Directed and co-scored by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Larry Sulkin, Ghosts of Mars is the story of an intergalactic police officer and her team traveling to Mars for a prison transport where things go wrong in the planet. Set in the 22nd century, the film is a sci-fi horror thriller where space cops and a criminal team up to battle monsters on Mars. Starring Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Clea Duvall, Pam Grier, and Joanna Cassidy. Ghosts of Mars is a stylish but messy film from John Carpenter.
It’s the 22nd Century where Mars has been colonized and the planet is now breathable to humanity yet towns are ravaged where the intergalactic police make an unsettling discovery just as they were to transport a prisoner. That is pretty much what the film is about where cops is forced to work with a convicted murderer to fight these monsters as they were once human who are now possessed by ghosts from Mars. Yet, it is told in a reflective manner by Lt. Melanie Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) who reports what happened during a simple prison transfer job to her superiors as it reveals a much larger story. The film’s screenplay is quite simple yet it has a lot of expositions and perspective from other characters in what they saw including Dr. Arlene Whitlock (Joanna Cassidy) who revealed how these ghosts emerge. The multiple perspectives and expositions do create a script that is very messy as well as be over-explained and not allow the audience to create their interpretations into what happened.
John Carpenter’s direction is definitely stylish as it plays into a futuristic setting as much of the film is set at night. Shot on location at a gypsum mine in New Mexico, the film plays into this world that is emerging in its colonization state but is becoming undone by these monsters. While Carpenter would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations, he maintains an intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups as it plays to the severity of what Lt. Ballard and her fellow officers are facing. There are some moments that are exciting in the action but the suspense is kind of lacking as well as uninspired due to the fact that it feels derivative from other kind of films that Carpenter has made. Even as some of the moments involving the visual effects seem to be lacking as it’s probably due to the limitations in the budget. Despite these shortcomings, the film is still entertaining while not taking itself seriously as it does have some humor. Overall, Carpenter creates a thrilling though flawed film about space cops and criminals fighting evil ghosts on Mars.
Cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe does excellent work with the cinematography from the usage of lights and distorted images for some of the scenes involving the ghosts to the interiors as it‘s mostly straightforward. Editor Paul C. Warschilka does some fine work in the editing though it‘s over stylized with its transition wipes and dissolves as it goes a little overboard. Production designer William A. Elliot, with set decorator Ronald R. Reiss and art directors William Hiney and Mark W. Mansbridge, does fantastic work with the look of places on Mars as well as the interior for the prisons and such. Costume designer Robin Michel Bush does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly low-key while it‘s more creative for the look of the creatures the cops and criminals have to deal with.
The special effects makeup work of Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, and Greg Nicotero is brilliant for the look of the possessed humans who have become enraged Martians as they all have something unique in their look. Visual effects supervisor Lance Wilhoite does some OK work with the visual effects for some of the scenes involving the trains though the effects in the battle scenes look unfinished and awkward. Sound editor Joe Dorn and sound designer David Bartlett do terrific work with the sound as it play into the way the Martians sound as well as some of the gunfire and such. The film’s music by John Carpenter is superb for its electronic-based score filled with synthesizers as the music also feature contributions from the thrash metal band Anthrax as well as some contributions from Elliot Easton of the Cars, Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails/Guns N’ Roses, Steve Vai, and Buckethead.
The casting by Reuben Cannon is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Robert Carradine as a train engineer, Wanda de Jesus as a criminal who fights the Martians, the trio of Duane Davis, Lobo Sebastian, and Rodney A. Grant as a trio of thugs trying to break out Desolation Williams, Liam Waite as the space cop Descanso, and Richard Cetrone as the Martians leader. Joanna Cassidy is terrific as Dr. Arlene Whitlock as a scientist who saw the chaos that unleashed the ghost Martians while Pam Grier is alright in her small role as the police leader Commander Braddock. Clea Duvall is superb as the rookie cop Bashira Kincaid as a young woman new to the field as she is in shock in what she’s seeing as she would eventually grow to kick some ass.
Jason Statham is fantastic as Sgt. Jericho Butler as the comic relief of the film who is a smooth talker and says the funniest lines while being this full-on badass as only someone like Statham could play that role to the fullest. Ice Cube is excellent as James “Desolation” Williams as a wanted murderer who is supposed to be transferred to a prison as he is a cunning and skilled fighter that is aware of what is going as well as reveal some truths into the murders he’s been accused of. Finally, there’s Natasha Henstridge in a brilliant performance as Lt. Melanie Ballard as this no-nonsense cop with a weakness for hallucinogenic drugs that is eager to do her job while knowing what is out there as she tries to help her fellow cops and such fight off against the Martians.
