Oppenheimer

 

Based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Oppenheimer is the story of Robert J. Oppenheimer and his role in creating the atomic bomb that would usher in the atomic age as it is told in different periods of time including two different hearings in the 1950s. Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan, the film is an exploration into the life of a man who would help play a role in the destruction of the world as well as struggle with its aftermath that would play into his personal life as Oppenheimer is portrayed by Cillian Murphy. Also starring Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Olivia Thirlby, Benny Safdie, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, Alex Wolff, Devon Bostick, Josh Peck, Michael Angarano, Gary Oldman, and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss. Oppenheimer is a riveting and haunting film from Christopher Nolan.

July 16, 1945 is a day many physicists, scientists, and the world will remember in the project known as Trinity where a weapons test was held in the deserts of New Mexico 200 miles south from the Los Alamos area where many of these scientists would create the atomic bomb. A day that was overseen by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team as they would create a weapon that had the ability to destroy cities and thus create a world of destruction as it would also set a chain of events leading to the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that went on for nearly 50 years but also terror that would engulf the world in how it can destroy itself. The film is about the man who would help create the atomic bomb as Oppenheimer is a man filled with complications as someone who had theories about quantum physics and what it could do while is also someone with political views that leaned towards communism as it would later get him in trouble in the 1950s as he would endure a hearing in the era of McCarthyism.

Christopher Nolan’s screenplay doesn’t follow a traditional narrative as it is largely non-linear as it focuses on Oppenheimer’s early life, working for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, his chaotic personal life, post-war life, and two hearings in the 1950s that would also involve Lewis Strauss as the latter revolves around Strauss at a Senate confirmation hearing as it relates to the former who is questioned over being a communist. The script also showcases a world in which Oppenheimer would see things as it relates to quantum physics while also going into a world where he becomes part of a social circle in the late 1920s/1930s involving those with communist views including a young woman in Jean Tatlot (Florence Pugh) whom he would have an on-off affair with while later marrying Katherine Puening (Emily Blunt) who would stick by him despite his affair with Tatlot that would end in the early 1940s. Oppenheimer’s work through quantum physics and its theories that included collaborations with Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett) and Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) as it gets the attention of the American military as they learn about stories of the Nazi Germany creating their own nuclear weapon program under the supervision of German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schweighofer) whom Oppenheimer met in the 1930s in Switzerland.

Working with General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) and his then subordinate in Lt. Kenneth Nichols (Dane DeHaan), Oppenheimer would work with the military as they chose a remote area in the New Mexico deserts that would become Los Alamos as they also recruited many scientists, theorists, and others to create the atomic bomb. Even as there would be other places around the country including a location in Chicago headed by Enrico Fermi (Danny Deferrari) and David L. Hill (Rami Malek) who would have their own ideas as they would meet with Oppenheimer outside of their respective bases. Nolan would also play into Oppenheimer’s own personal issues as it relates to the fallout of his affair with Tatlot and the chaos in his marriage to Katherine as well as the aftermath of World War II as he becomes the advisor for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission headed by Lewis Strauss only for Oppenheimer’s ideas to restrict nuclear weapon development has him at odds with Strauss who has a storyline about his 1959 Senate confirmation hearing.

Nolan’s direction is definitely stylish as it plays into recurring images of water, stars, and fire that play into the mind of Oppenheimer who thinks about the destruction that he’s created. Shot on various locations at New Mexico, California, New Jersey, and bits of Switzerland on 65mm large-format film and IMAX 65mm film in both color and black-and-white film stock. Nolan creates a film that plays into a world that is ever-changing while using its non-linear narrative to move back and forth into stories that relates to Oppenheimer’s life as well as the 1954 security hearing and Strauss’ 1959 Senate confirmation hearing. Notably as Nolan uses a lot of wide and medium shots to cover the vast look of the locations as well some of the hearings with the latter providing a sense of claustrophobia for Oppenheimer’s hearing as it also include these close-ups that add to the drama. There are also elements of surrealism for scenes at Oppenheimer’s hearing that includes him having to talk about his affair with Tatlot as they’re having sex at the hearing with Katherine watching in horror.

Nolan also maintains this sense of drama as it relates to Oppenheimer’s post-war life and the emergence of the Cold War such as a scene at a posh restaurant that is presented in both black-and-white and color as it relates to mood in how it would affect later events. Notably as Oppenheimer also deals with figures such as Boris Pash (Casey Affleck) and William L. Borden (David Dastmalchian) who would try and discredit Oppenheimer in different periods of time as Nolan’s direction would have his camera not show their faces at first or re-show a shot from a different perspective as it plays into the drama. The Trinity sequence of that famed bombing is among one of the key moments in the film as it is about where the camera is as well as those watching from afar where the bomb is about to drop. There is also this tense moment as the countdown occurs as there is a lot of tension but also moments such as Oppenheimer and General Groves having a moment despite their own differences. It all leads to the bomb exploding as it is a key moment in the film but it is followed in this aftermath including a surreal moment in what Oppenheimer realized what he had created.

Nolan’s approach to the hearings as it has all of this drama where Strauss’ aide (Alden Ehrenreich) pieces everything that Strauss had been talking about as it relates to Oppenheimer. Even as it plays into the drama over Oppenheimer’s past as well as Katherine’s past due to her own brief affiliation with communism where the hearing is this chilling moment where Katherine is being grilled by Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) only for things to backfire. Even as it would parallel with Strauss’ hearing where it would play into some surprising revelations into why he and Oppenheimer had a falling out. Its ending plays to a scene as it relates to Oppenheimer meeting Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) that is shown early in the film but its conversation isn’t revealed until the end. It all relates to a quote about Prometheus and what he brought to the world as it alludes to the troubled legacy that Oppenheimer would bring to the world. Overall, Nolan crafts a gripping yet intoxicating film about the man who would bring the world a weapon that would destroy it.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for the scenes in Los Alamos and New Mexico including its usage of low-key lighting for the interior scenes at night while the black-and-white footage has a richness that play into the world that Strauss sees. Editor Jennifer Lame does incredible work with the film’s editing as its usage of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cut add to the drama as well as the usage of parallel moments in its non-linear narrative as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Ruth de Jong, with supervising art director Samantha Englender plus set decorators Claire Kaufman, Olivia Peebles, and Adam Willis, does brilliant work with the look of the Los Alamos base including its houses, labs, and the tower where the bomb would drop for the Trinity project as well as the places that the characters lived in including the office where Oppenheimer has his hearing. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does excellent work with the costumes that play into the period of the time as well as the suit and Fedora hat that Oppenheimer wears as well as some of the dresses that Katherine and Tatlot would wear.

Prosthetic makeup designer Luisa Abel does terrific work with the makeup effects for a key scene in which Oppenheimer sees a young woman’s skin starting to peel away in a surreal moment as it relates to what Oppenheimer has done. The special effects work of Scott R. Fisher and Laurie Pellard, along with visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, do amazing work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects to create the sense of realism in what Oppenheimer sees as well as the explosions in the tests he and his team would create. Sound designer Richard King does remarkable work with the sound in the way certain gadgets would sound as well as the immense explosion of the Trinity bomb as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal for its mixture of eerie orchestral pieces as well as some electronic-based bits as it plays into the dramatic suspense and tension that looms into the film as well as the sense of dread as Goransson’s score is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Flora Nolan as the young woman Oppenheimer sees at an event following the Trinity project whose skin gets peeled by the bomb, Danny Deferrari as the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi who works in Chicago, James Remar as the then-Secretary of War in the 1940s in Henry Stimson, Emma Dumont as Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law Jackie, Macon Blair as Oppenheimer’s lawyer during the security hearings in Lloyd K. Garrison, Matthias Schweighofer as the German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg whom Oppenheimer meets in the 1930s, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Security Officer Lyall Johnson, James Urbaniak as the philosopher Kurt Godel whom Oppenheimer would meet in Switzerland, James D’Arcy as the experimental physicist Patrick Blackett whom Oppenheimer studied from at Cambridge back in 1926, Hap Lawrence as U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Louise Lombard as Teller’s lover Ruth Tolman, Josh Zuckerman as one of Oppenheimer’s first students in Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz, and Gary Oldman in a superb one-scene appearance as U.S. President Harry S. Truman.

