The French Dispatch

 

Written and directed by Wes Anderson from a story by Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness, The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is the story of a French foreign bureau newspaper filled with American writers as they tell three stories that would be part of their final issue. The film is an anthology film that feature three different stories teach each tell something unique as well as the newspaper struggling to keep things going as the film is a love-letter to journalism. Starring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Almaric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Cecile de France, Christoph Waltz, Tony Revolori, Lois Smith, Henry Winkler, Owen Wilson, and narration by Angelica Huston. The French Dispatch is a rapturous and evocative film from Wes Anderson.

Set in 1975 in the small town of Ennui, France, the film revolves a French foreign bureau newspaper whose editor had just died prompting its staff of American writers to finish its final issue that consists of three different stories. It is a film that explore the world of this magazine and the stories they tell as it all takes place in this small town in France that include three different stories plus a prologue, a small story about the town from a cycling reporter named Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson), and an epilogue. Wes Anderson’s screenplay is definitely inspired by the stories and the works of writers from The New Yorker as he play into this world of culture, politics, and adventure through the recollection of these writers. Sazerac’s story is just about the town this magazine is based on as it explore the many changes the town went through though its editor in Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray) wonders why Sazerac also talks about some of the seedier aspects of the town as it sets the tone for the entire film.

The first story entitled The Concrete Masterpiece from the writer J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) who hosts a lecture about the works of the artist Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro) and his own views on art including his relationship with his muse/prison guard in Simone (Lea Seydoux). It is a story that explore a man whose art is strange and abstract as a fellow prisoner in the art dealer Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody) wants to show it to the world including Berensen’s old boss Upshur “Maw” Clampette (Lois Smith) while hoping Rosenthaler would make a grand masterpiece. The second story entitled Revisions to a Manifesto by Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) explore a student protest revolution lead by Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet) whom Krementz gets close with yet finds herself having to deal with its complexities as well as vying for Zeffirelli’s affections with another student in Juliette (Lyna Khoudri). The third and final story entitled The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner by Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) was supposed to be about a dinner with Ennui’s police commissioner (Mathieu Almaric), that includes a revered chef/detective in Nescaffier (Stephen Park), where the commissioner’s son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped by a criminal syndicate over the arrest of an underworld accountant known as the Abacus (Willem Dafoe).

Anderson’s direction definitely bear a lot of the trademarks that he’s known for in his attention to detail in his framing, dolly-tracking shot camera movements, and other aspects that do play into his visual style. Shot largely on studios and locations in Angoulme in southwestern France, Anderson creates a world that is unique as the town of Ennui is this character where so much had happened as the first story by Sazerac as he’s riding on a bike revealed the town’s evolution as it is filled with these grand compare/contrast of what it looked like back in the first half of the 20th Century and what it would like in 1975. Shot largely on the 1:37:1 aspect ratio with some shots on different widescreen formats as well as some split-screens, Anderson uses the ratio to play into this world that is unique for this small town while much of the presentation is also shot in black-and-white except for much of the scenes at the magazine period and other bits in the three stories.

Anderson also draws upon some of the visual elements of the French New Wave in some of the compositions he creates in the medium and wide shots as he often captures so much detail into a room or in an entire setting. There are also some close-ups that Anderson uses to play into some of the drama and humor throughout the film as there is a lot of detail he brings that include moments of fantasy or reality. One of the stories also involve some comic-style animation supervised by Gwenn Germain in the style of The Adventures of Tintin for a key scene late in the film. The magazine itself that is illustrated by Javi Aznarez definitely owe a lot to the visuals of The New Yorker as it play into this idea of how a magazine can present stories for people to read with these interesting stories. While the narrative is straightforward though it is messy in some parts of the stories that are told as there’s small subplots and such in these stories. Anderson does play into the world of journalism in how they see things while the film is dedicated to many of those writers who did write for The New Yorker which some of the characters are based on. Overall, Anderson crafts a whimsical and exhilarating film about a French magazine run by Americans and the stories they tell in a small French town.

Cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of black-and-white film stock and its approach to lighting for some scenes as well as some of the colorful and vibrant lighting for the scenes in color including the scenes at night. Editor Andrew Weisblum does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts help play into the humor and action as well as straightforward cuts to help play into the drama. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Rene DeAngelo and supervising art director Stephanne Cressend, does phenomenal work with the sets from the home of Zeffirelli and the place he hung out to the prison asylum that Rosenthaler does his work as well as the office at the magazine. Costume designer Milena Canonero does amazing work with the costumes from the look of the journalists as well as the many characters they encounter as it play into a lot of style with so much detail that include the motorcycle helmet that Juliette wears.

Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon and hair/makeup supervisor Fabienne Robineau do brilliant work with the look of the characters as they each have a distinctive personality as it adds to the film’s whimsical charm. Special effects supervisor Jean-Christophe Magnaud and visual effects supervisor Keith Devlin do terrific work with some of the film’s practical effects in some of the action as well as the design for some set pieces involving miniatures. Sound editor Christopher Scarabosio does superb work with the sound in the sound effects used for some of the objects and such including the sparse atmosphere for some scenes inside a room. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is tremendous for its rich and intricate music score filled with unique brass and string arrangements with elements of melodic string pieces and usage of harmoniums as well as piano solos performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet while music supervisor Randall Poster cultivates a soundtrack that features score pieces by Georges Delerue and Ennio Morricone as well as music from Grace Jones, Charles Aznavour, the Swingle Sisters, Chantal Goya, Gene Austin with Candy and Coco, Gus Viseur, and Jarvis Cocker as a French singer named Tip-Top.

The casting by Douglas Aibel, Antoinette Boulat, and Jina Jay is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances in the different sections of the film. In the roles of the film’s magazine staff, there’s Anjelica Bette Fellini as a proofreader for the magazine, Wally Wolodarsky as a writer for the magazine who has finished an article, Pablo Pauly as a waiter at a café in the same building as the magazine is at, Griffin Dunne as the magazine’s legal advisor, Fisher Stevens as the magazine story editor, Jason Schwartzman as the magazine cartoonist Hermes Jones, and Elisabeth Moss as the magazine’s copy editor Alumna. From The Concrete Masterpiece, the small performances from Morgane Polanski as a girlfriend of the young Rosenthaler, Felix Moati as the head caterer at the big event, Denis Menochet as a prison guard, Henry Winkler and Bob Balaban in their respective roles as Cadazio’s uncles in Joe and Nick, and Tony Revolori as the young Rosenthaler are a joy to watch.

From Revisions to a Manifesto, the performances of Rupert Friend, Alex Lawther, Toheeb Jimoh, and Tom Hudson as stage actors in a play, Guillaume Gallienne and Cecile de France as Zeffirelli’s parents, Mohamed Belhadjine as a student named Mitch-Mitch, and Christoph Waltz as a family friend of Zeffirelli in Paul Duval are fun to watch with Waltz being the stand-out. From The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner, the performances from Mauricette Coudivat as Gigi’s mother, Hippolyte Girardot as the commissioner’s friend who used to work for the police, Saoirse Ronan as a drug-addicted showgirl who befriends Gigi, and Edward Norton as a kidnapper who is also a chauffeur for the underworld. In the roles of the journalists who tell these respective stories, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Jeffrey Wright are brilliant in their respective roles as Herbsaint Sazerac, J.K.L. Berensen, Lucinda Kremetz, and Roebuck Wright as they’re all based on real writers from The New Yorker with Wilson providing a calm persona to his character while Swinton and McDormand both provide low-key humor to their roles and Wright brings a charisma a gay writer.

