Written, produced, edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a collection of stories set in the American West as it play into the many adventures of misadventures of people in the West. The film is an anthology film of sorts that play into six different stories relating to the West. Starring Tim Blake Nelson, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, and Brendan Gleeson. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a majestic yet whimsical film from the Coen Brothers.
Set in the American West, the film follow six different stories in the American West as it all relates to the themes of death as well as people’s encounter with it. All of which is told in a book about these tales of the West and these characters as they encounter with some idea of death. In The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a cowboy arrives into town singing songs as he also disposes challengers through gunfights while also commenting about the ideas of humanity where he meets a new challenger. Near Algodones is about a bank robber is attacked by the bank’s clerk where pots and pans where he’s later knocked out and captured by a mysterious man in black only for the day to get weirder following an attack by the Comanche, an encounter with a drover, and all sorts of bad shit in one strange day. Meal Ticket revolves around an impresario travels through the cold West with his performer in a young legless/armless artist who recites poetry, stories, and other texts where they endure a declining audience and lack of money prompting the impresario to find a new act.
All Gold Canyon, that is based on a story by Jack London, is about a prospector arrives on a mountain valley to find gold as he dwells into the land to find gold where he makes a discovery but also another one that is far more deadly. In The Gal Who Got Rattled that is inspired by story by Stewart Edward White, a young woman is on the Oregon Trail with her dim-witted older brother who dies suddenly of cholera where she befriends a train leader who is sympathetic to her plight as he thinks about having a future with her once the trail ends. The Mortal Remains is about five different people traveling on a stagecoach as tension arises during the journey as they all tell their own views while dealing with the fact that there’s a dead body on top of the stagecoach as some wonder why. These six different stories play into themes that play into the danger and uncertainty of the West as well as the realities of a world that is ever-changing.
The direction of the Coen Brothers definitely owe a lot to Westerns of the past but also provide their own visual language in the film as it relates to the presentation of the different stories in the film. Each story opens with a picture in the book and closes with the last page of that story as it’s told through a book as it would then cut to a landscape as many of the film’s locations are shot in the Nebraskan Panhandle, New Mexico, and Telluride in Colorado. The Coen Brothers’ direction would have these gorgeous wide shots of certain locations where they also create these striking compositions that add to the beauty whether it’s a shot of a man about to be hanged or a certain location in the valley. While there are comical elements in these stories with the titular story being the most comical of them all as it’s partially a musical. The rest range into elements of dark comedy as it relates to the theme of death as it play into the sense of melancholia and changing times of the West that is evident in stories such as Meal Ticket and The Gal Who Got Rattled as the former is largely dramatic and minimalist in its story while the latter is more about this uncertainty on the Oregon Trail.
Serving as editors under the Roderick Jaynes pseudonym, the Coen Brothers’ approach to the editing help add to not just the drama but also humor with its usage of jump-cuts and dissolves along with rhythmic cuts in certain aspects of the film. Most particularly in All Gold Canyon where the prospector (Tom Waits) is digging holes trying to find gold along with the montage of the artist in Harrison (Harry Melling) reciting famous texts to the growing declining audience in Meal Ticket. The usage of close-ups and medium shots are evident in The Mortal Remains as it is shot largely inside the stagecoach to play into the dramatic tension as well as the sense of intrigue of where the five passengers are going. It is the Coen Brothers playing into the dangers of the American West as they definitely show violent moments that are graphic as it add to the specter of death. Overall, the Coen Brothers craft an evocative yet offbeat film about six strange tales in the American West.
Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for some of the exteriors in the daytime along with the usage of tints and filters for some interior scenes along with shots set at night or in the evening as it’s a highlight of the film. Production designer Jess Gonchor, with set decorator Nancy Haigh plus art directors Steve Christensen and Chris Farmer, does amazing work with the look of the buildings that some of the characters go to including the saloons as well as the stagecoach and wagons for some parts of the film. Costume designer Mary Zophres does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times from the shiny look of the titular character to the rougher and ragged look of other cowboys as it’s a highlight of the film.
Makeup effects supervisor Robin Myriah Hatcher does terrific work with the look of the characters with the artist being the most notable as well as a few passengers on the stagecoach. Visual effects supervisors Michael Huber and Alex Lemke do excellent work with the visual effects where it does do bits of set-dressing in some parts while doing its best work on the look of the artist. Sound editors Craig Berkey and Skip Lievsay do superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how gunfire and such sounds during a few gun battles in the film. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its rich and bombastic musical score that feature some flourishing string arrangements along with elements of folk and country music to play into the air of the times.
The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from E.E. Bell as a piano saloon player, Tom Proctor as a Cantina bad man, and David Krumholtz as a saloon Frenchman in the titular segment while Jesse Luken as the drover and Ralph Ineson as the Man in Black are terrific in their brief appearances in Near Algodones. In the titular opening segment, the performances of Clancy Brown as the gambler Curly Joe, Willie Watson as a young gunslinger, and Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character are great with Nelson being a jovial and engaging individual who sings about his exploits while being a great gunslinger. In Near Algodones, Stephen Root is fantastic as the bank teller who is more than prepared for a bank robbery while James Franco is superb as the robber who finds himself in dangerous situations. Liam Neeson and Harry Melling are incredible in their respective roles as the impresario and the artist named Harrison in the Meal Ticket segment with Neeson being largely silent as a man trying to make money while Melling displays a charisma through the things he says.
Tom Waits is brilliant as the prospector trying to find gold in All Gold Canyon while Sam Dillon is wonderful in his small role as a young man trying to rob the prospector. In The Girl Who Got Rattled, the performances of Zoe Kazan as Alice Longabaugh, Bill Heck as Billy Knapp, and Grainger Haines as Mr. Arthur are amazing with Kazan being the major standout as a young woman coping with her situation while there’s notable small roles from Jefferson Mays as Alice’s brother Gilbert and Ethan Dubin as Matt who is trying to cheat Alice. In The Mortal Remains, the performances of Tyne Daly as the devout Christian woman, Saul Rubinek as the Frenchman, Chelcie Ross as trapper, Jonjo O’Neill as the Englishman, and Brendan Gleeson as the Irishman all sitting at the stagecoach are excellent to play into the tension and differences of these individuals as they deal with the journey ahead and their destination as well as the reality of their environment.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a sensational film from Joel and Ethan Coen. Featuring a great ensemble cast, compelling stories on death and the unexpected elements of life, gorgeous cinematography, and an incredible music score and soundtrack. It’s a film that is an unusual yet engaging anthology film of sorts set in the American West that play into all sorts of situations and stories that all relate to uncertainty in those times. In the end, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a phenomenal film from Joel and Ethan Coen.
Coen Brothers Films: Blood Simple - Raising Arizona - Miller's Crossing - Barton Fink - The Hudsucker Proxy - Fargo - The Big Lebowski - O Brother, Where Art Thou? - The Man Who Wasn't There - Intolerable Cruelty - The Ladykillers - Paris Je T'aime-Tulieres -To Each His Own Cinema-World Cinema - No Country for Old Men - Burn After Reading - A Serious Man - True Grit - Inside Llewyn Davis - Hail, Caesar!
