Based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller, Mission: Impossible is the story of a spy who being hunted down by his organization after being accused of killing his crew where he has to find the mole in the agency. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Robert Towne and David Koepp from a story by Koepp and Steve Zaillian, the film is suspense-thriller in which a spy has to uncover the truth over a failed mission as well as wonder who to trust. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny, Emilio Estevez, and Vanessa Redgrave. Mission: Impossible is a thrilling and stylish film from Brian de Palma.
The film revolves around a spy who was part of a mission that suddenly goes wrong when he is accused of being a mole after his crew had been killed forcing him to find out who the mole is as it involves a deal with a mysterious arms dealer. It’s a film with a unique premise that is filled with twists and turns by screenwriters David Koepp and Robert Towne as it explores a man who is seeking out the truth as well as wonder who the mole is. The film does have a MacGuffin in this list of spies and their alias where everyone wants it as the spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) decides to steal it as a way to get the mole to come out as well as clear his name with the help of another agent in Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Beart) whom the IMF doesn’t know is still alive as she takes part to get revenge on the people who killed her husband Jim (Jon Voight) who was also Hunt’s mentor.
Claire was also in the botched mission as a getaway driver as Hunt is suspicious about why she is still alive when everyone else in their team was killed including her husband. At the same time, they deal with this mysterious arms dealer in Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who wants this list for her own advantage in this post-Cold War race to get power. Upon hiring the disavowed hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and the pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) for this mission to retrieve the list, Hunt realizes that there are those he can’t trust including Claire as he is convinced the mole is the IMF leader Kittridge (Henry Czerny) due to this play for power.
Brian de Palma’s direction definitely has a flair for style as it opens with a mission to establish what Hunt and his team does as well as play into a few references of the original TV series. Shot on various locations in Prague, London, and parts of Scotland, the film does play into this world where there is still a sense of unease following the end of the Cold War with some wanting to cash in on whoever will win the next war. The film does show de Palma’s penchant for style in the way he captures so much attention to detail in the key scene to capture a Russian spy from retrieving the list as well as what Hunt and his team are doing and the roles they play. There are also these suspenseful moments where de Palma keeps the intrigue going of who is killing who and who are these people in the background. The usage of close-ups and stylish compositions are key to what de Palma is doing in the suspense that includes a post-mission conversation between Hunt and Kittridge as it is show on low slanted camera angles and in a reverse shot as it play into this air of intrigue. The non-action scenes is where de Palma shines as he uses medium shots to play into the way multiple characters interact as well as a few wide shots to establish the location and its geography.
One key sequence that involves Hunt retrieving the list in a very exclusive and highly secretive room as he’s hanging from a ceiling a key example of de Palma’s approach to suspense as it requires silence as well as not make sure a drop of sweat hits the floor or the alarm will go off. It’s a key sequence late in the second act which play into what is at stake but also what Hunt needs to do to find the mole. The third act is about the unveiling of the mole as well as the mole’s motivations as it play into the aftermath of the Cold War and the ideas of the future. Even as Hunt has to do something to expose the truth for the safety of the world in a grand and thrilling climax set on a train in the English Channel. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and entertaining film about a spy trying to uncover a mole who killed his team during a botched mission.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the look of the cities at night as well as some of the interiors of the rooms and places the characters stay at and the room of the secret computer. Editor Paul Hirsch does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, stylish montages, dissolves, and other stylish cuts help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Norman Reynolds, with set decorator Peter Howitt plus art directors Fred Hole and Jonathan McKinstry, does amazing work with the look of the places the characters go to including the secret computer room and the interiors of the train for the film’s climax. Costume designers Penny Rose and Timothy Everest do fantastic work with the costumes as it include a few designer dresses for the mission that would be botched as well as clothes for the characters to wear in disguise.
