Inspired by Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s short story White Nights, Two Lovers is the story of a man who returns home to New York City as he finds himself engaged to a woman when he falls for a neighbor. Directed by James Gray and screenplay by Gray and Richard Menello, the film is an unusual romantic triangle where a man finds himself falling for a beautiful woman but also wants to be a good man to his fiancé. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Elias Koteas, Moni Moshonov, and Isabella Rossellini. Two Lovers is a rapturous and intoxicating film from James Gray.
The film revolves around a troubled man who finds himself in a love triangle with a beautiful neighbor he’s fallen for and a woman whose father wants to buy his parents’ laundromat business. It’s a film that plays into a man dealing with not just in love with two different women but also the fact that he’s still reeling from heartbreak as he is unsure of what to do. The film’s screenplay by James Gray and Richard Menello opens with Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) walking near a creek on his way home as he thinks about his former fiancée who broke up with him as he jumps off a bridge in a suicide attempt. He is saved but still has to return home unaware that his parents are having a meeting with the people who are going to buy their laundromat as they’re bringing in their daughter Sandra Cohen (Vinessa Shaw) who is fascinated by Leonard. During this time he’s dealing with his family’s business being bought, he meets a neighbor in Michelle Rausch (Gwyneth Paltrow) as they hang out and such as he’s unaware of how troubled she is.
Throughout the course of the script, Leonard is being pulled into two spectrums as he is often leaning towards Michelle because they both share emotional and mental troubles as Leonard is still coping with a break-up as it forced him to move back to his parents. Yet, his time with Michelle would often lead to a lot of questions than answers as she is having an affair with a married law partner in Ronald Blatt (Elias Koteas) that is becoming tumultuous. It’s a relationship that is problematic yet Leonard does find himself courting Sandra who is a more grounded person and very kind but also doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable as it relates to his previous break-up. Plus, her parents like him and his parents like her a lot where they attend family events and such as he feels more relaxed around her. Still, he is enamored with Michelle who wants his help as it relates to her relationship with Ronald with Leonard’s mother Ruth (Isabella Rossellini) watching from afar.
Gray’s direction is low-key as it doesn’t emphasize too much on style in favor of aiming for an intimate story of a man torn between two women. Shot mainly on the Brighton Beach area in Brooklyn in New York City with some of the films shot on New York City, the film does play into this environment that is largely working-class but also a world that is also vibrant. Gray would use some wide shots for some of the locations including some scenes on the apartment rooftop in a few conversation scenes between Leonard and Michelle that is presented on an entire take in one shot with a few more to follow in medium shots and close-ups. Yet, much of Grey’s approach of the film is to shoot it in many rooms and apartments as well as real locations around Brooklyn to play into this world these characters live in but also one that is prospering as far as Leonard’s father Reuben (Moni Moshonov) is concerned knowing that his family laundromat is going to be a part of something big with Leonard having something to fall back on since his aspirations as a photographer hasn’t gone anywhere.
Gray’s direction also play into the idea of longing since Leonard and Michelle live in the same build but across from each other’s window as it adds intrigue to their relationship whenever they talk on the phone as Ruth is supposedly hearing the conversation though she isn’t seen. Gray’s direction also play into this temptation where Leonard is attending a Bar Mitzvah for Sandra’s brother as he spends all of his time there but gets a call from Michelle whom he sees later as Gray would make the choice of having Michelle and Sandra never meet each other though the latter does know about the former due to conversations with Leonard. The film’s climax relates to Leonard’s decision about his future and his love life as it would play into the idea of safety in Sandra or to risk it all with Michelle. Overall, Gray crafts a tender yet intoxicating film about a man torn between two women he is in love with.
Cinematographer Joaquin Baca-Asay does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it emphasizes on mood for its usage of sepia-based lighting for many of its interiors and scenes set at night along with more blue-grey colors for a few daytime exteriors including a scene at a restaurant with Leonard and Sandra. Editor John Axelrad does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the drama with a few rhythmic cuts to play into some of the film’s emotional moments. Production designer Happy Masse, with art directors Marc Benacerraf and Pete Zumba plus set decorator Carol Silverman, does fantastic work with the look of the apartment that Leonard’s family lives including his messy room as well as the apartment that Michelle lives in.
Costume designer Michael Clancy does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward for its Christmas holiday setting with the exception of a few stylish clothes that Michelle wears as well as a New Year’s Eve dress that Ruth wears. Sound designer Douglas Murray does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of a few party scenes as well as the sparse and quiet sounds for some of the scenes at the apartment rooftop. Music supervisor Dana Sano does terrific work in assembling the film’s soundtrack as it include some classical pieces for the film’s score as well as a mixture of hip-hop, opera, and jazz music to play into the world that the characters are in.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Anne Joyce as Leonard’s former fiancée in a dream sequence and in picture, Iain J. Bopp as Sandra’s little brother David, Samantha Ivers and Jeannie Serrales as a couple of Michelle’s friends, Julie Budd as Sandra’s mother Carol, and Bob Ari as Sandra’s father Michael who would make an offer to Leonard about his future at his company. Elias Koteas is terrific as Ronald as Michelle’s married lover who is concerned about her well-being as he asks Leonard to keep an eye on her. Moni Moshonov is superb as Leonard’s father Reuben as a man that is trying to uphold his deal in this merger as well as ensure that his son would not have to worry about his future.
Isabella Rossellini is fantastic as Leonard’s mother Ruth who is concerned about her son’s well-being as she is also wondering what is going on as she seems to know about his affair with Michelle as it’s a very low-key yet mesmerizing performance. Vinessa Shaw is amazing as Sandra Cohen as a woman whose father is buying Leonard’s family business as they start off as friends and eventually lovers as she is a woman that is kind and understanding but also someone who is willing to help him. Gwyneth Paltrow is brilliant as Michelle Rausch as a woman who lives in the same apartment as Leonard as she is someone who is charming and fascinating but also troubled due to her love of drugs and alcohol to cope with her own emotional troubles. Finally, there’s Joaquin Phoenix in an incredible performance as Leonard Kraditor as a man still reeling from heartbreak as he finds himself falling for two women as he deals with the decision he’s in but also the prospect of his own future as it’s a restrained and charismatic performance Phoenix.
