All the Money in the World

Based on the non-fiction novel Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty, All the Money in the World is about the real-life story of the abduction of John Paul Getty III by an Italian Mafia group who hold him from ransom where his grandfather J. Paul Getty refuses to cooperate and give the group no money. Directed by Ridley Scott and screenplay by David Scarpa, the film is a dramatization about the real-life abduction of John Paul Getty III as his mother and a former CIA operative try to save him despite his grandfather’s refusal to pay anything for the boy’s safety. Starring Michelle Williams, Mark Wahlberg, Charlie Plummer, Romain Duris, Timothy Hutton, Stacy Martin, Andrew Buchan, and Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty. All the Money in the World is a gripping yet chilling film from Ridley Scott.

In July of 1973, 16-year old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) was kidnapped by a mysterious Mafia group in Rome as they hold him for a ransom of $17 million which his grandfather in J. Paul Getty responds with no deal. That is the film’s premise as a whole as it play into this real-life event relating to a large ransom that is to be paid by the richest man in the world yet he refuses believing it is a hoax. David Scarpa’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it begins with Paul’s kidnapping and stories about his grandfather’s wealth and how he got extremely wealthy but also a family life with his mother Abigail (Michelle Williams) and his father J. Paul Getty Jr. (Andrew Buchan) that was quaint and simple until the latter was given a big job from his father that eventually lead him to drug and alcohol abuse and Abigail divorcing him with a desire of wanting full custody of their children including Paul.

Getty would hire his Getty Oil negotiator Fletcher Chace (Mark Wahlberg) to see if Paul is really lying as well as to help Abigail through his previous work in the CIA. Chace initially works with Abigail just to help Getty but eventually realizes the seriousness of Abigail’s search as he would start to help her more. The script also play into Paul’s time as a hostage as his kidnapper Cinquanta (Romain Duris) becomes sympathetic while knows that Paul is just a good kid that is an unfortunate situation that is made worse following a mistake by a kidnapper and later be treated far more cruelly by Cinquanta’s boss Mammoliti (Marco Leonardi) raising the stakes. With Getty even considering paying the ransom, it would come with some conditions that add more furor to Abigail’s problems with the family with Chace in the middle over whom he should be loyal to as well as wanting get Paul back home to safety.

Ridley Scott’s direction is definitely vast in terms of its setting and the world that Getty lives in which is quite huge for someone who has amassed a great deal of wealth that he built himself. Shot on various locations in Italy, Great Britain, and parts of Jordan, the film does play into this world that has made Getty legendary for what he’s done such as a deal he made with Bedouin sheikhs in getting their oil to the world. While there are some wide shots of the locations where Getty and his family live in including the quaint world that his son, Abigail, and their kids were living in the mid-1960s in San Francisco. The usage of close-up and medium shots as it play into the relationships of the family and the dramatic tension that occur. Notably as the wide shots also play into the disconnect between Getty and his family as the former is surrounded by artifacts, stock reports, and all things that makes him comfortable yet he is aware of how cruel the world can be and doesn’t really trust anyone including his own family. Scott’s direction definitely play into this man’s need for control as well as wanting more money such as a scene of him inspecting this rare painting as he considers not buying it due to its condition not being suitable to him.

The scenes involving Paul’s kidnapping does have this air of intensity as it relates to Paul’s attempts to escape his captors as well as some of the brutal moments he endure. The dramatic intensity also occur with Abigail desperately trying to get her son back with Chace’s help as it include phone calls with Cinquanta and other officials. Even as Abigail tries to find ways to get the money herself without Getty’s help where Scott definitely know when to play up the drama as well as find some semblance of hope in the film. Scott’s direction definitely shows someone who can bring wonders to a story as simple as this but also show how professional and skillful he can do in re-creating scenes that were shot before with Kevin Spacey in the role of Getty only for Spacey’s personal life to nearly ruin things prompting Scott to do re-shoots with Christopher Plummer in the role for a nine-day shoot as if Spacey never existed. Overall, Scott creates a thrilling and captivating film about the real-life kidnapping of J. Paul Getty III and the ransom that his grandfather refused to pay.

Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of black-and-white for a few scenes including a flashback scene of Getty in his rise to great wealth as well as some colorful looks for some parts of the film such as bluish tints for the scenes at Getty’s home in Britain to the usage of low-key and desaturated colors for the scenes in Italy. Editor Claire Simpson does excellent work with the editing with its usage of rhythmic cuts as well as letting shots linger for a bit to play into the suspense and dramatic tension. Production designer Arthur Max, with set decorators Richard Roberts, Letizia Santucci, and Nasser Zoubi plus supervising art directors Andrew Munro and Cristina Onori, does amazing work with the look of the Getty estate and his buildings and such that is surrounded by valuable and priceless artifacts that is a sharp contrast to the home of Paul’s captors who live in decayed farms in the middle of desolate farmland. Costume designer Janty Yates does fantastic work with the look of the clothes that Paul wears that was a style of the 1970s as well as the look of Abigail from the 1960s.

Makeup designer Tina Earnshaw and hair designer Ferdinando Merolla do terrific work with the hairstyles of the time in the 1960s and 1970s for Getty’s family along with some gory makeup for a key scene in the film’s third act. Special effects supervisors Simon Cockren and Maurizio Corridori, with visual effects supervisor Gary Brozenich, do nice work with the visual effects as it feature bits of set dressing including one key shot of Getty in Saudi Arabia. Sound editor Oliver Tarney does superb work with the sound as it play into the tense atmosphere that Paul endures in his capture as well as the sparse sounds of stock machines at Getty’s home. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that help play into the suspense and drama while its music soundtrack feature an array of music from rock, pop, classical, and opera from the Zombies, Gianni Morandi, the Rolling Stones, Fred Buscaglione, Domenica Arlotta and Giuseppe Buieti, and Camaleonti.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is great as it feature some notable small roles from Clive Wood as Getty’s butler Bullimore, Kit Cranston and Maya Kelly in their respective roles as the younger versions of Paul’s siblings in Mark and Aileen, Charlie Shotwell as the younger version of John Paul Getty III, Ghassan Massoud as an Arab sheikh who does business with Getty, Nicolas Vaporidis as an abductor who unfortunately reveals his identity, Giuseppe Bonifati as Gail’s attorney Giovanni Iacovoni, Marco Leonardi as Cinquanta’s boss Mammoliti who doesn’t care for Paul’s well-being, Stacy Martin as Getty’s secretary, Timothy Hutton as Getty’s attorney Oswald Hinge, and Andrew Buchan as Paul’s father John Paul Getty Jr. as alcoholic/drug-addicted father who is more concerned with getting high than being a father.

Romain Duris is fantastic as Cinquanta as the lead abductor who holds Paul for ransom while he gets to know the boy as he realizes he’s just a good kid that is put in a bad situation as he is aware of what his boss would do after things got bad where he would be the one to contact Gail about the ransom and ensure the boy’s safety. Charlie Plummer is excellent as John Paul Getty III as a sixteen-year old kid who is the grandson of the richest man in the world who is just a teenage boy that becomes the victim of a ransom that becomes troubling and as he deals with the physical, emotional, and mental torture he endures. Mark Wahlberg is brilliant as Fletcher Chace as an adviser for Getty who also used to work for the CIA as he is hired to find out if Paul is really creating a hoax only to help Gail in getting Paul back while questioning his own loyalty for Getty.

Michelle Williams is amazing as Gail Harris as Paul’s mother who is trying to get her son back any way she can as she also is aware of her former father-in-law’s refusal to help out as well as to try and control her life as it’s a fierce and gripping performance from Williams. Finally, there’s Christopher Plummer in an incredible performance as J. Paul Getty as the then-richest man in the world who is willing to find ways to make money and have the most priceless artifacts out there as he believes that his grandson is faking his abduction while there is this sense of warmth in the performance that shows the complexity of Getty as it’s another of Plummer’s masterful performances.

All the Money in the World is a remarkable film from Ridley Scott that features great performances from Christopher Plummer, Michelle Williams, and Mark Wahlberg. Along with its ensemble cast, stylish visuals, and intense approach to suspense and drama. It’s a film that showcases a real-life event and what some will do to get a person back as well as how one person is trying to protect his own world believing that there is no price for anything. In the end, All the Money in the World is a sensational film from Ridley Scott.

