Blonde (2022 film)

 

Based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde is about the tumultuous life of Marilyn Monroe told through elements of fiction, legends, and exaggerations that play into a woman’s struggle with her identity. Written for the screen and directed by Andrew Dominik, the film is an unconventional character study that play into the life of Marilyn Monroe and her struggle to be this persona as well as who she is as she is portrayed by Ana de Armas. Also starring Adrien Brody, Xavier Samuel, Bobby Cannavale, and Julianne Nicholson. Blonde is a haunting and provocative film from Andrew Dominik.

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

This Much I Know to Be True

 

Directed by Andrew Dominik, This Much I Know to Be True is a documentary film that explores the collaboration between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis as a follow-up of sorts to the 2016 documentary One More Time with Feeling. The film explores the collaboration between the two men as they perform songs from both the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ 2019 album Ghosteen and their newest work at the time in Carnage as they’re joined by legendary British artist Marianne Faithfull. The result is a visually-enchanting and engaging film from Andrew Dominik.

Shot in the spring of 2021 in London just weeks before the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were to tour the U.K., the film is a look into the collaboration between Cave and longtime Bad Seeds member/collaborator Warren Ellis as they perform songs at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. Much of the material isn’t just from the Bad Seeds’ 2019 album Ghosteen but also their most recent collaboration in Carnage where Cave and Ellis perform these songs with a string quartet, a trio of backing vocalists, a session drummer, and Bad Seeds guitarist George Vjestica for one song. The film also feature scenes at Brighton where Cave and Ellis live in separate homes as they talk about their collaboration with the former also going back to the art of creating ceramic pottery and statues as the film opens with some of his creation including a story about the Devil.

Director Andrew Dominik is featured throughout the film as he asks Cave and Ellis about their collaboration as well as creating some unique compositions that include some dolly-tracking shots while utilizing different aspect ratios for some of the performances while much of the interviews are straightforward. Even with cinematographer Robbie Ryan keeping the visuals straightforward while the performances are shot with unique lighting presentation that include some unique lighting design with a few visual effects bit from Sam Brady in the lighting. There is also a scene where Marianne Faithfull does some poetry to precede a performance where Dominik shoots as she is getting ready while also showing that she is still dealing with an illness that she is trying to get over.

Editor Matthew C. Hart provides a straightforward approach to the editing as it include the performances in which he allows a lot of the shots to linger for more than 30 seconds while also showcasing the interviews that include Cave reading questions from The Red Hand Files that he runs as a way to communicate with fans. Sound recordist John Currie and re-recording mixer Adam Scrivener do amazing work with the sound in not just capturing many of the instruments that are played for some of the songs as well as some of the intimate moments and some of the chatter that goes on during the rehearsals.

This Much I Know to Be True is a marvelous film from Andrew Dominik. The film isn’t just something fans of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis should see but it is also a film that explore not just their collaboration but also their love of music as well as wanting to express themselves following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic whether it’s through music or art. In the end, This Much I Know to Be True is a remarkable film from Andrew Dominik.

Related: (20,000 Days on Earth)

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2022

One More Time with Feeling

 

Directed by Andrew Dominik, One More Time with Feeling is a documentary film that explores Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds making their 16th studio album Skeleton Tree amidst the death of Cave’s 15-year old son Arthur in an accidental death. The film showcases Cave and his band trying to create album during a difficult time in Cave’s life that also include studio performances from songs from that album. The result is a ravishing yet heart-wrenching film from Andrew Dominik.

Set in early 2016 just months after the shocking accidental death of Cave’s 15-year old son Arthur who fell off a cliff at the Ovingdean Gap near Brighton, England. The film chronicles the making of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ 16th studio album during the course of 10 days as they’re finishing up the album with testimonies from Cave and his wife/artist Susie Bick discussing grief. The film focuses mainly on not just Cave and the band that consists of multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, drummer Thomas Wydler, bassist Martyn P. Casey, keyboardist/percussionist Jim Sclavunos, and guitarist George Vjestica making new songs and adding new things to recorded songs for their new album that is written largely by Cave and Ellis who have worked together as a duo for film scores since 2005 that includes Andrew Dominik’s 2006 film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Shot in black-and-white largely by Alwin H. Kucher at AIR Studios in London in the course of 10 days, the performances that feature large 3D cameras that would move around the studio for some of these long tracking crane shots that goes into the studio and the mix boards where there is a lot that Andrew Dominik is capturing along with traditional film cameras. With the exception of one performance in Distant Sky that is shot in color by Benoit Debie that include some unique visual effects shots from visual effects artist Sam Brady. Much of Dominik’s direction is straightforward as it feature some striking compositions in the performances that include some dolly-tracking shots around the band along with some shots where Cave and Bick talk about their own grief. The film also goes into deep into the creative process in how Cave and Ellis create songs as well as why Ellis has been this great collaborator to Cave ever since he joined the Bad Seeds in 1994.

