Directed by David Fincher and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (w/ additional work by Andrew Kevin Walker and Larry Gross), The Game is the story of a wealthy investment banker who is invited to play a game that blurs reality and fiction as it becomes dangerous and thrilling. The film is about a man being forced to confront his own fears as well as his own life through a deadly game. Starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn, Deborah Kara Unger, Carroll Baker, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. The Game is an exhilarating and sprawling film from David Fincher.
The film follows the life of a wealthy but cold investment banker who is given a mysterious birthday present from his estranged younger brother which is an invitation to play a game where reality and fiction blur. It’s a film where a man is forced to confront aspects of his own life as well as memories about his father’s death where he has no idea if the game he is playing is real or just some sick joke. The film’s screenplay by John Brancato and Michael Ferris doesn’t just establish the life of its protagonist Nicholas Van Horton (Michael Douglas) who is wealthy but very lonely as he lives in a mansion with a longtime family maid as he is more content with making money and being powerful. When he is invited to lunch by his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn) who would give him this mysterious invitation. Nicholas doesn’t think about what his brother gave him until he takes a chance where he’s interviewed and examined and then the game starts in a mysterious way.
In the course of the film, Nicholas would wonder what is going on as aspects of his life begin to fall apart from a TV reporter that he watches who suddenly talks to him to other odd things. Along the way, he meets a waitress named Christine (Deborah Kara Unger) who has no idea what is going on as she becomes part of the game for some strange reason. Even as his house has been vandalized and other things start to make no sense as Conrad would claim that the company who handles the game has gone out of control. There is a structure to the script as much of the second act is about the game while the third is Nicholas trying to find out more about this company and expose them to see if he’s still playing or something else has happened.
David Fincher’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the moods and compositions he creates as it play into a man taking part into the world of the unknown. Shot largely on location in San Francisco, the film plays into this world that mixes the corporate business side with a wild side as Nicholas is not familiar with the latter. Fincher’s meticulous compositions in the usage of the medium shots and close-up play into that sense of cold and unforgiving world that Nicholas lives in as Fincher presents Nicholas in a somewhat detached way. Once the game begins, the direction becomes more intimate and eerie as well as having some bits of dark humor. The lines of reality and fantasy would blur where Fincher doesn’t try to make anything distinctive only for the fact that a game is being played. At the same time, it is about the sense of the unknown where San Francisco is a character in the film where Fincher uses some wide shots to establish some of its landmarks.
The direction also has Fincher use some flashbacks shown in 8mm film as it play into the guilt and loss that Nicholas is carrying which adds to his loner persona. Yet, he realizes that he will have to depend on those who are willing to help him such as Christine. Still, there is that blur of who is playing what and are any of them in on the game or have no clue that they’re in a game. The film’s climax definitely ups the ante in terms of its intensity where Nicholas tries to decipher what is real and what is fantasy as well as face some of his own fears that had been looming into his life. Overall, Fincher creates a thrilling yet provocative film about a man playing a game of death where he is forced to confront his own fears and flaws about himself.
Cinematographer Harris Savides does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of filters and lights for some of the interior scenes as well as the scenes set at night while creating a cold look for some of the exteriors set at night. Editor James Haygood does excellent work with the editing as it has some nice rhythmic cutting to play into the suspense and action as well as some of the darkly comic moments in the film. Production designer James Beecroft, with art directors James J. Murakami and Steve Saklad and set decorator Jackie Carr, does fantastic work with the look of the interior at Nicholas‘ home as well as the look of the office where the people of the game work and the hotel rooms in San Francisco‘s finest hotels. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does nice work with the costumes from the expensive suits that Nicholas wears early in the film to the more casual look he would sport later on as well as the clothes of the other characters.
Visual effects supervisor Kevin Haug does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects as it mostly relates to the film‘s climax it play into that blur of reality and fantasy. Sound designer Ren Klyce does amazing work with the sound work as it has many layers into the locations that Nicholas encounters as well as in the phone conversations he has. The film’s music by Howard Shore is superb for its haunting yet bombastic score as its orchestral flourishes swell into the drama and suspense while music supervisor Dawn Soler creates a fun soundtrack that features elements of jazz, classical, and contemporary music.
The casting by Don Phillips is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Spike Jonze as a EMT, Linda Manz as Christine’s roommate, Yuji Okumoto as the Nikko hotel manager, Tommy Flanagan as a solicitor/taxi driver, Mark Boone Junior as a shady private detective following Nicholas, and Charles Martinet as Nicholas and Conrad’s father in the flashback scenes. Anna Katarina is wonderful as Nicholas’ ex-wife Elizabeth who only appears briefly late in the film as someone who has moved on but is starting to see that Nicholas is having some revelations about himself. Carroll Baker is terrific as Nicholas’ maid Ilsa as a woman who has been taking of Nicholas’ home yet knows a lot about Nicholas’ father once he starts to ask her about him. Peter Donat is superb as Nicholas’ attorney Samuel Sutherland as someone who watches over and handles some of Nicholas’ business as he becomes evasive later in the film. Armin Mueller-Stahl is excellent as Anson Baer as a businessman that Nicholas tries to buy out only to be just as eccentric and mysterious as he is fun to watch.
James Rebhorn is fantastic as Jim Feingold as a man who is an analyst for the company that creates the game as he is this eccentric yet fun guy that brings so much joy into his performance. Deborah Kara Unger is amazing as Christine as a waitress whom Nicholas meets during his game as she becomes this unlikely player that becomes part of the game as she tries to figure out what is going on. Sean Penn is brilliant as Conrad as Nicholas’ estranged younger brother who would introduce his brother to the game saying it will change his life only to find himself owing money to the company that created the game. Finally, there’s Michael Douglas in an incredible performance as Nicholas Van Orton as a wealthy investment banker who is quite cold and distant where he is given the thrill of a lifetime where Douglas gives a performance that is exhilarating as a man who encounters fear and danger as it is one of his great performances.
The Game is a phenomenal film from David Fincher that features a sensational performance from Michael Douglas. Along with a great supporting cast, eerie visuals, a chilling music score, and a crafty screenplay that blur the lines between reality and fiction. It’s a film that isn’t just a smart and engaging thriller but also a study of fear and control. In the end, The Game is a spectacular film from David Fincher.
David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - Fight Club - Panic Room - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Social Network - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film) - Gone Girl
Related: 15 Essential Music Videos by David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novels by Edwin Torres that includes After Hours, Carlito’s Way is the story of a former gangster who tries to go straight following a stint in prison as he finds himself being dragged into the world of crime thanks to his deceitful lawyer. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by David Koepp, the film is a character study of sorts of a man trying to start all over and do right for himself and the woman he loves as Al Pacino plays the role of Carlito Brigante. Also starring Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Viggo Mortensen, and James Rebhorn. Carlito’s Way is a dazzling and riveting film from Brian de Palma.