Ridley Scott Films: (The Duellists) – Alien - Blade Runner - (Legend) – (Someone to Watch Over Me) – (Black Rain) – (Thelma & Louise) – (1492: Conquest of Paradise) – (White Squall) – (G.I. Jane) – (Gladiator) – (Hannibal) – (Black Hawk Down) – (Matchstick Men) – (Kingdom of Heaven) – (A Good Year) – (American Gangster) – (Body of Lies) – (Robin Hood (2010 film)) – Prometheus - (The Counselor) – (Exodus: Gods and Kings) – The Martian - (Alien: Covenant)

© thevoid99 2019

Ordinary People

Based on the novel by Judith Guest, Ordinary People is the story of a upper-middle class family who copes with the loss of their son while his younger brother deals with survivor’s guilt as he returns home from the hospital. Directed by Robert Redford and screenplay by Alvin Sargent, the film is an exploration of a family dealing with loss as well as a young man wondering about his own role in his family and his relationship with his own parents. Starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth McGovern, and Judd Hirsch. Ordinary People is a somber yet engaging film from Robert Redford.

The film is the story of a family reeling from the aftermath of the death of a son as well as the suicide attempt of another as they try to move on as if nothing is happening yet the surviving son still copes with survivor’s guilt. It’s a film that explores a family that slowly unravels as they’re forced to see things and reflect on aspects of their life. The film’s screenplay by Alvin Sargent is quite straightforward as it largely takes place during the autumn season in an upper-middle class suburbia near Chicago where its 18-year old son Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) has just got out of the hospital for a month as he returns to school trying to get back to his normal routine before his brother’s death and suicide attempt. Yet, he’s become withdrawn and unable to do what he’s done in the past while he’s having a harder time trying to express himself emotionally with his mother Beth (Mary Tyler Moore). For his father Calvin (Donald Sutherland), he is concerned for Conrad’s well-being as well as try to keep everything calm.

Conrad would turn to a psychiatrist in Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch) for answers but finds himself not only dealing with memories of the boating accident that killed his brother Buck (Scott Doebler). He also copes with the fact that he’s still alive which hasn’t made him deal with things as easy as he wants to be. The script is really noted for its development as Conrad is just someone that is trying to make sense of everything he’s feeling as he would quit the swim team and befriend a young classmate in Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern) who would give him a bit of hope. Yet, it’s at home where things become difficult where his mother remains cold and distant as she’s trying to maintain some sense of normalcy around family and friends. For Calvin, he tries to understand what his son is feeling and why his wife has been reacting at things where he eventually comes to realize that something is wrong as he becomes aware that not everything is alright. Even as Beth would snap him for talking about Conrad and their situation to family and friends as it show cracks starting to emerge.

Robert Redford’s direction is actually quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates as he doesn’t really go for any kind of flashy visuals in favor of just doing something that is direct and to the point. Shot on location in Lake Forest, Illinois and parts of Chicago, the film does play into the world of suburbia where everything looks nice and everyone is perfect which is really a façade. There are some wide shots that Redford uses yet his approach to medium shots and close-up add a lot to the drama from the sessions that Conrad would have with Dr. Berger or the moments involving the family. There are also flashbacks that would appear every now and then such as the boating accident but also time of the family before Buck’s death and Conrad’s suicide attempt. Those are the few moments in the film where Redford would show some aspect of style as it has a mixture of fantasy but also terror as it relates to the tragedy the Jarrett family is dealing with. Some of these flashbacks play into happier times where both Conrad and Calvin reflect on as if it feels like a fantasy.

Redford also create moments that play into the family unit cracking with such subtlety such as a dinner party that Calvin and Beth attend where the former is talking with someone who asked about Conrad where Calvin was being honest but gracious as Beth overhears him. She would later scold him for talking about something that is private and again late in the film during a holiday vacation with Beth’s brother and wife as it play into many things Calvin starts to see. Even as he would eventually go to Dr. Berger for one session as it opens up into things he never thought about or had been in his mind for so long. The third act isn’t just about Conrad dealing with the pain over the loss of his brother but also Calvin having a revelation about his wife and what had been lost since the death of their eldest son. Overall, Redford crafts a somber yet evocative film about a family coming to terms with loss but also the realization that nothing can be the same ever again.

