The life and career of Marilyn Monroe is a story that’s been told through many films, documentaries, and in books that ponder how a woman who was one of the biggest film stars in the 1950s die so tragically in 1962 through an overdose of barbiturates. There have been a lot of stories about Monroe that wonder a woman who had entertained millions of people yet was also insecure about her skills as an actress as well as having to please people through three failed marriages as well as many rumors about her life. What Andrew Dominik does with this story of Monroe is take Joyce Carol Oates’ largely fictional novel about the film star and turn it into this unsettling and discomforting film that is mainly the anti-bio-pic. Notably as the film is more about the woman who inhabits the role of Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jeane Baker who would find success as Monroe but would have trouble trying to balance in being Baker and Monroe.
Dominik’s screenplay is straightforward in its narrative as it goes from Baker as a child (Lily Fisher) living with a mentally-ill mother in Gladys (Julianne Nicholson) to her final years being all alone and searching for her father (Tygh Runyan) whom she had never met yet would receive letters from him during her period of stardom as it becomes an obsession she has in trying to find him. The first is about Baker’s life as a child and then a pinup model who also did nude photos as she aspires to be an actress where she would get early film roles and attention as well as be in a polyamorous relationship with Cass Chaplin (Xavier Samuel) and Eddy Robinson (Evan Williams) who are the sons of famous actors. Yet, Baker’s desire to have a normal life and a family would often be pushed aside for her career as its second act is about her relationship with a former baseball player, in this fictionalized version of Joe DiMaggio (Bobby Cannavale), who would later be angered by the attention she gets as a sex symbol. The third act begins in New York 1955 when she met a playwright (Adrien Brody) who would treat her kindly and give her a life away from the glitz and glamour but tragedy and addiction would lead to her downward spiral.
Dominik’s direction is definitely stylish in not just the overall presentation with the usage of different aspect ratios with the 1:33:1 and 1:66:1 aspect ratios used commonly throughout the film. Shot largely on location in Los Angeles and areas in Southern California, Dominik creates a film that play into a woman being caught in the middle of this idea of fantasy and reality as one notable sequence in the first act is when the 7-year old Baker is woken up by her mother to see the Hollywood Hills being burned where Gladys claims that Baker’s father lives there. Yet, it is this scene that do play into a world that Baker is going into where she would later describe as Hell as it would be followed by Gladys having a mental breakdown. There are some usage of the 1:85:1 and 2:39:1 aspect ratios in a few scenes that play into Baker’s own ascent but also her own desires to have some freedom as she becomes an adult. Dominik’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do help play into Monroe not only interacting with people but also showcase a woman whose desire for stardom also would have her in some degrading moments. Notably as she meets a studio boss who pulls down her panties and fucks her up in the ass in an act of rape.
The film’s sexual content isn’t exactly explicit except for a scene late in the third act involving an American president (Caspar Phillipson) that doesn’t exactly show anything but it is clear what Monroe is doing as it is later followed by an unseen act. Dominik doesn’t shy away from the fact that Monroe is seen as an object of desire that men want but there are also moments that are surreal where there’s a shot of the playwright’s face being blurred along with men’s jaws getting larger during a film premiere. It is among some of the surreal elements that includes an image of a womb in Baker’s stomach that play into her desire to have a family but the specter of Monroe overtakes Baker’s first chance while there is a more gruesome depiction of abortion late in the film that is also surreal yet terrifying as it add to Baker’s own declining mental state.
It is clear that the film isn’t just about a woman coping with mental illness and misogyny at a time when women didn’t get much say in their role in the entertainment industry. It is really a film that blends genres in not just drama but also horror as it play into this nightmare that Baker had put herself into. Even as Monroe would become this troubled figure that is difficult to work with on film as she struggles to connect with someone who will see her as just Baker. Though there are men such as Cass, Eddy, the playwright, and her assistant Whitey (Toby Huss) who do treat her kindly along with care and love. They were unable to deal with the chaos that is Monroe and her road to self-destruction as well as being used by others who treat her like meat or just another woman they can just fuck and find the next piece of ass they can sodomize. Overall, Dominik crafts a visceral and harrowing film about a woman wrestling with a persona that she created that gave her everything as well as nothing.
Cinematographer Chayse Irvin does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of black-and-white stock for some scenes in the film to play into the period of the times as well as some colorful work including the Hollywood Hills fire scene as well as some scenes at Monroe’s home in her final days. Editor Adam Robinson does excellent work with its usage of slow-motion shots, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Florencia Martin, with set decorator Erin Fite and art director Peter Andrus, does amazing work with the look of the apartment that the young Baker and her mother lived in as well as the homes and film sets that Baker/Monroe would be in. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does fantastic work in creating some of the clothes that Baker/Monroe wear including some of her iconic clothing in the films she’s been in.
