Coriolanus

Based on the play by William Shakespeare, Coriolanus is the story of a general who seeks a spot in the world of politics only to put himself in trouble as he seeks the aid of an enemy to seek revenge. Directed and starring Ralph Fiennes in the titular role of Caius Martius aka Coriolanus and screenplay by John Logan, the film is a modern take of Shakespeare’s tragic play as it set in a 21st Century re-imagining idea of Rome where a man’s ambitions get him into trouble prompting him to fight back. Also starring Jessica Chastain, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, John Kani, James Nesbitt, Lubna Azabal, and Brian Cox. Coriolanus is a gripping and evocative film from Ralph Fiennes.

A powerful yet polarizing Roman general seeks to be in the world of politics yet a couple of political officials and local Romans successfully banish him from the city forcing the Caius Martius Coriolanus to seek the alliance of his sworn enemy in Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to seek revenge on Rome. It’s a film that play into the fallacy of ambition and vengeance as it follows a man whose arrogance and disdain for low-class citizens puts him at odds with those in the Roman Senate where a couple of tribunes try to discredit him as they would do things that are just as bad as what he’s done. John Logan’s screenplay opens with Coriolanus’ rise as a general who is cunning in his beliefs as well as maintaining some rule in Rome while is at war with a neighboring nation of Volsci that is led by Aufidius. Coriolanus’ victory against Aufidius would give him stature with Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) encouraging him to go into politics.

Logan’s script doesn’t just retain much of the dialogue written by William Shakespeare but also its approach to character study with characters scheming and such for their own gain such as the characters of the tribunes Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt) vehemently dislike Coriolanus as they even gain the alliance of citizens who hate Coriolanus to join them. The film’s second half play into the aftermath of a TV interview with Coriolanus that fell apart as he’s been exiled from Rome with his family angry over the government with longtime family friend in Senator Menenius (Brian Cox) trying to smooth over the conflicts. Coriolanus goes to Volsci to find Aufidius to allow him to settle their conflict yet Aufidius is moved by his journey allowing Coriolanus to join him as both men have issues with Rome and its government that would create this unlikely alliance.

Fiennes’ direction definitely bears elements of theatricality in some scenes yet some of the film also bear elements of modern-day political films as it is shot on location partially in Britain but also areas such as Serbia and Montenegro where the story is set in the early 21st Century as if the idea of Roman times is in the modern world. The usage of the locations add to this air of chaos that is happening where Rome is presented as this rich and organized world that is shot on Britain while Volsci and other locations shot in Serbia and Montenegro showcase a world that hasn’t prospered like Rome has. Fiennes’ compositions does have elements of style such as the battle scenes where he presents it with hand-held cameras for close-ups and medium shots including the scene of Coriolanus on a TV show where he goes after his critics including the tribunes who are scheming against him. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations as well as scenes involving crowds and in some eerie compositions to play into the position of power. Fiennes does maintain this air of theatricality in the direction with the actors and how would place them into a frame or to create this chaos in the riots.

Even the usage of TV news add to the dramatic elements of the film as it play into Coriolanus’ journey where the third act shows him going mad with vengeance with little chance of seeing reason and make peace. Fiennes’ direction showcases a man on the edge as he is intent on destroying Rome but there are those who love and care about him who want him to stop. The tragedy isn’t just about Coriolanus’ downfall and descent into madness but also the compromises he had to make where Fiennes showcases a man who had put himself into a world that he doesn’t know little about but only to make more enemies than he did when he was just a soldier. Overall, Fiennes craft a riveting and chilling film about a Roman general’s downfall and his revenge against those who ousted him from Rome.

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does brilliant work with the film’s grainy digital cinematography as its usage of close-ups add to the grimy detail of the visuals as well as maintaining a drab yet naturalistic look for the scenes set at Volsci. Editor Nicolas Gaster does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and montages while maintaining some unique rhythm to capture the energy of some of the monologues. Production designer Ricky Eyres, with set decorator Lee Gordon and art director Radoslav Mihajlovic, does amazing work with the look of the Roman government buildings and the home that Coriolanus and his family lives in as well as the drab home base of Aufidius. Costume designer Bojana Nikitovic does fantastic work with the look of the Roman military uniforms as well as the posh clothing of the Coriolanus family that is a sharp contrast to the more rugged look of the Volsci and its people.

Hair/makeup designer Laura Schiavo does terrific work with the look of the scars on Coriolanus’ face and body as well as the tattoos he would later gain. Special effects supervisor Jason Troughton and visual effects supervisor Angela Stanley do some nice work with the look of some of the TV footage along with a few set-dressing for scenes to play into the atmosphere of war. Sound editor Oliver Tarney does superb work with the sound as it play into the raucous atmosphere of the protests, riots, and sounds of war along with the disconcerting tone in some of the dialogue in certain rooms or sets. The film’s music by Ilan Eshkeri is wonderful for its low-key orchestral/ambient score that play into the dramatic suspense as well as some of the film’s war scenes while music supervisor Ian Neil provides a music soundtrack that features a traditional music piece performed by Goran Bregovic as well as a couple of contemporary pieces by Lisa Zane and Sheer K.

The casting by Jina Jay is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Jon Snow as a TV anchorman, Harry Fenn as Coriolanus’ young son Martius, Dragan Micanovic as Coriolanus’ subordinate Titus, Slavko Stimac as a Volsci lieutenant who doesn’t trust Coriolanus, the duo of Lubna Azabal and Ashraf Barhom in their respective roles as leading protestors against Coriolanus in Tamora and Cassius, and John Kani in a terrific performance as Rome’s leader General Cominius who is trying to ensure peace and reason despite so much opposition and controversy. Paul Jesson and James Nesbitt are superb in their respective roles as tribunes Brutus and Sicinius as two political figures who hate Coriolanus as they scheme to discredit him only to put Rome in danger during its second half. Jessica Chastain is fantastic as Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia as a woman trying to be supportive but also raises concern for her husband’s well-being as she also copes with his exile.

Brian Cox is excellent as Menenius as a Roman senator who is close with Coriolanus’ family as he is eager to help Coriolanus anyway he can while having to deal with the opposition as he struggles to maintain order and later to try and reason with Coriolanus in his vengeance towards Rome. Vanessa Redgrave is brilliant as Volumnia as Coriolanus’ mother who is an influential figure in Rome as she encourages her son to go into politics while being very angry at the tribunes who successfully banished him prompting her to get her son back and see reason. Gerard Butler is amazing as Volsci military leader Tullus Aufidius as Coriolanus’ sworn enemy who is hoping to destroy Rome and Coriolanus where he is later moved by Coriolanus’ determination following his exile as he helps him seek revenge on Rome. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a general who is a polarizing figure for his disdain towards common folk while is eager to rise to power only to be kicked out of Rome prompting him to seek vengeance as there’s an intensity to his performance but also an eeriness of a man driven to the edge.

Coriolanus is a marvelous film from Ralph Fiennes that features a great ensemble cast, a modern take on William Shakespeare’s character study, gritty visuals, and themes of ambition and vengeance. It’s a film that explore a man’s descent into madness in his attempt to go into politics only to be banished by the people in his home country as he also endures humility and shame that prompts him to seek revenge but at the cost of his own spirit and soul. In the end, Coriolanus is a remarkable film from Ralph Fiennes.

Ralph Fiennes Film: The Invisible Woman (2013 film) - (The White Crow)

© thevoid99 2019

Super Troopers 2

Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar and written and starring the Broken Lizard troupe of Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske, Super Troopers 2 is a sequel to the 2001 film that has a group of highway state troopers getting back in the game to deal with a border dispute with Canada over a piece of land. The film is a comedy that follows the five troublemakers who now deal with new problems as well as being out of the job for some time. Also starring Marisa Coughlan, Rob Lowe, Emmanuelle Chirqui, Tyler Labine, Will Sasso, Paul Walter Hauser, Lynda Carter, and Brian Cox returning as Captain John O’Hagen. Super Troopers 2 is an entertaining and wild film from Broken Lizard.

