The film is the story of a young prince who witnesses the murder of his father by his uncle forcing the young prince to flee as he later grows into a man seeking revenge as he is aided by a slave in reclaiming his throne. It is a film with a simple premise where it isn’t just about revenge but also a boy becoming a man and trying to find himself and the fate of his quest. The film’s screenplay by Robert Eggers and Sjon is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it is more about the journey that its protagonist Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) takes from the time he witnesses his father in King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) be murdered by his uncle Fjornir (Claes Bang) when Amleth was a child (Oscar Novak) as its first act is about Amleth making an oath to get revenge on his uncle and save his mother in Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman) from his clutches. The first act also shows him becoming a Viking where he helps attack villages and such until an encounter with a Seeress (Bjork) who tells him that Fjornir has been exiled from Norway and is in Iceland with his mother, his eldest son Thorir (Gustav Lindh), and their youngest in Gunnar (Elliott Rose).
The second act revolves Amleth going to Iceland by posing as a slave where he meets another slave in Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) who claims to be a sorceress as she would help Amleth in seeking revenge. Yet, things become complicated as Amleth learns about Gunnar and the new world that Fjornir and Gudrun live in as they kept a low profile while Amleth also learns that his father’s jester Heimir (Willem Dafoe) had also been killed by Fjornir where Amleth meets the He-Witch (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson) who serves a medium for Heimir for Amleth. Amleth doesn’t reveal himself directly to his mother as he and Olga continue to work in secrecy as they would fall in love but things do get more troubling following some revelations leading into its third act. Notably as it does play into Amleth’s own devotion to his father and his father’s devotion to the spiritual world and nature itself.
Eggers’ direction definitely has elements of style but also this element of physicality into the world that these characters live in as it is intense and at times, unforgiving. Shot on various locations in parts of Great Britain as well as Ireland and Iceland, Eggers maintains this sense of physicality in these locations with the first twenty minutes set in this cold mountain forest where there are these gorgeous imagery with the daytime exteriors and interiors having this sense of the cold and the scenes at night were it is all about natural lighting that include this spiritual ceremony hosted by Heimir for the young Amleth and King Aurvandill. The usage of close-ups and medium shot in that ceremony also include these surrealistic images that play into this connection with the spiritual world as they would occur often in the film including a shot of a young Amleth on a horse running towards the light that is Valhalla.
Eggers also uses a lot of wide shots to get a scope of these locations but also these surroundings the characters are in as it also play into a moment in time that is brutal but also entrancing. Notably in shots where Eggers uses the wide shots in using these dolly-tracking shots to showcase the places that Amleth is in whether it is the palace building he’s in as a child or the place to retrieve a sword that he needs for his quest. The usage of the dolly-tracking shots would also play into the suspense including scenes late in the second act where Fjornir deals with these mysterious attacks where Eggers also maintains this air of brutality in the violence as it would intensify in the third act. Notably the climatic showdown between Amleth and Fjornir as it is told in a stylized manner that owes more to the prophecy that Amleth had to follow yet there are these surrealistic elements that bring a lot of power to this climax. Overall, Eggers crafts a mesmerizing yet unsettling film about a young Viking prince going on a quest for vengeance against his uncle.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of filters for a few surrealistic shots while much of it is natural in some of the interiors with its usage of fire as light as well as its emphasis on available light for some of the exterior scenes. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as its emphasis on having shots play out while also emphasizing on jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorators Pancho Chamorro and Niamh Coulter plus art directors Robert Cowper and Paul Ghirardini, does incredible work with the film’s art direction in the design of the village and castle that the young Amleth lived in to the fortress that he would attack as a Viking and the home that Fjornir would live in with Gudrun. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of some of the gowns that Gudrun wear as well as the armor that Fjornir and King Aurvandill wore as well as some of the wool clothes the other characters wore.
Hair/makeup designer Maralyn Sherman, with special effects makeup designer David White, does brilliant work with the look of a few characters with the Seeress being a major example as well as the look of a few spiritual figures that Amleth meets. Special effects supervisor Sam Conway, along with visual effects supervisors Angela Barson, Colin McCusker, and David Scott, does terrific work with some of the visual effects that include some of the film’s surrealistic imagery as well as some of the animals the characters encounter. Sound editors James Harrison and Steve Little, along with sound designers Jimmy Boyle and David Volpe, do phenomenal work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the usage of layered dialogue for some of the surrealistic moments as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough is remarkable as it is a highlight of the film with its usage of percussions, discordant strings, and other sounds to help create an unsettling tone for the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Ralph Ineson as a ship captain Amleth and Olga meet late in the film, Magne Osnes as a berserker priest who had become a father figure for Amleth, Kate Dickie as a senior slave who sort of runs Fjornir’s farm, Olwen Fouere as Fjornir’s priestess, Hafpor Julius Bjornsson as a rival tribe champion that Amleth fights during a game of knattleikr, Eldar Skar and Phill Martin as a couple of Fjornir’s housecarls with the former who lost his nose from a fight with the young Amleth, and Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson as the He-Witch as a spiritual figure who would serve as a medium for Heimir. Oscar Novak and Elliott Rose are terrific in their respective roles as the young Amleth and his eventual half-brother Gunnar as two young boys who both adore their fathers with the former feeling the need to get revenge while the other is struggling to prove to himself as a prince. Gustav Lindh is superb as Fjornir’s eldest son Thorir the Proud as a prince who is eager to rule over the slaves as he takes a disliking towards Amleth unaware of his true identity.
Bjork is fantastic in her brief role as a Seeress as this mysterious spiritual figure who would guide and remind Amleth of his quest for revenge while Willem Dafoe’s brief role as King Aurvandill’s jester Heimir is excellent for its sense of energy and intrigue as someone who doesn’t just favor the spiritual world but also the physical world. Ethan Hawke is brilliant as King Aurvandill as a man of simple ideas as he has a close bond with his son while he is also a man who loves nature and the spiritual world. Nicole Kidman is amazing as Queen Gudrun as a woman who is Amleth’s mother but is unaware of his identity believing he had died where she is devoted to her son and stepson/nephew as she also brings a lot of ambiguity to her role. Claes Bang is incredible as Fjornir as King Aurvandill’s brother who would take the throne feeling that his brother is too much of a savage as he is also someone that wants to make his own mark following his own exile.
Anya Taylor-Joy is sensational as Olga as a slave who claims to be a sorceress as she befriends and later falls for Amleth where she doesn’t just help him in getting his revenge but is also someone who also has a connection with nature and the spiritual world in the hope that a better future would come. Finally, there’s Alexander Skarsgard in a phenomenal performance as Amleth as a young prince who goes on a quest for vengeance to avenge his father and save his mother where he deals with the complexities of his mission and the added stakes as it relates to his family as well as his uncle where Skarsgard brings in a lot of restraint but also an intensity into his performance where it is a major breakout performance for him.
