Set in 1984 during the Cold War, the film revolves around Diana Prince who works at the Smithsonian as an anthropologist while doing hero work as Wonder Woman in secrecy as she and a gemologist discover a mysterious gem that grants wishes as a failing oil baron gains access to the stone and becomes the stone to gain power prompting Prince to stop him. It’s a film with a simple premise of sorts yet it explores the idea of wishes but also the lesson about the cost of a wish. Patty Jenkins and co-screenwriters Dave Callahan and Geoff Johns do explore the themes of wishes in the form of this object though there are some spotty moments in exploring that theme but also in some of the character development for a few characters. The film begins with a brief sequence of a young Prince (Lilly Aspell) who takes part in a multi-stage athletic competition that plays into lessons she would have to learn from both her mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) and her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright) as it would play into everything Diana would have to face.
The antagonist in Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) is an oil baron who is also a TV personality who wants to present this idea of success as a way to improve the life of himself and everyone else but is already in debt as he hopes to obtain this ancient stone to make himself rich and powerful. Lord isn’t an evil person as he has a son in Alistair (Lucian Perez) he cares about but his desire for greed and power makes him lose sight of things. Another person who becomes entranced by that stone’s power is a gemologist in Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) whom Diana befriends as Minerva is this shy and awkward woman that wants to be like Diana yet the wish she makes has her becoming a stronger, confident, and sexier person but there’s some flaws into the development into how she sides with Lord. The story about this stone is a strange MacGuffin of sorts as Trevor, who returns because of Diana’s wish, believes that the stone is a variation of a Monkey’s Paw where whoever grants the wish is forced to sacrifice something and the only way it can be stopped if that person renounces its wish. For Diana, she is forced to make some difficult decisions just as she copes with what she has lost upon the wish that she made.
Jenkins’ direction has these elements of something grand in its opening sequence of a young Diana to this weird sense of nostalgia set in Washington D.C. in 1984. Shot on various locations at the Warner Brothers Studio at Leavesden, England as well as location shoots in Washington D.C. and its nearby areas as well as parts of London, the Canary Islands, and Almeria, Spain. The film does play into this air of 1980s Cold War but also what the 80s was like in America as one of its early sequences involve a robbery at a jewelry store that is foiled by Prince as Wonder Woman as it has this element of humor but also nostalgia for those times. Jenkins does use a lot of wide shots to establish these locations but also in the world that Prince ventures into including Egypt and other parts of the world in some broad action set pieces. Still, the film is grounded by some close-ups and medium shots to play on this sense of loss that still looms over Prince as it relates to Trevor as her wish, that she unknowingly did, to have him back would come true but it also plays into the fact that she’s had trouble moving on and still holding a torch for him as he’s inhabiting another man’s body as it does play into some of the humor with Trevor being the fish out of water as it relates to 1980s culture.
While the film does have some humor as well as light-hearted moments in the action, there are still this air of suspense and danger that Prince does encounter as it relates to what she sacrifices upon making her wish. Especially during the film’s second half where Lord gets more powerful to great extremes though some of the execution relating to his development does get spotty as well as the development in Minerva who would make another wish that leads to the film’s climax. The climax is grand though it has some clunky moments as it relates to what Minerva has become where the visual effects don’t really do justice despite the stakes of what Prince has to do. Her confrontation with Lord in that scene does say a lot about the fallacy of wishes and the need for truth though its execution is clunky despite its good intentions. Overall, Jenkins crafts a compelling and thrilling film about an Amazonian princess battling an oil baron and an unexpected foe to save the world from greed and lies.
Cinematographer Matthew Jensen does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of vibrant colors for some of the daytime exterior scenes in Washington D.C. and Cairo as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editor Richard Pearson does terrific work with the editing as it has some stylish rhythmic and jump-cuts to play into the action as well as some of the suspense and drama. Production designer Aline Bonetto, with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson plus supervising art directors Alex Baily and Peter Russell, does amazing work with the look at some of the places that Prince goes to including her own apartment in Washington D.C., the interiors of the Smithsonian, and at a communications base for the film’s climax. Costume designer Lindy Hemming is brilliant for not just the design of the 80s clothes of the times that feature some funny and awkward moments but also in some of the designer dresses that Prince and Minerva wear as well as a legendary costume that Prince wears for the film’s climax.
