Directed by Tony Richardson and written by Alan Sillitoe that is based on the latter’s short story, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is the story of a young man who is sent to a reform school where he is seen as a gifted runner only to be exploited by a governor for selfish reasons. The film is the study of a young man who would be given all sorts of privileges where he later copes with the role he is playing. Starring Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, Avis Bunnage, James Bolam, and Alec McCowen. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a riveting and mesmerizing film from Tony Richardson.
The film follows a young man who is sent to a reform school following an act of theft where he tries to serve his time until its governor notices his gift as a long-distance runner and hopes to have him win an annual cup against a nearby rival school. It’s a film that plays into the plight of this young man who isn’t just dealing with the loss of his father but also changes and frustrations that would lead to his incarceration. Alan Sillitoe’s screenplay has a back-and-forth narrative that is largely a reflective narrative that is told largely through the perspective of its protagonist Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay). The narrative is mainly set in this reform school where Smith has to deal with other students and the sense of authority yet his gift as a long-distance runner gets the attention of the school’s governor (Michael Redgrave). The governor sees Smith as someone he believes can make an example towards the other students at the school although Smith reflects on the events in his life before he got arrested.
The flashbacks show the struggle Smith had as it relates to the passing of his father and the money that his mother (Avis Bunnage) would spend that his father had earned as she also takes on a new lover. While Smith would gain a girlfriend in Audrey (Topsy Jane) during that time, he would struggle with his lack of direction and prospects where he engages in criminal activities. Upon his arrest and being sent to the reform school, he copes with not just what he’s been given from the governor but also a growing disillusionment with the ways of the world.
Tony Richardson’s direction is definitely engaging for the way he captures the life of a young man from a working-class environment as he is put into a world that is filled with a lot of rules as the freedom he’s given doesn’t make him feel free. Shot largely in Surrey with the reform school scenes shot at the nearby Ruxley Towers at the village of Claygate. Richardson aims for an intimate approach to the world of reform schools and the working class world that Smith is in with the usage of hand-held cameras where he would use close-ups and medium shots to play into the world that Smith is in. There are some wide shots that include these amazing dolly-tracking shots that capture Smith running through the woods as he’s training for the film’s climatic race against a rival school. Richardson would also play into the uncertainty of Smith’s life before his incarceration as he just wanders around aimlessly either stealing cars or do something with his friend Mike (James Bolam). There’s a looseness to the scenes in the city as well as the running while the scenes at Smith’s family home and at the school are tight in the presentation. The film’s climax which is this race against a rival school would play into everything Smith has endure as well as everything he’s been through at the school as he would make an act of defiance through his gift. Overall, Richardson creates a rapturous film about a young man dealing with his uncertainty and oppression at a reform school.
Cinematographer Walter Lassally does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography to capture some of the gray colors of the exteriors in the locations where Smith is running as well as the usage of lights for some of the film’s interiors at night. Editor Antony Gibbs does amazing work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, speed-cuts for some comedic moments, and montages help play into some of the emotional moments in the film including its climax. Production designer Ralph W. Brinton and art director Edward Marshall do fantastic work with the look of the interior at the home that Smith and his family live in as well as the school quarters.
Costume designer Sophie Devine does terrific work with the costumes from the uniforms and clothes that Smith and others had to wear at the school to the more posh look of the rival school during the film’s climax. The sound work of Stephen Dalby is excellent for the sound that play into the atmosphere of the locations including an eerie sound montage in a key scene for the film’s climax. The film’s music by John Addison is superb for its playful score for some of the humorous moments as well as the climatic moments before the race as it help add to the dramatic tension that looms throughout the film.
The casting by Maude Spector is wonderful as it include some notable small roles from Julia Foster as Mike’s girlfriend Gladys, Joe Robinson as a student named Roach, Dervis Ward as a detective who suspects Smith over theft, Topsy Jane as Smith’s girlfriend Audrey, James Fox as a runner for the rival school in Gunthorpe, James Bolam as Smith’s best friend Mike, and Alec McCowen as a school official named Brown. Avis Bunnage is excellent as Smith’s mother who cares more about living a lifestyle with a new lover and getting all sorts of things for herself and her younger children rather than be concerned with her eldest son’s well-being as well as not caring about her husband’s sudden passing. Michael Redgrave is brilliant as the school governor as a man who sees Smith’s gift as a runner in which he hopes to exploit for his own reasons as well as make offers to Smith that end up being very troubling. Finally, there’s Tom Courtenay in an incredible performance as Colin Smith as a young man who is troubled by his father’s death and lack of direction where is sent to a reform school as he deals with the privileges he’s been given as well as revelations about what is happening to others at the school as it is a breakthrough performance from Courtenay.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a tremendous film from Tony Richardson that features top-notch performances from Tom Courtenay and Michael Redgrave. Along with its striking visuals, fascinating study of character and environment, an offbeat music score, and intricate sound presentation. It’s a film that explores a man given the chance to make something of himself but also facing choices that are filled with compromises as well as guilt over his sense of loss and lack of direction that would ultimate force him to rebel. In the end, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a phenomenal film from Tony Richardson.
