Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Simon Beaufoy, Battle of the Sexes is about the legendary 1973 tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King that was televised and held at the Houston Astrodome. The film is a dramatic account of the events where the legendary Riggs challenges King, who was then the top champion in tennis, as a publicity stunt as a way to get women more respect in the world of sports with Steve Carell playing Riggs and Emma Stone as King. Also starring Andrea Riseborough, Elisabeth Shue, Austin Stowell, Bill Pullman, Natalie Morales, and Sarah Silverman. Battle of the Sexes is a compelling yet exhilarating film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
The film is a dramatic re-telling of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King from the events prior to the match as well as its set-up and outcome. It’s a film with a simple premise where King is the top tennis player of her time but feels that women aren’t being treated fairly in comparison to the men as she feels like women deserve equal pay or more money. Simon’s Beaufoy’s script opens with King’s sudden rise to fame in 1970 as a top tennis player but is upset that an upcoming tennis tour will have her and several other women players be paid much less than the men. This forces King and former tennis player/magazine publisher Gladys Heldman (Sarah Silverman) to create their own tournament with eight other players as they would gain a sponsor in Virginia Slim cigarettes though they would struggle early on to draw an audience despite being banned by legendary tennis player/promoter Jack Kramer (Bill Pullman) from the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association.
The first act is about King and her attempt to get equal pay for herself and other players as well as establish what Riggs was doing at the time as a man who loves to gamble much to the dismay of his wife Priscilla Whelan (Elisabeth Shue) who would kick him out of their home. Riggs who plays tennis to win cars decides to challenge the women as a publicity stunt where he would immediately challenge King who would turn him down as Riggs would challenge Australian tennis champion Margaret Court (Jessica McNamee) and defeat her prompting King to accept Riggs’ challenge. Beaufoy’s script also touch upon King’s affair with hairdresser Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) despite the fact that King is married to a man named Larry (Austin Stowell) as it is a key part of the second act that would also play into King’s determination to beat Riggs unaware that he’s really playing a character for show.
The direction of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris does have its elements of style in recreating the world of the early 1970s as it is shot mainly in Los Angeles where much of the film is set. There are some wide shots in establishing the locations as well as in the film’s climatic tennis match set at the Houston Astrodome. Yet, much of Dayton and Faris’ direction is more on the characters and their situations as well as their need to win. Particularly in the usage of close-ups and medium shots that play into the drama and some of the humor where the latter relates mainly to Riggs and his life including the things he would do in playing tennis for money. The direction would show that for all Riggs’ faults as a man, the persona as this chauvinist was really for show as he was someone that was devoted to his family including his wife. Dayton and Faris’ direction also showcase the growing air of sexism towards women’s tennis not just from men but also women as Margaret Court is more of a traditionalist who would glance at King’s relationship with Barnett with disapproval.
The direction also play into this tension between King and tennis organizations who don’t want to succeed nor want any kind of change in the world of tennis unaware that women are paying to see women play tennis. The climatic match at the Astrodome is shown in a massive scope to play up into how large the event is as well as this air of showmanship before the match is to commence. There is this air of excitement but also dramatic tension as the stakes are high while its aftermath show a sense of relief but also realization that things are to change. Overall, Dayton and Faris create an exhilarating yet engaging film about the real-life tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs and the events preceding this landmark tennis match.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of colors for some of the exterior scenes as well as using grainy film stock to recreate the look of 1970s television coverage is a highlight of the film. Editor Pamela Martin does excellent work with the editing as it has bits of montages as well as some stylish moments that play into the energy of the tennis matches. Production designer Judy Becker, with set decorator Matthew Flood Ferguson and art director Alexander Wei, does amazing work with the look of the hotel/motel rooms the women players stayed in as well as the home of Riggs along with the look of the tennis court inside the Astrodome. Costume designer Mary Zophres does fantastic work with the design of the clothes of the 1970s including some of the uniforms the women tennis players chose to wear as well as some of the costumes that Riggs wear for his publicity tour.
Hair stylist Frioa S. Aradottir and makeup artist Torsten White do terrific work with the different hairstyles and looks of King and Riggs during that time as well as how they would evolve in those few years. Special effects supervisor Sam Dean and visual effects supervisor Cliff Welsh do superb work with the visual effects in some set dressing for the period as well as what footage looked like on TV. Sound designer Ai-Ling Lee does wonderful work with the sound in its creation of sound effects as well as how rackets sounded like back then and the massive layers of sounds for the film’s climatic game. The film’s music by Nicolas Britell is incredible for its rich and sumptuous music score with its lush piano and string arrangements that help play into the drama and sense of excitement into the climatic tennis match while music supervisor Steven Baker provides a soundtrack that played into the times as it includes music from Elton John, Bobbie Gentry, Ray Wills, Tommy James and the Shondells, Apollo 100, Norma Jenkins, George Harrison, and Hugh Masekala along with contemporary pieces from the Pretenders and Sara Bareilles.
The casting by Justine Arteta and Kim Davis-Wagner is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from John C. McGinley as a friend of Riggs, Matt Malloy as Riggs’ therapist, Eric Christian Olsen as Riggs’ friend/trainer Lornie Kuhle, Fred Armisen as Riggs’ nutritionist Rheo Blair, Lewis Pullman as Riggs’ eldest son Larry, and James MacKay as Court’s husband Barry. In the roles of the members of the Original 9 players, Martha MacIsaac, Mickey Sumner, Bridey Elliott, Lauren Kline, Ashley Weinhold, Fidan Manashirova, and Kaitlyn Christian play in their respective roles as the tennis players Jane “Peaches” Bartkowicz, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Julie Heldman, Nancy Richey, Kristy Pigeon, Judy Tegart Dalton, and Kerry Melville Reid while Christian also plays the tennis double of King with Vince Spadea as the tennis double of Riggs. Natalie Morales is terrific as an Original 9 tennis player in Rosie Casals as someone who is outspoken as well as be the one to provide commentary for the game.
Jessica McNamee is wonderful as Australian tennis champion Margaret Court as a tennis player who joins the women’s tour as she is someone that is conservative and would accept Riggs’ challenge. Austin Stowell is superb as King’s husband Larry as a man who is supportive of her while he is aware that she has feelings for someone else yet keeps to himself. Elisabeth Shue is fantastic as Riggs’ wife Priscilla as a wealthy woman who isn’t fond of her husband’s gambling as well as his pursuit to challenge women players only to realize what he’s really trying to do. Alan Cumming is excellent as costumer Cuthbert “Ted” Tinling as an openly-gay designer who supports the women in making clothes for them but also help King out in her relationship with Barnett. Bill Pullman is brilliant as famed tennis legend/organization leader Jack Kramer who doesn’t believe that the women would draw as he gains the ire of King for his sexist comments.
