Loving (2016 film)

Based on the 2011 documentary film The Loving Story by Nancy Buirski, Loving is the true story of a white man who falls for and marries a black woman in the 1950s that would cause a lot of controversy and eventually a case in the Supreme Court. Written for the screen and directed by Jeff Nichols, the film is an exploration of two people who fall in love but would get in trouble over the fact that they’re people of who different color when interracial marriage was considered forbidden in 1950s America as the couple of Richard and Mildred Loving are respectively played by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. Also starring Michael Shannon, Nick Kroll, and Marton Csokas. Loving is a somber yet evocative film from Jeff Nichols.

The film follows the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving who in 1958 drove to Washington D.C. from their home in a small town in Virginia to get married and thus would cause trouble in their home state leading to a nine-year battle for the right to stay married and stay in their home state. The film is a simple story of a couple where Richard is white and Mildred is black yet the two are in love and decide to get married when the latter becomes pregnant with their first child. Jeff Nichols’ screenplay doesn’t begin with how Richard and Mildred met but rather the moment they decide to marry as the former spends much of his time socializing with other African-Americans who see him as just another person to socialize with as his mother live in the same neighborhood that they live in. Though they hope by marrying in Washington D.C., nothing would go wrong as Richard and Mildred are just quiet and reserved people that don’t want to cause any trouble. Yet, the government in Virginia and many others see their action as something immoral as they would be forced to move to Washington D.C. with their growing family until they get the help from ACLU lawyer Bernard S. Cohen (Nick Kroll).

Nichols’ direction is understated in its approach to the story since it doesn’t try to go for any kind of lavish or grand visual statement. Instead, Nichols goes for something more intimate and dream-like in his direction as much of the film is shot on location on various locations in the state of Virginia where it does play into this period that is vibrant but also stuck between two different ideas with the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. There are some wide shots to play into the locations as well as the world that the Loving are in that would include shots of fields and vast farmland. Yet, Nichols would emphasize more on close-ups and medium shots to get a look into the family life of Richard and Mildred whether it’s in the streets of Washington D.C. or at the farms of Virginia. Notably as the dramatic elements are told in a very low-key presentation in order to avoid the many conventions of melodrama.

The historical context of the film is prevalent but only in the background where the Loving family would hear about the growing Civil Rights Movement but they feel at first that it doesn’t concern them nor do they want to be involved because of their reserved personalities. Even as the lead-up towards the third act where Richard and Mildred cope with the unexpected media attention as the former is extremely uncomfortable while the latter is willing to speak but is also reluctant to divulge too much. Nichols would show how overwhelming the attention is as well as some of the prejudice that the couple would face as Richard would get a bigger understanding of what African-Americans deal. All of which forces him and Mildred to challenge the idea of marriage in America but do it very quietly as an act of defiance from a loud resistance. Overall, Nichols crafts a tender yet intoxicating film about a white man and a black woman wanting to stay married amidst the racial strife of the late 1950s/early 1960s in America.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its naturalistic and dream-like feel for some of the farmland locations in the daytime as well as some low-key lighting for some of the scenes at night. Editor Julie Monroe does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of the drama with bits of jump-cuts in some parts of the film. Production designer Chad Keith, with set decorator Adam Willis and art director Jonathan Guggenheim, does brilliant work with the look of the homes that the characters live in as well as the look of the courtrooms and places of what they looked like in those times.

Costume designer Erin Benach does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward for what many of the clothes looked like in the early 1960s. Sound editor Will Files does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the scenes in a few drag races that Richard goes to. The film’s music by David Wingo is incredible for its low-key score that has elements of ambient music and soft string pieces that doesn’t play into any kind of bombast while music supervisor Lauren Mikus provides a fun soundtrack that features a mix of rock n’ roll, blues, and R&B of the times from acts like Ritchie Valens, William Bell, Jerry Butler, Earl King, the Empires, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Magic Sam, and Clarence Reid.

The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sharon Blackwood as Richard’s mother who is also a midwife, Terri Abney as Mildred’s sister Garnet, Alano Miller as family friend Raymond Green, David Jensen as a judge that orders Richard and Mildred to leave Virginia, Bill Camp as Richard and Mildred’s attorney Frank Beazley in their early court cases, Christopher Mann and Winter Lee-Holland as Mildred’s parents, Jon Bass as Civil Rights attorney Phil Hirschkop, and Michael Shannon in a small yet terrific performance as LIFE magazine photojournalist Grey Villet who would be invited Richard and Mildred’s home as he gets to see what their life is like without exploiting them too much. Marton Csokas is superb as Sheriff Brooks as a local sheriff who doesn’t like what Richard and Mildred are doing as he’s intent on getting rid of them yet doesn’t do it in an aggressive manner but still be calm yet threatening. Nick Kroll is fantastic as Bernard Cohen as ACLU attorney who takes on Richard and Mildred’s case hoping it would mark a change as well as see that they’re a couple that isn’t doing anything wrong.

