The film revolves around the lives of a couple who had met on a park bench as they would break-up where both of them go onto separate journeys to find themselves. It is a film that explore these two people who would meet as they had this relationship but it would fall apart after a few months as a jazz trumpeter falls for a more outgoing woman who believes would inspire him to make great music. Meanwhile, his former lover is an introvert trying to find work as she would also travel to New York City from Boston where she would find ideas for herself. Damien Chazelle’s screenplay is largely straightforward yet doesn’t have much of a plot as it play into the life of these two people.
Notably as Guy (Jason Palmer) is a jazz trumpeter trying to get a big break as he is starting to get more gigs and recording sessions while his then-girlfriend Madeline (Desiree Garcia) is an aimless woman trying to find herself though she loves Guy’s playing. One day at a subway, Guy meets Elena (Sandha Khin) as they fall in love as Guy breaks up with Madeline who would wander around Boston trying to find work as it lead her to New York City where she would find something. Yet, it all play into these two people still trying to find themselves with Guy also coping with the fact that his new romance with Elena isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Chazelle’s direction is definitely inspired by films of the French New Wave in terms of its overall presentation as it is shot on 16mm black-and-white film stock in its 1:37:1 Academy aspect ratio and shot largely on location in Boston and New York City with a small $60,000 budget. The usage of hand-held cameras with Chazelle serving as the film’s cinematographer does allow the film this sense of improvisation and looseness that is common with films of the French New Wave while Chazelle does a lot to maintain this look that does have a sense of grit while not hiding its low-budget aesthetics in its interior settings. Even as he uses medium shots and close-ups to capture some of the parties and sense of improvisation in which music is a key part in these moments with some tap dancing. Chazelle also creates some intriguing moments that do play like a musical through a couple of songs he wrote with composer Justin Hurwitz where Madeline sings about her situations. The second song features intricate dance choreography by Kelly Kaleta, with Julia Boynton as a tap dance consultant, to play into this somewhat fantasy world that Madeline dreams about.
With co-editor William Adam W. Parker, Chazelle keeps things straightforward as well as using the music to maintain a rhythm into the editing. Still, Chazelle does know when to cut and when not to cut such as the film’s finale as it relates to its main protagonists where there’s a shot that goes on for a few minutes in one unbroken take. It adds to Chazelle’s sense of drama as well as how music can help create something emotional while also playing into this sense of uncertainty that occurs in the film’s ending. Overall, Chazelle crafts a riveting and mesmerizing film about a couple’s life after a break-up as they go on different journeys to find themselves.
Sound designer Geof Thurber does superb work with the sound in the way everything is captured on location as well as how music is heard being recorded and from afar. The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is incredible with its jazz-based score that helps play into the film’s offbeat tone as well as into the original songs Hurwitz and Chazelle create that Madeline sings including a few jazz standards and an original piece from Guy.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast largely features some unknowns and local actors including Damien Chazelle in an un-credited role as a drum teacher that Madeline goes to, his father Bernard as a man that Madeline would date in New York City, Andre Hayward as a fellow musician Guy works with, Frank Garvin as a man Elena meets late in the film, Alma Prelec as that man’s daughter, and Willie Rodriguez as a friend of Guy that Elena isn’t fond of. Sandha Khin is excellent as Elena as this woman that Guy falls for at a subway as they would have this lively affair despite the fact that Elena doesn’t share the same interest in jazz that Guy does. Desiree Garcia is amazing as Madeline as a young introvert who isn’t sure what to do with her life following her break-up with Guy as she goes on a journey to find herself while lamenting her own life through the songs she sings. Finally, there’s Jason Palmer in a brilliant performance as Guy as this jazz trumpeter that is trying to find inspiration in his music as he believes that Madeline isn’t the right person as he falls for Elena where he copes with trying to get ideas much to Elena’s annoyance leading him to feel lost.
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is a phenomenal film from Damien Chazelle. Featuring a great cast, wondrous visuals, a compelling story of heartbreak and searching, and an exhilarating music score/soundtrack. The film is a look into two people who fall in love, break-up, and then go on their own individual journeys to find themselves with the aid of jazz music. In the end, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench is an incredible film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Whiplash (2014 film) - La La Land - First Man - Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2024
Set from 1926 to 1932 with an epilogue set in 1952, the film follows a number of people living in the wild and excessive world of Hollywood that includes a brilliant yet decadent film star, a rising starlet, a jazz trumpeter, and a Mexican assistant who rises to become a studio executive from the world of silent films to the emergence of sound. It is a film that plays into the lives of various people as they would live a decadent lifestyle that offers so much while also being extremely passionate about their love for film and making films. At the center of this chaos and creativity is a Mexican immigrant in Manuel “Manny” Torres (Diego Calva) who works as an assistant for a studio executive who would befriend various people he meets as he would work his way into a prominent position in the world of film playing to the lives and fates of those he meets and cares for. Even as he has to watch up close and from afar in the lives of these people who would have trouble adjusting to a new world that would become more of an industry than its emphasis on art.
