Set in 1838, the film revolves around a young woman who has been haunted by a mysterious demon as he would make his presence known after meeting her husband who traveled from Wisborg, Germany to the Carpathian Mountains over a real estate deal. It is a film that does follow many of the schematics told in previous adaptations of the story that is based on Bram Stoker’s novel about a vampire yet Robert Eggers creates a story that is more about a young woman’s trauma and the anguish she deals with about herself and her own sexual repression that she is dealing with in a society that doesn’t allow women to be more expressive. Even as they must deal with something darker that is lurking and threatening the happiness that they have gained through marriage or even family. Eggers’ screenplay is straightforward in its narrative though it opens with a young Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) being hypnotized by a mysterious figure as it would be a nightmare that she would deal with for much of her life as she had just gotten married to the real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).
Sent by his boss in Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to the Carpathian Mountains, Thomas travels while Ellen stays with Thomas’ friend Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna (Emma Corrin). Thomas would travel further despite warnings from Romani people and locals living near Transylvania to not enter the castle that is inhabited by the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) as he is a figure that is monstrous with a face that that is odd. His intention in buying a house in Wisborg is to wreak havoc and bring a plague until he sees a picture of Ellen where he hopes to seduce her and have her become his companion. Even as he would eventually meet Ellen upon his own arrival where he makes her an offer to spare those she cares about as well as the town if she gives herself to him. Her mysterious behavior would get the attention of Dr. Wilhem Sievers (Ralph Ineson) who at first thinks Ellen is going through some form of hysteria where he later turns to his mentor in the eccentric occult expert in Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) who knows what is happening to Ellen.
Eggers’ direction is stylish in not just paying tribute to the previous adaptations but also in maintaining a tone that is unsettling as well as intense in its physicality. Shot on location in the Czech Republic with interiors shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague and a few exteriors of the Corvin Castle in Romania. Eggers creates a film that plays into a period before the emergence of the industrial age as people still believed in myths and superstitions though the idea of a plague has been long in the past. Eggers’ usage of wide and medium shots does not just capture the scope of the environment that the characters encounter but also the atmosphere of a room in a castle or at a house where Eggers adds a lot of personality to these environments. Eggers’ direction also emphasizes on close-ups as it plays into Ellen’s own spasms and seizures that she would endure including the film’s opening scene where she prays for the horror to end.
Eggers’ direction also plays into the severity of Count Orlok’s cruelty as the scene where Thomas explores the castle and finds his coffin as it is among the scariest scenes in the film. There are also some surreal moments that are nightmarish as it relates to Ellen’s own behavior where there is a lot of physicality involved as it is a key element in the film’s second act. Upon Thomas’ return in the film’s third act, there is this sense of dread that looms with the sight of rats roaming around the town bringing on this plague. The violence becomes more severe with characters going mad, yet it is Ellen who becomes sane as she realizes what she must do with Professor Von Franz who also understands what must be done. It has Ellen taking control of what must be done to Count Orlok as well as unleashing a side of herself that she has been repressing. Overall, Eggers crafts a gripping yet evocative film about a woman being haunted by a mysterious vampire.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of blue and low-key lights for some of the nighttime exterior scenes along with a grey-like look for some of the daytime exteriors and the usage of fire as available light as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing in using rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into the suspense as well as know when to allow shots to linger for an amount of time to build up the suspense. Production designer Craig Lathrop, along with set decorator Beatrice Brentnerova plus senior art director Robert Cowper and supervising art director Paul Ghirardani, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of Count Orlok’s castle as well as the homes of the Hardings and the small apartment that Professor Von Franz lives in. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes in the design of the suits that the men wear from the refined look of Friedrich to the ragged look of Professor Von Franz while the dresses that the women wear are also stylish to the period as it would express the personalities of both Ellen and Anna Harding.
Makeup designer Traci Loader, along with special effects makeup supervisor Sacha Carter and prosthetics makeup effects designer David White, does tremendous work with the makeup with the special effects makeup work being a major highlight in the look of Count Orlok. Special effects supervisors Pavel Sagner and Jiri Vater, along with visual effects supervisor Angela Barson, do terrific work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects for some of the scenes involving Orlok as well as a scene that is a homage to the 1922 film by Murnau when Orlok uses his shadow to wreak havoc on Wisborg. Sound designer Damian Volpe does superb work with sound in creating an atmosphere into the locations with the usage of natural sound and textures to help build up the sense of horror and suspense. The film’s music by Robin Carolan is incredible for its bombastic orchestral score that is filled with soaring themes in its usage of strings and percussions along with some offbeat folk-based instruments to add to the sense of folklore. Even with pieces that play into the atmosphere of a scene as well as help build up suspense and terror as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Adele Hesova and Milena Konstantinova as the Hardings’ daughters with Ella Bernstein and Meredith Diggs providing the voices for the girls, Claudiu Trandafir as the innkeeper who lives near Transylvania, Karel Dobry as a ship captain, Liana Navrot as an Orthodox nun, Mihai Verbintschi as an Orthodox priest, and Stacy Thunes as a head nurse who helps run the hospital with Dr. Sievers. Simon McBurney is superb as Herr Knock as an estate firm broker boss who sends Thomas to Transylvania as well as being a disciple of Count Orlok where he has this crazed energy as this unhinged man that is willing to do anything for his master. Ralph Ineson is fantastic as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers as a doctor who is asked to treat Ellen where he is baffled by what is happening to her while also dealing with a plague where he realizes this is beyond his own expertise.
Emma Corrin is excellent as Anna Harding as Friedrich’s pregnant wife who expresses concern for Ellen’s illness while also sympathetic towards her where she does what she can to be her friend. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is brilliant as Friedrich Harding as a rich friend of Thomas who invites Ellen to stay at his home where he is baffled by what is happening to Ellen as he later becomes frustrated with Professor Von Franz’s theories and methods. Willem Dafoe is incredible as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz as an occult expert who is Dr. Sievers’ mentor as he makes a discovery of what is happening to Ellen with theories about the plague where Dafoe has this air of eccentricity to his performance but also a man who has a better understanding of evil. Nicholas Hoult is remarkable as Ellen’s husband Thomas Hutter as a real estate agent who is sent by Herr Knock to Transylvania where he deals with his encounter with Count Orlok as well as the things he had seen where he is desperate to save Ellen and be there for her.
Bill Skarsgard is great as Count Orlok as this monstrous vampire who has a large figure and a mustache as he is this eerie creature that wants to wreak havoc on Wisborg as well as have Ellen as his companion where Skarsgard uses a low register in his voice and a physicality to play into the terror that he brings as it is a career-defining performance for Skarsgard. Finally, there’s Lily-Rose Depp in a phenomenal break-out performance as Ellen Hutter as this young woman haunted by her own encounter with a demon as she copes with Thomas being away as well as some unexpected behaviors to emerge. Depp brings a physicality and anguish to her performance that is scary in the way she gets possessed as well as scenes where she is aware of what Ellen must do to stop Count Orlok as it is a true revelatory performance from Depp.
Nosferatu is a tremendous film by Robert Eggers that features great leading performances from Bill Skarsgard and Lily-Rose Depp. Along with its supporting cast, ravishing visuals, study of fear and repression, and an intense music score. It is a horror film that doesn’t just pay tribute to its past adaptations but also find new ways to tell an old story and maintain its fear. Even as it explores the horrors of within with its emphasis on what women deal with in those times and how they had to confront that horror. In the end, Nosferatu is an outstanding film by Robert Eggers.
Related: Nosferatu (1922 film) - Nosferatu, the Vampyre - Bram Stoker's Dracula - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Lighthouse (2019 film) - The Northman
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More than 30 years after events in which a young woman meets a demonic figure named Betelgeuse, the film revolves around that woman, her stepmother, and daughter who return to the small town following the death of her father where strange events occurred in the Afterlife involving Betelgeuse and his ex-wife seeking revenge on him. It is a film that does not just explore loss but also a woman dealing with the traumatic events when she was a teenager as she is forced to confront her past as well as her own relationship with her daughter. The film’s screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is straightforward in its narrative as it plays into a woman who remains haunted by Betelgeuse where she has spent her adult life hosting a TV show relating to ghosts whom she can see. Yet, the show has also been the reason Lydia Deetz has become estranged from her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who does not believe her mother’s claims, nor does she believe in ghosts as she wonders why her mother could see ghosts but not her late father.
