Based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, Annihilation is the story of a group of military scientists who enter a mysterious zone where landscapes change as they also encounter creatures that transform. Written for the screen and directed by Alex Garland, the film is a sci-fi horror film that follow a group of women who travel to this quarantined zone as one of them tries to understand what her husband had encountered. Starring Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Oscar Isaac, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Annihilation is an eerie yet evocative film from Alex Garland.
The film revolves a biologist who volunteers to join a group of military scientists into a mysterious zone where its surroundings change as it include mysterious creatures and things that are indescribable with the biologist wondering why her husband was the only one to return from that area. It’s a film that has a compelling premise yet it is largely told in a reflective manner by its protagonist Lena (Natalie Portman) to a scientist in quarantine as Alex Garland’s script uses Lena to explain what she and her team saw in the zone with questions about what happened to her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) who had returned from the zone but isn’t the same person. Even as the army has taken him and Lena believing that there is something wrong with them yet it is Kane that is ill with Lena wondering what really did happen to him.
The screenplay has Lena tell her story to this scientist as she also thinks about her life with Kane but also the anguish she faced when he wasn’t around. While she was approached by army psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who revealed what Kane and his team were at the zone known as the Shimmer. Lena eventually decides to volunteer with Dr. Ventress and a team that includes two military scientists in Josie (Tessa Thompson), Cassie (Tuva Novotny), and the paramedic Anya (Gina Rodriguez). Much of the film’s second and third act occur in the Shimmer as it is a world that is unlike anything where mutation is common while there’s a lot of complexities into the environment that these women are all trying to understand as they all try to reach the lighthouse where the source of everything that happened is.
Garland’s direction is definitely intoxicating for the way he creates a world that is strange and surreal but also filled with wonders that play into the complexities of humanity and nature. Shot largely on location at Windsor Great Park as well as Holkham Pines in North Norfolk in Britain, the film does play into this strange mix of sci-fi and horror as Garland does maintain this air of suspense. While the film does have conventional elements relating to horror in what these women encounter, there is this conflict about what these women want to do with their mission as it intensifies during its second half. The scenes set at the Shimmer definitely echoes a lot of the visual compositions of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky in terms of the attention to detail in the images as well as in some of the surreal elements. The usage of wide and medium shots play into that sense of wonderment that include some of the creatures that Lena and her team would encounter throughout the course of the film.
Garland would also use surrealism to play into the landscape and things that the characters would find at the Shimmer. Even as it play into idea of science where Lena, Dr. Ventress, Cassie, Josie, and Anya each give their own take of what they find. The third act isn’t just about going into the lighthouse which is where the source of the Shimmer comes from but also what happened to those who went to the Shimmer and never came back. The land surrounding the lighthouse is just as unique where there is something that is beautiful and enchanting but also filled with a sense of terror into what is the source of all of these things. Even as Lena has to deal with what she discovered and cope with what happened to her husband and how he was able to return home. Overall, Garland crafts a ravishing yet haunting film about a group of scientists entering into a mysterious world where the laws of nature is different and ever-changing.
Cinematographer Rob Hardy does brilliant work with the cinematography to play into the low-key yet stylish lighting for the scenes at the lab and military compound as well as a more natural look at Lena’s home with something dream-like in the scenes set at the Shimmer. Editor Barney Pilling does excellent work with the editing as it does have some style in a few flashback montages of Lena thinking about her life with Kane as well as some rhythmic cuts that play into the suspense. Production designer Mark Digby, with set decorator Michelle Day and supervising art director Denis Schnegg, does amazing work with the look of the military bases as well as some of the places inside the Shimmer including the lighthouse. Costume designer Sammy Sheldon does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual including the army uniforms that almost everyone wears in the film.
Hair/makeup designer Sian Grigg does terrific work with the look of the characters to play into their personalities including how Kane looked before his mission and what he looked like afterwards. Visual effects supervisor Andrew Whitehurst does incredible work with the visual effects in the design of the creatures as well as the landscapes and such inside the Shimmer. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does fantastic work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film as it play into the atmosphere of the Shimmer as well as sound textures into what the creatures sound like. The film’s music by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow is superb for its mixture of ambient and folk in the music as it help play into the drama and suspense while the soundtrack mainly features a song from Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
The casting by Francine Maisler is wonderful as it include a few notable small roles from Sonoya Mizuno in a dual role as a student of Lena in Katie and a mysterious being at the Shimmer, David Gyasi as a colleague of Lena in Daniel who also works at the university where she’s a professor, and Benedict Wong as the scientist Lomax who interrogates Lena following the events of what she encountered at the Shimmer. Oscar Isaac is terrific in his role as Kane as Lena’s husband who returns from the Shimmer a different man where he is restrained and uncertain of where he is in comparison to who he is in the flashbacks as someone lively and animated. Tuva Novotny is fantastic as Cass as a military scientist who takes part in the mission as she is tough but also friendly as she befriends Lena as they both share stories of loss. Gina Rodriguez is excellent as Anya as a military paramedic who is a tough woman that is baffled by what she discovers as well as coping with the harsh environment of the Shimmer that allows her to act out.
