Public Enemies

Based on the non-fiction novel Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934 by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies is the story of the final year of bank robber John Dillinger that features his relationship with Billie Frechette as well as being pursued by FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann, Ronan Bennett, and Ann Biderman, the film is look into the final years of Dillinger’s life as well as the manhunt lead by Purvis as Dillinger is portrayed by Johnny Depp and Purvis is portrayed by Christian Bale. Also starring Marion Cotillard, Stephen Dorff, Channing Tatum, Jason Clarke, David Wenham, Lili Taylor, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, and Billy Crudup J. Edgar Hoover. Public Enemies is a riveting and intense film from Michael Mann.

Set from 1933 to 1934 during the Great Depression, the film is about the final year of John Dillinger who was notorious for robbing banks as he is being pursued by Melvin Purvis upon the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by J. Edgar Hoover. It’s a film that explores what some considered to be the golden age of bank robberies with gangsters robbing places left and right with no one to challenge them until the formation of the FBI where Hoover hires Purvis to hunt Dillinger after Purvis had taken down another gangster in Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). The film’s screenplay by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, and Michael Mann has a unique structure where much of its first half is about Dillinger’s success in robbing banks but also not killing innocent people as he maintains a folklore persona for robbing banks and helping people in need.

It is also around this time he would meet Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who would become his girlfriend as the relationship would be something Dillinger cherishes. Yet, Frechette would be the key to Purvis in trying to find Dillinger as the film’s second half is about Dillinger’s fall where he would get captured and later break out of prison only to learn that members of his gang are scattered with a few he can rely but also other gangsters who play by different rules. It would force Dillinger to rely more on Frechette and hide but also know that Purvis is determined to capture him and bring him to justice. It is a film that does play into a world that is changing where criminals used to have ideas and rules in what they have to do but power eventually becomes misused leading to people of power from the government to handle matters.

Mann’s direction is stylish in its approach to hand-held cameras to capture the action as well as shooting the film on high-definition digital video instead of the traditional 35mm where the look of the film has a crudeness in some of its movements and scenes where the camera shakes. It adds to its offbeat look where it gets a lot of detail in the visuals yet it does feel jarring at times as it is a step away from the norm expected in a gangster film. Shot on various locations in Columbus, Wisconsin as well as various towns in Illinois and Wisconsin along with parts of Chicago and Milwaukee. Along with actual locations where Dillinger did some of his robberies, Mann would maintain an air of grittiness to the visuals as well as use flares for scenes at night that play into the suspense and drama. Even as Mann would use wide shots not just in getting a scope of the locations but also in scenes where some of Purvis’ men are hiding to see where Dillinger could be as well as the scene early in the film where Purvis goes after Pretty Boy Floyd.

Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots also add to the drama and suspense where it does play into some of the situations that Dillinger and Purvis put themselves through as well as the exchanges they have with other characters. While there are some dramatic liberties in the film that relate to some of the people Dillinger meet like Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) as well as when Pretty Boy Floyd was killed. Mann does use the rise-and-fall narrative of Dillinger that play into a man who is considered a folk hero yet just wants to have money and have a good time but is aware that time is running out for him. The film’s climax is all about the locations and geography where Mann takes great care into the events that would mark an end of an era for the world of the gangsters and the emergence of a new world order. Overall, Mann crafts a gripping and rapturous film about the final year in the life of John Dillinger and the manhunt led by Melvin Purvis.

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in its approach to low-key lighting and the usage of available light to get a grittiness of the film though it does have that crude look expected from digital video that is jarring at times. Editors Paul Rubell and Jeffrey Ford do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg plus art directors Patrick Lumb and William Ladd Skinner, does amazing work with the look of some of the places re-created including restaurants, houses, and other places the characters go to. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that the women wore including Billie’s fur coat and the suits the men wore in those times.

Special effects supervisor Bruno Van Zeebroeck and visual effects supervisor Robert Stadd do terrific work with some of the special effects that relate to the action along with a few set-dressing pieces in the visual effects. Sound editors Laurent Kossayan and Jeremy Peirson do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of gunfire and sirens that add to the suspense. The film’s music by Elliot Goldenthal is wonderful for its bombastic string arrangements that add to the drama and suspense to play into the grandeur of Purvis’ manhunt while music supervisors Bob Badami, Bruce Fowler, and Kathy Nelson create a soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times ranging from jazz, blues, ragtime, and pop that would become standards of the time.

The casting by Avy Kaufman and Bonnie Timmermann is great as it feature some notable small roles from Matt Craven as FBI agent Gerry Campbell, Carey Mulligan as a young woman in Carol Slayman who provides Dillinger and his gang a hideout, Leelee Sobieski as Dillinger’s date Polly Hamilton on the night of his death, Branka Katic as another date of Dillinger in Anna Sage on that night, Emile de Ravin as a girlfriend of one of Dillinger’s friends, Bill Camp as the gangster Frank Nitti who refuses to help Dillinger during the second half to cover their bookkeeping scheme, John Ortiz and Domenick Lombardozzi as a couple of Nitti’s men, Giovanni Ribisi as a gangster in Alvin Karpis, Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley whose prison would hold Dillinger for a while, David Wenham and Spencer Garrett as two of Dillinger’s men in their respective roles as Harry Pierpont and Tommy Carroll, and Michael Bentt as the prisoner Herbert Youngblood who helped Dillinger break out of prison during the second half.

Jason Clarke and Stephen Dorff are terrific in their respective roles as Red Hamilton and Homer Van Meter as a couple of Dillinger’s associates who are among his closest allies with Clarke being the closest of the two who helps him escape and handle small matters while Dorff is the getaway driver who also knows what not to do. Stephen Graham is superb as Baby Face Nelson as a gangster who is violent and unruly as he is the kind of person Dillinger is reluctant to associate himself with while Channing Tatum is fantastic in his brief one-scene performance as Pretty Boy Floyd as a young gangster who gets gunned down by Purvis. Stephen Lang is excellent as the Texas Ranger Charles Winstead as the man who would kill Dillinger as he is also someone that is a man of principle and honor where he helps Purvis in pursuing Dillinger. Billy Crudup is brilliant as J. Edgar Hoover as Dillinger’s supervisor who is the public face of the FBI whom he’s just started as he ensures America that the world of crime will end.

Marion Cotillard is incredible as Billie Frechette as the woman who would be the love of Dillinger’s life in his final year as she would learn about who he is and would help him while unknowingly be used as bait to get him where it’s a performance that has Cotillard display a toughness as well as gracefulness that isn’t expected in characters that play a certain type. Christian Bale is marvelous as Melvin Purvis as a FBI agent who is tasked to pursue Dillinger with different methods as he is a cunning and cautious man that just wants to put Dillinger behind bars but is also someone that wants to do what is right where he later finds himself not agreeing with Hoover’s ideals. Finally, there’s Johnny Depp in a phenomenal performance as John Dillinger as the famed bank robber who likes to steal money and live a good life but is also someone that doesn’t kill unless it is necessary as it’s a low-key yet charismatic performance from Depp who displays charm as well as a melancholia as it relates to Dillinger’s fall.