In roles as members of the team that helped Oppenheimer in creating the bomb include Michael Angarano as Robert Serber, Devon Bostick as Seth Neddemeyer, Olli Haaskivi as Edward Condon, Alex Wolff as a former student of Oppenheimer in Luis Walter Alvarez, Harrison Gilbertson as Philip Morrison, Jack Quaid as Richard Feynman, Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge who would push the button for the Trinity bomb explosion, Gustaf Skarsgard as German-American physics theorist Hans Bethe, Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs who would later revealed to be a spy for the Soviet Union, and Olivia Thirlby as the lone woman in the team in Lilli Hornig who would play a key part in the development of the Trinity Project as they’re all fantastic in their roles with Angarano, Peck, Wolff, and Thirlby being the major standouts.

Other notable key small roles include Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush who helps create the Manhattan Project, David Krumholtz as Oppenheimer’s friend Isidor Isaac Rabi who is also a physicist who is worried about the moral implications in creating the bomb, Dylan Arnold as Oppenheimer’s younger brother Frank who would help find the site for Los Alamos, Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier as a friend of Oppenheimer with ties to communism, Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray as the head judge at Oppenheimer’s hearing, David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden as a government official who would write a letter to the FBI accusing Oppenheimer to be a spy for the Soviet Union, Dane DeHaan as General Groves’ subordinate Kenneth Nichols who would also try to discredit Oppenheimer in the 1950s, and Alden Ehrenreich as Strauss’ senate aide who accompanies Strauss during the hearing while trying to piece together Strauss’ relationship with Oppenheimer.

Tom Conti is excellent as Albert Einstein as the famed physicist/scientist whom Oppenheimer goes to advice over calculations as he would later meet Einstein years later in the 1950s as he laments over what Oppenheimer has created. Jason Clarke is superb as Roger Robb as a prosecutor at Oppenheimer’s hearing who is intent on bringing Oppenheimer and his associates down while Josh Hartnett is fantastic as Ernest Lawrence as a colleague at Berkeley who is aware of what Oppenheimer is creating though the two would later fall out for a time. Benny Safdie is brilliant as Edward Teller as the famed theoretical physicist who is a key figure that collaborates with Oppenheimer as well as coming up with the idea of the hydrogen bomb despite Oppenheimer’s views on nuclear weapons. Kenneth Branagh is amazing in his small role as Niels Bohr as the Danish physicist who is fascinated by Oppenheimer’s theories as he would be a mentor while also getting a look into Oppenheimer’s work.

Rami Malek and Casey Affleck are great in their performances in their respective small roles as physicist David L. Hill and Colonel Boris Pash with the former who worked in Chicago as he would later play a key role at Strauss’ hearing while the latter is a military official who tries to discredit Oppenheimer. Florence Pugh is incredible as Jean Tatlot as Oppenheimer’s lover in the 1930s who had communist views as they would have an unusual relationship only for things to disintegrate following his marriage to Katherine as their affair would later get troubling. Emily Blunt is marvelous as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer as Oppenheimer’s wife who deals with her husband’s role and his affair as well as the things said about him where Blunt has a great moment upon being confronted by Robb at her husband’s security hearing as she destroyed him. Matt Damon is remarkable as General Leslie Groves as a military official who works with Oppenheimer despite their own differences as he sees the potential of what they’re creating as he also knows what is at stake during World War II.

Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Lewis Strauss as the head at U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who would bring Oppenheimer as an advisor only to feel humiliated by Oppenheimer as he would have a falling out with Oppenheimer as he would later have a Senate confirmation hearing where he would talk about his issues with Oppenheimer as Downey shows restraint in his performance but also a lot of complexities into the character. Finally, there’s Cillian Murphy in a tremendous performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer as the famed theorist physicist who is called the Father of the Atomic Bomb as he is man that is filled with complications as he tries to figure out how to create something only to realize that he has created a chain of events that would trouble him. Murphy’s performance is filled with a lot of restraint but also anguish into a man who deals with a legacy that would haunt him as it is a career-defining performance from Murphy.

Oppenheimer is an outstanding film from Christopher Nolan that features a spectacular leading performance from Cillian Murphy. Along with its ensemble cast, immense technical work, a screenplay that explores a man’s troubled life and what he created, and Ludwig Goransson’s eerie music score. It is a film that is unlike many bio-pics as it focuses more on exploring the legacy of a man who would create a weapon for the world to destroy itself and the morality he would endure for his part in that creation. In the end, Oppenheimer is a magnificent film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following (1998 film) - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

© thevoid99 2023

Manchester by the Sea

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea is the story of a lonely janitor who is asked to raise his nephew following the death of his brother as he copes with his own faults in his life. It’s a film where a man reluctantly steps up to do what is right as well as deal with the demons in his own life. Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, and Kyle Chandler. Manchester by the Sea is a mesmerizing yet engrossing film from Kenneth Lonergan.

The film is a simple story of a man who learned that his brother died of a heart attack while learning his brother wants him to become his nephew’s guardian. It’s a film that follows this lonely janitor who isn’t just forced to return home and be given the responsibility to watch over his teenage nephew but also cope with the past as he remains troubled by family tragedy. Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay has narrative that sort of moves back and forth in the life of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) as he reflects on what he had when he was married to a woman named Randi (Michelle Williams) as they had a family. At the same time, he had a good relationship with his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) and nephew Patrick (Luca Hedges). Yet, something tragic happened that led to Lee and Randi splitting up and Lee moving away from the small town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts into a town near Boston where he works as a janitor.

The script doesn’t just follow Lee’s reluctance to raise Patrick but also Patrick’s own growing pains as he tries to distract himself from the reality over his father’s death. Especially as he is taken aback by his uncle who appears to not really wanting to be involved with him as he considers the option of reaching out to his estranged mother Elise (Gretchen Mol) whom Lee doesn’t like at all as she was an alcoholic and drug addict that Joe had to separate from. It adds to Lee’s struggle in wanting to do right to his late brother but also contend with the demons in his own life. Even as Lee’s attempt to connect with others has him wanting to be alone and not be reminded of the past where he continuously struggles with loss and wanting to do what is right.

Lonergan’s direction is definitely majestic in terms of the imagery that he creates as well as being shot almost entirely on location in Manchester-by-the-Sea which is a major character in the film as well as other small towns in Massachusetts. Though Lonergan doesn’t really go for anything that is visually-striking, he does present that is still simple in its composition but also has something more in terms of his observation of what is going on. Much of the film is shot during the wintertime as it adds a lot to not just the visuals but also in some of the situations the characters have to cope with. While Lonergan would use wide shots to play into the location and the beauty of wintertime in Massachusetts, he would more favor something intimate with the medium shots and close-ups. Especially in the former as it play into some of the awkward moments Lee would have in his attempts to connect with people such as the mother of one of Patrick’s girlfriends.