Sarah Silverman is amazing as legendary tennis player/publisher Gladys Heldman as a woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone where Silverman provides some humor but also some grit into someone who is championing this new generation of players. Andrea Riseborough is incredible as Marilyn Barnett as a hairdresser who falls for King as she accompanies her on the tour while becomes concerned whether or not she is a distraction to King. Finally, there’s the duo of Emma Stone and Steve Carell in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Stone brings a charm but also a seriousness as King as someone that is striving to be the best but is also deals with her sexuality as it relates to her relationship with Barnett which she wants to keep as a secret as homosexuality was still considered taboo. Carell brings this energy and wit as Riggs as someone who loves to gamble and have fun while knowing a good financial opportunity when he sees it while playing up this persona as a male chauvinist to help sell tickets. Stone and Carell have this chemistry in the way they deal with each other but also know there is an air of respect between the two tennis legends.
Battle of the Sexes is a marvelous film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris that feature great performances from Emma Stone and Steve Carell. Along with its ensemble cast, Simon Beaufoy’s engaging script, gorgeous cinematography, and Nicolas Britell’s rich score. It’s a film that manages to be exciting as a sports film but also provide some deep insights into the world of tennis during the 1970s and how one woman wanted to make things fair by playing against one of the sports’ great champions. In the end, Battle of the Sexes is a remarkable film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris Films: Little Miss Sunshine - Ruby Sparks
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite is the story of two cousins who compete against one another to become the favorite and counsel for Queen Anne during the early 18th Century. The film is a study of two women trying to be the closest confidant to Queen Anne who is suffering from depression as she is also coping with events in her palace unaware of what is happening in England. Starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Joe Alwyn, Mark Gatiss, James Smith, and Nicholas Hoult. The Favourite is a rapturous and outrageous film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Set in the early 18th Century during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1701 to 1714, the film follows the life of Queen Anne of England (Olivia Colman) who is dealing with depression and various issues in and out of her palace as she is suddenly pulled in an emotional tug of war in who can be her closest confidant between two cousins. It’s a film that plays into a woman who is leading a country but is incapable of running things where her adviser and lover Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) would be the queen’s spokeswoman. Along the way, she would take in her impoverished cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) who is given a job to work at the palace and later be Sarah’s assistant only to gain favor from the queen. The film’s screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara does take some dramatic liberties with some of the personal events in Queen Anne’s life in favor of some of the legendary rumors about her. Yet, they do maintain this air of disconnect of the queen as it relates to what is happening in her country.
Notably as there’s a conflict within Parliament as Tory party member Robert Harley (Nicholas Hoult) is against the queen’s idea of doubling property taxes to further fund the war as it was suggested by Sarah and Sidney Godolphin (James Smith). Harley would use Abigail to try and influence the queen as she would become attracted towards a young baron in Samuel Masham (Joe Alwyn) only for Abigail to do small things to win the queen over leading to problems with Sarah. The script doesn’t just play into this tension of favoritism between these two women but it also this dialogue that is biting and also crass in its delivery. Especially in the usage of profanity in how they refer to certain characters in the film as it would intensify during the course of the film as the rivalry between Sarah and Abigail over the queen’s affections become more dangerous.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ direction definitely has an element of style in not just its compositions but the overall presentation of the film. Shot mainly on location at the Hatfield House in Hertfordshire in Britain, the film does play into this period of turmoil with the queen trying to distract herself with food, 17 bunny rabbits, and all sorts of things but it’s not enough as she’s constantly crying over pain in her body and other things. While there are some wide shots in the film, Lanthimos would use fish-eye lenses to get coverage of some of the locations including Parliament, the kitchen, and other things as a way to not rely on tracking shots or hand-held cameras with the exception of a few moments with the usage of dolly to follow a character. Still, Lanthimos maintains an intimacy into his direction in the way he would show these three women interacting with one another as well as put them in a shot at a certain position for some unique compositions and framing.
Lanthimos’ usage of close-ups play into some of the reaction of the characters including Sarah and Abigail in their game of one-upmanship that intensifies as the story progresses. With Sarah being a master and a woman of control, Abigail would slowly learn how to scheme as it would play into her development of someone who was an innocent and impoverished woman with a knowledge of herbs and other small things into someone who gets loss through the usage of power. Lanthimos uses this idea of power-play as two women trying to win over the queen’s favor where Abigail is a woman that is constantly thinking of the bigger picture for England as she has to deal with someone like Harley who has his own ideas that Abigail believes would hurt the country and make Queen Anne look bad in front of the world.
Lanthimos would up the ante during the film’s third act where it is about the reversal of fortunes for Sarah and Abigail with the two both enduring a change in favoritism. Yet, it would also reveal some harsh realities for both women as it relates to the queen. Lanthimos’ direction would become less stylish and more eerie in its compositions with Queen Anne being roped in the middle and becoming disconnected with what is happening with her country. It also play into the idea of human nature and what some will do to maintain a certain position in the palace but also think about the fact that Queen Anne is a woman that has to make the final decisions for her country and these decisions would have an impact on the country. Overall, Lanthimos crafts an intoxicating yet darkly comical film about two women of the court trying to become the favorite for Queen Anne.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does incredible work with the film’s cinematography in its usage of candlelight and natural lighting for many of the film’s nighttime interior scenes as well as providing some naturalistic colors for some of the film’s daytime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does amazing work with the film’s editing with its stylish usage of dissolves and superimposed images as well as some jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and humor. Production designer Fiona Crombie, with set decorator Alice Felton and supervising art director Lynne Huitson, does excellent work with the look of the many interiors of the house including the queen’s bedroom, the main hall, and the room where Parliament meets. Costume designer Sandy Powell does brilliant work with the costumes in the design of the dresses that the women wear including some of the lavish ones Queen Anne wears as well as some of the clothes that the men wear.
Hair/makeup designer Nadia Stacey does fantastic work with the look of the wigs the men wore including the makeup that is sported by both men and women in parties as well as the look of the queen. Special effects supervisor Bob Thorne and visual effects supervisor Ed Bruce do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to scenes of Abigail and Sarah shooting birds in the sky. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in maintaining an atmosphere in the locations and the way sounds are heard from another room and other elements that help play into the drama while Burn also provide some low-key ambient-like music pieces that pop up occasionally.
Music supervisors Sarah Giles and Nick Payne do nice work with the film’s soundtrack as it mainly feature an array of classical and experimental music pieces from the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach, W.F. Bach, George Frideric Handel, Henry Purcell, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Antonio Vivaldi, Olivier Messiaen, Luc Ferrari, Anna Meredith, and a contemporary piece by Elton John in the film’s final credits.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jenny Rainsford as a tavern owner in Mae, James Smith as the 1st Earl of Godolphin in Sidney Godolphin who is often on Sarah’s side of things relating to politics, and Mark Gatiss as Sarah’s husband in the 1st Duke of Marlborough in John Churchill who leads a regiment as he’s trying to help England win the war. Joe Alwyn is superb as 1st Baron Masham in Samuel Masham as a young baron who falls for Abigail though he’s hired by Harley to woo her as he is essentially a cuckold that is used by everyone. Nicholas Hoult is fantastic as the 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer in Robert Harley as a political figure and landowner who is opposed to the ideas that Sarah is trying to have to fund the war as he is someone that wants the war to end as he’s slimy and full of devilish charm.
