Following events relating to Spider-Man, Doctor Steven Strange encounters something from another universe who chases a young woman in America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who is also from another universe as Strange and Wong (Benedict Wong) learn that something is happening in the different multiverse relating to Chavez’s power where Strange asks Wanda Maximoff for help. It is a film that play into many multiple universes as it also relates to a book that is the opposite of a book that Maximoff has from her own previous adventure as it brings hope to the multiverse. Michael Waldron’s screenplay does manage to showcase what is at stake but doesn’t really do much in doing more with the motivation of some of the characters with Maximoff being a major reason as her possession of the Darkhold has her wanting to find her sons Billy and Tommy Maximoff (Julian Hillard and Jett Klyne, respectively) in the multiverse as she believes Chavez is key to finding them.
Maximoff becomes an obstacle for Strange, Wong, and Chavez where Strange and Chavez travel through the multiverse where they meet a variation of Strange’s former friend Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who is part of a mysterious organization known as the Illuminati. Strange also meets a variation of his former flame in Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) who is a scientist who works for the Illuminati and isn’t fond of any version of Strange due to his own commitments to his work as a Master of the Mystic Arts. The different versions of characters is a key component of the film but it does get confusing and for audiences that aren’t aware of Maximoff’s own adventure in WandaVision do get lost. There’s a lot of exposition that Waldron creates that is overwhelming but also confusing when it comes to the concept of dream-walking where a character dreams about being in another world and uses that variation of that character to do things. It is among the elements of the film that does drag the story and make it nonsensical at times along with some stories relating to the multiverse including a version of Doctor Strange who was working with the Illuminati and what he did to kill their version of Thanos.
Sam Raimi’s direction definitely bear some of his own visual style in terms of the zooms he uses as well as these set pieces that are elaborate. Shot largely on location in Britain including the Longcross Studios at Longcross, Surrey, Raimi does create a film that showcases a world that has different versions as the version of New York City that Strange lives in is different from the New York City that he and Chavez would go to where they would learn that a variation of Strange had died. The world-building that Raimi does through the usage of wide and medium shots not only showcase the different universes the characters are in but also these worlds that are unique such as a montage where Strange and Chavez travel through different multiverses that include a 2D animation bit as it showcase these variations of worlds that are all unique. It is among these lavish sequences where Raimi does play into the adventure and action but also with elements of humor as it relates to Strange’s interaction with Chavez as well as the rules of the multiverse.
Then there’s Raimi’s approach to horror as it relates to Maximoff’s own desire to find her sons through the multiverse as she is intent on using the Darkhold book as it is a MacGuffin of sorts as well as the opposite book known as the Book of Vishanti that Chavez and a version of Doctor Strange are trying to get in the film’s first sequence that also involves a gigantic one-eyed monster known as Gargantos. Raimi also play into some of the gory elements in horror but not overtly gory as there are some major deaths as well as moments such as a scene where Strange, Chavez, and Palmer are running away from a version of Maximoff as it has all of these scary moments expected from horror. The film’s climax does involve Strange having to go into places that is against the rules imposed on other masters of the mystic arts yet it all has to do with Chavez and her own powers to travel through the universe even though she is unable to control it. Yet, it also shows exactly what Strange has learned and what he has to do to save the universe while also coming to terms with the sacrifices he’s made in his own life. Overall, Raimi crafts an exhilarating and chilling film about a sorcerer traveling through the multiverse to stop a threat from destroying his own universe.
Cinematographer John Mathieson does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the vibrancy of the alternate version of Earth as well as some stylish lighting for a few interiors including the usage of red for Maximoff’s own world, and the dark colors in the world that Strange would encounter. Editors Bob Murawski and Tia Nolan do excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of montages, jump-cuts, and other cuts to play into the suspense and horror. Production designer Charles Wood, with set decorator John Bush and supervising art director Thomas Brown, does amazing work with the look of the Kamar-Taj base in Nepal where Strange and Wong do their training as well as the base of the Illuminati and a secret palace that holds a dark secret. Costume designer Graham Churchyard does fantastic work with the costumes from Wanda’s Scarlet Witch costume as well as the different costumes of the different variations of Strange including the Cloak of Levitation that has a mind of its own as well as the casual look of America Chavez with her denim jacket with a LGBTQ pride pin on it. Hair/makeup designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, along with prosthetics makeup designer Barrie Gower, does terrific work with the look of the different variations of Doctor Strange as well as the two different looks of Maximoff in her different hairstyles as it all play into the many variations of the multiverse.
Special effects supervisor Alan Roberts and visual effects supervisor Janek Sirrs do incredible work with the visual effects from the design of Gargantos as well as other magical effects that Strange and Wong uses along with some of the massive set pieces as the effects work is a major highlight. Sound editors Addison Teague and Katy Wood do superb work with the sound in the way some of the creatures sound as well as the way objects sound including the atmosphere of a location. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is phenomenal for the bombastic music themes that are created with its usage of orchestral elements for its suspense and action along with themes that do intensify the sense of horror while music supervisor Dave Jordan cultivate a soundtrack that feature different themes from other films and TV shows from Marvel for some of the characters in their alternate variations.
The casting by Sarah Haley Finn is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Bruce Campbell in a hilarious cameo as a pizza vendor from an alternate universe, Ross Marquand in a voice role as Ultron drones who work for the Illuminati, Ako Mitchell as Palmer’s new husband Charlie, screenwriter Michael Waldron as a guest at Palmer’s wedding, Momo Yeung and Daniel Swain as two masters who respectively run the Hong Kong and London sanctums, Ruth Livier and Chess Lopez as Chavez’s mothers from her memory as a child, Sheila Atm as a Mystic arts master who works closely with Wong at Kamar-Taj, Adam Hugill as the minotaur Mystic arts master Rintrah, and Michael Stuhlbarg in a terrific small role as Strange’s former surgeon rival Dr. Nic West who laments over being killed during the Blip and returning back only to deal with loss of his own as he and Strange both feel uncomfortable at Palmer’s wedding.
In the roles of the members of the Illuminati, Patrick Stewart’s performance as an alternate version of Charles Xavier/Professor X as well as Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, John Krasinski as Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, Lashana Lynch as an alternate version of Maria Rambeau/Captain Marvel, and Anson Mount as Blackagar Boltagon/Black Bolt are fun to watch although it is largely fan-service as they play into people who decide Strange’s fate as they also carry a secret about their own version of Doctor Strange. Julian Hillard and Jett Klyne are superb in their respective roles as Billy and Tommy Maximoff as the sons of Wanda Maximoff whom Wanda believes are alive as they’re just kids who already have a mother and are unaware of what Wanda is doing. Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantastic as an alternate version of Karl Mordo as a former colleague/mentor of Strange who is the Sorcerer Supreme in an alternate universe who believes Strange is dangerous and is up to no good.
Rachel McAdams is excellent as Christine Palmer as Doctor Strange’s former flame who gets married to another man while an alternate version of Palmer is a more stern scientist who isn’t willing to put up with Strange’s bullshit though she becomes protective of Chavez when it comes to a major threat as she is also far more capable of taking care of herself. Benedict Wong is brilliant as Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme who helps Strange in dealing with some of the chaos involved as he also has to contend with some dark forces as well as what Strange had to do to save everyone. Xochitl Gomez is amazing as America Chavez as a young teenage girl who has the power to travel through different multiverses but doesn’t know how to control her powers as she deals with being a source of power that people want as she is also someone who has a hard time trusting people for valid reasons.
