Erin Brockovich

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant, Erin Brockovich is the story of an unemployed single mother who works for a lawyer as she helps fight against a gas company for people who had been hurt by them. Based on the real life about the woman of the same name, it’s an unconventional bio-pic that has a woman trying to help people by using her sex appeal and street smarts as she’s played by Julia Roberts. Also starring Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walters, and Peter Coyote. Erin Brockovich is a sassy and phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is about this unemployed woman who has three children from two ex-husbands as she gets a job working for the lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) who was handling her injuries claim case which they lost. In her job, Erin Brockovich learns about a real-estate files case that Masry had been working on as she makes some chilling discoveries about the Pacific Gas and Electric Company whose water was contaminated and many of the people in the small town of Hinkley, California were struck with a myriad of illnesses. In turn, it’s a film where this very unlikely woman and a small-time lawyer with a private firm go against a massive billion dollar corporation to help a bunch of people in a small town who had been conned by this corporation. What makes the film much more unique than it actually is its protagonist as she is this single mother of three kids who wears skimpy clothes and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Susannah Grant’s screenplay is unconventional at times but also very engaging for the way it presents Brockovich as this no-nonsense woman who is just trying to get work to raise her three kids as she has very little money in her bank account and little experience with anything. While she dresses in skimpy clothes that often shows her cleavage and has this sassy attitude, she is perceived as this unintelligent and trashy woman who gets by with having sex with men and such. Instead, Brockovich uses her sex appeal to dig deep into her discoveries where she impresses Masry. While the job gives her some respect from Masry, co-workers, and the people she talks to about what they’re dealing. She tries to balance that with being a mom as she gains the help and companionship of her new neighbor in a biker named George (Aaron Eckhart) who would struggle with her long working hours as does her kids yet they come around to see what she’s doing as she sometimes takes them for the ride.

Brockovich’s relationship with Masry is also unique as they become this unlikely duo where Brockovich is the one talking to the people and gathering all sorts of information as she was willing to get her hands dirty. Especially as she would get Masry to be more accessible to the people where he does have a scene at a community center talking to them about what is going to happen with this lawsuit the town has filed. It’s a moment where Brockovich watches in the back as she lets Masry let his guard down a bit so he can become someone the people can trust despite some of legal bullshit he has to handle. Even as Brockovich and Masry also have to rely on a more prestigious legal firm to help in the case where the two don’t get treated with much respect by their new partners.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is pretty simple in some respects as he doesn’t go for anything flashy in some of the compositions he creates. Still, there are moments that has him creating a film that is a mixture of a comedy and drama while finding a balance to mesh the two genres. Even as he plays to the comedy in an offbeat way where he’s not afraid to use sexuality to drive the story though there’s no nudity that occurs in the film. It’s not overt but enough to bring some energy to the film while Soderbergh also creates moments such as how Brockovich is able to engage the people with just her charm as she’s just wearing regular clothes while a law assistant is struggling to connect with them as she’s just talking about all sorts of legal bullshit the people don’t really understand.

Much of the film is shot in Ventura, California with some of it shot in Los Angeles where Soderbergh uses the deserts and small-town locations to create something that makes it more than just a film in California. He gives the idea that something like this could be set in any small American town as the people themselves are just good folk who want to hear the truth and why they’ve been sick. His use of medium shots, close-ups, and wide shots give Soderbergh an atmosphere to help tell the story and engage the audience into these characters in the film. Especially as he would maintain that sense of drama and the stakes that is happening so that audiences can root for Brockovich and Masry to see if they can beat the Goliath that is the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very rich and entertaining film about a woman who helps the people fight against a corporation.

Cinematographer Edward Lachman does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography by playing up the sunny look of California with its rich interior lighting schemes in the daytime while going for more stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editor Anne V. Coates does excellent work with the editing as she infuses some style such as jump-cuts to play with some of the film‘s humor and drama that adds to the unconventional tone of the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Christa Munro, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of Masry‘s office firm as well as Brockovich‘s home to play into their two different personalities.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does nice work with the costumes from the skimpy clothing that Brockovich wears to the biker look of George. Sound editor Larry Blake does terrific work with the sound to play into some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the calmness of some of the locations in Ventura, California. The film’s music by Thomas Newman is fantastic for its score that is largely driven by keyboards and orchestral pieces that is upbeat at times but also eerie and somber while music supervisor Amanda Scheer-Demme brings in a soundtrack that features some low-key ambient music, bluegrass, and a couple of songs by Sheryl Crow.

The casting by Margery Simkin is incredible for the ensemble that is created for the film as it features cameos from the real Erin Brockovich as a waitress and Ed Masry as a diner patron along with small roles from Scotty Leavenworth and Gemmenne de la Pena as two of Brockovich’s older children, Emily and Julie Marks and Ashley and Brittany Pimental as the youngest of Brockovich’s children as it’s a baby in two different ages. Other small yet notable performances include Gina Gallego as a PG&E attorney, Veanne Cox as a paralegal who tries to do Brockovich’s job, T.J. Thyne as a waters department employee who is charmed by Brockovich, Conchata Ferrell as Masry’s secretary Brenda, and Peter Coyote as a top attorney who teams with Masry on the case yet has no clue in how Masry and Brockovich do their work.

Tracey Walter is terrific as a mysterious Hinkley local who attends the town meetings as he is suspicious of what Brockovich is doing while Cherry Jones is wonderful as another local who is wary about what Brockovich is doing as she thinks that no money will come from this case. Marg Helgenberger is superb as a Hinkley local who becomes the first person Brockovich talks to as she deals with her declining health and what her family might deal with. Aaron Eckhart is excellent as Brockovich’s neighbor George as this very nice biker who helps out by taking care of Brockovich’s children while dealing with her workload as he understands what she’s trying to do.

