Locke

 

Written and directed by Steven Knight, Locke is the story of a man driving on his way home where he’s having phone conversations with other people as it lead to events that would threaten everything including his family. The film is a psychological drama that takes place entirely in a car where a man is dealing with these phone conversations as he’s trying to get home as the character of Ivan Locke is played by Tom Hardy. Featuring the voices of Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, Ben Daniels, Bill Milner, and Olivia Colman. Locke is a gripping and mesmerizing film from Steven Knight.

Set almost entirely on a highway in a car where a man is coming home, the film revolves Ivan Locke as he talks with various people where his life starts to shatter by not just events around him but also things that would threaten his own career as a contractor. It is a film with a simple premise where a lot of it has Ivan Locke returning home from work as he talks to his wife, his two teenage sons, co-workers, and other people as things start to unravel during the course of an entire night as he is on a highway driving home. Even as he is on a highway driving where he also copes with the invisible ghost that is his father whom he’s had a tense relationship with as it adds to the drama. There are a lot of monologues and such that writer/director Steven Knight has written as well as a lot of dialogue that play into the dramatic tension as it adds to Ivan’s own plight.

Knight’s direction does have some style as it opens with Ivan overlooking a construction site, taking off his boots, and entering his car as it’s one of the rare shots of the film of Ivan outside of the car as his face isn’t shown. Shot on the M6 motorway from the middle of England to the borders of Scotland, Knight does use some wide shots to get a look into the locations yet much of the direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to play into the action in and out of the car with cars passing by. Notably as there’s cameras in certain areas in and around the car that focuses on Ivan’s conversations on the phone as there is always a shot of a computer screen in the car’s dashboard. The car, that is the BMW X5, is a character in the film as it play into Ivan’s own sense of isolation as his life would unravel through each phone call whether it is his sons calling him about the football game, co-workers talking about an upcoming concrete pour, and other issues through the span of nearly the film’s 85-minute running time. Overall, Knight crafts a riveting and evocative film about a man coming home as he’s on the road having phone conversation as his life unravels.

Cinematographer Harris Zambarloukous does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of low-key lights for scenes in the car and available light from other cars add to the tense atmosphere of the film. Editor Justine Wright does amazing work with the editing with the stylish usage of superimposed dissolves and jump-cuts to play into the rhythm of the drive and the drama that unfolds in the car. Costume designer Nigel Egerton does terrific work with the costumes from the sweater and shirt that Ivan wears as it play into a man who is of great importance but also falling apart. Hair/makeup designer Audrey Doyle does nice work with the look of Ivan as he becomes disheveled during the course of the film as his life starts to unravel.

Visual effects supervisor James Devlin does fantastic work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal bits as backdrops and such for a few of the scenes on the road. Sound designer Ian Wilson does excellent work with the sound in capturing the sounds on the road as well as the way phone conversations are presented. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchliffe is superb for its dream-like guitar work and bits of ambient synthesizer to play into the intensity of the drama.

The casting by Shaheen Baig is wonderful as it features the voice work of Alice Lowe and Silas Carson as a couple of people working at a hospital, Kirsty Dillon as the wife of one of Ivan’s co-workers, Lee Ross as a police official, Danny Webb as a political official, Ben Daniels as a co-worker of Ivan in Gareth, and Andrew Scott as Ivan’s assistant Donal who is trying to help Ivan with all of the shit that needs to be sorted out. Tom Holland and Bill Milner are excellent in their respective roles as the voices of Ivan’s sons in Eddie and Sean who are calling their father over a football game as well as the family drama that is unfolding. Ruth Wilson is brilliant as the voice of Ivan’s wife Katrina who receives some horrific news that acts as a source of chaos between her and Ivan. Olivia Colman is amazing as the voice of Bethan as a woman Ivan knows as she has news of her own that would add to Ivan’s unraveling world.

Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in a phenomenal performance as Ivan Locke as a contractor who is driving home as he calls many on his car phone where Hardy is restrained in some parts as well as getting upset that include these invisible conversations with his late father. It is Hardy in one of his great performance as a man that is trying to deal with the chaos of his life as well as cope with his own faults as it is just intoxicating to watch.

Locke is a sensational film from Steven Knight that features an incredible performance from Tom Hardy. Along with its ensemble voice cast, ravishing visuals, an eerie music score, and a simple yet chilling premise. The film is definitely a mesmerizing suspense-drama that follows a man driving home as he deals with phone calls where he copes with events in his life as they would unravel in the span of an entire night. In the end, Locke is a phenomenal film from Steven Knight.

© thevoid99 2021

Dunkirk

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk is a dramatic re-telling of the evacuation of Dunkirk during World War II in which three different stories are happening during the course of the event. Told on land, sea, and the air, the film follows the lives of soldiers, pilots, and people from Britain who try to escape from the Germans in Northern France. Starring Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Mark Rylance. Dunkirk is a gripping and evocative film from Christopher Nolan.

In 1940 at the Northern-French coast of Dunkirk, thousands of British soldiers are trying to flee the country following France’s defeat to the Germans as naval ships are being sunk with many hoping for a miracle. The film is about this major event in World War II in which many British soldiers are stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk as they’re dealing with German warplanes and forces coming into the city as the French try to hold them off with three different things happening all in the span of a week on land, a day on the sea, and an hour on air. Christopher Nolan’s screenplay is presented in a somewhat non-linear narrative where time is distorted as it showcases what is happening as characters from the different storylines don’t interact in the course of the evacuation. These three different storylines are each given a different title based on its setting as they all would intertwine throughout the course of the film as some of these characters in the different stories would meet with one another to provide some multiple perspectives of what is happening.

The first story entitled The Mole refers to the stranded soldiers on land as they’re trying to evacuate as Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) is watching over the evacuation as he converses Colonel Winnant (James D’Arcy) over what is happening as they believe many of the soldiers will be left behind. Three of these soldiers including Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), Gibson (Aneurin Barnard), and Alex (Harry Styles) struggle to survive as they try to evacuate and endure everything that has been thrown at them. The second story entitled The Sea revolves around what is happening where a mariner in Mr. Dawson (Mark Rylance) and his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) decides to sail to Dunkirk to save the soldiers with the help of Peter’s friend George (Barry Keoghan) where they would pick-up a shell-shocked soldier (Cillian Murphy). In the third story called The Air, two British pilots in Farrier (Tom Hardy) and Collins (Jack Lowden) fight off against German planes and bombers as the former contends with a malfunction in his fuel gauge.

Nolan’s direction is definitely riveting from start to finish as he doesn’t go for anything that showcase who these characters are before what is happening as it’s more about what is happening in Dunkirk and these soldiers trying to survive. Shot on the actual location at Dunkirk beach in France with some of it shot in Great Britain and the Netherlands with the ship interiors shot in the U.S. Nolan decides to create this sense of immediacy and terror that looms throughout the film as it just keeps going where there is no idea what will happen next. Shot on 65mm film and 65mm IMAX film stocks, Nolan would use the wide shots to capture the vastness of the locations including the English Channel to see how big the evacuation was and how many small boats and ships were there to save these soldiers from imminent doom. There are some close-ups and medium shots to display that terror including some hand-held cameras that help create that suspense and terror in scenes where a German plane is flying and ready to attack the soldiers on the beach.

