2021 Blind Spot Series: Lola (1981 film)

 

Based on Heinrich Mann’s novel Professor Unrat, Lola is the story of a cabaret singer/prostitute who decides to pit two men against each other as a way to become independent on her own in late 1950s West Germany. Directed and co-edited by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and screenplay by Fassbinder, Peter Marthesheimer, and Pea Frohlich, the film is a loose take on Mann’s novel as well as a homage to Josef von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel in the third and final film (second chronologically) in a trilogy that explores women trying to find themselves in postwar West Germany as the titular character is played by Barbara Sukowa. Also starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Mario Adorf, Matthias Fuch, Helga Feddersen, Karin Baal, and Ivan Desny. Lola is a ravishing and enchanting film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Set in late 1957 in the small town of Coburg, the film revolves around a cabaret singer/prostitute who becomes the object of affection towards a new building commissioner from East Prussia as he deals with her current lover in a corrupt property developer who also owns the cabaret club she sings at. It is a film that explores a woman who is trying to maintain control of her own fate as she is having an affair with this man whom she works for while is also intrigued by this new figure who is a straight-laced, moralistic individual that wants to clean things up. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward in its narrative though it’s more of a study of people trying to be involved this power play for change in a new Germany just a few years before the Berlin Wall would be this symbol of the Cold War. The titular character is at the center of this emergence of a new West Germany as it’s been more than a decade since the war ended as she is just this cabaret singer who plays in a club while is a prostitute who gives her services to people in power including the club owner Schukert (Mario Adorf).

The arrival of building commissioner Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl) changes things as he is someone that is simple man from a different part of Germany that had its own unique history while he would live at a house where Lola’s mother (Karin Baal) would be his housekeeper unaware that she’s Lola’s mother since she refers to her daughter in her real name in Marie-Luise. Von Bohm would get Schukert’s longtime assistant/cabaret band drummer Esslin (Matthias Fuch) to be at his side where Von Bohm is aware of Schukert’s dirty tactics while he is fascinated by Lola unaware of her real job. Yet, Von Bohm would meet Lola under her real name as he sees her as this idea of purity and innocence with a young daughter whose father’s identity unknown except for her mother and other locals.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has a lot of style in its imagery as he imagines this small town as this vibrant town that is about to enter the modern age while retaining elements of the past with its desire to move away from the horrors of World War II. Shot on locations around Munich and Eichstatt in the Bavarian area of then-West Germany, Fassbinder does give the presentation a colorful vibe where there is a lot of stylish lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night while he also play into this sense of decadence that has gone on for too long with Lola being part of it. There are some wide and medium shots to get a scope at the locations including scenes at the town square with the latter playing into the look of the cabaret club that Lola performs at. There is also these moments that do play into this idea of capitalism as it is a major theme in the film where Fassbinder showcases a lot of the scheming that goes on involving Schukert and other political officials involving a major project that would get them into this modern West Germany.

There are also these close-ups that Fassbinder creates as it relates to Von Bohm’s fascination towards Lola where Fassbinder does some unique compositions that play into the world of melodrama. It is among these moments that do play into a world that is incorruptible that includes a scene inside an office where the camera moves around the table on a dolly-track as it play into Von Bohm wanting to take control as a big “fuck you” to Schukert and everyone else who is corrupt. Still, Fassbinder reveals that someone like Von Bohm with all of his ideals is someone that is disconnected with the forces he is dealing with and the fact that he’s in a world where everyone uses everyone including Lola who uses sex and her beauty to get what she wants. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a luscious yet riveting film about a cabaret singer who pits her corrupt club owner lover against an idealist building commissioner for her affections.

Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is a major highlight of the film with its candy color-like lighting schemes for some of the interiors as it helps heighten the mood and look of the film as well as aiming for a naturalistic look for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Franz Walsch pseudonym) and Juliane Lorenz do excellent work with the editing as it is stylish as it has some stylish transitions that play into some of the melodrama while also adding some ambiguity into the film with some jump-cuts that play into some of the intense moments of the film. Production designers Rolf Zehetbauer, Udo Kier, and Raul Giminez, along with art director Helmut Gassner, do amazing work with the look of the cabaret club as well as the house that Von Bohm lives in and the home where Lola and her mother lived in that also includes an American GI. Costume designer Barbara Baum does fantastic work with the costume from the stylish clothes that Lola wears from the more innocent and refined clothes she wears for Von Bohm to the lingerie and cabaret-style clothing for Schukert.

Makeup artists Anni Nobauer and Edwin Erfmann do terrific work with the look that Lola would sport in her different personas as well as the look of some of the cabaret players. The sound work of Vladimir Vizner is superb for the atmosphere of the cabaret club in the way music is presented as well as the sound effects for some of the scenes in the film including a traffic jam. The film’s music by Peer Raben is amazing for its playful cabaret style music with elements of dramatic string arrangements that play into the melodrama while its soundtrack feature an array of cabaret songs and traditional pop songs that play into that world of decadence as it is another highlight of the film.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Udo Kier as a waiter at the cabaret club, Ulrike Vigo as Lola’s daughter Marie, Nino Korda as a TV deliveryman, Herbert Steinmetz as the doorman who works at Von Bohm’s building, Harry Baer and Rainer Will as a couple of protesters who side with Von Bohm, Karsten Peters as a newspaper editor, Gunther Kaufmann as an American GI who lives at the home where Lola’s mother lives in, Christine Kaufmann as a prostitute whom the GI often sleeps with, Isolde Barth as the mayor’s wife, Y Sa Lo as a prostitute who works at the cabaret club, Karl-Heinz von Hassel as the corrupt police chief Timmerding, Elisabeth Volkmann as a prostitute/cabaret performer in Gigi, Hark Bohm as the mayor Volker who likes to go to the cabaret club and doesn’t mind taking payouts, and Rosel Zech as Schukert’s wife who either has no clue that her husband is cheating on or is indifferent as someone who enjoys the lifestyle she’s living in.

Helga Feddersen is fantastic as Von Bohm’s secretary Miss Hettich as a woman who always bring something while is an ardent supporter of Von Bohm while Ivan Desny is superb as the bank president in Wittich who is intrigued by Von Bohm but warns him about Schukert. Karin Baal is excellent as Lola’s mother as a woman who wants her daughter to find happiness where she works as a maid of sorts for Von Bohm whom she believes is a good influence for Lola. Matthias Fuchs is brilliant as Esslin as an assistant to Schukert who becomes frustrated by him where he finds some hope in Von Bohm while he also works as a drummer for Lola’s cabaret performances. Mario Adorf is amazing as Schukert as a property developer who is eager to use his pull to create a building that would put Cobert into the modern world while is also a man of corruption as he is also using his affair with Lola for personal and financial reasons.

Armin Mueller-Stahl is incredible as Von Bohm as an East Prussian building commissioner who arrives to the town wanting to clean things up as he’s intrigued by Lola in the hope he can give her a better life unaware of what she really does with her life. Finally, there’s Barbara Sukowa in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this cabaret singer/prostitute who is eager to move up for something bigger as she is torn with her affair with Schukert as well as a life outside of decadence that Von Bohm has to offer though there is a lot more that she wants as it is this radiant and exuberant performance from Sukowa.

