Nocturnal Animals

Based on the novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright, Nocturnal Animals is a multi-layered story involving a woman who reads a novel written by her ex-husband as it involves his own life as she also reflects on the life she had with him. Written for the screen and directed by Tom Ford, the film is a neo-noir film where a woman in an unhappy marriage copes with her own past as well as the life she’s in right now. Starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen, Armie Hammer, Karl Glusman, Jena Malone, and Laura Linney. Nocturnal Animals is an evocative yet gripping film from Tom Ford.

The film is the story of a woman who is given a manuscript of a novel written by her ex-husband which is about a man and his family who would have a deadly encounter with criminals in West Texas. Through the book, the woman reflects on her brief marriage to her first husband as well as coping with the decisions she’s made in her life including being in an unhappy marriage. Even as she wonders if there are some paralleling images and metaphors in the book she’s reading in relation to her own life. Tom Ford’s screenplay has this unique narrative where it isn’t about a woman reflecting on her life but also dealing with the one she’s in now. It is also about this story of a man who is driving to West Texas going for a holiday with his wife and daughter where an ugly encounter with some locals while on the road.

The narrative would move back and forth with the protagonist Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) reading the manuscript by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal) as well as the story that Sheffield made about a man named Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is aided by a local detective in Bobby Andes (Michael Shannon) in going after the criminal named Ray Marcus (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). It all play into two people being forced to confront themselves in this story as it draw into a lot of parallels into the choices they make but also the outcome of these decisions. Even as reality and fiction would blur through this manuscript as Susan would see things as well as wonder if it is all true or just fiction. Notably as Susan would also look back into her own life which includes things she didn’t want to face but eventually come true as well as the choices that Tony has to make where Andes give him some revelations about the dark realities of the world and what has to be done.

Ford’s direction definitely bears a lot of style from this grotesque opening sequence of naked obese women during the opening credits which is part of a lavish and decadent gallery that Susan is hosting. It plays into a world of reality and cynicism that Susan is a part of but she seems quite disconnected from that world. With the Susan narrative shot largely in Los Angeles and flashbacks in New York City while the Tony narrative is shot in Texas. Ford creates a film that has this nice balance between the two world yet would maintain paralleling images that showcase the similar struggles Tony and Susan would endure. Ford’s usage of wide and medium shots play into the locations the characters are in as the scenes involving Susan have this sense of detachment as Ford creates careful framing from the world she has become a part of while the flashbacks are much simpler as well as display some foreshadowing into what will happen to her. There is also something is quite offbeat to the world that Susan is in from the friends that she has as well as the people who work with her in the art gallery. It has this sense of artificiality and materialism that is quite overwhelming where Ford would do things that seem to mock reality but it would come to haunt Susan as she becomes engrossed by Edward’s manuscript.

The scenes about the journey Tony would take as well as gain some justice with Andes’ help are much more rooted in reality. Notably as it play into a world that is quite unforgiving and eerie as Ford uses a lot of wide shots to capture the West Texas locations. There are also some close-ups as it play into the anguish that Tony would endure as well as some revelations about Andes that to his own need to wanting to do things right. There are moments that are very shocking where Ford would maintain something that is unsettling as it would eventually come into Susan’s world as reality/fiction begin to blur. All of which returns to Susan and the events in her life as well as the pain that she caused for her ex-husband to write this manuscript for her. Overall, Ford creates a visceral and eerie film about a woman questioning her own life by a manuscript written by her ex-husband.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the way some of the nighttime scenes in Los Angeles and Texas are presented as well as the usage of artificial light for many of the scenes at the art gallery and such in Susan‘s world along with more grimy yet naturalistic look of the daytime exterior scenes in Texas. Editor Joan Sobel does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts along with other stylish cuts including some dazzling slow-motion to play into the horror and suspense that Tony would endure. Production designer Shane Valentino, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Christopher Brown, does amazing work with the look of the stylish yet cold home that Susan lives in as well as the off-the-wall art gallery and its offbeat artwork to the more dirty and grounded look of the scenes and locations set in Texas. Costume designer Arianne Phillips does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that Susan wears as well as the people in Los Angeles she is with as well while the look of the characters in Texas is more casual and grimy.

