Based on the novel Ecoute by Boris Razon, Emilia Perez is the story of a lawyer who is asked by a drug cartel leader to make him disappear so he can become a woman as she later copes with her new identity and her past. Written for the screen and directed by Jacques Audiard that is also based on his own opera libretto, the film is a genre-bending film that mixes the crime drama, comedy, and the musical as it plays into the lives of three women who are affected by the past as well as the outcome of a man’s decision to become a woman. Starring Zoe Saldana, Selena Gomez, Karla Sofia Gascon, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, and Edgar Ramirez. Emilia Perez is an exhilarating and evocative film by Jacques Audiard.
The film revolves around a drug cartel leader who seeks the help of a low-level lawyer in Mexico to hide his identity and life so that he can become a woman and start a new life as well as hide his wife and children from old enemies. It is a film that explores the lives of three women who are impacted by their own situations in the world as well as the past, present, and future all driven by one person who is willing to make a change for herself to become her true self. Jacques Audiard’s screenplay, with additional contributions from Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, and Nicolas Livecchi, is straightforward in its narrative as it follows a low-level lawyer in Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana) who just won a case despite going against her own conscience where she receives a mysterious phone call as she is taken to a mysterious location while being masked where she finds herself meeting the drug lord Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofia Gascon) who reveals to Rita that she wants to use her money to become a woman as she has already gone through two years of treatment. Rita would travel to Bangkok and Tel Aviv to see what place would be best for Manitas as she chose the latter in Dr. Wasserman (Mark Ivanir) who agrees to do the surgery.
The script would have dialogue that would be sung at times as they are written by Camille Dalmais that plays into the plight of the characters with the first act as it relates to Rita and Manitas with the latter going through his own change into the titular character as they would meet again four years later in the film’s second act. Rita would oversee a lot of things for Manitas before his final transition as it relates to his family that includes his wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) where she would stay in Switzerland for four years and then return to Mexico to live with this woman she does not know. Rita and Emilia’s return to Mexico would force the latter to think about her past life as a drug lord and the disappearances that she had caused of those where she would organize a non-profit company to help the family find those who have disappeared. The script also play into the politics and corruption within Mexico in the hand of drug cartels that Emilia was once a part of where she and Rita would gain some fulfillment. For Jessi, she feels alienated prompting her to contact a former lover.
Audiard’s direction is stylish as it is shot on location in France to play into the many different locations the characters go to. Notably as some of the scenes set in Mexico were shot in soundstages to recreate some of the places in the country including Mexico City. Audiard’s direction does use a lot of medium and wide shots to play into the chaos in Mexico with close-ups as it plays into Rita’s own plight as a Black lawyer born in the Dominican Republic who is overworked and underpaid as there is an element of racism in the way she is treated. Audiard also creates some unique camera movements for scenes involving some of the musical numbers with the aid of choreographer Damien Jalet. Particularly in scenes that has a sense of improvisation and a lot of physicality in the movement as it play into the plight of both Rita and Jessi with the latter feeling frustrated and unhappy over the loss of Manitas and her own desires as a woman.
The bending of genres do get messy as Audiard’s overall presentation is all over the place. Even in scenes that are serious yet there is some singing, but it is not presented as camp nor overly-serious where Audiard knows how to keep things simple. The film’s third act is intense as it relates to a new thing for Emilia in meeting a woman in Epifania Flores (Adriana Paz) but also in Jessi whose relationship with her lover Gustavo Brun (Edgar Ramirez) would threaten the life that Emilia has created. Especially with Rita finding herself in the middle as she realizes the severity of Jessi’s actions but also the faults in Emilia’s own planning in keeping everything secretive. Notably in not revealing her identity to Jessi who feels slight and becomes neglectful towards their children for a time where a lot becomes unveiled. Overall, Audiard crafts a riveting and wild film about a drug lord’s desire to become a woman with the help of a low-level lawyer.
Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of stylish lighting for a club scene involving Jessi as well as other low-key lighting for some interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Juliette Welfling does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, rhythmic cuts, and dissolves to play into the sense of style and manic energy in some of the dancing. Production designer/set decorator Emmanuelle Duplay, along with art director/costume designer Virginie Montel plus set decorators Sandra Castello, Cecile Deleu, and Sandrine Jarron, does amazing work with the look of the exterior streets in Mexico as well as the home that Emilia has created for herself and her family with Montel providing fantastic costumes that includes the stylish dresses and clothes that Emilia, Rita, and Jessi wear.
Visual effects supervisor Cedric Fayolle does terrific work with the visual effects for a few scenes that involve set dressing in a few travel montages as well as in some of the dance numbers in the film. Sound editor Aymeric Devoldere does superb work with the sound in the way a location sounds as well as how music sounds in a car stereo and other sound effects used in the film. The film’s music by Clement Ducol is incredible for its mixture of styles ranging from Mexican folk, pop, electronic, and orchestral to play into the drama with songs by Camille Dalmais that help drive the story while music supervisors Raphaelle Dannus and Pierre Marie-Dru create a soundtrack that play into those different environments.
