Directed by Mike Nichols and written by Carrie Fisher that is based on her autobiographical novel, Postcards from the Edge is the story of a recovering drug-addicted actress who is forced to move back in with her boozy mother, who is also an entertainer, as she copes with her own troubled life and her turbulent relationship with her mother. The film is a fictionalized-take on Fisher’s own real-life relationship with her own mother Debbie Reynolds as well as her own substance abuse. Starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Richard Dreyfuss, Simon Callow, Annette Bening, Rob Reiner, and Gene Hackman. Postcards from the Edge is a witty and delightful film from Mike Nichols.
The film follows the turbulent love-hate relationship between a troubled actress and her boozy mother as the former has just recovered from a drug overdose where she is forced to move back home with her mother for insurance reasons or else she couldn’t work again. It’s a film that play into this troubled mother-daughter relationship between two women in the world of entertainment as the singer/actress/entertainer Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine) is a woman that has a lot of connections and such but is in denial over her alcoholism. Doris’ daughter Suzanne Vale (Meryl Streep) is an actress that has been trying to step out of her mother’s shadow but has become a liability due to her drug abuse. Carrie Fisher’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the turmoil over this relationship but also two women who do care for each other but often bring the worst in each other.
Fisher’s script isn’t just filled with some witty dialogue that are quite memorable but also in the way Suzanne and Doris deal with their own situations. Much of the film is about Suzanne as it opens with her on a film set obviously under the influence and then the next morning be seen overdosing on a mixture of pills and drugs as she is dropped off by a one-night stand. It sets the course of Suzanne being forced into rehab as she tries to embrace sobriety yet she realizes what she has to do while also starring in a low-budget film just so that she can keep working. It become a series of humiliations that she has to endure though she would find some solace in dating a producer named Jack Faulkner (Dennis Quaid) but Doris doesn’t think he’s good news. Doris is just as interesting as she’s from the old school but has very little clue of what she does to Suzanne as it is clear she wants the attention but it only makes Suzanne very insecure.
Mike Nichols’ direction is quite simple in some respects yet it does have some elements of style starting with the film’s opening tracking shot that is essentially part of a film shoot that Suzanne is in as it goes on for a few minutes. Shot largely in Los Angeles and at some studio lots, the film does play into the high-octane world of Hollywood where there is so much expectations out there. While Nichols’ usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into moments that are intimate as well as in some of the dramatic moments. Nichols’ wide shots do play into that world of Hollywood from Suzanne’s homecoming party to what goes on at a film set and some of the scenes set on certain locations such as Faulkner’s lavish home. Nichols’ approach to comedy is quite low-key yet he always finds a way to keep things lively whether it’s in a few musical numbers or moments that has Suzanne in a humiliating moment and reacting to her situation. The dramatic moments are just as important as it play into Suzanne trying to make sense of why she’s so screwed up as well as confronting her mother about who she is and such. Overall, Nichols creates a riveting and engaging film about the tumultuous relationship between an entertainer and her recovering daughter.
Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s largely straightforward for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes with some lighting for some of the studio interior shots and for the scenes at night. Editor Sam O’Steen does brilliant work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cutting to play into the comedy and some of the drama. Production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein, with set decorator Chris Butler and art director Kandy Stern, does fantastic work with the design of some of the Hollywood sets and how fake they look in low-budget films as well as the home where Doris lives in. Costume designer Ann Roth does nice work with the costumes from the posh clothing of Doris to the more casual look of Suzanne which both play into their personalities.
Hair stylist/makeup artist J. Roy Helland, with additional work by Greg Cannom does terrific work with the look of some of the characters with Cannom doing personal work for the character of Doris. Sound editor Stan Bochner does superb work with the sound as it play into the world of film as well as the moments in Suzanne‘s homecoming party. The film’s music by Carly Simon is wonderful as it‘s a mixture of low-key piano and orchestral music while music supervisor Howard Shore help provide a few score pieces of his own as well a selection of tunes that include a couple of standards as well as a song for the film’s ending.
The casting by Ellen Lewis and Juliet Taylor is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Dana Ivey as a wardrobe mistress, C.C.H. Pounder as a rehab supervisor, Robin Bartlett as Suzanne’s roommate in rehab, Oliver Platt as an associate producer who is concerned about Suzanne’s performance, Rob Reiner as a film producer who tells Suzanne that she needs to prove that she’s sober, Gary Morton as a studio executive who tells Suzanne that she needs to live with her mother for duration of the film shoot, Simon Callow as Suzanne’s new filmmaker who isn’t sure if Suzanne will be reliable, and Richard Dreyfuss in a superb small role as a doctor who would save Suzanne’s life after her overdose. Conrad Bain and Mary Wickes are fantastic as Doris’ parents with Wickes being hilarious as the mother who says some very funny shit throughout the film.
