Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Split is the story of a man who kidnaps three teenage girls as he is revealed to have 23 different personalities as he becomes unhinged. The second film in a trilogy of films based on individuals with special abilities that was preceded by 2000’s Unbreakable, the film features a man who is holding three young women hostage in order to connect with the different personalities he has. Starring James McAvoy, Anya-Taylor Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Brad William Henke, and Betty Buckley. Split is a gripping and harrowing film from M. Night Shyamalan.
Three teenage girls get abducted at a local mall by a mysterious man who inhabits 23 different personalities as they all try to escape but have no clue what they’re facing just as the man himself is being checked upon by a psychiatrist who believes he is developing a new personality. It’s a film with a simple premise yet there’s a lot of complexities into the situation that these three young women are in as they believe they’re facing just one man but he’s not exactly what he seems through the personalities he inhabits. M. Night Shyamalan’s screenplay follows the events that Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) and the many personalities he is in where he would meet his psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) as the kind and artistic Barry while he would be the OCD Dennis, the feminine and proper Patricia, and the young boy Hedwig.
For the two of the three teenage girls in Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) who both try to find ways to escape only to be imprisoned in separate rooms. The third teenage girl in Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy) is aware that something isn't right about Kevin as she’s coping with her own childhood trauma that relates to what is happening to her. Yet, she is the odd girl as she only was with Claire and Marcia because of a party the former was having and didn’t have anything to do while is also someone that prefers to be a loner. This connection with Kevin just adds to the drama and suspense as Casey is more concerned with understanding what Kevin is as a way to earn the trust of one of his personalities and hopefully find a way to get out.
Shyamalan’s direction is engaging for suspense and drama that he creates as much of it is intimate in its setting in this mysterious world that feels like it is set in an underground environment. Shot on location in Philadelphia, the film does have Shyamalan use the city as a major location where Kevin would visit Dr. Fletcher occasionally whenever he needs help as Barry. Though Shyamalan does use a few wide shots for the locations outside of Kevin’s lair, much of his direction has him using close-ups and medium shots that include these claustrophobic scenes where it play into the girls trying to hide or be in this room that has a bathroom next to it that they have to clean constantly or else Dennis does something to them. The camera movements of the hallways with pipes on the ceiling definitely play into this air of terror that looms throughout the film while things feel much freer outside of that place. Notably as there’s scenes in the streets of Philadelphia where Dr. Fletcher would notice something as it relates to Kevin as Barry and what is happening to him as he starts to develop this 24th personality.
Shyamalan’s direction also play into these simple yet effective dramatic scenes such as a meeting between Kevin as Barry/Dennis and Dr. Fletcher where he keeps the camera still in a close-up of Kevin’s face as he’s slowly changing into this personality while Dr. Fletcher is talking. It’s a moment in the film that has Shyamalan using simple methods to get something going as it play into this shift of a man starting to unravel as he is becoming more dangerous to the girls he’s abducted. The film’s third act is about the unveiling of the 24th personality as well as Casey’s discovery about Kevin’s real identity and the personalities he has where it is clear that this is someone who also had trauma that is similar to what she encountered as a child told through flashbacks. Overall, Shyamalan crafts a chilling and provocative film about three teenage girls abducted by a mysterious man with multiple personalities.
Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does excellent work with the low-key yet eerie look of the interiors at Kevin’s home and the rooms that he has with its usage of little lighting while going for something straightforward with the exterior scenes in day and night. Editor Luke Ciarrocchi does brilliant work with the editing as it does use rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense but also know when not to deviate from fast-paced speed cutting that is often conventional with big-budget films. Production designer Mara LePere-Schloop, with art director Jesse Rosenthal plus set decorators Jennifer Engel and Lauri Gaffin, does fantastic work with the look of the place where Dr. Fletcher works at as well as the home where Kevin lives and keeps his hostages in this small and desolate room. Costume designer Paco Delgado does nice work with the costumes as it include certain kind of clothes that Kevin wears in the different personalities he inhabits.
