Mississippi Grind

Written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Mississippi Grind is the story of two gamblers who meet at a poker game as they travel to New Orleans for a high stakes poker game as they bond through their love of gambling. The film is an exploration of gambling as two men in different paths come together in the hope to get a big score. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds, Sienna Miller, Analeigh Tipton, Robin Weigert, James Toback, and Alfre Woodard. Mississippi Grind is an exhilarating and engrossing film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Two different gamblers in different directions of winning and losing meet at a poker game as they bond through their love of gambling as they travel from Iowa to New Orleans for a high stakes poker game hoping for a big score. It’s a film that is a road film of sorts but also a story of two men who live through gambling as they both have a love for it but also hope to get a lot of money for a better life. The film’s screenplay by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck follow the different paths of its protagonist as Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a man that constantly loses and going through some financial issues as he owes money to a loan shark in Sam (Alfre Woodard) who is sympathetic to his issues but wants what he owes her. Gerry is also divorced and hasn’t seen his six-year old daughter in years where he knows he messed up and wants to do right but has a gambling addiction with a real estate job that isn’t going anywhere. It’s where he meets a young traveling gambler in Curtis Vonn (Ryan Reynolds) who is on a hot streak hoping to go to New Orleans for a score as he and Gerry meet up and share their stories of gambling and such.

Curtis agrees to take Gerry to New Orleans from Dubuque, Iowa as long as Gerry drives where they would make several stops to various cities down the Mississippi River and would make some money through greyhound races and card games along the way. During a stop in St. Louis, Curtis and Gerry meet a couple of prostitutes in Simone (Sienna Miller) and Vanessa (Analeigh Tipton) as Simone and Curtis have some history that Gerry notices. Gerry would reveal that he still has feelings for his ex-wife Dorothy (Robin Weigert) though his visit to her home at Little Rock, Arkansas would only bring trouble following a set-back for both Curtis and Gerry. The script does show that as flawed as both Gerry and Curtis are as men in their pursuit of gambling. They still carry some humanity and goodness as Curtis’ often talkative and energetic persona is a front for some of the pain he carries into his own life as he also has another reason to go to New Orleans.

The film’s direction from Boden and Fleck is largely intimate in its presentation as it is shot on various locations such as New Orleans, Little Rock, St. Louis, Memphis, and various parts around the Mississippi River. While there’s some wide shots in the direction, Boden and Fleck focus on this intimate friendship between Curtis and Gerry that slowly develops as the latter is someone that is in need of luck while the former is in need to find the next path in his life having traveled so much. The film would often feature Gerry listening to a self-help CD to be a better gambler as it would occur often during the course of the film. Boden and Fleck’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the conversations between Curtis and Gerry in a car or what goes on during a poker game where Boden and Fleck would shoot something on a hand-held camera and focus on what one player is seeing in his head or how he’s reacting physically as it play into the things Gerry is listening to from the CD.

With Boden serving as the film’s editor, there is a fluid and rhythmic approach to the editing where the shots do last to get a sense of the location as well as the way the conversations are edited. The direction also play into these somber moments such as Gerry playing piano with Vanessa sitting beside him while Curtis and Simone listen in the other room. Boden and Fleck would also carry this somber mood into the third act as it relates to Gerry’s bad luck as well as Curtis’ own setbacks and his own insecurities once they reach New Orleans to play in this game that is run by a famed gambler that Curtis knows. It also play into two men who both aren’t sure when to quit but they have this need to win something no matter how much they lose. Overall, Boden and Fleck craft a riveting and compelling film about two gamblers working together to work to play a big game in New Orleans.

Cinematographer Andrij Pakeh does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key and natural lights for many of the interior scenes at night including the casinos and bars while emphasizing on something realistic for the exterior scenes in the day and night. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorator Selina van den Brink and art director James A. Gelarden, does excellent work with the look of the place where Simone and Vanessa work at as well as a few motel rooms and places where Gerry and Curtis play poker. Costume designer Abby O’Sullivan does nice work with the clothes from the stylish clothes that Simone and Vanessa would wear as well as stylish suits that Gerry and Curtis would wear at a riverboat casino.

