Based on the novel by Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities is the story of a Wall Street investor whose life of wealth and materialism shatters after his mistress had ran over an African-American teenager in the Bronx where a district attorney and many others want to punish the man for their own selfish reasons. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Michael Cristofer, the film is an exploration of a world gone wrong where a man is being ruined as an alcoholic reporter tries to capture everything that is happening. Starring Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, F. Murray Abraham, Kim Cattral, Saul Rubinek, Alan King, John Hancock, Kevin Dunn, and Morgan Freeman. The Bonfire of the Vanities is a disastrously incomprehensable and outrageously bad film from Brian de Palma.
The film explores the rise and fall of a Wall Street investor whose life is shattered where he is targeted by many factions including the press, political leaders, racial factions, and religious leaders over the hit-and-run of an African-American teenager in South Bronx in which his mistress actually ran over the young man. It’s a film that has a lot to delve into as it is largely told by a washed-up, alcoholic reporter who would later turn the story into a best-selling novel where he reflects on everything he wrote during an event that would celebrate his achievement. While it is a story that explores the world of materialism, social classes, greed, power, race-baiting, and all sorts of things. It is meant to be presented as a satire where it would’ve been an intriguing idea on paper. Unfortunately, what is presented is something that sort of takes itself too seriously and doesn’t offer very much in terms of characters to care for nor a story to really be invested in.
Michael Cristofer’s script doesn’t just sensationalize things as it plays into the chaos of inhumanity not just in the way many rich, white people are portrayed but also in how minorities are depicted and how even the media and political figures are portrayed with very few that have qualities that can redeem them. While the protagonist Sherman McCoy (Tom Hanks) and the reporter Peter Fallow (Bruce Willis) both go through some development where both of them would sort of display redemptive qualities. The way the development was written isn’t exactly smooth as both of those men aren’t good people either since McCoy is this entitled blue-blood who doesn’t think about how this incident will effect him until he realizes that there are those in the world of politics that want to fry him. His ignorance and indifference about the realities of the world would eventually not only give him a wake-up call where he does show remorse. There is a payoff to his development as he realizes that life he had with all of this money, a Park Avenue apartment, a vapid socialite for a wife, and an immoral job are all bullshit as the moment he snaps is a highlight.
The Fallow character does start off as someone who finds out about McCoy and his mistress Maria Ruskin (Melanie Griffith) where he gets McCoy targeted as a way to work again. Once he meets McCoy by accident where the two share a ride on the subway, though McCoy has no idea who he is talking to, where Fallow has a revelation about what he’s doing though he is still portrayed as some alcoholic schmuck. The other main characters such as Maria Ruskin, District Attorney Abe Weiss (F. Murray Abraham), and Reverend Bacon (John Hancock) don’t really have anything that makes them complex as Ruskin is a gold-digging slut from the South, Weiss is a power-hungry Jew who wants to become mayor, and the reverend is a man who uses racism for not just power but also greed. Weiss and Bacon don’t care if McCoy is really innocent while Ruskin is someone who doesn’t want to own up to anything as she’ll do anything to save her hide by aligning herself with the assistant DA Jed Kramer (Saul Rubinek). All of which would lead to this climax in which Sherman McCoy would take drastic measures for the truth to come out.
Brian de Palma’s direction is definitely a mess despite this start where it opens with a five-and-a-half minute tracking shot of Peter Fallow getting ready for this presentation in a building where it displays that sense of inventiveness in de Palma’s as well as the way he would create close-ups in some of the key events in the film such as McCoy saying he’s sorry in court. While de Palma does create some amazing images and stylistic shots that would include an intimate medium shot inside a subway where Fallow and McCoy talk about what happened where McCoy would reveal something big that would mark a change in Fallow. Those moments along with the scene of McCoy finally snapping where he grabs a shotgun and gets everyone out of his apartment are the few scenes in the film that are worth watching. It’s just a shame that de Palma was unable to really do so much more for the rest of the film where it’s not the script that lets him down. It’s just the fact that it has no real identity in what it wants to be.