Cinematographer John Bailey does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with emphasis on low-key lights and textures for some of the daytime exterior and interior scenes with the usage of lights for the scenes at night including a nighttime session Conrad has with Dr. Berger. Editor Jeff Kanew does brilliant work with the editing as it feature some jump-cuts and stylish flashback montages to play into the drama. Art directors J. Michael Riva and Brook Simons, with set decorators William B. Fosser and Jerry Wunderlich, do fantastic work with the look of the Jarrett home as well as the pool in Conrad‘s high school and Dr. Berger‘s office with its more quaint appliances.

Costume designer Bernie Pollack does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in terms of the casual look of Conrad as well as the more clean-cut and refined look of Calvin and Beth. Sound editor Kay Rose is terrific for the scenes involving swim meets and parties but also in the quieter moments at home as it play into the tension at home. The film’s music by Marvin Hamlisch is amazing as it is very a low-key orchestral score with some piano that play into the drama as the soundtrack also include a few classical pieces with Johann Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue in D as the opening and closing music piece of the film.

The casting by Penny Perry is great as it feature some notable small roles from Meg Mundy and Richard Whiting as Conrad’s grandparents, Scott Doebler as Conrad’s late older brother Buck, James B. Sikking as Calvin’s business colleague/friend Ray, Adam Baldwin as a teammate of Conrad in Kevin Stillman whom Conrad doesn’t really like, Fredric Lehne as Conrad’s best friend Joe who is trying to talk to him as he also misses Buck, and M. Emmet Walsh as Conrad’s swim coach Salan as someone who is wondering where Conrad’s head is at for the meets. Dinah Manoff is wonderful as Karen as someone Conrad met at the hospital as they meet to talk about their issues where she claims that she is doing great. Elizabeth McGovern is fantastic as Jeannine as a schoolmate of Conrad who befriends him as she provides some hope and kindness to Conrad. Judd Hirsch is excellent as Dr. Berger as a psychiatrist who is a very sympathetic figure that is trying to understand Conrad as well as not bullshit him about the ways of the world and things that Conrad needs to figure out.

Timothy Hutton is phenomenal as Conrad Jarrett as a young man dealing with survivor’s guilt and a suicide attempt as he tries to return to the world yet he is anguished and lost where Hutton show that sense of despair and loneliness as it is truly a breakthrough performance for the actor in his debut film role. Donald Sutherland is remarkable as Calvin Jarrett as a man trying to understand his son’s withdrawn behavior as well as dealing with the fact that he has some issues to face including his wife’s refusal to talk about some serious issues. Finally, there’s Mary Tyler Moore in a radiant performance as Beth Jarrett as a woman who is either in denial or refusing to face the things around her family in an attempt to try and move on as if nothing had happened as it’s a very eerie performance from Moore who plays a character that is very unlikable but also just as fragile as someone that isn’t ready to face the truth about herself.

Ordinary People is an incredible film from Robert Redford. Featuring a great cast and an entrancing portrait on grief, loss, and denial, it’s a film that explores a family dealing with life after loss and how those can’t face the truth about themselves and what was lost. In the end, Ordinary People is a tremendous film from Robert Redford.

Robert Redford Films: (The Milagro Beanfield War) - (A River Runs Through It) - (Quiz Show) - The Horse Whisperer - (The Legend of Bagger Vance) - (Lions for Lambs) - (The Conspirator) - (The Company You Keep)

© thevoid99 2017

The Ghost Writer

After making a major comeback with 2002’s The Pianist which won Roman Polanski an Oscar for Best Director as well as the Palme D’or. Polanski was on top as he took a break and returned to filmmaking for 2005’s adaptation of Oliver Twist. After contributing a short for 2007’s To Each His Own Cinema, Polanski was preparing a project about Pompeii that fell apart due to the actor’s strike in 2007. Yet, the strike gave Polanski a chance to create another project that was in line with some of his other films in a political thriller called The Ghost Writer.

