A Monster Calls

Based on the novel by Patrick Ness from an idea by Siobhan Dowd, A Monster Calls is the story of a young boy who copes with his mother’s terminal illness as he withdraws towards fantasy in the form of a gigantic tree-like monster. Directed by J.A. Bayona and screenplay by Patrick Ness, the film is a look of a boy coping with impending loss and dark realties as he turns to the world of fantasy. Starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, and Liam Neeson as the voice of the monster. A Monster Calls is an exhilarating yet heart-wrenching film from J.A. Bayona.

The film follows a young boy who is dealing with his mother’s illness as he receives a visit from a tree-like monster who would tell him three different stories with the boy having to tell the fourth story. It’s a film that follows a boy who is unwilling to face the fact that his mother would die as he also has to deal with his strict grandmother who wants him to live with her as well as a visit from his estranged father. Patrick Ness’ screenplay showcases the life of a boy in Conor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall) who is living with his ailing mother Lizzie (Felicity Jones) as he wonders if she will still live despite the seriousness of her illness. Though his life is also troubled at school due to a bully named Harry (James Melville), he often retreats to making drawings and artwork when a monster appears at 12:07 AM as he would appear on that time every few nights to tell three different stories that relate to not just human nature but also loss. For Conor, the idea of losing his mother is enormous as he isn’t sure if he wants to stay with his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) nor does he want to move to America to stay with his father Liam (Toby Kebbell).

J.A. Bayona’s direction definitely has elements of style in his approach to the visuals as it include some animated sequences as it relates to the three stories the monster tells to Conor. Shot on location in areas near London as well as some scenes shot in Spain with much of the film set in Britain, Bayona would create some wide shots of the scope of the locations including scenes of capturing how big this tree-like monster is. While Bayona would create close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimate moments including scenes of Conor dealing with the people in his life. Bayona would use the script’s back-and-forth narrative as it relates to the three stories as the animation is based on Jim Kay’s animation from Ness’ novel as it would have a richness that is reminiscent to the drawings that Conor would make in his spare time. The animated scenes would match into whatever outlet that Conor is dealing with emotionally as it relates to his inability to face the truth about what will happen to his mother.

Bayona would also create these sequences to match this element of fantasy and reality as it would play into the third act where Conor has to confront this recurring nightmare he would have for much of the film. It’s a sequence in the film’s third act that packs a real emotional punch as it play into the idea of loss. Especially as it show what Conor would have to deal with as well as the array of emotions he is dealing with as well as what he doesn’t want to face. Its aftermath will reveal what Conor has to face but also deal with something bigger as it is about what everyone has to deal with as it relates to death. Overall, Bayona crafts a magical yet visceral film about a boy withdrawing into fantasy to cope with the idea of losing his mother.

Cinematographer Oscar Faura does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the grey look of Britain in the daytime as well as some unique lighting and shadows for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Bernat Vilaplana and Jaume Marti do excellent work with the editing as it play into the drama with its usage of rhythmic cuts as well as a few jump-cuts for some of the big moments of fantasy. Production designer Eugenio Caballero, with set decorator Pilar Revuelta plus art directors Jamie Anduiza, Ravi Bansal, Didac Bono, and David Bryan, does amazing work with the look of the home that Conor and Lizzie live in as well as the home of Lizzie’s mother and the school where Conor goes to. Costume designer Steven Noble does fantastic work with the costumes as it is mainly casual with the school uniform that Conor wears to the clothes that Lizzie and her mother wears.

Hair/makeup designer Marese Langan does terrific work with the look of Lizzie in her deteriorating state as she would decline throughout the course of the film. Special effects supervisor Pau Costa and visual effects supervisor Felix Berges do incredible work with effects from the design of the monster as well as the massive sequences in which the monster is destroying things as it play into Conor’s own outlet in coping with reality. Sound designer Oriol Tarrago does superb work with the sound as it play into the way some of the sounds of places on location are presented as well as the way the monster would sound at times. The film’s music by Fernando Velazquez is great as it is this mixture of bombastic orchestral pieces with some somber piano as it help play into the emotional tone of the film as well as some of the adventurous scenes in the film.

The casting by Shaheen Baig is wonderful as it feature a couple of notable small roles from James Melville as the bully Harry that often torments Conor and Geraldine Chaplin as the school’s headmistress. Liam Neeson is excellent as the monster as this tree-like creature who would tell Conor three different stories while demanding him to create a fourth story that relates to all three as Neeson’s performance is a mixture of performance-capture and animation. Toby Kebbell is fantastic as Conor’s father Liam as a man who is an absentee father living in America with a family as he tries to help Conor cope with what will happen though he doesn’t say anything despite offering to have Conor move to America with him.

Sigourney Weaver is brilliant as Lizzie’s mother/Conor’s grandmother as a woman that is quite strict as she knows she hasn’t been fond of her grandson nor her daughter’s lifestyle as she is trying to maintain some order and composure about what is to come. Felicity Jones is amazing as Lizzie as Conor’s mother who is ill with a terminal disease as she tries to maintain some spirit to raise her son’s hopes but also copes with the reality of what she’s facing for herself and her son. Finally, there’s Lewis MacDougall in a phenomenal performance as Conor as a 12-year old boy dealing with his mother’s illness unaware or unwilling to deal with the fact that she might die as it’s a lively yet intense performance where a boy is dealing with reality and the confusion of reality in the world of fantasy as it also has MacDougall reach into very heavy places to capture the idea of loss.

A Monster Calls is a spectacular film from J.A. Bayona that features great performances from Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Liam Neeson. Along with its grand visuals, incredible score, and a compelling story of death and heartache, it’s a film that is willing to go into some very adult themes on loss while being a film that shows the sense of fear and acceptance in coping with death. In the end, A Monster Calls is a tremendous film from J.A. Bayona.

J.A. Bayona Films: The Orphanage - The Impossible - (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)

© thevoid99 2017

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson

Based on the play Indians by Arthur Kopit, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson is the story of Buffalo Bill trying to stage a Wild West show where he gets the services of a deposed chief in hoping to present a show for the American president. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Altman and Alan Rudolph, the film is an unconventional western that explores a man’s desire to uphold his own mythological persona while dealing with the realities around him including his own conflicts with Native Americans. Starring Paul Newman, Geraldine Chaplin, Joel Grey, Shelley Duvall, Harvey Keitel, Will Sampson, and Burt Lancaster. Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson is a whimsical yet engrossing film from Robert Altman.

Set in 1885 during the last years of a conflict involving Native Americans, the film revolves around a legend of the West who learns he’s gotten the services of the famed Chief Sitting Bull (Frank Kaquitts) for his show celebrating the West as it would prove to be more troubling as he would have to stage it in front of President Grover Cleveland (Pat McCormick). It’s a film that explores some of the behind-the-scenes moments of Buffalo Bill Cody (Paul Newman) trying to stage this show as he wants to present the ideas of the West as something wild and with its own sense of mythology. The film’s screenplay by Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph doesn’t just explore Cody trying to present his stage show as this façade of what the Wild West was but is forced to cope with the realities of what really happened. Especially when he meets Sitting Bull who he thought was this savage that enjoys killing people but it’s revealed to be this very calm, quiet, and morally pure which complicate everything that Cody wants to stage to the people.

