Miami Vice

Based on the 1980s TV series by Anthony Yerkovich, Miami Vice is the story of two Miami police detectives who go undercover to deal with a drug dealer and drug trafficking that is happening in and out of Miami. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a suspense-action thriller that follows two detectives who embark on a case that becomes highly dangerous as they also go into different paths to stop this drug dealer. Starring Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Justin Theroux, Gong Li, Naomie Harris, Ciaran Hinds, Barry Shabaka Henley, Luis Tosar, John Hawkes, Eddie Marsan, and John Ortiz. Miami Vice is an evocative and gripping film from Michael Mann.

The film is about two detectives from Miami who help the FBI by going undercover as drug runners to meet with a drug lord over drug trafficking in and out of Miami as it explores a dark culture of drugs and crime. It’s a film with a simple premise yet Michael Mann doesn’t go for anything simple in terms of the execution in his screenplay as it explore the life of these two detective in James “Sonny” Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) as they both seen at the film’s opening sequence trying to nab a pimp until they get a call from one of their informants over an attempted bust gone bad. After meeting with FBI agent John Fujima (Ciaran Hinds), Crockett and Tubbs agree to help him nab drug cartel security official Jose Yero (John Ortiz) who is trying to continue his drug trafficking ring from Colombia and into the U.S for his boss Arcangel de Jesus Montoya (Luis Tosar).

Mann’s script play into the life that Crockett and Tubbs have as they often do jobs with other cops led by their superior Lt. Martin Castillo (Barry Shabaka Henley) while Tubbs is in a relationship with one of fellow detectives in Trudy Joplin (Naomie Harris). During their undercover work, Crockett meets Montoya’s financial adviser/lover Isabella (Gong Li) whom he would fall for as they begin an affair that eventually leads to trouble. Especially as they learn about what Montoya and Yero are doing and who they’re working with to get the drugs into the U.S. as it complicates matter including putting Crockett and Tubbs’ fellow detectives in danger.

Mann’s direction definitely has some elements of style yet also has this low-key approach into the presentation as it opens at a nightclub where Crockett, Tubbs, Joplin, and other detectives are set to bust a pimp as it goes straight into the action and not waste time. Shot on various locations including Miami as well as other locations in Uruguay, Paraguay, parts of South Florida, and on various Caribbean islands, Mann creates a world where drug trafficking feels like the norm with these gorgeous wide shots of the sea and Miami skylines at night along with shots of the jungles and other places the character go to. Mann’s usage of aerial shots and scenes set on the sea on speed boats and planes also help establish this world while he also makes Miami as a character in the film but not as this vibrant locale that is filled with parties and excitement. Instead, he aims for something far darker and grittier as much of the scenes in Miami are shot at night with few scenes shot in the day as Mann prefers to showcase few of the cities famous sites in favor of just using it as a backdrop and go into parts of the city that not many are aware of.

Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the interaction with the characters but also in the suspense that include a showdown between a group of rednecks and the Miami PD where Detective Gina Calabrese (Elizabeth Rodriguez) is shown in a close-up with fierce intensity as she knows whether the person who wants to kill everyone really can do it but she knows he’s bluffing as she is intent on putting a bullet in his head. Mann also knows when to break from the action as it play into the persona lives of Crockett and Tubbs with the former engaging into this affair with Isabella that would eventually cause trouble. The climatic showdown between the Miami PD and Yero’s men is bloody as there is this great build up to the suspense in the medium shots and close-ups to capture all of the action and violence that is thrilling and dangerous. Especially in what is at stake while the ending is filled with ambiguity into the fates of a few characters but also the reality of the drug culture and what some do to survive. Overall, Mann crafts an intoxicating yet visceral film about the life and work of two Miami police detectives going undercover to stop a drug lord’s empire.

Cinematographer Dion Beebe does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is shot largely on digital video to capture some of the grimy look of the city as well as some of the vibrancy in the hand-held shots as well as not aim for anything overtly stylized in favor of something low-key and realistic. Editors William Goldenberg and Paul Rubell do excellent work with the film’s editing as it has some stylish usage of jump-cuts as it also play into some unconventional rhythms in the cutting to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Victor Kempster, with set decorator Jim Erickson plus art directors Carlos Menendez and Seth Reed, does brilliant work with the look of the some of the homes of the Miami PD’s informers as well as the lavish home of Montoya and the casino that Yero runs. Costume designers Michael Kaplan and Janty Yates do fantastic work with some of the stylish clothes that Crockett and Tubbs wear when they go undercover as well as the posh designer clothes that Isabella wears.

Special effects makeup artists Jake Garber and Harrison Lorenzana do superb work with the look of a few characters during some of the film’s violent moments as well as the look of the Aryan gang that work with Yero. Special effects supervisor Rick Thompson and visual effects supervisor Robert Staad do terrific work with visual/special effects as it help play into the action along with some bits of set-dressing in some of the visual effects. Sound designers Elliott Koretz and Tak Ogawa do amazing work with the sound in capturing the sounds of gunfire, boat engines, and the atmosphere of the locations as it help play into the suspense and intrigue that is rampant throughout the film. The film’s music by John Murphy is wonderful for its somber and ambient-based score with some pulsating electronic-based themes that help add to the suspense while music supervisor Vicki Hiatt provides a nice music soundtrack that feature a mixture of ambient, hip-hop, rock, soul, Latin music, and electronic music from Goldfrapp, Audioslave, India.Arie, Mogwai, Nina Simone, Moby with Patti LaBelle, King Britt, Linkin Park w/ Jay-Z, and Emilio Estefan as well as an awful cover of Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight by Nonpoint.

The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and performances from Isaach de Bankole as a pimp Crockett and Tubbs try to nab early in the film, Eddie Marsan as an informant who gives the Miami PD some information, Tom Towles as an American dealer in Nicholas who is aligned with a group of Aryan drug dealers, Domenick Lombardozzi and Justin Theroux in their respective roles as Miami detectives in Stan Switek and Larry Zito who help Crockett and Tubbs with their work, Elizabeth Rodriguez as Detective Gina Calabrese who is a no-nonsense woman that is also dangerous but reliable, John Hawkes as an informant in Alonzo Stevens who calls Crockett and Tubbs early in the film as he makes a chilling discovery that puts him in trouble, and Luis Tosar in a terrific performance as the drug lord Arcangel de Jesus Montoya who runs an empire and wants to control all of Miami. Ciaran Hinds is superb as FBI agent John Fujima as a man who had accidentally ruined Crockett and Tubbs’ case early in the film as he decides to help them to try and stop Montoya despite his dislike towards them.

Barry Shabaka Henley is fantastic as Lt. Martin Castillo as Crockett and Tubbs’ superior who is the mediator between them and Fujima as well as being someone who is aware of what is going on as well as be a father figure of sorts for the team. John Ortiz is excellent as Montoya’s security agent Jose Yero as a man that at first is believed to run an empire yet is someone who watches over Montoya’s drugs and shipments while is also someone extremely dangerous as he grows suspicious towards Crockett and Tubbs. Naomie Harris is brilliant as Detective Trudy Joplin as a detective who also gathers intelligence and information for others while is also Tubbs’ lover as she grounds him while she deals with her own troubles as a detective. Gong Li is amazing as Isabella as Montoya’s financial adviser/lover who works with Crockett and Tubbs only to engage into an affair with the former that eventually becomes troublesome as she copes with falling for Crockett but also handling business for Montoya and Yero.

Finally, there’s the duo of Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in incredible performances in their respective roles as James “Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Both Farrell and Foxx bring a grounded and reserved approach to their characters with Farrell being a bit more dangerous once Crockett has an affair with Isabella making Tubbs uneasy. Foxx is more no-nonsense but is also someone who can do negotiations the right way and win over dealers through his charm and wit. Farrell and Foxx also provide that air of toughness to their characters when it comes to doing their jobs as they both provide the grittiness that the characters needed for the film.

