The House That Jack Built

Written and directed by Lars von Trier from an idea by von Trier and Jenle Hallund, The House That Jack Built is the story of the life of a serial killer in the course of 12 years as he kills various people from the 1970s to the 1980s in the state of Washington. The film is a psychological horror film that explores a man’s love of killing people through five moments in his life as he sees his killings as works of art as the titular character is portrayed by Matt Dillon. Also starring Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Grabol, and Jeremy Davies. The House That Jack Built is a discomforting yet intense film from Lars von Trier.

Set in the 1970s and 1980s in the state of Washington through five events and an epilogue, the film is the simple story of the life of a failed architect who becomes a serial killer as he would kill a lot of people during the course of his life. It’s a film that explores a man’s life through the people he killed with many of the victims being women as he would talk about his exploits to another man off screen as well as view his murders as art. Lars von Trier’s screenplay is told through five chapters as it relates to life of its titular character (Matt Dillon) as he would have these off-screen conversations with a man named Verge (Bruno Ganz) such as the first time he killed someone to how his murders would get more sophisticated during the years as he becomes less compulsive and more refined. It also showcases his growing sense of disdain towards aspects of humanity as well as seeing his killings as works of art where he is determined to be more artistic. Yet, he would also cope in trying to create a house for himself as another form of artistic expression.

The direction of von Trier is stylish in its approach to telling a man’s life story yet it draws upon many ideas of artistry with inter-cut images of stock footage and such to play into Jack’s psyche and pursuit of artistic glory. Shot on various locations in Sweden and parts of Denmark including Copenhagen, the film does play into this small town world where Jack drives a shiny red-colored van as von Trier would shoot much of the film on different formats with much of the narrative presented in the 2:39:1 aspect ratio with some stock footage shot in the 1:37:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Much of von Trier’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are presented with hand-held cameras to get a sense into Jack’s own emotions as well as those he terrorizes during the course of the film. There are some wide shots as a few of them pay homage to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s film Master of the House in a sequence where Jack carries a body to his home in a darkly-comical speedy presentation. The direction also has von Trier borrow images from not just various pieces of art including footage from shorts and such along with von Trier’s own films but also paintings, sculptures, and designs of houses, churches, and other places to play into Jack’s fascination with art.

Even as it play into Jack’s obsession in creating the perfect house with the best materials he can find as his frustrations for perfection only fuels his desire to kill. The violence in the film is emphasized more on impact rather than gore and anything outrageous as von Trier shows these acts of violence to play into Jack’s obsession with its culture and how much control he can bring while becoming more sadistic in his pursuit of artistic triumphs. The film’s final incident and its epilogue play into Jack’s obsession as well as this individual he had been talking to throughout the film off-screen in Verge. The final incident would also reveal a room that Jack had been trying to get into in the ice locker he owned where he would store many of his victims as it would play into Jack’s desire of his own dream house but also a chilling epilogue that is more about Jack’s fate and the decision he makes as a man. Overall, von Trier creates a disturbing yet evocative film about the life of a serial killer and his pursuit of artistic glory.

Cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of colors and low-key lights for scenes at the night and in some of the interior scenes add to the stark visual tone of the film. Editors Molly Malene Stensgaard and Jacob Secher Schulsinger do excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and other stylish cuts to play into Jack’s journey. Production designer Simone Grau Roney and art director Cecilia Hellner do fantastic work with the apartment that Jack lives in as well as the ice house that he owns with boxes of frozen pizzas where he would store the body while von Trier would serve as art director for the film’s final scene. Costume designer Manon Rasmussen does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in what Jack wears with the exception of a red bathrobe he would wear late in the film.

Prosthetics makeup effects designer Love Larson does terrific work with the look of the corpses that Jack has collected in his storage ice room. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin and Peter Hjorth do amazing work with the visual effects for some sequences during the epilogue that includes recreations of a few paintings. Sound designer Kristian Eidnes Andersen does superb work with the sound where it emphasizes on natural elements and sparse textures to play into the realism of the film. The film’s music by Victor Reyes is wonderful for its low-key approach to ambient music which is only used sparingly for its climatic epilogue while music supervisor Mikkel Maltha provide a music soundtrack that adds a lot of punch to Jack’s journey from classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Richard Wagner as a Bach piece is performed by Glenn Gould with the rest of the soundtrack features Louis Armstrong’s rendition of St. James Infirmary Blues, a cover of Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack by David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter persona, and David Bowie’s Fame.

The casting by Des Hamilton, Avy Kaufman, and Lara Manwaring is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Osy Ikhile as a victim of Jack’s late in the film, David Bailie as a friend of Jack’s in S.P., Jeremy Davies as an ammunitions salesman in Al, Jack McKenzie as a blacksmith in Sonny, Emil Tholstrup as a young Jack, Marijana Jankovic and Carina Skenhede as a couple of victims of Jack’s, Rocco and Cohen Day in their respective roles as the boys Grumpy and George, and Edward Spleers as a policeman during the film’s second incident. In the performances of some of the women that Jack would encounter, Uma Thurman as the annoying hitchhiking lady, Siobhan Fallon Hogan as a widowed neighbor, Sofie Grabol as a mother of two boys, and Riley Keough as a young girlfriend of Jack’s in Simple are excellent in their roles as the women in Jack’s life who would play into his evolution as a serial killer and his growing fascination in being an artist.

Bruno Ganz is phenomenal as Verge as this mysterious man who appears off-screen for much of the film as he converses with Jack about his killings and such where he is appalled by his actions but also intrigued as his appearance in the film’s final moments reveal something much bigger as someone who observes all of Jack’s exploits. Finally, there’s Matt Dillon in an incredible performance as the titular character as this architect whose desire to create a home for himself is troubled by his desire for perfection as his frustrations with humanity leads him to killing people where he sees it as an expression of art where Dillon displays some charm but also a manic energy into his role as it is a career-defining performance for Dillon.

The House That Jack Built is a spectacular film from Lars von Trier that features a sensational performance from Matt Dillon. Along with its ensemble cast that includes a great supporting performance from Bruno Ganz as well as its ravishing visuals, offbeat music soundtrack, and study of humanity, murder, and art. It’s a film that is definitely not for the faint of heart as it shows von Trier at his most carnal but also with a level of restraint into the acts of violence as well as studying the mind of a man who kills for the pleasure of it as well as to fill the void of his own artistic satisfaction. In the end, The House That Jack Built is a tremendous film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea (1988 TV film) - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2: Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)

Related: Favorite Films #3: Breaking the Waves - The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2019

The Outsiders

Based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders is the story of two young greasers who go on the run following a self-defense murder of a drunken rich kid in Tulsa as they deal with their roles in the world. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and screenplay by Kathleen Rowell, the film is coming-of-age story involving teenage kids from poor/working class environments dealing with the prejudice of their world as well as seeing if there’s a good life outside of these restrictions. Starring C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett, Darren Dalton, Glenn Withrow, Michelle Meyrink, and Tom Waits. The Outsiders is an enchanting and evocative film from Francis Ford Coppola.

