Coriolanus

Based on the play by William Shakespeare, Coriolanus is the story of a general who seeks a spot in the world of politics only to put himself in trouble as he seeks the aid of an enemy to seek revenge. Directed and starring Ralph Fiennes in the titular role of Caius Martius aka Coriolanus and screenplay by John Logan, the film is a modern take of Shakespeare’s tragic play as it set in a 21st Century re-imagining idea of Rome where a man’s ambitions get him into trouble prompting him to fight back. Also starring Jessica Chastain, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, John Kani, James Nesbitt, Lubna Azabal, and Brian Cox. Coriolanus is a gripping and evocative film from Ralph Fiennes.

A powerful yet polarizing Roman general seeks to be in the world of politics yet a couple of political officials and local Romans successfully banish him from the city forcing the Caius Martius Coriolanus to seek the alliance of his sworn enemy in Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to seek revenge on Rome. It’s a film that play into the fallacy of ambition and vengeance as it follows a man whose arrogance and disdain for low-class citizens puts him at odds with those in the Roman Senate where a couple of tribunes try to discredit him as they would do things that are just as bad as what he’s done. John Logan’s screenplay opens with Coriolanus’ rise as a general who is cunning in his beliefs as well as maintaining some rule in Rome while is at war with a neighboring nation of Volsci that is led by Aufidius. Coriolanus’ victory against Aufidius would give him stature with Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) encouraging him to go into politics.

Logan’s script doesn’t just retain much of the dialogue written by William Shakespeare but also its approach to character study with characters scheming and such for their own gain such as the characters of the tribunes Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt) vehemently dislike Coriolanus as they even gain the alliance of citizens who hate Coriolanus to join them. The film’s second half play into the aftermath of a TV interview with Coriolanus that fell apart as he’s been exiled from Rome with his family angry over the government with longtime family friend in Senator Menenius (Brian Cox) trying to smooth over the conflicts. Coriolanus goes to Volsci to find Aufidius to allow him to settle their conflict yet Aufidius is moved by his journey allowing Coriolanus to join him as both men have issues with Rome and its government that would create this unlikely alliance.

Fiennes’ direction definitely bears elements of theatricality in some scenes yet some of the film also bear elements of modern-day political films as it is shot on location partially in Britain but also areas such as Serbia and Montenegro where the story is set in the early 21st Century as if the idea of Roman times is in the modern world. The usage of the locations add to this air of chaos that is happening where Rome is presented as this rich and organized world that is shot on Britain while Volsci and other locations shot in Serbia and Montenegro showcase a world that hasn’t prospered like Rome has. Fiennes’ compositions does have elements of style such as the battle scenes where he presents it with hand-held cameras for close-ups and medium shots including the scene of Coriolanus on a TV show where he goes after his critics including the tribunes who are scheming against him. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations as well as scenes involving crowds and in some eerie compositions to play into the position of power. Fiennes does maintain this air of theatricality in the direction with the actors and how would place them into a frame or to create this chaos in the riots.

Even the usage of TV news add to the dramatic elements of the film as it play into Coriolanus’ journey where the third act shows him going mad with vengeance with little chance of seeing reason and make peace. Fiennes’ direction showcases a man on the edge as he is intent on destroying Rome but there are those who love and care about him who want him to stop. The tragedy isn’t just about Coriolanus’ downfall and descent into madness but also the compromises he had to make where Fiennes showcases a man who had put himself into a world that he doesn’t know little about but only to make more enemies than he did when he was just a soldier. Overall, Fiennes craft a riveting and chilling film about a Roman general’s downfall and his revenge against those who ousted him from Rome.

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does brilliant work with the film’s grainy digital cinematography as its usage of close-ups add to the grimy detail of the visuals as well as maintaining a drab yet naturalistic look for the scenes set at Volsci. Editor Nicolas Gaster does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and montages while maintaining some unique rhythm to capture the energy of some of the monologues. Production designer Ricky Eyres, with set decorator Lee Gordon and art director Radoslav Mihajlovic, does amazing work with the look of the Roman government buildings and the home that Coriolanus and his family lives in as well as the drab home base of Aufidius. Costume designer Bojana Nikitovic does fantastic work with the look of the Roman military uniforms as well as the posh clothing of the Coriolanus family that is a sharp contrast to the more rugged look of the Volsci and its people.

Hair/makeup designer Laura Schiavo does terrific work with the look of the scars on Coriolanus’ face and body as well as the tattoos he would later gain. Special effects supervisor Jason Troughton and visual effects supervisor Angela Stanley do some nice work with the look of some of the TV footage along with a few set-dressing for scenes to play into the atmosphere of war. Sound editor Oliver Tarney does superb work with the sound as it play into the raucous atmosphere of the protests, riots, and sounds of war along with the disconcerting tone in some of the dialogue in certain rooms or sets. The film’s music by Ilan Eshkeri is wonderful for its low-key orchestral/ambient score that play into the dramatic suspense as well as some of the film’s war scenes while music supervisor Ian Neil provides a music soundtrack that features a traditional music piece performed by Goran Bregovic as well as a couple of contemporary pieces by Lisa Zane and Sheer K.

The casting by Jina Jay is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Jon Snow as a TV anchorman, Harry Fenn as Coriolanus’ young son Martius, Dragan Micanovic as Coriolanus’ subordinate Titus, Slavko Stimac as a Volsci lieutenant who doesn’t trust Coriolanus, the duo of Lubna Azabal and Ashraf Barhom in their respective roles as leading protestors against Coriolanus in Tamora and Cassius, and John Kani in a terrific performance as Rome’s leader General Cominius who is trying to ensure peace and reason despite so much opposition and controversy. Paul Jesson and James Nesbitt are superb in their respective roles as tribunes Brutus and Sicinius as two political figures who hate Coriolanus as they scheme to discredit him only to put Rome in danger during its second half. Jessica Chastain is fantastic as Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia as a woman trying to be supportive but also raises concern for her husband’s well-being as she also copes with his exile.

Brian Cox is excellent as Menenius as a Roman senator who is close with Coriolanus’ family as he is eager to help Coriolanus anyway he can while having to deal with the opposition as he struggles to maintain order and later to try and reason with Coriolanus in his vengeance towards Rome. Vanessa Redgrave is brilliant as Volumnia as Coriolanus’ mother who is an influential figure in Rome as she encourages her son to go into politics while being very angry at the tribunes who successfully banished him prompting her to get her son back and see reason. Gerard Butler is amazing as Volsci military leader Tullus Aufidius as Coriolanus’ sworn enemy who is hoping to destroy Rome and Coriolanus where he is later moved by Coriolanus’ determination following his exile as he helps him seek revenge on Rome. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a general who is a polarizing figure for his disdain towards common folk while is eager to rise to power only to be kicked out of Rome prompting him to seek vengeance as there’s an intensity to his performance but also an eeriness of a man driven to the edge.

Coriolanus is a marvelous film from Ralph Fiennes that features a great ensemble cast, a modern take on William Shakespeare’s character study, gritty visuals, and themes of ambition and vengeance. It’s a film that explore a man’s descent into madness in his attempt to go into politics only to be banished by the people in his home country as he also endures humility and shame that prompts him to seek revenge but at the cost of his own spirit and soul. In the end, Coriolanus is a remarkable film from Ralph Fiennes.

Ralph Fiennes Film: The Invisible Woman (2013 film) - (The White Crow)

© thevoid99 2019

Mission: Impossible

Based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller, Mission: Impossible is the story of a spy who being hunted down by his organization after being accused of killing his crew where he has to find the mole in the agency. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Robert Towne and David Koepp from a story by Koepp and Steve Zaillian, the film is suspense-thriller in which a spy has to uncover the truth over a failed mission as well as wonder who to trust. Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny, Emilio Estevez, and Vanessa Redgrave. Mission: Impossible is a thrilling and stylish film from Brian de Palma.

The film revolves around a spy who was part of a mission that suddenly goes wrong when he is accused of being a mole after his crew had been killed forcing him to find out who the mole is as it involves a deal with a mysterious arms dealer. It’s a film with a unique premise that is filled with twists and turns by screenwriters David Koepp and Robert Towne as it explores a man who is seeking out the truth as well as wonder who the mole is. The film does have a MacGuffin in this list of spies and their alias where everyone wants it as the spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) decides to steal it as a way to get the mole to come out as well as clear his name with the help of another agent in Claire Phelps (Emmanuelle Beart) whom the IMF doesn’t know is still alive as she takes part to get revenge on the people who killed her husband Jim (Jon Voight) who was also Hunt’s mentor.