Public Enemies is a remarkable film from Michael Mann that features great performances from Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Along with its ensemble cast, high-octane action, gritty presentation, and sumptuous music soundtrack, it’s a film is intense while play into the thrill of a period in time that was dangerous. Though its presentation is flawed due to the jarring visuals in the high-definition digital, it is still a film expected from Mann in its approach to showcasing the world of the gangsters during the Great Depression. In the end, Public Enemies is an awesome film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: (The Jericho Mile) – Thief - (The Keep) – Manhunter - (L.A. Takedown) – The Last of the Mohicans - (Heat) – (The Insider) – Ali – Collateral – Miami Vice – Blackhat - (The Auteurs #74: Michael Mann)

© thevoid99 2019

The Short Films of David Lynch Part 2 (2002-2013)

Part 2 (2002-2013)

Darkened Room


Shot as an eight-minute experimental film with digital cameras that was seen on his website, the film plays into a young woman (Jordan Ladd) crying in a sofa as a Japanese woman (Etsuko Shikata) is in Tokyo talking about bananas. It’s a film that doesn’t have much plot as it would feature a brunette woman (Cerina Vincent) coming in to the room for the short’s second half. It’s a short that is quite dramatic but also has this sense of the unknown where it’s not trying to explain itself or be anything other than an experiment.

DumbLand


In a return of sorts to the world of animation, Lynch creates eight episodes where its entire series run at nearly 30 minutes which plays into the life of a dim-witted white-trash man named Randy. Set to crudely-drawn hand-made animation, the short series present Lynch at his most absurd in terms of just off-the-wall stupidity and low-brow humor. Yet, it is so goddamn funny into the situations Randy and his family go into involving a neighbor, a doctor, a treadmill, a clothesline, a man with a stick inside his mouth, Randy’s son having a toothache, his uncle Bob, and ants. All of which involves Randy reacting to these situations in the most idiotic way as it’s one of Lynch’s most entertaining shorts.

Out Yonder (Neighbor Boy)


In another experimental short of sorts that Lynch would make for his website, it has him and his son Austin sitting on lawn chairs observing a young neighbor who is creating a racket. It’s a short that has the two Lynches talking in squeaky voices about this gigantic neighbor who just wants milk as all sorts of craziness occurs. It’s a short that is quite simple yet it also shows Lynch’s knack for low-brow and offbeat humor as it showcases that he can find humor in not just the absurd but also in the surreal.

Rabbits


In a four-episode series where it’s shot entirely in a single room with only three characters, the short is a strange mix of horror, comedy, drama, and avant-garde where Scott Coffey, Naomi Watts, and Laura Elena Harring all play rabbits who converge in a single room in a wide static shot. Through some very strange dialogue, the short uses some laugh-tracks and other sound effects to play off the idea of a sitcom yet many of the things said are very dark. It’s definitely Lynch at his darkest and most surreal but certainly one of the most intriguing projects he ever did.

Boat

Made as part of the Dynamic No. 1 DVD film collection of shorts Lynch did for his website, the short is a simple story of a young woman talking about a boat as she goes on a trip with a man on this boat. Featuring the voice of Emily Stofle, the film features Lynch driving the boat himself as it has this air of hypnotic textures in the voiceover with Lynch providing pristine yet intoxicating images through the digital camera.

Bug Crawls


A digital video/animated short is a simple story that revolves around a bug crawling on top of a house just as a blimp passes by. It’s a simple 4 minute short that reveals what happens when a bug crawls over the house as it’s a short that harkens back to Lynch’s early work. Especially in what happens when a door is revealed as it’s a short with only two simple cuts and that is it making it one of Lynch’s finest works.

Lamp


Lamp - David Lynch from Félix Al-karaz Al-wazir on Vimeo.


The thirty-minute short film is essentially David Lynch making a lamp where he reveals not just his meticulous approach into making the appliance but also in the craft and dedication into making the stand with the help of a tree. It’s also a short that looks into the workshop Lynch has where he does things outside of films while he would film himself doing everything that is happening. Even as he would take breaks during the making of this lamp stand.

Industrial Soundscape


This ten-minute animated short is essentially a loop where machines do the same thing to create sound textures as it is shot in an entire static shot where the only thing that changes is the sound to play into this mix of ambient and industrial music. It’s Lynch using film to display his love for music as it play into not just his own dark sensibilities but also his willingness to try different things.

Intervalometer Experiments




A trio of short films where Lynch would shoot simple things through the digital camera showcases the filmmaker once again trying to do something simple and find something entrancing. Whether it’s a room, some steps, or the sunset, it’s all shot in time-lapse presentation which allows the ordinary to become extraordinary. Even as it plays into these simple events being told in the span of a day.

More Things That Happened


Featuring 75 minutes of material that didn’t make the final cut of INLAND EMPIRE, the short is essentially a collection of scenes and outtakes that is turned into a project that is entirely its own. The material included additional subplots that related to the film as it involve Laura Dern’s Sue character and her marriage as well as insights the lives of prostitutes in Hollywood, the work of the Phantom in the film, and other aspects that relate to Sue. The scenes are interesting while as a whole film, it’s an odd and dense one that won’t be for everyone. Yet, it is still one of the most fascinating things that Lynch has ever done.

Ballerina


The 12-minute short film is essentially a ballerina dancing to music though the soundtrack is largely dark-ambient music that is reminiscent of the music in many of Lynch’s films. Yet, it is presented with images that are very cloudy as it dissolves over the ballerina dancing where it has this dream-like quality to the short. It is one of Lynch’s most beautiful short films as well as one of his essentials that proves he can find beauty in dark places.

Absurda


A three-minute short made specifically for the anthology film Chacun son Cinema that celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, Lynch’s short segment plays into a group of teens going into a movie theater. An old man would present them the film that is filled with horrifying images that comes to life as it plays into not just Lynch’s own take on horror and surrealism. While it is a very short segment, it is definitely one Lynch’s best works.

Blue Green


Made as a music video collaboration with David Vegara, the short is a simple yet offbeat short that has a child skipping around a factory while a young woman wanders around in the street and buildings. It is a short that isn’t trying to say anything yet doesn’t need any kind of explanation as it’s just Lynch being himself and having fun making a short inside a factory.

Dream #7


This 10-15 second short plays into not just Lynch’s own ideas of surrealism but also in the fact that he is willing to strange things no matter how long or how short the film is. A digital animation short involves an egg and an eye and what does it all mean? Well, does it need to mean anything? Still, it is one inventive short.

Lady Blue Shanghai


A 15-minute short made for Dior which stars Marion Cotillard as well as Emily Stofle, Gong Tao, Cheng Hong, Lu Yong, and Nie Fei. It’s a short that revolves a woman who returns to her hotel in Shanghai where she finds a mysterious blue purse not knowing where it came from as she starts to see things believing that she’s been to Shanghai before. Shot in digital video, the short has this air of beauty that Lynch is often not known for yet he manages to do so much with the film as well as flesh out a mesmerizing performance from Marion Cotillard. The short itself is truly one of Lynch’s best works.

The 3 Rs


This 65-second short that Lynch made for the 2011 Venice Film Festival is a simple short which revolves around surreal images shot mostly in black-and-white where Lynch has a man holding two rocks though people are really wondering how many rocks he’s really holding. It’s definitely in line as an avant-garde short but it offers so much more where it ranges from being scary to being comical.