Damien Chazelle’s screenplay is largely straightforward as it opens with Manny trying to get an elephant up a hill for this party despite the fact that the elephant is ill while trying to maintain some control in the sense of decadence happening around him. It is there he meets a young wannabe starlet in Nellie LeRoy (Margot Robbie) who crashes the party as she would get a film role after the original starlet had overdosed on drugs while famed silent film star Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) arrives to the party where he would help Manny get jobs for Kinoscope Studios. Manny would also meet the African-American jazz trumpeter Sidney Palmer (Jovan Adepo), the famed gossip columnist Elinor St. John (Jean Smart), and the Chinese-American cabaret artist/title writer Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li) as the would all play a role in Manny’s ascent yet the script does focus on Nellie’s own ascent as a silent film star despite her brash attitude and free-spirited personality. Upon his tenure working with Conrad, Manny would learn about Conrad’s ambitions to innovate and inspire yet is unprepared for the emergence of sound in films as Manny traveled to New York City to see The Jazz Singer as Kinoscope would also go into sound.
The film’s first act revolves around the time when Conrad is a top star and Nellie becoming this emerging star while they also take part in decadent parties with Nellie sleeping around with people including Lady Fay, who is known by people in their social circle as a lesbian, as the second act is about the emergence of sound with Nellie having difficulty adjusting to the new format. Even as a party where Nellie’s voice is mocked by a few people as it play into her decline as she would gain a reputation for being wild and engaging herself into drugs and gambling debts. Despite Manny’s ascent as a director and producer as he tries to get Nellie some work while making Sidney a film star with a jazz orchestra for Sidney. Manny is unable to help Nellie in her attempt to be part of Hollywood’s high society as the film’s third act plays into her fall as well as Conrad’s own fading film career as he is treated by MGM as their bailout star. It also play into the world where the film industry has changed with Manny being able to adapt but not everyone he knows are able to adapt in a world that has become more about money than creativity.
Chazelle’s direction is quite grand in its approach to capturing the period of silent films as it opens with the old Paramount Pictures logo from the 1920s as it then cuts into Manny waiting for a truck driver to carry an elephant up on a hill as it has this close-up shot of an elephant’s asshole shitting on a person. It is the first of a series of debauched moments that would arrive as once Manny and some people arrive at this mansion. There’s a young woman peeing on a fat man and all of this happens before 10 minutes while there are all of these tracking shots that showcases a party happening with orgies, dancing, drinking, and all sorts of debauchery including lots of cocaine snorting. All of this happens within 30 minutes of the film before the opening title credit appears as Chazelle allows the audience to be prepared for the amount of insanity they would endure for more than 3 hours. Yet, Chazelle maintains this sense of grandeur into the world that these characters live in with all of these wide shots into how a film was made such as Manny driving to town to wait for a camera arrive to rent after a bunch of cameras have been destroyed and then steal an ambulance to bring that camera before sunset.
That is intercut with Nellie doing her first movie and how natural she comes across to the point that she upstages the film’s main star to the point where she becomes the studio’s top gal as it’s presented with bawdy humor. Much of Chazelle’s direction plays up to the sense of excess that goes on in a Hollywood film production during the silent era while the sequence where Nellie makes her first sound film is among one of the most key moments in which Nellie has to be a certain position for her voice to be heard while everything around her goes wrong as she gets frustrated at the sound engineer while the assistant director absolutely goes on a fucking rant as if he is ready to kill someone. It is a key sequence that showcases everybody trying to adjust into this new form with an aftermath that shows that not everyone will be part of this new era in film as it would change into something far more commercial and less about art. Especially in the film’s third act where Manny would rise into a position of power as a director and studio executive yet uses his clout to ensure that Sidney becomes a star and Nellie remains on the studio’s payroll despite her issues with drugs and gambling. The film’s third act not only has this sense of everything being buttoned down where Chazelle’s close-ups and medium shots add to this element of claustrophobia in these characters who are trying to fit in to high society.