Makeup artist Tina Roesler Kerwin does brilliant work with the look of Baker/Monroe from the hair and the look she would having including aspects of her body during her final years. Special effects supervisor Jeremy Hays, along with visual effects supervisors Jindrich Cervenka, Jason Melcher, and Phillip Moses, does terrific work with some of the visual effects including the design of Baker’s womb in her stomach as well as some of the surreal bits in the film. Sound designer Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound in the way flash bulbs pop and other sparse elements in the sound to play into the drama and horror. The film’s music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is phenomenal in this haunting and disconcerting music score that mixes elements of electronic and ambient music that help play into Baker’s own psyche as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Victoria Thomas is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Chris Lemmon as his father Jack, Michael Masini as Tony Curtis, Scoot McNairy as Tommy Ewell, Garrett Dillahunt in an un-credited appearance as a film producer, Ravil Isyanov as filmmaker Billy Wilder, Lucy DeVito as the ex-athlete's niece who is one of the few in his family that is kind to her, Eric Matheny as Joseph Cotten, Sara Paxton as Gladys’ neighbor who brief takes the young Baker in, Tygh Runyan as a picture of Baker’s father, Lily Fisher as the young Norma Jeane, Dan Butler as an industry boss of Monroe in I.E. Shinn, and David Warshofsky in a fictionalized version of Darryl F. Zanuck who would rape Baker/Monroe in their first meeting. Toby Huss is terrific as Monroe’s personal assistant Allan “Whitey” Snyder who helps with her makeup as well as doing what he can to help including getting her pills. Caspar Phillipson is superb in his brief role as a fictionalized version of JFK as a man who is trying to run a country but also fuck as many beautiful women as he can as he treats Monroe like shit.
Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams are fantastic in their respective roles as Charles “Cass” Chaplin III and Edward “Eddy” G. Robinson Jr. as the sons of two film icons who become Baker’s lovers as they help her with their acting career but also do what they can to protect her despite their own flirtation with danger. Julianne Nicholson is excellent as Gladys as a woman that feels cursed by being daughter to a young girl as she exhibits serious mental problems while feeling distant when she meets Baker as an adult. Bobby Cannavale and Adrien Brody are brilliant in their respective roles as the fictionalized versions of Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller with Cannavale displaying a man that does love Monroe but becomes troubled by her fame as a sex symbol while Brody exhibits a sensitivity as a playwright who cared about her but is pushed away as he is unable to help her.
Finally, there’s Ana de Armas in a phenomenal performance as Norma Jeane Baker/Marilyn Monroe as a woman who is just trying to find love and be accepted as who she is only to go into a tumultuous and chaotic world where she is unable to really be herself. It is a performance that has de Armas take on an American accent as well as display that sense of anguish and longing of a woman that is desperate to be loved. Even as she had to endure not just humiliating moments but also moments that are degrading and horrifying as she succumbs to madness as well as a loss of identity in having to play a persona that ends up being just a nightmare. For de Armas, this is definitely a career-defining performance for the Cuban-Spanish actress who definitely proves that there’s a lot she can do while it is also proof that she’s really just getting started.
Blonde is an outstanding film from Andrew Dominik that features a towering leading performance from Ana de Armas. Along with its ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, a brooding music score, and its exploration of misogyny, identity, madness, and fame. It is a film that isn’t easy to watch while it is also willing to provoke the idea of myth and legend by showcasing a woman being trapped in a nightmare where she had no control of. In the end, Blonde is a magnificent film from Andrew Dominik.
Related: All About Eve - Some Like It Hot - Insignificance - My Week with Marilyn - Arthur Miller: Writer
Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - This Much I Know to Be True
© thevoid99 2022
Five years following an assassination attempt in Italy, James Bond is coaxed out of retirement to find a scientist as it leads to something much bigger involving a mysterious figure who has gained access to biochemical weapons that would go after specific targets. It is a film in which the secret agent doesn’t just deal with a new foe who wants to go after Bond but also those close to him as well as his enemies including Ernst Stavros Blofeld whom had been involved in not just the assassination attempt on Bond but also another incident several years prior that involves this madman in Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) who has a major grudge against Blofeld and his organization in Spectre. The film’s screenplay opens with a scene involving a young Madeleine Swann (Coline Defaud) who witnesses the murder of her mother (Mathilde Bourbin) and her own near-death experience from Safin as it then cuts to her as an adult (Lea Seydoux) who is vacationing with Bond in Italy where things went wrong as Bond believed that Swan betrayed him to Blofeld.