Several years after events from the first film that also involved a tragic incident involving actor Fred Savage, the film follow a group of former highway state troopers who are asked to get back on board to watch over a section of land in Canada that is to be transferred back to the U.S. much to the dismay of the locals. It’s a film that play into five guys who get their old jobs back but have to complete a task to keep the job yet they have to deal with a trio of Canadian Mounties who don’t want to lose their jobs as well as all sorts of shit. The film’s screenplay by the Broken Lizard troupe explore the five men trying to get back on board but also maintain their sense of shenanigans and pranks as they also reunite with Captain John O’Hagen who is leading the task despite issues with the Canadians in this small Quebecois town who really don’t want to become Americans. Adding to the turmoil for the troopers is the discovery of some of narcotics, firearms, and other things where they’re aided by a cultural attaché in Genevieve Aubois (Emmanuelle Chirqui) as well as deal with the town’s mayor Guy Le Franc (Rob Lowe).

Jay Chandrasekhar’s direction is largely straightforward though it opens with this fantasy sequence of the troopers as a rock band on tour and pulling a prank on a couple of troopers. Shot on location in Ware, Massachusetts, Chandrasekhar’s direction play into this area that doesn’t share much difference between America and Canada but there is still this air of culture clash in the post-Barack Obama era of America. While many of Chandrasekhar’s compositions are simple in the wide and medium shots along with some close-ups, Chandrasekhar does maintain a sense of energy into the humor while creating moments that are surreal as it relate to the adventures of the troopers with Farva (Kevin Heffernan) trying to cause trouble and Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar) trying to keep things under control despite his growing addiction to one of the drugs he’s found that’s made him super-sensitive. While the film has a subplot in which Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske) trying to start a relationship with Aubois, Chandrasekhar does maintain a focus on the narrative of the troopers and its eventual climax involving the Mounties as it involves this smuggling ring and the intention of the smugglers. Overall, Chandrasekhar crafts a witty and exciting film about state troopers trying to watch over a land transfer from Canada to America.

Cinematographer Joe Collins does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward with some low-key lighting for some of the interiors set at night including a bordello scene in the film. Editor Spencer Houck does nice work with the editing as it has some stylish cuts including a few montage sequences and some rhythmic cuts to play into the humor. Production designer Cabot McMullen, with set decorator Sophie Carlhian and art director Lawrence Sampson, does fantastic work with the building the troopers station themselves in as well as the interior of the bordello and a restaurant they go to late in the film. Costume designer Debra McGuire does terrific work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward including the uniforms the troopers wear.

Special effects makeup artist Rob Fitz does brilliant work with some of the fake gore used in the film’s opening fantasy sequence as well as a surreal sequence involving drugs. Visual effects supervisors Brian Kubovcik and Jason Piccioni do amazing work for a few visual effects scenes that involve drugs including a commercial involving a women’s prescription drug. Sound designer Lawrence Zipf does superb work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the bars and some of the film’s exterior locations. The film’s music by Eagles of Death Metal is wonderful for its mixture of blues and rock as it play into the film’s humor while music supervisor Ann Kline create a soundtrack that is mainly focused on rock, folk, and country music with a few songs from Eagles of Death Metal.

The casting by Venus Kanani and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Fred Savage as himself, Seann William Scott and Damon Wayans Jr. as a couple of troopers, Clifton Collins Jr. as a tour bus driver, Bruce McCullough as a Canadian border officer, and Jim Gaffigan reprising his role as a passenger from the first film who endures the antics of the troopers. Other notable small roles include Paul Walter Hauser as Aubois’ obnoxious boss, Marisa Coughlan as the Spurburry police chief/Foster’s girlfriend Ursula, and Lynda Carter as Governor Jessman who gives the troopers a chance to get their jobs back. The trio of Tyler Labine, Hayes MacArthur, and Will Sasso are terrific in their respective roles as the Canadian Mounties in Sgt. Christopher Bellefuille, Staff Sgt. Major Henri Podigen, and Sgt. Major Roger Archambault who both have legit grudges towards the troopers for taking their jobs as they played a few pranks on the troopers yet aren’t really bad guys because they’re losing their jobs.

Rob Lowe is superb as the mayor/Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Guy “The Halifax Explosion” Le Franc as a man who is trying to show the troopers the town he lives in as well as the fact that the locals don’t like the troopers where he does whatever he can to not help them with the transfer. Emmanuelle Chirqui is fantastic as Genevieve Aubois as a cultural attaché trying to smooth over the transition while having feelings for Rabbit. Brian Cox is excellent as Captain O’Hagan as the troopers’ former chief who is tasked with running the troopers and ensuring that no trouble occur while he would engage in his own idea of shenanigans following a prank from the Mounties.

Finally, there’s the Broken Lizard troupe in brilliant performance with Paul Soter as the reserved yet playful Carl Foster who is trying to work and maintain his relationship with Ursula while Steve Lemme’s performance as the more playful MacIntyre “Mac” Womack is full of energy as someone that likes to play pranks. Erik Stolhanske’s performance as Robbie “Rabbit” Roto as the long-standing rookie of the gang who enjoys pranks while finding himself falling for Aubois. Kevin Heffernan’s performance as Rodney “Rod” Farva is hilarious as this obnoxious, foul-mouth, ill-tempered, and idiotic trooper who gets into a lot of trouble as well as bring trouble to the troopers. Finally, there’s Jay Chandrasekhar as Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn as the senior trooper who is trying to keep things at bay while becoming addicted to feminine-sensitivity prescriptions.

Super Troopers 2 is a remarkable film from Jay Chandrasekhar and the Broken Lizard troupe. Featuring a great cast, lots of bawdy humor, and themes of political relations between countries and their cultural differences. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself seriously while providing some commentary on U.S. foreign relations post-Barack Obama. In the end, Super Troopers 2 is a marvelous film from Jay Chandrasekhar and Broken Lizard.

Broken Lizard Films: (Puddle Cruiser) – Super Troopers - Club Dread - Beerfest - (The Slammin’ Salmon) – (Broken Lizard Stands Up) – (Freeloaders (2012 film))

© thevoid99 2019

Manhunter

Based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, Manhunter is the story of a FBI profiler who comes out of retirement to find a serial killer and capture him while dealing with his own past and demons relating to another serial killer he had captured years ago. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a suspense-thriller that has a man trying to find a killer and his approach to murder as he also has to get help from the man who had been haunting him for much of his life. Starring William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. Manhunter is a riveting and eerie film from Michael Mann.

The film revolves around a FBI profiler who is coaxed out of retirement to find a serial killer as he tries to understand what the killer is doing while still reeling from past demons relating to capturing another serial killer in Dr. Hannibal Lecktor. It’s a film that is more about a man trying to understand what this killer is doing after he had killed a couple of families in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta while is aware that the killer is trying to play mind games on him. Michael Mann’s screenplay is a character study of sorts as it relates to the FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen) who had retired a few years ago after capturing Dr. Lecktor where he later had a mental breakdown that lead to his retirement. It was friend and fellow FBI agent Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) who asked Graham to come out of retirement due to a series of murders as Graham reluctantly agree as a promise to his wife Molly (Kim Greist) to not be involved in any action other than examine.

Graham’s method in trying to see what a killer is thinking and how he would approach things added to his mental breakdown as he would turn to Dr. Lecktor for advice which would only make things worse as Graham is trying to maintain his sanity. The killer known as the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan) because of the bite marks he would leave on his victims wouldn’t be seen until the film’s second half as he is revealed to be an admirer of Dr. Lecktor’s work as a reporter in Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang) would complicate things for Graham who would use Lounds to lure the Tooth Fairy with Graham choosing to be bait. Yet, the Tooth Fairy is a man that is entranced by certain details and has a hard time coping with reality leading to an eventual showdown between him and Graham.