The Auteurs #9: The Coen Brothers: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the British TV series from 1983 to 1985, Widows is the story of a group of women whose husbands had been killed in a botched heist forcing the women to carry out a heist of their own to pay back the money their husbands had stolen. Directed by Steve McQueen and screenplay by McQueen and Gillian Flynn, the film is an unconventional heist drama that involves the widows of a few men as they learn in pulling a heist as they deal with all sorts of forces in the world of politics and crime. Starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Carrie Coon, Jacki Weaver, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson. Widows is a gripping and eerie film from Steve McQueen.
A group of women, whose husbands had been killed following a botched heist, learn they owe a man who is running for office $2 million forcing them to embark on a heist to pay him back as they only have one month to do the job. It’s a film with a simple premise that play into a trio of women whose husbands had been killed in a heist while one of the widows chooses to not be involved as none of them have an idea of how to carry out a bigger heist to owe this man the money their husbands had stolen. The film’s screenplay by Steve McQueen and Gillian Flynn has a straightforward narrative with some flashback sequences that play into the events of the botched heist and the life of one of the widows in Veronica Rawlings (Viola Davis) who is still in shock not just over what her husband Harry (Liam Neeson) did but also the fact that they lost a son a decade earlier.
Being caught in the middle of a contentious election race for alderman at a small area in Chicago between Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell) and a crime boss in Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) as the latter is trying to become legitimate. Veronica realizes that Harry and his crew had stolen $2 million from Manning who confronts Veronica in wanting his money back with his brother Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya) keeping an eye on her as he’s also his brother’s enforcer. Left with just a book of all of Harry’s plans for the heists including one that was supposed to be the next heist, Veronica decides to contact the other widows that include clothing store owner Linda Pirelli (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice Gunner (Elizabeth Debicki) as neither women nor Veronica have a clue in trying to plan a heist as they are willing to learn from Harry’s book. While Linda and Alice are given assignments in to get certain things despite their lack of knowledge, they do see the bigger picture with Alice feeling resentful towards her late husband for putting her in debt knowing what he did.
Alice however wasn’t sure about what her husband did as she reluctantly becomes an escort as she and Linda both help Veronica with the heist as Linda would bring in her kids’ babysitter Belle (Cynthia Erivo) who discovered a key connection between the botched heist, Mulligan, and Manning at the beauty shop she works at. The screenplay doesn’t just play into the motivations of these women but also this underbelly of corruption from both Manning and Mulligan as the latter is trying to fill in the role that his father Tom (Robert Duvall) had been sitting at as he’s trying to maintain his own ideals into his son. It raises questions into the heist that Harry and his crew were involved in as did they know it would involve this contentious political race? This forces the widows to answer these questions themselves as well as deal with all of the chaos and loss they had to endure.
McQueen’s direction is definitely intense in terms of the tight visuals and compositions he creates as well as that air of suspense that occurs for the heist scenes in the film. Shot on location in Chicago, McQueen uses the location to create this air of social divide from the spacious and comfortable penthouses and posh homes that Veronica, the Mulligans, and Alice lived in to the more working-class and poor environment that Linda, Belle, and Manning is at. McQueen would use wide shots to play into the locations as well as some intricate tracking and long shots for scenes that establish some of the drama such as an off-screen conversation between Mulligan and his campaign manager Siobhan (Molly Gunz) as it is presented in one take. It’s one of the more unconventional elements McQueen would create as it adds to this drama over the idea of ambition and who it would impact for all of the wrong reasons.
McQueen’s usage of close-ups add to the drama as it relates to loss which include a few flashback scenes involving Veronica as it relates to her marriage but also events that impacted her marriage to Harry such as the death of their son Marcus (Josiah Shefee). It’s not just Veronica that feels lost but also Linda and Alice where the former meets a man asking him about a building blueprint as he had just lost his wife as it’s a moment of two people who are both coping with loss. For Alice despite being in an abusive relationship with her husband, she is defined by being in a marriage and has a need for companionship but has to come to terms that she needs to live for herself. McQueen does maintain this need for feminism in the film as it is clear that they’re living in a world driven by men though Mulligan’s duty for campaigning is really masterminded by Siobhan.
McQueen’s approach to the violence is unsettling such as a scene of Jatemme confronting a couple of young men over the film’s opening heist scene which is told with a sense of immediacy. The scene has McQueen present everything in one take as he knows when to pull the trigger and then some as it is shocking while the film’s climatic heist is more about location and timing rather than violence. Still, it is followed by an aftermath about who runs the show in terms of the heist but these are women who aren’t from the world of crime and they don’t play by the rules since they don’t know nor care about the rules of the underworld. Even as it involves powerful forces who are trying to maintain some idea of power yet those who are impacted by this play of power would eventually reap from what they sow. Overall, McQueen crafts a rapturous yet astonishing film about a group of widows who plan a heist to pay back the money their husbands stole from men of power.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for its usage of dreamy yet naturalistic lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes at Veronica’s apartment as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Joe Walker does amazing work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts and montages help play into the drama as well as in some of the suspenseful moments where it doesn’t emphasize too much on style in favor of something more controlled in its execution. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with art directors Gregory S. Hooper and Heather Ratliff plus set decorator Elizabeth Keenan, does fantastic work with the look of the homes of the widows as well as the home office of Manning and the posh home of the Mulligans. Costume designer Jenny Eagan does nice work with the costumes from the posh clothes that Veronica and Alice wears to the more casual look of Linda and Belle.
Special effects supervisor Michael Gaspar and visual effects supervisor Lars Andersen do terrific work with some of the film’s big effects as it relates to the film’s first heist scene as well as a key moment during the film’s climax. Sound editors Paul Cotterell and James Harrison do superb work with the sound as it captures the atmosphere of the violence in the opening scenes as well as some of the crowd moments and the conversation between Mulligan and Siobhan in their car off-screen. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is excellent for its low-key yet eerie score that feature some heavy string arrangements as well as some ambient-based pieces while music supervisor Ian Neil provides a soundtrack that is mostly diegetic as it include songs by Nina Simone, W.A.S.P., Al Green, Michael Jackson, Procol Harum, and a few others plus a song by Sade that is performed in the film’s final credits.
The casting by Francine Maisler, Mickie Paskal, and Jennifer Rudnicke is great as it feature some notable small roles from Alejandro Verdin and Bailey Rhyse Walters as Linda’s kids, Bailee Brewer as Belle’s daughter, Adam Wesley Brown as an auction guy helping Alice find a van, Philip Rayburn Smith as a grieving man Linda meets about blueprints, Josiah Sheffie as Veronica and Harry’s late son Marcus, Matt Walsh as a securities man that Veronica blackmails, Adepero Oduye as a hair salon woman who is Belle’s boss, Jon Michael Wheel as a reverend Manning tries to win over, Molly Kunz as Mulligan’s campaign manager Siobhan, Coburn Goss as one of the thieves in the heist who is married to the fourth widow that is not involved, Jon Bernthal as Alice’s husband Florek, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Linda’s husband Carlos, Kevin J. O’Connor as a friend of Harry who provides Veronica some information about her husband, Lukas Haas as a real estate developer Alice would sleep with for money, and Garrett Dillahunt in a terrific small role as Veronica’s driver Bash who offers to help Veronica with the heist.