Tony Richardson Films: (Momma Don’t Allow) – (Look Back in Anger) – (The Entertainer) – (Sanctuary (1961 film)) – A Taste of Honey - (Tom Jones (1963 film)) – (The Loved One) – (Mademoiselle (1966 film)) – (The Sailor from Gibraltar) – (The Charge of the Light Brigade) – (Laughter in the Dark) – (Hamlet (1969 film)) – (Ned Kelly (1970 film)) – (A Delicate Balance) – (Dead Cert) – (Joseph Andrew) – (The Border (1982 film)) – (The Hotel New Hampshire) – (Penalty Phase) – (The Phantom of the Opera (1990 film)) – (Women & Men: Stories of Seduction) – (Blue Sky)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg and written by Cammell, Performance is the story of a gangster who goes into hiding following a botched assassination attempt on his life where he stays at the home of a reclusive rock star. The film is an exploration of a man dealing with the life he’s been as he’s looking for a change as he meets someone who is also in need of a change in his life. Starring James Fox, Mick Jagger, and Anita Pallenberg. Performance is a stylish and whimsical film from Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg.
The film is a simple story of a gangster who survives an assassination attempt by thugs over a dispute with his boss as he finds himself at the home of a reclusive rock singer where things get weird. It’s a film that plays into not just identity but also the need to change things when a certain lifestyle has taken its toll where this gangster had nearly been killed and wants to do something different. Donald Cammell’s screenplay starts off with the world that Chas (James Fox) is in where he works for a mob boss in collecting money owed to his boss where he makes a great living. Yet, when his boss wants to do business with a betting shop owner that Chas has an unfortunate history with. Things go sour where Chas is attacked in his home and ends up killing the man his boss wants to do business with as he goes on the run.
Upon staying at the apartment building owned by this reclusive rock singer in Turner (Mick Jagger), he finds himself in this strange world where Turner is living with two women in Pherber (Anita Pallenberg) and Lucy (Michele Breton) plus a child maid in Lorraine (Laraine Wickens). Chas finds himself in this strange world where fantasy and reality blur as it relates to the idea of masculinity and identity as Turner is coping with writer’s block as well as dealing with his own identity where he finds inspiration in Turner and vice versa.
The film’s direction by Cammell and cinematographer Nicolas Roeg is definitely stylish in the way they would present the film as it was shot in 1967-1968 at a time when Swingin’ London and the flower power era was in full swing. Shot on location in London as well as various locations in the city, the film showcases the air of different cultures which play into the different personalities and ideas of masculinity of both Chas and Turner. The gangster culture is very gritty in its presentation while Cammell and Roeg would infuse it with some style including some different film stocks to play into the air of fantasy that Chas is craving for through Roeg’s high-octane cinematography as it show a world that is grey but also dangerous. When the film is set at Turner’s apartment, it is more colorful with an array of different styles where Cammell and Roeg would create some unique compositions in the close-ups and medium shots.
There are also these moments that are quite extreme in terms of the sexual content, by standards of the late 60s/early 70s, as it relates to Turner’s own interest in his femininity as well as the fact that he’s sleeping with two women. Once Chas begins to embrace other sides of himself in the hope that it would get him out of Britain, it does become a film about identity as its ending is about the blur of fantasy and reality into what these two men want. Overall, Cammell and Roeg create a surreal yet exhilarating film about a gangster who hides out at the home of a reclusive rock star in the hopes to create a new identity.
Editors Anthony Gibbs, Brian Smedley-Aston, Frank Mazzola, and Tony Palmer do excellent work with the editing as it is very stylized in its approach to jump-cuts, dissolves, and fast-cuts to play into something that feels manic but also wild in the spirit of the 1960s. Art director John Clark does brilliant work with the look of the spacious home of Chas in the film’s first half to the arty and sort of claustrophobic home of Turner that is quite dirty and filled with lots of art and recording equipment. Sound recordist Ron Barron and sound editor Alan Patillo do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere at Turner’s house as well as the clubs and places that Chas goes to as a gangster. The film’s music by Jack Nitzsche is terrific as it is this mixture of blues and jazz that play into the period of the times as the soundtrack also feature contributions from Mick Jagger including a scene where he sings as a gangster as well as pieces from Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
The film’s fantastic cast feature some notable small roles from John Sterland as a chauffeur that Chas was beating up for money, John Bindon as a thug, Johnny Shannon as Chas’ boss Harry Flowers, Laraine Wickens as a young girl who is a maid for Turner in Lorraine, Kenneth Colley as a friend of Chas who would be his only contact in hiding, and Anthony Valentine as a betting shop owner in Joey Maddocks whom Chas dislikes as he would later try to kill him in a botched assassination attempt. Michele Breton is wonderful as Lucy as an androgynous woman whose look is boyish yet she seems to connect with Chas who would also have a liking towards her. Anita Pallenberg is excellent as Pherber as a secretary-of-sorts for Turner as well as a lover who takes an interest in Chas as she thinks he can get helpful for Turner.
