Gone Girl

Directed by David Fincher and written by Gillian Flynn that is based on her novel, Gone Girl is the story of a man who becomes part of a media circus as he is a suspect in the disappearance of his wife. The film is an exploration into the world of marriage as well as revelations about that world where a man is being questioned about her whereabouts. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Emily Ratajkowski, Missi Pyle, Scoot McNairy, and Neil Patrick Harris. Gone Girl is a chilling and evocative film from David Fincher.

It’s the day of the fifth anniversary of a couple when a husband learns his wife has suddenly disappeared as he is later questioned into her whereabouts. That is sort of what the film is about as it’s really more of a study of marriage as it’s being viewed under a microscope by the media, a small community in Missouri, and the authorities. It’s a story that is told from many different perspectives as the life of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) starts to unravel due to not just his behavior in having to do with his wife’s disappearance but also about himself. Especially as it relates to the events in how Nick met Amy Elliot (Rosamund Pike) where they fell in love and got married until their marriage unraveled due to financial issues as well as the move from New York City to a small town in Missouri so that Nick could take care of his ailing mother. Once things about Nick’s life begins to emerge in the wake of the search for Amy, a media circus would come in to pick apart every piece of his life.

Gillian Flynn’s screenplay isn’t just this very intriguing study of marriage but also into a world where it plays into the ways a marriage can disintegrate as it’s told from not just Nick’s perspective but also through Amy from her own diary. While much of the mystery and speculation covers much of the film’s first act and parts of second act where it plays into any kind of suspicion of whether Nick had something to do with Amy’s disappearance. Especially as Nick is known to be frustrated with the marriage as it was later revealed that he was having an affair with a college student (Emily Ratajkowski) which only made him look worse in front of the media and the authorities led by Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and her partner Officer Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit). With only his twin sister Margo (Carrie Coon) on his side where they get the services of notorious defense attorney Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry).

Much of the story’s approach to knowing what is going on showcases a world where many questions come into play about not just if Nick really did anything to Amy but also what might have drove Amy to antagonize Nick. While the script does manage to make the film be about Nick and Amy, the supporting characters in Boney, Margo, and Bolt are very compelling as Boney is just someone who is an authority figure that wants to give Nick a fair chance while Bolt is a complex individual who may be involved in Nick’s case for publicity but knows how to help him amidst the storm of controversy from the media. Then there’s Margo as she is the film’s conscience as she is someone who admittedly never liked Amy as she also scolds Nick for his affair yet is willing to defend him despite all of the shit they would go through. Adding to the genius of the film’s script is its dialogue where a lot of it has a sense of rhythm where it can play into many clues but also has some moments that are very funny which gives the film a sense of black comedy to something that is already dark.

David Fincher’s direction is truly intoxicating in the way he can create something set in a mundane small town in Missouri yet make it feel like it’s a world where there is a lot to be said. Not just in some of the compositions he creates but also in its mood where it starts off like any typical day where Nick takes out the garbage in suburbia and then drives to a bar to chat with his sister on the day of his fifth wedding anniversary. Then the film takes on a very dark mood while it gets inter-cut with these flashbacks of how Nick and Amy met where the latter is the daughter of a couple of authors who has created a series of children’s books based on Amy. Much of these flashbacks in New York City showcased a time where they were happy and quite playful but once the money starts to go away and they were forced to move to Missouri where Nick could be close to his family. Things do get dark as much of Fincher’s approach to drama does become intensified with his approach to intimate compositions and framing devices.

Once the film progresses into the second and third act, there is an element of satire in the way Fincher explores the world of the media as it showcases his offbeat approach to dark humor. Notably as such media figures like Ellen Abbott (Missi Pyle) is played for laughs as someone who has this belief that she is a crusader and is willing to smear Nick’s name without any real evidence. There’s also moments where Fincher manages to use the humor as it plays into how Nick had to present himself to the media. Still, there are elements where it is very dark as it relates to Amy’s disappearance as well as contents in her diary as it raises questions into her own past.

Especially with a former boyfriend named Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) whom Amy had filed a restraining order against as he had been stalking her. It adds to the many ambiguities about the truth where it becomes more complicated as the film progresses towards its finale where it returns to that exploration into marriage. A marriage that raised many questions into why Nick and Amy even got married in the first place as the question about marriage starts to come into play. Overall, Fincher creates a very brooding yet intoxicating film about a man dealing with the disappearance of his wife.

Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its unique approach to lighting as well as creating something that feels a bit discolored in its look for many of the film‘s locations as well as the way lights are presented in certain scenes as well as the TV footage. Editor Kirk Baxter does amazing work with the editing with its approach to jump-cuts and montages that plays off into the rhythms of suspense as well as some dramatic montages and some of the film‘s funnier moments. Production designer Donald Graham Burt, with supervising art director Sue Chan and set decorators Douglas A. Mowat and Gena Vasquez, does fantastic work with the look of the suburban home that Nick and Amy lives as well as the chaotic look of his father‘s home as well as the home of Margo.

Costume designer Trish Summerville does nice work with the costumes from the stylish underwear that Amy wears as well as the suits that Nick would wear in his interviews as much of it is casual in playing to the other characters. Sound designer Ren Klyce does excellent work with the sound to create some effective sound work to play into the air of suspense as well as scenes where dialogue is inaudible as well as in some of the bits of music on location that is played. The film’s music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is incredible as it’s one of the film’s highlights as it’s approach to dark ambient music with dissonant guitars and electronics add to some of its melancholic tone along with some somber pieces driven by piano and ambient textures as it’s one of their best film scores.

The casting by Laray Mayfield is great as it features some notable small performances from Kathleen Rose Perkins as a search volunteer who takes a selfie with Nick, Boyd Holbrook and Lola Kirke as a young couple Amy meets in her days away from New York City, Cyd Strittmatter as Nick and Margo’s ailing mother, Leonard Kelly-Young as Nick and Margo’s elderly father, David Clennon and Lisa Banes as Amy’s parents who take the lead to find Amy as they would confront Nick about the marriage, Sela Ward as the TV host Sharon Scheiber who interviews Nick in his attempt to prove his innocence, Emily Ratajkowski as the young college student in whom Nick had an affair with, and Scoot McNairy as a former boyfriend of Amy’s whom Nick meets where they share some surprising revelations.

Missi Pyle is very funny as the sleazy TV host Ellen Abbott who tries to discredit Nick’s name and devolve herself into tabloid TV while Casey Wilson is wonderful as Nick and Amy’s dim-witted neighbor Noelle who claims to be Amy’s friend as she would provide a key aspect to the investigation. Patrick Fugit is excellent as Officer Jim Gilpin who assists Boney in the investigation as he gets to say some funny lines throughout the film as he’s suspicious of Nick. Kim Dickens is fantastic as Detective Rhonda Boney who leads the investigation as she would uncover some key clues about the case such as credit card bills and Amy’s diary while wondering about Amy and who she is. Neil Patrick Harris is superb as Amy’s former boyfriend Desi Collings whom Nick wanted to talk to as he’s a very strange figure that implies a sense of creepiness about the way he is around Amy which would explain the restraining order.

