The Stanford Prison Experiment

Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez and written by Tim Talbott, The Stanford Prison Experiment is the story of the real life experiment created by Dr. Philip Zimbardo where students would play prisoners and guards as the experiment becomes very dangerous. The film is a dramatic account of the experiment that led to a lot of controversy with Billy Crudup playing the role of Dr. Philip Zimbardo. Also starring Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Michael Angarano, Logan Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Ki Hong Lee, Tye Sheridan, Jack Kilmer, and Nicholas Braun. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a chilling yet visceral film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

In the summer of 1971 at Stanford University in California, psychology professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo decides to conduct a two-week experiment with 18 male students who would be paid $15 a day to volunteer where 9 students would play prisoners and 9 would play guards in a fictionalized prison. The objective was to study the psychological aspects of how prisoners deal with being prison and endure the abuse of the guards. What happens during the experiments is that things go too far where the students playing the guards become too comfortable with their roles while the prisoners either rebel or fall apart emotionally and psychologically. The film is about the experiment as it was considered very controversial as it showcases what Dr. Zimbardo was trying to do and how far it went where even those who are working with Dr. Zimbardo are taken aback at how far it’s gone.

Tim Talbott’s screenplay does have a unique structure where it is told in the span of days where time during this fictional prison is very slow but also confusing from the point-of-view of the prisoners. During the duration of two-weeks, prisoners would have emotional breakdowns while there are those who are willing to do what the guard says as either as a way to survive or not cause trouble. Yet, it would be observed by Dr. Zimbardo and members of his staff including a former prisoner in Jesse Fletcher (Nelsan Ellis) who also observes to see how real it is despite the fact that cells are offices and much of the action is in a hallway. Prisoners would have meetings with Dr. Zimbardo and others as if they’re being interrogated where it would eventually become too much not just for the young men playing the prisoners but also those in Dr. Zimbardo’s staff as well as Fletcher who would be forced to play a part that makes him very uncomfortable.

Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s direction is very intense in terms of what goes on in the experiment as the film is shot in a building in Los Angeles where there are very little exterior shots to play into an atmosphere that is very gripping. While there are a few exterior shots of the Stanford campus and the home of one of the volunteers pretending to be a prisoner, much of it is shot in the building where it has an intimacy that is very discomforting. Notably in the close-ups in how the guards interact and intimidate the prisoners where it feels too real at times as well as wondering when is someone going to break. The fact that much of the action takes place in this small hallway with rooms as prison cells has this air of claustrophobia in its look and feel. The scenes where Dr. Zimbardo and his staff are watching through a small TV that has a camera filming everything is just as eerie where there is more coverage in the wide and medium shots. Once the film progresses more and more as one day becomes the next, the mood definitely gets darker and more tense. Especially in a mock parole scene where Fletcher plays a parole board member who would list false charges a prisoner makes as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend Christina Maslach (Olivia Thirlby) would look at what Fletcher is reading and see nothing.

Alvarez also create these moments where the prisoners try to find a way to break out but also deal with what is happening to them emotionally and mentally. The scenes where the prisoners and guards have to meet for a daily routine, the way they’re presented each day does intensify where a new prisoner would come in as he is just aghast in the experiment he’s volunteered for. Especially as what happens become terrifying as Dr. Zimbardo would be forced to watch everything as his colleagues begin to question the experiment itself. The film’s aftermath wouldn’t just showcase how troubling the experiment was but also the situations these volunteers had been put in through where it says a lot about the many complexities of human nature. Overall, Alvarez creates an unsettling yet evocative film about a man’s experiment about human behavior set in a prison.

Cinematographer Jack Shelton does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to create different moods for much of the lighting in the cells and hallways as well as the rooms where Dr. Zimbardo and his team are watching everything. Editor Fernando Collins does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of-slow motion, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the tension and drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Gary Barbosa, with set decorator Sandra Skora and art director Andres Cubillan, does fantastic work with not just the look of the hallway and cells but also this cramped room known as the Hole as well as rooms that Dr. Zimbardo and his team would observe everything.

