Based on the novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright, Nocturnal Animals is a multi-layered story involving a woman who reads a novel written by her ex-husband as it involves his own life as she also reflects on the life she had with him. Written for the screen and directed by Tom Ford, the film is a neo-noir film where a woman in an unhappy marriage copes with her own past as well as the life she’s in right now. Starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen, Armie Hammer, Karl Glusman, Jena Malone, and Laura Linney. Nocturnal Animals is an evocative yet gripping film from Tom Ford.
The film is the story of a woman who is given a manuscript of a novel written by her ex-husband which is about a man and his family who would have a deadly encounter with criminals in West Texas. Through the book, the woman reflects on her brief marriage to her first husband as well as coping with the decisions she’s made in her life including being in an unhappy marriage. Even as she wonders if there are some paralleling images and metaphors in the book she’s reading in relation to her own life. Tom Ford’s screenplay has this unique narrative where it isn’t about a woman reflecting on her life but also dealing with the one she’s in now. It is also about this story of a man who is driving to West Texas going for a holiday with his wife and daughter where an ugly encounter with some locals while on the road.
The narrative would move back and forth with the protagonist Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) reading the manuscript by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) as well as the story that Sheffield made about a man named Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is aided by a local detective in Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon) in going after the criminal named Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). It all play into two people being forced to confront themselves in this story as it draw into a lot of parallels into the choices they make but also the outcome of these decisions. Even as reality and fiction would blur through this manuscript as Susan would see things as well as wonder if it is all true or just fiction. Notably as Susan would also look back into her own life which includes things she didn’t want to face but eventually come true as well as the choices that Tony has to make where Andes give him some revelations about the dark realities of the world and what has to be done.
Ford’s direction definitely bears a lot of style from this grotesque opening sequence of naked obese women during the opening credits which is part of a lavish and decadent gallery that Susan is hosting. It plays into a world of reality and cynicism that Susan is a part of but she seems quite disconnected from that world. With the Susan narrative shot largely in Los Angeles and flashbacks in New York City while the Tony narrative is shot in Texas. Ford creates a film that has this nice balance between the two world yet would maintain paralleling images that showcase the similar struggles Tony and Susan would endure. Ford’s usage of wide and medium shots play into the locations the characters are in as the scenes involving Susan have this sense of detachment as Ford creates careful framing from the world she has become a part of while the flashbacks are much simpler as well as display some foreshadowing into what will happen to her. There is also something is quite offbeat to the world that Susan is in from the friends that she has as well as the people who work with her in the art gallery. It has this sense of artificiality and materialism that is quite overwhelming where Ford would do things that seem to mock reality but it would come to haunt Susan as she becomes engrossed by Edward’s manuscript.
The scenes about the journey Tony would take as well as gain some justice with Andes’ help are much more rooted in reality. Notably as it play into a world that is quite unforgiving and eerie as Ford uses a lot of wide shots to capture the West Texas locations. There are also some close-ups as it play into the anguish that Tony would endure as well as some revelations about Andes that to his own need to wanting to do things right. There are moments that are very shocking where Ford would maintain something that is unsettling as it would eventually come into Susan’s world as reality/fiction begin to blur. All of which returns to Susan and the events in her life as well as the pain that she caused for her ex-husband to write this manuscript for her. Overall, Ford creates a visceral and eerie film about a woman questioning her own life by a manuscript written by her ex-husband.
Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the way some of the nighttime scenes in Los Angeles and Texas are presented as well as the usage of artificial light for many of the scenes at the art gallery and such in Susan‘s world along with more grimy yet naturalistic look of the daytime exterior scenes in Texas. Editor Joan Sobel does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts along with other stylish cuts including some dazzling slow-motion to play into the horror and suspense that Tony would endure. Production designer Shane Valentino, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Christopher Brown, does amazing work with the look of the stylish yet cold home that Susan lives in as well as the off-the-wall art gallery and its offbeat artwork to the more dirty and grounded look of the scenes and locations set in Texas. Costume designer Arianne Phillips does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that Susan wears as well as the people in Los Angeles she is with as well while the look of the characters in Texas is more casual and grimy.
The makeup work of Malanie J. Romero, with additional work from Nathaniel De’Lineadeus, is terrific not just for the look of a few characters that are in Susan‘s world but also in the bearded look of Tony as well as the look of the character Ray. Visual effects supervisor Martin Goodwin does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects that relate to some of the artificiality in Susan‘s world which includes the look of a character in one scene through some eerie makeup effects. Sound editor Lon Bender and sound designer Kris Fenske do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the moments of suspense that Tony would encounter as well as in some of the eerie moments for Susan in how she sees things along with some sparse moments in the film that are very chilling. The film’s music by Abel Korzeniowski is incredible for its somber orchestral score that feature some heavy string arrangements and themes that add to the drama and suspense.
The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small role and appearances from Zawe Ashton as Susan’s assistant, India Menuez as Susan’s daughter, Kristin Bauer van Straten as a grotesque-looking member of Susan’s art gallery in Samantha Van Helsing, Graham Beckel as an officer investigating what happened to Tony, Robert Arayamo as a young local harassing Tony and his family, and Jena Malone in a very offbeat yet funny performance as Sage Ross who is a fellow executive of Susan’s art gallery who wears these very odd clothes. Michael Sheen and Andrea Riseborough are fantastic in their respective brief appearances as the couple Carlos and Alessia Holt with Sheen wearing some flamboyant clothing and Riseborough sporting some outlandish hairdo as they represent that sense of materialism in Susan’s world. Karl Glusman is superb as Lou as a young local who was part in the dark he encounter he has with Tony and his family as he is quite creepy.
Ellie Bamber and Isla Fisher are wonderful in their respective roles as Tony’s daughter and wife in India and Laura as two women who become frightened by the rowdy locals they meet with Bamber being more abrasive towards them and Fisher being the more concerned of the two. Armie Hammer is terrific as Susan’s husband Hutton as a man that definitely has that look of being good-looking as well as be intentionally-bland as a man that is really neglectful of his wife and what she does. Laura Linney is brilliant as Susan’s mother Anne Sutton as this bourgeois woman of decadence and wealth that Susan tries to rebel as Linney’s one-scene appearance is just fun to watch as someone that doesn’t approve of Edward while having some valid truths about what Susan might have to deal with. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is excellent as Ray Marcus as a rowdy local that Tony and his family would encounter as he is just this wild firecracker of a man that is quite scary as well as be very confrontational.