Two Lovers is a phenomenal film from James Gray that features great performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, and Isabella Rossellini. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous locations, riveting story, and beautiful visuals, it is a romantic film that doesn’t play by the rules as well explore the idea of security and heartbreak in a romance. In the end, Two Lovers is a sensational film from James Gray.
James Gray Films: Little Odessa - The Yards - We Own the Night - The Immigrant (2013 film) - The Lost City of Z – Ad Astra – The Auteurs #67: James Gray
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale, Cold in July is the story of a man who finds himself in trouble after killing a low-life criminal as that man’s father arrives for revenge. Directed by Jim Mickle and screenplay by Mickle and Nick Damici, the film is an exploration into the world of violence as a man who was trying to protect his family is forced to deal with his own actions as he is targeted for doing the right thing. Starring Michael C. Hall, Don Johnson, Vinessa Shaw, Wyatt Russell, Nick Damici, and Sam Shepard. Cold in July is an eerie yet mesmerizing film from Jim Mickle.
Set in 1989 East Texas, the film revolves a man who killed a burglar in his house only to realize that the man’s father has arrived into town seeking vengeance. Yet, it’s a film that plays into a man who was just trying to protect his family where he finds himself discovering some dark secrets as well as the identity of who he killed as it becomes clear that he and this man who has been going after him are part of something far more troubling. Especially as it concerns the world of a local mafia and other things prompting these two men to seek the help of a private investigator. It’s a film that does have elements of film noir but it is more about a simple family man who is just trying to protect his family while helping another man find out about the son he never knew.
The film’s screenplay is set into a world where morals are falling by the wayside into something that is filled with corruption and power. Even as Richard Dane (Michael C. Hall) wonders if the man he killed is really named Freddy Russell as the sense of intrigue would emerge as he would also turn to Russell’s father Ben (Sam Shepard) to see if Richard really did kill Freddy or was it some other man. The mystery would prompt Ben to call in his old friend Jim Bob Luke (Don Johnson) who is a private investigator that has been trying to track down Freddy for Ben. It leads into some serious questions about what to do as well as a simple family man trying to bring his own sense of justice when he realizes that the people he’s supposed to trust to protect his own family have their own agendas.
Jim Mickle’s direction is truly gripping in terms of not just the way he creates an air of suspense but also in how he maintains a very dark and seedy mood into a world that looks simple but full of corruption and intrigue. Especially as Mickle maintains something that feels like a film that is shot in a small town in Texas though the film was actually shot in places in the state of New York. Still, Mickle does make the settings look and feel like it’s shot in East Texas in the late 1980s while creating some dazzling compositions to play into Richard’s sense of fear and paranoia where he would be in the background while the clock on his nightstand is in the foreground. The usage of medium and wide shots are also evident as it plays into the growing discord that is emerging in Richard’s family life as they have no idea how to cope with what happened to them early in the film as Mickle maintains some dramatic tension between Richard and his wife Ann (Vinessa Shaw).
The direction also has Mickle setting some moods for the film’s second half that includes Jim Bob’s introduction which is off the wall as he is this offbeat P.I. that seems to enjoy dressing up like a cowboy. Jim Bob is a man that seems to come from a world where things were simple and were doing what is right is important. Especially as Mickle makes the compositions more dream-like and more unsettling as the film progresses into its third act where it involves all sorts of seedy ventures that plays into a world that is terrifying. Its climax isn’t just bloody and violent but also has this sense of setting the world back into place. Overall, Mickle creates a very chilling yet enthralling film about a family man trying to gain some peace following a dark and violent encounter with a burglar.
Cinematographer Ryan Samul does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography as it is infused with style for many of the scenes at night with its approach to colored filters as well as textures for its approach to lighting for the scenes at night. Editors Jim Mickle and John Paul Horstmann do fantastic work with the editing with its approach to slow-motion cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into its suspense. Production designer Russell Barnes, with set decorator Daniel R. Kersting and art director Annie Simeone, does excellent work with the look of Richard‘s home as well as his father‘s cabin as well as the home of Jim Bob.
Costume designer Elisabeth Vastola does nice work with the costumes as it plays into the look of the late 80s from the clothes that Ann wears to the wild clothes of Jim Bob. Sound editor Lewis Goldstein does amazing work with the sound from some of the smaller moments that play into the suspense to the more chaotic moments of violence including a chilling sequence on a rainy night. The film’s music by Jeff Grace is incredible for its very intoxicating score that is largely electronic with its brooding synthesizer-based music with elements of piano pieces to play into the drama and suspense while the music soundtrack by music supervisor Joe Rudge consists of largely country music of the past and the rock music of the 1980s including the band White Lion.
The casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent is superb as it features some notable small performances from Larry Flaherty as a mailman Richard knows, Brogan Hall as Richard and Ann’s son Jordan, Rachel Zeiger-Haag as a co-worker of Richard, and Wyatt Russell as a mysterious criminal that is linked to these dark crimes that Jim Bob has been looking for. Nick Damici is terrific as the detective Ray Price who would help Richard early on to go after Ben only to hide things that would make Richard question things. Vinessa Shaw is superb as Richard’s wife Ann as a woman who is also scared over what is happening as she is also confused by Richard’s strange behavior as she is concerned with protecting her own son.
Don Johnson is brilliant as Jim Bob Luke as a private investigator who arrives for the film’s second half to uncover this mysterious world of crime in Texas as it relates to a local mafia while dealing with a world that is becoming more complicated. Sam Shepard is fantastic as Ben Russell as a man who initially goes after Richard for killing his son until he gets himself into trouble of his own as he wonders what is going on as he aids Richard into uncovering the truth about what his son might be involved in. Finally, there’s Michael C. Hall in an excellent performance as Richard Dane as a simple family man whose life unravels following a burglary in his home as he copes with fear as well as the darker aspects of those who are supposed to help him as Hall brings a restraint and an everyman quality that makes his performance so engaging to watch.
Cold in July is a phenomenal film from Jim Mickle that features tremendous performances from Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson. The film isn’t just this dark and hypnotic noir-based film but also a film where a man whose simple act to protect his family has him coping with a world that is far more treacherous and unforgiving. In the end, Cold in July is a sensational film from Jim Mickle.
