The Martian

Based on the novel by Andy Weir, The Martian is the story of an astronaut who is accidentally left for dead on Mars during a manned mission where he struggles to survive in the planet while the people at NASA discover he’s alive as they try to figure out how to get him back home with the man’s crew dealing with guilt of leaving him behind. Directed by Ridley Scott and screenplay by Drew Goddard, the film explores the world of science where people on Earth find a way to try and bring this astronaut home as the man himself would try to find ways to survive on the planet using what he has in his head. Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Benedict Wong, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, Mackenzie Davis, Askel Hennie, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, Eddy Ko, Chen Shu, and Jeff Daniels. The Martian is an adventurous and engaging film from Ridley Scott.

During a manned mission to Mars where an attempt to leave during a strong dust wind where an astronaut is struck by debris and is unfortunately left for dead by his crew. The film revolves around this astronaut who finds himself stuck on Mars aware that it is likely that it will take four years for another spaceship to come in and rescue him with the little rations he has where he is forced to find ways to survive. Meanwhile back on Earth, NASA who for two months believed the man to be dead make a discovery that he is alive through satellite photos as they try to find a way to get him back home but a lot of things are happening where they don’t even tell his crew for months. It’s a film that isn’t just about survival but also the need to rescue a man stranded on Mars where he is forced to left to his own devices yet would unveil what he is able to do to try and survive for the next few years.

Drew Goddard’s screenplay has a very unique narrative that moves back and forth in not just what astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) does to survive on Mars where he would grow potatoes and make water in the planet thanks to his skills as a botanist. It also showcases what is happening in NASA where they try to figure out how long he can survive as well as how to create a rescue mission. The Earth portion of the narrative also play into the world of politics as NASA’s director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) ponders the financial cost as well as the risks while he also has to tell the truth to the public that Watney is alive after declaring him dead during the botched mission months earlier. For NASA, the news of Watney being alive has become a public relations nightmare for the company where it also shows what is happening behind the scenes where they also need to get help from other sources including rival space exploration companies.

At the space vessel Hermes, there is a subplot that involves Watney’s crew led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) who, along with the crew, are consumed with guilt as they’re returning home to Earth where they play a key part in the film’s third act as it relates to the rescue. While they’re aware that the journey back to Mars will take another 18 months with a special booster created by this rival company. Commander Lewis and the crew prefer to take that risk knowing that if it goes wrong, they will all die. Especially as their mission director Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean) gave them the option as he is aware of the risks not just in space but also the financial risks where he finds himself sparring with Sanders since Henderson wanted to tell Lewis and the crew about Watney once the news broke. It all play into that world of politics and when Watney who would finally communicate with NASA’s Mars mission director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who revealed what has been going on. Not surprisingly as there’s frustration where Kapoor and several other scientists try to find solutions where it would be a young astrodynamicist in Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) who would create what the Commander Lewis and her crew have to do as does Watney.

Ridley Scott’s direction is definitely quite vast for the world he creates not just in Mars but also outer space while also maintain a sense of ground for the fact that the film is also set on Earth. With many of the exterior scenes on Mars shot at Wadi Rum in Jordan with several interiors shot in Hungary, the film plays into a world that is quite large where Scott used a lot of wide shots for these exteriors in Mars as it has this air of mystique. Even in the some of the interiors in the base where Watney would have to live in and grow crops as Scott would also use small video cameras such as the Go-pro cameras to document everything Watney is going through. It has this air of the documentary in the film where it plays into what happens if a man is stranded alone in Mars having to survive by what he knows.

The direction is also intimate not just for the scenes inside the Hermes vessel but also on Earth where there’s a lot of discussion and squabbling going on about what to do. Scott chooses to keep things simple throughout the film by not going for anything flashy though he would utilize bits of style in some tracking and dolly shots but keep it to a minimum. The scenes at the Hermes vessel are quite entrancing to play into the world of this space vessel but also to show everyone trying to move on despite carrying this weight of guilt. While Scott is aware that it’s a sci-fi adventure film with a lot of drama, he knows that it’s a film that shouldn’t take itself too seriously by displaying the fact that Watney is kind of goofy. Even as there’s a recurring gag to the fact that the only thing playing at the base on Mars is 70s disco music that Watney hates yet it was chosen by Commander Lewis. All of which plays into a film that is about doing what is right no matter how complicated it can be. Overall, Scott crafts a riveting yet sprawling film about a man accidentally stuck on Mars and trying to survive as he awaits rescue.

Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in creating some filters for the exterior scenes set on Mars as well as providing distinctive looks for the scenes at the Hermes space vessel and on Earth. Editor Pietro Scalia does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with a few stylistic cuts for the big action sequences as well as a stylish montage sequence about the rescue planning. Production designer Arthur Max, with supervising art director Marc Homes and set decorators Celia Bobak and Zoltan Horvath, does amazing work with the look of the moon base and many of the interiors in that base as well as the space vessel interiors and rooms at NASA. Costume designer Janty Yates does nice work with the costumes in the way the astronaut suits look as well as the clothes of the people on Earth. Hair/makeup designer Tina Earnshaw and hair/makeup supervisor Csilla Blake-Horvath does terrific work with the look of Watney late in the film as he struggles to survive with the limited resources he had.

The visual effects work of Chris Lawrence, Anders Langlands, Richard Stammers, and Steve Warner is fantastic for the look of outer space as well as the Hermes space vessel along with some set dressing for the Mars exteriors. Sound designers Michael Fentum and Oliver Tarney do superb work with the sound in the way the dust winds sound in and out of the base as well as some of the computers and such along with the sparse and more natural sounds for the scenes in Earth. The film’s music by Harry Gregson-Williams is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that has some bombast in some of its intense moments while being low-key in its somber moments. The film’s soundtrack is definitely a joy to listen to not just in the fact that it consists a lot of classic 70s pop and disco music from the likes of ABBA, the Hues Corporation, Donna Summers, Thelma Houston, the O’Jays, Gloria Gaynor, and Vickie Robinson as well as inspired usage of David Bowie’s Starman.

The casting by Carmen Cuba and Nina Gold is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Eddy Ko and Chen Su as key officials from the Chinese Space program, Donald Glover as the astrodynamicisist Rich Purnell who comes up with an idea for the Hermes to travel back to Mars, Benedict Wong as a Jet Propulsion Laboratory director who tries to come up with ideas in saving Watney, and Mackenzie Davis as the NASA satellite planner Mindy Park who would be the one to discover that Watney is alive through satellite photos. Other notable small roles as members of the Ares III team includes Askel Hennie as the team’s navigator/chemist Dr. Alex Vogel, Sebastian Stan as flight surgeon Dr. Chris Beck, Kate Mara as the system operator Beth Johanssen, and Michael Pena as the team’s pilot Rick Martinez who is Watney’s closest friend.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb as the Mars mission director Vincent Kapoor who would be the first to communicate with Watney as he realizes with the severity of what is happening as he tries to figure out what to do to save him. Sean Bean is fantastic as the Ares III mission director Mitch Henderson who wanted to tell his crew that Watney is alive as he spars with Sanders about what to do. Kristen Wiig is terrific as NASA’s media relations director Annie Montrose who tries to smooth over all of the bad publicity NASA is facing as well as figure out how to save face for NASA. Jeff Daniels is excellent as NASA’s director Teddy Sanders who is trying to see anyway NASA can save money but also wanting to do what is right with caution. Jessica Chastain is amazing as Commander Melissa Lewis as the Ares III leader who deals with guilt of leaving Watney behind as she would later try to figure out every scenario into getting him back as a way to do what is right. Finally, there’s Matt Damon in a phenomenal performance as Mark Watney as the astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars following a freak accident where he manages to find a way to survive with his expertise on botany and wit while also providing some charm, humor, and humility to his role as it’s one of Damon’s finest performances.

