A Most Violent Year

 

Written and directed by J.C. Chandor, A Most Violent Year is the story of an immigrant businessman who is trying to expand his small business into something bigger amidst one of the most tumultuous years filled with violence and corruption in New York City. The film is an exploration of a man and his wife who are forced to take action when their small business is being threatened by the competition leading to a dark wave of violence. Starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Albert Brooks. A Most Violent Year is a gripping and harrowing film from J.C. Chandor.

It’s the winter of 1981 during one of its tumultuous years as an immigrant businessman is trying to buy a refinery as he finds himself being targeted by competitors where many of his trucks are stolen as it leads to harrowing acts of violence. It is a film that explore a moment in time just as this man who had worked his way to become an American citizen as he owns a small heating oil company as he’s managed to become successful and with a wife and family but he is also an idealist who wants to do things the right way. J.C. Chandor’s screenplay follows a month in the life of Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) who is about to embark on a major deal that would expand his empire but the theft of trucks by hoodlums threaten this deal as well as questions about his business dealings where an assistant district attorney in Lawrence (David Oyelowo) believes Abel is hiding something.

While Abel’s wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) is looking into their books and their attorney Andrew Walsh (Albert Brooks) is trying to handle all of the legal issues. Both Anna and Andrew urge Abel to fight fire with fire as they suspect their competitors are involved as it lead to the assault of one of their drivers in Julian (Elyes Gabel) and one of their young salesman in Alex (Ben Rosenfield). Abel however is convinced that violence isn’t the answer as he knows Lawrence is after him while he is trying to ask his competitors to stop the violence unaware that these hired thugs are just trying to hurt his business. Then there’s Julian who would have another encounter with thugs that lead to trouble where Abel asks Julian’s wife Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno) about his whereabouts as his activities would threaten everything Abel is hoping to have.

Chandor’s direction definitely echoes a lot of the films of the 1970s in terms of the crime drama as it play into this man trying to expand his small business empire into something bigger but without trouble and violence during a period of violence in New York City. Shot on location in New York City and areas around the city, the film does play into this cold winter where there is a lot of chaos that include these trucks being stopped either during traffic jams or coming out of a toll booth. Chandor’s usage of wide and medium shots do play into the scope of the city as well as an intense chase scene during the third act through a tunnel and later into a subway is among these moments in the film where there is a lot of suspense. The film also has these small moments that do play into the drama as it relates to a handgun that one of Abel and Anna’s daughters had found following an attempted attack on Abel that got botched. Chandor also play into the stakes of what Abel is trying to do as this piece of property he acquired and his intentions for it yet he has 30 days to make the down payment or else the owners will sell the property to one of Abel’s competitors.

Chandor also play into this underworld that Abel refuses to be a part of but it is a world that Anna’s father used to be in and it’s a world that Walsh is aware of as he talks to a teamster chief in Bill O’Leary (Peter Gerety) about the need to bear arms which Walsh agrees with but Abel refuses to go into that route. Even as he has to deal with Lawrence where Chandor definitely uses some unique camera angles and medium shots to play into their conversations where it is about power play as Lawrence is just someone that wants to uphold the law but he too is a man of ambition like Abel. The film’s ending is about this idea of what to do to achieve that goal but for someone like Abel who wants to maintain some morals and ideals about doing things without illegal means. There is no such thing as morals and ideals when it comes to running a business and dealing with other competitors as it is also about having it all or having nothing at all. Overall, Chandor crafts an astonishingly eerie yet intense film about an immigrant businessman trying to expand his empire in 1981 New York City amidst an era of violence.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural lighting for some scenes in the day to bits of sepia for a few interior/exterior scenes at night including some eerie low-key lighting for the tunnel chase scene. Editor Ron Patane does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as a few intense moments of violence. Production designer John P. Goldsmith, with set decorator Melanie J. Baker and art director Doug Huszti, does amazing work with the look of the lavish home that Abel and Anna live in with their family as well as the offices and places they go to as it play into the early 80s aesthetics. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone does fantastic work with the costumes from the designer clothes that Anna wears as well as the suits and expensive winter coat that Abel wears.

Makeup artist Stephanie Pasicov does nice work with the look of Anna from her hairstyle and the makeup that she wears at times to play into the period of the times. Visual effects supervisors Luke DiTommaso, Jason Forster, and Mark Russell do terrific work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the exteriors to play into the period that is 1981 New York City. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere as well as add to the suspense including scenes such as the chases and the tunnel scene. The film’s music by Alex Ebert is wonderful for its low-key music score with some orchestral flourishes that play into the drama and bits of suspense while music supervisor Linda Cohen creates a soundtrack that is largely low-key that includes a song from Marvin Gaye early in the film and a classical piece.