The script also showcase Cody’s attempt to play up this persona he’s created as he becomes upset over not just Sitting Bull’s presence but also the fact that Sitting Bull doesn’t want to compromise very much as his interpreter Halsey (Will Sampson) has to speak up for him. Cody would also get into some tension with some of the players including Annie Oakley (Geraldine Chaplin) who is more sympathetic towards Sitting Bull. After a stage show with Sitting Bull where Cody expected him to be booed, it goes the other way around as it destroys everything Cody wanted to present in his idea of the American West. Adding to this turmoil is the fact that Cody isn’t just getting older but he’s having a hard time living up to the persona he’s created as his loyal nephew Ed Goodman (Harvey Keitel) is forced to realize this while his biographer Ned Buntline (Burt Lancaster) is trying to tell many about the many myths of Cody and romanticize to the people working at the show.

Altman’s direction is definitely stylish for not just creating a film that is quite chaotic and loose but also play up into this conflict of reality vs. myth with the West as its backdrop. Shot on location at the Stoney Indian Reservation in Alberta, Canada, the film does play into this idea of a man trying to recreate the Wild West in the middle of a forest near the Rocky Mountains as Altman would use some wide shots to establish the beauty of the location. Yet, he would go for more intimate shots in the usage of close-ups and medium shots as it play into the events happening behind the scenes as everyone is trying to stage the show. The presentation of the shows are quite lavish including the recreation of the Battle of Little Big Horn which shows Cody trying to show the battle from his view but the reality turns out to be more troubling.

The conflict of reality vs. myth is what is at stake in the film as Altman showcases these scenes where Cody is surrounded by things that aren’t real as he has opera singers as lovers, a biographer trying to embellish his legend, and people working with Cody trying to create the greatest show possible. Yet, there are things in the second half that showcase Cody’s struggle to create this myth in a moment where Sitting Bull and some of his people from his tribe have left as Cody and his men try to find them. What happens is that unveiling of the reality that Cody couldn’t face as he has to maintain his persona as this mythological figure of the West to President Grover. Though there are times the sense of looseness in the film does meander a bit for the film’s pacing, Altman does try to maintain a sense of liveliness to capture a moment in time with its protagonist being unaware of what is ahead. Overall, Altman creates a very intoxicating yet offbeat film about a legend of the Wild West trying to stage the ultimate show to present his vision of that world.

Cinematographer Paul Lohmann does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in using some gorgeous natural lighting to capture the beauty of the locations in the day along with some lights for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Peter Appleton and Dennis M. Hill do terrific work with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into some of the humor and moments of the show. Production designer Anthony Masters, with set decorator Dennis J. Parrish and art director Jack Maxsted, does amazing work with the look of the sets for the stage show as well as the room where Cody sleeps in as well as the bar and a few other places at the circus area.

Costume designer Anthony Powell does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that Cody wears as well as some of the actors to the simpler look of Sitting Bull and his tribe. Makeup artist Monty Westmore does nice work with the look of Cody as well as some of the makeup the characters wear during a performance. Sound editors Richard Oswald and William A. Sawyer do superb work with the sound as it play into the raucous sounds such as the overlapping dialogue and other things in and around the field for the stage show and circus. The film’s music by Richard Baskin is wonderful as it’s mainly an orchestral score filled with woodwinds and brass instruments that is often played on location to create this sense of pageantry into Cody’s own legend.

The film’s incredible ensemble cast include some Jerri and Joy Duce as cowboy trick riders, Bert Remsen as the bartender Crutch, Robert DoQui as an African-American actor who would often play the Indian chiefs in the stage performances, Bonnie Leaders and Evelyn Lear as a couple of opera singers who try to entertain Cody with the latter being the one who would sing in front of the president, Patrick Reynolds as the president’s aide, Patrick McCormick as President Grover Cleveland, and Shelley Duvall as the First Lady. Will Sampson is terrific as Sitting Bull’s right-hand man and interpreter Halsey as a man that is just trying to keep the peace and explain Sitting Bull’s view of things while Frank Kaquitts is superb as Sitting Bull as the revered Indian chief who rarely says anything as he maintains this presence of purity throughout the film.

John Considine is fantastic as Frank E. Butler as the husband of Annie Oakley who would often be the person holding her targets as well as deal with the chaos of the show. Kevin McCarthy is excellent as Major Burke as a military official who would be the one to get Sitting Bull to be involved as he’s this boisterous individual that likes to have fun and make sure everyone have fun. Joel Grey is brilliant as the producer Nate Salisbury as a man trying to keep everything in control while being announcer for the stage shows while Harvey Keitel is amazing as Cody’s nephew Ed Goodman as an assistant for Cody who is trying to keep him calm and deal with Halsey and Sitting Bull.

Burt Lancaster is marvelous as Ned Buntline as a journalist who is writing Cody’s biography as he tries to maintain that air of mystique for Cody though he is aware that the idea of myth won’t last. Geraldine Chaplin is remarkable as Annie Oakley as the famed sharpshooter who is seen with her right arm in a sling as she copes with not just her injury but the treatment of Sitting Bull as she becomes frustrated with Cody and his desire to present his idea of what the Wild West is. Finally, there’s Paul Newman in a phenomenal performance as Buffalo Bill Cody as a man that is trying to live up to the mythical persona he’s created as he copes with not just the reality of the West but also himself as it’s a performance with charm but also humility as it’s one of his finest performances of his career.

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson is a vivacious film from Robert Altman that features an incredible leading performance from Paul Newman. Along with its great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, and themes on mythology vs. reality, it’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules into the ideas of the Wild West though it does have a few flaws in its pacing. In the end, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson is a sensational film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) – (The James Dean Story) – Countdown - (That Cold Day in the Park) – M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud – McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) – Thieves Like Us - The Long Goodbye - California Split - Nashville - 3 Women - (A Wedding) – (Quintet) – (A Perfect Couple) – (HealtH) – Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) – (Streamers) – (Secret Honor) – (O.C. and Stiggs) – Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) – (Aria-Les Boreades) – (Tanner ’88) – (Vincent & Theo) – The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) – (The Gingerbread Man) – Cookie's Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) – A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2017

The Orphanage

Directed by J.A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sanchez, El orfanato (The Orphanage) is the story of a woman who returns to the orphanage where she was raised in the hopes to turn it into for disable children only for the place to become haunted once her adopted son disappears. The film is a ghost story that explores the place where a woman returns to her home as she copes with the dark secrets at the orphanage. Starring Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Andres Gertrudix, Edgar Vivar, and Geraldine Chaplin. El orfanato is a riveting and mesmerizing film from J.A. Bayona.

The film is about a woman who returns to the orphanage where she was raised as a child in the hopes to turn it into a home for disabled children where her adopted son communicates with imaginary friends and then suddenly disappear. It’s a film that is really about a woman returning to a place where she grew up as she learns about the dark secrets of the orphanage and its nearby surroundings including a cave and the beach. Notably as a ghost would haunt the place and cause trouble as her son would disappear leading to a long search as this woman named Laura (Belen Rueda) copes with her son’s disappearance as well as the secrets of the orphanage. The film’s screenplay by Sergio G. Sanchez has this unique structure that play into Laura and her search for her son but also in seeing if there are ghosts. The first act is about Laura, her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), and their adopted son Simon (Roger Princep) living in the orphanage as well as Simon’s sudden disappearance.

