Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the story of a woman who rents three billboards to bring attention into why the local police haven’t made any effort into finding out who killed her daughter. It’s a film that explores a small town unraveled by a woman’s need for justice where its chief wants to help but is dealing with personal matters prompting his deputy to cause a lot of trouble. Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, and Sam Rockwell. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a visceral and eerie film from Martin McDonagh.

A young woman had been raped and killed outside a small town in Missouri as her mother becomes consumed with guilt and rage as the investigation hasn’t gone anywhere prompting her to rent three billboards outside of the home that asks its local police chief why hasn’t there been any arrests. The film is about these three billboards which has caused a lot of trouble for this small town in Missouri as its police chief is dealing with the fact that he’s dying from cancer despite the fact that he does want to help. Yet, there are those who are angered by the billboards including a deputy who acts out by causing all sorts of trouble unaware of what he’s supposed to do for the town. Martin McDonagh’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this small town rocked by a murder only to be more unhinged when Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) decides to rent these three billboards outside of a town that is on her way home where it reads the following message in sequential form: “Raped while dying”, “And still no arrests”, and “How come, Chief Willoughby?”

While Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is upset over the billboards, he does understand Mildred’s anger as he is still unable to get a break over the murder of Mildred’s daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton). Adding to his trouble is the fact that he’s diagnosed with cancer as he’s become more concerned with his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish) and his two daughters. Though he tries to continue his job as well as find any clues with Angela’s murder with Deputy Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) helping him despite the fact that he doesn’t like Mildred nor does he do what is right by the law as he is prejudiced and takes the law into his own hands. One of McDonagh’s key aspects of the script isn’t just the structure and this exploration for peace and justice in a small town. It’s also in the development of the characters as both Mildred and Chief Willoughby are individuals want some idea of justice as the first two acts revolve around both of them with the former being a single mother with a teenage son in Robbie (Lucas Hedges) as she also has a contentious relationship with her ex-husband Charlie (John Hawkes).

Then there’s Dixon who is this mama’s boy that is very hot-headed and eager to succeed in the force but is also a dimwit who prefers to read comic books and listen to music on his earphones than do his job. There are people in the force who would question why Willoughby would keep him on the job as it would be unveiled in the third act where it play into Dixon’s development as a character. Especially as he would find his true calling that would give him a sense of purpose as well as give some kind of hope and peace to Mildred and Chief Willoughby.

McDonagh’s direction is definitely evocative in terms of the imagery he creates where it is shot mainly in Sylvia, North Carolina as this small town of Ebbing, Missouri with its usage of mountains and routes with certain curves on the road. Yet, there is this one location of these three abandoned billboards that would be at the center of the film as they would appear constantly whether it’s in a wide shot or in a close-up. Since the billboards are below a hill where Mildred can see hit from her house, it is placed in an area outside of town where it would get a lot of attention where McDonagh’s would showcase how some would react to these billboards. Notably Chief Willoughby and Dixon who would see these billboards as it just add to their reaction whether it’s serious or comical. The humor in the film does have an aspect of darkness but also in the way Mildred deals with people including a local priest as she puts him in his place.

McDonagh would also use close-ups and medium shots to get an intimate look into the lives of the characters in the film as he would show what they’re like as Mildred is just a woman who works in a shop that is just consumed with grief and anger as she lives with her teenage son. Chief Willoughby lives in a farm with his family while living in the small town is Dixon with his mother as they all have different lives and personalities yet are part of this very diverse community that is coming apart by Mildred’s actions. Even in some of the moments that involve arson and violence with the latter coming from Dixon as he beats up a local advertising agent. It’s a gruesome scene but it play into the sense of loss that Dixon is dealing with and his inability to control himself as he would later find that control during a tense meeting with a man at a bar. It’s a moment that shows that despite many of Dixon’s flaws, there is still a man that is just trying to do good for his community. Even in a world where justice is hard to come by for a woman just wanting peace for her daughter and those who had suffered through this murder. Overall, McDonagh crafts a mesmerizing yet gripping film about a woman calling attention for justice for her daughter’s rape and murder.

Cinematographer Ben Davis does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights and such for many of the scenes set at night to a more naturalistic look for the interior/exterior scenes set in the day. Editor Jon Gregory does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Merissa Lombardo and art director Jesse Rosenthal, does fantastic work with the look of some of the locations including the police precinct building and the look of the billboards. Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual including the uniforms Chief Willoughby and his team wear.

Special makeup effects designer Leo Corey Castellano does terrific work with the look of a character late in the film as it play to escalation of tension in the film. Visual effects supervisor Tyler Gooden does wonderful work with the visual effects as it is mainly based on scenes involving fire. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does superb work with the sound with the way some of the scenes in the small town occurs as well as some of the film’s violent moments. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its mixture of low-key orchestral music with some country textures to play into the location of where the film is set while music supervisor Karen Elliott provides a fun and offbeat soundtrack that include music from ABBA, the Four Tops, and a mixture of music genres ranging from folk, country, rock, and classical music.

