Based on the novel by Joy Nicholson, The Tribes of Palo Verdes is the story of a family who move to Los Angeles in the Palos Verdes suburbs as they adjust to their new living as a teenage girl copes with the changes in her family as she finds solace through surfing. Directed by Emmett and Brendan Malloy and screenplay by Karen Croner, the film is a coming-of-age drama that explore a young girl and her twin brother deal with their surroundings while their parents’ marriage is falling apart. Starring Jennifer Garner, Maika Monroe, Justin Kirk, Elisabeth Rohm, Goran Visnjic, Joely Fisher, and Alicia Silverstone. The Tribes of Palos Verdes is a compelling and somber film from Emmett and Brendan Malloy.
The film follows a family from Michigan who move to the affluent suburbs of Palos Verdes in California as the new environment would end up bringing trouble to the family where a teenage girl discovers the solace that is surfing. It’s a film that explores a new world for this family in the hopes they can do something new but cracks would start to emerge with a couple’s marriage crumbles with its twin teenage children watching as they each react to this split in different ways. Karen Croner’s screenplay is largely told by Medina Mason (Maika Monroe) in a somewhat reflective voice-over narrative as she talks about how her family moved because her father Phil (Justin Kirk) got a new job in California and how the move ended up destroying the family when Phil begins an affair with another woman and falls for her to the ire of his wife Sandy (Jennifer Garner) and Medina’s twin brother Jim (Cody Fern). Phil’s new life and demands at work would cause Sandy to have a breakdown while Jim becomes interested in drugs leaving Medina to make sense of everything where surfing has become an escape as she hopes to help her brother who starts to feel neglected by their father and enabled by their mother.
The direction of Emmett and Brendan Malloy does have elements of style with its recurring images of water and ocean waves as this air of tranquility that Medina craves for. Shot on location in and around Palos Verdes in California, the location is a character itself as is the home of the Mason family that has a nice backyard view of the coastal area that includes a beach where surfers surf big waves. The Malloys’ usage of wide shots definitely add to the look and tone of the film as well as capture this air of blandness that Medina describes where all of the homes have their grass cut at a certain length, their roofs featuring a specific tile, and all sorts of things. Everyone hangs out at a country club or at a party as the Malloys’ usage of medium shots and close-ups play into the intimacy of the film as well as Sandy’s trouble to adjust and try to fit in. The Malloys would also amp up the drama as it play into Phil’s new life that includes his girlfriend’s son Adrian (Noah Silver) who shares Medina’s concerns leading to a relationship between the two just as Medina’s family life starts to become undone leading her to make a stand to help them. Overall, the Malloys create a captivating and engaging film about a young woman dealing with the unraveling of her family in their new environment.
Cinematographer Giles Dunning does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to capture the sunny look of the daytime exteriors with some stylish lighting for some of the interior scenes at night. Editors Tracy Adams and Luis Carballar do terrific work with the editing as it feature bits of jump-cuts and slow-motion cuts for some scenes involving the waves as much of it is straightforward. Production designer Stephanie Hamilton Haas, with set decorator Devynne Lauchner and art director Jessica Shorten, is brilliant for the look of the home the Masons live in and the work that Sandy would do later in the film to cope with her emotions as well as the look of the house that Phil would live in. Costume designer Anette Cseri does nice work with the costumes as it has this mixture of posh-like clothing some of the residents of Palos Verdes wear to the more ragged look of the surfers.
The visual effects work of Fernando Torres Idrovo is fantastic for one key scene in the film as it relates to wildfires that would be a key moment for the film’s third act. Sound editor David Barber does superb work with the sound in capturing the sound of waves from afar as well as scenes involving parties and loud music along with some of the quieter moments in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is amazing for its ambient-folk based score that play into the drama and the tranquility of the sea as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisor Season Kent creates a music soundtrack that features an array of indie and mainstream music from the likes of Jack Johnson, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti with Dam-Funk, Tomorrow Tulips, King Krule, Branden Miller, Bahamas, and Cherry Glazerr.