For a film where so much is happening all at the same time or what happened a few minutes before, Nolan doesn’t stray from the human story as he does showcase these small moments that play into characters dealing with what is happening and figuring out how to survive. Whether it’s on a small boat or inside a plane, Nolan always show what these characters are looking into as well as the fact that he never shows the face of the enemy throughout the entirety of the film. There are also these moments amidst this massive shroud of darkness that showcase not just a glimmer of hope but also the sense of good in humanity amidst the plague of fear looming. Especially as Nolan would put in that sense of historical context into how important the evacuation was as a touchstone moment for Britain. Overall, Nolan crafts a thrilling yet rapturous film about the real-life Dunkirk evacuation that was a pivotal moment for Britain’s role in World War II.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography from the sunny look in some scenes set in the sea to the greyer look of the scenes on land and in the air as well as some nighttime shots with the usage of fire for lighting specifics. Editor Lee Smith does incredible work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and some stylish non-linear cutting that help provide different perspective of the events that happen in the film as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorators Emmanuel Delis and Gary Fettis plus supervising art directors Kevin Ishioka and Eggert Ketilsson, does excellent work with the look of the interior of some of the naval ships as well as Mr. Dawson’s ship and the decayed pier at the Dunkirk beach. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does superb work with the costumes as it is mostly some army and naval uniforms which Commander Bolton wears in the latter.

Special effects supervisors Ian Corbould and Paul Corbould, along with visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, does fantastic work with the usage of practical effects for some of the aerial scenes with a few bits of computer-based effects for set dressing and crowd scenes. Sound editor Richard King does brilliant work with the sound to create a sense of atmosphere from the sound of planes flying in the air to the sound of torpedoes and bomb as the sound is often filled with terror as it is another of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is amazing for its orchestral-based score with its offbeat arrangements in the percussions and sound as it help play into the suspense with some more somber pieces in the drama as it is one of Zimmer’s finest scores of his career.

The casting by John Papsidera and Toby Whale is great as it does feature a couple of notable small roles from Jochum ten Haaf as a Dutch seaman and the voice of Michael Caine as a radio communications man talking to Farrier and Collins. Jack Lowden is superb as the air force pilot Collins as a man trying to do whatever he can to stop the Germans from sinking ships and kill soldiers as he would also have a moment of terror of his own. Tom Hardy is excellent as Farrier as an air force pilot who is dealing with the malfunction of his fuel gauge as he is aware of how low he is on fuel but knows what he has to do as he doesn’t show much of his face except his eyes to show what must be done. Fionn Whitehead is fantastic as the young soldier Tommy who is the first character shown in the film as someone dealing with trying to survive while Harry Styles is wonderful as Alex as another young soldier who is also trying to survive but also has suspicions toward something that he feels is off. Aneurin Barnard is terrific as Gibson as a young soldier who is also trying to survive as he spends much of the film not saying very much.

Barry Keoghan is amazing as a 15-year old boy in George who helps Mr. Dawson and his son in retrieving soldiers on the sea while Tom Glynn-Carney is brilliant as Mr. Dawson’s son Peter as a young man who is helping his father as well as converse with those he saves. Mark Rylance is marvelous as Mr. Dawson as a civilian who decides to go to Dunkirk with his son and George in an act to help soldiers without having the navy to take his boat as he is aware of what is at stake. Cillian Murphy is incredible as a shell-shocked soldier Mr. Dawson saves as he copes with what he’s experienced as he’s in a state of shock. James D’Arcy is remarkable as Colonel Winnant as an officer trying to make sense of what is going on as well as wondering what is next for Britain in World War II. Finally, there’s Kenneth Branagh in a phenomenal performance as Commander Bolton as a naval officer trying to manage the evacuation as well as pondering if there is some form of miracle as his performance is just the most touching in the way he reacts to that glimmer of hope.

Dunkirk is an outstanding film from Christopher Nolan. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, top-notch technical work in the editing and sound, Hans Zimmer’s enthralling score, and an inventive script that creates a sense of terror and intrigue. It’s a war film that just goes head on into what is happening as it’s told in multiple perspective from the soldiers stuck at the beach, on sea, and air to the civilians who travel from their homeland to bring their boys back home. In the end, Dunkirk is a magnificent film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

© thevoid99 2017

Legend (2015 film)

Based on the novel The Profession of Violence by John Pearson, Legend is the story of twin brothers who become infamous criminals in the 1950s/1960s as they would rise big and later fall. Written for the screen and directed by Brian Helgeland, the film is a look into the rise and fall of the twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray who were infamous for their exploits in the world of crime as they’re both portrayed by Tom Hardy. Also starring Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Taron Egerton, Duffy, Paul Bettany, Colin Morgan, Tara Fitzgerald, and Chazz Palminteri. Legend is a gripping yet stylish film from Brian Helgeland.

Set mainly in 1960s London, the film is the simple story of the rise and fall of the twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray who were the most dangerous and richest gangsters in all of London as they ran casinos and clubs to great heights. Yet, it is told by someone who knew the Krays in their rise as she would eventually become Reggie’s wife in Frances Shea (Emily Browning) where she would also see their fall in the late 1960s. Brian Helgeland’s screenplay is quite straightforward though it is largely told from Frances’ perspective in her voiceover narration yet it play into the Krays who may look alike and have violent tendencies but they’re both very different. Reggie is more organized as he also craves for a simpler and more straight life driven by his love for Frances while Ronnie is the more unstable of the two as he is mentally-ill and unpredictable as well as be openly-gay.

The script also play into the conflict where Frances often find herself in the middle as she represents the one person that can give Reggie a life away from crime which is something Ronnie doesn’t want. Ronnie wants to be a full-time criminal and stick to anyone that goes against them yet Reggie wants to maintain some control and make some money. Once their rise progresses, Reggie would eventually realize that Ronnie is a liability as he struggles to be a husband to Frances but also to watch over his brother. Still, Reggie wouldn’t expect how far Ronnie would play into their downfall.

Helgeland’s direction is simple at times but also quite stylish in some respects as it definitely captures the world of 1960s London where it is shot on location in the city as well as part of the East End area of the city. Much of Helgeland’s compositions in the wide and medium shots are simple to establish the locations yet he doesn’t shy away from how brutal some of the violence was back then. Helgeland would also create some element of style such as a sequence where Reggie has his first date with Frances where he would create this long tracking shot sequence in one take where Reggie would go to the back of a club to deal with business and then return to Frances. It is an inventive moment while there are elements of style that play into the world of 1960s club world where the people of power, wealth, and celebrity would hang out with gangsters as there is a sense of cool in that. When the film reaches its third act where it begins with a chilling moment of violence, it does play into this fall where it’s not just about a lack of control for Reggie but also Ronnie becoming more unruly as the film becomes more grim with the inevitable finally coming into play. Overall, Helgeland creates a mesmerizing and stylish film about the rise and fall of the Kray brothers.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the way some of the daytime exteriors look as well as the lighting for many of the interior scenes set in the day at the pubs or at night for the clubs. Editor Peter McNulty does nice work with the editing as it is stylish with its rhythmic cuts to play into some of the action and violence while providing moments that doesn‘t stray into conventional fast-cutting. Production designer Tom Conroy, with set decorator Crispian Sallis and supervising art director Patrick Rolfe, does fantastic work with the design of the sets from the look of the clubs as well as the pubs and the homes that the characters live in. Costume designer Caroline Harris does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes of the men to the stylish dresses that Frances wears.

Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does terrific work with the hairstyles that the men had at the time as well as the array of hairstyles that Frances had. Visual effects supervisor Adam Rowland does some fine work with the visual effects which is mainly bits of set dressing and a few moments in the violence. Sound editor Dominic Gibbs and sound designer Ben Meecham do superb work with the sound from the way some of the violence is presented as well as the atmosphere of the clubs and social places the characters go to. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is wonderful for its mixture of lush orchestral music with some 60s style pop and rock music while music supervisors Liz Gallacher and Kirsten Lane create a fun soundtrack that feature a lot of the music of the times from Booker T. and the M.G.s, the Meters, Herbie Hancock, the Rockin’ Berries, Herman’s Hermits, Billy Preston, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Burt Bacharach, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, and Duffy.