Makeup designer Lois Burwell, along with special makeup effects artist Rob Bottin, does terrific work with the masks that Hunt would wear in disguise including the look of a senator he would pretend to be for the botched mission. Special effects supervisors David Beavis and Ian Wingrove, along with visual effects supervisors Andrew Eio, John Knoll, and Richard Yuricich, do superb work with the visual effects as it relates to the film’s climax as well as some of the design of the masks that Hunt wears. Sound editor Tom Bellfort does nice work with the sound in creating sound effects for the action as well as the air of silence for the computer room scene to play into the suspense. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible for its orchestral-based score as well as creating variations of the famed TV show theme by Lalo Schifrin that include an electronic-based version by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of the band U2.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Olegar Fedoro as the Ukranian spy trying to get the list early in the film, Dale Dye as Kittridge’s aide Frank Barnes, Rolf Saxon as the CIA analyst William Donloe who has access to the secret computer room, and Karel Dobry as Max’s assistant Matthias. In the roles of Hunt’s original team, there’s Ingeborga Dapkunaite as surveyor Hannah and Emilio Estevez in an un-credited role as Hunt’s gadgets creator and hacker Jack Harmon as they’re terrific in their roles as is Kristin Scott Thomas in a small yet superb performance as the spy Sarah Davies. Henry Czerny is excellent as Kittridge as the IMF chief who believes that Hunt is the mole as he does whatever he can to catch him while Jean Reno is fantastic as Franz Krieger as a disavowed agent hired by Hunt to help him retrieve the list as he’s also very ambiguous over what he wants to do with the list. Ving Rhames is brilliant as the hacker Luther Stickell who would prove to be one of the few people Hunt can trust as he is also someone who is good at what he does and be humble about it.
Emmanuelle Beart is wonderful as Claire Phelps as Jim’s wife who survived the botch mission as there is a sense of ambiguity to her about her survival as she is also someone that wants revenge while dealing with her feelings for Hunt. Vanessa Redgrave is amazing as Max as this secretive arms dealer that is eager to get the list for her own thirst of power as it’s a charismatic performance from Redgrave. Jon Voight is incredible as Jim Phelps as Hunt’s mentor and Claire’s husband as a top spy who organized the botched mission unaware of what he’s going after as it’s a low-key yet chilling performance from Voight who maintains this sense of ambiguity. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a phenomenal performance as Ethan Hunt as a spy who finds himself being accused of being a mole where it’s a performance that has Cruise display charm as well as be full of determination and drive as it is one of his finest performances of his career.
Mission: Impossible is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma that features a top-notch performance from Tom Cruise. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, and Danny Elfman’s thrilling score, it’s a blockbuster film that offers a lot of excitement as well as containing some engaging moments of suspense. In the end, Mission: Impossible is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma.
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the play Huit Femmes by Robert Thomas, 8 Femmes is a who-dun-it set during the Christmas holidays at the French countryside as a matriarch, her mother, her sister, her two daughters, her two maids, and her sister-in-law are all suspected of killing the man of the house as they’re force to reveal secrets and in song. Directed by Francois Ozon and screenplay by Ozon and Marina de Van, the film is a mixture of the colorful melodramas of Douglas Sirk with the mysteries of Agatha Christie with a bit of the musical told in the film. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Danielle Darrieux, Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Beart, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, and Firmine Richard. 8 Femmes is an exhilarating yet entertaining genre-bending film from Francois Ozon.
The film is essentially a quirky take on the who-dun-it that mixes suspense, comedy, melodrama, and the musical all into a mish-mash of fun where eight women ranging from different ages and such all try to figure out who killed the man in the house as they’re all suspects. Throughout the film, family secrets are unveiled as tension come ahead between the eight women in the story as well as an act of defiance from the two maids who are upset over the way things are handled. Adding to the chaos is the unexpected visit of the man’s sister Pierrette (Fanny Ardant) as she helps stir the pot where she and the seven other women start to figure out who did what as they also sing a song in turn to express their own feelings and such.
