The Jane Austin Book Club

Based on the novel by Karen Joy Fowler, The Jane Austen Book Club is the story of a group of women and one man who come together to read and discuss the books of Jane Austen as the stories start to mirror elements into their own lives. Written for the screen and directed by Robin Swicord, the film is an exploration into the world of love as six different people use the works of Jane Austen to help them with their lives. Starring Kathy Baker, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Hugh Dancy, Mark Blucas, Kevin Zegers, Jimmy Smits, and Lynn Redgrave. The Jane Austen Book Club is an enchanting and witty film from Robin Swicord.

The film plays into the lives of five different women and a man who come together to read and discuss the six novels by Jane Austen as the books would inspire some to find love along with other things that play into the works of Jane Austen. Among them is a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog breeder named Jocelyn (Maria Bello) whose best friend Sylvia (Amy Brenneman) is going through a split from her husband who is having an affair with another woman. Joining the two is Sylvia’s daughter Allegra (Maggie Grace) who is exploring her sexuality while leading the club is Bernadette (Kathy Baker) who knows the three as she brings in a prim French teacher in Prudie (Emily Blunt) whom she met at a Jane Austen film festival. The wild card in the group is a young man Jocelyn meets in Grigg (Hugh Dancy) who is a fan of sci-fi novels as he had never read anything of Austen as Jocelyn hopes to hook him up with Sylvia.

Robin Swicord’s screenplay does have a lot that goes on yet it is structured as it plays to each character selecting a book to read where they all come together to discuss it as well as dealing with various individual issues. Among them is Sylvia coping with her split as well as Allegra being in a lesbian relationship while Prudie deals with her marriage to her neglectful husband Dean (Marc Blucas) as she starts to fall for one of her students Trey (Kevin Zegers). While there’s some elements that are quite predictable as it relates to Jocelyn befriending Grigg, it does play into some of the elements that is expected in Austen’s work as Bernadette is also an oddball character as she had been married several times but has no regrets about it. All of which play into these characters all talking about Austen’s novels and their own interpretations it through a monthly meeting as a lot happens in these six months.

Swicord’s direction is very simple as it doesn’t aim for anything with rich or stylish visuals but rather a film that plays more into the lives of different women as it’s set in Sacramento as well as other areas in California. Swicord does go for a few wide shots for some of the scenery in California as she mostly goes for close-ups and medium shots to present the film. Swicord also create scenes that mirrors some of the stories that Austen has created as it plays to Prudie’s longing to get attention from her husband or Sylvia coping with the split from her husband Daniel (Jimmy Smits). Swicord’s approach to scenes with multiple characters to involve her going for medium shots and knowing who to focus on in the frame as it relates to the discussion about a book by Austen. Even as some of these characters would try to find themselves not just through the books of Austen but also either find new love or use these books to bring old lovers back together. Overall, Swicord creates a very engaging film about a group of people reading and finding something in the works of Jane Austen.

Cinematographer John Toon does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to emphasize on a sepia-like look for some of the daytime exteriors along with low-key lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Maryann Brandon does nice work with the editing as it‘s very simple with a few montage cuts to play into each of the characters reading the book to begin the month as well as some rhythmic cuts. Production designer Rusty Smith, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Sebastian Schroeder, does brilliant work with the look of the homes of the characters including Grigg‘s own visual take on Northanger Abbey.

Costume designer Johnetta Boone does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the hippie clothes that Prudie‘s mother wears. Visual effects supervisor Carey Villegas does some fine work with the minimal visual effects in the film such as a shot of Allegra about to go skydiving and a key scene that plays into Prudie‘s own dilemma. Sound editor Michael J. Benavente does superb work with the sound as it plays into some of the things that goes on some of the characters’ home as well as some of the gatherings they go to. The film’s music by Aaron Zigman is wonderful as it‘s low-key with its mixture of folk and keyboard-based music as well as a few string-based cuts while music supervisor Barklie K. Griggs brings in an electric soundtrack of music from Paolo Nutini, Feist, Snow Patrol, Madeleine Peroux, and Aimee Mann.

The casting by Deborah Aquila, Jennifer L. Smith, and Tricia Wood is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Nancy Travis as Grigg’s guest for the final meeting, Gwendoline Yeo as a doctor Allegra meets, Parisa Fitz-Henley as a young woman that Allegra would date early in the film, and Lynn Redgrave as Prudie’s hippie mother who would often cause trouble upon Prudie’s visit she would overwhelm her daughter. Marc Blucas is terrific as Prudie’s husband Dean who doesn’t seem to understand what his wife wants as he would cancel a trip to Paris to go to a basketball game. Kevin Zegers is superb as Trey as a high school student that flirts with Prudie as he expresses some charm as well as listen to her. Jimmy Smits is excellent as Daniel as Sylvia’s husband/Allegra’s father who leaves Sylvia for another woman as he tries to make it easy for her only to make things worse.

