Written, directed, co-costume designed, edited, and co-starring Xavier Dolan, Matthias & Maxime is the story of two longtime childhood friends who take part in a short film where lingering feelings for one another lead to some major revelations. The film is an exploration of two men dealing with their own feelings for one another but also in how it would affect their social circle. Also starring Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas, Pier-Luc Funk, Samuel Gauthier, Antoine Pilon, Adib Alkhalidey, Anne Dorval, Micheline Bernard, Marilyn Castonguay, and Catherine Brunet. Matthias & Maxime is an extraordinary and somber film from Xavier Dolan.
The film follows two lifelong friends in their late 20s as they attend a party with other friends where one of the friend’s younger sister is there asking for help to appear in a student short film as the two volunteer to do something leading to many revelations following their contribution to this student film. It is a film with a simple premise as it play into these two different men at crucial stages in their life as they wonder if they do have feelings for one another as Xavier Dolan creates a script that is grounded in these ideas but also play into the dynamic of the individual lives of the titular characters in Matthias (Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas) and Maxime (Xavier Dolan).
They attend a friend’s lake house for a little get together since Maxime is set to leave for Australia for two years to work while Matthias is on his way to a promotion as a young film student asks them to take part in a student film she’s making as it lead to one thing to another. Even as their individual lives is fraught with struggle as Matthias is in a relationship with a woman while Maxime is dealing with his abusive, alcoholic mother and preparing to leave. Though both men have different personalities, their friendship often brings the best in both of them yet this participation in this student film changes everything.
Dolan’s direction does have some element of style yet a lot of is straightforward in terms of its overall presentation as it is shot on location in areas at the province of Quebec and places near Montreal. While there are wide shots of these locations, including a lake where Matthias would swim in the morning after the night he and Maxime participated in the student film, where Dolan play into a world where the titular characters can thrive in. The usage of medium shots and close-ups would play into the different world of the titular characters where Matthias is often seen in a world with other people including his girlfriend Sarah (Marilyn Castonguay) and later an American friend in McAfee (Harris Dickinson). Maxime’s world has Dolan shoot him in different visual styles as it play into his shy persona as well as the troubled home life he has with his mother (Anne Dorval). These moments play into the film’s second act as it relates to the twelve days left before Maxime leaves for Australia as he and Matthias both cope with what happened on that night.
Also serving as the editor, Dolan would keep things straightforward in some of the edits while he would also use jump-cuts including some stylish cutting in a sequence for the film’s climatic going-away party scene for Maxime where Matthias and other friends attend. It would play into this world that they’re in yet Matthias is starting to also spend less time in due to the fact that he’s part of the corporate world as he has a hard time trying to balance both as well as his own thoughts on Maxime. Dolan, who also does the costume design with Pierre-Yves Gayraud, would also play up that sense of isolation in the two men in the way they dress as well as the struggle in figuring out what they are in the end. Overall, Dolan crafts a riveting and mesmerizing about two lifelong friends who deal with an act that they did that changes everything.
Cinematographer Andre Turpin does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it play into some of the natural and colorful elements in some of the suburban locations with the usage of natural lighting for scenes at the lake. Production designer Colombe Raby, with art director Claude Tremblay plus set decorators Genevieve Boivin, Pascale Deschenes, and Marzia Pellissier, does excellent work with the look of the lake house as well as the condo that Matthias lives in as well as the chaotic home Maxime’s mother lives in. Special effects makeup supervisor Erik Gosselin does nice work with the look of the right side of Maxime’s face that features a blotch as it play into his flawed look.
Special effects supervisor Mario Dumont and visual effects supervisor Jean-Francois Ferland do terrific work with some of the film’s special effects as it mainly features Matthias’ swim on the lake and a few bits of set-dressing. Sound designer Sylvain Brassard does superb work with the sound as it play into the way music sounds in a room or how a conversation is presented during a meeting Matthias has with his boss. The film’s music by Jean-Michel Blais is amazing for its somber piano score that features flourishes of classical elements while music supervisor Craig Gering provides an array of music that includes a classical piano piece by Franz Schubert as well as music from Britney Spears, the Pet Shop Boys, Amir Haddad, Alex Cameron and Angel Olsen, Phosphorescent, Boards of Canada, DYAN, Cass McCombs, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, George Fitzgerald and Lil Silva, Zola Jesus, the Get Up Kids, Half Moon Run, and Arcade Fire.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include some notable small roles from Camille Felton as the film student Ericka who asks the titular characters to appear in her student film, Harris Dickinson as an American friend of Matthias in McAfee, Anne Dorval as Maxime’s alcoholic mother, Micheline Bernard as a maternal figure for the titular character and their friends in Francine, Catherine Brunet as a friend of Maxime in Lisa, and Marilyn Castonguay as Matthias’ girlfriend Sarah who believes that something did happen that night and Matthias is not saying anything. Antoine Pilon and Adib Alkhalidey are fantastic in their respective roles as Brass and Shariff as two longtime friends of the titular characters who like to party and have fun while also knowing that the student film is bringing some revelations about the titular characters. Samuel Gauthier is superb as Frank as another friend of the two characters who is a party animal as he becomes concerned about the two during the film’s climatic party knowing that he does care despite his own wild antics. Pier-Luc Funk is excellent as Rivette as a young man who is another friend of the titular characters as he is also from a posh family that includes Ericka where he knows something is up between the two while also realizing it’s going to change things in their friendship.
