Michael Clayton

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton is the story of a law firm fixer who uncovers some dark truths about a client involved in a class action lawsuit that revolves around the effects of toxic chemicals. The film is a legal thriller that explores a man trying to seek out the truth as he is also dealing with forces that want to stop as the titular character played by George Clooney. Also starring Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack. Michael Clayton is a riveting yet compelling film from Tony Gilroy.

The film follows a man whose job is to clean up messes for a law firm and handle things so that he can the job done and let the firm succeed and make whatever deal is need to be made. It’s a job he’s good at but it hasn’t done him a lot of favors personally or financially as the film has him dealing with a friend, who is a top attorney at the firm, who had made a chilling discovery in a lawsuit over toxic chemicals made by a company that he’s supposed to defend. Tony Gilroy’s screenplay opens with a sequence of what Michael Clayton does in his line of work but also the danger of his work. The narrative then shifts to what he was doing four days earlier as he is struggling to pay off debts of a restaurant he co-owns with his troubled younger brother as well as cleaning things up for his firm. Yet, Clayton also has to deal with the sudden mental breakdown of friend and top attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) during a deposition as Clayton would have a hard time trying to watch Edens.

Gilroy’s script also play into not just what Edens would discover but also play into the morality that Clayton would gain in what Edens discovers. Still, he has to hide Edens from this company who has sent their general counsel Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) to handle things and to try and shut Edens down. Crowder is an interesting antagonist as someone who is also a fixer of sorts but is more ruthless in how she deals things. Yet, she is also someone that is just as troubled as she is first seen in the film exhausted while is also trying to be this embodiment of professionalism which is starting to take a toll on her. Once Clayton learn what Edens wants to unveil, it forces him to do what is right no matter how much it would put him into trouble. Especially with the people he’s worked for so many years.

Gilroy’s direction is very simple as he doesn’t go for anything stylish in favor of something that is straightforward. Shot on various locations in New York City and areas in upstate New York and Wisconsin, Gilroy would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations but he would aim for more intimate shots in the close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama. Especially in scenes where Clayton is talking to Edens about the latter’s mental condition as Gilroy creates moments that says a lot into what is happening where Edens isn’t just falling apart but is also seeking something that shows some good in the world. Gilroy also creates a world that is quite slick and unforgiving where there are often images of buildings as it would eventually become stifling for Clayton. Gilroy would also create moments that play into the suspense such as the scene of the car bomb and to show it again from a different perspective as it play into the forces that want Clayton gone. It shows how far some are willing to protect something they don’t want the public to hear all for something trivial as money and power. Overall, Gilroy creates a gripping and intoxicating film about a law firm’s clean-up man dealing with a mess that he knows that he can’t cover up.

Cinematographer Robert Elswit does excellent work with the cinematography from the way some of the scenes at night are lit to some of the scenes in the day that are quite natural including the car bomb scene. Editor John Gilroy does nice work with the editing as it very straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into Crowder‘s own daily routine and rehearsing for her speeches. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with art director Clay Brown and a team of set decorators in Paul Cheponis, George DeTitta Jr., Christine Mayer, and Charles Potter, does fantastic work with the design of the offices as well as the apartment homes that the main characters live in as well as the home of Clayton‘s family in the suburbs.

Costume designer Sarah Edwards does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly low-key from the suits that the men wear as well as the clothes that Crowder wears and the clothes of the men she hires to do her dirty work. Sound editor Paul P. Soucek does terrific work with the sound as it play into many of the locations as well as a scene of Edens playing a tape over and over again to create something to blow the whistle on what he found. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is amazing for its low-key orchestral score that play into the drama as it also include some ambient-based electronic music that help add to the drama and suspense.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is great as it feature some notable small roles from Katherine Waterston as an aide of Clayton in Wisconsin, Austin Williams as Clayton’s son Henry, Sean Cullen as Clayton’s detective brother Gene, Denis O’Hare as a client Clayton deals with early in the film, David Lansbury as Clayton’s younger and recovering drug-addict brother Timmy, Terry Serpico and Robert Prescott as a couple of men Crowder hire to deal with Edens, and Ken Howard in a terrific performance as a company chief that Crowder is trying to protect. Michael O’Keefe is superb as Barry Grissom as a law firm executive that is trying to oversee the deal as he is someone that Clayton doesn’t like. Merritt Wever is fantastic as Anna as a young farm girl suing the company that she believed ruined her family farm and killed her parents.

Sydney Pollack is excellent as Clayton’s boss/friend in law firm partner Marty Bach as a man that is trying to keep things under wraps as well as be aware of the fact that the business of law is changing. Tilda Swinton is brilliant as Karen Crowder as a corporate general counsel that is trying to make sure that the settlement goes well as she is also dealing with the strain of her work. Tom Wilkinson is amazing as Arthur Edens as a senior litigator with bipolar disorder that would unravel mentally as he copes with the task he’s being forced to do as well as make a discovery that would impact everything. Finally, there’s George Clooney in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a fixer who cleans up messes for his law firm as he deals with the mental breakdown of a friend as well as making a major discovery where Clooney is quite reserved in his performance but also someone who is conflicted in wanting to do what is right.

Michael Clayton is a remarkable film from Tony Gilroy that features an incredible performance from George Clooney in the titular role. Along with a great supporting cast that include top-notch performances from Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollock as well as a well-crafted script. It’s a film that play into the legal world and what some will do in the name of greed and power. In the end, Michael Clayton is a marvelous film from Tony Gilroy.

Tony Gilroy Films: (Duplicity) - (The Bourne Legacy)

© thevoid99 2017

Selma

Directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb, Selma is the story of the events leading to the 1965 march led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and several other Civil Rights leaders trying to make a difference during the Civil Rights movement in the American South. The film is a dramatic account of the non-violent march from Selma to Montgomery in the state of Alabama as it is considered a key turning point in the American Civil Rights movement. Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Roth, Tessa Thompson, Wendell Pierce, Alessandro Nivola, and Oprah Winfrey. Selma is a mesmerizing and riveting film from Ava DuVernay.

The film is a dramatic account of the events that preceded the non-violent march from Selma to Montgomery led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) in an attempt for African-Americans to have the right to register to vote that would eventually lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Told in a straightforward manner, the film follows Dr. King and fellow Civil Rights leader who prepare for this march just as Dr. King is having frequent meetings with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) about allowing African-Americans to have the right to register to vote without any issues. Johnson is reluctant as he has other things to deal with where he is also dealing with some opposition like FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (Dylan Baker) who thinks King is up to no good while King would also have to deal with Alabama’s Governor George Wallace (Tim Roth).

Paul Webb’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Dr. King’s attempt to get the march going with several other Civil Rights leaders but also dealing with the authority in Alabama where a lot of planning occurs. Even as Dr. King ponders if the media will see what happens as he also deals with the church bombing in Birmingham that killed four young girls and other events that includes the death of Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch). The script also plays in moments behind the scenes where Dr. King becomes weary and unsure of what is doing as his own personal life would nearly unravel when the FBI tries to create discord between Dr. King and his wife Coretta (Carmen Ejogo) over the former’s supposed extramarital affairs. Still, Dr. King tries to get the march forward where he also deals with members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who don’t agree with Dr. King’s views.

There is a structure where much of the first half is about Dr. King and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference trying to plan for the march as well as deal with all sorts of legal and social issues. Even as Dr. King copes with loss and other things as well having to go back to his home in Atlanta and flying to Washington D.C. to meet with President Johnson. The second half is about the first two attempts for the march as the first one ends in violence where it is captured by the press while the second one would end abruptly by Dr. King due to an act of faith. Especially where he would hear that those who would march with him including whites would be targeted in this small Alabama town where racial tension is very high. The third act is about President Johnson’s decision as he is aware of the role he is playing where he knows what might happen if he doesn’t act.

