Split (2016 film)

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

Sherrybaby

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/1/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions

Written and directed by Laurie Collyer, Sherrybaby tells the story of a young woman who returns from prison after an arrest for robbery as she tries to reconnect with the young daughter she left behind while dealing with new realities. The film is an exploration of a drug addict trying to find redemption as she also hopes to win back her daughter as the role of Sherry Swanson is played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Also starring Sam Bottoms, Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Trejo, Brad William Henke, Kate Burton, Bridget Barkan, and Ryan Simpkins. Sherrybaby is a compelling yet harrowing film from Laurie Collyer.

After a three-year stint in prison, Sherry Swanson is released on parole while arriving onto Newark, New Jersey. Meeting her parole officer Hernandez (Giancarlo Esposito), Sherry is forced to live in an inpatient safe-house where she’s given curfew while living with other recovering addicts. Calling her brother Bobby (Brad William Henke), she wonders if she can visit his home where for the past few years, he's been taking care of her daughter Alexis (Ryan Simpkins) with wife Lynette (Bridget Barkan). After meeting a counselor named Andy (Rio Hackford), she continues to use her sex appeal to get a job working with children. When Bobby decides to let her sleep out for a night in their home, she finally meets her daughter Alexis though the meeting ends up being awkward. After attending a recovering addicts meeting, she meets a former addict/counselor named Dean (Danny Trejo) who knew her when she was just a stripper at the age of 16.

After a spat with a fellow housemate in the safe-house, Sherry leaves the house only to sleep on the patio of her brother’s home. Lynette finds Sherry to be uncomfortable as Alexis keeps calling her mother by her first name to infuriate Sherry. When Sherry and Bobby's father (Sam Bottoms) arrives for a dinner, Sherry's demand for attention from her daughter and father becomes troubling as the tension between Sherry and Lynette over Alexis is brewing. Bobby had no choice but to have Sherry live in a nearby motel. Wanting some company, she calls Dean where the two have a good time.

Sherry's parole officer Hernandez learns that she left the safe-house and wants to arrest but she finally got the job that she wanted. Working with kids, Sherry feels fulfilled even with her relationship with Dean. Hoping to win her daughter through presents for her upcoming birthday party, Sherry decides to attend her daughter's party by surprise. The presents Sherry brought seemed to go right but it doesn't. Sherry wonders what is she doing wrong as she is comforted by her father in which, Bobby learns the root of Sherry's troubles. The failure at the birthday party brings Sherry back to her demons as she begins to have a hard day as Dean learns of her newfound troubles while Hernandez gets the truth over what has happened. With Sherry now facing an uncertain future, she is forced to deal with new realities while wondering if she is capable of being a responsible mother.

While films about addiction and recovery isn't new and writer/director Laurie Collyer is aware of that. Collyer instead goes into the realm of character study in which the film is really character-driven about a young woman like Sherry who is trying to do right yet struggles. Despite the lack of originality, Collyer's observant direction and screenplay does create situations and moments in which audiences can understand. Especially when it comes to addiction and how hard it is to recover. A character like Sherry can't be someone with a heart of gold. She's selfish, abusive at times, and even out of control yet there's a side of her that is good but is having a hard time trying to balance it out.

When the film deals the awkward relationship between Sherry and her daughter Alexis, it's clear that Sherry wants to be a good mother yet is barely out of her own youth and at times, acts like a child whenever she's around her father and Alexis is not sure how to react to her mother. There's a part during the family dinner sequence that reveals Sherry's selfishness and wanting some attention where she sings a song. What doesn't work in that scene is that song. Still, Collyer brings a very strong film that feels real to its genre.

Cinematographer Russell Lee Fine does excellent work with the film's colorful, cinematic style with some wonderful shading and intimate shots in some of the film's night, exterior and interior sequences. Production designer Stephen Beatrice and set decorator Lisa Scoppa also brings grit and realism to the inpatient safe-house where it looks very dirty with the contrasting look that Bobby lives in as the whole film is shot on location in New Jersey. Costume designer Jill Newell does excellent work in the clothes she gives Maggie's character from the sexy, halter-tops and blouses along with tight jeans to the more stringy, thin dresses she wears. Editors Curtiss Clatyon and Joe Landauer do excellent work in bringing a rhythmic, leisurely-pace to the editing with wonderful perspective cuts in which nearly every frame features Gyllenhaal. Music composer Jack Livesey brings a moody, atmospheric, guitar-driven score to convey the emotions with additional music from Dana Fuchs bringing some folk-rock cuts to the film.