The Northman is a tremendous film from Robert Eggers that features great performances from Alexander Skarsgard and Anya Taylor-Joy. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous yet grimy visuals, intense music score, eerie sound design, its study of revenge and fate, and its idea of myth and spirituality. It is a film that doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to revenge films while it is also a study of a man trying to do what is right while facing obstacles that would push him further into his quest. In the end, The Northman is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Lighthouse (2019 film) - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
© thevoid99 2022
Written and directed by Paul Schrader, First Reformed is the story of a Protestant minister who deals with a declining attendance in his church while coping with his own identity and faith in these trying times. The film is a study of a minister who is dealing with his crisis of faith as well as what faith is becoming in a world that is ever-changing. Starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Victoria Hills, Michael Gaston, and Cedric “the Entertainer” Kyles. First Reformed is a haunting yet evocative film from Paul Schrader.
The film follows a minister, whose church is about to celebrate 250 years, is dealing with a crisis of faith not just with his own being as well as his health but also a declining attendance of the church as one of its visitors comes to him for help as it relates to her husband. It’s a film that play into a world that is ever-changing as this minister is trying to deal with the reality around him but also this sense of hopelessness in this world. Paul Schrader’s script follows Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) who runs the First Reformed church at a small town in upstate New York where he notices a declining audience as many of the locals go to a nearby megachurch run by Pastor Joel Jeffers (Cedric Kyles) who owns the historical landmark where the First Reformed is where Toller goes to Jeffers for counsel. The main bulk of the narrative revolves around Toller trying to help a troubled environmental activist in Michael Mensana (Philip Ettinger) who is wracked with despair about the world as his wife Mary (Amanda Seyfried) was the one who suggests that Michael should go to Toller for help.
Toller would get close to Mary in helping her as she is also pregnant which adds to Michael’s despair while Toller is trying to understand what Michael is seeing. Throughout the film, Toller would write down the recollections of the day in a journal as it would include voice-over narration that play into Toller’s own feelings as his plan is to write out his thoughts for a year. Even as he is dealing with loss from the past and has trouble trying to connect with others aside from Mary where he also becomes troubled by his surroundings as well as the ideas of climate change which makes him question the world around him.
Schrader’s direction definitely evokes a lot of visual style and themes from those he admire like Ingmar Bergman, Robert Bresson, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Yasujiro Ozu, and Andrei Tarkovsky as he aims for something that is meditative and simple. Shot on various locations in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn with the Zion Episcopal Church from the former being the film’s centerpiece and in a 4:3 full-frame aspect ratio. Schrader would use Ozu’s static camera approach to medium shots and close-ups where he doesn’t aim for any kind of camera movement except in a few scenes or in some zooms for close-ups. Still, Schrader uses this approach of not moving the camera to get a lot of coverage including some wide shots of the locations to play into this growing awareness of the ever-changing world that Toller is encountering. Particularly as he does what he can to help others and offer assistance to Jeffers’ church yet becomes troubled by his own reliance on alcohol and other health issues. Schrader’s direction would maintain that sense of discomfort in Toller as he copes with the world at hand where he question his own faith as he would position the camera in a wide or medium shot whenever he’s writing his journal.
Schrader also would create moments of surrealism as it relates to a meeting between Toller and Mary who reveal this non-sexual yet physical intimacy she and her husband did as it’s a moment that play into the fears and hopes of what the two want for the world. It’s a moment that does recall some of the visual ideas of Andrei Tarkovsky as it would play into Toller’s awareness of a world becoming more unruly. The film’s final sequence plays into Toller’s response as it would climax with this celebration of the church as it celebrates its 250th anniversary with Toller being part of the festivities. It is a moment that has Toller display his disdain of what faith is becoming and his act of defiance towards the modern world and how he believes is ruining God’s creation. Overall, Schrader crafts a riveting and rapturous film about a minister dealing with his crisis of faith as well as helping a young woman with an emotionally-troubled husband.
Cinematographer Alexander Dyan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography by emphasizing on simplistic and natural visuals for many of the interior/exterior daytime scenes along with some lighting for scenes at night as well as a shot during dawn at a decaying location. Editor Benjamin Rodriguez Jr. does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of its rhythmic cutting as well as not playing to anything remotely stylized in favor of letting shots linger for a while. Production designer Grace Yun, with set decorator Nadya Gurevich and art director Raphael Sorcio, does fantastic work with the look of some of the interiors at the house that Toller stays in next to the church as well as the home that Mary and Michael live in and some of the rooms inside Jeffers’ church. Costume designer Olga Mill does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual for its winter-time look with many of Toller’s clothes being his black minister clothes and white robes as well as the casual look of the other people in the small town.
Visual effects supervisors Justin Cornish, Brian Houlihan, and John Mangia do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to the fantasy sequence involving Toller and Mary that play into their hopes and fears of the world. Sound editors Ruy Garcia and Michael McMenomy do amazing work with the sound in creating a sparse yet effective atmosphere for much of the locations including these little moments in the quieter scenes and settings. The film’s music by Brian Williams, in his Lustmord pseudonym, is wonderful for its low-key electronic score that only appears in the film sparingly for much of its second half while music supervisor Dina Juntila provides a soundtrack that is mainly music played on location includes rendition of traditional music as well as an acapella cover of a song by Neil Young.
The casting by Susan Shopmaker is superb as it include some notable small roles from Bill Hoag as a worker at the First Reformed church in John Elder, Michael Gaston as a corporate figure in Edward Balq, Victoria Hill as a church worker in Esther who becomes concerned for Toller’s health, and Philip Ettinger as Mary’s troubled husband Michael as an environmental activist who is becoming uneasy about the world around. Cedric “the Entertainer” Kyles is great as Pastor Joel Jeffers as a preacher who runs a megachurch in the small town that is trying to counsel Toller about his troubles while also supervising the organization of the First Reformed church’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Amanda Seyfried is incredible as Mary Mensana as the pregnant wife of an environmental activist who is concerned for her husband as she turns to Toller for help as well as befriend him as someone she can go to for guidance as it’s understated and radiant performance from Seyfried. Finally, there’s Ethan Hawke in a phenomenal performance as Reverend Ernst Toller as a pastor that is troubled by his own health, crisis of faith, and the need to help a troubled activist where it’s a calm yet eerie performance from Hawke who displays an anguish as a man trying to do what he can to help people yet is troubled by the world around him as it’s a true career-defining performance for Hawke.
First Reformed is a tremendous film from Paul Schrader that features a tour-de-force performance from Ethan Hawke. Along with its ensemble cast that includes a phenomenal supporting performance from Amanda Seyfried as well as gorgeous visuals, a simplistic presentation, and compelling themes of faith. It’s a film that play into the ideas of the world at large and a man asking big questions about his surroundings as well as the need to help someone in need. In the end, First Reformed is an outstanding film from Paul Schrader.
