Starting Out in the Evening

Originally written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/10/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Directed by Andrew Wagner and written by Wagner and Fred Parnes based on a novel by Brian Morton, Starting Out in the Evening tells the storing of a respected but aging novelist who is falling ill as his life unravels while being unable to finish a novel that has taken him ten years to write. Seemingly forgotten by the literary world comes an ambitious graduate student who is writing a thesis on the novelist where the reclusive novelist is reintroduced to his work and confront the demons that has haunt. A mediation on regrets and aging, the film is a study of a man desperate to find meaning in his work while dealing with regrets. Starring Frank Langella, Lily Taylor, Lauren Ambrose, and Adrian Lester. Starting Out in the Evening is a poignant, harrowing drama from Andrew Wagner.

Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella) for the past 10 years has been trying to work on a new novel. After four successful novels, the once great literary figure has fallen off the face of the earth. Now a college professor, the literary world has seemed to forgotten about him as he struggles to write a new novel. Yet, he's getting older and his health is failing him. Then he comes into contact with a graduate student named Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose) who is planning to do a thesis on Schiller. Leonard isn't sure until her persistence wins him over. Leonard is also dealing with his daughter Ariel (Lily Taylor) who is approaching 40 and wants a child. Yet, she doesn't feel that it should be with current boyfriend Victor (Michael Cumptsy) as she learns her former boyfriend Casey (Adrian Lester) has returned to New York City.

Heather discusses the first two novels that Leonard wrote as they go into deep discussions on literature and what inspired him. Yet, she's looking to clues into why his writing style changed in relation to the death of his wife. Leonard doesn't try to reveal anything yet finds something charming in Heather as he invites her to a book signing party that Ariel couldn't attend. Leonard finds himself out of place as Heather defends his status to another writer (Jessica Hecht) over compromises. An attraction ensues but both Leonard and Heather resist the temptation. Ariel meanwhile, reconnects with Casey as the two start dating again much to Leonard's chagrin. Still, Casey's presence manages not to be distracting when Ariel is celebrating her birthday while Heather learns about facts that she hadn't heard about.

Heather confronts Leonard over the change in his writing style as well as why it's taking him so long. Yet, the attraction sparks as Ariel becomes a bit uncomfortable while Heather manages to complete her thesis. Yet, Leonard's health starts to wane while Casey and Ariel begin to hit bumps again in their relationship. Realizing that he might not finish his novel, Leonard begins to contemplate his life as well as his status as a writer.

First time director Andrew Wagner creates an eerie character study about an aging novelist whose status in the literary world is nonexistent. When a student tries to reintroduce him to the world, he's reluctant but willing only to realize he's running out of time. The subplot involving Ariel and Casey is more about a daughter trying to the next step in her life while her boyfriend is trying to figure out the next step in his. It's all about characters and their interaction and intentions. Though the character of Heather has great intentions, she struggles with the fact that she couldn't understand why Leonard Schiller had changed his writing style. Plus, she struggles with one of his book as she tries to be honest. It's a film about characters in the literary world and the people that become their characters. Wagner's direction is wonderfully intimate and engaging as if it's a film set on the stage.

Cinematographer Harlan Bosmajian creates a low-light look through digital cameras to create a style and intimacy to the film's interior settings that conveys the mind of Leonard Schiller with production designer Carol Strober and art director Dara Wishingrad creating that same look in the set designs and decorations. Editor Gena Bleier does fine work in the editing that emphasizes less on style and more on a pacing that's very smooth and nothing spectacular. Costume designer Claudia Brown also plays up to the film's look with contemporary clothing and suits for Frank Langella along with a youthful array of clothes for Lauren Ambrose. Sound editor Scott A. Jennings does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of New York City and its crowded, talkative literary world. Music composer Adam Gorgoni creates a melancholic, melodic score that plays up to the film's emotions without any huge arrangements or big sounds. Instead, the subtle score underplays the emotion of the characters and tone of the film.

The casting by Cindy Tolan is superb with appearances from Joie Lee as a poet, John C. Havens as a doorman, Jessica Hecht as a writer, Jeff McCarthy as a colleague of Leonard Schiller, and Michael Cumptsy as Ariel's boyfriend Victor. Adrian Lester is excellent as Casey, a former flame of Ariel who comes back to her life with new ambitions though is unsure about the idea of wanting a family. Lester's laid-back performance is wonderful as he shares the similar struggles of moving forward that Leonard deals with despite their differences. Lily Taylor is superb as Ariel, Leonard's adult daughter whose desire to want a child is also dealing with her father's relationship with Heather. Taylor's performance is wonderfully understated and charming as it proves that she remains one of indie cinema's best and most beloved actresses.