Despite some clunky visual effects and an overwritten yet messy script, Ghosts of Mars is still a worthwhile film from John Carpenter. Thanks in part to a nice soundtrack and fun performances from Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, and Jason Statham. It’s a film that has some style as well as moments where it doesn’t take itself so seriously. In the end, Ghosts of Mars is a good film from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - The Ward
The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Part 1 - Part 2
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga, 21 Grams is the story of three people who are each connected by the death of a person as they each cope with loss and faith. The second part of a trilogy that explores death, the film is a multi-layered story that plays into the lives of three people who don’t know each other but become connected by tragedy. Starring Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio del Toro, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo, Danny Huston, Clea Duvall, Denis O’Hare, and Eddie Marsan. 21 Grams is an ominous yet exhilarating film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
When a hit-and-run claimed the lives of a man and two little girls, the lives of three different people are affected in drastic ways as the film is about tragedy and its after effects. Much of it involves the life of a critically-ill mathematician who is need of a heart transplant, a grieving widow who also lost her daughters in this tragedy, and a born-again ex-convict whose faith is tested over what had happened. Through Guillermo Arriaga’s complex and multi-layered screenplay, it is told in a non-linear fashion as it plays into not just the tragedy but also the search for meaning as one man tries to find redemption, another man is trying to find answers into why he’s alive, and a woman is caught in the middle over what she had lost. All of which plays into those dealing with mistakes and such as well as several other things where everyone tries to find answers.
For the mathematician Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), he is given a second chance to live but his own marriage to Mary (Charlotte Gainsbourg) starts to fall apart as he becomes obsessed with the identity of the heart he had received which would lead him to Cristina (Naomi Watts). Cristina would learn about Paul and what he has to do with the death of her family as it has the two come together to track the man who was responsible for changing their lives in the ex-convict Jack Jordan (Benicio del Toro). Yet, there are elements into both Cristina and Jack that are interesting as the former was a former drug addict who was saved by her husband as she found a reason to live as that loss drove her back to drugs and alcohol.
In the latter, here is someone who is trying to redeem himself as he devotes himself towards Christianity and swear off drugs and alcohol but his involvement in this tragedy forces him to question his own faith and being as he has no clue what to do as he carries the guilt. All of which forces all three characters to converge into a heavy confrontation about loss as it is, once again, told in a non-linear fashion. There’s moments that play into the drama where all three have to work together as it becomes clear that none of them have anything to gain in this tragedy that their connected by. Even as they all know that there is nowhere else to go as some try to find redemption while others seek an answer.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is very entrancing not just for how dreary he presents the drama but also into the many layers that the story takes. Much of it is presented with a sense of intimacy as Inarritu’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the anguish that occurs throughout the film. Even in scenes where Jack eats dinner with his family as he is trying to be a good father but his approach might seem harsh as it relates to his own children. Much of Inarritu’s approach is shot with hand-held cameras but it’s never overly shaky as he maintains something that is very steady and to the point. Notably as Inarritu would create scenes to tease various storylines coming together such as Mary waiting for Paul as he does surgery as she gets a glimpse of Cristina walking out of the hospital with her family.
Since it is a film told in a non-linear narrative, Inarritu is able to create moments in the film where it allows a scene to be told in very different ways. Even as he would shift moments that is supposed to be in the third act back into the first or second act as it plays into the drama. There’s also moments in the film where things do intensify on an emotional level as it relates to Cristina’s grief and Jack’s own guilt such as the scene of him returning home as he reveals to his wife what he had done. Inarritu’s approach to the compositions in how he frames his actors are also intense such as its climax in the third act as it is about who is where in the frame and such. Overall, Inarritu creates a very brooding yet somber film about death, faith, and understanding.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s grainy and colorful cinematography where it adds to the very grimy sense of despair that looms in the film with its gritty approach to daytime exteriors to its usage of low-key lights and dark shades for the interior scenes whether it‘s day or night. Editor Stephen Mirrone does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the drama and its offbeat, non-linear narrative. Production designer Brigitte Broch, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Deborah Riley, does excellent work with the look of the different homes of the three characters to showcase who they are as well as some of the places they go to including the swimming pool center that Cristina goes to.
Costume designer Marlene Stewart does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for the look of the characters to play into their sense of loss. Sound designers Martin Hernandez and Roland N. Thai do fantastic work with the sound to capture the intensity of the emotions as well as some of the chaotic moments of violence and drama that occurs in the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is superb for its very ominous and eerie score with its emphasis on folk guitars and somber electric guitars to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a nice soundtrack that features different kinds of music from acts like War, Ozomatli, Ann Sexton, and Dave Matthews.
