Maudie

Directed by Aisling Walsh and written by Sherry White, Maudie is the story of the life of the folk artist Maud Lewis and the work she created as well as struggling with her arthritis and other issues while working for a fish peddler as his housekeeper before they would marry. The film is an exploration of a woman who would create art that would prove to be meaningful while she would also find people who would care for her upon being rejected by her actual family as Lewis is played by Sally Hawkins. Also starring Ethan Hawke, Kari Matchett, Zachary Bennett, Gabrielle Rose, and Greg Malone. Maudie is an intoxicating and rapturous film from Aisling Walsh.

The film is an unconventional bio-pic of sorts on the life of folk artist Maud Dowley Lewis from her time as a young woman in 1930s Nova Scotia to her death at the age of 67 in 1970 that included her marriage to a surly fish peddler in Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) who had been her greatest supporter. The film showcases how Maud would meet Lewis as she started out as his live-in housekeeper who isn’t exactly fond of her yet would realize her value as he is also amazed by her paintings. Sherry White’s screenplay opens with Maud living with her Aunt Ida (Gabrielle Rose) who hasn’t been happy about Maud’s sense of rebellion forcing Maud to wanting to find her own place as she is upset over her brother Charlie (Zachary Bennett) for selling their mother’s home. It’s when she picks up an ad that Lewis had posted at a general store where Maud would meet Lewis at his small house where he collects and sells scraps as he’s reluctant to hire Maud due to her arthritis but realizes what she can do to help him.

The character of Lewis is a loner who isn’t fond of anyone as he just wants to work as he would soften little by little toward Maud as he sees that her work would bring in some money after it gets the attention of one of Lewis’ customers in a New Yorker named Sandra (Kari Matchett) who would later commission Maud’s work. Though Maud would get some attention, it wouldn’t sit easy with the reserved Lewis who isn’t fond of the attention nor the way he’s seen by the public. Yet, it is Maud who brings the goodness in him despite his surly behavior that can display a cruelty at times.

Aisling Walsh’s direction is mesmerizing for not just the recreation of the paintings and Lewis’ home but also the world that Maud lived in as much of the film was shot in the Canadian island of Newfoundland as well as parts of Ireland, the Canadian province of British Columbia, and Toronto. While Walsh would use some wide shots of the locations, much of the direction is focused on close-ups and medium shots to go for something simple as it opens with a close-up of Maud’s hands as she is making a few paintings. The usage of intimate shots would play into how small Lewis’ home is both upstairs and downstairs as it sort of represents the lack of wonderment that Lewis would have until Maud would paint the walls and such to make it more presentable. 

Since the film takes place in the span of decades, Walsh never reveals what year or period it’s set in order to play into Maud and Lewis’ developing relationship as well as the evolution of Maud’s artwork and how it got all of this attention. Even as it would relate to Maud’s own life where she revealed that she had a child that died of childbirth as well as secrets about her own family relating to her Aunt Ida and her brother Charlie that would come into play. Notably as it would mark a test for Maud and Lewis as it relates to the latter who is convinced that he’s not good enough for Maud or anyone when it really isn’t true as Maud would do something to ensure that he would get his share of the work she’s done. Overall, Walsh crafts a tender yet ravishing film about the life of an artist and her relationship with a loner fish peddler.

Cinematographer Guy Godfree does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography in emphasizing on the film’s natural look for the different seasons in the exteriors as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interiors at the Lewis home. Editor Stephen O’Connell does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as a few montages to play into the development of Maud and Lewis’ relationship. Production designer John Hand, with set decorator Dara Hand plus art directors Shelley Cornick and Owen Power, does amazing work with the look of the home that Lewis lived in and how small it is to its evolution from being something magical due to Maud’s paintings as well as some of the places they go to. Costume designer Trysha Barker does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual to play into the simple look of Maud and Lewis without emphasizing too much on the evolution of the times as they chose to wear the clothes they wore early in the film.

Hair designer Peggy Kyriakidou and makeup designer Mary Sue Heron do terrific work with the look of Maud and Lewis in how they would age throughout the years without overdoing the aging process in order to retain the youthful spirit of the two characters. Sound editor Steve Munro does superb work with the sound as it is largely low-key to play into the natural elements of the sounds including the painting scenes and the sound of winds in the location. The film’s music by Michael Timmins is wonderful for its folk-based score that largely uses string instruments including some electric guitars and such to play into Maud’s artwork while music supervisor Wayne Warren provides a similar soundtrack that features music from Mary Margaret O’Hara, Lisa Hannigan, and Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies.

The casting by John Buchan and Jason Knight is marvelous as it features a few small roles from Greg Malone as Mr. Hill who runs the local orphanage where Lewis gets an occasional meal at times, Gabrielle Rose as Maud’s Aunt Ida who is concerned that Maud wouldn’t be able to take care of herself until she sees her years later where she reveals a major family secret, and Zachary Bennett as Maud’s brother Charles who would sell their family home without her consent and later see her when she becomes famous offering to help out much to the chagrin of Lewis. Kari Matchett is excellent as Sandra as a customer of Lewis from New York who discovers Maud’s paintings and would commission the paintings and help them get exposure in and out of Canada.

