Set years after an event on the planet of Hala in which Carol Danvers destroyed the Supreme Intelligence, the film revolves around a new Kree extremist who has found a bangle that can allow her to create wormholes in the hope of gaining resources from other planets to save Hala after a civil war had left the planet barren while also hoping to destroy Danvers. It is a film that has Danvers deal with not just the consequences of her actions against the Kree but also having to team up with two others in stopping this person from destroying the universe. Even as it also forces her to deal with other things in her life while also making discoveries that would allow her to make some serious changes. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it opens with the new Kree leader Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) who had found a Quantum Band as she is confronted by Danvers only for something to happen in which she gets entangled with both Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan who all switch places for due to Danvers’ encounter with Dar-Benn.
Throughout the script, there is tension hinted between Carol and Monica as it relates to the fact that they hadn’t seen each other in years as well as the fact that Monica is still dealing with the loss of her mother Maria (Lashana Lynch). Yet, it is Kamala that would help them sort their issues out as both Carol and Monica would meet Kamala’s family as does Nick Fury who would take them to the S.A.B.E.R. space station as it would add some humorous moments between Fury and the Khans. For a film that does have some serious stakes as it plays into Dar-Benn’s quest, the script does manage to not take itself seriously as it plays into some of Danvers’ other lives in other planets including one called Aladna where its citizens talk through singing as Carol is very famous in the planet. It is among some of the odd and hilarious moments in the film as the script does try to balance the tone of seriousness and humor though some of it isn’t perfect but there is still a lot of weight into the story.
Nia DaCosta’s direction is stylish as it does blend into many genres such as comedies, drama, action, suspense, hand-drawn animation in a brief sequence by senior animator Josh Janousky and lead animator Nicholas St. Clair, and Bollywood-inspired musicals as it plays into these different worlds that Danvers, Rambeau, and Khan would encounter. Shot largely on various studios in the U.K. as well as additional locations in Tropea, Italy and Los Angeles, DaCosta does create something that feels loose in its presentation as well as otherworldly considering the many places the characters go to. There are some wide and medium shots that play into the scope of the different planets and places these characters go to yet DaCosta grounds the film with its emphasis on family as well as playing to what is at stake. Notably as it involves a flashback in which Dar-Benn witnessed Danvers destroying the building where the Supreme Intelligence is held as it plays into her own legit grudge as it lead to Hala in a barren state with a civil war emerging. Danvers’ actions towards Hala do lead to consequences as well as why she and Monica became estranged where the two and Kamala would go to a Skrull colony where things go wrong due to Danvers’ involvement.
While the film is uneven in its approach to its different genres, DaCosta does however keep things exciting as well as knowing when to be serious as well as not to be serious. Most notably a subplot in which Fury takes the Khans to his space station where something serious does happen as it relates to Goose and the many people at the space station when it gets threatened by Dar-Benn. Its third act does take place around Earth as it relates to what Dar-Benn wants and what she can get with the quantum band that Kamala has gotten from her grandmother. Yet, the eventual confrontation between Dar-Benn and the Marvels has a lot at stake but it comes with an aftermath which forces Carol to confront her mistakes as well as realize what is more important. Even as it would also play for a couple of key events in one post-credits scene and an ending that would involve something big. Overall, DaCosta crafts a compelling and exciting film about a trio of women with superpowers who team up to save the universe from a Kree extremist who wants to save her home planet by any means necessary.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its vibrant usage of colors in the way scenes on Earth and Aladna are shot along with low-level lighting for the scenes in Hala and parts of outer space. Editors Catrin Hedstrom and Evan Schiff do excellent work with the editing with the usage of split-screens, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play into the humor, action, and suspense. Production designer Cara Brower, along with set decorators Jille Azis, Fergus Clegg, and Naomi Moore plus supervising art directors Andrew Bennett, Ben Collins, and Andrew Palmer, does amazing work with the look of the film from the different planets the characters go to as well as the interiors of the S.A.B.E.R. space station, as well as the home of the Khan family. Costume designer Lindsay Pugh does incredible work with the film’s costumes from the suits that the Marvels wear as well as many clothes that the citizens of Aladna wear including a special dress Danvers wears as well as the uniforms the people at S.A.B.E.R. wear.
Hair/makeup designers Sian Wilson and Wakana Yoshihara, along with special makeup effects designer David White, do fantastic work with the many different looks of the alien creatures including the Kree and Skrulls as well as Carol’s own different hairstyle during her time at Aladna. Special effects supervisor David Watkins, along with visual effects supervisor Tara DeMarco and Sarah Eim, does terrific work with the special effects in the way some of the powers from the Marvels are displayed as well as the look of outer space in other parts of the film along with the design of some of the Flerkens that would appear in one of the most hilarious sequences ever on film. Sound designer Tim Nielsen, along with sound editors Addison Teague and Katy Wood, does superb work with the sound in the way Dar-Benn’s weapon sounds when it lands on the ground as well as other sound effects to play into the action and suspense along with some natural sounds for some of the humorous moments in the film.
The film’s music by Laura Karpman is phenomenal for its mixture of orchestral flourishes with Bollywood-inspired pieces as well as themes that are full of bombast along with some somber pieces and choir pieces in which is a key factor for the scenes in Aladna as it is one of the standout cuts in the film’s music score. Music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a fun music soundtrack as it features a diverse array of music from M.I.A., Skrillex with Missy Elliott and Mr. Oizo, the Beastie Boys, James Murphy, a couple of score pieces by John Ottman, and a hilarious usage of Memory sung by Barbra Streisand.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Leila Farzad and Abraham Popoola as a couple of S.A.B.E.R. officers working directly with Fury, Daniel Ings as the Kree scientist Ty-Rone, Gary Lewis as the Skrull leader Emperor Dro’ge who runs a Skrull colony until he is threatened by Dar-Benn, the cats Nemo and Tango as Carol’s pet Flerken Goose, Lashana Lynch in a flashback scene as Monica’s mother Maria during a memory entanglement with Carol, and Tessa Thompson in a special appearance as Valkyrie who helps Carol out after a serious event involving the Skrulls. The trio of Saagar Shaikh, Mohan Kapur, and Zenobia Shroff as Kamala’s family in their respective roles as her older brother Aamir, father Yusuf, and mother Muneeba are a joy to watch as a family who would have their own dangerous encounter with a couple of Kree soldiers while traveling to space where they help Fury as they add a lot of humor to some of the chaos that occurs in the film. Park Seo-joon is superb in a small role as the Prince of Aladna in Yan as a leader whom Carol knows as he helps out as he provides a lot of charm and humor though it is a very small role that is fun to watch as it needed more of him.
