The Lost Daughter

 

Based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter is the story of a woman vacationing in Greece is disrupted by the presence of a young mother forcing her to think about her own past. Written for the screen and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film is an exploration of a woman dealing with her own past but also being fascinated by this young mother who is struggling in the new world of motherhood. Starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Dominczyk, Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Ed Harris. The Lost Daughter is a riveting yet haunting film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The film is a simple story of a college professor traveling to Greece for a vacation where she observes a young mother dealing with her daughter who had lost her doll prompting this woman to think about her own past and struggles as a young mother back then. It’s a film that explores the idea of motherhood and how not everyone embraced it as a woman is forced to look back when she was a young woman to two little girls and watch this woman endure the same issues. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s screenplay is largely a straightforward yet reflective narrative where it follows Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) who goes to Greece on a holiday from work as she rents a small apartment for the time as she watches many people including this young woman in Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to take care of her young daughter Elena (Athena Martin). Even as Elena is surrounded by a group of people including family as many of them are terrible and not really helping Nina with her struggles.

For Leda, she is forced think about her time as a young woman (Jessie Buckley) in taking care of her two daughters with her often-absent husband Joe (Jack Farthing). Gyllenhaal’s script often shows Leda in situations where she is just trying to keep things to herself but is often surrounded by people in Nina’s circle who are quite cruel including a pregnant woman in Callie (Dagmara Dominczyk) who wants Leda to move her chair away from her party but Leda politely refuses. Leda would often encounter people who are quite mean to her with the exception of Nina and the apartment caretaker Lyle (Ed Harris) as with the former often coming to her for advice. It would force Leda to think about her own young life and how being a mother to two young girls wasn’t just overwhelming but also suffocating at times as the older Leda often looks on with a sense of regret but also warning Nina that things are going to be much tougher.

Gyllenhaal’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the setting but also in the air of intimacy into the two stories of this one woman dealing with her role as a mother but also observing this young woman struggling. Shot on location in Spetses, Greece as the small town, beaches, and houses are characters in the film as this tranquil getaway for Leda and many others. Gyllenhaal does use some wide shots to get a scope into some of these locations but uses medium shots to play into the conversations within the characters as well as lots of close-ups to play into some of the anguish as well as young Leda’s own sexual desires that include a scene of her masturbating while wearing headphones to block out her screaming kids. Gyllenhaal plays into this idea of motherhood and it’s not for everyone where the young Leda is more concerned with her own desires and her work rather than be with her daughters who are both seeking her attention. The doll that belong to Elena that Leda realized was in her bag following a moment where Elena had been lost and Leda found her is a symbol of Leda needing to redeem herself but also look back at her own faults as a mother.

Gyllenhaal’s direction also play into Leda struggling to deal with some of the other vacationers though she befriends Nina, Lyle, and a young Irishman named Will (Paul Mescal) who works at the bar at the beach. Gyllenhaal often has the camera in these locations of where Leda walks onto a hill that leads to the beach but also these small locations in the town where she wants to enjoy herself despite some of the awful young locals and tourists who say horrible things to her. The third act does play into the events that Leda regretted in her past during a conversation with Nina as it flashes back to the young Leda going on a trip for a lecture where her own desires come into play among meeting a college professor named Hardy (Peter Sarsgaard). Gyllenhaal would also reveal this key moment that opens the film of Leda walking down the beach at night with a wound in her stomach as it is also a symbolic moment about the many struggles of motherhood and the sacrifices it took to accept this role. Overall, Gyllenhaal crafts an evocative yet chilling film about a middle-aged woman looking back at her faults as a mother years ago as she observes the struggles of a young mother during a vacation in Greece.

Cinematographer Helene Louvart does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as for some of the exterior scenes in the daytime. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts as well as some unique transitions into the flashbacks. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Christine Vlachos and art director Monica Sallustio, does brilliant work with the look of the apartment that Leda lives in as well as the home she had when she was younger and some of the places she go to in the town nearby. Costume designer Edward K. Gibbon does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few of the stylish clothing and swimsuits that Nina wears.

Tattoo designer Panos Kondylis does nice work with some of the tattoos that Nina has as well as some of the people in her circle wear as it play into the idea of youth. Special effects supervisor Solon Giannoutos and visual effects supervisor Antonis Kotzias do terrific work with the special effects as it is largely minimal including a scene involving a young Leda and a doll and other bits of set dressing. Sound editor Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse sounds heard in a location to give it that sense of realism. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is wonderful for its mixture of blues and orchestral string music that play into the drama while the film soundtrack features original music by Greek artist Monika along with music from the Talking Heads, Bon Jovi, Judy Garland, and Roberta Flack.

The casting by Kahleen Crawford is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Alexandros Mylonas as an older professor that the young Leda meets in a flashback, Alba Rohrwacher and Nikos Poursanidis as a couple of hikers the young Leda, her daughters, and husband meet, Panos Koronis as a Greek man named Vassili who is one of the few in Nina’s circle that is kind to her, Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nina’s husband Toni, Robyn Elwell and Ellie Blake in their respective roles as Leda’s daughters Bianca and Martha, Ellie James and Isabelle Della-Porta in their respective roles as the voices of the older versions of Bianca and Martha, Jack Farthing as the young Leda’s husband Joe who is trying to do his job as well as be a good father, and Athena Martin in a wonderful performance as Nina’s young daughter Elena. Peter Sarsgaard is superb in a small role as college professor named Hardy whom the young Leda has an affair with during her seminar trip over translations she had created.

Dagmara Dominczyk is fantastic as Callie as a pregnant American tourist who is part of Nina’s circle as she is quite cruel while often being bossy while her kindness never feels sincere as she is someone who thinks knows everything and makes Nina insecure. Paul Mescal is excellent as the bartender Will who works at a beachside bar whom Leda befriends as he helps her out with the locales on the island but also observes the people who frequent though he also takes an interest in Nina. Ed Harris is brilliant as Lyle as apartment’s caretaker as a man that Leda befriends where he spent much of his time in this small town knowing a lot of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes along while sharing his own stories of struggle with Leda but in a different way. Dakota Johnson is amazing as Nina as a young woman who is struggling with taking care of her young daughter while feeling her marriage is crumbling prompting her to find her own desires as she is being suffocated by people in her circle where she turns to Leda for help.

Finally, there’s the duo of Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman in tremendous performances in their respective roles as the younger and older version of Leda Caruso. Buckley’s performance showcases a woman that isn’t just struggling with taking care of two young girls but also someone who is just feeling suffocated in the role as she has her own desires. Even though she has rare moments where she shows affection and time towards her daughters as it only play into a woman that knows what she has to do but is overwhelmed by having to be a mother. Colman’s performance is more reserved as the older Leda with the exception of a scene where she is antagonized by a bunch of young asshole men at a movie theater and threatens them. Still, Colman has a performance that showcases a woman with a sense of regret but also harboring the pain that she had as a young woman as it is definitely one of Colman’s great performances who also can sing as she sings along to Bon Jovi.

The Lost Daughter is a phenomenal film from Maggie Gyllenhaal as it features great performances from Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Dakota Johnson. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a somber music soundtrack, and its exploration of the themes of motherhood and its many struggles. The film is a fascinating thematic study that explore a woman looking back about her time as a young mother as well as watch a young mother dealing with similar struggles including unhappiness. In the end, The Lost Daughter is a sensational film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

© thevoid99 2022

Bad Times at the El Royale

Written and directed by Drew Goddard, Bad Times at the El Royale is the story of seven strangers who stay at a hotel at the California-Nevada border in 1969 where strange things occur as it all lead to their own secrets. The film is a neo-noir thriller that explore a single night in this mysterious hotel as it also involved a major incident that occurred a decade earlier. Starring Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Cailee Spaeny, Lewis Pullman, and Chris Hemsworth. Bad Times at the El Royale is a gripping and haunting film from Drew Goddard.