Tyler Perry is amazing as Tanner Bolt as this defense attorney who is a master in making his clients look good as Perry brings in a lot of charisma and charm as well in how to instruct Nick in doing interviews. Carrie Coon is brilliant as Nick’s twin sister Margo who is the film’s conscious as she tries to prove Nick’s innocence despite some of his flaws while she is also a target of the media where she is accused of having an incestuous relationship with her brother among other many lies. Ben Affleck is phenomenal as Nick Dunne as a writer turned community college professor who deals with the accusations of his wife’s appearance as well as realizing in how much of a fuck-up he is in his marriage as it’s a role where Affleck plays the cuckold as well as someone who can look good for the camera. Finally, there’s Rosamund Pike in an outstanding performance as Amy Elliott as this woman who had everything until financial difficulties has her becoming troubled in her marriage as it’s a role full of complexities and many layers that are just astonishing to watch as it’s a real break-out role for the actress.

Gone Girl is a tremendously dark yet powerful film from David Fincher that features amazing performances from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Along with a strong supporting cast that includes Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, and Kim Dickens plus some great technical work and an incredible score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film is definitely a suspense-drama that is full of intricate layers and compelling themes on marriage thanks in part to its writer Gillian Flynn. In the end, Gone Girl is a magnificent film from David Fincher.

David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - The Game - Fight Club - Panic Room - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Social Network - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)

Related: The 15 Essential Videos of David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher

© thevoid99 2014

The World's End

Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, The World’s End is the story about a group of friends who try to reclaim their youth by doing a legendary pup crawl in a town only to realize that the town has been taken over by aliens. The third film in an unofficial trilogy known as the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, the film is not a spoof but rather a sci-fi adventure film of sorts where a group of friends try to drink 12 pints in 12 pubs to complete a legendary pub crawl. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, and Pierce Brosnan. The World’s End is a very adventurous yet funny film from Edgar Wright.

The film is about a man who is definitely lost in his life as he tries to gather his old friends to try and complete a pub crawl they did over 20 years ago which they attempted to do but never finished. Though they’re all estranged from each other, the five men try to rekindle their old childhood friendship to do this legendary pub crawl in their old hometown of Newton Haven known as the Golden Mile. What happens is that there’s a lot of strange things happening in the town that raises suspicion forcing the men to team up and fight whatever forces they have all the way to the final pub known as the World’s End. It’s a film that plays into one man’s desire to relive the best moment of his life but he hasn’t managed to do anything as an adult as he tries to gather his old friends to relive that moment of their youth.

The screenplay that Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s explores not just the element of nostalgia but also how one man seems stuck in his past that he couldn’t deal with the current state of his life as he tries to reclaim his youth by attempting to complete a legendary pub crawl with his estranged friends. While the four other men in the story have grown into adults with pretty fulfilling lives, they’re reluctant to take part in this pub crawl only to become suspicious about the locals in their old home town. It is there that the tone of the film goes from being a study of nostalgia and friendship into a story of survival as these five men fight mysterious beings as it relates to the idea of perfection and such rather than the flaws of humanity. The narrative is quite simple in terms of its structure and plotting but what makes it so engaging is the fact that the story’s heart is about these five men trying to rebuild their friendship amidst the chaos of their situation and complete this legendary pub crawl.

Wright’s direction is quite simple for the most part but does have this element of nostalgia and ambition. Notably in the latter where there’s a lot of sci-fi into the story as well as a sense of adventure that is prevalent throughout the film. Even as it would play to the drama where Wright does find ways to put some humor into these moments but also have odes to such sci-fi classics like The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Wright’s approach to nostalgia as he infuses the film with a lot of references to the early 90s as well as the idea of trying to live in the past as a way to showcase the sense of loss that the film’s central character in Gary King (Simon Pegg) is dealing with. Even as he does whatever to get to the World’s End by any means. Wright’s approach to framing is quite simple yet he does put in a lot of things that are quite extraordinary including the film’s climax that involves the mystery of the robots the characters are trying to fight off. Overall, Wright creates a very witty yet sensational film about one man’s attempt to relive his youth.

Cinematographer Bill Pope does excellent work with the cinematography from the look of the town at day to more stylish lights for some of the interior and exterior scenes at night. Editor Paul Machliss does amazing work with the editing by creating a few stylish montages as well as elements of stylish cuts in some of the film‘s comedic and suspenseful moments. Production designer Marcus Rowland, with set decorator Sara Wan and supervising art director Nick Gottschalk, does brilliant work with the different look of the different pubs set for each moment in the journey.

Costume designer Guy Speranza does terrific work with the costumes as most of it is straightforward with the exception of Gary‘s Goth-like clothes. Makeup prosthetics designer Waldo Mason does fantastic work with some of the makeup work to play up some of the freakiness of the alien-robots the characters fight against. Visual effects supervisor Frazer Churchill does superb work with some of the visual effects to play out the chaos of some of the sci-fi moments. Sound designer Julian Slater does nice work with the sound to create some sound effects and moments to play up the chaos of the film. The film’s music by Steven Price is pretty good as it‘s low-key to play out the sense of adventure and suspense with its guitar and orchestral music while music supervisor Nick Angel brings in a fun soundtrack filled with a lot of great cuts from the early 90s like Sisters of Mercy, Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses, Blur, Inspiral Carpets, the Charlatans, Kylie Minogue, the Sundays, James, and St. Entienne as well as a cut from the Doors.

The casting by Nina Gold and Robert Sterne is phenomenal for the ensemble that is featured in the film as it includes appearances from David Bradley as a famous pub drinker the boys knew, Rafe Spall and Alice Lowe as a young couple looking for a house, Michael Smiley as a drug dealer named Reverend Green, Bill Nighy as the voice of a mysterious enigma, and Pierce Brosnan as the men’s old schoolteacher Guy Shepherd. In the roles of the young characters, there’s Thomas Law as the young Gary, Zachary Bailess as the young Andy, Jasper Levine as the young Steven, Luke Bromley as the young Oliver, James Tarpey as the young Peter, and Flora Slorach as the young Sam as they’re all quite good in those roles. Rosamund Pike is wonderful as Oliver’s sister Sam who becomes suspicious of what is going around the town as she tries to help the guys get out of town.

Eddie Marsan is terrific as Peter as a family man/car salesman who is still dealing with the trauma of being bullied as a kid while trying to comprehend the chaos of the situation. Martin Freeman is excellent as Oliver as a real-estates agent who isn’t sure about taking part as he’s trying to deal with his business while later becoming more outrageous as the film goes on. Paddy Considine is amazing as Steven as a man who holds a torch for Sam as he tries to deal with Gary’s immaturity and the chaos of the situation. Nick Frost is brilliant as Andy as a corporate businessman who was once Gary’s closest friend as he is the most reluctant to take part in the pub crawl only to go insane in battling the robots and confronting Gary about his problems. Finally, there’s Simon Pegg in a marvelous performance as Gary King as this immature yet troubled man-child who tries to rally everyone to complete the pub crawl while being evasive as he’s often lying or just doing something where it’s a really funny performance from Pegg.

The World’s End is a fantastic sci-fi adventure film from Edgar Wright that features a brilliant ensemble cast led by the duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film isn’t just a fitting conclusion to their Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy but also a great ode to the sci-fi adventure films while infusing it with smart and heartfelt humor. In the end, The World’s End is a sensational film from Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) - Shaun of the Dead - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Baby Driver

© thevoid99 2013

007 James Bond Marathon: Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007

Directed by Stevan Riley, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is the story of the James Bond franchise and how it was made by three men who would come up with a franchise that’s now lasted for 50 years. The documentary explores the roots of the James Bond story and how it would evolve in the many years through different actors playing Bond as well as all sorts of things that nearly derailed the franchise. The result is a truly engrossing and incredible documentary from Stevan Riley about the James Bond franchise.

