For Dad
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is the story of an aging TV actor and his stunt double trying to make a name for themselves in Hollywood during the final years of Hollywood’s golden age before the emergence of New Hollywood. The film is a fictional look into the world of 1960s American cinema at a time when it was transitioning from big-budget spectacles in favor of more personal filmmaking as well as a look at what some saw as the end of a period of innocence following the murders committed the Charles Manson family. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Dakota Fanning, Austin Butler, Bruce Dern, and Al Pacino. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is a rapturous and evocative film from Quentin Tarantino.
It’s 1969 as the film follows the parallel journeys of an aging TV actor known for TV westerns and his next door neighbor in rising film star Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). It play into two actors who live next door yet haven’t met each other due to the trajectories of their careers yet the TV actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is coping with a career that is fading as he’s bringing along his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) who has now become Dalton’s driver/assistant due to his own reputation that prevented him from doing stunt work. Quentin Tarantino’s screenplay doesn’t just the explore of these paralleling career trajectories but also this emergence of something much darker that is happening in the background as it relates to the Charles Manson family as some say marked the end of a period of innocence for the 1960s and Hollywood before the emergence of the much-more personal filmmaking world of New Hollywood.
Tarantino’s script has a unique structure where its first two acts takes place during a weekend in Hollywood as the first act relates to Dalton’s career woes and the lack of options he has in his career as he’s also succumb to alcoholism with Booth helping him out anyway he can. The script would also show flashbacks into how Booth received notoriety not just for what he did in his personal life but also how he would lose his job due to a friendly tussle with Bruce Lee (Mike Moh). The first act also has Dalton meet with producer/agent Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino) who knows that Dalton still has some juice left but is also aware of the limited options he has as he would offer him work in Italy for some Spaghetti Westerns which Dalton is unsure about as he’s doing work on TV guest appearances for money.
The second act is about Dalton doing a TV show as he struggles to remember his lines while Booth does some repairs at Dalton’s home where he would later encounter a young hippie in Pussycat (Margaret Qualley) who had been flirting with him from afar as he gives her a ride home only to realize where she lives as it’s also the home of a man whom Booth and Dalton worked at a TV show the latter starred in George Spahn (Bruce Dern). The first and second act also showcase the life that Tate was having as she is someone on the rise and married to filmmaker Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) as she would go to parties with Polanski and her longtime friend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) and on the next day would watch herself in one of her films in The Wrecking Crew with an audience as they praise her while she would earlier receive a copy of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. The film’s third act takes place six months after the events of the first two act on August of 1969 where Tate, Sebring, and others would be killed by the Manson family. Yet, it’s more about the direction that Dalton has taken with his career as well as this end of an era for himself and Booth with this sense of change in Hollywood.
Tarantino’s direction definitely bears a lot of visual styles that play into this world of 1969 Los Angeles/Hollywood where it is shot on location in the city as it also serves as a character of the film itself. While there are some wide shots of the city including in some locations and this atmosphere of what it was like back in 1969 in this transition from the 1960s to the 1970s. Tarantino also maintains an intimacy but also this romanticism of a craftsmanship of what it was like working in Hollywood on studio lots and sound stages during those times. Notably in TV westerns that Dalton starred in as he would work on a western while reveal what goes on behind the scenes as it does showcase the struggles of an actor and what some will do to pass the time such as Booth’s tussle with Bruce Lee. Tarantino’s usage of high crane shots to get a look into the locations including the city itself as well as tracking shots for parts of the film showcase a filmmaker definitely taking everything he’s done and refining it to showcase a world that was rich and exciting.
Tarantino’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are important as it play into conversations between characters including one key moment where Dalton is on set shooting for a TV pilot where he converses with a young actress named Trudi Fraser (Julia Butters) who takes her work seriously yet understands what it means to be an actor even though she’s only 8 years old. It’s a small little scene in the film that does play into Dalton’s own insecurities and the realization that he’s on his way out but this young girl would give him a sense of hope into who he is and why he still matters despite the changing times. The film does feature some off-screen narration by a stunt coordinator in Randy (Kurt Russell) who only appears in one sequence of the film but his narration does play into the narrative as it relate to the different paths that Dalton and Tate would embark on. Even in the film’s third act as it relates to the infamous night of the Tate-LaBianca murders on August as there is this sense of something that is coming to an end. Yet, Tarantino builds up the drama and suspense slowly to play into the climax but with an added sense of mania and terror in the most unexpected way. Overall, Tarantino crafts a riveting and exhilarating film about a fading TV actor and his stunt double trying to survive the final days of Hollywood’s Golden Age just as a young starlet is on the rise against the backdrop of the Charles Manson family.
Cinematographer Robert Richardson does incredible work with the film’s cinematography from the way the interiors of a western set is lit in the daytime as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as it’s a highlight of the film. Editor Fred Raskin does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, freeze-frames, and other stylish cuts to play into some of the film’s humor and drama as well as these abrupt cuts for some of the flashback sequences. Production designer Barbara Ling, with set decorator Nancy Haigh and supervising art director Richard L. Johnson, does brilliant work with the film’s set design including the home that Dalton lives in as well as the trailer that Booth lives in with his pitbull Brandy and some of the sets that Dalton works at as an actor.
Costume designer Arianne Phillips does excellent work with the costumes from the stylish clothes that Tate wore including the go-go boots and some of the clothes of the men including the leather jacket that Dalton wears. Prosthetic makeup artist Stephen Bettles does fantastic work with the makeup in the look that Dalton would sport for the TV appearance he would be in as well as the look he would have later on in its third act. Special effects supervisor Jeremy Hays and visual effects designer John Dykstra do terrific work with the special effects with Hays providing some effects in some of the weapons Dalton uses on set including a flamethrower for a World War II film he made while Dykstra creates some visual effects that include a shot of Dalton doing a scene in The Great Escape as well as the look of TV shows during that time.