Based on Robert Harris’ novel The Ghost, The Ghost Writer tells the story of a ghostwriter hired to write and complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister. During the process, the ghostwriter uncovers a dark secret relating to the prime minister as well as what happened to the previous ghost writer. Directed by Roman Polanski with a screenplay written by Polanski and the book’s novelist Robert Harris. The film recalls all of Polanski’s themes of fear and intrigue while bringing humor to his own imprisonment situations including the recent troubles he had in 2009 over his 1977 statutory rape charge in the U.S. Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, James Belushi, Timothy Hutton, Robert Pugh, Eli Wallach, and Tom Wilkinson. The Ghost Writer is a chilling and entertaining suspense-thriller from Roman Polanski.

An unnamed ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) is called upon by publishers to help write and complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister named Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). Under the instructions of publisher John Maddox (James Belushi) and Lang’s lawyer Sidney Kroll (Timothy Hutton), the ghost writer travels to Martha’s Vineyard in the U.S. to meet with Lang about the memoir. The ghost writer meets Lang’s assistant Amelia (Kim Cattrall) who gives him details about where to stay nearby and what to do with the copy of the memoirs. Even as the six-hundred page memoir proved to be a challenge for the writer as he also meets Lang’s wife Ruth (Olivia Williams).

Knowing that the previous writer had died mysteriously while his body was found washed ashore at a nearby beach. After meeting Lang and discussing with him about what to write, Lang is suddenly hit by a scandal relating to war crimes as he’s targeted by former colleague Rycart (Robert Pugh). Forced to stay in the U.S. and not go anywhere where he’ll be arrested, Lang goes to Washington D.C. to meet with the vice-president as Amelia and Kroll join him while trying to handle the scandal. The ghost writer reluctantly moves into the Lang home where he finds photos and documents relating to Lang‘s years in Cambridge. After finding some clues about when Lang really joined the Labour party, the ghost writer wants to know more about the man who previously worked on the memoir as he went around the island where he meets an old man (Eli Wallach).

Realizing that the old man’s clues about the currents along with Ruth’s stories about her early years with Lang. The writer learns about the pictures that the previous writer had and what happened to him the day he died. He decides to go into Massachusetts to meet with Lang’s old Cambridge schoolmate Paul Emmett (Tom Wilkinson) about Lang and the previous writer who went to meet him. Instead, Paul claims he didn’t know Lang that well as well as not meeting the previous writer. The writer suddenly realized he’s up to something as he’s being chased while he calls the mysterious number in the back of one of the pictures. What he learns from the man revealed to be the caller is someone who knows what is happening as the writer pieces on what is really going on and why Lang is targeted for crimes he supposedly committed.

The film is about a man hired to complete the memoirs of a politician only to find some things in this man’s life that doesn’t make any sense along with the death of his predecessor. That plot description does bring ideas of what a thriller or suspense film could be if its told in a conventional manner. Yet, in the hands of a master like Roman Polanski. He plays with the conventions but also allows those conventional ideas to be toyed with while he’s most interested in what this man is trying to discover.

Polanksi and co-screenwriter Robert Harris create a thriller that allows this unnamed character to enter the world of a politician that is being caught up by a scandal. At the same time, he meets associates such as an assistant who is possibly having an affair with the politician along with the politician’s icy, burned out wife. There’s also individuals outside of the Lang home that the writer meets that are very mysterious such as a man revealed to be a war veteran who lost his son and an old associate of Lang who claims to have never really known Lang. What happens is that with the possible exception of Lang’s assistant, the people that the writer interacts with are people who are very mysterious.

Notably the character of Ruth who is this neglected wife that is starting to unwind due to the home she’s living in along with the chaos of the scandal her husband is dealing with. When she and the writer are alone together with only a few people working at the house including security, there is definitely an idea of what is going to happen. Yet, the way Polanski presents the situation is through some subtle humor knowing it’s a cliché of what is going to happen. The screenplay also includes some witty dialogue including an exchange between Ruth and Amelia about who is to meet Lang first. Lang is also a complex character as a man dealing with scandal while wanting to give the public a story that will put him a place in history. The overall screenplay is truly superb from Polanski and Harris.