The cast is wonderfully assembled with notable small performances from Rio Hackford as a counselor, Kate Burton as Sherry's stepmother, Caroline Clay as Hernandez's officer, and Sam Bottoms as Sherry's brooding father. Kate Burton is good as Lynette who is aware of Sherry's troubling behavior while having to be the mother for Alexis. Ryan Simpkins gives a realistic, natural performance as the four-year old Alexis who is unsure of how to react to her mother as the confusion is wonderfully played as Simpkins is excellent. Giancarlo Esposito is wonderfully understated as a strict, honest parole officer who plays tough but plays fair as he tries to be one of the few allies that Sherry has despite his strictness.

Danny Trejo, known for playing tough guys, is wonderfully humble as the wise, sympathetic Dean who tires to help out Sherry while making aware of how hard recovery is. Brad William Henke is also great as the sympathetic brother who tries to be father to Alexis while is very low key in dealing with the guilt over his sister's behavior and how he wants to help her. Finally, there's Maggie Gyllenhaal in a phenomenal performance as Sherry as this young woman trying to do right as she deals with her setbacks and her inability to be a mother as it's Gyllenhaal in one of her finest performances.

Sherrybaby is an excellent film from Laurie Collyer that features an incredible performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal. While it's a film that doesn't say anything new about addiction, it is still a compelling story that explores a woman trying to redeem herself for her actions as well as her struggle to stay clean. In the end, Sherrybaby is a superb film from Laurie Collyer.

© thevoid99 2014

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/3/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written, directed, and starring Miranda July, Me and You and Everyone We Know is a multi-layered ensemble drama about lonely people trying to connect with other people. One story involves a performance artist/cab driver who falls for a divorced man along with stories about a 14-year old kid getting the attention of young girls while a 7-year old boy meets someone on the Internet. Also starring John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, and Carlie Westerman. Me and You and Everyone We Know is a delightful, idiosyncratic debut from the multi-talented Miranda July.

Shoe salesman Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) has just gotten divorced from his wife Pam (JoNell Kennedy) as he gets shared custody of their sons in 14-year old Peter (Miles Thompson) and Robby (Brandon Ratcliff). While Richard struggles to connect with his sons as they've become more interested in chatting online on the Internet. A struggling performance artist named Christine Jeperson (Miranda July) works part-time as a cab driver for the elderly as she helps out an old man named Michael (Hector Elias). With Christine buying shoes for Michael at the mall, she meets Richard who was working as she falls for him. Richard's co-worker Andrew (Brad William Henke) finds himself being tempted by two young teenage girls in Heather (Natasha Slayton) and Rebecca (Najarra Townsend) over their interest in sex.

Peter and Robby's online chatting has them also interested in sex where Robby's strange idea in chatting with a mysterious person gets more intriguing. Particularly as Peter becomes an interest towards Heather and Rebecca in their discovery for sex as they get him involved for help where it ends up being awkward for all of them. Peter meanwhile, becomes more interested towards a younger girl named Sylvie (Carlie Westerman) who saw Peter with the two other girls. When Christine decides to take a tape to an art gallery director in Nancy Herrington (Tracy Wright), Christine later bumps into Richard as she tries to connect with him. Richard however is still dealing with his divorce while Peter becomes ill while Christine ponders about her own loneliness.

Now the idea of connecting various characters in a number of stories is a style that is old that is made famously by the seminal works of Robert Altman. What Miranda July does is take that ensemble, multi-story world into a new level where it's fresh and original. Notably for its awkwardness of how unusual people are trying to connect with one another. Especially in the discoveries of sex and things where the young kids are trying to figure it out, including their own idea about the future. Even July's character Christine is trying to connect with not just on her own eccentricity but also through her art where it reveals her strange personality but also an artist who has something to say. This approach truly creates not just something that is very original but unique in the themes its conveying about loneliness.