Visual effects supervisor Luke DiTommaso does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it mainly focuses on set dressing and a low-key dramatic scene during a simple conversation between Gerry and Curtis. Sound designer Abigail Savage does superb work with the sound as it play into the loud sounds of machines at a casino as well as the sounds of crowds at a casino or at a racetrack along with low-key moments in some of the different locations of the film. The film’s music by Scott Bomar is terrific for its blues-based score that help play into the atmosphere of the locations while music supervisor Jim Black provide a soundtrack that mainly focuses on blues, jazz, folk, and other traditional forms of music that play into the atmosphere of the Mississippi River and its many locations.

The casting by Cindy Tolan is fantastic as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from famed country-rock singer/songwriter Marshall Chapman as a club singer in New Orleans, Robin Weigert as Gerry’s ex-wife Dorothy who harbors some mistrust and issues with him, filmmaker James Toback as a revered poker player that Curtis claims to know, and Alfre Woodard in a superb performance as a friend of Gerry who loaned him money as she is sympathetic but also serious about wanting her money back. Analeigh Tipton is excellent as Vanessa as a young prostitute who befriends Gerry as a woman who has a lot more to offer than be pretty as she is still trying to figure things out for herself while finding some support from Gerry in what she wants to do.

Sienna Miller is amazing as Simone as a prostitute and on-off companion of Curtis as she is suspicious about Curtis’ intentions for Gerry while is also unsure about embarking on a serious relationship with Curtis. Finally, there’s the duo of Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds in incredible performances in their respective roles as Gerry and Curtis. Mendelsohn displays a physicality as someone who has been on a major losing streak as well as this humility where Mendelsohn sells his character’s insecurities as well as his determination to win. Reynolds’ performance as Curtis is showier in terms of its energy and being very talkative about anything and everything with a sense of charm yet also displays some vulnerability as someone that really wants a better life for himself. Mendelsohn and Reynolds together are a joy to watch as two men who both want to win but also realize their worth to each other as they have this natural chemistry and rapport where they both bring the best in each other.

Mississippi Grind is a sensational film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck that features great performances from Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Fleck. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous locations, themes of gambling and friendship, and a sumptuous music soundtrack. It’s a film that definitely explore two men who bond through gambling as well as not being afraid in showing how flawed they are as well as this sense of hope that gambling can bring for them. In the end, Mississippi Grind is a spectacular film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Films: Half Nelson - Sugar (2008 film) - It's Kind of a Funny Story - Captain Marvel - The Auteurs #71: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

© thevoid99 2019

12 Years a Slave

Based on the autobiography by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave is the true story of Northup’s life where he was a free black man living in the North until he is kidnapped in Washington, D.C. where he is sold as a slave as he endures hardships for 12 years. Directed by Steve McQueen and screenplay by John Ridley, the film is an exploration into a man who endures the worst kind of cruelty towards humanity as he deals with the world of slavery as Northup is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Also starring Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael K. Williams, Scott McNairy, and Brad Pitt. 12 Years a Slave is a harrowing yet visceral film from Steve McQueen.

The film is this simple story about a man named Solomon Northup who lived a decent life in Saratoga, New York in 1841 where he is asked by two men to play for a show in Washington, D.C. where he accepts the offer until he wakes up in chains as he’s sold to slavery where he endures cruelty under different masters for 12 years. It’s a film that explores a man who had this very good life in the North where he finds himself in a world that is very different in the South where blacks are treated as a form of property by their masters. The 12-year journey that Northup encounters where he’s called Platt, he doesn’t just see the cruelty of slavery but also how dangerous he is as he’s a man that is educated where slaves tell him to keep his head down and just do your work so there won’t be anymore trouble. Still, he just couldn’t comprehend the atrocities that he sees and endures in the 12 years of being a slave.

