Calvary (2014 film)

Written and directed by John Michael McDonough, Calvary is the story in the week of a life of a priest who starts to feel doubt following a threat from an anonymous man. The film isn’t just an exploration about faith but also doubt where a priest contends with those in his parish mocking its ideas while he is trying to help his troubled daughter who has recovered from a suicide attempt. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Kelly Reilly, Domhnall Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd, Isaach de Bankole, Dylan Moran, and Aidan Gillen. Calvary is a mesmerizing yet riveting film from John Michael McDonough.

Set in an entire week in a small town in Ireland, the film revolves a priest who receives a threat during confession stating that he will be killed on the next Sunday for sins that other priests had done to him when he was a child. The film is a study into a man’s life on what could be his final week as he receives a visit from his daughter who is recovering from a suicide attempt while he does his duty as a priest. Along the way, he deals with locals whom he suspects is the one making this threat while certain events would happen wouldn’t just test his faith but also raise questions about his own duties as a man.

Even as the character of Father James (Brendan Gleeson) is trying to be a good man and do good for others while being aware that he is very flawed. That is part of the brilliance in the film’s screenplay that John Michael McDonough creates where it’s not just a character study but also a mystery where Father James ponders who wants him dead and if he could really help this person. There are also characters who do see Father James help such as a millionaire named Michael Fitzgerald (Dylan Moran) who is going through a crisis of his own despite the fact that he’s an unpleasant man. At the same time, Father James deals with other things in his small town that makes him question his own faith.

McDonough’s direction is very engaging for the way he opens the film with this static shot of Father James listening to a confession from the person who would ruin him for an entire week. It lasts for a few minutes in an entirely unbroken take as it plays into the sense of dread that would loom throughout the film. While it is largely a suspense-drama, McDonough manages to put in a few quirks as it relates to the world that Father James is in as there are characters he encounters who are either good or just those that are immoral. McDonough’s approach to framing with his usage of wide and medium shots, along with close-ups, play into Father James own sense of detachment from what is happening to him as he struggles to find meaning into his role with the world. Especially as it relates to his own daughter Fiona (Kelly Reilly) who is seeking help as she becomes a reason for Father James to do something good as he is also trying to repair their own relationship in what could be his final days. Overall, McDonough creates an intriguing yet compelling drama about a priest’s encounter with doubt.

Cinematographer Larry Smith does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography in capturing not just the Irish landscapes and mountains but also in some of the scenes set at night for some intricate lighting including the interiors at the pubs where many of the characters go to. Editor Chris Gill does nice work with the editing as it is quite straightforward with a few stylish cuts to play into the air of suspense. Production designer Mark Geraghty and art director Fiona Daly do brilliant work with the look of the church that Father James works at as well as some of the places including the pub where most of the characters frequent. Costume designer Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh does wonderful work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the robes that Father James wears.

Visual effects supervisor Sheila Wickens does terrific work with the film‘s minimal visual effects for a dream sequence Father James would have involving his daughter as it plays into the events of what could be his last day. Sound editor Ian Wilson does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some sound effects for a few key scenes. The film’s music by Patrick Cassidy is amazing for its traditional-based Irish folk music along with some orchestral pieces to play into the drama while music supervisor Liz Gallacher brings in a soundtrack that doesn’t just feature traditional Irish folk music but also rock and blues music that Father James and some of the other characters listen to.

The casting by Jina Jay is fantastic as it features notable small performances from Domhnall Gleeson as a former pupil of Father James who is serving time for murder, Owen Sharp as a young boy named Leo, David McSavage as a bishop whom Father Jay turns to for guidance, Marie-Josee Croze as a Frenchwoman whose husband is critically injured from a car accident who turns to Father James for comfort, Killian Scott as a young man named Milo who is unsure of what to do with his life, Pat Shortt as a gay hustler who is having a thing with Father Leary, David Wilmot as Father James’ fellow priest Father Leary, Gary Lydon as a police inspector, and M. Emmet Walsh in a terrific performance as an American writer who is a friend of Father James. Other noteworthy small roles include Orla O’Rourke as the promiscuous Veronica who sleeps around with the men in the small town and Isaach de Bankole in a superb performance as the mechanic Simon.

