Set in both 1927 and 1977, the film follows two paralleling narratives involving two different kids who both embark on a journey of self-discovery as it relates to their own families but also a place where they can belong despite their deafness. It’s a film that is about not just loss but also the need to find some idea of family and a sense of belonging where the centerpiece of this journey relates to an exhibit in a museum. Brian Selznick’s screenplay does follow this paralleling narrative that takes place both in 1927 for this young girl named Rose (Millicent Simmonds) and in 1977 for this boy named Ben (Oakes Fegley) who are both connected in some way though the latter became deaf in a strange freak accident. The former is a young girl who lives at her father’s house in New Jersey who collects clipping of pictures of this famous silent film actress in Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore) just before the emergence of sound would come into cinema.
The latter is a boy who just lost his mother Elaine (Michelle Williams) in an accident as he lives with his aunt and cousins where he finds one of his mother’s belongings believing that’s where his long-lost father is. Rose is someone who is fascinated by this actress as well as create paper sculptures that would annoy her father prompting her to run away from home as it would be a similar situation for Ben as he decides to leave Minnesota to find his father as the destination for both Rose and Ben is New York City. Both of them are in the search for someone yet they also encounter an exhibit at a museum as the stories parallel one another with some surprising revelations that connects them both.
Todd Haynes’ direction is definitely stylish yet also magical in the fact it takes place in two different time periods with the 1927 portion shot in black-and-white and the 1977 portion shot in color. Shot on location in New York City for both settings but also in Peekskill, New York as some of the scenes in the older parts of the city as well as parts of Minnesota. Haynes employs a lot of paralleling imagery in some of the wide and medium shots in some of the locations that both Rose and Ben would venture into as well as some of the intimate moments as Rose often comes into conflict with her father while Ben is just trying to get to his old cabin that he lived with his mother unaware that it’s going to be sold. There are also some close-ups as it often play into the plight that Rose and Ben have with Rose being someone who was born deaf and is just eager to be loved while Ben is just confused as he can hear very little but has a hard time with his newfound deafness where Haynes’ camera is often playing up this sense of anguish and confusion.
Haynes’ presentation in some of the silent films that Lillian Mayhew stars in is a homage to the silent films of the past but also this emergence of change that is to emerge as there’s a lightness to the camera movements as it include a lot of scenes without sound to show the idea of being deaf. There are also scenes during the third act as it play into revelations that both Rose and Ben endure into their own destination but also their fascination into the world themselves when they both visit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts as it relates to a book about a certain exhibit that Rose encountered. A book that Ben believes belonged to his father with a bookmark from a store that maybe the key to the whereabouts of his father. What Haynes does is parallel these events which would represent an air of salvation for not just Rose and Ben but also in how they’re connected. Overall, Haynes craft an intoxicating and touching film about two deaf kids from different periods of time trying to find themselves and to be loved.
Cinematographer Edward Lachman does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lighting textures and schemes for many of the scenes set in 1977 to play up the look of the films of the 70s while the scenes in 1927 are shot in black-and-white to play into the world that Rose encounters. Editor Affonso Goncalves does amazing work with the editing in creating some stylish yet seamless cuts to create transitions for the two narratives and find a way to match them that include a few stylish montages. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Debra Schutt plus art directors Ryan Heck and Kim Jennings, does brilliant work with the look of the cabin Ben and his mom used to stay in as well as the house Rose lived in with her father as well as some of the panoramas and such the two protagonists would encounter. Costume designer Sandy Powell does excellent work with the costumes from the dress that Mayhew wears for a play rehearsal and some of the clothes of 1927 to the stylish yet colorful clothing of the 70s.