Set in the early 1960s in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the film revolves around a rivalry between two different gangs from different parts of the town that represent the social divide in the city. From the south of Tulsa are a group of kids from the working class/poor section of the town known as the greasers who wear denim, leather, and have grease on their hair while the kids from the north of Tulsa are the Socs who are rich kids who have their life set by their parents, wear letterman jackets, and posh clothes. In the middle of this conflict are a couple of young greasers who sneak into a drive-in movie venue where they befriend a young woman as they would later have an ugly encounter with her drunken boyfriend that ended with one of them killing a Soc in self-defense. With the help of another greaser, the two young men leave Tulsa and hide out where they deal with their roles as greasers as well as wondering if there’s more to offer as they encounter heroism as well as tragedy.

The film’s screenplay by Kathleen Rowell (that was largely re-written by Francis Ford Coppola) focuses on three young greasers in Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell), Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio), and Dallas “Dally” Winston (Matt Dillon) who spend a lot of time bumming around Tulsa as Curtis is still reeling from the death of his parents some years ago as he lives with his older brothers Darrel (Patrick Swayze) and Sodapop (Rob Lowe) where there’s tension Ponyboy and Darrel. Johnny is also from a dysfunctional family home as his friendship with Ponyboy is very close where they end up having to fight off a gang of Socs led by Bob Sheldon (Leif Garrett) who is angry over the fact that his girlfriend Cherry Valance (Diane Lane) befriended Ponyboy and Johnny as they didn’t play up the stereotypes of the greasers. Much of the film’s second act is set outside of Tulsa where Johnny and Ponyboy hide in an abandoned church where they change their look and view on the world until they reunite with Dally who gives them news about what they did to Sheldon.

Much of the film’s second half isn’t just about the act of heroism from Johnny, Ponyboy, and a reluctant Dally but also the fallout of Sheldon’s murder leading to a climatic rumble between the greasers and Socs with fellow greasers Two-Bit Matthews (Emilio Estevez), Steve Randle (Tom Cruise), and Tim Shepard (Glenn Withrow) helping out the Curtis brothers and other greasers with a sudden appearance from Dally. Yet, it’s the aftermath of the rumble that would change things as it relate to the reality of the world and the sacrifice that Johnny made into his act of heroism.

Coppola’s direction is intoxicating for not just shooting the film on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma and nearby locations but also in emphasizing some elements of realism into the film. There are also elements of styles in the compositions as the film and ends with Ponyboy Curtis reflecting on a memory and writing it all down on paper as if a book is coming to life. The usage of the locations doesn’t just play into this life in a 1960s town in the Midwest where there isn’t much to do but there is also this air of social divide as Coppola doesn’t dwell into the environment that the Socs live in as he prefers to show some of the dirtier side of the city including drive-ins, local shops, and other places that greasers would hang out at. While he would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations including a crane shot of sorts for the scene where Ponyboy and Johnny are confronted by Bob and his friends at the greasers’ turf.

Coppola would also create some stylish shots in the compositions in the way characters interact with one another that would include scenes where Ponyboy is presented in the background and Johnny in the foreground in a medium shot during the film’s third act in a chilling yet somber scene. There are also these dreamy moments during a key scene in the second act where Coppola create this shot of Ponyboy talking to Johnny about some of the stuff he read and this idea of purity and innocence that is presented in a golden shot of sorts. It’s an innocence that Ponyboy would struggle to carry towards the third act as it also play into some of the fallacies of masculinity as it relates to Dally who always act tough and thinks he’s smarter than everyone. Yet, he is unprepared for not just this reality in loss but also the reality that he’s still young who is in need of growing up. Overall, Coppola creates a majestic yet touching film about a gang of teenage greasers dealing with growing pains and the realities of their environment including the social divide.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors for some of the film’s daytime and nighttime exteriors as well as the usage of golden sunlight for a few key scenes as it play into Ponyboy’s innocence. Editor Anne Goursaud does excellent work with the editing as it help play into some the drama with some stylish dissolves and other cuts that also help play into some of the film’s energetic moments. Production designer Dean Tavoularis and set decorator Gary Fettis do fantastic work with the look of the abandoned church that Ponyboy and Johnny hide at outside of Tulsa as well as some of the interiors of the home where the Curtis brothers lived in.

The special visual effects work of Robert Swarthe is terrific for a lone sequence that relates to the assault of Ponyboy and Johnny by the Socs as it has an element of surrealism. Sound designer Richard Beggs does amazing work with the sound in creating sound textures for Ponyboy’s dream sequence as well as the natural atmosphere of some of the film’s locations. The film’s music by Carmine Coppola is wonderful for its rich and somber orchestral score that play into the dramatic elements of the film while the soundtrack features a couple of songs in the film from Them and a song by Stevie Wonder that was co-written with Carmine Coppola.

The casting by Janet Hirshenson is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it include some notable small roles and appearances from novelist S.E. Hinton as a nurse, William Smith as a store clerk Dally tries to threaten late in the film, Gailard Sartain as man that Ponyboy briefly talks to following the act of heroism, Sofia Coppola as a young girl asking for change, Tom Waits as a guardian of sorts for Dally in Buck Merrill, Glenn Withrow as a fellow greaser in Tim Shepard, Michelle Meyrink as Cherry’s friend Marcia, and Darren Dalton as a Soc named Randy Anderson who was Bob’s friend as he would have a conversation with Ponyboy during the third act stripping away the image of a Soc. Leif Garrett is terrific in his small role as the Soc Bob Sheldon who was Cherry’s boyfriend who berates her while being drunk as he has an immense disdain towards the greasers.

Diane Lane is fantastic as Cherry Valance as a mid-upper class girl who is part of the Socs though she dispels its stereotypes upon befriending Ponyboy and trying to help him over what happened. Tom Cruise and Emilio Estevez are excellent in their respective roles as Steve Randle and Two-Bit Matthews as a couple of greasers who are friends of the Curtis brothers with Randle as a tough kid who works with Sodapop while Matthews is a slacker of sorts who does watch over Ponyboy and Johnny during an encounter with the Socs. Rob Lowe is superb as Sodapop Curtis as the middle brother who works at a gas station with Randle as he is always trying to mediate between Darrel and Ponyboy. Patrick Swayze is brilliant as Darrel Curtis as the elder brother of Sodapop and Ponyboy who is trying to be responsible despite being too hard on Ponyboy.