The casting by Christel Baras and Carla Hool is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Eduardo Alardo as Rita’s boss early in the film, Emiliano Hasan as a guilty client Rita defends early in the film, James Gerard as a British acquaintance of both Emilia and Rita, and the duo of Theo Guarin and Lucas Varoclier as Manitas and Jessi’s kids who become fond of Emilia. Edgar Ramirez is superb as a former lover of Jessi in Gustavo as a man that is fond of her despite having a past that Emilia does not approve once she learns about Jessi’s plans with him with the children. Mark Ivanir is fantastic as Dr. Wasserman as a surgeon who learns about Manitas’ transition as he agrees to help him become a woman while helping him remain anonymous. Adriana Paz is excellent as Epifania Flores as a woman that Emilia meets as she falls for her where she not only brings joy to Emilia but also a broader view of the world that only pushes her to do better for her organization.
Selena Gomez is incredible as Jessi Del Monte as Manitas’ wife who is kept in the dark about what is happening to her life where she deals with living in Switzerland and then returning to Mexico. Gomez’s performance has this air of physicality in her dancing and singing while also displaying this sense of loss of a woman that is trying to find her own fulfillment as well as answers about what her husband did. Zoe Saldana is tremendous as Rita Mora Castro as a low-level lawyer who is given the opportunity of a lifetime where she becomes rich in hiding Manitas’ identity during her transition and later becoming her partner in creating a nonprofit organization as she deals with some of the chaos and her own frustrations in life while also wanting to protect Emilia and her past identity. Finally, there’s Karla Sofia Gascon in a spectacular performance as the titular character/Juan “Manitas” Del Monte as a drug lord who wants to become a woman as he becomes uncomfortable with who he is as he used his money and power to become his true self. Once he becomes Emilia, he starts to find some joy and fulfillment in her life while also confronting the past in the hope of creating a better future for those she cares about unaware of the neglect she displays towards Jessi.
Emilia Perez is a phenomenal film by Jacques Audiard that features a trio of great performances from Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez. Along with its supporting cast, offbeat presentation, study of identity and redemption, and whimsical music soundtrack. It is a film that is not afraid to be messy as well as explore some themes of reinvention including what it means to be their true self. In the end, Emilia Perez is a sensational film by Jacques Audiard.
Jacques Audiard Films: (See How They Fall) – (A Self-Made Hero) – (Read My Lips) – (The Beat That Skipped My Heart) – A Prophet - Rust and Bone - (Dheepan) – (The Sisters Brothers) – (Paris, 13th District)
Wildfires are raging in California. Eggs are becoming scarce due to chickens getting bird flu with the price of eggs rising. A plane crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter in Washington D.C. Another school shooting here in America. Winter came here in the South and our shit-infested, tiny-dick, Oompa-Loompa-looking motherfucker is back in the White House. January is almost finished with who fucking knows how long this will last. Yes, we are off to a great start to 2025, and it is starting to get really depressing. The fact that people who are Hispanic are getting raided, taken to vans, and be deported in less than a week after Dookie Tank came back is not much of a surprise but the severity of it is. My mother is freaking out, even though she is a resident that had applied for citizenship months ago, over the news as I just read whatever is credible and just try to move on with what I need to do day by day.
I have become burned out by all this political news and everything that happened last year as I chose to stop. I only read what I feel is important and anything else that interests me. Given that I am Hispanic and hearing the news about what has happened, yet I must remember that a majority of Hispanic/Latino voters voted for Dookie Tank to win last year’s election. Now that people like them are being questioned, deported, and exploited by Dr. Phil by all people. All I can say is that they deserve this. They were stupid enough to buy into Dookie Tank’s bullshit and be manipulated by him and Univision. They have no one to blame but themselves and it is not just them. It is everyone who bought into his bullshit as Americans are fickle. They do not want to remember what happened the first time he was our dictator and how bad things are as everyone who voted for him or has supported him or has even celebrated at his stupid inauguration events deserve to get fucked.
I am not surprised that he pardoned those at the January 6th insurrection back in 2021 as it means anyone who is willing to disrupt anything in his favor and threaten those trying to uphold the law can do anything. Those in the government and in the justice department that was trying to hold him accountable for all his criminal actions got fired. Then there is something Joe Biden said in his final speech that has stuck with me despite my own disdain for him as it relates to oligarchy. The fact that Dookie Tank has surrounded himself with three ultra-rich tech figures in Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg who all have considerable influences is scary. They can do what they want, and the scary part is that it has already happened, and we just did not see it. They are coming in and taking over for their own bullshit. This is no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave. Lee Greenwood can sing his stupid song all he wants but he is part of the problem because he is a fucking imbecile. Now we are the land of the dumb fucks, and we deserve it.
In the month of January 2025, I saw a total of 23 films in 12 first-timers and 11 re-watches with 4 first-timers being films directed/co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. A good start to the new year as the biggest highlight of the month for me is my Blind Spot pick in Princess Mononoke. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for January 2025:
Having purchased the Disney+/Hulu/MAX bundle before last year ended because of circumstances that prevented my niece and nephew from watching Disney+ because of password sharing from my sister’s account. One of the first things I saw in this new bundle is this great documentary on yacht rock. A film that explores the music of Southern California that mixed in elements of soul, folk, rock, pop, and mellow it out as acts such as Steely Dan, Toto, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, and the Doobie Brothers would create this kind of music that is just cool. The film also explores the cult that would give the genre its name thanks in part to an old web series based on fiction. Even as the genre would also provide a foundation for hip-hop in the late 80s and early 1990s, that helped give these acts some newfound longevity and street credibility. Still, the documentary does baffle me as it relates to Toto guitarist Steve Lukather who asked why he does not have a yacht? My question is this… WHY THE FUCK DOES HE NOT HAVE A FUCKING YACHT! HE PLAYED ON FUCKING THRILLER OF ALL FUCKING ALBUMS! MOTHERFUCKER SHOULD HAVE A FUCKING ARMADA OF YACHTS! ALL THESE YACHT ROCK ARTISTS SHOULD HAVE FUCKING ARMADAS OF YACHTS!