© thevoid99 2015
Based on the novel by Anita Shreve, The Weight of Water is the story of a newspaper photographer doing research on the murder of two immigrant women in 1873 while on a boating trip with her husband, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and screenplay by Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle, the film is an exploration of women dealing with the relationships they’re in with men as a woman in the modern world tries to sort out the mystery of a murder that happened more than a century ago. Starring Sean Penn, Catherine McCormack, Josh Lucas, Elizabeth Hurley, Sarah Polley, Katrin Cartlidge, and Ciaran Hinds. The Weight of Water is a messy although interesting film from Kathryn Bigelow.
The film is about the mysterious murders of two women at the Isles of Shoals in 1873 where a German immigrant named Louis Wagner (Ciaran Hinds) is accused of the murders. The film is about this investigation set in modern times where a photojournalist goes to the Isles of Shoals with her novelist husband, his brother, and his brother’s new girlfriend during a vacation. There, Jean Janes (Catherine McCormack) wonders if Wagner really did kill those women while reading the memoirs and notes about the survivor of those attacks in Maren Hontvedt (Sarah Polley) who would be the one to claim that Wagner killed her sister and sister-in-law. While Janes reads about Hontvedt, she deals with her troubled marriage as she’s convinced her husband and her brother-in-law’s girlfriend might’ve had an affair that leads to jealousy and other things.
The film’s screenplay by Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle does have an interesting premise but one that is very uneven. The stuff about Maren and the actual murders is the most interesting portion of the story where it plays into her life as a Norwegian immigrant who arrives to the Isle of Shoals in New Hampshire with her husband John (Ulrich Thomsen). Notably as it plays into the life that Maren lead and the eventual arrival of her brother Evan (Anders W. Berthelsen) and his new wife Anethe (Vinessa Shaw). A lot of it is told from Maren’s perspective as it’s read by Jean who is fascinated by her discovery yet is dealing with her marriage. The scenes involving Jean, her husband, and the boating vacation they’re having with her brother-in-law and his girlfriend isn’t as interesting. Notably as Jean’s husband Thomas (Sean Penn) spends much of the film drunk and ogling over his brother’s girlfriend Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley) as the dramatic tension that occurs feels flat.
Another problem with the film’s screenplay that would greatly affect the film as a whole would be is lack of suspense where it does lead to a major reveal about who really killed Anethe and Maren’s sister Karen (Katrin Cartlidge). Once Jean figures out who did kill them, it does affect the suspense where it does slowly reveal many of the motivations behind why the killer did those things. It would play into Jean’s jealousy over Thomas’ infatuation with Adaline but also the sense of loneliness that is prevalent about her.
Kathryn Bigelow’s direction definitely has a lot of interesting images that sort of does makeup for much of the script’s shortcomings. Yet, it’s narrative doesn’t allow Bigelow to keep things interesting for the scenes set in the present where not much really does happen with the exception of Jean’s investigation to try and uncover the story. Bigelow does infuse a lot of style into the visuals where her best work is in the scenes set in the 19th Century as the compositions are stylized but also very engaging in the way she presents the drama and such. The way the narrative moves back and forth doesn’t give Bigelow the chance to really find ways to make things cohesive where there’s two different movies being played out. One of them is very interesting and the other is pretty flat. Overall, Bigelow creates a film that does have moments that are interesting but the result is a very troubled and in cohesive film that doesn’t do much to create any major suspense.
Cinematographer Adrian Biddle does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of black-and-white in some of Jean‘s photographs to the use of colors and lights for much of the exterior setting in New Hampshire and places nearby in the different period settings. Editor Howard E. Smith does nice work with the editing with the use of montages and slow-motion shots to play into some of the drama and suspense that occurs in the film. Production designer Karl Juliusson, with art director Mark Laing and set decorators Laura Cuthill and Patricia Larman, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the 1870s home that Maren lived in as well as the bits of the town and trial she had to be part of.
Costume designer Marit Allen does fantastic work with the period costumes for the scenes set in the 1870s that include the different dresses that Maren wears. Sound mixer Mike Smith and sound editor Anne Slack do superb work with the film‘s sound from the calm atmosphere of the scenes in the sea to some of the chilling moments for the film‘s climax. The film’s music by David Hirschfelder is wonderful for its jazz-like score that mixes somber string arrangements with bits of piano and saxophones to play into the film’s lingering mood.
The casting by Mali Finn is brilliant for the ensemble that is created for the film as it includes some noteworthy performances from Ulrich Thomsen as Maren’s husband John and Anders W. Berthelsen as Maren’s brother Evan. Katrin Cartlidge is pretty good as Maren’s sister Karen while Vinessa Shaw is wonderful as Evan’s kind wife Anethe. Ciaran Hinds is terrific as Louis Wagner as this German immigrant who is proven to be a really nice man that may have not been the killer after all. Elizabeth Hurley is pretty much a waste in the film as Adaline as this very sexual being who spends her time in a bikini and topless for a bit as she doesn’t really do much except recite some literature and look hot.
Josh Lucas is excellent as Thomas’ brother Rich who tries to ensure that everyone is having a good time as he would show concern for Jean. Sean Penn is pretty fine as Thomas as this pretentious writer who deals with some demons though Penn doesn’t really do much other than drink and stare at Elizabeth Hurley. Sarah Polley is amazing as Maren as this young Norwegian woman who arrives to America trying to start a new life only to deal with Louis and the presence of her new sister-in-law. Finally, there’s Catherine McCormick in a radiant performance as Jean as this photojournalist trying to solve the mystery of the murders as she also deals with her issues with her husband as well as the demons that are lurking into that marriage.
Despite its cast and some amazing visual flair, The Weight of Water is an incomprehensible yet lackluster film from Kathryn Bigelow. Due to its messy script and two different storylines that never finds its balance. It’s a film that has a unique premise but falls flat due to its lack of suspense and emphasis on heavy drama. In the end, The Weight of Water is a very disappointing film from Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - Strange Days - K-19: The Widowmaker - The Hurt Locker - Zero Dark Thirty - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/9/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Based on Elmore Leonard's short story, 3:10 to Yuma is the story about an ex-Civil War sharpshooter who is asked to accompany a vicious criminal to a prison train as he and various men are being followed by the criminal's gang. Directed by James Mangold with a screenplay by Stuart Beattie, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas with elements of the 1957 adapted script by Halstead Welles for Delmer Daves' version of the film. The film explores the world of temptation as a farmer and a criminal try to outwit each other. Starring Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Gretchen Mol, Logan Lerman, Alan Tudyk, Ben Foster, Vinessa Shaw, Dallas Roberts, and Peter Fonda. 3:10 to Yuma is a sprawling yet adventurous film from James Mangold.