Michael Shannon is amazing as the detective Bobby Andes as a man who had seen a lot of things as he believes what Tony had been through and suspects Ray while also revealing a lot that he has to deal with in his pursuit of true justice in a world that is becoming more complicated. Jake Gyllenhaal is remarkable in a dual performance as Edward Sheffield and Tony Hastings where Gyllenhaal portrays this kind and idealistic man in the former that wants to be a writer but becomes frustrated with Susan’s criticisms. In the latter, Gyllenhaal brings someone that looks anguished and frightened as well as be consumed with guilt as a man desperate to find some justice for what happened to his family. Finally, there’s Amy Adams in a phenomenal performance as Susan Morrow as an arts gallery owner that is dealing with an unhappy marriage and the decisions she’s made in her life as she becomes enamored with a manuscript her ex-husband wrote where she copes with her past and wonders why she can’t sleep nor be happy with the life she’s in.
Nocturnal Animals is a spectacular film from Tom Ford that features great performances from Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Laura Linney. Along with eerie visuals, an amazing supporting cast, chilling sound work, and majestic music. It is this haunting yet intoxicating neo-noir thriller that plays into a woman coping with her past through the actions of a manuscript about the dark aspects of humanity from her ex-husband. In the end, Nocturnal Animals is a tremendous film from Tom Ford.
A Single Man © thevoid99 2016
Directed by Carter Smith and written by Scott B. Smith that is based on his novel, The Ruins is the story of four college kids and a German tourist who go to a mysterious Mayan temple unaware of what is there as it relates to some mysterious vines. The film is an exploration into the unknown where some young people venture into an unknown land as well as deal with Mayans who are protecting a piece of land they fear. Starring Jonathan Tucker, Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore, Laura Ramsey, and Joe Anderson. The Ruins is a chilling yet unsettling film from Carter Smith.
Four American college kids meet a German tourist as he has a map to a mysterious Mayan temple that is considered off-limits where they make a discovery that proves to be the biggest mistake of their lives. It’s a film that has a simple premise about a Mayan temple that is filled with these vines, plants, and flowers that has some strange power as these tourists find themselves stuck on top of this temple not just surrounded by these plants but also Mayans who are trying to quarantine what is at the temple. Scott B. Smith’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the horror at the temple but also five people trying to survive as they are unaware of what they’ve gotten themselves into. Especially as there is a naiveté into where they wanted to go as locals don’t go there and why it’s not on any current map. Once the five are on top of the temple trying to survive as one of them is severely injured, they also are forced to face the realities that help might not ever come. It’s an intriguing aspect of the script as it does stray from conventional character plot-points in favor of something that is psychological but also with something that feels real.
Carter Smith’s direction is very simple for the way he creates that sense of tension and uncertainty that looms throughout the film once it’s set on top of this Mayan temple. Though it is set in Mexico, the film is shot in Queensland, Australia not just for the beachside locations in the film’s first 20 minutes but also for the setting of jungles with the top of the temple shot on a soundstage. While Smith uses some wide and medium shots to establish some of the beauty of the locations, much of the direction emphasize on the latter to capture some of the suspense into what the characters would encounter. The scenes inside the temple are some of the most chilling as it play into something that is frightening.
There are moments where the film is psychological as the location and the surroundings for these characters add to the terror where one character becomes paranoid. Even in moments where it does become quite extreme such as a scene where a character had to have his leg amputated or someone trying to get vines out of her body. All of which as a mean to survive no matter how dire the consequences are. Overall, Smith creates a gripping yet eerie film about tourists going to a mysterious Mayan temple filled with deadly plants.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does excellent work with the cinematography from the usage of somewhat de-colored look for some of the daytime exteriors to the eerie scenes at night as well as inside the temple. Editor Jeff Betancourt does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and horror as well as maintaining something that is straightforward. Production designer Grant Major and supervising art director Brian Edmonds do amazing work with the look of the temple interiors as well as its top roof and the hotel rooms the characters were staying early in the film. Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual as well as the grimy detail into the blood and dirt that would be on the clothes.
Hair stylist/makeup supervisor Shane Thomas does superb work with the makeup in some of the moments involving blood and other things to play into the unforgiving nature of what the characters had to go through. Visual effects supervisors Leo Baker, Matthew Gratzner, and Gregory L. McMurry do fantastic work with the way the plants moved in the scenes inside the temple as well as how the flowers moved. Sound designer Dorian Cheah, with sound editors John Marquis and Sean McCormack, does brilliant work with the sound to play into some of the eerie and disturbing moments in the film as well as how the flowers would mimic the things the characters said as well as the sounds outside of the temple from the Mayans. The film’s music by Graeme Revell does wonderful work with the music as it‘s a mixture of ambient electronic pieces to play into the suspense along with some orchestral pieces for the intense moments while the soundtrack features a few traditional Mexican pieces, dance music, and a song from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The casting by Denise Chamian and Ben Parkinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Bar Paly as an archeologist in the film’s opening sequence, Dimitri Baveas as a fellow traveler who is immediately killed by the Mayans, Karen Strassman as the vocal effects of the vines, and Sergio Calderon as the Mayans’ chief. Joe Anderson is superb as the German tourist Mathias as the guy who has a map to the temple as he gets a serious injury in an attempt to find a phone that belongs to his brother. Shawn Ashmore is excellent as Eric as the comic relief of sorts of the four American tourists who becomes a realist as he wants to try and make a run to the jeep so he can get some help.
Laura Ramsey is fantastic as Stacy as a young woman who gets injured in an attempt to retrieve Mathias inside the temple where she becomes infected by the vines as she becomes paranoid. Jena Malone is amazing as Amy as a young woman who is the first to unknowingly touch the vines as she is the most reluctant to visit the temple as she copes with the situation she and her friend are in. Finally, there’s Jonathan Tucker in a brilliant performance as Jeff as a med student who is the most sensible of the four Americans and Amy’s boyfriend as he tries to raise morale as well as be the one who responds to the severity of the situation in how for all to survive.
The Ruins is a remarkable film from Carter Smith. Featuring a great cast, an intriguing premise, and some superb technical work, it’s a film that strays from some of the conventions of horror in favor of exploring characters and what they try to do to survive. In the end, The Ruins is a marvelous film from Carter Smith.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and screenplay by Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham from a story by Refn, The Neon Demon is the story of a young and aspiring model who travels to Los Angeles where she is part of a modeling agency only to raise the ire of other models over her youth and beauty. The film is a study in the world of glamour and what will women will do to maintain their beauty and fight those to earn a coveted spot. Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Karl Glusman, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Bella Heathcote, Desmond Harrington, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves. The Neon Demon is an eerie yet evocative film from Nicolas Winding Refn.