Finally, there’s the duo of Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga in sensational performances in their respective roles as Richard and Mildred Loving. Edgerton provides a gruff yet low-key performance as a man that just minding his own business as well as be a good person to his wife and kids. Negga is just as reserved as Edgerton while being very soft-spoken in giving out interviews as well as be graceful in the way she carries herself. Edgerton and Negga together are a joy to watch in just how they display that sense of warmth and love for each that just feels right.

Loving is a tremendous film from Jeff Nichols that features incredible performances from Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, and a compelling story that play into the real-life events of this couple. It’s a film that showcases the idea of love and what it can do in having two people fight in the most subtle way to showcase their commitment to one another. In the end, Loving is a spectacular film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Shotgun Stories - Take Shelter - Mud - Midnight Special - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2018

The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

Among a small group of filmmakers to make a name for himself in the past decade, Jeff Nichols is someone who has only made a handful of films so far in his career. However, he’s managed to attain loads of critical support as well as gain a growing audience interested in his stories about regular people dealing with the world and their surroundings as they’re mostly set in the American South. While many of his stories that are often set in his home state of Arkansas as well as rural places with people dealing with something that is either real or otherworldly. Nichols has crafted a body of work that is compelling as well as grounded in that air of realism and tenderness that many of today’s mainstream filmmakers aren’t making these days.

Born on December 7, 1978 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Jeff Nichols was born into a place that didn’t have much of a film culture yet would find some form of escape through books and films. Notably the work of Mark Twain who Nichols would consider to be a major influence in his writing while he was also interested in the world of cinema. Notably with the films of the New Hollywood era of 1970s American cinema and some of the films that was emerging during the 1980s. Through his interest in cinema, Nichols would attend the prestigious University of North Carolina School of Arts where it had become a starting point for emerging filmmakers such as David Gordon Green and Jody Hill who also made films set in the South. Nichols’ time at the school would prove to be a fruitful experience as he would meet those who would be part of his team of collaborators including cinematographer Adam Stone.

Shotgun Stories

Following his tenure at the University of North Carolina School of Arts, Nichols met another alumni in David Gordon Green who had been making critically-acclaimed films in the early 2000s as they were all set in the South. Green decided to produce Nichols’ first feature film as he would gather money to help get Nichols funding as well as offer him one of his editors in Steven Gonzales to edit the film for Nichols. For the casting, Nichols decided to cast several unknowns as well as actors that not many people knew. For the lead role of Son Hayes, Nichols cast Michael Shannon in the role as it would serve as a breakthrough for Shannon.

Shooting on location in small towns near Little Rock, Arkansas, Nichols’ film revolved around a family feud involving two sets of half-brothers who both share the same father but both endured different relationships and lives with their father. The film follows three men who live very simple but troubled lives who still bear the scars of abuse of their father as they learn that he’s died as they crash the funeral to say insults towards him only to set a firestorm against their half-brothers. The feud wouldn’t just lead to tragedy but also a sense of unease where it is clear that it has come to the realization that this family is beyond damaged as three of these men who are just trying to make something in their lives are doing what they can while also trying not to carry the sins of their parents. Much of the film was shot in 2004 yet it took years and more funding for the post-production as Green was involved with other projects during that time which led to the film’s delay. It was around that time that Nichols brought in his brother Ben who was in the alt-country band Lucero to provide some score music as he would become an occasional collaborator for Nichols.

After some delay, the film made its premiere in February of 2007 at the Berlin Film Festival where it was well received as it led to a run of festival appearances that brought a lot of word of mouth for the film. Following a limited release in March of 2008 where it only made more than $168,000 against its $250,000 budget. The film was still a favorite with the critics as it made it into some top-ten lists for the year of 2008 including from the famed Roger Ebert who named the film one of the year’s best.

Take Shelter

Despite the critical support he’s received for his first film, Nichols knew that being an independent filmmaker wasn’t going to be easy as he still took the time to develop his next project. That project eventually fell apart yet he did get the attention of independent film producer Sophia Lin who did accept another script that Nichols was working that would be his next film. The film would be about a man having a strange premonition about a storm coming to his home as he is consumed by fear and paranoia to protect his family while wondering if it’s all true. The film would be a more ambitious project than his first film as Lin would team up with Tyler Davidson to produce it as they gained nearly $5 million for the budget.

With Michael Shannon playing the lead role of Curtis LaForche, Nichols would also cast veteran actors such as Ray McKinnon as Curtis’ older brother and Kathy Baker as their mother while noted characters Katy Mixon and Shea Whigham would play supporting parts. For the role of Curtis’ wife, Jessica Chastain was cast as she was about to make waves for her work in Terrence Malick’s 2011 film The Tree of Life. The film would be mostly shot and set in Lagrange, Ohio with some additional shooting near Austin, Texas and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with regular cinematographer Adam Stone in 2010. While Nichols wasn’t able to get his brother Ben to create music, he was given the chance to work with composer David Wingo who had been scoring music for David Gordon Green and Jody Hill.