Idem Paris


The 8-minute documentary short has Lynch go into the Idem Paris fine art studio print which reveals the art in making lithographic processing. Shot on high-definition digital video in black-and-white, the film is essentially a documentary with no dialogue or anything strange but rather something very straightforward about what these people do at Idem Paris. Even as these are people who work very hard at what they do and be dedicated to an art form that doesn’t require new technology as they often try to fix or refine the machines they’re using. It’s definitely one of Lynch’s best films that showcases his love for the world of art.

No matter what form David Lynch is doing, his work in short films definitely adds to his already legendary status as an artist. Whether it’s in musical performances, commercials, animation, or just something straightforward. Lynch always find something to say no matter how small or how short these films are as it is an indication of his power as a filmmaker. Even if it plays into the absurd, the fear, or just being absolutely comical as it shows why people love David Lynch.

David Lynch Films: Eraserhead - The Elephant Man - Dune - Blue Velvet - Wild at Heart - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - Lost Highway - The Straight Story - Mulholland Dr. - INLAND EMPIRE - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 1 - The Music Videos of David Lynch

The Auteurs #50: David Lynch: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2015

Two Days, One Night

Written and directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night) is the story of a woman who is trying to keep her job as she spends the weekend trying to convince various co-workers to forgo their bonuses so she can keep her job following a period of absence due to depression. The film is another tale of the Dardenne Brothers and their outlook into the world of the working class as a woman is trying to get back to work as she learns she could be out of the job because of her absence. Starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, and Olivier Gourmet. Deux jours, une nuit is a mesmerizing yet powerful film from the Dardenne Brothers.

After being absent from her work due to depression, a woman learns she has to convince 16 of her co-workers at a factory to forgo their bonuses so she can keep her job. Yet, she faces an uphill battle as she is aware that not everyone can give up their bonuses as she struggles with the idea of losing her job that she needs to support her family. It’s a film that plays into a sense of struggle where this woman, who is a mother of two and a husband who is already working, as she wants to get back to work. For Sandra (Marion Cotillard), she is already teetering on the edge as she is constantly crying as she’s trying not to gain pity for what has happened to her as she meets with her co-workers in convincing them to forgo their bonuses.

While many are sympathetic, some aren’t able to let go of the bonuses as they needed it. The film’s screenplay is aware of the sense of conflict that looms in Sandra as she doesn’t want to gain the ire of her co-workers. Plus, she would question into whether she’s well enough to work due to her struggle with depression. Though she has the full support of her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) who would drive her to the houses during the weekend when he’s not working. She would raise question about their marriage as she starts to unravel as the story progresses yet for those who say yes to her do give her a bit of hope but others are reluctant which she does understand as she admits to doing the same if she was in their shoes.

The direction of the Dardenne Brothers does have an air of simplicity, which is typical of their work, yet is very vibrant in the way it plays into the struggles of a woman during a weekend. Notably as it’s shot entirely on location in the industrial section of Seraing in Liege in Belgium where it is a character in the film. While much of the film is shot with hand-held cameras, there is a smoothness to the way the camera moves in scenes set inside a car as well as in the way the camera moves around in locations in the streets. Even as it is constantly following Sandra as she is trekking from one home to another to talk to co-workers in convincing them to let her keep her job. The sense of intimacy in the Dardenne Brothers’ approach to close-ups and medium shots play into Sandra’s struggle as there’s scenes of her crying as they often keep the camera afar to not get too close.

The direction also plays into how restrained the drama is as there’s very little moments of outbursts and intensity as those moments add to the weight of guilt that looms into Sandra’s already troubled state of mind. Even as she faces rejection where the Dardennes aren’t interested in creating people who are heroes and villains but just people who mean well but have needs. Time also plays an impact to the story as much it is set on two days and one night before the weekend ends where all of Sandra’s co-workers have to vote about keeping their bonuses or have Sandra keep their job as that Monday is the film’s climax. Yet, it’s aftermath is more about what will happen to Sandra and what will happen to her on the next day as it is clear that that the outcome of the vote wouldn’t make anything easier nor happier but it does indicate that Sandra at least did put up a fight to save her livelihood. Overall, the Dardenne Brothers create a rapturous film about a woman struggling to regain her job in the course of a weekend.

Cinematographer Alain Marcoen does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as he maintains a very sunny and colorful look of the locations while keeping things low-key in some of the interiors in Sandra’s home with its natural lighting. Editor Marie-Helene Dozo does brilliant work with the editing as it‘s straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into the intensity of Sandra‘s struggle. Production designer Igor Gabriel does fantastic work with a few of the set pieces such as the home that Sandra, Manu, and their children live in as it is a very simple home. Costume designer Maira Ramedhan Levi does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual while the pink shirt that Sandra wears is a standout as it plays to its look. Sound editor Benoit De Clerck does terrific work with the sound as it’s very low-key but also very natural for the way things sound on location including the music that is played on the car radio such as Petula Clark and Them.

The film’s incredible cast include some notable small roles from Batiste Sornin as Sandra’s boss, Simon Caudry and Pili Groyne as Sandra and Manu’s children, Catherine Salee as Sandra’s co-worker and friend Juliette, Christelle Cornill as another co-worker of Sandra in Anne who helps her in the film’s third act, Serge Koto as an immigrant co-worker who is worried about the impact of the vote, and Olivier Gourmet as the factory foreman who is the one that created the decision into whether giving Sandra her job back. Fabrizio Rongione is amazing as Sandra’s husband Manu who tries to help her every way he can as he is aware of her very depressed state and knows that his job isn’t enough to help them financially.

Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in an absolutely phenomenal performance as Sandra as it’s Cotillard at her most raw where she isn’t being glamorous. Instead, she brings that sense of realism of a woman struggling to keep her job and her sanity as she is also dealing with depression as it’s just mesmerizing to watch as Cotillard brings that weight of despair into one her best performance so far.

Deux jours, une nuit is a tremendously rich and captivating film from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne that features a radiantly powerful performance from Marion Cotillard. Not only is the film one of their most accessible but also a very universal film that plays into a woman’s struggle to get her job back. Even as she is coping with her own depression as she knows that not everyone is on board to give her job back with very understandable reasons. In the end, Deux jours, une nuit is a truly outstanding film from the Dardenne Brothers.

Dardenne Brothers Films: (Falsch) - (I Think of You) - La Promesse - Rosetta - Le Fils - L'Enfant - Lorna's Silence - The Kid with a Bike

© thevoid99 2014

The Immigrant (2013 film)

Directed by James Gray and written by Gray and Ric Menello, The Immigrant is the story of a Polish woman who travels to America with her sister as she works as a prostitute to free her quarantined sister while falling in love with a magician. Set in 1921, the film is an exploration into the world of Europeans coming to America as they try to capture that idea of the American dream. Starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner, Angela Sarafyan, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Yelena Solovey. The Immigrant is an evocative yet powerful film from James Gray.