Set in one day at the El Royale hotel on the California-Nevada border in 1969, the film revolves around a group of people who arrive at the hotel as they each carry a secret as they stay for the night where things would get stranger and terrifying as it goes on. It’s a film with a simple premise that play into these visitors and why they’re in this hotel as Drew Goddard’s script showcases the life of these inhabitants in small sections of the film. Among these visitors includes a Catholic priest in Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), a singer in Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), a hippie in Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), and a salesman in Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm). The hotel’s lone employee in Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman) is also a mysterious figure as he seeks to have a conversation with Father Flynn unaware of Father Flynn’s intentions at the hotel nor the intentions of the other guests. Emily has a hostage named Rose (Cailee Spaeny) while Father Flynn is trying to find something in one of the rooms in the Nevada section of the hotel. Darlene is on her way to Reno for a job while Sullivan is at the hotel for reasons that doesn’t involve sales.

Goddard’s script would give the four principle characters a segment of their own with everyone but Sullivan having their stories told in flashbacks as it relates to their motivations and why they’re at the hotel while Miles himself is someone that is troubled as his own story isn’t unveiled until its third act. Emily’s story does involve a reason why she kidnapped Rose as it relates to this charismatic cult figure in Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth) who would become a prominent figure for the film’s third act. Especially as it play into secrets of the hotel as well as the inhabitants who all have something to hide.

Goddard’s direction does bear elements of style as it play into this air of intrigue into this hotel on the California-Nevada border as if it was a place of style and glamour but there’s something about it that is off. Shot mainly in Burnaby near Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada with additional locations shot in Vancouver, the film play into this world in the middle of this state border as the hotel itself is a character with its stylish rooms and a lobby that features a bar on the California side and a casino on the Nevada side. Goddard’s usage of the wide and medium shots does take great coverage of the interiors of the hotel lobby as well as the secret hallways that feature a two-way mirror for each apartment that inhabitants aren’t aware of. The usage of close-ups and medium shots would play into some of the conversations between characters as well as long takes for a conversation to happen as it is Goddard breaking away from some of the conventional elements of scenes where he lets the camera just linger and capture the moment.

Goddard’s direction also play up this air of intrigue but also this growing air of tension that is to emerge where the secrets of the El Royale starts to emerge with its two-way mirrors as well as what happened a decade earlier where a man (Nick Offerman) had hidden something in a room as it would relate to what Father Flynn is trying to find. Yet, he is hampered by the fact that he is already showing signs of dementia as the second act has him and Darlene learn about each other as well as the former’s involvement what happened a decade ago. The film’s third act that involves Billy Lee definitely adds to the suspense and drama where Goddard maintains this uneasy atmosphere that emerges where it has elements of dark comedy where Lee bears a lot of the characteristics of someone like Charles Manson. Goddard has the camera maintain Lee’s presence but also the inhabitants who realize that this is someone of a greater evil yet Lee believes there is no such thing as right and wrong as it just adds to the tension throughout the film. Overall, Goddard crafts an unsettling yet riveting film about a dark night in 1969 at a hotel on the California-Nevada border.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of lights for the rainy exterior scenes at night as well as the way the hotel rooms are lit from the inside and in the secret hallway as well as the look of the lobby. Editor Lisa Lassek does excellent work with the editing with its emphasis on rhythmic cuts to help build up the suspense as well as knowing when not to cut during a monologue or a conversation. Production designer Martin Whist, with set decorator Hamish Purdy and supervising art director Michael Diner, does amazing work with the look of the hotel rooms and the hotel itself as it is a character in the film with its major differences depending on what state the characters are on. Costume designer Danny Glicker does fantastic work with the costumes as it each play into the personalities of the characters and where they come from during a turbulent time in 1969.

Special makeup effects designer Toby Lindala does terrific work with the makeup in the look of Miles upon a troubling encounter as well as the look of a few characters to play into the times. Special effects supervisor Joel Whist, along with visual effects supervisors David W. Allen and Oliver Atherton, does some nice work with the visual effects as it is mainly bits of set dressing for the 1959 flashback scene as well as a few bits inside the hotel. Sound designers Casey Genton and Julian Slater do superb work with the sound in the way rooms sound as well as scenes of Darlene singing in her room and the way music is presented in the lobby. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is incredible for its low-key yet eerie orchestral score that help play into the suspense and drama with its string arrangements and emphasis on building up the suspense with low yet heavy strings. The film’s music soundtrack features songs sung by Cynthia Erivo as well as music from the Box Tops, Deep Purple, the Four Preps, Edwin Starr, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the Crystals, the Four Tops, the Mamas & the Papas, and the American Bread to play into the period of the late 1960s.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Charles Halford as a convict that Father Flynn knew, Mark O’Brien as a bank robber, Shea Whigham as a prison doctor, Xavier Dolan as a record producer Darlene refuses to sleep with, and Nick Offerman as a bank robber in 1959 who hides the money. Cailee Spaeny is terrific as Rose as a young girl infatuated with Billy Lee as she seems to be entranced by his teachings much to the dismay of Emily. Lewis Pullman is superb as Miles as the hotel clerk who is harboring secrets of his own as he tries to run the hotel while wanting some guidance from Father Flynn. Jon Hamm is excellent as Laramie Seymour Sullivan as a salesman who is in town yet has other motives as it relates to things in the hotel. Dakota Johnson is fantastic as Emily Summerspring as a hippie who has taken a young girl as a hostage as it relates to a cult leader she dislikes as she presents herself as someone who doesn’t like anyone as it’s a front for why she kidnapped this young girl whom she’s concerned about.

Cynthia Erivo is brilliant as Darlene Sweet as a soul singer whose career to be a solo singer goes wrong as she is on her way to Reno for a job as she contends with the chaos at the hotel as well as trying to figure out what Father Flynn is doing. Jeff Bridges is amazing as Father Daniel Flynn as a Catholic priest who has arrived to this hotel on his way back home where he is ambiguous in his motives for being at the hotel yet he is revealed to be someone that is trying to find something but also is dealing with memory loss as well as other issues that makes him an ambiguous but a person with good intentions. Finally, there’s Chris Hemsworth in a phenomenal performance as Billy Lee as this Charles Manson-like cult leader who doesn’t appear often in the film as he would play a big role in its third act where he has this presence that is discomforting yet entrancing while is filled with so much charisma that he just completely steals the film from everyone as the sight of him dancing to Deep Purple’s cover of Hush is probably one of the sexiest moments captured on film.

Bad Times at the El Royale is a tremendous film from Drew Goddard. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast, a chilling premise set in a remote location, interesting character studies, gorgeous visuals, a mesmerizing music score by Michael Giacchino, and a killer music soundtrack. The film is definitely a neo-noir inspired suspense-drama that explore a group of people in a hotel on the California-Nevada border who endure a hellish rainy night that would bring a lot of trouble and terror with the latter in the form of a Charles Manson-like cult leader. In the end, Bad Times at the El Royale is an outstanding film from Drew Goddard.

Drew Goddard Films: The Cabin in the Woods

© thevoid99 2019

Suspiria (2018 film)

Based on the 1977 film by Dario Argento that was written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi that partially based on Thomas de Quincey’s essay Suspiria de Profundis (Sighs from the Depths), Suspiria is the story of an American ballet student who travels 1977 West Berlin to enroll at a prestigious dance academy unaware that it’s run by a coven of witches. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and screenplay by David Kajganich, the film is a homage to Argento’s film while exploring the many mysteries a young woman encounters at this dance academy. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mia Goth, Angela Winkler, Ingrid Craven, Sylvie Testud, Fabrizia Sacchi, Malgosia Bela, with special appearances from Jessica Harper, Lutz Ebersdorf, and Tilda Swinton. Suspiria is an enthralling and horrifying film from Luca Guadagnino.