The casting by Sarah Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Amanda Warren as Mildred’s friend/co-worker Denise, Darrell Britt-Gibson as a billboard painter who helps Mildred in posting the ads, Kerry Condon as the advertising agent secretary Pamela, Clarke Peters as a man who would come at the film’s second half to take charge of the investigation, Nick Searcy as the local priest who tries to help Mildred only to get a lashing about what he does, Christopher Berry as a mysterious visitor of the town, Sandy Martin as Dixon’s mother who is also prejudiced, Zeljko Ivanek as the precinct desk sergeant Cedric Connolly, Samara Weaving as Charlie’s dim-witted 19-year old girlfriend Penelope, Riya May Atwood and Selah Atwood as Chief Willoughby’s daughters, and Kathryn Newton as Mildred’s daughter Angela in a lone flashback scene on the night she was to be killed. Caleb Landry Jones is terrific as the billboard advertising agent Red Welby who takes Mildred’s money to post the ads where he would later get himself into serious trouble with Dixon.

Lucas Hedges is superb as Mildred’s son Robbie who is dealing with the action of his mother as he considers moving in with his father as he also realizes the need for justice. Peter Dinklage is fantastic as James as a local who is a friend of Mildred as he would help get out of trouble during the film’s third act as a way to give her something she didn’t have in her marriage to Charlie. John Hawkes is excellent as Mildred’s ex-husband Charlie who had been abusive to her as he feels that her action with the billboards have done nothing but bring trouble. Abbie Cornish is brilliant as Willoughby’s wife Anne who is dealing with her husband’s illness as well as the impact of the billboards where she does meet with Mildred in a scene during the second act as it play into the injustice that everyone is dealing with.

Sam Rockwell is incredible as Jason Dixon as a police deputy that is this odd mixture of someone who is ignorant and is willing to do something stupid but there’s also a good person in there where Rockwell toes the line between being profane and being decent where he later goes through a transformation of sorts in the third act where he realizes what needs to be done. Woody Harrelson is remarkable as Chief Bill Willoughby as a local police chief who is the target of Mildred’s billboards as he is aware of what he needs to do but he’s also dealing with his own illness as it’s a role that displays some humility but also some dignity. Finally, there’s Frances McDormand in a phenomenal performance as Mildred Hayes as a woman who is consumed with grief and guilt over the loss of her daughter as she rents three billboards to get attention and justice for her daughter as it’s a role of anguish, rage, and humor in which McDormand just seizes every ounce of energy and anger into her role while displaying this I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude about a world that is dark while clinging to some idea of hope.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a tremendous film from Martin McDonagh. Featuring a great ensemble cast, beautiful locations, an offbeat music soundtrack, and themes about justice and the need for action in a world that doesn’t get anything done. It’s a film that showcases what some will do in a call for action but also to make sense in a world of injustice where there are those that want to do what is right no matter how complicated the world can be. In the end, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a magnificent film from Martin McDonagh.

Martin McDonagh Films: (Six Shooter) – In Bruges - Seven Psychopaths

© thevoid99 2017

Seven Psychopaths

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths is the story of a struggling screenwriter who teams up with his best friend and another man to steal dogs only to realize they’ve stolen the dog of a troubled gangster. The three men deal with all sorts of trouble as they try to return the dog to the gangster. The film is a dark comedy that revolves around mistakes and mayhem as a writer seeks inspiration for his movie. Starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Olga Kurylenko, Abbie Cornish, Zeljko Ivanek, Gabourey Sidibe, Kevin Corrigan, and Tom Waits. Seven Psychopaths is a witty yet off-the-wall dark comedy from Martin McDonagh.

Struggling to write a new screenplay called Seven Psychopaths, Marty Faranan (Colin Farrell) is trying to come up with ideas as he’s dealing with writer’s block and lack of inspiration. Helping him is his friend Billy Bickle (Sam Rockwell) who often spouts lots of ideas for Marty to use as Billy spends his time kidnapping dogs with his friend Hans (Christopher Walken). One of the dogs Billy and Hans get is a Shih Tzu that belonged to the gangster Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson) as Billy decides to keep the dog for himself. Aware that Costello is deranged and is willing to kill at any length to get his dog back while there’s a psychopath killing low-level mobsters.

Marty, Billy, and Hans go on the run to hide from Billy and his hoodlums where Marty gets ideas for his story while learning more about the world of psychopaths that included a man he previously met named Zachariah Rigby (Tom Waits). Hiding at the desert, Marty gets more ideas while struggling with his alcoholism where he learns more about what is going on as Billy has a crazy idea for the ending that involves a showdown with Costello.

