Set in the late 1930s/early 1940s, the film follows a man who starts off as a carny for a low-level circus where he learns the art of mind-reading that he uses to become a top mind-reader in big cities only to attract the attention of a devious psychiatrist who helps him take part on a big scheme. It is a film that explore this man who is ambitious as he believes he has something that can make him a lot of money but ends up meeting someone who is more ambitious but also far more sinister. The film’s screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan is straightforward as it is more based on Gresham’s novel with elements of the 1947 film by Edmund Goulding that featured Jules Furthman’s screenplay as it relates to these ideas that the film’s protagonist in Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) as he finds himself in a circus after burning down a house with the body of his late father where he sees what it has and takes a job as a carney.
The first act is about Carlisle’s time as a carny where he meets the clairvoyant Zeena Krumbein (Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband Pete (David Strathairn) where Carlisle learns from the latter about their act while he proves to be loyal to the group when he helps out its owner Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe) who would give Carlisle a job after helping to handle a troubled circus geek. Carlisle also befriends another performer in Molly (Rooney Mara) who would later join Carlisle in his own version of the clairvoyant act though Zeena and Pete warned him about going too far as the film’s second act takes place in late 1941 where Carlisle becomes successful in his act with Molly. The second act would also introduce the character of Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett) who is intrigued by his act after fooling an acquaintance of hers where she decides to collaborate with him on a scheme on the reclusive millionaire Ezra Grindle (Richard Jenkins) that makes Molly uneasy.
Guillermo del Toro’s direction definitely does pay homage to Goulding’s film in some bits but much of it is entrancing in his presentation of the late 1930s/early 1940s as it was shot on location in and around Toronto as well as additional locations in Buffalo, New York including its city hall. The direction has del Toro definitely emphasize a lot on tracking shots to get a look into the carnival while having Carlisle early in the film not say much as he just stumbles into the circus out of curiosity where he just looks at an act and then walks out to check what else is out there. The usage of wide and medium shots allows del Toro to showcase the scope of the carnival that Carlisle is in as well as a scene where Carlisle and Clem go after a geek inside a monster house as it is one of these great set pieces in the film. The scenes during the second act in these posh restaurants where Carlisle and Molly are doing their act also has a lot of space in the visuals while del Toro also knows when to use close-ups to play into the suspense and drama. The film also has del Toro play into the dangers of what Carlisle is doing as both Zeena and Pete had warned about going too far into people’s grief as it would be a key factor for the film’s third act.
Notably in a scene where Zeena, the strongman Bruno (Ron Perlman), and diminutive Major Mosquito (Mark Povinelli) visit Carlisle and Molly with prompting from the latter where Zeena uses her tarot cards and warned Carlisle of what he’s doing. The third act that is about Carlisle’s scheme with Dr. Ritter on Grindle as it involves Grindle’s own sense of loss and guilt as the scheme would involve Molly who realizes what is going on. It all plays into not just the downside of greed and manipulation but also how far people are willing to go get closure on their grief as it relates to news on someone Carlisle did a séance for. Its aftermath is dark into not just the fact that Carlisle went too far but also the fact that there’s people who are much worse than Carlisle who will do whatever to exploit people’s grief. Its ending is about the fate of those who are lost as it relates to the troubled geek that Carlisle tried to subdue early in the film as it relates to people and monsters. Overall, del Toro crafts a haunting yet evocative film about an ambitious carny whose ambition as false clairvoyant leads him into a path of darkness.
Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of lush colors and low-key natural lighting to emphasize on its dark tone but also in some of the beauty in the desolate locations they’re in that is a direct contrast to the more stylish look in the city and at Grindle’s home. Editor Cam McLauchlin does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, transition wipes, and other stylish cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Tamara Deverell, with set decorator Shane Vieau and supervising art director Brandt Gordon, does phenomenal work with the look of the carnival as well as Clem’s massive collection of fetuses in mason jars, some of the carnival attractions, and Dr. Ritter’s office as the attention to detail in the rooms is a major highlight of the film. Costume designer Luis Sequeira does amazing work with the costumes from the red coat and beret that Molly wears in the second/third act as well as some of her casual clothing to the more refined gowns that Dr. Ritter wears along with the ragged to refined suits the men wear.