The documentary explores the history of James Bond dating back to the 1940s when Ian Fleming was a naval officer working for the British government in World War II. During his time working for a newspaper and vacationing in Jamaica just as the Cold War was to start, he would write the first James Bond novel in Casino Royale that would launch the James Bond books series. Throughout the course of the film, it reveals how Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman teamed up to get the rights and create one of the great film franchises in the history of films.

With interviews by the families of Fleming, Broccoli, Saltzman, and associates that includes Christopher Lee who was a step cousin of Fleming. Also interviewed are five of the six actors who played James Bond while Sean Connery’s is only presented in archival audio and video interviews. In the course of the story, things are revealed into why Sean Connery left the franchise the first time around after You Only Live Twice and why George Lazenby only did one film. Also touched upon is the split between Broccoli and Saltzman after the release of The Man with the Golden Gun in which Saltzman sold his shares to United Artists though the two made peace when Broccoli invited Saltzman to the screening of For Your Eyes Only.

Another person that is talked about is Kevin McClory who claimed to have co-written Thunderball with Fleming and Jack Whittingham as it led to all sorts of legal troubles for many years that gave McClory the chance to make Never Say Never Again in 1983 against EON’s production of Octopussy released that same year. Broccoli’s daughter Barbara and his stepson Michael G. Wilson revealed a lot more into many of the legal issues that kept Bond out of the spotlight for six years in the early 1990s which contributed to Cubby Broccoli’s ailing health. It’s among one of the most compelling tales of the Bond franchise story as well as how they got the rights to Casino Royale in the hopes to reinvent Bond in a post 9/11 world.

Stevan Riley’s direction is brilliant for the way he tells the stories through many interviews from people who were in the franchise or were involved like production designer Ken Adam along with fans like former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Through the editing of Claire Ferguson, the film reveals a lot of rare photos and video footage of the films being made in production as well as old family movies from the Saltzman and Broccoli family of their time together during the 1960s. The actors who played Bond reveal small stories about the franchise where Pierce Brosnan revealed how he almost got the part in the mid-80s after Roger Moore’s departure but was derailed when NBC bought the rights to have Remington Steele on their network. It is among the many fun stories about the film’s franchise and it has more than enough material for Bond fans to enjoy.

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a phenomenal documentary from Stevan Riley that explores the history of James Bond. It is a film that Bond fans must see whether they know a lot about the franchise’s history or for those who are new to the series. It’s definitely something that serves as a great companion piece to the film’s franchise as well as reveal the story about the three men who created a franchise that is now 50 years old and is more beloved than ever. In the end, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a marvelous film from Stevan Riley.

James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE

Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again

Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls are Forever - True Bond

© thevoid99 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Die Another Day

Based on Ian Fleming’s stories, Die Another Day is the story of James Bond trying to find a betrayer within the British government who had him imprisoned for a year in North Korea as he gets help from an American agent. Directed by Lee Tamahori and screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the film has Bond take on new foes as well as team up an agent who is considered an equal of his as Pierce Brosnan plays Bond for the fourth and final time. Also starring Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Rosamund Pike, Michael Madsen, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, and Judi Dench as M. Die Another Day is a film that has some fine moments but is hampered by its hackneyed script and nonsensical action sequences.

After a mission in North Korea goes wrong that left the rogue Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee) dead, Bond is imprisoned where he’s tortured for 14 months until he’s released by Moon’s father General Moon (Kenneth Tsang) as a prisoner exchange for Colonel Moon’s henchman Zao (Rick Yune). After being suspended for supposedly leaking information to the North Koreans, Bond escapes his hospital stay to go to Hong Kong where he meets Chinese agent Mr. Chang (Ho Yi) who tells Bond about Zao killing a few Chinese agents as Bond travels to Cuba. After getting some information from a cigar manufacturer in Raoul (Emilio Echevarria), Bond meets up with an American agent named Jinx (Halle Berry) as the two make separate missions to a secret island where Bond finds Zao who was trying to have surgery. Things go wrong until Bond finds some diamonds that belongs to a billionaire named Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).

Bond decides to meet Graves at a country club in order to find out more about the diamonds as Graves invites Bond to a ceremony he’s having in Iceland. After regaining his 00 status from M who also wants to know more about Graves, Bond is sent to Iceland where Bond learns that Graves’ assistant Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) is a MI6 operative also investigating Graves. Jinx also arrives at Iceland to continue her mission as she and Bond make a discovery about not just Graves but who is he in league with. Also learning about the satellite that Graves created which is really a weapon, Bond decides to report this to M where he learns about the person that betrayed him to the North Koreans. With some help from Jinx, the two travel to South Korea to stop Graves from unleashing his weapon in order to start a war.

While the premise of the film has Bond taking on a billionaire who could be in cahoots with a North Korean terrorist in order to start a war is an interesting one. It starts off great in which Bond tries to infiltrate a meeting where he meets this rogue colonel and his friend that is involved with diamond smuggling where suddenly things go wrong as Bond is betrayed and sabotaged. Then the story starts to devolve into a premise where Bond has to share his time with another agent as they work together to find a terrorist and this billionaire where the results aren’t very good.

Part of the problem with film’s screenplay is that Gustav Graves as a villain isn’t very interesting at all. Sure, there is a twist about him that is revealed in the film’s second half that explains his motivations but it is handled with such silliness that he is just a villain who likes to have stupid gadgets around him to defeat his villains. The Zao character is a bit more interesting as a henchman but ends up becoming a second-banana to Graves by the film’s second half. It’s not just some of the characterization and situations that doesn’t work but also some of the dialogue where it’s not as humorous as it used to be while some of it feels forced in its delivery.

Lee Tamahori’s direction does have some engaging moments in terms of the way he builds suspense as well as the film’s opening prologue scene that establishes a lot of what is to come. Yet, Tamahori seems to be taken by the idea of creating a film that goes into a lot of locations like Iceland, Spain, and Britain as well as setting it in places all over the world. Since he couldn’t go everywhere, he has to utilize CGI backgrounds to create shots of Hong Kong and some places where it doesn’t very realistic. It’s not just that some of the set pieces and visual-effects driven moments don’t work at all.

Some of the film’s action sequences get into very silly moments where it’s not just the use of CGI that hampers these moments. Tamahori’s emphasis to give into the conventions of action-style editing and shooting styles ends up creating a film that is incomprehensive to watch at times. Notably with the twists that are later unveiled in some of the dramatic moments where Tamahori makes some editing decisions that really kills the impact that it should’ve had. Despite a few decent moments in the film, Tamahori ends up creating a film that is just a flat-out mess.