Samuel L. Jackson is great as Nick Fury as the head of S.A.B.E.R. who works closely with Monica while he deals with this new threat to the universe as he also has some funny moments in his encounter with the Khan family as well as Goose where he gets more than he bargains for with what is happening with Goose. Zawe Ashton is excellent as Dar-Benn as the new Kree revolutionary who has a legitimate grudge towards Danvers after witnessing the event that lead to Hala into a civil war as she is determined to save her planet with the help of the Accuser hammer. While it is a character that isn’t fully-fledge in the writing, Ashton does bring in a lot of emotional weight to her performance as someone who is desperate to save her world by destroying other planets.
Finally, there’s the trio of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Vellani’s performance as the 16-year old Pakistani high school student from Jersey City is full of delight and charisma as someone who is a total fangirl of Danvers while also is aware of the seriousness of what is happening as she brings in a sense of joy but also someone who knows how to keep everyone together. Parris’ performance as Rambeau, whose late mother was Danvers’ wing-woman in the air force as Danvers was also considered to be her aunt, is full of complexities as someone that isn’t eager to deal with Danvers over some personal issues while is also still trying to figure out her own powers.
Larson’s performance as Danvers is fascinating as someone still trying to regain lost memories but also has become distant in some ways where she also deals with her actions from the past. Larson also displays some humor and wit into the performance as well as facing revelations of her own faults as it relates to Dar-Benn. Larson, Parris, and Vellani together make this tremendous trio that all bring in the best of each other as they are the highlight of the film.
The Marvels is a marvelous film from Nia DaCosta that features a trio of great performances from Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani as the titular group. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, colorful visuals, high stakes, its humor, and an exhilarating music soundtrack. It is a film that knows when to not take itself seriously and know when to be serious though the overall results aren’t perfect yet DaCosta does manage to craft an entertaining and engaging film about three ladies saving the universe. In the end, The Marvels is a remarkable film from Nia DaCosta.
Nia DaCosta Films: (Little Woods) – (Candyman (2021 film))
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Eternals - Spider-Man: No Way Home - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Thor: Love and Thunder - Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
© thevoid99 2023
Spanning from November of 1986 to March of 1993, the film follows the wrongful arrest and conviction of Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian over the murder of a young white woman in Ronda Morrison as he would be represented three years later by an idealist young attorney from Delaware in Bryan Stevenson who would do what he can to exonerate McMillian and prove his innocence. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it is more about a young man dealing with a world that he doesn’t know much of despite having to deal with the prejudices that he also faces as an African-American. The film’s screenplay by Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Lanham is straightforward as it opens with McMillian’s arrest after a hard day’s work cutting trees as he’s accused of killing this young white woman as the film then pushes a couple of years later where Stevenson meets a young convict just before Stevenson is officially an attorney where it is a scene that establishes the idealism that follows him and his determination to make things right in the unforgiving environment that is the American South in Monroe County in Alabama.
The script also play into Stevenson not only focusing on McMillian and trying to gain his support as well as the support of his family but also look into the cases of others including a former war veteran in Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan) who is suffering from PTSD as Stevenson tries to save him from execution. Aiding Stevenson in these cases include a local in Eva Ansley (Brie Larson) who helps him find the Equal Justice Initiative as she is disgusted by not just the racism in her home state but also the indifference of prosecutor Tommy Chapman (Rafe Spall) who declines to help Stevenson out in favor of protecting the state. While Stevenson was able to get an alibi from a family friend of McMillian who later backs out, the script shows Stevenson’s determination where he questions another prisoner in Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson) where some major revelations occur about why McMillian was convicted as it leads to major challenges for Stevenson to free McMillian.
Cretton’s direction is largely straightforward to play into its grounded presentation about a real-life story. While the film is set in Alabama and shot partially in Montgomery, much of it is shot on location in and around parts of Atlanta to play into the look and feel of late 1980s/early 1990s Alabama. Cretton does make the locations feel like a world of its own with prison cells also being characters as it is this place of fear where Stevenson has to endure some humiliation in his first visit in Alabama by stripping down where Cretton brings that sense of claustrophobia in the medium shots and close-ups. The usage of those shots add to the prison cell where McMillian is alone with Richardson next door to him on the left and another in Anthony Ray Hinton (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) who was also wrongly convicted. Cretton does use some wide shots to showcase some of the locations including images of trees during a scene where McMillian offer words of comfort to Richardson in one of his PTSD moments.
Cretton also play into this air of racism that is prominent in Alabama where Stevenson is an outsider of sorts as he does get a closer look of what it’s like being a black man in Alabama where a lot of the cops and local authorities are white. Cretton doesn’t paint them as typical villains as a young guard in Jeremy Doss (Hayes Mercure) becomes more sympathetic towards McMillian while the revelations about Myers showcase the similarities towards those who live below the poverty line as he too is a victim. The first act is about Stevenson’s idealism and his attempts to try and get McMillian a retrial while the second act is about these revelations and this retrial for McMillian. Yet, there’s this third act where Cretton goes into deep into the many injustices towards McMillian but also for black men as well as Chapman’s role who is someone disconnected from what is really going on as he has to deal with the status quo who are resistance towards change. Overall, Cretton crafts an engaging and evocative film about a young attorney who tries to free a wrongly-convicted man of murder in Alabama.
Cinematographer Brett Pawlak does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as some understated colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Nat Sanders does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into some of the film’s intensely-dramatic moments. Production designer Sharon Seymour, with set decorator Maggie Martin and art director Peter Borck, does amazing work with the look of the house that Stevenson and Ansley bought as their headquarters as well as the look of the jail cells the prisoners live in and the court rooms. Costume designer Francine Jamison-Tanchuck does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward with some of the refined clothes of McMillian’s family during the trials and church scenes along with the expensive suits that Chapman wears. Makeup artist Bridgit Crider and hair stylist Crystal Woodford do terrific work with the look of McMillian early in the film as it played into the period of the times along with the look of Ansley in her ragged yet simple look.
Special effects supervisor Nicholas Coleman and visual effects supervisor Chris LeDoux do some fine work with the special effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the film’s locations along with a few scenes in the prison. Sound editors Onnalee Blank and Katy Wood do superb work with the film’s sound as it help play into the tense atmosphere of the prisons as well as some of its sparse moments and scenes in some of the locations in the film. The film’s music by Joel P. West does wonderful work with the film’s music score as it features elements of orchestral music with some gospel to play into the world that is the American South while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer cultivate a soundtrack that largely features elements of soul, gospel, rock, and R&B as it features pieces from Martha and the Vandellas, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Alabama Shakes, Hilton Felton, Sister Emily Braum, The Mighty Indiana Travelers, Atlantic Starr, Ella Fitzgerald, and a few others.