Set in 1975 New York City, the film revolves around the life of former gangster Carlito Brigante who has just been released from prison in the hopes to start a new life without trouble but aspects of his criminal past come back to haunt him while he is torn in his love for a dancer and his loyalty to his deceitful lawyer. It’s a film that is essentially a character study of sorts where Brigante is eager do something new but he needs the money to get a head-start in going to the Bahamas where he hopes to live a quiet life and run a rental car service for tourists without any trouble. Yet, for all of Brigante’s dreams to come true where he would run a club and make the money that he needs. There are elements of his past that comes to haunt him as there are those that see him as this legendary figure who they want to learn from as well as those that want to see if he’s still in the game of dealing drugs and such. It adds to this conflict in the story where he wants to get out but he’s being pulled back into the dark world as some of it is actually his fault.
David Koepp’s screenplay doesn’t just create a unique structure to the story as well as the fact that it begins and ends with a wounded Brigante on a stretcher in Grand Central Station. He also brings in this noir-style narrative that is largely told from Brigante’s perspective with some voice-over narration that plays into a man struggling with his conscience as well as his attempts to go straight. The dialogue is quite stylish where it does have elements of the film noir language but updated for a more contemporary setting in the 1970s where the Brigante character would find himself in awful situations but tries to restrain himself from not going too far as he knows he might go back to prison. Even as he tries to disassociate himself with old friends in the world of crime as well as new gangsters trying to make a name for themselves like Benny Blanco from the Bronx (John Leguizamo) who is really a younger version of Brigante.
Koepp’s script also play into how seriously flawed Brigante is where his intentions go straight are valid but he is someone that unfortunately trusts the wrong people like Kleinfeld who has put himself into a dangerous world of crime. Kleinfeld’s increasing usage of cocaine and paranoid behavior would trouble Brigante but also has him wanting to help as if he feels like he owes him for getting him out of prison. To Brigante’s former flame Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), she is the first person to see Kleinfeld for who he really is as she is aware of the flaws in Brigante while questioning if everything he is saying about going straight is true as she had seen a lot which adds to her own struggle between cynicism and optimism. Even as there are smaller characters in the film that tell Brigante about the people he’s surrounding himself by as it adds to those flaws which do come to ahead in a key sequence where Brigante finally sees what Kleinfeld is up to all along. Notably as it involves Brigante being used as bait for the justice system which would lead to this thrilling climax over Brigante dealing with Kleinfeld’s actions.
Brian de Palma’s direction is quite stylish for the way he creates these intricate yet mesmerizing tracking shots but also use them to create a sense of atmosphere into the many locations and settings he is in. Shot on location in New York City and some of its landmarks including Grand Central Station for its climax, the film does play into a period where it was very vibrant and exciting but also a world that Brigante has a hard time understanding as well as the fact that the rules are very different as something like ethics are considered dead. The usage of wide and medium shots do help play into aspects of the location including an eerie moment early in the film where Brigante stops at a pool hall for a cousin of his which goes horribly wrong as it is this unsettling moment of the new world that Brigante had unfortunately created. It’s among these moments where de Palma maintains that air of suspense and the unknown where it adds to what Brigante is trying to run away from. The compositions that de Palma creates in the way he would frame his actors into a conversation or have some unique attention to detail in the background while there is someone else in the foreground is among the key visual elements that is used in the film.
Along with some stylish Dutch angles and these mesmerizing tracking shots that manages to capture the vibrancy of the clubs and places Brigante and Gail to go. The direction also has de Palma create moments that are lively with elements of humor but also these unsettling moments such as a sequence where Brigante and Kleinfeld are on a boat is where the former sees the latter for what he’s really done. It is followed by a scene afterwards where it is presented with such simplicity but it also shows exactly where Brigante is and the fact that he knows he is completely fucked by the man who got him out of jail. All of which would lead to these violent and intense moments in the film’s climax where it is quite operatic but also play into what is at stake. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and rapturous film about a gangster’s attempt to find redemption and a new life away from crime.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with the usage of colored lights for many of the scenes at the dance clubs as well as some low-key lighting for some of the interiors including the pool hall sequence and natural exterior lighting for scenes in the day. Editors Kristina Boden and Bill Pankow do amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, dissolves, and a few stylish cuts for some of the light-hearted and dramatic moments while knowing when not to cut in some of the intricate tracking shots to get a sense of the atmosphere in the film. Production designer Richard Sylbert, with set decorator Leslie A. Pope and art director Gregory Bolton, does fantastic work with the sets that are created from the pool hall, the dance club that Brigante would run, Kleinfeld‘s office, and some of the other places the characters would go to. Costume designer Aude Bronson-Howard does excellent work with the costumes that play into the world of the 1970s from the suits that Brigante wears to the stylish dresses that the women wear at the clubs. Key hair stylist Michael Kriston and key makeup artist Michael Laudati do terrific work with the look of some of the characters including Kleinfeld with his Jew-fro and the look of the hair in some of men in those times.
Sound editor Maurice Schell do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the clubs and some of the wild moments in the film plus some of the tense moments in the film such as Brigante‘s meeting with the D.A. The film’s music by Patrick Doyle is phenomenal for its orchestral-based score that play into the drama and suspense with its lush string arrangements that manage to do so much to elevate a scene. Music supervisor Jellybean Benitez create an incredible soundtrack that largely features music from the mid-1970s from the disco music of George McCrae, KC & the Sunshine Band, the Bee Gees, the O’ Jays, Cheryl Lynn, and Hot Chocolate to the salsa music of Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Santana, and the Fania All-Stars as well as a poignant usage of Joe Cocker’s You Are So Beautiful.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is remarkable as it features a tremendous ensemble that include some notable small roles from filmmaker Paul Mazursky as Brigante’s appeal judge, Angel Salazar and Al Israel as a couple of old friends of Brigante from Spanish Harlem, John Augstin Ortiz as Brigante’s cousin Guarjio, Rick Aviles as a small-time hood Brigante meets early in the film, Ingrid Rogers as a club regular that Kleinfeld goes out with in Steffi, Joseph Siravo and Adrian Pasdar as the sons of a crime boss Kleinfeld is working for, Frank Minucci as the boss Tony T Taglialucci whom Kleinfeld is working for, and the legendary Argentine comedy host Jorge Porcel as a disco/salsa club owner named Saso aka Ron whom Brigante would help out with his debts. James Rebhorn is superb as the district attorney Bill Norwalk who is trying to see if Brigante is up to no good while having his own suspicions about Kleinfeld.