The screenplay by Francois Ozon and Marina de Van definitely takes it time to play with the expectations of a who-dun-it as they also explore the dysfunctional relationship between this group of women as it involve the man’s wife Gaby (Catherine Deneuve), her uptight sister Augustine (Isabelle Huppert), her wheelchair-bound mother Mamy (Danielle Darrieux), and her two daughters in Suzon (Virginie Ledoyen) and Catherine (Ludivine Sagnier). Then there’s the two servants in the longtime cook Madame Chanel (Firmine Richard) and the new chambermaid Louise (Emmanuelle Beart) as they observe everything while they become suspects over their motives and some secrets that they carry. Eventually, more secrets are unveiled as well as clues into who killed the man known as Marcel. The screenplay also plays with the structure of the suspense where it does give one character a reprieve of sorts as she is no longer a suspect allowing the others to figure things out.
The screenplay also plays into many things such as equality, homosexuality, and repression as these eight women all want something just as they are all dealing with themselves and their relationship with Marcel. The songs that are chosen for the film for each character reveal a lot into who these women are as well as what they have to say. It also helps play into some of the emotional aspects of the story that adds a layer to the melodrama.
Ozon’s direction definitely recalls a lot of the visual motifs of Douglas Sirk in terms of staging and framing as well as the meticulous attention to detail in every set piece. From the way Ozon creates an atmosphere in his framing to how he is willing to let things loose in the humor and drama. Even in the musical moments where some of it is choreographed while some of it is presented in a simple manner. Ozon does use some unique framing devices to present these musical numbers in the way he place the actors in a frame or have them be in the background for someone’s musical number with the help of choreographer Sebastian Charles. There is something intoxicating to the way Ozon presents the film as it plays as a theater piece but also take his time to subvert these moments for everyone to play loose. Overall, Ozon creates a very delightful and compelling who-dun-it that is presented in song and in humor.
Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie does exquisite work with the film‘s colorful cinematography to create a sense of beauty as a lot of it is shot inside the house where Lapoirie uses some gorgeous lighting schemes for some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic moments. Editor Laurence Bawedin does excellent work with the editing to capture some of the intensity of the drama and the rhythm of the musical numbers. Production designer Arnaud de Moleron and set decorator Marie-Claire Quin do amazing work with the set pieces with its attention to detail in the carpets and the presentation of the main room as it is definitely a highlight of the film.
Costume designer Pascaline Chavanne does brilliant work with the clothes as Chavanne designs a lot of specific clothing for each women to wear to display their personalities. Sound editor Benoit Hillebrant does nice work with the sound to capture some of the sound effects in the film to help maintain the air of suspense. The film’s music by Krishna Levy is wonderful for its lush orchestral score that recalls some of the sweeping musical styles of Bernard Herrmann. Music supervisors Amelie de Chassey and Delphine Mathieu do fantastic work with the selection of the songs as they go for pop for the songs sung by Catherine, Suzon, and Louise as well as more mid-tempo pieces for Gaby and Pierrette while Antoinette, Madame Chanel, and Mamy are given ballads.
The casting by Antoinette Boulat is marvelous for casting a great array of actresses to appear in the film as they span countless generations and periods. With Dominique Lamure only making a brief appearance as Marcel though he doesn’t show his face, the film definitely belongs to these women. Ludivine Sagnier is wonderful as the youngest in Catherine who is full of energy while Virginie Ledoyen is superb as the older sister Suzon who is carrying a secret of her own while dealing with all of the family chaos. Firmine Richard is great as the family cook Madame Chanel who is the most reserved character of the group as well as the one person who knows more than everyone else. Emmanuelle Beart is remarkable as the chambermaid Louise who is quite defiant in her role while having some secrets of her own as it concerns Marcel.
Danielle Darrieux is excellent as the family matriarch Mamy as a woman who claims she couldn’t walk as she’s often full of lies as well as being greedy. Fanny Ardant is amazing as Pierrette who makes a surprise visit to the house as she is definitely someone in a bit of control as she also has a real standout moment with her musical number. Isabelle Huppert is brilliant as Antoinette who represents a woman who is uptight and repressed as she is the most dramatic as well as being very funny. Catherine Deneuve is just divine as Gaby as a woman dealing with all of the chaos while facing herself and her own troubled relationship with her husband.