With the aid of film editor Shane Reid, Dominik makes sure that a lot of the performances are presented with enough coverage on those who are playing as well as ensuring that there’s cuts that add to the drama including scenes of Cave talking about his songwriting in a cab. Sound designer Joakim Sundstrom helps cultivate some of the film’s voiceover narrations that come largely from Dominik, Cave, Bick, and Ellis as it play into the idea of making art gut also ideas on life with Dominik also providing some humorous commentary about his gripes over this 3D camera he’s using. Then there’s the music as a lot of it from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is somber yet gripping as the final song performed in the final credits by Cave and his sons Arthur and Earl with lyrics by Marianne Faithfull.

One More Time with Feeling is a phenomenal film from Andrew Dominik. It is a documentary film that doesn’t just explore a man trying to create and finish a record amidst tragedy but also cope with this intense tragedy. Even as he surrounds himself with his collaborators and family to help finish this record with these incredible songs while also talking about the many contradictions of life and art. In the end, One More Time with Feeling is a sensational film from Andrew Dominik.

Related: (20,000 Days on Earth)

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Killing Them Softly - This Much I Know to Be True – Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2022

Chopper

Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, Chopper is the story about the life of notorious Australian criminal Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read and his exploits as a criminal. The film is an exploration into the life of a criminal as he’s played by Eric Bana. Also starring Simon Lyndon, Kate Beahan, and David Field. Chopper is a gritty yet fascinating film from Andrew Dominik.

It’s the late 1970s as Chopper Read is in prison still serving a sentence for kidnapping a supreme court judge in an attempt to get his friend Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lydon) out of the maximum security Pentridge Prison. Serving at the notorious H division, Read manages to become notorious as he becomes the division leader but he ends up gaining more enemies than friends where Loughnan tries to stab him to death as a way to restore balance. Instead, Read survives as he later has his ears cut off by an inmate to be transferred where he is eventually released in 1986. Upon his return to the real world, Read isn’t sure how to deal with the new changes as he deals with old friends and old enemies where he’s not sure who to trust.

At a club with his old girlfriend Tanya (Kate Beahan), Read encounters one of his old victim in Neville Bartos (Vince Colosimo) who has now become a major crime figure. Read becomes uneasy about Bartos as he suspects that Tanya is having an affair with him as he goes to Bartos’ home to confront him as it leads to all sorts of trouble. A hit is then put on Read as he learns that Loughnan has already been released in prison as he later confronts him as Loughnan claims he has no idea who is putting the hit on Read. Yet, another attempt to kill him only makes Read far more notorious as he returns to prison more infamous than ever.

The film is essentially a loose story about the life of Chopper Read and his notorious exploits based on his books that recalled many of actions as a criminal. Largely as it is set from the late 1970s to the early 1990s as he becomes infamous but also a cult figure where he would become a best-selling author. A lot of it is told from his perspective as he talks to crime bosses and later a film crew as the film begins with himself and a couple of guards watching him on TV. The film’s screenplay does admit that it took a lot of dramatic liberties to help tell the story yet it is to explore who Chopper Read is as he’s a man that is very brutish but also sensitive as he’s willing to show concern for his victims. Yet, there’s also something sympathetic about him when he’s out of prison as he doesn’t know who to trust while he’s being looked on as irrelevant to some that forces him to do things to get his name back.

Andrew Dominik’s direction is definitely stylized in terms of its look as he goes for a very low-key, grainy film stock to maintain the sense of grittiness in the film. Notably as he maintains an air of intimacy with his camera work to showcase what kind of man Chopper Read is as well as his surroundings. In prison, there is something that feels more lively where Chopper can do whatever. Even if he’s confined to a cell as he seems to enjoy himself no matter how lonely he is. When he’s outside of prison, things are confusing where he has no idea what to do or who to turn to. He doesn’t trust anyone at all and those who were his friends are also untrustworthy as the direction itself is unsettling and unpredictable in its framing. There’s a sense of what Chopper might do as he does do things that are reprehensible and also makes him unsympathetic at times. Even as Dominik would recreate a few scenes to see how Chopper can talk his way out of it. Overall, Dominik creates a film that is uncompromising but also engaging about the life of a notorious yet charming criminal.