Liam Neeson is superb in a small role as Veronica’s husband Harry Rawlings as a master thief who has organized everything yet is mysteriously killed believing that he’s been set-up. Robert Duvall is fantastic as Mulligan’s son Tom as a government official who is forced to step down due to health issues while trying to maintain some of his old ideals where he finds himself not agreeing with his son who has bigger ideas. Carrie Coon is excellent as Amanda Nunn as a widow whose husband was killed in the heist as she has no interest helping Veronica in favor of her own safety while also carrying a secret about the heist. Jacki Weaver is brilliant as Alice’s mother as a woman who is trying to instill Alice ideas of being a housewife as well as suggest Alice to become an escort. Brian Tyree Henry is amazing as the crime boss Jamal Manning as a man that is eager to enter politics to be influential and have power.
Daniel Kaluuya is incredible as Jamal’s younger brother and enforcer Jatemme as a man that is watching over what Veronica does while taking of things that need to be taken care of with ruthless aggression. Colin Farrell is marvelous as Jack Mulligan as a politician who is taking over his father’s position as he is reluctant to be involved with politics yet realizes that it would give him a lot of power of wanting to make change in his ward. Cynthia Erivo is remarkable as Belle as a hairdresser who also works as a babysitter for Linda who also takes part in the heist after a discovery she made about Mulligan and what he’s trying to do proving that she’s a formidable ally.
Michelle Rodriguez is great as Linda Perelli as a clothing store owner who loses her business because of her husband’s dealings prompting her to join Veronica while dealing with her own grief as well as the difficulty of understanding what needs to be done. Elizabeth Debicki is sensational as Alice Gunner as a housewife who is initially reluctant to take part in the heist as she is someone used to being abused only to realize that things will get worse as she starts to help out. Finally, there’s Viola Davis in a phenomenal performance as Veronica Rawlings as a woman ravaged by grief as she is aware of what will happen to her as she decides to take action after finding her husband’s book prompting her to lead a heist with a few other women despite their inexperience as it’s a performance that has Davis show some strength and determination making it a career-defining feat for her.
Widows is a magnificent film from Steve McQueen. Featuring a great ensemble cast, haunting visuals, a chilling music score, intense editing, and a riveting story about ambition, power, and its impact on those who become directly involved. It’s a film that is an exploration of women dealing with the world of men that takes advantage of them forcing them to carry out a heist that many believe they couldn’t pull off as well as showing who has the power in a world that is corrupt and unruly. In the end, Widows is an outstanding film from Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen Films: Hunger (2008 film) - Shame (2011 film) - 12 Years a Slave - The Auteurs #52: Steve McQueen
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Shusaku Endo, Silence is the story of two Jesuit priests who travel from Macau to Japan to find their mentor who had renounced his faith in his attempt to spread Christianity in 17th Century Japan. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Scorsese and Jay Cocks, the film is the third film in an unofficial trilogy of films exploring the ideas of faith that Scorsese had done with The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun where two young men travel to a world that is isolated from everyone as it showcases two men trying to hold on to their ideals at a time when anything foreign in Japan is forbidden. Starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, Ciaran Hinds, and Liam Neeson. Silence is a ravishing yet haunting film from Martin Scorsese.
Set during a period in Japan where Christianity is forbidden in the country due to the belief that it would corrupt its ideals, the film revolves around two Jesuit priests from St. Paul’s College in Macau who travel to the isolated country where their mentor had been in the country in an attempt to spread the ideas of Christianity to the Japanese. Yet, they would arrive into a country where the practice of Christianity is kept in secret as it would lead to this revelation about what Japan is trying to do to suppress ideas outside of Japan forcing these two young priests to face major challenges. The film’s screenplay by Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks opens with images of torture towards not just these Jesuits priests but also followers where Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) watches in despair as he is unable to do anything to help those being tortured. It would lead to this main narrative where Father Ferreira’s pupils in Father Sebastiao Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) travel to Japan to find their mentor and confirm these rumors that he had committed apostasy.
The film’s first act is about Rodrigues and Garupe learning about their mentor in Japan and their desire to find him knowing that Japan is not easy to enter as they’re aided by a troubled alcoholic guide in Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka) who was a former Christian as he is also trying to seek some salvation. There, they would meet several villagers who practice Christianity in complete secrecy as some would be caught by samurai working for a mysterious inquisitor. The second act has Rodrigues and Garupe take on different paths to help Japanese Christians as much of the film’s narrative is told through the perspective of the former who would endure immense challenges of faith. Throughout the course of the film, Rodrigues would ponder these ideas of faith as well as why there’s a number of high officials of the Japanese consulate that are resistant to Christianity as there are a lot of fallacies to the idea of Christianity. Even as Rodrigues would have to see followers be tortured to death as some would apostatize but others would refuse leading to their own death.
The character of Kichijiro is someone who would continuously stay alive knowing he’s caused trouble as he constantly goes to Rodrigues to confess as it would play into some of the things Rodrigues would see. He would try to appeal to a revered governor in Inoue Masashige (Issey Ogata) who is a unique individual that has this slimy persona as a man that mocks the idea of Christianity yet is also willing to listen to what Rodrigues has to say. The film’s third act is about what has happened to Ferreira and the challenge that Rodrigues faces. Especially as Rodrigues is forced to face his own faults in his devotion as well as what his followers were willing to do to maintain the idea of Christianity.
Scorsese’s direction is definitely rapturous for capturing a moment in time that was intense as far as how Japan was willing to protect itself from outside forces and isolating itself from the rest of the world. Shot mainly in Taiwan, the film has Scorsese going into a world that is mainly set in forests and villages to play into something that is exotic and removed from what is happening in Europe. There are a lot of wide shots of the various locations and settings in the film including some unique high and low camera angles to play into the idea that God is watching yet he remains silent in his action. Scorsese’s usage of medium shots and close-ups play into the struggles that Rodrigues and Garupe would face in the film’s first act as well as the sense of doubt that loom in the latter as he endures some frustration over the living situation in Japan as he and Rodrigues have to hide. The film’s second act has Scorsese take on some imagery that play into the idea of God’s existence such as this shot of Rodrigues drinking water and sees a picture of Jesus Christ in front of his reflection as it’s modeled by this portrait by El Greco.
It’s a moment that play into Rodrigues’ determination to help many as well as continue this mission to spread the Christian faith in Japan but it’s also a moment that forces him to see what this Japanese council will do to prevent that from happening. Even as there’s these intense moments of violence that Rodrigues would have to witness as Scorsese doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the tortures and such that is happening to these Japanese Christians. The film’s third act that relates to the reveal of what happened to Ferreira as Scorsese would showcase not just this sense of humility that Rodrigues has to endure but also the harsh reality over what he had to do for the survival of those who count on him. The film’s ending is over-drawn as it is told from the perspective of an outsider who watches Rodrigues in the choice he makes as it shows what he would do for the remainder of his life. It does play into the role he has to play for Japan at a time where few outsiders are allowed into the country while contemplating into why he and so many others had suffered for their beliefs. Overall, Scorsese creates a riveting yet evocative film about two Jesuit priests traveling to Japan where Christianity is forbidden as they deal with God’s silence.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for the usage of low-key lights and filters for some of the exterior scenes at night to the more naturalistic look for some of the scenes in the daytime as well as the usage of fire for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does amazing work with the film’s editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and slow-motion to play into the drama as well as some of the things that Rodrigues would see. Production/costume designer Dante Ferretti, with set decorator Francesca Lo Schiavo and supervising art director Wen-Ying Huang, does excellent work with the look of the houses and places in the villages and small towns in Japan as well as the interiors at the church in Portugal along with the look of the robes that many of the characters wear.