Annette Bening is wonderful in her one-scene performance as an actress co-starring in Suzanne’s film who would reveal some startling information relating to Faulkner. Gene Hackman is excellent as filmmaker Lowell Kolchek as a director who works with Suzanne early in the film as he is someone that cares about her but knows she is messed up where he is more sympathetic to her plight. Dennis Quaid is brilliant as Jack Faulkner as a film producer who is the one-night stand that Suzanne was with but doesn’t know as he is a guy full of charm but there is something off about him that only Doris knows. Finally, there’s the duo of Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Suzanne Vale and Doris Mann. Streep provides that sense of fragility and humility into her performance as a woman who is really fucked-up and is trying to recover but is having a hard time trying to find the root of her issues. MacLaine’s performance as Doris is someone that exudes charisma as well as be someone that likes to over-talk and such. Streep and MacLaine together are a marvel to watch in the way they deal with other from the arguments to trying to one-up each other.
Postcards from the Edge is an incredible film from Mike Nichols that features sensational performances from Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. Along with Carrie Fisher’s intense screenplay, a fantastic supporting cast, and some very funny moments. It’s a film that doesn’t just play into the dysfunctions of a mother-daughter relationship but also dealing with expectations and identity. In the end, Postcards from the Edge is a spectacular film from Mike Nichols.
Mike Nichols Films: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - (The Graduate) - (Catch-22) - Carnal Knowledge - (The Day of the Dolphin) - (The Fortune) - (Gilda Live) - (Silkwood) - (Heartburn) - (Biloxi Blues) - Working Girl - (Regarding Henry) - (Wolf (1994 film)) - The Birdcage - (Primary Colors) - (What Planet Are You From?) - (Wit) - (Angels in America) - Closer (2004 film) - (Charlie Wilson’s War)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the Texas Monthly article Midnight in the Garden of East Texas by Skip Hollandsworth, Bernie is the story of a mortician who is accused of killing an 80-year old millionaire whom he was romantically involved with. Directed by Richard Linklater and screenplay by Linklater and Hollandsworth, the film is dramatization about the real-life murder of Marjorie Nugent in the hands of Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede as the latter is played by Jack Black with Shirley MacLaine in the role of Nugent. Also starring Matthew McConaughey. Bernie is a delightful yet witty film from Richard Linklater.
Set in the small town of Carthage, Texas in the mid-1990s, the film revolves around a mortician who befriends an 80-year old heiress, whose nasty reputation, by being kind to her until she becomes possessive and jealous where he shocks the town when it’s revealed that he killed her. It’s a story that is simple yet it is told in a documentary fashion where many of the locals in Carthage talk about Bernie as well as Marjorie Nugent and the eventual trial that would happen. With a narrative that moves back and forth from the events that play into Bernie and his relationship with Nugent to the locals talking about what had happened. The script doesn’t just allow to use this narrative to establish what kind of person Bernie is but also the things into what could’ve made him kill Nugent. Especially as Nugent was someone who was just mean that even members of her own family sued her for money as it adds to this strange ambiguity to the story.
Richard Linklater’s direction definitely plays into this offbeat narrative where it acts like a documentary with many of the locals talk and gossip to the camera about all that had happened with Bernie. Many of the people in the film that talk about the events are actual locals which doesn’t just add a sense of authenticity to the film but also make it feel more real as it is. Adding to the sense of realist approach to the film is that it is shot in Carthage, Texas as well as several small towns including the city of Austin where it does play like a Texan film where people have their own values as well as a sense of community. There is even some very witty commentary from a local about why Texas is different from most states as he claims it’s like a different country with states of its own separated into five different sections which sort of makes sense. It is part of a tone in the film where, despite its subject matter, is that it has a sense of humor where Linklater manages to toe the line of what is funny but also what is serious.
While Linklater does use a lot of close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy in Bernie’s relationship with Nugent, he also does a few wide shots to capture the spirit of the town and in some of these moments where Bernie wants to share his joy with Nugent who looks annoyed. By the time Nugent is out of the picture though she still looms in Bernie’s head, it does play into a question of guilt but also the question of whether Nugent had it coming. The film’s third act is about the trial where Bernie is confronted by District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson (Matthew McConaughey) who believes Bernie is fully guilty in making Nugent as his meal ticket to a luxurious lifestyle where he will do anything to put Bernie in prison for life. It doesn’t just add to many questions about a man who committed murder is really guilty or not as well as playing into this idea of high class vs. low class where Davidson uses that to try and make Bernie feel even more guilty despite his confession. Overall, Linklater creates a compelling yet funny film about a real-life murder case and the man who committed the crime in his attempt to be nice to her.
Cinematographer Dick Pope does excellent work with the cinematography with the usage of sunny and naturalistic lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes for the small Texan towns as well as some unique lighting for some interior scenes set at night. Editor Sandra Adair does brilliant work with the editing with its back-and-forth cutting style from documentary narrative to the re-enacted elements in the narrative along with some montages and jump-cuts. Production designer Bruce Curtis and art director Rodney Becker do amazing work with the look of Nugent’s home in all of the artifacts and posh objects in her home to the more simple and quaint home of Bernie. Costume designer Kari Perkins does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the personality of the characters with the exception of Davidson who always wear a big cowboy hat and a suit.
