2016 Cannes Marathon: Jimmy's Hall

(Played in Competition for the Palme d’Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival)

Directed by Ken Loach and screenplay by Paul Laverty that is based on Donal O‘Kelly‘s play, Jimmy’s Hall is the story about the Irish socialist Jimmy Graton who holds a dancehall for people who support his cause that would eventually led to his deportation to the U.S. in 1933. The film is a dramatic account about Graton’s life in the 1930s from his formation of the Revolutionary Workers’ Group as well as his fights with the Irish government as he is played by Barry Walton. Also starring Simone Kirby and Jim Norton. Jimmy’s Hall is a riveting and compelling film from Ken Loach.

Set in 1932 Ireland during the worldwide Great Depression, the film revolves around the year in the life of Jimmy Gralton who had return to Ireland after a decade in exile where he is asked by old friends and other young local to reopen a community hall much to the ire of old enemies that include land owners, religious leaders, and other political figures. It’s a film that plays into a man who was known for his radical views of the world where he is seen as a Communist yet he is really a man of the people that wants to do what is right while offering the town’s elder priest a chance to discuss things peacefully. Instead, there are forces that want to get rid of Gralton in order to maintain the status quo while the people realize that there is a lot more at stake than just themselves and their home.

Paul Laverty’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Gralton’s desire to reopen this community hall where people can dance to music, have meetings, and learn about everything from art, dance, and anything they want to know about. It’s about why he built in the first place 10 years earlier and the events that led to his first exile where he would go to America for nearly a decade where he saw the stock market crash of 1929 and its outcome. He is reluctant to stir trouble as he just wants to help his mother in running their local farm but he couldn’t ignore the problems that are emerging in Ireland as it relates to the poor and uneducated not getting a fair shake. Even as the people who are supposed to help them in local bishops condemn them instead of doing what is right. Still, Gralton just wants to stay out of trouble just as he reconnects with a former flame, who is now married with children, where he eventually realizes that his attempts to speak about against the government would lead him to a permanent exile.

Ken Loach’s direction is quite simple but also engaging for the way he creates a film that is political but also not overtly political. Shot on the actual locations where the story was based in the county of Leitrim in Ireland, the film does play into something that is almost like a recreation with a few flashback scenes of Gralton’s life when he built the hall. Much of the direction is intimate in its usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the meetings as well as some of the things that goes on inside this hall where people listen to traditional Irish music as well as the American jazz that Gralton has brought to the country. There aren’t many moments of violence though the scenes that do display violent moments such as a young woman being beaten by her father who loathes Gralton. There are also these intense moments as it relates to the confrontation as well as the actions of Gralton and his associates where the film’s third act would play into Gralton’s own exile and eventual deportation. Through Laverty’s simplistic script, Loach would let many things play out easily and not really bring in a lot of exposition except for a few moments as it relates to a lot of the historical context of what Ireland was going through during the Depression. Even as the eventual deportation of Gralton would showcase a lot of what is going on that even those trying to get rid of Gralton couldn’t ignore. Overall, Loach crafts a provocative yet fascinating film about a man trying to create a peaceful environment during one of Ireland’s toughest periods in time.

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography in capturing many of the naturalistic landscapes in a lot of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish usage of blue light filters for a key scene set at night. Editor Mike Andrews does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward as it doesn‘t go for a lot of style with the exception of a few transitions for the flashbacks in its first act. Production designer Fergus Clegg and art director Stephen Daly do fantastic work with the look of the hall that is big enough to be a lot of things while it would also have dances and concerts set at night to play into something that feels like a lively community as opposed to the look of these large and cold estates of the landowners.

Costume designer Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh does wonderful work with the costumes as it plays to the look of the early 1930s as it is casual but also colorful including a dress that Gralton bought for his former flame Oonagh. Sound editor Kevin Brazier does nice work with the sound as it is play into some of the lively atmosphere in the parties at the hall as well as some of the quieter moments involving the landscape. The film’s music by George Fenton and Fletcher Henderson is incredible for its mixture of jazz and traditional Irish folk music to play into that mixture of two different worlds that is American jazz and Irish music as something that would give many of the locals at the hall something new to enjoy.