The Substance: Behind the Scenes
Having achieved five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay to Coralie Fargeat, Best Actress to Demi Moore, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It is good that The Substance is getting some love in the awards season as it is the film for which I am rooting. From MUBI that they posted on their YouTube channel is this making-of documentary by Fargeat that explores the making of the film. It is an incredible short documentary that highlights the work that Fargeat and her crew did as well as the amount of work that Moore and Margaret Qualley do. It is a truly must-watch film that fans of The Substance need to watch and more reasons why it should win all the Oscars.
Hey Sweet Pea
A short I saw on MUBI as part of their short films section is this avant-garde short by Alee Peoples as it involves a bunch of things such as a man-in-black lip-syncing to phone messages while a couple of women recite lines from The Neverending Story. It has some fascinating visuals but a lot of it is just very pretentious as it never really does anything.
Michelangelo Eye to Eye
Well, it took more than 20 years for me to find and watch this short and it was worth it. I hate the idea that certain artists who would end their career on a down note like Michelangelo Antonioni’s contribution to the 2004 anthology film Eros in The Dangerous Thread of Things was the last thing many saw, and it was terrible. Fortunately for those who bought the film on DVD was able to see another short he did that ended up being the last thing he did as it is finally available on YouTube. It is Antonioni at a church looking at the sculptures created by Michelangelo as it has these unique close-ups of Antonioni getting a close look at these sculptures. It is silent short since Antonioni could barely speak because of the stroke he had in 1985. The film feels like a true finale to one of the cinema’s great artists.
Coffee with Barbie
One of two short films by David Lynch that I saw on YouTube is this weird but fun 4-minute short in which an offscreen Lynch talks to a Barbie doll about his new coffee brand. It is just a funny short Lynch made in his website back in the early to mid-2000s as it is not trying to be anything profound. It is just a fun coffee ad with Lynch wanting us to drink his new coffee even though I do not drink coffee.
Pam & Tommy
Having full access to Hulu as I can watch some things on my laptop in my room, I decided to watch this given the buzz that Pamela Anderson had been receiving for The Last Showgirl even though she didn’t get an Oscar nomination, but she did get a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild which is a validation of who she is as an actress. This limited series that is about Anderson’s marriage to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and their infamous sex tape that got stolen does give some valid reasons into why Anderson refused to watch the series, but the show does showcase Anderson in a sympathetic light thanks in part to Lily James’ performance as Anderson. It is a show that is really about misogyny and the male gaze where Sebastian Stan is great as Lee with Seth Rogen in an incredible performance as the man who stole the tape all because he got stiffed of money that Lee owed him. With episodes directed by Craig Gillespie, Lake Bell, Hannah Fidell, and Gwyneth Horder-Payton, the show is a look into a moment in time when the Internet was still new and what they can get away with at that time. It is a show worth watching while it gives people more reason to root for Anderson in her comeback while Lee has become a joke.
Laura Palmer
The second short film by Lynch that I saw on YouTube is another 4-minute short that was from Lynch’s website back in 2002 as it a shot of Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks as she is sitting as the image gets closer as it goes on. With the music of Angelo Badalamenti in the background, the short is a reflection on the loss of that character who would drive the series, yet it is a short that would unknowingly create a bridge for the show’s return in 2018. A show that I need to re-watch and finish as I started it a decade ago as it is now time to return to it and finish it.
The Myth of Orpheus & Eurydice
From Gia Coppola is a short she made for Gucci as it is a take on the legend set in a modern world as it was originally broken into 4 parts with actors and models wearing Gucci clothing. It is a faithful take on the myth with a soundtrack by Devonte Hynes that adds a lot of style to the short. It is worth seeking out anyone that enjoy Coppola’s work.
Beauty is Not a Sin
From Nicolas Winding Refn as it is one of two shorts from him that is shown on MUBI is an 8-minute advertisement for the Italian motorcycle company MV Agusta. It revolves around a woman who walks into a church where she confesses her sins to a priest as there is no dialogue present with only music and the sound of the motorcycle present. With the priest listening, she talks about her fascination for this motorcycle as the ending is the real shocker but for all the right reasons. With Refn planning to return to feature films soon, this is a suitable stopgap release from him.
Skeleton Crew (season 1, episodes 6-8)
The last 3 episodes of the first season are among the best in terms of not just the writing but also in what is at stake and the development of our main characters. Notably the sixth episode that was directed by Bryce Dallas Howard that I think is the episode of the series as well as bearing all the elements into why Star Wars is so awesome. There is a lot of drama but also this sense of adventure with a great climax as the performances of Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Keira Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, and Robert Timothy Smith are tremendous. Even as they overcome the reality of what they were dealing with upon their return home while also dealing with Jude Law’s Jod character who is truly a complex individual that is an antagonist, but he is also not a traditional one. The mysterious supervisor at At Attin was not much of a surprise given all the disappointing reveals and twists as this was the franchise playing with all these high expectations but knowing when to play with its audience. The series overall is incredible and bring on the second season!
