Isle of Dogs

Directed by Wes Anderson and screenplay by Anderson from a story by Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Kunichi Nomura, Isle of Dogs is the story of a young boy in a futuristic, dystopian-Japan who travels to an island where dogs are living in exile due to an illness outbreak. The film is Anderson’s second stop-motion animated feature as it plays into a boy’s search for his dog where a group of dogs decide to help the boy as well as deal with being in exile because of a leader who hates dogs as the story is narrated by Courtney B. Vance. Featuring the voice cast of Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Koyu Rankin, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Ken Watanabe, Fisher Stevens, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, Frank Wood, and F. Murray Abraham. Isle of Dogs is a majestic and adventurous film from Wes Anderson.

Following a mandate to ban dogs from a Japanese by its mayor claiming that dogs are spreading diseases as they’re consumed by a mysterious illness, the film revolves around a young boy who travels to an island of trash to find his dog. It’s a film with a simple story as it explores conspiracy theories and paranoia from the perspective of humans while the dogs are dealing with hunger, an on-going flu, and the horrific environment they live in. Wes Anderson’s screenplay opens with a prologue of a legend about the arrival of dogs in Japan and how it lead to this conflict between man vs. dog until a boy came to the aid of dogs and would make them man’s best friend. It’s a story that would be replayed in this futuristic version of Japan where a mayor who hates dogs decides to create something to get the public to have dogs banned as it is told in four parts by an unseen narrator. Yet, the main narrative involves the mayor’s nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) wanting to retrieve his dog Spots (Liev Schreiber) whom he got just after Atari had been injured in a train crash that killed his parents.

The need to retrieve Spots would have Atari land on this island filled with trash that was also the former site of a factory and amusement park where he would meet five dogs in Chief (Bryan Cranston), Boss (Bill Murray), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), and Duke (Jeff Goldblum) where four of the dogs would help Atari find Spots but Chief is reluctant as he’s a stray dog that hasn’t known any loyalty to a master as he’s known to bite. Yet, the dogs would deal with a rescue team that has robotic dogs to attack where Chief decides to help Atari as it would play into this development between dog and boy, respectively, as it would also lead to some revelations to the former while giving the latter a sense of hope. The film also has subplots as it relates to students wanting to go against the mayor led by American foreign exchange student Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig) who believes there’s a conspiracy happening involving the mayor and his cohorts where they are also attempting to shut down a scientist in Professor Watanabe (Akira Ito) from creating a cure for the dogs.

Anderson’s direction is definitely intoxicating for the way he uses Japanese art and its architecture to create a world that is futuristic in some ways but also harkens to the tradition of the past. With the help of animation director Mark Waring, Anderson creates a film that does play into his visual sensibilities in terms of his precise compositions, camera movements, and offbeat humor. Yet, he would also utilize broad visuals to play into this world as the island of trash is desolate but also wild with rumors of cannibalistic dogs who eat other dogs. There are also these elements where Anderson uses satire as it relates to the rule and rhetoric of Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) that has similarities to current events in the world in how dogs are being treated as they’re sent to this island of trash with more plans to get rid of them altogether. Especially as Kobayashi has a henchman in Major Domo (Akira Takayama) who is trying to create more chaos where a lot of the visuals play into elements of suspense and drama.

Anderson’s direction also has these tender moments as it relates to the developing relationship between Chief and Atari as it has bits of humor and drama with Chief carrying a secret of his own about his life as a stray dog when the subject of favorite foods emerge during a conversation with the other dogs. Many of the dialogue between the dogs are in English while the humans, with the exception of Tracy and a few translators, are in Japanese. It allows audience to see a world that is unique while unsettling at times as it plays into this growing tension for truth with the people in this Japanese city being told false things while Tracy is trying to reveal the truth with Atari making plans to return to the city with the dogs in the hope that the truth will come out. Overall, Anderson crafts a mesmerizing and exhilarating film about a boy who travels to an island of trash to find his dog.

Cinematographer Tristan Oliver does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way many of the backgrounds are lit as well as the presentation of some of the interior settings in day and night in terms of the lighting. Editors Andrew Weisblum, Ralph Foster, and Edward Busch do brilliant work with the editing as it has elements of jump cuts and other stylish cut to play into the action and suspense as well as some of the drama. Production designers Paul Harrod and Adam Stockhausen, with art director Curt Enderle, do incredible work with the look of the city in all of its grand detail as it is a major highlight of the film as well as how it would look in the day and night as is the island of trash with its decayed buildings and other places in the island.

Visual effects supervisors Lev Kolobov and Tim Ledbury do fantastic work with the visual effects as it is mainly bits of set dressing including scenes shown on a TV screen for the characters to watch as it help play into the stop-motion animated look. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects involving the drones and robotic dogs as well as in some of the locations the characters are in. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is amazing for its usage of Japanese percussion and string music to help play into the drama and suspense as it’s another major highlight of the film while music supervisor Randall Poster provides a soundtrack that include a few score pieces of films by Akira Kurosawa and a song by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band that play for some of the adventure scenes.

The casting by Douglas Aibel and Kunichi Nomura is incredible as it features some small yet notable voice roles from co-writer Nomura as Mayor Kobayashi in all of his grandiose persona as well as Yoko Ono as Professor Watanabe’s assistant, Ken Watanabe as a head surgeon who helped Atari following the train crash, Fisher Stevens as a dog named Scraps whom Spots meet as he would tell him about cannibal dogs, Kara Hayward as a female dog named Peppermint, Anjelica Huston as a mute dog, Frank Wood as translator machine, Yojiro Noda as a news anchor, Nijiro Murakami as a school newspaper editor, Akira Ito as Professor Watanabe as a scientist who wants to disprove Kobayashi’s claims while wanting to create a cure for the dogs, and Akira Takayama as Kobayashi’s right-hand man Major Domo who would help Kobayashi in creating the anti-dog propaganda.

Liev Schreiber is terrific as Atari’s dog Spots who had been assigned to look after Atari following a near-fatal train crash while Harvey Keitel is superb as Gondo as a dog who leads a group of his own. F. Murray Abraham and Tilda Swinton are fantastic in their respective roles as Jupiter and Oracle as the former is a dog that helps the other dogs in finding Spots by showing them the way while the latter is a dog that claims to see the future as he’s really more into TV. Frances McDormand is excellent as Interpreter Nelson who would reveal the things that Kobayashi is saying while Greta Gerwig is wonderful as Tracy Walker as an American foreign exchange student who helps lead a student revolt against Kobayashi. Scarlett Johansson is brilliant as Nutmeg as a show-dog that convinces Chief to help Atari as she sees Atari as someone that can find the goodness in Chief.

