X-Men: Days of Future Past

Based on the X-Men comic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, X-Men: Days of Future Past is the story where the surviving members of the X-Men led by Professor X and his longtime nemesis Magneto ask Wolverine to go back in time to 1973 to stop an assassination that led to an all-out war on mutants as Wolverine would meet the younger Professor X and Magneto. Directed by Bryan Singer and screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story by Kinberg, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn, the film is a multi-layered story where Wolverine travels back in time in an attempt to save mutants as well as deal with what Magneto and Professor X were back then. Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, and Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a marvelous and sprawling film from Bryan Singer.

In a world where mutants are being exterminated by gigantic robots known as Sentinels, the film is about the small band of X-Men led by Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Leshnerr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) trying to survive the last days of the war. Upon learning that Kitty Pryde has the power to send people back in time through their consciousness, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers since he is the only one that is strong enough to withstand the rigors of time travel. Wolverine travels back to 1973 in order to convince the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) to come together and stop Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the Sentinels designer Bolivar Trask. While the remaining X-Men wait for the army of Sentinels to attack while protecting Logan and Kitty, Logan would face an even bigger battle in convincing Xavier and Erik to come together despite their major differences.

The film’s screenplay by Simon Kinberg explores not just the fragile relationship between the young Xavier and Erik as they’re driven apart by their own differences but also in how much their falling out has hurt them. For the young Charles Xavier, he has become a despondent and bitter man that mourns those he lost and cared for as he becomes addicted to a serum that allows him to walk but not use his powers. For Erik, he becomes far more angrier as he is locked 100 feet below the Pentagon for killing John F. Kennedy, though Erik claims he was trying to save him, while becoming more determined to ensure the mutants desire as the number one species. Then there’s Mystique who is the lost woman who also endured the loss of many friends as she is torn between the two ideals of Erik and Charles as she would also be ultimately responsible for the Sentinels program to come ahead and set the wave for the end of mutants.

The antagonist in Bolivar Trask isn’t really a villain but someone who wants to ensure peace in the world as he admires mutants but also fears them as he would create the Sentinels in the hope that it would save the human race. Yet, he would be unaware of what his creation would do as his impending death would only mean more trouble which adds to the dramatic stakes of the film. Wolverine becomes a much more prominent character in the film as he is someone that does carry a lot of emotional baggage as he understands what the younger Xavier, Erik, and Raven are going through. Just as Xavier had helped guide him when he was lost, Wolverine realizes he must do the same thing to the younger Xavier who had lost so much hope over everything as Wolverine has to remind him of an even bleaker future where the young Xavier would meet his older version as the latter needs him to hope again. It would prompt Xavier to reach out to Raven and Erik in the third act to tell them what is at stake in this very spectacular climax.

Bryan Singer’s direction is very sprawling in terms of not just the set pieces and different time periods that is presented. It’s also a film where it is about the stakes of a small number of mutants trying to survive this dystopian and apocalyptic world. Much of the direction has Singer not only use a lot of wide shots to display the look of a bleak world where the X-Men are in China awaiting for the last stand against the Sentinels. There’s also some unique medium shots where the characters are placed in the frame while Kitty is sitting in a chair as she is taking Wolverine back in time through his consciousness. Singer’s direction for the scenes set in 1973 has a mixture of different aspect ratios and footage as it plays to a place in time where things are less complicated but it’s in a world that is on the brink of Armageddon.

While Singer would inject some humors such as a very powerful sequence where Xavier, the young Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), and Wolverine help Leshnerr break out of prison with the help of a mutant known as Quicksilver (Evan Peters). It is still an action-suspense film where it takes place in various locations such as the U.S., France, China, and other places as it is a very worldly film where a lot is happening. Some of it would involve the fallout over the Vietnam War as well as this climax in Washington, D.C. where Xavier, Beast, and Logan have to stop Raven and Magneto in their separate pursuits to kill which is also showcase in parallel to the final battle between the X-Men and the Sentinels in the future. Overall, Singer crafts a very spectacular and engrossing film about a group of mutants trying to band together to stop their own extinction from happening.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the bleak look of fortress where the X-Men makes their last stand with its low-key lights to the more vibrant and colorful look of the scenes in 1973. Editor/music composer John Ottman does fantastic work with the editing with its stylistic approach to rhythmic cutting to play into the action and suspense while his music score is filled with some bombastic orchestral arrangements to play into suspense and drama while the soundtrack features songs from Roberta Flack, Jim Croce, and other artists from the 70s. Production designer John Myhre, with set decorator Gordon Sim and supervising art director Michele Laliberte, does amazing work with the set pieces from the Chinese fortress where the X-Men make their last stand to the prison that Magneto lived in as well as the school that Xavier used to run as it becomes a place of ruins.

Costume designer Louise Mingenbach does wonderful work with the costumes from the 70s clothing the characters wear in the 1970s sequence to the leather-uniform of the X-Men as they make their final stand. Visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers does brilliant work with the visual effects from the design of the Sentinels to the look of the dystopian world where the X-Men are at. Sound designers Craig Berkey, Warren Hendricks, and Chuck Michael, with co-sound editor John A. Larsen, do superb work with the sound from the way the Sentinels sound when they use their weapons to the layers of sound effects that occur in the action sequences.

The casting by Roger Mussenden is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Lucas Till as Havok, Josh Helman as a young William Stryker, Mark Camacho as President Richard Nixon, and Michael Lerner as a senator concerned about the Sentinels program. Other noteworthy performances that are major standouts include Omar Sy as Bishop, Fan Bingbing as Blink, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, Shawn Ashmore as Bobby/Ice Man, Adan Canto as Sunspot, Booboo Stewart as Warpath, and Halle Berry in a terrific performance as Storm as she helps lead the other mutants for the final stand. Evan Peters is fantastic as Quicksilver as a mutant who is known for his speed as helps out Wolverine, Hank, and Xavier retrieve Magneto while Nicholas Hoult is superb as the young Hank McCoy/Beast who watches the young Xavier while using his powers when he needed as he would often spar with Magneto.

Ellen Page is excellent as Kitty Pryde as the mutant who can walk and run through objects while having the ability to put mutants back in time through their consciousness as she deals with what she had to do. Peter Dinklage is pretty good as Bolivar Trask though his character is a bit underwritten as he’s not a full-fledge villain but one that is just simply afraid of mutants but also has admiration for them. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as Raven Darkholme/Mystique as a former companion of Xavier and Leshnerr who is torn between their respective ideals while eager to assassinate Trask unaware of what she will do and what will happen to her. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are amazing in their respective roles as the older Xavier and Magneto as two men who try to maintain their survival while displaying their own regret over the schism that tore them apart.

Michael Fassbender is brilliant as the young Magneto as a man who still filled with a lot of rage and frustration as he wants to wipe out the human race over not trusting the mutants while also wanting to kill Raven in an attempt to stop the future from happening. James McAvoy is incredible as the young Xavier as a young man ravaged by grief and bitterness as he refuses to see what lays ahead for him as he realizes the fears he has to face in order to save the world. Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in a remarkable performance as Logan/Wolverine as the mutant who can attack with his metallic claws and heal pretty fast as he is sent back in time to convince Xavier and Magneto to come together while being aware that he’s the last person that can convince them considering the emotional baggage that he carries.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a phenomenal film from Bryan Singer. Thanks to its ensemble cast, unique concept, and sprawling visuals, it’s a film that has all of the tropes of a blockbuster film while also being a film that is smart and not wanting to take itself too seriously despite its grim tone. It’s also a film that manages to stand on its own in comparison to films of the franchise where it shows some clips from previous films but also allows enough ideas into what to expect from the characters and such. In the end, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a sensational film from Bryan Singer.

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2014

The East (2013 film)

Directed by Zal Batmanglij and written by Batmanglij and Brit Marling, The East is the story about a young woman hired by a private intelligence firm to infiltrate a group of underground eco-terrorists. The film is an exploration into the world of anarchists where a young woman tries to see what they’re about and whether they’re doing something that is very noble. Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, and Patricia Clarkson. The East is a chilling yet gripping film from Zal Batmanglij.