Finally, there’s the duo of Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas and Xavier Dolan in incredible performances in their respective roles as the titular characters of Matthias and Maxime. Freitas’ performance is more restrained as someone who has all of the qualities of a man that is set to have it all as he’s also good looking but is struggling to deal with his own feelings for Maxime just as he’s about to get a major promotion. Dolan’s performance as Maxime is also a bit restrained except for scenes in the way his character interacts with his mother while he is also a bit more energetic at times despite his interactions with those he doesn’t know. Freitas and Dolan together do have this amazing chemistry in the way they talk with each other as well as play into this idea that they’ve been friends since childhood that lead to bigger things despite their different personalities.
Matthias & Maxime is a sensational film from Xavier Dolan that features great leading performances from Dolan and Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, study of lingering feelings and confusion, and a fun music soundtrack. The film definitely marks a newfound maturity in Dolan’s exploration of sexual identity and youth as well as the struggle to grow up further into adulthood. In the end, Matthias & Maxime is a phenomenal film from Xavier Dolan.
Directed and edited by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch, The Florida Project is the story of a six-year old girl who is trying to get funds to stay at a motel with her unemployed mother in Kissimmee, Florida as they try to not go homeless. The film is a coming-of-age story in which a six-year old girl deals with the realism of her surroundings as well as the fact that the adults around her are unsure of how to deal with their situation with a motel manager being sympathetic to their situation. Starring Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Caleb Landry Jones, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, and Willem Dafoe. The Florida Project is a ravishing and exhilarating film from Sean Baker.
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.
For the 22nd week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of fantasy as it is a place that is removed from reality as a way to create a different reality that is completely different from the darkness of the real world. Here are my three picks as they’re all based on Terry Gilliam’s 1980s film thematic trilogy known as the Trilogy of Imagination:
Gilliam’s sophomore feature revolves around a young boy who goes on an adventure with a group of time traveling dwarves as a way to escape his appliances-obsessed parents where he ventures into many different periods of time. The film follows this adventure with this young boy who dreams of adventures with notable figures whether it’s King Agamemnon or Napoleon Bonaparte while also dealing with an evil sorcerer. It’s a film that Gilliam co-wrote with his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin who plays various roles with Shelley Duvall as a couple who keeps being interrupted by these dwarves.
Gilliam’s 1985 film is definitely his crowning achievement as it explore a man working a bureaucratic-dystopian society where he often dreams of a life where he’s flying and going after his dream woman. Yet, he works in a terrible job where machines don’t work well while having to investigate the death of a man all because of a computer error. It is a film that is just full of wit and lots of subtle commentary on dystopian society with a hilarious small supporting role from Robert de Niro as a guy that just likes to fix things and not deal with paperwork.
The third and final film of Gilliam’s thematic trilogy of imagination is also known as a notable box office bomb upon its U.S. release in early 1989. Yet, it is a film that does manage to have a loyal audience as it explore the many tall tales of an 18th Century nobleman and his wartime exploits during the Ottoman Empire. It does play into a man trying to maintain his own idea of heroism although he is also someone that caused a lot of trouble. John Neville’s performance is definitely full of charisma and sells these many fanatical stories that he’s trying to tell with a young Sarah Polley being this young girl who joins in his exploits and often questions them.
Written and directed by David Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future is the story of a performance artist and his partner who stage a show in removing live organs during a climate-ravaged future where an investigator takes notice to see how the show would play a role in human evolution. The film, which bears the same name as Cronenberg’s 1970 sophomore feature film, marks a return to body horror where Cronenberg explore humanity’s fascination with their own body parts in which a couple creates a performance involving body parts. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, Don McKellar, Scott Speedman, and Kristen Stewart. Crimes of the Future is an entrancing and unsettling film from David Cronenberg.
Set in a futuristic, climate-ravaged world, the film revolves around a performance artist and his surgeon collaborator/lover as they stage shows to showcase the evolution of internal organs as they’re asked to take part in a project involving an autopsy with political and social implications. It’s a film that explore an underground subculture as people go to these shows to see people embrace inner beauty in a literal sense as well as see a growing evolution into the human anatomy. David Cronenberg’s screenplay definitely play into a future where food resources are becoming scarce while the human body begins to evolve as some can eat normally but others have to eat different things. Pain is something that no longer exists as Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) sleeps on a special bed to check on his organs while eats on a chair that is mechanical as he struggles to feed himself sometimes. His lover/collaborator Caprice (Lea Seydoux) is a former surgeon who helps in the performances by cutting aspects of his body and narrating it as it attracts the attention of a couple of investigators for the National Organ Registry in Timlin (Kristen Stewart) and Wippet (Don McKellar).