The film explores a rancher named Dan Evans (Christian Bale) whose life hasn't been great as his ranch is suffering from a drought while he's in debt as well as getting threatened by a man named Hollander (Lennie Lofton) who wants Evans' land for the railroad. When the criminal known as Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) has been captured after stealing money from the railroad barron Grayson Butterfield (Dallad Roberts), Evans volunteers to help the Pinkerton officer Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) to accompany Wade to the prison train to Yuma along with Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk), Butterfield, and Evans' 14-year old son William (Logan Lerman). Yet, the party is being pursued by Wade's right-hand man Charlie Prince (Ben Foster)and the rest of Wade's gang as a battle of wits emerge between Evans and Wade about what to do where Wade tempts Evans into helping him while Wade isn't sure if he can take Wade's offer.
The original film version of 3:10 to Yuma was essentially a western that was part character-study, part suspense where it's about these two men trying to play a game of wits in seeing how far they'll go in dealing with their own morals. Director James Mangold, obviously a fan of the original, doesn't tinker with the film's old formulas very much. Instead, he helps expand the story, add a few new characters, and take the western genre back to form with some new methods. The film's script that was written by Stuart Beattie, Michael Brandt, and Derek Haas definitely brings back some of the original dialogue that was written by the film's original scribe Halstead Wells. What is very surprising is that the dialogue that is used again manages to be as relevant as it was heard back in the original 1957 version.
The script also works as a device of character study where it's really about both Ben Wade and Dan Evans. Wade, a sadistic man who can be very charming and witty while is also a ruthless killer who is even willing to kill one of his own men for gain. Yet, part of his redeeming qualities is how he reminds someone like William that he's not a good man despite the growth of respect he has for Dan for his bravey. Dan Evans is just as complex as a man who is forced to swallow a lot of his pride in order to maintain the survival of his family. Yet, he too has a dark side that he doesn't like to show that Wade manages to discover. What's surprising is that both men have similar morals, characteristics, and pride. It's where the film's script succeeds in.
The direction of James Mangold is very solid throughout the entire film in how he maintains the faithfulness to the original film. While the female characters like Alice Evans (Gretchen Mol) and Emmy (Vinessa Shaw) aren't as big as they were in the original film, they still play to what's expected in the plot. More importantly, the plot is expanded where the original film is 95 minutes and this version adding thirty more. While the violence and language is more confrontational in the original, it's definitely because Mangold adds elements of directors like Sergio Leone and in a lesser extent, Sam Peckinpah. There, he still manages to bring that quality that is expected in the genre in terms of the idea of men running lose, doing wild things, shootouts, and such. One complaint that might be understandable in comparison to the original film is the ending.
Probably because of what Mangold is trying to convey in terms of where the genre was then and now. It might work on some aspects but might not work with some audiences. Still, Mangold brings the genre right back to its essential that makes not just purists satisfied but also people new to the genre to be excited about.
Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael brings a wonderful look to the film with its gorgeous, epic-like photography with the film's inspiring location shot in New Mexico. The film's nighttime scenes from the outside with the blue sky is mesmerizing as is some of the daylight exteriors that manages to maintain its grittiness. It's definitely a highlight of the film. The location in New Mexico and with a $50 million budget definitely gives the production with the saloons, farms, and towns created by production designer Andrew Menzies and art directors Greg Berry and Jay Hart a look that is authentic and a reminder of what was great in that genre.
Costume designer Ariane Phillips definitely create some nice suits for Dallas Roberts while the cowboy clothing for the rest of the actors maintains its grittiness. The makeup also works since a lot of them wear beards or a mustache whether it's the clean, handlebar mustache look Roberts have to the dirtier, grimy look that both Ben Foster and Peter Fonda have.
Editor Michael McCusker definitely goes against the current fast-cut, fast-paced editing style of today's films that would've hurt this film. Instead, he goes for a more traditional, intense style that manages to keep the film's pacing while the action is definitely attentive for the audience. During the more suspenseful moments, the cuts are definitely slow but engaging to maintain the tension between the main characters. Sound editor Donald Sylvester also adds atmosphere by using the sounds of the wind, horses, whistles, and such to play true to the film and its genre in terms of its suspense. Music composer Marco Beltrami adds a bit of symphonic orchestra to the genre but uses it in a low-key approach with the rest of the score performed on acoustic guitars and string instruments to play to that old-school atmosphere of the western.
Finally, there's the film's cast and what a hell of a cast does it have. Smaller performances from the likes of Sean Hennigan as the Contention City marshal, Rio Alexander and Johnny Whitworth as two of Wade's men, Forest Fyre, Luce Rains, and a un-credited cameo from Luke Wilson who gives a great performance as one of Boles' posse. Benjamin Petry is good as the little Mark Evans who has a great line that comes from the original film while Lennie Lofton is sleazy as the land-grabbing Hollander. Vinessa Shaw, playing the Felicia Farr role, is good as the sexy Emmy who is charmed by Wade. Kevin Durand is funny as the annoying Tucker, who manages to hate both Wade and Evans for different reasons while having a scene where he sings a song that angers Wade.
Alan Tudyk of Firefly/Serenity fame manages to give an excellent, yet funny performance as Doc Potter who manages to have some funny one-liners while admitting to not carrying a gun very much. Gretchen Mol is wonderful as the caring Alice Evans who loves Dan but also despises him a bit for his choices as she tries to maintain the household. Mol, who shows a more hardened maturity than in previous roles, is only a few scenes which is a shame since her performance really stands out by not playing a conventional farmer's wife.
Dallas Roberts from Walk the Line is great as the money-hungry Butterfield who thinks he has control only to realize that money can't buy everything while eventually becoming a tool for Evans' own pursuits. Logan Lerman is excellent as William Evans, a boy who seems to idolize Wade while losing respect for his own father. His development in the film is handled very realistically as he learns about sacrifice and why his father makes choices that sometimes aren’t right as he plays the character with maturity and energy.