Ralph Macchio is amazing as Johnny Cade as Ponyboy’s best friend who is a sensible person as he deals with what he had to do to save Ponyboy as well as pondering his own place in the world. C. Thomas Howell is marvelous as Ponyboy Curtis as a 14-year old greaser who is coping with loss as well as pondering a life outside of being a greaser as it’s a performance full of innocence and grace. Finally, there’s Matt Dillon in a phenomenal performance as Dally Winston as a young yet tough greaser who is cool but lacking in sensitivity as he is always tough where he tries to do whatever he can to protect Ponyboy and Johnny.

The Outsiders is a remarkable film from Francis Ford Coppola. Featuring an ensemble cast of future stars as well as gorgeous visuals, compelling themes of innocence and identity, and a lush musical score by Carmine Coppola. It’s a film that is engaging as well as displaying elements of realism and fantasy into the idea of growing pains in early 1960s Tulsa. In the end, The Outsiders is an incredible film from Francis Ford Coppola.

Francis Ford Coppola Films: (Tonight for Sure) – (The Bellboy and the Playgirls) – Dementia 13 - (You’re a Big Boy Now) – (Finian’s Rainbow) – (The Rain People) – The Godfather - The Conversation - The Godfather Pt. II - Apocalypse Now/Apocalypse Now Redux - One from the Heart - Rumble Fish - The Cotton Club - (Peggy Sue Got Married) – (Garden of Stone) – (Tucker: The Man & His Dreams) – New York Stories-Life Without Zoe - The Godfather Pt. III - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (Jack) – (The Rainmaker) – (Youth Without Youth) – Tetro - (Twixt)

© thevoid99 2018

To Die For

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/22/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Before the age of the Internet and the overwhelming presence of the paparazzi that helped spawn tabloid TV, the media in the 1990s was just starting to get crazy due to incidents involving the OJ Simpson trial and other strange incidents including the Nancy Kerrigan-Tanya Harding feud prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics. The mid-90s was an era of craziness as media coverage made unknowns into celebrities for 15 minutes. In 1995, a film was made and released just at the time when media coverage of these events were at an all-time high. The film isn't just a satirical view of the media but what one person would do to become famous in the film entitled To Die For.

Based on Joyce Maynard's novel, To Die For tells the story of an ambitious TV weather girl who wants to have fame and a huge TV career who decides to have her husband killed with the help of a few teenagers she profiled for a documentary. With an adapted screenplay by noted humorist and writer Buck Henry and directed by indie auteur Gus Van Sant, the film is made into a style of mockumentary as characters tell the story through interviews and flashbacks as it's all centered around this ambitious woman and her marriage to a simple, Italian restaurant co-owner whose simple ideas get in the way of her desire to be a news reporter. With an all-star cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Illeana Douglas, Joaquin Phoenix, Allison Folland, Casey Affleck, Dan Hedaya, Kurtwood Smith, Holland Taylor, Wayne Knight, Susan Traylor, Maria Tucci, Mike Rispoli, Tim Hopper, and special appearances from Buck Henry, George Segal, and Canadian auteur David Cronenberg. To Die For is a witty, entertaining, and provocative masterpiece from the duo of Gus Van Sant and Buck Henry.

A woman named Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) is being interviewed about the murder of her husband Larry Maretto (Matt Dillon) as she talks about her story of meeting Larry years ago at his restaurant that's run by his family. Larry is a simple, young man with simple dreams who comes from a loving, Italian family that included father Joe (Dan Hedaya), mother Angela (Maria Tucci) and his ice-skating sister Janice (Illeana Douglas). Larry catches Suzanne's attention as he tries to win her over including getting a little dog named Walter as Janice recalls her dislike towards Suzanne. Even when Larry and Suzanne wedded, she felt Larry changed from a guy who wore heavy-metal t-shirts to something more conservative. Joe and Angela Maretto are also recalling Larry's marriage in a talk show interview with Suzanne's parents Earl (Kurtwood Smith) and Carol Stone (Holland Taylor along with Suzanne's sister Faye (Susan Traylor).

During Suzanne and Larry's honeymoon in Florida, Suzanne goes to a media convention where she catches the attention of a speaker (George Segal). He gives her advice on how to get attention by telling her story about an unnamed reporter who became famous. Suzanne and Larry return to their home in New Hampshire as she pushes her way to get a job at a local cable channel where she convinces the station's manager Ed Grant (Wayne Knight) to give her a job as she eventually became the weather girl. Though being on TV has given her satisfaction, Suzanne wants more as she decides to make a documentary about teens as she discussed the projects with some students as three of them join the documentary, Jimmy (Joaquin Phoenix), Lydia (Allison Folland) and Russell (Casey Affleck).

Immediately, Jimmy and Lydia befriend Suzanne as Jimmy begins to have a crush on her while Lydia feels like she finally has another woman to talk to. Yet with Suzanne's ambitions to become famous, Larry wants to have a family and have Suzanne more involved with the family business since he is set to run his father's restaurant business. Though Suzanne told Larry she'd think about it, but in reality, she decides that he must go. Getting into an affair with Jimmy, the young man is manipulated by Suzanne to have Larry killed. With Lydia providing the gun and Russell going along for the plan, the murder finally happens but evidence and suspicion occurs as Suzanne despite all of her planning let her own ambitions get the best of her.

Mockumentaries are a form of fictional documentaries where characters and such are interviewed in conjunction with the story. The film's story is really about a woman who is willing to become famous by any means necessary. Even if she has to kill her loving husband just to become famous. Told in a style of memories and interviews, screenwriter Buck Henry creates a story that is filled with a lot of dark humor, witty dialogue, and satire as his take on media coverage, tabloid TV, and ambition is truly one of the best script adaptations ever written. Even the characters like Suzanne, Larry, Jimmy, Lydia, and Janice prove to be more than just one-dimensional caricatures. Janice is a sister who like her brother, has simple ambitions while remaining devoted to her family while really being one of the few people who saw Suzanne as a phony. Jimmy may seem like a dumb, stoner character but his own naivete provides an innocence as a young man who finds some self-respect for the first time since Suzanne is one of the rare people to call him James.

Lydia is another character who is filled with character development as this chubby, insecure young woman who finds a friend in Suzanne and like Jimmy, becomes manipulated as she is one of the more real characters in the film as she is also one of the film's main storytellers. Larry at first glance might seem like a typical, Italian-American man with little ambitions but his love for simpler things and family makes him into a well-meaning man. Yet, when he is about to die, one would've expected him to fight back but the shocking behavior of his murder from Jimmy's point of view realized what the two men really are. Yet, the real arc of the film is Suzanne, a woman who doesn't really like to use her husband's last name for professional reasons. Yet, she's a very complex character who uses her sex appeal and charm to get what she wants while at the same time, she isn't a very smart woman when a camera or a media figure is involved.