The casting by Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jerry Adler and Quinn Meyers as a couple of Hasidic businessmen who are making a deal with Abel, Ashley Williams as Lawrence’s deputy Lange, the trio of Daisy Tahan, Taylor Richardson, and Giselle Eisenberg as Abel and Anna’s daughters, Nick Bailey and Jenilyn Rodriguez as a couple of sales recruits, Linda Marie Larson as Abel’s secretary Debbie, David Margulies and Annie Funke as a couple of business people whom Abel asks for a loan, Ben Rosenfeld as a young sales recruit who gets mugged by a thug, Pico Alexander as Abel’s younger brother Elias, Peter Gerety as a teamster manager in Bill O’Leary, Elizabeth Marvel as a party guest at a birthday party for one of Abel and Anna’s daughters, Christopher Abbott as a thug that Abel confronts late in the film, Glenn Flesher as a competitor that Abel sees at a barbershop, and Catalina Sandino Moreno in a fantastic one-scene performance as Julian’s wife Luisa who is aware of what her husband has done but also the stakes of how it will affect Abel’s business.

Elyes Gabel is superb as the truck driver Julian who gets mugged by muggers and later gets himself in trouble following another confrontation that puts himself and Abel in serious trouble. Alessandro Nivola is excellent as Peter Forente as a competitor of Abel who also has connections with organized crime as he is aware of what is happening to Abel though is cagey about his involvement where he tries to make a deal with Abel that is in his favor. David Oyelowo is brilliant as Lawrence as the assistant DA who is investigating Abel’s activities though he knows that Abel is a good man but has a job to do while he is also an idealist of sorts but is aware of what needs to be done. Albert Brooks is amazing as Abel’s attorney Andrew Walsh as a man who is trying to handle all sorts of business but is also aware of what needs to be done as he is someone who had seen a lot and knows that not everything is clean.

Jessica Chastain is incredible as Anna Morales as Abel’s wife who has been supportive in his ambitions but is also aware that her husband needs to play dirty as she is annoyed by his idealism as she also watches over their books and finances as it’s something she’s done in working with her father. Finally, there’s Oscar Isaac in a phenomenal performance as Abel Morales as an immigrant businessman who owns a heating oil business as he hopes to expand his business only to deal with the chaos and violence that is looming around him as it is this fierce yet calm performance of a man that is just trying to do the right thing only to learn that there is no straight arrow when it comes to ambition.

A Most Violent Year is a tremendous film from J.C. Chandor that features phenomenal leading performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Along with its ensemble cast, eerie visuals, and its study of ambition along with its dangers and complexities. It is a film that explores a period in time in New York City that showcases what some will do to get ahead in business and how an immigrant businessman is trying to maintain some morality in a world that is immoral. In the end, A Most Violent Year is a magnificent film from J.C. Chandor.

J.C. Chandor Films: Margin Call - All is Lost - (Triple Frontier) – (Kraven the Hunter) – (The Auteurs #73: J.C. Chandor)

© thevoid99 2021

Broadcast News

Written and directed by James L. Brooks, Broadcast News is the story of a neurotic TV news producer who finds herself torn between her loyalty to a cynical reporter and a charismatic but dim anchorman. The film is an exploration of the world of news media where three people try to help bring news to the world in an ever-changing world. Starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, William Hurt, Joan Cusack, Lois Chiles, Robert Prosky, Peter Hackes, and Jack Nicholson. Broadcast News is a witty yet captivating film from James L. Brooks.

The film revolves around a love triangle between a TV news producer, a veteran reporter, and a new anchorman for a Washington D.C. news station as they all try to report the news and sell it to the public. It’s a film that isn’t just an exploration of the world of news but also the lives of three people who are part of this world as they struggle to find their roles in it. Especially as their professional ideals and lives begin to clash with their own personal lives in this complicated love triangle where they’re all trying to do the same thing despite their different takes on the news. James L. Brooks’ script doesn’t just the explore the conflict about how the news should be presented and sold to the public but also in the ideals of these three characters.

The TV producer Jane Craig (Holly Hunter) is someone that believes that the news should be told and not embellished as it’s something the reporter Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks) also believes though he is more cynical about the way news is being told and commercialized for a mass audience. Coming into their lives is Tom Grunick (William Hurt) who has the looks and charm of a news anchor but isn’t very smart as he knows that where he wants to help as he met Craig during a convention about the ethics of news. Grunick is someone that has the look to report and tell the news to the public as he is everything Altman isn’t as he is nice and not trying to offend anyone. Altman is a prick because he is passionate about wanting to get the facts straight and be true to the news. While Craig doesn’t think highly of Grunick at first, she eventually realizes his potential as well as the fact that he is actually presentable and can do his job.