The casting by Kahleen Crawford is superb for the ensemble that is created as it include some notable small roles from Aileen Henry as Gralton’s mother, Andrew Scott as the sympathetic and more progressive Father Sheamus, Karl Geary and Shane O’Brien as a couple of Gralton’s friends who try to fight for him, Denise Gough as a teacher at the hall, Aisling Franciosi as a young woman named Marie O’Keefe who goes to the hall against her father’s wishes, Brian F. O’Byrne as Commander O’Keefe who despises Gralton as he tries to stop him by any means necessary, and Francis Magee as Gralton’s old friend Mossie who helped build the hall with Gralton as he was just released from prison upon Gralton’s return to Ireland. Jim Norton is excellent as Father Sheridan as a religious leader who was once a major opponent of Gralton as he is not happy about his return where he tries to stop him only to be faced with questions about his own role and whether he really does help the people.

Simone Kirby is amazing as Oonagh as a former lover of Gralton who had since remarried since his exile as she reconnects with him without being unfaithful only to realize the dangers of her association with him. Finally, there’s Barry Walton in a phenomenal performance as Jimmy Gralton as a former organizer who is reluctantly back in a war of words against the authority where he tries to create peaceful discussions while calling out those such as Father Sheridan for his indifference towards people he is supposed to care for as it’s a performance of humility and charisma.

Jimmy’s Hall is an incredible film from Ken Loach that features a sensational performance from Barry Walton. Featuring a great cast as well as fascinating viewpoints on some of Ireland’s own conflicts during the Great Depression. It’s a film that showcases a man just trying to say something for common people in an age where everyone is suffering while the rich and powerful show indifference towards them. In the end, Jimmy’s Hall is a tremendous film from Ken Loach.

Ken Loach Films: (Cathy Comes Home) - (Poor Cow) - Kes - (Save the Children Fund Film) - (Family Life) - (The Price of Coal) - (Black Jack) - (The Gamekeeper) - (Looks and Smiles) - (Which Side Are You On?) - (Fatherland) - (Hidden Agenda) - (Riff-Raff) - (Raining Stones) - (Ladybird Ladybird) - (Land and Freedom) - (A Contemporary Case of Common Ownership) - (Carla’s Song) - (The Flickering Flame) - (McLibel (1997 film)) - (My Name is Joe) - (Bread and Roses) - (The Navigators) - Sweet Sixteen - (Ae Fond Kiss…) - (Tickets) - (McLibel (2005 film)) - The Wind That Shakes the Barley - It's a Free World... - Looking for Eric - (Route Irish) - (The Angels’ Share) - (The Spirit of ‘45) - I, Daniel Blake

© thevoid99 2016

Bug (2006 film)

Directed by William Friedkin and written by Tracy Letts that is based on his 1996 play, Bug is the story of a woman who finds herself in a rural Oklahoma motel with a paranoid man whose obsession with conspiracy theories has him thinking that bugs and the government are out to get him. The film is a return to the horror genre that Friedkin was known for back in the 1970s as it also explores a world filled with terror in the most unlikeliest of places. Starring Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Lynn Collins, Brian F. O’Byrne, and Harry Connick Jr. Bug is a terrifying and chilling film from William Friedkin.

Set almost entirely in a motel room in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma, the film revolves a bar waitress who meets a former war veteran who believes that bugs and the government are out to get him. In turn, the waitress starts to believe that everything this man says is real as forces try to interfere. It’s a film that plays into the world of paranoia as well as a woman dealing with loneliness as the well as the presence of her abusive ex-husband. The film’s screenplay by Tracy Letts maintains a sense of intimacy as it plays to the loneliness of bar waitress Agnes (Ashley Judd) who is still reeling from the disappearance of her child years ago where she parties with her friend R. C. (Lynn Collins) who invites this drifter named Peter (Michael Shannon).

Peter is a man that just went AWOL from an experiment that has him believing that bugs are inside of him as he is this unlikely quiet fellow who intrigues Agnes. Yet, Peter’s belief that bugs are trying to kill him has Agnes bewildered until she starts to believe as it raises questions about if anything Peter is saying is true or is he delusional. Even as Agnes doesn’t trust anyone but Peter as she starts to have bruises and such where it plays into a sense of mystery in the film.

William Friedkin’s direction is very intimate but also stylish in the way he plays into the lonely life of a waitress who keeps being stalked by her ex-husband Jerry (Harry Connick Jr.) as she numbs herself with drugs and partying. Much of Friedkin’s direction features some tight-close-ups and medium shots with very few wide shots where it’s only used in a scene where a helicopter is flying above this motel in the middle of Oklahoma. While there’s some scenes shot outside of the motel room, most of the film takes place inside this motel room where it’s intimate but also very chilling in its cramped setting as it gets more troubling as the film progresses. Especially where Friedkin just keeps the setting tighter and more unsettling where there’s an uncertainty by what is really happening as there’s some moments that are very violent as well as shocking that proves that Friedkin still has that ability to create some high-octane scares. Overall, Friedkin creates a very scary and compelling film about paranoia.

