Based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders is the story of two young greasers who go on the run following a self-defense murder of a drunken rich kid in Tulsa as they deal with their roles in the world. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and screenplay by Kathleen Rowell, the film is coming-of-age story involving teenage kids from poor/working class environments dealing with the prejudice of their world as well as seeing if there’s a good life outside of these restrictions. Starring C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Leif Garrett, Darren Dalton, Glenn Withrow, Michelle Meyrink, and Tom Waits. The Outsiders is an enchanting and evocative film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Set in the early 1960s in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the film revolves around a rivalry between two different gangs from different parts of the town that represent the social divide in the city. From the south of Tulsa are a group of kids from the working class/poor section of the town known as the greasers who wear denim, leather, and have grease on their hair while the kids from the north of Tulsa are the Socs who are rich kids who have their life set by their parents, wear letterman jackets, and posh clothes. In the middle of this conflict are a couple of young greasers who sneak into a drive-in movie venue where they befriend a young woman as they would later have an ugly encounter with her drunken boyfriend that ended with one of them killing a Soc in self-defense. With the help of another greaser, the two young men leave Tulsa and hide out where they deal with their roles as greasers as well as wondering if there’s more to offer as they encounter heroism as well as tragedy.
The film’s screenplay by Kathleen Rowell (that was largely re-written by Francis Ford Coppola) focuses on three young greasers in Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell), Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio), and Dallas “Dally” Winston (Matt Dillon) who spend a lot of time bumming around Tulsa as Curtis is still reeling from the death of his parents some years ago as he lives with his older brothers Darrel (Patrick Swayze) and Sodapop (Rob Lowe) where there’s tension Ponyboy and Darrel. Johnny is also from a dysfunctional family home as his friendship with Ponyboy is very close where they end up having to fight off a gang of Socs led by Bob Sheldon (Leif Garrett) who is angry over the fact that his girlfriend Cherry Valance (Diane Lane) befriended Ponyboy and Johnny as they didn’t play up the stereotypes of the greasers. Much of the film’s second act is set outside of Tulsa where Johnny and Ponyboy hide in an abandoned church where they change their look and view on the world until they reunite with Dally who gives them news about what they did to Sheldon.
Much of the film’s second half isn’t just about the act of heroism from Johnny, Ponyboy, and a reluctant Dally but also the fallout of Sheldon’s murder leading to a climatic rumble between the greasers and Socs with fellow greasers Two-Bit Matthews (Emilio Estevez), Steve Randle (Tom Cruise), and Tim Shepard (Glenn Withrow) helping out the Curtis brothers and other greasers with a sudden appearance from Dally. Yet, it’s the aftermath of the rumble that would change things as it relate to the reality of the world and the sacrifice that Johnny made into his act of heroism.
Coppola’s direction is intoxicating for not just shooting the film on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma and nearby locations but also in emphasizing some elements of realism into the film. There are also elements of styles in the compositions as the film and ends with Ponyboy Curtis reflecting on a memory and writing it all down on paper as if a book is coming to life. The usage of the locations doesn’t just play into this life in a 1960s town in the Midwest where there isn’t much to do but there is also this air of social divide as Coppola doesn’t dwell into the environment that the Socs live in as he prefers to show some of the dirtier side of the city including drive-ins, local shops, and other places that greasers would hang out at. While he would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations including a crane shot of sorts for the scene where Ponyboy and Johnny are confronted by Bob and his friends at the greasers’ turf.
Coppola would also create some stylish shots in the compositions in the way characters interact with one another that would include scenes where Ponyboy is presented in the background and Johnny in the foreground in a medium shot during the film’s third act in a chilling yet somber scene. There are also these dreamy moments during a key scene in the second act where Coppola create this shot of Ponyboy talking to Johnny about some of the stuff he read and this idea of purity and innocence that is presented in a golden shot of sorts. It’s an innocence that Ponyboy would struggle to carry towards the third act as it also play into some of the fallacies of masculinity as it relates to Dally who always act tough and thinks he’s smarter than everyone. Yet, he is unprepared for not just this reality in loss but also the reality that he’s still young who is in need of growing up. Overall, Coppola creates a majestic yet touching film about a gang of teenage greasers dealing with growing pains and the realities of their environment including the social divide.
Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors for some of the film’s daytime and nighttime exteriors as well as the usage of golden sunlight for a few key scenes as it play into Ponyboy’s innocence. Editor Anne Goursaud does excellent work with the editing as it help play into some the drama with some stylish dissolves and other cuts that also help play into some of the film’s energetic moments. Production designer Dean Tavoularis and set decorator Gary Fettis do fantastic work with the look of the abandoned church that Ponyboy and Johnny hide at outside of Tulsa as well as some of the interiors of the home where the Curtis brothers lived in.
The special visual effects work of Robert Swarthe is terrific for a lone sequence that relates to the assault of Ponyboy and Johnny by the Socs as it has an element of surrealism. Sound designer Richard Beggs does amazing work with the sound in creating sound textures for Ponyboy’s dream sequence as well as the natural atmosphere of some of the film’s locations. The film’s music by Carmine Coppola is wonderful for its rich and somber orchestral score that play into the dramatic elements of the film while the soundtrack features a couple of songs in the film from Them and a song by Stevie Wonder that was co-written with Carmine Coppola.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it include some notable small roles and appearances from novelist S.E. Hinton as a nurse, William Smith as a store clerk Dally tries to threaten late in the film, Gailard Sartain as man that Ponyboy briefly talks to following the act of heroism, Sofia Coppola as a young girl asking for change, Tom Waits as a guardian of sorts for Dally in Buck Merrill, Glenn Withrow as a fellow greaser in Tim Shepard, Michelle Meyrink as Cherry’s friend Marcia, and Darren Dalton as a Soc named Randy Anderson who was Bob’s friend as he would have a conversation with Ponyboy during the third act stripping away the image of a Soc. Leif Garrett is terrific in his small role as the Soc Bob Sheldon who was Cherry’s boyfriend who berates her while being drunk as he has an immense disdain towards the greasers.
Diane Lane is fantastic as Cherry Valance as a mid-upper class girl who is part of the Socs though she dispels its stereotypes upon befriending Ponyboy and trying to help him over what happened. Tom Cruise and Emilio Estevez are excellent in their respective roles as Steve Randle and Two-Bit Matthews as a couple of greasers who are friends of the Curtis brothers with Randle as a tough kid who works with Sodapop while Matthews is a slacker of sorts who does watch over Ponyboy and Johnny during an encounter with the Socs. Rob Lowe is superb as Sodapop Curtis as the middle brother who works at a gas station with Randle as he is always trying to mediate between Darrel and Ponyboy. Patrick Swayze is brilliant as Darrel Curtis as the elder brother of Sodapop and Ponyboy who is trying to be responsible despite being too hard on Ponyboy.