The film follows the life of a young and aspiring model whose key to success is her beauty where she is signed to a modeling agency despite being underage where she finds herself having to compete with older models who despise her. It’s a film with a simple plot yet it doesn’t play by any rules in terms of conventional narrative as it’s more about what this young girl is encountering as well as the people she meets. The film’s screenplay by Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham doesn’t just explore the dark and demanding aspects about the modeling world in terms of its cynicism but also how this young girl with a pure sense of beauty and innocence threaten those who doesn’t just need work but also try to maintain their own beauty as they’re getting older. For the character Jessie (Elle Fanning), she is someone who came from a small town in Georgia as she meets a young photographer who takes some photos and somehow managed to get connections with the biggest and best people in the business.
Jessie is someone that is truly the embodiment of innocence as she is someone that lives alone in a seedy motel in Los Angeles run by a strange and mysterious man in Hank (Keanu Reeves). When the makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone) takes notice of her, she becomes this guardian of sorts for Jessie as she would introduce her to a couple of models in Sarah (Abbey Lee Kershaw) and Gigi (Bella Heathcote) who are both still beautiful but are struggling to get work as they see Jessie with disdain. Aside from Ruby, the only other person that Jessie meets who treats her kindly is a young photographer named Dean (Karl Glusman) whose photos would give Jessie the connections in the world of modeling. Still, Jessie encounters things that are odd as it play into her innocent persona which would descend as the story develops. Especially as her descent would lead her to dark places as well as the people she meets who have an agenda towards her.
Refn’s direction is definitely stylish not just in the compositions that he creates but also in this world that is quite surreal in its overly-stylized setting. Shot on location in Los Angeles where it is a character in the film as this world of glamour and beauty that is entrancing but also has this air of darkness as it is set in the highly-competitive world of modeling. Refn’s usage of the wide shots would play into that world of glamour as well as capture some of the chaotic events of the modeling world with the usage of tracking and dolly shots while he would also use medium shots for scenes involving multiple characters in a conversation. Refn’s framing and how he puts his actors into a composition are key such as the scene in the bathroom between Jessie, Ruby, Gigi, and Sarah where Refn as Jessie at the edge of the frame to emphasize how much of an outsider she is. There are also these weird moments in the film that add to the surrealism that Jessie encounters such as a cougar in her motel room, the things she dreams or sees on the runway during a show, and some of the offbeat behavior of the people in the modeling world including Gigi and Sarah.
Refn would also create some ambiguity into the characters that Jessie meets such as Ruby and Hank. The latter of which is very creepy as he’s only in a few scenes yet is someone that is quite unsettling for how he presents himself and the things he says as it is something Dean would be shocked by. Then there’s Ruby as she is kind of this maternal figure of sorts in the film for Jessie but she too is offbeat. Notably for what Refn reveals in the other job that she has as it’s also even more unsettling to great extremes as it reveals how far Jessie has descended into the world she’s in. The film’s climax is definitely eerie and definitely plays into something that is very violent as it play into the horrifying cynicism of the modeling world as a key character states some harsh truths on beauty. Overall, Refn creates a rapturous yet scary film about a young model’s arrival into a very dark and brutal world.
Cinematographer Natasha Braier does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and evocative cinematography with its usage of many colored lights and mood including neon lights as it help play into the high-octane modeling world for many of the interiors as well as the exterior scenes at night while going for something natural and beautiful in other exterior scenes in the day and night. Editor Matthew Newman does excellent work with the editing as it is stylized with some rhythmic cuts while maintaining some moments that are straightforward including a few montages. Production designer Elliott Hostetter, with set decorator Adam Wills and art director Austin Gorg, does fantastic work with the look of the studio sets as well as the seedy motel that Jessie lives and the home that Ruby is house-sitting at. Costume designer Erin Benach does amazing work with the costumes to play into the high-octane world of fashion with all of its designs including in the casual clothes the women wear.
Special makeup effects work by Ruth Haney, Kristy Horiuchi, and Dean Jones, with hair stylist Enoch H. Williams IV, do superb work with the makeup from the macabre look of Jessie‘s first shoot as well as some of the things she and the other models had to look as well as in the hairstyles. Visual effects supervisors Peter Hjorth, Sunit Parekh, and Tonni Zinck do terrific work with the visual effects as it only play to a few scenes such as a few things that Jessie sees as it relates to the surreal elements of the film. Sound designers Anne Jensen and Eddie Simonsen do incredible work with the sound as it has these unique textures and mixes as it play into the suspense and horror as well as some of the surreal elements as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Cliff Martinez is phenomenal for its eerie yet haunting electronic score with the layers of synthesizers and ambient textures as the soundtrack would also feature some cuts by other electronic acts as well as pop singer Sia.
The casting by Nicole Daniels and Courtney Sheinin is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jamie Clayton as a casting director for a shoot, Charles Baker as Hanks’ assistant Mikey, Houda Shretah as Sarno’s assistant and Alessandro Nivola in a small yet terrific role as the fashion designer Robert Sarno who has some very biting and cynical ideas about the world of fashion and what beauty really is. Desmond Harrington is superb as the photographer Jack McCarther as this professional who is creepy but also has an eye for talent while Christina Hendricks is fantastic as the modeling agent Roberta Hoffman who sees the beauty in Jessie as well as give her some advice about how to forge ahead in the world of modeling. Karl Glusman is brilliant as Dean as a young photographer who takes photos of Jessie for her first photo shoot as he is one of the few kind characters in the film that becomes taken aback by the cynicism and narcissism of the fashion industry.
Keanu Reeves is excellent as the motel manager Hank as this very creepy and lecherous individual who seems to be more concerned with money than one’s well-being as he gives this great monologue of sorts of the kind of business that he does. Abbey Lee Kershaw is amazing as Sarah as model who is quite bitchy as she is desperate to get back in the game and get work as she has a real disdain towards Jessie because of what Jessie is able to get. Bella Heathcote is remarkable as Gigi as another model who is the nicer of the two as she is someone obsessed with trying to look good as she would also do a lot of plastic surgery as it play into the harsh reality of beauty at all costs.
Jena Malone is incredible as Ruby as a makeup artist who is this strange yet offbeat maternal figure of sorts for Jessie as she is someone who had seen a lot but also carries a very dark secret. Malone’s performance is also quite complex where she is very kind and warm to Ruby but there are elements that are quite scary as she does things that are very extreme as it is very chilling performance. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in a spectacular performance as Jessie as this young 16-year old girl who knows the only thing she has in the world is her beauty as she starts off as this embodiment of innocence as her naivete is key to that performance. By the second half as she encounters these surreal elements, Fanning does become a big darker but also anguished as someone who sees that she is growing up too fast as well as thinking maybe there is a real cost to natural beauty as it is a career-defining performance for Fanning.