Lola is a spectacular film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a sensational leading performance from Barbara Sukowa in the titular role. Along with its supporting cast, themes on greed and corruption, Xaver Schwarzenberger’s lush cinematography, dazzling art direction, and Peer Raben’s offbeat music score. The film is a fascinating and compelling film that presents itself as an offbeat melodrama that also play into this study of a woman wanting to get something for herself as she pits two men against each other for her affection. In the end, Lola is a tremendous film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) – Veronika Voss - Querelle

© thevoid99 2021

2021 Blind Spot Series: Veronika Voss

 

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and written by Fassbinder, Pea Frolich, and Peter Marthesheimer, Veronika Voss is the story of a once-revered starlet who has faded in obscurity in 1955 Munich as she begins a relationship with a sportswriter while dealing with events that lead to her declining career. The second film (third film chronologically) of a trilogy of films about women and their identities in postwar Germany as it is partially based on the life of actress Sybille Schmitz who was a popular actress though her association with the Third Reich lead to the end of her own acting career as the titular character is played by Rosel Zech. Also starring Hilmar Thate, Cornelia Froboess, Annemarie Duringer, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Veronika Voss is an intoxicating yet eerie film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

The film revolves around a once-famous actress during the days of Nazism as she has faded into obscurity where she meets a sports reporter as she deals with an escalating morphine addiction and delusions about returning to her film career. It is a film that is about a woman who is eager to return to the world of film but is unable to deal with reality as she also dependent on a neurologist who is feeding her morphine addiction. The film’s screenplay has a narrative that is largely straightforward but also bits of flashbacks as it play into the life that the titular character once had but also a life she wants to be part of. The film opens with her at a screening at one of her older films as she remembers the time she was filming it as she was this big star whose films were funded by the Nazis until the end of the war as she had faded into obscurity. Upon meeting the sports reporter Robert Krohn (Hilmar Thate) at a bus during a rainy night, she is surprised that he has no idea who she is or was as they become friends where Krohn learns more about her.

Yet, he is also wondering if some of the things she says are true where he learns that she frequently visits a neurologist in Dr. Marianne Katz (Annemarie Duringer) who is treating her. Still, Krohn is unsure about Dr. Katz’s methods including the fact that she’s supplying Veronika’s morphine addiction where his concerns for her begins an affair. The affair would be tumultuous where Krohn’s girlfriend Henriette (Cornelia Froboess) becomes suspicious about Voss yet is fascinated by her lifestyle and life while is also becoming aware that another of Dr. Katz’s patients are involved with opiates. The addiction would only increase Veronika’s own delusions including claims she is to come back though the reality is far more troubling as her ex-husband in screenwriter Max Rehbein (Armin Mueller-Stahl) warns Robert to not to get too close.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has style as it evokes elements of classical old Hollywood films with its stylish lighting and presentation while playing up this world of postwar West Germany as it is shot on location in and around Munich. There is an element of style in Fassbinder’s compositions in the way he would frame his actors in a shot as well as the presentation of a room or a restaurant where he would use a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the scope of the locations but also the world that Voss lives in. There are close-ups in the film that do play into the melodrama while there are also some stylish shots including a few slanted camera angles as it add to this warped reality that Voss is in. Even as there’s flashbacks of the life she once had as there’s a scene at her apartment as it’s full of posh antiques and such while it then cuts to the apartment without all of those things as she’s spending time with Robert who gets a closer look into her troubled mental state.

Fassbinder also evokes elements of suspense as it relates to Robert trying to find out about Voss’s mental state, her past as an actress supported by the Nazis, and her time with Dr. Katz. Notably as there are these offbeat elements as Dr. Katz’s office as it feels like this posh hospital which includes an American GI (Gunther Kaufmann) helping her out as he barely says anything. It’s among these quirks that Fassbinder puts in as well as the fact that Robert is somewhat out of his element since he’s a sports reporter but he’s determined to seek out the truth. Even in the third act where there is this absurdity as it relates to Dr. Katz’s methods and this sense of an end for Voss who is forced to accept reality about her fleeting fame. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a majestic yet haunting film about an actress’ descent into madness in her attempt to return to the world of films.

Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its dazzling usage of interior lights for some of the flashbacks and interior settings including Dr. Katz’s office as well as some stylish exterior shading for some of the scenes at night. Editor Juliane Lorenz does brilliant work with the editing as its stylish usage of transition wipes help play into the film’s stylistic presentation along with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Rolf Zehetbauer and art director Walter Richarz do excellent work with the look of the places the characters go to including the stylish apartment office that Dr. Katz lives in as well as Voss’ home in its glory days and ruined state. Costume designer Barbara Baum does fantastic work with the costumes as it features a lot of the stylish and expensive clothing Voss wears as well as the ragged look of Robert in his ordinary suit and such.

The makeup work of Anni Nobauer and Gerd Nemetz is terrific as it play into the beauty of Voss but also moments where she becomes mad where the makeup starts to fade away. The sound work of Vladimir Vizner is superb for the way some of the sparse moments sound at Dr. Katz’s office as well as the volume of the music as well as maintaining a natural approach to the sound. The film’s music by Peer Raben is amazing for its offbeat score that is this mixture of country and the pop music of the times with some eerie piano-based pieces while the soundtrack features elements of American country and standards music that often plays on the radio or sung by Voss.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Rainer Werner Fassbinder as a man at a movie theater sitting behind Voss, editor Juliane Lorenz as a secretary, Volker Spengler and Peter Zadek as a couple of film directors Voss would work with as the former during her prime and the latter in her comeback attempt, Hans Wyprachtiger as Robert’s editor-in-chief, Elisabeth Volkmann as a co-worker of Robert in Grete, Sonja Neudorfer as a saleswoman at a posh restaurant, Lilo Pempeit as a manager of the restaurant who recognizes Voss, Gunther Kauffman as an American GI who works for Dr. Katz, Johanna Hofer and Rudolf Platte as an old couple who are patients of Dr. Katz, Peter Berling as a film producer who wants to help Voss in finding the right role for her comeback, and Erik Schumann as Dr. Edel who is an associate of Dr. Katz.

Doris Schade is fantastic as Dr. Katz’s assistant Josefa who does a lot to lie and help out Dr. Katz as well as also do a lot of the cleaning up. Armin Mueller-Stahl is superb as Voss’ ex-husband/screenwriter Max Rehbein as a man who used to bring the best in her as he would warn Robert about getting too close to her knowing a lot about her madness up close. Annemarie Duringer is excellent as Dr. Marianne Katz as a neurologist who is treating Voss in order to deal with her madness though she has ulterior motives of her own while her own methods including supplying morphine to Voss makes her a chilling figure in the film. Cornelia Froboess is brilliant as Robert’s girlfriend Henriette as a woman who is fascinated by Voss though is troubled by her drug abuse, association with the Nazis, and the methods of Dr. Katz where she tries to get proof of her abuse.