Cinematographers Geoffrey Hall and Kevin Hayward do amazing work with the film‘s very colorful yet grimy look of the film where it has an air of grain to showcase its grittiness as well as in scenes in night and at the nightclubs where it‘s very stylized to play out the mood of the film. Editor Ken Sallows does great work in the editing by playing up the sense of the action that occurs with some stylish fast-cuts and some unique montages to showcase how some moments are played out in different ways. Production designer Paddy Reardon, along with art directors Ben Bauer and Jeffrey Thorp, does terrific work with the look of the prison that Chopper lives in to the Bojangles club that he goes to where he would have one of his famous incidents.

Costume designer Terry Ryan does nice work with the costumes from the prison uniforms that Chopper wears to the more outdated 70s clothing that he arrives at the outside world where he feels completely out of place with everyone else. Sound designer Frank Lipson does wonderful work with the sound to capture the intimacy of the prisons as well as the chaos in the club scenes. The film’s music by Mick Harvey is superb for its low-key yet eerie ambient score to play out the drama that occurs throughout the film. Music supervisor Jackie Dennis creates a marvelous soundtrack that features all sorts of music from the Birthday Party, Rose Tattoo, Frankie Laine, Chain, Renee Geyer, Cold Chisel, The Saints, and the Loved Ones.

The casting by Gregory Apps is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some standout performances from Dan Wyllie as one of Chopper’s prison friends in Bluey, David Field as the rival convict Keith George, Serge Liistro as the famed hitman Sammy the Turk, and Renee Brack as the TV reporter who interviews Chopper. Kate Beahan is wonderful as Chopper’s old prostitute girlfriend Tanya who doesn’t really know how to deal with Chopper’s alienation. Vince Colosimo is excellent as a former of victim of Chopper who has now become a top crime figure only to get himself into trouble with Chopper. Simon Lydon is superb as Jimmy Loughnan who tries to get rid of Chopper only for things to go wrong and his own fortunes going into a downward spiral as he is later confronted by a freed Chopper.

Finally, there’s Eric Bana in a truly outstanding performance as Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read. Filled with lots of charisma, a brutish physicality, and a sensitivity, it’s truly a performance that no one will forget as Bana brings the man to life in every way. Even as he is someone who knows he is flawed and at times quite despicable. Yet, it adds to the complexity of the character where Bana just allows the character to just be who he is without any compromise.

Chopper is a remarkable film from Andrew Dominik that features an incredible performance from Eric Bana. The film is definitely an interesting look into the life of a criminal that refuses to be pegged or be forgotten while taking in all of the infamy that he craves for. While it’s not an easy film to watch at times while it also has a look that is very dark. It truly plays to who this man is and why there’s people who are fond of him. In the end, Chopper is a marvelous film from Andrew Dominik.

Andrew Dominik Films: 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 - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2012

Killing Them Softly

Based on the novel Cogan’s Trade by George V. Higgins, Killing Them Softly is the story of an enforcer who is hired to track down a few criminals who had stolen money from a mob protected card game. With the help of a few people, the enforcer has to find these criminals just as the criminal economy is going into collapse. Written for the screen and directed by Andrew Dominik, the film is an exploration into the underworld and its connection with the financial collapse of 2008 during a transition of power from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. Starring Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, and Sam Shepard. Killing Them Softly is a dark yet harrowing crime film from Andrew Dominik.

What happens when a couple of young, idiotic criminals decide to rob a protected Mob card game for their boss and it attracts the attention of a mob enforcer? That’s the simple premise of the film as it is about this enforcer trying to find out who robbed this card game and who is responsible for letting all of this happen. Leading the story is this enforcer Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt) who is hired by a mob mouthpiece named Driver (Richard Jenkins) to find the two men (Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn) who robbed this game as everyone else is already looking at Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) who had robbed his own card game years ago. Trouble is already brewing as the enforcer hires a hitman named Mickey (James Gandolfini) to deal with the situation but he’s falling apart as the 2008 financial collapse starts to affect everyone.

Andrew Dominik’s screenplay is about a world where at a time when things are definitely falling apart as the world of the mob isn’t going so well due to the recession as everyone needs money. One of which is this mob boss who asks one of his men to rob a card game as he brings in his heroin-addicted friend to do the job and steal the money. The job goes well but it ends up creating a whole lot of trouble as Jackie Cogan is hired to handle the situation only to realize that the few people he’s hired to handle things are incapable. Notably this aging hitman who is dealing with a divorce, financial troubles, legal issues, and all sorts of things as it becomes clear that Cogan has to do things himself. Of course, situations arise as it becomes more complicated due to the recession.

