American Psycho

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho is the story of a yuppie whose vanity and need to conform has him embarking on a killing spree as he struggles with himself and his desires to succeed during the late 1980s. Directed by Mary Harron and screenplay by Harron and Guinevere Turner, the film is a study of a man trying to a rich yet unrealistic lifestyle as he would also kill in secret as a way to deal with troubled identity as the lead character of Patrick Bateman is played by Christian Bale. Also starring Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Jared Leto, Samantha Mathis, Josh Lucas, Cara Seymour, Matt Ross, Justin Theroux, Guinevere Turner, and Willem Dafoe. American Psycho is an exhilarating yet insane film from Mary Harron.

The film follows an investment banker in Patrick Bateman who lives a life of luxury where he has a routine to maintain his lifestyle that includes having friends who are just as shallow as he is while is secretly harboring a need to kill people. It’s the study of a man who is becoming undone by things that are either threatening him or encountering something he absolutely despises. The film’s screenplay by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner is told from Bateman’s perspective as he’s also the film’s narrator as this man that is quite vain and has this routine in what he needs to do to keep himself in shape and not age. At the same time, he has this desire to succeed but he always feel like there is someone to upstage him in this position of power and he has to act out. Bateman is quite a despicable character in the way he would treat women and colleagues as well as those who are beneath him. There is also this air of arrogance and narcissism in him in the way he talks about certain pieces of music he owns or the clothes he wears.

The script also has this air of dark humor such as the scene where he invites Paul Allen (Jared Leto) into his apartment where he asks Allen if he likes Huey Lewis & the News. The monologues that Bateman gives about his love for Lewis, Genesis, Phil Collins, and Whitney Houston are among some of the finest monologues as they’re told with a sense of style. All of it play into Bateman’s persona which is also filled with anguish during the second act when he invites his secretary Jean (Chloe Sevigny) to dinner as they have drinks at his apartment where he wants to kill her but he’s also listening to her talk. It’s a moment where things would shift not just in tone but also in Bateman’s development as it blur the lines between reality and fiction.

Harron’s direction definitely bears element of style yet it plays more into this world of materialism, conformity, and decadence that was so prevalent during the 1980s. Though it is based in New York City, much of the film was shot in Toronto with some exterior shots of New York City to play into this very intense world of money and power. While there are some wide shots that Harron would create to establish some of the locations, much of it shot with close-ups and medium shots to get a look into the world that Bateman has surrounded himself in. Notably in the restaurants as they play to the silliest of trends where one menu is presented in braille, another menu at a different restaurant where the menu is made of wood, and all of these other places to play into a New York City that is filled with a lack of realism. It adds to this air of ambiguity that looms throughout the film as it relates to the things Bateman wants to do where reality and fiction blur. One scene early in the film is at a nightclub where he tried to get a drink and then says something very profane about killing the bartender to the mirror and then do nothing.

Harron’s direction also has this element of dark humor such as a scene of Bateman displaying this monologue about Huey Lewis & the News while wearing a raincoat and carrying an axe to kill someone. Other comical moments involve a three-way with a couple of prostitutes where Bateman is videotaping the act while looking at himself showing that vanity into his own power. The moments of violence are gruesome as it includes an encounter with a homeless man and his dog as well as these off-screen moments that play into Bateman’s thirst for blood. The film’s ending is also ambiguous as it play into that blur of fantasy and reality as well as Bateman forcing to face himself in this world that demands so much of him. Overall, Harron crafts a witty yet intoxicating film about a yuppie’s desire to conform to materialistic society as well as killing his way to succeed.

Cinematographer Andrezj Sekula does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to play into the sheen and slick look of some of the daytime interiors with some unique lighting and moods for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Andrew Marcus does brilliant work with the editing as it has elements of style in its usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and humor. Production designer Gideon Ponte, with set decorator Jeanne Develle and art director Andrew M. Stearn, does amazing work with the look of the apartments as well as the look of the restaurants. Costume designer Isis Mussenden does fantastic work with the costumes from the designer suits that the men wear to some of the fashionable dresses of the women.

Key hairstylists Lucy M. Orton and John Quaglia do terrific work with the hairstyles of the women that was so common in the 80s to the very slick look of the men. Sound designer Benjamin Cheah and sound editor Jane Tattersall do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the clubs and some of the intimate sounds in some of the apartments. The film’s music by John Cale is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral bombast to play into the suspense as well as a mixture of somber piano pieces and some ambient cuts while music supervisors Barry Cole and Christopher Covert create an incredible soundtrack that feature a lot of the music from those times from acts like Huey Lewis & the News, Genesis, Phil Collins, New Order, Chris de Burgh, Simply Red, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Robert Palmer, Book of Love, Katrina and the Waves, Information Society, and M/A/R/R/S as well as additional music from Daniel Ash, David Bowie, the Cure, Eric B. & Rakim, and the Tom Club.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, and Suzanne Smith is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Reg E. Cathey as a homeless man, Anthony Lemke as a colleague that Allen mistakes him as Bateman, Krista Sutton as a prostitute named Sabrina, Guinevere Turner as a friend of Bateman in Elizabeth who would engage into a threesome with another hooker and Bateman, Bill Sage as a colleague of Bateman in David Van Patten, Josh Lucas as another colleague in the smarmy Craig McDermott, Justin Theroux as Bateman’s colleague Timothy Bryce who is having an affair with Bateman’s fiancée Evelyn, and Matt Ross as a colleague in Luis Carruthers who is dating Courtney as he also has a secret of his own. Samantha Mathis is fantastic as Bateman’s mistress Courtney Rawlinson whom he’s having an affair with as she is someone that has been doing too many drugs.

Reese Witherspoon is superb as Bateman’s fiancée Evelyn as a socialite who is eager to get married while having her time engaging an affair with Bryce. Cara Seymour is excellent as Christie as a prostitute who would meet with Bateman on two different occasions as she copes with what she had gotten herself into as well as her discovery in the second encounter. Jared Leto is brilliant as Paul Allen as top colleague of Bateman who is the envy of everyone in terms of the look of his card and being able to get things while confusing Bateman for someone else. Willem Dafoe is amazing as Detective Donald Kimball as a man who is investigating the disappearance of someone as he suspects Bateman through a couple of interrogations as well as be curious about what Bateman does.

Chloe Sevigny is remarkable as Jean as Bateman’s secretary who endures some of Bateman’s criticism over fashion choice as she is later invited to dinner with him where she provides a moment that is quite human as well as kind of understand the pressure Bateman is in to conform. Finally, there’s Christian Bale in a magnificent performance as Patrick Bateman as this man in his late 20s that is determined to be the embodiment of success as he also copes with his desire to kill as well to display everything he’s about as it’s a charismatic yet eerie performance from Bale that is definitely iconic as well as funny.

American Psycho is a phenomenal film from Mary Harron that features as spectacular performance from Christian Bale. Along with its ensemble cast, a killer soundtrack, dazzling visuals, witty satire, and complex themes of vanity, conformity, and identity. It’s a film that offers so much in the entertainment aspects but also serves as an intriguing character study of a man coming to grips with reality and his desires to succeed by any means necessary. In the end, American Psycho is a tremendous film from Mary Harron.