The casting by Lucinda Syson is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from John Sessions as a British lord that Ronnie would befriend, Aneurin Barnard as the famed photographer David Bailey, Sam Spruell as the incompetent associate of the brothers in Jack McVitie, Adam Fogerty as the Krays’ muscle Big Pat, Kevin McNally as the then-British prime minister Harold Wilson who has a problem with the Krays, Jane Wood and Jon McKenna as the parents of the Krays, Paul Anderson as Reggie’s lieutenant Albert, and Tara Fitzgerald in a wonderful small roles as Frances and Frank’s mother who doesn’t like the Krays. Colin Morgan is terrific as Frances’ brother Frank who is also a driver for the Krays while Paul Bettany is superb in a small role as a rival gang leader from South London in Charlie Richardson.

Chazz Palminteri is excellent as American mob figure Angelo Bruno who makes a deal with the Krays while giving Reggie some advice about laying low as well as what to do when family becomes a liability. Taron Egerton is fantastic as Ronnie’s right-hand man Mad Teddy who could possibly be Ronnie’s lover as he is quite psychotic but also prove to be loyal to the Krays. Christopher Eccleston is brilliant as Leonard “Nipper” Read as a detective hell-bent on nabbing the Krays any way he can while he would also deal with humility and the need for redemption. David Thewlis is amazing as Leslie Payne as the Krays’ business manager who tries to assure them what they can do and can’t do while making Ronnie paranoid.

Emily Browning is remarkable as Frances Shea as a woman who meets and falls for Reggie Kray as she understands what he does but still loves him know he can do good but becomes overwhelmed by his focus on the business and Ronnie’s behavior. Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in a phenomenal dual performance as the twins Reggie and Ronnie Kray where Hardy provides some distinctive ideas for the characters. In Reggie, Hardy is more restrained and charming but also can be quite brutal at times where Hardy plays it cool. As Ronnie, Hardy puts on a more warped physicality to his performance as well as wear glasses and have more of an accent than Reggie as he is very dangerous but also quite comical as it’s really a tour-de-force performance for Hardy.

Legend is a sensational film from Brian Helgeland that features an incredible performance from Tom Hardy as Reggie and Ronnie Kray. Along with a fantastic supporting cast, cool music soundtrack, and a fascinating premise, it’s a film that explores the world of the British gangsters in the 1960s and the struggle between two brothers in their own different ambitions. In the end, Legend is a marvelous film from Brian Helgeland.

Brian Helgeland Films: (Payback) - A Knight's Tale - (The Order) - (42)

© thevoid99 2017

The Revenant

Based on the novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke, The Revenant is the real-life story of American frontiersman Hugh Glass who was buried alive following an attack by a bear as he goes after those who had left him for dead. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Inarritu and Mark L. Smith, the film is an exploration of survival and vengeance set in 1823 South Dakota and Montana with Leonardo diCaprio playing the role of Glass. Also starring Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Will Poulter, Brendan Fletcher, and Lukas Haas. The Revenant is a chilling and visceral film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

It’s 1823 in the Rocky Mountains where a group of men are collecting fur and pelts while evading the Arikara tribe who has been pursuing them. The film revolves around Hugh Glass’ expedition in that world with his son where he is attacked by a grizzly bear and later left for dead by his men where he goes on a quest for vengeance. While it is a simple story about vengeance and survival during a harsh winter, it is a film that plays into Hugh Glass coping with loss as well as trying to do what is right where he is trying to survive near-death experiences and evade this tribe that is trying to find a chief’s daughter who had been kidnapped. The film’s screenplay by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith does follow a simple structure in terms of its narrative which play into Glass and Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) trying to survive the attack and then the former’s attack from a grizzly bear where he is left to dead by the trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).

The narrative is very straightforward yet it is more of a minimalist script that doesn’t rely much on plot but rather character motivations and what Glass is trying to do to survive. Even as he reflects on his own past and his reasons to live as he was accompanied by his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) on this hunting expedition. After the attack from the bear and being cared for by Hawk and a young trapper in Bridger (Will Poulter), Glass’ life hangs on the balance where Fitzgerald would make some decisions as he is a man driven by greed and thinking only for himself. For Glass who would be left for dead and buried alive, the actions of Fitzgerald would only make him determined for revenge but has to endure something more treacherous which is the cold and bruising weather, his damaged body, and the Arikara tribe who spare no one.

Inarritu’s direction is definitely sprawling in terms of not just the visual palette he creates but also in the atmosphere that is set which adds to the film’s very dreary tone. Shot largely on location in mountain and forest locations in Alberta and British Columbia provinces in Canada as well as some of it in Argentina, the film has this sense of physicality in what Inarritu is going for. The forest and the mountains are definitely characters in the film as it play into what Glass and the men in the film are trying to do in this terrible conditions of not snow but also winds and blizzards in the mountains. Inarritu’s usage of wide and medium shots would bring so much to the location as well as what these men have to do to get in this fort and be safe despite another presence from the Arikara tribe who will kill everyone including a group of Native Americans living outside of the fort. It adds to the tense tone of the film as well as elements of surrealism as it relates to Glass’ past and the sense of longing and loss that looms over him.

Inarritu would create something that is a bit dream-like but also moments that are filled with dazzling visual imagery in some of the intense action scenes along with some close-ups that play into the suspense and drama. Inarritu would also create this idea about death as it play into Glass’ own sense of grief and loss as it includes a flashback of him looking into this small hill filled with skulls. It adds to Glass’ determination to go after Fitzgerald where the two would have this climax where it’s not just a battle of wits but also a battle of will with the cold mountains and harsh weather conditions being their surroundings. Overall, Inarritu crafts a very gripping and evocative film about a man’s determination for revenge and survival in the Rocky Mountains.

Cinematographer Emmuanel Lubezki does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its naturalistic yet intoxicating approach to much of the lighting for many of the scenes set in day and night with the latter using natural lighting things such as fire and lamps as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Stephen Mirrione does brilliant work with the editing in creating some unique jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the film‘s offbeat rhythms as well as using fade-outs to structure the story. Production designer Jack Fisk, with art directors Laurel Bergman, Michael Diner, and Isabelle Guay and set decorator Hamish Purdy, does amazing work with the design of the ferry boats, the fort, and some of the smaller things that are created in the forest including the little tents that Glass would make in his journey.

Costume designer Jacqueline West does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the clothes that the Native Americans wear as well as the array of furs and such that many of the trappers and frontiersmen wear. The hair/makeup work of Sian Grigg, Duncan Junman, and Robert Pandini do excellent work with the look of Glass from the beard and hair as well as the bruises and scars on his body as well as the look of Fitzgerald. Visual effects supervisor Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith, and Cameron Waldbauer do terrific work with the visual effects from the look of some of the animals including the bear that would attack Glass as it look and felt real.

Sound designers Lon Bender, Martin Hernandez, and Randy Thom, along with sound editor Victor J. Hernandez, do sensational work with the sound from the way the wind sounded as it creates a sense of unease in the locations as well as the sounds of arrows, gunfire, and all sorts of naturalistic sounds that is captured throughout the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto, and Bryce Dessner is superb for its mixture of discordant string arrangements and bombastic percussions with an air of ambient textures while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein would provide some traditional music pieces that were played during those times.