Miami Vice is an incredible film from Michael Mann that features top-notch leading performances from Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, Dion Bebe’s gorgeous photography, emphasis on realism, and John Murphy’s intoxicating score. The film is definitely a low-key yet more reserved approach to the suspense-drama and detective film while not aiming to be a direct remake/homage to the TV series with Mann wanting to do something entirely different yet engaging. In the end, Miami Vice is a remarkable film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief (1981 film) - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Ali - Collateral - Public Enemies - Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)

© thevoid99 2020

Collateral

Directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie, Collateral is the story of a cab driver who is forced by a hitman to drive him to destinations around Los Angeles to kill various targets during the night. The film is a suspense-thriller that play into a cab driver who is given a troubling night as he deals with the danger of taking a hitman to kill people leading to chaos and violence. Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Irma P. Hall, Bruce McGill, and Javier Bardem. Collateral is a riveting and entrancing film from Michael Mann.

Taking place in the span of nearly 12 hours in Los Angeles, a cab driver is forced by a hitman to drive him to various locations in the city where he is to kill four key witnesses and prosecutor for the man who hired him. It’s a film that explores a cab driver’s awful night as he endures a journey of darkness as he has to accompany this man to destinations as he is there to kill and that is it. Stuart Beattie’s screenplay follows Max Durocher (Jamie Foxx) who is a cab driver with a meticulous personality that works part-time as a cab driver hoping to raise enough money to start a limousine business where one of his first clients is a prosecutor in Annie Farrell (Jada Pinkett Smith) whom he converses with as it leads to a brief sense of attraction. Then he meets Vincent (Tom Cruise) who asks to go to this destination and then a body falls onto Max’s cab as it begins a hellish night as Vincent is a professional who carries a list as he does whatever he can to kill making Max uneasy.

Vincent is a mysterious character who can be charming one minute and then ruthless the next minute where Max gets a close look at Vincent’s work and through the trail of bodies he left behind. The script also play into these conversations between Vincent and Max where there is a unique dynamic between the two as the latter knows he’s not in control but is eager to get out. Even as Vincent’s killings would attract the attention of the police including LAPD detective Ray Fanning (Mark Ruffalo) who believes something is up as one of his witnesses had been killed knowing it’s a professional hit. Once the story progresses and body count pile up, Max would do drastic means to stop Vincent from killing more only for things to get more complicated where Max is forced by Vincent to meet up with the man who hired Vincent in Mexican drug lord in Felix Reyes-Torrena (Javier Bardem) who would only raise more suspicion as Max realizes he’s in a far darker world that is not prepared for.

Michael Mann’s direction is astonishing in terms of the visuals he creates as it is shot largely on high-definition digital video with the exception of a nightclub scene shot on 35mm film. Shot on location in Los Angeles which is a character in the film, Mann displays this air of grit into his compositions where he would use a lot of wide and aerial shots to capture so much attention to detail as well as where Max’s cab is at in a certain location. Still, much of the direction is set inside the cab throughout the film where Mann maintains that intimacy through the close-ups and medium shots as well as in the different locations that Max has to take Vincent to. The scenes of violence are brutal though some of it occur off-screen yet there’s one violent scene that is brutal as it relates more to Max’s reaction and how close he is to the violence. Mann’s direction definitely play into this air of cinema verite with its usage of hand-held cameras as well as maintaining this air of realism into the direction.

Mann also creates this air of tension as it relates to the trail of bodies that Vincent leaves behind as detectives, FBI agents, and others go on the case to find out what is going on. The nightclub scene before the film’s third act where a witness is at is among one of the most suspenseful moments in the film as it shows how ruthless Vincent is in his pursuit. The third act is about the final target and what Max is willing to do to protect that person as well as realizing what kind of person Vincent really is. It’s among the most thrilling sequences ever captured on film as Mann uses the locations and compositions to help play into the stakes of a man who is having a bad night. Overall, Mann crafts a visceral yet evocative film about a cab driver being forced to drive a hitman to various destination on a dark night in Los Angeles.

Cinematographers Dion Bebe and Paul Cameron do brilliant work with the film’s digital video photography with Bebe doing much of the work to play into its sense of grit and crudeness but also in some gorgeous imagery for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editors Jim Miller and Paul Rubell do amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Daniel T. Dorrance, does fantastic work with the look of some of the places that Max and Vincent go including a few clubs as well as the nightclub for one of the film’s big shootouts. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward that includes the grey suit that Vincent wears.

Prosthetic/special effects makeup artist Matthew W. Mungle, along with special makeup effects artists Jake Garber, Cleve Gunderman, Jamie Kelman, and Bart Mixon plus prosthetic makeup artist Wesley Wofford, does excellent work with the look of Vincent with his hair as well as the look of a few characters. Visual effects supervisor Robert Stadd does some fine work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for a few shots in the city. Sound designer Elliott Koretz does superb work with the sound to help play into the atmosphere of what it sounds like inside a cab or at a club as well as how music is heard on a certain location. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that has elements of electronic ambient music that help play into the unsettling tone of the film while music supervisor Vicki Hiatt creates a soundtrack that feature some additional score pieces from Antonio Pinto plus music from the Roots with Cody Chesnutt, Groove Armada, Calexico, Tom Rothrock, Green Car Motel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Miles Davis, Paul Oakenfold, and Audioslave.

The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jason Statham as a man Vincent bumps into at the airport early in the film, Bohdi Elfman and Debi Mazar as a couple that Max picks up, the trio of Angelo Tiffe, Thomas Rosales Jr., and Inmo Yuon as Vincent’s targets, Richard T. Jones and Jamie McBride as a couple of traffic cops, Steven Kozlowski as a mugger trying to mug Max, Klea Scott as a FBI official, Emilio Rivera as a bodyguard of Felix, and Javier Bardem in a terrific one-scene appearance as the Mexican drug lord Felix Reyes-Torrena. Barry Shabka Henley is superb as the jazz musician Daniel Baker whom Vincent and Max sees as he’s performing at a club as he talks to them about Miles Davis while Irma P. Hall is fantastic as Max’s mother Ida who is ailing at the hospital as she is concerned about Max’s future while finding herself in an odd conversation with Vincent.

Bruce McGill is excellent as the FBI agent Frank Pedrosa who is spying on Felix as he believes he is involved with these killings while Peter Berg is wonderful as Fanning’s partner Richard Weidner who follows the trail of bodies though he isn’t sure it’s all connected to Felix. Mark Ruffalo is brilliant as detective Ray Fanning as someone who learns that one of his witnesses had been killed as he is aware of what is going on as he also believes that there is a lot more to meet the eye prompting him to find Max and protect him. Jada Pinkett Smith is amazing as Annie Farrell as a prosecutor Max meets early in the film in his cab as they converse about a few things including Farrell’s job as she would also take part in the film’s climatic third act as it relates to the case she’s involved in.

Jamie Foxx is phenomenal as Max Durocher as a cab driver who would have the worst night of his life as he is forced to accompany a hitman to various destinations where Foxx maintains a restraint as well as being this uneasy observer who is troubled by what he sees as he and Cruise do have great rapport to play into the tension and drama. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a tremendous performance as Vincent as a mysterious hitman who is ruthless in his pursuit of targets but is also a professional that is good at his job and is intent on finishing as it’s a dark yet riveting performance from Cruise.

Collateral is a spectacular film from Michael Mann that features great performances from Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, eerie visuals, a gripping music soundtrack, top-tier editing, and a broad sound design. The film is definitely a suspense-thriller that takes a simple premise and amp it up in its exploration of a hitman forcing a cab driver to take him to destinations in Los Angeles so that he can kill some people. In the end, Collateral is a sensational film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief (1981 film) - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Ali - Miami Vice – Public Enemies (2009 film) - Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)

© thevoid99 2019

Ali

Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann, Eric Roth, Stephen J. Rivele, and Christopher Wilkinson from a story by Gregory Allen Howard, Ali is the story of 10 years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali from his first world title win in 1964 to the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman in Zaire in 1974. The film is a look into a moment in time when Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay Jr. and the moments in his life that would make him an icon as he is portrayed by Will Smith. Also starring Jamie Foxx, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver, Jeffrey Wright, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Toney, and Jon Voight as Howard Cosell. Ali is a majestic and evocative film from Michael Mann.