Viggo Mortensen is fantastic as an old friend of Brigante in Lalin as a once top-crime figure who has become down on his luck as he is now on a wheelchair as a person that is being forced to do something bad to Brigante. Luis Guzman is excellent as Pachanga as an old friend of Brigante who works for him as a bodyguard as he is a man that does a lot of things yet is taken aback a bit by Brigante’s own ideals and disdain for his criminal past. John Leguizamo is amazing as Benny Blanco from the Bronx as a young hood who reminds Brigante as a younger version of himself who is eager to earn from Brigante yet is forceful and cunning where Leguizamo manages to be a scene-stealer in the moments he’s in. Penelope Ann Miller is brilliant as Gail as a dancer who was once Brigante’s flame as she is reluctant to be around him yet is someone looking for a change in her own life where she struggles with wanting to chase a dream but contend with the harsh realities of the world.
Sean Penn is sensational as Dave Kleinfeld as a young attorney who gets Brigante out and helps him in finding a club to run yet is someone that is troubled and doing awful things behind the scenes where Penn brings a manic and dangerous approach to his role that has bits of dark humor as it is one of Penn’s finest roles. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in one of his iconic performances of his career as Carlito Brigante as a former criminal that is eager to turn straight and start a new life only for his past activities and flaws in trusting the wrong kind of people come back to haunt him. It’s a role that has Pacino bring in a mixture of accents that play true to the streets while displaying a vulnerability in his role where he realizes he puts himself into a bad situation where he makes the character someone to root for as someone that can still be saved.
Carlito’s Way is a magnificent film from Brian de Palma that features a tremendous performance from Al Pacino. Along with strong supporting work from Sean Penn, Penelope Ann Miller, Luis Guzman, and John Leguizamo as well as a strong script by David Koepp, dazzling visuals, and a killer soundtrack. The film isn’t just one of de Palma’s quintessential films in terms of its style and character study but it’s also a film that showcases a study of redemption as well as the struggle in letting go of a dark past. In the end, Carlito’s Way is a spectacular 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 - (Body Double) - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the film Big Deal on Madonna Street by Mario Monicelli, Crackers is the story of a group of small-time thieves who decide to rob a local pawn shop that is owned by a greedy man. Directed by Louis Malle and screenplay by Jeffrey Fiskin, the film is a comedic take in the world of caper films where a group of men try to boost their luck in hoping to rob a store and succeed. Starring Donald Sutherland, Sean Penn, Wallace Shawn, Larry Riley, Christine Baranski, and Jack Warden. Crackers is a delightful and silly film from Louis Malle.
Set in a neighborhood in San Francisco, the film revolves around a group of misfits who decide to rob a pawn shop in the hopes of making their lives better as well as give the greedy pawn shop owner his comeuppance for short-changing them. It’s a caper film of sorts that play into guys who are broke, unemployed, and in need of money and food as they decide to do a robbery. Along the way, hilarity ensues as their attempts to create alibis and all sorts of things cause trouble as it leads to the climatic heist. The film’s screenplay by Jeffrey Fiskin is simple as it play into a group of guys who are down on their luck as they hope that the heist will make their lives better. Even as some have girlfriends or families to take care while one of them in Turtle (Wallace Shawn) is just homeless as he’s constantly hungry.
Louis Malle’s direction is actually very simple where he shoots the film on location in this street in the middle of San Francisco as it plays into a world that is very diverse. While Malle does use some wide shots to capture the look of the city as it is a character in the film, Malle goes for something that is more intimate by utilizing close-ups and medium shots to play into the characters and the situations they endure. It also plays into the pawn shop which is where many of the characters socialize at as there are things they want but also hope to score money for whatever they can steal and pawn off. There are elements that are fun and raucous but also silly where the film does lose a bit of steam in its third act as it leads to the climatic heist. Notably as Malle tries to mix some suspense with some silliness as the result is a mixed bag where one overwhelms the other. Overall, Malle creates a flawed but fun film about a group of misfits trying to rob a pawn shop.
Cinematographer Laszlos Kovacs does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of lights for scenes at night in the exteriors as well as some naturalistic look for the scenes set in the day. Editor Suzanne Baron does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward to play into the humor and some of the suspenseful moments. Production designer John J. Lloyd and set decorator Hal Gausman do fantastic work with the look of the pawn shop with all of the objects and the things at the shop as well as the elaborate look of the alarm.
Costume designer Deborah Nadoolman does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual but also has some style to play into the personality of the characters. Sound editors Ruth Blakeslee and Gail Showalter do superb work with the sound from the way the shop alarm would sound as well as some of the sparser moments in the film. The film’s music by Paul Chihara is wonderful for it mixture of electronic music with some blues to play into the vibrant and diverse world that is San Francisco while the theme song by Michael McDonald is a fun and upbeat number that plays into the film‘s mischievous tone.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Edouard DeSoto as a bartender that Ramon wants his sister to be with, Tasia Valenza as Ramon’s sister Maria whom Dillard falls for, Charlayne Woodard as a maid named Jasmine that Boardwalk wants to help, Irwin Corey as an old friend Weslake in Lazzarelli, and Anna Maria Horsford as Boardwalk’s hooker wife Slam Dunk who is tired of her husband’s constant failures. Christine Baranski is wonderful as Maxine as a traffic cop that Weslake is dating as she also spends time being with other men. Trinidad Silva is terrific as Ramon as a Mexican who is dealing with trying to evade immigrants while joining in the heist for money. Larry Riley is fantastic as Boardwalk as a pimp with a baby that deals with his wife leaving him and trying to get out of the game once he meets and falls for Jasmine.
Wallace Shawn is brilliant as Turtle as a homeless man that is always hungry as he’ll eat anything he sees while being a man of few words as he joins the heist so he can feed himself. Sean Penn is excellent as Dillard as a Southern musician who falls for Ramon’s sister as he’s also a skilled electrician that helps out in the heist so he can get revenge on Garvey for not giving him a guitar that he wants. Jack Warden is marvelous as Garvey as a pawn shop owner that is reluctant in giving people money over objects that are worth a lot more while selling those at a high price as it relates to some realities over what is happening with his business. Finally, there’s Donald Sutherland in a remarkable performance as Weslake as a man who just lost his job as he decides to steal from his friend Garvey in the hopes that he can give Maxine a dream vacation as well as a good life as Sutherland also brings a lot of humor to his performance.
Crackers is a stellar film from Louis Malle. Armed with a great cast as well as a fun premise, the film is a light-hearted and enjoyable comedy though it is one of Malle’s more lesser works but one that remains to be very entertaining. In the end, Crackers is a terrific film from Louis Malle.