The casting by Francine Maisler is phenomenal as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Lukas Haas, Brendan Fletcher, Paul Anderson, and Kristoffer Jones as fellow trappers and soldiers who work under Captain Henry in hunting pelt while Fabrice Adde is terrific in a small role as head French trapper team named Toussaint. Other noteworthy small roles include Grace Dove as Glass’ late wife, Melaw Nakehk’o as the captured daughter of the Arikara chief, Arthur Redcloud as a Pawnee Indian Glass meets during his journey who would heal him, and Duane Howard as the Arikara chief Elk Dog who leads his tribe to find his daughter and kill whoever stands in his way. Forrest Goodluck is fantastic as Glass’ son Hawk as a young man who aids his father as he copes with Fitzgerald’s insults as well as the situation his father is in. Will Poulter is excellent as Bridger as a young trapper who deals with the severity of Glass’ situation where he tries to help him while understanding what Fitzgerald is doing and what kind of person he is.

Domhnall Gleeson is brilliant as Captain Andrew Henry as a military leader who is the leader of the expedition as he is someone that trusts Glass as he does whatever he can to help him while wondering about what Fitzgerald is about. Tom Hardy is incredible as John Fitzgerald as a trapper who is a man that is in it for himself and make a lot of money while seeing that carrying the injured Glass is a waste as he decides to leave him for dead without any remorse. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a tremendous performance as Hugh Glass as this frontiersman that tries to survive as he gets attacked by a bear and then left for dead where it’s a performance from diCaprio that is astonishing in terms of how little he speaks and how determined he is to survive as the physicality of what he does is just eerie to watch in what is one of his finest performances to date.

The Revenant is a spectacular film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features great performances from Leonardo diCaprio and Tom Hardy. Along with a strong supporting cast, dazzling visuals, high-octane sound, a thrilling soundtrack, and a harrowing story of death, survival, and vengeance. It’s a film that manages to be engrossing in its locations as well as what is going on during a time where hunting was natural and survival was key to living. In the end, The Revenant is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2016

Mad Max: Fury Road

Directed by George Miller and written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris, Mad Max: Fury Road is the story of a drifter in a desert wasteland as he helps a woman flee from a cult leader who is trying to retrieve his wives. The film is another post-apocalyptic film where it is set in a desert world as Max Rockatansky is in another adventure as he is joined by a mysterious woman in a world that is completely chaotic. Starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoe Kravitz, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Courtney Eaton, and Hugh Keays-Byrne. Mad Max: Fury Road is an astonishing grand and enthralling film from George Miller.

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where civilization is on the bring of extinction, the film revolves around a survivor who is captured by a cult as he finds himself in a chase after a truck driver steals a cult leader’s group of wives as he would later help them find freedom. It’s a film that where the character of Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) is once again trying to find something in his life as he remains haunted by failures and loss. All of that sense of encounter of terror and chaos forces him to fend for himself and go on his own where he eventually finds a reason to do something in helping this rogue truck driver named Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) who is trying to drive to her old homeland with the wives of the cult leader Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).

The film’s screenplay doesn’t carry a lot of exposition nor does it have a lot of dialogue though it does open with some bits of exposition of where Max had been through for so many years as he is just a survivor. He is constantly haunted by the image of a child he was unable to save as he is first seen captured by a sickly group of young men in white known as War Boys who are part of Joe’s cult. Since Max has blood that can help some of these boys, he is attached to one of them in Nux (Nicholas Hoult) who wants to impress Joe as he joins them on the chase with Max in tow. Yet, the screenplay showcases exactly what the world has come to where Joe has complete control of the water where the people could only get as little as possible while gasoline and milk. Joe also treats people as slaves including women which is a big reason why his five brides are fleeing him and ask Furiosa to drive them away from Joe. Once Max learns what Furiosa is doing, he isn’t sure if he should trust her but realizes what is at stake.

Part of the script’s success isn’t in the fact that there’s an element of feminism that isn’t heavy handed but also reveals that these five wives of Joe are real characters that all have something to say as they’re sick and tired of being objectified and used as slaves. Most notably in a shot where one of the brides is trying to get a chastity underwear out as another one is using bolt-cutters to unchain her. During this chase where Max and Furiosa are taking turns in driving this massive war rig, the script allows these women to be fleshed out as they all want something where they are able to live good lives. The film’s third act isn’t just about these characters trying to reach the destination but also wonder if there is a world where there is hope as Max would be the one to give Furiosa an idea and help her as if they are partners without the need to make out or have sex.

George Miller’s direction is very grand not just for the setting he creates for the film but also in the way he stages the chase scenes and the sense of chaos that surrounds it. Shot on location in Namibia as well as parts of Australia, the locations set in the deserts, swamps, canyons, and mountains do serve a purpose as it establishes a world that is very unforgiving and with a sense of the unknown. Since it is largely a chase film that goes throughout the desert, Miller does use a lot of wide shots to capture the vast look of the locations where it does play into something that feels like a post-apocalyptic world where civilization doesn’t exist. Even as Miller knows how to put his actors in a frame and be part of this vast location where they feel like they’re lost and trying to find something.

The direction also has an element of realism in the way the chase scenes are presented as well as the cars and trucks that are used where Miller definitely goes for an old-school approach of using actual effects rather than heavily rely on computer-based visual effects with the exception of a few scenes. Miller’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do play into the sense of a community trying to come together and help each other as well as stand up for something in a world where order has ceased to exist. Even as it would lead into this extravagant climax where so much is at stake while it is not afraid to delve into moments that are scary but also engaging. Overall, Miller creates an intense yet monstrous film about a drifter who aid a group of women to find hope in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Cinematographer John Seale does brilliant work with the film‘s very exotic and vibrant cinematography with its emphasis on the sunny desert look to play into its location along with some usage of blue-filters for some scenes at night with some inspiring lighting cues in the film as it among one of the film‘s technical highlights. Editor Margaret Sixel does amazing work with the editing by not just playing into the sense of chaos that occurs with some fast-cutting but also know when to slow it down for the non-action scenes and using fade-outs to help structure the story. Production designer Colin Gibson, with art directors Shira Hockman and Jacinta Leong and set decorators Katie Sharrock, Lisa Thompson, and Gena Vazquez, does incredible work with the set design from the look of the Citadel canyons where Joe runs his cult as well as the design of the trucks and cars that occurs through the chases.

Costume designer Jenny Beaven does excellent work with the clothes from the look of Joe and his gang as well as the other cults to the bridal-look of Joe’s wives. Hair/makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt does fantastic work with the look of the characters from the war boys to the look of Joe as well as the hair and makeup of their cult. Visual effects supervisors Andrew Jackson and David Nelson do superb work with the look of the grand winds and tornados along with creatures as they keep things to a minimum in order to play into more practical effects. Sound designers Christopher S. Aud, Julian Slater, and David White, along with sound editors Scott Hecker, Mark A. Mangini, and Wayne Pashley, do phenomenal work with the sound to play into the sense of terror that looms over the film as well as some of the music that is played on location from Joe‘s cult including a guitarist with a guitar that is also a flamethrower. The film’s music by Junkie XL is spectacular with its mix of bombastic beats and orchestral flourishes along with elements of guitars and electronics to play into the chaos and thrill of the chases.

The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Joy Smithers, Gillian Jones, Megan Gale, and Jennifer Hagan as a group of women Furiosa knows, Melissa Jaffer as a woman who has provided a source for the future that one of the wives befriends, John Howard and Richard Carter as a couple of ruthless gang leaders, Nathan Jones as Joe’s strongman son Rictus Erectus, and Josh Helman as Nux’s fellow war boy Slit. In the roles of the five wives, Courtney Eaton is terrific as the more scared Cheedo the Fragile who often thinks about going back to Joe for safety while Abbey Lee Kershaw is superb as the Dag who connects with one of the old women in its third act as she would also start to yearn for something that might bring some hope.