The film is about a decade in the life of one of the most iconic figures in sports during the 20th Century in Muhammad Ali from his first title win against Sonny Liston in February 25, 1964 to the Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire on October 30, 1974. During this time, Ali would convert to Islam and change his name from Cassius Clay Jr. to Ali while enduring all sorts of events in that time such as refusing to serve the U.S. army during the Vietnam War, failed marriages, and losing his first fight to Joe Frazier in the Fight of the Century on March 8, 1971. The film is really an exploration of a man trying to adopt this new identity having dropped his birth name which he felt had been given to him and his family by slave masters and take on something new. The film’s script play into these events that include his friendship with Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles) and how it ended due to the interference of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (Albert Hall).

His devotion to the Nation of Islam would also alienate his family and play part into the decisions of his career as one of his wives in Belinda Boyd/Khalilah Ali (Nona Gaye) doesn’t think the Nation of Islam, Elijah’s son Herbert (Barry Shabaka Henley), and Don King (Mykelti T. Williamson) have his best interests. Much of the film’s narrative is straightforward with some subplots involving people that Ali know being followed by a CIA official in Joe Smiley (Ted Levine) as they would believe Ali is a threat to national security as it would also show events behind the scenes such as a meeting between Don King, Herbert Muhammad, and politicians from Europe and Africa wanting to use Ali just as he is considered a messianic figure in Africa.

Michael Mann’s direction is stylish not just for its presentation with its mixture of 35mm film and grainy digital video but also in capturing a period of time when Ali was to ascend into this iconic status that would make him a polarizing figure in the world. Shot on various locations in the U.S. such as New York City, Chicago, and Miami and Mozambique as Zaire and Ghana. Mann displays a somewhat documentary-style much of his direction as it play into this world that Ali would encounter from his visits to Africa as well as struggling with the events in America around him. There are usage of wide shots of the locations as well as the venues where Ali would have his fights while he aims mainly for some intimate usage of close-ups that play into Ali’s emotions as well as aspects of his personal life that is also presented in medium shots. The usage of the grainy digital video for an opening scene of Ali jogging in Los Angeles as well as him looking at a riot as well as a love scene with a future wife in Sonji Roi (Jada Pinkett Smith).

The fight scenes are among the major highlights of the film with its usage of hand-held cameras as well as point-of-view shots of what the fighter is facing inside the ring and the punches he would get from his opponent. It’s an element of realism that isn’t seen often in films relating to boxing as well as Mann’s direction gets very close into the brutality of boxing. Even as it show Ali as someone trying to mock his opponents as well as fight them with an intelligence and showmanship. Mann’s direction also play into the reaction of the people as well as showing lots of attention to detail in the direction of the people in Ali’s corner observing what Ali is doing. It’s Mann playing into a world where men fought to become the best and for a man like Ali to use boxing as a platform for hope and change. Overall, Mann crafts a riveting and intoxicating film about a decade in the life of Muhammad Ali.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki does incredible work with the film’s photography as it’s a highlight of the film with its usage of naturalistic and slightly-tinted colors and moods in the lighting as well as the grainy look of the digital video footage as well as the way the camera moves. Editors William Goldenberg, Lynzee Klingman, Stephen E. Rivkin, and Stuart Waks do excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion shots, and other stylish editing play into the drama as well as the thrill of the fights. Production designer John Myhre, with set decorator Jim Erickson plus art directors Jonathan Lee, Bill Rea, and Tomas Voth, does brilliant work with the sets from the hotel rooms that and homes that Ali lived in to the design of some of the venues and rings that Ali would fight in. Costume designer Marlene Stewart does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that men wore in those times as well as the stylish dresses and Muslim garb the women would wear.

Special makeup effects artists Greg Cannom and Christopher Allen Nelson do fantastic work with the look of Howard Cosell as well as some of the prosthetics and hair for some of the characters. Special effects supervisors Alan Poole and Max Poolman, with visual effects supervisor Michael J. McAlister, do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing but also in parts that relate to the fights. Sound editors Yann Delpuech, Darren King, and Gregory King do superb work with the sound in how punches are thrown as well as the atmosphere of the audiences during the fights as well as some sounds in some of the locations. The film’s music by Pieter Bourke and Lisa Gerrard is wonderful for its minimalist and ambient-based score with its usage of polyrhythms and other world beat musical textures while the music soundtrack feature a lot of the music of the times from the Pointer Sisters, Sam Cooke, Bobby Womack, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Dylan plus contemporary pieces from Alicia Keys and Moby.

The casting by Victoria Thomas is great as it feature some notable small roles from Victoria Dillard as Malcolm X’s wife Betty Shabazz, Malick Bowens as Zaire’s president Joseph Mobutu, David Elliott as singer Sam Cooke in the film’s opening credits scene, Shari Watson/Truth Hurts as a club singer, Ted Levine as CIA agent Joe Smiley, Leon Robinson as a Nation of Islam official in Brother Joe, David Haynes as Ali’s brother Rudy Clay/Rahman Ali, Robert Sale as boxer Jerry Quarry, Candy Ann Brown as Ali’s mother Odessa Clay, Michael Bentt as Sonny Liston, David Cubitt as journalist Robert Lipsyte, Charles Shufford as George Foreman, LeVar Burton as Martin Luther King Jr., Bruce McGill as a European political figure, Joe Morton as Ali’s attorney Chauncey Eskridge, Giancarlo Esposito as Ali’s father Cassius Clay Sr., Barry Shabaka Henley as Herbert Muhammad, and Albert Brown as Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad,

Other noteworthy small roles from Nona Gaye as Ali’s second wife Belinda Boyd/Khalilah Ali who is concerned about the people Ali is with, Paul Rodriguez as Ali’s ring physician Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, and Michael Michele as Ali’s future third wife in journalist Veronica Porche whom he would meet in Zaire are wonderful in their brief roles as is Jada Pinkett Smith in a terrific performance as Ali’s first wife Sonji Roi as a woman who many in the Nation of Islam felt was unsuitable for him. James Toney and Mykelti T. Williamson are superb in their respective roles as the fighter Joe Frazier who offers Ali a shot at the title and the infamous promoter Don King who is trying to hype up the event and make a lot of money. Jeffrey Wright is fantastic as photographer Howard Bingham who would be Ali’s biographer and personal photographer who would follow Ali as well as be an observer to the events in Ali’s life.

Ron Silver is excellent as Angelo Dundee as Ali’s trainer who is focused on what Ali is doing in the ring as well as ensure that Ali has a good strategy for every fight as he’s like a father figure to Ali. Mario Van Peebles is brilliant as Malcolm X as the famed civil rights leader and Nation of Islam speaker who is a close friend of Ali as he would later go on his own path where he tries to maintain his friendship with Ali. Jamie Foxx is amazing as Drew Bundini Brown as Ali’s longtime assistant/cornerman who would help Ali come up with his famous rhymes as well as be someone that Ali can trust with on personal matters or on business matters despite his own personal issues. Jon Voight is incredible as famed sports reporter Howard Cosell as Voight would get Cosell’s famous voice right on as well as be the man trying to get answers from Ali as well as be a close friend of the boxer. Finally, there’s Will Smith in a phenomenal performance as Muhammad Ali as he channels the man’s bombastic personality in the press conferences as well as the man’s public persona as being cocky but also a man who can talk the talk and walk the walk but also display the humanity in Ali as a man struggling with his identity and the persona he has created for himself.

Ali is a sensational film from Michael Mann that features a career-defining performance from Will Smith as the legendary boxer. Along with its ensemble cast, Emmanuel Lubezki’s gorgeous cinematography, rapturous music soundtrack, and its exploration about a decade in the life of Muhammad Ali. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules of the bio-pic as it focuses on key events of the man’s life as well as the world around him. In the end, Ali is a spectacular film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Collateral – Miami Vice – Public Enemies - Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)

© thevoid99 2019

Baby Driver

Written and directed by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is the story of a getaway driver who is being forced to work for a drug kingpin to do a job as things go wrong. The film is an ode to getaway driver film genre with elements of the musical as its protagonist has to listen to music during his job due to damages in his ear. Starring Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, and Kevin Spacey. Baby Driver is an exhilarating and majestic film from Edgar Wright.