Hair designer Cliona Furey and makeup designer Jo-Ann MacNeill, with special makeup effects supervisor Mike Hill, do excellent work with the look of the characters from the different hairstyles from the women to a few of the gory elements in some of the violence that Hill would create. Special effects supervisors Michael Innanen, Shane Mahan, Philippe Maurais, and Shane Million, with visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi, do terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to a few bits involving fire as well as Molly’s act as a woman who works with electricity as it is largely minimal except in some of the film’s violent moments. Sound editors Jill Purdy and Nathan Robitaille do superb work with the sound as it play into the way certain machines sound as well as how police sirens sound from afar as well as Dr. Ritter’s own recording equipment as it add a lot of drama and suspense into the film. The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is brilliant for its low-key orchestral score with elements of big-band jazz in some bits as it play into the music of the times with its soundtrack also featuring a lot of the standards that were popular in that period.
The casting by Robin D. Cook is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles that includes a cameo appearance from Tyrone Powell’s daughter Romina as a viewer of one of Carlisle’s show at the posh dining hall as well as notable small roles from Dian Bachar as a carnival performer, Paul Anderson as the geek that Carlisle tries to subdue early in the film, Lara Jean Chorostecki as Clem’s wife Louise, Stephen McHattie as a hobo late in the film, Troy James as a carnival performer known as the Snake Man, Clifton Collins Jr. as the carnival barker/musician Funhouse Jack, Bill MacDonald as Carlisle’s ailing father who is seen in flashbacks, Jim Beaver as a local sheriff who is trying to stop the carnival because of the skimpy clothing Molly is wearing, Mark Povinelli as a dwarf-carny who helps out in various performances including Molly’s act, Tim Blake Nelson as a carnival owner that appears late in the film, Peter MacNeill as Judge Kimball who is intrigued by Carlisle’s gift as he seeks help in relation to his late son, Holt McCallany as Grindle’s bodyguard Anderson who is suspicious towards Carlisle as he is protective of Grindle, and Mary Steenburgen in a small yet superb role as Judge Kimball’s wife as a woman who is still reeling with loss over her son.
Ron Perlman is fantastic as the strongman Bruno who is like a father figure to Molly as he knew her father as he is unsure of Carlisle’s intention towards her. David Strathairn is excellent as Pete Krumbein as an alcoholic performer who was once a great clairvoyant with a system of his own as he teaches Carlisle what to do but also warns him on what not to do. Richard Jenkins is brilliant as Ezra Grindle as a reclusive millionaire who is fascinated by Carlisle’s gift as it relates to a former lover he mourns dearly as he was once a patient of Dr. Ritter as he is the target of a scheme they’ve created as he is also a man with a very dark past. Willem Dafoe is amazing as Clem as a carnival owner who hires Carlisle as he shows him the ropes of what goes on as he also sees potential in Carlisle while being the owner of a bunch of dead fetuses in mason jars. Toni Collette is incredible as the clairvoyant performer Zeena Krumbein who takes has Carlisle working for her in helping her act while is also intrigued by him while later warning him about what he’s doing as well as reveal that he is headed for serious trouble.
Rooney Mara is remarkable as Molly Cahill as a carnival performer who works with electrical currents as part of her act as she falls for Carlisle where she joins him as his assistant while becoming troubled by his ambitions as she reluctantly takes part of his scheme only to become homesick towards the carnival family who cared for her. Cate Blanchett is tremendous as Dr. Lilith Ritter as a devious yet charismatic psychiatrist who is fascinated by Carlisle’s gift as she would seduce him to team up but also know that she is able to outsmart him. Finally, there’s Bradley Cooper in a phenomenal performance as Stanton Carlisle as this man who starts off as a low-level carny to becoming this in-demand clairvoyant who eventually becomes greedy in his ambitions where Cooper does display a lot of quiet observation early in the film but also a man that is filled guilt in his climb only to try and do something big that would eventually be his downfall as it is a career-defining performance from Cooper.
Nightmare Alley is a sensational film from Guillermo del Toro that features great performances from Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara. Along with its ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, evocative art direction, its exploration on the ideas of loss and greed, and its luscious music score. The film is definitely a fascinating suspense-drama that is a tribute of sorts to the 1947 Edmund Goulding film but also its own beast as it play into del Toro’s fascination with humanity and their monstrous elements. In the end, Nightmare Alley is a phenomenal film from Guillermo del Toro.
Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Hellboy - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - Crimson Peak - The Shape of Water - Pinocchio (2022 film)
Related: Nightmare Alley (1947 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro
© thevoid99 2022
Directed by Adam McKay and screenplay by McKay and Will Ferrell from a story McKay, Ferrell, and John C. Reilly, Step Brothers is the story of two forty-year old men who reluctantly become step brothers after their parents marry as they start off as enemies only to become friends in their love of chaos and leading a slacker lifestyle. The film is an off-the-wall comedy with elements of anarchy in which two men refuse to grow up as they try to do their own thing while endure some strange situations. Starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, and Rob Riggle. Step Brothers is a hilarious and confrontational film from Adam McKay.
A man and woman meet and fall in love at a convention where they both get married much to the dismay of their sons who are in their 40s as they’re forced to share a room together as they dislike each other believing they’re a detriment to their slacker lifestyle. That is pretty much the film in a nutshell as it revolve two guys who don’t want to grow up and refuse to get jobs as they start off as enemies only to realize how much they have in common as they create a lot of chaos much to the dismay of their parents. The film’s screenplay does follow a simple formula of these two men hating and then embracing each other while plotting to create their own business in order to get their parents off their back.
Yet, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) both share an equal sense of disdain towards Brennan’s younger brother Derek (Adam Scott) who often gloats his success as a helicopter licensing agent as well as do whatever it takes to humiliate Brennan. Though the script does follow a simple plot formula, there is a looseness to it in terms of its approach to dialogue and improvisation as well as the fact that it’s a story that doesn’t need a lot of plot schematics. It’s all about the idea of absolute and total chaos which does give the story something that can be described as an anarchist film of sorts.
Adam McKay’s direction may have simple ideas to compositions and creating moments that are light-hearted and funny yet it’s his approach to improvisation and total mayhem is what is key to the film. There is something confrontational about everything that is going on though it doesn’t start out like that first when Brennan’s mother Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) is at a convention watching Dale’s dad Robert (Richard Jenkins) give a speech as he look at her and all of a sudden the two fall in love and have sex though nothing gratuitous is shown. It’s when Brennan and Dale finally meet face-to-face is where the film starts to take shape immediately and building up slowly for this sense of unexpected and total sense of anarchy. Even as McKay knows where to shoot a scene to play into these moments of chaos such as Brennan and Dale’s first fight over the fact that Brennan touched Dale’s drum set and rubbed his testicles on them or the moment the two are sleepwalking and causing trouble. Then there’s these moments that push the envelope of good and bad taste such as a scene of Brennan and Dale being assaulted by middle school kids in which the former is forced to do something extremely awful.
The direction also showcase moments that are quite crazy which relate to a subplot in which Dale is having a reluctant affair with Derek’s wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn) who hates being married to Derek. There are also these moments that aren’t afraid to offend as it relate to Brennan and Dale trying to ruin Derek’s sale as McKay’s direction is very offbeat in those moments. The film’s climax at this event known as the Catalina Wine Mixer is definitely a culmination of everything Brennan and Dale have endured in their attempt to be free but also deal with expectations of conformity. What happens is this strange mixture of anarchy and beauty which is kind of indescribable but an absolute joy to watch and what better place to do than at the fucking Catalina Wine Mixer. Overall, McKay creates an outrageous and off-the-wall film about two immature men who become stepbrothers.
Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the colorful and sunny look of the locations in the day to the usage of lights for some of the interiors set at night. Editor Brent White does nice work with the editing as it has elements of style in the slow-motion cuts as well as some of the montages and other moments to play into the humor. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Casey Hallenbeck and art director Virginia L. Randolph, does fantastic work with the look of the house the brothers live in as well as their bedroom and the look of the Cataline Wine Mixer. Costume designer Susan Matheson does terrific work with the costumes as much of its casual including the tuxedos the stepbrothers wear for their job interviews.
Visual effects supervisor Rocco Passionino does some good work with some of the minimal visual effects as it is mostly set-dressing including some funny scenes involving the stepbrothers dealing with some awful kids. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in the way some of the chaotic moments in the film are presented via sound as well as some of the moments during the Catalina Wine Mixer. The film’s music by Jon Brion is brilliant for its mixture of jazz and kitsch to play into the funny moments of the film while music supervisor Hal Willner creates a fun soundtrack that feature music from Hall & Oates, LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Vanilla Ice, Q-Tip, Dizzee Rascal, Dilated Peoples, KO & the Knockouts, Brenda Lee, the Mighty Bosstones, and the Kinks.