Zoe Kravitz is excellent as Toast the Knowing as a wife who aids Max in reloading the weapons and often observes everything Riley Keough is fantastic as Capable who would befriend Nux while being the one who can help fix the truck. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is amazing as The Splendid Angharad as a wife of Joe who is pregnant as she is the one in most danger as she is eager to not have a child that would become a slave or a warlord like her husband. Hugh Keays-Byrne is brilliant as Immortan Joe as this cult leader who rules the wasteland as he goes on a chase to retrieve his wives and ensure his legacy.

Nicholas Hoult is marvelous as a sick war boy named Nux who is trying to prove his loyalty to Joe as he endures many situations where he proves to be a reliable person for Max and Furiosa. Charlize Theron is phenomenal as Imperator Furiosa as this rig truck driver with a prosthetic left arm that decides to defy Joe and do what is right without the need to explain herself as it’s a very chilling yet enthralling performance that has Theron be a full-on badass. Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in a remarkable performance as Max Rockatansky as a drifter who finds himself in a troubling situation as he struggles to find some good and meaning in his life as Hardy largely gives a silent performance with few words while not afraid to be overshadowed as he and Theron act as total equals that deliver and more.

Mad Max: Fury Road is an outstanding film from George Miller that features top-of-the-line performances from Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Along with a great supporting cast, spectacular stunts and special effects, enthralling music, and dazzling visual effects. It is a film that doesn’t just act as a full-on action blockbuster that entertains but does so much more as it manages to be a feminist film without the need to say anything big. In the end, Mad Max: Fury Road is an astounding and rapturous film from George Miller.

George Miller Films: Mad Max - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - (Twilight Zone: The Movie-Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) - (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) - (The Witches of Eastwick) - (Lorenzo’s Oil) - (40,000 Years of Dreaming) - (Babe: Pig in the City) - (Happy Feet) - (Happy Feet Two) - (Three Thousand Years of Longing) - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - (Mad Max: The Wasteland)

© thevoid99 2015

Warrior (2011 film)

Directed by Gavin O’Connor and screenplay by O’Connor, Cliff Dorfman, and Anthony Tambakis from a story by O’Connor and Dorfman, Warrior is the story about two estranged brothers who enter a mixed-martial arts tournament for very different reasons as they also deal with their estranged father who would train one of them. The film is an exploration into the world of mixed-marital arts as well as the troubled bond between two brothers. Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo, and Nick Nolte. Warrior is a gripping yet exciting film from Gavin O’Connor.

The film is essentially the story of two estranged brothers who each decide to enter a MMA tournament for different reasons as they deal with their troubled relationship as well as their relationship with their father whom they had been abused by as kids. For the eldest Brendan (Joel Edgerton), it’s to make sure he doesn’t lose his house after having to mortgage it to give one of his daughters heart surgery. For the youngest Tommy (Tom Hardy), it’s a chance to help a widow of a friend he lost in the war. Then there’s their father Paddy (Nick Nolte) who is a man simply wanting to redeem himself for his actions as he wants to reconcile with both sons as he would train Tommy during the preparation for the tournament while cheering for Brendan once the tournament commences. Yet, complication ensues between the two brothers as they would eventually face each other in this tournament.

While the screenplay’s schematics is quite predictable in its second half, what makes up for it is the fact that it’s about these two brothers fighting their way to get the $5 million prize money. Both men would display very different styles of fighting in the course of the film but the obstacles they face aren’t inside a cage but outside. Brendan is worried about getting hurt as does his wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) who knows about Brendan’s past as a UFC fighter. Brendan is also reluctant about reconciling with his father as he isn’t sure about having him near his daughters. Tommy meanwhile, is also reluctant about reconciling with his father though he only wants him as a trainer. Yet, Paddy is wondering about Tommy’s time as a Marine which would eventually lead to trouble as well as create many complications in Tommy’s troubled relationship with Paddy.

Gavin O’Connor’s direction is very engaging for the way he creates a film with two pretty different halves as the first half is essentially a family drama that concerns the two very different lives of two men. O’Connor’s direction is quite straightforward as he does employ a lot of hand-held cameras to capture the action as it would also feature montages to showcase the two different training styles of the two men. In its second half, it does become more of a typical fight movie yet O’Connor does insert some dramatic scenes to establish what these men are fighting for. Notably the first confrontation between Tommy and Brendan at a beach where O’Connor creates an amazing wide shot of the Atlantic City location. The fight scenes are quite stylish though O’Connor wisely doesn’t dwell too much into fast-cutting editing by taking his time to let the fights unfold. Notably as the climatic fight between the brothers is invested with lots of emotion and action. Overall, O’Connor creates a very dazzling yet tender film about two brothers trying to do whatever it takes to fight for something good.

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi does excellent work with the film‘s vibrant cinematography that carries a bit of grain in its look where it features a stylized look of some of the nighttime exterior scenes as well as very different colored schemes for the contrasting lives of Brendan and Tommy. Editors Sean Albertson, Matt Cheese, John Gilroy, and Aaron Marshall do great work with the editing by maintaining a straightforward approach to the dramatic scenes while utilizing montages for the training scenes as well as rhythmic cuts for the fights. Production designer Dan Leigh, along with set decorator Ron von Blomberg and art director James Donahue, does terrific work with the set pieces such as the gym that Tommy goes to as well as the school that Brendan works at.

Costume designer Abigail Murray does good work with costumes as it‘s mostly casual for many of the characters in the film. Sound mixer Peter J. Devlin does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the fights in the arena as well as the more intimate moments in some of the film‘s location settings. The film’s music by Mark Isham is wonderful for its low-key yet bombastic orchestral score that underscores the drama and action that occurs while not utilizing any swelling arrangements to intensify the drama. Some of the film’s music consists of pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven as Brendan’s entrance music along with a very crucial song from the National in one of the film’s emotional moments.

The casting by Randi Hiller is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small performances from director Gavin O’Connor as the tournament organizer, Noah Emmerich as Brendan’s financial advisor, Kevin Dunn as Brendan’s principal, Vanessa Martinez as a widow Tommy tries to help out, Capri Thomas and Lexi Cowan as Brendan and Tess’ daughters, and Frank Grillo in a terrific performance as Brendan’s trainer Frank Campana. Other noteworthy small roles as the fighters include performances from Anthony Johnson, Nathan Marquardt, Roan Carneiro, Erik Apple, and Kurt Angle as the Russian fighter Koba. Jennifer Morrison is excellent as Brendan’s wife Tess who is worried about Brendan’s return to fighting as becomes aware of what is at stake.

Nick Nolte is incredible as Brendan and Tommy’s father Paddy who trains Tommy while wanting to re-establish contact with Brendan as he deals with his own troubled past as he’s yearning for redemption. Joel Edgerton is superb as Brendan who is determined to save his house as he goes back to fighting as he also seeks to try to make amends with his brother. Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in a marvelous performance as Tommy where Hardy displays a very quiet persona to a man who likes to keep things to himself and remain very guarded that often has him pushing people away from him.

Warrior is a remarkable film from Gavin O’Connor that features top-notch performances from Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. The film is definitely a unique take on the fight movies as well as creating a captivating drama that allows the audience to root for these two men. It’s also a touching film that explores the relationship between brothers and fathers in all of its dysfunctions and more. In the end, Warrior is an amazing film from Gavin O’Connor.

Gavin O’Connor Films: (Comfortably Numb) - (Tumbleweeds) - (Miracle (2004 film)) - (Pride and Glory)

© thevoid99 2012

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Based on the novel by John Le Carre, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the story of a former spy who is asked to find a Soviet double-agent that is rumored to be a top official in the British secret service. Directed by Tomas Alfredson and screenplay by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughn, the film explores the world of espionage and intrigue as it revolves a retired spy who is forced to uncover dark secrets that involves the people he used to work for. Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ciaran Hinds. Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy is an engrossing yet intriguing film from Tomas Alfredson.

