Written, edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Hail, Caesar! is the story of a Hollywood fixer who tries to find a Hollywood film star who had disappeared during the production of a big Hollywood movie. The film is an exploration into 1950s American cinema as well as the world of gossip, scandals, and all sorts of shenanigans that went on in 1950s Hollywood as it is narrated by Michael Gambon. Starring George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Channing Tatum, Alden Ehrenreich, Jonah Hill, Alison Pill, and Ralph Fiennes. Hail, Caesar! is a witty and off-the-wall film from the Coen Brothers.
Set in 1950s Hollywood, the film revolves around a studio head whose job is to clean up people’s messes and make sure they’re protected by scandal where he copes with the recent disappearance of a major Hollywood star who had been abducted by a mysterious organization known as the Future. It’s a film that plays in the few days in the life of this fixer who makes sure that everything goes well as he deals with all sorts of things such as an un-wedded pregnant starlet, a cowboy film star going into costume dramas, and a job offer. The film’s screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen doesn’t just explore the turbulent life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) as he tries to juggle his life in work but also a family life which he is fond of despite the demands of his job. While the character of Eddie Mannix is a real-life figure who was a fixer in real-life, the situations that he encounters do play into some of the things that go on in Hollywood. Yet, what the Coen Brothers do is create some exaggerations as well as some shenanigans.
When the actor Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) gets abducted by this mysterious group, this is where the story really begins to take shape as the script also play into a world that is changing. Not just through the emergence of television and the new ideas of films that are coming but also what is happening underneath as it relates to a growing scare that would shape 1950s America. There lies this conflict of not just the world that Mannix wants to protect but also the emergence of a new world order that threatens it. Along the way, there are these characters who part of Mannix’s world that are have this public fact that people know and love but if anything about who they really are become known could be the end of them. Even as many of them might seem like these typical film stars but either they’re smarter than they actually are or are part of something bigger.
The Coen Brothers’ direction definitely owe a lot of the Golden Age of Hollywood in not just the type of films they’re presenting where many of the stars of Capitol Pictures are in. It’s also in the way the studio system was back then where they’re sort of disconnected from the real world as a way to escape from the harsh rigors of reality. Shot on location in Hollywood, the film does play like a Hollywood film that is a bit off-kilter yet manages to be very lively and full of energy. Especially in the soundstages where filmmakers and actors do their work and not worry about anything yet not everything is going great. Especially for the starlet DeeAnna Moray (Scarlett Johansson) who is coping with the early stages of pregnancy as she has trouble being in a mermaid outfit. It’s among the many quirks and bits of humor that the Coen Brothers put in as it showcases not just how silly the world of Hollywood is as it includes the kind of films that are made including a western where its lead actor Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) finds himself cast in a costume drama.
Many of the compositions are simple in terms of wide and medium shots as well as some close-ups where some of it play into what kind of films are being made. The Coen Brothers also play with aspect ratios where many of the films that are being made are shot in the 1:33:1 Academy aspect ratio as the widescreen format wasn’t prominent until later in the 1950s due to the advent of television. The film would also play into an intimacy into this group that Whitlock was abducted by where it also has a sense of parody into who these guys are and what they represent. Some of which would set the tone for what would come in Hollywood but not to someone like Mannix who still believes that he is doing what is right no matter what forces are coming. Overall, the Coen Brothers create a very zany yet exhilarating film about a Hollywood fixer trying to clean up some big messes amidst an ever-changing world.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of grainy black-and-white film to recreate the costume drama to the array of lighting styles for the soundstages as well as some naturalistic exterior lighting for scenes in the day. Under the Roderick Jaynes alias, the Coen Brothers do some excellent work with the editing as it plays into the editing style of the times such as dissolves and some rhythmic cuts as well as some stylish cutting that would play into the suspense. Production designer Jess Gonchor, with set decorator Nancy Haigh and supervising art director Dawn Swiderski, does fantastic work with the different array of sets created for the many films in the soundstages as well as Mannix‘s office and the home of this mysterious group known as the Future.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does brilliant work with the costumes as it doesn’t just play into the period of the early 1950s from the many dresses the women wear but also some of the clothes of the men including Doyle’s cowboy get-up and the Roman period costume that Whitlock wears. Makeup artist Julie Hewett and hair designer Cydney Cornell do terrific work with the many different hairstyle of the characters that include the look of Moray as well as the look of the many women in the film including the twin gossip columnists Mannix has to deal with. Visual effects supervisors Dan Cregan, Dan Levitan, and Dan Schrecker do nice work with the visual effects for some of the set dressing for some of the exterior scenes as well as a few old-school tricks for sequences in some of the films that are being made. Sound editor Skip Lievsay and sound designer Craig Berkey do superb work with the sound from the way many of the recordings in an editing room or in a soundstage sound like to scenes outside the studio where it plays into the chaos that Mannix is dealing with. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is delightful for the many different array of music from bombastic orchestral music for the epics to country-western music for the cowboy movie or something more snazzy for the musicals as it includes original songs written with Henry Krieger and Willie Reale.
The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is phenomenal for the mass ensemble that is created in the film as it features notable small roles from Wayne Knight as a suspicious extra, E.E. Bell as a bartender in a musical number, Clancy Brown as Whitlock’s co-star, Robert Picardo as a concerned rabbi who frets over the epic movie, Alex Karpovsky as a photographer for the Future, Natasha Bassett as a starlet Mannix deals with early in the film, Christopher Lambert as a European filmmaker that is rumored to be the father of Moran’s baby, Emily Beecham as a young actress in a costume drama, Veronica Osorio as a Carmen Miranda-actress in Carlotta Valdez that Doyle is set up with for a date, and Heather Goldenhersh in a wonderful performance as Mannix’s secretary Natalie who is Mannix’s right-hand woman of sorts. In the roles of members of the Future, there are David Krumholtz, Fisher Stevens, Fred Melamed, and Patrick Fischer while John Bluthal is terrific as a philosopher who tries to convince Whitlock to join them. In the role of the Future’s leader, Max Baker is superb as the team’s leader as someone that wants to crush Capitol Studios as well as do something that would change America.
In small but very memorable roles, there’s Alison Pill in a radiant performance as Mannix’s wife who helps him decide what to do while Jonah Hill is fantastic as a man named Joseph Silverman that is willing to help out Mannix and Moran. Channing Tatum is excellent as Burt Gurney as a musical actor that is so full of charm in the way he sings and dances while also being a bit ambiguous as it relates to activities outside of acting. Frances McDormand is hilarious as the editor C.C. Calhoun as it’s a very funny one-scene appearance where McDormand helps Mannix over the fate of a film and what should be cut. Tilda Swinton is amazing in a dual role as twin gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker as two twin sisters who hate each other as they both try to get a story from Mannix over what is happening where one is trying to bring real news while the other wants to uncover scandal.
Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as filmmaker Laurence Larentz as this man who makes prestigious costume dramas who deals with having to work with the very inexperienced Doyle under the orders of the studio. Scarlett Johansson is great as DeeAnna Moran as this Esther Williams-type of actress who deals with being pregnant as well as being unmarried having already married twice where Johansson brings a lot of humor to her role. Alden Ehrenreich is incredible as Hobie Doyle as a singing cowboy actor who is a real cowboy as he deals with being put into a costume drama where he has trouble saying lines without his Western drawl as well as being a lot smarter than people want to believe. George Clooney is marvelous as Baird Whitlock as a leading man who gets abducted by a mysterious group where he realizes what is going on as he ponders whether to be part of this group where Clooney also gets to be funny. Finally, there’s Josh Brolin in a remarkable performance as Eddie Mannix as this fixer who tries to clean up all of the messes for a film studio while dealing with the chaos of his work where he also ponders about taking on another job as it’s Brolin in one of his best performances to date.
Hail, Caesar! is a phenomenal film from the Coen Brothers. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a witty premise, and some amazing technical work. The film isn’t just a lavish tribute to 1950s American cinema but also a hilarious take on that period that includes a funny view of the growing scare in America. In the end, Hail, Caesar! is a sensational film from the Coen Brothers.