The Martian is a spectacular film from Ridley Scott that features an incredible performance from Matt Damon. Along with a strong ensemble supporting cast, dazzling visuals, compelling themes on science, and a fun music soundtrack. The film isn’t just a sci-fi adventure film that doesn’t play dumb as well as reveal what might happen on a manned mission to Mars. It also showcases how someone is willing to survive with a positive attitude despite his hatred for disco. In the end, The Martian is a magnificent film from Ridley Scott.

Ridley Scott Films: (The Duellists) - Alien - Blade Runner - (Legend) - (Someone to Watch Over Me) - (Black Rain) - (Thelma & Louise) - (1492: Conquest of Paradise) - (White Squall) - (G.I. Jane) - (Gladiator) - (Hannibal) - (Black Hawk Down) - (Matchstick Men) - (Kingdom of Heaven) - (A Good Year) - (American Gangster) - (Body of Lies) - (Robin Hood) - Prometheus - (The Counselor) - (Exodus) - (Alien: Covenant) -All the Money in the World

© thevoid99 2016

Steve Jobs (2015 film)

Based on the biography by Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs is the story about the man who co-founded Apple Computers as the film explores three different periods of his life. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, the film is an unconventional story of Jobs’ life set in three different presentations of his three creations with behind-the-scenes moments where he deals with his own personal life as he’s played by Michael Fassbender. Also starring Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Katherine Waterston, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sarah Snook, and Jeff Daniels. Steve Jobs is an astonishing film from Danny Boyle.

Told in the span of 14 years from 1984 to 1998, the plays into the life of Apple Computers co-founder Steve Jobs as he is to launch three landmark products to the world in three different stage presentations. The film plays into Jobs on a day where he is to present a different product in a different year as he contends with colleagues, last-minute changes, glitches, and his own personal life as it relates to his illegitimate daughter Lisa Brennan. It’s a film told in three different periods in Jobs’ life and career as screenwriter Aaron Sorkin creates a unique structure that plays into Jobs’ life with some flashbacks of events that preceded the launches such as Jobs and Steve Wozniak (Seth Rogen) creating the Apple II computer and Jobs hiring John Sculley (Jeff Daniels) to be the CEO of Apple Computers.

The first act revolves around the launching of the Apple MacIntosh where Jobs and his right-hand woman Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet) fret over the computer in saying something to a packed house at an auditorium. The second act revolves around the NeXT personal computer four years after Jobs was fired from Apple in which he not only tries to deal with launching a computer that isn’t working on all cylinders but also his issues with Wozniak and Sculley. The third act is about the launch of the iMac just two years after Jobs has returned to Apple where he not only deals with other issues relating to his own ego but also his own personal demons. While Sorkin definitely shows not just how complicated Jobs is as a person where he was in denial over being the father of young girl but also in someone who likes to take all of the credit. It adds to the often contentious relationship with not just those who are close to him but also those who helped him in his ascent.

While Wozniak, Sculley, and Andy Hertzfield (Michael Stuhlbarg) each had their own issues with Jobs, they respected him though it is clear that they often feel slighted by him as Hertzfield is often pressured to meet deadlines and fix whatever technical issues a certain product has. Wozniak is just a guy that everyone likes as he was the brainchild of the Apple II computer which was Apple’s most successful product at that time as he just wants credit. Sculley meanwhile is the man that wanted to help Jobs and be cautious as there’s a key moment in the second act where the two talked about Jobs’ firing from Apple in 1985 where Sculley is called the scapegoat by everyone. Then there’s Joanna Hoffman as she is the film’s conscious as someone who knows Jobs left and right as well as the people in his life including Jobs’ former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan (Katherine Waterston) and their daughter Lisa. Adding to Sorkin’s approach to the narrative is his dialogue as it features lot of monologue and stylish dialogue which definitely says a lot to the characters in the film and their personalities.

Danny Boyle’s direction is very stylish not just in the intimacy he creates in these three different presentations in the life of Jobs but also in how they’re presented. The first act which revolves around the Apple MacIntosh presentation as it is shown in a grainy film stock to play into the look of the early 1980s as Boyle would use a lot of close-ups and handheld cameras to maintain that intimacy. Even in some of the wide shots of the many stage settings of each presentation has something to say where it is all set in different venues that play into the evolution of Jobs as a man and artist. Each segment would feature a montage of the events that occurred in between the different acts where the presentations in the second and third act would provide a much more polished film stock that doesn’t just play more in Jobs’ evolution but also him trying to prove himself even more.

Boyle’s direction would also use some unique tracking shots to play into many of the events that goes on behind-the-scenes Jobs and his crew are trying to get a presentation ready. Some of it is frenetic which plays into the demands that Jobs wants where the camera is often following him, Hoffman, and whoever but it also slows down for scenes set in the dressing rooms. Notably as it play into some of the private moments that occur between Jobs, Hoffman, Brennan, and Lisa while Boyle would also create some flashback scenes which play into Jobs on the rise and the fall he would suffer once he is fired from Apple. By the time the film reaches its third act with the upcoming launch of the iMac, the look is much brighter but the tension is still there as it plays into some of the dramatic elements of the film as well as how far Jobs has become where he is finally about to achieve some success. Overall, Boyle creates a compelling yet stylish film about one of the greatest figures in the world of computers.

Cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography as it each act and presentation has a different and distinctive look from the colorful yet grainy look of the first act, the more polished yet colorful look of the second act, and a much brighter and evocative look for the film‘s third act. Editor Elliot Graham does excellent work with the editing as it features some jump-cuts and other stylistic cuts including inserted montages as it help plays into Jobs‘ development as a character and the products he would create. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, with set decorator Gene Serdena and supervising art director Luke Freeborn, does brilliant work with the set design for each of the presentation of the auditoriums where Jobs would present his new creations as it helps establish a mood for each sequence as well as the locations of these auditoriums.

Costume designer Suttriat Anne Larlab does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual though it does evolve over time as it includes some of the hippie-style clothes Chrisann wears. Makeup designer Ivana Primorac does fantastic work with the look of Jobs as well as Hoffman throughout the years as well as the other supporting characters. Visual effects supervisor Adam Gascoyne does terrific work with some of the visual effects as it‘s mostly minimal for some of the big presentations. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb with the sound to play into frenzy of the crowd awaiting for the product unveilings as well as some key scenes in the conversations and backstage areas. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is wonderful for its orchestral-based score as it features an array of different themes for each act and presentation where some of it is operatic and some of it is low-key while the music soundtrack largely features music from Bob Dylan, the Macabees, and the Libertines.