After British intelligence sends agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) to Hungary where he was shot and captured, the ailing intelligence head Control (John Hurt) is forced to retire as he asks his right-hand man George Smiley (Gary Oldman) to investigate a claim by agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) about a mole in British Intelligence. With Tarr in hiding, Smiley takes charge of the investigation as he brings in officer Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) to aid him where they suspect about the Witchcraft project that is led by new head Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) that also includes deputy Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), and senior officials Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds) and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik).

With Alleine taking control of the MI6 and getting rid of various personnel, Smiley meets Connie Sachs (Kathy Burke) who reveals that she was sacked for finding out about a mole-handler named Polyakov (Konstantin Khabensky). Another former employee in Jerry Westerby (Stephen Graham) reveals to Smiley some more information about what happened to Prideaux as Smiley believes that a top official could be the mole. Coming home from work, Smiley finds Tarr at his house hiding as Tarr reveals his story about what happened to him in Istanbul. Tarr met an operative named Irina (Svetlana Khodchenkova) whom he fell for as they traded information as she was the one who revealed about the mole in the MI6 before being captured. Tarr was forced to flee after finding a British agent dead as he’s been accused of murder as he remains in hiding.

After Guillam is asked to fetch Tarr’s reports to confirm what Tarr had said, Guillam and Smiley make a discovery that someone knows about Tarr’s time in Istanbul. After learning about more about what happened to Prideaux and what he was trying to find for Control, Smiley goes further to find out what Alleine, Haydon, Bland, and Esterhase have been giving to Polyakov as one of them has been giving away something more than just information. There, Smiley makes a move to have the mole to be revealed.

What happens when a retired spy has to uncover dark secrets that involves espionage that would threaten the livelihood of the British Intelligence Agency? That's what the film is simply about as it explores the world of corruption and men's desire to create a new world order in the 1970s during the Cold War. Yet, it would take a man like George Smiley to realize that what they're doing isn't just wrong but immoral about the way spy games work. Seeing people he knew for many years being dismissed like that because they know something is wrong forces him to make some moves with old friends including a spy who is on the run for uncovering the truth.

The screenplay does play to the schematics of a suspense story yet a lot of the narrative does shift back and forth as it revolves around Smiley’s memories and the events that transpire throughout the course of the film. The story opens with Prideaux’s capture as it would be among the moments that keeps coming back along with Smiley’s memories of more simpler times when Control was in charge. During these flashbacks, Smiley would force to look back at things that would raise his suspicions as he later realizes that something was up. Even as it would involve meeting people like those who were dismissed or someone like Ricki Tarr as they would reveal to Smiley things that would eventually confirm his own suspicions.

Tomas Alfredson’s direction is very entrancing in the way he frames his actors and set-up the moments of suspense that occurs throughout. His attention to detail in the film’s opening scene that involves Prideaux that would led to his capture is among one of these key moments of suspense. The rest of the film takes a much more low-key approach in order to uncover everything that is happening as Alfredson creates a world that is set in the early 1970s where the Cold War is already happening and Smiley feels out of step with the times. It’s to establish that a new world order is happening where men like Smiley are just obsolete while these new lions take over and keep the Cold War happening yet it’s the mole that is creating all of these complications that is going on.

Set mostly in London with some parts of the film set in Paris, Istanbul, and Hungary, it’s definitely a film about international intrigue as Alfredson is trying to figure out who is the mole. Notably the sequence that involves Ricki Tarr in Istanbul where the compositions have an air of style as it reflects Tarr’s desire to lead a life out of the world of spy games. The film’s third act where Smiley gets closer to finding out who the mole is has him doing things where he will confront someone in a very unique way in order to get answers. There’s no violence involve but rather just play it cool and create a situation where that person eventually breaks down. Overall, Alfredson crafts a very solid and engaging suspense film that works to play out its sense of mystery.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does brilliant work with the film‘s stylish photography to play out the drab look of London in its exteriors along with lush lighting schemes for the interior. Editor Dino Jonsater does excellent work with the editing to create stylish cuts to help shift the narrative around along with some methodical cuts to play out the suspense. Production designer Maria Djurkovic, along with set decorator Tatiana MacDonald and art directors Tom Brown and Mark Raggett, does superb work with the set pieces such as the meeting room where the British intelligence supervisors meet along with the offices and homes that the characters live and work at.

Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does terrific work with the costumes from the suits the men wear to the more casual 70s clothing the younger characters wear. Hair and makeup designer Felicity Bowring does nice work in creating looks for the characters to create the feel of the 1970s. Sound editors Stephen Griffiths and Andy Shelley do some fine work with the sound to capture the intimacy of the meetings as well as the chaos in some of the film‘s thrilling moments. The film’s music by Alberto Iglesias is amazing for its orchestral-driven score filled with slow, heavy themes to play out the drama and suspense. Music supervisor Nick Angel creates a very good soundtrack that features a few music pieces from the 70s including a rhythmic cover of La Mer by Julio Iglesias.

The casting by Jina Jay is marvelous for the ensemble that is assembled for this film. Among those making small appearances include Christian Makay as an agent in Paris, Roger Lloyd-Pack as a friend of Smiley, Stephen Graham and Kathy Burke as two dismissed staff members of the agency, Simon McBurney as official Oliver Lacon, Konstantin Khabensky as the mysterious Polyakov, Svetlana Khodchenkova as the Soviet operative Irina that Tarr falls for, and John Hurt in a small but crucial role as former MI6 head Control. Toby Jones is excellent as the very aggressive Intelligence head Percy Alleline while Ciaran Hinds is very good as the more low-key official Roy Bland. David Dencik is terrific as the very snaky and secretive Toby Esterhase who tries to be low-key only to have Smiley target him.

Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as Smiley’s aide Peter Guillam who gets a hands-on experience into the world of corruption and espionage. Colin Firth is superb as the very low-key yet calm official who is part of the cover-up. Tom Hardy is amazing as the agent Ricky Tarr who was the one to discover the idea of the mole as he deals with the conflict of being an agent. Mark Strong is brilliant in a small yet crucial role as the agent Jim Prideaux who is sent to find the identity of the mole early in the film as he is unaware of the dangers he’s facing. Finally, there’s Gary Oldman in an incredible performance as George Smiley. Oldman creates a performance that is very entrancing as a man who feels lost in these new times as he has to uncover a mystery and reveal the mole that is destroying the British Intelligence.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a rich yet captivating film from Tomas Alfredson that features a remarkable performance from Gary Oldman. Along with a cast that includes Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt, and Tom Hardy. It’s a film that weaves it way to uncover the mystery as it is presented with great care for the audience to be engaged by and figure out what is going on. In the end, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a brilliant film from Tomas Alfredson.

Tomas Alfredson Films: (Bert: The Last Virgin) - (Screwed in Tallinn) - (Office Hours) - (Four Shades of Brown) - Let the Right One In

© thevoid99 2012

The Dark Knight Rises

Based on the DC Comics, The Dark Knight Rises is the story of a battered Bruce Wayne who dons his role as Batman after an eight-year hiatus to battle a cat burglar and a large man who has taken over the League of Shadows who hopes to wreak havoc on Gotham. Directed by Christopher Nolan and screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan with story by Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is the third and final part of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy as it follows Bruce Wayne in his quest to bring peace for Gotham as Christian Bale reprises the role. Also starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Ben Mendelsohn, Matthew Modine, and Tom Hardy as Bane. The Dark Knight Rises is a magnificent end to the Dark Knight trilogy from Christopher Nolan.