A lot of the film's humor and satire should go to Buck Henry for his sharp, witty screenplay while helming this story into a kinetic visual style is Gus Van Sant. Van Sant's direction is extremely superb and hypnotic. The use of style and compositions that Van Sant presents gives a film that is enamored with the idea of a mockumentary. Suzanne's interview is shown through her talking behind a white background as she is talking to a camera. There's a few great scenes where Van Sant conveys a mood, particularly in the lighting as it plays to Suzanne's eerie ambitions where things go from light to dark. Even the use where the camera becomes a hole to target Larry's head confirms Suzanne's state of mind. Van Sant's approach to the ending is comical that involves a cameo by revered Canadian director David Cronenberg that is followed by an ironic ending. The overall direction of Van Sant is truly superb as his use of wit and humor creates a film that is entertaining and provocative.

Longtime cinematographer Eric Alan Edwards creates a wonderful, stylish photography with a sheer, bright look to many of the film's daytime exteriors with Ontario, Canada playing New Hampshire with its great shots of the snowy town. Edwards' interior work is wonderful to convey the sense of style and lighting moods as the film has a strange, noir-like feel to convey the mood of Suzanne. Editor Curtiss Clayton brings a wonderful style to the film's editing that has a somewhat, non-linear feel with the use of jump-cuts, slow-motion, and transitions. Even through the jump-cuts, there's moment of what the audience might've thought happened as the film plays through like a puzzle with Clayton's superb editing.

Production designer Missy Stewart and art director Vlasta Svoboda does a wonderful job in creating the suburban home of Larry and Suzanne with wonderful colors in the furniture and appliances while creating the poor homes of the teens she's profiled. Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor does an amazing job in the look of Suzanne's clothes where it's all in style from the colorful power suits and blouses she wears to her colorful underwear, dresses, and tight pants. The costumes that Kidman wears is extraordinary and fun to watch. Sound editors Kelley Baker and J. Paul Huntsman do excellent work in the sound to convey the suspense and atmosphere in the dramatic scenes of the film.

Music composer Danny Elfman creates a fun, hypnotic score that is reminiscent of the classic scores from the films of Alfred Hitchcock. With a mix of screeching, metal guitars, the score underplay the film's humor while adding a saucy sense of terror of what is to come. Elfman's score is truly superb as the soundtrack features memorable cuts from Eric Carmen, Billy Preston, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Strawpeople, Nailbomb, Donovan, and in the film's promos, Don Henley's Dirty Laundry.

The casting by Deirdre Bowen and Howard Feuer is wonderfully assembled with cameos and small appearances from Rain Phoenix, Buck Henry as high school teacher Mr. Finlayson, George Segal as a conference speaker, the film's novelist Joyce Maynard as Suzanne's lawyer, and David Cronenberg in a great cameo as a man at a lake. Notable small roles from Gerry Quigley as Ed's associate George, Michael Rispoli and Tim Hopper as two detectives investigating Larry's murder while having a funny scene with Joaquin Phoenix in his interrogation as the two actors also appear in scenes as the Maretto's restaurant regulars. Holland Taylor is fine as Suzanne's mother along with Susan Traylor as Suzanne’s sister. Kurtwood Smith has a memorable appearance as Suzanne's father who doesn't approve of Larry at first due to his background. Maria Tucci is great as Angela Maretto who is concerned about Suzanne's lack of desire to become a mother while Dan Hedaya is great as Joe Maretto, the father who helps Larry in the importance of family.

Wayne Knight is wonderfully entertaining as station manager Ed Grant as Knight's straightforward, comedic performance is fun as he plays a foil of sorts for Kidman while calling her character "gangbusters". Illeana Douglas is amazing as Janice Maretto whose quick-witted remarks about Suzanne is filled with a lot of humor while in some ways, plays the film's conscience as she is baffled by Larry's choice in wanting Suzanne as his wife. In his film debut, Casey Affleck is great as the trouble-making Russell who is more than willing to do crazy things while annoying Mr. Finlayson. Allison Folland is extremely superb as Lydia, a young insecure girl who is easily manipulated by Suzanne as she is often given advice about losing weight while for a moment, feels like she's fitting in as Folland's performance is truly memorable, which is also her film debut.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a breakthrough performance as the dim-witted but sweet Jimmy who falls for Suzanne while finally getting some self-respect and confidence despite his own insecurities. Phoenix's laconic, subtle performance is amazing as the actor proved he can step into the shadows of his late older brother, River while proving to be one of the best actors of his generation. Matt Dillon is amazingly low-key as the charming, street-smart Larry Maretto. Dillon's engaging performance is fun to watch as he plays a man with simple ideas of family and love who is truly unaware of his wife's ambitions as Dillon is great in playing a character who eventually becomes a victim.

The film's best performance truly goes to Nicole Kidman in what is really her breakout role to American audiences. In the role of Suzanne Stone, Kidman brings a lot of layers to the performance as she is mean, conniving, manipulative, and cold whenever she's not getting what she wants or trying to control the situation. Yet, when she is at work or being part of some media event, Kidman adds a lot of energy and humor to the character that is sometimes heighten by the presence of the little dog Walter played by Misha. The whole film is Kidman through and through as it's a wonderful, star-making term for the Australian beauty.

When it was released in 1995, the film drew rave reviews and box office as Nicole Kidman received lots of acclaim including a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical. The film proved to be Kidman's breakout role as she finally stepped out of the shadow of her then-husband Tom Cruise. The film also introduced the public to Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck in which the latter would become one of Van Sant's key collaborators as his older brother Ben and friend Matt Damon would help bring Van Sant his biggest success with their own screenplay entitled Good Will Hunting.

To Die For is an extraordinary, witty, and entertaining masterpiece from Gus Van Sant and screenwriter Buck Henry helmed by a phenomenal performance from Nicole Kidman. Fans of black comedies and satires no doubt will enjoy this film while fans of Kidman will no doubt consider this her most essential performance. While fans of Gus Van Sant will consider this film to be his most accessible in comparison to art-house fares like My Own Private Idaho and Drugstore Cowboy to more experimental films like his recent Death Trilogy. The film is still one of Van Sant's quintessential films. In the end, for a film that is sexy, a great soundtrack, look, and witty commentary on the media, To Die For is the film that lives up to its title.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - Drugstore Cowboy - My Own Private Idaho - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - Good Will Hunting - Psycho (1998 film) - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - Restless - Promised Land

The Shorts & Videos of Gus Van Sant - Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

(C) thevoid99 2011

Drugstore Cowboy

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/15/05 w/ Extensive Revisions.