Costume designer Lisa Tomczeszyn does nice work with the costumes as much of the casual look is from clothes from the 70s while the look of the prisoners are ragged with just a long shirt and a pantyhose stocking as a cap. Sound editor Martyn Zub does terrific work with the sound as it‘s mostly low-key in how some of the sound is recorded at the Dr. Zimbardo‘s office to what it sounds naturally at the hallway. The film’s music by Andrew Hewitt is wonderful for its ambient-based score that plays into the drama as well as some of the terrifying moments in the film.

The casting by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy is great as it feature some notable small roles from Albert Malafronte as a priest, James C. Victor and Kate Butler as the parents of one of the prisoners in Peter Mitchell, and Fred Ochs as a professor who unknowingly makes an unexpected visit on the experiment. Other notable small roles include Moises Arias, Nicholas Braun, and Gaius Charles as the three associates of Dr. Zimbardo who are tasked to observe with him as they become more uncomfortable with the experiments. In the roles of some of the prison guards, the performances of Keir Gilchrist, James Wolk, Matt Bennett, James Frecheville, Mile Heizer, Callan McAuliffe, Benedict Samuel, and Harrison Thomas are superb in the roles as guys who act abusive with some becoming uneasy in what they’re doing in the experiment. In the roles of some of the prisoners, Chris Sheffield, Jack Kilmer, Brett Daverne, Jesse Carere, Logan Miller, Johnny Simmons, and Ki Hong Lee are excellent as a group of men who volunteer to play prisoners as they endure abuse and humiliation of the worst kind with some trying to find ways to survive.

Thomas Mann is fantastic in a small role as prisoner 416 who comes to the experiment late in the film as he deals with the harsh surroundings he is in as well as what he is forced to do. Nelsan Ellis is brilliant as Jesse Fletcher as a former convict who is asked by Dr. Zimbardo to observe as some of the events make him uncomfortable as he would have to confront one volunteer about his claim of being sick and another where he pretends to be a parole board figure. Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Christina Maslach as Dr. Zimbardo’s then-girlfriend who fills in for the observation where she becomes uncomfortable with what is happening. Tye Sheridan is remarkable as Peter Mitchell/prisoner 819 who tries to defy authority as he later endures some emotional and mental abuse that becomes too much for him to deal with.

Ezra Miller is marvelous as Daniel Culp/prisoner 8612 as the most rebellious prisoner who would always push the buttons of the guards only to be pushed back big time as he would try to make an escape. Michael Angarano is phenomenal as the guard Christopher Archer who would take his role too seriously as he would play a sadist as if he was John Wayne as it’s a fun yet dark performance from Angarano. Finally, there’s Billy Crudup in a remarkable performance as Dr. Philip Zimbardo as a psychological professor who is trying to create a study on human nature in a prison where he pushes things further to see how far things can go too far.

The Stanford Prison Experiment is a spectacular film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a fascinating study on human nature and might happen to someone in prison. It’s a film showcases a man’s experiment and how far it went as it shows some of the horror of what might happen at a prison. In the end, The Stanford Prison Experiment is a riveting and harrowing film from Kyle Patrick Alvarez.

© thevoid99 2016

Haywire

Directed, shot, and edited by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs, Haywire is the story of a spy who is betrayed by her organization as she seeks revenge while uncovering a conspiracy that is going against her. The film is an action-thriller where a woman whose job was to help a company as she realizes that there’s more at stake as she is a pawn of a big scheme. Starring Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas. Haywire is a stylish yet entertaining film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is an exploration of betrayal where a woman, who is hired by a private organization to retrieve hostages and kill targets, becomes part of a conspiracy where that organization tries to get rid of her. While it is a premise that is very simple, it is a film that is about a group of people who try to play a scheme where those of power become either corrupt or be caught off guard. Lem Dobbs’ screenplay doesn’t just explore what governments do to take care of situations but how certain individuals are willing to compromise them. In the middle of this is Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) who is just someone that does her job as she learns she is betrayed when an assignment she reluctantly takes part in is merely more of an attempt to eliminate her.