Lauren Ambrose is great as Heather Wolfe, a young woman set to reintroduce Leonard to the world while exploring his books and writing styles. Ambrose plays the character with a lot of spunk and maturity while her character is also flawed in the fact that she ends up being a bit dishonest in raising hopes up when it collides with realism. Finally, there's Frank Langella is a purely masterful, extraordinary performance that shows the brilliance of the respected veteran actor. Langella's performance is filled with such ease while carrying a sense of history as if there's a lot to know about this man. The way Langella acts around with his actors and to situations where even him silent and not really doing proves how much he can do as an actor. It's a performance that was unjustly overlook at the most recent Academy Awards and it's one that audiences shall not forget.

Starting Out in the Evening is a brilliant, harrowing debut feature from Andrew Wagner helmed by a brilliant performance from Frank Langella. With great supporting performances from Lauren Ambrose, Lily Taylor, and Adrian Lester, it's a film that is very engaging while providing a sense of what the New York City literary world is like and how it's changed from the past. The film is wonderful for an audience that just wants to see actors act and explore different worlds as if it's all told in a theater. In the end, Starting Out in the Evening is a mesmerizing film that's led by one of cinema's finest and often overlooked actors, Frank Langella.

© thevoid99 2014

Whatever Works

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Whatever Works tells the story of a frustrated intellectual who leaves his upper-class New York life to enter its Bohemian section where he meets a young Southern girl and her family as he deals with the drawbacks of his new change in life. The film explores a man who befriends a young Southern girl and her family as he unknowingly changes their views on life. Starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Henry Cavill, and Michael McKean. Whatever Works is a pretty delightful comedy from Woody Allen.

The film is about this very brilliant but frustrated individual who chooses to live a much simpler life after a breakdown in his marriage where he later meets this young Southern runaway. Reluctantly taking her in, he becomes fascinated by naiveté as they later marry until her mother finds her as she eventually becomes part of the New York City art world. It’s a film where this man’s rants about the world and humanity suddenly seeps into the mind of a young woman as she eventually starts to become an individual of sorts and later has her mother becoming part of a world that is very different from the conservative world of the American South.

Woody Allen’s screenplay is about people coming into their own in a very new environment yet it is largely told by this man named Boris (Larry David) whose cynical view on the world itself has him baffled when he meets this very charming 21-year old girl named Melody (Evan Rachel Wood). Even as he imposes his own ideas about everything to her as she starts to form her own opinions on things though they aren’t strong as his as it would eventually influence her own mother Marietta (Patricia Clarkson) who unexpectedly arrives in an attempt to bring her own. Instead, she is introduced to a few of Boris’ friends and becomes a very different woman in the course of a year. Allen’s script is uneven at times as it often features a lot of rants from Boris who is always breaking the fourth wall down and talks to the audience to give his ideas on things and such where it gets a little old at times.

Allen’s direction has him returning to New York City after a brief period spending time in Europe. While he doesn’t do anything new in terms of compositions, he does manage to create a sense of looseness in the way he directs his actors. Notably as he creates moments where Boris would rant to his friends about everything as he tells the story about his first suicide attempt and then go into his story about how he met Melody. Allen does manage to take his time and do a bit of satire where he sort of makes fun of the New York art world as Marietta becomes this art photography who specializes in nude photography that would baffle her husband John (Ed Begley Jr.) who had left Marietta for her best friend. Though it loses some steam in the third act and the plotting isn’t as strong as it wanted it to be. Allen still manages to create a very engaging yet fun film about a man whose intellect inspires a Southern family to find their way in the world.

Cinematographer Harris Savides does fantastic work with the film‘s cinematography from the vibrant yet sunny look of its daytime exteriors to some more colorful lighting schemes for the scenes at night including some of its interior scenes. Editor Alisa Lepselter does excellent work with the editing as it features a few montages to play up Melody and Marietta‘s respective growths as well some rhythmic cuts to play out the film‘s humor. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Ellen Christiansen and art director Tom Warren, does terrific work with the set pieces from the look of Boris‘ apartment to the art gallery that Marietta would eventually present.

Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does wonderful work with the costumes from the youthful clothes that Melody wears to the more fashionable New York Bohemian clothes that Marietta would wear after her transformation. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound as it is often low-key while it would play to some moments that would move the story forward. The film’s music largely consists of classical and jazz music from artists like Ludwig Van Beethoven, Jackie Gleason, Groucho Marx, Heinz Kiessling, Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, and Red Garland.