Ralph Macchio is amazing as Johnny Cade as Ponyboy’s best friend who is a sensible person as he deals with what he had to do to save Ponyboy as well as pondering his own place in the world. C. Thomas Howell is marvelous as Ponyboy Curtis as a 14-year old greaser who is coping with loss as well as pondering a life outside of being a greaser as it’s a performance full of innocence and grace. Finally, there’s Matt Dillon in a phenomenal performance as Dally Winston as a young yet tough greaser who is cool but lacking in sensitivity as he is always tough where he tries to do whatever he can to protect Ponyboy and Johnny.
The Outsiders is a remarkable film from Francis Ford Coppola. Featuring an ensemble cast of future stars as well as gorgeous visuals, compelling themes of innocence and identity, and a lush musical score by Carmine Coppola. It’s a film that is engaging as well as displaying elements of realism and fantasy into the idea of growing pains in early 1960s Tulsa. In the end, The Outsiders is an incredible film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Francis Ford Coppola Films: (Tonight for Sure) – (The Bellboy and the Playgirls) – Dementia 13 - (You’re a Big Boy Now) – (Finian’s Rainbow) – (The Rain People) – The Godfather - The Conversation - The Godfather Pt. II - Apocalypse Now/Apocalypse Now Redux - One from the Heart - Rumble Fish - The Cotton Club - (Peggy Sue Got Married) – (Garden of Stone) – (Tucker: The Man & His Dreams) – New York Stories-Life Without Zoe - The Godfather Pt. III - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (Jack) – (The Rainmaker) – (Youth Without Youth) – Tetro - (Twixt)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan, The Beguiled is the story of a wounded Union soldier who is taken in to an all-girl’s school in the American South where his presence would cause a disruption among the girls and women at the school. Written for the screen and directed by Sofia Coppola, the film is different take on novel as opposed to the 1971 film directed by Don Siegel as it is more about women giving into temptation and girls dealing with the presence of a man during the American Civil War. Starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice, Oona Laurence, Emma Howard, and Addison Riecke. The Beguiled is a rich yet eerie film from Sofia Coppola.
Set in 1864 Virginia during the American Civil War at an all-girl’s school that is isolated from the battlefields and towns in the South, the film is a simple story in which a young girl from that school found a wounded Union soldier as she takes him in to the school where he’s to be healed from his wounds. Yet, his presence at the school would mark a change as the film is more about the life of these women at a school where they live in a very remote and isolated environment away from the battlefield while being aware of what is happening outside of the school. Even as there would be Confederate troops stopping by every once in a while to check up on the school as its headmistress Miss Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman) is running the school as she knows the procedures of what to do when a Yankee is at her home while a couple of the students would be lookouts.
Sofia Coppola’s screenplay, which also feature bits of the 1971 screenplay by Albert Maltz and Irene Kamp that was directed by Don Siegel, definitely goes a different angle with the story though the plot does remain the same. Notably as Coppola chooses to focus more on Miss Farnsworth, the teacher Edwina Morrow (Kirsten Dunst), and the five remaining students at the school as many of them had fled while the slaves who had help run the house had fled as well. These seven women are just trying to live their lives and run the house as one of the young girls in Amy (Oona Laurence) is picking mushrooms where she would find Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell). Cpl. McBurney is an interesting character as an Irish immigrant who only served in the Union for money once he arrived as he hopes to go west as he intrigues both Miss Farnsworth and Morrow as there’s elements of temptation for those two women
Miss Farnsworth is definitely a maternal figure of sorts for all of the girls as she is just trying to do her job as she is trying not to give in and do what needs to be done. In Morrow, here’s a woman that is quite worldly but has a melancholia to her having been cooped up in the house for so long as she sees Cpl. McBurney as a way out of the school. Then there’s the teenage student Alicia (Elle Fanning) who is fascinated by Cpl. McBurney as she would try to seduce him as it would set things off at the house. Especially with the second half of the story as it’s tone as this calm and carefree story would become something much darker. Notably as it play into all of these elements of temptation and lust as well as the attempt to return things to normal as it involves a sense of danger and suspense. Another aspect of Coppola’s script is the attention to detail she has in some of the dialogue as it help play into some of the plot schematics as well as in the characters as a couple of them are suspicious of Cpl. McBurney’s presence.
Coppola’s direction is truly ravishing in not just creating a film that is filled with gorgeous imagery but also create something that is quite claustrophobic in its setting as well as in using the 1:66:1 aspect ratio which is an offbeat look for the film. Shot on location in Louisiana with many of the interiors of the house shot at the actual home of actress Jennifer Coolidge. Coppola uses the many exteriors to play into a world that is quite detached from the action of the American Civil War as Coppola’s usage of wide shots would help play into that world as well as knowing where to use the wide shots for scenes that are crucial to the plot. Many of the interior shots in the film would have Coppola use a lot of medium shots with some wide shots and close-ups as it aspect ratio help play into the film’s claustrophobic tone as well as show a world that is very orderly with everyone having a role to play.
Coppola would create moments that are intriguing such as the conversations Cpl. McBurney would have with Miss Farnsworth and Morrow as she knows where to frame them and play up the sense of temptation that looms throughout the film. By the time the film reaches that shift in tone to play into some of the suspense and heightened drama. Even as Coppola knows where to use a close-up or a medium shot in certain moments as create something that is very suspenseful without the need of a music score to build it up. Notably in a scene where everyone is having dinner as the dialogue would play into things that help add to the suspense as it is Coppola’s attention to detail that is so important which makes these little moments in the film so important. Overall, Coppola creates an evocative yet chilling film about a group of girls and women bringing in a wounded Union soldier during the American Civil War.
Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd does incredible work with the cinematography as its emphasis on natural lighting doesn’t just play into much of the exteriors set in the day and night as well as some of the daytime interiors but also in the usage of candles as the source of light for many of the interior scenes at night as they’re just gorgeous to look at. Editor Sarah Flack does excellent work in the editing with its usage of jump-cuts in some scenes as well as allowing shots to continue for a bit rather than go into a straight fast-cut as it is one of the film’s highlights. Production designer Anne Ross, with set decorator Amy Beth Silver and art director Jennifer Dehghan, does amazing work with the look of some of the interiors at the Coolidge house as well as provide the right kind of furniture and props that were used in those times. Costume designer Stacey Battat does fantastic work with the look of the white dresses the girls and women wear as well as Cpl. Burney’s uniform as well as the formal gowns that the girls and women wear for the special dinners.
The makeup work of Stacy Kelly does terrific work with the makeup the girls would wear for the formal dinners while Elvis Jones would provide the look of Cpl. McBurney’s wounded leg. Visual effects supervisor Joseph Oberle does nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it relate to the Cpl. McBurney’s wounded leg as it would also serve as a key moment for the film’s third act. Sound designer Richard Beggs, along with co-sound editor Roy Waldspurger, does brilliant work with the sound from the way cannons and gunfire are heard from afar to the sparse moments at the house as well as some of the most chilling moments in the film. The film’s music mainly feature music that is performed on location whether it’s sung or performed in a music room as it’s mainly the traditional music of the time while the score is essentially a variation of Claudio Monteverdi’s Magnificat performed by Phoenix with arrangements by Laura Karpman as it only appears sparingly in moments that are very quiet.