The film is a suspense-thriller where a young woman who works for this private intelligence firm is hired to infiltrate an underground eco-terrorist group that has been attacking many corporations who have been known for their corruption. Upon infiltrating this group known as the East, Jane (Brit Marling) finds herself drawn to their cause as she realizes that their intention is to hurt these leaders and face the consequences of their actions. For Jane in her Sarah alias, she falls for the leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgard) as she learns more about his background as well as his associates in Izzy (Ellen Page) and Doc (Toby Kebbell). Particularly their motivations into being part of this group as Jane would report everything to her supervisor Sharon (Patricia Clarkson) but find herself in conflict with everything else she’s doing.

The film’s screenplay not only explores the conflicts that Jane/Sarah would deal with but also the sense of danger she is going into as she knows she’s getting too close to targeting Benji and the East. Yet, she realizes that the people they’re after are individuals who are responsible for ecological disasters that have killed or harmed innocent people through chemicals and such. Especially as Benji, Izzy, and Doc have been affected in some way over what has happened by these corporations as Jane becomes confused in helping them or helping Sharon who knows exactly what Jane is going through which adds an ambiguity to her character as she isn’t presented as a typical antagonist.

Zal Batmanglij’s direction is quite entrancing in the way he presents some of the attacks the East does where it’s very underground and secretive though their intention is to never kill anyone but rather hurt them. Much of the direction involve some hand-held shots as well as scenes where it adds to some of the elements of suspense where it’s shot around Shreveport, Louisiana to play into a world that is low-key but also has cities and such where Jane can go back to. Some of the compositions involve close-ups and medium shots where Batmanglij plays into the drama and suspense that includes a chilling moment in the film’s second act which involves Izzy and her motivations as it becomes a key turning point for Jane possibly wanting to help the East more. Overall, Batmanglij creates a very compelling and intoxicating film about an undercover agent who goes into deep into the world of an underground eco-terrorist group.

Cinematographer Roman Vasynov does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights for some of the scenes at night to some of the more natural setting in some of the forest scenes that is contrast to the lighting in the building that Jane works at. Editors Andrew Weisblum and Bill Pankow do amazing work with the editing with its usage of montages for the film‘s opening sequence to other array of stylish cuts to play into the film‘s suspense and drama. Production designer Alex DiGerlando, with set decorator Cynthia Slagter and art director Nikki Black, does superb work with the set pieces from the ruined house the East lives in to the more polished office and homes that Jane lives in when she‘s not undercover.

Costume designer Jenny Gering does nice work with the costumes from the polished clothes the East wears when they go undercover to the more ragged look when they‘re back at their secret home. Sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro does terrific work with the sound from the atmosphere of some of the antics the gang do to the quietness of the forest locations and where Jane lives. The film’s music by Halli Cauthery, with score themes by Harry Gregson-Williams, is wonderful for its mixture of electronic music and orchestral music to play into the film‘s suspense and drama.

The casting by Ronna Kress includes some notable small roles from Hillary Baack as a deaf-member of the East that Jane/Sarah befriends, Aldis Hodge as an aggressive member of the East, Han Soto as Sharon’s assistant, Jason Ritter as Jane’s husband, and Julia Ormond in a superb performance as a corporate official who deals with the same side effects that she’s been given during an attack by the East. Toby Kebbell is excellent as a doctor named Doc who deals with his illness as well as give reasons into why he became ill and his thirst for vengeance. Shiloh Fernandez is pretty terrible as the East member Luca as he looks like he just got out of a emo concert with too much eyeliner as he sometimes over acts in some intense scenes or looks like he’s about to take a shit.

Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Jane’s boss Sharon who keeps tabs on what Jane does while offering advice about getting to close and such. Ellen Page is fantastic as Izzy as this young woman who is wary about Jane joining the group only to have moment in the second half which reveals her reasons for being in the East. Alexander Skarsgard is brilliant as the leader of the East in Benji as a man who is determined to bring down corporations as there’s more to him than just some ragged, charismatic leader as Skarsgard brings this sense of humility and brooding persona to his role. Finally, there’s Brit Marling in an incredible performance as Jane/Sarah as an undercover agent trying to join the East and see what they’re up to as she becomes conflicted in doing her job as well as helping the East as it’s a role that is very understated yet engaging from Marling.

The East is a fantastic film from Zal Batmanglij that features remarkable performances from Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, and Patricia Clarkson. While it does have some conventional elements that is expected in a suspense-thriller, the film does offer some key insight into the world of eco-terrorism and their motives while adding some human elements into the story. In the end, The East is an extraordinarily powerful film from Zal Batmanglij.

Zal Batmanglij Films: (The Recordist) - Sound of My Voice

© thevoid99 2014

Hard Candy

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/31/06 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by David Slade and written by Brian Nelson, Hard Candy tells the story of a 14-year old girl whose chats with a 30-year old photographer on the Internet leads to a meeting in a coffee shop. Things start out innocently where suddenly, things start to take a turn for the worse. Set into a dark, thriller genre, Hard Candy is a film where the Lolita-character takes revenge only to confuse on who is the victim. Starring Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, and Sandra Oh. Hard Candy is a thrilling, provocative film from David Slade.

Chatting on the Internet in a discussion relating to sex, a 14-year old girl named Hayley (Ellen Page) wants to meet up with the person she's chatting with at a coffee shop. She waits at the shop carrying a book bag full of books where she meets a 30-something photographer named Jeff (Patrick Wilson). Jeff, is revealed to be the man she's been chatting with as the two go into discussion about photography, books, and music where she claims to be a fan of Goldfrapp and missed the show. He tells her that he has a bootleg back in his house and she wants to hear it. After buying her a t-shirt, Jeff decides to take Hayley to his house in the hills near Los Angeles. She sees his somewhat, posh house that included pictures of young women on the wall and a small studio.

After a conversation and talks about photos, Hayley decides to drink with Jeff where everything starts out innocently as he decides to take photographs of her. Then suddenly, he passes out and wakes up finding himself tied to a chair. Hayley then officially revealed her motives where she suspects that he's really a pedophile who shoots child pornography and hiding young girls where one of them is missing. He knows what she's talking about but claims that he's not the guy that's been capturing young girls. Immediately, the two go into a battle of mind games where he suspect that she's a young girl lashing out on her anger probably due to the neglect of her parents. She scoffs otherwise at his assumptions as she continues to try and make him confess about the missing girls.

Even as they engage in conversations about his role as an adult and herself as a kid, things get more tense in his attempts to escape where he's now tied up where she decides to perform a mental game of torture. The result makes him reveal a story as a kid where the suspicion of his possible pedophilia might be revealed as things start to wind down. After another attempt to escape falters, Hayley makes a deal with Jeff into doing where making things worse, his ex-girlfriend Janelle (Jennifer Holmes) has been called and a neighbor (Sandra Oh) is being suspicious after seeing Hayley on a roof earlier. Finally, the battle between the two comes to a point where ultimately, the truth is revealed with some damaging results.

The subject of pedophilia is something that not everyone will do but screenwriter Brian Nelson takes the subject as a revenge tale of sorts of a young girl wanting to go after a suspected pedophile and turns it into a thriller. With some stylized yet confrontational dialogue, the film moves as a psychological thriller where the audience is trying to understand the motives and truths behind everything. Then there's the stylized yet ominous direction of David Slade that captures everything with great intensity. The energy of some of the film's dramatic moments are captured while being aware that the film is really about characters and dialogue rather than a plot, which there isn't much of. Still, Slade's direction is amazing and fluid to create an atmosphere that is tense.

Helping Slade in his unique vision is cinematographer Jo Willems whose sharp color schemes in the film's first act ranging from the wooden look of the coffee shop, to the grainy brightness of the exterior parking lot to the more colorful look Jeff's house. Willems' photography is amazing in how it shifts from a normal color scheme to a more tinted, brighter, blueish color to convey something that is dramatic and stylistic. Editor Art Jones also plays to the film's stylistic approach with some wonderful editing that slows a few things down but during the film's intense moments involving action, the editing is fast and energetic while slowing down for more engaging shots. Production designer Jeremy Reed and art director Felicity Nove do wonderful work in the design of Jeff's studio and his house that plays to the film's eerie look and claustrophobic feel.

Costume designer Jennifer Johnson also plays to the film's color with Hayley's red hooded coat and the sexy clothing she wears early on to the gritty jeans that she wears in the second and third act. Sound editor Richard Taylor also adds to the film's claustrophobic tone with some eerie sounds that is accompanied by the eerie, plaintive score work of Harry Escott and Molly Nyman.