Cinematographer Michael Grady does excellent work with the cinematography from the grimy look of its daytime exterior/interior settings to its exterior look at night as well as the use of blue for a very chilling third act inside the motel room. Editor Darrin Navarro does brilliant work with the editing as it has this sense of style in its approach to jump-cut and rhythms while knowing when not to cut in certain scenes involving dialogue. Production designer Franco-Giacomo Carbone and set decorator Frank Zito do fantastic work with look of Agnes‘ motel room in its grimy look as well as what it would look like with tin foil in the film‘s third act. Costume designer Peggy A. Schnitzer does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play into the film‘s American Midwest tone.

Sound designer Steve Boeddeker and sound editor Ronald Eng do superb work with the sound from the way the helicopter sounds from inside the hotel to the sparse sound textures that play into Agnes and Peter‘s paranoia.. The film’s music by Brian Tyler is wonderful as it‘s very low-key in its electronic setting while there‘s some additional music by Serj Tankian who provides some fast-paced metal music that. Music supervisor Jay Faires brings in a soundtrack that features a diverse array of music from country, rock, blues, and metal to play into the world of the Midwest.

The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is great as it features a notable appearance from Brian F. O’Byrne who appears in the film’s third act as someone looking for Peter. Harry Connick Jr. is fantastic as Agnes’ ex-husband Jerry who wants to get back with her but is often stalking her as he wants her money. Lynn Collins is superb as R.C. as Agnes’ lesbian friend who introduces her to Peter as she would eventually question Peter’s state of mind. Ashley Judd is amazing as Agnes as a lonely waitress who is reeling from loss as her friendship with Peter has her questioning about her surroundings and everything in the world where Judd goes all out in being insane. Finally, there’s Michael Shannon in an incredible performance as Peter as a former war veteran who went AWOL as he believes that bugs and the government are out to get him where there’s a crazed element to his performance as it’s one full of terror but also complex as there’s an ambiguity into whether he’s crazy or it is really happening to him.

Bug is a remarkably riveting and horrifying film from William Friedkin. Armed with great performances from Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd as well as Tracy Letts’ haunting script. The film is definitely a return-to-form of sorts for Friedkin after a period of hit-and-miss film as it showcases his mastery in suspense and horror. In the end, Bug is a phenomenal film from William Friedkin.

William Friedkin Films: (Good Times) - (The Birthday Party) - (The Night They Raided Minsky’s) - (The Boys in the Band) - The French Connection - The Exorcist - Sorcerer - (Brink’s Job) - Cruising - (Deal of the Century) - To Live and Die in L.A. - (Rampage (1987 film)) - (The Guardian (1990 film)) - (Blue Chips) - (Jailbreakers) - (Jade) - (12 Angry Men (1997 TV film)) - (Rules of Engagement) - (The Hunted (2003 film)) - Killer Joe

© thevoid99 2014

Million Dollar Baby

Based on the short stories Rope Burns by Jerry Boyd in his F.X. Toole pseudonym, Million Dollar Baby is the story of a boxing trainer who reluctantly trains a young woman to become a top boxer with the help of a friend as she seeks her dream to fight. Directed and starring Clint Eastwood and screenplay by Paul Haggis, the film is an unconventional boxing film in which a gym owner/trainer deals with setbacks as well as his own demons while finding some redemption in the young woman he would train. Also starring Hilary Swank, Jay Baruchel, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, Brian F. O’Byrne, Margo Martindale, and Morgan Freeman. Million Dollar Baby is a rich yet enthralling film from Clint Eastwood.

The film is an exploration into the world of boxing but from a different spectrum as a young woman in her 30s is eager to succeed as it’s the only thing she wants to do while working part time as a waitress. In seeking the help of a gym owner/veteran trainer who often finds himself in situations where he doesn’t take chances that could’ve helped his fighters. Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) does manage to sway Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her as she also gets help from Frankie’s friend Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris (Morgan Freeman) who was once a great fighter only to lose his eyesight in one of his eyes. With Frankie helping Maggie to work her way to become a viable contender, Frankie also deals with the wounds in his life as it relates to the family he’s become estranged with as well as the bad decisions he’s made. Yet, the two would find something to fill the void they needed in their lives.