Tessa Thompson is brilliant as Josie as a scientist who would make some discoveries about the landscapes and organisms at the Shimmer as well as provide some ideas of what is happening. Jennifer Jason Leigh is amazing as Dr. Ventress as military psychiatrist who leads the team as she wants to know what is out there while knowing why Lena chose to volunteer as she is also dealing with a secret of her own. Finally, there’s Natalie Portman in an incredible performance as Lena as a biologist who is trying to understand what happened to her husband while carrying elements of guilt as a way to redeem herself for him where she would make some unsettling discoveries but also make sense of the world that she is in as it’s one of Portman’s finest performances.
Annihilation is a phenomenal film from Alex Garland that features great performances from Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tessa Thompson. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, compelling story of nature, and an eerie music score. It’s a film that blends all sorts of genres while exploring the ideas of people dealing with surroundings that are complex and breaking the laws of nature. In the end, Annihilation is a sensational film from Alex Garland.
Related: Ex-Machina
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Interstellar is the story of an engineer who takes part into an interstellar mission to find a habitable planet through wormholes in the hopes he can save humanity including the children he’s leaving behind. The film is an exploration into the world of outer space and the world beyond where a man joins a space crew to find salvation just as Earth is in ruins. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Wes Bentley, and Michael Caine. Interstellar is a grand yet exhilarating film from Christopher Nolan.
Set in a world where planet Earth is being destroyed by dustbowls and are forced to live on whatever agricultural resources they have, the film is about an engineer who is asked to go to outer space to find a habitable planets through a wormhole as he is forced to leave his children behind. Through this mission, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) tries to find a world in the hopes to save humanity but things become complicated as time becomes sparse due to time dilation. Back on Earth, Cooper’s daughter Murph (Jessica Chastain) tries to finish a theory left behind by Professor Brand (Michael Caine) in the hope that her father comes back. It’s a film that plays into ideas of theory of relativity as well as a man trying to do whatever to save humanity and return home to his family.
The film’s screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan doesn’t just explore the concept of interstellar travel where time becomes very complex where an hour spent in a planet can actually take years on Earth or any part of the galaxy. It adds to the dramatic aspect of the story and Cooper’s desire to hoping to come home and make a difference as his absence made it hard for his daughter to deal with. Even as Murph as she gets older becomes resentful while wondering if there was any kind of hope to the mission at hand. There’s also a sense of desperation that occurs between Cooper and Brand’s daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway) who is part of the mission as she is trying all she can to make sure they succeed but complications ensue where their encounters with a planet to retrieve data from previous missions begin to fall apart.
While the script does have a traditional structure where its first act is set on Earth as Cooper tries to uncover a series of mysterious messages he found with a younger Murph (Mackenzie Foy) that lead him to be contacted by Professor Brand. Yet, what Cooper is asked to do by Brand would be a hard decision to make as it would hurt him to leave Murph and his son Tom (Timothee Chalamet) as the film’s second act is about Cooper’s mission in space with Amelia and two other astronauts in Romilly (David Gyasi) and Doyle (Wes Bentley) where it takes them two years to travel from Earth to the wormhole near Saturn. Then comes this third act where it crisscross the narratives of both Cooper and the adult Murph where the latter tries to finish Brand’s theory as well as figure out the codes that she encountered as a child. Especially as they both have to deal with forces that would prevent a reunion between father and daughter from happening.
Christopher Nolan’s direction is definitely astonishing in terms of the visual scope that he presents. Shot in this 2:35:1 aspect ratio in 35mm film, which is also blown up for 70mm, as it has this grand look in terms of scale for the scenes not just set in outer space but also in some of the planets the characters are in. Some of it is shot in Iceland while scenes set on Earth are shot in Alberta, Canada as it plays into something that feels like a Midwest film that are shot very naturally while the scenes on these mysterious planets have something that feels very alien-like. The usage of wide shots with some crane cameras and other shooting styles add to the massive scope of the film that includes this sequence in these strange mountain-like locations where it adds to a sense of mystique about what might be out there.