Well, that is all for January. Next month I will focus on films that are nominated for the Oscars including Emilia Perez, Anora, and whatever films I can have access to as I hope The Brutalist returns to my multiplex. Aside from films nominated for the Oscars and other 2024 releases to catch up on. I will post my Auteurs piece on David Lean which is more than half-finished as there is only a short film from the late 70s that he did that I need to watch. My next Blind Spot film will be Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song to celebrate Black History Month.
Before I bid adieu, this month has been sad considering those who died in both the wildfires in California and the plane crash in Washington D.C. Yet, it is particularly sad for anyone that loves film as the passing of David Lynch has been heavy since he is an immense figure we will miss. Still, there has been many others who passed away this month including some phenomenal figures such as Marianne Faithfull, Garth Hudson of the Band, Joan Plowright, Mr. Baseball Bob Uecker, musician Susan Alcorn, Bruce Howe of the Australian band Fraternity, German actor Horst Janson, Filipina actress Gloria Romero, film producer Jim Tauber, songwriter Buddy Brock, author Joseph A. Amato, DJ Unk, screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper, Malicorne vocalist Gabriel Yacoub, voice actor John Erwin, Jules Feiffer, actress Jan Shepard, Tony Slattery, Leslie Charleson, costume designer Phyllis Dalton, Peter Yarrow, Dale Wilson, Emilio Echevarria, Jeff Baena, Wayne Osmond, and the great John Sykes of Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Mononoke-hime (Princess Mononoke) is the story of a young prince who travels into a mysterious forest where he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a royal figure and a mysterious young woman living in the forest who is revealed to be a princess. The film is an animated fantasy film set during the Muromachi period in Japan where a prince tries to find a balance in this troubled conflict. Featuring the voices of Yoji Matsuda, Yukiro Ishida, Yuko Tanaka, Kaoru Kobayashi, Masahiko Nishimura, Tsunehiko Kamijo, Akihiro Miwa, Mitsuko Mori, and Hisaya Morishige. Mononoke-hime is an astonishingly beautiful and ravishing film by Hayao Miyazaki.
Set during the Muromachi period in Japan, the film revolves around a young prince whose encounter with a demon-infested boar that would curse his right arm with imminent death as he travels west to find a cure only to be caught in the middle of a conflict involving a lady who is creating iron by destroying the forest and a mysterious princess who lives in the forest. It is a film with a simple premise, yet Hayao Miyazaki creates a film that is about the wonders of nature and its power with a young prince encountering the wonders of nature but also what happens when humanity destroys it. The protagonist in Prince Ashitaka (Yoji Matsuda) is part of a tribe that in decline as a wild boar covered by a strange and demonic substance tried to wreak havoc only Ashitaka to kill it but the substance has wounded part of his right arm with a curse that will eventually kill him as well as give him unexpected strength to kill. Traveling to find the source of its substance in the hope to find a cure, Ashitaka travels west he would meet a monk named Jigo (Kaoru Kobayashi) who tells him about a mysterious spirit known as the Deer God who becomes another god in the Nightcrawler at night.
Upon entering a mysterious forest and watching a battle unfold between a mysterious young woman riding with two gigantic white wolves and an army led by a royal figure in Lady Eboshi (Yuko Tanaka). He saves a couple of Lady Eboshi’s soldiers and bring them back to her fortress where she and the people in the fortress are making iron as well as muskets as they are also in conflict with another lord. Lady Eboshi is not a traditional antagonist since she has freed prostitutes who help make the iron as weapons and as shields while they also can be open to say things. Upon an attempted attack on Lady Eboshi by this mysterious young woman revealed to the film’s titular character (Yukiro Ishida), Ashitaka subdues the attack though he is seriously wounded upon his escape with Princess Mononoke who lives in the woods and has been raised by a giant white wolf in Moro (Akihiro Miwa). Ashitaka learns why Princess Mononoke is fighting Lady Eboshi as it relates to the forest and what it offers as well as where the source of the substance that is cursing him is coming from.
Miyazaki’s direction is truly wondrous in the world that he creates where he is aided by supervising animators Yoshifumi Kondo and Kitaro Kosaka in the design of the characters as well as the animals and mythical figures that is created for the film. Along with the contributions of art directors Satoshi Kuroda, Kazuo Oga, Yoji Takeshige, Naoya Tanaka, and Nizo Yamamoto in designing the forests, mountains, and landscape to recreate the Muromachi period in Japan that includes small towns and villages. Miyazaki’s usage of wide and medium shots capture so much attention to detail in the depth of field of the world that Ashitaka encounters along with the chaos that he would observe and reluctantly get himself involved in. Even as Miyazaki’s close-ups highlight the sense of fear and anguish that Ashitaka and Mononoke would go through in their own struggles. Notably as the former is also afflicted with this curse that would eventually kill him unless he finds a cure.