The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible as it features a few notable small roles from John Ortiz as the journalist Joel Pforzheimer, Adam Shapiro as the software engineer Avie Tevanian for the film’s third act, and Sarah Snook as one of Jobs’ key collaborators in Andrea “Andy” Cunningham. In the dual of roles as the younger versions Lisa Brennan-Jobs, Makenzie Moss and Ripley Sobo both bring excellent performances in their respective roles as the five and nine-year old versions of Lisa where they provide the innocence of a young girl who wants to get to know her father. As the 19-year old Lisa, Perla Haney-Jardine is fantastic as the young woman who reluctantly wants to talk to her father as she deals with his attempts for a reconciliation. Michael Stuhlbarg is superb as the programmer/engineer Andy Hertzfield who was part of the Apple II team as he tries to help Jobs with some last minute things for the MacIntosh presentation as well as comment on some of the things in Jobs’ own life including Lisa.

Katherine Waterston is brilliant as Chrisann Brennan as Jobs’ former girlfriend who reluctantly shows up to the first two presentations asking for money as well as acknowledging that he’s Lisa’s father. Jeff Daniels is amazing as John Sculley as Apple’s CEO for the first two acts who deals with Jobs’ lavish presentation as well as being the scapegoat of getting Jobs out of Apple where he tries to get Jobs to admit his own wrongdoings that forced him out of Apple. Seth Rogen is remarkable as Steve Wozniak as the co-founder of Apple and the brainchild behind the Apple II as he tries to be Jobs’ friend but also want him to acknowledge the Apple II team for what they’ve done for the products Jobs would create for Apple in the coming years.

Kate Winslet is phenomenal as Joanna Hoffman as Jobs’ right-hand woman who is the film’s conscience as she tries to get everything ready while being the one person who tries to get Jobs to establish a relationship with Lisa as well as do what is right for him. Finally, there’s Michael Fassbender in a magnificent performance as the titular character as this man who sees himself as an artist in the world of personal computers as he tries to give the world the best product possible while dealing with his ego as well as his personal life as Fassbender isn’t afraid to make Jobs un-likeable as well as display some humanity into the character as it’s one of Fassbender’s finest performances to date.

Steve Jobs is a tremendous film from Danny Boyle that features an outstanding performance from Michael Fassbender in the titular role. Along with a great supporting cast as well as some beautiful imagery and Aaron Sorkin’s inventive screenplay. The film is a provocative yet ravishing portrait of one of the great figures of the 20th and 21st Century who changed the world with technology as well as someone who was also very complicated professionally and personally. In the end, Steve Jobs is a spectacular film from Danny Boyle.

Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - The Beach - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionaire - 127 Hours - Trance - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))

© thevoid99 2015

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Directed by George Clooney and written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck is the story of TV broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and his conflict to call out Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950s during the period of McCarthyism where people are accused of being affiliated with communism. The film is a historical look into a man who refused to give in to McCarthy’s accusations amidst the pressure of corporate sponsors and such during the early years of television. Starring David Strathairn, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, and Frank Langella. Good Night, and Good Luck is a fascinating yet rich film from George Clooney.

In the early 1950s where Senator Joseph McCarthy calls out on American citizens with Communist ties believing they’re working for the Soviet Union. The film revolves around Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and his team to stand up to McCarthy and his many accusations believing that he is calling out regular people and making them cower to his claims. It’s a film that plays into a period in time during the early years of television where Murrow wants to voice his opinions at great risk from losing corporate sponsors. It is a film where people are scared and have no idea who to turn to during this time where Murrow would be a voice for those who are afraid of McCarthy.

The film’s screenplay by George Clooney and Grant Heslov opens and ends with Murrow at a gala in his honor in 1958 with colleagues there to praise him as he talks about the importance of what television should do rather than just entertain. Even as much of the film takes place from late 1953 to early 1954 where there’s a lot of discussion of the stories that Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly (George Clooney) want to talk about as it relates to those who lost their jobs because of McCarthy’s accusations or those who are victimized by McCarthy such as Annie Lee Moss. Though Murrow, Friendly, and some of their staff believe they’re doing something right to call out McCarthy for his actions. They still had to contend with their bosses who are worried about losing their corporate sponsors and the fact that they could be shut down by those sponsors or the powers that be.

Clooney’s direction is very simple yet stylish in not just the way he frames some of the things that goes on inside a television studio. It’s also in how he manages to capture the sense of energy that goes on whenever a story is about to be told through Murrow’s mouth. Using a lot of tracking and steadicam shots to capture some of the movement that goes inside the studios, Clooney would also take great stock in getting close-ups and medium shots to play into the conversations that happens along with very entrancing shots of Murrow talking to the camera. There’s also a few wide shots in the film as Clooney is more focused on maintaining a sense of intimacy of what goes inside a newsroom during the early 1950s in the era of McCarthy. Notably as it also plays into the power of what television could do and how it would affect all sorts of change despite some of the behind-the-scenes politics that goes on which would change everything all because of greed. Overall, Clooney creates a very engaging yet provocative film about a journalist standing up to Joseph McCarthy.

Cinematographer Robert Elswit does incredible work with the film‘s black-and-white photography that is a major highlight of the film with its approach to lighting for many of its interior scenes as well as the scenes set at night. Editor Stephen Mirrone does excellent work with the editing where it is very stylized with some simplistic yet methodical cuts along with some inspired usage of stock footage from the McCarthy hearings. Production designer James D. Bissell, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Christa Munro, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the offices and the control room as well as the studio where Murrow does his broadcast.

Costume designer Louise Frogley does nice work with the costumes that plays into the period of the times in what the women wore as well as the clothes the men wore. Sound editors Aaron Glascock and Curt Schulkey do fantastic work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the newsroom as well as some of the audio heard in the news clippings and such. The film’s music by Jim Papoulis is superb for its jazz-based score while music supervisor Alan Sviridoff would play into that period with a lot of jazz music as it’s sung on location or in post-production by Dianne Reeves.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is great as it features notable small roles from Rose Abdoo as news editor Mili Lerner, Matt Ross as editor Eddie Scott, Reed Diamond as editor John Aaron, Alex Borstein as the secretary Natalie, Tate Donovan as editor Jesse Zousmer, Thomas McCarthy as editor Palmer Williams, and Grant Heslov as the news director Don Hewitt. Ray Wise is terrific as news journalist Don Hollenbeck as a reporter for CBS who finds himself being targeted by the government as a Communist as he starts to unravel. Robert Downey Jr. and Patricia Clarkson are brilliant in their respective roles as correspondent Joseph Wershba and wife/editor Shirley Wershba as two co-workers trying to keep their marriage a secret as it was forbidden for co-workers to be married in those times.

Jeff Daniels is excellent as CBS news director Sig Mickelson as a man who is trying to warn Friendly and Murrow about what not to say as he is struggling to keep their sponsors as well as reveal what things have to be done in the office. Frank Langella is amazing as CBS chief executive William Paley as the head of the company who knows what Murrow and Friendly are doing but warns them about what they will lose. George Clooney is superb as producer Fred W. Friendly as a friend of Murrow who tries to figure out what to cover and how to help Murrow out with the news as well as see what kind of trouble they would get into. Finally, there’s David Strathairn in a phenomenal performance as Edward R. Murrow as a no-holds barred journalist who decides to spar with Joseph McCarthy over his accusations on people who claim to have ties with Communism in an attempt to do what he feels is right as well as see television as a way to help people instead of other things as it‘s Strathairn in one of his greatest performances ever.