The casting by Juliet Taylor, Laura Rosenthal, and Ali Farrell is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable appearances from Michael McKean, Adam Brooks, and Lyle Kanouse as friends of Boris whom he frequently talks to, Christopher Evan Welch as a man John meets late in the film, Carolyn McCormick as Boris’ ex-wife in a scene where Boris has a night terror and tries to kill himself, Jessica Hecht as a woman Boris meets late in the film, Conleth Hill as a philosophy professor Marietta meets, and Olek Krupa as an art gallery agent who also meets and falls for Marietta. Ed Begley Jr. is terrific as Marietta’s husband John who unexpectedly arrives to New York City to find out what his daughter and wife are up to as he’s baffled by their changes. Henry Cavill is very good as a young man that Marietta meets as she tries to set him up with Melody in the hopes that Melody can meet someone who isn’t Boris.

Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Melody’s mother Marietta where Clarkson brings a lot of energy as a woman who starts off as this God-fearing woman from the South that is eager to return her daughter back home only for one of Boris’ friend to discover her gifts as a photography that would change her completely. Evan Rachel Wood is remarkable as Melody as this young Southern girl who runs away to New York City from Mississippi as she becomes Boris’ new wife where she learns to be a woman with some intelligence as Wood has this charm and exuberance to her character that is fun to watch. Larry David is excellent as Boris as a man troubled by the world and is convinced is full of idiots until he’s amazed by this young naïve woman and starts to guide her about the ways of the world as it’s a pretty funny performance from David.

Whatever Works is a pretty good film from Woody Allen thanks to the performances of Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, and Patricia Clarkson. While it is flawed as some of David’s rants get a little old while the story is also uneven. It is still a very lively film that explores an intellect meeting those who are beneath him intellectually yet would make an impact on his life and his views on the world. In the end, Whatever Works is a terrific film from Woody Allen.

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

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

© thevoid99 2013

Sideways

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/7/04 w/ Additional Edits & Extensive Revisions.

Since his 1996 feature film debut for the abortion comedy Citizen Ruth, Nebraska filmmaker Alexander Payne brought a mix of Americana and irreverent offbeat humor to many of films often based on books that he and longtime co-writer Jim Taylor adapted into scripts. In 1999, Payne released a hilarious satire film entitled Election about a high school election gone insane that became a breakthrough for Payne as it won him loads of acclaim including the prestigious New Generation Award from the L.A. Film Critics Association. In 2002, Payne and Taylor released About Schmidt, based on the novel by Louis Bagley. A more harrowing film than his previous efforts, About Schmidt still contained its irreverent but restrained humor largely due to lead actor Jack Nicholson's surprisingly quiet, restrained performance as an old man dealing with age and his existence. The film was also a hit as Payne in 2004 re-emerged with Taylor once again for another adaptation, this time for the Rex Pickett novel entitled Sideways.

Sideways is a movie about a failed novelist named Miles and his out-of-work actor buddy Jack going on a one-week trip to North California to sow their wild oats while trying out new wines in various winery places. With Jack getting married in a week, Miles tries to give him a last week of freedom only to learn more of his own failures while the men deal with everything about themselves. Then after meeting a couple of women in a town in North California, Miles deals with his own failures while trying to find some sense of hope and good wine. Starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Payne's real-life wife Sandra Oh. Sideways is one of the most original and heartfelt comedies of 2004.

Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) is an 8th grade English teacher trying to catch a break as a novelist as he drives from San Diego to L.A. to pick up his best friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) for a week trip before Jack's wedding to Christine (Alysia Reiner). After meeting Christine's family, the two head to Northern California for a wine exhibit as they stop to spend the night at the home of Mile's mother (Marylouise Burke). Mile however, remains haunted by the fact that he's a failure and already failed in his marriage to Victoria (Jessica Hecht). Upon arriving to the California vineyard, they stop to examine wine as Miles expertly tries different wines as stop at a town near Los Olivos to stay.

After a meeting a waitress named Maya (Virginia Madsen), who knows Miles over his wine expertise, at a restaurant. Jack claims they're celebrating over the publication of Miles' upcoming novel which isn't true as they continue to go wine-tasting where they meet another expert in the free-spirited Stephanie (Sandra Oh), who is also a friend of Maya's. Jack becomes smitten with Stephanie as Miles and Jack go to dinner with Maya and Stephanie to discuss wine as Miles still mopes over his ex-wife. Later that night at Stephanie's house for more wine-tasting, Miles and Maya talk about the brilliance of wine as well as the fact that they're both dealing with failed marriages. With Jack spending more time with Stephanie, Miles tries to deal with his own issues as the two go golfing one day where Jack tries to get Miles out of his slump.