The idea of going to America from Europe definitely conjures up the idea of the American dream where one can go from a foreign country often troubled by war and poverty as going to America is a place to start over and succeed there. What this film does is play into that myth as a young woman from Poland arrives to Ellis Island with her sister who is ill with tuberculosis as Ewa (Marion Cotillard) endures some of the most harshest circumstances as well as the danger of being sent back to Poland until she gets help from a man named Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix) who gives her a place to live but with certain conditions as she reluctantly becomes a prostitute. Upon meeting Bruno’s magician cousin Emil (Jeremy Renner), she finds hope in Emil but endure Bruno’s jealousy as she tries to save enough money to help her quarantined sister.

The film’s screenplay by James Gray and Ric Menello doesn’t just explore the myth of the American dream but also what immigrants have to endure upon their arrival into America as it is set a few years after World War I. Ewa arrives with her sister Magda (Angela Sarafyan) as Ewa has been reported to be someone with low morals which prevents her from being part of the country immediately. Though she tries to get help from relatives, she is shunned over accusations of being a whore as she had no choice but to work under Bruno as a theater dancer and as a prostitute which has questioning about the decisions she’s making. At the same time, she knows she has to do something not just to survive but also to help out Magda who is unable to get into the country because of her illness as she’s stuck at Ellis Island.

While the character of Bruno isn’t a totally despicable person, he is someone who is willing to use Ewa for money as he is also the only person that can really help Ewa to get Magda out of Ellis Island. Ewa reluctantly trusts him yet she couldn’t believe the kind of things he makes her do as he would also threaten her. Upon meeting Emil during a show in Ellis Island and learning that he’s Bruno’s cousin, a complicated love triangle emerges as Ewa falls for the much kinder Emil who offers a chance to live a good life as well as getting her sister out as well. This would cause tension between Emil and Bruno while Ewa also has to endure prejudice and the other women working for Bruno who despises Ewa because of her morals. Through all the tribulations that Ewa goes through, she tries to appeal to God about what to do and wonder if she is doing anything right.

Gray’s direction definitely recalls a lot of the films made during the 1970s about the world of immigrants yet he brings in something that also feels timeless in the way he re-creates early 20th Century New York City. It’s a world that is starting to form its identity as well as be this strange mix of Europeans roaming around the country with actual New Yorkers. There’s a dreamlike quality to the look of the film with its sepia-drenched cinematography as well as Gray’s great attention to detail from the way the city looked and how he would shoot scenes such as some through a window or through a glass door. The use of the medium shots and close-ups add to Gray’s unique vision as well as use some wide shots to play into the look of the city.

Some of the moments in the film are very intimate such as the way Bruno instructs Ewa into becoming a reluctant prostitute where Gray keeps the camera close but not too close. The scenes involving Emil are quite lively as it has that element of mystique but also adds an ambiguity to what Emil is in comparison to Bruno as they sort of represent this duality of morality for Ewa. Especially in the third act where Ewa deals with own crisis in faith as some troubling actions would force Ewa to reach out towards those who would help her. This would play into Ewa not only reveal all of the trials and tribulations she had faced but also realize that being in America is just as complicated as anywhere else. Overall, Gray crafts a very engrossing yet intoxicating film about an immigrant arriving into America and discover that the American Dream is really a myth.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji does incredible work with the film‘s dream-like and enchanting cinematography that is awash with sepia-drenched images for much of the film‘s interiors including a few dashes of color in some scenes such as the church while the usage of blue for the exterior Ellis Island scenes are also beautiful as it‘s one of the film‘s major highlights. Editors John Axelrad and Kayla Emter do excellent work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward yet does have some elements of style as the cutting has this seamless feel to the way the transitions play out as well as some of the drama. Production designer Happy Massee, with set decorator David Schlesinger and art director Pete Zumba does brilliant work with the look of early 1920s New York City in its immigrant-based sections along with the look of the park bridges to play into a world that is starting to define itself.

Costume designer Patricia Norris does amazing work with the period costumes from the ordinary clothes that Ewa wears upon her arrival to the stylish clothes she and the other women wear for the stage performances and as prostitutes. Key makeup artist Rachel Geary does nice work with some of the makeup such as the makeup the women have to wear for the stage performances. Visual effects supervisors Eran Dinour and Dottie Starling do terrific work with some of the visual effects where it‘s mostly minimal such as the look of 1921 New York City from afar as well as some of the set dressing for some of the locations. Sound designer Robert Hein does superb work with the sound from the way some of the theater performances sound to the more intimate moments in the Ellis Island building and in some of the locations in the city. The film’s music by Chris Spelman is wonderful for its somber orchestral music to play with the drama while music supervisor Dana Sano creates a music soundtrack that mixes the jazz music of the times with some opera music by Giuseppe Verdi and a classical piece by John Tavener.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is fantastic as it features some notable small roles from Patrick Husted as a priest, Antoni Corone as the sympathetic customs officer Thomas McNally, Ilia Volok as Ewa and Magda’s uncle who feels shamed by Ewa, Maja Wampuszyc as Ewa and Magda’s more sympathetic aunt, and Yelena Solovey as the theater manager Rosie who invited Emil to come back to the stage. Dagmara Dominczyk is wonderful as one of Bruno’s hookers in Belva who dislikes Ewa as she would play a key role in the film’s third act. Angela Sarafyan is terrific as Ewa’s sister Magda as it’s a small yet crucial role as a young woman who becomes ill as she would be quarantined due to her illness.

Jeremy Renner is great as Emil as this magician who offers Ewa any help that she needs as he also falls for her as Renner brings a lot of charm and sensitivity to his performance while also proving to be tough. Joaquin Phoenix is remarkable as Bruno as this man who has all of the connections to get women to work for him and make money while he also has a dark obsession towards Ewa which would finally cloud his own judgment as he tries to deal with his own jealousy towards Emil. Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in a phenomenal performance as Ewa as this woman struggling to survive in a new, cruel environment as she endures degradation and prejudice while trying to find good in the world as well as maintain her faith as it’s Cotillard at her best.

The Immigrant is an incredible film from James Gray. Thanks to the leading performances of Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner as well as Darius Khondji’s dazzling cinematography. The film is clearly a captivating story about the struggles that immigrants go through upon their arrival while dealing with the false myth of the American Dream. In the end, The Immigrant is a tremendous film from James Gray.

James Gray Films: Little Odessa - The Yards - We Own the Night - Two Lovers - The Lost City of Z - Ad Astra - The Auteurs #67: James Gray

© thevoid99 2014

Love Me If You Dare

Directed by Yann Samuel and written by Samuel and Jacky Cukier, Jeux d’enfants (Children’s Game or Love Me If You Dare) is the story about two childhood friends who continuously play a strange game of dare from childhood through adulthood. The film explores the complex relationship between a wealthy boy and a poor Polish girl as they grow into adults. Starring Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard. Jeux d’enfants is a very charming and witty film from Yann Samuel.