Elizabeth Olsen is outstanding as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch as a woman with her own powers as she is convinced that her sons are in another universe while realizing another version of her is with her sons where Olsen brings a dark sense of humor and terror to her performance of a woman ravaged by loss and the need to control things. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a sensational performance as the titular character as a former surgeon turned sorcerer who is dealing with images from an alternate universe as he struggles with these revelations but also versions of himself and their faults with the need to not just save the world but also to help this young girl he’s grown to care for despite his own arrogance at times.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a marvelous film from Sam Raimi that features great performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, and a break-out performance from Xochitl Gomez. Despite the messy elements in the film’s screenplay and its emphasis on exposition that does drag the story, the film does succeed in its stake as well as the work from its supporting cast as well as its visuals, emphasis on suspense and horror, exploration of the multiverse, and Danny Elfman’s thrilling score. In the end, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a remarkable film from Sam Raimi.
Sam Raimi Films: (It’s Murder!) – (Clockwork) – (Within the Woods) – The Evil Dead - (Crimewave) – Evil Dead II - (Darkman) – Army of Darkness - (The Quick and the Dead) – (A Simple Plan) – (For the Love of the Game) – (The Gift (2000 film)) – Spider-Man - Spider-Man 2 - Spider-Man 3 (Drag Me to Hell) – (Oz, the Great and Powerful)
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool 3) - (Captain America: Brave New World)
Phase 6: (Thunderbolts) – (Blade (2024 film)) - (Fantastic Four (2024 film)) – (Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) – (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2022
Based on the 2010 film Love Crime by Alain Corneau, Passion is the story of two women working for a multi-national corporation as they try reach for a prime position only for the competition to get dangerous. Written for the screen and directed by Brian de Palma, the film is a remake of sorts of Corneau’s film with some different interpretations as it play into two women trying to one-up themselves in a game to reach to the top. Starring Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Karoline Herfurth, Paul Anderson, Rainer Bock, and Benjamin Sadler. Passion is a gripping yet stylish film from Brian de Palma.
An advertising executive takes credit for her subordinate’s idea as she would later try and blackmail her prompting her subordinate to try and one-up her where it would eventually lead to murder. That is the film’s premise as it play into two women trying to vie for position in a multi-national advertising corporation in Berlin as it would intensify with one of them playing mind games over the other. Brian de Palma’s screenplay, which includes additional dialogue by Natalie Carter, focuses on this relationship between Christine Stanford (Rachel McAdams) and her subordinate Isabelle James (Noomi Rapace) as they’re trying to create a new ad yet Stanford would take credit for James’ idea for an ad that she created with her secretary Dani (Karoline Herfurth). Yet, Stanford is a woman that always gets what she wants as her reason to hurt James is due to the fact that James is having an affair with Stanford’s lover in a co-worker in Dirk Harriman (Paul Anderson) who is already in trouble for embezzling money from their company as he’s hoping to pay them back. Stanford’s usage of power and seduction would eventually cause James to break down and the desire to fight back.
The direction of de Palma definitely play into his stylish approach of slanted camera angles, split-screens, perspective shots, and other tricks that he is known for yet he does maintain the importance of the suspense and drama that occurs in the film. Shot on location in Berlin, de Palma avoids many of the city’s landmarks to focus on something that is more intimate in the corporate world that also include these lavish apartments that the main characters live in. There are some wide shots in the film yet de Palma emphasizes more on close-ups and medium shots to not just focus on the characters but in the environment they’re in. Even as he uses webcams and phones for footage as it would play into Stanford’s need to humiliate James in every way she can that include an office party scene that also shows footage of office workers in compromising positions.
The direction also has de Palma maintain this idea of what James might do yet she is already falling apart where she is seen using prescription pills to cope with the humiliation she endured. The usage of split-screen is a method that de Palma is known for where he gets multiple perspectives of what is going on where it focuses on a party Stanford is having as well as who is going to join for an after party while the other focus is on a ballet performance that James is watching. It is a sequence that is offbeat yet it play into the suspense of what is going to happen followed by an aftermath in the third act that is filled with the usual twists and turns over who did it. Even as it raises questions about who and why did it happen where de Palma definitely play with the tropes though it’s ending does get a little over-written towards the end. Overall, de Palma crafts a witty and exhilarating film about a corporate ad executive trying to outdo her subordinate leading to a battle for supremacy and seduction.
Cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of bright and vibrant colors for some of the scenes in the day and night along with blue filters and shades for other scenes to express the mood of the characters. Editor Francois Gediger does excellent work with the editing with its approach to rhythmic cuts for the suspense as well as playing up to the style of split-screens. Production designer Cornelia Ott, with set decorator Ute Bergk and supervising art director Astrid Poeschke, does brilliant work with the look of the offices and homes of Stanford and James as well as the restaurants and places they go to. Costume designer Karen Muller Serrau does fantastic work with the costumes with the clothes that Sanford wears including some skimpy and stylish lingerie to the black clothes that James would wear.
Special makeup effects artists Tamar Aviv, Goran Lundstrom, and Jorn Seifert do terrific work with the look of the characters including a mask that Stanford has which matches her face. Visual effects supervisor Sarah Moreau does nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects for some of the film’s set-dressing and scenes involving computers and such. Sound editor Jean Goudier does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the offices and some of the places the characters go to. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is incredible for its lush and eerie orchestral arrangement that play into the suspense with its usage of strings as it adds to the dramatic tension while music supervisor Elise Luguern provide a few classical pieces from Claude Debussy, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as contemporary pieces from Archive, Steve Dudas, and Mark Hart.
The casting by Anja Dihrberg is wonderful as it feature a few notable small roles from Jorg Pintsch as a lover of Stanford in Mark, Michael Rotschopf as James’ attorney, Polina Semionova and Ibrahim Oyku Onal as the ballet dancers, and Dominic Raacke as a corporate boss in J.J. Koch. Benjamin Sadler is terrific as a prosecutor who believes that James is a suspect involved in a murder while Rainer Bock is superb as a police inspector who is suspicious of James yet is aware that something doesn’t feel right. Paul Anderson is fantastic as Dirk Harriman as a co-worker of James and Stanford who is sleeping with both women yet is already in trouble for embezzlement that leads to him being blackmailed by Stanford. Karoline Herfurth is excellent as Dani as James’ secretary who takes part in creating the ad that James wants to present while is also aware of the mind games that Stanford is playing where she becomes protective of James.
The performances of Noomi Rapace and Rachel McAdams in their respective roles as Isabelle James and Christine Stanford are incredible as two women working for a multi-national corporation as they find themselves fighting to be on top. Rapace’s performance is definitely filled with a lot of anguish and humility as someone who feels like she’s not getting enough credit while being used. McAdams’ performance as Stanford is such a delight in how bitchy she is where she uses her sex appeal to get what she wants as well as be emotionally manipulative that has a darkly comic edge. Rapace and McAdams together are a joy to watch with Rapace being the foil and McAdams being bad as they have this amazing chemistry together as they are the highlights of the film.