The film made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2011 where it was a big hit at the festival where it would receive a festival run for much of the year and then picked up by Sony Pictures Classic for a limited release in late September that year. The film would be a modest commercial success making back its budget yet it was a major hit with critics as the film was praised for its story as well as Shannon’s performance. Its success also gave Nichols some major clout as he was already embarking on his next project.

Mud

Since the premiere of Take Shelter at Sundance in early 2011, Nichols had been approached to make more films as he got the attention of producer Sarah Green who had also worked with Jessica Chastain on The Tree of Life. Inspired by the works of Mark Twain, Nichols’ third film would be about two boys who meet a mysterious drifter in an island in the middle of Arkansas River. The film would be a coming-of-age tale where a young boy not only learns about first love but also help a man try to reach out to a former flame. The project was fascinating as it got the attention of Matthew McConaughey who agreed to play the role of the titular character. Green provided Nichols the services of casting director Francine Maisler who would bring in Tye Sheridan from The Tree of Life to play Ellis while Jacob Lofland would play Ellis’ friend Neckbone. The cast would also include Reese Witherspoon as Mud’s old flame Juniper as well as small roles from Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks, Joe Don Baker, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, and Sam Shepard.

Retaining the services of cinematographer Adam Stone, composer David Wingo, and Nichols’ brother Ben providing additional music. The crew would also include production designer Richard A. Wright and editor Julie Monroe as the latter would become part of Nichols’ stable of recurring collaborators. Production began in September of 2011 in Arkansas as Nichols was given a $10 million budget as well as complete access to shooting around various locations in his home state. Especially in its river where Nichols and Wright helped create a boat that would be placed on a tree as it was integral for the plot. Nichols didn’t just want an air of realism but also that air of suspense as it relates to old enemies of Mud who want him dead.

The film made its premiere in May of 2012 at the Cannes Film Festival playing in competition for the Palme d’Or. While it didn’t win any prizes at the festival, the film was a major hit as it helped raise Nichols’ profile as a filmmaker as well as give Matthew McConaughey more acclaim where many believed he was in the midst of a career resurrection. Following its limited release in the U.S. in April of 2013, the film would be a hit not just critically but also commercially as it made more than $21 million in the U.S. box office and $11 million more worldwide. Though the film got overlooked during the awards season, the film would receive the Robert Altman Award for its ensemble at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards.

Midnight Special

Following a break between films where Nichols had become a father, his time becoming a father would lead to a new project that would be about a father trying to protect his son from the government and a mysterious cult with the help of his estranged wife and a friend of theirs as they go on the road and on the run. The film was partially-inspired by Nichols’ love of sci-fi films including John Carpenter’s 1984 film Starman. Nichols took some time to write the script as he would get the support of producer Sarah Green as well as retain many of collaborators from his last film to be on board for the project while Michael Shannon was cast as the lead role of Roy Tomlin with recurring collaborators Sam Shepard and Paul Sparks playing small supporting roles. The cast would also include Joel Edgerton as Roy’s friend Lucas, Kirsten Dunst as Roy’s estranged wife Sarah, Adam Driver as government agent Paul Sevier, and Jaeden Lieberher as Roy’s son Alton.

Production began in January of 2014 with a $18 million budget in New Orleans where much of the film was shot there. The film would be Nichols’ most ambitious as it would rely partially on visual effects as Nichols wanted to maintain something that is real. Especially as it is about that relationship between father and son as they both try to escape the cult leader who is Roy’s father and wants Alton for something that he believes would send him to some kind of world. Nichols also wanted that air of suspense and action to be used but in a minimal sense so that it doesn’t deter from the heart of the story as some of the sci-fi elements didn’t just have some real-life stakes but also would be presented in a climax that is otherworldly.

Though the film was slated for a late 2015 release, it took some time for some of the post-production to be finished as well as the fact that Nichols was already working on another project at the same time. The film made its premiere at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival that May where it drew rave reviews as it led to a spring theatrical release in the U.S. While it would make $6.2 million in the U.S. box office despite the film being Nichols’ first film on a wide release scale. The film still managed to be a favorite with the critics as it helped give Nichols some mainstream visibility while maintaining his status as an independent filmmaker.

Loving

Nichols’ newest feature film is a dramatization over the real-life marriage between Richard and Mildred Loving as it was seen as illegal since the former was white and the latter was black. Starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga in their respective roles as Richard and Mildred Loving with supporting parts from Michael Shannon, Nick Kroll, Bill Camp, and Marton Csokas. Featuring the same collaborators that Nichols worked with in his previous work, the film marks as Nichols’ first period film as well as it wasn’t a film Nichols wanted to do but was convinced by his wife to do it. The film made its premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival that May where it was a major hit as it would get its theatrical release in November.