The quartet of Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, and Edward Norton in their respective roles as King, Duke, Boss, and Rex are brilliant as the four dogs who have been treated well by their masters as they’re willing to help Atari find Spots while dealing with Chief’s reluctance. Koyu Rankin is remarkable as Atari as Kobayashi’s nephew who is eager to find his dog as he endures injuries and heartache as he is determined to get his dog back while befriending the other dogs including Chief. Finally, there’s Bryan Cranston in a phenomenal performance as Chief as a stray dog who has endured being captured and in a lot of fights who is reluctant to help Atari due to his own mistrusts towards humans where he later finds a sense of trust as well as a role that is far more important than himself.

Isle of Dogs is a tremendous film from Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, top-notch stop-motion animation, amazing set designs, and a thrilling score by Alexandre Desplat. The film is an exciting yet compelling adventure film that takes a simple concept and inject some real-life allegories about the world as it all plays for a boy’s love for his dog. In the end, Isle of Dogs is a spectacular film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - Poison - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs)

© thevoid99 2018

Midnight Cowboy

Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy, Midnight Cowboy is the story of a Texan hustler who works with a con man in the street of New York City where they deal with its decay and adversity. Directed by John Schlesinger and written by Waldo Salt, the film explores the friendship between two different men as they struggle to survive in the dark world of New York City. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Salt, and Barnard Hughes. Midnight Cowboy is a captivating and exhilarating film from John Schlesinger.

The film explores the friendship between two very different men as they struggle to survive the bad part of New York City where they’re ostracized for being different. One of them is a hustler from Texas who arrived to the city on a bus with the hopes to make money by bedding lonely rich women. Instead, Joe Buck (Jon Voight) finds himself dealing with the reality of his situations as he is accused of being gay because of his cowboy outfit as he gets the attention of a crippled con-man in Enrico Salvatore “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) who tries to con Buck yet the two would team up as Rizzo would become Buck’s manager. Yet, they would face lots of adversity as Buck and Rizzo would do whatever to survive and hope to get their hustling business started as well as the desire to move to Florida.

Waldo Salt’s screenplay has a unique structure where its first act is about the hopes and dreams of Buck wanting to go to New York City in his cowboy get-up. Along with a suitcase full of cowboy clothes and such, he’s also carrying emotional baggage from his past as he is haunted by some of these moments. It would serve as motivation for his need to succeed in New York City where he knows that he has an agile body and the ability to pleasure women. Unfortunately, Buck’s idea of being this aw-shucks cowboy who is quite gentlemanly towards women has become passe where he only attracts the attention of gay men. Through meeting Rizzo, Buck would be able to survive the city a little big longer as Rizzo is a con-man with a lot of street smarts. Though he often walks with a limp and looks very dirty but he sees some potential in Buck despite the cowboy get-up.

Salt’s script would also include some dialogue that would play into the drama as well as this unlikely friendship between Buck and Rizzo where the latter tells the former that the cowboy get-up is worn out and that anyone who wears that crap is gay. Buck would be baffled as he couldn’t believe that idea since John Wayne is a cowboy and straighter than anyone. It is part of Buck’s naivete about the ways of the world he’s in yet he and Rizzo do have dreams of living the good life in Florida. Yet, their adversities are often due to Buck’s naiveté as well as some misunderstanding and such where its third act would have the two at a party which would play into some major after-effects. Especially as Rizzo is already ill as he constantly coughs that would later worry Buck.

John Schlesinger’s direction is quite stylish in the way he presents some of the film’s dizzying flashbacks as well as some of the misadventures Buck would have in New York City. Much of it is told in this frenetic style of sorts where there’s a lot of hand-held cameras and strange sequences as it plays to a world where Buck has no clue into what he’s in as if he is an alien. Though things start off in a more light-hearted fashion where Schlesinger shoots Buck in an optimistic fashion where he is on a bus traveling from Texas to New York. There’s an intimacy to some of these compositions as well as how Schlesinger would frame Buck and Rizzo in their decayed apartment that sort of acts as an extension of Rizzo’s personality and declining health.

The direction would also include these very engaging scenes where New York City is a character in the film as it plays into this world of dreams and nightmare just as the city is starting to change in many ways. Much of which would baffle Buck who later learns how to tough it out where he and Rizzo would deal with cab drivers and all sorts of low-life people in the city. The flashback scenes would play into the world that Buck wanted to escape but also a world that he feels like he no longer belongs him where he and Rizzo are still searching for a place that can really feel like home for them. Especially as the film’s climax would have Buck become the engine to drive them to Florida in the hope for a fresh start. Overall, Schlesinger crafts a very compelling yet eerie film about two men surviving the streets of New York City.

Cinematographer Adam Holender does excellent work with the film‘s different photography styles with its vibrant use of colors in some of the exterior and interior settings along with some black-and-white stuff for a few flashbacks and dizzying sequences as well some grainy camera shots for a party scene. Editor Hugh A. Robertson does amazing work with the film‘s stylish editing with its use of jump-cuts and dissolves to create some montages that are quite dizzying and hypnotic to play into the strangeness that Buck would encounter. Production designer John Robert Lloyd and set decorator Philip Smith do terrific work with the look of the apartment Rizzo and Buck would stay at as well as the party they go to.

Costume designer Ann Roth does fantastic work with the costumes from the shirts and hat that Buck wears to the more ragged look of Rizzo. Sound editors Vincent Connelly and Jack Fitzstephens do brilliant work with the sound editing in the sound montages they create for the flashbacks as well as the scenes where Buck would be baffled by his surroundings. The film’s wonderful music soundtrack features a few score pieces by John Barry that plays into the sense of fantasy and plight that Buck and Rizzo would face well as the Fred Neil song Everybody‘s Talkin‘ that is sung by Harry Nilsson as other contributions from Nilsson, Randy Newman, and Warren Zevon to play into the crazy world of 1960s New York City.

The casting by Marion Dougherty is absolutely incredible as the film would feature some early appearances from M. Emmet Walsh as a VF passenger on the bus to New York, Bob Balaban as a student Buck would meet at a movie theater, Warhol superstar Viva as a party host, Jennifer Salt as an old girlfriend of Buck from the film’s flashbacks, Ruth White as Buck’s grandmother in the flashbacks, Gary Owens and T. Tom Marlow as different versions of the young Buck, Barnard Hughes as a troubled townie Buck meets late in the film, and John McGiver as a mysterious man Rizzo would use to con Buck. Brenda Vaccaro is wonderful as a young socialite Buck and Rizzo meets at a party that would be a major deal breaker for Buck in his desires to be a hustler. Sylvia Miles is fantastic as an aging socialite Buck meets early in the film who would prove to be a lot of trouble.