Visual effects supervisor Ed Mendez does terrific work with the film’s visual effects that isn’t used much except for a key moment in the film’s climax as it relates to the activities of Kevin’s new personality. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the tense moments in the suspense into what Kevin becomes. The film’s music by West Dylan Thordson is wonderful for its eerie ambient-based score that help set a tone for the scene without overdoing it while music supervisor Susan Jacobs brings in a soundtrack of a variety of music from hip-hop, classical, indie, and score music from other films to play into the world the characters live in.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it include some notable small roles and appearances from M. Night Shyamalan in a cameo as a security guard who recorded a video of Barry walking out of Dr. Fletcher’s building, Lyne Renee as an academic director for a seminar that Dr. Fletcher is speaking at, Neal Huff as Claire’s father at the beginning of the film before he gets knocked out by Kevin, Sebastian Arcelus as Casey’s father in Casey’s flashback scenes, Brad William Henke as Casey’s uncle John who is seen in the flashbacks as someone that is involved with Casey’s trauma, and Izzie Coffey as a young Casey from her own flashbacks. Jessica Sula and Haley Lu Richardson are fantastic in their respective roles as Marcia and Claire as two teenage girls captured by Kevin as they try to fight back in some ways with the latter leading the charge while the former also tries to fight Kevin as they both end up being isolated.
Betty Buckley is brilliant as Dr. Fletcher as a psychiatrist who is trying to understand Kevin’s condition as she notices that Kevin is starting to behave differently as Barry and later into other personalities such as Dennis where she believes that a new condition has emerged. Anya Taylor-Joy is amazing as Casey Cooke as a teenage girl who is also abducted by Kevin as she tries to understand Kevin while not wanting to do anything that could get her killed due to her own traumas where she would make a chilling discovery as it’s a restrained yet intoxicating performance from Taylor-Joy. Finally, there’s James McAvoy in a tremendous performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb as a man with 23 different personalities as McAvoy displays a lot of different accents, demeanors, and physical stances to play these personalities where he manages to be charming but also dangerous as it is really a career-defining performance from McAvoy.
Split is a sensational film from M. Night Shyamalan that features a tour-de-force performance from James McAvoy. Along with strong supporting work from Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley as well as eerie visuals, a discomforting setting, and a haunting music score. It is a film that marks a major return to form for M. Night Shyamalan as well as be a chilling suspense film that play into the idea of three young women dealing with the unknown. In the end, Split is a phenomenal film from M. Night Shyamalan.
M. Night Shyamalan Films: (Praying with Anger) – (Wide Awake) – (The Sixth Sense) – (Unbreakable) – (Signs) – (The Village) – (Lady in the Water) – (The Happening) – (The Last Airbender) – (After Earth) – (The Visit (2015 film)) – (Glass)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the novel by Stephen King, Carrie is the story of a tormented high school student whose troubled life finally comes to ahead when she later becomes the victim of a prank led by a group of her classmates. Directed by Brian de Palma and screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen, the film is an exploration into the world of bullying as well as the life of a young girl who is also abused at home by her very religious mother as the titular character is played by Sissy Spacek. Also starring Amy Irving, Nancy Alley, William Katt, John Travolta, P.J. Soles, Betty Buckley, and Piper Laurie. Carrie is a tremendously chilling and mesmerizing film from Brian de Palma.
After a young high school student is bullied and tormented prompting the school’s gym teacher to take action, the film revolves around a few students who decide to play a prank on this troubled young woman named Carrie White for the upcoming senior prom just as Carrie is discovering about her telekinetic powers. It’s a film that plays into this young woman who lives a very troubled life due to the fact that she is often abused by her very religious mother Margaret White (Piper Laurie) who believes that the world around Carrie is full of sin. Once Carrie’s classmates are forced to serve detention led by their gym teacher Miss Collins (Betty Buckley), one of them in Chris (Nancy Allen) conspires a plan to humiliate Carrie at the senior prom. It would play into this event at the prom where Carrie is asked by the school’s quarterback who is unaware of the prank where all things go to hell.