Anyone who knows about the art of writing knows that inspiration is hard to come by as the film is about a man trying to write a story about psychopaths that is different from the world of crime movies. Yet, he would end up meeting a slew of crazy characters that would be inspirational to him while taking part in a scheme that goes all wrong when it involves a gangster who is completely edgy and is willing to do anything to get his dog back. Mayhem ensues when these three men try to figure out how to deal with this unhinged gangster as more surprises are unveiled about the people the writer has been hanging out with.

Martin McDonagh’s screenplay definitely has a flair of snappy dialogue, absurd situations, and multiple stories that revolves around psychopaths as it begins with two hitmen (Michael Stuhlbarg and Michael Pitt) talking about killing someone and all things go to shit when the first psychopath is introduced. It’s part of McDonagh’s scheme to introduce a slew of psychopaths as it includes Vietnamese man (Long Nguyen) seeking vengeance against the Americans over the Vietnam War. Throughout the film, there’s scenes where it plays to Marty’s attempt to write the screenplay as there’s lots of fantasy scenes that plays to the idea of trying to write a screenplay. Even as it involves all sorts of character twists and such that plays to that world of the writer. The one flaw in the script is the way some of the female characters are presented like Marty’s girlfriend Kaya (Abbie Cornish) and Costello’s girlfriend/Billy’s mistress Angela (Olga Kurylenko) as they don’t really get much to do at all with the story.

McDonagh’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of presenting the mind of a writer as Marty is this uninspired writer who likes to drink a lot and hang around with his oddball buddies. Shot on location in Los Angeles and other parts nearby, it is a film that revolves around this strange criminal underworld that features a lot of strange and dark violent scenes. The violence is very brutal in the presentation as it plays to not just the fantasy of violence but also the grim reality. McDonagh does create some wonderful compositions and framing to display the world or the characters in their situations that includes some fantasy scenes or offbeat flashback scenes. Overall, McDonagh creates a fun yet very unconventional black comedy that explores the world of writing and psychopaths.

Cinematographer Ben Davis does nice work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the beauty of the locations in Los Angeles as well as the locations at the Joshua Tree Park. Editor Lisa Gunning does superb work with the editing by creating montages in the film‘s flashbacks and fantasy scenes along with some stylish cuts in some of those moments. Production designer David Wasco, along with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director John Dexter, does some fantastic work with the sets such as the home that Billy lives in to the dog shelter he and Hans run.

Costume designer Karen Patch does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes the men wear to the more stylish clothes that Kaya wears. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does some wonderful work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations along with the intimate moments involving a few characters. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is brilliant for its low-key, jazz-driven score to play up the film‘s dark humor. Music supervisor Matt Biffa is filled with a lot of songs from the 60s and 70s to play out the world the characters inhabit.

The casting by Sarah Finn is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some cameo appearances from Harry Dean Stanton as a mysterious psychopath, Michael Pitt and Michael Stuhlbarg as a couple of mob hitmen in the beginning of the film, Kevin Corrigan and Zeljko Ivanek as a couple of Costello’s henchmen, Long Nguyen as a Vietnamese psychopath, Brendan Sexton III as the young Zachariah, Gabourey Sidibe as the dog’s original caretaker Sharice, and Linda Bright Clay as Hans’ wife Myra. Abbie Cornish and Olga Kurylenko are quite good in their respective roles as Marty’s girlfriend Kaya and Costello’s girlfriend Angela though neither of them really get a lot of development nor any big moments for them to really stand out. Tom Waits is superb as the mysterious Zachariah who has this amazing scene where he tells a story about his notorious killings.

Woody Harrelson is brilliant as the deranged Charlie Costello who is determined to get his dog back as Harrelson brings a dark humor to the character who is also an emotional mess. Christopher Walken is fantastic as Hans who is a man with a dark past as he tries to deal with a situation while providing some very funny ideas to Marty. Sam Rockwell is outstanding as the very offbeat Billy who spouts all sorts of ideas to Marty while doing all sorts of crazy things as it’s Rockwell at his finest. Finally, there’s Colin Farrell in an excellent performance as the troubled Marty who is trying to come up with a great script as he deals with his alcoholism, his bitchy girlfriend, and all of the violence that is happening around him as it’s a very funny performance from Farrell.

Seven Psychopaths is a marvelous film from Martin McDonagh that features top-notch performances from Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, and Woody Harrelson. The film is definitely an intriguing piece into the world of writing as well a darkly-comic look into the world of the psychopaths. Notably in the latter as it shows the absurdity of murder and crime as well as what some people are willing to do to create the ultimate story. In the end, Seven Psychopaths is a remarkable film from Martin McDonagh.

Martin McDonagh Films: (Six Shooter) - In Bruges - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

© thevoid99 2012

Dancer in the Dark

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/24/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Lars von Trier, Dancer in the Dark is a film about a Czech immigrant raising her son in 1964 America trying to raise money to save her son's sight as her own vision diminishes. In the spirit of Dogme 95, von Trier goes for natural sounds and realism for storytelling as he also combines another film genre that he loves, the musicals. In Dancer in the Dark, von Trier uses the musical as an escapist backdrop to the character of Selma, played by Icelandic vocalist Bjork, as her world crumbles down as she tries to save the life of her own son in one of von Trier's most powerful achievements.