Albert Finney is brilliant as Ed Masry as this old-school and well-meaning attorney who reluctantly hires Brockovich to be in his firm while becoming aware of what he might go up against realizing the risks of what he might lose. It’s a performance where Finney plays the straight man for Roberts as well as bringing a complexity and accessibility into his role as a lawyer who often doesn’t connect with his clients on a personal level. Finally, there’s Julia Roberts in an outstanding performance as the titular character where it’s Roberts at her most brash and charming where she isn’t afraid to get a little dirty and be overtly sexual at times. It’s a performance that really has Roberts going all-out while also proving to be pretty sensitive where she has her characters listen to other people as it’s definitely Roberts at her best.

Erin Brockovich is a remarkable film from Steven Soderbergh that features a fantastic performance from Julia Roberts in the titular role. Along with some amazing supporting work from Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart, the film is definitely one of Soderbergh’s finest films as well as one of his most accessible. Even as he creates a character as captivating as Brockovich that allows the audience to be engaged by her. In the end, Erin Brockovich is a spectacular film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven (2001 film) - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-The Equlibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014

The Black Dahlia

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/17/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on James Ellroy's novel that is based on the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia is the story of two detectives who investigate the murder of an aspiring actress as it would take a mental and emotional toll on the two men as well as their relationship for a young woman as a doppelganger seduces one of them. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Josh Friedman, the film is an exploration into a mysterious murder that occurred in the late 1940s as two men become lost in the mystery of who kill this woman. Starring Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr, Patrick Fischler, John Kavanagh, Jemima Rooper, Fiona Shaw, Rachel Miner, Rose McGowan, and Hilary Swank. The Black Dahlia is a stylish but very underwhelming film from Brian de Palma.

After a charity fight to raise the salary of L.A. policeman, local street cop Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) become opponents for the fight publicized by Ellis Loew (Patrick Fischler) as the two later become partners in the Warrants division as Bleichert also befriends Blanchard's girlfriend Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson). The two become successful in their work while Bleichart and Lake realize they're attracted to each other but keep their feelings intact out of respect for Blanchard. During a case to catch a child rapist where they encounter a shootout, the two find the body of a dead woman cut in half as she's revealed to be Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner). With news of the release of a criminal in Bobby DeWitt (Richard Brake) and the graphic nature of Short's death, Blanchard starts to unravel who wants to go after DeWitt but has to work on the Short case with Bleichert who learns a lot about Short and her aspirations to be an actress.

Bleichert's investigation leads him to clues that includes a journey into the underground lesbian bars where he meets a Short doppelganger in socialist Madeline Linscott (Hilary Swank) who later invites him to to a family dinner. Bleichert and Linscott would have an affair as he later retrieves a stag film that featured short and her friend Lorna Mertz (Jemima Rooper) which makes Blanchard more uneasy as he is later taken out of the case while an earlier case to lead to a falling out between him and Bleichert. Kay later reveals some information about Blanchard's state of mind and why he's become uneasy as things eventually get worse where Bleichert learns a deeper connection between Short and the Linscott family as he gets closer to close the case.

While the film has all of the elements of a stylish, 1940s film-noir and crime stories, it also has the style that Brian de Palma is known for when it comes to suspense considering his often ode to Alfred Hitchcock. Unfortunately, despite all of de Palma's efforts to create a fascinating, intriguing mystery. It loses its sense of direction right into the third act. While screenwriter Josh Friedman does create a faithful adaptation the Ellroy novel. What is lost is many of the psychological and character study aspect of Ellroy. Instead, the script loses some insight into the characters, the murder, and most of all, Bleichert's obsession with Short.

The changes from the book to script are unfortunate since it loses some of its suspense and the style of Ellroy's writing which weaves and entrances its audience. While the first two acts are faithful with some stuff along with major subplots and characters not making it into the film adaptation. The third act is crucial yet misses a lot on the psychological aspect of Ellroy's work where a lot of things is lost and the suspense in the book gets crammed up in too many moments. Notably the confrontation between the Linscott and Bleichert where too much goes on where in the book, Bleichert confronts the Sprague family on a series of suspenseful sequences.

The fault is really to Friedman and de Palma for wrapping things up a bit too fast while having some bizarre sequences, notably the DeWitt confrontation which in the book, is set in Tijuana, Mexico but in the film, it's in Los Angeles where it doesn't entirely work. It ends up overwhelming itself where a lot of the drama and action is forced and de Palma seems to have rushed things a bit too quickly. Still, de Palma does create some fascinating work that is reminiscent to his past films like a boxing fight scene between Bleichert and Blanchard. Some scenes are definitely borrowed from 1940s films with soft lenses on some scenes that adds style to the film. The only real falter in de Palma's directing is the ending. It feels totally false and not true to the character of Bleichert where his character in the end is forced to grow up and confront some inner demons. In the film, it wraps up to quickly with no resolve and comes out very lame. Overall, despite some strong moments in the film, de Palma loses sight of everything by the third and final act.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does some wonderful work in the photography whether its some lovely, soft touches in some emotional sequences between Bleichert and Kay to some of the shading of windows that is true to the noir-style. Zsigmond's work also shines in many of the film's exterior's shot in Los Angeles while the interiors are very intimate with some great long shots from de Palma's directing as the veteran cinematographer does some fascinating work. Production designer Dante Ferretti and art directors Pier-Luigi Basile and Christopher Tandon adds a lot of flair and style to their extravagant presentation of 1940s Los Angeles including the worldly Linscott home and the lesbian bar scenes that all of the interiors were shot in Bulgaria. Costume designer Jenny Beaven also does some great work in the 1940s costume work from the suits and Fedoras that the men wear to the black clothing Kirshner and Swank wear along with the more loose, silvery, grey clothes of Johansson.

