The Revenant

Based on the novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke, The Revenant is the real-life story of American frontiersman Hugh Glass who was buried alive following an attack by a bear as he goes after those who had left him for dead. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Inarritu and Mark L. Smith, the film is an exploration of survival and vengeance set in 1823 South Dakota and Montana with Leonardo diCaprio playing the role of Glass. Also starring Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Will Poulter, Brendan Fletcher, and Lukas Haas. The Revenant is a chilling and visceral film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

It’s 1823 in the Rocky Mountains where a group of men are collecting fur and pelts while evading the Arikara tribe who has been pursuing them. The film revolves around Hugh Glass’ expedition in that world with his son where he is attacked by a grizzly bear and later left for dead by his men where he goes on a quest for vengeance. While it is a simple story about vengeance and survival during a harsh winter, it is a film that plays into Hugh Glass coping with loss as well as trying to do what is right where he is trying to survive near-death experiences and evade this tribe that is trying to find a chief’s daughter who had been kidnapped. The film’s screenplay by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Mark L. Smith does follow a simple structure in terms of its narrative which play into Glass and Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) trying to survive the attack and then the former’s attack from a grizzly bear where he is left to dead by the trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy).

The narrative is very straightforward yet it is more of a minimalist script that doesn’t rely much on plot but rather character motivations and what Glass is trying to do to survive. Even as he reflects on his own past and his reasons to live as he was accompanied by his son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) on this hunting expedition. After the attack from the bear and being cared for by Hawk and a young trapper in Bridger (Will Poulter), Glass’ life hangs on the balance where Fitzgerald would make some decisions as he is a man driven by greed and thinking only for himself. For Glass who would be left for dead and buried alive, the actions of Fitzgerald would only make him determined for revenge but has to endure something more treacherous which is the cold and bruising weather, his damaged body, and the Arikara tribe who spare no one.

Inarritu’s direction is definitely sprawling in terms of not just the visual palette he creates but also in the atmosphere that is set which adds to the film’s very dreary tone. Shot largely on location in mountain and forest locations in Alberta and British Columbia provinces in Canada as well as some of it in Argentina, the film has this sense of physicality in what Inarritu is going for. The forest and the mountains are definitely characters in the film as it play into what Glass and the men in the film are trying to do in this terrible conditions of not snow but also winds and blizzards in the mountains. Inarritu’s usage of wide and medium shots would bring so much to the location as well as what these men have to do to get in this fort and be safe despite another presence from the Arikara tribe who will kill everyone including a group of Native Americans living outside of the fort. It adds to the tense tone of the film as well as elements of surrealism as it relates to Glass’ past and the sense of longing and loss that looms over him.

Inarritu would create something that is a bit dream-like but also moments that are filled with dazzling visual imagery in some of the intense action scenes along with some close-ups that play into the suspense and drama. Inarritu would also create this idea about death as it play into Glass’ own sense of grief and loss as it includes a flashback of him looking into this small hill filled with skulls. It adds to Glass’ determination to go after Fitzgerald where the two would have this climax where it’s not just a battle of wits but also a battle of will with the cold mountains and harsh weather conditions being their surroundings. Overall, Inarritu crafts a very gripping and evocative film about a man’s determination for revenge and survival in the Rocky Mountains.

Cinematographer Emmuanel Lubezki does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography with its naturalistic yet intoxicating approach to much of the lighting for many of the scenes set in day and night with the latter using natural lighting things such as fire and lamps as it is a major highlight of the film. Editor Stephen Mirrione does brilliant work with the editing in creating some unique jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the film‘s offbeat rhythms as well as using fade-outs to structure the story. Production designer Jack Fisk, with art directors Laurel Bergman, Michael Diner, and Isabelle Guay and set decorator Hamish Purdy, does amazing work with the design of the ferry boats, the fort, and some of the smaller things that are created in the forest including the little tents that Glass would make in his journey.

Costume designer Jacqueline West does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the clothes that the Native Americans wear as well as the array of furs and such that many of the trappers and frontiersmen wear. The hair/makeup work of Sian Grigg, Duncan Junman, and Robert Pandini do excellent work with the look of Glass from the beard and hair as well as the bruises and scars on his body as well as the look of Fitzgerald. Visual effects supervisor Rich McBride, Matthew Shumway, Jason Smith, and Cameron Waldbauer do terrific work with the visual effects from the look of some of the animals including the bear that would attack Glass as it look and felt real.

Sound designers Lon Bender, Martin Hernandez, and Randy Thom, along with sound editor Victor J. Hernandez, do sensational work with the sound from the way the wind sounded as it creates a sense of unease in the locations as well as the sounds of arrows, gunfire, and all sorts of naturalistic sounds that is captured throughout the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto, and Bryce Dessner is superb for its mixture of discordant string arrangements and bombastic percussions with an air of ambient textures while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein would provide some traditional music pieces that were played during those times.

The casting by Francine Maisler is phenomenal as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Lukas Haas, Brendan Fletcher, Paul Anderson, and Kristoffer Jones as fellow trappers and soldiers who work under Captain Henry in hunting pelt while Fabrice Adde is terrific in a small role as head French trapper team named Toussaint. Other noteworthy small roles include Grace Dove as Glass’ late wife, Melaw Nakehk’o as the captured daughter of the Arikara chief, Arthur Redcloud as a Pawnee Indian Glass meets during his journey who would heal him, and Duane Howard as the Arikara chief Elk Dog who leads his tribe to find his daughter and kill whoever stands in his way. Forrest Goodluck is fantastic as Glass’ son Hawk as a young man who aids his father as he copes with Fitzgerald’s insults as well as the situation his father is in. Will Poulter is excellent as Bridger as a young trapper who deals with the severity of Glass’ situation where he tries to help him while understanding what Fitzgerald is doing and what kind of person he is.

Domhnall Gleeson is brilliant as Captain Andrew Henry as a military leader who is the leader of the expedition as he is someone that trusts Glass as he does whatever he can to help him while wondering about what Fitzgerald is about. Tom Hardy is incredible as John Fitzgerald as a trapper who is a man that is in it for himself and make a lot of money while seeing that carrying the injured Glass is a waste as he decides to leave him for dead without any remorse. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a tremendous performance as Hugh Glass as this frontiersman that tries to survive as he gets attacked by a bear and then left for dead where it’s a performance from diCaprio that is astonishing in terms of how little he speaks and how determined he is to survive as the physicality of what he does is just eerie to watch in what is one of his finest performances to date.

The Revenant is a spectacular film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features great performances from Leonardo diCaprio and Tom Hardy. Along with a strong supporting cast, dazzling visuals, high-octane sound, a thrilling soundtrack, and a harrowing story of death, survival, and vengeance. It’s a film that manages to be engrossing in its locations as well as what is going on during a time where hunting was natural and survival was key to living. In the end, The Revenant is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2016

The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

One of the key figures in the new wave of Mexican films to emerge in the 1990s and the 2000s, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu came to the scene as a late bloomer yet would manage to bring something new to the world of films. In creating films that weren’t afraid to be brutal in its depiction of death and despair, Inarritu would create films that managed to be global but also display humanity’s struggle with themselves. Having recently won an Oscar for his fifth film and a new one is on the way, Inarritu is already becoming a major name as he’s managed to explore the complexities of humanity and their fascination with death.