Ava DuVernay’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the fact that she doesn’t go for anything grand nor play too much into exposition which is often the case with a lot of films based on historical events. While much of it is shot in Atlanta and other parts in the nearby city including a few key shots in Selma and Montgomery. The film is more about the American South as a whole where it plays into a landscape that is changing where you have a group of people that want change but you have this other group that opposes change. DuVernay’s usage of wide and medium shots help play into this tension that is happening in Alabama which is the centerpiece of this old idea of the American South dating back to the 1800s. Even as Dr. King would meet this old man who is in his 80s as he is waiting for the right to vote as it is this very simple moment where this old man just endured loss as he ponders if he has a say in anything in this country that is supposed to be about equality. The direction also has DuVernay create moments that are quite intense such as a non-violent confrontation against a county sheriff that does unfortunately turn violent because the old man couldn’t sit down where a woman would hit that sheriff and all hell breaks loose.

The usage of close-ups and hand-held cameras play into that chaos as well as a moment where people are attempting a march at night where it turns very violent in the hands of the police. There are also moments during these meetings where DuVernay does create something where there is tension but also the need to resolve something not just in the meetings President Johnson would have with his staff and Dr. King but also a scene with him and Governor Wallace that plays into a world that is changing. The latter of which is actually afraid of change but is also indifferent in what history will think of him as it’s something President Johnson is aware of. While its ending is predictable, it does have something to say in what Dr. King has done to make the world better no matter how troubling it is but it’s also in the idea that one person does have a say. Overall, DuVernay creates a gripping yet engaging film about one of the most watershed moments in American history.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from its usage of low-key lights for some of the interiors in many of the scenes set day and night to the look of the towns in the daytime including the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Editor Spencer Averick does nice work in creating some unique rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into some of the drama as well as some of the intense moments in the film. Production designer Mark Friedberg, with set decorator Elizabeth Keenan and art director Kim Jennings, does fantastic work with the look of the home of Dr. King and his family as well as some church interiors including the scene in Birmingham where the four little girls would be killed on that day. Costume designer Ruth E. Carter does wonderful work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times as well as the dresses the women wear.

Visual effects supervisors Anup Shakya and Dottie Starling do brilliant work with some of the minimal visual effects such as the Birmingham church bombing sequence as well as a few other moments that is essentially set dressing. Sound editor Greg Hedgepath does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the chaos in some of the protests as well as some chilling moments in the conversations. The film’s music by Jason Moran is terrific as it‘s mostly low-key and doesn’t appear very much as it is largely a mixture of orchestral, folk, and gospel to play into the times while music supervisor Morgan Rhodes provides a intoxicating soundtrack that mixes a lot of the music of the times from folk, gospel, soul, and blues from artists like Joyce Collins & Johnita Collins, Duane Eddy, Sarah Vaughan, the Staple Singers, Otis Redding, Odetta, the Impressions, and a new song called Glory by John Legend and Common.

The casting by Aisha Coley and Cynthia Stillwell are incredible as it features a massive ensemble with notable small roles from Jeremy Strong as white Boston pastor James Reeb, Tara Ochs as white Civil Rights activist Viola Liuzzo, Stan Houston as Selma’s sheriff Jim Clark, Nigel Thatch as Malcolm X, Michael Papajohn as state trooper leader Major John Cloud, Henry G. Sanders as the old man Cager Lee that Dr. King befriends, Keith Stansfield as the old man’s grandson, Ledisi Young as the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson that Dr. King turns to for guidance early in the film, and Oprah Winfrey in a small yet wonderful standout performance as activist Annie Lee Cooper who is just a woman that just wants the right to vote. Other noteworthy appearances include Martin Sheen as Judge Frank Minis Johnson who decides whether Dr. King could march, Cuba Gooding Jr. as civil rights attorney Fred Grey, Dylan Baker as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, Stephen Root as Governor Wallace’s advisor Al Lingo, Niecy Nash as activist Richie Jean Jackson, and Giovanni Ribisi as President Johnson’s advisor Lee C. White.

In the performances of the many associates of Dr. King, Colman Domingo as Ralph Abernathy, Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Bayard Rustin, Stephan James as SNCC co-chairman John Lewis, Wendell Pierce as Hosea Williams, Lorraine Toussaint as Amelia Boynton Robinson, and Andrew Holland as Andrew Young are all excellent as people who are trying to see what they can do for the movement and make sure it goes in the right direction. Tessa Thompson is superb as Diane Nash as an activist who helps Dr. King in the strategy of the Selma march while Common is fantastic as Reverend James Bevel who also helps in making sure things go right in the need for non-violence. Alessandro Nivola is amazing as Assistant Attorney General John Doar who meets with Dr. King to understand what is doing while trying to ensure him that President Johnson is at his side knowing that what Dr. King wants isn’t easy.

Tim Roth is brilliant as Governor George C. Wallace as Alabama’s then-governor who tries to make sure Dr. King doesn’t march as Roth sells that air of racism in the governor as well as display a sense of fear about what could happen if change does happen in Alabama. Carmen Ejogo is radiant as Coretta Scott King as Dr. King’s wife who is aware of what her husband is doing while also knowing that not everything in her marriage is great though she stands by him when he needs her at the march. Tom Wilkinson is great as President Lyndon B. Johnson who wants to invoke an act where African-Americans can vote without any issue but is trying to see how he wouldn’t get into trouble as he also copes with how history will see him. Finally, there’s David Oyelowo in a tremendous performance as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the civil rights leader who is trying to make change and ensure that the people of Alabama have a say while dealing with everything that involves in the march and its outcome as well as dealing with personal issues where he becomes overwhelmed with his role as a civil rights leader as it is a performance for the ages from Oyelowo.

Selma is a sensational film from Ava DuVernay that features an incredible performance from David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Featuring a great ensemble cast and a compelling story that plays a lot into some of its historical context and its stakes. It’s a film that doesn’t just carry a lot of importance but also showcase a moment in time that would prove to be a major moment in American history. In the end, Selma is a spectacular film from Ava DuVernay.

Ava DuVernay Films: (This is the Life (2008 film)) - (I Will Follow) - (Middle of Nowhere (2012 film)) - 13th (2016 film) - (A Wrinkle in Time)

© thevoid99 2016

Belle (2013 film)

Directed by Amma Asante and written by Asante and Misan Sagay, Belle is the story of an illegitimate mixed-race girl who is sent by her father to live with her rich relatives as she copes with her identity and what her uncle does while falling for an aspiring lawyer. Inspired by a 1779 painting, the film is a fictionalized story about Dido Elizabeth Belle and the events that she took part in that led to the abolishment of slavery in Britain as she is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Also starring Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Sarah Gadon, Penelope Wilton, Miranda Richardson, Tom Felton, Matthew Goode, Sam Reid, and James Norton. Belle is an exquisitely rich and ravishing film from Amma Asante.

The film is a fictionalized story about Dido Elizabeth Belle as she is a young woman who is half-black and half-white as her white father asks his relatives to care for her where she would contend with her identity as well as what to do with herself as she falls for an aspiring lawyer. It’s a film that plays into this young woman who has all of the means to advance in upper-class society yet is often confused due to her skin color as well as what her uncle is doing as it relates to a famous trial relating to an incident known as the Zong Massacre. Yet, it’s more about this woman who is trying to understand who she is as she deals with prejudice for who she is as well as cope with what is happening in this trial that is happening.

The film’s screenplay does take a few dramatic liberties as it relates to the trial of Gregson vs. Gilbert yet it is more about Dido’s relationship with her uncle William Murray 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) who would take the young Dido in as he cares for her as well as her status. A status in which Dido would inherit money from her late father (Matthew Goode) as well as be given a much larger inheritance from her uncle and aunts. It’s a status that would help Dido as she would get the attention of many suitors but it would create some problems in her relationship with her cousin Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) who is in need to marry someone who has money or else she would be destitute despite Dido wanting to share her inheritance with her. While there’s a chance for Elizabeth to be married into a rich family when Dido gets engaged to Oliver Ashford (James Norton), Dido still has to contend with Oliver’s bigoted older brother James (Tom Felton) and their scheming mother Lady Ashford (Miranda Richardson).