Hair/makeup designer Jan Sewell does fantastic work with the look of the characters including the look of Minerva from her nerdy look to being this confident yet dangerous woman. Special effects supervisor Mark Holt and visual effects supervisor John Moffatt do some superb work in the visual effects in some of the set dressing and action set pieces though the design of Minerva’s final evolution as Cheetah is one of the clunky aspects of the visual effects where it doesn’t feel like it’s finished. Sound designer Michael Babcock, along with sound editors Jimmy Boyle and Richard King, does fine work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as maintaining a raucous atmosphere for some of the big scenes in the film. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is wonderful for its bombastic music score as it play into the action along with serene orchestral textures for some of the dramatic moments of the film while music supervisor Carmen Murlaner provides a soundtrack that largely features the music of the 1980s from Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Clinton Shorter, and John Murphy doing a piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The casting by Kristy Carlson, Pat Moran, and Lucinda Syson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Gabriella Wilde as Lord’s secretary, Natasha Rothwell as Minerva’s boss, Kristoffer Polaha as the man Trevor inhabits, Amr Waked as an Egyptian oil baron that Lord makes a deal with, Stuart Milligan as the U.S. president, Oliver Cotton as Lord’s frustrated investor Simon Stagg, Kelvin Yu as a colleague of Minerva at the Smithsonian, Ravi Patel as a mysterious man who knows about the history of the stone that Lord wants, and Lucian Perez in a grating performance as Lord’s son Alistair as a kid who just whines all because he wants to be with his dad. Lilly Aspell, Connie Nielsen, and Robin Wright are excellent in their respective roles as the young Diana, Queen Hippolyta, and Antiope with Aspell reprising her brief role as the young Diana for the film’s opening sequence while Nielsen and Wright’s sole scenes in the opening sequence do provide some gravitas to the lessons that Diana would instill on her journey.
Kristen Wiig is alright as Barbara Minerva as a geologist/gemologist who admires and wants to be like Prince as the wish she makes would have her go from awkward geek to a strong yet cold woman as its development is hindered by the fact that Minerva is underwritten in how she loses some of her humanity and how she would become the villainous figure that is Cheetah. Pedro Pascal is amazing as Maxwell Lord as a TV personality/oil baron that wants to succeed as he believes that this ancient stone would give him everything he wants as Pascal displays some charm but also a man who loses his own humanity that makes him a complex villain of sorts. Chris Pine is incredible as Steve Trevor as Diana’s former lover who returns mysteriously due to a wish as Pine gets to show a lot of humor in his interaction with 1980s culture but also some truth about why he is back as it is a grounded performance that allows Pine to be someone that has to remind Diana about some of the darkest realities of the world but also the good aspects.
Finally, there’s Gal Gadot in a phenomenal performance as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman as the Amazonian princess warrior who moonlights as an anthropologist at the Smithsonian while secretly being a superheroine as Gadot brings some charm but also some vulnerability as a woman still driven by loss and the reluctance to let go. Notably in her scenes with Pine as it plays into a woman that still carries a torch for Trevor as she does come to terms with this loss as Gadot brings in these somber moments in another defining performance for the famed superheroine.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a remarkable film from Patty Jenkins that features a towering performance from Gal Gadot. Along with the strong supporting performances of Chris Pine and Pedro Pascal as well as grand action set pieces, some humorous moments involving 1980s nostalgia, and its exploration of greed, wishes, and truth despite a few spotty moments. The film is still a heartfelt superhero film that does bring in a lot of adventure but also wonderment and the need to accept what people have instead of what they want. In the end, Wonder Woman 1984 is an incredible film from Patty Jenkins.