Mann’s direction is definitely stylish for some of the visual presentation he creates in a film that is more about a man trying to understand a killer rather than go after him in a frantic manhunt. Shot on various locations in Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington D.C., and parts of Alabama, the film does play into an investigation that is filled with intrigue but also uncertainty into what is happening as two of the murders happened in Atlanta and Birmingham where Mann uses the locations to help play into the atmosphere along with these family home movies of the victims. While Mann uses wide shots to establish some of the locations as well as the attention to detail in the home of the Tooth Fairy. Much of his direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots to get some of the details into what Graham is trying to look for. Notably in the camera movements where Graham would go into the homes of the victims to see how the Tooth Fairy might’ve done his murders as well as the surroundings outside of the house for clues.

The scenes with Dr. Lecktor are very low-key and intimate where even though the character only appears in three scenes in the film. He does make a chilling impression as someone that feels vindicated that he’s managed to make Graham uneasy but is willing to help him to see who is trying to copy him which adds to the dark nature of the film. There aren’t many moments in the film that are violent other than the killing of a few characters and its climax involving the Tooth Fairy, a blind woman named Reba McClaine (Joan Allen), and Graham. Still, Mann maintains that need to understand what the Tooth Fairy is doing and where he might be just as the man seems to be finding a sense of normalcy only to deal with the realities of the world and what he must do. Overall, Mann creates a gripping and evocative film about a FBI profiler trying to catch a killer and understand his methods without trying to lose his sanity.

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is infused with style with some bluish filters for a few scenes at night involving Graham and his wife along with the usage of green lights to play into the world of the Tooth Fairy as well as exterior scenes at night including its climax with stylish approach to lighting. Editor Dov Hoenig does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion freeze-frame shots, and other stylish cuts that play into the suspense. Production designer Mel Bourne and art director Jack Blackman do amazing work with the look of the Tooth Fairy’s home as well as the offices and home that Graham and his family live in. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does nice work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward that include some of the clothes that the Tooth Fairy wears including his disguise which has an element of dark humor.

Special makeup designers John Caglione Jr. and Doug Drexler do terrific work with the look of the Tooth Fairy as it has this creepiness to who he really is. Special effects supervisor Joe Digaetano does wonderful work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects that play into a dream sequence of Graham seeing one of the victims. Sound editor Robert R. Rutledge does superb work with the sound in creating an atmosphere as well as capturing sound for tape recorders and other effects that help add to the suspense. The film’s music by Michel Rubini and the Reds is brilliant for its electronic-based score with some ambient textures and eerie synthesizer arrangements that add to the drama and suspense with a few songs from the Prime Movers, Red 7, and Shriekback to add to some of the drama as well as a chilling usage of Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida for its climax.

The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Paul Perri as Dr. Sidney Bloom who is concerned about Graham’s mental condition, David Seaman as Will and Molly’s son Kevin Graham who would ask his father about what happened to him and Dr. Lecktor, Frankie Faison as a St. Louis police lieutenant, Chris Elliott as a FBI official, and Benjamin Hendrickson as Dr. Frederick Chilton who is the warden at the prison that is holding Dr. Lecktor. Stephen Lang is superb as the reporter Freddy Lounds whom Graham doesn’t like as he would stir trouble forcing Graham and Crawford to use him as a way to get the Tooth Fairy’s attention for an ad that eventually leads to trouble. Kim Greist is terrific as Graham’s wife Molly as a woman who is worried for her husband as she knows what he has to do as she would have a moment to deal with the possible presence of the Tooth Fairy.

Joan Allen is fantastic as Reba McClaine as a blind co-worker of the Tooth Fairy that would fall for him unaware of who he really is as she would also unknowingly spark jealousy for him. Dennis Farina is excellent as Jack Crawford as Graham’s partner who coaxes Graham out of retirement while helping him with the investigation while also keeping an eye on him for Graham’s wife to ensure that Graham doesn’t lose it. Tom Noonan is amazing as Francis Dollarhyde/the Tooth Fairy as a mysterious serial killer who is a fan of Dr. Lecktor’s works prompting him to do his own killings as a way to deal with ills of the world as well as his fascination for certain individuals and the world they live as it’s a restrained yet chilling performance from Noonan.

Brian Cox is incredible as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in a role that is small yet impactful in terms of the discomfort he brings into the film. It’s a performance that also requires restraint where Cox doesn’t do anything creepy other than just talk and showcase some dark humor as it is his most iconic performance of his career. Finally, there’s William Petersen in a phenomenal performance as Will Graham as a FBI profiler who is coaxed out of retirement to investigate a series of murders where he tries to understand what Dollarhyde is doing while coping with his own demons following his capture of Dr. Lecktor forcing him to take action to find the Tooth Fairy.

Manhunter is a spectacular film from Michael Mann that features tremendous performances from William Petersen, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox. Along with its ensemble cast, study on forensics and investigation, chilling tone, Dante Spinotti’s entrancing photography, and a haunting music soundtrack. The film is definitely a tier-top suspense drama that is more about character and ideas rather than action that adds to the sense of intrigue not often common with suspense films. In the end, Manhunter is a sensational film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief (1981 film) - The Keep – L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) - Heat – The Insider – Ali – Collateral – Miami Vice – Public Enemies (2009 film) – Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari - (Heat 2)

Related: (Silence of the Lambs) – (Hannibal) – (Red Dragon) – (Hannibal Rising) - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2019

Super Troopers

Written and starring the Broken Lizard comedy troupe that consists of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske and directed by Chandrasekhar, Super Troopers is the story of a group of state troopers who try to uncover a drug ring as they’re in danger of being shut down in favor of a more competent state police department whom they despise. The film is an ensemble comedy that features a lot of shenanigans and a bunch of guys trying to keep their jobs while dealing with all sorts of crazy shit. Also starring Marisa Coughlan, Daniel von Bargen, and Brian Cox. Super Troopers is a witty yet very entertaining film from the Broken Lizard team.

Set in Vermont near the U.S.-Canadian border, the film revolves a group of misfit state troopers who find themselves in danger of being shut down until they find some mysterious drugs as it relates a series of mysterious deaths and discoveries while they deal with the rival state police department. It’s a film that doesn’t require much plot but rather characters and situations as the Broken Lizard team create a film where there’s a bunch of guys trying to do their job but also have some fun in the process. Some of which involve shenanigans in the way they conduct their business such as busting young potheads or do small jokes while stopping people for speeding and such. Yet, the guys find themselves in trouble as the state police department are not only getting their work done but also gain the favor of the local government who wants to shut the state troopers down.

The film’s screenplay creates these characters who are all quite interesting as well as provide much of the film’s brash but also engaging humor. Leading the pack is the second-in-command Thorny (Jay Chandrasekhar) who is the most responsible person of the gang as he also has a kid named Arlo (Christian Albrizio) with his hippie girlfriend Bobbi (Amy de Lucia). The rookie Rabbit (Erik Stolhanske) is someone who is very good at his job while also likes to have fun while enduring some hazing as well as some pranks. The nice-guy Jeff Foster (Paul Soter) and extreme wild-man Mac (Steve Lemme) are known for their pranks with Foster having a crush on police dispatcher Ursula (Marisa Coughlan) while Mac likes to do crazy shit. Then there’s Farva (Kevin Heffernan) who is the troopers dispatcher after being demoted for his behavior as he is treated with less respect by his fellow officers and their superior Captain O’Hagan (Brian Cox).