Lonergan’s direction is also quite loose as it has bits of humor but also a sense of something real into the world that Patrick is in as he plays hockey and is also in a garage band with friends and one of his girlfriends. The flashbacks of Lee’s life with Randi and their family is also quite loose as it play into the good times as well as what happened that would destroy everything for Lee. There is also something striking about how Lee presents himself in his isolation as it has some truth into that sense of loss where Lonergan’s framing is quite entrancing. Even in moments where he attempts to connect showcase someone that is quite damaged and still trying to get himself back on track. Its conclusion isn’t just about the reality of what Lee has to do for Patrick but also for himself as well as get help from the people who can be relied on in an often complicated world. Overall, Lonergan creates a ravishing yet somber film about a man dealing with the responsibility to taking care of his nephew following the death of his brother.

Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the sunny exteriors of the locations along with more gray and snowy look as well as the way some of the nighttime interior/exteriors are shot and lit. Editor Jennifer Lame does excellent work with the editing as it play into some of the drama and presentation of the flashbacks with the usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts. Production designer Ruth De Jong, with set decorator Florencia Martin and art director Jourdan Henderson, does fantastic work with the look of the single room that Lee lives in Quincy to the home of his brother and the boat they have.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of the wintertime. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff does superb work with the sound as it play into not just the atmosphere of some of the locations but also in the way it is mixed to play into how music is heard on location or things that play into the drama. The film’s music by Lesley Barber is brilliant for its somber yet orchestral-based score that play into melancholic tone of the film while music supervisor Linda Cohen creates a soundtrack that features a lot of opera music as well as a mixture of rock and soul music to play into the locations or what is heard on the radio.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Ben O’Brien as the young Patrick, Stephen Henderson as Lee’s boss early in the film, Tom Kemp as Lee and Joe’s father in the flashback scenes, Chloe Dixon and Ellie Teeves as Lee and Randi’s daughters from the flashbacks, Josh Hamilton as Joe’s lawyer Wes, Erica McDermott as a boat yard boss who doesn’t want to give Lee a job for some unknown reasons, Kara Hayward and Anna Baryshnikov in their respective roles as two of Patrick’s girlfriends in Silvie and Sandy, Liam McNeil as Randi’s new husband, and Tate Donovan as Patrick’s hockey coach. C.J. Wilson is fantastic as longtime family friend George who helps out Lee and Patrick while being someone who knows about the family boat and how it works. Heather Burns is wonderful as Sandy’s mother Jill who is wondering what Sandy and Patrick are doing while trying to flirt with Lee as their lone meeting ends up being awkward. Matthew Broderick is superb as Rodney as Elsie’s new fiancée who is a devout Christian that Patrick tries to get to know as it ends up being very awkward. Gretchen Mol is excellent as Elsie as Patrick’s estranged mother who is infamous for her substance abuse where she responds to Patrick’s email as she invites to a lunch with Rodney that is just very uncomfortable.

Kyle Chandler is brilliant as Joe Chandler as a man that is the embodiment of responsibility and care as he does whatever to help Lee as well as be a good man until he is stricken by a rare heart disease. Lucas Hedges is amazing as Patrick as Joe’s son who doesn’t try to cope with the sudden death of his father but also wanting to stay home to be with friends and his father’s boat as well as wonder why his uncle is reluctant to look after him. Michelle Williams is incredible as Randi as Lee’s ex-wife who was a woman that Lee loved and cared for until tragedy happened as she becomes estranged until she hears about Joe’s death as Williams is just devastatingly radiant in a key scene she has late in the film. Finally, there’s Casey Affleck in a phenomenal performance as Lee Chandler as a man that had everything and lost it all as he tries to cope with the loss of his brother as well as the responsibility he has to bear for his nephew where Affleck displays that air of restraint and anguish into a man trying to isolate himself from the world as well as struggle to do what is right for his family.

Manchester by the Sea is a magnificent film from Kenneth Lonergan that features great performances from Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges. Along with a brilliant supporting cast, an effective screenplay, gorgeous visuals, and a mesmerizing music soundtrack, it’s a film that explores not just grief but also a man coping with responsibility and the need to do right for his family. In the end, Manchester by the Sea is a rapturous film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: You Can Count on Me - Margaret (2011 film)

© thevoid99 2016

Interstellar

Directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Interstellar is the story of an engineer who takes part into an interstellar mission to find a habitable planet through wormholes in the hopes he can save humanity including the children he’s leaving behind. The film is an exploration into the world of outer space and the world beyond where a man joins a space crew to find salvation just as Earth is in ruins. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, and Michael Caine. Interstellar is a grand yet exhilarating film from Christopher Nolan.

Set in a world where planet Earth is being destroyed by dustbowls and are forced to live on whatever agricultural resources they have, the film is about an engineer who is asked to go to outer space to find a habitable planets through a wormhole as he is forced to leave his children behind. Through this mission, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) tries to find a world in the hopes to save humanity but things become complicated as time becomes sparse due to time dilation. Back on Earth, Cooper’s daughter Murph (Jessica Chastain) tries to finish a theory left behind by Professor Brand (Michael Caine) in the hope that her father comes back. It’s a film that plays into ideas of theory of relativity as well as a man trying to do whatever to save humanity and return home to his family.

The film’s screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan doesn’t just explore the concept of interstellar travel where time becomes very complex where an hour spent in a planet can actually take years on Earth or any part of the galaxy. It adds to the dramatic aspect of the story and Cooper’s desire to hoping to come home and make a difference as his absence made it hard for his daughter to deal with. Even as Murph as she gets older becomes resentful while wondering if there was any kind of hope to the mission at hand. There’s also a sense of desperation that occurs between Cooper and Brand’s daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway) who is part of the mission as she is trying all she can to make sure they succeed but complications ensue where their encounters with a planet to retrieve data from previous missions begin to fall apart.

While the script does have a traditional structure where its first act is set on Earth as Cooper tries to uncover a series of mysterious messages he found with a younger Murph (Mackenzie Foy) that lead him to be contacted by Professor Brand. Yet, what Cooper is asked to do by Brand would be a hard decision to make as it would hurt him to leave Murph and his son Tom (Timothee Chalamet) as the film’s second act is about Cooper’s mission in space with Amelia and two other astronauts in Romilly (David Gyasi) and Doyle (Wes Bentley) where it takes them two years to travel from Earth to the wormhole near Saturn. Then comes this third act where it crisscross the narratives of both Cooper and the adult Murph where the latter tries to finish Brand’s theory as well as figure out the codes that she encountered as a child. Especially as they both have to deal with forces that would prevent a reunion between father and daughter from happening.

Christopher Nolan’s direction is definitely astonishing in terms of the visual scope that he presents. Shot in this 2:35:1 aspect ratio in 35mm film, which is also blown up for 70mm, as it has this grand look in terms of scale for the scenes not just set in outer space but also in some of the planets the characters are in. Some of it is shot in Iceland while scenes set on Earth are shot in Alberta, Canada as it plays into something that feels like a Midwest film that are shot very naturally while the scenes on these mysterious planets have something that feels very alien-like. The usage of wide shots with some crane cameras and other shooting styles add to the massive scope of the film that includes this sequence in these strange mountain-like locations where it adds to a sense of mystique about what might be out there.

Still, it is a film about a father and a daughter trying to reunite as the former is trying to find some kind of hope where it feels like a few years for him but it’s much longer than that on Earth. The complexity of the film’s narrative and sense of time is very prevalent which does add to some of the exposition that occurs on film though it does get overwhelming at times. Even in its third act where there is a sense of conventional drama that occurs as it does take away some of the unconventional aspects of the film that was working though there is a payoff that is satisfying which plays to the emotional crux of the film. Overall, Nolan creates a very rapturous yet evocative film about a man going to outer space to save his daughter and humanity in the hopes to find a new world.

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the farmland locations in Canada to the array of lights and shading for much of the film‘s interior setting including the shots set in outer space. Editor Lee Smith does amazing work in creating some very straightforward cuts for the drama while going for unique rhythms in the space travels including the wormhole sequence along with some intense moments in the film. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Gary Fettis and supervising art director Dean Wolcott, does excellent work with the design of the space ships Cooper and his team travel in as well as the robots they‘re accompanied with along with the NASA base that Professor Brand would work at.