Special effects makeup artists Adam Bailey and Michael Maddi do fantastic work with the look of a few characters including an old woman that Ben sees whom he would meet later on. Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin does nice work with the visual effects as it largely feature some set-dressing for some scenes in New York City in both 1927 and 1977 along with some other visuals in the panoramas that both kids encounter. Sound mixer Drew Kunin does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of some of the locations but also the little bits of sound that Ben would hear in his growing deafness along with the lack of actual sounds to play into Rose’s perspective. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its somber orchestral score that appears mainly in the Rose sequences with its string arrangement flourishes but also in some playful organ music for Mayhew’s film as well as some stylish ambient-style pieces while music supervisor Randall Poster cultivate this wondrous music soundtrack that features pieces by Robert Fripp & Brian Eno, Little Esther Phillips, Rose Royce, Gene Austin, Sweet, Eumir Deodato, and David Bowie including a performance of Space Oddity by the Langley Schools Music Project.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Lauren Ridloff as a maid at Rose’s home in Pearl, Amy Hargreaves as Ben’s Aunt Jenny, Murphy Guyver as a security officer who catches Rose, Morgan Turner as one of Ben’s cousins in Janet who goes to his cabin to smoke and wear her aunt Elaine’s clothes, Raul Torres as a museum worker in 1977, James Urbaniak as Rose’s father Dr. Kincaid, Jaden Michael as a kid named Jamie that Ben meets who helps him out as his father works at the museum, Corey Michael Smith as a museum worker that Rose meets in Walter, and Tom Noonan as a bookstore owner. Michelle Williams is brilliant in her small role as Ben’s mother Elaine as she is seen in flashbacks as someone who doesn’t tell Ben about his father while is trying to maintain her own life not knowing what is going to happen.
Julianne Moore is incredible in a dual role as the silent film actress Lilian Mayhew and an old woman that Ben sees at the museum as the latter is someone that is a frequent visitor as Ben would see her again later while the former is this luminous presence as an actress on the screen while is also someone else off-screen upon her meeting with Rose. Oakes Fegley is remarkable as Ben as a young kid in the 1970s who becomes deaf in a freak accident as he deals with his newfound deafness but also the loss of his mother as well as the need to find his father. Finally, there’s Millicent Simmonds in a phenomenal performance as Rose as a deaf girl who is enamored with this silent film star while dealing with the cruelty she gets from her father. Though it is a largely silent performance, Simmonds conveys a lot of angst and emotion into her performance as she is a true discovery.
Wonderstruck is a sensational film from Todd Haynes that feature two great leading performances from Oakes Fegley and Millicent Simmonds. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, study of identity and family, a mesmerizing music score and soundtrack, and its study of living with deafness. The film is an enchanting film that doesn’t just explore two kids dealing with their deafness and place in the world as it is a film about the desire to connect as it is one of Haynes’ more accessible films. In the end, Wonderstruck is a spectacular film from Todd Haynes.
Todd Haynes Films: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - Poison - Dottie Gets Spanked - Safe (1995 film) - Velvet Goldmine - Far from Heaven - I'm Not There - Mildred Pierce (2011 TV Miniseries) - Carol (2015 film) - Dark Waters (2019 film) – The Velvet Underground – The Auteurs #3: Todd Haynes
© thevoid99 2022
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/14/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Julie Taymor and written by Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, Across the Universe is a musical inspired by the music of the Beatles about a Liverpool boy who travels to America to find his long-lost father as he falls in love with an American girl during the 1960s. The film is an exploration into a period of time set to the music of the Beatles as it plays into the idea of peace and love through some of the most tumultuous moments of the 1960s. Starring Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, T.V. Carpio, and cameos from Eddie Izzard, U2's Bono, and Frida star Salma Hayek. Across the Universe is a dazzling and off-the-wall film from Julie Taymor.
In his dour world of Liverpool, a young man named Jude (Jim Sturgess) is hoping to find his father in America, who left his mother (Angela Mounsey) as a baby. Leaving behind his girlfriend Molly (Lisa Hogg) and the world he's known for all of his life, Jude enters into a new world. Landing himself in Princeton, he finds his father Wes Huber (Robert Clohessy) working as a janitor while revealing that he has his own family. Staying in his father's bunk in Princeton, Jude befriends a student named Max (Joe Anderson) after a night of fun. Max, who lives in an upper class home of sorts, invites Jude to Thanksgiving as they meet Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). When Max announces to his family his decision to drop out of school and go to New York City, only Lucy is supportive of the decision with Jude joining along.