The film revolves around a young man who is a getaway driver for robbers as he works under the service of a drug kingpin he owes a debt to as he’s close to finally paying off the debt until he’s given a dangerous job where things become intense. It’s a film with a simple story yet it plays into someone who likes to keep things simple as he listens to different kinds of music when he drives due to the fact that he’s got severe tinnitus in his ears due to a car accident when he was a kid that claimed the life of his parents. His job is to just be a getaway driver and get a small cut for his services and that is it while he lives with a deaf elderly he cares for as he also falls for a waitress at a local diner. Edgar Wright’s screenplay definitely owe a lot to crime and chase films but there’s elements of the musicals and fantasy in the film though it’s all set in this high-octane reality that the film’s titular character (Ansel Elgort) is living in.

Yet, Baby is someone that always carry around an iPod to listen to whatever music to display the mood or environment he’s in as his boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) would call him for an assignment as he would hire the people for the job and all Baby needs to do is drive and listen to the music. Though there would be people that Doc would hire constantly such as the couple Buddy and Darling (Jon Hamm and Eiza Gonzalez, respectively) who like what Baby does. Things change when Doc hires the very psychotic Bats (Jamie Foxx) for a job with two other men with Baby as the getaway driver as it becomes very violent. It’s a chilling moment just as Baby was experiencing something new in his life as he befriends the waitress Debora (Lily James) as they bond through music. Unfortunately, Baby’s attempt to leave his life as a getaway driver has him dealing with Doc about a job that is even more dangerous as it includes the service of Bats who has made Baby very uneasy.

Wright’s direction is definitely stylish not just for its approach to action but also treating it as if it is this unconventional musical with the music from Baby’s iPod as its soundtrack. Shot on location in Atlanta as it is a character in the film, Wright creates a film that uses the city as this modern-day backdrop that is quite grimy yet has an air of excitement in its nightlife and mixture of different cultures in hip-hop, country, and rock. While Wright would use wide shots for not just establishing the locations but also in scenes that play into the world that Baby is in as he has a routine in what he does in the aftermath of a robbery as it’s told in an intricate tracking shot with careful choreography and movement with the help of choreographer Ryan Heffington. Wright’s direction favors more intimate moments in some of the locations in and around Atlanta as well as a few sets and what goes on inside a car which Baby is often behind the steering wheel choosing the right song for the chase. Wright’s approach to the music isn’t to use the music as a crutch to help tell the story but rather as some form of accompaniment to express whatever mood that Baby is in and what he needs to concentrate in his job due to his tinnitus.

Wright would also create moments that don’t involve music as it play into the meetings led by Doc about what to do with the job but also these eerie moments that play into the growing tension between Baby and Bats as the former is uneasy about the latter. Wright would create some entrancing compositions that has him put the actors in a certain position for the frame as it help add to some of the drama as well as bits of humor. There are also moments where Wright would inject bits of fantasy in a key scene that play into the sense of hope that Baby wants with Debora but it’s always clashing with this high-octane reality that is quite violent with lots of gunplay and chaos. All of it to the tune of something which feels right for the scene as it also has this offbeat approach to the musical. Overall, Wright creates a sensational and lively film about a getaway driver who uses music as an escape from his life of crime.

Cinematographer Bill Pope does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to capture the look of Atlanta in the daytime exteriors with its sunny and colorful look with some gorgeous lighting for some of the interiors including the scenes set at night. Editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss do incredible work with the editing with its usage of rhythms to help play into the music as well as using fast-cuts for some of the chases without deviating into the chaotic speed-editing of typical action films. Production designer Marcus Rowland, with art directors Nigel Churcher and Justin O’Neal Miller as well as set decorator Lance Totten, does fantastic work with the look of the apartment home that Baby shares with his deaf foster father Joseph as well the place where Doc does his meetings and the diner that Debora works at. Costume designer Courtney Hoffman does nice work with the clothes from the waitress dress that Debora wears to some of the stylish clothing of Darling and Bats.

Visual effects supervisor Shailendra Swarnkar does terrific work with some of the visual effects as it relates to some of the action and chase scenes where it definitely look real without having to do too much in order to make it feel real. Sound designer Julian Slater does amazing work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film in its approach to mixing and editing to hear Baby is hearing in total silence as well as the way sound is presented in certain moments of the film. The film’s music by Steven Price is wonderful for its mixture of low-key electronic music, hip-hop, and orchestral bombast to create a thriving score that help play into the suspense while music supervisor Kirsten Lane creates a phenomenal soundtrack that features an array of music from acts such as Queen, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the Damned, the Beach Boys, Beck, T-Rex, Simon & Garfunkel, Barry White, Young MC, Bob & Earl, Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers, Googie Rene, Carla Thomas, Dave Brubeck, Alexis Korner, The Incredible Bongo Band, Martha and the Vandellas, Blur, Focus, Sky Ferreira, the Commodores, Kid Koala, Danger Mouse with Run the Jewels and Big Boi, Sam & Dave, and Golden Earring.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Killer Mike and Outkast’s Big Boi as a couple of patrons at a posh restaurant, Jon Spencer of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion as a prison guard, filmmaker Walter Hill as a courtroom interpreter, Lance Palmer as Baby’s father in the flashbacks, Viviana Chavez as a diner waitress, Hal Whiteside as the diner cook, Brogan Hall as Doc’s nephew, Allison King as a mail teller, Andrea Frye as a woman Baby reluctantly carjacks, Hudson Meek as the young baby in the flashbacks, and Sky Ferreira as Baby’s mother in the flashbacks whom he adored. Other notable small yet memorable performances include Paul Williams as a notorious arms dealer known as the Butcher, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Lanny Joon as a couple of robbers working with Bats, Jon Bernthal as a robber in the first heist in Griff who often questions Baby’s role in the robbery, and CJ Jones as Baby’s deaf foster-father Joseph whom Baby communicates with through sign language and music. Eiza Gonzalez is fantastic as Darling as a smooth-talking yet cool woman who can throw down as well as be quite scandalous as she is also Buddy’s wife.

Jon Hamm is excellent as Buddy as a man that loves to rob banks and get its rewards as he also loves his wife Darling where it shows what kind of man he is when he knows she’s been harmed. Kevin Spacey is brilliant as Doc as a drug kingpin who is Baby’s boss as a man who doesn’t bullshit as Spacey brings a dry-wit to his performance where he can be intimidating but also sympathetic. Lily James is amazing as Debora as this kind-hearted diner waitress who befriends Baby where they share an interest for music as well as wanting a life with no complications. Jamie Foxx is incredible as Bats as this very ruthless and psychotic criminal who has no qualms in killing people in order to get his money as he likes what Baby does but also despises Baby for his sense of morals. Finally, there’s Ansel Elgort in a remarkable performance as Baby as this getaway driver with severe tinnitus in his ears which he drowns out through music as he copes with being in the world of crime and his desire to get out to start a new life only to be put into a situation that is troubling as it’s a very restrained yet charismatic performance from Elgort.

Baby Driver is a spectacular film from Edgar Wright. Featuring a great cast, a phenomenal music soundtrack, a thrilling script, amazing locations, and top-notch work in the editing and sound. It’s a film that is very unconventional in its blend of action, suspense, humor, and music as it plays with all sorts of genre while being something that is totally of its own. In the end, Baby Driver is a tremendous film from Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) - Shaun of the Dead - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - The World's End

© thevoid99 2017

Dreamgirls

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/25/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the Broadway musical by Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger, Dreamgirls is the story of three young women from Detroit trying to make it as singers as they go from singing backup for a popular R&B singer to becoming a popular singing group with the help of a ruthless and sleazy car salesman who becomes their manager. Written for the screen and directed by Bill Condon, the film is an exploration of three women trying to succeed as they would pay a major price for their success where two of these women would embark into their own individual journeys. Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Keith Washington, Sharon Leal, Hinton Battle, and introducing Jennifer Hudson. Dreamgirls is a sensational and lively film from Bill Condon.