Louis Malle Films: (The Silent World) - Elevator to the Gallows - The Lovers (1958 film) - Zazie Dans le Metro - (A Very Private Affair) - (Vive Le Tour) - The Fire Within - (Bons baisers de Bangkok) - (Viva Maria!) - (The Thief of Paris) - Spirits of the Dead-William Wilson - (Phantom India) - (Calcutta) - Murmur of the Heart - (Humain, Trop Humain) - Place de la Republique - Lacombe, Lucien - Black Moon - (Close Up (1976 short) - (Dominique Sanda ou Le reve eveille) - Pretty Baby (1978 film) - Atlantic City (1980 film) - (My Dinner with Andre) - God’s Country (1985 film) - (Alamo Bay) - (And the Pursuit of Happiness) - Au Revoir Les Enfants - (May Fools) - (Damage (1992 film)) - (Vanya on 42nd Street)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on an article for The New Yorker about the real-life Hill 192 incident during the Vietnam War by Daniel Lang, Casualties of War is the story of a young soldier in the Vietnam War who finds himself being forced by his platoon sergeant to take part in raping a young Vietnamese woman. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by David Rabe, the film explores some of the dark aspects of war where a young soldier tries to deal with the immoral events that occur in war including by those he is forced to serve for. Starring Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Patrick Harvey, John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames, and Thuy Thu Le. Casualties of War is a gripping and chilling film from Brian de Palma.
Set during the Vietnam War, the film revolves around a real-life incident in which a platoon kidnaps and rapes a young Vietnamese War during a mission where a young private deals with the circumstances of what is happening. It’s a film that plays into this young private first-class named Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) who questions the actions of his superior and his fellow soldiers. Especially as he gets confronted by Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn) who orders him to do this while claiming that it’s what they need to do to fuck over the Viet Cong. David Rabe’s screenplay does dramatize the events that happened in real life but also display some interesting development into the characters as men who are fighting this war where boredom and fatigue doesn’t just drive them into madness but also in doing things that are considered immoral. Much of the story is told from Eriksson’s perspective as the film begins and ends in 1974 San Francisco where Eriksson is on a train sleeping where he sees this young Vietnamese-American woman which triggers what he remembered as a soldier.
The first act is about Eriksson being this new soldier who has arrived three weeks earlier where he is saved by Sgt. Meserve during a battle as it is the first encounter of the realities of war as well as the bond between soldiers. The second act is about Sgt. Meserve’s mission to inspect a river boat delivery where he decides to go into a village and kidnap this young woman (Thuy Thu Le) with the aid of Corporal Clark (Don Patrick Harvey), PFC Hatcher (John C. Reilly), and the new soldier in the platoon in PFC Diaz (John Leguizamo). While Cpl. Clark is willing to help Sgt. Meserve in kidnapping and raping this young woman with PFC Hatcher reluctant at first. Eriksson is the one who is against this as is PFC Diaz only to join in. The third act is about its aftermath where Eriksson copes with what happened but also learns that some of his superiors are indifferent to what happened which forces him to deal with the moral implications and the troubling aspects of war.
Brian de Palma’s direction is very gripping for the way it plays into the terror and chaos of war as well as some of the immorality that occurs. Shot largely on location in Thailand, the film does play into a world that is dangerous and unpredictable from Eriksson’s first encounter with seeing one of his own being killed unexpectedly which sets the tone for what is to come. The usage of the wide shots definitely has de Palma capture the tense atmosphere of the jungles as well as using some close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama and eerie moments of suspense. Even in some of the intense moments of Sgt. Meserve raping the young woman with the very reluctant Pfc. Diaz being the first to have sex with her after Sgt. Meserve is done. The usage of crane shots for some of the battle scenes as well as some of the suspenseful moments that play into the events that would horrify Eriksson. The third act is where de Palma really gets to shine such as a monologue delivered by Eriksson’s superior Lt. Reilly (Ving Rhames) who reveals about some of the dark aspects of human nature as it would force Eriksson to realize that the realities of the way things are. Even if attempting to do what is right is pushed aside by politics and indifference in order to keep going in the state of war. Overall, de Palma crafts an engaging yet harrowing film about a real-life incident that involved the rape of a young Vietnamese woman.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the exteriors of the jungle and bases at night to the lighting inside the tunnels that the Vietcong uses. Editor Bill Pankow does amazing work with the editing in creating some unique jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama that occurs throughout the film. Production designer Wolf Kroeger, with art director Bernard Hides and set decorators Peter Hancock and Hugh Scaife, does fantastic work with the building of the army bases as well as the underground tunnels and bars outside of the army bases.
Costume designer Richard Bruno does nice work with the costumes from the look of the uniforms as well as the ragged clothes of the Vietnamese villagers. Sound editor Maurice Schell does superb work with the sound from the sparse sounds of the jungles to the loud mixing of sounds of gunfire and helicopters in the air. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is phenomenal with its usage of Asian flute music and lush string arrangements to play into the drama and suspense as it is definitely one of the film’s highlights along with a soundtrack featuring music of that period in time.
The casting by Lynn Stalmaster is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Darren E. Burrows as a young soldier Eriksson deals with late in the film, Sherman Howard as a military judge, John Marshall Jones as a military police officer, Sam Robards as an army captain/chaplain, Dan Martin as Eriksson’s friend Hawthorne, Dale Dye as the top officer of the platoon in Captain Hill, Erik King as a veteran soldier who would serve as an early mentor for Eriksson, and Ving Rhames in a superb role as Lt. Reilly as a platoon leader who reveals some harsh truth about war and human nature. Thuy Thu Le is excellent as the young woman Oanh who is captured by Sgt. Meserve and his platoon as a sex slave claiming that she is working for the Vietcong as she becomes humiliated and destroyed by their actions. In his film debut, John C. Reilly is fantastic as PFC Hatcher as the comic-relief of sorts who always talking about drinking beer and having fun while dealing with the chaos as well as being reluctant in taking part of the rape.
John Leguizamo is amazing as PFC Diaz who just joined the platoon as he is very reluctant to take part in the rape only to be coerced into it which displays someone trying to fit in with the platoon. Don Patrick Harvey is brilliant as Cpl. Clark as a sadistic man with a knife who has no qualms in raping and killing Vietnamese women as well as do things that are very questionable. Michael J. Fox is remarkable as PFC Eriksson as this young soldier who deals with the moral implications of his platoon sergeant as he struggles to do the right thing as well as try and save this young woman in an act of anti-war sentiment. Finally, there’s Sean Penn in a terrifying performance as Sgt. Meserve as this platoon leader who is a great soldier but also quite sadistic himself as Penn brings a strange complexity to someone who is a totally dick and ruthless in what he does yet is the kind of person any soldier would want to have by their side.