The Neon Demon is a tremendous film from Nicolas Winding Refn that features phenomenal performances from Elle Fanning and Jena Malone. Along with a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, an eerie music soundtrack, and gripping themes on beauty. It’s a film that showcases the world of modeling at its most cutthroat as well as going into great lengths into what women will do to remain beautiful in a very dark world. In the end, The Neon Demon is a magnificent film from Nicolas Winding Refn.
Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Michael C. Martin, 10 Cent Pistol is the story of two criminals who both plan a job to retrieve a savings bond that was owed to one of the criminals where things suddenly go wrong in the planning. The film is a mixture of film noir, the heist, and all sorts of things as it revolves around two brothers who did a job for a crime boss only to get fucked over where one of them wants to get what he‘s owed while the other becomes very cautious. Starring Adam Arkin, Brendan Sexton III, Jena Malone, Thomas Ian Nicholas, JT Alexander, Damon Alexander, Jessica Szohr, and Joe Mantegna. 10 Cent Pistol is an interesting but extremely messy film from Michael C. Martin.
The film revolves around a heist inside the home of a crime boss where two brothers are trying to retrieve a savings bond that one of them was owed to for serving jail time. Along the way, a shitload of problems ensue where the brothers don’t trust each other as well as the fact that there’s some resentment brewing. At the same time, the two try to play their own angles into getting this and that where the result becomes a mess. Writer/director Michael C. Martin wants to create something that feels like a modern noir film as it is largely told from the perspective of these two brothers who always did things together but when they meet this crime boss. Things go wrong where the two did separate things with bad results where one goes to jail and the other being broke. At the same time, one of them was dating a wannabe actress who would end up being with the other brother as complication ensues where she finds herself involved in the scheme.
Martin’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions and the way he sets things up. Notably for a key sequence in the second act where the younger brother Jake (JT Alexander) is trying to steal a car without being seen by the cameras and do it carefully as it is one of the more engaging moments of the film. While Martin’s usage of close-ups and medium shots have their moments, the script with its non-linear narrative does make it hard to comprehend into what is happening where Martin is really trying to do something that has audience guessing what is going on and such. It ends up being nonsensical at times while it would also lag into the pacing where the non-action and heist scenes try to feature elements of humor that never gels. The film however does have a satisfying payoff of sorts as it relates to someone involved as it shows the stupidity of what people will do over something as trivial as money. Overall, Martin creates a decent but undercooked suspense-thriller about two brothers trying to retrieve a savings bond they’re owed to.
Cinematographer Michael Fimognari does nice work with the film‘s cinematography though it does have a low budget look in the way many of the daytime‘s exterior settings while doing some fine lighting for scenes set at night. Editor Aram Nigoghossian does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some montage-style cutting for some of the set-ups though it doesn‘t do enough to comprehend some of the messiness in the film. Production designer Adrina Rose Garibian does excellent work with the look of the apartment home of the brothers as well as the place where their boss lived in as well as some of the places the characters go to.
Costume designer Mynka Draper does wonderful work with the costumes as it is mostly casual for the men along with some of the stylish clothes and dresses the character of Danneel wears. Sound editor Trip Brock does brilliant work with some of the sound such as the carjack scene inside the garage as it plays up some of the suspense in the film as well as some scenes in bars and such. The film’s music by Jim Dooley does excellent work with the score as it‘s a mixture of low-key, guitar-based music with some ambient textures though it tends to be overused at times in some of the moments while music supervisors Jim Bissell and Evan Dubinsky bring in a soundtrack that consists of rock and pop music.
The casting by Emily Schweber is pretty good as it features some notable small appearances from Jessica Szohr as a friend of Danneel who would do a double-date with the brothers, Emilio Rivera as Easton’s halfway house advisor, Brendan Sexton III as a friend of Jake who would help out in the scheme, Thomas Ian Nicholas as the boss’ son H-Wood who deals with the awful situation he’s in, and Adam Arkin as a surgeon who is friends with the gangster that helps out in healing Easton. Joe Mantegna is brilliant as the gangster Punchy where Mantegna does a lot of things as a man of wisdom and charm while being very dangerous as Mantegna makes the most of his brief appearance.
JT Alexander is alright as the more cautious Jake who is resentful for his brother’s troubles as he tries to do what is right while Damon Alexander is OK at times as the more brash Easton as the older of the two though he often comes across as a loudmouth and tries to be tough as it’s a performance seen so many times in other films. Finally, there’s Jena Malone in an amazing performance as Danneel as this wannabe actress who starts off dating Easton until he is sent to prison where she falls for Jake as she finds herself entangled into a scheme where Malone manages to find ways to rise above the material despite the horrible situations that she is surrounded with throughout the film.
Despite the top-notch work of Jena Malone and Joe Mantegna, 10 Cent Pistol is a terrible and messy film from Michael C. Martin. Due to a nonsensical script and the desires to be all things in a crime film despite a few noteworthy moments. The film is just simple something lackluster in what it wants to be while being hampered badly its low-budget look. In the end, 10 Cent Pistol is just a bad film from Michael C. Martin.
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice is the story of a private investigator who is asked by a former flame to investigate the disappearance of her boyfriend as he goes into a wild and crazy adventure in 1970 Los Angeles. Written for the screen and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is a mystery-comedy that is set during the Charles Manson trials in a transition period from the 1960s to the 1970s as a man is taking on different cases in a world that is very chaotic. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Katherine Waterston, Owen Wilson, Jena Malone, Martin Short, Sasha Pieterse, Joanna Newsom, Jeannie Berlin, Maya Rudolph, Serena Scott Thomas, Martin Donovan, Michael K. Williams, and Eric Roberts. Inherent Vice is an off-the-wall yet exhilarating film from Paul Thomas Anderson.
Set in 1970 Los Angeles, the film revolves around a private investigator who takes part in the investigation of a millionaire as it leads to a series of strange cases involving real-estate, drugs, corruption, and all sorts of crazy things as Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) copes with his work. It’s a film that has a lot to follow as Sportello is a known stoner/hippie who works as a private investigator as he is good at what he does despite not getting much respect from the authorities. Yet, his unconventional tactics do provide some results where he’s asked by his former flame Shasta (Katherine Waterson) to find a lover as it reveals to be part of something big as other cases involving another disappearance from a musician named Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson) starts to come into play.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s screenplay definitely takes in the idea of a private investigator on a case that is set in a world that is very chaotic as Sportello is a person that is often associated with hippies. It’s an association that is dangerous as there’s tension between hippies and the police due to the recent murders by Charles Manson. That association hasn’t made things easy for Sportello as he would often give some information to a LAPD detective in Christian F. “Bigfoot” Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) who isn’t fond of Sportello but knows that Sportello. Bigfoot is among the series of many characters that Sportello would encounter as a lot of them are quite eccentric at times but also play into a world that is very chaotic as it represents a change that is looming in the air. Even as the world of hard drugs start to come into play as it would mark the beginning of the end of the 1960s and its ideals for a much more cynical world that is the 1970s.