Coen Brothers Films: Blood Simple - Raising Arizona - Miller's Crossing - Barton Fink - The Hudsucker Proxy - Fargo - The Big Lebowski - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - The Man Who Wasn't There - Intolerable Cruelty - The Ladykillers - Paris Je T'aime-Tulieres -To Each His Own Cinema-World Cinema - No Country for Old Men - Burn After Reading - A Serious Man - True Grit - Inside Llewyn Davis - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Auteurs #9: The Coen Brothers: Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2016
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/7/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions
Directed by Greg Mottola and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad tells the story of two high school boys whose days of high school is about to finish. Deciding to go out in style where they were invited to a party, one of their friends is asked to supply alcohol where after a robbery gone bad, the boy gets the attention of two inept cops who use him to relive their youth. With Judd Apatow as a producer, the film is a raunchier film than Apatow's other material as his cohorts Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg recount the days of their youth. Starring Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen. Superbad is a hilarious and boisterous comedy from Greg Mottola.
It's near the end of the school year as Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are hoping to score some chicks and such as they're both set to separate with Evan going to Dartmouth in the fall. Joining Evan to Dartmouth is their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who also hopes to join in a graduation party. When Seth hears that Jules (Emma Stone) is having a party, she asks if he can supply the beer. Seth is excited as he hopes to use the beer to score with Jules while Evan decides to go as after he managed to convince a girl he likes named Becca (Martha MacIsaac) if she wants to go. She says yes and asks him if he could bring a special vodka. Though Evan and Seth don’t have a Fake ID, Fogell manages to score one under the alias, McLovin'.
McLovin' tries to score some beer with a Fake ID only to be assaulted by a robber. With Evan and Seth looking on outside, they're convinced that Fogell is in trouble with the cops as Seth gets hit by a car as the driver named Francis (Joe Lo Truglio) tries to apologize by taking them to a party. Fogell meanwhile, is interrogated by two cops named Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen) as they take McLovin' to some wild shenanigans where he becomes accepted. Seth and Evan meanwhile, arrive at Francis' party where he gets beat up by its host Mark (Kevin Corrigan) while things get crazy when Evan is forced to sing to some drunken guys while Seth has an encounter with Mark’s girlfriend (Carla Gallo) that gets him in trouble. Seth and Evan leave with two detergent containers worth of booze yet the tension between the two boys start to rise over Evan's departure to Dartmouth.
After Fogell's night out with Slater and Michaels, things get tense when an encounter with Seth and Evan lead to some trouble as the three boys finally managed to escape the cops with Fogell carrying the booze he managed to score at the liquor store hours earlier. After arriving to Jules' party, everything becomes great only until Evan and Seth realize their own flaws while McLovin' lives up to his name with some surprising help.
While the film is based on the teenage lives of both its writers and executive producers Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, it does have something relevant to men, teens and adults, who remember their high school lives. The film's plot is simple, two boys wanting to party, get laid, get drunk, and have a whole lot of fun. Yet, there's more to this story as Goldberg and Rogen focus on the film's core story about these two young men and their long-standing friendship that is about to end. That plot device also leads to a conflict between the two boys as the more abrasive Seth is angry at the very sensitive Evan over this departure and as the film develops, secrets are unveiled and they're not really the same people in the beginning of the film.
One subplot that balances the film's study of teenage friendship is the story that involves Fogell and the two cops he hang around, who are trying to relive their own youths after feeling disappointed by in the world of adulthood. Goldberg and Rogen are definitely smart enough to create stories that men can relate to while for women, it gives them an ideas of what guys are and even though it's from the perspective of guys, not men. Women might relate to their own youths of young woman who probably also want to get drunk and party as well. The humor overall is very raunchy, far more raunchier than the films that Judd Apatow directed due to its coarse dialogue that is definitely shocking to some audiences. Yet, teenagers do talk like that, they think about sex, they watch sex, that's what being a teenager is.
Director Greg Mottola understands that as well as his direction is solid throughout. From its opening credits that is in the style of 1970s cinema, the film has a 70s feel of sorts with its funk-drenched music, ode to porno films, and hilarious situations. Yet, there's also a modern feel that plays to the film's humor. A lot of it has a spontaneous feel with the action being a bit unexpected and such. Still, Mottola lets the actors act in a relaxed approach as he gives them a moment from the comedy yet still manage to let them be funny. Even through wild antics as the film definitely brings laugh after laugh after laugh. Overall, Mottola's direction is superb.
Cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook does some fine work with the film's look, notably the exterior nighttime sequences that are awash with sepia-color tones and yellow lights along with the film's interior scenes for the parties. Editor William Kerr does some nice work for the film's editing as it manages to have a nice, leisurely pace to help with the film's humor along with some great transitional cuts. Production designer Chris L. Spellman & art director Gerald Sullivan do excellent work on the look of the parties including the home of Mark in all of its debauchery while costume designer Debra McGuire does fine work in the look of the clothes that looks very contemporary. Sound editor George H. Anderson is also good with the film’s sound, notably the use of sirens, car squeals, and such to convey the action. The drawings of Seth's penis doodles are wonderfully drawn by Evan Goldberg's brother David.
The score of Lyle Workman is excellent with its homage to 70s funk that is very bouncy courtesy of legendary Parliament-Funkadelic members Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell in their respective playing of the bass and keyboards. The rest of the soundtrack is filled with loads of 70s funk and soul music that includes KC & the Sunshine Band, the Four Tops, The Bar-Kays, Guess Who, Rick James, and other assorted cuts from Ted Nugent & the Amboy Dukes, Nugent by himself, the Rapture, Motorhead, and Van Halen. It's a killer soundtrack that is fun to listen to.
The cast is overall brilliant feature appearances from David Krumholtz and Martin Starr as party guys, Erica Vittina Phillips as the liquor store cashier, Carla Gallo as Mark's girlfriend, and Seth Rogen's father Mark as a man chasing Seth and Evan with a bat. Brooke Dillman is funny as the home economics teacher while Clement Blake is great as a drunken wino, Matthew Bass as a star of a porno Seth, Evan, and Fogell watch with cameos from porno actresses Aurora Snow and Jenna Haze. Roger Iwami as Evan's classmate Miroki, Laura Seay as Jules' friend Shirley, Marcella Lentz-Pope as Becca's friend Gabby, Joe Nunez as a liquor store clerk, and Aviva Farber as Fogell's crush Nicola.
Joe Lo Truglio of The State fame is funny as the creepy Francis, a driver who hits Seth while trying to get them to a party while Kevin Corrigan plays Francis' former friend Mark with a lot of attitude as a dude who doesn't like to be messed with. Stacy Edwards, known to indie fans as the deaf woman in In the Company of Men, is funny as Evan's mother whom Seth seems to have a crush on her because of her cleavage. Emma Stone is amazing as Jules, the girl Seth has a crush on her as she reveals that though she likes to party, she isn't really a wild person. Martha MacIsaac meanwhile, is also good as Becca, the girl Evan likes as she hopes to win him over but in a way that forces Evan to rethink things. Bill Hader and Seth Rogen are hilarious as the two cops Slater and Michaels as two inept men who are trying to relive their youth and wild ways through Fogell.
Jonah Hill is very funny as the boisterous, profane Seth as his performance is really the funniest of the film with the excessive use of the word "fuck" while often saying obscene things about sex and body parts. Hill's performance is definitely a highlight as he is the wildest character of the entire film. Michael Cera is great as the more sensitive Evan, the young man who wants to do things right while trying to come to terms about the end of his friendship with Seth. Cera's performance is the perfect counterpoint to Hill's more abrasive performance as the two have great chemistry that it's in the tradition of most comedy duos. The film's best performance and scene-stealer is newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fogell aka McLovin'. Mintz-Plasse's performance is truly phenomenal as this nerdy, skinny kid who tries to act like the coolest kid in the world yet unwittingly gets himself into a strange situation. Often the foil for Seth's jokes, he ends up becoming the coolest character of the film as he tries to act like a total gangsta while managing to be one of the greatest guys ever on film.