The casting by Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels is wonderful as it feature a few notable small roles and appearances from Wayne Pere as a Confederate captain, Matt Story as a Confederate soldier, and Joel Albin as a cavalry officer as they appear briefly to check on Miss Farnsworth and her school. Addison Riecke is superb as Marie as one of the young students who takes a liking to Cpl. McBurney as she would help him while Emma Howard is fantastic as Emily who is a bit suspicious of Cpl. McBurney as she is just trying to do her duties while lamenting the loneliness she and the girls are dealing with in their environment. Oona Laurence is brilliant as Amy as the girl who would find Cpl. McBurney as she would take a liking to him while raising concerns about what would happen to him. Angourie Rice is excellent as Jane as the prim student that is also suspicious of Cpl. McBurney as her own father is an officer for the Confederate while being a very talented musician.
Elle Fanning is amazing as Alicia as the teenage student who takes a great liking towards Cpl. McBurney as she sees him as an object of desire where she would vie with Miss Farnsworth and Morrow for his affections. Kirsten Dunst is incredible as Edwina Morrow as a teacher who lived in towns and know a lot about the world yet is someone that is quite melancholic who keep things to herself as she falls for Cpl. McBurney in the hopes she would get out of the school. Colin Farrell is remarkable as Corporal John McBurney as an Irish immigrant who joins the Union for money as he becomes wounded and later cared for by Miss Farnsworth, Morrow, and the students where he tries to return the favor only expressing his fear in returning to war but also would do things that play into his own desires. Finally, there’s Nicole Kidman in a phenomenal performance as Miss Martha Farnsworth as a school headmistress who is a deeply religious woman that is trying to maintain order as she copes with the temptation of Cpl. McBurney’s presence as well as make sense of the chaos that would come later as Kidman definitely sells that sense of conflict and torment that shows a woman who has been through a lot but is trying to maintain some sense and order in her school.
The Beguiled is a tremendous film from Sofia Coppola. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, intoxicating sound work, masterful editing, and a hypnotic music soundtrack. The film is definitely a very unusual yet entrancing suspense-drama that explore women dealing with temptation by a man’s presence as well as an exploration of innocence loss during one of the tumultuous periods in American history. In the end, The Beguiled is a spectacular film from Sofia Coppola.
Sofia Coppola Films: Lick the Star - The Virgin Suicides - Lost in Translation - Marie Antoinette - Somewhere - The Bling Ring - A Very Murray Christmas
Sofia Coppola Soundtracks: Air-The Virgin Suicides OST - The Virgin Suicies OST - Lost in Translation OST - Marie Antoinette OST - (The Bling Ring OST)
Related: The Beguiled (1971 film) - The Video & Ads 1993-2008 - Favorite Films #1: Lost in Translation - The Auteurs #1: Sofia Coppola - Favorite Films #4: Somewhere - 10 Reasons Why Lost in Translation is the Best Film Ever...
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Sofia Coppola and written by Coppola, Bill Murray, and Mitch Glazer, A Very Murray Christmas is a musical comedy where Bill Murray hosts a Christmas special at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City as a deadly snowstorm arrives where he wonders if anyone will show up. With Murray as himself, the special is an offbeat yet lively take on the world of variety specials that is about the holidays and Murray himself. Also starring George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Paul Shaffer, Maya Rudolph, Michael Cera, David Johansen, Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Jenny Lewis, Rashida Jones, Dmitri Dmitrov, Julie White, and the band Phoenix. The result is a fun and heartwarming TV special from Sofia Coppola.
It’s Christmas Eve at New York City’s Carlyle Hotel where Bill Murray is hosting a live Christmas special as the city has been hit by a snowstorm where none of the guests he wanted to have including George Clooney have arrived. Thus, the day becomes a nightmare where Murray goes into a full meltdown where he desperately tries to save his TV special while drowning his sorrows at the bar with friend and music director Paul Shaffer. Along the way, a lot of hilarity and singing ensue with those working at the bar and a few guests saddened by the snowstorm. It’s a simple story where Murray just tries to get into the Xmas spirit while dealing with talent agents, producers, and all sorts of people trying to kiss his ass. Still, there is a lot that happens where Murray and whoever is around him play songs whether it’s traditional or contemporary Xmas songs and songs that don’t fit into that mold.
Sofia Coppola’s direction is quite intimate but also gorgeous for the way she presents the rooms and bar at the Carlyle Hotel which is a character in the special. With the aid of cinematographer John Tanzer and production designer Anne Ross, Coppola ensures the low-key look of the hotel as well as provide a sense of whimsical comedy in Murray’s attempt to stage this TV special. Coppola’s usage of close-ups and medium shots maintain that sense of intimacy while many of the musical moments are either improvised or planned. With the aid of music director Paul Shaffer, the songs that are sung range from traditional songs and holiday standards along with contemporary songs that are either for the holidays or a song like Todd Rundgren’s I Saw the Light . With the aid of sound editor Max Green, the sound of noises in the kitchen and bar helps with the atmosphere as well as Sarah Flack’s editing where it is straightforward to play into what is happening.
The musical numbers that are improvisational do give the special a very lively feel where it has this sense of not knowing what is going to happen while it does have an air of fantasy where the look of it is brighter and colorful thanks to Tanzer’s stylish lighting, Flack’s upbeat editing, the art direction, and Stacey Battat’s playful costume design. It adds to what Murray would’ve wanted in his Xmas special as it sort of mocks the idea of the variety show but also have some fun with it. Even as it is all about celebrating Christmas with friends and colleagues despite all of the chaos that occurs.
The special’s cast include appearances from Dimitri Dimitrov as Murray’s assistant, Jenny Lewis as a singing waitress, the French-indie band Phoenix as chefs, David Johansen as the bartender, Maya Rudolph as the lounge singer, Amy Poehler and Julie White as Murray’s producers of the special, Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones as an engaged couple that were supposed to be married at the hotel, and Michael Cera as a talent agent who is desperate to have Murray as his client.
As themselves, George Clooney, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus, and Paul Shaffer all bring their own sense of charm to their appearances with Clooney providing some nice vocals on Santa Claus Want Some Lovin’ while Rock plays a reluctant player in Murray’s attempt to revive his TV special. Finally, there’s Bill Murray who brings a very diva-esque approach to himself as someone that is just losing it over the failure of his show where he tries to get himself in the Xmas spirit where it’s Murray sort of making fun of himself and his persona while being so fun to watch.