Born in Mexico City on August 15, 1963, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was the youngest of seven children in a large Mexican family as he spent much of his childhood traveling as he spent much of his mid-teens traveling on cargo ships across the Atlantic. These experiences would have a profound effect on the young Inarritu as he would spend his early 20s working as a radio DJ in Mexico City and eventually becoming a radio director at the age 24. Yet, Inarritu’s interest in films were still looming as he would spend much of the late 80s writing music for features in Mexico until he met Raul Olvera where the two formed a production company called Z Films which specialized on shorts and advertisements.

More can be read here at Cinema Axis.

© thevoid99 2015

21 Grams

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, 21 Grams is the story of three people who are each connected by the death of a person as they each cope with loss and faith. The second part of a trilogy that explores death, the film is a multi-layered story that plays into the lives of three people who don’t know each other but become connected by tragedy. Starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo, Danny Huston, Clea Duvall, Denis O’Hare, and Eddie Marsan. 21 Grams is an ominous yet exhilarating film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

When a hit-and-run claimed the lives of a man and two little girls, the lives of three different people are affected in drastic ways as the film is about tragedy and its after effects. Much of it involves the life of a critically-ill mathematician who is need of a heart transplant, a grieving widow who also lost her daughters in this tragedy, and a born-again ex-convict whose faith is tested over what had happened. Through Guillermo Arriaga’s complex and multi-layered screenplay, it is told in a non-linear fashion as it plays into not just the tragedy but also the search for meaning as one man tries to find redemption, another man is trying to find answers into why he’s alive, and a woman is caught in the middle over what she had lost. All of which plays into those dealing with mistakes and such as well as several other things where everyone tries to find answers.

For the mathematician Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), he is given a second chance to live but his own marriage to Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) starts to fall apart as he becomes obsessed with the identity of the heart he had received which would lead him to Cristina (Naomi Watts). Cristina would learn about Paul and what he has to do with the death of her family as it has the two come together to track the man who was responsible for changing their lives in the ex-convict Jack Jordan (Benicio del Toro). Yet, there are elements into both Cristina and Jack that are interesting as the former was a former drug addict who was saved by her husband as she found a reason to live as that loss drove her back to drugs and alcohol.

In the latter, here is someone who is trying to redeem himself as he devotes himself towards Christianity and swear off drugs and alcohol but his involvement in this tragedy forces him to question his own faith and being as he has no clue what to do as he carries the guilt. All of which forces all three characters to converge into a heavy confrontation about loss as it is, once again, told in a non-linear fashion. There’s moments that play into the drama where all three have to work together as it becomes clear that none of them have anything to gain in this tragedy that their connected by. Even as they all know that there is nowhere else to go as some try to find redemption while others seek an answer.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is very entrancing not just for how dreary he presents the drama but also into the many layers that the story takes. Much of it is presented with a sense of intimacy as Inarritu’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the anguish that occurs throughout the film. Even in scenes where Jack eats dinner with his family as he is trying to be a good father but his approach might seem harsh as it relates to his own children. Much of Inarritu’s approach is shot with hand-held cameras but it’s never overly shaky as he maintains something that is very steady and to the point. Notably as Inarritu would create scenes to tease various storylines coming together such as Mary waiting for Paul as he does surgery as she gets a glimpse of Cristina walking out of the hospital with her family.

Since it is a film told in a non-linear narrative, Inarritu is able to create moments in the film where it allows a scene to be told in very different ways. Even as he would shift moments that is supposed to be in the third act back into the first or second act as it plays into the drama. There’s also moments in the film where things do intensify on an emotional level as it relates to Cristina’s grief and Jack’s own guilt such as the scene of him returning home as he reveals to his wife what he had done. Inarritu’s approach to the compositions in how he frames his actors are also intense such as its climax in the third act as it is about who is where in the frame and such. Overall, Inarritu creates a very brooding yet somber film about death, faith, and understanding.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s grainy and colorful cinematography where it adds to the very grimy sense of despair that looms in the film with its gritty approach to daytime exteriors to its usage of low-key lights and dark shades for the interior scenes whether it‘s day or night. Editor Stephen Mirrone does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the drama and its offbeat, non-linear narrative. Production designer Brigitte Broch, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Deborah Riley, does excellent work with the look of the different homes of the three characters to showcase who they are as well as some of the places they go to including the swimming pool center that Cristina goes to.

Costume designer Marlene Stewart does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for the look of the characters to play into their sense of loss. Sound designers Martin Hernandez and Roland N. Thai do fantastic work with the sound to capture the intensity of the emotions as well as some of the chaotic moments of violence and drama that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is superb for its very ominous and eerie score with its emphasis on folk guitars and somber electric guitars to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a nice soundtrack that features different kinds of music from acts like War, Ozomatli, Ann Sexton, and Dave Matthews.

The casting by Francine Maisler is remarkable as it features notable small roles from Carly Nahon and Claire Pakis as Cristina’s daughters, Paul Calderon as a friend of Jack in Brown who tries to get him work, Denis O’Hare as Paul’s heart surgeon, John Rubenstein as Mary’s gynecologist who tries to help her chances to be pregnant, Clea Duvall as Cristina’s friend Claudia, Danny Huston as Cristina’s husband Michael, and Eddie Marsan as Reverend John who tries to help Jack following the tragedy. Melissa Leo is excellent as Jack’s wife Marianne who tries to cope with what Jack had done as she tries to help him. Charlotte Gainsbourg is superb as Paul’s wife who is eager to start over with him after a separation period as well as taking care of him as she copes with the changes in their life after his surgery.

Benicio del Toro is brilliant as Jack Jordan as a former convict turned born-again Christian who becomes the catalyst for the tragedy that is shaped in the film as he spends much of the film questioning his faith and ponders if he can be redeemed. Naomi Watts is amazing as Cristina Peck as a recovering addict who falls back into her addition following the loss of her family as Watts display the sense of anguish that looms over her as she searches for answers and satisfaction. Finally, there’s Sean Penn in a marvelous performance as Paul River as a mathematician who was dying until he received a new heart as he ponders whose heart does he have as he tries to find answers while coping with his own mortality and existence.

21 Grams is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features very strong performances from Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro. It’s a film that doesn’t explore the severity of death and tragedy but also plays into the world of existence and faith. It’s also a film that doesn’t play by the rules of conventional narrative thanks in part to Guillermo Arriaga’s inventive screenplay. In the end, 21 Grams is a tremendous film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11' 9' 01 September 11-Mexico - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

Babel

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga from a story by Inarittu and Arriaga, Babel is a hyperlink story set in three different parts of the world as a couple trying to save their marriage in Morocco while their children are being taken to Mexico by their maid so she can attend her son’s wedding as a third story revolves around a young deaf woman in Japan. An exploration into cultural differences, isolation, and death in what is the third part of Inarritu’s trilogy of death, the film is a multi-layered tale with different strands of narrative as these characters are all connected by circumstances in their environment. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Emilio Echevarria, Clifton Collins Jr., Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, and Rinko Kikuchi. Babel is a tremendously harrowing yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Set in three different places in the part of the world as it relates to the concept of the Tower of Babel where everyone started to speak in different languages where no one could understand each other. The film is about a trio of different stories set in three different places around the world. All of which are connected in a crisscross narrative style as an American couple are in Morocco trying to save their marriage where a major event shakes the couple that involved a couple of young boys are trying to kill jackals where they unknowingly cause something. In Mexico, the American couple’s children are back in San Diego as their maid is eager to go to her son’s wedding only to not find anyone prompting her to take the children to Mexico with her nephew as the trip back would be a treacherous one. The third and final story explored a young deaf woman in Japan who is dealing with the loss of her mother as well as growing awareness of her sexuality.