Finally, there’s the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight as both of them give absolutely outstanding performances in their respective roles as Enrico Rizzo and Joe Buck. Hoffman has this air of griminess to his character that makes him quite confrontational as well as be a bit of a slime ball but there is a lot of grit into his role as he is just trying to guide Buck into surviving New York City while hiding his own ailments. Voight brings a sense of charisma to his performance as this naïve Texan who wants to hustle but finds himself in a world that he doesn’t know. Hoffman and Voight have great camaraderie in the way they display their friendship as well as their differences which adds to the film’s brilliance.

Midnight Cowboy is a tremendous film from John Schlesinger that features riveting performances from Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. The film is definitely a very provocative yet mesmerizing film that explores two different men trying to survive the harshness of New York City in its most chaotic. Especially as it’s also a film about loneliness and a world where two men feel out of step with that world. In the end, Midnight Cowboy is a phenomenal film from John Schlesinger.

© thevoid99 2014

The Monuments Men

Based on the book by Robert M. Edsel, The Monuments Men is the story about a group of men that consists of art experts and historians who become part of a special Allied force in World War II to save works of art that is to be burned by the Nazis. Directed by George Clooney and screenplay by Clooney and Grant Heslov, the film is a World War II adventure in which soldiers team with artists and historians to save works of art with the help of a French woman. Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett. The Monuments Men is an adventurous and fun film from George Clooney.

The film is based on a true story about a group of art historians, curators, and museum directors who take part in a special mission to retrieve pieces of art stolen by the Nazis and return it to its owners. Even as they learn that Adolf Hitler has written a decree to burn the artwork in case of the Nazis’ defeat while the Soviet Union is also trying to get their hands on the artwork before the Allies do that. It’s a premise that is very intriguing in the way it plays a role in history although George Clooney and co-screenwriter Grant Heslov seem unsure in how to tell the story and make it so much. While they create some very interesting characters and maintain that sense of suspense of the mission itself. It seems like Clooney and Heslov want to do something that is funny and touching but also have the story be filled with some adventure and suspense where the result is a script that isn’t sure what it really wants to be.

Clooney’s direction for the film is simple but also ambitious for the story he is trying to tell as much of the film is set in Britain, France, Germany, and Belgium. It’s a film that is quite worldly with some great set pieces and wide shots to play into the locations while also having a sense of intimacy in the way some of the characters interact with each other. There’s also a recurring air of suspense where it plays into the action that these men have to face as they aren’t soldiers but rather men of art. Especially as the film’s second half showcases the kind of sacrifices these men make where it does play into some of the drama where the suspense does intensify once the presence of the Soviets would emerge. Though there isn’t a lot of gun fights in the film, Clooney is still able to keep things going despite the inconsistency in tone for the film. Overall, Clooney crafts a very delightful film about men trying to save art in the final years of World War II.

Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael does fantastic work with the cinematography from its use of lights for much of the film‘s interior and nighttime exterior/interior scenes as well as some scenes in the caves with its use of lighting in order to convey a look that is reminiscent of some of the artwork presented in the film. Editor Stephen Mirrione does nice work with the editing to play into some of the film‘s suspense and action as well as using some unique rhythms for its humor. Production designer James D. Bissell, with set decorator Bernhard Henrich and supervising art director Helen Jarvis, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of Hitler‘s plans for his ultimate museum to the caves in Germany and the places in Paris. Costume designer Louise Frogley does terrific work with the costumes from the uniform the men wear to the dresses that the Claire Simone character wears.

Visual effects supervisors Asregadoo Arundi and Dominic Parker does excellent work with the visual effects for some of the visual backdrops that appears in the film. Sound editor Oliver Tarvey does superb work with the sound to play into much of the film‘s action as well as some of its quieter moments. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is amazing for its orchestral score where it‘s bombastic at times but also playful with its drum cadences while music supervisor brings in some music of that period for the characters to listen to during the break from the action.

The casting by Jina Jay is marvelous for the ensemble that is created in the film as it features some notable small performances from Holger Handtke as a Nazi colonel who reveres the art that is stolen as well as Justus von Dohnanyi as the Nazi officer Stuhl that Simone worked for as she would help the men find him in order to get the art that was stolen. Dimitri Leonidas is terrific as the German-speaking U.S. soldier Sam Epstein who accompanies Lt. Stokes in the missions as he aids them in the missions while hearing what the Germans have said. Hugh Bonneville is excellent as Major Donald Jeffries as a British art collector who is eager to search for a statue of Madonna that becomes a crucial MacGuffin to the story. Bob Balaban is superb as Pvt. Preston Savitz as an art expert who provides not just some of the film’s best comic moments but also some of the more touching moments in the film. Jean Dujardin is amazing as the French art expert Lt. Jean Claude Clermont who despises Nazis while being a man of wit and charm as he is eager to reclaim the art the Nazis stole from his country.

John Goodman is fantastic as sculpture expert Sgt. Walter Garfield as he also brings some humor to the film while expressing his love for sculptures. Bill Murray is great as the architect Sgt. Richard Campbell as a quick-witted guy who always says funny things while feeling homesick for his country. Cate Blanchett is brilliant as the French Claire Simone as a member of the resistance who spies on the Nazis as she helps Lt. Granger in finding some of the locations of the stolen artwork despite her misgivings over what the Allies want to do with the art. Matt Damon is wonderful as Lt. James Granger as an art expert who travels to France to meet with Simone in order to find the location of the stolen artwork as he brings some nice humor the role. Finally, there’s George Clooney in a stellar performance as Lt. Frank Stokes as the leader of the gang who is eager to retrieve these pieces of arts in the hopes that people will see them again after the war while dealing with the sacrifices made for these dangerous missions.

The Monuments Men is a pretty good film from George Clooney that is armed with a great ensemble cast that includes Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville. While it doesn’t live up to the ambitions of the story as well as being inconsistent in tone, it is still a film that is worthwhile for those who enjoy World War II stories. In the end, The Monuments Men is a stellar film from George Clooney.