The casting by Francine Maisler is remarkable as it features notable small roles from Carly Nahon and Claire Pakis as Cristina’s daughters, Paul Calderon as a friend of Jack in Brown who tries to get him work, Denis O’Hare as Paul’s heart surgeon, John Rubenstein as Mary’s gynecologist who tries to help her chances to be pregnant, Clea Duvall as Cristina’s friend Claudia, Danny Huston as Cristina’s husband Michael, and Eddie Marsan as Reverend John who tries to help Jack following the tragedy. Melissa Leo is excellent as Jack’s wife Marianne who tries to cope with what Jack had done as she tries to help him. Charlotte Gainsbourg is superb as Paul’s wife who is eager to start over with him after a separation period as well as taking care of him as she copes with the changes in their life after his surgery.
Benicio del Toro is brilliant as Jack Jordan as a former convict turned born-again Christian who becomes the catalyst for the tragedy that is shaped in the film as he spends much of the film questioning his faith and ponders if he can be redeemed. Naomi Watts is amazing as Cristina Peck as a recovering addict who falls back into her addition following the loss of her family as Watts display the sense of anguish that looms over her as she searches for answers and satisfaction. Finally, there’s Sean Penn in a marvelous performance as Paul River as a mathematician who was dying until he received a new heart as he ponders whose heart does he have as he tries to find answers while coping with his own mortality and existence.
21 Grams is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu that features very strong performances from Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro. It’s a film that doesn’t explore the severity of death and tragedy but also plays into the world of existence and faith. It’s also a film that doesn’t play by the rules of conventional narrative thanks in part to Guillermo Arriaga’s inventive screenplay. In the end, 21 Grams is a tremendous film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11' 9' 01 September 11-Mexico - Babel - To Each His Own Cinema - Biutiful - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the book The Master of Disguise by Tony Mendez and Joshuah Bearman’s article The Great Escape, Argo is the story of a CIA operative who leads a rescue of six American diplomats who are hiding at the home of a Canadian ambassador during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Directed by Ben Affleck and screenplay by Chris Terrio, the film is about how a CIA operative, a Hollywood makeup artist, and a film producer create a fake movie in order to use it as a disguise to get Americans out of Iran during a tumultuous period. Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman. Argo is a thrilling yet engaging film from Ben Affleck.
Set during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 where the people of Iran took over the American embassy and held many Americans hostage for 444 days. The film is about six American diplomats who were able to escape during the fall of the embassy where they hid at the home of the Canadian ambassador. It would take the actions of a CIA operative in Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) who decides to create a fake movie with help of a famed makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and film producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin). There, Mendez would create a ruse so that he would get the six Americans out of the country though they’re aware that they’re under surveillance from the Iranian government. It’s a film that plays into this true story that is known as Canadian Caper though there are things that screenwriter Chris Terrio does to play with some of the true events in order to make the story more dramatic.
Despite some of the dramatic liberties that was taken to tell the story, Terrio does manage to make the screenplay not just be some suspense film about getting six Americans out of Iran by having them pretend to be a Canadian film crew. There’s also some humor about how Mendez goes into Hollywood to try and find a story to sell to the Iranian government as if it would be a movie that the country would approve. They would find it in the form of a cheesy sci-fi adventure called Argo where the film’s title would have a certain punch line that is often said “Argo fuck yourself”. It’s among one of the highlights of the film that helps balance a lot of the suspense and intrigue that goes on where the narrative has a straightforward structure where it moves back-and-forth to Mendez’ time in Istanbul and Iran as well as what is happening in Washington D.C.
The script doesn’t just succeed in its narrative and approach to suspense but also in the characters themselves as Tony Mendez is this CIA operative who knows a lot more than some of his superiors about how to get people out as he is also someone with a wife and son whom he doesn’t see often but always talks to. When he presents his ideas to his superiors, they’re skeptical but realize there’s very little options as the people he’s trying to get out of the country are also wary of Mendez’s idea. Even as there’s people in the American embassy trying to find pictures of the missing six through hordes of shredded paper while there’s an Iranian maid named Sahar (Sheila Vand) who is suspicious about them as she works for the Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). Still, it all plays to the fact that these Americans have to pretend to be Canadians and play that part before the Iranian government find out about their true identities.