Bill Murray is fantastic as the magazine editor-in-chief Arthur Howitzer Jr. who is based on The New Yorker co-founder Harold Ross as a man who doesn’t like anyone crying in his office while is also wondering about all of the things his writers does but is also someone that knows talent. The quartet of Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, and Lois Smith are amazing in their respective roles as the artist Moses Rosenthaler, the art dealer Julien Cadazio, the prison guard/muse Simone, and the art collector Upshur “Maw” Clampette with del Toro providing a gruff persona to his role while Brody is this comical man determined to get rich. Seydoux’s performance is definitely the best in the segment as someone who is the embodiment of discipline including the way she poses nude in certain ways as well as being Rosenthaler’s greatest motivator. Smith’s small performance as Clampette is full of humor but also someone who understands great art.

Timothee Chalamet and Lyna Khoudri are excellent in their respective roles as student activists Zeffirelli and Juliette with the former being the leader of a revolutionary who would befriend Kremetz who gives him ideas while the latter is a woman who is suspicious over Kremetz yet has feelings for Zeffirelli. The incredible performances of Liev Schreiber, Mathieu Almaric, Stephen Park, Willem Dafoe and Winston Ait Hellal in their respective roles as the TV talk show host, the police commissioner, the chef Nescaffier, the underworld accountant Abacus, and the commissioner’s son Gigi with Schreiber providing some wit in a role inspired by Dick Cavett while Almaric and Park both provide some humor in their respective roles with Park being the most restrained as a cook who makes great recipes. Dafoe provides humor as this accountant who is aware he’s in deep shit but is also hungry for food while Hellal brings a restraint to a kid who is quite intelligent but also knows Morse code.

The French Dispatch is a marvelous film from Wes Anderson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, incredible art direction, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is a film that explores the world of journalism as a magazine publishes its final issues that is filled with wonderful stories set in a small town in France. In the end, The French Dispatch is a remarkable film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - Asteroid City – The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) - (Asteroid City) - (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar)

© thevoid99 2022

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Based on the Marvel comics series by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and the Miles Morales series by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the story of a young kid who becomes a new Spider-Man as he juggles life as a kid and as the new Spider-Man while finding himself meeting other Spider-Mans including a different version of Peter Parker who would train his new protégé. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman with screenplay by Rothman and Phil Lord from a story by Lord, the film is an animated film that focuses on Miles Morales who tries to become the new Spider-Man as well as tackle an evil foe who opened multiple dimensions that would destroy the world. Featuring the voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Lauren Valez, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn, Liev Schreiber, and Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an exhilarating and rich film from Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.

The film revolves around a young teenager in Miles Morales (the voice of Shameik Moore) whose encounter with a radioactive spider gives him powers where he learns of a plot from a crime boss that eventually lead to other Spider-Mans from other dimensions to help Morales out and stop this crime boss. It’s a film that takes its simple premise that play into the idea of alternate realities and dimensions where this young kid has to take on the mantle of being the new Spider-Man despite his inexperience and insecurities following the death of the previous Spider-Man in Peter Parker (Chris Pine) during a battle with the crime boss in Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin (Liev Schreiber). The film’s screenplay by Rodney Rothman and Phil Lord follows the young Morales who is the son of a cop in Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry) and nurse Rio Morales (Lauren Valez) as he’s struggling to fit in as he’s attending this prestigious school in Brooklyn.

While hanging out with his uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali) as they do some graffiti art in the subway, Miles gets bitten by a spider as its effects would bring weird things as he tries to find the spider the next day where he encounters a battle between Spider-Man and the Kingpin. Due to the events that lead to Spider-Man’s death, Miles would meet a man claiming to be Peter Parker yet he’s from another dimension as Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) is a version of Parker who is out-of-shape, depressed, and down on his luck. They’re later joined by other versions of Spider-Man in Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham/Peter Porker (John Mulaney), SP//dr/Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and Spider-Man Noir who have all been sucked in from other dimensions by the Kingpin who has a grudge towards Spider-Man as he has some valid reasons for wanting to open other dimensions unaware of its dangers.

The direction of Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman is definitely stylish in a grand way where it play into not just different styles of animation but also providing many kinds of Easter eggs and references the comics and films relating to Spider-Man. With the aid of lead animators Julie Bernier Gosselin, Jeff Panko, Humberto Francisco Rosa, and Philip Rudolph, the direction has a style that is rich in its detail as well as the design of the different version of Spider-Man as Spider-Man Noir is presented in a black-and-white animated style similar to old comic books of the 1930s/1940s as well as film noir while Spider-Ham is presented in a hand-drawn animated style similar to Warner Brothers cartoons and SP//dr is presented in Japanese anime. The direction also allowed each version of Spider-Man be introduced in the style of a comic book where it doesn’t just establish who they are and where they come from but it allows Morales to get to know them just as he’s trying to understand his own powers that are different from the other Spider-Mans.

The direction also has this attention to detail in the way it presents New York City in its different settings as well as a city dealing with these weird glitches. The wide and medium shots capture the scope of the locations as well as the world that Morales and the other Spider-Mans would encounter including Fisk’s home lab where he also have other villains working for him. With the aid of production designer Justin Thompson, art directors Dean Gordon and Patrick O’Keef, and visual effects supervisor Danny Dimian, the look of the different dimensions and cities add to the richness of the film as well as how Morales view the world around him as he’s coping with his powers and the idea of what had been instilled in Spider-Man.

Even as his father is someone who admits to not being fond of Spider-Man’s vigilante ideas as it would later play into some of the chaos that Morales would get himself involved in during its third act. The film’s climax is extravagant in its presentation as well as the stakes as it play into Morales coming to terms with who he is as well as be the hero that his family could be proud of. Overall, Persichetti, Ramsey, and Rothman create an enthralling and touching film about a young boy who takes on the mantle of Spider-Man.

Editor Robert Fisher Jr. does brilliant work with the editing in creating some rhythmic cuts that play into the humor and drama as well as some of the action and montages in the film. Sound editors Geoffrey G. Rubay and Curt Schulkey do amazing work with the sound in cultivating audio from cartoons and films relating to Spider-Man as well as sound effects that play into the action and adventure. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral bombast and hip-hop that play into the world that Morales lives in while music supervisor Kier Lehman provide a soundtrack that is largely driven by hip-hop from Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, Amine, Lil’ Wayne, DJ Khalil, Vince Staples, and many others as well as some playful Christmas music that the real Spider-Man had created.

The casting by Mary Hidalgo is great as it feature some notable small roles and voice appearances from Jorma Taccone as Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin, Lake Bell as the Kingpin’s late wife Vanessa, Marvin “Krondone” Jones III as the villainous Tombstone, Joaquin Cosio as the villain Scorpion, Zoe Kravitz as Mary Jane Watson, and Kathryn Hahn in a superb performance as Olivia “Liv” Octavius/Doctor Octopus as a mad scientist working for the Kingpin as she also hates Spider-Man. Lily Tomlin and Lauren Velez are fantastic in their respective roles as Aunt May Parker and Rio Morales with Tomlin being a mentor to the young Morales in his role as Spider-Man while Velez provides that maternal warmth as Morales’ mom who is concerned for her son’s growing pains. Chris Pine’s brief voice performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Morales’ universe is wonderful in displaying someone with confidence and care but also displaying all of the qualities to be Spider-Man while Stan Lee, in one of his final film roles, is a joy to watch as a vendor who provide some poignant words to Morales about what Spider-Man means to the world.