Hair stylist Charmaine Richards and makeup artist Karin Sutherlin do terrific work with the look of Bernie from his black hair and mustache as well as the look of Davidson with his hair. Visual effects supervisors Dale Carman and Dan Dixon do wonderful work with the visual effects as it‘s very minimal for a few scenes such as cruise exteriors and other set dressing features. Sound editor Tom Hammond and sound designer Justin Hennard so superb work with the sound to play into the tense atmosphere of the courtroom as well as the playful atmosphere of the stage plays that Bernie puts together. The film’s music by Graham Reynolds is fantastic for its mixture of folk, country, and gospel as it also has some orchestral elements to play into the world that is East Texas.
The casting by Beth Sepko and Sheila Steele is incredible for the ensemble that is assembled as well as the people who play the locals in Carthage that includes actual residents with the exception of a few including Kay McConaughey. Notable small roles include Brandon Smith as the town’s local sheriff, Larry Jack Dotson as the local reverend, Rick Dial as the funeral home director, Richard Robichaux as Nugent’s stockbroker who is suspicious of Bernie, and Brady Coleman as Bernie’s attorney who believes that Bernie shouldn’t be in prison as they all give amazing performances. Matthew McConaughey is phenomenal as District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson who is convinced that Bernie is completely guilty as he does whatever he can to make Bernie suffer for his crimes while believing that he is doing what is right.
Shirley MacLaine is remarkable as Marjorie Nugent as this very cold old lady who has a lot of money but refuses to share it with anyone where MacLaine brings a charm to the role but also adds this bitchiness that is crucial to the character as she is someone that anyone would kill because of how mean she is. Finally, there’s Jack Black in a sensational performance as the titular character as this mortician who is an all-around nice guy that is very generous as well as being very helpful where he tries to bring the good side of Nugent to Carthage only to realize how awful she is as it’s a very charming and energetic performance from Black who makes Bernie Tiede so loveable as well as sympathetic.
Bernie is a tremendous film from Richard Linklater that features great performances from Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey. It’s a film that doesn’t just play into many of the strange aspects of a real-life murder but also a study of small town life and people’s reaction to something like this. In the end, Bernie is an incredible film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Wants Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2016
(Played Out of Competition at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on Federico Fellini’s 1957 Nights of Cabiria and the stage play by Neil Simon with songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, Sweet Charity is the story of a taxi dancer looking for love in New York City as she endures many ups and downs. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and screenplay by Peter Stone, the film is a musical take on a woman’s life as she endures moments of happiness and humiliation in her journey. Starring Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Chita Rivera, Ricardo Montalban, Paula Kelly, Barbara Bouchet, Stubby Kaye, and Sammy Davis Jr. Sweet Charity is an exuberant and engaging film from Bob Fosse.
The film follows the life of a woman who dances at late night dance hall with other men as she desperately tries to find love in the hope that she can escape her dreary life. It’s a film with a simple story as it plays more into this woman named Charity (Shirley MacLaine) who would endure a series of moments where her desire to find love and happiness forces her to take some serious challenges. Much of it is sort of told in an episodic manner such as an encounter with a famous Italian film star and a kind man who suffers from claustrophobia. Along the way, she tries to find ways to escape her dreary life but Charity’s lack of skills outside of dancing would make things more challenging. Peter Stone’s screenplay does create a unique structure that plays into Charity’s own plight as it begins with heartbreak and denial as her encounters with other forces would wonder if she finds love. Love is a recurring theme in the film as it plays into everything that Charity is looking for in the journey she would take as it would blur elements of reality and fantasy.
Bob Fosse’s direction not only uses New York City as a character and as a stage setting but he also does much more than just create a musical. Instead, he brings in a lot of elements to play into Charity’s own tumultuous journey as Fosse aims for something that isn’t just a lavish music but also a drama that plays into a woman being beaten into a series of humiliating moments as she struggles to retain some hope. With the aid of Gwen Verdon in the choreography, Fosse knows what to do with the presentation of the dance as he also knows where to place the camera to capture every moment. Especially as Fosse’s use of the widescreen format with a lot of wide and medium shots not only help play to the dance but also in where the dance is going and such. Most notably the Rich Man’s Frug sequence at this very posh club as Fosse definitely injects the visual style of Federico Fellini into the film.