1980s independent American cinema helped open doors for films of all subject matters. One of them was drug abuse were many independent filmmakers took a more realistic, documentary-like perspective into the drug culture. One director in the late 80s went full-on for a dramatic approach in his exploration on drugs and his name was Gus Van Sant. After helming his 1985 debut feature Mala Noche, Van Sant had been hailed as a new visionary yet wasn't ready to move into the Hollywood circuits as he wanted to remain independent in his vision. No matter what subject he wanted tackle, even after a brief stint with Universal that failed. Van Sant moved to Portland, Oregon to create his tale of the drug world with 1989's Drugstore Cowboy.

Based on an unpublished novel by James Fogle, Drugstore Cowboy is a chronicle about four young drug addicts in 1971 Portland who scam their way into stealing pharmaceuticals at drugstores to feed their addiction. While evading a cop and staying at an apartment to plan their next heist, tragedy emerges as their leader tries to stay clean despite his wife's continuing addiction and the world he tries to leave behind. Adapted into a script by Van Sant and Dan Yost, the approach is more cathartic tale of four young, dysfunctional people living as a family while dealing with their addictions. Starring Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James LeGros, Heather Graham, James Remar, Grace Zabriskie, Max Perlich, and Naked Lunch novelist William S. Burroughs. Drugstore Cowboy is a gritty, off-the-wall masterpiece from Gus Van Sant.

Longtime drug addict Bob (Matt Dillon) has made a career stealing and using pharmaceutical and prescription drugs with help from his wife Diane (Kelly Lynch). With help from a couple of young addicts in Rick (James LeGros) and Nadine (Heather Graham), they have been successful as Nadine fake seizures while the rest steal. Using these drugs for themselves, Bob also tries to deal with a fellow dealer named David (Max Perlich) who is trying to rise up in the game. Bob is also trying to avoid a cop named Gentry (James Remar) who often checks for any of the drugs Bob and his gang has stolen. During a visit to see his mother (Grace Zabriskie), Bob and Diane ponder their own future as they also try to find a new home.

When Nadine asks Bob about getting a dog, Diane reminds her about the superstitions that Bob has where he believes that a dog or a hat on a bed would curse them for some time. After a prank on Gentry during a police assignment, Bob and the gang leave Portland where another heist is foiled by Nadine's clumsiness. Forced to hide out again, Bob finds a drug he had stolen as he makes another attempt at a hospital that was almost successful. The jinx that Bob claims is happening finally hits someone forcing Bob and Diane to leave only to be trapped by a nearby sheriff's convention prompting Bob to go straight.

Returning to Portland, Bob goes into treatment as a counselor (Beah Richards) takes him in where he befriends a former priest named Tom (William S. Burroughs) whom bob knew as a kid. Tom's wisdom prompts Bob to lead a straight life as he gets some unexpected help from Gentry. Yet, Bob's past would come to haunt him as Diane makes a chilling return along with some old adversaries.

Most films about drugs would either glorify or just attack the culture yet in Van Sant's approach, the film is not really about drugs. From his view, it's really about a family and their dysfunctions while feeding their habits in stealing from drug stores. It's also a story about a man who lives a certain lifestyle only that he realizes that it's not cracked up to be only to try and straighten up. The script Van Sant and Dan Yost come up with is excellent for its realism as well as surrealism in Van Sant's direction that includes fantasy backgrounds in whenever Bob is getting high or is feeling elated about something. While the film has a sense of doom in the second act, the third act is where the story shifts into a story where Bob finds himself in a room full of addicts. The conversation is about drugs yet there's no judgement towards them since Van Sant is really viewing them as human beings.

Everything that Van Sant comes up with is very well, even with the ending where in Bob's narration, it has a sense of irony. The narration really brings a perspective in what Van Sant wants to say, especially since it's from the words of James Fogle, the story's original novelist. The narration is unique while the film starts and ends in the same place and same time. The structure is pretty original in how it builds up a story, especially in the death scene where the emotions are mixed on how Bob and his team react. A lot of the credit goes for Van Sant for not glossing anything or being exploitive at the same time.

Helping Van Sant with his outlook and arty visual style is cinematographer Robert Yeomen who brings a dreamy yet gritty look of the film in the exterior scenes in Portland while in the interiors, brings a wonderful intimacy with his lighting and camera work. Production designer David Brisbin and art director Eve Cauley also bring an authenticity to the look of the hotels and homes since the film is set in 1971 along with Beatrix Aruna Pasztor on the costume design, particularly for the clothing of Kelly Lynch and Heather Graham. With wonderful layers of cinematic visuals done by editor Curtiss Clayton, the film has a nice, multi-dimensional look in the dream backgrounds of Bob while it's nicely paced throughout the film. Composer Elliot Goldenthal brings a wonderful score to the film for its dramatic moments and dreamy sequences while the film features a nice soundtrack of late 60s/early 70s music.

Then there's the film's wonderful cast that is filled with realistic and powerful performances including memorable ones from Max Perlich as the naive drug dealer David who gets caught up in his power, Grace Zabriskie as Bob's strict but loving mother, and Beah Richards as a wise drug counselor. The most eerie performance of the entire film is late Beat novelist William S. Burroughs who gained notoriety for his drug novel Naked Lunch. Burroughs gives a mesmerizing and disturbing performance as a former priest who continues to use drugs while providing some strange insight into its culture and roots. James LeGros is excellent in his performance as the doltish but resourceful Rick who manages to find his way and help out Bob while being the only real supporter for his young, naive girlfriend Nadine. James Remar is also brilliant in his role as Gentry, a cop who is willing to do anything to bust Bob. Remar might seem like a villain but he brings a lot more sympathy for Bob in trying to help him straighten out and when Bob does go straight, Remar becomes an unlikely supporter.

The film's most surprising performance goes to a young Heather Graham as the naive, innocent Nadine. With her winning smile and naive behavior, Graham makes herself into a believable character who is new to the game while learning and after a series of screw-ups, Graham takes her character to new dramatic heights as her performance is the film's real breakthrough. Kelly Lynch is also great in her role as Diane, a veteran junkie who is aware of the traps of the game but remains very upbeat on all levels, even as Bob leaves to go straight. There's never a moment in which Lynch gives a dull performance as she graces the screen with her amazing beauty and intelligence.

Then there's Matt Dillon who gives probably the best performance of his career, especially at the time when he had fallen off the radar for a while after his great moment in the early 80s. Dillon brings a lot of complexity and charm to his role as an addict who seems to know everything. Even when it comes to superstitions and how to create a perfect scam and heist. When Dillon goes straight, we see him trying to struggle with his upcoming role only to become content right till the end. This is truly one of the best performances of the decade and a real reason in why Matt Dillon is one great actor.