It's 1964 in Washington as Czech immigrant Selma is rehearsing to play Maria for a production of The Sound of Music. While working at a factory with her friends Kathy (Catherine Deneuve) and Jeff (Peter Stormare), Selma hopes get the role for the play as she dreams of being in a musical while hoping to raise money for her son Gene (Vladica Kostic) who might become blind as she is starting to suffer from blindness. While her landlord in local officer Bill (David Morse) and his wife Linda (Cara Seymour) help out, she has managed to save $2000 as Gene's doctor (Stellan Skarsgard) starts to worry about Selma's eyesight. While she tries to hide her blindness from everyone including the factory foreman (Jean-Marc Barr), it doesn't help out as her work suffers while the play director (Vincent Paterson) thinks she might not be up to doing the part.

Following a meeting with Bill over his own financial issues due to Linda's spending, Selma decides to keep a secret for Bill. Hoping to get more overtime for more money, she suddenly daydreams of being in a musical where she causes trouble and is fired. After telling Jeff about her blindness, she has another daydream moment as Jeff decides to meet her later that day. Upon returning home, Selma learns that the money she has saved was stolen as she asks Bill where something goes wrong leading to a horrifying incident. Meeting up with Jeff, he takes her to the hospital where they meet the operation doctor (Udo Kier) and gives him money for Gene's operation. After being arrested following a rehearsal, Selma is then put into trial where its district attorney (Zeljko Ivanek) interrogates her.

Claiming her father is Czech film star Oldrich Novy (Joel Grey), Novy attends the trial as she has a dream that they're dancing for a musical number. Sent to jail following the trial, Selma befriends a guard named Brenda (Siobhan Fallon) as Selma makes another move to save her son's life.

The film is clearly von Trier's most accessible effort to date despite his emphasis on handheld digital video cameras that he used since he is also credited as the camera operator. Emphasizing on the spirit of Dogme 95, von Trier brings a natural look to the film as opposed to the more cinematic, heightened look of most films today. With Breaking the Waves cinematographer Robby Muller, von Trier gives the film a look that is captivating from its grayish tone in many scenes to the more colorful tone in the musical interludes where Muller shines in his vast cinematography, especially since the musical numbers features nearly 100 cameras in use. For von Trier, it’s another experiment that succeeds as he just tries to bring a real look without any gloss that has been seen in Hollywood films.

The film's story is a wide mix of melodrama and musicals as Bjork's Selma says that in musicals, nothing dreadful happens. Well with von Trier, that isn't the case. Especially the ending that is just heartbreaking because of its sadistic nature as von Trier uses pain for a huge, emotional climax like he did in Breaking the Waves. Really, the story is about a woman saving the life of her child by sacrificing herself and it's a heartbreaking story. While the film's first act starts off a bit slow (if you don't count the colorful overture in the film's first few minutes), it picks up just as the musical numbers come in with amazing choreography from Vincent Paterson as well as original music from Bjork with additional compositions from longtime Bjork collaborator Sjon Sigurdsson and von Trier himself.

The music definitely plays up to the spirit of musicals that von Trier has loved with its mix of electronic beats and textures as well as Rodgers & Hammerstein arrangements all put in a lush, grand tone. Bjork is clearly the star of the music as the cast itself sings many of the great songs on the film (although Peter Stormare's vocals were replaced by Radiohead's Thom Yorke in the film's soundtrack entitled Selmasongs). The music really serves a purpose in the same way von Trier used the music as an emotional outlet in Breaking the Waves.

Another great aspect of the film, which received a lot of controversy when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, was von Trier's depiction of America. While the film was shot in Sweden, von Trier does give a nice idea in what America would look like although in Washington, it's usually rainy. In many respects, von Trier is looking at America in a dream in the same way Stanley Kubrick used London as New York City for Eyes Wide Shut. Really, it's America in a dreamier tone in reference to the Hollywood musicals that Selma loved. Really, von Trier isn't trying to knock America but he knows that he doesn't have to go there to know what's going on since he's pretty much afraid to go on a plane and doesn't like to travel very much.

The film's cast is amazing not just in their singing voices but in their roles as well. While von Trier veterans like Stellan Skarsgard, Udo Kier, and Jean-Marc Barr had small roles, their cameos were fun to watch in their respective roles while Vincent Paterson is excellent as the theater director and Zeljko Ivanek is excellent as the D.A. and doing a great job in an American accent. Joel Grey is amazing to watch in his small role as Oldrich Novy as he shows his graceful talent as a dancer and as an actor, especially since he hasn't been heard from since his Oscar-winning performance in Bob Fosse's Cabaret.