Along with the contributions of cinematographer Atsushi Okui, Miyazaki would create unique lighting schemes to help create a mood for scenes in the fortress and in the woods. Even in some of the action scenes where Miyazaki and his animators would create a sense of speed in some of the actions while there are some violent moments in the way Ashitaka would perform through his cursed arms in which Miyazaki would use digital computer animation that also has a hand-drawn feel to it. Notably with limbs being severed or heads being decapitated though there is nothing graphic that Miyazaki would do in his approach to violence. Still, he does manage to be a bit playful in the way he presents some of the women living in the fortress as they wear robes showing off a bit of cleavage. The film’s climax as it relates to Lady Eboshi hunting the deer god believing it would end her conflict with Mononoke is intense in not just the stakes but also in the outcome of a world being consumed with evil as it relates to the importance of nature. Overall, Miyazaki crafts a rich and intoxicating film about a prince trying to settle a chaotic conflict between a royal and a mysterious princess of the forest.
Editor Takeshi Seyama does brilliant work with the editing in creating unique rhythmic cuts to the action scenes as well as knowing when to slow things down and allow shots to linger for some of the dramatic and mystical moments. The sound work of Kazuhiro Wakabayashi is amazing in the way creatures would sound as well as gun fire and other elements in the sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Joe Hisashi is phenomenal for its rich and bombastic music score with elements of sumptuous string and brass arrangements along with some somber themes with the usage of strings and percussions as well as some vocal performances by Yoshikazu Mera.
The film’s wonderful ensemble voice cast feature some notable small roles from Hisaya Morishige as the giant boar Okkoto, Mitsuko Mori as Ashitaka’s priestess Oracle, Akihiro Mira as the giant wolf and Mononoke’s adopted mother Moro, Makoto Sato as the cursed boar Nago, Tetsu Watanabe as one of Moro’s wolf pups, Akira Nagoya as Lady Eboshi’s lieutenant, Tsunehiko Kajimo as a wounded soldier that Ashitaka saves in Gonzo, Sumi Shimamoto as Gonzo’s wife Toki who helps run the iron mill in the fortress, and Kaoru Kobayashi in a superb performance as the monk/tracker Jigo that Ashitaka meets on his way to the forest as he also helps out Lady Eboshi in trying to track the Deer God. Yuko Tanaka is excellent as Lady Eboshi as this royal figure eager to bring iron to Japan and gain power while also dealing with her feud with another lord as well as her desire to kill the Deer God to become more powerful.
Yoji Matsuda is brilliant as Prince Ashitaka as a prince from a small village tribe who goes on a journey to find a cure for his cursed arm that gives him unexpected killing powers as he deals with the chaos around him as well as becoming fascinated by the world of nature. Finally, there’s Yukiro Ishida in an incredible voice performance as the titular character as a young woman who has been raised in the forest and by a giant wolf as she is trying to defend her home as she is also mistrustful towards humans while finding some understanding from Ashitaka as it is a great voice performance from Ishida.
Mononoke-hime is a magnificent film by Hayao Miyazaki. Featuring a great voice cast, gorgeous visuals, spellbinding animation, riveting set pieces, a compelling story of nature and war, and a beautiful music score. It is an animated film that does more than is expected as well as create an exhilarating story that is filled with wonder and imagination. In the end, Mononoke-hime is an outstanding film by Hayao Miyazaki.
There are few giants of cinema here today as there are filmmakers that people will name as an influence. John Ford. Stanley Kubrick. Orson Welles. Ingmar Bergman. Agnes Varda. Federico Fellini. Akira Kurosawa. There are certain names that redefine what cinema is as cinephiles would often have collections of these filmmakers because of the kind of films they have made. They were more than just filmmakers. They were artists. David Lynch is one of them as he is the most original American filmmaker cinema has had since the likes of Ford, Kubrick, and Welles. What set him apart was his approach to surrealism and how he views something that can be considered ordinary. Yet, there was nothing ordinary in what David Lynch did as there was an element of darkness and danger about him that entranced audiences whether it was through film or television or even music.
I first heard of David Lynch in the early 1990s though I had no clue who he was as all I have ever heard was, he was this guy who made weird movies. I heard of things like Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, but this was before I understood what cinema is as I did not know what this guy was about or what his films were about. Then in 1997 as I was starting to get an idea that movies were not these high-budget blockbusters, or these laugh-out comedies. I realized there was so much more through indie films but also late-night softcore porn films, but David Lynch was still this weird anomaly that I was unsure about. At the same time, I was a few years into my obsession for Nine Inch Nails and heard there is a new song from them as it is for a film by David Lynch called Lost Highway. I bought the soundtrack when it came out since it was curated by Trent Reznor and there is this famous Rolling Stone magazine cover featuring both Lynch and Reznor that I never got but it was cool as fuck.
I saw commercials for the film as I wanted to see it, but it wasn’t playing at a movie theater near me as the one place I knew that was playing there was a movie theater between the areas of Buckhead and Buford Highway as my parents didn’t want me to go there. Not surprisingly, the theater is gone as it is an area I rarely go to although I have not been there in a long time. I ended up waiting a year to see Lost Highway when it arrived on HBO as I saw it late one night and thought it was a cool movie even though I had no idea what it was about. Even though I just got the film on Blu-Ray more than a year ago from Criterion, I still do not have an idea of what the whole film was trying to say but that did not matter because it was an awesome film.