Editor Bill Pankow does some nice cutting into the film while adding some great, curtain-like cuts that owes to the old, 1940s film editing style that adds flair to the film while doing great work in not cutting on some great long shots de Palma did. Sound designer Paula Fairfield also does some great work in the sound including an earthquake scene that does add atmosphere along with the sounds of gunshots and things that adds an intensity to the film. Score composer Mark Isham plays to the world of 1940s style of jazz while the orchestral score works in conveying the emotions and intensity of the suspense. The soundtrack also includes an old Cole Porter jazz number performed by k.d. lang in a cameo appearance that is fun in one of the film's lesbian bar scenes.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled that includes some small appearances from Rose McGowan, Kevin Dunn, Richard Brake, Troy Evans, Ian McNiece as the coroner, William Finley as the Linscott patriarch George Tilden, James Otis as Bucky's demented German father, and Scarface actor Pepe Serna in a cameo as Tomas dos Santos. Rachel Miner is good in the role of Martha Linscott but her character is underwritten since the book has more information on her. Miner isn't the only actress to suffer from the underwritten script as Jemima Rooper's Lorna Mertz is also underwritten since her character has more to hide despite a good performance from Rooper. Patrick Fischler is indeed, Ellis Loew as the publicity-driven D.A. who controls the investigation while trying to make a public thing for himself though the book had more of his plans. John Kavanagh is really good as the slimy, charming Emmett Linscott while noted character actor Mike Starr does some great work as the veteran good cop Russ Millard who unfortunately, is underused since Millard is a great character though Starr doe some great work.

In a performance that can be described as over-the-top, British actress Fiona Shaw gives a performance that goes way overboard as Ramona Linscott as she just goes all out to the point that it becomes unintentionally hilarious. Mia Kirshner delivers one of her best performances in the film's title role as she brings an innocence and sadness to Elizabeth Short as well as a troubling sexiness that is entrancing to watch. Hilary Swank continues to play interesting characters as she brings a lot of vamp in her role as the femme fatale Madeline Linscott. While the book portrayed Madeline as a more psychotic, seductive character, Swank does excellent work in playing sexy with a strange, Irish accent and a presence that is troubling. Though the performance is a bit over-the-top, it's nonetheless entertaining despite the fact it's underwritten. While Scarlett Johansson can transform herself into a true, 1940s starlet with her undeniable beauty. Her character however, suffers the most from the script since it's very underwritten in her connection with DeWitt as well as in her relationship with Bucky. Johansson still manages to be very good as the more guarded, traditional woman who loves the company of two men while often smoking a cigarette and being worrisome to everything around her.

Aaron Eckhart is really the film's best performance as the troubled Lee Blanchard. Eckhart has all of the sensitive tough guy qualities that Kay adores while his character ends up being more troubled with great reasons and a darker past beneath it. Eckhart is Lee Blanchard like the book though the script puts him in strange situations that isn't true to the character though Eckhart manages to do some fine work. Josh Hartnett isn't a great actor and never will be but he does manage to do some of his best work as Bucky Bleichert. While his narration and some of his performances, notably his scenes with the main actors are good. It's inconsistent since he often looks a bit wooden and sometimes, a bit smug including a confrontational scene between him and Johansson. It's not his best work, that goes to The Virgin Suicides, but Hartnett ends up being decent though the script fails to make his character into being far more complex and interesting.

While it has some moments that keeps it from being a disaster, The Black Dahlia is an over-stylized yet un-engaging film from Brian de Palma. While it has a good cast, great settings, look, and style, fans of the book will indeed be disappointed in what got cut and its psychological aspects of it. Fans of noir films will probably lean to the more successful and brilliant L.A. Confidential by Curtis Hanson that is also a novel by James Ellroy. In the end, while the film is entertaining and has style but lacks a lot of substance. In the end, The Black Dahlia is a very disappointing film-noir suspense film from Brian de Palma.

Brian de Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface (1983 film) - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito’s Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2013

Thank You for Smoking

Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking is the story of a tobacco spokesman who tries to help sell cigarettes while trying to be a good father to his 12-year old son. Written for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film explores the world of the tobacco industry and its tactics in the form of a black comedy. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, David Koechner, William H. Macy, Sam Elliot, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Duvall. Thank You for Smoking is a witty feature-film debut from Jason Reitman.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is a tobacco lobbyist whose job is to speak for tobacco companies as they’re often under target for giving its customers lung cancers and other diseases. Naylor manages to win people over by talking about the good that tobacco does as he’s the darling of the tobacco company while his best friends are also lobbyists in firearms spokesman Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) and alcohol spokeswoman Polly Bailey (Maria Bello). Naylor’s success at a talk show against anti-tobacco groups has gained the attention of the legendary tobacco company head the Captain (Robert Duvall) over Naylor’s idea to spend $50 million for an anti-teen smoking campaign that would give teenagers the choice to smoke.

While Nick is also a good father to his son Joey (Cameron Bright) whom he takes to on a trip to California to meet with film producer Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe). Nick would also meet Washington news reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) for a profile on him as the two have an affair. During Nick’s trip with Joey in California, the Captain asks Nick to do a job for him in which he is to give money for former Marlboro Man figure Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliot) where Joey watches putting Nick in an uncomfortable position. Nick’s career is suddenly shaken by a kidnapping attempt on him that left him unable to smoke again while Heather’s article does more damage to his reputation. With Nick’s boss BR (J.K. Simmons) doing damage control and Nick in trouble, he gets some surprising help as he faces off against the anti-tobacco campaign leader Senator Finistirre (William H. Macy) in front of Congress.

The film is about a lobbyist who tries to be a good role model to his own son while selling tobacco to the public. While he knows that he’s selling a product that is harmful but he doesn’t apologize for it nor force people to go buy it. He’s part of a group of people whom he’s comfortable with and often talks his way into getting people to sway his way for the good of the people he’s working for. Yet, he would face things that would put him in an uncomfortable position as he has to bribe a former tobacco spokesman to stop from talking while he’s also being seduced by a reporter with ambitions of her own.