Paul Schrader Films: Blue Collar - Hardcore – American Gigolo - Cat People (1982 film) - Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters – (Light of Day) – (Patty Hearst) – (The Comfort of Strangers) – (Light Sleeper) – (Witch Hunt) – (Touch) – Affliction - (Forever Mine) – (Auto Focus) – (Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist) – (The Walker) – (Adam Resurrected) – (The Canyons) – Dying of the Light - (Dog Eat Dog) - (The Card Counter)
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Aisling Walsh and written by Sherry White, Maudie is the story of the life of the folk artist Maud Lewis and the work she created as well as struggling with her arthritis and other issues while working for a fish peddler as his housekeeper before they would marry. The film is an exploration of a woman who would create art that would prove to be meaningful while she would also find people who would care for her upon being rejected by her actual family as Lewis is played by Sally Hawkins. Also starring Ethan Hawke, Kari Matchett, Zachary Bennett, Gabrielle Rose, and Greg Malone. Maudie is an intoxicating and rapturous film from Aisling Walsh.
The film is an unconventional bio-pic of sorts on the life of folk artist Maud Dowley Lewis from her time as a young woman in 1930s Nova Scotia to her death at the age of 67 in 1970 that included her marriage to a surly fish peddler in Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) who had been her greatest supporter. The film showcases how Maud would meet Lewis as she started out as his live-in housekeeper who isn’t exactly fond of her yet would realize her value as he is also amazed by her paintings. Sherry White’s screenplay opens with Maud living with her Aunt Ida (Gabrielle Rose) who hasn’t been happy about Maud’s sense of rebellion forcing Maud to wanting to find her own place as she is upset over her brother Charlie (Zachary Bennett) for selling their mother’s home. It’s when she picks up an ad that Lewis had posted at a general store where Maud would meet Lewis at his small house where he collects and sells scraps as he’s reluctant to hire Maud due to her arthritis but realizes what she can do to help him.
The character of Lewis is a loner who isn’t fond of anyone as he just wants to work as he would soften little by little toward Maud as he sees that her work would bring in some money after it gets the attention of one of Lewis’ customers in a New Yorker named Sandra (Kari Matchett) who would later commission Maud’s work. Though Maud would get some attention, it wouldn’t sit easy with the reserved Lewis who isn’t fond of the attention nor the way he’s seen by the public. Yet, it is Maud who brings the goodness in him despite his surly behavior that can display a cruelty at times.
Aisling Walsh’s direction is mesmerizing for not just the recreation of the paintings and Lewis’ home but also the world that Maud lived in as much of the film was shot in the Canadian island of Newfoundland as well as parts of Ireland, the Canadian province of British Columbia, and Toronto. While Walsh would use some wide shots of the locations, much of the direction is focused on close-ups and medium shots to go for something simple as it opens with a close-up of Maud’s hands as she is making a few paintings. The usage of intimate shots would play into how small Lewis’ home is both upstairs and downstairs as it sort of represents the lack of wonderment that Lewis would have until Maud would paint the walls and such to make it more presentable.
Since the film takes place in the span of decades, Walsh never reveals what year or period it’s set in order to play into Maud and Lewis’ developing relationship as well as the evolution of Maud’s artwork and how it got all of this attention. Even as it would relate to Maud’s own life where she revealed that she had a child that died of childbirth as well as secrets about her own family relating to her Aunt Ida and her brother Charlie that would come into play. Notably as it would mark a test for Maud and Lewis as it relates to the latter who is convinced that he’s not good enough for Maud or anyone when it really isn’t true as Maud would do something to ensure that he would get his share of the work she’s done. Overall, Walsh crafts a tender yet ravishing film about the life of an artist and her relationship with a loner fish peddler.
Cinematographer Guy Godfree does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in emphasizing on the film’s natural look for the different seasons in the exteriors as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interiors at the Lewis home. Editor Stephen O’Connell does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as a few montages to play into the development of Maud and Lewis’ relationship. Production designer John Hand, with set decorator Dara Hand plus art directors Shelley Cornick and Owen Power, does amazing work with the look of the home that Lewis lived in and how small it is to its evolution from being something magical due to Maud’s paintings as well as some of the places they go to. Costume designer Trysha Barker does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual to play into the simple look of Maud and Lewis without emphasizing too much on the evolution of the times as they chose to wear the clothes they wore early in the film.
Hair designer Peggy Kyriakidou and makeup designer Mary Sue Heron do terrific work with the look of Maud and Lewis in how they would age throughout the years without overdoing the aging process in order to retain the youthful spirit of the two characters. Sound editor Steve Munro does superb work with the sound as it is largely low-key to play into the natural elements of the sounds including the painting scenes and the sound of winds in the location. The film’s music by Michael Timmins is wonderful for its folk-based score that largely uses string instruments including some electric guitars and such to play into Maud’s artwork while music supervisor Wayne Warren provides a similar soundtrack that features music from Mary Margaret O’Hara, Lisa Hannigan, and Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies.
The casting by John Buchan and Jason Knight is marvelous as it features a few small roles from Greg Malone as Mr. Hill who runs the local orphanage where Lewis gets an occasional meal at times, Gabrielle Rose as Maud’s Aunt Ida who is concerned that Maud wouldn’t be able to take care of herself until she sees her years later where she reveals a major family secret, and Zachary Bennett as Maud’s brother Charles who would sell their family home without her consent and later see her when she becomes famous offering to help out much to the chagrin of Lewis. Kari Matchett is excellent as Sandra as a customer of Lewis from New York who discovers Maud’s paintings and would commission the paintings and help them get exposure in and out of Canada.
Ethan Hawke is incredible as Everett Lewis as this gruff fish peddler who is a recluse of sorts that isn’t really fond of people and keeps to himself believing he’s not someone that can be loved. Finally, there’s Sally Hawkins in a phenomenal performance as Maud Dowley Lewis as the famed folk artist who suffers from arthritis yet would create art work that is simple yet enchanting as it’s a performance that is physically demanding yet never showy as well as the sense of tenderness that Hawkins brings to her character where she and Hawke have this chemistry that is endearing as it play into Maud’s humanity.
Maudie is a sensational film from Aisling Walsh that features tremendous performances from Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous locations, and a somber folk-based score, it’s a bio-pic that doesn’t play by the rules while being a character study of a woman who would find inspiration in her environment and through the man whose heart she would win over. In the end, Maudie is a spectacular film from Aisling Walsh.
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Rebecca Miller from a story by Karen Rinaldi, Maggie’s Plan is the story of a woman who falls in love with a married man only for things go wrong years later as she schemes to get him back to his ex-wife. The film is a romantic comedy of sorts as it plays into a woman who put herself into a situation only to find herself in serious trouble as she becomes part of a messy love triangle. Starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel, Wallace Shawn, and Julianne Moore. Maggie’s Plan is a witty and whimsical film from Rebecca Miller.