The first half of the story is about Kane being betrayed and what does she do as the narrative is largely told in flashback after a meeting a colleague has gone bad as she takes a hostage and tells him what is going on. The second half is about Kane exacting her revenge and why she gets betrayed as it involves all sorts of things about government involvements. Especially as it plays into ideas of capitalism and corruption in a world where the rules are changing and some in the old order are out of the loop. These things would motivate Kane into not just take action but also confront those who are running the show.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is very stylish not just in his approach in creating a film that is thrilling and action-packed. It’s also a film where it’s quite engaging in the way the mystery unfolds and how it’s being told. Shot in various locations in two different continents, the film has something that feels big but also very intimate in some of the compositions that Soderbergh makes. Much of it involves close-ups and medium shots while some of the action scenes are presented in wide shots such as a chase scene in Dublin involving cops as there’s an intricacy to the way Soderbergh presents the sequence.

Serving as cinematographer in his Peter Andrews alias and editor in his Mary Ann Bernard alias, there are some unique images to the look of the film in terms of how the interiors are lit while Soderbergh uses a lot of blue filters for the scenes set in upstate New York. Soderbergh’s editing definitely has a lot of unique rhythms in the way the action and fights are presented yet he keeps it straightforward in order to maintain the air of suspense. Even as it would lead to confrontations and questions about the way the world works. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very intelligent yet riveting thriller about a woman going after those who betrayed her.

Production designer Howard Cummings, with set decorator Barbara Munch and art director James F. Oberlander, does excellent work with the look of the home where Kane‘s father lived in as well as the government offices and house that Kane goes to with a MI-6 agent. Costume designer Shoshana Rubin does nice work with the costumes as most of it is casual with the exception of the dress that Kane wears for a party. Visual effects supervisor John Kennedy does terrific work with the few visual effects shots in the film such as a scene in upstate New York where Kane tries to evade the police. Sound editor Larry Blake does fantastic work with the sound from the way punches and kicks are heard to the sound of sirens in some of the film‘s action scenes. The film’s music by David Holmes is brilliant for its mixture of funk and jazz to play into the energy of the film with some electronic pieces for the suspense and drama.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Anthony Brandon Wong as a hostage Kane had to retrieve and Mathieu Kassovitz as a businessman that Kane and her MI-6 colleague Paul had to target. Michael Angarano is terrific as a young man named Scott that Kane takes hostage in the film’s first half as he learns about what she is doing. Michael Fassbender is excellent in a small role as a MI-6 agent named Paul who is part of the scheme to betray Kane. Antonio Banderas is brilliant as a Spanish contact named Rodrigo who is trying to watch over the international interest for the U.S. in terms of what is happening. Bill Paxton is fantastic as Kane’s father John who knows what his daughter does as he is aware of what is happening as he does whatever it takes to fool those who have betrayed her.

Channing Tatum is wonderful as a colleague in Aaron who only knows Kane for about a week after an assignment as he’s asked to deal with her where he would question about what is going on. Ewan McGregor is superb as Kane’s former boyfriend/contractor Kenneth who is trying to make some moves while getting Kane to accept a job that he needed. Michael Douglas is incredible as the government agent Coblenz who is this ambiguous figure as he is someone that is trying to watch over everything while being unaware of things that are happening. Finally, there’s Gina Carano in a remarkable performance as Mallory Kane as this woman who is trying to leave her job as she copes with being betrayed as it’s a performance that has Carano display some charm while kicking some ass at the same time.

Haywire is a phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh that features a fantastic performance from Gina Carano. The film isn’t just a smart action-thriller but also a compelling film about the way governments and private firms deal with things in a world that is becoming very complicated. In the end, Haywire is a marvelous film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's 11 - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014

Almost Famous

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous is the story of a teenage rock journalist who gets a chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine to cover an up-and-coming rock band on tour.  The film is based largely on Crowe’s experience as a rock journalist in the 1970s as it also explores the music scene of the time.  Starring Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Anna Paquin, Zooey Deschanel, Noah Taylor, Jimmy Fallon, Fairuza Balk, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs.  Almost Famous is an enriching yet outstanding film from Cameron Crowe.

William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is a 16-year old aspiring rock journalist, who lives with his college professor mother Elaine (Frances McDormand), as his fascination with rock music has caught the attention of notorious music critic Lester Bangs.  Bangs gives William an assignment to do a concert review for Black Sabbath as William tries to get backstage where meets a few young ladies who refer to themselves as Band-Aids led by the exotic Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) and a band called Stillwater who let him go backstage.  Intrigued by the band including its guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), William later joins Penny to meet them at Continental Hyatt House as her companion in order to see Russell.  After getting a call from Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres (Terry Chen), William gets a chance to go on the road to cover Stillwater.

