The film is the simple story of two 40-something women who work and live together as they both lose their jobs as they decide to go on a vacation through a suggestion of an acquaintance of theirs unaware of a secret plot involving a madwoman who wants to destroy this place that caused her all sorts of emotional pain many years ago. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it play into the many typical clichés expected in a film where people go on a vacation and hoping for some fun in the sun yet writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo go into places that is way out there in terms of what is considered unconventional as well as just add a dosage of low-brow humor into the mix. The result is messy but it has this odd tone that makes it endearing due to the fact that the main protagonists in Barb and Star are these somewhat dim-witted yet heartfelt ladies who just live to have fun, have a few drinks, wear these pants known as coulettes, and be completely silly.
Upon their arrival to Vista del Mar in Florida, they meet a British man named Edgar (Jamie Dornan) unaware that he’s really a spy working for a madwoman named Dr. Lady (Kristen Wiig) who hopes to destroy Vista del Mar because of what happened to her as a teenager many years ago by unleashing a swarm of killer mosquitoes. Yet, Edgar is hoping that the mission succeeds so that he and Dr. Lady becomes an official couple yet finds himself falling for Star and questioning what he is trying to do. Adding to the chaos is Barb’s own quest for adventure as well as the fact that Barb and Star talk constantly in their Midwestern accent and are often oblivious to what is happening around them as it adds to the film’s offbeat tone.
Josh Greenbaum’s direction is all over the place in terms of what it wants to be yet it somehow manages to work because of how insane the script is in its approach to offbeat, low-brow humor. Shot on various locations in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with additional locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Nebraska, the film opens with a young kid (Reyn Doi) being a paperboy as he’s singing to Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb’s Guilty as it sets the tone for what is to come where it gets dark upon the appearance of Dr. Lady and who this young kid and it then cuts to Barb and Star at work shoulder-dancing to Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like a Woman. It is among these moments that showcase a film that isn’t going to this traditional vacation film mixed in with a spy thriller as the scene where Barb and Star arrive at the Vista del Mar hotel is presented as this lavish musical number. The usage of wide and medium shots do help with the musical numbers that include another one from Edgar as Greenbaum knows when to create some unique compositions that do pay tribute to musicals while keeping everything else simple. Even in intimate moments where characters are in conversation as it feature bits of humor including some of the most fucked-up moments that include a crab with the voice of Morgan Freeman.
Greenbaum also play into this realm of absurdist humor as it relates to Dr. Lady as she does have this strange back story that is weird in itself while the absurdity continues into a man Dr. Lady hires in Darlie Bunkle (Damon Wayans Jr.) who does a poor job in hiding as he tries to relay information to Edgar. The film also play into elements of surrealism yet Greenbaum keeps it to a minimum in favor of focusing on the friendship of Barb and Star as well as the chaos they find themselves in. Especially in the film’s climax where it is thrilling yet there is this odd sense of humor to it that is insane while not being afraid of being low-brow as it also has this what-the-fuck moment that is baffling but endearing. Overall, Greenbaum crafts a weird, imbecilic yet outrageously funny film about two women in their mid-40s going on a vacation where all hell and hilarity ensue.
Cinematographer Toby Oliver does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors for the scenes of Vista del Mar in the daytime/nighttime scenes as well as some low-key lighting for the interior scenes set in Nebraska and at Dr. Lady’s lair. Editor Steve Welch does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts and montages as it play into absurdist tone of the film. Production designer Steve Saklad, along with set decorator Mariana Castaneda and art director Rafael Mandujano, does amazing work with the look of the Vista del Mar hotel as well as the hotel rooms and some of the exterior locations as well as the quaint and kitsch home of Barb and Star. Costume designer Trayce Gigi Field does fantastic work with the costume in the design of the coulette pants as well as some of the cheesy clothes that Barb and Star wear and the clothes that Dr. Lady wears.
Special makeup effects artist Stephanie Pasicov, along with makeup artist Malinalli Contreras and hair stylist Lizeth Correa, does brilliant work with the look of Dr. Lady as well as the hairstyle that Barb and Star have. Visual effects supervisor Nicholas Hurst does terrific work with some of visual effects for a few action-suspense scenes as well as a few funny moments in the film as it is mainly set dressing. Sound editor Nancy Nugent and sound designer Jon Title do superb work with the sound in the way some of the parties sound as well as the sounds of oceans from the hotel rooms and in some of the sounds inside Dr. Lady’s lair. The film’s music by Christopher Lennertz and Dara Taylor is wonderful for its mixture of suspenseful orchestral music, kitschy jazz, and island-based beach music along with some original piano songs by the comedy-music singer Richard Cheese with songs about boobies and such while music supervisors Julianne Jordan and Justine von Winterfeldt provide a fun music soundtrack featuring Barbra Streisand with Barry Gibb, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Pitbull, and many others including some original songs including the lavish musical numbers.
The casting by Allison Jones is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Gerry Bednob as a motel owner, Michael Hitchcock as the Vista del Mar hotel concierge, Ernesto Godoy as a guy in a speedo, the trio of Nevada Arnold, Elizabeth Kelly, and Ariana Gancicova in their respective roles as the three-year old, seven-year old, and thirteen-year old Dr. Lady, Karen Maruyama as a caricature artist, Kwame Patterson as the hotel bartender, and Mark David Jonathan as his musical persona Richard Cheese. Other notable small roles include Wendi McLendon-Covey as Barb and Trish’s friend Mickey who suggests they go to Vista del Mar, the quartet of Vanessa Bayer, Fortune Feimster, Rose Abdoo, and Phyllis Smith as a group of ladies Barb and Star have important conversations with that are often comical with Smith’s character wanting to talk about horses, and Reyn Doi as the young paperboy named Yoyo who plays an integral part into the film’s unique plot.
Damon Wayans Jr. is fantastic in his small role as the spy Darlie Bunkle as someone who tries to make sure Edgar does his job though he does a terrible job in trying to do disguises and hide himself in awkward ways. Jamie Dornan is incredible as Edgar as a spy who goes to Vista del Mar to oversee the mission yet finds himself falling for Star where Dornan doesn’t just show that he is really funny but also can sing and dance in a weird yet exhilarating musical number as it showcases that there is a lot more to him than just being attractive. Finally, there’s the duo of Annie Mumulo and Kristen Wiig in their dual respective roles of the titular characters as these two women from Nebraska with these weird accents and they talk in a certain rhythm and say silly things as they just provide a lot of wit and endure their own individual adventures as Mumulo and Wiig are just so hilarious to watch while Wiig also brings a lot dark camp to her role as Dr. Lady in this strange and chilling performance that has Wiig just being downright weird for all of the right reasons.
Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar is an absolutely fucked-up and insane film from Josh Greenbaum that for some strange fucking reason not only works as a comedy but it’s also a film that refuses to be defined as anything which makes it work. Thanks in large part to the performances of Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo along with their outlandish and far-out screenplay as well as gorgeous visuals, offbeat gags, wild musical numbers, and a supporting cast including a hilarious Jamie Dornan. It is a film that not only refuses to take itself seriously but manages to embrace all sorts of low-brow and surrealistic humor that will baffle many yet also has a lot of heart. In the end, Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar is a sensationally fucked-up film from Josh Greenbaum.
Josh Greenbaum Films: (The Short Game) – (Becoming Bond) – (Too Funny to Fail)
© thevoid99 2021
Set in 1984 during the Cold War, the film revolves around Diana Prince who works at the Smithsonian as an anthropologist while doing hero work as Wonder Woman in secrecy as she and a gemologist discover a mysterious gem that grants wishes as a failing oil baron gains access to the stone and becomes the stone to gain power prompting Prince to stop him. It’s a film with a simple premise of sorts yet it explores the idea of wishes but also the lesson about the cost of a wish. Patty Jenkins and co-screenwriters Dave Callahan and Geoff Johns do explore the themes of wishes in the form of this object though there are some spotty moments in exploring that theme but also in some of the character development for a few characters. The film begins with a brief sequence of a young Prince (Lilly Aspell) who takes part in a multi-stage athletic competition that plays into lessons she would have to learn from both her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright) as it would play into everything Diana would have to face.
The antagonist in Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) is an oil baron who is also a TV personality who wants to present this idea of success as a way to improve the life of himself and everyone else but is already in debt as he hopes to obtain this ancient stone to make himself rich and powerful. Lord isn’t an evil person as he has a son in Alistair (Lucian Perez) he cares about but his desire for greed and power makes him lose sight of things. Another person who becomes entranced by that stone’s power is a gemologist in Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) whom Diana befriends as Minerva is this shy and awkward woman that wants to be like Diana yet the wish she makes has her becoming a stronger, confident, and sexier person but there’s some flaws into the development into how she sides with Lord. The story about this stone is a strange MacGuffin of sorts as Trevor, who returns because of Diana’s wish, believes that the stone is a variation of a Monkey’s Paw where whoever grants the wish is forced to sacrifice something and the only way it can be stopped if that person renounces its wish. For Diana, she is forced to make some difficult decisions just as she copes with what she has lost upon the wish that she made.
Jenkins’ direction has these elements of something grand in its opening sequence of a young Diana to this weird sense of nostalgia set in Washington D.C. in 1984. Shot on various locations at the Warner Brothers Studio at Leavesden, England as well as location shoots in Washington D.C. and its nearby areas as well as parts of London, the Canary Islands, and Almeria, Spain. The film does play into this air of 1980s Cold War but also what the 80s was like in America as one of its early sequences involve a robbery at a jewelry store that is foiled by Prince as Wonder Woman as it has this element of humor but also nostalgia for those times. Jenkins does use a lot of wide shots to establish these locations but also in the world that Prince ventures into including Egypt and other parts of the world in some broad action set pieces. Still, the film is grounded by some close-ups and medium shots to play on this sense of loss that still looms over Prince as it relates to Trevor as her wish, that she unknowingly did, to have him back would come true but it also plays into the fact that she’s had trouble moving on and still holding a torch for him as he’s inhabiting another man’s body as it does play into some of the humor with Trevor being the fish out of water as it relates to 1980s culture.
While the film does have some humor as well as light-hearted moments in the action, there are still this air of suspense and danger that Prince does encounter as it relates to what she sacrifices upon making her wish. Especially during the film’s second half where Lord gets more powerful to great extremes though some of the execution relating to his development does get spotty as well as the development in Minerva who would make another wish that leads to the film’s climax. The climax is grand though it has some clunky moments as it relates to what Minerva has become where the visual effects don’t really do justice despite the stakes of what Prince has to do. Her confrontation with Lord in that scene does say a lot about the fallacy of wishes and the need for truth though its execution is clunky despite its good intentions. Overall, Jenkins crafts a compelling and thrilling film about an Amazonian princess battling an oil baron and an unexpected foe to save the world from greed and lies.
Cinematographer Matthew Jensen does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of vibrant colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes in Washington D.C. and Cairo as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editor Richard Pearson does terrific work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into the action as well as some of the suspense and drama. Production designer Aline Bonetto, with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson plus supervising art directors Alex Baily and Peter Russell, does amazing work with the look at some of the places that Prince goes to including her own apartment in Washington D.C., the interiors of the Smithsonian, and at a communications base for the film’s climax. Costume designer Lindy Hemming is brilliant for not just the design of the 80s clothes of the times that feature some funny and awkward moments but also in some of the designer dresses that Prince and Minerva wear as well as a legendary costume that Prince wears for the film’s climax.
Hair/makeup designer Jan Sewell does fantastic work with the look of the characters including the look of Minerva from her nerdy look to being this confident yet dangerous woman. Special effects supervisor Mark Holt and visual effects supervisor John Moffatt do some superb work in the visual effects in some of the set dressing and action set pieces though the design of Minerva’s final evolution as Cheetah is one of the clunky aspects of the visual effects where it doesn’t feel like it’s finished. Sound designer Michael Babcock, along with sound editors Jimmy Boyle and Richard King, does fine work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as maintaining a raucous atmosphere for some of the big scenes in the film. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is wonderful for its bombastic music score as it play into the action along with serene orchestral textures for some of the dramatic moments of the film while music supervisor Carmen Murlaner provides a soundtrack that largely features the music of the 1980s from Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Clinton Shorter, and John Murphy doing a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The casting by Kristy Carlson, Pat Moran, and Lucinda Syson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Gabriella Wilde as Lord’s secretary, Natasha Rothwell as Minerva’s boss, Kristoffer Polaha as the man Trevor inhabits, Amr Waked as an Egyptian oil baron that Lord makes a deal with, Stuart Milligan as the U.S. president, Oliver Cotton as Lord’s frustrated investor Simon Stagg, Kelvin Yu as a colleague of Minerva at the Smithsonian, Ravi Patel as a mysterious man who knows about the history of the stone that Lord wants, and Lucian Perez in a grating performance as Lord’s son Alistair as a kid who just whines all because he wants to be with his dad. Lilly Aspell, Connie Nielsen, and Robin Wright are excellent in their respective roles as the young Diana, Queen Hippolyta, and Antiope with Aspell reprising her brief role as the young Diana for the film’s opening sequence while Nielsen and Wright’s sole scenes in the opening sequence do provide some gravitas to the lessons that Diana would instill on her journey.