The film’s screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga definitely takes the concept of the Tower of Babel where it explores the idea of misunderstanding and miscommunication in a post 9/11 world where everyone is almost walking on eggshells. The story about the American couple in Richard and Susan Jones (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, respectively) showcase a couple still dealing with the death of their infant son as they’re on a trip to Morocco with tourists as another story emerges about a couple of young boys in Ahmed (Said Tarchani) and Yussef (Boubker Ait El Chaid) who had just gotten a rifle that their father got for a trade where things went wrong. The story would get dramatic as the collision of this story in Morocco would have involve diplomacy issues where the boys get into trouble. It’s a story that plays into a sense of grief but also in a world where tension between Americans and North Africa is very fragile all because of a simple accident.

The second story set in Mexico that concerns the Jones children and their maid Amelia (Adriana Barazzo) as the script would have the children receive a call from their father just as he is dealing with something that is happening in Morocco as two versions of this conversation are presented but in different moments in the narrative. Amelia’s decision to take Debbie (Elle Fanning) and Mike (Nathan Gamble) to Mexico is a foolish one but it’s much more complicated as it involves her nephew Santiago who would get into trouble on their way back from Mexico. It is in that moment where it plays into the sense of mistrust and misunderstanding as Amelia isn’t a legal resident which adds to the stakes of the drama. The third story in Japan doesn’t seem like it would connect anything with the other two though both stories do appear in the background but it does play into the themes that Arriaga is exploring. It involves Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) as she is troubled by her mother’s passing as well as the lack of attention she gets from her father which has her wanting to explore sexually. Even as two detectives come in asking for her father which plays into the events of the two stories.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is definitely intense in terms of not just the situations that occur but also in the drastic stakes that play into much of the film’s drama. The usage of non-linear and crisscross narrative definitely gives a certain edge to Inarritu’s approach to the filmmaking as he aims for a varied degree of different cinematic styles for each location. Some of which involve hand-held cameras for scenes set in Morocco and Mexico while going for something more straightforward in scenes set in Japan. Yet, Inarritu manages to make each story have a different feel in its varied filmmaking style as he would maintain intimate moments between various characters through some close-ups and medium shots. Even as it plays to some of the realism and dramatic stakes of the film.

The direction also play into the ideas of young people coming-of-age sexually such as Yussef who is curious about a girl who lives in one of his homes as well as Chieko who would reveal her exposed crotch to schoolboys as she isn’t wearing underwear. It plays into a sense of growth for these two people who emerge into adulthood yet face real problems that prove to be just as challenging since they’re still children in some respects. Especially as the dramatic stakes become more intense such as Amelia trying to get Debbie and Mike back to the U.S. through the desert as well as Richard and Susan coping with their own encounter with death as things get intense as well as gripping from a visual sense. Particularly in the third act where all of these different stories do come together to see how all of these people are connected in ways that are unexpected. Overall, Inarritu creates a very somber yet exhilarating film about human disconnection and miscommunication in a world that is often very complicated.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized cinematography with its usage of dark shades to surround some of the images as well as its approach to grainy stock footage as there‘s a mixture of beauty and ugliness in the camera work as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. Editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrone do amazing work with the editing to create some unique transitions to move from one story to another with elements of jump-cuts and other offbeat rhythmic cuts to play into the action and drama. Production designer Brigitte Broch does excellent work with the set pieces from the houses in San Diego and Mexico to the posh apartment that Chieko lives with her father in Tokyo.

Costume designers Gabriela Diaque, Miwako Kobayashi, and Michael Wilkinson do terrific work with the costumes from the red dress that Amelia wears to the wedding as well as the schoolgirl uniform and stylish clothes that Chieko would wear. Sound designer Martin Hernandez does fantastic work with the sound to convey the layers of sounds in the film‘s different locations including a club scene in Tokyo in how sound is heard and not heard plus some textures that really play into the drama of the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting music that is a mixture of chilling ambient pieces with some stark and plaintive folk-based cuts to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a diverse soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican/hip-hop music, J-pop, and Middle Eastern music.

The casting by Gigi Akoka and Francine Maisler is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Pena as a couple of border patrol officers that Amelia would encounter in different scenes, Abdelkader Bara as a man who owned the rifle as he traded it to Abdullah, Mustapha Rachidi as Yussef and Ahmed’s father Abdullah, Peter Wight as a British tourist, Damian Garcia as Amelia’s son Lucio, Cynthia Montano as Lucio’s bride Patricia, Koji Yakusho as Chieko’s father, Yuko Murata as Chieko’s fellow deaf friend, Shigemitsu Ogi as a dentist Chieko tries to seduce, Nobushige Suematsu as a classmate of Chieko, Kazunori Tozawa as a detective who arrives at Chieko’s apartment, and Satoshi Nikaido as the younger detective whom Chieko tries to connect with. Other noteworthy small roles include Emilio Echevarria in a terrific role as an old flame of Amelia as well as Mohammed Akhzam as the Moroccan tour guide Anwar whom Richard would befriend.

Elle Fanning and Nathan Gamble are excellent in their respective roles ad Debbie and Mike as two kids who find themselves in danger as it relates to a decision Amelia made. Gael Garcia Bernal is fantastic as Amelia’s nephew Santiago who would drive Amelia and the kids to Mexico and back only an act of poor judgment would cause some trouble. Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Chaid are superb in their respective roles as Ahmed and Yussef as two boys whose game of target practice would have serious consequences as they try to figure out what to do. Adriana Barazza is brilliant as Amelia as a Mexican maid/nanny for Debbie and Mike who is trying to watch the children as she reluctantly takes them to Mexico so she can attend her son’s wedding as she endures horrific circumstances when she tries to get the children back home.

Rinko Kikuchi is amazing as Chieko as a young deaf woman still grieving over the loss of her mother as she tries to act out sexually and emotionally in the hope to connect with someone. Finally, there’s Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Susan and Richard Jones where Blanchett brings a reserved approach to her performance as a woman grieving over loss and the state of her marriage while Pitt plays a man trying to find ways to save his marriage while dealing with cultural differences due to the situation he is facing.