During a lunch with Maya and Stephanie where they meet Stephanie's daughter Siena (Natalie Carter), Miles finds himself smitten with Maya where things seem to go well until he accidentally reveals about Jack's upcoming wedding. Things get worse when Miles learns about his novel as he vents out where the day worsens over what he revealed to Maya about Jack. Jack's womanizing ways starts to get him in trouble after flirting with a waitress (Missy Doty) where he asks for Miles help to deal with her husband (M.C. Gainey) as Miles wonders if there's any kind of hope for him.

Where in previous films, Alexander Payne took the time to establish himself as a director with irreverent satires of Citizen Ruth and Election while blending comedy and drama for About Schmidt. In Sideways, Payne not only fulfills his potential but also now becomes the most leading American auteur filmmaker for his heartfelt view of humanity while finding its inane humor in the smallest of things. Payne brings a creatively intelligent film with stylized split-screens and wonderful images where he moves the camera into giving a wonderful yet complex view of America. With his longtime co-writer Jim Taylor, the film's script is filled with hilarious moments and lines along with great emphasis on wine tasting and the kind of wine that is good. This film will make thirsty for some wine but it's really an adult film with a nice balance of romance, drama, and restrained comedy where Payne and Taylor bring out their best work to date where they click with every funny and sad moment in the right places.

Helping Payne with his vision is cinematographer Phedon Papamichael who beautifully captures the wonderful world of California wine fields and the Californian towns, which has a sense of purity and color that is truly imaginative. With Payne's longtime editor Kevin Tent bringing in a nice, masterful editing style in tune with the multiple-screen shots in the film, the film moves nicely as it doesn't move too slow or too fast for Payne's subtle, sublime story. Helping out more in the visuals is Payne's longtime art team of production designer Jane Ann Stewart and art director T.K. Kirkpatrick for giving a nice detailed view of the Californian wine world with its tan-like colors and wooden images where the movie gives you that great feeling that you're in a winery while longtime costume designer helps give personality to the clothing for its characters.

Then there's the film's music from longtime Payne collaborator Rolfe Kent who brings a lovely jazz score filled with bouncy rhythms and touches of melancholia that serves as an accompaniment to the varied mood of Miles along with music from Bonnie Raitt and Luna.

Then there's the film memorable if small cast, which includes some nice performances from Marylouise Burke as Mile's mother, Jessica Hecht as Victoria, Alysia Reiner as Christine, and Missy Doty as Cammi. Still, the film revolves solely on its four main actors. Sandra Oh is vibrantly amazing as the free-spirited Stephanie with her whimsical expertise on wine and down-home sense of humor while being vivacious in her sexiness as she carries some great scenes with Thomas Haden Church while stealing the show in the scene where she breaks his nose. Virginia Madsen truly gives the greatest performance of her career as the soulful Maya with her love for wine and life. Madsen not only brings great chemistry with Paul Giamatti but a wonderful depth in their conversation scenes as Madsen glows in her understatedly, rich performance as she and Oh are both worthy for Supporting Actress nods in the Oscars.

Thomas Haden Church is hilarious and amazing as the chauvinist Jack with his selfish, egomaniacal ways and immature behaviors. Church is really the comedy of the movie by doing stupid things where he and Giamatti have great scenes despite their different personalities where Church also has depth where he's trying to protect Christine from his affairs with Stephanie. Church is just filled with depth in his comedy, as he also deserves some recognition for his performance. Paul Giamatti is the film's best performance for his complex mix of emotionally depressed and self-defeating in the role of Miles. Giamatti shows that his performance in 2003's American Splendor was no fluke where he uses his shadowy eyes and face to bring out every sense of sadness into his role. While he maybe the role of a loser (though Church is playing the bigger loser), Giamatti brings sympathy to his role despite his selfishness and self-loathing where he also carries a sense of charm and heart as this role is truly one of his best of his flourishing career.

Sideways is a tremendous film from Alexander Payne and company with great performances from Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Sandra Oh. Thanks to Payne's subtle, restrained humor and warm drama filled with romance and life lessons, the film is one of the brightest pieces of American cinema as Payne now becomes a director with a vast imagination. While not as funny in some parts in comparison to previous films, Sideways works more in its mix while giving away some great emphasis on wine tasting. If there's a nice movie that you can laugh and be moved at while getting a fine taste of wine, Sideways is the movie to go see.

Alexander Payne Films: Citizen Ruth - Election - About Schmidt - Paris Je T'aime-14th Arrondissment - The Descendants - Nebraska - (Downsizing) - The Holdovers - (Tracy Flick Can't Win) - The Auteurs #5: Alexander Payne

(C) thevoid99 2011