Casualties of War is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma that features tremendous performances from Sean Penn and Michael J. Fox. Along with Ennio Morricone’s fantastic score, early breakthrough performances from John C. Reilly and John Leguizamo, and strong anti-war themes. It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules of war as it showcases some of the dark aspects of humanity in war. In the end, Casualties of War is a sensational 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 - (Body Double) - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - The Bonfire of the Vanities - 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 by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, 21 Grams is the story of three people who are each connected by the death of a person as they each cope with loss and faith. The second part of a trilogy that explores death, the film is a multi-layered story that plays into the lives of three people who don’t know each other but become connected by tragedy. Starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo, Danny Huston, Clea Duvall, Denis O’Hare, and Eddie Marsan. 21 Grams is an ominous yet exhilarating film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
When a hit-and-run claimed the lives of a man and two little girls, the lives of three different people are affected in drastic ways as the film is about tragedy and its after effects. Much of it involves the life of a critically-ill mathematician who is need of a heart transplant, a grieving widow who also lost her daughters in this tragedy, and a born-again ex-convict whose faith is tested over what had happened. Through Guillermo Arriaga’s complex and multi-layered screenplay, it is told in a non-linear fashion as it plays into not just the tragedy but also the search for meaning as one man tries to find redemption, another man is trying to find answers into why he’s alive, and a woman is caught in the middle over what she had lost. All of which plays into those dealing with mistakes and such as well as several other things where everyone tries to find answers.
For the mathematician Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), he is given a second chance to live but his own marriage to Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) starts to fall apart as he becomes obsessed with the identity of the heart he had received which would lead him to Cristina (Naomi Watts). Cristina would learn about Paul and what he has to do with the death of her family as it has the two come together to track the man who was responsible for changing their lives in the ex-convict Jack Jordan (Benicio del Toro). Yet, there are elements into both Cristina and Jack that are interesting as the former was a former drug addict who was saved by her husband as she found a reason to live as that loss drove her back to drugs and alcohol.
In the latter, here is someone who is trying to redeem himself as he devotes himself towards Christianity and swear off drugs and alcohol but his involvement in this tragedy forces him to question his own faith and being as he has no clue what to do as he carries the guilt. All of which forces all three characters to converge into a heavy confrontation about loss as it is, once again, told in a non-linear fashion. There’s moments that play into the drama where all three have to work together as it becomes clear that none of them have anything to gain in this tragedy that their connected by. Even as they all know that there is nowhere else to go as some try to find redemption while others seek an answer.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is very entrancing not just for how dreary he presents the drama but also into the many layers that the story takes. Much of it is presented with a sense of intimacy as Inarritu’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the anguish that occurs throughout the film. Even in scenes where Jack eats dinner with his family as he is trying to be a good father but his approach might seem harsh as it relates to his own children. Much of Inarritu’s approach is shot with hand-held cameras but it’s never overly shaky as he maintains something that is very steady and to the point. Notably as Inarritu would create scenes to tease various storylines coming together such as Mary waiting for Paul as he does surgery as she gets a glimpse of Cristina walking out of the hospital with her family.
Since it is a film told in a non-linear narrative, Inarritu is able to create moments in the film where it allows a scene to be told in very different ways. Even as he would shift moments that is supposed to be in the third act back into the first or second act as it plays into the drama. There’s also moments in the film where things do intensify on an emotional level as it relates to Cristina’s grief and Jack’s own guilt such as the scene of him returning home as he reveals to his wife what he had done. Inarritu’s approach to the compositions in how he frames his actors are also intense such as its climax in the third act as it is about who is where in the frame and such. Overall, Inarritu creates a very brooding yet somber film about death, faith, and understanding.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s grainy and colorful cinematography where it adds to the very grimy sense of despair that looms in the film with its gritty approach to daytime exteriors to its usage of low-key lights and dark shades for the interior scenes whether it‘s day or night. Editor Stephen Mirrone does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the drama and its offbeat, non-linear narrative. Production designer Brigitte Broch, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Deborah Riley, does excellent work with the look of the different homes of the three characters to showcase who they are as well as some of the places they go to including the swimming pool center that Cristina goes to.
Costume designer Marlene Stewart does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for the look of the characters to play into their sense of loss. Sound designers Martin Hernandez and Roland N. Thai do fantastic work with the sound to capture the intensity of the emotions as well as some of the chaotic moments of violence and drama that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is superb for its very ominous and eerie score with its emphasis on folk guitars and somber electric guitars to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a nice soundtrack that features different kinds of music from acts like War, Ozomatli, Ann Sexton, and Dave Matthews.
The casting by Francine Maisler is remarkable as it features notable small roles from Carly Nahon and Claire Pakis as Cristina’s daughters, Paul Calderon as a friend of Jack in Brown who tries to get him work, Denis O’Hare as Paul’s heart surgeon, John Rubenstein as Mary’s gynecologist who tries to help her chances to be pregnant, Clea Duvall as Cristina’s friend Claudia, Danny Huston as Cristina’s husband Michael, and Eddie Marsan as Reverend John who tries to help Jack following the tragedy. Melissa Leo is excellent as Jack’s wife Marianne who tries to cope with what Jack had done as she tries to help him. Charlotte Gainsbourg is superb as Paul’s wife who is eager to start over with him after a separation period as well as taking care of him as she copes with the changes in their life after his surgery.
Benicio del Toro is brilliant as Jack Jordan as a former convict turned born-again Christian who becomes the catalyst for the tragedy that is shaped in the film as he spends much of the film questioning his faith and ponders if he can be redeemed. Naomi Watts is amazing as Cristina Peck as a recovering addict who falls back into her addition following the loss of her family as Watts display the sense of anguish that looms over her as she searches for answers and satisfaction. Finally, there’s Sean Penn in a marvelous performance as Paul River as a mathematician who was dying until he received a new heart as he ponders whose heart does he have as he tries to find answers while coping with his own mortality and existence.
21 Grams is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features very strong performances from Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro. It’s a film that doesn’t explore the severity of death and tragedy but also plays into the world of existence and faith. It’s also a film that doesn’t play by the rules of conventional narrative thanks in part to Guillermo Arriaga’s inventive screenplay. In the end, 21 Grams is a tremendous film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11' 9' 01 September 11-Mexico - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette, The Gunman is the story of a former assassin who is trying to move on from his dark past as he learns that his sins have come back to haunt him. Directed by Pierre Morel and screenplay by Don MacPherson, Pete Travis, and Sean Penn, the film is an exploration into a killer who once killed for his government and many others as he becomes the target himself when he refuses to kill. Starring Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Jasmine Trinca, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, and Idris Elba. The Gunman is an engaging though very typical film from Pierre Morel.
Eight years after an assassination in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a former assassin finds his past has come back to haunt him following an attack at the country as he goes to Europe to find out why. That is essentially the plot of the film as it plays into a man who copes with not just his own sins but also failing health and other issues as he becomes paranoid following a hit on him. While it is a story that is very simple, the script does explore the world of multi-national corporations that get involved with these things as it never really gels into the story as its protagonist Jim Terrier (Sean Penn) travels to London and Spain to find out why he is being targeted as it related to the assassination of a mining minister that he took part in eight years before.