The death of Lydia’s father Charles Deetz forces Lydia, Astrid, and Lydia’s stepmother Delia to return to Winter River fin the funeral as well as cleaning out their old house where Astrid discovered a flyer at the attic that has Betelgeuse’s name. Astrid would meet a fellow teenager in Jeremy (Arthur Conti) as they share a love of Dostoyevsky while Lydia’s boyfriend/producer Rory publicly proposed to her during the wake adding to the growing tension between Lydia and Astrid while Delia also is not fond of Rory as she’s concerned with cleaning out the house and express her grief through art. The script does play into Lydia and Delia’s relationship with each other as the former feels lost as she turns to the latter despite the issues they have had in the past. Still, the presence of Betelgeuse still looms as he has problems of his own in the fact that his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has returned following a strange accident involving a janitor. Delores and Betelgeuse met during the plague as the former was part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill the latter only for Betelgeuse to kill her in retaliation. While Lydia is reluctant to ask for Betelgeuse’s help when Astrid is sent to the Afterlife, Betelgeuse does help her though it does come with some risks as he is an opportunist who will always want something. Still, he does want to show Lydia that he does care despite his motives.
Tim Burton’s direction is stylish and full of whimsy in terms of re-establishing a few visual clues and some Easter eggs relating to the original 1988 film but also paying tribute to that film as its opening sequence mirrors the same one from that film. Shot on location in Vermont and Massachusetts with some interior shots created in London, Burton does play into these two different worlds that is the living and the dead where Lydia’s show is filled with these quirks that is expected in shows about the paranormal. Yet, Burton also infuses the film with different kinds of style ranging from European horror in a sequence where Betelgeuse tells his employees about how he met his ex-wife to stop-motion animation in discussing how Charles Deetz had died. Still, Burton knows when to break from the humor and horror to create scenes that are straightforward in his compositions where he uses close-ups and medium shots in the way characters interact with one another. There are some wide shots that Burton uses though he prefers to maintain some simplicity when it comes to the compositions and elaborate set pieces.
Burton also plays into this idea of death where there are some humorous moments as it relates to Delia’s over-the-top approach to grief as she expresses it through art as well as well as some of the antics that Betelgeuse does in the building he works at. Burton also maintains some suspense once Astrid is sent to the Afterlife as there are stakes not just for the Deetz but also for Betelgeuse himself as he is also being chased by the ghost detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) who was once a B-movie actor. The film’s climax is a throwback of sorts to the climax of the original film, but Burton brings in a more elaborate setting that involves musical dance numbers and other silly things that is expected from Burton. Overall, Burton crafts a dazzling and offbeat film about a woman reaching out to her former tormentor to help her retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife.
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for the daytime exteriors in some scenes as well as the usage of colorful lighting for the interior scenes in the Afterlife. Editor Jay Prichidny does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and suspense. Production designer Mark Scruton, along with supervising art directors Nick Gottschalk and Andrew Palmer plus set decorators Lori Mazuer and David Morison, does amazing work with the look of the Afterlife offices and hallways as well as the interiors of the old Deetz/Maitland home that also featured additional work from the first film’s production designer Bo Welch who serves as the film’s visual consultant. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the black clothing that Lydia wears as well as some of the clothes that Betelgeuse wears and the stylish clothing that Astrid and Delia wear.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does incredible work with the look of the characters from the look of the dead in the Afterlife as well as Delia’s red hair. Visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and special effects supervisor Stefano Pepin, along with creature effects designer Neal Scanlan, do phenomenal work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical and CGI effects to create a unique world . Sound designer Jimmy Boyle does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created as well as the atmosphere of a room during the wake scene as well as the raucous atmosphere of the scenes in the Afterlife.
The film’s music by Danny Elfman is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score filled with grand string and brass arrangements that play into the sense of suspense and humor while music supervisors James Balmont and Matthew Lawrenson create a fun soundtrack that features two different versions of the song MacArthur Park sung by Richard Harris and a disco version by Donna Summer. The rest of the music soundtrack also features music from the Bee Gees, Mazzy Star, Scott Weiland, Pino Donaggio, Sigur Ros, and Richard Marx as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sophie Holland is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Georgiana Beedle as Jackson’s secretary who always brings him a cup of coffee, Filipe Cates as a mysterious figure Astrid would meet in Vlad, casting director Sophie Holland as a hot dog lady with a stick who runs the office when the dead arrive, Sami Silane as an artist in Le Tigre who is upset at Delia for cancelling her show, and Amy Nuttall as the real estate agent Jane Butterfield who took over the business from her mother as she reveals some crucial information to Lydia that would be a key plot-point to the film. Other notable small roles include Santiago Cabrera as Astrid’s late father Richard who had died in South America, Burn Gorman as Father Damien who performed the funeral for Charles Deetz as well as other events in the town, and Nick Kellington as Betelgeuse’s right-hand shrinker-zombie friend Bob who helps run things for Betelgeuse.
Arthur Conti is superb as Jeremy as a young man Astrid meets after crashing her bicycle into his fence where he offers a chance to help Astrid see her father though he has motives of his own. Willem Dafoe is excellent as Wolf Jackson as a former B-movie actor who leads a paranormal detective force as he tries to deal with Delores and the antics of Betelgeuse where Dafoe gets the chance to ham it up as someone who really loves playing the role of a detective. Monica Bellucci is fantastic as Delores as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife who is part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill Betelgeuse during the black plague only to be killed by him in retaliation as she is eager to get revenge on him. Justin Theroux is brilliant as Lydia’s producer/boyfriend Rory as a guy who is the embodiment of uncool as he tries everything to win over Astrid while also forcing Lydia into a wedding for publicity reasons where Theroux is fun to watch in the way he reacts to certain things as well as just being so dumb. Jenna Ortega is incredible as Astrid as Lydia’s teenage daughter who wants nothing to do with her mother as she doesn’t believe in ghosts while feeling resentful towards her mother for not seeing their late father as well as other issues where Ortega brings a lot of wit and angst to her character while also proving to funny as she has great rapport with her co-stars.
Catherine O’Hara is phenomenal as Delia Deetz as Lydia’s stepmother who becomes consumed with grief over the death of her husband as she expresses it through art in the most hilarious of ways. Notably as she does some things that are odd, yet O’Hara often keeps things lively while also proving to be understanding over Lydia’s relationship with Astrid. Winona Ryder is great as Lydia Deetz as a paranormal TV show host who is still dealing with trauma as well as loss where Ryder keeps a lot of her performance straightforward while retaining a few quirks in her choice of clothing. Even though she is determined to not deal with Betelgeuse but realizes that she needs him to help retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a tremendous performance as Betelgeuse as the demon who still pines for Lydia while dealing with the return of his ex-wife as he is eager to be rid of Delores while also hoping to reunite with Lydia in the hopes of marrying her. Keaton adds a lot of energy and charisma to his performance as well as the complexity of someone who likes to create chaos while also wanting to show Lydia that he really does care in his own offbeat way.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a marvelous film by Tim Burton that features great performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, amazing set pieces, dazzling visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a story about loss and family. It is a film that does not try to be its predecessor while also acknowledging it in a loving way while also wanting to be entertaining and not taking itself too seriously. In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a remarkable film by Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) – Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) – Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) – (Sleepy Hollow) – (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) – (Big Fish) – (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) – (Corpse Bride) – (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) – (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) – (Dark Shadows) – (Frankenweenie) – (Big Eyes) – (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) – (Dumbo (2019 film))
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The film revolves around a trio of stories that all play into the idea of humanity with people encountering the absurd but also in situations that would prove to be challenging. All of which would feature a character mysteriously known as R.M.F. (Yorgos Stefanakos) as he is the titular character in all three different stories in the film. The first story entitled The Death of R.M.F. is about a man whose life is always in control until he refuses to finish an assignment he is asked to do where his life would fall apart. The second story in R.M.F. is Flying is about a police officer who learns his wife had been found after being lost in sea during a marine biology assignment, yet he realizes that something is not right as he believes the person who looks exactly like his wife is not really his wife. The third and final story in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is about two people trying to find someone who they believe possesses special abilities as they hope this person will become their spiritual leader for a secret cult. The film’s screenplay by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou is straightforward in its narrative, yet each story all plays into characters who are all in some strange situations as well as be in a world that is all absurd.