Ethan Hawke is incredible as Everett Lewis as this gruff fish peddler who is a recluse of sorts that isn’t really fond of people and keeps to himself believing he’s not someone that can be loved. Finally, there’s Sally Hawkins in a phenomenal performance as Maud Dowley Lewis as the famed folk artist who suffers from arthritis yet would create art work that is simple yet enchanting as it’s a performance that is physically demanding yet never showy as well as the sense of tenderness that Hawkins brings to her character where she and Hawke have this chemistry that is endearing as it play into Maud’s humanity.

Maudie is a sensational film from Aisling Walsh that features tremendous performances from Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous locations, and a somber folk-based score, it’s a bio-pic that doesn’t play by the rules while being a character study of a woman who would find inspiration in her environment and through the man whose heart she would win over. In the end, Maudie is a spectacular film from Aisling Walsh.

© thevoid99 2018

The Shape of Water

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and screenplay by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor from a story by del Toro, The Shape of Water is the story of a mute custodian at a secret lab run by the American government who falls for a mysterious creature whom the lab is experimenting on. Set in the early 1960s during the Cold War, the film is an exploration of a woman who meets this amphibious creature and sees him for what he really is where she and friends try to protect it from dark forces. Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones as the mysterious sea creature. The Shape of Water is a rapturous and intoxicating film from Guillermo del Toro.

The film is a simple story set in early 1960s Baltimore where a mysterious creature had been captured by the American government for experiments where a mute custodian at the lab befriends and later falls for the creature. It’s a film that bear a lot of elements of the fairy tale but it is presented in a world that is teetering on the brink of world dominance as this mute woman and mysterious creature from the sea in the middle. The film’s screenplay by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor has an unusual approach in which the creature and the protagonist in Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) never speak a word with the latter communicating through sign language. It’s the supporting characters such as Elisa’s co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer), her neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins), a scientist named Dr. Robert Hoffsetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) who is a Soviet spy, and a government official in Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) who captured the creature that do much of the talking in the film.

Elisa is a woman with a routine as she works at nights to clean up with Zelda as the reason she doesn’t speak is due to a neck injury she had when she was a baby. Giles is considered like a caretaker of her of sorts who is struggling to create ads for companies that are changing their ideas of what they want. Yet, Giles is also coping with aging and the fact that he’s gay where he shares his loneliness with Elisa who knows that he’s gay and has no problem with it. Zelda is an African-American who isn’t afraid to say what is on her mind as she also protects Elisa from the suspicion of Colonel Strickland whom she isn’t fond of. Colonel Strickland isn’t a traditional antagonist as he is eager to do his job but also has a family to provide for where he is also paranoid about the Soviet Union spying on what they captured. Then there’s Dr. Hoffsetler as he is a Soviet spy but his interest in the creature is more about science rather than give the Soviets an advantage where he becomes sympathetic for the creature as he knows what it can do and wants to help it.

The direction of del Toro has this mixture of old-Hollywood mixed in with elements of fantasy as well as a look of early 1960s consumerism and conformity despite the sense of unrest that is looming in those times. Shot largely in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada with some of it shot in Toronto, del Toro captures a time in America where the Cold War is looming and things are changing to keep up with people wanting things like Cadillacs or diners that are safe. Yet, there is still something off as it relates to what is really happening as it’s something Giles doesn’t want to see as he has enough reality to deal where he tries to make a pass at a waiter at the diner who he thought was gay who also refuses to serve an African-American couple. It’s among these tropes that del Toro would put in the film to establish the tone of the times which also feels real as the only pleasure for Giles and Elisa they have are through old films they watch on TV or at the cinema that is below their apartment.

While del Toro would use some wide shots of the locations as well as the scope of the lab and a few scenes inside the movie theater. Much of del Toro’s direction would involve more intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots as it play into the interaction with the characters including the scenes of Elisa and the creature in how they communicate and how they bond. Even as del Toro isn’t afraid to display this air of sexuality early in the film as it relates to Elisa’s routine and her own feelings for the monster who feels like he understands her much better than a lot of human beings. That is something that Col. Strickland isn’t able to understand yet he is still a complex individual as del Toro would create some unique compositions to play into his determination to find what the monster is useful for in the advantage of the Cold War.

It adds to the sense of misunderstanding of what humanity can’t deal with whenever they encounter something that is different where del Toro sees the creature as a being with a soul that is there for the good of the world. It’s something Giles, Zelda, and Elisa would see as does Dr. Hoffsetler who becomes aware that the Soviets have no interest in what the creature can do as it play into this tug-of-war between two superpowers who just want an advantage in this dangerous conflict. Still, del Toro is focused on this unlikely love story between Elisa and the creature as it is about two beings in love and wanting to be with each other without any complications in relation to the real world. Overall, del Toro creates a ravishing and enchanting film about a mute woman who falls for a mysterious creature from the sea.