Special effects supervisor R. Bruce Steinheimer, with visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman and Jason H. Snell, does fantastic work with a few of the visual effects such as the image of Jesus Christ that Rodrigues would see in a watery reflection as well as a few pieces of set-dressing for some of the location. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound as it play into the natural atmosphere of the location as well as this idea of silence in an otherworldly environment that is enchanting to hear. The film’s music by Kim Allen Kluge and Kathryn Kluge is terrific for its low-key approach to ambient music mixed in with traditional Japanese music while music supervisors Randall Poster and John Schaefer would create a soundtrack that feature a lot of the traditional Japanese music of the times.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Ryo Kase and Nana Komatsu as a couple of Japanese Christians whom Rodrigues tries to help, Bela Baptiste as the Dutch trader late in the film, and Ciaran Hinds as Alessandro Valignano as a Jesuit leader who is expressing concern over Ferreira as he wonders what has happened in Japan. Issey Ogata is superb as Inoue Masashige as this grand councilor that has this unique presence whenever he appears while he is also kind of slimy in the way he says things as he represents someone that is willing to challenge Rodrigues’ views. Yosuke Kubozuka is fantastic as Kichijiro as an alcoholic Christian who guides Rodrigues and Garupe to Japan as he is also someone full of pity into the things he’s done. Shinya Tsukamoto is excellent as Mokichi as a village leader who is also a Christian that does whatever he can to hide Rodrigues and Garupe where he would endure punishment that is just brutal to watch.
Tadanobu Asano is brilliant as the interpreter to Masashige as a man that is fascinated by Rodrigues’ views yet he remains devoted to Japan’s need to maintain its identity as he is a complex individual that is trying to make sense of the situations that Rodrigues is in. Adam Driver is amazing as Francisco Garupe as a young Jesuit priest who copes with the harsh environment of Japan as well as the frustration of not doing anything where he and Rodrigues would separate to find Ferreira as well as spread Christianity to Japan. Liam Neeson is remarkable as Cristovao Ferreira as Garupe and Rodrigues’ mentor who traveled to Japan to spread Christianity to the country only to disappeared in the belief that he had renounced his faith where he appears briefly for much of the first act and again in the third. Finally, there’s Andrew Garfield in an incredible performance as Sebastiao Rodrigues as a young Jesuit priest that is determined to find his mentor and carry on in the mission to spread the word of Christianity in a country that is resistant to the idea where he is forced to see what happens to Christians in Japan as well as wonder why God hasn’t done anything to help them or say something.
Silence is a phenomenal film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous images, top-notch editing, and compelling themes on faith and some of its fallacies. It’s a film that explores a moment in time where men’s ideals are being challenged by resistance as well as ponder the existence of God. In the end, Silence is a sensational 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 (1993 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home – The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – (The Irishman (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Patrick Ness from an idea by Siobhan Dowd, A Monster Calls is the story of a young boy who copes with his mother’s terminal illness as he withdraws towards fantasy in the form of a gigantic tree-like monster. Directed by J.A. Bayona and screenplay by Patrick Ness, the film is a look of a boy coping with impending loss and dark realties as he turns to the world of fantasy. Starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, and Liam Neeson as the voice of the monster. A Monster Calls is an exhilarating yet heart-wrenching film from J.A. Bayona.
The film follows a young boy who is dealing with his mother’s illness as he receives a visit from a tree-like monster who would tell him three different stories with the boy having to tell the fourth story. It’s a film that follows a boy who is unwilling to face the fact that his mother would die as he also has to deal with his strict grandmother who wants him to live with her as well as a visit from his estranged father. Patrick Ness’ screenplay showcases the life of a boy in Conor O’Malley (Lewis MacDougall) who is living with his ailing mother Lizzie (Felicity Jones) as he wonders if she will still live despite the seriousness of her illness. Though his life is also troubled at school due to a bully named Harry (James Melville), he often retreats to making drawings and artwork when a monster appears at 12:07 AM as he would appear on that time every few nights to tell three different stories that relate to not just human nature but also loss. For Conor, the idea of losing his mother is enormous as he isn’t sure if he wants to stay with his grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) nor does he want to move to America to stay with his father Liam (Toby Kebbell).
J.A. Bayona’s direction definitely has elements of style in his approach to the visuals as it include some animated sequences as it relates to the three stories the monster tells to Conor. Shot on location in areas near London as well as some scenes shot in Spain with much of the film set in Britain, Bayona would create some wide shots of the scope of the locations including scenes of capturing how big this tree-like monster is. While Bayona would create close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimate moments including scenes of Conor dealing with the people in his life. Bayona would use the script’s back-and-forth narrative as it relates to the three stories as the animation is based on Jim Kay’s animation from Ness’ novel as it would have a richness that is reminiscent to the drawings that Conor would make in his spare time. The animated scenes would match into whatever outlet that Conor is dealing with emotionally as it relates to his inability to face the truth about what will happen to his mother.
Bayona would also create these sequences to match this element of fantasy and reality as it would play into the third act where Conor has to confront this recurring nightmare he would have for much of the film. It’s a sequence in the film’s third act that packs a real emotional punch as it play into the idea of loss. Especially as it show what Conor would have to deal with as well as the array of emotions he is dealing with as well as what he doesn’t want to face. Its aftermath will reveal what Conor has to face but also deal with something bigger as it is about what everyone has to deal with as it relates to death. Overall, Bayona crafts a magical yet visceral film about a boy withdrawing into fantasy to cope with the idea of losing his mother.
Cinematographer Oscar Faura does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the grey look of Britain in the daytime as well as some unique lighting and shadows for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Bernat Vilaplana and Jaume Marti do excellent work with the editing as it play into the drama with its usage of rhythmic cuts as well as a few jump-cuts for some of the big moments of fantasy. Production designer Eugenio Caballero, with set decorator Pilar Revuelta plus art directors Jamie Anduiza, Ravi Bansal, Didac Bono, and David Bryan, does amazing work with the look of the home that Conor and Lizzie live in as well as the home of Lizzie’s mother and the school where Conor goes to. Costume designer Steven Noble does fantastic work with the costumes as it is mainly casual with the school uniform that Conor wears to the clothes that Lizzie and her mother wears.
Hair/makeup designer Marese Langan does terrific work with the look of Lizzie in her deteriorating state as she would decline throughout the course of the film. Special effects supervisor Pau Costa and visual effects supervisor Felix Berges do incredible work with effects from the design of the monster as well as the massive sequences in which the monster is destroying things as it play into Conor’s own outlet in coping with reality. Sound designer Oriol Tarrago does superb work with the sound as it play into the way some of the sounds of places on location are presented as well as the way the monster would sound at times. The film’s music by Fernando Velazquez is great as it is this mixture of bombastic orchestral pieces with some somber piano as it help play into the emotional tone of the film as well as some of the adventurous scenes in the film.
The casting by Shaheen Baig is wonderful as it feature a couple of notable small roles from James Melville as the bully Harry that often torments Conor and Geraldine Chaplin as the school’s headmistress. Liam Neeson is excellent as the monster as this tree-like creature who would tell Conor three different stories while demanding him to create a fourth story that relates to all three as Neeson’s performance is a mixture of performance-capture and animation. Toby Kebbell is fantastic as Conor’s father Liam as a man who is an absentee father living in America with a family as he tries to help Conor cope with what will happen though he doesn’t say anything despite offering to have Conor move to America with him.