It’s not just in the development of the story and the characters where Brooks succeeds at but it’s also in the many quirks of the characters such as Craig who is quite neurotic and often cries daily. She is also not in a relationship or involved with anyone other than Altman until Grunick appears as he is a very interesting person despite his lack of intelligence. Altman is baffled by how Grunick would get work so easily yet when Altman is given the chance to cover the news. Grunick gives him a few pointers on how to present himself as it would be a turning point for him but also with some realizations that he must face. The film also features a subplot that comes in its second half as it relates to a dangerous layoff due to budget cuts as it plays into the reality of the TV news world where it’s not just about ratings but also money.

Brooks’ direction is very simple in terms of the compositions he creates yet does manage to infuse some style into the way the newsroom and what goes on behind the scenes are shown. The film opens with a trio of prologues that relates to the main characters as children as it shows exactly who they are and what they would become as adults. Shot largely in Washington D.C. with some parts shot in Maryland and Virginia, the film does play into a world that is very energetic and demanding where Brooks doesn’t use a lot of wide shots as he favors something more intimate in the medium shots and close-ups. There are moments where Brooks’ direction does have some style such as this shot of Grunick in the foreground shot from behind while Craig is in the background very far in a wide shot as it play into what goes on in news reporting.

One notable sequence involving trying to get tape and such for a news report is among one of the most inventive and exciting moments in the film where it does have this air of realism in what Brooks is showing. Even as it shows an editor trying to cut something to the last second and get it to be aired for the evening news. Brooks’ direction is also very light-hearted in scenes where there’s a gathering or moments that are quite comical but not overtly. It’s told with a sense of restraint while not being totally forced as well as some of the drama though it does get quite heavy towards the third act as it relates to the love triangle between Craig, Altman, and Grunick. Especially as it reveals a lot about who they are and what they want for the world of TV news reporting. Overall, Brooks creates an insightful yet riveting film about three people in a love triangle while trying to report the news to the world.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly straightforward to play into the look of the locations in its daytime/nighttime exteriors as well as some unique lighting for the interior scenes. Editor Richard Marks does brilliant work with the editing as it play into the frenzy of what goes on in the newsroom and behind the scenes along with some straightforward cutting for the dramatic and comedic moments outside of the newsroom. Production designer Charles Rosen and set decorator Jane Bogart does fantastic work with the look of the editing room in the news room and the homes of some of the characters.

Costume designer Molly Maginnis does nice work with the costumes as it is kind of casual with bits of style as well as some of the infamous clothing of the 1980s with fake shoulder pads. Sound editor Robert Grieve does terrific work with the sound from the way the chaos of trying to get a story displayed on television to the sound of the gatherings the characters go to. The film’s music by Bill Conti is wonderful for its score that is mainly a mixture of low-key piano-based music with some electronic keyboards to play into the world of the TV news.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is great as it features some notable small roles from Kimber Shoop as the young Grunick, Dwayne Markee as the young Altman, Gennie James as the young Craig, Stephen Mendillo as Grunick’s father, Ed Wheeler as an anchorman in George Wein, Glen Roven and Marc Shaiman as a couple of music composers trying to create a new theme for the news channel, Christian Clemenson as the TV editor Bobby, Leo Burmester as Craig’s father, Marita Geraghty as a date-rape woman that Grunick interviews, and a low-key cameo appearance from a faceless John Cusack as an angry messenger. In another notable small role that is a cameo of sorts, Jack Nicholson is superb as the evening news anchorman Bill Rorish as this legendary reporter that tells the news to the world as he carries some seniority as well as being the one guy everyone has to make sure he looks good. Peter Hackes is excellent as the news station boss Paul Moore who tries to keep things going while dealing with the financial chaos of the station. Joan Cusack is fantastic as Blair Litton as a staff member who is also Craig’s best friend of sorts who has an amazing scene running around the office to bring a tape in and evade all sorts of obstacles.

Lois Chiles is wonderful as anchorwoman Jennifer Mack who takes a liking towards Grunick as she would briefly go out with him. Robert Prosky is brilliant as Ernie Merriman as the station’s manager who tries to keep things afloat while being aware of the layoffs that might emerge. Albert Brooks is phenomenal as Aaron Altman as this very intelligent and idealistic reporter who has always been behind the scenes or covering events around him as he copes with Grunick’s presence as well as his attempts to bring some substance to the world of news. William Hurt is remarkable as Tom Grunick as this dim but kind-hearted reporter that has the looks and charms to be an anchorman as it’s a very complex character as he represents someone that wants to make the news more accessible. Finally, there’s Holly Hunter in an incredible performance as Jane Craig as a TV news producer who is torn between two men while often crying for some odd reason as it’s a very fiery and energetic performance that play into a woman trying to maintain the idea of what TV news should be.