John Ridley’s screenplay definitely explores the 12 years of Northup’s life where its first scene is Northup as a slave cutting down sugar canes for another master as he then reflects on the life he had. Much of the film’s first half showcases bits of Northup’s life as a free man while revealing how he had been tricked by two men (Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam) into doing a show for them where he wakes up the next morning in chains. Ridley’s script is largely told from Northup’s perspective as he watches the world he’s in as he has to see a woman named Eliza (Adepero Oduye) be separated from her children as they’re also sold to slavery. Northup’s encounter with slavery has him endure the supervision of different masters where the first is this Baptist preacher in William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) who is much kinder to his slave though he’s unaware of the cruelty that his slave overseer in John Tibeats (Paul Dano) who always undermine things and treats Northup with disdain.

While Northup would also work briefly under the supervision of Judge Turner (Bryan Batt) during a seasonal break, Northup would endure the worst under Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender). Epps is this very unique individual whom Ford describes as a man who is willing to break slaves to the core as he has a very sick fascination with the slave Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) whom he seduces much to the chagrin of his wife (Sarah Paulson) who loathes Patsey. It all plays to Northup dealing with Epps as well as the harsh conditions he endure as a slave picking cotton where if he picked less than the day before. He will get whipped as it’s just one of the many punishments he has to deal with yet clings to some sense of hope as he desperately tries to write a letter to his family and friends in the North but the presence of Epps has him feel uneasy. The film’s third act doesn’t just play into Northup’s sense of hopelessness but also the things he has to do where he does find some hope in a Canadian carpenter named Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt) who learns about Northup’s situation as he would be a key proponent into Northup getting his freedom.

Steve McQueen’s direction is very evocative in the way he presents a world that is beautiful but has this air of ugliness that is prominent throughout for the fact that it’s a film about slavery. A lot of McQueen’s direction is filled with these intoxicating images that mixes beauty and horror while knowing how to put an actor in a frame or to use a close-up to express something by doing very little. Shot on location in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana, McQueen’s portrait of the American South is very seductive in its beauty yet has this sense of harshness where it’s a place where a slave’s attempt to runaway is more treacherous where Northup would attempt that only to see what will happen as he would never do it again.

There’s also some intimate moments in McQueen’s direction such as the scene of Northup being chained inside a prison cell where it’s very dark with little light to showcase the horror that is to come. Even as McQueen doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the whippings and such where there’s some very chilling scenes that includes one of the most brutal sequences of whipping where it’s the sound of a whip hitting flesh that is the most unsettling. McQueen’s framing and some of the long shots he creates are just a marvel to watch in not just some of the drama that plays out but also some of the sense of terror that occurs. Though there are bits of humor in the film, it’s only just small bits as it plays into the drama and turmoil that Solomon Northup endures as the film’s ending is an absolute tearjerker. Overall, McQueen creates a very exhilarating yet haunting film about a man who endures the cruelty of slavery.

Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does some amazing work with the film‘s photography from the look of the Louisiana swamp landscapes and scenes set in the forest with its use of natural lights to some of the shadings and lighting schemes he uses for some of the film‘s interiors as well as the scenes set at night. Editor Joe Walker does brilliant work with the editing with its use of jump-cuts, rhythmic cuts, and dissolves to play into that sense of horror and drama that Northup endures. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with set decorator Alice Baker and art director David Stein, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the plantations that Northup works at to the look of the homes and places that Northup lived before his capture.

Costume designer Patricia Norris does superb work with the costumes from the dresses the mistresses wear as well as the suits that the men wear as well as the rags the slaves have to wear. Sound editors Ryan Collins and Robert Jackson do excellent work with the sound work from the way dialogue is meshed in certain scenes to some sound effects that occur in the film such as the whippings and such to play into the sense of power in those moments. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is phenomenal for its mixture of low-key orchestral music to some tremendous pieces that mixes some haunting percussions and string arrangements that play into the terror that occurs in the film.