Timlin and Wippet are fascinated by Tenser’s show with the former wanting to get closer to Tenser while the latter is hoping to have Tenser be part of something bigger as it relates to the government. Yet, there is another person interested in the work that Tenser and Caprice are doing in an underground cult leader in Lang Doctrice (Scott Speedman) who wants them to perform an autopsy on his son who had been killed by his ex-wife Djuna (Lihi Koronowski). It all play into Doctrice’s fascination with human evolution as he wants to use Tenser’s profile to display a message though Tenser is unsure as he would have secret meetings with a detective named Cope (Welket Bungue) about what is going as Cope is investigating what Wippet is doing.
Cronenberg’s direction definitely bear elements that he is known for from past films that relate to the world of body horror yet it is presented in a more grounded idea of reality based on a world ravaged by climate change and physical evolution within the body. Shot on location in areas near Athens, Greece as this world that is seemingly in ruins as much of the film is shot in abandoned buildings. Cronenberg would use some unique wide shots to establish these locations that would include abandoned boats on the shore and buildings where many events occur as he would use wide and medium shots to get a scope into what people are witnessing. Notably as Cronenberg would create these shots that gaze into the activities that Tenser would do in public with Caprice at his side such as the images of him pulling an organ and revealing something. The world of body-horror would include a man filled with ears around his head, arms, and torso as he does a dance while a beautiful woman would get scars on her forehead and such to express her own ideas of pain.
Cronenberg would also emphasize on this idea of evolution as it relates to the fact that food resources become scarce as those with unusual evolution in their bodies are forced to eat something else as they struggle to eat with the machines they use. The film does open with a young boy sitting on a rock at the beach as he would later eat a plastic wastebasket as it would play into the underground subculture that Doctrice is involved in. There are also some close-ups that Cronenberg play into as it also play into the body mutilation that Tenser and Caprice would involve themselves in with people cutting themselves for sexual or personal pleasure with some trying to get that feeling of pain again. The film’s climax does involve this big event but also play into this idea of evolution where a lot is on the line as well yet there is also something personal from those involved. Even as it play into the need of trying to find meaning through this internal evolution in the body and soul. Overall, Cronenberg crafts an eerie and disturbing film about humanity’s obsession with inner beauty and its evolution.
Cinematographer Douglas Koch does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lighting for many of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes as well as using natural lighting for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Christopher Donaldson does excellent work with the editing as it does have bits of style yet it manages to let shots linger on to play into the horror and suspense. Production designer Carol Spier, with set decorator Dimitra Sourlantzi plus art directors Dimitris Katsikis and Kimberley Zaharko, does incredible work with the art direction from the design of the beds, chairs, and chambers Tenser uses for his show and at his home as well as objects that are used for the shows. Costume designer Mayou Trikerioti does fantastic work with the clothes that some of the characters wear such as the black robe that Tenser often wear as well as some casual-looking clothes that the other characters wear except for some stylish work in some of the performance shows.
Prosthetics special makeup effects designers Alexandra Anger and Monica Pavez do amazing work with the design in some of the prosthetics and make-up design in how some of the performance artists present themselves as it is a highlight of the film. Special effects supervisor George Alahouzos and visual effects supervisor Peter McAuley do terrific work in making sure some of body parts look real in some bits as well as in the movement in some of the arms in Tenser’s machine. Sound designers Rob Bertola and Tom Bjelic, with sound editor Jill Purdy, do superb work with the sound in the way some of the machines sound as well as some sparse moments that help play into the drama and suspense. The film’s music by Howard Shore is phenomenal for its haunting electronic-based score that is driven mainly by synthesizers to play into the suspense and horror as well as creating some original electronic pieces for some of the performance art pieces.
The casting by Deidre Bowen and Stavros Raptis is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Sozos Sotiris as Doctrice’s son Brecken, Ephie Kantza as a curator who gives Tenser a card that relates to Doctrice, Tassos Karahalios as the performance artist Klinek whose body is filled with ears, Denise Capezza as a performer who has scars all over her body, Jason Bitter as Doctrice’s assistant, Lihi Kornowski as Dotrice’s bitter ex-wife Djuna, Tanaya Beatty and Nadia Litz in their respective roles as Berst and Dani as two women who work for the manufacturers of Tenser’s bed and objects who are big fans of his work, and Welket Bungue in a superb performance as a detective who asks Tenser to find out what Doctrice is up to while is becoming suspicious into the activities from both Wippet and Timlin. Scott Speedman is fantastic as Lang Doctrice as an underground cult leader who believes his dead son is key to a future as it relates to human evolution while also battling a government who wants to prevent all of this from happening.
Don McKellar is excellent as Wippet as an investigator for the National Organ Registry who is fascinated by what Tenser does as he wants him to be part of a pageant as well as be someone who can be the face for the government. Kristen Stewart is amazing as Timlin as an investigator for the National Organ Registry who is more fascinated with Tenser as a person as well as wanting to be his collaborator as she believes that surgery is the new sex. Lea Seydoux is incredible as Caprice as Tenser’s collaborator/lover who makes sure he’s well and also narrates the performances while lamenting over the project they’re about to embark on as well as wanting to be part of the culture that celebrates human evolution. Finally, there’s Viggo Mortensen in a phenomenal performance as Saul Tenser as a man who grows new organs in his body as he deals with his physical changes from the inside while also working with a detective in uncovering Doctrice’s activities where Mortensen brings a restrained approach to his performance.