Cara Seymour is wonderful as the scornful wife Linda, especially playing a character that later on, is loathed for her actions and Seymour does an excellent job in that performance. Vladica Kostic is wonderful as Gene, especially since he just plays a kid in a restraint tone without going over the top or anything. Siobhan Fallon is lovely as Brenda as the scenes with Bjork are gripping to watch, especially in the film's final moments.

For the rest of the supporting cast, the film's best performance easily goes to French film legend Catherine Devenue. Devenue is amazing to watch as Selma's sympathetic best friend who shares her love of musicals. Devenue almost serves as a voice of reason for the anguished, naïve Selma as in the third act; her action nearly upsets Selma as in the end, comes a heartbreaking scene of friendship. Devenue is as enigmatic and masterful in her portrayal. Peter Stormare is superb as the wannabe-boyfriend Jeff by just underplaying the role sensitively and sympathetically and you want him to be her boyfriend. Stormare gives a subtle performance that is quiet and gripping at the same, especially in the film's final act. David Morse is amazing as the anguished Bill who does get sympathy despite his own actions but when Morse sings, he shines as does his character that gives more outlook into this versatile yet, underrated actor.

The film's best performance overall easily goes to Bjork in her first film in many years since she's done film work as a child in her native Iceland. In her first adult performance, Bjork brings a heartbreaking, sympathetic performance that is filled with lost innocence and anguish. The character of Selma is a complex yet flawed character as she brings the escapism in everyone through musicals. Bjork even comes livelier in the musical interludes with her thick Icelandic vocals while in the final act, she comes out with a gripping performance that is so powerful, it will leave you in tears.

Dancer in the Dark is a spectacular, genre-bending film from Lars von Trier. With a great cast led by Bjork and Catherine Devenue along with wonderful musical interludes, the film is among one of von Trier's more accessible film as well as one of his strangest. While it has a look that is strange despite the dated look of the digital photography, it is a film that is very abstract and dream-like. In the end, Dancer in the Dark is a superb film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2-Idioterne - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built

Related: The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2012

Ellen Foster (TV movie)

Based on Kaye Gibbons’ novel, Ellen Foster is the story of a young girl who is shifted from one home to another due to the death of her mother and the abuse she suffers from her father. Directed by John Erman and teleplay by Maria Nation and William Hanley, the TV movie revolves around a girl trying to find a home and someone to care for her as Jena Malone plays the titular character. Also starring Julie Harris, Ted Levine, Glynnis O’Connor, Zeljko Ivanek, Bill Nunn, Amanda Peet, and Timothy Olyphant. Ellen Foster is a harrowing yet heartfelt melodrama from John Erman.

Ellen is a young 10-year old child living in the South during the 1970s as she lives poorly with an alcoholic father Bill Hammond (Ted Levine) and her ailing mother Charlotte (Glynnis O’Connor), who is suffering from rheumatic flu. After Charlotte’s death, Ellen remains at home living by the money she gets from her uncle to pay bills and food that she can get. Though she was invited to stay at the holiday at the home of her friend Starletta (Allison Jones) and her parents (Bill Nunn and Lynne Moody), they couldn’t adopt her. While her father remains gone for days and her well-meaning aunts looking after her, she remains alone as her father eventually returns to beat her as her art teacher Julia Hobbs (Amanda Peet) notices.

Living temporarily with Julia and her husband Roy (Timothy Olyphant) before the court figures out what to do, Ellen seems to enjoy her new family life until her father arrives outside her school leading to a court case on who would get custody. Though the judge was sympathetic to Ellen’s plight, Ellen is forced to live with her grandmother Lenora Nelson (Julie Harris) whom Ellen never really liked. Despite being cared for by Lenora’s maid and dealing with her grandmother, Ellen was able to have a home until Lenora suffers a stroke. Ellen is once again shifted to another home as she’s given to the care of her aunt Nadine (Debra Monk). Ellen, once again, feels unloved as she’s forced to deal with her bratty cousin Dora (Kimberly J. Brown). Realizing that her only salvation could be in a woman (Kate Burton) that is a foster parent, Ellen wonders if she will ever be taken by a family who loves her.

The TV movie is about a young girl whose broken family life has her shifted from one home to another where she finds herself lost and seeking for someone to care for her. While there’s a few people in young Hobbs couple, an African-American family, and an ideal foster mother that cares for this young girl. This young girl is forced to be shifted to homes to people in her family that don’t really care about her while others might consider her to be a burden which includes her flighty aunt Betsy (Barbara Garrick). Throughout this journey in trying to find some home and family that will take care of her, she eventually change her last name from Hammond to Foster to exemplify what she had just gone through.