Hilmar Thate is amazing as Robert Krohn as a sports writer who meets Voss though has no clue of who she is as he gets to know her only to put himself in trouble as it relates to Dr. Katz where he also deals with her troubling methods. Finally, there’s Rosel Zech in a tremendous performance as the titular character as this once-famous actress during the era of Nazism who deals with her fading celebrity and growing dependency on morphine as she meets this man hoping he would help her where Zech displays that aura around her as someone who is this great yet controversial figure but is one step away from just losing it.

Veronika Voss is a phenomenal film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a spectacular performance from Rosel Zech in the titular role. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling presentation, study of fading stardom and madness, and its offbeat yet riveting music score and soundtrack. The film is a ravishing film that explores a woman dealing with her own madness as well as trying to get a writer to help her only to bring more trouble. In the end, Veronika Voss is a sensational film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) - Lola (1981 film) - Querelle

© thevoid99 2021

The Game

Directed by David Fincher and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (w/ additional work by Andrew Kevin Walker and Larry Gross), The Game is the story of a wealthy investment banker who is invited to play a game that blurs reality and fiction as it becomes dangerous and thrilling. The film is about a man being forced to confront his own fears as well as his own life through a deadly game. Starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn, Deborah Kara Unger, Carroll Baker, and Armin Mueller-Stahl. The Game is an exhilarating and sprawling film from David Fincher.

The film follows the life of a wealthy but cold investment banker who is given a mysterious birthday present from his estranged younger brother which is an invitation to play a game where reality and fiction blur. It’s a film where a man is forced to confront aspects of his own life as well as memories about his father’s death where he has no idea if the game he is playing is real or just some sick joke. The film’s screenplay by John Brancato and Michael Ferris doesn’t just establish the life of its protagonist Nicholas Van Horton (Michael Douglas) who is wealthy but very lonely as he lives in a mansion with a longtime family maid as he is more content with making money and being powerful. When he is invited to lunch by his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn) who would give him this mysterious invitation. Nicholas doesn’t think about what his brother gave him until he takes a chance where he’s interviewed and examined and then the game starts in a mysterious way.

In the course of the film, Nicholas would wonder what is going on as aspects of his life begin to fall apart from a TV reporter that he watches who suddenly talks to him to other odd things. Along the way, he meets a waitress named Christine (Deborah Kara Unger) who has no idea what is going on as she becomes part of the game for some strange reason. Even as his house has been vandalized and other things start to make no sense as Conrad would claim that the company who handles the game has gone out of control. There is a structure to the script as much of the second act is about the game while the third is Nicholas trying to find out more about this company and expose them to see if he’s still playing or something else has happened.

David Fincher’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the moods and compositions he creates as it play into a man taking part into the world of the unknown. Shot largely on location in San Francisco, the film plays into this world that mixes the corporate business side with a wild side as Nicholas is not familiar with the latter. Fincher’s meticulous compositions in the usage of the medium shots and close-up play into that sense of cold and unforgiving world that Nicholas lives in as Fincher presents Nicholas in a somewhat detached way. Once the game begins, the direction becomes more intimate and eerie as well as having some bits of dark humor. The lines of reality and fantasy would blur where Fincher doesn’t try to make anything distinctive only for the fact that a game is being played. At the same time, it is about the sense of the unknown where San Francisco is a character in the film where Fincher uses some wide shots to establish some of its landmarks.

The direction also has Fincher use some flashbacks shown in 8mm film as it play into the guilt and loss that Nicholas is carrying which adds to his loner persona. Yet, he realizes that he will have to depend on those who are willing to help him such as Christine. Still, there is that blur of who is playing what and are any of them in on the game or have no clue that they’re in a game. The film’s climax definitely ups the ante in terms of its intensity where Nicholas tries to decipher what is real and what is fantasy as well as face some of his own fears that had been looming into his life. Overall, Fincher creates a thrilling yet provocative film about a man playing a game of death where he is forced to confront his own fears and flaws about himself.

Cinematographer Harris Savides does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of filters and lights for some of the interior scenes as well as the scenes set at night while creating a cold look for some of the exteriors set at night. Editor James Haygood does excellent work with the editing as it has some nice rhythmic cutting to play into the suspense and action as well as some of the darkly comic moments in the film. Production designer James Beecroft, with art directors James J. Murakami and Steve Saklad and set decorator Jackie Carr, does fantastic work with the look of the interior at Nicholas‘ home as well as the look of the office where the people of the game work and the hotel rooms in San Francisco‘s finest hotels. Costume designer Michael Kaplan does nice work with the costumes from the expensive suits that Nicholas wears early in the film to the more casual look he would sport later on as well as the clothes of the other characters.

Visual effects supervisor Kevin Haug does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects as it mostly relates to the film‘s climax it play into that blur of reality and fantasy. Sound designer Ren Klyce does amazing work with the sound work as it has many layers into the locations that Nicholas encounters as well as in the phone conversations he has. The film’s music by Howard Shore is superb for its haunting yet bombastic score as its orchestral flourishes swell into the drama and suspense while music supervisor Dawn Soler creates a fun soundtrack that features elements of jazz, classical, and contemporary music.

The casting by Don Phillips is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Spike Jonze as a EMT, Linda Manz as Christine’s roommate, Yuji Okumoto as the Nikko hotel manager, Tommy Flanagan as a solicitor/taxi driver, Mark Boone Junior as a shady private detective following Nicholas, and Charles Martinet as Nicholas and Conrad’s father in the flashback scenes. Anna Katarina is wonderful as Nicholas’ ex-wife Elizabeth who only appears briefly late in the film as someone who has moved on but is starting to see that Nicholas is having some revelations about himself. Carroll Baker is terrific as Nicholas’ maid Ilsa as a woman who has been taking of Nicholas’ home yet knows a lot about Nicholas’ father once he starts to ask her about him. Peter Donat is superb as Nicholas’ attorney Samuel Sutherland as someone who watches over and handles some of Nicholas’ business as he becomes evasive later in the film. Armin Mueller-Stahl is excellent as Anson Baer as a businessman that Nicholas tries to buy out only to be just as eccentric and mysterious as he is fun to watch.

James Rebhorn is fantastic as Jim Feingold as a man who is an analyst for the company that creates the game as he is this eccentric yet fun guy that brings so much joy into his performance. Deborah Kara Unger is amazing as Christine as a waitress whom Nicholas meets during his game as she becomes this unlikely player that becomes part of the game as she tries to figure out what is going on. Sean Penn is brilliant as Conrad as Nicholas’ estranged younger brother who would introduce his brother to the game saying it will change his life only to find himself owing money to the company that created the game. Finally, there’s Michael Douglas in an incredible performance as Nicholas Van Orton as a wealthy investment banker who is quite cold and distant where he is given the thrill of a lifetime where Douglas gives a performance that is exhilarating as a man who encounters fear and danger as it is one of his great performances.

