Showing posts with label alison elliott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alison elliott. Show all posts

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Lean on Pete

 

Based on the novel by Willy Vlautin, Lean on Pete is the story of a 16-year old boy who works at a stable where he befriends an ailing horse as he deals with the horse’s fate. Written for the screen and directed by Andrew Haigh, the film is a study of a young man who cares for this racehorse as he does whatever he can to save it. Starring Charlie Plummer, Chloe Sevigny, Travis Fimmel, Amy Seimetz, Steve Zahn, Alison Elliott, and Steve Buscemi. Lean on Pete is a touching and heartfelt film from Andrew Haigh.

The film revolves around a 16-year old kid as he helps a horse owner in getting horses for a race where the kid befriends a horse named Lean on Pete as he deals with the horse’s declining health and the idea that he might be slaughtered. It’s a film that explores a young man trying to find some stability in his home life but also something to be attached to as he lives in Portland with his absentee father and doesn’t have much of a future until he helps a horse owner who gives him a job. Andrew Haigh’s screenplay is largely straightforward in its narrative as it’s more of a coming-of-age story for the 16-year old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) who lives with his dad Ray (Travis Fimmel) who is having an affair with a married woman that would later have dire consequences involving her husband. Charley would help the aging horse trainer Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) who is dealing with declining funds as well as horses who aren’t delivering including Lean on Pete who could only do quarter-mile races.

While a jockey in Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny) understands Charley’s growing attachment to Lean on Pete, she warned him to not get too close as the horse’s health is starting to fail forcing Montgomery to sell him and possibly to Mexico where he would be slaughtered. The film’s second act is about what Charley’s actions as it relates to the horse and what he hopes to do in trying to find his estranged aunt Margy (Alison Elliott) whom he hadn’t seen in years. It would be this moment that play into Charley’s own sense of loss and alienation as well as a world that is really complicated as he would encounter various people including a couple of former soldiers and a homeless couple as it would play into is view of the world.

Haigh’s direction is entrancing for not just the scope of the locations as it is shot on various locations around Portland, Oregon but also to capture the look of the American West that does feel disconnected from the rest of the world. The usage of wide and medium shots do play into the events that Charley encounters in the second act with Lean on Pete as it play into the journey these two would take. Haigh still infuses some intimacy that include close-ups as well as what Charley sees during the horse races along with these moments that play into his own sense of despair when he deals with reality. There are also these scenes that do feel loose such as a conversation Montgomery is having with other owners about changing times and how simple things were back in the 80s and 90s for the world of horse racing along with a scene in the bar where everyone is drunk while Charley wants to talk both to Bonnie and Montgomery. Haigh also presents scenes where there aren’t much dialogue or scenes that has Charley talking to the horse as it help play into this young man dealing with reality that is hard to digest. Even in its third act as he copes with the people he encounter and his own actions knowing he has made decisions that would put him in trouble yet is seeking to find some hope in a cruel world. Overall, Haigh crafts an evocative and intoxicating film about a 16-year old boy befriending an ailing race horse.

Cinematographer Magnus Joenck does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of available and low-key lighting for the scenes set at night as well as natural lighting for the scenes set in the day. Editor Jonathan Alberts does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts for a few dramatic moments as well as a few transitional dissolves. Production designer Ryan Warren Smith, with set decorator Jenelle Giordano and art director Jonny Fenix, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Charley lived in as well as a stable room where Charley stayed with Lean on Pete living next door and a trailer where Charley meets a homeless couple. Costume designer Julie Carnahan does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of the American West that include trucker hats, skinny jeans for the women, and other clothes that play into that world.