The film follows a young woman who meets a writer as they fall in love despite the fact that he’s married to a college professor as they would later marry and have a child only for the marriage to lose its luster where the woman believes her husband is hung up on his ex-wife. It’s a film that explores a woman’s desire to wanting to become a mother only for her plans to just have a child without any emotional attachments to the father only for things to not exactly go her way. Rebecca Miller’s screenplay follows the titular protagonist (Greta Gerwig) who works at the New School in New York City where she’s the director of business development and outreach for the art and design students as she would meet another person at the school in John Harding (Ethan Hawke) over a bill where they have somewhat similar last names as Maggie’s surname is Hardin. Learning that Harding is working on a novelist and married to the famed writer Georgette Norgaard (Julianne Moore) who tenures at Columbia University.
Maggie and Harding befriend one another due to the former’s interest towards the latter’s novel as they suddenly begin an affair where the story moves three years later where they have a daughter named Lily (Ida Rohatyn). Yet, things become complicated as their relationship has hit a funk where Harding would help his ex-wife over business deals with Maggie watching over her teenage stepdaughter Justine (Mina Sundwall) and stepson Paul (Jackson Frazer). Maggie is convinced her relationship with Harding is going to end in divorce where she meets Norgaard about the idea of her getting back with Harding. It all play into Maggie’s need to control the situations as well as reclaim some idea of individuality as she often had to cancel meetings in her job and do all of the things that a mother does with Harding often too consumed with his own work and such. Norgaard is reluctant at first about Maggie’s plan as she’s still got issues with Maggie over her affair with Harding but also realizes that she still has feelings for her ex-husband.
Miller’s direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions and setting as it is shot largely in New York City during the winter as well as locations at upstate New York as Quebec. While there are some wide shots in some scenes, much of Miller’s direction rely on close-ups and medium shots as it relates to the characters interacting with one another. Even in scenes that are lightly comical as it relates to Maggie being with her friends including a man named Guy (Travis Fimmel) whom she originally wanted to impregnate her by donating his sperm. It’s among the lightly-comical moments that include the night Maggie tries to use Guy’s sperm to impregnate herself where Harding has rung the intercom to meet her as it would play into some silliness.
The scenes that showcases Harding’s marriage to Norgaard display that air of inequality where Norgaard is presented as someone that might seem pretentious yet she is revealed to be someone that is an intellectual but with a chip on her shoulder. In the film’s third act, it does become dramatic as it relates to Maggie and Harding yet would have an air of humor in the growing friendship between Maggie and Norgaard as Miller would show the two having common ground as well as create something together that would benefit everyone. Overall, Miller crafts a charming and enjoyable film about a woman’s scheme to get her husband back with his ex-wife that would eventually cause chaos in her own life.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for its exterior look including the scenes set in Quebec that includes its low-key lighting for the interior scenes at night. Editor Sabine Hoffman does terrific work with the editing as it is straightforward with a few jump-cuts and montages with the latter playing into Maggie’s relationship with Harding early in the film. Production designer Alexandra Schiller, with set decorator Kendall Anderson and art director Brian Goodwin, does fantastic work with the look of the apartments the characters live in from the posh-look of Norgaard to the more Bohemian look of Maggie when she lives with Harding.
Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska does nice work with the costumes as it has a sense of style from the colorful look of Maggie to the more posh look of Norgaard. Sound editor Marlena Grzaslewicz does superb work with the sound in capturing the atmosphere of the hotel in Quebec to the exteriors of New York City. The film’s music by Michael Rohatyn is wonderful for its low-key score that mixes folk and indie music to play into the world of New York City while music supervisor Adam Horowitz provide a mix of music from reggae to rock.
The casting by Cindy Tolan is great as it feature some notable small roles from Wallace Shawn as a Q&A interviewer for Norgaard and Harding early in the film, Kathleen Hanna as a singer at an inn in Quebec, Ida Rohatyn as John and Maggie’s daughter Lily, Jackson Frazer as John and Georgette’s son Paul, and Mina Sundwall as John and Georgette’s teenage daughter Justine who is wondering why her dad is eating with her mom. Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph are superb in their respective roles as Tony and Felicia as friends of Maggie who have a family of their own as they’re concerned about her scheme with Tony being uncomfortable with the situation. Travis Fimmel is terrific as Guy as a friend of Maggie who makes and sells pickles as she wants him to donate his sperm to her only for things to not happen. Ethan Hawke is excellent as John Harding as a college professor for the New School that is trying to create a novel yet often neglects his parental duties and still has feelings for Georgette unaware of what he’s doing to Maggie.
Julianne Moore is incredible as Georgette Norgaard as a Danish intellectual/writer who is also a professor at Columbia University as she has some resentment and anger towards her ex-husband yet still has feelings for him where she would go along with Maggie’s plan only to befriend Maggie as it’s a charming performance from Moore. Finally, there’s Greta Gerwig in a remarkable performance as Maggie Hardin as a director for the New School who is eager to have a child where things don’t go as planned as she tries to take control of the situation in getting her husband back with his ex-wife only to realize her faults and accept about the way things are.
Maggie’s Plan is a marvelous film from Rebecca Miller that features great performances from Greta Gerwig and Julianne Moore. Along with its supporting cast and a witty story of a complicated love triangle, it’s a film that manages to bring something new to the romantic-comedy genre while being a woman’s film in its exploration for them to find their place in the world. In the end, Maggie’s Plan is a brilliant film from Rebecca Miller.
Rebecca Miller Films: (Angela (1995 film)) – Personal Velocity: Three Portraits - The Ballad of Jack and Rose - The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Arthur Miller: Writer
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood, 21 Years: Richard Linklater is a documentary film about the career of filmmaker Richard Linklater from his 1990 breakthrough release Slacker to the impending release of his 2014 film Boyhood told through interviews with many of the actors who had worked with him as well as animated segments where the actors describe Linklater’s approach through filmmaking. The result is an enjoyable and witty film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood.
Since the release of his 1990 film Slacker, Richard Linklater was considered one of the forefathers of new wave of American Independent Cinema in the 1990s yet he would continuously evolve through many films through the 2000s and beyond whether it would be experimental films, Hollywood studio films, sci-fi, period films, or whatever. All of which were films that had unique touches as the documentary film features interviews with not just the many actors he collaborated but also filmmakers such as Kevin Smith and Jason Reitman who both see him as a major influence in their work. Actors such as Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Parker Posey, Jack Black, Anthony Rapp, Nicky Katt, Billy Bob Thornton, Zac Efron, Keanu Reeves, and several others talk about Linklater’s approach to improv and make things feel natural.
With the aid of animation directors Adam Conarroe, Megan Kluck, and Shane Minshew, many of the stories the actors talk about in their experience with Linklater is told through animation where Hawke and Delpy talk about the writing process for Before Sunset and Before Midnight where much of it had the two of them laughing a lot in the writing with Linklater. Black talks about Linklater’s approach to make things feel genuine in order to get the story feel real to an audience as Black is proud of the work he’s done with Linklater as does McConaughey who would put in his own family into the films such as one of his brothers in an appearance in The Newton Boys and his mother in Bernie. Much of the direction that Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood does is straightforward in terms of the way the interviews are presented as well as delving a lot into Linklater’s work with the Austin Film Society that had become an important society for the city of Austin.