Arriving at the city, they stay at the apartment of a singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs) who has also invited African-American singer-guitarist JoJo (Martin Luther McCoy) as well as a young Asian-American named Prudence (T.V. Carpio). For a while, things to be great with Jude pursuing his artistic pursuits in drawings and paintings as Max decides to invite Lucy to the city. Lucy, still in mourning over the death of her high school boyfriend Daniel (Spencer Liff) at the war, falls for Jude as everything seems to be fine. Then Max receives news that he's been drafted to join the Army forcing Lucy to deal with her feelings towards the war. With Max hoping not to get drafted, things get tense when Sadie is considered for a label deal of her own rather than her band with JoJo. After a party with Dr. Roberts (Bono), they end up taking a trip and have another party with Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard) as Prudence has joined his circus.
Upon their return to New York City, Max has been drafted and sent to Vietnam for the war. Sadie and JoJo begin to separate while Lucy becomes more involved in activism with an activist named Phil (Michael Ryan). Jude however, decides to not be involved with peace movements in order to pursue his own art which causes friction with Lucy. Yet, as things become tense and nothing is improving over the war or the protests, Jude tells Lucy about her involvement as he and JoJo try to find their own worlds through their art. Finally after another protest where Jude, is suddenly involved, things start to fall apart as Jude gets help from the last he expects to help him as everyone is forced to look inward.
While musicals aren't for all audiences, a musical with music by the Beatles is a tough sell yet the result is definitely spectacular. Even from the mind as someone as ambitious from Julie Taymor. While the result isn't entirely perfect, what she brings to the film is a look that is completely its own and with the music of the Beatles, Taymor brings everything back to the 1960s. With puppet-like sets, visual collages, and everything that seems to represent the psychedelic 60s, it's definitely a film that will stimulate as well as warp the mind of the viewer.
The film's script definitely has an interesting structure in how the music is presented and where it's taking place. The first act starts off very innocently with early music from the Beatles including some more upbeat tracks. From the dour world of Liverpool that Jude lives to the beautiful suburbia that Lucy lives in. Yet, the tone begins to change when both Lucy and JoJo have their first encounter with death, in JoJo's case, the death of a family member following the Detroit riots in '67. In the second act, the music is geared towards mid-60s Beatles where everything at first seems fine and then chaos ensues. By the third act which is around '68-'70, things start to wind down as everyone faces their own sense of disillusionment. Yet, a lot of what happens includes many references to not just that period but also the moments that happened to the Beatles as well.
The script works for the most part though it starts out very clunky and when a musical sequence is going to happen, the audiences tends to know what's going to happen. That's part of the film's weakness at first even as it has the feeling where the performance feels like a music video. Yet, as the film continues, things start to relax as the audiences know what's going to happen where the music and story finally gel. A lot of credit goes to Taymor in her presentation that includes some wonderful sequences that involves dancers and sets where the whole film does feel like theater. Then there's the music that plays to the film and by the second act, it starts to feel very natural and comforting while the message that goes in terms of what was going in the 60s doesn't feel heavy-handed. It's more about what the characters are going through and such.
Helping with Taymor's vision in terms of her staging and musical numbers is choreographer Daniel Ezralow whose choreography feels natural and not in an engaging way that would make the viewer uncomfortable. It actually works to emphasize the emotions and the feeling of where the characters are. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel use of lights from the multi-colored lights mixed in with animation sequences, visual effects design by Dongho Lee that brings some joy and rhythm to whatever sequence that's going on. Delbonnel's photography is exquisite with some wonderful exterior shots that look naturally dreamy while the interiors are amazing to the staging of the film. Editor Francoise Bonnot does some fine work with a lot of the film's editing without making into that rapid, MTV-style of cutting that's dominant in a lot of films. Instead, it moves very well with the rhythm and tone of the music as well as the emotions in the performances.