It’s not just a lot of the humor and approach to satire that doesn’t connect, it’s also in the fact that de Palma couldn’t do enough to make things more engaging where the many situations get more and more ridiculous that includes this weird dinner scene between Fallow and Maria’s husband Arthur (Alan King). These scenes tend to overwhelm whatever good the film tried to do where it would have this strange climax where McCoy is finally on trial with Ruskin ready to burn him. It is then followed by this monologue from Judge Leonard White (Morgan Freeman) that feels shoehorned as to create a message over everything this movie was supposed to be about. Though White’s words do hold some resonance about the dark aspects of humanity, it is unfortunately ignored over the fact that the people who wanted McCoy fried for his crimes to come off as even worse than they already are. Overall, de Palma creates an unfunny and nonsensical film about a rich white man accused of running over an African-American teenager where everyone tries to tear him apart for their own bullshit reasons.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography in the way some of the interior scenes at night are light along with the look of the courtroom and the lighting for the scenes set in South Bronx as it play into that disconnect between the social classes. Editors Bill Pankow and David Ray do some fine work in the editing in trying to create some stylish cuts in the dramatic moments along a few split-screen pieces but much of it doesn‘t really work while the comedic moments don‘t hit it off editing wise. Production designer Richard Sylbert, with set decorators Joe D. Mitchell and Justin Scoppa Jr. and art directors Gregory Bolton and Peter Landsdown Smith, does fantastic work with the look of McCoy‘s lavish Park Avenue apartment home as well as the apartment that Maria would live in that actually belonged to one of Fallow‘s colleagues.
Costume designer Ann Roth does nice work with the costumes from the lavish clothes that the women wear as well as the very cheesy and silly clothes of Reverend Bacon. Sound editor Maurice Schell does terrific work with the sound to play into some of the moments at some of the social gatherings including the scene where McCoy snaps and gets rid of everyone from his home. The film’s music by Dave Grusin is pretty good for its orchestral-based score that play into the world of the rich and important though some of its attempts to create comedic-like pieces aren’t so great.
The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is superb despite the fact that many of the people who were in the film weren’t given much to do or play characters that were fully realized to the point that they just become caricatures. Notable small roles include a young Kirsten Dunst as Sherman and Judy McCoy’s young daughter Campbell and Donald Moffat as Sherman’s father as they’re among the few characters who actually show some good to the world. Other performances from Adam LaFerve as McCoy’s fellow stockbroker Rawlie Thorpe, Barton Heyman and Norman Parker as a couple of detectives meeting McCoy over the incident, Andre Gregory as an AIDS-stricken poet, Geraldo Rivera as a tabloid reporter, Clifton James as a friend of Reverend Bacon who would give Fallow the scoop, Robert Stephens as one of Fallow’s bosses, Beth Broderick as a colleague of Fallow who would reveal a key point in the film’s plot, Louis Giamblavo as an associate of the district attorney, and Kurt Fuller as McCoy’s neighbor Pollard Browning aren’t given anything to do where some are just played for laughs or as people no one can give a fuck about.
In the role of the hit-and-run victim’s mother, Mary Alice gives a very quiet performance until there’s a moment in the film which has this reveal which makes her a horrible person as it’s a real waste of Alice. Kevin Dunn is alright as McCoy’s lawyer Tom Killian as someone who tries to get McCoy to see the severity and reality of his situation. John Hancock’s performance as the Reverend Bacon is just fucking silly as this Al Sharpton-caricature that is supposed to be played for laughs but ends up being really dumb. Saul Rubinek also gives a terrible performance as assistant DA Jed Kramer as this buffoon who tries to do whatever it takes to win and help Weiss as he’s just Weiss’ bitch. Kim Cattrall is just fucking horrible as Sherman’s wife Judy as this vapid socialite who is more concerned about social statues and gatherings while trying to look and act the part of a wife as she doesn’t provide much depth except for the scene where she tells her daughter what Sherman does for a living. Alan King is wasted in his small role as Maria’s husband Alan as he only has a few scenes where the big scene he’s in during a dinner with Fallow is one of the most ridiculous as it displays some of the worst aspects of wealth and power.