Broadcast News is a marvelous film from James L. Brooks that features great performances from Holly Hunter, William Hurt, and Albert Brooks. It’s a film that is very smart as well as being very funny thanks in part to its witty script as well as a superb supporting cast. In the end, Broadcast News is a sensational film from James L. Brooks.

James L. Brooks Films: (Terms of Endearment) - (I’ll Do Anything) - (As Good as It Gets) - (Spanglish) - (How Do You Know)

© thevoid99 2016

Taxi Driver

Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver is the story of a former U.S. marine who has become a taxi driver in New York City. Alienated by his surroundings and unable to connect, he decides to plot an assassination against a political candidate while he befriends a 12-year old hooker as he wonders what to do. The film is an exploration into a man dealing with his isolation and the world he’s surrounded by as he tries to connect while becoming unhinged by what’s happening around him. Starring Robert de Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Albert Brooks, and Peter Boyle. Taxi Driver is a dark yet mesmerizing film from Martin Scorsese.

The film is about this lonely man who works as a taxi driver in New York City as he is troubled by what goes on in the city. Unable to connect with people as he makes various attempts that fail. He starts to go mad as he hopes to kill a famed political candidate in order to get some attention as he is also intrigued by a 12-year old prostitute who he hopes to help. In this journey that Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro) ventures into, it’s the story of this lonely man who feels isolated by the world around him as he’s just trying to make a living yet is troubled by his surroundings. He does descend into madness after a date with a campaign volunteer in Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) doesn’t go well due to his lack of social skills. There, he turns into dark and violent thoughts while wanting to help this young hooker named Iris (Jodie Foster) so she can return home and stay away from this dark world that includes a pimp named Sport (Harvey Keitel).

Paul Schrader’s screenplay explores a man’s isolation and his descent as he finds himself dealing with the chaos that he’s in. Yet, there is a semblance of humanity in Travis Bickle as he tries whatever it takes to connect with people as he often confides in another cab driver named Wizard (Peter Boyle). Still, his attempts are often misguided when he takes Betsy on a date by going to a porn theater. It’s not just that Bickle has poor social skills, it’s just that he is in a world that is in ruins and some of the passengers he meets are very despicable people including Sport whom he treats Iris like a father figure and a lover. Driven by this sense of isolation and the duty to wanting to set things right. He decides to go after this political candidate named Palantine (Leonard Harris) in order to bring things back to balance but things eventually become complicated. With Iris’ troubles, Bickle offers to help her out but she is unsure if she wants to come home as it gives Bickle a reason to do something.

Schrader’s script is very layered in terms of its presentation as it features a lot of voice-over narration to reflect on Bickle’s isolation and paranoia as he would state things like “I’m God’s lonely man”. There’s elements of film noir in the narration and in the narrative of the script but there’s also a bit of plot schematics of the western that is involved. A lot of which had to do with Bickle playing cowboy in order to save Iris from this dark and seedy world. Yet, in the wake of what Bickle might do. There comes a lot of questions about the aftermath whether Bickle has become better for his actions or has it made him worse.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is very entrancing for the way he explores a man’s isolation set in mid-1970s New York City where it’s a place that is truly troubled by its decay. Notably as he uses a lot of unique framing devices and stylish presentation to convey this sense of isolation and intimacy that is present in the mind of Travis Bickle. With the use of slow-motion camera shots that would either convey a desire that Bickle wants or to establish his descent. There is something in the film’s direction where Scorsese that is unsettling yet very hypnotic in the way he slowly goes for a close-up and to play out Bickle’s madness. Even in one of the film’s most famous moments in which Bickle talks to himself in a mirror and say “you’re talking to me” as it shows Bickle ready to take on the world.

While Scorsese also presents some moments of intimacy in the way Bickle interacts with various characters in some medium shots or in close-ups. Some of it is shown with simplicity but there are moments where it adds a mood to the film as it maintains Bickle’s slow descent. By the third act where Bickle gets ready to kill Palantine, there is that element of suspense of whether Bickle will do something but there is also that sense of trouble where he might just back off. Then there’s the film’s violence where it is very stylized not just in the way Scorsese presents the action but also its impact as it is very disturbing in the way blood looked and such. Overall, Scorsese crafts a very gripping yet visceral film about madness and isolation.