Superbad is a remarkable film from Greg Mottola. Armed with a great that includes Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen. It's a film that manages to explore the exuberance and uncertainty of youth while telling it in such a raunchy and uncompromising way. In the end, Superbad is a fun and exciting film from Greg Mottola.
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller from a story by Lord, Miller, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman, The Lego Movie is the story of an ordinary construction worker who is asked to join a quest to help a wizard defeat an evil lord. The film is an animated feature inspired by the Legos building toys as this ordinary person is believed to be part of a prophecy to help the world of Legos from this evil tyrant. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, and Morgan Freeman. The Lego Movie is a truly fun and extremely awesome film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Set in a world where it’s built entirely on Legos, the film revolves around an ordinary construction worker who finds a relic that is believed to be part of a prophecy to stop an evil lord from wreaking havoc and instill conformity as part of his vision of perfection and order. By taking part in a quest with a group of misfits led by a wizard, this ordinary worker in Emmett (Chris Pratt) finds himself realizing that he has been in a world where he doesn’t feel special as those question about whether he is this master builder that the prophecy claim to be. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it has compelling themes on the idea of conformity vs. individuality where the latter is rebelling against the ideas of this evil lord in Lord Business (Will Ferrell) as they’re known for creating things based on spontaneity. Yet, Lord Business is an individual who hates these ideas where Emmett would force this band of misfits to work together and find a way to use their spontaneity to defeat the evil lord.
The film’s screenplay definitely plays into aspects of conventional ideas about conformity vs. individuality yet the balance of that is Emmett as he is just this ordinary construction worker that is just trying to fit in as he works on creating buildings based on instructional manuals. When he meets this mysterious woman named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) where he would accidentally find this relic, he comes across something where it is clear that he wasn’t meant to find this thing as he would team up with Wyldstyle and this wizard named Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) who is a master builder that leads a group of master builders. Yet, they’re pursued by Lord Business’ henchman Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) as they trek through different worlds as they do whatever it takes to stop Lord Business from unleashing the mysterious weapon known as the Kragle.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s direction is definitely wondrous not just for the fact that they created this unique mix of 3D computer animation with traditional elements as they would use Legos as their template. It’s also in how they use Legos to tell the story as well as play into how these characters interact with one another and feel like they’re a part of something. It’s part of the dramatic conflict that occurs in someone like Emmett who wants to fit yet he is unable to stand out as many of his co-workers just think of him as just no one. Much of the compositions aren’t just simple but they also have elements of surrealism in the way Emmett interacts with his surroundings as they’re very strange worlds that he is in. Among them is a world of the West, a medieval world, a world set in the clouds, and all sorts of crazy things that is definitely everything that Lord Business wants to get rid of.
The direction of the film also has elements that feels like a low-budget film where it’s clear that Lord and Miller are having fun as if they are playing with actual Lego toys. Even as the sense of spontaneity comes in whenever characters create something to get out of a bad situation. There’s also superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Gandalf, and many others that appear in the film as they do serve some importance to the film as it also plays to how silly things are in the world of Legos. Especially into what the object known as the Kragle is as there are elements that add to this strange sense of surrealism which does bring a sense of joy and weirdness that feels very accessible. Overall, Lord and Miller create a very delightful and extremely fun film about an ordinary construction worker trying to save his Lego world and its people.
Cinematographer Pablo Plaisted does excellent work with some of the lighting schemes needed for some of the film‘s interior sets to play into the colorful look of the film. Editors David Burrows and Chris McKay do fantastic work with the editing to play into the energetic tone of the film as well as slowing things down for the suspenseful moments. Production designer Grant Freckelton does brilliant work with the look of the Lego buildings and other objects to play into the strange world of Legos. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound effects including the smaller things into how some things are built. The film’s music by Mark Mothersbaugh is amazing for its mixture of orchestral music with elements of electronic and other offbeat music as it also features the song Everything is Awesome by Tegan & Sara.
The voice casting by Mary Hidalgo is incredible as it features voice cameos from Will Forte, Dave Franco, and Jorma Taccone in small roles as well as other voice performances from Cobie Smolders as Wonder Woman, Channing Tatum as Superman, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Shaquille O’Neal as a Lego version of himself, and Charlie Day in a very funny voice performance as 80s space guy who always wants to keep building a spaceship. Other notable small voice roles include Alison Brie as a very optimistic hybrid of cat and unicorn called Princess Unikitty while Nick Offerman is hilarious as a pirate character called Metalbeard who seeks vengeance of Lord Business. Morgan Freeman is excellent as the mysterious wizard Vitruvius as he is this wise man that is often in some very funny situations. Liam Neeson is superb as Bad Cop as this good cop/bad cop who is often forced to do Lord Business’ bidding as Neeson also voices Bad Cop’s parents and his good side.
Will Arnett is fantastic as the voice of Batman as this hilarious variation of the superhero who is often full of himself and thinks he is better than everyone. Will Ferrell is brilliant as Lord Business as this evil tyrant who is keen on making sure that everyone is doing things his way in an act of conformity. Elizabeth Banks is amazing as Wyldstyle as this tech-savvy fighter who was trying to find the mysterious relic as she becomes an object of affection for Emmett while dealing with her own flaws as an individual. Finally, there’s Chris Pratt in a remarkable voice performance as Emmett as this ordinary construction worker who learns that he is part of a prophecy that can save the Lego world as he copes with trying to live up to those expectations while admitting that he is just ordinary.
The Lego Movie is a phenomenal film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Featuring a great cast as well as a unique premise that is inspired by Legos, it is a film that manages to be full of imagination as well as bring out all sorts of joy for those who love Legos. Even as it manages to infuse elements of surrealism and weird things that manages to be crazier than it actually is. In the end, The Lego Movie is a sensational film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Phil Lord & Chris Miller Films: (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) - 21 Jump Street - 22 Jump Street
Related: The Lego Batman Movie - (The Lego Ninjago Movie)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by David O. Russell and written by Russell and Jeff Baena, I Heart Huckabees is the story of an environmental activist who finds himself dealing with coincidences and such as he hires two existential detectives to help him as others also seek the help of the detectives. The film is an exploration into the world of existentialism as it’s told in a humorous manner as it also features a corporate executive who is the antagonist to the activist. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Isabelle Huppert, Lily Tomlin, and Dustin Hoffman. I Heart Huckabees is a truly hilarious and captivating film from David O. Russell.
The film explores the struggles of an environmental activist who is trying to save some marshes from being destroyed in favor of a new department store as he battles a corporate executive who lied to him. Yet, the activist Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman) finds himself encountering a tall Sudanese bellboy which prompts him to get the help of two existential detectives in Bernard & Vivian Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman & Lily Tomlin, respectively) where things get complicated as he finds himself in a bigger battle with Huckabees executive Brad Stand (Jude Law) who also hires the Jaffes. With a disgruntled client of the Jaffes in fireman Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg) leaning towards the nihilistic views of the Jaffes’ former protégé Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert) as Albert would join Tommy. Things get complicated when the Jaffes’ presence starts to ruin Brad’s life as his girlfriend/Huckabees’ spokeswoman Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts) starts to rebel against her own image. All of which plays into a group of people questioning themselves as well as their ambitions and roles in life in a very humorous fashion.
The film’s screenplay by David O. Russell and Jeff Baena has an offbeat structure where the first act is about Albert’s frustrations to save the marshes and deal with Brad who constantly bullshits everyone including the people he works for about a story involving country-pop singer Shania Twain and a tuna sandwich. While the Jaffes claim that both Albert and Brad are the same due to their ambitions and the need to make a difference. It’s something Albert refuses to believe as his encounter with Tommy would have him see a much darker view. Tommy is a fireman who despises petroleum as he sees Albert as a man who believes in something where a series of events would have Albert lose the trust of the people trying to save the marshes who go to Brad who is bullshitting them. The second act is about Albert and Tommy turning to Vauban for help as well as revelations for Albert about his own life where Tommy would often combat the Jaffes about their views on how everything is connected while Tommy refutes that.