A Very Murray Christmas is a phenomenal TV special from Sofia Coppola that is about the brilliance that is Bill Murray. Fans of the actor will no doubt get a chance to see the man making fun of himself while trying to put on a fun Xmas special that manages to be entertaining and more. In the end, A Very Murray Christmas is a sensational TV special from Sofia Coppola.
Sofia Coppola Films: Lick the Star - The Virgin Suicides - Lost in Translation - Marie Antoinette - Somewhere - The Bling Ring - The Beguiled (2017 film)
Sofia Coppola Soundtracks: Air-The Virgin Suicides OST - The Virgin Suicides OST - Lost in Translation OST - Marie Antoinette OST - (The Bling Ring OST)
Related: The Ads & Videos 1993-2008 - The Auteurs #1: Sofia Coppola - Favorite Films #1: Lost in Translation - Favorite Films #4: Somewhere - 10 Reasons Why Lost in Translation is the Best Film Ever...
© thevoid99 2015
(Played Out of Competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival) Written and directed by Roman Coppola, CQ is the story of a young filmmaker/editor who is asked by producers to finish a sci-fi film for them as he would fall in love with the film’s leading lady. It’s a film where a young man is given the chance to make a movie while he copes with his own personal life and his own desires to make personal films. Starring Jeremy Davies, Angela Lindvall, Elodie Bouchez, Giancarlo Giannini, Massimo Ghini, Jason Schwartzman, Billy Zane, and Gerard Depardieu. CQ is a stylish yet exuberant film from Roman Coppola.
Set in late 1960s France, the film revolves around a young American filmmaker who is working as an editor/second unit director for a revered filmmaker into sci-fi story until he is eventually asked to take over and finish the film once the original director is fired. There, he becomes fascinated by the film’s leading lady while trying to make his own personal films based on his own confessions about his life as his relationship with his French girlfriend starts to fall apart. It’s a film that sort of spoofs sci-fi films but also plays into the world of 1960s film culture and studio politics as some of it is based on real-life incidents and battles of the film’s writer/director Roman Coppola’s father Francis Ford Coppola.
Coppola’s screenplay plays into the conflicts and desires of its lead Paul Ballard (Jeremy Davies) who is happy in taking the chance to work for the director Andrezej (Gerard Depardieu) on this sci-fi film called Codename: Dragonfly that is starring an American newcomer by the name of Valentine (Angela Lindvall). Yet, when Andrezej is fired from the production by producer Enzo (Giancarlo Giannini), Paul ponders about what to do as the film stock and cameras he borrows to make his own film which is a documentary about himself. Even as he is eventually asked to take over for Andrezej to finish the film as it would be the moment where he is given the chance to make a film. Yet, the script plays into Paul’s conflict about what he wants to do as well as honor the intentions of the man whom he has replaced. Even as he copes with studio politics and his own personal life along with a saboteur who is trying to stop Paul from finishing the film.
Coppola’s direction is quite stylish not just in his varied approach to the films that were being made at the time but also in displaying the idea of what it was like in the world of films in the late 1960s. Notably as he would model much of the ideas of the sci-fi movie based on other film as it does pay tribute to films like Barbarella while Paul’s own film is definitely inspired by the French New Wave. Coppola brings in a lot of unique camera angles and compositions to the film while much of it is shot in Paris with some of it shot on location in Rome. Coppola’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are evident with a few wide shots that is used as he plays into the world of filmmaking as well as a man coming to grips with his own life. Even as his relationship with his stewardess girlfriend Marlene (Elodie Bouchez) is at a crossroads as she would raise questions about the film he’s making. It plays into Paul coming to terms with what he wants as a filmmaker but also as a person as he also deals with the blurring between reality and fantasy. Overall, Coppola creates a very witty yet engaging film about a young man getting the chance to make a film.
Cinematographer Robert Yeoman does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography as it is very colorful for some of the scenes made for the film-within-the-film as well as its usage of lights for some of the interiors and nighttime exterior scenes. Editors Leslie Jones does brilliant work with the editing as it is very stylish with its jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, and other moments that play into Paul‘s point-of-view as an editor. Production designer Dean Tavoularis, with art directors Luc Chalon and Oshin Yeghiazariantz and set decorator Philippe Tulure, does fantastic work with the design of the Dragonfly character‘s spaceship and the set of the film as well as the apartment Paul and Marlene live in and other sets to play into the world of film.
Costume designer Judy Shrewsbury does excellent work with the costumes to create that look of late 1960s cinema as well as the clothes of the Dragonfly character. Sound designer Richard Beggs and sound editor Michael Kirchberger do superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created for the film-within-a-film as well as what goes on during a production as well as the sound of old cameras. The film’s music by the French electronic band Mellow is wonderful for its playful and 60s-based score with elements of electronic and pop music in the mix while music supervisor Brian Reitzell brings in a fun soundtrack consisting of Euro-pop songs from Claude Francois, Jacques Dutronc, Paul Piot, Francesco Pennino, and Antonello Paliotti.
The casting by Blythe Cappello, Beatrice Kruger, and Juliette Menager is great as it features small appearances from Romain Duris as a young filmmaker, production designer Dean Tavoularis as a viewer of the unfinished film Andrezej is making, Sofia Coppola as Enzo’s mistress in Rome, L.M. Kit Carson as a fantasy critic observing what Paul is making, Natalia Vodianova as a model-girlfriend of filmmaker Felix de Marco, Silvio Muccino as an editor friend of Paul in Pippo, and Dean Stockwell in a terrific one-scene performance as Paul’s father who visits him at an airport where he talks about a dream that would relate to a possible doppelganger of Paul. John Phillip Law is wonderful as a corporate figurehead in the movie as he would hire Dragonfly to retrieve a weapon while Billy Zane is superb as that movie’s antagonist Mr. E as a revolutionary trying to bring peace and love back to the world.
Jason Schwartzman is hilarious as the kitsch filmmaker Felix de Marco as he is a character that is sort of based on Roger Corman as a young filmmaker who makes cheesy B-movies. Massimo Ghini is excellent as the producer Fabrizio who is convinced that Paul can save the movie as he is the more reasonable producer who knows talent. Giancarlo Giannini is fantastic as the producer Enzo who is not happy with Andrezej’s initial rough cut as he is full of life as he is based on the producer Dino De Laurentiis. Gerard Depardieu is amazing as the filmmaker Andrezej who believes that his film will be revolutionary until his ideas of how he wants to end it has him fired as some of his antics is based on other filmmakers including Roman Coppola’s father Francis Ford Coppola.
Elodie Bouchez is brilliant as Paul’s girlfriend Marlene who copes with Paul’s obsession with his own film as well as feeling neglected due to Paul’s work. Angela Lindvall is radiant as the actress Valentine who plays the lead role of Dragonfly in the film as she has a striking sensuality for the role while showing someone who is really just a normal American woman. Finally, there’s Jeremy Davies in a remarkable performance as Paul Ballard as a young filmmaker trying to make his own personal film while given the chance to become a filmmaker in finishing this sci-fi film as he copes with his own personal issues and desires as Davies brings a quiet humility into his role.