Polanski’s direction is truly mesmerizing in every scene he creates from a simple dramatic moment where not much is happening to the feeling of terror when something is about to happen. It is clear that from the first shot of the film where it’s all about an abandoned car in the middle of a ferry that it’s a Polanski film. Polanski makes it clear that objects such as the 600-page manuscript of Lang’s memoirs play an important part to the story. Even as it brings clues to the mystery of who Lang is as well as what all of Lang’s connection with the war crimes he’s accused of along with what the writer’s predecessor discovered. The way Polanski plays the mystery is by creating a sense of dread but play around with what is expected in the genre. He also doesn’t go for any tricks to scare people while doesn’t underplay the drama.

While the film is set in London and parts of Massachusetts, it’s all shot mostly in Germany where it plays both London and the towns of Massachusetts while there are some exterior shots on location in Massachusetts by a second unit group. Still, Polanski allows the locations to help set a mood of where the characters are trapped in a place inside of an island not really knowing where they are. It’s also a chance for Polanski to bring humor to his own situations of being imprisoned and not being allowed to travel to certain places. For its mixture of humor and light drama, Polanski still brings suspense and intrigue to the film right to its ending which is a surprising moment. Yet, it’s done in a Polanski fashion since the mystery is finally solved and that’s it. Overall, Polanski’s direction is truly hypnotic and entrancing as the famed Polish director proves once again that he’s a master in the world of filmmaking.

Cinematographer Pawel Edelman does an excellent job with the film’s eerie yet cold cinematography as there is not a lot of sunlight in the film. Even as it’s dominated by rain and gray skies for many of the film’s daytime exterior settings along with more chilling nighttime scenes where the look is about where the character is. The interior shots are truly wonderful from the lush look of the inn that the ghost writer was staying to the spacious though broader look of the Lang estate as Edelman’s work is superb.

Editor Herve de Luze does a wonderful job with the editing of the film by creating an effective yet leisured pace for the entirety of the movie. Even as de Luze creates suspense in the editing by maintaining a rhythm that builds up the chills without doing any fast cutting. Even as he slows things down for the drama while creating subtle moments in the cutting for the little moments of suspense. Production designer Albecht Konrad, along with set decorators Bernhard Henrich and Ulli Isfort, does an amazing job with the art direction. Notably in recreating Berlin as London along with the small towns as Martha’s Vineyard including the natural look of the inn that the writer stays along with the posh look of the Lang estate. Costume designer Dinah Collin does a very good job in the costumes from the casual clothes that the writer wears to the long clothes that Ruth wears.

The visual effects by Jens Dunkel along with various team members is brilliant for the minimal use needed to create the look of the towns as if it’s shot in Martha’s Vineyard . Sound editor Thomas Desjonqueres and mixer Jean-Marie Blondel do a superb job with the film’s sound work from the cool air of the locations they’re in to the sounds of helicopters and cars all over the location. Even in the sparse moments when the writer is looking around the house. The film’s score by Alexandre Desplat is definitely one of the film’s highlights. Featuring Desplat’s trademark chime flourishes and soothing string arrangements, the score plays to some of the film’s light-hearted moments with its mid-tempo pieces. For the film’s suspenseful and heavier scenes, it has a bombastic approach to the score as Desplat creates another superb score that belongs with his already rich catalog.

The casting by Fiona Weir is amazing for the memorable performances from actors big and small. Notable small performances include Soogi Kang and Lee Hong Thay as the Langs’ servants, Tim Faraday as Ruth’s bodyguard Barry, Morgane Polanski as the inn receptionist, Jon Bernthal as the writer’s agent Rick, and David Rintoul as the stranger whom the writer encounters at the inn. Other notable appearances from more well-known actors include James Belushi as publisher John Maddox, Robert Pugh as Lang’s old friend Rycart, Timothy Hutton as Lang’s lawyer Sidney, and Eli Wallach in a great cameo as an old man who reveals something to the ghost writer.