Then comes this third act where it is about Brad and his own ambitions where his own life would unravel. Even as his relationship with Dawn comes into question as Dawn is often seen wearing skimpy clothes to promote Huckabees as she begins to ask questions about herself and her own relationship. Especially as she would threaten the future of Huckabees and Brad getting into some trouble which would then lead to a major epiphany for all of those involved. Especially the Jaffes and Vauban whose opposing views on the ways of the world would suddenly come together.
Russell’s direction is simple in the way he would shoot some scenes but there’s also something that is very offbeat in the way he plays into many of the film’s humorous moments. Notably the way it opens with Albert cursing at himself for all of the problems he is having where his encounters with this Sudanese bellboy are comical. It plays to the tone of the film where a lot of the humor is absurd as the scene where Albert and Tommy are in a room with the other clients of the Jaffes to showcase a world that is chaotic. The scenes with Vauban doing her own teaches are also absurd as it tries to play into this comical idea of nihilism. There’s also some very offbeat fantasy scenes that play into Albert’s own struggles and his hatred for Brad.
The opposing views of the Jaffes and Vauban would add to the offbeat tone of the direction where Russell would showcase their views through minimal visual effects. The Jaffes present their ideas in dots and such to say that everything is connected in a variation of transcendentalism while Vauban is more grounded in reality where there aren’t any visual effects but one that is still darkly comic. It would all culminate in a scene where it plays into these two diverge forces finally coming together in a moment of enlightenment. Overall, Russell crafts a very witty yet engaging comedy about a young man dealing with the ways of the world and his place in the world.
Cinematographer Peter Deming does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography to capture the naturalistic of the locations in California as well as some of its interiors where a lot of the film is shot on daytime. Editor Robert K. Lambert does brilliant work with the editing with its unique approach to montages and jump-cuts as it plays to the film‘s offbeat style. Production designer K.K. Barrett, with set decorator Gene Serdena and art director Seth Reed, does amazing work with the look of the Huckabees corporate building as well as the home office of the Jaffes to display their eccentric approach of transcendental philosophy.
Costume designer Mark Bridges does nice work with the costumes from the skimpy clothes that Dawn wears in her job to the different array of clothes that Vivian Jaffe and Caterine Vauban would wear. Visual effects supervisor Robert Barrett does fantastic work with the visual effects that play into the ideas of the Jaffes about connection and such as it‘s very playful. Sound editor Kelly Oxford does terrific work with the sound work to play into some of the sounds in the fantasy scenes as well as some of the moments in the location. The film’s music by Jon Brion is an absolute delight with its playful approach to the Chamberlin instrument as well as some folk-based pieces that he brings in to the film.
The casting by Mary Vernieu is incredible as it features some notable appearances from Shania Twain as herself, Richard Jenkins and Jean Smart as a couple who let the Sudanese bellboy live with them, Jonah Hill in his film debut as that couple’s son, Talia Shire as Albert’s mother, Bob Gunton as Albert’s stepfather, Tippi Hedren as a coalition leader who tries to save the marshes where she aligns herself with Brad, Isla Fisher as Dawn’s replacement later in the film, Ger Duany as the tall Sudanese bellboy in Stephen, and Kevin Dunn as the Huckabees executive manager Marty. Naomi Watts is excellent as Dawn Campbell as the Huckabees’ spokeswoman who is often in their commercials and is Brad’s girlfriend as her encounter with existentialism showcases Watts at her funniest as she questions her own image and such.
Isabelle Huppert is amazing as Caterine Vauban as this absurd nihilist who tries to show Albert and Tommy a world where there is nothingness as she proves to be quite extreme and convincing in her views. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Bernard Jaffe as this oddball existential detective who is trying to get people on board with his own ideas while Lily Tomlin is fantastic as Bernard’s wife Vivian who also expresses the same views while being more analytical about the people she’s working with. Mark Wahlberg is phenomenal as Tommy Corn as this fireman who rides a bike as he becomes lost in his own despair as he tries to find meaning as it’s Wahlberg in one of his funniest and most vulnerable performances.
Jude Law is superb as Brad Stand as this corporate executive who likes to tell a story about Shania Twain to win over people and such as he’s a man that is quite vain in his ambitions only to realize how empty they can be. Finally, there’s Jason Schwartzman in a marvelous performance as Albert Markovski as this frustrated environmental activist who tries to make a difference as he deals with the different ideas of existentialism and his own issues with Brad as it’s Schwartzman in one of his funniest roles.
I Heart Huckabees is a smart and compelling film from David O. Russell. Armed with a great ensemble cast and very witty ideas about existentialism, the film is certainly a comedy that doesn’t play to any conventions. Especially as it showcases the idea of existentialism in its most absurd. In the end, I Heart Huckabees is a remarkable film from David O. Russell.
David O. Russell Films: Spanking the Monkey - Flirting with Disaster - Three Kings - The Fighter - Silver Linings Playbook - American Hustle - Accidental Love - Joy (2015 film) - The Auteurs #70: David O. Russell
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/23/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Kasdan and Judd Apatow, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is the story of musician who becomes a major star in creating some groundbreaking music while enduring all of the trials and tribulations such as drug addiction, buying strange animals, sleeping with millions of women, and being haunted by the sight of machetes. The film is a spoof into the world of music bio-pics where it lampoons all of the cliches and more as its titular character is played by John C. Reilly. Also starring Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig, Tim Meadows, plus Apatow regulars Paul Rudd, Martin Starr, Harold Ramis, Jane Lynch, and Jonah Hill, with appearances from Jack Black, Jack White, Jason Schwartzman, Justin Long, Frankie Muniz, Eddie Vedder, and many more. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a whimsical, entertaining, and certainly hilarious spoof on the musical bio-pics.
The film is an uncompromising spoof in the world of music bio-pics where Dewey Cox reflects on his entire life in his first performance in 25 years as he is haunted by the death of his brother Nate (Chip Hormess) in a machete accident that would lead him to lose his sense of smell and his gift for making music. Along the way, he marries his 12-year old girlfriend Edith (Kristen Wiig) and create a bunch of songs while falling for his backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer) who would become his second wife. In his journey to stardom, Cox would create punk rock and dabble into many musical trends such as the variety show while becoming addicted to drugs due to his drummer Sam (Tim Meadows) in a life that quite crazy but also typical of many bio-pics based on musicians where it was bound to become a parody. It's a film that takes these cliches and amp it up to 11 as Cox's journey lampoons everything from Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Johnny Cash, and many others as it follows the scenarios of these stories and infuse it with humor. .
The script by Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow is definitely genius as it plays with the cliches while creating moments in the film that are downright funny from the repeated breakdowns of Cox to his drug use. A lot of the film's raunchy humor that included appearances from naked people is definitely Apatow in all of his glory. Kasdan's direction is very stylish from the colorful, over-lit look of Cox's early years to the grainy footage of Dont Look Back/Eat the Document period of Cox trying to be Bob Dylan. The whole film works overall in all of its humor and drama as it plays like a bio-pic and spoof. The only real major complaint about the film is that for its 96-minute running time, it's not long enough. Largely because some of the material that appeared in the trailer including Cox's sausages, more of the disco-variety show stuff, Patrick Duffy getting punched, Cox's third wife Cheryl Cox Tiegs, and additional scenes with the Beatles were left on the cutting room for its extended DVD. Overall, Kasdan crafts a very smart and witty film about the cliched life of a musician.