In the roles of some of the other Spider-Mans from other dimensions, Kimiko Glenn and John Mulvaney are excellent in their respective roles as Penni Parker/SP//dr and Peter Porker/Spider-Ham as different animated versions of the Spider-Man character with the former as a young girl with a machine-like android and the latter as a Looney Tunes-inspired pig who provide some silly gags. Mahershala Ali is brilliant as Morales’ uncle Aaron Davis as a man who encourages his nephew in expressing himself while also doing some mysterious things. Brian Tyree Henry is amazing as Morales’ father Jefferson Davis as a cop who isn’t fond of Spider-Man as he’s more concerned about his son’s education and potential as he has a great scene that play into the idea of loss and determination. Nicolas Cage is incredible as Spider-Man Noir as film noir-inspired version of the character who speaks in noir-based dialogue as well as provide some insight into the struggles that Morales is dealing with.

Jake Johnson is marvelous as Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man as a different version of the character from an alternate dimension who is down on his luck and is dealing with loss and failure as he tries to be a mentor to Morales in the hope he can find meaning as Spider-Man once again. Hailee Steinfeld is remarkable as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman as another Spider-Man from an alternate dimension who befriends Morales where she understands his growing pains while being aware of what is at stake when it comes to the Kingpin. Liev Schreiber is phenomenal as Wilson Fisk/the Kingpin as a crime boss who is trying to create a machine to reach into other dimensions to kill other versions of Spider-Man in the hopes he can rectify things he’s lost and end Spider-Man. Finally, there’s Shameik Moore in a sensational performance as Miles Morales as a teenage kid from Brooklyn who is struggling with his new school and later the new powers he is given where he copes with the role he has to play as well as try to become the best Spider-Man he can be.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a magnificent film from Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a riveting screenplay, a fun music soundtrack, and spectacular visuals that mixes all form of animation styles. It’s a film that isn’t just an adventurous animated film but it’s also a Spider-Man film that play into its themes while making it feel fresh and new. In the end, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an outstanding film from Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.

Spider-Man Films: Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 - The Amazing Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Spider-Man: Far from Home - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - (Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse)

© thevoid99 2018

Isle of Dogs

Directed by Wes Anderson and screenplay by Anderson from a story by Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Kunichi Nomura, Isle of Dogs is the story of a young boy in a futuristic, dystopian-Japan who travels to an island where dogs are living in exile due to an illness outbreak. The film is Anderson’s second stop-motion animated feature as it plays into a boy’s search for his dog where a group of dogs decide to help the boy as well as deal with being in exile because of a leader who hates dogs as the story is narrated by Courtney B. Vance. Featuring the voice cast of Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Koyu Rankin, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Ken Watanabe, Fisher Stevens, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, Frank Wood, and F. Murray Abraham. Isle of Dogs is a majestic and adventurous film from Wes Anderson.

Following a mandate to ban dogs from a Japanese by its mayor claiming that dogs are spreading diseases as they’re consumed by a mysterious illness, the film revolves around a young boy who travels to an island of trash to find his dog. It’s a film with a simple story as it explores conspiracy theories and paranoia from the perspective of humans while the dogs are dealing with hunger, an on-going flu, and the horrific environment they live in. Wes Anderson’s screenplay opens with a prologue of a legend about the arrival of dogs in Japan and how it lead to this conflict between man vs. dog until a boy came to the aid of dogs and would make them man’s best friend. It’s a story that would be replayed in this futuristic version of Japan where a mayor who hates dogs decides to create something to get the public to have dogs banned as it is told in four parts by an unseen narrator. Yet, the main narrative involves the mayor’s nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) wanting to retrieve his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) whom he got just after Atari had been injured in a train crash that killed his parents.

The need to retrieve Spots would have Atari land on this island filled with trash that was also the former site of a factory and amusement park where he would meet five dogs in Chief (Bryan Cranston), Boss (Bill Murray), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), and Duke (Jeff Goldblum) where four of the dogs would help Atari find Spots but Chief is reluctant as he’s a stray dog that hasn’t known any loyalty to a master as he’s known to bite. Yet, the dogs would deal with a rescue team that has robotic dogs to attack where Chief decides to help Atari as it would play into this development between dog and boy, respectively, as it would also lead to some revelations to the former while giving the latter a sense of hope. The film also has subplots as it relates to students wanting to go against the mayor led by American foreign exchange student Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig) who believes there’s a conspiracy happening involving the mayor and his cohorts where they are also attempting to shut down a scientist in Professor Watanabe (Akira Ito) from creating a cure for the dogs.

Anderson’s direction is definitely intoxicating for the way he uses Japanese art and its architecture to create a world that is futuristic in some ways but also harkens to the tradition of the past. With the help of animation director Mark Waring, Anderson creates a film that does play into his visual sensibilities in terms of his precise compositions, camera movements, and offbeat humor. Yet, he would also utilize broad visuals to play into this world as the island of trash is desolate but also wild with rumors of cannibalistic dogs who eat other dogs. There are also these elements where Anderson uses satire as it relates to the rule and rhetoric of Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) that has similarities to current events in the world in how dogs are being treated as they’re sent to this island of trash with more plans to get rid of them altogether. Especially as Kobayashi has a henchman in Major Domo (Akira Takayama) who is trying to create more chaos where a lot of the visuals play into elements of suspense and drama.

Anderson’s direction also has these tender moments as it relates to the developing relationship between Chief and Atari as it has bits of humor and drama with Chief carrying a secret of his own about his life as a stray dog when the subject of favorite foods emerge during a conversation with the other dogs. Many of the dialogue between the dogs are in English while the humans, with the exception of Tracy and a few translators, are in Japanese. It allows audience to see a world that is unique while unsettling at times as it plays into this growing tension for truth with the people in this Japanese city being told false things while Tracy is trying to reveal the truth with Atari making plans to return to the city with the dogs in the hope that the truth will come out. Overall, Anderson crafts a mesmerizing and exhilarating film about a boy who travels to an island of trash to find his dog.

Cinematographer Tristan Oliver does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way many of the backgrounds are lit as well as the presentation of some of the interior settings in day and night in terms of the lighting. Editors Andrew Weisblum, Ralph Foster, and Edward Busch do brilliant work with the editing as it has elements of jump cuts and other stylish cut to play into the action and suspense as well as some of the drama. Production designers Paul Harrod and Adam Stockhausen, with art director Curt Enderle, do incredible work with the look of the city in all of its grand detail as it is a major highlight of the film as well as how it would look in the day and night as is the island of trash with its decayed buildings and other places in the island.

Visual effects supervisors Lev Kolobov and Tim Ledbury do fantastic work with the visual effects as it is mainly bits of set dressing including scenes shown on a TV screen for the characters to watch as it help play into the stop-motion animated look. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects involving the drones and robotic dogs as well as in some of the locations the characters are in. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is amazing for its usage of Japanese percussion and string music to help play into the drama and suspense as it’s another major highlight of the film while music supervisor Randall Poster provides a soundtrack that include a few score pieces of films by Akira Kurosawa and a song by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band that play for some of the adventure scenes.

The casting by Douglas Aibel and Kunichi Nomura is incredible as it features some small yet notable voice roles from co-writer Nomura as Mayor Kobayashi in all of his grandiose persona as well as Yoko Ono as Professor Watanabe’s assistant, Ken Watanabe as a head surgeon who helped Atari following the train crash, Fisher Stevens as a dog named Scraps whom Spots meet as he would tell him about cannibal dogs, Kara Hayward as a female dog named Peppermint, Anjelica Huston as a mute dog, Frank Wood as translator machine, Yojiro Noda as a news anchor, Nijiro Murakami as a school newspaper editor, Akira Ito as Professor Watanabe as a scientist who wants to disprove Kobayashi’s claims while wanting to create a cure for the dogs, and Akira Takayama as Kobayashi’s right-hand man Major Domo who would help Kobayashi in creating the anti-dog propaganda.