Though his mother isn’t keen on the idea, she lets William go on the road as he joins Stillwater and the Band-Aids on tour.  William notices the band trying to make it despite some set-backs and tension between Russell and vocalist Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) who is paranoid about having William around.  With William’s period on the road being much longer than he had anticipated, he gets a call from Fong-Torres about extending the piece into a cover story.  When Stillwater’s record label brings in Dennis Hope (Jimmy Fallon) to co-manage the band with Dick Roswell (Noah Taylor), Dick and Russell decide to sell the Band-Aids to the band Humble Pie that leaves Penny devastated.

After arriving to New York City, William tells the band about their chance to be on the cover of Rolling Stone as he becomes concerned about Penny who also comes to the city.  After some turbulent moments, William gets some advice from Bangs about what to write as he would reveal everything he had saw about the band he‘s adored for so long.

The film is a semi-autobiographical story of Cameron Crowe’s life as a teenage rock journalist where he covered the music scene of the 1970s during his time with Rolling Stone magazine.  There, he allows the character of William Miller to go through a lot of the things Crowe had experienced such as groupies, rock n’ roll excess, tension, and all of things that went on during a crazy era in rock n’ roll.  Meanwhile, the young William Miller would meet a few people that would intrigue such as an exotic groupie named Penny Lane and a brilliant guitarist whose talents starts to overshadow the rest of his band mates.

Crowe’s screenplay starts off with a prologue of how a young William (Michael Angarano) was introduced to the world of rock n’ roll by his older sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) who despises her mother’s New Age ideas and flees to become a stewardess.  It then leads into this main narrative of William trying to become a rock journalist at the age of 16 though his mother hopes that he becomes a lawyer.  His love of rock would get him to meet the notorious Lester Bangs who would offer him advice about what not to do in the world of rock journalism such as be friends with the rock star.

During William’s journey, he would unfortunately become friends with Stillwater though the band is wary of him because he represents the enemy they don’t want to play for.  Yet, William is the one who could make them really famous as they’re a band on the rise only to deal with all sorts of tension that is sparked by a t-shirt at one point.  All of this is told from this young man’s perspective who is watching a band he loves just trying to get everything together as he’s intrigued by their guitarist who is aware of the role he’s playing as well as the fact that he’s beyond them musically.

Then there’s Penny Lane, this groupie who is in love with Russell Hammond but also someone who really loves the music.  With the group of girls she’s a part of, she’s in it to have a good time and enjoy the music.  Unfortunately, she knows that Russell is married and a decision that Russell would make in the film’s second half would have a great impact on her forcing William to come to her aid.  It would be a moment where William realizes what he has to do not just as a fan but also as a journalist as he’s set to write a piece that would legitimize him as a true rock journalist.

Crowe’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions but the way he recreates the late 1960s and early 1970s is still magical for the air of nostalgia and authenticity that is presented.  Notably as the film features a lot of references to rock lore such as the Continental Hyatt which was famously known as the Riot House.  Crowe always know how to frame his actors and capture the excitement of what it’s like to be at a rock concert or be in the middle of a discussion as he’s shooting a lot of from William’s perspective.  Notably as Crowe creates shots to reveals William’s on-going struggle to get a story and interview Russell.

One of the key aspects of Crowe’s direction is the way he balances humor and drama where he adds a lot of subtlety to the former.  Notably as he plays to the misadventures that goes on when a band is on the road such as a comical moment when the bus decides to leave Jeff behind.  Since this is a film that is about music in some ways, Crowe also knows how to use music to elevate a scene such as the famous Tiny Dancer sequence where the band sing Elton John’s song following a very crazy moment that had Russell partying with people while tripping on drugs.  It’s one of Crowe’s great moments as the overall work he does with the film is outstanding as he creates what is a truly engrossing coming-of-age tale about a teen and his love for rock n’ roll.