Drugstore Cowboy is a wonderful yet provocative film from Gus Van Sant that features a great cast and superb imagery. While Van Sant's best work is yet to come with the gay road drama My Own Private Idaho, it's this film that put him into the map of the independent film movement. While more mainstream fans will find this interesting, it's more likely they'll enjoy To Die For and Good Will Hunting more though fans of his recent work will definitely love Drugstore Cowboy. For a film with a lot of grit, surrealism, great performances, and a wonderful style, Drugstore Cowboy is the film to see.

Gus Van Sant Films: Mala Noche - My Own Private Idaho - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - To Die For - Good Will Hunting - Psycho (1998 film) - Finding Forrester - Gerry - Elephant - Last Days - Paranoid Park - Milk - Restless - Promised Land

The Shorts & Videos of Gus Van Sant - Auteurs #4: Gus Van Sant

(C) thevoid99 2011

Rumble Fish

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/21/05 w/ Additional Edits.

When Francis Ford Coppola broke through with The Godfather films in 1972 and its sequel in 1974. He was quickly becoming one of the finest American directors of the 1970s. 1974's The Conversation helped establish his role but after the chaotic production for 1979's Apocalypse Now, it was clearly becoming the beginning of the end for director. In 1982 with his dream studio Zoetrope now coming into fruition, Coppola fell into the big-budget flop trap with his 1982 musical feature One from the Heart which put his studio into a lot of financial trouble. The failure of the film with its $23 million budget and state-of-the-heart equipment forced Coppola to find new projects that would satisfy not just commercially but critically as well. He found himself interested in two books by writer S.E Hinton. One of them was The Outsiders which he chose after being petitioned by school kids to do the film and another Hinton novel he chose to adapt into a film was the coming-of-age street drama Rumble Fish.

Adapted by Hinton and Coppola, Rumble Fish is a tale of a young street punk who tries to take over leadership of his older brother's gang. When his older brother returns from California, the young man is forced to content with his older brother's advice to stop the gang thing and go in his own way. Shot on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma in black-and-white, Coppola aimed for an arty coming-of-age film that isn't just an ode to the European films Coppola loved but also the teen angst he identified with in the 1950s. Starring Coppola regulars Matt Dillon, Dennis Hopper, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Tom Waits, and family members Nicolas Cage and Sofia Coppola (as Domino) along with Diana Scarwid, Vincent Spano, Chris Penn, William Smith, and Mickey Rourke. Rumble Fish is a fascinating, arty drama that carries enough angst and power to an overlooked coming-of-age film.

For the young Rusty James (Matt Dillon), all his life was to lead the gang his older brother the Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke) has led. After two months, the Motorcycle Boy has disappeared as Rusty James is doing nothing but hang around with his buddies Smokey (Nicolas Cage), B.J. (Chris Penn), and childhood friend/nerd Steve (Vincent Spano) at a pool bar owned by Benny (Tom Waits). When another friend named Midget (Laurence Fishburne) arrives with news that Biff Wilcox (Glenn Withrow) wants to fight him tonight, Rusty James decides he will despite his older brother's rules of no fighting when he's gone. Before he decides to fight Biff at 10:00, he decides to meet his girlfriend Patty (Diane Lane) at her home where she's staying with her younger sister Donna (Sofia Coppola) where Patty feels that his role as a street fighter has only made him stupid.

After his night with Patty, Rusty James gets ready to fight the pill-popping Biff that all goes well until the arrival of the Motorcycle Boy who has returned after two months. Biff cuts Rusty James as Motorcycle Boy beats up Biff. Steve and Motorcycle Boy take Rusty James back to their apartment home as Motorcycle Boy takes care of him. The Motorcycle Boy reveals that he had been to California for two months while Rusty James notices he's gotten older and looks more weary while dealing with his on-off deafness and the fact that he's color-blind. After returning to school and meeting Patty at her house for another date, Rusty James returns home where he meets an ex-girlfriend of the Motorcycle Boy in Cassandra (Diana Scarwid) who has become a heroin junkie. Rusty James has a loathing for junkies and doesn't understand in what his brother sees in her. Later, their father (Dennis Hopper) returns home in his usual, sad drunken stupor as he talks to his eldest son about California and the Greeks.

After a night of partying with Smokey and his cousin James (Gian-Carlo Coppola), Rusty James finds himself in trouble with Patty as they break up. After being suspended from school, Rusty James decide to go into another night of partying into town with the Motorcycle Boy and Steve. They stop at a zydeco concert where the Motorcycle Boy dances with Cassandra while they walk into the town's vibrant scene. For Rusty James, the town was filled with live instead of the place he lives in on the other side of the bridge. After talking with the Motorcycle Boy, Rusty James thought he was going to be just like him until the Motorcycle Boy reveals that while he was in California, he met their mother and decided to be with her for a while. Rusty finds himself upset while maintaining that he’s going to be like him.

After an assault by a couple of thugs, the Motorcycle Boy saves him again as Rusty James wants to continue the gang lifestyle while Steve and the Motorcycle Boy tell him there's no future in that world. Even as the town's officer Patterson (William Smith) is waiting for the Motorcycle Boy to slip up, Rusty James still wants to pursue his brother's role. Yet after learning of a scheme created by Smokey, he realizes that his main flaw is that he isn't smart enough to be a leader whereas Smokey has the intelligence.

The Motorcycle Boy meanwhile, has become obsessed with colorful Siamese fighting fishes that he coined as Rumble Fish. With Patterson lurking, the Motorcycle Boy and Rusty James have heart-to-heart with their father as it leads to a melancholic conversation about how Rusty James is falling into bad waters. With his brother not being the same and his friends moving on, Rusty James is forced to learn about finding his own identity.

If the film does have one major flaw, it's that at times it falls into some of the pretentiousness of any kind of art movie. Whether it's the references to time, moving clouds at fast speed or shots of the city. Still, for an art film, it looks great and it represents in what Coppola is trying to say about time. In the sense that the Motorcycle Boy's time is running out and Rusty James isn't aware that he's just getting started. It's really a young man who idolizes his brother only to realize that he has to be his own person.

It's something that Coppola and the film's novelist S.E. Hinton wanted to talk about. There's one person who wants to be his brother while his brother isn't the same person anymore. He's tired, he's had enough of an old lifestyle and he doesn't feel like he's got anything to prove except to teach his brother that there's something more. It was something that was very personal to Francis Ford Coppola in its story which is why in the final credits, he dedicates his film to his older brother August (Nicolas Cage’s father) for teaching him.