Liev Schreiber is terrific as Atari’s dog Spots who had been assigned to look after Atari following a near-fatal train crash while Harvey Keitel is superb as Gondo as a dog who leads a group of his own. F. Murray Abraham and Tilda Swinton are fantastic in their respective roles as Jupiter and Oracle as the former is a dog that helps the other dogs in finding Spots by showing them the way while the latter is a dog that claims to see the future as he’s really more into TV. Frances McDormand is excellent as Interpreter Nelson who would reveal the things that Kobayashi is saying while Greta Gerwig is wonderful as Tracy Walker as an American foreign exchange student who helps lead a student revolt against Kobayashi. Scarlett Johansson is brilliant as Nutmeg as a show-dog that convinces Chief to help Atari as she sees Atari as someone that can find the goodness in Chief.

The quartet of Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, and Edward Norton in their respective roles as King, Duke, Boss, and Rex are brilliant as the four dogs who have been treated well by their masters as they’re willing to help Atari find Spots while dealing with Chief’s reluctance. Koyu Rankin is remarkable as Atari as Kobayashi’s nephew who is eager to find his dog as he endures injuries and heartache as he is determined to get his dog back while befriending the other dogs including Chief. Finally, there’s Bryan Cranston in a phenomenal performance as Chief as a stray dog who has endured being captured and in a lot of fights who is reluctant to help Atari due to his own mistrusts towards humans where he later finds a sense of trust as well as a role that is far more important than himself.

Isle of Dogs is a tremendous film from Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, top-notch stop-motion animation, amazing set designs, and a thrilling score by Alexandre Desplat. The film is an exciting yet compelling adventure film that takes a simple concept and inject some real-life allegories about the world as it all plays for a boy’s love for his dog. In the end, Isle of Dogs is a spectacular film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs)

© thevoid99 2018

Pawn Sacrifice

Directed by Edward Zwick and screenplay by Steven Knight from a story by Knight, Stephen J. Revele, and Christopher Wilkinson, Pawn Sacrifice is the story about the legendary 1972 chess match between the American chess champion Bobby Fischer against the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky at Reykjavik, Iceland. The film is a dramatic account of the match as well as a look into the early life of Bobby Fischer who was considered a prodigy as he’s played by Tobey Maguire with Liev Schreiber as Spassky. Also starring Lily Rabe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Robin Weigert, and Peter Sarsgaard. Pawn Sacrifice is a compelling and haunting film from Edward Zwick.

The film follows the life of American chess champion Bobby Fischer as he is to face the Soviet Union’s grandmaster Boris Spassky in a game to determine who the world’s best in the game of chess is. Steven Knight’s screenplay doesn’t just follow Fischer’s early life as a young boy obsessed with the game to the point that he would be the youngest grandmaster in American chess but also considered the most gifted player of his generation. Yet, Fischer’s obsession would also lead to his own mental deterioration as much of the film’s narrative takes place during the 1960s to the climatic 1972 world championship match against Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland. During the course of the film, Fischer would call in former chess champion in Father William Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard) to accompany him as his second and an attorney in Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) to handle his business dealings as well as Fischer’s demands.

While Fischer would play several of the Soviet’s top chess grandmasters, he wants to face Spassky as his attempt to confront him during the Soviets’ visit to Santa Monica falters due to his paranoia as would another attempt at match in Europe. Upon choosing Iceland, Fischer almost never shows up because of the press coverage and he becomes more unhinged during the first game due to the sounds of the camera and the sound of a crowd watching the game. The script showcases that sense of paranoia where Fischer’s older sister Joan (Lily Rabe) tells Marshall to have her brother be sent to a hospital for evaluation where he’s already gaining delusions of grandeur and claims that the Soviets and the Jews are after him which baffles Marshall who knows that Fischer is Jewish. The script does have some faults as it relates to its sense of time with the exception of the second half as it relates to the match in Iceland though there are some historical errors in which Marshall claims to represent Jimi Hendrix only two years before Hendrix had even released an album.

Edward Zwick’s direction does have bits of style in terms of the way he would present television coverage of the Fischer-Spassky match yet would maintain something very straightforward for the rest of the film. Shot mainly in Montreal for the scenes set in Brooklyn, New York and other parts of the city with the scenes of the Fischer-Spassky match shot on actual location in Reykjavik, Iceland and scenes shot in Los Angeles. Zwick would capture a period in time where so much is happening yet Fischer lives in a world that is simpler away from Vietnam, Flower Power, and popular music as he is also more concerned with playing chess in the park or at chess clubs with other chess players. Much of the direction has Zwick favor more intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots as it play into Fischer’s growing sense of paranoia while there are some wide shots of some of the locations.

The usage of TV footage of various interviews that Fischer gave during the height of his fame is sort of re-created to showcase the sense of enjoyment he has but also his growing disconnect with reality. Even in the climatic series of chess matches against Spassky where it’s got an intimacy in the direction and compositions as it play into Fischer’s own sense of paranoia and the need to get into Spassky’s head. Overall, Zwick crafts a compelling and fascinating film about the real-life chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky and the events that lead to this event.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does brilliant work with the cinematography in the look of the exteriors with its usage of low-key blue and green for the scenes in day and night as well as the usage of low-key colors for the interior scenes. Editor Steven Rosenblum does excellent work with the editing as it has some stylish montages into Fischer’s ascent into the world of chess as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the methodical approach of the chess players in their movements on the board. Production designer Isabelle Guay, with head set decorator Paul Hotte plus art directors Jean-Pierre Paquet and Robert Parle, does amazing work with the sets from the motel in Santa Monica where Fischer and his small entourage live in to the Brooklyn apartment that is his home as well as the house he would live in Reykjavik. Costume designer Renee April does fantastic work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward in contrast to the period that the characters are in as they mainly wear suits with the exception of Father Lombardy and some of the female characters in the film.

Visual effects supervisor Alan Munro does terrific work with the look of the old TV footage and how the actors are integrated into the old footage as well as some set-dressing for some of the locations. Sound designer Lon Bender does superb work with the sound as it play into the sense of paranoia in Fischer over the things he claims to hear as well as the atmosphere of some of the places that he plays at. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is wonderful as it is this low-key orchestral score that play into the drama as well as some of the suspense as it relates to Fischer’s paranoia while music supervisor Steven Rosenblum provide a soundtrack that play into the time period with contributions from the Spencer Davis Group, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Carl Perkins, the Ventures, Al Green, and the Doobie Brothers.

The casting by Andrea Kenyon, Victoria Thomas, and Randi Wells is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Evelyne Brochu as a young woman that Fischer meets and befriends at Santa Monica, Conrad Pla as Fischer’s chess teacher Carmine Nigro, Sophie Nelisse as the young Joan Fischer, Aiden Lovekamp as the young Fischer, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as the teenage Fischer, Brett Watson as the chief arbiter Lothar Schmid for the Fischer-Spassky match, and Robin Weigart as Fischer’s mother Regina who is estranged from her son due to her Socialist views as she wants to be there for him but finds herself continuously pushed away. Lily Rabe is fantastic as Fischer’s sister Joan as a woman who is concerned about her brother’s mental health as she is aware of the things he says where she knows he’s losing it. Michael Stuhlbarg is excellent as Paul Marshall as an attorney who would become Fischer’s agent in ensuring that Fischer gets paid and be given certain demands as he also deals with Fischer’s erratic behavior.

Peter Sarsgaard is brilliant as Father William Lombardy as a former chess champion turned priest who becomes Fischer’s second and closest ally who also watches what is happening to Fischer as he is aware of the mad obsession Fischer has for the game. Liev Schreiber is amazing as Boris Spassky as the Soviet grandmaster who is the epitome of cool as someone that is good at chess while knowing what Fischer is trying to do where he also succumbs to his own bit of paranoia. Finally, there’s Tobey Maguire in a phenomenal performance as Bobby Fischer as the famed chess prodigy who was considered the greatest chess player in the United States as he wants to defeat Spassky in the hope he can be the best while succumbing to his own paranoia and delusions that would lead to his mental deterioration where Maguire displays that anguish and despair in that man.