The makeup work of Malanie J. Romero, with additional work from Nathaniel De’Lineadeus, is terrific not just for the look of a few characters that are in Susan‘s world but also in the bearded look of Tony as well as the look of the character Ray. Visual effects supervisor Martin Goodwin does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects that relate to some of the artificiality in Susan‘s world which includes the look of a character in one scene through some eerie makeup effects. Sound editor Lon Bender and sound designer Kris Fenske do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the moments of suspense that Tony would encounter as well as in some of the eerie moments for Susan in how she sees things along with some sparse moments in the film that are very chilling. The film’s music by Abel Korzeniowski is incredible for its somber orchestral score that feature some heavy string arrangements and themes that add to the drama and suspense.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it feature some notable small role and appearances from Zawe Ashton as Susan’s assistant, India Menuez as Susan’s daughter, Kristin Bauer van Straten as a grotesque-looking member of Susan’s art gallery in Samantha Van Helsing, Graham Beckel as an officer investigating what happened to Tony, Robert Arayamo as a young local harassing Tony and his family, and Jena Malone in a very offbeat yet funny performance as Sage Ross who is a fellow executive of Susan’s art gallery who wears these very odd clothes. Michael Sheen and Andrea Riseborough are fantastic in their respective brief appearances as the couple Carlos and Alessia Holt with Sheen wearing some flamboyant clothing and Riseborough sporting some outlandish hairdo as they represent that sense of materialism in Susan’s world. Karl Glusman is superb as Lou as a young local who was part in the dark he encounter he has with Tony and his family as he is quite creepy.

Ellie Bamber and Isla Fisher are wonderful in their respective roles as Tony’s daughter and wife in India and Laura as two women who become frightened by the rowdy locals they meet with Bamber being more abrasive towards them and Fisher being the more concerned of the two. Armie Hammer is terrific as Susan’s husband Hutton as a man that definitely has that look of being good-looking as well as be intentionally-bland as a man that is really neglectful of his wife and what she does. Laura Linney is brilliant as Susan’s mother Anne Sutton as this bourgeois woman of decadence and wealth that Susan tries to rebel as Linney’s one-scene appearance is just fun to watch as someone that doesn’t approve of Edward while having some valid truths about what Susan might have to deal with. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is excellent as Ray Marcus as a rowdy local that Tony and his family would encounter as he is just this wild firecracker of a man that is quite scary as well as be very confrontational.

Michael Shannon is amazing as the detective Bobby Andes as a man who had seen a lot of things as he believes what Tony had been through and suspects Ray while also revealing a lot that he has to deal with in his pursuit of true justice in a world that is becoming more complicated. Jake Gyllenhaal is remarkable in a dual performance as Edward Sheffield and Tony Hastings where Gyllenhaal portrays this kind and idealistic man in the former that wants to be a writer but becomes frustrated with Susan’s criticisms. In the latter, Gyllenhaal brings someone that looks anguished and frightened as well as be consumed with guilt as a man desperate to find some justice for what happened to his family. Finally, there’s Amy Adams in a phenomenal performance as Susan Morrow as an arts gallery owner that is dealing with an unhappy marriage and the decisions she’s made in her life as she becomes enamored with a manuscript her ex-husband wrote where she copes with her past and wonders why she can’t sleep nor be happy with the life she’s in.

Nocturnal Animals is a spectacular film from Tom Ford that features great performances from Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Laura Linney. Along with eerie visuals, an amazing supporting cast, chilling sound work, and majestic music. It is this haunting yet intoxicating neo-noir thriller that plays into a woman coping with her past through the actions of a manuscript about the dark aspects of humanity from her ex-husband. In the end, Nocturnal Animals is a tremendous film from Tom Ford.

A Single Man

© thevoid99 2016

Far from the Madding Crowd (2015 film)

Based on the novel by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd is the story of a young woman in Victorian Britain who finds herself being pursued by three different suitors as she copes with what she wants and the role she needs to take. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and screenplay by David Nicholls, the film is a study of a woman who is offered opportunities to improve her life as well as give into the temptations of the world around her. Starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Juno Temple, Tom Sturridge, Jessica Barden, and Michael Sheen. Far from the Madding Crowd is a sublime and compelling film from Thomas Vinterberg.