Maggie Grace is fantastic as Allegra as a young woman trying to explore her sexuality while taking on some dangerous stunts to cope with the issues in her family. Amy Brenneman is amazing as Sylvia as Allegra’s mother who is coping with her split from Daniel as she also tries to get her life together. Kathy Baker is riveting as Bernadette as she is the leader of the club as she brings a lot of humor as well as some unique insight into the books. Hugh Dancy is brilliant as Grigg as a sci-fi reader who joins the club as someone no one knows as he doesn’t know anything about Austen yet manages to understand the world of Austen while introducing Jocelyn to the books of Ursula K. Le Guin. Maria Bello is wonderful as Jocelyn as a control freak who tries to help out Sylvia and try to hook Grigg up with Sylvia only to deal that she probably has feelings for Grigg. Finally, there’s Emily Blunt in a remarkable performance as Prudie as she is the film’s standout as a young French teacher who joins the club through Bernadette as she copes with her husband’s neglect as well as many other things as Blunt displays a sense of anguish to her performance where she manages to steal the show.

The Jane Austen Book Club is a marvelous film from Robin Swicord. Armed with a great cast as well as a captivating story about a group of people coming together to read books. It’s a film that manages to convey not just the love of books but also the works of Jane Austen and how it manages to inspire people in the world of love. In the end, The Jane Austen Book Club is a phenomenal film from Robin Swicord.

© thevoid99 2015

Prisoners (2013 film)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski, Prisoners is the story of two girls who had been abducted as a father and a detective both go on the search to find the girls. The film is an exploration into abduction as a man of the law tries to do things right while a father becomes obsessed with his search. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, and Melissa Leo. Prisoners is a gripping yet eerie suspense-drama from Denis Villeneuve.

Set during the Thanksgiving holidays in a small town in Pennsylvania, the film is about two girls who have been abducted as one of their fathers goes into a frantic search to find them while a detective does the same as the latter delve into many clues about abductions in the town. It all plays into two men who are both trying to find two girls as they suspect a young man with a RV truck but when evidence proves to have little results. It would force Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) to take the law into his own hands which would cause a lot of problems and obsessions for Dover. Even as Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins to notice Dover’s troubled behavior as he is taking on the case with great care as he goes even deeper into dark secrets as it relates to many abductions in the town.

The film’s screenplay by Aaron Guzikowski explores what men will go through to find two girls who had been abducted on Thanksgiving Day as it plays into this search where Keller Dover and friend Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) do whatever to find their daughters who were just going to Dover’s house on that day and were supposed to return. Instead, something goes wrong where Keller’s son Ralph (Dylan Minnette) reveals that he saw a RV truck nearby where the girls were playing nearby as Detective Loki manages to arrest the owner in a mentally-challenged young man named Alex (Paul Dano). Though Loki believes that Alex is innocent yet wants to keep an eye on him, it only angers Dover whose obsession with finding his daughter has him kidnapping Alex and torture him in his father’s old home as Franklin and his wife Nancy (Viola Davis) both realize what Dover is doing. For Franklin and Nancy, it makes them uneasy while Dover’s wife Grace (Maria Bello) has fallen apart to the point that she thinks her daughter is dead and blames herself.

The diverging paths that Dover and Loki take showcases what these two men would do as Dover basically suspects Alex due to comments or the fact that he was singing a variation of Jingle Bells which only triggers Dover’s rage as he would descend into alcoholism. While Detective Loki is the more practical of the two men, he would lose himself in the case as several false leads and troubling clues only get him in trouble as a man he suspects in Bob Taylor (David Dastmalchian) would only lead him to different paths. Loki would also question a pastor in Father Dunn (Len Cariou) who would also have some very strange answers that doesn’t just relate to the case but also in the town’s dark history concerning abductions.

Denis Villeneuve’s direction is very entrancing for the way he explores life in this small town in Pennsylvania that looks like every other town in America. Especially as it’s set during the Thanksgiving/Xmas holiday period where there isn’t a lot of sunshine but a lot of gray skies with bits of rain and snow to set the mood of the film. It’s quite grimy in its look as it starts off very calm until the drama kicks in where Dover and Franklin embark into their own search with no result which leads to Detective Loki who is called in as he was eating all by himself in a Chinese restaurant on Thanksgiving. The interrogation scenes are very intimate yet some of the drama that plays into the search and Dover’s own troubled descent does drag the film a bit where it has a sense of what is going to happen.