Related: (Less Than Zero) – (The Rules of Attraction)

Mary Harron Films: (I Shot Andy Warhol) – (The Notorious Bettie Page) – (The Moth Diaries) – (The Anna Nicole Story) – (Alias Grace)

© thevoid99 2017

Blade Runner 2049

Based on the characters from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? by Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to the 1982 film Blade Runner by Ridley Scott as it involves a police officer who makes a chilling discovery that would lead to the end of humanity as he turns to a man who had disappeared thirty years ago who had his own experience with replicants. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green from a story by Fancher, the film is a futuristic sci-fi film set in Los Angeles where a cop tries to save humanity as he also cope with what is at stake as the role of Officer K is played by Ryan Gosling with Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard. Also starring Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Mackenzie Davis, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Barkhad Abdi, Wood Harris, Carla Juri, and Robin Wright. Blade Runner 2049 is a sprawling yet intoxicating film from Denis Villeneuve.

Following a blackout just a few years after the events in 2019, an LAPD cop who hunts older replicants in order to rid of them for society where he makes a discovery that would change humanity. It’s a film that follows up what Rick Deckard had discovered years ago that eventually lead to his disappearance and what cop in Officer K is trying to find upon this discovery he made when he was trying to arrest an older replicant in Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista). In this discovery, K is dealing with what he’s found as he wonders if there is more to him than just being a cop who lives alone with a hologram AI named Joi (Ana de Armas) as his companion. The film’s screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green isn’t just about this sense of identity that K is dealing with but also in this discovery that everyone wants to know including a replicant manufacturer in Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) who sees it as the next big step into his creation.

The first act revolves around what K has discovered as he would meet with Wallace’s enforcer Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) who gives him some information about his discovery as it involves Deckard. Yet, K’s journey would lead him to try and find something as he would report to Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright) who believes that something is off as she wants K to find out what is going on but in secrecy as he’s later pursued by Luv. The second act isn’t just about what K is discovering but also more about his identity as he turns to Joi for help with that identity as it relates to a toy horse he believed he had when he was a child. Upon finding this toy horse and numbers on that horse that he also found on a tree when he was arresting Morton, it would eventually lead him to Deckard who has been in hiding. Upon meeting Deckard, K would realize what is at stake but also why Deckard had to leave as it relates to something bigger than himself as well as his own personal involvement.

Denis Villeneuve’s direction is definitely grand in terms of the scale of what he is creating as it is set in 2049 Los Angeles with futuristic versions of the state of California and Las Vegas as this mixture of farm country, cities, and wastelands. Shot mainly in Budapest, Hungary with some of it shot in Iceland, Spain, and other locations, the film definitely has a unique approach to the visual presentation as it begins in this kind of desolate yet beautiful land that is a place for synthetic farming as Villeneuve’s usage of the wide shots would showcase the scope of these locations. The scenes set in Los Angeles is cramped yet vast in terms of the holographic ads and other things that play into something that is futuristic as Villeneuve would create different look and feel for certain places and locations throughout the film.

The direction also utilizes some close-ups and medium shots for some unique compositions in the way characters interact with each other as well as some of the moments in the action. Villeneuve would include bits of humor in the film but much of the film is dramatic with some suspense and action as the drama relates to K’s loneliness and the revelations about what he discovered as it add to him questioning his own identity. By the time Deckard arrives in the film, it does recall elements of the past that includes this very eerie meeting between Deckard and Wallace into what the latter could do and why he needs this discovery that K made. All of which would have K play a big part into giving Deckard something he had lost and find peace over this loss as well as give K some meaning in his life. Overall, Villeneuve creates an exhilarating and rapturous film about a blade runner trying to save humanity by uncovering a discovery that could help those as well as stop a creator from playing God.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography as it is a major highlight of the film for the way he would give various locations a different look and feel from the grey exteriors of the farming land and garbage wasteland to the usage of sepia-drenched lighting for the exteriors of Las Vegas and the array of lighting and shades for many of the film’s interior scenes. Editor Joe Walker does excellent work with the editing as it has some jump-cuts for some of the action as well as some straightforward cutting for the drama and suspense. Production designer Dennis Gassner, with set decorator Alessandra Querzola and supervising art director Paul Inglis, does brilliant work with the look of K’s apartment as well as the LAPD building and the place where the Wallace Corporation is and other aspects to make Los Angeles look really futuristic. Costume designer Renee April does fantastic work with the costumes as it does provide the characters some personalities into some of the clothing that Joi wears as well as the clothing of other characters to play into the futuristic world.

Hair supervisor Lizzie Lawson and makeup supervisor Csilla Blake-Horvath do terrific work with the look of some of the characters including a few prostitutes as well as Joi in the different personalities she takes to please K. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin, Richard Clegg, Paul Lambert, Petr Marek, Viktor Muller, and John Nelson do incredible work with the visual effects from the look of the city in some parts as well as the holograms and some of the action sequences as it is top-notch work. Sound editor Mark A. Mangini and sound designer Theo Green do amazing work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as in the way guns and the flying cars sound. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is great for its mixture of electronic bombast and ambient textures to create a score that is always engaging and help to play into the action and suspense while music supervisor Deva Anderson brings in some music that K listens to like Frank Sinatra as well as a couple of songs by Elvis Presley and variations of Tears in the Rain by Vangelis.

The casting by Zsolt Csutak, Francine Maisler, and Lucinda Syson is marvelous as it feature a couple of cameo appearances from two characters from the original film in Edward James Olmos as Deckard’s old colleague Gaff and Sean Young as the replicant Rachael with help from Loren Peta as Young’s double. Other notable small roles include Wood Harris as a cop named Harris, David Dastmalchian as a police scientist named Coco, Barkhad Abdi as a black markets analyzer in Doc Badger, Lennie James as a wasteland businessman in Mister Cotton, Hiam Abbass as a mysterious underground leader in Freysa, and Dave Bautista in a superb small role as the replicant Sapper Morton. Mackenzie Davis is terrific as a replicant prostitute named Mariette who is asked by Luv to follow K while being very discreet about her true motive while Carla Juri is wonderful in a small role as a mysterious memory designer in Dr. Ana Stelline who creates memories for replicants.

Jared Leto is fantastic as the replicants creator Niander Wallace as a man who is trying to create a new form of replicants as a way to get rid of humanity’s flaws as he believes this new discovery would be the key to what he wants. Robin Wright is excellent as Lt. Joshi as a LAPD official who orders K to find out about this discovery as well as question his own offbeat behavior as she is aware of what is at stake. Sylvia Hoeks is brilliant as Luv as Wallace’s replicant enforcer who is tasked with finding more about this discovery as she is this dangerous and powerful individual who is eager to get what she wants by any means necessary. Ana de Armas is amazing as Joi as an artificial-intelligence hologram who serves as K’s companion that tries to help him understand as well as wanting to feel alive to prove that there is more to her than just some program.

Harrison Ford’s performance as Rick Deckard is incredible as he provides this sense of a man who had seen and experienced so much in his life as he tries to cover his tracks while dealing with this newfound revelation over this discovery that he was involved in that also includes Rachael whom he mourns for. Finally, there’s Ryan Gosling in a sensational performance as K as a cop who copes with his identity upon this discovery he’s made as well as wanting to get answers as he is quite tough but also flawed as it is a very grounded and restraint performance from Gosling who brings a lot to a role of someone dealing with loneliness and himself.

Blade Runner 2049 is a magnificent film from Denis Villeneuve that features top-notch performances from Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Along with its great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals courtesy of cinematographer Roger Deakins, a hypnotic score, and a compelling premise that explores the idea of identity and humanity. It’s a film that manages to be not just some sprawling sci-fi adventure film with elements of film noir, suspense, and action but also a film that says a lot about people and who they are as well as what can happen when one wants to use that power for his own reasons. In the end, Blade Runner 2049 is an outstanding film from Denis Villeneuve.