Pawn Sacrifice is a marvelous film from Edward Zwick that features a great performance from Tobey Maguire. Along with its supporting cast and a look into the events that lead to the legendary chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. It’s a film that showcases a man and his obsession to be the best that would eventually cost him his mind. In the end, Pawn Sacrifice is a remarkable film from Edward Zwick.

Edward Zwick Films: (About Last Night) – (Glory (1989 film)) – (Leaving Normal) – (Legends of the Fall) – (Courage Under Fire) – (The Siege) – (The Last Samurai) – (Blood Diamond) – (Defiance (2008 film)) – (Love & Other Drugs) – (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back)

© thevoid99 2017

Goon

Directed by Michael Dowse and written by Evan Goldberg and Jay Baruchel, Goon is the story of a somewhat dim-witted yet kind bouncer who becomes an enforcer for a minor league hockey team in Canada where he eventually faces off with one of the sport’s great legends. The film is a sports comedy that revolves around a man trying to deal with fame as well as other things as this enforcer for the game of hockey. Starring Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill, Jay Baruchel, Marc-Andre Grondin, Kim Coates, and Eugene Levy. Goon is a very funny yet off-the-wall sports comedy from Michael Dowse.

Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a bouncer who loves to watch hockey fights on TV as he just learned his idol Ross “The Boss” Rhea (Liev Schreiber) has just been suspended from the NHL for slashing his opponent in the back of the head. While Doug loves to watch hockey with his friend Pat (Jay Baruchel), who hosts a local show in Massachusetts, where they attend a local game. Doug gets himself in a fight with a player from another team who had said a homosexual slur that upset Doug as his older brother Ira (David Paetkau) is gay. The fight gets a lot of attention where Doug gets to be part of the local Assassins hockey team where he becomes a local sensation.

After the team’s coach decides to send Doug to Halifax to be part of a minor league Canadian team in the Highlanders, Doug moves to Canada where he stays at the apartment of the once promising player Xavier LaFlamme (Marc-Andre Grondin) who is afraid of being hit after getting a concussion from Rhea years ago in the NHL. Hired to protect LaFlamme, Doug becomes “The Thug” where he becomes a favorite in Halifax where he is praised by most of his teammates, Pat, and Ira though Doug’s parents (Eugene Levy and Ellen David) are unsure by Doug’s new job. Doug also falls for a young woman named Eva (Alison Pill) who also loves hockey but their relationship is complicated by the fact that she has a boyfriend.

After becoming the assistant-captain for the team and the prospect of going to the playoffs, things become difficult for Doug when he LaFlamme receives another concussion in which Doug retaliated by beating up an opposing player that has him being suspended for a game. With the team set to play St. John’s Shamrocks, Doug finally meets Ross Rhea at a bar as Rhea is set to retire as a Shamrocks player as the meeting proves to be a big moment for Doug. After that meeting, Doug realizes what kind of player he must be as he later faces Rhea in a crucial game for their teams in a spot for the playoffs.

The film is essentially the story of a hockey-loving bouncer who becomes a minor league hockey player through his fighting skills where he becomes a star in the Canadian minor leagues. Yet, he later has to face his idol in a climatic game where he ponders if he should just be a goon for the rest of his career or something more. The film is based on a true story about a legendary minor league hockey player named Doug Smith who had a reputation for being a goon that likes to fight other players during games. Yet, it is about how a young man tries to find his place in the world where he doesn’t know where to fit in as he later finds his gift while meeting the man who had a great reputation for being a goon.

The screenplay that Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg creates doesn’t just explore the fanaticism of hockey but also the joy of the hockey fight. Yet, the Doug Glatt character is a well-meaning who just wants to do good things and fight for his team. Still, he is aware that he’s not a strong skater nor skilled in the game of hockey but his devotion for his team does manage to get him a lot of respect including his roommate who was once a promising player that is going through a slump of his own. In Doug’s idol Ross “The Boss” Rhea, here’s a man that has been through enough moments of the game where he has already accepted the fact that he’s a goon and sees Doug as the last man he has to face to see if he’s worthy to pass the torch to.

Michael Dowse’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of its visual presentation yet it is still engaging enough for the way it explores the fanaticism of hockey. Still, there’s an element of style to the film in the way the graphic violence of the fights are exaggerated to be not just funny but also gross. Shot largely in location in Manitoba, the film explores the world of Canadian hockey where the people are die-hard loyal fans while if they’re playing the province of Quebec. Those who leave that province for another team get the worst kind of insults in French. Dowse’s direction definitely has some unique shots and the way he presents things such as the climatic showdown between Doug and Rhea. Overall, Dowse creates a very funny and engaging comedy about the world of hockey and fans’ love for the fights.

Cinematographer Bobby Shore does wonderful work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish lighting schemes of the film‘s nighttime exterior scenes to the more vibrant look of the scenes inside the hockey arenas. Editor Reginald Harkema does excellent work with the editing from the stylish, fast-cutting some of the film’s intense action scenes along with some more methodical cuts for some of its funny moments. Production designer Gordon Wilding, along with art director Scott Rossell and set decorators Robb Paraskevopoulos and Andrea Spakowski, does nice work with the set pieces from the look of the bars to the look of the Highlanders locker room.

Costume designer Heather Neale does good work with the costumes as a lot of it is very casual for many of the younger characters. Visual effects supervisor Darren Wall does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the images of blood flying across the arena in some of the exaggerated violent scenes. Sound designers Pierre-Jules Audet and Jean-Francois Suave do superb work with the sound to capture the chaos of the arena along with some sound effects for some of the film‘s graphic fight scenes. The film’s music by Ramachandra Borcar is quite good though not very memorable as it‘s mostly low-key with its playful piano music. Music supervisor Evan Dubinsky does create a fun soundtrack that features music from Rush, the Allman Brothers Band, Lee Brooks, Ron Braunstein, Sheriff, Bruce Cockburn, and several others from the world of indie and hip-hop.

The casting by Lucille Robitaille is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable appearances from Nicholas Campbell as the very funny Highlanders broadcaster, Ellen David and Eugene Levy as Doug’s very conservative though well-meaning parents, David Paetkau as Doug’s older gay brother Ira, Ricky Mabe, George Tchortov, and Richard Clarkin as Doug’s teammates, and Jonathan Cherry as the team captain Marco Belchior. Kim Coates is great as the Highlanders coach Ronnie Hortense who always spouts out insults and such either to his team or to whoever they’re facing. Marc-Andre Grondin is terrific as the skilled but troubled player Xavier LaFlamme who feels resentful over Doug’s arrival forcing him to finally deal with his own fears.

Alison Pill is wonderful as the hockey-loving Eva whose one-night fling with Doug becomes a relationship as she’s very conflicted for who she is and the fact that she has a boyfriend who is very nice. Jay Baruchel is excellent as the wild hockey fan Pat who helps Doug into becoming the great goon while saying all sorts of vile things on his show. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as the veteran goon Ross “The Boss” Rhea who deals with his own persona as well as the fact that there’s a new goon in the league who is going to take his spot. Finally, there’s Seann William Scott in a marvelous performance as Doug “The Thug” Glatt as he is just a man that is very kind but also a dim-wit as he tries to do what is right for the team and be their friend while becoming aware of his flaws as Scott definitely shows his range as an actor.