While he’s only made five feature films so far, Jeff Nichols is already creating a body of work that most filmmakers wish they could have as he is already on a roll. In an age where Hollywood wants to make films based on gimmicks, franchises, and such, Nichols is a filmmaker that American cinema needs as he creates stories about real people dealing with some type of situation whether it’s mysterious or real. Even as they’re set in places that is more homegrown rather than be set in cities or places that are often seen in Hollywood. If there’s any filmmaker that deserves a place to be called the best American filmmaker working today, it’s Jeff Nichols.

© thevoid99 2016

Shotgun Stories

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Shotgun Stories is the story of two sets of half-brothers who embark on a feud following the death of their father. The film is an exploration of a group of brothers who are down on their luck as they go into a battle against another group of brothers that eventually escalates into tragedy. Starring Michael Shannon, Barlow Jacobs, Douglas Ligon, and Glenda Pannell. Shotgun Stories is a riveting and intense film from Jeff Nichols.

Set in a small town in Arkansas, the film revolves around two sets of half-brothers whose father has died as one group is in mourning but the other half in three brothers don’t have kind things to say about their father as a feud begins to occur. It’s a film that is essentially about a family feud where three men still bear scars of abuse and torment from their father as well as being raised by their mother to hate their half-brothers who have a more fulfilled life. For the trio of the eldest Son (Michael Shannon), the middle-child Boy (Douglas Ligon), and the youngest in Kid (Barlow Jacobs), they’re just struggling to live day-by-day as well as cope with trying to succeed as well as the resentment of having their father abandon them as kids to start another family.

Jeff Nichols’ screenplay doesn’t just explore much of that sense of resentment that carries around Son, Boy, and Kid, but also their lives as they’re estranged from their mother Nicole (Natalie Canderlay) who had also been abusive towards them as well. The lives of the three brothers are just as complicated as Son is going through a separation from his wife Annie (Glenda Pannell) due to his gambling habit while Boy and Kid live with him as they don’t have a home to go to. Boy is a middle-school basketball coach struggling to get by while Kid works with Son at a fish farm as he also hopes for a raise so he can marry his girlfriend Cheryl (Coley Campany). Their encounters with their half-brothers led by the eldest Mark (Travis Smith) eventually gets ugly where it becomes not just violent but also escalates into some very dark territory.

Nichols’ direction is quite entrancing in its simplicity as it is shot largely on location in small towns in Arkansas with some of it shot in its capital Little Rock. With its usage of wide and medium shots, Nichols creates something that plays into a small world as well as being very beautiful in the fact that it is a small town where people kind of know each other. Yet, it is shaken by this growing tension between two sets of half-brothers as it’s boiling to a breaking point. Nichols’ usage of close-ups add to the intimacy as well as how close the relationship of the brothers are as it is about protecting each other. The direction also has Nichols create that air of suspense but also a sense of unease in the way the drama unfolds as it has these scenes where it is about the brothers trying to live their lives and then get into an ugly encounter with their half-brothers where it would escalate into tragedy that would nearly destroy a family that don’t like each other at all. Overall, Nichols creates a rapturous yet eerie film about two sets of half-brothers engaging themselves into a dangerous feud.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the lush look of the scenes set to the sunlight for some of its exteriors to the usage of lights and low-key lights for scenes at night interior and exterior. Editor Steven Gonzales does excellent work with the editing with its stylish of dissolves and transitional fade-outs as well as some rhythmic cutting for the drama and suspense. Sound editor Jerry Gilbert does nice work with the sound from the way Boy‘s radio would pop up music every now and then to some of the quieter moments in the film that play into the drama and suspense. The film’s music by the bands Pyramid and Lucero is amazing for its mixture of melodic dream-pop with bits of country texture to play into the suspenseful moments of the film as well as the atmosphere of the South.

The casting by Yancey Prosser is fantastic as it include some notable small roles from G. Alan Wilkins as a town eccentric who is a friend of Kid, Coley Campany as Kid’s girlfriend Cheryl, Lynsee Provence and David Rhodes in their respective roles as the young brothers Stephen and John who hate Son and his brothers, Cole Hendrixson as Son’s child Carter, and Natalie Canderlay as the estranged mother of Son, Boy, and Kid who doesn’t seem fond of her sons as well as not really care about the trouble she put them in. Glenda Pannell is wonderful as Son’s wife Annie who has separated from him due to his gambling habits while dealing with the chaos of the feud. Travis Smith and Michael Abbot Jr. are excellent in their respective roles as Mark and Cleaman Hayes as the two eldest half-brothers who are part of the feud with the former being the one to push things and the latter trying to stop it.

Barlow Jacobs is superb as Kid Hayes as the youngest of the three brothers who is trying to deal with the expectations of adulthood as well as do what is right for his girlfriend Cheryl as he hopes the raise will give her an engagement ring. Douglas Ligon is brilliant as Boy Hayes as middle school basketball coach who lives in his van and has a dog who is trying to deal with his own faults in his life and wonder if he can turn things around. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in an incredible performance as Son Hayes as a man who works at a fishing farm that is doing what he can to prove himself to his wife as well as cope with the presence of his half-brothers whom he dislike along with the feud he’s gotten himself into as it becomes out of control.