The casting by Carmen Cuba and Tara Feldstein is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Rhoda Griffs as a judge late in the film, Norm Lewis as the voice of a newscaster, Hayes Mercure as the young prison guard Jeremy Doss who becomes sympathetic towards McMillian during the film as he realizes that McMillian is innocent, Dominic Bogart as Eva’s husband Doug, C.J. LeBlanc as McMillian’s son John, Karen Kendrick as McMillian’s wife Minnie, Darrell Britt-Gibson as a family friend in Darnell who has an alibi for McMillian only to be spooked by the authorities, and Michael Harding as the racist Sheriff Tate who doesn’t care if McMillian is innocent as he is someone trying to instill his authority. O’Shea Jackson Jr. is fantastic as Anthony Ray Hinton as a wrongfully-convicted man who is a cell-neighbor of McMillian as he believes that Stevenson is a man of hope as Stevenson also tries to help him with his own case.
Rafe Spall is superb as Tommy Chapman as a prosecutor who is unwilling to help Stevenson as he would be the opposition as a political figure who is trying to protect his own community while dealing with the fallout of his own actions. Tim Blake Nelson is excellent as the convict Ralph Myers as a white man who made the claim that he saw McMillian commit the murder as he makes some startling revelations where Nelson provides some chilling monologues and moments that showcases a man who had been used as a pawn for a cruel system. Rob Morgan is amazing as the convicted war veteran Herbert Richardson as a man who suffers from PTSD as he awaits his execution as he hopes to save as his performance is heartbreaking to watch as someone who is consumed with guilt while coping about his own fate. Brie Larson is brilliant as Eva Ansley as a local who becomes Stevenson’s right-hand woman as well as a mother who is aware that she is targeted while also doing what she can to help as well as give Stevenson an understanding of the cruelty that is Alabama and the American South.
Jamie Foxx is tremendous as Walter “Johnny D.” McMillian as a man who is wrongly accused of murder as he is skeptical of Stevenson’s intentions due to past attempts by others as he also copes with the many challenges in getting a retrial where Foxx is just understated in his performance as well as a man who clings on to hope knowing that truth can save him. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a phenomenal performance as Bryan Stevenson as a Harvard-graduate attorney from Delaware who moves to Alabama with ideas to change the world only to deal with some reality that is intense yet Jordan maintains that determination of someone who wants to do what is right as well as understand his own identity as a black man in the South who is just trying to make a small change to a cruel world as it is a career-defining performance for Jordan.
Just Mercy is a sensational film from Destin Daniel Cretton that features great performances from Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson. Along with its ensemble cast, understated presentation, an engaging music soundtrack, and its exploration of racism and injustice in the American South. It is a film that manages to explore a young man trying to save another man from injustice while also learning about what to do to combat hate in a world that is prejudice and resistant to change. In the end, Just Mercy is a phenomenal film from Destin Daniel Cretton.
Destin Daniel Cretton Films: (I Am Not a Hipster) – Short Term 12 - (The Glass Castle (2017 film)) – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the Carol Danvers comic series by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan and the Captain Marvel comic series by Gene Colan and Stan Lee from Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel is the story of an alien warrior who has arrived on Earth to find some alien beings where she finds herself dealing with images that possibly relate to her past. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and screenplay by Boden, Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Jac Schaeffer from a screen story by Nicole Perlman, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse, the film is an origin story of sorts of how Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel as she tries to figure her identity and role in this intergalactic conflict as she is portrayed by Brie Larson. Also starring Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Gemma Chan, Lashana Lynch, McKenna Grace, Akira Akbar, Clark Gregg, Annette Bening, Jude Law, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Captain Marvel is an adventurous and exhilarating film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
It’s 1995 as a conflict between an elite group of alien warriors known as the Kree and an alien faction of shapeshifters known as Skrulls is heating up as a young Kree warrior named Vers is fighting the Skrulls where she lands somewhere in Los Angeles just as the Skrulls have also landed on Earth disguising themselves as humans. It’s a film that has this young woman who is dealing with images that could be lost memories as she finds herself on Los Angeles after a battle with Skrulls on their ship as it lead to all sorts of question. The film’s screenplay by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and Jac Schaeffer, with additional contributions by Bek Smith, does play into many of the tropes and schematics expected in a superhero film that is a part origin story as well as a part fish-out-of-water scenario. Even as it has twists and turns as it relates to this conflict between two alien races as this young warrior in Vers is haunted by what could be memories of a previous life as she would later learn to be a former Air Force pilot named Carol Danvers.
The first act does have this strange narrative as it relates to Vers living in Kree’s home planet of Hala as she is mentored and train by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) who tells her to keep her emotions in check as she is still dealing with her powers and is becoming unsure due to the images in her head. Once she lands on Earth at a Blockbuster video store, she would meet S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury who had been through a lot and thought he had seen it all until he sees what Vers is about as well as getting his first encounters with Skrulls as the second act is about the two teaming up together to discover a project called Pegasus created by Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening) who looks similar to the projection of Kree’s ruler known as Supreme Intelligence. It is also where Vers learns about her true identity as well as the events into what happened to her as well as more revelations about this conflict between the Kree and Skrulls.
The direction of Boden and Fleck does play into what is expected in a superhero film that is partially set in space but it is grounded with some dramatic elements that play into Vers’ journey as well as discovering her true identity. Shot on various locations in Los Angeles, parts of Southern California and Louisiana, the film does play into a world that is quite vast that Vers is a part of from the planets she’s in such as Hala and a border planet that play into this war between the Krees and Skrulls though not much established into the root of their conflict at first. The direction does become straightforward once Vers arrives on Earth and has to find the Skrulls as well as Boden and Fleck use some wide shots to establish the locations as well as the vast world of the universe and its surroundings. Even in scenes where Vers is meeting the Supreme Intelligence as an image that one would believe to be the Supreme Intelligence to be as it’s in this surreal world that bends the idea of reality and fantasy.
Much of Boden and Fleck’s direction emphasizes more on simple shots through close-ups and medium shots that include scenes of Vers and Fury trying to find some clues as they’re later joined by a mysterious cat named Goose as they also try to fight off against the Skrulls while Vers is making contact with Yon-Rogg through some 1990s tech that is barely working. The stuff involving 1990s technology is definitely played for laughs in how slow they were back then as the humor also play into Fury’s first interaction with the Skrulls and him getting to understand a world that is bigger than just Earth. Still, Boden and Fleck do become concerned with Vers coming to terms with her identity as she would meet Danvers’ friend in a former pilot in Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) who would tell Vers what happened as it would relate to something much bigger relating to the Kree/Skrulls conflict. It would force Vers to not only accept what happened to her but also realize what needs to be done to save the universe. Overall, Boden and Fleck craft a compelling yet exciting film about an alien warrior who learns about her true identity in an intergalactic conflict.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the straightforward and sunny look of the daytime exteriors in California to the more naturalistic look of the scenes in Louisiana as well as some stylish lighting for some of the spaceship interiors. Editors Elliot Graham and Debbie Berman do terrific work with the editing as it has some stylistic usage of slow-motion shots and some quick-cuts to play into the action and some of the suspense and humor. Production designer Andy Nicholson, with set decorator Lauri Gaffin and supervising art director Andrew Max Cahn, does amazing work with the set design from the look of the spaceship interiors as well as the look of the archives section at a secret government facility and Rambeau’s home. Costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays does fantastic work with the costumes from the look of the Kree uniforms as well as the more casual look of the people on Earth that play into the look of the 1990s.