Jason Reitman creates a script that is essentially a character study of a lobbyist’s life and the product he’s supporting as he has people trying to stop tobacco. It’s also a classic rise and fall tale of sorts though it’s third act would have Nick Naylor finding a way to redeem himself. While the characters that Nick meets are essentially characters that represent some form of caricature in a film that is partially a satire. Yet, the whole film is told through Naylor’s perspective as he narrates what he does and the tribulations he faces as he’s just trying to do what he thinks is right. While there’s parts of the script that doesn’t work such as Naylor’s son Joey and a kidnapping subplot. Reitman does create a solid and engaging story.

Reitman’s direction is quite fluid in the way he presents the film with lots of style such as a montage of Naylor and his son arriving to Los Angeles shot in super 8 film stock. Other scenes such as Naylor’s monologue about what he does and how he believes he’s contributing to society where Reitman has Naylor hitting a home run. Reitman creates lots of intimate scenes with compositions where he always have more than one person in a frame or is shooting from afar. Yet, he also knows who to aim for during such big scenes while shooting from a certain perspective. Overall, Reitman creates a film that is very intriguing as well as entertaining.

Cinematographer James Whitaker does a superb job with the film‘s sepia-laden cinematography to complement a stylish look from the restaurant that Nick eats at to the Californian exteriors to emphasize the world Nick hoped to conquer. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does a nice job with the editing in creating Nick and Joey’s California montage to a few jump-cut and stylish cuts in scenes where Nick talks about the people he works and hangs out with.

Production designer Steve Sakland and set decorator Kurt Meisenbach do some fine work with the set pieces created such as Jeff Megall‘s Asian-inspired office and Nick‘s own apartment. Costume designer Danny Glicker does a very good job with the costumes created such as the suits that the men wear to the business-like wardrobe the women wear. Sound editors Perry Robertson and Scott Sanders do fantastic work with the sound work to capture the atmosphere of the Congressional hearing to the intimate scenes of the restaurant that Nick eats at.

The film’s score by Rolfe Kent is wonderful as it features playful jazz and blues-style music to complement its sense of humor along with more intense orchestral pieces for its dramatic moments. Music supervisors Peter Afterman and Margaret Yen do some terrific work with the soundtrack that features a wide array of music from blues, country, and pop to play the whimsical tone of the film.

The casting by Mindy Marin is brilliant for the ensemble cast that is created which includes notable appearances from Adam Brody as Jeff’s hyperactive assistant, Kim Dickens as Nick’s ex-wife Jill, Daniel Travis as Jill’s boyfriend, Connie Ray as Lorne’s wife, talk show host Joan Lunden as herself, Todd Luiso as an anti-tobacco protester, Marianne Muellerleile as Joey’s teacher, and Rob Lowe as the very funny and eccentric Hollywood producer Jeff Megall. Robert Duvall is excellent as the wise tobacco legend the Captain while Sam Elliot is wonderful as the bitter Lorne Lutch. J.K. Simmons is superb as Nick’s devious boss BR who tries to use Nick for his own gain while making himself look good for the tobacco company. William M. Macy is terrific as Nick’s nemesis in Senator Finistirre who tries to outwit Nick in a war of words in his quest to ban tobacco.

David Koechner and Maria Bello are very good in small but funny roles as Nick’s lobbyists friends with Koechner as the more wilder person of the two with Bello as the reasonable one. The weak links in the cast are Cameron Bright and Katie Holmes as Bright doesn’t really display much of a personality to his character despite some of the good one-liners he has in the role of Nick’s son. Holmes meanwhile, is really miscast as ambitious reporter since she doesn’t really exude the sexiness nor the humor that is needed for this character. Finally, there’s Aaron Eckhart in a fabulous performance as the charming Nick Naylor. Eckhart has a wit and personality that is fun to watch while also bringing a serious side to his character as it’s definitely one of best roles of his career.

Thank You for Smoking is a funny yet smart film from Jason Reitman that features a phenomenal performance from Aaron Eckhart. While it’s a film that is a bit flawed due to a few casting choices as well as ideas that doesn’t work, it is still a pretty engaging film about the tobacco industry and those who try to oppose it in the wrong way. In the end, Thank You for Smoking is an insightful and humorous film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2011

The Dark Knight

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 7/20/08 w/ Additional Edits.

***In Memory of Heath Ledger (1979-2008)***

When Batman reemerged to the cinema in 2005, Christopher Nolan's new approach to the Caped Crusader returned Batman to his dark roots. With Christian Bale in the role of Bruce Wayne and Batman, 2005's Batman Begins was a huge hit as it resurrected the comic book hero after being lambasted with ridiculous storylines, bad puns, and such from 1997's Batman & Robin by Joel Schumacher. The return of Batman was greeted with rave reviews and huge box office as everyone is happy. With a new franchise emerging with Nolan and Bale leading the way. It was time for the franchise itself to step up to its epic vision as Nolan along with his brother Jonathan and Batman Begins co-writer David S. Goyer to make a new Batman movie that is even grander and more darker.

For the sequel entitled The Dark Knight, the film essentially picks up where Batman Begins left off. In that film's ending, the just-promoted Lieutenant James Gordon shows Batman a Joker's card. The card would signify the new foe Batman would face in The Dark Knight as he would also face a series of obstacles ranging from the physical to the emotional and mental. Directed by Christopher Nolan with a script he co-wrote with brother Jonathan based on the screen story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. The Dark Knight tells the story of Bruce Wayne playing Batman as he deals with overwhelming escalation among the mob and other criminals while wanting a normal life. With the arrival of new district attorney Harvey Dent, Wayne hopes for the new D.A. to succeed despite the fact that he's dating Wayne's former flame Rachel Dawes. Meanwhile, a new criminal has arrived to wreak havoc on Gotham itself as he's called the Joker.