Tom Wilkinson is superb as Paul Emmett, a mysterious professor who went to Cambridge with Lang as Wilkinson brings a calm yet cool approach to the character who is very evasive. Though it’s a small role from Wilkinson, he definitely creates a memorable performance from the veteran actor. Kim Cattrall is very good as Amelia, Lang’s assistant who shows the writer what to do with the manuscript while bring some witty humor through the dialogue she’s given. Olivia Williams is excellent as Ruth Lang, the neglected wife of Adam Lang who is dealing with her diminished role along with the chaos surrounding her husband as she befriends the writer.

Pierce Brosnan is really good in a small but crucial role as Adam Lang. While it’s a character that features elements of former British prime minister Tony Blair, Brosnan definitely brings some charm to a shady man who is also evasive but also willing to play the role of somebody famous. Brosnan also succeeds in the fact that he can be very ruthless during a confrontational scene with Ewan McGregor as it’s definitely Brosnan at his finest. Ewan McGregor gives one of his best performances to date as the unnamed title character. McGregor delivers an everyman quality of a writer unsure of what he’s doing while realizing he’s entering into some serious trouble. McGregor definitely sells the fear and determination of a character that just wants to find the mystery while knowing that he is going to make stupid decisions. It’s definitely McGregor giving a performance that is needed for a film like this.

The Ghost Writer is an engaging, entertaining, and masterfully-crafted thriller from Roman Polanski. Featuring a great ensemble cast led by Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan along with wonderful supporting performances by Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall, Tom Wilkinson, and a cameo by Eli Wallach. It’s a film that definitely plays to the ideas of what a suspense-thriller should be and how it emphasizes on characters and intrigue without any of the tricks in a lot of mainstream films. For fans of Roman Polanski, this is a chance to see a master do what he does best as he creates a film that definitely lives up to his legendary career. In the end, The Ghost Writer is a smart, thrilling, and entrancing film from Roman Polanski.

Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary’s Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)

© thevoid99 2011

Beautiful Girls

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/2/03 w/ Additional Edits.

In January of 2002, filmmaker Ted Demme died of a heart attack at age 37. By then, he was already one of the promising filmmakers around with such acclaimed films like The Ref and 2001’s Blow. Demme was also responsible for creating the show Yo! MTV Raps in the late 80s that helped put hip-hop in the mainstream and with filmmaking uncle Jonathan, Ted was a practitioner for music and comedy since he directed comedy specials for Denis Leary and making a hip-hop film Who’s the Man? in 1993. In 1996, Ted Demme released one of his most acclaimed films to date with the nostalgic, buddy-comedy Beautiful Girls.

Beautiful Girls is about a young man in his mid-30s attending a high school reunion in a small town in Massachusetts. With his array of high school buddies, they talk about their relationships with women as well as the trouble around them. While the film recalls elements of the 1983 Lawrence Kasdan film The Big Chill, Beautiful Girls doesn't sway into the nostalgia of that film to encompass a more working class, modern tone to the film. Written by Scott Rosenberg and directed by Ted Demme, Beautiful Girls is a fun, heartwarming comedy with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart.

Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) is a NYC bar pianist who decides to go to a high school reunion in his small hometown. Willie ponders about  his job as a pianist since he’s done little success and isn’t sure if he wants to get married to his girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish). Once he arrives, he meets up with old pal Michael “Mo” Morris (Noah Emmerich), a family man with loving kids and caring wife Sarah (Anne Bobby).  After some time with Mo, Willie returns home to see his widowed father Dick (Richard Bright) and dim-witted brother Bobby (David Arquette) who are still troubled by the death of Willie's mother. Willie encounters his neighbor, a 13-year old girl named Marty (Natalie Portman) where they struck up a friendship as she wonders about the Conway’s sad household.