The second act is about Laura and Carlos finding their son as they seek the help of a police psychologist in Pilar (Mabel Rivera) as they explore the orphanage and its surroundings. Especially as Laura copes with the things her son claims to have seen including a mysterious boy in a mask known as Tomas (Oscar Casas) and an old woman she had met early in the film claiming to be a social worker. The social worker is a mystery herself as Laura realizes that some of the things she found out about the orphanages forces her to go ghosts experts including a medium named Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin) who would be the key to finding out some truth into what Laura wants to find. The third act is about Laura trying to communicate with the ghosts as well as try to see if Simon is still alive.

J.A. Bayona’s direction is definitely entrancing for the way he creates suspense in some of the most unexpected moments but also build it up without taking away the dramatic elements. Shot on location in Llanes, Asturias in Spain, the film definitely favors a more rural setting with a location near the beach as well as caves for a scene where Simon goes inside and claims to meet Tomas there. Bayona would create a lot of intimacy in his compositions to help maintain that suspense as well as play with its rhythms for false scares while creating moments that are unexpected. The usage of the close-ups and medium shots help maintain that intimacy along with some wide shots that is key to the sequence of Aurora trying to contact the ghosts. The third act does have a twist in its climax as it reveal things that happened on the day of Simon’s disappearance but it is more about grief and loss over the things Laura encountered at the orphanage as well as it’s history where she tries to make things right. Overall, Bayona creates an eerie yet enchanting film about a woman trying to find her son in the orphanage where she once lived at as a child.

Cinematographer Oscar Faura does excellent work with the film‘s somewhat de-saturated look of tinted blue and green colors to help play into the mood for many of the interiors as well as in the lighting to create that feel of suspense and horror. Editor Elena Ruiz does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts help play into the suspense and dramatic elements of the film. Production designer Josep Rosell and set decorator/art director Inigo Navarro do fantastic work with the look of the orphanage as well as some of the rooms including the one that Carlos made to find where Simon could be in the area. Costume designer Maria Reyes does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the look of the women who ran the orphanage in the past as well as the clothes that Laura‘s old childhood friends wore at the orphanage.

Special effects makeup work by David Marti and Montse Ribe do amazing work with the look of Tomas when he‘s not wearing the mask as well in some of the moments of death. Visual effects supervisor Jordi San Agustin does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects that play into some of the horror that includes the scenes involving ghosts and super 8mm films that Laura would watch. Sound designer Oriol Tarrago does superb work with the sound as the mixing and design help play into the suspense into what Laura is hearing as well as Aurora during the sequence where she tries to communicate with the ghosts. The film’s music by Fernando Velasquez does incredible work with the film’s orchestral-based score as it help play into the drama as well as the suspense where it would appear in moments that are unexpected.

The casting by Geli Albaladejo is marvelous as it include some notable small roles from Edgar Vivar as a professor who studies the supernatural, Andres Gertrudix as the professor’s sound technician, Carol Suarez as the younger version of the mysterious social worker, Mireia Renau as the young Laura, and Oscar Casas in a terrific performance as the mysterious child known as Tomas. Montserrat Carulla is wonderful as the mysterious social worker who knows something about Simon as she has something to do with the orphanage. Mabel Rivera is fantastic as Pilar as a police psychiatrist who helps Laura and Carlos find Simon while wondering if there are really ghosts at the orphanage. Roger Princep is excellent as Simon as young boy who has imaginary friends as he learns some harsh truths about himself and then suddenly disappears.

Geraldine Chaplin is amazing as Aurora as a medium who can communicate to ghosts as she is able to understand what Laura is going through as well as try to help her in finding Simon. Fernando Cayo is brilliant as Carlos as Laura’s husband who is also a doctor as he is eager to find his son but also becomes suspicious of the people who think that ghosts are involved. Finally, there’s Belen Rueda in a phenomenal performance as Laura as a woman who returns to the orphanage that she was raised in the hopes to do some good with it as she is ravaged by her son’s disappearance as Rueda brings an anguish and drive to her performance which is a major highlight of the film.

El orfanato is a spectacular film from J.A. Bayona that features an incredible performance from Belen Rueda. Along with a great supporting cast, an inventive screenplay, and some eerie technical work, it’s a film that is fascinating ghost story that has some chills and moments that stray away from conventional horror tropes. In the end, El orfanato is a sensational film from J.A. Bayona.

J.A. Bayona Films: The Impossible - A Monster Calls - (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)

© thevoid99 2016

Cria Cuervos...

Written and directed by Carlos Saura, Cria Cuervos… (Raise Ravens…) is the story of a young girl who is dealing with the death of her mother as she also deals with changes in her family both socially and personally. The film doesn’t just play into a young girl coming-of-age following her mother’s death but also linger for her mother to come back as she deals with the social changes around her. Starring Ana Torrent, Monica Randall, Hector Alterio, Florinda Chico, and Geraldine Chaplin. Cria Cuervos… is a dazzling yet touching film from Carlos Saura.

The film plays into the life of a young girl and her two sisters following the deaths of their parents as they’re being raised by their aunt and mute grandmother while the young girl sees the ghost of her mother. It’s a film that is largely told from the perspective of the girl Ana (Ana Torrent) as it is set during the summer in their home in Madrid where she and her sisters rarely leave the house as they’re being watched by their Aunt Paulina (Monica Randall) as the girls are also tasked to take care of their mute grandmother (Josefina Diaz). Yet, it is a film that has a unique narrative since it is told by Ana as an adult (Geraldine Chaplin) who reflects on that period in time as she also deals with how much the death of her mother (Geraldine Chaplin) meant to her.

Carlos Saura’s screenplay opens with the death of Ana’s father Anselmo (Hector Alterio) as she then sees her mother as it is believed that she’s alive but once her narration, in her older self, appears. It is clear that it is told with a sense of reality and surrealism to play into Ana struggling with the absence of her mother as she becomes uncomfortable with the presence of her Aunt Paulina whom she feels is too strict. It adds to the sense of tension between the two as well as Aunt Paulina struggling to win Ana over though there are things that Paulina doesn’t know about her sister. There are also some ambiguity as it relates to the death of Ana’s father as Ana believed that she killed him as she expresses some guilt over what happened. All of which adds to the sense of melancholia that surrounds the older Ana who reflects on these memories as well as the brief moments of happiness that relates to the world outside of Madrid.

Saura’s direction is quite intoxicating in terms of the intimacy that he creates as it is shot largely in this house in the middle of Madrid with an empty swimming pool in the backyard. While there are some wide shots of the city of Madrid shot from rooftops to show a country in a state of transition during the final days of Francisco Franco’s rule as there are some allegories for what Saura is saying on a visual scale. The city of Madrid and the Spanish countryside represent a world that is emerging as well as old values that are re-emerging where Saura uses a lot of wide and medium shots to showcase this sense of freedom. For the scenes set in the house where Ana, her sisters, their grandmother, and Aunt Paulina live in is one that is very mystical and intimate as there are some unique close-ups and compositions that play into a sense of repression though Aunt Paulina is anything but a Fascist.