Costume designer Mary Zophres does nice work with the costumes from the casual look of the characters on Earth to the design of the astronaut suits. Visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin does fantastic work with the visual effects for some of the scenes set in outer space to the movement of the robots plus some set-dressing for some of the planets. Sound editor Richard King does superb work with the sound to convey the sense of silence of exterior scenes in space as well as the sounds of rockets and some of the locations in its surroundings. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is incredible for its mixture of soaring orchestral textures mixed in with minimalist electronic music to play into the sense of mystique that is prevalent in the film.

The casting by John Papisdera is phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from David Oyelowo as Murph’s school principal, William Devane as a NASA official, Matt Damon as a scientist who been part of an earlier mission, Topher Grace as a doctor friend of Murph, Leah Cairns as Tom’s wife, Liam Dickinson as Tom’s son Coop, Timothee Chalamet as the young Tom, and John Lithgow in a terrific role as Cooper’s father-in-law Donald who says some of the film’s funniest lines. Voice performances from Josh Stewart as CASE and Bill Irwin as TARS are excellent as they bring some soul to the machine as these robots that help the team in space with the latter being the most humorous. Casey Affleck is superb as Murph’s older brother Casey who also misses his father as he tries to cope with loss and saving the family farm.

Wes Bentley is wonderful as the geographer Doyle who tries to understand the wormholes and planets while David Gyasi is fantastic as the physicist Romilly who tries to understand the idea of space and time itself. Michael Caine is great as Professor Brand as a scientist who tries to prove a theory about how to save Earth as he copes with trying to do what is right as well as deal with the implications. In the roles of Murph, there’s Mackenzie Foy in a great performance as the young Murph who tries to cope with her father’s departure while Jessica Chastain is amazing as the older Murph as a woman filled with resentment as she tries to finish Professor Brand’s theory. In the brief role of the eldest Murph, Ellen Burstyn is brilliant in telling the story of what it was like in the dustbowl to explain the severity of the mission.

Anne Hathaway is incredible as Amelia Brand as a fellow astronaut who tries to keep things going while dealing with her own emotional baggage as tries to make sense of the stakes of the mission. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a magnificent performance as Cooper as this former pilot turned engineer who takes on a mission to space in the hopes that his family can survive beyond the dustbowl as he struggles with his own emotional baggage as well as the mission at hand.

Interstellar is a sensational film from Christopher Nolan. Armed with a great ensemble cast led by Matthew McConaughey as well as intriguing concepts about space, interstellar travel, and theories of relativity and time. It’s a film that is sci-fi at its most complex with some astonishing visuals that is backed up with a powerful story of a man trying to bring a future of hope for his children. In the end, Interstellar is a remarkable film from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

© thevoid99 2014

Ocean's Thirteen

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Ocean’s Thirteen is the third and final film of the Ocean’s trilogy as Danny Ocean and his team decide to ruin a new casino and its owner in an act of revenge when one of Ocean’s friends gets conned out of his dream and nearly dies of a heart attack. The film is a heist film but also a comedy in which Danny Ocean and his gang return to Las Vegas and make sure a businessman’s premiere night is ruined as they seek the help from an unlikely person. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Andy Garcia, Eddie Izzard, Vincent Cassell, David Paymer, Ellen Barkin, and Al Pacino as Willy Bank. Ocean’s Thirteen is an exhilarating and fun film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is a revenge tale of sorts when Willy Bank cheats Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould) out of his partnership of a casino that leads to Reuben suffering a near-fatal heart attack forcing Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of the gang to seek vengeance on Bank and ruin his new casino. While it is a simple premise of a revenge/heist film, it’s also a film about brotherhood and loyalty where Ocean and the gang help out one of their own while getting help from an ally of theirs from the past as well as a foe in Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who also despises Bank and wants the gang to steal some prestigious diamonds that Bank has won. Along the way, the gang that is expanded to thirteen do whatever it takes to ruin the opening night of Bank’s casino and make sure that Reuben gets the chance to be happy again.

The film’s screenplay by Brian Koppelman and David Levien does have a very unique structure where the first half is about Reuben’s heart attack and the gang wanting to get back at Bank for what he did as well as plan the heist and to make sure that Bank loses more than half a billion dollars on opening night. Yet, the stakes are much bigger as the casino known as the Bank gives the gang even bigger challenges as they seek the help of friend Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard) who learns that his old roommate in Greco Montgomery (Julian Sands) has created an artificial intelligence system that can scope out anyone to see if anything they did in the casino is illegal as the only way to disable it temporarily would be through a natural disaster.

The film’s second half is set on opening night where it’s about the scheme where Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), who poses as an assistant for Yen (Shaobo Quin) who plays a real estate billionaire, would seduce Bank’s assistant Abigail Sponder (Ellen Barkin). Yet, a lot more chaos happens as Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, respectively) take part in a protest for Mexican workers that would be successful in the scheme while Benedict’s involvement isn’t just funding the gang when they needed money to create a natural disaster. Benedict has a bigger grudge towards Bank who had always prevented him from winning the prestigious Five Diamonds Award as Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) would pose as a critic of that award while the real critic (David Paymer) would endure the most humiliating moments of his life.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is very stylish as well as lavish for the way he presents the world of casinos including the one that Bank wants to create as it displays his very egotistical personality. Much of it involves some massive wide shots and some second unit work as the look of the casino from the exterior displays how crazy Bank is as a person in making sure that his casino is the best. Soderbergh adds in a lot of humor not just in the schemes that Danny Ocean and the gang creates but also in how the way the react to certain things and such as Danny becomes sentimental when watching Oprah Winfrey. There’s also a sense of nostalgia in Danny and Rusty (Brad Pitt) who look at what Las Vegas has become as they think about how much Reuben was there for them as they think of him as a father and friend.

In his Peter Andrews alias, Soderbergh’s photography has a lushness in many of its interiors for the scenes at Bank’s casino with its red and yellow while Soderbergh infuses it with a lot of stylish shots to play into that look. Even as the exteriors in Las Vegas and Los Angeles maintains that sense of beauty that is the American West Coat. Still, Soderbergh makes sure that the film is about more than just payback and ruining one man’s life as it’s a film about friendship and honor. Overall, Soderbergh crafts a very enjoyable film about a gang rallying for an ailing friend and go after the man who hurt their friend.

Editor Stephen Mirrone does brilliant work with the editing with its use of montages and stylish cuts to play into the sense of craziness and planning that goes on as well as the humor in the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and supervising art director Doug J. Meerdink, does fantastic work with the look of the casino from its posh interior setting to the home where Reuben lives. Costume designer Louise Frogley does amazing work with the costumes from the dresses that Sponder wears as well as the clothes that the men wear.

Visual effects supervisor Thomas J. Smith does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the cologne that Linus uses to woo Sponder. Sound editor Larry Blake does superb work with the sound from the sound effects in the casino to the way some of the machines sound. The film’s music by David Holmes is excellent for its mixture of jazz and upbeat electronic music while he also supervises the soundtrack to include some jazz classics including songs by Frank Sinatra.

The casting by Debra Zane is great as it features appearances from producer Jerry Weintraub as a friend of the gang, Oprah Winfrey as herself, Bob Einstein as a FBI agent, Noureen DeWulf as a casino expo girl, Olga Sosnovska as the casino manager Rusty bribes, Julian Sands as the artificial intelligence game designer Greco Montgomery, and David Paymer as the unfortunate Five Diamonds Award critic who endures the worst conditions in his stay at Bank’s casino. Vincent Cassel is terrific in reprising his role as Francois Toulour from the second film as he seeks revenge on the gang while Ellen Barkin is wonderful as the very sexy and cunning Abigail Sponder who aids Bank in ensuring that things go well only to become seduced by Linus in his character. Al Pacino is excellent as Willy Bank as this very slimy casino owner who cheats Reuben out of his dream and dismisses Danny’s plea as he is a man full of ego and vanity as it’s a role that Pacino is perfect in.