Production designer Mark Friedberg along with set decorator Ellen Christansen and art director Peter Rogness do some amazing work in the film's production. Whether it's the flashing lights that pop up during the bowling alley sequences, a hospital scene that involved a bunch of nurses played Salma Hayek, the puppets, and a lot of the recreation of 1960s psychedelic clubs, and the Liverpool club that's a reference to the Cavern where the Beatles played in their early years. The overall work on the production is amazing in every detail and look with its use of locations. Costume designer Albert Wosky does some great work with the film's look whether it's the leather-like, black look of Jude, the upper-class look of Lucy, to the psychedelic looks of Sadie and JoJo. Each look the film has in its costume works well with the period. Even in the makeup by Mary Aaron and Louise McCarthy do great work, even with the masks that some of the people wear.
Sound effects editor Wyatt Sprague does some great work in creating the atmosphere of the locations where the characters are as it plays to the tone of the film, particularly in the second and third act. Taymor's husband and music composer Elliot Goldenthal brings a nice film score that plays to Max's horrors at war as well as the sense of disillusionment that comes in the third act with its soft, orchestral score. The rest of the film soundtrack is definitely filled with Beatles covers and to its surprise, they were all actually well performed and sung by the cast. Standout cuts include Jeff Beck's guitar performance of A Day In The Life, Martin Luther McCoy's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Because by the entire cast, and many more. It's an overall fantastic soundtrack.
The cast is definitely unique with cameos from Dylan Baker as Max & Lucy's father, Bill Irwin as their uncle, James Urbaniak as Sadie's manager, Salma Hayek as a gorgeous nurse (who wouldn't want her as 6-7 nurses?), and Joe Cocker doing a cover of Come Together in three different roles including a pimp that's a sight to see. U2's Bono makes a glorious cameo while sporting a cool American accent as this guru named Dr. Roberts. Other small appearances from Robert Clohessy, Angela Mounsey, Linda Emond as Lucy's mother, Lisa Hogg, Spencer Liff, and Michael Ryan are good in their small roles. T.V. Carpio is excellent as the confused Prudence who is trying to find her own identity as well as her own role in the world. Though her role is small, she makes most of her appearances leaving the viewer wanting more as she does a nice cover of I Want To Hold Your Hand. Dana Fuchs is impressive as the bohemian, Janis Joplin-like singer Sadie who is just sexy and a hell of a vocalist as her renditions of a few Beatles song in a bluesy style.
Martin Luther McCoy is great as the Jimi Hendrix-like character JoJo who can play a mean guitar while doing some spirited, soulful renditions of While My Guitar Gently Weeps while his duets with Fuchs are just awe-inspiring to convey their love-hate relationship. The film's real breakthrough performance is Joe Anderson as the non-conforming Max who brings a very energetic, spirited performance that is a sight to watch. The British actor not only sports a perfect American accent but his singing and dance is equally as impressive in songs like Hey Jude, Happiness Is A Warm Gun with Salma Hayek, and With A Little Help From My Friends with Jim Sturgess. Jim Sturgess is incredible as Jude, a young man who just wants to make art and have fun. Sturgess' vocal performance is amazing as he definitely adds emotions and angst into the songs, notably Revolution, Across The Universe, Girl, and Something. Sturgess not only can sing but also act as his chemistry with Evan Rachel Wood is insatiable. Evan Rachel Wood delivers a strong yet complex performance as Lucy who starts out as an innocent young girl who is forced to find reason over the death of her first boyfriend. Wood definitely is the acting veteran among her main cast while proving to sell herself not just in the film's dramatic moments but also the musical performances. Wood's vocals are definitely impressive and natural as she sings them with such life on songs like It Won't Be Long, If I Fell, and Blackbird.
Across the Universe is a marvelous film from Julie Taymor. While it is a very flawed film, it is a film that manages to be a lot of things as it includes a superb cast and amazing technical work. Especially as it has something to offer for fans of the Beatles to see these songs be re-interpreted for a new generation. In the end, Across the Universe is a visually spectacular film from Julie Taymor.