Peter Fonda is brilliant in his small but mesmerizing role as the old, gruff Byron McElroy who manages to have a lot of hatred for Wade as Fonda's exchanges with Crowe are just fun to watch. Fonda, who has done westerns in the past, manages to bring that old school attitude that shows he's been there before and his performance is truly memorable that even his late, legendary father Henry would've been proud. Ben Foster is the film's sole scene-stealer as the psychotic Charlie Prince. Foster, sporting a beard and marks around his eyes, is a force that has to be seen where though he's a more sadistic, traditional villain. He has his loyalties and wit as he tries to save the man he's admired so much. It's a great performance from the young actor who proves he can act with the likes of Fonda, Crowe, and Bale.
Christian Bale gives one of his best performances as the troubled, prideful Dan Evans who was played by Van Heflin fifty years before. Bale's intense, layered performance shows the actor bringing a subtlety and grit that isn't seen very often but only expanding his range following his work in recent years. Though his character doesn't have a lot of humor, he still manages to have some wit and charm while maintaining his own stance against someone like Russell Crowe. Russell Crowe, in the role of Ben Wade that was played by Glenn Ford, is brilliant. Though Crowe didn't manage to play a great western character in Sam Raimi's The Quick & the Dead, this film proves he was born to be in a western.
Crowe's mix of charm, sadism, and antagonist attitude proves to be right as he plays the Wade character to the hilt. More importantly, he makes the audience to either love or hate him in whatever he's doing. The comradery between two great actors like Crowe and Bale are just amazing to watch and what's really great to see in those performances is how much fun they're having. Bottom line, both Crowe and Bale bring the kind of performances that purists of the genre will surely love.
The 20007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma is a marvelous film from James Mangold thanks to its cast led by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe as well as its devotion to pay true to the western genre. The film isn't just a faithful remake to Delmer Daves' 1957 film but also ensures the vitality of the western genre as both films would make a great double-feature. In the end, 3:10 to Yuma is an exciting and enthralling film from James Mangold.
© thevoid99 2013
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Melinda & Melinda is the story about two women with the same name who live very different lives as four people discuss about the ideas of life in the form of a tragedy and a comedy. The film is an exploration into the world of how life works in a natural setting whether it’s in the form of tragedy or in a comedy as its titular characters are played by Radha Mitchell. Also starring Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Sevigny, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet, Larry Pine, Vinessa Shaw, Josh Brolin, Brooke Smith, and Wallace Shawn. Melinda & Melinda is a superb and engaging comedy-drama from Woody Allen.
The film is about the life of two women with the same name as they’re the subject of how life is as two men (Wallace Shawn and Larry Pine) have a discussion with two other people (Neil Pepe and Stephanie Roth Haberle) about how does life work. In the one spectrum, there’s the tragic Melinda who is a woman with a very troubled life as she unexpectedly stays over at a friend’s house where she falls for a musician only for things to get complicated. In other spectrum, there’s the comic Melinda as a woman who unknowingly crashes a dinner party as she catches the eye of an actor whose wife is an independent filmmaker who tries to set Melinda up with other men. It’s all plays to the scheme of things in the way life works out as it raises the question about how life can be defined by tragic or comic circumstances.
Woody Allen’s screenplay does have an interesting concept about the ideas of comedy and tragedy and how they can drive one person’s life. Though there’s parts in the story that does drag things a bit, it does play into the way the two Melindas would go in their life. On the tragic spectrum, there’s Melinda trying to find some idea of happiness in her life as she falls for this musician named Ellis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who is quite charming as well as sympathetic to Melinda’s own personal issues. Yet, Ellis also wins the attraction of Melinda’s friend Laurel (Chloe Sevigny) who is married to a struggling actor named Lee (Jonny Lee Miller) as she doesn’t want to do something that would send Melinda into a bigger downward spiral. In the comic portion of the film, Melinda is a woman trying to find new love as she seeks the help of her neighbors in Hobie and Susan (Will Ferrell and Amanda Peet) where Hobie falls for Melinda but has no idea how to tell Melinda or Susan.
Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions yet he does manage to create a lot of situations where it would mirror the two different portions of the film. Notably in scenes of how Melinda arrives or her reaction to a certain situation that would play into the two different spectrums about life. Though there’s a few moments that does drag the story in the tragic portion of the film while the comedy aspects of it would lighten things up. It does make the film uneven in some ways though both stories do showcase some compelling arguments of the tragedy of comedy and tragedy where it would briefly cut to the two writers having dinner and discuss their side about how life works. Overall, Allen creates an engaging and enjoyable film about the way life works.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the low-key yet intimate look of the French bistro the Melindas go to as well as some of the locations in New York City that would play to their adventures. Editor Alisa Lepselter does brilliant work with the editing from the use of transitions that range from smooth to abrupt at times in order to help move the story along with some stylish cuts to play out some of the humor and drama that occurs. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Regina Graves and art director Tom Warren, does nice work with the set pieces from the different apartments that the Melindas stay in to some of the places the women go to including the French bistro.
Costume designer Judy L. Ruskin does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual while adding some differences to the different look of the two Melindas where the tragic is more disheveled while the comic is more refined. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of some of the parties that occur including some of the other places the characters go to. The film’s soundtrack is amazing as it features a different array of jazz and classical pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok, Duke Ellington, Dick Hyman, Erroll Garner, and some R&B music from Barry White.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Neil Pepe and Stephanie Roth Haberle as the friends in the discussion table along with notable small performances from Shalom Harlow as a dinner guest of Lee and Laurel, Brooke Smith as a friend of Laurel and Melinda in Cassie, Steve Carell as Hobie’s friend Walt, Vinessa Shaw as a woman Hobie meets, Daniel Sujata as a man the comic Melinda meets, Zak Orth as Cassie’s husband, and Josh Brolin as a friend of Susan whom she tries to set the comic Melinda with much to Hobie’s disgust. Larry Pine and Wallace Shawn are terrific as the two writers who drive the discussion of how life works with Pine favoring tragedy and Shawn in favor of comedy as the two have great rapport together.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is amazing as the musician Ellis whom the tragic Melinda falls for as he is very kind to her while he is also attracted to Laurel. Jonny Lee Miller is very good as Laurel’s struggling actor husband Lee who doesn’t really like Melinda as he secretly hides his own affairs from Laurel. Chloe Sevigny is excellent as Laurel as a woman who is trying to help the tragic Melinda while dealing with her attraction towards Ellis. Amanda Peet is wonderful as Susan as a woman who tries to help the comic Melinda find love while dealing with her own issues in trying to get funding for her film. Will Ferrell is brilliant as Hobie as a man who falls for the comic Melinda as he tries to deal with his feelings while Ferrell adds some subtle comedic approach to his character.