Much of the story takes place five years after Bond’s assassination attempt as he had retired in Jamaica when Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) asks for his help following a break-in at a MI6 lab where the Russian scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) had been kidnapped as he had created a bioweapon with nanobots for MI6 called Project Heracles that was intended as an off-the-books project in the hope that it would kill intended targets. Instead, it goes in the wrong hands where M sends Nomi (Lashana Lynch) who is the new 007 to Cuba where Bond meets the novice CIA agent Paloma (Ana de Armas) who helps him retrieve Obruchev to Leiter but something goes wrong due to Leiter’s new partner Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen) who causes trouble for Bond and Leiter leaving Obruchev to escape. The second act revolves around not just revelations for Bond about Swann, who gets an unfortunate meeting with Safin, but also what happened in Cuba in what Bond and Paloma saw as the former meets with Blofeld as they both learn that they have a shared enemy. Yet, Bond’s journey leads him back to Swann who has another surprise that only add more stakes to what Bond is facing as well as what Safin is planning in the film’s third act.
Cary Joji Fukunaga’s direction definitely has an air of style in the way he presents the different locations Bond is in but also a world that is about to be in danger once again as Bond has to save it. Shot on various locations in Norway, Italy, Jamaica, the Faroe Islands, and London with some bits shot in Pinewood Studios in Britain. Fukunaga definitely plays into a spy that has been through a lot but he is also coping with loss and betrayal as he is unsure about returning to the world in general as it is often ever-changing. Fukunaga does make the sets feel important such as the scenes at Matera in Italy that includes a big chase scene that is captured through wide and medium shots where Bond and Swann are dealing with cars and motorcycles with the Aston Martin DB5 being the weapon to deal with these assassins. The scenes set in Cuba that were shot on location at Pinewood are also filled with these medium and wide shots but also this sense of movement and where the cameras are placed as it adds that air of location where there are moments of humor from Paloma but also moments that play into the suspense.
There are also close-ups in some of the film’s emotional moments where Fukunaga play into Swann’s own fear as it relates to Safin but also this meeting between Bond and Blofeld as it adds a lot of suspense and drama. Fukunaga definitely aims for something straightforward for these non-action scenes that also includes the scene where Bond discovers a major secret from Swann which add a lot of what is at stake for Bond. Notably as Safin is someone whose background as it relates to his family and what they’ve done for Spectre shows exactly why he wants revenge and sees Bond as an equal in the fact that they’re both killers yet Safin is just trying to tidy things up for a new world. Fukunaga’s approach to Safin’s island and the factory/lab he has definitely echoes a lot of Bond films of the past while he also creates some unique tracking shots for a key scene up the stairs where Bond deals with Safin’s soldiers. The film’s climax is immense with a lot at stake but there is so much more as it relates to not just the world in general but also Bond himself as it relates to Swann as well as everything he had went through. Overall, Fukunaga crafts an exhilarating and gripping film about a spy who deals with a new foe who is creating a bioweapon that would wreak havoc on the world.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes in Cuba to the natural lighting for scenes in Italy as well as some stylish interior lighting for the scenes at Safin’s island. Editors Elliot Graham and Tom Cross do amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts as well as knowing when to let shots linger as well as to help create suspenseful moments. Production designer Mark Tildesley, with set decorator Veronique Melery and senior art director Mark Harris, does brilliant work with the look of the cabin home that Madeleine lived in as a kid as well as Safin’s island as well as his lab and factory. Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlab does excellent work with the costumes from the clothes that Bond wears as well as some of the stylish clothing of Nomi and Swann and the robes that Safin wears.
Hair and makeup designer Mark Phillips, with prosthetic makeup designer Brian Gower, does fantastic work with the look of Safin from his disfigured look as well as the look of Blofeld following what happened to him previously. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, along with visual effects supervisors Yael Majors and Charlie Noble, does terrific work with the effects from the stunt work and set pieces as well as some of the visual effects that involve some of the bioweapon that Safin is developing. Sound designer Brian Bowen, with sound editor James Harrison and Oliver Tarney, does superb work with the sound in the way some of the gadgets sound as well as the way explosions sound and other sparse moments.
The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is phenomenal for its soaring orchestral-based music score that also feature elements of other compositions of past movie themes including the song We Have All the Time in the World from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service while the titular song by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell that is performed by the former is this moody and somber song that is actually a really good song that does play into the drama. Music supervisor Randall Poster does create a wonderful soundtrack that includes We Have All the Time in the World as well as a French pop song from Dalida and some reggae for scenes in Jamaica.
The casting by Debbie McWilliams and Jemima McWilliams is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Hugh Dennis and Priyanga Buford as a couple of scientists who worked with Obruchev, Mathilde Bourbin as Madeleine’s mother, Coline Defaud as the young Madeleine, Dani Benssalah as Safin’s henchman Primo who wears a mysterious fake eye, and Lisa-Dorah Sonnet as a young girl named Mathilde. Billy Magnussen is terrific as the CIA agent Logan Ash who is Leiter’s assigned partner who annoys both Bond and Leiter as he has ulterior motives of his own. Rory Kinnear is superb as M’s chief of staff Bill Tanner who aides Bond in getting the chance to interrogate Blofeld as he also question M’s motives over the Heracles project. David Dencik is excellent as the Russian scientist Valdo Obruchev who created Heracles as someone who is this slimy yet comical villain who is willing to help Safin. Ana de Armas is fantastic in her brief role as the novice CIA agent Paloma who helps Bond in retrieving Obruchev as she has some funny lines while also being a total badass as she is just so fun to watch.