Yet, it also shows that they’ve become disconnected with who they are and hoping to return to that as the sequence where Elinor tries to show high society the new and improved Nellie to the likes of William Randolph Hearst (Pat Skipper) and Marion Davies (Chloe Fineman) while Sidney is the lone black person at the party as it is clear that neither of them fit in with these people and their shitty taste in food and drinks. The film’s climax doesn’t just play to Nellie hitting her bottom but also Manny’s devotion to her as it leads to him discovering a darker underworld in Hollywood that invites the likes of an eccentric gangster in James McKay (Tobey Maguire). It would be followed by this epilogue set in 1952 as it is about what Hollywood had become and what was lost but also the importance of film and the world that Manny was a part of. Overall, Chazelle crafts a tremendously grand and enthralling film about the lives of artists and individuals of the silent film world and their difficulty to adjust to a new world.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its different array of film stock for the films that are made with black-and-white in those films but also luscious colors for the daytime exterior scenes along with some unique lighting for some of the interior scenes including some of its nighttime scenes as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Tom Cross does excellent work with the editing in maintaining a sense of manic energy while knowing when to slow things down as there’s some straight cuts and jump-cuts as it helps maintain this rollercoaster feel for the film. Production designer Florencia Martin, with set decorator Anthony Carlino and supervising art director Eric Sundahl, does amazing work with the art direction with the usage of the cars from the period as well as the interiors of the mansion in the film’s opening sequence as well as the studio sets both in a soundstage and outside of the studio as it is a highlight of the film.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does brilliant work with the film’s costumes from the red dress that Nellie wears in her first appearance as well as the array of period clothing at that time including the lavish dresses that women wore in those times as it is another highlight of the film. Special makeup effects artists Jason Collins, Thomas Floutz, and Tanner White, along with special makeup effects designer Arjen Tuiten, do terrific work with the look of the characters including some of the prop makeup used in films as well as the hairstyles of the time as it all play into this world of decadence. Special effects supervisor Elia P. Popov, along with visual effects supervisors Jay Cooper and John L. Weckworth, does fantastic work with the visual effects in the way special effects were presented during the silent film eras along with some visual set dressing to make Los Angeles look like the 1920s.
Sound designers Ai-Ling Lee and Tobias Poppe, along with sound editor Mildred Iatrou, do superb work with the sound as its mixing of sounds at the opening party sequence as well as the way sound is captured in the early days of film along with moments that help play into the atmosphere of a room or something heard from afar. The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is incredible for its jazz-based score as it has these arrangements in the pianos, strings and brass including lots of trumpet solos and such while music supervisor Noah Hubbell help cultivate a soundtrack that includes some standards of the time along with a song sung by Lady Fay in My Girl’s Pussy that is shocking as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it features appearances and cameos from Kaia Gerber as a starlet at the first party that Lady Fay flirts with, Patrick Fugit as a police officer at the party, Taylor Hill as Conrad’s last wife, John Mariano as the masters of ceremonies at the opening party, Olivia Wilde as Conrad’s first wife who leaves him early in the film, Karolina Szymczak as another of Conrad’s wives who is a Hungarian opera singer, Jennifer Grant as high society lady Mildred Yates, Phoebe Tonkin as a young starlet in Jane Thornton who is first seen peeing on a man, Joe Dallesandro as a photographer, Albert Hammond Jr. as a man in a chicken line at the first party, J.C. Currais as a truck driver who is supposed to transport an elephant, Karina Fontes as a waitress Conrad flirts with at the first party, Vanessa Bednar as Nellie’s mother, and Spike Jonze as a tyrannical European filmmaker trying to make an epic period film starring Conrad.
Other noteworthy small roles include Alexandre Chen as the famed cinematographer James Wong Howe, Samara Weaving as the film starlet Constance Moore that is upstaged by Nellie, Chloe Fineman as actress Marion Davies, Sarah Ramos as high society member Harriet Rothschild, Pat Skipper as the famed businessman William Randolph Hearst, Eric Roberts as Nellie’s slimy father Robert Roy who would add to Nellie’s financial troubles, Ethan Suplee as McKay’s right-hand man Wilson who constantly spits, Jeff Garlin as the Kinoscope Studios boss Don Wallach, Flea as Wallach’s assistant Bob Levine who is often the middle man Wallach and everyone else as he respects Manny for his hard work, Rory Scovel as a drug dealer/aspiring actor known as the Count who often supplies drugs to actors on set, Max Minghella as MGM studio head Irving Thalberg, Olivia Hamilton as the filmmaker Ruth Adler who would direct many of Nellie’s films, P.J. Byrne as Adler’s assistant director Max, Katherine Waterston as Conrad’s stage actress fiancée who believes film is a low art, and Lukas Haas as Conrad’s best friend/producer George Munn who was the one that had championed Conrad despite his own troubles yet Conrad was always helpful towards him.