CQ is a phenomenal film from Roman Coppola that features a great cast led by Jeremy Davies and an ode to the world of 60s cinema. It’s a film that isn’t just exciting and full of humor but it’s also a film that showcases cinema at a crucial time as it goes from the world of studio-based films to the more personal work that would occur in the 1970s. In the end, CQ is a spectacular film from Roman Coppola.
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Coppola and Mario Puzo that is based on Puzo’s The Godfather novel series, The Godfather Part III is the story of Michael Corleone’s attempt to gain legitimacy away from the world of the Mafia as he makes a deal with the Vatican bank only for things to go wrong as it involves an illegitimate nephew who wants to help Corleone in getting rid of his enemies. The third and final part of The Godfather trilogy, the film is an exploration of Michael Corleone’s attempt to find redemption as he also copes with guilt over his past actions as Al Pacino reprises his role as Michael Corleone as he’s joined by Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Richard Bright, and Al Martino reprising their famed roles from previous films. Also starring Andy Garcia, Sofia Coppola, Joe Mantegna, Bridget Fonda, George Hamilton, John Savage, Donal Donnelly, Helmut Berger, and Eli Wallach. The Godfather Part III is a compelling yet flawed film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Set in the late 1970s, the film revolves around Michael Corleone’s attempt to detach himself from the criminal world as he had reinvented himself as a philanthropist while leaving his other business to other people where it begins to fall apart. When an opportunity arises to buy shares from one of the world’s biggest banks in the Vatican’s Immobiliare, Corleone sees it as a chance to become a fully-legitimized businessman. Still, elements of his past dealings with the Mafia come back to haunt him as his enforcer Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna) has been running Corleone’s territory into ruins forcing an illegitimate nephew of Corleone in Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia) to wanting to get control back. Once it becomes clear that there are those trying to get rid of Corleone not just over the deal but for other reasons, Corleone decides to have Vincent take over but with Vincent to disconnect himself with his cousin in Corleone’s daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola).
The film’s screenplay plays into not just Michael Corleone’s attempt to be part of society and make himself legitimate but also carry the guilt over the way he rose into power. Especially as the demons of his past would return in ways he didn’t expect as he is facing new enemies who play by different rules as well as those whom he thought were his friends. The chaos that emerges in Corleone’s life forces him to look towards Vincent for help as well as the advice of his sister Connie (Talia Shire) and longtime bodyguard Al Neri (Richard Bright). It is around the same time that Michael makes amend with his estranged ex-wife Kay (Diane Keaton) after pushing her away from his dealings just as Michael is seeking redemption for his past actions and sins. Still, Corleone copes with issues regarding the Immobiliare as well as the involvement of his old family friend Don Altobello (Eli Wallach) who is the most interesting character in the film. An old man that may seem weak and frail but it’s just a front for who he really is.
It’s among the interesting aspects of the script but there’s elements in that script that involves real-life events such as the death of Pope John Paul I as well as the Papal banking scandal of the early 80s definitely becomes too overwhelming and not as fleshed it for the main story which relates to Michael Corleone’s attempt for legitimacy and redemption. Another aspect of the script that doesn’t work involves the relationship between Mary and Vincent where it does border into the world of incest since the two are related to the Corleone family as Vincent was the illegitimate son of Michael’s eldest brother Sonny as Vincent bears reminders of the father he never really knew. It’s among some of the weak aspects of the script as well as the missed presence of a major character in the series in Tom Hagen, whose character is revealed to have died, as the only connection that is presented in the film is his son Andrew (John Savage) who is a priest that helps Michael in dealing with the Immobiliare.
Francis Ford Coppola’s direction is quite interesting as it’s set in three different places such as Rome, New York City, and Palermo, Sicily as it plays into a world that is changing but things are far more ruthless as they when Michael was ruling the Corleone family. Yet, Coppola retains the look of its predecessors while aiming for something that is rich but also play into a world that is changing where Michael Corleone is unaware that he is on his way out. Coppola’s compositions are still potent in the way he frames some of the drama as well as play into some of the film’s violence which is quite brutal in the way characters are killed and such. Some of the drama has Coppola use some unique medium shots and close-ups as it includes a very mesmerizing scene where Michael makes his first confession in many years to Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone) who is one of the few good men in the world. It’s a scene where Michael Corleone finally reveal his sins as it is also this brief moment where the man could find redemption.
It’s among these very keen moments in the film that works while some of the elements in the film as it relates to Vincent’s attraction towards Mary are among some of the things in the film that doesn’t work. Even as Coppola isn’t able to really do anything new as the film’s climax at an opera house does have an air of theatricality in a montage that does play as a homage to elements of films of the past. Yet, it’s aftermath does have an air of tragedy as it plays to not just the sins of Michael Corleone but also the fact that all of his attempts to get those closest to him away from that dark world aren’t exempt. Especially as he realizes that the world of legitimacy that he thought he was going into is a far more treacherous world than the world of crime. Overall, Coppola creates a very captivating though very uneven film about a mobster’s attempt to find redemption and atone for his sins.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to low-key lights for the scenes at night while maintaining a sepia-drenched visual style that plays to the film’s interior looks for the scenes in day and night as well as maintaining something natural and low-key for the scenes set in Sicily. Editors Walter Murch, Lisa Fruchtman, and Barry Malkin do excellent work with the editing as it does have an air of style in some of the film‘s violent moments while creating some montages as well as some stylish dissolves to play into the drama. Production designer Dean Tavoularis and art director Alex Tavoularis do fantastic work with the set pieces from the New York City penthouse that Michael lives in as well as the look of Little Italy and the home of the Corleone family in Sicily.
Costume designer Milena Canonero does brilliant work with the costumes from the party dress that Mary wore at the opening party scene as well as the suits and dresses the characters wear in some of the posh events at the film. Sound designer Richard Beggs and sound editor Gloria S. Borders do superb work with the film‘s sound to play into some of the violence that includes the chilling helicopter attack scene as well as the moments in the opera house. The film’s music by Carmine Coppola is wonderful as his approach to lush string arrangements and somber horns play into the sense of melancholia that looms over the film along with some very offbeat cuts such as the use of the Jew-harp that serves as a theme for Don Altobello.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson, Jane Jenkins, and Roger Mussenden is terrific as it features small yet notable appearances from Catherine Scorsese as an old lady who likes Vincent, Raf Vallone as Cardinal Lamberto, Enzo Robutti as the an old-school mob leader in Don Luchessi, Vittorio Duse as the old Corleone ally Don Tommasino, Mario Donatone as the assassin Mosca, Helmut Berger as an Immobiliare accountant Frederick Keinszig, John Savage as Father Andrew Hagen who would help Michael with dealings of the Immobiliare, and Al Martino who makes a wonderful appearance as the singer Johnny Fontaine for the film’s opening party scene. Performances from George Hamilton as Michael’s attorney B.J. Harrison isn’t inspiring as Hamilton really does nothing to make his performance memorable while Bridget Fonda is wasted as a photojournalist in Grace Hamilton who sleeps with Vincent as she is nearly killed for that moment. Other small roles from Richard Bright as Michael’s longtime bodyguard Al Neri, Franc D’Ambrosio as Michael’s son Anthony, and Donal Donnelly as Archbishop Gilday are pretty good as they do serve purpose for the story.