July's script is filled with natural stories where the connections between character doesn't feel contrived and the situations are in are felt more naturally in its humor and dramatic context. Particularly how the kids try to discover the strange world of sex, even in its most perverse to the point that all the characters involved in that situation are just weird and unsure. July's fascinating screenplay is helped even more by her wondrous direction where she observes all the characters and their situations even as they attempt to try connect with one another. July's camera often focuses on not just the characters but the objects and things around them, especially in their own suburban environment where everyone feels lonely with very few people to talk to. What July creates is a debut feature that is filled with wonderful imagery and moments that speaks true to her characters and the lonely world they live in.

Helping July in her vision is cinematographer Chuy Chavez whose colorful photography helps with July's eccentric vision with shades of blue for evening sequences while all sorts of colors come out in every way to convey the feelings of the characters. Production designer Aran Mann and art director John Wyatt also help out July in her strange vision with the design of not just Richard's small, shabby apartment but the objects from Sylvie's hope chest and the museum things that includes some of July's own material. The costumes of Christine Wittenborn also reveal the strange, quirky personality of the characters involved, including some of July's own clothing which are filled with strange shirts and decaying shoes. Editors Andrew Dickler and Charles Ireland do wonderful job with the film's strange rhythm in its 92-minute running time with quirky cuts and solid editing that helps the film convey its own sense of style, especially in its presentation to convey what those characters are feeling.

The film's music is filled with strange, quirky score treatment by Michael Andrews along with original music from Ryeland Allison which helps conveys the loneliness and odd behaviors of the characters. The rest of the music is filled with cuts by Spiritualized, Cody ChesnuTT, and Virginia Astley where all the music is film creates a wonderful, poignant soundtrack.

Finally, we have the film's wonderful, ensemble cast that includes some nice, small performances from Ellen Greer as Michael's ailing wife, JoNell Kennedy, Colette Kilroy as Sylvie's mom, and Amy French as Nancy's assistant. In the role of the two underage girls discovering sex, Natasha Slayton and Najarra Townsend are excellent in their performances as naive, Lolita-like girls who get into more than they bargain for in their discovering of sex. Carlie Westerman is even better as a younger girl who not only gets her first glimpse of sex but is more innocent in her dream to have a family while holding items she hope would be useful for her own future. Tracy Wright is also excellent in the role of the museum director who is really troubled in finding something that would stand out for her museum while dealing with her own loneliness. Brad William Henke brings humor to a troubling performance as Richard's co-worker who is attracted to young girls but is aware of that what he's doing is wrong as he tries to deal with his perverse ideas.

Hector Elias is also excellent in the role of Michael, an old man who is about to mourn the upcoming passing of his wife while helping Christine with her project. Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff give the best performances of the young cast as two young boys growing into a world where they discover sex with Thompson giving the more mature performance as a boy being confused. Ratcliff meanwhile, plays the more innocent role as his innocent suggestion leads to immense amounts of confusion as the boy discovers the world of sex. John Hawkes is extraordinarily amazing in his role as Richard who is desperate to try and connect with his own sons while dealing with the awkwardness of Christine as he and July have wonderful, natural chemistry as Hawkes delivers an amazing performance. Finally, there's Miranda July in a wonderful performance as Christine whose emotional struggle to connect with her art and personality is very troubling as July sells every moment of failure and heartbreak in a wonderfully, sympathetic performance.

The 2005 MGM Region 1 DVD shows the film in its 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen format along with its 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound for English. The special features though are minimal since they show several film trailers and previews for other movies. The only special feature for the film is shown are six deleted scenes. Three of them involve Robby's innocent yet perverse idea of sex. Another is an alternate version of Peter's meeting with Sylvie at school and two more scenes involves Sylvie discovering a girl she knows working as a model. While the scenes are nice to see, it's understandable why they got cut and if they were kept in the film, it would disrupt its rhythm. The DVD overall is nice but hopefully in the future, more features especially from July's own input would be revealed.

Me and You and Everyone We Know is a mesmerizing debut film from Miranda July. Featuring a great supporting performance from John Hawkes, it's a film that is truly unique and original with lots of great visual touches and an endearing theme about human contact. While a lot of its eccentric ideas and July's approach to the story telling might be twee to some viewers. There is something that is still unlike anything out there as it really shows something new that a lot of people haven't seen. In the end, Me and You and Everyone We Know is an enchanting debut film from Miranda July.

Miranda July Films: The Future - Kajillionaire

© thevoid99 2011