Related: Blade Runner - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth – Maelstrom – Polytechnique – Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy (2013 film) – Sicario - Arrival (2016 film)

© thevoid99 2017

Suicide Squad

Based on the DC comic series by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, Suicide Squad is the story of a group of supervillains who are tasked to stop a major threat to the world in exchange for reduced prison sentences. Written for the screen and directed by David Ayer, the film is an unconventional superhero film of sorts where it is focused on the bad guys who are given the chance to do good while dealing with their own faults as individuals. Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, Cara Delevingne, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach, Karen Fukuhara, Scott Eastwood, Ike Barinholtz, Jim Parrack, and Viola Davis. Suicide Squad is an intriguing but extremely messy film from David Ayer.

Following some catastrophic events around the world, the film revolves around an intelligence officer who wants to create a task force filled with supervillains to stop any major threat available as they would team up with a military officer to kill an evil witch-goddess known as the Enchantress who has inhabited the body of an archeologist named Dr. June Moone (Cara Delevingne). It’s a film that has some of worst of the worst that include a hitman, a pyromaniac, a mutant, a bank robber, and a former psychiatrist who later became the girlfriend of the Joker (Jared Leto). They’re given the chance to do good and save the world in exchange for a reduced prison sentence as they reluctantly do the job with Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) leading the team. It’s a concept that has a nice idea but writer/director David Ayer unfortunately doesn’t go all the way with its execution.

While he does manage to establish who are the members of this team known as the Suicide Squad in Floyd Lawton/Deadshot (Will Smith), Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), George “Digger” Harkness/Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Chato Santana/El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), and Waylon Jones/Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Some of these characters are either underwritten or under-utilized while the script falters very highly as Ayer tried to cram so much into the story but never finds a way to create a balance for everyone involved. Even the stakes in trying to stop the Enchantress and her brother Incubus (Alain Chanonine) doesn’t have much weight or motivation for the Suicide Squad to stop other than death if they don’t do the job. The character of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is a mysterious individual who holds the fate of the entire squad as she is an antihero that is unique as she is one of the most interesting characters in the film.

The story about Harley Quinn’s relationship with the Joker is definitely not given more to be engaged into as it’s really one of several subplots in the film as the character of the Joker is someone who isn’t really used for the main plot other than to try and retrieve Harley back into his life. It’s a storyline that could’ve been fleshed out more but it’s often seen in flashbacks where there is little of the Joker in the main storyline. Another issue in the film revolves another member of the Suicide Squad in Christopher Weiss/Slipknot (Adam Beach) where he’s only in the film for a few minutes and doesn’t really do anything.

Ayer’s direction is where the film really suffers as it not only tries to cram so much into a two-hour film but also do it with some constraints to appeal to a wide audience. While Ayer would create some exciting sequences that does help tell the story and is filled with a lot of action. It tries too hard to be all things where it does have moments that are funny and moments that are exciting but it never finds that balance to bend all type of genres where it is very messy. Though there’s some good compositions that Ayer makes in the medium and wide shots to establish the locations as well as some close-ups. It is all very stylized and sometimes it would be style over substance where Ayer is doing whatever he can to try and make it enthralling. Yet, the emphasis largely on visual effects and wanting to create something big tends to overwhelm the story as it kind of loses of focus on what it wanted to be. Another aspect of the film that is problematic is that underneath all of these storylines, sprawling action scenes, and comedy is that there is a good film somewhere.

It’s obvious that given that this is a studio film that Ayer must have consulted with the executives at Warner Brothers in giving them what they want. Yet, this interference from people who aren’t involved in the process of filmmaking are the last group of people who understand what an audience wants. Sometimes, it’s best to not give them what they want as this film unfortunately tries to do so many things but giving the character of the Joker a small amount of time in the film as well as not providing a backstory for Killer Croc and a volunteer in Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana (Karen Fukuhara) definitely would baffle the audience. The climax is also kind of lacking in something bigger as it ends up being very conventional as it never really has the chance to become something of its own in favor of trying to be like every other superhero film. Overall, Ayer creates a decent but extremely inconsistent and underwhelming film about a group of bad guys teaming up to save the world.

Cinematographer Roman Vasyanov does some nice work with the cinematography with its array of colors and lighting schemes for much of the scenes set at night as well as the usage of desaturated colors for some of the daytime scenes. Editor John Gilroy does some fine work with the editing as it is very stylized where it relies a lot on fast-cuts but does provide enough footage to establish what is going on despite the constraints of what the film would suffer in its final cut. Production designer Oliver Scholl, with set decorators Beauchamp Fontaine and Shane Vieau as well as supervising art directors Brandt Gordon and Brad Ricker, does excellent work with the set design from the prison cells of the members of the Suicide Squad as well as the look of some of the cities and buildings they go into. Costume designer Kate Hawley does superb work with the costumes from the clothes some of the members of the Suicide Squad wear as well as the stylish clothing of Harley Quinn.

Hair/makeup designer Alessandro Bertolazzi and creature/effects designer Steve Newburn do brilliant work with the look of some of the characters such as El Diablo, Harley, Killer Croc, and the Joker where they’re given distinctive looks. Visual effects supervisor Jerome Chen does some good work with the visual effects in creating some mystical effects relating to the Enchantress though it does get overwhelming at times as the design of her army is kind of weak. Sound editor Richard King does fantastic work with the sound in creating some sound effects and in some of the broad moments in the action sequences. The film’s score by Steven Price is wonderful as it’s mainly a mixture of orchestral music with some electronics as much of the music that is assembled by music supervisors Gabe Hilfer and Season Kent that features an array of music from the likes of AC/DC, Rick James, Eminem, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lesley Gore, the White Stripes, Black Sabbath, Kanye West, K7, Norman Greenbaum, the Rolling Stones, and the Animals.

The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is brilliant despite some of the issues involved due to the interference of studio executives as it feature some notable small appearances from Jim Parrack and Common as a couple of the Joker’s henchmen, Alain Chanonine as the Enchantress’ brother Incubus, Ike Barinholtz as a prison guard, Scott Eastwood as Col. Flag’s right-hand man GQ Edwards, David Harbour as a government official, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon as Deadshot’s daughter, Grace Santana as El Diablo’s wife in flashbacks, and Adam Beach in a very wasted performance as Slipknot. Karen Fukuhara is fantastic as Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana as a volunteer who is deadly with a samurai sword as she helps the Suicide Squad while Cara Delevingne is alright as Dr. June Moone in displaying her fears and vulnerability but isn’t very good as the Enchantress who is just this lame villain.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is terrific as Waylon Jones/Killer Croc as a reptilian-like mutant who can do things underwater and kick ass though he is very underutilized and underwritten. Joel Kinnaman is superb as Col. Rick Flag as a Special Forces officer who leads the Suicide Squad into battle while trying to hide the fact that he is personally invested in this mission to stop the Enchantress. Jay Hernandez is excellent as Chato Santana/El Diablo as a pyromaniac who is reluctant to help out as he is afraid of unleashing his powers knowing how bad it can become. Jai Courtney is fun as George “Digger” Harkness/Captain Boomerang as a bank robber with a deadly boomerang who is quite tough but also has some weird fetishes.

Jared Leto’s performance as the Joker is a mixed bag where not only is it a very small role where he’s not given much to do for the story while his performance is funny at times but also over-the-top for the wrong reasons. Viola Davis is brilliant as Amanda Waller as an intelligence officer creating a plan to help the world in the face of a threat as this is a no-nonsense character that is quite ruthless but also very determined to do whatever it takes to save the world. Will Smith is amazing as Floyd Lawton/Deadshot as a hitman/assassin that is good at what he does yet is also complex as he’s got morals despite the fact that he’s a bad guy as Smith brings some charm but also some weight as a man who knows what is at stake. Finally, there’s Margot Robbie in a phenomenal performance as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn as a former psychiatrist who goes insane and falls for the Joker as she is this odd yet insane woman often speaks her mind and does crazy things as it’s the real standout performance in the film.