Claire was also in the botched mission as a getaway driver as Hunt is suspicious about why she is still alive when everyone else in their team was killed including her husband. At the same time, they deal with this mysterious arms dealer in Max (Vanessa Redgrave) who wants this list for her own advantage in this post-Cold War race to get power. Upon hiring the disavowed hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and the pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) for this mission to retrieve the list, Hunt realizes that there are those he can’t trust including Claire as he is convinced the mole is the IMF leader Kittridge (Henry Czerny) due to this play for power.

Brian de Palma’s direction definitely has a flair for style as it opens with a mission to establish what Hunt and his team does as well as play into a few references of the original TV series. Shot on various locations in Prague, London, and parts of Scotland, the film does play into this world where there is still a sense of unease following the end of the Cold War with some wanting to cash in on whoever will win the next war. The film does show de Palma’s penchant for style in the way he captures so much attention to detail in the key scene to capture a Russian spy from retrieving the list as well as what Hunt and his team are doing and the roles they play. There are also these suspenseful moments where de Palma keeps the intrigue going of who is killing who and who are these people in the background. The usage of close-ups and stylish compositions are key to what de Palma is doing in the suspense that includes a post-mission conversation between Hunt and Kittridge as it is show on low slanted camera angles and in a reverse shot as it play into this air of intrigue. The non-action scenes is where de Palma shines as he uses medium shots to play into the way multiple characters interact as well as a few wide shots to establish the location and its geography.

One key sequence that involves Hunt retrieving the list in a very exclusive and highly secretive room as he’s hanging from a ceiling a key example of de Palma’s approach to suspense as it requires silence as well as not make sure a drop of sweat hits the floor or the alarm will go off. It’s a key sequence late in the second act which play into what is at stake but also what Hunt needs to do to find the mole. The third act is about the unveiling of the mole as well as the mole’s motivations as it play into the aftermath of the Cold War and the ideas of the future. Even as Hunt has to do something to expose the truth for the safety of the world in a grand and thrilling climax set on a train in the English Channel. Overall, de Palma crafts an exhilarating and entertaining film about a spy trying to uncover a mole who killed his team during a botched mission.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the look of the cities at night as well as some of the interiors of the rooms and places the characters stay at and the room of the secret computer. Editor Paul Hirsch does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts, stylish montages, dissolves, and other stylish cuts help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Norman Reynolds, with set decorator Peter Howitt plus art directors Fred Hole and Jonathan McKinstry, does amazing work with the look of the places the characters go to including the secret computer room and the interiors of the train for the film’s climax. Costume designers Penny Rose and Timothy Everest do fantastic work with the costumes as it include a few designer dresses for the mission that would be botched as well as clothes for the characters to wear in disguise.

Makeup designer Lois Burwell, along with special makeup effects artist Rob Bottin, does terrific work with the masks that Hunt would wear in disguise including the look of a senator he would pretend to be for the botched mission. Special effects supervisors David Beavis and Ian Wingrove, along with visual effects supervisors Andrew Eio, John Knoll, and Richard Yuricich, do superb work with the visual effects as it relates to the film’s climax as well as some of the design of the masks that Hunt wears. Sound editor Tom Bellfort does nice work with the sound in creating sound effects for the action as well as the air of silence for the computer room scene to play into the suspense. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible for its orchestral-based score as well as creating variations of the famed TV show theme by Lalo Schifrin that include an electronic-based version by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. of the band U2.

The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Olegar Fedoro as the Ukranian spy trying to get the list early in the film, Dale Dye as Kittridge’s aide Frank Barnes, Rolf Saxon as the CIA analyst William Donloe who has access to the secret computer room, and Karel Dobry as Max’s assistant Matthias. In the roles of Hunt’s original team, there’s Ingeborga Dapkunaite as surveyor Hannah and Emilio Estevez in an un-credited role as Hunt’s gadgets creator and hacker Jack Harmon as they’re terrific in their roles as is Kristin Scott Thomas in a small yet superb performance as the spy Sarah Davies. Henry Czerny is excellent as Kittridge as the IMF chief who believes that Hunt is the mole as he does whatever he can to catch him while Jean Reno is fantastic as Franz Krieger as a disavowed agent hired by Hunt to help him retrieve the list as he’s also very ambiguous over what he wants to do with the list. Ving Rhames is brilliant as the hacker Luther Stickell who would prove to be one of the few people Hunt can trust as he is also someone who is good at what he does and be humble about it.

Emmanuelle Beart is wonderful as Claire Phelps as Jim’s wife who survived the botch mission as there is a sense of ambiguity to her about her survival as she is also someone that wants revenge while dealing with her feelings for Hunt. Vanessa Redgrave is amazing as Max as this secretive arms dealer that is eager to get the list for her own thirst of power as it’s a charismatic performance from Redgrave. Jon Voight is incredible as Jim Phelps as Hunt’s mentor and Claire’s husband as a top spy who organized the botched mission unaware of what he’s going after as it’s a low-key yet chilling performance from Voight who maintains this sense of ambiguity. Finally, there’s Tom Cruise in a phenomenal performance as Ethan Hunt as a spy who finds himself being accused of being a mole where it’s a performance that has Cruise display charm as well as be full of determination and drive as it is one of his finest performances of his career.

Mission: Impossible is a marvelous film from Brian de Palma that features a top-notch performance from Tom Cruise. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, and Danny Elfman’s thrilling score, it’s a blockbuster film that offers a lot of excitement as well as containing some engaging moments of suspense. In the end, Mission: Impossible is a remarkable film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) – (Greetings) – (The Wedding Party) – (Dionysus in ’69) – (Hi, Mom!) – (Get to Know Your Rabbit) – Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise – Obsession – Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) – Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double – (Wise Guys) – The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito's Way - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale – The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) – Passion (2012 film) – (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2018

Little Odessa

Written and directed by James Gray, Little Odessa is the story of a hitman who returns home to his Russian-immigrant family in New York City as he copes with having to deal with them as he is only in the city to do a job. The film is a study of a man struggling to be there for the family that is estranged from him but also deal with his role in the world of crime. Starring Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Moira Kelly, Maximilian Schell, and Vanessa Redgrave. Little Odessa is a gripping yet somber film from James Gray.

Set in Brooklyn, the film revolves around a Jewish-Russian hitman who is given a job to go to Brooklyn to kill a man that is an enemy to the mob where he finds himself having to meet up with his family including his younger brother and ailing mother. It is really a study of a man trying to cope with the family he’s estranged from as he also struggles with wanting to reconcile with them despite the fact that there’s a lot of issues. James Gray’s screenplay follows Joshua Shapira (Tim Roth) as a hitman that has created a life that has him killing people for money as well as working for the Mafia. Learning about a man who has been giving away information against the Mafia, Joshua learns he has to go to Brooklyn to find that man and kill him as he gather up a few old friends to help him as he also checks on his family as his father Arkady (Maximilian Schell) wants nothing to do with him.

Especially as he doesn’t want his youngest son Reuben (Edward Furlong) to make contact but Reuben is interesting in seeing Joshua as the two would hang out together as well as rekindling a relationship with a former girlfriend in Alla (Moira Kelly). Even though Joshua is eager to get out of Brooklyn and get the job done, he also has to deal with the fact that his mother Irina (Vanessa Redgrave) is dying as he wants to see her forcing himself to meet with his father and call a truce for the sake of Irina. Still, Joshua has a job to do as he starts to ponder about leaving behind this life of crime or continue on this dark path of chaos.

Gray’s direction does have element of style yet it is rooted in the location as much of the film is shot in Brooklyn and other parts of New York City. Yet, Gray would avoid many of the city’s landmarks in favor of grounding it into locations that play into this community where everyone kind of knows each other as well as be diverse no matter how problematic it can be. Though there is an intimacy in Gray’s approach to close-ups and medium shots that includes a lavish dinner party at a restaurant for Arkady’s mother on her 80th birthday. Gray would use some unique wide shots to capture the scope of a location as well as create some gorgeous compositions such as a conversation between Joshua and Alla shot from afar. There is also a scene in the film in which Reuben would witness what Joshua would do as it’s shown in a wide shot as Gray would shoot Reuben in a close-up. 