It is when Dido meets John Davinier (Sam Reid) where she begins to ask questions about not just herself but also what is happening around her as it becomes a key plot-point for the film. Especially as Davinier is a young man who doesn’t come from a rich family as he aspires to change the world through law as he rouses Dido’s view of the world as she thinks about herself and where would she be if her father hadn’t took her out of the slums and into a life of great wealth and love. Yet, Davinier would prove to be a man who doesn’t just see Dido as more than just a woman with mixed-skin but as a woman where the two fall in love though he’s not the kind of person that her uncle wants her to be with because of her rich status as she also has to think about her own family. Still, Murray’s encounter with Davinier and Dido’s own awareness of who she is would come into play into not just the decision of this court case but in also how he sees Dido as more than just family.

Amma Asante’s direction is truly exquisite as it plays into a drama where a young woman deals with her upbringing as well as the role she is destined to play along with her identity. Most notably in the way she creates a period drama that manages to be so much more as well as play into how things were back in the late 18th Century where it is set during a crucial period in British history when slavery was still prevalent. Asante would maintain something that feels quite contemporary while still giving the film a feel that is set in 18th Century as she would bring in some unique wide and medium shots into the film but also some unique close-ups into the film as it relates to Dido’s relationship with Davinier. There’s also a few hand-held camera shots and some tracking shots to play into some of the drama while Asante’s compositions are very entrancing to the way it plays into a world that is changing as well as being sort of disconnected from what is really happening.

The direction is also very intriguing for the way it explores the Zong Massacre and the Gregson vs. Gilbert which plays into Davinier trying to reveal exactly what is at stake. While Murray is a man that has the power to create change, he’s reluctant as he has a lot on his plate about how it would effect Britain but also his own status and his own family. Asante maintains that sense of tension that is in Murray as he also copes with the future of his own nieces as his wife Lady Elizabeth (Emily Watson) and his sister Lady Mary (Penelope Wilton) are trying to ensure that Dido and Elizabeth will marry to good families. The film does climax with not just the trial itself but also the reveal of the famous painting that features both Dido and Elizabeth as it relates to exactly how Murray sees Dido. Overall, Asante creates a very captivating and evocative film about a young woman dealing with her identity as well as knowing what she wants in her life as well as how she sees the world.

Cinematographer Ben Smithard does brilliant work with the film‘s very lush and colorful cinematography for the look of the gardens and exterior in the daytime scenes to the usage of candlelight and other lights to play into some of its nighttime interior and exterior scenes. Editors Pia Di Ciaula and Victoria Boydell do amazing work with the editing as it‘s quite straightforward while also having bits of style in a few montages and some dazzling rhythmic cuts. Production designer Sarah Bowles, with set decorator Tina Jones and supervising art director Ben Smith, does phenomenal work with the set pieces from the homes the characters live in as well as the courthouse and the look of the slums where Dido‘s father found her in the film‘s opening sequence. Costume designer Anushia Nieradzik does fantastic work with the design of the dresses from the way it plays to the personality of the women as well as the clothes that the men wear.

Hair/makeup designer Marese Langan does excellent work with the design of the wigs some of the men wore as well as the hairstyle of the men and women. Visual effects supervisor Henry Badgett and Angela Barson do terrific work with the minimal visual effects scenes that is really more set dressing in a few key scenes. Sound editor Lee Herrick and sound designer Robert Ireland do superb work with the sound from the way shoes sound on floors to some of the scenes at the parties that occur in the film. The film’s music by Rachel Portman is wonderful as it is largely a lush orchestral score that adds to the sense of drama while music supervisor Maggie Rodford bring in a soundtrack that is largely classical pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

The casting by Toby Whale is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Bethan Mary-Jones as the black maid Mabel, Lauren Julien-Box as the young Dido, Cara Jenkins as the young Elizabeth, Alex Jennings as James and Oliver’s father, and Matthew Goode in a brief but very touching role as Dido’s father Captain John Lindsay who manages to the most of his brief role. James Norton is terrific as Oliver Ashford as the youngest of the two brothers who likes Dido while Tom Felton is superb as Oliver’s more prejudiced older brother James who detests Dido for being black while proving to be very cruel to Elizabeth. Penelope Wilton is wonderful as Dido and Elizabeth’s aunt Lady Mary as someone who tries to keep both women in check while realizing their fate if both women don’t find men to be in love with. Miranda Richardson is brilliant as Lady Ashford as a woman who doesn’t like Dido very much only to agree to Oliver’s engagement to her out of ensuring that her son will have money.

Sarah Gadon is fantastic as Elizabeth as Dido’s cousin who is like a sister to Dido as she copes with the changes in Dido’s life but also her own future as she tries to find a good husband so she wouldn’t be destitute. Emily Watson is excellent as Lady Elizabeth as Murray’s wife who is considered the conscious of the film as she tries to ensure the futures for both Dido and Elizabeth while trying to make sense of the decision that her husband is going to make in this court case. Sam Reid is amazing as John Davinier as a reverend’s son who aspires to be a lawyer and makes change as he has this presence that is very engaging as someone that displays some humility as he is intrigued by Dido where he would eventually fall for her.

Tom Wilkinson is phenomenal as William Murray as a man who reluctantly takes Dido in only to care for her as if she was his daughter as he copes with everything he’s trying to do for her as well as being involved in a case that involves blacks which affects the decision he would make. Finally, there’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw in an absolutely tremendous performance as Dido Elizabeth Belle as this young woman who is coping with her identity and place in the world while realizing the complications of the real world as it relates to her race as well as what is expected from her as a woman as it’s a very radiant and powerful performance.

Belle is a remarkable film Amma Asante that features an incredible performance from Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Along with a strong supporting cast as well as an engaging story that features some insightful historical elements. It’s a film that manages to be more than a period piece and a character study as it is also a film that features characters coping with changes as well as uncertainty in their idyllic and safe environment. In the end, Belle is a sensational film from Amma Asante.

© thevoid99 2015

A Good Woman

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/3/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the play Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde, A Good Woman is the story of a seductress who meets a newlywed as she raises the suspicions of the newlywed's bride. Directed by Mike Barker and screenplay by Howard Himelstein, the film is an exploration into the world of the upper-class set in 1930s Italy before the era of Facism as it plays into a young woman dealing with the idea of infidelity as well as the mystery over the appearance of this older woman. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Helen Hunt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Umbers, and Milena Vukotic. A Good Woman is an engaging and worthwhile film from Mike Barker.

Fleeing New York City onboard a ship to the coast of Amalfi, Italy, a notorious seductress of rich men in Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt) sees a paper about the arrival of a couple of newlyweds who are to stay in Amalfi to celebrate the 21st birthday of the young Meg Windermere (Scarlett Johansson). In Amalfi, Meg and her husband Robert (Mark Umbers) just bought a new villa for the summer season where they’re surrounded by a posh company that includes the young Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore), Contessa Lucchino (Milena Vukotic), her daughter Alessandra (Giorgia Massetti), and Lady Plymdale (Diana Hardcastle). Meg had just met Darlington in a glove store where she’s often surrounded by the company of Lucchino who does nothing but gossip. Robert meanwhile, is surrounded by the company of older men including Cecil (Roger Hammond), Dumby (John Standing), and a lord named Tuppy (Tom Wilkinson).

While shopping for some jewelry, Robert meets Mrs. Erlynne who suggests that he buys a fan for Meg where the two have lunch where their frequent meetings arouses some suspicion. During another get together, Mrs. Erlynne meets Tuppy, who is smitten by her charm. Despite all the gossips surrounding Mrs. Erlynne and her affairs with rich husbands in America, Tuppy sways away from the gossip to learn more about her. Meg, walking around the town doesn't suspect anything of Robert's meetings assuming that he's working as she accompanied by Lord Darlington where she's aware that he's flirting with her. During a night in the opera, Meg starts to hear the rumors about Mrs. Erlynne, whom she met earlier at a clothing store, where she hears some Robert trying to defend her.