The Game is a phenomenal film from David Fincher that features a sensational performance from Michael Douglas. Along with a great supporting cast, eerie visuals, a chilling music score, and a crafty screenplay that blur the lines between reality and fiction. It’s a film that isn’t just a smart and engaging thriller but also a study of fear and control. In the end, The Game is a spectacular film from David Fincher.

David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - Fight Club - Panic Room - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Social Network - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film) - Gone Girl

Related: 15 Essential Music Videos by David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher

© thevoid99 2016

Knight of Cups

Written and directed by Terrence Malick, Knight of Cups is the story of the troubled life of a Hollywood screenwriter who goes on a personal journey to find live and self-discovery during his trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Rumored to be part of an informal trilogy with The Tree of Life and To the Wonder as the films are semi-biographical stories on Malick’s own life. The film is partially inspired by the Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Process and the passages Hymn of the Pearl and Acts of Thomas as they’re featured in a film that plays into a man trying to find his own existence in a decadent world. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Wes Bentley, Imogen Poots, Antonio Banderas, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Brian Dennehy, and the voice of Ben Kingsley. Knight of Cups is a rapturous and exhilarating film from Terrence Malick.

Surrounding himself in Los Angeles and the world of Hollywood, the film revolves around a screenwriter coping with himself and struggles as he surrounds himself with different women while dealing with issues in his family including his father. It’s a film that doesn’t really have much of a plot nor a traditional narrative structure as it is largely loose in its storytelling structure where it’s largely based on the Knight of Cups tarot cards as each card represents a part of the journey that film’s protagonist Rick (Christian Bale) takes. Along the way, he deals with loss but also regret into things in his past while being aware of the environment he’s in that is filled with temptation, immorality, and decadence. In the course of the film, there are a lot of voice-over narration not just from Rick but also the many characters who are part of his life either temporarily or permanently while there is also this mysterious voice by an unseen character (Ben Kingsley) who recites passages and texts that relate to these tarot cards.

The lack of a conventional screenplay does allow its writer/director Terrence Malick to not just take on some major risks of what he would do as a storyteller. He would also go very deep into a world that might seem disconnected from the real world but also display that sense of disconnect as it relates to the reality that is encountered. Shot largely in Los Angeles as well as some scenes shot in Las Vegas, the Californian/Nevada deserts, and other parts of the American Midwest including St. Louis. It is a film that showcases that sense of conflict in a man who is embarking on this journey of self-discovery where he ventures into all sorts of things with different kinds of people. Among them are representations in the themes of the tarot cards in the form of Rick’s many different lovers in Della (Imogen Poot), a model named Helen (Freida Pinto), a spirited stripper named Karen (Teresa Palmer), a mysterious young woman named Isabel (Isabel Lucas), his ex-wife Nancy (Cate Blanchett), and a former lover in Elizabeth (Natalie Portman).

The usage of wide and medium shots for many of the film’s locations as well as close-ups for some of the intimate moments are very potent in their imagery while Malick’s usage of hand-held cameras in its mixture of 35mm film and digital just add to the sense of beauty of these images. Yet, there is so much more as it play into something that is very off-kilter as it relates to Rick’s own sense of uncertainty, loss, and self-discovery where the camera sort of acts as this unknown being watching over him. Plus, the narration acts as that sense of internal conflict within Rick who is yearning for some meaning in his life but is tempted by things such as money, beautiful women, and all of these things. The scenes involving Rick’s brother Barry (Wes Bentley) and their father Joseph (Brian Dennehy) show that sense of conflict that looms over Rick as well as loss where the narration reveal that they’re all suffering with Barry venturing into a self-destructive path that claimed the life of his brother.

Malick’s usage of handheld cameras do have this very evocative feel to the way everything is filmed while he also plays with time-lapse imagery. While it largely a style that is very experimental and certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It plays into something that does feel very personal where Malick is showing a world that he was a part of but one that showcases that struggle from having it all but also leaving a world where things were simpler. Adding to that air of simplicity is specter of spirituality as it relates to the character of Isabel, some of Helen’s private activities, and what Malick shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as it play into something is calling into Rick in his own personal journey and in the words of this unseen narrator. Overall, Malick creates an intoxicating yet enchanting film about a man’s personal journey of self-discovery through the chaotic world of Hollywood.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki does spectacular work with the film‘s very naturalistic cinematography to play with the many looks of the locations in the day as well as the scenes set at the home of this amoral millionaire along with some dazzling images of scenes set at night including a strip-club and the scenes set in Las Vegas which is so gorgeous to look at as it‘s one of the highlights of the film. Editors Mark Yoshikawa, Geoffrey Richman, Keith Fraase, and A.J. Edwards do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and disparate cutting montages to play into sense of wonderment that occurs throughout the film as well as some abrupt cuts to help structuralize the film. Production designer Jack Fisk, with set decorator Beauchamp Fontaine and art director Ruth De Jong, does amazing work with the some of the interiors in the homes that Rick encounters including a mansion in its dining room along with the look of the strip club with its neon lights.

Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the clothes that many of the characters wear including the Armani suits that Rick wears and some of the stylish dresses that many of the women in the film wear. Visual effects supervisor Jamison Scott Goei does fantastic work with the film‘s lone visual effects sequence as it relates into the mysterious elements of the universe described in one of Rick‘s voice-over narrations. Sound designers Joel Dougherty and Will Patterson do incredible work with the sound in the way much of the voice-over narrations as well as the sounds of the cities and locations mix without overwhelming each other along with some textures into the parties and such as it add so much to the world that Rick is being tempted by. The film’s music by Hanan Townshend is superb for its classical-based score with its serene string arrangements and low-key percussions while music supervisor Lauren Marie Mikus creates a soundtrack filled with classical pieces as well as contemporary music where the latter play into the parties scenes and what is playing on Rick’s car.

The casting by Francine Maisler and Lauren Grey is phenomenal as it features appearances from Joe Manganiello, Ryan O’Neal, Fabio, Danny Strong, Beau Garrett, Nick Kroll, Nicky Whelan, Jelly Howie, and Katia Winter as themselves appearing in Hollywood parties. Other notable small appearances include Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Clarke, Joel Kinnaman, Peter Matthiesson, and Clifton Collins Jr. as colleagues of Rick who are part of that world as well as appearances from Nick Offerman, Michael Wincott, and Shea Whigham in small roles as Hollywood business personalities, Dane DeHaan as a tarot reader’s son, Jamie Harris and Lawrence Jackson as a couple of burglars, Patrick Whitesell and Rick Hess as a couple of agents, Cherry Jones as a relative of Rick’s, and Armin Mueller-Stahl as a priest who provides Rick some guidance into his own sense of doubt. The voice of Ben Kingsley as this unseen figure is superb for the sense of mystique that looms over the film as well as providing a sense of spiritual context into Rick’s journey.