If the screenplay of the film conveys the themes in what the story is trying to tell. Coppola chose to tell the story in style. By going to old black-and-white style of photography that is throw-back to the old European films he was influenced by. Even the sequences of moving clouds, city backdrops, and having a clock in a frame of the film is shown in an arty way. Even if it seems pretentious, it's all for good reasons. There's a scene during where after Rusty James gets beat up by two thugs, there's a strange out-of-body sequence that happens in which it gives the film a stylish feel. Even in the stuff with the fishes, it's the fishes that are in color where everything else is in black-and-white. Only one moment in the film where it shifts from black-and-white to color and it's an emotional one. In a lot of ways, it's Coppola leaning towards a visual style of storytelling that works overall in his directing.

Helping Coppola in his visual style is cinematographer Stephen H. Burum whose black-and-white photography really gives the film a distinctive, authentic style where in color, it wouldn't retain the tone of the film. Burum's cinematography is amazing to watch from its lighting to its use of sunlight in many sequences. Editor Barry Malkin also gives the film a nice, leisurely style feel in its 94-minute running time with a lot of solid cuts that gives the film a nice movement. Helping in Coppola to capture the authenticity of the film and Tulsa is his longtime production designer Dean Tavoularis who helps captures the vibrancy of the city and the urban decay of the apartments where Rusty James and his brother lives. Even the costume design of Marjorie Bowers works, especially for Diane Lane who manages to steal a scene with the clothes she wears. Helping the film give its mood in sound is longtime Coppola collaborator Richard Beggs whose sound design helps the movie give a feeling with its use of clocks and winds to convey an impending doom that's going to happen.

With a bit of zydeco, rock, and soul that's played in the background of some scenes in the movie. Most of the music comes from Police drummer Stewart Copeland who brings all sorts of material for the film. Ranging from reggae, jazz, new wave, and everything else that's in the Police sound. The film has a nice percussive feel that is vibrant to where the film is, even in its dark moments where the layers of jazz melodies occurs. Stewart Copeland's score is really one of the film's most memorable moments in which his work as a composer gave him something to do aside from his work in the Police during the late 70s and early 80s.

Then there's the film cast and with a cast of old-school and then-new school iconic actors/filmmakers. How can you not watch this film? With some nice small performances from Herb Rice as a pool player in a bar scene with Rourke and Dillon along with a nice little role from the young Sofia Coppola, far better than the performance she gave in The Godfather, Part III, as Diane Lane's little sister Donna. There's also cameos in the film from the film's novelist S.E. Hinton and Sofia's late older brother Gian-Carlo Coppola as in real life, Nicolas Cage's cousin. Also noted is that Gian-Carlo and brother Roman both served as associate producers for the film. Also giving out some memorable small performances are Glenn Withrow as Biff Wilcox, the always-funny Chris Penn as B.J., Diana Scarwid as the beautiful, desperate junkie Cassandra, Laurence Fishburne as the cool, pimpin' Midget, and the always cool Tom Waits as the time-consuming pool bar owner Benny.

Now if anyone is going to get an ingenue for a film like this, who better than the extremely, smokin' hot Diane Lane. Lane steals every moment in the film with her graceful, old-school Hollywood beauty, especially in the scene when she walks into Benny's bar. Even in the fantasy sequences for Rusty James, she just oozes with sexuality while bringing a lot of toughness and frustration to her character. It's a great performance from the young Diane Lane but what is more astounding is that seeing her 20 years later and she is still fucking gorgeous. William Smith gives a wonderful performance as the intimidating, observant Patterson who just waits for the Motorcycle Boy to slip while reminding Rusty James that he doesn't know his brother very well. Dennis Hopper gives a brilliant performance as the melancholic drunk father of Rusty James and the Motorcycle Boy who has a lot of love to offer but reminds Rusty James to be an individual and go his own way.

Nicolas Cage also gives a great performance as the slick, laid-back partner of Rusty James who has a lot of intelligence while reminding his friend that he doesn't have the capabilities of being a leader. Vincent Spano plays against type as the moralistic childhood friend Steven who often reminds Rusty James of his flaws and telling him that his brother is making sense. Matt Dillon gives a strong, confrontational performance as the troubled protagonist Rusty James who thinks he knows things only in the end to know so little. Dillon gives his character a lot of depth and growth towards the end as he journeys into his own existence, living in his own world and acting like a child. Then when the film develops, Dillon brings a lot of emotion to his troubles and dealing with the fact that his brother might not be around very much. It's truly one of Matt Dillon's more overlooked and inspiring performances.

The film's best performance belongs to Mickey Rourke. Rourke in many of his films brings a lot of charm, charisma, and attitude that defines him as one of the coolest actors of his generation. There's a James Dean quality to him but in his role as the Motorcycle Boy, Rourke brings something that isn't seen very often in his work. He brings a lot more restraint and melancholia to his role as a man weary of his old lifestyle trying to get his brother into the right path. Rourke is mostly quiet through the film with a complexity of coolness and weariness into one singular approach. This is a man who doesn't want to be disturb and tries to do good, even when he comforts his father and brother. Still, if you mess with him, you're going to get in trouble as Rourke proves to be a real badass. This is by far one of his greatest performances and one of the more overlooked performances of the decade.

When Rumble Fish came out in late 1983, months after The Outsiders, like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews. Most of the complaints was Coppola's approach into making an arty film that doesn't appeal to anyone. While The Outsiders was modestly successful in the box office, Rumble Fish struggled to find an audience and ended up getting overlooked as it gave Coppola a tougher time to continue as his output in the rest of the decade was merely work-for-hire. Since its release, Rumble Fish has grown into a cult film and most recently along with an extended cut DVD release of The Outsiders, Rumble Fish was given a special edition DVD release while rumors still persist that Coppola has made an eight-hour cut of the movie. Yet the film's influence can be traced in daughter Sofia Coppola's 1997 short film Lick the Stars in its style and angst.

Nearly 20 years after its release, Rumble Fish is a wonderfully stylish, coming-of-age drama from Francis Ford Coppola. With a great cast led by Mickey Rourke and Matt Dillon along with Diane Lane, Dennis Hopper, Chris Penn, Laurence Fishburne, Nicolas Cage, and William Smith. It's by far one of the most underrated films in recent years. While the film's flaws only hits in its art-house style, fans of art-house pretentiousness will love it. Fans of these actors will definitely enjoy this film while anyone who loves the work of the Coppola family will find this worthy in their filmography. For a cool movie shot in black-and-white with a lot of attitude and style, Rumble Fish is the film to see.