It's 1962 in Detroit as three girls named Effie White (Jennifer Hudson), Deena Jones (Beyonce Knowles), and Lorrell Robinson (Anika Noni Rose) are about to perform as the Dreamettes at a talent competition in a Detroit theater. Along with Effie's brother C.C. (Keith Robinson) who is their songwriter, they hope to win big. Instead, they’re defeated as they managed to catch the attention of an ambition Cadillac dealer named Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) who decides to give them a break. After talking to a man named Marty (Danny Glover) who is the manager to popular R&B singer James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy), the Dreamettes become his backup group. The married Early falls for Lorrell as they tour around the country in African-American theaters. Hoping to break into the mainstream, Curtis decides to employ C.C. to write a song for Early called Cadillac Car that becomes a R&B hit. Unfortunately, the song was then remade into a pop song by a white act that steals its thunder. Deciding to resort to payola with help from Wayne (Hinton Battle), Curtis manages to get another C.C. White-penned song Steppin' To The Bad Side for James Early that becomes a smash hit. Forming a new label called Rainbow Records, Curtis hopes to make the label big with James as his premier act.

With Marty out of the picture, Curtis reinvents James as a crooner by premiering his act at a Miami nightclub. Curtis then notices that a young white man taking a look at Deena. Deciding to break the Dreamettes from James to form their own act. He makes a decision to have Deena sing lead instead of the full-figured Effie, who has a superior voice. Effie reluctantly goes with the move at the insistence of everyone including C.C. Now called the Dreams, they become a huge hit all over the world as their success in the mid-60s nearly rivals the popularity of the Beatles. Yet with success mounting, Effie becomes frustrated as she is convinced that Curtis, who is her boyfriend, is sleeping with Deena. The mounting tension finally leads to Effie being kicked out of the group and replaced by Curtis' secretary Michelle Morris (Sharon Leal) for a New Years Eve performance at a Las Vegas nightclub.

Eight years later in 1973, Deena Jones and the Dreams become a huge success but Deena suddenly finds herself unhappy with her success as Curtis has huge plans to have her star in a film version about Cleopatra. With Rainbow Records now based in Los Angeles, Curtis hopes to go into bigger territory as he has other acts making money for him. Back in Detroit, Effie has now become a single mother with a child named Magic (Mariah I. Wilson) living on welfare with her father Ronald (Alexander Folk) looking on them as he maintains contact with her brother C.C. Effie eventually, swallows her pride as she gets help from Marty to revitalize her career. Back in Los Angeles, C.C. becomes disillusioned with Curtis tampering his music and the direction Rainbow Records is heading. Even as Curtis loses interest in helping James Early's career in which his star has faded and has succumbed to drug abuse, things start to fall apart. C.C. finally leaves Los Angeles to help Effie with her career as he writes a song called One Night Only that starts to climb up the charts in Detroit. Yet, Curtis strikes back when he has Deena and the Dreams to record a disco-version of the song that becomes a smash. When Deena learns what Curtis did and all of the things he's been doing to her, she makes a move that not only helps Effie but also would find inspiration for her own individuality.

The film is essentially inspired by Motown and the rise of the Supremes that included some legendary myths about Diana Ross' affair with Motown's Berry Gordy who chose her to sing lead in the Supremes instead of Florence Ballard who tragically died in the 70s after being kicked out of the group in the late 60s. While screenwriter and director Bill Condon doesn't make any actual references to that truth, the film is really a focus on these three talented young women who become a singing group and hoping to make it as well as the harsh reality that is the music industry. While the film's sense of glossy lavishness and high-production musical numbers might not be for everyone. It still helps carry the story while underneath all those songs is a study of greed in the industry that is now becoming more relevant than ever as the music industry itself, is starting to shoot itself in the foot.

Yet, Condon's focus on the Dreams rise from pop to disco as well as other characters including James Early and Curtis Taylor Jr. Condon's direction plays like a true musical with amazing musical numbers that are often either a band-like performance, a recording, or some kind of lavish production. While Condon lets the audience know that a musical number is coming, it doesn't come out forced and flows naturally as if it's part of the story. The use of wide shots to emphasize the lavish productions, dance numbers, and performances works to convey that feel of the musical. The result is a solid film from the mind of Bill Condon.

Cinematographer Tobias A. Schleissler does an excellent job in the film's look from the stylish lighting of the musical performances to the colorful exteriors of the locations including Detroit and Los Angeles. Editor Virginia Katz does a solid job in the film's cutting without resorting to fast-paced cutting styles in most mainstream features. Instead, Katz maintains the film's spontaneity for its musical performances. Production designer John Myhre and set decorator Nancy Haigh do a fantastic job in creating the set designs for the musical numbers, the nightclub scenes, and the first Rainbow Records building to capture the sense of period of the 60s and the 70s. Costume designer Sharen Davis does a wonderful job in capturing the look of the period with the costumes from the glam-like dresses, 60s go-go clothing, 70s glam with afros, and sparkles with help from a team of make-up and costume designers.

Sound designer/editor Richard E. Yawn does an excellent job in capturing the essence of performance in the staging and dancing along with the differing atmospheres of Detroit and the polished places. Choreographer Fatima Robinson does a wonderful job on the dancing to help capture the rhythm and melody of the songs. The songs of Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger from the musical return as they're definitely memorable with such songs as Fake Your Way To The Top, Cadillac Car, Steppin' To The Bad Side, Family, Dreamgirls, Heavy, When I First Saw You, One Night Only (and its disco reprise), and the famous, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going. New songs for the film like the thumping soul song Love You Like I Do by Henry Krieger and Sediah Garrett for Jennifer Hudson, Listen by Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Beyonce Knowles, Patience by Henry Krieger and Willie Reale for Anika Noni Rose, Keith Robinson, and Eddie Murphy, and Perfect World by Krieger and Sediah Garrett for the Jackson 5 dopplegangers the Campbell Connection. The new songs are great to convey the mood of the times and its connection to the film's story.

The casting by Debra Zane and Jay Binder is wonderfully assembled with notable appearances from Jaleel White as a talent booker, Dawnn Lewis as James' wife Melba, Yvette Carson as Deena's mother May, Ken Page as a club owner who lets Effie sing, and cameo appearances from John Krasinski and John Lithgow as filmmakers talking to Deena about a project and one of the original Dreamgirls stage actresses Loretta Devine as a jazz singer. Mariah I. Wilson is excellent as Effie's daughter Magic along with Alexander Folk as Effie and C.C.'s father. Hinton Battle, another actor who appeared in the Broadway version, is excellent as Curtis' cohort who is forced to do bad deeds for Curtis including payola. Sharon Leal is terrific as the Cindy Songbird-inspired Michelle Morris who replaces Effie unaware of what she's doing to the group.

Keith Robinson is excellent as songwriter C.C. White who tries to create great songs for James Early and the Dreams only to get up in success and then become disillusioned by Curtis' view of music and its purpose. Anika Noni Rose is wonderful as Lorrell Robinson who is the glue of the group trying to keep the dreams together while falling for James and becomes his mistress as she is trying to figure out their relationship. Danny Glover is great as James' manager Marty who tries to help him make it and without any kind of seedy business moves like payola as he later becomes Effie's mentor as he tries to help revive her career. Beyonce Knowles is good and appropriately cast as Deena Jones who is known more for her beauty and pop-like voice as a woman who is trying to find her true identity. Knowles is good when she's singing though her work as a dramatic actress is a bit spotty. She's engaging but lacks the depth in being very dramatic.

Eddie Murphy is in excellent form as the James Brown-inspired James "Thunder" Early who is filled with charm and wit about being an original and a star. Then when he is forced to become a commercial singer, he becomes frustrated turning to drug addiction while trying to reclaim his identity and stardom. Murphy's performance both acting wise and in musical performance is brilliant, even in his singing that is top-notch. Jamie Foxx is great as the sleazy, ambitious Curtis Taylor Jr. who wants to make in the business at any cost as he has a lot of charm and bravado in his role while doing an amazing rendition of When I First Saw You that proves Foxx's many talents. The film's best and breakthrough performance definitely goes to Jennifer Hudson as Effie White. Hudson manages to be both engaging and powerful as the big girl with an attitude who knows that all she can do is sing. Hudson is great and subtle in her dramatic acting while it's her work as a singer that is just divine

Dreamgirls is a phenomenal film from Bill Condon that features brilliant performances from Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, and Danny Glover. It's a film that manages to be more than just an entertaining musical but also a compelling piece into the cynical world of the music industry. It's also a film about control and how those become compromised as they want to find their own voice in the world. In the end, Dreamgirls is a remarkable film from Bill Condon.