The film’s screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen plays into not just Chris’ plan to humiliate Carrie with the aid of her boyfriend Billy Nolan (John Travolta) but also Carrie discovering about her own unique powers. Even as Carrie is someone who is very naïve about herself as the film begins with a shower scene where she notices blood is coming out of her genitals unaware of the concept of menstruation due to the fact that her mother would shield a lot of things from her. While one of her tormentors in Sue Snell (Amy Irving) would express remorse as she asks her boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) to ask Carrie to the prom. It is Chris that wants to take action as she would eventually get the help from her friend Norma (P.J. Soles) who also despises Carrie. The sense of momentum which helps build the suspense would be key to the story as is some of Cohen’s dialogue. Especially the chilling words that Margaret would say to her daughter including some off-the-wall humor including a scene where Margaret looks at the dress Carrie wears and how she refers to Carrie’s breasts.
Brian de Palma’s direction is very stylish from the way he presents the film’s opening credits with this slow gazing tracking shot of young women at the girl’s locker room where some of them are naked. In fact, much of de Palma’s direction is stylish in his usage of close-ups and medium shots to the way he can create moments of suspense at an instance which relates to Carrie’s telekinetic powers. The usage of tracking shots and long takes also add to de Palma’s sense of style including the way he circles Carrie and Tommy’s dance on a low angle as it showcases something that can be innocent and fun though something bad will happen to Carrie.
While there are elements of suspense and terror that looms in the film, de Palma does balance that with humor such as the detention sequence where Sue, Norma, Chris, and the rest of the girls who made fun of Carrie are forced to do exercise activities. Yet, it would add to some of the terror in what Chris and Billy would do as the climatic prom scene where de Palma’s usage of split-screens and other compositions would play into full-on horror at its most visceral. Even in its aftermath which involves Carrie and her mother where it relates to the idea of good vs. evil. Overall, de Palma creates a powerful and terrifying film about a tormented and sheltered young girl who gets pushed to the edge.
Cinematographer Mario Tosi does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography from the naturalistic yet dream-like look of the daytime exterior scenes to the stylish usage of lighting for some of the scenes at night and the scenes set at the prom. Editor Paul Hirsch does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, split-screens, and other cutting styles to play into the film‘s humor and the element of suspense and terror. Art directors Jack Fisk and Bill Kenney, with set decorator Robert Gould, do excellent work with some of the set design from the school gym and the look of the prom to the home where Carrie and her mother lives in.
Costume designer Rosanna Norton does nice work with the costumes from the red cap that Norma wears as well as some the plain clothes that Carrie wears. Sound editors Dan Sable and Ron Kalish do superb work with the sound in creating sound textures to play into Carrie‘s own troubled state of mind as well as some scenes of terror that are key to the story. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is phenomenal for its orchestral-based score that ranges from being somber and ethereal with its lush string arrangements to sounds of terror with screeching strings as well as some low-key pieces while music supervisor Michael Arciaga bring in a mixture of songs ranging from and pop music plus a couple of songs written by Donaggio.
The casting by Harriet B. Helberg is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Priscilla Pointer as Sue’s mother, Edie McClurg as the classmate Helen, Cameron de Palma as a young kid taunting Carrie early in the film, Sydney Lassick and Stefan Gierasch as a couple of faculty members, and Michael Talbott as a friend of Billy who would help be involved with the prank. P.J. Soles is terrific as Chris’ friend Norma as tomboy of sorts who always wears a red cap and braids in her hair as she too shares a hatred for Carrie. John Travolta is fantastic as Chris’ delinquent boyfriend Billy Nolan who is a troublemaker and master prankster that doesn’t like to be insulted though he is an idiot. William Katt is superb as Tommy Ross as the most popular guy in school who is asked to take Carrie to the prom by Sue as he befriends her as he becomes one of the few who are really genuine towards her.
Betty Buckley is excellent as Miss Collins as the school’s gym teacher who knows about Carrie’s sheltered life as she tries to help her as well as make the girls who tormented her show the error of their ways. Amy Irving is brilliant as Sue Snell as one of Carrie’s tormentors who would later express remorse for her actions as she tries to stop the prank from happening. Piper Laurie is remarkable as Carrie’s very religious mother Margaret as this very crazy woman who sees evil all over as she tries to make sure her daughter stays in the straight and narrow as it’s a very scary performance. Finally, there’s Sissy Spacek in an incredible performance as the titular role as this young high school student who is this oddball that has no clue about some of the ways of the world as she copes with her powers and the presence of her mother as it is just a performance for the ages.