Sigourney Weaver is brilliant as Lizzie’s mother/Conor’s grandmother as a woman that is quite strict as she knows she hasn’t been fond of her grandson nor her daughter’s lifestyle as she is trying to maintain some order and composure about what is to come. Felicity Jones is amazing as Lizzie as Conor’s mother who is ill with a terminal disease as she tries to maintain some spirit to raise her son’s hopes but also copes with the reality of what she’s facing for herself and her son. Finally, there’s Lewis MacDougall in a phenomenal performance as Conor as a 12-year old boy dealing with his mother’s illness unaware or unwilling to deal with the fact that she might die as it’s a lively yet intense performance where a boy is dealing with reality and the confusion of reality in the world of fantasy as it also has MacDougall reach into very heavy places to capture the idea of loss.
A Monster Calls is a spectacular film from J.A. Bayona that features great performances from Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Liam Neeson. Along with its grand visuals, incredible score, and a compelling story of death and heartache, it’s a film that is willing to go into some very adult themes on loss while being a film that shows the sense of fear and acceptance in coping with death. In the end, A Monster Calls is a tremendous film from J.A. Bayona.
J.A. Bayona Films: The Orphanage - The Impossible - (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Buddy Van Horn and screenplay by Steve Sharon from a story by Sharon, Durk Pearson, and Sandy Shaw, The Dead Pool is the story of a police inspector who learns he’s part of a dead pool in which celebrities are targeted for murder as the man learns he’s also a target. The film is the fifth and final film of the Dirty Harry series that finds Harry Callahan become the target as he tries to protect others that is part of this dead pool as Callahan is once again played by Clint Eastwood. Also starring Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson, Jim Carrey, and Evan Kim. The Dead Pool is an exciting and dazzling film from Buddy Van Horn.
The film revolves around a death list created by a horror filmmaker as a joke to see what celebrities would be killed as the pool unfortunately turns real as Harry Callahan’s name is in the list as he’s already being targeted by mobsters for putting a mob boss in prison. It’s a film that has Callahan already being this unlikely public figure who is hounded by the press for an interview which he repeatedly declines though he would befriend a reporter in Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson) who would also receive this list as she realizes some of the fallacies of what she does. Steve Sharon’s screenplay starts off with Callahan being commended for his work in putting a mob boss to prison where it seems that he’s adapting to the ways that the San Francisco Police Department wants but trouble often follows him. Especially as there are those who think he’s next in this hit list created by the filmmaker Peter Swan (Liam Neeson) who is seen as a suspect as the murders were done in the same way he has characters killed in his films. Yet, Callahan doesn’t think it is Swan at all though he still doesn’t trust him while Callahan’s new partner Al Quan (Evan Kim) would make a discovery into who it might be.
Buddy Van Horn’s direction is quite simple in its approach to action and suspense while also playing into this growing culture of horror films and music videos as well as the increasing reliance of the news wanting to get exclusives. Shot on location in San Francisco, the film definitely go for something that is straightforward in its visuals as Van Horn would use wide shots for some of the locations but would use close-ups and medium shots for some of the suspense including the killing of a few victims. One sequence that is one of the most exciting involves Callahan and Quan in their car as they find themselves being chased by a remote-controlled car with a bomb as it is fun to watch. Though the film’s climax is predictable and a bit lacking in terms of high-octane action, it does have a payoff as it has Callahan be the badass despite the fact that the reveal of the film’s killer is disappointing. Overall, Van Horn creates a thrilling and fun film about a police inspector targeted as part of a death pool gone horrible wrong.
Cinematographer Jack N. Green does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the scenes set in the day with some lights for some of the interiors as well as scenes at night. Editors Ron Spang and Joel Cox do terrific work with the editing as it play into the action and suspense with some rhythmic cuts for the chase scenes. Production designer Edward C. Carfargno and set decorator Thomas L. Roysden do fantastic work with the look of the film sets that Swan is creating as well as the police station where Callahan works at. Sound editors Robert G. Henderson and Alan Robert Murray is superb for the sound effects that are created as well as the natural sound such as the gunfire and such that is captured. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is wonderful for its jazz-based score that feature some synthesizers and orchestral elements to play into the suspense and drama.
The casting by Phyllis Huffman is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from the rock band Guns N’ Roses as themselves, Bill Wattenberg as a victim of the killer who is killed by a bomb, Ronnie Claire Fisher as a local film critic who is on the death pool list, Michael Currie and Michael Goodwin in their respective roles as Callahan’s superiors in Captain Donnelly and Lt. Ackerman who are more concerned with the positive public image of the San Francisco Police Department rather than doing their job, Anthony Charnato as the mob boss Lou Janero that Callahan sends to prison as he is forced to make a vow for Callahan during his prison sentence, David Hunt as a troubled fan of Swan, and Jim Carrey in a terrific small role as a troubled rock star in Johnny Squares that is dealing with his drug addiction.
Evan Kim is fantastic as Al Quan as Callahan’s new partner as a Chinese-American who is a resourceful man that could kick some ass as he becomes the most stable partner that Callahan has while also being someone who knows how to stay alive. Liam Neeson is excellent as filmmaker Peter Swan as this arrogant horror filmmaker who created the list as a joke but suddenly goes wrong as he becomes a suspect as he tries to defuse the problem only to make things worse for himself. Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Samantha Walker as a local news reporter who is trying to do her work and get an exclusive interview with Callahan only to share in his views about the media. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in an incredible performance as Harry Callahan as the no-nonsense police inspector whose weapons are his wit and his .44 Magnum pistol as he copes with the sensationalism of the media coverage around him as well as the new and unknown enemy that is trying to kill him as it is Eastwood just playing it cool.
The Dead Pool is a remarkable film from Buddy Van Horn that features a winning performance from Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan. Along with strong supporting performances from Patricia Clarkson and Liam Neeson as well as some fun action scenes. It’s a film that does what it needs to do in being in a thrilling suspense-action film. In the end, The Dead Pool is a marvelous film from Buddy Van Horn.
Dirty Harry Films: Dirty Harry - Magnum Force - The Enforcer - Sudden Impact
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally, Schindler’s List is the real-life story of a Czech-born German businessman who tries to save thousands of Jews by making them work in his factory during the era of the Holocaust in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg and screenplay by Steve Zaillian, the film is a look into the life of a man who tries to do good during one of the most horrific periods in the history of the world as the role of Oskar Schindler is played by Liam Neeson. Also starring Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz, and Ralph Fiennes. Schindler’s List is a visceral yet evocative film from Steven Spielberg.
Told in the entire span of World War II in Europe from the Invasion of Poland to the aftermath of Germany’s surrender. The film plays into the life of Oskar Schindler during that period in World War II where he decided to have Jews working for him at his factory so they can stay alive while he deals with Nazi officials and such during the days of Polish ghettos and concentration camps. It’s a story that is quite simple yet it is also filled with a lot of graphic detail into what went on in Krakow, Poland and all of these places that the Germans had occupied during World War II. Even as Schindler has to deal with the sadistic Anom Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) who would become a concentration camp leader that has a sense of sick pleasure in killing Jews no matter who they are.