Visual effects supervisor Fred Ruff does terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it play into a key scene in the film along with bits of set-dressing for the horse race scenes. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does brilliant work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the way some of the sparse moments in the film occur as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s music by James Edward Barker is wonderful for its understated country-folk based score as it play into the drama while being low-key while music supervisor Connie Farr provides a soundtrack that is mostly diegetic as it’s played on location as it features pieces from Melissa Manchester, Melinda Salcido, Alih Jey, Lluvia Rosa, Jeannie Seely, Roy Drusky and Priscilla Hubbard, Faron Young, Larry Dean and Jonathan Sloan, Donnie Owens, Jeannie C. Riley, Sanford Clark, Brendan McKinney, Eddie M, Brandon Flowers, Selena Gomez, Tegan & Sara, Jessie Ware, Limb, Cut Yourself in Half, Will Oldham, Richmond Fontaine, Vic De Leon, and Donovan.

The casting by Carmen Cuba does superb work as it feature some notable small roles from Tolo Tuitele as Lynn’s husband who attacks Ray, Bob Olin as an old man in Mr. Kendall that Charley eats dinner with, Teyah Hartley as Mr. Kendall’s daughter Laurie whom he verbally abuses at, Justin Rain and Lewis Pullman in their respective as a couple of military veterans in Mike and Dallas who take Charley and Pete in for a bit, Steve Zahn and Rachael Perrell Fosket as a homeless couple that allow Charley to be with them for a bit, Amy Seimetz as Ray’s married girlfriend Lynn, Travis Fimmel as Charley’s absentee yet well-meaning father Ray, and Alison Elliott as Charley’s estranged aunt Margy who appears late in the film. Chloe Sevigny is brilliant as the jockey Bonnie as someone who is kinder to Charley but also warns him about becoming too attached to Lean on Pete as she also tells him about the reality he has to face.

Steve Buscemi is amazing as Del Montgomery as an aging horse trainer who has been through a lot and is a cynical person yet does give Charley a few life lessons but also appreciates the work that Charley puts through. Finally, there’s Charlie Plummer in an incredible performance as Charley Thompson as a 16-year old kid who is dealing with instability in his life where he then works in the stables and befriends this horse as he becomes attached to this horse while dealing with the reality that the horse has to face. Plummer brings this anguish and angst to the role that is understated but also someone who knows he is way over his head in what he’s trying to do while hoping to find a world that he can call home and with the horse he’s grown to love.

Lean on Pete is a phenomenal film from Andrew Haigh that features a great leading performance from Charlie Plummer. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals and locations, enchanting sound work, and its themes of growing pains and search for stability in a cruel world. The film is definitely a coming-of-age film that plays into a boy’s fascination towards a race horse and his hope to help this horse. In the end, Lean on Pete is a sensational film from Andrew Haigh.

Andrew Haigh Films: (Greek Pete) – Weekend (2011 film) - 45 Years

© thevoid99 2021

Thursday, August 02, 2012

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/4/08 w/ Additional Edits.


Based on Ron Hansen's novel, the film is about Jesse James' final years as an outlaw while planning a new robbery with his gang. Part of his gang is a man named Robert Ford who would become his assassin. Adapted into script and directed by Andrew Dominik of Chopper fame, the film is an eerie, sensitive portrait of not just James but also Ford. Playing the two leading roles are Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. With a cast that includes Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Renner, and Zooey Deschanel. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a harrowing yet enchanting film from Andrew Dominik and company.

It's September 1881 as Jesse James and his older brother Frank (Sam Shepard) are about to do another train heist which would be Frank's final heist. Joining them in the Missouri forest are Ed Miller (Garrett Dillahunt), Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider), Jesse's cousin Wood Hite (Jeremy Renner), Charley Ford (Sam Shepard), and his 19-year old little brother Robert. Robert is enamored by the presence of the James brothers as he grew up reading stories about Jesse as he idolized the outlaw. While the heist was a modest success, Frank seemed to have had enough as he's surrounded by young men and his relationship with Jesse has become temperamental. With Jesse hiding in Kansas City with his wife Zee (Mary Louise-Parker) and their children Mary (Brooklynn Proux) and Tim (Dustin Bollinger). Frank has now decided to depart not knowing it would be the last time he would see his younger brother.