Sound editor Wylie Stateman does superb work with the sound in creating an atmosphere into some of the settings including the party at the Playboy Mansion as well as in some of the locations including the sparse texture of Booth’s encounter with the hippies at an old ranch. Music supervisor Mary Ramos does wonderful work with the film’s music soundtrack as it features an array of music ranging from a score piece by Maurice Jarre to the music of the times from the likes of Deep Purple, Neil Diamond, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Jose Feliciano, Vanilla Fudge, Los Bravos, Dee Clark, Chad & Jeremy, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Seger, the Box Tops, Mitch Ryder, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and the Buchanan Brothers.
The casting by Victoria Thomas is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Dreama Walker as Connie Stevens, Rebecca Rittenhouse as Michelle Phillips, Rachel Redleaf as Cass Elliot, Damon Herriman as Charles Manson, Rumer Willis as Tate’s friend Joanna Pettet, Samantha Robinson and Costa Ronin in their respective roles as Tate’s friends Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski, Rafal Zawierucha as Tate’s husband in filmmaker Roman Polanski, Ramon Franco as a movie theater manager, Clu Gulager as a book store owner, Nicholas Hammond as American actor/director Sam Wanamaker, Kate Berlant as a movie ticket booth attendant, and Spencer Garrett as TV personality Allen Kincaid. In the roles as hippies and members of the Manson family include Sydney Sweeney as Snake, Harley Quinn Smith as Froggie, Kansas Bowling as Sandra Good, Danielle Harris, James Landry Herbert as Steve Grogan, Victoria Pedretti as Leslie Van Houten, Lena Dunham as Catherine Share, and as the trio of women who would take part in the murders in Madisen Beaty as Patricia Krenwinkel, Mikey Madisen as Susan “Sadie” Atkins, and Maya Hawke as a reluctant Linda Kasabian.
Other film appearances and cameos include Michael Madsen as a sheriff on Dalton’s hit TV show Bounty Law, Martin Kove and James Remar as villains in Bounty Law, Marco Rodriguez as a bartender in the show Dalton is appearing as a guest in Lancer, Scoot McNairy as a gunslinger in Lancer, Clifton Collins Jr. as a cowboy in Lancer, Rebecca Gayheart as Booth’s wife in a flashback scene, Lorenza Izzo as an Italian actress Dalton meets in the third act, Zoe Bell as Randy’s stunt coordinator wife Janet, Mike Moh as the kung fu legend Bruce Lee, and Luke Perry in a terrific appearance in one of his final performances as the famed Canadian actor Wayne Maunder who also makes an appearance on the show Lancer. Bruce Dern is superb in his brief role as ranch owner George Spahn whom Booth knew a long time ago and wanted to say hi with Dern playing someone unaware of whom he’s renting his land to while Dakota Fanning is fantastic as Manson family follower Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme who sort of runs the land for Manson.
Austin Butler is terrific in his role as Manson family follower Charles “Tex” Watson who is considered Manson’s enforcer as he leads the killings on that dark August night. Julia Butters is excellent as Trudi Fraser as a child actress that Dalton meets on the set of Lancer as she is a young method actor who is committed to her craft while giving Dalton some confidence. Emile Hirsch is brilliant as Jay Sebring as Tate’s former fiancée who has become a revered hairstylist as well as a close friend of Tate and Polanski as someone who is enjoying the ride of Tate’s rising fame while Margaret Qualley is amazing as Pussycat as a young hippie who flirts and befriends Dalton while would introduce him to the people from the Manson family. Timothy Olyphant is marvelous in his small role as TV star James Stacy who is the lead in the show Lancer as he wants to help Dalton by giving him a guest spot on the show as a way to pay him back. Kurt Russell is great as the stunt coordinator/off-screen narrator Randy as a guy who is aware of Booth’s reputation but is also someone that isn’t afraid to call out on other people’s bullshit. Al Pacino is remarkable as Marvin Schwarz as an agent/producer who wants to help Dalton out but also remind him of the small prospects he has left as he knows what might help and save his career for a while even if Dalton wouldn’t like it.
Margot Robbie is incredible as Sharon Tate as this actress on the rise who is a woman of innocence as she is enjoying her life and growing fame but is also someone that is also kind and gracious to others where Robbie just exudes all of those qualities that Tate was known for. Finally, there’s the duo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. Pitt’s performance as Booth is full of charisma but also someone who definitely is more of a real cowboy than the characters that Dalton play as he is also someone who doesn’t live lavishly but is more grounded as well as be supportive for Dalton anyway he can while carrying his pitbull Brandy who gets to steal parts of the film herself. DiCaprio’s performance as Dalton is someone filled with charm and good looks, that was typical of actors from the late 50s/early 60s, yet is dealing with alcoholism and a fading career as he struggles to figure out what to do next as it’s truly one of DiCaprio’s great performances while his scenes with Pitt are just magical to watch.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is a magnificent film from Quentin Tarantino. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a compelling and insightful script, throwbacks to the late 1960s, exploration of Hollywood innocence and its Golden Age, and a rocking music soundtrack. The film is definitely an entertaining as well as a beautiful portrait of a moment in time when Hollywood was more than just a city for the stars but a place where dreams can come true. In the end, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is an outstanding film from Quentin Tarantino.
Quentin Tarantino Films: Reservoir Dogs - Pulp Fiction - Four Rooms-The Man from Hollywood - Jackie Brown - Kill Bill - Grindhouse-Death Proof - Inglourious Basterds - Django Unchained - The Hateful Eight
Related: The Auteurs #17: Quentin Tarantino - Growing Up with Quentin Tarantino
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Fisher Stevens and written by Mark Monroe, Before the Flood is a documentary film in which actor Leonardo diCaprio goes on a journey to see parts of the world that has been affected by climate change and global warming. The film is an exploration into the parts of the world that is eroding away as diCaprio interview many about what is there to do to save planet Earth. The result is a gripping yet evocative film from Fisher Stevens.
The film follows actor Leonardo diCaprio as he travels around the world just as he had been made as representative for the United Nations on climate change in 2014 where he would speak at the United Nations building in New York City about the subject. During this three-year journey around the world while making The Revenant for director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, diCaprio would learn about many things that is happening around the planet as it relates to a painting he remembered seeing when he was a baby as it was above this crib. The painting depicts three different images in the panel as the first depicts life in Eden with Adam and Eve as it was calm and peaceful. The second involves that world in chaos due to overpopulation and such while the third features that world dead as diCaprio sees that painting as a reflection of what is happening.