Tobey Maguire is great as the eccentric gangster James McKay who appears late in the film as someone that Nellie owes money to as he is this odd yet scary figure that is part of a dark underworld in Los Angeles as well as be the showman of a lifestyle that is way too dark. Jean Smart is brilliant as Elinor St. John as a gossip columnist whose writing helps or breaks people on the rise as she is someone that plays a role in Nellie’s ascent and descent yet has a loyalty to those whose career she helped create despite the role she has to play in the film industry. Li Jun Li is amazing as Lady Fay Zhu as this Chinese-American cabaret singer who is the embodiment of decadence while isn’t afraid to tell the world that she’s a lesbian until her work as a title designer becomes obsolete as she also deals with being ostracized because of her sexuality. Jovan Adepo is excellent as Sidney Palmer as this gifted jazz trumpeter who often plays at parties while also spouting insults towards his bandmates during the parties as he would later become an actor and performer for films in collaboration with Manny until he becomes alienated by high society and the studio’s ideas in making him more appealing to racist Southern audiences.
Brad Pitt is phenomenal as Jack Conrad as a man who is the embodiment of a movie star that can carry a picture and bring money but is also someone that is often involved in short-lived marriages and relationships except with those who has helped him in his career while he would lament over his declining film career in the era of sound films as well as loss and disillusionment. Diego Calva is incredible as Manuel “Manny” Torres as an assistant to Don Wallach who would work his way up the ranks in his love for film and filmmaking where he eventually becomes a filmmaker and a studio executive yet is also devoted to Nellie whom he is in love with despite her many troubles as he is someone that bonded with her early in their careers as he does whatever he can to help her. Finally, there’s Margot Robbie in a spectacular performance as Nellie LeRoy as a young woman who believes she is a star as she is this free spirit that is all about life while is also vulnerable considering her own troubled family life where Robbie displays a lot of charisma and tragedy into someone who couldn’t deal with the need to conform to high society as well as having to make changes in the world of sound films as it is truly a career-defining performance from Robbie.
Babylon is a tremendous film from Damien Chazelle that features sensational leading performances from Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt as well as a major discovery in Diego Calva. Along with ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, exhilarating music score and soundtrack, and its depiction of early 20th Century decadence at its most uncompromising. It is a film that doesn’t apologize for how over-the-top and how insane it is in showcasing a period in time where there were no rules with characters who are forced to play by the rules to survive only for those that refuses to become part of an industry where creativity is unimportant. In the end, Babylon is a magnificent film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench – Whiplash (2014 film) - La La Land - First Man - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2024
Based on the biography First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, First Man is about the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong from his early days as a pilot to being the first man to walk on the moon as he deals with challenges in his professional and personal life. Directed by Damien Chazelle and screenplay by Josh Singer, the film is an unconventional bio-pic of the famed astronaut who deals with the dangers of his job as well as the events in his personal life as he is played by Ryan Gosling. Also starring Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Ciaran Hinds, Patrick Fugit, Christopher Abbott, Lukas Haas, and Kyle Chandler. First Man is an enthralling and evocative film from Damien Chazelle.
July 20, 1969 was a momentous moment in the history of civilization when Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon as it was the culmination of a decade long journey during the space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union to reach the impossible. For all of the fame that Armstrong would receive for this accomplishment lies a man who endured professional and personal challenges including moments of tragedy as he would withdraw from fame and even in his own family to focus on what he must do as an astronaut. Josh Singer’s screenplay focuses on Armstrong’s life as a test pilot in 1961 to the moment he returns home from the moon which would also include his first marriage to Janet Shearon (Claire Foy) as well as life with their children including the death of his daughter Karen at age 2 as she had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor and died of complications related to pneumonia.
The script would have Armstrong not just deal with the job in hand as he and other astronauts try to figure out what to do and also what not to do. Even as Armstrong would deal with a couple of tragedies while he would also have a near-death experience during the Gemini 8 mission with David Scott (Christopher Abbott) where the capsule docking with the Agena Target Vehicle as part of a docking experiment had the capsule separated and rolled around orbit. Yet, more problems including the Apollo 1 testing session that lead to the death of Virgil “Gus” Grissom (Shea Whigham), Ed White (Jason Clarke), and Roger Chaffee (Cory Michael Smith) forces Armstrong to make sure nothing else goes wrong as he would eventually be selected to command the Apollo 11 mission with Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) and Michael Collins (Lukas Haas).