Sofia Coppola isn’t as bad that many has said about her performance as Mary Corleone but it is still quite terrible as she is unable to sell the dramatic elements of her performance as she and Andy Garcia don’t really have any chemistry. Joe Mantegna is excellent as Joey Zasa as a Corleone enforcer who has caused trouble for the Corleone crime empire forcing Vincent to take action. Talia Shire is fantastic as Connie Corleone as she becomes more involved in the Corleone family business as she would encourage Vincent to take action. Andy Garcia is superb as Vincent Mancini as the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone who attained his father’s fiery attitude as he becomes Michael’s protégé as he later copes with the role he is given as well as breaking off a relationship with his cousin Mary.
Eli Wallach is phenomenal as Don Altobello as an old family friend of the Corleone family who is a truly complex and fun character as this old man that seems like a harmless person but he’s really one of the most deceitful and cunning antagonists ever presented on film as Wallach is a major highlight of the film. Diane Keaton is brilliant as Kay Adams as Michael’s estranged ex-wife who returns to plea for Michael to let Anthony go while coping with his illness and attempts to find redemption. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a remarkable performance as Michael Corleone as he brings a lot of charm but also a weight of melancholia to the role as a man who copes with the guilt of his actions as he tries to become a legitimate businessman only to realize how corrupt it is as he searches for redemption and atonement for his sins.
The Godfather Part III is a stellar yet underwhelming film from Francis Ford Coppola. While it does feature excellent performance from Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna, and Eli Wallach along with some fine technical contributions. It’s a film that has some unique elements in its theme of redemption but is boggled down by some uninspired storylines and other things that really hinders the film though it is still an engaging one. In the end, The Godfather Part III is a superb film from Francis Ford Coppola.
Francis Ford Coppola Films: (Tonight for Sure) - (The Bellboy and the Playgirls) - Dementia 13 - (You’re a Big Boy Now) - (Finian’s Rainbow) - (The Rain People) - The Godfather - The Conversation - The Godfather Part II - Apocalypse Now/Apocalyse Now Redux - One from the Heart - The Outsiders - Rumble Fish - The Cotton Club - (Peggy Sue Got Married) - (Captain EO) - (Heart of Stone) - (Tucker: The Man and His Dreams) - New York Stories-Life Without Zoe - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (Jack) - (The Rainmaker) - (Youth Without Youth) - Tetro - (Twixt)
© thevoid99 2015
On August 29, 2003 at the Telluride Film Festival, Sofia Coppola unveiled her second feature-length film about an aging movie star who goes to Tokyo to shoot a whiskey commercial as he meets a married young woman as they both endure loneliness and uncertainty in the city. The film was called Lost in Translation as it would also make its mark some days later at the 60th Venice Film Festival as well as the Toronto Film Festival around that same month. Then on September 12 on that same year, the film began its limited run in the U.S. where nine days later, I saw the film for the very first time at the AMC Phipps Plaza Theatre near Lenox Square at the Buckhead area in Atlanta where I saw the film for the first of three theatrical viewings.
I paid $8 for a 7:05 PM screening not really sure what I was going to expect as my only interest in the film was the fact that it was something different. It was directed by Sofia Coppola whose first film The Virgin Suicides that I liked and it would feature music by Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine which I was getting into at the time. I would see the film again at the same theater on October 18 at a 9:45 PM and for the third time at the now defunct Lefont Theatre at Buckhead on Christmas Eve of that year. I don’t know why I decided to see the film three times in the theater as I had never saw a film in the theaters more than once with the exception of Ladybugs back in 1992 (I was 11 years old, what was I thinking? Yet, I still have a soft spot for Rodney Dangerfield).
I would see the film every September 21st as it was that day I saw the film as it was also Bill Murray’s birthday as I made it an annual tradition. For me, it is the best film ever made. Why would I say it’s the best film ever made? Well, I can give 10 reasons why it is my all-time favorite film. Criterion Collection always have 3 reasons into why a certain film belongs in their library. Here are my 10 reasons for why Lost in Translation is the best film ever made:
1. Its Sensitive Portrait of Alienation & Not Knowing
Part of Sofia Coppola’s running theme with pretty much all of her films has been the idea of alienation and identity as she creates characters who are quite disconnected in one way or another. In this film, it’s about people who are definitely lost in their life. For Bill Murray’s Bob Harris, he is at a point where his career is winding down while his marriage is definitely on the rocks as he realizes he forgot his son’s birthday which makes him feel like shit. For Scarlett Johansson’s Charlotte, she’s a young woman who had just graduated from Yale but has no idea what to do next as she has no clue why she’s married. As they’re both in Japan, the sense of alienation becomes very deep for both characters that includes one of Coppola’s most mesmerizing shots of Charlotte sitting next to the window gazing at the city of Tokyo.
2. Its Humorous Take of Cultural Confusing and Mistranslation
The concept of Americans spending some time in Japan definitely brings up a lot of things that might happen. Here is where the film’s title comes into play in not just some of its humorous moments but also in some dramatic elements. The most notable scene is Bob Harris being directed by a Japanese filmmaker for the commercial where the director is talking in Japanese while the translator would only say “turn to camera with more intensity”. It’s a moment that is baffling as it’s clear that Harris is aware he’s been given more instructions than what his translator told him. Another scene that is very funny is when a prostitute is sent as a gift for Harris as she tells him to rip her stocking which he misinterprets as “lip them”. The sense of mistranslation and confusion would play into a very evocative scene of Bill and Charlotte talking in bed where Charlotte asks why do the Japanese switch the “r” and “l”.
3. Redefining the May-December Romance
Most films based on the May-December romance scenario often has an element of creepiness depending on who is cast. This film not only redefined that scenario but add something that would make it unconventional and engaging. Notably as it plays into the lives of two lost souls in an aging actor in his 50s and an uncertain woman in her 20s where they basically just talk and have fun. There’s no sex or anything that is expected in romantic films. Instead, the conversations lean on towards something that is existential as well as personal where both Bob and Charlotte express their frustrations with marriage as the former comes to the realization that it has indeed lost its romance.
4. The Beauty that is Japan
If there’s one character in the film that is just as important as Bob and Charlotte, it’s Japan from the city of Tokyo to the ravishing sequence of Charlotte in Kyoto. Through the naturalistic yet rapturous photography of Lance Acord, the city of Tokyo never looked any better nor as intimidating for the way it plays into Bob and Charlotte’s isolation. The shots set at night including that amazing sequence of Bob and Charlotte coming home from the karaoke onto the Rainbow Bridge at night are among the most exquisite that is later matched by the Kyoto sequence where it aims for naturalistic camera work as opposed to the more post-card look of Hollywood-driven films.