By going to places such as Miami which is dealing with rising water levels as its mayor is trying to stop that as well going to the smog-ridden Beijing in China. The film showcases the world’s reliance on fossil fuel such as oil, coal, and natural gas as it has caused a lot of environmental trouble while countries such as Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain are trying to move away from fossil fuel in favor of solar power while Sweden is becoming the first country to become free of fossil fuel. Still, diCaprio would see that while there are countries that are trying to do something as well as make it a big issue including President Barack Obama who talks with diCaprio about climate change being a national security issue rather than an environment issue. It’s not enough as diCaprio is aware that many of these oil companies are part of corporate conglomerates who are more interested in making money than doing what is right while there are also politicians who refuse to believe in the concept of global warming and climate change.
Fisher Stevens’ direction is very simple in the way he shoots many of the locations that are present as well as showing what is happening as coral reefs under the sea have died while Greenland is starting to melt in a rapid pace. The usage of the wide and medium shots with the aid of cinematographer Antonio Rossi would showcase the world that is starting to fall apart in some places including Indonesia where forest fires are becoming common all because of industry. With the aid of Brett Banks, Geoffrey Richman, Abhay Sofsky, and Ben Sozanski as well as sound designer Allan Zaleski, Stevens would use old footage of leaders in the past trying to make an effort to do something but often result in very little or often taking a step back in favor of more profitable interests. The interviews Stevens shoots with diCaprio talking to scientists, environmentalists, and world leaders showcase the people who weren’t just going to tell diCaprio what they’re facing but also the fact there is still hope and ways that can help the planet. Especially as some of these world leaders have faced the idea of what is happening while one of the biggest advocates in the subject of climate change is Pope Francis who is seen briefly conversing with diCaprio as the two talk and give each other gifts.
The film’s music by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, Gustavo Santaolalla, and the duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is mainly an ambient-based score that features some of the soothing post-rock elements of Mogwai with Reznor/Ross‘ eerie ambient sounds driven by electronics with the folk-inspired music of Santaolalla. It is one of the film’s highlights as its overall presentation showcases a world that is coming apart but with a chance to repair itself.
Before the Flood is a marvelous film from Fisher Stevens. It’s a film that showcases the world that is starting to become more fragile as well as what can be done and what must be done to save it. In the end, Before the Flood is a remarkable film from Fisher Stevens.
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Alex Garland, The Beach is the story of an American college student who travels to Thailand to find a mysterious island with a couple of young French people as they find all of the splendor as well as danger about its secrecy. Directed by Danny Boyle and screenplay by John Hodge, the film is an exploration into the idea of paradise only for things to go wrong when there isn’t such a thing. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Virginie Ledoyen, Robert Carlyle, Guillaume Canet, and Tilda Swinton. The Beach is a mesmerizing yet uneven film from Danny Boyle.
Set largely in Thailand, the film follows an American college student who is given a map to a mysterious island as he brings along a French couple to join him where they find paradise but have to take great risks to maintain its secrecy. It’s a film that isn’t about people trying to find something different from the many conventional ideas of being on vacation but also wanting something more. Yet, their discovery of a secret community who wants to maintain that sense of paradise eventually becomes uneasy where it is clear that its habitants are sharing the island with Thai cannabis farmers who aren’t so keen in letting anymore outsiders into the island. John Lodge’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist in Richard (Leonardo diCaprio) as this young American college student who goes to Thailand seeking adventure and something different from the banality of conventional society.
Lodge’s script succeeds in exploring the island and why it’s so secretive as well as establish the characters such as Richard, the French couple Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen), one of the island community’s founder in Daffy (Robert Carlyle) who would give Richard the map to the island, and the community’s leader Sal (Tilda Swinton). Yet, it’s in the narrative and its tone where the script falters as the first half starts off as this adventure for paradise where everything seems fine. Then it darkens once it moves into the second half where a community resident’s death starts to shake things where it goes into bits of surrealism as well as some dark suspense about what some will do to maintain this place a secret. It becomes a different film as well as something very strange where Richard is forced to watch outsiders who have a copy of a map that Richard drew for these American stoners as it would lead to all sorts of trouble.
Danny Boyle’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of not just the setting of the locations but also in the surreal elements in the film. Shot on location in parts of Bangkok and at the Maya Bay at Ko Phi Phi Lee in Thailand, the film plays into a world that is in conflict with the chaos of modernism and the serenity of this beach that Richard, Etienne, and Francoise would discover and live at for a time. Boyle’s usage of the wide and medium shots would play into the beauty of the locations as well as the sense of community in the people who live near the beach. Boyle would also use close-ups and some gorgeous shots for some of the intimate moments yet he is faltered by the film’s uneven script. Notably in the second half where it gets dark as it does feel like a different movie as it includes this very weird video game sequence where Richard pretends to be in a video game as it also include some references to Apocalypse Now as its third act is a really messy one. Though it would have a strong conclusion as it play into the fallacy of paradise, it also shows some of the ugliness in humanity that is no different from the chaos that is happening in the modern world. Overall, Boyle creates a compelling yet flawed film about a young man finding a map leading to paradise only it isn’t what it really seems to be.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography in capturing the beauty of the beach locations in the day as well as some of the scenes set at night along with some of the scenes set in Bangkok. Editor Masahiro Hirakubo does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic cuts and jump-cuts to play into the frenetic energy as well as in some of the low-key dramatic moments. Production designer Andrew McAlpine, with set decorator Anna Pinnock and supervising art director Rod McLean, does fantastic work with the look of the hotel rooms in Bangkok as well as the little resort the residents of the beach live at. Costume designer Rachel Fleming does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the clothes that Sal wears that emphasizes her role as a leader.