Paul Haggis’ screenplay does have a traditional structure where the first act is about Frankie dealing with the unanswered letters he sent towards his estranged daughter and becoming out of touch with the potential he has for his fighters. Often turning to Father Horvak (Brian F. O’Byrne) for guidance, Frankie doesn’t get the answers he needed until the presence of Maggie showing up to the gym trying to learn to fight forces him to be involved despite his own reluctance. The second act is about the growing bond between Frankie and Maggie in a father-daughter relationship of sorts as Maggie would use her success to give her family from Missouri a good home and money but instead, she gets berated for her generosity by her mother (Margo Martindale). The rejection from her mother would only strengthen Maggie’s relationship with Frankie as he would help her reach the top of the welterweight women’s division.

One aspect of the screenplay that is unique is the fact that is largely narrated by Eddie who watches everything that happens while he looks at the other fighters in Frankie’s gym into whether or not they have the potential to be any good. Eddie’s narration is key to the story where it fills in a few tidbits on the characters while talking about the art of boxing. While the film would be a boxing film for much of the film’s first two acts. It would have a major change in tone into something more dramatic for its third act.

Clint Eastwood’s direction is very low-key and intimate in the way he presents the scenes as he doesn’t go for a lot of wide shots. Instead, he keeps things simple and to the point while creating some unique compositions with medium shots and close-ups to help tell the story. Much of the drama is presented with a sense of simplicity while the boxing scenes do have a flair for style in the way the fights are choreographed and how engaging they can where it would allow the audience to root for Maggie in those fights. Even as it would have shots set outside of the ring to get the reaction from the people watching as well as Frankie watching from his corner as it has this fluidity in the way Eastwood presents the scenes.

While it is largely a drama as it would delve into elements of melodrama in its third act, Eastwood does inject some humor into the role as it is told with such subtlety that includes a scene of Frankie and Eddie talking about the latter’s socks with holes. Eastwood’s approach to balancing humor and drama does add something to the film that where it makes it more than a boxing drama as it it’s also a film about a man finding the void he lost with his own daughter as well as a woman finding the father figure she never had. Overall, Eastwood crafts a very poignant and compelling film about a man helping a young woman become a boxer.

Cinematographer Tom Stern does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it has this air of style with tinted-bluish colors while creating some unique lighting schemes in its shadows and such. Editor Joel Cox does brilliant work with the editing where some of it is straightforward while he plays into a lot of cutting styles for the fight scenes. Production designer Henry Bumstead, with set decorator Richard C. Goddard and art director Jack Taylor, does fantastic work with the look of the gym as it‘s a bit grimy as it plays to the world that Frankie and Eddie live in.

Costume designer Deborah Hopper does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual while creating some very lovely robes for Maggie to wear when she gets ready for a fight. Sound editors Lucy Coldsnow-Smith and Alan Robert Murray do superb work with the sound from the way punches sound to the sound of people cheering in the boxing halls. The film’s music by Clint Eastwood is amazing for its eerie yet plaintive score as it is mostly low-key with its emphasis on acoustic guitars and lush string arrangements as it includes additional pieces by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens.

The casting by Phyllis Huffman is incredible as it features some notable small roles from Mike Colter as a fighter Frankie trained who would leave him for a shot at the title, Michael Pena as a fighter who often trains at the gym, Anthony Mackie as a brash fighter, Riki Lindhome as Maggie’s white-trash sister, and Lucia Rijker as a German fighter Maggie goes after as she is known for her brutish style. Margo Martindale is excellent as Maggie’s mother who is only more concerned about living on welfare and take whatever money she has from Maggie than supporting her. Jay Baruchel is terrific as a young wannabe fighter in Danger Barch as a kid who has a lot of enthusiasm despite his lack of talent. Brian F. O’Byrne is superb as Father Horvak as a priest who doesn’t really like Frankie yet gives him some advice on the issues he’s dealing with.

Morgan Freeman is marvelous as Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris as a former boxer who watches over the gym with Frankie while being the conscious of sorts in the film as he also looks at fighters who he felt could have potential including Maggie. Hilary Swank is remarkable as Maggie Fitzgerald as a woman in her 30s who just wants to make it as a boxer and win fights while wanting to get the approval of her mother only to find a father-figure in Frankie as Swank has great rapport with Eastwood. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in a tremendous performance as Frankie Dunn as man dealing with many issues as he finds the spark of life in Maggie who would give him the chance to find some redemption as he becomes troubled with his own estranged relationship with his daughter.