The casting by Francine Maisler is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Quvenzhane Wallis and Cameron Zeigler as Northup’s children, Kelsey Scott as Northup’s wife Anne, Michael K. Williams as slave Northup meets early in the film, Garret Dillahunt as a drunkard who works with Northup picking Cotton, Dwight Henry as a slave Northup befriends in Uncle Dwight, Bryan Batt as the fair-minded slave master Judge Turner who would get Northup a job at a party, Liza J. Bennett as Ford’s wife, Chris Chalk as a slave Northup meets who tells him to not act too smart, and J.D. Evermore as Ford’s overseer Chapin who is forced to watch the action of Tibeats.

Other noteworthy performances include Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam as the two men who would trick and drug Northup into a job that would lead to his enslavement while Alfre Woodard is wonderful as a plantation mistress whom Patsey likes to drink tea with. Paul Giamatti is terrific as the slave trader Theophilius Freeman who does things to sell the slaves and presents them in the most cruel ways. Adepero Oduye is superb as the slave Eliza who deals with being separated from her children as she reminds Northup of the cruelty he has to face as a slave. Paul Dano is excellent as the slave master John Tibeats who sings a very horrific song while feeling threatened by Northup for being someone who can speak his mind and please Ford. Brad Pitt is amazing in a small yet cruel role as Samuel Bass who works with Northup during his time with Epps as he learns about his plight.

Sarah Paulson is brilliant as Mrs. Epps as a woman who loathes Patsey as she treats her with the worst kind of cruelty as she someone who proves to be just as extreme as her husband. Benedict Cumberbatch is marvelous as the kind William Ford who is intrigued by Northup as he gives him a violin while dealing with the cruelty of Tibeats as he makes an uneasy decision about giving Northup up. Lupita Nyong’o is tremendous as Patsey as this young slave woman who becomes this object of desire for Epps as she faces some of the most horrific moments a slave has to endure as it’s a performance that is just unforgettable to watch.

Michael Fassbender is remarkable as the cruel yet twisted plantation owner Edwin Epps who is a man that is just extreme in the way he treats his slaves as well as having this sick desire towards Patsey. There’s also this very haunting presence that Fassbender presents as a man who could probably kill someone as well as being ignorant about his ideas of the world. Finally, there’s Chiwetel Ejiofor in an outstanding performance as Solomon Northup. Ejiofor brings a sense of grounding to a man who faces a world that is different from the one he had lived in as he tries not to do anything yet is aware of how much of a threat he is. There’s also that sense of sadness and determination in Ejiofor’s performance to display a man who deals with not just loss but also the hopelessness of not being able to return home as it’s really a performance for the ages.

12 Years a Slave is a magnificent film from Steve McQueen that features a tour-de-force performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work from cinematographer Sean Bobbit and music composer Hans Zimmer. It’s a film that explores not just the horrific atrocity of slavery but also from the perspective of a free black man who is captured and endures this horror for 12 years as it’s told by McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley at its most visceral. In the end, 12 Years a Slave is a massively astonishing film from Steve McQueen.

Steve McQueen Films: Hunger - Shame - Widows (2018 film) - Small Axe - (Uprising (2022 film)) - (Occupied City) - (Blitz) - The Auteurs #52: Steve McQueen

© thevoid99 2013

Crooklyn

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/23/07.

Following the 1992 historical, epic bio-pic on Malcolm X, Spike Lee took a break from making his cinematic epic that some considered to be his best work. After the break, Lee decided to make a low-key yet thoughtful film about family life in the 1970s in Brooklyn titled Crooklyn. Directed by Spike Lee that he co-wrote with sister Joie and brother Cinque, Crooklyn tells the story of a family trying to survive through money problems and troubles in their neighborhood from the perspective of a little girl growing into womanhood. Starring Delroy Lindo, Alfre Woodard, David Patrick Kelly, Isaiah Washington, Zelda Harris, Joie Lee, Bokeem Woodbine, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Spike Lee. Crooklyn is a thoughtful, personal feature film from the always prolific Spike Lee.