Cinematographer Dan Laustsen does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful lighting schemes and moods with the usage of green and teal-like colors for many of the film’s interior settings as well as some colorful lighting for some of the exterior scenes at night including the usage of low-key colors for the scenes in the water as well as a black-and-white dream sequence. Editor Sidney Wolinsky does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style in some jump-cuts though much of it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense. Production designer Paul D. Austerberry, with set decorators Jeffrey A. Melvin and Shane Vieau plus art director Nigel Churcher, does amazing work with the look of the lab in all of its detail to the water tanks and electronic equipment to the look of the apartments that Giles and Elisa live in as well as the interior of Col. Strickland’s home. Costume designer Luis Sequeira does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of the early 1960s with the way the suits look as well as some of the dresses that the women wore in those times.

Special makeup effects by Mike Hill and Shane Mahan do incredible work with the look of the creature in all of its intricate designs including body parts that light up as it one of the finest feats of creature design. Visual effects supervisors Dennis Berardi, Trey Harrell, and Kevin Scott do terrific work with the visual effects that’s set in the water as well as some set dressing for some of the exterior scenes in the film. Sound editor Nathan Robitaille does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations including some of the sounds in the lab with Robitaille and del Toro providing some of the vocals sounds of the creature. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is marvelous for its enchanting orchestral score that is filled with lush string arrangements and tingling percussion textures as it adds to the sense of fantasy and the suspense in the film while its soundtrack features music from Madeleine Peyroux, Benny Goodman, Andy Williams, Alice Faye, Glenn Miller, and Roger Suen.

The casting by Robin D. Cook and Jonathan Oliveira is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from John Kapelos as the cinema owner Mr. Arzoumanian, Morgan Kelly as the diner waiter who sells pies, Wendy Lyon as Col. Strickland’s secretary, Madison Ferguson and Jayden Grieg as Col. Strickland’s children, Stewart Arnott as an advertising executive friend of Giles, Nigel Bennett as a Soviet spy that Dr. Hoffstetler talks to, Lauren Lee Smith as Col. Strickland’s wife Elaine, David Hewlett as one of the military scientists in Fleming who is asked to spy on Dr. Hoffstetler, and Nick Searcy as Col. Strickland’s superior General Frank Hoyt who wants the monster be used as a tool for the Cold War.

Michael Stuhlbarg is fantastic as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler as a scientist who is really a Soviet spy that is studying the creature where he realizes that the creature offers so much more as he decides to help Elisa rather than answer to Col. Strickland and the Soviets. Octavia Spencer is excellent as Zelda Delilah Fuller as a talkative custodian who often speaks for Elisa as well as be a conscience of sorts in the film where she would protect Elisa and the creature in the hope that Elisa could find some happiness. Richard Jenkins is brilliant as Giles as Elisa’s neighbor and an aging advertising agent who often wears a toupee where he struggles with age and the need for companionship as well as changing times as he sees the creature as a beacon of hope where he sees what kind of magic it could do as well as be a great sense of hope for Elisa.

Michael Shannon is amazing as Colonel Richard Strickland as a government agent who captures the creature in the hopes he can extract something that could be useful for the human race in the Cold War as he’s a complex man that loves his family and knows a lot of literature where Shannon brings a chilling and scary performance of a man that is willing to kill. Doug Jones is great in his role as the creature where, despite not having any dialogue, he manages to provide a sense of soul and intelligence where it’s just a marvel to watch. Finally, there’s Sally Hawkins in a phenomenal performance as Elisa Esposito as a mute custodian worker who speaks through sign language as she is fascinated by this sea creature where it’s Hawkins’ charm, child-like innocence, and adult-like desires that is key to her performance as it is really a career-defining performance for Hawkins.

The Shape of Water is a magnificent film from Guillermo del Toro. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a compelling story that mixes various genres, an eerie setting, and a sumptuous music score by Alexandre Desplat. It’s a film that captures the sense of wonderment in something that is extraordinary where a woman tries to protect it from those who have inhuman means of using the creature for their own reasons. In the end, The Shape of Water is a spectacular film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Hellboy - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - Crimson Peak - Nightmare Alley (2021 film) - Pinocchio (2022 film)

The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2018

Blue Jasmine

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine is the story about a woman whose husband had been arrested over his criminal activities forcing her to live with her estranged sister in San Francisco as she tries to get her life back on track. The film is an exploration into a woman trying to start over as she had been nearly thwarted by scandal as she turns to her younger sister for help despite her middle-class lifestyle. Starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, and Alec Baldwin. Blue Jasmine is a brilliant yet captivating film from Woody Allen.

What happens to a woman whose wealthy life comes crashes down when her husband is revealed to be a crook as she is forced to move in with her working-class sister? That is essentially the premise of the film where Jasmine Francis (Cate Blanchett) has lost everything as she spent the last of whatever little money she had left to fly from New York City to San Francisco to live with her estranged adopted sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and her two kids. Yet, Jasmine is appalled by her sister’s lower-middle class lifestyle and her choice of men as she is desperate to get herself back to the upper-class life but her mental state as well as reflections of her old life with her former husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) would make her uneasy around many people including Ginger.