Babel is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Armed with an incredible cast as well as a intricate and captivating screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film is definitely a very powerful film that showcases the world as a whole and how many in different parts of the world deal with similar situations into isolation, death, and miscommunication. In the end, Babel is a tremendously visceral and thrilling film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

Amores Perros

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Guillermo Ariagga, Amores Perros is a film that involves three different stories that are connected with one another that each involve dogs. The first involves a young man trying to raise money through dog-fighting in order to win over his sister-in-law while a man deals with the repercussions of leaving his family for a model. The third and final story involve a hitman trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter as it’s set entirely in Mexico City in a world that is driven by chaos and death where people deal with the decisions they make in their life in the first of a three-part thematic trilogy relating to death. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Vanessa Bauche, Alvaro Guerrero, Goya Toledo, and Emilio Echevarria. Amores Perros is a gripping yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

The film explores the lives of various people in Mexico City in its exploration of devotion, loyalty, and death. All of which is told in an anthology-film narrative style but with elements that connects one different story to another. The first involves a young man named Octavio (Gael Garcia Bernal) who has a crush on his sister-in-law Susana (Vanessa Bauche), who is embroiled in a terrible marriage to Octavio’s brother Ramiro (Marco Perez), where he tries to make money through illegal dog fights with the help of Ramiro’s Doberman Cofi. The second story involves a model named Valeria (Goya Toledo) who is having an affair with a married man in Daniel (Alvaro Guerrero) who leaves his family to be with Valeria only for the relationship to fall apart in an act of desperation from Valeria’s part. The third and final story involves a hitman named El Chivo (Emilio Echevarria) is trying to reach his estranged daughter as he finds himself in a job that becomes very troubling.

All of these stories are connected in many ways where they’re all connected by dogs and this car accident that would affect everything. Guillermo Arriaga’s screenplay does start off conventionally with Octavio and Susan’s story while there would be little glimpses of the activities of El Chivo as well as Octavio and Jorge watching Valeria on TV. Even as it plays to these intricacies in the script where some of these characters from one story could be in the background while the focus is more in the foreground. Arriaga also goes for a unique approach to narrative where it plays into the effects of these events as each character would encounter moments of death as well as what is important in life. Octavio is motivated by money in order to get Susana out of a terrible marriage yet there are complications when it comes to winning Susana and dealing with the reckless ideas of his brother Ramiro.

The Daniel-Valeria story is one about vanity as Arriaga explores the decisions one makes where Daniel has fallen for this model but her desire to be Mexico’s top model would have serious repercussions as Valeria is affected badly by the accident. Adding to the drama is Valeria’s dog Richie who disappears under a hole on the floor as Daniel’s attempts to save the dog as it plays into the decisions that Daniel has made. The third and final story about El Chivo is most poignant as it plays to his love for dogs and how he’s connected to them while dealing with the family he lost as he tries to meet his estranged daughter. Yet, a mission to kill a businessman would have some moral implications forcing him to make a decision that would be very effective. It plays to not just some of social classes that surround these people but also in their motivations and how it can make them lose sight of what is important.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is truly gripping from the way he makes Mexico City a character in the film to the array of shooting styles he infuses into his compositions. Much of it involves these approach to close-ups and medium shots to play into the action and drama where some of the sequences such as the dog fights have this sense of frenetic energy. Even as Inarritu presents a sense of danger in the violence to showcase how graphic and real these dog fights feel. There’s also some intimate moments where Inarritu makes the drama feel real such as the situation involving Daniel and Valeria where they to save Valeria’s dog. Since this is a multi-layered film with various stories that are connected with one another, Inarritu does create sequences such as the car crash to showcase exactly what is going on and how it would connect all of the stories together.

The sequence would be shown from multiple perspective where there’s major characters in the foreground or another is in the background or vice versa depending on the point of view of the character that is involved. It would play into a major impact in driving the story as Inarritu creates these set-ups to showcase its aftermath. Much of it is very grim and quite punishing into the decisions these people would make. It adds to not just the frenetic tone of the film but also one that is very dramatic in terms of what these characters have to go through as well as the choices they have to live with. Overall, Inarritu crafts a very dark yet intoxicating film about life decisions and the desire to seek a good life in the crazed world that is Mexico City.

Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does phenomenal work with the film‘s grimy yet stylish cinematography with its use of grainy film stock to play into the sense of realism of the locations as he displays different looks for each segment to play into the contrasting worlds the characters live in. Editors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Luis Carballar, and Fernando Perez Unda do brilliant work with the editing to play into the frenetic energy of the film with jump-cuts and some stylish fast cuts along with some stylish cutting to play into the car crash sequence. Production designer Brigitte Boch, with set decorator Julieta Alvarez and art director Melo Hinojosa, does amazing work with the set pieces from the grimy and cramped home of Octavio and his family to the more posh apartment home of Valeria and Daniel.

Costume designer Gabriela Diaque does nice work with the costumes from the youthful look of Octavio, the posh clothes of Valeria and Daniel, and the ragged look of El Chivo. Sound designer Martin Hernandez and co-sound editor Roland N. Thai do excellent work with the sound work to convey the atmosphere of each location and how it plays into the drama of the differing segments in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting score filled with folk-based acoustic guitars and traditional Mexican-style music with contributions from Daniel Hidalgo while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican music as well as hip-hop and rock to play into the different worlds of the characters.

The casting by Manuel Teil is fantastic as it features some notable small roles from Laura Almela as Daniel’s estranged wife, Gerardo Campbell as the dog fight organizer Mauricio, Humberto Busto as Octavio’s friend Jorge, Ricardo Dalmacci as Valeria’s fake-boyfriend Andres Salgado, Jose Sefami as a corrupt cop who assigns El Chivo different assignments, Rodrigo Murray as a man who hires El Chivo to kill someone, Jorge Salinas as the man El Chivo has to kill, and Lourdes Echevarria as El Chivo’s estranged daughter Maru. Other noteworthy small roles include Marco Perez in a terrific role as Ramiro whose recklessness and abusive treatment of Susana angers Octavio while Gustavo Sanchez Parra is superb as the very menacing Jaroch whom Octavio contends with in the dog fights unaware of how crazy he is.

Vanessa Bauche is excellent as Susana as a young woman who is dealing with the harsh treatment from her husband as well as Octavio’s affections as she becomes conflicted and confused over what to do. Goya Toledo is fantastic as the model Valeria whose charmed life is destroyed by an accident as the obsession to save her dog showcases her vanity. Alvaro Guerrero is amazing as Daniel as Valeria’s lover who deals with the decision he makes as he tries to help her save her dog which prompts him questioning the decisions he made. Emilio Echevarria is brilliant as El Chivo as a troubled hitman who lives a very poor life as he survives to kill as he longs to reunite with his estranged daughter while dealing with a chilling assignment. Finally, there’s Gael Garcia Bernal in a remarkable performance as Octavio as a young man trying to help his sister-in-law while embarking into a money-making plan that would later get him in trouble as he deals with what it would cost him.

Amores Perros is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Featuring an amazing cast, a gripping script from Guillermo Arriaga, and chilling themes on social classes, love, loyalty, and death. It’s a film that truly exemplify some of the dark aspects of humanity as well as the world where some try to do right with the noblest intentions only to succumb to reality. In the end, Amores Perros is a sensational film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01 September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Inarritu, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Nicolas Giacobone, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is the story of a once-famous film star who tries to mount a comeback by staging a production of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love as he deals with professional and personal issues. The film is an exploration into the day of a life of a man whose greatest claim to fame was playing a superhero on film as he struggles with his ego, failures as an actor and as a man, and all sorts of things just days before he tries to make his comeback. Starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Lindsay Duncan, and Naomi Watts. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a sprawling yet engrossing film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

The film explores a week in the life of a once-famous film star in Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) who is trying to make a comeback by directing, writing, and starring in a Broadway stage production of Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Yet, Riggan’s life starts to spiral downward as he copes with the bad decisions he made in his life as an actor and as a man while his attempts to gain legitimacy as an actor has him questioning his worth. It’s a film that explores a man who is at a crossroads where the play that he’s doing starts to mirror the chaos of his own life while famous alter-ego that he played many years ago is stalking him about the decisions he’s making. Even as parts of his own life from his troubled relationship recovering drug-addict daughter Sam (Emma Stone) to who he is play into this turbulent week as he struggles with his past glory and the fear of failing as he’s putting everything on the line.