The film revolves the lives of two people who start off as childhood friends where they play a twisted game of dare that becomes more intense as they reach into adulthood. It’s a film that plays into a lot of humor and drama where the dares these two people give each other start off very mildly and silly as children but it becomes more twisted as adults where it would play into their emotions and such. The film’s screenplay showcases the lives of Julien (Guillaume Canet) and Sophie (Marion Cotillard) as they become friends as children when the young Julien (Thibault Verhaeghe) helps the young Polish-born Sophie (Josephine Lebas-Joly) who is picked on by other kids. With a tin box that Julien got from his ailing mother, the two would share it during the course of the dares. Things would go from silly to serious in the dares when they’re children and later adults as the extremes that Julien and Sophie put through each other would affect the other people in their lives.

Yann Samuel’s direction is very stylish not just in the look and presentation but also in its approach to comedy and drama. At heart, it is a romantic comedy with a strange twist considering how silly the game can be but also how far it can go where people involved in the game get hurt really badly. Samuel’s direction is filled with a lot of wondrous compositions as well as some playful fantasy scenes the characters engage in as children. Still, there is a sense of style but also moments where Samuel will find a way to divert expectations to see whether or not Julien and Sophie are still in game mode or not. Even as the story is structure in a tennis match of sorts though it has an ending that plays into a sense of ambiguity. Overall, Samuel creates a very dazzling yet off-kilter film about two people whose game of dare takes them to the extreme.

Cinematographer Antoine Roch does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography as it‘s awash with sepia-drenched colors to play up the sense of fantasy and surrealism the main characters play into. Editors Judith Riviere Kawa and Andrea Sedlackova do amazing work with the editing with its sense of style from jump-cuts to montages to showcase the evolution of Julien and Sophie‘s relationship. Production designer Jean-Michel Simonet does fantastic work with some of the set pieces from the places the characters go into as well as the design of the fantasy sequences the younger Julien and Sophie venture into.

Costume designer Julie Mauduech does wonderful work with the costumes from the clothes the kids wear to evolution of styles that Julien and Sophie wear in the many periods of their relationship. Visual effects supervisors Rodolphe Chabrier and Martial Vallanchon do excellent work with some of the visual effects such as the fantasy scenes where the young Julien and Sophie venture into. Sound editor Thomas Desjonqueres does nice work with the sound work to play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the craziness in the dares. The film’s music by Philippe Rombi is superb for its lush orchestral score that includes some variations of the classic Edith Piaff song La Vie En Rose where music supervisor Geraldine Rombi also provides different versions of that song that are sung by Louis Armstrong and Donna Summer.

The casting by Gigi Akoka is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Elodie Navarre as a rival college student of Sophie, Frederic Greets as a jock Sophie and Julien slap around, Julia Faure as Sophie’s older sister, Philippe Drecq as the young Julien and Sophie’s schoolmaster, and Emmanuelle Gronvold as Julien’s ailing mother who gave him the tin box. Other notable supporting roles include Gerard Watkins as Julien’s father who is bothered by Julien’s friendship with Sophie while Gilles Lellouche and Laetizia Venezia play the respective spouses of Sophie and Julien in the film’s second half and third act. Thibault Verhaeghe and Josephine Lebas-Joly are amazing in their respective roles as the young Julien and Sophie as they bring a lot of energy and imagination to their roles no matter how extreme they dare themselves.

Finally, there’s Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Julien and Sophie. The two bring a lot of humor as well as drama to their roles with Canet as the more reluctant of the two but also very outgoing in the dares. Cotillard is a bit more serious as she also knows how to push the buttons in the dare as it goes to major extremes. Their performances are the heart and soul of the film as neither are afraid to make their characters be despicable at time but they add enough charm to make their performances so fun to watch.

Jeux d’enfants is an excellent film from Yann Samuel that features exhilarating performances from Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard. The film is definitely a very kooky yet entertaining love story that is willing to take things to the extreme not matter how outlandish it can be. In the end, Jeux d’enfants is a superb film from Yann Samuel.

© thevoid99 2013

Rust and Bone

Based on the short stories by Craig Davidson, De rouille et do’s (Rust and Bone) is the story of a man trying to find his way in the world as he meets and falls for a killer whale trainer who had just lost her legs in a freak accident. Directed by Jacques Audiard and screenplay by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain, the film showcases the power of human connection through tragedy and longing. Starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. De rouille et do’s is an extraordinary yet powerful film from Jacques Audiard.

Arriving from Belgium to the south of France with his young son Sam (Armand Verdure), Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) moves in with his sister Anna (Corinne Masiero) and her husband Richard (Jean-Michel Correia). Hoping to find work, Ali goes through several jobs including being a club bouncer where he stops a fight where a woman named Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) was accidentally hit and received a bloody nose. Ali takes Stephanie back to her apartment to heal his swollen hand as he leaves his number to her in case she wants to call. Ali continues to find something that will give him some good money where he learns that Stephanie was in a freak accident during her work as a killer whale trainer where she lost her legs. Despondent over the loss her legs and her well-being, Stephanie calls Ali needing him to keep her company.

Ali and Stephanie begin a relationship of sorts where they would occasionally have sex but also keep her company as she watches him take part in illegal fights. Ali also takes part in helping his friend Martial (Bouli Lanners) to put in tiny cameras in various places for the bosses to spy on their staff. Despite their time together, Stephanie begins to question about the nature of their relationship due to Ali’s actions where he finds himself in trouble of his other work with Martial. Particularly where it would cause some dire consequences as Ali is forced to question what kind of man he’s supposed to be.

The question of how people come together is an interesting one as this film is about two very different people who connect through not just tragedy but also to find some direction in life. In Ali, here’s a man that is extremely flawed as he is a well-meaning but inattentive father who leaves his child in the care of his sister and her husband who have enough problems of their own. Ali is also someone who is quite immature and is willing to have sex with anyone and seems to put his own interests first before anyone else’s. In Stephanie, here’s a woman who already has a life but is seemingly unfulfilled until she loses her legs in a freak accident where she goes into a period of shutting herself out from everyone. When they get together, both go into a period in their life where they’re trying to find themselves in this unconventional relationship.

The screenplay doesn’t carry a lot of plot schematics as it slowly builds this relationship that is very flawed since these are two very different people. Yet, they managed to connect on the fact that neither of them have any clue about themselves or what to do in their life. All Ali knows is to fight and be tough where he can take part in these illegal fights and risk his body. For him, it’s about proving that he’s the best and maybe use the money to help his sister and get his son for a few things. While he has good intentions, there’s a side of Ali that is very despicable where he’ll go out with a woman to have sex with her leaving Stephanie alone at a club or not be aware of the damage he’s doing in setting up cameras to get people fired. He’s essentially a man who is still a child of sorts with no real sense of direction and he’s not even sure why he’s with someone like Stephanie as she would question about why they’re having this relationship.

For Stephanie, she’s a woman who is truly lost as she doesn’t think people understand what she is going through or really care as she isn’t sure she wants to people to think of her as a freak. There’s one moment in the club scene after Ali leaves her for another woman where she’s drinking and a man buys her a drink. When he realizes what she is, he wants to offer sympathy but she wants none of it. She becomes more aware of who she is as she doesn’t want to be defined yet she knows that Ali is someone who needs to grow up and be responsible. Their relationship is quite complicated since neither really know what they want from each other yet the script doesn’t really bring any answers to that. In fact, it doesn’t really need any answers other than just two people needing to be connected by some strange circumstances.