Cinematographer David Tattersall does nice work with the cinematography for some scenes in the exteriors including some lighting schemes in Graves‘ secret base scene. Editors Christian Wagner and Andrew MacRitchie do some OK work with the editing in the film‘s suspenseful and light-hearted moments but ends up playing to the rapid-cutting style of most action films where not much makes sense in the fights and action scenes. Production designer Peter Lamont, with set decorator Simon Wakefield and supervising art director Neil Lamont, does some fine work with some of the set pieces such as the MI6 offices but the ice-made hotel that Graves lives in easily the worst set piece of all of the Bond films.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does very good work with the costumes in the dresses that Miranda Frost and Jinx wears to the tuxedos that Bond wears Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould and visual effects supervisor Mara Bryan do some decent work with some of the special effects but the CGI work is truly poor and shoddy. Sound editor Martin Evans does some terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the action scenes as well as the party at Graves‘ ice palace. The film’s music by David Arnold is wonderful for some of the orchestral music that is played for some of the film’s action scenes though the electronic stuff isn’t very good. The title song by Madonna is truly one of the worst Bond theme song ever thanks to some bad production and the use of a vocoder that makes Madonna sound like Cartman.

The film’s ensemble cast is pretty good for the people that is hired as it features some notable small roles from Emilio Echevarria as Bond’s Cuban contact Raul, Ho Yi as Bond’s Hong Kong contact Mr. Chang, Michael Madsen as Jinx’s superior Damian Falco, Will Yun Lee as the rogue Colonel Lee, and Kenneth Tsang as Lee’s father. The worst small role comes in the form of Madonna as a fencing instructor named Verity where Madonna puts on a shitty British accent that makes her sound like a jackass. Bond regulars such as Colin Salmon as MI6 official Charles Robinson and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny are very good while John Cleese is quite funny as Q. Rick Yune is terrific as the henchman Zao who tries to kill Bond while sporting a disfigured face while Judi Dench has some fine moments in her role as M.

Rosamund Pike is excellent as the MI6 agent Miranda Frost who is a skilled swordswoman as well as someone who isn’t keen on Bond’s charms. Toby Stephens is terrible as Gustav Graves due to the fact that Graves is a pretty lame villain who has to rely on an electric suit and swagger to get things done. Halle Berry is quite good as the agent Jinx as she is a woman who can kick ass and get things done as Berry does have chemistry with Pierce Brosnan. It’s just that she’s not given enough material to make her into someone really compelling as well as the fact that Jinx gets some pretty lame one-liners. Finally, there’s Pierce Brosnan in his final outing as James Bond where Brosnan maintains his sense of charm and wit to the role as well as a sense of grit but the script’s shortcomings really bog the character down as it doesn’t give Brosnan enough room to make Bond more engaging to watch.

Of the films in the James Bond series, Die Another Day is truly the weakest film of the entire franchise. Due to awful decisions from the part of director Lee Tamahori, misguided use of visual effects, a very weak villain, a lackluster script, and ridiculous action scenes that involves an invisible car. It’s a film that just puts James Bond into situations that are way too silly. While there are some moments that keeps the film from being a total disaster, it’s not enough to make it a worthwhile moment. In the end, Die Another Day is a terrible film from Lee Tamahori.

James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia with Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Casino Royale (2006 film) - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE

Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again

Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls Are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007

© thevoid99 2012

An Education

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/5/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, An Education tells the story of a 16-year old schoolgirl living in a quaint yet disciplined suburban home. The girl's life changes when she meets an older man who would take her away from her restrictive life of school and ambition for a world that is broader only to later be hit with a dose of reality. Directed by Lone Scherfig and screenplay by Nick Hornby, the film is a tale of a girl coming of age in the 1960s as she is introduced to a new world. Starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Dominic Cooper, Rosamund Pike, Sally Hawkins, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. An Education is a brilliant coming-of-age drama from Lone Scherfig & co.

It's 1961 in Twickenham, England as a 16-year old schoolgirl named Jenny Miller (Carey Mulligan) is working hard to go to Oxford. She has great grades and is one of the top students of her class. Though she lives a quiet life with her parents Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour) as Jack hopes she goes to Oxford to have a great education. Jenny isn't so sure if studying and going to Oxford is the way to go. Even as she's pursued by another young student named Graham (Matthew Beard) who Marjorie likes though Jack felt isn't good enough for Jenny. Then on rainy day following a rehearsal for a youth orchestra, Jenny encounters an older man named David (Peter Sarsgaard) who takes Jenny home to school along with her cello.

Jenny befriends the older yet cultured David who shares a love of French music and films along with books and other fine things. David introduces himself to Jenny's parents whom he charms them while he introduces Jenny to his friends Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike). Jenny starts to go into clubs and orchestras as she is having fun. Once she learns what David and Danny does to maintain their posh lifestyle, she is reluctant to leave but stays so she can have fun. Though her grades start to drop much to the concern of her teacher Mrs. Stubbs (Olivia Williams) and headmistress Ms. Walters (Emma Thompson). Jenny continues to live a world of fun with David as he takes to her Paris once she turns 17.

Even Jenny's parents seem to enjoy David's company as Jenny's own academic future becomes troubles as Stubbs and Walters know she has much more to offer. Even Danny becomes worried as David makes a move to the surprise of Jenny and her parents. All of this is changed when David's past starts to catch up with him leaving Jenny pondering about all she had been through.

The film is a coming of age tale based on real life events in the life of its author Lynn Barber. With Nick Hornby, a renowned author in his own right with such works as Fever Pitch, High Fidelity, and About a Boy, taking on the adaptation. It plays up as a coming of age story from the mind of a young girl who is bound for Oxford until she encounters this mysterious yet worldly man. The relationship between Jenny and David seems taboo since she was 16 and he in his early 30s. David's sense of charm and wit manages to win her over as well as her parents despite Jack's supposed anti-Semitic feelings. Even though Hornsby creates a film that centers around this young girl. He creates supporting characters that are just as interesting and all providing some sort of guidance to Jenny whether it's right or wrong.

In David, he's a man interested in Jenny because she's intelligent and isn't like other girls while wanting to show her a world that dreams about going to. Paris is among them while David's friends like to play along though Danny seems to the more cautious while Helen is a bit vapid but fun to be around. The parents are portrayed in a multi-dimensional way as Marjorie is a woman who wants Jenny to do well but also have fun though it's Jack that seems to have more to say. He's a man determined for Jenny to have a great education but after meeting David, he realizes that there might be another alternative for Jenny. Only later to realize she might sacrifice something that she will regret and it will be his fault. Other characters like Mrs. Stubbs and Ms. Walters are authority figures who are more sympathetic though Walters is a bit more hard-nosed as she reveals possible consequences. Mrs. Stubbs meanwhile, is also cautious for Jenny while revealing that life without an education won't really mean anything.

All of these characters Jenny interacts with are crucial to her development in life. She starts out as a young girl wanting a life out of school and studying and end up a young woman trying to figure out what she had just went through. Along the way, she is enamored with all of the excess of a rich lifestyle and begins to question about educated life and at times, becomes ignorant on certain things. It's a character that is truly memorable and certainly wonderfully written in the mind of Nick Hornby.

Director Lone Scherfig does an amazing job in recreating 1960s England in its pre-swinging days where things are a bit reserved, calm, and still coming out of the era of World War II with the Cold War still looming around them. A departure from Scherfig's more looser filmmaking style that came from the world of Dogme 95. There is something enchanting of the way Scherfig shoots and composes a scene while presenting the dramatic moments quite intimately while leaving more space for happier, humorous sequences. Scenes like an entire sequence of Jenny and David in Paris is very dream-like as if it gives the audience a feeling they're seeing Paris for the first time while it has a French New Wave feel. Though Scherfig does still employ a hand-held style in more intense sequences where David and Danny do what they do. It's told through an engaging yet intimate style of filmmaking as it is clearly the best work that Scherfig has done so far in her filmmaking career.