The film’s screenplay is quite complex in the way it explores a production that is quite chaotic where Riggan is trying to do everything he can but there’s a lot that isn’t working. After purposely taking out an actor from the production because he sucks, Riggan would bring in the very popular but pretentious theater actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) who would do whatever to usurp Riggan as he would also make first-time Broadway actress Lesley (Naomi Watts) insecure as she had previously dated Shiner. Riggan’s relationship with another actress in Laura (Andrea Riseborough) starts to fall apart as she feels unappreciated while Riggan’s relationship with his daughter Sam is often filled with tension as Riggan blames himself for not being there for her. With his ex-wife Sylvia (Amy Ryan) appearing to see what is going on with him while his friend/producer Jake (Zach Galifianakis) tries to keep things under control.

The script also showcases much of Riggan’s reasons to want to make this comeback and why he chose Raymond Carver as his comeback vehicle. Yet, his reasons only gain questions from Shiner who also knows Carver’s work as he believes that Riggan isn’t authentic enough to do Carver justice. Adding to Riggan’s own self-doubt and low self-esteem issues is the notorious theater critic Tabitha (Lindsay Duncan) who despises Hollywood and its actors believing that they’re not good enough to do theater. It all plays to ideas in Riggan’s head in his attempt to find legitimacy and shake off the Birdman character that he had played a long time ago as it leads to questions of existentialism and art. Even as it plays to the idea of one man against the entire world.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is truly astonishing as it is presented in a mostly one-continuous shot that follows the turbulent week of Riggan trying to mount his production. While it is a feat that is quite amazing, Inarritu does use some editing and visual tricks to make it feel like a film that is presented in an entire take. It is quite engaging for the way it explores a theater production coming together as the usage of steadicam and hand-held cameras in intimate, cramped-up spaces such as hallways and dressing rooms. Much of it has Inarritu use a lot of medium shots and close-ups where the compositions are engaging such as a scene between Lesley and Laura talking about Shiner. There’s also these smooth transitions where the camera is often moving in a crane shot or on a dolly track where it would have a character in a scene and then be seen again in a few seconds in another scene.

While the film is shot on location in New York City in its Broadway setting, there is something that feels loose in its direction such as a scene of Riggan walking through the city at night in his underwear. Even in the scenes where much of the theater performances has this sense of energy where it would evolve into something more authentic as well as daring. Especially in its climax where it is about this opening night performance as Riggan will do whatever it takes to become the star of the show in this mentality of me against the world. There’s also elements of surrealism in the scenes involving Riggan struggling to get Birdman out of his life as it would play into Riggan thinking about returning to the character as an act of defiance where a sequence of him flying and saving the world plays into Riggan’s desire to act and prove that he has what it takes. Overall, Inarritu creates a very thrilling and mesmerizing film about a man trying to mount a comeback against all odds while dealing with his ego and is troubled personal life.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki does brilliant work with the film‘s very entrancing cinematography from its colorful approach to theater lighting in some of its scenes to more low-key yet naturalistic look in its interiors plus some unique lights for the exterior nighttime scenes in New York City. Editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrone do fantastic work with in a few montages that is created in the film‘s opening and a sequence near the end while using some tricky editing skills to make the film feel like an entirely continuous shot. Production designer Kevin Thompson and set decorator George DeTitta Jr. do excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the theater sets as well as the bar next to the theater where Riggan would wind down as he has to endure Shiner in one scene. Costume designer Albert Wolsky does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes the actors would wear onstage to the casual clothes behind the scenes as well as the design of the Birdman costume.

Special effects makeup designer Mike Elizade does nice work with a few of the minimal makeup work that the actors would do for the play along with the look of the Birdman mask. Visual effects supervisors Jake Braver and Adam Howard do terrific work with the fantasy sequences that involves Birdman in a reminder of what Riggan used to be and what he could be again. Sound designer Martin Hernandez and co-sound editor Peter Brown do superb work with the sound from the sparse sounds that happens in the theater to the raucous sounds of the locations including the bird screeches that remind Riggan of Birdman. The film’s music by Antonio Sanchez is just incredible as it‘s mostly this very hypnotic and energetic jazz-based score led by drums that is either played on location or in the scene while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a soundtrack filled with some classical pieces from Piotor Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler, John Adams, and Sergei Rachmaninoff to play into Riggan’s own sense of fantasy.

The casting by Francine Maisler is great as it would feature some notable small roles from Merritt Weaver as the assistant director Annie, Benjamin Kane as the Birdman character that stalks Riggan, Jeremy Shamos as the original actor that Shiner would replace, and Lindsay Duncan in a wonderful performance as the very vicious theater critic Tabitha who adores Shiner and hates Riggan and everything he’s about. Zach Galifianakis is excellent as Riggan’s friend/producer Jake who is trying to make sure nothing goes wrong as he deals with legal issues as well as the money that Riggan is giving away making Jake nervous. Naomi Watts is fantastic as Lesley as a girlfriend of Shiner who is eager to star in her first Broadway production as she becomes very insecure due to Shiner’s arrogance as she is annoyed by Sam’s presence. Andrea Riseborough is amazing as Laura as Riggan’s girlfriend who feels unappreciated as she tries to reach out to him amidst his own issues while helping Lesley with her insecurity issues.

Amy Ryan is brilliant as Riggan’s ex-wife Sylvia who tries to understand what Riggan is going through as well as expressing concern for Sam and their troubled relationship. Emma Stone is incredible as Sam as Riggan’s recovering drug-addict daughter who is working as her father’s assistant as she tries to deal with her dad while flirting with Shiner to cope with her anger towards her dad. Edward Norton is superb as Mike Shiner as this arrogant theater actor who craves for realism in every aspect of the performance as he makes Riggan insecure while being a dick to everyone but Sam. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in an outstanding performance as Riggan Thompson as this once-famous film star who tries to mount his comeback on Broadway as he deals with his ego, his issues as a man, and all sorts of things as it’s a performance that has Keaton be quite funny but also lay it on the line with monologues and scenes about the art of acting as it’s really a performance for the ages.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a magnificent film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features a tour-de-force performance from Michael Keaton. Along with a strong supporting cast as well as amazing technical work from Emmanuel Lubezki and Antonio Sanchez’s brilliant score. It’s a film that definitely blurs the line between the world of art and reality as well as being a film that features technical feats that isn’t seen very often in mainstream films. In the end, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a gloriously tremendous film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

© thevoid99 2014

The Hire

The Hire is a collection of eight short films revolving around a mysterious driver in different assignments while driving different variations of the BMW as these shorts were produced for the car manufacturer. Playing the role of the driver is Clive Owen as he ventures into eight different adventures helmed by eight different filmmakers as it also includes a diverse cast of actors to appear in these eight different short films. The result is an incredible collection of shorts from some of the world's best filmmakers.