Crimes of the Future is a phenomenal film from David Cronenberg that features great performances from Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. Along with its ensemble cast, study of human evolution and its search for meaning, eerie visuals, and a mesmerizing score by Howard Shore. The film is definitely Cronenberg not just returning to his roots but using the genre he helped create to study the idea of humanity and their need to feel in a troubled future. In the end, Crimes of the Future is a sensational film from David Cronenberg.
For the 21st week of 2022 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of failure to launch meaning films that were meant to start a franchise or a cinematic universe. There is always a film that is always meant to be the start of something and they end up being complete and utter failures to the point that everything falls apart. Here are my three picks:
1. John Carter
Andrew Stanton’s 2012 film based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom novel series was a film meant to be so much more. The story of a Civil War soldier who finds himself in Mars where he tries to mediate between two warring factions in the planet. It is a film with a lot of ambition but its presentation of the story and trying to combine different genres with actors being in motion-capture didn’t work. It was one of three films that year starring Taylor Kitsch that really hurt his chance at a big film career though he’s managed to do well in TV. The film was meant to be the start of a big franchise and a decade since its release and opinions on the film hasn’t changed much since its release as it is a shame it ended up being just…. Eh…
A film that was meant to be part of a shared universe with the franchises for both Transformers and G.I. Joe as they were all from Hasbro. Jon M. Chu’s film based on the 1980s animated TV series is not just one of the worst films ever made but a fiasco that really did a lot to ruin the legacy of that TV series. A film that is about a girl who pretends to be someone else by singing a song on YouTube and then form a band with her sister and their two friends as they become big stars. It was a film that really appealed to the worst common denominator as it is often filled with YouTube clips from other videos while Chu committed sacrilege by having people send videos over their love of the show and then use it to express their love for the fictional band as it ended up pissing off a lot of people. A film that cost $5 million and only made less than half of its budget with plans for a sequel that was to have Ke$ha, Eiza Gonzalez, Hana Mae Lee, and Katie Findlay as the rival band the Misfits just came and went cancelling all of those plans.
3. The Mummy
Given the fact that Marvel had created a successful cinematic universe of its own and Warner Brothers with DC Comics was starting to find some success with its own cinematic universe. Universal should’ve stuck with The Fast and the Furious franchise as their meal ticket instead of doing what they did in 2017 by rebooting The Mummy franchise as part of a cinematic universe with all of the old Universal Studios monsters such as Dracula, the Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and others to create the Dark Universe. The eventual film ended up being this bad mix of horror, action, and adventure that ended up looking like every lame film Tom Cruise has been doing for a while with Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde as it was just fucking shit. With plans for Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, and Angelina Jolie to be part of this cinematic universe, this film cancelled all of those plans as it would’ve been a fucking headache for Universal.
When is this shit ever going to stop? 10 people are dead in Buffalo at a supermarket by some racist asshole. The next day, a shooting at a church in Laguna Beach, California over anti-Taiwanese sentiment. Weeks later, 19 kids and two teachers killed by an 18-year old who just had access to an AR-15 rifle in Uvalde, Texas. I can’t handle this shit. I’m sick of all of these people in power expressing their condolences and prayers for those that are dead while they collect money from an organization that makes money off of weapons. Greg Abbott, Don McLaughlin, Ted Cruz, and any fucking asshole who takes money from the NRA who had the power to prevent this from happening can go fuck themselves. How the fuck is it OK to get an AR-15 rifle without any background checks, documentation, and other things while it is illegal to have an abortion in Texas? Oh, and if you know someone in Texas who is getting an abortion out of the state and you rat them out to the government. You get $10,000 while that person who gets the abortion goes to jail as well as anyone else associated with that person. This is fucking bullshit.
America is supposed to be this country that is represent the best of the world. That is such fucking bullshit now. There was a picture from the New York Times that showcased how many shootings there have been from 1998-2019 in various developed countries. France had only 8 mass shootings during that period with Germany having 5, 4 in Canada, 3 in Finland, 2 in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, and Switzerland, and one each in Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Croatia, Slovakia, Norway, Lithuania, and the U.K. In the U.S. alone, there has been 101 mass shootings between 1998 and 2019. Why have those countries managed to prevent things like this and were willing enough to have gun reforms and all of these laws to protect people and this shithole of a country is unwilling to do so? This is a country that is absolutely fucked as people take sides and no one wins in this as we have people in power more concerned with holding power and taking money from organization than saving lives. I know there’s people saying that everyone should vote Democrat to get these Republicans out of power but will it really change anything? This is why I despise the idea of democracy. Socrates was right all along. It is bullshit.