Cinematographer Uta Briesewitz does some wonderfully stylish photography to convey each different period from the colorful lighting in the 50s and early 60s sequence to the grainy black-and-white look of Cox as Dylan, to the slick look of the 70s. Editors Tara Timpone and Steve Welch do great work with the film's editing for its leisurely pacing and cutting style to show Cox's moments and triumphs that is very solid. Production designer Jefferson Sage and art director Domenic Silversti do excellent work with the film's varied period looks from the wooden, farm look of Dewey's childhood home to the 70s couches and such.
Costume designer Debra McGuire does great work with the varied period costumes of Dewey's world that is lovely to watch while showing Darlene in all of her sexy look in different period clothing. Hair stylist Michelle Payne and a team of makeup artist do great work with those different periods from the teddy-boy look to the Dylan fro and 70s long hair along with the aging for the film's third act. Sound designer Robert Grieve and editor Joel Shryack do great work with the film's sound to convey the world that Dewey is in. Visual effects supervisor Evan Jacobs does great work to convey the look of Dewey's vision of his ghostly family along with a hilarious animation sequence involving Dewey and the Beatles.
Then there's the film's music and soundtrack with a wonderfully upbeat score from Michael Andrews who is also one of the film's songwriters in the many original songs created. Contributing to the writing aren't just Jake Kasdan, Judd Apatow, and John C. Reilly but indie-pop legend Marshall Crenshaw, Mike Viola, Dan Bern, and many more as the songs range from country, folk, mariachi, punk rock, hip-hop, psychedelia, and a hilarious disco cover of David Bowie's Starman. All of the songs are sung by Reilly himself with Angela Correa as the singing voice of Darlene for Let's Duet. Many of the songs including various versions of Walk Hard performed by Jackson Browne, Jewel, Lyle Lovett, and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan are hilarious with funny lyrics as the soundtrack is a real highlight of the film.
The film's cast assembled by Anya Colloff and Amy McIntyre Britt is pure genius as appearances from Deanna Brooks and Angela Little as lovely groupies, Jacques Slade as rapper Lil' Nutzzak who did a remake of Walk Hard, Chip Hormess as young Nate, Connor Rayburn as the young Dewey Cox, Rance Howard as a preacher, Paul Bates as a nightclub manager, John Ennis as the Big Bopper, Phil Rosenthal as Jewish talent agent Mazeltov, and Simon Helberg as Dredel L'Chai'm are funny. Cameo appearances from Jewel, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Ghostface Killah, the Temptations, and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder are fun to watch while Jack White of the White Stripes does a hilarious impression of Elvis Presley. Frankie Muniz is also funny as Buddy Holly but none of the cameos could ever top the casting of the Beatles whom are all funny.
Justin Long is a great George Harrison complaining about wanting to put more songs on the album while Jason Schwartzman is funny making faces and often commenting about writing a song about an octopus. Jack Black is a hoot as a huge Paul McCartney claiming he's the leader of the band while saying obscene things while Paul Rudd is pitch-perfect as John Lennon. Raymond J. Barry is funny as Pa Cox who has a great one liner, "the wrong kid died" while Margo Martindale is also great as Ma Cox. The appearances from Apatow regulars Jane Lynch as a reporter, Jonah Hill as the ghost of Nate, Craig Robinson as singer Bobby Shad Martin Starr & Harold Ramis as Jewish talent agents, and Kristen Wiig as Cox's first wife Edith are all funny in their memorable scenes with Wiig doing some funny drama with some great one-liners. Hill meanwhile, is another scene-stealer as he looks like a more attractive version of Tobey McGuire with the hair he's given.
David Krumholtz is great as Cox's manager Schwartzberg who convinces Cox to go on TV while Matt Besser and Chris Parnell are great as two of Cox's bandmates with Besser as the frustrated guitarist whose wife always sleeps with Cox and Parnell as the loving friend. Tim Meadows is a true scene-stealer for every scene he's in that involves drugs as he tells Dewey to not do them and such and then have this repeated line "you never paid for the drugs". Jenna Fischer is gorgeous as the sexy, hot, ravishing, exotic, and luscious Darlene who wows Dewey while conveying the sexual tension the two have as she becomes his shining light. Fischer's performance is very funny as she and Reilly have great chemistry both comedic and in dramatic performances. Finally, there's John C. Reilly in what is a long-overdue star-making performance as the title character of Dewey Cox. Playing the man when he's 14 to the present, Reilly gives a performance that is phenomenal as if he was born to play this fictional legend with a lot of witty humor and a singing voice that really showcases his range in ballads and such as it is really one of his great performances of his career.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a remarkable film from Jake Kasdan featuring a riveting performance from John C. Reilly as the titular character. In an age where spoof films have become lazy, this is a film that not only gets it right in terms of the cliches that play into bio-pics but also with a story that is thoroughly entertaining that also include some amazing songs. In the end, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a phenomenal film from Jake Kasdan.
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the TV show 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street is the story where two cops go to college to find the supplier who had been creating new drugs that has been circulating into the world of college. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller and screenplay by Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman from a story by Bacall and Jonah Hill. The film is a spoof of sorts on sequels where characters of the first film do the same thing for the second film set in college as Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reprise their roles as Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko who deal with their friendship. Also starring Amber Stevens, Peter Stormare, Nick Offerman, Rob Riggle, Dave Franco, and Ice Cube as Captain Dickson. 22 Jump Street is a witty yet off-the-wall film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The film is essentially a re-hash of sorts of the first film where Schmidt and Jenko have to go undercover and pretend to be college students so they can the dealers and suppliers of a new drug that is about to become big in college campuses. Along the way, Schmidt and Jenko endure challenges that would separate them while they also deal with new enemies and secrets that come into play during their investigation. It’s a film that definitely takes the same storyline, plot-points, and such of the first film but makes it aware that it is a re-hash where there’s elements of the fourth-wall being broken as the characters often talking about budgets and doing the same thing all over again. The film’s screenplay isn’t afraid to comment on doing things all over again while there’s a lot more hilarity that goes on as well as suggestions that Schmidt and Jenko’s friendship is so much more. Notably as those that Schmidt and Jenko surround themselves would tell one person that the other is dragging him down.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s direction definitely plays into the same style as the first but with bigger set pieces, action sequences, and all sorts of things where it knows that it is making fun of itself. The compositions are quite simple at times but also stylish as it plays to Jenko’s ability to do parkour and such while Schmidt would try to do that as well. Another hilarious sequence is another take on the two getting high on drugs where both Schmidt and Jenko each get a different reaction. There’s also sequences where Lord and Miller play up the bro-mance between Schmidt and Jenko as it does have this chaotic sense of style that is a play on the cinematic style of Michael Bay.
The action sequences are over the top as much of it is shot in New Orleans while its climatic showdown is shot in Puerto Rico as it is this very wild take on spring break. While the results is obvious predictable, it is followed by a closing credits sequence that not only breaks down the fourth wall but also in the idea of what is to come in all sorts of genres and such. Overall, Lord and Miller create a very smart and extremely funny film about two guys pretending to be college kids to bust up some drug dealers, have a good time, and be aware that they’re doing the same thing all over again.
Cinematographer Barry Peterson does excellent work with the cinematography in terms of the vibrant exterior colors of the locations in its interior and exterior settings. Editors David Rennie and Keith Brachmann do fantastic work with the editing where it plays into the chaotic, speed-editing style of most action blockbusters while keeping things straightforward so that audiences can make sense of what is happening. Production designer Steve Sakland, with set decorator Tracey A. Doyle and art director Scott Plauche, does nice work with the set pieces from the frat house that Jenko gets accepted to as well as the new 22 Jump Street base that was created to showcase the bigger budget.
Costume designer Leesa Evans does terrific work with the costumes as it plays to the world of college as it‘s mostly casual. Visual effects supervisors Edwin Rivera and Peter G. Travers do amazing work with some of the visual effects that includes a hilarious scene of Schmidt and Jenko high on the new drug and the different effects it had on them. Sound editor Geoffrey G. Rubay does superb work with the sound from the sound effects of gunfire to the atmosphere of the parties. The film’s music by Mark Mothersbaugh is brilliant for its mixture of orchestral music with some electronic-based cuts while music supervisor Kier Lehman brings in a fun soundtrack that features a lot of dubstep, hip-hop, electronic music, and some songs from the 80s.