Finally there’s Radha Mitchell as Melinda and Melinda where Mitchell brings a complexity to the different personas of Melinda as she is ragged and loose as the tragic Melinda who is likely to fall apart. In the form of the comical Melinda, Mitchell is more relaxed but also pretty funny as she definitely brings to spark in her scenes with Ferrell as it’s definitely one of Mitchell’s finest performances.
Melinda & Melinda is a pretty stellar film from Woody Allen thanks to Radha Mitchell’s dual performances as the titular characters. Along with great supporting work from Will Ferrell, Chloe Sevigny, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, it’s a film that showcases Allen trying to do something new while using old ideas to play out the ideas of comedy and tragedy in the way life works. In the end, Melinda & Melinda is a pretty good 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 - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - 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
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, Side Effects is the story about a troubled woman who is given a medication to deal with her anxieties following her incarcerated husband’s return only for something to go wrong as the psychiatrist who gave her the prescription finds himself in trouble. The film is an exploration into the world of prescription drugs as well as anxiety as it revolves a young woman dealing with her issues. Starring Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Vinessa Shaw, Ann Dowd, Polly Draper, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Side Effects is a chilling yet suspenseful film from Steven Soderbergh.
When one suffers from depression over the return of a loved one, what happens when a psychiatrist gives a prescription where it has serious side effects that causes problems? That is the idea of the film as it is about this troubled woman named Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) as she sinks into severe depression following the return of her husband Martin (Channing Tatum) from prison for insider trading. After a suicide attempt, Emily meets Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law) who examines her and, under the suggestion of her previous psychiatrist in Dr. Victoria Siebert (Catherine Zeta-Jones), gives her a medication in hopes that it will curb her depression. Instead, something goes wrong where Emily doesn’t remember what happen as questions are raised about the prescription Dr. Banks gave her as he is targeted for what happens. With his life and profession in danger, Dr. Banks has to see if it was the drug that got Emily in trouble where he makes discoveries over what really happened.
Scott Z. Burns’ screenplay doesn’t just explore the world of pharmaceutical drugs and the effects it might have but rather what it does to a person who is clearly troubled. While Dr. Jonathan Banks’ intentions to help Emily were noble, giving her a prescription of a drug that he doesn’t know much about based on the suggestions of other people does put him into trouble over what happened to Emily. Largely as questions are raised over the prescription he gave her as Emily’s husband had complained to Dr. Banks about her sleepwalking though Emily believes the drug is helping her. With Emily already a victim over what happened and Dr. Banks trying to find answers over what he gave Emily. He then starts to question Emily’s former psychiatrist Dr. Siebert about the prescription that he suggested.
Dr. Siebert is an interesting individual who was the one who wrote about this prescription that Dr. Banks was suggested to as he would ask questions about Dr. Siebert’s history with Emily. Notably as she started to examine Emily shortly after her husband’s incarceration where Dr. Banks keeps asking questions about their sessions together. Eventually, it allows Dr. Banks to examine Emily more where he gets some big revelations about Emily’s history and other aspects about her life. Burns’ script does have a unique structure where the first half is about Emily and the second half being about Dr. Banks as its third act allows the two characters to collide and finally reveal the truth over the side effects that put both characters in trouble.
Steven Soderbergh’s direction is definitely entrancing for the way he explores the world of depression and pharmaceutical drugs. Notably as he shoots the film with a degree of style from the framing he uses to explore the intimacy that goes on with the characters to the way scenes are presented in different ways. Notably a scene where Emily and Martin are on a boat at a party where Emily is clearly uncomfortable as her depression starts to take her forcing Martin to comfort her outside. Soderbergh also uses an element of ambiguity that occurs in the film such as a scene of Emily sleepwalking that has Martin concerned. Through some medium shots and slanted camera angles, Soderbergh is intrigued by what is happening to Emily as the side effects of her medication start to affect her.
By the film’s second half, Soderbergh’s camera becomes more tighter as the drama surrounding Dr. Banks starts to unfold. There is tension that occurs as the cinematography under Soderbergh’s Peter Andrews alias isn’t as stylized and a bit straightforward to maintain the sense of reality that is happening in comparison to the more stylized look in the film’s first half. Also through the editing in his Mary Ann Bernard alias, Soderbergh also takes his time for the mystery to unfold as it concerns Dr. Siebert as she proves to be a foe for Dr. Banks. Even as it creates a chilling climax in which revelations are unveiled in the hopes that Dr. Banks could save himself from his troubles and actually help out Emily. Overall, Soderbergh crafts a very mesmerizing yet provocative thriller that explores the world of depression and pharmaceuticals.
Production designer Howard Cummings and set decorator Rena DeAngelo does excellent work with the set designs from the look of the offices that some of the characters work at to the look of Emily and Martin‘s apartment home. Costume designer Susan Lyall does wonderful work with the costumes to display the stylish look of Emily in the film’s first half to the more casual look of the characters in suits and such. Sound editor Larry Blake does amazing work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations as well as the tension that occurs in some key scenes such as Emily‘s suicide attempt. The film’s music by Thomas Newman is brilliant for its haunting yet evocative score filled with unsettling string pieces as well as low key cuts to play out the drama as it includes some hypnotic yet throbbing percussive pieces that adds to the suspense.
The casting by Carmen Cuba is fantastic as it features some notable small performances from Polly Draper as Emily’s boss, Sheila Tapia as Emily’s attorney, Mamie Gummer as an old friend of Emily, and Mitchell Michaliszyn as Dr. Banks’ stepson Ezra. Ann Dowd is terrific as Martin’s mother while Vinessa Shaw is superb as Dr. Banks’ wife Deirdre who deals with her husband’s workload and the scandal that he’s been entangled with. Channing Tatum is pretty good as Emily’s husband Martin who is both baffled and concerned for Emily’s depression and the side effects of the medication as he is trying to get back the old life he and Emily once had.