This has been an insane month in news as there’s also the shit with the Johnny Depp-Amber Turd trial as I’m not a fan of either person but I do feel like Depp is the victim in this trial. There’s a lot of evidence over what happened in that toxic relationship that showed that Depp is indeed a victim of domestic abuse in the hands of Turd. She’s a terrible liar, a gold-digging cum-bucket, and an awful person who does have a history of abusing people in relationships. If the trial finds it in favor of Turd, it is another case of injustice as I’m more upset at the media coverage that tried to paint Depp as the abuser when it isn’t true as they would ignore facts and some of the reporting are from women who all have an agenda. The fact that they’re biased and are trying to make a feminist statement is proof of how blind they are and really are doing a disservice to abused women. The sad thing about all of this is that abused women are going to be fucked when it comes to the justice system and this defamation trouble is an example of people taking advantage of the system.
In the month of May 2022, I saw a total of 22 films in 14 first-timers and 8 re-watches with only one first-timer directed by a woman as part of the 52 films by women pledge. A solid month although my plans for the Cannes Film Festival marathon this year didn’t go as planned as I went with a smaller mini-marathon of five films this year due to the fact that I don’t have much time as I spend much of my day with my niece and nephew. Still, I would say it was a much better marathon than last year due to the quality of films I saw while I found this year’s festival to be underwhelming despite some buzz towards some films that I do want to see although I’m not really sure if I want to see the Palme d’Or winner in Triangle of Sadness. In fact, I think the films that didn’t win the top prize were far more interesting while I am happy to know that Crimes of the Future by David Cronenberg pissed off some people. A highlight of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Westfront 1918. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw in May 2022:
This was an awesome finale not just because of the action and stakes but also in the performances from Oscar Isaac in the titular role but also in the exploration of his different identities with Ethan Hawke doing great work as the show’s villain. Yet, it is May Calamawy that really stood out as Layla El-Faouly who gets the chance to be her own super-heroine in the Scarlet Scarab and she fucking killed it. Even in a scene where she saves a group of women in a van and a young Egyptian girl ask if she’s an Egyptian superhero and Layla replies in Egyptian “I am”. That was a nice little moment but I would’ve loved to add an additional dialogue from that girl saying “about fuckin’ time”. I am definitely hoping a second season would come as this show was fun.
Hansel & Gretel
One of three short films by Robert Eggers that I saw that are all available on YouTube is a stylish take on the fairy tale that is shot in black-and-white as if it was a silent film. It is a film that is inventive despite the grainy presentation of it as it does have some elements of imagination.
The Tell-Tale Heart
The second short by Eggers is a more fully-realized short with an old man being portrayed by a puppet as it has this eerie suspense in how a servant deals with this dying old man who just becomes a burden. It is filled with unique imagery while it also has some suspense towards the end as it is a faithful take on the Edgar Allen Poe short story.
Brothers
The third and final short from Eggers is an interpretation of the Cain and Abel story told in a more modern setting where two brothers go hunting as the younger brother is often abused by his older brother. It is a dark and violent short as it play into things that went wrong but also a sense of relief in the fact that the abuse is over.
Four Roads
One of two shorts from MUBI that I watched is from Alice Rohrwacher is this 8-minute short she made during the pandemic as it relates to her surroundings and the neighbors who live nearby. Each home that she visits feature interesting people that Rohrwacher has known as they all have a story to tell as it proves that during a time of social distancing. There was at least a way to connect and from afar from the elements of modern-day society as it is a true gem.
Burn Motherfucker, Burn!
A 2017 documentary film about the city of Los Angeles and its troubled history with the LAPD that would culminate with the 1992 riots following the Rodney King verdict in which four LAPD officers were found not guilty over beating King despite the video proof that King was beaten without resisting arrest. It is a harrowing documentary that shows exactly a lot of the corruption and racism within the LAPD but also tension that was happening between African-Americans and Korean-Americans in South Central as it is a haunting film to watch as well as the fact that not much has changed since the release of this film.
Scenes with Beans
Another short film that I saw on MUBI is a stop-motion animated short film from Hungary that is about a spaceship that travels through a galaxy and observes life on a planet inhabited by beans. It is an inventive film that is a must for anyone that loves stop-motion animation as it is also filled with lots of imagination.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (episodes 1 & 2)
Two episodes premiered on the same day and honestly, I want more. For all of the faults the prequels had, at least George Lucas tried to make them different and give us interesting characters though I still do love both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. This show that is about the titular character, a decade after the events of Revenge of the Sith, in which he has become a hermit and hasn’t used his powers to not attract attention. Still, there is a hunt for former Jedi warriors where Obi-Wan watches Luke Skywalker from afar yet he is asked by Bail Organa to retrieve Leia following an abduction. Whoever discovered Vivien Lyra Blair in the role of Leia should be given a massive pay raise as she is just so fun to watch as she definitely makes Leia the offspring of both Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amadala. Another standout is Moses Ingram as a Sith Inquisitor whose tactics to find Kenobi are effective while it is the ending of the second episode that is chilling as it involves an appearance from Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader.