Lanthimos’ direction is stylish for the different approaches in telling the three different stories though they are all shot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana. Notably as some of his ideas of visual absurdity are kept to a restraint as it plays into more humanistic stories as the absurdity is more driven by the different plots in the film. Lanthimos would emphasize towards wide and medium shots in exploring some of the locations as well as to play into the sense of disconnect from reality. Lanthimos also uses close-ups to play towards some of the dramatic moments as well as some absurd and comical moments that occur in the film. Each story does have a distinctive tone as The Death of R.M.F. has an air of restraint in how the character of Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons) lives his day as it is always structured and controlled until he tries to kill someone for his boss/lover Raymond (Willem Dafoe) where he failed as his life falls apart where Lanthimos would maintain a sense of chaos that is burgeoning. In R.M.F. is Flying, the character of the police officer Daniel (Jesse Plemons) is coping with the loss of his wife Liz (Emma Stone) believing that she is lost at sea until he hears that Liz and another marine biologist had been found in an island.
Lanthimos’ direction in that segment is also restrained though the absurdity comes later when Daniel becomes more unhinged about this woman who is living his house where he asks her some odd things. Each segment would feature some offbeat ending that does play into this act of kindness though the third and final segment in R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich is much darker in its absurdity as it plays into the idea of cults that follows the two characters in Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons) are a part of as they try to find someone who they hope could be their spiritual leader. The direction has Lanthimos presenting a world that is offbeat where Emily and Andrew are part of this cult, yet they venture into the real world to find this person, though the former is also dealing with personal turmoil involving her ex-husband Joseph (Joe Alwyn) who would make things worse for her. It all plays into this desire to belong though reality would eventually kick in with an aftermath that all plays into the titular character of these three stories. Overall, Lanthimos crafts an exhilarating yet riveting film about a trilogy of tales revolving around people who deal with troubling circumstances in their lives.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes while also utilizing some black-and-white film stock for some offbeat inserts that add to the film’s surrealist tone. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of stylish cuts including some slow-motion shots and jump-cuts that add to the film’s humor. Production designer Anthony Gasparro, along with art directors Andrew Carnwath and Chris Cornwell plus set decorator Amy Beth Silver, does amazing work with look of the different homes the characters live in from the posh home that Raymond lives in as well as the motel room that Emily and Andrew stay at. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Robert wears as well as the brown suit that Emily would wear and some of the stylish clothing that many characters wear.
Special effects makeup artist Adam Bailey and hair stylist Gabrielle Burns do terrific work in some of the film’s minimal makeup effects as well as some of the design of the hairstyles that some of the characters wear. Special effects supervisor Matt Kutcher and visual effects supervisor Sebastian Barker do nice work in some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to some stunts involving cars and other offbeat visual inserts. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the usage of sparse and natural sounds for some key scenes in the film’s natural locations. The film’s music by Jersin Fendrix is incredible for its eerie music score that mainly consists of a few choral vocal arrangements and some discordant piano pieces that add to the drama and humor while music supervisors Anne Booty, Nick Payne, and Joe Rice cultivate a unique soundtrack that features music from the Eurythmics, Dio, and Cobrah.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Krystal Alayne Chambers as a cult member who is hoping to be cleansed, Merah Benoit as Emily and Joseph’s daughter whom Emily rarely sees, Yorgos Stefanakos as variations of a man known as R.M.F., and Hunter Schafer as a young woman named Anna who is observed by both Emily and Andrew to see if she has any powers. Joe Alwyn is terrific in a trio of small roles as a collector appraisal who shortchanges Robert over the sports memorabilia he possesses while he also plays car passenger that Daniel deals with, and as Emily’s ex-husband Joseph who has issues with Emily’s life in the cult as well as how to deal with their daughter. Hong Chau is fantastic in a trio of roles as Robert’s wife, the wife of Liz’s colleague, and as the wife of a cult leader in Aka where Chau brings a lot of low-key restraint and humor to the characters that she plays.
Mamoudou Athie is excellent in a trio of roles as Sarah’s swim coach, Daniel’s police officer partner Neil, and as a morgue nurse where he is quite prominent as Neil who is concerned over Daniel’s behavior considering Liz’s return. Margaret Qualley is brilliant in a quartet of roles as Raymond’s in-house lover Vivian, Neil’s wife Martha, and as identical twins in Ruth and Rebecca where Qualley brings a lot of different complexities to the characters with Rebecca being the weirdest as someone who goes to Emily and Andrew over her sister believing she’s the person they’re looking for. Willem Dafoe is amazing in a trio of role as Robert’s boss/lover Raymond, Liz’s father George, and a cult leader in Omi where Dafoe brings a lot of versatility to his roles as this stern yet caring figure for Robert as well as an offbeat man in Omi who is a true believer of this idea that they’re following believing that purified water from humans will give them long lives.
Finally, there’s Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in tremendous performances in the trios of roles they play. In the roles of Raymond’s temporary lover Rita, Daniel’s long-lost wife Liz, and the cult follower Emily, Stone provides a lot of different looks and nuances to the characters she plays with Liz being this woman who is trying to understand her husband’s odd behavior while being livelier and more humorous as Emily in her mission to find this spiritual being as well as trying to see her daughter. Plemons’ performances as Robert and Daniel are full of these complexities with former being a man whose life is structured in every way until he breaks from that structure while the latter is someone who becomes suspicious over his wife over the little things about her that he does not recognize. In the role of Emily’s partner Andrew, Plemons is more restrained as someone who helps her while also being in love with Omi as he is envious towards Emily over her connection with him.
Kinds of Kindness is a phenomenal film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features top-notch leading performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. Along with its ensemble cast, wondrous visuals, an eerie music score, and riveting stories of humanity in troubling situations. It is a film that plays into a trio of offbeat stories that has a bit of surrealism as it involves people who are in situations that are beyond their control and to try and find some form of kindness. In the end, Kinds of Kindness is a sensational film by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (Alps) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) – The Favourite - Poor Things - (Bugonia)
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Set in the late 19th Century during the Victorian era of London, the film revolves around a young woman who had killed herself only to be resurrected by a scientist as she goes on a journey of sexual discovery, identity, and ideals through some of the people she meets along the way including a greedy and nefarious attorney who lusts after her. It is a film that follows the life of this woman who despite having a brain transplant following her suicide as she would have the mind of a child that would then grow into a full-fledge woman with an appetite for sex and knowledge. Tony McNamara’s screenplay is filled with not just this unique study of a woman’s mental and emotional development but also through the people she meets in her life including the scientist in Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) who found her dead body in a river and would make a discovery as he would remove her brain and put in another brain and use electricity to revive her as he would call her Bella (Emma Stone).
Dr. Baxter and his maid Mrs. Prim (Vicki Pepperdine) would take care of Bella who would start off with the mind of a child learning to walk as one of his students in Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) would aid them both and take notes as he would fall for Bella. Yet, Bella gets the attention of the attorney Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) who would fall for her and convince Bella to travel with him around the world much to Dr. Baxter’s reluctance and Max’s refusal. Bella’s relationship with Duncan revolves around sex at first until she gets to know him as someone who is a control freak that couldn’t keep up with Bella’s thirst for sex and knowledge as they travel on a ship to Alexandria where she meets the cynical philosopher Harry Astley and the elderly German Martha Von Kurtzroc (Hanna Schygulla) who are both amazed by her. Yet, Bella would also encounter things that would challenge her ideals as it all plays into her own journey and revelations about her past life before her suicide.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ direction is quite sprawling in terms of not just the way he imagines some of the places that Bella would encounter but also a world that is just as odd and wondrous as she would imagine. Shot largely on location in Hungary with several interiors and sets made at the Origo Studios in Budapest, Lanthimos does play into this world that is full of wonders but also a reality that is too terrifying to ignore. Much of the film’s first act is shot in black-and-white with bits of color emerging in flashbacks as Lanthimos’ usage of fish-eyed lenses for wide shots add to the surrealistic tone of the film as well as this world where Bella is protected from during her time living with Dr. Baxter who is a father figure to her while also knows the truth about who she is. Max is also protective of her as he would take notes observing her while all three and Mrs. Prim are happy at Dr. Baxter’s lab in doing experiments including the hybrid animals that Dr. Baxter has surrounded himself. Still, Lanthimos’ direction also play into the outside world as its second act goes into full-blown color while it also play into this sense of manic energy into Bella’s hedonistic attitudes as she finds a partner in Duncan.