Carrie is a spectacular film from Brian de Palma that features great performances from Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. Along with an amazing supporting cast, top-notch technical work, and a brilliant score by Pino Donaggio, the film is definitely one of the finest films in horrors. Even as it is told with such style and wit by de Palma as it is one of his essential films. In the end, Carrie is a magnificent 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 - 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 - Mission to Mars - Femme Fatale - The Black Dahlia - (Redacted) - Passion (2012 film) - (Domino (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Another Woman is the story about a philosophy professor whose life unravels after listening to a private psychoanalyst on another woman as she starts to question about her own life. The film is an exploration into the world of identity as well as the choices one makes in a person’s life. Starring Gena Rowlands, Mia Farrow, Ian Holm, Gene Hackman, Harris Yulin, Frances Conroy, Betty Buckley, Blythe Danner, Martha Plimpton, John Houseman, and Philip Bosco. Another Woman is an engrossing yet mesmerizing film from Woody Allen.
What happens when a woman accidentally listens to another woman talking about her own problems leading for this woman to deal with her own life? That’s essentially the premise of the film where a philosophy professor named Marion (Gena Rowlands) finds herself questioning about not just herself but the way she treated the people in her life as she‘s always been judgmental and at times, quite cruel. The revelations that Marion faces about herself and the people in her life forces her to reflect on her past while continually listen to the psychiatric sessions of this pregnant yet troubled woman (Mia Farrow). What Woody Allen does with the script is create a story about a woman’s life being told where Marion often narrates to play into her feelings as well as thinking about the people in her life such as her brother Paul (Harris Yulin) and father (John Houseman) as well as her own marriage to Ken (Ian Holm).
Allen’s direction definitely recalls the work of Ingmar Bergman, most notably Wild Strawberries, in terms of its visual language and its intimacy towards drama. Notably as it plays into the idea of memory and fantasy where this woman has to look back in parts of her life including the way she realizes how complicated things are. Allen’s direction is straightforward though there is a sense of style in terms of close-ups and compositions where Allen goes to Bergman for inspiration. Still, Allen does instill some of his own ideas such as a scene where Marion watches a recreation of a conversation she had with Ken as Marion is being played by her former friend Claire (Sandy Dennis) to establish some ideas about not just who Marion but also a look into her own marriage. Notably as it would force Marion to see her life and what can she do to regain some sense of who she is. Overall, Allen creates a very engaging yet captivating film about a woman reflecting on her life.
Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does brilliant work with the film‘s photography as it recalls many of his work with Ingmar Bergman from the lush look of some of its exterior scenes in the flashbacks to the more colorful look of the locations in New York City. Editor Susan E. Morse does excellent work with the editing to help create seamless transitions from reality to fantasy while keeping things straightforward without any overly-stylized cuts. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator George DeTitta Jr. and art director Speed Hopkins, does nice work with the look of the NYC apartments and homes the characters live including the look of an antiques shop where Marion meets the woman she‘s been listening to.
Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly sort of colorless and bland to represent the world of the characters and their sort of lack of emotions. Sound editor Robert Hein does wonderful work with the sound from the way Marion listens to the other woman in a session to some of the scenes set in New York City. The film’s music soundtrack is mostly a mix of jazz and classical music that includes a piece Erik Satie that often dominates the film.
The casting by Juliet Taylor is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Fred Melamed as a guest at an engagement party for Ken and Marion in a flashback, Josh Hamilton as the boyfriend of Ken’s daughter, David Odgen Stiers as the younger version of Marion and Paul’s father, Stephen Mailer and Margaret Marx in their respective roles as the young Paul and Marion, Philip Bosco as Marion’s first husband Sam, Frances Conroy as Marion’s sister-in-law Lynn, and Betty Buckley as Ken’s ex-wife Kathy whose sole appearance at Ken and Marion’s engagement party is chilling to watch. Martha Plimpton is excellent as Ken’s daughter Laura who always turn to Marion for advice while Blythe Danner is very good as Marion’s friend Lydia who always likes to socialize with her and Ken. Harris Yulin is terrific as Marion’s brother Paul who is a man that lacks ambition but wants to do right for his family.