I would watch a few more of Lynch’s films around this time such as Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Dune, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me as I did like the first two films, but I didn’t like the other two though Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me did grow on me. This was all before Mulholland Dr. came out as I waited a year to see it when it arrived on TV through Starz! That would end up being my all-time favorite film of his as it is one of those films that I fell in love with, and it made me a fan of his work though there was so much of his that I have not seen. By the late 2000s, I had seen all his feature films, but I felt like I had barely scratched the surface knowing that he also made a lot of short films and TV projects with Twin Peaks being the one thing of his that I wanted to see but I heard there wasn’t a proper release of the series on DVD until years later. After leaving Epinions.com in 2010 and going on my own, I would refine myself more as a writer and doing the Auteurs series. The specter of Lynch still loomed as I knew he was a subject I wanted to cover but I waited till I could get access to every short and TV series that was available at the time.
He was the perfect choice to be my 50th subject where I did a lot to cover his body of work up till that point while I was also awaiting for the return of Twin Peaks. I had subscribed to his YouTube channel while I also learned he also acted in Seth McFarlane’s animated spin-off of The Family Guy in the much-more superior The Cleveland Show as Gus the Bartender.
It is one of the things about Lynch that is always surprising as he often does the unexpected and have fun with it. His music is not for everyone, but it is awesome that he can do something for his own enjoyment, and he has an audience to share in that enjoyment. He is also a damn good actor as one of the last things he did recently, that is the coolest cameo ever is him playing John Ford in the ending of Steven Spielberg’s The Fablemans. That is meta in a way where you have a legendary filmmaker playing a highly-revered legendary filmmaker in a film about the early life of a legendary filmmaker who is telling his own story. Lynch as John Ford is perfect casting he is the only person that could do Ford justice.
Given that today is a sad day as we also lost another revered figure in Mr. Baseball himself in Bob Uecker, nothing will loom as large as what David Lynch has done for cinema and television. He made it okay for the weirdos to make art that not everyone will get. He made it okay for those who live in an ordinary world to be weird. He was also someone that did not take himself seriously while also allowing us to be raptured by darkness. There is never going to be another David Lynch as there will be a hole in cinema that will never be filled. Still, he left an incredible legacy that will continuously be unmatched as there is always going to be an audience that will see these tremendous films, shorts, TV projects, and other things that he did that gave them something. To Mr. David Lynch. Thank you for all the things you gave us. We will miss you.
R.I.P. David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946-January 16, 2025)
Based on the play The Time of the Cuckoo by Arthur Laurents, Summertime is the story of a middle-aged American tourist who falls for an Italian shopkeeper while traveling to Venice where she deals with her own issues in her life. Directed by David Lean and screenplay by Lean and H.E. Bates, the film is a romantic story that explores a woman’s infatuation with this man while dealing with herself and her life. Starring Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Darren McGavin, Jane Rose, Mari Aldon, MacDonald Parke, Gaetano Autiero, Jeremy Spenser, and Isa Miranda. Summertime is a majestically rich and evocative film by David Lean.
The film is the simple story of a middle-aged American woman who travels to Venice on a vacation where she meets and falls for a shopkeeper. It is a film with a simple premise as it shows a secretary taking this trip to Venice as she has saved all her money as she films and photographs everything, she sees but copes with her own loneliness and the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. The film’s screenplay by David Lean and H.E. Bates is straightforward in its narrative yet it is an exploration of a woman going to a city she has always dreamed of going to and be amazed by its wonders but is troubled by her own loneliness while staying at a hotel with two couples of American tourists visiting the city.
The protagonist in Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) is fascinated by her surroundings but remains troubled by her own loneliness until she meets a local antiques shopkeeper in Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi) who sells her a rare 18th Century Venetian glass goblet. Hudson would often meet a young boy in Mauro (Gaetano Autiero) during her trip while also conversing with her fellow travelers and the hotel owner Signora Fiorini (Isa Miranda) as she tries to make sense of her surroundings with Renato being someone who can bring her some joy.
Lean also plays into many of the dramatic tropes that Hudson goes through as well as Renato’s own issues as he is someone that has a life of his own yet prefers to keep private and not hurt anyone. Lean also play into the different ideas of how Americans and Italians view relationships including sex as Hudson is more conservative on her views including her reaction towards the lifestyle of Signora Fiorini though Renato’s response is that it is no one’s business but Signora Fiorini. The film’s third act is about Hudson’s growing relationship with Renato and the idea of a possible new life but reality kicks in as it relates to the fact that Hudson’s time in Venice is limited. Still, Lean manages to create a lot of dramatic stakes in the third function as well as an ending that is incredibly powerful in all its complexities. Overall, Lean crafts a rapturous and exhilarating film about an American woman traveling to Venice and be enamored by a kind shopkeeper.
Cinematographer Jack Hildyard does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography with the usage of the Eastman negative film stock that is processed and printed by Technicolor as it captures the beauty of Venice in its exteriors along with some gorgeous lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Peter Taylor does excellent work with the editing with its usage of dissolves and rhythmic cuts to play into the sense of adventure as well as some of the film’s dramatic moments. Production designer Vincent Korda does amazing work with the interiors of the hotel that Hudson and other American tourists stay in as well as the shop that Renato runs. Costume designer Rosa Gori does tremendous work with the costumes in the suits that the men wear as well as the gorgeous designer gowns, shoes, and such that the women wear including a dress Hudson wears on her night with Renato.