With Charley and Wood sent to hide at the home of Martha Bolton (Alison Elliott), Robert was asked to stay to help Jesse with a few things before being sent to Martha's home where he meets with his older brother along with Wood and Dick. Dick and Wood leave to live with Wood's father (Tom Aldredge) and young wife Sarah (Kailin See) whom Dick seduces. One day, Ed gets a visit from Jesse about some rumors including the men who had been captured from the previous train heist. Meanwhile, tension between Hite and Liddil came ahead as Robert found himself involved. Following that confrontation, Jesse arrives as he has dinner with Wilbur Ford (Pat Healey), Martha, Charley, and Robert as Charley tells stories about Robert's childhood where Robert was taunted by Jesse. Then all of a sudden, Robert makes a move to reveal the whereabouts of Dick Liddil to Sheriff Timberlake (Ted Levine).

Robert Ford suddenly becomes a private investigator for Timberlake as he and Liddil have a private meeting with Governor Crittenden (James Carvell). With Charley now riding along with Jesse, talks about possible robberies where in the works as Robert joins Charley and Jesse. Things become filled with tension as if Robert is believing that Jesse is aware that he's going to die at age 34. Then on April 3, 1882, Robert Ford becomes famous as he kills Jesse James at his family home. A year later, Robert Ford is known to the world but to some, he's branded as a coward. With Charley regretting about his involvement, Robert Ford finds himself troubled with this name as coward. Ten years later in Colorado, he meets Dorothy Evans (Zooey Deschanel) as he tries to come to terms on what he had done as a man named Edward O'Kelly (Michael Copeman) hunts for him.

The story about Jesse James and his infamy is known to the world for his reckless killings of innocent people and robberies. While some might enjoy his infamy for the fact that he was a Southern who hated the politics of the time as well as rich people, he was a complex individual that some said was a modern-day Robin Hood. Yet, this film about Jesse James' final days reveal a much harrowing tale as a man who is aware that he knows that he's going to die but the question is, who will kill him? That answer comes in the form of a young man named Robert Ford. Here is a man who starts out as a young kid who worshiped the altar of Jesse James only until James' bullying and taunts get to him as he becomes this obsessed, laconic killer only to be called a coward as James' name lives on through infamy.

Andrew Dominik deserves credit for his eerie character study of the two individuals as well as the people who surround him. Jesse's elder brother Frank who seems tired of robberies as well as the young men that idolize Jesse. The members of Jesse's gang like Dick Liddil, Wood Hite, and Ed Miller who are trying to figure out Jesse's state of mind while Charley Ford is also part of that gang as he also watches Jesse's descent into madness and then seeing his brother become a public figure. The film is really a tale of madness and disintegration in the eyes of both an outlaw and his assassin. While his script unveils layers of characters and their paranoia around Jesse James, it's through his dream-like direction that is more startling.

The film's obvious influence is Terrence Malick, the brilliant yet reclusive filmmaker whose films often include naturalistic, epic images of nature, epic elliptical pacing, a narration, and poetic dialogue. Dominik clearly uses Malick's unique filmmaking style to tell this haunting story of Jesse James' final days and his encounter with Robert Ford. The film features a third-person narration by Hugh Ross that reveals part of Jesse James' state of mind in his final days and legends along with additional back story. While the narration might seem to act as spoiler of sorts, it lets the story flow easily as Dominik through his observant camera let the acting unfold. The film in a lot of ways looks and feels like a Malick film, notably his 1978 film Days of Heaven. Shot on location in Canada, the film doesn't look or feel like a Western since it's set in the American mid-west.