Set in 1870 Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria, the film follows the life of an independent-minded young woman who has inherited her uncle’s farm hoping to turn it into a source of income for a small British town as she is pursued by two different men while a farmer who works for her farm pines for her from afar. It’s a film that follows the life of this woman who is well-educated and humble as she is also an outsider of sorts that likes to work the farm as she has been raised by relatives. Yet, Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) is also someone determined to make her own mark in the world as David Nicholls’ screenplay follow every move she makes through good and bad times as she struggles to maintain her independence as well as be pursued by three different men. The first in the farmer Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) is this man that is also an individual as he would court Bathsheba early on but after losing his own farm due to circumstances beyond his control. He would help Bathsheba make her farm profitable as it gets the attention of the second suitor in William Boldwood (Michael Sheen).

Boldwood is a character that is just as interesting as Bathsheba and Gabriel as he is a wealthy man that could give Bathsheba a lot to offer as he is also quite kind and has some respect for Oak. Bathsheba, Gabriel, and Boldwood are definitely characters who are more well-defined in not just their development but also as people that characters actually care for. Something the film’s third suitor in Sgt. Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge) doesn’t have even though his character arc is well-defined as someone who was supposed to marry someone else but a simple misunderstanding leaves him heartbroken until he meets Bathsheba and seduces her. While his character is meant to be this despicable and dishonorable man that Oak doesn’t approve of, he is someone that seems to be more fleshed out but never develops into something more engaging as he is a major flaw in the film’s script.

Thomas Vinterberg’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the world that he presents as it is largely shot on location in Dorset as well as other rural parts of Britain. While many of the wide and medium shots around the locations are simple, Vinterberg does maintain something that still revels in style as he creates something that owes a lot to period films of the past. Yet, he would create some compositions in the medium shots and close-ups to maintain an air of intimacy in the way the characters interact while displaying bits of restrained sexuality in the way Sgt. Troy seduces Bathsheba in a scene involving a sword. There are moments where there is a liveliness and a sense of community to the farming scenes where Vinterberg definitely has some unique visual ideas for the way the film progresses as many of the scenes set in spring, summer, and fall have something that feels open. Yet, when Sgt. Troy enters the picture is when things become tense and tumultuous where the look changes into something drab and then comes winter where it play into not just decline for Bathsheba but also loss and desperation. All of which play into the journey she took and the role she seems to crave for and try to return to in a world that isn’t welcome to individual ideas. Overall, Vinterberg creates an engaging though flawed film about a woman trying to define herself in Victorian-era Britain.

Cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of gorgeous sunlight for many of the exteriors as well as the way some of the interiors are lit for the scenes set at night. Editor Claire Simpson does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s intense moments. Production designer Kave Quinn, with set decorator Niamh Coulter and supervising art director Julia Castle, does amazing work with the set design from the interiors of the estates of Bathsheba and Boldwood to the look of the small town where many of the locals socialize at. Costume designer Janet Patterson does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Bathsheba would wear throughout the course of the film to the clothes of the men including Sgt. Troy‘s uniform.

Makeup artist Belinda Parish and hair stylist Tracy Smith does nice work with the hairstyles of the women of that time as well as some of the beards and mustaches of the men. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound as it play into the liveliness of the social gatherings and meeting as well as in the sparse moments in the intimate scenes involving some of the characters. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful as it has these lovely orchestral flourishes that play into the drama while being low-key in some moments with the music soundtrack filled with folk songs of the time including a ballad sung by Bathsheba and Boldwood.

The casting by Nina Gold and Theo Park is terrific as it feature some notable small roles from Tilly Vosburgh as a relative of Bathsheba early in the film, Bradley Hall as a young farmhand in Joseph, Sam Phillips as a recruiting sergeant for the army, and Hilton McRae as another farmhand in Jacob who proves to be quite loyal to Bathsheba and Oak. Juno Temple is wonderful as Sgt. Troy’s old flame Fanny as a young woman who was supposed to marry him but a misunderstand would lead her to ruins. Jessica Barden is fantastic as Liddy as Bathsheba’s aide who observes a lot of what is going on as well as have her say about what Bathsheba should do. Tom Sturridge’s performance as Sgt. Troy is definitely one of the worst aspects of the film not because his character is underwritten but also for the fact that Sturridge often presents himself as smug at times while never really do anything to make the character interesting.