Suicide Squad is a decent but uneven film from David Ayer. Despite some action sequences, intriguing premise, and a great ensemble cast, it’s a film that suffers from trying to do so much only to bring in so little. In the end, Suicide Squad is just a very disappointing and underwhelming film from David Ayer.

David Ayer Films: (Harsh Times) – (Street Kings) – (End of Watch) – (Sabotage (2014 film)) – (Fury (2014 film)) – (Bright (2017 film))

DC Extended Universe: Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Wonder Woman – Justice League - Aquaman - Shazam! - Birds of Prey - (Wonder Woman 1984) - (The Batman) - (The Suicide Squad)

© thevoid99 2017

Panic Room

Directed by David Fincher and written by David Koepp, Panic Room is the story of a woman and her daughter who hide inside a secret room where robbers have invaded their new home. The film is a thriller in which a woman has to outsmart and hide from a trio of burglars who want something to steal as well as take care of her diabetes-stricken daughter. Starring Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Jared Leto, Dwight Yoakam, and Forest Whittaker. Panic Room is a chilling yet engaging film from David Fincher.

What happens when a woman and her daughter buy a new home only to be invaded by burglars who are there to rob the house because of a safe they believe is in there? That is pretty much the premise of the film as it is a simple home invasion story where a woman and her daughter are forced to hide in a panic room after a trio of burglars broke into their home. David Koepp’s screenplay follows the recently-divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) as they try to find a new home unaware that it was the home of a reclusive millionaire who had created a panic room with cameras due to his paranoia. Once the two move in, their night of terror would begin with the trio of robbers who had hoped that no one was in the house but once they see Meg and Sarah who would lock themselves in the panic room. All hell breaks loose where things become very tense not just for Meg and Sarah but also for the burglars.

Leading the trio is Junior (Jared Leto) who knows about the house as he brings two men with great skill as one of them in Burnham (Forest Whitaker) is a skilled safecracker with a conscience as he immediately learns who is in the house as he is reluctant to do anything but knows he needs the money. The wildcard of the team is Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) who is new as Junior brought him in as he is someone that just wants the money by any means necessary. Adding to the tension of being inside the panic room is the fact that Sarah is diabetic as she is in need of an insulin shot or else she could die which only make things more tense. All of which play into a game of wits between the burglars and Meg.

David Fincher’s direction is definitely stylish for not just the fact that much of the film is set inside a townhouse around New York City but also for the tense atmosphere of the house once it is invaded. While Fincher would use medium shots and close-ups to create an intimacy into the compositions and the sense of claustrophobia that looms throughout the film. It is his approach to tracking and long shots that are the most interesting parts such as a sequence, with the aid of visual effects, where the burglars arrive into the home and it is this single take that follows every aspect of the house for the burglars to try to get in from the outside. It sets the tone for what is to come while the usage of video cameras surveying every aspect of the house show what Meg and Sarah are watching but don’t exactly hear what the burglars are saying.

Fincher’s direction also maintains that air of suspense as it play into the moments where the burglars try to break their way or even find a way for Meg and Sarah to leave the panic room. It has this air of ingenuity into who can outsmart who as it would intensify the suspense as well as the fact that things start to unravel among the burglars where Raoul would go into great extremes to get things done with Burnham being the most reasonable one. Even as Sarah’s condition becomes a plot device that would amp up the suspense yet it is effective where the burglars try to figure out what to do where one could care less about Sarah yet Burnham is the one that is concerned. A showdown does occur with Meg’s husband Stephen (Patrick Bauchau) coming into the third act where he finds himself in serious trouble prompting Meg to be the one to step up and fight for herself and her daughter. Overall, Fincher creates a gripping yet mesmerizing about a mother and daughter dealing a home invasion from burglars.

Cinematographers Darius Khondji and Conrad W. Hall do brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the few bits that are shot in the daytime exteriors to the usage of low-key lights and shadows to play into the suspense as well as the way the scenes inside the panic room are lit. Editors James Haygood and Angus Wall do excellent work with the editing from the way it plays up the suspense and drama as it relies on some slow-motion cuts for stylistic reasons while being very straightforward. Production designer Arthur Max, with set decorators Jon Danniels and Garrett Lewis and art directors Keith Neely and James E. Tocci, does amazing work with the look of the house in many of its interiors of the house in the way the rooms look like as well as the panic room itself as it is one of the highlights of the film. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual in the clothes that the characters wear.

Visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug does fantastic work with the visual effects from the way some of the camera movements around the house occur to some of the scenes involving gas and fire is presented. Sound designer Ren Klyce does superb as it play into the suspense with its usage of sound in all of the aspects of the house from sparse yet low-key textures to moments that are loud. The film’s music by Howard Shore is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that play into the suspense and drama with its string arrangements and bombastic percussions to create that swell of terror.

The casting by Laray Mayfield is terrific as it feature some notable small roles from Ann Magnuson as real estates dealer Lydia Lynch, Ian Buchanan as a man giving Meg and Sarah a tour of the house, Paul Schulze and Mel Rodriguez as a couple of police officers who show up late in the film, Patrick Bauchau as Meg’s ex-husband Stephen, and the voice of Nicole Kidman as Stephen’s new girlfriend. Jared Leto is superb as Junior as the leader of the three as the one who has a tip about the house as the presence of Meg and Sarah ruin the plans as he tries to figure out what to do while also being evasive about certain things at the house. Dwight Yoakam is excellent as Raoul as a burglar who is all about getting the money by any means necessary as he spends much of the film wearing a ski mask which makes him very menacing as it’s a very dark performance from Yoakam.

Forest Whitaker is brilliant as Burnham as a burglar who takes the job for money as he is skilled with a lot of what happens but doesn’t want to harm Meg and Sarah where he becomes conflicted into what is happening where he tries to do what is right and the job. Kristen Stewart is amazing as Sarah as a young girl who is just a typical young girl that finds herself being terrorized as she stays in the panic room with her mother as she starts to get sicker due to her diabetes. Finally, there’s Jodie Foster in a phenomenal performance as Meg Altman as a woman who tries to protect her daughter anyway she can while having to outwit the burglars as it’s a performance that is just engaging to watch as it is one of her defining performances.

Panic Room is a sensational film from David Fincher that features great performances from Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, and Forest Whitaker. Armed with a strong supporting cast, a simple yet effective premise, gorgeous visuals, and a chilling music score. The film isn’t just one of Fincher’s most accessible films but also a fine example of suspense when it is just simple and to the point. In the end, Panic Room is an incredible film from David Fincher.

David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - The Game - Fight Club - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Social Network - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film) - Gone Girl

Related: 15 Essential Music Videos by David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher

© thevoid99 2016

Fight Club

Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club is the story of a troubled white-collar corporate worker who meets a mysterious man where the two form a fight club as an outlet for their rage. Directed by David Fincher and screenplay by Jim Uhls, the film is a study of a man becoming discontent with his world as he turns to violence as a way to act out only for things to get more complicated. Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, and Meat Loaf Aday. Fight Club is a gripping and intense film from David Fincher.