It’s among these lavish dance sequence that plays into the drama as well as the elements of fantasy vs. reality as it relates to what Charity wants in her life. Fosse’s usage of medium shots and close-ups help add to the emotional and dramatic aspects of the film such as Charity’s first meeting with Oscar (John McMartin) inside an elevator. Fosse’s approach with the framing is quite playful as well as some of the drama where Charity copes with wanting to be honest with Oscar as well as being true to herself. Even as Fosse maintains something that is lively but also play into the period of the times as it relates to an encounter Charity and Oscar would have with a mysterious religious group. It’s a moment where Fosse acknowledges that sense of change that is happening at a time where musicals were becoming out of fashion while providing something where it can still have life in the world that Charity and Oscar are at. The latter is from a world where things are simple and with rules while the former is someone that is eager for something that doesn’t really exist. Overall, Fosse creates a very stylish yet exhilarating film about a woman trying to find love in New York City.
Cinematographer Robert Surtees does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and vibrant cinematography to play into the mood of the dances with some unique lighting for some of its interiors and scenes set at night as well as some of the lights for the dance numbers such as If They Could See Me Now. Editor Stuart Gilmore does amazing work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts, dissolves, and freeze-frames while capturing the rhythm of the music and dance without the need to cut very fast in order to capture the full power of the dance. Art directors Alexander Golitzen and George C. Webb, with set decorator Jack D. Moore, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the dancehall that Charity and her friends work at to the lavish penthouse of the Italian actor that she meets.
Costume designer Edith Head does incredible work with the costumes from the lavish dresses the dancehall women wear as well as the clothes at the Pompeii Club where Charity goes to and the clothes that she would wear. The sound work of Len Peterson, Ronald Pierce, William Russell, James V. Schwartz, and Waldon O. Watson is superb for some of the sound effects that come into play as well as the sense of atmosphere that occurs in the Pompeii Club and other moments in New York City. The film’s music by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields is phenomenal for its sense of vibrancy and energy where it mixes orchestral flourishes with brass instruments to play into the excitement as the songs in the film not only help drive the story but also play into what the characters are dealing with.
The film’s excellent cast includes notable appearances from Bud Cort as a flower child, Toni Basil as one of the dancers at the club, Ben Vereen as a vocalist/dancer for the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Suzanne Charny as the lead dancer in the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Stubby Kane as the dancehall club owner Herman, Barbara Bouchet as the spoiled girlfriend of the Italian actor, and Sammy Davis Jr. in a fantastic performance as the religious leader Big Daddy Brubeck. Paula Kelly and Chita Rivera are brilliant in their respective roles as Charity’s friends/fellow dancers Helene and Nickie who both share the same desire to have a better life but were more willing to accept reality rather than what Charity wants.
Ricardo Montalban is amazing as the Italian film star Vittorio Vatale as a man of great charm who is intrigued by Charity as he allows her to spend some time with him where Montalban also provides the character with a complexity that is unique. John McMartin is superb as Oscar as a claustrophobic man who meets Charity in an elevator as he falls for her while wondering what she really does as he proves to be the one chance of hope for Charity. Finally, there’s Shirley MacLaine in a spectacular performance as Charity Hope Valentine as MacLaine brings a lot of energy and liveliness to her performance as well as elements of despair as MacLaine brings so much to the film as she sings well while doing a lot of her dancing as it’s really a performance for the ages.
Sweet Charity is a phenomenal film from Bob Fosse that features a truly amazing performance from Shirley MacLaine. The film isn’t just a musical that manages to be all fun and excitement but also with a very engaging story about a woman’s desperation to find love. Even as it manages to retain some of the harsher elements of Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria while being it’s own film. In the end, Sweet Charity is a sensational film from Bob Fosse.
Bob Fosse Films: Cabaret - Liza with a Z - Lenny - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse
Related: Nights of Cabiria
© thevoid99 2015
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/12/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the novel by Jennifer Weiner, In Her Shoes is the story of two very different sisters whose rocky relationship leads to the younger sister to find shelter in the grandmother she had just discovered while the oldest tries to deal with the chaos in her own life. Directed by Curtis Hanson and screenplay by Susannah Grant, the film is an exploration into the world of sisterhood as two different women come to terms with their sisterly bond as well as the mother they lost as they try to find answers with the woman who hadn't been in their life. Starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Ken Howard, Brooke Smith, Candice Azzara, Mark Feurerstein, Jerry Adler, and Shirely MacLaine. In Her Shoes is a smart and heartfelt film from Curtis Hanson.
The film is an exploration into the life of two sisters where the only thing they have in common is their shoe size as both of them still deal with the wound of losing their mother many years ago. For Rose Feller (Toni Collette), she's a workaholic lawyer who doesn't have much of a social life and often looks plain. For her younger sister Maggie (Cameron Diaz), she's a dyslexic party-girl with no sense of direction as she often causes trouble. After an incident that forced Rose to kick Maggie out, Maggie goes to Florida to the home of the grandmother she had just discovered. Upon meeting Ella Hirsch(Shirley MacLaine), Maggie eventually finds some direction in her life while Rose also finds some new moments that would help her but the two sisters still need each other to sort out things as well as deal with the death of their mother when they were kids. It's a film that could've played to a lot of tropes that is common with female-based comedy-drams that is often tagged as "chick-flicks" but it's a film that has so much more.