The film features a small cast that includes Odessa Rae (being credited as Jennifer Holmes) in the role of Jeff's girlfriend and a strange cameo from Sandra Oh of Grey's Anatomy and Sideways as a neighbor selling girl scout cookies and asking Hayley about a babysitting offer. Noted stage actor Patrick Wilson, whose previous works included The Alamo, Phantom of the Opera, and Angels in America gives a solid, complex performance as Jeff. Wilson's performance is brilliant as a man who starts off being a bit creepy yet charming only to become a victim where the audience end up sympathizing for him, even if he might or might not be a bad person. Still, it's a great performance from Wilson.

The film's real breakthrough is Ellen Page, a 19-year old Canadian with several Canadian and American TV movie and low-budget indies to her credit before appearing in recent films like Mouth to Mouth and X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Page brings an angst and innocence to her role where she starts off as this cute young girl reminiscent of early Natalie Portman. Then when Page goes into darker territory, her angst and energy is unstoppable and eerie to watch. Her multi-layered, engaging performance is something that is very unmatched with some of today's young actresses as Ellen Page proved to be the real thing.

Despite some uncomforting moments and unconventional tactics, Hard Candy is one of 2006's most uncompromising and provocative features. With Brian Nelson's script, David Slade's stylish directing, and the performances of Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson. This is a film that will shock audiences and will leave them uncomfortable while thinking about the horrors of pedophilia. In the end, Hard Candy isn't an easy film to swallow but definitely brings a lot of energy and style to the thriller genre.

© thevoid99 2013

To Rome with Love

Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, To Rome with Love is a multi-layered film with four different stories about people living or vacationing in Rome, Italy. Among these stories include a funeral director who unknowingly has singing talent, a man who becomes a celebrity for mysterious reasons, a couple on their honeymoon, and an architect who guides a young man into the world of love. All of which play into the fascination of the city. Also starring Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Judy Davis, Roberto Benigni, Alison Pill, Ornella Muti, and Penelope Cruz. To Rome with Love is an interesting but very lackluster film from Woody Allen.

The film revolves around four different stories all set in the city of Rome as it plays to the desires of various people and how it can be a bit overwhelming as well as the realization that not everything is as it’s cracked up to be. One story involves a revered architect (Alec Baldwin) who meets a young man (Jesse Eisenberg) who is living in the old apartment the architect lived as a student as he observes the young man’s obsession with a neurotic actress (Ellen Page). The second story is about an American woman who meets and falls for an Italian man as they announced their engagement where the woman’s father learns that his future son-in-law’s father has a gift for singing opera. The third story revolves around an ordinary business clerk (Roberto Benigni) who suddenly becomes a celebrity as he’s baffled by his new fame. The fourth and final story is about a couple who come to Rome for their honeymoon where the bride is suddenly lost in the city forcing the groom to hire a hooker (Penelope Cruz) to pretend to be his wife for his relatives.

While Woody Allen creates a very interesting concept that revolves around these four different stories that sort of cross-cuts from one another. The result as a whole is very messy. There’s parts in some of these stories that are funny and exciting but there’s also moments where it kind of drags and such that sort of loses steam. The story about the funeral director who only sings in the shower is quite interesting as it has a lot of humor which includes Allen playing the American girl’s father but the humor loses steam late in the story. The story about the architect guiding this young man about his love life is very troubled due to the writing where it becomes unclear where the architect is real or he’s just acting as a Greek chorus.

The story about this business clerk’s sudden new fame is also funny but it gets ridiculous as it goes on where some of the humor is forced. The segment about the newlywed couple who each venture into different journeys in Rome where the groom unexpectedly has a hooker hang out with his rich relatives while the bride spends time with a film actor is definitely the best of the four. All of these all play into people being fascinated by the riches and cultures of Rome yet it would all play to the idea that not everyone can endure all of these wonders as some just prefer something much simpler.

Allen’s direction is quite unique in the way he presents Rome as he makes it a major character in the film. Yet, it starts off with a very beautiful montage of cars driving through the streets of Rome where the camera stops on this traffic policeman (Pierluigi Marchionne) who comments about the wonders of Rome. Allen does create some dazzling compositions that plays to the beauty of the city as well as some moments where he wanted to keep things naturally funny. Yet, the script’s drawbacks does drag the story where Allen has a hard time keeping up with the momentum of some of the humor where some of it feels forced and unfocused. While the segment about the funeral director who can sing opera has some very spectacular moments including the staging of his operas where sings in a shower. It doesn’t do enough to make the film more engaging than it needs to be despite some of the moments in the newlywed couple segment. Overall Allen creates a very incoherent and underwhelming film about life in Rome.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography as it is filled with some gorgeous images of the city in the day and night as well as some of the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing in creating some lively montages while playing up to the film‘s unique narrative structure with some very inspired transitions. Production designer Anne Seibel, with set decorator Raffaella Giovannetti and art director Luca Trachino, does excellent work with the set pieces from the hotels and homes the characters stay at to the staging of the operas.

Costume designer Sonia Grande does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the red dress Cruz‘s hooker character wears. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound to play up some of the atmosphere of the locations including the sound of the funeral director singing in the shower at his home. The film’s wonderful soundtrack is filled with a lot of different blend of music ranging from jazz, classical, opera, and some Italian pop tunes that include various renditions of Volare.

The casting by Juliet Taylor, Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto, and Beatrice Kruger is amazing for the ensemble that is created for this film as it includes some small appearances from Riccardo Scamarcio as a hotel thief who tries to rob a movie star, Ornella Muti as a famous Italian actress, Antonio Albanese as the revered actor Luca whom the newlywed bride Milly is charmed by, Cecilia Capriotti as a sexy secretary who sleeps with Leopoldo over his fame, Monica Nappo as Leopoldo’s very simple wife, Lino Guanciale as a man Jack tries to set Monica up that would fuel his jealousy, famed Roman newscaster Cristiana Palazzoni as herself, and Pierluigi Marchionne playing himself as a charming traffic policeman. In the singing funeral director segment, Fabio Armiliato is great as Giancarlo as a simple funeral director with a great tenor voice who is reluctant to become an opera singer.

Flavio Parenti is terrific as Giancarlo’s son Michelangelo as is Alison Pill as Michelangelo’s American fiancee Hayley who tries to defend her father for what he wants to do. Judy Davis is pretty good as Hayley’s mother despite the fact that her character doesn’t get to do much while Woody Allen is funny as Hayley’s father who tries to launch Giancarlo’s career much to the chagrin of Michelangelo. Alec Baldwin is excellent as the revered architect who observes Jack’s fascination with Monica while giving Jack advice on what not to do. Jesse Eisenberg is quite fine as Jack as a young architect who falls for Monica. Greta Gerwig is alright as Jack’s girlfriend Sally though is quite underused while Ellen Page has her moments as Monica though the script doesn’t allow her to make her character more interesting as she’s just this neurotic actress who is kind of a poser.

Roberto Benigni is superb as a clerk who deals with his newfound celebrity where Benigni brings a lot of humor to his role as a man baffled by this new sense of fame. Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandra Mastronardi are wonderful as the newlywed couple Antonio and Milly who both take on unexpected journeys into Rome. Finally, there’s Penelope Cruz in a remarkable performance as the prostitute Anna who pretends to be Antonio’s wife while giving him advice on love and such as it’s a very lively performance from Cruz.

To Rome with Love is a very messy and often incoherent film from Woody Allen despite the beauty of its location and some funny moments from some of its cast including Roberto Benigni and Penelope Cruz. While it is definitely a lesser film from Allen, there are moments that showcase that he still has a few things to say no matter how overbearing it can be. In the end, To Rome with Love is a disappointing film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

Juno

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/30/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Jason Reitman and written by newcomer Diablo Cody, Juno is about a young girl from a small town who suddenly gets pregnant. Deciding to give the baby away to a couple, she begins to deal with the changes in her life and such. While Reitman's previous film was a satire on the tobacco industry, this film is more about a young girl's pregnancy and how her family and friends deal with this experience. Starring Ellen Page, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Olivia Thirlby, and Rainn Wilson. Juno is a charming, witty film from Jason Reitman.