Gene Hackman is great in a small but memorable performance as Ken’s friend Larry who admits to having feelings for Marion as he would play a key part into Marion’s own revelations about her life. John Houseman is amazing as Marion and Paul’s father as a man who also thinks about his life while appearing in a fantasy where he expresses his own regrets. Sandy Dennis is wonderful as Marion’s old friend Claire who expresses her own bitterness towards Marion about their friendship as she later plays Marion in a recreation of a conversation scene. Mia Farrow is superb as the mysterious woman Marion discovers as she is a woman anguished by her own problems in life as she would play a key role into Marion’s own discovery.
Ian Holm is brilliant as Marion’s husband Ken as a man who seems to be content with his life but is sort of aloof in the fact that he and Marion don’t spend a lot of alone time together. Finally, there’s Gena Rowlands in a remarkable performance as Marion where Rowlands display a sense of restraint to a woman who becomes unaware of the life she’s leading. Notably as Rowlands adds that sense of distance to her character as someone who is sort of cruel as well as judgmental as she starts to realize some of the trouble aspects of her life as it’s a very mesmerizing performance from Rowlands.
Another Woman is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features tremendous performance from Gena Rowlands. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as themes of regrets and identity, the film isn’t just a fantastic tribute to the works of Ingmar Bergman. It’s also a drama that explores a woman searching for herself in a crucial period in her life as she ponders about the choices she’s made. In the end, Another Woman is a phenomenal film from Woody Allen.
Woody Allen Films: What's Up Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love and Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don’t Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)
The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach with additional contributions by Robert Towne and Jeff Gross, Frantic is the story about an American doctor who travels to Paris to visit his wife as she suddenly disappears prompting him to go on a search for her whereabouts all over the city. The film is a suspense story that revolves a man’s desire to find his wife as he gets help from a young street-wise woman who knows about the dark underworld that is in the city. Starring Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, John Mahoney, and Emmanuelle Seigner. Frantic is a gripping yet mesmerizing thriller from Roman Polanski.
When the wife of an American doctor is kidnapped in Paris where her husband is trying to find her whereabouts. It is often in the schematics of things for the man to go on the search for his wife by himself. While the film does play into that, it revolves around a suitcase that later belongs to someone else as its owner is a young woman who was supposed to smuggle something in the suitcase unaware of its contents. Once this doctor and young woman figure out why they’re attracting trouble over a suitcase. What occurs is the fact that there is an object in the suitcase that some very important people want as this doctor and young woman are caught in the middle as all the doctor wants is his wife back.
The screenplay by Roman Polanski and Gerard Brach does play with the conventions of a suspense-thriller that often involves kidnapping angles. Yet, they add other elements to the stories such as the fact that the film’s protagonist in Dr. Richard Walker (Harrison Ford) has to deal with not just some of the American bureaucracy involved as it complicates issues in the search for his wife. There’s also all sorts of people that wants something in this suitcase that belongs to this young woman named Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner). While Michelle admits that she smuggles drugs for a dealer, she has no idea about some of the contents she was carrying in that suitcase. All because Michelle and Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra (Betty Buckley) each got the wrong suitcase, a whole lot of trouble comes in as Sondra is kidnapped and Dr. Walker goes on this frantic search to find her.
The script does explore the idea of how police and these American political issues complicate things for Dr. Walker as they’re more concerned about other things. Notably as it would also involve various people where Dr. Walker and Michelle realize what they’re after. For Dr. Walker, he can use this object as a bargaining chip to get his wife back while Michelle just wants money for bringing the object to them. Still, they have to deal with forces who are very dangerous and this object, which is a Macguffin, is what everyone else is after where Dr. Walker would finally take control of this deal.