Set in the fall of 1977 in Berlin during one of the city’s most tumultuous events relating to the German Autumn involving the kidnapping and murder of industrialist Hanns Martin Schyleyer as well as the Lufthansa Flight 181 hijacking. The film is about an American ballet student who is accepted at a prestigious dance school unaware that it’s run by a coven of witches as mysterious disappearances and events occur during the school. While the film is similar to its original film by Dario Argento in 1977, it’s told in a different take as it is set during a moment in time where a generation of young Germans cope with the sins of World War II and the guilt they have over the events of the past. Even as this coven believe they have something that can bring them back to prominence following a period of seclusion following World War II.

David Kajganich’s screenplay is told through six acts plus an epilogue as it explore the life of a dance studio in 1977 Berlin where it’s divided by the Berlin Wall as the studio is set in West Berlin just close to the wall. The main protagonist in Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is a newcomer to the studio as she is revealed to come from a Mennonite community in Ohio where she is dealing with the her ailing mother (Malgosia Bela). Bannion’s arrival comes in at the right moment when a dancer in Patricia Hingle (Chloe Grace Moretz) had left the school mysteriously where lead choreographer Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) takes great notice of Bannion’s gift as a dancer believing she has something special to offer for a special dance piece she wants to direct. While Bannion would adjust to her new living situation and befriend fellow dancer Sara Simms (Mia Goth), she would notice that something is up as would Simms who becomes concerned with another disappearance of a dancer.

Hingle would play a key element to the plot early in the film as she drops off a diary and notes to psychotherapist Dr. Josef Klemperer (Lutz Ebersdorf) who is dismissive of her claims until he notices that she has disappeared where he believes something isn’t right as he would later turn to Simms for help. During the course of the film, there is a discussion among those who run the school about who should become the coven’s new leader as many prefer the mysterious Mother Markos (Tilda Swinton) instead of Madame Blanc who is concerned with this venture just as many in the coven believe that Bannion is the one to bring the coven back to prominence with Madame Blanc watching closely. Even as the eventual performance would play into everything Madame Blanc has been preparing for, it also has these elements that prove that it’s something much bigger in what is to come for Bannion to discover.

Luca Guadagnino’s direction is definitely riveting in terms of the setting, the time period, and the sense of intrigue that is happening in and out of the dance academy along with bits of scenes at Ohio which Bannion would think about from time to time. Shot on various locations in Varese, Italy and parts of Berlin, the film does play into this moment in time where it is chaotic with protests over what is happening in Germany in relation to the events of the times. Guadagnino’s direction would emphasize on stylistic shots that do bear elements of what Dario Argento did with the original film but it’s more restrained in the compositions with an emphasis on the physicality of the dancing. With the aid of choreographer Damien Jalet, the dancing and ballet has an intensity in the movements where it helps tell the story as well as play into something much bigger relating to the world of the witches as well as the mysteries that is happening inside the dance studio. Guadagnino would use wide and medium shots for some of the dancing to get a scope of the performances as well as some terrifying moments in Bannion’s performance in close-ups that would be inter-cut with something else happening that play into what the coven wants.

Guadagnino would also emphasize on atmosphere since the film is set during the autumn and winter of 1977 where there is a more realistic look rather than the more heightened usage of colors that Argento did in the original. Particularly as it help play into the sense of terror that is coming relating to this ceremony where Bannion is at the center of the ceremony unaware of what her role is. There is not just this idea of surrealism but also horror of the most extreme with revelations about a world that proves to be no different from what is happening in 1977 Germany with the political and social turmoil that is happening. Even as it emphasizes this element of guilt of past actions that a future generation has to cope with as well as the idea of motherhood in what one expects to teach a younger generation right from wrong. Overall, Guadagnino crafts an evocative yet visceral film about a young American woman being accepted at a prestigious dance academy run by a mysterious coven of witches in 1977 Berlin.

Cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors and lighting that help play into the eerie tone of the film without being overly stylized as well as using light for the interiors as well as the big dance number in the film. Editor Walter Fasano does amazing work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic and jump-cuts help play into the energy of the dance and suspense as well as in some of the film’s dramatic moments. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorators Christin Busse and Merissa Lombardo plus art directors Merlin Ortner and Monica Sallustio, does excellent work with the look of the dance studio as well as some of the rooms and secret places including the room of mirrors and the homes of Dr. Klemperer in both East and West Berlin. Costume designer Giulia Piersanti does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish late 1970s dresses the women wore when they go out to the costume they wear for the dance scene.

Prosthetic makeup designer Mark Coulier does incredible work with the makeup for some eerie sequences that include elements of the third act in the unveiling of Mother Markos as well as other things including a horrendous scene early in the film. Special effects supervisor Franco Ragusa and visual effects supervisor Luca Saviotti do superb work with the special effects that include some of the moments of horror as well as bits of set-dressing in some parts of the film. Sound designer Frank Kruse does marvelous work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations and dance numbers to showcase how sparse the sound of movements are as it is one of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Thom Yorke is phenomenal for its mixture of low-key piano-based orchestral music, ambient, and Krautrock-inspired cuts as it help play into the suspense and drama while music supervisor Robin Urdang provides a soundtrack that features bits of classical music pieces and some of the music that was popular in Germany at the time.

The casting by Stella Savino is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Fred Keleman and Mikael Olsson as a couple of police investigators who try to investigate the academy following claims from Dr. Klemperer, Malgosia Bela as Bannion’s ailing mother, Alek Wek as one of the dance teachers in Miss Millius, Vanda Capriolo as a dancer in Alberta who shows Bannion how to jump high for the dance, Sylvie Testud as the big glasses-wearing yet mysterious Miss Griffith who never says anything, Renee Soutendijk as a teacher in Miss Huller, Ingrid Caven as another teacher who kind of runs the place in Miss Vendegast, and Jessica Harper in a brief yet terrific one-scene cameo as Dr. Klemperer’s wife Anke. Elena Fokina is superb as a Soviet dancer in Olga Ivanova who is despondent over Patricia’s disappearance as she suspects the school staff while Angela Winkler is wonderful as Miss Tanner as a teacher who is Madame Blanc’s most trusted confidant as she knows something doesn’t feel right. Chloe Grace Moretz is fantastic as Patricia Hingle as it’s a small yet crucial performance of a dancer who is on the run as she’s made some discoveries about the dance academy.

Mia Goth is excellent as Sara Simms as a dancer who befriends Bannion and becomes her closest confidant while being aware that something isn’t right as it relates to the disappearances where she would help out Dr. Klemperer. Dakota Johnson is brilliant as Susie Bannion as a young American dancer who travels to Berlin from a sheltered environment as she deals with her gifts as a dancer as well as her own sexual awakening through the dance and coping with the mysteries surrounding the academy. Lutz Ebersdorf is amazing as Dr. Josef Klemperer as a psychotherapist still pondering about the whereabouts of his wife as he deals with what Hingle has discovered believing that some form of evil is emerging. Finally, there’s Tilda Swinton in an incredible dual performance as Mother Marko and Madame Blanc as she only appears briefly as the former due to its look while provides a straightforward yet maternal approach in the latter as someone who is trying to run a school and do things for the coven while being aware that something is off just as she is becoming concerned for Bannion’s physical and mental state of mind.

Suspiria is a tremendous film from Luca Guadagnino. Featuring a phenomenal ensemble cast, eerie visuals, Thom Yorke’s intoxicating score, brooding sound design, and a provocative story that touches upon many themes of guilt, identity, and motherhood. It’s a film that is confrontational in its themes but also play into the idea of a world that a young woman is about to venture into that is just as terrifying as the real world that is happening around her. In the end, Suspiria is an outstanding film from Luca Guadagnino.