George Clooney Films: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Good Night, and Good Luck - (Leatherheads) - The Ides of March

© thevoid99 2014

Alice (1990 film)

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Alice is the story about an upper-class New York housewife whose life changes after meeting a jazz musician as she thinks about her life as she turns to a mysterious Chinese man for help. Inspired by Federico Fellini’s 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits, the film is a mixture of romance and fantasy where a woman tries to find herself away from the life she’s lived. Starring Mia Farrow, William Hurt, Joe Mantegna, Alec Baldwin, Keye Luke, Judy Davis, Blythe Danner, Cybill Shepherd, Bernadette Peters, and Bob Balaban. Alice is an extraordinary film from Woody Allen.

The film plays into the life of a rich New York City housewife who goes to a mysterious Chinese man (Keye Luke) in Chinatown to get something for her aching back. What happens instead is that this woman named Alice (Mia Farrow) goes into a journey of self-discovery as she thinks about her 16-year marriage to Doug (William Hurt) while falling for a musician named Joe (Joe Mantegna) whom she had dreams about. In taking different amounts of herbs, Alice encounters these revelations about her life while wondering who to be with as she turns to her estranged sister Dorothy (Blythe Danner) for help while becoming driven to do something about her life.

It’s a film that takes this woman who for all of her life has lived a world where it’s very routine where she shops, goes to salons, gossip with various friends, and do all sorts of things as a rich woman. Yet, Alice is also quite prudish and unwilling to take risks where she seems to be content with her life despite the fact that she and Doug don’t spend much time together anymore as he’s always working. It’s only until she starts to have some backaches where she meets the mysterious Dr. Yang as she takes different herbs in her drinks to play into her attraction towards Joe as well as doing things like be invisible and pry into his life and other people’s lives.

The screenplay that Woody Allen creates is full of these revelations that Alice faces not just about herself but also her late mother (Gwen Verdon) and the things she does as well as her marriage that’s definitely lost steam. While she finds some happiness in Joe, it’s not enough as Joe is dealing with being a divorcee with a child to take care of. Though Alice is also a mother, her two kids are often in the care of a nanny as it adds more to her own existential plight as well as what kind of woman she needs to be.

Allen’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions though there are moments of style in the way he brings up this idea of fantasy. Notably as it includes a sequence where Alice meets the ghost of her former lover Ed (Alec Baldwin) who observes her as well as Joe while having a very low opinion on Doug. There’s also some funny moments of Alice being invisible as she talks to a friend on the phone as only the phone is shown while another sequence has Alice and Joe both be invisible through the herbal drink that Alice had been carrying where it’s funny but also would become a key plot point for both characters. There’s also a moment where Alice has to face things about her childhood and her relationship with her estranged sister as it also plays some truths about her mother. All of these revelations where Allen uses medium shots and some close-ups are all to express Alice’s journey into finding herself and meaning in her life. Overall, Allen crafts a very majestic and compelling film about a woman’s personal journey in finding herself.

Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from some of the look of the interiors like Alice and Doug‘s home to the more low-key look of the scenes in Chinatown. Editor Susan E. Morse does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward where it doesn‘t go for style except in a few rhythmic cuts for some of its comedic moments. Production designer Santo Loquasto, with set decorator Susan Bode and art director Speed Hopkins, does amazing work with the set designs from the look of Alice and Doug’s posh home to the school where her kids and Joe’s daughter go to.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does fantastic work with the costumes from the posh clothes Alice and her friends wear to the more simplistic look of Dr. Yang. Visual effects supervisor Randall Balsmeyer does terrific work with some of the visual effects like the dissolved look of Ed to some of the moments where Alice and Joe become invisible. Sound editor Robert Hein does superb work with the sound to create some effects where dialogue is presented while the characters aren’t talking as well as some of the scenes in the locations. The film’s music soundtrack features a mix of jazz and classical music to play up the sense of adventure and fantasy that is prevalent in the film.

The casting by Juliet Taylor is brilliant for the ensemble that is created where it features some small appearances from Holland Taylor as a friend of Alice’s, June Squibb as Alice’s maid, Gwen Verdon and Patrick O’Neal as Alice’s late parents, filmmaker James Toback as a writing professor Alice briefly goes to for instructions on writing, Elle MacPherson as a model at a clothing store, Bob Balaban as a guest at Dorothy’s Xmas party, and Judy Davis as Joe’s ex-wife Vicki. Other notable small roles include Alec Baldwin as Alice’s deceased lover Ed, Bernadette Peters as a muse who appears through one of Alice’s herbal drinks, and Cybill Shepherd as an old friend of Alice’s who becomes a powerful TV executive who is uninterested in Alice’s ideas.

Keye Luke is amazing as Dr. Yang as a man who gives Alice mysterious herbs to help her as he would guide her into the journey that she must take. William Hurt is terrific in a small though sort of bland role as Alice’s husband Doug as a man who is always working while not really understanding about what his wife does. Blythe Danner is wonderful as Alice’s older sister Dorothy as a woman whom Alice hadn’t seen who becomes aware of Alice’s problems as well as giving her some harsh truths about Alice. Joe Mantegna is great as the musician Joe Ruffalo as a man whom Alice falls for as he is seeking for someone to overcome his life as a divorced man while being mystified by some of Alice’s experience with the herbs. Finally, there’s Mia Farrow in a remarkable performance as the titular character as a woman who learns about her life as well as finding more about herself as Farrow brings a bit of humor and humility to a character that becomes strong as the story progresses.

Alice is a marvelous film from Woody Allen that features a winning leading performance from Mia Farrow. Along with a great supporting cast that includes Joe Mantegna, William Hurt, Blythe Danner, and the late Keye Luke. It’s a film that isn’t just one of Allen’s more entertaining films but also one of his most thought-provoking about individuality and finding a role in life. In the end, Alice is a sensational 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 - Another Woman - New York Stories: Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - 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

Gosford Park

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/30/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on an original idea from Robert Altman and Bob Balaban, Gosford Park is a murder mystery set in the British countryside in the course of a weekend involving a group of wealthy people and their servants as a conflict emerges between the two parties. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Julian Fellowes, the film is a take on the whodunit mystery as it's set in the 1930s that is a mixture of comedy, drama, and suspense. With an all-star cast that includes Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Michael Gambon, Stephen Fry, Kelly MacDonald, Jeremy Northam, Kristin Scott Thomas, Bob Balaban, Ryan Phillippe, Alan Bates, Richard E. Grant, Camila Rutherford, Emily Watson, Eileen Atkins, Clive Owen, Tom Hollander, Charles Dance, Derek Jacobi, and Geraldine Somerville. Gosford Park is a witty yet delightful whodunit from the brilliant Robert Altman.