Gray would also showcase the sense of conflict from within as it relates to Joshua in his lone meeting with his mother as it show Joshua’s desire to want to be there for his family but still has to deal with the world of crime. The film’s third act relates to Arkady’s reasons for wanting to disconnect with Joshua as well as why he wants Reuben to stay away from him as he would have a confrontation with his eldest son that would unfortunately lead to the sins of both father and son. Overall, Gray creates a compelling yet riveting film about a hitman returning home for an assignment and to meet with his estranged family.

Cinematographer Tom Richmond does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for the daytime exterior scenes as well as some stylish lighting and moods for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Dorian Harris does terrific work with the editing as it is stylized for its usage of jump-cuts and fade-outs to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Kevin Thompson, with set decorator Charles Ford and art director Judy Rhee, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Reuben lives with his parents as well as the restaurant where Arkady is having a party for his mother and the place where Joshua would meet a few of his lowly hoods.

Costume designer Michael Clancy does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the winter coats and hats that many of the characters wear. Sound editors Lewis Goldstein and John A. Larsen do superb work with the sound to play into the sound of gunfire as well as capture the natural atmosphere of the locations as well as the ambiance of the restaurant scene. The film’s music by Dana Sano is wonderful as it is largely a low-key orchestral score that emphasizes heavily on Russian choral music as it help play into the film’s Jewish-Russian location.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Mina Bern as Arkady’s mother, David Vadim as an old friend of Joshua in Sasha, Natalya Andreychenko as Arkady’s mistress Natasha, and Paul Guilfoyle as a local mob boss in Boris Volkoff whom Joshua despises. Maximilian Schell is excellent as Joshua and Reuben’s father Arkady as a man who is trying to protect Reuben from Joshua as well as deal with his mother’s illness as well as juggling an affair with a mistress whom he talks to about what he’s dealing with. Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic as Joshua and Reuben’s mother Irina as a woman who is dying from some brain disease as she deals with the severity of her illness as well as seeing Joshua for the first time as she asks him to be at his grandmother’s birthday party as a way to make amends with the family.

Moira Kelly is brilliant as Alla as a former girlfriend of Joshua who is surprised to see him as she isn’t sure about rekindling a relationship with him but also wonders if they could have a future. Edward Furlong is amazing as Reuben as a teenage boy who is surprised to see his older brother as he wonders why his father despises Joshua as well as deal with some dark realities including the world of crime which he isn’t sure he wants to be a part of. Finally, there’s Tim Roth in an incredible performance as Joshua Shapira as a hitman who takes an assignment that would force him to return home as he deals with not just his estranged family but also begin a relationship with his younger brother as well as the world of crime he’s in where he copes with the impact of his actions.

Little Odessa is a remarkable film from James Gray. Featuring a great cast, a compelling story on family and ambition, and gritty setting that play into the world of the Russian mob. The film is definitely a low-key crime drama that explores a man returning home but also deal with the world he’s in and why he is unable to escape it. In the end, Little Odessa is a marvelous film from James Gray.

James Gray Films: The Yards – We Own the Night – Two Lovers – The Immigrant (2013 film) - The Lost City of Z – Ad Astra - The Auteurs #67: James Gray

© thevoid99 2017

The Whistleblower

Directed by Larysa Kondracki and screenplay by Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan, The Whistleblower is the story of a United Nations peacekeeper who makes a chilling discovery as it relates to sex trafficking forcing her to confront the United Nations and eventually tell her story publicly. The film is based on a true story about Nebraskan police officer Kathryn Bolkovac who went to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999 originally to work for the UN’s peacekeeping work as her discovery would raise concerns over what is happening in the war-torn country as Bolkovac is played by Rachel Weisz. Also starring Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Benedict Cumberbatch, Liam Cunningham, Anna Anissimova, and Vanessa Redgrave. The Whistleblower is a terrifying yet gripping film from Larysa Kondracki.

Set in 1999 in the aftermath of the war in the Balkans at Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Nebraskan police officer in Kathryn Bolkovac signs up to join the peacekeeping mission for the United Nations in the hope of making some serious money to be near her daughter who is living with her father and his new family. When she is given a new assignment relating to the department of gender affairs, she would make a chilling discovery as it relates to sex trafficking that include those working for the United Nations. The film’s screenplay by Larysa Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan opens in Kiev, Ukraine where two young women make plans to make money and travel the world unaware that they’ve been sold to Bosnia and Herzegovina for prostitution as it then cuts to Bolkovac working in Lincoln, Nebraska as a cop awaiting a transfer to be near her daughter.

In taking this job for the United Nations to help out in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina for financial reasons, Bolkovac would get the attention of the revered Madeleine Rees (Vanessa Redgrave), who is the head of the Human Rights Commission for the United Nations, after Bolkovac aided a Muslim woman over domestic violence charges and have something done about it. Bolkovac would see the job as a major opportunity until she participates in a raid at some nightclub where she makes a discovery that has her questioning what is happening as she sees men who work as part of the UN’s police force participating in these lewd events as she takes pictures and passports as evidence. She would confront those who work in that force but also have a realization of how big things are when she talks to women who had been taken from their homes for sex trafficking as well as try to help a couple of young prostitutes including a young Ukrainian girl in Raya (Roxana Condurache).

Yet, there are complications when there are those including local Bosnian police forces that want to keep it quiet prompting Bolkovac to turn to Rees for help who brings in internal affairs specialist Peter Ward (David Strathairn) for help. Even a human rights organization executive in Laura Leviani (Monica Bellucci) tries to help by talking directly to Raya’s mother despite the corporate pressures to not discuss what had been found. Still, it urges Bolkovac to find out more as the few allies she has do whatever they can to help her but there is so many obstacles for Bolkovac that would she would have to face all the way to top official at the United Nations.

Kondracki’s direction is very straightforward in terms of the compositions that she creates while much of the film is shot mainly near Bucharest, Romania as Bosnia and Herzegovina with some interior scenes of the UN buildings shot in Toronto. While there are some wide shots of the locations, Kondracki’s direction is mainly intimate to play into the suspense and drama while displaying an air of realism into the subject matter. Most notably a scene in which Raya has been captured and raped in front of other girls to see what would happen to her if she told anyone what they’re doing. It’s among one of the most horrifying scenes in the film as much of Kondracki’s direction emphasize on hand-held cameras that include a chase scene involving Bolkovac running after a young prostitute who had been taken and was found near the Serbian border.

While there is a lot of moments of suspense with some action, much of Kondracki’s direction emphasizes on the dramatic stakes of what Bolkovac wants to do as the drama would intensify once she is dealing with various officials in the United Nations as well as private contractors working with the government for their own interest. Especially when she’s asked to take a leave which she knew would only cause more problems prompting her to take action and gather whatever evidence she has that could expose everything. Even if it means having to lose her job and never see her daughter again as she is aware of what is at stake and what to do to make sure that young women wouldn’t have to be taken for sex trafficking ever again. Overall, Kondracki creates a gritty yet evocative film about a United Nations peacekeeper who discovers the practice of sex trafficking in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cinematographer Kieran McGuigan does excellent work with the film’s cinematography to capture some of the dark yet colorful look of some of the interior scenes set at night in the clubs and sanctuary for some of the women who are hiding from criminals. Editor Julian Clarke does brilliant work with the editing in creating some unique rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and some of the action while maintaining something straightforward for the dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Caroline Foellmer, with set decorator Andreea Popa and art director Vlad Vieru, does fantastic work with the look of the interior of the UN offices as well as the look of the nightclub where the young women are forced to work at.

Costume designer Gersha Phillips does nice work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward with the exception of the skimpy clothing the young girls are forced to wear. Sound editors Mark Gingras and John Laing does superb work with the sound with the way some of array of sounds in various locations are presented as well as some of the quieter moments in the film. The film’s music by Mychael Dyanna music is terrific for its usage of low-key orchestral music to play into the drama and suspense while music supervisor David Hayman provide a mixture of traditional Eastern European music with some contemporary music of the late 90s.

The casting by Sara Jay and Jenny Lewis is great as it feature some notable small roles from David Hewlett and William Hope as a couple of UN peacekeeping officers involved in the sex trafficking, Stuart Graham as a top UN official who tries to dismiss Bolkovac from her investigation, Benedict Cumberbatch as a UN security officer that befriends Bolkovac, Paula Schramm as a young Ukrainian woman in Luba who would convince Raya to travel outside of the Ukraine only to realize what she’s done, Rayisa Kondracki as a young prostitute in Ikra who wanted to testify only to be taken and later saved by Bolkovac, Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Bolkovac’s daughter Erin, Alexandru Potocean as a corrupt Bosnian officer, and Liam Cunningham in a superb performance as the head of the private security company Bill Haynes who wants to cover up all of these reports on sex trafficking.