The film is an exploration of a man whose life as a white-collar corporate worker has made him unhappy until he meets a mysterious man where they form a secret fight club where the two and several other men engaging in fights under a bar. There, they live this life in secrecy where it would eventually morph into something bigger that would make the film’s unnamed protagonist (Edward Norton) uneasy. It’s a film that isn’t just about this growing discontent with a world that has become corporate but also filled with ads and the need to consume products where this man who is also its narrator. It’s also about a man’s reaction where he would get the help of this mysterious man named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who is this very odd yet intelligent figure that represents this idea of anarchy and nihilism that the narrator needs in a world that has stifled him.

Jim Uhls’ screenplay has this unique approach to not just the narration in how the narrator doesn’t just react to his situation but also deal with the fact that he lives in this ultra-consumerist world which is nearly soul-crushing and also unsatisfying. The first act is about the narrator’s life and how he got himself into these group meetings with people suffering cancer and all sorts of disease where he would also see this woman named Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) doing the same as the two reluctantly make a deal. Singer would be this character that would pop up in the narrator’s life as she would later be integral to the film’s second act as she sleeps around with Durden and then wonder what these two guys are doing. The second act isn’t just about the formation of fight club but also its evolution into something that becomes this haven for men who are disgusted with this ultra-corporate and ultra-consumerist world where they fight as well as antagonize the status quo.

There is also a lot of ambiguity that occurs as it relates to the narrator’s friendship with Durden where it does start off as two men dissatisfied with the ways of the world but Durden is the one who is doing something. It’s that sense of action that intrigues the narrator who needs something as he had lost his home in a fire and starts to act out against his own boss (Zach Grenier). The film’s third act isn’t just about the fight club’s evolution but also in Durden’s view of the world as it evolved into something bigger in an act against the world of capitalism. The result would lead to a lot of things but a view that has made the narrator uneasy as well as deal with these men who had become this community that are all about chaos.

David Fincher’s direction is quite stylish but also very daring for the fact that he’s making a Hollywood studio picture that is about anarchy and anti-corporatism, anti-capitalism, and anti-consumerism. The film opens with Durden putting a gun into the narrator’s mouth as much of the film is told in a reflective narrative of sorts where it plays into the narrator coping with his life and what it had become. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the film plays into this world that is very modern as well as very consumerist where it is overwhelming in how ads and products are being shown to create something that is scary. Fincher’s usage of wide and medium shots help play into the world while he would also create some unique camera angles and movements to play into some of the chaotic elements including the fights.

The fights do have this air of brutality but also a beauty that is presented underneath its ugliness and graphic violence. There are also scenes that are quite surreal as it relates to some sex scenes involving the narrator and Marla where the former isn’t sure if he really had sex with her. One key moment during the second act is where the narrator sees the many jobs that Durden does including being a film projector where there is a moment where the fourth wall is broken. There’s also these little moments early in the film that serves as a sense of foreshadow where there’s a strange object that emerges on a frame as it plays into the narrator’s growing disdain towards his environment. The film’s third act is quite intense but also displays a lot into aspects of surrealism into the world that the narrator is in and what Durden is about to do forcing the two to have a showdown. Overall, Fincher creates a rapturous yet haunting film about a man’s disdain with the world of consumerism and capitalism that forces him to team with another man and form a fight club.

Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth does amazing work with the film‘s very stylized yet somewhat de-colored cinematography the intentionally bland look of the narrator‘s life in his semi-posh condo and the office he works at to the more grimy look for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as the home that he shares with Durden. Editor James Haygood does fantastic work with the editing in not just creating some unique rhythmic cuts and stylish usages of jump-cuts and slow-motion cuts but also in the way these mysterious objects would pop up early in the film. Production designer Alex McDowell, with set decorator Jay Hart and art director Chris Gorack, does brilliant work with the look of the condo that the narrator lived in to the dilapidated and decayed home that Durden lives in as well as the basement in the bar where many of the fights at the fight club happens. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does nice work with the costumes from the bland look of the narrator early in the film to the stylish clothes that Durden and Marla wear to play into their anti-conformist attitude

Special makeup effects supervisor Rob Bottin does excellent work with some of the makeup from the design of the big breasts that one of the narrator‘s friends in Bob sports to look of some of the people that are beaten up at fight club. Visual effects supervisors Kevin Tod Haug and Kevin Mack do superb work with some of the visual effects in not just some of the set dressing but also in some eerie scenes at relates to how soap is made and other surreal moments in the film. Sound designer Ren Klyce and sound editor Richard Hymns do incredible work with the sound in the way some objects sound as well as the atmosphere in the fight club. The film’s music by John King and Mike Simpson, aka the Dust Brothers, is phenomenal for its mixture of drone-heavy electronic music with some industrial and ambient textures to play into the drama and violence while the soundtrack features music from Tom Waits, Marlene Dietrich, and the Pixies.

The casting by Laray Mayfield is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Zach Grenier as the narrator’s boss, Rachel Singer as a cancer-stricken women at a group meeting, Peter Iacangelo as the bar owner who is from the mob that isn’t keen on having the fight club in his basement, Thom Gossom Jr. as a detective who investigates the arson of the narrator’s apartment, Pat McNamara as the police commissioner, Joon Kim as a convenience store cashier Durden threatens to kill, and Jared Leto in a small yet terrific performance as a fight club member whom Durden takes a liking to late in the film. Meat Loaf Aday is excellent as Bob as a man with massive man-breasts who deals with the loss of his testicles as the narrator befriends him during a meeting as he would also become part of the fight club.

Helena Bonham Carter is fantastic as Marla Singer as a troubled woman who attends to a lot of group meetings for strange reasons as well as be someone who is also an addict as she befriends Durden while somewhat antagonize the narrator. Brad Pitt is remarkable as Tyler Durden as this mysterious soap maker who is the embodiment of complete and absolute anarchy where is he also quite intelligent about the ways of the world and how consumerism has ruined the world as Pitt just owns the part with his charm and the ability to be cool. Finally, there’s Edward Norton in a tremendous performance as this unnamed narrator as this white-collar corporate worker for an automobile corporation who suffers from insomnia and depression who finds himself taking part in a world where he gets into fights and stands up for himself only to deal with the severity of what he and Durden created as it’s a very grounded and visceral performance from Norton.

Fight Club is a magnificent film from David Fincher that features incredible performances from Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. Featuring an inventive script, dazzling visuals, and an eerie score, the film is truly a dark yet intense film that explores anarchy and nihilism at its most profane. It is also a film that manages to critique this world of corporate and consumerist culture that has take hold of humanity in the worst ways. In the end, Fight Club is an outstanding film from David Fincher.

David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - The Game - Panic Room - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Social Network - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film) - Gone Girl

Related: 15 Essential Videos by David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher

© thevoid99 2016

Dallas Buyers Club

Based on a 1992 article from The Dallas Morning News by Bill Minutaglio, Dallas Buyers Club is the story about the drug-addicted and homophobic rodeo cowboy Ron Woodruff who is diagnosed with AIDS as he seeks to find medicine to help himself and the new allies he gains in gays and transsexual. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and screenplay by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, the film is an exploration into a period where a hustler tries to find illegal medicines to help himself and those suffering from AIDS as Woodruff is played by Matthew McConaughey. Also starring Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, and Denis O’Hare. Dallas Buyers Club is fascinating yet tremendous film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

The film is based on a true story about a rodeo cowboy named Ron Woodruff who is notorious for his drug abuse and sexual appetite for women where he finds himself as he is later diagnosed with AIDS. After being prescribed the AZT drug which didn’t make him any better as he was only given 30 days to live. He travels to Mexico where he finds a slew of FDA-unapproved drugs that would manage to help him long. The film explores Woodruff’s desire to stay alive as well as organize a club for himself and other AIDS-stricken individuals to get the help they needed as he is aided by transvestite named Rayon (Jared Leto) and a kind doctor named Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) where the latter is trying to understand what can help AIDS patients. In turn, Woodruff gets the attention of the federal government who wants to shut him down but Woodruff’s resilience and hustling skills would manage to keep those with a short death sentence a chance to live a little bit longer.