Still, it is a film about a father and a daughter trying to reunite as the former is trying to find some kind of hope where it feels like a few years for him but it’s much longer than that on Earth. The complexity of the film’s narrative and sense of time is very prevalent which does add to some of the exposition that occurs on film though it does get overwhelming at times. Even in its third act where there is a sense of conventional drama that occurs as it does take away some of the unconventional aspects of the film that was working though there is a payoff that is satisfying which plays to the emotional crux of the film. Overall, Nolan creates a very rapturous yet evocative film about a man going to outer space to save his daughter and humanity in the hopes to find a new world.
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the farmland locations in Canada to the array of lights and shading for much of the film‘s interior setting including the shots set in outer space. Editor Lee Smith does amazing work in creating some very straightforward cuts for the drama while going for unique rhythms in the space travels including the wormhole sequence along with some intense moments in the film. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Gary Fettis and supervising art director Dean Wolcott, does excellent work with the design of the space ships Cooper and his team travel in as well as the robots they‘re accompanied with along with the NASA base that Professor Brand would work at.
Costume designer Mary Zophres does nice work with the costumes from the casual look of the characters on Earth to the design of the astronaut suits. Visual effects supervisor Paul Franklin does fantastic work with the visual effects for some of the scenes set in outer space to the movement of the robots plus some set-dressing for some of the planets. Sound editor Richard King does superb work with the sound to convey the sense of silence of exterior scenes in space as well as the sounds of rockets and some of the locations in its surroundings. The film’s music by Hans Zimmer is incredible for its mixture of soaring orchestral textures mixed in with minimalist electronic music to play into the sense of mystique that is prevalent in the film.
The casting by John Papisdera is phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from David Oyelowo as Murph’s school principal, William Devane as a NASA official, Matt Damon as a scientist who been part of an earlier mission, Topher Grace as a doctor friend of Murph, Leah Cairns as Tom’s wife, Liam Dickinson as Tom’s son Coop, Timothee Chalamet as the young Tom, and John Lithgow in a terrific role as Cooper’s father-in-law Donald who says some of the film’s funniest lines. Voice performances from Josh Stewart as CASE and Bill Irwin as TARS are excellent as they bring some soul to the machine as these robots that help the team in space with the latter being the most humorous. Casey Affleck is superb as Murph’s older brother Casey who also misses his father as he tries to cope with loss and saving the family farm.
Wes Bentley is wonderful as the geographer Doyle who tries to understand the wormholes and planets while David Gyasi is fantastic as the physicist Romilly who tries to understand the idea of space and time itself. Michael Caine is great as Professor Brand as a scientist who tries to prove a theory about how to save Earth as he copes with trying to do what is right as well as deal with the implications. In the roles of Murph, there’s Mackenzie Foy in a great performance as the young Murph who tries to cope with her father’s departure while Jessica Chastain is amazing as the older Murph as a woman filled with resentment as she tries to finish Professor Brand’s theory. In the brief role of the eldest Murph, Ellen Burstyn is brilliant in telling the story of what it was like in the dustbowl to explain the severity of the mission.
Anne Hathaway is incredible as Amelia Brand as a fellow astronaut who tries to keep things going while dealing with her own emotional baggage as tries to make sense of the stakes of the mission. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a magnificent performance as Cooper as this former pilot turned engineer who takes on a mission to space in the hopes that his family can survive beyond the dustbowl as he struggles with his own emotional baggage as well as the mission at hand.
Interstellar is a sensational film from Christopher Nolan. Armed with a great ensemble cast led by Matthew McConaughey as well as intriguing concepts about space, interstellar travel, and theories of relativity and time. It’s a film that is sci-fi at its most complex with some astonishing visuals that is backed up with a powerful story of a man trying to bring a future of hope for his children. In the end, Interstellar is a remarkable film from Christopher Nolan.
Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas is the story about human beings being connected to one another in various places in time from the past to the future as they all deal with their role in humanity. Written for the screen and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the film is an epic story that bends all sorts of genres. With an all-star cast playing multiple roles that includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Doona Bae, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, James D’Arcy, David Gyasi, Zhou Xun, David Gyasi, and Keith David. Cloud Atlas is a captivating yet exhilarating film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.