Key special effects makeup artist Sabrina Wilson do brilliant work with the look of the Kree aliens as well as the look of the Skrulls as well as some minimal work in the younger versions of Nick Fury and his rookie partner Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Special effects supervisor Daniel Sudick and visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend do incredible work with the visual effects from the look of Fury and Coulson in their younger versions in the 1990s as well as the design of some of the planets including Hala and some of the powers that Vers is able to use. Sound designers David Acord and Kyrsten Mate, with sound editor Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, do superb work with the sound as it play into the sounds of some of the spaceships, jet engines, alien weapons, and other noises that play up the world that was the 1990s.
The film’s music by Pinar Toprak is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that play into the sense of adventure and drama that occurs throughout the film while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a killer music soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the 1990s from R.E.M., Nirvana, TLC, Salt-N-Pepa w/ En Vogue, Garbage, Hole, Elastica, No Doubt, Des’ree, and a couple of 80s songs from Heart and Lita Ford.
The casting by Sarah Finn is great as it feature some notable small roles from London Fuller and McKenna Grace in their respective roles as the 6-year old and 13-year old versions of Danvers, Algenis Perez Soto and Rune Temte as a couple of members of Yon-Rogg’s team in their respective roles as Att-Lass and Bron-Char, Azari Akbar as the five-year old Monica Rambeau, Vik Sahay and Chuku Modu as a couple of Skrulls, and Stan Lee in a cameo as himself reading a script for a film role as he is also given a fitting tribute in the film’s pre-opening logo sequence. The performances of Reggie, Archie, Rizzo, and Gonzo in their performance as the cat Goose is a total joy to watch as it’s a cat that just knows where to steal a scene as well as be powerful in its own way. Akira Akbar is terrific as Maria Rambeau’s daughter Monica who would help Vers find herself again as well as be the one to provide her with a look that would be her own.Clark Gregg is superb as a younger version of Agent Phil Coulson as a rookie S.H.I.E.L.D. agent trying to get his ropes in the job while doing things that would make him a key ally for Fury.
Gemma Chan is wonderful as a Kree sniper in Minn-Erva who has a dislike towards Vers whom she sees as a threat to her position with Yon-Rogg. Djimon Hounsou and Lee Pace are fantastic in their respective roles as Korath and Ronan the Accuser in their early versions as two Kree figures who art part of the conflict with Korath being Yon-Rogg’s second in command and Ronan as a high-ranking official hoping to destroy the Skrulls. Annette Bening is excellent in her dual role as the artificial intelligence leader of the Kree known as Supreme Intelligence as she is who Vers sees during their meetings while Bening also plays a scientist in Dr. Wendy Lawson who was conducting a major experiment known as Pegasus that is key to what happened to Danvers. Lashana Lynch is brilliant as Maria Rambeau as Danvers’ long-time friend and wing-woman who hadn’t seen Danvers in a long time as she tries to help her regain her identity but also get back in the game of flying. Ben Mendelsohn is amazing as the Skrull leader Talos who disguises himself as then-S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Keller where he plays a straight-laced official trying to defuse the situation with the Skrulls while he displays more humor and reason as Talos as someone who is complex but also has valid reasons for his issues with the Kree.
Jude Law is marvelous as Yon-Rogg as a Kree military leader who leads a band of mercenaries as he is also Vers’ mentor where he tries to get her to control her emotions while is also hiding some secrets about her. Samuel L. Jackson is remarkable as a younger version of Nick Fury who was then a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that believes he’s seen it all and isn’t the cynic that audiences would know him for in other films as someone that is upbeat as well as having a soft spot for cats. Finally, there’s Brie Larson in an incredible performance as Carol Danvers/Vers/Captain Marvel as a Kree warrior who is troubled by images that could be past memories of a pilot named Carol Danvers as she struggles with her identity and her role in a conflict as it’s a performance full of charm, determination, and drive as it’s one of Larson’s finest performances to date.
Captain Marvel is a marvelous film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck that features a sensational performance from Brie Larson in the titular role. Along with its ensemble cast, sprawling visual effects, quirky humor, themes of war, and a killer music soundtrack. It’s a film that delivers in what is expected in a superhero film as well as provide some ideas of an intergalactic world set during the 1990s despite a few issues with the script. In the end, Captain Marvel is a remarkable film from Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Films: Half Nelson - Sugar (2008 film) - It’s Kind of a Funny Story – Mississippi Grind – The Auteurs #71: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers
Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man
Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man and the Wasp - Avengers: Endgame - Spider-Man: Far from Home
Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)
Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)
Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Oren Moverman and written by Moverman and James Ellroy, Rampart is the story of a corrupt LAPD officer who finds himself in trouble as he tries to redeem himself during the Rampart scandal of 1997 for the Los Angeles Police Department. The film is a character study of a man dealing with his own actions as he tries to defend himself and save his career amidst a tumultuous period in the city of Los Angeles. Starring Woody Harrelson, Ice Cube, Ned Beatty, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Brie Larson, Steve Buscemi, and Sigourney Weaver. Rampart is a compelling yet flawed film from Oren Moverman.
Set in 1999 Los Angeles during a dark period for the LAPD who is dealing with the Rampart scandal, the film is about a dirty and corrupt police scandal whose actions have finally caught up with him. Rather than quitting his job, officer Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) tries to save his job and avoid any jail time but he becomes more troubling as even those who once bailed him out are unable to help him. Yet, Brown is also someone who is really a man that is just born to undo himself where he would eventually bring discomfort to authorities that want to help him as well as bring shame to his family. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Brown and the things he does as a police officer but also a person who likes to take the law into his own hands. Sometimes it would be in the most gruesome way where he would be caught on tape beating someone who hit his car though Brown had every reason to beat up the guy.
While the script does paint Brown as a man who just hates everyone while doing all sorts of things. There are elements to him that try to show some goodness to him but his faults would often overwhelm everything as his own eldest daughter Helen (Brie Larson) really hates him. While the script does nice work in fleshing out Brown and his complexities, the script however doesn’t do much to get the story to move forward or really go anywhere. Especially as it relates to what Brown is trying to do but it tend to slow things down as he is given options that could’ve helped him. Whenever Brown is given these opportunities to redeem himself, the results become very frustrating as it play more into his character as someone that is just stubborn and not willing to see the bigger picture.