Meg has some suspicions about Robert's comments as he learns that Tuppy will be going to her birthday party the next day as Robert will ask Tuppy not to bring Mrs. Erlynne. Tuppy meanwhile, is invited to Mrs. Erlynne's villa where she is staying as he reveals he's been divorced, twice, while he wants to marry Mrs. Erlynne because of her wit and charm. Mrs. Erlynne admits to be wooed by Tuppy as she claims that she's not a good woman to be with but Tuppy doesn't care. After another visit from Lord Darlington to help her party, his flirtations continue as she starts to learn that what everyone had been gossiping. Feeling heartbroken, she turns to Lucchino for advice while Robert tries to get Mrs. Erlynne out of the country in order to not reveal a secret that's overheard by Dumby. The night of the party begins where Mrs. Erlynne does show up with Tuppy as Meg shocks partygoers with a new dress that she had earlier suggested was indecent as she is angered at Robert's supposed affair. Things only get worse when Darlington's flirtations gets to her as does her anger towards Robert. Mrs. Erlynne watches everything that goes on hoping to save Meg from a mistake she's about to make as she does something sacrificial.

While the film carries its flaws due to often rushed-pacing style and the miscasting of a couple of actors. The film is very true to the playful wit of Oscar Wilde as director Mike Barker and screenwriter Howard Himelstein does create an entertaining, witty film that's really about a young woman whose is ravaged by gossips of adultery and nearly commits one only to get help from the most unexpected person. The script succeeds in not developing the characters but also making an interesting subplot in the relationship of Tuppy and Mrs. Erlynne since that story is about a woman who is unaware that the right man is trying to woo her. Barker does some great work in using the actual Amalfi locales where the film is shot on location in Amalfi that is true the Italian villa for its posh atmosphere. Even the approaching of setting the film in the 1930s does succeed in what Wilde had been trying to say about the upper-class society and their ignorance. Overall, it's a fine film crafted by Barker and company.

Helping Barker in capturing the rich atmosphere of the Italian coast is cinematographer Ben Seresin whose wonderful depth of camera work from the exterior settings of Italy, especially in the night shows its beauty. Even the interior settings is wonderful light with an array of yellow sunlight and greenish surroundings give the film some of its beautiful settings. Production designer Ben Scott and art director Pier Luigi Basile also does some great work on the locales, notably the interiors of the villas which has a breathtaking feel to the poshness of upper-class Europeans. The costume design of John Bloomfield works to convey the feel and dazzle that is the 1930s. Editor Neil Farrell does some excellent work in the perspective cutting and the structure of the story where the only problem was its rushed pacing. The film's music features a wonderfully buoyant and dramatic score from Richard G. Mitchell filled with flourishing arrangements with a soundtrack filled with 1930s jazz cuts.

The film has a great supporting cast filled with excellent British and Italian actors. Smaller parts from Giorgia Massetti as the nerdy Alessandra and Diana Hardcastle as Lady Plymdale are hilarious for their parts in how they assume things. Roger Hammond and John Standing are also wonderful in their roles as the gossiping men of Cecil and Dumby, respectively, where Standing has a bigger role in the way he accidentally eavesdrop on an important information that is crucial to the film's plot. Milena Vukotic is excellent as the aloof, gossiping Contessa who is often accompanied by her little dogs and always say some of the most ignorant things as she brings in a memorable and funny performance. Stephen Campbell Moore is also wonderful in his role as the charming, flirtatious Lord Darlington with good looks and concerned personality as Moore manages to make the Darlington character a real standout with some depth. Mark Umber however, isn't as successful when playing Robert Windermere where despite a few scenes, he often comes across as bland and uninteresting making the Robert Windermere character to be very one-note.

Tom Wilkinson is the film's best supporting performance as the smitten yet intelligent Tuppy. Wilkinson manages to be a real standout among many of the supporting cast by being the only character who doesn't judge anyone and tries to understand people. He's a man of good intentions and manages not to make a fool of himself, even when he isn't aware of what's going on. Wilkinson brings a lot of pride and respect to the character as it stands out to be one of his finest performances. Helen Hunt is alright as Mrs. Erlynne where she has some good scenes with Wilkinson though is often one-note at times as it's not one of her finer roles. Finally, there's Scarlett Johansson in a fantastic performance as Meg Windermere as this young woman trying to find herself as a wife where she deals with the idea of her husband's infidelity as well as the temptation to cheat on him as it's really one of Johansson's finest performances.

The Region 1 DVD from Lions Gate shows the film in a 16x9 widescreen format of 1:78:1 ratio with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound and English/Spanish subtitles. The only extras the DVD features are trailers for several of Lions Gate features like The Cooler, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Shattered Glass which is their alternative to the horror films they've been releasing. The only special feature on the DVD is a commentary track from director Mike Barker and producer Alan Greenspan.

Their commentary is relaxed and enjoyable though at times, they stop just to watch a scene. Yet, Barker and Greenspan talk about a lot of the difficulty of making the film, due to finding locations where a lot of the interiors were shot in Rome and weather conditions where they shot from October of 2003 to February of 2004. Barker goes more into technical detail on the film while revealing the difficulty of hiding Helen Hunt's pregnancy. Barker also talks about Scarlett Johansson's professionalism and how the film schedule stretched due to the fact that she was getting a lot of praise around that time for Lost in Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring were she had to fly from the U.S. to Italy and so on to promote those two films. Overall, it's an enjoyable commentary.

A Good Woman is an enjoyable and witty film from Mike Barker thanks in part to Scarlett Johansson's splendid performance as well as the supporting performance of Tom Wilkinson. While it is a film with some flaws as it can be described as style over substance. It is still a compelling film that explores a young woman dealing with the presence of an older woman in a case of misunderstanding and confusion. In the end, A Good Woman is a pretty good film from Mike Barker.

© thevoid99 2014

Cassandra's Dream

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Cassandra’s Dream is the story of two brothers who help their businessman uncle in conspiring to kill a business associate in the hopes that they can wipe off their debts. The film explores the world of greed and guilt involving two brothers and their family as well as what they want in life. Starring Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Hayley Atwell, Sally Hawkins, Phil Davis, and Tom Wilkinson. Cassandra’s Dream is an interesting but very predictable suspense-drama from Woody Allen.

The film’s premise is quite simple where two brothers who both have aspirations for certain things find themselves in debt as they turn to their rich businessman uncle for help. Yet, their uncle needs their help to kill a business associate who is charging him with financial conspiracy as the two brothers make the reluctant decision to help their uncles so he can wipe off their debts and help them in their future. They do the job but guilt eventually consumes one of the brothers as it would later create all sorts of problems about everything for the family and those closest to them. It is a film about guilt and temptation where two brothers get the chance to find a way that will help them get a better future but it would be at the cost of their own souls.

While Woody Allen creates a very interesting premise, the outcome of the story ends up being very predictable in which the film loses not just some suspense but also goes heavy into drama in the third act. Though it’s understandable why Allen would go more dramatic in the third act, it gets a little overboard where it would play into some key decisions into what should be done. Particularly with the character of Terry (Colin Farrell) who is the most reluctant to be involved with the scheme as he owes more 90 grand in gambling debts and just bought a new flat for himself and his girlfriend Kate (Sally Hawkins). While his older brother Ian (Ewan McGregor) is also resistant about doing the job, he needs it more as he just got a new girlfriend in an actress named Angela (Hayley Atwell) as well as a chance to invest in posh hotels in California. Still, the actions that they did for their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) would play into the different reactions as it raises all sorts of questions.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of its presentation and compositions while he does have some very intense moments such as the eventual assassination scene that is filled with some intricate tracking shots and such. Yet, Allen doesn’t inject a lot of meat into the suspense where he doesn’t do enough to make the action be unpredictable while the drama does get a big heavy-handed in scenes where it involves the idea of family although not everyone in a family can be trusted. Notably in the third act where Terry starts to fall apart prompting Ian and Howard to discuss what should be done as its climax is quite dramatic as well as tragic. While the film does have a nice premise and comments about greed, guilt, and family, it is an unfortunately disappointing drama from Woody Allen.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly straightforward for many of its exterior settings along with some low-key lights for some of the scenes at night including a break-in scene. Editor Alisa Lepselter does nice work with the editing to create a few montages to play up Ian‘s rise but also to play out some of the suspense in the assassination sequence. Production designer Maria Djurkovic, with set decorator Tatiana McDonald and art director Nick Palmer, does terrific work with the set pieces from the places Terry and Ian live in to some of the parties they go to.