Related: Suspiria (1977 film) - (Goblin-Suspiria OST) - (Thom Yorke-Suspiria OST)

Luca Guadagnino Films: (The Protagonists) - (Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory) - (Mundo civilzado) - (Cuoco contadino) - (Melissa P.) - (The Love Factory No. 3 Pippo Delbono - Bisogna morire) - I Am Love - (Bertolucci on Bertolucci) – A Bigger Splash - Call Me by Your Name - The Staggering Girl - (Fiori, Fiori, Fiori) – (Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams) – (We Are Who We Are (2020 TV series)) – Bones & All – Challengers (2024 film) - (Queer) - (After the Hunt)

© thevoid99 2018

A Bigger Splash

Based on the novel by Jean-Emmanuel Conil under the Alain Page pseudonym and the 1969 film La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) by Jacques Deray and co-written with Jean-Claude Carriere, A Bigger Splash is the story of a rock singer and her filmmaker boyfriend who get an unexpected visit from a former lover and his newly-discovered daughter. Directed by Luca Guadagnino and screenplay by David Kajaganich, the film is an exploration of temptation and desires during a vacation holiday at the Italian island of Pantelleria. Starring Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, Dakota Johnson, Lily McMenamy, and Aurore Clement. A Bigger Splash is an evocative yet eerie film from Luca Guadagnino.

Following the aftermath of a concert tour and throat surgery, the film follows a rock singer who takes on a holiday to rest her voice where she’s joined by her documentary filmmaker boyfriend where their little holiday is disrupted by the arrival of her former lover and his daughter, whom he had just discovered,. During this time of relaxation at Pantelleria, temptations and other vices come into play as a woman finds herself not just being pursued but also being pulled into places she didn’t want to go into. David Kajaganich’s screenplay isn’t about a time of vacation being disrupted but also people being forced to look back as well. For the singer Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton), she is exhausted as she rarely talks in order to rest her voice as all she wants to do is relax and spend her time with Paul De Smedt (Matthias Schoenaerts) who is a documentary filmmaker she met years ago during a profile for her producer/then-lover Harry Hawkes (Ralph Fiennes).

When Hawkes called one day during the vacation announcing he’s coming, he arrives with Penelope Lanier (Dakota Johnson) who is revealed to be his illegitimate daughter that is on board just to know more about him and what he does. The atmosphere of the holiday becomes more troubling as Hawkes’ very lively persona and his penchant for decadence doesn’t sit with De Smedt who is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict. Even Marianne becomes a bit overwhelmed by Hawkes yet still has some feelings for him as the vacation becomes tumultuous. Adding to this already troubled pot is Penelope as she is this quiet observer that doesn’t say a lot but manages to do things that would just escalate as she eyes De Smedt. The script would also have flashbacks that relate to Hawkes’ relationship with Lane but also how it fell apart which play into Lane’s own resistance towards him as she is very loyal to De Smedt.

Luca Guadagnino’s direction is definitely intoxicating and grand not just for the location but also for how it can turn intense due to the things that are happening. Shot on location at Pantelleria with some of it shot in New York and a concert scene shot at the San Siro stadium in Milan. Guadagnino creates a film that has this idyllic tone early in the film once it is about De Smedt and Lane having their holiday whether it’s sunbathing in the mud or having sex in their swimming pool. There is something simple in the way Guadagnino shoots everything in terms of the compositions whether it’s the wide and medium shots or in the close-ups. When Harry and Penelope arrive, the film becomes looser but also unpredictable where Harry kind of drives everything whether it’s taking Marianne, Paul, and Penelope to this restaurant that is kind of remote to dancing in front of guests at Marianne’s home to the Rolling Stones. The flashback scenes are straightforward to play into not just Marianne’s relationship with Harry and how decadent it was but also how she met Paul. Even in how it would create elements of resentment and such into all of those involved with the exception of Penelope.

The film’s second half is definitely eerie where it doesn’t just play into Penelope getting into everyone’s skin as she would try and seduce Paul during a scene near some rocky beaches. It also play into the dramatic tension that is emerging where it would come to ahead in the third act as it’s not just about some revelations relating to Penelope but also into all of the chaos that has emerged upon Hawkes’ arrival to Pantelleria. Especially where Marianne’s world is thrown into absolute chaos which threatens everything including her career and personal life. Overall, Guadagnino creates a provocative yet rapturous film about a rock singer’s vacation shattered by the visit of a former lover and his daughter.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for many of the exterior settings as well as the scenes set at night where it favors something more real rather than something that is more artificial. Editor Walter Fasano does excellent work with the editing as it is very straightforward with some jump-cuts and other stylish cuts. Production designer Maria Djurkovic, with set decorator Tatiana Macdonald and supervising art director Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner, does fantastic work with the interior settings of the house as well as the look of the remote restaurant the characters go into.

Costume designer Giulia Piersanti does nice work with the clothes from what the women wear such as the more casual stylish look of Marianne to the more youthful look of Penelope. Sound editor Emanuela di Giunta and production sound mixer Yves-Marie Omnes do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural atmosphere of the locations as well as the way music is sound in and out of a room. Music supervisor Robin Urdang creates an incredible soundtrack that features an array of different music including songs by the Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson, a few originals sung by Swinton, and St Vincent doing a cover of the Rolling Stones’ Emotional Rescue as well as some music by Antonio Carlos Jobim and the German group Popol Vuh.

The casting by Avy Kaufman and Stella Savino is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Elena Bucci as the housemaid Clara, Corrado Guzzanti as a local police investigator, Lily McMenamy as a young woman who joins the gang for sightseeing in Sylvie, and Aurore Clement as a friend of Harry in Mirielle who also goes sightseeing with Sylvie as her companion. Dakota Johnson is fantastic as Penelope Lanier as a young woman who is revealed to be Harry’s daughter as she observes everything that is happening around her while trying to seduce Paul as it’s a very quiet yet eerie performance filled with ambiguity. Matthias Schoenaerts is amazing as Paul De Smedt as a documentary filmmaker and Marianne’s boyfriend who knows Harry as he struggles with Harry’s presence as well as dealing with Penelope as he tries to maintain his sobriety and Marianne’s well-being.

Tilda Swinton is sensational as Marianne as she is seen in flashbacks as a wild and revered rock singer who has a lot of talent and such while the scenes in Pantelleria has her be restrained and trying not to say much yet sounds hoarse whenever she’s talking as she has a hard time dealing with everything around her. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in an outstanding performance as Harry Hawkes as it is a performance that is just full of energy and a sense of danger where Fiennes definitely loosens up in a lot of ways while making a moment where he dances to the Rolling Stones into something that has to be seen.

A Bigger Splash is a spectacular film from Luca Guadagnino as it features an incredible cast in Ralph Fiennes, Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Dakota Johnson. Along with some beautiful technical work including its gorgeous location and a fun soundtrack, the film is definitely an intriguing drama that doesn’t play things safely while exploring ideas of temptation and living in the moment. In the end, A Bigger Splash is a tremendous film from Luca Guadagnino.

Luca Guadagnino Films: (The Protagonists) - (Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory) - (Mundo civilzado) - (Cuoco contadino) - (Melissa P.) - (The Love Factory No. 3 Pippo Delbono - Bisogna morire) - I Am Love - (Bertolucci on Bertolucci) - Call Me By Your Name - Suspiria (2018 film) - The Staggering Girl - (Fiori, Fiori, Fiori) – (Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams) – (We Are Who We Are (2020 TV series)) – Bones & All – Challengers (2024 film) - (Queer) - (After the Hunt)

© thevoid99 2017

For Ellen

Written and directed by So Yong Kim, For Ellen is the story of a musician who deals with a custody battle for his daughter as well as his life as traveling musician. The film is an intimate portrait into the life of a young man trying to see his daughter while wondering if he is a good father. Starring Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Shaylena Mandigo, Margarita Levieva, and Dakota Johnson. For Ellen is a touching yet harrowing film from So Yong Kim.