A weekend gathering at the British gathering is happening as a group of rich socialites and many others arrive at the home of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). Among those arriving are the Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith) with her maid Mary MacEachern (Kelly Macdonald), Lord and Lady Stockbridge (Charles Dance and Geraldine Sommerville) with their servant Robert Parks (Clive Owen), Freddie and Mabel Nesbitt (James Wilby and Claudie Blakely), Lt. Commander Anthony and Lady Lavinia Meredith (Tom Hollander and Natasha Wightman), Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), and American producer Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban) with his servant Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe). The servants are accompanied by the head butler Jennings (Alan Bates) along with housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), head maid Elsie (Emily Watson), jewels security chief George (Richard E. Grant), and the chef Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins). Immediately, conversations occur throughout the house as Denton tells Wilson and Croft that his boss is a vegetarian as he observes the place much to the annoyance of his fellow maids and servants. Meanwhile at the house, a lot is happening where the Nesbitts are having marital issues where Freddie seeks to have an affair with Sir McCordle's daughter Isobel (Camilla Rutherford) and Lt. Commander Meredith is seeking to have a business deal with Sir McCordle.

While dinner is happening both up and downstairs, Denton continues to ask questions to the maids and servants where Parks reveals himself to be an orphan where a couple of late arrivals happen in Lord Rupert Standish (Laurence Fox) and his friend Jeremy Blond (Trent Ford). Mary does some last minute work as she tries to figure out how to work in a big house without bothering anyone. On the next day during pheasants hunting with Sir McCordle, things don't go well during the hunt while Anthony Meredith and Freddie Nesbitt are both eager to talk to him. Instead, things don't go well as everyone starts to get testy with one another leading to a tense dinner where a comment by Lady Sylvia has Elsie finally speaking out in defense of Sir McCordle. Elsie leaves due to her behavior as Ivor Novello decides to change the mood by entertaining the guests while Weissman is waiting for a phone call. Later that night, Lady Stockbridge makes a shocking discovery where Inspector Thomas (Stephen Fry) and Constable Dexter (Ron Webster arrive to the house to investigate. With Thompson amazed by the home, he talks to all of the servants including Probert (Derek Jacobi) as well as the guest about their connections to McCordle.

Still, revelations are unveiled into why Henry Denton had been so snoopy as many of the guests and servants who killed McCordle and why. Mary makes a discovery about Parks in relation to McCordle as does Dexter. Once the investigation winds down, Mary receives a final lesson from Mrs. Wilson about servitude.

While the movie is a classic whodunit where everyone is a suspect, Robert Altman takes the genre off its feet and makes it into something where it becomes more about the people behind the homes and how they run the place. Yet, it's not surprising that the servants, butlers, cooks, and valets are far more interesting than the people above the basements who spend their time talking about things common people can't relate to. That doesn't mean the posh aren't uninteresting, there's moments when they can be interesting. Yet, they are out of touch somewhat with the real world when Weissman talks about a movie he plans to make yet, most of the people he is surrounded by aren't interested or intend to watch his films. Really, the film is about a murder and how people react to it while living their own idea of life.

Screenwriter Julian Fellowes does an amazing job in taking the structure of making the story feel like a theatrical play of sorts. There's the first act where the story introduces the characters, the second act about the murder and the investigation, and the third is the aftermath. It's all told in a simple way while it's all helmed by the brilliance of Robert Altman. Taking an almost, entirely British cast whom all seem to have some kind of theater background. The film does feel like a theater play where all the actors have their place and their own take on the character.

Yet, Altman deconstructs all of that to the point where the actors feel a bit loose, improvise, and enjoy themselves. Including a very comedic scene where Maggie Smith is seen laughing as if she's having a hell of a time. The camera rarely stands still as it's constantly moving to observe a conversation, a moment where people are having fun or something else. It's all part of the Altman style of improvisation, overlapping dialogue, and something that feels natural for the audience to relate to. Yet, it still works to the point where though at times, it's hard to follow, it's a lot of fun to watch.

Cinematographer Andrew Dunn does great work in capturing the atmosphere and difference of the two cultures with very dark, intimate lighting schemes on the basements to more showy lights on the upstairs part. Production designer Stephen Altman and art director Sarah Hauldren do amazing work in playing to the film's authenticity of 1930s cars, objects, and such with costume designer Jenny Beavan creating wonderfully lavish clothing for the upper class people.

Editor Tim Squyres adds to the film's energetic, improvisational style with some wonderful cutting and tension to build the momentum for the suspense. Sound editor Nigel Mills also adds to the film's atmosphere with a great sequence where Ivor Novello sings and how the people downstairs react to his music playing in the background. The music of Novello is heard as is a wonderfully melodic, suspenseful score from Patrick Doyle whose piano flourishes and orchestral arrangements adds to the film's unique energy.

Then there's the film's amazing cast in which, there isn't a single bad performance. To the smallest of performances to the most well-known cast member. Yet, it's a bit hard at times to remember everyone involved. Small performances from Trent Ford, Laurence Fox, Teresa Churcher as cook Bertha, Jeremy Swift as the gay butler Arthur, and Ron Webster as Constable Dexter are memorable. Sophie Thompson is great as the ever-loyal Dorothy who seems willing to do anything for Mr. Jennings. Charles Dance and Geraldine are wonderful as Stockbridges with Clive Owen giving a fantastic role as the shady Robert Parks.

Derek Jacobi is wonderful as Mr. McCordle's personal butler with Richard E. Grant as the snotty George. Ryan Phillippe is very good as the shady Henry Denton who gets more than he bargains for when he plays both sides only to be humiliated in front of both. Bob Balaban is excellent as the consumed American producer Weissman who carries his own secret that only Denton knows. Jeremy Northam is wonderful as the entertaining Ivor Novello.

Maggie Smith is wonderfully funny as the spoiled Constance who enjoys her own lifestyle though not fully aware of the real world. Tom Hollander is good as the desperate businessman Meredith with James Wilby as another desperate man in Freddie Nesbitt. Natasha Wightman and Claudie Blakley are excellent as their respective wives to portray the contrast of their own love life with Blakley being more dramatic. Stephen Fry is charming as the inept, distracted Inspector Thompson, who never gets to say his name entirely while Emily Watson is amazing as the Cockney-accent Elsie whose experience and care for McCordle makes her a very complex character. Camila Rutherford is excellent as the suffering Isobel who is often pursued by Freddie with Kristin-Scott Thomas as her mother Sylvia, who is a divine as the bitchy, bored wife of McCordle.