DC Extended Universe: Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Suicide Squad - Wonder Woman - Justice League - Aquaman - Shazam! - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - Zack Snyder's Justice League - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - (Black Adam) – (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) – (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) – (The Flash) – (Blue Beetle) – (Batgirl)
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the novel by Robert C. O’Brien, Z for Zachariah is the story of a nuclear holocaust survivor who finds another survivor as she takes him in where their quaint life is disrupted by the arrival of another survivor. Directed by Craig Zobel and screenplay by Nissar Modi, the film is a look into people dealing with their own emotions as they all try to survive the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust and restart their lives. Starring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine. Z for Zachariah is a riveting and somber film from Craig Zobel.
The film revolves around the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust as a young woman who had survived the event as she would meet an engineer who would help her get electricity in her home as they form a friendship that is later disrupted by another survivor who had lurking around. It’s a film that explore three people dealing with loneliness as well as being the possible survivors of a nuclear holocaust where there is very little land where they can be safe as there’s areas around this young woman’s family farm where it is contaminated with nuclear radiation. Nissar Modi’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more about the need to survive and start all over as the protagonist Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) spends much of her time planting seeds and creating crops as well as pick up whatever she needs wearing a gas mask and such to contaminated areas.
When she encounters John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) in a radiation suit as he arrives to the non-contaminated area until he swims onto a contaminated pond with a waterfall is where Ann helps him get better despite his leg injury. Much of the first act is about Ann and her time with John as the latter sees the waterfall as a way to create a water wheel for a power generator that Ann has but in need of repairs. The second act prompts the arrival of Caleb (Chris Pine) who would lurk around until Ann’s dog had sniffed him as he would be taken in despite John’s reluctance. It would set the tone for what is happening during the course of the film as John is suspicious of Caleb but does realize that Caleb is still a helpful man who had endured his own experience with the nuclear holocaust.
Craig Zobel’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the setting and compositions though there are some stylistic shots that do pay homage to the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. Shot mainly on location in New Zealand with some of the small town locations shot in West Virginia, Zobel’s direction does have some wide shots to establish the location as well as the sense of isolation the three characters are in as if they are the only survivors left. Much of the direction would be simple in the way Zobel would frame the characters as well as build small moments of suspense including the scenes in the second half where there is tension between John and Caleb but it is very restrained. Zobel would hint into some of the sexual tension that is looming within the three but have the characters remind themselves that there is so much more at stake as it relates to survival as well as what to do to stay alive. Even in the usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama where the third act is about building this water wheel for the power generator as well as what Ann wants in her life. Overall, Zobel crafts a gripping yet evocative film about a trio of people trying to live their lives following a nuclear holocaust.
Cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lights for many of the exterior scenes as well as candle lights for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Jane Rizzo does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward for much of the film with some rhythmic cuts for the suspenseful moments. Production designer Matthew Munn, with set decorator Amber Richards and art director Ken Turner, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Ann lives as well as a gas station nearby with thing she hasn’t taken and a church that her father used to run.
Costume designer Bob Buck does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly casual with the exception of the radiation suit that John wears early in the film that Caleb would wear later on in creating the water wheel. Visual effects supervisor John Bair does terrific work with the some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it’s mostly set-dressing for some of the exteriors such as the trees and clouds. Sound editor Rich Bologna does superb work with the sound in creating some unique textures for some of the exteriors that play into the air of silence as well as these quiet moments that add to the dramatic suspense. The film’s music by Heather McIntosh is wonderful as it’s mainly an ambient score that play into the sense of isolation and uncertainty while music supervisor Laura Katz provides a soundtrack that mainly feature bits of religious music as well as some early 20th Century jazz.
The casting by Kerry Barden, Allison Estrin, and Paul Schnee is great as it mainly feature its three principle actors with Chris Pine in an incredible performance as Caleb as a drifter who arrives during the film’s second act as he would formally appear as someone that had seen the outside world as he finds himself attracted to Ann while being aware of John’s suspicions. Chiwetel Ejiofor is remarkable as John Loomis as an engineer who is dismissive towards ideas of religion yet he tries not to say much about it to Ann as he is a man of science where he tries to help her fix things as he also copes with his own sense of loss and longing. Finally, there’s Margot Robbie in a phenomenal performance as Ann Burden as a young woman trying to rebuild her family farm to sustain herself with the things she needs as she finds herself tempted by the presence of two men who have feelings for her knowing that she needs them to help her out.