Special effects supervisor Clive Beard and digital visual effects supervisor Robert Duncan do some fine work with the minimal visual effects as it involve a sequence with sharks as well as a balloon ceremony. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sparse and intimate moments at the beach to the layers of sound in Bangkok as it‘s unruly. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is wonderful for its ambient-based score to play into the serenity of the island while music supervisor Pete Tong provide a fun soundtrack that features a few score pieces from John Cale and Brian Eno plus contributions by New Order, Blur, Moby, Faithless, Barry Adamson, Sugar Ray, All Saints, the Chemical Brothers, Unkle with Richard Ashcroft, Orbital, Leftfield, Underworld, and Asian Dub Foundation.
The casting by Gail Stevens is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Peter Youngblood Hills and Jerry Swindall as a couple of American tourists Richard meet on the way to the mysterious beach, Saskia Mulder and Simone Huber as the German girlfriends of those American tourists, Staffan Kihlbom, Jukka Hiltunen, and Magnus Lindgren as a trio of Swedish residents of the beach, Daniel Caltagirone as the community’s chef Unhygienix who has an unhealthy obsession with being clean, and Lars Arentz-Hansen as Sal’s boyfriend/community carpenter Bugs who has a dislike towards Richard and vice versa. Paterson Joseph is superb as Keaty as a member of the community who is kind of the film’s conscience as he starts to see the community unravel following an incident as well as try to get Richard to see reason when he is tasked by Sal to do something about the unwelcome visitors. Abhijati “Meuk” Jasakul is terrific as the head cannabis farmer who doesn’t like outsiders as he has this very eerie presence as well as someone who has found a way to live outside of the modern world without compromise. Robert Carlyle is fantastic as Daffy as a founder of the beach whom Richard meets in Bangkok as a man who has become insane and displays his own disdain towards modern society as he would give Richard the map to the beach.
Tilda Swinton is brilliant as Sal as the beach community’s leader who allows Richard, Etienne, and Francoise to be part of the community as she is intent on keeping the secrecy of the beach by any means necessary. Guillaume Canet is excellent as Etienne as a young Frenchman who is the most helpful and skilled person of the trio as he also finds himself competing with Richard for Francoise’s affection. Virginie Ledoyen is amazing as Francoise as a young Frenchwoman who goes on the journey as she is the most artistic as she is charmed by Richard as well as become disenchanted with Sal’s refusal to accept the real consequences of some of the tragedies that occur. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable performance as Richard as a young American college student seeking adventure only to find horror later on as he nearly loses it as it one of diCaprio’s more overlooked performances that has him be full of energy as well as display some eerie moments.
The Beach is a terrific yet flawed film from Danny Boyle. Despite its messy and inconsistent script, the film does feature an excellent soundtrack, beautiful locations, and a fantastic cast led by Leonardo diCaprio. In the end, The Beach is a stellar film from Danny Boyle.
Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - Slumdog Millionare - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke, The Revenant is the real-life story of American frontiersman Hugh Glass who was buried alive following an attack by a bear as he goes after those who had left him for dead. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Inarritu and Mark L. Smith, the film is an exploration of survival and vengeance set in 1823 South Dakota and Montana with Leonardo diCaprio playing the role of Glass. Also starring Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Will Poulter, Brendan Fletcher, and Lukas Haas. The Revenant is a chilling and visceral film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
It’s 1823 in the Rocky Mountains where a group of men are collecting fur and pelts while evading the Arikara tribe who has been pursuing them. The film revolves around Hugh Glass’ expedition in that world with his son where he is attacked by a grizzly bear and later left for dead by his men where he goes on a quest for vengeance. While it is a simple story about vengeance and survival during a harsh winter, it is a film that plays into Hugh Glass coping with loss as well as trying to do what is right where he is trying to survive near-death experiences and evade this tribe that is trying to find a chief’s daughter who had been kidnapped. The film’s screenplay by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith does follow a simple structure in terms of its narrative which play into Glass and Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) trying to survive the attack and then the former’s attack from a grizzly bear where he is left to dead by the trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).
The narrative is very straightforward yet it is more of a minimalist script that doesn’t rely much on plot but rather character motivations and what Glass is trying to do to survive. Even as he reflects on his own past and his reasons to live as he was accompanied by his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) on this hunting expedition. After the attack from the bear and being cared for by Hawk and a young trapper in Bridger (Will Poulter), Glass’ life hangs on the balance where Fitzgerald would make some decisions as he is a man driven by greed and thinking only for himself. For Glass who would be left for dead and buried alive, the actions of Fitzgerald would only make him determined for revenge but has to endure something more treacherous which is the cold and bruising weather, his damaged body, and the Arikara tribe who spare no one.
Inarritu’s direction is definitely sprawling in terms of not just the visual palette he creates but also in the atmosphere that is set which adds to the film’s very dreary tone. Shot largely on location in mountain and forest locations in Alberta and British Columbia provinces in Canada as well as some of it in Argentina, the film has this sense of physicality in what Inarritu is going for. The forest and the mountains are definitely characters in the film as it play into what Glass and the men in the film are trying to do in this terrible conditions of not snow but also winds and blizzards in the mountains. Inarritu’s usage of wide and medium shots would bring so much to the location as well as what these men have to do to get in this fort and be safe despite another presence from the Arikara tribe who will kill everyone including a group of Native Americans living outside of the fort. It adds to the tense tone of the film as well as elements of surrealism as it relates to Glass’ past and the sense of longing and loss that looms over him.
Inarritu would create something that is a bit dream-like but also moments that are filled with dazzling visual imagery in some of the intense action scenes along with some close-ups that play into the suspense and drama. Inarritu would also create this idea about death as it play into Glass’ own sense of grief and loss as it includes a flashback of him looking into this small hill filled with skulls. It adds to Glass’ determination to go after Fitzgerald where the two would have this climax where it’s not just a battle of wits but also a battle of will with the cold mountains and harsh weather conditions being their surroundings. Overall, Inarritu crafts a very gripping and evocative film about a man’s determination for revenge and survival in the Rocky Mountains.