Wrestling Match of the Month: Cyon vs. Joe Alonzo-NWA Powerrr
There’s a lot of things that happened in May in both AEW and New Japan as both companies are about to do a special show promoting both companies called Forbidden Door in the middle of June at the United Center in Chicago as it’s already sold out. While I have been unable to watch matches from the recent AEW Double or Nothing show in its entirety as well as matches in New Japan including a fatal four-way match between Juice Robinson, Jon Moxley, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Will Osprey for the IWGP U.S. Championship and a match between Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii. It was still a solid month in pro wrestling as there is good things happening outside of the two companies with Impact and Ring of Honor yet the NWA should be given some attention as well. Even as they’ve managed to survive the pandemic and continue to rebuild themselves since their unexpected revival in the late 2010s after a long period of drowning in obscurity since the closing of Jim Crockett Promotions in late 1988 when it was sold to Ted Turner who would rebrand that promotion as WCW.
This match between the masked Cyon and a young talent in Joe Alonzo seemed like a mismatch between a tall and powerful guy against a high-flyer. Yet, this match stood out in terms of not just the near-falls but also in the action between these two men. It was physical but also had action where it was about trying to out-smart the other. It was a mixture of the old-school wrestling that the NWA was known for but also something that is in tune with the current wrestling styles that AEW, Impact, New Japan, and other companies are known for. There are a lot of good things that the company has to offer as well as a lot of talent as there are former WWE stars who have managed to be successful there and reinvent themselves such as Chris Adonis, Fandango, and JTG while Matt Cardona is currently the NWA World Heavyweight Champion as it continues his new persona as the ultimate indie heel.
Well, that is all for May. Next month, it will be a return to regular-schedule programming of sorts based on my watch lists including whatever films on MUBI that I hope to watch including a few films that I didn’t get to watch for my Cannes marathon in time but will add it to the schedule. Other than the next Blind Spot film, I’m not sure what theatrical release I will watch though I am going to have more free time as the kids won’t be in the house as much this summer. Finally, I want to send my condolences to the families and friends of some notable figures that died this month such as Ray Liotta, Fred Ward, and Alan White of Yes. Then, there’s Andrew Fletcher of Depeche Mode who died the same day as White and Liotta as his sudden passing is a real shock as he is considered the glue that kept Depeche Mode going as they’re one of my all-time favorite bands. I honestly don’t see a future for Depeche Mode after Fletcher even though he’s known mainly for handling the business and playing whatever was needed though his role in the band is so much more as he will be missed. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…
(Co-Winner of the Grand Prix Prize w/ The Kid with a Bike at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival)
Directed and co-edited by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ercan Kesal, and Ebru Ceylan, Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) is the story of a group of men trying to find a dead body at the Anatolian steppe where they believe something isn’t right as it relates to the murder and the body’s location. The film is a suspense-drama that play into the search of a body but also deal with the case itself as many police, legal, and political officials find themselves involved in the investigation. Starring Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan, and Taner Birsel. Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da is a ravishing and mesmerizing film from Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Told in the span of 24 hours in the Anatolian region near the town of Keskin, the film revolves around a group of police officials, a prosecutor, a couple of diggers, a doctor, and two suspects trying to find a dead body on a steppe near a tree although one of the suspects isn’t exactly sure where he and his mentally-challenged brother have buried the body. It is a film that doesn’t have much of a plot as it is about the search of a body with these two suspects knowing its location but not its exact location due to the fact that the search begins late afternoon and it would go until early in the morning. The film’s screenplay by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, his wife Ebru, and Ercan Kesal is largely straightforward though its structure is quite odd as much of the film’s first and second act takes place in the Anatolian region where a group of men try to find a body as there’s not much happening other than conversations and such.
Its third act is about not just the discovery of the body but also what to do afterwards while there are these conversations involving various officials as they talk about work, their health, and the demand for their jobs. Even the suspects are just real men who have confessed to their wrong-doing as they do get a chance to be treated humanely despite their actions and the abuse they would get from officers and those related to the victim. There is also these conversations about life and death come into play as well as wonder why this man was killed and was it an accident?
Ceylan’s direction is definitely intoxicating in the way he doesn’t just aim for a style that is meditative in its presentation with some long and gazing shots that do go on for minutes. Shot on location in areas near and in Keskin as well as the Anatolian region as it is a major character in the film. Ceylan definitely uses a lot of wide and medium shots to get a scope of these locations that include long fields and steppes with trees and an aqueduct that would appear every now and then. There are some unique close-ups and medium shots of scenes inside the car or a medium shot of everyone in that car where they just talk about trivial things. Yet, these conversations end up proving to be quite engaging as it allow the characters to showcase who they are as there’s a few gags in the film. Notably as a police official in Arap (Ahmet Mumtaz Taylan) would often come across a fruit tree or find some fruit and bring the fruit to his car while another humorous moment is during the discovery of the body where the prosecutor Nusret (Taner Birsel) makes a comment that the victim sort of looks like Clark Gable which brings a laugh to everyone in the crime scene.