Monica Bellucci is terrific as Laura Leviani as a human rights organization executive trying to help Bolkovac as well as Raya’s mother despite the corporate pressures from her superiors to not be involved. Roxana Condurache is excellent as Raya as a young woman who is convinced by a friend to travel only to endure abuse of the worst kind as a prostitute which includes a scene of her being raped in the most gruesome of ways. Anna Anissimova is fantastic as Raya’s mother Zoe as a woman who wonders where her daughter is as she travels to Bosnia to meet with Leviani as she would learn some awful truths about what happened as well as the people who put her daughter in this mess. Nikolaj Lie Kaas is brilliant as Jan as a Bosnian UN official who is one of Bolkovac’s few allies as he tries to help Raya and other girls only to deal with Bosnian criminals.

Vanessa Redgrave is amazing as Madeleine Rees as the famed human rights commission head for the United Nations who hires Bolkovac to help her in gender affairs as she would learn what is going on as she also becomes disgusted over the fact that the United Nations is involved with sex trafficking. David Strathairn is incredible as Pete Ward as an internal affairs specialist who would help Bolkovac in finding more evidence about sex trafficking as he would make some discoveries that would get him in trouble as he does whatever he can to give it to Bolkovac and expose it to the world. Finally, there’s Rachel Weisz in a magnificent performance as Kathryn Bolkovac as this cop from Nebraska who takes a job for the United Nations peacekeeping force only to get a better job with more money but also revelations about what she would discover in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina prompting her to do something where Weisz has this air of humility and determination to do the right thing as well as displaying that anguish over what is happening to these girls as it’s one of her best performances.

The Whistleblower is a phenomenal film from Larysa Kondracki that features a tremendous performance from Rachel Weisz. Along with its strong ensemble cast, eerie visuals, and gripping take on a universal subject matter that is uneasy to deal with. It is definitely a suspense-drama that showcases some of the troubling aftermaths of war and what some will do to not just protect their image but also make money out of it forcing a woman to stop all of that for the good of the world. In the end, The Whistleblower is a sensational film from Larysa Kondracki.

© thevoid99 2017

Miral

Directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Rula Jebreal that is based on her own novel, Miral is the story of a young girl who is raised at an orphanage as she later grows into a woman as she tries to find understanding amidst the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The film is a dramatic account into a young who was raised and taught by Hussein Hind as her attempts to teach Palestinian refugees has her wondering about the realities of the world as the titular character is played by Freida Pinto. Also starring Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Masri, Ruba Jebreal, Alexander Siddig, Willem Dafoe, Stella Schnabel, Omar Metwally, and Vanessa Redgrave. Miral is a compelling yet flawed film from Julian Schnabel.

The film is based on Rula Jerbreal’s own accounts as she was raised in the famed Dar Al-Tifel institute that brought in Palestinian girls who didn’t have a home. The film isn’t just about the founding of the institute by Hussein Hind (Hiam Abbass) but also the young girl who would come to this institute as she would be raised and taught by Hind until she encounters the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the First Intifada. It’s a film where the girl named Miral would come of age during that period as she wants to help any Palestinian resistance group in fighting the Israelis but is also torn with the need to continue Hind’s ideas of education and negotiation for a peaceful resolution. The film’s screenplay does have this odd structure where it starts off with how Hind founded the Dar Al-Tifel institute in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War as well as who Miral’s mother was.

The first act begins with Hind’s funeral as it would cut into events preceding the moment she began this institute where it was by accident as she wanted to help out. Even as she gets the help of an American friend named Eddie (Willem Dafoe) who would help her gain some political connections to ensure the safety of her institute. The story then moves into the Six Day War period where it revolves around a woman named Nadia (Yasmine Al Masri) who would spend six months in prison for slapping a woman on the bus as she would marry a man named Jamal (Alexander Siddig) and have a daughter named Miral. Yet, the sense of shame in Nadia’s life would lead to her death as Jamal sends Miral to the institute as he is unable to take care of her though he’s a good father. The film’s second half is about Miral as she copes with not just the realities of what is happening outside of the institute but also the need to fight back against the Israelis in what is a very complicated situation.

While it’s a film that showcases what the Palestinians were going through as Miral would become prejudiced towards Israelis. It’s not an anti-Israeli film but rather a portrait of what a young woman is dealing with as she would involve herself into actions that can be defined as terrorism. The film’s second half has Miral fall for a Palestinian rebel leader named Hani (Omar Metwally) who wants to fight against the Israelis but also wants a peaceful solution as he would steer Miral into ideas that has her hating the Israelis. Yet, her own encounters with the violence as well as other events that complicate things force her to find a way to deal with what she’s learned. Though the script does get clunky in Miral’s development, it does play into the growth that Miral would go into as she tries to maintain the guidance of her mentor.

Julian Schnabel’s direction is quite stylish but only in its look and presentation as he aims for something that is close to a cinema verite style. Especially as he was able to shoot on location in Israel in its many cities like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other locations near Palestinian states. Much of it would have Schnabel utilize a lot of hand-held cameras and strange camera angles to play into the drama though the film starts and ends with Hussein’s funeral as it indicates how important she was to Miral. Schnabel would go for a lot of simplistic compositions as well as lots of medium shots and close-ups plus a few wide shots. Even as it plays to the sense of chaos that is emerging that Miral would encounter during a scene where she and her schoolmates go to a refugee camp to teach children as they’re forced to watch a house be destroyed.

It’s among these key moments in the film that is quite powerful as it plays into Miral’s development though some of the film’s violent moments are quite minimal as Schnabel would use stock footage and newspaper clippings to help tell the story. Even as he would use these moments to play into certain moments in time as well as the various wars between Israel and Arab nations. All of which would have Miral encounter these events as well as moments that those she is connected with would endure. Even as she would gain some understanding about how peace works and why it’s so hard to achieve. Overall, Schnabel creates a very captivating yet uneven film about a woman coming of age as a Palestinian in Israel.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography as it features a very vibrant and colorful look to some of the film‘s daytime scenes while going for low-key and naturalistic lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Juliette Welfling does amazing work with the editing as it is very stylized with its approach to jump-cuts, montages, and in the way it uses stock footage to help tell the story. Production designer Yoel Herzberg and art director Nir Alba do brilliant work with the look of the homes that Miral and her father lived in as well as some of the parts of the institute. Costume designer Walid Mawed does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly straightforward to play in the look of the 1980s for its second half along with stylish clothes for its first half.

Visual effects supervisor Stephane Dittoo does terrific work for some of the film‘s minimal visual effects as it relates to the small violent moments that occur in the film. Sound editor Adam Wolny does superb work with the sound to convey some of the sounds of chaos as well as sparse elements in the film‘s quieter moments. The film’s music by Olivier Daviaud is exquisite for its use of somber strings to play into the sense of tragedy and drama while music supervisors Julian Schnabel, Rebecca Delannet, and Astrid Gomez-Montoya create a soundtrack filled with classical pieces as well as cuts by Pete Townshend, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Ennio Morricone and Gillo Pontecorvo, A.R. Rahman, and Tom Waits.

The casting by Yael Aviv is great is it features notable small roles from Makram Khoury as politician who would help Hind with the founding of the institution, Shredi Jabarin as Miral’s cousin Ali, Stella Schnabel as Ali’s Jewish girlfriend Lisa, Ruba Blal as Nadia’s cellmate who is given three life sentences for a bombing in a movie theater, Yolanda El Karam as the young Miral, and Vanessa Redgrave in a small yet wonderful performance as Bertha Spafford as a party host that Hind would meet early in the film. Willem Dafoe is superb as Eddie Spafford as a U.S. military officer who helps Hind with creating the institute and to ensure that she would be safe. Yasmine Al Masri is terrific as Miral’s mother Nadia as a woman who is shamed and humiliated as she copes with the guilt she carries that would lead to her own death.

Omar Metwally is excellent as Hani as a Palestinian resistance leader who is trying to find ways to deal with the Israelis as well as eventually coming to the realization that peace needs to happen. Alexander Siddig is amazing as Miral’s father Jamal as a man who tries to raise her as he later copes with her rebellion as he tries to steer her in the right path with Hind’s help. Hiam Abbass is incredible as Hussein Hind as a Palestinian woman who created an orphanage and institute to protect young children as she would also be a mentor to Miral to teach her the ways to a peaceful resolution. Finally, there’s Freida Pinto in a remarkable performance as the titular character as a young woman who is awakened by the realities of her surroundings as she struggles to wanting to fight as well as instill Hind’s teachings as it’s a very complex and eerie performance from Pinto.