Damien Chazelle’s direction is definitely intense not just for the idea of what it’s like being in a jet plane or in a space capsule but also the sense of fear of what to do in case something bad happens. Shot largely in locations near Atlanta including studios in Atlanta along with additional locations in Los Angeles, the film does play into a moment in time where so much is happening while there is an air of innocence into the Armstrong home life. Even as they would have other astronauts as neighbors and their kids playing with each other as Chazelle aimed for a natural look into these scenes as it would also play into the sense of loss that the Armstrong family would endure as well as the chaos that would happen during the course of Armstrong’s time as an astronaut including tragedy that affected this small community of people. Chazelle would use some wide shots for these scenes as well as a maintain a looseness into the camera by shooting with a hand-held camera for close-ups and medium shots to get an intimacy as well as some of the dramatic tension that occurs between the Armstrongs.
For the scenes inside the capsules, there is this claustrophobic element where Chazelle doesn’t just give the audience an idea of what it is like inside a space capsule, a test-jet plane, and other test modules as well as the lunar module. The usage of shaky camera during a rocket launch or seeing what Armstrong and his crew are seeing from their perspective adds to the sense of fear that these men have to face. Even in the sound where it has this element of something could go wrong add to the atmosphere of what is happening. The sequence set on the moon and its landing with stock footage of people watching the event happening is definitely a majestic moment with its usage of wide shots as a look into what Armstrong might be thinking about on the moon though his face isn’t shown on the helmet as it play into everything he’s endured to reach this monumental feat. Overall, Chazelle crafts a mesmerizing yet astonishing film about the life of Neil Armstrong and his struggles with his job and life at home.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for many of the scenes in the neighborhood including the scenes at night along with some stark yet vibrant lighting for the scenes at the mission control centers in NASA and the low-key lighting for the scenes inside the space capsules and lunar module. Editor Tom Cross does excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts to play into the drama along with some stylish jump-cut montages for a few recurring flashback scenes from Armstrong’s perspective. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with supervising art director Erik Osusky plus set decorators Randi Hockett and Kathy Lucas, does amazing work with the look of the machines and such for the astronaut training as well as the interior/exterior of the space capsules and how small they as well as the mission control rooms and the homes of the astronauts. Costume designer Mary Zophres does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that everyone wears on a casual day as well as the astronaut clothes that are worn for the missions.
Special effects supervisor J.D. Schwalm and visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert do incredible work with the special effects with the look of the exteriors of outer space and the moon as well as the usage of practical effects to give the scenes in space an air of realism as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designer/sound editor Ai-Ling Lee and co-sound editor Mildred Iatrou do tremendous work with the film’s sound in creating that sense of atmosphere of what goes on in space where the metal sound like it’s bending or about to break as well as the lack of sound when someone is in outer space or on the moon as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is superb for its usage of low-key strings, ambient pieces, and usage of the theremin to help maintain an atmosphere that is calm but also disconcerting at times in some of the drama and suspenseful moments in the film. The film’s music soundtrack features an array of music from the 1960s including a few classical and show tune pieces as well as some country and folk music from Gene Autrey, Peter, Paul, & Mary, the Kingston Trio, Samuel Hoffman with Les Baxter, Johnny Ace, the Chantels, and a poetic piece by Gil Scott-Heron who is seen briefly on the film as he is played by Leon Bridges.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Kris Swanberg as Elliot See’s wife Marilyn, Lucy Stafford as Karen Armstrong, Luke Winters and Gavin Warren in their respective roles as the older and younger version of Rick Armstrong, Conor Blodgett as Mark Armstrong, Ethan Embry as astronaut Pete Conrad, Pablo Schreiber as astronaut Jim Lovell , J.D. Evermore as NASA flight director Christopher C. Kraft Jr., Cory Michael Smith as astronaut Roger Chaffee, and Brian d’Arcy James as test pilot Joseph A. Walker who gets Armstrong on board to NASA. Shea Whigham is terrific as Virgil “Gus” Grissom as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts who help the new astronauts prepare for what to expect for Gemini and later Apollo. Patrick Fugit is superb as Elliot See as an astronaut in training who befriends Armstrong as he was set to command his own mission only to die tragically during a training mission.