Cinematographer Michael Chapman does amazing work with the film‘s very grimy cinematography from the eerie nighttime look of the city to some of the more haunting interior colors in some scenes set at night. Editors Marcia Lucas, Tom Rolf, and Melvin Shapiro do great work with the editing as it plays an air of style with its jump-cuts and various rhythms to play out the sense of action that occurs throughout the film. Art director Charles Rosen and set decorator Herbert F. Milligan do terrific work with the look of Bickle’s apartment to establish his personality as well as the more colorful look of Iris’ room.

Costume designer Ruth Morley does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that Iris wears when she works to the stylish clothes of Betsy. Sound mixer Les Lazarowitz does nice work with the sound to capture the chaos of many of the film‘s exterior setting as well as some of the tense moments inside the cab. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is truly ravishing for the sense of melancholia that is played in its jazz-based score filled saxophone and jazz scales to capture that sense of decay where it’s seductive but also disturbing as it’s one of Herrmann’s best scores.

The casting by Juliet Taylor is brilliant as it features some wonderful small performances from director Martin Scorsese as a passenger wanting to kill his wife, Leonard Harris as the political candidate Palantine, Richard Higgs as a Secret Service agent, Steve Prince as a gun salesman, and Albert Brooks as a fellow co-worker of Betsy who provides some funny moments in the film. Peter Boyle is great as the veteran cabbie Wizard who provides a lot of insight and wisecracks about what it takes to be a great cab driver. Harvey Keitel is amazing as the pimp Sport as he brings a lot of charisma to a role that is very complex as he’s very fatherly to Iris while he has some very cool exchanges with de Niro. Cybill Shepherd is excellent as Betsy as this woman who is intrigued by Bickle but is also disturbed by his lack of social skills.

Jodie Foster is brilliant as the young prostitute Iris who is curious about why Bickle wants to save her as she is a young girl who is just very confused about what she’s doing as it’s very chilling yet sprawling performance for the actress who was only in her teens at the time. Finally, there’s Robert de Niro in an outstanding performance as Travis Bickle. In this role of a troubled cab driver, de Niro displays the sense of loneliness in his voiceover narration as well as an awkwardness to a man who is really struggling to connect as de Niro also provides a craziness to his performance as it’s definitely one of his best.

Taxi Driver is a magnificent film from Martin Scorsese that features a chilling yet fantastic performance from Robert de Niro. Along with strong supporting performances from Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle. It’s definitely one of Scorsese’s great films as well as one of the most eerie studies in isolation and madness thanks in part to Paul Schrader’s harrowing script. In the end, Taxi Driver is a tremendous film from Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator (2004 film)) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2013

Drive (2011 film)

Based on a novel by James Sallis, Drive is the story of a Hollywood stunt driver who works as a getaway driver at night. When he meets and falls for a young woman, his life starts to get into trouble when he gets involved for a robbery that goes wrong as he seeks answers on what is really going on. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and an adapted screenplay by Hossein Amini, the film is an ode to the dark films of Los Angeles of the 1980s as well as the car films of the 1970s. Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Oscar Issac, Christina Hendricks, and Albert Brooks. Drive is a hypnotic yet hard-boiled film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

An unnamed driver (Ryan Gosling) works as a Hollywood driving stuntman and mechanic by day while his occasional night job is being a driver for robbers for about five minutes. With help from his friend Shannon (Bryan Cranston) who sets up the jobs, the driver doesn’t say much other than do his job. The driver’s life is a quiet one as he runs into his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio as they meet up every once in a while at their building. The driver starts to befriend Irene and Benicia (Kaden Leos) as they begin to enjoy each other’s company while Shannon introduces the driver to a mob boss named Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and his partner Nino (Ron Perlman). Bernie wants the driver to drive his stock car for riches with the driver asking little in return.

When Irene’s husband Standard (Oscar Issac) is released from jail, the driver meets Standard as things seem fine until he finds Standard lying in a hallway beaten. Realizing that Standard is in trouble due to some money he still owes and Benicio being threatened, the driver is asked by Standard to take a job. The driver reluctantly does so as he meets Standard’s boss Cook (James Biberi) for instructions as the driver takes Standard and a woman named Blanche (Christina Hendricks) to rob a pawn shop. Things seem to go well until another car appears as everything falls apart. When the driver learns that it’s a set-up, he wants answers as he figures out that the money stolen belongs to someone else. With Irene and Benicio in danger, the driver decides to confront the people who are behind everything.

The film is about a quiet yet very professional driver who has a job and just does without any questions or answers. When he is asked to take part of a robbery to help someone, he unknowingly gets involved into something much bigger that threatens the life he lives in as well as the woman and child he cares for. The premise that screenwriter Hossein Amini creates is pretty simple yet the stakes and everything that the unnamed driver has to go to is very big. While he has a guy that sets up things for him, it’s only about money but when it doesn’t just involve money. It becomes much more complicated when it involves the mob and other sordid criminals as it’s only the driver becomes the target.