Adding to the unique approach of the story is the narration as it’s told from the perspective of a friend of Sportello in Sortielge (Joanna Newsom) who is a small supporting character that definitely knows a lot about Sportello as she would often reveal his own flaws and his connection with Shasta whom he is in love with. It adds to the sense of melancholia in Sportello as he is motivated to find out why Shasta is in trouble as there’s a lot of very stylish dialogue that helps move the story. Especially as it plays to clues that Sportello has to figure out along with details which involves some very heavy revelations about what is happening and the sense of change that is coming. Some of which would prove to be uneasy for Sportello as he knows that he needs help in solving the case and to make things right for a few people.
Anderson’s direction definitely has an offbeat quality to the tone of the film where it has this strange mix of suspense, mystery, and humor as he shoots the film on location in Los Angeles and other nearby locations. Much of it involves these very simplistic yet entrancing compositions in its close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots along with some strange camera angles. There’s also some tracking shots that occur in the film while it’s kept to a minimum as Anderson is going for something that plays into a sense of time that is changing where things don’t make a lot of sense. Since it’s a story where a lot goes on, there are moments where the audience will find themselves lost which is probably what Anderson is intending to do as it plays into this world that Sportello is encountering where the parties become hazier and things are becoming darker. The direction also has these very comical moments that are very strange such as Sportello’s meeting with Harligen’s wife Hope (Jena Malone) where she shows him a baby picture as well as some of Sportello’s encounters with Bigfoot.
There’s also these little quirks that Anderson puts in as it relates to food such as the fact that Bigfoot always eats a chocolate banana while the feast for the hippies is pizza. These moments play into everything Sportello is encountering as it plays into a dangerous world of drugs and drug-trafficking that he doesn’t want to be a part of as there’s all of these things that emerge. Especially as Anderson’s direction has him diverting away from conventional ideas of storytelling where he would go into long and intimate takes to play into the conversations and the mysteries to unfold. The film’s climax plays into what Sportello is trying to discover as it is clear that it plays to a world that is changing as does the rules but he would do something that would show that he can accept these changes but not having to change his own principles. Overall, Anderson creates a very wild and sensational film about a private investigator going into a crazy adventure of intrigue and haze in 1970 Los Angeles.
Cinematographer Robert Elswit does amazing work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the beauty of the Californian sun and beaches in its daytime exteriors to the use of lights and filters for some scenes set at night to help set a mood into the mysterious world that Sportello would encounter. Editor Leslie Jones does brilliant work with the editing in its approach to dissolves and jump-cuts to play into some of the sense of longing in Sportello as well as some of the film‘s offbeat humor. Production designer David Crank, with set decorator Amy Wells and art director Ruth De Jong, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the different houses that Sportello would go to as well as the LAPD building and his quaint home that shows who he is.
Costume designer Mark Bridges does fantastic work with the costumes from the ragged clothes he would wear as well as suits he would wear in disguise as well as the colorful and stylish clothing of the characters he would meet. Hair stylist Patricia DeHaney and makeup artist Susan Stepanian do terrific work with the hairstyles of the characters as well as some of the makeup the women wear plus the dental prosthetics by David Beneke for the teeth that Hope Harlegin has to sport due to her past drug addiction. Visual effects supervisor Paul Graff does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects that involve a few set-dressing scenes as well as some very strange moments where Sportello sees Bigfoot on TV.
Sound designer Christopher Scarabosio does superb work with the sound to capture some of the craziness of the house parties that Sportello would go to as well as the way some of the phone conversations play out. The film’s music by Jonny Greenwood is great as he brings in this mixture of eerie and melancholic orchestral music as well as strange and offbeat electric-folk pieces that includes an unreleased cut by his band Radiohead while music supervisor Linda Cohen brings in a fun soundtrack of music from Can, Neil Young, the Association, Minnie Ripperton, The Marketts, Kyu Sakamoto, Les Baxter, and Chuck Jackson as it plays to the tone of the times and the sense of change that is emerging.
The casting by Cassandra Kulukundis is phenomenal as it is a massive ensemble that features notable small performances from Jillian Bell as a hippie, Erica Sullivan as a doctor in a clinic Sportello visit, Jefferson Mays as the head of that clinic, Timothy Simons and Sam Jaeger as a couple of FBI agents who hover around Sportello’s investigation, Jordan Christian Hearn as Sportello’s assistant Denis, Hong Chau as a masseuse named Jade who helps Sportello out in the investigation, Keith Jardine as a biker with a swastika tattoo on his face, Elaine Tan as Dr. Blatnoyd’s secretary, Shannon Collis as a masseuse that Sportello meets early in the film, and Peter McRobbie as a dealer whom Sportello suspects that Bigfoot knows and doesn’t like. Other memorable small yet fun performances include Michael K. Williams as a Black Panther figure of sorts who tells Sportello about a turf he had lost, Jeannie Berlin as an informer of Sportello who knows about the wealthy Wolfmann family, Martin Donovan as a politician that Sportello previously met who might know something, and Sasha Pieterse as that politician’s daughter who hangs around with Dr. Blatnoyd.
Michelle Sinclair is superb as a sister of a dead suspect that meets with Sportello while Serena Scott Thomas is ravishing as the wife of a rich real estate man who is cheating on him. Maya Rudolph is wonderful as Sportello’s secretary Petunia as she is a pregnant nurse who is definitely smarter than Sportello while knowing he still has feelings for Shasta. Eric Roberts is terrific as the eccentric real estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann who disappears as he is connected to all sorts of things that intrigues Sportello. Martin Short is excellent as Dr. Blatnoyd as this offbeat dentist who has a penchant for cocaine as he is part of something secretive. Joanna Newsom is fantastic as Sortielge as a friend of Sportello who knows him very well as she is also this very intriguing observer. Jena Malone is amazing as Hope Harlingen as a former junkie and wife of Coy who gives Sportello information about her husband and why he might be alive. Owen Wilson is brilliant as Coy Harlingen as this musician who has disappeared as he is revealed to be something more as he is trying to hide from the people connected to these crimes.