Shotgun Stories is a phenomenal film from Jeff Nichols. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous imagery, an evocative score, and a gripping story of brotherhood and family feuds. It’s a film that explores men dealing with demons as well as the hatred they have towards another group of men who were given the things they never had as children. In the end, Shotgun Stories is a sensational film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Take Shelter - Mud - Midnight Special - Loving (2016 film) - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2016

Midnight Special

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Midnight Special is the story of a man and his son who escape a religious cult when it’s revealed the boy has special powers where the cult as well as federal authorities try to go after the two. The film is a sci-fi adventure of sorts set in the American South as a father and his friend try to go to a mystery destination for this boy where they would later receive help from the boy’s mother. Starring Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Paul Sparks, Jaeden Lieberher, and Sam Shepard. Midnight Special is a thrilling yet touching film from Jeff Nichols.

Set in the American South, the film revolves a man who had kidnapped his son from a religious cult as he gets the help from an old friend in taking them to a secret destination where they’re chased by federal authorities and members of the cult. It’s a film that is about a father trying to help his son while wrestling with the fact that his son does have these special powers that can’t be described as the boy is also somewhat immune to sunlight. They’re later joined by the boy’s mother who was excommunicated from the church as she tries to cope with her son’s weakened state while helping her estranged husband and his friend in evading the authorities. At the same time, a FBI analyst tries to uncover the mysteries as he would make some major discoveries of his own.

Jeff Nichols’ script doesn’t exactly try to create something that is just a film that blends sci-fi, adventure, family drama, and as a road movie. It’s also a film that has a lot into what is at stake as the boy Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) has to wear goggles and is immune to daylight where he, his father Roy (Michael Shannon), and Roy’s childhood friend Lucas (Joel Edgerton) have to travel at night and stop before dawn where they would cover motel windows via cardboard and duct tape. Lucas, a state trooper, would use a radio to hear police reports and find ways to evade them as he wonders what is going on where he too realizes what is at stake where the three cope with the fact that there is very few they could trust including Alton’s mother Sarah (Kirsten Dunst) who hadn’t seen her son in years. The FBI believe that Alton is a weapon as they want to catch him and see what he is about but there are also members of this cult who see Alton as a savior and had used his words and such as gospel.

The script also plays into the mysterious elements of Alton’s powers as his eyes would light up mysteriously for unknown reasons as Alton himself has very little idea on what he is. Even as Alton and his entourage are baffled by what they encounter and what Alton has done where Roy is trying everything he can to protect him where the two would later make a discover on where Alton needed to go and what he is. Adding to the suspense are the FBI where they bring in an analyst named Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) who is asked to work for the authorities but is really someone that is just an observer who would make a discovery of where Alton and his entourage is going. All of which would play into not just elements of mythology but also in humanity itself where a group of people are trying to do what is right in a world that is very complicated.

Nichols’ direction is quite entrancing for the way it presents a film that bends all sorts of genres but is grounded into a modern world without the need of being futuristic or anything. Shot largely in New Orleans as part of the American South where it would take place from East Texas to Florida, the film does have something that is homegrown of a world that Nichols is very familiar with where he doesn’t go too far into the world of fantasy and mythology. With its usage of wide and medium shots for the locations, Nichols also maintains an intimacy with the latter and in in the close-ups as it relates to not just the journey at hand but also the relationship between Roy and Alton which is the heart of the film. Even as there’s scenes in the second act where Roy and Alton cope with the danger of being chased as well as the latter being ill as he has a revelation of what he has to do to survive.

The direction is also quite ambitious in not just creating the air of suspense as it relates to the authorities that are involved from the FBI and military who try to stop Roy, Alton, Lucas, and Sarah but also in the fact that they know they’re being chased with news coverage being shown on televisions. Some of the scenes that involve Alton’s mysterious powers are have an air of realism including moments that are big yet Nichols keeps it grounded so that it wouldn’t overwhelm the story. The film’s climax is quite ambitious as it relates to something mythological but it also play into what is at stake about the bond between father and son as well as what a few people would do to make things right. Overall, Nichols crafts an exhilarating yet gripping film about a few people trying to get a boy to an unknown destination away from people who want him for their own reasons.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of natural lights for many of the exterior scenes in day and night along with bright lights for moments where Alton‘s eyes light up and some of the interiors in the way they‘re lit inside the motel rooms. Editor Julie Monroe does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and action. Production designer Chad Keith, with art director Austin Gorg, set decorator Adam Willis, and set landscaper Austin T. LeValley, does fantastic work with the look of the authority bases and rooms as well as the look of the cult ranch which Roy was a part of.