Steve Zaillian’s screenplay does have this very traditional yet broad three-act structure that plays into Schindler’s desire to save the lives of Jews by having him work in his factory and such. Yet, it also display Schindler as a man with some very big flaws such as the fact that he is a member of the Nazi party that would wear a Nazi pin in his suit. He would often socialize with Nazi officers and have drinks with them and was a notorious womanizer despite the fact that he is also married. It is among the many complexities of a man who would do something that is good but he is no saint despite his courageous act of kindness. The first act would play into Schindler’s social life and meeting this Jewish accountant in Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) who has contacts with black markets and such in the Jewish community where he would run Schindler’s enamelware factory in secrecy with Schindler being the one to over see everything.
While Stern is often suspicious of Schindler’s activities in and out of the factory, he is grateful for what Schindler is doing for the Jewish community who had been driven away from their homes and be forced to live in ghettos. The film’s second act plays into Goeth’s arrival and the creation of Plasnow concentration camp as it is a world that is very scary. Especially with Goeth watching over everything as the first taste of that sense of terror is where kills a young woman watching over the building a camp because she made a simple mistake. It adds to this sense of terror where Schindler tries to befriend him in order to keep people safe but it’s not enough where a scene where children are being driven away from their families is a big moment while there’s a few that would hide and manage to stay in the camp. The film’s third act doesn’t just play into the growing realities of what Schindler is facing but also in what he hopes to do as well as see what real power could do.
Steven Spielberg’s direction is very intense not just for some of the graphic violence that occurs in the film from time to time but also in the atmosphere that he creates. While it opens with shot in color of a simple Jewish ceremony where candles are lit, it plays to a world before war but that candle goes out. The film is then presented in black-and-white as it plays into this very chilling period of war and terror. Shot on location in Krakow, Poland and areas nearby, the film does play into a world that becomes undone by prejudice and occupation where Spielberg’s usage of hand-held cameras and tracking shots capture these moments where Jews are driven out of their homes and be cramped into these apartments where overcrowding becomes an issue. Spielberg’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do play into that intimacy but also in moments where there is very little space in comparison to the places where the Germans and Schindler lived in.
The usage of wide shots are also evident to capture the look of the locations as well as these eerie scenes such as the liquidation of Krakow where Schindler and his mistress are watching up on a hill into this moment where many Jews are being killed with some hiding from the Germans. There are also some very eerie scenes of dark comedy in the way Goeth handles situations such as how he kills Jews or a moment where he tries to kill a former rabbi. There are also these moments that play into Schindler’s own sense of disconnect from the realities of what is happening as it features a scene where he’s in a party having fun while Goeth beats a young Jewish maid as that moment is actually far more gruesome than the scenes of people being killed. It is among these moments that showcase not just a stench of death but also some of the eerie symbolism that Schindler is forced to confront that includes this strange image of the little girl in a red coat.
It’s not just these elements of symbolism that Spielberg would put in that are very evident as it relates to Schindler’s disconnect with what he really needed to do but also in how it would relate to the film’s ending. It showcases not just the development in Schindler but also the severity of what he had to do at not just great cost of his own but also in what more could be done. The film features an epilogue as it relates to the people who were saved because of Schindler as they’re presented in color as it reveals not just the fact that some of these people are still alive. It’s a moment where Spielberg breaks the fourth wall and allow these survivors to have their moment into how much Schindler meant to them no matter how flawed he is as a man. Overall, Spielberg creates a tremendously riveting and harrowing film about a man trying to save thousands of Jews in German-occupied Poland.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of lights for some of the scenes set at night as it has elements of film noir and German Expressionism in its black-and-white photography as well as the element of neo-realist images in its usage of tracking shots as it is one of the major highlights of the film. Editor Michael Kahn does amazing work with the editing as he uses some jump-cuts during a scene where Schindler interviews different prospective secretaries as well as some very chilling rhythm cuts that play into the violence and drama in the film. Production designer Allan Starski does excellent work with the look of the some of the interiors in the homes of Schindler and Goeth as well as the look of the concentration camps and some of the even more chilling interiors in Auschwitz. Costume designer Anna B. Sheppard does nice work with the costumes from the dresses that many of the rich women wear as well as the Nazi uniforms of the officers to the ragged look of the Jews.
Hair supervisor Judith A. Cory and makeup supervisor Christina Smith do fantastic work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle of the women in the posh world to the ragged look of the Jews in the numerous stages they would endure. Visual effects supervisor Steve Price does terrific work with two major moments of symbolism in the film from the color of red in the girl in the red coat and the Jewish candlelight scenes. Sound editors Charles L. Campbell and Louis L. Edemann do superb work with the sound in creating layers of sound in some of the chilling moments in the film as it relates to eerie scenes in some of the camps as well as what goes on in the ghettos along with some somber yet eerie moments late in the film. The film’s music by John Williams is great as it is very low key in its orchestration where it plays in these very eerie and somber moments that is supported by Itzhak Perlman’s violin playing as the music also features some of music that was playing in those times including the traditional Jewish prayer hymns.
The casting by Toya Cypin, Lucky Englander, Fritz Fleischhacker, Liat Meiron, Magdalena Szwarcbart, and Juliet Taylor is phenomenal as it features some noteworthy small roles from Oliwia Dabrowska as the little girl in the red coat, Hans-Michael Rehberg as Auschwitz camp leader Rudolf Hoss, and Andrzej Seweryn as SS Officer Julian Scherner that Schindler befriends to get him to ease restrictions for Jews. Other notable roles from Anna Mucha, Rami Heuberger, Piotr Polk, Norbert Weisser, Miri Fabian, Michael Schneider, Adi Nitzan, Jacek Wojcicki, Beata Paluch, Pawel Delag, Mark Ivanir, and Ezra Daga as the many Jewish refugees who would be spared and saved by Schindler as they would endure some of the most humiliating moments that no one should deal with. Jonathan Sagall is superb as Poldek Pfefferberg as a young Polish-Jew who would be an officer for the SS as he would deal with the many complications of his role as well as protecting friends and family.
Embeth Davidtz is excellent as Helen Hirsch as a Jewish maid hired by Goeth to do things for him as well as be a sick object of desire that she is repulsed by. Caroline Goodall is terrific as Schindler’s wife Emilie as a woman who would see him often though she is aware of his womanizing and such while being the one person he can always turn to for guidance. Ben Kingsley is amazing as Itzhak Stern as a Jewish accountant who serves as the film’s conscience as a good man that would run many of Schindler’s operations as well as be the one person that can connect Schindler to the people. Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as Amon Goeth as this sadistic and insane concentration camp leader who seems to have sick pleasure in killing Jews as well as being someone that is very scary as it is one of the most haunting performances in the film as well as a great breakthrough for Fiennes. Finally, there’s Liam Neeson in a riveting performance as Oskar Schindler as this man who is very flawed in his activities as he tries to make money during the war and hire the Jews to manufacture pots and pans for him where he also deals with the severity of what is happening forcing him to do something in a world where a lot of wrongs are happening.