8 Femmes is an incredible film from Francois Ozon. Armed with a brilliant ensemble cast of some of France’s finest actresses as well as amazing technical work. It’s definitely a film that plays to the who-dun-it genre while doing it in song to create something that is full of joy and goes all out to entertain. In the end, 8 Femmes is a phenomenal film from Francois Ozon.
Francois Ozon Films: See the Sea - Sitcom - Criminal Lovers - Water Drops on Burning Rocks - Under the Sand - Swimming Pool - 5x2 - Time to Leave - Angel (2007 film) - Ricky - The Refuge - Potiche - In the House - Jeune & Jolie - (The New Girlfriend) - (Frantz (2016 film)) - (Double Lover) - (By the Grace of God) - Summer of 85 - (Everything Went Fine) - (Peter von Kant) - The Auteurs #33: Francois Ozon
© thevoid99 2013
Based on Marcel Pagnol’s novel, Manon des Sources (Manon of the Spring) is the sequel to Jean de Florette in which the daughter of Jean de Florette seeks revenge for what happened to her father many years earlier as the Soubeyran land starts to become more valuable. Directed by Claude Berri and screenplay by Berri and Gerard Brach, the film explores the world of greed but also consequences in the fates of the Soubeyran as both Yves Montand and Daniel Autieul reprise their respective roles as Cesar and Ugolin Soubeyran. Also starring Emmanuelle Beart and Hippolyte Girardot. Manon des Sources is a complex yet compelling drama from Claude Berri.
More than a decade after buying the Florette land, Cesar and Ugolin Soubeyran are basking in their success over Ugolin’s carnation farm that has made them rich. With Cesar already growing old, he asks Ugolin to find a wife to that the Soubeyran empire can continue. While trekking around the hills, Ugolin catches a glimpse of Jean Cadoret’s daughter Manon (Emmanuelle Beart) who has become a goat herder as she lives with her Italian guardian Baptistine (Margarita Lozano). Ugolin tries to pursue yet Manon has become interested in the young schoolteacher Bernard Oliver (Hippolyte Girardot) who was in the hills collecting rocks. Ugolin makes an attempt to pursue Manon by professing his love to her but she refuses to respond.
On one day while herding the goats, Manon overhears a couple of villagers who reveal about their own guilt over knowing about the spring that could’ve helped Jean Cadoret years ago. Devastated by what she learned, Manon decides to seek revenge as one of her goats while herding has found the underground source for the village spring. In her act against the Soubeyran, Manon decides to dam the spring leading a water shortage as the town panics. After a church gathering where the whole town and Manon attends, the villagers admit their guilt over their treatment to Jean Cadoret as Manon publicly accuses the Soubeyrans over what they did to her father. Even worse is when a poacher finally reveals what he had seen years ago as it leads to an outcry of shame and guilt over all that had happened as the village learns some harsh truths.
In the aftermath of these revelations, Cesar deals with the shame he faces from the village as they hold a procession to get the water back. When an old friend of his in Delphine (Yvonne Gamy) returns to the village, she reveals to Cesar some news that would consume him with guilt as he tries to find redemption for his actions.
The film is an exploration on not just greed and deception but also guilt and redemption where it is all driven by an act of revenge over what happened in Jean de Florette. What the Soubeyrans did was cruel as they are hoping to become rich and be lauded by the village in hopes to make sure their name remains powerful and respected by the community. Even the villagers know about what really happened yet couldn’t admit to facing their guilt in front of Manon. When Manon learns about what really happened to her father, she is driven by revenge over her the loss of her father as she hopes to make the village and the Soubeyrans suffer for their actions. This would eventually cause some locals to finally confess their actions including a mysterious poacher who knew what really happened. Guilt finally emerges in the Soubeyrans as it would lead to not just tragedy but also revelations that goes beyond everything that Cesar Soubeyran had wanted.