The scenes set in Lisbon, Alexandria, and the cruise ship they travel on are quite surreal as it is this strange mix of a futuristic world (by 19th Century standards) and the period of the time as it has something that feels artificial and dream-like. Lanthimos’ usage of the wide and medium shots add to the scope of that world while Lanthimos does maintain some intimacy including the usage of close-ups including some extreme close-ups that play into Bella’s sexual awakening. There is a lot of humor that play into Bella’s understanding of the world as well as humanity where its third act that begins in Paris where she learns a lot about the ways of the world and what Dr. Baxter was trying to shield her from. Especially as there’s revelations into her past life where Max feels the need to take a stand for her as well as realize the sacrifices that Dr. Baxter had done towards her. It all plays into a woman discovering herself but also a world where men do what they can to maintain the status quo unaware that she is willing to challenge these ideals. Overall, Lanthimos crafts a majestic yet wild film about a woman coming of age in her understanding of sex and its many ideals including her own identity.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does incredible work with the film’s cinematography from the striking imagery in the black-and-white photography in its daytime interior/exterior scenes to the exterior scenes at night as well as the lush colors for the scenes in Lisbon and the interiors in the ships as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis does excellent work with the editing as it has elements of style as well as some unique jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts that add to some of the humor and drama. Production designer Shona Heath and James Price, with set decorator Zsuzsa Mihalek and senior art director Jonathan Houlding, do phenomenal work with the set design in the way Lisbon is presented as well as the interiors of the ships as well as the rooms and lab at Dr. Baxter’s home as it is a major highlight of the film. Costume designer Holly Waddington does fantastic work with the design of the dresses that Bella wears as well as the suits that the men wear during that period in the late 19th Century.
Prosthetic makeup designer Mark Coulier and hair/makeup prosthetic designer Nadia Stacey, along with hair/makeup supervisor Carolyn Cousins, do amazing work with the look of Dr. Baxter with his scars and deformed body parts as well as some of the scars that Bella has in her body. Special effects supervisors Balazs Hoffmann and Gabor Kiszelly, along with visual effects supervisor Simon Hughes, do terrific work in some of the visual design of some of the hybrid animals that Dr. Baxter have created as well as some set dressing including some of the cable cars at Lisbon. Sound designer Johnnie Burn does superb work with the sound in creating an atmosphere in the way Bella hears things as well as certain natural sounds and textures that play into the humor and drama. The film’s music by Jerskin Fendrix is brilliant for its unconventional music score filled with unique string and piano arrangements and textures that are offbeat in its presentation as well as some orchestral themes that have some discordant elements as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisors Anne Booty and Sarah Giles cultivate a soundtrack that largely features European folk music of that period performed by Carminho.
The casting by Dixie Chassay is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from composter Jerskin Fendrix as a restaurant musician in Lisbon, Carminho as a Fado performer Bella sees in Lisbon, Wayne Brett as a priest whom Bella would have sex with, Tom Stourton as a steward on the ship that Duncan tries to fight against, Vicki Pepperdine as Dr. Baxter’s maid/assistant Mrs. Prim who is very loyal to Dr. Baxter, Suzy Bemba as a prostitute in Toinette whom Bella would befriend and learn the ideas of socialism from, and Margaret Qualley in a terrific small role as Felicity as a replacement for Bella at the Baxter home as she provides a lot of humor as someone that has a hard time learning. Kathryn Hunter is superb as Madame Swiney as an aging brothel madam in Paris that gives Bella a job in the film’s third act as well as show her a broader view of the world through good and bad. Hanna Schygulla is fantastic as Martha Von Kurtzroc as an elderly passenger whom Bella befriends on the ship as she gives Bella some joy and insight as well as gaining her own sense of joy through Bella.
Jerrod Carmichael is excellent as the American philosopher in Harry Astley whom Bella meets on the ship towards Alexandria as a cynic who wants to show Bella the cruelties of the world while he also realizes that Bella’s viewpoint also has some upsides. Christopher Abbott is brilliant as Alfie Blessington as a cruel and sadistic general who is a key figure in Bella’s past as he is this representation of the darkest aspects of humanity and masculinity. Ramy Youssef is amazing as Max McCandles as a medical student that Dr. Baxter brings in to assist him as he falls for Bella while also coping with her absence as he copes with Dr. Baxter’s growing illness as he is someone that represents the best in men as he is also open-minded and caring. Mark Ruffalo is great as Duncan Wedderburn as this sleazy and hedonistic attorney that falls for Bella as he would take her around Europe only to be overwhelmed by her as he is full of dark humor and snobbery that adds to how awful his character is as it is one of Ruffalo’s finest performances.
Willem Dafoe is incredible as Dr. Godwin “God” Baxter as this scientist and surgeon who has a deformed face and hands while also is unable to fart as he is this odd yet caring figure who is trying to understand humanity while caring for Bella as if she’s his daughter as it is a very tender and somber performance from Dafoe. Finally, there’s Emma Stone in a magnificent performance as Bella Baxter as this woman who had been resurrected after committing suicide but with the brain of a baby as she would learn about things while there is also a sense of physicality that Stone brings to her performance. Stone also exudes this sense of wonderment and ferocity in her role as there’s a lot of energy and emotions into her role but also the willingness to be vulgar in a humorous way as it is a performance for the ages.
Poor Things is an outstanding film from Yorgos Lanthimos that features a towering leading performance from Emma Stone. Along with its ensemble cast, Tony McNamara’s riveting script, ravishing visuals, gorgeous cinematography, wondrous sound design, and Jerskin Fendrix’s offbeat score. It is a film that explores a woman’s journey to find herself but also her exploration of sex and identity as it is told in a grand and stylistic manner. In the end, Poor Things is a magnificent film from Yorgos Lanthimos.
Yorgos Lanthimos Films: (My Best Friend (2001 film)) – (Kinetta) – Dogtooth - (Alps) – The Lobster - (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) – The Favourite - Kinds of Kindness - (Bugonia)
© thevoid99 2023
25 years since the release of Riget II that ended with a conclusion that were left with more questions than answers into the fates of many of its characters. It was an ending that was widely considered unsatisfying and for the longest time, it looked like there were going to be unanswered since several actors from the first two mini-series have died. Death is a prominent theme in the third and final part of the mini-series yet it takes place 25 years after what happened as it revolves around a sleepwalker in Karen (Bodil Jorgensen) who is watching the finale of Riget II as she wakes up from her sleep as she walks into the Kingdom as she is given a mission to finish what Mrs. Drusse was trying to uncover. Like the two mini-series before, each episode opens with images of people washing clothes onto a swamp known as bleach pools is where the Kingdom would be built and it would end with Lars von Trier talking to the audience about what had happened on the episode as well as telling the audience to take the good with the evil. This time around, von trier only appears behind the curtains as a way to hide his current-self due to his Parkinson’s diagnosis with only his shoes appearing.
The teleplay by von Trier and Niels Vorsel does keep the same narrative structure like in the miniseries before except there’s a lot more chaos around from within as well as this conflict between the Swedes and the Danes with several Swedes working in a hospital as they all have to try and hide their identities with many of them converging into a group meeting known as Swedes Anonymous. There are five episodes in this season instead of four in the two previous seasons though each episode has a cold open with the first one entitled Halmar having Karen watching Riget II on DVD as the season has a lot of mentions and references to the previous show with complaints over its lack of realism and how they blame von Trier for ruining the hospital’s reputation. Several characters from the previous seasons such as Jorgen “Hook” Krogshoj (Soren Pilmark), Judith Petersen (Brigitte Raaberg), Rigmor Mortensen (Ghita Norby), Morten “Mogge” Moesgaard (Peter Mygind, Little/Big Brother (Udo Kier), Mona (Laura Christensen), the secretary Fru Svendsen (Birthe Neumann), Director Bob (Henning Jensen), and Camilla (Solbjorg Hojfeldt) do return as it play into their own fates and what had happened to them. Yet, von Trier and Vorsel chooses to focus on not just the new characters but also this growing chaos within the hospital that is coming out during the Christmas holidays.