Yet, they all have foes in the state police led by Captain Grady (Daniel von Bargen) who often gets in their way to do the job as he and O’Hagan battle it out over who can do their job better. Especially when it comes to this drug bust involving marijuana and a dead body in a RV where the troopers try to do a valid investigation and get the job done so they can save their jobs. Still, there are complications as it relates to the personal lives of the troopers as Jeff’s relationship with Ursula has its own problems considering that they’re working for different teams though Ursula is much friendlier towards the troopers as she is trying to get into the field with the other cops. Even as she would play a crucial role in the investigation as it leads to the film’s climax.

Jay Chandrasekhar’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates while knows how to film comedic moments with such ease. Yet, he starts the film with this very silly and off-the-wall scene where Thorny and Rabbit stop a trio of stoners into a game only to be involved in a high-speed chase with Mac as the driver. It sets the tone for what is to come in terms of its humor where it is quite racy but also full of fun. Much of the film is shot in upstate New York to play into that world of American northeast while there’s a lot of joke that are involved in some unique wide and medium shots. Even in scenes where can be quite crude yet maintain something that isn’t too out there as Chandrasekhar knows that it has to say something to tell the story. Overall, Chandrasekhar and the Broken Lizards troupe create a very smart and very offbeat comedy about a bunch of state troopers doing their jobs and have fun.

Cinematographer Joacquin Baca-Asay is excellent as it is quite straightforward for much of its interior and exterior locations with some unique lighting for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, and Jacob Craycroft do terrific work in the editing as it‘s straightforward while emphasizing on some style like jump-cuts and some inventive montages such as Farva getting drunk at a party. Production designer Ben Conable, with set decorator Jocelyn Mason and art director Johnny Hardesty, does nice work with the set pieces from the trooper station as well as the restaurant where the gang eats as well as the design of the reefer bags with the Johnny Chimpo logo.

Costume designer Melissa Bruning does wonderful work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the uniforms the state troopers and police wear. Sound editors Frederick Helm and John Salk do superb work with the sound in terms of the sound effects and the way the sirens sound. Music supervisors Barry Cole and Christopher Covert does fantastic work with the soundtrack as it features this mix of rockabilly, electronic music, and kitsch with some upbeat score pieces from the Southern rock band .38 Special that adds to the film’s offbeat humor.

The casting by Jennifer McNamara is amazing as it features some cameo appearances from Lynda Carter as the state governor, John Bedford Lloyd as the town mayor, Charlie Finn as a fast-food cashier, Jim Gaffigan as a driver Mac and Foster stopped, Jimmy Noonan as a mysterious trucker named Galikanokus, Christian Albrizio as Thorny and Bobbi’s son Arlo, Amy de Lucia as Thorny’s hippie girlfriend Bobbi, and Blanchard Ryan as a woman on a billboard that Mac whacks off to. Andre Vippolis, Joey Kern, and Geoffrey Arend are hilarious as a trio of stoners who gets arrested with Arend being the funniest while Philippe Brenninkmeyer and Maria Tornberg are terrific as a German couple Thorny and Rabbit stop as the latter seduces Rabbit on the job. Dan Fey and Michael Weaver are good as a couple of state police officers while James Grace is quite funny as the big brute of the police that Mac always fight against. Daniel von Bargen is excellent as the smarmy police chief Captain Grady who has no respect for the troopers and O’Hagan. Marisa Couglan is wonderful as the police dispatcher Ursula who is the only cop that seems to care about her job as she also has feelings for Foster.

Brian Cox is great as Captain O’Hagan who tries to tell his troopers to do their job and not get into any pranks while he is also a very funny man with a few pranks of his own as he gets his moments to be hilarious in the film’s third act. Paul Soter is superb as the nice guy Foster who likes to have fun while trying to woo Ursula as they work together on the case. Steve Lemme is fantastic as Mac as this man of extremes who likes to drive very fast and do all sorts of crazy shit such as getting into fist-fights and wear metallic jock-straps. Erik Stolhanske is brilliant as the rookie Rabbit who deals with the pranks and hazing as well as endure Farva. Jay Chandrasekhar is incredible as Thorny as the second-in-command who tries to do his job and deal with his family while being the one who leads the investigation. Finally, there’s Kevin Heffernan in a hilarious role as Farva as the guy who always get the butt of the jokes as he has some behavioral issues that prevents him from going back to be a trooper as he is often a liability to the state troopers.

Super Troopers is a marvelous comedy from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. Armed with a great cast including a hilarious supporting turn from Brian Cox, the film is definitely a smart and entertaining comedy that isn’t afraid to be silly or childish while letting the audience have fun with them. In the end, Super Troopers is a fantastic film from Jay Chandrasekhar and the Broken Lizards troupe.

Broken Lizard Films: (Puddle Cruiser) - Club Dread - Beerfest - (The Slammin’ Salmon) - (The Broken Lizards Stands Up) - (Freeloaders (2012 film)) - Super Troopers 2

© thevoid99 2014

Adaptation

Directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie & Donald Kaufman that is based on the novel The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans, Adaptation is the story of Charlie Kaufman’s struggle to adapt Orleans’ novel for a film project as he ends up putting himself into the story. The film is a multi-layered story that explores not just a screenwriter’s struggle but also showcase an author’s struggle in her book where she meets this eccentric orchid thief. Playing the Kaufman brothers in the film is Nicolas Cage while Meryl Streep plays Susan Orleans in this very strange yet largely dramatized world into the struggle that writers go through. Also starring Cara Seymour, Tilda Swinton, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ron Livingston, Brian Cox, and Chris Cooper. Adaptation is a mesmerizing yet offbeat film from Spike Jonze.

Being a writer is tough as is being a screenwriter where the film doesn’t just explore the world of writer’s block but also the struggle in the art of adapting another person’s work. Even as the film is about Charlie Kaufman’s struggle to understand Susan Orleans’ book which is about Orleans trying to understand the work of this poacher named John Laroche (Chris Cooper) who steals these rare orchids in south Florida. The film not only explores Orleans’ meetings with Laroche which would lead to write her book as well as deal with her own emotional struggles. The film also showcases Kaufman’s struggle in trying to be faithful to the book as he deals with deadlines as well as twin brother Donald who wants to become a screenwriter where he manages to create a clichéd psychological thriller that sells very well.

The film’s screenplay by the Kaufman brothers doesn’t just explore Charlie’s struggles but also the sense of depression and self-loathing he’s carrying while he’s overseeing the production of Being John Malkovich which he wrote. It’s a film that has a lot of humor but it’s mostly dramatic where Charlie tries to write the screenplay where the narrative moves back-and-forth to Charlie’s struggles as well as the story of Orleans meeting Laroche and learn about his life while dealing with her own issues. It’s a narrative that has a lot of paralleling stories as well as voiceover narrations from both Orleans and Kaufman where it’s also a bit satirical at times when Charlie decides to attend a seminar by Robert McKee (Brian Cox) who discourages the use of voice-over narration.

Some of the film’s humor often involve Donald mooching into Charlie’s newfound success as he also wants to become a screenwriter as he would be the one to tell Charlie about McKee. Donald’s involvement in the story would be crucial for Charlie to not only to try to get in contact with Orleans but also ask her about the book. It would eventually lead into this very strange third act that not only reveals more about Orleans’ relationship with Laroche but also the latter’s obsession in why he wants to get these rare orchids. Notably as it would change the tone of the story into something much darker as it would also play into why Charlie had such a hard time understanding Orleans’ book.

Much of Spike Jonze’s direction is very straightforward since it is more of a straight comedy-drama with elements of meta-fiction and such. The scenes on the set of Being John Malkovich, where it features cameos from its stars John Cusack, Catherine Keener, and John Malkovich along with some crew members of that film, is one of the moments in the film that seems weird along with some of the fantasies that Charlie has in his head which includes women like Orleans, studio executive Valerie Thomas (Tilda Swinton), and a waitress he meets named Alice (Judy Greer). One element of weirdness in the film is the fact that there’s twin brothers in the film where Jonze manages to make great use of the split-photography for the brothers to interact.