Olivia Hamilton is fantastic as Ed White’s wife Patricia who befriends Janet as they share their stories of fear for their husbands but also what they had to endure at home. Christopher Abbott is excellent as Dave Scott as Armstrong’s co-pilot on Gemini 8 who experiences that near-death experience as he also tries to understand what went wrong. Kyle Chandler is brilliant as NASA chief officer/former astronaut Deke Slayton who makes sure things go smoothly while Ciaran Hinds is amazing as Robert R. Gilruth who is a flight director for NASA who helps oversee the making of the Apollo missions. Jason Clarke is incredible as Ed White as an astronaut who would become the first American to do the spacewalk while trying to understand Armstrong’s distant persona as it relates to loss. Lukas Haas is remarkable as Michael Collins as the capsule module pilot who helps Armstrong and Aldrin reach the moon and ensure their safety.
Corey Stoll is sensational as Buzz Aldrin as the film’s comic relief of sorts as he often says off-color things while being someone who does take his work serious as he would accompany Armstrong on their momentous mission to the moon. Claire Foy is phenomenal as Janet Shearon as Armstrong’s then-wife who deals with loss as well as the sense of fear of what could happen to her husband as she is also someone who doesn’t take shit from anyone as it is a riveting performance from Foy. Finally, there’s Ryan Gosling in a magnificent performance as Neil Armstrong as a test pilot/engineer who is tasked with what has to be done as he deals with the many dangers of his job but is also restrained and distant due to the fact that he’s still reeling from the loss of his daughter and later deal with the loss of colleagues as it’s a performance that is filled with restraint but also with a sense of determination and drive giving Gosling a career-defining performance.
First Man is a tremendous film from Damien Chazelle that features great performances from Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, eerie sound design, a soothing yet haunting music score, and a gripping story about what astronauts had to endure and the chaos that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a film that doesn’t play towards the conventions of the bio-pic while also being this study of a man trying not to fail in preparation for his mission to go to the moon while dealing with grief. In the end, First Man is an outstanding film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench – Whiplash - La La Land -Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land is the story of an aspiring actress who moves to Los Angeles where she meets a jazz pianist as they fall in love while trying to find success together in Hollywood. The film is a mixture of fantasy and reality as it play into the hopes and dreams of two people trying to make it in the city of dreams. Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, and J.K. Simmons. La La Land is a ravishing and evocative film from Damien Chazelle.
Set in the city of dreams that is Los Angeles/Hollywood, the film is an exploration of two people trying to reach their dreams as they struggle to make it as they lean on each other unsure if they both can succeed. While it’s a story that is often common with many old-school ideas of Hollywood of people going there and wanting to be part of that world. It is told in a very stylistic fashion as it play into this conflict of fantasy and reality which would blend in some respects for its two central protagonists in the jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and the aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) as they both go through many trials and tribulations in their journey to find fame and happiness. Damien Chazelle’s screenplay is mainly told in the span of an entire year structured by season where it begins with winter as the two are first seen in a traffic jam with Sebastian having road rage.
The two would meet again later on as it would play into an element of fantasy but then reality would return as they wouldn’t see each other again until Mia attends a party where Sebastian is playing in an 80s cover band. The two would forge a friendship that eventually becomes a romantic relationship bonded by their wishes to succeed where Mia wants to become an actress and succeed while Sebastian is hoping to open a jazz club where more authentic jazz music is played. Yet, they also have to contend with some form of reality whether Mia has to go numerous audition and cope with failure and rejection while Sebastian is forced to face some truth about the world of jazz where his ideas of the music is becoming extinct. Once the story reaches towards summer and fall, that specter of reality would come more and more into play but there is still some glimmer of what both Sebastian and Mia want for themselves and each other.
Chazelle’s direction isn’t just stylish but also play against many of the conventional aspects of modern-day cinema in favor of something that is more traditionalist and harkening back to the cinema of the past. The film’s opening sequence and musical number is a great example of what Chazelle is going for. It is set in a traffic jam in Los Angeles which lead to people singing as the usage of wide and medium shots capture the scope of what is happening as it’s all done in one entire take with a tracking shot without the need to cut. Many of the musical numbers would be presented in that similar approach as it doesn’t just play against some of the elements of what the genre had become but also creating something that is more dream-like and with a sense of fantasy. Aiding Chazelle in the dancing and how the choreography would play into the story is choreographer Mandy Moore who would provide moments of dance that has a sense of movement that help establish what is going on where it can be dazzling and intricate or just simple and somber.