Christoph Waltz is brilliant in his brief role as Ernst Stavros Blofeld as the head of Spectre who is in prison as someone who is still running his operation as he becomes aware that he and Bond have a shared enemy as he also toys with Bond about Bond’s own motives. Ralph Fiennes is amazing as M as the head of MI6 who is reluctant to have Bond back on board while also revealing about his intentions for Heracles as he realizes that it was a bad idea as he hopes Bond can stop it from happening. Jeffrey Wright is incredible as Felix Leiter as a CIA agent and Bond’s friend who coaxes Bond out of retirement as he is aware of what Obruchev has created and hope that the project is stopped as he is also suspicious about Ash whom he’s not fond of. Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw are remarkable in their respective roles as M’s secretary Moneypenny and the quartermaster Q as the two who stick by Bond with the former being a no-nonsense secretary who knows something is up and wants Bond to handle while the latter brings a lot of wit as someone who has a love-hate relationship with Bond as he would also uncover some deep secrets that involve Safin.
Lashana Lynch is phenomenal as Nomi as the 007 who Bond meets in Jamaica as he sees her as a threat of sorts though he realizes that she is a damn good spy as well as someone who doesn’t take any shit as Bond is aware of her worth. Lea Seydoux is tremendous as Dr. Madeleine Swann as a psychiatrist who is carrying secrets about her own past and her time with Safin as well as something that adds to the stake where Seydoux brings a lot of complexity to the character that play into a woman filled with regret and loss but also some hope for Bond. Rami Malek is sensational as Lyutsifer Safin as a madman who is trying to destroy Spectre as well as see Bond as a threat as he has this creepy presence to him as someone who wants to clean up the world but through nefarious means. Finally, there’s Daniel Craig in an outstanding performance as James Bond as the famed spy who is eager for a life outside of being in her majesty’s secret service only to deal with a much more sinister plot as Craig maintains that brooding persona but also someone who has humor and knows what is at stake as it is a fitting finale in the famed role as Agent 007.
No Time to Die is a sensational film from Cary Joji Fukunaga that features a tremendous performance from Daniel Craig in his final outing as James Bond. Along with its ensemble cast, riveting suspense and action, high-grade stakes, gorgeous visuals, and an incredible music score and soundtrack. The film isn’t just this sprawling and eerie spy-suspense film but also a film that plays into a man having to save the world with much more for him to deal with as it is also one of the finest films of the James Bond film series. In the end, No Time to Die is a spectacular film from Cary Joji Fukunaga.
James Bond Files: The EON Films: Dr. No - From Russia With Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball - You Only Live Twice - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Diamonds are Forever - Live and Let Die - The Man with the Golden Gun - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moonraker - For Your Eyes Only - Octopussy - A View to a Kill - The Living Daylights - Licence to Kill - GoldenEye - Tomorrow Never Dies - The World is Not Enough - Die Another Day - Casino Royale - Quantum of Solace - Skyfall - SPECTRE
Non-EON Films: Casino Royale (Climax! TV Episode) - Casino Royale (1967 film) - Never Say Never Again
Bond Documentaries: Bond Girls are Forever - True Bond - Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
Cary Joji Fukunaga Films: Sin Nombre - Jane Eyre (2011 film) - (Beasts of No Nation)
© thevoid99 2022
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out is a whodunit that revolves around the death of a patriarch during a tumultuous family gathering as a detective tries to solve the case of this murder. The film is a suspense-drama that explores the murder of a man on his birthday with a detective questioning the motives of the man’s family as well as people close to him at this party leading all sorts of secrets and such in the family. Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Lakeith Stanfield, Edi Patterson, Noah Segan, K Callan, and Christopher Plummer. Knives Out is an exhilarating and whimsical film from Rian Johnson.
A birthday party for a celebrated crime novelist happens as he is found dead the next morning where investigators and a revered detective try to solve the case with the man’s caretaker being a prime suspect. It’s a film that is essentially a simple whodunit where a family deals with the death of the patriarch but also become concerned about their future as family members become suspects due to their issues with the patriarch. Rian Johnson's screenplay mainly takes place days after the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) as his family including his caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) is met with investigators about what happened on his birthday. Thrombey’s two adult kids in the real estate mogul Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Walter who runs his father’s publishing company as well as Linda’s husband Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson) and daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) each talked about what they discussed with Harlan with the investigators lead by the private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) who is wondering who hired him believing that Harlan’s death was no accident.