The casting by Allison Jones is great as it feature some small roles and appearances from Seth Rogen as a sporting goods manager, Matt Walsh as a heckler at the Catalina Wine Mixer, Horatio Sanz as a Billy Joel tribute band singer at the Catalina Wine Mixer, Gillian Vigman as a woman interviewing the stepbrothers for a job, Phil LaMarr as a man trying to buy the family home, Lurie Poston and Elizabeth Yozamp as Derek and Alice’s smug and spoiled asshole kids, Logan Manus as a co-worker of Derek, and Rob Riggle as another co-worker of Derek in Randy who wants to punch Brennan because of his ugly face. Andrea Savage is wonderful as Brennan’s therapist Denise who tries to help him only to deal with the fact that Brennan is in love with her. Kathryn Hahn is fantastic as Derek’s wife Alice who falls for Dale as she provides some of the funniest moments in the film about wanting to fuck Dale so hard in her hatred of Derek.
Adam Scott is excellent as Derek Huff as Brennan’s younger brother who is a total fucking asshole that thinks he’s better than everyone while rubbing his own success and ambitions on his brother as well as trying to make Dale’s father Robert as his best friend. Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins are amazing in their respective roles as Nancy Doback and Robert Huff with Steenburgen as the more sensible of the two parents trying to understand them but also put her foot down with Jenkins as the more strict of the two as he tries to get them to conform but also reveal his own faults on the idea of growing up. Finally, there’s the duo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Brennan Doback and Dale Huff as the two just go all-out in terms of being outrageous and off-the-wall with Ferrell as the more childish of the two due to his trauma and Reilly as being more of the funny guy as they’re just a joy to watch.
Step Brothers is a fucking wild and tremendous film from Adam McKay that features hilarious performances from Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. Along with a great supporting cast, a premise that goes way beyond its simple idea, and scenes that play from the profound to the absolute profane. It’s a film that doesn’t try to do anything to go for laughs but rather be insane and confrontational enough to see some of the humor of it in the most inventive way. In the end, Step Brothers is a magnificent film from Adam McKay.
Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - The Other Guys - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Kate Barker-Froyland, Song One is the story of an anthropologist who returns home after her brother becomes comatose from an accident as she uses the music of his favorite singer to try and revive him. The film is a drama where a woman tries to patch things up with her brother while meeting the musician he admired. Starring Anne Hathaway, Johnny Flynn, Ben Rosenfield, and Mary Steenburgen. Song One is a lively and compelling film from Kate Barker-Froyland.
The film is a simple story of an anthropologist who returns from Morocco after learning her estranged brother has been hit accidentally by a car as he’s become a comatose. Trying to find ways to revive her brother, the woman learns about his favorite singer as she attends his show where she would meet him as he would later take part in trying to revive the woman’s brother. The film’s screenplay by Kate Barker-Froyland doesn’t have a lot of surprises in terms of plotting but it does create characters that are interesting as well as not being afraid of being flawed. The film’s protagonist Franny (Anne Hathaway) is someone who is often used to have things in control until she learns that her brother Henry (Ben Rosenfield) is in a coma as she blames herself for not contacting him due to a fight. Going through his journals and opening up videos he sent that she never saw, she would embark on a journey to not only understand more about her brother but also the musician he idolizes in James Forester (Johnny Flynn).
Barker-Froyland’s direction is definitely very simple as it play into the world of folk music bars and such that Franny would encounter. Shot largely on location in Brooklyn, New York with some of it shot on Morocco, the film plays into a woman trying to learn about the world that her brother seems to be drawn into as well as want to be part of. While there are some wide shots, Barker-Froyland would favor more intimate compositions with the usage of the medium shots and close-ups to play into the drama. Barker-Froyland would create a looseness to the musical performances while creating moments that are just low-key and to the point. Even as it wouldn’t be overly-dramatic where Barker-Froyland would just maintain something that is real and natural which include some tense moments between Franny and her mother Karen (Mary Steenburgen). Still, it is about a woman trying to reconnect with her brother through music as well as find out much about herself and the man her brother idolizes. Overall, Barker-Froyland creates an engaging though formulaic film about a woman trying to revive her brother through music.