Saura’s approach to surrealism and fantasy is more about the sense of loss that Ana is dealing with as it is clear how close she was with her mother as there is a chilling flashback where the young Ana visits her ailing mother on her deathbed convulsing with pain. It’s among these moments that are eerie as it plays into Ana’s understanding about death and how she feels threatened by Aunt Paulina’s position in replacing her as a maternal figure. It also adds into the sense of growing pains as Ana wishes that Paulina would die or she would die herself so she can reunite with her mother. All of which has the older Ana reflect on not just the turmoil of her childhood but also reflect on death and how much it impacted her as an adult. Overall, Saura creates a very evocative yet touching film about a young girl coping with loss.

Cinematographer Teodoro Escamilla does brilliant work with the film‘s naturalistic yet colorful cinematography as it plays into the intimacy of the home with its approach to lighting for scenes in the day and night as well as shots set in the Spanish countryside. Editor Pablo G. del Amo does fantastic work with the editing as it is very straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and sense of surrealism. Set decorator Rafael Palermo does amazing work with the look of the house and the look of the rooms to play into the personality of the characters living at home.

Costume designer Maiki Marin does terrific work with the clothes as it plays into the period of the times during the final days Franco-era Spain to play into the youthful personalities of the girls as well as the more reserved look of Aunt Paulina and the same dress that Ana‘s mother would often appear as a ghost. The sound work of Bernardo Mens and Antonio Illan is superb as it maintains that sense of naturalism in its approach to music as well as things that happen in and out of the house to play into the world the girls want to venture to. The film’s music by Federico Mompou is wonderful as it’s mostly low-key in its approach to classical-based music while the rest of the soundtrack features a classical piano piece, a flamenco song that Ana’s grandmother listens to, and a pop song that definitely says a lot about what Ana is going through yet something that she doesn’t understand since she is too young to understand the concept of death.

The film’s excellent cast includes some notable small roles from Mitra Miller as Anselmo’s mistress Amelia, German Cobos as Amelia’s husband Nicholas, Josefina Diaz as Ana’s grandmother, Hector Alterio as Ana’s father Anselmo who is sort of a philanderer that has a weakness for women, and Florinda Chico as the housemaid Rosa who knows a lot about Ana’s mother as she is the closest person Ana considers as a maternal figure. Conchi Perez and Maite Sanchez are brilliant in their respective roles as the sisters Irene and Maite as the two respectively serve as Ana’s oldest and youngest sisters who cope with their new changes in their life.

Monica Randall is amazing as Aunt Paulina as a strict woman who is trying to maintain some order as well as get to know her nieces as she finds herself being tested by Ana. Geraldine Chaplin is brilliant in a dual role as Ana’s mother as a woman who deals with her illness and troubled marriage and as the older Ana who reflects on the summer where she lost her father and coped with how sad her childhood was. Finally, there’s Ana Torrent in a spectacular performance as Ana as this young girl dealing with the death of her mother as well as the changes in her family life as it’s this very naturalistic yet exhilarating performance of a young girl dealing with loss.

Cria Cuervos… is a phenomenal film from Carlos Saura that features great performances from Ana Torrent and Geraldine Chaplin. The film isn’t just a unique study on death from the perspective of a child but also in how a child tries to maintain the memories and spirit of her mother. Even as it’s set during one of Spain’s most intense period where it plays to a sense of change emerging as the film is also a look into that change and how it reflects into the life of this young girl. In the end, Cria Cuervos… is a sensational film from Carlos Saura.

Carlos Saura Films: (Cuenca) - (The Delinquents (1960 film)) - (Weeping for a Bandit) - (La caza) - Peppermint Frappe - (Stress is Three) - (Honeycomb) - (The Garden of Delights) - (Ana and the Wolves) - (Cousin Angelica) - (Elisa, vida mia) - (Blindfolded Eyes) - (Mama Turns 100) - (Faster, Faster) - (Blood Wedding) - (Sweet Hours) - (Antonieta) - (Carmen (1983 film)) - (Los Zancos) - (El amor brujo) - (El Dorado (1988 film)) - (The Dark Night) - (Ay Carmela!) - (The South) - (Marathon) - (Sevillanas) - (Outrage) - (Flamenco) - (Taxi (1996 film)) - (Little Bird) - (Tango) - (Goya in Bordeaux) - (Bunuel and King Solomon’s Table) - (Salome) - (The 7th Day) - (Iberia) - (Fados) - (I, Don Giovanni) - (Flamenco, Flamenco)

© thevoid99 2015

The Age of Innocence (1993 film)

Based on the novel by Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence is the story of a man who is about to get married only to fall for his fiancee’s cousin as it causes a lot of problems in the world of upper-class New York City in the 1870s. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Scorsese and Jay Cocks, the film is an exploration of a love triangle where man falls for a woman who is known for having a very bad reputation as it is told by Joanne Woodward who serves as the film‘s narrator. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Michael Gough, Robert Sean Leonard, Norman Lloyd, Richard E. Grant, Mary Beth Hurt, Stuart Wilson, Miriam Margoyles, and Geraldine Chaplin. The Age of Innocence is a ravishing and evocative film from Martin Scorsese.

Set in 1870s New York City, the film plays into the life of a lawyer who is engaged to a woman who is prim and proper as her cousin makes a return to the city as the man falls for her and sense of individuality. It’s a film that does play into ideas of a love triangle but it’s also a film that explores a world that is changing as certain behaviors and ideas that is part of the norm of society forces this man to wonder if that’s the way to live. Even as this woman he falls for is a woman with an already scandalous reputation as she is seeking to divorce a count she is married to. It’s a film that plays into a lot of things as it’s told by this unseen narrator who often comments about the behavior and feelings of Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his relationship with May Welland (Winona Ryder) as well as his feelings for May’s cousin Countess Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer).

The film’s screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks definitely explores a world where there are expectations to fit in to the conventions of upper-class New York City society. It’s something that May has been doing and seems comfortable with as she never really has an opinion about anything but rather maintain that idea of conformity. Archer definitely loves May as he knows that she is a woman that can be a great wife but upon meeting Ellen, he begins to question about what he wants in his life. Especially as Ellen is someone that is quite opinionated and doesn’t play into the idea of conventionality as she knows she is the subject of gossip due to her relationship with a count. That individuality is what attracts Archer to Ellen as it has him looking at the world in a different way but also has him obsessing about Ellen who is trying to lead her own life.