Juno MacGuff is a 16-year old high school student who just discovered that she's pregnant after trying three pregnancy tests at a convenience store. Realizing the father is her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), she remembers that the conception happened out of boredom one night. Calling her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), she suggests that Juno to go to an abortion clinic but cold feet makes her change her mind. With help from Leah, Juno searches for the Penny Savers to find a couple to give the baby up for adoption. After finding the right couple, Juno tells her father Mac (J.K. Simmons) and step-mother Bren (Allison Janney) about her pregnancy and plans to give it up for adoption.

Juno and Mac then meet the couple they're going to give the baby to in the form of middle-class, posh suburban Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) as Juno just wants to give the baby away. Though she is amused by their yuppie lifestyle, she learns Mark is a music composer for commercials with love for alternative rock and old-school horror films. While Vanessa is excited about having a baby, Mark seems more interested in his own world as he and Juno bond over music and horror films. With support from Mac and Bren, Juno deals with her newfound role as a 16-year old pregnant teenager while her friendship with Paulie is becoming shaky as they hope to reform their old band. Hanging out with Mark, Juno learns about their previous attempts to adopt when she and Leah meet Vanessa at the mall and her love for children.

By the spring and in the final stages of the pregnancy, Juno learns that Paulie might go to the prom with Katrina De Vroot (Ashley Whillans), a girl Paulie claimed he doesn't like. A falling out ensues as Juno decides to meet Mark where she learns about his relationship with Vanessa starting to falter. The sense of disillusionment over adulthood and love force Juno to confront with realities she is too young to face as she tries to find a way to deal with everything. Even as her child is about to come out.

If a film about teenage pregnancy was done in a Hollywood style, it wouldn't work because it's tendency to sugarcoat something or make an entire situation look very silly. Yet, in the mind of director Jason Reitman and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, this is a film that doesn't pander down to Hollywood conventions or anything that's expected for a typical teenager. Instead, the whole film feels very real yet is done with a lot of sarcastic humor and realism, particularly in how high school is. Juno is a character who is essentially a loner with a few friends though she and Leah are in different social circles. Yet, Juno gets by with her own sarcasm, love of punk rock and alternative music, and her individuality that is both her strength and weakness.

Screenwriter Diablo Cody does a fantastic job with this amazing screenplay that is filled with a lot of heart, humor, and moments that audiences can relate to. Whether it's life in high school or dealing with adult situations that a 16 year old might not handle at all. Cody's script is very smart in the way characters are developed and such, notably the character of Vanessa. She's a woman who might seem like a typical, WASP-like character who is so giddy about having a child. Yet, when Juno gets to know her, there's a whole lot more to Vanessa as this woman who wants to be a mother. It's part of Cody's study of character that reveals that even though Juno is this kind of smart-aleck teenage girl, she is a real teenage girl that teenagers can relate to.

This is where Jason Reitman's direction is at it's best. While Reitman’s approach to humor is more subtle than his father, he really takes a huge step forward as far as approaching a film like this. Whereas his debut film Thank You for Smoking was a satire that was stylish yet worked in some parts, Juno really shows Reitman taking his direction to a more intimate level. It doesn't look overlit or forced so the result seems relaxed and natural that includes a wonderful opening credit sequence that's done in animation. Even the compositions are great to emphasize the moments of drama and humor as Reitman really shines with his direction that is overall solid.

Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does an excellent job with the film's cinematography that has a more natural look with wonderful colors and grey-like footage to showcase the differing look of the seasons from autumn to summer. Whereas the entire film has this look that is colorful yet desolate, it works to convey the look as well as the mood of the film. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does great work with the film's editing to convey the film's quirky tone with the use of jump-cuts and fade-outs to work the film's structure and changing of the seasons. Production designer Steve Sakland along with art directors Michael Diner and Catherine Schroer do great work in presenting the different places of Juno's world from the posh-like suburbia of the Lorings, the rooms of Leah and Paulie, to the working-class home of the MacGuff family that is very real with loads of props including the cheeseburger phone that is actually owned by screenwriter Diablo Cody.

Costume designer Monique Prodhomme does excellent work with the look of the high school track clothes that Paulie wears with those yellow short-shorts, red shirt, and yellow headband. It's funny and a bit creepy while the overall costume works to convey the personalities of each character. Sound editors Barney Carbal and Perry Robertson do a fantastic job with the film's sound, notably a scene of dramatic tension at the abortion clinic that forces Juno to make a drastic decision that works for laughs and such. The film's folky score by Matt Messina with chimes and such is wonderful plaintive as it conveys a Hal Ashby like feel reminiscent of his 1971 classic film Harold & Maude that featured the music of Cat Stevens.

The soundtrack is amazing and definitely one of the year's best. Featuring songs by Kimya Dawson and her former band the Moldy Peaches, the soundtrack is wonderful in conveying Juno's quirky little world that also features music from Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters' Superstar, Belle & Sebastian, the Kinks, Buddy Holly, Cat Power, the Velvet Underground, and Mott the Hoople's classic song All The Young Dudes written by David Bowie. It's a great soundtrack that is similar to the style of the film soundtracks of Wes Anderson but with a great selection while the music is used to great effect.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with small roles from Ashley Whillans as Katrina De Vroot whom Juno refers to as Soupy Sales, Kaaren de Zilva as an Ultrasound technician, Steven Christopher Parker and Candice Accola as Juno's lab partners who were fighting each other in a scene, Valerie Tian as Juno's schoolmate Su-Chin who is an abortion protester, Darla Vandenbossche as Bleeker's mom, and Sierra Pitkin as Juno's little sister Liberty Bell. Emily Perkins of Ginger Snaps fame makes a great appearance as pierced receptionist who looks very punk and twisted while Rainn Wilson is funny as a convenience store clerk who makes funny remarks to Juno's pregnancy.

Newcomer Olivia Thirlby is excellent as Juno's sexy best friend Leah, a cheerleader who helps Juno in finding the right parents while having to be one of her few real friends during this moment as Leah is also interested in old, adult teachers. Allison Janney is great as Juno's step-mother Bren who might seem like a typical mother but has her funny one-liners as she supports her step-daughter while saying the right, funny things in the film. J.K. Simmons is also great and funny as Mac MacGruff, an old army veteran who supports his daughter while giving her quirky advice on life and such. Jason Bateman is wonderful as Mark Loring, a man not sure about being a father as his desires to be a rock musician is in conflict as he desperately tries to hold on to his youth.

Jennifer Garner is amazing as Vanessa Loring, a loving, caring woman whose desires to be a mother is in conflict as she is pondering about her own maternal instincts despite her cheery personality. Garner may not have moments of humor but she holds her own as a woman who realizes she might have what it takes. Michael Cera is a joy to watch as Paulie Bleeker, this skinny kid wearing short-shorts who represents the kind of awkwardness of this young man who knows isn’t ready to be a father while trying to deal with being a young man growing up. Cera's performance is great while he does look fantastic in those yellow short-shorts, red shirt, and yellow bandana.

Then there's Ellen Page in what has to be one of the year's best performances by an actress. The 20-year old Canadian actress definitely shows her range as this quirky, offbeat young woman who tries to deal with this new reality while making her way in life through her sarcasm. Page's performance is a knock-out as she not only carries the film with such ease as well as natural humor and depth into playing a real-life teenager. This is truly Ellen Page's film all the way as she makes a star-making turn in this great performance.

Juno is a flat-out humorous, sweet, entertaining, and realistic film from Jason Reitman and company led by Ellen Page's winning performance and a funny script from Diablo Cody. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a superb soundtrack, it's a film that has a nice mix of humor and drama about teenage pregnancy without all of the sentimental mush that often revolves around these films. In the end, Juno is a phenomenal film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2011

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/28/06 w/ Extensive Re-Edits & Revisions.

When the X-Men comic books finally became feature films in 2000 with director Bryan Singer in the helm. The response at first was mixed but positive since it brought new fans a nice introduction to the cast of the X-Men team while giving Australian actor Hugh Jackman a real breakthrough as Wolverine. In 2003, Singer reunited with most of the cast for the sequel called X2: X-Men United that not only received better reviews but spectacular box office numbers as fans praised the film for a stronger story, more characters, and better performances from the cast. What really shocked fans in the second film was the sacrificial death of one of the story's major characters in Jean Grey. Yet, when fans heard she would return as the Dark Phoenix, it was clear that the X-Men franchise was getting into better storylines.