Based on the comic book by Bob Kane along with characters created by Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, the story is inspired by the comic story Batman: The Long Halloween as well as The Killing Joke story written by Alan Moore. The film takes Batman to newer, darker levels as he faces the Joker whose sense of chaos and lack of remorse makes him the ultimate villain that Batman has to face. Along the way, Batman would face more villains aside from the mob and the Scarecrow when Dent would eventually become another main villain named Two-Face.

With Bale returning for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne along with previous Batman Begins cast members Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, and Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow. The film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Eric Roberts, Michael Jai White, Anthony Michael Hall, Nestor Carbonell, William Fichter, Melinda McGraw, Nathan Gamble, and in one of his final performances, Heath Ledger as the Joker. The Dark Knight is an eerie, epic, and haunting masterpiece from Christopher Nolan and company.

More than a year after his arrival into Gotham City, Batman has managed to make Gotham a bit safer. The bad news is that copycat vigilantes has tried to do what Batman has done but often causing trouble. Especially as the Caped Crusader manages to capture former foe Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) who is trying to make deals with the mob. Yet, Batman has also received a lot of heat from the police and press. Then hope arrives in the form of new district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who decides to help rid Gotham of crime. Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Batman hopes that Dent will do the job after an attempt in putting Sal Maroni (Eric Roberts) on trial. Maroni and another mob boss in Gambol (Michael Jai White) turn to a Chinese business accountant named Lau (Chin Han) to help in saving their money. Maroni also turns to a psychotic criminal named the Joker for help as he decides that the only option to help themselves is to kill Batman.

With Dent now becoming a rising public figure, he is also dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the assistant DA as Bruce Wayne realizes that his hopes to win Rachel's heart are not going to be easy. Even as he tries to deal with his role as Batman as he lives in a penthouse with faithful butler Alfred (Michael Caine) while running his enterprise with CEO Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Fox and Wayne tried to make a deal with Lau where in truth, Wayne suspects Lau of taking money from the mob for their protection as he, Fox, and Alfred go to Hong Kong to capture Lau so he can testify against Maroni. With Dent managing to gather evidence against Maroni, things seem to go well until the Joker creates assassinations and such as he also targets Dent. Yet, the Joker comes face-to-face with Batman.

With another assassination attempt on the mayor (Nestor Carbonell) thwarted, Dent and Batman make a plan to capture the Joker with Gordon's help as Rachel stays at Bruce's for protection after she learned she's being targeted. Dent, Batman, and Gordon's plan to capture the Joker succeeds only to somehow, backfire because of the Joker's plan. The plan would involve the scarring of Harvey Dent as Bruce Wayne is forced to deal with the weight of being Batman. The Joker frees himself from jail as he decides to wreak more havoc into Gotham as he corrupts Harvey into becoming Two-Face as Batman realizes what limits he must take to save Gotham from the maniacal mind of the Joker.

In Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan tells the story of Batman's origins as he shows audiences how Bruce Wayne became the Caped Crusader as he understands what he must do and what he cannot do. In The Dark Knight, Wayne is forced to see how far he can be pushed and if he can restrain himself. What the film is about is Wayne trying to return to normal life in some ways as he lays all of his hopes on Harvey Dent. Then when the Joker arrives, everything completely goes to hell as he wreaks havoc on Gotham as he tries to prove a point of how even the most pure person can be corrupted through unspeakable means.

Yet, the core story of the film is Batman and Jim Gordon trying to battle the Joker as they realize that the Joker's intentions is to prove that there's no such thing as purity, honor, and justice. Batman and Dent tries to prove otherwise but once Dent is scarred on all levels, he becomes corrupted to the point that everything he is supposed to stand for is out of the window. Yet, this leaves the Joker the opportunity to create anarchy in Gotham as his true colors is the fact that he's a man who works for himself and only himself. The mob and gangs are nothing to him as simply pawns of his game. He also plays a different game with Batman as he tries to get him to reveal himself while hoping to have him destroyed. Yet, he's the man that likes to push Batman's buttons into doing things to try and make Batman break his one rule, to not kill.

Christopher Nolan along brother Jonathan and co-story writer David S. Goyer create a very complex, epic story that is a comic book film but with something more. The film in some ways is a character study on Batman/Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and the Joker. While it's clear that Wayne's motivations is simply to protect Gotham from harm, the Joker doesn't have motivation other than the fact that he just likes to create chaos in a world that he feels is impure. Then there's Harvey Dent, a man who is clearly on the world of good as he wants to clean up the streets and be the White Knight to protect Gotham. Though as Dent, there's shades of his dark side as he's even pushed to the limits. When he becomes Two-Face, the coin that he carries becomes his decider as he ends up being a character with very little remorse and hopes to prove that the Joker's argument for disorder is right.

The script by the Nolan brothers is more straightforward than their previous films as it doesn't rely on flashbacks and such. Instead, Christopher Nolan sets up scenes and things that would create a sense of momentum with the script's structure. The opening scene begins with a bank robbery that involved the Joker and fellow thieves to give the idea of what kind of man the Joker is. The first act is about Batman/Bruce Wayne's hope for Harvey Dent to take over while dealing with Rachel falling for Harvey. The second act involves the capture of the Joker and the beginning of Dent's corruption. The third is Batman dealing with the chaos the Joker has created and the outcome of what Dent has become. The film's ending is complex in not just on what was lost but how to cope with the outcome for both Batman and Jim Gordon.