Through the use of close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots, Jonze keeps things simple while going for something beautiful in the scenes set in South Florida where Laroche lives in as it is this exotic land that is sort of forbidden. There’s also a mix of something dark in the world as well as the presentation of Laroche as this ragged man who hangs around with Seminole Indians and lives in a trailer. The sense of meta-fiction and reality does collide where it does become a suspense film of sorts in the third act with bits of humor as it does lead to this climax where the Kaufman brothers discover the truth over Orleans’ relationship with Laroche. The result is a strange yet engrossing comedy-drama about a man trying to understand a woman’s book in the struggles of the idea of adaptation.

Cinematographer Lance Acord does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the lushness of the scenes set in Florida in its swamps as well as the scenes at the botanical gardens while much of the film is pretty straightforward. Editor Eric Zumbrunnen does excellent work with the editing in creating some unique montages and rhythmic cutting to play into some of the film‘s humor and drama. Production designer K.K. Barrett, with set decorator Gene Serdena and Peter Andrus, does fantastic work with the look of Orleans‘ New York apartment and the home of the Kaufman brothers as well as the ragged yet exotic world of Laroche. Costume designer Casey Storm does terrific work with the costumes where much of it is straightforward to play into the personalities of the characters.

Special makeup designer Tony Gardner does wonderful work with the look of the characters such as the look of the Kaufman brothers as well as the ragged look of Laroche. Visual effects supervisor Gray Marshall does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects that involve some of the fantasies that Charlie has as well as some of the scenes in Florida. Sound designer Richard Beggs and sound editor Michael Kirchberger do phenomenal work with the film‘s sound in not just some of the scenes at the parties but also the layer of intimacy in the scenes at the swamps. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is marvelous for its quirky yet somber score that plays into the different moods of the film while the soundtrack consists a wide array of music from Beck, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, and the Turtles..

The casting by Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis-Wagner is incredible as it features cameo appearances from John Cusack, John Malkovich, and Catherine Keener as themselves on the set of Being John Malkovich along with other notable cameos from filmmakers Curtis Hanson as Orleans’ husband and David O. Russell as a journalist from The New Yorker. Other notable small roles include Judy Greer as a waitress Charlie has a crush on, Litefoot and Jay Tavare as Seminole Indians who are friends of Laroche, Ron Livingston as Charlie’s brash agent, and Tilda Swinton as the film executive Valerie Thomas who is intrigued by Charlie’s pitch though has concerns over why he hasn’t finished the script. Maggie Gyllenhaal is wonderful as the makeup artist Caroline who dates Donald while helping Charlie to go to Robert McKee. Cara Seymour is excellent as Amelia as a woman Charlie falls for but is unable to express himself to her.

Brian Cox is fantastic as Robert McKee whom Charlie goes to for advice as Cox has this amazing presence as McKee where there’s no bullshit about him as he displays a lot about what is needed for good writing. Chris Cooper is superb as John Laroche as this eccentric yet intriguing orchid poacher who has this strange fascination for orchids as he invites Orleans into his world only for things to get even weirder. Meryl Streep is brilliant as Susan Orleans as this journalist/writer who is intrigued by Laroche only to become confused by his eccentricities as she would deal with her own issues and secrets. Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage in a remarkable dual performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman. In Donald, Cage is more upbeat and energetic while he is much more somber and agitated as Charlie where Cage shows a lot of the struggle that Charlie goes through as it’s one of Cage’s best performances.

Adaptation is a phenomenal film from Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Thanks to its amazing cast led by Nicolas Cage, it’s a film that doesn’t just explore the difficulty of adapting another person’s work but also in the way that source can be confusing at times. It’s also a film that also makes fun of the typical clichés into the world of writing while also not afraid to give in to those clichés. In the end, Adaptation is a sensational film from Spike Jonze.

Spike Jonze Films: Being John Malkovich - Where the Wild Things Are - Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak - Her - My Mutant Brain

Related: The Auteurs #54: Spike Jonze - The 25 Essential Videos of Spike Jonze

© thevoid99 2014

The Five Obstructions Blog-a-Thon #3: Match Point

In the third part of Nostra’s Five Obstructions Blog-a-Thon here is that next obstruction:

Since I’ve been watching a lot of films by Woody Allen this past summer, I recently revisited one of Allen’s great films in Match Point. I have a review that I wrote back in 2006 where my recent re-watch had me wanting to do another review as I decided to do this other one where I share the same views with various other critics about the film. Here is that review:

Woody Allen’s 2005 film Match Point is considered a return-to-form for the filmmaker after a period of films that were either received poorly or got mixed reviews. Yet, it is this drama about a former tennis pro who marries the daughter of a rich businessman who later engages into an affair with his brother-in-law’s American girlfriend that later gets complicated as it’s a film that mixes romance, drama, and suspense. Conceptually, it covers familiar territory for the romantic drama, but it reaches to be like Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. This solid, well-observed and cerebral presentation signifies that Woody is back in full stride after some recent so-so works. Though laden with thematic references to Strindberg's plays, Verdi's opera, modern art and tennis, it overall comes closest in narrative to his Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Allen opens Match Point with the image of a tennis ball hitting the net, and after a lot of casual conversations about the role that luck plays in shaping a life, the movie simplifies in its second half, becoming about one simple question: On which side of the net is that ball going to fall? The image repeats later—this time with a ring that hits a guardrail—and at that point, the movie really could've ended with a hard ironic twist. Yet, Allen is far smarter than that where it plays into the idea of luck and how luck can seal a man’s fate in the decisions he makes including in the most despicable actions such as infidelity and much more.

The lead role of Chris played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is a very interesting character as someone who was once a gifted tennis pro but life after tennis has left him little opportunities. Yet, he still manages to find ways to navigate into places that is foreign to him to see how he can thrive in that world. In fact, as played by Meyers, Chris always is aware of his opportunities and always is playing a kind of mental tennis with people. He may not have a grand design, but he always knows where he is placing the ball and what he hopes to achieve. There, he allows the mentality to get him a job at the club where he meets Tom Hewett, played by Matthew Goode, whose father is a rich businessman.

The handsome Chris is quickly taken into the Hewett family fold. Not as easily absorbed into the posh family's good graces is Nola (Scarlett Johansson), Tom's fiancée. Nola, the daughter of an alcoholic single mother, is heatedly disliked by Tom's controlling mother (Penelope Wilton). When Chris first encounters the sexy Nola, he develops a strong attraction to her but embarks on a relationship with Chloe, Tom's sunny sister (a superb Emily Mortimer). Tom breaks up with Nola and marries someone else. Chris marries Chloe, who enlists the aid of her affable father (Brian Cox) to get Chris a job and help him up the corporate ladder. Still, Chris is entranced by Nola as he wouldn’t see her for months until she shows up at an art gallery where he was supposed to meet Chloe.

Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johansson show different faces of womankind. Mortimer's Chloe is the nurturing, supportive female: one who takes her husband's denial of an affair at face value and whose primary goal in marriage is to give her parents grandchildren. It's a role that Mortimer slides into without difficulty. Johansson, on the other hand, is simultaneously self-sufficient and needy. It’s the flaws of Nola as well as her background that has Chris feel attracted towards her. What passes between Chris and Nola is not only desire, but also recognition, which makes their connection especially volatile.

Notably in the third act where Nola drops a bombshell that would affect Chris’ family life as he tries to keep things a secret. Rhys-Meyers - an underrated actor - takes time to warm to Woody's ways, but ultimately delivers a subtle, affecting portrait of a man torn between two women and ways of life as he realizes the decision that he has to make. One of which would involve Chris taking on drastic measures that would be extreme. Allen has, however, stuck with his recent nasty streak, and underneath its lovely, icy cinematography, Match Point is a noir supreme; Fritz Lang would have loved it. Yet no matter how dark things get, the characters still behave in a rational, believable way. Unlike most Hollywood films, no one does anything stupid out of sheer stupidity. Here, the missteps occur because of misdirected passion.