Costume designer Erin Benach does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of some of the dresses many of the women in the cult would wear. The visual effects work of Cody Brunty is terrific for a few sequences that are driven by effects as it plays into the gifts that Alton carries. Sound designer Jeremy Bowker and sound editor Will Files do superb work with some of the sound effects that occur in the film along with the mixing of naturalistic sound to play up the atmosphere of whatever location the characters are at including the truck stops. The film’s music by David Wingo is incredible as it is largely an electronic score with some ambient textures and bass-driven synthesizer pieces that do play into the sci-fi elements in the film while the soundtrack also features music ranging from country to ranchero.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it features notable small roles from Bill Camp as the cult leader’s second, Scott Haze as a cult member helping out in finding Alton, Sharon Garrison as Sarah’s mother, David Jensen as a former cult member who brings shelter to Roy, Lucas, and Alton, and James Moses Black as a military officer working with the FBI in trying to find Alton. Sam Shepard is superb as the cult leader Calvin Meyer who is also Roy’s father as he is eager to get his grandson back for his own selfish reasons. Paul Sparks is excellent as FBI agent Miller as a man that is trying to find Alton while wondering if Alton is a threat to national security. Adam Driver is fantastic as FBI analyst Sevier as this man that interviews cult members and try to decode things where he makes a discovery which would be crucial for everything that is going to happen as it’s a very restrained performance with dabbles of humor.

Kirsten Dunst is amazing as Sarah as Alton’s estranged mother who hadn’t seen in him years as she helps out in the escape and going to their secret destination as well as coping with the years she had been away from her son and the things she knows about Alton’s condition. Joel Edgerton is brilliant as Lucas as a childhood friend of Roy who helps out in the journey as he tries to understand what is going on while being someone that can be helpful and do what is right. Jaeden Lieberher is phenomenal as Alton as a young boy with a special gift that deals with his situation as he tries to understand what is going on while being aware of what he can do where it’s a performance that manages to be a lot of things and a whole lot more. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in a remarkable performance as Alton’s father Roy as this man that was once part of a cult as he tries to save his son from being something he’s not while providing a realism that is compelling such as the fact that he enjoys worrying about his son as it’s a very soulful and moving performance from Nichols.

Midnight Special is a sensational film from Jeff Nichols. Featuring great performances from Michael Shannon, Jaeden Lieberher, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, and Adam Driver as well as some dazzling visuals and David Wingo’s hypnotic score. The film is a fascinating genre-bender that does a whole lot more with its premise while creating something that appeals to a wide audience as it relates to the concept of family. In the end, Midnight Special is a riveting and enchanting film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Shotgun Stories - Take Shelter - Mud - (Loving (2016 film)) - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2016

Mud (2012 film)

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Mud is the story of two boys who meet a strange man living on a boat stuck on a tree as he is hiding from bounty hunters while hoping to return to his former flame. The film is an adventure in which two teenage boys meet up with this man as it’s set entirely in Arkansas where they try to help this man who is carrying some secrets of his own. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, and Sam Shepard. Mud is a riveting yet towering film from Jeff Nichols.

The film is a simple story of two teenage boys who meet a mysterious man in an island on the Arkansas River as he is living on a boat on top of a tree that the boys want. It’s a film that explores this complex relationship between this man who is on the run from authorities and bounty hunters while he befriends these two boys as he asks for their help in getting the boat down from the tree and fix it. Even as it is a film about men and young men where this man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) is hoping to reunite with his old flame whom he went to jail for. While Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) help bring some supplies, Ellis encounters things in his own life that he’s unprepared for while understanding the fallacies of love.

Jeff Nichols’ screenplay is mostly about Ellis as he copes with not just his parents separating but also the idea of leaving the river home he’s spent much of his life. It’s really a coming-of-age tale for both Ellis and Neckbone as the two are becoming interested in women as Ellis would gain the attention of a high school girl in May Pearl (Bonnie Sturdivant) whom he has a crush on. Yet, their encounter with Mud would give them a chance to do something in the hopes that they could get the boat for themselves as the two also learn about Mud’s intentions as he waiting for his old flame in Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Juniper is this woman who has a past with Mud as she learns through Ellis and Neckbone about Mud as she is also being watched by a bounty hunter whose brother was killed by Mud.

It adds to the drama as well as the severity of the situations where things do intensify on an emotional level in the third act as the warnings that Ellis is getting from neighbor in Tom Blankenship (Sam Shepard) starts to seep in. Even as revelations about what Mud did that got him in trouble start to emerge which plays into not just the fallacies of love but also how foolish men are when it comes to women. The script also goes into the idea of loyalty and doing what is right where even though Ellis and Neckbone would do things that are wrong so they can help Mud. They do start to question what they’re doing as well as why Mud hasn’t contacted Juniper himself though they know he’s a wanted man.

Nichols’ direction is very entrancing not just for the way he creates this film as this mixture of thriller with a coming of age drama. He also manages to make something that definitely feels like a very Southern film not just in its many locations in small towns in Arkansas but also in places near its river and the Mississippi River. While many of the compositions from close-ups to wide shots are very simple with some underwater shots and some unique camera angles. There is a sense of naturalism that Nichols is going for as he shoots a lot of places on locations where there is a beauty to the river and some of skylines while there’s also something that feels very grimy such as some of the aspects of nature.