Cinematographer John Guleserian does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the way many of the interior/exterior shots of New York City looks at night to some of the naturalistic look of the scenes set in Morocco. Editor Madeleine Gavin does nice work with the editing as it is quite straightforward while including some stylish jump-cuts to play with the conventions of the drama. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorator Brandon Tonner-Connolly and art director Anne Goelz, does terrific work with the set pieces from the hospital room where Henry slept at as well as the home that Karen lived in. Costume designer Emma Potter does wonderful work with the costumes as it is mostly casual that play into the look of hipster New York City.
Sound mixers Hicham Amedras and Jeff Pullman do superb work with the sound to play into the natural elements of the sound in the many locations including some of the music clubs. The film’s music by Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice, with additional music by Nate Walcott, is brilliant for its mixture of folk and indie music while music supervisors Eric Craig and Brian McNelis create a soundtrack that does play into the indie-folk scene with some music from Morocco as well as contributions from Dan Deacon, America, Sharon Van Etten, and Nina Simone.
The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is marvelous as it feature some notable small appearances from Lola Kirke as a performer and Sarah Steele as a fan who asks James to sign her iPod. Ben Rosenfield is superb as Henry as Franny’s younger brother who wants to be a musician only to become comatose following an accident where he spends much of the film lying in bed. Johnny Flynn is terrific as James Forester as a popular indie-folk musician that Franny would discover and meet as he learns about Henry and helps Franny while dealing with his own issues in his career. Mary Steenburgen is amazing as Karen as Franny and Henry’s mother who is coping with the latter’s accident and coma while wondering if she had been a good mother as well as deal with Franny on some unresolved issues. Finally, there’s Anne Hathaway in a remarkable performance as Franny where she plays this woman who feels guilty for what happened to her brother as she is desperate to wake him up where it’s Hathaway displaying some humility and restraint as well as bits of charm as it’s one of her finer performances.
Song One is a stellar film from Kate Barker-Froyland that features an excellent performance from Anne Hathaway. Along with a superb cast and a nice film soundtrack, it is a film that maybe formulaic and doesn’t do anything new but it at least has characters that are compelling enough to be invested in. In the end, Song One is a very good film from Kate Barker-Froyland.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Jake Szymanski and written by Murray Miller, 7 Days in Hell is a mockumentary that revolves around the longest tennis match in the history of the sport between two rivals during 7 days in five sets. The film plays into a rivalry where two very different men do whatever it takes to play the greatest tennis game ever as Andy Samberg and Kit Harington respectively play the rivals Aaron Williams and Charles Poole as the film is narrated by Jon Hamm. Also starring Lena Dunham, Will Forte, June Squibb, Mary Steenburgen, Karen Gillan, Michael Sheen, Soledad O’Brien, Howie Mandel, Filip Hammar, Jim Lampley, Fred Armisen, and David Copperfield along with tennis greats John McEnroe, Chris Evert, and Aaron Williams’ adopted sister Serena Williams. 7 Days in Hell is a raunchy yet hilarious mockumentary from Jake Szymanski.
Wimbledon 2001 featured a first round game between British tennis prodigy Charles Poole and the American bad-boy Aaron Williams as the latter came out of retirement to face the prodigy following a comment on television during a Swedish gay orgy. The film is about the game and what happened in those 7 days where so much was at stake in a first-round match as it involved sex tapes, cocaine, an angry Queen of England, streakers, and all sorts of crazy shit. Yet, it is told in a documentary-style where Williams’ adopted sister Serena is interviewed as well as a few biographers and experts in the sports that talk about Williams and Poole’s respective rise to fame but also the events that would lead to their legendary meeting.
Murray Miller’s script is told in a back-and-forth narrative style about the early lives of Poole and Williams as the latter is described as a reverse version of The Blind Side where a black family take in an orphaned white boy and teach him to play tennis where he would become the sport’s bad boy in the 1990s. In the former, here was a British kid who was forced to learn tennis by his mother (Mary Steenburgen) as he would turn pro at 15 but all of his gift on the court would only make him look dumb and lose a girlfriend who would later become a famous supermodel. At the same time, Poole would have a strange encounter with a famous TV host (Michael Sheen) while Williams’ antics at a Wimbledon in the mid-90s would force him to quit the game and go into a downward spiral. The people who are interviewed range from fashion designers with poor taste, David Copperfield, and all sorts of strange people.