It’s a film that is more about the idea of luck and how it can drive a man’s fate. The movie is more about plot and moral vacancy than about characters, and so Allen uses type-casting to quickly establish the characters and set them to their tasks of seduction, deception, lying and worse. It’s one of the reasons why this film is considered one of Allen’s finest though it doesn’t rank with some of the great films of his career like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah & Her Sisters, and Crimes & Misdemeanors depending on one’s taste of what someone thinks of Allen’s overall career. Still, Match Point is sexy, mysterious, suspense-driven, eventful and essentially quite unforgettable that shows that Woody Allen still has it.

The quotes in bold are from the following in the exact order:

Dennis Schwartz, Ozu’s World Movie Reviews
Noel Murray, AV Club
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Claudia Puig, USA Today
James Beradinelli, ReelViews
AO Scott, New York Times
Andy Jacobs, BBC
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Gary W. Tooze, DVD Beaver

© thevoid99 2013

Rushmore

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/11/05 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Wes Anderson and written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, Rushmore is the story of a 15-year old prep school student who befriends a disillusioned millionaire as they both fall for a widowed first grade teacher. The two embark on a feud that becomes troubling as the two deal with their own personal issues. The film is an exploration on youth and the relationships they have with adults as the film does more than just be a high school story. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassel, Stephen McCole, Luke Wilson, Mason Gamble, Sara Tanaka, and Brian Cox. Rushmore is a lively yet exhilarating film from Wes Anderson.

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartman) is a 15-year old student at the prestigious Rushmore Academy as he enjoys being a student where he forms several clubs and participate in various extracurricular activities that included leading school plays. Despite being ambitious in those activities, he is school's worst student as Max is also a liar where he claims that his barber father Bert (Seymour Cassel) is a neurosurgeon. When the school's headmaster Dr. Guggenheim (Brian Cox) puts Max on academic probation, Max tries to fulfill his duties with friend Dirk Calloway (Mason Gamble) where they meet business tycoon Herman Blume (Bill Murray) at a seminar at the school. Blume's twin sons Donny and Ronny (Keith & Ronnie McCawley) attend Rushmore as Herman finds a friend in Max while Herman is dealing with his own morose life that includes his bratty sons and neglectful wife (Kim Terry). When Max checks out a Jacques Costeau book, he learns that the school's new first grade schoolteacher Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) has been checking the book out as Max falls for her.

Wanting to impress her, Max gets Latin back into the school's curriculum while wanting to make plans for an aquarium due to her love for fishes and various sea creatures. Max turns to Blume for help as Blume becomes infatuated with Rosemary during a dinner to celebrate Max's play version of Serpico which becomes a disaster due to the presence of Rosemary's friend Dr. Peter Flynn (Luke Wilson) as Max thinks it's her boyfriend. Due to Max's attempt to create an aquarium near the school, Max is kicked out of Rushmore as he's forced to go to public school where he meets the ambitious Margaret Yang (Sara Tanaka). After an encounter with Scottish classmate Magnus Buchan (Stephen McCole) at Rushmore about Dirk's mother (Connie Nielsen), Max makes a lie that would eventually damage his friendship with Dirk while Blume starts a secret relationship with Rosemary.

After learning about the relationship, Max exposes the news to Mrs. Blume as a war between him and Blume explodes with Rosemary resigning from Rushmore as Max also dropping out of school due to the war. Working with his dad at the barber shop, Dirk visits with some news about Dr. Guggenheim's stroke where Max also meets Blume at the hospital. Realizing that Rosemary isn't over the death of her husband, Max decides to make amends as he also gets Margaret's help to fix things as he would stage his most ambitious play to date.

While retaining the optimistic innocence that was in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore is more rooted in melancholia and light-hearted humor. Notably of its three central characters, since they all have a sense of sadness around them. Max, is a kid trying to find himself only to be hit with sadness when he doesn’t get what he wants only turning to the grave of his mother. Miss Cross is a sullen woman who remains troubled by her husband's death and how Max reminds her of him. Then there's Herman Blume who is a man that has everything but is so morose by his lifestyle and everything he has, there is nowhere for him to turn to.

The genius of Rushmore really goes to the team of Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson for finding light-hearted sentimentality in the most offbeat places. They create characters that are flawed in their own ways, even in the most sympathetic of places while smaller characters appear for humor or dramatic purposes. It's a very intelligent coming-of-age story with characters developing into something more. With Anderson bringing in great scenery, his direction is very different from his previous film since he uses every eccentric idea for something that is light-hearted and humorous. Even in the scenes with the play, there is a lot of humor and small theatricality to it as it's Anderson's best work as a director so far.

Helping in the directing is longtime cinematographer Robert Yeomen who brings in a colorful look to the films in its interior sequences along with some wonderful, dreamy textures in many of the film's exterior scenes around the Rushmore academy. Production designer David Wasco along with wife and set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Andrew Laws brings in a lovely, colorful feel to school of Rushmore with its dark yet natural colors while the stage production of Max's plays are a lovely spectacle. With Karen Patch bringing in some nice costume work, notably on Max's plays and the suit that he wears, the film has a nice look. With longtime editor David Moritz bringing in a leisurely-paced editing style that gives the film a smooth, offbeat film, the movie does not lose rhythm.

Another great element in all of Wes Anderson's films is the music with a great, off-kilter score from Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh bringing in a nice, jazzy tone to the film as well as harpsichord like arpeggios to play off the film’s innocence. Then there's film the film diverse soundtrack filled mostly with British rock music with stuff by the Who, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, the Faces, Creation, the Kinks, Chad & Jeremy, Donovan, and a couple of cuts from Cat Stevens plus jazz musician Django Reinhardt and French singer Yves Montand. All of those tracks are used very well to convey teen angst as well as the film's lighthearted sentimentality.

Then there's the film's amazing cast with some great and small performances from not just Anderson's friends like Stephen Dignan, Dipak Pallana, Eric Chase Anderson, Brian Tenenbaum, Andrew Wilson, and the always hilarious Kumar Pallana with his one-liners. Also memorable were the McCawley teens as Herman Blume's evil twins and Kim Terry as Blume's wife. While Anderson regulars Luke and Owen Wilson (the latter appears as a picture) only had small roles, Luke is generally funny as Dr. Peter Flynn while Connie Nielsen makes a memorable appearance as Dirk's sexy mom. Sara Tanaka is wonderfully exquisite as the sweet Margaret Yang as well as Mason Gamble who gives an excellent performance as Max's best friend. Stephen McCole is amazing as the curse-wielding Scots Magnus with his hilarious one-liners as well. Seymour Cassel is excellent in the role as Max's simplistic father while Brian Cox rules as Dr. Guggenheim with his tough but sympathetic performance as Max's headmaster.

Olivia Williams brings a calm, complex performance as Rosemary Cross with her maternal-like stature and melancholic tone as a woman who is trying to move on but only find her suitors to be like children. Williams really brings the sweetness and sadness of the film that is enriching. Jason Schwartzman is the film's real breakthrough as the precocious and ambitious Max Fischer. While Max may not have some likeable qualities, Schwartzman makes sure that Max is a kid that an audience can relate to in terms of dreams along with a sadness while trying to understand the world. Schwartzman is amazing and is really the soul of the film.

The film's best performance easily goes to Bill Murray. While it's not in the realm of comedy classics like Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Scrooged, and What About Bob?, Murray shows more of the same range as an actor that he did years ago in Groundhog Day. Playing the morose and self-loathing Herman Blume showed what brilliance Murray can do in making a very pathetic character into someone we care about despite his flaws. It's no surprise in why Anderson wanted to work with Murray all the time and it's his performance in this film is really a precursor to his greatest performance in Sofia Coppola's 2003 film Lost in Translation. It's Murray's approach to subtlety and offbeat comedic timing that makes the Herman Blume character one of the most memorable as he brings in great chemistry with Schwartzman and Williams in their respective scenes.