Million Dollar Baby is a phenomenal film from Clint Eastwood that features absolutely superb performances from Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. Not only is it a boxing film with substance but also a drama that explores a man finding a lost void in a woman who would become a daughter to him. In the end, Million Dollar Baby is a spectacular film from Clint Eastwood.

Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) - High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) - Sudden Impact - Pale Rider - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) - Unforgiven - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - Changeling - (Gran Torino) - (Invictus) - (Hereafter) - (J. Edgar) - (Jersey Boys) - American Sniper - (Sully) - (The 15:17 to Paris) - (The Mule)

© thevoid99 2014

Mildred Pierce (2011 TV Miniseries)

Based on James M. Cain’s 1941 novel, Mildred Pierce tells the story of a middle-class housewife’s struggle to give her children a better life during the Great Depression. Though she finds works as a waitress and begins to work her way up, she also begins to deal with the ambitions of her eldest Veda as their lives turn tragic. The story would eventually become a feature film in 1945 by Michael Curtiz that starred Joan Crawford in the title role, which would win her an Oscar for Best Actress. In 2011, the melodramatic story is told once again into a new medium for a five-part TV miniseries. This time, under the helm of one of American cinema’s great talents in Todd Haynes.

Directed by Todd Haynes with a teleplay by Haynes and Jon Raymond. Haynes’ adaptation of Mildred Pierce is a re-telling of the novel by expanding on the melodrama with the realism of the 1930s. While some might consider the project to be a companion piece of sorts to his 2002 film Far from Heaven. The miniseries is a different take on the world of housewives that Haynes had previously explored in Far from Heaven and Safe. Even as he goes for a grittier yet stylistic approach to the story with Kate Winslet in the title role. Also starring Evan Rachel Wood, Guy Pearce, Mare Winningham, Melissa Leo, Brian F. O’Byrne, James LeGros, and Hope Davis. Mildred Pierce is a sprawling yet evocative drama from Todd Haynes and company.

Part 1

It’s 1931 during the Great Depression in Glendale, California when Bert Pierce (Brian F. O’Byrne) leaves his home and his wife Mildred after accusations of infidelity. With her two young daughters in the glamorous Veda (Morgan Turner) and the playful Ray (Quinn McColgan), Mildred realizes that she needs work. While her neighbor Lucy Gessler (Melissa Leo) helps out along with Bert’s business partner Wally Burgan (James LeGros). Still in 1931, as Mildred struggles to find work in any kind of field. While an employment agent helps her find work, she gets a job offer to work for a maid by a rich woman named Mrs. Forrester (Hope Davis).

Mildred turns her down as she continues to try and find work where during a lunch break, she sees an argument between waitresses as the manager (Mark Margolis) fires one of them. Realizing they’re short, Mildred volunteers for the day as she accepts the job of being a waitress. While she only tells Lucy about the job, she hopes that no including Veda would know about this.

Part 2

With help from Ida Corwin (Mare Winningham), Mildred succeeds as a waitress as she brings in some money. While things are fine at the restaurant, the only thing the customers complain about is the pie as Mildred brings in pies of her own to help boost things. Realizing that she can make money on her own with her cooking skills, she also learns the ropes of the restaurant business with Wally’s help to start a restaurant. Though Wally reveals that in order for Mildred to have her own business, she needs to divorce Bert. Bert reluctantly does so though he still gets the chance to see his daughters.

Mildred’s secret comes out when her new assistant Letty wear Mildred’s waitress dress. Mildred has a confrontation with the snobbish Veda while revealing the plans she’s having for the restaurant. On the last day of her job as a waitress, a man named Monty Beragon (Guy Pearce) arrives as he asks Mildred for a day at the beach in Santa Barbara. Mildred accepts where romance happens between Mildred and the fruit company heir. On the way home, Mildred would encounter tragedy that would change her life as well as her relationship with Veda.

Part 3

After the family tragedy Mildred faced, she decides to move forward to open her restaurant called Mildred’s. With her maid Letty (Marin Ireland) helping out for the first day, it starts off slow until it grew in that first night. With Ida and Lucy helping out, the first night becomes successful as Monty makes an appearance much to the delight of Veda. With Monty in Mildred’s life and making an indelible impression on Veda, everything seems to be going well. Even as Monty gets a chance for Veda to audition for a prestigious music teacher. Though the audition is a success, Mildred knows that she has to get a top piano for Veda so she can continue to practice.