The casting by Rich Delia is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Elisabeth Rohm and Joely Fisher as a couple of Palos Verdes residents who alienate Sandy, Alex Knost as a famous surfer that Medina would make out with for a bit in a moment of confusion, Goran Visijnic as a man named Joe that Sandy meets in the second act as she invites him for dinner in an attempt to start a new relationship, Stevie Lynn Jones as Jim’s new girlfriend Heather, Alicia Silverstone as Phil’s new girlfriend in the real estate mogul Ava, and Noah Silver as Ava’s son Adrian who befriends Medina as they both share their disdain over their parents’ relationship as well as how it affects both of them. Justin Kirk is superb as Phil Mason as a doctor who leaves his wife for a new life as he tries to reconnect with his children only to not understand the damage he’s created.
Cody Fern is excellent as Medina’s twin brother Jim as a young man who at first fits in with the people of Palos Verdes but his father’s actions and growing alienation has him depending on prescription and illegal drugs to cope with the pain as he descends into a downward spiral. Jennifer Garner is amazing as Sandy Mason as a woman who has a hard time fitting in with her new environment as she unravels following news of Phil’s affair with Ava as she goes into denial over the severity of what is happening around her including her son’s drug use which she would unfortunately enable. Finally, there’s Maika Monroe in an incredible performance as Medina Mason as a young woman in her late teens coping with her family unraveling while discovering the world of surfing as she finds it as an escape but also a thing that allows her to belong where Monroe display a woman who is more than aware of what is happening but also find ways to keep herself sane with her family unraveling.
The Tribes of Palos Verdes is a marvelous film that features a great leading performance from Maika Monroe. Along with some strong supporting work from Cody Fern and Jennifer Garner as well as its evocative music score and soundtrack and gorgeous imagery. It’s a coming-of-age family drama that explore a family in a new environment and how the family unit cope with their world that lead to their disintegration. In the end, The Tribe of Palos Verdes is a remarkable film from Brendan and Emmett Malloy.
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, It Follows is the story of a young woman who encounters a supernatural being following a sexual encounter with another man. The film plays into the idea of sex being something dangerous as that concept is being reinvented for a new world of horror. Starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe. It Follows is a chilling yet gripping film from David Robert Mitchell.
What happens when a young woman is passed on a mysterious sexually transmitted disease as she is stalked around dead people? That is pretty much the premise of the film which plays into not just some of the dangers of promiscuous sex. It’s also a film where sex is the basis for everything that is wrong yet writer/director David Robert Mitchell doesn’t go for anything heavy-handed about the wrongs of promiscuous sex. Instead, he takes on this idea and puts into a setting where a young woman is being stalked by the dead as they’re often seen following her where some of them are in the nude or just naked as they want to fuck that person to death. The film begins with a young woman running around in her underwear and heels in the morning as she is being chased as it plays to exactly the dangers of what is ahead.
Mitchell’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way he plays into a world where things seem normal in some aspects but one that is uneasy as it plays into a sense of innocence loss. It begins with this sequence of this young woman who is running around her neighborhood in her underwear and heels as it’s shot in one entire take that last for minutes. Mitchell’s approach to the direction is to keep things simple and to the point as he shoots on location in Detroit and nearby areas to play into a world where things that were simple aren’t what they seem to be. Mitchell’s compositions are very entrancing in his approach to close-ups and medium shots as well as some unique movements with the camera to play into the action.
Mitchell’s approach to suspense and horror not only play to traditional schematics but also in knowing when not go for the big scares as well as build it up for the big moments. Some of these moments not only produce some major scares but also in the idea that it doesn’t play by some of the rules of conventional horror. Mitchell also knows that the element of shock has to be big where it’s not going for the usual amount of gore or anything but in simpler ideas as it is very effective in its approach to horror. Most notably in the film’s climax where the characters confront the beings that is going after this young woman. Overall, Mitchell creates a very smart and terrifying film about a woman haunted by mysterious beings after gaining a strange sexually-transmitted disease.
Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography to play into the rich look of the locations in the day and night as well as some unique interior lighting to give the film a very dream-like look. Editor Julio C. Perez IV does fantastic work with the editing as it is quite straightforward while going for some offbeat rhythms to play into the suspense without the need to do any kind of conventional fast-cutting. Production designer Michael Perry and art director Joey Ostrander do excellent work with the look of the homes of the characters as well as the ruined homes they would stay in while they hide from the mysterious beings. Costume designer Kimberly Leitz-McCauley does nice work with the clothes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the pink dress and underwear that the Jay character wears.
Special effects makeup artist Tom Luhtala does amazing work with the look of the dead who stalk the characters in the film as they look like horny zombies who are out to kill. Visual effects supervisor Greg Strasz does terrific work with some of the visual effects which play into the horror as well as the sense of what these characters are encountering. Sound editor Christian Dwiggins does superb work with the sound to play into the suspense while using sparse sound textures to play up the horror without the need for something big. The film’s music by Rich Vreeland, in his Disasterpiece alias, is incredible as it’s eerie electronic score play into the sense of terror and suspense as it’s one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Mark Bennett and Carrie Ray is marvelous as it features notable small roles from Bailey Spry as the young woman being chased in the film’s opening sequence, Debbie Williams as Jay and Kelly’s mother, and as the strange dead, there’s Alexyss Spradlin, Mike Lanier, Ingrid Mortimer, and Don Hails as these scary beings. Jake Weary is terrific as Jay’s date Hugh who was the carrier of this mysterious disease as he later tells her and her friends exactly what they’re dealing with. Daniel Zovatto is excellent as Jay’s neighbor Greg whom she used to go out with as he helps her and her friends in dealing with this mysterious entity.
Olivia Luccardi is superb as the nerdy Yara who is a friend of Jay’s sister Kelly as she helps out with the chaos of what is happening. Lili Sepe is fantastic as Jay’s younger sister Kelly who is trying to comprehend the situation regarding her sister. Keir Gilchrist is brilliant as Jay’s longtime childhood friend Paul who is also trying to deal with the situation as well as his own feelings for Jay. Finally, there’s Maika Monroe in a remarkable performance as Jay as this young college student whose innocent night with a young man goes wrong as she copes with her situation and the fear that is surrounding her as she tries to survive and find someone to pass this disease to.
It Follows is a phenomenal film from David Robert Mitchell that features a break-out performance from Maika Monroe. The film isn’t just one of the smartest horror films in recent years but a film that manages to follow many of its schematics and find new ways to use them without the need of gore or multiple big scares that had hurt the genre. In the end, It Follows is a spectacular film from David Robert Mitchell.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Ramin Bahrani and written by Bahrani and Hallie Elizabeth Newton, At Any Price is the story of a father and son at odds when the latter wants to pursue a career as a race car driver while the former deals with an investigation over his farming business as it goes into chaos. The film is an exploration into the world of father and son and the sacrifices they make. Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Heather Graham, Kim Dickens, Clancy Brown, Chelcie Ross, Ben Marten, Red West, and Maika Monroe. At Any Price is an engrossing drama from Ramin Bahrani.
