The film revolves around the aftermath of a wedding ceremony where the bride meets with her new in-laws as they play a game of hide-and-seek where the bride realizes that she’s the target for a satanic ritual where their survival is at stake. It’s a film with a simple premise where a woman marries a man who hadn’t seen or been with his family for years but is forced to watch his new bride being chased by his family in this twisted game of hide and seek. The film’s screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy play into this ritual of this family that is famous for creating board games that has given them an empire. Yet, they made a deal with a mysterious figure named Le Bail as it play into people who would enter this family as the bride Grace (Samara Weaving) picks a mysterious card where the game she and her new family will play is hide and seek. What she didn’t expect that it would be a deadly game that the family had been waiting for to fulfill a debt to Le Bail.
The film’s direction by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett does have moments of style yet much of the film takes place in one entire location which is this family’s estate and is told in the span of more than 12 hours where much of it is set at night. Shot on location around areas near Toronto, the film does maintain this air of intrigue of what is at stake for this family as Grace tries to hide from her new family while her husband Alex (Mark O’Brien) does what he can to help her hide but he’s already in trouble due to him being away from the family for years. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett do have some unique compositions they create in terms of their approach to suspense and dark humor as there’s some wide shots to establish some of the locations and rooms inside the mansion while much of the direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots for reactions and conversations between characters.
The direction also this element of dark humor as it relates to the body count where there are maids and staff at the house who are killed comically often by Alex’s cocaine-addicted sister Emilie (Melanie Scrofano) while there’s a scene where her dim-witted husband Fitch (Kristian Bruun) is watching from his phone in learning how to use a crossbow. It’s among these quirks that keep the film going while also maintaining in what is at stake as well as the fact that there’s already discord among the family as Alex’s older brother Daniel (Adam Brody) would bump into Grace as he’s become jaded by what he has to do as it relates to the film’s opening scene that has him witnessing the same event when he was a kid. The film’s climax relates to the ceremony and Grace’s own discovery of what will happen to her as she knows she has to fight back but also realize that it’s all about the stakes for her new family and the role that she has to play. Overall, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett craft an exhilarating and whimsical film about a bride participating in a deadly game of hide-and-seek with her new family who are eager to kill her.
Cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes largely on low-key lighting and candle-lights for many of the interior scenes in the mansion as well as the exterior scenes as the usage of stylish low-lighting and flash lights add to the film’s atmosphere. Editor Terel Gibson does excellent work with the editing as it has some style in its rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and dramas while keeping everything else straightforward. Production designer Andrew M. Stearn and set decorator Mike Leandro do amazing work with the look of the interiors of the rooms and hallways that play into this eerie and odd atmosphere that is the house. Costume designer Avery Plewes does fantastic work with the costumes with everyone wearing suits and glamourous dresses including the bridal gown that Grace wears.
Makeup artist Claudia Gedge and hair stylist Nathan Rival, along with prosthetics effects designer Steve Newburn, do superb work with the look of some of the bodies as well as the wounds that are shown throughout the film. Special effects supervisor Daniel Betti and visual effects supervisor Rickey Verma do terrific work with the effects in some of the action and stunt work with Verma providing a few touches for set-dressing and gore design. Sound designer Adam Stein does incredible work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse sounds inside the house. The film’s music by Brian Tyler is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that help play into the suspense with heavy string arrangements as well as a few upbeat places for its darkly comic tone while its music soundtrack feature some classical music from Richard Wagner, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig Van Beethoven as well as offbeat pieces ranging from old standards to strange renditions of Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender.