F. Murray Abraham, in an un-credited role, as District Attorney Abe Weiss is just horrendous in how brash he is as it’s character that is never fleshed out and is once again a bad attempt at satire that never really connects. Morgan Freeman is excellent in his role as Judge Leonard White as one of the few characters in the film that actually stands for something where he does give this amazing monologue in the end though Freeman doesn’t go unscathed where it is kind of obvious he is wearing a bald cap in the film. Melanie Griffith is bad as Maria Ruskin as this Southern gold digger who cares more about herself than Sherman where Griffith is right for the role but is never given much to do while the script also fails her to make her compelling.
Bruce Willis’s performance as Peter Fallow is a prime example of someone just basically sleep-walking through the film. It’s a performance where Willis doesn’t do much but look and act drunk as someone who is pathetic only to be given this story where he tries to do what is right but Willis would have this smugness to the role that is just wrong for the role. Finally there’s Tom Hanks where it’s a performance that isn’t bad but it is clear he is not the right person to play Sherman McCoy. Despite the moment where his character snaps and just goes bonkers, Hanks was really unable to rise above the script’s shortcomings to make the character more engaging as well as the fact that’s kind of too likeable to play this Wall Street investor that is quite full of himself as it’s really Hanks being completely miscast.
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a horrendous film from Brian de Palma. Nonsensical storylines, ugly characters, wasted talent, and a lot of inconsistency in what it wanted to be. The film isn’t just a bad satire but also a film that displays some of the worst aspects of humanity through greed, power, race-baiting, and all sorts of bullshit. In the end, The Bonfire of the Vanities is a horrific and awful film from Brian de Palma.
Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Directed and starring Clint Eastwood and written by David Webb Peoples, Unforgiven is the story of a former criminal who decides to return to the world of crime for one last time as he copes with a band of unruly bandits and those who are supposed to be men of the law. The film is an exploration of the dark world of the Western where a man who was known as a cold-blooded killer deals with his demons as well as a world that is changing around him. Also starring Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, and Richard Harris. Unforgiven is an astonishing yet evocative film from Clint Eastwood.
The film revolves around an infamous killer who has given up the life of killing as he tries to start a new life as a farmer as he’s asked by a young man to aid him in killing two men who had assaulted a prostitute in Wyoming. It’s a story that is quite simple as it explores a man who was known for doing some of the most gruesome things in the world such as killing women and children as he is asked to kill one more time in the name of justice. For William Munny (Clint Eastwood), it’s a tempting thing to ask as he does need the $1000 reward so he can do more for his farm as he also has two kids. Once he’s joined by the young man in the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) and his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), Munny copes with his sins of the past as he realizes he might not have the stomach to do the job. Meanwhile at the town where the prostitutes lived in, its sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) has taken charge and let the two men go as he decides to do things his way as he serves as a challenge to Munny.
David Webb Peoples’ screenplay definitely explores the idea of sin and redemption as it looms around a man like Munny who was notorious for being a cold-blooded killer. Yet, he is introduced as a man trying to raise his two children and farm while still mourning the death of his wife whom he believes had saved him as he’s sworn off drinking and other vices. Upon being asked by the Schofield Kid to do the job all because a prostitute named Delilah (Anna Levine) had giggled over a man’s small penis which she got beaten and cut up for. Munny’s sole motivation for the job is money as he asks his old friend Ned to aid him where it’s clear how close they are but also in the fact that they’ve both moved on from their past as they are driven by money to do the job. Upon their encounters with one of them, it’s clear that these two former killers not only cope with old age but also the fact that they’re not the same young and ruthless men they were leaving Schofield to do more.