Sir Michael Gambon is excellent as this awful yet mean man who has become more distracted by money and riches as he opposes all sorts of old businesses and such. Eileen Atkins and Helen Mirren are great as feuding members of the staff who don't like each other with Mirren giving an amazing performance as the perfect servant, Mrs. Wilson. The late Alan Bates is great as the head butler Mr. Jennings who have his own secrets while managing the house while Kelly MacDonald is great as the naive yet observant Mary MacEachern who learns what it takes to be a great servant.

Gosford Park is an incredible film from Robert Altman that features an amazing ensemble cast. The film is definitely among of Altman's great films for its take on the whodunit mysteries as well as utilizing his mastery of finding life in an ensemble piece. Notably as it explores the world of class and servitude and the roles that these people play in this way of life. In the end, Gosford Park is an extraordinarily rich film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2013

Capote

Based on Gerald Clarke’s biography on Truman Capote, Capote is the story of famed novelist interviewing the men that would inspire his acclaimed novel In Cold Blood. Directed by Bennett Miller and screenplay by Dan Futterman, the film explores Capote’s life into the making of the book as well as his unique personality as the role is played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Also starring Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Bruce Greenwood, Mark Pellegrino, Amy Ryan, and Chris Cooper. Capote is an intriguing yet hypnotic film from Bennett Miller.

After reading the news about a murder in Kansas, Truman Capote is intrigued by the story as he travels to the murder site with friend/fellow author Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) for an article about what happened. After interviewing various locals including enforcement chief Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper) about what might’ve happened as Capote thinks there’s a whole lot more to it. During a dinner with Alvin and his wife (Amy Ryan), news emerged that the killers have been caught as they’re revealed to be Richard Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) and Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.). Capote wants to get to know the killers as he tells his editor William Shawn (Bob Balaban) and novelist/lover Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood) that he wants to do more research about what happened for a book.

Capote gets to know the prisoners as he becomes very attached to Smith as the two share their own experiences where Smith even lends Capote his diary. With Capote using everything he knew from Smith to write his book, he goes to Spain with Dunphy for a year as he waits for news about their appeal. When their appeal is rejected, Capote returns to the U.S. to meet with Smith as he still wants to know what happened that night. Smith eventually tells him while Capote struggles to finish the book despite reading passages to the public some time earlier. With the execution for Smith and Hickock looming and Capote feeling very attached towards Smith, Capote deals with everything he’s experienced as he awaits for the execution of the two killers.

The film is about a period in Capote’s life from the moment he reads about this incident in Kansas that would lead him to write the novel of his career. Yet, there’s a lot more to it in the way Capote presents himself to people when he’s having fun as an openly-gay man while being the serious writer when he’s on the job. What happens in the course of the film is that his research into creating this book would eventually take a toll on him as he becomes attached to one of the killers realizing that they’re just human beings despite their action.

Dan Futterman’s script delves into a Capote’s personality and his persona while making him into a very complex individual that is trying to make a story that humanizes the killers he’s interviewing. Futterman also succeeds in making Capote flawed as he would often lie to Perry Smith about the progress of his book in order to try and get to know him. Other characters such as Smith, Harper Lee, Jack Dunphy, and Alvin Dewey are just as interesting in the way the react to or interact with Capote. Notably Smith as he’s this quiet yet troubled man that is trying to find some form of redemption as he befriends Capote. Futterman’s script succeeds in laying out the events that happens as well as Capote’s research though the story starts to drag a bit towards the third act. Largely because there’s an uncertainty to the way Capote is feeling about the execution as he is waiting for it to happen. Still, Futterman manages to create a script that is compelling and insightful.

Bennett Miller’s direction is truly a marvel to watch from the way he opens the film quietly with this scene of a young woman walking into a house where she would find a dead body. That sense of steady compositions mixed with silence is a great example of what Miller could do as he maintains a very simple yet direct approach to the film. Often having the camera moving slowly or to just shoot something in a very simple presentation. Miller’s direction is very potent as he also can create an atmosphere to the locations that is set in the film whether it’s the Canadian locations as Kansas or other scenes shot in California and Austin, Texas. There is a truly a mesmerizing feel to the film as Miller creates what is truly a fascinating portrait of one of the great writers of the 20th Century.

Cinematographer Adam Kimmel does a brilliant job with the film‘s entrancing photography from the low-key yet colorful nighttime shots for the interior scenes in New York along with some gorgeous yet hypnotic daytime shots for a lot of the Kansas scenes with very little sunlight. Kimmel’s photography in a lot of the daytime scenes has an exquisite beauty that is truly reminiscent of the films made by Terrence Malick as it’s the true technical highlight of the film. Editor Christopher Tellefsen does a superb job with the editing in maintaining a methodical pace throughout the film, despite the slowness of the third act, while utilizing rhythmic cuts and fade-outs to help keep the film going.

Production designer Jess Gonchor, along with art director Gord Peterson and set decorators Maryam Decter and Scott Rossell, does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as the jail cell that Smith lives in as well as the posh Spanish home that Dunphy lives where Capote does some of his writing. Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone does a wonderful job with the costumes created from the suits and clothes that Capote wears to the late-50s/early 60s dresses that some of the women wear in the film. Sound editor Ron Bochar does a great job with the sound from the sparseness of the open field Kansas location to the raucous atmosphere of the New York parties that Capote frequently attends to.

The film’s plaintive, piano-driven score by Mychael Danna is truly mesmerizing from the mood that Danna creates to underplay the drama and the horror that surrounds the events as it features a low-key string orchestra to add a heaviness to the music. Music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a soundtrack filled with playful jazz and bossa nova music to complement the world of NYC that Capote lives in as it’s definitely fun to hear.

The casting by Avy Kaufman is amazing as it features a wonderful collective of actors needed for a film like this. In small but notable roles, there’s Allie Mickelson as the young woman who found the bodies at the start of the film, Marshall Bell as the prison warden, Amy Ryan as Alvin Dewey’s wife, Bob Balaban as Capote’s editor William Shawn, and Mark Pellegrino as convicted killer Richard Hickock. Chris Cooper is excellent in a small but memorable role as local law enforcer Alvin Dewey who reluctantly helps out Capote in his research. Bruce Greenwood is terrific as Capote’s lover/fellow novelist who tries to deal with Capote’s research while being there for him as he writes his own novel.

