier's partner who finds himself hanging out with Salazar's men only to get into trouble when he tries to reveal information to the DEA. D.W. Moffett is very good as Robert Wakefield's assistant while James Brolin is really good as Wakefield's predecessor who gives him a warning about the new role Wakefield is taking on. Amy Irving gives a fine performance as Barbara Wakefield, Robert's wife who knows about her daughter's secret but has no ways to stop Caroline's increasing addiction. Clifton Collins Jr. is great as Frankie Flowers, an assassin who provides information to Salazar under torture while helping out Helena in an assassination attempt on Eduardo Ruiz. Spaghetti Western legend Tomas Milian is great as the shady General Salazar as he provides charm and wit into his role. Topher Grace of That 70's Show is great as Seth, Caroline's boyfriend who provides commentary on drugs and its affects on the social standings.

Erika Christensen delivers a brilliant, haunting performance as Caroline Wakefield, a teenage girl who becomes a drug addict as Christensen brings all of the realism and angst to a troubled character. Dennis Quaid is excellent in a small role as Arnie, Carlos' lawyer and partner, who tries to handle things only to not have Elena involved. Miguel Ferrer is very good as Eduardo Ruiz, Carlos' associate who gets caught and demands immunity as he gives commentary about the DEA and their real role. Luis Guzman is great as Ray Castro, the DEA agent who tells jokes while providing some funny lines as he has wonderful scenes with Don Cheadle. Don Cheadle is superb as Montel Gordon, a DEA agent determined to get Carlos Ayala arrested as part of his job while being Eduardo Ruiz's protector. Catherine Zeta-Jones is wonderful as Helena Ayala, a woman who discovers her husband's true job as she steps up to take over and make moves that truly proved how loyal she is to her husband.

Michael Douglas is brilliant as Robert Wakefield, a man who becomes a drug czar who takes on a huge important role for the government unaware of the damage that his daughter is taking towards drugs. It's a brilliant role from Douglas as he plays a man in deep conflict while dealing with trouble at home. Finally, there's Benicio del Toro as Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez, a good cop facing corruption while trying to stop drugs and corruption around him. It's a fantastic role from del Toro as he brings a lot of restraint and wonderment to his character as man trying to do good, even if he has to question his own moral judgement.

Traffic is a haunting, gritty, and provocative film from Steven Soderbergh and company. Thanks to an all-star cast led by Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzman. This is truly a film that is original, fascinating, and with a message that isn't overbearing. Fans of Soderbergh definitely considers this as one of his finest films to date while it's also a great introduction to his filmography. In the end, Traffic isn't just one of the best films of the decade but also a haunting film that will surely be seen by audiences in the years to come.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizpolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean's Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011