Julie Taymor Films: Titus (1999 film) - Frida - The Tempest (2010 film) - The Auteurs #42: Julie Taymor
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, The Nanny Diaries is the story of a college graduate who gets hired by a rich woman to become a nanny to her son as the job ends up becoming a nightmare. Written for the screen and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, the film is an exploration into the world of nannies as a young woman deals with her new job as well as the world that her client lives that would prove to be troubling for her client’s child. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Chris Evans, Nicholas Art, Donna Murphy, Alicia Keys, and Paul Giamatti. The Nanny Diaries is a very conventional and mediocre film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
The film plays into the world of a young woman who becomes a nanny to a young boy whose rich mother makes her new job a living nightmare. It’s a film that plays into this college graduate trying to bring happiness to the life of a young boy while seeing that the woman whose son she’s taking care of starting to fall apart due to her neglectful husband. All of which is told from the perspective of its lead character Annie Braddock (Scarlett Johansson) who tries to understand her new surroundings, based on her studies in anthropology, yet deals with the neglect of the boy Grayer (Nicholas Art) and the world of Grayer’s mother Mrs. X (Laura Linney) who hides her unhappiness through shopping and social events. Even as she has Grayer go to the best schools and such to think that she’s a great mother only to be in denial as Annie watches from afar as she is dealing with her feelings in a neighbor known as the Harvard Hottie (Chris Evans).
The film’s screenplay definitely wants to be all sorts of things but it is quite messy where much of it ends up being very conventional. Though it is told from Annie’s perspective, it’s a film that has her be put into some very ridiculous situations such as her first days as a nanny to Grayer which is a nightmare. Though there would be events which would shift into something less chaotic where Grayer starts to trust Annie more, it does feel contrived at times where it wants to be this exploration into the world of nannies. It wants to have some idea of satire but some of the dramatic embellishments makes it hard for the film to be taken seriously as it would play into Annie’s conflict in her work as the one person she would never tell about her new job is her mother (Donna Murphy) until one day when Grayer became sick. It would then lead into this dramatic third act that is wrapped into sentimentality but also moments that definitely feels contrived.
While the direction of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman does have some moments such as the scenes involving Annie’s interest in anthropology and some funny moments such as Annie’s fantasy of being a nanny as it relates to Mary Poppins. Unfortunately, their script makes the film very uneven in tone where it wants to be all sorts of things but it would end up feeling very pedestrian in its approach to humor and drama. Especially in some scenes where some of Pulcini’s own editing really tries to hard to make the drama mean something only to become very manipulative. Since the film is told from Annie’s perspective where it requires a lot of voiceover narration, it ends up being a tool that becomes very expository to the point that it becomes unnecessary where the filmmakers don’t seem to trust the audience enough to have any ideas on what is going on. Overall, Pulcini and Berman create a film that has some good moments but end up creating an overly drawn-out and contrived film that ends up not having much to say.
Cinematographer Terry Stacey does nice work with much of the lighting in the film‘s exterior location settings in New York City along with some unique scenes for the anthropology sequences. Production designer Mark Ricker, with set decorator Andrew Baseman and Ben Barraud, does excellent work in the set designs such as the posh home of the X‘s as well as some of the places in New York City. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does terrific work with the posh dresses that Mrs. X wears to the more casual look of Annie and the Harvard Hottie.
Visual effects supervisor Harry Dorrington does wonderful work with some of the visual effects such as Annie‘s Mary Poppins-inspired fantasy. Sound editor Nicholas Renbeck does superb work with the sound with some of the location sounds in New York and in the Hamptons plus some of the parties and such that Annie and Grayer go to. The film’s music by Mark Suozzo is pretty good for some of the upbeat orchestral score for its humorous moments though the dramatic portions end up being very heavy-handed in its arrangements while music supervisor Randall Poster does create a fun soundtrack filled with music from George Michael, Lily Allen, and some 70s disco music.
The casting by Ann Goulder is brilliant for some of the notable small roles from Julie White as a society lady, Judith Roberts as Mr. X’s very drunken mother, and James Urbaniak as an educational counselor. Alicia Keys is excellent as Annie’s friend Lynette who tries to ground Annie while living a much easier life without many responsibilities. Donna Murphy is terrific as Annie’s mother Judy who wants the best for her daughter but is baffled by her daughter’s decision to work as a nanny. Paul Giamatti is wasted as Mr. X as he doesn’t appear very often and his character is essentially a caricature as this neglectful husband/father who likes to sleep with other women and be very mean. Nicholas Art is amazing as the young boy Grayer as a child who just wants attention and be loved though some of his development in the script doesn’t work.