Moverman’s direction has some very intense moments in the way it showcases late 1990s Los Angeles as a world that is quite dangerous and unpredictable. Shot on location in some of the urban parts of Los Angeles as well as some of its downtown areas, the film does play into a world where a man is convinced that he is doing good for the city but is extremely corrupt in his actions. Moverman’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are engaging though there are some moments that aren’t very good. Notably a sequence where Brown meets two attorneys where the camera is constantly moving around to focus on one character in a repetitive pan where it is very annoying. It’s one of the aspects of the film that didn’t work while the script’s lack of a strong narrative does falter the pacing. Though Moverman’s usage of crane overhead shots and other stylistic moments are good, the film’s resolution is lacking in terms of any kind of redemption could be made for Brown as it ends up being unsatisfying despite Moverman’s observation on its protagonist. Overall, Moverman creates a intriguing but lackluster film about a dirty cop’s attempt to make things right.
Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish usage of lights and moods for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night along with some grainy film stock for scenes set in the day. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does nice work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts and some unique rhythms for the suspense and drama though it does falter in that sequence where Brown is being interviewed by two attorneys. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Brown lives in with this ex-wives (who are sisters) and the hotel rooms he would crash as well as the home of a lawyer he would sleep with.
Costume designer Catherine George does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual along with the look of the police uniforms while the only character that plays into a sense of style is Helen. Sound designer Javier Bennassar does superb work with the sound in the way the police sirens and gunfire sounds along with the intimate moments at home and at the bars. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchliffe is brilliant for its somber-based score in the guitar and keyboards to play into the drama while music supervisor Jim Black creates a soundtrack that features a mixture of hip-hop, electronic, and Mexican music along with a song by Leonard Cohen.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Rachel Tenner is amazing as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Robert Wisdom as the Rampart station’s captain, Jon Foster and Jon Beranthal as a couple of fellow officers, Steve Buscemi as a district attorney official in Bill Blago, Stella Schnabel as Brown’s new partner early in the film who is perturbed by his actions, Sammy Boyarsky as Brown’s youngest daughter Margaret who questions about what her father has done, Audra McDonald as a one-night stand Brown would be with early in the film, and Ben Foster in a superb role as a homeless vet named the General who often hangs out at a fast food restaurant. Robin Wright is wonderful as the attorney Linda whom Brown would frequently sleep with while he is suspicious that she is spying on him. Ned Beatty is terrific as the former cop Hartshorn who tries to help Brown in any way including moments that would help him only to realize that Brown is his own worst enemy.
Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche are excellent in their respective roles as the sisters Barbara and Catherine as two of Brown’s ex-wives who deal with the coverage of Brown’s activities with Nixon as the more calm of the two and Heche as the one who wants nothing to do with him. Brie Larson is fantastic as Brown’s eldest daughter who despises her father as she also feels humiliated and embarrassed by his actions where she also copes with his own hatred for everyone. Sigourney Weaver is brilliant as the assistant DA Joan Confrey who wants Brown to reveal all of his activities as well as give the man a chance to do what is right. Ice Cube is incredible as the investigator Kyle Timkins who works for the DA’s office as he also tries to implore Brown to do the right thing while revealing what is at stake. Finally, there’s Woody Harrelson in a phenomenal performance as Dave Brown as a dirty LAPD officer who finds himself a big target during one of the lowest points of the LAPD where Harrelson brings a very menacing performance as a man with very little care for the world where he is also his own worst enemy as well as be selfish to the point that he brings shame to his own family including his own daughters.
Rampart is a stellar yet flawed film from Oren Moverman. While it features a great cast led by Woody Harrelson along with Dick Hinchliffe’s score, it’s a film that had all of the tools to be an intriguing character study but it lacks a very cohesive narrative to keep things going. In the end, Rampart is a fine but underwhelming film from Oren Moverman.
Oren Moverman Films: The Messenger - (Time Out of Mind) - (The Dinner (2017 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue that is based on her novel, Room is the story of a young woman and her son who had been captives of a man where they lived in a single room for years until their years of captivity ends where they struggle to return to society. The film explores the bond between a mother and child as they endure life in captivity where they use their imagination to not think about the severity of their situation. Starring Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers, Joan Allen, and William H. Macy. Room is an enchanting and heartfelt film from Lenny Abrahamson.
For seven years, a young woman had been held captive inside a garden shed by a man who kidnapped her as she is raising her five-year old son where they plot to find a way to escape. It’s a film that plays into a mother and child dealing with a world that only the child knows inside this little garden shed he calls room but also wondering what is out there forcing his mother to tell him fantasies to shield him from what is really happening. Yet, the severity of their situation which includes their captor’s lack of funds and carelessness would force them to do something but the bigger challenge would come after they escape from their sheltered environment.
Emma Donoghue’s screenplay does have a unique structure where much of its first act revolves around life in this little garden shed where Joy (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) live in this world where they would eat whatever they have and live in a place where not everything is working. For Jack, it’s all he knows while Joy copes with the fact that she could only get things to her if she allows her captor to have sex with her with Jack only hearing the activity in the wardrobe. With the situation becoming dire due to the captor‘s money troubles, Joy realizes that something must be done where Jacob would have to make an escape for the both of them. Once the film moves into its second act and third act where Joy and Jack are back in the real world, the real struggle occurs as Joy is forced to deal with a world that has changed.
Even as she becomes concerned for Jack’s well-being and how he would interact with the new world as well as with people he doesn’t know like his grandparents (Joan Allen and William H. Macy). The script also delves into the aftermath of not just Jack dealing with his new surroundings but Joy succumbing into the trauma of what she had experienced under captivity. Especially with the realities of what happened to her family as her mother lives with a new boyfriend named Leo (Tom McCamus) where the two would provide a helpful platform for Jack to have a normal childhood. The film’s third act doesn’t just play more into Joy’s struggle and Jack’s slow progression into the real world but also the bond between mother and child.
Lenny Abrahamson’s direction is entrancing not just for the intimacy that he creates but also in the way he uses space and the lack of it inside this tiny shed. Abrahamson’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into the intimacy of the room which is a character itself with its decayed toilet, old bed, stained wardrobe, an old bathtub, and a toaster oven that doesn’t work all the time. The way Abrahamson uses close-ups for the characters don’t just play into this bond between mother and son but also in what they must endure. Even as the sound would play into the presence of their captor who is heard before he’s even seen. Once the film moves into its second act in the aftermath of the Joy and Jack’s freedom, the usage of the wide shots become prominent but there are still elements of close-ups and medium shots to play into their new surroundings. The shots of the cities and suburbs help with the sudden sense of shock the two have where it feels very otherworldly. Since the shed they live only has a window on its roof, it does come as a sense of shock once the characters be part of the world of the city and suburbia.