The life of a farmer often endures changing times in order through modern life as the film is about a farmer hoping to keep up with the times and ensure that it will be in the right hands once its inherited to his two sons. Unfortunately, his eldest son hasn’t returned from a personal journey to Argentina while the youngest wants to become a race car driver. The tension between Henry (Dennis Quaid) and Dean Whipple (Zac Efron) is at the heart of the film as Henry tries to be in Dean’s life but Dean wants to be on his own. It’s a film that is an exploration into pride as Henry does things to keep up with the times and ensure the future of his farming business. Yet, his activities would get him in trouble forcing Dean to step in and find out who had been going after his family where both father and son would pay big prices for their sins.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this growing schism between Henry and Dean but also Henry’s own foolish ambitions as he is convinced by the people he’s working with to expand or die. The film’s opening scene after a montage of home video footage of the Whipple family has Henry talking to Dean about closing a deal as they’re attending a funeral where Henry is hoping to buy some acres of land from that family. It’s that scene where it showcases what kind of man that Henry is but also set the seeds for all of the trouble that he would create for himself and his family. While Henry sells himself as a farmer who likes to charm people and make sure he can help them. He’s a man that cheats on his wife Irene (Kim Dickens) with a mistress named Meredith (Heather Graham) who would also have a tryst with Dean as well as someone who will also cheat his way to get what he wants.
Dean in some respects is like his father as he also has ambitions but in the world of racing as he wants to make it as a race car driver but he is also a troublemaker as he drinks and steals while likes to have his girlfriend Cadence (Maika Monroe) around. Though Dean does help out in the farm and knows how to do things that makes him the more likely candidate to take over the family business that’s been passed from generation to generation. He’s not interested in taking over as he despises his dad for being very pushy as he believes that’s why his older brother Grant (Patrick W. Stevens) has left home. It’s one of the aspects that adds to the drama that makes it very engaging though things do get a bit messy in the third act when both Henry and Dean try to figure out who had put them through this mess where it would add not just trouble but also guilt in both of their parts.
Ramin Bahrani’s direction is very simple in the way he approaches the film though it is different than his previous films which were more about outsiders on the fringes of American society. Still, he manages to convey some idea of realism into his story as it does explore the world of the American farmer who are also outsiders in some respects as they don’t live in big cities. Especially as they’re dealing with a world that is changing as Henry has to keep up with the times as the order is to expand or die. Henry takes up the former in order to compete with other farmers such as Jim Johnson (Clancy Brown) but at the expense of threatening his own family business as his father Cliff (Red West) is aware of the problems his son has caused.
Bahrani’s direction is always gazing into the world of the landscape as much of it is shot on location in Dekalb, Illinois in the U.S. as Iowa as it’s a land that is very rich with its corn and wheat fields. Even in the scenes set in the race tracks showcase a sense of vibrancy and intimacy in Bahrani’s direction though things aren’t well handled in the film’s third act where it does get a bit heavy. Largely as the film leans towards something that doesn’t fit in with the drama but Bahrani does still keep the film focused on the story of father and son as well as the sins they have to deal with. Despite the flaws in its third act, Bahrani manages to create a compelling film about the world of farming and the relationship between father and son.
Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does fantastic work with the film‘s gorgeous photography with the look of the landscape in the film as well as the use of lights for much of the film‘s interior and exterior scenes at night. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the film‘s editing by using some rhythmic jump-cuts for some of the racing scenes along with a montage in the film‘s opening credits and some straightforward cuts for the rest of the film. Production designer Chad Keith, with set decorator Adam Willis and art director Jonathan Guggenheim, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the farms that Henry operates to some of the places he and his family go to.
Costume designers Tere Duncan and Sandy Lazar do terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual and ragged to play into that look of small-town folk. Visual effects supervisor Andre Basso does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal effects which involves some of the racing scenes. Sound editor Abigail Savage does wonderful work with the film‘s sound to play into some of the natural sounds of the locations along with the layers of sounds in the racing scenes. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is superb for its mixture of ambient and post-rock music that is the basis for the film score as the film’s music soundtrack from music supervisor Michael Hill largely consists of country and metal tracks where the latter plays into Dean’s world.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable performances from Chelcie Ross as a seed farmer who needed Henry’s help only to tell Henry the severity of his troubles, Dan Waller as a young farmer Dean and Henry meets at the funeral in the opening moments of the film, Ben Marten as Jim Johnson’s son Brad who despises Dean, Stephen Louis Grush as Dean’s friend Torgeson, Patrick W. Stevens as Henry’s eldest son Grant who only appears briefly in the film’s opening montage credits, and Red West as Henry’s father Cliff who is unsure about his son’s plans as he realizes the trouble that Henry is causing. Clancy Brown is terrific as Henry’s rival Jim Johnson as a farmer who has taken one of Henry’s territories causing Henry to fire back.