In Halmar Stig Helmer Jr. (Mikael Persbrandt) arrives to the Kingdom from Sweden to oversee and observe the hospital’s operations if it lives up to standards similar to Sweden as he tries to not cause or bring trouble. Instead, he learns that Danes have managed to live up to standards but also with ideas that are confusing as its manager Pontopidan (Lars Mikkelsen) is trying to avoid conflict and chaos while also dealing with insomnia and the presence of Mortensen who annoys him whenever they meet in the elevator. Among the main people in the staff that Helmer has to deal with is the irritable Filip Naver (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), Mogge, and the Swedish nurse Anna (Tuva Novotny) whom he would be attracted to yet she would sue him for sexual harassment in the second episode entitled The Congress Dances where the two both go to the Swedish lawyer (Alexander Skarsgard) who does his practice in a bathroom like his father did before him in the second season where Helmer learns about his father upon meeting Mortensen. That episode revolves around a conference focusing on pain hosted by Pontopidan while Karen is aided by the attendant Balder (Nicolas Bro) to become a patient in the neurosurgery ward where she meets the nurse Camilla who is haunted by the presence of an evil figure who has arrived in the Grand Duc (Willem Dafoe) who learns what Karen is trying to do.
The third episode Big Brother relates to the character and his whereabouts along with the whereabouts of Mona and the remains of Mrs. Drusse at swamp underneath the hospital as Karen realizes her mission as they find Judith Petersen who is given a chance to redeem herself. Even as she would also get the antidote that Helmer’s father had to get Hook out of his cruel state as he had been banished from the hospital due to what happened at the end of the second season. Helmer meanwhile gets the ire of Naver following a surgery where it was performed on Karen instead of a different patient as Helmer endured an act of humiliation because of Denmark’s strange approach to justice that forces him to get revenge for himself and his father upon learning what happened to his father. The fourth episode Barbarossa is about Helmer’s plan for revenge with help from Anna, the computer technician/hacker Kalle (Ida Engvall) and the kitchen worker Bosse (David Dencik) in committing acts of terrorism through small means. Having saved Big Brother during a massive heart surgery, Judith reunites with her son while Karen brings in a box of blocks for Mona who finishes her message that unveils a massively shocking revelation for Helmer.
Its finale entitled Exodus is the culmination of everything as Helmer’s plan to take over failed due to this revelation with Anna being punished and humiliated forcing the two to quit the Kingdom. Even as Karen and Balder deal with their doppelgangers with Hook’s help in his own quest for redemption as they make some discoveries about the location of the Kingdom just as the Grand Duc does whatever he can to stop them. Even as chaos looms all over the hospital as the Grand Duc awaits the arrival of his master. It all plays into this event for the entire series as its ending is pure von Trier not just in this idea of death but also a cruel fate for a key character of the entire series.
The direction of von Trier is definitely stylish though it opens in a letterboxed presentation with full colors where Karen watches Riget II at home complaining about its ending only to later wake up and arrive at the Kingdom where the aspect ratio changes to a 1:66:1 aspect ratio with sepia-drenched colors to return to the look of the entire series. The direction, with additional work by Christian E. Christiansen, is presented with a lot of hand-held cameras with some slanted camera angles but also some unique tracking shots with its emphasis on wide shots to get a scope of the hospital as a whole along with shots of the locations with the bridge that borders Denmark and Sweden. There are also medium shots and close-ups that do play into von Trier’s vision including the scenes that mirror moments from the previous seasons including two characters in the dishwashers in the midget-like male dishwasher (Jesper Sorensen) and a female robotic arm (voice of Jasmine Junker) who both serve as a Greek chorus of sorts as, like their predecessors, are the smartest people in the entire building.
The direction also has von Trier play into many things that relates to the miniseries and himself such as a scene of Anna trying to seduce Helmer only to later sue him for sexual harassment in The Congress Dances as well as a humiliating event in the elevator in Barbarossa where Anna jumps over the sight of a snake with her pants falling down and Helmer catching her with many believing Helmer is raping her. It plays into many of von Trier’s own accusations in sexual harassment as Helmer is someone that doesn’t want to offend any woman or do the wrong thing but is often put in compromising situations that doesn’t make himself any better as he turns to the Swedish attorney as it is told with a lot of humor. The series has von Trier continuing many gags as it relates to director Bob trying to play Solitaire on his computer while dealing with warts, wasteful liquids, and issues with another hospital in Copenhagen that has a proton accelerator.
By the time it reaches the finale, there are these elements that doesn’t just play into Sweden’s issues with Denmark as it plays into this sense of superiority from the former towards the latter but also the fact that the latter have a weird idea of justice and such where those who are punished are put into the stocks and get kicked in the ass. It would add to not just Helmer’s hatred of the Danes as he would say the words that his father often said at the end of every episode from the past but he would gain an ally in Anna who too would be humiliated by the Danes. It all plays into locations where von Trier would use it for this major climatic moment but there are a lot of things as it relates to the hospital’s origins with the Grand Duc wanting to destroy all no matter who it is. All of which has him awaiting the arrival of his master who does unveil himself as it has this dark sense of humor while its final shot post-credit is also a form of humor as it plays into everything that had happened. Overall, von Trier crafts a fucking insane, horrifying, disgusting, and hilarious TV mini-series about a hospital where a lot of bad shit goes on with an old woman trying to uncover its mystery as well as deal with some bad people.
Cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro does brilliant work with the miniseries’ cinematography from the usage of stylish lights and colors for the first episode’s cold open to the sepia-drenched look of the entire series with its emphasis on available light including for many of the scenes set at night. Editors Olivier Bugge Coutte, Jacob Secher, Schulsinger, and My Thordal do excellent work with the editing with its usage of straight cuts, some jump-cuts to play into some of the chases and other bits that add style to the entire miniseries. Production designer Simone Grau Roney and art director Cecilia Hellner do amazing work with the look of the interiors as well as the designs of some of the new places such as the corridors that lead to the swamp and the rooms/offices of the doctors. Costume designer Manon Rasmussen does nice work with the look of the costumes from the refined look of Helmer to the more casual look of everyone else in the miniseries that also include Santa hats.
Prosthetics and makeup effects designer Love Larson does nice work with the look of a few characters with Big Brother being the most notable as well a few mysterious characters including the design of a discovery that Kalle and Balder found. The visual effects by Laurent Ravicini and Peter Hjorth is terrific as it play into some of the supernatural elements including the scenes in the swamp. Sound designer Eddie Simonsen does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations and in the rooms as well as the sounds of ghosts and natural disasters that would occur throughout the miniseries. The miniseries’ music consists of score pieces from the previous series by Joachim Holbek including its main theme as it also include some classical pieces and contemporary music with some of it played on location as well as a score piece performed by Eduard Artmeyev as a homage to the film Solaris.
The miniseries’ ensemble cast is great as it feature some notable small roles and guest appearances from Solbjorg Hojfeldt as the nurse Camilla who is haunted by words relating to the Grand Duc, Jesper Sorensen and Jasmine Junker as the dishwaters who serve as the Greek chorus for the series, David Dencik as a kitchen worker who is part of the Swedes Anonymous group, Peter Mygind as Morten “Mogge” Moesgaard as a doctor who works in the hospital though there’s questions about his fate at the end of the second miniseries, Soren Pilmark as Jorgen “Hook” Krogshoj who has been banished from the main hospital grounds as he’s been grouchy and disdainful until an anecdote brought him back to his old self as he would help Karen and Balder, Brigitte Raaberg as Judith Petersen as a former neurosurgeon turned cardiologist who laments over the loss of her son until she gets a chance to redeem herself and reunite with him, Ghita Norby as Helmer Sr.’s widow Rigmor Mortensen as a former doctor who annoys Pontopidan in the elevators while being amputated as she meets Helmer about his father, Birthe Neumann as the secretary Fru Svendsen who tries to keep things in bay as she endures the chaos that is going on, and Laura Christensen as a brain-damaged patient of Helmer Sr. in Mona who is in a swamp as she is eager to finish her message about Helmer Sr.
Henning Jensen is terrific as director Bob who deals with a lot of things as he hopes to be better than a rival hospital while trying to master Solitaire despite some difficulty. Udo Kier is superb as Big Brother as Judith’s deformed son who has been drowning on his tears as he is dying while he also copes with the terror in the hospital as it relates to where it was built. Alexander Skarsgard is fantastic in his small role as the Swedish attorney as he takes over his father’s practice by doing things in a bathroom as he deals with his clients but also his disdain for the Danes. Ida Engvall is excellent as the Swedish computer technician/hacker Kalle who also harbors disdain towards the Danes but is also someone who can get things done while Nikolaj Lie Kaas is hilarious as the irritable Naver as a surgeon who is often annoyed and lashes out while he also does something disgusting with his eye that disgusts people. Lars Mikkelsen is brilliant as Pontopidan as the hospital floor manager who deals with insomnia as he loves to sleep on a bag of peas while also coping with a lot of the chaos where he prefers not to be confrontational.