The film does have flaws as not all of Linklater’s films are discussed heavily like Waking Life, Tape, Fast Food Nation, and subUrbia while there is no mention of his first film It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books. It still cover a lot of what Linklater does as many of the interviews are shot in a straightforward manner with the aid of cinematographer Aaron Brown. Editor Jeremy Ward and sound editor Evan Dunivan do excellent work in compiling the footage as well as putting the audio interview excerpts from the actors over the film. The film’s music by Graham Reynolds is pretty good as it is a mixture of rock and jazz to play into the different flavors of all of Linklater’s films.
21 Years: Richard Linklater is a pretty good film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood. While fans of Linklater’s work will enjoy the interviews, they would definitely feel like the film deserves more to say as well as talk about all of other films he did as well as comments from the man himself. In the end, 21 Years: Richard Linklater is a stellar film from Michael Dunaway and Tara Wood.
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar, Regression is the story of a detective who investigates a sexual abuse case made by a 17-year old girl against her father who has no recollection of what had happened. The film is an exploration into the world of child abuse as well as fact vs. fiction over what really happened as it relates to Satanic cults. Starring Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis, Aaron Ashmore, Devon Bostick, Dale Dickey, Lothaire Bluteau, Peter MacNeil, and David Dencik. Regression is an intriguing yet extremely messy film from Alejandro Amenabar.
Set in 1990 at a small town in Minnesota, the film revolves around a detective who investigates the sexual abuse of a 17-year old girl who claimed to have been sexually abused by her father. In the course of the investigation with the aid of a local psychiatrist, Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) learns that some of the abuse involve Satanic rituals as the case becomes complicated with Kenner getting too close. It’s a film that plays into a man trying to see what had happened while he interrogates this girl’s father to see if he really did anything. Once Kenner asks Angela Gray (Emma Watson) about what had happened and some of the things she revealed, Kenner would start to see things as if there is a Satanic cult in this small town.
Alejandro Amenabar’s script does create some compelling ideas about sexual abuse and regressed memories but once the story begins to include these ideas of Satanic rituals. It starts to lose focus on what is really going on and the aspects of the suspense and mystery starts to lose itself. Especially when Kenner and Professor Kenneth Raines (David Thewlis) begin to interrogate members of Angela’s family including her father John (David Dencik) who turned himself in to the police claiming he did something to his daughter. Once other members of Angela’s family such as her grandmother Rose (Dale Dickey) is questioned about her possible role in Satanic rituals, things definitely become confusing about what is truth and what is fiction. Especially as the most rational character in the film in Professor Raines begins to be sort of a Greek chorus of sorts about what is really going on and wonders if any of it is true.
Amenabar’s direction definitely has a unique sense of atmosphere in terms of its setting while it is shot largely in Toronto and other parts of Canada. Even in his approach to compositions as it plays into the dramatic elements such as the conversations between Kenner and Raines where they try to make sense of everything. Amenabar would also use some close-ups and medium shots to create some intimate moments as well as some scenes that play into Kenner talking to Angela and getting her to talk. The scenes which involve these Satanic rituals are meant to be scary but a lot of it ends up being very silly. By the time the film moves into its third act, more questions get raised as it relates to the hysteria of these accusations of Satanic rituals which does lead to a twist in the third act that doesn’t just kill whatever intrigue the film had. It also leads to an overdrawn ending as it related to regressed memories as well as how faith can distort reality. Overall, Amenabar creates an interesting but very troubled film about a sexual abuse case with elements of Satanic rituals.
Cinematographer Daniel Aranyo does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of bluish imagery for many of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes along with some intricate lighting for scenes set at night. Editor Carolina Martinez Urbina does some fine work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts though its attempt to create suspense with its fast-cuts don‘t really work as it makes it too obvious. Production designer Carol Spier, with set decorator Friday Myers and art director Elinor Rose Galbraith, does nice work with the look of the Gray family home as well as the church where Angela is staying at. Costume designer Sonia Grande does terrific work with the clothes as it’s mostly casual with the exception of the black robes the Satanists wear.
The visual effects work of Carlos Adarraga and Ezequiel Larru is good for some of the scenes in the Satanic ritual sequences as it plays into this blur of reality and fiction. Sound designer Gabriel Gutierrez does superb work with the sound to help play into the suspense and drama as well as scenes of horror. The film’s music by Roque Banos is pretty good for some of the orchestral-based music of the film that delves into the drama and suspense though it feels overdone at times.
The casting by Jina Jay and Jason Knight is amazing for the group of actors that are assembled though many are either caricatures or aren’t given much to do. Notable small performances from Adam Butcher and Kristian Bruun as a couple of local cops and Aaron Abrams as a detective named Farrell have their moments while Aaron Ashmore is alright as a cop who is accused of being part of the Satanic cult. Peter MacNeil is terrific as the local police chief who tries to deal with the attention over what is happening though he is severely underwritten. Devon Bostick is good as Angela’s older brother Roy who has been estranged from the family for mysterious reasons as he is confronted by Kenner and Raines where he would reveal some eerie family secrets. Dale Dickey is fantastic as Angela’s grandmother Rose as a woman who may be in denial over what happened as she copes with the chaos that is surrounding her family.
David Dencik is superb as Angela’s father John as a man who turns himself in to the police at the beginning of the film as he becomes unsure of what he did as he is consumed by guilt over his actions. Lothaire Bluteau is alright as Reverend Murray as the local religious leader who has taken Angela in as he also confides in Kenner and Raines to rely on faith which annoys the latter. David Thewlis is brilliant as Professor Kenneth Raines as a psychiatrist who is trying to analyze Angela’s family as he believes something isn’t right while being the smartest guy in the film. Emma Watson is wonderful as Angela Gray as a 17-year old girl who claims to be sexually abused as well as revealing that her family is part of a Satanic cult where Watson has this air of innocence to her but the script doesn’t really do much for her which hinders some of her performance as well as her motivations in the film. Finally, there’s Ethan Hawke in a stellar yet flawed performance as Detective Bruce Kenner as a detective who gets too close into the case where Hawke overdoes it at times in someone who is determined to get things right while also making himself look foolish due to the demands of the script.
Regression is a very disappointing and messy film from Alejandro Amenabar. Despite an interesting subject on regressed memories, it’s a film that wanted to say a lot of things but ends up being very convoluted and idiotic at times with characters that end up looking foolish. In the end, Regression is a terrible film from Alejandro Amenabar.