Despite its uneven and messy narrative, Miral is still a worthwhile film from Julian Schnabel. Armed with a great cast as well as a unique perspective from the Palestinian side in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, it’s a film that isn’t afraid to ask questions but also with wanting to create understanding in a very complicated situation. In the end, Miral is a stellar film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteur #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2015

Foxcatcher

Directed by Bennett Miller and written by Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye, Foxcatcher is the true story about the famed Olympic wrestling champion Mark Schultz and his tumultuous association with the millionaire John du Pont during the 1980s and 1990s as it leads to trouble upon the involve of Mark’s older brother Dave. The film is an exploration of a young man trying to get out of the shadow of his older brother as he finds attention and care in this eccentric millionaire only for things to go very wrong. Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, and Vanessa Redgrave. Foxcatcher is a chilling yet intoxicating film from Bennett Miller.

The film is a fictional take on the relationship between the millionaire John Eleuthere du Pont and Schultz brothers as du Pont asks Mark Schultz to lead an American amateur wresting team to glory where they later get Mark’s older brother Dave into the picture. It’s a film that explores men trying to live up to legacies of their families as well as finding friendship amidst their sense of loneliness. It’s a film filled with motivations and character study where Mark (Channing Tatum) is young man who wants to be the best wrestler in the world. Despite winning a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, its success hasn’t given him much as he is also often in the shadow of his older brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo) who is also an Olympic gold medalist. For John du Pont (Steve Carell), forming a wrestling team for America and give it more importance as well as establish his own legacy away from the world of horse racing that his family is known for.

The film’s screenplay by Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye definitely explore two men trying to find their own identities as it’s the source of the bond between Mark and du Pont. Especially as Mark is in need of someone who could help him escape his brother’s shadow while du Pont is looking for someone that can give him his own legacy in the world of wrestling. The two become close friends as Mark sees du Pont as a father/mentor as he would also help du Pont in teaching him how to wrestle where du Pont would compete in a seniors tournament. Yet, the closeness wouldn’t last as both Mark and du Pont knew they need Dave to come in and help the wrestling team as Dave is also an accomplished coach. Though Mark initially tried to get Dave to join Team Foxcatcher, named after the stables in du Pont’s family estate, but Dave said no due to other commitments as well as the need to settle with his own family.

When Dave does eventually join the team after Mark’s attempt to lead the team failed due to his own insecurities and encounter with the vices of du Pont’s world. Mark tries to alienate himself from du Pont and his brother so he could make it on his own where he would watch du Pont admire Dave from afar. Dave Schultz is definitely the most interesting character of the three as he is someone that definitely cares for his brother and his well-being while knowing the issues he had to do to stand out. He would watch his brother self destruct as he would do whatever to help him while he would have this very uneasy relationship with du Pont that would be very troubling. Even in the film’s third act where it becomes clear into the sense of companionship that du Pont needed away from his wealth and the legacy of his family. All of which would play into the question into du Pont’s own mental well-being and the depth of his unraveling.

Bennett Miller’s direction is truly exquisite in the way he tells the story while not using elements of time to tell the story other in the wrestling matches that the Schultz brothers participated in. Yet, he begins the film with an example of Mark’s life where he lives in a small apartment with not very much as he doesn’t say much either where it’s clear that being an Olympic gold medalist hasn’t done squat for him. It is told with these intricate tracking shots with little dialogue as he is seen by some of his peers as a kid who got lucky because he’s Dave’s little brother. Miller uses some unique compositions to play into the loneliness that revolves around Mark and du Pont as he uses some unique medium shots as well as objects to play into their own personal desires. Even in the latter whose office features a U.S. flag in the back of his wall while his trophy room is a place where he looks as something where he can see as a personal wall of his own triumph to make his own legacy under the family name.

While much of the film is shot in Virginia and Pennsylvania, it does have this look that feels very American from the nearby locations of historical sites such as Valley Forge where it is this world that is about a man trying to maintain a legacy through his family name. At the same time, there is an importance where du Pont wants to have wrestling be given more exposure as there’s a scene early in the film where Mark is giving a speech to school kids who seem very disinterested in what he has to say. There’s also these unique shots that play into a sense of danger as it relates to du Pont and his troubled mental state as he is seen as very unpredictable where he is likely to tick. While much of the story takes place in the late 1980s, it adds to this sense of American idea of du Pont trying to ensure the country’s dominance in the world of wrestling despite the fact that his mother sees it as a low sport.

Upon its third act where the relationship between Mark and du Pont reaches a breaking point where Dave has to intervene. It does play into very key aspects where Miller’s direction becomes much tighter to showcase two men who can’t really be in the same room together. Notably in this meeting where Dave becomes Mark’s voice of reason in how to deal with du Pont as it would eventually lead to elements of tragedy. Even as it goes back to du Pont where he is also living under the shadow of his own family as his attempts to create his own legacy would have him unravel in many ways. Overall, Miller creates a very compelling and evocative film about two men trying to make their own destinies away from the legacy of their own family namesakes.

Cinematographer Greig Fraser does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of low-key lights and fog for some of the exterior scenes in the morning along with some lighting schemes and shades for some of the interiors such as the home that Mark would live during his time at Foxcatcher as well as the office of du Pont and his trophy room. Editors Stuart Levy, Conor O’Neill, and Jack Cassidy do brilliant work with the editing to capture the energy of the wrestling matches as well as some inspired use of jump-cuts in some of the wrestling along with methodical moments in the dramatic sections of the film. Production designer Jess Gonchor, with set decorator Kathy Lucas and art director Brad Ricker, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the trophy room and offices that du Pont surrounds himself in as well as the Foxcatcher training facility. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone does nice work with the look of the team uniforms and sweats while the casual look is very low-key to play with the film‘s look.

Makeup prosthetics designer Mark Nieman, along with hair stylist Betty Lou Skinner and makeup artist Dennis Liddiard, does fantastic work with the look of the du Pont character with his nose and aging face as well as a brief look of highlights in Mark during his time at Foxcatcher. Visual effects supervisor James Pastorius does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects from some of the set dressing of some of the exteriors in the different locations of the film. Sound editors Paul Hsu and Ronald Eng do excellent work with the sound to create a sense of texture that goes on in the training facility with some sparse moments as well as how dialogue is heard in low-key moments along with chilling moments to play into du Pont‘s troubled state of mind. The film’s music by Rob Simonsen and West Dylan Thordson is superb for its hypnotic and haunting score with elements of pianos and lush orchestral music with a recurring theme composed by Mychael Danna to play into the melancholia while music supervisor Susan Jacobs brings in a soundtrack filled with traditional music as well as a song from David Bowie.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is marvelous as it features some notable small roles from Francis J. Murphy III as a security officer of du Pont in a very crucial scene, Brett Rice and Fred Cole as two business associates of du Pont, David “Doc” Bennett as a documentary filmmaker who interviews du Pont and Dave for a video on the Foxcatcher facility, Samara Lee and Jackson Frazer as Dave’s kids, and Anthony Michael Hall as du Pont’s liaison Jack who would introduce Mark to du Pont and tell him what is off limits as the family estate. Vanessa Redgrave is excellent as du Pont’s mother Jean as this woman who casts a big shadow on her son as she is someone who disapproves of his love of wrestling. Sienna Miller is fantastic in a small but memorable role as Dave’s wife Nancy as this woman is just someone that supports Dave as she isn’t fond of du Pont where her big moment is towards the film’s end.

Mark Ruffalo is incredible as Dave Schultz as an accomplished Olympic wrestling champion that is very content with what he has as he wants to help Mark and du Pont as he becomes concerned with the former as there’s a great sense of sensitivity and warmth to his role that makes him such an endearing character. Channing Tatum is amazing as Mark Schultz as an Olympic champion who copes with his lack of success and being in his brother’s shadow as he takes an opportunity to be treated as someone special only to succumb to self-destructive elements that would play into his insecurities and hatred towards du Pont over feelings of abandonment. Finally, there’s Steve Carell in a tremendous performance as John du Pont as this eccentric multi-millionaire who is eager to make a name for himself as he is someone that is looking for a real friend only to create problems that would drive Mark away from him and Dave being very skeptical as it’s a very dark performance from Carell.

