The film revolves around a trio of stories that all play into the idea of humanity with people encountering the absurd but also in situations that would prove to be challenging. All of which would feature a character mysteriously known as R.M.F. (Yorgos Stefanakos) as he is the titular character in all three different stories in the film. The first story entitled The Death of R.M.F. is about a man whose life is always in control until he refuses to finish an assignment he is asked to do where his life would fall apart. The second story in R.M.F. is Flying is about a police officer who learns his wife had been found after being lost in sea during a marine biology assignment, yet he realizes that something is not right as he believes the person who looks exactly like his wife is not really his wife. The third and final story in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is about two people trying to find someone who they believe possesses special abilities as they hope this person will become their spiritual leader for a secret cult. The film’s screenplay by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou is straightforward in its narrative, yet each story all plays into characters who are all in some strange situations as well as be in a world that is all absurd.
Lanthimos’ direction is stylish for the different approaches in telling the three different stories though they are all shot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana. Notably as some of his ideas of visual absurdity are kept to a restraint as it plays into more humanistic stories as the absurdity is more driven by the different plots in the film. Lanthimos would emphasize towards wide and medium shots in exploring some of the locations as well as to play into the sense of disconnect from reality. Lanthimos also uses close-ups to play towards some of the dramatic moments as well as some absurd and comical moments that occur in the film. Each story does have a distinctive tone as The Death of R.M.F. has an air of restraint in how the character of Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons) lives his day as it is always structured and controlled until he tries to kill someone for his boss/lover Raymond (Willem Dafoe) where he failed as his life falls apart where Lanthimos would maintain a sense of chaos that is burgeoning. In R.M.F. is Flying, the character of the police officer Daniel (Jesse Plemons) is coping with the loss of his wife Liz (Emma Stone) believing that she is lost at sea until he hears that Liz and another marine biologist had been found in an island.
Lanthimos’ direction in that segment is also restrained though the absurdity comes later when Daniel becomes more unhinged about this woman who is living his house where he asks her some odd things. Each segment would feature some offbeat ending that does play into this act of kindness though the third and final segment in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is much darker in its absurdity as it plays into the idea of cults that follows the two characters in Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons) are a part of as they try to find someone who they hope could be their spiritual leader. The direction has Lanthimos presenting a world that is offbeat where Emily and Andrew are part of this cult, yet they venture into the real world to find this person, though the former is also dealing with personal turmoil involving her ex-husband Joseph (Joe Alwyn) who would make things worse for her. It all plays into this desire to belong though reality would eventually kick in with an aftermath that all plays into the titular character of these three stories. Overall, Lanthimos crafts an exhilarating yet riveting film about a trilogy of tales revolving around people who deal with troubling circumstances in their lives.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes while also utilizing some black-and-white film stock for some offbeat inserts that add to the film’s surrealist tone. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of stylish cuts including some slow-motion shots and jump-cuts that add to the film’s humor. Production designer Anthony Gasparro, along with art directors Andrew Carnwath and Chris Cornwell plus set decorator Amy Beth Silver, does amazing work with look of the different homes the characters live in from the posh home that Raymond lives in as well as the motel room that Emily and Andrew stay at. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Robert wears as well as the brown suit that Emily would wear and some of the stylish clothing that many characters wear.
Special effects makeup artist Adam Bailey and hair stylist Gabrielle Burns do terrific work in some of the film’s minimal makeup effects as well as some of the design of the hairstyles that some of the characters wear. Special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher and visual effects supervisor Sebastian Barker do nice work in some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some stunts involving cars and other offbeat visual inserts. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the usage of sparse and natural sounds for some key scenes in the film’s natural locations. The film’s music by Jersin Fendrix is incredible for its eerie music score that mainly consists of a few choral vocal arrangements and some discordant piano pieces that add to the drama and humor while music supervisors Anne Booty, Nick Payne, and Joe Rice cultivate a unique soundtrack that features music from the Eurythmics, Dio, and Cobrah.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Krystal Alayne Chambers as a cult member who is hoping to be cleansed, Merah Benoit as Emily and Joseph’s daughter whom Emily rarely sees, Yorgos Stefanakos as variations of a man known as R.M.F., and Hunter Schafer as a young woman named Anna who is observed by both Emily and Andrew to see if she has any powers. Joe Alwyn is terrific in a trio of small roles as a collector appraisal who shortchanges Robert over the sports memorabilia he possesses while he also plays car passenger that Daniel deals with, and as Emily’s ex-husband Joseph who has issues with Emily’s life in the cult as well as how to deal with their daughter. Hong Chau is fantastic in a trio of roles as Robert’s wife, the wife of Liz’s colleague, and as the wife of a cult leader in Aka where Chau brings a lot of low-key restraint and humor to the characters that she plays.