Mick Jagger is brilliant as Turner where he provides that sense of energy but also a pretentiousness that is expected in a rock star where Jagger is definitely enjoying himself where he pretends to be a gangster as well as provide some humor as the rock star. Finally, there’s James Fox in an amazing performance as Chas as a tough gangster who deals with an attempt on his life as he struggles to find a life outside of crime as well as become this unlikely muse for a rock singer as he deals with the drawbacks of his own masculinity.
Performance is a marvelous film from Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg. It’s a very stylish film that explore male identity and the need to change it as it also feature some dazzling visuals and a killer soundtrack. In the end, Performance is a remarkable film from Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg.
Nicolas Roeg Films: Walkabout - (Glastonbury Fayre) – Don’t Look Now – The Man Who Fell to Earth - (Bad Timing) – (Eureka) – Insignificance – (Castaway) – (Aria-Un ballo in maschera) – (Track 29) – (The Witches (1990 film)) – (Heart of Darkness (1993 film)) – (Two Deaths) – (Full Body Massage) – (Samson and Delilah) – (Puffball)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by E.M. Forster and a play by Santha Rama Rau, A Passage to India is the story of class conflict in colonial India where a false charge of rape trouble relations between the British and Indians. Written for the screen, edited, and directed by David Lean, the film is a study of class and racial identity in 1920s India where a woman copes with her actions and how it affects change during a tense time in Indian history. Starring Peggy Ashcroft, Victor Banerjee, Judy Davis, James Fox, Nigel Havers, and Alec Guinness. A Passage to India is a rich and majestic film from David Lean.
Set during a tumultuous period during British-colonial India, the film revolves around a young woman who arrives to the country wanting to discover India with her beau’s mother as they befriend an Indian doctor whom the young woman would later accuse of rape during an outing. It’s a film that play into events that would shape a country and its relation with the British during a time when British was ruling India as there is this divide between them. Especially when it’s in the hands of a woman whose interest in India behind British influence would eventually get her into a world of the unknown where she becomes confused and lost. Even as there are forces in both the upper-class British and the people favoring India’s independence from Britain would use this woman and this kind doctor in a trial.
David Lean’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this cultural and social divide between the British and India but also a number of intervals with an interest towards each other’s cultures. The film’s first act is about the arrival of Adela Quested (Judy Davis) and Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft) as the latter is arriving to see her son Ronny (Nigel Havers) who is engaged to the former. Upon their arrival, they’re surrounded by many British expatriates who live in posh and lavish homes that is very clean which is a direct contrast to the poor and shabby condition of the people in India. It’s something that Mrs. Moore notices as she wants to see India as it is as does Adela where they both wonder why Indians are not allowed to enter British country clubs. Mrs. Moore would meet Dr. Aziz Ahmed (Victor Banerjee) who is hoping to be accepted by the British as he is intrigued by the kindness of Mrs. Moore as he would also find a friend in the local school superintendent Richard Fielding (James Fox). Fielding would introduce Mrs. Moore and Adela to a scholar in Professor Godbole (Alec Guinness) who is an eccentric with unique views on the world and life.
The second act is about this journey to the Marabar Caves in the country where Fielding misses the train leaving Dr. Ahmed to accompany Adela and Mrs. Moore to the caves. It’s the moment in the film where Adela’s own interest towards India, that included an earlier solo journey to ruins, would come to ahead as her own sense of emotional anguish towards Ronny and the blistering heat of the country would create chaos. Especially when Dr. Ahmed becomes a victim of a lie with Fielding and Mrs. Moore knowing that he’s innocent but the British residents already have opinions that Dr. Ahmed did rape Adela because he’s Indian. The script doesn’t just showcase this cultural and social divide but also the beginning of Britain’s rule on India as the third act is about the aftermath of the trial. An aftermath that does have some serious consequence for those involved as well as revelations about the identities of its characters.
Lean’s direction is definitely vast in its setting as well as the scale of the story for its tumultuous time period. Shot on the Cinemascope film stock on a 1:85:1 aspect ratio and largely on various locations in India with some interiors shot at Shepperton Studios in Britain. Lean definitely uses a lot of wide shots to capture the gorgeous locations with great depth of field of the mountains and forests while creating something that is also intimate for some of the scenes in the streets with the medium shots. The scenes set in the country clubs and British residences have this air of space and openness that is beautiful but also quite stuffy to play up the sense of arrogance of those residents. The scenes set in the streets and slums in India are definitely more crowded and shabby to play the contrast of the world of the British living in India. The character of Dr. Ahmed is someone who is Indian but wants to be part of that world of British society as he is dressed early in the film like many of the British residents as it kind of represents this conflict of identity.