Dylan Moran is brilliant as the self-loathing millionaire Michael Fitzgerald who tries to seek help from Father James only to display more of his own sense of hatred towards everything including the ideas of what money couldn’t buy. Aidan Gillen is excellent as an atheist doctor who likes to antagonize Father James with his views on the world in order to disprove the idea that God exists. Chris O’Dowd is amazing as the local butcher Jack who copes with his cheating wife Veronica while dealing with other things in the hopes he can find some answers with his own troubles. Kelly Reilly is remarkable as Father James’ daughter Fiona as a woman who is recovering from a suicide attempt as she seeks to try and repair her relationship with her father while watching him deal with his own sense of doubt. Finally, there’s Brendan Gleeson in a phenomenal performance as Father James as this priest who is dealing with a threat that would haunt him for the course of a week as he deals with doubt and other things that would shake his faith as it’s a very eerie yet powerful performance for Gleeson who is at the top of his game with this role.

Calvary is a sensational film from John Michael McDonough that features an incredible performance from Brendan Gleeson. Not only is it a captivating film about faith and doubt but also an eerie character study where a man whose job is to do good and help those is being shaken by dark forces around him. In the end, Calvary is a marvelous film from John Michael McDonough.

Related: The Guard

© thevoid99 2015

Shaun of the Dead

Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead is the story of a man trying to sort out his life while a zombie apocalypse emerges in London. The film is a humorous take on the zombie film genre where it pays tribute while putting its own spin where a man and his best friend try to fight off zombies with the small number of friends and family around them. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. Shaun of the Dead is a witty yet adventurous film from Edgar Wright.

Panic in the streets of London as a zombie apocalypse has taken over where an electronic store employee in a life crisis has to deal with this apocalypse. That’s essentially the premise of the film where it is told in a humorous manner where this man named Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his unemployed slacker friend Ed (Nick Frost) deal with this wave of zombies as Shaun and Ed try to save those they care about including Shaun’s girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield), her flat mates David (Dylan Moran) and Diane (Lucy Davis), Shaun’s mother Barbara (Penelope Wilton), and his stepfather Phillip (Bill Nighy) whom he has a tense relationship with. By hiding at the pub they like to hang out at, they try to evade the zombies where lots of trouble ensues involving Queen, a Winchester rifle, and all sorts of crazy shit. It’s a film that sort of pokes fun at the zombie apocalypse but infuse it with some human drama and laughter where a man deals with growing pains about where his life is going as well as the people who are his friends.

The screenplay by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg play into the idea of people trying to survive this zombie apocalypse where there’s a lot at stake that happens where some drastic decisions are to be made in order to survive. Still, there are these issues that involves the protagonist of Shaun who works at a job that doesn’t go anywhere as his best friend Ed is a total slacker. His girlfriend Liz is frustrated by Shaun’s lack of direction as she’s unaware that her flat mate David has feelings for her despite being with Diane. They all come together with Shaun’s family to evade the apocalypse where a lot of silly things happen where Shaun and his party have to pretend to be zombies in order to blend in to make it to a pub that they all go to. Still, they’re far from being safe where Wright and Pegg add this element of suspense and drama to occur where things intensify as does emotions that would involve Shaun’s relationship with his mother and stepfather.

The direction of Edgar Wright is very lively where Wright definitely pays tribute to the zombie film genre. Notably the films of George Romero who is the godfather of the zombie film genre where it has this energy in terms of horror and suspense but also mix it up with some humor. One key example of this moment of humor is a sequence where Shaun and Ed try to kill zombies with their record collection as they figure out what to throw out. Along the way, they realize what they have to do to kill the zombies and save those they care about as Wright doesn’t mind to portray Shaun and Ed as sort of dim-wits but they’re characters that are just too fun to watch. Even in the dramatic moments where Wright does use some effective framing devices to play up some of the tension and stakes that occur where he knows when not to use humor and put in some suspense instead. Overall, Wright crafts a very smart and extremely funny film that pays tribute to the zombie horror films.

Cinematographer David M. Dunlap does excellent work in creating some unique lighting schemes for many of the film‘s nighttime exterior and interior scenes while going for some straightforward though slightly tinted look for many of the daytime exterior and interior scenes. Editor Chris Dickens does fantastic work with the editing from the use of montages, rhythmic cuts, and some methodical cuts to play up the suspense and humor. Production designer Marcus Rowland and art director Karen Wakefield do terrific work with the set pieces from the house that Shaun and Ed live in to the pub that they hang out at. Costume designer Annie Hardinge does nice work with the costumes from the work clothes that Shaun works as well as the mostly casual clothes the characters wear. Makeup designer Jane Walker does amazing work with the look of the zombies.

Visual effects supervisor Jeremy Hattingh does fine work with the film‘s minimal visual effects that involve the scenes involving the zombies. Sound editor Julian Slater does superb work with the sound with the use of sound effects and scenes set in the pub. The film’s music by Pete Woodhead and Daniel Mudford do wonderful work with the film‘s music as it‘s mostly low-key and playful with its mix orchestral-based music and electronic backgrounds while music supervisor Nick Angel brings a fun soundtrack filled with songs by Chicago, the Smiths, Queen, the Specials, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Ash doing a cover of the Buzzcocks’ Everybody’s Happy Nowadays with Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin.