The direction also has Nichols use suspense in some very effective ways as it pertains to the horde of bounty hunters that are going after Mud as well as the warnings that Blankenship has for Ellis about getting too close to Mud. There’s also some humor in the way it plays into the idea of love while much of it is dramatic as Nichols makes no bones that this is a film about men though he doesn’t portray women as selfish beings but rather those who are just complicated. It’s that idea that would spark much of the film’s more intense third act where it isn’t just about Mud facing his demons but also the consequences that Ellis would have that would shape him from boyhood to manhood. Overall, Nichols creates a very somber yet exhilarating film about two boys who help a man trying to get back to an old flame.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does brilliant work with the film‘s gorgeous cinematography from the look of the skylines to some of the nighttime exterior settings in the island as well as some interior scenes where the lighting plays into the dark mood of the film. Editor Julie Monroe does excellent work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward in terms of its rhythmic cuts as well as playing into the film‘s suspense. Production designer Richard A. Wright, with set decorator Fontaine Beauchamp Hebb and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the river house that Ellis and his family lived in to the design of the boat that he and Neckbone would find that Mud would live in.

Costume designer Kari Perkins does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual from the white shirt that Mud wears to the clothes that Juniper wears. Sound designer Will Files does amazing work with the film‘s sound to convey for many of the film‘s locations in the rivers as well as some scenes in some of the social gatherings including a bar where Juniper goes to. The film’s music by David Wingo is superb for its mixture of folk music with eerie orchestral-like pieces to play into the world that is the American South that includes some country textures in the music while music supervisor Steve Lindsey maintains that world of the South with a lot of music ranging from country to rock as well as an inspired use of the Beach Boys‘ Help Me Rhonda.

The casting by Francine Maisler is phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from Kirsty Barrington as Neckbone’s uncle’s girlfriend, Bonnie Sturdivant as Ellis’ high-school crush May Pearl, Joe Don Baker as a notorious crime kingpin who wants Mud dead, Paul Sparks as the kingpin’s son who wants vengeance for his brother’s death, and Michael Shannon in a superb performance as Neckbone’s uncle Galen who provides some of the film’s funnier moments. Sarah Paulson and Ray McKinnon are excellent as Ellis’ parents with Paulson playing the mother who tries to talk to Ellis about why she’s leaving her father while McKinnon plays the father who feels like he let his son down. Sam Shepard is brilliant as Ted Blankenship as a former assassin who was a father-figure for Mud as a boy as he realizes why Mud has come back. Jacob Lofland is amazing as Neckbone as a teen who helps Ellis do things for Mud as he would prove to be a formidable ally as he also says some funny things.

Reese Witherspoon is fantastic as Juniper as Mud’s former girlfriend as she learns about Mud returning as she is this very complex person who loves Mud but is also a very flawed woman who plays into the idea of love’s fallacy. Tye Sheridan is incredible as Ellis as this 14-year old boy who befriends Mud as he deals with helping Mud as well as growing up and experience first-love. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a tremendous performance as the titular character as this man who is on the run as he is eager to return to his old flame as he also proves to be someone that knows a lot about love while being unaware of the same mistakes he’s making.

Mud is a spectacular film from Jeff Nichols that features a mesmerizing leading performance from Matthew McConaughey as the titular character. Along with a great supporting cast that includes Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon, Jacob Lofland, and Sam Shepard. It’s a film that manages to be a lot of things such as a coming-of-age story and a suspense thriller while having so many things to say. In the end, Mud is an outstanding film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Shotgun Stories - Take Shelter - Midnight Special - Loving (2016 film) - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2014

Take Shelter

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter is the story about a man who has an apocalyptic dream as he struggles to create a shelter. With his obsession becoming more intense, his relationship with his family becomes strained as he is convinced that something bad will happen. Starring Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Ray McKinnon, Lisa Gay Hamilton, and Kathy Baker. Take Shelter is a chilling thriller from Jeff Nichols.

Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) is a respected laborer who has a loving wife in Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and a lovely yet deaf daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart) as they live happily in Texas. Then Curtis starts to have strange nightmares that revolves around an apocalyptic storm that is to wreak havoc. While Curtis is unsure about the dreams he’s having as it felt very real to him, he chooses not to tell his wife as they’re on the verge of having money for surgery for their daughter’s chance to hear. After the dreams intensify and he tells a doctor about it, he reluctantly takes pills only to realize that he’s starting to see things that might actually be happening.