Ambush (directed by John Frankenheimer and written by Andrew Kevin Walker) is about the driver escorting a man (Tomas Milian) carrying $2 million worth of diamonds as they’re being pursued by a van full of armed men. Chosen (directed by Ang Lee and written by David Carter) is the story about a holy boy (Mason Lee) escorted by the driver as they’re being pursued by criminals at a loading dock where the boy is supposed to be at a sanctuary. In The Follow (directed by Wong Kar-Wai and written by Andrew Kevin Walker), the driver is hired by his manager (Forest Whitaker) to pursue the wife (Adriana Lima) of a film actor (Mickey Rourke) to see if she’s cheating on him. Star (Directed by Guy Ritchie and written by Joe Sweet and Guy Ritchie) is about a spoiled celebrity (Madonna) who orders her driver to drive her to the venue where the results becomes more than she bargains for.

In Powder Keg (directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Guillermo Arriaga, and David Carter), a war photographer (Stellan Skarsgard) is wounded after taking a photograph as the driver tries to get him to the border so he can be saved. Hostage (directed by John Woo and written by David Carter, Greg Hahn, and Vincent Ngo) is about the driver delivering ransom money to a man (Maury Chaykin) who had kidnapped a CEO (Kathryn Morris) as he later races to save her. In Ticker (Written and directed by Joe Carnahan), the driver escorts a man (Don Cheadle), who is carrying a mysterious briefcase under the orders of a mysterious man (F. Murray Abraham), as they’re under attack from a helicopter while running short on time.

In Beat the Devil (Directed by Tony Scott and written by David Carter, Greg Hahn, and Vincent Ngo), James Brown makes a visit with the Devil (Gary Oldman) to renegotiate an old contract in the form of a wager through a drag strip race in Las Vegas between the driver and the Devil’s driver Bob (Danny Trejo).

The film is a collection of stories involving a driver and all of the adventures he takes in. Some are intense, some are quite funny, some are dramatic, and others are just downright fucking insane. While Star and The Follow don’t exactly follow the conventions of most car-driven films. They do contain some amazing driving sequences as the former is just a straight-out comedy from Guy Ritchie while the latter is a moody piece filled with evocative voice-over narration that plays true to Wong Kar-Wai’s style. Chosen may be an action piece of sorts but Ang Lee inject bits of humor as well as a story about a man and a boy. The rest of the series play to the world of action as the filmmakers each put their stamp into the different stories. Joe Carnahan and John Frankenheimer each create stories involving a passenger that is carrying something where the latter is more slick and professional while the former is more stylish with its mixture of grainy film stock and more clear cinematography.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Powder Keg is definitely the most unconventional in terms of action and drama as it is presented in a grainy film stock courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson. John Woo’s Hostage is a strange twist on the hostage story not just because of the kidnapper but what happens afterwards. Then there’s Tony Scott’s Beat the Devil where it’s definitely the strangest one of them all as it’s a mixture of humor and action with a bit of Satanism that involves James Brown and a cameo appearance from Marilyn Manson.

While all of the shorts do stand out on their own, The Follow is clearly the best of them all due to its lingering images from cinematographer Harris Savides and its hypnotic soundtrack. The casting is also great as many of the actors involved are amazing yet the series really belongs to Clive Owen. Owen displays a really low-key approach to his character as he’s just a driver while he does get the chance to be funny but also intense as he really is the star of the series.

The Hire is an extraordinary series of short films that features a superb performance from Clive Owen. The series is a must-see for fans of many of these filmmakers for the way it utilizes different models of BMWs to help tell a story that is engaging but also intense. In the end, The Hire is a fantastic collection of short films from some of the world’s best filmmakers.

© thevoid99 2013

11'9"01 September 11

11’9”01 September 11 is an anthology film of 11 short films by some of the world’s revered filmmakers as they each make a short film about 9/11 based on an idea by Alain Brigand. With each short having a running time of 11 minutes and nine seconds and one frame about 9/11, it allows each filmmaker from different countries to respond about the infamous attacks on September 11, 2001. The result is a fascinating anthology film from some of the world’s best filmmakers.

Iran (written and directed by Samira Makhmalbaf) is about a schoolteacher (Maryam Karimi) trying to teach young Afghan kids about what had just happened as they look at a tall chimney stack to think about the attacks in New York City. In France (directed by Claude Lelouch and written by Claude Lelouch and Pierre Uytterhoeven), a deaf woman (Emmanuelle Laborit) writes a letter to her American boyfriend (Jerome Horry) who is working at the World Trade Center as she is unaware of what is happening. Egypt (written and directed by Youssef Chahine) is about a documentary filmmaker (Nour El-Sherif) communicating with a dead soldier (Ahmed Haroun) from the 1983 Beirut bombing as they try to make sense of war and what happened in the U.S.

Bosnia-Herzegovina (written and directed by Danis Tanovic) is the story of a young woman (Dzana Pinjo) going to a protest rally, much to the wishes of her mother (Tatjana Sojic), as she meets her legless friend (Aleksandar Seksan) where the events of 9/11 threatens the rally. Burkina Faso (written and directed by Idrissa Ouedraogo) has a young boy (Lionel Zizreel Guire) claiming to see Osama Bin Laden as he rallies his friends to hunt him down for the reward money so they can help his ailing mother. In United Kingdom (directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty, Ken Loach, & Vladimir Vega), Vladimir Vega writes a letter to the people of 9/11 as he talks about the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat that happened on that same date. Mexico (written and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) is a short that collects brief images of bodies falling from the Twin Towers with sounds of what is happening on a black screen.

In Israel (directed by Amos Gitai and written by Amos Gitai and Marie Jose Sanselme), a soldier (Liron Levo), an officer (Tomer Russo) deal with a car bombing while a news reporter (Keren Mor) tries to cover what happened only to learn about what happened in NYC. India (directed by Mira Nair and written by Sabrina Dhawan) is the true story of an Islamic family wondering the whereabouts of a man who is rumored to be a terrorist. United States of America (written and directed by Sean Penn) is about a widower (Ernest Borgnine) who believes his wife is still around until light appears for his flowers. In Japan (directed by Shohei Imamura and written by Daisuke Tengan), a man (Tomorowo Taguchi) returns from World War II acting like a snake causing trouble among people from his village.

9/11 was a tragedy that really affected the world about terrorism and the chaos following the attacks. Yet, it’s not an American event that happened but also the world as the film is about how the world reacted to an event as catastrophic as 9/11. For 11 filmmakers, each one had to make a short with a running time of 11 minutes and nine seconds so they can each shed provide insight into how they feel about what happened on that day. The overall result is a film that has some great segments, some decent ones, and one that is really ridiculous.

The film starts off innocently by Samira Makhmalbaf who creates a story about a schoolteacher trying to teach her young students about what just happened. For these young Afghani refugee kids whose parents are building a shelter in wake of what just happened, they’re not exactly sure what happened as they’re talking. Yet, it’s all about the innocence of children trying to understand that they’re world is going to change. Makhmalbaf’s short along with Idrissa Ouedraogo’s short in Burkina Faso has an air of innocence that isn’t displayed often as the latter is about a boy wanting to capture Osama Bin Laden to get reward money for his ailing mother with the help of his friends.