Woody Allen creates a very interesting narrative where it moves back-and-forth from the new life that Jasmine has to live in San Francisco and the old life she had in New York City where she had money, lived in expensive houses, wore expensive clothes, and have the finest social gatherings out there. Though Ginger and her ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay) were impressed by what Jasmine and Hal had during their trip to NYC, they preferred the simpler life though Ginger would be the one to discover something about Hal that she had kept a secret until everything went wrong. Due to Hal’s financial schemes, Augie’s chance to have his own business is finished that led to him and Ginger getting a divorced as Ginger is trying to have a new relationship with a mechanic named Chili (Bobby Cannavale).

One aspect of the script that is very interesting is Jasmine’s own sense of elitism and narcissism as she criticizes her sister for the life she lives and the idea that Ginger is always around men whom she thinks are losers. Though Ginger would later meet a sound engineer named Al (Louis C.K.) at a party where Jasmine would meet an aspiring politician named Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard). Ginger’s relationship with Al would only make her feel insecure as she becomes confused of whether to be with Al or Chili. Jasmine’s own pursuit of Dwight would eventually be her own undoing as she would lie to win Dwight’s heart but elements of her past would come back to haunt her.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in the way he presents the film while he gives the scenes set in New York City and San Francisco different atmospheres into the way it plays to Jasmine’s life. For the flashback scenes in New York City, everything is vast and posh where it’s all set in very rich sections including some of the beach homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in. Yet, it’s also quite artificial in some ways to showcase that not everything is as it seems to be. Allen’s approach for the scenes set in San Francisco is far more grounded with the exception of a few scenes where Jasmine is with Dwight as he turns to her about what to do with his new house.

Still, the places that Ginger and her friends take Jasmine to is a mixture of working-class environments and such that is definitely removed from the world that Jasmine is used to. Even as Jasmine reluctantly takes a job working as a receptionist for a dentist (Michael Stuhlbarg) where the direction is tighter but also quite entrancing. Even in the scenes where Jasmine is in a location talking to herself unaware of how mentally ill she’s becoming. Allen would put Jasmine often at the edge of the frame to showcase how detached she’s becoming while everyone around her is either moving on without or are just disturbed by her behavior. Overall, Allen creates a very mesmerizing film about a woman on the verge of collapse as she reluctantly faces reality.

Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe does amazing work with the cinematography from the lush and colorful look of New York City to the more simplistic look of San Francisco. Editor Alisa Lepselter does fantastic work with the editing by playing to the film‘s back-and-forth structure to help establish Jasmine‘s dramatic state of mind. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorators Kris Boxell and Regina Graves and art directors Michael E. Goldman and Doug Hustzi, does excellent work with the set pieces from the homes that Jasmine and Hal lived in to the more quaint, simpler apartment that Ginger lives in.

Costume designer Suzy Benzinger does superb work with the costumes from the posh clothes that Jasmine wears to the more blue-collar look of Ginger to display the two different worlds the women live in. Sound editor Robert Hein does nice work with the sound from the chaotic world of Ginger‘s apartment to the more serene world that Jasmine used to live in. The film’s wonderful soundtrack largely consists of jazz music from Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jimmy Noone, Lizzie Miles, Conal Fowkes, Julius Block, and Trixie Smith as it all would play to Jasmine’s state of mind as she would often say how Blue Moon reminds her of how she met Hal.

The casting by Juliet Taylor and Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from Max Rutherford and Daniel Jenks as Ginger and Augie’s sons, Charlie Tahan as the adolescent version of Hal’s son Danny, Tammy Blanchard and Annie McNamara as a couple of Jasmine’s friends, and Max Casella as a friend of Chili’s who tries to woo Jasmine. Other noteworthy small yet effective supporting performances include Michael Stuhlbarg as a dentist Jasmine briefly works for while Alden Ehrenreich is terrific as Hal’s son Danny who disappears after feeling humiliated over what his father did. Louis C.K. is excellent as Al as a man Ginger meets at a party as she thinks he could be someone that Jasmine would like. Bobby Cannavale is amazing as Chili as an auto mechanic who loves Ginger while tries to be nice to Jasmine only to feel insecure as he desperately tries to do right for Ginger despite his anger.

Peter Sarsgaard is superb as the aspiring politician Dwight who falls for Jasmine and wants to marry her until he learns the truth about who she is. Andrew Dice Clay is fantastic in a small but memorable performance as Ginger’s ex-husband Augie who is stung by a deal gone bad thanks to Hal as Clay brings a charm to his role in the flashbacks as a simple guy while has this scene with Blanchett that shows a bitterness and loss that he is suffering from which makes his performance a real surprise from the famed comedian. Alec Baldwin is great as Hal as a man who is a schemer that gives Jasmine this very lavish world only to be unveiled as a crook who had stolen from everyone including Augie.