While he suspects that he might be suffering from schizophrenia due to the fact that his mother (Kathy Baker) has been hospitalized for it. Curtis suddenly becomes paranoid as he decides to fix up and expand a tornado shelter in his backyard. While his friend and co-worker Dewart (Shea Whigham) reluctantly help out, Samantha wonders what is going on as she finds herself asking questions about Curtis’ behavior. Curtis finally tells Samantha about his nightmares following a health scare as well as revealing that he’s taken a loan to build his shelter. With his dreams becoming more ominous, Curtis’ paranoia starts to affect everyone as the whole town is convinced that Curtis has gone crazy. Curtis wonders if he is going crazy until a dream has him convinced that a storm is definitely coming.

The film is about a man’s belief that his apocalyptic nightmares are coming true as he starts to question his own sanity and the decisions that he’s making. Throughout the film, Curtis LaForche ponders if he is imagining all of this or does he really think it’s happening as a visit to see his mother would only raise more questions about his state of mind. Jeff Nichols creates a film that is part-apocalyptic thriller and part-family drama as it all centers towards a family man who is desperate to create a shelter for his family. His script dwells into this man’s paranoia that starts off with a nightmare and then shifts back into his real life as he would later have trouble deciphering in what is real and what is a dream. Curtis would question his own state of mind but couldn’t escape what he feels as his wife would start to believe that he might be telling the truth despite her own initial feelings and confusions about what her husband believes.

Nichols’ direction is truly hypnotic from start to finish in the way he opens the film with a man doing household activities outside where it starts to rain but water color is very different. Nichols creates something where it starts off as this intimate drama set nearby Austin, Texas that follows a man being a laborer who is competent and friendly while his wife sells her own handmade clothing in fair markets. Nichols does change that calm, happy tone for a darker one by creating lots of sequences involving rain and storms to play up Curtis’ state of paranoia as the film becomes a thriller but an unconventional one due to the dramatic material in the film. Nichols also creates amazing wide shots and eerie camera movements to play up the suspense as it leads to this big moment when the storm might actually happen. The result is a truly engrossing yet exhilarating film from Jeff Nichols.

Cinematographer Adam Stone does a brilliant job with the film‘s stylish yet gorgeous photography from the sunny look of the Austin suburbs to the haunting exteriors of the rain and lightning scenes plus some eerie interior shots including one in the actual shelter that Curtis has built. Editor Parke Gregg does an excellent job with the editing to help create suspense in the dream sequences as well as play up the paranoia that surrounds Curtis. Production designer Chad Keith, along with set decorator Adam Willis and art director Jennifer Kilde, does fantastic work with the set pieces created from the home of the LaForches to the shelter that he builds.

Costume designer Karen Malecki does a very good job with the clothes as a lot of it is very casual to what people would wear in Texas, that is cowboy clothing. Visual effects supervisor Chris Wells does a superb job with visual effects that is created such as the lightning and the horde of flying birds that Curtis sees. Sound designers Joshua Chase, Will Files, and Lyman Hardy do great work with the sound work to help play up the suspense and intimate locations that occurs such as Curtis’ big blow-up at a restaurant. The film’s score by David Wingo is wonderful for its melodic-driven pieces in the piano and guitars along with heavy orchestral pieces to play up the drama and suspense that occurs in the film.

The casting by Lillian Pyles is terrific for the ensemble that is created as it includes noteworthy appearances from Lisa Gay Hamilton as a counselor Curtis meets, Ray McKinnon as Curtis’ older brother Kyle, Katy Mixon as Samantha’s friend Nat, Heather Caldwell as Hannah’s teacher, Scott Knisley as Curtis’ doctor, and Robert Longstreet as Curtis’ boss. Tova Stewart is excellent as Curtis’ deaf daughter Hannah for the way she is silent throughout the film while Shea Whigham is wonderful as Curtis’ best friend/co-worker Dewart who is confused by Curtis’ actions and the decisions that Curtis would make later in the film. Kathy Baker is superb in her one scene performance as Curtis’ mentally-ill mother who reveals her own recollections of her breakdown that would question Curtis’ state of mind.

Jessica Chastain is radiant as Curtis’ wife Samantha who is baffled by her husband’s irrational thinking as well as the fact that she’s been kept in the dark. It’s a very captivating performance from the actress as she has a lot to do while showing her frustrations and sadness in the way she has to deal with her husband and how she tries to ground him. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in an outstanding performance as Curtis LaForche. Shannon brings a manic sense of fear to his role as a man seemingly lost in his paranoia while he also shows a sense of warmth in low-key scenes where he’s just a loving father and husband. Yet, there’s also a calmness to the way Shannon brings out the craziness of his character as it’s definitely one of his best performances of his career.

Take Shelter is a tremendous yet haunting film from Jeff Nichols that features magnificent performances from Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is definitely powerful for the way it uses suspense to capture a man’s descent into madness though he could be telling the truth. The film also serves as a real breakthrough for Jeff Nichols who is definitely one of the new voices working in American cinema. In the end, Take Shelter is a marvelous yet suspenseful film from Jeff Nichols.

Jeff Nichols Films: Shotgun Stories - Mud - Midnight Special - Loving (2016 film) - The Auteurs #58: Jeff Nichols

© thevoid99 2011