© thevoid99 2015

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Based on the comic by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the 2012 re-boot where Peter Parker deals with new foes as well as trying to protect his girlfriend Gwen Stacy while trying to uncover the secret of his parents’ disappearance. Directed by Marc Webb and screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker from a story by Kurtzman, Orci, Pinker, and James Vanderbilt. The film has Parker struggle with his role as superhero as he also deals with elements of his family’s past as well as deal with new foes as Andrew Garfield reprises his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Also starring Emma Stone, Sally Field, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, and Chris Cooper. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is an extremely messy, bloated, and very uninteresting film from Marc Webb.

The film revolves around Spider-Man not only dealing with being a superhero who saves everyone in New York City but also coping with who he is as Peter Parker as he tries to juggle a lot in his plate as his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) begins to suffer. Especially as he sees ghostly visions of Stacy’s father (Denis Leary) which forces Peter to keep a promise that Gwen’s father has asked. When an old friend of Peter in Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) returns to take over his father’s business, Peter begins to wonder about what happened to his parents and why they left him as he faces a series of villains that all have a grudge towards Spider-Man. It’s a film that could’ve been very simple but due to many subplots and stories revolving around Parker’s struggle in his relationship with Stacy as well as the secrets about his family ends up being a film that is very incomprehensible and hard to follow at times.

The film’s screenplay is an example of how messy the film is as it tries to put a lot into the story where it would move from one subplot to another. It’s one of the reasons why the film felt hollow and unsatisfying as it is unable to really do something. At the same time, there are aspects of the script that look like it wanted to say something but it ended up being cut out in the end due to time constraints and such. The villains in the film aren’t very interesting as Aleksi Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) is just a crazed thief who only appears in an early sequence and at the film’s ending. The character Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) starts off as this nerd whom Spider-Man saves but an accident involving electric eels where he becomes Electro has him end up being one of the lamest villains ever. While the character arc of Harry Osborn is sort of interesting, the payoff in having him become the Green Goblin is another disappointing moment.

There’s so much in the script that really fails to really do anything as the story involving Peter’s father Richard (Campbell Scott) does get unveiled but ends up raising more questions about exactly what was Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) trying to do that led to Richard’s disappearance. Even as it relates to Harry who is succumbing from a disease that would claim Norman as it would play into this confrontation between him and Peter in the third act. There’s attempts to put in some humor in the film as it involves a captured Electro and a mad scientist in Dr. Kafka (Marton Csokas) which doesn’t work at all. While the few highlights in the script involves Peter trying to maintain his friendship with Gwen as well as trying to get answers from Aunt May (Sally Field) about his father. It’s not enough to really save the film from being interesting.

Marc Webb’s direction is definitely all over the place as it’s clear that he was trying to do something where he wants to give audiences everything they want. Instead, it’s a film that feels like several different movies that all feature Spider-Man but none of it really feels cohesive. The sequence of Spider-Man chasing Sytsevich that is inter-cut with Gwen becoming valedictorian is an example of what the film is going to be as it tries to be funny and exciting but ends up being very incomprehensible. While Webb does keep things simple for scenes involving Peter and Gwen as it includes a few funny moments, some of the humor does feel forced such as a scene where a security officer (B.J. Novak) tries to go after Gwen.

It’s among the many issues that the film has where Webb definitely feels overwhelmed by the scale as some sequences such as Spider-Man’s first battle with Electro in Time Square is quite bloated as would the climatic two-on-one battle between Electro and the Green Goblin. There’s very little chance for the audience to grasp into what is happening where it meanders in some places while the payoffs end up being very disappointing. Then there’s the ending which is very clear that Webb isn’t in control as it does feel over-drawn and overblown to set things up for the next film. Even as there’s parts of the film where it feels like they’ve been cut down to get things moving as it feels like they’re part of something longer. All of which is shown that it’s a studio that is in control of the film and the overall result is a film that doesn’t bring anything exciting nor anything that is remotely entertaining but rather pointless and empty.

Cinematographer Daniel Mindel does some nice work with cinematography for some of the scenes in New York City but it never really does anything to stand out visually as it often feels like it‘s dominated by visual effects. Editor Pierto Scalia does terrible work with the editing as it plays into too much fast-cutting for the action scenes while some of the montages of Spider-Man doing his duty is comically bad. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Susan Bode and supervising art director Richard L. Johnson, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the Oscorp building and its main office as well a few places in the city. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott does good work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the corporate clothes of the people at Oscorp.

Makeup designer Ve Neill does some OK work with the look of Electro in his electronic state though the look of the Green Goblin ends up being very silly. Visual effects supervisor Gregory L. McMurry does some superb work with the visual effects for the way Spider-Man moves around with his webs though some of it is very bloated such as the scenes involving Electro with all sorts of electricity that just looks dumb. Sound designers Eric A. Norris and Addison Teague do some fine work with the sound though some of the sound effects feels like they‘re trying to create sounds for dubstep records which were unnecessary. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer, Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams has some worthwhile moments in its orchestral score from Zimmer with some guitar flourishes by Marr yet much of the contributions from Williams as well as Junkie XL, Michael Einzinger, and a few others are awful as it ranges from bad dubstep electronic music to other bombastic moments that are terrible while some of the music contributions from Phillips Phillips and OK Go is just crap.

The casting by Kathleen Chopin definitely has some moments though many of the actors that do appear in the film definitely are wasted in some uninspiring parts such as Felicity Jones as Harry’s assistant Felicia, B.J. Novak as an Oscorp securities officer, Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz as Peter’s parents in the film’s opening sequence, Colm Feore as an Oscorp executive who tries to cover things up from Harry, and Denis Leary in a very silly performance as Gwen’s late father who continuously haunts Peter about keeping that vow. Marton Csokas is hilariously awful as Dr. Kafka who is this mad scientist that seems to be from another film as he’s playing music from A Clockwork Orange as it’s a performance that is just mind-numbingly stupid to watch. Chris Cooper is OK in his brief role as an ailing Norman Osborn who warns Harry about what will happen to him as it’s a good performance but definitely under-written considering Norman’s history with Peter’s father.

Paul Giamatti is horrible as Aleksi Sytsevich as this Russian criminal who battles Spider-Man early in the film as he sports a bad accent as he isn’t seen until he is part of the film’s over-drawn ending as Rhino. Sally Field is excellent as Aunt May as she is trying to cope with being all alone and caring for Peter while admitting that there’s some dark truths in relation to Peter’s father that she doesn’t want Peter to know about. Jamie Foxx is alright as Max Dillon/Electro as this nerd who thinks he’s special when he meets Spider-Man only to get into an accident as he becomes this very lame villain which doesn’t do anything for Foxx. Dane DeHaan is pretty good as Harry Osborn as this old friend of Peter who learns he is dying from a disease only to go crazy as DeHaan does goes overboard with being over the top while looking very stupid as the Green Goblin.

Emma Stone is wonderful as Gwen Stacy as Peter’s longtime girlfriend who copes with him being the superhero as well as the vow he made with her father as she tries to uncover the things that Oscorp is hiding. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in a fine performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man as Garfield has some moments where he is being cool and anguished but some of the humorous moments feel awkward as well as some of the very emotive scenes as it’s really due to the script that doesn’t do him any favors.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film that doesn’t live up to its amazing namesake. In fact, it is an absolutely horrific and extremely lifeless film that doesn’t offer very much other than elements of boredom and too many storylines that it is hard to follow. It’s a film that showcases what happens when a franchise gets re-booted for the wrong reasons and in the hands of people who don’t know a thing about films. In the end, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a horrendously bloated and nonsensical film from Marc Webb and the people of Sony and Marvel.

Spider Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Spider-Man: Far from Home

© thevoid99 2014

Django Unchained

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained is the story of a slave who is freed by a bounty hunter as the two team up to find a group of vicious killers while the bounty hunter helps the slave in retrieving his wife from a plantation owner. The film is a mixture of not just the Spaghetti Westerns that Tarantino loved but also mixed in with a bit of blaxploitation as it explores the world of slavery and a man’s desire to claim back his wife. Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo di Caprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson. Django Unchained is a thrilling and adventurous revisionist western from Quentin Tarantino.