Nolan's direction is truly astonishing as he creates a look and atmosphere that is purely epic and grand in its vision. With locations shot largely in Chicago and parts of Hong Kong, the film has a look that remains true to the grittiness of Batman Begins but on a far more grander scale. Especially in a few sequences that were shot with IMAX-made cameras like the opening bank scene, the nighttime Hong Kong scene, and other big action scenes. What Nolan also does is rely less on CGI-computer created images and have more realistic look whether its stunts or make-up in the case of Two-Face. Nolan creates a sense of momentum for some of the film's action sequences that also gear towards drama. The film also has some light humor that is also matched by the maniacal yet dark humor of the Joker.

Now some audiences might complain that the film is too dark and too long. It's dark because Batman is meant to be dark. Bruce Wayne has a sense of humor but Batman doesn't. Nolan understands this because, since he's a comic book fan. He knows that Batman has always intended to be this dark, adult figure who isn't really a hero. He's an anti-hero in some respects. The reason it's long is because given that Nolan wants an epic story that lives up to the larger-than-life figures that is Batman and the Joker. These are two men who are in some ways, equals as they give into adult themes that might be too heavy to understand if the audience are kids. What they know is that Batman is a good guy and the Joker is a bad guy. Nolan understands this but he knows that children have an idea of who Batman is and what he represents. His point of view more has to do with the original comics which aren't exactly kid-friendly. That's why kids might have more fun watching something like Spider-Man, who's a more accessible, friendlier super-hero.

Nolan obviously draws some of his cinematic inspirations from Michael Mann's Heat for some of the film's sequences while also taking notes from classic crime dramas which the film in some ways, is. It's a simple crime drama about a man wearing cape who teams up with a new district attorney, and a top police official to fight the mob unaware that they're going up against a figure of terror named the Joker. Nolan has to create a film within those simple plot lines but add dark touches that aren't easy to divulge as it's a film that also has a sense of tragedy. The tragedy more involves in what Batman has to play and what he must sacrifice in order to save Gotham. What Christopher Nolan creates overall is a huge film with a large canvas and a grand story as it's a film that is not just superior than the previous Batman films but raises the bar for all super-hero films based on comic books.

Cinematographer Wally Pfister creates a sharp, gritty look to the film with wonderful shading and colors to fit the mood of the film. From the daytime exteriors that rarely has moments of sunny, bright colors to the eerie nighttime exteriors for some of the scenes shot in Chicago with sepia-drenched colors for the city lights and highways and at times, very little color. In the Hong Kong scene, Pfister's use of blue colors and bright lights are truly brilliant with jaw-dropping presentation as it stays true to its grand look. Pfister's use of colors for the interior also pays true to the look of the Gotham exteriors in its nighttime scenes for its eerie tone as Pfister's photography is a highlight of the film.

Editor Lee Smith does a great job in maintaining the film's leisurely yet stylish pacing approach while creating scenes of tense drama to cut from segment and then to another, and another to create momentum. Smith also does superb work in creating a rhythm for the film's action scenes to create a sense of tension and build-up that is magnificent. Production designer Nathan Crowley along with art director Simon Lamont and set decorator Peter Lando do an amazing job in creating the new secret place where Bruce Wayne and Alfred work at along with the gadgets workshop that Fox has made. Even the gadgets that were created by special effects Chris Corbuld for the action scenes including the Batpod are truly brilliant.

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does an amazing job with the look of the Joker's costumes are truly demonic yet stylish while the Batsuit is given a grittier look that is true to the tone of the film. And no, there are no nipples in the Batsuit! Makeup designers John Caglione Jr., Linda Rizzuto, and Vicki Vacca are great to create the grungy makeup look of the Joker while the look of Two-Face with help from visual effects supervisor Nick Davis is also demonic to unveil the corruption of Harvey Dent. Sound designer Richard King does a fantastic job in the layering of sounds for some of the film's high-octane action sequences as well as sound of the Joker's sinister laughter that is chilling to hear.

The music score of composers James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer is brilliant as it lives up to its grand scale. Howard and Zimmer create fast-building, momentum-driven pieces to convey the sense of action and drama while having moments of screeching violins to play up to the film's sense of horror that accompanies the Joker. The score overall is truly brilliant as it's one of the year's best score work that is filled with huge arrangements, bass-heavy sounds, and layers of synthesizers to create a dark mood.

The casting by John Papsidera is phenomenal for its collection of actors with several appearances being very memorable. Small performances from Melinda McGraw as Jim Gordon's wife, Nathan Gamble as Gordon's son, Beatrice Rosen as Wayne's date Natascha, Nydia Rodriguez Terracina as a judge, Ritchie Coster as a Chechen accomplice of Maroni, and Tommy "Tiny" Lister as a prisoner in a ferry scene who makes a decision relating to the Joker's reign of terror. Other notable small appearances include Joshua Harto as a suspicious employee of Wayne Enterprises who tries to expose who Batman is while Anthony Michael Hall plays newscaster Mike Engel who also tries to expose Batman's identity. Nestor Carbonell is good as the town's mayor while Monique Curnen is also good as Gordon's fellow detective Ramirez.

Michael Jai White has an excellent yet small memorable role as gang leader Gambol who doesn't trust the Joker while returning from Batman Begins, Colin MacFarlane as Commissioner Loeb and Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow where the latter gives a great cameo appearance. Eric Roberts is in fine, slimy form as Sal Maroni, a mob boss who tries to do his business as he ends up having a scary confrontation with Batman. Chin Han is good as the charming yet conniving Lau, an accountant who ends up getting into trouble with Batman. In the film's opening bank robbery scene, William Fichter gives a great performance as a heroic bank manager who tries to battle the Joker only to realize what kind of power the man has.