Kristen Wiig is alright as Barbara Minerva as a geologist/gemologist who admires and wants to be like Prince as the wish she makes would have her go from awkward geek to a strong yet cold woman as its development is hindered by the fact that Minerva is underwritten in how she loses some of her humanity and how she would become the villainous figure that is Cheetah. Pedro Pascal is amazing as Maxwell Lord as a TV personality/oil baron that wants to succeed as he believes that this ancient stone would give him everything he wants as Pascal displays some charm but also a man who loses his own humanity that makes him a complex villain of sorts. Chris Pine is incredible as Steve Trevor as Diana’s former lover who returns mysteriously due to a wish as Pine gets to show a lot of humor in his interaction with 1980s culture but also some truth about why he is back as it is a grounded performance that allows Pine to be someone that has to remind Diana about some of the darkest realities of the world but also the good aspects.
Finally, there’s Gal Gadot in a phenomenal performance as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as the Amazonian princess warrior who moonlights as an anthropologist at the Smithsonian while secretly being a superheroine as Gadot brings some charm but also some vulnerability as a woman still driven by loss and the reluctance to let go. Notably in her scenes with Pine as it plays into a woman that still carries a torch for Trevor as she does come to terms with this loss as Gadot brings in these somber moments in another defining performance for the famed superheroine.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a remarkable film from Patty Jenkins that features a towering performance from Gal Gadot. Along with the strong supporting performances of Chris Pine and Pedro Pascal as well as grand action set pieces, some humorous moments involving 1980s nostalgia, and its exploration of greed, wishes, and truth despite a few spotty moments. The film is still a heartfelt superhero film that does bring in a lot of adventure but also wonderment and the need to accept what people have instead of what they want. In the end, Wonder Woman 1984 is an incredible film from Patty Jenkins.
DC Extended Universe: Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Suicide Squad - Wonder Woman - Justice League - Aquaman - Shazam! - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - Zack Snyder's Justice League - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - (Black Adam) – (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) – (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) – (The Flash) – (Blue Beetle) – (Batgirl)
© thevoid99 2020
Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, mother! is the story of a couple whose quiet life in the country is disrupted by visitors who come in for some unknown reasons causing all sorts of trouble. The film is an unconventional horror story revolving around unexpected visitors as it explores the idea of idol worship and desires to start a family. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson, Kristen Wiig, and Ed Harris. mother! is a visceral and harrowing film from Darren Aronofsky.
The film follows the life of a couple living in the middle of the country as a writer (Javier Bardem) is struggling to write a new book while his wife (Jennifer Lawrence) is finishing the redecoration of their house where they get some unexpected visitors that would shake everything up. It’s a film that explores the idea of worship as the writer is dealing with the expectations of a new book as he has writer’s block as well as the fact that starting a new life hasn’t helped him with his wife seemingly happy with the tranquility in shaping their home. Yet, she would see things such as a beating heart inside the house as if it’s haunted as it would worsen with the arrival of an ailing doctor (Ed Harris) who is later joined by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer).
Darren Aronofsky’s screenplay is filled with a lot of themes as the writer is willing to have guests in his home as the doctor is a fan of the writer’s work as it later goes into chaos due to the people that come to the house. For the wife, it becomes overwhelming as these visitors would disrupt everything as the wife questions her husband’s generosity as she believes he is selfish and often too inviting as well to the point that he neglects her. All of this happens during its first half as the second half becomes about the arrival of a new person for the writer and his wife but also more chaos and tragedy that would loom throughout due to the fact that writer revels in the worship of his readers who have taken his work way too seriously.
Aronofsky’s direction is definitely stylish in the way he would open and end the film in the same way as if it’s all part of something biblical. Shot near Montreal, the film is set entirely in a country house in the middle of nowhere as it serves as this kind of idyllic world where the wife is in charge while her husband struggles with trying to write a new book. While there’s some wide shots in the film for much of the exteriors, Aronofsky aims for something more intimate with the usage of medium shots and close-ups as there’s a lot of emphasis on the latter. Notably in moments where the wife would touch the wall as if there is something living in the house as it would show the image of a heart beating as if the house is real. Aronofsky would create moments that are quite calm yet there is something that is uneasy such as the wife’s interaction with the doctor’s wife who would say these very offbeat yet cruel things throughout the film as it would baffle the wife who becomes more uneasy. Another part of Aronofsky’s direction that is unique is the fact that he would shoot close-ups of certain objects as well as the focus of a crystallized object at the writer’s office.
Things would intensify during the second act when the doctor and his wife would receive a visit from their two sons (Brian and Domhnall Gleeson) as it adds more chaos where Aronofsky’s usage of hand-held cameras to follow the action would show the sense of disruption at the house. Notably in the third act following the aftermath of the release of the writer’s new book where it’s just mayhem. There’s moments in this sequence that is quite ridiculous as well as grotesque but there’s also some dark humor in the film that add to the insanity of what is happening. Even as the writer is forced to see what his work has done as it adds a lot of religious and biblical allegory into everything that has happened with the wife at the center of it all. Overall, Aronofsky crafts a chilling and intense film about a couple’s tranquil life disrupted by strange visitors.
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural colors for some of the daytime exteriors as well as some low-key lighting and moods for many of the interior scenes including the ones at the basement and for the scenes at night. Editor Andrew Weisblum does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylized cuts to play into the suspense and heightened drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorators Larry Dias and Martine Kazemirchuk plus art directors Isabelle Guay and Deborah Jensen, does amazing work with the look of the house and the way the different rooms look as well as how they would look in its decayed form including the basement. Costume designer Danny Glicker does nice work with some of the costumes as it is mostly casual with a bit of stylish clothing from the things the doctor’s wife wears as well as a dress the wife would wear in the third act.
Special effects makeup artists Mathieu Baptista and Shane Shisheboran does terrific work with some of the makeup for the look of some of the people that would emerge at the house as it adds to the insanity that occurs in the film. The visual effects work of Kenneth Caines and John Mangia does fantastic work with the visual effects from the look of the heart as well as some of the stranger things that occur in the house that would haunt the wife. Sound designers Paula Fairfield and Craig Henigan do superb work with the sound from the way some of the sounds of the house is presented as well as how objects are heard as it help add to the film’s approach to suspense and horror. The film’s music by Johan Johansson is wonderful as it’s very low-key with its approach to ambient music as it’s used very sparingly as sound texture while the only real piece of music in the film is a cover of The End of the World by Patti Smith.