Marta is a suspect as she was the last person to supposedly with Harlan that night as she also has a condition where if she lies, she will vomit as she assists Blanc though some believe that she did it. Adding to this toxic case of suspicion includes the presence of Linda and Richard’s son Ransom (Chris Evans) who is considered the black sheep of the family as he likes to stir up trouble. Even as it is clear that the family that also include Joni’s daughter Megan (Katherine Langford) and Walter’s son Jacob (Jaeden Martell) who is always seen on his phone and spouting alt-right views are full of trouble and might have motives as it pertains to Harlan’s will. Blanc believes there is a lot more that is going on while he also wonders who hired him anonymously with Marta gaining the ire of some of the people in Harlan’s family with a few exceptions including Ransom.
Johnson’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its compositions but also has a flair for style in the way it presents certain scenes from different perspectives. Shot on various locations in and around areas in Boston, Massachusetts, the film uses the locations as characters with Harlan’s home being its main setting as it’s a home filled with antiques, animal heads, and all sorts of things that play into his many accomplishments. Johnson would use wide shots for some of the locations as well as capture the atmosphere of the birthday party to showcase how many people are there or in a high-angle camera shot. Yet, much of his direction is emphasized on close-ups and medium shots as it play into conversations between characters or tiny details that can relate to a clue in the investigation. Notably on floors, walkways, and other things in and out of the house that might lead to some kind of clue including vials in Marta’s medical bag as she knows the kind of medication Harlan needed as it is routine for her.
Johnson’s direction also play into some offbeat humor as it relates to the investigative tactics of Blanc as he is an intriguing figure who is good at what he does but is also good at reading people. He knows that not everything with Marta holds up but doesn’t see her as someone who has the motivations nor the heart to kill Harlan. Johnson’s direction does play into the idea of drama and suspense in its third act that include Blanc dealing with some of the intricacies of the mystery while Ransom becomes an integral part in the third act. Notably as into why he’s been the black sheep of the family as someone who never interacted nor did anything with the family preferring to live a playboy lifestyle. The mystery of Harlan’s death would come to ahead but also more revelations into who hired Blanc and why as it adds a lot more with some questions about what Harlan ultimately wanted for his family. Overall, Johnson crafts a witty yet riveting film about a whodunit on the death of a crime novelist.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it does have elements of low-key lighting some scenes at night while emphasizing more on a straightforward look for many of its exterior scenes. Editor Bob Ducsay does brilliant work with the editing as it has bits of slow-motion cut along with rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and comedy. Production designer David Crank, with set decorator David Schlesinger and art director Jeremy Woodward, is amazing for the look as it play into the look of the house including a circular decoration of knives in Harlan’s study as well as the office and his room as the house is a major highlight of the film. Costume designer Jenny Eagan does fantastic work with the costumes from some of the stylish clothes that Joni and Linda wear as well as the clothes of the other characters with the more humbled look of Marta.
Visual effects supervisor Tim Keene does terrific work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for a few scenes including one involving arson. Sound designer Al Nelson does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere as well as sounds that add intrigue into the night of Harlan’s death as well as sounds that add to the family chaos. The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is incredible for its orchestral score that help play into the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film while its soundtrack feature music from the Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, and other forms of music from pop to standards.
The casting by Mary Vernieu is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Frank Oz as Harlan’s lawyer, M. Emmet Walsh as a security officer at Harlan’s home, Marlene Forte as Marta’s mother, Shyrela Rodriguez as Marta’s sister Alicia, K Callan as Harlan’s elderly mother Wanetta who might’ve seen what really happened, Riki Lindholme as Walter’s wife Donna, Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner who aids in the investigation as he is also a fan of Harlan’s work, Edi Patterson as the family maid Fran who intensely dislikes Ransom as she was the one who discovered Harlan’s body, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a voice cameo as a detective in a TV show Alicia watches. Jaeden Martell is terrific as Walter and Donna’s son Jacob who spends much of his time on his phone while often says offensive that leans more towards extreme-conservative ideals. Katherine Langford is fantastic as Megan Thrombey as a college student who is always kind to Marta as she becomes concerned with the aftermath of the will while reluctantly takes part in the family schemes.
Lakeith Stansfield is superb as Detective Lieutenant Elliot as a local detective who takes part in the investigation as he is also someone who has some insight into what is really going on. Toni Collette is excellent as Joni Thrombey as Harlan’s daughter-in-law who is an influencer and guru who is a suspect due to failing business ventures as she is also someone who believes in a more healthy lifestyle. Don Johnson is brilliant as Harlan’s son-in-law Richard Drysdale as Linda’s husband who helps run his wife’s company as he becomes upset with Harlan over a discovery relating to Richard. Michael Shannon is amazing as Walter Thrombey as Harlan’s youngest son who runs his father’s publishing company as he walks with a cane due to an injured foot while having issues with his father over his plans that conflict with Walter’s ideas for his dad’s novels. Jamie Lee Curtis is incredible as Harlan’s eldest daughter in Linda who is suspicious about what happened to her father while becomes troubled by some of the revelations relating to her father’s will.