Schindler’s List is a magnificent film from Steven Spielberg. Armed with a great ensemble cast led by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley as well as some top-notch technical work and a sumptuous score by John Williams. The film isn’t just one of Spielberg’s best films but also one of the most sobering and harrowing films about the Holocaust and what Jews from Poland had to endure during Germany’s occupation during World War II. In the end, Schindler’s List is an outstanding 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) - (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) - (Amistad) - Saving Private Ryan - (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) - (Minority Report) - Catch Me If You Can - (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 2016
Written and directed by George Lucas, The Phantom Menace (Star Wars: Episode I) is the story of two Jedi knights who are asked by the Galactic Republic and a queen to settle a tax dispute where things go wrong as they land on a planet where they would meet a young boy who might be part of a prophecy to bring balance to the Force. The film is a prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy back in the late 1970s and early 80s where Lucas explore the origins of Anakin Skywalker and his eventual descent. Starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Ahmed Best, the voice of Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Jake Lloyd, Ray Park, Pernilla August, and Samuel L. Jackson. The Phantom Menace is a visually-thrilling but extremely messy film from George Lucas.
The film revolves around two Jedi knights who are asked by Galactic Republic and its senate to negotiate a treaty involving a trade federation who refuses to bring shipment to small planet called Naboo. There, things go wrong where they meet an alien creature and help a queen escape while landing on a planet where they meet a young slave boy whom one of the Jedi knights believes is the one person that can bring balance to the Force as darkness looms. It’s a plot that is interesting but the fact that the story begins with a tax dispute is a pretty dumb way to open a story. It would set the tone for a story that doesn’t become uneven in its involvement of politics but also in the myth of the Jedi where there’s a lot of expositions that occur where it definitely raise more baffling questions than answers.
George Lucas’ screenplay does play into a traditional structure where it’s first act involves the Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) trying to negotiate terms with the trade federation led by Nute Gunray (Silas Carson) where things fall apart. Upon landing on Naboo, they meet an exiled Gungan named Jar-Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) who would aid them in saving Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) as they try to go to Coruscant to talk with the Senate. Its second act is set in Tatooine where Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar, an astromech droid named R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), and the queen’s handmaiden Padme (Natalie Portman) try to find parts for their ship where they would meet the young slave boy Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) where Qui-Gon senses a strong surge of the Force in Anakin as he hopes to free him. Lucas’ scenario does try to keep things forward but there’s too many things as the character of Jar-Jar is this unnecessary comic relief that doesn’t really do anything for the story.
Instead, he’s a buffoon that is made to entertain kids except that he’s not funny nor is he engaging. It is among some of the problems with the script as well as the dialogue as Lucas is notoriously known for writing poor dialogue. Especially in the second act where the story moves to Coruscant as it plays into the world of politics and corruption where it does drag the story immensely to the realm of boredom. When its third act returns to Naboo where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon confront a Sith lord named Darth Maul (Ray Parks, with the voice of Peter Serafinowicz) while Jar-Jar leads the battle against the trade federation’s army of robots where Anakin is in the action during a star fight between the forces of Naboo and a trade federation’s spaceship that controls the robots. It’s a moment where a lot goes on yet it is never meshes coherently since Lucas wants to really go for something that is intense. The result only works somewhat but it is handled very clumsily.
Lucas’ direction is quite sprawling in terms of the visual language that he creates to establish a world that is very diverse but is on the verge of becoming tumultuous due to greed and corruption. Shot on various locations such as Tunisia as Tatooine and Watford, Hertfordshire in Great Britain as Naboo with much of the production shot in studios in Britain, the film does play into something that is very diverse but it has elements of racial profiling in the way some of the alien characters are depicted. It’s among the negative aspects of the film that really shows how Lucas perceive the alien creatures as either bumbling idiots or greedy creatures with very little complexity into who they are. At the same time, Lucas’ direction also tries to create elements of foreshadowing and irony as it relates to the character of Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who would talk about the greed and corruption of politics to get Queen Amidala to get a new Supreme Chancellor to head the Galactic Senate.
It is among some of the issues in the way Lucas directs his actors where he definitely states the obvious as it relates to Palpatine while it sort of kills the suspense for anyone that hadn’t seen the original trilogy. While Lucas’ approach to some of the scenes involving the pod race in Tatooine where Qui-Gon would make a gamble to free Anakin from slavery as well as the lightsaber and battle scenes are engaging to watch in terms of his compositions and the shooting styles he uses. He’s really unable to do the same to other scenes such as the moments of suspense as well as the scenes involving the political issues in the film which comes across as very boring. Overall, Lucas creates a very uneven yet nonsensical film about a dispute between two factions in the galaxy.
Cinematographer David Tattersall does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the hot and sunny look of Tatooine to the lavish lights of the city planet of Coruscant to play into the different worlds of the galaxy. Editors Ben Burtt and Paul Martin Smith do nice work with the editing to capture some of the action in the film though its usage of transition wipes does get overused very quickly. Production designer Gavin Bocquet, along with set decorator Peter Wapole and supervising art director Peter Russell, does brilliant work with the look of the different places from the palaces of Naboo and the Gungan palaces underwater as well as the look of Coruscant and the Jedi temple. Costume designer Trisha Biggar does terrific work with the costumes from the lavish clothes that Queen Amidala wears to the robes of the Senate along with the clothes of the Jedi knights.
Makeup artist Paul Engelen does fantastic work with the look of Queen Amidala in her fully-realized regalia along with the look of some of the aliens who are part of the Jedi council. Visual effects supervisors Dennis Muren, John Knoll, and Scott Squires do amazing work with the visual effects for some of the sequences in space and some of the battles though the design of some of the creatures aren‘t so great since many of them aren‘t engaging to care for. Sound designer Ben Burtt, along with sound editors Tom Bellfort and Matthew Wood, does superb work with the sound to play into the sound effects for some of the droids along with the laser cannons and other sound textures. The film’s music by John Williams is phenomenal for not just the usage of old themes but also some new ones with its approach to bombastic orchestral music for the pod races and the lightsaber battles along with some low-key pieces for the dramatic moments.
The casting by Robin Gurland is pretty good as it features notable appearances from Warwick Davis as a pod-racer spectator, Ralph Brown as the Queen’s starship pilot, Keira Knightley as the queen’s decoy, Oliver Ford Davies as Naboo’s governor who is forced to deal with the trade federation, Hugh Quarie as the queen’s security chief Captain Panaka, Pernilla August as Anakin’s mother Shmi, and Terence Stamp in a superb performance as Supreme Chancellor Valorum who tries to settle things between Naboo and the trade federation which shows how weak he is at his job. The voice performances of Anthony Daniels as an early version of C-3P0 and Frank Oz as the Jedi master Yoda are terrific for what they provide for the story. Other voice roles from Andy Secombe as the junk dealer Watto and Lewis McLeod as the villainous pod racer Sebulba are quite good despite the dialogue their given while Silas Carson as trade federation leader Nute Gunray and Brian Blessed as the Gungan leader Boss Nass aren’t given strong material to work with for their characters.
Kenny Baker is excellent as R2-D2 as the droid who would help the Queen’s starship during an escape as he becomes a close friend to the major characters. Ray Park is fantastic as the Sith lord Darth Maul as someone who is very skilled in the dark side of the Force with Peter Serafinowicz provides a brooding voice for the character. Ian McDiarmid is brilliant as Senator Palpatine as a Naboo government official who tries to deal with the Senate while being very shady in his dealings as he conceals a much darker identity. Samuel L. Jackson is wonderful in a small but crucial role as the Jedi master Mace Windu who, like Yoda, is suspicious about taking Anakin to be trained as a Jedi as it relates to Anakin’s own upbringing and feelings for his mother. The film’s worst performance is Ahmed Best in the voice performance as Jar-Jar Binks as this clumsy and idiotic Gungan who does nothing but make a full of himself and cause trouble as he is really one of the most atrocious characters ever created in the history of cinema.