The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Stephen McHattie as a zealot, Kristen Wiig as the writer’s publisher, Jovan Adepo as a mysterious cup holder, and the duo of Domhnall and Brian Gleeson as the feuding sons of the doctor and his wife. Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer are phenomenal in their respective role as the doctor and his wife with Harris as this kind and curious man that is eager to meet the writer as he is becoming very ill while Pfeiffer is just sublime as this very bitchy and intrusive woman that wants to know what is in the mind of the wife.
Javier Bardem is remarkable as the writer as this man that is struggling to write something as well as be attentive to his wife where he’s trying to find inspiration as it’s a very complex role of a man trying to be this figure for his adoring fans but also be there for his wife. Finally, there’s Jennifer Lawrence in a sensational performance as the wife as this young woman struggling to create a life for herself and her husband as she deals with these intrusive visitors as well as the neglect she’s getting from her husband as it’s a role of anguish and terror of a woman trying to protect the home she’s created.
mother! is a marvelous film from Darren Aronofsky that features incredible performances from Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris. Along with its eerie visuals, biblical references, eerie suspense, and moments of horror, it’s a film that is willing to push all sorts of boundaries and raise discussion though some of its presentation is flawed. In the end, mother! is a riveting film from Darren Aronofsky.
Darren Aronofsky Films: Pi - Requiem for a Dream - The Fountain - The Wrestler - Black Swan - Noah (2014 film)
The Auteurs #2: Darren Aronofsky
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the 1984 film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters is the story of two scientists, a gadgets inventor, and a MTA worker who discover strange paranormal events around New York City as they stop them from wreaking havoc all over the city. Directed by Paul Feig and screenplay by Feig and Katie Dippold, the film is a remake of sorts of the 1984 film where it’s women taking charge in trying to stop ghosts from being unleashed in New York City. Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Andy Garcia, Cecily Strong, Neil Casey, Michael K. Williams, Charles Dance, Ed Begley Jr., Matt Walsh, and Chris Hemsworth as Kevin. Ghostbusters is a dazzling and adventurous film from Paul Feig.
The film is a simple story about the formation of a group of women who come together after some encounters with ghosts where they decide to stop them. That is pretty much the plot as it follows the same idea of the 1984 film but the film’s screenplay by Paul Feig and Katie Dippold focuses a lot more on the bond of four women trying to reveal what could be true despite the fact that they live in a world that is a bit more cynical as well as not wanting to believe that there is such things as ghosts. For the four women who would form their own team called Ghostbusters, they have to overcome many obstacles but also themselves as two of the women in physicists Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) both wrote a book about the existence of ghosts where they were seen as jokes leading to a falling out between the two as the latter would disown the book as she feels it would threaten her tenure bid at Columbia University.
Yet, Gilbert’s past over the book would return due to these recent events as she reluctantly reunites with Yates and Yates’ colleague in inventor/engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) where they would make a major discovery that led to Gilbert teaming with the two to create something to study and stop ghosts. When a MTA worker named Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) reaches out to the three about her sighting of a ghost as well as seeing a mysterious man named Rowan (Neil Casey) doing something odd at the subway station. Patty, whose knowledge of the city, would round out the team as they would also be joined by handsome but dim-witted secretary named Kevin. Still, the Ghostbusters have to keep their work under wraps for the mayor (Andy Garcia) who doesn’t want these stories about ghosts publicized feeling it would threaten his image.
Feig’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the vastness of the film as it is shot in not just New York City but also parts of areas in and around Boston. While there are some wide shots of the locations, Feig would keep things simple with the compositions as well as create something that is quite loose in its approach to humor. Still, it is about the story and the women needing to prove that there ghosts lurking around in New York City as Feig doesn’t allow the visual effects or some of the offbeat humor to detract from that. Another thing about the film that succeeds is Feig taking his time for the characters to develop as well as developing their gadgets while having the time to goof off and have fun. Even as Feig makes no qualms in putting in references relating to the original 1984 for fun as it would also include a few famous characters from that film. The moments involving the ghosts and capturing them are definitely spectacular in a visual sense where it does have this nice mix of humor and horror that would culminate in this enthralling climax that features large ghosts and Times Square be re-envisioned as it was back in the 1970s/1980s. Overall, Feig creates an exhilarating and fun film about a group of ladies kicking some major ass on some evil ghosts.
Cinematographer Robert Yeomen does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the look of the daytime exteriors and some of its interiors to the scenes at night including the rock club and for the film‘s climax at Times Square. Editors Melissa Bretherton and Brent White do terrific work with the editing as it is quite straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the action without deviating too much into conventional speed-cuts that is often prominent of action films. Production designer Jefferson Sage, with supervising art director Bret Frutiger and set decorators Dennis Colvin and Leslie A. Pope, does fantastic work with the look of the home base that the team live in above a Chinese restaurant as well as the look of the hotel where the character Rowan works at. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does nice work with the costumes from the design of the jumpsuits the women wear as well as the casual clothes that represent their personalities.
Visual effects supervisors Anthony Dunifer and Peter G. Travers do amazing work with the design of the ghosts as well as some of moments in the ghost battles as well as the film‘s lavish climax. Sound designer Tom Lamberti, along with sound editors Andrew DeCristofaro and Becky Sullivan, does superb work with the sound to play into the sound effects of the noises the ghosts make as well as the sounds of the gadgets and other moments in the film. Music composer Theodore Shapiro does wonderful work with the score with its mixture of orchestral music and electronics that include variations of the original theme song while music supervisor Erica Weis provides a fun soundtrack that features some old-school music from DeBarge and DMX and more contemporary music from Elle King, Mark Ronson with Passion Pit and A$AP Ferg, Zayn Malik, 5 Seconds of Summer, and a bad remake of the original song by Fall Out Boy with Missy Elliott.
The casting by Allison Jones is great as it feature some notable small roles from co-writer Katie Dippold as a rental agent, Zach Woods as a tour guide who would first see a ghost in the film’s opening scene, Steve Higgins as a technical college dean Yates and Holtzmann work for, Ed Begley Jr. as a man who comes to Gilbert about a ghost in his tour house, Charles Dance as Gilbert’s boss at Columbia, Matt Walsh and Michael K. Williams as Homeland Security agents, Cecily Strong as the mayor’s assistant who tries to clean up all of the things publicly, and Andy Garcia as Mayor Bradley as New York City’s mayor who tries to not get the public be aware of the ghosts that are haunting New York City. Neil Casey is superb as Rowan as a mysterious man who has been releasing devices to unleash ghosts all over the city to express his disdain for humanity. Chris Hemsworth is excellent as Kevin as this dim-witted yet hunky secretary that isn’t very good at his job but Gilbert likes him a lot as he is just fun to watch in every scene he’s in while not being afraid of being the object of affection.