Michael Sheen is brilliant as William Boldwood as a wealthy but lonely neighbor who has land that is quite profitable as well as court Bathsheba kindly where it’s a performance of restraint and charm as while Sheen also displays some humility as someone that is just a good man. Matthias Schoenaerts is amazing as Gabriel Oak as a farmer who lost it all as he works for Bathsheba where he tries to maintain his feelings for her as it’s one of the film’s best performances as Schoenaerts display that anguish but willingness to be loyal to the woman he cares for. Finally, there’s Carey Mulligan in a sensational performance as Bathsheba Everdene as a young woman who has inherited an estate and farm from her late uncle as she hopes to make it worth something again as she struggles to maintain her independence while coping with the complications of love as it’s one of Mulligan’s finest performances so far.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a stellar film from Thomas Vinterberg thanks in part to great performances from Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Michael Sheen. Despite some of the shortcoming aspects of the script, the film is still an interesting period drama that explores a woman’s search for herself in a world filled with many rules to keep her down. In the end, Far from the Madding Crowd is a superb film from Thomas Vinterberg.

Thomas Vinterberg Films: (The Biggest Heroes) - Dogme #1-The Celebration - (It’s All About Love) - (Dear Wendy) - (Submarino) - The Hunt (2012 film) - (The Commune)

© thevoid99 2016

7 Days in Hell

Directed by Jake Szymanski and written by Murray Miller, 7 Days in Hell is a mockumentary that revolves around the longest tennis match in the history of the sport between two rivals during 7 days in five sets. The film plays into a rivalry where two very different men do whatever it takes to play the greatest tennis game ever as Andy Samberg and Kit Harington respectively play the rivals Aaron Williams and Charles Poole as the film is narrated by Jon Hamm. Also starring Lena Dunham, Will Forte, June Squibb, Mary Steenburgen, Karen Gillan, Michael Sheen, Soledad O’Brien, Howie Mandel, Filip Hammar, Jim Lampley, Fred Armisen, and David Copperfield along with tennis greats John McEnroe, Chris Evert, and Aaron Williams’ adopted sister Serena Williams. 7 Days in Hell is a raunchy yet hilarious mockumentary from Jake Szymanski.

Wimbledon 2001 featured a first round game between British tennis prodigy Charles Poole and the American bad-boy Aaron Williams as the latter came out of retirement to face the prodigy following a comment on television during a Swedish gay orgy. The film is about the game and what happened in those 7 days where so much was at stake in a first-round match as it involved sex tapes, cocaine, an angry Queen of England, streakers, and all sorts of crazy shit. Yet, it is told in a documentary-style where Williams’ adopted sister Serena is interviewed as well as a few biographers and experts in the sports that talk about Williams and Poole’s respective rise to fame but also the events that would lead to their legendary meeting.

Murray Miller’s script is told in a back-and-forth narrative style about the early lives of Poole and Williams as the latter is described as a reverse version of The Blind Side where a black family take in an orphaned white boy and teach him to play tennis where he would become the sport’s bad boy in the 1990s. In the former, here was a British kid who was forced to learn tennis by his mother (Mary Steenburgen) as he would turn pro at 15 but all of his gift on the court would only make him look dumb and lose a girlfriend who would later become a famous supermodel. At the same time, Poole would have a strange encounter with a famous TV host (Michael Sheen) while Williams’ antics at a Wimbledon in the mid-90s would force him to quit the game and go into a downward spiral. The people who are interviewed range from fashion designers with poor taste, David Copperfield, and all sorts of strange people.

Jake Szymanski’s direction definitely plays into the style of HBO sports documentary with its usage of archival footage and the way people who are interviewed are framed. Much of it is straightforward yet Szymanski does infuse some style as it plays into the antics of Williams with some very strange animation and other things that add to his bad boy persona. There’s also element of spoof and parodies of British TV shows as some of the elements are borrowed from exploits of other players. The tennis matches themselves are shot in a straightforward manner but with an air of ridiculousness that makes it very unbelievable. Overall, Szymanski creates a very silly but hilarious sports mockumentary about two tennis players who played the longest game ever that lasted 7 days.

Cinematographer Craig Kief does excellent work with the cinematography to capture the look of Wimbledon in the day along with some stylish shots of Williams‘ sex-tape and documentary-like footage of Poole in the days leading up to the match. Editors Dan Marks and Pat Bishop does nice work with the editing as it has elements of style with rhythmic cuts and montages. Production designer Todd Jeffrey does fantastic work with the set designs from the Wimbledon tennis courts to the hotel rooms and such where the characters are.