Costume designer Jill Taylor does wonderful work with the costumes to play up Terry‘s working class look as well as the more livelier clothing of Kate and Angela. Sound editor Robert Hein does brilliant work with the sound to play up some of the suspense as well as scene in the third act which plays to Terry‘s guilt. The film’s music by Philip Glass is pretty good for its ominous orchestral score though it gets used in moments where it would play into a suspenseful moment that makes it too predictable at times.

The casting by Juliet Taylor, Gail Stevens, and Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto is superb for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small performances from Ashley Madekwe as a date of Ian’s early in the film, John Benfield and Claire Higgins as Ian and Terry’s parents, and Phil Davis as the man Howard wants killed in Martin Burns. Sally Hawkins is wonderful as Terry’s girlfriend Kate who becomes concerned about his behavior while Hayley Atwell is terrific as Ian’s actress girlfriend Angela who is eager to get Ian’s help to boost her career.

Tom Wilkinson is excellent as Terry and Ian’s uncle Howard who offers to clean their debts and more if they take part in an assassination plot where Wilkinson brings a real slimy approach to his character that is manipulative and cunning. Finally, there’s Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell in amazing performances in their respective roles as Ian and Terry. McGregor brings an energy as a man eager to succeed on his own terms and get what he wants while he later deals with Terry’s moodiness. Farrell displays some restraint to his role as a troubled gambler who finds himself dealing with a guilty conscience as he becomes confused and upset over his actions. Despite some of the heavy-hand parts of the script in the third act, McGregor and Farrell do create some amazing chemistry as two brothers trying to sort their problems but in the wrong way.

Cassandra’s Dream is a very dour and unexciting film from Woody Allen despite the performances of Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, and Tom Wilkinson. While it has an intriguing premise on greed, guilt, and family, it is bogged down by its lack of suspense and not enough meat to make the drama more compelling. In the end, Cassandra’s Dream is a decent but underwhelming film from Woody Allen.

>Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows and Fog - Husbands and Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Bullets Over Broadway - Don't Drink the Water - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet and Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2013

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Based on Tracy Chevalier’s novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring is the fictional story of how Johannes Vermeer created his famous painting as a young maid works for his tumultuous household. Directed by Peter Webber and screenplay by Olivia Hetreed, the film explores the world of Vermeer’s art as he finds a muse in this young woman who would inspire him to make one of his great paintings. Starring Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Essie Davis, Cillian Murphy, Judy Parfitt, Alakina Mann, and Tom Wilkinson. Girl with a Pearl Earring is a ravishing drama from Peter Webber.

Following an accident that left her tile-painting father (Chris McHallem) blind, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) goes to work as a maid for the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Arriving at his already tumultuous home where his wife Catharina (Essie Davis) is pregnant, Griet is assigned to help out around the house and clean Vermeer’s painting studio as he’s still working on a painting. Griet is also assigned to fetch meet for the family with their maid Tanneke (Joanna Scanlan) where Griet catches the eye of the butcher apprentice Pieter (Cillian Murphy). After Catharina gives birth to a new baby boy, Griet is asked by Catharina’s mother Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt) to send a message to Vermeer’s patron Pieter Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) for a party to celebrate the baby’s birth and the completion of Vermeer’s new painting.

After taking notice of Griet cleaning the studio, Vermeer gets another idea for a new painting as she suddenly becomes his new assistant to help mix colors and such. Though Griet is having a wonderful relationship with Pieter, she is drawn to Vermeer’s world as she helps him fetch things while doing other duties around the house. After Vermeer completes a new painting and another child coming, Van Ruijven wants another painting as he wants Griet involved much to her discomfort. Vermeer makes a compromise to Van Ruijven to paint Griet alone as only Van Ruijven, Griet, Vermeer, and Maria Thins would know about this painting. With Catharina restless over Griet’s presence around Vermeer and Van Ruijven trying to go after her, Griet becomes uncomfortable with the role she’s playing. Even as it leads to a breakdown of what Vermeer is trying to make.

The film is a fictional idea of how Johannes Vermeer created one of the great paintings of the 17th Century told largely from the perspective of the girl in that painting. It’s a film that is about art and how this simple young, shy woman would inspire Vermeer to create some of these great paintings. Even as she is someone who understands what Vermeer is trying to make with these paintings where she would help him see things. Vermeer would let her be part of his world that only a few people can enter as she understands the idea of lighting and color that his wife couldn’t understand. Yet, there would people like Van Ruijven who wants Griet to be in his service as she hears stories about what Van Ruijven did to a maid some years earlier.

Olivia Hetreed’s screenplay does manage to create a story that is about these two people caught up in this world of paintings where Griet is this participant who reluctantly aids her master. Meanwhile, Vermeer is an artist who has a difficult time trying to create great paintings as he is also under pressure to deliver as his mother-in-law is trying to hide the family’s financial problems from her daughter. The reason they need a patron like Van Ruijven is so he can buy Vermeer’s paintings as he sets his sights on Griet. Yet, Griet is aware of Van Ruijven’s intentions while finding herself caught up in Vermeer’s world as there’s also an alternative in the form of Pieter who wants to give her a simpler life. For Griet, it adds to the sense of confusion as she would eventually be caught up in a world of trouble.

Peter Webber’s direction is intoxicating in the way he presents the film by re-creating 17th Century Delft as it represents a world where Griet is obviously an outsider. Many of Webber’s compositions has a truly astonishing look from the way he frames his actors in a scene as if he’s creating moving paintings. Even as he maintains a restraint in some of the drama with the exception of some emotionally-driven scenes that involves Catharina’s sense of resentment towards Griet. Webber also knows how to set up key moments of how Vermeer creates his paintings to establish this unique relationship between painter and this young maid. Overall, Webber creates a truly gorgeous yet engrossing drama about the world of art.

Cinematographer Eduardo Serra does magnificent work with the film‘s evocative photography from the blue-gray look of many of the wintertime exteriors to the lush array of lights for some of the film‘s nighttime interiors as if Serra is recreating the look of a Vermeer painting. Editor Kate Evans does nice work with the editing as a lot of the cutting is very straightforward while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Ben van O, along with set decorator Cecile Heideman and art director Christina Schaffer, does fantastic work with the look of recreating 17th Century Delft with its bridges and homes along with the box that is the camera obscura.

Costume designer Dien van Straalen does superb work with the costumes from the lavish clothing of Van Ruijven as well as elegant dresses that Catharina and Maria Thins wear. Hair and makeup designer Jenny Shircore does terrific work with the look of Van Ruijven to display his grand personality. Sound editor Julian Slater does excellent work with the sound to capture the intimacy of Vermeer at work as well as some of the raucous sounds of the Vermeer household. The film’s score by Alexandre Desplat is a major highlight for the film for its evocative orchestral themes to play up the sense of drama and melancholia. Filled with lush string arrangements and tingling sounds of piano and other instruments, Desplat’s score is among one of his best as well as a key reason for the film’s success.

The casting by Leo Davis is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Joanna Scanlan as the head maid Tanneke, Gabrielle Reidy and Chris McHallem as Griet’s parents, and Anna Popplewell as Vermeer’s eldest daughter Maertge. Alakina Mann is wonderful as Vermeer troublemaking daughter Cornelia who despises Griet and is willing to do anything to make her life terrible. Essie Davis is excellent as Vermeer’s wife Catharina who tries to deal with her husband’s work while being unaware of what is at stake. Judy Parfitt is brilliant as Vermeer’s mother-in-law Maria Thins who is aware of the role Griet plays in the paintings as she also tries to shield the family’s financial issues from her daughter.

Cillian Murphy is wonderful as the butcher apprentice Pieter who becomes the one person who cares for Griet as he offers her a different, simpler world as he also brings a low-key charm to the performance. Tom Wilkinson is great as patron Van Ruijven who brings a larger-than-life presence as a man who is filled with greed and wanting to control Vermeer as well as trying to go after Griet. Colin Firth is remarkable as the painter Johannes Vermeer as he brings a very restrained yet touching performance as an artist who finds inspiration in his young maid while taking her under his wing.