Good Night, and Good Luck is a remarkable film from George Clooney that features a towering performance from David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow. The film isn’t just a look into a period of time when the world of journalism stood up to Joseph McCarthy and his witch hunt. It’s also a film that showcases the world of news on television in its infancy where it was not afraid to speak the truth despite pressures from corporate sponsors. In the end, Good Night, and Good Luck is a spectacular film from George Clooney.

George Clooney Films: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - (Leatherheads) - The Ides of March - The Monuments Men

© thevoid99 2015

Radio Days

Written, directed, and narrated by Woody Allen, Radio Days is about the life of an American family during the Golden Age of Radio where a man recalls his childhood during the late 1930s. The film explores the world of nostalgia and childhood innocence as it plays to a period in time when people gathered to find an escape from their dreary lives. Also starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Seth Green, Michael Tucker, Tony Roberts, Julie Kavner, Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, and a special appearance from Diane Keaton. Radio Days is a ravishing yet heartfelt film from Woody Allen.

The film is about a man named Joe recalling his life as a child (Seth Green) in the late 1930s and early 1940s during the Golden Age of Radio. Notably as he thinks about a time when families gathered to listen to the radio for different programs as he was one of those families living in Rockaway Beach in New Jersey with his parents (Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner) and relatives including his aunt Bea (Dianne Wiest). During these years, young Joe would go through many moments in his life impacted by the radio including the attacks on Pearl Harbor and all sorts of things while the older Joe would also talk about the tumultuous life of a woman named Sally White (Mia Farrow) who would eventually become a star in the radio.

Woody Allen’s screenplay is told in a reflective manner as he does the voice of the older Joe as a man who is fascinated by that period when he was a kid. Notably as he recalls the many different programs the people in his family listen to whether it’s sports, soap operas, or comedies that they listen to while Joe’s favorite program is the Masked Avenger. Allen moves the narrative back-and-forth from Joe’s childhood adventures to the story of Sally White as she goes from working at a nightclub to becoming a radio star in the span of a few years. Both narratives would play into major developments where Joe would deal with a lot of the changes in his life as would Sally who starts off as this dim-witted woman into an actress of the radio.

Allen’s direction definitely recalls some of the visual ideas but also the sensibility of Federico Fellini. Notably in capturing the idea of nostalgia and the innocence of youth as it is told from the perspective of a man thinking about a special moment in time. A lot of contains moments of great humor including a scene where young Joe and some friends try to look for Nazi planes and U-boats only to get a glimpse at a naked woman. There’s also moments where there’s some suspense but also in a comical moment involving Sally and a mob hitman (Danny Aiello) where she witnesses a murder as she pleas to not kill her where a lot of sweet moments happen. There’s also a sequence involving a moment of tragedy through the radio where it would play into an entire family coming together despite all of their dysfunctional aspects.

It all plays to something that Allen wanted to recapture in that period where people gathered to listen to something and talk about with friends and family. Especially in a period where technology was primitive and wasn’t as distracting. There’s a sadness that is prevalent in Allen’s narration over the fact that everything he’s telling are based on what his character remembers as it plays into that moment that will never be replicated. Even in scenes set in New York City where it is grand and full of life that carries a similarity to the moment Joe’s family are in this little house as they’re also having fun. Overall, Allen creates a very majestic and exhilarating film about nostalgia and the innocence of childhood.

Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous cinematography from many of the colorless yet vibrant cinematography of the New Jersey exteriors to more exquisite lighting schemes for some of the posh interior settings. Editor Susan E. Morse does brilliant work with the editing to find ways to help the narrative move back and forth while using some rhythmic cuts to play out its humor. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with art director Speed Hopkins and set decorators Carol Joffe, Leslie Bloom, and George DeTitta Jr., does fabulous work with the set pieces from the cramped intimacy of Joe’s home as well as the look of Rockaway Beach, New Jersey to some scenes in New York City including the nightclub rooftop.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does excellent work with the costumes to create that period in time from the fashionable clothes that Bea wears to the many different dresses that Sally wears. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound to create layers of mixing for the way the radio sounds from its soundstage to the people listening to it. Music supervisor Dick Hyman creates a very dazzling soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times from Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many others.

The casting by Juliet Taylor is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from William H. Macy as a radio actor, Todd Field as a crooner, Don Pardo and Tony Roberts as radio hosts, Wallace Shawn as the voice of the Masked Avenger, Kenneth Mars as Joe’s rabbi, Larry David as a Communist neighbor, Jeff Daniels as revered radio actor Biff Baxter, Danny Aiello as mob hitman Rocco, Sydney Blake as the naked woman Joe and his friends saw, and Diane Keaton as the New Year’s Eve singer in the film’s final moments. Other notable performances include Zero Mostel as Joe’s uncle Abe, Renee Lipin as his aunt Ceil, Leah Carey and William Magerman as Joe’s grandparents, and Dianne Wiest in a wonderful performance as the dreamy Aunt Bea who is always searching for love.

Michael Tucker and Julie Kavner are great as Joe’s parents as a couple who often bicker towards each other as they also love each other no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves. Seth Green is excellent as the young Joe as a kid who is amazed by his surroundings as Green brings a sense of charm and energy to his role. Finally, there’s Mia Farrow in a remarkable performance as Sally White as an aspiring actress who starts at the bottom being a mistress for a radio star to finally becoming one as Farrow brings a lot of humor and strange voice accents to her character.

Radio Days is a magnificent film from Woody Allen. Armed with a great cast and an engaging yet touching theme on nostalgia, it is a film that is definitely one of Allen’s most entertaining and heartfelt films. Notably as it showcases a place in time where the radio brought people together. In the end, Radio Days is a triumphant film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

Looper

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Looper is the story of a time-traveling assassin who kills people in the past as he learns that his next target is an older version of himself. The film is a sci-fi thriller that explores the world of time travel and identity as it revolves around a young man dealing with his job and its implications where he makes a drastic discovery about who he is and who is he working for. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Piper Perabo, Noah Segan, Pierce Gagnon, Garret Dillahunt, Tracie Thoms, and Jeff Daniels. Looper is an incredible yet complex film from Rian Johnson.

Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a paid assassin called a looper whose job is to kill men who have been sent from the future under the orders of the mob. It’s a job that has kept Joe rich as he works for Abe (Jeff Daniels) who makes sure things are good as Joe is paid in silver and later gold once he kills a future version of himself. When one of his friends in Seth (Paul Dano) has left his future self (Frank Brennan) go, he becomes scared until Joe reluctantly hides him as Kid Blue (Noah Segan) arrives searching for Seth as Abe makes Joe an offer he couldn’t refuse. High on drugs and reeling from his work as a looper, Joe forges ahead to his next assignment where he suddenly faces his old self (Bruce Willis) who escapes and goes on the run. With Joe searching for his old self, he later meets his old self who has arrived from the future to kill their mysterious boss known as the Rainmaker.

With old Joe continuing on the run and goes on the search for the person that would become the Rainmaker, young Joe finds a location on a map that the old Joe had which leads him to a farm where a woman named Sara (Emily Blunt) lives with her son Cid (Pierce Gagnon). Young Joe decides to protect Sara and Cid from the other loopers and Old Joe who is searching for someone who could become the Rainmaker. While at the farm, a hired gunner from Abe in Jesse (Garret Dillahunt) arrives to find young Joe as young Joe and Cid hide out until Jesse later comes back where young Joe makes a chilling discovery about what Cid is. Realizing the implications of what would happen, young Joe decides to do whatever it takes to save Cid and Sara from old Joe and the other loopers.