Emma Stone is incredible as Abigail as a young woman who was once a lady and is forced to work as a servant where her knowledge of herbal medicine would help the ailing queen as she later becomes Sarah’s assistant and become a close confidant of the queen where she displays a dark demeanor who becomes enamored with the decadence of palace life. Rachel Weisz is phenomenal as the Duchess of Marlborough in Sarah Churchill who is the queen’s closest advisor and lover as she tries to handle the many things that queen needs to decide on as she is very protective of her while she becomes threatened by Abigail whom she’s forced to compete with as well as deal with the severity of Abigail’s own plotting. Finally, there’s Olivia Colman in a tremendous performance as Anne, Queen of Great Britain as a woman filled with self-doubt, grief, and insecurities that are key to her depression as someone that is needed and to be loved while trying to run a country unaware of what is really going on despite Sarah’s counseling where she turns to Abigail for comfort as she would unknowingly play into the chaos in her own palace as it’s a career-defining performance for Colman.
The Favourite is a spectacular film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features great performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone. Along with its ensemble cast, its whimsical script, gorgeous look, intricate sound work, and its offbeat approach to music. It’s a period drama that doesn’t play by the rules while being a study of favoritism, grief, and power told in a strange love triangle between three women. In the end, The Favourite is a magnificent film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (The Alps (2011 film)) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land is the story of an aspiring actress who moves to Los Angeles where she meets a jazz pianist as they fall in love while trying to find success together in Hollywood. The film is a mixture of fantasy and reality as it play into the hopes and dreams of two people trying to make it in the city of dreams. Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, and J.K. Simmons. La La Land is a ravishing and evocative film from Damien Chazelle.
Set in the city of dreams that is Los Angeles/Hollywood, the film is an exploration of two people trying to reach their dreams as they struggle to make it as they lean on each other unsure if they both can succeed. While it’s a story that is often common with many old-school ideas of Hollywood of people going there and wanting to be part of that world. It is told in a very stylistic fashion as it play into this conflict of fantasy and reality which would blend in some respects for its two central protagonists in the jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and the aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) as they both go through many trials and tribulations in their journey to find fame and happiness. Damien Chazelle’s screenplay is mainly told in the span of an entire year structured by season where it begins with winter as the two are first seen in a traffic jam with Sebastian having road rage.
The two would meet again later on as it would play into an element of fantasy but then reality would return as they wouldn’t see each other again until Mia attends a party where Sebastian is playing in an 80s cover band. The two would forge a friendship that eventually becomes a romantic relationship bonded by their wishes to succeed where Mia wants to become an actress and succeed while Sebastian is hoping to open a jazz club where more authentic jazz music is played. Yet, they also have to contend with some form of reality whether Mia has to go numerous audition and cope with failure and rejection while Sebastian is forced to face some truth about the world of jazz where his ideas of the music is becoming extinct. Once the story reaches towards summer and fall, that specter of reality would come more and more into play but there is still some glimmer of what both Sebastian and Mia want for themselves and each other.
Chazelle’s direction isn’t just stylish but also play against many of the conventional aspects of modern-day cinema in favor of something that is more traditionalist and harkening back to the cinema of the past. The film’s opening sequence and musical number is a great example of what Chazelle is going for. It is set in a traffic jam in Los Angeles which lead to people singing as the usage of wide and medium shots capture the scope of what is happening as it’s all done in one entire take with a tracking shot without the need to cut. Many of the musical numbers would be presented in that similar approach as it doesn’t just play against some of the elements of what the genre had become but also creating something that is more dream-like and with a sense of fantasy. Aiding Chazelle in the dancing and how the choreography would play into the story is choreographer Mandy Moore who would provide moments of dance that has a sense of movement that help establish what is going on where it can be dazzling and intricate or just simple and somber.
The non-musical moments are still just as vital not only in playing to the story but also have the sense of intimacy as it relate to the conflicts that Sebastian and Mia are both going through. Especially in the film’s second half where they don’t just encounter failure but also what people will do to be successful. One noted montage sequence of Mia trying to do something to kick-start her own career while Sebastian would do something as a way to survive would show two people who love and care for each other going into diverging paths. The film’s third act set in the fall would be a moment where it is about facing not just reality head-on but also see if there is some kind of hope that can emerge. Notably as Chazelle would create something that mixes fantasy and reality into a scene that is just powerful which would be followed a more dazzling sequence towards the end of the film as it play into hopes and dreams of those who want something so bad to succeed on their own terms. Overall, Chazelle creates a majestic yet enthralling film about two people trying to make it in the city of dreams.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the way he captures every ounce of color in some of the dance sequences in day and night as well as the way some of the jazz clubs and restaurants are lit along with the gorgeous scene inside and outside of the Griffith Observatory. Editor Tom Cross does brilliant work with the editing as it doesn‘t play by modern-day editing rules as it favors something that is straightforward with some stylish montages and rhythmic cutting that play into some of the music. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does excellent work with the design of the apartment homes of Sebastian and Mia as well as some of places they go to as well as the jazz club that Sebastian likes to hang out and the movie theater they would visit one night.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does incredible work with the costumes from the design and gorgeous colors of the dresses that Mia and the women wear as well as the look of the clothes for some of the dancers in the film. Visual effects supervisors Chris LeDoux, Tim LeDoux, and John L. Weckworth do fantastic work with the visual effects such as the floating dance sequence inside the Griffith Observatory and other sequences that help play into this world of fantasy. Sound designer/editor Ai-Ling Lee and sound editor Mildred Iatrou do superb work with the sound in the way some of the live music is presented as well as some of the sparse elements in the sound to play into the non-musical moments.
The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is phenomenal as its score is a mixture of jazz and orchestral music to play into that air of excitement but also the dramatic elements of the film. The songs also help as most of them are written by Hurwitz and the duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul that help play into the situations and moods the characters are in while another original song written by Hurwitz, Marius de Vries, John Stephens, and Angelique Cinelu is a reflection of the kind of music that Sebastian doesn’t want to be a part of as the entire music score and soundtrack is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood is terrific as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Josh Pence as a brother of Mia’s boyfriend early in the film, the trio of Callie Hernandez, Sonoya Mizuno, and Jessica Rothe as Mia’s roommates, Meagan Fay as Mia’s mother, Tom Everett Scott as a man named David who appears late in the film, Finn Wittrock as Mia’s boyfriend early in the film in Greg, and J.K. Simmons in a superb cameo appearance as a restaurant owner named Bill who wants Sebastian to play the music as it is. Rosemary DeWitt is excellent as Sebastian’s older sister Laura who tries to ensure her brother about the realities of the world but also hope that he can succeed. John Legend is brilliant as Sebastian’s old high school classmate Keith as a musician who leads a very popular and successful jazz-pop where he wants Sebastian to be a part of as a source of income.