Behind this story of a mob enforcer trying to get rid of trouble is this financial collapse where mobsters are having money trouble. They can’t pay to maintain their lifestyle. The jobs they’re hired to do has them taking money for very little and they’re dealing with the idea that there’s no money around. Throughout the film, there’s TV footage of George W. Bush trying to calm the people about the financial situation while there’s an election happening. For these mob guys, it starts to affect them as they live outside of the law as they’re struggling to keep things secretive while they’re being hit by this heist that is ruining them.

Dominik’s direction is very engaging in how he creates a film that isn’t just a dark, gritty crime film set in 2008 New Orleans. It’s also a film that is about a world that is outside of the typical American lifestyle that most people live in. Through a lot of eerie compositions in medium shots, slow dolly tracks, and other intimate camera movements. Dominik creates something that is more low-key but also filled with a lot of dark humor considering that one of the robbers is a complete dumbass too fucked-up on dope. There is also a sense of nostalgia in the way Mickey talks about when times were simpler and things were good as he is definitely falling apart on all levels and the economic troubles has now affected him.

It’s not just this dark backdrop of political and social commentary that makes the film so intriguing but also the way the mob conducts their life in a secretive way. Because a robbery like this has happened before and a man like Trattman is clearly the target. Panic is already happening as everyone is pointing the fingers at him even though he did nothing wrong. Still, it could’ve been prevented as it forces this enforcer to just handle things. There is never a moment in the film where it’s all sunshine and rainbows as the setting in 2008 New Orleans just adds to the bleak tone of the film. Then comes the ending where it revels not just in cynicism but also a grim reality that is faced in the aftermath of this financial collapse where times are about to change. Overall, Dominik creates a very fascinating yet unsettling crime film that explores a world coming undone by changing times.

Cinematographer Greig Fraser does excellent work with the film‘s very bleak look from the usage of grayish colors in the daytime scenes to more exotic yet low-key lighting schemes for the scenes at night. Editors Brian A. Kates and John Paul Horstmann do nice work with the editing to play out the suspense while a lot of it is more methodical though some parts of the film lag a bit. Production/costume designer Patricia Norris and set decorator Leslie Morales do wonderful work with the set pieces such as the card game room and ruined houses while Norris also provides the costumes where a lot of it just casual.

Visual effects supervisor Dottie Sparling does terrific work with the few visual effects such as some of the slow-motion killing scenes in the film. Sound designer Leslie Shatz and sound editors Robert Jackson and Thomas O’Neill Younkman do great work with the sound from the way the radio and televisions belt out the political speeches in the background to some of the more chilling scenes in some of the film‘s violent moments. Music supervisor Rachel Fox creates a superb soundtrack that features a wide array of music from Barrett Strong, Johnny Cash, the Velvet Underground, Petula Clark, and all sorts of genres from pop, hip-hop, and ambient music.

The casting by Francine Maisler is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features some noteworthy small roles from Sam Shepard as a veteran enforcer named Dillon, Slaine as a hoodlum named Kenny Gill, Max Casella as a hood named Barry Carpio, and Vincent Curatola as a crooked mob boss who organizes the heist. Ray Liotta is excellent as Markie Trattman who finds himself in big trouble over the heist as people begin to distrust him. James Gandolfini is great as the hitman Mickey who arrives to do a job only to drink a lot and dwell on the old times when things were great. Ben Mendelsohn is superb as the dim-witted heroin-addicted thug Russell who can be professional but also very stupid as he is considered a liability. Scoot McNairy is wonderful as the more professional but naïve Frankie who realizes the kind of trouble that is happening as he tries to deal with the implications he’s facing.

Richard Jenkins is amazing as Driver who is the conscience of sorts in the film as a mob mouthpiece who only talks to Cogan about the targets and what to do as well as being someone who knows that things are changing in the world. Finally, there’s Brad Pitt in a chilling performance as Jackie Cogan where Pitt displays a restraint to a man who likes to get things done only to realize that there’s problems as he has to do things himself where Pitt adds a dark tone to his role as well as cynicism that is more surprising for a character that isn’t likeable at times.

Killing Them Softly is an ominous yet intoxicating crime-drama from Andrew Dominik that features marvelous performances from Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, and James Gandolfini. While it is a very unconventional film that explores a world falling apart by changing times and an economic recession. It’s a film that does carry a lot of commentary about the way the underworld works as well as how they can be affected by the world outside. In the end, Killing Them Softly is a remarkable film from Andrew Dominik.

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - One More Time with Feeling - This Much I Know to Be True - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 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.

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - This Much I Know to Be True - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2012