Eight years after the events that involved Harvey Dent’s death, Gotham lives in a world of peace but based on a lie as Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) starts to feel uneasy about the lie. Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne is living a life as a recluse still lost over his grief and having Batman hide out. Yet, he learns that a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) has broken into his safe as she had been trying to retrieve his fingerprints for a business rival in John Daggett (Ben Mendelsohn). Yet, Wayne learns about a far more sinister figure in a mercenary named Bane who plans to wreak havoc on Gotham. Realizing he needs to be Batman again, he has his left leg repaired while getting ready to face whoever as Bane has officially arrived at Gotham. Still, Wayne has to deal with his losses as he asks Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to take over Wayne Enterprises with Lucius Fox’s help.

With Gordon recovering from a gunshot after discovering Bane’s hideout, he asks a young police officer in John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to watch over things as Peter Foley (Matthew Modine) takes when Bane finally storms Gotham’s financial stock market to wreak havoc. Yet, it would mark the first of his many confrontations with Batman who makes his return as Batman also confronts Kyle over her theft as she reveals what she’s been doing. She would eventually lead Batman to confront Bane where the confrontation proves to be disastrous for Wayne as he’s sent to a mysterious land that he cannot escape leaving Bane to destroy Gotham all by himself.

After learning some stories about the League of Shadows and having to see Gotham be on its own under Bane’s terror with help from a fusion device Wayne had hoped to use for clean energy. The fusion device becomes a bomb that will detonate leaving the people of Gotham in fear as its criminals are free leaving to do whatever they want. Having to see Bane’s destruction, Wayne realizes what he must do to destroy Bane and the League of Shadows from destroying Gotham as he’ll need the help of some people.

The film is about Bruce Wayne/Batman getting back in the swing of things when Gotham is being threatened by a terrorist who hopes to finish the job that Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson and Josh Pence as the younger Ra’s Al Ghul) was able to finish in Batman Begins. Yet, Batman also has to deal with a cat burglar who has been trying to steal things from him in order for a businessman to bankrupt Bruce Wayne as she eventually realizes that she is getting little in return as she eventually teams up with Wayne. It’s all about Bane’s plan to fulfill Ra’s Al Ghul’s desire to destroy Gotham at the pinnacle of its chaos and then rebuild it as a new society. Still, he has to face Batman and a few others who actually believe in good triumphing over evil.

While the screenplay does have trouble following along with what Bane is planning along with subplots revolving around John Daggett’s plans to bankrupt Bruce Wayne for the League of Shadows. It does succeed in fleshing out the characters and motivation as it centers around Wayne’s desire to finally return as Batman following an eight-year hiatus but finds himself facing foes that are more powerful than him. Particularly as his motivations get him into conflict with his longtime butler Alfred (Michael Caine) who believes that Wayne is headed for death where he eventually reveals a secret that he kept for eight years.

Then there’s Bane who is this villain that represents a physical force where literally in his confrontations with Batman but also conceptually in how he terrorizes Gotham. Yet, he’s also a very intelligent man who wants to punish Wayne for the lies he created eight years before and for wounding the League of Shadows several years before that. He may not be the anarchist of the Joker nor the more organized planning of Ra’s Al Ghul but Bane is still an interesting villain. While other new character like John Blake and Miranda Tate are also interesting with some back story about them. Another character who simply steals the show from everyone is Selina Kyle. Though she isn’t called Catwoman throughout the film, she is a character that is quite complex as she’s just a thief who likes to steal for herself while aiding others in hopes to clear her name. Yet, she has to deal with all sorts of things as she eventually becomes conflicted about stealing from Wayne once Bane starts to wreak havoc.

Christopher Nolan’s direction is definitely vast in the way he presents the film in its opening scene with this elaborate scene of a plane being captured by a bigger plane that is inter-cut with a scene of Bruce Wayne watching above Wayne Manor to see Commissioner Gordon praise Harvey Dent. It’s a big way to open a film that is ambitious but also intimate in the way Nolan creates small scenes involving Wayne’s own turmoil with his loss that includes a heartbreaking moment where Alfred makes a confession that becomes an emotional turning point for Wayne in his upcoming confrontation with Bane. Yet, there are few scenes where Batman appears as it’s mostly to do with Wayne’s struggle to find reasons to be Batman again while dealing with all of these new dark forces.

Through the vast compositions and big action scenes, Nolan’s direction is truly ambitious as it includes the climatic battle between Batman and Bane where there are revelations into how Batman must save Gotham from nuclear Armageddon. It’s all about creating suspense and moments where Nolan is waiting for the payoff as well as things where Wayne has to face some realities. While there’s a few things in the film that don’t work such as a fantasy sequence where Wayne sees Ra’s Al Ghul in a dream. Still, Nolan does enough for what is expected in a blockbuster superhero film genre with his rapturous shots and thrilling action sequences that does more than entertain. Overall, Nolan creates a truly solid film that ends his Dark Knight trilogy on a high note.

Cinematographer Wally Pfister does amazing work with the photography such as the vast opening sequence and other action sequence that carries a wide depth of field while creating amazing lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interior scenes. Editor Lee Smith does excellent work with the editing to play up the intensity of the action films as well as slowing things down to build up the suspense. Production designers Nathan Crowley and Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorator Paki Smith and art directors James Hambridge and Naaman Marshall, do spectacular work with the set pieces such as the new Batcave as well as Wayne Manor and the prison that Wayne is put in during the film‘s second half.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does superb work with the costumes from the look of the Batsuit and Bane‘s costume to the gorgeous leather look of Selina Kyle‘s cat-suit. Visual effects supervisor Paul J. Franklin does terrific work with the minimal visual effects created such as the wide shots of the bridges blowing up as well as other shots involving the Batwing. Sound designer Richard King does brilliant work with the sound from the way the chants sound at the prison scene to the layering of sounds to exemplify the chaos that occurs in the film‘s second half. The film’s score by Hans Zimmer is wonderful for its percussive-driven score to play out the intensity of the action along with more low-key yet heavy orchestral themes to play up the drama.

The casting by John Papsidera and Toby Whale is incredible for the ensemble that is created for the film. With notable appearances from Liam Neeson and Josh Pence as Ra’s Ah Ghul with the latter in flashback scenes, other standouts include Juno Temple as Selina’s assistant Holly Robinson, Brett Cullen as a Congressman Selina woos, Thomas Lennon as a doctor, John Nolan as a Wayne Enterprises board member, Nestor Carbonell as Mayor Garcia, Alon Abutbul as the scientist Dr. Pavel that Bane kidnaps early in the film, Matthew Modine as deputy commissioner Foley, Chris Ellis as a priest John Blake confides in, Ben Mendelsohn as the slimy John Daggett, Burn Gorman’s as Daggett’s assistant Stryver, and Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in a mock trial scene.

Morgan Freeman is excellent as the always resourceful Lucius Fox while Michael Caine is brilliant as the very witty but concerned Alfred where the latter definitely pulls a lot of the emotional weight involving his relationship with Bruce Wayne. Marion Cotillard is excellent as philanthropist Miranda Tate who tries to get Bruce back in the world and be involved with a clean-energy machine that ends up being trouble. Gary Oldman is great as Commissioner Gordon who deals with the guilt he created from a lie as he becomes overwhelmed with facing Bane by himself only to find a new ally in John Blake. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is superb as John Blake, a hot-headed young cop turned detective who confronts Wayne about what really happened to Harvey Dent as well as try to figure out what Bane is doing. Tom Hardy is marvelous as Bane by exemplifying his physique as a huge force while proving to be a man of great intelligence and power as it’s definitely Hardy at his best.

Anne Hathaway is phenomenal as Selina Kyle where she definitely steals the show from everyone from the one-liners she gives to the way she is able to outwit Wayne in every way and form. It’s Hathaway bringing a lot of humor and physicality to a woman who can’t be trifled with as she gives out one of her greatest performances of her career. Finally there’s Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman where Bale gives another great performance by displaying the anguish and confusion of a man unsure if he’s willing to be Batman again while having to deal with all of these forces. It’s Bale creating a lot of realism to the character of Wayne while being more cunning as Batman where he is more unafraid to do whatever he needs to do to save Gotham.