Costume designer Joanna Konjevod does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that Williams wears including his ball-less underwear. Visual effects supervisor Elliott Jobe does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects into the look of some of the archival interviews as well as the hilarious Taiwanese animation. Sound designer Zach Seivers does superb work with the sound from some of the sound effects of the tennis matches to some of the craziness that is heard from the crowd.

The casting by Haley Marcus Simpson is brilliant for the people that appear in the film such as tennis legends Chris Evert and John McEnroe, current tennis star Serena Williams as Aaron’s adopted older sister, HBO sports correspondent Jim Lampley, journalist Soledad O’Brien, comedian Filip Hammar, and the magician David Copperfield who all play themselves in very funny ways. Other notable small roles include Lena Dunham as a former Jordache president with very bad taste, Will Forte as Williams’ biographer, Fred Armisen as British tennis expert Edward Pudding, and Howie Mandell in a hilarious performance as Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who would be assaulted by Williams during a ceremony. Karen Gillan is wonderful as Poole’s ex-girlfriend Lily Allsworth as a supermodel who loved Poole when he was young and later had an affair with Williams.

Mary Steenburgen is terrific as Poole’s very neglectful mother Louisa who would force her son to become a tennis prodigy and not have him care about his education and well-being. Michael Sheen is a riot as British TV host Caspian Wint who acts shit-faced on booze and cigarettes while being sexually-attracted towards the then-15 year old Poole. June Squibb is amazing as a foul-mouthed version of Queen Elizabeth II who wants Poole to win as she offers him a knighthood only to get very angry when he is unable to really beat Williams. Finally, there’s the duo of Andy Samberg and Kit Harington in their respective roles as Aaron Williams and Charles Poole. Samberg gets the showy role as the wild bad boy with a mullet as he manages to be a fucking riot with his antics as well as not being afraid to have sex with anyone or anything. Harington plays it straight in the role of Poole which makes it hilarious as Harington sells Poole’s stupidity as well as his poor attempt to sound smart in mispronouncing the world “indelibly”.

7 Days in Hell is an extremely funny sports mockumentary from Jake Szymanski. Featuring a great cast and a hilarious take on the world of tennis, the 45-minute TV special is something fans of tennis will see as well as having the chance to laugh at a sport that is often known for being classy. In the end, 7 Days in Hell is a remarkably hilarious comedy from Jake Szymanski.

Related: Tour de Pharmacy

© thevoid99 2015

The Queen (2006 film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/28/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan, The Queen is the story about Queen Elizabeth II dealing with new Prime Minister Tony Blair as they try to deal with the death of Princess Diana in a car accident in Paris. The film is a dramatization into Queen Elizabeth II's reaction to Diana's death as the world waits for her own public response as Blair is trying to modernize Britain in this second part of Morgan's trilogy about Blair's rise as he is played by Michael Sheen while Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth II. Also starring Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Helen McCroy, Alex Jennings, and Sylvia Syms. The Queen is a riveting film from Stephen Frears.

The film is an exploration into the arrival of Tony Blair as Prime Minister of Great Britain after 18 years of Conservative rule as he would meet Queen Elizabeth II where they would meet again a few months later following the tragic death of the former Princess of Wales Diana Spencer in a car accident in a Parisian tunnel. For the Queen and her husband Prince Philip (James Cromwell), they want a private funeral but Blair's statements about Diana as the People's Princess brings pressure to the Royal Family as Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) thinks Blair is on the right path. Eventually, the Queen gives in to Blair's ideas and the public scrutiny but it would come at a price for would come for Blair just as his popularity would soar.

Though it's more of a dramatic account of what might’ve gone on inside the monarchy and through Blair’s camp, Stephen Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan does manage to bring a film that reflects on that week where the world watched. Really, the film is about Queen Elizabeth II trying to attain her role as a public figure and remaining true to her role of tradition and her own thoughts of Britain. Frears and Morgan deserve credit for portraying the Queen as well as other characters as figures who try to figure out what to do in this time of crisis concerning the death of Princess Diana. The result is a very strong, very cerebral film with a few entertaining moments courtesy of Frears' observant direction and the amazing screenplay by Peter Morgan.