Dominik creates a crystalline portrait of James with very few colors and the camera sometimes being a bit blurry to convey the dream-like tone of the film. While audiences might seem to be put off by its slow pace, it is deliberate to tell its study of madness while being a film that is a revisionist western of sorts told dramatically. This is a film that clearly reveals that the western genre is starting to come back and engaging itself into new territory. The film's 160-minute running time might seem overwhelming but the result is a strong film. Yet, it should be noted that the film went through various running times and test screening meaning that Dominik didn't have final cut since it was produced by Ridley Scott and Brad Pitt. Still, the final cut of this film is superb without delving into pretentiousness as its dreamlike, laconic, haunting approach through Dominik's direction is truly one of the best films of 2007.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins creates an exquisite look to the film that isn't just similar to the wondrous, natural, dream-like cinematography of the late Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler in their work in Days of Heaven. The film also recalls the work of Vilmos Zsigmond for such films as Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Michael Cimino's film Heaven's Gate. Deakins' look of the exteriors with shots of nature and skylines are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Even the scenes in the woods and snow are shot with amazing colors and shades to convey the different moods of Jesse James and later on, Robert Ford. The interior sequences, notably the train scene are wonderfully shot with intimacy swept with sepia-like colors and tones to help convey a dream-like look. If the film has a technical highlight that is worth noting, it's the cinematography of Roger Deakins.

Editors Dylan Tichenor, Curtiss Clayton, and Michael Kahn (who did additional editing following its test screening) is superb for its sense of transitional cuts, dissolves, fade-outs, and jump-cuts to convey the film's sense of action as well as living up to its elliptical, pacing style with its 160-minute running time. Art director Troy Sizemore and set decorator Janice Blackie-Goodine do an amazing job in creating the period look of the late 19th Century mid-west with its look of towns and homes to create an American, mid-western look and feel. Costume designer Patricia Norris, who was also the costume designer in Days of Heaven, does an exquisite job in the look of the cowboys and women in 19th Century period dresses that matches the film's dark, dream-like look with very little colors. Sound designers Christopher S. Aud and Richard King do a brilliant job in capturing the atmosphere of the landscapes and shootouts as well as the land to convey the mood of Jesse James.

Another of the film's amazing technical achievements goes to the film's haunting score by alt-rock icon Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of Cave's band the Bad Seeds. The music features chime-like themes to convey its dreamlike mood while using broken pianos and instruments to help play true to the period. The score is filled with sweeping arrangements as well as pieces of music that is haunting as Cave makes an appearance singing a traditional song about Jesse James. The music of Cave and Ellis is truly superb in capturing the mood of the film and its characters.

The casting by Mali Finn is superb as the various small roles from Sarah Lind as a girlfriend of Robert Ford, Jesse Freschette as Robert and Charley's young cousin Albert, Joel McNichol as a train messenger, Lauren Calvert as Martha's daughter Ida, and Michael Parks as Henry Craig. Other memorable small parts that include Brooklynn Proux and Dustin Bollinger as Jesse's two kids, Michael Copeman as a man hunting for Robert Ford, Tom Aldredge as Major Hite, Sarah Kailin as Major Hite's young wife, Ted Levine as Sheriff Timberlake, Pat Healey as Wilbur Ford, and an appearance from political analyst James Carvell as Governor Crittenden. While the parts of women don't seem to play any big roles for a film that's mainly about men. Allison Elliott, Zooey Deschanel, and Mary Louise-Parker do fill their roles with grace. Elliott as the maternal-like Martha Bolton, Zooey Deschanel as Robert Ford's girlfriend in his final years, and Mary Louise-Parker as Jesse James' wife Zee who doesn't care about Jesse's antics only until after his death.

Garrett Dillahunt is great as paranoid Ed Miller whose alliance with Liddil about going to another gang gets him in trouble as he fears for Jesse. Jeremy Renner is also great in his role as Jesse's cousin Wood Hite who begins a feud with Liddil following Liddil's encounter with Wood's stepmother. Paul Schneider is brilliant as the laconic, poetic Dick Liddil whose love for women and the world around him makes him a fascinating character who likes to seduce women while providing the catalyst for Ford's assassination of James. Sam Shepard is great as the grizzled, tired Frank James who seems to feel tired being around young men as well as Jesse's reckless behavior. The film's best supporting performance goes to Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford. Rockwell plays a man who joins Jesse's gang as he brings his younger brother along. Watching Jesse's state of mind go nuts while watching himself in paranoia believing he was killed. Rockwell's performance is superb as he plays the film's observer watching both James and his own brother disintegrate.