The non-musical moments are still just as vital not only in playing to the story but also have the sense of intimacy as it relate to the conflicts that Sebastian and Mia are both going through. Especially in the film’s second half where they don’t just encounter failure but also what people will do to be successful. One noted montage sequence of Mia trying to do something to kick-start her own career while Sebastian would do something as a way to survive would show two people who love and care for each other going into diverging paths. The film’s third act set in the fall would be a moment where it is about facing not just reality head-on but also see if there is some kind of hope that can emerge. Notably as Chazelle would create something that mixes fantasy and reality into a scene that is just powerful which would be followed a more dazzling sequence towards the end of the film as it play into hopes and dreams of those who want something so bad to succeed on their own terms. Overall, Chazelle creates a majestic yet enthralling film about two people trying to make it in the city of dreams.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the way he captures every ounce of color in some of the dance sequences in day and night as well as the way some of the jazz clubs and restaurants are lit along with the gorgeous scene inside and outside of the Griffith Observatory. Editor Tom Cross does brilliant work with the editing as it doesn‘t play by modern-day editing rules as it favors something that is straightforward with some stylish montages and rhythmic cutting that play into some of the music. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does excellent work with the design of the apartment homes of Sebastian and Mia as well as some of places they go to as well as the jazz club that Sebastian likes to hang out and the movie theater they would visit one night.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does incredible work with the costumes from the design and gorgeous colors of the dresses that Mia and the women wear as well as the look of the clothes for some of the dancers in the film. Visual effects supervisors Chris LeDoux, Tim LeDoux, and John L. Weckworth do fantastic work with the visual effects such as the floating dance sequence inside the Griffith Observatory and other sequences that help play into this world of fantasy. Sound designer/editor Ai-Ling Lee and sound editor Mildred Iatrou do superb work with the sound in the way some of the live music is presented as well as some of the sparse elements in the sound to play into the non-musical moments.
The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is phenomenal as its score is a mixture of jazz and orchestral music to play into that air of excitement but also the dramatic elements of the film. The songs also help as most of them are written by Hurwitz and the duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul that help play into the situations and moods the characters are in while another original song written by Hurwitz, Marius de Vries, John Stephens, and Angelique Cinelu is a reflection of the kind of music that Sebastian doesn’t want to be a part of as the entire music score and soundtrack is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Deborah Aquila and Tricia Wood is terrific as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Josh Pence as a brother of Mia’s boyfriend early in the film, the trio of Callie Hernandez, Sonoya Mizuno, and Jessica Rothe as Mia’s roommates, Meagan Fay as Mia’s mother, Tom Everett Scott as a man named David who appears late in the film, Finn Wittrock as Mia’s boyfriend early in the film in Greg, and J.K. Simmons in a superb cameo appearance as a restaurant owner named Bill who wants Sebastian to play the music as it is. Rosemary DeWitt is excellent as Sebastian’s older sister Laura who tries to ensure her brother about the realities of the world but also hope that he can succeed. John Legend is brilliant as Sebastian’s old high school classmate Keith as a musician who leads a very popular and successful jazz-pop where he wants Sebastian to be a part of as a source of income.
Finally, there’s the duo of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone is spectacular performances in their respective roles as Sebastian Wilder and Mia Dolan. Gosling brings that air of frustration and determination into someone who is an ardent traditionalist towards jazz as he tries to do whatever he can to survive no matter how humiliating it can be. Stone provides that humility to her own role as a young woman that is just trying to succeed through audition after audition while displaying that air of charm that is so intoxicating. Gosling and Stone together have this chemistry that is just riveting to watch from how they sing and dance with each other to the moments where they cope with their own failures and desire to succeed.
La La Land is an outstanding film from Damien Chazelle that features sensational performances from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Featuring beautiful visuals, an evocative music soundtrack, top-notch technical work, and a story that is definitely appealing in its conflict of reality and fantasy. It’s a film that doesn’t just create something that is entertaining enough for the audiences but offers a whole lot more about the dreams and hope of two people in the city of dreams. In the end, La La Land is a magnificent film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench - Whiplash - First Man - Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash is the story of a young jazz drummer who goes to one of the best music schools in the U.S. as he is being taught by one of the school’s most demanding and fearsome teachers. The film is an exploration into ambition as well as what it takes for someone to wanting to be the best as a young man copes with the demands of his teacher. Starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell, Jayson Blair, and Paul Reiser. Whiplash is a tremendously powerful and chilling film from Damien Chazelle.