Imogen Poots is fantastic as this rebellious fling of Rick’s in Della who asks Rick questions about his faithfulness and direction in life while Teresa Palmer is excellent as this stripper named Karen who entrances Rick as she accompanies him to Las Vegas. Freida Pinto is wonderful as the model Helen that Rick meets at a party as he briefly goes out with her while being intrigued by what she does at her home while Isabel Lucas is terrific as this innocent and playful young woman who is interpreted as this angelic figure that helps him find his way home. Wes Bentley is brilliant as Rick’s brother Barry as a man accompanying Rick throughout Los Angeles as he copes with his own issues as well as those relating to their father. Brian Dennehy is amazing as Rick and Barry’s father Joseph who deals with aging and being phased out while providing some somber narration as it relates to much of the text and legends of the tarot cards that would help guide Rick in his journey.

Antonio Banderas is incredible as a Hollywood playboy named Tonio as a man that represents all forms of temptation and immorality as someone that has a lust for life, excess, and women as he is sort of a comical figure in the film but also that representation of what Rick could be. Natalie Portman is radiant as Elizabeth as a former lover of Rick whom he loved dearly as she is seen as someone that could help find redemption for him as well as provide a link into what he could have if he chose the right path. Cate Blanchett is remarkable as Nancy as Rick’s former wife who devotes her time helping people as a physician as she copes with the love they had lost as well as the fact that there’s still feelings for one another as she is a representation of what he had and later gave up. Finally, there’s Christian Bale in a tremendous performance as Rick as a Hollywood screenwriter lost in the world of decadence and temptation as he copes with loss, guilt, and uncertainty where Bale doesn’t say a lot in the film but say a lot in his voice-over work where he would display that anguish and conflict of a man trying to find himself in his own personal journey of self-discovery.

Knight of Cups is a phenomenal film from Terrence Malick. Largely in part to its ensemble cast, a compelling premise, gorgeous visuals, and intoxicating music. It’s a film that is definitely challenging while not being something for everyone due to the fact that is told in a very unconventional form. Even as it displays some big questions about the world of temptation, loss, and life itself in ways that is very personal in the hands of its creator. In the end, Knight of Cups is a sensational film from Terrence Malick.

Terrence Malick Films: Badlands - Days of Heaven - The Thin Red Line - The New World - Tree of Life - To the Wonder - Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience - (Voyage of Time: Life's Journey) - Song to Song - A Hidden Life - (The Way of the Wind)

© thevoid99 2016

Mission to Mars

Directed by Brian De Palma and screenplay by Jim Thomas, John Thomas, and Graham Yost from a story by Jim Thomas, John Thomas, and Lowell Cannon, Mission to Mars is the story of a group of astronauts who go on a rescue mission to Mars following a previous mission where things went wrong with one of their friends being its lone survivor. The film is a simple yet grand story about a rescue mission set in outer space where astronauts discovery the mysteries of the universe and this planet called Mars. Starring Gary Sinise, Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O’Connell, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Kim Delaney, and Tim Robbins. Mission to Mars is an interesting but very lackluster film from Brian De Palma.

The film revolves around a rescue mission during an expedition on Mars where another group of astronauts make a huge discovery only for things go wrong leaving only one survivor and his friends doing the rescue mission. Along the way, many things go wrong as they all try to ponder what is going on in this planet of Mars as well as this mysterious thing in the planet. It’s a film that has a unique concept but there’s a lot of these aspects of sci-fi mumbo-jumbo and existentialist themes that really lose sight into the main story where it has no idea what it wants to be. The film’s script does do some fine work in establishing the characters and situations but try to do so much to make it so much more where it ends being very messy as well as feature some very idiotic dialogue. When the third act comes in for the reveal of what is inside this mountain that is shaped like a face. It is one of these reveals that is like “huh?”

Brian De Palma’s direction is quite stylish in not just the usage of tracking shots and scenes that are shot in zero gravity but also in the fact that creates a setting that does feel futuristic but not too futuristic. The setting of outer space with its space stations and space shuttles are very unique and does have De Palma take great stock into the images and everything. For the scenes set on Mars, much of it was shot in Jordan with some scenes shot in Vancouver and at the Canary Islands to create a world that feels vast and everything where De Palma does great usage of the wide shots. Despite some of these stylish moments and compositions, De Palma is unable to rise above many of the script’s shortcomings while the vortex sequence is quite silly in the way an astronaut is killed off. By the time the film reaches its climax into this mysterious thing in the planet and what it reveals, it ends being this very odd moment that is confusing where it wants the audience to believe in all of these things but it doesn’t anything rational or logical to back it up. Overall, De Palma creates a very messy and underwhelming film about a rescue/existential expedition on Mars.

Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of filters for much of the film‘s exterior settings set on Mars as well as some unique lighting for the interiors of the ships. Editor Paul Hirsch does nice work with the editing as it helps play into the moments of suspense and drama as well as some bits of humor with its dissolves. Production designer Ed Verreaux, with art directors Andrew Neskoromny and Thomas Valentine and set decorator Lin MacDonald, does amazing work with the look of the space stations, its shuttles, and other vehicles used for the expeditions including some of its interiors. Costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays does terrific work with the costumes from the look of the astronaut suits as well as the clothes they wear under the suits.

Visual effects supervisors John Knoll and Hoyt Yeatman does some fantastic work with some of the visual effects in the way Mars and the space stations looked though some of the sequences such as the vortex and what is revealed in the climax come off as very cheesy. Sound editors Lon Bender and Maurice Schell do superb work with some of the sound work in the film from the way some of the events that happen on Mars sound as well as the scenes set in space. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is phenomenal as it’s one of the film’s highlights for its orchestral-based score that is filled with sweeping string arrangements as well as low-key pieces as it is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by Denise Chamian is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Robert Bailey Jr. as Luke’s son Bobby, Elise Neal as Luke’s wife Debra, as members of Luke’s crew in the Mars expedition in Jill Teed, Peter Outerbridge, and Kavan Smith, Kim Delaney in a small role as Jim’s late wife Maggie who wrote many ideas into the Mars expedition before her death, and Armin Mueller-Stahl as the Mars expedition leader Ramier Beck who ponders about the rescue mission and how it must not fail. Jerry O’Connell is alright as Phil Ohlmyer as an astronaut who is part of the rescue mission as he is a comic relief of sorts but not given much to do. Tim Robbins is superb as the rescue mission leader Woody Blake who knows what to do as well as realize the severity of the mission where things go wrong forcing him to make some drastic decisions.

Connie Nielsen is brilliant as Woody’s wife and astronaut Terri Fisher who is part of the rescue mission as well as be someone that is capable of getting things done. Don Cheadle is amazing as Luke Graham as the astronaut who is among the first to go to Mars until something goes wrong in a discovery where he copes with being its sole survivor and later being rescued where he feels that he needs to discover what he and his crew had seen. Finally, there’s Gary Sinise in an excellent performance as Jim McConnell as a widowed astronaut who works as a consultant until he is asked to take part despite his emotional baggage where he deals with the mission at hand as well as what is out there.

Mission to Mars is a very disappointing film from Brian De Palma. Despite its cast, some cool visual effects, and a mesmerizing score by Ennio Morricone, the film is just a sci-fi film that wants to be a lot of things only to end up being very lightweight in its ambitions. In the end, Mission to Mars is just a terrible film from Brian De Palma.