Cinematographer John de Borman does a splendid job in capturing the drab yet low-color look of 1960s English suburbia for the film's early sequences with more lighter colors in scenes near London. The work of de Borman works in conveying the mood of the film as it progresses where by the 2nd act, it has a colorful feel only to dim down once the third act begins as the camera work is phenomenal. Editor Barney Pilling does an excellent job with the film's editing with the use of smooth transitions and rhythmic cuts while giving the film a nice, leisurely pace that works overall in its 95-minute feel.

Production designer Andrew McAlpine along with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and art director Ben Smith do a fabulous job in recreating the look of 1960s England. From the look of the cars and shops to the look of the objects at the home of the Millers. Even the recreation of paintings and objects that David has obtained for his rich lifestyle. The costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux is truly wonderful in the more conservative, schoolgirl look for Jenny early on to fancy, colorful dresses and hairdos while the clothes that Helen wears are gorgeous to look at. In recreating the look of 1960s dresses and suits, the costume design is definitely a huge technical highlight of the film. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does an excellent job in the sounds of school halls and ballrooms that Jenny encounters with along with the city of London itself as Freemantle captures the atmosphere of those locations.

The music by Paul Englishby is wonderful in its orchestral feel with flourishing arrangements of strings to convey Jenny's new sense of freedom along with more low-key, dramatic pieces for the heavy drama. The soundtrack features a slew of early, pre-Beatles 1960s pop and classical pieces while the closing song is a track sung by Duffy that she co-wrote with Suede's Bernard Butler.

The casting by Lucy Bevan is wonderful with an amazing ensemble that is truly fun to watch. Small roles such as Matthew Beard as Jenny's friend Graham along with Amanda Fairbank-Hynes and Ellie Kendrick as a couple of Jenny's schoolmates are memorable along with a one-scene performance from Sally Hawkins as a mysterious woman. Rosamund Pike is funny as the vapid, superficial Helen who loves living the high life while wanting to look good throughout. Dominic Cooper is very good as Danny, David's partner-in-crime who is reserved and quiet while being the most cautious as he was wondering when is going to go too far for Jenny. Olivia Williams is superb as Mrs. Stubbs, Jenny's English teacher who sees Jenny going down a troubling path while warning her about what will happen as Williams is wonderfully understated in a very sympathetic authority figure.

In a small but memorable role, Emma Thompson is great as Jenny's headmistress. A stern though sympathetic figure who warns Jenny about the implications of leading a life without an education while reluctantly admitting to the flaws of an educated lifestyle. Cara Seymour is very good as Jenny's mother Marjorie, a woman who is the more sympathetic parent while still a no-nonsense woman who just wants Jenny to succeed but also live a nice life. Alfred Molina is brilliant as Jack, Jenny's strict but caring father who hopes for Jenny to succeed only to be charmed by David into letting Jenny have a carefree life only to realize the consequences and his own faults. Peter Sarsgaard is excellent as David, a charming man who is also mysterious as Sarsgaard plays with him a bit of creepiness but also wit while sporting a fine British accent since he's the only American actor in the film.

Finally, there's Carey Mulligan in a real breakthrough performance as Jenny. Mulligan's performance is definitely the heart and soul of the film as she displays wit, charm, humor, naivete, and vulnerability all in this incredible journey of a young woman coming of age. Early on, she looks like a young 16-year old girl and then ends up a 17-year old woman who had just been through a lot. It's a radiant yet mesmerizing performance for the 24-year old actress and certainly one of the year's best.

An Education is a smart yet brilliant film from Lone Scherfig with a great screenplay by Nick Hornby and a wonderful performance from Carey Mulligan. Featuring a wonderful cast that also includes Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Dominic Cooper, and Rosamund Pike. It is definitely of 2009's best films as An Education is a must-see for anyone that wants to see a coming-of-age story that is worth exploring.

Lone Scherfig Films: (Dogme 12-Italian for Beginners) - (Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself) - (Just Like Home) - One Day

(C) thevoid99 2012

Barney's Version

Based on the novel by Mordecai Richler, Barney’s Version is the story of a man telling his own life story that includes three marriages where it also involves the disappearance of his best friend. Directed by Richard J. Lewis and adapted into script by Michael Konyves, the film explores a man’s life through different time periods as he tries to recall what happened in those years. Starring Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Rachelle Leferve, Bruce Greenwood, Scott Speedman, and Dustin Hoffman. Barney’s Version is a charming yet mesmerizing film from Richard J. Lewis.

TV producer Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) has just learned a book about his life and his involvement in the disappearance of his best friend/novelist Bernard “Boogie” Moskovitch (Scott Speedman) had just came out. Going into his favorite bar in Montreal, Barney deals with retired police investigator O’Hearne (Mark Addy) who remains convinced that Barney killed Boogie. For Barney, he recalls about his life dating back to the early 70s when he and Boogie were in Rome as Barney was to marry a young hippie woman named Clara (Rachelle Laferve) whom he had just impregnated. Things got crazy when Clara turns out not to be the person she claims to be as he returns to Montreal to work for his uncle in the TV business where he would meet the woman (Minnie Driver) who would become his second wife.

After meeting her more uptight and wealthy family and introduce his father Izzy (Dustin Hoffman) to her family, Barney seems to be ready for another marriage he realizes he’s not in love with this woman. At the wedding, Barney sees a woman named Miriam (Rosamund Pike) as he falls for her as they briefly meet as she returns to New York City. Stuck in a horrible marriage with his second wife, Barney takes the strung-out Boogie to a weekend in the cabin where the wife also shows up. The weekend turns out to be a disaster as Barney is hung up on Miriam as he seeks advice from his father. After a drunken argument with Boogie that would lead to Boogie’s disappearance, Barney tries to deal with what happened as he gets divorced and then pursues Miriam as the two fall in love, get married, and gain two kids in Michael (Jake Hoffman) and Kate (Anna Hopkins).

During a trip to the country, Barney meets a man named Blair (Bruce Greenwood) who would eventually get Miriam a job working at a radio station interviewing authors including Barney’s old friend Leo (Thomas Trabacchi). Barney becomes suspicious of Miriam’s friendship with Blair as she goes away to visit Jake in New York where he would endure loss as well as his own screw-up. Just as the continuing investigation of Boogie’s death some more than 30 years after it happened, Barney tries to come to terms with everything he had dealt with in his life.

The film explores a man’s life as he recalls his memories of the past 35 years of his life as he would be married to three different women where his third wife would be the love of his life. Also told is a man’s friendship with a strung-out writer who is trying to catch a break where he would suddenly disappear leading to all sorts of questions. All of this told via long flashback sequences as an aging Barney deals with the past following the release of a new book about what happened on that day as he comes to terms with loss and everything else he’s dealt with. Michael Konyves’ script revolves around that narrative structure where it moves back and forth from the past to the present to dwell into Barney Panofsky’s life.