Things do pick up in the second act once it becomes clear of how far Dover will go to find answers much to the disgust of Franklin and Nancy as the direction becomes much tighter in terms of its suspense. Especially in the room that Alex would be in as Dover’s own form of torture to get answers where Villeneuve’s use of close-ups and medium shots come into play. Even in scenes relating to Loki’s own investigation where the use of recorded video footage in the interrogation scenes showcase how Loki can be in control or sometimes lose control. Things do come to ahead in its third act where it plays to the lost sense of obsession that looms in Dover and Loki trying to be the one person to make things right. Overall, Villeneuve creates a very terrifying yet powerful film about two men and their obsession to find two little girls who have been abducted.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins does phenomenal work with the film‘s cinematography as it has a very naturalistic look for many of its daytime interior/exterior scenes while the usage of lights and candles for scenes at night are truly exquisite to play into the dark mood of the film. Editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach do excellent work with the editing to create some unique rhythms to play into the suspense and drama as it often has this slow burn to play into the mystery over what happened to the girls. Production designer Patricia Vermette, with set decorator Frank Galline and art director Paul D. Kelly, does amazing work with the look of the homes the characters live in as well as the home that Dover‘s father lived in that he would use to torture Alex. Costume designer Renee April does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the look and seasonal setting of the film.

The makeup work of Donald Mowat and Pamela Westmore is brilliant for the beat-up look that Alex would sport after the abusive torture that Dover would give him as well as the look of his aunt Holly (Melissa Leo). Visual effects supervisor Phillip Feiner does terrific work with the film‘s minimal visual effects for the look of snowfall in a few scenes to play up as set-dressing. Sound editor Robert Alan Murray and sound designer Tom Ozanich do superb work with the sound to play into the sense of terror such as Alex‘s screams inside Dover‘s torture chamber as well as some eerie scenes set at home. The film’s music by Johan Johannsson is fantastic for its haunting score that is a mixture of low-key orchestral music and piano pieces with some ambient textures to set the dark mood while music supervisor Deva Anderson brings in a soundtrack filled with music by Radiohead, Ocean, and other traditional pieces.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is great as it features notable small roles from Wayne Duvall as Detective Loki’s superior Captain O’Malley, Len Cariou as Father Dunn, Zoe Soul as Franklin and Nancy’s teenage daughter, Kyla Drew Simmons as Franklin and Nancy’s adolescent daughter who is abducted, Erin Gerasimovich as Drover’s daughter Anna who is also abducted, David Dastmalchian as a person Loki suspects in the film’s second act, and Dylan Minnette as Dover’s teenage son Ralph who watches over his mother while seeing his father begin to fall apart. Melissa Leo is terrific as Alex’s aunt Holly who claims that her nephew is innocent as she becomes a key player in the film’s third act. Paul Dano is excellent as Alex as a young man who is suspected of abducting the girls as he is captured and tortured by Dover.

Maria Bello is wonderful as Dover’s wife Grace as a woman ravaged by her daughter’s disappearance as she becomes lost in grief while Viola Davis is superb as Nancy Birch who discovers what Dover is doing as she tries to find reason as well as find her daughter. Terrence Howard is fantastic as Franklin Birch as a father who is coping with his own loss as he discovers what Dover is doing as he becomes anguished with wanting justice but also wanting to do things in the right way. Jake Gyllenhaal is incredible as Detective Loki as this detective who is trying to find the two girls any way he can while dealing with Dover’s insistence to find them as Gyllenhaal brings a sense of determination and care into his character as someone who is trying to do what is right. Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in a remarkable performance as Keller Dover as this man who is obsessed with finding his daughter as he begins to suspect Alex as he descends into madness and nearly loses himself into what is important as it’s a very dark role from Jackman.

Prisoners is a fantastic film from Denis Villeneuve that features phenomenal performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. While it’s a film with some flaws, it is still compelling in exploring how far men will go to retrieve someone that they care for as well as someone whose job is to find that person and deal with the consequences. In the end, Prisoners is a marvelous film from Denis Villeneuve.

Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth - Maelstrom - Polytechnique - Incendies - Enemy (2013 film) - Sicario - Arrival - Blade Runner 2049 - Dune-Part One (2021 film) - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah) - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve

© thevoid99 2014

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Written and directed by Rebecca Miller, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is the story of a housewife whose perfect life starts to unravel by her memories of the past as she would befriend a man dealing with his own issues. The film explores the life of a woman as she tries to come to terms with her past as her seemingly perfect marriage and life starts to wind down. Starring Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Maria Bello, Keanu Reeves, Monica Bellucci, Blake Lively, Julianne Moore, Zoe Kazan, Ryan McDonald, and Winona Ryder. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is an engaging although messy film from Rebecca Miller.

Pippa Lee (Robin Wright) is the housewife of publisher Herb Lee (Alan Arkin) as they had just moved to a small town in Connecticut as they celebrate with friend Sam Shapiro (Mike Binder) and his wife Sandra (Winona Ryder). Just as Pippa seems to enjoy her role as a housewife taking care of Herb, things start to unravel by the messes she sees in her home thinking Herb caused all of it. Instead, Pippa traces back to her life as a child where her mother Suky (Maria Bello) was a crazed woman with a troubled amphetamine addiction that eventually took its toll by the time the teenaged Pippa (Blake Lively) decided to leave home. Living with her lesbian aunt Trish (Robin Weigter), she briefly becomes a model for Trish’s photographer girlfriend Kat (Julianne Moore) that featured Pippa in racy positions.

After being kicked out by Trish, Pippa would wander around New York City for a few years until she attends a party with some friends where she would meet Herb. Though Herb is married to a beautiful Italian woman named Gigi (Monica Bellucci), the two hit it off as Pippa finds someone in Herb she can be loyal to as they would later have two kids. Years later as the two live a comfortable life, Pippa’s persona starts to unravel after discovering who has been making a mess in her home. Meanwhile, her neighbor’s son Chris (Keanu Reeves) has just move in as the two become friends as he wonders about her behavior. Realizing she’s starting to have a nervous breakdown, Pippa decides to take control only to discover that not everything around her is going well at all.

The film is an exploration of a woman recalling her past just as her life as a helpful housewife starts to come undone through secrets and the fear that she might become her mother. Throughout her journey, this woman would endure the troubled chaos of her neurotic mother as well as trying to find a place where she can feel like she’s at home. Though things seem fine once she meets this much older gentleman, a breakdown gives in as she finds a friend in a man that has his own problems with the world. It’s a story that is engrossing in the exploration of a woman who would later unravel by the events of her past. It’s just that Rebecca Miller draws it out too much to the point that the story becomes a total mess.

Miller’s approach to the screenplay, that is based on her own book, is creating a narrative that moves back and forth that features a reflective narration told through Pippa’s perspective. While the narrative device is effective, it tends to linger too long on the segments of Pippa’s past where Pippa is trying to figure out what happens. While there’s a lot of interesting moments, the moments where Miller tries to infuse humor in these stories feels forced and out-of-place with the story. The segment of Pippa in the present time is a bit more interesting in the way Miller tries to figure out how she’s breaking down while making some discoveries about herself and her life as a friend of hers is also starting to unravel. It’s an intriguing story but doesn’t do enough to create a narrative that isn’t all over the place.

Miller’s direction is pretty stylish in the way she presents a lot of the film’s different period settings. Notably the scenes in the 1960s and 1970s to explore the young Pippa’s life as there’s a sense of style where things feel a bit exaggerated and quirky. By the time the story moves into the 1980s, style is still evident but becomes more restrained once Pippa’s life starts to become less crazy as she would become an adult. The compositions become more straightforward and also claustrophobic as it’s Miller wanting to emphasize the world where Pippa starts to lose control. A lot of it works though there’s scenes of fantasy where it doesn’t fit in with that portion of the film. Despite some wonderful moments in underplaying the drama and framing the actors to play out what’s happening. Miller’s film unfortunately falls short due to its emphasis to its uneven story and its attempts to draw out this woman’s trouble life into something grander.

Cinematographer Declan Quinn does excellent work with the film‘s very vibrant and colorful cinematography for the scenes in the 1960s and 1970s while utilizing more straightforward palettes for the scenes of the 1980s and present scenes despite the exaggerated fantasy scenes in the present segment. Editor Sabine Hoffman does superb work with the editing to play with the film‘s structure and create unique montages for Kat‘s photo material that the young Pippa takes part of. Production designer Michael Shaw and set decorator Cherish Magennis do great work with the set pieces created to emphasize the different places and periods that Pippa would encounter to play up her evolution.