Brian De Palma Films: (Murder a la Mod) - (Greetings) - (The Wedding Party) - (Dionysus in ‘69) - (Hi, Mom!) - (Get to Know Your Rabbit) - Sisters - Phantom of the Paradise - Obsession - Carrie - The Fury - (Home Movies) - Dressed to Kill - Blow Out - Scarface - Body Double - (Wise Guys) - The Untouchables - Casualties of War - The Bonfire of the Vanities - Raising Cain - Carlito’s Way - Mission: Impossible - Snake Eyes - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))

© thevoid99 2016

Kafka

Directed and edited by Steven Soderbergh and written by Lem Dobbs, Kafka is the story of an insurance worker who finds himself in the middle of a secret war involving two underground organizations who are wreaking havoc in 1919 Prague. Inspired by the works of Franz Kafka, the film is a mixture of a mystery thriller mixed in with elements of the bio-pic as it explores the life of Franz Kafka as he is played by Jeremy Irons. Also starring Theresa Russell, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbe, Joel Grey, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Alec Guinness. Kafka is a mesmerizing yet very odd film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is a very weird story where an insurance office drone finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two underground organizations in 1919 Prague. All of which plays into a world that Franz Kafka is in as he struggles to maintain a low profile and live his life only to be sucked in towards a group of anarchists trying to stop a secret organization following the disappearance of a co-worker of Kafka’s. Lem Dobbs’ screenplay uses a lot of references to the works of Kafka that adds a unique narrative that blurs the line between reality and fiction. Much of it plays into ideas of man going against the ideas of conformity as Kafka struggles with not bringing attention to himself despite getting a promotion and endure many expectations of being part of society. Yet, Kafka’s encounters with people being killed and all sorts of strange occurrences lead to questions about what is going and why there is this effort to control things.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is very stylish as it serves as a homage to German Expressionism in terms of its look and feel. Much of it would feature slanted camera angles as well as some unique compositions to play into the sense of style that would also recall something that is visually-enthralling its look and setting. Shot partially on location in Prague, the film has this feel of something that feels like a world in transition where a new world order is emerging but with elements of the old world where there are still rules. The film opens with a chilling scene of a man being chased by this crazed psychopath as it would set the tone of what is to come. Much of Soderbergh’s compositions include some unique close-ups and medium shots while his approach to wide shots for some of its interior settings are entrancing to watch.

While there’s a few elements in the film that don’t work such as the bumbling assistants who work for Kafka following his promotion. It’s Soderbergh trying to inject bits of humor in a film that is quite serious though some parts of that humor involving a friend of Kafka in Mr. Bizzlebek (Jeroen Krabbe) does work as he is a very effective character. Serving as his own editor, Soderbergh does play into the Expressionist style in a few of the dissolves along with some jump-cuts to play into the drama and suspense. The film’s climax involves a brief sequence where it adds to this element of surrealism where the film is shot in color to showcase the world that Kafka has to penetrate as he sees what they’re about. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very stylish yet evocative film about a man dealing with the constraints of society.

Cinematographer Walt Lloyd does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography with its use of lightings and shadows for many of the interior and scenes at night while the brief use of color in its climax is very potent. Production designer Gavin Bocquet, with set decorator Joanne Woollard and art director Leslie Tomkins, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the file rooms as well as the bar that Kafka goes to as well as the strange world inside the mysterious castle. Costume designer Michael Jeffrey does excellent work with the period costumes to play into that look of German Expressionism with its suits and hats for the men as well as the dresses that the women wear

Sound editor Larry Blake and sound designer Mark A. Mangini do superb work with the sound from some of the sound effects that occur in the anarchists‘ secret base to the underground lair that is the secret castle. The film’s music by Cliff Martinez is great as it features bits of electronic music with its low-key synthesizers along with some offbeat pieces with the use of pianos and instruments that play into the sense of the times.

The casting by Susie Figgis is brilliant for the ensemble that is created that includes notable small roles from David Jensen as the psychotic killer, Brian Glover as a henchman in the castle, Maria Miles as a former fiancee of Kafka, Robert Flemyng as keeper of the files, Keith Allen and Simon McBurney as the idiotic assistants of Kafka, and Ian Holm in a terrific small role as the mysterious Dr. Murnau who is seen at the film’s climax. Joel Grey is wonderful as the office supervisor Mr. Burgel who often looms over Kafka to do his work while Alec Guinness is excellent as the insurance director who often asks Kafka about his social life and lack of determination to rise up the corporate ladder.

Armin Mueller-Stahl is superb as Inspector Grubach who investigates the mysterious disappearances as he often asks Kafka about the case and what he thinks happened. Jeroen Krabbe is fantastic as Mr. Bizzlebek as this bar patron who always has some very funny theories as he is likely the only real friend that Kafka has. Theresa Russell is amazing as Gabriela as a co-worker who was the lover of the man who was killed as she is a secret member of the anarchist group as she tries to get Kafka to take part because of his non-conforming persona. Finally, there’s Jeremy Irons in a remarkable performance as Franz Kafka where he plays it straight as someone who is very reserved while dealing with this secret conflict he didn’t want to take part in as it’s a role filled with humility as well as someone who is aware of what it means to be human.

Kafka is an excellent film from Steven Soderbergh that features a fantastic performance from Jeremy Irons. While it’s a film that refuses to define itself into any genre, it is quite compelling in its visual style as well as theme of conformity and individuality. In the end, Kafka is an extraordinarily odd yet rapturous film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-The Equilibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean's Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014

Eastern Promises

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/23/07 w/ Additional Edits.

2005's A History of Violence proved to be a surprise hit with not just critics but also filmgoers. Even from a director like David Cronenberg who was known for his dark, extreme films like Videodrome, Dead Ringers, and Crash. Topping several critics polls including Oscar nominations for its adapted screenplay and a Best Supporting Acting nod to William Hurt. It seems that David Cronenberg has finally made it to the mainstream. In 2007, Cronenberg re-teams with his star from A History of Violence, Viggo Mortensen for another dark film involving the Russian mob and a midwife entitled Eastern Promises.

Directed by David Cronenberg and written by Steven Knight, Eastern Promises tells the story about a London midwife who investigates the death of a young pregnant teen in connection with the Russian mob and its driver. The investigation continues while the driver begins to question his loyalties as the family he works for starts to crumble over the death and investigation. Also starring Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Vincent Cassel, Sinead Cusack, and Jerzy Skolimowski. Eastern Promises is a powerful yet eerie film from David Cronenberg.

When a young, pregnant 14-year old girl named Tatiana (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse) is taken to a hospital, she gives birth to a baby girl. The midwife named Anna (Naomi Watts) finds a diary that belonged to Tatiana as its written in Russian. With her Russian uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) having the knowledge to translate the diary, Anna isn't sure what to do as she turns to her uncle and mother Helen (Sinead Cusack). Anna finds a card in the diary that leads to a Trans-Siberian restaurant owned by a man named Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Semyon invites her to his restaurant as she asks him to translate the contents in the diary. While leaving, she runs into Semyon's son Kirill (Vincent Cassel) and his driver Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen).