The script also explores that sense of two people wanting to be in love as Archer and Ellen are aware that May is in the middle as she is someone they don’t want to hurt. Even as there’s moments where Archer and Ellen want to say something but there’s many other things that happen which often has Ellen leaving Archer for different reasons. Plus, they’re hiding the relationship around people that are close to them as there’s other characters involved in the story such as Ellen’s grandmother Mrs. Mingott (Miriam Margoyles) who is a powerful woman of New York society with very strong opinions as she is admired by nearly everyone. Even as she would be an influence to May and several other characters as well as Archer where he would have to make a major decision on what he wants to do with his life and who to be with.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is definitely exquisite in terms of is total attention to detail in the way he captures 1870s New York City as it’s shot mostly in the city itself with scenes shot in Paris and other locations in Philadelphia. Much of it plays into a world that is very refined with a set of rules about how to live in upper-class New York society where everyone goes to the opera and are sitting in seats as the men are in one booth and their wives are in another booth. The usage of wide and medium shots play into that vast world while Scorsese also uses some stylish camera movements such as tracking shots and cranes to play into a world that sort of feels constrained by its rules only for someone like Ellen to come in and kind of break things down bit by bit. Even as Scorsese goes for close-ups to capture the sense of desire that looms between Archer and Ellen as well as extreme close-ups of their faces and hands.

The direction also has Scorsese utilizing many elements that are very stylistic in his approach to framing in the way he would light certain moments or to capture something where Archer and Ellen are in their own world that is detached from everything else. It adds to something that plays to a world that is changing though the people in Archer and Ellen’s world are quite oblivious to it because they’re protected by their environment. Yet, things would crash down once reality starts to come in for Archer and Ellen where Archer would have to make a decision as it also relates to May who does start to display elements of her own self to emerge late in the film. Overall, Scorsese creates a very intoxicating yet heart-wrenching film about a man caught in a complicated love triangle.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and lush cinematography to capture the many layers of colors that is in display for some of the film‘s interior scenes while using some low-key lights for scenes at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does incredible work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, flourishing montages, dissolves, and other stylish cuts to play into the sense of dramatic tension as well as longing between Archer and Ellen. Production designer Dante Ferreti, with art director Speed Hopkins and set decorators Robert J. Franco and Amy Marshall, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the houses and rooms where the characters are in to the ballrooms and opera houses as it displays great attention to detail to capture a period in time.

Costume designer Gabriella Pescucci does excellent work with costumes from the hats and suits the men wear as well as the lavish dresses that the women that plays into that period in time. Hair designer Alan D’Angerio and special effects makeup artist Manilo Rocchetti do fantastic work with the look of the characters from the hairstyles of the women to the beard and sideburns of some of the male characters. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound to capture some of the atmosphere of the social gatherings along with low-key sound work in the dramatic moments of the film. The film’s music by Elmer Bernstein is wonderful for its lush and orchestral score to play into the period of the times as well as the romantic tension between Archer and Ellen while the soundtrack features music from that period including some opera and classical pieces.

The casting by Ellen Lewis is great as it features notable appearances from Charles and Catherine Scorsese as an old couple walking out of a train station, Martin Scorsese as a wedding photographer, Domenica Scorsese as a young woman Archer meets in Newport when he’s trying to find Ellen, Alexis Smith as Louisa van der Luyden, Sian Phillips as Archer’s mother, Alec McCowen as the Archer family friend Sillerton Jackson, Jonathan Pryce as a Frenchman Archer met in London in Riviere, Robert Sean Leonard as Archer’s adult son Ted in the film’s final moments, and Norman Lloyd as Archer’s mentor Mr. Letterblair who would counsel him about Ellen’s own attempts to divorce her husband. Mary Beth Hurt is wonderful as Regina Beaufort who feels shamed by her husband’s bad real estates deal while Stuart Wilson is terrific as Julius Beaufort who would often visit Ellen which raises suspicions in Archer that he’s one of her lovers. Richard E. Grant is superb as Archer’s friend Larry Lefferts as a man who is known for exquisite tastes as he is wowed by Ellen’s appearance.

Michael Gough is excellent as Archer’s family friend Henry van der Luyden who is giving Archer some advice on life while being very gracious towards May whom he likes a lot. Geraldine Chaplin is brilliant as May’s mother who is always warm towards Ellen while preparing May for the wedding and other family/social gatherings. Miriam Margoyles is amazing as Mrs. Mingott as Ellen’s grandmother who is always on a chair surrounded by little dogs as she is a person of power and influence while not afraid to speak her mind just like her granddaughter. Winona Ryder is remarkable as May Welland as a very kind and warm young woman who represents the form of innocence as she is the kind of woman that Archer should marry but manages to be so much more as Ryder just has this evocative presence that is a joy to watch.

Michelle Pfeiffer is incredible as Countess Ellen Olenska as this woman who is a free-spirit of sorts but is tormented by the mistakes she made in her past while is trying not to be judge as she finds comfort in Archer though she doesn’t want to hurt May. Finally, there’s Daniel Day-Lewis in a phenomenal performance as Newland Archer as a lawyer who is tormented by his love for May but is in love with Ellen as it’s a very restrained yet mesmerizing performance of a man who is torn between two women as well as realizing that the world he’s lived in is a façade of sorts but one that can protect him.

The Age of Innocence is an enchanting and sensational film from Martin Scorsese. Armed with a great cast led by Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder as well as amazing technical contributions from its crew. The film is definitely a period piece that manages to be so much more in its study of characters, motivations, and ideals in late 19th Century New York City. In the end, The Age of Innocence is a tremendously rich and rapturous film from Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - Cape Fear (1991 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The 50 Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2015

Nashville

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/13/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joan Tewkesbury, Nashville is a multi-layered story about different groups of people coming together for a country music convention where the world of politics and celebrity collide in the course of five day that leads to a climatic concert. The film explores the world of celebrity culture through a variety of stories that features more than 20 characters. With an all-star cast that includes Keith Carradine, Lily Tomlin, Shelley Duvall, Michael Murphy, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Ronee Blakley, Gwen Welles, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Jeff Goldblum, Allen Garfield, Scott Glenn, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, and many more. Nashville is a superb, sprawling, yet eerie film from Robert Altman.

Replacement party candidate Hal Phillip Walker is set to appear in Nashville, Tennessee in the hopes to win another primary for the U.S. Presidency as a BBC news reporter named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) is making a documentary about the city. Opal accidentally interrupts a recording session for country legend Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) as she meets his son Bud (Dave Peel) while she attends another session featuring gospel singers led by a local housewife in Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin). Linnea's husband Delbert (Ned Beatty) has a meeting with Californian businessman John Triplette (Michael Murphy) while a mysterious man (Jeff Goldbum) arrives on a motor-tricycle where a cook named Wade Cooley (Robert DoQui) and waitress/aspiring singer Sueleen Gray (Gwen Welles watch). Another aspiring singer in Winifred Albuquerque leaves her husband Star (Bert Ramsen) at a traffic jam as Nashville is waiting for the arrival of famed country singer Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley).

Delbert, Triplette, Haven, Bud, and Haven's mistress Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley) are at the airport to meet Barbara Jean and her husband Barnett (Allen Garfield) while a soldier named Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn) watches while a folk trio named Bill (Allan F. Nichols), Mary (Cristina Raines), and Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) arrive to the city as does a woman known as L.A. Joan (Shelley Duvall) who meets her uncle Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn). Jean is sent to the hospital as many await to give interviews or to meet her as Mr. Green later gets a visit from musician Kenny Fraiser (David Hayward) asking to rent a room. Jean's appearance is canceled as everyone in town including African-American country singer Tommy Brown (Timothy Brown) play gigs all over the city while Linnea gets some strange calls from Tom Frank who sleeps around with some of the women in the city. Sueleen auditions for a man named Trout at a club where she passes the audition despite her poor vocal quality. At a show at the Grand Old Opry, Connie White (Karen Black) fills in for Jean who steals the show much to the dismay of Barbara Jean who is still at the hospital. With a big concert at the Parthenon still set, Bill and Mary's relationship is deteriorating as Triplette asks them to play.