Benicio del Toro is great as the attorney Sauncho Smilax Esq. as this oddball attorney who helps Sportello in the investigation while giving him information about some of the ins and outs of what is happening in Los Angeles. Reese Witherspoon is radiant as deputy D.A. Penny Kimball as a lover of sorts of Sportello who knows what is going on as she would help in uncovering parts of the mystery that is surrounding the case. Katherine Waterston is remarkable as Shay Fay Hepworth as a former lover of Sportello who returns in need of help as she has this evocative presence that is fascinating as she proves to be the one person that might understand him.
Josh Brolin is marvelous as Bigfoot as this straight-laced detective who despises hippies as he brings this very odd yet engaging performance as a man that is very intimidating but knows when Sportello is onto something and helps him. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in a tremendous performance as Larry “Doc” Sportello as this very weird stoner detective who is taking a case for his ex-girlfriend as he goes into a dangerous web of drugs and corruption as it’s a performance that has Phoenix be very funny. Even in scenes where he is treated as a foil while coping with times that are changing around him as it’s really one of Phoenix’s best performances.
Inherent Vice is a rapturous and truly off-the-wall film from Paul Thomas Anderson that features a great leading performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Armed with a brilliant supporting ensemble, a mind-bending premise, themes on a world that is changing, and a killer music soundtrack. It’s a film that refuses to define itself as it’s definitely not for everyone as it has so many twists and turns that will be hard to follow yet plays into a sense of haziness that goes into one man’s investigation to uncover the truth. In the end, Inherent Vice is a spectacularly odd yet dazzling film from Paul Thomas Anderson.
P.T. Anderson Films: Hard Eight/Sydney - Boogie Nights - Magnolia - Punch-Drunk Love - There Will Be Blood - The Master - Junun - Phantom Thread
Related: The Shorts & Videos of P.T. Anderson - The Auteurs #15: Paul Thomas Anderson
© thevoid99 2015
For anyone who has read my blog for the past few years know that I am a massive fan of Jena Malone who is my favorite actress as I would often call her the Best in the World. Back in 2011 in honor of her 27th birthday, I made a list of her finest performances from that point on at the time. Since then, she’s getting more attention for her work in The Hunger Games series while is appearing in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film Inherent Vice . Plus, there’s rumors that she could be appear in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film in a role that is undisclosed. Instead of making another list of her best performances, I decided to make a different list about why she is so fucking awesome. So in celebration of her 30th Birthday, here are 10 reasons why she’s the Best in the World:
1. One of the few child actresses who has gained legitimacy as an adult.
Transitioning from being an actor as a child into becoming an adult actor hasn’t been easy as some managed to rise to the occasion while others are forced to live off their past glory. Fortunately, Jena has been someone that has succeed but not through conventional means. Succeeding early on through films like Bastard Out of Carolina , Ellen Foster , and Stepmom in the late 90s, Jena took her time to transition herself as she would do such offbeat indies like Donnie Darko and The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys as variations of troubled teenage girls. By doing some indies and a few studio in the 2000s, she gained credibility which then lead to playing age-appropriate roles in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and an Internet short series known as WiGs where she played a mother with a gambling problem.
2. The ability to not be typecast and play all sorts of different characters.
Most actors tend to be stuck in playing characters that had made them successful to the point that succumb to parody. Though Jena is still young, she has managed to cultivate a wide range of performances that has won over audiences and given her a devoted following. While she had played variations of troubled young girls in her career, she has managed to do different things with those roles. Recent performances in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Messenger, and the TV miniseries on Hatfields & McCoys showcase that range. Especially in Hatfields & McCoys which shows she can have a very dark edge that will definitely make people uncomfortable.
3. She’s a natural born ass-kicker.
While Sucker Punch was a film that wasn’t well-received nor made any waves in the box office, Jena was one of the film’s bright spots as she managed to have some scene-stealing moments as she would play with guns and knives while kicking some serious ass. Yet, it is her role as Joanna Mason in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is where she shows her ferocity by carrying an axe and killing people with no qualms. Her performance as Mason wasn’t just her stealing the show but she is someone that even someone like Katniss Everdeen couldn’t even deal with.
4. She’s sexy and she fucking knows it…
She doesn’t have a model’s body nor does she convey the idea of sexiness from a conventional standpoint. However, the attitude that she displays and her willingness to quite playful and showcase aspects of her body is very damn sexy. The fact that she seems comfortable with her body and feels confident in wearing skimpy underwear while not being afraid to do nude scenes just makes her much cooler. After all, if you’ve got it. Flaunt it!
5. An absolute scene-stealer.
There’s aspects about playing supporting roles that allows actors to do things and often standout. Jena is among those that is very good at where she would have these small moments in film and leave an unforgettable impression. One notable scene that is a favorite of mine in Pride & Prejudice is a dinner scene where Jena’s Lydia character just married Mr. Wickham as she reveals to Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennett that Mr. Darcy was the one who discovered them and paid Wickham’s commission. Elizabeth wants to know more as Lydia makes a line that shuts Elizabeth up and takes a sip of her wine. That’s a moment I can watch forever and never get tired of it. She was like… “my wine bitch!”
6. Fashion… Turn to the left! Fashion… Turn to the Right! Fashion…
Jena definitely has a very unique yet offbeat taste in the clothes she wears. On the red carpet, she can look very glamorous as she proves to have some amazing taste. Off the set, she definitely has a style of her own that is casual yet cool. Some of these clothes she wears definitely plays to her sense of individuality while having something that everyone can enjoy and wear.
7. Her music is actually pretty damn good
There’s a sense of vanity whenever a film star tries to make it into music to the point that they make fools of themselves. Some manage to do it for fun and not care about people’s opinions. Jena is fortunately part of the latter as her recent project in the Shoe with collaborator Lem Jay Ignacio is very interesting. While it isn’t for everyone, the album It’s Okay I think is an excellent record with some amazing songs.
8. She’s a really amazing and imaginative photographer.
She can act and she can sing. She’s also got a great eye as a photographer as she makes some nifty collages and photos that are very interesting. Some of which has her using some photoshop and other techniques to create something that is abstract. Much of it is in display of her Instagram account yet she also has a Tumblr page that she uses as her work as a photography I think is just superb.
9. One of the more interesting people on social media.
I don’t have a Twitter nor a Facebook account but she is definitely the one person I follow where she would often have interesting things to say. Her posts are often funny as well as touching whether it’s about aspects of her personal life or stories that she creates. Plus, she proves to be a very cool person who does respond from time to time. Here is her Twitter page .