Munny’s story parallels with the one that Little Bill is having as he is a sheriff trying to maintain control but under his own terms as he would humiliate a rival in English Bob (Richard Harris) who would arrive into town, with a writer named W.W. Beauchamp (Saul Rubinek), to do the job and collect the reward. There’s an aspect about Little Bill that is interesting as he is someone that has seen a lot of gunplay that intrigues Beauchamp who is interested in the myth of the West. There’s questions into whether everything that Little Bill might be saying is true as he seems to be very interested in being the subject of a book. Still, he’s a man that is quite full of himself as the way he dealt with Delilah’s assault bears no elements of justice where he lets those two men walk off freely. Even as he asserts his authority in a brutal fashion upon his first encounter with Munny over the fact that Munny is carrying a rifle as he made rules about no firearms in his town. It does lead into a confrontation between the two later on as it relates to what Munny once was but also who Little Bill is as it relates to the idea of mortality.
Clint Eastwood’s direction is truly mesmerizing from the way he opens and closes the film with a sunset of a man in his home near the grave of his wife as it sort of establishes who William Munny is and what he once was. Shot on location in Alberta, Canada, the film does have this feel of what was once the American west in places like Wyoming during the late 19th Century as it’s a time of change as the old rules are no longer welcome. It’s something that Munny has accepted as he focuses on his family and farming though the latter isn’t going so well as he knows he needs money to fix the farm. Eastwood’s direction is quite simple as he doesn’t really go for any stylistic shots but does take great use of the locations as he goes for a lot of wide and medium shots to play into the vastness of the land.
The direction also has some intimate moments as it relates to Munny’s friendship with Ned as well as scenes involving Little Bill talking to Beauchamp in his home which he’s trying to build by himself. Eastwood’s usage of close-ups aren’t very direct though it does play into the weariness that looms over Munny as he is coping with his own sins as he questions about whether he deserves redemption. Even as he would play into the ideas of killing a man as he admits that some of the men he killed didn’t deserve to die as it relates to the task at hand. Still, there is that thirst for justice as it does play into this climatic confrontation between Munny and Little Bill as it doesn’t just play into what is right and wrong but also the idea of who should be the one to burn in hell. Overall, Eastwood creates a very eerie yet exhilarating film about a former killer who copes with his sins as he goes back to his old ways to help his family.
Cinematographer Jack N. Green does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of naturalistic lighting schemes for some of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes to more low-key lights and shades for the interior/exterior scenes set at night including the film‘s climatic confrontation. Editor Joel Cox does excellent work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward with the exception of some key dramatic and intense moments where he uses some jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into its impact. Production designer Henry Bumstead, with set decorator Janice Blackie-Goodine and art directors Adrian Gorton and Rick Roberts, does fantastic work with the set design from the saloons and buildings in the small town that Little Bill runs to the farm that Munny lives in.
The sound work of Les Freholtz, Vern Poore, Dick Alexander, and Rob Young is superb for the atmosphere it creates in the film‘s sound to play into the world of the American West in its small towns as well as the sounds of gunfire and low-key moments for the quieter scenes. The film’s music by Lennie Niehaus is incredible as it’s mixture of low-key orchestral music with plaintive folk guitars play into the sense of melancholia that looms throughout the film as well as the sense of dread that is to emerge.
The casting by Phyllis Huffman is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Aline Levasseur and Shane Meier as Will’s young children, Rob Campbell and David Mucci as the two men who assaulted and cut Delilah, Tara Frederick as a young prostitute named Little Sue, Josie Smith as Ned’s Native American wife Crow Creek Kate, and Anthony James as the saloon owner Skinny Dubois who would gain ponies as compensation for what happened to the prostitutes. Frances Fisher is wonderful as the head prostitute Strawberry Alice who demands justice for what happened to Delilah while Anna Levine is terrific as Delilah who feels victimized by what happened as she blames herself for what happened. Saul Rubinek is excellent as W.W. Beauchamp as a writer who joins English Bob on a trip as he is fascinated by Little Bill’s views on gunfights and such. Jaimz Woolvet is superb as Schofield Kid as a young gunslinger who is asked to take part in the scheme as he gets Ned and Munny to aid him as he copes with what is expected in tasks like this.