Chris Evans is superb as the Harvard Hottie as Mrs. X’s neighbor who befriends Annie while trying to understand why she would take this job as he warns about the dangers of getting too close. Laura Linney is fantastic as Mrs. X as this very pampered high-society woman who tries to maintain her reputation to mask the unhappiness she is having in her marriage while being oblivious in her role as a mother. Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in a performance that is pretty good at times where Johansson displays some charm and charisma to the role though there’s moments where she can’t really play into the film’s humor as it comes off as awkward and forced. Much of that material has Johansson feel miscast though she does try to make it earnest as it’s a performance that has its good moments but also some bad ones.
The Nanny Diaries is an unremarkable film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Despite the performances from Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, and Chris Evans, it’s a film that tried to be a lot of things but ends up being very conventional with its contrivances and ridiculous moments. In the end, The Nanny Diaries is a very mediocre and bland film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman Films: (Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s) - American Splendor - (Wanderlust (2006 film)) - (The Extra Man) - (Cinema Verite) - (Girl Most Likely) - (Ten Thousand Saints)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the comic series by Harvey Pekar and the graphic novel Our Cancer Year by Pekar and Joyce Brabner, American Splendor is the story of comic book writer Harvey Pekar who would create a comic book based on his own misery as he would become sort of famous while struggling with depression and such. Written for the screen and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman, the film is a mixture of documentary and dramatization as the real Pekar and Brabner appear in the film, along with Pekar’s friend Toby Radloff, while they’re respectively played by Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis. Also starring Judah Friedlander and James Urbaniak as Robert Crumb. American Splendor is an imaginative yet captivating film about the life of Harvey Pekar.
Through his American Splendor comics that he would write, Harvey Pekar would gain fame writing about his own miserable life in his hometown of Cleveland as he would become a cult figure and make appearances on David Letterman’s talk show during the 1980s and early 1990s. Yet, the film is told in a very unconventional style where it plays into dramatized versions of Pekar’s life as he endures his dissolution of his second marriage and finding inspiration to write his comic with the help of Robert Crumb’s illustration that would also lead him to meet and marry his longtime partner Joyce Brabner. The film also is told in a documentary fashion where the real Pekar and Brabner are interviewed as the film would also incorporate archival footage of Pekar’s appearances on David Letterman’s show plus a MTV news footage of Toby Radloff preparing for Spring Break as he is seen as a goofball.
The film’s screenplay showcases much of Pekar’s misery early in his life as he spends much of his time working as a file clerk in a Cleveland hospital whenever he’s not writing. Yet, it would feature moments that would eventually motivate Pekar into becoming a writer as the first act revealed how he met Robert Crumb while the second act is about how he met Joyce Brabner through corresponding letters as she was asking for an issue of one of his comics. Pekar and Brabner’s relationship is one of the aspects of the story that makes interesting as their marriage would eventually become material of its own where the third act is about the making of Our Cancer Year when Pekar was suffering from cancer in the early 1990s as it would give the duo rave reviews as well as a new lease on life despite Pekar’s on-going encounter with misery and Joyce’s refusal to work as well as analyzing people about their neuroses.
The direction of Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman is quite abstract not just in its offbeat presentation but also in how they approach the story. Much of the dramatization portion of the film is shot on location in Cleveland where it focuses largely on intimate compositions from close-ups and medium shots along with unique camera angles to play into Pekar’s life and his relationship with Brabner. There’s even moments in the dramatization where Brabner watches the real-life footage of Pekar on David Letterman through his many appearances with the exception of his final appearance on the show which is presented in a dramatic context due to the controversy that Pekar would create that eventually kicked him out of the show for good. Some of the direction infuses some animation by John Kuramato that sort of breaks down the fourth wall as it would often motivate Pekar or play into what Joyce would see upon meeting Pekar for the first time.