Clifton Collins Jr. is superb as Perry Smith as Collins brings a sensitivity to his performance that is also chilling as a man who is aware of his crimes as he yearns for redemption. Catherine Keener is great as novelist Harper Lee who helps Capote in his research while being the one confidant he can count on. Finally, there’s Philip Seymour Hoffman in a fantastic performance as Truman Capote as Hoffman brings a wonderful sense of charm to the novelist in the way he presents himself publicly. In more somber moments, Hoffman restrains himself in the way he does his research while dealing with his own attachment towards Smith as it’s a truly outstanding performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Capote is phenomenal film from Bennett Miller that features a magnificent performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman as the famed author. The film is a mesmerizing portrait of Truman Capote’s life during the writing of his famed novel In Cold Blood and the toll it took on him as a writer. The film is also a very rich and divine for its imagery while it’s a drama that is very engaging in the way it’s presented. In the end, Capote is brilliant film from Bennett Miller.

Bennett Miller Films: The Cruise - Moneyball - Foxcatcher - The Auteurs #47: Bennett Miller

© thevoid99 2011

Ghost World

Originally Written and Posted on 8/12/04 w/ Extensive Revisions & Additional Edits.

If life at high school sucked, then it’s really nothing compared to what happens after. Sure, kids go to college after that but what happens when you meet new people and in the process lose the people you cared for back in high school. Comic book writer Daniel Clowes captured the bleakness of post-high school life through the eyes of two teenage girls in his comic series Ghost World. The comic gained a cult popularity that included Crumb filmmaker Terry Zwigoff. Zwigoff and Clowes decided to adapt the comic book series into a film of the same name that captures the bleakness of teenagers and adults in a world, many of them don’t fit in with.

The movie for Ghost World is about two teenage girls, who just graduated from high school, finding themselves starting to drift apart after one of them encounters a lonely, eccentric adult. During their aimless journey, they try to find the strange eccentricities of their dreary suburban home while pondering what to do with their own lives. Leading the cast in Ghost World are Thora Birch as the sullen yet arty Enid and Scarlett Johansson as the prettier yet bored Rebecca. Also starring Brad Renfro, Teri Garr, David Cross, Bob Balaban, Illeana Douglas, Dave Sheridan, Tom McGowan, and Steve Buscemi. Ghost World is a harrowing yet humorous film from Terry Zwigoff and company.

Enid and Rebecca are at their graduation as they watch a handicapped speaker (Rini Bell) talk about life after high school though both Enid Rebecca believe there is no future. Reluctantly attending a graduation party while Enid is forced to return to school to pass art to gain a diploma. After high school, Enid and Rebecca walk through the town’s dreariness where they encounter two old strange people Enid convinced are Satanists and an old man (Charles J. Peterson) sitting at an unused bus stop. Enid then finds an ad for a guy looking for a girl as she and Rebecca call the number and pretend to be some blonde. They bring their friend/gas station patron named Josh (Brad Renfro) to a diner to see the guy revealed to be a man named Seymour (Steve Buscemi) who arrives as he waits for the woman but finds out he’s been duped.

Enid and Rebecca follow Seymour as they learn he’s some strange, eccentric guy who collects old vinyl blues records. Enid meanwhile is having problems at home as her dad (Bob Balaban) is thinking of dating his ex-girlfriend Maxine (Teri Garr) whom she despies. Rebecca however, decides to move ahead with plans for her own apartment with Enid by getting a job. Enid takes a summer class with a quirky art teacher named Roberta (Illeana Douglas) while reluctantly taking a job search as she and Rebecca meet Seymour and his friend Joe (Tom McGowan). After getting a blues record that Enid likes, she starts to befriend Seymour who invites her to a party. Rebecca reluctantly attends where she gets verbally harassed by a partygoer (David Cross).

Enid hangs out with Seymour as they find a shared disdain towards the world as he's more interested in obscure blues and such while her friendship with Rebecca deteriorates over Enid's fascination with Seymour and Rebecca becoming more social. When Seymour finally meets a woman named Dana (Stacey Travis), Enid becomes unhappy over the things around her life as well as her deteriorating friendship with Rebecca and Seymour.

While the film’s offbeat quirky humor mixed in with restrained drama brings an eccentric quality to the film, it’s one of the reasons why the film stands out from many of the indie and teen films of the time. With Daniel Clowes’ story and realist humor, the film’s title is really about the disintegration of Americana through the world of corporate America and the urge to conform. Terry Zwigoff brings in a vast, wonderful direction that is tightly constructed with wonderful cinematography from Affonso Beato. Helping with Zwigoff’s complex direction is a melancholic film score from composer David Kitay whose piano composition really gives the film movement and serves as another character. With production designer Edward T. McAvoy, the film’s look really brings that bleakness of post-20th Century America where the world and some of its individuals ends up conforming. Another great moment is the film’s artwork, notably from Sophie Crumb (daughter of Robert Crumb) who does the drawing for Enid’s book. While Ghost World might seem to be an off-the-wall comedy, it’s also a wonderful character study film, notably between Birch’s Enid and Johansson’s Rebecca.

The film’s supporting players really stand out from its cameo appearances from Ileana Douglas, David Cross, and Teri Garr to the hilarious performance from Dave Sheridan. Brad Renfro is also excellent in the role of Josh, who might seem as a clueless tormented figure who is used as a joke for Enid and Rebecca when really, he plays a secret crush that they don’t want to admit. Bob Balaban is excellent as Enid’s father for his straight performance to Birch’s offbeat performance while bringing a compassionate performance, even in scenes where he just doesn’t understand his daughter. With other smaller roles from Stacey Travis, Charles J. Peterson, Brian George, and Tom McGowan, the film has an overall stellar cast.

Of the film’s supporting performances, the best easily goes to Scarlett Johansson as the cynical, realist Rebecca who serves as a perfect foil to the downbeat Enid. With her quick-sarcasm and intellectual remarks, Johansson stands out among the entire cast with her restrained, mature performance. Especially since she came out of two amazing performances previously with 1996’s Manny & Lo and 1998’s The Horse Whisperer. With those two performances, Johansson comes to fruition with maturity by playing an 18-year old when at the time of making the film she was only 15. In the development of Rebecca throughout the film, we see Johansson not trying to make Rebecca conform to society but bringing a realism and maturity to the point that Enid couldn’t understand since she’s too much of a rebel while Rebecca just gave up on rebelling and moving forward.

Steve Buscemi is also brilliant in his performance as Seymour with his frustrated, oddball look while being a charming, romantic fellow. This was the closest thing to having Buscemi being a romantic lead but he has an off-the-wall humor that is so intriguing that it is remarkable, as he doesn’t mind being the butt of jokes. Plus, we see he’s the kind of guy that couldn’t fit in because of his hobbies or anything. Buscemi brought a depth and frustration that is loveable while he manages to carry great chemistry with Birch throughout the entire film while having a few intense, dramatic scenes with Johansson.