While Jack obviously has no idea what he’s encountering, Abrahamson does take great care into making his interaction with the new world be handled slowly. Even in a scene where he wakes up one morning where he meets with Leo who decides to playful about eating breakfast that becomes a key moment for Jack to interact with someone other than his mother. It’s among the moments that is quite touching while there is some heavy drama that relates to Joy’s own struggles to reacquaint herself with the world forcing the bond between mother and son to be more important than ever. Overall, Abrahamson creates a powerful and evocative film about a mother son and dealing with being sheltered from the world from an evil captor.
Cinematographer Danny Cohen does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography to play up the low-key lighting and intimacy for the scenes set inside the room while displaying brighter lighting schemes and textures for the interior/exterior scenes in the second and third act. Editor Nathan Nugent does amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion, and montage-style cuts to play into the dramatic elements of the film. Production designer Ethan Tobman, with set decorator Mary Kirkland and art director Michelle Lannon, does fantastic work with the design of the room with great attention to detail from the look of the appliances and the rug which is sharp contrast to the more spacious world where Joy used to live.
Costume designer Lea Carlson does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual from the decayed and sort of de-colored clothes that Joy and Jack wear early in the film to the newer and cleaner clothes they would wear following their escape. Visual effects supervisor Ed Bruce does terrific work with some of the minimal visual effects as it relate to a few of the exterior settings in the film including bits of the city the characters live at. Sound editor Niall Bradley and sound designer Steve Fanagan do excellent work with the sound to help create a sense of dread in scenes where Joy‘s captor starts to come in along with a few things inside the room as it plays into the tense atmosphere of where they live. The film’s music by Stephen Rennicks does wonderful work with the film’s music as it’s mostly plaintive piano pieces with elements of folk and low-key orchestral pieces that play into the drama while its music soundtrack features most ambient and post-rock pieces.
The casting by Robin D. Cook and Fiona Weir is incredible as it features some notable small roles Amanda Brugel and Joe Pingue as a couple of police officers who would find Jack in his escape, Wendy Crewson as a TV talk show host who interviews Joy in the film’s second half, and Cas Anvar as the psychologist Dr. Mittal who watches over Jack’s progress into society. William H. Macy is superb as Joy’s father Robert as a man who tries to handle all of the legal things relating to the case but has trouble dealing with the presence of his grandson. Tom McCamus is fantastic as Joy’s mother’s boyfriend Leo who slowly bonds with Jack as he finds a way to connect with him while being the male figure the boy can turn to. Sean Bridgers is excellent as the captor known as Old Nick as a man who is very creepy and determined to keep Joy and Jack in captivity where he has the code to get in and get out of the shed while being quite abusive at times towards Joy.
Joan Allen is brilliant as Joy’s mother Nancy who becomes concerned for her daughter’s well-being and behavior in the aftermath of her return while slowly connecting with Jack in unexpected ways. Jacob Tremblay is phenomenal as Jack as a young boy who has been sheltered for much of his life as he is someone with an absolute sense of imagination and an innocence that is just engaging as it’s really an unforgettable performance. Finally, there’s Brie Larson in a magnificent performance as Joy Newsome as a young woman who was kidnapped by a man when she was 17 as she copes with not just being in captivity but also raising her son where she later has trouble adjusting to returning to society and the changes in the world as it’s Larson in one of her best performances to date.
Room is an outstanding film from Lenny Abrahamson that features great performances from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. Along with a strong supporting cast and a gripping story of a mother’s bond with her son in captivity. It’s a film that manages to be a lot of things and more where it isn’t afraid to have a bit of fantasy while being grounded in the harsh world of reality. In the end, Room is a spectacular film from Lenny Abrahamson.
Lenny Abrahamson Films: (Adam & Paul) - (Garage (2007 film)) - (What Richard Did) - Frank
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 is the story about a young foster-care facility supervisor for young teens as she deals with her own issues in her life while becoming attached to a troubled young girl. The film explores the world of parentless children who are trying to find a family as it’s told from the perspective of a young woman who was also a foster child as she deals with the world that these young kids are going into. Starring Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Stephanie Beatriz, and Melora Walters. Short Term 12 is a touching yet powerful film from Destin Daniel Cretton.
The film is a simple story about a young woman who supervises a foster-care center for young kids as she deals with her own issues as well as a new arrival in a young girl whom she connects with. While she has a boyfriend who also works at the place as he does the same thing she does while showing a new employee how to do things. The two also deal with a kid who is about to turn 18 as he is reluctant to leave the facility as he becomes angrier. All of which plays into a woman trying to be there for these kids as they’ve been abused, abandoned, or somewhere where they don’t have a home to go to. All of which is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist Grace (Brie Larson) who knows what these kids go through as she and her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) both were raised in foster care.
Destin Daniel Cretton’s screenplay does contain a lot of dialogue including a few funny monologues that Mason has whenever he’s trying to prepare his new co-worker Nate (Rami Malek) about what to expect and how to connect with these kids. Especially as Nate has to be careful about what he says which would relate to the very moody Marcus (Keith Stanfield) who is set to leave but doesn’t want to. When Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) arrives as she is only supposed to stay briefly until her father can return from a business trip. Grace is connected to her as she learns about Jayden and her moodiness as Grace seems to know what Jayden is going through which relates to Grace’s own past which she is trying to not to reveal to anyone including Mason. It all plays to the drama as it starts off as something light-hearted with some heavy drama while the third act becomes more intense as it relates to Grace’s past as well as how much she cares for the kids.
Cretton’s direction is very simple in the way he presents the film as it’s mostly shot on location with a few sets in California. Much of it has Cretton going for a hand-held style which is very engaging as the film opens with Grace and Marcus running after a boy who constantly runs away only to get captured. Cretton does go for some unique framing devices in the way he maintains an intimacy between characters that includes some striking medium and wide shots. Even the use of close-ups are intriguing in the way Cretton tells the story as it all plays to the drama as well as the sense of restraint that Grace is holding on to as she eventually becomes ravaged by her past and her attempts to repress it. All of which play into the film’s third as the direction becomes more intense in the drama while not going overly sentimental or into very heavy melodrama. Overall, Cretton creates a very captivating and mesmerizing film about a young woman trying to help young foster-care kids deal with the world.
Cinematographer Brett Pawlak does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography in maintaining a very naturalistic look for many of the film‘s day interior and exterior scenes while using some lights for the film‘s nighttime interior and exterior scenes. Editor Nat Sanders does fantastic work with the editing where it is straightforward in some cases while has a flair of style in its use of jump-cuts, montages, and some slow-motion shots to play into some of the drama. Production designer Rachel Meyers and art director Grace Alie do amazing work with the look of the facility Grace and Mason work at with different decorations for the look of some of the kids who live at the place.