Finally, there’s the duo of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone is spectacular performances in their respective roles as Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan. Gosling brings that air of frustration and determination into someone who is an ardent traditionalist towards jazz as he tries to do whatever he can to survive no matter how humiliating it can be. Stone provides that humility to her own role as a young woman that is just trying to succeed through audition after audition while displaying that air of charm that is so intoxicating. Gosling and Stone together have this chemistry that is just riveting to watch from how they sing and dance with each other to the moments where they cope with their own failures and desire to succeed.
La La Land is an outstanding film from Damien Chazelle that features sensational performances from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Featuring beautiful visuals, an evocative music soundtrack, top-notch technical work, and a story that is definitely appealing in its conflict of reality and fantasy. It’s a film that doesn’t just create something that is entertaining enough for the audiences but offers a whole lot more about the dreams and hope of two people in the city of dreams. In the end, La La Land is a magnificent film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: (Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench) - Whiplash - First Man
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Irrational Man is the story of a philosophy professor who goes through an existential crisis where he goes into a relationship with one of his students. The film is mystery-drama that has Allen explore the world of existentialism where a man copes with the meaning of life as well as the ways of the world where he ponders what one do by a single act. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Jamie Blackley, and Parker Posey. Irrational Man is a compelling and witty film from Woody Allen.
Set in a small college campus and town in Rhode Island, the film is a simple story of a troubled philosophy professor who is going through depression and an existential crisis where he befriends a student as they discuss the complexities of life. Yet, when they overhear a conversation about a woman’s custody battle and how unlikely she would get her children back due to a corrupt judge. Professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is suddenly urged to do something as the result would mark a change in his life and his relationship with student Jill Pollard (Emma Stone) where it becomes romantic. Yet, questions would emerge as it relates to his act but also many questions about morality and the way life works. Woody Allen’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Lucas’ own moral and existential dilemma but also the fact that he has become numb and sort of indifferent about what he’s doing.
With Pollard being one of his students in his summer tenure in philosophy, he is intrigued by her views where they would engage a lot in conversations. Pollard would fall for him, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend Roy (Jamie Blackley), though is aware of Lucas’ own reputation as well as the fact that teachers and students can’t go out with each other in the school. While Lucas would have an affair with another professor in Rita Richards (Parker Posey), he is drawn by Pollard as the film‘s narrative is told from their different perspective with the usage of voice-over narration to display their views and what are they thinking. Especially in the second act where Lucas do something as it relates to this woman he doesn’t even know as the result would give him meaning again. Even as Pollard is taken aback at first by his change in mood until news about what is going on in this small town emerges where Pollard learns some truth as she goes into a moral dilemma of her own. All of which plays into a third act that is about morality and what it means to live but also the fact that action can also have consequences.
Allen’s direction is quite simple in terms of not just the compositions but also in the fact that he creates a film that bears little ideas of style. Shot on location in Newport, Rhode Island, the film does have this ravishing tone in the way it presents this small New England college town where it is quite middle class but also very vibrant. While Allen uses some wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of the locations, he also in maintain some intimacy in the latter along with the close-ups in the way characters interact with one another. Allen also would create different shifts in tones where it starts off a little lighthearted despite Lucas’ dark mood and then have the second act be even more upbeat despite the act that Lucas would do that eventually gave him meaning. The tone would once again shift in the third act where it does become more of a drama but a drama that says a lot about morality and the ways of the world. Especially where Pollard who begins to question herself as she is confused on the ways of the world and where true happiness comes from. Allen reveals that there is a lot of flaws in that argument but also says a lot into the ways of the world and how people live no matter how complicated things can be. Overall, Allen creates an engaging yet whimsical film about existentialism and morality.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the exteriors to the way some of the interiors are lit in day and night to play into its low-key yet colorful look. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with few bits of style as it plays into the drama and some of the mystery aspects in the film. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Jennifer Engel and art director Carl Sprague, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the campus and the hall of mirrors where Lucas and Pollard go to.
Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual in the way the characters look as it includes some of the stylish clothes that Pollard and Richards wear. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound as it is mostly natural to play into the places that all of the characters go to. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of playful jazz pieces along with a few classical cuts and a couple of contemporary pop pieces at a party that Lucas goes to.
The casting by Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto and Juliet Taylor is great as it include some notably small roles from Susan Poufar as a woman fighting for custody of her children that Lucas and Pollard would eavesdrop on, Sophie Von Haselberg as one of Pollard’s classmate in April, Ethan Phillips and Betsey Aidem as Jill’s parents, Kate McGonigle as another of Pollard’s friends in Ellie, and Tom Kemp as a custody case judge that Lucas would target. Jamie Blackley is superb as Pollard’s boyfriend Roy who doesn’t like hearing about Lucas as he feels neglected as well unappreciated for what he is trying to do for Pollard.
Parker Posey is fantastic as Rita Richards as a professor who is dealing with her own issues in her marriage as she would have an affair with Lucas only to feel slighted when he begins his relationship with Pollard. Emma Stone is brilliant as Jill Pollard as a philosophy student who would challenge Lucas about his views on the world while they would find similar ground and passions until she realizes the action he has done where she is confused as well as questioning about her own morality. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as Abe Lucas as a philosophy professor who is filled with despair and indifference as he tries to find meaning in his life where he tries to find fulfillment until a moment where he listens to a conversation about a woman where he feels the need to act as it would give him a new lease on life.
Irrational Man is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features top-notch performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Parker Posey. While it is a film that bears a lot of familiar territory that Allen has explored in other films, it does manage to say a lot about the way people are in the world as well as how they respond to certain things and their actions. In the end, Irrational Man is a remarkable 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 - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - (Café Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Magic in the Moonlight is the story of an illusionist in the late 1920s who try to disprove the work of a clairvoyant while being charmed by her. The film is an exploration into Allen’s love for magic as it plays into a man who doesn’t really believe in magic while falling for a woman who might prove that he’s wrong. Starring Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney, Jacki Weaver, Erica Leershen, Eileen Atkins, and Marcia Gay Harden. Magic in the Moonlight is a delightful and charming film from Woody Allen.
Set in 1928, the film plays into an illusionist’s attempt to expose a young clairvoyant as a fraud as it’s part of a job he is known for yet would be intrigued by her and eventually fall for her. It’s a film that plays into this conflict over cynicism and spirituality as the character of Stanley (Colin Firth) is a man of rational thoughts as he doesn’t believe in God or anything. Spurred by a friend who is convinced by the powers of this young clairvoyant named Sophie (Emma Stone), Stanley travels to the French Riviera to see if Sophie is real or is a fraud. Along the way, things become weirder as Stanley wonders if Sophie is really faking it or did she find a way to crack into his cynical view of the world. While Woody Allen’s screenplay does follow a predictable and formulaic storyline, it does manage to create situations that are funny but also engaging into Stanley and Sophie’s growing friendship.