Goon is a remarkable and entertaining film from Michael Dowse. Featuring a terrific ensemble cast that includes Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill, Jay Baruchel, and Kim Coates. It’s a film that definitely lives up to some of the great sport comedies as well as showing the craziness of the world of Canadian hockey. In the end, Goon is an enjoyable sports comedy from Michael Dowse.

© thevoid99 2013

Walking and Talking

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/5/03 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Walking and Talking is the story of two female friends whose lives are changed by the engagement of another. With one dealing with a sick cat as well as her lackluster love life, the other deals with the transition of becoming a married woman. The film explores the world of female relationships and the men that surrounds them in this witty yet engrossing film. Starring Catherine Keener, Anne Heche, Todd Field, Kevin Corrigan, Randall Batinkoff, and Liev Schrieber. Walking and Talking is a superbly funny film from Nicole Holofcener.

Since being friends since childhood, Amelia (Catherine Keener) and Laura (Anne Heche) are in their 30s as their lives are set to change. Amelia is dealing with the illness of her cat Big Jeans while Laura is a doctor who is dealing with a disturbed patient (Vincent Pastore) who claims to see the devil. Amelia's ex-boyfriend Andrew (Liev Schrieber) reveals that he's been talking to a woman from California as Amelia befriends a video store clerk named Bill (Kevin Corrigan). After convincing her therapist (Joseph Siravo) that she no longer needs therapy, Amelia's life is rocked when Laura announced she's engaged to her longtime boyfriend Frank (Todd Fields). Amelia is in shock as her date with Bill doesn't go well while she turns to Andrew for help to deal with the news.

Laura meanwhile, ponders about what is ahead for marriage as she finds herself going to play with an actor named Peter (Randall Batinkoff) whom she met earlier at a restaurant he worked at. Depressed over the news of her cat's illness and the news of Laura's engagement, Amelia goes on another date with Bill as the night ends in disaster when Bill hears Laura on the answering machine supposedly talking about him. Amelia wonders what happened as she hangs out with Frank at his apartment while Laura sees Peter in his play. After hanging out with Andrew and his parents for a meal, Amelia learns that the woman Andrew has been talking to was a phone sex client. Things worsen when Amelia confronts Bill about what happened that night as she was shocked to learn about Laura's phone message.

Going to a weekend getaway at a lake house, Amelia joins Frank and Laura to the house where Frank wants to have the wedding. Yet, Laura is bothered by the mole on Frank's shoulder thinking its malignant as Frank leaves where the two women are bothered by some obscene phone calls. With Andrew helping out, they all return to New York City as Amelia becomes depressed over some events as Laura has second thoughts about the upcoming wedding. The two longtime friends start to bicker over their own decisions as each wonder about their own role as women and the men in their lives.

What makes Walking and Talking an enjoyable, light-hearted comedy-drama is that Nicole Holofcener balances the boundaries between comedy and drama throughout the film though at times, there's a few predictable moments. Holofcener deserves total credit for bringing in hilarious scenes as well as powerful, emotional drama as the actors play real people instead of the exaggeration Hollywood films will tend to do for some actors. Holofcener even brings a glowing look to her film with cinematographer Michael Spiller, who captures the nice, summer look of trees and the streets that is so New York City, it couldn't be imitated by another city. Another great noted factor about the film is the music ranging Yo La Tengo, Liz Phair, Joan Osborne, Joe Henry, some obscure acts like Sea and Cake and Catherine, and Billy Bragg, who does most of the music and the film's score that just jangles on through the entire film.

Catherine Keener, alone, is the film's best performance as she plays a desperate woman trying to find her niche in the world of relationships as she ponders her own misery without being overly melodramatic and being funny when the time is right. Anne Heche is excellent as Laura, who plays this confused woman who is about to get married but is wondering if she still exists in the singles life as Heche brings a nice charm to the character.

Todd Field is wonderful as the more laid-back Frank who plays the kind of guy who is cool to his girlfriend's best friend while he delivers a few hilarious lines, notably the "vagina music" line. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as the compassionate, porn-loving Andrew who brings out the film's more hilarious moments while he even displays his dramatic touches in a later scene with Andrew's parents. Kevin Corrigan is funny as the monster-loving Bill, who loves to talk about horror films and videos while he gets extra cool points for a wearing a My Bloody Valentine t-shirt (the band, not the movie). Also worth noting is Vincent Pastore who is hilarious as the devil-seeing patient and watch out for Allison Janney as one of Amelia's neighbors.

Walking and Talking is a fun, heartwarming comedy-drama from Nicole Holofcener with an excellent story, superb soundtrack, and an amazing cast led by Catherine Keener. It's a film that is very engaging in exploring the anxiety of women in their 30s as they deal with changes in their life. It's also a film that strays from convention of usual female-driven films as it allows the women to be very real as well as flawed in their decisions about life. In the end, Walking and Talking is an extraordinary film from Nicole Holofcener.

Nicole Holofcener Films: Lovely & Amazing - Friends with Money - Please Give - Enough Said - The Auteurs #22: Nicole Holofcener

© thevoid99 2012

Taking Woodstock

Based on the memoir Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte, Taking Woodstock tells the story of how the famous 1969 music festival in Bethel, New York came to life with the help of a young man who brought the festival to his town. Directed by Ang Lee with an adapted script by longtime collaborator James Schamus, the film is an exploration on Tiber’s young life as he tries to save his parents’ motel by getting more than half a million people to attend the festival. Starring Demetri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Liev Schreiber, Jonathan Groff, and Eugene Levy with appearances from Paul Dano, Dan Fogler, Kelli Garner, Mamie Gummer, and Emile Hirsch. Taking Woodstock is a good though underwhelming film from Ang Lee.

Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) is an aspiring interior designer/artist who returns home to the El Monaco Motel in his town of Bethel, New York as it’s in danger of foreclosure. With his parents Jake (Henry Goodman) and Sonia (Imelda Staunton) short on cash, Elliot decides to help them as he hopes to organize another small music festival to raise money. With the realization that he needs to raise the money by the end of the summer, he seeks help from a local drama troupe to help them as he hears the news about a concert festival that is looking for a location. Elliot, who is also the local chamber of commerce, offers a permit to the concert organizers where he meets Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) who brings his team to scout the location. Finally finding the place on the farm of Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy), Yasgur makes them a deal to hold the concert on his land.

With Elliot having some money that could help his family, he faces some trouble with the locals and health inspectors looking over the hotel as a transvestite named Velma (Liev Schreiber) offers to help as security. With Elliot realizing that more than a 100,000 people will show up and a press conference where he gets high becomes a disaster. He gets into really big trouble with the organizers as people come in thinking it’s a free concert as a lot more people come in. With his parents working to deal with the people, Elliot meets a carpenter named Paul (Darren Pettie) whom he falls for though he wonders what his dad will think about his homosexuality.

With the Woodstock concert finally happening, Elliot tries to see the show as he encounters a couple of hippies (Paul Dano and Kellie Garner) while hanging out with his old friend Billy (Emile Hirsch), a former Vietnam vet. Elliot also tries to deal with his mother’s strict attitude while his father seems to enjoy having the young hippies around. With all of the things happening around him, Elliot ponders his life and the family he loves while trying to catch a glimpse of the show at Woodstock itself.

The film is about how the famed Woodstock festival in August of 1969 was organized and how it found its location near a motel run by a Jewish couple and their gay son where the woman is a Russian refugee. Yet, it’s an interesting story for some aspects of the film as it’s told from the perspective of a young man who is essentially trying to save the motel his parents had been working hard for. Once that motivation for Elliot to save his motel happens through getting Woodstock to come to his town, the film’s mood starts to change a bit from a comedy to a character study that doesn’t really work very well.