Brad Pitt is in fantastic form as Jesse James. Pitt's performance is very layered with a sense of recklessness, melancholia, and a troubling state of mind. Pitt carries a presence and charisma that is perfect for the character of Jesse James as he uses his smile and unpredictable mood swings to play a character as complex as Jesse James in what is clearly one of his best performances. While Pitt is in great form, he is not the best performance of the film that really goes to his co-star Casey Affleck as his assassin, Robert Ford. Affleck's wild-eyed performance is wonderfully layered as an innocent, childlike young man who idolizes James in ever way as brings an innocence to the role. When the character starts to develop, Affleck's performance becomes much darker and more subtle as he becomes this laconic figure who starts to resent his idol as he becomes his assassin. Affleck's performance is brilliant in every scene up to the last frame when he seems weathered and troubled. While Pitt may have top billing, it's Affleck who is really the film's star.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is an enchanting, eye-wielding, and stunning film from Andrew Dominik and company led by a great cast that includes Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Mary-Louise Parker, Garrett Dillahunt, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell. Fans of the western genre will no doubt be amazed by this dream-like interpretation of the outlaw Jesse James and his assassin Robert Ford. While some audiences might be put off by its dream-like approach and elliptical pacing, it's a film fans of bio-pics and the western genre might enjoy with additional commendation to cinematographer Roger Deakins and music composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. In the end, for a dream-like western that gives the genre a new twist, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the film to go see.


© thevoid99 2012

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Underneath



Based on the book Criss Cross by Don Tracy, The Underneath is the story of a man returning home to deal with his past as a criminal as he tries to make amends. Yet, his past catches up with him as he deals with his ex-wife’s new boyfriend. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and screenplay by Soderbergh and Daniel Fuchs, the film is a remake of the original 1949 film Criss Cross by updating it for the mid-1990s. Starring Peter Gallagher, Alison Elliott, William Fichtner, Joe Don Baker, Paul Dooley, Elisabeth Shue, and Shelley Duvall. The Underneath is an entrancing noir film from Steven Soderbergh.

After being freed from prison, Michael Chambers (Peter Gallagher) returns home for the wedding of his mother (Anjanette Comer) to armored truck guard Ed Dutton (Paul Dooley) as Michael hopes to start a new life. Though his police officer brother David (Adam Trese) remains suspicious of Michael’s intentions, Michael’s old life finally catches up when he sees his ex-wife Rachel (Alison Elliott) at a club where he tries to woo her again only to realize she’s engaged to the club’s owner Tommy Dundee (William Fichtner). While Michael recalls his life as a gambler where it led to all sorts of troubles, Ed gets Michael a job as an armored truck guard where he runs into a bank teller named Susan (Elisabeth Shue) whom he met some time earlier at a bus on his way home.

When Michael’s secret meetings with Rachel eventually leads to trouble with Tommy, Michael makes Tommy an offer he couldn’t refuse about planning a robbery at a bank to get a daily payroll. Tommy takes the offer to help Michael in a robbery but the result would prove to be troubling for Michael’s conscience as he eventually realize all of the things he’s been doing to get back his ex-wife.

The film is essentially the story of a man trying to make amends for his past deeds only to bump into his ex-wife and her new boyfriend where he eventually finds himself in trouble and in an even worse situation when he takes part in a robbery. It’s a story that is typical of what is expected in a film noir schematics as it would often involve a woman and a man in conflict over trying to start a new life and be involved in a world of crime. Yet, what makes this film so interesting is how the story is told through recollections and how everything leads up to this ill-fated robbery.

Under the Sam Lowry alias, Steven Soderbergh and co-writer Daniel Fuchs create a story where the film opens with the day of the robbery and then cuts to a scene of Michael Chambers coming home as he’s talking to Susan at the bus about going home. A lot of the film is told from Michael’s perspective as he recalls his life when he was this successful gambler who is in it for himself and his then-wife Rachel by giving her a better life only to crash because of one big loss. By returning home, he hopes to make amends but the presence of his ex-wife and trying to reclaim her would only cause trouble as he has to deal with her new boyfriend and his own brother who isn’t happy to see him home thinking he’s just going to screw things up like usual.