The casting by Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy is amazing as it features some notable appearances from Rob Riggle and Dave Franco reprising their roles as Mr. Walters and Eric, respectively, as well as Caroline Aaron and Joe Chrest as Schmidt’s parents, and Nick Offerman playing the role of Captain Hardy who puts Schmidt and Jenko back on the Jump Street program. Wyatt Russell is terrific as the jock Zook that Jenko befriends while Jimmy Tatro is good as Zook’s friend Rooster. The Lucas Brothers are funny as twin drug dealers who always say the same thing while Marc Evan Jackson is wonderful as the college psychiatrist who is the initial suspect as the supplier. Jillian Bell is brilliant as Mercedes who dislikes Schmidt as she is very creepy as well as being very funny. Amber Stevens is excellent as Maya as an art student Schmidt falls for as she knows about the dealer who had died as she reluctantly let Mercedes stay in her dorm room.
Peter Stormare is superb as the antagonist Ghost as this old-school drug dealer that Schmidt and Jenko try to capture as he could be connected to the new drug that is being sent out to college campuses. Ice Cube is hilarious as Captain Dickson who continues to berate Schmidt and Jenko as Cube gets more to do as it relates to a minor character in the film. Finally, there’s Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in fantastic performances as their respective characters Schmidt and Jenko. Hill displays a lot of the sensitivity and awkwardness of Schmidt that is fun to watch while Tatum brings in that physicality and dimness to his character as the two definitely have fun in their roles while not being afraid to showcase some homoerotic overtones in their bro-mance.
22 Jump Street is an excellent film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Featuring a great cast and a witty approach to the idea of sequels, it is a film that isn’t afraid to play dumb while be aware that it’s rehashing everything that made the first film so successful. Especially as it isn’t afraid to give the audience what they want as well as be even sillier. In the end, 22 Jump Street is a fantastic film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Phil Lord & Chris Miller Films: (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) - 21 Jump Street - The Lego Movie
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/20/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions
Directed by Nicholas Stoller and written and starring Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the story of a TV music composer whose TV-star girlfriend breaks up with him as he drowns his sorrow by taking a trip to Hawaii only to learn that his ex-girlfriend is there with her new rock-star boyfriend as he gains the pity of a hotel receptionist. The film is an exploration into the world of break-ups and how a man tries to deal with a four-year relationship coming to an end as it's told in a largely comedic manner. Also starring Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Bader, Jonah Hill, and Paul Rudd. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a witty yet touching romantic-comedy from Nicholas Stoller.
Breaking up is a moment that is hard for most people to deal with as the film is about this TV music composer named Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) who is dumped by his longtime TV actress girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) as he becomes depressed and despondent only to take the suggestion of his step-brother Brian (Bill Hader) to travel to Hawaii as he learns that Sarah is staying at the same resort he has checked himself into as she has a new boyfriend in British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Taking pity on Peter is the hotel receptionist Rachel (Mila Kunis) who had also been through her own relationship issues as the two become friends while Peter would see Sarah during the vacation where he wonders what went wrong and what did he do as well as other things that made their relationship doomed. Especially as Sarah starts to notice Peter's growing friendship with Rachel as Sarah's relationship with Aldous becomes chaotic.
Jason Segel's screenplay does have a few subplots in the people that Peter meets such as a newlywed couple in Darald and Wyoma (Jack McBrayer and Maria Thayer, respectively), a chef named Kemo (Taylor Willy), a bartender named Dwayne, (Davon McDonald), a waiter named Matthew (Jonah Hill) who has a crush on Aldous, and a stoner surf instructor named Kunu (Paul Rudd). Yet, it does play into the world that Peter encounters as he tries to process the heartbreak he's going through as he would often cry hysterically over the break-up. Some parts of the script allows Peter to reflect on some moments about the relationship as his time with Rachel would prove to be helpful into realizing that there's so much more than Sarah Marshall. Especially as Sarah would face her own issues as well as her reasons into breaking up with Peter where even though Peter did play some role into the disillusion of their relationship. It was Sarah that did a lot to make things worse though her character isn't a total bitch.
Director Nicholas Stoller does a solid job with the film's direction while maintaining an intimate setting for the film's characters and their interaction with each other. The use of the Hawaiian locales are truly inspiring and colorful as it brings a lively look to the entire film in comparison to other Apatow-produced features as the film would also include some full-frontal male nudity to add to the raunchy humor of the film. Stoller's improvisation and also knack of humor is similar to the work of Blake Edwards, notably "10" that had a similar presence of a man dealing with a break-up only to fall for some young woman. The result is a comedy that is funny through and through with big laughs and lots of heart as well as real, lively characters.
Cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook does a great job with the film's intimate, dark look for Los Angeles that is a huge contrast to the colorful, bright look of Hawaii in all of its exterior and interior locales. Editor William Kerr is excellent for giving the film a leisurely-paced feel without any kind of fast cuts to maintain a straightforward look and feel. Production designer Jackson De Govia and set decorator K.C. Fox do a great job in creating the look of the Hawaiian resorts and locales that feels like Hawaii itself. Costume designer Leesa Evans creates a wonderful look in the costumes from the dresses that Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis wears to the shirts that the men wear. Sound editor George H. Anderson does a superb job with the film's sound to convey the atmosphere that is Hawaii. Music composer Lyle Workman brings a wonderful score to convey its tropic look while the soundtrack featuring the Smiths, Jason Segal, Russell Brand, and covers of many pop songs in a Hawaiian style are wonderful. Notably Segal's own songs in the Dracula musical that are top-notch funny.
The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is wonderfully assembled with cameo appearances from such character actors as Gedde Watanabe as the hotel's manager and Branscombe Richard as a luau bartender named Keoki to other notable cameos by surfer Kala Alexander, Apatow regular Carla Gallo as one of Peter's bad dates, and appearances by Access Hollywood reporter Billy Bush, William Baldwin, and Jason Bateman. Taylor Willy and Davon McDonald are funny as two hotel employees Peter befriends as they tell him to stop crying and get his act together while Steve Landesberg is great as a pediatrician who tells him to sleep other women. Liz Cackowski is good as Brian's wife Liz who tries to help but at one becomes part of a sick, raunchy joke by Peter. Apatow cohorts Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill are hilarious in their respective roles as the stoner surf instructor Chuck/Kunu and the hotel's waiter Matthew. Rudd's stoned-out performance is filled with huge laughs including a hilarious scene where he makes fun of Aldous' British accent while Hill is great for his crush on Aldous which suggests that he's a closet homosexual.
30 Rock star Jack McBrayer and Hill's Accepted co-star Maria Thayer are great as an overly-excited newlywed couple where McBrayer's character has a fear of sex as he tries to deal with it with some unlikely help from Aldous. Bill Hader is funny as Peter's stepbrother Brian who tells Peter to get over Sarah while saying bad things about her and such as Hader is funny in his role. One of the film's funniest performances comes from British actor/musician/TV personality Russell Brand as Aldous Snow, a cocky yet whimsical man who likes to do strange sex moves in bed or on the stage. Yet, sporting many tattoos, the man despite some of his actions and off-kilter personality is just... cool. Brand's performance is just funny throughout the entire film as he reveals that despite his own nature, the character of Aldous Snow will always remain cool.
Kristen Bell is excellent in the role of Sarah Marshall who, despite her actions in breaking Peter's heart, is a full character who is trying to move on with Aldous only to realize that she might not have a future and how much she actually loved Peter. Bell brings a nice touch of sexiness, humor, and certainly a bit of bitchiness to her role as a young woman who doesn't really understand love. The film's big revelation and certainly one of the film's best performances is Mila Kunis who some might remember for her role as Jackie in the TV show That 70's Show. Kunis' lively, free-spirited performance is a joy to watch as she helps Peter deal with his heartbreak, curse out her ex-boyfriend, and observe Sarah Marshall. Kunis adds some sexiness to her own but it's the way she portrays Rachel with such heart and warmth as the girl Peter should be with.