Jake Lloyd is OK as the young Anakin Skywalker as a young slave boy who is very talented in making things and being a great pod racer as he copes with the new world he is to face where Lloyd shows a lot of energy but some of his line delivery isn’t very good. Natalie Portman is decent as Queen Padme Amidala as a queen who disguises herself as a handmaiden while dealing with the chaos in her homeland where Portman has some good moments but also suffers from the script’s weakness and poor dialogue. Ewan McGregor is amazing as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Jedi apprentice who is in the final stages of his own training as he tries to reason with his master about taking Anakin as he speaks for the Jedi council while dealing with his development as a Jedi. Finally, there’s Liam Neeson in a remarkable performance as Qui-Gon Jin as a Jedi master who is wise while being a bit reckless where he believes that Anakin is the chosen one and hopes to train with or without the approval of the Jedi council while coping with the presence of the Sith.
Despite all of its amazing visuals, top-notch technical work, and some thrilling sequences, The Phantom Menace is a terrible film from George Lucas. Though it does have moments that are worth watching, it is hampered by a poor script as well as characters that serve no purpose to the film at all. Even as it features elements of political allegory and things that has no business being in a sci-fi adventure film. In the end, The Phantom Menace is mess of a film from George Lucas.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi - The Rise of Skywalker
Related: Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
Star Wars Anthology Films: Rogue One - Solo - (Untitled Star Wars Anthology Film)
George Lucas Films: (THX 1138) - (American Graffiti)
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller from a story by Lord, Miller, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman, The Lego Movie is the story of an ordinary construction worker who is asked to join a quest to help a wizard defeat an evil lord. The film is an animated feature inspired by the Legos building toys as this ordinary person is believed to be part of a prophecy to help the world of Legos from this evil tyrant. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Alison Brie, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, and Morgan Freeman. The Lego Movie is a truly fun and extremely awesome film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Set in a world where it’s built entirely on Legos, the film revolves around an ordinary construction worker who finds a relic that is believed to be part of a prophecy to stop an evil lord from wreaking havoc and instill conformity as part of his vision of perfection and order. By taking part in a quest with a group of misfits led by a wizard, this ordinary worker in Emmett (Chris Pratt) finds himself realizing that he has been in a world where he doesn’t feel special as those question about whether he is this master builder that the prophecy claim to be. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it has compelling themes on the idea of conformity vs. individuality where the latter is rebelling against the ideas of this evil lord in Lord Business (Will Ferrell) as they’re known for creating things based on spontaneity. Yet, Lord Business is an individual who hates these ideas where Emmett would force this band of misfits to work together and find a way to use their spontaneity to defeat the evil lord.
The film’s screenplay definitely plays into aspects of conventional ideas about conformity vs. individuality yet the balance of that is Emmett as he is just this ordinary construction worker that is just trying to fit in as he works on creating buildings based on instructional manuals. When he meets this mysterious woman named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) where he would accidentally find this relic, he comes across something where it is clear that he wasn’t meant to find this thing as he would team up with Wyldstyle and this wizard named Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) who is a master builder that leads a group of master builders. Yet, they’re pursued by Lord Business’ henchman Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) as they trek through different worlds as they do whatever it takes to stop Lord Business from unleashing the mysterious weapon known as the Kragle.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s direction is definitely wondrous not just for the fact that they created this unique mix of 3D computer animation with traditional elements as they would use Legos as their template. It’s also in how they use Legos to tell the story as well as play into how these characters interact with one another and feel like they’re a part of something. It’s part of the dramatic conflict that occurs in someone like Emmett who wants to fit yet he is unable to stand out as many of his co-workers just think of him as just no one. Much of the compositions aren’t just simple but they also have elements of surrealism in the way Emmett interacts with his surroundings as they’re very strange worlds that he is in. Among them is a world of the West, a medieval world, a world set in the clouds, and all sorts of crazy things that is definitely everything that Lord Business wants to get rid of.
The direction of the film also has elements that feels like a low-budget film where it’s clear that Lord and Miller are having fun as if they are playing with actual Lego toys. Even as the sense of spontaneity comes in whenever characters create something to get out of a bad situation. There’s also superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Gandalf, and many others that appear in the film as they do serve some importance to the film as it also plays to how silly things are in the world of Legos. Especially into what the object known as the Kragle is as there are elements that add to this strange sense of surrealism which does bring a sense of joy and weirdness that feels very accessible. Overall, Lord and Miller create a very delightful and extremely fun film about an ordinary construction worker trying to save his Lego world and its people.
Cinematographer Pablo Plaisted does excellent work with some of the lighting schemes needed for some of the film‘s interior sets to play into the colorful look of the film. Editors David Burrows and Chris McKay do fantastic work with the editing to play into the energetic tone of the film as well as slowing things down for the suspenseful moments. Production designer Grant Freckelton does brilliant work with the look of the Lego buildings and other objects to play into the strange world of Legos. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound effects including the smaller things into how some things are built. The film’s music by Mark Mothersbaugh is amazing for its mixture of orchestral music with elements of electronic and other offbeat music as it also features the song Everything is Awesome by Tegan & Sara.
The voice casting by Mary Hidalgo is incredible as it features voice cameos from Will Forte, Dave Franco, and Jorma Taccone in small roles as well as other voice performances from Cobie Smolders as Wonder Woman, Channing Tatum as Superman, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Shaquille O’Neal as a Lego version of himself, and Charlie Day in a very funny voice performance as 80s space guy who always wants to keep building a spaceship. Other notable small voice roles include Alison Brie as a very optimistic hybrid of cat and unicorn called Princess Unikitty while Nick Offerman is hilarious as a pirate character called Metalbeard who seeks vengeance of Lord Business. Morgan Freeman is excellent as the mysterious wizard Vitruvius as he is this wise man that is often in some very funny situations. Liam Neeson is superb as Bad Cop as this good cop/bad cop who is often forced to do Lord Business’ bidding as Neeson also voices Bad Cop’s parents and his good side.
Will Arnett is fantastic as the voice of Batman as this hilarious variation of the superhero who is often full of himself and thinks he is better than everyone. Will Ferrell is brilliant as Lord Business as this evil tyrant who is keen on making sure that everyone is doing things his way in an act of conformity. Elizabeth Banks is amazing as Wyldstyle as this tech-savvy fighter who was trying to find the mysterious relic as she becomes an object of affection for Emmett while dealing with her own flaws as an individual. Finally, there’s Chris Pratt in a remarkable voice performance as Emmett as this ordinary construction worker who learns that he is part of a prophecy that can save the Lego world as he copes with trying to live up to those expectations while admitting that he is just ordinary.
The Lego Movie is a phenomenal film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Featuring a great cast as well as a unique premise that is inspired by Legos, it is a film that manages to be full of imagination as well as bring out all sorts of joy for those who love Legos. Even as it manages to infuse elements of surrealism and weird things that manages to be crazier than it actually is. In the end, The Lego Movie is a sensational film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
Phil Lord & Chris Miller Films: (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) - 21 Jump Street - 22 Jump Street
Related: The Lego Batman Movie - (The Lego Ninjago Movie)
© thevoid99 2014