The casting by John Buchan, Jason Knight, and Yesi Ramirez is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from the trio of Hanneke Talbot, Celine Tsai, and Daniela Barbosa as the maids who wear skinny black dresses, Andrew Anthony as a man killed early in the film, Liam McDonald and Ethan Tavares in their respective roles as Fitch and Emilie’s sons in Georgie and Gabe, John Ralston as the family’s opera-loving butler Stevens, Elana Dunkleman as the young Helene, Kate Ziegler as the young Becky, and Nicky Guadagni as Aunt Helene as the one family member that is eager to kill Grace as she wants to do the task to stay alive by any means necessary. Kristian Bruun is superb as Emilie’s dim-witted husband Fitch who is a bit reluctant to take part in the game but knows what is at stake. Melanie Scrofano is fantastic as Emilie as Daniel and Alex’s sister and Fitch’s wife who is addicted to cocaine as she tries to hunt Grace but often fails by killing someone else in a comical manner. Elyse Levesque is excellent as Daniel’s cold wife Charity who is eager to kill Grace as well as she is someone who really doesn’t give a shit as she just wants to live and be part of the family for money. Henry Czerny is brilliant as the family patriarch Tony Le Domas as the man who organizes the game as well as trying to ensure that everyone follows the rule for their own survival.
Andie MacDowell is amazing as Becky Le Domas as Tony’s wife who is aware of what is at stake though she is sympathetic to what Daniel and Alex are feeling as she does like Grace as there’s a warmth to her character but also a dark sense of humor that makes MacDowell a joy to watch. Mark O’Brien is remarkable as Alex as second eldest brother of the Le Domas family who marries Grace as he tries to protect her while is forced to deal with questions on why he left the family as his father claims that he to carry on the role since his brother is unlikely to do so. Adam Brody is incredible as Daniel as the eldest son as he is someone that is the most reluctant to take part in the game owing to trauma he encountered as a child while being the only other person to help Grace anyway he can. Finally, there’s Samara Weaving in a phenomenal performance as Grace as a new bride who takes part in a game of hide-and-seek unaware that she’s playing the role of a sacrificial lamb where Weaving brings a lot of wit to her role but also someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to survive as it is top-notch performance from her.
Ready or Not is an incredible film from Matt Bettenelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a witty premise, a nice mixture of laughs and terror, and an atmospheric yet eerie setting. The film is a horror-comedy that manages to make a simple game of hide-and-seek and turn into something deadly yet fun. In the end, Ready or Not is a phenomenal film from Matt Bettenelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the short story Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, Arrival is the story of a linguist and others who try to communicate with aliens who had just arrived on planet Earth. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and screenplay by Eric Heisserer, the film is a sci-fi drama that explores the idea of the universe and how humans try to communicate with the unknown. Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Tzi Ma. Arrival is a riveting yet astonishing film from Denis Villeneuve.
When news that twelve alien spaceships have landed on twelve different parts of the world, a linguist is hired by the military to communicate with the aliens asking why they’re here as she doesn’t just try to find ways to communicate with them but also cope with the loss of her daughter years ago. It’s a film with a simple story yet it also plays into the ideas that humans aren’t alone in the universe as there could be a way for peace and harmony as it is in the hands of not just the linguist but also a theoretical physicist. The two try to see what the aliens want as they’re aided by a colonel and a CIA official who are trying to communicate with the rest of the world leaders who are doing the same as panic is happening all over the world about the arrival. Especially as the Chinese government have prepared themselves for conflict in case something drastic is about to happen.
Eric Heisserer’s screenplay has a very unique narrative that is often filled with flashbacks as it relates to the loss that the film’s protagonist Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is carrying as it relates to her own daughter. She is also someone that has been detached due to loss where she is asked by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) to decipher anything these aliens are saying where she is reluctant at first but is willing to give it a go. She teams up with Ian Donnelly who works in astrophysics and kind of serves as the film’s comic relief as he takes his work seriously. Yet, once Dr. Banks and Donnelly make some slow but steady progress in communicating with the aliens. Dr. Banks would uncover memories of her own life relating to her daughter as well as other things as she begins to decipher more of their language. When a discovery is made about what they want or what they’re offering, panic does ensue as Col. Weber wants to give Dr. Banks and Donnelly the chance to see what these aliens mean. Especially as so much is on the line as there are those who play into the worst aspects of humanity.