Jake Szymanski’s direction definitely plays into the style of HBO sports documentary with its usage of archival footage and the way people who are interviewed are framed. Much of it is straightforward yet Szymanski does infuse some style as it plays into the antics of Williams with some very strange animation and other things that add to his bad boy persona. There’s also element of spoof and parodies of British TV shows as some of the elements are borrowed from exploits of other players. The tennis matches themselves are shot in a straightforward manner but with an air of ridiculousness that makes it very unbelievable. Overall, Szymanski creates a very silly but hilarious sports mockumentary about two tennis players who played the longest game ever that lasted 7 days.
Cinematographer Craig Kief does excellent work with the cinematography to capture the look of Wimbledon in the day along with some stylish shots of Williams‘ sex-tape and documentary-like footage of Poole in the days leading up to the match. Editors Dan Marks and Pat Bishop does nice work with the editing as it has elements of style with rhythmic cuts and montages. Production designer Todd Jeffrey does fantastic work with the set designs from the Wimbledon tennis courts to the hotel rooms and such where the characters are.
Costume designer Joanna Konjevod does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that Williams wears including his ball-less underwear. Visual effects supervisor Elliott Jobe does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects into the look of some of the archival interviews as well as the hilarious Taiwanese animation. Sound designer Zach Seivers does superb work with the sound from some of the sound effects of the tennis matches to some of the craziness that is heard from the crowd.
The casting by Haley Marcus Simpson is brilliant for the people that appear in the film such as tennis legends Chris Evert and John McEnroe, current tennis star Serena Williams as Aaron’s adopted older sister, HBO sports correspondent Jim Lampley, journalist Soledad O’Brien, comedian Filip Hammar, and the magician David Copperfield who all play themselves in very funny ways. Other notable small roles include Lena Dunham as a former Jordache president with very bad taste, Will Forte as Williams’ biographer, Fred Armisen as British tennis expert Edward Pudding, and Howie Mandell in a hilarious performance as Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who would be assaulted by Williams during a ceremony. Karen Gillan is wonderful as Poole’s ex-girlfriend Lily Allsworth as a supermodel who loved Poole when he was young and later had an affair with Williams.
Mary Steenburgen is terrific as Poole’s very neglectful mother Louisa who would force her son to become a tennis prodigy and not have him care about his education and well-being. Michael Sheen is a riot as British TV host Caspian Wint who acts shit-faced on booze and cigarettes while being sexually-attracted towards the then-15 year old Poole. June Squibb is amazing as a foul-mouthed version of Queen Elizabeth II who wants Poole to win as she offers him a knighthood only to get very angry when he is unable to really beat Williams. Finally, there’s the duo of Andy Samberg and Kit Harington in their respective roles as Aaron Williams and Charles Poole. Samberg gets the showy role as the wild bad boy with a mullet as he manages to be a fucking riot with his antics as well as not being afraid to have sex with anyone or anything. Harington plays it straight in the role of Poole which makes it hilarious as Harington sells Poole’s stupidity as well as his poor attempt to sound smart in mispronouncing the world “indelibly”.
7 Days in Hell is an extremely funny sports mockumentary from Jake Szymanski. Featuring a great cast and a hilarious take on the world of tennis, the 45-minute TV special is something fans of tennis will see as well as having the chance to laugh at a sport that is often known for being classy. In the end, 7 Days in Hell is a remarkably hilarious comedy from Jake Szymanski.
Related: Tour de Pharmacy
© thevoid99 2015
Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy is the story about a gathering in the countryside where various people meet and fall in love in an entire weekend during the early 1900s. The film is a loose take on Ingmar Bergman’s Smiles of a Summer Night where couples take part in a weekend where wild things happen. Also starring Mia Farrow, Jose Ferrer, Mary Steenburgen, Tony Roberts, and Julie Hagerty. A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy is a witty yet ravishing film from Woody Allen.