Morgan's script is truly superb in how the characters are portrayed as well as the script's structure. The first fifteen minutes of the film is on Blair's arrival and his first meeting with the Queen and the last twenty-minutes is about the aftermath of the Diana funeral two months afterwards where Blair meets the Queen once again. Morgan comes up with some funny one-liners, particularly from the likes of personalities like Alistair Campbell (Mark Bazeley), the Blairs, and the Queen Mother (Sylvia Sims). The humor comes very naturally not only in the words those characters say but also in how they feel. Particularly Cherie Blair's known disdain for the monarchy about her curtsy. There's a lot of fine detail from Morgan's script about what might've gone on and it's truly an amazing screenplay. Especially through Frears' direction where despite a few moments where the film drags, the direction is spot-on through every moment of the film.

Cinematographer Affonso Beato does wonderful work in several of the film's interior settings to create the tense atmosphere of the palace where it's a bit surreal while the exteriors scenes are wonderfully shot. Particularly in the Scottish countryside where it's just amazing while giving the feeling that we’re in that area. Production designer Alan MacDonald with art directors Matthew Broderick (not the actor) and Franck Schwarz in creating the wonderful look of the castle and Buckingham Palace. Costume designer Constola Boyle does great work in the film's costumes with the suits and kilts of the men as well as the clothing of the Queen from her pink bathrobe to the suit she wears in her televised presentation. Makeup artist Daniel Phillips also does great work in bringing the look of both the Queen and Tony Blair where compared to their appearances in real-life, the actors in the make-up look eerily like the characters they're playing.

Editor Lucia Zucchetti does some great work in the editing, particularly using the archival TV footage from around the world including coverage of the funeral and the responses from world leaders as the film plays to a strong historical drama. Sound editor Paul Davies does excellent work in the sound, especially a scene where Charles goes to Paris and sees the body where the sound is turned off. Not only is it a smart decision by Frears but Davies as well for not including any sound. Composer Alexandre Desplat brings an amazing film score filled with chiming, melodic arrangements filled with a large orchestra to convey the sense of drama and movement of the times as Desplat's work is truly one of the best scores of the year.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with notable small roles from Douglas Reith as the chaplain Lord Airlie and Tim McMullan as Stephen Lamport. Mark Bazeley is excellent as the snide Alistair Campbell while Roger Allam is superb as the cautious yet loyal Robin Janvrin who advises Blair on how he should approach things. Helen McCrory is wonderful as Cherie Blair with her criticism of the monarchy and her own opinions just like the real Cherie Blair. Sylvia Syms is really good as the Queen Mother, who is the old traditionalist unaware of the new changes as she has a few funny one-liners about how no one tells her anything anymore. Alex Jennings is excellent as Prince Charles in portraying the prince as a father trying to comfort his boys and struggling with his own role in the public eye. James Cromwell is brilliant as Prince Philip, notably for just playing an old wanker who has a disgust towards Diana and the public response. Michael Sheen gives an amazing performance as Tony Blair with his hopes to modernize Britain and his unexpected support of the monarchy as a man who is unaware of how big his role is only to learn, much later on, on what the Queen told him.

Finally, there's Helen Mirren in what has to be one of the greatest performances captured on film. There are times in the film that the performance is strong, we're forgetting that it's Helen Mirren playing the Queen. Yet, Mirren brings a lot of restraint and dignity to the role, it almost becomes a documentary of sorts on whom the Queen might really be like. Mirren is very commanding in every scene she's in as she allows the Queen to be human and have a few funny lines including a scene involving her driving a car through the Scottish highlands. In the end, Mirren brings a performance that is worthy of being called regal and it's a must-see to show the talents and experience of this acclaimed British actress.

The Queen is a remarkable film from Stephen Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan that features a magnificent performance from Helen Mirren in the titular role. Along with a great supporting cast led by Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, the film is definitely one of Frears' finest films as well as a poignant historical drama about Tony Blair's rise to prominence. In the end, The Queen is an incredible film from Stephen Frears.