Screenwriter Susannah Grant creates a story of these two sisters who diverge and come together to deal with the missing pieces in their family as well as the woman who hadn't been in their life very much in their grandmother. Upon discovering into why Ella wasn't around following the death of their mother, Rose and Maggie are forced to deal with not just some harsh truths about their mother's death. They also deal with their own issues as Maggie is a young woman who didn't grow up with a mother which definitely plays into her lack of direction and the need for money so she can party. For Rose who is always responsible, she has the urge to protect Maggie from the people in her life including a man named Simon Stein (Mark Feurerstein) who was a colleague of hers at a firm as the two fall in love and become engaged. The very few things Maggie and Rose do have in common aside from their shoe-size is their disdain for their stepmother Sydelle (Candice Azzara) who had never liked them either often favoring her daughter Marcia (Jackie Geary). Grant does take stock into structuring the film with such ease where the first act is about the two sisters, the second act is about Maggie meeting Ella and Rose finding her own path in life, and the third is about the two sisters reuniting and mend the broken pieces in their family.
Curtis Hanson's intimate yet character-driven direction is quite simple yet is often very engaging for the way it balances comedy and drama. Shot in South Florida and Philadephia, Hanson's direction creates some unique compositions in its use of medium and wide shots. Even in scenes where the humor is light-hearted in some parts of the film while the drama gets a bit melodramatic but not overtly. Hanson knows how to set up the humor and drama while creating moments that do play into the development of the characters in key scenes as well as the story about the death of Rose and Maggie's mother. Overall, Hanson crafts a very smart and touching comedy-drama about two sisters dealing with the broken pieces in their life.
Cinematographer Terry Stacey does some great work in the shading design for many of the film's interior scenes in Philadelphia as well as some wonderful coloring in the Florida sequences to set the intimacy that Hanson wanted. Editors Lisa Zeno Churgin and Craig Kitson do excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish montages as well as going for some straightforward cutting techniques. Production designer Dan Davis does fantastic work in using the locations, notably Florida for its colorful, vibrant look to convey the peaceful tranquility that Maggie and Ella lived. Costume designer Sophie Carbonell also helps with the look by designing some great clothing not just for Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette but also Shirley MacLaine and the older actresses to give them a look that helps the story. Composer Mark Isham does a wonderful score in playing to the film's vibrancy and character struggle while the music features a great soundtrack mixed in with pop music like Garbage to some reggae featuring the music of Bob Marley.
The film's cast has some wonderful small performances from Jackie Geary as Sydelle's daughter My Marcia, Brooke Smith as Rose's friend Amy, Carlease Burke as the animal shelter manager, model Ivana Milicevic as Rose and Maggie's mother in pictures, Norman Lloyd as the blind professor, and Richard Burgi as Jim. Other notable small roles from Candice Azarra as Rose/Maggie's stepmother Sydelle is funny while Ken Howard is good as Rose/Maggie's father Michael. Notable standout performances include Jerry Adler as the charming Lewis Feldman and a better, funnier supporting role from Francine Beers as Mrs. Lefkowitz. Mark Feuerstein is good as the sensitive, good-natured Simon who brings all the right qualities that Rose needs in a man while having his own moments to be funny when talking about basketball.
Shirley MacLaine delivers another masterful yet heartfelt performance as Ella Hirsch. MacLaine remains to be very beautiful at her age while her wisdom and concern for the young woman prove her mastery at restrained comedy and even more restraint in drama as she brings a lot of ground for Diaz and Collette to work on while having her own fun. It’s MacLaine that really shines in the film as she continues to be a forced to be reckoned with.
Toni Collette delivers another great performance as the more straight-laced, somewhat neurotic Rose who has a lot of physical and emotional insecurities. Collette manages to make her character develop as she has more emotional scenes that are dramatic while having the time to be funny as Collette proves to be one of the most talented actresses of her generation. Cameron Diaz is often known as kind of bubbly yet a whole lot of fun to see. It's easy to forget that she's an actress and she proves that in her role as Maggie. While Diaz starts off in a more fun yet irresponsible personality, she does allow herself to let the character grow where Diaz brings a lot of depth to a woman who still finds fun in helping old women find new clothes or read to the blind professor. It's a fine performance from Diaz while she has great chemistry with Collette and MacLaine.
In Her Shoes is a remarkable film from Curtis Hanson that is highlighted by the radiant performances of Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine. It's a film that is funny as well as heartwarming in the way it explores the relationship between sisters as it has something to offer for not just women but men as well. In the end, In Her Shoes is a sensational film from Curtis Hanson.