Finally, there’s Scarlett Johansson in what is definitely an outstanding performance in the role of Griet. While her role doesn’t require for her to say a lot, Johansson’s performance is truly engaging in the way she displays the fragility of a young shy girl dealing with the new world she’s in while being drawn to the world of Vermeer. The performance is also very minimalist in the way Johansson portrays this young girl where she’s allowed to observe her surroundings as well as not overplaying the part to express her emotions in some very intense scenes. It is really a career-defining performance for an actress who was only 18 when she played the part.

The 2004 Region 1 DVD from Lions Gate presents the film in its original 2:35:1 theatrical aspect ratio for the widescreen format. Along with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in English with English and Spanish subtitles, the DVD features a few special features such as the film’s trailer and a music video by Truman for the song Girl with a Pearl that features Scarlett Johansson. The big special feature on the DVD is a 30-minute Anatomy of a Scene special from the Sundance Channel. Featuring interviews with Johansson, director Peter Webber, novelist Tracy Chevalier, and members of the film’s crew, they discuss the making of the banquet scene to reveal how it was made and what was to establish as it’s a truly brilliant special feature.

Girl with a Pearl Earring is a marvelous film from Peter Webber that features a phenomenal performance from Scarlett Johansson. Armed with a great ensemble cast that includes Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy along with amazing technical work that includes Eduardo Serra’s cinematography and Alexandre Desplat’s score. It’s a film that explores the world of art as it presents the idea of how Vermeer made his famed painting. In the end, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a stunning yet mesmerizing film from Peter Webber.

© thevoid99 2012

The Green Hornet (2011 film)

Based on the radio series and 1960s cult TV show by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, The Green Hornet is about a publishing heir who teams up with his father’s longtime mechanic named Kato to fight crime while dealing with a mob boss going through some personal issues of his own. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film is a modern take on the origin story of the Green Hornet and his friendship with Kato; that was played famously by Bruce Lee on the TV show. Starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Tom Wilkinson, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour, and Christoph Waltz. The Green Hornet is an entertaining action-comedy from Michel Gondry.

After the death of his publishing magnet father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) ponders what to do as he’s given control to run his father’s newspaper in Los Angeles. When he decides to rehire Kato (Jay Chou) based on the coffee he made, the two talk about Britt’s dad as Kato reveals the things he’s done for Britt’s dad such as fix up his cars. Britt learns that Kato’s work is far more extensive than the typical mechanic work as the two decide to vandalize the statue of Britt’s dad where they encounter a crime scene as the two fight off criminals. This gives Britt an idea to go vigilante as he and Kato form their own vigilante team with Britt calling himself the Green Hornet.

With Britt telling the paper’s longtime managing editor Mike Axford (Edward James Olmos) to do more coverage on the Green Hornet, Britt gains a new secretary in Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz) who reveals to have a great knowledge on criminology. Yet, the attention about the Green Hornet’s antics gets the attention of crime lord Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) whose days of power is starting to wane. With Chudnofsky having a mid-life crisis, he decides to go after the Green Hornet as tension starts to emerge between Britt and Kato over the attention towards the Green Hornet as well as trying to win Lenore’s affections.

Following a spat with Kato, Britt meets up with one of his father’s longtime colleagues in district attorney Frank Scanlon (David Harbour) where Britt learns that his father’s death may have not been some accident. With help from Lenore based on her crime expertise, Britt realizes that there is a conspiracy going on that involves Chudnofsky as he realizes what to do but couldn’t do it alone.

While the film is essentially an origins story set in modern times about the Green Hornet and his partnership with Kato. Screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do try to infuse their own brand of silly humor to the origins story as they make the Britt Reid character someone who feels insecure about never being able to make his dad proud while finding some kind of brotherhood in Kato. Then there’s Chudnofsky as he’s a criminal who starts to go through issues due to the arrival of younger criminals as he thinks he’s becoming a dinosaur. While Rogen and Goldberg are able to make Reid, Kato, Chudnofsky, and Lenore very interesting characters, the only flaw in the script is that it does follow the formula of a typical origin story that involves hero partnerships. Still, Rogen and Goldberg are able to do more with the formula by bending genres and create engaging characters.

Michel Gondry’s direction is wonderful though it lacks a lot of the stylistic flair that he’s been known for with a lot of his film. While he does do a few ideas such as multiple split-screens, speedy montages, and other abstract shots that is typical of his work. There’s not enough of that as Gondry’s direction is more standard with action-comedies in terms of fast-paced action sequences and light-hearted scenes of humor. Yet, Gondry does make sure the film is entertaining and funny as he was at least able to create a solid film that does what is expected with the genre.

Cinematographer John Schwartzman does a nice job with the cinematography with some stylish shots to complement the comic-book like look of the film or some of the day and nighttime exterior shots while utilizing some wonderful shading for some of the interior scenes. Editor Michael Tronick does a very good job with the editing as he creates some wonderful, fast-paced rhythms for the action scenes along with stylish cuts like the multiple split-screen sequence.

Production designer Owen Paterson and set decorator Ronald R. Reiss do a wonderful job with the set pieces such as the Reid estate garage as well as the Reid mansion along with the building that Britt‘s father runs. Costume designer Kym Barrett does an excellent job with the costumes from the old-school suits that Chudnofsky wears to the costumes that Britt and Kato wear. Visual effects supervisors James Dixon and Justin Jones do some fantastic work with the visual effects such as the stuff involving the Black Beauty cars and various action sequences in the film. Sound mixers Nerses Gezalyan and John Pritchett do some terrific work with the sound to play up the action in all of its chaos.

The film’s score by James Newton Howard is stellar for what is expected with action-comedies in terms of bombastic orchestral scores that flows and such though it’s nothing that is really outstanding. The film’s soundtrack features an array of music ranging into various genres as it features cuts by Anvil, the White Stripes, Digital Underground, Coolio, Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Van Halen, the Greenhornes, and Jay Chou bringing his own Asian-pop into the mix.

The casting by Francine Maisler is brilliant as it features an ensemble cast that includes appearances from Edward Furlong as meth chemist, Jamie Harris and Chad Coleman as a couple of Chudnofsky’s henchmen, Analeigh Tipton as a date of Britt early in the film, and James Franco in a cameo as a young gangster Chudnofsky very early in the film. Edward James Olmos is very good as a longtime editor friend of Britt’s dad who tries to warn Britt about covering the Green Hornet while David Harbour is also good as a district attorney who tries to get Britt involved into schemes for his own political gain. Tom Wilkinson is pretty decent in a very small role as Britt’s dad as it’s really more of a cameo that doesn’t give him much to do. Cameron Diaz is excellent as Lenore, a secretary whose criminology expertise unknowingly helps Britt and Kato in how to create their own schemes while proving to be very smart as it’s a wonderful role for Diaz to be the straight woman.

Christoph Waltz is wonderful as the villain Chudnofsky as Waltz brings a very slimy quality to a criminal that essentially goes into a mid-life crisis while trying to find a way to make himself intimidating. Jay Chou is superb as Kato as Chou brings a real charm to his character though his English at times is a bit hard to understand. Yet, Chou was able to make his character a joy to watch as it’s a great tribute to the late Bruce Lee. Finally, there’s Seth Rogen who brings in his usual comic persona to the character as it’s pretty good performance that allows him to be brash and funny though it doesn’t entirely work at times. Still, he and Chou are able to make a good combo as they’re able to keep things exciting and funny.

The Green Hornet is a pretty good film from Michel Gondry thanks in part to a wonderful ensemble cast and its willingness to be entertaining. In comparison to a lot of other films based on comics or other superhero-driven material, it’s kind of weak since there isn’t a lot that really gives the film a chance to stand out. In terms of the other films that Gondry has done, it’s his weakest work to date despite the fact that he’s able to inject a few of his visual tricks into the film. In the end, The Green Hornet is a fun film that does what is expected for its genre.