Eddie Izzard is fantastic as the tech genius Roman Nagle who joins the gang as he also has a grudge towards Greco as he wants to get a nice share and help the gang. Andy Garcia is brilliant as longtime foe Terry Benedict who helps the gang in humiliating Bank while having a few tricks in his sleeve as he wants something in return for helping them. Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, and Scott Caan are amazing in their respective roles as Livingston Dell, Yen, Saul, Virgil, and Turk as they all contribute some humor to the film while Bernie Mac is superb in his role as Frank Catton as it’s one of his final performances.

Elliot Gould is incredible as Reuben Tishkoff as a man who just wants to get his chance to run a casino as he nearly dies while seeing what his friends are doing for him. Matt Damon and Brad Pitt are hilarious in their respective roles as Linus Caldwell and Rusty Ryan where they both put on disguises and do some funny things. Don Cheadle is also hilarious as Basher who would pretend to be a stuntman to distract Bank while George Clooney is marvelous as Danny Ocean who leads the team into targeting Bank and make his night a living hell.

Ocean’s Thirteen is a phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh. Armed with a great cast and an engaging premise, it’s a film that definitely serves as a fitting finale to the trilogy. Especially as it’s a film that just promises fun and excitement with characters audiences want to root for. In the end, Ocean’s Thirteen is a dazzling film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros: The Equilibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

Related: Ocean's 8

© thevoid99 2014

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

Written and directed by David Lowery, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is the story about a man who goes to prison for his wife after she had shot a police officer. Years later, he escapes prison in order to reunite with his wife while being pursued by the law and other forces. The film is an exploration into love as it plays to a couple who made a mistake as they deal with the forces who are after them. Starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Rami Malek, Charles Baker, Nate Parker, and Keith Carradine. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a chilling yet evocative film from David Lowery.

Set in Texas, it’s a film where a man tries to return to his wife and the daughter he never met as he escapes prison. Serving time for wounding a police officer and other offenses though he took the blame for shooting the officer as his wife was pregnant at the time. Yet, it’s a story where Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) is eager to see Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and their daughter Sylvie (Kennadie and Jacklynn Smith) who is about to turn four as he would get warnings from an old friend in Skerritt (Keith Carradine) to not see Ruth. Though Bob would trek around different states to reach Texas and see Ruth as he knows there’s a price on his head.

David Lowery’s screenplay doesn’t really go for plot but it’s more about a man wanting to redeem himself and be there for his wife. Yet, the officer his wife shot in Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster) checks on Ruth as he would befriend her and her daughter while he goes on the search for Bob. Unlike the intentions of the law and some bounty hunters that tried to give threaten Skerritt, Patrick has very different intentions to meet Bob. Much of the script involves a lot of letter-writing from Bob to Ruth in his attempts to maintain contact with her where Ruth would eventually receive the letters but she’s more concerned with her daughter and to live a good life. Bob’s impending return only causes a lot of grief and some regret for her actions as she has a hard time meeting Patrick as she is unaware of Patrick’s real intentions.

Lowery’s direction is truly mesmerizing as it recalls a lot of the visual language of Terrence Malick. Much of it involves a lot of images that play into a dream-like tone as well as shooting on locations around the hills of Texas as there is no real definition of when the film takes place. Lowery’s compositions in its use of wide-shots, medium shots, and close-ups has this loose yet enchanting quality that makes the film very engaging while playing up to the sense of naturalism that on display. Lowery also maintains that air of suspense in not just the sense of what would happen if Bob gets caught but who will catch him as well as what would happen if he does finally reach Ruth. It adds to that sense of what might happen or what might not happen as well as Patrick’s growing attachment towards Ruth and his intentions into meeting Bob. Overall, Lowery crafts a very gripping yet somber film about a man trying to come home to his family.

Cinematographer Bradford Young does brilliant work with the film‘s very understated yet gorgeous cinematography from the use of low-key lights for the interior and exterior scenes at night while playing to the use of natural lighting for many of its exteriors including one key scene at night. Editors Craig McKay and Jane Rizzo do amazing work with the editing with its use of dissolves and jump-cuts to create a sense of style in some of the narration when Bob is writing a letter to Ruth as well as some intense cuts for some of its suspenseful moments. Production designer Jane Healey and set decorator Adam Willis do nice work with the look of the house that Ruth lives in with Sylvie as well as the antiques shop that Skerritt runs.

Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska does terrific work with the costumes where it plays to a certain period in time but also has a realness that makes it much more ambiguous. Sound designer Kent Sparling does fantastic work with the sound from the way some of the voice-overs are presented to some of the moments in the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Daniel Hart does incredible work with the film’s music as it is largely based on string instruments ranging from folk to country with some orchestral string flourishes as it plays to the suspense and drama as it’s one of the film’s major highlights.

The casting by Vicky Boone and Avy Kaufman is superb as it includes some notable small roles from Rami Malek as a driver that Bob meets, Nate Parker as an old friend of Bob whom he lets crash in his place, Charles Baker as a brooding bounty hunter, and in the role of Sylvie, Kennadie and Jacklynn Smith as they do wonderful work in playing the young girl. Keith Carradine is excellent as the old town leader Skerritt who watches over Ruth while warning Bob not to go see her. Ben Foster is amazing as Patrick Wheeler as the man who got shot by Ruth four years earlier as he goes on the search to find Bob while looking out for Ruth and befriend her.

Rooney Mara is brilliant as Ruth Guthrie as a young woman who committed a sin in shooting Patrick as she tries to deal with what Bob has done for her while wondering if him returning would be good for her and their daughter. Finally, there’s Casey Affleck in a great performance as Bob Muldoon as this man eager to get back to his wife no matter what the cost is as it’s an entrancing yet somber performance of a man just wanting to come home and see the family he lost.

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a remarkable from David Lowery. Featuring tremendous performances from Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, and Ben Foster, it’s a film that is a smart and compelling crime-drama that doesn’t play by the rules while focusing on its characters and themes of redemption. In the end, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is a phenomenal film from David Lowery.

David Lowery Films: (Pete's Dragon (2016 film)) - (A Ghost Story) - (The Old Man & the Gun) - (The Year of Everlasting Storm) - The Green Knight - (Peter Pan & Wendy)

© thevoid99 2014

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/4/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on Ron Hansen's novel, the film is about Jesse James' final years as an outlaw while planning a new robbery with his gang. Part of his gang is a man named Robert Ford who would become his assassin. Adapted into script and directed by Andrew Dominik of Chopper fame, the film is an eerie, sensitive portrait of not just James but also Ford. Playing the two leading roles are Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. With a cast that includes Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Renner, and Zooey Deschanel. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a harrowing yet enchanting film from Andrew Dominik and company.

It's September 1881 as Jesse James and his older brother Frank (Sam Shepard) are about to do another train heist which would be Frank's final heist. Joining them in the Missouri forest are Ed Miller (Garrett Dillahunt), Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider), Jesse's cousin Wood Hite (Jeremy Renner), Charley Ford (Sam Shepard), and his 19-year old little brother Robert. Robert is enamored by the presence of the James brothers as he grew up reading stories about Jesse as he idolized the outlaw. While the heist was a modest success, Frank seemed to have had enough as he's surrounded by young men and his relationship with Jesse has become temperamental. With Jesse hiding in Kansas City with his wife Zee (Mary Louise-Parker) and their children Mary (Brooklynn Proux) and Tim (Dustin Bollinger). Frank has now decided to depart not knowing it would be the last time he would see his younger brother.