In the 1850s, a young notary named Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) travels to the Pacific Islands to discover a plantation run by Reverend Gilles Horrox (Hugh Grant) as it consists of slaves. Upon his return home to San Francisco, Ewing discovers a young slave named Autua (David Gyasi) who stows away on the ship as the ailing Ewing recalls his experience in a journal. In 1930s Belgium, a young musician named Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) writes many letters to his lover Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy) where he works as an amanuensis for the aging composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) where they collaborate on a musical piece together. In the 1970s, a San Franciscan journalist named Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) meets the aging Sixsmith where she discovers a chilling mystery about an oil magnate Lloyd Hooks(Hugh Grant) trying to manipulate the energy crisis as a hitman named Bill Smoke (Hugo Weaving) is after her.
In 2012 London, book publisher Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) is in big trouble over mounting debts to gangsters as he turns to his older brother Denholme (Hugh Grant) for help. Instead, Denholme tricks Timothy to live in a retirement home where Timothy has to deal with the cruel nurse Noakes (Hugo Weaving) as he fights for freedom. In the futuristic South Korea, a genetically-created clone named Sonmi-451 learns about her dystopian world as she meets a young rebel named Hae-Joo Chang (Jim Sturgess) where they decide to create rebellion. In a more distant future, a tribesman named Zachry takes a technologically-advanced woman named Meronym (Halle Berry) to an old palace to find meaning in their world so they can save humanity from an evil tribe and other dark forces.
The film is essentially a multi-layered, inter-weaving collection of stories of people making decisions that would change their own fates as well as the fate of others through six different periods of time. Through the recollection of one individual’s story, one character would discover that person’s story that would inspire something of their own that would eventually inspire another and so on. In these moments where they would discover these stories or pieces of work by a certain person, it would allow a character from different stories to be motivated to do something as it would eventually give them a chance to do something that would help humanity.
The screenplay by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis is truly dazzling for the way the narrative moves from one story to another in this inter-weaving style where it adds up to the dramatic momentum of the film. Even as they would provide moments that would play up the suspense of another story and so on. It’s part of the schematics that Tykwer and the Wachowskis wanted to create while slowing things down so that characters can find ways to connect with one another to feel something as if there’s a chance to really do something great. Yet, each protagonist in these six different stories would make decisions that could impact something that would become a key moment of their lives and would set the stage for another.
The direction of Tykwer and the Wachowskis is vast in terms of the presentation they wanted to create for this massive film. With Tykwer directing the two segments in the 20th Century and the 2012 segment while the Wachowskis helm the 19th Century story and the ones set in the future. The filmmakers give each story a chance to set out on their own as they each provide broad visuals to establish the world these characters live in. Notably as these segments also have moments of intimacy to help flesh the characters out even more in their development. Since the film is really a genre-bender that features elements of sci-fi, adventure, drama, comedy, romance, and suspense. It is still about people and the adventures they go into and how they deal with these opposing forces.
For the 20th Century and 2012 segments, Tykwer pretty much keep things straightforward in terms of the presentation though he does shoot scenes with elements of style. Even as he find ways to put every actor who plays multiple roles a chance to pop up every now and then. Tykwer also utilizes bits of humor in the stories as well as some truly jaw-dropping moments such as a scene where Frobisher and Sixsmith stand and freeze while china plates drop all over them. In the 19th Century and futuristic segments, the Wachowskis go all out in terms of the ambition where they create massive sceneries for their segments. Notably the future where it is awash with visual effects to showcase a world that is unique but also unsettling.
Particularly as it establishes the sense of chaos and mistakes humans made where it plays into the most furthest futuristic segment forcing one character to do something to bring some semblance of hope. Overall, Tywker and the Wachowskis create a truly grand yet engaging film about human connection and how they impact one another in different periods of time.
Cinematographers Frank Griebe and John Toll do amazing work with the film‘s photography from the naturalistic look of 19th Century and beyond future segments to the more stylish array of lighting schemes in the 20th Century scenes and the dystopian Seoul segment. Editor Alexander Berner does excellent work with the editing to create unique rhythms for the film‘s suspenseful and action moments as well as creating montages for certain scenes as well as intricate transitions to move from one story to another. Production designers Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, along with set decorator Rebecca Alleway and Peter Walpole and supervising art directors Stepan O. Gessler, Kai Koch, and Charlie Revai, do spectacular work with the set pieces from the ship in the 19th Century, the homes in the 20th and 21st Century segment, and the futuristic places in the future-Seoul segment.