Mamoudou Athie is excellent in a trio of roles as Sarah’s swim coach, Daniel’s police officer partner Neil, and as a morgue nurse where he is quite prominent as Neil who is concerned over Daniel’s behavior considering Liz’s return. Margaret Qualley is brilliant in a quartet of roles as Raymond’s in-house lover Vivian, Neil’s wife Martha, and as identical twins in Ruth and Rebecca where Qualley brings a lot of different complexities to the characters with Rebecca being the weirdest as someone who goes to Emily and Andrew over her sister believing she’s the person they’re looking for. Willem Dafoe is amazing in a trio of role as Robert’s boss/lover Raymond, Liz’s father George, and a cult leader in Omi where Dafoe brings a lot of versatility to his roles as this stern yet caring figure for Robert as well as an offbeat man in Omi who is a true believer of this idea that they’re following believing that purified water from humans will give them long lives.
Finally, there’s Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in tremendous performances in the trios of roles they play. In the roles of Raymond’s temporary lover Rita, Daniel’s long-lost wife Liz, and the cult follower Emily, Stone provides a lot of different looks and nuances to the characters she plays with Liz being this woman who is trying to understand her husband’s odd behavior while being livelier and more humorous as Emily in her mission to find this spiritual being as well as trying to see her daughter. Plemons’ performances as Robert and Daniel are full of these complexities with former being a man whose life is structured in every way until he breaks from that structure while the latter is someone who becomes suspicious over his wife over the little things about her that he does not recognize. In the role of Emily’s partner Andrew, Plemons is more restrained as someone who helps her while also being in love with Omi as he is envious towards Emily over her connection with him.
Kinds of Kindness is a phenomenal film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features top-notch leading performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Along with its ensemble cast, wondrous visuals, an eerie music score, and riveting stories of humanity in troubling situations. It is a film that plays into a trio of offbeat stories that has a bit of surrealism as it involves people who are in situations that are beyond their control and to try and find some form of kindness. In the end, Kinds of Kindness is a sensational film by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (Alps) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) – The Favourite - Poor Things - (Bugonia)
© thevoid99 2024
Set in the early 20th Century following World War I, the film revolves around a man who moves with his rich uncle as he meets an Osage woman, whose family owns land with oil, whom he would marry in an attempt to get her money in a scheme with his uncle to get all of the oil and the money. It is a film with a simple plot yet the story itself that is based on a real life event in American history that isn’t talked about very much plays into this world of greed, corruption, deceit, and violence. The film’s screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth is largely straightforward in its narrative as it explores how the Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the early 20th Century discovered oil in their land and how they got rich from it. Yet, it also reveals that they would be accompanied by court-appointed white guardians who would look after their money with one of them being William King Hale (Robert de Niro) who is rich himself as he owns a cattle ranch as he is also close with his neighbor in the oil land owner Henry Roan (William Belleau).
Hale is a man who acts as a benefactor to the Osage as well as speak their language as a way to be their friend only to be someone who masterminds everything including killings to ensure that he would get all of their oil and the money from the oil. When his nephew Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives to move in with Hale after serving as an infantryman in World War I. Burkhart is given a job to steal from the Osage with his brother Byron (Scott Shepherd) while also working as a cab driver where he meets and falls for Mollie (Lily Gladstone) whose family owns oil headrights that would keep them rich. Burkhart is someone that wants to have a good life as well as money but he becomes a pawn in his uncle’s schemes as well as putting himself into awful situations that would make things worse. Even as he tries to keep Mollie in the dark yet she would deal with tragedy as her three sisters become targets as well as her mother while becomes mysteriously ill.
It all plays into this sense of intrigue where Mollie hires a private investigator in William J. Burns (Gary Basaraba) who leaves after an incident with a couple of thugs while a white oilman in Barney McBride (Brent Langdon) offered to help the Osage by traveling to Washington D.C. only to not return. Even as things become more violent with Hale getting Burkhart to commit more crimes as the first act is about Burkhart meeting Mollie and marrying her with the second act being the severity of the violence. The film’s third act revolves around the arrival of Thomas Bruce White Sr. (Jesse Plemons) who is an agent for an early version of the FBI after Mollie’s visit to Washington D.C. where Hale finds himself being targeted as does Burkhart who becomes consumed with guilt over his actions.
Scorsese’s direction is mesmerizing in not just the overall presentation of a period in time that saw a lot of prosperity but also a look into the ugliness that played into the events of this real-life incident that many didn’t want to talk about in relation to American history. Shot on location in Oklahoma including areas in Osage and Washington County with Fairfax, Pawhuska, and Bartlesville being main locations for much of the film as the small towns and landscape are key characters in the film. Scorsese opens the film with a ceremony in which an Osage tribe bury a peace pipe as an act of the end of an old tradition as their land would then shoot oil from the ground marking the beginning of a new era. An era that would put the Osage right into the 20th Century wearing more expensive clothing with their tribal blankets as well as live in nice houses while also wanting to maintain a sense of identity and tradition. Even as Scorsese has actors speak in both English and the Osage language with the latter spoken quite frequently.