The direction also has these intimate moments during a sequence in the second act where the entire crew stop at a village where they seek shelter at the home of a mayor (Ercan Kesel) who comments about his village and some of the issues he is having that include lots of dead bodies his village have and are unable to bury. It also play into moments of humanity where several men meet the mayor’s young daughter Cemile (Cansu Demirci) who serves them during a blackout. Ceylan also play into this sense of regret and humanity into these criminals who have done something bad but are at least cooperating to make things less complicated as the third act isn’t just about finding the body but also what to do that is part of a bureaucratic process. There is also this emotional and mental toll it took with Nusret having a conversation with Doctor Cemal (Muhammet Uzuner) about a story about a woman’s suicide as he keeps asking him questions as it is a recurring conversation throughout the film as it relates to life and death. Overall, Ceylan crafts a somber yet entrancing film about a group of men trying to find a body in a murder case as well as contend with the demands of their job.
Cinematographer Gokhan Tiryaki does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its emphasis on natural lighting with elements of available light for some interior/exterior scenes at night are just gorgeous in its presentation while also adding a realism to the way many of the daytime exterior scenes look. Editors Nuri Bilge Ceylan and Bora Goksingol do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward as it allow shots to linger for a few minutes while doing a few rhythmic cuts to play into a few humorous moments in the conversations. Production designer Cagri Erdogan and art director Dilek Yapkuoz do fantastic work with the look of the mayor’s house as well as the offices of the doctor and prosecutor in the third act.
Costume designers Ozlem Batur, Meral Efe Yurtseven, and Nildag Kilic do nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few stylish look in the head-garbs that the women wear. Visual effects supervisors Yves Delforge and Ozgur Yigit do terrific work with the effects as it is largely bits of set dressing for some of the exterior locations in the Anatolian region. Sound designer Erkan Altinok does amazing work with the sound as it emphasizes on natural soundscapes and other small things including music that is played on the film whether it’s on a car radio or something from afar.
The casting by Nimet Atasoy and Selim Unel is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Kubilay Tuncer as an autopsy technician, Erol Erarslan as the victim, Nihan Okutucu as the victim’s wife, Emre Sen as a military official who is often prepared for things to help the police, Murat Kilic as a policeman in Izzet who is abusive towards one of the suspects as he is upset over the crime, Safak Karali as a courthouse clerk who often writes the report, Ugur Arslanoglu as a courthouse driver who converses with some of the people about the whole thing, Burhan Yildiz as a mentally-challenged suspect in Ramazan, Fatih Ereli as the victim’s son, Cansu Demirci as the mayor’s daughter who brings drinks to everyone during the blackout, and co-screenwriter Ercan Kesel as a mayor at a nearby village who laments over dead bodies he has no room for as well as trying to run a village despite its lack of modern equipment.
Firat Tanis is superb as one of the suspects in Kenan who is one of two suspects that confessed to killing a man as he has a hard time remembering the location while dealing with his own guilt in what happened. Ahmet Mumtaz Taylan is fantastic as the police driver Arap Ali who often have conversations with the police chief about trivial things while often trying to get fruit from fruit trees. Taner Birsel is excellent as the prosecutor Nusret as a man who has to make a report for the murder as he also talks to the doctor about a story about a woman who killed herself as he wonders why as he looks for answers. Yilmaz Erdogan is brilliant as the police chief Naci as a police official who is leading the search as he deals with health issues while admitting to feeling not up to par in the job while also lamenting over the severity of the case. Finally, there’s Muhammet Uzuner in an amazing performance as Dr. Cemal as a man who is tasked to examine everything while also coping with the fact that he’s getting older while analyzing Nusret’s story as well as his own ideas of what to do as a doctor.
Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da is a magnificent film from Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Featuring a great cast, ravishing visuals, an effective minimalist story, and its study of life and death in the search of a dead body. It is a film that doesn’t play into conventions as it is more about a group of men dealing with the search for a body as well as the seriousness of a murder case that takes an emotional and mental toll on everyone. In the end, Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da is an outstanding film from Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
(Played at the Un Certain Regard Section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival)
Based on the novel Will O’ the Wisp by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle and the 1963 film Le feu follet (The Fire Within) by Louis Malle, Oslo, August 31st is the story of a day in the life of a recovering drug addict who leaves a treatment center for a job interview only to meet with old friends along the way. Directed by Joachim Trier and screenplay by Trier and Eskil Vogt, the film is the second part of a thematic trilogy of films set in Oslo where a man deals with his own personal issues as he is hoping to get back into the world. Starring Anders Danielsen Lie, Hans Olav Brenner, Ingrid Olava, Oystein Roger, Tone B. Mostraum, Kjaersti Odden Skjeldal, Petter Width Kristiansen, Renate Reinsve, and Andreas Braaten. Oslo, August 31st is a rapturous and evocative film from Joachim Trier.
Told in the span of 24 hours, the film follows a recovering drug addict who is given a pass to leave the treatment center for a day to attend a job interview in Oslo as he deals with meeting old friends and such while pondering his own existence. It is a film that explores a man as he is hoping to get back to the world although there is a part of him that feels like he isn’t ready to return. The film’s screenplay by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt is largely straightforward as it opens with its protagonist in Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) who is first in another patient’s room as he walks to the forest in a suicide attempt that fails as he attends group therapy and is given a one-day pass to go to Oslo for this job interview for a magazine. During the course of the day, he catches up with an old friend in Thomas (Hans Olav Brenner) and his wife Rebekka (Ingrid Olava) who have a family while is trying to contact his sister Nina and his ex-girlfriend Iselin as he is unable to reach the latter. In the former, he ends up having lunch with her girlfriend Tove (Tone B. Mostraum) as she gives him news about his family home.