Stephen Frears Films: (Gumshoe) - (Afternoon Off) - (Bloody Kids) - (Walter) - (Walter and June) - (December Flower) - (The Hit (1984 film)) - (My Beautiful Launderette) - (Prick Up Your Ears) - (Mr. Jolly Lives Next Door) - (Sammie and Rose Get Laid) - (The Grifters) - (Hero (1992 film)) - (The Snapper) - (Mary Reilly) - (The Van (1996 film)) - (The Hi-Lo Country) - (High Fidelity) - (Liam) - (Fail-Safe (2000 TV film)) - Dirty Pretty Things - (The Deal (2003 TV film)) - (Mrs. Henderson Presents) - (Cheri) - (Tamara Drewe) - (Lay the Favorite) - (Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight) - Philomena

© thevoid99 2014

Midnight in Paris

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris tells the story of a Hollywood screenwriter who goes to Paris with his fiancée as he works on his first novel. Uninspired and feeling left out by his fiancée’s family and some friends, the man suddenly is transported back in time to 1920s Paris. Allen’s first feature set entirely in Paris, the film harkens back to days when things were much different than the Paris of the 2010s. Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Lea Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Kathy Bates, Alison Pill, and Carla Bruni. Midnight in Paris is a fun, exhilarating film from Woody Allen and company.

Gil (Owen Wilson) is a successful Hollywood screenwriter, who is about to marry his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams), is trying to work on his first novel. A visit to Paris with Inez’s parents (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy) has Gil excited, Inez and her parents aren’t thrilled with the city. Gil then meets Inez’s old friend Paul (Michael Sheen) and his wife Carol (Nina Arianda) where they look at the city and sites where Paul always have some intellectual view about the sites, paintings, and various places. Gil feels threatened as Inez goes out Paul and Carol as he takes a walk around the city. When the clock struck at midnight, Gil sees a mysterious car arrive where he is taken to a party where he meets F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and his wife Zelda (Alison Pill) where they later introduce him to Josephine Baker (Sonia Rolland), Cole Porter (Yves Heck) and Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll).

Excited by meeting these people and the city itself, Gil wants to take Inez to this mysterious world as she doesn’t seem interested. Gil is then transported back to 1920s Paris where Hemingway introduces him to Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) who reads his manuscript while criticizing a painting by Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo). It is there that Gil meets Picasso’s current muse Adriana (Marion Cotillard) as he is wowed by his surroundings and Adriana. Gil would continue to make secret trips as during a museum trip with Inez, Paul, and Carol. Paul makes comments about the painting that Gil had saw Picasso worked on earlier where Gil manages to outwit him with the real story about the painting.

With Gil’s fascination towards the city and the past, he meets a young woman named Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) who shares his love for Cole Porter as Gil makes more trips to 1920s Paris. When he and Adriana go on a night out, Gil meets Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), Luis Bunuel (Adrien de Van), and Man Ray (Tom Cordier) as they offer him advice about women. With Inez’s dad getting a detective (Gad Elmaleh) to follow Gil, Gil continues to go into adventures with Adriana as he ponders about his own life and desires.

What if a person from the 2010s want to go back to a period when things were different and less complicated? That’s what Woody Allen asks in his film where a Hollywood screenwriter is dissatisfied with his own professional life as he finds comfort in the world of the 1920s. There, he gets to meet his idols and other notable figures where he learns about what to do as a writer and to follow his heart. He even seeks guidance from people from the present such as Gabrielle and a tour guide (Carla Bruni) who shares his love for Paris’ history. Yet, Allen brings a wonderful mix of humor and character study to this story as he creates something that is engaging and lively. A lot of the humor feels natural and fresh where there’s a scene where Gil gives Bunuel the idea of a film whose plotline is similar to Bunuel’s film The Exterminating Angel.

Allen’s script is filled with dazzling ideas about 1920s Paris as well as characters who have different reactions towards Paris. While Inez might not seem like an exciting character who is more interested in socializing and getting fine things for the wedding. She isn’t a total caricature as she is more fascinated by Paul, who is a pseudo-intellectual that really has no true opinions about anything. He essentially says things that he believes are based on facts and tries to make himself seem fascinating when he isn’t. The figures like F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Bunuel, Man Ray, Dali, Hemingway, Stein, and Picasso are more interesting because of the ideas they offer while some of it is played for laughs.