Z for Zachariah is a marvelous film from Craig Zobel with top-notch performances from Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine. Along with its minimalist script, gorgeous visuals, and themes on survival and isolation, it’s a film that explore a trio of people dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust and see if they can live with one another without any problems. In the end, Z for Zachariah is a remarkable film from Craig Zobel.
Related: Compliance
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by David Mackenzie and written by Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water is the story of two brothers who decide to rob banks to save their family ranch as they are being pursued by two Texas Rangers. The film is a crime thriller set in West Texas as it play into a battle between brothers and the two men trying to go after them. Starring Ben Foster, Chris Pine, Gil Birmingham, Marin Ireland, Katy Mixon, Dale Dickey, and Jeff Bridges. Hell or High Water is a rapturous yet gripping film from David Mackenzie.
A series of robberies in West Texas prompts an aging Texas Ranger and his new partner to investigate these robberies as they’re unaware that the two robbers are brothers trying to save their family ranch by robbing the banks that is taking away the ranch. It’s a film that play into a world that has two brothers becoming desperate over a reverse mortgage as the family ranch is about to foreclosed as the timing of it is bad since their mother had passed three weeks earlier. They would rob banks and go to Indian casinos to use the money to gamble and then use that money as a check to the banks they stole the money from. Taylor Sheridan’s screenplay is definitely play into the motivations of Toby Howard (Chris Pine) and his older ex-con brother Tanner (Ben Foster) as the latter wants to help his younger brother save the ranch as Toby is aware of how rich the land is and wants to pass it on to his sons.
While Tanner is definitely more experienced in robberies as he would do all of the yelling and intimidation tactics, it is Toby that remains quiet and makes sure things go quietly as he knows what he has to do for his sons and his ex-wife Debbie (Marin Ireland). Being aware of these robberies is Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) who is days away from retirement as he is joined by his new partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) as they drive around various small town in Texas wondering where the next bank will hit. Sheridan’s dialogue and portrayal of characters is key to the film in the way he portrays the Howard brothers as well as Hamilton as men who carry old ideas of the west where Hamilton does say politically-incorrect things toward his half-Native American/half-Mexican partner as well as the fact that he believes these robbers are robbing these specific banks for a reason. Especially as Parker says something about what is happening as there is a hint of irony into what the brothers are doing as it relates to how the Native Americans lost their homes except that things are much darker and more complicated.
David Mackenzie’s direction is definitely ravishing in the way he captures this feel of the American West in not just its vast beauty but also for being this area that is disconnected by the major cities of America where many of these small towns become stricken with poverty and almost become some short of ghost town. Shot on various locations in New Mexico as West Texas, the film does play as this idea of the West in a modern setting where Mackenzie would use wide shots to capture the beauty of these locations from the shots of the deserts and mountains. The locations don’t just play to this decline of the West due to modernism but also for the fact that the old ways are gone as it’s something the Howard brothers seem to fight for as it relates to their ranch. Mackenzie would use some close-up and medium shots to play into the characters interacting with each other as well as some long shots to capture the action as it plays out.
Even as Mackenzie would create elements of tension and dark humor in the film as some of the violent moments are restrained until the third act. Notably as there is an element of suspense and terror that looms throughout the film as Hamilton and the Howard brothers never interact or see each other. It just adds to this air of suspense as a showdown is inevitable but also play into the idea of what had been lost in the West prompting these two forces to finally meet and see what it’s all about. Overall, Mackenzie creates a gripping yet haunting film about a Texas Ranger trying to capture two brothers who are robbing banks to save their family ranch.
Cinematographer Giles Nuttgens does brilliant work with the film’s gorgeous cinematography to play into the sunny and dream-like look of the Texan skylines as well as the usage of unique lighting for some of the interiors including some of the scenes in the casinos and natural lighting for a restaurant Hamilton and Parker go to. Editor Jake Roberts does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense. Production designer Tom Duffield, with set decorator Wilhelm Pfau and art director Steve Cooper, does fantastic work with the look of Howard family ranch as well as some of the places that the characters go to.
Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska does nice work with the costumes from the cowboy-like clothes of the Howard brothers to the Texas Ranger uniform that Hamilton and Parker wear. Sound designer Frank Gaeta does amazing work with the film’s sound as it play into the suspense and some of the natural elements of the locations. The film’s music by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is incredible as its mixture of eerie strings and keyboard music play into the drama and decline of the West as it is a major highlight of the film while director David Mackenzie and editor Jake Roberts supervise the film’s soundtrack that mainly features a mixture of country, rock, and blues.
The casting by Jo Edna Boldin and Richard Hicks is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from screenwriter Taylor Sheridan as a cowboy getting his herd of cows out of a field fire, John Paul Howard and Christopher W. Garcia as Toby’s sons, Amber Midthunder as a young bank clerk, Melanie Paplia as a hooker trying to flirt with Toby, Alma Sisneros as a hotel clerk that Tanner woos, Dale Dickey as a bank employee who is taken hostage in the film’s opening sequence, Katy Mixon as a restaurant waitress that tries to woo Toby, and Marin Ireland as Toby’s ex-wife Debbie. Gil Birmingham is fantastic as Alberto Parker as Hamilton’s new partner who bears the insults that Hamilton gives him while dealing with the severity of the case as well as bringing his own insights about the ways of the world. Ben Foster is brilliant as Tanner Howard as the eldest of the two brothers who has been convicted for robberies and such as he knows how to rob banks as he’s a little unhinged but is also someone that is vulnerable as it relates to his own troubled relationship with his parents.
Chris Pine is amazing as Toby Howard as the younger of the two brothers who is also a father as someone who is levelheaded as he laments over the situation he’s in as well as making sure his sons don’t go through the struggles he went through as a child. Finally, there’s Jeff Bridges in a phenomenal performance as Marcus Hamilton as a Texas Ranger who is about to retire that takes on this case as he doesn’t just deal with the area he’s in but also the changes of the landscape that haunts him as well as his own ideas of why these robberies are happening.
Hell or High Water is a tremendous film from David Mackenzie that features great performances from Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster. Along with its brilliant ensemble cast, Taylor Sheridan’s riveting script, the chilling score of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, dazzling visuals, and top-notch suspense. The film is definitely an unconventional yet evocative suspense-thriller that also acts as a true western. In the end, Hell or High Water is a spectacular film from David Mackenzie.
David Mackenzie Films: (The Last Great Wilderness) – (Young Adam) – (Asylum (2005 film)) – (Hallam Foe) – (Spread) – (Perfect Sense) – (You Instead) – (Starred Up) – (Outlaw King)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the DC Comics created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman is the story of a princess who leaves her home island to help a young man she meets on the island to end World War I as she copes with her new surroundings and the chaos of the world. Directed by Patty Jenkins and screenplay by Allan Heinberg from a story by Heinberg, Jason Fuchs, and Zack Snyder, the film is an origin story that explores a woman who wants to help the world and save it from total destruction as the titular character, whose name is Diana Prince, is played by Gal Gadot. Also starring Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Elena Anaya, Ewan Bremner, Lucy Davis, Lilly Aspell, Emily Carey, Eugene Brave Rock, Said Taghmaoui, and Danny Huston. Wonder Woman is an enthralling and rapturous film from Patty Jenkins.
The film is an origin story about an Amazonian princess who lives in a remote and secret island inhabited by women as a pilot crashes into the land telling her about what is happening in the world as she hopes to end the war and go after a god she believes is responsible for what is happening. It is a film with a simple story but it’s filled with a lot of complexities as it relates to this woman in Diana who has been sheltered in this paradise island raised by her mother Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) who isn’t keen about having Diana be an Amazonian warrior like Hippolyta’s sister Antiope (Robin Wright) who would secretly train Diana since she was a child. Then when Diana sees an airplane crash into the sea and rescue the pilot who would turn out to be this American spy in Steve Trevor (Chris Pine). With the lasso of truth, Trevor would reveal why he’s arrived as he would reveal what is going on outside of the island of Themyscira prompting Diana to think that the god of war Ares is involved.