The film’s best performances definitely go to both Sally Hawkins and Cate Blanchett. Hawkins brings a liveliness to the role of Ginger as a woman who has a complicated life but one that she can handle as she is also trying to find something better while eventually coming to the conclusion that she might need more after all. Blanchett is tremendous as Jasmine where she brings this very intense performance of a woman whose life crashes down as she tries to adjust to reality and is desperate to go back to the upper-class world while taking jabs at Chili and those she feels are beneath her. Blanchett and Hawkins have great chemistry together as two sisters who care for each other but it’s a relationship that is also dysfunctional as Hawkins tries to defend her lifestyle while Blanchett would be critical where it would have some very big revelations about Jasmine and her own life.

Blue Jasmine is a remarkable film from Woody Allen thanks in part to Cate Blanchett’s leading performance as well as a sensational supporting performance from Sally Hawkins. Along with notable supporting work from Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis C.K., and Bobby Cannavale. It’s a film that explores the very complex yet chaotic relationship between two sisters as well as one woman facing the reality when the life that she once had turns out to be a façade. In the end, Blue Jasmine is a phenomenal film from Woody Allen.

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

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

© thevoid99 2013

Cassandra's Dream

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Cassandra’s Dream is the story of two brothers who help their businessman uncle in conspiring to kill a business associate in the hopes that they can wipe off their debts. The film explores the world of greed and guilt involving two brothers and their family as well as what they want in life. Starring Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Hayley Atwell, Sally Hawkins, Phil Davis, and Tom Wilkinson. Cassandra’s Dream is an interesting but very predictable suspense-drama from Woody Allen.

The film’s premise is quite simple where two brothers who both have aspirations for certain things find themselves in debt as they turn to their rich businessman uncle for help. Yet, their uncle needs their help to kill a business associate who is charging him with financial conspiracy as the two brothers make the reluctant decision to help their uncles so he can wipe off their debts and help them in their future. They do the job but guilt eventually consumes one of the brothers as it would later create all sorts of problems about everything for the family and those closest to them. It is a film about guilt and temptation where two brothers get the chance to find a way that will help them get a better future but it would be at the cost of their own souls.

While Woody Allen creates a very interesting premise, the outcome of the story ends up being very predictable in which the film loses not just some suspense but also goes heavy into drama in the third act. Though it’s understandable why Allen would go more dramatic in the third act, it gets a little overboard where it would play into some key decisions into what should be done. Particularly with the character of Terry (Colin Farrell) who is the most reluctant to be involved with the scheme as he owes more 90 grand in gambling debts and just bought a new flat for himself and his girlfriend Kate (Sally Hawkins). While his older brother Ian (Ewan McGregor) is also resistant about doing the job, he needs it more as he just got a new girlfriend in an actress named Angela (Hayley Atwell) as well as a chance to invest in posh hotels in California. Still, the actions that they did for their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) would play into the different reactions as it raises all sorts of questions.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of its presentation and compositions while he does have some very intense moments such as the eventual assassination scene that is filled with some intricate tracking shots and such. Yet, Allen doesn’t inject a lot of meat into the suspense where he doesn’t do enough to make the action be unpredictable while the drama does get a big heavy-handed in scenes where it involves the idea of family although not everyone in a family can be trusted. Notably in the third act where Terry starts to fall apart prompting Ian and Howard to discuss what should be done as its climax is quite dramatic as well as tragic. While the film does have a nice premise and comments about greed, guilt, and family, it is an unfortunately disappointing drama from Woody Allen.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly straightforward for many of its exterior settings along with some low-key lights for some of the scenes at night including a break-in scene. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing to create a few montages to play up Ian‘s rise but also to play out some of the suspense in the assassination sequence. Production designer Maria Djurkovic, with set decorator Tatiana McDonald and art director Nick Palmer, does terrific work with the set pieces from the places Terry and Ian live in to some of the parties they go to.

Costume designer Jill Taylor does wonderful work with the costumes to play up Terry‘s working class look as well as the more livelier clothing of Kate and Angela. Sound editor Robert Hein does brilliant work with the sound to play up some of the suspense as well as scene in the third act which plays to Terry‘s guilt. The film’s music by Philip Glass is pretty good for its ominous orchestral score though it gets used in moments where it would play into a suspenseful moment that makes it too predictable at times.

The casting by Juliet Taylor, Gail Stevens, and Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto is superb for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small performances from Ashley Madekwe as a date of Ian’s early in the film, John Benfield and Claire Higgins as Ian and Terry’s parents, and Phil Davis as the man Howard wants killed in Martin Burns. Sally Hawkins is wonderful as Terry’s girlfriend Kate who becomes concerned about his behavior while Hayley Atwell is terrific as Ian’s actress girlfriend Angela who is eager to get Ian’s help to boost her career.