Allen’s direction is truly his most imaginative work as a director in many years. Allen just doesn’t go for this tourist idea of Paris but show the audience the kind of beauty it has whether it’s sunny or rainy. Whether it’s day or night, he sees things as if he’s Gil who is just enamored with Paris itself. Paris in its present time and the past is a character that is truly a joy to watch. Allen allows the camera to soak in the atmosphere of the city while creating some amazing shots and scenes that really brings something magical to this film. Overall, this is Allen at his best and certainly his most intoxicating film since his work in the 1980s.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji, along with Johanne Debas, does some amazing work with the photography from the gorgeous sunny look of Paris in the summer along with its look on a rainy day. The nighttime exteriors of Paris are also exquisite including the interiors at Stein’s home and the bars where the look is truly timeless. Khondji’s camera work is among one of the film’s technical highlights for the way he brings an old-school look to the fantasy of 1920s Paris. Editor Alisa Lepselter does some excellent work with the editing as she creates a wonderful opening montage of Paris in various locations and weather conditions. For the rest of the film, Lepselter keeps the editing straightforward along with some rhythmic cuts for some of the fun elements of the film.

Production designer Anne Siebel and set decorator Helene Dubreuil do a great job with the look of 1920s Paris that includes a wonderful merry-go-round and other objects. Notably the cars of the time that Gil rides on to the parties as the art direction is spectacular for its mixture of modern Paris and Paris of the past. Costume designer Sonia Grande does some fantastic work with the costumes from the clothes that Gil wears to the modern dresses that Inez wears. Yet, it’s the 1920s costumes such as the dresses that Zelda Fitzgerald and Adriana wear that are very lively along with the ragged look of Ernest Hemingway. Sound editor Robert Hein and mixer Jean-Marie Blondel do some wonderful work in capturing the raucous world of 1920s Paris along with atmosphere of the locations in modern Paris. The film’s music soundtrack is a wide array of music ranging from the songs of Cole Porter to 1920s jazz and rag time along with the serene music of Paris itself.

The casting by Stephane Foenkinos, Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto, and Juliet Taylor is definitely a major highlight of the film they created what is truly a superb ensemble cast. In small appearances as various famous individuals, there’s appearances from Sonia Rolland as Josephine Baker, Vincent Menjou Cortes as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Olivier Rabourdin as Paul Gauguin, David Lowe as T.S. Eliot, Tom Cordier as Man Ray, Adrien de Van as Louis Bunuel, Yves Heck as Cole Porter, and Marcial Di Fonzo Bo as Pablo Picasso. Adrien Brody is very funny as Salvador Dali who keeps talking about the tears of rhinos when giving advice to Gil about women and art. Corey Stoll is really good as Ernest Hemingway who gives Gil advice about writing and the guts anyone should take into living life to the fullest.

Other notable small performances include Carla Bruni as a tour guide who helps Gil in translating a book, Gad Elmaleh as a detective hired to see where Gil is going, and Lea Seydoux as a young woman who shares Gil’s love for Cole Porter. Tom Hiddleston is great as F. Scott Fitzgerald who helps Gil with the ideas of writing while Alison Pill is phenomenal as the lively yet melodramatic Zelda. Kathy Bates is wonderful as Gertrude Stein who helps Gil with his book while arguing with Picasso in French about his painting. Nina Arianda is very good as Paul’s wife while Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy are funny as Inez’s conservative parents.

Michael Sheen is brilliant as the intellectual douche-bag Paul who always spouts ideas and supposed facts to make him seem like he’s really smart as Sheen brings a slimy wit to a character that is truly a smart-ass. Rachel McAdams is excellent as Inez, Gil’s fiancée who wants to go out to clubs unaware of Gil’s struggles to write a novel as she becomes more fascinated by Paul. Marion Cotillard is radiant as Adriana, a muse of Picasso who falls for Gil as she shows him the world of art while giving him some perspective about the 1920s. Finally, there’s Owen Wilson in what is definitely his best performance as the wannabe novelist Gil. Wilson brings a wonderful charm to a guy unsure of his life and career only to find inspiration in Paris in its past and present while being enamored by Adriana and the people she’s with. It’s definitely Wilson at his funniest and liveliest in what is truly an outstanding performance.

After a period of some excellent films, good films, OK ones, and a few bad ones in the past 20 years, Midnight in Paris is definitely Woody Allen’s best film in more than 20 years. With a great ensemble cast featuring Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, and many others. It’s a film that is very exciting, entertaining, funny, and also extremely imaginative about a man going back to 1920s Paris and meet the famous people of those times. For longtime Allen fans, this film is a truly magnificent work as it proves that he’s still got it. Even as it goes up there with some of his best work in the 70s and 80s proving that despite some uneven work over the years, he’s still got some ideas left. In the end, Midnight in Paris is a triumphant film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What’s Up, Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love & Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah and Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories-Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don't Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2011