The Dark Knight Rises is an exhilarating and thrilling film from Christopher Nolan. Thanks to a large ensemble cast that features top-of-the-line performances from Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. It’s a film that definitely lives up to the hype though it doesn’t top its predecessors in terms of excitement and storytelling. It’s also a blockbuster that manages to excite but also engage for the way it reveals on what Batman must do to save the world. In the end, The Dark Knight Rises is an incredible film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman (1989 film) - Batman Returns - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - The Batman (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2012

LAMB Movie of the Month: Bronson

Bronson is about the life of Michael Gordon Peterson who became one of the most notorious criminals in Britain as he led most of his prison sentence in solitary confinement. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and written by Refn and Brock Norman Brock, the film is an exploration of the man’s life from the son of a respectable family to one of the most infamous men of the British criminal world. For the role of Peterson, Tom Hardy plays the man who also calls himself Charles Bronson after the famed actor. Also starring Matt King, James Lance, Amanda Burton, and Jonathan Phillips. Bronson is an extraordinary yet unflinching portrait of a disturbed man from the vision of Nicolas Winding Refn.

Ever since he was a boy, Michael Gordon Peterson was a lad who caused trouble whether getting into fights with kids or teachers in school while later growing up to work at a chip shop where he commits his first crime. After getting married to woman named Irene (Kelly Adams) and having a child, Peterson robs a post office where he gets a 7 year prison sentence. Prison however, turned out to be a place that Peterson can call home where he’s popular with the prisoners and hated by the guards he always fight with. Yet, he gets transferred from one to another before finally going into a psychiatric hospital where he’s been sedated from fighting.

When a pedophile (Richard Jones) suggests to Peterson about doing something awful, Peterson is unable to fight back until the sedative wears off where he was able to do something. Transferred again to another psychiatric hospital, all hell breaks loose as Peterson causes more trouble where he gains notoriety and freedom. Back in the outside world with his parents (Andrew Forbes and Amanda Burton), Peterson travels back to Luton to live with his uncle Jack (Hugh Ross) where he becomes a bare-knuckle boxer through connections from a former prison mate in Paul (Matt King). Though he’s a success and has a new girlfriend in Alison (Juliet Oldfield), it doesn’t last as he returns to crime and back to prison.

Yet, prison would be his playground as he goes by the name he’s given as a boxer in Charles Bronson. In order to challenge the authority of the prison governor (Jonathan Phillips), Bronson creates an array of crazy stunts while finding another outlet through the help of an art teacher (James Lance). Through this new outlet, Bronson would find his way to even more infamy.

The film is about the life of a notorious British prisoner told from the perspective of the man as he imagines himself talking about his life story on the stage to an imaginary audience. Throughout the film, he comments about his own situations as well as revealing his love for the world of prisons which he feels is his home. Yet, Charles Bronson is not a typical man who doesn’t fit in by the rules of society as he is someone that is set out to make his own rules. He’s not an entirely bad man but a real misunderstood individual that just likes to create chaos through any means.

The screenplay works well into how it studies Bronson from this petty thief who is just trying to support a family and fulfill his own violent desires into someone who finds a home in the prison sentence. There, he can fight guards and act all rowdy but when he’s transferred to this psychiatric hospital. He’s doing things against his will where he would find a way to get out of the hospital and later use his notoriety to be free. When he returns to society, it becomes a problem which would eventually lead to prison where he would find his true calling in life.

The direction of Nicolas Winding Refn is truly visceral in terms of the way violence is present but also in a humorous yet whimsical tone throughout the entirety of the film. Refn always makes sure that the Bronson character is in the frame whether it’s in a close-up or from a huge distance. At the same time, Refn doesn’t choose to play nice when it comes to the violence whether it’s from Bronson or the people attacking him. The camera is always moving to the rhythm of what Bronson is doing whether it’s a slow-motion presentation for stylistic reasons or to simply build momentum for something crazy to happen.

For the scenes on the stage where Bronson is on stage telling his story, it’s the humor of Bronson’s presentation that makes it very engaging as he doesn’t sugarcoat nor exaggerate the stories he’s telling. Yet, he is also not afraid to make fun of himself nor be unflinching as he is often seen through makeup at times or is inside a cage. There’s an intimacy to it that is quite entrancing to watch in the way Refn directs these scenes while knowing that when he’s out of the cage. All hell is going to break loose as Refn truly creates what is definitely a mesmerizing yet uncompromising film about a notorious figure that craves any kind of attention he can get.

Cinematographer Larry Smith does an excellent job with the film‘s stark but colorful cinematography that is mixed in with a bit of static grain for some of the darkly-lit scenes. Smith’s photography also plays it rough while adding some stylish lights for some of the interiors to emphasize the mad world of Bronson. Editor Matthew Newman does a great job with the editing in the use of jump-cuts and dissolves to help the film move unconventionally for the fight scenes or some other stylish dramatic moments in the film.

Production designer Adrian Smith and art director Jane Levick do some fine work in the set pieces such as the cheesy strip club where Paul hangs out at as well as the grimy prisons and hospitals that Bronson encounters along with the stage where he tells his story. Costume designer Sian Jenkins does a nice job with the costumes from the suits that Bronson wears in his stage performance and in the outside world to the more rough-house look that he sports in the prison scenes. Makeup designer Niamh Morrison does some amazing work for the look of Bronson with its mustache and some of the strange makeup that he sports for his stage performances in the film.

The animation of Britt Dunse, which is based on Bronson‘s artwork, is truly a joy to watch for the brief animation sequence presented as a form of dark humor to represent Bronson‘s personality. Sound designer Christian Conrad and sound editor Dominik Schleier do some superb work with the sound work to capture the stark intimacy of the prisons and hospitals as well as its chaotic atmosphere in some of the violent moments of the film. Music supervisor Lol Hammond does a brilliant job with the film’s diverse yet hypnotic soundtrack that includes an array of classical music to electronic music from acts like New Order, Pet Shop Boys, and Glass Candy. The latter of which to emphasize the world of the 1980s but also plays as a very dark accompaniment to Bronson’s world as the overall soundtrack is fantastic.

The casting by Des Hamilton is wonderful as it features some notable appearances from Andrew Forbes and Amanda Burton as Bronson’s parents, Hugh Ross as the lavish Uncle Jack, Kelly Adams as Bronson’s first wife Irene, Juliet Oldfield as Bronson’s mid-period girlfriend Alison, William Darke as the 13-year old Bronson, and Richard Jones as the pedophile that Bronson meets. Other memorable performances from supporting players include Jonathan Phillips as the prison governor, Phil Danielson as the art teacher, and Matt King as the flamboyant Paul who gives Peterson the name Charles Bronson.

Finally, there’s Tom Hardy in an outstanding yet harrowing performance as Michael Gordon Peterson aka Charles Bronson. Shaving his head and putting on more than 40 pounds of muscle, Hardy exudes the man who is truly a one of a kind. He brings a disturbing yet engaging sense of humor to the character while proving that he is someone that no one should get into a fight with. Hardy truly makes this man one of the most interesting characters ever presented around the world as it’s a definite breakthrough performance for the young British actor.

Bronson is a powerful yet thrilling film from Nicolas Winding Refn featuring a tour-de-force performance from Tom Hardy. The film is definitely not easy to watch due to some of the violent and disturbing content presented while it plays up to the haunting visual style that Refn has been known for in his recent films. For people that are new to Tom Hardy, this is the film to check out as his performance is definitely one for the ages. In the end, Bronson is a sensational yet visceral film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

© thevoid99 2011