Willem Dafoe is incredible as the Grand Duc as this mysterious evil figure who is an agent of chaos as he does what he can to stop Karen while creating doppelgangers of her and Balder as a way to stop them with Dafoe also speaking Danish throughout the series. Tuva Novotny is great as Anna as a Swedish nurse who hides her background as she tries to seduce Helmer but through awkward means as she would sue him and such only to get into trouble of her own as well as trying to hold on to her pants. Mikael Persbrandt is phenomenal as Stig Helmer Jr. as a renowned Swedish surgeon who arrives in Denmark only to deal with a lot of things that upset him as he learns more about his father and why his father hates the Danes where he brings a lot of wit to his performance. Nicolas Bro is sensational as Balder as an attendant, who is called Bulder by many in reference to the character from the series, who helps Karen with her quest while dealing with the chaos at the hospital despite some of his clumsiness and such. Finally, there’s Bodil Jorgensen in a tremendous performance as Karen as a sleepwalker who also has a personality in which she speaks in another voice where she goes to the hospital to finish Mrs. Drusse’s mission where she learns about the hospital as well as the evil forces in the hope she can save it despite the many obstacles she goes through.
Riget: Exodus is an outstanding TV miniseries from Lars von Trier. Featuring a great cast, eerie visuals, a great mixture of suspense and dark humor, and giving audiences of the previous miniseries a fitting conclusion. It is a miniseries that doesn’t just play into the world of terror, hospital dramas, and other weird shit but it also a miniseries that all play into the world of death and the inevitable as it relates to death. If this miniseries is to become Lars von Trier’s final project due to his Parkinson’s disease, then what a way to go out. In the end, Riget: Exodus is a magnificent TV miniseries from Lars von Trier.
Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea (1988 TV film) - Europa - The Kingdom - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2: Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built - (Etudes)
Related: Favorite Films #3: Breaking the Waves - The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier
© thevoid99 2023
Set in Kissimmee, Florida at the Magic Castle Inn motel, the film revolves around a six-year old girl who spends much of her time playing with other kids including a new kid at another nearby motel as she deals with her young mother trying to make ends meet while they’re watched by a tough yet fair motel manager who does care about the young girl. It is a film with a simple premise as it’s more about the many adventures a six-year old girl and her friends take part as they scrounge up whatever money they can get while living in this motel near Walt Disney World. The film’s screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch is largely straightforward in its narrative but has a looseness in its structure as it follows the exploits of Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) as she plays with her friends as they do all sorts of things and beg for money to buy an ice cream cone while she lives in a motel with her young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) who works as an exotic dancer until she loses her job.
While she does get free food from a friend in Ashley (Mela Murder) whose son Scooty (Christopher Rivera) is a friend of Moonee, Halley would also sell perfume outside other motel/hotels nearby to pay the rent. Still, she is hoping to go out and party yet things become problematic as well as the fact that she and Ashley fall out over an incident involving Moonee and Scooty at an abandoned condominium area with their new friend Jancey (Valeria Cotto). It would lead to some trouble though Halley doesn’t make things better in how she would get rent money as the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) has been keeping an eye on things as well as watch over the children. While Bobby is a character that is tough on the rules and can tolerate the children in their mischievous antics. He does care about them as well as Moonee knowing that this girl can fend for herself despite her mother’s immaturity as he would also fend off a pedophile trying to chat up with the kids.
Baker’s direction doesn’t just feel loose in its presentation but it also has this colorful feel to it as it is shot on location in Kissimmee with the U.S. Highway 192 route being the main part of the film as it is a major character in the film as is the Magic Castle Inn. Baker’s usage of the wide shots are definitely striking as he definitely captures the scope of the building as well as the many different areas in the town as it showcases the world that Moonee and her friends live in. There’s a vibrancy to the visuals as it does play into a world that is magical in some ways yet there is also a realism into the fact that it is nearby one of the most famous attractions in the world in Walt Disney World where these real-life places add to this air of Americana that is unique. Baker’s usage of the medium shots and close-ups play more into the life at the Magic Castle motel including the room that Moonee and Halley stay in as it play into the world that these characters live in.
Also serving as the film’s editor, Baker maintains that air of looseness in the editing as it play into the sense of energy in the film where Baker uses jump-cuts to capture some of the energy in the kids running around the motel parking lots and such. Even where Baker would use hand-held cameras to bring up that air of realism as he also employ a lot of non-actors in the film. It gives the film that grounded presentation where Baker also shoots the film in 35mm for much of the film with the exception of the ending as it was shot on an iPhone 6S Plus. Still, Baker does maintain that sense of vibrancy in the visuals though it becomes more realistic during its third act as it does play into Halley’s activities in her room and the trouble she brings despite her intentions to raise Moonee though it would come with many complications. Overall, Baker crafts an exquisite yet entrancing film about the life of a six-year old girl and her young mother living and creating chaos at a motel in Kissimmee, Florida.
Cinematographer Alexis Zabe does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography as its emphasis on capturing the vibrancy of the locations with all of its colors has something that does feel like a fantasy though it set in real locations while many of the scenes at night are low-key in its lighting as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Stephonik Youth and set decorator Kurt Thoreson do excellent work with the look of the motel room that Moonee and Halley live in as well as the motel lobby and a few places the characters go to. Costume designer Fernando Rodriguez does fantastic work with the costumes as it is play into the look of the film with all of its colors and neon-like look in some of the things the characters wear.
Special effects supervisor James. L. Roberts and visual effects supervisor Philippe Desiront do terrific work in some of the film’s minimal set pieces that include the scene of the kids burning a pillow at a condo that goes wrong. Sound editor Jesse Pomeroy and sound mixer Mark Weber do amazing work with the sound as it help play into the real atmosphere of the locations as well as the way music sounds from another room. The film’s music by Lorna Balfe is wonderful as it is largely low-key as it appears mainly in the film’s ending as this soaring orchestral piece that play into the drama while music supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith cultivates a fun soundtrack that ranges from hip-hop, pop, R&B, Latin music, and such from acts such as Kool & the Gang, Nao, Vee tha Rula, Bobby Harden, Frank Fuchs, Bronze, Rich White, Hatuey, Ghosmerick, Skeey, Men Envy Children, Doug Walker, Renz Young, Coca Vango, Ryan Oakes, Mikey Amare, Noah North, Jennie Dapello, the Zinghoppers, Prez P and Big Nic, STS, Friends of the Friendless, Creig Camacho, Holfix, and George Pollis as a lot of is played on location.
The casting by Carmen Cuba is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Macon Blair as a tourist who claims Halley stole some wrist bands, Sandy Kane as an elderly lady who likes to be topless at the pool area, Aiden Malik as a friend of Moonee and Scooty in Dicky, Edward “Punky” Pagan as Dicky’s father, Josie Olivo as Jancey’s grandmother, Andrew Romano and Carolina Grabova as a Brazilian newlywed couple on their honeymoon, Terry Allen Jones as a cab driver in Patrice, and Caleb Landry Jones in a small role as Bobby’s son Jack who shows up when his father asks for help at the motel. Valeria Cotto and Christopher Rivera are amazing in their respective roles as Jancey and Scooty with the former being a new arrival at a nearby motel who joins in the fun and see the locations while the latter is a kid who likes to find things including a lighter that would ultimately raise suspicion from his mother. Mela Murder is excellent as Scooty’s mom Ashley who works at a diner as she helps bring in free food to Halley and Moonee until an incident forces her to be a mother and keep Moonee away from Scooty.
Willem Dafoe is phenomenal as Bobby Hicks as a manager for the Magic Castle motel who watches over everything as there’s moments where he’s stern and has to not take any bullshit from anyone but there is also a sensitivity in the way he acts towards the kids including Moonee as he becomes concerned for her well-being due to the activities her mother is doing in the film’s third act. Bria Vinaite is brilliant as Halley as a young woman who loses her job as an exotic dancer as she does what she can to pay her rent and be a good mom although she doesn’t make the best decisions and acts immature at times which adds to the realism of her performance. Finally, there’s Brooklynn Prince in a sensational performance as Moonee as a six-year old girl who likes to play around and do fun things despite the chaos she brings that naturalistic energy and innocence to her character as well as a sense of heartbreak into the situations she has to endure as it is a true breakthrough performance.