Passion is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. Along with its gorgeous visuals, study of multi-national corporate culture, themes of seduction and humility, and Pino Donaggio’s score. It’s a film that has the kind of story that definitely has the touches expected from de Palma while being this erotic thriller of sorts that play into the tropes of the genre. In the end, Passion is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma.
Related: Love Crime
Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and written by Mark Perez, Game Night is the story of a group of friends whose night of fun becomes trouble when it turns into a real-life mystery involving burglars as the line of reality and fiction starts to blur. The film is a dark comedy in which a simple night of games and fun involving a group of friends turn into a nightmare while they wonder if they’re still playing a game or if it’s real. Starring Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Kyle Chandler, Michael C. Hall, and Jesse Plemons. Game Night is a wild yet exhilarating film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
A couple who holds a game night with their friends is invited by the man’s older brother about a mystery game where the lines of reality and fantasy start to blur with many wonder if there’s real criminals involved and all sorts of shit whether it’s really a game. That is the film’s premise as screenwriter Mark Perez play into this couple in Max and Annie Davis (Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, respectively) who love to play games and always compete with others yet they’re dealing with having to grow up as they both want a child. Yet, Max is stressed due to the fact that his older and more successful brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) is in town who always find a way to beat Max in any game. When Brooks decide to hold a game night in his home, Max and Annie bring their friends in Kevin and Michelle Sterling (Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury, respectively), Ryan Huddle (Billy Magnussen), and his date/co-worker Sarah Darcy (Sharon Horgan) for the game.
When Brooks reveals what the game is, the ideas of reality and fiction blur where everyone at first thinks they’re playing the game. Along the way, some personal issues would emerge for the players as they also become confused into what is real and what is fiction. Even to the point where Max learns that Brooks is involved with some criminal activities as it raises more questions about Max’s own issues with himself and questions into about wanting to be a father. All of the trouble and confusion forces Max and Annie to turn to their neighbor in the cop Gary (Jesse Plemons) whom they haven’t invited into the game nights due to his socially-awkward behavior and the fact that his wife had just left him. Gary’s involvement would only add more chaos as it relates to the blur of reality and fantasy.
The direction of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein does have elements of style in some scenes yet much of it is straightforward in terms of the visuals. Shot on location in Atlanta, the film does play into suburban world that Max, Annie, and their friends live in as opposed to the more upper-class home that Brooks live in along with the world of the city. While there are a few wide shots to establish the locations, much of the direction has Daley and Goldstein utilize medium shots and close-up whenever there’s scenes that focuses on a couple or the entire group as they’re put into the frame. Even as they maintain the humor through the confusion of reality and fiction as the characters play on as if it’s still a game only to intensify as the story progresses. One notable sequence inside the mansion of a supposed criminal involves this unique tracking shot that goes on for a minute in one take where the players are passing a Fabergé egg that they’re trying to steal for the game. Even as it would unveil something much bigger that Brooks is involved him where they all have to use their skills as players to help him. Overall, Daley and Goldstein create a thrilling yet whimsical comedy about a game night that becomes a wild adventure.
Cinematographer Barry Peterson does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for a scene at a bar along with the exteriors set at night. Editors Jamie Gross, Gregory Plotkin, and David Egan do terrific work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the action and humor as well as capturing the chaos of the game. Production designer Michael Corenblith, plus set decorator Susan Benjamin and art director Hugh D.G. Moody, does fantastic work with the look of Brooks’ home in its interiors as well as some of the places the characters go to. Costume designer Debra McGuire does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with everyone wearing casual clothing.
Visual effects supervisor Patrick David does some fine work with the visual effects as it’s mainly set dressing for some big set pieces in the film that include its climax. Sound designer Cameron Frankley and sound editor Jon Michaels do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the humor as well as in some of the action scenes. The film’s music by Cliff Martinez is amazing for its electronic-based score that is mainly driven by 80s style synthesizers while music supervisors Manish Raval and Tom Wolfe provide a fun soundtrack that features music from Queen, Engelbert Humperdinck, Third Eye Blind, Drake, Duke Ellington, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, April Wine, Hampton Hawes, and Dirty Streets.
The casting by Rich Delia and Tara Feldstein is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Camille Chen as a doctor that Max and Annie meet early in the film, Chelsea Perretti as a woman who runs a mystery game business, Zerrick Williams and Joshua Mikel as a couple of kidnappers, Malcolm Hughes as actor Denzel Washington, Jessica Lee as Gary’s ex-wife Debbie, and Jeffrey Wright in an un-credited cameo appearance as the FBI agent Ron Henderson. Other notable small roles include appearances from Danny Huston as a supposed crime boss named Donald Anderton and Michael C. Hall in a superb role as a mysterious figure who appears in the film’s climax. Kyle Chandler is fantastic as Max’s older brother Brooks as a man who seems to have it all and often upstages Max with his own competitiveness only to hide something much darker as it relates to the game that is being played. Jesse Plemons is incredible as Gary as Max and Annie’s neighbor who is a cop that feels left out of not being invited to game nights where he later tries to help them with a situation as it’s a low-key yet witty performance from Plemons.
Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury are excellent in their respective roles as Kevin and Michelle Sterling as a couple who are part of the game night as they deal with what is happening while dealing with issues of infidelity before they were married. Billy Magnussen and Sharon Horgan are brilliant in their respective roles as Ryan Huddle and Sarah Darcy as co-workers that are on a date though they don’t know much about each other with Ryan trying to win while Sarah is an outsider who doesn’t know anyone yet is the smartest person in the room. Finally, there’s Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams in amazing performances in their respective roles as Max and Annie Davis as a couple who are highly-competitive gamers who are coping with becoming more responsible while being lost in the game they’re playing with Bateman as sort of the straight man of the two while McAdams gets to be more lively as the two together are a joy to watch.
Game Night is a spectacular film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a cool music score by Cliff Martinez, and a hilarious yet adventurous story. It’s a film that isn’t afraid to be out there while also being a lot of fun about a game that blur the ideas of reality and fiction. In the end, Game Night is a tremendous film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by John le Carre`, A Most Wanted Man is the story of a German security agency leader who leads a team of German and U.S. security agents to track down a political refugee from Chechnya who has entered Hamburg. Directed by Anton Corbijn and screenplay by Andrew Bovell, the film is a suspense-thriller where a group of individuals track down a man who could be anything as they hope to protect the world. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, Daniel Bruhl, Nina Hoss, Grigoriy Dobrygin, and Willem Dafoe. A Most Wanted Man is a chilling yet evocative film from Anton Corbijn.
The film revolves around a security agent leader who learns that a half-Chechen, half-Russian man, who is the son of a Russian mafia leader, has arrived to Hamburg seeking political asylum as well as revealing he is the heir to money his father has hidden wanting nothing to do with it. It plays into this increasing sense of paranoia that looms around the world as this German security official is forced to go rogue with his team as they want to know what this young man is doing in Hamburg as he’s aided by an immigration lawyer and a wealthy banker who has the money that belongs to the young man. Andrew Bovell’s screenplay is quite unconventional in terms of its lack of grand suspenseful moments in favor of investigation and see if the man they’re targeting is a threat. Leading the pack is Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as he is a man that’s seen a lot including the events in Beirut in the early 1980s as he is been asked to track down a noted Muslim philanthropist who is believed to be funding a terrorist group.