Christopher Plummer is marvelous as Harlan Thrombey as a crime novelist who is at the center of the story as a man who cares deeply for Marta but also has concerns about his family where he makes some decisions that would upset them while his own death remains a mystery. Chris Evans is remarkable as Ransom Thrombey as Linda and Richard’s son who is the black sheep of the family that likes to cause trouble as he was first seen walking out of his grandfather’s office angrily where he reveals to have issues with his family about their possible inheritance as it’s a darkly comical performance from Evans who gets to steal the show at times. Daniel Craig is phenomenal as Benoit Blanc as a Southern private investigator who is hired by someone he has no clue about as he is trying to figure out what is going on as well as lead the investigation where he is aware that something is off where Craig is funny but also someone who is smart and is aware of his own flaws. Finally, there’s Ana de Armas in a tremendous performance as Marta Cabrera as Harlan’s caretaker who is a kind-hearted woman that helps Harlan in a lot of ways while is becoming a suspect over what happened to him as she also gets into greater trouble as it relates to Harlan’s wishes where de Armas is a revelation in displaying a woman’s innocence as well as her inability to lie without puking.
Knives Out is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson that features great performances from Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, and Daniel Craig. Along with its ensemble cast, suspenseful screenplay, evocative setting, and Nathan Johnson’s sumptuous score. It’s a whodunit that manages to have a lot of twists and turns while being filled with interesting characters and situations that are engaging and full of delight. In the end, Knives Out is a sensational film from Rian Johnson.
Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - (Knives Out 3)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the film Death Game by Peter S. Traynor and screenplay by Jo Heims, Anthony Overman, and Michael Ronald Ross, Knock Knock is the story of a man who invites two women to his house on a rainy night where things go wrong as he becomes a hostage in their own game. Directed by Eli Roth and screenplay by Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez, the film is a home invasion film of sorts where a married man tries to be a Good Samaritan in helping two young women only to be seduced and tortured by them. Starring Keanu Reeves, Ana de Armas, and Lorenza Izzo. Knock Knock is a wild and intense film from Eli Roth.
It is Father’s Day weekend as a man is staying home to finish work as an architect when two young women arrive on his doorstep on a rainy night asking for shelter and things don’t just go wrong but also get really fucked up. That is pretty much the premise of the film itself as it all takes place in the course of an entire weekend where a man stays home while his wife and two kids go out to a beach house for the weekend. The film’s screenplay by Eli Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez follows the life of this architect in Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) who is happily married to artist Karen Alvarado (Ignacia Allamand) with two kids as they’re out at the beach. During a night where he’s trying to finish his work, he hears a knock on the door as these two young women in Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Ana de Armas) who are asking for directions and information for a place where there’s a party. Evan would let the two in thinking they would get in and get out but things become troublesome and he gets more than he bargains for during the course of this weekend where he’s accused of pedophilia and all sorts of shit.
Roth’s direction does have style as it is set largely at the house as it play into a world that feels quaint and intimate as it is set entirely in Los Angeles though it is actually shot on location in Santiago de Chile. While there are a few wide shots of the film including a look into where Evan lives with his family, much of the action takes place at the house where Roth would use some unique tracking shots to capture scale of the homes including the hallways. The usage of close-ups and medium shots would play into many of the interiors at the home with a few wide shots of scenes outside of the house including a scene of Evan talking to his wife while Genesis and Bel flash their breasts at him and mimic oral sex as a way to distract him. It does have a sense of humor yet it would take a darker turn during the second half after Evan tried to get the two girls out of his house. Notably in the way he gets tortured physically and mentally as it is clear that these two young women aren’t some jilted women who felt unappreciated for giving this man a good time. Instead, they’re crazy bitches that like to have fun and make men show their dark side whether they want to admit it or not. Overall, Roth crafts a gripping yet witty film about a man who invites two beautiful women into his home only to get himself into some serious shit.
Cinematographer Antonio Quercia does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way the daytime exteriors looked through the colors of the grass as well as the usage of lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Diego Macho does brilliant work with the editing with the usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as a stylish montage for the film’s sex scene. Production designer Mariachi Palacios and art director Fernando Ale does amazing work with the look of the house including the sculptures and art work that Karen has made. Costume designer Elisa Hormazabal does fantastic work with the youthful and skimpy clothing that Genesis and Bel wear.
Visual effects supervisor Rodrigo Rojas Echaiz does some nice work with the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing for some of the exteriors to make the location look like it’s in Los Angeles. The sound work of Mauricio Lopez and Mauricio Molina do superb work with the sound in the way music is presented and then cut off as well as the scenes inside the house. The film’s music by Manuel Riveiro is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that play into the suspense and terror while music supervisor Sokio provides a cool soundtrack that features music from KISS and Pixies as well as some obscure world music that Evan owns.