The script reveals Barney as a guy who is willing to fall in love with any kind of woman as he deals with the heartbreak over his first marriage that involves a lies and horrifying circumstances. In his second marriage, he thought he would find someone to be with only to find out that his second wife is a vapid and greedy woman who comes from a rich family as she turns out to be demanding. Notably as she would play part into the disappearance of his best friend Boogie who was in need of help due to his own substance abuse. Then there’s Miriam, the love of his life as she is a woman that represents everything Barney wants and more. She is kind, unselfish, and intelligent as she is also her own woman who doesn’t fall for Barney immediately but she is this woman that would ground and care for him.

Another relationship that is key to the film is Barney’s relationship with his father Israel who is also called Izzy. Izzy is a guy who provides a lot of humor to the film while hoping to get laid as he has already lost his wife. Yet, he would be the one person to guide Barney into the tribulations of his life until the third act when he’s not around and Barney becomes lost leading to a breakdown of his marriage as well as his entire life. While the third act is a bit drawn out than it should’ve been as it would also involve a very dramatic plot device. The script is still superb for the way it fleshes out its characters as well as playing to its narrative structure.

Richard J. Lewis’ direction is superb for the way it explores the drama as it includes some great scenes where Lewis would have the actors be placed into a frame or how he would direct a key dramatic moment without going overboard. With a lot of the film set in Canada along with a few scenes in Rome, Lewis manages to invest into getting inside this man’s life. While a lot of the direction is straightforward, it is still engaging in these subtle dramatic moments such as Barney and Izzy’s visit to the grave of Barney’s mother where it would also involve some light-humorous moments. Overall, Lewis creates a very solid and dramatic film tracing a man’s life and the loves he had in his life.

Cinematographer Guy Dufaux does an excellent job with the film‘s stylish cinematography from the lush look of Rome to the more straightforward yet entrancing exteriors for the nighttime scenes in Montreal. Editor Susan Shipton does a nice job with the editing as she emphasize in mostly straightforward cuts to play up the film’s drama and humor. Production designer Claude Pare, along with set decorator Elise de Blois and art director Michele Laliberte, does an incredible job with the set pieces such as the posh apartment that Barney and Miriam lived in to the quaint cabin Barney owns in the Canadian countryside. Costume designer Nicoletta Massone does a fantastic job with the costumes to play up the different periods of the time from the hippie clothing of Barney’s first wife Carla to the more calm yet stylish clothing of Miriam.

The film’s makeup by Adrien Mort and Micheline Trepanier is superb for the way the characters age without making it too fake. Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin does a good job with some of the minor visual effects for backdrops of 1970s NYC and other location spots. Sound editor Fred Brennan does a terrific job with the sound work from the raucous atmosphere of the 2nd wedding and bar scenes to the intimate moments involving Barney and Miriam. The film’s music by Pasquale Catalano is wonderful for its plaintive piano pieces to swelling orchestral cuts to play up the drama that occurs in the film. Additional music pieces include songs ranging from 60s rock and 70s disco along with cuts by Dusty Springfield and Leonard Cohen.

The casting by Deirdre Bowen, Pam Dixon, and Nina Gold is truly the film’s highlight for the ensemble that is created for the film. Among the people who make appearances for the film include filmmakers Atom Egoyan and David Cronenberg as a couple of TV show directors plus Denys Arcand as a waiter, Ted Kotcheff as a train conductor, and Paul Gross as an actor on Barney’s TV show. Other notable supporting roles include Macha Grenon as an aging actress on Barney’s TV show, Harvey Atkin as Barney’s disapproving second father-in-law, Saul Rubinek as Barney’s cruel first father-in-law, Cle Bennett and Thomas Trabacchi in their respective roles as two of Barney’s longtime friends Cedric and Leo, Paula Jean Hixson as the bartender at the bar Barney frequents at, and Mark Addy as the pushy detective O’Heare.

Jake Hoffman and Anna Hopkins are very good in their respective roles as Barney’s adult children Michael and Kate while Bruce Greenwood is excellent as the very nice Blair whom Barney feels annoyed by. Rachelle Leferve is very good as Barney’s unstable yet artistic first wife Clara while Minnie Driver is very funny as the loud and demanding unnamed second wife. Scott Speedman is terrific as Barney’s strung-out yet creative best friend Boogie who helps Barney deal with the second marriage while resenting him for things he had. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Barney’s father Izzy who says some very funny things while being the caring father that Barney needs including a moment when Barney is in big trouble.

Rosamund Pike gives what is truly a mesmerizing and radiant performance as Barney’s third wife Miriam. Pike delivers a sense of grace and charm to a woman who is befuddled by Barney’s attempts to win her affections while her strongest moments are in the more dramatic moments where she displays an amazing sense of restraint to act out these emotive moments. Finally, there’s Paul Giamatti in an absolutely powerful performance as Barney Panofsky. Giamatti brings a lot of wit and humility to a character that wears his heart on his sleeve as he looks for love and happiness only to either find it in the wrong places or to become desperate when he feels alone. It’s a performance that allows Giamatti to be the romantic as his scenes with Pike are truly magical to watch in the way they care for each other including a key dramatic moment when no dialogue was really needed.

Barney’s Version is a remarkable film from Richard J. Lewis that features outstanding performances from Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, and Dustin Hoffman. While it’s a film that is a bit flawed and at times, feels overlong due to the overdrawn third act. It is still very engaging in its exploration of a man’s loss and desire to find love. In the end, Barney’s Version is a wonderful film from Richard J. Lewis.

© thevoid99 2012

Made in Dagenham

Based on the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike, Made in Dagenham is the story of how one woman lead a strike for women to get equal pay leading to an act in 1970. Directed by Nigel Cole and written by William Ivory, the film is a dramatization of the strike that affected the work force in Britain and led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. Starring Sally Hawkins, Daniel Mays, Rosamund Pike, Jaime Winstone, Andrea Riseborough, Geraldine James, Bob Hoskins, and Miranda Richardson. Made in Dagenham is a terrific yet light-hearted film from Nigel Cole.

It’s the spring of 1968 in Dagenham, England as Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins) is among a group of 187 women working at the Dagenham assembly plant for Ford Motors to sew car leather. Unhappy with the working conditions of the work place as well as the fact that they’re only paid half the salary that men have including Rita’s husband Eddie (Daniel Mays). While their foreman Albert (Bob Hoskins) agree with what the women want, he tries to help them deal with the bosses for a fair pay wage but doesn’t go that way leading to a strike. Joined by fellow workers Brenda (Andrea Riseborough), Sandra (Jaime Winstone), and Connie (Geraldine James).

With the strike affecting profits for Ford motors, Fords executive Robert Tooley (Richard Schiff) flies from the U.S. to make some move. The move would have the Dagenham factory down prompting the men not to work bringing problems for Eddie and Rita. With Rita still fighting for the cause, it gets the attention of Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson) who is interested over the strike despite the pressure of the government led by Prime Minister Harold Wilson (John Sessions). After some pressing issues financially and personally for the women, a woman named Lisa (Rosamund Pike), who is the wife of a Ford executive (Rupert Graves), asks Rita to keep on fighting. Notably as she got Rita to co-sign a complaint about an abusive teacher at their kids’ school who is officially kicked out. This prompts Rita to continue in her fight as she finally gets a meeting with Barbara Castle that would change things for Britain.