Though Semyon's restaurant is a nice place for the Russian community in London, Semyon uses it as a disguise for his own mob family as trouble emerges involvinga Chechen family. When Kirill and Nikolai meet with Azmin (Mina E. Mina), they find the body of Soyka (Aleksander Mikic) that belonged to the other family. After disposing the body with help from Nikolai's professional work, the body is later found by a detective named Yuri (Donald Sumpter) with a message. Naming the baby Christine, Anna starts to get more information from Semyon about the contents of the diary while she starts to befriend Nikolai, who drops her off when her motorcycle falters. When Stepan reveals the contents of the diary, dark secrets involving Semyon and Kirill are unveiled as in an earlier meeting with Semyon, she is asked to return the diary.

When Nikolai is sent to pick up the diary, he warns Anna, Helen, and Stepan about what they're doing. With Semyon having problems with the volatile Kirill over the killing of Soyka, he turns to Nikolai for all the information and such. Nikolai decides to meet with Anna to return her fixed motorcycle and the address of Tatiana's parents. With Semyon realizing that Anna's uncle Stepan knows too much, he asks Nikolai to take care of the problem in order to become an official member of the mob. Even as the Chechen mob is wanting the head of Kirill for what happened to Soyka as things start to get worse. With Nikolai starting to rise up with Semyon favoring him over Kirill, secrets starts to unravel as Nikolai turns to Anna for some truth as she wants to know what is going to happen with Christine.

While the film is partially a crime drama, the genre is given a new perspective from screenwriter Steve Knight and director David Cronenberg. While the London underworld that involves different ethnic communities is nothing new for Knight whose screenplay for Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things was a stark exploration of black markets. Knight's script for this film definitely goes inside the Russian mob which isn't like other mobs or mafia families. The operation is more low-key while their approach to violence is far more brutal. In reality, the film is about a midwife who enters into an underworld that she finds herself trapped only to find an unlikely ally in a sympathetic member of that mob.

Knight's intelligent script is wonderfully structured and filled with some humorous dialogue. Yet, it's all David Cronenberg in his eerie, observant, and stylized direction. While it doesn't have some of the strange, horror-like sense of humor of earlier films, Cronenberg's exploration of the mob and London shows the diverse community. For the story, Cronenberg doesn't go into full-on dramatic style that's expected in a lot of mainstream features. Instead, the performances are subtle from most characters to show the layers and complexity of their personalities. Even the use of narration from the perspective of Tatiana (voiced by Tatiana Maslany) works as a wonderful dramatic device to the plot. With the suspense, Cronenberg uses the momentum in underplaying what's going to happen and go for something that's unexpected.

One sequence that is shocking is a fight scene that is intense and brutal in a way that only Cronenberg can stage and capture perfectly. Cronenberg's take on violence is stylized yet confrontational since he doesn't underplay or exaggerate what happens. The violence is part of his niche as a director that fans of his earlier films will definitely appreciate. Yet, some audiences will definitely squirm at what he shows only because he wants to reveal the brutality and motivation of what is going on. Still, the film shows that Cronenberg remains on top of his game in being a storyteller.

Longtime cinematographer Peter Suschitzky creates a wonderful look to the film's lighting in both exterior nighttime sequences and the interiors in the Russian restaurant scenes that are very low-key, intimate, and with little color to emphasize the dark tone of the film. Longtime production designer Carol Spier with art directors Rebecca Holmes and Nick Palmer definitely bring life to the Russian restaurant with dark colors, exotic foods, and decorations that makes the film feel very different from the rest of the London locations. Costume designer Denise Cronenberg also plays to the Russian feel with the dresses of young girls, hooker's clothing, and the suit of Nikolai that is almost similar to the look Ed Harris had in Cronenberg’s previous film, A History of Violence.

Longtime editor Ronald Sanders brings some nice cutting to the film that includes that amazing fight sequence as it doesn't move too fast or too slow but works to emphasize its intensity. The pacing also works to create the suspense and tension of the drama to play its dark tone. Sound editor Michael O'Farrell and recordist Stuart Wilson do excellent work in playing to the film's violence and suspense to help bring terror to the audience. Longtime composer Howard Shore's hypnotic score is filled with wonderful arrangements including a Russian-style violin to play the drama in Tatiana's narration as it adds the sense loss to that character.

The casting is unique and memorable with characters and performance that stands out including Mina E. Mina as the barber Azim, Josef Atim as his mentally-challenged nephew Ekrem, Aleksander Mikic, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse as Tatiana, Shannon-Fleur Roux as Kirill's daughter Maria, and Alice Henley as a hooker who is forced to take part in an initiation for Nikolai. Donald Sumpter has a memorable small role as a detective who hopes to take down Semyon while Sinead Cusack is great as Anna's cautious mother who believes Anna just went into a world that she shouldn't have stumbled to. Jerzy Skolimowski is great as Anna's uncle Stepan who makes some bad comments, always say some things that will antagonize anyone including Nikolai.

Vincent Cassel is great as the crazy, volatile Kirill who despite some of his antics and how he tries to push Nikolai. There's depth to Cassel's performance as a man who tries to win his father's love only to fall into his own failings while finding comfort in Nikolai. Armin Mueller-Stahl is great as the shady, charming Semyon who acts like a sweet, grandfather-like character but also has a violent, dark side when he confronts Kirill while his own actions just brings layers to Mueller-Stahl's performance.

Naomi Watts is amazing as Anna, a woman who tries to find truth into a young girl's relationship only realizing where’s she’s going. Watts brings a mix of subtlety and restraint to her performance that is very powerful as she drives the film’s plot and getting people to try and figure out what’s going on. It's an amazing performance from the actress who often gives a performance that is amazing to watch. Viggo Mortensen is truly the film's best performance as Nikolai. Sporting a Russian accent that works, Mortensen brings wit, charm, and a sinister quality that is complex in whether he's really bad or really good. The anti-hero approach of his character and performance is one that is both shocking and endearing as his scenes with Watts are masterfully acted while he does things like taking a cigarette out with his tongue or the fight scene has proved that he’s a powerhouse actor.

While not as powerful as A History of Violence or other films, Eastern Promises is still a wonderfully complex, explosive, and harrowing drama from David Cronenberg and company. Fans of the director will no doubt enjoy his take on crime drama as well as his brutal take on the violence. Fans of the crime genre will love to see the fresh take and eerie tone Cronenberg and screenwriter Steve Knight has given in its exploration of the London underworld. With top-notch performances from Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Armin Mueller-Stahl, it's a film that will no doubt be given some recognition come Oscar time. In the end, for an intelligent film that's well-acted and masterfully directed, Eastern Promises by David Cronenberg is a film more than worth seeing.

David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg Pt 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011

Night on Earth

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, Night on Earth is a collection of five stories set in five different cities all over the world where a taxi driver and a passenger would engage in various conversations during their brief time together. The film has Jarmusch going into various places with different actors in each city to explore the dynamic between passenger and driver. With an all-star cast that includes Winona Ryder, Gena Rowlands, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, Issach de Bankole, Beatrice Dalle, Roberto Benigni, Paolo Bonacelli, and Matti Pellonpaa. Night on Earth is an extraordinary yet hypnotic film from Jim Jarmusch.