Foxcatcher is an outstanding film from Bennett Miller that features phenomenal performances from Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. It’s a film that explores the world of men trying to create their own identities amidst the shadows of their own families as well as one man’s descent into madness and loneliness. Especially in someone as John du Pont who is surrounded by everything a man could want but not the simplest things in life. In the end, Foxcatcher is a riveting and rapturous film from Bennett Miller.

Bennett Miller Films: The Cruise - Capote - Moneyball - The Auteurs #47: Bennett Miller

© thevoid99 2014

2014 Cannes Marathon: Blow-Up

(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the short story Las babas del Diablo (The Devil’s Drool) by Julio Cortazar, Blow-Up is the story of a photographer who believes that he has witnessed a murder from one of his photographs as he is unsure over what he saw. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and screenplay by Antonioni and Tonino Guerra with English dialogue by Edward Bond, the film is a look into the world of 1960s Swingin’ London as a fashion photographer deals with what he might’ve seen as well as the forces who are trying to stop him. Starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, and Sarah Miles. Blow-Up is an intriguing yet sensational film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The film explores the life of a fashion photographer who learns that one of his photographs features a dead body as he tries to figure what happened as well as meet a woman who might’ve been involved. It’s a film that has a man who is this revered fashion photographer who is part of this world of Swingin’ London of the mid-1960s as he is at the center of this burgeoning culture as he has uncovered something that has him see something that he might’ve seen as he becomes targeted for his photograph. On the one hand, it’s an unconventional mystery that plays into the mind of a man who tries to uncover a mystery that isn’t supposed to be solved. On the other hand, it’s a film that has a man who is at the epicenter of British fashion as he comes to term with the role he plays and what else he could as a photographer.

The film’s screenplay follows a day in the life of this photographer named Thomas (David Hemmings) who is driven by his art yet sleeping with models and all of that hasn’t really made him happy as he yearns for something more as his neighbor Patricia (Sarah Miles) is content with not dealing with certain expectations. Upon a stroll at Maryon Park where he watches a couple embracing, he takes photographs where the woman Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) wants the photographs. After a day of errands, Thomas looks into the photos he shot and realizes that Jane towards the body of her dead lover as he tries to figure out if there was a murder. While Thomas isn’t a likeable person, that is one of the aspects of the script that makes him interesting as he would often be cruel to his models or be very dismissive about antiques or art. At the same time, he yearns to be very important or do something important as his encounter with Jane would eventually have him facing some dark realities about what he had shot.

Michelangelo Antonioni’s direction is very stylized not just in his approach to the compositions he creates plays to the desire of artistry that Thomas wants. Particularly in the way he creates fashion shots as Antonioni aims for something that feels real but also lively into the world that is Swingin’ London. Yet, there is that sense of style in the way Antonioni creates the compositions as he knows where to put the actors into a frame while maintaining something that is very entrancing visually while maintaining a sense of ambiguity. Much of that ambiguity involves the mystery over what Thomas saw and some of the film’s second half where Thomas would continuously blow up the photos he took to see if he did see something. While the first half had something that was lively, its tone would change in the second half where it would be this suspenseful film but alone that is very existential.

Particularly in how Thomas views himself as he questions what he saw and what does it mean to him. The third act would be about this journey that Thomas takes where it’s not just him seeking some answers but also one that is very existential. Notably as he would question his own desires as an artist and as a photographer where despite all of his talents, it hasn’t really made him very happy. Overall, Antonioni creates a very dazzling and sensational film about a photographer who deals with the mystery that he might’ve encountered.

Cinematographer Carlo di Palma does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography that is filled with vibrant colors captured in great detail for its interior and exterior scenes as well as the use of lights for Thomas‘ studio. Editor Frank Clarke does brilliant work with its stylish approach to editing such as jump-cuts for some of the livelier moments to more methodical ones for its moment of suspense. Art director Assheton Gorton does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of Thomas‘ studio as well as the club where the Yardbirds are playing.

Costume designer Jocelyn Rickards does fabulous work with the costumes in the many of the stylish fashion clothes that many of the models wear including the clothes that Jane wears. Sound editor Mike Le Mare does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the parties as well as the intimacy in Thomas‘ studio. The film’s music soundtrack is diegetic as it’s played on location which largely consists of very lively and fun jazz pieces by Herbie Hancock who adds a lot of wit and cool to the music while the Yardbirds would make a notable appearance in the film as they play Train Kept-a-Rollin' as their performance would feature early appearances of guitar legends Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as the music is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by Irene Howard is incredible as it features some notable appearances from the model Veruschka as the model posing for photographs early in the film, the Yardbirds as the band playing at the club, Gillian Hills and Jane Birkin as two wannabe models whom Thomas would later sleep with, Julian and Claude Charin as a couple of mimes, Tsai Chin as Thomas’ secretary, Reg Wilkins as Thomas’ assistant, John Castle as Patricia’s painter husband Bill, and Peter Bowles as Thomas’ agent Ron. Sarah Miles is wonderful as Thomas’ neighbor/former lover Patricia who tries to understand Thomas while being the only person he really trusts. Vanessa Redgrave is excellent as Jane as this mysterious woman Thomas photographed as she wants the photos while being very cagey about her relationship with the man who would be killed. Finally, there’s David Hemmings in a phenomenal performance as Thomas as this photographer who has a lot of talent and is in demand yet feels emotionally-empty until he comes across some mysterious photos he took as it would lead him into a journey into the unknown.

Blow-Up is a magnificent film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Armed with a great cast and a fantastic soundtrack, it’s a film that is engaging in its suspense but also explores the world of art and inner-self. For those new to Antonioni, this is most accessible film where it has a lot of his visual trademarks and themes of loneliness but also infuse it with some style that is just fun to watch. In the end, Blow-Up is a spectacular film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L'Eclisse - Red Desert - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2014

Howards End

Based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Howards End is a multi-layered story revolving around different social classes in early 20th Century Edwardian-Britain where a poor woman’s friendship with an industrialist’s wife leads to all sorts of trouble for her family as well as the people they’re connected to. Directed by James Ivory and screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the film is an exploration into the world where a man tries to save the one thing of his wife unaware that she gave it to someone else. Starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Vanessa Regrave, Samuel West, and James Wilby. Howards End is a remarkable film from James Ivory and the Merchant-Ivory team.

Set in early 20th Century Britain during the Edwardian era, it’s a film where a middle-class woman who unknowingly inherited a country house by an industrialist’s wife whom she had become friends with in the final days of that woman’s life. When her husband reads the handwritten will that his late wife wrote, he schemes to get the house back where he meets the woman only to fall for her. Yet, things become complicated when that woman’s sister tries to help a poor man and his wife whose fortunes have gone bad where it would create dissension between the two sisters. It’s a film that isn’t just about connections between three different families from three different social classes but also in the way they would affect one another and their fortunes in a world where there’s a lot of expectation in Edwardian society.

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s screenplay takes it time to flesh out the story where she reveals the lives of these three different families. The very rich Wilcoxes led by Henry (Anthony Hopkins) and Ruth (Vanessa Redgrave) with their elder children Charles (James Wilby) and Evie (Jemma Redgrave). The middle-class siblings Margaret (Emma Thompson), Helen (Helena Bonham Carter), and Tibby Schlegel (Adrian Ross Magenty). The last couple is the working-class couple Leonard Bast (Samuel West) and his wife Jacky (Nicola Duffett). All of which are trying to play roles in societies yet they all face struggles with trying to advance themselves with the exception of the Wilcoxes. When Margaret meets the ailing Ruth, the two strike a friendship where Margaret reveals to Ruth about the lease of her home expiring as Ruth wants to help Margaret out where she would hand-write a will leaving Margaret the home that she loved that is called Howards End.

This would later set-up a series of trouble where Henry and his children are dismayed over what Ruth had written as it would play into this second act where Margaret and Helen would diverge due to the involvement of different men. Margaret formally meets Henry where the two fall in love though the latter did decide to help Margaret find a home nearby only for his plans to lose way. Helen meanwhile meets and falls for the working-class clerk Leonard Bast who has been trying to find a job as he accepts the help of Helen and Margaret only for Henry’s presence to cause trouble as it would play to the growing tension between the sisters. It would all play to a troubling third act where there’s more to the connection between Henry and the Basts as well as Margaret being torn in her devotion to Henry and her siblings. It’s not just the way Jhabvala plots everything but also her approach to the language and dialogue that adds more spice and suspense to the story.