When Bachmann receives word that Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) is in Hamburg trying to seek asylum with the help of the immigration lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) who hears about Karpov’s situation as well as the banker Tommy Brue (Willem Dafoe) whose father laundered money for Karpov’s father many years ago. Much of the first act is about Bachmann doing his job as well as deal with others wanting Bachmann to go after anyone and deal with them personally as he befriends the American securities agent Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright). The second act is about Bachmann trying to find Karpov and what he’s really trying to do as they target Richter for information and wanting her help. Richter and Brue are reluctant to help at first but they would be the ones to get Karpov to get access to his money as well as go after the Muslim philanthropist Dr. Abdullah (Homayoun Ershadi) where Bachmann has secret meetings with Dr. Abdullah’s son Jamal (Mehdi Dehbi). All of which leading to Bachmann finding a way to help both Karpov and Dr. Abdullah in the chance he could do something right and regain some idea of hope.
Anton Corbijn’s direction is quite straightforward though it has elements of style as it is shot largely on location in Hamburg, Germany with additional shots set in Berlin. While much of the compositions that Corbijn creates are straightforward in terms of the wide and medium shots. It’s his emphasis on the latter as well as close-ups that give the film an intimacy as well as the way Corbijn would shoot compositions or scenes of Bachmann doing surveillance with his team in a van. There are some hand-held shots in the film as well as a few stylized crane shots in parts of the film as Corbijn wanted to create something that feels real with the audience feeling like they’re a part of a team.
The direction also maintain a low-key approach to the suspense where it would give the film a slow pace that is challenging due to the lack of action for much of the film. It all plays into Bachmann trying to do what he feels is right yet has to contend with the fact that there’s others involved who have their own interest and ideas of justice. Even if that idea doesn’t involve what is right for a safe and secure society. Overall, Corbijn crafts a thrilling yet engaging film about a German securities agent trying to help a Chechen man gain asylum.
Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does excellent work with the cinematography with its usage of low-key and colorful lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night as well as a more natural look for the scenes set in the daytime. Editor Claire Simpson does fantastic work with the editing as it feature some jump-cuts to play into the suspense and drama while it is largely straightforward to play into its slow yet methodical pace. Production designer Sebastian T. Krawinkle, with set decorator Yesim Zolan and art director Sabine Engelberg, does nice work with the look of the places that Bachmann and his team work at including the interrogation base where they try to get answers from Richter as well as the home of Brue.
Costume designer Nicole Fischnaller does terrific work with the costumes as it largely straightforward in terms of the look of the characters with many of the top security officials wearing business-like clothing. Visual effects supervisor Malte Sarnes does some good work with the visual effects as it’s mostly set-dressing for a few locations. Sound designer Frank Kruse is brilliant for the sound in capturing the world as well as how audio is recorded during some of the surveillance as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Herbert Gronemeyer is amazing for its low-key mixture of electronic music and soft orchestral strings to play into the drama and suspense while the soundtrack features music from Gang of Four, Phil Phillips, Claudia Brucken, Brainbox, Tom Waits, and Roy Orbison that is played on location including a jukebox.
The casting by Simone Bar and Jina Jay is great as it feature some notable small roles from Derya Alabora and Tamer Yigit as a Muslim mother-and-son duo who take Karpov in, Kostja Ullmann and Franz Hartwig as a couple of Bachmann’s associates who help watch over Karpov and Richter, Vicky Krieps as a female agent who works for Bachmann, Rainer Bock as Bachmann’s superior who wants him to nab Dr. Abdullah, Mehdi Dehbi as Dr. Abdullah’s son Jamal, and Homayoun Ershadi as Dr. Abdullah as a Muslim philanthropist who is possibly connected in funding a terrorist organization as Bachmann wants to help him do good in the hopes he can be saved. Daniel Bruhl is superb as Bachmann’s jack-of-all-trades in Maximilian who helps watch over everything as well as do whatever he can to get things done.
Nina Hoss is fantastic as Bachmann’s right-hand woman Irna Frey as a woman who approaches things much more differently than Bachmann as she would prove to be someone that even Richter can trust. Grigoriy Dobrygin is excellent as Issa Karpov as a political fugitive who has fled Chechnya as he seeks political asylum as well as not wanting anything to do with his father’s dark legacy in the hopes he can start over. Willem Dafoe is brilliant as Tommy Brue as a wealthy banker who learned about what his father did for Karpov’s father as he tries to do whatever he can to put the money Karpov is supposed to inherit for good. Robin Wright is amazing as Martha Sullivan as an American securities agent who is trying to understand what Bachmann is doing as she is willing to help him despite her own motives as it relates to what her country wants.
Rachel McAdams is remarkable as Annabel Richter as an immigration lawyer who is trying to help Karpov gain asylum as well as deal with the severity of her situation as she is reluctant to trust Bachmann only to see what he’s really trying to do. Finally, there’s Philip Seymour Hoffman in a phenomenal performance as Gunther Bachmann as a securities agent official who is trying to find a way to stop any form of terrorism from happening as he learns about a political prisoner seeking asylum as he tries to do whatever he can to help as Hoffman displays a humility and weariness to his role as a man had seen a lot as this mission gives him some idea that he could bring hope to the world.
A Most Wanted Man is a marvelous film from Anton Corbijn that features an incredible leading performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his final film roles. Along with its great ensemble cast, themes on security and justice, and eerie visuals, it’s a film that explores the post-9/11 world where everyone is trying to identify who is on the right side and if the people that’s supposed to protect are in the right side. In the end, A Most Wanted Man is a sensational film from Anton Corbijn.
Anton Corbijn Films: Control (2007 film) - The American (2010 film) - (Life (2015 film))
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the comic series by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange is the story of a surgeon who learns he has mystical powers as he tries to hone them for the good of the world against evil. Directed by Scott Derrickson and screenplay by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts, and C. Robert Cargill, the film is an exploration of a man whose life changes following an accident as he is given powers that would bring a broader viewpoint of the world as the titular character is played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, and Mads Mikkelsen. Doctor Strange is a dazzling yet thrilling film from Scott Derrickson.
The film is an origin story of sorts about a surgeon whose life changes following a life-threatening accident where he seeks a way to heal himself where he gains mystical powers through the mysterious teachings of a sorcerer. It’s a film that explores the mystical and spiritual world that surrounds the real world where good and evil try to balance things yet the latter starts to take matters into its own hands as an evil sorcerer steals a text from a book to open up a dimension in the hopes for eternal life. For the titular character of Dr. Steven Strange, he would have a lot to learn as his willingness to learn the arts as well as his determination makes him a promising student to the sorcerer known as the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Still, Strange has to deal with the fact that he can’t control everything as well as be humbled as he faces off against Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) who is a former student of the Ancient One as he hopes to summon an evil figure of a dark dimension to grant him eternal life.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the development of Strange as this brilliant but arrogant surgeon who thinks he knows more than anyone as he does a lot to save lives as if it’s nothing only until he is nearly killed in an accident that leaves him unable to use his hands to perform surgeries. He is crushed as someone who is often in control suddenly has no control as he pushes away those who care about him and becomes desperate to fix himself until hears the story of a man who is paralyzed with no chance to walk again suddenly walking again.