Costume designers Kym Barrett and Pierre-Yves Gayraud do wonderful work with the costumes to play up the very different periods of time that occur in each segment including the more stylish clothes in the dystopian Seoul segment. Makeup and hair designers Heike Merker and Daniela Skala do great work with the hair and makeup to have every actor look a different way in the various segments and play different races and nationalities in the course of the film. Visual effects supervisors Dan Glass and Stephane Ceretti do terrific work with the film‘s visual effects for segments involving Frobisher, the dystopian Seoul segment, and the beyond future scenes. Sound designer Markus Stemler and sound editor Alexander Buck do superb work in the sound to capture the different atmosphere of each location and world the characters inhabit.
The film’s music by Tom Tykwer, Reinhold Heil, and Johnny Klimek is brilliant for its low-key, orchestral-driven score to play out the very different worlds that take place in the film along with some touching piano-driven themes in scenes involving Frobisher and Ayrs. The soundtrack also includes an array of music that plays up in two segments such as the Luisa Rey segment and the Timothy Cavendish segments.
The casting by Lora Kennedy and Lucinda Syson is incredible for the large ensemble that is created where the actors get to play multiple roles. Notable small performances include Robert Fyfe as the old seadog and Mr. Meeks, Brody Nicholas Lee as Luisa’s neighbor Javier and Zachry’s nephew, Raevan Lee Hanan as Zachry’s child Catkin, and Martin Wuttke as Cavendish’s friend Mr. Boerhavve and a healer in Zachry’s tribe. Other noteworthy small parts include terrific performances from Keith David as Horrox’s servant/a friend of Luisa’s dad/a rebel leader/a futuristic chief, Zhou Xun as Zachry’s wife/a relative of Sixsmith/Sonmi-451’s friend, David Gyasi as the stowaway slave Autua/Luisa’s father/an associate of Meronym, and James D’Arcy as Rufus Sixsmith and a man who interrogates Sonmi-451.
Jim Sturgess is superb as the young notary Adam Ewing as well as in smaller roles as a father of Sixsmith’s relative, Zachry’s brother-in-law, a highlander, and the rebellious Hae-Joo Chang. Ben Whishaw is superb as the melancholic Robert Frobisher as well as other small roles as a seaman, a record shop owner, and Denholme’s wife. Jim Broadbent is great as a sea captain, the very selfish Vyvyan Ayrs, a lab professor, a futuristic leader, a Korean musician, and as the troubled Timothy Cavendish. Susan Sarandon is wonderful as Rev. Horrox’s wife, a tribal witch, and Cavendish’s lost love. Hugh Grant is stellar as Reverend Horrox, a hotel tenant, the slimy oilman Lloyd Hooks, Timothy’s prankster brother, a perverse drug addict, and an evil tribe chief. Hugo Weaving is brilliant as Ewing’s father-in-law, a music conductor, the evil hitman Bill Smoke, a big nurse, a dystopian leader, and a demon who haunts Zachry.
Doona Bae is amazing as the clone Sonmi-451 who becomes part of a rebellion to stop a dystopian Seoul as she also plays other small roles such as Ewing’s wife and a Mexican woman who helps Luisa. Halle Berry is marvelous as the determined journalist Luisa Rey as well as notable small roles as a native woman, Ayrs’ wife, an Indian woman at a party, a Korean doctor, and a woman of the future in Meronym. Tom Hanks is remarkable as the tribe warrior Zachry who deals with demons and his tribe’s future while he also plays small roles as the devious Dr. Goose, a hotel manager, a thuggish writer, and a scientist who falls for Luisa.
Cloud Atlas is a spectacular film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis that explores the world of humanity and its many connections. While it’s not an easy film in terms of its ambition and big themes, it is still an engaging one for the way it explores these themes in such grand stories. It’s also a film that has something for everyone and isn’t afraid to take big risks while featuring an amazing collective of actors. In the end, Cloud Atlas is an extraordinary film from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.
The Wachowskis Films: (Bound) - (The Matrix) - (The Matrix Reloaded) - (The Matrix Revolution) - Speed Racer
Tom Tykwer Films: (Deadly Maria) - (Winter Sleepers) - Run Lola Run - (The Princess and the Warrior) - (Heaven (2002 film)) - True (2004 short) - (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer) - (The International) - (Three (2010 film))
© thevoid99 2012