James Ivory’s direction is truly ravishing in the way he presents the period of Edwardian Britain at a time where the rich try to maintain their status while looking down at those beneath them. Though the Wilcoxes aren’t entirely bad people, they do have this sense of entitlement that makes them somewhat disconnected from reality. Ivory has unique framing devices in the way he presents them as well as scenes where Charles would eavesdrop into whatever conversations his father would have with Margaret where it’s clear he is going to cause trouble for many. Even as Charles’ somewhat-dim wife Dolly (Susie Lindeman) would also eavesdrop as she knows something isn’t right. It would play to some moments of suspense that occurs in the film while much of the direction in terms of its humor and drama is quite understated.

The approach to putting characters in the frame wouldn’t just play to the dramatic tension that occurs between some of the characters but also to display a sense of a social order that would make Leonard Bast feel uneasy about. Many of the scenes involving Bast has him in places where he either doesn’t fit in or is surrounded by a place of despair in comparison to the world that the Wilcoxes and Schlegel siblings live in. Still, Ivory creates scenes of a dream-world that Bast wants to live in as if he wants to be in a world where he can happy where Helen would be that person who would help him. Even as the house that is Howards End is a major character in the film as a place of comfort that is a major escape from the real world as Margaret would learn why Ruth cherishes it. Especially as Henry and his family would try to hold on to it for very selfish reasons as it would lead to a dramatic climax that would involve tragedy. Overall, Ivory creates a very captivating yet touching film about pride and connections in the Edwardian period of Britain.

Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts does amazing work with the film‘s lush and gorgeous cinematography from the way some of the film‘s interiors are lit in some of the scenes as well as the exteriors to play into the different moods of the film. Editor Andrew Marcus does fantastic work with the editing with its use of dissolves, abrupt fade-outs, and other stylized cuts to play into some of the drama and suspenseful moments of the film. Production designer Luciana Arrighi, with set decorator Ian Whittaker and art director John Ralph, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of the apartment the Schlegel siblings live in to the quaint yet lavish home that is Howards End.

Costume designers Jenny Beaven and John Bright do splendid work with the costumes from the suits that Henry wears to the stylish dresses that the women wear. Hair stylist Carol Hemming does excellent work with the look of the different hairstyles the women had in that period. Sound editor Campbell Askew does nice work with the sound to play into the different atmosphere of the locations including the scenes set in the British countryside. The film’s music by Richard Robbins is truly delightful for its somber yet enchanting orchestral score that includes some piano pieces as well as some music from Percy Grainger to open and close the film as well as a piano piece by Beethoven.

The casting by Celestia Fox is just simple marvelous for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Simon Callow as a music lecturer, Jo Kendall as the Schlegel’s maid Annie, Joseph Bennett as Charles’ brother Paul whom Helen was briefly engaged to, Prunella Scales as Schlegel’s Aunt Juley, and Susie Lindeman as Charles’ naïve wife Dolly. Other noteworthy performances include Adrian Ross Magenty as Margaret and Helen’s younger brother Tibby who finds himself having to defend his sisters’ generosity, Jemma Redgrave as the very snobbish and cruel Evie Wilcox, and James Wilby as the eldest Wilcox child Charles whose nosiness and pride would cause trouble for the whole family. Nicola Duffett is wonderful as Leonard’s wife Jacky as this troubled woman trying to do whatever to help them while being suspicious over Leonard’s time with the Schlegels. Vanessa Redgrave is radiant as Ruth Wilcox as an ailing woman who is full of life as she finds a true friend in Margaret and does something that she feels is a good thing.

Samuel West is superb as Leonard Bast as a man trying to find work amidst the adversity he faces where he finds himself becoming close with Helen. Helena Bonham Carter is amazing as Helen Schlegel as a woman that simply wants to help Leonard while becoming suspicious over Henry’s intentions for Margaret as it’s a role that has a lot of bite and wit. Anthony Hopkins is great as Henry Wilcox as a man who prides himself as someone with power as he tries to hold on to his wife’s house only to be impressed by Margaret where he becomes unsure if he’s doing the right thing. Finally, there’s Emma Thompson in a radiant performance as Margaret Schlegel as a woman who deals with her own financial issues while trying to help Leonard and befriend the Wilcoxes where she becomes torn in her devotion to Henry and her family as it’s a powerful performance from Thompson.

Howards End is an exquisite and enchanting film from the Merchant-Ivory team. Thanks to a splendid cast led by Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, and Vanessa Redgrave along with fantastic technical work, Richard Robbins’ mesmerizing music, and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s potent screenplay. It’s a film that isn’t just an exploration into human connections and the sins that forces people to do horrific things but it’s a film that plays into the understanding of humanity and how they can be similar. In the end, Howards End is a spectacular film from James Ivory.

James Ivory Films: The Householder - (The Dehli Way) - Shakespeare Wallah - (The Guru) - Bombay Talkie - (Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization) - (Savages (1972 film)) - (Autobiography of a Princess) - (The Wild Party) - (Roseland) - (Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures) - (The Five Forty-Eight) - (The Europeans) - (Jane Austen in Manhattan) - (Quartet (1981 film)) - (Heat and Dust) - (The Bostonians) - A Room with a View - Maurice - (Slaves of New York) - (Mr. & Mrs. Bridges) - The Remains of the Day - (Jefferson in Paris) - (Surviving Picasso) - (A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries) - (The Golden Bowl) - (Le Divorce) - (The White Countess) - (The City of Your Final Destination)

© thevoid99 2014

Atonement

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com at 1/20/08.

In 2005, an unknown director named Joe Wright brought another film adaptation of the beloved Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice to the big screen. With an all-star cast led by Keira Knightley, the film became an unexpected hit for the young director as Knightley herself received an Oscar nomination for her role as Elizabeth Bennett. Following the film's success, Wright's next plan was to adapt the beloved Ian McEwan about a love affair torn apart by a lie from a young girl who is trying to figure out her sins. The novel known as Atonement was a hit with critics and book readers as Wright chose to expand his ambitions into a huge film adaptation of McEwan's beloved novel.

Directed by Joe Wright with an adapted script by Christopher Hampton, Atonement tells the story of a young rich girl and the son of a housekeeper who fall in love only to be torn apart by a misinterpreted accusation of the girl's young sister. Following this supposed crime, the lovers try to come together during World War II while the young girl is trying to figure out her sins and the truth itself. Reuniting with Keira Knightley, Joe Wright takes a huge leap in making a film that is grander and more harrowing than his previous film. Also starring James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn, Harriet Waller, Juno Temple, Patrick Kennedy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Danny Mays, with film director Anthony Minghella, and in the role of Briony, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave. Atonement is a rich, powerful study of sin and its effects from director Joe Wright.

It's the late 1930s as a young girl named Briony Tallis (Saorise Ronan) is completing a play she hopes to show when her eldest brother Leon (Patrick Kennedy) is set to return. Meanwhile, everyone is getting prepared as Briony wants to rehearse the play with her young cousins including Lola (Juno Temple) and twins Jackson and Pierrette (Charlie & Felix von Simson). Later that day, Briony talks to her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) about the housekeeper's son Robbie (James McAvoy) who is set to go to medical school with help from Cecilia's father. During a botched rehearsal for Briony's play, Briony sees a moment between Cecilia and Robbie that led to Cecilia jumping into a garden-infested fountain.

Later that day, Leon arrives with a friend named Paul Marshall (Benedict Cumberbatch) who wows Cecilia's cousins with chocolates. With Robbie invited to the dinner by Leon, Robbie's mother Grace (Brenda Blethyn) is amazed at how he’s starting to have a great future as he tries to write a letter to Cecilia about his feelings. Yet, when he sees Briony playing in the garden, he asks her to give the letter to Cecilia but then realizes he makes a mistake when Briony reads the letter that she gave to Cecilia. The night starts to become troubling when Briony catches Cecilia and Robbie having sex. Things become more complicated when Briony's behavior towards Robbie is aggressive when she is asked by her mother (Harriet Waller) to fetch the twins. When the twins aren't in their rooms, everyone goes for a search where Briony sees an incident involving Lola that changes everything.