It's the 1970s in Brooklyn as kids play around the streets and stoops of the Brooklyn neighborhood. A mix of African-American, whites, and Puerto Ricans, it's a place filled with joy and bits of trouble. For the Carmichaels led by musician Woody (Delroy Lindo) and his teacher wife Carolyn (Alfre Woodard), it's a place where they raise their rowdy kids that consists of four boys and a young girl named Troy (Zelda Harris). Troy is a tomboy with an attitude who often calls bad names to other kids and have spats with her brothers including her eldest, Knicks-loving Clinton (Carlton Williams). While the rest of the brothers including the hungry Wendell (Sharif Rashed), the middle child Nate (Christopher Knowings), and the youngest child Joseph (Tse-Mach Washington) are rowdy and rambunctious, the family is still in a loving household. While the boys hang out with adults that include Puerto Rican Tommy La La (Jose Zuniga), Vic (Isaiah Washington), and Richard (Bokeem Woodbine). They often get into spats with the reclusive Tony Eyes (David Patrick Kelly), who lives with dogs and his place always stink. The boys are always supported by their mother and their neighbors into the spats with Tony though the boys do throw trash in his place.

While the family continue their daily lives, money has become tight as Woody chooses to make his own music rather than playing traditional pop. Woody’s decision only troubles the family's financial situation as Carolyn has to make more money teaching summer school. The family dysfunctions that included Clinton's love for the Knicks over everything else finally causes a breakdown in which, Woody is forced to leave for a brief period time as he lives with his brother Brown (Vondie Curtis-Hall). Troy meanwhile, continues her rowdy ways as she attempts to shoplift but the store's manager Hector (Manny Perez) gives her a life lesson into stealing. The lesson doesn’t last long as Troy steals from her brother to buy ice cream for herself and one of her friends. After returning to make amends with Carolyn, Woody decides to take the family out on a road trip as a distraction to deal with the family's ongoing financial problems. Even to the point where they had to live on food stamps which was embarrassing to Troy.

Going down to Virginia to visit relatives in Uncle Clem (Norman Matlock), Aunt Song (Frances Foster), and their daughter Viola (Patriece Nelson). The real intention was to give Troy a new atmosphere as she is to stay with her relatives for the summer. The visit only alienated Troy despite Aunt Song's well-meaning behavior and a friend in Viola. Back in Brooklyn, the family gets up from their financial problems with help from Uncle Brown and Aunt Maxine (Joie Lee). Troy returns with a new look only to learn of some harrowing family problems. Troy realizes that her role as the only other woman in her dysfunctional yet loving family has to grow while having to deal with the worst. Even the boys have to face new troubles where they learn what is important.

Inspired by their youth growing up in the 70s, Crooklyn was a change of pace and style to the epic-biography of Lee's previous film, Malcolm X. This time around, Lee and his siblings create probably their most accessible feature to date. While the film lacks a strong plot and is a bit episodic, it's only to convey the sense of realism and nostalgia Lee wanted to show about the 1970s. At times, there are moments that are funny. There's moments of real, family drama, and there's even moments of heartbreak and tragedy. Yet, there's an optimism in the film while it's largely done in the perspective of the character of Troy. Troy is obviously inspired by Joie Lee, who wrote the film's original story. Her story is about a young girl growing into womanhood while dealing with the realities of life.

Lee's direction is wonderfully observant and atmospheric in conveying the times while he goes for style in the sequence involving the world of Aunt Song where on full-screen, the film looks cropped. It's to convey the sense of alienation of Troy while contrasting the fullness of what Brooklyn is back in the 70s before crack and gangs came in. Plus, Lee's approach towards the kids reveal the loss innocence of the times when those kids were playing outside and having fun rather than doing something destructive. While it's not a perfect film, it's honesty and personal touch still makes it an enjoyable, heartwarming film.