10. Her aspirations to become a filmmaker.
While she lists herself on her Facebook page as an actress, musician, and a photographer, she also lists herself as a director. While she’s only made a few short films so far. They definitely show promise as it’s more about visuals and doing something that is more in tune with what she wants to do personally. Though it’s been some years since she last directed a short, it is clear that she has an eye for celluloid.
Well, that is all for reasons why Jena is the Best in the World. Wait, she’s turning 30.… there’s 20 more reasons into why she is the Best in the World…
11. That ass!
12. Armbar!
13. She’s the Rock to Scarlett Johansson’s Stone Cold Steve Austin.
14. Her favorite film is Mouchette .
15. Armbar!
16. She can tap dance.
17. She went naked in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire .
18. She’s funny on the talk shows.
19. Armbar!
20. She can play Jenga and turn it into… Jena!
21. She knows karate!
22. Her super-ability to make anyone laugh and cry!
23. Armbar!
24. She can change her hair into many colors and look cool.
25. She has yet to work with Scarlett Johansson in a lesbian-buddy film.
26. Oh you didn’t know! Yo’ ass better call somebody!!!!
27. Have a nice day!
28. She’s in a Paul Thomas Anderson film… let’s hope she gets to be a regular.
29. Don’t piss her off or she’ll cut your fucking head off!
& 30. Armbar!!!!
Well, that is all. So as one final note. Here is a birthday song courtesy of the Ramones.
(For those that didn’t get the armbar joke, watch this clip and fast-forward to 6:12)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the follow-up to the 2012 film where Katinss Everdeen becomes a political target as a rebellion is emerging where she and Peeta Mellark are forced to play the next Hunger Games against previous winners. Directed by Francis Lawrence and screenplay by Michael Arndt and Simon Beaufoy, the film is an exploration of a young woman trying to comprehend her feelings while dealing with a target in her back as Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. Also starring Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin, Toby Jones, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a rapturous yet chilling film from Francis Lawrence.
In the second part of the trilogy where Katniss Everdeen becomes this unlikely beacon of hope for a futuristic, dystopian America. The second part is about Katniss becoming a political target against leader President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who tries to get Katniss to be in his side in order to quiet down this emerging rebellion. Instead, Katniss and Peeta’s plans to pretend to be this couple as a distraction doesn’t work until the new game maker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) makes a plan to get all surviving victors of previous Hunger Games to take part in the 75th game where the rules are much more different as is the competition. With Peeta volunteering in place of his mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), the two agree to protect each other during the game with the help of a few allies. It’s a film that plays into a world where things become more chaotic as this young woman is becoming a symbol of hope but she is overwhelmed by memories of the past games as well as her feelings for Peeta and her longtime beau Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth).
The screenplay by Michael Arndt and Simon Beaufoy definitely has a much broader structure where the first act is about Katniss and Peeta going on a tour on several districts in order to quiet down this rebellion and pretend to be a couple for the cameras. Yet, it becomes far more troubling when the rebellion starts to grow forcing President Snow and Heavensbee to make plans about how to quiet things down. The second act is about the planning of the 75th Hunger Games as tributes from previous game have to play and kill each other bringing more trouble for Katniss and her family. The third act is the game itself where Katniss and Peeta have to find allies in order to survive as there’s something far more that is happening. Even as Katniss is unsure of who to trust with the exception of Peeta as it gets more complicated.
Katniss is much more troubled in this film than in the first one as nightmares, confused feelings for both Gale and Peeta, and the need to protect her family has overwhelmed her. Even as the game itself becomes far more brutal not just physically but mentally as well where Peeta has to ground her as he also wants to protect her though he is also falling for Katniss. It’s not just Katniss and Peeta that are given more to do as their team that includes Haymitch and their publicist Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) are more fleshed out as the latter starts to show more emotion as it becomes clear on how much she cares for both Katniss and Peeta. Then there’s some of the other tributes the two have to face as it ranges from all sorts of individuals where many of them are very strange that includes the very smart and eccentric duo Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Wiress (Amanda Plummer), the very charming and powerful Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and the very unpredictable yet vicious Johanna Mason (Jena Malone). Yet, they know what this game is about Katniss and Peeta are reluctant to team with them since they all agree that the real enemy is President Snow.
The direction of Francis Lawrence is really spectacular in not just the world that he creates but also in fleshing out the story. Especially as he maintains some simple and some stylistic compositions for the scenes at the Victors village where Peeta and Katniss live with Katniss’ family but also the other districts that is seeped in this dystopia where a rebellion is emerging. The use of wide shots and medium shots for the locations set in parts of the American South including Atlanta plays into a world that is quite troubling and chaotic. Even in contrast to the world where President Snow and the rich live where it’s extravagant and quite artificial. The scenes where the pre-show games showcase a sense of disconnect between the rich and the tributes that are to play the game as Lawrence maintains something that is simple and to the point.
For the film’s third act in the games, Lawrence definitely goes for something that is far more sprawling in the way the games are. Especially as he aims for something that is more controlled as opposed to the shaky-cam approach of the first film. While there are some intense moments of danger, it is presented with some crane and steadicam shots in order to get an idea of what is out there where the camera work is much tighter. Even as there is an air of unpredictability about what is happening where the film ends on a somewhat abrupt note. Yet, it plays to what is to come for Katniss who is a key part of a growing rebellion that is emerging. Overall, Lawrence creates very sensational and engaging film about a young woman dealing with her role as a beacon of hope.
Cinematographer Jo Willems does fantastic work with the film‘s photography from some of the naturalistic look of some of the exterior scenes in the forests and at the dome of the game but also some stylish lights for the interior scenes including the parties and games presentation. Editor Alan Edward Bell does excellent work with the editing by maintaining a steady yet stylistic approach to the cutting with some rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action while slowing things down in its dramatic moments. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Larry Dias and supervising art director John Collins, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the Victors‘ village as well as the game dome where everyone else has to kill each other.
Costume designer Trish Sommerville does brilliant work with the costumes from the lavish costumes the tributes have to wear in the pre-game shows as well as the suits they have to wear during the game. Visual effects supervisors Janek Sirrs and Mark Varisco do terrific work with some of the visual effects such as the creatures the characters have to deal with in the game as well as some of the exteriors of the Capital. Sound designer Jeremy Peirson does superb work with the sound from the way gunfire is heard to some of the moments that occur in the games with its mixture of intimate forest scenes and sounds of cannons. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is incredible for its sense of orchestral bombast that plays out in much of the film as well as some serene moments for some of the dramatic moments in the film.