These two shorts are among the highlights of the anthology film as both filmmakers each provide their own ideas about what happened at 9/11. Others like Claude Lelouch, Danis Tanovic, and Mira Nair provide more personal stories about the attacks on a more dramatic scale. While Lelouch uses 9/11 as a dramatic plot-point in this story of a woman wanting to leave her boyfriend, Tanovic puts a bit of politics over the events of Bosnia-Herzegovina as the woman wanting to protest finds a bigger reason to do her protest. Nair’s story is based on the true story of a young Islamic-American man lost during 9/11 as his family is forced to confront the possibilities that he’s a terrorist where they’re suddenly isolated by neighbors over a misunderstanding while it’s ending is a lesson about prejudices and loss.

Directors like Youssef Chahine and Amos Gitai both provide some political ideas about their own situations of 9/11 in relation to the Middle East. While Chahine’s segment is a bit over-stylized with its story of a director talking to a soldier, it does provide a point about the fallacies of war and conflict no matter what side anyone is on. Gitai’s short is shot entirely in one continuous short as a car bomb attack happens as a reporter tries to reveal what is going though she’s being cut off by her editor about 9/11 as she tries to state all the important tragedies that occurred on September 11th. It’s a chaotic segment though it tries to reveal that just because something happened in the U.S. doesn’t mean that the tragedies in Israel shouldn’t be ignored as it’s a good short despite having a heavy-handed message.

The Japanese short provided by Shohei Imamura, in his final work as a filmmaker, is the one that deviates from everything that is about 9/11 as it’s more about the aftermath of war and its effects on soldiers. Though it’s the short that doesn’t seem to fit in, the final message about the fallacy of Holy War does make a compelling point about what Imamura wants to say. The most shocking and most harrowing short comes from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu as his segment is just a simple tale of all of chaos happening as brief images of bodies jumping off the tower and then fade-to-black for sounds of bodies hitting the ground. It is definitely the most uncomfortable one in the entire film yet it ends with the words “Does God’s light guide us or blind us?” as Inarritu is asking more questions rather than provide answers about this tragedy.

With the highlights of the film coming from Nair, Inarritu, Ouedraogo, and Makhmalbaf with really good ones from Lelouch and Tanovic, the best segment comes from Ken Loach. Loach’s short about Vladimir Vega’s experience about his September 11 tragedy back in 1973 Chile when Pinochet overthrew Salvador Allende is one of the most haunting stories told. With Vega both narrating and singing about what happened as he writes a letter to Americans about what they’re dealing with. It’s also a reminder that he hopes they don’t forget about what happened in Chile and the role they played into Allende’s overthrow and his death on that day either by suicide or murder. It’s also a sad reminder that though Vega lives happily in England with his family, he could never return to Chile over what happened.

With Loach’s short being the best for its mix of personal storytelling and political insight, the worst one comes from Sean Penn. Despite a great performance from Ernest Borgnine, it’s definitely one of the most ridiculous as it’s about a widower wanting light outside of his house so the flowers would bloom as he talks to his wife as if she’s still here. The ending is without a doubt one of the worst as it involves one of the towers falling and sunlight appears for the flowers to bloom. The ending might be offensive to people though Penn was probably not intending to do that though he approaches it in a very bad way.

While there’s some great technical moments in some of the shorts, notably the ones by Gitai, Loach, Inarritu, and Lelouch in terms of photography, sound design, and music score. Each short is presented by a transitional scene of the world map as it plays to soft electronic music and later a somber orchestral piece that is provided by Alexandre Desplat. This way, it allows each short to be unified into one film as it ends up being one of the most intriguing yet powerful anthology films about one of the most horrifying events of the 21st Century.

11’9”01 September 11 is an excellent anthology about the world’s reaction to 9/11. With some great pieces by Samira Makhmalbaf, Mira Nair, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Idrissa Ouedraogo, and an outstanding one from Ken Loach. It’s a film that emphasizes that 9/11 is a world event that shook up everything that happened. While it’s not an easy film to watch due to its subject matter, it does allow audience a chance to see what other countries think about what happened and how it relates to their own feelings. In the end, 11’9”01 September 11 is an extraordinary though chilling film about the horrors of 9/11.

© thevoid99 2011

To Each His Own Cinema

Note: The Version of the Film I Saw Does Not Feature the Coen Brothers’ World Cinema short starring Josh Brolin and Grant Heslov that Can be Seen Here.

Chacun son Cinema (To Each His Own Cinema) is a 2007 anthology film project produced by Cannes Film Festival organizer Gilles Jacob to celebrate the festival’s 60th anniversary. Inviting many filmmakers from five different continents and twenty-five countries, each filmmaker has to create a three-minute short to exemplify their love for cinema. Among the filmmakers contributing to this project are the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant, Ken Loach, Lars von Trier, David Cronenberg, Wong Kar-Wai, Roman Polanski, David Lynch, Michael Cimino, Walter Salles, Atom Egoyan, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the Dardenne Brothers, and many more.  The result is one of the most fascinating collection of shorts from some of the world's revered filmmakers.

Cinema d’ete (Open-Air Cinema) (Raymond Depardon) is about a gathering of young Islamic people going up the roof of a building to see a Bollywood movie as they enjoy themselves. One Fine Day (Takeshi Kitano) has a laborer (Takeshi Kitano) going to a small theater in the middle of Japan to watch Kitano’s Kids Return by himself only for things to go wrong during the screening. In Trois minutes (Three Minutes) (Theo Angelopoulos), a woman (Jeanne Moreau) enters an empty theater where she talks to the ghost of Marcello Mastroianni. Dans le noir (In the Dark) (Andrei Konchalovski) has a woman (Yola Sanko) watching Fellini’s 8 ½ while hearing a young couple having sex in her theater. In Diaro di uno spettatore (Diary of a Moviegoer) (Nanni Moretti), Nanni Moretti reflects his own experiences watching films in a cinema along with the places he watches those movies.

The Electric Princess Picture House (Hou Hsiao-hsien) is about Hsiao-hsien’s reflection of an old theater where he has a family in the 1960s going to this beloved theater to watch Robert Bresson’s Mouchette. Dans l’obscurite (Darkness) (Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne) is about a young thief (Jeremie Segard) trying to steal the purse of a woman (Emilie Dequenne) as she is crying during a screening of Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar. In Absurda (David Lynch) has a group of teens watching a movie where a man on the film presents them horrifying images that scares them. Anna (Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu) has a blind woman (Luisa Williams) watching Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt with her friend (Shaun Madden) as she is moved by what she’s hearing. En regardant le film (Movie Night) (Zhang Yimou) is about a little boy along with a group of children and adults in a small Chinese village waiting to see a movie as they wait for nightfall to see a movie.