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Billy Wilder and written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, The Apartment is the story of an ambitious office worker who begrudgingly lets his bosses use his apartment for their extramarital affairs where he ends up falling for one of his bosses mistresses. The film is an exploration into ambition and morality where a man deals with the way he tries to move up through things he didn’t like doing while falling for a woman who deals with her affairs with one of his bosses. Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. The Apartment is a witty yet grand film from Billy Wilder.
The film is essentially an exploration into the life of an insurance office worker named C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) who hopes to climb up the ladder in becoming an executive. Yet, his loyalty and hard work isn’t enough where he reluctantly lets his managers use his apartment for their affairs which gets the attention of their boss Jeff Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) who asks Baxter if he can use his apartment for his own extramarital affair. Sheldrake’s mistress turns out to be an elevator operator named Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) whom Baxter has feelings for where he later finds out about the affair which upsets him. Yet, Fran learns during the Christmas party on that same day that she is just another of Sheldrake’s revolving door of mistresses as she is hurt where she and the lonely Baxter bond over their loneliness and the humiliation they endure.
The film’s screenplay is in some ways a character study but also a love story of sorts between Baxter and Kubelik as they’re just people dealing with working in an insurance office. Baxter is just a man who just wants to make it in that world but he often endures moments of humiliation as his superiors call him “Buddy-boy” and sometimes call when they’re not scheduled to be at the apartment. Baxter would be outside of his apartment so he wouldn’t interfere as he would return to find his place a mess and lots of hairpins and such laying around in the couch and such. Adding to this humiliation is his feelings for Kubelik whom he thinks is a nice woman yet she, regretfully, stood him up on a date where he tries to forget about it until the office Christmas party where the broken hand mirror he found in his apartment belonged to Kubelik. It’s a moment that just adds to his own loneliness and despair yet it is balanced by Kubelik’s own revelation about Sheldrake.
Kubelik is just as interesting as Baxter as she’s a woman who later admits to falling for the wrong guy as she has this secret affair with Sheldrake whom she doesn’t see often. Yet, she becomes more uncertain that he will leave his wife where she is intrigued by Baxter but is in love with Sheldrake. The Christmas party scene is one of the key important moments in the film not just because of what Baxter discovers but also what Fran discovers from Sheldrake’s secretary Miss Olsen (Edie Adams) at the party that leaves Fran hurt and humiliated. The film’s second half becomes about Baxter and Kubelik dealing with the hurt and humiliation that both had endured as they deal with the things they’ve done where it would play to some growth in their characters as well as the fact that they could become a couple. Still, Baxter tries to protect himself and Kubelik from others including his neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss (Jack Kruschen) who has been suspicious about what goes on at Baxter’s apartment. Yet, it would take some events and such that would finally make Baxter stand up for himself and do what he feels is right for himself and Kubelik.
Billy Wilder’s direction is very mesmerizing for the way he explores the world of corporate offices where he uses the widescreen format and wide shots to get a sense of what goes on while putting in the middle of that shot is Baxter though he’s seen among the hordes of people in their desks. The use of dolly and tracking shots allows Wilder to create a world that is very go-go-go and busy but also quite raucous at times such as the Christmas party sequence where there’s a lot of fun that goes on and Wilder also knows where to put key important characters in the frame to help advance the story and such. Even as he creates some intimate moments in the offices such as the scene between Baxter and Kubelik where he discovers who that broken mirror belongs to. It’s among these very intense dramatic moments while Wilder also infuses a lot of melancholia to these moments to showcase the humiliation that Baxter and Kubelik both endure.
While there are some moments of humor in the film that includes Baxter’s superiors acting silly on their way to the apartment with their mistresses along with moments of how Baxter reacts to his situation. There is also a mixture of melancholia in some of the comedic moments that Baxter endures such as the scene where he’s at a bar drowning his sorrows with another woman. Yet, Wilder maintains that sense of loneliness that occurs in the story as he makes Baxter’s apartment as a key character in the story where it’s a place that represents his own lonely persona. Things liven up a bit once Kubelik stays there briefly following a very intense moment that plays into the growing bond she would have with Baxter. Even as he would maintain control about what he should do with his life and his apartment as well as what he wants for Kubelik who is stuck in her love for Sheldrake as well as her bad luck with men. Overall, Wilder creates a very engaging yet triumphant film about loneliness, humility, and overcoming all of that.
Cinematographer Joseph LaShelle does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the sense of despair the protagonists endure as well as the use of lights in the offices and as well as the low-key look in Baxter‘s apartment. Editor Daniel Mandell does excellent work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play out some of the film‘s drama and humor as well as sequence where Sheldrake and Kubelik are in Baxter‘s apartment as he is in the bar drowning his sorrows. Art director Alexandre Trauner and set decorator Edward G. Boyer do fantastic work with the look of Baxter’s apartment that is very intimate and sort of a mess to represent Baxter’s loneliness while the look of the offices and places where he works is also unique to display more of his sense of isolation.