Leslie Jones is amazing as Patty Tolan as a MTA worker who joins the group in capturing ghosts as her knowledge on New York City makes her a joy to watch as well as some of the funny comments she brings. Kate McKinnon is brilliant as Jillian Holtzmann as the team’s gadgets inventor who has a very funny sense of humor as well as be very lively and odd in a fun way. Melissa McCarthy is fantastic as Abby Yates as a physicist who has never stopped believing in ghosts where she brings a nice approach to the physical comedy and in her mannerisms. Finally, there’s Kristen Wiig in a marvelous performance as Erin Gilbert as a college professor who reluctantly returns to the world of the paranormal as she is the straight person of the film that tries to deal with what she is seeing as she also brings in the laughs.
Ghostbusters is a remarkable film from Paul Feig. Featuring a great cast, incredible visual effects, and an accessible story that is just to fun to invest to. It’s a film that isn’t just a fun homage to the 1984 film but also a film that manages to be its own. In the end, Ghostbusters is a sensational film from Paul Feig.
Paul Feig Films: (I Am David) - (Unaccompanied Minors) - (Bridesmaids) - (The Heat) - Spy (2015 film) - (A Simple Favor) - (Last Christmas) - (The School for Good and Evil)
Related: (Ghostbusters) - (Ghostbusters II) - Ghostbusters: Afterlife
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Andy Weir, The Martian is the story of an astronaut who is accidentally left for dead on Mars during a manned mission where he struggles to survive in the planet while the people at NASA discover he’s alive as they try to figure out how to get him back home with the man’s crew dealing with guilt of leaving him behind. Directed by Ridley Scott and screenplay by Drew Goddard, the film explores the world of science where people on Earth find a way to try and bring this astronaut home as the man himself would try to find ways to survive on the planet using what he has in his head. Starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Benedict Wong, Michael Pena, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, Mackenzie Davis, Askel Hennie, Sean Bean, Donald Glover, Eddy Ko, Chen Shu, and Jeff Daniels. The Martian is an adventurous and engaging film from Ridley Scott.
During a manned mission to Mars where an attempt to leave during a strong dust wind where an astronaut is struck by debris and is unfortunately left for dead by his crew. The film revolves around this astronaut who finds himself stuck on Mars aware that it is likely that it will take four years for another spaceship to come in and rescue him with the little rations he has where he is forced to find ways to survive. Meanwhile back on Earth, NASA who for two months believed the man to be dead make a discovery that he is alive through satellite photos as they try to find a way to get him back home but a lot of things are happening where they don’t even tell his crew for months. It’s a film that isn’t just about survival but also the need to rescue a man stranded on Mars where he is forced to left to his own devices yet would unveil what he is able to do to try and survive for the next few years.
Drew Goddard’s screenplay has a very unique narrative that moves back and forth in not just what astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) does to survive on Mars where he would grow potatoes and make water in the planet thanks to his skills as a botanist. It also showcases what is happening in NASA where they try to figure out how long he can survive as well as how to create a rescue mission. The Earth portion of the narrative also play into the world of politics as NASA’s director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) ponders the financial cost as well as the risks while he also has to tell the truth to the public that Watney is alive after declaring him dead during the botched mission months earlier. For NASA, the news of Watney being alive has become a public relations nightmare for the company where it also shows what is happening behind the scenes where they also need to get help from other sources including rival space exploration companies.
At the space vessel Hermes, there is a subplot that involves Watney’s crew led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) who, along with the crew, are consumed with guilt as they’re returning home to Earth where they play a key part in the film’s third act as it relates to the rescue. While they’re aware that the journey back to Mars will take another 18 months with a special booster created by this rival company. Commander Lewis and the crew prefer to take that risk knowing that if it goes wrong, they will all die. Especially as their mission director Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean) gave them the option as he is aware of the risks not just in space but also the financial risks where he finds himself sparring with Sanders since Henderson wanted to tell Lewis and the crew about Watney once the news broke. It all play into that world of politics and when Watney who would finally communicate with NASA’s Mars mission director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who revealed what has been going on. Not surprisingly as there’s frustration where Kapoor and several other scientists try to find solutions where it would be a young astrodynamicist in Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) who would create what the Commander Lewis and her crew have to do as does Watney.
Ridley Scott’s direction is definitely quite vast for the world he creates not just in Mars but also outer space while also maintain a sense of ground for the fact that the film is also set on Earth. With many of the exterior scenes on Mars shot at Wadi Rum in Jordan with several interiors shot in Hungary, the film plays into a world that is quite large where Scott used a lot of wide shots for these exteriors in Mars as it has this air of mystique. Even in the some of the interiors in the base where Watney would have to live in and grow crops as Scott would also use small video cameras such as the Go-pro cameras to document everything Watney is going through. It has this air of the documentary in the film where it plays into what happens if a man is stranded alone in Mars having to survive by what he knows.
The direction is also intimate not just for the scenes inside the Hermes vessel but also on Earth where there’s a lot of discussion and squabbling going on about what to do. Scott chooses to keep things simple throughout the film by not going for anything flashy though he would utilize bits of style in some tracking and dolly shots but keep it to a minimum. The scenes at the Hermes vessel are quite entrancing to play into the world of this space vessel but also to show everyone trying to move on despite carrying this weight of guilt. While Scott is aware that it’s a sci-fi adventure film with a lot of drama, he knows that it’s a film that shouldn’t take itself too seriously by displaying the fact that Watney is kind of goofy. Even as there’s a recurring gag to the fact that the only thing playing at the base on Mars is 70s disco music that Watney hates yet it was chosen by Commander Lewis. All of which plays into a film that is about doing what is right no matter how complicated it can be. Overall, Scott crafts a riveting yet sprawling film about a man accidentally stuck on Mars and trying to survive as he awaits rescue.
Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in creating some filters for the exterior scenes set on Mars as well as providing distinctive looks for the scenes at the Hermes space vessel and on Earth. Editor Pietro Scalia does excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with a few stylistic cuts for the big action sequences as well as a stylish montage sequence about the rescue planning. Production designer Arthur Max, with supervising art director Marc Homes and set decorators Celia Bobak and Zoltan Horvath, does amazing work with the look of the moon base and many of the interiors in that base as well as the space vessel interiors and rooms at NASA. Costume designer Janty Yates does nice work with the costumes in the way the astronaut suits look as well as the clothes of the people on Earth. Hair/makeup designer Tina Earnshaw and hair/makeup supervisor Csilla Blake-Horvath does terrific work with the look of Watney late in the film as he struggles to survive with the limited resources he had.
The visual effects work of Chris Lawrence, Anders Langlands, Richard Stammers, and Steve Warner is fantastic for the look of outer space as well as the Hermes space vessel along with some set dressing for the Mars exteriors. Sound designers Michael Fentum and Oliver Tarney do superb work with the sound in the way the dust winds sound in and out of the base as well as some of the computers and such along with the sparse and more natural sounds for the scenes in Earth. The film’s music by Harry Gregson-Williams is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that has some bombast in some of its intense moments while being low-key in its somber moments. The film’s soundtrack is definitely a joy to listen to not just in the fact that it consists a lot of classic 70s pop and disco music from the likes of ABBA, the Hues Corporation, Donna Summers, Thelma Houston, the O’Jays, Gloria Gaynor, and Vickie Robinson as well as inspired usage of David Bowie’s Starman.
The casting by Carmen Cuba and Nina Gold is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Eddy Ko and Chen Su as key officials from the Chinese Space program, Donald Glover as the astrodynamicisist Rich Purnell who comes up with an idea for the Hermes to travel back to Mars, Benedict Wong as a Jet Propulsion Laboratory director who tries to come up with ideas in saving Watney, and Mackenzie Davis as the NASA satellite planner Mindy Park who would be the one to discover that Watney is alive through satellite photos. Other notable small roles as members of the Ares III team includes Askel Hennie as the team’s navigator/chemist Dr. Alex Vogel, Sebastian Stan as flight surgeon Dr. Chris Beck, Kate Mara as the system operator Beth Johanssen, and Michael Pena as the team’s pilot Rick Martinez who is Watney’s closest friend.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb as the Mars mission director Vincent Kapoor who would be the first to communicate with Watney as he realizes with the severity of what is happening as he tries to figure out what to do to save him. Sean Bean is fantastic as the Ares III mission director Mitch Henderson who wanted to tell his crew that Watney is alive as he spars with Sanders about what to do. Kristen Wiig is terrific as NASA’s media relations director Annie Montrose who tries to smooth over all of the bad publicity NASA is facing as well as figure out how to save face for NASA. Jeff Daniels is excellent as NASA’s director Teddy Sanders who is trying to see anyway NASA can save money but also wanting to do what is right with caution. Jessica Chastain is amazing as Commander Melissa Lewis as the Ares III leader who deals with guilt of leaving Watney behind as she would later try to figure out every scenario into getting him back as a way to do what is right. Finally, there’s Matt Damon in a phenomenal performance as Mark Watney as the astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars following a freak accident where he manages to find a way to survive with his expertise on botany and wit while also providing some charm, humor, and humility to his role as it’s one of Damon’s finest performances.
The Martian is a spectacular film from Ridley Scott that features an incredible performance from Matt Damon. Along with a strong ensemble supporting cast, dazzling visuals, compelling themes on science, and a fun music soundtrack. The film isn’t just a sci-fi adventure film that doesn’t play dumb as well as reveal what might happen on a manned mission to Mars. It also showcases how someone is willing to survive with a positive attitude despite his hatred for disco. In the end, The Martian is a magnificent film from Ridley Scott.
Ridley Scott Films: (The Duellists) - Alien - Blade Runner - (Legend) - (Someone to Watch Over Me) - (Black Rain) - (Thelma & Louise) - (1492: Conquest of Paradise) - (White Squall) - (G.I. Jane) - (Gladiator) - (Hannibal) - (Black Hawk Down) - (Matchstick Men) - (Kingdom of Heaven) - (A Good Year) - (American Gangster) - (Body of Lies) - (Robin Hood) - Prometheus - (The Counselor) - (Exodus) - (Alien: Covenant) -All the Money in the World
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the graphic novel The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures by Phoebe Gloeckner, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is the story of a 15-year old girl who becomes sexually active when she begins an affair with her mother’s new boyfriend. Written for the screen and directed by Marielle Heller, the film is a coming of age tale set in mid-1970s San Francisco where a young woman tries to deal with her thirst for sex as she would tell her story in a diary filled with audio tapes and art. Starring Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Kristen Wiig, Austin Lyon, Madeleine Waters, Margarita Levieva, and Christopher Meloni. The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a riveting and witty film from Marielle Heller.
Set in 1976 San Francisco, the film revolves around a 15-year old girl whose fascination with sex has her losing her virginity and having an affair with mother’s new boyfriend as she embarks into a journey of self-discovery through sex. It’s a coming-of-age film that says a lot about what a teenage girl would go through in her discovery of sex as she would express her feelings and views through drawings, audio tape diaries, and comics. Marielle Heller’s screenplay is quite loose in the way it tells the journey that Minnie Goetz (Bel Powley) would go through as she is someone that is very gifted in her drawing but also naïve in thinking that losing her virginity and having sex makes her a woman. By having losing her virginity and having an affair with her mother’s boyfriend Monroe (Alexander Skarsgard), Minnie thinks she is in love as she tries to hide the affair from her mother Charlotte (Kristen Wiig). Eventually, things get complicated where Minnie would have her own revelations about herself and Monroe as she tries to understand everything through her art.
Heller’s direction is very imaginative for not just the way she would fuse animation into live-action settings but also in re-creating 1976 San Francisco without doing a lot given that it’s made on a small budget as it is shot on location in the city itself. Heller’s usage of wide and medium shots doesn’t just play into the look of the city but also in how Minnie sees the world such as a shot of her on a bench looking at the city itself. There are some close-ups in the film as it relates to Minnie’s own reaction to herself or how Monroe tries to end the relationship when he realizes he couldn’t. The mixture of live-action and animation where much of the drawings are made by Sara Gunnarsdottir play into Minnie’s own imagination and view of the world where it has a sense of fantasy but also elements of surrealism. Even as the drawings Minnie would make would say a lot about herself and her growing awareness on sex as the animation would also express that growth in her as it relates to what she needs and why sex shouldn’t be complicated. Overall, Heller creates a sensational and captivating film about a young girl’s sexual awakening.