Costume designer Jennifer von Mayrhauser does a wonderful job with the costumes that also plays up the different periods for Pippa in her evolution from more stylish clothes of the 70s and 80s to more casual clothes in the present. Sound editor Sarah Gaines does nice work with the sound to play up the party scenes that Pippa explores early to the more sparse intimacy of her time with Chris. The film’s music score by Michael Rohatyn is a pretty good for its low-key string orchestra and somber pieces to play up the drama in the film. Music supervisor Linda Cohen creates a soundtrack that is a mixture of music from pop and folk along with cuts by Dusty Springfield, Lucinda Williams, and a couple of ambient pieces from Brian Eno.

The casting by Cindy Tolan is terrific for the ensemble that is created as it would include small roles from Ryan McDonald and Zoe Kazan as Herb and Pippa’s adult children in Ben and Grace, respectively, along with Shirley Knight as Chris’ mother Dot, Robin Weigert as Pippa’s aunt Trish, Julianne Moore as Trish’s photographer girlfriend Kat, and Madeline McNulty as the 7-year old Pippa. Other notable small roles include Mike Binder as Herb’s writer friend Sam who has feelings for Pippa as well as Monica Bellucci as Herb’s vibrant Italian wife Gigi. Maria Bello is alright as Pippa’s mother Suky in the way she expresses a woman who is at the grips of addiction though Bello tends to overact some of the film’s emotional moments by going over the top. Winona Ryder is very good as Sam’s wife Sandra who is trying to deal with her failing marriage as she starts to break down and go to Pippa for help.

Blake Lively is really good as the young Pippa as a young woman trying to deal with her troubled life while finding solace in Herb. Keanu Reeves is superb as the very quiet Chris who becomes Pippa’s friend by helping her deal with her impending breakdown. Alan Arkin is excellent as Pippa’s husband Herb who tries to deal with her unraveling while is shown to be a very tender man who cares for Pippa in her evolution. Finally, there’s Robin Wright as the adult Pippa Lee as Wright gives an entrancing performance as a woman seemingly lost in her troubled state. Notably as Wright starts off as this calm and kind woman who slowly starts to lose herself as she tries to come to terms with everything around her.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a decent but very uneven film from Rebecca Miller despite a great lead performance from Robin Wright. Despite an interesting premise and a superb supporting cast, it’s a film that falls flat due to a script that tries to do a lot and leave very little. Particularly as its exploration of a woman unraveling could’ve been very interesting but gets lost due to its over-stylized approach to the story. In the end, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a disappointing film from Rebecca Miller.

Rebecca Miller Films: (Angela) - Personal Velocity: Three Portraits - The Ballad of Jack & Rose - Maggie's Plan - Arthur Miller: Writer

© thevoid99 2012

Thank You for Smoking

Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking is the story of a tobacco spokesman who tries to help sell cigarettes while trying to be a good father to his 12-year old son. Written for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film explores the world of the tobacco industry and its tactics in the form of a black comedy. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, David Koechner, William H. Macy, Sam Elliot, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Duvall. Thank You for Smoking is a witty feature-film debut from Jason Reitman.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is a tobacco lobbyist whose job is to speak for tobacco companies as they’re often under target for giving its customers lung cancers and other diseases. Naylor manages to win people over by talking about the good that tobacco does as he’s the darling of the tobacco company while his best friends are also lobbyists in firearms spokesman Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) and alcohol spokeswoman Polly Bailey (Maria Bello). Naylor’s success at a talk show against anti-tobacco groups has gained the attention of the legendary tobacco company head the Captain (Robert Duvall) over Naylor’s idea to spend $50 million for an anti-teen smoking campaign that would give teenagers the choice to smoke.

While Nick is also a good father to his son Joey (Cameron Bright) whom he takes to on a trip to California to meet with film producer Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe). Nick would also meet Washington news reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) for a profile on him as the two have an affair. During Nick’s trip with Joey in California, the Captain asks Nick to do a job for him in which he is to give money for former Marlboro Man figure Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliot) where Joey watches putting Nick in an uncomfortable position. Nick’s career is suddenly shaken by a kidnapping attempt on him that left him unable to smoke again while Heather’s article does more damage to his reputation. With Nick’s boss BR (J.K. Simmons) doing damage control and Nick in trouble, he gets some surprising help as he faces off against the anti-tobacco campaign leader Senator Finistirre (William H. Macy) in front of Congress.