Costume designers Joy Cretton and Mirren Gordon-Crozier do wonderful work with the film‘s clothes where it‘s mostly casual to play into the world the characters live in. Sound designer Onalee Blank and co-sound editor Braden Spencer do superb work with the film‘s sound from the way things sound at the facility as well as some of the places outside of the facility. The film’s music by Joel P West is terrific as it’s mostly a mixture of indie-folk and ambient music to play into some of the drama that occurs in the film.
The casting by Kerry Barden, Rich Delia, and Paul Schnee is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Diana-Maria Riva as a nurse Grace meets early in the film, Frantz Turner as Grace and Mason’s boss, Lydia Du Veaux as a young orphaned girl named Kendra, Alex Calloway as the boy Sammy who constantly runs away and likes to play with small dolls, Kevin Hernandez as the teenager Luis, Stephanie Beatriz as the supervisor Jessica, and Melora Walters as Grace’s therapist Dr. Hendler. Keith Stanfield is excellent as the 17-year old Marcus who is reluctantly to leave the facility as he starts to lash out. Rami Malek is terrific as the new facility worker Nate who is trying to learn how things work where he eventually connects with the kids through a very simple act.
Kaitlyn Dever is fantastic as the troubled teenage girl Jayden who didn’t want to go to the facility as she would act out and only express herself through her drawings where she would find someone to talk to in Grace. John Gallagher Jr. is superb as Mason as a fellow supervisor who always talk to the kids as he’s always got something funny to say as he is very close to Marcus whom he can be very trusting to. Finally, there’s Brie Larson in an absolutely phenomenal performance as Grace where Larson puts in a lot of energy as well as emotional weight to a young woman who understands these young kids as she can talk to them while dealing with her own issues as it’s really a total break-out performance for Larson.
Short Term 12 is a remarkable film from Destin Daniel Cretton that features a tremendous break-out performance from Brie Larson. Along with an excellent supporting cast and strong stories about taking of care of orphaned children. It’s a film that explores a world where children can confide in people who know what they’re going through as they reveal that some adults have a hard time figuring things out as well. In the end, Short Term 12 is a sensational film from Destin Daniel Cretton.
Destin Daniel Cretton Films: (I Am Not a Hipster) - (Glass Castle) - Just Mercy - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Don Jon is the story of a modern-day Don Juan who falls in love with a beautiful woman until she discovers about his addiction to pornography. The film explores a young man dealing with his addiction as well as view on women. Also starring Scarlett Johansson, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Rob Brown, and Julianne Moore. Don Jon is a witty yet fun film from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film is really a look into the life of a young man named Jon “Don Jon” Martello Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is this very easy-going Italian-American living in New Jersey that lives a good life while being addicted to pornography. Upon meeting this beautiful woman Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), he thinks about having a real relationship with her while she gets him to try and improve himself by having him go to night classes where he meets an older woman named Esther (Julianne Moore). Barbara’s discovery about Jon’s addiction to porno has her repulsed where Esther also discovers about Jon’s addiction where she questions him about his views on women, sex, and love. Even where Jon wouldn’t just question about how he has sex with women but also what Barbara expect from him.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s script has this exploration about not just the way men view women from a sexual point of view but also what some women want in men. Notably as Barbara is this spoiled woman from New Jersey who loves bad romantic-comedies that she forces Jon to watch as she thinks these films represent the ideas of what love is. Even as Jon takes her to meet his family where it reinforces the idea of Jon finally settling down and having a family but he’s not sure if he wants that until his meetings with Esther has him realizing a lot about himself. The script doesn’t just succeed in fleshing out the many characters in the film but also play into the way women are presented to men as there’s a scene where Jon and his father (Tony Danza) watch a Carl Jr.’s commercial where a woman in a bikini is eating a fish sandwich as they’re entranced by the woman. It’s all told in a very funny manner as well as the way romantic-comedies are portrayed where it’s very obvious at how false they are where Gordon-Levitt pokes fun at the fallacy of the genre.
Gordon-Levitt’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of what he presents where he opens the film with this montage of women being used as sexual objects plus clips of porno to establish this idea of how men treat women. Even as he also maintains this idea of repetition in the way Jon lives his life where he likes to clean his apartment, drive his car, hang out with his boys, go to the gym to work out, go to church on Sundays, eat with his family, go to clubs to meet girls and later have sex with them, and end the day masturbating to porn. It all plays to the life that Jon has where he even gets Barbara to go to the gym with him but the cracks start to come in where she questions about why he talks to himself when he’s working out.
The first half is mostly a light-hearted comedy while the rom-coms that he and Barbara watch has the same kind of visual blandness that is expected in these films as well as the situations that goes on. The second half is a bit more dramatic in terms of Jon’s time with Esther yet it would be crucial to Jon’s growth as a man. Notably as Gordon-Levitt creates some unique compositions to play out the drama that would showcase Jon’s acceptance about what love is as well as what to expect from the people closest to him. Overall, Gordon-Levitt creates a very fascinating yet humorous film about a man’s addiction to pornography.
Cinematographer Thomas Kloss does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the nighttime locations of the places in New Jersey to the look of the clubs that Jon and his friends go to. Editor Lauren Zuckerman does amazing work with the editing in not just some of the inventive montages of Jon‘s daily routines but also in the way it plays to his own attempt to gain control for himself. Production designer Meghan C. Rogers, with set decorator Cindy Coburn and art director Elizabeth Cummings, does nice work with the set pieces from the look of Jon‘s apartment to the home where his family lives.
Costume designer Leah Katznelson does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that Barbara wears to the stylish clothes that Jon would wear. Visual effects supervisor Karen E. Goulekas does some fine work with the film‘s minimal visual effects that involves one of the bad rom-coms that Barbara forces Jon to watch. Sound editor David Chrastka does superb work with the sound from the atmosphere of the clubs to the intimacy in the night classes that Jon and Esther go to. The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is wonderful for its array of folk-based and orchestral music to play up some of the humor while music supervisor John Houlihan brings a soundtrack that mostly consists of hip-hop and dance music including Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.
The casting by Venus Kanani and Mary Vernieu is brilliant as it features some very funny cameo appearances from Anne Hathaway, Channing Tatum, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Meghan Good as the stars of the bad romantic comedies that Jon is forced to watch as well as Paul Ben-Victor as the voice of Jon’s local priest. Rob Brown and Jeremy Luke are terrific as Jon’s friends with the former as the more reserved Bobby and the latter as the dim-witted Danny. Brie Larson is wonderfully funny as Jon’s sister Monica who spends most of the film looking at her phone and texting where she only speaks in a key moment late in the film. Glenne Headly is amazing as Jon’s mother Angela who hopes for her son to meet a nice girl while Tony Danza is hilarious as Jon’s father who is kind of a sexist schmoe who likes to watch football games.