Though Stanley is engaged to another woman and Sophie is in a relationship with a young rich man, there is an attraction that is electrifying to watch where Stanley is often baffled by Sophie while Sophie tries to figure who what Stanley is doing. Even as Stanley becomes conflicted in exposing Sophie as a fraud while being in love with her that would play a key part into the film’s second act. While a twist does get unveiled into the third act where it’s not entirely successful, it does play into Stanley’s own view of the world and this growing confusion he has in just believing something that might not be real or just stick to the ideas of reality.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward while it does employ elements of style such as the opening scene of Stanley performing as it shows his mastery in illusion. At the same time, it shows exactly how much of a pain in the ass he is as he’s egotistical and craving for perfection behind the scenes. Allen’s usage of wide shots not only help make the locations in the French Rivera quite beautiful but it also plays into the wide divide between Sophie’s love of mysticism and Stanley’s own cynicism. Allen’s usage of close-ups and medium shot not only play to the film’s humor but also in the growing attraction between Stanley and Sophie that is filled with a sense of joy along with some dramatic tension. Though things do get clunky in its third act as it relates to a twist in the film, it does play into Stanley’s own resolve about everything he had thought about in the world and what should he accept. Overall, Allen creates an enjoyable though flawed film about a man trying to disprove the credibility of a young clairvoyant.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the beauty of the French Riviera locations as well as the gardens in some of the houses while using some unique lighting schemes and textures to play into the film‘s look. Editor Alisa Lepselter does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s humor. Production designer Anne Siebel, with set decorators Jille Azis and Fanny Landsberg, does fantastic work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as Stanley’s stage show and the places the characters go to. Costume designer Sonia Grande does amazing work with the costumes from the period clothes of the men to the gorgeous dresses that the women wear.
Visual effects supervisor Andrew Lim does nice work with one of the film‘s minimal visual effects sequence that involves a scene where Stanley and Sophie look at the sky at night inside an observatory. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to create something that is sparse and low-key while capturing the exuberance in a few of the party scenes. The film’s music soundtrack consists of different genres of music from jazz to classical as it plays into the period of the time as it is one of the film’s highlights.
The casting by Juliet Taylor, Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto, and Stephane Foenkinos is superb as it features a few small performances from Catherine McCormack as Stanley’s fiancee Olivia, Lionel Abelanski as a doctor late in the film, Jeremy Shamos and Erica Leershen in their respective roles as George and Caroline who are amazed by Sophie’s gift, and Eileen Atkins in a wonderful performance as Stanley’s Aunt Vanessa whom he is fond of as she is impressed by Sophie. Jacki Weaver is fantastic as Grace as a family matriarch who asks Sophie to communicate with her late husband as she brings a lot of spark to her character. Marcia Gay Harden is terrific as Sophie’s mother who would accompany Sophie on a few of these things while trying to prove to Stanley that she is the real thing.
Hamish Linklater is excellent as Grace’s son Brice who is deeply in love with Sophie as he falls under her spell as he brings a lot of humor in just being intentionally bland and singing awful love songs to Sophie. Simon McBurney is fantastic as Stanley’s friend Howard who is also an illusionist as he wants to see if Stanley can prove that she is a fraud as he provides some delightful supporting work in his performance. Emma Stone is amazing as Sophie as this young woman who has the power to see the future and such as she deals with Stanley’s snide attitude where Stone brings a lively presence to her performance. Finally, there’s Colin Firth in a brilliant performance as Stanley as a renowned illusionist and psychic debunker who finds himself baffled by Sophie as he struggles with his feelings for her and his job where Firth brings a lot of humility and humor into his performance.
Magic in the Moonlight is a stellar film from Woody Allen that features great performances from Colin Firth and Emma Stone. While it is a flawed film, it is a still an enjoyable and fun film that explores the world of magic and spirituality. In the end, Magic in the Moonlight is a wonderful 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 - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Aloha is the story of a defense contractor who is assigned to go to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a satellite as he falls for an Air Force pilot while dealing with an old flame. The film is an exploration of a man who finds himself back in a world with people he used to know as he tries to maintain a sense of hope and something new in old surroundings. Starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray. Aloha is a hokey, sappy, and extremely ludicrous film from Cameron Crowe.
A defense contractor hired by a billionaire to oversee the launch of a satellite that is to be above Hawaii finds himself not only falling for his Air Force pilot liaison but also deal with the re-appearance of an old flame he hadn’t seen in years. It’s a film that wants to be a lot of things where it’s not just this man who used to be so much to people as all he wants to do is finish this project and leave Hawaii yet he is encountered by this idealistic and lively young woman who wants him to show a world that is far more important and with possibilities. At the same time, there’s a lot that is happening as it relates to the life of Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) who deals with things in his past as well as the satellite he’s about to launch for this billionaire. Thus, lies the problem with the film at a whole. It has a lot that it wants to tell yet has no idea what it wants to be.
Cameron Crowe’s screenplay isn’t just a mess but it doesn’t really have characters that audiences will be engaged by nor will they care about. Instead, there’s just caricatures as Gilcrest is the cynic who has given up on leading a good life as he is seen as a screw-up by former colleagues. The idealist is the Air Force pilot Alison Ng (Emma Stone) who is a quarter-Hawaiian as she loves her home state as she is interested in Gilcrest’s past as well as his relationship with ex-girlfriend Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams) who is married to a pilot named Woody (John Krasinski) who is mostly very silent. Ng is a combination of the idealist who is eager to make Gilcrest see the better things in the world and to play into some of the folklore of Hawaii among its natives. It’s not a real character but rather someone that is very underdeveloped as is Tracy who is just a frustrated former flame and Woody is just this silent idiot as they both have children who aren’t real characters either since the son spends half the film carrying a video camera and talking about Hawaiian folklore constantly.
Another problem with the script is how obvious things are as it relates to Tracy’s daughter Grace (Danielle Rose Russell) who is 12 years old as it was sort of the exact same time Gilcrest and Tracy last saw each other. That’s just part of the script’s laziness where it plays into what audience might already know which hurts any kind of intrigue while other parts of the script such as Gilcrest’s relationship with Alison feels very rushed as it is obvious that they will fall in love but it goes very fast. Then there’s the story about Gilcrest’s job as it relates to this billionaire’s satellite and how the military is bought where it is clumsily written where military officials look like idiots while the character of the billionaire Carson Welch (Bill Murray) isn’t just underwritten but is also a caricature as someone who looks and feels like he is in another movie.