It leads to Strange to go to a small town near Kathmandu, Nepal as he learns about what the Ancient One does where he goes there to fix his hands but ends up getting something more. Especially in what the Ancient One and another sorcerer in Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) would teach him as he wouldn’t just travel to worlds instantly but also learn about parallel worlds as he would be able to go against Kaecilius and his troops. The script does succeed in fleshing out Strange, the Ancient One, Mordo, and Kaecilius as well as a librarian in Wong (Benedict Wong) though another character in Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) is somewhat underwritten as plays a love-interest of sorts for Strange.
Scott Derrickson’s direction is definitely stylish for the way it plays into the usage of the spiritual world. While it’s shot on several locations including New York City, London, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, and parts of Los Angeles. It does play into a world that is quite unique where it has aspects that are definitely from the world of psychedelic culture of the 1960s in terms of the imagery of how the dimensions would mesh up in the world and such as if planet Earth is a labyrinth for these sorcerers. While Derrickson would use a lot of wide shots for these massive moments involving vast visual effects along with some medium shots. There would be moments that are intimate as it relates to Strange’s life as a surgeon as well as going into lessons to learn how to transport into other worlds and use his powers. The direction also play into elements that are quite intense as it relates to some of the action including the first face-off between Strange and Kaecilius.
The direction also has Derrickson provide some humor in the way Strange would use his powers such as a way he would get books at a library as well as some of the way Strange is as a person as he is an asshole. There are also moments that are quite dramatic as it play into Strange’s development as well as the realization of his role in the world. Notably as well as the kind of power that Kaecilius uses and why the Ancient One has been hiding it as it play into some of the uneasy decisions people have to do for good. The film’s climax isn’t just about the powers that Strange has become accustomed to but also what he has to do to confront Kaecilius and the mystical figure he believes will give him eternal life. Overall, Derrickson creates an exhilarating and whimsical film about a man who learns what it takes to save the universe and be grateful for what he has.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of filters and lights for some of the scenes at night as well as the way some of the daytime interiors are lit. Editors Wyatt Smith and Sabrina Plisco do brilliant work with the editing as it is very stylish with some jump-cuts as well as some rhythmic cuts for the action and comedic moments in the film. Production designer Charles Wood, with supervising art directors Ray Chan and Michael Manson as well as set decorators John Bush and Laura Gaffin, does fantastic work with the look of the libraries for the sorcerers as well as Strange‘s home in New York City and at the hospital where he works. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does nice work with the costumes from the clothes of the Ancient One and the other sorcerers as well as the clothes of Strange when he embraces his role including the red cape that has a mind of its own.
Hair/makeup designer Jeremy Woodhead does terrific work with the makeup from the way Kaecilius looks when he embraces the dark spell as well as the look of the Ancient One. Visual effects supervisors Richard Bluff and Stephane Ceretti do amazing work with the visual effects from the look of the way the powers are presented including the way the cities becomes twisted and shaped by the sorcerers as well as the dark world that Kaecilius wants to present. Sound designers Nia Hansen and David C. Hughes, with sound editors Daniel Laurie and Shannon Mills, do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sound effects that occur as well as in the intense moments for action and suspense. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is remarkable for its sweeping and playful orchestral score that also feature some low-key somber moments for the drama as well as some moments that are just fun while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a very fun soundtrack that features music from Chuck Mangione, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Beyonce, and Pink Floyd.
The casting by Sarah Finn and Reg Poerscout-Edgerton is marvelous as it features some notable small appearances from the trio of Zara Phythian, Alaa Safi, and Katrina Durden as Kaecilius’ zealots, Benjamin Bratt as a once-paraplegic man who learned to heal himself through the teachings of the Ancient One in Jonathan Pangborn, Scott Adkins as another of Kaecilius’ zealot in Lucian, and Michael Stuhlbarg as a rival surgeon of Strange in Nicodemus West. Rachel McAdams is terrific as Christine Palmer where despite being under-written and not given much to do other than be frustrated and later confused by Strange’s powers does have her moments where she does bring something to the story. Benedict Wong is superb as Wong as a master of ancient relics who is also the librarian who protects all of the books as he is someone that doesn’t have much of a sense of humor but it is still a fun character to watch.
Mads Mikkelsen is excellent as Kaecilius as a sorcerer who is a former student of the Ancient One that craves eternal life as he has some big revelations of what some will do to keep themselves from aging as Mikkelsen is quite fun to watch. Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantastic as Karl Mordo as a master sorcerer who would teach Strange how to use some of his powers as well as reveal what it takes to be a powerful sorcerer as well as try to maintain some morality about the ways of the world. Tilda Swinton is brilliant as the Ancient One as a powerful and wise sorcerer that teaches Strange the means to be meaningful as well as realize his potential to do something good while also admitting to things that she had to do for the good of the world. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in an incredible performance as the titular character as a man of arrogance and great skill who becomes desperate to find a way to heal where he learns about the mystic arts as he brings some charisma as well as some humility as it’s one of Cumberbatch’s finest performances to date.
Doctor Strange is a sensational film from Scott Derrickson that features great performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mads Mikkelsen. Along with dazzling visual effects, a top-notch score, and a fascinating premise, it’s a superhero origin film that has something different to offer but also be very entertaining for those unfamiliar with the character. In the end, Doctor Strange is a phenomenal film from Scott Derrickson.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One Films: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Marvel Phase Two Films: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Marvel Phase Three Films: Captain America: Civil War - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Thomas McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Josh Singer, Spotlight is the story of reporters for The Boston Globe who uncover a major scandal involving sexual abuse of children in the hands of Catholic priests in Boston in 2002. The film is a dramatization of the events that would shake up the world of Catholicism in the hands of a group of journalists who struggle with their own upbringing as well as uncovering the truth to an entire city. Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schrieber, Brian d’Arcy James, Billy Crudup, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci. Spotlight is a riveting and exhilarating film from Thomas McCarthy.
Set from the summer of 2001 to early 2002 in Boston at The Boston Globe, the film revolves the famed Spotlight investigative journalist team who are asked by the paper’s new editor to do a story about a sex abuse scandal involving a Catholic priest at a parish in Boston. There, the journalists not only uncover more about what happened but also cover-ups and the fact that they themselves had a chance to tell the story years ago but never did. It’s a film that isn’t just about a sex scandal involving priests who abused children for many years in Boston but also the fact that the Catholic church in Boston was willing to cover up and do things in their power to pretend that it never happened. Even as the journalists try to figure out what are they hiding as they realize that this is bigger than one priest but an entire city that was involved and maybe the entire world.
The film’s screenplay by Thomas McCarthy and Josh Singer opens with a chilling scene of priest making a settlement with lawyers over a sex scandal which establishes what is common in Boston that people know but don’t want to talk about. It then cuts to the arrival of new Boston Globe editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) who is aware that he has to gain the trust of the staff including the Spotlight team where he asks them to follow-up on a column about a sex abuse scandal from a Catholic priest. Leading the Spotlight team is Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton) who is joined by Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James) as they were looking for something to do where Rezendes would try to talk to attorney Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) is reluctant to talk publicly to Rezendes yet eventually reveals what is at stake.