Michel Gondry Films: Human Nature - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Dave Chapelle’s Block Party - The Science of Sleep - Be Kind Rewind - Tokyo!-Interior Design - (The Thorn in the Heart) - The We & the I - (Mood Indigo) - (Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?)

© thevoid99 2011

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/31/04 w/ Additional Edits & Extensive Revisions.

Did you just get off a nasty breakup? Did the bad memories of the person you loved getting to you? Well, here in Lacuna, Inc., we decide to help remove those awful memories so you can get a chance to live a happier life without pain and heartbreak. There’s only one problem; Lacuna, Inc. doesn’t exist because it’s from the crazed imagination of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry in their 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet about a couple who both just gone to a nasty breakup and decided to remove their memories of each other when one of them all of a sudden doesn’t want to anymore. With a fine supporting cast that includes Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a surreal, wondrous romantic-comedy that bends the idea of love.

After an awful break-up, Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) tries to deal with his heartbreak as he learns that his longtime girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) has left him for another guy. When he tries to talk to her, she claims to have no recollections of who he is. Turning to his friends Rob (David Cross) and Carrie (Jane Adams), Rob gives Joel a card which revealed that Clementine has erased all of her memories of him. Joel decides to do the same as he meets Lacuna, Inc. chief Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) for the procedure as he ultimately decides to get rid of Clementine from his memories. With help from Howard's secretary Mary (Kirsten Dunst) and his two geeky technicians in Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood), things start to become surreal as Joel starts to look into his memories.

In his subconscious, Joel starts to see all of memories of Clementine starts to disappear as he immediately starts to regret what he's doing. Meanwhile in the real world, Joel is asleep as Stan and Patrick are removing his memories at Joel's apartment. Mary later shows up to help as Patrick leaves to go on a date with his new girlfriend that he calls Tangerine. Joel meanwhile, begins to examine the moments when he and Clementine weren't getting along as he then reflects on the good times as he talks with her in his memory as she learns what is going on. With Patrick out with his new girlfriend, Mary parties with Stan as things get weirder when the two learn that Joel is doing things inside his subconscious as they call Howard for help.

Howard finally arrives to help out as he sees what is going on as things become complicated over his feelings towards Mary. Back in Joel's subconscious, Clementine helps Joel to try and salvage all of the remaining memories left as Joel begins to regret what he's done. Meanwhile, Mary learns something about her own past in relation to Howard as his wife Hollis (Deirdre O'Connell) makes an appearance leaving everyone to question what they're doing.

Directed by Michel Gondry based on a story that he, Charlie Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth came up with Kaufman writing the screenplay, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind isn’t just a vast improvement over their first collaboration together for the uneven but funny 2001 film Human Nature. It’s also Kaufman’s best work since 1999’s Being John Malkovich that was directed by Spike Jonze who also did 2002’s Adaptation with Kaufman. In the illustrious words of film critic Roger Ebert, Charlie Kaufman is one weird dude. There’s probably no screenwriter as famous as Charlie Kaufman since he comes up with stories of surrealism that are fascinating yet human. His screenplay for this film is filled with ambiguities and unpredictable moments where it’s like when did this happen or why is this character here? At first, it might seem inconsistent but Kaufman makes sure things don’t move to fast so the audience can get a chance to know what’s going on.

Michel Gondry definitely brings his training from his days as a music video director up to par for film. Where he had some fine moments in Human Nature, he finally gets his chance by manipulating visual techniques and bring this element of suspense as if you’re wondering what’s going to happen next or what’s going to drop. With the dizzying yet colorful cinematography of Ellen Kuras, Gondry brings up all of these elements of weird symbolism to heighten the suspense of a romantic comedy while belting out some strong dramatic moments from the actors. For Gondry, this is clearly not just his breakthrough film but he will indeed become a director to watch for. If Kuras’ blurry, colorful cinematography gives the film a lush look, the film score by Jon Brion of atmospheric, melancholic textures plays up to the film’s quirkiness and drama as well as songs from Beck, Electric Light Orchestra, and the Polyphonic Spree. Already, this is the first candidate for the best film soundtrack of 2004, so far.

If the screenplays of Kaufman always had a stellar cast, this one shines in its performances. While the smaller roles of David Cross, Jane Adams, and Deirdre O’Connell are fun to watch and do serve well, the film really pays more attention to principle cast of six actors. Though Elijah Wood wasn’t shown a lot in the film, he is excellent as the manipulative Patrick who tries to worm his way into Joel’s mind by scoring in order to score with women. After the success of his role as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Wood scores with this performance by playing the role sensitively despite his intentions. Mark Ruffalo is funny as the geeky Stan with his brainiac mind and sensitivity as he plays around in his underwear with Kirsten Dunst while showing some sympathy later on in the film’s final act relating to Dunst’s character.

Kirsten gives a radiant yet exciting performance in the role of Mary. While Dunst is a master in comedy in her scenes when she’s stoned and dancing around in her underwear, Dunst displays some restrained dramatic performances in her scenes with Tom Wilkinson as she learns a secret about her while trying to prove to everyone she isn’t this dumb secretary. Dunst really shines in this film as she balances comedic theatrics and restraint drama. Tom Wilkinson brings in a masterful, charming performance as Dr. Howard Mierzwiak by playing the role in an American accent with a sense of humor and drama that shows Wilkinson’s range. There is probably no one better to play Mierzwiak better than Wilkinson since he is definitely someone that can do both comedy and drama.

The film’s two best performances easily go to Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Whereas Carrey has been known for playing crazy roles and Winslet in more restrictive, dramatic roles, the two definitely do the opposite in their performances. The chemistry with Carrey and Winslet are moving and fun as both play off their performance with spontaneity and romanticism. Kate Winslet delivers probably her best performance to date, as she feels relaxed and free with the punk-hair color changes and exuberance as she brings a wild personality to her performance. Winslet proves that she could be funny while displaying a touching moment in the film’s final act. Jim Carrey delivers his best performance overall even though he’s done drama before in Peter Weir’s The Truman Show. Carrey’s performance is extremely moving with his bowled, messy haircut, and puppy-dog sadness as he uses his comedic talents in a few scenes that are funny, especially when he acts like a child. In the dramatic moments, he definitely moves you with his mood as he brings in a performance that outshines all. Both Carrey and Winslet right now deliver the best performances of the year and hopefully, don’t get overlooked at the Oscars.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the year’s brightest and most original romantic comedies in the past five years. With its colorful cinematography, an offbeat screenplay, Michel Gondry’s surreal direction, and a great ensemble cast led by the romantic performances of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind clearly stands as one of the best films of 2004. For Charlie Kaufman, it’s right now his best screenplay while Michel Gondry proves himself as a director who knows how to manipulate images and minds with its quirky screenplay that surprises you right to the end. For a romantic film that is funny and moving, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the film to see.

Michel Gondry Films: Human Nature - Dave Chappelle's Block Party - The Science of Sleep - Be Kind Rewind - Tokyo!-Interior Design - (The Thorn in the Heart) - The Green Hornet - The We & the I - (Mood Indigo) - (Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?)

© thevoid99 2011

Ride with the Devil

Based on the novel Woe to Live On, Ride with the Devil tells the story of a couple of young Southern men who join a Missouri-based guerilla group during the Civil War as they seek refuge by protecting a family with a slave helping them. Directed by Ang Lee with a script by longtime collaborator James Schamus, Ride with the Devil is an epic drama that chronicles the journey of young men who face terror in a troubled war while finding a life outside of conflict and vengeance. Starring Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Simon Baker, Jewel, Jonathan Brandis, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Mark Ruffalo, James Caviezel, Zach Grenier, and Tom Wilkinson. Ride with the Devil is an extraordinary yet sweeping Civil War drama from Ang Lee.

The German-born Jake Roedel (Tobey Maguire) and his friend Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich) are young Southern men from Missouri that have just joined a group of local irregular soldiers known as the Bushwhackers. Chiles gains vengeance for his father’s death during an ambush with their leader Black John Ambrose (James Caviezel) and a wild young man named Pitt Mackeson (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Roedel and Chiles meet up with other bushwhackers including George Clyde (Simon Baker) who is accompanied by his slave Holt (Jeffrey Wright) where the four decide to hide out nearby the home of Mr. Evans (Zach Grenier) who offers them tools to create a cave to hide in.