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of stylish and low-key lights for many of the interior scenes including the ones at night along with the beautiful scenery for the exterior scenes in the day. Editors Marie-Helene Dozo and Koen Timmerman do amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts in some bits along with montages and other elements that help play into the humor and drama. Production designer Jonah Markowitz, with set decorator Susan Alegria and art director Emily K. Rolph, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Minnie, her mother, and sister live in as well as the look of Minnie‘s bedroom with her drawings as well as a poster of punk legend Iggy Pop. Costume designer Carmen Grande does nice work with the costumes as it play into the period of the mid-1970s with its bellbottoms, skirts, and the clothes that Monroe would wear including jogging shorts.
The hair/makeup work of Anouck Sullivan and Jennifer Tremont is terrific for the look of some of the characters in the hairstyle along with the makeup Minnie and her friend Kimmie would wear at a midnight screening for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sound designer Kent Sparling does superb work with the way some of the parties sound as well as in the sound effects that are created through Minnie‘s drawings. The film’s music by Nate Heller is wonderful as it is this mixture of rock and ambient music that play into the period of the times as the music soundtrack, that is assembled by music supervisor Howard Paar, features an array of music from the Stooges, Heart, Mott the Hoople, Nico, Television, T. Rex, Dwight Twilley Band, Banditas, the Rose Garden, Amy Raasch and David Poe, Labi Siffre, Barbara & the Browns, and Frankie Miller.
The casting by Nina Henninger is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Miranda Bailey and John Parsons as friends of Monroe and Charlotte, Susanne Schulman as the voice of the famed comic artist Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Quinn Nagle as a schoolmate of Minnie in Chuck, Austin Lyon as a popular junior named Ricky Wasserman whom Minnie would have sex with, and Abigail Wait as Minnie’s younger sister Gretel who becomes disapproving towards her sister’s crazy antics. Madeleine Waters is terrific as Minnie’s friend Kimmie who is just as sexually-outgoing while trying to understand the ideas of sex itself along with her own beauty. Margarita Levieva is superb as the lesbian Tabatha as this older woman of sorts Minnie would meet later in the film as she would take Minnie to a world that is very dark.
Christopher Meloni is excellent as Minnie’s stepfather Pascal who only appears in a few scenes as he is concerned about Minnie as well as Charlotte’s own well-being where he is totally aware of Charlotte’s major flaw as a person. Kristen Wiig is amazing as Charlotte as Minnie’s bohemian mother that is trying to live her life and be responsible as she has trouble trying to balance both where she eventually becomes suspicious towards Monroe. Alexander Skarsgard is fantastic as Monroe as Charlotte’s new boyfriend who finds Minnie attractive where he is reluctant in having sex with her as he tries to stop the relationship until things get a little crazy later on as it’s a performance full of charm and wit. Finally, there’s Bel Powley in a phenomenal performance as Minnie Goetz as this 15-year old girl whose interest in sex has her losing her virginity while recording her experiences through an audio diary and art where it’s a performance full of energy and wit that serves as a major breakthrough for Powley.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a sensational film from Marielle Heller that features an incredible performance from Bel Powley. Featuring a great supporting cast, a killer soundtrack, and a very inventive take on a girl’s exploration of sexuality. It’s a film that manages to do so much more for the coming-of-age angle as well a story about sex from the perspective of a young girl. In the end, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a tremendous film from Marielle Heller.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Craig Johnson and written by Johnson and Mark Heyman, The Skeleton Twins is the story of two estranged twin siblings who come together following their respective suicide attempts as they deal with the pain of their childhood as well as what went wrong in their life. The film showcases a world where two siblings are at the end of their ropes in their life as they seek to help each other. Starring Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Boyd Holbrook, Ty Burrell, and Joanna Gleason. The Skeleton Twins is a witty yet somber film from Craig Johnson.
The film explores the lives of two estranged twin siblings as they haven’t seen or spoken to each other in a decade where they come together following their respective suicide attempts. For Milo (Bill Hader) and Maggie (Kristen Wiig), their lives as adults haven’t gone well as they planned where Milo moves back to his small New York town following his suicide attempt to live with Maggie and her husband Lance (Luke Wilson). While Milo and Maggie both deal with the failures of their adult lives, they also wondered where did everything go wrong as they also cope with their father’s passing many years ago. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the world of siblings but also in how they try to re-forge the bond of their already fragile relationship.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the lives of their two siblings but also what drove them to not contact each other for a decade as part of that reason is their New Age mother (Joanna Gleason) whom Maggie really dislikes. Especially as Maggie is becoming insecure about the prospect of being a parent as she and Lance are trying to have kids while Maggie embarks into an affair with her scuba diving instructor Billy (Boyd Holbrook). Milo meanwhile, wants to rekindle a relationship with his old high school English teacher Rich (Ty Burrell) whom they had an affair when Milo was 15. The siblings deal with their own issues as they also deal with their own relationship where Milo would befriend Lance whom he realizes that he’s just a good guy as it plays into the question of what Maggie is going through.
Craig Johnson’s direction is quite simple where most of it is shot around parts of Brooklyn in New York City where it has a sense of intimacy that occurs where there’s very little wide shots. Johnson instead uses some medium shots and close-ups to tell the story as it plays into this relationship between estranged twin siblings. Johnson’s compositions in the way he captures conversations as well as some of the film’s humor plays into this relationship where Milo is often very outgoing while Maggie is a bit more introverted and mature. Even in a sequence where Milo tries to cheer Maggie up by lip-syncing to Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now as it becomes of the film’s highlights. Still, Johnson knows that there has to be some dramatic outcome though the result does make the film a bit uneven. However, it does manage to have a payoff where it plays to the bond between the two no matter how troubled their lives are. Overall, Johnson creates a very engaging and enjoyable film about the troubled lives of twin siblings.
Cinematographer Reed Morano does excellent work with the cinematography from the look of the locations of the small New York town in the daytime during the fall season to some unique lighting schemes at night as well as some scenes in the pool. Editor Jennifer Lee does nice work with the editing as it‘s pretty straightforward for the most part as it does include a few montages of Milo and Maggie as children. Production designer Ola Maslik and set decorator Lauren DeTitta do wonderful work with the set pieces from the home that Maggie and Lance live in to the book store where Rich works at.
Costume designer Mikaela Wohl does fantastic work with the costumes from the casual clothes many of the characters wear to the Halloween costumes Milo and Maggie wear on that day. Sound designers Matt A. Schoenfeld and Ian Stynes do terrific work with the sound from the sparse sounds in the scenes in the pool to the raucous atmosphere in the bar scenes. The film’s music by Nathan Larson is amazing as it is a mix of electronic and indie that plays into the melancholia and humor of the film while music supervisor Meghan Currier creates a fun soundtrack that features a lot of new wave and 80s music from acts like Blondie, OMD, and Starship.