Four years later in the beginning stages of World War II, Robbie is a soldier in Northern France as he is joined by Tommy Nettle (Danny Mays) and Frank Mays (Nonso Anozie) during a mission in France. Robbie accepted to become a soldier to avoid further jail time for a crime he didn't commit due to Briony's testimony years ago. Robbie thinks about a meeting he had with Cecilia six months before as she has become a nurse with a promise to her that he will return to her. Walking to the north beach of France with Tommy and Frank, the ill Robbie finally reaches the beaches of Dunkirk hoping to be evacuated with the rest of wounded soldiers. Meanwhile, Briony (Romola Garai) has become a nurse in training. Trying to figure out what she saw those years ago, she is trying to write a story while hoping to have contact with Cecilia through unsuccessful attempts. Briony finally understands the horrors of war where at one moment, she tries to comfort a dying French soldier named Luc (Jeremie Renier) as she tries to come to terms with her own misinterpretations.

When she finally finds Cecilia's address where three weeks before Robbie is sent to France, she meets her older sister and Robbie as she reveals what she really saw and everything. Yet, with so much bitterness towards her, Briony remains haunted until by the time she becomes 77-year olds and as a writer, Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) reveals what she wrote and the result of everything that had happened as she comes to terms of these events in her final days.

While Ian McEwan's story of sin and its effects, the film is a study of morality and how simple mistakes and misinterpretations can ruin the lives of people and such. Screenwriter Christopher Hampton and director Joe Wright creates a film about perspectives in the style of what happened and such. The first example is the broken vase scene where Cecilia dives into the fountain to retrieve a broken piece. The first scene is from Briony's young perspective and then the second is from Robbie and Cecilia's. This is a style of storytelling that is made famous by the Akira Kurosawa 1950 classic film Rashomon about a rape & murder told from four different perspectives. It's really a psychological film where Hampton and Wright are trying to get the audience to think about what they've seen and such.

The film is also a character study of sorts from the mind of Briony. Here's a young girl who saw a few things she didn't understand and then, when a crime that she witnesses turns out to go wrong. The motions in event happen as everything falls apart where this girl turned into a young woman is trying to figure out what she really saw and how she can atone herself from these incidents that she caused. Hampton's study of character and sin is really engrossing as the sadness and frustrations in both Robbie and Cecilia for their love together and how these events are forcing them to be apart. While there's an abrupt shift in that moment from Briony's life in World War II to her present time. It conveys the sense of Briony's state of mind from the previous event she just saw as she begins to think about as a 77-year old woman. The script is definitely faithful to Ian McEwan's novel in some respects while it really serves as a film that is part romance and part mystery.

Director Joe Wright whose lush, stylized approach to directing that made his feature-film debut Pride & Prejudice such a delight to watch now takes a huge step forward into crafting his style. The presentations, the compositions he creates as well as the atmosphere from the dream-like world of the Tallis estate with its gardens and ponds to the harsh, desolate world of Dunkirk beach that included an unbroken tracking shot from a steadicam that conveys the sense of horror and sadness. What is clear is that Wright is becoming more confident as a director as he takes the audience back in time to a period where things are tense and such that included such moments of horror during the war. Even Wright's dramatic presentation is more intimate as directs the actor in a theatrical approach, particularly in the Tallis estate scenes and the sequence involving Cecilia, Robbie, and the 18-year old Briony. Overall, Wright has now become a director who is on his way to fulfill his potential.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does some wonderful work with his lush presentation of the Tallis exterior daytime scenes with some intimate lighting in some of the darker, interior scenes in the estate. The nighttime sequences are wonderfully colorful as it conveys the sense of emotion while the war-time scenes are wonderfully shot to convey its horror. Notably a scene where Robbie with his fellow soldiers walk into the woods to see an act of horror that has McGarvey doing some amazing work. Editor Paul Tothill does some great cutting from the use of backwards movement to the perspective cutting. Tothill's editing is truly superb to convey the sense of emotion and action that goes on. Even through the very emotional scene of Briony, Cecilia, and Robbie that has a rhythm to confirm every moment of drama that goes on.

Production designer Sarah Greenwood with art director Ian Bailie and set decorator Katie Spencer do amazing work in the posh look of the Tallis estate with all of its period look in the furniture, antiques, and such while the war-time scenes are great to convey the dirty, working-class look. Even in the ruins of the Dunkirk scenes are wonderfully built to convey the sense of horror and tragedy. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does great work in the period-style costumes from the swimsuits Knightley and Ronan wears to the dresses that Knightley wears at night and in the wartime scenes. Durran's costumes are wonderfully exquisite to the times as even the men whether in tuxedos or in army gear are great. The sound work of Catherine Hodgson, recordist Danny Hambrook, and mixer Paul Hamblin is wonderful in capturing the atmosphere of war in the arrival of the Dunkirk scene while it's in greater use to the Tallis estate scenes in some of young Briony's writing in mix with Robbie's writing a letter to Cecilia.

The film's music consists of operatic and classical pieces by Claude Debussy and Giacomo Puccini plus wartime music by Walter Kent & Nat Burton and the prayer piece Dear Lord & Father Of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier and Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry are featured. Yet, the music that dominates the film is the sweeping score of Dario Marianelli. Marianelli's score is truly one of 2007's best film scores with its huge arrangements and rhythmic orchestration that includes themes of Briony that is accompanied by a typewriter-rhythm while the more romantic score is very dramatic with flourishing arrangements. The music of the Dunkirk is also sweeping and dramatic with its sense of horror and tragedy as Marianelli creates a score that truly amazing in its own.

The casting by Jina Jay is superb with wonderful small performances from Belgium actor Jeremie Renier as a wounded French soldier, Nonso Anozie as Frank Mays who walks with Robbie in the woods of Northern France, Gina McKee as Briony's head nurse Sister Drummond, Alfie Allen as servant Danny Hardman, film director Anthony Mingella as the interviewer who interviews the 77-year old Briony, Charlie & Felix von Simson as Briony's twin cousins Jackson and Pierrette, and Pride & Prejudice co-stars Peter Wight as a police inspector, and Brenda Blethyn in a great performance as Robbie's caring mother. Harriet Waller is also good as Cecilia and Briony's mother who adores Briony's talents while in shock over Robbie's actions in the crime.

Patrick Kennedy is good as Cecilia's eldest brother Leon while Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as the charming Paul Marshall. Juno Temple is also excellent as Briony's cousin Lola who manages to become a key player in an incident as she acts a precocious young teenager. One of the film's best supporting performances is Danny Mays as Robbie's fellow soldier Tommy Nettle who brings some humor with some comments but becomes the companion who tries to comfort Robbie in the dire of times.

Keira Knightley delivers a fine performance as Cecilia, a young woman who is deeply in love with Robbie though she couldn't show her feelings publicly. When the love is gone, she is a woman desperate for him as she refuses to have contact with her sister. While it's not as good as her previous collaboration with Wright in Pride & Prejudice, Knightley is at least proving that she's more than a pretty face. James McAvoy delivers an amazing performance as Robbie, a man with ambitions to become a doctor and Cecilia's lover who is good, kind man. When he’s accused of a crime he didn't commit and becomes a soldier, McAvoy's performance is just amazing for his observation and weariness as he sells the sense of frustrations and tragedy of his character. McAvoy and Knightley display amazing chemistry in the scenes they’re in as McAvoy has the look and presence of traditional leading men that came before him.

In the roles of Briony, the trio of actresses for the role are all superb in their performances. Newcomer Saorise Ronan is amazing as the 13-year old Briony, a young girl who has a crush on Robbie and has aspirations to be a writer as she conveys the misguided innocence of a young girl. Ronan's performances in the more dramatic scenes are great for her quick-wit reaction and angst that is displayed as her performance is just unforgettable. Equally as great as well as impressive is Romola Garai as the 18-year old Briony. Garai's performance is astonishing for her sense of restraint in how she tries to come to terms with her actions while not having contact with a lot of people.

Her scene in her attempt to atone for her actions is more surprising as she completely restrains herself from the more dramatic Knightley and forceful McAvoy. It's in that scene that Garai steals the show as she is proving to be one of Britain's finest actresses. Vanessa Redgrave is brilliant in her brief role as the 77-year old Briony who is still trying to find forgiveness in her final days as Redgrave's performance is just powerful for her look and weariness.

Atonement is a rich, powerful, and haunting masterpiece from Joe Wright and company helmed by fantastic performances from Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and the trio of Saorise Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave. While fans of the book might have some issues with the adaptation, they will at least enjoy Wright's interpretation of the book. Those who loved Pride & Prejudice will be amazed in what Wright did as a director as his next film will definitely be one to anticipate for. In the end, for a rich film that questions sin and its consequences, Atonement is the film to go see.

Joe Wright Films: Pride & Prejudice (2005 film) - The Soloist - Hanna - Anna Karenina

(C) thevoid99 2011