The casting by Sheila Jaffe is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Dan and Megan Baily as Evan and Karen’s children, cinematographer Antonio Quercia as an Uber driver, Colleen Camp as a masseuse who arrives unexpectedly and sees something is off, Aaron Burns as Karen and Evan’s assistant Louis, and Ignacia Allamand as Evan’s artist wife Karen. Ana de Armas is brilliant as Bel as the blonde Spaniard who is very energetic and kinky as she claims to be underage as she is also the most sexual of the two women. Lorenza Izzo is amazing as Genesis as the most cunning of the two women as well as someone who says some funny stuff as well as be this air of charisma in the way she pretends to be a game show host to torment Evan. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in an incredible performance as Evan Webber as a good-hearted family man who finds himself in a dangerous and deadly situation when his generosity gets the best of him as he is seduced by two women and then be blackmailed and all sorts of things where it’s Reeves displaying some humility and anguish in a man who shouldn’t have opened the door to strangers.
Knock Knock is a remarkable film from Eli Roth that features top-notch performances from Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas. Along with its ensemble cast, simple premise, and unwillingness to take itself seriously, it’s a home invasion film that manages to be intense but also have these offbeat moments of humor. In the end, Knock Knock is a marvelous film from Eli Roth.
Eli Roth Films: (Cabin Fever) – (Hostel) – (Hostel: Part II) – Grindhouse-Thanksgiving - The Green Inferno - (Death Wish (2018 film)) – (The House with a Clock in Its Walls)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the characters from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? by Philip K. Dick, Blade Runner 2049 is the sequel to the 1982 film Blade Runner by Ridley Scott as it involves a police officer who makes a chilling discovery that would lead to the end of humanity as he turns to a man who had disappeared thirty years ago who had his own experience with replicants. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green from a story by Fancher, the film is a futuristic sci-fi film set in Los Angeles where a cop tries to save humanity as he also cope with what is at stake as the role of Officer K is played by Ryan Gosling with Harrison Ford reprising his role as Rick Deckard. Also starring Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Mackenzie Davis, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Barkhad Abdi, Wood Harris, Carla Juri, and Robin Wright. Blade Runner 2049 is a sprawling yet intoxicating film from Denis Villeneuve.
Following a blackout just a few years after the events in 2019, an LAPD cop who hunts older replicants in order to rid of them for society where he makes a discovery that would change humanity. It’s a film that follows up what Rick Deckard had discovered years ago that eventually lead to his disappearance and what cop in Officer K is trying to find upon this discovery he made when he was trying to arrest an older replicant in Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista). In this discovery, K is dealing with what he’s found as he wonders if there is more to him than just being a cop who lives alone with a hologram AI named Joi (Ana de Armas) as his companion. The film’s screenplay by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green isn’t just about this sense of identity that K is dealing with but also in this discovery that everyone wants to know including a replicant manufacturer in Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) who sees it as the next big step into his creation.
The first act revolves around what K has discovered as he would meet with Wallace’s enforcer Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) who gives him some information about his discovery as it involves Deckard. Yet, K’s journey would lead him to try and find something as he would report to Lt. Joshi (Robin Wright) who believes that something is off as she wants K to find out what is going on but in secrecy as he’s later pursued by Luv. The second act isn’t just about what K is discovering but also more about his identity as he turns to Joi for help with that identity as it relates to a toy horse he believed he had when he was a child. Upon finding this toy horse and numbers on that horse that he also found on a tree when he was arresting Morton, it would eventually lead him to Deckard who has been in hiding. Upon meeting Deckard, K would realize what is at stake but also why Deckard had to leave as it relates to something bigger than himself as well as his own personal involvement.
Denis Villeneuve’s direction is definitely grand in terms of the scale of what he is creating as it is set in 2049 Los Angeles with futuristic versions of the state of California and Las Vegas as this mixture of farm country, cities, and wastelands. Shot mainly in Budapest, Hungary with some of it shot in Iceland, Spain, and other locations, the film definitely has a unique approach to the visual presentation as it begins in this kind of desolate yet beautiful land that is a place for synthetic farming as Villeneuve’s usage of the wide shots would showcase the scope of these locations. The scenes set in Los Angeles is cramped yet vast in terms of the holographic ads and other things that play into something that is futuristic as Villeneuve would create different look and feel for certain places and locations throughout the film.