With Charley and Wood sent to hide at the home of Martha Bolton (Alison Elliott), Robert was asked to stay to help Jesse with a few things before being sent to Martha's home where he meets with his older brother along with Wood and Dick. Dick and Wood leave to live with Wood's father (Tom Aldredge) and young wife Sarah (Kailin See) whom Dick seduces. One day, Ed gets a visit from Jesse about some rumors including the men who had been captured from the previous train heist. Meanwhile, tension between Hite and Liddil came ahead as Robert found himself involved. Following that confrontation, Jesse arrives as he has dinner with Wilbur Ford (Pat Healey), Martha, Charley, and Robert as Charley tells stories about Robert's childhood where Robert was taunted by Jesse. Then all of a sudden, Robert makes a move to reveal the whereabouts of Dick Liddil to Sheriff Timberlake (Ted Levine).

Robert Ford suddenly becomes a private investigator for Timberlake as he and Liddil have a private meeting with Governor Crittenden (James Carvell). With Charley now riding along with Jesse, talks about possible robberies where in the works as Robert joins Charley and Jesse. Things become filled with tension as if Robert is believing that Jesse is aware that he's going to die at age 34. Then on April 3, 1882, Robert Ford becomes famous as he kills Jesse James at his family home. A year later, Robert Ford is known to the world but to some, he's branded as a coward. With Charley regretting about his involvement, Robert Ford finds himself troubled with this name as coward. Ten years later in Colorado, he meets Dorothy Evans (Zooey Deschanel) as he tries to come to terms on what he had done as a man named Edward O'Kelly (Michael Copeman) hunts for him.

The story about Jesse James and his infamy is known to the world for his reckless killings of innocent people and robberies. While some might enjoy his infamy for the fact that he was a Southern who hated the politics of the time as well as rich people, he was a complex individual that some said was a modern-day Robin Hood. Yet, this film about Jesse James' final days reveal a much harrowing tale as a man who is aware that he knows that he's going to die but the question is, who will kill him? That answer comes in the form of a young man named Robert Ford. Here is a man who starts out as a young kid who worshiped the altar of Jesse James only until James' bullying and taunts get to him as he becomes this obsessed, laconic killer only to be called a coward as James' name lives on through infamy.

Andrew Dominik deserves credit for his eerie character study of the two individuals as well as the people who surround him. Jesse's elder brother Frank who seems tired of robberies as well as the young men that idolize Jesse. The members of Jesse's gang like Dick Liddil, Wood Hite, and Ed Miller who are trying to figure out Jesse's state of mind while Charley Ford is also part of that gang as he also watches Jesse's descent into madness and then seeing his brother become a public figure. The film is really a tale of madness and disintegration in the eyes of both an outlaw and his assassin. While his script unveils layers of characters and their paranoia around Jesse James, it's through his dream-like direction that is more startling.

The film's obvious influence is Terrence Malick, the brilliant yet reclusive filmmaker whose films often include naturalistic, epic images of nature, epic elliptical pacing, a narration, and poetic dialogue. Dominik clearly uses Malick's unique filmmaking style to tell this haunting story of Jesse James' final days and his encounter with Robert Ford. The film features a third-person narration by Hugh Ross that reveals part of Jesse James' state of mind in his final days and legends along with additional back story. While the narration might seem to act as spoiler of sorts, it lets the story flow easily as Dominik through his observant camera let the acting unfold. The film in a lot of ways looks and feels like a Malick film, notably his 1978 film Days of Heaven. Shot on location in Canada, the film doesn't look or feel like a Western since it's set in the American mid-west.

Dominik creates a crystalline portrait of James with very few colors and the camera sometimes being a bit blurry to convey the dream-like tone of the film. While audiences might seem to be put off by its slow pace, it is deliberate to tell its study of madness while being a film that is a revisionist western of sorts told dramatically. This is a film that clearly reveals that the western genre is starting to come back and engaging itself into new territory. The film's 160-minute running time might seem overwhelming but the result is a strong film. Yet, it should be noted that the film went through various running times and test screening meaning that Dominik didn't have final cut since it was produced by Ridley Scott and Brad Pitt. Still, the final cut of this film is superb without delving into pretentiousness as its dreamlike, laconic, haunting approach through Dominik's direction is truly one of the best films of 2007.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins creates an exquisite look to the film that isn't just similar to the wondrous, natural, dream-like cinematography of the late Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler in their work in Days of Heaven. The film also recalls the work of Vilmos Zsigmond for such films as Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Michael Cimino's film Heaven's Gate. Deakins' look of the exteriors with shots of nature and skylines are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Even the scenes in the woods and snow are shot with amazing colors and shades to convey the different moods of Jesse James and later on, Robert Ford. The interior sequences, notably the train scene are wonderfully shot with intimacy swept with sepia-like colors and tones to help convey a dream-like look. If the film has a technical highlight that is worth noting, it's the cinematography of Roger Deakins.

Editors Dylan Tichenor, Curtiss Clayton, and Michael Kahn (who did additional editing following its test screening) is superb for its sense of transitional cuts, dissolves, fade-outs, and jump-cuts to convey the film's sense of action as well as living up to its elliptical, pacing style with its 160-minute running time. Art director Troy Sizemore and set decorator Janice Blackie-Goodine do an amazing job in creating the period look of the late 19th Century mid-west with its look of towns and homes to create an American, mid-western look and feel. Costume designer Patricia Norris, who was also the costume designer in Days of Heaven, does an exquisite job in the look of the cowboys and women in 19th Century period dresses that matches the film's dark, dream-like look with very little colors. Sound designers Christopher S. Aud and Richard King do a brilliant job in capturing the atmosphere of the landscapes and shootouts as well as the land to convey the mood of Jesse James.

Another of the film's amazing technical achievements goes to the film's haunting score by alt-rock icon Nick Cave and Warren Ellis of Cave's band the Bad Seeds. The music features chime-like themes to convey its dreamlike mood while using broken pianos and instruments to help play true to the period. The score is filled with sweeping arrangements as well as pieces of music that is haunting as Cave makes an appearance singing a traditional song about Jesse James. The music of Cave and Ellis is truly superb in capturing the mood of the film and its characters.

The casting by Mali Finn is superb as the various small roles from Sarah Lind as a girlfriend of Robert Ford, Jesse Freschette as Robert and Charley's young cousin Albert, Joel McNichol as a train messenger, Lauren Calvert as Martha's daughter Ida, and Michael Parks as Henry Craig. Other memorable small parts that include Brooklynn Proux and Dustin Bollinger as Jesse's two kids, Michael Copeman as a man hunting for Robert Ford, Tom Aldredge as Major Hite, Sarah Kailin as Major Hite's young wife, Ted Levine as Sheriff Timberlake, Pat Healey as Wilbur Ford, and an appearance from political analyst James Carvell as Governor Crittenden. While the parts of women don't seem to play any big roles for a film that's mainly about men. Allison Elliott, Zooey Deschanel, and Mary Louise-Parker do fill their roles with grace. Elliott as the maternal-like Martha Bolton, Zooey Deschanel as Robert Ford's girlfriend in his final years, and Mary Louise-Parker as Jesse James' wife Zee who doesn't care about Jesse's antics only until after his death.