Then there's Jason Segel, an Apatow regular, who delivers a great performance as Peter Bretter. Segel's performance is filled with a lot of laughs as he cries about his break-up, cries after sex, and also expose himself during some moments that are supposed to be sad but end up being funny. Segal is truly genius as he doesn't do any kind of raunchy gags but brings sympathy to a guy who is trying to get over Sarah Marshall while wondering what broke them up. He's also funny when he's doing his stuff that involves his Dracula musical that shows his wonderful talents. He's also worthy of doing something dramatic while having wonderful chemistry with both Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis. Segal gives a real star-making performance that will put him in great company among his Apatow cohorts.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a hilarious yet heartfelt comedy from Nicholas Stoller that features amazing work from Jason Segel and Mila Kunis. Along with a great supporting cast that includes Kristen Bell and Russell Brand, it's a film that has a lot of raunchy elements that is expected from the Judd Apatow-produced comedies but also a lot of heart that allows the film to be more engaging and accessible to a wider audience. In the end, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a remarkable film from Nicholas Stoller.
Nicholas Stoller Films: (Get Him to the Greek) - (The Five-Year Engagement) - Neighbors (2014 film) - Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising - (Storks (2016 film))
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse by Jason Stone, This is the End is an apocalyptic comedy in which a group of celebrity friends have a party until the Apocalypse emerges as the small group of survivors try to stay home at James Franco’s house as tension and such emerge as they all try to survive the end of the world. Written for the screen and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the film is a raunchy comedy where many of the actors in the film play fictional versions of themselves as they all try to survive the Apocalypse. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and Emma Watson as they all play themselves with a cast that includes many other people. This is the End is a hilarious and extravagant comedy from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
The film revolves around an apocalyptic event during a party at James Franco’s house where many celebrities have died during the party while Franco, Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride all stay at Franco’s house trying to survive with what little supplies they have. In turn, all sorts of things happen where much of the focus is about the strained relationship between Rogen and Baruchel as the latter arrives in Los Angeles visiting Rogen in the hopes to repair their friendship. Instead, the party at Franco would only further the strain as tension would also increase between the six where McBride is portrayed as a very greedy and selfish individual, Franco as a pretentious movie star who is attached to his old film props, and Hill as an overly-nice diva. All of which have the actors play exaggerated versions of themselves while there’s moments in the film that would test their friendship as well as how to survive the apocalypse.
The film’s screenplay by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg starts off as a nice, raunchy comedy where everyone but Baruchel is having a good time at Franco’s house where some of the wild moments involve Michael Cera doing cocaine and getting a blow-job. Once things start happening where people die and a sinkhole emerges in front of Franco’s house where chaos ensues and no one is sure what to make of it. With Baruchel thinking it’s the Apocalypse happening where Robinson would believe him, everyone else isn’t sure until all of the tension and such starts to emerge. Even as Baruchel is accused of being self-righteous and Rogen is accused of being a sell-out where Robinson is sort of the film’s conscience. All of which would play into these guys trying to survive the Apocalypse and face whatever is out there.
Rogen and Goldberg’s direction is very ambitious and lavish in terms of their idea of what might happen in the Apocalypse. Much of it involve some very hazy exterior scenes where it’s a world that is reminiscent of hell as the Hollywood Hills is being engulfed in flames while demons emerge wreaking havoc. The direction would feature some simple moments in the compositions as well as a lot of lively humor that is filled with spontaneity. Even as some of it is crass and confrontational where Rogen and Goldberg maintain that intimacy in Franco’s home as well as going very broad for many of the scenes set in Los Angeles. Even as it would involve these crazy moments while beams are shot up from the air taking people to somewhere unknown. Overall, Rogen and Goldberg create a very engaging and funny film about six friends trying to survive the Apocalypse.
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of yellow-lights and smoke to play into a look of ruin and terror for some of the film‘s exteriors and lights in the interior scenes. Editor Zene Baker does fantastic work with the editing where it plays into all sorts of styles including a few montages of the guys partying while creating home-made sequels to some of their films. Production designer Chris L. Spellman, with set decorator Helen Britten and art director William Ladd Skinner, does amazing work with the look of James Franco‘s house that includes some paintings and art work that surrounds the house to play into Franco‘s sense of arrogance.
Costume designer Danny Glicker does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the personality of the characters involved in the film. Visual effects supervisor Paul Linden does brilliant work with some of the visual effects such as the exteriors of Los Angeles engulfed in flames as well as the look of the demons the characters have to deal with. Sound designer Michael Babcock does superb work with the sound from the way the monsters sound to some of the chaos that occurs in and out of the house The film’s music by Henry Jackman is wonderful for its suspenseful-based orchestral score to play into some of the terror in the film while music supervisor Jonathan Karp brings in a fun soundtrack that consists of music from Black Sabbath, Cypress Hill, M.I.A., Whitney Houston, the Backstreet Boys, Dr. Dre, Snoop Lion, and other acts to play into the party atmosphere of the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible for the array of people that appear in the film as themselves such as Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rhianna, Martin Starr, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Aziz Ansari, and David Krumholtz as party guests. Michael Cera is hilarious as a very debauched version of himself doing cocaine, getting blow-jobs in bathrooms, and slapping Rhianna’s ass. Emma Watson is amazing as herself as she briefly appears in Franco’s house during the Apocalypse carrying an axe. Danny McBride is great as himself as he brings his Kenny Powers character to the mix as this overly-selfish and greedy person. Craig Robinson is excellent in a much more calm and softer version of himself as he sort of plays the film’s conscience.
Jonah Hill is superb as this overly-nice and sensitive version of himself as he wears an earring and wants to be peaceful yet secretly hates Jay for being self-righteous where he gets to be very funny later in the film. James Franco is fantastic as this even more smug version of himself who likes to keep his props while trying to maintain order only to create more tension in the group. Jay Baruchel is brilliant as the loner of the group who tries to make sense of everything while creating some misunderstanding during the chaos. Finally, there’s Seth Rogen in a terrific performance as a more subdued version of himself who is insecure about his man-titties while trying to include Jay into the gang though he is also trying to maintain his friendship with Franco.
This is the End is a flat-out hilarious apocalyptic comedy from Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen. Thanks to a great cast, a unique premise, and a fun soundtrack, it’s a film that pokes fun of celebrity and the idea of how they would survive the Apocalypse. Even as they would turn against each other and do all sorts of crazy things in an event like this. In the end, This is the End is a remarkable film from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
© thevoid99 2014
Based on Jordan Belfort’s autobiographical novel, The Wolf of Wall Street is the story of Belfort’s rise to the top of Wall Street in the late 80s as he would later fall through his involvement in crime, corruption, and his battles with the federal government. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Terence Winters, the film is an exploration into the excessive world of 1980s capitalism and greed where a man is eager to make money at any cost as Belfort is played by Leonardo diCaprio. Also starring Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, and Matthew McConaughey. The Wolf of Wall Street is a wild, riotous, and absolutely insane film from Martin Scorsese.
The film’s simple concept is the classic rise and fall scenario of a stock broker named Jordan Belfort who decides to sell penny stock to common people in order to make lots of money and build a business for himself where he would be a major king of Wall Street in the late 80s and early 90s after the stock market crash of 1987. It’s a film that shows how this ambitious young man became a common trader working on Wall Street to forging his own empire where he gets everything and more in life only to be targeted by the FBI for money laundering and all sorts of illegal activities. Even as he brings in those who have no knowledge on how to sell stock be part of his empire where they would also fall with him.