Heather Graham is pretty good in an underwritten role as Henry’s mistress Meredith who helps Henry out with his moves while also having a tryst with Dean. Maika Monroe is amazing as Dean’s girlfriend Cadence who helps Henry out with regaining a territory of his while dealing with some of the issues that are causing trouble for both Dean and Henry. Kim Dickens is fantastic as Henry’s wife Irene as she is the bookkeeper of Henry’s work while being the most grounded person in her family as she also knows about Henry’s affairs. Zac Efron is superb as Dean Whipple as a young man eager to make it as a race car driver while having a hard time dealing with his father’s presence as well as the pressure of taking over the family business. Dennis Quaid is incredible as Henry Whipple as a man of great ambition who tries to keep up with the times only for his selfishness and greed would get him in trouble as he faces the sins that he’s created for himself and his son.
At Any Price is an excellent film from Ramin Bahrani that is highlighted by the performances of Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, and Kim Dickens. While it is a more polished and accessible film in comparison to Bahrani’s previous works. It is still a captivating piece that explores the world of farming and its clash with modernism as well as an intriguing tale about fathers and sons. In the end, At Any Price is a fantastic film from Ramin Bahrani.
Ramin Bahrani Films: Man Push Cart - Chop Shop - Goodbye Solo - Plastic Bag - 99 Homes - (Fahrenheit 451 (2018 film)) - The Auteurs #55: Ramin Bahrani
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Joyce Maynard, Labor Day is the story about an escaped fugitive who takes over the home of an agoraphobic woman and her son where they form an unlikely family in the wake of a woman’s divorce from her husband. Written for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film is about a Labor Day weekend in 1987 as it’s reflected from the perspective of a man who looks back at this crucial period in his young life as he is played and narrated by Tobey Maguire. Also starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Clark Gregg, Brooke Smith, James Van Der Beek, Alexie Gilmore, Maika Monroe, and Gattlin Griffin. Labor Day is a compelling yet mesmerizing film from Jason Reitman.
The film is a simple story about a woman and her 13-year old son who harbor an escaped fugitive in their home in the course of Labor Day weekend in 1987. Much of it is told from a young boy named Henry Wheeler (Gattlin Griffin) as he lives with his agoraphobic, divorced mother Adele (Kate Winslet) where the adult Henry reflects on that time. Especially as the fugitive in Frank (Josh Brolin) was a man who had been serving an 18-year prison sentence for murder where he escaped from a hospital and held both Henry and Adele hostage. Though Frank would admit to his guilt, he reveals that there’s more to the story as he brings some life back to Adele who is still ravaged by her divorce as well as other things. Even as he helps Henry out with some things as he is coming of age.
Jason Reitman’s screenplay does create a very tender and thoughtful love story involving Frank and Adele but also play into their respective past as they’re both two people that have been damaged by tragedy. The former of which is a man who had a good life when he was a young man (Tom Lipinski) with a woman named Mandy (Maika Monroe) but dark truths led to Frank’s incarceration. Some aspects in the film’s screenplay which reveals Frank and Adele’s past life in flashbacks definitely creates a narrative that is a bit messy since the film is told from Henry’s perspective. Still, Reitman does manage to find ways to make the drama to be very interesting as well as some few moments of suspense where Frank and Adele decide to run away with Henry in tow.