The script has elements of films like Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai in the way the driver is portrayed. He is this stoic, observant man that does something and keeps his mouth shut. Yet, unlike Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver and Jef Costello in Le Samourai, the driver is a much more accessible person that doesn’t say a lot and keeps things simple. He doesn’t seem like the threatening individual but when provoked, all hell breaks loose. The driver is a very complex character as Amini creates a character that is very interesting in the way he does things. He always wears gloves when he’s driving while on the job, he has a watch with a timer as if he is a cab driver with the meter running and his time is very precious and limited. Amini’s script works to create a character as provocative as the driver while others such as Irene, Shannon, and Bernie are just as interesting.

Irene is just a young mother who also craves something simple as she finds solace in the driver though the return of her husband makes her a bit uneasy due to his criminal past. While Standard isn’t a bad guy and is a good father, he’s just someone that Irene wants to believe that he’s still good but knows something isn’t going to go right. Shannon is a character that is someone that just wants to set-up the job and get his cut while hoping for good things as he has a long-term relationship with Bernie. Bernie is a mob boss that also has a simple way of things as he doesn’t want complications as he has a similar idea of doing things like the driver. When things go wrong, Bernie becomes a monster that no one expects. The script Amini creates is amazing for its study and the suspense that is made for a film like this as there’s a great balance of human drama and unsettling chills for its crime elements.

The direction of Nicolas Winding Refn is very evocative for the way he presents the film in such grand style. Taking ode from the films of 1980s Los Angeles films like William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in L.A. and Paul Schrader‘s American Gigolo, Refn creates something is very entrancing and seductive to stylistic element of the film. There are a lot of aerial shots of the city that makes it truly out of this world where it’s about finding the right location to hide in and give the film a look that is indescribably haunting. There’s a lot of scenes shot at night to play up the visual style of the film while some of the daytime scenes are very straightforward.

Refn’s approach to the fast-car scenes and some of the violent moments are very stylized with the latter being very brutal and almost nihilistic. The car chases and fast-car scenes are presented in a style that is sort of reminiscent of Hollywood blockbuster films but Refn allows the audience to know what’s going while maintaining a certain rhythm to the film. Refn’s direction also has scenes where he plays things much simpler in terms of how he frames things while bringing something that is elegant before something bad is to happen. Refn is always engaged by what is happening as he doesn’t pull punches nor does he underplay anything. The overall presentation and emphasis on style that Refn needed for a film like this is truly the work of a filmmaker that can bring something to the table and make it fresh to a genre like the car-driven crime film.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel does a phenomenal job with the film’s stylish photography that adds to the eerie look of the film. From the many exterior nighttime scenes of Los Angeles filled with an array of lights from the locations and helicopters of the film. Sigel also plays up the style for some of the nighttime interiors including the elevators as well as a slightly-colorful look to the daytime interior and exterior settings, with the exception of a small scene in a ravine, as it’s definitely one of the film’s technical highlights. Editor Matthew Newman does a great job with the film’s stylized editing with the use of fast-paced jump-cuts for the driving scenes to dissolves for more dreamier montages in the film.

Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Lisa K. Sessions & art director Christopher Tandon, do some nice work on some of the set pieces created such as Shannon‘s garage, the apartments that the driver and Irene live in, and the pizza place owned by Nino. Costume designer Erin Benach does a very good job with the costumes from the casual clothes many of the characters wear to the sliver jacket with a scorpion on the back that the driver wears. Sound editors Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis do an amazing job with the sound work to capture the sound of cars and various other things in the varied locations that is presented in the film.

The film’s score by Cliff Martinez is a real highlight of the film for its brooding yet atmospheric electronic score. Featuring more intense, pulsating pieces to exotic, ambient cuts, Martinez’s score serves as a chilling accompaniment to the world of the driver. The soundtrack features various electronic-driven pieces from Desire, the Chromatics, College featuring Electric Youth, Kavinsky featuring CSS & Lovefoxx, and Riz Ortolani with Katyna Ranieri that adds to the 80s vibe that Refn wants for the film as the overall score and soundtrack is truly mesmerizing.

The casting by Mindy Marin is superb for the ensemble that is created that includes small appearances from Russ Tamblyn as a doctor, James Biberi as the small-time crime boss Cook, and Jeff Wolfe as a henchman of Bernie. Other notable small but memorable appearances include Christina Hendricks as a fellow criminal, Oscar Issac as Irene’s troubled husband Standard, and Kaden Leos as Irene’s son Benicio. Ron Perlman is excellent as the more brash yet violent Nino while Bryan Cranston is great as the driver’s friend Shannon who tries to help the driver when things start to go wrong.