Crowe’s direction of the film doesn’t help matters of what is wrong the script but only makes things even worse. Much of it involves his presentation of Hawaii where it feels more like a postcard and a lot of white-washing where white people live in comfortable places while Hawaiian natives live in trailer parks. It’s has Crowe portray its main characters as white saviors unaware that there’s people that are going to fuck these natives over all because of what a billionaire wants. The direction has some unique compositions but nothing to really make anything interesting as there’s moments such as the first meeting between Gilcrest, Alison, and Tracy are all shot in one take where the camera would move from a two shot to a one shot to create something that is funny but it ends up not being funny at all. It’s among the things in the film that really tries to hard to win over the audience as a lot of the humor such as Woody’s silent communication ends up being very awkward and idiotic while other moments feel forced.
Another issue with Crowe’s direction is the way he uses music as about 90 to 95% of the film has a soundtrack that often has some kind of musical accompaniment whether it’s through Jonsi & Alex’s score which mixes ambient music and Hawaiian folk music or through whatever song that Crowe brings to the film. At one point, there’s a scene where Gilcrest’s former superior General Dixon (Alec Baldwin) to play Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rules the World where it really feels more like an excuse to play that song in the film for a party scene as if Crowe wants a song used to drive the story. It’s really a lazy plot device where not only does it become very repetitive but also distracting. There is also a feeling like there was a longer film there but either due to studio interference or Crowe made the decision to cut some things out. Whatever the case is, it feels like a film that had something there but the result is something that ends up being extremely conventional.
Another aspect of the film aside from some of the contrived nature of the story and how muddled it is where it wants to be so many things is that it ends in a resolution that is very tidy and extremely predictable. It is a conclusion that just reeks of unearned sentimentality as well as poor development that feels like a fucking waste of time. Overall, Crowe creates what is undoubtedly a very horrible film that never says anything interesting at all.
On the film’s technical front, the work of cinematographer Eric Gautier is very bland as some of the daytime exterior scenes look over-lit at times while there’s moments where the lighting for scenes at night don’t really do anything to make it interesting on a visual level. Even the editing by Joe Hutshing is distracting where it tries to be stylish and be straightforward but is unable to play into the muddled tone of the film. Production designer Clay A. Griffith, with art director Peter Borck and set decorators William Reyes Jr. and Wayne Shepherd, definitely play up the sense of white-washing in the film in the way Tracy and Woody‘s home look in comparison to where the native Hawaiians live in which is very uninteresting. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott doesn‘t do a very good job with the clothes as much of it is bland as it also includes one of the worst hats ever. Visual effects supervisor Jamie Dixon does some very awful work with some of the visual effects as it relates to some sequences in outer space which looks bad. Sound editor Dennis Drummond and sound designer Jamey Scott do an OK job in some of the sound work though it was unfortunate that some of it is often mixed with a lot of the music that appears in the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is good for the cast she was able to bring though it is very unfortunate that many of them didn’t have a single good thing to work on. Smaller performances from Ivana Milicevic as Carson’s assistant, Hawaiian native leader Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele, Michael Chernus as a hacker friend of Gilcrest, and Bill Camp as a military figure friend of Gilcrest as they’re all sort of wasted by the poor script. Jaeden Lieberher’s performance as Woody and Tracy’s youngest son Mitchell is a poorly written character that is very annoying as Lieberher is just aggravating to watch while Danielle Rose Russell as Woody and Tracy’s daughter Grace doesn’t really get to do anything at all. Alec Baldwin is wasted in a very poor role as General Dixon as someone who has a grudge with Gilcrest as he spends half of his time screaming and shit Danny McBride is also terrible as he plays Colonel “Fingers” Lacy as an old friend of Gilcrest who spends much of the film waving his fingers as if he wants to be a fucking cheerleader.
Bill Murray’s performance as billionaire Carson Welch is essentially Murray phoning it in as if he is in another movie as there are a few moments that are fun but it’s just quite lazy. John Krasinski’s role as Woody is pretty dumb since he spends much of the film being silent while a scene where he and Gilcrest communicate through silence is idiotic. Rachel McAdams is OK as Tracy as a former flame of Gilcrest who wonders if she still has feelings for him as it’s a character that isn’t developed very well as McAdams gets very little to do. Emma Stone has her moments as Alison Ng with her liveliness but it’s a character that is a fucking mess to deal with as it’s badly written at times while her attempts to be funny feels forced. Finally there’s Bradley Cooper as Brian Gilcrest as it’s not a bad performance but a very bland one where his attempts to be funny also feels forced while he is badly hampered by its poor screenplay which ruins his development as a character and gives his chance to find redemption to be poorly handled.
Aloha is a fucking piece of shit film from Cameron Crowe. Not only is it a film where a filmmaker loses his touch but also finds himself taking some major steps backwards as a storyteller where he tries to do so much but forgets to create real characters that people can root for. Whether or not this was the film that Crowe intended to make, it feels like there was a lot to be said but the end result really says nothing to make anyone laugh, cry, or feel anything other than anger and disgust. In the end, Aloha is a film that will make anyone say aloha and fuck off for insulting their intelligence.
Cameron Crowe Films: (Say Anything) - (Singles) - (Jerry Maguire) - Almost Famous - (Vanilla Sky) - (Elizabethtown) - The Union (2011 film) - Pearl Jam Twenty - We Bought a Zoo
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/7/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions
Directed by Greg Mottola and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad tells the story of two high school boys whose days of high school is about to finish. Deciding to go out in style where they were invited to a party, one of their friends is asked to supply alcohol where after a robbery gone bad, the boy gets the attention of two inept cops who use him to relive their youth. With Judd Apatow as a producer, the film is a raunchier film than Apatow's other material as his cohorts Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg recount the days of their youth. Starring Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen. Superbad is a hilarious and boisterous comedy from Greg Mottola.
It's near the end of the school year as Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are hoping to score some chicks and such as they're both set to separate with Evan going to Dartmouth in the fall. Joining Evan to Dartmouth is their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who also hopes to join in a graduation party. When Seth hears that Jules (Emma Stone) is having a party, she asks if he can supply the beer. Seth is excited as he hopes to use the beer to score with Jules while Evan decides to go as after he managed to convince a girl he likes named Becca (Martha MacIsaac) if she wants to go. She says yes and asks him if he could bring a special vodka. Though Evan and Seth don’t have a Fake ID, Fogell manages to score one under the alias, McLovin'.
McLovin' tries to score some beer with a Fake ID only to be assaulted by a robber. With Evan and Seth looking on outside, they're convinced that Fogell is in trouble with the cops as Seth gets hit by a car as the driver named Francis (Joe Lo Truglio) tries to apologize by taking them to a party. Fogell meanwhile, is interrogated by two cops named Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen) as they take McLovin' to some wild shenanigans where he becomes accepted. Seth and Evan meanwhile, arrive at Francis' party where he gets beat up by its host Mark (Kevin Corrigan) while things get crazy when Evan is forced to sing to some drunken guys while Seth has an encounter with Mark’s girlfriend (Carla Gallo) that gets him in trouble. Seth and Evan leave with two detergent containers worth of booze yet the tension between the two boys start to rise over Evan's departure to Dartmouth.