Richard Harris is fantastic as English Bob as an old gunslinger who arrives to town to talk about his exploits and do the mission only to be humiliated and torn to shreds by Little Bill as he plays as a man that is out of step with the times and quite full of himself. Morgan Freeman is amazing as Ned Logan as an old friend of Munny who takes part in the job to get some money as he copes with aging while trying to get Munny back in the game. Gene Hackman is great as Little Bill Daggett as a sheriff who is quite full of himself as he feels like his way is the right way while being very corrupt and brutal in the way he handles the law. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in a phenomenal performance as William Munny as a former killer trying to create a new life as he copes with his demons and sins while wondering what his late wife would think as he also realizes the sense of injustice that looms around him.
Unforgiven is a magnificent film from Clint Eastwood that features top-tier performances from Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman. Along with sumptuous visuals and an enchanting score, the film isn’t just one of Eastwood’s best works as an actor and director but also one of the most compelling westerns ever made. Especially as it plays into the idea of sin, death, and redemption in the eyes of a man who once a cold-blooded killer. In the end, Unforgiven is an outstanding film from Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) - High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) - Sudden Impact - Pale Rider - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) - Million Dollar Baby - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - Changeling - (Gran Torino) - (Invictus) - (Hereafter) - (J. Edgar) - (Jersey Boys) - American Sniper - (Sully) - (The 15:17 to Paris) - (The Mule)
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Andrew Fleming and written by Fleming and Sheryl Longin, Dick is the story of two teenage girls who meet Richard Nixon as they become secret youth advisors only to reveal his secrets to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as the mysterious Deep Throat. A fictional take on the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation, the film is a comedic story about the ideas of who Deep Throat in the form of two sweet-natured but dim-witted girls. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Ana Gasteyer, Will Ferrell, Bruce McCullough, Jim Breuer, Saul Rubinek, Teri Garr, Dave Foley, Harry Shearer, and Dan Hedaya as Richard Nixon. Dick is a truly hilarious and entertaining film from Andrew Fleming.
The film is a fictional take on the Watergate scandal that destroyed the political career of President Richard Nixon who would resign in disgrace in August of 1974 after some revelations over what happened at the Watergate Hotel two years earlier by people in his administration. All of it revolves around two teenage girls where one of them was living in the Watergate hotel as they were mailing a letter to win a contest to meet Bobby Sherman where they run into G. Gordon Liddy (Harry Shearer) and led to the arrest of several men connected to the Nixon administration. Upon meeting Nixon during a school field trip by befriending his dog Checkers, they become secret youth advisors where they would influence Nixon to connect with the American public until they learn who he really is where they would reveal their information to Bob Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Carl Bernstein (Bruce McCullough).
The film’s screenplay definitely focuses on the antics of Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) as they’re just a couple of American teenage girls who love everything that was around in the 1970s. Yet, their encounter with Nixon is one of many accidents that occur as they would be involved in some of Nixon’s great achievements during his second term while be responsible for things such as the 18 ½ minute gap that was missing from one of the tapes Nixon recorded. Many of the people that are involved with the Watergate story are portrayed for laughs such as Nixon’s attorney John Dean (Jim Breuer) as a very innocent man who feels guilty while G. Gordon Liddy is seen as a buffoon. Woodward and Bernstein are also portrayed for laughs with Bernstein as this smallish ladies man while Woodward is seen as the desperate straight man. Even some of the dialogue maintains the sense of humor such as a scene where Arlene asks Betsy about the meaning of Deep Throat which Betsy whispers into Arlene’s ear as it shows how innocent they are.