The film is about a lobbyist who tries to be a good role model to his own son while selling tobacco to the public. While he knows that he’s selling a product that is harmful but he doesn’t apologize for it nor force people to go buy it. He’s part of a group of people whom he’s comfortable with and often talks his way into getting people to sway his way for the good of the people he’s working for. Yet, he would face things that would put him in an uncomfortable position as he has to bribe a former tobacco spokesman to stop from talking while he’s also being seduced by a reporter with ambitions of her own.

Jason Reitman creates a script that is essentially a character study of a lobbyist’s life and the product he’s supporting as he has people trying to stop tobacco. It’s also a classic rise and fall tale of sorts though it’s third act would have Nick Naylor finding a way to redeem himself. While the characters that Nick meets are essentially characters that represent some form of caricature in a film that is partially a satire. Yet, the whole film is told through Naylor’s perspective as he narrates what he does and the tribulations he faces as he’s just trying to do what he thinks is right. While there’s parts of the script that doesn’t work such as Naylor’s son Joey and a kidnapping subplot. Reitman does create a solid and engaging story.

Reitman’s direction is quite fluid in the way he presents the film with lots of style such as a montage of Naylor and his son arriving to Los Angeles shot in super 8 film stock. Other scenes such as Naylor’s monologue about what he does and how he believes he’s contributing to society where Reitman has Naylor hitting a home run. Reitman creates lots of intimate scenes with compositions where he always have more than one person in a frame or is shooting from afar. Yet, he also knows who to aim for during such big scenes while shooting from a certain perspective. Overall, Reitman creates a film that is very intriguing as well as entertaining.

Cinematographer James Whitaker does a superb job with the film‘s sepia-laden cinematography to complement a stylish look from the restaurant that Nick eats at to the Californian exteriors to emphasize the world Nick hoped to conquer. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does a nice job with the editing in creating Nick and Joey’s California montage to a few jump-cut and stylish cuts in scenes where Nick talks about the people he works and hangs out with.

Production designer Steve Sakland and set decorator Kurt Meisenbach do some fine work with the set pieces created such as Jeff Megall‘s Asian-inspired office and Nick‘s own apartment. Costume designer Danny Glicker does a very good job with the costumes created such as the suits that the men wear to the business-like wardrobe the women wear. Sound editors Perry Robertson and Scott Sanders do fantastic work with the sound work to capture the atmosphere of the Congressional hearing to the intimate scenes of the restaurant that Nick eats at.

The film’s score by Rolfe Kent is wonderful as it features playful jazz and blues-style music to complement its sense of humor along with more intense orchestral pieces for its dramatic moments. Music supervisors Peter Afterman and Margaret Yen do some terrific work with the soundtrack that features a wide array of music from blues, country, and pop to play the whimsical tone of the film.

The casting by Mindy Marin is brilliant for the ensemble cast that is created which includes notable appearances from Adam Brody as Jeff’s hyperactive assistant, Kim Dickens as Nick’s ex-wife Jill, Daniel Travis as Jill’s boyfriend, Connie Ray as Lorne’s wife, talk show host Joan Lunden as herself, Todd Luiso as an anti-tobacco protester, Marianne Muellerleile as Joey’s teacher, and Rob Lowe as the very funny and eccentric Hollywood producer Jeff Megall. Robert Duvall is excellent as the wise tobacco legend the Captain while Sam Elliot is wonderful as the bitter Lorne Lutch. J.K. Simmons is superb as Nick’s devious boss BR who tries to use Nick for his own gain while making himself look good for the tobacco company. William M. Macy is terrific as Nick’s nemesis in Senator Finistirre who tries to outwit Nick in a war of words in his quest to ban tobacco.

David Koechner and Maria Bello are very good in small but funny roles as Nick’s lobbyists friends with Koechner as the more wilder person of the two with Bello as the reasonable one. The weak links in the cast are Cameron Bright and Katie Holmes as Bright doesn’t really display much of a personality to his character despite some of the good one-liners he has in the role of Nick’s son. Holmes meanwhile, is really miscast as ambitious reporter since she doesn’t really exude the sexiness nor the humor that is needed for this character. Finally, there’s Aaron Eckhart in a fabulous performance as the charming Nick Naylor. Eckhart has a wit and personality that is fun to watch while also bringing a serious side to his character as it’s definitely one of best roles of his career.