Unfortunately, plans for the third film was becoming very troubled as the development for the story was troubling as Bryan Singer chose to leave the franchise with his team to work on the much-delayed Superman movie. Problems also occurred when Halle Berry chose to leave the franchise for her own attempt in stardom but after 2004's Catwoman got destroyed in the box office, she returned awaiting to see who would become the new director. After Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn was signed on and then chose to leave, Rush Hour director Brett Ratner came into the helm where to some fans, it leaves a lot of worries but Ratner ensured that he wouldn't screw it up. With the focus on the Dark Phoenix plot and the war between the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood in the story, X-Men 3: The Last Stand is well underway.

With a screenplay by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg with Brett Ratner as director, X-Men 3: The Last Stand revolves around a vaccine that cures the mutation gene which gives mutants the chance to be cured. While neither Magneto or his former friend Charles Xavier are fond of the cure, it only increases Magneto's hatred for humans even more as he declares a war against them. Making things worse for the X-Men team is the re-discovery of Jean Grey's body that has evolved into something far worse as she becomes the Dark Phoenix who joins the Brotherhood. With the X-Men short on allies, it's up to Xavier, Logan, Storm, and company to save the humans and make a stand against the Brotherhood.

Returning from the previous parts of the franchise are Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Cudmore, Ian McKellen, Aaron Stanford, and Rebecca Romijn. Joining the new cast are Ben Foster, Kelsey Grammer, Ellen Page, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams, Josef Sommers, Dania Ramirez, Vinnie Jones, and Cameron Bright. X-Men 3: The Last Stand has its moments but is a very un-compelling, messy film.

A new U.S. President (Josef Sommers) has maintained peace with mutants by being open to their cause with from its Secretary of Affairs in Hank McCoy/Beast (Kelsey Grammer).  When news about a cure for the mutant gene developed by Warren Worthington II (Michael Murphy), McCoy is worried as he turns to his old mentor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) about the cure and its source in a young mutant named Jimmy (Cameron Bright).  Xavier worries that it will give his old friend Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) more reasons to fight as his comrade Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) has been captured.  With Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) helping to train young mutants for combat, both are unsure if their pupils are ready with Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) still in mourning over the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

With news of the cure reaching Xavier's school, mixed feelings arrive among everyone though Rogue (Anna Paquin) sees it as a good thing as she isn't fond of her powers.  Even as her boyfriend Bobby/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) has been taking interest towards Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (Ellen Page).  Magneto meanwhile, uses the news of the cure as a rallying cry to forge the Brotherhood with help from his new protege Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and other new mutants in Callisto (Dania Ramirez) as they help retrieve Mystique along with a couple of mutants in Multiple Man (Eric Dane) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones).  When Scott goes to Alkali Lake where Jean has reappeared as Xavier senses Jean only to realize something is right.  Logan learns that Xavier used psychic blocks to prevent a dark personality in Jean in order to protect her as Logan's feelings for her lead to an escape.

With Magneto realizing that Jean is alive and more powerful, he tries to get her to his side as Xavier pleads to not to let her dark side control her while Logan and Storm try to fight off Magneto's Brotherhood.  Following a devastating loss and pondering what to do, Logan tries to find the Brotherhood and what Magneto is up to while Warren Worthington's mutant son Warren III (Ben Foster) joins the school as he helps out.  After returning from Magneto's secret base and learning his plans, Logan, Storm, and Hank along with younger, trained mutants decide to fight Magneto and his Brotherhood and the more dangerous Jean who is now Phoenix.

When the X-Men franchise was in the hands of Bryan Singer and his team, it allowed Singer to get a chance to develop the characters and create something that was more than a typical blockbuster action film.  Singer's departure along with his team changes things as the franchise goes into the hand of a much more commercial filmmaker in Brett Ratner.  While Ratner does have a good ear for humor and knows how to get the ball rolling.  The problem is that he along with screenwriters Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg cram too many ideas, storylines, and exposition into a film that becomes very messy.  The script doesn't allow the audience to figure out what's going on or to slow the story down.  Even as there's too many characters to follow where things needed to be simplified or have some of central figure to follow.

Ratner's direction does have a few excellent moments such as the training scene as well as some intimate scenes at Xavier's school.  For the rest of the film, it seems uninspiring and overblown at times.  The action scenes move a little too fast while the dramatic moments comes across as cheesy and unnecessary.  While Ratner does try to put some humor in scenes where he gets one notable humorous action moment right, the rest of it doesn't seem to work.  A lot of the big action moments don't feel very natural as the overall film is an excessive mess that doesn't stretch itself or simplify things for its audience. 

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does an OK job with the photography though at times, he goes overboard with visual flair and digital coloring that makes the film seem unnatural in its look. Production designer Ed Verraux does excellent work in creating the look of the school and the meeting of the Brotherhood through its forests where most of it is shot in Vancouver. Visual effects supervisor John Bruno and team do great work on the visual effects, notably the final battle sequence and Magneto's movement of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sound designer Craig Henighan also does excellent work on the sound while editors Mark Goldblatt, Mark Helfrich, and Julia Wong do a decent job in the cutting work in giving the story some speed although the fast cuts tend to lose sight on the story.

Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does great work on the costumes while giving the X-Men suits a new look of sorts while make-up supervisor Rosalina Da Silva and her team do great work on the makeup, particularly for the character of Beast. John Powell also does good bombastic work on the film's score that plays up to the intensity of the action as well as the dramatic moments of the film.

The film's cast features some great, small performances from Anthony Heald as an interrogator, Haley Ramm as the young Jean Grey, Cayden Boyd as the young Warren III, and the cameos of Stan Lee, Olivia Williams as an associate of Xavier, and the voice of R. Lee Emrey. Bill Duke as General Trask and Josef Sommers as the President are decent in their brief roles while Oscar nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Rao is sorted of wasted in a thankless role. Michael Murphy is also good while Ben Foster is OK as Angel though he doesn't get much to do. Omahyra and Eric Dane are memorable in their role as Brotherhood mutants while Daniel Cudmore is somewhat wasted as Colossus since he only gets one line in the film. Rebecca Romijn is also wasted as Mystique since by the first 20-30 minutes, she's gone which is a shame to a very enjoyable character that only Romijn could do. Cameron Bright is terrible as Jimmy as he spends most of the film giving the creepy gaze that he's always done in a lot of his performances.

Dania Ramirez is awful as Callisto as she tries to be all tough when it doesn't really work as her dialogue delivery is very amateurish.  James Marsden's role as Cyclops is also brief as only becomes a plot device in the part of Jean Grey's evolution as Phoenix. Of all the newcomers to join the film, Ellen Page, in her brief moments, is a real standout in the role of Kitty Pryde as she reveals all the insecurities and attitude in what it takes to be a mutant of power.  Shawn Ashmore also stands out as Iceman as he develops from a character who finally gets to use the full potential of his powers for the use of good as he has a great scene with Aaron Stanford. Stanford really shines as Magneto's new right-hand man who apparently still has a lot to learn about morals in his scenes with Ian McKellan. Vinnie Jones is another big standout in the role of the Juggernaut as he has some great, hilarious one-liners and some cool moments where he quotes, "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!"

Of all the new actors to join the series, Kelsey Grammer is very good combining his intellectual wit that he brought from Frasier to the role of Beast. Grammer brings full advantage of a mutant who understands both prejudice and intolerance while he got to do some amazing fight scenes as well. Anna Paquin, unfortunately, despite her efforts couldn't make Rogue into a strong character that was expected from the comic book fans. Paquin is forced to act frustrated and lonely as she ends up being really wasted after having a flawed if strong performance in the first film. Ian McKellan is great, as usual, in the role of the villainous Magneto whose fury upon the humans reveals his prejudice and how blind he's become from the person he was early in the film's first few minutes in a flashback scene. Patrick Stewart is also great as the more tolerant Charles Xavier whose fear of Jean’s full powers show that he's a flawed man trying to do what is right for everyone including his students.