What happens when a young student at a music school gets the attention of a renowned teacher who pushes him to the edge? That is what the film is about as it is an exploration into a young man’s ambition to be the best jazz drummer out there. In encountering this jazz orchestra conductor who demands the best out of his students and nothing more, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) hopes to impress this man in the hopes that he can be like Buddy Rich. Yet, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) thinks Andrew might have what it takes as he pushes him emotionally and mentally to the breaking point. Even as he would put in drummers less talented than him to get into Andrew’s head as it would affect his personal life as well as other things.
Damien Chazelle’s screenplay showcases the ugliness of ambition where Andrew aspires to be great but it can do things that can destroy someone. Inspired by a story Fletcher tells everyone about Charlie Parker, Andrew hopes to impress Fletcher as he keeps practicing and practicing where it would take a toll on his hands where he would get blisters on his fingers. Yet, Fletcher’s demands and constant verbal abuse would get to Andrew as he would nearly lose control as it plays into the ugliness of ambition. Fletcher is an interesting character as he is someone that is looking for the next Charlie Parker or the next Buddy Rich. Even if it means destroying them and to see if they can get back up from that sense of humiliation which is his sick, twisted game of the mind.
Chazelle’s direction is very stylish as he creates a film that may look simple in terms of its compositions but it has this sense of energy that does play like a jazz record. It starts off slow but then it goes fast and slow again while maintaining a sense of rhythm that is unpredictable as it plays into the emotional context of the film. Chazelle’s usage of close-ups and extreme close-ups play into the emotion as it displays Andrew’s determination to be the best as there’s blood on the drum kit or in the look of Andrew’s face. The usage of medium and wide shots also play into the sense of energy as well as some of the looming tension that emerges where Chazelle would frame the actors to play into something that could explode. Especially as the sense of drama comes to ahead in the third act as it relates to Andrew coming to terms with everything he’s enduring as well as him questioning into if he really had what it takes to be a great jazz drummer. Overall, Chazelle creates a very captivating and haunting film about a young drummer’s ambition to be the best and the dangers of ambition.
Cinematographer Sharone Meir does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its stylish use of lights for the performances on stage as well as in some of the interiors as it helps set a mood into the sense of darkness that Andrew is embarking on. Editor Tom Cross does incredible work with the editing to create some unique cuts that is very stylish that plays like a jazz record that features some of the intensity into Andrew‘s drumming and that sense of determination into living up to Fletcher‘s demands. Production designer Melanie Jones, with set decorator Karuna Karmarkar and art director Hunter Brown, does excellent work with the set pieces from the look of the studio that Fletcher conducts his class to the dorm that Andrew lived in.
Costume designer Lisa Norcia does nice work with the costumes from the clothes that Andrew wears which is casual while the clothes that Fletcher is all black with the exception of one scene. Visual effects supervisors Jamison Scott Gel and Grant Miller do terrific work in a notable sequence that plays into Andrew‘s obsession into trying to prove himself to Fletcher. Sound editors Craig Mann and Ben Wilkins is amazing as it plays to the intensity into how the drums sound as well as the way music is heard in other rooms as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is fantastic for some of jazz-based score that plays into the film while music supervisor Andy Ross brings in a lot of frenetic jazz pieces from the likes of Tim Simonec, Stan Getz, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Dana Williams, Nicholas Britell, and Hank Levy.
The casting by Terri Taylor is superb as it features some notable small roles from Chris Mulkey and Suanne Spoke as Andrew’s uncle and aunt, Jayson Blair as the core drummer that Andrew would replace from Fletcher’s class, and Austin Stowell as a classmate of Andrew who would try to replace him. Paul Reiser is excellent as Andrew’s father who is concerned with his son’s well-being as what is son is embarking on. Melissa Benisot is wonderful as Nicole who would date Andrew briefly early in the film as she copes with the demands he’s putting on himself to impress Fletcher. J.K. Simmons is phenomenal as Terence Fletcher as a jazz orchestra conductor who is an absolute tyrant that demands greatness in his players as he has this intimidating presence that is very scary at times. Finally, there’s Miles Teller in a remarkable performance as Andrew Neiman as this young man that aspires to be one of the great jazz drummers as he nearly breaks down in every level as Teller displays a humility and determination to become the best as it’s a very haunting performance.
Whiplash is an astonishingly powerful and exhilarating film from Damien Chazelle. Featuring top-tier performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, it’s a film that explores a young man’s drive to be great as well as the mental and emotional it would take to do so in the hands of taskmaster who will do anything to see if he has what it takes. In the end, Whiplash is a sensational film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench - La La Land - First Man - Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2015