Cinematographer Emmuanel Lubezki does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its naturalistic yet intoxicating approach to much of the lighting for many of the scenes set in day and night with the latter using natural lighting things such as fire and lamps as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Stephen Mirrione does brilliant work with the editing in creating some unique jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the film‘s offbeat rhythms as well as using fade-outs to structure the story. Production designer Jack Fisk, with art directors Laurel Bergman, Michael Diner, and Isabelle Guay and set decorator Hamish Purdy, does amazing work with the design of the ferry boats, the fort, and some of the smaller things that are created in the forest including the little tents that Glass would make in his journey.
Costume designer Jacqueline West does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the clothes that the Native Americans wear as well as the array of furs and such that many of the trappers and frontiersmen wear. The hair/makeup work of Sian Grigg, Duncan Junman, and Robert Pandini do excellent work with the look of Glass from the beard and hair as well as the bruises and scars on his body as well as the look of Fitzgerald. Visual effects supervisor Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith, and Cameron Waldbauer do terrific work with the visual effects from the look of some of the animals including the bear that would attack Glass as it look and felt real.
Sound designers Lon Bender, Martin Hernandez, and Randy Thom, along with sound editor Victor J. Hernandez, do sensational work with the sound from the way the wind sounded as it creates a sense of unease in the locations as well as the sounds of arrows, gunfire, and all sorts of naturalistic sounds that is captured throughout the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto, and Bryce Dessner is superb for its mixture of discordant string arrangements and bombastic percussions with an air of ambient textures while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein would provide some traditional music pieces that were played during those times.
The casting by Francine Maisler is phenomenal as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Lukas Haas, Brendan Fletcher, Paul Anderson, and Kristoffer Jones as fellow trappers and soldiers who work under Captain Henry in hunting pelt while Fabrice Adde is terrific in a small role as head French trapper team named Toussaint. Other noteworthy small roles include Grace Dove as Glass’ late wife, Melaw Nakehk’o as the captured daughter of the Arikara chief, Arthur Redcloud as a Pawnee Indian Glass meets during his journey who would heal him, and Duane Howard as the Arikara chief Elk Dog who leads his tribe to find his daughter and kill whoever stands in his way. Forrest Goodluck is fantastic as Glass’ son Hawk as a young man who aids his father as he copes with Fitzgerald’s insults as well as the situation his father is in. Will Poulter is excellent as Bridger as a young trapper who deals with the severity of Glass’ situation where he tries to help him while understanding what Fitzgerald is doing and what kind of person he is.
Domhnall Gleeson is brilliant as Captain Andrew Henry as a military leader who is the leader of the expedition as he is someone that trusts Glass as he does whatever he can to help him while wondering about what Fitzgerald is about. Tom Hardy is incredible as John Fitzgerald as a trapper who is a man that is in it for himself and make a lot of money while seeing that carrying the injured Glass is a waste as he decides to leave him for dead without any remorse. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a tremendous performance as Hugh Glass as this frontiersman that tries to survive as he gets attacked by a bear and then left for dead where it’s a performance from diCaprio that is astonishing in terms of how little he speaks and how determined he is to survive as the physicality of what he does is just eerie to watch in what is one of his finest performances to date.
The Revenant is a spectacular film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features great performances from Leonardo diCaprio and Tom Hardy. Along with a strong supporting cast, dazzling visuals, high-octane sound, a thrilling soundtrack, and a harrowing story of death, survival, and vengeance. It’s a film that manages to be engrossing in its locations as well as what is going on during a time where hunting was natural and survival was key to living. In the end, The Revenant is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the book by Frank Abagnale and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can is the story about a young Abagnale who manages to concoct several successful cons before the age of 19 as he’s often in pursuit by a FBI agent. Directed by Steven Spielberg and screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, the film is a quirky comedy of sorts where a young man forges checks to create elaborate cons as he deals with being pursued by a FBI agent who refuses to give up as Leonardo diCaprio plays Frank Abagnale and Tom Hanks in the role of FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Also starring Nathalie Baye, Martin Sheen, Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner, James Brolin, and Christopher Walken. Catch Me If You Can is a witty yet adventurous film from Steven Spielberg.
The film revolves around the life of a young man who decides to forge checks in order to con banks out of their money as his actions get the attention of a FBI agent who would chase him for several years. It’s a film that plays into two men involved in this cat-and-mouse game where there is a bit of mutual respect between the two even though Frank Abagnale is a criminal and Carl Hanratty is a FBI agent. Though Hanratty’s motivations is to capture Abagnale and retrieve all of the money that was stolen, it is Abagnale’s motivation that is clearly far more interesting. Especially as he is doing these schemes on banks as an act of revenge when his father Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken) was turned down by banks for a loan due to various things involving the IRS. By pretending to be a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer, Abagnale does whatever it takes to survive but things eventually get out of control which forces Abagnale to get more desperate in order to evade the FBI.
Jeff Nathanson’s screenplay does have a unique narrative as it’s told in a reflective style where Abagnale is returning to the U.S. from France as he’s accompanied by Hanratty. While the film does have a traditional structure, it is more about Abagnale’s motivations as he once lived a good life with his parents until money issues and his French mother Paula (Nathalie Baye) having an affair with a friend of his father in Jack Barnes (James Brolin) which lead to the end of the life that Abagnale had. The divorce of his parents would lead Abagnale to run away and use his mastery to con people would provide him as a means of survival where he would live well and woo women. All of this gets the attention of authorities where Carl Hanratty would be the one chasing him throughout the years as it’s all set during the 1960s while the scenes of Abagnale and Hanratty coming home to the U.S. is set in the 1970s.
While the presentation of the story is comical as the chases does have Hanratty in a series of humiliating moments. It is still a drama at heart where there’s these conversations from a pay phone that Abagnale would have with Hanratty on Christmas Day where it is about these two men getting to know each other as an act of respect between two opponents. Even as Abagnale would have thoughts of giving up his criminal schemes where an encounter with a young pregnant nurse named Brenda (Amy Adams) would raise those thoughts. While it’s third act plays more into what Abagnale would endure as a captured criminal and what he would have to do to avoid spending more time in prison where the roles of Abagnale and Hanratty would sort of change in terms of who gets humiliated. Still, it is about a sense of one-upmanship as well as how Abagnale would use his skills into this new life and find some fulfillment in his life.