Scorsese’s usage of wide and medium shots add to the scope of the film as it does play like an epic set in this land where oil is a plenty but there are those that want it by any means necessary. Scorsese doesn’t shy away from the brutality and horror of the violence such as a house being blown up or these wide shots of people being shot as Scorsese showcases a dark reality that many don’t want to talk about. Even as the close-ups also add to the horror with some in the Osage getting a look at something knowing that death is coming. Scorsese’s direction also uses old film stock to recreate some newsreel footage as well as gain some old newsreel such as a clip of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 as it adds fear to the Osage community as the killings become more prevalent. Even as Burkhart is someone who helped engineer these killings and events where he eventually becomes ridden with guilt and shame as he learned the severity of his actions. The events would force Mollie to take action of her own despite severely ill through the medicine she’s been given to combat her diabetes leading to its third act.
The violence does get tone down a bit in the third act where Scorsese’s direction becomes more precise and also chilling in its compositions where he would have shots linger for a bit including the trial scenes. There are also these eerie moments as it plays into not just what Hale has done but also the lengths into what he forced Burkhart to do who finds himself caught in the middle of this chaos. The film’s penultimate scene is told in an unconventional fashion as it relates into the fates of these characters but also into why the Osage murders had almost been forgotten about in American history. Scorsese appears in the scene as it is sort of this moment where the fourth wall is broken as it showcases not just the sense of shame over what had happened but also how past events shouldn’t be forgotten. Overall, Scorsese crafts a viscerally discomforting yet ravishing film about a man who marries an Osage woman in the hope of getting her oil headrights where he would serve as a pawn for his devious uncle.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of natural light and heightened colors in some of the daytime interior scenes along with some unique lighting for scenes at night including some scenes involving fire as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does brilliant work with the editing as her usage of rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts help play into the suspense and drama along with a few montages that play into some flashbacks and scenes where it adds to the sense of urgency and terror that looms throughout the film. Production designer Jack Fisk, with set decorator Adam Willis and supervising art directors Michael Diner, Matthew Gatlin, and Meghan McClure, does amazing work with the creation of the sets such as the interiors of the Hale estate as well as the home that Burkhart and Mollie lived in along with a pool hall where Hale and Burkhart would sometimes socialize as it is a highlight of the film. Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the period costumes from that time including the design of some of the blankets and tribal headgear some of the Osage leaders wear as well as the cowboy hats that some of the men wear including Burkhart and White.
Hair department head Kay Georgiou and makeup department head Thomas Nellen do fantastic work in maintaining a look and hairstyle for the characters to play into the period as well as maintain something simple in those looks. Visual effects supervisors Sam Bassett, Pablo Helman, and Andrew Roberts do terrific work with the visual effects for oil gushing scene early in the film as well as a few other scenes as set dressing. Sound editors Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton do superb work with the sound in the way oil machines sound from afar and up close as well as the way gunfire sounds and other naturalistic sounds that occur throughout the film. The film’s music by Robbie Robertson is phenomenal with its mixture of blues, folk, traditional Native American percussion and woodwinds, and country to play into the period of the time with themes that are unsettling and grimy in its presentation while music supervisor Randall Poster cultivates a soundtrack that features a lot of traditional music with contributions from David Mansfield, Rayna Gellert, Keiran Kane, Philip Jamison, Vince Giordano with the Nighthawks, Adam Nielsen, Adam Stein, and the Osage Tribal Singers who sing an original song for the film for its ending.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Martin Scorsese as a radio drama producer in the film’s penultimate scene as well as Jack White and Larry Fessenden as a couple of radio drama actors Vince Giordano as a radio drama band leader, Katherine Willis as Burkhart’s aunt Myrtle, Barry Corbin as the local undertaker Turton, the quartet of Larry Sellers, Everett Walker, Talee Redcorn, and Yancey Red Corn as the Osage tribal leaders with Sellers and Redcorn also playing medicine men, Elden Hensen as a Burkhart cousin, Brent Langdon as the white oilman Barney McBride who volunteers to help the Osage in their cause by traveling to Washington D.C. only to somehow never return, Michael Abbott Jr. and Charles Musselwhite as a couple of FBI agents, Tatanka Means as a Native American undercover FBI agent, Pete Yorn as a reclusive explosive expert in Acie Kirby, and Scott Shepherd as Burkhart’s younger brother Byron who often goes along with what his uncle asks him to do.
Other notable small roles include Gary Basaraba as the renowned private investigator Burns who arrives late in the first act only to get into some serious trouble, the quartet of Ty Mitchell, Sturgill Simpson, Tommy Schultz, and Louis Cancelmi in their respective roles as John Ramsey, Henry Grammer, Blackie Thompson, and Kelsie Morrison as accomplices of Hale and Burkhart who help them out in some of the violent acts as they would also either get caught or killed, William Belleau as a melancholic Osage who owns the oil land next to Hale’s land as he is close with Hale only to become a target, the duo of Steve Witting and Steve Routman in their respective roles as Dr. James Shoun and Dr. David Shoun as two brother doctors who work closely to Hale as they would provide Mollie medicine for her diabetes that really isn’t, Jason Isbell as Minnie’s husband Bill Smith who would later marry as he suspects Burkhart in these violent actions, and the trio of Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, and Jillian Dion in their respective roles as Mollie’s sisters in Anna, Reta, and Minnie as they bring fantastic performances as these sisters who are all targets with Myers bringing a lot of charisma as the decadent Anna.