While the script does maintain some intrigue in its storyline, it does have some major flaws as it plays into the way many of the film’s supporting characters are written. Notably as characters like Felix (Javier Bardem) aren’t fleshed out as he is a character that was a friend of Terrier but is also a suspect for the fact that he might’ve been the one to carry out the hit on Terrier. Felix’s wife Annie (Jasmine Trinca) is another character that also suffers from the script’s shortcomings as she is nothing more than an object of affection for Terrier as they had a past together. It’s among some of the things in the film that don’t work though the script does succeed in creating the moments of action as well as some dialogue as it relates to the suspense and some funny banter between Terrier and his friend Stanley (Ray Winstone).
Pierre Morel’s direction is very typical of what is expected in action films where a trained killer becomes the hunted though Morel does manage to keep things simple in the non-action scenes. Notably in the close-ups and medium shots while some of the establishing shots do get repetitive at times with its wide angles even though it is to represent a world that is coming undone by scandal. While Morel’s approach to action is quite straightforward, there are moments where he does go into fast-cutting styles to play into its intensity where it is a mixed back. The editing also suffers in a sex scene between Terrier and Annie as it is clumsily handled. Even though the film’s ending is quite conventional, its climax is still quite chilling as it relates to Terrier battling it out with the people who tried to kill him as it is set in a very public setting in Spain. Overall, Morel creates an adequate but very unoriginal film about a former assassin who is being targeted for his own sins.
Cinematographer Flavio Martinez Labiano does excellent work with the cinematography to capture the nighttime scenes set in Barcelona, London, and in Africa to play into its dark moods along with some low-key scenes set in the daytime. Editor Frederic Thoraval does some fine work with the editing in some of the film‘s non-action scenes though the sex scene between Terrier and Annie is terrible while some of the action relies on fast-cutting that doesn‘t really work at all. Production designer Andrew Laws, with set decorator Anneke Botha and supervising art director Stuart Kearns, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of Felix‘s country home to the quaint apartment Terrier would stay in Barcelona.
Costume designer Jill Taylor does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual for all of the characters involved in the film. Visual effects supervisor Stuart Lashley does OK work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects though they weren‘t distracting as it helps play into the film‘s gritty tone. Sound designer Paul Carter does terrific work with the sound to play into the sounds of gunfire and other key elements in the film‘s action scenes. The film’s music by Marco Beltrami is pretty good for its bombastic orchestral score with elements of guitars to play into the intensity of the action.
The casting by Reg Poerscout-Edgerton is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Ade Oyefeso as Terrier’s assistant in Africa who save him, Peter Frenzen as an assassin hired to kill Terrier, and Idris Elba in a small yet fun role as a mysterious operative who is so good but has very little screen time. Mark Rylance is terrific as an old friend of Terrier in Cox who had reinvented himself as a corporate businessman that would make Terrier uneasy. Ray Winstone is fantastic as Terrier’s friend Stanley as he is the most fun supporting character in the film that is also the one character that has any depth as he is concerned for his friend’s well-being as well as telling him to just hide.
Jasmine Trinca is alright as Annie as a doctor who didn’t know what Terrier or Felix did in the film’s first act until she copes with the truth as Trinca’s role is very underwritten as some damsel-in-distress character. Javier Bardem is good in his role as Felix though he is also underused and underdeveloped as he spends much of the film’s second act drunk and cagey while being more straight in the film’s first act. Finally, there’s Sean Penn in a superb performance as Jim Terrier as Penn brings a bit of charm to his role while having his moments as a badass though it’s not perfect due to the shortcomings of the script and Penn not being entirely convincing of playing an assassin though he does manage to bring a bit of gravitas to his role.
The Gunman is a decent but messy film from Pierre Morel. Despite its intriguing premise as well as some adequate performances from Sean Penn and Javier Bardem as well as a fun one from Ray Winstone. It’s a film that could’ve done more for the hunter being the hunted premise but ends up being very typical of these kinds of films. In the end, The Gunman is a very mediocre film from Pierre Morel.
© thevoid99 2015
Based on Reinaldo Arenas’ biography, Before Night Falls is the story about the life of the Cuban poet/novelist who was openly gay at a time when the political situation in Cuba was tense as homosexuality was considered very taboo. Directed by Julian Schnabel and screenplay by Schnabel, Cunningham O’Keefe, and Lazaro Gomez Carriles, the film is an exploration on the life of a man who would have a profound view of the world as he would write his experiences in and out of Cuba through his work as he is played by Javier Bardem. Also starring Olivier Martinez, Hector Babenco, Andrea Di Stefano, Santiago Magill, Michael Wincott, Sean Penn, and Johnny Depp. Before Night Falls is a ravishing and mesmerizing film from Julian Schnabel.
The film explores the life and works of Reinaldo Arenas through key periods in his life from coming of age during the Cuban Revolution to being a dissident over his homosexuality which would lead to his exile on the Mariel Boatlift of 1980. Told largely through Arenas’ own work and his poetry, the film showcases the events that would drive Arenas to write as well as his encounters with people and political situations that would inspire him. The film is told in different parts of his life from his childhood and desire to join the Revolution in its final days as well as key events that would get him attention for his writing as well as controversy as the Cuban government believe his writing his counter-revolutionary. The film’s screenplay plays into these events including a time during the 1970s were Arenas would become a fugitive over accusations of child molestation as he would be in prison which would inspire to write his most famous novel.
The script also plays into Arenas’ encounters with men that would drive his homosexuality as well as meet the film’s co-writer Lazaro Gomez Carriles (Olivier Martinez) who would be Arenas’ partner in Arenas’ final years. The use of voice-over narration plays into a reflective tone in Arenas’ view of his life in those times while his poetry and text from his own novels would add to the narration. Much of it would play into Arenas’ growing awareness of his homosexuality where it was very taboo during the early years of the Fidel Castro-led regime in Cuba. Even as homosexuality was seen as subversive with ideas of capitalism which was frowned upon though Arenas would counter those claims as false. By the time the film reaches its third act, it does become less reflective where Arenas adjust to his new life but also in the illness that would eventually claim his life.
Julian Schnabel’s direction is very stylish for the way he presents the film with not just some unique camera angles but also with evocative images that play into a sense of visual poetry that is in line with Arenas’ words. Though the film is shot largely on location in Mexico as Cuba, it does feel like a place that was once idyllic in its landscapes in the woods and old cities that were once full of life. Even amidst this sense of political chaos that would surround Arenas as Schanbel uses old footage of Cuba during its Revolution and at a time when Castro came into power. Schnabel definitely aims for this mix of cinema verite and stylish camera work to play into Arenas’ life from his time in the beach with his gay friends where they would hustle as well as Arenas in his surroundings in the forest where crane shots and all sorts of things are used to play into the beauty of those locations.