Willie also meets up with the rest of his buddies led by snowplow chief Tommy (Matt Dillon), quiet guy Kev (Max Perlich), and loudmouth Paul (Michael Rapaport). Tommy is a former jock who has a loving girlfriend Sharon (Mira Sorvino) while is cheating on her with a married woman named Darian Smalls (Lauren Holly). Paul meanwhile, is having relationship troubles as well as his girlfriend Jan (Martha Plimpton) since he’s suspecting her of sleeping with the meat cutter at her job at a local restaurant. Willie feels happy with his pals since they’re having relationship troubles except for Mo as they often hang out at a bar owned by their pal Stinky (Pruitt Taylor Vince). Paul tries to propose marriage to Jan but it becomes a failure as he suspects her of her affair with meat cutter as their relationship ends. Tommy meanwhile, is having some trouble with his relationships with Sharon and Darian.

Willie befriends Marty as he asks what the kids do nowadays which isn’t much as she is going out with some boy named Andrew.  Willie feels a bit jealous since he finds himself enchanted by Marty. After meeting with Paul in Tommy’s apartment, Willie and Tommy meet up with Sharon’s friend Gina (Rosie O’Donnell) as she talks about what men want from women. During a birthday party for Tommy, Darian makes her presence felt as Sharon learns what is going on and she finds herself being unhappy and breaks up with Tommy. Then one night at Stinky’s, his cousin Andrea (Uma Thurman) visits as the men serenade her with the Neil Diamond classic “Sweet Caroline”. Paul finds himself trying to make moves on Andrea, just to piss off Jan.

Paul nabs a date with Andrea while Willie has an encounter with Marty at a skating rink where Marty tells him that he’s her new boyfriend. Willie likes the idea but is afraid things will change and references Winnie the Pooh about changing as Marty is given time to think about whatever relationship they might have. Tommy meanwhile, is feeling guilt from his breakup with Sharon as he learned what a cold bitch Darian really is as he later gets in trouble with her husband Steve (Sam Robards). Paul's date with Andrea becomes a disaster leading Paul to have a rant about women to Willie the next day.  After a conversation with Andrea, Willie ponders his own relationship issues as Tracy finally arrives where he realize what he wants while wanting to help out his friends with their own issues.

What makes Beautiful Girls such an appealing film is its chemistry with the cast. Ted Demme and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg crafted a story that couples could relate to as well as smart-alecks about men and women. Even as it includes a great monologue about how men are attracted to plastic models by Rosie O'Donnell that is one of the film's highlights. Even as it features commentary on men about their own immaturity. Demme even gives the film a working class tone in its small town as something a bit real with wonderful cinematography from Adam Kimmel and Tony Janelli. The music in the film is also worth noting since it’s soundtrack is very diverse with old-school classics from Neil Diamond, the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Jethro Tull, and Billy Paul to more modern stuff from Afghan Whigs, Pete Drodge, Split Enz, Ween, Morphine, and Chris Issak.

The performances in the film are all top-notch led by the enigmatic Timothy Hutton who leads the film with his masterful portrayal as a man in his mid-30s struggling with his identity with women. Matt Dillon is excellent as the hard-nosed jock Tommy while Noah Emmerich plays the film’s sweet conscious that is well utilized. The smaller male roles of David Arquette, Richard Bright, Max Perlich, Sam Robards, and Pruitt Taylor Vince are also well used while Michael Rapaport steals the show with his comedic rants and one-liners. Bringing the film some balance is the female performances. Mira Sorvino brings a lovely performance as the neglected Sharon while Uma Thurman brings a lovely performance as Stinky’s cousin who plays the men’s attraction but brings brains to the role. Rosie O’Donnell is easily the most hilarious performance of the film since she rants a lot about men and stuff while Lauren Holly is excellent as the cold bitch who really doesn’t know how mean she is to men. The smaller roles of Annabeth Gish, Martha Plimpton, and Anne Bobby standout as well while Natalie Portman brings the film’s best performance as the precocious, innocent Marty, who was named after a grandfather she never knew.

Beautiful Girls is an excellent, heartwarming comedy from the late Ted Demme that shines from its cast and script. Though the film at times has predictable moments, it overcomes that through its humor and chemistry from the cast. Fans of comedy will enjoy the rants of Rapaport and O’Donnell while more dramatic fans will love the performances of Hutton and Portman. The film has something for everyone. Sadly, Ted Demme won’t be making any more films like this but at least he captured something magical with Beautiful Girls.

(C) thevoid99 2010