Julianne Moore is great as Esther as this older woman that Jon meets in night classes who questions him about his fascination with sex and pornography while she’s hiding some things of her own where Moore brings a very relaxed yet witty performance as a woman who would guide Jon to find something more. Scarlett Johansson is fantastic as Barbara as this very sexy yet vapid woman who spends half her time chewing gum and teasing Jon to get her way while proving herself to be just as shallow as he is. Finally, there’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the titular character where he brings in this very suave yet smug Italian-American persona that is full of himself. Gordon-Levitt not only makes the character funny but also endearing as someone who appreciates the finer things in life but also someone with a problem as he is forced to come to terms with who he is where Gordon-Levitt has some great scenes with Johansson and Moore to present the depth of his character making it one of his best performances.
Don Jon is a marvelous film from Joseph Gordon-Levitt that features some excellent supporting performances from Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore. The film isn’t just a funny look into the world of porno addiction but also the way men and women view their idea of the opposite sex and what they want from that view. In the end, Don Jon is an extraordinarily entertaining film from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the novel by Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now is the story of a high school senior who faces reality after being dumped by his girlfriend as he meets another young woman who would change his idea about living in the now. Directed by James Ponsoldt and screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the film is a coming-of-age story of sorts that revolves around high school life where a young man doesn‘t think about the future as he prefers to live in the now. Starring Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Spectacular Now is a charming yet engaging film from James Ponsoldt.
The film is about this young man named Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) who likes to live in the now as he likes to drink and party while being cool with everyone. Yet, his longtime girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) dumps him as Sutter thinks she’ll come back until he meets another schoolmate named Aimee (Shailene Woodley) who is different from other girls. There, Sutter not only finds a young woman he might want to spend his time with while she challenges him to face the real world as he doesn’t think about the future at all as he just wants to live in the moment. Even as he has to deal with who he is as well as the fact about his parents split up as he lives with his mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh).
The film’s screenplay is largely told from Sutter’s perspective as he is this guy that loves to party with the people in his school, he loves to drink despite the fact that he’s only 18, and he loves to work at a men’s clothing story where he’s also buzzed most of the times. Yet, he’s also quite flawed as he often thinks about himself and being the guy that ladies love where he would often think about Cassidy who has a new boyfriend. Even Sutter’s friend Ricky (Masam Holden) thinks that Sutter won’t do the right thing to Aimee as he knows that she’s just a really good girl who could get hurt.
Fortunately, Aimee is able to hold on to her own while she doesn’t mind taking a sip of alcohol as she has some issues at home. Still, her time with Sutter would help make some decisions of her own about her future while she would be the one to push Sutter to find out about his dad (Kyle Chandler) whom he hadn’t seen for many years. Yet, that would be a moment in the third act that would force Sutter to think about where he might go if he continues to act the way he is. Notably as he also has to get answers from his mother and his older sister Holly (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) about why they don’t talk much about his dad.
James Ponsoldt’s direction is quite straightforward as he doesn’t really go for anything that is over stylized as he just wants to keep the presentation simple. Shot in location in Athen, Georgia, Ponsoldt does manage to create some unique compositions and scenes that is filled with some humor but also some low-key drama. Ponsoldt knows how to put the camera into a frame and how to create an atmosphere in a scene where it is all about telling a story as Ponsoldt also has a few montages to play up Sutter’s own sense of misadventures where he might have no idea about what he did. Still, Ponsoldt does create some tension in some scenes such as the eventual meeting between Sutter and his dad which showcases some chilling realities that Sutter might face. Even as the third act would have Sutter face things about himself as well as how it would impact his relationship with Aimee. Overall, Ponsoldt creates a very tender yet exhilarating film about a young man dealing with a possible future with the help of a young woman.
Cinematographer Jess Hall does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to play up the gorgeous look of the daytime scenes in Athens to some more-low key yet stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editor Darin Navarro does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while it has a few montages and some methodical cuts for some the dramatic-suspense that occurs. Production designer Linda Sena and set decorator Jess Royal do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the school the characters frequent at to Aimee‘s room that displays her unique personality.
Costume designer Peggy Stamper does wonderful work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the prom dresses the girls wear. Visual effects supervisor Matthew Bramante does superb work with the film‘s minimal visual effects where it plays in only one scene that is very dramatic as it‘s one that is very unexpected. Sound editor Ryan Collins does marvelous work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of the parties as well as some of the smaller moments in the film. The film’s music by Rob Simonsen is fantastic for its low-key score that is a mixture of indie and ambient music while music supervisors Gabe Hilfer and Season Kent create a fun soundtrack that is a mix of country, hip-hop, electronic dance music, and indie music.
The casting by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy is brilliant for the ensemble that is featured as it includes some notable performances from Masam Holden as Sutter’s friend Ricky, Andre Royo as Sutter’s math teacher who is concerned about his future, Dayo Okeniyi as Cassidy’s new boyfriend who feels threatened by Sutter’s presence, Kaitlyn Dever as Aimee’s concerned friend Krystal, and Bob Odenkirk in a terrific standout performance as Sutter’s boss who appreciates Sutter’s help but has concerns for his well-being. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is excellent in a small role as Sutter’s holder sister Holly who becomes concerned about Sutter’s questions in relation to their father where she eventually gives him an answer. Brie Larson is wonderful as Sutter’s ex-girlfriend Cassidy who has a hard time trying to move on while revealing her frustrations towards Sutter.
Kyle Chandler is superb as Sutter and Holly’s estranged father Tommy who seems like a nice guy but reveals a lot of flaws that would eventually make Sutter realize what he might become. Jennifer Jason Leigh is amazing in a small yet crucial role as Sutter and Holly’s mom Sara who is concerned with Sutter’s life and behavior while being very cagey about his father as she does have this great scene where she talks to her son about why she hid the truth.
Finally, there’s the duo of Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Aimee and Sutter. Woodley brings some wit and energy to her role as a young woman who is an outsider but also someone that is very engaging as Woodley makes Aimee a very unique character. Teller adds a sense of charm to the role of Sutter as someone who seems un-likeable for his lack of ambition and such but makes up for it by playing it cool while later dealing with his flaws. Teller and Woodley make a great pair in the way they interact as well as bring some realism to the situations they encounter.
The Spectacular Now is a phenomenal film from James Ponsoldt that features riveting performances from Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The film isn’t just a tender yet engrossing coming-of-age film but also one that explores the world of youth and how they try to live in the now unaware that there’s a whole world ahead of them as it’s told by a lost young man. In the end, The Spectacular Now is a sensational film from James Ponsoldt.
James Ponsoldt Films: (Off the Black) - Smashed - The End of the Tour - (The Circle (2017 film))
© thevoid99 2013