Alejandro Amenabar Films: Thesis - Open Your Eyes - The Others - The Sea Inside - Agora - The Auteurs #51: Alejandro Amenabar
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, Gattaca is the story of a young man who hopes to travel to outer space despite dealing with prejudice as he hides his genetic imperfections in a futuristic world where science determines who can succeed or not. The film is a mixture of sci-fi with elements of drama and mystery as it also relates to this young man who pretends to be another as he becomes a murder suspect. Starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Loren Dean, Alan Arkin, Ernest Borgnine, Blair Underwood, Xander Berkley, Tony Shalhoub, Elias Koteas, and Gore Vidal. Gattaca is a riveting and evocative film from Andrew Niccol.
Set in a futuristic world where science determines one’s fate and when will that person die, the film revolves a young man who was conceived with genetic imperfections as he pretends to be another man in the hopes that he can travel to outer space. At the same time, he becomes a suspect over the death of mission control director as he learns that his younger brother is the detective leading the case. It’s a film that plays into this man who tries to prove that anything is possible in a world where one’s blood-type, urine sample, and such don’t determine one’s outcome. Yet, it is told from this man whose real name is Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) who would take the guise of another man in Jerome Morrow (Jude Law) who would aid Vincent in achieving his dream.
Andrew Niccol’s screenplay is told largely from Vincent’s perspective as it begins with him learning that is one week away from actually achieving his dream to go into outer space. Yet, a simple eyelash found during the murder of the mission control director would be the one thing that might stop him as its first act reveals not just Vincent’s conception but also how he was already determined by science into when he will die and what ailments he will have. Once his younger brother Anton (Loren Dean) is born and is promised all of the things that Vincent will never have because Anton was conceived through genetic selection instead of the natural conception that brought Vincent into the world. Yet, it would be a simple swimming game of chicken where Vincent realizes that anything is possible as he would meet the paralyzed Jerome who was once a swimming star and take on Jerome’s identity while the real Jerome would provide the urine and blood samples Vincent would need.
Once Vincent’s story into how he became Jerome takes up much of the film’s first act, the second act does have a shift in tone where it becomes a mystery as Vincent not only deals with being a suspect but also falls in love with a co-worker in Irene Cassini (Uma Thurman) who is a valid but is unable to travel due to her own heart issues. Yet, she would learn firsthand about who Vincent really is just as Anton suspects that his own brother is the killer due to the loose eyelash from Vincent though Anton isn’t sure since he believes his brother had already died. Especially as his partner Hugo (Alan Arkin) looks into other possibilities as it relates to the prejudices that is hinged upon society where even Jerome was affected by it as he had all of the potential in the world to succeed but failure only made him bitter and depressed. Even as he copes with the pressure that was put upon him making him and Vincent equal of sorts.
Niccol’s direction is truly mesmerizing in terms of not just the compositions but also in presenting a futuristic sci-fi film without the need to make it totally futuristic. Much of it has Niccol shooting on various locations in California through some amazing architectural designs that does give the film a somewhat futuristic look. Niccol’s rich compositions and the way he places some of the wide shots definitely add something that a look that sort of makes it futuristic while he also goes for these kind of intricate crowd shots of exactly what Vincent does when he’s at work as it sort of plays into something that feels bureaucratic in some respects. Especially as Vincent would get a glimpse of how those with perfect genes would live and how he as an invalid would have to live and work where he would start off cleaning windows and then find his way to be part of this space program.
Niccol’s approach to close-up and medium shots are also entrancing as it also includes a few handheld moments such as a chase scene involving Vincent, Irene, and Anton. It plays into not just some of the mystery but also the drama and romance as well as Niccol’s approach to framing the actors where the flashback scenes involving a young Vincent and Anton where Vincent is in the foreground while Anton and their parents are in the background. It establishes how disconnected Vincent is with his own family as well as the world he lives in as the third act showcases him not only trying to reveal some truth to those close to him. Especially as it revealed exactly how he managed to defy the odds in a world that prevents him from achieving his dreams. Overall, Niccol creates a compelling and ravishing film about a young man prejudiced in a futuristic world where science determines one’s fate.
Cinematographer Slawomir Idziak does phenomenal work with the film’s very colorful cinematography with its usage of filters and lighting schemes for some of the film’s interiors while maintaining something that is quite ethereal in its images as it’s among one of the film’s major highlights. Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin does excellent work with the editing as it is quite stylish with some of its rhythmic cuts and usage of dissolves to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Jan Roefls, with set decorator Nancy Nye and art director Sarah Knowles, does amazing work with the set design from the look of Jerome‘s home as well as the building where Vincent would work as Jerome along with the nightclubs and such the two would go to. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the suits that Vincent and Jerome would wear as well as the trench coat/fedora look of Anton‘s partner Hugo and the dresses that Irene would wear.
Makeup supervisor Ve Neill and key hair stylist Bette Iverson do terrific work with the look of Vincent prior to meeting Jerome and how they would have the same haircut. Visual effects supervisor Jerry Pooler does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects as it relates to spaceship that Vincent wants to board into. Sound editor Richard King does superb work with the sound to play into some of the chaotic elements of the film along with some of the textures that Vincent would endure in his training. The film’s music by Michael Nyman is incredible for its lush orchestral score with elements of minimalist and soft piano textures as it plays into the drama
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it features notable small roles from Dean Norris as a beat cop, Ken Marino as a sequencing technician, Maya Rudolph as a delivery nurse, Gabrielle Reece as a trainer where Vincent works at, Vincent Nielson and William Lee Scott in respective versions of the adolescent and teenage Anton, Mason Gamble and Chad Christ in the respective version of the adolescent and teenage Vincent, Blair Underwood as a geneticist, Jayne Brook as Vincent and Anton’s mother who loves both sons as she ponders what Vincent will do, and Elias Koteas as Vincent and Anton’s father who seems to favor Anton more than Vincent as he wants his eldest to be more realistic in his dreams. Tony Shalhoub is terrific in a small role as a mysterious man who would help Vincent attain the look and genetics to be Vincent.
Ernest Borgnine is superb as an invalid named Caesar who leads the clean-up crew as he tells Vincent not to clean too well as he would later provide evidence into who might be the killer not knowing that Jerome is really Vincent. Gore Vidal is excellent as the mission flight director Josef who tries to deal with the murder in his building while aiding the detectives. Xander Berkley is amazing as Dr. Lamar who would interview Vincent for the job as he looks into many background checks as it’s a very low-key yet mesmerizing performance. Alan Arkin is fantastic as Detective Hugo as an old-school detective who aids Anton into finding the killer as he initially suspects the invalid Vincent while he goes into looking for other clues. Loren Dean is brilliant as Anton as Vincent’s younger brother who has become a detective as he realizes Vincent is a suspect while wondering if his brother is really alive when he was supposed to.
Jude Law is incredible as Jerome as a former swimming star who has become paralyzed as he aids Vincent in achieving his dream while revealing what happened when he became paralyzed as it showcased how much he and Vincent have in common. Uma Thurman is remarkable as Irene as a woman who works with Vincent as she falls for him unaware of who he really is as she would also make some major discoveries of her own while revealing her own flaws in her genes despite being valid. Finally, there’s Ethan Hawke in a phenomenal performance as Vincent Freeman as a man who was conceived naturally with genetic flaws as he is determined to buck an unjust system while coping with his own ailments as well as what he had to do to overcome them.