In Le Dibbouk de Haifa (The Dybbuk of Haifa) (Amos Gitai), two different groups of people in 1936 Warsaw and in 2006 Haifa are watching the same film just before things would change around them. The Lady Bug (Jane Campion) is the story of a cleaning man (Clayton Jacobson) trying to kill a dancing bug (Erica Englert) as audio from a film is being played. Artaud Double Bill (Atom Egoyan) is about a woman watching Godard’s Vivre sa vie as she texts her boyfriend who is at another theater watching Egoyan’s The Adjuster. La Fonderie (The Foundry) (Aki Kaurismaki) is about a group of factory workers finishing up their job so they can see a film by the Lumiere brothers inside their factory. Recrudescence (Upsurge) (Olivier Assayas) has a couple (Deniz Gazme Erguven & Lionel Dray) go to a movie while a man (George Babluani) eyes the woman for some strange reason.

47 ans aspres (47 Years Later) (Youssef Chahine) is about Chahine’s experience back at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival where his second film was receiving bad reviews as he looks back 47 years later where he receives a lifetime achievement award at the same festival. It’s a Dream (Tsai Ming-liang) has a man recalling his days when his grandmother took him to the cinema as she eats a certain specialty as he watches a movie with his mother, son, and a picture of his grandmother. Occupations (Lars von Trier) has von Trier at a premiere for his own film Manderlay where he’s being pestered by a rude man (Jacques Frantz) as von Trier deals with him in his way. Le Don (The Gift) (Raoul Ruiz) has a blind film buff (Michael Lonsdale) talking to his anthropologist niece (Miriam Heard) about his own experiences while they watch a film in a theater.

Cinema de boulevard (The Cinema Around the Corner) (Claude Lelouch) is about Lelouch recalling the moment his parents met at a theater and how his life was transformed by the films that would impact his life. In First Kiss (Gus Van Sant), a young projectionist (Paul Parson) puts on a movie as a woman (Viva Las Vegas) appears on screen as he‘s transfixed by her. Cinema Erotique (Erotic Cinema) (Roman Polanski) has an old couple watching Emmanuelle where they’re bothered by a man supposedly masturbating to the movie. No Translation Needed (Michael Cimino) has a budding filmmaker (Yves Courbet) wanting to make a movie about a Cuban band with a diva-esque singer (Juliana Munoz) by asking them to perform in a theater. At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the Last Cinema of the World (David Cronenberg) has Cronenberg set to kill himself at the last cinema in the world as it’s being reported by two reporters commenting on the situation.

I Travelled 9000 km to Give It to You (Wong Kar-Wai) is about a man (Fan Chih Wei) and a woman (Farini Chang Yui Ling) falling for each other during a screening of Godard’s Alphaville. Where is My Romeo? (Abbas Kiarostami) has a group of Muslim women watching Romeo & Juliet in a theater to a strong reaction. In The Last Dating Show (Bille August), a Danish man and an Islamic woman go on a blind date to see a movie as a group of men are bothered by the man translating the wrong things to the woman. Itrebak (Awkward) (Elia Suleiman) has Suleiman attend a screening of a film where things don’t work out while he later does a Q&A where everything feels awkward. Rencontre unique (Sole Meeting) (Manoel de Oliveira) has people watching a silent film about a meeting between Nikita Khrushchev (Michel Piccoli) and Pope Jean XXIII (Duarte D’Almeida).

A 8 944 km de Cannes (5,557 Miles From Cannes) (Walter Salles) is about two men having a musical interlude about one’s trip to Cannes as they’re about to go into a theater to watch The 400 Blows. War in Peace (Wim Wenders) is about a group of people in Kabalo watching Black Hawk Down on a television inside a small building. Zhanxiou Village (Chen Kaige) is about a man reflecting the time he watched a Charles Chaplin film as a child as his friends try to find a way to play the film. In Happy Ending (Ken Loach), a father and son (Bradley Walsh & Joe Siffleet) try to figure out what movie to see at a multiplex. World Cinema (Joel & Ethan Coen) is about a cowboy (Josh Brolin) who walks into an art house theater asking an usher (Grant Heslov) about the event as he watches Climates by Nuri Bilge Ceylan to a surprising reaction.

The concept is simple, a collection of short stories by some of the world’s greatest filmmakers expressing their love for cinema. Whether it’s personal, humorous, or serious, it’s all about going to the movies and what does it mean. With many filmmakers choosing to use clips of other movies to express their love of cinema, they also allow to create some kind of statement about what cinema means to them or to express something about what cinema does to them.

The film opens and ends with two different shorts about going to the movies as Raymond Depardon and Ken Loach each create two amazing shorts about going to the movies. In Depardon, he creates the joy of going to a cinema on a building rooftop in an Islamic country just for a bit of freedom. In Loach’s short, it’s all about a father and son trying to figure out what to see amidst a group of annoyed people waiting in line. These two shorts each exemplify the importance of cinema as they each set an example of what these shorts should tell.

Loach and Depardon are among two of the best shorts in the anthology films as many other filmmakers create some amazing gems for varying different reasons. In the humorous department, the shorts by Roman Polanski, Nanni Moretti, Takeshi Kitano, Elia Suleiman, and Lars von Trier provide different arrays of humor. With Moretti, he adds a personal element about his love of going to the movies where he sings the theme to Rocky while Suleiman reveals the awkwardness of attending a movie. The von Trier segment is easily the most gruesome because it’s all about what not to do when watching a movie with Lars von Trier.

Other great shorts involve personal stories such as the shorts by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Claude Lelouch, Chen Kaige, Tsai Ming-liang, and Yousseff Chahine where they each give their own personal stories. For the dramatic moments, Zhang Yimou, Abbas Kiarostami, Andrei Konchalovski, Aki Kaurismaki, Theo Angelopoulos, and Alejandro Gonzalez Innarritu each provide some narratives to their shorts to exemplify the power of cinema. Directors that are known for their style such as the Dardenne Brothers, Walter Salles, the Coen Brothers, Wong Kar-Wai, and David Lynch use the shorts to display part of their own ideas to the anthology. Yet, it’s David Cronenberg’s short that is the major highlight because it has Cronenberg literally shooting himself as he’s about to kill himself over the state of cinema.

With a lot of shorts in this film, there are a slew of great ones but also some good ones that don’t really stand out. The shorts by Gus Van Sant, Bille August, Olivier Assayas, Raoul Ruiz, and Manoel de Oliveira don’t stand out as much but do provide some insight into the power of film. The two shorts by Wim Wenders and Amos Gitai each have political elements though Wenders chooses to downplay at the end of his short while Gitai’s exploration of Hebrews watching a film in two different eras in times of war comes off as pretentious and overbearing. Jane Campion’s short doesn’t really show a film but rather a performance that doesn’t fit in with the entire concept of the film. Yet, her short isn’t the worst as it belongs to Michael Cimino that ends up being extremely ridiculous and very self-indulgent as Cimino tries to make fun of himself for being an egomaniacal filmmaker.

Chacun son Cinema is an extraordinary collection of short films that truly exemplify the brilliance that is cinema. With some amazing shorts from Lars von Trier, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, the Coen Brothers, the Dardenne Brothers, Ken Loach, and several more. There is a great collection that allows fans of these filmmakers to check out while for those who had never heard some of the filmmakers who contribute to this anthology film will get a chance to discover them. In the end, Chacun son Cinema is an anthology film that film buffs must see for these gems from some of the world’s best filmmakers.

© thevoid99 2011