Albert Brooks is phenomenal as Bernie Rose, a mob boss who wants the driver to be his number one guy only to find out that things are going his way where Brooks show a side of him that is very unsettling as it’s definitely a surprising performance from the comic actor. Carey Mulligan is wonderful as Irene, a young waitress and mother who finds comfort in the presence of the driver as she deals with her husband’s return and the chaos that surrounds her. Finally, there’s Ryan Gosling in a tour-de-force performance as the unnamed driver. Gosling brings a real cool yet nearly-silent performance as a quiet man who does things in a simple yet disciplined manner. Gosling allows himself to be a badass without really doing but speak in a calm but confrontational manner. When the character gets pushed, Gosling becomes a total badass that no one should fuck with. It’s definitely a performance that is truly spectacular as it truly adds to Ryan Gosling’s great reputation for putting out amazing performances in film.

Drive is an outstanding film from Nicolas Winding Refn featuring a haunting yet exhilarating performance from Ryan Gosling. Armed with a great ensemble cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks plus amazing technical work and Cliff Martinez’s hypnotic score. It’s a film that is extremely intoxicating to look at as well as being tough and giving a new spin to the professional hitman/driver sub-genre. While it’s a more mainstream film from Refn, it is a film that is still edgy for the way he gives the film a presentation that is definitely one-of-a-kind. In the end, Drive is a flat-out intense yet mesmerizing film from Nicolas Winding Refn.

Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Only God Forgives - The Neon Demon - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn

Drive OST

© thevoid99 2011

Out of Sight

Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel, Out of Sight tells the story of a bank robber and a U.S. marshal who fall for each other as the robber plans a big robbery on a businessman. Directed by Steven Soderbergh with a screenplay by Scott Frank, the film is a crime movie with a sense of humor and sex appeal as it marks Soderbergh’s first foray into mainstream filmmaking following a period of unconventional films. Starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, Catherine Keener, Isaiah Washington, and Albert Brooks. Out of Sight is an entertaining yet stylish film from Steven Soderbergh.

After another bank robbery that was almost successful, Jack Foley (George Clooney) is back in prison. This time in Florida, Jack calls his ex-girlfriend Adele (Catherine Keener) to contact a couple of his friends in Buddy (Ving Rhames) and Glenn (Steve Zahn) to help him out on an escape. Meanwhile, U.S. marshal Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) is celebrating her birthday with her dad (Dennis Farina) as she goes to the Florida prison for some business. Instead, she tries to stop an escape only to be stopped by Buddy as she and Jack are put in a trunk where an attraction ensues. During the getaway, they meet up with the Glenn who ends up screwing things up when he takes Karen where she nearly got injured.

With Jack and Buddy hiding out and planning to go to Detroit to rob a businessman named Ripley (Albert Brooks) whom they knew at another prison a few years ago with Glenn. It was there that Jack and Buddy learn about some diamonds Ripley had where he was friends with another convict named Maurice (Don Cheadle). Jack is still infatuated with Karen whom he calls one day as she manages to capture an escaped convict named Chino (Luis Guzman) to be part of a task force with the FBI. Yet, Jack and Buddy make another escape with Karen still carrying feelings towards Jack. Karen decides to go to Detroit to stop Jack while learning that Glenn is also there but with Maurice and his two goons in Kenneth (Isaiah Washington) and White Boy Bob (Keith Loneker).

In Detroit, Jack learns that Karen is there as the two meet again as both know what they’re going to do. When Maurice decides to change the plans for the robbery, things get a little crazy as Karen decides to follow leading to a showdown between her and Jack.

For a bank robber, the job is tricky as the robber has to get in and steal cash, and get out. A guy like Jack Foley isn’t a typical bank robber since he doesn’t use a gun but rather his charm and intellect. Unfortunately, he can’t get the job done once he’s out of the bank. When he and his friend try to make a big robbery in Detroit with some vicious criminals, the only thing that is stopping Jack isn’t the dangerous criminals and things that can go wrong. It’s his heart and it’s for the woman who is supposed to the enemy in a U.S. marshal named Karen Sisco.

The film is in a way a battle of wits and of the sexes but in a more playful yet casual manner. Jack is a guy who is very smart in the way he deals with crimes and how he plans things. Karen is a woman who is very tough and is willing to take down criminals with style. When these two people meet, sparks happens as the two are both conflicted about what to do with each other. Among the people who watch this are Buddy and Karen’s dad who are concerned about this wondering why Karen didn’t arrest them or why Jack didn’t do anything to confront her.