With Prohibition on its way out and Monty having money troubles, Mildred takes Lucy’s advice to have a little bar in her restaurant. Yet, it’s not enough to deal with Monty’s financial issues while Veda’s time with Monty makes Mildred uneasy. Even as Veda is unimpressed by Mildred’s present while saying things that upset Mildred about Veda’s conversations with Monty. At a rainy night on New Year’s Eve, Mildred confronts Monty about his conversations with Veda along with the fact that she works and he doesn’t.

Part 4

With Mildred’s becoming a success as Mildred hopes to expand her business, Lucy finds a location at Laguna that would become a place where Mildred would exceed her finances. With help from Wally and Ida, Mildred’s third restaurant at the Laguna becomes another success as she also expands her entrees. After the news of her teacher‘s death, Veda (Evan Rachel Wood) tries to get an audition with a famed music impresario named Treviso. Instead, the audition becomes a disaster leading Veda to party with a group of young people.

Mildred is worried about Veda’s partying ways as she gets an unexpected visit from Mrs. Forrester. What Mildred learns from Mrs. Forrester has her worried while she asks Veda what happened. Veda revealed she turned to Wally for help as Mildred learns the realization of what Veda is trying to do. Yet, what is more shocking is Veda’s motivation to do so as Mildred kicks her out. With Veda gone, Mildred focuses on her business yet she longs for information about Veda. Then, she hears the news from Bert that Veda has succeeded as an opera singer.

Part 5

After learning about Veda’s success and hearing her sing through the radio, Mildred is desperate to contact her. She realizes that Veda’s music instructor is Treviso who is happy about working with Veda though suggests to Mildred to not make any contact with her for her own sake. With ideas of finding a new home in Pasadena, Mildred runs into Monty as they reconnect. Selling her his estate, the two get married as Veda makes a surprise appearance. Though everything seems fine as Veda becomes a big success. Mildred learns about some holes in her finances as it becomes clear what’s been happening. Even Bert reveals what’s been happening as people from her business have tried to warn her about something. It is there that Mildred faces not only betrayal but also heartbreak.

While the original 1945 film was a noir-like melodrama set in the 1940s, it was a very stylized approach to what James M. Cain had originally intended with the book. Under the direction of Todd Haynes, Cain’s story about a woman trying to win the heart of her ungrateful daughter expands into something much bigger and more realistic. Even as Haynes uses Mildred’s struggle early in the miniseries as an allegory to what was going in the late 2000s during the troubled economy. Yet, Haynes and co-writer Jon Raymond delve into the story about this woman’s desperate to succeed in her own times and win her daughter’s heart. Even by going to Cain’s novel and bring in characters that weren’t present or under-utilized in Michael Curtiz’s 1945 film.

The relationship between Mildred and Veda is the heart of the miniseries while characters such as Bert Pierce, Ida Corwin, Wally Burgan, and Monty Beragon are more prominent in the book. Even the character Lucy Gessler, who wasn’t in the 1945 film, is presented in the miniseries. With these supporting characters, they bring in their own perspective about the Mildred and Veda relationship though it’s told through Mildred’s perspective.

Since it’s told in nearly six-hours and in five parts, it’s all about Mildred’s progression from a wife whose husband has left her for another woman to struggle on her own. When she eventually takes a job as a waitress so she can raise her daughters. During this time as a waitress, she learns about the restaurant business and with the help of a few people. She starts her own restaurant and eventually succeeds by turning it into an empire. Yet, part of the motivation isn’t to give her daughters the chance to feel secure but also for them to have a very good life. Unfortunately, one of them wants more than that.

The character of Veda is someone that wants ambition and wants to succeed at any cost. When family tragedy occurs in the Pierce family, it does bring Veda and Mildred closer which also serves as Mildred’s reason to want to have Veda around her. Instead, Veda becomes more ambitious and falls for Monty’s lifestyle. The chance to play music and later, become a singer is Veda’s chance to not only leave Glendale but also leave the mother who she feels is holding her back.

With the relationship of the two progressing throughout the duration of the story, there comes various people involved that would look at this relationship. The one person that would help create the divide in the two is Monty. Monty is a rich playboy who likes to live a lifestyle that he can afford, at first. By the time his own finances dry up, he goes to Mildred for money as she takes care of him. Instead, his own time with Veda would be the breaking point as they won’t see each other for a few years. When he does reappear, he would be responsible for the reunion between Mildred and Veda. Yet, that wouldn’t last as he would create the problems Mildred would face the near-ruin of everything she’s worked for. What’s even worse isn’t just betrayal but also an indication of how foolish she can be.