Tom Wilkinson is excellent as Terry and Ian’s uncle Howard who offers to clean their debts and more if they take part in an assassination plot where Wilkinson brings a real slimy approach to his character that is manipulative and cunning. Finally, there’s Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell in amazing performances in their respective roles as Ian and Terry. McGregor brings an energy as a man eager to succeed on his own terms and get what he wants while he later deals with Terry’s moodiness. Farrell displays some restraint to his role as a troubled gambler who finds himself dealing with a guilty conscience as he becomes confused and upset over his actions. Despite some of the heavy-hand parts of the script in the third act, McGregor and Farrell do create some amazing chemistry as two brothers trying to sort their problems but in the wrong way.

Cassandra’s Dream is a very dour and unexciting film from Woody Allen despite the performances of Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, and Tom Wilkinson. While it has an intriguing premise on greed, guilt, and family, it is bogged down by its lack of suspense and not enough meat to make the drama more compelling. In the end, Cassandra’s Dream is a decent but underwhelming film from Woody Allen.

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

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

© thevoid99 2013

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

Jane Eyre (2011 film)

Based on Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jane Eyre is the story of a young woman who had endured a life of cruelty as a child and later as an adult until she becomes the governess of a mysterious man she falls for. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and adapted into script by Moira Buffini, the film explores a young woman’s plight as she goes from being in an unloving environment and then yearn for love in this mysterious man as Mia Wasikowska plays the titular role. Also starring Michael Fassbender, Sally Hawkins, Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots, Tamzin Merchant, and Judi Dench. The 2011 film version of Jane Eyre is an exquisite yet haunting film from Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Wandering around the moors and land, Jane Eyre arrives at a small cottage as she is under the care of St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) and his two sisters Mary (Tamzin Merchant) and Diana (Holly Grainger). Staying temporarily at the Rivers home, Jane recalls her life as a child (Amelia Clarkson) as she had lived a life of cruelty in the hands of her aunt Mrs. Reed (Sally Hawkins). Taken to the very strict Lowood Institution under the supervision of the very abusive Mr. Brocklehurst (Simon McBurney), Jane befriends Helen Burns (Freya Parks) who helps Jane deal with her situation. More than a decade later, Jane leaves Lowood to become the governess for a house called Thornfield Hall. Meeting with its housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench), Jane’s job is to teach the young French girl named Adele (Romy Settbon Moore) while helping out Mrs. Fairfax.

Walking to send a letter, a horse nearly runs over Jane as it’s rider is revealed to Thornfield Hall’s master Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). After meeting him later in the day, Jane deals with Rochester’s mysterious yet brooding persona as well as his questions about her life and such. When his room is on fire due to something mysterious as Jane saved him, the two forge a friendship as she asks Mrs. Fairfax about Rochester as she admits, she has no idea what he’s hiding. At a party held in Thornfield Hall where Rochester brings his fiancee` Blance Ingram (Imogen Poots), Jane observes what is happening as she has hard time contending with her feelings for Rochester. The unexpected visit of a man named Richard Mason (Harry Lloyd) appears where Jane assists Rochester in this ordeal.

After taking a break to visit her ailing aunt, Jane returns to Thornfield as she hears some news about Rochester and Ingram as Rochester reveals his feelings for Jane. Yet, their courtship ends due to the secret that Rochester has been hiding leaving Jane in despair over everything she’s endured in her life.

In this adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Gothic novel, it is a film told largely from the perspective of the titular character as she reflects on her time with this strange yet enigmatic man who would disappear for days and then come back unexpectedly. Notably as she has to deal with other weird things in this house and parts of her past where she endured abuse, neglect, and the idea of not being loved. Moira Buffini’s screenplay does follow the book faithfully while she does create a narrative that is more of a reflective one as it starts off near the end as Jane leaves a house and eventually arrives at the home of a young clergyman and his sisters. The script also allows the characters to be fleshed out more like the maternal Mrs. Fairfax as well as the kind but religious St. John Rivers. Yet, it is the relationship between Jane and Rochester that is the heart of the film as Buffini explores the emotional tension between the two as well as their own dark secrets.

The direction of Cary Joji Fukunaga is extraordinarily magical for the imagery he presents as well as the tension and atmosphere that surrounds the film. Wanting to be true to the Gothic tone of Bronte’s book, Fukunaga aims for a look where there aren’t a lot of direct colors as the palette goes for a very soft, naturalistic look with a bit of de-saturation as there’s no red or anything very bright that occurs. Shooting the film with some hand-held cameras and steady camera shots including some very wondrous movements to soak up the location and set pieces. Fukunaga also creates some striking compositions to capture the dramatic tension of the film such as the opening shot of Jane leaving while utilizing gorgeous wide shots to capture the beautiful yet stark images of the British countryside landscape. The overall work that Fukunaga does is truly enchanting in its look and tone.

Cinematographer Adriano Goldman does a tremendous job with the film‘s gorgeous yet ravishing cinematography filled with wonderful yet naturalistic interiors for some of the nighttime scenes in Thornfield Hall along with some beautiful exteriors of the British countryside including the skylines at it all plays to a certain color palette that emphasizes the film‘s Gothic tone. Editor Melanie Oliver does an excellent job with the film’s tight yet seamlessly fluid editing with the use of a few jump-cuts and straight transitions while playing up to the intensity of its suspenseful and dramatic moments.