Allan Heinberg’s screenplay isn’t just about this story of Diana becoming this heroine and fighting for what is right but also dealing with the world on a much larger scale as well as what she has to face. The first act largely takes place in Themyscira where it is about Diana and the role she’s playing as well as why her mother isn’t keen on having her fight for the world while her aunt knows that Diana has to protect herself yet neither have really explained why as it relates to Ares whom Antiope believes would return. The second act takes place in London and parts of Europe where Diana is definitely a fish out of water into this new environment she’s in as she believes that this German general in Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston) is Ares in disguise. It’s not just in the plotting and story structure that Heinberg really succeeds in but it’s also fleshing out the characters as Hippolyta and Antiope are these figures to Diana who provide to sides that Diana has to balance while Trevor is a man who has seen the world as he owns up to the fact that humanity is flawed but know that there is still good there.
At the center of the story is Diana as her character development is crucial to the film as someone who is quite naïve about the outside world as she has no idea why her mother wants to protect her as it relates to Ares. Her encounters with the world is comical at first but also has showcase an air of innocence in Diana which is often rarely seen in films about superheroes or super-heroines. Though she is quite powerful in the way she deal with foes in how she can deflect bullets with her metallic wristbands and do all sorts of things as a warrior. She’s also quite vulnerable when she’s forced to face things she can’t really understand as it relates to the dark aspects of humanity. While Trevor admits that he is flawed and everything else is flawed, it’s a moment that leads to its climax where Diana doesn’t have to just understand what it means to be a heroine but about what needs to be achieved for peace.
Patty Jenkins’ direction is definitely sprawling in terms of the world that is set as well as the stakes into what is happening throughout the story. Shot on various locations in London, the southern coasts of Italy as Themyscira, Paris, and other locations in Europe. Jenkins does create something that do have some of the conventional aspects expected in blockbuster superhero origin films but there’s a gracefulness in the way she introduces Diana as the film begins in modern-day Paris in which Diana receives a special gift from Bruce Wayne/Batman at the Lourve. It would then have Diana reflect on her life from being a child eager to fight like her aunt as well as be kind and courageous like he mother. The scenes set in Themyscira are quite simple where Jenkins knows how to use the wide shots not just to establish the location but also a world that is idyllic. When Trevor arrives, the tone changes where it is quite serious as Jenkins know where to use medium shots and close-ups for some of the drama as well as find the right touches of humor.
The scenes in London are quite comical as it involves some of the commentary from Trevor’s secretary Etta Candy (Lucy Davis) who takes a liking to Diana for her proto-feminist commentary as Jenkins would create something that is naturally funny. It help give the film a break from the action where Jenkins would give the film some air to breathe without being overwhelmed by moments of action and suspense as well as take her time to know some of the characters in the film. The action scenes set in the battlefields are quite spectacular as Jenkins know how to move the camera as well as get a sense of what is happening without deviating too much into the very conventional style of chaotic, speed-cutting cinema that is so common with blockbuster films. The film’s climax as expected is quite grand yet it offers so much more as it does have a universal message about humanity and what can be done to provide peace no matter how complicated things are. Overall, Jenkins crafts a spectacular yet heartfelt film about a woman warrior who makes a difference in a world ravaged by war.
Cinematographer Matthew Jensen does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the naturalistic beauty of the idyllic Themyscira to the usage of more low-key colors for the scenes in London, France, and Germany including some of the exteriors at night. Editor Martin Walsh does brilliant work with the editing as it is very stylized with its usage of slow-motion and jump-cuts while not needing to go into fast-paced chaotic editing styles in order to establish everything that is going on in a scene. Production designer Aline Bonetto, with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and a team of art directors, does fantastic work with the design of the halls and palaces at the Themyscira castle as well as the German base and labs as well as some of the locations in France. Costume designer Lindy Hemming does superb work with the costumes from the way Diana’s heroic costume look as well as the dresses she had to wear in London as it is among one of the film’s funniest sequences.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does nice work with some of the makeup as it relates to the crazed chemist Doctor Poison as well as the hairstyles that women wore during that period in World War I. Visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer does some terrific work with the design of the visual effects as some of it is for set dressing for a few scenes in Themyscira as well as some of the action sequences including the film’s climax. Sound editor James Mather does amazing work with the sound as it help play into some of the sounds that happen during the action scenes as well as some of the suspense. The film’s music by Rupert Gregson-Williams is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score that help play into the action as well as serene pieces for the dramatic moments including the early scenes in the film while music supervisor Karen Elliott assemble a soundtrack featuring folk songs of the times as well as a new song by Sia and Labrinth.