The casting by Jina Jay is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features cameo appearances from Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland of Coldplay, Martin Freeman as a co-worker of Shaun, Rafe Spall as a neighbor, Peter Serafinowicz as Shaun and Ed’s house-mate Pete who dislikes Ed, and Jessica Stevenson in a very funny performance as Shaun’s friend Yvonne who also tries to kill zombies. Bill Nighy is excellent as Shaun’s step-father Phillip who tries to get Shaun to be responsible while Penelope Wilton is wonderful as Shaun’s mother Barbara who tries to deal with the chaos of the zombies with Shaun’s help. Dylan Moran is terrific as Liz’s flat mate David who despises Shaun while dealing with the chaos of the zombies. Lucy Davis is hilarious as David’s girlfriend Diane who is an aspiring actress who tries to get everyone to act like zombies while doing her best to kill them.

Kate Ashfield is excellent as Shaun’s girlfriend Liz who tries to deal with Shaun’s immaturity and his friendship with Ed while helping him fight off the zombies. Nick Frost is brilliant as the slacker Ed who spends his time watching TV, play video games, and drink as he is this very witty man-child that seems to be a burden but is also quite resourceful and sympathetic. Finally, there’s Simon Pegg in a remarkable performance as Shaun as a man at a crossroads in his life where he realizes that he has to be responsible while saving those he cares for in this zombie apocalypse. Pegg’s scene with Frost showcase a great chemistry the two have where they definitely have a good time and create a comedy duo that is just fun to watch.

Shaun of the Dead is a magnificent film from Edgar Wright that features the marvelous performances of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film is definitely a comedy that sort of spoofs the zombie films but also add some humor, suspense, and drama to make it something much more. Even as it isn’t afraid to get gory or intense while knowing when not to laugh and give the people something to be engaged by. In the end, Shaun of the Dead is a spectacular film from Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - The World's End - Baby Driver - The Sparks Brothers - Last Night in Soho

© thevoid99 2013

Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com 12/26/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the novel Tristram Shandy by Laurence Stern, Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story is about the making of a film adaptation of Tristram Shandy where cast and crew deal with the impossible task of filming a novel that is deemed un-filmable. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce (under the Martin Hardy pseudonym), the film explores the story of Tristram Shandy as well as film's crew attempt to try and make this impossible film told by its lead actor Steve Coogan who plays the titular character along with Tristram's father and as a version of himself. Also starring Rob Brydon, Jeremy Northam, Ian Hart, Gillian Anderson, Kelly MacDonald, Naomie Harris, David Walliams, Dylan Moran, Keeley Hawes, James Fleet, Mark Williams, Stephen Fry, Kieran O'Brien, and Winterbottom regular Shirley Henderson. Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story is a witty satire from Michael Winterbottom.

Tristam Shandy talks about his own life and how his uncle Toby (Rob Brydon) got wounded where Tristam later received a similar injury when he was a child (Joe Williams). After discussing his birth and how he was conceived, the birth scene becomes a disaster as its director Mark (Jeremy Northam) is unsatisfied by the results. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon (as himself) go on break they argue over shoe sizes and height while the assistant director Ingoldsby (Mark Williams) frets over historical accuracy. Often accompanied by production assistant Jennie (Naomie Harris) and trying to be attentive to his girlfriend Jenny (Kelly MacDonald) and their baby, Steve works with Mark and screenwriter Joe (Ian Hart) try to figure out how to tell the story as they realize the difficulty in leaving things out. After an interview with Tony Wilson where Steve reveals what won't be covered, Wilson is enraged over the Widow Wadman story not being filled as Steve later deals with a journalist named Gary (Kieran O'Brien).

Dealing with his attraction towards Jennie, who reveals about a drunken affair they had the previous night, Steve tries to deal with all of the chaos of filming as the rushes for the battle scenes turned out not to be very good. Finally deciding to put the Widow Wadman story in the film, Steve suggests to producer Simon (James Fleet) to get Gillian Anderson for the part. Anderson accepts the role much to Rob Brydon's anxieties as he has a crush on Anderson. Everyone becomes nervous about Anderson's involvement while Rob learns his part is being expanded as Steve is fretting over that as well as Jennie's flirtations. More importantly, everyone else wonders how will this impossible story will be received as the final film.