In Los Angeles, tomboy cab driver Corky (Winona Ryder) picks up the rich casting agent Victoria Snelling (Gena Rowlands) at an airport on their way to Beverly Hills. During the ride, the two women discuss the fallacies of men and their differences as Victoria reveals to have night blindness while Corky aspires to be a mechanic. In New York City, a man named YoYo (Giancarlo Espositio) is trying to get a ride to Brooklyn as he gets a cab driver in an East German circus clown named Helmut Grokenberger (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Unfortunately, it’s Helmut’s first day as he doesn’t know the city nor how to drive as YoYo takes over where the two talk while picking up YoYo’s brash sister-in-law Angela (Rosie Perez).

It’s late at night in Paris as a frustrated cab driver (Issach de Bankole) had just been dealing with a couple of awful passengers (Pascal N’Zonzi and Emile Abossolo M‘bo) as he takes a blind woman (Beatrice Dalle). During the ride, the driver is fascinated by the blind woman as she reveals that she can still do things despite her blindness. In Rome, the talkative Gino (Roberto Benigni) wears sunglasses during the late night as he picks up an ailing priest (Paolo Bonacelli). During the ride, Gino reveals his many sins which overwhelms the priest. In Helsinki, Mika (Matti Pellonpaa) picks up three passengers (Kari Vaananen, Sakari Kuosmanen, and Tomi Salmela) where one of them has just had the worst day of life as Mika tells them a story that moves the two awake passengers.

The idea of a taxi as far as a driver and passenger is concerned is this. Driver takes the passenger on a ride. Passenger tells the driver to its desired location. Driver does that and once the destination is reached, driver gets paid and the passenger is at its desired location. Yet in a world as glorious as this, a simple cab drive could be something more as Jim Jarmusch creates five different stories in five different worlds with several different people in different situations. All in different races, nationalities, age groups, and personalities as Jarmusch creates something is truly engaging in the stories that are told.

In each segment of the film, there is something happening between passenger and driver where they all get something out of this little moment in their lives. For the L.A. segment, two different women bond over their frustration towards men along with their different lifestyles. In the NYC segment, an East-German man becomes fascinated by the city and the two people he meets as it’s a great sense of discovery on his first day as a taxi driver. In Paris, a man from the Ivory Coast is fascinated by this blind woman as he seems uninterested in what he’s doing. The segment in Rome has a very talkative man who drives very fast as he ends up overwhelming an ill priest that is strange dark comedy as it’s one of the strangest. The last segment in Helsinki has a driver taking in three passengers where he reveals to them a sad story that reveals that there’s always something worse from happening.

The script that Jarmusch creates is very loose as each segment is given enough time to develop the relationships and the stories told in these segments. In his direction, Jarmusch goes for the same kind of compositions of each segment to capture the driver and passengers with the camera always in front of the car. Yet, he also brings something different to the look and tone of each segment as some are light-hearted while some can seem grim and entrancing. Jarmusch keeps each segment and fresh so each can bring something different to the table. The film and each segment is preceded with a shot of five clocks where the camera zooms towards the clock with the city’s name above and a globe to reveal where what city is to be told.

Throughout the entirety of the film, each segment opens with a look of the city at night in a montage and a cab to introduce the driver, with the exception of the NYC segment, for each segment. During the entirety of the segments, shots of the cities at night are taken place to reveal what locations the driver and passengers are at. The overall approach to Jarmusch’s direction is very stylish yet intimate portrait of an entire night on earth in five different cities with different people musing about the world around them. What Jarmusch creates is a truly exciting and entertaining film that is unconventional yet engrossing in its simplicity.

Cinematographer Frederick Elmes does a wonderful job with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the evening look early in the Los Angeles airport scene to the colorful lights in New York and Los Angeles. Elmes’ work adds a wonderful beauty to the cities with blue lights for the Paris and Helsinki scenes to more intimate settings for the scenes in Rome. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does a great job with creating some stylish cuts for the film while maintaining a fascinating rhythm for many of the conversation scenes that occur in the film. Rabinowitz also keeps a tight pace for each segment at around 20-25 minutes in total to bring enough moments for each story.

Sound designer Anthony J. Ciccolini III does an excellent job with the sound to capture the differing atmospheres of each city along with the intimacy of the cab conversations between the characters in the film. The film’s music by Tom Waits is superb as it is a wonderful mix of jazz and folk that includes different instruments to play to each city. Featuring a few songs written by Waits and wife Kathleen Brennan, Waits score is definitely a highlight of the film as the rest of the soundtrack includes additional music pieces from Davie Allan and Blue Cheer for the L.A. segment.

The big ensemble cast is truly magnificent as each segment provides something different for the film. In very small roles include Lisanne Falk as a manager for band that Corky had brought in the L.A. segment while Pascal N’Zonzi and Emile Abossolo M‘bo are good as the two passengers who annoy the driver in the Paris segment. In the Helsinki scenes, Tomi Salmela is good as the drunk passenger who is passed out while Kari Vaananen and Sakari Kuosmanen are excellent as the other passengers who starts to befriend the cab driver Mika following his story. Matti Pellonpaa is amazing as Mika, the Helsinki cab driver who maintains a stoic approach to his performance as he holds his emotions together during the drive. Paolo Bonacelli is wonderful as the ailing priest who is forced to listen to his driver’s confessions while Roberto Benigni is hilarious as the talkative Gino whose confessed sins prove to be too much in an otherwise dark but funny segment.

Beatrice Dalle is brilliant as the blind passenger who can feel things around her despite her blindness while Issach de Bankole is superb as the quiet driver who is fascinated by the presence of his blind passenger. Rosie Perez is very funny as the brash Angela who spouts all sorts of profanities towards her brother-in-law while being a bit nice towards Helmut. Giancarlo Esposito is also funny but charming as YoYo who tries to help Helmut about being a cab driver and showing him New York City while Armin Mueller-Stahl is phenomenal as the East German cab driver on his first day in amazement on the world around him. Winona Ryder and Gena Rowlands are spectacular as the two different women in L.A. who share their disgust about men while bonding over their differences in low-key but fun performances.

Night on Earth is a fascinating yet magical film from Jim Jarmusch. Armed with a diverse yet exhilarating ensemble cast of actors and in five different locations. It’s a film that truly chronicles the idea of how big the world is and despite the different nationalities, races, genders, and personalities shown in the film. These characters all will have a brief experience that is profound in a world as vast as this one. In the end, Jim Jarmusch creates a lively yet exciting film with Night on Earth.

Jim Jarmusch Films: Permanent Vacation - Stranger Than Paradise - Down By Law - Mystery Train - Dead Man - Year of the Horse - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - Coffee and Cigarettes - Broken Flowers - The Limits of Control - Only Lovers Left Alive - Paterson - Gimme Danger - The Dead Don’t Die - (Father Mother Sister Brother) - The Auteurs #27: Jim Jarmusch

© thevoid99 2011