The direction also utilizes some close-ups and medium shots for some unique compositions in the way characters interact with each other as well as some of the moments in the action. Villeneuve would include bits of humor in the film but much of the film is dramatic with some suspense and action as the drama relates to K’s loneliness and the revelations about what he discovered as it add to him questioning his own identity. By the time Deckard arrives in the film, it does recall elements of the past that includes this very eerie meeting between Deckard and Wallace into what the latter could do and why he needs this discovery that K made. All of which would have K play a big part into giving Deckard something he had lost and find peace over this loss as well as give K some meaning in his life. Overall, Villeneuve creates an exhilarating and rapturous film about a blade runner trying to save humanity by uncovering a discovery that could help those as well as stop a creator from playing God.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography as it is a major highlight of the film for the way he would give various locations a different look and feel from the grey exteriors of the farming land and garbage wasteland to the usage of sepia-drenched lighting for the exteriors of Las Vegas and the array of lighting and shades for many of the film’s interior scenes. Editor Joe Walker does excellent work with the editing as it has some jump-cuts for some of the action as well as some straightforward cutting for the drama and suspense. Production designer Dennis Gassner, with set decorator Alessandra Querzola and supervising art director Paul Inglis, does brilliant work with the look of K’s apartment as well as the LAPD building and the place where the Wallace Corporation is and other aspects to make Los Angeles look really futuristic. Costume designer Renee April does fantastic work with the costumes as it does provide the characters some personalities into some of the clothing that Joi wears as well as the clothing of other characters to play into the futuristic world.
Hair supervisor Lizzie Lawson and makeup supervisor Csilla Blake-Horvath do terrific work with the look of some of the characters including a few prostitutes as well as Joi in the different personalities she takes to please K. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin, Richard Clegg, Paul Lambert, Petr Marek, Viktor Muller, and John Nelson do incredible work with the visual effects from the look of the city in some parts as well as the holograms and some of the action sequences as it is top-notch work. Sound editor Mark A. Mangini and sound designer Theo Green do amazing work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as in the way guns and the flying cars sound. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is great for its mixture of electronic bombast and ambient textures to create a score that is always engaging and help to play into the action and suspense while music supervisor Deva Anderson brings in some music that K listens to like Frank Sinatra as well as a couple of songs by Elvis Presley and variations of Tears in the Rain by Vangelis.
The casting by Zsolt Csutak, Francine Maisler, and Lucinda Syson is marvelous as it feature a couple of cameo appearances from two characters from the original film in Edward James Olmos as Deckard’s old colleague Gaff and Sean Young as the replicant Rachael with help from Loren Peta as Young’s double. Other notable small roles include Wood Harris as a cop named Harris, David Dastmalchian as a police scientist named Coco, Barkhad Abdi as a black markets analyzer in Doc Badger, Lennie James as a wasteland businessman in Mister Cotton, Hiam Abbass as a mysterious underground leader in Freysa, and Dave Bautista in a superb small role as the replicant Sapper Morton. Mackenzie Davis is terrific as a replicant prostitute named Mariette who is asked by Luv to follow K while being very discreet about her true motive while Carla Juri is wonderful in a small role as a mysterious memory designer in Dr. Ana Stelline who creates memories for replicants.
Jared Leto is fantastic as the replicants creator Niander Wallace as a man who is trying to create a new form of replicants as a way to get rid of humanity’s flaws as he believes this new discovery would be the key to what he wants. Robin Wright is excellent as Lt. Joshi as a LAPD official who orders K to find out about this discovery as well as question his own offbeat behavior as she is aware of what is at stake. Sylvia Hoeks is brilliant as Luv as Wallace’s replicant enforcer who is tasked with finding more about this discovery as she is this dangerous and powerful individual who is eager to get what she wants by any means necessary. Ana de Armas is amazing as Joi as an artificial-intelligence hologram who serves as K’s companion that tries to help him understand as well as wanting to feel alive to prove that there is more to her than just some program.
Harrison Ford’s performance as Rick Deckard is incredible as he provides this sense of a man who had seen and experienced so much in his life as he tries to cover his tracks while dealing with this newfound revelation over this discovery that he was involved in that also includes Rachael whom he mourns for. Finally, there’s Ryan Gosling in a sensational performance as K as a cop who copes with his identity upon this discovery he’s made as well as wanting to get answers as he is quite tough but also flawed as it is a very grounded and restraint performance from Gosling who brings a lot to a role of someone dealing with loneliness and himself.
Blade Runner 2049 is a magnificent film from Denis Villeneuve that features top-notch performances from Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Along with its great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals courtesy of cinematographer Roger Deakins, a hypnotic score, and a compelling premise that explores the idea of identity and humanity. It’s a film that manages to be not just some sprawling sci-fi adventure film with elements of film noir, suspense, and action but also a film that says a lot about people and who they are as well as what can happen when one wants to use that power for his own reasons. In the end, Blade Runner 2049 is an outstanding film from Denis Villeneuve.
Related: Blade Runner - The Auteurs #68: Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve Films: August 32nd on Earth – Maelstrom – Polytechnique – Incendies - Prisoners (2013 film) - Enemy (2013 film) – Sicario - Arrival (2016 film) - Dune-Part One (2021 film) - Dune-Part Two - (Dune: Messiah)
© thevoid99 2017