Cinematographer John Toll does brilliant work with the film‘s lush and colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of the various locations inside along with more layered coloring for the interiors as Toll‘s work is a technical highlight.  Editors Joe Husting and Saar Klein do fantastic work with the editing to play out the energy of the concert performances as well as other montages such as the band partying with the Band-Aids.  Art directors Clay A. Griffin, Clayton Hartley, and Virginia L. Randolph, along with set decorator Robert Greenfield, do excellent work in re-creating the look of William‘s home as well as other props to create the feel of the early 1970s.

Costume designer Betsy Heimman does wonderful work with the costumes such as the bellbottoms and clothes the men wear to more lavish clothing the Band-Aids wear.  Sound editor Michael D. Wilhoit does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the live concerts as well as the intimacy that goes in the bus and backstage meetings.  The film’s score by Nancy Wilson is terrific for its low-key, folk-driven sound to maintain a sense of ambience for some of the film‘s quieter moments. 

Music supervisor Danny Bramson creates an incredible soundtrack that features an array of different music from the late 60s and early 70s from acts like Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath, the Raspberries, Simon & Garfunkel, Yes, the Beach Boys, Elton John, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, and many others.  The original music for the band Stillwater is provided by Nancy Wilson and Peter Frampton, with contributions from Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, as it is true rock n‘ roll at its finest.

The casting by Gail Levin is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable small roles from Bijou Phillips as Band-Aid Estrella Star, Rainn Wilson as Rolling Stone co-editor David Felton, Liz Stauber as Russell’s wife Leslie, Jay Baruchel as an obsessed Zeppelin fan, Peter Frampton as Humble Pie’s road manager Reg, Terry Chen as Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres, Anna Paquin as Band-Aid Polexia Aprhodisia, Fairuza Balk as Band-Aid Sapphire, Mark Kozelek as Stillwater bassist Larry Fellows, and John Fedevich as Stillwater’s quiet drummer Ed Vallencourt.  Other notable supporting roles including Michael Angarano as the young William, Zooey Deschanel as William’s older sister Anita, Jimmy Fallon as the band’s more professional manager Dennis Hope, and Noah Taylor as the Stillwater’s more raucous manager Dick Roswell.

Jason Lee is excellent as Stillwater vocalist Jeff Bebe who tries to deal with the growing attention towards Russell as well as the presence of William.  Philip Seymour Hoffman is brilliant as legendary music critic Lester Bangs who guides William on what to do when going on tour and how to be a true rock journalist.  Kate Hudson is great as the exotic Penny Lane who is so full of life as Hudson brings a lot of energy and charisma to a very eccentric yet loveable character.  Billy Crudup is wonderful as the very talented Russell Hammond who tries to deal with the fact that he’s the most mature member of Stillwater as he finds someone like William whom he can talk to. 

Frances McDormand is superb as Williams’ mother Elaine who worries about her son possibly doing drugs while hoping that he becomes responsible.  Finally, there’s Patrick Fugit in a remarkable performance as William Miller as this young rock fan who goes on the ride of his life as he becomes friends with the rock stars and hang out with groupies as it’s a real breakthrough for Fugit.

Almost Famous is an outstanding film from Cameron Crowe.  Featuring a fantastic soundtrack and a top-notch ensemble cast, it’s definitely a film that is very lively and captures the essence of rock n’ roll.  Not only is it one of the best films about music and a place in time but also a very compelling coming-of-age film told from a young fan who loves music.  In the end, Almost Famous is an extraordinary film from Cameron Crowe.

Cameron Crowe Films:  (Say Anything…) - (Singles) - (Jerry Maguire) - (Vanilla Sky) - (Elizabethtown) - The Union - Pearl Jam 20 - We Bought a Zoo - Aloha

© thevoid99 2012

Snow Angels

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/15/09.

With three acclaimed films to his credit by 2007, David Gordon Green is considered to be one of American cinema's most promising young directors. Since his 2000 landmark debut film George Washington, Green's dream-like yet harrowing portrait of life in the American South has earned him praised from critics, notably Roger Ebert. Compared in some respects to the legendary yet elusive Terrence Malick, Green followed up his debut with 2003's romantic-drama All the Real Girls and 2004's thriller Undertow in which the latter was co-produced by Malick. After an attempt to get an adaption of the legendary John Kennedy Toole classic novel A Confederacy of Dunces with help from Steven Soderbergh as one of the screenwriters failed to get off the ground. Green took a break to plan several projects before taking on an adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's small-town drama Snow Angels.