With the team talking to victims as well as revelations that they had a chance to tell the story years ago when Robinson was part of the team. While Robinson does admit guilt on his own part for not taking the chance to cover the story, he would redeem himself in not just going further once it becomes clear that the story is bigger than one parish but rather a whole city. Especially as it becomes clear that many who work for the paper are Catholic where they seem to know what is happening but they are either too scared to reveal what happened or are in denial. By the film’s third act where it becomes clear that there is evidence to get one priest to finally confess about his actions. Robinson realizes that it’s not one name they need to go after but the almost 100 names that they’ve uncovered including one living in Carroll’s neighborhood.
McCarthy’s direction is quite engaging for the way it plays into the atmosphere of the newspaper world where many are struggling with the new age of internet news and the decline of print. Even as it plays into events such as 9/11 as the world of the newspaper and journalism is a very busy one where many colleagues talk and socialize about what stories to tell. McCarthy’s usage of tracking shots, wide, and medium shots don’t just play into that atmosphere but also help flesh out the drama where the camera would pull back in scenes where the Spotlight team try to gather whatever they can use to tell the story. While McCarthy does use close-ups for some intimate moments where the characters talk to victims or what they do in their personal lives as it relates to Pfeiffer accompany her grandmother to church on Sundays. It helps establish not just what kind of city Boston is but also why it has this very unique relationship with the Catholic church.
McCarthy would also know how to build up drama such as a scene where Rezendes gains access to old testimonial records with the aid of Garabedian as he tells the team that they should unleash the story now. Yet, it becomes clear that these scandals have taken a personal toll for the team as well as one of its key editors in Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery) who admit to being a lapse Catholic. Even as there are those who were thinking about returning to church to regain some idea of faith but the scandal has damaged that faith as they aren’t sure if revealing this to the city would destroy all of that for those who still believe in the church. It adds to the dramatic conflict as the decision that is made doesn’t just hit home for the entire team but would also for an entire city and maybe the entire world. Overall, McCarthy creates a chilling yet visceral drama about a group of newspaper journalists uncovering a sexual abuse scandal in their home city.
Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of natural lights for many of the daytime exteriors as well as the usage of lights for the scenes set at night in the interior/exterior settings. Editor Tom McArdle does amazing work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with a few jump-cuts for dramatic purposes as well as montages to play into the team at work. Production designer Stephen H. Carter, with set decorator Shane Vieau and art director Michaela Cheyne, does fantastic work with the look of the set of The Boston Globe building as well as the room where the Spotlight team works at plus the home of a few characters in the film.
Costume designer Wendy Chuck does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual with the exception of the clothes that some of the priests and cardinals wear. Visual effects supervisor Colin Davies does nice work with the minimal visual effects in the film which is essentially set dressing for some of the exteriors to make the city look like Boston circa-2001. Sound designer Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the rooms at the Boston Globe to the machines where the papers are printed and other parts of the city. The film’s music by Howard Shore is brilliant for its very low-key piano score that has a few orchestral flourishes as it‘s mostly straightforward to play into the drama as well as the heaviness of what is happening while music supervisor Mary Ramos provides a more low-key soundtrack filled with bands based on Boston that only appears in the background.
The casting by Kerry Barden, John Buchan, Jason Knight, and Paul Schnee is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Neal Huff as one of the victims in Phil Savino, Len Cariou as Cardinal Bernard Law whom Baron meets early in the film, Paul Guilfoyle as one of the people involved with the church in Peter Conley, Jamey Sheridan as one of the church’s attorneys in Jim Sullivan whom Robertson knows, Maureen Keiller as columnist Eileen McNamara who would create the column that would start the investigation, Gene Amoroso as investigative reporter Stephen Kurkjian, Richard Jenkins as the voice of a noted psychiatrist for the victims, and Billy Crudup as attorney Eric MacLeish who is reluctant to reveal the settlements he took part in as well as reveal some revelations about the paper. John Slattery is fantastic as Ben Bradlee Jr. as one of the editors of the Globe who tries to make sure everything Spotlight does is under wraps where he realizes how big the story is prompting to get Baron on their side.
Stanley Tucci is excellent as Mitchell Garabedian as a man who is trying to defend the victims as he is reluctant to provide information because of the church where he gives Rezendes tips about what to find. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as Marty Baron as the new editor-in-chief who tries to understand more about the world of the Catholic church in Boston as he is a Jewish man trying to see what is going on where he learns more about what is really happening prompting him to put more support on Spotlight. Brian d’Arcy James is superb as Matt Carroll as a Spotlight reporter who helps piece many of the stories and sources that happens while making a chilling discovery about how close to home the scandal is at.
Rachel McAdams is amazing as Sacha Pfeiffer as a Spotlight reporter who talks to the victims in the streets while she would also talk to a former priest only to realize more of what is happening as she copes with how the news will affect her grandmother. Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal as Michael Rezendes as a Spotlight reporter who meets with Garabedian where he would go into the records with Carroll and Robertson where he would later uncover a major breakthrough for the story. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a remarkable performance as Walter “Robby” Robertson as the Spotlight chief who leads the charge where he would make some revelations into what he discovered as well as carry the guilt that he had the chance to reveal it years ago where he realizes the chance to do things right for himself and for Boston.
Spotlight is a tremendous film from Thomas McCarthy. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an intriguing story, well-crafted direction, and top-notch technical work, the film isn’t just a fascinating newspaper drama. It’s a film that explores people coping with something they either knew or didn’t want to know as they try to find a way to expose it to their city and the world in the hopes that something like this never happens again. In the end, Spotlight is a sensational film from Thomas McCarthy.
Thomas McCarthy Films: (The Station Agent) - The Visitor - Win Win - (The Cobbler)
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Aloha is the story of a defense contractor who is assigned to go to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a satellite as he falls for an Air Force pilot while dealing with an old flame. The film is an exploration of a man who finds himself back in a world with people he used to know as he tries to maintain a sense of hope and something new in old surroundings. Starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray. Aloha is a hokey, sappy, and extremely ludicrous film from Cameron Crowe.
A defense contractor hired by a billionaire to oversee the launch of a satellite that is to be above Hawaii finds himself not only falling for his Air Force pilot liaison but also deal with the re-appearance of an old flame he hadn’t seen in years. It’s a film that wants to be a lot of things where it’s not just this man who used to be so much to people as all he wants to do is finish this project and leave Hawaii yet he is encountered by this idealistic and lively young woman who wants him to show a world that is far more important and with possibilities. At the same time, there’s a lot that is happening as it relates to the life of Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) who deals with things in his past as well as the satellite he’s about to launch for this billionaire. Thus, lies the problem with the film at a whole. It has a lot that it wants to tell yet has no idea what it wants to be.
Cameron Crowe’s screenplay isn’t just a mess but it doesn’t really have characters that audiences will be engaged by nor will they care about. Instead, there’s just caricatures as Gilcrest is the cynic who has given up on leading a good life as he is seen as a screw-up by former colleagues. The idealist is the Air Force pilot Alison Ng (Emma Stone) who is a quarter-Hawaiian as she loves her home state as she is interested in Gilcrest’s past as well as his relationship with ex-girlfriend Tracy Woodside (Rachel McAdams) who is married to a pilot named Woody (John Krasinski) who is mostly very silent. Ng is a combination of the idealist who is eager to make Gilcrest see the better things in the world and to play into some of the folklore of Hawaii among its natives. It’s not a real character but rather someone that is very underdeveloped as is Tracy who is just a frustrated former flame and Woody is just this silent idiot as they both have children who aren’t real characters either since the son spends half the film carrying a video camera and talking about Hawaiian folklore constantly.