Catherine Zeta-Jones is amazing as the very ambiguous Dr. Victoria Siebert as she suggests to Dr. Banks a new prescription that causes trouble as Zeta-Jones brings this very ice exterior to a woman who doesn’t like to reveal herself or her relationship with Emily as it’s one of Zeta-Jones’ finest performances. Rooney Mara is great as Emily Taylor as this very troubled woman who is dealing with depression as she is afflicted by the side effects of the prescription she’s given as she tries to deal with all sorts of things as it’s a very eerie performance from Mara. Finally, there’s Jude Law in a remarkable performance as Dr. Jonathan Banks as this psychiatrist who is trying to help this young woman only to get in trouble over the side effects of the prescription as he tries to find out more information about the prescription as it’s a very captivating performance from Law.
Side Effects is a marvelous film from Steven Soderbergh that features top-notch performances from Jude Law, Rooney Mara, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. While it does have a few flaws in Scott Z. Burns’ screenplay, it is still a very compelling suspense-thriller that explores the world of depression and pharmaceuticals. If the film is to be Steven Soderbergh’s final feature-length film, at least he comes out with a winner. In the end, Side Effects is an extraordinary film from Steven Soderbergh.
Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kakfa - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven (2001 film) - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equlibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)
The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
Based on Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Dream Story, Eyes Wide Shut is the story of a doctor who learned about his wife’s desire to stray from their marriage as he goes into a night-long adventure where he encounters all sorts of things including a secretive ceremony that nearly gets him into big trouble. Directed by Stanley Kubrick and screenplay by Kubrick and Frederic Raphael, the film is an exploration into the world of marriage and sex as a couple face their devotion when one reveals the desire to be with someone else. Starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Todd Field, Marie Richardson, Vinessa Shaw, Leelee Sobieski, Rade Serbedzija, Alan Cumming, Thomas Gibson, Julienne Davis, Sky du Mont, and Sydney Pollack. Eyes Wide Shut is an evocative yet hypnotic drama from Stanley Kubrick.
Dr. Bill and Alice Halford (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) attend the party of their friend Victor Ziegler (Sydney Pollack) where Alice flirts with a Hungarian (Sky du Mont) while Bill chats with his old friend Nick Nightingale (Todd Field) while he is being hit on by two models. Later that night, Bill is called by Victor to deal with the overdose of a young woman (Julienne Davis) he was having sex with as Bill took care of things. The next night while smoking pot in their bedroom, Bill and Alice have a heated discussion about infidelity where Alice if Bill would’ve slept with those women as he says no. Alice then reveals about a fantasy she had about a naval officer she encountered last summer that disturbs Bill who then leaves after getting a call about a death of one of his friends. Bill goes to the home where he meets the man’s daughter Marion (Marie Richardson) who professes her love to Bill as she tries to kiss until her fiancee Carl (Thomas Gibson) arrives.
Still uneasy about Alice’s confession, Bill goes on a walk around Greenwich Village in New York City where he encounters a young hooker named Domino (Vinessa Shaw) and later goes to a jazz club where Nick was playing. Bill and Nick chat where Nick reveals about a secret gig that he has to play blindfold as he wrote “Fidelio” as the password and reluctantly revealed to Bill about the location. Bill then goes to a closed costume shop now run by a new owner named Milich (Rade Serbedzija) who gives him the costume while dealing with a couple of Japanese men who were with his teenage daughter (Leelee Sobieski). After traveling away from New York City to a reclusive estate, a masked Bill finds himself in a strange underworld full of orgies and other quasi-religious rituals as a woman tries to warn him to leave. Instead, the woman offers to sacrifice herself to spare Bill from further trouble as he returns home where Alice had woken up from a nightmare that disturbed her.
Bill goes to Nick’s hotel to ask him what happened only for a hotel clerk (Alan Cumming) to reveal that Nick was taken away with a bruise in his face. Things get stranger when Bill returns his costume to Milich without the mask that he lost where things get weirder as Bill notices he’s being followed. Later that night while working, Bill goes to Domino’s apartment where he meets her roommate (Fay Masterson) who reveals some startling news about her. Things get darker when Bill learns about a model dead from an overdose as he goes to the morgue where he learns who she is. After getting a call from Victor, Bill gets some startling news about the events that he had went through in the past few days as he begins to ponder the strange adventure he had just been through.
The film is essentially an exploration into the dangers of marriage and the idea of how jealousy can drive someone to do something in the heat of passion. In this film, it is about a man who goes into a journey one night around New York City after being disturbed by his wife’s confession about thinking from straying from their marriage. After some strange encounters with various individuals, he goes into a secret ceremony that is held by secretive people only to realize he’s stepped into somewhere he shouldn’t have gone into as it forces him to reflect on his own feelings of marriage as well as the fact that he might not have been honest to his wife after all. It’s a film that contains a lot of ambiguities and complications about marriage and infidelity as well as jealousy driven by this couple who do love each other but are compelled to ask big questions by their faithfulness.
The screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Frederic Raphael is quite conventional in terms of a traditional narrative structure but it is filled with a lot of ambiguities and themes about marriage. The first act is about Ziegler’s party where both Bill and Alice encounter people who flirt with them where Alice seems to enjoy herself though Bill tries to play cool only to help deal with Ziegler. Then it is followed by a montage of their daily activities where they later smoke pot the next evening and have this discussion about marriage where Alice asked if Bill is ever jealous. Bill is being cagey about being jealous and acts very smugly about the idea of Alice not cheating on him. Instead, her revelation would send him into an emotional tailspin that leads to the film’s second act.
The second is about Bill’s odyssey into the unknown from the encounters he makes with women who tries to seduce him such as a friend’s daughter, a young hooker, and a promiscuous teenage girl while he would also meet that girl’s father, an old friend, and encounter a bunch of drunk college kids who mistake him for being gay. Then Bill’s journey goes into a dark, suspenseful turn once he enters this very exclusive underworld filled with sexual rituals, orgies, and very strange things that occur where he finds himself in great danger. He returns home only to go further into a path of the unknown in the third act as Bill wonders about the journey he had previously taken as well as the fact that it involved people he knew as it forces him to ask big questions about himself and his wife.
It’s a script that is filled with some very frank yet realistic dialogue on not just about marriage and jealousy but also the idea that one would stray from their marriage just to make the other person jealous. Yet, both Bill and Alice do take each other for granted in the fact that Bill doesn’t seem to pay enough attention to Alice and the fact that Alice doesn’t seem to appreciate Bill enough. Both characters are very flawed as they both deal with the rules of marriage and each go into their own adventures. For Alice, it’s in her dreams while Bill goes into something much darker where both of them realize what they have to do to stay together.