John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser are excellent in their respective roles as the federal prosecutor Peter Leaward and Hale’s attorney W.S. Hamilton with the former trying to get Hale convicted and bring justice for the Osage while the latter shows Fraser in this somewhat cartoonish yet chilling role as Hale’s attorney who tries to coerce Burkhart into defending his uncle. Tantoo Cardinal is brilliant as Mollie’s mother Lizzie Q. as this woman who becomes aware of what is happening as she senses death all around her while is having a spiritual connection with her ancestors as she knows that something isn’t right. Jesse Plemons is amazing as Thomas Bruce White Sr. as a FBI agent who leads the investigation into the Osage murders following Mollie’s visit to Washington D.C. as he is someone that is charming but also determined to get to the truth as he proves to be a formidable foe for Hale and Burkhart. Robert de Niro is sensational as William King Hale as a cattle ranch owner who acts as a friend and benefactor for the Osage when he’s really the devil in disguise. There is this sense of sliminess in de Niro’s performance as he displays a lot of charm and dark wit while is also manipulative in his actions as it is one of his finest performances.
Leonardo DiCaprio is phenomenal as Ernest Burkhart as a former World War I infantryman who moves to Fairfax to work for his uncle as he does his bidding including marrying Mollie in the hopes of getting her oil headrights only for things to get complicated. DiCaprio brings a gullible approach to his character who is willing to do things for his uncle while is also a total mess when he lies to Mollie where he later becomes filled with guilt and shame as he would also endure tragedy that would force him to make decisions for himself. Finally, there’s Lily Gladstone in a tremendous performance as Mollie as an Osage woman whose family owns oil headrights as she is charmed by Burkhart and would have a family with him while also becoming mysteriously ill. Gladstone brings a lot of layers into her performance as someone who knows a lot more than everyone realizes despite the tragedies she would endure as it only forces her to seek out the truth as it is a break-out performance for Gladstone.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a magnificent film from Martin Scorsese that features great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert de Niro, and Lily Gladstone. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a chilling music soundtrack from the late Robbie Robertson (whom the film is dedicated to), discomforting moments of violence and suspense, and a story of greed, deceit, death and corruption. The film is an unsettling yet confrontational film that takes a look into one of those most horrific atrocities in American history all in the name of greed. In the end, Killers of the Flower Moon is an outstanding film from Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) – (Street Scenes) – Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) – Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) – Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home - The Departed Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – The Silence (2016 film) - (Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese) – (The Irishman (2019 film)) – (An Afternoon with SCTV)
© thevoid99 2024
Set in 1925 Montana, the film revolves around a rancher whose brother marries a local restauranteur whose son is known for acting a bit effeminate and talk with a bit of a lisp as he becomes uncomfortable with their presence as he becomes intimidating towards them. It is a film that explores a world where men and women have their place in the world but there is this sense of change where the definition of what men and women are begin to blur. Jane Campion’s screenplay is broken into a few chapters as it play into the relationship between the Burbank brothers in Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his younger brother George (Jesse Plemons) as the latter is an educated while the former prefers to maintain his lifestyle tending to the ranch as he has no interested in bathing nor show any kind of weakness. During a cattle drive where they stop at a nearby town at a restaurant run by Rose (Kirsten Dunst) whose son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a waiter where his lanky and effeminate presentation amuses Phil who would later mock Peter.
The first act is about the relationship between the brothers as well as George’s yearning to marry Rose as he would do so much to Phil’s annoyance as her presence would cause tension just as Rose is trying to bring a few changes as well as invite Phil and George’s parents and the governor (Keith Carradine) and his wife (Alison Bruce) for a dinner. The second act is about Peter’s arrival to the ranch following his time in college where he’s studying medicine and surgery where he tries to stay away from Phil and his ranchers but also makes a discovery about Phil that would change their relationship in the film’s second half. It is where this theme of masculinity come into play as Phil would become open to show Peter the ideas of being a rancher that Peter takes great interest in. Yet, Rose becomes uneasy about it as she turns to alcohol to cope as she would do something that only anger both Phil and Peter.
Campion’s direction is definitely intoxicating for the presentation she creates as it is set in the American West that is Montana though it is shot on the Maniototo plains in the Central Otago region in New Zealand with several interiors shot on sound stages in Auckland. Campion’s direction is often filled with gazing wide shots of these locations where they are major characters in the film as it play into this world that is untouched by modern society which suits Phil and the world he cares about. Campion would also use medium shots and close-ups to get a look into some of the attention to detail in the locations including a small flower in the field or something is symbolic. Most notably in a shrine for Phil’s mentor named Bronco Henry as he would tell stories about his exploits as it serves as this idea of what Phil wants to maintain with his cowhands who are also this embodiment of intense masculinity. Even as there is that moment where Phil notices some flowers made out of paper that Peter had created and burns it up as a form of intimidation and mocking.