Francis Ford Coppola Reviews: Dementia 13 - (You're a Big Boy Now) - (Finian's Rainbow) - (The Rain People) - The Godfather - The Conversation - The Godfather Part II - Apocalypse Now/Apocalypse Now Redux - One from the Heart - The Outsiders - The Cotton Club - (Peggy Sue Got Married) - (Garden of Stone) - (Tucker: The Man & His Dream) - New York Stories - The Godfather Part III - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (Jack) - (The Rainmaker) - (Youth Without Youth) - Tetro - (Twixt)

© thevoid99 2011

Beautiful Girls

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/2/03 w/ Additional Edits.

In January of 2002, filmmaker Ted Demme died of a heart attack at age 37. By then, he was already one of the promising filmmakers around with such acclaimed films like The Ref and 2001’s Blow. Demme was also responsible for creating the show Yo! MTV Raps in the late 80s that helped put hip-hop in the mainstream and with filmmaking uncle Jonathan, Ted was a practitioner for music and comedy since he directed comedy specials for Denis Leary and making a hip-hop film Who’s the Man? in 1993. In 1996, Ted Demme released one of his most acclaimed films to date with the nostalgic, buddy-comedy Beautiful Girls.

Beautiful Girls is about a young man in his mid-30s attending a high school reunion in a small town in Massachusetts. With his array of high school buddies, they talk about their relationships with women as well as the trouble around them. While the film recalls elements of the 1983 Lawrence Kasdan film The Big Chill, Beautiful Girls doesn't sway into the nostalgia of that film to encompass a more working class, modern tone to the film. Written by Scott Rosenberg and directed by Ted Demme, Beautiful Girls is a fun, heartwarming comedy with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.

Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) is a NYC bar pianist who decides to go to a high school reunion in his small hometown. Willie ponders about  his job as a pianist since he’s done little success and isn’t sure if he wants to get married to his girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish). Once he arrives, he meets up with old pal Michael “Mo” Morris (Noah Emmerich), a family man with loving kids and caring wife Sarah (Anne Bobby).  After some time with Mo, Willie returns home to see his widowed father Dick (Richard Bright) and dim-witted brother Bobby (David Arquette) who are still troubled by the death of Willie's mother. Willie encounters his neighbor, a 13-year old girl named Marty (Natalie Portman) where they struck up a friendship as she wonders about the Conway’s sad household.

Willie also meets up with the rest of his buddies led by snowplow chief Tommy (Matt Dillon), quiet guy Kev (Max Perlich), and loudmouth Paul (Michael Rapaport). Tommy is a former jock who has a loving girlfriend Sharon (Mira Sorvino) while is cheating on her with a married woman named Darian Smalls (Lauren Holly). Paul meanwhile, is having relationship troubles as well as his girlfriend Jan (Martha Plimpton) since he’s suspecting her of sleeping with the meat cutter at her job at a local restaurant. Willie feels happy with his pals since they’re having relationship troubles except for Mo as they often hang out at a bar owned by their pal Stinky (Pruitt Taylor Vince). Paul tries to propose marriage to Jan but it becomes a failure as he suspects her of her affair with meat cutter as their relationship ends. Tommy meanwhile, is having some trouble with his relationships with Sharon and Darian.

Willie befriends Marty as he asks what the kids do nowadays which isn’t much as she is going out with some boy named Andrew.  Willie feels a bit jealous since he finds himself enchanted by Marty. After meeting with Paul in Tommy’s apartment, Willie and Tommy meet up with Sharon’s friend Gina (Rosie O’Donnell) as she talks about what men want from women. During a birthday party for Tommy, Darian makes her presence felt as Sharon learns what is going on and she finds herself being unhappy and breaks up with Tommy. Then one night at Stinky’s, his cousin Andrea (Uma Thurman) visits as the men serenade her with the Neil Diamond classic “Sweet Caroline”. Paul finds himself trying to make moves on Andrea, just to piss off Jan.

Paul nabs a date with Andrea while Willie has an encounter with Marty at a skating rink where Marty tells him that he’s her new boyfriend. Willie likes the idea but is afraid things will change and references Winnie the Pooh about changing as Marty is given time to think about whatever relationship they might have. Tommy meanwhile, is feeling guilt from his breakup with Sharon as he learned what a cold bitch Darian really is as he later gets in trouble with her husband Steve (Sam Robards). Paul's date with Andrea becomes a disaster leading Paul to have a rant about women to Willie the next day.  After a conversation with Andrea, Willie ponders his own relationship issues as Tracy finally arrives where he realize what he wants while wanting to help out his friends with their own issues.

What makes Beautiful Girls such an appealing film is its chemistry with the cast. Ted Demme and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg crafted a story that couples could relate to as well as smart-alecks about men and women. Even as it includes a great monologue about how men are attracted to plastic models by Rosie O'Donnell that is one of the film's highlights. Even as it features commentary on men about their own immaturity. Demme even gives the film a working class tone in its small town as something a bit real with wonderful cinematography from Adam Kimmel and Tony Janelli. The music in the film is also worth noting since it’s soundtrack is very diverse with old-school classics from Neil Diamond, the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Jethro Tull, and Billy Paul to more modern stuff from Afghan Whigs, Pete Drodge, Split Enz, Ween, Morphine, and Chris Issak.

The performances in the film are all top-notch led by the enigmatic Timothy Hutton who leads the film with his masterful portrayal as a man in his mid-30s struggling with his identity with women. Matt Dillon is excellent as the hard-nosed jock Tommy while Noah Emmerich plays the film’s sweet conscious that is well utilized. The smaller male roles of David Arquette, Richard Bright, Max Perlich, Sam Robards, and Pruitt Taylor Vince are also well used while Michael Rapaport steals the show with his comedic rants and one-liners. Bringing the film some balance is the female performances. Mira Sorvino brings a lovely performance as the neglected Sharon while Uma Thurman brings a lovely performance as Stinky’s cousin who plays the men’s attraction but brings brains to the role. Rosie O’Donnell is easily the most hilarious performance of the film since she rants a lot about men and stuff while Lauren Holly is excellent as the cold bitch who really doesn’t know how mean she is to men. The smaller roles of Annabeth Gish, Martha Plimpton, and Anne Bobby standout as well while Natalie Portman brings the film’s best performance as the precocious, innocent Marty, who was named after a grandfather she never knew.

Beautiful Girls is an excellent, heartwarming comedy from the late Ted Demme that shines from its cast and script. Though the film at times has predictable moments, it overcomes that through its humor and chemistry from the cast. Fans of comedy will enjoy the rants of Rapaport and O’Donnell while more dramatic fans will love the performances of Hutton and Portman. The film has something for everyone. Sadly, Ted Demme won’t be making any more films like this but at least he captured something magical with Beautiful Girls.

(C) thevoid99 2010