Garrett Dillahunt is great as paranoid Ed Miller whose alliance with Liddil about going to another gang gets him in trouble as he fears for Jesse. Jeremy Renner is also great in his role as Jesse's cousin Wood Hite who begins a feud with Liddil following Liddil's encounter with Wood's stepmother. Paul Schneider is brilliant as the laconic, poetic Dick Liddil whose love for women and the world around him makes him a fascinating character who likes to seduce women while providing the catalyst for Ford's assassination of James. Sam Shepard is great as the grizzled, tired Frank James who seems to feel tired being around young men as well as Jesse's reckless behavior. The film's best supporting performance goes to Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford. Rockwell plays a man who joins Jesse's gang as he brings his younger brother along. Watching Jesse's state of mind go nuts while watching himself in paranoia believing he was killed. Rockwell's performance is superb as he plays the film's observer watching both James and his own brother disintegrate.

Brad Pitt is in fantastic form as Jesse James. Pitt's performance is very layered with a sense of recklessness, melancholia, and a troubling state of mind. Pitt carries a presence and charisma that is perfect for the character of Jesse James as he uses his smile and unpredictable mood swings to play a character as complex as Jesse James in what is clearly one of his best performances. While Pitt is in great form, he is not the best performance of the film that really goes to his co-star Casey Affleck as his assassin, Robert Ford. Affleck's wild-eyed performance is wonderfully layered as an innocent, childlike young man who idolizes James in ever way as brings an innocence to the role. When the character starts to develop, Affleck's performance becomes much darker and more subtle as he becomes this laconic figure who starts to resent his idol as he becomes his assassin. Affleck's performance is brilliant in every scene up to the last frame when he seems weathered and troubled. While Pitt may have top billing, it's Affleck who is really the film's star.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is an enchanting, eye-wielding, and stunning film from Andrew Dominik and company led by a great cast that includes Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Mary-Louise Parker, Garrett Dillahunt, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell. Fans of the western genre will no doubt be amazed by this dream-like interpretation of the outlaw Jesse James and his assassin Robert Ford. While some audiences might be put off by its dream-like approach and elliptical pacing, it's a film fans of bio-pics and the western genre might enjoy with additional commendation to cinematographer Roger Deakins and music composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. In the end, for a dream-like western that gives the genre a new twist, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the film to go see.

Andrew Dominik Films: Chopper - Killing Them Softly - One More Time with Feeling - This Much I Know to Be True - Blonde (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2012

The Killer Inside Me

Based on the novel by Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me is the story of a sociopath deputy sheriff whose good-natured persona is a cover for a sinister one as he has a very troubled affair with a hooker that would lead to all sorts of trouble. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and screenplay by John Curran, the film is an exploration into the mind of a man carrying a very dark, troubled mind. Starring Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Ned Beatty, Tom Bower, Simon Baker, Elias Koteas, and Bill Pullman. The Killer Inside Me for all of its entrancing approach to suspense falls flat due to some very convoluted ideas.

After being asked by superior in Sheriff Bob Maples (Tom Bower) and a construction tycoon named Chester Conway (Ned Beatty), deputy sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) deals with a prostitute named Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba) who is having an affair with Conway’s son Elmer (Jay R. Ferguson). Yet, Lou would have a sadomasochistic affair with Joyce while having a relationship with local schoolteacher Amy Stanton (Kate Hudson). With Conway wanting Joyce out of town, she and Lou devise a plan to extort Conway as Conway and Maples agree to the payoff. Yet, Lou would do something that would change everything that would have him risk his reputation as a law-abiding officer.

While District Attorney Howard Hendricks and a local journalist named Joe Rothman (Elias Koteas) suspect Lou. There isn’t a lot of evidence about Lou though Joe knows a lot about Lou’s troubled childhood where he suggests to Lou that he should leave town. After a suspect in a young local teen named Johnnie Papas (Liam Aiken) was arrested, Lou would help the kid although things start to get more grim. When Amy wants to marry him, Lou tries to aim for a normal life until a local bum (Brent Briscoe) reveal what he knows as Lou’s life starts to unravel. Even as more suspicion would arise leading to complications where Lou would face some dark truths.

The film is about a small-town deputy sheriff whose dark mind that involves an affair with a sadomasochistic-loving prostitute leads to trouble where murder, blackmail, and all sorts of mysteries would be involved. A story like this set in the 1950s and told from the perspective of its troubled protagonist would’ve a very interesting story told. However, drawn-out story lines, underwritten characters, and lots of flashback scenes about Lou’s life end up creating a story that loses its suspense as well as its impact. Screenwriter John Curran does a good job with the film’s narration and see how Lou would execute things but some of the narration goes a little overboard at times. Curran succeeds in exploring Lou’s mind and motivation but he doesn’t do enough to make the suspense be more surprising.

Director Michael Winterbottom does a superb job in re-creating the look of 1950s Texas, though it’s shot in New Mexico, while utilizing some very entrancing compositions of the locations as well creating wonderful shots for some of the film’s dramatic moments. The problem is that he is unable to do more with the film’s script in setting up the suspense as its score would often for-tell that something is about to happen. It’s an idea that is quite clichéd with suspense as one would expect a director as unconventional with Winterbottom to do something different. Instead, Winterbottom chooses to play things straight while utilizing offbeat music to play up some of the darker moments. Then there’s Winterbottom’s approach to the film’s violence where it is one of the most unsettling moments of the film. It’s definitely one of the more unforgettable moments of the film but it is certainly not for everyone. Still, there’s a reason for its graphic depiction to dwell into Lou Ford’s sick mind. Despite that approach as well as other moments in the film, Winterbottom unfortunately doesn’t do more to make the film more visceral and entrancing as it could’ve been.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind does an excellent job with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from the sunny yet lush look of many of the film‘s daytime interior and exterior settings to more entrancing looks for some of its nighttime scenes. Editor Mags Arnold does a nice job with the editing in utilizing rhythmic cuts to play up Ford‘s troubled state of mind though there‘s parts where the pacing lags a bit due to its conventional approach to suspense. Production designers Rob Simons and Mark Tildesley, along with set decorator Jeanne Scott, do great work with the look of Ford‘s lavish home as well as the look of the cars and appliances of that period.

Costume designer Lynette Meyer does a wonderful job with the costumes in the design of 1950s clothing that the women wear from the more conservative dresses of Amy to the more stylish look of Joyce. The visual effects by Mark Knapton and Gus Martinez do some work in the film‘s lone visual effects scene towards the end of the film where the results aren‘t very good. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does terrific work with the sound to create tension in some of the film’s chilling moments as well as quieter ones such as Ford’s conversation with Johnnie Papas.

The film’s score by Melissa Parmenter and Joel Cadbury is pretty good for its low-key orchestral score though at times, it is used to help set up the suspense which only makes things seem more predictable. Music supervisor Chadwick Brown provides a nice soundtrack of country, blues, and ragtime music of the 1950s though some of the way is used was very misguided.

The casting by J.C. Cantu and Mary Vernieu is terrific for the ensemble that is created as it includes notable small roles from Liam Aiken as the young accused teen Johnnie Papas, Jay R. Ferguson as Chester’s playful son Elmer, Brent Briscoe as the mysterious bum who tries to blackmail Lou, Elias Koteas as a sympathetic journalist who tries to help Lou get out of town, and Bill Pullman as an attorney who shows up late in the film despite a very bad and over-the-top performance when he first appears in the film. Tom Bower is very good as Lou’s chief Bob Maples whose love for Lou starts to fall apart once Lou becomes a suspect as he tries to cope with it. Simon Baker is excellent as the cunning D.A. Howard Hendricks who tries to push Tom’s button’s any way he can. Ned Beatty is superb as the smarmy Chester Conway who tries to get Lou to buy out Joyce.

Jessica Alba gives a pretty decent performance as the submissive hooker Joyce who falls for Lou where Alba has a nice screen presence although she gives a very awkward performance in the film’s heavier moments. Kate Hudson is horrible as Lou’s girlfriend Amy where it’s not just that the character is underwritten but Hudson’s performance is at times over-the-top or underperformed where she seems to be sleepwalking through the role. Finally, there’s Casey Affleck in a tremendous performance as the chilling Lou Ford where Affleck brings a wonderful charm to his character that is balanced by a very dark demeanor. It’s definitely a very entrancing performance by Affleck who definitely has the right touches to play this character.