Reitman’s direction has him going into a much more restrained approach as the film does mark a departure of his previous work. Yet, there are images that he creates that are truly mesmerizing as it’s shot on location in parts of Massachusetts and a town in New Hampshire to give the film a small town feel. Even as Reitman keeps much of the compositions and framing to be very simple but also very engaging for the way he places the actors in the frame and in playing out the drama. Reitman’s attention to detail in some of the smaller moments such as a scene where Frank, Adele, and Henry bake a peach pie as well the trio planning to run away though Henry is hesitant about what is happening. While some of the script’s messiness as well as an overly-drawn out ending does falter the film. Reitman does manage to create a pretty engaging and thoughtful drama about a woman and her son harboring a kind fugitive.
Cinematographer Eric Steelberg does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its approach to natural lighting for much of the film‘s exterior daytime scenes along with some low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does excellent work with the editing with its use of jump-cuts and montages to play out some of the drama as well as the pie-making scene and flashbacks. Production designer Steve Saklad, along with set decorator Tracey A. Doyle and art director Mark Robert Taylor, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the home that Adele and Henry live with some of the decorations that play into the world of the 1980s.
Costume designer Danny Glicker does nice work with the clothes as it plays to something more casual as well as some of the flashbacks of Adele and Frank in the clothes they were in the 60s and 70s. Visual effects supervisor Scott M. Davids does good work in the few visual effects that plays into Henry‘s coming-of-age as he becomes fascinated by the idea of sex. Sound editors Perry Robertson and Scott Sanders does superb work with the film‘s sound as it plays to some of the atmosphere of the locations as well as the way conversations are heard from Henry‘s perspective. The film’s music by Rolfe Kent is brilliant for its mixture of ambient music with folk and plaintive piano pieces to play into some of the melancholia while music supervisor Randall Poster brings in a soundtrack that features some classical, samba, and a folk song from Arlo Guthrie.
The casting by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith is incredible for the ensemble that is used as it features appearances from James Van Der Beek as a police officer, Brighid Fleming as a young girl that Henry meets who had just moved into town and give Henry some dark thoughts about Frank, Alexie Gilmore as Henry’s stepmother Marjorie, Tom Lipinski as a young Frank, Micah Fowler as a mentally-disabled neighbor kid Henry and Adele looked over, Brooke Smith as that boy’s mother, and Reitman regular J.K. Simmons as a neighbor who would give Henry peaches. Clark Gregg is terrific as Henry’s father who left Adele for his secretary and started a family of his own as he becomes concerned about Henry and Adele’s situation unaware of Frank’s presence. Maika Monroe is wonderful as Frank’s wife Mandy who would be the cause of Frank’s grief and incarceration.
Tobey Maguire is excellent in his small role as the adult Henry as he only appears in its ending yet maintains a good presence as the film’s narrator. Gattlin Griffith is superb as the young Henry as a 13-year old boy trying to understand his mother’s melancholia as well as trying to observe Frank as it’s a very understated and engaging performance that manages to be in the same line with his co-stars. Josh Brolin is fantastic as Frank as an escaped fugitive who kidnaps Adele and Henry yet manages to mean well as he is one that is kind and generous while wanting to find some redemption for his actions as it’s a very sensitive and touching performance from Brolin. Finally, there’s Kate Winslet in a radiant performance as Adele Wheeler as a troubled, agoraphobic woman who only goes out once a month as she finds some comfort in the presence of Frank while trying to be a mother to Henry as it’s a very chilling yet evocative performance from Winslet.
While it is a flawed film, Labor Day is still a stellar film from Jason Reitman thanks in part to the performances of Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, and Gattlin Griffith. Though it is a very different film in comparison to the previous films that Reitman has done, it does showcase a filmmaker trying to do something out of his comfort zone though not everything is successful. In the end, Labor Day is a terrific film from Jason Reitman.
Jason Reitman Films: Thank You for Smoking - Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman
© thevoid99 2014