Polanski’s direction is quite entrancing for the way he explores the world of kidnapping and a man’s desire to retrieve his wife. Notably as he creates a lot of interesting compositions to establish the sense of mystery that occurs in the film. Shot on location in Paris, Polanski creates something where it does involve this American who doesn’t speak much French as he’s either dismissed or misinterpreted by the locals. Yet, he does get help from a few people who understand what he’s going through. Polanski uses close-ups to unveil some of the tribulations that Dr. Walker is going through as well as some eerie moments in the nighttime moments where Dr. Walker is trying to uncover the mystery. In this world full of nightclubs filled with lots of reggae music, Dr. Walker is definitely in a world that he doesn’t really know much about as it is a very seedy side of Paris.
Polanski’s direction also allows the film to have a bit of humor such as a scene of Dr. Walker walking on the roof of Michelle’s apartment with the suitcase that reveals his sense of awkwardness while some of the humor also comes from Michelle who is just a young woman that likes to chew bubblegum. Polanski also create moments where he allows the characters to improvise a bit to get out of situations while maintaining that sense of suspense that is prevalent through the film. Notably in the final showdown involving Dr. Walker, Michelle and the people who has Sondra where it is about who gains what yet there are also forces that want something as Polanski maintains that intensity in the suspense. Overall, Polanski crafts a very engaging and chilling suspense film that doesn’t lose sight of its intentions as well as its characters.
Cinematographer Witold Sobocinski does excellent work with the cinematography from some of the nighttime interior shadings in the apartments and at Dr. Walker‘s hotel room to some of the look of Paris at dawn in some of the film‘s exterior scenes. Editor Sam O‘Steen does brilliant work with the editing by using some methodical rhythmic cuts to play out some of the film‘s suspenseful moments as well as some of its comical moments. Production designer Pierre Guffroy does nice work with the look of the hotel rooms that Dr. Walker is staying at as well as the apartment that Michelle lives in.
Costume designer Anthony Powell does wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish clothes of Michelle to the more reserved look of Dr. Walker. Sound editor Laurent Quaglio does fantastic work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the nightclubs as well as some of the eerie moments in the film. The film’s music by Ennio Morricone is phenomenal as Morricone creates this haunting score filled with ominous string arrangements with a bit of guitar in the mix to play out some of its suspense and drama as it’s one of his more overlooked scores in his revered career. The soundtrack features a mix of jazz and electro-pop music with a dash of reggae as it includes contributions by Simply Red and Grace Jones to play out the sense of youth that Michelle revels in.
The film’s cast is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Dominique Pinon as a wino who witnessed what happened to Sondra, Dominique Vitron as the hotel desk clerk, Jacques Ciron as the hotel manager, Jimmie Ray Weeks and John Mahoney as U.S. embassy officials, Thomas M. Pollard as a Rastafarian that Dr. Walker meets, David Huddleston as a colleague Dr. Walker meets at the airport, and Yorgo Voyagis as the kidnapper. Betty Buckley is terrific as Dr. Walker’s wife Sondra who becomes a victim of troubling circumstances in order to get an object that Michelle was supposed to deliver.
Emmanuelle Seigner is superb as the street-wise Michelle who helps Dr. Walker navigate through the streets of Paris to find Sondra while being a woman with her own agenda as it’s a wonderful debut performance for the actress. Finally, there’s Harrison Ford in an incredible performance as Dr. Richard Walker as a man who is just determined to find his wife where Ford brings the every-man into the character as well as a vulnerability that allows him to be very engaging in the plight that he’s facing.
Frantic is a marvelous suspense-thriller from Roman Polanski that is highlighted by the brilliant performances from Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner. While it’s a thriller that does play to conventional tactics, Polanski is able to make it very engaging as well as bring a sense of human drama that is prevalent through the film. It’s also one of Polanski’s more overlooked films for the fact that he is able to create something that does more for the suspense genre. In the end, Frantic is a masterfully-crafted thriller from Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Films: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary's Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - Chinatown - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates (1986 film)) - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Olivier Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage - (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
© thevoid99 2013