Gattaca is a spectacular from Andrew Niccol that features great performances from Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law. It’s a film that isn’t just a compelling and provocative sci-fi drama but also a film that explores the ideas of what happens if science determines one’s fate. In the end, Gattaca is an enchantingly rich and tremendous film from Andrew Niccol.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman, Dead Poets Society is about a former prep school student who returns to his old prep school as a teacher to a new group of young students. Breaking away from the conservative world of the school, the teacher gives his young students a chance to find their own individuality through poetry as a couple of students get a chance to live their dreams while dealing with the conservative world of their school and the expectations from their parents. With Robin Williams in a leading performance as the English teacher John Keating, he is accompanied by a young cast that includes Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Dylan Kussman, Allelon Ruggerio, Gale Hansen, and James Waterson, along with appearances from Norman Lloyd and Kurtwood Smith. Dead Poets Society is an inspiring yet majestic film from Peter Weir.
Set in a prep school in 1959 in the American Northeast, the film is a simple story where a new teacher arrives at the school to teach poetry and literature as he would bring new ideas to his young students that breaks away from the traditional ethics of the school. It’s a film that in some respects is about times that are changing where this school is trying to maintain these ideas of wisdom in tradition, honor, excellence, and disciple in a world that is starting to change as its new teacher is part of that new world. At the same time, it is about a group of students who are amazed by this new teacher and his ideas as they’re inspired to read poetry as some of these students have the desire to do something else rather than what is expected from them. Especially as a few would endure the pressures of their parents to uphold certain standards and ideas rather than pursue their own ambitions and desire.
Tom Schulman’s screenplay is very broad in the way it explores the life of a prep school in the late 1950s where a new year is about to begin for a group of students while a newcomer to the school is a shy aspiring writer in Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) whose older brother was a student at the school. Anderson’s roommate in Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) is being pressured by his father to become a doctor as he would eventually become interested in acting. Anderson and Perry would eventually find inspiration through the teachings of John Keating who was a student at the school years ago as he traveled through Europe to become a teacher as he would teach his students new ideas about living life. Even as he discards the traditional ideas of poetry as he feels that everything he had been taught about is tired and irrelevant as he would allow students to find themselves and their passion where many of them would reform an old poetry that Keating was a part of called the Dead Poets Society.
The script doesn’t just explore a group of young men coming together to read poetry but also find something in themselves where Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) would use poetry to woo a girl from a nearby public school while Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen) would find individuality and challenge the school’s old school ethics. Though Keating’s intentions were noble, he isn’t interested in challenging anything but rather expand the ideas as it would get him into some trouble with the school’s headmaster Gale Nolan (Norman Lloyd) who is trying to ensure the school’s ethics refusing to believe that times are changing. Especially where Perry’s desires to become an actor starts to get the attention of his father (Kurtwood Smith) as it would play into events that would effect the film tonally as well as the decisions some of the characters would make.
Peter Weir’s direction is very mesmerizing in the way he portrays the world of late 1950s prep schools set in the American Northeast where it’s very posh and has this air of elegance that stood for the ethics that the school is about. Yet, everything outside of that school represents a world that is ever-changing where it is shot largely at the St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware which definitely feels like the perfect setting of a world that is long and gone. Weir’s direction is quite simple in terms of the many compositions he creates but has this air of richness in every image he creates as well as an energy that plays into this feeling of a new world emerging into this school by this very passionate and charming teacher. The direction also has Weir find elements of humor and exuberance to play into a world that is changing where Keating brings something that is very worldly in the art of poetry.
Through some unique close-ups and medium shots, Weir maintains that sense of intimacy inside the classroom but also something much looser outside of the classroom. Even as the students would find ways to express themselves such as Perry who would get a chance to do Shakespeare while Anderson would have this great scene where he would create a poem of his own in the classroom in a way that comes off very naturally. It’s among the key aspects in Weir’s direction that is compelling as it does become more dramatic in its third act where it plays into some of the fallback of Keating’s teachings and how the old world wants to instill its ideals against the new world. All of which is set in a classroom about poetry and one teacher who would get a group of students to feel inspired for the world that is ahead of them. Overall, Weir crafts a very touching and riveting film about a teacher and the students who inspired him.
Cinematographer John Seale does amazing work with the film‘s rich and colorful cinematography to play into the exterior settings from the fall and winter seasons as well as some of the low-key lighting schemes for some scenes set at night. Editor William M. Anderson does brilliant work with the editing with its unique approach to rhythmic cuts and other stylized cuts to capture the sense of energy in the film as well as some of the more haunting moments in the film. Production designer Wendy Stites, with set decorator John H. Anderson and art director Sandy Veneziano, does fantastic work with the look of the classrooms and dining halls as well as some of the places nearby the school. Sound editor Alan Splet does superb work with the sound from the sense of chaos that goes on in the school to some of the sparse sound textures in some of Keating‘s teachings. The film’s music by Maurice Jarre is tremendous for its very low-key yet somber score with some unique string arrangements and some soothing orchestral themes as it is one of the film’s highlights.
The casting by Howard Feuer is just excellent as it features some notable small roles from Alexandra Powers as Knox’s crush Chris Noel, Leon Pownall as the teacher McAllister, and Debra Mooney as Neil’s mother. Kurtwood Smith is terrific as Neil’s very strict father who wants him to become a doctor while Norman Lloyd is excellent as the school headmaster Gale Nolan who tries to maintain a sense of order and idea of tradition in the school. Allen Ruggiero is superb as the nerdy Meeks who becomes much looser through poetry while James Waterston is wonderful as the more awkward Pitts who finds some confidence through poetry. Gale Hansen is fantastic as Charlie Dalton who is the first to be amazed by Keating’s teachings as he finds individuality and the desire to make difference. Josh Charles is amazing as Knox Overstreet who would find confidence in poetry to woo a girl who comes from another school.
Dylan Kussman is brilliant as Richard Cameron as a student who is the most reluctant to follow Keating’s ideals as he would later look out for himself and think of what is best for the school. Ethan Hawke is phenomenal as Todd Anderson as this aspiring writer who is very shy and extremely insecure only to get a push and some encouragement through Keating as he would find his way towards happiness. Robert Sean Leonard is marvelous as Neil Perry as this young man who is trying to find himself as he falls in love with the world of acting as he struggles with his own desires and what his father wants from him. Finally, there’s Robin Williams in one of his most iconic performance as John Keating. It’s a performance that has Williams display humor and exuberance but also one that is very sensitive and nurturing as it displays many of what he can do as an actor and how inspiring he can be.
Dead Poets Society is a magnificent film from Peter Weir that features an exhilarating and passionate performance from Robin Williams. Armed with a great supporting cast that includes Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard as well as captivating themes on individuality and changing the world through art. It’s a film that goes beyond the ideas of inspiration as it is also a film in how one teacher can change the lives of a group of young kids. In the end, Dead Poets Society is an outstanding film from Peter Weir.