Steven Spielberg’s direction is very stylish as it plays up this vibrant world of the 1960s as well as creating something that feels upbeat and lively. Especially in the way he definitely mimics films of those time while creating something that feels intimate with the compositions he creates. Some that intimacy with its use of close-ups and medium shots play into the life that the young Abagnale had with his family including the scenes between Abagnale and his father which expresses Abagnale’s desire and loyalty to his father. It’s among these smaller moments that Spielberg creates that is quite magical while having airs of sentimentality since it showcases Abagnale’s willingness to make his father proud. The direction also has Spielberg use some unique compositions to play into the phone conversations between Abagnale and Hanratty where Spielberg uses a few wide shots to play into the loneliness that looms in Hanratty as he is never seen not working.
The scenes where Spielberg plays into the chase scenes have these intricate steadicam shots play into the frenzy of Hanratty’s desperation to capture Abagnale. Even as Spielberg infuses some style with some tracking shots as well as scenes that play into some of the chases along with an extravagant scene where Abagnale hires women to pretend to be stewardesses. There is a sense of extravagance in these moments but it plays to how elaborate Abagnale’s schemes are as things do slow down in the third act. Yet, Spielberg does manage infuse some style in his compositions as well as in creating the conflicts in Abagnale in what he has to do in the third act. Overall, Spielberg creates a very compelling yet whimsical film about a cat-and-mouse game between a FBI agent and a young con artist.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does brilliant work with the film‘s photography with its array of stylish approach to interior lightings for the scenes set in the bars and restaurants as well as some of its nighttime exteriors in the U.S. and parts of France. Editor Michael Kahn does fantastic work with the editing with its rhythmic approach to humor that includes the chase scenes along with some straightforward cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Jeannine Oppewall, with art director Sarah Knowles and set decorators Claudette Didul and Leslie A. Pope, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the hotel rooms and places that Abagnale stayed in to the FBI office building where Hanratty is at in his job.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does excellent work with the design of the Pan Am pilot uniforms and stewardess costumes as well as some of the clothes Abagnale wears to play into the sunny world of the 1960s. Visual effects supervisors Nathan McGuinness and Patrice Mugnier do nice work with some of the minimal visual effects which plays more as set-dressing in some sequences in the film. Sound editors Charles L. Campbell and John A. Larsen do terrific work with the sound to play into some of the machines that Abagnale would use later in his cons as well as the planes and location scenes to play into the world that the characters are in. The film’s music by John Williams is incredible as it is this nice mix of jazz textures and lush orchestral music to play into the humor and drama as the soundtrack features music from Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Dusty Springfield, and the trio of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz, and Joao Gilberto.
The casting by Debra Zane is phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from Elizabeth Banks and Ellen Pompeo as women that Abagnale would woo in his adventures, Brian Howe, Chris Ellis, and Frank John Hughes as a trio of FBI agents who work with Hanratty as they’re often seen as bumbling fools, the real Frank Abagnale as a French policeman who would arrest Abagnale in France, Jennifer Garner as a call girl Abagnale would woo during one of his schemes, and Nancy Lenehan as Brenda’s mother who definitely takes a liking to Frank as she is excited that Brenda found a good man. James Brolin is terrific as Jack Barnes as a man who was a friend of Abagnale’s father who would betray him by sleeping with Abagnale’s mother and later marry her. Martin Sheen is excellent as Brenda’s father Roger Strong who is a bit suspicious of Abagnale yet takes him under his wing when Abagnale thinks about becoming a lawyer.
Amy Adams is fantastic as Brenda Strong as this young nurse who falls for Frank as she comes to him thinking he’s a doctor about having an abortion as the two fall in love where Adams exudes a sense of innocence to her role. Nathalie Baye is superb as Abagnale’s French mother who met Abagnale’s father when she was 18 and would marry him as she is really an interesting character as a woman that wanted a different life as she has no clue into how bad she hurt her son. Christopher Walken is brilliant as Frank Abagnale Sr. as the man that the young Frank idolizes as Walken has this sense of charm and warmth into his role as a man who wants to do what is best for his family while he would learn exactly what his son has been doing.
Tom Hanks is amazing as Carl Hanratty as the FBI agent who would be chasing Abagnale for several years as he tries to figure out how he does his schemes and such where there’s a bit of admiration in the character as well as some humor as Hanks manages to create a character that is fun to watch despite some shaky moments in his New English accent. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable performance as Frank Abagnale as this young man who would start his cons at the age of 16 in an act of rebellion against the banks that cheated his father as diCaprio brings a lot of charm and wit to his role as well an energy and anguish into someone that wants to make his father proud as it’s one of diCaprio’s finest performances.
Catch Me If You Can is a sensational and fun film from Steven Spielberg. Armed with a great cast led by Leonardo diCaprio and Tom Hanks as well as very exciting premise that is told with such style. The film is definitely one of Spielberg’s most entertaining films as well as one of his funniest. In the end, Catch Me If You Can is a marvelous film from Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg Films: (Duel (1971 film)) - (The Sugarland Express) - (Jaws) - (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) - (1941) - (Raiders of the Lost Ark) - (E.T. the Extraterrestrial) - (Twilight Zone: the Movie-Kick the Can) - (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) - (The Color Purple) - (Empire of the Sun) - (Always) - (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) - (Hook) - (Jurassic Park) - Schindler’s List - (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) - (Amistad) - Saving Private Ryan - (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) - (Minority Report) - (The Terminal) - (War of the Worlds (2005 film)) - (Munich) - (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) - (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) - (War Horse) - (Lincoln) - (Bridge of Spies) - (The BFG)
© 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)
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Celebrity is the story about a divorcing couple that both take on two different paths of their lives where both find themselves immersing into the world of celebrity culture. The film is an exploration into that world where two people go into different paths to see what will happen after this encounter with this world. Starring Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis, Leonardo diCaprio, Charlize Theron, Hank Azaria, Winona Ryder, Joe Mantegna, Melanie Griffith, Bebe Neuwirth, and Michael Lerner. Celebrity is a stylish though very messy film from Woody Allen.