For all of its ambition and emphasis to explore the dark mind of a troubled man, The Killer Inside Me is a truly lackluster film from Michael Winterbottom. Despite Casey Affleck’s performance and some fantastic moments in the direction, the film falls short in terms of building up its suspense as well as trying to draw-up too many things about the Lou Ford character. For fans of Michael Winterbottom, the film will serve as a letdown considering the fact that he chooses to create something more straightforward while not doing enough to make the suspense genre more intriguing. In the end, The Killer Inside Me is a very disappointing film from Michael Winterbottom.

Michael Winterbottom Films: (Rosie the Great) - (Forget About Me) - (Under the Sun) - (Love Lies Bleeding) - (Family (1993 TV film)) - (Butterfly Kiss) - (Go Now) - (Jude) - Welcome to Sarajevo - I Want You - (With or Without You (1998 film)) - Wonderland (1999 film) - The Claim - 24 Hour Party People - In This World - Code 46 - 9 Songs - Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story - The Road to Guantanamo - A Mighty Heart - Genova - The Shock Doctrine (2009 film) - The Trip (2010 film) - (Trishna) - (Everyday) - The Look of Love - (The Trip to Italy) - (The Face of An Angel)

© thevoid99 2012

Ocean's 11 (2001 film)

Based on the 1960 film version that was scribed by Harry Brown and Charles Lederer with story credit by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, Ocean’s 11 is the story of eleven men who plan to rob three casinos in one entire night as they’re owned by the same man. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and screenplay by Ted Griffin, the film is a modern update on the original 1960s Rat Pack film with a new edge. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Cahn, Bernie Mac, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, with Andy Garcia and Julia Roberts. Ocean’s 11 is a fun heist film from Steven Soderbergh.

After being released on parole for various theft crimes, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) decides to organize another theft as he meets up with old friend Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). The plan is to rob a trio of casinos in one night as the money is stored the vault of one of those casinos. Pitching the idea to a former casino owner in Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Tishkoff agrees to fund the operation as Ocean and Ryan began to recruit and assemble their team. With Tishkoff and Ocean’s con friend Frank Catton (Bernie Mac) on board, joining the team are mechanics Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, respectively), electronics surveillance expert Livingston Dell (Eddie Jemison), acrobat Yen (Shaobo Qin), explosives expert Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), old-school con man Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), and a young thief in Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon).

The team scout the Bellagio casino as a big boxing fight is coming as the casino is owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who also owns the other two planned for the robbery. With Linus and Rusty also watching over Benedict, Rusty realizes that Danny’s ex-wife Tess (Julia Roberts) is dating Benedict which complicates everything as Rusty wonders about Danny’s true motives for the robbery. With planning still underway including re-creating the vault for practice, things become complicated when Yen gets injured in a theft for a device Basher needs to black out the city for a small amount of time. Danny also sits out due to his feelings for Tess as Rusty takes over as he and the team decide to play roles to get into the casino and its vaults while Livingston watches everything he sees.

On the night of the heist, Danny makes a final plea to Tess before he’s taken away by Benedict’s men while Frank, Linus, Rusty, and Saul poses as different people for the con game with Virgil and Turk assisting them. Things go underway as Danny makes a last-minute assist with a bit of help as he and the gang make the robbery in grand style.

The film is essentially a heist film set in Las Vegas as eleven guys decide to steal more than a $150 million in one night just so they can pull off the impossible. Notably as it involves three casinos and an owner who will do more than put the thieves in jail. Amidst this heist is its leader who has just been paroled and is risking it just so he can claim his ex-wife back from a guy he knows is far more dangerous. The script by Ted Griffin is pretty loose in terms of its storytelling as he creates some wonderful scenes about the set-up of the heist and how the team is assembled. It’s a script that is filled with lots of humor and action while not taking itself very seriously.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction definitely is geared towards style as he creates dazzling compositions and montages to play up the assembling of the team as well as the set-up into the heist. While most of the film is about the set-up of the heist for the first two acts, Soderbergh does allow the film to be quite playful in the way the actors interact and play their con roles. Soderbergh also chooses to play up the film’s romantic moments in an understated tone involving Danny and Tess while keeping the compositions straightforward. Serving as cinematographer under his Peter Andrews alias, the film has a look that is quite stylish to play up to the glitz of Las Vegas from its nighttime and interior lighting to the sunny look of that city in the day. Soderbergh creates a truly crafty and ravishing film that is very funny and exciting for the heist genre.

Editor Stephen Mirrione does a fantastic job with the editing to play up the film‘s sense of style by utilizing rhythmic jump-cuts as well as multiple split-screens to play up some of the montages displayed in the film. Production designer Phillip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Keith P. Cunningham, does excellent work in the set pieces created such as the bar that Rusty manages to Reuben‘s home and the look of Benedict‘s safe. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does some wonderful work in the costumes from the dresses and gowns that Tess wears to the stylish suits that the men wear including the ones for the actual job they do.

Sound editor Larry Blake does a brilliant job with the sound work to capture the raucous world of Las Vegas from the boxing scene to the sounds of what goes in for the actual heist including chaos that occurs in the blackout as the heist is well underway. The film’s score by David Holmes is superb for its playful mix of jazz and electronic music that is perfect for the film’s humor and visual style in relation to the world that is Las Vegas. Particularly as the soundtrack plays to a wide variety of music from the likes of Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Handsome Boy Modeling School with De La Soul, Quincy Jones, Liberace, and classical pieces from Claude Debussy.

The casting by Debra Zane is extraordinary for the ensemble that is created along with the slew of cameo appearances made for the film. Among these cameos include Shane West, Barry Watson, Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace, and Joshua Jackson as Rusty’s poker pupils. Other cameos include the film’s producer Jerry Weintraub as a high-roller poker player, director Steven Soderbergh as one of Basher’s bombing associates, boxers Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, Wayne Newton, Siegfried and Roy, and from the original 1960 film, Angie Dickinson and Henry Silva.

In the roles of the various players that forms the heist team, there are definitely some very funny performances from Eddie Jemison as the nervous Livingston Dell, Bernie Mac as the smooth con artist Frank Catton, Shaobo Qin as the Asian acrobatic Yen, Carl Reiner as the old-school yet multiple-accent portraying Saul, and Elliott Gould as the old-school casino owner Ruben Tishkoff. Casey Affleck and Scott Caan are very good as in their respective roles as the bickering brothers Virgil and Turk Malloy while Don Cheadle is brilliant by sporting a Cockney accent as the witty explosive expert Basher. Andy Garcia is excellent as the suave yet vicious casino owner Terry Benedict while Julia Roberts is terrific as Danny’s ex-wife Tess.

Matt Damon is wonderful as the young thief Linus who tries to find his footing as part of the team as well as hoping to break out of his father’s shadow. Brad Pitt is great as the cool Rusty who always try to keep everyone ground while always eating something on the job. George Clooney is superb as the team’s leader Danny Ocean as Clooney brings his usual charm and swagger into the character while also being the kind of guy who can get the job done.

Ocean’s 11 is an entertaining and witty heist film from Steven Soderbergh. Armed with a great ensemble cast and a visual style that is dazzling to watch, it’s a film that aims to just entertain and give the audience a good time. Notably as it’s one of Soderbergh’s more accessible films proving that he can do anything while give the film buffs something to be enamored by. In the end, Ocean’s 11 is a sensational heist film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s 12 - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s 13 - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

Related: Ocean's 8

© thevoid99 2012