Barbara Jean finally plays a show but the performance was shambolic making Triplette and Barnett worried if she will be involved for the big show. At a club later that night, Tom Frank reveals his vulnerability in a song called I'm Easy as Linnea watches while Sueleen attends the gig she received where it's revealed to be not what she expected. On the day Hal Phillip Walker arrives for the show, all of the people big and small in the past four day come together for the big moment where reality and tragedy collide.

Given upon the film's attitude towards idol-worship and politics, the timing couldn't have been any better for a film like Nashville. Even in today's view where whatever cynicism that had been growing in the mid-70s has only served as a reminder to today's harsh times. While a lot of credit should go to Altman for his improvisation, chaotic style in collaboration with his actors. Much of the credit should also go to screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury for telling this story of ordinary people including celebrities and political officers coming together in a place as American as Nashville.

A lot of the film reveals the kind of cynicism and disillusionment that came out of the 1960s. The character of Lady Pearl reveals these feelings when reflecting on her love for the Kennedys and her anger towards her own state for letting Richard Nixon win that state because they didn't want to vote for someone who is Catholic. A lot of the film's political overtones from the voice of P.A. guy talking about the candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen throughout the entire film.

It's not just politics that drives the course of this story, but also celebrity in which, you have some major celebrity figures in characters like Haven Hamilton, Barbara Jean, Connie White, and Tommy Brown. There's a scene in which the African-American Brown, based on the country singer Charley Pride, is called a racial slur, not by a white man but from one of his own. There's also a scene in where Barbara Jean starts to ramble where it shows the folly and downside of celebrity where it becomes a disappointment to somebody in the audience.

Largely because they're forced to see this iconic figure be something they don't want to see, human. Jean is an interesting character who starts to fall apart from the pressures of celebrity as well as the competition against rival Connie White. There's even a couple of walk-on cameo appearances from Altman regulars Elliot Gould and Julie Christie playing themselves intrigued by this event going on in Nashville.

The city itself is a major character since it's the melting pot of not just where country music is but also the place where Hal Phillip Walker hopes to win. There's a moment where John Triplette uses Nashville hoping to get more votes though he has no care for them. Right before the film's climatic concert, there's a scene of Triplette and Barnett arguing about political motives that revels in how a country has become unsure of their own future concerning the government. After this argument comes this tragedy that would foreshadow an event in the years to come. Plus, in this tragedy comes this wave of disillusionment, loss, and confusion. It is there that someone takes this tragic moment and tries to create something to get people together. This is where the genius of Robert Altman occurs.

Altman isn't concerned about politics, lifestyles, or the cult of celebrity but people, real people even if they're celebrities or political lackeys. Altman's observant yet improvisational direction proves that there's a lot of life in any part of a place like Nashville. Even in a scene where Opal goes to a car dump to prepare narration for her documentary as she is trying to figure out what to say. Altman shows the folly of humanity and how events can lead to surrealism. The character of Linnea Reese is a woman who is a loving mother and wife who cares for her deaf children while her husband is more distracted by this political event rather than paying attention to what his son is trying to say. Altman reveals the folly of people trying to follow something as confusing in politics and celebrity. The moments in the film are often filled with overlapping dialogue to convey the atmosphere of what is going on and where these people are. What are they reacting to or what are they thinking. Altman isn't trying to reveal any kind of answers rather than letting the audience themselves involved in what they think is happening. The result is a truly superb, sprawling direction from the late, great Robert Altman.

Cinematographer Paul Lohmann does excellent work in capturing the wonders that is Nashville from the Parthenon, the Grand Old Opry, and the clubs that make this place unique with its colorful, documentary-like camera work. Set decorator Robert M. Anderson also plays to the film's authentic look of the city with its intimate look for the clubs to the colorful, spacious home of the Reese family. Costume designer Jules Melillo does great work in creating the lavish costumes of the country singers as well as the laid-back clothes of the folk trio Bill, Mary, & Tom to the look of regular people. Editors Dennis M. Hill and Sidney Levin do great work in putting together the stories and characters together with some wonderful editing to move one story to another and see how they all relate to another. Sound editor William A. Sawyer along with Chris McLaughlin and James E. Webb also do amazing work with the sound to convey the sense of tension and atmosphere in the scenes that's happening, notably the way the music is captured.

With many of the actors including Altman contributing music to the film, the soundtrack is wonderfully memorable from the songs Ronee Blakley sings that is pure traditional country to the other songs by Karen Black, Henry Gibson, and Timothy Brown that shows the wonders of country in the 1970s. The musical performances are memorable with Gwen Welles doing a hilariously bad rendition of the songs she sings. Lily Tomlin also does some wonderful music while the real standout is Keith Carradine and his Oscar-winning song I'm Easy. The performance of It Don't Worry Me by Barbara Harris truly memorable while other songs features contributions from Richard Baskin and Gary Busey. It's one of the finest soundtracks ever assembled.

Then, we have the film's large, ensemble cast and it's truly filled with some of the most memorable characters assembled on film. From notable small performances from Gailard Sartain as a diner patron, screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury as the voice of Tom's lover and Kenny's mother, Howard K. Smith as a TV reporter, Merle Kilgore as Trout, composer Richard Baskin as a piano player named Frog, James Dan Calvert and Donna Denton as the Reese's deaf children, and cameos from Altman regulars Elliott Gould and Julie Christie as themselves. Notable small performances from Bert Remsen as Star, Jeff Goldblum as the tricycle man, and David Arkin as Norman are exceptionally memorable for their individual moments. Allan F. Nichols and Cristina Raines are also excellent as the bickering couple of Bill and Mary who are stuck in a tempting love triangle with band mate Tom. Gwen Welles is great as the naive dreamer Sueleen whose belief that she can sing is undermined by the fact that she can't until this moment of humiliation. Robert DoQui is also great as Gwen's friend who reminds her of her lack of talent despite his cynical attitude.

Karen Black is excellent as the bitchy, vain Connie White who has a nicer personality onstage but offstage, she's a mean, egotistical singer with little respect for Barbara Jean. Timothy Brown is also excellent in his brief role as the Charley Pride-inspired Tommy Brown while Scott Glenn is also good in his small role as a soldier who had a nice story about Barbara Jean. Barbara Harris gives a comical, memorable performance as a struggling singer named Albuquerque who is hoping for her own break where she has an amazing scene in the film's finale. David Hayward is also great as the mysterious Kenny who seems lost in the world he is surrounded by as a musician trying to find a place to fit in. Dave Peel is wonderful as the sweet, intelligent Bud Hamilton who enjoys the role of helping his father's business matters while aspires for something more. Allen Garfield is great as Barbara Jean's frustrated, caring manager who is trying to take care of his wife but couldn't deal with the way she's being used.

Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Mr. Green, L.A. Joan's uncle who is dealing with his wife's illness and his niece's single-minded personality. Shelly Duvall is wonderful as the loopy, icon-obsessed L.A. Joan who is more concerned about public events and icons rather than her own aunt. Barbara Baxley gives a wonderfully touching performance as the sweet yet cynical Lady Pearl whose loss of hope for politics reveal a dark anger to the way she reacts towards her own background. Henry Gibson is great as country legend Haven Hamilton who is trying to organize things while dealing with his own celebrity and his city's reputation. Ned Beatty is excellent as the neglectful Delbert Reese while Altman regular Michael Murphy is also great as the political lackey John Triplette, who makes an insulting comment on Nashville. Ronee Blakley gives a wonderful performance as the fragile yet enchanting Barbara Jean whose presence as a singer is wonderful to watch only to see her fall apart with her rambling.

Geraldine Chaplin is wonderful as the eccentric, loopy Opal who tries to create a story but isn't sure what to do while being selfish for her own gain. Altman regular Keith Carradine is great as the burned out, womanizing Tom Frank who has a great moment with his performance of I'm Easy. In her feature-film debut and first of many films for Altman, Lily Tomlin gives a phenomenal performance as Linnea Reese with her caring, conflicted woman who loves her children but tries to deal with her husband's neglect and her own role as a wife.

Nashville is a magnificent film from Robert Altman that features an outstanding ensemble cast and a captivating screenplay from Joan Tewkesbury. The film is definitely one of the great examples of what a multi-layered ensemble film should be as it doesn't lose sight on the big themes while allowing small moments to play out. It's also a film that is also not afraid to tackle big subjects that are more relevant than ever since its original release. In the end, Nashville is a tremendous film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2013

The Impossible (2012 film)

Directed by J.A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sanchez, The Impossible is the story about a family’s survival during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami as it is based on the real life experience of Maria Bolon and her family. The film is an exploration into how a family survives one of the most catastrophic events in human history. Starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, and Geraldine Chaplin. The Impossible is a harrowing yet powerful film from J.A. Bayona.

The film is essentially the story about how a British family survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while vacationing in Thailand where they endure one of the great catastrophic events in history. During this tsunami, the family is splintered in two as Henry Bennett (Ewan McGregor) is with his two youngest boys in Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) as they’re at the hotel where they’re safe as Henry goes on the search for his wife Maria (Naomi Watts) and their eldest son Lucas (Tom Holland). Maria and Lucas are swept up by the water where Maria is badly injured as Lucas has to help her where they get help as Maria is weakened by her wounds. While there’s a lot of uncertainty to whether Maria survives, Lucas tries to fill his time to help others while finding out if his father and brothers are still alive.

Sergio G. Sanchez’s screenplay that is based on Maria Bolon’s story doesn’t require a lot of plot schematics as it’s just a simple story about a family’s survival in this catastrophic event. Yet, it does reveal a lot into what this family goes through as it is also told in the eyes of children. Notably the Lucas character as he’s this teenage boy who is forced to grow up due to what he has been through while helping his wounded mother as she’s got a bad leg and stab wounds on her chest. Lucas also has to deal with the possibility that he might not have a family as he helps other people try to find loved ones while being at the hospital. His character not only goes through the most growth but also becomes the most determined when he sees something that makes him realize that he might not be alone after all.

While Thomas and Simon don’t have as much development as Lucas, they still have a compelling story of their own as Thomas, who is the middle child, is known for being very scared. When he and Simon have to go to a shelter while their father wants to find out where his wife and Lucas are. Henry does reveal to Thomas that it’s OK to be scared as he just needs to watch out for Simon so that these two can keep each other company. There is the prospect that the boys might not have their mother as she’s weak from her wounds as their father knows that as well as it is up to a family to ensure that they’ll be together despite the tragedy they’ve just encountered.

J.A. Bayona’ direction is definitely engaging for the way he presents a world in chaos where this family is at the center of this devastating moment. While Bayona employs a lot of hand-held cameras for some close-up and intimate moments including a home-video camera shot of the family playing around. Bayona definitely creates a lot of shots that are grand in terms of what he wanted to present as it is a mixture of visual effects and real locations. While the film was shot largely in Spain with some shooting in Thailand, Bayona uses the landscape to tell the story where it is a world in ruin where a mother and son are trekking around this land as they find help where they would encounter a survivor in a young boy named Daniel (Johan Sundberg).

The scenes of the actual tsunami happening is just gripping to watch where it has this air of unpredictability and danger that occurs. It almost feels like the audience is in the water and being part of this moment. Bayona wants the audience to realize how this woman survived this horrific wave as she’s underwater and being hit with all sorts of things while she is trying to reach out towards her son. The atmosphere in the direction for the scenes after the tsunami are just as harrowing to watch where there’s all of these people struggling to survive and deal with what just happened. Yes, there’s moments that are just hard to watch and will be melodramatic but it plays true to what these people have been through. Overall, Bayona creates a truly sprawling yet heartfelt film about survival and the human spirit as it also serves as a true inspirational story.

Cinematographer Oscar Faura does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the sunny yet grimy look of the exterior locations to the more low-key lights for scenes at night as well as some of its interior scenes. Editors Elena Ruiz and Bernat Vilaplana do brilliant work with the editing to capture the energy of the action as well as jump-cuts for some rhythmic moments as well as effective cutting for some of the film‘s dramatic moments. Production designer Eugenio Caballero, along with art directors Didac Bono and Marina Pozanco and set decorator Pilar Revuelta, does terrific work with some of the set pieces from the look of the hotels and hospitals as well as scenes in the locations to create the air of despair.

Costume designers Anna Bingeman, Sparka Lee Hall, and Maria Reyes do nice work with the costumes to display the sense of ruin the character go through. Visual effects supervisor Felix Berges does amazing work with the visual effects for some of the scenes involving the arrival of the tsunami as well as some backdrop dressing for some of the film‘s exterior setting. Sound designer Oriol Tarrago does fantastic work with the sound to capture the sense of terror that occurs underwater and in the water as well as the scenes in the hospitals and shelters. The film’s music by Fernando Velazquez is wonderful for the orchestral serenity it plays to the film’s dramatic moments as well as using some low-key piano accompaniments to play out the drama and uncertainty that occurs.

The casting by Shaheen Baig and Raweeporn “Non” Srimonju is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable small roles from Johan Sundberg as the young boy Daniel that Lucas and Maria find in the aftermath of the tsunami, La-Orng Thongruang as the old Thai man who finds Lucas, Maria, and Daniel, Ploy Jindachote as the caregiver at the hospital, Sonke Mohring as a man who helps Henry find any survivors, and Geraldine Chaplin as an old woman who sits with Thomas at the shelter talking about stars. Oaklee Pendergast and Samuel Joslin are excellent as the youngest boys in Simon and Thomas, respectively as Pendergast plays the youngest as a boy just scared about what happens while Joslin is the middle child who is aware of what he has to do in order to not be afraid.

Tom Holland is outstanding as the eldest son Lucas as he deals with the events that he just went through as well as realities that he’s facing. It’s a truly engaging performance for the way Holland lets the audience see what he’s going through while desperate to hold on to what he has left. Ewan McGregor is fantastic as Henry as a father dealing with the possibility that he might have lost a wife and a son as he is desperate to find them while admitting to his youngest sons that he is scared. Naomi Watts is phenomenal as Maria as a woman who goes through hell as she is beaten and bruised by the waves as she tries to stay alive for her son as well as cling to the idea that the rest of her family could still be alive.