What happens when a young man faces an older version of himself who comes from the future to stop something from happening? That’s sort of the idea of the film that writer-director Rian Johnson makes as it is about an assassin who is paid to kill future targets for the mob that he would never see and know about. When he faces himself who arrives from the future to stop someone would become this major mob force, the young man has to realize the implications of what might happen as it would lead to all sorts of trouble.

Johnson’s screenplay is quite intricate in terms of its narrative as it starts out in a straightforward manner to establish young Joe’s life in the first act where he is definitely a very troubled yet skilled assassin who is also a junkie. When he faces his old self, things become complicated as Johnson creates an alternate narrative that unveils what would’ve happened if the young Joe had killed his old self where it would chronicle Joe’s life as a killer and then finding salvation in a woman (Xu Qing) who would become his wife. Yet, it would drive the old Joe to go back in time to save his wife but also to stop the person that would become the Rainmaker as the second act is about the two Joes and the young Joe’s meeting with Sara. The third act is more interesting where it reveals more complexities about what the old Joe wants to do as well as the danger that is going to happen.

Johnson’s script doesn’t just feature a lot of complexities in terms of the characters that are created as well as its development. Notably in the characterization of Joe who deals with the fact that he’s just trying to do his job and try to kill his old self only to realize that ther is a life outside of the world of being a looper. Johnson’s approach to stylish dialogue definitely adds a sense of nuance to the script where it’s set in the future and there’s a lot of things that are happening that sets the rich and poor apart.

Johnson’s direction is definitely ambitious in terms of the presentation he aims for in creating a film that is set in the future. Shot on location in New Orleans and parts of Louisiana as Kansas along with scenes in Shanghai, Johnson goes for a lot of wide shots but also some interesting medium shots to establish a future that isn’t too far off but also slower in its development. Since it adds to the sci-fi elements of the film, it also gives Johnson the chance to create a future that doesn’t play to typical aspects of other sci-fi films by grounding it with a bit of realism.

The film’s element of suspense and action definitely plays to the story where it includes a key scene where the old Joe goes after one of his targets where Johnson knows what not to shoot in order to tell the story and then unveil the impact that follows. Even in the film’s third act where things become unveiled into what the two Joes are facing as it raises a lot of questions into what has to be done. Through these amazing wide shots along with some intimate close-ups of the characters, Johnson’s direction is very fluid in its movements along with the way he presents action scenes to get the audience aware of what is going on. Overall, Johnson creates a truly dazzling and mesmerizing sci-fi thriller that manages to be engaging in its high-brow concept.

Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful photography from the stylish nighttime interiors at the club Joe and his friends hang out to the more naturalistic look of the field scenes outside of the city. Editor Bob Duscay does excellent work with the editing by creating a montage early in the film to showcase young Joe‘s troubled life as well as some rhythmic cuts to play out the film‘s action and suspense. Production designer Ed Verreaux and art director James A. Gelarden do great work with the set pieces from the nightclub that Joe hangs out at to the farm that Sara lives along with props that adds to the sci-fi element of the film like the hover-motorcycle.

Costume designer Sharen Davis does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for both Sarah and old Joe while the younger Joe wears more expensive suits to establish his character. Makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji does some very good makeup work to have the two Joes look like each other with some prosthetic hair and such for the characters. Visual effects supervisor Karen E. Goulekas does some superb work with the visual effects from the exteriors of the futuristic Kansas City to the jaw-dropping sequences in the film‘s third act. Sound designer Jeremy Peirson does some fantastic work with the film‘s sound in the way some of the machines sound like along with the intimacy that is created in scenes at the farm.

The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is wonderful for its suspenseful driven score that is a mixture of electronic music and orchestral pieces as it features lots of bombastic themes as well as other dramatic moments. Music supervisor John Houlihan creates a terrific soundtrack that features all sorts of music ranging from acts like the Mashnotes, Kid Koala, Richard and Linda Thompson, Son Lux, and Warren Zevon.

The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Tracie Thoms as a waitress young Joe sees every day at a diner, Nick Gomez as a fellow looper, Frank Brennan as the old Seth, Xu Qing as the old Joe’s wife, Garret Dillahunt as the hired gunner Jesse, and Piper Perabo as the showgirl Suzie who young Joe spends time with early in the film. Paul Dano is pretty good as the looper Seth who suddenly faces himself as he becomes scared of the consequences. Noah Segan is wonderful as the Gat Man Kid Blue who is trying to get things done in order to please Abe. Jeff Daniels is great as the crime boss Abe who tries to ensure that things are taken care of while making young Joe a tempting offer that would later cause a lot of trouble.

Pierce Gagnon is amazing as the young kid Cid who befriends the young Joe while revealing some things that would have the young Joe be very suspicious about. Emily Blunt is amazing as Cid’s mother Sara who tries to protect her son while helping the young Joe in realizing about what is happening in relation to her young son. Bruce Willis is outstanding as the old Joe who returns to his past from the future to find the Rainmaker and deal with his younger self as Willis brings a great sense of grit and weariness to the character. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an incredible performance as the young Joe where he tries to deal with his own issues as a person while realizing about the troubles of time travel when he faces his older self as it’s a really captivating performance from Gordon-Levitt.

Looper is a spectacular and thrilling film from Rian Johnson that features marvelous performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt. The film is definitely a sci-fi thriller that bears a lot of interesting concepts about time travel as well as the dangers of it. Even as it involves themes that raises a lot of questions about its dangers where it becomes a compelling suspense film. In the end, Looper is a superb film from Rian Johnson.

Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - The Last Jedi - Knives Out - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - (Knives Out 3)

© thevoid99 2012

The Lookout

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/31/07 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Scott Frank, The Lookout is about a young man, damaged from an accident several years ago who is left mentally impaired as he's forced to right notes and things to get his life going. When he meets an old friend from high school, he suddenly takes part in a bank heist that would eventually go wrong. Frank, who has been known for writing screenplays in films like Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Minority Report makes his directorial debut where he takes a different approach of the heist film. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher, Carla Gugino, Bruce McGill, and Alberta Watson. The Lookout is a smart, intelligent character study/heist film from Scott Frank.

The star hockey player in his high school and one of the top students, Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seemed to have it made. He had rich parents in Robert and Barbara Pratt (Bruce McGill and Alberta Watson) and was someone many idolized. Then one night after prom, he and some friends were on his car where playing around until a seriously horrifying accident happened leaving Chris damaged. Four years later, Chris is alive but mentally and emotionally impaired as he can barely remember the accident or put things in order. Even opening a simple can opener can be troubling. He talks to his counselor in Janet (Carla Gugino) about his day-to-day problems while he lives with a blind cook named Lewis (Jeff Daniels). In the day, he goes to school to improve his sequencing order while at night, he works as a janitor in a bank for his boss Mr. Tuttle (David Huband) and trying to work as a teller with help from Mrs. Lange (Alex Borstein).