Sound editors Winston Ryder and Jacqueline Thiedot do superb work with the sound in the natural quality that is presented on location as well as the way music is presented live as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Alessandro Cicognini is incredible for its lush orchestral score filled with rich string arrangements in its usage of traditional Italian string instruments as well as its accordions along with other music pieces that play into its locations and in some of the dramatic moments of the film as it is a major technical highlight.
The film’s phenomenal ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Gino Cavaleri as a train porter, Andre Morell as a train passenger that Hudson meets early in the film, Virginia Simion as the hotel maid Giovanna, and Jeremy Spenser as a young man who works at Renato’s shop. Gaetano Autiero is terrific as a young boy named Mauro who guides Hudson through some locations as well as help her take photographs though he claims to be an orphan who lives in the streets of the city. MacDonald Parke and Jane Rose are superb in their respective roles as Lloyd and Edith McIlhenny as an elderly American couple traveling through Europe with the former being annoyed and often saying the wrong things while the latter is excited by her surroundings. Darren McGavin and Mari Aldon are fantastic in their respective roles as the younger American couple in Eddie and Phyl Yaeger with the former being a painter who likes to delve into the city’s decadence with the latter also having fun but becomes concerned if her marriage would survive. Isa Miranda is excellent as the hotel owner Signora Fiorini as a woman who runs the hotel that Hudson stays in as she knows about the city as well as having a different attitude about love and relationships in comparison to Hudson’s view.
Rossano Brazzi is amazing as Renato de Rossi as a local antiques shopkeeper who is enamored with Hudson as he helps her in finding her way in Venice while also being someone that is willing to reason with her about her views on sex and relationships while admitting to having his own flaws as it is a charismatic performance from Brazzi. Finally, there’s Katharine Hepburn in a spectacular performance as Jane Hudson as an American tourist who finally reaches her dream destination where she is wowed by what the city offers yet is troubled by her own loneliness until she meets Renato. Hepburn’s performance is truly radiant in the way she expresses her disappointment with herself and the way things are as well as coping with that disappointment until meeting Renato broadens her views of the world and in people as it is one of Hepburn’s iconic performances.
Summertime is a magnificent film by David Lean that features top-notch leading performances from Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous photography, a great film soundtrack, its story of love and the yearning to connect, and Venice itself. It is a film that isn’t just this witty romantic comedy but also a film that explore adult themes on what it means to connect with not just people but also in its surroundings. In the end, Summertime is an outstanding film by David Lean.
It's Elvis Bowie Day! A day that should become a holiday to celebrate the Gods who were born on that day. The King in Elvis Presley and David Bowie.
It is also the birthday of such notable figures such as Graham Chapman of Monty Python, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sarah Polley, Gaby Hoffman, Cynthia Erivo, and Dr. Stephen Hawking.
Based on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and the 1922 silent film Nosferatu by F.W. Murnau and screenplay by Henrik Galeen, Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 film in which a man travels for work where he meets a mysterious count who would haunt the man’s wife. Written and directed for the screen by Robert Eggers, the film is a different take on the vampire story as it explores a vampire fascinated and obsessed with this man’s wife as she would also endure her own exploration of herself and sexual desires. Starring Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. Nosferatu is an intoxicating and terrifying film by Robert Eggers.
Set in 1838, the film revolves around a young woman who has been haunted by a mysterious demon as he would make his presence known after meeting her husband who traveled from Wisborg, Germany to the Carpathian Mountains over a real estate deal. It is a film that does follow many of the schematics told in previous adaptations of the story that is based on Bram Stoker’s novel about a vampire yet Robert Eggers creates a story that is more about a young woman’s trauma and the anguish she deals with about herself and her own sexual repression that she is dealing with in a society that doesn’t allow women to be more expressive. Even as they must deal with something darker that is lurking and threatening the happiness that they have gained through marriage or even family. Eggers’ screenplay is straightforward in its narrative though it opens with a young Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) being hypnotized by a mysterious figure as it would be a nightmare that she would deal with for much of her life as she had just gotten married to the real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).
Sent by his boss in Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to the Carpathian Mountains, Thomas travels while Ellen stays with Thomas’ friend Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna (Emma Corrin). Thomas would travel further despite warnings from Romani people and locals living near Transylvania to not enter the castle that is inhabited by the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard) as he is a figure that is monstrous with a face that that is odd. His intention in buying a house in Wisborg is to wreak havoc and bring a plague until he sees a picture of Ellen where he hopes to seduce her and have her become his companion. Even as he would eventually meet Ellen upon his own arrival where he makes her an offer to spare those she cares about as well as the town if she gives herself to him. Her mysterious behavior would get the attention of Dr. Wilhem Sievers (Ralph Ineson) who at first thinks Ellen is going through some form of hysteria where he later turns to his mentor in the eccentric occult expert in Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) who knows what is happening to Ellen.
Eggers’ direction is stylish in not just paying tribute to the previous adaptations but also in maintaining a tone that is unsettling as well as intense in its physicality. Shot on location in the Czech Republic with interiors shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague and a few exteriors of the Corvin Castle in Romania. Eggers creates a film that plays into a period before the emergence of the industrial age as people still believed in myths and superstitions though the idea of a plague has been long in the past. Eggers’ usage of wide and medium shots does not just capture the scope of the environment that the characters encounter but also the atmosphere of a room in a castle or at a house where Eggers adds a lot of personality to these environments. Eggers’ direction also emphasizes on close-ups as it plays into Ellen’s own spasms and seizures that she would endure including the film’s opening scene where she prays for the horror to end.