While the teleplay does dwell into heavy melodrama because of the girl’s plight along with a few characters that are essentially stereotypes due to its 1970s Southern setting. The script does succeed in exploring the plight of what this young girl through as it’s told largely in her perspective with some voice-over narration that reflects what she’s going through. Yet, Ellen is a child that just wants to be loved and earn her keep as she is forced to contend with superficial aunts and a very spiteful grandmother. Even worse is the law that complicates things as she wants to be with the people that will care for her who aren’t able to due to the law or to their own circumstances.

John Erman’s direction definitely has a few stylistic flairs though he keeps things very straightforward to what is expected in a TV melodrama. Erman does know how to shoot intimate moments or to set a mood while having his camera focused on Ellen in the situations she’s dealing with. While the melodrama is expected to be very sentimental and at times, heavy-handed, it some how manages to go way into that due to what the protagonist is going through. Overall, Erman’s work is stellar as he does create a very engaging drama.

Cinematographer Brian West does a nice job with the photography from the darker world of Ellen‘s original home to more low-key yet colorful shots for the homes that she goes into to exemplify the different homes she encounters. Editor Bill Blunden does a very good job with the editing to maintain a leisured pace with a few dissolves and straight cuts to keep the film going.

Production designer Fred Harpman and set decorator Lin MacDonald do some excellent work to create the look for the different homes that Ellen encounters from the posh home of her grandmother to the more natural yet carefree environment of the Hobbs. Costume designer Linda Matheson does a wonderful job with the costumes to help develop the batch of clothes that Ellen wears in her journey from casual, dirty clothes to more cleaner and fuller dresses late in the film. Sound editor Joseph Melody does a fine job with the sound work to capture some of the intimate moments as well as some of the livelier moments involving multiple characters. The music by John Morris is pretty good for some of the orchestral arrangements though at times, it gets a bit sappy and saccharine with the addition of the harmonica in the score.

The casting by Stuart Aikins, Olivia Harris, and Phyllis Huffman is brilliant as the ensemble cast that is created definitely gives the TV movie more than what is expected in the genre. Performances from Zeljko Ivanek as a school doctor, Kate Burton as the kindly foster mother Abigail, Bill Nunn and Lynne Moody as Starletta’s very caring parents, Allison Jones as Ellen’s best friend Starletta, Kimberly J. Brown as Ellen’s bratty cousin Dora, and Glynnis O’Connor as Ellen’s ailing yet loving mother are all really good. Other roles include Ted Levine as Ellen’s abusive father along with Debra Monk and Barbara Garrick as Ellen’s superficial though caring aunts are notable standouts along with some very lively yet fun performances from Timothy Olyphant and Amanda Peet as a young couple who temporarily take Ellen in.

Julie Harris is excellent as Ellen’s grandmother Lenora who is very spiteful towards her as she believes that her daughter’s death is due to the environment she chose and for bringing Ellen into the world. Finally, there’s Jena Malone in a truly outstanding performance as the titular character. Malone’s performance is definitely the heart and soul of the film as she has to endure a lot of anguish and torment for what she’s going through as her character just wants someone to care for her. It’s a performance that truly exemplifies why Malone was so revered in her early years as a child star as she continues to be one of the most interesting actresses working today.

Ellen Foster is a very good TV movie by John Erman that features a remarkable performance from Jena Malone. While it’s a film that does play by the rules of what is expected in a TV melodrama, there are elements that does give the movie something more to exemplify what this young girl goes through. In the end, Ellen Foster is an engaging TV movie that brings a very compelling tale of child abuse and abandonment.

© thevoid99 2011

Manderlay

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/17/06 w/ Additional Edits.

When Lars von Trier released Dogville at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, some loved the film for its experimental approach to filmmaking but others found the film to be very anti-American in which, the plane-phobic von Trier has never been to. Dogville was the first of a three-part trilogy the Danish enfant terrible has planned in this exploration of America during the Great Depression. Whereas Dogville explored the elements of American politics and its foreign policy, some American critics were upset over von Trier's point-of-view. The result of the controversy only troubled von Trier's plan financially over the trilogy as his Dogville star Nicole Kidman decided back out due to scheduling conflicts. In 2005, von Trier returned to the Cannes Film Festival with the second part of USA-Land of Opportunities trilogy entitled Manderlay.

Written & directed by von Trier, Manderlay continues the story of Grace's exploration to America where she and her mob-boss father leave Dogville behind and stumble upon a Southern plantation called Manderlay where to the shock of the outsiders, slavery is still around. In an attempt to take control and free the slaves, Grace tries to impose her own ideals in order to make the slaves think freely only to cause more trouble after swaying her father's warning. Taking over the role of Grace for Nicole Kidman is Bryce Dallas Howard and taking over the role of her father for James Caan is Willem Dafoe. Also starring von Trier regulars Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, Zeljko Ivanek, and from Dogville, Jeremy Davies, Chloe Sevigny, Lauren Bacall, and as narrator, John Hurt. Joining the cast for Manderlay along with Howard and Dafoe are Issach de Bankole and Danny Glover. Manderlay is a fierce, uncompromising study of race in America from the controversial Lars von Trier. 