Cinematographer Arthur Jafa does excellent work in capturing the beauty and atmosphere of Brooklyn with some wonderful shots conveying the look of the road in the sky. Longtime production designer Wynn Thomas and art director Chris Shriver adds to the authentic touch of Brooklyn with the look of products of what they looked like back in the 70s to the furniture in the home of the Carmichaels. Longtime costume designer Ruth E. Carter also adds to the film's authentic look with bellbottoms, shirts, and all sorts of colorful clothes people wore in the 70s. Editor Barry Alexander Brown does some wonderful cuts to convey the structure and feel of the film without being too slow or too fast despite the episodic nature of the film. Sound designer Skip Leivsay also adds a nice touch to the atmosphere to reveal the sense of joy and nostalgia of Brooklyn in the 70s. Longtime composer Terence Blanchard brings a wonderful, dramatic jazz and orchestral score to present the drama and joy of the film. The film's soundtrack is wonderfully amazing with great cuts from Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, and many more.

The film's wonderfully diverse cast includes several memorable small performances and appearances from Bokeem Woodbine, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Joie Lee, Norman Matlock, Patriece Nelson, Manny Perez, Jose Zuniga, and Isaiah Washington. Cameos from RuPaul as a woman dancing in a shop with the store owner while Spike Lee and N. Jeremi Duru are hilarious as two, glue-sniffers trying to get money from the kids. David Patrick Kelly is excellent as the irritable neighbor Tony Eyes and a small part as a man named Jim. Frances Forster is wonderful as the well-meaning Aunt Song with Southern beliefs and manner. Tse-Mach Washington is great as the youngest brother Joseph while Christopher Knowings has a great scene that involved black-eyed peas. Sharif Rashed is funny as the hungry Wendell while Carlton Williams is great as Spike's alter-ego Clinton for his love of the Knicks including a great scene that involves the conflict of what was more important than the Knicks.

Zelda Harris gives an exhilarating performance as the no-nonsense, all-attitude tomboy Troy who brings such joy and energy to her performance. Harris really shines in the film's comical and emotional moments that gives her character some wonderful development. Delroy Lindo is brilliant as the struggling yet charismatic Woody who tries to hold the family together in all of its problems as he serves as the glue of sorts despite his need for artistic recognition. Finally, there's Alfre Woodard in a knock-out performance as the no-nonsense Carolyn. Woodard brings all kinds of emotions as the stern, tough, and caring mother who tries to calm everything down and make sure all the kids behave themselves. Woodard alongside Harris, is the performance to watch who shows how a woman plays her role in a family that is dysfunctional but loving.

While Crooklyn maybe considered as a minor film from Spike Lee, his personal touch and semi-biographical take really adds a sense of nuance and care to this film. With a great cast and a story that revels in nostalgia and realism, this is really one of Lee's premier films. While it's also his most optimistic and positive, it's also a reminder of how far Lee is willing to stretch his talents with the help of his siblings. In the end, for a film that reminds everyone about family and the good times that was the 1970s, Crooklyn is the film to go see.

Spike Lee Films: (She’s Gotta Have It) - (School Daze) - Do the Right Thing - Mo' Better Blues - Jungle Fever - (Malcolm X) - (Clockers) - (Girl 6) - (Get on the Bus) - 4 Little Girls - (He Got Game) - Freak - Summer of Sam - (The Original Kings of Comedy) - (Bamboozled) - (A Huey P. Newton Story) - 25th Hour - (Jim Brown: All-American) - (She Hate Me) - (Inside Man) - (When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts) - (Miracle at St. Anna) - (Kobe Doin’ Work) - (Passing Strange) - (If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise) - (Red Hook Summer) - Bad 25 - Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - (Oldboy (2013 film)) - (Da Blood of Jesus) - (Chi Raq) - Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall - BlacKkKlansman - Da 5 Bloods - (American Utopia)

© thevoid99 2011