Peter Weir Films: (3 to Go-Michael) – (Homesdale) – (Whatever Happened to Green Valley?) - (The Car That Ate Paris) - Picnic at Hanging Rock - (The Last Wave) - The Plumber (1979 TV film) - Gallipoli - The Year of Living Dangerously - (Witness) - (Mosquito Coast) - (Green Card) - (Fearless) - (The Truman Show) - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - The Way Back
© thevoid99 2014
Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Boyhood is the story of the life of a young boy as he comes of age from the first grade to the twelfth grade. Shot in the span of 12 years, the film is an exploration into the world of childhood and the world of a boy growing up with his mother and older sister as well as endure the sporadic appearances of his father. Starring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, and Ellar Coltrane. Boyhood is a tremendously transformative and exhilarating film from Richard Linklater.
The life of a child is a unique one where it is the years where children learn about the ways of life as well as the idea that the world isn’t perfect. Especially as it concern their own parents who aren’t perfect as they would struggle in raising their children to do well and prepare them for adulthood. The film is about these situations as it relates to a young boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) who would endure many changes in the entirety of his young life from being a child to becoming an 18-year old aspiring photographer. Especially as he would go through these changes with his mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) in the span of twelve years with sporadic appearances by his father Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). In the course of the story, Mason and his family would live in various places all over Texas as Olivia struggles to find stability in her life through marriages and other setbacks. Especially as the film’s story revolves around growing pains that Mason and Samantha would go through as well as having to move every few years and the visits from their father.
Richard Linklater’s screenplay doesn’t really play into any kind of traditional structure as it really plays more into Mason’s coming-of-age as a boy who would go through many things in the course of twelve years. Among them would be arriving into different schools, take part in the trends of the time, and all sorts of things that kids and teenagers would go through. Especially as the film’s second half showcases Mason as a teenager where he would face the pressure of fitting in and be part of something as there’s one notable scene where he lies about being with girls and such which is often very common with teenage boys. Yet, Linklater makes sure the story is very simple as it relates to Mason’s own growth as a person where many of his experiences would come into play as a man as well as learning about love and such. Even as he would get some advice from his own father, who does reveal why things with him and Mason’s mother didn’t work out, in the ways of love and all sorts of things.
Linklater’s direction is very evocative in the way that he presents the film where he manages to capture the growth of a child and his family in the span of 12 years without any kind of tricks, visual effects, or something that could’ve been told in a conventional fashion. Instead, Linklater would do something where he would capture a moment in time in these twelve different years to capture not just a sense of evolution in the growth that Mason and Samantha would endure but also in their surroundings in the state of Texas. Shooting on location in various locations of the state including cities like Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and other small towns. The film maybe a Texan film but it has this otherworldly tone where it could’ve been set anywhere in America as it adds to Mason’s experience in his growth as a young man. While many of the compositions such as the close-ups, medium shots, and some unique camera angles are presented in a very simplistic manner, Linklater uses that approach in order to create something that feels real.
That approach to realism helps the film maintain something that feels natural in its development where the characters of Olivia and Mason Sr. don’t use makeup to age themselves but rather show it naturally as does the look of Mason and Samantha. Especially in the latter where Mason and Samantha would endure many different looks in the course of the year in order to showcase the tone of the times or what was trendy in that year. Linklater builds up the evolution of the story in a very slow yet methodical way rather than say it happens in this year or that year. Especially in the final years of Mason’s life as a high school kid as he becomes aware of entering adulthood where there is this mixture of excitement and dread. Overall, Linklater crafts a very mesmerizing yet extraordinary film about a boy’s life coming of age from childhood to adulthood.
Cinematographers Lee Daniel and Shane Kelly do excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s very colorful with its naturalistic approach to lighting in the many locations in Texas along with some of the interior lighting schemes at night including the Harry Potter book party for the sixth book. Editor Sandra Adair does brilliant work with in the editing where it‘s very straightforward with some bits of stylistic flairs along with some offbeat transitions to play into the film‘s unconventional structure. Production designers Rodney Becker and Gay Studebaker, with set decorator Melanie Ferguson, do fantastic work with the set design from the different look of the homes that Mason would live throughout his entire childhood.
Costume designer Kari Perkins does nice work with the costumes to play into the evolution of the clothes that the four principle characters would wear in the course of twelve years. Sound editor Tom Hammond does terrific work with the sound work to play into the way music sounds on some of the locations along with other moments that happen in the key parts of Mason‘s childhood. Music supervisors Meghan Currier and Randall Poster is amazing as it features an array of music that plays into the many years that Mason and Samantha would encounter from Coldplay, the Flaming Lips, Britney Spears, Paul McCartney, Phoenix, and all sorts of musical styles from hip-hop, country, pop, rock, indie, and folk as it is a highlight of the film.
The film’s incredible cast includes notable appearances from Charlie Sexton as Mason Sr.’s musician friend Jimmy, Libby Villari as Olivia’s mother, Jenni Tooley as Mason Sr.’s new wife Annie in the film’s second half with whom he would have a child with, Richard Andrew Jones and Karen Jones as Annie’s parents who would give Mason some gifts for his 15th birthday, Richard Robichaux as Mason’s boss in his teenager years, Barbara Chisholm as a friend of Olivia in Carol, Zoe Graham as Mason’s high school girlfriend Sheena, Brad Hawkins as Olivia’s third war-veteran husband Jim, Marco Peralla as Olivia’s second husband in a college professor Bill, Jamie Howard and Andrew Villarreal as Bill’s children, and Roland Ruiz as a laborer Olivia would meet and give advice to in the film’s second half.
Lorelei Linklater is brilliant as Samantha as Mason’s older sister who would endure not just her own growing pains but also venture into trends and such as she brings a lot of complexity into the role of an older sister. Patricia Arquette is amazing as Mason’s mother Olivia who does her best to raise her children while enduring financial and romantic woes as it’s a very engaging performance to display a mother trying to bring stability to her family. Ethan Hawke is fantastic as Mason’s father who is this exuberant yet cool man-child of sorts who is sort of irresponsible yet manages to become a mature parent who often displays a lot of wisdom for his children in the ways of the world. Finally, there’s Ellar Coltrane in a remarkable performance as Mason who would encounter many changes of his life as a young boy into a young man from all sorts of things that is very common with growing up while gaining an understanding of the ways of the world as it’s a truly astonishing performance for the actor.
Boyhood is an absolutely one-of-a-kind film from Richard Linklater that transcends the idea of what film could be. Armed with a great cast and a premise that is truly powerful, it’s a film that not only captures the experience of childhood into adulthood. It is also a film that allows an audience to possibly reflect about themselves in those years as it is really unlike anything in contemporary American cinema. In the end, Boyhood is a magnificent film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2014