Jacques Audiard’s direction is truly evocative for the way he creates a drama that doesn’t play to conventions despite the schematics it brings where some will accuse of it being manipulative. Yet, Audiard is aware of being manipulative but he does it in order to create key moments for the development of its lead characters. Particularly in scenes where Ali and Stephanie are together where Audiard just underplays the drama and let things just happen without any kind of schemes. Shot in various locations like Antibes, Cannes, Paris, parts of Northern France, Belgium, and Warsaw. It’s a film where Audiard places these individuals in a world where it’s very imperfect just like their lives. Sure, there’s beautiful beaches and some other fine places but it’s just as chaotic as the lives of Ali and Stephanie.

Audiard’s direction definitely employs a lot of hand-held cameras but it never becomes shaky in order to capture a lot of the drama that is happening as if he’s aiming for a cinema verite style. There are some stylistic shots such as some lingering images of water for Stephanie to reflect on what happened to her as there’s also startling images of men fighting in slow motion Audiard also creates some compositions that are truly hypnotic such as Stephanie’s return to the sea park she worked at where Audiard places the camera in a wide shot for Stephanie to connect with the whale. Audiard doesn’t employ a lot of close-ups as he knows where to keep the camera away including in some very intense moments of the film. He also knows when not to explain things by letting the images happen where he would create some very key moments in the drama. Overall, Audiard creates a truly captivating drama about human connection.

Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine does excellent work with the photography to capture the beauty that is the South of France but without any kind of a postcard look while employing more low-key lighting frame for some of the nighttime interiors to maintain a realistic look. Editor Juliette Welfling does brilliant work with the editing by utilizing lots of stylish cuts for the film including jump-cuts and fade-outs to help play out its structure and the action that occurs. Production designer Michel Barthelemy, along with set decorator Boris Piot and art director Yann Megard, does wonderful work with the look of Anna’s home as well as the more spacious apartment that Stephanie lives in for her new life.

Costume designer Virginie Martel does nice work with the costumes from the track suits that Ali wears to the more looser clothing that Stephanie wears. Visual effects supervisor Cedric Fayolle does terrific work with the film‘s minimal visual effects to display Stephanie without her legs. Sound editor Pascal Villard does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the club scenes as well as the more intimate moments between Ali and Stephanie.

The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is amazing for its low-key yet ethereal orchestral score that also features some piano-driven music as well as moments to underplay the drama. Music supervisor Frederic Junqua creates a soundtrack that features all sorts of music ranging from club, pop, folk, and rock from artists as diverse as Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, the B-52s, White & Spirit, Lykke Li, and probably the most inspired use of Katy Perry’s Firework.

The casting by Richard Rousseau is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Yannick Choirat as Stephanie’s boyfriend Simon, Mourad Frarema as Ali’s night guard co-worker Foued, Jean-Michel Correia as Ali’s brother-in-law Richard, Bouli Lanners as Ali's corrupt friend Martial, and Celine Sallette as Stephanie’s friend Louise. Corrine Maisero is excellent as Ali’s sister Anna who tries to deal with Ali’s immaturity and selfishness as well as the fact that he’s an irresponsible ass. Armand Verdure is wonderful as Ali’s son Sam who is just a five-year old who loves dogs and doesn’t really understand what kind of man his father is.

Matthias Schoenaerts is marvelous as the fearless yet directionless Ali who tries to find something that would give him a good life only to do terrible things that would impact people. It’s a role that is very complicated but Schoenaerts really manages to make Ali a man that is human and at times un-likeable but also engaging as he knows he’s very flawed. Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in a towering performance as Stephanie as a woman lost and troubled by her accident where Cotillard displays a lot of life into this woman who could’ve been destroyed. It’s also a performance that just radiates in its silent moments but as well as its darker ones. The chemistry between Cotillard and Schoenaerts is intoxicating to watch for the way they depend on each other as well as understand that neither of them are perfect.

De rouille et do’s is a magnificent film from Jacques Audiard that features incredible performances from Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. It’s a film that definitely captures the power of the human spirit in all of its flaws while not being afraid to be sentimental. While it’s not an easy film to watch, it’s very engaging for the way it reveals how two people can connect despite having very little in common. In the end, De rouille et do’s is a phenomenal film from Jacques Audiard.

Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) - (A Self Made Hero) - (Sur mes levres) - (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) - A Prophet

© thevoid99 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

Based on the DC Comics, The Dark Knight Rises is the story of a battered Bruce Wayne who dons his role as Batman after an eight-year hiatus to battle a cat burglar and a large man who has taken over the League of Shadows who hopes to wreak havoc on Gotham. Directed by Christopher Nolan and screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan with story by Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is the third and final part of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy as it follows Bruce Wayne in his quest to bring peace for Gotham as Christian Bale reprises the role. Also starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Ben Mendelsohn, Matthew Modine, and Tom Hardy as Bane. The Dark Knight Rises is a magnificent end to the Dark Knight trilogy from Christopher Nolan.

Eight years after the events that involved Harvey Dent’s death, Gotham lives in a world of peace but based on a lie as Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) starts to feel uneasy about the lie. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne is living a life as a recluse still lost over his grief and having Batman hide out. Yet, he learns that a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) has broken into his safe as she had been trying to retrieve his fingerprints for a business rival in John Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn). Yet, Wayne learns about a far more sinister figure in a mercenary named Bane who plans to wreak havoc on Gotham. Realizing he needs to be Batman again, he has his left leg repaired while getting ready to face whoever as Bane has officially arrived at Gotham. Still, Wayne has to deal with his losses as he asks Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to take over Wayne Enterprises with Lucius Fox’s help.

With Gordon recovering from a gunshot after discovering Bane’s hideout, he asks a young police officer in John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to watch over things as Peter Foley (Matthew Modine) takes when Bane finally storms Gotham’s financial stock market to wreak havoc. Yet, it would mark the first of his many confrontations with Batman who makes his return as Batman also confronts Kyle over her theft as she reveals what she’s been doing. She would eventually lead Batman to confront Bane where the confrontation proves to be disastrous for Wayne as he’s sent to a mysterious land that he cannot escape leaving Bane to destroy Gotham all by himself.

After learning some stories about the League of Shadows and having to see Gotham be on its own under Bane’s terror with help from a fusion device Wayne had hoped to use for clean energy. The fusion device becomes a bomb that will detonate leaving the people of Gotham in fear as its criminals are free leaving to do whatever they want. Having to see Bane’s destruction, Wayne realizes what he must do to destroy Bane and the League of Shadows from destroying Gotham as he’ll need the help of some people.

The film is about Bruce Wayne/Batman getting back in the swing of things when Gotham is being threatened by a terrorist who hopes to finish the job that Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson and Josh Pence as the younger Ra’s Al Ghul) was able to finish in Batman Begins. Yet, Batman also has to deal with a cat burglar who has been trying to steal things from him in order for a businessman to bankrupt Bruce Wayne as she eventually realizes that she is getting little in return as she eventually teams up with Wayne. It’s all about Bane’s plan to fulfill Ra’s Al Ghul’s desire to destroy Gotham at the pinnacle of its chaos and then rebuild it as a new society. Still, he has to face Batman and a few others who actually believe in good triumphing over evil.