The Impossible is an intense yet mesmerizing film from J.A. Bayona that features magnificent performances from Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Holland. While it is not an easy film to watch in terms of the visceral events that occur in the film, it is still a story that is just unforgettable. Notably in the way it reveals the triumph of the human spirit and how a family was willing to come together in this horrific event. In the end, The Impossible is a tremendous film from J.A. Bayona.

J.A. Bayona Films: The Orphanage - A Monster Calls - (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)

© thevoid99 2013

Peppermint Frappe

Directed by Carlos Saura and written by Saura, Rafael Azcona, and Angelino Fons, Peppermint Frappe is the story of a man’s obsession with his friend’s wife whom he believes was the woman he fell in love with some years ago. The film is Saura’s fifth feature and his first collaboration with Geraldine Chaplin whom he was in a relationship with for more than a decade. Also starring Jose Luis Lopez Vasquez, Alfredo Mayo, and Ana Maria Custodio. Peppermint Frappe is a strange yet entrancing film from Carlos Saura.

Julian (Jose Luis Lopez Vasquez) is a physician who runs a clinic with a shy though helpful nurse named Ana (Geraldine Chaplin). When Julian decides to meet his old friend Pablo (Alfredo Mayo) and his mother (Ana Maria Custodio), Julian meets Pablo’s new wife in a beautiful yet young blonde named Elena (Geraldine Chaplin). Julian falls for Elena whom he believes was the same women he had met years ago at a small town during Holy Week where she was banging a drum. Though Elena doesn’t recall being in that town despite being gracious towards Julian as he takes around town. Julian feels like he’s not doing enough as he turns his attention towards Ana, who resembles Elena, as he tries to get her out of her quiet persona.

When Julian decides to take Elena and Pablo to his old countryside cottage for a weekend, he is wowed by Elena’s free-spirited persona as he begins to recall old childhood memories. Though Elena is impressed by Julian’s home, she still to give in to his advances though he takes pictures of her dancing as he is still yearning for her. After the weekend ends, Julian remains transfixed by Elena as he also has an affair with Ana who wonders about this other woman. When Julian realizes that Elena doesn’t really want to do anything with Julian other than be a source of amusement. Julian decides to create his own scheme as he asks Pablo and Elena to come to his cottage for the weekend where they would meet Ana.

The film is about a man’s obsession with a woman whom he believes looks like someone he knew years ago. Yet, when she politely refuses his advances and dodge his questions. His obsession intensifies while starting to turn his attention towards his nurse who resembles the woman he’s falling for though she is a completely different person than the one he’s falling for. Throughout the film, the man would have flashbacks about his childhood including a brief memory of the woman he had seen back at the march at Holy Week. The film also emphasizes on the peppermint frappe drink that he and his guests also drink which serves as a character in the film.

The script is a study of obsession and memory as Carlos Saura and his co-writers dwell into the mind of Julian and why he’s so entranced by Elena. Then there’s Ana, the woman who sort of resembles Elena as there’s more revelations about her which is why she presents the great opposite towards Elena. Saura’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way he presents the film with slow yet steady camera movements to dwell into the location or a room. Plus, he’s always showing what is happening from the view of Julian as he watches with great attention towards Elena as she dances to a rock song on an old exterior dance floor.

The film also plays up to the idea of memory as all of the flashback scenes are presented in black-and-white. Saura’s direction is also intimate for the scenes that occurs throughout the film while features some amazing compositions such as Julian looking up Elena as she walks down a spiral staircase. There’s also a bit of surrealism that plays throughout the film due to the fact that Geraldine Chaplin plays the two prominent female figures in the film as Saura does pay tribute a bit to Luis Bunuel. The overall film is a superb yet rich study of obsession and memory in the mind of Carlos Saura.

Cinematographer Luis Cuadrado does an excellent job with the film‘s colorful yet hypnotic photography for many of the film‘s scenes while the black-and-white flashback scenes are done with a wonderful sense of grain and documentary-like style to emphasize the idea of memory. Editor Pablo G. del Amo does a nice job with the film’s editing in presenting it with a straightforward manner while using a bit of rhythmic cuts for some of the livelier moments of the film. Art director Emilio Sanz de Soto and set decorator Wolfgang Burmann do a great job with the look of Julian‘s apartment as well as the decayed world of his cottage to exemplify his old world ideals. The film’s score by Luis de Pablo is wonderful for its plaintive, harp-drive score along with a percussive-driven piece to play up Julian‘s memory as the soundtrack also includes an opera piece and a rock song by Los Canarios that Elena dances to.

The casting for the film is great as it features appearances from Emiliano Redondo as a friend of Pablo and Ana Maria Custodio as Pablo’s mother. Alfredo Mayo is amazing as Pablo, Julian’s old childhood friend who is a lively yet playful man that likes to mess around and do things that the more reserved Julian is reluctant to do. Jose Luis Lopez Vasquez is brilliant as Julian, physician who becomes obsessed with Elena while dealing with his memories of the woman he met as he also becomes more manipulative when dealing with Ana.

Finally, there’s Geraldine Chaplin in a spectacular performance in the dual roles of Elena and Ana. For Elena, Chaplin sports a blond wig as well as a loose performance as a woman who likes to mock Julian while being very playful. In the role of Ana, Chaplin goes for a more reserved look to be plain, shy, and vulnerable to exemplify Ana’s longing towards Julian. Chaplin truly brings something that is unique to both performance as it’s really one of her best in a long revered career that is just as good as her legendary father.

Peppermint Frappe is a vibrant yet enchanting film from Carlos Saura featuring a radiant yet adventurous performance from Geraldine Chaplin. Fans of Spanish cinema will definitely see this as a gem while it’s also a good starting point for those interested in the works of Carlos Saura. Notably as this film is among one of the key collaborations between him and former-lover Geraldine Chaplin that is among one of the best director-actor collaborations. In the end, Peppermint Frappe is a haunting but sensational film from Carlos Saura.

Carlos Saura Films: (Cuenca) - (The Delinquents (1960 film)) - (Weeping for a Bandit) - (La caza) - (Stress is Three) - (Honeycomb) - (The Garden of Delights) - (Ana and the Wolves) - (Cousin Angelica) - Cria Cuervos... - (Elisa, vida mia) - (Blindfolded Eyes) - (Mama Turns 100) - (Faster, Faster) - (Blood Wedding) - (Sweet Hours) - (Antonieta) - (Carmen (1983 film)) - (Los Zancos) - (El amor brujo) - (El Dorado (1988 film)) - (The Dark Night) - (Ay Carmela!) - (The South) - (Marathon) - (Sevillanas) - (Outrage) - (Flamenco) - (Taxi (1996 film)) - (Little Bird) - (Tango) - (Goya in Bordeaux) - (Bunuel and King Solomon’s Table) - (Salome) - (The 7th Day) - (Iberia) - (Fados) - (I, Don Giovanni) - (Flamenco, Flamenco)

© thevoid99 2011