The third act has Elliot trying to go to the concert but the real disappointment isn’t that the film doesn’t get to show the concert as it’s happening. Instead, there’s an acid trip and a mud slide where it kind of meanders a bit. Then there’s the character of Elliot Tiber where as a protagonist, he isn’t very interesting despite his development and character struggle with his homosexuality. While there’s a bit of reference to the Stonewall riots, the homosexuality parts of the film doesn’t really fit in with the narrative. While screenwriter James Schamus does some fine work in creating some interesting supporting characters and the organization of the festival. He didn’t do enough to create a very engaging third act where isn’t sure what to do.

Ang Lee’s direction is very stylish in its presentation as the opening credits scene features a lot of split screens and multiple shots of events happening at the same time. Lee does a lot to create some light-hearted moments that includes some funny scenes of Elliot’s parents fighting some anti-Semitic kids or some mob guys or stuff where people decide to get naked. There is a looseness to the direction that makes it very engaging for most of the film. By the time it comes to the third act, there’s still a few funny moments but it starts to drag a bit once Elliot encounters various people where it includes a very silly acid trip with weird visual effects that looks very silly. While Lee does create some wonderful compositions and intimate camera work throughout the film, he creates a film that is pretty decent but loses its excitement in the third act.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does some wonderful work with the film‘s colorful cinematography in capturing the gorgeous landscape of upstate New York. Gautier’s photography has a lushness to many of the daytime exteriors while creating a more intimate look for some of the interior scenes in the film along with the nighttime exterior shots. Longtime Lee collaborator Tim Squyres does some fantastic work with the editing by creating a lot of stylized cuts to re-create some of the shots and multiple split-screens that is really an ode to the original Woodstock movie.

Production designer David Gropman, along with set decorator Ellen Christiansen and art director Peter Rogness, does some fine work with the look of the motel that Elliot lives in along with the farm and places that he frequents to. Costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi does some excellent work with the costumes from the straight-laced clothes that Elliot wears to the more lavish clothes many of the hippies wear. Visual effects supervisor Brendan Taylor does some OK work with the visual effects for the acid trip scene where some of the animation is inspired but it doesn‘t fit in with the tone of the film and makes the scene to be very silly. Sound editors Eugene Gearty and Phillip Stockton do some good work with the sound to capture the quietness of the town to the chaos and blaring music once the concert starts to happen.

The film’s score by Danny Elfman is a very folk-driven score to play to the setting that is 1969 with brimming acoustic guitars as it’s mostly set in sparse places. While Elfman’s score is very good, the rest of the music is surrounded by cuts from the music of the time such as Richie Havens, the Band, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Janis Joplin, Arlo Guthrie, Blind Faith, the Doors, the Seeds, Love, Ravi Shankar, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead plus a song from Judy Garland to complement the taste of the gays. The overall soundtrack is a real highlight of the film since it brings a bit of nostalgia as well as a primer for new listeners to the music of the times.

The casting by Avy Kaufman is pretty good for the large ensemble that is created that includes memorable appearances from Skylar Astin as Woodstock organizer John P. Roberts, Richard Thomas as Reverend Don, Darren Pettie as the construction worker Elliot falls for, Adam LeFerve as a local who despises Elliot for bringing hippies to the town, Mamie Gummer as Lang’s assistant Tisch, and Dan Fogler in a tolerable performance as the theater troupe leader. Other notable appearances include Paul Dano and Kelli Garner as a couple of hippies who take Elliot on an acid trip along with Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Billy’s older brother and Emile Hirsch in a comical though overdone performance as the Vietnam Vet Billy.

Eugene Levy is very good in a very laid-back performance as the farmer Max Yasgur who offers his land to the Woodstock organizers while wowing them with his chocolate milk. Liev Schreiber is excellent as the drag-queen Velma who is very tough and cool while being the one person who helps loosen up Elliot’s parents. Jonathan Groff as Michael Lang is one of the film’s most uninspiring moments as he ends up looking very goofy while not really giving the Lang character anything to do except say “hey man” and “groovy” with just a straight face.

Henry Goodman and Imelda Staunton are great as Elliot’s parents as they bring a lot of humor to their characters. Goodman as the more laid-back father who finds an ally in Velma as they fight off anti-Semitic youths as he also sports some subtle humor to his character. Staunton is even funnier as the Russian immigrant mother who often spouts stories of how she walked from Russia to America with cold potatoes while being the more strict as it’s a remarkable role for the British actress. Demetri Martin is OK as Elliot Tiber as he tries to make the character he plays interesting but is unable to do since he‘s practically a comedy actor. The problem is that Martin isn’t very engaging in his performance as he mostly stares at his surroundings while doesn’t really he seems unsure what to do in some of the performance as it’s a pretty uninspiring performance.

Taking Woodstock is a film that has a lot of good moments but loses steam in the third act that includes a very dull lead performance by Demetri Martin and the lack of footage from the famed Woodstock concert. Audiences who are interested in the history of the famed music festival will find this to be insightful over how it got organized though the actual Woodstock movie is a much better introduction about the festival. For its director Ang Lee, the film is pretty much one of his weaker efforts as he creates something that is very loose and lively though is unable to keep things interesting in the third act. In the end, Taking Woodstock is a fine film from Ang Lee despite some underwhelming moments.

Ang Lee Films: Pushing Hands - The Wedding Banquet - Eat Drink Man Woman - Sense & Sensibility (1995 film) - The Ice Storm - Ride with the Devil - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - The Hire: Chosen - Hulk - Brokeback Mountain - Lust, Caution - Life of Pi - Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk - The Auteurs #19: Ang Lee

© thevoid99 2011

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

When the X-Men comics finally became a feature film in 2000.  The film was a hit as it introduced the film world to Hugh Jackman as one of the group’s popular heroes in Wolverine.  X2:  X-Men United followed in 2003 to great success as did X-Men 3:  The Last Stand in 2006.  Though the last film was under the helm of a different director in Brett Ratner and received mixed reviews.  The film was still a commercial hit as plans for spin-offs in relation to the characters were in the works.  With Jackman’s popularity as Wolverine still viable, 20th Century Fox decided to tackle an origin story for the first of a series X-Men spin-off films entitled X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.

Directed by Gavin Hood with a screenplay by David Benioff and Skip Woods, X-Men Origins:  Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine and his background that spans from the 19th Century to the present where he’s accompanied by his older half-brother Victor Creed aka Sabretooth.  When Wolverine leaves a special unit group that was headed by William Stryker that also included Victor, he settles for a quiet life until tragedy occurs where he would become the monster with metallic blades that was also invulnerable.  With Jackman playing the role of Logan/Wolverine, the film also stars Liev Schrieber, Danny Huston, will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Dominic Monaghan, and Ryan Reynolds.  X-Men Origins:  Wolverine is a film that ends up being a lazy, overblown film that adds nothing to the X-Men film franchise.

In the near-mid 1800s, a young boy named James Hewlett (Troye Sivan) is sick as he has a mutation where he can grow claws from his fists.  After an incident that involved the death of his real father, James and his older half-brother Victor Creed (Michael James Olsen) runs away where they would spend nearly an entire century as adults fighting numerous wars.  By the time they reach the Vietnam War, Victor Creed (Liev Schrieber) has become more volatile while James, renames himself as Logan is more compassionate.  After some troubles with the military, they meet Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) who invites them to join an elite team of mutants.

Years go by as Logan becomes tired of the team he’s a part of that also consist of Creed, talkative swordsman Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), teleported John Wraith (will.i.am), marksman Agent Zero (Daniel Henney), the invincible Fred J. Dukes/the Blob (Kevin Durand), and the techno path Chris Bradley (Dominic Monaghan).  After a mission in Africa, Logan leaves the team where he would reshape his life years later in Canada as a lumberjack.  At the same time, he has a girlfriend named Kayla (Lynn Collins) where he seemed to have peace until Stryker makes a visit.  Stryker reveals a plot to kill members of their old team as he makes a warning to Logan.  Some time later, Creed appears to battle Logan as the conflict leaves some tragic consequences for Logan as he turns to Stryker for help.