If there’s one film from Wes Anderson to start with, Rushmore would be the film to see first. The film is truly one of Anderson's most touching and entertaining films of his career as it features a truly outstanding ensemble led by Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Olivia Williams. The film is also among one of the best high school movies that strays away from its typical class formula as well as having an energy that is truly intoxicating to watch. In the end, Rushmore is a brilliant film from Wes Anderson and company.

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

© thevoid99 2012

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Directed by Rupert Wyatt and written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an origin story of how a scientist took care of an ape named Caesar and was then forced to be taken by cruel caretakers leading to a revolt with help from other apes. Based on the original Planet of the Apes novel by Pierre Boulle, the film explores Caesar’s development from a normal ape into a leader. Starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, and Andy Serkis as Caesar. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an exciting and thrilling film from Rupert Wyatt.

In hopes to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, scientist Will Rodham (James Franco) believes that he’s made a breakthrough from an ape he had been experimenting on. After telling his boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) about his breakthrough, Will presents it to a board which becomes a disaster after the ape he experimented has broke out of her cell due to a misunderstanding. With Jacobs deciding to have the apes killed, Will learns through fellow scientist Franklin (Tyler Labine) about a baby ape that Will’s ape was trying to protect. Will takes the baby home where they would live with Will’s father Charles (John Lithgow) who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Amazed by the ape’s growing intelligence, Will calls the ape Caesar as he believes that Caesar is the key to the cure he’s searching for to help his father. After meeting primatologist Caroline (Freida Pinto) to help treat an injury for Caesar, she becomes part of the family where Charles’ condition seems to improve for a few years. Yet, Caesar starts to feel like he’s treated like a pet as Will reveals the truth about his background and why he took him in. When Charles starts to fall ill due to dementia, an incident involving Charles and a neighbor (David Hewlett) has Caesar fighting the neighbor to protect Charles. Due to the incident, authorities force Will and Caroline to put Caesar to an animal shelter that is run by the cruel John Landon (Brian Cox) and his vicious son Dodge (Tom Felton).

While Will reluctantly returns to work to find a cure only to feel compromised by Jacobs over the testing of apes. Back at the shelter, Caesar is befriended by fellow apes including a circus orangutan named Maurice (Karin Konoval), Rocket (Terry Notary), and a big gorilla named Buck (Richard Ridings) as they organize a revolt. When Will learns that Jacobs’ new version of the drug is flawed and fatal to humans, he quits as he tries to get Caesar back. Instead, Caesar chooses to stay as he briefly leaves the shelter to help find ways to make his fellow apes smarter as they lead an attack on the Landons and those that oppose them to Will’s horror.

The film is an origin story with a lot of references to the 1968 film which included the famous line “Get your hands off me you damn dirty ape”. Yet, it does create a lot of ideas of how the Earth was taken over by the apes as well as more ideas over what happened to the humans. Still, it’s a film about a man’s relationship with this little chimpanzee he would call Caesar and how he would shape this chimpanzee’s outlook on life and later play part in his revolt against humanity. Though the Will Rodham character is a flawed man that just wants to save his father’s life, he does care for Caesar and treats him more than just an animal. The script that Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver works in creating that relationship arc and basing the ideas for what would come in the stories that are previously told though there are flaws in the script. The Caroline character is sort of a one-dimensional figure who just plays the girlfriend while antagonists like the Landons don’t have much to do other than be mean to Caesar.

Rupert Wyatt’s direction is quite extraordinary with its presentation as he does more than just make a typical summer blockbuster action film that is loaded with CGI-effects. Since the apes are performed by actors in motion-capture visual effects, it adds a certain realness to the way the apes are presented not just physically but emotionally. Notably in their interactions to humans and some of the big action sequences in its third act. Wyatt does create some amazing tracking shots for some of the cage hallways in the shelter along with wonderful steadicam camera shots for some of Caesar’s movements around Will’s home. Overall, Wyatt creates a truly exhilarating and fun action film with a bit of drama and lots of energy.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does an excellent job with the film‘s stylish cinematography from the naturalistic, lush look of the redwood forest scenes at Muir Woods National Monument along with darker lighting schemes for some of the nighttime interiors at the shelter. Editors Conrad Buff IV and Mark Goldblatt is pretty good for the fast-paced rhythm of the action scenes while utilizing montages for some of Caesar‘s growing development and slower cuts for the dramatic moments. Production designer Claude Pare, with set decorator Elizabeth Wilcox and supervising art director Helen Jarvis, does incredible work with the set pieces from Caesar’s room in Will’s home along with the building Will works at and the play room at the shelter where Caesar leads his revolt.

Costume designer Renee April does nice work in the costumes as the close are mostly casual including a red shirt worn by Caesar. Visual effects supervisors Dan Lemmon and Erik Winquist do a spectacular job with the visual effects for the way the apes look along with some of the action sequences that happen as it is truly the film‘s highlight in terms of its technical field. Sound designer Chuck Michael and sound editor John A. Larsen do some fantastic work in the sound work from the stark yet hollow world of the shelter to the more raucous bombast of the action scenes that occur in the film. The film’s score by Patrick Doyle is superb for playing up to the bombast with loud percussions and soaring string arrangements while going for a more low-key approach in the dramatic portions of the film.

The casting by Debra Zane is remarkable for the ensemble that is created as it features notable small roles from Tyler Labine as Will’s lab friend Franklin, Jamie Harris as a shelter caretaker, and David Hewlett as Will’s hot-headed neighbor Hunsiker. Brian Cox is very good as the slimy animal shelter head John Landon while Tom Felton is also good, despite being one-dimensional, as the crueler Dodge Landon. David Oyelowo is stellar as Will’s boss Jacobs who becomes consumed with greed as he uses Will for his own financial gain. Freida Pinto is decent as the very caring Caroline although she doesn’t get much to do than just be the supportive girlfriend. John Lithgow is excellent as Will’s ailing father Charles who becomes fond of Caesar while dealing with his own disease.

James Franco gives a terrific performance as Will Rodham by displaying a man that just wants to help his father while forming his own bond with Caesar as he tries to help the chimpanzee in his ordeal. The performances by Karin Konoval, Richard Ridings, Christopher Gordon, and Terry Notary as the apes Caesar befriend are superb for the physicality and emotional expressions they give to those apes making them more than just CGI-creations. Yet, the best work in that field as well as the best performance in the film is Andy Serkis as Caesar. In the way he expresses the varied emotions as well as Caesar’s physicality, Serkis does something that goes beyond the parameters of what a motion-capture performance can do. Notably as Serkis gets Caesar to speak a few words in the film’s climatic revolt to exemplify Caesar’s growth in intelligence as it’s definitely a performance like no other.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a marvelous and entertaining action-blockbuster film from Rupert Wyatt that features an outstanding performance from Andy Serkis. This is a film that gives the Planet of the Apes franchise a much-needed boost after being away from theaters for so long as well as very misguided remake back in 2001. For fans of action-blockbusters, this film is among one of the best that offers more than just entertainment. In the end, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an engaging yet pleasurable film from Rupert Wyatt.

Related: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - War for the Planet of the Apes

© thevoid99 2012

Match Point

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/27/06 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Match Point returns to the dramatic theme of morality and murder that he discussed in 1989's Crimes & Misdemeanors. This time, the setting for Allen's new film is in the upper-class world of London society where an ex-Irish tennis pro found himself climbing up the world of upper-class British society as he meets a client's sister and their family only to be tempted by his client's American fiancee. The film discusses on how luck can do things for a young man as he is forced to choose between a modest lifestyle or a safe, secure lifestyle with all the works. Starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Penelope Wilton, James Nesbitt, Ewen Bremner, and Brian Cox. Match Point is an excellent, return-to-form feat from Woody Allen.