While it is a fictional account of the 1968 Ford machinists strike, the film is an inspiring tale about how one woman led a strike for equal pay and respect. While there’s bits of melodrama that makes the film more in tune with what the women struggling in their lives while bringing characters who would do more to help this woman to keep on fighting. William Ivory’s script is good for the way characters such as Rita is portrayed as a wife and mother just wanting to do what is right for her family while a character like Albert is an unlikely ally because he’s a man. Yet, he is someone that was raised by his mother whom he felt should’ve gotten the same amount of pay the men did. While the script is quite formulaic and flawed, it is still a good story that does show a nice piece of history as well as a story that is empowering.

Nigel Cole’s direction is very good for the way he creates late 1960s Dagenham and London along with various other places while creating some wonderful shots of the locations. Still, he keeps the drama and bits of humor in a straightforward manner while utilizing some interesting compositions to play up the drama and humor of the film. Even in heavier moments where he knows not to go too far and what not to show. Cole does keep things exciting in his presentation though his approach is uneven where he often tries to make things very light-hearted to be entertaining and fun. Yet, he also wants to play up the drama of what these women are struggling with elements of melodrama. Despite the messiness, Cole does manage to make a worthwhile and solid film.

Cinematographer John de Borman does a nice job with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the vibrant yet somewhat de-colored look of the exteriors to the more stylish schemes for some of the interiors in the film. Editor Michael Parker does a pretty good job with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward while utilizing some multiple split-screens for some big protest moments as well as injecting some real-life newsreel footage of the real-life events. Production designer Andrew McAlpine, along with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and art director Ben Smith, does great work in the set pieces created from the look of the factory to the posh home of Lisa.

Costume designer Louise Stjernsward does a superb job in the costumes from the dresses the women wear to complement the 1960s style to an early version of the hot pants that the character of Sandra wears. Hair and makeup design by Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou is wonderful to play up the different hair styles of the women. Visual effects supervisor Sheila Wickens does some fine work with the minimal visual effects used such as a nighttime shot scene of Dagenham at night. Sound editor Ian Wilson does an excellent job with the sound work from the atmosphere of what goes on in a factory to the more intimate moments in the film.

The film’s music by David Arnold is quite delightful though nothing very spectacular as it’s mostly a typical orchestral score that either plays up the humor or the drama. The film’s soundtrack is a real highlight for the music that appears from acts like Desmond Dekker, the Easybeats, the Troggs, Lemon Pipers, Traffic, Dusty Springfield, the Temptations, the Mindbenders, and Sandie Shaw plus a new Shaw song written by Arnold and Billy Bragg that is a wonderful cut from the famed 60s British pop icon.

The casting by Lucy Bevan is brilliant as it features a voice cameo from Danny Huston as the top American Ford boss, Roger Lloyd-Pack as Connie’s war-stricken husband, Kenneth Cranham as the sexist Monty Taylor, Andrew Lincoln as the abusive teacher Rita and Lisa file a complaint towards, Rupert Graves as Lisa’s executive husband, John Sessions as then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Sian Scott and Robbie Kay as Rita and Eddie’s children, and Richard Schiff as American Ford executive Robert Tooley. Notable supporting roles such as Andrea Riseborough and Jaime Winstone in their respective roles as the young and flirtatious Brenda and Sandra are fun to watch while Geraldine James is very good as the older but tough Connie. Rosamund Pike is excellent as Lisa, an executive’s wife who feels mistreated by her husband as she helps out Rita while the two battle an abusive teacher in their kids’ school. Daniel Mays is wonderful as Rita’s husband Eddie who finds himself lost in Rita’s new role as strike leader while dealing with the loss of his job as he has a hard time trying to deal with what his wife is doing.

Bob Hoskins is superb as Albert, the foreman who helps out Rita and the other women in their strike as he believes they deserve a fair share. Miranda Richardson is amazing as Barbara Castle as Richardson brings a no-nonsense approach to the famed politician as well as a charm as it’s definitely one of Richardson’s best performances. Finally, there’s Sally Hawkins in a remarkable role as Rita O’Grady where she brings a real-life determination as a wife and mother who wants to have the same respect her husband has while fighting for her friends who work beside her. While Hawkins gets to have a few funny moments, it is mostly a dramatic one as it showcases the range she has proving that she’s one of the best actresses working today.

Made in Dagenham is a solid and good-hearted film from Nigel Cole that features a radiant performance from Sally Hawkins. Despite being uneven in its tone, it is a film that is quite inspirational as well as being a good historical piece about the 1968 Ford machinists strike that led the way to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. In the end, Made in Dagenham is a delightful film from Nigel Cole.

© thevoid99 2012

Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/5/05 w/ Additional Edits.

Novelist Jane Austen has been known for creating witty and fantastic romantic novels during the 19th Century. Several of them had become films like Sense & Sensibility in 1995 by director Ang Lee that starred Emma Thompson who won an award for the film's screenplay. Another film that received great reviews in 1996 based on an Austen novel was Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow while a year earlier, a modern day version of that novel called Clueless was also popular. Another of Austen's famous novels is Pride & Prejudice that some said was the blueprint of what would become the romantic comedy. The story of five young women living in a poor area in 18th Century England where one of the daughters rebels the idea of marriage for money while falling for an introverted but conflicted man named Darcy.

Throughout the years, there's been several versions of Pride & Prejudice on film yet in 1995, a five-hour miniseries starring Colin Firth as Darcy is often considered to be the most quintessential adaptation of Austen's novel. Recently, there's been other variations on Pride & Prejudice including the Bridget Jones films that also starred Firth as a Darcy-like character and Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham directed a Bollywood-inspired version called Bride & Prejudice. Now a new version has emerged where this time around, to play the novel's heroine of Elizabeth Bennett, they turn to one of the hottest young actresses around in Keira Knightley to play the role of rebellious heroine.

Directed by Joe Wright with a screenplay by Deborah Moggach (with additional treatment from Austen fan Emma Thompson), Pride & Prejudice is a love story that explores class, society, and marriage for love or money. Set in 18th Century England, it's a story of how the rebellious Elizabeth Bennett decides to change those rules while dealing with the more conflicted Mr. Darcy. Also starring a large cast of British actors including Brenda Blethyn, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike, Talulah Riley, Carey Mulligan, Tom Hollander, Simon Woods, Peter Wight, Penelope Wilton and Matthew McFayden as Mr. Darcy plus American actress Jena Malone and Canadian actor Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett. This new film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice succeeds in bringing the Austen classic to life once again for a new generation of filmgoers.

While living in a modest farm with their own land and a small income, the Bennett family is awaiting some riches to come with Mr. Bennett destined to be gone soon. With Mrs. Bennett (Brenda Blethyn) knowing that if her five young daughters are to survive, they would have to be married to someone who is rich. For the second eldest daughter Elizabeth, it's an idea she doesn't really like. After the family is invited to a party, Elizabeth is introduced to the quiet, arrogant Mr. Darcy who is accompanied by Mr. Charles Bingley (Simon Woods) and his sister Caroline (Kelly Reilly). Elizabeth's older sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) is feeling very attracted to Mr. Bingley while Mrs. Bennett introduces the rest of the clan that includes the quiet and introverted Mary (Talulah Riley), the giddy and excitable Kitty (Carey Mulligan), and the youngest yet outgoing of the clan, Lydia (Jena Malone).