The film is a simple story about a traveling musician who arrives at a small town to finalize his divorce from his ex-wife as the documents he is to sign would have him lose custody of his daughter whom he doesn’t see. The film explores a young man trying to deal with everything he’s losing in his family life while he’s reaching a bottom over the fact that he is going to see his daughter even less since he and his ex-wife don’t get along. Though his lawyer tries to help, Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) realizes that he’s in a no-win scenario though he is able to get a chance to see his daughter. So Yong Kim’s screenplay is very minimalist as the first half explores Joby’s issues as he’s dealing with custody case and other things while the second half is about him spending time with his daughter but also realizes that she might not need him since her mother is going to marry someone.

Yong Kim’s direction is very simple as she goes for a lot of intimate shots and compositions while making things feel very real with bits of movement through the hand-held camera. A lot of it includes a lot of silent scenes where Joby deals with his situation as he’s also going through issues with his band and the fact that he’s losing something much more. While it’s a style that tends to drag a bit at times, it does play into the sense of loss that Joby is feeling as the film’s second half does pick things up a bit once he spends time with his daughter Ellen (Shaylena Mandigo) whom he gets to know while realizing that her life is going to change and such. Notably as Yong Kim’s direction creates some key moments that are heartbreaking to explore what Joby is losing. Overall, Yong Kim creates a very compelling yet tender film about a father dealing with the fact that he’s never going to see his daughter again.

Cinematographer Reed Morano does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s mostly natural for much of the film‘s exterior settings though he aims for low-key lights and such for interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Bradley Gray Rust and So Yong Kim do nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward with not a lot of cuts to convey Joby‘s emotions. Production designer Ryan Warren Smith does fine work with the minimal set pieces such as the home of his lawyer and the motel room that Joby stays in. Sound designers Ian Stynes and Geoff Vincent do terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the locations including some scenes at the bar and at the mall. The film’s music by Johan Johannsson is fantastic for its low-key ambient score to play into Joby‘s despair while music supervisor Rachel Fox creates a soundtrack that largely consists of hard rock and heavy metal as well as other types of music from acts like Whitesnake, the National, and the Beastie Boys.

The casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent is superb as it features a mostly small ensemble that includes appearances from Dakota Johnson as a woman Joby meets a bar, Margarita Levieva as Joby’s bitter ex-wife Claire, and Jena Malone as Joby’s girlfriend Susan who appears very late in the film. Jon Heder is terrific as Joby’s lawyer Fred who is handling his case and just trying to figure out what Joby is going to do. Shaylena Mandigo is amazing as Joby’s daughter Ellen who is just very natural and low-key as a young girl who is just meeting her father while figuring out why he isn’t around much. Finally, there’s Paul Dano in a brilliant performance as Joby as a musician dealing with a custody battle where he realizes how much he’s going to lose as well as the fact that things in his music career isn’t going well as Dano brings an anguish that is just captivating to watch.

For Ellen is a stellar film from So Yong Kim that features a mesmerizing performance from Paul Dano. Though it’s minimalist approach won’t be for everyone, it is still an engaging film for the way it explores a young man dealing with his actions and what he is losing as he tries to fight to be with his daughter. In the end, For Ellen is an enchanting film from So Yong Kim.

So Yong Kim Films: (In Between Days) - Treeless Mountain

© thevoid99 2013

21 Jump Street

Based on the 1980s TV show by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, 21 Jump Street is the story of two former high school classmates who become undercover police officers as they return to high school to uncover a drug bust. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller with a script by Michael Bacall based on a story by Bacall and Jonah Hill. The film is an updated take on the hit 80s TV show that starred Johnny Depp as it explores new high school social orders and the world of undercover police officers. Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, Nick Offerman, and Ice Cube. 21 Jump Street is a riotous yet very entertaining film from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Two former schoolmates in Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) meet up seven years after senior year in the police academy where they become buddies helping each to become police officers. After being assigned to park patrol where they would encounter a drug trade as they managed to nab a dealer but Jenko forgot to read the Miranda rights. After the screw-up, Captain Hardy (Nick Offerman) has the two transferred to a revived undercover specialty unit led by Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) who would have them return to high school to uncover a new drug craze that is spreading around various high school campuses. Living with Schmidt’s parents for the assignment, Schmidt and Jenko learn that the social order of high school has changed as they pretend to be brothers.

With Jenko hanging out with the nerds as he accidentally takes Schmidt’s classes, Schmidt ends up hanging out with the popular kids led by Eric (Dave Franco) who is the main dealer of this new drug. Wanting to impress Eric, Schmidt and Jenko throw a party where they gain Eric’s trust while Schmidt also befriends Eric’s friend Molly (Brie Larson). With Schmidt part of Eric’s inner circle while Jenko manages to get a group of nerds to tap into Eric’s phone to hear conversations. Yet, Jenko becomes upset over Schmidt’s newfound popularity in school as a moment to uncover more of what Eric is doing goes bad. When prom is about to start where a deal is about to happen, the two finally decide to figure out what is going on with some surprising results.

Since the concept of the film is about a group of undercover who pretend to be high school students in order to infiltrate whatever drug culture is out there. The idea of a film based on an old TV show doesn’t seem very promising as a film. However, the result ended up being a whole lot better than its concept suggests by exploring the world of the high school social order where two young men become baffled by these changes. Particularly as one of them was a jock and the other was a nerd back in school where neither of them came out of high school satisfied. Going back would give them a chance to a do-over as well as becoming great cops but the changing times and the new drug craze would have them be in very different positions.

Michael Bacall’s screenplay does follow a formula of sorts that is expected in these action buddy-comedies. Taking that formula and infusing it with the concept based on the TV does allow Bacall to for a lot of bawdy humor in the fact that these two guys are inept cops. Schmidt is insecure due to his physicality, lack of social skills, and can’t really fire his weapon at someone. Jenko is an imbecile who gets by with his looks but can’t remember the Miranda rights while is pretty ignorant about school subjects. Together, they become this unlikely duo where they would start to improve themselves in different ways. Schmidt becomes more confident while Jenko starts to use his brains where they would become this awesome duo.

Bacall’s script succeeds in developing the characters while reveling into how times had changed from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s. Back then, jocks ruled where a guy like Jenko was able to get away with anything, except in academics, while Schmidt tries to be cool by looking like Eminem only to be rejected by a girl. Through some witty dialogue that reaches into lots of raunchy humor and action scenes that revel in a mix of humor and playing with clichés. Bacall creates a truly fantastic yet extremely enjoyable buddy comedy that does more than what its genre suggests.

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller do an excellent job in creating a buddy comedy that mixes over-the-top violence with frat-boy humor that is pretty wild. While a lot of the compositions in terms of its simpler, light-hearted moments are quite straightforward. They’re still engaging for the way it will play up the drama while they create one of the film’s most hilarious moments involving this drug that takes its time to play up the humor. Notably as it would escalate from one funny moment to something funnier and funnier as the drug itself proves to be very powerful. It’s among the many moments in the film where Lord and Miller are allowed to let the humor play out while getting their actors to be really comfortable in their parts.

The film’s action scenes also have Lord and Miller play up with the clichés as its most notable is this hilarious chase scene involving bikers, traffic jams, and all sorts of things that is expected in the action genre. What is unique about it is the fact that they play with what is expected as the main characters are wondering if something is about to happen and they’re caught off-guard. Notably in the film’s climatic moment where they meet up with the supplier as it would include a surprising mix of over-the-top violence and humor as it proves that Lord and Miller are able to do a lot with these sequences while not going too far into the conventions. Overall, Lord and Miller create a truly exhilarating and funny action buddy comedy that does a whole lot more for its genre.

Cinematographer Barry Peterson does a nice job with the film‘s photography to play up the sunny look of the locations, set in New Orleans, while providing some stylish looks for some of the film‘s nighttime exterior and interior settings. Editor Joel Negrone does an excellent with the editing in creating amazing montage scenes to play up some of the craziness of the humor with swift cuts that aren‘t too fast while maintaining more straightforward cuts for the light-hearted moments. Production designer Peter Wenham, with art directors Scott Plauche and Thomas Valentine as well as set decorator Bob Kensinger, does a superb job with the look of the 21 Jump Street base that Captain Dickson works at that includes a hilarious prop of a Korean version of Jesus Christ. Costume designer Leah Katznelson does a very good job with the costumes from the early look that Schmidt wears in the film‘s first scene to more casual yet stylish looks to play up the many cliques in high school.

Visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund and Helena Packer do terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects scene including some of hilarious montages involving the side effects of what happens when being on the drug. Sound editor Geoffrey G. Rubay does a superb job with the sound work to capture the atmosphere of the party scene as well as the chaos in some of the film’s violent moments. The film’s score by Mark Mothersbaugh is wonderful for the thrilling score that mixes bit of orchestral elements as well as electronic music to play up the energy of the action scenes. Particularly as the film’s soundtrack is a mix of party music for many of the party scenes.

The casting by Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy is brilliant for the ensemble that is created which does include cameos from a few actors of the original TV show. Notable small roles include Dakota Johnson as an undercover cop, Caroline Aaron as Schmidt’s smothering mother, Jake Johnson as the school principal, DeRay Davis as a drug dealer named Domingo, Nick Offerman as Schmidt and Jenko’s original superior Captain Hardy, and Johnny Simmons as a nerdy kid that Jenko befriends. Rob Riggle is very good as the brash P.E. coach Mr. Walters who always tries to intimidate Schmidt and Jenko while Ellie Kemper is very funny in a small role as science teacher who is sexually attracted to Jenko. Dave Franco is excellent as the laid-back drug dealer Eric who tries to do things low-key in an attempt to be powerful.

Ice Cube is great as the profanity-spouting and intimidating Captain Dickson who always berates Schmidt and Jenko while trying to get them in line as it is Cube going back to his gangsta roots. Brie Larson is wonderful as Molly whom Schmidt falls for as Larson brings a nice charm to her character while proving be just as bawdy as the guys in the film’s third act. Finally, there’s the duo of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as they really are the heart and soul of the film. In the role of Schmidt, Hill brings a goofy charm to his character that tries hard to be cool while also being inept when it comes to getting physical. For the role of Jenko, Tatum is the film’s real surprise as he brings a real laid-back humor that also goes a little out there as he seems very comfortable playing the role of a dim cop who later becomes smart. Hill and Tatum’s chemistry is a joy to watch in the way they interact and do hilarious things together.

21 Jump Street is a flat-out hilarious buddy action-comedy from Phil Lord and Chris Miller featuring amazing performances from Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Along with amazing supporting work from Brie Larson, Dave Franco, and Ice Cube plus lots of insane gags that will keep audiences laughing their ass off. It’s a comedy that gets it right in terms of taking the premise of the original 1980s TV show and making it feel fresh while paying tribute to that show. It’s also a comedy that isn’t afraid to go the extra edge of being raunchy and inappropriate just so it can get a laugh in the right way. In the end, 21 Jump Street is marvelously-crafted action-comedy from Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

Phil Lord & Chris Miller Films: (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) - The Lego Movie - 22 Jump Street

© thevoid99 2012

The Social Network

In 2004, the world of social networking through the Internet changed with the arrival of founding of Facebook.  A networking site that allows a user to interact with family and friends by posting messages or posting pictures.  By July 2010, it has over 500 million users around the world while courting controversy over privacy issues and such.  Despite the fact that it helped its founders Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Hughes, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin become billionaires at a very young age.  It also created friction among its creators where in 2009, a book about the founding of Facebook called The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich arrived to tell the story of the early years of Facebooks’s creation.  The book grabbed the attention of renowned director David Fincher and famed producer/writer Aaron Sorkin for their adaptation called The Social Network.

Directed by David Fincher and an adapted screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network tells the story about the founding of Facebook in its early years through its creators when they were just students at Harvard.  During the creation of Facebook and its rise, friction among its founders over credit and glory ensue that leads a chilling story of greed and betrayal.  With an all-star cast that includes Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara, Brenda Song, Rashida Jones, Armie Hammer, Joseph Mazzello, Patrick Mapel, and Max Minghella.  The Social Network is an eerie yet exhilarating film from David Fincher.

It’s the fall of 2003 as Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is on a date with Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) where things end up badly.  Upset, Zuckerberg blogs about Erica and then has an idea about all the parties that are going on in Harvard.  Zuckerberg, a computer programming student, comes up with an idea called Facemash where he posted polls about which girl was hotter and such and overnight, it becomes big.  With help from friend and roommate Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) who comes up with an algorithm code, Zuckerberg gets attention for Facebook, good and bad.  Among those interested in Zuckerber’s work as a programmer are twin rowers Tyler and Cameron Winkle Voss (Armie Hammer w/ Josh Pence as the body double) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella).

After asking Zuckerberg to create a program for their website to connect with Harvard students to another.  Zuckerberg agrees while learning that Saverin has been accepted to a prestigious club.  Zuckerberg, along with programmer Dustin Moskovitz (Joseph Mazzello) and Chris Hughes (Patrick Mapel), decided to create his own site that was called The Facebook with Saverin bringing a thousand dollars to start the site.  While Zuckerberg’s ideas increase, the Winklevoss twins and Narendra are suddenly left in the cold as they kept being rebuffed by Zuckerberg.  Even as they issues a cease-and-desist against Zuckerberg which he refuses to comply to.  With Saverin’s social connections to get more people in the site, they decided to expand to other big college campuses in the Northeast and Stanford in California where they get the attention of Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake).

With the Facebook growing in numbers through prestigious college campuses and the Winklevoss trying to stop the site by even going to Harvard’s president (Douglas Urbanski).  Nothing is stopped as Saverin’s new girlfriend Christy Lee (Brenda Song) arranges a meeting with Sean Parker to meet with Zuckerberg and Saverin.  Though Saverin was skeptical about Parker, Zuckerberg is charmed as he and Moskovitz move to California to expand Facebook while Saverin stays in New York City to talk to advertisers to help with the financial things for the company.  With Parker’s help in California, Facebook expands all the way to the U.K. as the Winklevoss twins and Narendra decide to sue.  Meanwhile, Saverin finds himself out of picture as he tries to freeze his own money only to come back to sign some documents which would eventually lead to an all-out war against Zuckerberg.

The film is a classic tale of how one rises to the top and become filthy rich and yet, is being faced by the people he had fucked over to rise to the top.  For this film about the creation and founding of Facebook, it is much more complicated considering that Mark Zuckerberg who is a guy that likes to work on his computer a lot.  He is very socially awkward and seems more interested in trying to create a better Facebook with money coming to him all of the time.  Yet, he is also an asshole.  Still, if someone wants to make it in business.  They have act like assholes in order to get their way.  Yet, there’s a price to be paid when that person ends up screwing his friends around out of their share of the pie.

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin creates a storyline that is similar to Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon as it’s all told in a couple of depositions where Zuckerberg is facing off against those he screwed over.  While the narrative moves back and forth from the creation of Facebook to the different depositions where Zuckerberg is explaining himself.  Even in his deposition against Eduardo Saverin, he is joined by a lawyer (John Getz) and a paralegal (Rashida Jones).  Even through these depositions, Sorkin gets a chance to have the Winklevoss twins and Narendra tell their side as well as Saverin.

While the Winklevoss twins and Narendra might seem like a trio of rich, preppy assholes who got cheated out of millions of dollars.  Yet, there’s a bit of sympathy for them considering that they tried to restore some of Zuckerberg’s already trouble reputation while making him part of an elite club.  Instead, Zuckerberg screws them though they gave him an idea about Facebook.  Then there’s Eduardo Saverin, the co-founder who brings in the money to create Facebook and then is pushed out of the picture once Sean Parker comes in.  Here’s a guy who is very smart, comes up with an algorithm code, brings in the money, and has all of the social connections to get people to join Facebook.  What happens to him is just as sad as he’s the character that gains the most sympathy.