Throughout the course of the story, Anders often wanders around Oslo as it is a city that is evolving as the second act is more about Anders dealing with not just changes among those he knew but also the city itself as it would lead to a party where he is goaded into telling an old story to amuse a party guest. Yet, he would eventually hang out with another friend while coping about the fact if his life meant anything to anyone and does he still matter to anyone else including family and friends despite the lives they have.
Trier’s direction is definitely mesmerizing as he does make Oslo a major character in the film as it opens with a montage of footage of life in the city told by other people through different aspect ratios. It sets the stage for the world that Anders is about to enter as the city is filled with sections that are in construction but also places that are landmarks where it is a place that is thriving as Trier also showcases the city when it’s not busy or moments where it is busy and vibrant. The usage of wide and medium shots where Trier doesn’t just capture certain streets and locations that Anders is in but also in a few places such as Thomas and Rebekka’s home, a house where a party is held, or a public swimming pool. Trier also uses close-ups to play into Anders’ own state of mind where the camera would gaze into some of the conversations he is having but also knows when to create a nice wide shot in order to play into Anders’ attempt to be part of the world.
Trier also play into this sense of uncertainty that Anders endures when he meets up with Mirjam (Kjaersti Odden Skjeldal) at her party where also attending is another old friend in Petter (Petter Width Kristiansen) who is with a couple of younger women in Renate (Renate Reinsve) and Johanne (Johanne Kjellevik Ledang) as they would take Anders to a rave and other places including a scene of the four riding bicycles through Oslo. It is among these moments in the film that is memorable as it also play into Anders feeling unsure of where he wants to go as he is struggling to get clean but he’s also tempted to do drugs again as the film’s finale is about a man dealing with himself and his role in the world. Overall, Trier crafts a riveting and engrossing film about a day in the life of a recovering drug addict as he returns to the world for a job interview.
Cinematographer Jakob Ihre does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward for many of the daytime interior/exterior scenes with some low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Olivier Bugge Coutte does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in allowing shots to linger for more than a minute while also employing a few stylish cuts including the film’s opening montage. Production designer Jorgen Stangebye Larsen and art director Solfrid Kjetsa do fantastic work with the look of the home that Thomas and Rebekka live in as well as Mirjam’s home and the family house that Anders used to live in.
Costume designer Ellen Daehli Ystehede does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in the casual look of Anders with a stylish dress that Mirjam wears at her party. Sound designer Gisle Tveito does superb work with the sound as it adds to the dramatic atmosphere of the film with the way music is presented on location or how sounds are presented on a certain location. The film’s music by Ola Flottum and Torgny Amdam is wonderful as it is largely low-key with its usage of ambient and soothing string arrangements while much of the soundtrack features pieces from Sebastian Tellier, a-ha, Desire, Glass Candy, Daft Punk, Kung Fu Girls, and Youth Brigade.
The casting by Christian Rubeck and Emil Trier is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Oystein Roger as the magazine editor David who interviews Anders, Renate Reinsve and Johanne Kjellevik Ledang as a couple of young ladies hanging out with Petter, Petter Width Kristiansen as an old friend of Anders in Petter, Emil Lund as the drug dealer Calle, Malin Crepin as a patient that Anders is sleeping with early in the film, Askel Thanke as Anders’ therapist, Andreas Braaten as a man who goads Anders into telling a story, Ingrid Olava as Thomas’ wife Rebekka, and Anders Borchgrevink as a man who slept with Anders’ girlfriend that Anders confronts at a bar.
Kjaersti Odden Skjeldal is fantastic as an old friend of Anders in Mirjam who hosts a party as she discusses about her own disappointments with life while Tone B. Maustraum is brilliant as the girlfriend of Anders’ sister in Tove who understands Anders’ frustration and knows he’s trying to clean up as she is also aware of why Anders’ sister is reluctant to meet him. Hans Olav Brenner is excellent as Thomas as an old friend of Anders who know has a family while also admitting his own frustrations with family life. Finally, there’s Anders Danielsen Lie in a phenomenal performance as Anders as a former drug addict who is given a one-day leave from rehab to attend a job interview as he deals with his own feelings on the world and whether he deserves a second chance in society as well as temptation into using drugs again as it is a haunting and entrancing performance from Lie.
Oslo, August 31st is a tremendous film from Joachim Trier that features a great leading performance from Anders Danielsen Lie. Along with its ensemble cast, study of alienation and uncertainty in the world, gorgeous visuals, and a somber music soundtrack. The film is truly an intoxicating character study as well as a look of a recovering drug addict trying to find meaning in his life and deal with the idea if he deserves a second chance. In the end, Oslo, August 31st is a spectacular film from Joachim Trier.