Terence Winters’ screenplay uses that classic rise-and-fall scenario as it is told by Jordan Belfort who reveals his ambitions early on and how he would become this new king after the infamous October 1987 Black Monday crash. The Belfort character isn’t afraid to make himself un-likeable at times where the first scene he’s in is a montage of his very extravagant life where drives a white Porsche while getting a blow-job from his second wife Naomi (Margot Robbie) and working to make all sorts of crazy money and cap the night of more partying where he is snorting cocaine off of a hooker’s ass and then come home on a helicopter he’s trying to pilot. It’s a montage that showcases the life that Belfort leads that is unpredictable and at times very immoral. Yet, Belfort doesn’t seem to care because he’s having too much fun making a ridiculous amount of money with his friend Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) and the other lowly stockbrokers he trained to build his empire.
Much of the film is told through Belfort’s voice-over narration while there are moments where other characters speak in a voiceover that includes a scene in the third act where Belfort deals with a Swiss banker Jean-Jacques Saurel (Jean Dujardin) where the dialogue they say to each other in voiceover is pretty damn funny. It’s among these moments that Winters creates in his script that showcases not just Belfort’s growing paranoia due to his own drug abuse but also how out of touch he’s becoming as he becomes richer where the FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) takes notice to see if Belfort does anything illegal. Even as Belfort’s antics in selling stock to make lots of money and his refusal to rat out his own friends would get him in trouble.
To describe Martin Scorsese’s direction as excessive would be understating exactly what he’s presenting. It’s a whole lot more of than that where Scorsese isn’t afraid to infuse some very lowbrow humor involving drugs and such in a film that has a high concept with a near three-hour running time. The humor that is prevalent throughout the film includes a lot of debauchery which is expected in a film about greed yet he takes it to a whole new level. While some of it maybe an exaggeration into what Scorsese and Winters are telling but it is very comical into the antics that Belfort and his buddies do such as an orgy in an airplane or popping a decade-old Quaaludes. The latter of which involves a pretty long yet hilarious sequence that includes some of the most insane moments that Scorsese has ever presented where it mixes high and lowbrow humor.
Much of Scorsese’s direction is stylish in not just his compositions but also in some of the action that occurs where many of the scenes in the stock building that Belfort runs is like a jungle where even a monkey works at the place. It is all about selling bullshit to people whether they’re rich or poor where there is this great scene early in the film in which Belfort shows his old buddies the idea of selling. Much of it is shot in New York City as well as Britain, Switzerland, and the Mediterranean as it is about excess at its most debauched. Of course, the third act has Scorsese sort of slow things down a bit but also find ways for everything to come down and crash hard. Overall, Scorsese crafts a film that is like a wild rollercoaster ride times a 100 that is full of chaos, shock value, and lots of laughs.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the sunny look of the scenes in New York and in the Mediterranean to some of the interior scenes as well as some of the stuff that occurs at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does fantastic work with the film‘s editing where it does emphasize on style from its use of montages, slow-motion cuts, jump-cuts, and all sorts of things to play out the decadence. Production designer Bob Shaw, with set decorator Ellen Christansen and art director Chris Shriver, does amazing work with the look of the mansion that Belfort lives in as well as the place he works where it was once a garage and then turned into an empire as well as the look of the yacht he would buy in the film‘s second act.
Costume designer Sandy Powell does excellent work with the clothes such as the stuff the women wear in the late 80s as well as the sexy clothes that Naomi would wear or not wear. Prosthetic makeup designer Michael Marino does nice work with the prosthetic teeth that Jonah Hill wears to play Donnie as well as some of the look of Belfort‘s team with their fake hair and such. Visual effects supervisors Robert Legato and Dan Seddon do terrific work with some of the film‘s visual effects such as the cocaine flying in the room in slow-motion to a very extravagant scene involving the yacht in treacherous waters. Sound editors Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton do superb work with the sound from the way phones and computers are heard to the sounds of revving engines and such to play into that world of excess.
Music supervisor Randall Poster and compiler Robbie Robertson create a music soundtrack that is pretty wild. Ranging from rock, blues, and hip-hop, the music in the film is definitely a highlight where it includes cuts by Elmore James, Howlin’ Wolf, the Lemonheads, Romeo Void, Joe Cuba, Naughty by Nature, Bo Diddley, Billy Joel, Malcolm McLaren, Cypress Hill, Devo, Sir-Mix-a-Lot, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings making an appearance as the wedding band singing Goldfinger, the Foo Fighters, Umberto Tozzi, Plastic Bertrand, and an original track by Robbie Robertson with Matthew McConaughey.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is just incredible for the large ensemble that was created for the film. Among these notable small roles include Spike Jonze as a lowly stock analyst who would show Belfort the penny stocks, Shea Whigham as the yacht’s captain, Christine Ebersole as Jordan’s mother, Katarina Cas as Brad’s European wife Chantelle who would have money taped to her body, Jake Hoffman as women’s shoe designer Steve Madden, Mackenzie Meehan as Donnie’s wife, Jon Spinogatti as Naomi and Jordan’s gay butler at the apartment, and Jon Favreau as Belfort’s securities officer who would deal with the FBI and ensure that they don’t interfere. In the roles of Belfort’s fellow stockbrokers, there’s Stephanie Kurtzuba as the single mom turned power broker Kimmie Belzer, Kenneth Choi as Walter, P.J. Byrne as the wild Rugrat who has big connections, Brian Saca as Robbie Feinberg, and Ethan Suplee as Toby Welch.
Rob Reiner is very funny as Belfort’s father Max who is shocked by his son’s job and wealth where he helps him while being a very brash man who refuses to take shit from anyone. Jon Bernthal is excellent as Belfort’s friend Brad who works on the outside to ensure that the money goes into the pockets of Belford and associates. Cristin Milioti is wonderful as Belfort’s first wife Teresa who is this simple Jersey girl who becomes alienated by Belfort’s growing power and later discovering his infidelity. Jean Dujardin is fantastic as the Swiss banker Jean-Jacques Saurel who appears in the film’s third act as he is someone that Belfort doesn’t like yet is a very sly businessman who is just fun to watch. Joanna Lumley is superb as Naomi’s aunt Emma who would aid Belfort in his money laundering schemes in Europe where Lumley also brings in some humor to the film.
Matthew McConaughey is amazing in a small but crucial role as Belfort’s mentor Mark Hanna who shows Belfort the ropes and how to keep his energy going as McConaughey makes every moment he appears in the first act as just one full of joy. Kyle Chandler is great as Patrick Denham as this straight-laced FBI agent who despises Belfort as he wants to do what he feels is right for America and take down those who are ripping off the American people. Margot Robbie is brilliant as Belfort’s second wife Naomi as this very sensual woman who becomes everything that Belfort wants yet has a hard time dealing with his excesses and consumption for everything where she manages to go to toe-to-toe with diCaprio in some very intense scenes. Jonah Hill is phenomenal as Donnie Azoff as a lowly working-class man who quits his job to make the kind of money that Belfort has as he becomes Belfort’s sidekick while doing all sorts of crazy things that range from being extremely funny to just extremely terrifying.
Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in what is absolutely an unforgettable performance as Jordan Belfort. It’s a role where diCaprio isn’t afraid to do all sorts of lewd things where he can be inspiring with some of the monologues he carries while showing that he is also hilarious. Some of which proves that this is someone who should be in comedies as he has a natural charm and gift to be funny while also being very dark. It’s one where diCaprio isn’t afraid to be an asshole or do the kind of things that make people wonder how is still alive from all of that cocaine and Quaaludes. It’s a truly tour-de-force performance that proves that diCaprio is among one of the best actors working today.
The Wolf of Wall Street is an outstanding yet thrilling film from Martin Scorsese that features a towering performance from Leonardo diCaprio. Along with a kick-ass soundtrack and a great supporting cast, it’s a film that explores the world of decadence and greed at its most extreme and debauched. Especially as Scorsese and screenwriter Terence Winters infuse it with some dark, lowbrow humor that makes the film far more enjoyable as it’s definitely one of Scorsese’s most entertaining films. In the end, The Wolf of Wall Street is a magnificent 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 Fifty Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman)
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