It's true that adaptations and even biographies are hard to make into films, especially since they feature stories and subplots that readers seem to love. What Michael Winterbottom and his longtime screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce tried to do was make two different films. The first act being about Tristram Shandy and then the second act about making the film and the third is about the business of trying to make Tristram Shandy. While Boyce's structure is interesting along with its knack for British humor, the structure and humor isn't for everyone though Winterbottom brings a lot of satire to the film's second and third act. While the first act is an interesting yet funny film about a man's life, during the second and third act, it reveals that the life of this man is filled with so many stories. Especially in a 94-minute film is impossible to tell where it's hard to make the story of a man like Tristram Shandy where the film becomes a satire of where everything in the world of filmmaking goes wrong due to the egos of actors, the accuracy of costumes, and everything in between. The result is a funny, witty satire from Winterbottom and Boyce.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind does wonderful work with varied styles of photography to the arty, artificial style of Tristram sequences and scenes to the more documentary, hand-held approach towards the rest of the film. Production designer John-Paul Kelly and art director Emma MacDevitt do wonderful work in creating the period style of the 18th Century for the Tristram sequences while costume designer Charlotte Walter also does fine work in the look of the costumes where it's purposely is made to look foolish. Editor Peter Christelis does excellent work in playing with the film's structure while giving it a leisurely-pacing feel. Sound recordist Stuart Wilson does some excellent work in creating the sound to convey the atmosphere of the times and the documentary-style of the making-of stuff. The film's music is filled with an array of classical pieces from Antonio Vivaldi, Nino Rota, and Johann Sebastian Bach along with additional pieces from Michael Nyman and Edward Nogria.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with several actors playing themselves or caricatures of the film crew and producers. Featuring small yet notable and funny performances from Mark Williams as a historically-accurate assistant director, Keeley Hawes as Elizabeth Shandy/herself, Shirley Henderson as Susannah/herself, David Walliams as the hilarious parson, Stephen Fry as an eccentric historian, Paul Kynman as Shandy's assistant Obidiah, Dylan Moran as the dim Dr. Slop, Raymond Waring as cousin Trim, and Kieran O'Brien as the journalist Gary. Ian Hart is pretty funny as the screenwriter Joe who tries to re-write everything while Mark Hadfield is also good as another journalist named Leo. James Fleet and Jeremy Northam are excellent in their respectful roles as the producer and director Mark where Northam is really making fun of Michael Winterbottom. Tony Wilson and Gillian Anderson are excellent in their cameos as themselves with Anderson doing a great job as Widow Wadman. Joe Williams and Conal Murphy are really good as the child Tristram with their arrogant personality in believing that they're better actors than Steve Coogan.

Kelly MacDonald is wonderfully sweet as Coogan's girlfriend Jenny while Naomie Harris is witty as Coogan's assistant Jennie. The film's best supporting performance goes to Rob Brydon as Uncle Toby and himself. Brydon is the best comedic foil to Coogan as a supporting actor who suddenly is getting more attention to Coogan while dealing with the upcoming appearance of Gillian Anderson. Brydon steals every scene he's in as he also does some hilarious impressions of American actors. Finally, there's Steve Coogan in one of his funny roles as Tristram, his father, and himself. Coogan is truly a comedic genius with his straight-manner in how he narrates and tells the story while allowing himself to be humiliated in strange situations. This is truly Coogan's film as he brings the same kind of energy and wit that he did in 24 Hour Party People.

Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story is a fascinating, witty film from Michael Winterbottom and company. Though some might not get the film's British humor, fans of British comedy and the satire of filmmaking will indeed enjoy this. Thanks in large parts to the comedic talents of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon along with their supporting cast, it's a film that no doubt has the Winterbottom wit. Sadly, this film also marked the end of Winterbottom's collaboration with screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce where the two fell out during the making in which Boyce chose the Martin Hardy pseudonym. Still, Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story reminds them of their talent and great collaboration as writer and director.

Michael Winterbottom Films: (Rosie the Great) - (Forget About Me) - (Under the Sun) - (Love Lies Bleeding) - (Family (1993 TV film)) - (Butterfly Kiss) - (Go Now) - (Jude) - Welcome to Sarajevo - I Want You - (With or Without You (1998 film)) - Wonderland (1999 film)) - The Claim - 24 Hour Party People - In This World - Code 46 - 9 Songs - The Road to Guantanamo - A Mighty Heart - Genova - The Shock Doctrine (2009 film) - The Killer Inside Me - The Trip (2010 film) - (Trishna) - (Everyday) - The Look of Love - (The Trip to Italy) - (The Face of An Angel)

© thevoid99 2012