While Clyde goes out and hide at another nearby home leaving Holt to help Roedel and Chiles, they meet Evans’ widowed daughter-in-law Sue Lee Shelley (Jewel) whom Chiles falls for. During the period of hiding, Roedel befriends Holt as Holt reveals his loyalty for Clyde while hoping to reach his mother who had been sold somewhere to Texas. During an attack on Evans’ home, Roedel, Holt, Clyde, and Chiles lead an attack on the Union soldiers who attacked Evans only to have things go wrong. With the Evans’ family seeking refuge at another house along with Sue, the remaining Bushwhackers had to regroup with their gang. With William Quantrill (John Ales) leading a group of Bushwhackers to attack and raid Lawrence, Kansas, Holt and Roedel take part of it with Clyde as a supervisor.

During the raid, Roedel has a confrontation with Mackeson as Union soldiers make their way to attack the Bushwhackers where everything falls apart. Holt and Roedel get wounded during the battle as they’re accompanied by Cave Wyatt (Jonathan Brandis) to take them to the Brown family where Sue had been living for several months. Living with Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Tom Wilkinson and Margo Martindale), Roedel and Holt recover from their wounds as they ponder what to do next. Even as Sue had just had a baby as the two men ponder life after a war that they know is already at a loss.

The film is about a young man and his friend joining a guerilla group to fight off Union soldiers and protect their family. Yet during the journey, Jake Roedel would face things as a Bushwhacker that would change his views on war and on himself. Jake, like the African-American Holt, faces a similar prejudice towards some Southerners but as a German whose father supports the Union. Jake is a very flawed character as he meets a captured Union soldier (Mark Ruffalo) whom he knew as he made him sent a message that would later haunt him. Roedel’s development is crucial as he starts out as a young innocent man loyal to his home only to become a weary man filled with grief pondering what to do next.

James Schamus’ script is superb in its character study as well as setting a mood for the story as it all takes place during the Civil War. The script does a have a few flaws as far as when some of the events happen while it’s also a bit uneven in tone. The latter of which is due to the fact that it’s a war film with a bit of romance and drama that at times, doesn’t really mesh. Still, it does have a narrative that is engaging and keeps the story going as it’s all driven by Jake Roedel’s fascination with his surroundings along with the friendships he have with Jack Bull, Holt, and later Sue. Despite the few flaws the script has, Schamus does create a script that is compelling and filled with fully-fleshed characters that people can enjoy.

Ang Lee’s direction is truly magnificent in its presentation and willingness to be engaged by the story and the characters in the film. While Lee does manage to take his time with the story by opening the film with a wedding that Roedel and Chiles attend to reveal their lives. He also lets the story move forward by having this terrifying scene of Roedel and Chiles forcing to flee following an attack and then move the story a year later for a great ambush scene involving the two characters. Then slows it down for scenes where Roedel and Chiles meet up with their fellow Bushwhackers that includes a wonderful poignant yet simple scene of Roedel reading a letter that brings ease to the soldiers.

Lee’s direction for many of the film’s intimate settings such as the cave and the interior houses are very intimate in his use of close-ups for the characters. For the battle scenes, Lee definitely takes a wide scope to allow the film to be big as if he is making an epic. Lee knows how to frame these wide shots such as the horses coming down a hill or to capture the chaos of the battle. The overall work in the direction is truly amazing in its framing but also maintain an intimacy for the film’s dramatic moments as Lee creates a dazzling yet engaging war-drama.

Cinematographer Frederick Elmes does a phenomenal job with the film‘s gorgeous photography from the very green look of the Missouri-Kansas forests in the spring and fall to the white cold of the wintertime. Elmes’ work in the exteriors are just as beautiful in its intimacy and the mood it creates for the characters in their situations. Longtime Lee collaborator in editor Tim Squyres does an excellent job with the film’s editing in creating a tight yet leisured pace for the film. Particularly when he utilizes jump-cuts for some of the film’s action along with transitional dissolves and fade-outs to help move the film forward for its 138-minute running time in its theatrical cut.

Production designer Mark Friedberg, along with art director Steve Arnold and set decorators Stephanie Carroll and Bryan E. Jordan, does an incredible job with the set design for the film such as the houses the characters live in to the cave home they create in the first half of the film. Since it’s shot largely on location in a town in Missouri, Friedberg and his team were able to recreate the look of the town in its Civil War setting to maintain its authenticity. Costume designer Marit Allen does a wonderful job with the costumes from the ragged soldiers clothing the men wear in combat to the suits they wore along with the big dresses that the women wear.

Sound editor Phil Stockton does a superb job with the sound to capture the calmness of the forest to the raucous chaos of the battle scenes to showcase the world the characters are in. The film’s score by Mychael Danna is brilliant for its array of traditional, folk-driven pieces that is played to set the mood of the times. Danna also provides some lush, orchestral flourishes for the dramatic and sweeping epic scenes to enhance the ambition of the film. Along with some traditional pieces of that era, the soundtrack includes a song by Jewel that is played in the final credits of the film.

The casting by Avy Kaufman is truly sensational as Kaufman creates what is undoubtedly an amazing ensemble. Numerous small but notable performances include David Darlow and Kathleen Warfel as Jack Bull’s parents, John Judd as Jake’s father, Celia Weston as a woman who brings in the Bushwhackers, John Ales as the famous Confederate guerilla leader William Quantrill, T. Max Graham as a reverend, and Mark Ruffalo as a captured Union soldier sent to bring a message to the Union. Other notable small roles as fellow Bushwhackers include Matthew Faber as Mackeson’s friend Turner, Thomas Guiry as the young Riley Crawford, James Caviezel as the local leader Black John, Stephen Mailer as the cautious Babe Hudspeth, and the late Jonathan Brandis in an outstanding performance as helpful Cave Wyatt.

Zach Grenier is very good as Mr. Evans, a local Confederate supporter who helps out the Bushwhackers while Simon Baker is also good as the experienced George Clyde who has a very warm friendship to his slave Holt. Margo Martindale is excellent as Mrs. Brown while Tom Wilkinson is amazing as the no-nonsense but sympathetic Mr. Brown. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is great in a terrifying role as the wild Pitt Mackeson, a soldier with outlaw tendencies who despises Roedel over his German ancestry. Jewel is wonderful as Sue Lee Shelley, a widow who falls for Jack Bull while helping the rest of the men by feeding them as she has some funny lines in a subtle yet charming performance.

Skeet Ulrich is brilliant as Jack Bull Chiles, a wild soldier with a conscience as he often leads his small band to battle while trying to fight for what is left of the Southern lifestyle he grew up with. Jeffrey Wright is great in what is definitely the best performance of the film as Daniel Holt. Wright brings an eerie quietness to his character who has a fierce loyalty to George Clyde while taking Roedel as a friend in their shared struggle with prejudice. Tobey Maguire is amazing as Jake Roedel, a young guerilla soldier who deals with prejudice and the consequences of war while fighting what’s left of a war he realize he is going to lose. It’s a remarkable role for the actor who definitely shows a real weariness with a sense of humor to a character that goes into a journey that would change his view on the world.

Ride with the Devil is a grand yet glorious film from Ang Lee featuring exhilarating performances from Tobey Maguire and Jeffrey Wright. While it’s not a perfect film due to a few flaws in the script, the film definitely overcomes those flaws with a sweeping vision and engaging characters. Fans of American Civil War films will see this film as something a bit different in terms of storytelling but at least has the big visuals needed for a film like this. In the end, Ride with the Devil is a thrilling yet captivating Civil War drama from Ang Lee and company.

Ang Lee Films: Pushing Hands - The Wedding Banquet - Eat Drink Man Woman - Sense & Sensibility (1995 film) - The Ice Storm - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - The Hire: Chosen - Hulk - Brokeback Mountain - Lust, Caution - Taking Woodstock - Life of Pi - Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk - The Auteurs #19: Ang Lee

© thevoid99 2011