The direction also plays into these moments where Arenas talks about how to identify gays in 1960s Cuba as well as endure attempts to get his work published outside of Cuba as his writing succumbs to censorship. Especially as he is misidentified as a child molester in the mid-1970s by a couple of youths who had stolen his things. There are intimate moments that play into Arenas’ stay in prison such as the isolation cell he is in as it’s mixed with elements of fantasy and reality to play into what he is thinking about. Once the film arrives in New York City, it sorts of starts off as a documentary film until the drama into Arenas’ ailing health starts to arrive where the film does return to a more reflective tone as it plays into Arenas’ sense of longing for Cuba and the similarities it had in the way he looks at New York City. Overall, Schnabel crafts a very intoxicating and rapturous film about the life of a gay yet brave writer.
Cinematographers Xavier Perez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas do brilliant work with the film‘s lush and colorful cinematography with its high emphasis on green and natural colors for the scenes set at the forest along with stylish lights and filters for scenes at night while using low-key lights for some of the film‘s interiors. Editor Michael Berenbaum does amazing work with the editing in its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and stock footage to play into the sense of style as well as rhythmic cuts to match the tone of Arenas‘ narration of his work. Production designer Salvador Parra, with set decorator Laurie Friedman and art director Antonio Muno-Hierro, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of some of the interior buildings including the interrogation room that Arenas would be in as well as the apartment he would have in New York City. Costume designer Maria Estela Fernandez does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that were worn in the 1960s including the stuff gay men wore as well as the tight pants and stylish shirts of the 70s they would wear to get themselves out of Cuba.
Makeup designer Ana Lozano does nice work with the look of Arenas throughout the years including his ailing look in the late 1980s where he loses bits of his hair and color in his face. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is often served as set-dressing for the scenes in Cuba as well as the opening shot of the scene in New York City. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound from the way some of the music on location is played along with the prison scenes as well as the intimate moments in New York City. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is phenomenal for its soaring and lush orchestral music to play into the drama while its soundtrack that is assembled by music supervisors Susan Jacobs and Olatz Lopez Garmendia features some original score pieces by Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson plus an array of Cuban music and some ambient-based score music by Popol Vuh.
The casting by Monica Nordhaus is incredible as it includes notable small roles from Olatz Lopez Garmendia as Arenas’ mother, Pedro Armendiaz Jr. as Arenas’ grandfather, Vito Maria Schnabel as the teenage Arenas, Diego Luna as a friend of the young Arenas, Sean Penn as a farmer who would accompany the teenage Arenas to a town where Castro and his rebels were, Francisco Gattorno and Marisol Padilla Sanchez as a couple of publishers who would bring Arenas’ writing to Europe, Michael Wincott as a mentor of Arenas who would encourage him to write, Najwa Nimri as the mentor’s wife, and Hector Babenco in a terrific performance as Virgillo Pinera who would help broaden Arenas’ view on literature by giving him books by great authors in order to become a better writer. Andrea di Stefano is excellent as one of Arenas’ early lovers Pepe Malas while Santiago Magill is superb as another of Arenas’ gay friends in Tomas Diego.
Johnny Depp is brilliant in a dual role as a prison drag queen named Bon Bon who would help try to get Arenas out of prison while being a far more sinister character in Lt. Victor in a chilling interrogation scene. Olivier Martinez is fantastic as Lazaro Gomez Carriles whom Arenas would meet at one point in the 1960s only to reconnect with him in the 1970s where Carriles aspires to be a writer and later becomes Arenas’ partner and caretaker. Finally, there’s Javier Bardem in a tremendous performance as Reinaldo Arenas as this very gifted poet who sees the world around him as he creates poems and novels to express his feelings while coping with the Castro regime as it’s a performance full of charm and humor but also a melancholia as it’s one of Bardem’s great performances.
Before Night Falls is a remarkable film from Julian Schnabel that features a truly sensational performance from Javier Bardem. The film isn’t just a unique portrait into one of the most captivating writers of the 20th Century but also a look into a man trying to maintain his identity in a troubled and complicated world. In the end, Before Night Falls is an outstanding film Julian Schnabel.
Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse - Miral - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Stacey Peralta and written by Peralta and Craig Stecyk, Dogtown & Z-Boys is the story about the revolutionary group of skateboarders who brought the skateboard back to the public eye in the 1970s as they would set the stage for the world of skateboarding in the years to come. Narrated by Sean Penn, the documentary explores this group of young skateboarders who would take the aesthetics of surfing and put into skateboarding as this group would include Peralta as well as influential skateboarders like Tony Alva and Jay Adams. The result is one of the most enthralling documentaries ever created.
The film is an exploration into the history of skateboarding when it had a brief period of popularity until the late 60s where it was seen as a trend until a group of kids from Southern California would bring it back with the help of a new formula known as polyurethane that created new skateboard wheels that would help improve the performance and traction of the skateboard. Among these kids who would revive the art of skateboarding were Stacey Peralta, Jay Adams, and Tony Alva along with several others as they would bring a lot of the movements they’ve acquired as surfers and infuse it with skateboarding. With the help of photographer Craig Stecyk who would shoot much of the film’s archival footage as well as take photographs, the gang of skateboarders known as Z-Boys would do new things and pave the way to make skateboarding a legitimate sport in the coming decades.
Peralta’s approach to the film is very simple as he would interview many of his colleagues including Z-Boys co-founder and skateboard manufacturer Skip Engblom who talked about the world the boys lived in. Much of it involves a world in Southern California that seems to be ignored where Peralta, Adams, and Alva were part of a small band of surfers that would surf in places that was their own. Once they discovered the new polyurethane wheels and put into their skateboards, they would create moves that they would perfect in various places including abandoned pools during the droughts in California. What the Z-boys would do not only bring back the world of skateboarding but also revive the Skateboarder magazine.
It would also bring back skateboarding competitions where the champions from the 1960s would be destroyed by the Z-Boys as there were complaints from female skateboarders over claims that Z-Boy member Peggy Oki skated like a guy though some claimed she skated better than the guys. It’s among these moments that proved to be very lively and humorous where Peralta uses the archival footage to create a sense of energy as well as some poetry through some of the skateboarding footage. He also reveals how the Z-Boys group disbanded once Skip Engblom was unable to support the group due to his lack of funds as many of them would be sponsored by other skateboarding manufacturers who had money in their pocket. While Peralta and Alva both would emerge into great success where the latter is an icon and the former would create skateboarding videos with Craig Stecyk that would introduce a new generation of skateboarders including Tony Hawk.
With the help of cinematographers Peter Pilafan and Sebastian Jungwirth, Peralta would interview many of his colleagues including those who were fans of that period like punk rock icon Henry Rollins as they’re shot in black-and-white with some backgrounds courtesy of Craig Stecyk in the set design. While many of the Z-Boys are revealed to live comfortable lives, the one person that was considered the big tragedy of the story is Jay Adams as he was a very wild child that loved skateboarding but became troubled by fame and such as he would repeatedly get in trouble as he is also interviewed in the film as a ragged man that lost a lot of his youth.