Production designer Will Hughes-Jones, along with set decorator Tim Jones and art director Karl Probert, does an incredible job with the set pieces created such as the rooms in Thornfield Hall as well as drab yet oppressive dining hall at Lowood Institution. Costume designer Michael O’Connor does a fantastic job with the costumes from the very de-colored and dark clothes that Jane mostly wears to the more stately yet regal look of Rochester. Makeup and hair designer Daniel Phillips does a terrific job with the hair and makeup design for the characters from the braided hair of the women to the sideburns of the male characters.

Sound editors Matthew Collinge and Catherine Hodgson do an amazing job with the sound work from the intensity of the locations to the more sparse intimacy of Thornfield Hall that includes some chilly moments and layers of dialogue that occurs in scenes where Jane pines for Rochester. The film’s score by Dario Marianelli is definitely spectacular for its array of pieces ranging from somber piano themes to play up the romance to more low-key orchestral cuts to play up the drama in the film as it’s definitely one of Marianelli’s best scores.

The casting by Nina Gold is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it includes notable small roles from Craig Roberts as Jane’s cruel cousin John, Eglatine Rembauville-Nicolle as Adele’s nanny Sophie, Valentina Cervi as a mysterious woman at Thornfield Hall, Imogen Poots as Rochester’s fiancee` Blanche, Simon McBurney as the very abusive Mr. Brocklehurst, Harry Lloyd as the mysterious Mr. Mason, Holly Grainger and Tamzin Merchant as St. John’s kind sisters, and Freya Parks as Jane’s old school friend Helen Burns. Other outstanding supporting roles include Sally Hawkins as Jane’s neglectful and uncaring aunt Mrs. Reed, Romy Settbon Moore as the lively French girl Adele, and Amelia Clarkson in a very chilling performance as the young Jane Eyre.

Jamie Bell is wonderful as St. John Rivers, a clergyman who takes Jane in and becomes a friend while having hopes to become more than just her friend. Judi Dench is superb as Mrs. Fairfax, a sympathetic housekeeper who helps Jane with the things about Thornfield while being the one person who keeps Jane and Rochester grounded. Michael Fassbender gives a truly haunting performance as Edward Rochester with his calm yet brooding persona as well displaying a sense of torment that adds to everything that he’s trying to hide as it’s truly some of Fassbender’s best work as an actor.

Finally, there’s Mia Wasikowska in a truly divine performance as the titular character. Not afraid to display humility and anguish, Wasikowska brings a truly mesmerizing approach to the character who tries to maintain a sense of duty while dealing with her feelings for Rochester. The chemistry between Wasikowska and Fassbender is extraordinary for the tension they bring as Fassbender would often dominate with Wasikowska being very quiet. In more emotional scenes, the two restrain themselves from being very dramatic as it is about the anguish and love these two characters have for each other. Notably as Wasikowska maintains the restraint more than Fassbender as it is definitely the best performance she’s given so far in her young career.

The 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre is a truly magnificent yet entrancing film from Cary Joji Fukunaga that features outstanding lead performances from Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. Along with great technical work, a fabulous score, and wonderful supporting work from Judi Dench, Jamie Bell, and Sally Hawkins. It is definitely a film that gives Charlotte Bronte’s famed novel a very unique yet visually-dazzling take that does more than what some adaptations of the story has done. In the end, the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre is a truly enchanting yet mesmerizing film from Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Related: Jane Eyre (1943 film)

Cary Joji Fukunaga Films: Sin Nombre - (Beasts of No Nation) - No Time to Die

© 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

All or Nothing

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, All or Nothing tells the story of three families living in working-class London as they each deal with the changes in their lives. Along the way, they all intersect to discuss their own lives and the messiness that is around them. Starring Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, James Corden, Alison Garland, Ruth Sheen, Sally Hawkins, and Daniel Mays. All or Nothing is a good although extremely dreary film from Mike Leigh.

Phil Basset (Timothy Spall) is a miserable cab driver who works on long hours day and night as a cab driver for a company run by Neville (Gary McDonald). His friend Ron (Paul Jesson) also works in the same company but always manages to get into some accident that leaves him ailing for money. Phil and Ron’s family life are messy as they each deal with their own world. Phil’s wife Penny (Lesley Manville) works as a supermarket cashier with friend/neighbor Maureen (Ruth Sheen) whose daughter Donna (Helen Coker) is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Jason (Daniel Mays). Penny’s daughter Rachel (Alison Garland) works at nursing home while her younger brother Rory (James Corden) is an angry, obese teenager who refuses to do anything.