Ben Affleck’s direction is quite straightforward for much of the presentation though he opens the film with a comic-book like presentation about Iran’s troubled history with the U.S. that led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution with a mixture of old news footage and pictures of these times. Notably as he also mixes footage of the embassy takeover on that day with what is happening inside as it becomes chaotic as the film then shifts into Mendez coming into the picture when the CIA is running out of options as Affleck maintains something is quite engaging intense where the camera is constantly moving in its tracking and handheld shots to present the CIA in panic mode as they’re trying to figure things out. Affleck does lighten things up for the scenes in Hollywood where he isn’t afraid to add humor and silliness to the story while he creates a very strange montage where it showcases the uprising in Iran with actors reading the script to the fake sci-fi story.
While much of the film is shot in Los Angeles with portions shot in Washington DC and in Istanbul as some of the locations in Los Angeles and Istanbul play the role of Tehran, Iran. Affleck does create some shot-for-shot recreations of some of the events that took place during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 where some of those images are terrifying. Notably as Affleck maintains an air of chills and claustrophobia to a scene where he and the American diplomats step outside to pretend to be the film crew where they nearly get into trouble. It adds to the suspense as well as the scenes that goes on in the American embassy where there’s other hostages as well as moments such as the failed Operation Eagle Claw mission that would complicate things until Mendez makes the decision that would impact everything. Overall, Affleck creates a very gripping yet powerful film about the Canadian Caper story.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography where it has an air of grain to create something real but also to add some style in some of the locations such as the scenes in Iran to play up that sense of terror. Editor William Goldenberg does brilliant work with the film‘s editing with its use of montages as well as rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s suspense and terror as well as some of its humorous moments. Production designer Sharon Seymour, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Peter Borck, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the embassy and the Canadian ambassador‘s home as well as the look of 1979 Tehran in its air of unrest.
Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the costumes where it‘s mostly low-key and casual to play up the look of late 1970s while creating some silly costumes for the film‘s sci-fi convention scene. Visual effects supervisors Lubo Hristov and Don Lee do terrific work with some of the visual look in the way Tehran looked from afar as well as some minimal background moments. Sound editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn do superb work with the sound such as the film‘s embassy riot scene as well as the sense of terror that occurs with its sound of helicopters and angry crowds to play into that air of unrest. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is phenomenal for its orchestral-driven score to play into the film‘s suspense and drama while infusing it with some Middle Eastern vocal music and such while the film‘s soundtrack by music supervisor Linda Cohen features a lot of the music of that period from acts like the Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Van Halen, and Led Zeppelin.
The casting by Lora Kennedy is just great for the cast that is assembled as it features some small appearances from Taylor Schilling as Tony’s wife Christine, Page Leong as Ken Taylor’s wife, Adrienne Barbeau as Siegel’s ex-wife, Chris Messina as the CIA official Malinov, Zeljko Ivanek as one of Mendez’s superiors in Robert Pender, Sheila Vand as the Taylors’ maid Sahar, Richard Kind as a Hollywood producer, Kyle Chandler as White House Chief of Staff Hamilton Jordan, Bob Gunton as Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, and Philip Baker Hall as the CIA head Stansfield Turner. Bryan Cranston is superb as Tony’s main superior Jack O’Donnell who helps ensure the secrecy of the mission as well as be his contact at home. Victor Garber is excellent as Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor who keeps the six Americans at his house while figuring out how to be quietly involved without causing troubles with the Iranians.
In the roles of the six American hostages, there’s Tate Donovan as Robert Anders, Rory Cochrane as Lee Schatz, Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishe as Joe and Cathy Stafford, and Christopher Denham and Clea DuVall as Mark and Cora Lijek as they all give fantastic performances as six Americans living in terror. Alan Arkin is brilliant as the very engaging producer Lester Siegel who always knows how to talk bullshit to people in order to get what he wants as helps out Mendez. John Goodman is marvelous as the legendary makeup artist John Chambers who helps Mendez get the project started as it’s a performance full of humor and bravado. Finally, there’s Ben Affleck in a remarkable performance as Tony Mendez as a CIA operative who is keen on making sure that he gets the Americans out of Iran while dealing with the chaos in the country as well as the fact that he is also putting his ass on the line as well.
Argo is an incredible film from Ben Affleck about the Canadian Caper rescue. Thanks to a great ensemble cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman as well a captivating story about what happened. It is a film that is certainly a small piece of American history that is well-told while giving some credit to what the Canadians did despite some skimming over some details in the true accounts of what happened. In the end, Argo is an extraordinary film from Ben Affleck.
Ben Affleck Films: (Gone Baby Gone) - The Town - (Live By Night) - Air (2023 film)
© thevoid99 2013