Sorkin’s portrayal of characters including the brash Sean Parker, are wonderful in their complexity while breaking away from whatever stereotype what audiences might perceive of them.  Even in Mark Zuckerberg who is a very complicated character that doesn’t really know how to interact with people but can create ideas that would make Facebook what it is by 2010.  While some might sympathize with Zuckerberg for just trying to create something that will bring people together.  Others will hate him for how he screwed people over or how he treats them.  Yet, it is Sorkin’s genius to create memorable characters along with fast-paced dialogue and intense, dramatic moments is what makes the story so compelling.

The direction of David Fincher is truly his most accessible and most intriguing work to date.  Fincher creates a drama that is filled with a bit of suspense along with some humor and heavy drama.  Setting the film in Cambridge as Harvard, he goes into the world of Harvard in all of its social circles.  Fincher starts the film off with a bar scene that is long as he goes back and forth into the conversation.  The framing of that scene sets the stage along with the following sequence of following Zuckerberg through Harvard with this tracking shot.  Most of Fincher’s direction of scenes is very intimate inside the dorms while going inside the parties and capturing the intensity of Zuckerberg and his cohorts creating something.

Fincher succeeds in creating dramatic tension with not doing a lot for the deposition scenes.  Even as he focuses the camera on Zuckerberg, who seems very distracted by the things around him including the rain outside.  It’s all because Zuckerberg is trying to think about other things concerning his own site as Fincher’s camera is intent on capturing this young man at his most confrontational.  The overall direction of Fincher is truly mesmerizing and it’s definitely his most solid and entrancing work of his career so far.

Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth does a phenomenal job in creating a look and tone for the visual aspects of the film.  Cronenweth’s dark, low-lighting look for many of the film’s interior scenes is truly intoxicating in its dark tone.  For some of the daytime, interior scenes, the film is more lively as Cronenweth’s camera is always on the action.  Even as Croenweth’s photography for some of the scenes in California is exquisite as his work overall is great.

Editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall do an amazing job with the film‘s editing in creating a rhythmic pace to keep up with the rapid dialogue.  Even as they slow down to create dramatic tension.  Notably for some of the deposition scenes where the editing takes it time for the actors to have their monologues as it’s a great example of what editing should be. 

Production designer Donald Graham Burt, along with set decorator Victor J. Zolfo and art directors Curt Beech and Keith P. Cunningham do fantastic work with the look of the Harvard dorms, the classrooms, and everything else that Harvard looked liked.  Even the designs of the clubs and slick restaurants to play up to Mark Zuckerberg’s rise while the deposition scene with the Winklevoss twins is very classy to represent the old-school world of those twins.  Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the costumes from the more ragged, casual clothing of Zuckerberg to the more posh, intimidating clothes that the Winklevoss twins wear.  Sound designer Ren Klyce does superb work with the film’s sound mixing and editing to create moods for the scenes involved in the film.  Notably the deposition where at one point, rain is heard to mix with the dialogue and music to play with what Mark is thinking about.  Klyce’s sound work is truly one of the film’s technical highlights in capturing the tense atmosphere that goes on for the film.

The film’s soundtrack features a large array of music ranging from the White Stripes, Roots Manuva, the Cramps, 10cc, the Dead Kennedys, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Cage, Super Furry Animals, and to close the film, the Beatles’ Baby You’re A Rich Man.  The soundtrack definitely plays up to the party atmosphere of the film as it is presented in large contrast to the film’s dark, unsettling score.

The film’s original score is created by Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor and longtime cohort Atticus Ross.  Featuring a cover of Edvard Grieg’s In The Hall of the Mountain King, Reznor and Ross’ score is a mixture of dark ambient music filled with soothing piano and swooning synthesizers to play up to some of the melancholia and drama that goes on.  When it gets tense, the score becomes more menacing with fuzzy bass lines, discordant electronics, and driving guitars.  While some of the pieces feature music from the 2008 NIN instrumental album Ghosts I-IV, the music Reznor and Ross creates is perfect to complement the complex mind of Mark Zuckerberg as that score is real highlight of the film.

The casting by Laray Mayfield is excellent for its array of actors to fill in small and big roles.  Among the memorable small roles are Steve Sires as Bill Gates in a seminar scene, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin as an ad executive, Dakota Johnson as a Stanford girl Sean sleeps with, Malese Jow as Christy’s friend, and Patrick Mapel as Facebook co-founder/original spokesperson Chris Hughes. Other notable small but more substantial performances come from Brenda Song as the sexy Christy who becomes Eduardo’s girlfriend, Joseph Mazzello as programmer/Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, John Getz as Mark’s attorney Sy, Douglas Urbanski as former Harvard president Larry Summers, Dustin Fitzsimmons as a club president, and Rashida Jones as a paralegal who helps Mark with his legal situations while giving him a monologue about what he should do.

Rooney Mara is excellent in a small role as Erica Albright, a composite of a real individual who would become the inspiration for Zuckerberg’s idea to create Facebook. Even as Mara holds her own against Jesse Eisenberg as a girl who felt confronted by a guy she had a hard time relating to.  Max Minghella is very good as Divya Narendra, a rich student who felt screwed by Zuckerberg and wants to get violent on him. Armie Hammer, as the Winklevoss twins, is phenomenal in playing these rich, preppy, popular jocks who get shafted while wanting to try and be respectable in their approach only realizing how much they want to kill Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake, meanwhile, gives a rousing performance as Sean Parker. The brash co-founder of Napster who is everything Zuckerberg wants to be while charming his way into the world of Facebook as he is cocky and arrogant. It’s a great performance from Timberlake who finally gets a role and performance that truly serves as an acting breakthrough.

Another notable breakthrough is Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, a co-founder of Facebook who becomes the site’s original investor and business manager. Garfield is excellent as the guy who has all of the social connections but is suddenly thrown out of the loop once Parker comes in as he struggles to get Zuckerberg’s attention. It’s truly a remarkable performance for the young British actor. The film’s real break-out performance is Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and co-founder of Facebook. Known for playing eccentric, comical, and nerdy characters in films like Roger Dodger, The Squid & the Whale, Adventureland, and Zombieland. Eisenberg does an exhilarating job in playing the troubled yet brilliant Zuckerberg in all of his flaws. Eisenberg also makes Zuckerberg into a somewhat sympathetic figure but also one to despise. Eisenberg can talk fast, be quite uncaring, be in his own head, and also very arrogant in scenes where he gets confronted as it’s definitely the best performance of his career.

***Additional DVD Content Posted on 2/9/11***

The 2-disc Region 1 DVD from Sony presents the film in its original 2:40:1 theatrical aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen.  Featuring 5.1 Dolby Digital sound in English and French plus subtitles in English (for the hearing impaired), French, and Spanish.  The first disc of the DVD is the film itself as the only special features it includes are two audio commentary tracks.

The first commentary track is from director David Fincher.  Fincher talks about a lot of the film’s location settings, technical ideas, and the cast.  Particularly Jesse Eisenberg who he really liked in Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale and The Education of Charlie Banks.  Even as he reveals what Eisenberg brought to the role of Mark Zuckerberg in which he brings a humanity to a character that is inaccessible at times.  Fincher praises the likes of Andrew Garfield, Rooney Mara, Brenda Strong, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer (along with his double Josh Pence), and Max Minghella.

Fincher also talks about the reasons why they weren’t able to shoot at Harvard along with some ideas about the story and Aaron Sorkin’s screenwriting.  He also revealed that he originally wanted Elvis Costello & the Attractions’ Beyond Belief to be the song in the opening credits but everyone else didn’t like it.  Fincher admits that it was an idea as he also talked about the musical contributions of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  Even as he wanted something that was a bit reminiscent of the high school film of the 80s but more modern.  Fincher’s commentary is fun to listen to as it features lots of bleeps because it’s a PG-13 movie.