The casting by Lora Kennedy, Kristy Carlson, and Lucinda Syson is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Ann Wolfe as a tough Amazonian named Artemis who help trained Diana, Lisa Loven Kongsli as Antiope’s lieutenant Menalippe, Lilly Aspel as the eight-year old Diana, and Emily Carey as the twelve-year old Diana. The trio of Said Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, and Eugene Brave Rock are superb in their respective roles as the spy/master of disguise Sameer, the troubled yet resourceful sharpshooter Charlie, and the opportunistic trader Chief who all provide some nice support in helping Diana and Trevor on the battlefield. Elena Anaya is terrific as General Ludendorff’s mad chemist Dr. Isabel Maru aka Doctor Poison as a chemist who experiments with gas in order to create weapons of mass destruction that would help the Germans win the war. Lucy Davis is fantastic as Trevor’s secretary Etta Candy who is the film’s comic relief as someone that helps Diana in looking like a modern woman while providing some very hilarious commentary and moments in the film.
David Thewlis is excellent as Sir Patrick Morgan as a speaker of peace for the Imperial War Cabinet who would fund whatever assignment Trevor and his men needed as well as be fascinated by Diana. Danny Huston is brilliant as General Erich Ludendorff as a mad general that is eager to win the war at any cost as he has a thirst for power and chaos which makes him a likely suspect as Ares to Diana. Connie Nielsen is amazing as Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyte as a woman who is keen on protecting Diana as well as reveal something she doesn’t want Diana to know as someone who is conflicted yet forced to accept that she can’t be there for her daughter all the time. Robin Wright is incredible as General Antiope as Diana’s aunt who sees the potential in her niece to fight for herself as well as someone knows Diana’s secret but is more concerned with preparing her for the truth as well as Ares’ inevitable return.
Chris Pine is marvelous as Steve Trevor as an American spy who is trying to find ways to end the war as he would crash land into the coast of Themyscira where he is a man that does have a somewhat cynical view of the way the world is but also a humility and charm that makes him an engaging figure for Diana to be with whether as an object of love or as a partner. Finally, there’s Gal Gadot in a phenomenal performance as the titular character/Diana Prince as an Amazonian princess who is a gifted warrior that is eager to do good in the world and defeat Ares in order to create peace. Gadot’s performance is definitely the highlight as someone that isn’t afraid to be vulnerable but also tough when she needs to be as well as display that air of innocence as someone who was very sheltered in her home environment as she realizes what it takes to save mankind and the world from the evils of man as well as those in power as it is a true breakout performance for Gadot.
Wonder Woman is a tremendous film from Patty Jenkins that features a magnificent performance from Gal Gadot. Along with a remarkable ensemble cast, a compelling screenplay, dazzling visuals, and a fine balance of action, drama, humor, and suspense. It’s a film that manages to do a lot more of what is expected in the superhero origin story as well as be something that manages to say a lot about humanity and how there’s hope in the darkest of times if someone is willing to fight for it. In the end, Wonder Woman is an outstanding film from Patty Jenkins.
Patty Jenkins Films: (Monster (2003 film)) - (Five-Pearl)
DC Extended Universe: Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Suicide Squad - Justice League - Aquaman - Shazam! - Birds of Prey - Wonder Woman 1984 - Zack Snyder's Justice League - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - (Black Adam) – (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) – (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) – (The Flash) – (Blue Beetle) – (Batgirl)
© thevoid99 2017