Part of Mildred’s fault is her ability to try and please others such as Monty and Veda. Yet, they take advantage of her hospitality making Mildred into a tragic figure of sorts. Even by the miniseries’ climatic moment is where she finally reaches her breaking point following everything that has just happened to her. The ending of the miniseries isn’t as stylish as Curtiz’s film but it’s an indication of what Mildred has learned and realizes in the end.

The teleplay by Haynes and Jon Raymond succeeds in not only the character study of Mildred Pierce as well as other characters. They succeed in also creating the environment of what was it like during the Great Depression. Through Haynes’ sprawling yet stylish direction, he creates something that is not just reminiscent of 1970s cinema. He also brings a contemporary approach to the story while retaining the language of the 1930s. Yet, Haynes is always having his camera interested in what is going on with Mildred’s world and through the people around her.

There are scenes throughout the miniseries where Mildred is looking around whether she’s inside a car or at a restaurant looking around. It’s as if she’s is feeling detached by the world around her. Even as Haynes understands what Mildred is going through with her life. Even as the story progresses, she becomes more refined while is awaiting to be reunited with Veda. The scenes where Veda performs an opera is truly captivating as it’s shown not just from Mildred’s perspective but also in how Veda is displaying those emotions through her singing. It’s not just Veda singing to her mother where it seems like she’s being grateful underneath all of that performance is a young woman becoming more detached from the woman who tried to give her everything.

Haynes’ direction truly succeeds in creating a feeling of detachment while bringing new life to the world of the Depression in California though it’s mostly shot in the state of New York. The look of the 1930s during the Depression might not seem as decayed or in ruins but rather a period where people are struggling while trying to get things moving. Even as he creates wonderful shots and camera movements to get into the emotion of the story. Even as he ends each part with some sort of cliffhanger as the end of the first part really shows a great example of what is happening. The result is truly a magnificent miniseries helmed by one of American cinema’s great filmmakers working today.

Cinematographer Edward Lachman does a superb job with the miniseries’ gorgeous photography. Lachman plays up the sunny yet dreamy quality of many of the miniseries’ exteriors that gives it a Californian feel. For many of the interiors, Lachman brings in an amazing array of lighting schemes whether its to reflect sunlight against the glass in some scenes or creating a mood for what is happening. Lachman’s photography is truly exquisite as it is definitely the highlight of the miniseries’ technical work.

Editors Alfonso Goncalves and Camilla Toniolo do a phenomenal job with the editing of the entire series. With Goncalves on the first two parts, Toniolo on the third, and both doing the last two parts. The editing works in playing up to the drama and uncertainty about Mildred early in the story. Even as presents the story in a leisured yet methodical pacing while not making it too slow. While it’s length works as a miniseries which allows each part to be separated at over an hour each. The editing also works to convey the intense melodrama that occurs throughout the miniseries as it is definitely some fine work.

Production designer Mark Friedberg, along with set decorator Ellen Christiansen and art director Peter Rogness, does a great job with the recreation of 1930s California from the look of the restaurants and homes that characters lived in. Even with the cars as Freidberg and his team do something that is truly spectacular with the period setting including the grand scenes for the opera. Costume designer Ann Roth does a spectacular job with the costumes for the miniseries. Roth’s costumes plays up to the evolution of Mildred’s character from a middle-class woman struggling to find work to a woman with lavish clothes running a business. Even with Veda’s clothes early as child with someone wanting top-class to a much more grander style of clothing to represent her narcissistic personality.

Visual effects supervisor Lesley Robson-Foster does a very good job with the minimal sound effects to enhance the look of 1930s America along a few shots for some of the driving scenes. Sound designer Leslie Shatz does an amazing job with the sound work for the miniseries. From the way cars sounded back then to the surroundings Mildred would encounter throughout duration of the miniseries along with the homes she lives in. Shatz’s work is truly stellar in the way she allows the sound to intensify the dramatic elements of the miniseries.

The score by Carter Burwell is truly wonderful for the way Burwell plays up to the melodrama as well as the period of the music. Creating a score filled with lush arrangements and orchestral flourishes that is bombastic and also understated to play up the drama. Even with something as plaintive as a piano to help play to Mildred’s complex emotions. Music supervisor Randall Poster helps with the soundtrack by creating a mix of 1930s pop music at the time, notably I‘m Always Chasing Rainbows that serves as Mildred‘s sort of theme. Poster also selects varied classical opera pieces for Veda to play with vocals by Sumi Jo to serve as Veda’s voice. The music overall is fantastic as it’s another highlight of the miniseries.