The documentary portion of the film is shot in a soundstage where the real life Pekar, Brabner, and Radloff show up while the actors would play them would be in the background. There’s some interviews in the film to play into Pekar and Brabner’s commentary on their own marriage plus Radloff embracing his role as a nerd. With Pulcini as the film’s editor, he uses a lot of archival news footage as well as Pekar’s appearances on David Letterman to great use along with montages about how his stories in his comics would mirror his own real life. Much of the editing is stylized yet the direction remains very intact to play into Pekar’s world and his struggles with depression and cancer where it ends unconventionally but also with tenderness that showcased how far Pekar has gone into becoming a celebrated figure in American literature. Overall, Pulcini and Berman craft a very lively and whimsical portrait of a writer who creates art through his own misery.
Cinematographer Terry Stacey does amazing work with the film’s cinematography from the way it captures some of the realism of the locations in Cleveland to some of the lighting in some of its interiors for the scenes at the New York City hotels that Joyce and Harvey stayed during his David Letterman appearances. Production designer Therese DePrez and set decorator Robert DeSue do fantastic work with the set pieces from the messy home of Harvey Pekar as well as file-hall where he does much of his work. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson does nice work with the costumes as it‘s very low-key and drab to play into the personalities of Pekar and Brabner.
Sound editor Nicholas Renbeck does terrific work with the sound from some of the sound collages in some of the images in Pekar‘s comics as well as some of the sound effects. The film’s music by Mark Suozzo is brilliant as it low-key in its emphasis on Americana with folk and jazz while music supervisor Linda Cohen brings in a fun soundtrack filled with jazz, rock, and pop music to play into the different time periods that Pekar lived in his life.
The casting by Ann Goulder is great as it features appearances from the real Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, Toby Radloff, and Pekar/Brabner’s adopted daughter Danielle Batone plus cameos from Donal Logue and Molly Shannon as stage versions of Harvey and Joyce, respectively. Other notable small roles include Daniel Tay as a young Harvey Pekar, Earl Billings as Pekar’s hospital boss Mr. Boats, Maggie Moore as an old classmate that Harvey runs into, Vivienne Benesch as his second ex-wife, and Madilyn Sweeten as the young Danielle whom Harvey and Joyce would befriend during the making of Our Cancer Year. James Urbaniak is excellent as the famed comic illustrator Robert Crumb where Urbaniak brings a low-key approach to his role as someone with an odd sense of humor. Judah Friedlander is amazing as the nerdy Toby Radloff who always like to do nerdy things and spend part of his time eating jellybeans, White Castle burgers, and embracing his role as a nerd.
Hope Davis is phenomenal as Joyce Brabner as she brings this character full of frustrations and low expectations while often analyzing people and describe their neuroses as it’s one of Davis’ dazzling performances. Finally, there’s Paul Giamatti in an outstanding performance as Harvey Pekar as it is a performance that provides a lot of laughs as well as anguish where Giamatti brings that sense of misery and despair that makes the character so engaging while also showcasing some offbeat humor as it’s Giamatti in one of his greatest roles ever.
American Splendor is a magnificent film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Armed with the great performances of Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis along with its unconventional presentation between documentary and dramatization. It’s a film that explores the world of one of the great writers of American comics without the need to go into any kind of convention while being humorous and heartwarming. In the end, American Splendor is a tremendously rich film from Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.
Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman Films: (Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen’s) - (Wanderlust (2006 film)) - The Nanny Diaries - (The Extra Man) - (Cinema Verite) - (Girl Most Likely) - (Ten Thousand Saints)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Zal Batmanglij and written by Batmanglij and Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice is the story about a documentary filmmaking team who try to make an expose on a cult led by a mysterious leader who claims that she’s from the future. The film is about the world of cults and how two documentary filmmakers try to expose this leader only to fall prey into her world. Starring Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, and Nicole Vicius. Sound of My Voice is a chilling and provocative film from Zal Batmanglij.