The sound work of Gordon E. Sawyer is superb for capturing some of the chaos in some of the moments in the office such as the Christmas party as well as the intimate moments in Baxter‘s apartment. The film’s music by Adolph Deutsch is amazing for its somber yet flourishing score with its mixture of orchestral and jazz music to play with some of the film’s melancholia while the soundtrack consists an array of music from jazz, classical, and pop.
The film’s cast is just splendid for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Joyce Jameson as the woman Baxter meets at the bar after the Christmas party, Johnny Seven as Kubelik’s brother-in-law, Hal Smith as the drunk Santa Claus in the bar, Naomi Stevens as Dr. Dreyfuss’ wife, Hope Holiday as Baxter’s suspicious landlord, and Joan Shawlee as one of the mistresses of Baxter’s superiors. In the roles of Baxter’s four superiors, there’s David Lewis, Ray Walston, Willard Waterman, and David White as they each give very funny performances as men who take advantage of Baxter’s generosity in order to have fun with their mistresses. Jack Kruschen is excellent as Dr. Dreyfuss as a neighbor of Baxter who is suspicious about what goes on in Baxter's apartment as he also tells Baxter to grow up and be a man.
Edie Adams is wonderful as Sheldrake’s secretary Miss Olsen who accidentally reveals to Kubelik about Sheldrake’s previous affairs at the Christmas party as she would also play a part in trying to bring Sheldrake down over his affairs with other women. Fred MacMurray is great as Jeff Sheldrake as a man who likes to maintain control over his affairs as he is also someone who is a bit cruel to the way he treats Kubelik as he is also quite slimy towards Baxter as it’s definitely one of his finest performances.
Finally, there’s the duo of Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in astonishing performances in their respective roles of C.C. Baxter and Fran Kubelik. MacLaine brings this presence that is very upbeat and playful in the way she interacts with Baxter early on though there’s a fragility to her that is just compelling as she deals with heartbreak and disappointment. Lemmon is very funny in some of his reactions but also has this melancholia that is just endearing where he has this physicality that is just amazing to watch in the way he deals with humility as well as his actions for what he’s doing. Lemmon and MacLaine have this chemistry that is just undeniable in the way they make each other laugh or bond over the pain they deal with in their loneliness as they are some of the best highlights of the film.
The Apartment is a magnificent film from Billy Wilder that includes incredible performances from Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. The film is truly an engaging and thoughtful piece on the world of loneliness and ambition that plays into the troubled morality of two people lost in their own chaos as they bond through that pain. It’s also one of the most charming and touching romantic comedies that strays from convention with characters that audiences can root for. In the end, The Apartment is an outstanding film from Billy Wilder.
Billy Wilder Films: (Mauvaise Graine) - (The Major and the Minor) - (Five Graves to Cairo) - Double Indemnity - The Lost Weekend - (The Emperor Waltz) - (A Foreign Affair) - Sunset Boulevard - Ace in the Hole - Stalag 17 - (Sabrina) - (The Seven Year Itch) - (The Spirit of St. Louis) - (Love in the Afternoon) - (Witness for the Prosecution) - Some Like It Hot - (One, Two, Three) - (Irma La Douce) - (Kiss Me, Stupid) - (The Fortune Cookie) - (The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes) - (Avanti!) - (The Front Page) - (Fedora) - (Buddy Buddy)
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/8/05 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski, Being There is the story about a simpleton gardener with no background and no past as he encounters the wife of a political figure as his colleagues mistake him for someone who could be a political adviser. Directed by Hal Ashby and screenplay by Kosinski and Robert C. Jones, the film is a continuation of Ashby's themes of naive men who step into a world they don't know about only to be confused as the focus is on a middle-aged gardener named Chance played by Peter Sellers. Also starring Shirley MacLaine, Jack Warden, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, and Richard Basehart. Being There is a witty yet captivating film from Hal Ashby.
For all of his life, Chance is just a simple-minded gardener whose only knowledge of the outside world was through radio and later television as he works for a rich benefactor while always being in the care of a maid named Louise (Ruth Attaway). When the benefactor dies and Louise leaves, Chance is suddenly forced out of his home by two real estate agents in Sally Hayes (Fran Brill) and Thomas Franklin (David Clennon) where he takes a step into the outside world for the very first time with a suitcase, an umbrella, and a remote control. While walking around Washington D.C. where he stops at a TV shop, he is accidentally hit by a car owned by the wife of a millionaire in Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). She takes Chance to her home where she misinterprets his name as Chauncey Gardiner where she takes him to Dr. Robert Allenby (Richard Dysart) to look over Chance as he's is the caretaker for the ailing millionaire Benjamin Rand (Melvyn Douglas).