Thora Birch is the film’s most remarkable performance with her sympathetic, anti-establishment performance as Enid. Coming off a post-child stardom role in American Beauty, Birch brings a cynicism and attitude to Enid who is trying to find herself in the world. Birch also brings humor in her scenes where she and Johansson torment people quietly but as the film wears on, she realizes that she’s one of them and brings sadness to a role where she’s just lost. Especially in the film’s ending where things get really bizarre and nothing in the beginning of the film is the same anymore. Enid is a character that everyone could relate to, especially since not everyone wants a shoddy job or to conform to any kinds of stereotype. It’s overall Birch’s best performance to date.

The 2002 Region DVD release from MGM/United Artists presents the film in a 16:9 widescreen format brings a lot of brilliance to the film, especially in its look. With its English, French, and Spanish subtitles and 5.1 Surround Sound, the film’s features doesn't have much. Aside from a theatrical trailer of the film plus for its soundtrack, The Princess Bride, and a special edition of The Terminator. The special features also include four deleted and alternate scenes, which really don’t add much to the film. Two of them features hilarious moments between Brian George and Dave Sheridan while one involves Buscemi talking about a record and Ileana Douglas talking about an art thing she did. The best thing about the special features is the music video for Jaan Pehechaan Ho from the film Gumnaam in the 1960s and a making of feature with interviews from Zwigoff, Clowes, Birch, Johansson, Buscemi, and Brad Renfro where they all talk about the film and the comic book.

***Additional Content Written and Posted from 9/29/17-10/1/17***

The 2017 Region 1/Region A DVD/Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a newly-restored 4K digital transfer that is supervised by its filmmaker Terry Zwigoff in its original 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio with 5.1 Surround Sound on DVD (5.1 Surround DTS-HD Master Audio for the Blu-Ray). Among the features retained from 2002 DVD from MGM are the film’s theatrical trailer, the excerpt from Gumnaam, and the film’s deleted scenes with additional scenes that were also cut that include an extended scene of Enid and Rebecca talking to the waiter Weird Al and a scene of Enid meeting Josh as they would have sex which becomes awkward. The Gumnaam excerpt would feature a commentary track from a Bollywood expert Roshini Dubey who talks about the film and its placement in Bollywood as well as why it was featured in Zwigoff’s film as a way to play into Enid’s outsider persona.

The feature-length audio commentary track from director Terry Zwigoff, co-writer Daniel Clowes, and producer Lianne Haflon have the trio talk about aspects of the production as well as some of the visual look of the film courtesy of cinematographer Affonso Beato, production designer Edward T. McAvoy, and costume designer Mary Zophres. Zwigoff reveals the anxiety he had in directing the film as it was his first time doing a narrative film as he turned to Francis Ford Coppola for help in directing actors as he learned from Coppola that it’s something that can’t be taught as Coppola admits to not knowing how to direct actors. Fortunately, Zwigoff was able to get through thanks in part to the ensemble he worked with as he, Clowes, and Haflon had a lot of praise toward the actors including Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi as well as those who did the smaller roles. They also discuss some of the artwork as well as other things in the film as it’s a very enjoyable and engaging commentary track.

The 42-minute featurette entitled Art as Dialogue feature new interviews with actresses Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Illeana Douglas as they all talk about the film, their characters, and working with Zwigoff. Birch discusses her approach to the Enid character after having read the graphic novel and other works of Clowes as she originally was considered for the role of Rebecca when Christina Ricci was considered for the role of Enid. Fortunately, Birch was able to convince Zwigoff and Clowes that she was right for Enid while Johansson talked about her own experiences in the film as she was only 15 years old when she made it yet had experienced a lot in her life. Especially as she and Birch both had their own similar experiences as child actors transitioning into adult roles where they both shared their own experiences in dealing with that transition.

Douglas discusses the approach of her character as well as her friendship with Steve Buscemi as they both came from the world of New York City art during the 1980s which was the inspiration for Douglas’ idea for Roberta. All three women also talk about the film’s impact culturally and socially where they’re all baffled into how young women try to dress up like Enid and want to be like her which they all admit is odd. Johansson does talk about how her fans often bring up the film as it’s a favorite of theirs as she knows a friend’s daughter who just discovered it. All three women also talk about the film’s ending and what they believed happened to Enid and Rebecca in the end as it’s one of the finest pieces on the DVD.

The DVD/Blu-Ray also feature two booklets as one is a reprinted excerpt of Clowes’ original comic as well as material from 2008 special edition reissue of the graphic novel into the fate of the two characters including their own reaction towards the film. The second booklet feature two essays about the film as the first essay entitled Séance in Wowsville is from film critic/author Howard Hampton who talks about the film and how it relates to not just Zwigoff’s other films but also how it managed to make an impression on those who saw it the first time around. Especially in how Enid and Rebecca react to the world around them where the latter reluctantly has to take part in that world in order to do what everyone else is doing forcing Enid to find companionship in Seymour. Hampton also talk about other aspects of the film including the casting as well as many of the things that has attracted the audience due to their disdain of this growing culture of conformity.

The second essay is from director Terry Zwigoff that was written as liner notes for the film’s music soundtrack in its 2001 release. Zwigoff talks about what he wanted to use in terms of the bad music that Enid and Rebecca despised as he couldn’t secure the usage of the pop music of the early 2000s like Britney Spears or ‘Nsync forcing him to find other things. He also talks about some of the other music in the soundtrack as the music that Seymour likes is the music that Zwigoff has while talking about how he discovered the music of Skip James while critiquing the music of Cream and Bjork as inferior. It’s a fun read as it play into Zwigoff’s love for music as well as wanting introduce audiences to these obscure blues gems.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Ghost World is truly a tremendous coming-of-age film that chronicles the changing times from the viewpoints of two teenage girls and an oddball loner. With a great cast led by Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Buscemi, this film is truly mesmerizing for its themes of alienation conformity that is captured with wonderful humor by Terry Zwigoff. In the end, Ghost World is a stunning yet hypnotic film from Terry Zwigoff and company.

Terry Zwigoff Films: Louie Bluie - Crumb - Bad Santa - Art School Confidential - The Auteurs #53: Terry Zwigoff

Related: Ghost World (graphic novel) - Ghost World OST - Ghost World (screenplay book) - Ghost World 10th Anniversary Essay

© thevoid99 2011