The film explores the world of a divorced couple who both go into very different paths outside of their marriage. Lee Simon (Kenneth Branagh) was a travel writer who turns into a celebrity journalist as he ventures into the world celebrity culture while trying to work on a novel in the hopes to gain a career as a writer. For his insecure ex-wife Robin (Judy Davis), she quits being a schoolteacher as she tries to find a new place in life where she eventually works for a TV producer named Tony Gardella (Joe Mantegna) as she falls for him. The paths these two would take would have not just some major impact in their personal lives but also the path they would both take in this messy world of film premieres, parties, theaters, gatherings, and all sorts of thing in that world that is celebrity culture.
While it’s an interesting concept, Woody Allen’s screenplay unfortunately loses some of its luster in the second act where not only does the journeys of Lee and Robin become repetitive but their neuroses would also play into their troubles as that would become grating to watch. The script’s narrative does move back-and-forth into the different storylines of Lee and Robin in the paths they take though their storylines would coincide in brief moments. Most of it would play into their dramatic development over their split as those moments are told in flashbacks such as Lee’s decision to end the marriage and why did he did he decide to pursue a career in writing in his 40s after attending his high school reunion. A lot of the first act is interesting but it loses some steam in the second while it does have an interesting third act to see the outcome of the paths they took.
Allen’s direction is quite stylish as he aims for something that is timeless in its black-and-white photography as it would recalls some of his early films from the 1980s. Notably in the compositions and camera movements that he creates as it has this amazing opening of a plane writing the word “help” in the sky for a film. While many of Allen’s compositions are gorgeous, some of the humor doesn’t seem to work as it relies too much on characters acting awkward to their situations where the comedy feels a bit forced instead of natural. At the same time, the situations that occur starts to wear thin to the point that the outcome is sort of predictable. Overall, Allen creates a film that has an interesting concept but loses steam due to its predictability and over-emphasis on neurotic characters in a culture they know little about.
Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does amazing work with the film‘s gorgeous black-and-white photography that has this air of style in its look that is timeless as well as playing to some of air of pretentiousness that is common with art films. Editor Susan E. Morse does nice work with the editing in the way the story is structured as well as a few moments in the film‘s drama. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Susan Kaufman and art director Tom Warren, do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the runways and parties to the home of Lee.
Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does wonderful work with the costumes from the many stylish clothes of the models and the young people that Lee hangs around with to the more loose clothing of Robin early in the film. Sound editor Robert Hein does excellent work with the sound from the atmosphere of the party scenes to the intimate moments in the apartment and such. The film’s soundtrack consists of classical and jazz music from the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Billie Holliday, Stan Getz, the Gershwin Brothers, and Richard Wagner to play up the world of that culture to give the film a romantic feel.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Juliet Taylor is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as well as the cameos that are made as it includes appearances from Donald Trump, supermodels Frederique and Roshumba, filmmaker Greg Mottola as a director in the film’s opening sequence, Andre Gregory as an art house filmmaker, Karen Duffy and Debra Messing as TV reporters, J.K. Simmons as a souvenir salesman, Alison Janney and Celia Weston as socialites, Tony Sirico as a mob guy who is supposed to appear on a TV show, Isaac Mizrahi as an artist, Jeffrey Wright as an off-Broadway theater director, Sam Rockwell and Adrian Grenier as entourage guys for actor Brandon Darrow, Gretchen Mol as Darrow’s girlfriend, David Marguiles as an alderman, Kate Burton as Robin’s friend Cheryl, Dylan Baker as a Catholic retreat priest, Douglas McGrath as a novelist, Larry Pine as a publisher, Aida Turturro as a fortune teller, and Hank Azaria as a date of an aspiring actress named Nola.
Bebe Neuwirth is excellent as a famed prostitute named Nina who teaches Robin how to pleasure someone sexually while Michael Lerner is funny as a famed plastic surgeon named Dr. Lupus. Famke Janssen is terrific as the publisher Bonnie whom Lee dates while Melanie Griffith is very good as the actress Nicole Oliver whom Lee hangs out with early in the film. Winona Ryder is superb as the aspiring actress Nola whom Lee falls for while Charlize Theron is amazing as a supermodel Lee hangs out with as they get into some trouble. Leonardo DiCaprio is great as the young actor Brandon Darrow as he displays all of the traits of a bad boy actor. Joe Mantegna is wonderful as TV producer Tony Gardella whom Robin falls for as he becomes the guy that can help her.
Judy Davis is fantastic as Robin as a former English schoolteacher whose life worsens following her divorce with Lee as she becomes more insecure and neurotic as she tries to figure out what to do with her life while meeting Tony as Davis brings some humor and dramatic weight despite some of the repetitiveness of her character. Finally, there’s Kenneth Branagh in an absolutely horrible performance as Lee. Branagh can do comedy but in trying to impersonate the personas that Woody Allen has played in his many films just doesn’t work. It comes off as a very bad impression of Allen where the awkwardness feels forced while Branagh doesn’t do enough to make his character sympathetic as he ends up being a real scumbag.
Celebrity is a really terrible film from Woody Allen. Despite a remarkable performance from Judy Davis as well as wonderful ensemble, the film is hampered by its messy storyline as well as Kenneth Branagh’s poor leading performance. While there’s moments in the film that are very engaging that includes Sven Nykvist’s cinematography, the overall results are just very disappointing. In the end, Celebrity is just a dreadful film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is the story of a millionaire in the Roaring 20s as he lives an extravagant life as his new neighbor tries to get to know him and the mysteries about this millionaire. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, the film is a stylized take on the famed novel with lots of lavish set pieces with a soundtrack that is mixture of 20s jazz with contemporary pop music. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim. The Great Gatsby is a lavish yet mesmerizing film from Baz Luhrmann.