The casting by Avy Kaufman is great as it features some notable small roles from Truck Hudson as a security guard that arrests Milo, Kathleen Rose Perkins as an old schoolmate of Maggie that runs into Maggie at an ice cream shop, Eddie Schweighardt and Sydney Lucas in their respective roles as the young Milo and Maggie, and Joanna Gleason in a wonderful performance as Milo and Maggie’s estranged New Age mother Judy whose attempt to reconnect with her children ends up being a disaster. Boyd Holbrook is superb as the Australian scuba diving instructor Billy whom Maggie would sleep with while Ty Burrell is excellent as Milo’s former English teacher Rich who is reluctant to have an affair with Milo as he has a new life of his own.
Luke Wilson is brilliant as Lance as an all-around nice guy who tries to cheer up Milo by having him work with him while revealing that he just wants what everybody wants which is to be happy. Finally, there’s the duo of Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig in amazing performances in their respective roles as Milo and Maggie. Hader brings this unique mix of comedy and drama as a failed actor who tries to kill himself as he returns home to figure out what to do while also understanding that his own sister is just as fucked up as he is. Wiig brings a more restrained approach to her character as someone who is unhappy in her life as she tries to be the mature one while not knowing how to deal with the idea of being a mother as she becomes more insecure. Hader and Wiig have this natural chemistry in the way they act with one another as well as bringing in a lot of laughs.
The Skeleton Twins is a remarkable from Craig Johnson that features incredible performances from Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. The film isn’t just a story that is sweet but also very melancholic in the way it explore twin sibling relationships but also in the idea of loss and uncertainty as these two people try to cope with it. In the end, The Skeleton Twins is sensational film from Craig Johnson.
© 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
Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that explores Burgundy and his cohorts in the world of 24-hour news. Set in the 1980s, the film has Burgundy not only deal with changing times but also the conflict he faces as not just an anchorman but also a father to a young boy with his wife Veronica Corningstone. Will Ferrell reprises his role as Ron Burgundy as he’s joined by Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Fred Willard who all reprise their roles from the first film. Also starring James Marsden, Meagan Good, Greg Kinnear, and Kristen Wiig. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a very funny and exciting film from Adam McKay.
The film is about Ron Burgundy taking on the world of 24-hours news as he is asked to be part of the new medium after he had lost his job that his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) had gotten. With the help of his old news team in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Burgundy does something outrageous to get ratings for the channel where he would eventually lose sight of what he was meant to do as he neglects his son Walter (Judah Nelson) and alienate his friends only to find redemption later on. It’s a film that sort of satirizes the idea of 24-hour news but also about what news channels had become where they give news on what people should see rather than tell more important stories.
The film’s screenplay by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay does have some elements of satire as well as jokes that play into Burgundy’s clueless nature as he has no idea about how much times have changed since the 1970s. Even as it relates to what Veronica wants as well as his relationship with his new boss in Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) who is African-American. Though some of the jokes about Jackson’s race as well as a few others go on for too long where there’s parts of the stories that makes the film uneven at times. Still, there’s some nice subplots that involve Burgundy trying to be a parent to his son Walter as well as a story where Brick falls for an equally dim-witted typist named Chani (Kristen Wiig) that manages to bring in some laughs.
McKay’s direction is a bit more extravagant this time around in not just the way the 80s sort of look but also how out of step Burgundy and his gang are in this new world. Even as McKay would create scenes early in the film about where the rest of the news team had been since the first film as much of the humor is still loose and vibrant. Many of the compositions are straightforward with some exception that includes a scene of the news team crashing inside a RV with all sorts of objects. There’s also another news team battle where it’s much bigger than the first film with more outrageous cameos. Though there’s some flaws in the film due to overlong jokes and some moments that aren’t well-executed. McKay does manage to craft a pretty solid and entertaining film about an anchorman dealing with his ego and role as a news reporter.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography where much of it is straightforward in the film‘s locations is shot in Atlanta,New York City, and San Diego . Editors Brent White and Melissa Bretherton do terrific work with the editing where it does play into many of the film‘s humor as well as its structure. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the GNN news office as well as the apartment loft that Burgundy and his team live in.
Costume designer Susan Matheson does amazing work with the costumes from the suits to the clothes the women wear. Hair stylist Monty Schuth does fabulous work with the hairstyles of the men including the perms that Burgundy and his team briefly wear. Visual effects supervisor Eric J. Robertson does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such the RV crash scene and the moments in the all-out news team battle at Central Park. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the chaos in the news battle.
The film’s music by Andrew Feltenstein is pretty good for some of the themes as it‘s low-key in its orchestral setting while music supervisor Erica Weis creates a fun soundtrack that is filled with a mix of 70s/80s soft-rock music of Captain & Tenille, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and John Waite as well as music from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Van Halen, and Hot Chocolate.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small appearances from Josh Lawson as GNN creator Kench Allenby, Greg Kinnear as Veronica’s new boyfriend Gary, Fred Willard and Chris Parnell reprising their roles as Ed Harken and Garth Holliday, and Dylan Baker as the very fun GNN producer Freddie Sharp. James Marsden is terrific as the very good-looking news anchor Jack Lime who becomes Burgundy’s new rival while Meagan Good is wonderful as Burgundy’s boss/new lover Linda Jackson. Judah Nelson is excellent as Ron and Veronica’s son Walter who just wants his dad around while Kristen Wiig is very funny as the dim-witted typist Chani whom Brick falls for.
Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as Burgundy’s wife who has the same ambitions as her husband but is dismayed by his decision as well as the state of news. David Koechner is superb as Champ Kind who is still this closeted homosexual with feelings for Ron as he brings in some good laughs. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as the ladies man who is also sort of the group’s conscience as he is alienated by Ron’s growing ego. Steve Carell is great as Brick in the way he falls for Chani as well as respond to certain situations in the most hilarious ways. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell delivering another marvelous performance as Ron Burgundy as this man still out of step with the times while losing himself in his own ego where Ferrell brings a lot of humor and charm that makes Burgundy one of the great characters in comedy.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an excellent film from Adam McKay with Will Ferrell delivering another superb performance as Ron Burgundy. Along with a great supporting cast, some funny cameos, and lots of moments that will keep people laughing. It’s a film that proves to be a worthy sequel to the 2004 film despite its unevenness and a few lackluster jokes. In the end, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is stellar film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
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