The casting by Laura Rosenthal is definitely top-notch with the array of people that appears throughout the entire miniseries. In small but notable appearances include Paul Sparks as an agent trying to get Veda to New York City in the fifth part of the series, Mark Margolis as the diner boss, Miriam Shor as a diner waitress, Elvy Yost as Mildred’s secretary in the latter part of the miniseries, Halley Feiffer as one of Mildred’s waitresses, and Marin Ireland as Mildred’s maid/assistant Letty. Quinn McColgan is very good as Mildred’s youngest daughter Ray who provides all of the warmth and playfulness that anyone could ask for in a kid. Hope Davis is excellent in a small but pivotal role as Mrs. Forrester, a rich woman who snidely offers Mildred a job in the first part only to return in the fourth when she confronts Mildred about Veda.

Mare Winningham is great as Ida Corwin, a diner waitress who helps Mildred run the restaurant while being the person who tries to warn Mildred about the finances. James LeGros is wonderful as Wally Burgan, a businessman who occasionally sleeps with Mildred early in the series to help her start a business while being the man who would make decisions that baffles Mildred. Melissa Leo is phenomenal as Lucy Gessler, Mildred’s best friend and confidant who helps her run the restaurant business while trying to warn Mildred about Veda’s behavior. Brian F. O’Byrne is extremely impressive as Bert Pierce, Mildred’s first husband who leaves for another woman only to become a supporter of her and one of the few people she trusts. O’Byrne truly brings an everyman quality to Bert who is kind of a sap but a guy that is sympathetic as his own relationship with Mildred in the progression of the story becomes one of the most interesting as O’Byrne really shines.

Guy Pearce is amazing as Monty Beragon, the charming playboy who wows Mildred with his tastes as he helps her succeed. Yet, Pearce also brings a devilish quality to Beragon as he is someone who is more brutish and also lazy as a guy who just likes to live a lifestyle that he can’t really afford. It’s Pearce at his finest as he and Kate Winslet have some wonderful chemistry whether they’re in love or hating each other. For role of Veda Pierce, two actresses play the character in two different age groups. For the younger Veda, Morgan Turner is superb as this young, ambitious little girl who scoffs at the idea of the working class while being very spoiled. Turner adds a smugness to that character that makes her someone that anyone would love to hate. Yet, it’s a remarkable performance from the young Turner as it’s really a set-up for what will Veda become as a teenage girl/young woman played by Evan Rachel Wood.

Evan Rachel Wood gives, what is probably the best performance of her young career so far. Not only does she make Veda more unlikable, she makes Veda into a monster that anyone wishes would be dead. Wood truly brings a very dramatic flair to her character by being a bit over the top and also bringing the idea that she is a talented singer/musician in the way she mimics things. By the time the story progresses and she becomes larger than life, Wood definitely has moments she nearly steals the scenes from Kate Winslet including a nude scene that is one of the most infuriating moments of the miniseries. It is definitely a break-out performance for the young Evan Rachel Wood.

Finally, there’s Kate Winslet in what is definitely one of her greatest performances of her career. In playing the titular character, it is a very different performance than the one Joan Crawford gave in the 1945 performance. It’s stripped down and also very direct about a woman struggling to bring security to her young daughters and to succeed on her own terms. Winslet brings a real weariness to her character while her physicality in the way she reacts to things is just startling. Even as she has a great rapport with her fellow actors including Evan Rachel Wood where the two have great scenes together about their troubled relationship. While it may not be her best performance of her career, it is certainly among one of her best in an amazing career.

Mildred Pierce is a spectacular yet mesmerizing miniseries/melodrama from Todd Haynes featuring a towering performance from Kate Winslet in the title role. Along with some fantastic supporting work by Evan Rachel Wood, Morgan Turner, Guy Pearce, Melissa Leo, Mare Winningham, and Brian F. O’Byrne. It’s definitely a story that really plays to its sense of ambition and heartbreak. While it may not be as overly stylized as Michael Curtiz’s 1945 film, it is definitely a more realistic take on James M. Cain’s novel though both have the same idea. While it is a long story to watch, it is told in the right medium as a miniseries as Todd Haynes truly went all out for this story. In the end, the 2011 miniseries of Mildred Pierce is a dazzling yet intense project from Todd Haynes.

Todd Haynes Films: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - Poison - Dottie Gets Spanked - Safe - Velvet Goldmine - Far from Heaven - I'm Not There - Carol - Wonderstruck - Dark Waters (2019 film) - The Velvet Underground

Related: Mildred Pierce (1945 film) - The Auteurs #3: Todd Haynes

© thevoid99 2011