Another problem with the script is how obvious things are as it relates to Tracy’s daughter Grace (Danielle Rose Russell) who is 12 years old as it was sort of the exact same time Gilcrest and Tracy last saw each other. That’s just part of the script’s laziness where it plays into what audience might already know which hurts any kind of intrigue while other parts of the script such as Gilcrest’s relationship with Alison feels very rushed as it is obvious that they will fall in love but it goes very fast. Then there’s the story about Gilcrest’s job as it relates to this billionaire’s satellite and how the military is bought where it is clumsily written where military officials look like idiots while the character of the billionaire Carson Welch (Bill Murray) isn’t just underwritten but is also a caricature as someone who looks and feels like he is in another movie.
Crowe’s direction of the film doesn’t help matters of what is wrong the script but only makes things even worse. Much of it involves his presentation of Hawaii where it feels more like a postcard and a lot of white-washing where white people live in comfortable places while Hawaiian natives live in trailer parks. It’s has Crowe portray its main characters as white saviors unaware that there’s people that are going to fuck these natives over all because of what a billionaire wants. The direction has some unique compositions but nothing to really make anything interesting as there’s moments such as the first meeting between Gilcrest, Alison, and Tracy are all shot in one take where the camera would move from a two shot to a one shot to create something that is funny but it ends up not being funny at all. It’s among the things in the film that really tries to hard to win over the audience as a lot of the humor such as Woody’s silent communication ends up being very awkward and idiotic while other moments feel forced.
Another issue with Crowe’s direction is the way he uses music as about 90 to 95% of the film has a soundtrack that often has some kind of musical accompaniment whether it’s through Jonsi & Alex’s score which mixes ambient music and Hawaiian folk music or through whatever song that Crowe brings to the film. At one point, there’s a scene where Gilcrest’s former superior General Dixon (Alec Baldwin) to play Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rules the World where it really feels more like an excuse to play that song in the film for a party scene as if Crowe wants a song used to drive the story. It’s really a lazy plot device where not only does it become very repetitive but also distracting. There is also a feeling like there was a longer film there but either due to studio interference or Crowe made the decision to cut some things out. Whatever the case is, it feels like a film that had something there but the result is something that ends up being extremely conventional.
Another aspect of the film aside from some of the contrived nature of the story and how muddled it is where it wants to be so many things is that it ends in a resolution that is very tidy and extremely predictable. It is a conclusion that just reeks of unearned sentimentality as well as poor development that feels like a fucking waste of time. Overall, Crowe creates what is undoubtedly a very horrible film that never says anything interesting at all.
On the film’s technical front, the work of cinematographer Eric Gautier is very bland as some of the daytime exterior scenes look over-lit at times while there’s moments where the lighting for scenes at night don’t really do anything to make it interesting on a visual level. Even the editing by Joe Hutshing is distracting where it tries to be stylish and be straightforward but is unable to play into the muddled tone of the film. Production designer Clay A. Griffith, with art director Peter Borck and set decorators William Reyes Jr. and Wayne Shepherd, definitely play up the sense of white-washing in the film in the way Tracy and Woody‘s home look in comparison to where the native Hawaiians live in which is very uninteresting. Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott doesn‘t do a very good job with the clothes as much of it is bland as it also includes one of the worst hats ever. Visual effects supervisor Jamie Dixon does some very awful work with some of the visual effects as it relates to some sequences in outer space which looks bad. Sound editor Dennis Drummond and sound designer Jamey Scott do an OK job in some of the sound work though it was unfortunate that some of it is often mixed with a lot of the music that appears in the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is good for the cast she was able to bring though it is very unfortunate that many of them didn’t have a single good thing to work on. Smaller performances from Ivana Milicevic as Carson’s assistant, Hawaiian native leader Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele, Michael Chernus as a hacker friend of Gilcrest, and Bill Camp as a military figure friend of Gilcrest as they’re all sort of wasted by the poor script. Jaeden Lieberher’s performance as Woody and Tracy’s youngest son Mitchell is a poorly written character that is very annoying as Lieberher is just aggravating to watch while Danielle Rose Russell as Woody and Tracy’s daughter Grace doesn’t really get to do anything at all. Alec Baldwin is wasted in a very poor role as General Dixon as someone who has a grudge with Gilcrest as he spends half of his time screaming and shit Danny McBride is also terrible as he plays Colonel “Fingers” Lacy as an old friend of Gilcrest who spends much of the film waving his fingers as if he wants to be a fucking cheerleader.
Bill Murray’s performance as billionaire Carson Welch is essentially Murray phoning it in as if he is in another movie as there are a few moments that are fun but it’s just quite lazy. John Krasinski’s role as Woody is pretty dumb since he spends much of the film being silent while a scene where he and Gilcrest communicate through silence is idiotic. Rachel McAdams is OK as Tracy as a former flame of Gilcrest who wonders if she still has feelings for him as it’s a character that isn’t developed very well as McAdams gets very little to do. Emma Stone has her moments as Alison Ng with her liveliness but it’s a character that is a fucking mess to deal with as it’s badly written at times while her attempts to be funny feels forced. Finally there’s Bradley Cooper as Brian Gilcrest as it’s not a bad performance but a very bland one where his attempts to be funny also feels forced while he is badly hampered by its poor screenplay which ruins his development as a character and gives his chance to find redemption to be poorly handled.
Aloha is a fucking piece of shit film from Cameron Crowe. Not only is it a film where a filmmaker loses his touch but also finds himself taking some major steps backwards as a storyteller where he tries to do so much but forgets to create real characters that people can root for. Whether or not this was the film that Crowe intended to make, it feels like there was a lot to be said but the end result really says nothing to make anyone laugh, cry, or feel anything other than anger and disgust. In the end, Aloha is a film that will make anyone say aloha and fuck off for insulting their intelligence.
Cameron Crowe Films: (Say Anything) - (Singles) - (Jerry Maguire) - Almost Famous - (Vanilla Sky) - (Elizabethtown) - The Union (2011 film) - Pearl Jam Twenty - We Bought a Zoo
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Terrence Malick, To the Wonder is about an American man who falls for a European woman in France as he takes her and her daughter to America where their love dims as he starts to reconnect with a former flame. The film is an experimental feature of sorts for Malick that explores the world of love and its troubles as well as exploring the world of faith from the perspective of a priest. Starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, and Javier Bardem. To the Wonder is a enchanting and glorious film from Terrence Malick.
It’s a film that explores the idea of love in all of its splendor but also its trappings where everyone has these great intentions but there are forces that are unexplained that will tear them apart. While there isn’t much of a screenplay written for this film, there is still a structure of sorts into how Terrence Malick tells the story as the first act is about Neil (Ben Affleck) and Marina (Olga Kurylenko) meeting and falling in love where they go to America. The second act is about Marina going back to Paris after her visa expires where Neil is alone in Bartlesville, Oklahoma where he reconnects with an old flame in Jane (Rachel McAdams) as they have a brief affair. The third act is about Marina’s return to Bartlesville to marry Neil where their love starts to dim as they have no idea what went wrong where they turn to Father Quintana (Javier Bardem) who is going through his own crisis of faith.