Thank You for Smoking is a funny yet smart film from Jason Reitman that features a phenomenal performance from Aaron Eckhart. While it’s a film that is a bit flawed due to a few casting choices as well as ideas that doesn’t work, it is still a pretty engaging film about the tobacco industry and those who try to oppose it in the wrong way. In the end, Thank You for Smoking is an insightful and humorous film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2011

A History of Violence

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/30/06 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, A History of Violence is about a quiet, peaceful man living in a small, quiet town with a loving family whose lived is changed forever by an act of heroism. He is then confronted by a gangster who claims that he was once a killer. Directed by David Cronenberg and adapted screenplay by Josh Olson, the film is a study of a man who could be a case of mistaken identity or has a violent past that's finally caught up to him that threatens to shatter the idyllic life he has with his family. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ashton Holmes, Stephen McHattie, Ed Harris, and William Hurt. A History of Violence is a sprawling, intelligent, thrilling masterpiece from one of cinema's eccentric auteurs.

A young little girl names Sarah Stall (Heidi Hayes) screams in her bedroom after having a nightmare. She is then comforted by her father Tom (Viggo Mortensen) while her older teenage brother Jack (Ashton Holmes) suggests that she puts a nightlight on to keep the monsters away. Mother Edie (Maria Bello) looks on to see that the next morning, Sarah feels much better as everyone goes on their daily life in their quaint, small town in the middle of Indiana. Edie works at a local law firm while Tom runs his own diner that often features regular customers from the town. Jack meanwhile, makes a great catch during baseball practice that upsets the school's sport star Bobby (Kyle Schmid) as Jack's use of nonviolence only antagonizes the bully. The day ends with Jack spending time with his girlfriend Judy (Sumela Kay), Sarah at a sleep over, and Tom and Edie reliving their youth on a great night.

Then one night as Tom is about to close his diner, two men enter wanting for a cup of coffee when they start to cause some trouble. With one of the men in Billy (Greg Byrk) is harassing a waitress and the other named Leland (Stephen McHattie) is holding the place hostage, Tom takes drastic action and immediately kills the two men while getting injured. Tom becomes a hero as he is shocked by his violent actions though the town thought what he did was brave. The next day after Tom returns to the hospital, his diner was busier than ever as Edie helped out when a few mysterious men arrive. One of them was a man named Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) who carries a big scar and disfigured eye on the left side of his face as he tells Tom he recognizes him as a man named Joey Cusack. Tom tells Fogarty that he has no idea who Joey Cusack is as him and Edie tell Fogarty to leave the diner. Edie calls a local sheriff in Sam Carney (Peter MacNeill) to question Fogarty as he learns that Fogarty works under a local mob syndicate in Philadelphia under the authority of Richie Cusack (William Hurt).

Tom becomes paranoid about Fogarty's presence as he believes that he might come back while Jack's nonviolence stance is also pushed to the edge by Bobby. On a day when she takes Sarah shopping, Edie finds herself stalked by Fogarty as she decides to put a restraining order on Fogarty and his men. Tom is upset over Jack's actions as he learns that Fogarty has been stalking Edie when Fogarty arrives at the house again with Jack as his hostage. A standoff that turns ugly finally shakes the life of the entire family as Edie demands to know the truth from Tom as he lays injured in the hospital. For Tom, he is forced to reveal everything as he decides to meet and confront Richie Cusack in Philadelphia.

A film about violence, notably in a setting like a small town in Indiana might not seem like the type of environment for a director like David Cronenberg. Yet, violence is often a subject that Cronenberg does as the film is really more of a character study piece. Cronenberg is aware of what the audience could expecting but he does it in a way that builds up momentum while subverting the audiences' expectation as he makes the character of Tom Stall a far more complex character. What is more surprising that for a film that runs at around 96 minutes, Cronenberg and screenwriter Josh Olsen keeps the momentum and many of the film's scenes told in a more simplistic approach. Particularly in the way they also approach many of the film's sexual and violent content.

Cronenberg's been notorious for his approach to sex and violence as the two sex scenes between Tom and Edie are very different. The first is very playful and innocent while the second is more brutal in the terms of where they are emotionally. The violence is also very graphic from the film's first opening scene which has a long, opening take of four minutes as the whole sequence stands for about seven minutes. This sequence is very reminiscent of a very similar violent scene of the first 20 minutes of Sergio Leone's classic epic-Western, Once Upon a Time in the West. Then the film cuts to a far more innocence sequence of a young girl screaming from a nightmare. It's Olsen's script and structure that really maintains a sense of momentum and development of the film's major characters. Even when the film requires some sense of tension.