Then one night after work, Chris goes to a bar where he meets a guy named Gary Spargo (Matthew Goode) who claims to have known him back in high school. Gary buys him a beer as the two begin to meet frequently as Gary introduces him to a former dancer named Luvlee (Isla Fisher). Chris is invited to a party where Luvlee told him she remembered him back in school at a championship game he played as she seduces him. Chris enjoys the company as he was invited to a post-Thanksgiving dinner where he learns of a plan involving a bank heist at his own bank. Chris at first doesn't want to get involved but Gary tells him it will be the only way to get away from his own mundane, repetitive life. Chris gives in eventually with a bit of help from Luvlee while Lewis notices a change in Chris' attitude and the company he's surrounded by. With Chris unwittingly takes pictures of the bank, he doesn't become aware of what is really going on.

With the heist going underway, tension begins to mount as Chris is wondering if he's doing the right thing. With Gary and his gang deciding to rob the bank at night with Chris being the lookout, he realizes he's in a lot more than he bargained for.

Heist films often has this sense of tension where things could go wrong during a heist and this film plays to the tradition of heist films of the past. The only difference about this movie is that it's really about this young, emotionally/mentally damaged young man who is sucked into a world of crime as an escape to his own mundane, repetitive life. Writer/director Scott Frank creates a momentum where the audience gets to know Chris Pratt and all of the things he's done in his day-to-day life. Even when he has to remember things, he has to write them all onto a notepad. It's really an engaging character study of this young man who becomes part of a heist as he gets into a moral dilemma.

The way the heist is set up reveals how Chris at first, gets into it by trading a jacket his mother bought him to the way he reacts to his own mundane life. Then once the heist comes around, there is this eerie tension that Frank sets up where it's known that something goes wrong. Whether it's a visit from the deputy watchman in Deputy Ted (Sergio Di Zio) comes in to check on Chris. To the moment they break into the vault and knowing that trouble is coming around.

Then there's the line "whoever has the money, has the power" which then becomes a game about power. Gary wants to use the money to lure Chris into all sorts of temptation until Chris' own conscience gets the best of him. While mainstream audiences might find the film's momentum in the first two acts to be jarring, it pays off in the third act. Particularly in the ending where it doesn't play to Hollywood conventions or has twists. Everything plays out straightforward. Even the characters who each have some back story while Gary is also flawed in a physical way since he carries an inhaler. Overall, the film's smart writing and very observant, stylish direction works as Scott Frank makes a hell of a debut.

Helping Frank in his visual presentation is cinematographer Alar Kivilio whose intimate camera work in the interior settings play to the film's tension, notably in the heist sequence. The exterior work shot on location in Canada as Kansas works to play up to the film's cold feel including the opening sequence that involves fireflies. Production designer David Brisbin and art director Dennis Davenport help bring the American look to create the bars and apartments that Chris lives and works in. Costume designer Abram Waterhouse also adds to the look of dark colors for most of the cast to convey this aura of darkness. Editor Jill Savitt really shines with her stylistic editing to convey the tension and suspense while giving the use of flashbacks to reveal the troubling emotions of Chris. Sound editor Kelly Cabral plays to the film's tension, particularly in the final moments to convey the cold weather and what is to come. Composer James Newton Howard brings a very melodic, moody score to play to the troubling mind of Chris Pratt as well as the suspense during the heist and its aftermath.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with small performances from Janaya Stephens and Marc Devigne as Chris' older, adult siblings, David Huband and Alex Borstein as Chris' bank supervisors, Sergio Di Zio as the comical Deputy Ted who often gives Chris donuts, and Laura Vandervoort as Chris' former high school girlfriend Kelly who brings an eerie presence to the film. Playing Gary's gang are Morgan Kelly as Marty and Aaron Berg as Cork who are both excellent while it's Greg Dunham as Bone that really brings an excellent presence with his black long hair and black sunglasses. Carla Gugino is excellent in her one-scene performance as Chris' caseworker while veteran actors Bruce McGill and Alberta Watson are fine as Chris' parents who struggle their attempt to reconnect with their son.

Known to audiences for her comedic work in Wedding Crashers, Isla Fisher is wonderful as the sexy seductress Luvlee with her charming, vibrant charm while Fisher shows a bit more of her serious side in a very intriguing scene with Jeff Daniels where she proves that she's more than just some pretty face. In a performance that is really against type, Matthew Goode is superbly terrifying as Gary Spargo. Known to audiences for his romantic work in movies like Chasing Liberty, Imagine Me & You, and Woody Allen's Match Point, the British actor plays against his good looks for a shaved haircut and a beard as this tough, manipulative robber who want to have money and power while using his wits to manipulate the fragile Chris. Goode is truly a revelation as he proves his range, even doing an excellent American accent. Veteran actor Jeff Daniels is also superb as the blind Lewis whose comical comments and wit brings a lot of needed humor to the dark film while being the only friend that Chris has while trying to keep him grounded in the world he's being sucked in. It's a fantastic performance from the veteran actor.

Finally, there's Joseph Gordon-Levitt in another winning performance as Chris Pratt. What is more shocking in this angst-ridden, emotionally troubled performance is the restraint that Gordon-Levitt brings. There's a way he stands and how he is quiet when doing his work or writing in his notepad. The way he observes things with silent. It's a very minimalist performance that could've gone wrong with some huge outburst. Yet, Gordon-Levitt remains still though at times, he curses and tries to deal with his emotions. When he's sucked in, he becomes a bit more selfish while remaining restrained and right to the end, he becomes a full-on acting powerhouse. This is not the same child actor we've known in Angels in the Outfield or the teen from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves he is for real and has what it takes to carry a film like this which he's also proven in films like Mysterious Skin and Brick.

The Lookout is a smart, engaging, entrancing crime drama from Scott Frank featuring a wonderfully leading performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fans of heist films will enjoy the tension and momentum it builds up while mainstream audiences should give the film's slow build-up a chance to be sucked in. With a fantastic supporting cast including Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, and Isla Fisher, it's a film that features great performances, witty dialogue, and great scenes that audiences can enjoy. Yet, the film really belongs to both Frank and Gordon-Levitt as a new director has now emerged while Gordon-Levitt continues to become a force in American Cinema. For anyone wanting a smart alternative to some of the big films this spring, check out The Lookout.

(C) thevoid99 2012

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/14/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, The Purple Rose of Cairo tells the story of a woman during the Depression of the 1930s struggling to get by including a loveless marriage. When a character from a film she's watching leaves the screen to comfort her, her life starts to go into an upswing until the actor who plays the character starts to arrive complicating all matters. A comedy-drama that bends all sorts of genres, it is considered to be one Allen's finest films of his career. Starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello, Glenne Headly, Edward Herrmann, Van Johnson, and in her first of many films for Woody Allen, Dianne Wiest. The Purple Rose of Cairo is an extraordinary, magical film from Woody Allen and company.

Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is a waitress who works at a diner in 1930s New Jersey with her sister (Stephanie Farrow) as her home life isn't any better as she has to deal with her brutish and unemployed husband Monk (Danny Aiello). Cecilia finds escape by going to the movies as one day, she sees a new movie called The Purple Rose of Cairo about a group of bored socialites who meet an explorer named Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels) during a trip to Cairo. After being fired from her job due to her incompetence and discovering that Monk is cheating on her, Cecilia decides to see The Purple Rose of Cairo again where something strange happens as Tom notices Cecilia feeling sad as he walks out of the screen to ask what is wrong with her. The film is suddenly stalled when Tom enters the real world as Cecilia gives Tom a tour of the real world while the actors in the movie are stuck wondering what is going on as they can't do anything.