The Florida Project is a tremendous film from Sean Baker that features great performances from Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, and Willem Dafoe. Along with its ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, a vibrant and realistic setting, study on poverty near a world that is meant to be magical, and its bumping music soundtrack. It is a film that explores life seen from a young girl’s perspective as she tries to have fun during the summertime while dealing with the reality of her environment. In the end, The Florida Project is a spectacular film from Sean Baker.
Sean Baker Films: (Four Letter Words) – Take Out (2004 film) – (Prince of Broadway) – Starlet (2012 film) – Tangerine (2015 film) – Red Rocket - Anora
© thevoid99 2022
The film is the story of a young prince who witnesses the murder of his father by his uncle forcing the young prince to flee as he later grows into a man seeking revenge as he is aided by a slave in reclaiming his throne. It is a film with a simple premise where it isn’t just about revenge but also a boy becoming a man and trying to find himself and the fate of his quest. The film’s screenplay by Robert Eggers and Sjon is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it is more about the journey that its protagonist Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) takes from the time he witnesses his father in King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) be murdered by his uncle Fjornir (Claes Bang) when Amleth was a child (Oscar Novak) as its first act is about Amleth making an oath to get revenge on his uncle and save his mother in Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman) from his clutches. The first act also shows him becoming a Viking where he helps attack villages and such until an encounter with a Seeress (Bjork) who tells him that Fjornir has been exiled from Norway and is in Iceland with his mother, his eldest son Thorir (Gustav Lindh), and their youngest in Gunnar (Elliott Rose).
The second act revolves Amleth going to Iceland by posing as a slave where he meets another slave in Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) who claims to be a sorceress as she would help Amleth in seeking revenge. Yet, things become complicated as Amleth learns about Gunnar and the new world that Fjornir and Gudrun live in as they kept a low profile while Amleth also learns that his father’s jester Heimir (Willem Dafoe) had also been killed by Fjornir where Amleth meets the He-Witch (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson) who serves a medium for Heimir for Amleth. Amleth doesn’t reveal himself directly to his mother as he and Olga continue to work in secrecy as they would fall in love but things do get more troubling following some revelations leading into its third act. Notably as it does play into Amleth’s own devotion to his father and his father’s devotion to the spiritual world and nature itself.
Eggers’ direction definitely has elements of style but also this element of physicality into the world that these characters live in as it is intense and at times, unforgiving. Shot on various locations in parts of Great Britain as well as Ireland and Iceland, Eggers maintains this sense of physicality in these locations with the first twenty minutes set in this cold mountain forest where there are these gorgeous imagery with the daytime exteriors and interiors having this sense of the cold and the scenes at night were it is all about natural lighting that include this spiritual ceremony hosted by Heimir for the young Amleth and King Aurvandill. The usage of close-ups and medium shot in that ceremony also include these surrealistic images that play into this connection with the spiritual world as they would occur often in the film including a shot of a young Amleth on a horse running towards the light that is Valhalla.
Eggers also uses a lot of wide shots to get a scope of these locations but also these surroundings the characters are in as it also play into a moment in time that is brutal but also entrancing. Notably in shots where Eggers uses the wide shots in using these dolly-tracking shots to showcase the places that Amleth is in whether it is the palace building he’s in as a child or the place to retrieve a sword that he needs for his quest. The usage of the dolly-tracking shots would also play into the suspense including scenes late in the second act where Fjornir deals with these mysterious attacks where Eggers also maintains this air of brutality in the violence as it would intensify in the third act. Notably the climatic showdown between Amleth and Fjornir as it is told in a stylized manner that owes more to the prophecy that Amleth had to follow yet there are these surrealistic elements that bring a lot of power to this climax. Overall, Eggers crafts a mesmerizing yet unsettling film about a young Viking prince going on a quest for vengeance against his uncle.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of filters for a few surrealistic shots while much of it is natural in some of the interiors with its usage of fire as light as well as its emphasis on available light for some of the exterior scenes. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as its emphasis on having shots play out while also emphasizing on jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorators Pancho Chamorro and Niamh Coulter plus art directors Robert Cowper and Paul Ghirardini, does incredible work with the film’s art direction in the design of the village and castle that the young Amleth lived in to the fortress that he would attack as a Viking and the home that Fjornir would live in with Gudrun. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of some of the gowns that Gudrun wear as well as the armor that Fjornir and King Aurvandill wore as well as some of the wool clothes the other characters wore.
Hair/makeup designer Maralyn Sherman, with special effects makeup designer David White, does brilliant work with the look of a few characters with the Seeress being a major example as well as the look of a few spiritual figures that Amleth meets. Special effects supervisor Sam Conway, along with visual effects supervisors Angela Barson, Colin McCusker, and David Scott, does terrific work with some of the visual effects that include some of the film’s surrealistic imagery as well as some of the animals the characters encounter. Sound editors James Harrison and Steve Little, along with sound designers Jimmy Boyle and David Volpe, do phenomenal work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the usage of layered dialogue for some of the surrealistic moments as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough is remarkable as it is a highlight of the film with its usage of percussions, discordant strings, and other sounds to help create an unsettling tone for the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Ralph Ineson as a ship captain Amleth and Olga meet late in the film, Magne Osnes as a berserker priest who had become a father figure for Amleth, Kate Dickie as a senior slave who sort of runs Fjornir’s farm, Olwen Fouere as Fjornir’s priestess, Hafpor Julius Bjornsson as a rival tribe champion that Amleth fights during a game of knattleikr, Eldar Skar and Phill Martin as a couple of Fjornir’s housecarls with the former who lost his nose from a fight with the young Amleth, and Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson as the He-Witch as a spiritual figure who would serve as a medium for Heimir. Oscar Novak and Elliott Rose are terrific in their respective roles as the young Amleth and his eventual half-brother Gunnar as two young boys who both adore their fathers with the former feeling the need to get revenge while the other is struggling to prove to himself as a prince. Gustav Lindh is superb as Fjornir’s eldest son Thorir the Proud as a prince who is eager to rule over the slaves as he takes a disliking towards Amleth unaware of his true identity.
Bjork is fantastic in her brief role as a Seeress as this mysterious spiritual figure who would guide and remind Amleth of his quest for revenge while Willem Dafoe’s brief role as King Aurvandill’s jester Heimir is excellent for its sense of energy and intrigue as someone who doesn’t just favor the spiritual world but also the physical world. Ethan Hawke is brilliant as King Aurvandill as a man of simple ideas as he has a close bond with his son while he is also a man who loves nature and the spiritual world. Nicole Kidman is amazing as Queen Gudrun as a woman who is Amleth’s mother but is unaware of his identity believing he had died where she is devoted to her son and stepson/nephew as she also brings a lot of ambiguity to her role. Claes Bang is incredible as Fjornir as King Aurvandill’s brother who would take the throne feeling that his brother is too much of a savage as he is also someone that wants to make his own mark following his own exile.
Anya Taylor-Joy is sensational as Olga as a slave who claims to be a sorceress as she befriends and later falls for Amleth where she doesn’t just help him in getting his revenge but is also someone who also has a connection with nature and the spiritual world in the hope that a better future would come. Finally, there’s Alexander Skarsgard in a phenomenal performance as Amleth as a young prince who goes on a quest for vengeance to avenge his father and save his mother where he deals with the complexities of his mission and the added stakes as it relates to his family as well as his uncle where Skarsgard brings in a lot of restraint but also an intensity into his performance where it is a major breakout performance for him.
The Northman is a tremendous film from Robert Eggers that features great performances from Alexander Skarsgard and Anya Taylor-Joy. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous yet grimy visuals, intense music score, eerie sound design, its study of revenge and fate, and its idea of myth and spirituality. It is a film that doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to revenge films while it is also a study of a man trying to do what is right while facing obstacles that would push him further into his quest. In the end, The Northman is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Lighthouse (2019 film) - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
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Set in 1975 in the small town of Ennui, France, the film revolves a French foreign bureau newspaper whose editor had just died prompting its staff of American writers to finish its final issue that consists of three different stories. It is a film that explore the world of this magazine and the stories they tell as it all takes place in this small town in France that include three different stories plus a prologue, a small story about the town from a cycling reporter named Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson), and an epilogue. Wes Anderson’s screenplay is definitely inspired by the stories and the works of writers from The New Yorker as he play into this world of culture, politics, and adventure through the recollection of these writers. Sazerac’s story is just about the town this magazine is based on as it explore the many changes the town went through though its editor in Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray) wonders why Sazerac also talks about some of the seedier aspects of the town as it sets the tone for the entire film.