The second commentary track is from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Josh Pence.  Sorkin and the actors talk about the production as well as Fincher’s directing style which is notorious for having actors do numerous takes which was something the actors didn’t really seem to mind.  Eisenberg felt it was the right approach so that he and the other actors could get a chance to find their footing during the shoot.  Even in the opening scene with Rooney Mara where and Mara had to find the way to get the rhythm of their conversation just right and make it feel natural.

Andrew Garfield discussed his approach to playing Eduardo Saverin as well as his chemistry with Eisenberg where they had to hang out with each other for a while before working.  Garfield and Eisenberg praised the work of Joseph Mazzello whom Garfield was jealous of as a kid because Mazzello was in Jurassic Park.  Armie Hammer and Josh Pence talk about their roles as the Winklevoss twins as Hammer revealed an encounter with one of the twins that freaked him out.  Justin Timberlake revealed that he had to audition for the part of Sean Parker which he worked hard on and didn’t want to come into the film because of who he is.

Sorkin revealed about his approach to the screenplay of the film while he revealed that the music he originally wanted to use in the credits sequence was Paul Young’s cover of Love for the Common People.  Fincher thought that wouldn’t work as he decided to go with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ music.  Sorkin revealed that the one scene he wished was cut was his cameo as all of the actors disagreed and thought he did pretty good.  The overall commentary is fun as it brings insight to the characters and the story.

The second disc includes loads of special features relating to the film.  Leading the pack of special features is a one-and-a-half hour, four-part making-of documentary entitled How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook?  Directed by David Prior, the documentary features interviews with actors, crew members, producers, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and director David Fincher.  Even as it focuses on what was shot in the three central locations for the film plus how did they manage to put Armie Hammer’s face into Josh Pence for several scenes in the film.

For many of the exterior scenes in Harvard, it was all shot in Boston and nearby colleges since there was no permission to shoot at Harvard.  Even as a few interiors were shot in the month of October where the whole principal photography phase was 70 days.  Both Hammer and Pence had to learn how to row though Pence was more experienced since he did row in his school days.  Even as the opening bar scene was rehearsed early in the day with Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara where they finally shot the scene later that night with a bunch of extras.

For a lot of the film’s interior scenes which included the restaurant and club scenes.  All of it was shot in Los Angeles including the house Zuckerberg and his team stayed in during their California trip.  Some exteriors were also shot for the film that was to be set in Harvard while the dorm room scenes and a few interiors were shot in the lot.  Notably the depositions as it was all shot on a built set.  The documentary is an insightful, fun featurette that reveals the making of the film.

Another big featurette is a 4-minute multi-angle breakdown of the Ruby Skye VIP room scene.  Featuring four camera angles and four different audio tracks, it reveals how the club scene was created from its early stages to principal photography.  There are four shots that are going either by themselves individually or all together in a composite form.  The first audio is Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake rehearsing in another room reading Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue with Sorkin and David Fincher watching in the first angle.  The second audio track is an interview with editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall along with sound designer Ren Klyce about how difficult it was to create the club scene for all of the sound work and editing.

The third video and audio is about the location scouting of the club as Fincher and crew discussing how it would be shot and what angles would be used.  The fourth and final video/audio clip is the principal photography where the first assistant director gets extras to come in and dance to the music while making sure they keep dancing when music isn’t played so Timberlake and Eisenberg do their dialogue.  Even as Fincher is watching everything through a monitor as he also directs Eisenberg and Timberlake about what they should do during their conversation.  It’s definitely a wonderful and captivating featurette.

Two other special features involve the film’s technical work.  The first is an eight-minute featurette about the film’s look from David Fincher and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth.  Fincher and Cronenweth revealed that because of Harvard’s refusal to have the film be shot on location, they had to find locations where they can shoot places that are similar to Harvard.  Even in look where all of it had to be captured to create a similar mood to the way Harvard looked.  Helping capturing some of those images, particularly inside the dorm room were the cameras Fincher and Cronenweth used which was the Red One camera.

Since Fincher had always expressed interest in digital filmmaking and in high-definition, the Red One was the camera that was able to give him the look he needed.  The hard part was trying use lenses to capture broader shots for depth of field.  Notably the overhead shot of the Harvard archway where three cameras were used to capture the entire archway as it had to become one entire frame.

The second is a seventeen-minute, twenty-second featurette on the film’s post-production that features editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall and sound designer Ren Klyce.  Baxter and Wall reveal the difficulty of the editing since things were moving so fast that the film was edited during production as filming continued.  Even as they’re aware of Fincher’s notorious for shooting many takes of a scene which was more difficult because of Sorkin’s screenplay.  Even in capturing the right note of the performances which had to be handled through Klyce’s sound editing.

Klyce’s sound editing, mixing, and design work helped to create moods, notably the opening scene of the film.  Even as Klyce had to mix the dialogue of Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara in one mix, the mix of the people in the bar talking, and the music of the White Stripes in the background.  What Klyce had to do was get all of those sounds mixed in together for this opening sequence.  Even when Eisenberg’s character had to work on the computer where Klyce and Fincher took a more realistic approach as opposed to the ways computers sounded in the past.

Three other special features involve the film’s music from composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.  The first is a nineteen-minute featurette on the score with interviews from Reznor, Ross, and David Fincher.  Reznor and Ross revealed their approach to the music where Reznor would do a lot of the performance with Ross providing the arrangements and dissect all of the pieces that was played.  Even as the two try to figure out what rhythm this piece would be used or that piece.  The track Hands Cover Bruise became the main theme that Fincher loved which he felt would become the basis for the score and the emotional accompaniment of Mark Zuckerberg.

The hardest track Reznor and Ross had to do was Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King because it was requested by Fincher.  Reznor revealed that because Fincher wanted a Wendy Carlos approach of the piece, Reznor took it the wrong way where the first draft was played to a dismal reaction from personnel to Reznor’s dogs.

Also included in that section is a four-and-a-half minute feature on the Swarmatron instrument Reznor and Ross used for the score.  It’s an instrument that features ribbons for Reznor to rub on while using a tuning button to create pitches for the sound.  He said he wanted to use something that was organic and imperfect in the realm of electronic music.  Reznor and Ross revealed what scenes featured the instrument as it contained a swooning if discomforting sound to help set the mood for the scenes.

The third and final music special is a rough draft of Edvard Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King.  Played to the Henley Regatta scene, the featurette features four different audio mixes.  One is a rough version of the first draft of the track in music only which sounded more like Wendy Carlos’ approach to the track with dated 70s-style synthesizers that didn’t feel right.  In the final mix of that first draft with the sound in the film, it still didn’t work because the track’s intensity with the feel of the race just didn’t match.  Even as the text that preceded the scene revealed what it took to get to the final version.  When the final version of the track is presented in a music-only mix and then in the final mix with the film’s sound, it’s an indication of what worked.

Though the only thing the DVD is missing are the trailers for the film.  It is still an amazing DVD that fans of David Fincher must have.  Even as aspiring filmmakers get a chance to understand Fincher’s filmmaking process including how the film was shot and edited.  Fans of NIN will definitely want the DVD for the music features and to see Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross at work on the film’s score.  In the end, it’s a spectacular DVD that supports one of 2010’s great films.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

The Social Network is, without a doubt, one of the year’s best films from David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Fans of Fincher’s work will no doubt enjoy the film for its visual feel and tone while fans of Sorkin will enjoy his approach to the story. Featuring an amazing cast led by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake plus a hypnotic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It’s a film that truly dwells into one of the great social phenomenon of the 21st Century and how its creator became rich. It’s definitely a film that is engaging, entertaining, and also intriguing. In the end, The Social Network is a remarkable yet provocative film from David Fincher.

David Fincher Films: Alien 3 - Se7en - The Game - Fight Club - Panic Room - Zodiac - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Gone Girl

Related Review: null 1 - The 15 Essential Videos of David Fincher - The Auteurs #61: David Fincher

© thevoid99 2010