The film’s screenplay does play into Woodruff’s life from the moment he is diagnosed to his fight against the FDA as this homophobic rodeo cowboy becomes this unlikely ally for the gay community in Texas. The first act is about Woodruff’s discovery of his condition and his willingness to stay alive despite the prejudice he receives from old friends who is convinced he’s become gay which is untrue. In meeting the stern though sympathetic Dr. Saks and later one of her patients in Rayon, Woodruff realizes he has to do things and get the help from unlikely people to not just help himself but those with AIDS. Woodruff and Rayon starts a secret club where people pay $400 a month to get these unapproved prescriptions that Woodruff had to get from places around the world.

Though Woodruff and Rayon have a somewhat testy relationship as Woodruff isn’t fond of gays and Rayon isn’t fond of Woodruff’s attitude. The two become an unlikely pair that manages to be one of the script’s highlights. Even as they have to face homophobes, the government, and business-minded doctors who are trying to prevent from getting the help they need. While the activities that Woodruff does is illegal where he even helps out an old friend, he’s only doing something in the hopes that he and many others can just simply stay alive during this horrific plague that was happening in the late 1980s. Particularly in a world that is strange and filled with different extremes like the state of Texas.

Jean-Marc Vallee’s direction is very engaging from the way he opens the film with Woodruff having sex with two women at a rodeo show which represents the life he leads as he’s a man of danger and recklessness. There is something that at first feels laid back but it then becomes this serious drama where Woodruff is diagnosed with AIDS as he is given a 30 day death sentence. Yet, Vallee keeps a sense of liveliness going to play into Woodruff’s denial with the use of hand-held cameras that aren’t very shaky as well as close-ups to showcase the truth that is Woodruff doesn’t want to face. Since it is a film that only takes place in the span of a few years in the 1980s starting with the announcement that Rock Hudson had AIDS where Woodruff boasts that Hudson is an idiot for turning down all of that fine pussy. It is a film that is also about a particular moment in time and in a place like Texas where AIDS is considered a largely homosexual disease or for those who are drug addicts.

The direction becomes more stylish by the film’s second act where Vallee loosen things up as well as inject some humor into the film for many of the moments between Woodruff and Rayon. There’s also moments where the direction is also quite playful to showcase Woodruff’s approach to hustling as he would return from trips all around the world to relax in Texas in an attempt to regain some humanity. Once Woodruff has to face foes who are proven to be far more cruel than he was to gays while having to deal with the realities of his disease. The film does get more dramatic where Woodruff becomes determined as Vallee uses some unique sound design to play into Woodruff’s growing illness.

Yet, there is a payoff that occurs in the end where despite the fact that Woodruff would eventually die from the disease in 1992. Vallee manages to create something that is unique as well as find an unlikely protagonist for audiences to root for while delving into some of the history of the AIDS epidemic. Overall, Vallee creates a very powerful and mesmerizing film about a man’s desire to stay alive and help those who are also suffering from the cruel disease of AIDS.

Cinematographer Yves Belanger does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of low-key lights for the scenes at night in its interior and exterior settings along with some very vibrant shots for some of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes. Editors Martin Penza and Jean-Marc Valle do amazing work with the editing where it does play into a sense of style from its use of jump-cuts, abrupt transitions, and montages to play into the impact of the disease as well as Woodruff‘s determination to hustle. Production designer John Paino, with set decorator Robert Covelman and art director Javiera Varas, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the motel rooms where Woodruff and Rayon run their operation to some of the buildings and hospitals the characters go to.

Costume designers Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson do terrific work with the costumes from the cowboy clothes of Woodruff to the more flamboyant look of Rayon. Makeup artist Melanie Deforrest does wonderful work with the look of Rayon in his drag persona as well as the look of Rayon and Woodruff in their physical declines. Visual effects supervisor Marc Cote does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the backdrops of cities that Woodruff travels to. Sound editor Martin Pinsonnault does brilliant work with the film’s sound to convey some of the atmosphere of the locations as well as the ringing sound in Woodruff’s head as he is dealing with the disease he is suffering. The film’s soundtrack largely consists of a mix of country music as well as some dance-pop at the gay clubs while the rest of the soundtrack is dominated by the music of T.Rex whose leader Marc Bolan is someone that Rayon is fond of.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Rich Delia, and Paul Schnee is just incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Deerhunter vocalist Bradford Cox as Rayon’s lover, James DuMont as Rayon’s father, Michael O’Neill as a FDA official who keeps trying to ruin Woodruff’s business, and Griffin Dunne as an eccentric doctor living in Mexico who would help supply Woodruff with FDA-unapproved medicine. Steve Zahn is terrific as the cop Tucker who is an old friend of Woodruff who becomes aware of what he’s doing but decides to keep Woodruff’s activities a secret. Dallas Roberts is pretty good as Woodruff’s friend David Wayne who later pushes Woodruff away because of AIDS only to get confronted when Woodruff defends Rayon. Denis O’Hare is excellent as Dr. Saks’ boss Dr. Sevard as a man who leads the AZT drug trials while becoming suspicious of Woodruff’s activities as well as Dr. Saks’ involvement.

Jennifer Garner is amazing as Dr. Eve Saks as this very kind doctor who wants to help people while is also someone who isn’t afraid to speak her mind as Garner makes her very engaging and complex while not preying into the typical female supporting characters tropes that is often expected. Jared Leto is marvelous as Rayon as this charming transvestite who doesn’t take shit from anyone while proving to be a very capable individual who can get Woodruff to connect with the gays while some of the most startling moments that Leto does is the scene where his character meets his father in the most shocking way that shows how far Rayon is willing to help Woodruff as it’s definitely a career-defining performance for Leto.

Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in an outstanding performance as Ron Woodruff where McConaughey brings in that Texan charm that he’s known for with a kind of swagger what makes him an enjoyable presence. Yet, he balances that with a sense of grit and humility as a man realizing that he’s going to die as he is determined to find a way to live his life without a death sentence hanging over his head. The scenes McConaughey has with Leto are just fun to watch as well as the fact that both actors did some serious efforts to look ragged while McConaughey also has some nice chemistry with Garner to showcase a man finally being grounded and cool as it’s definitely McConaughey at his finest.

Dallas Buyers Club is a magnificent film from Jean-Marc Vallee that features an astounding performance from Matthew McConaughey. Along with strong supporting performances from Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner, it is a film that explores a man’s willingness to survive during the AIDS epidemic with the help of some unlikely people and becoming a better man. Especially as he also fights against strong foes who were trying to prevent him from getting better and doing things that were really wrong. In the end, Dallas Buyers Club is a sensational film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

Jean-Marc Vallee Films: (Black List) - (Los Locos) - (Loser Love) - (C.R.A.Z.Y.) - The Young Victoria - (Café de Flore) - Wild (2014 film) - Demolition (2015 film) - (Big Little Lies (TV miniseries))

© thevoid99 2013

Requiem for a Dream

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/14/09 w/ Additional Edits & Expanded Content.