Famke Janssen delivers a good as Jean Grey/Phoenix as a woman whose emotional and mental disability clashes with the woman that fans knew in the previous film and the dark, maniacal Phoenix. Janssen reveals the troubles of the character full-on as it's a woman we all know we don't want to mess with but have pity for. Halle Berry is good as Storm can do and delivers a kick-ass performance by flying, shooting out lightning, and doing all sorts of stuff though her dramatic moments are weak due to the script's shortcomings. The franchise's breakout star Hugh Jackman is good though not great as Wolverine as he does what he's expected to do though he's not really given the chance to be more out there as it's a step-down from the more developed role he had in the previous film.

Despite some decent moments and some performances, X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a very disappointing film in the X-Men franchise.  Blame should go to Brett Ratner for just trying to do too much and give people what they want except giving them a cohesive story and a central story to focus on.  It's no doubt it's the weakest of the first three films though it's not the worst film of the X-Men franchise which goes to the debacle that was the prequel X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.  It's a film that does have some entertaining moments but not enough to satisfy its fans who enjoyed the previous films as X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a full-blown mess. 

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011

Whip It

In an age where young girls are given to look a certain way and act in a certain way. One of the most daring films to come out in 2009 came from one of American cinema’s most revered actresses in Drew Barrymore. Though known for her days as a child star with films like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Firestarter and later solidifying herself as one of the top-draw actresses of the late 90s and early 21st Century. Barrymore took a step further into her role outside of acting as made her own directorial debut with a film based on the world of roller-derby called Whip It.

Based on the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, Whip It tells the story of a 17-year old girl from the fictional Bodeen, Texas as she wants to escape a world of beauty pageants that her mother wants to compete in. When she and a friend go to Austin and check out the world of roller-derby, she takes in finding the escape she needed. Directed by Drew Barrymore with Cross writing the screenplay, the film is a tale of a teenage girl finding her own voice while trying to deal with her strict, caring mother. Starring Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell, Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Carlos Alban, Juliette Lewis, Ari Graynor, Andrew Wilson, Landon Piig, Drew Barrymore, and Marcia Gay Harden. Whip It is an extraordinary yet touching film from Drew Barrymore.

Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) is a 17-year old high school student from Bodeen, Texas who is unsure what to do with her life. With her mother Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden) trying to get her to win a local beauty pageant that she won many years ago. Bliss’ attempts at rebellion by dyeing her hair blue has only baffled her mother while her dad Earl (Daniel Stern) wonders what is up with Bliss. When Bliss isn’t at school, she works at a local restaurant with best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) and their boss Birdman (Carlos Alban). Then one day on a trip to Austin with her mother and younger sister Shania (Eulala Scheel), Bliss finds a flyer for a roller-derby exhibition as she and Pash decide to go without telling their parents.

Bliss’ discovery of the world of roller-derby becomes life-changing as she saw a match between the two-time reigning champions the Holy Rollers led by Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis) against the rag-tag Hurl Scouts. Though the Hurl Scouts lost, Bliss was still impressed by their no-holds-barred attitude as the team consisted of Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), Rosa Sparks (Eve), Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell), and Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore). After Maggie suggests that Bliss should try out, Bliss does though she had to wear her old Barbie doll skates where she manages to impress the Hurl Scouts coach Razor (Andrew Wilson) as she along with the Manson sisters (Kristen Adolfi and Rachel Piplica) to join the team. While Bliss decides to hide her new role as a roller derby girl from her parents, only Pash and Birdman know with Pash helping along.

With Bliss playing her first game as Babe Ruthless, she manages to impress the fans along with her teammates even though they lost. Bliss and Pash goes to a party that included many in the scene. Among them was the game’s announcer “Hot Tub” Johnny Rocket (Jimmy Fallon) and a local musician named Oliver (Landon Piig) who Bliss falls for. While the party was fun, Bliss still had to deal with her mother’s desire for Bliss to succeed at an upcoming beauty pageant. Bliss found escape when Oliver visited as a relationship starts to blossom while realizing that the Hurl Scouts really wanted to win some games. Thanks to Bliss’ speed and Razor’s new plays, the Hurl Scouts start to become winners as things are going great. Even as Bliss becomes the league’s new poster girl. Then one night after a game, the league gets in trouble with the fire marshal as Bliss manages to leave with Oliver though Pash got arrested for carrying alcohol.

Though Bliss would have a romantic night with Oliver, she comes home where her parents found out what she’s been up to. Bliss leaves home as she tries to call Oliver while Iron Maven finds out that Bliss lied about her age to the league as she threatens to reveal the truth. With things starting to fall apart and the championship game is underway, Bliss tries to mend fences with her mother and Pash. Even as Earl discovers more about Bliss’ role in the roller-derby circuit as he goes to the Hurl Scouts for help about the upcoming game.

While the film is a mixture of a sports comedy as well as a light mother-daughter drama, it’s really about a young girl trying to find her place in the world while seeking the approval of her mother. Still, screenwriter Shauna Cross goes deep into the world of roller-derby and why it was able to attract someone as out of place as Bliss is. For Bliss, it’s not that she despises the world of beauty pageant entirely. She’s just trying to find some escape not just from well-meaning but demanding mother but also from the dull world that is Bodeen, Texas.

Another reason for Bliss to enter this rough-and-tumble world of roller derby is to find an outlet where she can be tough and deal with whatever people she has to deal with at home like a fellow pageant contestant/cheerleader or Iron Maven, the roller-derby queen. Though Maven isn’t a traditional antagonist, she is someone who feels a bit threatened by Bliss’ arrival while would be the one who discovers her true age. Bliss also discovers first love in a young rock musician named Oliver who would be the one to help get out of her shell but also put her in reckless situations that would nearly cost her friendship with Pash.

Cross’ screenplay is wonderful not just for its structure but also in character development. It’s not just Bliss that starts off as a nerdy outsider who turns into a badass, confident young woman. It’s also her mother Brooke who is this woman that has aspirations for her daughter to have a much better life than she had. Though she works as a mail carrier and likes to put Bliss into the world of beauty pageants, she always had the best intentions though not in the right way. Even though her husband Earl gets a bit smothered by Brooke, he is still able to be by her side when Bliss’ secret is revealed. Yet when she finds Bliss wallowing over Oliver, Brooke becomes the kind of woman that everyone expects in a mother and more as she also loosens up a bit.

Cross’ screenplay succeeds in not just fleshing out characters and create some funny and inspiring moments. It also gives Drew Barrymore a chance to create a film that brings Cross’ story to life. Barrymore’s direction is mostly straightforward with her presentation towards comedy and light-drama. Yet, she makes sure that the story the audience is telling is about not just Bliss but also the relationship with her mother and her friends. Barrymore always keeps the camera moving though still when it comes to conversation scenes with the Hurl Scouts. The scenes where the roller-derby is taking place definitely is one of the film’s highlights as she always has the camera following the action. Whether it’s from the viewpoint an audience member watching from the nose-bleed seats or inside the roller-derby stage.

Barrymore also allows the audience to relax and enjoy a few sequences and the scenery of where the film takes place. Notably Austin for some scenes as it was mostly shot in suburbs of Detroit. Still, Barrymore was able to give the idea that it could’ve been shot anywhere near Austin since it’s a lively place. While the film does play up to a few formulas expected in a coming-of-age film, Barrymore is able to play around with it while maintaining the heart of the story of a young girl finding her own identity. Overall, this is definitely a solid yet entertaining directorial debut for Drew Barrymore.

Helping Barrymore with her vision is famed Wes Anderson cinematographer Robert Yeomen. Yeomen’s photography is filled with an amazing array of colorful shots for many of the film’s exterior settings along with wonderful steadicam shots for the roller derby scenes. While it may not have the blaring looks that he did for Wes Anderson, Yeomen does create some inspiring work. Notably the pool scene where blue lights and dark shading around the pool is truly inspiring as Yeomen really captures something magical with that scene.

Editor Dylan Tichenor does a very good job with the film’s editing by maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Even as he create some great sequences which includes Bliss’ training montage set to the .38 Special song Caught Up In You. It’s definitely masterful in what is expected for a genre-bending coming-of-age comedy while it also plays up to the intensity of the roller-derby scenes.

Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh and set decorator Meg Everist do an amazing job with the look of the Roller Derby rink as well as the restaurant that Bliss works in which includes a large pig on top of the building. Costume designer Catherine Marie Thomas does excellent work with the costumes including the pageant dresses and the costumes that the roller derby girls wear. Sound editor Christopher Scarabosio does some fantastic work with the sound that includes the intense atmosphere of the roller derby with the crowd roaring along with the sounds of roller skates driving through the rink. It’s definitely something that is expected in a rousing yet fun film with that kind of sound.