The casting by Debra Zane is just outstanding for the ensemble that is created for the film as it includes some small but notable appearances from recurring characters such as Toby Jones as the Hunger Games reporter, Paula Malcolmson as Katniss’ mom, Willow Shields as Katniss’ sister Prim, Stanley Tucci as the Hunger Games broadcaster Caesar Flickerman, and Lenny Kravitz as Katniss’ dress designer Cinna. Other notable small roles as previous winners include Meta Golding as the teeth-baring Enobaria, Bruno Gunn as the massive Brutus, Alan Ritchson and Stephanie Leigh Schlund as the skillful siblings Gloss and Cashmere, Stef Dawson as Finnick’s wife Annie who was supposed to compete but only to be spared by Mags and Lynn Cohen as the aging yet silent winner Mags whom Finnick cares as she was his mentor and friend. Amanda Plummer is terrific as the very eccentric but smart Wiress while Jeffrey Wright is superb as the brainy Beetee who tries to find a way to beat the game.
Woody Harrelson is amazing as Katniss and Peeta’s mentor Haymitch Abernathy as he tries to get them ready for the games while Elizabeth Banks is delightful as Effie Trinket as their publicist who becomes aware of the reality that is occurring as she grows more fonder of Katniss and Peeta. Philip Seymour Hoffman is excellent as the game maker Plutarch Heavensbee as a man who is eager to ensure that the games will go smoothly as planned as he concocted the idea of doing something radical for the games. Donald Sutherland is brilliant as President Snow as this slimy individual who wants to suppress this rebellion while trying to force Katniss into doing things so that he wouldn’t kill her and her family. Sam Claflin is fantastic as the very charming and skillful Finnick Odair who raises suspicions from Katniss yet proves to be a formidable ally who is aware that something bigger is happening.
Jena Malone is just astounding as Johanna Mason as this very sarcastic and vicious loner who is very unpredictable and cunning yet becomes this unlikely wildcard ally that Katniss needs as Malone just steals the film from everyone. Liam Hemsworth is pretty good as Gale Hawthorne as Katniss’ beau who tries to deal with Katniss’ relationship with Peeta while dealing with the chaos that is happening where he gets beaten by authorities only to be saved by Katniss, Haymitch, and Peeta. Josh Hutcherson is excellent as Peeta who decides to participate in the games for Haymitch despite his chances as he also tries to ensure that Katniss stays alive while deal with his feelings for her. Finally, there’s Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen where Lawrence is just phenomenal in displaying Katniss’ internal conflicts and her confusion for both Peeta and Gale as she also deals with nightmares as well as the fact that she is this symbol of hope against President Snow where Lawrence just adds that weight to make Katniss one of the great characters in film.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a marvelous film from Francis Lawrence that features a truly exquisite leading performance from Jennifer Lawrence. Along with some notable supporting performances from Josh Hutcherson, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Sam Claflin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland. The film is definitely something much more than just the typical young-adults blockbuster as it takes time to explore rebellion and a young woman dealing with the role that she has to take. In the end, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an extraordinary film from Francis Lawrence.
The Hunger Games Films: The Hunger Games - (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1) - (The Hunger Games Mockingjay Pt. 2)
Francis Lawrence Films: (Constantine) - (I Am Legend) - (Water for Elephants)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by So Yong Kim, For Ellen is the story of a musician who deals with a custody battle for his daughter as well as his life as traveling musician. The film is an intimate portrait into the life of a young man trying to see his daughter while wondering if he is a good father. Starring Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Shaylena Mandigo, Margarita Levieva, and Dakota Johnson. For Ellen is a touching yet harrowing film from So Yong Kim.
The film is a simple story about a traveling musician who arrives at a small town to finalize his divorce from his ex-wife as the documents he is to sign would have him lose custody of his daughter whom he doesn’t see. The film explores a young man trying to deal with everything he’s losing in his family life while he’s reaching a bottom over the fact that he is going to see his daughter even less since he and his ex-wife don’t get along. Though his lawyer tries to help, Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) realizes that he’s in a no-win scenario though he is able to get a chance to see his daughter. So Yong Kim’s screenplay is very minimalist as the first half explores Joby’s issues as he’s dealing with custody case and other things while the second half is about him spending time with his daughter but also realizes that she might not need him since her mother is going to marry someone.
Yong Kim’s direction is very simple as she goes for a lot of intimate shots and compositions while making things feel very real with bits of movement through the hand-held camera. A lot of it includes a lot of silent scenes where Joby deals with his situation as he’s also going through issues with his band and the fact that he’s losing something much more. While it’s a style that tends to drag a bit at times, it does play into the sense of loss that Joby is feeling as the film’s second half does pick things up a bit once he spends time with his daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) whom he gets to know while realizing that her life is going to change and such. Notably as Yong Kim’s direction creates some key moments that are heartbreaking to explore what Joby is losing. Overall, Yong Kim creates a very compelling yet tender film about a father dealing with the fact that he’s never going to see his daughter again.
Cinematographer Reed Morano does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly natural for much of the film‘s exterior settings though he aims for low-key lights and such for interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Bradley Gray Rust and So Yong Kim do nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with not a lot of cuts to convey Joby‘s emotions. Production designer Ryan Warren Smith does fine work with the minimal set pieces such as the home of his lawyer and the motel room that Joby stays in. Sound designers Ian Stynes and Geoff Vincent do terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations including some scenes at the bar and at the mall. The film’s music by Johan Johannsson is fantastic for its low-key ambient score to play into Joby‘s despair while music supervisor Rachel Fox creates a soundtrack that largely consists of hard rock and heavy metal as well as other types of music from acts like Whitesnake, the National, and the Beastie Boys.
The casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent is superb as it features a mostly small ensemble that includes appearances from Dakota Johnson as a woman Joby meets a bar, Margarita Levieva as Joby’s bitter ex-wife Claire, and Jena Malone as Joby’s girlfriend Susan who appears very late in the film. Jon Heder is terrific as Joby’s lawyer Fred who is handling his case and just trying to figure out what Joby is going to do. Shaylena Mandigo is amazing as Joby’s daughter Ellen who is just very natural and low-key as a young girl who is just meeting her father while figuring out why he isn’t around much. Finally, there’s Paul Dano in a brilliant performance as Joby as a musician dealing with a custody battle where he realizes how much he’s going to lose as well as the fact that things in his music career isn’t going well as Dano brings an anguish that is just captivating to watch.
For Ellen is a stellar film from So Yong Kim that features a mesmerizing performance from Paul Dano. Though it’s minimalist approach won’t be for everyone, it is still an engaging film for the way it explores a young man dealing with his actions and what he is losing as he tries to fight to be with his daughter. In the end, For Ellen is an enchanting film from So Yong Kim.
So Yong Kim Films: (In Between Days) - Treeless Mountain
© thevoid99 2013