While the screenplay does have trouble following along with what Bane is planning along with subplots revolving around John Daggett’s plans to bankrupt Bruce Wayne for the League of Shadows. It does succeed in fleshing out the characters and motivation as it centers around Wayne’s desire to finally return as Batman following an eight-year hiatus but finds himself facing foes that are more powerful than him. Particularly as his motivations get him into conflict with his longtime butler Alfred (Michael Caine) who believes that Wayne is headed for death where he eventually reveals a secret that he kept for eight years.

Then there’s Bane who is this villain that represents a physical force where literally in his confrontations with Batman but also conceptually in how he terrorizes Gotham. Yet, he’s also a very intelligent man who wants to punish Wayne for the lies he created eight years before and for wounding the League of Shadows several years before that. He may not be the anarchist of the Joker nor the more organized planning of Ra’s Al Ghul but Bane is still an interesting villain. While other new character like John Blake and Miranda Tate are also interesting with some back story about them. Another character who simply steals the show from everyone is Selina Kyle. Though she isn’t called Catwoman throughout the film, she is a character that is quite complex as she’s just a thief who likes to steal for herself while aiding others in hopes to clear her name. Yet, she has to deal with all sorts of things as she eventually becomes conflicted about stealing from Wayne once Bane starts to wreak havoc.

Christopher Nolan’s direction is definitely vast in the way he presents the film in its opening scene with this elaborate scene of a plane being captured by a bigger plane that is inter-cut with a scene of Bruce Wayne watching above Wayne Manor to see Commissioner Gordon praise Harvey Dent. It’s a big way to open a film that is ambitious but also intimate in the way Nolan creates small scenes involving Wayne’s own turmoil with his loss that includes a heartbreaking moment where Alfred makes a confession that becomes an emotional turning point for Wayne in his upcoming confrontation with Bane. Yet, there are few scenes where Batman appears as it’s mostly to do with Wayne’s struggle to find reasons to be Batman again while dealing with all of these new dark forces.

Through the vast compositions and big action scenes, Nolan’s direction is truly ambitious as it includes the climatic battle between Batman and Bane where there are revelations into how Batman must save Gotham from nuclear Armageddon. It’s all about creating suspense and moments where Nolan is waiting for the payoff as well as things where Wayne has to face some realities. While there’s a few things in the film that don’t work such as a fantasy sequence where Wayne sees Ra’s Al Ghul in a dream. Still, Nolan does enough for what is expected in a blockbuster superhero film genre with his rapturous shots and thrilling action sequences that does more than entertain. Overall, Nolan creates a truly solid film that ends his Dark Knight trilogy on a high note.

Cinematographer Wally Pfister does amazing work with the photography such as the vast opening sequence and other action sequence that carries a wide depth of field while creating amazing lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editor Lee Smith does excellent work with the editing to play up the intensity of the action films as well as slowing things down to build up the suspense. Production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorator Paki Smith and art directors James Hambridge and Naaman Marshall, do spectacular work with the set pieces such as the new Batcave as well as Wayne Manor and the prison that Wayne is put in during the film‘s second half.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does superb work with the costumes from the look of the Batsuit and Bane‘s costume to the gorgeous leather look of Selina Kyle‘s cat-suit. Visual effects supervisor Paul J. Franklin does terrific work with the minimal visual effects created such as the wide shots of the bridges blowing up as well as other shots involving the Batwing. Sound designer Richard King does brilliant work with the sound from the way the chants sound at the prison scene to the layering of sounds to exemplify the chaos that occurs in the film‘s second half. The film’s score by Hans Zimmer is wonderful for its percussive-driven score to play out the intensity of the action along with more low-key yet heavy orchestral themes to play up the drama.

The casting by John Papsidera and Toby Whale is incredible for the ensemble that is created for the film. With notable appearances from Liam Neeson and Josh Pence as Ra’s Ah Ghul with the latter in flashback scenes, other standouts include Juno Temple as Selina’s assistant Holly Robinson, Brett Cullen as a Congressman Selina woos, Thomas Lennon as a doctor, John Nolan as a Wayne Enterprises board member, Nestor Carbonell as Mayor Garcia, Alon Abutbul as the scientist Dr. Pavel that Bane kidnaps early in the film, Matthew Modine as deputy commissioner Foley, Chris Ellis as a priest John Blake confides in, Ben Mendelsohn as the slimy John Daggett, Burn Gorman’s as Daggett’s assistant Stryver, and Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in a mock trial scene.

Morgan Freeman is excellent as the always resourceful Lucius Fox while Michael Caine is brilliant as the very witty but concerned Alfred where the latter definitely pulls a lot of the emotional weight involving his relationship with Bruce Wayne. Marion Cotillard is excellent as philanthropist Miranda Tate who tries to get Bruce back in the world and be involved with a clean-energy machine that ends up being trouble. Gary Oldman is great as Commissioner Gordon who deals with the guilt he created from a lie as he becomes overwhelmed with facing Bane by himself only to find a new ally in John Blake. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is superb as John Blake, a hot-headed young cop turned detective who confronts Wayne about what really happened to Harvey Dent as well as try to figure out what Bane is doing. Tom Hardy is marvelous as Bane by exemplifying his physique as a huge force while proving to be a man of great intelligence and power as it’s definitely Hardy at his best.

Anne Hathaway is phenomenal as Selina Kyle where she definitely steals the show from everyone from the one-liners she gives to the way she is able to outwit Wayne in every way and form. It’s Hathaway bringing a lot of humor and physicality to a woman who can’t be trifled with as she gives out one of her greatest performances of her career. Finally there’s Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman where Bale gives another great performance by displaying the anguish and confusion of a man unsure if he’s willing to be Batman again while having to deal with all of these forces. It’s Bale creating a lot of realism to the character of Wayne while being more cunning as Batman where he is more unafraid to do whatever he needs to do to save Gotham.

The Dark Knight Rises is an exhilarating and thrilling film from Christopher Nolan. Thanks to a large ensemble cast that features top-of-the-line performances from Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. It’s a film that definitely lives up to the hype though it doesn’t top its predecessors in terms of excitement and storytelling. It’s also a blockbuster that manages to excite but also engage for the way it reveals on what Batman must do to save the world. In the end, The Dark Knight Rises is an incredible film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - Interstellar - Dunkirk - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman (1989 film) - Batman Returns - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - (Justice League)

© thevoid99 2012

La Vie En Rose

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/20/07.

The name Edith Piaf to the French is a name they all know as the late singer is a beloved icon who sings songs of heartbreak and tragedy. Though her death at the age of 47 in 1963 was a sad moment, she was still beloved by her country as her fame had also grown around the world and in the U.S. during World War II despite singing for German forces in occupied France while she claimed she was supporting the resistance. In 2007, a film bio-pic was made about her life named after one of her most beloved songs entitled La Vie En Rose.

Directed by Olivier Dahan with a script he wrote featuring additional dialogue from Isabelle Sobelman based on numerous books. La Vie En Rose is the story Piaf's life from the streets of Paris to the world as she gained fame and infamy through her tumultuous life. Playing the role of the legendary singer is Marion Cotillard who had been previously seen in Tim Burton's Big Fish, Jean-Pierre Jeuneut's A Very Long Engagement, and Ridley Scott's A Good Year. Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner, Jean-Paul Rouve, Clotilde Courau, Sylvie Testud, and Gerard Depardieu. La Vie En Rose is an enthralling, enchanting portrait of one of France's enduring icons.