With Chance at the home of the Rands to recover from his injury, he meets Benjamin where the two have a conversation where Ben mistakes Chance's simple ideas about gardening as political rhetoric that intrigues the millionaire who also has political connections. Chance becomes an inspiration for Ben while Eve is also in awe of Chance though he does nothing but watch TV as Ben later introduces Chance to President (Jack Warden) who is impressed by Chance's words as the President also mistakes it for political rhetoric. With Chance becoming a political messiah of sorts as he becomes a celebrity of sorts though only a few know who he really is. With Ben nearing death, Eve accompanies Chance to a party where a Soviet ambassador (Richard Basehart) believes that Chance's statements are influenced by Russian literature. With Eve falling for Chance as political figures try to make their move as the President's approval rating is in decline. Dr. Allenby makes a discovery of who Chance really is as no one is aware about everything Chance had been saying all along.
While the film has a softness that a more hardline audience will find to be overly sentimental, Ashby delivers a solid direction in finding the humor and idiocy of politics and the media itself. Ashby is a master of satire but here, he chooses a simple protagonist whose lighthearted innocence and mild-mannered intelligence who looks into the world of our eyes. Yet, it's the kind of protagonist that most films would expect since he is a childlike man who doesn't know very much. In many ways, Ashby is Chance because he likes to watch. It's probably the most personal film of Ashby's career, especially since it's about a decade that he has watched all of these years fall into decline. It's really a film about a man watching a time, idealism, and a nation going into decline with the world itself not getting any better with no power or mind to do anything.
The strength of the film also goes to its script by its novelist Jerry Kosinski who brings in a mix of humor and melancholia. The film also attacks the cynicism of the 1970s after the fallout of Vietnam and Watergate with a hope for optimism. Yet the film's surreal and memorable ending shows a lot of things including the end of an American innocence to be replaced by something worse as a major character dies with the film's final line of "Life is a state of mind". In many ways, this story is years ahead of its time. Especially since the state of the nation that we live in is led by not just a soulless idiot but one who doesn’t have the honesty or heart that Chance the Gardner possesses. The script isn't just satire but an attack of everything that the 70s represented in the course of its behavior and political rhetoric which made the 80s to be a decade of mindless decadence. There, Ashby and Kosinski capture the future just before it was about to happen.
Helping Ashby in bringing is quirky yet melancholic vision is cinematographer Caleb Deschanel who brings a richness and elegance to many of the film's interior scenes that captures the world of upper-class society and its alien-like tone to the eyes of Chance. Production designer Michael Haller and art director James Schoppe help capture the film’s dark-colored look of wooden furniture and look that shows the upper class world with the wood being the only thing that Chance seems to know. Even the elegant costumes by May Routh shows that richness, notably on how well-dressed that Chance is since he's the only who seems to be comfortable in those close. The film's music score by Johnny Mandel has a sad, melancholia since it conveys the innocence of Chance but also the doom he is about to face when he is about to become something he's unaware of.
The casting in the film is awe inspiring with some nice performances from Fran Brill and David Clennon as the baffled estates people who are dumbfounded by a simpleton with Richard Basehart bringing in a slightly, humorous performance as the Russian premier. Ruth Attaway stands out as the maid Louise with her maternal presence for Chance and as she sees him, she displays the cynicism of how the media and culture acts towards Chance as a messiah. Richard Dysart is excellent in the role of Ben Rand’s ever-suspecting doctor who wants to know the truth but doesn’t want to harm anyone in a masterfully executed performance. Jack Warden brings humor to his role as the President in a performance that is expertly handled as a man of power with a lot of flaws that is handled realistically. Melvyn Douglas gives a fascinating performance as a dying man who finds hope in Chance while realizing about his own fate and regrets.
Shirley MacLaine gives an understated and elegant performance as a woman who is about to become a widow while finding new hope in a man like Chance. MacLaine brings a sweetness to her performance while channeling one of her most hilarious moments in one of the film's funniest scenes. Then there's Peter Sellers in what is probably one of the best performances ever assembled on the screen. Sellers brings a restrained, subtle performance as a simpleton who isn't very smart but isn't a bad man either. He brings a childlike innocence and a well-mannered tone to a man who doesn't have much to offer or say anything profound but his kindness is so enchanting, you can't help but fall for a man like Chance. Sellers could've gone for slapstick for this role but instead, he shows a soul that is filled with sadness and heartbreak in each frame. Even in the film's final moments as he becomes unaware of what is laying ahead for him. It's one of the most spellbinding performances of the decade.
Being There is a sensational and extraordinary film from Hal Ashby that features a mesmerizing performance from Peter Sellers. Along with great supporting work from Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Richard Dysart, and Jack Warden. It's definitely a very witty yet touching film that is both satirical but also heartwarming in its subject matter and characters. In the end, Being There is a wonderful and entertaining film from Hal Ashby.
Hal Ashby Films: The Landlord - Harold and Maude - The Last Detail - Shampoo - Bound for Glory - Coming Home - Second-Hand Hearts - (Lookin’ to Get Out) - (Let’s Spend the Night Together) - (Solo Trans) - (The Slugger’s Wife) - 8 Million Ways to Die
© thevoid99 2012