The film is about a group of people who spend a weekend in the countryside during the early 1900s as they prepare for the wedding day of a distinguished professor in Leopold (Jose Ferrer) and his younger bride Ariel (Mia Farrow) at the home of Leopold’s cousin Adrian (Mary Steenburgen) and her inventor husband Andrew (Woody Allen). Also invited is Andrew’s doctor friend Maxwell and his nurse Dulcy (Julie Hagerty) as everyone is there to relaxed but sexual tension and feelings for one another causes trouble. Andrew has a history with Ariel as the womanizing Maxwell falls for her. Leopold is intrigued by Dulcy while Adrian is going through marital difficulties with Andrew as she turns to Dulcy for help. During the course of the weekend, chaos ensues over people’s feelings towards one another culminating on the night where Leopold and Ariel are to be married.
Woody Allen’s screenplay explore the dynamics between people and their feelings for one another as Andrew is a crackpot inventor whose marriage to Adrian is going through problems due to lack of sex. Upon hearing that Adrian’s cousin is to marry a former lover of his, he is conflicted in his devotion for Adrian and the feelings he has for Ariel. Making matters worse is that when he invites Maxwell and his nurse Dulcy, the two contend for Ariel’s heart though Leopold is already aware of what is going on as he seeks to have one more moment of bachelorhood before becoming a wedded man. Allen’s script allows the film to have an air of silliness in the way people pursue each other while bringing a lot of witty dialogue that includes some great intellectual banter between Leopold and Maxwell that includes a funny scene of Maxwell eating a mushroom.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates while maintaining an air of something that is natural but also loose. There’s also moments where Allen infuses a lot of humor into the film as it revolves Andrew’s obsessions with flying and creating machines that has mystical powers relating to spirits. While a lot of the drama is straightforward and low-key that is balanced with comedy, the film has Allen also taking on the idea of sex but in a more restrained manner where it’s largely told in dialogue. There are also moments of mysticism and fantasy that Allen incorporates into the film as it relates to people’s desires to be with someone as well as some revelations that would play into the lives of these individuals. Overall, Allen creates a very smart and funny film about a weekend country retreat gone wrong all because six people want to simply have sex with one another.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful and lush photography to capture many of the gorgeous yet naturalistic look of the scenes in the forest and upstate New York countryside as well as some low-key lighting schemes for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Susan E. Morse does brilliant work with the editing to infuse a few montages for life in the forest as well as creating some rhythmic cuts for some of its funnier moments. Production designer Mel Bourne, with set decorator Carol Joffe and art director Speed Hopkins, does wonderful work with the look of the country home the characters stay in to some of the design of Andrew‘s inventions.
Costume designer Santo Loquasto does terrific work with the period costumes to match up the sense of naturalism that is in display with the locations. Sound editor Dan Sable is excellent for the simplicity of the location of the sounds along with the way some of the dialogue is presented in some of the conversation scenes. The film’s delightful soundtrack largely consists of classical music that features mostly the works of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy as well as pieces by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, and Albert Hay Malotte.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is superb for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Michael Higgins as a colleague of Leopold and Kate McGregor-Stewart as a patient of Maxwell. Julie Hagerty is wonderful as Dulcy as a nurse who doesn’t know everyone yet intrigues Leopold and Adrian as she is someone who is very bright but also someone who understands the world of sexual dysfunction. Tony Roberts is terrific as Maxwell as a womanizing doctor who falls for Ariel as he has a hard time trying to win her over as he sort of detests Leopold. Mary Steenburgen is excellent as Adrian as Andrew’s sexually-frustrated wife who feels like their love is waning as she isn’t happy about Ariel’s presence in relation to her husband. Jose Ferrer is great as the very intellectual Leopold as a man who loves Ariel yet is suspicious about Andrew and Maxwell’s feelings towards her while he entranced by Dulcy.
Mia Farrow is remarkable as Ariel as a woman who finds herself the object of affection for all of the men involved as she also deals with her history with Andrew as well as the fact that she’s been everywhere but is somewhat unfulfilled. Finally, there’s Woody Allen in a marvelous performance as Andrew as an inventor who is dealing with marital issues as he realizes his feelings for Ariel as it’s Allen being funny but also a bit more restrained in his approach to drama.
A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy is a fantastic film from Woody Allen as it features a great ensemble cast that includes Tony Roberts, Jose Ferrer, Julie Hagerty, Mary Steenburgen, and Mia Farrow in her first of many collaborations with Allen. The film is definitely one of Allen’s most enjoyable comedies where it shows his sense of ambition while paying tribute to Ingmar Bergman in a comical manner. In the end, A Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy is a terrific film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
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