With Tom amazed by what is happening as he and Cecilia become friends, things get more complicated as the audience that watches the film wonders what is happening as its producer and the film's star Gil Shepherd (Jeff Daniels), who plays Tom, goes to Jersey in hopes to save his acting career. Gil finally meets Cecilia as he tries to convince his character to return to the movie which doesn't go well. Tom wanders around while Gil befriends Cecilia as she falls for both Tom and Gil despite being married. While Tom manages to get the attention of a hooker named Emma (Dianne Wiest) who takes him to a brothel. With Gil promising Cecilia to take her to Hollywood, Cecilia finds Tom as they return to the theater as she enters the film as things get more chaotic. Gil also appears in the theater making Cecilia confused about which world to be in.

The film is essentially a period piece about a loopy woman who finds escape through the films. Yet, when a character of that film suddenly walks out of the screen and appear to her wanting some adventure, thus comes a bizarre love triangle when the actor who plays the character appears to her. What Woody Allen creates is a genre-bending film that is part-romance, part-comedy, part-period piece in which, everything works. It's about fantasy and reality where the character of Tom is transfixed by the real world as he's the most innocent character in the film unaware of things that go on in the real world. There's no fade-outs during kissing scenes, due to the Hayes production code of the time in films, which Tom wonders after he kisses Cecilia. Even Tom's encounter with hookers is innocent as he has no idea what a brothel is or any sexual reference speech means.

Then there's Gil who is an actor on the verge of a career breakthrough finds his character threatening the chance for him to play Charles Lindbergh in an upcoming film. Gil isn't as innocent but more complex as, like Cecilia, is a dreamer who is transfixed by her innocent, loopy persona as they talk about his movies and such. Yet, there's something about Gil who is desperate to have Tom back in the film for the sake of his career where he seems selfish on whether he's acting or being himself. Holding it all together is Cecilia, a dreamer who is trying to find escape in a loveless marriage. Yet, she's flawed because she's loopy and stammers when she lies while couldn't really hold a job despite working hard to pay the rent and such. Finding some form of adventure in both Tom and Gil gives her life meaning but when a decision is made about what happens next. The film ends ambiguously with a variety of emotions. There's sadness in some part but also a bit of happiness about what's going on at the same time.

Allen's script is filled with witty dialogue, commentaries of the film world at the time, as well as a true description of the Depression era. Allen's direction is truly spectacular in its intimacy and his approach to bending genres. Not utilizing the tricks of the old 1930s film, he only does that for the actual film of The Purple Rose of Cairo with some amazing visual effects. The way he uses stock footage of cities for some of the fantasy sequences are dazzling as Allen is proving himself to be a director that knows to use an old style while create something that is magical. At the same time, Allen is aware of the message of how powerful a film can be where he mixes realism and fantasy to the point that this film is a great escape in itself. Allen understands how much an audience can be transfixed by a film and he does so in creating a film and a film-within-a-film where the overall message is to sit back, relax, and watch a good movie. In the end, Allen just doesn't succeed in that approach. He does a lot more than that in creating a unique, touching cinematic experience.

Helping Allen in the visual department is his then-regular cinematographer Gordon Willis, who creates a wonderful look with its use of dark colors and low-lights for some nighttime, interior sequence to a film that is dream like. For the film version of The Purple Rose of Cairo, it's shot in grainy black-and-white like the old 1930s film style with some bright lights and dabbles of gray in the background. At the same time, that film is cropped in an old full-screen ratio like it was before the invention of the widescreen format. Willis work is immensely superb in its richness and devotion to the period of 1930s New Jersey. Longtime Allen collaborator Susan E. Morse does great work with the film's editing as it's mostly straightforward with smooth cuts and transitions while the film-within-a-film has more style with the use of dissolves, fade-outs, and other stylistic transitions to give it an old time feel.

Production designer Stuart Wurtzel, set decorator Carol Joffe, and art director Edward Pisoni do spectacular work with the look of the film from the decaying buildings of New Jersey to the old cars that are used. Even the brothel in its interior setting has a fascinating look. The look of The Purple Rose of Cairo film in its posh setting has something amazing which included a white telephone that Cecilia is amazed by. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does some fantastic work with the costumes, notably the explorer suit with the big hat that Tom Baxter wears along with some of the fancy clothing the actors in the Cairo film including some glamorous dresses and such. Sound editor Dan Lieberstein and recording mixer Rick Dior do some very good work with the sound, notably the way the Cairo film has a unique sound with scratches heard in the film and such. Music composer Dick Hyman brings a smooth, melodic score filled with old-time, 1930s ragtime piano while the soundtrack is mostly dominated by ragtime music and pieces from Fred Astaire in the film Top Hat as it opens and closes the film with style.

The casting by Juliet Taylor is phenomenal with some notable small roles from Michael Tucker as Gil's agent, Alexander Cohen as producer Raoul Hirsch, Juliana Donald as a film usher, Irving Metzman as the theater manager, Mia Farrow's real-life sister Stephanie as her sister and fellow waitress, and Glenne Headly as a hooker in the brothel. In the role of the actors in the film version of The Purple Rose of Cairo, there's Deborah Rush as the glamorous Rita, Zoe Caldwell as the Countess, Van Johnson as the Countess' date Larry, Milo O'Shea as a priest, Karen Akers as a nightclub singer, John Wood as a composer, and Edward Herrmann as the main actor as they all have some funny lines. Notably Caldwell who says a boorish comment towards an audience member's wife. One very memorable minor role that really stands out is Dianne Wiest in her first of many films for Woody Allen as a hooker named Emma. Weist's stylish, no-nonsense performance is filled with charm and wit as she really stands out in every scene she's in.

Danny Aiello is very good as Monk, Cecilia's selfish, gambling husband who couldn't find work as he is a brute of a man but does love Cecilia. Aiello's performance is definitely fun to watch as he and Jeff Daniels, as Tom Baxter, is great displaying the fighting style of the times as Aiello really stands out. Jeff Daniels delivers a tour-de-force performance in the dual role of Tom Baxter and Gil Shepherd. Daniels exudes all of the innocence and exuberance of Tom Baxter with such energy and charm while in Shepherd, there's a bit of a smugness and realism as well as a side of him that is a dreamer. It's a great role from Daniels, who is one of the more underrated working today, as this role reminds audiences into why he is one of the best in the business.

Finally, there's longtime Allen staple Mia Farrow in a wonderful role as Cecilia. Farrow's performance is definitely wonderful as her character is a dreamer who loves to talk about the film she had just seen yet has a hard time paying attention. Even as she puts out the wrong orders, forgets something, and drops plates. Cecilia is innocent but also a bit clueless as she is dealing with a troubled marriage and always threatens to leave him. In Tom and Gil, she finds a sort of escape and adventure along with the idea of a new life. There's a lot of exuberance Farrow puts into the role as it's clearly one of the best performances she put in her career.