After a period of playing professional tennis, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is searching for a new life after being bored from playing tennis. After taking a job working as a tennis instructor for a posh country club, he meets a young man named Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) who becomes a tennis student. After a conversation about opera, Tom invites Chris to watch an opera with his family including Tom's sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer), his father Alec (Brian Cox), and mother Eleanor (Penelope Wilton). After being invited frequently to the Hewett home, Chris becomes attracted to Chloe while being in awe of the hard work Alec has done with his life. During a party, Chris meets Tom's American fiancee Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) as Chris finds himself attracted to Nola's sensuality.

After a series of double dates and dinners, Chris learns of Nola's background as he meets her again when she's up for an audition that fails as she continues to struggle as an actress. While Chris feels happy with Chloe, he's surprised at the generosity he's been getting from Alec who accepts him immediately into the family as is Eleanor who doesn't have the same feelings towards Nola. During a day at the Hewett home, Eleanor's suggestions and criticism about Nola's failed desire to become an actress gets to her as she walks out upset as Chris comes after her where they begin a fling. The affair only becomes brief as Nola wants to move on and after she broke up with Tom, she leaves the U.S. With Tom marrying a woman named Carol (Rose Keegan), Chris marries Chloe but his obsession with Nola troubles him.

The result of his obsession only troubles Chloe's desire to want a child as Chris' new job working in his father-in-law's firm leaves him a bit unfulfilled. Then one day at a museum, Nola appears as he asks her phone number. Immediately, a secretive affair happens as Chris finds his fulfillment with Nola but a secure future with Chloe though their attempts to create a child only troubles them. Then when the affair gets more intense, Nola doesn't want the affair to be secretive anymore. Chris finds himself in a bind as he learns some distressing news from Nola as she demands that he should leave Chloe. Chris turns to an old friend in Henry (Rupert-Penry Jones) about his situation where a life with Nola could be modest but there's no future but with Chloe, he is secure and can get anything. While Chloe becomes suspicious of what's going on, Chris goes to a drastic decision that will haunt him.

While the story of Match Point isn't anything groundbreaking, particularly in the third act which resembles the dramatic situation in Allen's 1989 masterpiece Crimes & Misdemeanors. What is new is where Allen goes to where originally, it was supposed to be in Long Island, New York but due to financial situations, London becomes a new background where everything works. Not only does Allen explore the posh world of London but he uses the city as a new world that he never has been to by delving into Alfred Hitchcock for his script. The story does reference the idea of luck but in a more realistic yet cynical point of view where Allen comes to the conclusion that the world isn't very happy. Particularly when the third act is explored by two detectives in Inspector Dowd (Ewen Bremner) and Detective Banner (James Nesbitt).

While Allen's direction is his most entrancing since Husbands & Wives, it's because he aims for an observant view of how these characters live and how they behave. By the third act, it begins to deconstruct itself from this study of a man trying to work his way into the upper class only to find a way to mess with it. In that third act, not only does Allen rip himself off but also Hitchcock on how he plots things and how he uses elements of mystery where the conclusion overall becomes a bit more cynical and nihilistic. In many ways, this is Allen at his most bleakest. His strength as a director is only topped more in his role as a writer. The script is by far is most inspiring and solid since Crimes & Misdemeanors where in the previous film, he explores the morals and in Match Point, he goes into the idea of trying to get away with it without any moral consent.

Both stories have certain parallels in the way Nola is a bit like Anjelica Huston's character Dolores and Chris is a bit like Martin Landau's Judah Rosenthal. The difference is that the characters in Match Point aren't just younger but are in entirely different situations of sympathy and where their characters stand. What is similar is in the situations they're in terms of where they're at in their lives where both Chris and Judah are living in respected, posh lifestyles and how their affairs would threaten their positions and the people around them. Both men not only could find ways to reason with their lovers but choose crime to deal with it. The only difference is the moral aftermath and the situations that result. The Nola/Dolores characters are both desperate, neurotic, and passionate but only the Dolores character seems to be more in sympathy since she's the one more ridden with guilt while Nola really has nothing to offer. In many ways, this is Woody Allen reaching into old territory and finding something new to say.

Helping Allen in his observant vision is cinematographer Remi Adefarasin who does a wonderful job in capturing the beauty world of posh London with his lighting techniques of the interiors and exteriors in its grey skies. Production designer Jim Clay and set decorator Caroline Smith do a great job in not capturing the locations of the rich world of London but finding every way where this world does feel a sense of comfort as opposed to the more simplistic world of Nola. The costumes by Jill Taylor also reveal the posh world, particularly the suits of Chris and Tom and the dresses for Chloe and Nola. Alisa Lepselter, who has been Allen's editor since 1999's Sweet & Lowdown, does a wonderful job in giving the film a leisurely pace in its near two-hour running time which makes it Allen’s longest film to date.

Then there is the music where in previous films, Allen goes for jazz pieces but in this film he goes for opera. The opera music uses it as a dramatic crutch while bringing the emotional tension and drama where Allen plays the film as if it was an opera where tragedy is to come. His choice of music by Guiseppe Verdi, Gioacchino Rossini, Carlo Gomes, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, and Andrew Lloyd Webber definitely creates a wonderful film soundtrack and a nice introduction mix-tape for opera music.

Finally, we have the cast which includes nice, small performances from Rose Keegan, Rupert-Penry Jones, Geoffrey Streatfield as Chris' boss at the firm, and Margaret Tyzack as Nola's neighbor. Ewen Bremner and James Nesbitt are excellent in their roles as detectives with differing views on things where Bremner seems more cynical while Nesbitt is more imaginative in his ideas of how crime is committed. Penelope Wilton is wonderful in his role as Eleanor whose views can be hurtful but is a woman who only wants the best for her children despite her own ideals. Brian Cox is perfect as this generous, warm man who has accomplished everything while wanting to give Chris a shot for his own hard work and providing comfort for everyone around him, including Nola. Matthew Goode is also excellent as the charming Tom who likes to show off while being friendly to Chris while his own actions for Nola on their break-up reveals a flaw about his own reputation in front of his family.

Of the supporting cast, Emily Mortimer is the real star as a naive, scorned woman who may live a posh life but has at least some knowledge of the world outside her. Mortimer displays a sweetness and restraint as a scorned woman who becomes suspicious while feeling she might not be enough for Chris as Mortimer really gives a masterful, truly sympathetic performance as she tries to give everything for her husband. Scarlett Johansson is also excellent in her performance as Nola where she starts off as this fragile, neurotic young woman who has trouble trying to start a career while getting into an affair. By the third act, Johansson makes her character to be very unlikable although it doesn't entirely work since it's more of a caricature of Anjelica Huston's character in Crimes & Misdemeanors where Nola has no motivation for what she can do with her life with Chris.

Finally, there's Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in his best performance to date as Chris Wilton. What Rhys-Meyers did which was a wise decision for a Woody Allen film was being a Woody Allen protagonist but without acting like Allen. Rhys-Meyers definitely brings a performance that is brilliant in terms of trying to protect himself while delving into bad deeds. When it comes to the situation and decisions he's in, Rhys-Meyers shows the morality and anguish his character is in as he plays it perfectly while having great chemistry with both Johansson and Mortimer.

While it's not a groundbreaking film, Match Point is truly a superb effort from Woody Allen who definitely has made his best film since Crimes & Misdemeanors. Thanks to a great cast led by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, and Penelope Wilton, Allen has finally got his mojo back. Though it's unclear if he can keep it going, this film does prove in why Woody Allen is one of the best as he delves into some new territory of cynicism and justice. While new fans could find something attractive about the film, old fans will definitely be pleased as Woody Allen scores with Match Point.

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 & Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer Night’s 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 - 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 - 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 2011