There are also these shots that play into the tension between Rose and Phil such as a scene of the latter trying to play a piano piece with Phil on the floor above play that same piece with his banjo as a form of intimidation. Campion also play up the tension during a key scene where Phil and his cowhands are on the river with Phil at another location in the forest by himself where Peter makes this major discovery. This revelation for the second half is where Phil realizes that he and Peter are a lot alike in the way they see things but also that Peter is a lot stronger than both Phil and Rose would believe as Peter is fascinated by the idea of what it’s like to be a cowboy. For Rose, it’s a terrifying idea as she becomes more troubled and fearful as it adds some chaos in the film’s third act. It is Peter’s actions in the third act in what he’s learned from Phil is key to this unexpected bond between these two men who don’t feel like they belong in the modern world despite the things that Peter is studying yet he’s more intrigued by a world that is much simpler and uncompromising. Overall, Campion crafts a ravishing yet captivating film about a tough rancher’s encounter with his new sister-in-law and her effeminate son.
Cinematographer Ari Wegner does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the exteriors including some scenes in the forests are just gorgeous to watch while many of the nighttime interior scenes are used with available light to help set a mood. Editor Peter Sciberras does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as some of the dramatic tension that occurs within the film. Production designer Grant Major, with supervising art director Mark Robins plus set decorators Gareth Edwards and Amber Richards, does amazing work with the look of the ranch and its interiors with how spacious the dining room is as well as Phil’s room that he shared with George and some of the exteriors including the stable where Phil keeps a lot of Bronco Henry’s possessions. Costume designer Kirsty Cameron does fantastic work with the costumes from the golden dress Rose wears to a dinner with the governor and others to the more rough-clothing and chaps that Phil and his cowhands wear.
Hair and makeup designer Noriko Watanabe does terrific work with the look of the characters from the dirty look of Phil as well as the hairstyle of the women during those times. Special effects supervisor Brendan Durey and visual effects supervisor Jason Hawkins do nice work with some of the effects as it relates to some of the horse riding and a few bits of set dressing for some scenes. Sound editor Robert Mackenzie and sound designer Dave Whitehead do brilliant work with the sound in the way cows and horses sound from afar as well as other sparse moments including the comb that Peter carries along with musical instruments as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Jonny Greenwood is phenomenal as its usage of discordant strings, eerie piano pieces, and lush orchestral string pieces add to the drama as it is a major highlight of the film while music supervisor Andrew Kotatko bring in a few classical and folk pieces that are performed in the film.
The casting by Nikki Barrett, Tina Cleary, Carmen Cuba, and Nina Gold is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from Alice Englert as a young hooker who dances with a cowhand, Adam Beach as a Native American that wants to buy one of Phil’s rawhide, Maeson Stone Skuccedal as the Native American’s son, Sean Keenan and George Mason as a couple of Phil’s cowhands, Alice Bruce as the governor’s wife who is eager to meet Phil, Keith Carradine as the governor who is fascinated by Phil’s workmanship, Peter Carroll and Frances Conroy as Phil and George’s parents who are eager to see Rose in welcoming her to the family, Genevieve Lemon as the housekeeper Mrs. Lewis who kind of runs the ranch while telling Rose on a few house rules, and Thomasin McKenzie in a fantastic small role as the young maid Lola who works at the house and help Rose in a few things. Jesse Plemons is marvelous as George Burbank as Phil’s younger brother who is a more educated and kinder person than Phil as he would marry Rose as a way to have his own life instead of being intimidated by his brother.
Kirsten Dunst is incredible as Rose Gordon as a restauranteur who is intimidated by Phil as she is troubled by his presence that drives her to drink while becomes protective of Peter when he starts to befriend Phil where she does something that would upset them both. Kodi Smit-McPhee is phenomenal as Peter Gordon as a young man who has this effeminate presentation to him in the fact that he’s also very skinny yet Smit-McPhee makes Peter a far more intriguing individual who would do things that Rose would not approve of but Phil might’ve as well as show that he’s willing to learn as it play into his own ideas of life lessons. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a magnificent performance as Phil Burbank as a rancher who is more content with doing work with the ranch and living a rough and tumble lifestyle as he is wary at Rose believing she is being disruptive but takes a liking towards Peter in the film’s second half as there is this ambiguity and complexity to Cumberbatch’s performance that can be chilling but also has this air of sensitivity that is definitely a career-defining performance for Cumberbatch.
The Power of the Dog is an outstanding film from Jane Campion that features phenomenal performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Kirsten Dunst. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous locations, ravishing visuals, Jonny Greenwood’s unsettling score, a chilling soundtrack, and its themes on masculinity in an ever-changing world. It is a film that doesn’t play by the conventions of what it means to be a man or how to be one in a world that is removed from conventional society but rather to take an identity and own it no matter how hard society can hit. In the end, The Power of the Dog is a tremendous film from Jane Campion.