The screenplay is more structured than its predecessor as well as being more engrossed in its themes. Notably as it revolves around guilt in the film’s second half where Ugolin finally admits to Manon about his actions and begs for forgiveness. There are no flashbacks in the story as it’s really isn’t needed in order to let the audience reflect on the events that had happened in the previous film. It’s through dialogue and character motivations that let the audience reflect on those past events. While the first half is more loose in its structure in order to establish the characters and what they’re doing, the second half is more dramatic where it reveals a lot about the past and Manon’s motivations. The third act doesn’t just contain elements of tragedy but also shocking revelations that would send Cesar Soubeyran to the edge as he becomes consumed with guilt and regret as he would make an attempt to redeem himself.
Claude Berri’s direction is entrancing for the compositions he creates as he definitely takes on some more stylish compositions to capture the beautiful locations in the hills and mountains. There’s also more intimate shots in scenes at the town and in some of the close-ups that Berri creates. Notably in moments such as the town meeting where there’s a lot of chaos goes on while the events after the meeting show a town just in a state of absolute panic. By the time the film reaches the third act, Berri goes into less stylish camera work to establish the sense of loss that is happening around Cesar as he deals with not just guilt but also the shocking news that he receives. Even with the film’s ending that is very poignant for all of the troubles and tribulations that happen as Cesar seeks redemption. Overall, Berri creates a fascinating yet mesmerizing portrait of guilt and redemption.
Cinematographer Bruno Nuytten does fantastic work with the colorful cinematography from the naturalistic look of the sunny locations to the array of lush lighting schemes for many of the film‘s nighttime interiors including the cave where Manon finds the underground spring source. Editors Herve de Luze and Genevieve Louveau do wonderful work with the editing by creating some nice rhythm for some of the film‘s suspenseful moments while using fade-outs to help flesh out the film‘s structure. Production designer Bernard Vezat does nice work with the set pieces such as the carnations garden that Ugolin has as well as the look of the underground spring source that Manon finds.
Costume designer Sylvie Gautrelet does amazing work with the costumes from the more posh clothing the Soubeyran men wear to the more mountain dresses that Manon wears early in the film. Sound editors Dominique Hennequin and Maryline Monthieux do terrific work with the sound to capture the intimacy of the church scenes to the chaos in the town meeting. The film’s music by Jean-Claude Petit is lovely for its playful orchestral score that ranges from fun to more serious and darker arrangements along with the use of Giuseppe Verdi’s La forza del destino to help play to the sense of loss that Manon deals with.
The casting by Marie-Christine Lafosse is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Elisabeth Depardieu in a cameo as Manon’s mother Aimee, Yvonne Gamy as Delphine, and Margarita Lozano as Manon’s Italian guardian Baptistine. Hippolyte Girardot is very good as the kind teacher Bernard who befriends Manon as he becomes the one true friend that she has in town. Emmanuelle Beart is tremendous as Manon as she displays a great sense of enthusiasm and heartbreak into her role as well as a great sense of physicality since she doesn’t have a lot of lines to say.
Daniel Autieul is superb as Ugolin as he displays a wonderful sense of humor to his performance in the film’s first half as well as a sense of humility in the second half. Finally, there’s Yves Montand in an incredible performance as Cesar Soubeyran as he displays a man trying to defend himself against the crimes he had done only to realize that he committed a much bigger crime that forces him to seek redemption where Montand displays something unforgettable in the film’s final moments.
Manon des Sources is a remarkable film from Claude Berri that features marvelous performances from Yves Montand, Daniel Autieul, and Emmanuelle Beart. The film definitely stands as an intriguing piece on revenge, guilt, and redemption while it makes for a great double-feature with its predecessor in Jean de Florette. In the end, Manon des Sources is a ravishing yet endearing film from Claude Berri.
Claude Berri Films: (The Chicken) - (The Two of Us) - (So Long, Stooge) - Jean de Florette - (Uranus) - (Germinal) - (Lucie Aubrac) - (Hunting and Gathering)
© thevoid99 2012