Also serving as the film’s editor, Lean would go for something straightforward with some dissolves and montages for scenes in the trial where Adela tries to remember what happened. It adds to a lot of the drama and elements of suspense where it is about the event that would put the relations between Britain and India on the line. The scenes set on the actual Barabar Caves as the Marabar Caves would have this air of mystique that would play into Adela’s own mind as there is something about that couldn’t be explained. The film’s third act that revolve around the trial’s aftermath play into this further division between the British and Indians with a few of them in the middle who aren’t happy in how things played out. Especially as some reject their own identities with some grudgingly accept their own roles in the world. Overall, Lean creates a ravishing and riveting film about a young woman’s encounter with Indian culture and the trouble she unknowingly causes over relations between Britain and India.
Cinematographer Ernest Day does brilliant work with the photography in capturing some of the gorgeous exterior scenes in the day including the interior in the caves with natural light as well as some of the beauty of some of the exterior scenes at night along with some of its interiors. Production designer John Box, along with art directors Cliff Robinson, Leslie Tomkins, Herbert Westbrook and Ram Yedekar as well as set decorator Hugh Scaife, does amazing work with the sets from the club houses and homes of the British residents to the shabby look of the home of Dr. Ahmed. Costume designer Judy Moorcroft does fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes that the British women wear as well as the clothes of the men including the suits that Dr. Ahmed wear as well as the clothes that many of the Indian citizens wear.
The sound work of Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and John W. Mitchell do excellent work with the sound from the way many of the raucous sounds of the street is captured as well as the eerie tension that is heard during the trial scene. The film’s music by Maurice Jarre is incredible for its mixture of bombastic and serene orchestral flourishes with some lush string sounds as well as bits of traditional Indian music to play into the setting of the Indian landscape.
The casting by Priscilla John is superb as it include notable small roles and appearances from Sandra Hotz as Mrs. Moore’s daughter Stella, Art Malik and Saeed Jeffrey as a couple of Dr. Ahmed’s friends who try to represent him on trial, Roshan Seth as Dr. Ahmed’s attorney with pro-Indian independence ideas, Richard Wilson and Antonia Pemberton as a rich British couple in the Turtons who are very prejudiced toward the Indians, Ann Firbank as Mrs. Callender, and Clive Swift as Major Callender as a British resident who tries to manipulate Adela over what happened. Michael Culver is terrific as British official Major McBryde who serves as the prosecutor for trial of Dr. Ahmed while Nigel Havers is fantastic as Mrs. Moore’s son Ronny Heaslop as a magistrate who is engaged to Adela as he is also very prejudiced towards Indians as he doesn’t think they have a lot to offer socially or politically.
Alec Guinness is excellent as Professor Godbole as an eccentric spiritual figure who is a friend of Fielding as he serves as someone that is just trying to stay away from the political turmoil of India as he’s more about concerned about spirituality. James Fox is brilliant as Richard Fielding as a British school superintendent who is a friend of Dr. Ahmed as he tries to figure out what is going on while being disgusted with the prejudice of many of his British colleagues as he is this very kind person that represents the best aspects of humanity. Victor Banjeree is amazing as Dr. Aziz Ahmed as a kind Indian doctor that is hoping to be entered into British society and be accepted while understanding the tension that is looming where he later finds itself in the middle of this conflict where he becomes an unknowing pawn all because of a false accusation.
Peggy Ashcroft is radiant as Mrs. Moore as an old woman traveling to India to see her son as she is amazed by the intoxicating beauty of India but is also aware of the prejudice from the British towards the Indians as she is disgusted by it while not wanting to be involved in the trial knowing that it will never play fair. Finally, there’s Judy Davis in a remarkable performance as Adela Quested as a young woman who is eager to see India as it is where she copes with being engaged to Ronny while dealing with an accusation she unknowingly made as it’s a very chilling yet ravishing performance from Davis.
A Passage to India is a phenomenal film from David Lean. Featuring a great ensemble cast, beautiful images of the Indian locations, an enchanting score, and a riveting story. It’s a film that definitely bear a lot of the hallmarks of epics but also play into India’s unique history and the seeds to be independent from the British empire. In the end, A Passage to India is a sensational film from David Lean.
David Lean Films: In Which We Serve - This Happy Breed - Blithe Spirit - Brief Encounter - Great Expectations (1946 film) - Oliver Twist (1948 film) - The Passionate Friends - Madeleine (1950 film) - The Sound Barrier - Hobson’s Choice - Summertime (1955 film) - The Bridge on the River Kwai - Lawrence of Arabia - Doctor Zhivago - Ryan's Daughter - (Lost and Found: The Story of Cook’s Anchor) - (The Auteurs #74: David Lean)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Colin MacInnes, Absolute Beginners is the story of a young photographer who tries to deal with the changes in his life due to his girlfriend wanting to become a fashion designer while being lured by a businessman into a world that would cause trouble. Directed by Julien Temple and screenplay by Richard Burridge, Christopher Wicking, Don MacPherson, and additional dialogue by Terry Johnson, the film is a musical set in late 1950s London in its Soho district where young people deal with a changing world. Starring Eddie O’Connell, Patsy Kensit, James Fox, Anita Morris, Bruce Payne, Graham Fletcher-Clark, Sade Adu, Ray Davies, and David Bowie as Vendice Partners. Absolute Beginners is a dazzling yet flawed film from Julien Temple.