Jane Campion Films: Sweetie - An Angel at My Table - The Piano - The Portrait of a Lady - Holy Smoke! - In the Cut - Bright Star - Top of the Lake (Season 1) - (Top of the Lake-China Girl) – The Auteurs #25: Jane Campion
© thevoid99 2022
Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and written by Mark Perez, Game Night is the story of a group of friends whose night of fun becomes trouble when it turns into a real-life mystery involving burglars as the line of reality and fiction starts to blur. The film is a dark comedy in which a simple night of games and fun involving a group of friends turn into a nightmare while they wonder if they’re still playing a game or if it’s real. Starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Kyle Chandler, Michael C. Hall, and Jesse Plemons. Game Night is a wild yet exhilarating film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
A couple who holds a game night with their friends is invited by the man’s older brother about a mystery game where the lines of reality and fantasy start to blur with many wonder if there’s real criminals involved and all sorts of shit whether it’s really a game. That is the film’s premise as screenwriter Mark Perez play into this couple in Max and Annie Davis (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, respectively) who love to play games and always compete with others yet they’re dealing with having to grow up as they both want a child. Yet, Max is stressed due to the fact that his older and more successful brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) is in town who always find a way to beat Max in any game. When Brooks decide to hold a game night in his home, Max and Annie bring their friends in Kevin and Michelle Sterling (Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury, respectively), Ryan Huddle (Billy Magnussen), and his date/co-worker Sarah Darcy (Sharon Horgan) for the game.
When Brooks reveals what the game is, the ideas of reality and fiction blur where everyone at first thinks they’re playing the game. Along the way, some personal issues would emerge for the players as they also become confused into what is real and what is fiction. Even to the point where Max learns that Brooks is involved with some criminal activities as it raises more questions about Max’s own issues with himself and questions into about wanting to be a father. All of the trouble and confusion forces Max and Annie to turn to their neighbor in the cop Gary (Jesse Plemons) whom they haven’t invited into the game nights due to his socially-awkward behavior and the fact that his wife had just left him. Gary’s involvement would only add more chaos as it relates to the blur of reality and fantasy.
The direction of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein does have elements of style in some scenes yet much of it is straightforward in terms of the visuals. Shot on location in Atlanta, the film does play into suburban world that Max, Annie, and their friends live in as opposed to the more upper-class home that Brooks live in along with the world of the city. While there are a few wide shots to establish the locations, much of the direction has Daley and Goldstein utilize medium shots and close-up whenever there’s scenes that focuses on a couple or the entire group as they’re put into the frame. Even as they maintain the humor through the confusion of reality and fiction as the characters play on as if it’s still a game only to intensify as the story progresses. One notable sequence inside the mansion of a supposed criminal involves this unique tracking shot that goes on for a minute in one take where the players are passing a Fabergé egg that they’re trying to steal for the game. Even as it would unveil something much bigger that Brooks is involved him where they all have to use their skills as players to help him. Overall, Daley and Goldstein create a thrilling yet whimsical comedy about a game night that becomes a wild adventure.
Cinematographer Barry Peterson does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for a scene at a bar along with the exteriors set at night. Editors Jamie Gross, Gregory Plotkin, and David Egan do terrific work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the action and humor as well as capturing the chaos of the game. Production designer Michael Corenblith, plus set decorator Susan Benjamin and art director Hugh D.G. Moody, does fantastic work with the look of Brooks’ home in its interiors as well as some of the places the characters go to. Costume designer Debra McGuire does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with everyone wearing casual clothing.
Visual effects supervisor Patrick David does some fine work with the visual effects as it’s mainly set dressing for some big set pieces in the film that include its climax. Sound designer Cameron Frankley and sound editor Jon Michaels do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the humor as well as in some of the action scenes. The film’s music by Cliff Martinez is amazing for its electronic-based score that is mainly driven by 80s style synthesizers while music supervisors Manish Raval and Tom Wolfe provide a fun soundtrack that features music from Queen, Engelbert Humperdinck, Third Eye Blind, Drake, Duke Ellington, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, April Wine, Hampton Hawes, and Dirty Streets.
The casting by Rich Delia and Tara Feldstein is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Camille Chen as a doctor that Max and Annie meet early in the film, Chelsea Perretti as a woman who runs a mystery game business, Zerrick Williams and Joshua Mikel as a couple of kidnappers, Malcolm Hughes as actor Denzel Washington, Jessica Lee as Gary’s ex-wife Debbie, and Jeffrey Wright in an un-credited cameo appearance as the FBI agent Ron Henderson. Other notable small roles include appearances from Danny Huston as a supposed crime boss named Donald Anderton and Michael C. Hall in a superb role as a mysterious figure who appears in the film’s climax. Kyle Chandler is fantastic as Max’s older brother Brooks as a man who seems to have it all and often upstages Max with his own competitiveness only to hide something much darker as it relates to the game that is being played. Jesse Plemons is incredible as Gary as Max and Annie’s neighbor who is a cop that feels left out of not being invited to game nights where he later tries to help them with a situation as it’s a low-key yet witty performance from Plemons.
Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury are excellent in their respective roles as Kevin and Michelle Sterling as a couple who are part of the game night as they deal with what is happening while dealing with issues of infidelity before they were married. Billy Magnussen and Sharon Horgan are brilliant in their respective roles as Ryan Huddle and Sarah Darcy as co-workers that are on a date though they don’t know much about each other with Ryan trying to win while Sarah is an outsider who doesn’t know anyone yet is the smartest person in the room. Finally, there’s Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams in amazing performances in their respective roles as Max and Annie Davis as a couple who are highly-competitive gamers who are coping with becoming more responsible while being lost in the game they’re playing with Bateman as sort of the straight man of the two while McAdams gets to be more lively as the two together are a joy to watch.
Game Night is a spectacular film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a cool music score by Cliff Martinez, and a hilarious yet adventurous story. It’s a film that isn’t afraid to be out there while also being a lot of fun about a game that blur the ideas of reality and fiction. In the end, Game Night is a tremendous film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master is the story of a troubled sailor who meets the leader of a newly-created faith organization as he becomes the leader’s right-hand man. Based on the founding of Scientology and its leader L. Ron Hubbard, the film explores a man finding meaning in his life through religion where he eventually starts to question its teachings. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, David Warshofsky, and Kevin J. O’Connor. The Master is a provocative yet captivating film from Paul Thomas Anderson.
After serving as a seaman in the Navy during World War II, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) struggles to maintain a normal life as he continues to booze around from place to place while causing trouble in whatever place he works at. Unable to find a place in the world and in a drunken stupor, Quell suddenly boards on a boat where a party is happening. When the boat leaves San Francisco on its way to New York City, Quell meets a man named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who is the leader of a new faith-based organization known as the Cause. With Dodd’s wife Peggy (Amy Adams) on board as well as the rest of Dodd’s family and fellow followers, Quell is intrigued by this world as he makes some booze for Dodd. Dodd would also have sessions with Quell to see what makes him tick and what he’s afraid of as he welcomes Quell to the Cause.
Arriving at New York City for a party where Dodd wants to present his ideas to society, a man named John More (Christopher Evan Welch) asks questions that starts to annoy Dodd leading to Quell to respond by throwing food at him. Forced out of New York society, Dodd and his followers go to Philadelphia to stay at the home of Cause member Helen Sullivan (Laura Dern) where Dodd is trying to complete his second book. After Dodd is arrested for supposedly extorting money where Quell tries to fight off the police, Peggy and family members think about kicking Quell out of the group. Dodd decides to let Quell stay in order to help him as Quell deals with Dodd’s teachings to get better. Though Quell manages to be helpful for Dodd and the Cause as it leads to the publication of Dodd’s second book. Quell is still troubled by his own demons as he suddenly flees during a test as he later meet Dodd one last time.
Whenever someone feels out of place in the world and wants to find somewhere that will allow him to be part of something. They’ll do anything to fit right in whether it’s part of a cult or something that is bigger than themselves. For a man like Freddie Quell, here is someone who is completely out of sorts with the world at large. He is obsessed with sex and boozing as he has a hard time holding down a job or be part of society that expects him to conform to the ways of the world. By stumbling onto a ship, he would discover a world that is unique and that will allow him to be part of something. Allowing him into this world is its leader Lancaster Dodd. Here’s a man who has been around the world and has experienced a lot while wants to help people who are troubled by their past and such.
While Dodd’s methods are definitely questionable as some like his own son Val (Jesse Plemons) among many others including Helen Sullivan later on at a convention. There is no doubt that Dodd is just trying to help someone as unhinged as Quell by asking him some simple questions and wonder what is troubling Quell. It would lead to answers about who Quell is as it eventually leads to more unconventional methods that would force Quell to confront many things. While what Dodd’s teaches may help Quell, not everyone feels like Quell is responding to Dodd’s methods as it leads to many questions.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s screenplay definitely explores many themes that he had done in the past such as the idea of family and belonging to something. Yet, he also explores alienation in the form of Freddie Quell as he is desperate to belong somewhere. However, there’s people like Peggy Dodd who is uneasy about Quell as she does try to help him with mixed results. The Dodds are this unique family who are trying to express their views on the world and faith as they want to offer something. While Peggy is a much more fervent believer of the Cause as she is sort of like a second-in-command to her husband. Lancaster is not as aggressive but will be if he’s pushed.
With Quell being part of this group of people, he does seem like he is now family where Dodd becomes a father of sorts to him. Still, there would be ways for Quell to undo these things as it plays into the third act of the story. At this convention where Dodd presents his new book to his followers, there’s a party that is happening where everyone is having fun but Dodd isn’t there. A follower (Kevin J. O’Connor) briefly talks about the book where Quell would later assault this man as it’s followed by a scene where Helen is confused by Dodd’s new ideas in the book. It would later show that both Quell and Dodd are both aiming for something that is very similar but are taking very different paths to this destination that would ultimately lead to the two have one final meeting.