After Fogell's night out with Slater and Michaels, things get tense when an encounter with Seth and Evan lead to some trouble as the three boys finally managed to escape the cops with Fogell carrying the booze he managed to score at the liquor store hours earlier. After arriving to Jules' party, everything becomes great only until Evan and Seth realize their own flaws while McLovin' lives up to his name with some surprising help.
While the film is based on the teenage lives of both its writers and executive producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, it does have something relevant to men, teens and adults, who remember their high school lives. The film's plot is simple, two boys wanting to party, get laid, get drunk, and have a whole lot of fun. Yet, there's more to this story as Goldberg and Rogen focus on the film's core story about these two young men and their long-standing friendship that is about to end. That plot device also leads to a conflict between the two boys as the more abrasive Seth is angry at the very sensitive Evan over this departure and as the film develops, secrets are unveiled and they're not really the same people in the beginning of the film.
One subplot that balances the film's study of teenage friendship is the story that involves Fogell and the two cops he hang around, who are trying to relive their own youths after feeling disappointed by in the world of adulthood. Goldberg and Rogen are definitely smart enough to create stories that men can relate to while for women, it gives them an ideas of what guys are and even though it's from the perspective of guys, not men. Women might relate to their own youths of young woman who probably also want to get drunk and party as well. The humor overall is very raunchy, far more raunchier than the films that Judd Apatow directed due to its coarse dialogue that is definitely shocking to some audiences. Yet, teenagers do talk like that, they think about sex, they watch sex, that's what being a teenager is.
Director Greg Mottola understands that as well as his direction is solid throughout. From its opening credits that is in the style of 1970s cinema, the film has a 70s feel of sorts with its funk-drenched music, ode to porno films, and hilarious situations. Yet, there's also a modern feel that plays to the film's humor. A lot of it has a spontaneous feel with the action being a bit unexpected and such. Still, Mottola lets the actors act in a relaxed approach as he gives them a moment from the comedy yet still manage to let them be funny. Even through wild antics as the film definitely brings laugh after laugh after laugh. Overall, Mottola's direction is superb.
Cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook does some fine work with the film's look, notably the exterior nighttime sequences that are awash with sepia-color tones and yellow lights along with the film's interior scenes for the parties. Editor William Kerr does some nice work for the film's editing as it manages to have a nice, leisurely pace to help with the film's humor along with some great transitional cuts. Production designer Chris L. Spellman & art director Gerald Sullivan do excellent work on the look of the parties including the home of Mark in all of its debauchery while costume designer Debra McGuire does fine work in the look of the clothes that looks very contemporary. Sound editor George H. Anderson is also good with the film’s sound, notably the use of sirens, car squeals, and such to convey the action. The drawings of Seth's penis doodles are wonderfully drawn by Evan Goldberg's brother David.
The score of Lyle Workman is excellent with its homage to 70s funk that is very bouncy courtesy of legendary Parliament-Funkadelic members Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell in their respective playing of the bass and keyboards. The rest of the soundtrack is filled with loads of 70s funk and soul music that includes KC & the Sunshine Band, the Four Tops, The Bar-Kays, Guess Who, Rick James, and other assorted cuts from Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes, Nugent by himself, the Rapture, Motorhead, and Van Halen. It's a killer soundtrack that is fun to listen to.
The cast is overall brilliant feature appearances from David Krumholtz and Martin Starr as party guys, Erica Vittina Phillips as the liquor store cashier, Carla Gallo as Mark's girlfriend, and Seth Rogen's father Mark as a man chasing Seth and Evan with a bat. Brooke Dillman is funny as the home economics teacher while Clement Blake is great as a drunken wino, Matthew Bass as a star of a porno Seth, Evan, and Fogell watch with cameos from porno actresses Aurora Snow and Jenna Haze. Roger Iwami as Evan's classmate Miroki, Laura Seay as Jules' friend Shirley, Marcella Lentz-Pope as Becca's friend Gabby, Joe Nunez as a liquor store clerk, and Aviva Farber as Fogell's crush Nicola.
Joe Lo Truglio of The State fame is funny as the creepy Francis, a driver who hits Seth while trying to get them to a party while Kevin Corrigan plays Francis' former friend Mark with a lot of attitude as a dude who doesn't like to be messed with. Stacy Edwards, known to indie fans as the deaf woman in In the Company of Men, is funny as Evan's mother whom Seth seems to have a crush on her because of her cleavage. Emma Stone is amazing as Jules, the girl Seth has a crush on her as she reveals that though she likes to party, she isn't really a wild person. Martha MacIsaac meanwhile, is also good as Becca, the girl Evan likes as she hopes to win him over but in a way that forces Evan to rethink things. Bill Hader and Seth Rogen are hilarious as the two cops Slater and Michaels as two inept men who are trying to relive their youth and wild ways through Fogell.
Jonah Hill is very funny as the boisterous, profane Seth as his performance is really the funniest of the film with the excessive use of the word "fuck" while often saying obscene things about sex and body parts. Hill's performance is definitely a highlight as he is the wildest character of the entire film. Michael Cera is great as the more sensitive Evan, the young man who wants to do things right while trying to come to terms about the end of his friendship with Seth. Cera's performance is the perfect counterpoint to Hill's more abrasive performance as the two have great chemistry that it's in the tradition of most comedy duos. The film's best performance and scene-stealer is newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fogell aka McLovin'. Mintz-Plasse's performance is truly phenomenal as this nerdy, skinny kid who tries to act like the coolest kid in the world yet unwittingly gets himself into a strange situation. Often the foil for Seth's jokes, he ends up becoming the coolest character of the film as he tries to act like a total gangsta while managing to be one of the greatest guys ever on film.
Superbad is a remarkable film from Greg Mottola. Armed with a great that includes Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen. It's a film that manages to explore the exuberance and uncertainty of youth while telling it in such a raunchy and uncompromising way. In the end, Superbad is a fun and exciting film from Greg Mottola.
© thevoid99 2015
Based on the comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the 2012 re-boot where Peter Parker deals with new foes as well as trying to protect his girlfriend Gwen Stacy while trying to uncover the secret of his parents’ disappearance. Directed by Marc Webb and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker from a story by Kurtzman, Orci, Pinker, and James Vanderbilt. The film has Parker struggle with his role as superhero as he also deals with elements of his family’s past as well as deal with new foes as Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Also starring Emma Stone, Sally Field, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, and Chris Cooper. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an extremely messy, bloated, and very uninteresting film from Marc Webb.