With the help of editor Paul Crowder and sound editor Dane A. Davis, Peralta infuses a lot of footage to showcase the history of skateboarding as well as the world his band of brothers were in as it‘s told with some humor by Sean Penn who knew them as he is also a fan of skateboarding. One major aspect of the film that really helps drive it is the film’s music as the original score by Paul Crowder and Terry Wilson is very low-key in its electronic setting while music supervisors Deborah MacCulloch and Mark Reiter would bring this very eclectic array of music that largely consists of rock music from the 70s ranging from art rock, punk, new wave, heavy metal, and many others as it just brings a lot of energy to the film.
Dogtown & Z-Boys is a magnificent documentary from Stacey Peralta. The film works not only in talking about the history of skateboarding but also showcase why it is so popular as Peralta and his band of brothers would help revolutionize the sport. It’s a film that manages to make those who don’t know anything about skateboarding will be very interested as well as skateboarders who want to know about the history of the sport. In the end, Dogtown & Z-Boys is an outstanding film from Stacey Peralta.
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by Anita Shreve, The Weight of Water is the story of a newspaper photographer doing research on the murder of two immigrant women in 1873 while on a boating trip with her husband, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay by Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle, the film is an exploration of women dealing with the relationships they’re in with men as a woman in the modern world tries to sort out the mystery of a murder that happened more than a century ago. Starring Sean Penn, Catherine McCormack, Josh Lucas, Elizabeth Hurley, Sarah Polley, Katrin Cartlidge, and Ciaran Hinds. The Weight of Water is a messy although interesting film from Kathryn Bigelow.
The film is about the mysterious murders of two women at the Isles of Shoals in 1873 where a German immigrant named Louis Wagner (Ciaran Hinds) is accused of the murders. The film is about this investigation set in modern times where a photojournalist goes to the Isles of Shoals with her novelist husband, his brother, and his brother’s new girlfriend during a vacation. There, Jean Janes (Catherine McCormack) wonders if Wagner really did kill those women while reading the memoirs and notes about the survivor of those attacks in Maren Hontvedt (Sarah Polley) who would be the one to claim that Wagner killed her sister and sister-in-law. While Janes reads about Hontvedt, she deals with her troubled marriage as she’s convinced her husband and her brother-in-law’s girlfriend might’ve had an affair that leads to jealousy and other things.
The film’s screenplay by Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle does have an interesting premise but one that is very uneven. The stuff about Maren and the actual murders is the most interesting portion of the story where it plays into her life as a Norwegian immigrant who arrives to the Isle of Shoals in New Hampshire with her husband John (Ulrich Thomsen). Notably as it plays into the life that Maren lead and the eventual arrival of her brother Evan (Anders W. Berthelsen) and his new wife Anethe (Vinessa Shaw). A lot of it is told from Maren’s perspective as it’s read by Jean who is fascinated by her discovery yet is dealing with her marriage. The scenes involving Jean, her husband, and the boating vacation they’re having with her brother-in-law and his girlfriend isn’t as interesting. Notably as Jean’s husband Thomas (Sean Penn) spends much of the film drunk and ogling over his brother’s girlfriend Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley) as the dramatic tension that occurs feels flat.
Another problem with the film’s screenplay that would greatly affect the film as a whole would be is lack of suspense where it does lead to a major reveal about who really killed Anethe and Maren’s sister Karen (Katrin Cartlidge). Once Jean figures out who did kill them, it does affect the suspense where it does slowly reveal many of the motivations behind why the killer did those things. It would play into Jean’s jealousy over Thomas’ infatuation with Adaline but also the sense of loneliness that is prevalent about her.
Kathryn Bigelow’s direction definitely has a lot of interesting images that sort of does makeup for much of the script’s shortcomings. Yet, it’s narrative doesn’t allow Bigelow to keep things interesting for the scenes set in the present where not much really does happen with the exception of Jean’s investigation to try and uncover the story. Bigelow does infuse a lot of style into the visuals where her best work is in the scenes set in the 19th Century as the compositions are stylized but also very engaging in the way she presents the drama and such. The way the narrative moves back and forth doesn’t give Bigelow the chance to really find ways to make things cohesive where there’s two different movies being played out. One of them is very interesting and the other is pretty flat. Overall, Bigelow creates a film that does have moments that are interesting but the result is a very troubled and in cohesive film that doesn’t do much to create any major suspense.
Cinematographer Adrian Biddle does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of black-and-white in some of Jean‘s photographs to the use of colors and lights for much of the exterior setting in New Hampshire and places nearby in the different period settings. Editor Howard E. Smith does nice work with the editing with the use of montages and slow-motion shots to play into some of the drama and suspense that occurs in the film. Production designer Karl Juliusson, with art director Mark Laing and set decorators Laura Cuthill and Patricia Larman, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the 1870s home that Maren lived in as well as the bits of the town and trial she had to be part of.
Costume designer Marit Allen does fantastic work with the period costumes for the scenes set in the 1870s that include the different dresses that Maren wears. Sound mixer Mike Smith and sound editor Anne Slack do superb work with the film‘s sound from the calm atmosphere of the scenes in the sea to some of the chilling moments for the film‘s climax. The film’s music by David Hirschfelder is wonderful for its jazz-like score that mixes somber string arrangements with bits of piano and saxophones to play into the film’s lingering mood.
The casting by Mali Finn is brilliant for the ensemble that is created for the film as it includes some noteworthy performances from Ulrich Thomsen as Maren’s husband John and Anders W. Berthelsen as Maren’s brother Evan. Katrin Cartlidge is pretty good as Maren’s sister Karen while Vinessa Shaw is wonderful as Evan’s kind wife Anethe. Ciaran Hinds is terrific as Louis Wagner as this German immigrant who is proven to be a really nice man that may have not been the killer after all. Elizabeth Hurley is pretty much a waste in the film as Adaline as this very sexual being who spends her time in a bikini and topless for a bit as she doesn’t really do much except recite some literature and look hot.
Josh Lucas is excellent as Thomas’ brother Rich who tries to ensure that everyone is having a good time as he would show concern for Jean. Sean Penn is pretty fine as Thomas as this pretentious writer who deals with some demons though Penn doesn’t really do much other than drink and stare at Elizabeth Hurley. Sarah Polley is amazing as Maren as this young Norwegian woman who arrives to America trying to start a new life only to deal with Louis and the presence of her new sister-in-law. Finally, there’s Catherine McCormick in a radiant performance as Jean as this photojournalist trying to solve the mystery of the murders as she also deals with her issues with her husband as well as the demons that are lurking into that marriage.
Despite its cast and some amazing visual flair, The Weight of Water is an incomprehensible yet lackluster film from Kathryn Bigelow. Due to its messy script and two different storylines that never finds its balance. It’s a film that has a unique premise but falls flat due to its lack of suspense and emphasis on heavy drama. In the end, The Weight of Water is a very disappointing film from Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - Strange Days - K-19: The Widowmaker - The Hurt Locker - Zero Dark Thirty - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow
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