After the events at the town of Dogville, Grace and her father drive through the American South where they stop at a plantation called Manderlay.  Grace sees a young black woman running away claiming she's about to be whipped.  Grace realizes that the plantation still has slavery around as she meets the plantation's owner Mam (Lauren Bacall) who is falling ill.  With an aging slave named Wilhelm (Danny Glover), Mam gives Grace a book of her laws as she lays on her deathbed.  After telling Wilhelm that slavery has been abolished 70 years ago, Wilhelm reveals that none of the slaves know what to do with this new freedom as Grace decides to help them get in touch with modern America.  Grace's father is convinced that Grace is only bringing trouble as he reluctantly lends Grace a few of her men including Niels (Jeremy Davies), Mr. Robinson (Jean-Marc Barr), Mr. Kirspe (Udo Kier), and business consultant Joseph (Teddy Kempner).

With the slave suspicious over Grace's plans including an African-born slave named Timothy (Issach de Bankole), they reluctantly welcome her as Grace also keeps Mam's family to help with things.  Grace looks into the book of Mam's law realizing the complexity of the laws as well as the categorization of slaves.  Meeting slaves such as Jack (Javone Prince), Old Wilma (Mona Hammond), and Elizabeth (Ginny Holder), Grace is intrigued by Timothy's presence as they get to work on giving new life to Manderlay.  During this slow period of reconstruction, Grace meets a doctor named Hector (Zeljko Ivanek) who makes some suggestions that Grace refuses to comply to as she takes trees from a garden to rebuild houses.  Yet, it doesn't go well as Grace hoped to be as she blames Mam's family by making them slaves as a dust storm happen as Grace learns about why the trees were placed in the garden.

Following the dust storm, Grace tries to get things started as her personal interests start to conflict with the things that Manderlay needed as Joseph decides to leave along with the gangsters.  Despite the progress of cotton growing in large amounts, Grace's attempts to make profit for herself and the former slaves are dashed.  Even as her feelings for Timothy would bring trouble, Grace learns some unexpected revelations about Mam's law that would force her to admit failure.

Ever since the day Africans were shipped into America as slaves, African-Americans definitely went through a struggle of oppression that's been going on for so long that it's unimaginable. Yet, the idea of slavery continuing in a tiny little plantation in Alabama 70 years after it was abolished is an astonishing idea. Then, the plot kicks in when a young woman imposes on her idealism on democracy in hoping to give them an idea of what freedom is. That plot idea is something that von Trier seems to comment on as an idea of how America is trying to bring democracy to Iraq. Yet, what von Trier brings is a different point of view of how things work. Whereas Grace had hopes to make things better her way, she begins to ignore and overlook everything else of what the former slaves wanted as well as what Mam's law was trying to do for its slaves.

Using an eight-chapter structure for his script, von Trier takes the same epic approach of Dogville but what it lacks in comparison to its predecessor is that Manderlay lacks a bit of its ambition and unpredictable commentary. Still, Manderlay remains unpredictable in its subject matter while taking several point of views on everything including its characters. For the African-American characters, they start off as stereotypes in terms of what some Americans think they are and everything only to reveal something far more complex. Even objects such as the Old Lady's Garden and the book of Mam's law which reveals to be more than simple objects. The dust storm is indeed a foreshadowing of what was to come with Hurricane Katrina in some ways while the book of Mam's law is far more complex than Grace had thought it would be. In many ways, von Trier comments on Grace's naivete and ignorance on these things that would end up making ways for her own doom. Therefore, what makes Grace end up leaving Manderlay is the result of what her point-of-view is on how things work when she doesn't realize of how things worked in Manderlay before.

The way von Trier sets things up and reveal the sense of how racism works reveals more about Mam's law and how its author sees things. There, it requires a lot of thinking of not just how America was post-slavery but America now when dealing with racism. Since von Trier chooses the same theatrical approach of Dogville, his vision is far bigger since the film starts off with an overhead shot of Grace, her father, and the gangsters driving from Dogville to Manderlay and the overhead shots of Manderlay itself reveal a much bigger land filled with a huge garden, little houses, a big plantation mansion, a well, and everything else a plantation needed. The approach is an observant of behaviors and politics in von Trier's fluid direction while his approach to narrative that is narrated by John Hurt reveals the idea of what the characters are thinking and how Grace’s point-of-view and emotions deal with the situation. Overall, it's a very strong film from Lars von Trier.