Denis Villeneuve’s direction is truly evocative for not just the images that he creates but also in trying to understand what humanity can do for the good of the world. Shot on location around Montreal as Montana, the film plays into something that is quite otherworldly but also grounded in reality as it relate to that sense of detachment and loss that looms over Dr. Banks. While Villeneuve does use some wide shots to capture the grandness of the spaceship, it is the usage of close-ups and medium shots where the direction is really potent. Notably in the flashbacks as it has this naturalistic quality into what Dr. Banks is experience and dreaming like as well as the way she interacts with Donnelly who is a man that is about fact as he would also give in towards his humanistic traits. There are bits of humor in the film which is often provided by Donnelly during a sequence where he would communicate with the aliens through Dr. Banks’ instructions. Yet, much of the film is told dramatically as there are also some perspective from the world outside as there are those who have no understanding of what is going on where there would be those that give in to fear and cause trouble.
The direction would also provide ideas of what aliens would use to communicate as there is a complexity to the language which is crucial to its pacing where it take its time rather than go for something easy. Even when the dramatic stakes are increased as it play into the paranoia of what the aliens might be saying as it might lead into chaos. There would also be these things that would become more abstract in the course of the story as it doesn’t just relate to the fabric of time but also the sense of loss that Dr. Banks is carrying. Its climax isn’t just about the possibility of a better future for the world but also how the good in humanity would be the key to that if they just allow themselves to understand the bigger picture and not give in to fear. Overall, Villeneuve creates an intoxicating and majestic film about humans trying to understand what aliens want on their arrival to Earth.
Cinematographer Bradford Young does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the naturalistic look of some of the exteriors in the flashbacks as well as the usage of lighting and low-key shades to play into some of the interiors and the scenes inside the spaceship. Editor Joe Walker does excellent work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts to play into some of the flashbacks as well as doing some slow-movements to play into the bits of suspense. Production designer Patricia Vermette, with supervising art director Isabelle Guay and set decorators Paul Hotte and Andre Valade, does fantastic work with the look of the interior of the spaceship as well as the military base camp where Dr. Banks and officials work at. Costume designer Renee April does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the army uniforms and the suits that characters have to wear to enter the spaceship.
Visual effects supervisors Alexandre Lafortune and Louis Morin do brilliant work with the look of some of the exterior of the spaceship as well as the design of the aliens that do look otherworldly. Sound editor Sylvain Bellemare does superb work with the film‘s sound from the way some of the sounds inside the spaceship sound as well as the design of the voices of the aliens created by a team of sound designers as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Johann Johansson is phenomenal as its mixture of low-key orchestral strings with some ambient electronic pieces that include some piano loops and other array of sounds as it really another highlight of the film as the score also feature elements of Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight.
The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small roles from the quartet of Carmela Nossa Guizzo, Jaydn Malone, Abigail Pniowsky, and Julia Scarlett Dan as the different ages of Dr. Banks’ daughter Hannah, Mark O’Brien as Captain Marks, and Tzi Ma as the Chinese military leader General Shang. Michael Stuhlbarg is excellent as CIA agent Halpern as a man that is trying to deal with the other countries to make sure things go well as oversee the experiment. Forest Whitaker is fantastic as Col. Weber as a military officer who turns to Dr. Banks for help as he is hoping for something that is peaceful as well as protect her and Donnelly knowing that they’re the key to the hope of the human race.
Jeremy Renner is amazing as Ian Donnelly as an astrophysicist who helps Louise in deciphering the alien language as well as see what they’re about as he brings some humor but also moments that shows how much he cares for Dr. Banks and wanting to be understanding of the aliens. Finally, there’s Amy Adams in an incredible performance as Dr. Louise Banks as a woman that is carrying a sense of grief around her as she is asked to understand the language of aliens where she would make a discovery of what they’re saying as well as deal with images in her head as it relate to her past as it’s really one of Adams’ most evocative performances to date.
Arrival is an outstanding film from Denis Villeneuve that features sensational performances from Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Forest Whitaker. Featuring some amazing visuals, a complex and heartfelt script, and an intoxicating music score by Johann Johansson. The film is truly a sci-fi film that is very smart but also willing to ask big questions along with an idea of hope in a chaotic world. In the end, Arrival is a magnificent film from Denis Villeneuve.
Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth - Maelstrom - Polytechnique - Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy (2013 film) - Sicario - Blade Runner 2049 - Dune-Part One (2021 film) - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah) - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve
© thevoid99 2016