Sodebergh’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he creates moods in the film as well as the way he frames his actors for certain scenes. Notably as it’s all very stylized for a simple family dinner scene where there’s a close-up of someone on the edge while the other actor is in a medium shot talking. Yet, it’s Soderbergh creating something that is tense for a character like Michael Chambers as if he is trying to integrate himself back into the world. The film also features a lot of suspenseful moments and flashback scenes to see how Chambers fell apart or, in the case of the suspense, how far is he willing to screw things up again. It’s all about the lead-up to the heist and to understand who this man is that is playing part of a robbery that would eventually go wrong.

Since it’s a modern-day take on the noir genre, Sodebergh utilizes a lot of the schematics to what is expected in the genre. The set-up of the crime, a man in conflict, a femme fatale, a villain, and a surprise ending. While the first two acts carries a largely non-linear structure in the story where Soderbergh has the lead-up to the robbery crisscross against the narrative of Michael’s homecoming and his reunion with Rachel that would spell trouble. It’s the third act where the robbery and a troubling aftermath occurs that leads to some major surprises and revelations. Overall, Soderbergh crafts a truly hypnotic and wonderfully stylized noir film that plays with the genre’s plot devices.

Cinematographer Elliot Graham does amazing work with the film‘s stylized photography from the way he uses colored filters to set the mood to the interiors he shot in the club that Tommy runs as there‘s always something to see in those shots. Editor Stan Salfas does superb work with the editing to play out the film‘s unique non-linear structure to help build up the suspense for the eventual robbery that is to happen. Production designer Howard Cummings, with set decorator Jeanette Scott and art director John Frick, does nice work with the set pieces such as the home of Michael‘s mother as well as the look of the old house he and Rachel stayed in.

Costume designer Karyn Wagner does good work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual to keep up with the look of mid-90s fashion. Sound editor Larry Blake does terrific work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of the clubs to the intimacy of other locations to help build up some of the film‘s suspense. The film’s score by Cliff Martinez is brilliant for its mesmerizing electronic score to help set a mood for the suspense as well as the flashback as Martinez’s score is a major highlight. The film’s soundtrack features a wide mix of alternative music of the mid-90s as it features cuts from Better than Ezra and Cowboy Mouth as the latter appears as one of live bands in the club scenes.

The casting by Ronnie Yeskel does solid work with the casting as the ensemble features appearances from filmmaker Richard Linklater as a club doorman, Shelley Duvall as a nurse late in the film, Joe Don Baker as an armored truck supervisor, Anjanette Comer as Michael’s mother, Joe Chrest as a man Michael talks to at the hospital late in the film. Paul Dooley as the very kind Ed Dooley, and Elisabeth Shue as the very likeable new bank teller Susan whom Michael befriends. Adam Trese is very good as Michael’s brother David who doesn’t seem happy to see Michael back as he also has some strong opinions about his brother. William Fichtner is excellent as the intimidating Tommy Dundee who presses Michael over his relationship with Rachel as it’s a very strong performance from the character actor.

Alison Elliott is wonderful as Rachel where she’s a very lively character in the flashback scenes while in the present scenes is someone who isn’t happy to see Michael back in her life though she’s tempted by him. Finally there’s Peter Gallagher in a superb performance as Michael Chambers where Gallagher brings a very layered performance as a man trying to restart his life only to be tempted by the world of crime again as Gallagher shows a real sense of bravado and restraint to a man troubled by his own past and the world he’s about to re-enter.

The Underneath is a stellar noir film from Steven Soderbergh that is highlighted by Peter Gallagher’s marvelous performance. Along with great supporting work from Alison Elliott, William Fichtner, Adam Trese, Paul Dooley, and Elisabeth Shue. It’s a film that definitely finds way to keep the film noir alive in the mid-90s while it is also one of Soderbergh’s more underrated works. In the end, The Underneath is a chilling yet evocative film from Steven Soderbergh.


© thevoid99 2012