The film is the story a mysterious millionaire who throws these lavish parties in the hopes that an old flame would return to him to rekindle the love they once had. Yet, it is told largely from the perspective that millionaire’s neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who is given personal access to the life and mind of this mysterious man known as Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) as he recalls his time with the millionaire to a doctor (Jack Thompson). While Carraway tells this story, he delves into the mystery of Gatsby and his love for Carraway’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) who is married to a former polo player in Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Yet, secrets are unveiled as Carraway tries to guard everything about Gatsby who is eager to revive an old past that can’t be replicated.
The screenplay that Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce creates moves back-and-forth as it is told from a weary Carraway at a hospital many years after the events of the story. While it’s a narrative device that Luhrmann had used before, it does help to play into the many mysteries that are slowly revealed. Notably the character of Gatsby himself as he throws these very lavish parties but few people see him with the exception of Carraway and a famed golf pro in Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) as the latter sort of knows Gatsby. There is still a traditional three-act structure in the film where the first act is about Carraway’s arrival in 1920s New York City where he lives next door to Gatsby as he later meets him. The second act is Carraway reintroducing Gatsby to Daisy as the two try to replicate what they once had. The third is Gatsby’s attempt to win Daisy all over again for good in an attempt to repeat the past only to be exposed by the jealous Buchanan.
Carraway is the film’s observer as he would also take part in some of the decadence that occurs but he’s also the great protector where he would guard secrets but sometimes it would be the detriment to those involved. The character of Daisy is sort of this aloof young woman who has married this former polo champion who is also a philandering man with a mistress in Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher). By coming back to Gatsby, she is eager to find happiness again but she becomes conflicted in her devotion to Buchanan who is suspicious about Gatsby as he becomes a very conniving individual eager to expose Gatsby to the world. He would also be the person that would play into Gatsby’s fall in the third act as it leads to some tragic consequences that Carraway would never recover from.
Luhrmann’s direction is definitely outrageous as he goes for something that is very decadent as well as extravagant to play up the energy of the 1920s. Still, it emphasizes into what Luhrmann wanted to reveal into a world that is sort of out of touch with reality where Gatsby is this shadowy party host who has more ambiguous intentions for these parties. For the Carraway character, Luhrmann displays him as a man who is in the action but also out of the action as a man lost in a very crazy world. Luhrmann definitely creates a lot of compositions and set pieces that play up to that sense of excitement where these parties are out of control. Yet, he also does slow things a bit when it comes to the romance between Gatsby and Daisy as if it’s all about trying to repeat the past.
Since it is told from Carraway’s perspective as it uses a lot of voice-over narration, it does play into something where it is about a young man trying to find himself in the wake of this very chaotic period of time. Though there’s some flaws in the narration since it does give away a lot, it does help to flesh out some of the characters. While there are moments in the film where the decadent moments can be a bit overwhelming, it is balanced by some very lush scenes that unveil a sense of longing as well as the tragedy that comes into play in the third act. The direction is very stylized in where Luhrmann places the camera as well as the setting he creates where there is some tension but also drama. Overall, Luhrmann creates a very exciting and poignant film about love and secrets in a period of decadence.
Cinematographer Simon Duggan does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its exotic colors of the daytime and nighttime exteriors including some lighting schemes in the interiors plus some lush coloring for some of its flashback scenes. Editors Matt Villa, Jason Ballantine, and Jonathan Redmond do some nice work with the editing though it sometimes go a bit fast to play out that sense of chaos while it does slow down a bit as the film goes on to get a sense of what is happening in the drama. Production/costume designer Catherine Martin, with set decorator Beverley Dunn and supervising art director Ian Gracie, does amazing work with the lavish set pieces such as the Gatsby home and the look of 1920s New York City while the costumes are very colorful and full of style as it plays to the period of the times.
Hair designer Kerry Warn and makeup designer Maurizio Silvi do brilliant work with the look of the characters from the hair and some of the makeup to play that sense of sensationalism. Visual effects supervisor Tony Cole does terrific work with the visual effects for some of the exteriors of New York City to some backdrops for the surroundings the characters inhabit. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound from the way the parties play out with its sense of energy to some of the intimate moments in the film. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful for its lush orchestral music to play out the sense of romance between Gatsby and Daisy as well as some more heavy pieces to play out it‘s melancholia. Music supervisor Anton Monsted creates a very fine soundtrack of music that features an array of 20s jazz music mixed in with contemporary pop music from Jay-Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Emile Sande, Fergie, and many others.
The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some appearances from Barry Otto as a partygoer, Conor Forgarty as Gatsby’s butler, Adelaide Clemons as Myrtle’s cousin Catherine, Callan McAullife as the young Gatsby, and Jack Thompson as Carraway’s doctor Walter Perkins. Amitabh Bachchan is excellent as the gangster Meyer Wolfsheim as a man who is full of charisma as he treats Gatsby like an old friend while Jason Clarke is terrific as the oblivious George Wilson. Isla Fisher is wonderful as the very needy mistress Myrtle Wilson who feels slighted by Buchanan while Elizabeth Debicki is amazing as the very fun yet knowing Jordan Baker who guides Carraway into the world of the rich.
Joel Edgerton is great as the very devious Tom Buchanan as a man who does love Daisy but is suspicious about Gatsby though he admits to his own flaws as a man. Carey Mulligan is superb as Daisy Buchanan as a young woman who becomes conflicted in her devotion to Tom and her love for Gatsby as she’s also sort of flighty. Tobey Maguire is brilliant as Nick Carraway as an outsider who becomes part of the world while becoming the one person bearing the responsibility to carry the secrets he has learned from the people he meets. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable role as Jay Gatsby as he’s a man that exudes charm and with while being totally cool where diCaprio also shows some humor in his performance as well as humility in the third as it is one of his finest performances.
The Great Gatsby is a marvelous film from Baz Luhrmann that features a phenomenal performance from Leonardo diCaprio. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work, the film is definitely a very sensational and excessive film that isn’t afraid to be style over substance. While it does have some flaws, it is still a film that is engaging for exploring that world of 1920s decadence as well as a man’s desire to reclaim the past. In the end, The Great Gatsby is a sprawling yet exciting film from Baz Luhrmann.
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