A lesser script or a lesser filmmaker would’ve gone for some kind of plot schematics to flesh out the characters more or have them be placed into some kind of formula. In the hands of someone like Malick, it is very stripped down and very loose in order to explore the idea of love. Notably as it reveals the intentions of someone like Neil to give Marina and her daughter Tatiana (Tatiana Chiline) a good life that is free and enjoyable. The characters that Malick create are people who are flawed yet very realistic as Neil is a man who is kind and generous but is also a typical man who likes to look at other women. Marina is a free-spirit who likes to wander around any kind of surroundings as she’s somewhat childlike in the way she expresses herself. Upon her arrival to America, she has a hard time connecting with the people and the land as there is this sense of alienation that she and her daughter go through where Marina does have a brief rapport with Father Quintana who is also a foreigner.
Then there’s Jane who is a bit more grounded than Marina as she offers something to Neil that he finds appealing as well as the fact that they have a history together. Still, she knows that Neil is married as Neil is torn between his devotion to Marina but is also in love with Jane as she is hurt by these circumstances. The Father Quintana character is an interesting character but he is part of a subplot of his own as this foreign Catholic priest who lives in Bartlesville who is often questioning himself about his role in the world as he is trying to help others. Still, the sense of doubt he’s dealing with starts to overwhelm him where he and Neil start to connect by going directly to the people in Bartlesville to see what they can do. Still, Quintana is a commentator of sorts as he often talks about love and all of its complexities as it relates to Neil and Marina’s relationship. Even as Malick gives these four principle characters voice-over narrations (w/ Quintana in Spanish and Marina in French) to reflect on themselves and the people around them but it’s done in a mostly minimalist manner.
Malick’s direction is quite typical of what is known about him as a man who is known for creating these gorgeous images that only he could make as he’s spawned many imitators who have been influenced by his visual style. Still, there are things in Malick’s direction that sets him apart from not just his imitators but other filmmakers in the way he creates these free-flowing images filled with some unique framing devices and ethereal camera angles. Even as Malick would often incorporate images of nature to play up the idea of natural forces playing to the fates of these characters. While a lot of the film is shot in Bartlesville, Oklahoma where it is a unique slice of Americana that is filled with clean-cut grasses in the suburbs and places that is typical of American small towns. It does feel like a place that is quite foreign as well as a bit more structured opposed to some aspects of France that Marina lives in.
Malick’s direction is also taking some risks where it is definitely an experimental film of sorts where he also uses a bit of digital video early in the film through the use phone-cams and computers. Another thing that sets this film apart from his other films is that it takes place in a contemporary setting where Malick is going for this very cinema verite style of hand-held cameras of shooting a film just as things are happening around him where he would use a close-up of various real people in the film including convicts pleading to Father Quintana. While it’s a style that isn’t for everyone’s taste as there are things that do get a bit over-drawn in the third act as well as meanders a bit due to its lack of conventional script. It does have a payoff as it relates to the Mont St. Michel cathedral in France where Neil and Marina’s love reaches its apex as Marina through her voice-over calls it the Wonder. Overall despite a few flaws, Malick creates a film that is poignant and engrossing in its exploration into the world of love and faith.
Cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki does what is absolutely some outstanding work with the film‘s very gorgeous and intoxicating photography with its emphasis on natural lighting to create images that are just jaw-dropping. Even in some of the film‘s exterior settings in France and in Bartlesville, Oklahoma where the camera is always gazing into something that is otherworldly as well as some scenes in the exteriors where it maintains something that feels real as Chivo‘s work is just another of his great accomplishments as a cinematographer. Editors A.J. Edwards, Keith Fraase, Shane Hazen, Christopher Roldan, and Mark Yoshikawa do excellent work with the film’s stylized editing with its use of rhythmic jump-cuts as well as a few fade-outs to help structure the film.
Production designer Jack Fisk, with set decorator Jeanne Scott and art director David Crank, does superb work with some of the film‘s set pieces such as the house that Neil and Marina stay in Bartlesville as well as a few sets in France and other locations in Bartlesville. Costume designer Jacqueline West does nice work with the costumes as it is all casual though she makes some nice dresses for both Marina and Jane to establish their characters. Sound editor Craig Berkey and sound designer Erik Aadahl do amazing work with the sound to create some textures in the sound from the voice-overs to the way things sound on location as it’s definitely another highlight of the film.
The film’s soundtrack that is supervised by Lauren Marie Mikus is largely a collection of orchestral music that features some original compositions by Hanan Townshend as well as piece from Francisco Lupica. Still, it is largely dominated by the compositions of pieces by Hector Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Joseph Haydn, Ottorino Respighi, Tchaikovsky, Johann Sebastian Bach, Avro Part, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Henryk Gorecki. There’s also a few contemporary music that is played in the background by the Oh Sees and St. Vincent to establish the world of Bartlesville.
The casting by Chris Freihofer is remarkable as it consists largely of real people in the background with the exception of a few actors such as Charles Barker as a carpenter Marina befriends and Romina Mondello as an Italian friend of Marina who visits late in the film who questions about Marina’s love life. Tatiana Chiline is wonderful as Marina’s daughter Tatiana as a young girl who is like her mother while feeling out of place in a world as unique that is America. Javier Bardem is superb as Father Quintana as a man who is trying to deal with his doubt as well as trying to be there for the people in Bartlesville directly to see if he can make a difference in their life. Rachel McAdams is amazing as Jane as a woman dealing with her own loss as she and Neil reconnect in a love affair as it is a performance full of radiance and beauty.
Ben Affleck is excellent as Neil as a man who exemplifies all of the good natures of a man who can bring a lot to Marina but is also troubled by the fact that she’s a foreigner in a foreign land while he has temptations of his own as it’s a very engaging one from Affleck that doesn’t have him doing a lot but bringing exactly into what was needed. Finally, there’s Olga Kurylenko in a tremendous performance as Marina as a woman who is so full of life and wonderment as she thinks she has it all until arriving into America realizing how alien she feels in a new land while becoming more lost after marrying Neil as it’s definitely a performance that will be unforgettable.
To the Wonder is a rapturous and sensational film from Terrence Malick. Armed with a great ensemble cast and amazing technical work led by Emmanuel Lubezki’s ravishing cinematography. The film is definitely a very mesmerizing film that explores the world of love as well as faith. While it’s a film that will definitely baffle, annoy, and frustrate casual viewers though are moments that are quite accessible as it would recall some of Malick’s early films from the 1970s. The fact that it’s a very unconventional story is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea as it also contains some of more abstracts elements of Malick’s recent films. Still, there is nothing like this as To the Wonder is an incredible piece of cinema from one of its masters in Terrence Malick.
Terrence Malick Films: Badlands - Days of Heaven - The Thin Red Line - The New World - The Tree of Life - Knight of Cups - Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience - (Voyage of Time: Life's Journey) - Song to Song - A Hidden Life - (The Way of the Wind)
© thevoid99 2013