The film’s score by the Section Quartet is mostly a low-key score with serene string quartet pieces to play up a bit of the film‘s light-drama. Helping with the film’s soundtrack is music supervisor Randall Poster as he creates a truly diverse soundtrack filled with all kinds of music. From old-school acts like the Ramones, Dolly Parton, .38 Special, and the Breeders to indie acts like MGMT, Jens Lekman, the Raveonettes, the Go Team!, Peaches, Har Mar Superstar, and many others. It’s definitely a killer soundtrack that has something for everyone.

The casting by Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis-Wagner is definitely a real highlight as there are numerous standouts in various small roles. Whether its Sarah Habel as the bitchy high school queen Corbi, Shannon Eagen as the friendly pageant contestant Amber, Doug Minckiewicz as Corbi’s boyfriend Colby, and indie music performer Har Mar Superstar as a rival coach. They all bring something memorable to their roles. Other notable small roles include Carlos Alban as Bliss and Pash’s restaurant manager Birdman, Eulala Scheel as Bliss’ younger sister Shania, Kristin Adolfi and Rachel Piplica as the Manson Sisters, Ari Graynor as roller derby queen Eva Destruction, and Jimmy Fallon as the very funny roller derby MC “Hot Tub” Johnny Rocket.

Andrew Wilson is very good as the Hurl Scouts coach Razor with his silly jean-shorts look and his ability to create excellent plays. Landon Piig is pretty good as Oliver, Bliss’ rocker love interest who helps Bliss explore more of herself though would play a part into her own individuality. Zoe Bell is wonderful as the tough Bloody Holly while Eve rocks as the no-nonsense Rosa Sparks. Drew Barrymore is hilarious as Smashley Simpson who acts like a ditz and often does silly things on and off the rink. Kristen Wiig is great as Maggie Mayhem, the straight person of the Hurl Scouts who gives Bliss some advice about what mothers go through in raising kids. Juliette Lewis is also great as Bliss’ roller-derby rival Iron Maven as a tough woman who feels threatened by Bliss’ arrival while wanting to be a funny sort of bully.

Daniel Stern is phenomenal as Earl, Bliss’ dad who has to deal with his neighbor and his football-playing sons while wanting to escape his wife’s strict world. Stern hasn’t had a big major role in years as it’s definitely a reminder of what a great actor he is as he also delivers some of the film’s funniest one-liners. Alia Shawkat is superb as Pash, Bliss’ best friend who helps her become a roller-derby player only to feel slighted when Bliss goes further into the world of roller-derby and Oliver. It’s definitely a fantastic supporting performance as Shawkat can be funny and also serious in a role that could’ve been clichéd.

Marcia Gay Harden is amazing as Brooke, Bliss’ strict though well-meaning mother. Harden exudes all of the motherly traits that her character needed as she is someone who wants the best things for Bliss that she never had as a child. Harden even gets a chance to be funny while allowing her character to break away from her strict shell as it’s definitely one of her best performances to date. Finally, there’s Ellen Page in what is certainly a remarkable performance. While she doesn’t spew quirky lines or act in a stylized manner that she did in her breakthrough role in 2007’s Juno. It’s definitely a much more interesting performance as she plays a more realistic girl trying to find her place in the world. Page brings some humor to the role along with some drama as she makes Bliss Cavendar into a real, lively character. Even as it allows Page to play sexy in a non-conventional manner. It’s definitely one of Page’s finest performances yet.

Whip It is an extraordinary, fun debut film from Drew Barrymore that features a radiant performance from Ellen Page. Armed with a great ensemble cast that includes Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Juliette Lewis, and Alia Shawkat. It’s the kind of film that brings laughs, real situations, and lots of roller-derby action that audiences can cheer for. It’s also the kind of film that brings a lot of girl-power that is lacking in today’s world of overly-beautiful women that not many could relate to. In the end, Whip It is a phenomenal debut film from Drew Barrymore and company.

© thevoid99 2011

Inception

Ever since scoring a breakthrough with 2000’s Memento, Christopher Nolan has been considered to be one of the finest new directors making films at this time. 2002’s remake of 1997 Norwegian film Insomnia ensured Nolan’s place as one of the top new directors as he was selected to revive the Batman film franchise. In 2005, Batman Begins was released to a lot of acclaim as did its 2008 sequel The Dark Knight that is currently the third highest grossing film in the U.S. While 2006’s The Prestige was a break from the franchise that also maintained Nolan’s viability and anticipation running high for the third Batman film. Nolan returns to more original material with a film about mind extractions and other strange occurrences with Inception.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Inception tells the story of a man who steals ideas from a company by extracting into their mind. In his job, he is also trying to deal with the death of his wife while hoping to do one last job before returning to his family. During this job, he encounters trouble as he tries to escape from his own guilt and everything else. A psychological drama of sorts mixed in with elements of heist films, Nolan crafts a film with a lot of ambition filled with dazzling visual effects and a complex story line that recalls some of his early films. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, and Pete Postlethwaithe. The film also stars such Nolan regulars as Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine. Inception is a remarkable, visually-stunning film from Christopher Nolan and company.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is at a party for a Japanese businessman to talk about his job which is to extract ideas from other people’s minds. Joining Dom is his right-hand man and researcher Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). At the party, Dom sees his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) where things go wrong. All of a sudden, Dom and Arthur have woken up in the middle of another world with Saito and an architect named Nash (Lukas Haas). When it is revealed that Saito really has nothing to be extracted from, it is clear that Saito used Dom and Arthur as an audition for what he really seeks. He wants to inject an idea into the mind of a corporate rival which is known as inception as he offers Dom something he couldn’t refuse.

The offer was for Dom to finally return to America if he takes the job. Dom’s inability to return to the U.S. to return to his kids was due to the death of his wife whom he’s been seeing frequently in his own dreams. Seeking guidance from his father-in-law and mentor Miles (Michael Caine), Miles gives Dom a new architect to work with in a young student named Ariadne (Ellen Page) who becomes part of his new team. Learning about how to construct dreams, Ariadne enters into a new world as she is joined by a forger named Eames who takes on various disguises and a chemist named Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who has created a powerful sedative for deep dream sleep. Saito joins the team as Arthur finds the target in Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), the son of Saito’s corporate rival Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlethwaithe), who is currently dying.

During the planning, Ariadne learns of Dom’s troubles as she would often see Mal or something from Dom’s memories into his subconscious as he could be a liability to the upcoming mission. Realizing that Ariadne is the one who knows what might’ve happened, Dom realizes that he needs her to keep him on check. With the entire team including Saito boarding a 747 plane with Robert Fischer on board, Fischer gets drugged as the whole team goes into his subconscious. Upon their arrival into Fischer’s subconscious, trouble ensues as they realize that Fischer has put some defenses. After kidnapping Fischer in his own subconscious, Eames disguises himself as Fischer’s godfather Peter Browning (Tom Berenger) to get some information.

Instead, it becomes more troubling as Fischer and the team have to go into another subconscious with Yusuf keeping an eye out for trouble. Inside becomes more complicated as Dom and everyone goes into levels of subconscious minds to get what’s inside the safe of the Fischer family. Yet, Dom becomes more troubled by his own past and the presence of Mal as he confesses his own guilt as he realize what he must do.

For a film as ambitious and complex as Inception is, what is more surprising is how simple the plot of the film. It’s about a man doing one more heist job by going into someone’s mind so he can go home. While that plotline seems simple, nothing in the mind of Christopher Nolan is simple as he fleshes out ideas that are truly complex and layered. Notably for the fact that he takes the audience into a journey that revolves around a man’s guilt as well as his attempts to break into people’s minds.

While the screenplay and concepts recall some of the work of Charlie Kaufman, Nolan creates a story where he distorts the idea of where people are at.  The film starts with a sequence of Cobb arriving into the home of an old man which would be revisited towards the end. Yet, it cuts to a scene of Cobb at a party with Arthur and Saito where the audience thinks its real. Then comes the realization that they’re all in someone’s subconscious and then what is going on now is someone else’s subconscious. While at first, what happens is hard to follow. Nolan is just giving the audience an idea of what is real and what is fiction. Immediately, the audience gets a chance to figure things and there’s a character that sort of becomes their guide in the form of Ariadne, the new member of Cobb’s team.