Anderson’s direction is grand in its scope as he definitely takes full-advantage of the canvas that he uses for this film. With gorgeous images of the sea and deserts to help create these amazingly hypnotic wide shots, Anderson is definitely yearning to recreate a type of cinema that had been lost for some time in the form of the epic film. Not epic in terms of stories that are larger than life but rather epic in terms of its visual scale. Shooting in locations around California as well as the Mare Island, Anderson still aims to create a film that is larger just as it’s set in postwar America in the late 1940s and early 1950s as it’s about to enter something that would modern.
While many of the exterior locations and shots of the sea have this majestic look that plays to the world of old-school epic cinema, Anderson still maintains an air of intimacy in the story that he presents. With a lot of striking compositions in the way he frames the actors in a shot. Anderson creates something that is more grounded in humanity as he is interested in these two very different men just trying to find answers about how to live life in the universe. Even in the film’s final moments such as Dodd and Quell’s final meeting where he places the camera in a wide shot as both men are at the edge of the frame. It’s to establish how far apart they are in the world they live in as both seem to have an understanding about each other but both are aware of their own failings as men. Overall, Anderson creates a film that is just visually-spellbinding as well as engrossing its exploration of faith and humanity.
Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. does spellbinding work with the film’s cinematography to capture the beauty of the locations in California such as the sea, the desert, and the vegetable groves along with lush interiors for the scenes in the Sullivan home with some low-key lighting schemes to help set the mood for those moments. Editors Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty do brilliant work with the editing to play up Quell‘s manic issues while slowing things down for a methodical pace as he gives in to Dodd‘s teaching with a few amazing montages to help establish these moments. Production designers Jack Fisk and David Crank, along with set decorator Amy Wells, do fantastic work with the set pieces to create the look and feel of postwar America as well as the look of the boat and places the characters encounter.
Costume designer Mark Bridges does superb work with the costumes to play up the look of postwar America from the dresses the women wear along with the suits that Dodd wears to express his very warm personality. Sound designer Christopher Scarabosio and co-sound editor Matthew Wood do excellent work with the sound to capture intimacy of some of the locations along with the raucous nature of the party scenes that happen in the film.
The film’s music by Jonny Greenwood is phenomenal for its unconventional orchestral score that features jazzy bass lines, crackling percussions, soaring string instruments, and themes that are at times calm but also unsettling to play up the dark tone of the film. Music supervisor Linda Cohen does terrific work with the music as she uses lots of pieces of the time including a few standards that are sung by Philip Seymour Hoffman along with songs sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, and Helen Forrest to set a mood for the scenes in the film.
The casting by Cassandra Kulukundis is incredible for the ensemble that is created for this film. In small but notable roles, there’s a cameo from Melora Walters as singer in the convention, David Warshofsky as Philadelphia policeman, Kevin J. O’Connor as a follower of the Cause, Christopher Evan Welch as a man who tries to scrutinize Dodd, Amy Ferguson as a salesgirl Quell tries to hook up with early in the film, W. Earl Brown as a man that Quell fights at the mall, Madisen Beaty as Quell’s ex-girlfriend Doris, and Lena Endre as Doris’ mother. Other noteworthy small roles include Jesse Plemons as Dodd’s son Val, Rami Malek as Dodd’s son-in-law Clark, Ambyr Childers as Dodd’s daughter Elizabeth, and Laura Dern as Dodd’s colleague and friend Helen Sullivan.
Amy Adams is tremendous as Dodd’s wife Peggy who displays a sweetness in the way she presents herself as a supporting wife as well as a dark edge in making sure her husband succeeds as well as dealing with Quell’s erratic behavior. Philip Seymour Hoffman is marvelous as the very charismatic Lancaster Dodd by displaying a lot of energy and wit to a character that has a lot of questionable methods but is very engaging in the way he presents himself. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in a chilling yet evocative performance as Freddie Quell by creating a man who is on the brink of collapse as there’s a dark sense of humor to Phoenix’s role as well as something grand to his character in the way he displays himself physically as well as emotionally as it’s definitely Phoenix at his finest.
The Master is an outstanding film from Paul Thomas Anderson that features top-notch performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. While it is a far more complex film than anything Anderson had done, it is still very intriguing for the way he tackles the world of faith and alienation set in a very tense time in American history. Particularly in how the world of religious cults might’ve been formed and the intentions they had once promised before it became more subject of scrutiny. In the end, The Master is a remarkable achievement from Paul Thomas Anderson.
P.T. Anderson Films: Hard Eight/Sydney - Boogie Nights - Magnolia - Punch-Drunk Love - There Will Be Blood - Inherent Vice - Junun - Phantom Thread - Licorice Pizza - One Battle After Another
Related: The Shorts & Videos of P.T. Anderson - The Auteurs #15: Paul Thomas Anderson
© thevoid99 2012