Set in the summer of 1958 in the Soho district of London during a youth boom, the film revolves around a photographer trying to live his life and impress his girlfriend only to lose her when she becomes a hit at a fashion show and be engaged to an aging fashion designer. In turn, he gets lured by an exploitive adman for his photographs where he becomes blind to what is happening in the streets of London as racial tension starts to occur from White Supremacists. It’s a film that is a young man trying to define himself as a photographer while hanging out with his friends and listen to jazz yet is unsure of what he has to do to impress his girlfriend who would unfortunately be part of a world that she would eventually not like.
The film’s script doesn’t just play into the world of the youth culture in the late 1950s but also into the conflict that its protagonist Colin (Eddie O’Connell) endures in trying to impress his girlfriend Suzette (Patsy Kensit) who wants to be a fashion designer. The film also has these characters who are willing to exploit the youth culture such as the fashion designer Henley of Mayfair (James Fox) and an adman in Vendice Partners. The latter of which is this eccentric yet charming man with a transatlantic accent who could convince anyone to sell out. The film’s third act becomes serious and changes its tone from being this whimsical and playful musical into a film about racial tension. While the first two acts would hint and reveal events slowly that would cause the tension, how it gets unveiled is clunky where it definitely feels like an entirely different film.
Julien Temple’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the world he creates where it is largely shot at a studio to recreate the world of the Soho and neighborhoods in London. Featuring an intricate yet stylish tracking shot that goes on for several minutes early in the film, it does capture a lot of what was happening in Soho as Temple’s usage of wide and medium shots capture that vibrancy. Especially in the clubs where there is a lot of dancing as it was choreographed by David Toguri as well as moments where the dancing occurs in other sequences including the riots which is one of the odd moments in the film that doesn’t feel right. The scenes relating to the race riots, as it’s based on the real-life Notting Hills race riots of 1958, feels like it’s a different film where despite carrying similar visuals and compositions. It’s third act is quite problematic as it is clear Temple wasn’t sure what kind of film he wants to make but also is having trouble going back to just being an upbeat and lively musical despite its ending. Overall, Temple creates a messy yet enjoyable film about a young photographer trying to impress his girlfriend in late 1950s London.
Cinematographer Oliver Stapleton does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography in the way Soho was shot for the scenes set at night as well as its nightclubs along with the more lavish and brightened lights of people in London‘s high society. Editors Richard Bedford, Michael Bradsell, Gerry Hambling, and Russell Lloyd do nice work with the editing as it‘s very stylish in the jump-cuts, transitions, and other cuts to play into the energy of the film. Production designer John Beard, with art directors Stuart Rose and Ken Wheatley, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the clubs and posh homes to some of the musical numbers including the sequence where Partners wins over Colin by song.
Costume designers Sue Blane and David Perry do fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes that Henley creates to some of the suits of the men as well as the dresses that the women wear. Sound mixer David John does terrific work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the clubs and parties that the characters venture into. The film’s music score by Gil Evans is wonderful for its mixture of jazz and early rock n‘ roll to play into that world of late 1950s Britain as the soundtrack itself would feature original songs sung by Ray Davies of the Kinks, the Style Council, Sade, Slim Gaillard, Tenpole Tudor, Smiley Culture, and three songs by David Bowie including its title track and a cover of Volare.
The casting by Leonara Davis, Susie Figgis, and Mary Selway is incredible as it features cameos from Robbie Coltrane as a shopkeeper, Sandie Shaw as a mother of a teen idol, Bruno Tonioli as a lodger at the home of Colin’s parents, Slim Gaillard as a singer at a posh party, and Smiley Culture as the reggae singer at the end of the film. Other notable small roles include Carmen Ejogo as Cool’s young sister Carmen, Julian Firth as the Misery Kid, Paul Rhys as the mod Dean, Joseph McKenna as Colin’s gay friend Hoplite, Chris Pitt as the young teen idol Baby Boom, and Sade Adu as the nightclub singer Athene Duncannon. Performances from Steven Berkoff as a supremacist leader, Edward Tudor-Pole as the Teddy boys leader Ed the Ted, and Bruce Payne as the supremacist enforcer Flikker are superb in their antagonistic roles while Alan Freeman as the talk show host Call-Me-Cobber and Lionel Blair as the pop impresario Harry Charms are fantastic as the men who would exploit the youth movement.
Eve Ferret and Tony Hippolyte are excellent as Colin’s friends in the flamboyant lesbian Big Jill and the jazz-trumpeter Cool, respectively, who deal with the chaos of their world. Graham Fletcher-Cook is terrific as Colin’s ambitious friend Wizard who is very cynical about everything as he does whatever he can to make money and align with anyone with power. Ray Davies and Mandy Rice-Davies are amazing as Colin’s parents with Ray as the neglected and melancholic father who wants a quiet life and Mandy as the mother who is very cruel to her husband. Edward Fox is brilliant as the snobbish Henley as this fashion designer who marries Suzette to help his business only to take her for selfish reasons. Anita Morris is wonderful as the gossip columnist Dido Lament as this woman who would exploit both Suzette and Colin but also would play a key part in helping the latter in its third act.