While Jane has fallen for Mr. Bingley, she is invited to meet with him more though despite being ill during her rainy trip. Elizabeth decides to meet Bingley where she finds herself not at odds with Bingley's snobbish sister but also the more prideful Mr. Darcy. Still with her sisters desire to be married, Elizabeth finds herself being courted by a young pastor named William Collins (Tom Hollander). Then during a trip to London with her sisters, Elizabeth finds herself attracted to a militia officer named Mr. Wickham (Rupert Friend) who knows Mr. Darcy despite a falling-out. After another party where she's forced to contend with Mr. Darcy and the courting of Collins, Collins proposes marriage to Elizabeth but refuses. Mrs. Bennett is upset at the situation as she tries to set up the engagement as in the end, Collins weds Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte (Claudie Blakley).

After realizing that Collins was more well-meaning while visiting Charlotte, Elizabeth joins the wedded couple to a dinner held by Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Judi Dench), who is the aunt of Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is also at the dinner where despite his aunt's social prejudice, he becomes impressed by how Elizabeth manages to hold herself. When Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy tried to break the possible engagement of Jane and Mr. Bingley, she becomes very angry at him as Darcy tries to explain himself and professing his love for her. After a tiring period, Elizabeth decides to visit her relatives Mr. Gardiner (Peter Wight) and his wife (Penelope Wilton) where they visit the renovated Darcy home where Elizabeth runs into Mr. Darcy again as well as meeting his sister Georgianna (Tazmin Merchant).

While dealing with Darcy's behavior, Elizabeth decides to come to distressing news of Lydia running away to marry Wickham. Even after learning of the real nature of his falling out with Darcy, Darcy ended up giving in despite Elizabeth’s protests to the chagrin of her mother. When Elizabeth contending her feelings for Darcy and vice versa, she tries to confront herself about her own pride and prejudices about him as she tries to find way to satisfy herself and her family.

While adaptations are tricky to pull, especially a Jane Austen novel. Another issue is the many versions that came out where the most notable to rival in terms of purists is the 1995 miniseries. Still, Joe Wright along with screenwriter Deborah Moggach remain very faithful to the entire novel though its understandable that purists will be upset on what was cut. What really is surprising about the film for newcomers is the style of dialogue and the language its spoken where it is very rich within every word that gives the script a true sense of authenticity.

Even Joe Wright's directing that features epic film movements does some fantastic work with the camera movements as it focuses not on just the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth but giving the smallest characters a moment to shine. Overall, the directing is very spot-on and proves itself to be very true to what Austen wanted. It's romantic, intelligent, deals with social issues, and it's also funny.

Helping Wright in his visual scope is cinematographer Roman Osin who does not just amazing work in giving the film an epic look in many of the exterior scenes but also some great lighting techniques in the film's night, interior scenes. Osin's work is gorgeous in giving the film the right look. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and supervising art director Ian Bailie also do great work in getting many of the film's interiors of housing, poor and rich to look and feel right that helps set the atmosphere. Especially some of the locations and the houses that got used which are wonderfully used to a great extent. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran also deserves great commendation for her work on the costumes, especially in the ball scenes where they all look very beautiful for all the women in the film. Editor Paul Tothill also brings in some nice cutting styles and giving the film a nice pace at a bit over two-hours where it doesn't feel slow or moves to fast. Just very leisurely.

The music of the film features not just old piano tunes of the day from those times but also the piano is used very proficiently into giving the story a sense of atmosphere or as some kind of emotional outlet, notably with the character of Mary Bennett. Even the orchestral score by Dario Marianelli helps convey that atmosphere while music supervisor Nick Angel also picks the right pieces for the film, even if they're performed imperfectly. It's a wonderfully rich film score that has memorable moments but plays more into conveying the tone of the story.

Now previous castings in film versions of Pride & Prejudice has been crucial in terms of giving the right notes and style of dialogue in the film. This cast for this version of the film is well-executed in every detail. Carey Mulligan is excellent as the naive, excitable Kitty while Talulah Riley is also brilliant as the more introverted Mary who has a great scene playing a piano which she messes up only to be comforted by her father. Peter Wight and Penelope Wilton are also good as Elizabeth's well-meaning relatives as well as Tazmin Merchant in her small role as Darcy's sister and Kelly Reilly as Bingley's snobbish sister. Claudie Blakley is also wonderful in her role as Charlotte, Elizabeth's best friend who gives good reasons into marrying Mr. Collins. Rupert Friend is good as the dashing but ambiguous Wickham while Simon Woods is wonderfully funny as Bingley.

Tom Hollander is a real standout as the well-meaning but naive Mr. Collins where he brings out many of the film’s laughs in a very straight manner as he delves into that role perfectly. Judi Dench is also great with her authority-driven presence where everything she says is really offensive in terms of its social standings while wanting to maintain control in her rich world only to receive a cold dose of reality. It's a great performance by the always wonderful Judi Dench. Jena Malone is perfect in her performance as what some would call the proto-teenybopper of Lydia. Malone manages to standout in every scene she's in while stealing the show from her co-stars including at one moment, Miss Knightley (where in reality, Malone is a year older than Knightley) as she plays up to all the selfishness and energy that Lydia provides. Rosamund Pike is also brilliant in her understated, anguished performance as the eldest Jane who had a chance for love only to have it taken away. Pike really provides the sisterly companionship to Knightley as she manages to give an amazing performance.

Donald Sutherland is outstanding in his role as the soft-spoken but open-minded Mr. Bennett as he provides the comfort that every child needs with their father while maintaining his role as the head of the family. Sutherland really conveys the freedom that Elizabeth needs as he and Knightley have great scenes together as it's a great role for the longtime veteran actor who has worked with the likes of Robert Altman and Fellini. Brenda Blethyn is perfect in her role as Mrs. Bennett where she not only has great scenes with the young actresses and great chemistry with Sutherland. She really provides a lot of the comic backbone of the film with her emotional outbursts, her desire to have her daughters married, and her necessity to fit in with the upper-class. There's never a moment where Blethyn gives a bad performance as her timing in comedy is just perfect in every note.

In the role of Mr. Darcy, Matthew McFayden must've had to live up to a lot of expectations where the role was played previously by Laurence Olivier and most of all, Colin Firth. McFayden however succeeds while having great chemistry with Knightley.  Even as McFayden provides the right sense of melancholia and pride into a character that is complex and vulnerable. It's a true breakthrough performance from Matthew McFayden.

In what is definitely the best performance of career so far, Keira Knightley does an amazing job as Elizabeth Bennet. Knightley brings the angst, rebellion, torment, and stubborn side of Elizabeth Bennett in every way while making her character grow. Knightley proves herself to be a very strong, dramatic actress while dabbling in a bit of humor but using her words and her feelings to bring that character to life. It's truly her best performance in many ways since her credibility as an actress is often overshadowed by extravagant action films.

While it may not live up to previous variations of the novel, the new version of Pride & Prejudice is an excellent film thanks to Joe Wright's direction and faithfulness to the novel led by a superb cast. Fans of Keira Knightley will be glad to see the actress display her talents while being supported by the likes of Matthew McFayden, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Jena Malone, Rosamund Pike, Tom Hollander, and Judi Dench. Another good thing that the film will do for those who had interest in Austen will not only make those new to her work interested in her films but also the novels themselves. In the end, for a good romantic film that is needed for the holidays in a flurry of weightless fluffs, Pride & Prejudice is the film to see.

Joe Wright Films: Atonement - The Soloist - Hanna - Anna Karenina

(C) thevoid99 2011