Ron’s wife Carol (Marion Bailey) is an alcoholic always intoxicated while their daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) is a slacker trying to find work while dealing with a creepy stalker (Ben Crompton) near her apartment. Everyone works as they all try to deal with their day-to-day lives as Donna learns she’s pregnant making Jason very upset. When Maureen learns what happens, she tries to sort things out while Rachel is being flirted by an old man (Sam Kelly). On another typical day when Phil is working as he has a French woman (Kathryn Hunter) as a passenger. Phil has a realization about his life leaving him to shut off his phone and just drive somewhere. Yet, the timing turns out to be bad when a family emergency brings everyone together.

The film is about a trio of dysfunctional families living their lives in London as they all live in the same apartment building interacting with one another and go on with their lives. They all try to help each other while some are going through the motions of working and doing things when they work with the exception a few people who don’t really do anything. Yet, they’re all pretty miserable as the main focus is on the Basset family where there’s a couple whose marriage is pretty much on the outs which affects the family. The other two stories about a mother and her pregnant daughter and the other family who are an absolute mess help balance out the rest of the film.

Leigh’s story has the same kind of improvisational yet free-flowing feel that is common with all of his films since he doesn’t really use a script to tell the story. The problem with this film is that there’s not much to tell as the first act starts off very slow and almost becomes a bit repetitive though it seems like that is what Leigh is aiming for. At the same time, because everyone looks like a mess with the exception of a couple of scenes where one of them has Maureen and Penny go out to a club looking pretty clean and normal though Carol remains a mess. Throughout the story, there’s a lot of scenes where Phil drives his cab and deals with an array of passengers and comes home where Penny doesn’t seem to enjoy him around. For Phil, feeling unloved and unhappy would cause him to drift from everything but at the wrong time in the film’s climatic moment.

Leigh’s direction is pretty good as he keeps things straight in his direction. Yet, there’s a lack of style that happens throughout with the exception of a few scenes. Leigh is always creating something that is engaging about the way a family has dinner together or having a moment together. There is something that is compelling in what he tries to create though it starts off very slow where nothing is happening and it ends up becoming very depressing. Things do pick up in the film’s climatic moment that includes a very emotional scene in the realization about a family’s life. While the ending is a bit cheerful, it does feel a bit unresolved as far as the two other families are concerned though it’s open for interpretation about what could happen. Overall, Leigh creates something that is intriguing but lacks a lot of weight to keep things going.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does an excellent job with the photography in capturing the nighttime setting of London with a very gorgeous look while most of the film, with the exception of a scene at the beach, is very straightforward. Editor Lesley Walker does a good job with the editing as she maintains a mostly straight approach to the cutting while using fade-outs for the transitions to keep things movie.

Production designer Eve Stewart and art director Tom Read do fine work with the look of the film from the dreary apartments everyone lives in to the old folks home that Rachel works at. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does nice work with the costumes by maintaining a mostly casual look that is very grimy while the clothes that Maureen wear the karaoke scene is pretty stylish. Sound editor Peter Joly doe some stellar work in capturing the sound for the various locations throughout the film including the chaos of the London streets. The film’s score by Andrew Dickson is pretty good for a lot of the smooth, orchestral pieces played in the film that adds a sense of melancholia throughout. Yet, it also becomes a bit aggravating as it’s always played in between many of the film’s transitions.

The casting by Nina Gold is really the highlight of the film as it includes some standout small performances from Diveen Henry as Neville’s sister, Gary McDonald as the cab service boss Neville, Kathryn Hunter as a French passenger, Sam Kelly as the old man that flirts with Rachel, Robert Wilfort as a doctor, and Ben Crompton as the creepy Craig. Other notable performances include Daniel Mays as the very abusive Jason, Marion Bailey as the often-intoxicated Maureen, and Paul Jesson as the frustrated Ron. Helen Coker is very good as the troubled yet abused Donna while Sally Hawkins is extraordinary as the sexy though lonely Samantha. Ruth Sheen is superb as Maureen, Donna’s mother who tries to help her daughter out while proving to be a tough, no-holds-barred woman who can get things in control and deal with Jason.

James Corden is excellent as Rory, an obese teenager who often spouts insults at his mother as he lazes around in the couch and smoke cigarettes only to finally get into some trouble. Alison Garland is brilliant as Rachel, a quiet young woman who works at a nursing home as she tries to keep things organized while being the one who watches her parents’ marriage break apart. Timothy Spall is great as Phil, a depressed cab driver who tries to cope with everything around him as Spall has a very dirty look where he is unshaven and hasn’t washed his hair. Finally, there’s Lesley Manville in a radiant role as Penny. A woman who tries to help out though she is unaware that she seems to be not really helping as she gives what is truly a heartbreaking performance.

All or Nothing is a decent though grim film from Mike Leigh despite an intriguing premise and a superb cast. While it’s a film that has a lot of Leigh’s unconventional storytelling ideas and intriguing study of characters and situations. It’s a film that doesn’t have much weight as it starts off very slow and tedious for about the first half only to pick up in the second half. It’s a film that isn’t among his greats like Naked, Secrets & Lies, and the films he made after this. Yet, it is still a compelling piece as All or Nothing is a film with some good moments that could only come from someone as revered as Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Hard Labour) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2011