Helping von Trier with his vision is longtime cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. With him and von Trier serving as camera operators, many of the camera work is handheld to reveal an intimacy of where the characters are from the perspective shots to give hit a human feel while the only stillness is overhead shot to reveal the landscape of Manderlay and its plantation. Mantle's work is brilliant for using bright lights for the day with wonderful bluish nights for the night scenes and full-on sepia for the dust storm sequence. Art director Peter Grant and set decorator Simone Grau created an amazing set inside the sound stage that included a two-floor idea of Mam's plantation mansion that only shows a fireplace, a stair, and a bed. The rest of the production features the same kind of sparse, minimalist design of Dogville with small things like a window, door, and a broken roof. Costume designer Manon Rasmussen also created stark, poor-like clothing for most of the cast while giving a tattered suit for Wilhelm, a bunch of clean suits for the gangsters, and a fashionable dress for Grace in the look of the depression.

For the dust storm sequence, Peter Horjth created a realistic, harrowing look of the dust in its sepia color that is made in a minimalist style of visual effects. Editors Bodil Kjaerhauge and Molly Marlene Stensgard use the film's 140-minute running time to create a tight, leisurely paced film with elements of jump cuts to give the film some rhythm on many of the film's more intimate sequences. Sound designers Kristian Eidnes Andersen and Per Streit do excellent work in the sound to create the atmosphere of theatricality to the film with sounds of objects to represent the times. Music composer Joachim Holbek creates an ominous orchestral score to accompany the narration where it adds dramatic intensity in the situations where Grace and the characters are.

The film's cast includes several actors of African descent where most of them are British with the exception of a few American actors like Danny Glover and French actor Issach de Bankole. The small performances from the likes of Wendy Juel, Nina Sosanya, Ginny Holder, Javone Prince, Emmanuel Idowu, Joseph Mydell, Mona Hammond, Llewella Gideon, Suzette Llewellyn and Geoffrey Bateman are excellent as the slaves of the film. Other small performances from Chloe Sevigny, Rik Launspach, and Michael Abiteboul are excellent as Mam's family who have a moment when they're forced to wear black face that really is degrading in some way. Lauren Bacall is great in her brief appearance as Mam while Zeljko Ivanek, who replaced John C. Reilly, is funny as the sleazy entertainment doctor Hector. Other small performances from Jeremy Davies, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc Barr, and Teddy Kempner as the gangsters all each have memorable, individual moments.

Willem Dafoe gives a more subdued yet charismatic performance in the role of Grace's father. While he is more subtle than James Caan, Dafoe brings a sense of realism and cynicism to his character as a man who understands power yet doesn't want to get involved in anything else other than his own affairs. Dafoe is brilliant in his role as he doesn't overshadow Caan or out-act him. Danny Glover is great in a very complex role as a wise slave who isn't sure about the idea of freedom while letting Grace know about how Manderlay worked. When the film is about to end, Glover's performance is very subdued in how complex his character is in the way it counterpoints Grace's point of view as Glover is amazing in his performance.

Issach de Bankole is excellent in his performance as the prideful Timothy who refuses to give in to any kind of change until he's open to it only to reveal a darker side. The performance de Bankole gives is complex in his intentions as a character who is a lot smarter than he appears while he has some fine chemistry and tension with Bryce Dallas Howard.

Taking over for Nicole Kidman in a role and character that is strong and complex, Bryce Dallas Howard definitely managed to fulfill the character's expectations by bringing a newfound sense of naivete and youthful understanding to her character. Howard brings an energy and aggressiveness to her character as a young woman who imposes on ideas that she thinks will work only to be forced into understanding about how things worked before. Howard manages to reveal her range in many ways, including an emotional full-frontal nude scene that leads to a graphic sex scene with de Bankole that suggests something more. Howard really gives a fantastic performance while proving that she's more than just Ron Howard's daughter.

When Manderlay premiered at Cannes in 2005, reviews like Dogville were mixed and when it was officially released in the U.S. in early 2006, it divided everyone. Still, the film did manage to raise issues in which von Trier wanted to talk about. More importantly, the film will make anyone who has seen Dogville to go back and revisit the film on how it came to Manderlay. What both films share aside from its Brechtian staging and questions on American morality and politics is irony, notably the ending.

The title of von Trier's trilogy, USA-Land of Opportunities is a very ironic title considering that both films have grim endings that are very ironic to the situations. Whereas Dogville was about an outsider coming into town to be protected only to be humiliated by the rules and everything that led to the town's doom. Manderlay is really about how one plantation's old ways is being changed only to have things go really wrong in the end. It's in that film's ending where race is again that's the main issue in what Wilhelm says was relevant to what was happening in mid-2000s America.

Manderlay is a compelling yet haunting film from Lars von Trier that features superb performances from Bryce Dallas Howard, Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, and Issach de Bankole.  While it doesn't have the big ambitions of its predecessor Dogville, it still a wonderful yet daring film from von Trier that has him commenting on the state of American idealism circa-2005.  It's not an easy film to watch that features themes that not everyone will want to discuss.  Yet, it's the kind of film that will provoke and challenge ideas as Manderlay, despite its flaws, is an intriguing film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2-Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built

Related: The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

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