5. Kevin Shields’ Return to the Music World & Its Rapturous Soundtrack
For anyone who had paid attention to the indie music world, there was always the question of who would make the big return to the world of music. My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields would make his return with some new music for the first time in over a decade in contributing three amazing instrumental pieces and the song City Girl which is practically one of the most underrated songs of the 2000s. Yet, the film’s soundtrack is filled with an amazing array of artists as diverse as Phoenix, Happy End, Sebastien Tellier, Squarepusher, Death in Vegas, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Shields’ My Bloody Valentine, and Air. Ranging from indie-pop, noise-pop, Japanese folk, and ambient music. The film’s soundtrack from the supervision of Brian Reitzell just adds to the exotic quality of the film.
6. Bill Murray
Everyone knows Bill Murray as one of the funniest actors ever. Then in 1993, something new was emerging in Murray with Groundhog Day where he displayed some dramatic range that later lead to some great collaborations with Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch. In this film, Murray exudes a man who is coming to the end of career where Murray adds this melancholia that is unexpected. He does have moments where’s funny but in the most subtle of ways from the way he engages in conversation with Charlotte to the his reactions of his surroundings. Yet, it is that element of sadness in the character of Bob Harris over the way he deals with a crumbling marriage and the fact that he’s not a good husband or father as it adds a great amount of weight into Murray’s performance.
7. Scarlett Johansson
Playing a 25-year old graduate at the age of 17, Scarlett Johansson’s performance as Charlotte was truly unlike anything. Especially for someone at that age and having been acting for almost a decade at that time. Yet, Johansson just adds this very evocative quality to her performance in the way she can express so much by doing so little in such moments as her visits to Buddhist temples and Kyoto as well as being the comfortable foil for Murray. Johansson also has this melancholia as she plays a woman with no sense of direction as well as someone who is alienated by the world like other Coppola protagonists as the Lisbon sisters in The Virgin Suicides and the titular character in Marie Antoinette . Yet, Johansson added something that was very adult to her character as well as a sense of hope in Coppola’s lost-woman trilogy.
8. Making Karaoke Cool Again
Karaoke for a time stopped being cool because people were either singing very bad songs or were singing very badly as it stopped being fun. Thankfully, it would take Coppola, Murray, Johansson, Brian Reitzell, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and some Japanese actors to make it cool again. Not only in the song choices ranging from the Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, and Roxy Music but also having fun with them. Yet, it’s Murray’s rendition of Roxy Music’s More Than This that really steals the moment as it’s Murray just singing it straight where it is also very moving to display that even karaoke can make someone connect with another person.
9. Sofia Coppola’s Ethereal Direction
Only a filmmaker like Sofia Coppola would create a film that has a lot of visual beauty mixed in with startling images that conveys something real. From the way she presents Tokyo as something that is very foreign to Western audiences to the sense of intimacy that is captured in the Hyatt Hilton Hotel in Tokyo. With its use of hand-held cameras to capture the chaos of the Shibuya cross way as well as the trademark shots of sunlight gazing over nature and cars being shown outside in a close-up. It’s definitely the work of someone who is finally creating her own language as a filmmaker as it would evolve in her subsequent films as it would make her one of the best filmmakers working today.
10. The Mystery Over Its Ending
The film’s ending remains one of the great endings in film but also its most mysterious. Largely as it plays to Bob Harris leaving Tokyo as he sees Charlotte walking into the streets as he goes after her to say one final farewell. It’s a very touching moment that is captured with great simplicity but it’s what Bob whispers to Charlotte that to this day, has many wondering what he told her. What did Bob whisper to Charlotte? The only thing that was heard clearly was the last word in “OK”. They kiss and part as Bob leaves to return to the U.S. while Charlotte takes one last glimpse of him as she walks into the streets of Tokyo as the music of the Jesus & Mary Chain plays through that is followed by a montage of the highways and buildings of Tokyo.
To Bill, Scarlett, Sofia, and all of those who worked on the film and helped it make it one of the best films ever. Domo arigato. Ten years since it came out to the theaters all over the world, it’s still as exotic as ever. Yet, if there’s one way to close this piece on the film. I think it’s best if we let Mr. Bob Harris say these parting words…
Related: Lost in Translation - Lost in Translation OST - Favorite Films #1: Lost in Translation
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the Vanity Fair article The Suspects Wore Louboutins by Nancy Jo Sale, The Bling Ring is about the true story of a group of young teenagers from Los Angeles whose obsessions with celebrity culture has them robbing the homes of various celebrities that include Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, and many others. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the film is look into the world of celebrity culture from the perspective of young teens eager to part of that world where their crimes eventually go out of control as they become disconnected with reality. Starring Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, Gavin Rossdale, Stacy Edwards, and Leslie Mann. The Bling Ring is a fabulous yet entrancing film from Sofia Coppola.
The film is a fictional account to the real-life Bling Ring robberies where a group of teenagers robbed the homes of celebrities when those celebs aren’t at the house. For these five kids, their fascination with celebrity culture and the fact that it was easy to steal from their idols gives them the chance to feel like they’re part of that world of excess. Eventually, things do get out of control where paranoia and mistrust starts to come in where they’re eventually caught and face a world of trouble. It all plays to the fact that these kids want to be in that world of celebrity and wear the finest fashion designer clothes and be the envy of their peers. Yet, they become disconnected with the reality of their crimes as once they face the consequences. There are those who are more concerned with the fact that they’re about to become infamous while wondering about the people they stole from as well as their thoughts on the thefts.
Sofia Coppola’s screenplay is mostly told in a straightforward narrative where it mesh genres from drama, comedy, and suspense yet it does play with some of its conventions as it features bits of voice-over narration and interviews with two of its characters in Marc (Israel Broussard) and Nicki (Emma Watson). The story is largely told from Marc’s perspective where he meets a girl named Rebecca (Katie Chang) as they become friends due to their love for celebrities and fashion as they decide to sneak into the home of Paris Hilton as there are some serious revelations about the world that celebrities live in as well as what goes on in Los Angeles where people don’t lock their cars and leave their belongings there. Once Rebecca’s friend Chloe (Claire Julien), Nicki, and Nicki’s adopted sister Sam (Taissa Farmiga) join in the thefts, things eventually get crazy and all five of these kids are having the time of their lives.