Taking over for Katie Holmes in the role of Rachel Dawes, Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent as Bruce Wayne's love interest as she plays a woman conflicted in her feelings for Bruce and Harvey. Gyllenhaal's performance truly surpasses what Holmes brought in the previous film as Gyllenhaal is more engaging, more subtle, and sassier as she has great chemistry with both Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart while having a great scene with Michael Caine. Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine both do superb work in their respective roles as Lucius Fox and Alfred. Freeman adds a lot of subtle humor and charm to the character of Fox while Caine plays the moral conscience of the film as he has some funny one-liners while being the lone father figure that Bruce needed. Gary Oldman is brilliant in his role as Lieutenant James Gordon, a good-hearted cop who is trying to capture the Joker and bring peace to Gotham as he had to take risks that involves his family while being the moral center for both Batman and Harvey Dent.

Aaron Eckhart is phenomenal in the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, a man who brings hope to Gotham City as he carries a coin that he's convinced gives him good luck. Eckhart displays a lot of charm and wit to Dent yet as he turns into Two-Face. Eckhart displays the sense of madness and terror as he becomes someone corrupted as he is tormented in what he lost as he becomes the very thing he is trying to fight against. Christian Bale is great as the character of Bruce Wayne and Batman as Bale brings a complexity to a man pondering about the role of the Caped Crusader. Bale's sense of torment and confusion adds a new layer to Bruce Wayne and Batman as he's wondering if he should do things he shouldn’t do while trying to be the hero that can save Gotham. It's a great performance from Bale as he adds new dimensions to the Dark Knight.

Finally, in his penultimate performance, Heath Ledger gives a rousing, maniacal, humorous, and certainly anarchic performance that is truly unforgettable as the Joker. Had he not died this past January, this performance surely would've made him into one of this generation’s great actors. What Ledger brings is a twisted, eerie, and psychotic performance that is more definitive and a lot closer to what the Joker is in the comics. Less comical than Cesar Romero in the original TV series and far less chew-scenery than Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film version by Tim Burton. Ledger's performance as the Joker is miles away from what those two actors have brought to the character. He has a great sense of humor that is very dark. He likes to create a lot of chaos, he can do lots of lip-smack that is creepy. There's layers to what Ledger brings to the character.

The portrayal of the Joker isn't some caricature or a one-dimensional villain. Ledger sees him as a man who is all about chaos, who doesn't think of good in the world. Ledger creates a villain that is just full of terror as even the men he's hired by are intimidated by him once they see on what he can do. He's someone that's not motivated by money, by revenge, or anything. Ledger makes sure the Joker is a man who likes chaos as Ledger makes the character of the Joker simply larger than life. For the late, 28-year old Australian actor who has brought such memorable performances as a young knight, a poetic junkie, a conflicted gay cowboy, and a troubled version of Bob Dylan. The role as the Joker is a definitive, mesmerizing, and certainly iconic performance from the late, great Heath Ledger.

The Dark Knight is a thrilling, superb, and supremely epic blockbuster film from Christopher Nolan and company featuring great performances from Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, and most of all, Heath Ledger. Fans of the Batman film series will no doubt be amazed at what Nolan does as he exceeds all the expectations that's raised for the film. Though young audiences, particularly kids might feel overwhelmed by its length and dark tone, audiences who love comic book and heavy crime drama will truly enjoy this film for its epic scale and eerie atmosphere. Though its unclear how Nolan and his team will try and top the third installment of the Batman series. It's clear about one thing, The Dark Knight is truly the most definitive and certainly the best of all super-hero films that's ever made.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman (1989 film) - Batman Returns - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - The Batman (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2011

Rabbit Hole

Based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Rabbit Hole tells the story of a married couple dealing with the loss of their son. During this horrific time, the couple each ventured into their own personal journeys with their marriage going into freefall. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell with the play’s creator writing the screenplay. The film explores grief and moving forward as it marks as a departure of sorts for the more radical and unconventional John Cameron Mitchell. Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller, Sandra Oh, Jon Tenney, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dianne Wiest. Rabbit Hole is a somber yet touching film from John Cameron Mitchell and company.

It’s another day for Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie Corbett (Aaron Eckhart) as they stay at home not wanting to go to any parties or social gatherings. Though Becca later gets a call from her trouble-making sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard) who got arrested for assaulting a woman at a bar. The big news is that Izzy is pregnant with that woman’s ex-boyfriend named Auggie (Giancarlo Esposito). Still, it’s another thing Becca has to deal with as she and Howie are still dealing with the death of their 4-year old son Danny (Phoenix List). The grief has led to a lack of communication for the two as they try to deal with it through group meetings led by Kevin (Stephen Mailer) and Gabby (Sandra Oh).

Unfortunately, Becca chooses to leave following a couple’s discussion about their own way in dealing with grief as she is trying to move forward. Still, offering to give Danny’s clothes to Izzy and trying to get back to work as an executive hasn’t done anything. During Izzy’s birthday party that is attended by their mother Nat (Dianne Wiest) who wants to give Becca some advice. Becca isn’t interested as she and Howie are unable to really talk to each other as he goes to group and continue working. Instead, she follows a teenage boy named Jason (Miles Teller) which eventually led to the two finally talking about what happened.

Meanwhile, Howie begins to befriend Gabby during group meetings as a way to deal with his own grief after learning that Becca had deleted a video in his iPhone despite her claims it was an accident. Even as he learns why Kevin hasn’t been showing up in meetings. Following the decision to sell the house, Jason makes an unexpected appearance leading to more drama between Howie and Becca. Even as the two ponder what are they doing for themselves and what is next for them.

The film is essentially about a couple trying to deal with grief and how they react to the death of their 4-year old son through a car accident. Yet, the film’s writer and original playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is more concerned about the way this couple reacts not just to the things around them but how they’re dealing with the loss they’ve suffered. For Howie, it’s all about watching a video on his iPhone, trying to work, and go to group meetings to just try and move on. Becca however, has a much harder time as she seems cold, angry, and not wanting to move on as her attempts don’t work. Instead, she turns to a teenage boy with a strange fascination with science as he writes a comic book.