After the success of his 1998 debut film Pi, Darren Aronofsky had arrived as a new director on the rise. His debut film was a low-budget sci-fi thriller that captivated audiences for his high-octane, intelligent take on mathematics and the mysteries of life. Following the success of Pi, Aronofsky was approached to take over the Batman franchise following the poorly-received 1997 film Batman & Robin. Though he would go back and forth into the development through the years along with attached projects for Ronin and Watchmen. Aronofsky instead focused on a novel by Hubert Selby Jr. about addiction of all kinds that would become the basis for his 2000 based on the novel of the same name entitled Requiem for a Dream.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky with a script co-written with novelist Hubert Selby Jr., Requiem for a Dream tells various different stories of addiction from various characters. An elderly woman dealing with her addiction to pills that altered her state of reality while her son, his girlfriend, and a friend deal with their own escape through drugs that would collide with harsh realities. A study of addiction, the mind, and alternate realities, it's a film that explores the psyche of individuals dealing with drug addiction. Starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Christopher McDonald, Keith David, Louise Lasser, and from Pi, Mark Margolis, Sean Gullette, and Ben Shenkman. Requiem for a Dream is a harrowing, surreal, and mesmerizing masterpiece from Darren Aronofsky and company.

It's summer in Brighton Beach as Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) spends all day at her apartment watching an infomercial hosted by Tappy Tibbons (Christopher McDonald). Alone and widowed, her son Harry (Jared Leto) only visits to take her TV so he can sell it to Mr. Rabinowitz (Mark Margolis) who often gives the TV back to Sara. One day, Sara receives a phone call that she's going to be on TV as she is excited but needs to lose weight to wear a red dress. Harry meanwhile, is a dealer/heroin addict along with his friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) where they hope for some big scores. With Harry's girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), also an addict, the money made in the summer brings some hope as Harry and Marion hope to open a shop for Marion's fashion designs while Tyrone hopes to use the money to get out of the street and make his mother proud.

With Sara desperate to lose weight, she turns to her friend Ada (Louise Lasser) who suggests getting a prescription from a doctor. Sara takes prescription pills that allowed her to lose weight but her behavior has become strange as she starts to have weird imaginations of herself on TV. During a visit, Harry notices his mother's strange behavior and the pills she's been using as he is horrified by what happened. Then as the fall arrived, Tyrone gets caught by the police following a shootout between dealers as the money he and Harry made were spent on Tyrone's bail. With little money and dope for them to feed their addictions, Marion makes a move to get money from her family shrink Arnold (Sean Gullette) that would cause a rift between her and Harry.

With Sara's behavior becoming increasing erratic as she has weird visions in her head, her confusion between reality and fiction increases as she's desperate to be on TV with her pill dosage increasing. With Harry, Tyrone, and Marion desperate for dope as the winter arrives, Harry and Tyrone decide to go to Florida to get some dope in hopes to make some money again. With Marion left behind, she decides to engage in prostitution to feed her addiction as she has become a regular client for a rich man (Keith David). With Harry's health suddenly deteriorating and Sara's state of mind becoming increasingly troubled, it becomes clear that whatever hope they're all latching on seems far away.

The film can be described as an anti-drug film in terms of its message but that seems too easy to say. The film is really about people latching on to dreams and hopes through drugs only to be betrayed by them. With each main character hoping to reach for that goal, it becomes crippled by reality or an alternate reality in the case of Sara where their addiction to drugs, whether legal or illegal, takes a toll on all of them. The film's title alone is about the death of dreams through various states of substances. Novelist Hubert Selby Jr. and co-screenwriter Darren Aronofsky do an amazing job in exploring that theme of the lost dream as well as creating a unique structure for the film. The first act in the summer represents hope, the second act represents failure and the collision of harsh realities in the fall, and the third act in the winter is about the culmination of the downward spiral for all of the characters. The script overall is truly unique with its stylish dialogue and harrowing themes.

Aronofsky's direction is truly mesmerizing from start to finish as everything he had done in Pi has the director stepping up his game. Instead of going for the grainy, black-and-white minimalism of Pi, Aronofsky uses everything he's given to create a film that is truly atmospheric and haunting. With the use of split-screens, slow-motion shots, weird angles, spinning cameras, and striking compositions. It's clear that Aronofsky is trying to go into the mind of the characters as they deal with harsh realities or alternate realities with scenes that range from the bizarre to the harshest moments of realism that it's often ugly. Particularly some scenes with heavy sexual content, in its director's cut version of the film, that are very heavy to show the sense of desperation and struggle. Some of the scenes were Sara's state of mind becomes increasing troubled are done at times with very claustrophobic shots in its framing device. Overall, Aronofsky makes a film that is hard to watch yet engaging in its surrealism and harsh realities.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does an amazing job with the various colors he's given for the film's unique structure from the yellowish-look of the summer scenes in the first act from its exterior look to the a wonderful interior scene between Harry and Sara. For the second act, the look becomes more tinted with blue to display the mood of the characters while the third is darker, more intimate, and more surreal to display the grittiness and struggle of the characters. Libatique's work is truly phenomenal in its display of mood and atmosphere. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does superb work with the cutting to give the film a sense of repetition in the use of drugs along with some fast, rhythmic cutting and speedy moments for the film's atmospheric approach to what the characters are doing. With some jump-cuts on some sequences, Rabinowitz's editing is brilliant in creating speeds and slow movements to convey the sense of surrealism in the mind of Sara.

Production designer James Chinlund along with set decorator Ondine Karady and art director Judy Rhee do fantastic work with the looks of Sara's apartment and the place that Harry and Marion stays. One fantastic sequence involving the recreation of Sara's apartment as a set is wonderful for all of its bizarre qualities and movement of the refrigerator. Costume designer Laura Jean Shannon does wonderful work with the film's costumes from the street clothes that Harry, Tyrone, and Marion wear to the red dress that Sara wears for her TV appearance. Visual effects supervisors Jeremy Dawson and Dan Schrecker do an excellent job of creating the distorted looks of Tappy and Sara in one of Sara's weird, surreal dream sequences. Sound editor Nelson Ferreira and designer Brian Emrich do brilliant work with the film's sound for the banging of the refrigerator, location settings, and the use of objects to create an atmosphere about addiction and Sara's own surreal world.

The music by Clint Mansell with contributions from the Kronos Quartet is truly intense and atmospheric with Mansell's haunting arrangements of beats and electronics to convey the world of Harry's addiction and journey. The contributions of the Kronos Quartet features some dramatic, eerie pieces to convey the world of Sara and her surreal state with string scratches and stuff. Along with pieces from Paul Oakenfold and conga pieces remixed by James Murphy of the DFA label. The film's music and soundtrack is truly mesmerizing in its mix of electronic music and string quartet pieces.

The casting by Ann Goulder, Anne McCarthy, and Mary Vernieu is truly superb with cameo appearances from several actors from the film Pi like Ajay Naidu as a mailman, Samia Shoab as a nurse, Ben Shenkman as a doctor, Mark Margolis as a friend of Sara, and Sean Gullette as Marion's family shrink. Other appearances from Dylan Baker as a doctor, Denise Dowe as Tyrone's mother, Aliya Campbell as Tyrone's girlfriend, Darren Aronofsky as a man at a party, Keith David as a customer of Marion's, novelist Hubert Shelby Jr. as a prison guard, Aronofsky's parents in roles as a man on a train and a friend of Sara, and Louise Lasser as Ada, a close friend of Sara are truly excellent in their small roles. Christopher McDonald is great as Tappy Tibbons, a man from an infomercial who is trying to sell a product with a lot of gusto as McDonald's performance is truly memorable in every scene he's in.