A multi-layered story about young teenager dealing with the disintegration of his parents marriage as well as a long-standing crush with a former babysitter who is currently having relationship problems with her ex-husband. When the woman and her ex-husband starts to boil over due to an affair, the young man suddenly finds himself falling for a quirky young high school girl as a small town begins to lose its innocence. Written for the screen and directed by David Gordon Green, Snow Angels marks as a huge departure for the director as he moves North to create an enchanting yet eerie tale of small town life that is close to his own small town world in the South. With an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, Nicky Katt, Olivia Thirlby, Jeanetta Arnette, Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne. Snow Angels is an enchanting yet harrowing drama from David Gordon Green.

Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) is a high school teenager dealing with new changes in his life. His parents Don (Griffin Dunne) and Louise (Jeanetta Arnette) are splitting up as Arthur tries to cope with it with school work and marching band practice. Around the same time, Arthur works as a bus boy at a local Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whom he's had a crush on. Annie is dealing with her own problems raising her four-year old daughter Tara (Gracie Hudson) by herself while her ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) has become a Born-again Christian and just landing a job selling carpets. Though Glenn does get to see Tara from time to time, he hopes to have Annie back in his life while maintaining his own sobriety. It's around the same time Arthur befriends a new student in the nerdy yet charismatic Lila (Olivia Thirlby).

With Glenn starting to get things in order, Annie has an affair with a cop named Nate (Nicky Katt) who is married to Annie's friend Barb (Amy Sedaris) who also works with her as a waitress at the Chinese restaurant. The affair becomes secretive for awhile until Glenn starts to suspect something as Barb also finds out. With Annie stressed out in her own life while trying to raise Tara, Glenn starts to confront Annie and Nate over this affair as trouble starts to brew. Arthur meanwhile, learns that his dad is seeing someone as he starts to get close with Lila whom he's becoming attracted to. Then one day, a sick Annie is at home with a cold when her daughter is suddenly gone. Turning to Barb for help, a whole town tries to find something. What happens would change things forcing Glenn to become insane while a distraught, angry Arthur leans closer towards Lila. Then comes a day when the lives of an entire town would change forever.

The film is about disconnection and connections into the lives of various individuals in a small, Northern town in America. While small-town life isn't new to what screenwriter/director David Gordon Green has explored. The location and setting is very different from his three previous films as he goes into the north during a winter season. While Green's script definitely delves into the lives of the three main individuals of Arthur, Glenn, and Annie. He does create a faithful version of Stewart O'Nan's novel though the story overall is uneven. While there's enough work that's put into the coming-of-age story of Arthur, it's overshadowed by the drama of Glenn and Annie which reaches tragic proportions. Yet, it's setting and study of characters is what definitely attracted Green to this story as he puts enough attention towards major characters and supporting ones as he delves into a small town setting.

Green's direction is truly majestic in its setting though the film is shot mostly in Canada. Green's rich compositions and dramatic staging is what keeps this film compelling as he goes deep into the drama but knows when to pull away. While there's not much humor, Green knows when to use it when it's necessary. The drama is more theatrical in its performance but Green knows when to have his actors not delve into melodrama or high theatrics. It's all restrained except in parts for high drama as he knows when to place his camera to capture all that is going on. Even in getting shots from a character's perspective or a scenery that is enchanting with shots of nature that is reminiscent of the work of his mentor Terrence Malick. Overall, Green's direction shows a maturity in the young director who takes some of his old tricks and refine them for better dramatic effect.

Green's longtime cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the usage of snow and sunlight for the film's exterior, daytime scenes. Orr's photography maintains the richness that Green wanted for the film as there's a beauty to the look of small town life. Even the nighttime exteriors are well shot with low-lights and an intimacy for the drama with a beautiful shot one of the film's final scenes involving falling snow and a football field. Orr's camera work in the interiors is intimate as in a couple of bar scenes, it's low-lit to emphasize the dark mood of one of its major characters. The overall work of Tim Orr is truly phenomenal as he's one of the best young cinematographers working in the field.