Scott Frank’s screenplay is very playful in the way he develops and creates fully-fleshed characters along with some witty dialogue. The humor and use of flashbacks for the film creates a story that has a very unconventional rhythm and tone. A lot of it is due to the fact that it sets up this big heist at a man’s house to find the diamonds. Yet, there’s some stops and bumps on the way for Jack and Buddy as they have to deal with Glenn, who is essentially a fuck-up, along with Maurice who is an ex-boxer with a vicious streak. Frank’s script is a highlight of the film as it helps elevates the film’s stylized direction of Steven Soderbergh.

Soderbergh’s direction is another highlight of the film for the way he presents the film by straying from the conventions of a crime film and the infusion of a love story in the film. Soderbergh use of hand-held cameras and stylish shots while also presenting things in a straightforward manner. Soderbergh’s unconventional direction goes from the way he cuts to the present narrative to the flashbacks while creating a wonderfully rhythmic montage of a smoldering yet exotic scene where Jack and Karen get it on. Soderbergh also creates different moods for the varied locations of the film such as Miami and Detroit where Miami is lively and Detroit is more eerie. Overall, Soderbergh creates what is definitely an engaging and fun crime film.

Cinematographer Elliot Davis does a phenomenal job with the film‘s photography from the bluish exterior look for the daytime scenes in Detroit to the more colorful shots of Miami. The nighttime scenes interior and exterior are presented in a more natural look while the love scenes have a more softer look to bring something that is truly seductive. Editor Anne V. Coates does an amazing job with the editing as she adds a lot of style to the film in its rhythm from jump-cuts, freeze-frames, and dissolves to keep things moving. Even the love scene where the montage of dialogue and undressing really gives the film some amazing movement as it’s the technical highlight of the film.

Production designer Gary Frutkoff, along with set decorator Maggie Martin and art director Phillip Messina, does some excellent work with the set pieces such as the hotel room that Jack and Karen make love in to the Miami places the characters interact in. Costume designer Betsy Heimann does a very good job with the costumes from the stylish clothes that Karen wears to the colorful Miami clothing that Adele wears. Sound editor Larry Blake does a brilliant job with the sound from the intense, active moments of the film such as the escape to the montage where dialogue overlays some of the things happening in the love scene. The film’s score by David Holmes is another highlight of the film for its snazzy, laid-back score that is a mix of jazz and electronic music to play up the film’s sense of style while the rest of the soundtrack is a mix of jazz and soul music.

The casting by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler, with Sonya A. Avakian for the Detroit scenes, is superb as the film features an array of appearances from Viola Davis as a friend of Kenneth, Nancy Allen as Ripley’s mistress, Paul Calderon as a FBI agent in Detroit, Wendell B. Harris Jr. as Karen’s superior, and Michael Keaton in a cameo appearance as Ray Nicollette from Quentin Tarantino’s adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch called Jackie Brown. Other notable yet memorable appearances includes Catherine Keener as Jack’s ex-girlfriend Adele, Luis Guzman as a convict named Chino, Keith Loneker and Isaiah Washington as two of Maurice’s henchman, and Steve Zahn as the unreliable screw-up Glenn.

Dennis Farina is really good as Karen’s dad who has a very funny scene where he talks to Ray about an incident involving a convict and a woman while Albert Brooks is also good as the timid yet intelligent Ripley. Ving Rhames is superb as Buddy, Jack’s partner-in-crime who likes what he does but also has a devotion towards his sister as he is the conscience of sorts of the film. Notably as he brings some subtle humor to his performance as it’s really one of the standouts in the film. Don Cheadle is great as Maurice, an ex-boxer who takes charge over the robbery while bring ruthless as Cheadle brings an energetic performance with some humor for a very dark characters.

Finally, there’s George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez in magnificent performances for their respective roles as Jack Foley and Karen Sisco. Lopez’s calm yet cool approach to Karen Sisco is truly the best performance of her career where she proves she can be tough and engaging in quieter moments. Yet, she also oozes sex appeal as it’s the performance that made her into a superstar. Clooney’s performance as Jack Foley is a real breakthrough as it confirms what is expected from Clooney in terms of charm and sex appeal. At the same time, Clooney proves to be very funny and very direct when he is in business mode. Clooney and Lopez together are brilliant as the two have wonderful chemistry that is very restrained and full of wit as they are the highlight of the film’s ensemble cast.

Out of Sight is a remarkable yet enjoyable film from Steven Soderbergh featuring a top script from Scott Frank and fantastic performances from George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. In terms of the films Soderbergh has done in his career, this is definitely one of his most accessible as well as one of his most entertaining. Even as its use of editing and shooting styles give something that art-house fans can enjoy. In the end, Out of Sight is a spectacular crime film from Steven Soderbergh and company.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean’s Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - 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 2011