It’s 1858 in Texas as a man named Django (Jamie Foxx) is being taken to a slave auction by the Speck Brothers (James Remar and James Russo) where they encounter a German-born dentist named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) who is looking for someone that knows the infamous Brittle Brothers. Django claims to know the Brittle Brothers as Dr. Schultz frees Django from the Speck Brothers as the two make a deal. With Django a free man, Dr. Schultz decides to train Django as a bounty hunter where they team up to find the Brittle Brothers and split the rewards. Django agrees to Dr. Schultz’s deal in which he hopes to retrieve his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who has been taken to a famous plantation known as Candyland owned by Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). After a successful run of bounties that has made Django and Dr. Schultz famous, the two travel from Tennessee to Mississippi to meet Candie.

Upon arriving into Mississippi, Dr. Schultz and Django decide to play a role to woo Candie whose plantation is notorious for training male slaves into fighting and women into prostitution. After intriguing Candie, Dr. Schultz and Django go to Candyland where the two see Candie’s plantation that is filled with all sorts of things including an elderly servant named Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson). Upon learning that Broomhilda is working at the plantation, Dr. Schultz hopes to see her since he has learned that she speaks German. Once Broomhilda realizes what Dr. Schultz is doing, things seem to go well until Stephen believes something is up as he talks to Candie about his suspicions. Suddenly, trouble brews for Django and Dr. Schultz about their intentions as it leads to a showdown.

The film is essentially the story of a slave who is freed by a German bounty hunter as they team up to kill many targets and retrieve the slave’s wife from a charming yet brutal plantation owner. It’s also a film about a man who has endured slavery throughout his life where he not only gets his first taste of freedom but also find a reason to get back the woman he loves from the shackles of slavery. It’s a film that is mainly a western in terms of its visual setting and plot scenario but it’s much more than that it’s a love story, a revenge film, a buddy film, a comedy, and has elements of 70s blaxploitation in terms of its stylish dialogue and themes.

Quentin Tarantino’s screenplay is quite straightforward in terms of narrative structure yet it does feature a few flashback scenes to reveal what Django went through and how he got separated from his wife. A lot of the script revolves around Django and Dr. Schultz’s budding friendship and their partnership in the bounty hunting business. A lot of which has to involve lots of charm, trying to talk the way out of a situation, and intrigue someone. Yet, there’s also killing where Django and Dr. Schultz each play a character where Django plays valet to Dr. Schultz where both men keep their cool and then go about their business. Some of which would antagonize various plantation owners including a man named Big Daddy (Don Johnson) who tries to organize a rally that doesn’t work itself out.

While the character of Broomhilda doesn’t really get much to do as she’s really more of a plot device for Django who would often see her in his journeys. She is still important as someone who tries to endure all sorts of trouble as her past is just as interesting as she was taught to speak German by her mistress which definitely interests Dr. Schultz. Then there’s Calvin Candie who is this antagonist that is a man that loves to see slaves fight where he makes a lot of money and he gets a lot of pride in what he’s done for his plantation. Yet, he is also quite brutal through the men who work aside him including an elderly servant who is extremely loyal to Candie and is far more vicious in the way he believes slaves should be treated. It adds to this complexity of what Dr. Schultz and Django has to do where the former is disturb in how a slave is killed though it doesn’t surprise Django. Yet, it would play to the kinds of trouble Django would go through not just in the hands of Candie’s goons but Stephen most of all.

Tarantino’s direction definitely has a lot of unique compositions as well as various trademarks that he’s been known for such as the intimate table conversations where there’s a camera on a dolly capturing the conversation. Yet, it is also very stylish in the way Tarantino presents certain scenes such as the flashbacks where there’s an air of grainy stock film footage and de-saturated photography to play up the struggles Django and Broomhilda went through. Still, Tarantino does manage to keep things straight while creating some interesting compositions for the scenes between Dr. Schultz and Django as the way their friendship builds up. Notably as it goes beyond the student-mentor archetype of the relationship as both men are very clear about their intentions for each other.

The film also has Tarantino go into elements of black comedy with not just some of his stylish dialogue that has a lot of use of a certain racial slur. It also plays to the fact that white people are befuddled by the idea of a black man becoming a bounty hunter. The violence is definitely bloody and graphic at times yet it plays to what is happening as these men have to encounter someone like Django. There’s also some very chilling moments of suspense such as the dinner scene between Django, Dr. Schultz, and Calvin Candie where it’s about who can intrigue who in the art of negotiations. It then goes into a very dark turn due to the stakes that occur as it would be followed by what Django has to do and use everything he learned from Dr. Schultz to fight back. Overall, Tarantino creates a film that truly lives up to what is expected in the western but also create something that is engaging as well as entertaining.

Cinematographer Robert Richardson does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from the lushness of the winter scenes to the gorgeous colors of the Candyland exteriors along with the nighttime interiors inside the mansion. Editor Fred Raskin does excellent work by employing lots of stylish cuts including slow-motion cuts for some dramatic moments, methodical rhythms for the suspenseful moments, and some slight fast-cutting in the action scenes. Production designer J. Michael Riva, along with set decorator Leslie A. Pope and supervising art director David F. Klassen, does superb work with the set pieces from the look of the towns Django and Dr. Schultz encounter to the splendor that is Candyland.

Costume designer Sharen Davis does amazing work with the period costumes of the times from the lavish, stylish dresses some of the women wear including the female slaves of Candie to the suit that Candie wears that plays up to his persona. Sound editor Wylie Stateman does wonderful work with the sound from the sound of whips and gunfire to the more intimate moments such as the dinner scene at Candyland. Music supervisor Mary Ramos creates a fantastic film soundtrack that features many film scores from Ennio Morricone, Luis Bacalov, Don Straud, and Jerry Goldsmith as well as mixture of music from soul, hip-hop, country, and pop from artists like Johnny Cash, Jim Croce, Richie Havens, Rick Ross, James Brown, 2Pac, John Legend, and Anthony Hamilton as the music is definitely a highlight of the film.

The film’s casting by Victoria Thomas is just flat-out awesome due to the numerous cameos and appearances that were assembled for the film. In some great cameo appearances, there’s Tarantino associates Zoe Bell and Tom Savini along with Robert Carradine as Candie’s trackers, Michael Parks and Quentin Tarantino as a couple of men taking slaves to a mining company, Bruce Dern as Django’s old slave owner, M.C. Gainey as one of the Brittle Brothers, Tom Wopat as a marshal that Dr. Schultz deals with, James Russo as one of the Speck brothers, Jonah Hill as one of Big Daddy’s associates, and the original Django in Franco Nero as a businessman who shares a drink with Django.

Other notable small roles include Walton Goggins as a sadistic associate of Candie in Billy Crash, Dennis Christopher as Candie’s attorney Leonide Moguy, Laura Cayouette as Candie’s sister Lara Lee, James Remar in a dual role as one of the Speck brothers and an enforcer of Candie, and Don Johnson in an excellent performance as the old-school plantation owner Big Daddy. Kerry Washington is pretty good as Broomhilda though she doesn’t really get much to do though she does have a great moment in her scene with Dr. Schultz where they converse in German. Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant as the very devious servant Stephen where Jackson displays a lot of humor in response to Django only to be much more sinister in what he does to Django.

Leonardo diCaprio is outstanding as Calvin Candie where he exudes not just wit and charm to his role as a plantation owner but also a sense of terror into his character in the way he gives this very chilling monologue. It’s a performance that shows what kind of enthusiasm diCaprio brings as well as something that shows he can play the bad guy. Christoph Waltz is magnificent as Dr. King Schultz where he too exudes wit and charm into his role but also someone who is very intelligent and cool in the way he deals with things while being a mentor to Django as the chemistry between Waltz and Jamie Foxx is a true highlight of the film. Finally, there’s Jamie Foxx in a exhilarating performance as Django where he definitely makes his character a true archetype of what is expected in a Western hero. Foxx maintains that sense of cool in the way he deals with things and his enemies but also a restraint where he knows he has to be in control to save his wife.