The film is about the world of cults where two documentary filmmakers decide to join this strange cult in order to expose the leader only to fall prey into that world. During their time in these secret meetings with this leader who claims she’s from the future, things become even stranger as activities also become more questionable. Even as the substitute schoolteacher Peter (Christopher Denham) and aspiring writer Lorna (Nicole Vicius) go into diverging paths with the cult where one of them becomes seduced by the words and thoughts of its leader Maggie (Brit Marling). It’s a film that is filled with a lot of ambiguities as Peter and Lorna’s intentions were to bring Maggie and her cult down but things become very complicated. Even as some of Maggie’s antics would make them believe that everything she might be saying is true.
The film’s screenplay by Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling has a structure where it all takes place in the span of ten days where Peter and Lorna do their activities in the daytime while would spend their time with this cult in the late nights. Upon arriving into this mysterious house, the two would have to shower and clean up anything that could have germs and wear these clothes. Then, they would be blindfolded and taken to a secret house and into a basement where Maggie lives as cult leaders would have members do a secret handshake and then meet Maggie who would hold a nightly meeting. There is a sense of repetition in the script as it would play into how these meetings would affect Peter and Lorna as their relationship would start to suffer. There’s also some ambiguities that is unveiled involving a young student of Peter’s school as well as a mysterious woman (Davenia McFadden) who would later play a key part into the film’s third act.
Batmanglij’s direction is pretty simple and understated as he shoots much of it in the Los Angeles area where Batmanglij manages to avoid some famed landmarks to go for something where it could be set anywhere. Yet, he maintains a sense of intimacy in much of his direction that does include some entrancing compositions in the way he puts his actors into the frame. Some of it is presented with hand-held cameras while there’s elements of suspense that Batmanglij creates to play into the world that Peter and Lorna have gotten themselves into. Especially as it would lead to this very chilling climax where it would showcase who is loyal to what Maggie wants but also reveal the other players that hadn’t been in touch with the cult as their roles are revealed. Overall, Batmanglij creates a very mesmerizing and entrancing thriller about the world of cults.
Cinematographer Rachel Morrison does excellent work with the film‘s very entrancing cinematography with its use of lights for many of the film‘s interiors and nighttime exterior scenes as well as some grainy video footage of the early lives of Lorna and Peter. Editor Tamara Meem does amazing work with the editing with its use of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play with the film‘s suspense and its unconventional structure. Production designer Scott Enge and set decorator Alys Thompson does nice work with the set pieces from the home that Peter and Lorna lives to the basement where Maggie conducts her rituals.
Costume designer Sarah de Sa Rego does terrific work with the costumes from the white clothes the cult members wear in the rituals to the casual look of Peter and Lorna outside of the cult. Sound editors Tobias Enhus and Patrick Giraudi do fantastic work with the film‘s sound from the way it plays up the suspense at the home where Maggie lives as well as some of sounds in the locations the characters go to. The film’s music by Rostam Batmanglij is superb for its ambient-based score with some folk textures and such to play into that sense of the unknown as he also contributes a couple of original songs that is sung by Libby Gery as well as a song by the British electronic group Hot Chip in the final credits.
The casting by Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from James Urbaniak as the father of a young girl that is featured prominently in the film, Richard Wharton as Maggie’s second-in-command, Kandice Stroh as a middle-aged cult member whom Lorna would socialize with, Alvin Lam and Constance Wu as other new members of the cult, and Avery Pohl as the young girl with a red hat who is one of the students that Peter teaches. Davenia McFadden is terrific as a mysterious woman who appear in the second act and later appear in the third as she would play a crucial role in uncovering the mystery that is happening.
Christopher Denham is excellent as Peter as he is the most skeptical of the two who would later find himself getting closer to Maggie while Nicole Vicius is amazing as Lorna who joins the cult with Peter as she deals with her new world and what it demands. Finally, there’s Brit Marling in a fantastic performance as Maggie as it’s one that is restrained at times but also very confrontational as she is this very odd yet engaging individual who could be telling the truth about her claims from being the future or she might be conning them.
Sound of My Voice is an extraordinary film from Zal Batmanglij that features an incredible performances from Brit Marling. The film is definitely an unconventional suspense film that plays into the world of cults and how two people try to expose them. In the end, Sound of My Voice is a remarkable film from Zal Batmanglij.
Zal Batmanglij Films: (The Recordist) - The East
© thevoid99 2014