Eggers’ direction also plays into the severity of Count Orlok’s cruelty as the scene where Thomas explores the castle and finds his coffin as it is among the scariest scenes in the film. There are also some surreal moments that are nightmarish as it relates to Ellen’s own behavior where there is a lot of physicality involved as it is a key element in the film’s second act. Upon Thomas’ return in the film’s third act, there is this sense of dread that looms with the sight of rats roaming around the town bringing on this plague. The violence becomes more severe with characters going mad, yet it is Ellen who becomes sane as she realizes what she must do with Professor Von Franz who also understands what must be done. It has Ellen taking control of what must be done to Count Orlok as well as unleashing a side of herself that she has been repressing. Overall, Eggers crafts a gripping yet evocative film about a woman being haunted by a mysterious vampire.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of blue and low-key lights for some of the nighttime exterior scenes along with a grey-like look for some of the daytime exteriors and the usage of fire as available light as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing in using rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into the suspense as well as know when to allow shots to linger for an amount of time to build up the suspense. Production designer Craig Lathrop, along with set decorator Beatrice Brentnerova plus senior art director Robert Cowper and supervising art director Paul Ghirardani, does amazing work with the look of the interiors of Count Orlok’s castle as well as the homes of the Hardings and the small apartment that Professor Von Franz lives in. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes in the design of the suits that the men wear from the refined look of Friedrich to the ragged look of Professor Von Franz while the dresses that the women wear are also stylish to the period as it would express the personalities of both Ellen and Anna Harding.
Makeup designer Traci Loader, along with special effects makeup supervisor Sacha Carter and prosthetics makeup effects designer David White, does tremendous work with the makeup with the special effects makeup work being a major highlight in the look of Count Orlok. Special effects supervisors Pavel Sagner and Jiri Vater, along with visual effects supervisor Angela Barson, do terrific work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects for some of the scenes involving Orlok as well as a scene that is a homage to the 1922 film by Murnau when Orlok uses his shadow to wreak havoc on Wisborg. Sound designer Damian Volpe does superb work with sound in creating an atmosphere into the locations with the usage of natural sound and textures to help build up the sense of horror and suspense. The film’s music by Robin Carolan is incredible for its bombastic orchestral score that is filled with soaring themes in its usage of strings and percussions along with some offbeat folk-based instruments to add to the sense of folklore. Even with pieces that play into the atmosphere of a scene as well as help build up suspense and terror as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Adele Hesova and Milena Konstantinova as the Hardings’ daughters with Ella Bernstein and Meredith Diggs providing the voices for the girls, Claudiu Trandafir as the innkeeper who lives near Transylvania, Karel Dobry as a ship captain, Liana Navrot as an Orthodox nun, Mihai Verbintschi as an Orthodox priest, and Stacy Thunes as a head nurse who helps run the hospital with Dr. Sievers. Simon McBurney is superb as Herr Knock as an estate firm broker boss who sends Thomas to Transylvania as well as being a disciple of Count Orlok where he has this crazed energy as this unhinged man that is willing to do anything for his master. Ralph Ineson is fantastic as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers as a doctor who is asked to treat Ellen where he is baffled by what is happening to her while also dealing with a plague where he realizes this is beyond his own expertise.
Emma Corrin is excellent as Anna Harding as Friedrich’s pregnant wife who expresses concern for Ellen’s illness while also sympathetic towards her where she does what she can to be her friend. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is brilliant as Friedrich Harding as a rich friend of Thomas who invites Ellen to stay at his home where he is baffled by what is happening to Ellen as he later becomes frustrated with Professor Von Franz’s theories and methods. Willem Dafoe is incredible as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz as an occult expert who is Dr. Sievers’ mentor as he makes a discovery of what is happening to Ellen with theories about the plague where Dafoe has this air of eccentricity to his performance but also a man who has a better understanding of evil. Nicholas Hoult is remarkable as Ellen’s husband Thomas Hutter as a real estate agent who is sent by Herr Knock to Transylvania where he deals with his encounter with Count Orlok as well as the things he had seen where he is desperate to save Ellen and be there for her.
Bill Skarsgard is great as Count Orlok as this monstrous vampire who has a large figure and a mustache as he is this eerie creature that wants to wreak havoc on Wisborg as well as have Ellen as his companion where Skarsgard uses a low register in his voice and a physicality to play into the terror that he brings as it is a career-defining performance for Skarsgard. Finally, there’s Lily-Rose Depp in a phenomenal break-out performance as Ellen Hutter as this young woman haunted by her own encounter with a demon as she copes with Thomas being away as well as some unexpected behaviors to emerge. Depp brings a physicality and anguish to her performance that is scary in the way she gets possessed as well as scenes where she is aware of what Ellen must do to stop Count Orlok as it is a true revelatory performance from Depp.
Nosferatu is a tremendous film by Robert Eggers that features great leading performances from Bill Skarsgard and Lily-Rose Depp. Along with its supporting cast, ravishing visuals, study of fear and repression, and an intense music score. It is a horror film that doesn’t just pay tribute to its past adaptations but also find new ways to tell an old story and maintain its fear. Even as it explores the horrors of within with its emphasis on what women deal with in those times and how they had to confront that horror. In the end, Nosferatu is an outstanding film by Robert Eggers.