Eddie O’Connell is terrific as Colin as a young photographer that is trying to live his life to the fullest as well as dealing with the need to sell out in order to impress his girlfriend. Patsy Kensit is radiant as Suzette as a young woman that wants to make it in the fashion world only to realize what she had to do forcing her to make compromises that she doesn’t want. Finally, there’s David Bowie in a small yet spectacular performance as Vendice Partners as this adman with a transatlantic accent that is about selling dreams as he would convince Colin the way to succeed is to sell out as a form of motivation.
Absolute Beginners is a stellar yet messy film from Julien Temple. While it features a great cast and a phenomenal soundtrack, it’s a film that wants to be a lot of things but loses sight in its third act. In the end, Absolute Beginners is a terrific film from Julien Temple.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Jonathan Glazer and screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto from a story by Andrew Michael Jolley, Sexy Beast is the story of a retired and reformed safe cracker who is asked to take on a job as a crime boss sends a sociopath who is willing to do whatever to get this man on board. The film is an exploration of a criminal trying to do good in his life until elements from his past returns including this man who uses words as weapons who tries to coax this safe cracker into doing the job. Starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, and Ben Kingsley as Don Logan. Sexy Beast is a stylish yet extremely dark film from Jonathan Glazer.
What happens when a former safe cracker is being coaxed out of his idyllic retirement by a man whose choice of weapons is his words as he scares the shit out of everyone by his presence alone? That is pretty much the premise of the film where a man named Gal Dove (Ray Winstone) is living an idyllic life in the middle of the deserts in Spain with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) and some friends as it’s interrupted when he’s being asked to do a job for a crime boss in Teddy Bass (Ray Winstone) in breaking into a safe from a bank that is claimed to be impenetrable. Gal has no intentions in doing the job as Bass’ organizer Don Logan arrives to Spain to convince Gal in doing the job. Yet, Don Logan is a character that doesn’t take no for an answer as he spouts insults and all sorts of things to make those around him grovel and feel awful about themselves.
The film’s screenplay does contain a traditional narrative structure where its first 20 minute explore Gal’s idyllic life with his wife and their friends Aitch (Cavan Kendall) and Jackie (Julianne White) as Gal has definitely put his past behind. That all changes where elements of surrealism start to appear to haunt Gal in his dreams as it would set the tone for Don Logan to arrive as the words that come out of his mouth are beyond obscene. The things Logan says about various people such as Jackie and DeeDee definitely can be described as misogynistic but that is just understating it. Racial slurs and all sorts of offensive things that are said are just small potatoes for Don Logan as he really goes into the core of a person and makes it small. As much as Gal refuses to do the job, he is continuously pushed by Don Logan who will get violent if he has to and he brings fear to everyone.
Jonathan Glazer’s direction is definitely filled with style in terms of not just his compositions but also the air of surrealism and images that he creates in the film. The film opens with a sense of style into the idyllic life of Gal as he’s sunbathing nearby his pool as a boulder nearly kills him and lands on the pool. It’s among these bits of eccentricities that Glazer would infuse as he is aware that he is making a film that is largely style over substance. Yet, it is presented with such care and coolness until news that Don Logan is coming to Spain as the tone of the film changes. Glazer’s compositions are quite striking in the way he puts Don Logan into a frame where he is at the center of attention while everyone else is at the edge of the frame during this tense and first meeting in Gal’s living room. Even a scene where a drink with Don Logan as he’s all by himself and everyone else is in the kitchen just goes to show the sense of discomfort everyone has. One wrong word on Don Logan is likely to get someone killed as Glazer’s direction also uses wide shots to play into that sense of fear and tension.
The scenes set in London also has a sense of style such a montage of Don Logan explaining the job to Gal. Notably in the way it explores the gritty tone of the British crime world as it is a total contrast to the idyllic life that Gal has in Spain. Glazer’s compositions are tighter to play into that grimy world as it includes this orgy scene that Teddy Bass is in as he meets the person who owns the bank he’s going to break into. It adds to the sense of drama that would loom over Gal as he is contemplating whether to do the job or not though he’s leaning more towards the latter due to the fact that he has no desire to return to the criminal world. Even as he has to contend with a force as nihilistic and as intimidating as Don Logan who is the judge, jury, and executioner for Gal whether he likes it or not. Overall, Glazer creates a very intoxicating yet terrifying film about a man who is pushed to the edge into doing another job by one of the scariest men walking on the face of the Earth.