Django Unchained is an incredible film from Quentin Tarantino that features a brilliant ensemble cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo diCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is definitely one of the most fun and exciting westerns that doesn’t just pay tribute to the genre but also gives it a nice sense of flair that makes it engaging and also thrilling. It’s also a film that isn’t afraid to not take itself seriously while also being funny. In the end, Django Unchained is an outstanding film from Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino Films: Reservoir Dogs - Pulp Fiction - Four Rooms: The Man from Hollywood - Jackie Brown - Kill Bill - Grindhouse: Death Proof - Inglourious Basterds - The Hateful Eight - Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Related: The Auteurs #17: Quentin Tarantino - Growing Up with Quentin Tarantino

© thevoid99 2012

The Soloist

After two back-to-back successful films, British filmmaker Joe Wright was already one of the hot rising directors emerging into the mainstream. His 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and 2007’s Atonement had helped established Wright as a director who can create lush imagery. For his third film, Wright went to Los Angeles to direct a true story about a journalist who befriends a homeless musician suffering from schizophrenia called The Soloist.

Based on the book and articles of Steve Lopez, The Soloist is the story of how the troubled Lopez meets Nathaniel Ayers. Ayers was once a cello prodigy who became troubled by schizophrenia by the time attends Julliard and eventually becomes homeless. Directed by Joe Wright and screenplay by Susannah Grant, the film is a dramatic tale of how a troubled journalist’s life is changed by the meeting of a gifted musician as Robert Downey Jr. plays Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Ayers. Also starring Catherine Keener, Stephen Root, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Nelsan Ellis, Rachael Harris, and appearances from Wright’s Pride & Prejudice co-stars Jena Malone and Tom Hollander. The Soloist is an interesting but lackluster drama from Joe Wright.

Despite being an acclaimed journalist for the Los Angeles Times, Steve Lopez is a man whose life isn’t going very well. Divorced from his wife/L.A. Times Mary (Catherine Keener), Lopez is trying to find some way to get himself back on good terms following a bike accident. During treatment for his accident, he hears a violin playing in a yard as he comes across a homeless man named Nathaniel Anthony Ayers. Learning that he was in Julliard, he tries to find information as he was a student in the early 1970s only to drop out after a two year stint. After calling Nathaniel’s sister Jennifer (Lisa Gay Hamilton), he learns about Nathaniel’s life as a child as his mother (Lorraine Toussaint) believes he will do great.

After writing an article about Ayers, an old woman suffering from arthritis gives Lopez her cello for Ayers to play. After seeing Ayers at a tunnel, he gives him the cello as Lopez hears Ayers play as he realizes that he and the cello need to be in a safe place. Convincing Ayers to stay at a homeless shelter, it turns out to be a good idea as a doctor (Nelsan Ellis) helps out while suggesting that Ayers should get an apartment later on. The friendship slowly builds as Lopez also works on other assignments as he also takes Ayers to a rehearsal though it wasn’t easy due to Nathaniel’s attachment to his shopping cart. With things moving slowly, Lopez gets an apartment for Ayers despite some reluctance.

After bringing in a renowned cello player named Graham Claydon (Tom Hollander) to see Ayers, Claydon agrees hoping to help Ayers through music. Though the lesson goes well, he realizes that Ayers is becoming attached to Lopez as Ayers has a chance to play a recital. Instead, it becomes a disaster due to Ayers’ mental illness as Steve blames himself for what happens. Even as he felt that Ayers is helping him with his own issues.

The film is about a journalist’s unexpected friendship with a mentally-ill musician that ends up helping both of them. While it’s an interesting yet captivating story, the problem is that the screenplay tends to over-dramatize the relationship between Lopez and Ayers while there’s additional elements in the screenplay that doesn’t really belong in the film. There’s also an underdeveloped storyline about Lopez’s own relationship with ex-wife Mary though the truth is that Steve Lopez never got divorced. Some of the dramatic liberties that screenwriter Susannah Grant take with the story to makes the film lose focus on what it’s supposed to be about. Even as Grant adds a bit of heavy-handed ideas about the issue with the homeless, though its intentions are thoughtful, as well as a character that spouses religious ideals.

Joe Wright’s direction definitely has a lot of flourishes that he’s known in tracking shots, wonderful zooms, and lots of amazing ideas. The problem is that he is given an uneven script that doesn’t play to his strengths. While he creates some wonderful sequences where Lopez just plays the music, some of it becomes quite unnecessary as there’s a scene where birds (ala CGI) fly around Los Angeles that really overdoes the dramatic tone of the music.

At the same time, he also has to shoot scenes involving the homeless where while it’s interesting and does provide insight into that world. It becomes a distraction as if he wants to make something about the homeless situation in Los Angeles when really, the film should be about these two men. Despite some interesting sequences and some chances to not over-dramatize events, Wright stumbles with his approach for this film.

Cinematographer Seamus Garvey does some excellent work with the photography in bringing some wonderful yet gorgeous shots of the nighttime exterior scenes of Skid Row Los Angeles. While there’s some great shots of Los Angeles in other places. Garvey’s work is definitely a highlight though it’s nothing really new in comparison to other films shot in L.A. Editor Paul Tothill does a good job with the editing that includes some wonderful rhythmic cuts that plays to the music despite some pacing issues that slows the film down at times.

Production designer Sarah Greenwood, with set decorator Julie Smith and art director Greg Berry do a nice job with the look of the L.A. Times office as well as Lopez‘s home and the apartment that Ayers eventually lives in. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does a fine job with the costumes in creating casual clothing for most of the cast including the look for Ayers with his cap and such that is pretty unusual but fun to look at.

Visual effects supervisor John Moffatt does some exceptional work for a sequence where it‘s just lights and swirling visuals that play along to the music though the sequences of the birds flying around Los Angeles isn‘t one of those great moments. Sound designers Craig Berkey and Christopher Scarabosio do some wonderful work with the sound to create a chaotic atmosphere for Los Angeles though some scenes where Ayers hears voices in his head gets a little repetitive and overdone at times.

Music composer Dario Marianelli creates an amazing film score that plays up to not just the dramatic elements of the film but also something that infuses Ayers’ gift as a musician. Along with pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig Van Beethoven that helps drive the soundtrack as Beethoven is the most dominant piece of music in the film. Along with cuts by Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, the Temptations, the Carter Family, and Beenie Man that all appear in the background. The film’s music and soundtrack is definitely the real highlight of the film.

The casting by Francine Maisler is pretty good for some notable appearances that include Stephen Root and Rachael Harris as fellow journalists of the L.A. Times, Justin Martin as the young Nathaniel Ayers in the flashback scenes about his early life, Lorraine Toussaint as Nathaniel’s mother, and in a cameo appearance, Jena Malone as a Goth-like lab technician. Nelsan Ellis is very good as the homeless shelter doctor who offers Steve Lopez guidance about dealing with Ayers’ illness. Lisa Gay Hamilton is also good as Nathaniel’s sister who is desperate to want to contact him a wonderfully understated scene with Jamie Foxx. Tom Hollander is excellent as Gary Claydon, a musician who tries to help Ayers though approaches it the wrong way.

Catherine Keener is pretty good as Mary Weston, Lopez’s ex-wife and editor, who is a bit baffled by her ex-husband’s fascination with Ayers though her character seems underdeveloped due to the fact that there’s not much more about her life with Lopez. Even as Keener has a very embarrassing scene where she gets drunk at a gathering with Lopez. Jamie Foxx is wonderful as Nathaniel Ayers as Foxx doesn’t go into a sense of vanity into playing a troubled man who refuses to believe he’s schizophrenic. Even as Foxx proves to be a wonderful musician while making some fascinating ramblings and such as he has great rapport with Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. is superb as Steve Lopez, a brilliant but complicated journalist seeking some sort of idea to get his hazy life back on track. While Downey brings some humor to his character, he also adds a lot of dramatic weight to a man who is fascinated by this individual he encounters. It’s a remarkable performance from Downey in the way he brings sympathy to a guy like Lopez.

Despite an amazing cast and a stellar soundtrack, The Soloist is a middle-of-the-road drama that got some great ideas but poor execution in its screenplay and in Joe Wright’s direction. While it wants to be an inspirational story of sorts, it’s coddled up with lots of bad decisions about Ayers’ illness along with some dramatic liberties about Lopez’s own life. Though Joe Wright does display some nice sequences that keep the film from being a total disaster, he’s hampered by the shortcomings of Susannah Grant’s screenplay. In the end despite the superb performances of Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, The Soloist is a disappointing film from Joe Wright.

Joe Wright Films: Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Atonement - Hanna - Anna Karenina

© thevoid99 2011