The first story entitled The Concrete Masterpiece from the writer J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) who hosts a lecture about the works of the artist Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro) and his own views on art including his relationship with his muse/prison guard in Simone (Lea Seydoux). It is a story that explore a man whose art is strange and abstract as a fellow prisoner in the art dealer Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody) wants to show it to the world including Berensen’s old boss Upshur “Maw” Clampette (Lois Smith) while hoping Rosenthaler would make a grand masterpiece. The second story entitled Revisions to a Manifesto by Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) explore a student protest revolution lead by Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet) whom Krementz gets close with yet finds herself having to deal with its complexities as well as vying for Zeffirelli’s affections with another student in Juliette (Lyna Khoudri). The third and final story entitled The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner by Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) was supposed to be about a dinner with Ennui’s police commissioner (Mathieu Almaric), that includes a revered chef/detective in Nescaffier (Stephen Park), where the commissioner’s son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped by a criminal syndicate over the arrest of an underworld accountant known as the Abacus (Willem Dafoe).
Anderson’s direction definitely bear a lot of the trademarks that he’s known for in his attention to detail in his framing, dolly-tracking shot camera movements, and other aspects that do play into his visual style. Shot largely on studios and locations in Angoulme in southwestern France, Anderson creates a world that is unique as the town of Ennui is this character where so much had happened as the first story by Sazerac as he’s riding on a bike revealed the town’s evolution as it is filled with these grand compare/contrast of what it looked like back in the first half of the 20th Century and what it would like in 1975. Shot largely on the 1:37:1 aspect ratio with some shots on different widescreen formats as well as some split-screens, Anderson uses the ratio to play into this world that is unique for this small town while much of the presentation is also shot in black-and-white except for much of the scenes at the magazine period and other bits in the three stories.
Anderson also draws upon some of the visual elements of the French New Wave in some of the compositions he creates in the medium and wide shots as he often captures so much detail into a room or in an entire setting. There are also some close-ups that Anderson uses to play into some of the drama and humor throughout the film as there is a lot of detail he brings that include moments of fantasy or reality. One of the stories also involve some comic-style animation supervised by Gwenn Germain in the style of The Adventures of Tintin for a key scene late in the film. The magazine itself that is illustrated by Javi Aznarez definitely owe a lot to the visuals of The New Yorker as it play into this idea of how a magazine can present stories for people to read with these interesting stories. While the narrative is straightforward though it is messy in some parts of the stories that are told as there’s small subplots and such in these stories. Anderson does play into the world of journalism in how they see things while the film is dedicated to many of those writers who did write for The New Yorker which some of the characters are based on. Overall, Anderson crafts a whimsical and exhilarating film about a French magazine run by Americans and the stories they tell in a small French town.
Cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of black-and-white film stock and its approach to lighting for some scenes as well as some of the colorful and vibrant lighting for the scenes in color including the scenes at night. Editor Andrew Weisblum does excellent work with the editing as its usage of jump-cuts help play into the humor and action as well as straightforward cuts to help play into the drama. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Rene DeAngelo and supervising art director Stephanne Cressend, does phenomenal work with the sets from the home of Zeffirelli and the place he hung out to the prison asylum that Rosenthaler does his work as well as the office at the magazine. Costume designer Milena Canonero does amazing work with the costumes from the look of the journalists as well as the many characters they encounter as it play into a lot of style with so much detail that include the motorcycle helmet that Juliette wears.
Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon and hair/makeup supervisor Fabienne Robineau do brilliant work with the look of the characters as they each have a distinctive personality as it adds to the film’s whimsical charm. Special effects supervisor Jean-Christophe Magnaud and visual effects supervisor Keith Devlin do terrific work with some of the film’s practical effects in some of the action as well as the design for some set pieces involving miniatures. Sound editor Christopher Scarabosio does superb work with the sound in the sound effects used for some of the objects and such including the sparse atmosphere for some scenes inside a room. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is tremendous for its rich and intricate music score filled with unique brass and string arrangements with elements of melodic string pieces and usage of harmoniums as well as piano solos performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet while music supervisor Randall Poster cultivates a soundtrack that features score pieces by Georges Delerue and Ennio Morricone as well as music from Grace Jones, Charles Aznavour, the Swingle Sisters, Chantal Goya, Gene Austin with Candy and Coco, Gus Viseur, and Jarvis Cocker as a French singer named Tip-Top.
The casting by Douglas Aibel, Antoinette Boulat, and Jina Jay is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances in the different sections of the film. In the roles of the film’s magazine staff, there’s Anjelica Bette Fellini as a proofreader for the magazine, Wally Wolodarsky as a writer for the magazine who has finished an article, Pablo Pauly as a waiter at a café in the same building as the magazine is at, Griffin Dunne as the magazine’s legal advisor, Fisher Stevens as the magazine story editor, Jason Schwartzman as the magazine cartoonist Hermes Jones, and Elisabeth Moss as the magazine’s copy editor Alumna. From The Concrete Masterpiece, the small performances from Morgane Polanski as a girlfriend of the young Rosenthaler, Felix Moati as the head caterer at the big event, Denis Menochet as a prison guard, Henry Winkler and Bob Balaban in their respective roles as Cadazio’s uncles in Joe and Nick, and Tony Revolori as the young Rosenthaler are a joy to watch.
From Revisions to a Manifesto, the performances of Rupert Friend, Alex Lawther, Toheeb Jimoh, and Tom Hudson as stage actors in a play, Guillaume Gallienne and Cecile de France as Zeffirelli’s parents, Mohamed Belhadjine as a student named Mitch-Mitch, and Christoph Waltz as a family friend of Zeffirelli in Paul Duval are fun to watch with Waltz being the stand-out. From The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner, the performances from Mauricette Coudivat as Gigi’s mother, Hippolyte Girardot as the commissioner’s friend who used to work for the police, Saoirse Ronan as a drug-addicted showgirl who befriends Gigi, and Edward Norton as a kidnapper who is also a chauffeur for the underworld. In the roles of the journalists who tell these respective stories, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Jeffrey Wright are brilliant in their respective roles as Herbsaint Sazerac, J.K.L. Berensen, Lucinda Kremetz, and Roebuck Wright as they’re all based on real writers from The New Yorker with Wilson providing a calm persona to his character while Swinton and McDormand both provide low-key humor to their roles and Wright brings a charisma a gay writer.
Bill Murray is fantastic as the magazine editor-in-chief Arthur Howitzer Jr. who is based on The New Yorker co-founder Harold Ross as a man who doesn’t like anyone crying in his office while is also wondering about all of the things his writers does but is also someone that knows talent. The quartet of Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, and Lois Smith are amazing in their respective roles as the artist Moses Rosenthaler, the art dealer Julien Cadazio, the prison guard/muse Simone, and the art collector Upshur “Maw” Clampette with del Toro providing a gruff persona to his role while Brody is this comical man determined to get rich. Seydoux’s performance is definitely the best in the segment as someone who is the embodiment of discipline including the way she poses nude in certain ways as well as being Rosenthaler’s greatest motivator. Smith’s small performance as Clampette is full of humor but also someone who understands great art.
Timothee Chalamet and Lyna Khoudri are excellent in their respective roles as student activists Zeffirelli and Juliette with the former being the leader of a revolutionary who would befriend Kremetz who gives him ideas while the latter is a woman who is suspicious over Kremetz yet has feelings for Zeffirelli. The incredible performances of Liev Schreiber, Mathieu Almaric, Stephen Park, Willem Dafoe and Winston Ait Hellal in their respective roles as the TV talk show host, the police commissioner, the chef Nescaffier, the underworld accountant Abacus, and the commissioner’s son Gigi with Schreiber providing some wit in a role inspired by Dick Cavett while Almaric and Park both provide some humor in their respective roles with Park being the most restrained as a cook who makes great recipes. Dafoe provides humor as this accountant who is aware he’s in deep shit but is also hungry for food while Hellal brings a restraint to a kid who is quite intelligent but also knows Morse code.
The French Dispatch is a marvelous film from Wes Anderson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, incredible art direction, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is a film that explores the world of journalism as a magazine publishes its final issues that is filled with wonderful stories set in a small town in France. In the end, The French Dispatch is a remarkable film from Wes Anderson.
Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - Asteroid City – The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) - (Asteroid City) - (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar)
© thevoid99 2022