Coppola isn’t interested in judging these kids but is aware that what they’re doing is wrong. Especially as they live in a carefree environment where they go to house parties and clubs where there’s no adult supervision while driving cars and wearing the best clothes of the day. While it definitely will seem to be very alienating to those that don’t live in the suburban posh areas of Los Angeles. There is still something about these kids that are intriguing as they want to be part of something that can make them cool and have other kids be envious of them. At the same time, they want to be people like Paris Hilton, Audrina Partridge, Lindsay Lohan, and all of these celebrities as to live the carefree yet excessive life they have while wearing their clothes, sporting their jewels, and doing the kind of things as if they were them. It’s all part of living the fantasy that these kids want to do no matter how immoral it is. Notably as Nicki’s mother (Leslie Mann) is someone who is also fascinated by the world of celebrity but is clueless to what her daughter is doing.
Coppola’s script has a structure where the first half is about the joy of stealing and being part of that world of celebrity where these kids will post pictures of the stuff they stole on Facebook and party at clubs. The script’s second half is actually much darker once the reality of their crimes is getting the attention of the public and the need to steal more becomes more frightening as they become oblivious to the fact that they’re being filmed by security cameras. The third act isn’t just about the group of kids being caught but also the infamy they’ve gained where Nicki and Marc are interviewed as it shows a contrast of what these kids are feeling over the troubles they’ve caused.
Coppola’s direction is very stylized for the fact that she goes for something that is a mixture of home movies with something that is grand and cinematic. Particularly as Coppola opens the film with the gang stealing objects from the home of a celebrity and then cuts to Marc’s interview with a Vanity Fair reporter (Anne Fitzgerald). While a lot of the visual compositions are straightforward in terms of close-ups and wide shots, there is an energy to Coppola’s compositions that is still enthralling from the moments in the club where the kids see Paris Hilton and longtime Coppola cohort Kirsten Dunst. Even in the club scenes where these kids are dancing as if they’re part of the in-crowd though not fully part of that exclusive club.
There’s also some very exquisite moments in the film where Coppola showcases the thefts that these kids are doing that includes this amazing wide shot of one celebrity’s house where it moves very slow with its zoom lens to see these kids coming and coming out to steal stuff from that person’s house all in one take. It’s among these moments in the film that shows Coppola taking some risks in her direction including scenes where things do play into an element of darkness in the second half with security footage and TV clips to showcase the chaos of the Bling Ring thefts. Particularly as there’s that sense of ambiguity where Coppola does shoot the film in the actual home of Paris Hilton that is quite surreal in some ways to think that they’re actually in Paris Hilton’s home.
While it’s a film that has no sense of defining genre where Coppola can use comedy and drama for elements of the film. She also employs some suspense in the third act where there is that element of paranoia that occurs about the idea that these kids could be caught. Notably as there’s that feeling that these kids should stop but that doesn’t happen where there is that troubling aftermath about the crimes they face. Coppola could’ve ended the film with some exposition about what happens to them but she doesn’t do that by just revealing what needs to be shown and said. Yet, it is followed by the two different paths of two of the members of the gang that showcases an uneasy ending that plays to the what these kids want no matter how shallow or how unrealistic it is. Overall, Coppola creates a wild yet fascinating film about a group of kids’ desire to be part of the world of celebrity culture.
Cinematographers Harris Savides and Christopher Blauvet do amazing work with the film‘s very colorful yet evocative cinematography to play out some of the beauty of the locations in Los Angeles in day and night as well as the more use of stylish lights for the scenes at the houses and clubs at night. The photography include some truly gorgeous work that is typical of Savides in his final contribution to cinema as the film is dedicated to his memory as his work with Blauvet‘s contributions is a technical highlight of the film. Editor Sarah Flack does fantastic work with the editing to bring in a flair of style in the cutting from montages to some dazzling rhythmic cuts to play out the craziness of the thefts as well as using TV clips to establish the awareness of the thefts.
Production designer Anne Ross, with set decorator Sara Parks and art director Kevin Bird, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of the clubs and some of the homes of the celebrities to the design of the objects the kids steal. Costume designer Stacey Battat does wonderful work with the clothes the kids wear from sweats to designer clothing in their desire to be like their idols. Sound designer Richard Beggs and co-sound editor Michael Kirschberger do excellent work with the sound from the way sirens and helicopter sounds to create that air of suspense to the atmosphere of the film‘s party scenes.
The film’s music by Brian Reitzell and Daniel Lopatin is superb for its moody ambient score to play out some of the drama and suspense that occurs in the film. The film’s soundtrack that is supervised by Reitzell features an array of artists ranging from hip-hop and R&B to indie as it features pieces from Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Rick Ross with Lil’ Wayne, 2 Chainz, Phoenix, Sleigh Bells, and Can to play out the sense of excitement and terror in the film.
The casting by Nicole Daniels and Courtney Sheinin is spectacular as it features cameo appearances from Paris Hilton and Kirsten Dunst as well as small appearances from Stacy Edwards and Marc Coppola as Marc’s parents, Carlos Miranda as Chloe’s friend Rob, Gavin Rossdale as the club owner/black market dealer Ricky, Annie Fitzgerald as the Vanity Fair reporter, Georgia Brown as Nicki’s younger sister Emily who takes part in one of the thefts, and Leslie Mann as Nicki and Emily’s mom who is very funny for her fascination with The Secret and how she tries to raise her daughters and Sam by living in that world.
Claire Julien is terrific as Chloe as the girl who helps everyone out in the thefts while being the one to introduce the girls to Ricky so they can sell stuff to him and make a profit. Taissa Farmiga is wonderful as Sam as Nicki’s adopted sister who shares the gang’s fascination for clothes, shoes, and jewelry while being very comical in a scene involving a gun. Katie Chang is excellent as the gang’s ringleader Rebecca as she is the one who always leads in the thefts while becoming more obsessed with stealing more as she also brings some wit to her performance. Israel Broussard is superb as Marc as the lone boy in the group who finds the homes of the celebrities while becoming more troubled later on as things get out of control. Finally, there’s Emma Watson in a remarkable performance as Nicki where Watson brings this air of shallowness and grand delusion to a character who is full of herself and is not afraid to be dangerous while is yearning to be famous one way or another.
The Bling Ring is a phenomenal and entertaining film from Sofia Coppola. Thanks to a great ensemble cast along with a vibrant look courtesy of the late Harris Savides as well as a fun film soundtrack. The film is definitely Coppola’s most accessible film since The Virgin Suicides in terms of the way kids are portrayed. It’s also a film that plays into a wild world that has no rules despite the fact that these kids are committing terrible crimes with no sense of remorse or morality. In the end, The Bling Ring is a sensational film from Sofia Coppola.
Sofia Coppola Films: Lick the Star - The Virgin Suicides - Lost in Translation - Marie Antoinette - Somewhere - A Very Murray Christmas - The Beguiled
Sofia Coppola Soundtracks: Air-The Virgin Suicides OST - The Virgin Suicides OST - Lost in Translation OST - Marie Antoinette OST - (The Bling Ring OST)
Related: The Ads & Videos 1993-2008 - The Auteurs #1: Sofia Coppola - Favorite Films #1: Lost in Translation - Favorite Films #4: Somewhere
© thevoid99 2013