Marlon Wayans is excellent as Tyrone, a young drug dealer with hopes to get a better life despite his addiction, shows Wayans in a rare dramatic role where he plays it straight and with a bit of optimism until he gets into trouble while dealing with Harry's deteriorating health. While Wayans get to say some funny lines, his dramatic performance proves that there's more to him than just being silly. Jennifer Connelly is brilliant as Marion, a young woman with hopes to her run her own fashion shop that is forced to succumb to prostitution. Connelly's performance is truly haunting as a woman whose addictions and desperation leads her into a downward spiral. Jared Leto is great as Harry, a young, irresponsible addict who has hopes for a life outside of drugs despite his use until he discovers what his mother is doing. It's a performance where Leto is restrained and engaging as he creates a sympathetic character who really cares for his mother and friends despite his own mistakes.

Finally, there's Ellen Burstyn in a phenomenal performance from the actress who, prior to this film, was relegated to TV movies and small film roles. Burstyn's unique, complex, and mesmerizing performance is really the highlight of the film. With her body language from being still to nerve-wracking as her character succumbs to erratic behaviors, Burstyn displays all of the troubles of a woman looking for a dream to be on TV. Yet, her surreal mind even has her playing a crazed, comical double with weird hair and make-up that proves how much range she can bring. It's a powerful performance from the veteran actress who got nominated for an Oscar for this role.

***Additional DVD Content Written on 12/2/10-12/7/10***

The 2001 Region 1 Director’s Cut DVD of Requiem for a Dream presents the film in the 1:85:1 widescreen theatrical aspect ratio for 16x9 widescreen televisions plus 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. The DVD features two audio commentary tracks for this special director’s cut of the film. The first is from director Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky talks about the novel and the changes he made with novelist Hubert Selby Jr. for the film. Notably the character of Tappy Tibbons which was a new character made for the film. Aronofsky reveals that a lot of the locations came from his own childhood memories growing up while revealing that some of those landmarks of Coney Island were destroyed after filming.

Aronofsky also goes into detail about the cast as he has a lot of praise towards Ellen Burstyn. Even as she had to put on some prosthetics to make herself look heavier while giving her all with the role. Aronofsky also praises Leto and Connelly, the latter of which he was a fan of since her debut in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America. Aronofsky also was surprised by Marlon Wayans who managed to play his role quite straightforward throughout. Aronofsky also goes into many of the film’s technical details and cameos, many of which were in Pi. He also goes into the issues the film had with the MPAA, notably scenes involving drugs and some sexual content in which he was forced to make cuts. The overall commentary is engrossing but also witty as Aronofsky tries to keep the viewer interested while adding some humor.

The second commentary track is from cinematographer Matthew Libatique. While it’s mostly a technical-driven commentary, Libatique reveals the numerous lenses and film stocks he used throughout the film. He also comments on why the film in three different palettes for the three seasons. Even with the lighting schemes while he credits production designer James Chinlund for helping him to create sets so he could move the camera around. Libatique also comments on the film and the performances while he had a hard time shooting Ellen Burstyn because of how good she was. The commentary is a relaxed yet informative in how the film looked the way it was.

The 35-minute making-of documentary shows an in-depth look into the creation of the film. Shot by Brian Costello with commentary by Darren Aronofsky, the documentary reveals how a few scenes are made including Sara cleaning her home in a speedy presentation and how it was shot which took 40 minutes in one entire take. Other scenes created were Sara’s nightmare scene, Marion having dinner with her shrink, and the stuff involving Harry’s arm. Aronofsky also showed scenes where both Ellen Burstyn and Marlon Wayans got to wear the Snorricam for their scenes. The latter of which was able to run very fast with 40 pounds of camera equipment, though he was out of breath. The last thing shown on the documentary is Clint Mansell and the Kronos Quartet working on the film’s score at Skywalker Ranch, which was a big deal to Aronofsky.

The deleted scenes section features nine deleted scenes and alternate takes which also feature optional commentary tracks. The first five deleted scenes revolve around Harry, Marion, and Tyrone all trying to stop using drugs. The first deleted scene is Marion suggesting they should stop using for a bit while the next two scenes are alternate takes of the three watching the Home Shopping Network as they try to resist as all three scenes use multiple split screens. The fourth scene is a very short clip of three multiple screens on top of another of the characters’ eyes. The fifth scene is the pay off where they all realize that stopping is not that big of a deal. The sixth deleted scene revolves around mothers as Tyrone confesses to Harry about his love for his own mother prompting Harry to call Sara. Yet, she is trapped in a closet afraid of the refrigerator as she pleads to come to the apartment but is unable to.

The seventh deleted scene is an outtake of Marlon Wayans doing Jar Jar Binks of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace where he says all sorts of funny shit. The last two deleted scenes involve the film’s original novelist Hubert Selby Jr. The first is him reading excerpts of the book to Ellen Burstyn in her hospital scenes while the second is an extended scene of Selby as the prison guard taunting the character of Tyrone. In the commentary tracks, Aronofsky reveals that the first five deleted scenes were all part of a sequence of Harry, Marion, and Tyrone trying to quit. The reason he cut those scenes was because he felt it slowed down the entire film. The sixth deleted scene was cut because of pacing issues while Marlon Wayans’ Jar Jar Binks impression scene was really Aronofsky allowing Wayans to be funny. The other two deleted scenes feature no commentary from Aronofsky.

The six-minute Anatomy of a Scene special from the Sundance Channel has Aronofsky talking about a few scenes where Harry wants to give his mother a present while it would go to a scene of her manically cleaning her apartment. Aronofsky reveals how long it took to shoot. The 20-minute Memories, Dreams, and Addictions featurette is an interview with Hubert Selby Jr. that is conducted by Ellen Burstyn. Selby talks about his experiences as a writer and meeting various famous people. Burstyn and Selby also talk about how much motherhood is important which was a key inspiration of Selby’s writing, notably in Requiem for a Dream. The interview is a very interesting piece where Selby brings some humor to his own experiences while talking about his writing process. Even as he wants to give readers something to experience when they read his writing.

The special features include a section of trailers including two theatrical trailers and two TV spots plus a look into the film’s website. Also included are cast and crew information for the people involved in the film and production notes where Aronofsky talks about the film and the book. A special Easter egg feature is the full infomercial of Tappy Tibbons. The DVD booklet includes two essays. One from Darren Aronofsky about Hubert Selby Jr., his book, and how it changed his life that would lead to him making the film. The second essay is from Ain’t It Cool News film critic Harry Knowles who gives the film a wild, glowing review while predicting that Ellen Burstyn would win the Oscar for Best Actress (Julia Roberts won that year for Erin Brokovich). The DVD is truly one of the best for its special features and presentation of the film itself.

***End of DVD Content***

Released in 2000, the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews as it would later be released in the U.S. to a limited release that fall. The film would eventually become a modest hit as it gave Ellen Burstyn a comeback along with an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The film also gave Darren Aronofsky some creative power as he was given the chance to do whatever he wanted while being attached to the development of the Batman re-boot franchise.

Requiem for a Dream is a haunting yet powerful film from Darren Aronofsky featuring a superb cast led by Ellen Burstyn's radiant performance. Fans of Aronofsky will no doubt consider this his best work as well as great place to start for his films. Along with great supporting work from Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, and Christopher McDonald. It's a film that has strong themes and messages that reveals something far more as it's a faithful yet unique adaptation to Herbert Selby Jr.'s acclaimed novel. In the end, for a film that is haunting yet intriguing to watch. Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky is the film to go see.

Darren Aronofsky Films: Pi - The Fountain - The Wrestler - Black Swan - Noah - mother!

Related Review: The Auteurs #2: Darren Aronofsky

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