The film revolves around Spider-Man not only dealing with being a superhero who saves everyone in New York City but also coping with who he is as Peter Parker as he tries to juggle a lot in his plate as his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) begins to suffer. Especially as he sees ghostly visions of Stacy’s father (Denis Leary) which forces Peter to keep a promise that Gwen’s father has asked. When an old friend of Peter in Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns to take over his father’s business, Peter begins to wonder about what happened to his parents and why they left him as he faces a series of villains that all have a grudge towards Spider-Man. It’s a film that could’ve been very simple but due to many subplots and stories revolving around Parker’s struggle in his relationship with Stacy as well as the secrets about his family ends up being a film that is very incomprehensible and hard to follow at times.
The film’s screenplay is an example of how messy the film is as it tries to put a lot into the story where it would move from one subplot to another. It’s one of the reasons why the film felt hollow and unsatisfying as it is unable to really do something. At the same time, there are aspects of the script that look like it wanted to say something but it ended up being cut out in the end due to time constraints and such. The villains in the film aren’t very interesting as Aleksi Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) is just a crazed thief who only appears in an early sequence and at the film’s ending. The character Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) starts off as this nerd whom Spider-Man saves but an accident involving electric eels where he becomes Electro has him end up being one of the lamest villains ever. While the character arc of Harry Osborn is sort of interesting, the payoff in having him become the Green Goblin is another disappointing moment.
There’s so much in the script that really fails to really do anything as the story involving Peter’s father Richard (Campbell Scott) does get unveiled but ends up raising more questions about exactly what was Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) trying to do that led to Richard’s disappearance. Even as it relates to Harry who is succumbing from a disease that would claim Norman as it would play into this confrontation between him and Peter in the third act. There’s attempts to put in some humor in the film as it involves a captured Electro and a mad scientist in Dr. Kafka (Marton Csokas) which doesn’t work at all. While the few highlights in the script involves Peter trying to maintain his friendship with Gwen as well as trying to get answers from Aunt May (Sally Field) about his father. It’s not enough to really save the film from being interesting.
Marc Webb’s direction is definitely all over the place as it’s clear that he was trying to do something where he wants to give audiences everything they want. Instead, it’s a film that feels like several different movies that all feature Spider-Man but none of it really feels cohesive. The sequence of Spider-Man chasing Sytsevich that is inter-cut with Gwen becoming valedictorian is an example of what the film is going to be as it tries to be funny and exciting but ends up being very incomprehensible. While Webb does keep things simple for scenes involving Peter and Gwen as it includes a few funny moments, some of the humor does feel forced such as a scene where a security officer (B.J. Novak) tries to go after Gwen.
It’s among the many issues that the film has where Webb definitely feels overwhelmed by the scale as some sequences such as Spider-Man’s first battle with Electro in Time Square is quite bloated as would the climatic two-on-one battle between Electro and the Green Goblin. There’s very little chance for the audience to grasp into what is happening where it meanders in some places while the payoffs end up being very disappointing. Then there’s the ending which is very clear that Webb isn’t in control as it does feel over-drawn and overblown to set things up for the next film. Even as there’s parts of the film where it feels like they’ve been cut down to get things moving as it feels like they’re part of something longer. All of which is shown that it’s a studio that is in control of the film and the overall result is a film that doesn’t bring anything exciting nor anything that is remotely entertaining but rather pointless and empty.
Cinematographer Daniel Mindel does some nice work with cinematography for some of the scenes in New York City but it never really does anything to stand out visually as it often feels like it‘s dominated by visual effects. Editor Pierto Scalia does terrible work with the editing as it plays into too much fast-cutting for the action scenes while some of the montages of Spider-Man doing his duty is comically bad. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Susan Bode and supervising art director Richard L. Johnson, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the Oscorp building and its main office as well a few places in the city. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott does good work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the corporate clothes of the people at Oscorp.
Makeup designer Ve Neill does some OK work with the look of Electro in his electronic state though the look of the Green Goblin ends up being very silly. Visual effects supervisor Gregory L. McMurry does some superb work with the visual effects for the way Spider-Man moves around with his webs though some of it is very bloated such as the scenes involving Electro with all sorts of electricity that just looks dumb. Sound designers Eric A. Norris and Addison Teague do some fine work with the sound though some of the sound effects feels like they‘re trying to create sounds for dubstep records which were unnecessary. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams has some worthwhile moments in its orchestral score from Zimmer with some guitar flourishes by Marr yet much of the contributions from Williams as well as Junkie XL, Michael Einzinger, and a few others are awful as it ranges from bad dubstep electronic music to other bombastic moments that are terrible while some of the music contributions from Phillips Phillips and OK Go is just crap.
The casting by Kathleen Chopin definitely has some moments though many of the actors that do appear in the film definitely are wasted in some uninspiring parts such as Felicity Jones as Harry’s assistant Felicia, B.J. Novak as an Oscorp securities officer, Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter’s parents in the film’s opening sequence, Colm Feore as an Oscorp executive who tries to cover things up from Harry, and Denis Leary in a very silly performance as Gwen’s late father who continuously haunts Peter about keeping that vow. Marton Csokas is hilariously awful as Dr. Kafka who is this mad scientist that seems to be from another film as he’s playing music from A Clockwork Orange as it’s a performance that is just mind-numbingly stupid to watch. Chris Cooper is OK in his brief role as an ailing Norman Osborn who warns Harry about what will happen to him as it’s a good performance but definitely under-written considering Norman’s history with Peter’s father.
Paul Giamatti is horrible as Aleksi Sytsevich as this Russian criminal who battles Spider-Man early in the film as he sports a bad accent as he isn’t seen until he is part of the film’s over-drawn ending as Rhino. Sally Field is excellent as Aunt May as she is trying to cope with being all alone and caring for Peter while admitting that there’s some dark truths in relation to Peter’s father that she doesn’t want Peter to know about. Jamie Foxx is alright as Max Dillon/Electro as this nerd who thinks he’s special when he meets Spider-Man only to get into an accident as he becomes this very lame villain which doesn’t do anything for Foxx. Dane DeHaan is pretty good as Harry Osborn as this old friend of Peter who learns he is dying from a disease only to go crazy as DeHaan does goes overboard with being over the top while looking very stupid as the Green Goblin.
Emma Stone is wonderful as Gwen Stacy as Peter’s longtime girlfriend who copes with him being the superhero as well as the vow he made with her father as she tries to uncover the things that Oscorp is hiding. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in a fine performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as Garfield has some moments where he is being cool and anguished but some of the humorous moments feel awkward as well as some of the very emotive scenes as it’s really due to the script that doesn’t do him any favors.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film that doesn’t live up to its amazing namesake. In fact, it is an absolutely horrific and extremely lifeless film that doesn’t offer very much other than elements of boredom and too many storylines that it is hard to follow. It’s a film that showcases what happens when a franchise gets re-booted for the wrong reasons and in the hands of people who don’t know a thing about films. In the end, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a horrendously bloated and nonsensical film from Marc Webb and the people of Sony and Marvel.
Spider Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Spider-Man: Far from Home
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