The story does start off slow since it was deliberate so that audience can understand how characters behave when they’re dealing with grief. Even as it becomes clear that it’s not an easy thing to go through where Becca is annoyed by her group meeting because a couple talks about angels. For Howie, Becca’s behavior becomes embarrassing as he would later embarrass himself at a meeting through a different form of behavior. Even as they would both go into their own individual journeys to find some form of comfort or someone they can talk to. For Becca, it’s Jason and for Howie, it’s Gabby.

Director John Cameron Mitchell’s approach to the storytelling is definitely very intimate but also in a very theatrical setting. Shot on location in cities near New York City, Mitchell’s approach was to broaden the play by setting it in a small-town, suburban world while maintaining its focus on the characters. Even as he creates broad yet straightforward compositions to the way characters interact while being subjective in scenes where the camera is at the group meeting as an attendee.

One of Mitchell’s most notable moments as a director is the way he presents the scene where the moment of Danny’s death happens. It’s in a stylized approach but presented not in a sensationalized nor graphic presentation. It’s also in how it inter-cuts with the moments that Becca and Howie are having individually. It’s clear that Mitchell is becoming more confident and refined as a director. Even in the way he just lets the acting do the talking without over-playing or under-playing scenes. Even in finding some semblance of humor for the film as he reveals that when it comes to grief. There are no easy answers as it’s tough to get through and eventually, they move on. Overall, it’s Mitchell at his most mature as he is becoming one of the most interesting filmmakers working today.

Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco does excellent work with the film‘s lush, springtime look of the film with its green grasses and trees along with bluish shots for some of the film‘s exterior evening scenes. For the interior scenes at night, there’s a wonderful dark-yellow look that plays to the somber tone of the film. Editor Joe Klotz does some fantastic work with the film’s methodical yet straightforward editing. Even in creating some rhythmic cuts for the film’s intense, dramatic moments along with the flashback montage of Danny’s death.

Production designer Kalina Ivanov, along with set decorator Diana Salzburg and art director Ola Maslik, does an amazing job with the film‘s look for the home of Becca and Howie with its upper-middle class look and feel along with Danny‘s room. Even the artwork such as Jason’s comic book is a real highlight of the film since it does play to what Becca’s character is looking for. Costume designer Ann Roth does a real good job with the costumes from the street-like, youthful clothing that Becca’s sister Izzy and her boyfriend Auggie wears to the more casual, clothing that Howie and Becca wears.

Sound editor Benjamin Cheah does some good work with the sound work from the atmosphere of the bowling alley for Izzy‘s birthday to the intimate scenes of the park and group meetings. Music composer Anton Sanko does a wonderful job with the film’s plaintive yet somber score with soft strings and a piano. Notably with some melancholic tracks to play to the dramatic tone along with music from Al Green, David Soul, and others played quietly throughout the film.

The casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent is magnificent as it’s definitely one of the film’s highlights. Notably with appearances from Jon Tenney as a friend/co-worker of Howie, Patricia Kalember as a neighbor, Jay Wilkison as a former co-worker of Becca, Phoenix List in flashback appearances as the late child Danny, and in the varied roles of the group meeting attendees, Rob Campbell, Yetta Gottesman, Colin Mitchell, and Deidre Goodwin. Stephen Mailer is pretty good as Gabby’s husband and group leader Kevin while Giancarlo Esposito is excellent as the lively, fun Auggie. Tammy Blanchard is wonderful as Becca’s brash though grateful sister Izzy who finds herself at the wrong places in the wrong time whenever her sister acts out.

Dianne Wiest is great as Becca’s mother Nat who tries to give Becca some advice while saying some strange things as Weist really brings humor and depth to a character that understands grief. Sandra Oh is superb as Gabby, a mother in mourning who becomes friends with Howie as she is revealing to be in pain for something other than the loss of her child. Oh brings some needed humor to the film as she displays the things people need when they want to get back into the real world with such a calm, carefree performance. The film’s biggest surprise is newcomer Miles Teller as Jason, a young teenage boy who is traumatized for what he’s done while becoming a companion for Becca’s own personal journey. Teller’s quiet yet mesmerizing performance is definitely one of amazement as the chemistry he has with Nicole Kidman is fascinating where he manages to be equals with her.

Aaron Eckhart delivers what is definitely his best performance to date as Howie. Eckhart plays a man who is trying to move on and attend group meetings while wanting the memories of his son around him. Yet, when he sees that those reminders are being removed and has a hard time trying to move on. It’s a remarkable role for Eckhart who often plays creeps or crazy men as he allows himself to be vulnerable and sympathetic.

Finally, there’s Nicole Kidman in what is definitely her best role since Lars von Trier’s 2003 film Dogville. After a period of some uninspired roles in mainstream films to vanity-driven performances in art-house projects. Kidman returns to form as a grieving mother trying to move forward while wanting to get rid of the pain she’s feeling. It’s a raw performance from Kidman where at times, she acts like a bitch and lash out at people. Then, there’s the quiet moments where she doesn’t go into theatrics and just be calm. Particularly her scenes with Miles Teller that really shows Kidman at her best. Overall, it’s a film that reminds audience why Nicole Kidman is a great actress.

Rabbit Hole is a haunting yet intriguing film from John Cameron Mitchell that is led by fantastic performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. Fans of Mitchell’s work will find this to be his most conventional and least radical work of his career. Still, it is also his most mature work to date as he is refining his work as a director. Audiences looking for a drama that deals with grief will find this film as something more realistic and engaging though it does start off slow. In the end, Rabbit Hole is a superb and mesmerizing drama from John Cameron Mitchell.

John Cameron Mitchell Films: Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Shortbus - How to Talk to Girls at Parties - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

© thevoid99 2011