Cinematographer Ivan Bird does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the sunny look of the daytime scenes in Spain to the array of stylish lights for the scenes set in night as well as a more low-key yet stylish look for the scenes in London. Editors John Scott and Sam Sneade, with additional work from Louis Melllis and David Scinto, do amazing work in the editing for it sense of style from its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and slow-motion cuts to play into some of the terror that lurks in the film as well as sense of peace Gal has before Don Logan‘s arrival. Production designer Jan Houllevigue and set decorator Jane Cooke does excellent work with the look of Gal‘s Spanish villa with its swimming pool as well as some of the places in London that is the exact opposite of the serenity of Gal‘s world.
Costume designer Louise Stjernsward does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that DeeDee and Jackie wear to the very straight-laced clothes of Don Logan who looks like he means business. Visual effects supervisor Mark Nelmes does fantastic work with the visual effects from some of the elements of fantasy that plays into Gal‘s life as well as some of the darker moments that involve Don Logan. Sound editor Jeremy Price does terrific work with the sound to play into a sense of atmosphere in how voices are heard as well as in creating the sense of unease whenever Don Logan is in the room. The film’s music by Roque Banos is superb for its low-key yet Spanish-based score while most of the music score is driven by the electronic outfit UNKLE and the British group South with its bass-driven score as the soundtrack also includes music from Wayne Marshall, the Stranglers, Dean Martin, and Henry Mancini to convey that world of British crime.
The casting by Lucy Boulting is incredible as it features a few notable small roles from Darkie Smith as Bass’ associate Stan who tells Don Logan about the assignment, Alvaro Monje as the Spanish boy Enrique who often helps Gal out in his home, Julianne White as Aitch’s wife Jackie who once had a fling with Don Logan that she regrets having as she is uneasy around him, and James Fox as the bank manager Harry who shows Teddy Bass the vault through some very devious means. Cavan Kendall is excellent as Gal’s friend Aitch who is afraid of Don Logan as he knows about his wife’s past with the man as he tries to make him comfortable only to be chewed out by Don Logan. Amanda Redman is fantastic as Gal’s wife DeeDee as a former porn actress who has also reinvented herself as she is the one person that isn’t afraid of Don Logan as everyone else as she does manage to say a few things to him and get away with it.
Ian McShane is brilliant as Teddy Bass as a crime boss who has a job to break into a bank as he asks Don Logan to recruit the best as he is just as ruthless as his recruiter. Ray Winstone is amazing as Gal Dove as a former safecracker who just wants to live a decent life with no trouble as he politely tries to decline Don Logan’s offer only to be pushed to the edge into whether he should do the job or not. Finally, there’s Ben Kingsley in a performance for the ages as Don Logan as Kingsley’s performance is without question one of the scariest ever captured on film. Kingsley toes the line between aspects of dark humor and some of the most profane and vile usage of words as well as carry a presence that will make anyone uneasy as it’s a performance that is described as the anti-Gandhi which Kingsley was famous for nearly 20 years earlier.
Sexy Beast is a phenomenal film from Jonathan Glazer that features a truly unsettling and scary performance from Ben Kingsley. Along with great performances from Ian McShane and Ray Winstone as well as a cool soundtrack and awesome technical work. It’s a film that is infused with some style as well as a sense of terror brought by a man who refuses to take no for an answer as he’s like a dog that will get very dangerous if he bites. In the end, Sexy Beast is a spectacular film from Jonathan Glazer.
Jonathan Glazer Films: (Birth) - Under the Skin
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day is the story of a butler whose devotion to his master has him cut off from reality as the estate’s new housekeeper tries to find the humanity within him. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the film is an exploration into the life of a man who maintains his servitude while not giving in towards his own emotions that would later come back to haunt him. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, Lena Headey, and Ben Chaplin. The Remains of the Day is a somber yet exquisite film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team.
The film takes place in two different time periods where a butler reflects on his life of service to a lord as he’s about to meet the housekeeper he worked with back in the 1930s. During his trip to meet Miss Sarah “Sally” Kenton (Emma Thompson), Mr. James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) reflects on the years he served Lord Darlington (James Fox) and how he had been very compulsive in his duties to his lord while not pretending to listen to any conversations or state his own opinions. It’s a role that he’s accepted as Miss Kenton begrudgingly accepts his cold demeanor except in moments where she feels that something had to be said. It’s a film that explores a man’s devotion to his life in service where the only moments he has time to himself is in reading books as a way to connect with the world.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Harold Pinter, has a unique narrative structure where it moves back-and-forth from Mr. Stevens’ traveling to see Miss Kenton in the 1950s and their time together serving for Lord Darlington in the 1930s. It’s a narrative that Mr. Stevens reflecting on that time where he was at his most useful where he would supervise everything that goes on in the estate while ensuring that everything is in tip-top shape. It is there that Miss Kenton arrives as the new head housekeeper as she is aware of how to act and perform duties. Even as the younger maids and butlers know that rule as well though some of them would have romantic trysts during breaks with the exception of Miss Kenton and Mr. James as the former often observes while the latter just oversees what goes on in the house.