Andrew Fleming’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the world that is the 1970s in Washington D.C. as it plays into the lives of these two young girls. Some of which involves antics that are quite funny as it plays to how dim-witted the girls are at times yet they mean well. Even as it includes a very hilarious subplot where Arlene falls for Nixon as she would be the cause that would have Nixon erase 18 ½ minutes from tapes he had recorded. There’s also some dramatic liberties that Fleming takes advantage in order to keep things funny such as the Nixon-Leonid Brezhnev peace accord. Much of the compositions are simple in order to create something that feels naturalistic as well as in scenes to re-create important moments in history. Especially in the idea that a couple of young girls would be the one that would be the one to take Nixon down. Overall, Fleming creates a very witty and fun film about two girls taking down Richard Nixon.
Cinematographer Alex Gruszynski does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s very colorful to play into much of the sunny look of Washington D.C. as well as some of the interiors and lighting such as the Watergate break-in. Editor Mia Goldman does terrific work with the editing as it‘s straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts and montages to play into the film‘s humor. Production designer Barbara Dunphy, with set decorator Donald Elmblad and art director Lucinda Zak, does brilliant work with the look of the Oval Office and some parts of the White House as well as Arlene‘s room and her wall that featured Bobby Sherman at one point only to be replaced by Nixon. Costume designer Deborah Everton does fantastic work with the costumes from the youthful clothes that the girls wear that expresses their love of fashion.
Visual effects supervisors Michael Lennick and Ray McMillan do nice work with some of the few visual effects such as backdrops for some scenes set in the White House exteriors. Sound editor Steve D. Williams does superb work with the sound from the way some of the police sirens sound to some of the things that occur inside the White House including the sound of the tape recordings. The film’s music by John Debney is pretty as it‘s mostly low-key which is just orchestral music to play into the suspense and humor while music supervisor Ralph Sall creates an absolutely delightful soundtrack that features music from the Jackson 5, Yes, Grand Funk Railroad, Elton John, ABBA, LaBelle, George McCrae, Harry Nilsson, Bread, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Redbone, David Essex, Carly Simon, and a couple of covers by Michelle Williams and Sixpence None the Richer.
The casting by Pam Dixon is incredible as it features one hell of an ensemble that includes small roles from Ryan Reynolds as a boy Betsy flirts with at Bob Haldeman’s house, Devon Gummersall as Betsy’s stoner brother Larry, French Stewart as a TV interviewer at the beginning of the film, G.D. Spradlin in one of his final performances as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, Ana Gasteyer as the President’s secretary Rose Mary Woods, Ted McGinley as Arlene’s mother’s new boyfriend, Karl Pruner and Shannon Lawson as Betsy’s parents, Len Doncheff as Leonid Brezhnev, and Teri Garr as Arlene’s lonely mother. Harry Shearer is terrific as the very threatening but buffoonish G. Gordon Liddy while Dave Foley is excellent as the White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman who is depicted as a total asshole. Jim Breuer is fantastic as Nixon’s lawyer John Dean who would feel guilty for working with Nixon while Saul Rubinek is wonderful as Henry Kissinger who often feels left out by Nixon while having a great duet of Hello Dolly with Brezhnev.
Will Ferrell and Bruce McCullough are hilarious in their respective roles as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with Ferrell as the straight man who is trying to maintain his serious reputation while McCullough brings a more comical approach to the role of Bernstein in his attempt to be very good-looking. Dan Hedaya is phenomenal as the titular character as he brings a lot of humor to the role of Nixon while being a mean man who kicks his dog and is very prejudice as Hedaya puts a lot of gravitas as Richard Nixon. Finally, there’s Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams in sensational performances in their respective roles as Betsy and Arlene. Dunst is the more ditzy of the two as she has this charm that makes her so delightful to watch while Williams is the more introverted as she falls for Nixon. The two together have great chemistry together in the way they play out each other as well as admit the fact that they are dumb girls.
Dick is a remarkable film from Andrew Fleming that features amazing performances from Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, and Dan Hedaya as Richard Nixon. It’s a film that manages to take a unique premise and make it very enjoyable while it is also oddly compelling for the fact that it does play with American history. Even to the point of subverting some facts and things that really happened and get away with it. In the end, Dick is an incredible film from Andrew Fleming.
© thevoid99 2014