It's 1959 as Edith Piaf is in New York City singing but her health problems have finally caught up to her due to an addiction to injections. After collapsing, Piaf is sent to return home to France with her American boyfriend Doug (Harry Hadden-Paton) where she parties and makes more appearance before a car crash that killed Doug and left her injured. A few years later in 1963, the very ill Piaf reflects on her life as she recalls the time as a child (Manon Chevallier) living in the poor streets of Paris as her mother Anetta (Clotilde Courau) abandons her for a singing career. Forced to live with her maternal grandmother, her father Louis (Jean-Paul Rouve) returns from the war and takes her to live with his mother Louise (Catherine Allegret) who houses prostitutes. With Louis leaving for his job at the circus, Edith is in the care of her grandmother along with fellow prostitutes including Titine (Emmanuelle Seigner) who treats her like her own daughter.

When the young Edith is suffering from a disease that nearly caused her to go blind, it is with the help of the angel Therese that would make her eyes heel as her father would return to take her to his circus tour. For the next few years until she was 10 (Pauline Burlet), her father, who is a contortionist, quits the circus to go alone where he would find something in Edith's voice as she starts to sing. Years later in the mid-1930s, Edith is still a street singer singing for food and such with help from Momone (Sylvie Testud). During one day singing at a street corner, Edith suddenly gets the attention of a club owner named Louis Leplee (Gerard Depardieu) who books her at his club and brings her attention. Things go great until his sudden death in connection with the mob whom Edith is unaware she’s connected with. After that brief period of scandal, Edith is helped by her songwriter Marguerite Monnot (Marie-Armelle Deguy) and a new manager named Raymond Asso (Marc Barbe), Edith's fame rose.

In 1949 with a new manager in Louis Barrier (Pascal Greggory), she arrives to New York City where she falls for a French boxer named Marcel Cerdan (Jean-Pierre Martins) as they go on a date despite the fact he's married. Just as her life and fame was growing, tragedy would struck as Edith's life is suddenly in turmoil. After getting married and still touring the U.S., Edith's world starts to lose control as the Edith in her final years reflect on things she lost and such as she then recalls the final moment she sang to an audience.

With movies about singers starting to wear thin a bit with the typical cliche. Director and co-screenwriter Olivier Dahan wisely chose to not go convention by taking the film approach by taking the story back and forth to Piaf's own life from her final moments to her childhood to her last days, and so on. While that approach might take general audiences to be baffled by this approach, it works to tell the story of Piaf though some stories about her life are left out. Something that's likely to upset Piaf's hardcore fans but still, there's enough for them to watch and listen to. The structure of the script and Dahan's stylish direction works to reveal her humble beginnings, her discomfort towards worldwide fame, and notorious affairs including the one with Marcel Cerdan. Dahan's stylish direction definitely works to reveal the world that Piaf is in as it strays from becoming a bio-pic that is seen now lately in a lot of films. Yet, Dahan does fantastic work with the film and telling Piaf's story from her triumphs and tragedy.

Cinematographer Tetsuo Nagata does some great work with the film's tinted look of blue-green exterior shots in the streets of Paris and some of its country exteriors in Normandy to the more sepia-toned look for the film's interiors to convey the 40s-50s look of Paris and the U.S. Nagata's photography may be emphasized on style but it works to convey that dream-like look. Editor Richard Marizy does excellent work with the film's pacing that is very leisurely while using cuts to convey the moments of drama in Piaf's own life. Production designer Olivier Raoux does fantastic work in the design of the clubs and music halls that Piaf sings to the various environment she is in. Costume designer Marit Allen is also great for the look of Piaf's slender, thin dresses that she is famously is known for. Sound editor Pascal Villard does some wonderful work in capturing the sense of atmosphere in the music halls and clubs while conveying each moment in time.

Visual effects supervisors Seb Caudron and Hugh Welchman help in creating the film's look with its re-imagining of 1940s-1950s New York and Paris and the boxing scene as well. Music composer Christopher Gunning brings a plaintive yet dramatic score led by piano to emphasize the dramatic journey of Piaf's life. The rest of the music is largely driven by many of Piaf's famous songs that are played throughout the entire film that works for the film.

The film's cast is brilliant with small yet memorable performances from Andre Penvern as Jacques Canetti, Mario Hacquard as Charles Dumont, who are both two of Piaf’s songwriters, Marie-Armelle Deguy as Marguerite Monnot, Harry Hadden-Paton as Doug, Caroline Raynaud as Piaf's friend Ginou, Catherine Allegret as Edith's grandmother, Clotilde Courau as Edith's neglectful mother, and Jan-Paul Rouve as Edith's supportive father. Marc Barbe is excellent as Raymond Asso, Edith's manager who would make her sing with discipline while Pascal Greggory is brilliant as Louis Barrier, her manager to the end as he contends with her declining health. Sylvie Testud is good as Momone, Edith's street friend who just likes to drink with her while dealing with the presence of Marcel Cerdan. Jean-Pierre Martins is wonderful as the late Marcel Cerdan who charms Edith while becoming the love of her life for a brief moment.

In the child roles of Edith Piaf, Manon Chevallier and Pauline Burlet are great in conveying her innocence with Burlet doing the singing as the 10-year old Piaf. Emmanuelle Seigner is great as the prostitute Titine who becomes an unlikely maternal figure for Edith as a child. Gerard Depardieu is brilliant as Louis Leplee, the man who would discover Edith and become a father figure to her as he would pave the way for her brilliant career. Finally, there’s Marion Cotillard in what has to be a true, star-making performance as Edith Piaf. Cotillard's performance is spellbinding as she conveys the innocence of Piaf in her early years as well as her wild, drunken persona. In the other half of the film, Cotillard displays all of Piaf's performance mannerisms as well as her loud, drunken, diva-like behavior as it's shocking to see that it’s the same woman as Cotillard's performance is truly amazing.

The Region 1 DVD that presents the film in aspect ratio of 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 Surround Sound in French that includes English, French, and Spanish subtitles. The only special feature, that is with optional English and Spanish subtitles, is a 10-minute special entitled Stepping Into Character is about Marion Cottilard's transformation into playing Edith Piaf in which the actress had to shave her eyebrows and the front parts of her hair while wearing loads of makeup for the character. Director Olivier Dahan talks about trying to convey each period of Piaf's life from her frizzy look early on to the regality of her great years to the decline where she has orange hair and such. It's a fine bonus feature on the DVD.

La Vie En Rose is an excellent and enchanting film from Olivier Dahan led by Marion Cottilard's performance. Those who don't know or barely know who Edith Piaf is will definitely have the urge to find her songs after this film. With film bio-pics about singers and musicians starting to become formulaic, credit goes to Dahan for not delving into conventions while giving audiences something to enjoy. For Marion Cottilard, this is truly a performance that will hopefully get some attention that is deserved. In the end, La Vie En Rose is a wonderful film to see.

(C) thevoid99 2011