Cronenberg and Olsen's display of conflict is a theme that is reminiscent of all of Cronenberg's movies. For this film, the conflict is about a man dealing with his own self where could be a case of mistaken identity or was he another man with a dark past? It's truly a Cronenberg film for that conflict, even when Tom's actions affect his family, particularly his own wife and son who have to contend with their own identities. Even in the third act when Tom confronts Richie, it's one of the best scenes because of why Richie is trying to find his brother and his hatred over him. Still, Cronenberg uses many of those moments, even the violent ones to have some kind of emotional aftermath where the film's ending is perfect for its tone. While it might seem to be Cronenberg's most accessible work, it doesn't stray away from the themes that he's delved in throughout his career.

Helping Cronenberg with his vision is longtime cinematographer Peter Suschitzky whose photography style captures a serene atmosphere early in the film that turns ugly as the lighting becomes more disturbing for its tone. Suschitzky also takes full advantage of the film's locations where most of it is in Canada to bring an idyllic, quaint American small town feel that later shifts to more darker lighting and claustrophobic tone in the film's Philadelphia sequences. Longtime production designer Carol Spier and art director James McAteer also do great work in the film's look from the world of the small town where everything looks like an American small town to the shift of the more worldly look of Richie Cusack. Longtime costume designer and Cronenberg's sister Denise also captures the look of the small town with plaid shirts that is in sharp contrast to the black suit that Ed Harris wears.

Longtime editor Ronald Sanders does a wonderful job with the film's editing by presenting some tight cutting, shifting sequences, perspectives, and a pacing style that is true to the film's tone that doesn't make it too long or too short. Sound mixer Glen Gauthier and editors Wayne Griffin and Michael O'Farrell also do great work on the film's sound that captures the atmosphere of the film's tone from its building structure. Longtime composer Howard Shore also does great work in creating dramatic tension and intensity to the film's many scenes while not making them into manipulative moments as many of his presentation is quaint and lyrical that works for the brilliant composer.

Finally, there's the film's amazing cast that includes such notable small performances from Sumela Kay as Jack's girlfriend Judy, Kyle Schmid as the local bully Bobby, Gerry Quigley and Deborah Drakeford as Tom's diner employees, and longtime Cronenberg actor Peter MacNeill as the suspicious but good-hearted sheriff Sam. Greg Byrk and Stephen McHattie make memorable appearances as the two thugs in the film's opening scene and the diner scene when they try to rob Tom and his diner. Heidi Hayes is also good as the young Sarah who is the real innocent figure of the Stall family who keeps them grounded as she does something really amazing in the film's last scene. Ashton Holmes is wonderful as Jack, a young man whose ideals about violence is changed as he struggles to deal with his own ideas and the role that his father is.

While he's only in the film for about ten minutes in the final act, William Hurt delivers a performance that is just filled with shock as he plays a crime boss with a whole lot of charm and hatred. Hurt's performance is so memorable and so filled with great dialogue, it ends up standing out on his own as he brings a lot of terror and black humor to the performance that it's truly a magnificent performance from the often underrated actor. Ed Harris is also great as the menacing Carl Fogarty with a quiet, stoic presence while he maintains a sense of restrained anger and coolness to his role that makes him a far memorable villain. Maria Bello is the film's best supporting performance as Edie who starts off as a woman who seems to have the perfect life until she and her own life is threatened by not just these dark forces but also the possibility of her husband's identity. Bello brings an old-school style of old Hollywood acting that is more complex than the typical wife role as she combines a sense of strength and darkness to her role as she is now becoming one of the more overlooked actresses of her generation.

Viggo Mortensen brings what is probably his best performance to date as Tom Stall. Early in the film, Mortensen has a nice, boyish image that is filled with innocence and comfort that he is very likeable in the film around everyone including the audience. Yet, when he takes action, his development changes as he has to go deeper into darker areas. Mortensen really owns the film as he combines his own sense of paranoia, darkness, heartbreak, and guilt into a great role as he has great chemistry with all of the actors around him. Notably his scenes with Bello and Holmes reveal his range in emotions while his scenes with Harris and Hurt reveal how he can stand out with those actors. Overall, it's a magnificent performance from the actor who's been known for his work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

For anyone who wants a smart, thrilling mystery should check out A History of Violence from the often cerebral and disturbing David Cronenberg. Fans of Cronenberg no doubt, will find this film to be among as one of his best. With a great cast led by Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and a cameo-of-sorts from William Hurt, the film has a lot going for while being faithful to the actual graphic novel of the same name. While for anyone interested in Cronenberg will find this film as a good start, it will also reveal how much of a brilliant storyteller he is. In the end, A History of Violence is without a doubt one of the year's best films.

David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011