The film also features a subplot where Lord Darlington would hold a meeting to appease Nazi Germany to the world over the unfair treatment they got in the Treaty of Versailles in the aftermath of World War I. Though it has nothing to do with the main narrative, it would play into Mr. James’ sense of disconnect with the real world and his lack of opinion about the state of the world where he’s later confronted by Darlington’s godson Reginald Cardinal (Hugh Grant) in the film’s third act over Darlington’s meetings with Germany as it’s a crime of treason. Most notably as Darlington would later regrettably dismiss a couple of young maids because of their Jewish backgrounds which was a decision that Miss Kenton wasn’t fond of. It would play to the sense of restraint in the role of Mr. Stevens who could’ve done something but sit back and let it happen where he would reflect on that moment with regret as well.
James Ivory’s direction is truly intoxicating in the way he explores the world of servitude in a posh, English estate where a lord lives there and he’s got a large staff of people tending to the house. While Ivory would create scenes where it would play into whatever meetings Lord Darlington is holding, Ivory always make sure that Mr. Stevens and his fellow staff are in the background maintaining their role of servitude. Even where they would find themselves listening to some secret conversations and such but maintain their place as if they never heard anything. Still, Ivory makes sure that it’s a film about the servants where Mr. Stevens is the leader as he’s often seen in a medium shot or in a close-up where he has very little idea about the world outside.
Since much of the film takes place in a lot of estates in England, they do serve as a character in the film where it’s a place where the servants know where to go and what to do when the bell rings. The use of slow zoom lenses for close-up and some of the tracking shots showcase Ivory playing into that world where these servants run the house like clockwork and make sure things are intact. Even as the scenes in the 1950 where it begins with Mr. Stevens working with his new boss in the retired American politician Trent Lewis (Christopher Reeve) who knew Mr. Stevens as he was a visitor during a key meeting in the film. The house is still a character but a shell of its former self as it reflect the sense of loss and disconnection of Mr. Stevens with the rest of the world and in his relationship with Miss Kenton. Overall, Ivory creates a very rich yet heartbreaking film about a man’s devotion to service as he becomes unable to express himself to the people who are closest to him.
Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts does fantastic work with the film‘s photography from the way many of the house interiors in day and night are lit to play into its natural atmosphere as well as some of the exteriors to show the richness of the countryside. Editor Andrew Marcus does brilliant work with the film‘s editing as it‘s filled with stylish dissolves and slow-motion cuts as well as some jump-cuts to play with its drama. Production designer Luciana Arrighi, with set decorator Ian Whittaker and art director John Ralph, does amazing work with the look of the house from its library to the dining halls and silver room to play into the sense of richness that Mr. Stevens takes great care into.
Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do excellent work with the costumes from the suits that Mr. Stevens and the other butlers wear to the uniforms of Miss Kenton and the other maids wear. Sound editor Colin Miller does nice work with the sound from the way things sound during the cleaning process to some of the way conversations are heard from the outside. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is just marvelous for its very low-key yet elegant orchestral score that plays to some of the film’s drama as well as some of the emotional moments in the film.
The casting by Celestia Fox is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some superb small performances from Michael Lonsdale as a French aristocrat Lord Darlington invites, Emma Lewis and Johanna Joseph as the two German-Jewish maids that Miss Kenton hires, and Tim Pigott-Smith as a former servant named Benn that Miss Kenton meets in her days off. Other notable small roles include Ben Chaplin in a terrific performance as the under-butler Charlie, Lena Headey in a wonderful performance as the young maid Lizzie, and Peter Vaughn in a fantastic performance as Mr. Stevens’ father who would work with his son early on only to be stricken by age. Hugh Grant is excellent as Lord Darlington’s godson Reginald Cardinal as he brings some subtle humor to the film while commenting to Mr. Stevens about the trouble Lord Darlington is getting himself into.
James Fox is amazing as Lord Darlington as a man who tries to create peace between Germany and the rest of the world while later finding himself in ruins over what he’s done while he often asks Mr. Stevens on any opinions on his role. Christopher Reeve is great as Trent Lewis as a former American congressman who arrives at a 1930s dinner displaying his opinion about the meeting while later becoming Mr. Stevens’ new boss in the 1950s as it’s a truly fine performance from the late actor.
Finally, there’s Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in magnificent performances as Mr. James Stevens and Miss Sarah Kenton, respectively. Thompson has the more showier role yet it is told with such passion as a woman who tries to get Mr. Stevens to express himself while dealing with her feelings for him. Hopkins’ performance is entrancing for the sense of restraint and lack of emotion he displays as a man just trying to do his duty no matter what kind of situation is happening. Hopkins and Thompson have a chemistry that is just undeniable to watch as they showcase the sense of heartbreak and desire to be with each other but also the internal conflicts in the two as it’s truly some of their best work.
The Remains of the Day is a tremendous film from the Merchant-Ivory team that features outstanding performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Not only is this one of the best films from Merchant-Ivory but also in the way the explore a man’s blind devotion to his duties and the sense of disconnect he would have with the world and the people around him. In the end, The Remains of the Day is a remarkable film from James Ivory.
James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room with a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - Howards End - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)
© thevoid99 2014