Ariadne is one of several supporting characters that does get a chance to stand out as she doesn’t just serve as a Greek chorus in a way for the audience. She is also the one person who goes deeper into Cobb’s mind and tries to help him deal with it. While another supporting character in Arthur does have an idea about Cobb’s state of mind, he only backs away just so he can do his job. Arthur, like Cobb, does become a mentor for Ariadne so she can be guided into what subconscious she’s in. Others like Saito, Fischer, Yusuf, and Eames don’t get as much development yet they’re characters that audiences do get to care about and get to know them a bit. Yet, it’s Cobb that is the man that drives the film as he is dealing with his own guilt over his wife’s death as well as his reasons to want to go home. When the audience is introduced to Mal, we see a woman who seems angry yet there’s a reason for her anger that is rooted in what Cobb might’ve done to her.

If Nolan’s creation of characters, environments, and how they interact to the different subconscious worlds they’re in. It’s Nolan’s direction that really takes the story to a level that is truly stunning. When the film is shown, it’s clear that Nolan uses his ambition to tell a story that is truly mesmerizing. In creating cities and places where things can fold on top of another or action sequences that involves a fight where the hallway is spinning around. Nolan is going for tricks where he doesn’t have to use CGI entirely by getting sets built and actually make sure it doesn’t look it’s being made by computers.

Nolan still utilizes certain framing styles and compositions along with close-ups and zooming shots to make audiences know that they’re watching a Christopher Nolan film. Still, it’s clear that the film the audience is watching is by a director who is refining his craft while learning new tricks to create something that is fascinating and jaw-dropping. Even in the visual-effects driven sequences about the recreation of cities where there’s a scene where a city folds on top of itself that looks truly amazing. Even as he uses visual effects for more than just spectacle but use it as a form of storytelling. What Nolan does overall with the film whether its creating high-octane action sequences reminiscent of chase movies or even James Bond-inspired action sequences. Even if it’s just a simple scene where they set up the heist. This film proves that Nolan is clearly at the top of his game as he is becoming one of the best filmmakers working today.

Nolan’s longtime cinematographer Wally Pfister does spectacular work with the film’s lighting design and visual look. Pfister’s photography is stunning in its wide scope along with dark shades for interior and exterior scenes to create a chilling mood. For the first inception subconscious sequence in the rain, the look of the film is dark but also pristine but without any kind of polish. It’s truly some of the best photography captured on film as Pfister is definitely becoming one of the best cinematographers in the business.

Another noted Nolan collaborator in Lee Smith does some fantastic work with the film’s editing. Taking on a mostly, leisurely pace for a majority of the film so it can move quite seamlessly without anything moving very fast or going too slow. Smith pretty much slow things down once the action sequences are done so audiences can have a breather. There’s even dramatic scenes where the cutting is fast but only to intensify what is happening in the heist while the action is fast but not hyperactive so the audience can have an idea of what is happening. The work that Smith puts into the editing is masterful and an example of how it should be done.

Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, along with set decorators Larry Dias and Doug Mowat plus supervising art director Brad Ricker, does amazing work with set design for the film. While some of the film is shot on location in Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, Tangiers, parts of England, and in Canada. Many of the interiors for some of the subconscious scenes, including the zero-gravity sequence, were built with a look that is polished but not in a bloated manner. The designs of the buildings and for Saito’s Japanese style home is superb as the art direction is truly stunning.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does some excellent work with the look of the costumes that complement the visual look of the art direction. While a lot of the clothes is mostly casual in several scenes. Some of the scenes have the characters were suits or evening gowns to convey the sense of atmosphere in the subconscious the characters are in. Visual effects supervisor Paul J. Franklin is phenomenal in the use of CGI that doesn‘t look fake. For several of the subconscious-driven sequences, notably the folding building scene. Franklin, along with his team, succeed in not going overboard in visual effects as it’s an example of how it should be done.

Sound designer Richard King does amazing work in the film‘s sound editing and design to create broad layers for the locations the characters are in. Notably the action scenes that are layered with sounds of heavy rain, tire squeals, gunshots, and trains railing on the ground as the layering is phenomenal. King’s work is definitely another of the film’s technical highlights. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is a haunting yet eerie score piece that is filled with broad orchestral arrangements mixed in with down-tempo yet smooth electronic textures. Adding flourish to the sound on guitar is legendary guitarist for the Smiths in Johnny Marr. The guitar textures Marr brings to Zimmer’s score is incredible while the rest of the soundtrack includes the drone-based score music of Zack Hemsey and the Edith Piaf song Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien that’s played throughout the film.

The casting by John Papsidera is definitely spellbinding as it‘s definitely one of the best ensemble cast team ever assembled. Small roles from Claire & Taylor Geare as different ages of Dom’s daughter Phillipa and Magnus Nolan & Taylor Geare as his son James are excellent for their small, face-less appearances. Others include Talulah Riley as a blonde in a subconscious fantasy scene and Tai-Li Lee as a man who helps people sleep longer in a brothel of sorts. Notable small but memorable appearances include Lukas Haas as Nash, an architect in an early sequence while Michael Caine makes a cameo appearance of sorts as Dom’s father-in-law/mentor who gives him advice about what to do. Tom Berenger is very good as Fischer’s godfather who tries to go into the secret code of Fischer’s vault while Pete Postlethwaithe is also good as Fischer’s hardened father whom Fischer has a strained relationship with.

Dileep Rao is excellent as Yusuf, a chemist who helps Dom and the team in their mission by creating a sedative for long sleeps while they’re on the job as he also gets in the action for a brilliant car chase scene. Tom Hardy, of Bronson fame, is great as Eames. A humorous forger who takes on various disguises while being the guy who goes into the action and be the shooter as Hardy’s performance is a real standout. Cillian Murphy is wonderful as Robert Fischer, the target of the inception who wonders what’s going on as he ends up becoming part of team despite his reluctance. Ken Watanabe is brilliant as Saito, the businessman who hires Dom for the inception as he also takes part in the action not knowing about the stakes of what has to be done.

Marion Cotilliard is phenomenal as Mal, Dom’s deceased wife who appears in Dom’s subconscious and others who seems to have a vendetta over the idea that Dom has abandoned her.  Cotillard’s performance is definitely complex as a woman who has no idea what happened to her but is determined to get into Dom’s head. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great as Arthur, Don’s right-hand man and researcher who helps organize the job while taking in part of the action. Gordon-Levitt proves to be able to stand with the likes of DiCaprio while getting involved in one of the film’s best action sequences as it’s another solid performance from the young actor. Ellen Page delivers what is probably her best performance to date as Ariadne, the new architect for the team. While not displaying the wit she had in Juno a few years ago, it’s definitely a more mature performance as she plays the observer and conscious of sorts. Even as she plays DiCaprio’s anchor where she shows her true dramatic talents in working with DiCaprio as it’s definitely a winning supporting turn.

Finally, there’s Leonardo DiCaprio in what is definitely one of his greatest performances to date. In the role of Dom Cobb, DiCaprio brings a tour-de-force performance as man struggling to get home while dealing with the death of his wife. There’s a sense of restraint and anguish to his performance while maintaining a sense of professionalism when he’s on the job. DiCaprio definitely shows his presence in doing physical stunts and such while he has a great camaraderie with the entire cast. It’s clear how far DiCaprio has grown as an actor since the days of Leo-mania when Titanic was the highest-grossing film of all-time back in 1997. His role as Dom Cobb proves that Leonardo DiCaprio is becoming one of the best actors working today.

Inception is a marvelous yet jaw-dropping film from Christopher Nolan and company. Featuring amazing technical work and a solid ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s a film that definitely that challenges the audience of what can be done with a blockbuster. Particularly in an era where 3D and low-concept films with silly gimmicks are expected to bring asses in the seats. Fortunately, Nolan nor his cohorts believe in that as Inception is a film that is smart enough for audiences of moderate taste that they can follow. In the end, Inception is a remarkable film that shows that ambition doesn’t have to be presented with loads of CGI and gimmicks. All that is needed is a story and a vision that is unique as it comes from the spectacular mind of Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

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