Stryker decides to inject adamantium, a new form of metal into Logan’s body as Logan asked to be renamed as Wolverine.  The experiment becomes successful but after overhearing Stryker’s plans to wipe Logan’s memory, Logan escapes and hides.  Logan then had to battle adversaries including Agent Zero as he turns to Wraith and Dukes for help about what Creed and Stryker are up to.  After meeting Remy LeBeau/Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) in New Orleans to find the whereabouts of Stryker’s new laboratory, Creed comes into attack where Gambit decides to help Logan.  Upon his arrival into the island, Logan finds a shocking surprise as well as the new weapon Stryker created known as Weapon XI/Deadpool.

When the idea for an origin story about one of X-Men’s most popular characters would be made into a film.  The idea seems something fans would enjoy.  All there was needed to be told about Logan/Wolverine is his background, his relationship with half-brother Victor Creed, and how he had adamantium into his body.  They got all of that but the problem is that the execution was awful. While co-screenwriter David Benioff added a lot of dramatic elements to the story, he and co-scribe Skip Woods didn’t dwell enough into Logan’s background as well as the complexity of his character.  Instead, Wolverine is made into a one-dimensional character who only has two main emotions.  Sad and angry with a bit of sensitivity and warmth.  While audiences know that Wolverine is also a character with a sense of humor.  None of the humor works with the approach the writers have for the character.

It’s not just Wolverine that is badly written.  It’s the people involved with Wolverine that don’t get much meat into their roles.  Notably Kayla, who only appears for about 20 minutes of the film early on and then, disappears for nearly the rest of the film.  The audience have no idea of how they met or when did this meeting occur.  At the same time, she ends up being just a run-of-the-mill love interest that audiences don’t really care about.  Then there’s Victor Creed and William Stryker.  The complex relationship between Creed and Wolverine is told exactly what is to be needed but the problem is that its approach is messy while their last moment together doesn’t work.  Even as it would set up the events of the first film where Creed would be known as Sabretooth.

Stryker meanwhile, isn’t as engaging in comparison to the other incarnation in X2.  Audiences know who he is and what he would do to Wolverine.  Even as there’s tidbits to his own son, whose character would have a bigger role for X2.  Yet, that isn’t explored enough in the writing as Benioff and Woods are more concerned with wanting to get the action going.  Notably for the setup and anticipation for the big villain known as Deadpool.  Unfortunately, that setup and the moment he arrives ends up being one of the film’s major disappointments.

The action-drama approach of the screenplay is very awful.  When it comes to some dramatic moments or character-related plot points, it drags the entire film in some places while there’s scenes where it moves too quickly so it can go to an action sequence.  The set-up for the action ends up being cartoonish and over-the-top in the writing where there’s moments where no one really knows what is going on at times.  Another problem of the story is when did all of this happen?  Audiences do get introduced to the future Scott Summers/Cyclops as well as Emma Frost, both of whom would become students in Charles Xavier’s school for mutants.  There’s no sense of time frame that goes on where there’s modern technology that is available in present time yet how would it relate to the other films when that was set in the early 2000s?  That’s a major reason why the screenplay is a failure in its presentation.

Yet, none of that could be compared to Gavin Hood’s direction.  While there’s nothing wrong with a by-the-books approach to directing an action film.  What Hood failed to do was make it interesting, engaging, and entertaining.  Instead, he goes for a bigger is better mentality and a move into the action in such a fast way that he could rival hacks like Michael Bay and McG in that department of overblown filmmaking.  Unlike Bay and McG, Hood does have more experience in directing drama.  Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn’t allow him to work with strong material.  Even the action sequences, filled with CGI and settings that don’t look real.  Hood was really unable to create a film that could get people excited.

Even in the way the scenes are directed where a shot of Logan screaming at the sky is presented in such a clumsy, cheesy fashion.  For many of the film’s exterior scenes, the look of the film feels very unrealistic.  Whether it’s due to Donald McAlpine’s cinematography or whatever post-production work was done to the locations.  It feels and looks like it was made by a computer.  It’s not just McAlpine’s photography nor the editing isn’t just uninspiring.  A lot of the film’s technical work doesn’t seem to wow or serve anything.  The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is very mediocre and reminiscent of every action film score out there with bombastic orchestral arrangements and such.

The casting isn’t great either as many of the actors weren’t given any substantial material to work with.  While there’s cameos from Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier along with future X-Men characters in Tim Pocock as Scott Summers/Cyclops and Tahyna Tozzi as Emma Frost.  None of them really give any kind of performance that is worth noting.  Neither do Troye Sivan and Michael James Olsen in their younger versions of Logan and Victor, respectively as audiences don’t get enough time to get to know them.  Other smaller performances such as Kevin Durand as the Blob and Daniel Henney as Agent Zero weren’t interesting enough to be invested in as they’re just one-dimensional characters.

More well-known actors like Dominic Monaghan and Ryan Reynolds are practically wasted in their respective performances as Chris Bradley and Wade Wilson.  Notably Reynolds, who is a funny actor as he’s only in the film for about a few minutes and then, reappears towards the end as close-ups of Deadpool that kills whatever momentum the film has.  Taylor Kitsch is truly awful as Gambit, a character that is very obnoxious as Kitsch sports a bad New Orleans accent.  will.i.am is really the worst performance of the film as he’s just there to appear and be Wolverine’s sidekick.  He doesn’t even act as he tries to look cool with a cowboy hat.  His role is really more of a distraction as he’s really known as the talent-less hack who is in the Black Eyed Peas.  Lynn Collins doesn’t do anything in terms of performance by rather just look sexy, comfort Logan, and get scared.  There’s really no depth to her character while she and Hugh Jackman have no chemistry for the audience to be invested in.

Danny Huston is actually the film’s best performance but that isn’t saying much since he spends half of the film sleepwalking throughout the majority of the film.  In the role of William Stryker, Huston doesn’t really give anything to make Stryker charismatic nor engaging in the way Brian Cox was with the character in X2:  X-Men United.  Instead, Huston’s performance is such a waste that the audience will end up missing Brian Cox.  Liev Schreiber tries to put some life into his performance as Victor Creed/Sabretooth but ends up being cartoonish.  Even when he tries to be the mean monster as Schreiber really was given a character that is really just one-dimensional.

Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in the title role.  Jackman is always fun to watch as Wolverine and does have the chops to do drama and be funny.  The problem is that his character becomes less complex and more cartoonish with two emotions.  Angry and weepy.  The funny one-liners he gets aren’t funny, the action sequences has him looking quite awkward and he fails in the dramatic department.  It’s as if he’s acting with no one throughout the film while being inside a CGI studio.  It’s a terrible performance for Jackman who has done better with this character, a character that audiences loved in previous films.

X-Men Origins:  Wolverine is, truly without a doubt, one of the worst films ever made.  While fingers can be pointed at star and producer Hugh Jackman, director Gavin Hood, and screenwriters David Benioff and Skip Woods.  The real culprits are the executives at 20th Century Fox for their interference with the film.  Even with the additional endings they added when a leaked work print version of the film was released a month prior to the film’s actual release.  For doing that, this is a film that should be seen as an example where a studio can go way too far into trying to make a money-grabbing film only to anger the core audience it tried to appeal to.  In the end, X-Men Origins:  Wolverine is an abomination from Fox as they have destroyed one of the most beloved characters in the world of comic books.

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men 3: The Last Stand - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

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