The Purple Rose of Cairo is a majestic, whimsical, and heartwarming film from Woody Allen and company. Featuring great performances from Mia Farrow and Jeff Daniels with notable standout supporting roles from Danny Aiello and Dianne Wiest. It's a film that is funny, it's entertaining, has a great sense of drama, and has something that audiences can relate to about the power of films. While it may not rank high with more regarded masterpieces like Annie Hall, Hannah & Her Sisters, and Crimes & Misdemeanors. It's a film that is still Allen at its finest and certainly one that is worth re-watching over and over again for all of its charm. In the end, The Purple Rose of Cairo is a dazzling film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up, Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love & Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - Hannah and Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories-Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don't Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2011

Cheaters (TV film)

Written and directed by John Stockwell, Cheaters is about a working-class high school teacher from Chicago who rallies his students to cheat against a top-city school in an academic decathlon. Based on the real-life events of 1994-1995 decathlon scandal in Chicago, the film is an exploration of what a school teacher and his students try to do for their school. Starring Jeff Daniels, Jena Malone, Blake Heron, Luke Edwards, Dov Tiefenbach, and Paul Sorvino. Cheaters is a smart yet compelling drama from John Stockwell.

Dr. Jerry Plecki (Jeff Daniels) of Steinmetz High School is set to lead the decathlon team for the third year in a row. Yet, many of the students coming from the working class area of Chicago doesn’t seem to care with the exception of the 15-year old junior Jolie Fitch (Jena Malone). Fitch helps Plecki assemble a decathlon team that includes math wiz Darius (Luke Edwards), Matt (Blake Heron), Paul (Dan Warry-Smith), two young Polish kids in Dominik (Dominik Podbielski) and Agnieska (Anna Raj), and a wild-card named Irwin Flickas (Dov Tiefenbach). After a few hard months of studying and hard work, they attend the regional decathlon competition. Despite making it to state at fifth place, they were beaten big by the already successful Whitney Young school that has won the decathlon for nine years straight.

With the realities of their environment as well as the fact that they’ll never beat Whitney Young, the students and Plecki realize that all of their hard work isn’t enough. When a friend of Matt’s was able to get him inside a building where a copy of the upcoming tests are, Matt is able to secure a copy of the tests only to have Irwin take it so he can show it to Plecki. Though Plecki is aware that what he’s doing is wrong, he reveals to his team that he has a copy. While a few reluctantly decide to take part in the plot to cheat, Plecki decides to have the already demoted Irwin to play the role as a spy for the upcoming state decathlon. With Plecki and his team taking on a plan to cheat without getting caught, their plan succeeds as they pull an upset over Whitney Young.

While the victory has caused a great sense of pride for Steinmetz High and its principal Constantine Kiamos (Paul Sorvino), a lot of press attention goes to the school as Irwin feels left out. After writing an essay about cheating, Irwin finds himself in trouble with Kiamos as Irwin later claims it was just fiction. Yet, it would be the first of many problems Plecki and his students would face as the school board accuses them of cheating. With the whole team and Plecki deciding not to return their prizes and claim that they did nothing wrong, a scandal starts to escalate as Plecki becomes the main target of everything that has happened.

The TV movie is about a cheating scandal that rocked an entire state but it is more about why did a teacher and a group of kids did what they did? Well, it wasn’t the fact they did it simply to beat some elite high school in the city or to bring pride to the school. Did they do it to expose an already corrupt system where richer schools get more and inner-city public schools to get less? John Stockwell goes into that but he chooses to focus more on the people involved in this real-life cheating scandal.

While the script at times does reach into some heavy-handed idea of moralization about what immigrants and working-class people had to do to get ahead in the third act. John Stockwell does at least make Dr. Plecki and his students into very interesting personalities as they all try to work hard to succeed despite what they have to face. Dr. Plecki knows that cheating is wrong but knowing that his students have worked too hard and make the kind of sacrifices to succeed wouldn’t be enough to beat some elite school. With cheating, he hopes to give these young kids the chance to succeed and feel proud that he’s made some difference.

Yet, he manages to get in trouble with the system while one kid, who was part of the team, feels left out as he gets revenge by writing an essay and expose the story to the press. For those kids, they’re faced into an unwanted situation where they‘re pressured to expose themselves for the gain of an unfair school system. Plecki however, becomes vilified to the point as he ponders about everything he had done.

Stockwell’s direction is very good for the way he presents the film. While the direction is mostly straightforward with some stylized compositions. It does play to the energy of the film of how hard the kids are studying through a series of speedy montages or slow it down a bit for slow-motion walking. By basing the film on location in the Chicago area, Stockwell does manage to maintain a sense of realism in the film while he knows how to frame the camera given that he’s shooting it on full frame. Overall, Stockwell does create a very solid yet engaging TV-movie that explores the world of cheating.

Cinematographer David Hennings does a nice job with the photography to maintain a gritty though polished look for a lot of the exteriors to emphasize the coldness of the Chicago working-class area along with some excellent interior shots for some of the nighttime scenes. Editors Eric A. Sears and Scott K. Wallace do some amazing work with the editing by creating some wonderful montages as well as slowing things down for stylistic scenes as the pacing is presented in a leisured form.

Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorator Steven Essam and art director Edward Bonutto, does a fine job with the set pieces created such as Plecki‘s classroom and the homes he and the kids live in. Costume designer Lisa Martin does a very good job with costumes for Plecki and the students to emphasize their working-class world and their more elitist opponents. Sound editor Leonard Marcel and sound designer D. Chris Smith do some wonderful work with the sound to play up the chaos of the locations or to overlap some of the dialogue for the interrogation scene late in the film.

The film’s score by Paul Haslinger is pretty good for its mix of plaintive, piano-driven score and some low-key electronic pieces to maintain the gritty presentation of the film. Music supervisor P.J. Bloom and Evyen Klean does play to the world of the mid-90s with an array of alternative rock music like Cracker and the Cranberries as well as some electronic music from acts like Portishead.

The casting by Randi Hiller and Diane Kerbel is superb as it features some memorable small appearances from Lenka Peterson as Plecki’s mother, Marcia Bennett as a school board member, and Robert Joy as Whitney Young’s decathlon coach. For the roles of the young kids, there’s wonderful performances from Dominik Podbielski as the quiet Polish kid Dominik, Anna Raj as the hard-working Polish student Agnieska, Dan Warry-Smith as the fat but fun Paul, Luke Edwards as the witty Darius, and Blake Heron as the brash Matt. Dov Tiefenbach is very good as abrasive yet smart Irwin who would be the kid that causes a lot of trouble leading to his own departure from the team while plotting revenge against his teammates.

Paul Sorvino is excellent as principal Kiamos who hopes for something for his school to be proud of while trying to help Plecki with the onslaught that is going on late in the film. Jena Malone is fantastic as Jolie, a young junior who hopes to get something from the decathlon while being one of the few kids that wants to learn as Malone’s performance is full of excitement and a real sense of determination. Jeff Daniels is great as Dr. Jerry Plecki who is a good teacher that wants the kids to do their best while going into his own personal conflicts about cheating once he’s targeted as he is trying to do what he feels is right for the kids. Daniels’ performance is remarkable for the way he makes Plecki sympathetic without making him as some martyr.

Cheaters is a stellar TV movie by John Stockwell that includes two excellent performances from Jeff Daniels and Jena Malone. While it’s a film that does asks questions about whether cheating is the right thing to do or not depending on one’s environment. It is an engaging film that doesn’t pander to its audience despite being heavy-handed in the third act about morals. Of the films that Stockwell has done as a director, this is his best as it has a gritty element but also presents itself in an accessible manner. In the end, Cheaters is a wonderful yet engrossing drama from John Stockwell.

John Stockwell Films: (Undercover) - (Crazy/Beautiful) - (Blue Crush) - (Into the Blue) - (Turistas) - (Middle of Nowhere)

© thevoid99 2011