Editor William M. Anderson does excellent work with the film's stylish editing with the use of fade-outs, jump-cuts, and rhythmic cutting to create transitions that seems abrupt yet energetic for the story. Green's longtime production designer Richard A. Wright, along with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Terry Quennell, does some fine work with the look of the high schools, Annie's home, and other locations that has a nice, quaint small-town feel. Costume designer Kate Rose does good work with the costumes in creating casual clothing for the actors with Olivia Thirlby's Lila character standing out the most with a yellow coat and hat along with cat-like glasses to create a unique look for her. Sound editor Larry Blake does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the quaint feel of the small town with layering of noises as well as the sounds of instruments and such for the film. Notably its opening sequence with the thundering sounds that would set the film's dramatic tone in place.

Green's longtime music composer David Wingo along with Jeff McIlwain brings a quiet yet plaintive score with acoustic guitars and ambient textures to play to the film's somber, small-town feel. The soundtrack consists of material ranging from blues to country with songs by Gene Autry, Shane Hartman, Tony Berg, Josh Crocker, Benji Hughes, indie-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, and a soft-rock song from Bread. Another song that is used for humor and dramatic effect is Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer which is performed by a marching band.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Paul Schnee, and Suzanne Smith is wonderfully assembled for its usage of big and small characters. Memorable small roles include Connor Paolo as Arthur's friend Warren, Deborah Allen as Annie's mom, Brian Downey and Carroll Godsman as Glenn's parents, Leah Ostry as Lila's sister, Daniel Lillford as Glenn's boss, Lita Llewellyn as a cop, Hugh Thompson as a police investigator, Angela Vemeir as Don's new girlfriend, and Tom Noonan in a funny role as the band leader. Gracie Hudson is good as Glenn and Annie's wild, energetic 4-year old girl Tara while Jeanetta Arnette is excellent as Arthur's mother Louise who is trying to deal with the split from her husband. Griffin Dunne is very good as Arthur's dad Don, a man confused about his role while trying to communicate with Arthur about the flaws of being a man.

Amy Sedaris is great as Barb, Annie's friend and co-worker who feels betrayed when she learns that her husband Nate is having an affair with Annie only to realize something more troubling. Nicky Katt is very good as Nate, a womanizer who is bored by his own marriage while his affair with Annie is also running out of steam. Olivia Thirlby is wonderful as Lila, the girl who would be a shining light to Arthur. Thirlby, known to audiences for her role as the best friend in Juno, is full of charm and wit while displaying an innocence to her that is insatiable to watch. Michael Angarano is excellent as Arthur, the young teen dealing with all that's going on around him as he comes of age in finding his first girlfriend and coping with the stuff that goes on his own. Angarano's performance is very realistic in the hang-ups of being a teenager while he has great chemistry with both Olivia Thirlby and Kate Beckinsale.

Kate Beckinsale, whose acting career in recent years has been spotty with action films and light drama, gives a performance that is describe as a return to form of sorts following her mid-90s breakout period. Stripping away the glamour for something more realistic and homegrown, Beckinsale's role as a stressed-out mother dealing with her child while juggling an affair and the presence of her ex-husband shows Beckinsale in playing a character that is realistic but also flawed. Along with a legitimate American accent, the British beauty displays grace and despair into her role as it's a phenomenal role for the actress. Finally, there's Sam Rockwell in a tour-de-force performance as Glenn. A man who is trying to improve himself though is often forgetful and pushy. Rockwell has some great scenes with Beckinsale as he displays a man who loses control while convinced he's doing what God asks him to do. It's a brilliant role for the actor who always gives a lot into his roles whether it's doing humor or drama as he's one of the best actors of his generation.

While it doesn't have the dreamy quality of George Washington, the romanticism of All the Real Girls, or the flat-out humor and entertainment factor of 2008's Pineapple Express. Snow Angels is still a harrowing yet intriguing drama from David Gordon Green featuring a superb ensemble led by Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, and Olivia Thirlby. Fans of Green's films will enjoy the richness and intimate small-town setting he creates while seeing that the Southern director is becoming more mature in his work. In the end, Snow Angels is an entrancing, dark, yet touching drama from David Gordon Green.

David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Undertow - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) - (The Sitter) - (Prince Avalanche) - Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) - (Our Brand is Crisis) - (Stronger (2017 film)) - Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)

© thevoid99 2011