Kubrick’s direction definitely bears a lot of the visual trademarks and cinematic style that he’s known for. Notably the tracking dolly shots, gazing close-ups, eerie medium and wide shots, and slow zooms to help maintain the sense of drama that occurs. Yet, there’s also a lot of elements that Kubrick brings to the film that feels fresh and new for the fact that it takes place in a world where it is contemporary but also with a sense of something that feels more 19th Century due to the Venetian masks that are worn at the secret society party. One element of the film that is very unique that plays into Bill’s journey is the fact he walks around the world of New York City.
Even though it’s shot in London and some of it on a soundstage with some second unit work providing scenes actually shot in New York City along with backdrops in some scenes in the car. It’s not really the New York City that most people know but rather a surrealistic idea of New York City since Bill is in a world where he’s lost and disturbed by his wife’s revelations. The people he meets during this journey are definitely off as they don’t really play to any kind of conventions. A young hooker who lives nearby as she doesn’t exude any of the usual traits. A costume shop owner with a teenager daughter who is very promiscuous. Then things get even weirder where it’s almost as if Bill is living in a dream world that isn’t just off but also unlike any kind of reality that is out there.
He goes inside this very exclusive place where it’s later revealed to be a place that only the elite can be part of. It’s a world where it’s almost this very religious ritual where people are in tuxedos, wearing cloaks, covering their faces with Venetian masks, and do things as if there were no rules. There’s orgies where there’s a lot of happening though Kubrick doesn’t go too far in terms of sexual content. Still, he maintains that sense of mystery that does occur in the third act as well as creating some very chilling moments in the sexual fantasy scenes involving Alice and the naval officer that plays inside Bill’s head. Things become more intense by the film’s third that includes this amazing climatic meeting between Bill and Victor where it is about what Bill encountered. Kubrick maintains the ambiguity in Victor’s exposition where he could be telling the truth from his view but is anything he saying is true?
This is then followed by more revelations as it returns to the story of Bill and Alice where it seems that both of them had just had a major wakeup call not just about themselves but their marriage. It seems like everything they had been through was just a dream as they both would have these major encounters about a life that was filled with rules and no rules. The film’s ending is really the culmination of everything Bill and Alice had gone through and them ready to take a major step into their lives. Overall, Stanley Kubrick creates a film that is very provocative but also entrancing film about the world of marriage and temptation.
Cinematographer Larry Smith does incredible work with the film‘s lush and intoxicating photography from the usage of available light to create beautiful scenes for many of the film‘s interiors at night to the more darker scenes in the streets as Smith‘s work is a major highlight of the film. Editor Nigel Galt does excellent work with the editing from the use of dissolves for the transitions as well as a few montages for Bill‘s look into Alice‘s fantasy as well as other stylish cuts to play out the mood of the film. Production designers Leslie Tomkins and Roy Walker, along with supervising art director Kevin Phipps and set decorators Lisa Leone and Terry Wells, do amazing work with the sets such as the look of the world of Greenwich Village as well as the places Bill encounters including the elusive estate that he visits.
Costume designer Marit Allen does wonderful work with the costumes from the look of the cloaks and tuxedos the characters wear to the clothes that Alice wears as well as the look of the Venetian masks. Sound editor Paul Conway does superb work with the sound from the way some of the dialogue is heard in Bill‘s head as well as the atmosphere in some of the locations including the exotic party that he attends. The film’s music consists of various classical pieces from the waltz theme by Dmitri Shotstakovich that opens the film to the more striking, suspenseful piano pieces of Gyorgy Ligeti. Original music by Jocelyn Pook is very ominous as it is played largely in the ritual scenes to maintain the eerie tone of the film. The rest of the soundtrack consists of jazz renditions of love songs along with some opera pieces and a playful rock song by Chris Isaak.
The casting by Denise Chaiman and Leon Vitali is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some noteworthy small performances from Madison Eginton as Bill and Alice’s daughter Helena, Louise J. Taylor as one of the models who flirts with Bill at the party, Julienne Davis as Ziegler’s mistress Mandy, Togo Igawa and Eiji Kusuhara as the two Japanese men at the costume shop, Fay Masterson as Domino’s roommate Sally, Gary Goba as the naval officer that Alice fantasizes about, and Leon Vitali as mysterious Master of Ceremonies at the strange ritual that Bill attends. Other notable small roles includes Sky du Mont as the dashing Hungarian that Alice flirts with, Vinessa Shaw as the hooker Domino that Bill encounters, Rade Serbedzija as the costume shop owner Milich, Leelee Sobieski as Milich’s promiscuous teenage daughter, Alan Cumming as the hotel clerk, and Thomas Gibson as Marion’s fiancee Carl.
Marie Richardson is terrific as the daughter of Bill’s patient who tries to seduce Bill through her grief while Todd Field is great as Bill’s friend Nick Nightingale who unknowingly gets himself and Bill into trouble over the secret ritual party. Sydney Pollack is excellent as Bill’s friend Victor Ziegler who tries to assure Bill about everything that Bill had encountered in his journey. Finally, there’s the duo of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as both of them give incredible performances as Bill and Alice Halford. Kidman displays a lot of charisma and drama as a woman who feels like her husband doesn’t respect her enough as well as someone who feels guilty about some of her revelations. Cruise gives a chilling performance as a man who is a bit aloof about the idea of him being jealous only to embark into a dark journey that has him thinking about himself and his own flaws. Cruise and Kidman together are wonderful together in the way they interact as well as display the kind of tension in marriage as both of them give remarkable performances.
Eyes Wide Shut is an incredible yet entrancing film from Stanley Kubrick that features superb performances from Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. While it is a film that dares to ask big questions about marriage as well as infidelity and other big themes. It is a very intriguing film that explores that world as well as a film that features exotic visuals and intoxicating music that bears a lot of Kubrick’s trademarks. In the end, Eyes Wide Shut is a tremendous and grand final film from Stanley Kubrick.
Stanley Kubrick Films: Fear and Desire - Killer's Kiss - The Killing - Paths of Glory - Spartacus - Lolita - Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Clockwork Orange - Barry Lyndon - The Shining - Full Metal Jacket
Related: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures - The Auteurs #18: Stanley Kubrick
© thevoid99 2012
