The Fisher King

Directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Richard LaGravenese, The Fisher King is the story of a once famous radio shock-jock who seeks to find redemption when he meets a man whose life he ruined and tries to help him. The film is the first of an unofficial trilogy set in America from Gilliam as it explores not just the world of fantasy but also in finding hope in the bleakest forms of reality. Starring Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter. The Fisher King is a dazzling yet heartfelt film from Terry Gilliam.

Three years after being responsible for the deaths of a group of people by a madman who later killed himself, a radio shock jock meets a strange man whose wife was killed at that restaurant who seeks the Holy Grail and the love of a shy woman as the shock jock decides to help him in an act of redemption. While it is a simple tale of redemption, the film is also a mixture of adventure, fantasy, and romance as it would play into the world of Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) who lost so much through his own actions as his encounter with this homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams) would play into the chance to become a better person while help this lost man regain something that he had lost following his wife’s death. In the process, Jack would also reluctantly help Parry in his quest to find the Holy Grail in the home of a rich architect as Parry believes in this legend of the Grail.

Richard LaGravenese’s screenplay definitely has this air of fantasy and romance but it is also balanced by this world of cynicism as the film opens with Jack as this very arrogant and snide radio shock-jock who talks a lot of shit and has everything until he is responsible for prompting a man to go after a waitress that unfortunately led to a killing spree where Parry’s wife was among the people who were killed. Jack loses his fame as he is wracked with guilt where he would live with a video store owner in Anne (Mercedes Ruehl) who would prompt Jack to do something as she would also help him to Parry back on track. Especially as it relates to Parry’s attraction to this shy publishing accountant in Lydia (Amanda Plummer) through the craziest means.

One aspect of the script that definitely succeeds isn’t just the stories but how fully-realized the characters are as Parry was also a man who had everything only to lose it because of a tragedy as those reminders would come to him in the form of a red knight that only he can see. Especially as it would prompt Jack to realize the greater task that he needs to retrieve the Grail with Parry as well as getting the chance to prove that he can be redeemed no matter how many times he says that he is a fuck-up. The unlikely teaming of Jack and Parry isn’t just one aspect of the story that is so compelling but it’s also one where a man tries to help another and vice versa as they both would try to deal with the demons that had been haunting them.

Terry Gilliam’s direction is truly astonishing not just in its sense of style but also in the fact that he is able to mix a sense of realism with fantasy as it’s set entirely in New York City. The film has Gilliam infusing a lot of unique camera angles including some slanted shots and elaborate crane shots. Even in some of the intimate moments where the sense of style is very evident but not very distracting. Gilliam does go for something simple in the way he presents the drama as it relates to Jack’s own life as he struggles with his guilt and what his life has become despite the support of Anne. There are scenes that do feel quite unsettling and real such as the homeless places near the Brooklyn Bridge as well as some very exhilarating scenes at Central Park where Parry tries to convince Jack to lie naked in the middle of the park to watch the moonlight.

The direction also has Gilliam play with the world of fantasy though it’s more restrained in comparison to his other films such as this lavish waltz scene in the middle of Grand Central Terminal as it plays to Parry’s own sense of fantasy. The scenes involving the Red Knight also play into that sense of fantasy but as a form of reality that Parry wants to avoid as Gilliam would go for something that feels very dizzying. Even as some of the wide shots and compositions would have something that feels like a world that is very different. All of which would play into this climax in this very odd journey to get the Holy Grail as it seems like this strange task but one that would help Jack and Parry find hope in their troubled lives. Overall, Gilliam creates a sensational yet touching film about a man finding redemption in helping another man who was destroyed by tragedy.

Cinematographer Roger Pratt does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography as it is very straightforward but also stylish in some of the lighting schemes that Pratt creates for some of the nighttime exteriors as well as some of the interior scenes. Editor Lesley Walker does incredible work with the editing as it‘s very stylized with some jump-cuts, montages, and a stylish use of transition wipes for a dinner scene with the four principle characters. Production designer Mel Bourne, with set decorator Cindy Carr and art director P. Michael Johnston, does amazing work with the set pieces from the video store that Anne runs to the accounting firm and hospital rooms as well as the castle where the Grail is.

Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor does terrific work with the costumes from the ragged look of Parry in his homeless clothes to the white suit he would wear in his date with Lydia. The visual effects work of William Cruse and Kent Houston do nice work with some of the effects as it’s very minimal including the design of the Red Knight. Sound editor Peter Pennell and sound designer Bill Kates do superb work with the film‘s sound in some of the sound textures to play into the sense of terror that Parry would endure as well as the sounds of radio broadcasts that Jack used to do. The film’s music by George Fenton is excellent for its broad and operatic score as it has some very lush orchestral themes to play into the sense of romance as well as bombastic pieces for the adventurous moments. The film’s music soundtrack includes a mix of music ranging from pop standards and modern music like Ray Charles, Chill Rob G, and Harry Nilsson.

The casting by Howard Feuer is great as it features notable small roles from Kathy Najimy as a crazed video store customer, Tom Waits as a disabled veteran, Harry Shearer as a TV star that Jack despises, Lara Harris as Jack’s girlfriend when he was famous, and David Hyde Pierce as Jack’s agent Lou. Michael Jeter is fantastic as a homeless cabaret singer Jack and Parry would meet as they would help him to reach a message to Lydia. Amanda Plummer is amazing as the very shy and socially-awkward Lydia who has her own quirks and insecurities where her date with Parry would bring her hope about her own life. Mercedes Ruehl is phenomenal as Anne as this no-nonsense woman who hopes to be more than a friend to Jack as she would also help Lydia and Parry as it’s a truly touching and powerful supporting performance.

Jeff Bridges is brilliant as Jack Lucas as this man who had it all only to be undone by a tragedy that he unknowingly caused as he tries to find redemption where it’s Bridges showing some humility as well as an ugliness but also a role that has him be sympathetic as he wants to right the wrongs in his life. Finally, there’s Robin Williams in a magnificent performance as Parry as this very troubled man who has lost himself as he becomes homeless and seeks the Holy Grail as Williams brings a sense of energy in his humor as well as sense of warmth and vulnerability. Especially in his moving monologue to Lydia about what he wants to do as it showcases Williams’ power as an actor where he can blend comedy and drama and do it so easily.

The Fisher King is a remarkable film from Terry Gilliam that features great performances from Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, and Mercedes Ruehl. The film is definitely Gilliam’s most accessible work in its blend of romance and fantasy as well as a compelling story on redemption. Even as it features moments that are quite crazy that is balanced with stories about characters trying to find hope again. In the end, The Fisher King is an outstanding film from Terry Gilliam.

Terry Gilliam Films: Jabberwocky - Time Bandits - Brazil - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - 12 Monkeys - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - The Brothers Grimm - Tideland - The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - The Zero Theorem - The Auteurs #38: Terry Gilliam

© thevoid99 2014

Wet Hot American Summer

Directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Michael Showalter, Wet Hot American Summer is the story about a group of people attending a Jewish summer camp as they’re all hoping to do something on the camp’s last day. Set in 1981, the film is an exploration into nostalgia as well as adulthood and finding love. Starring Janeane Garafalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Molly Shannon, Zak Orth, Amy Poehler, A.D. Miles, and Christopher Meloni. Wet Hot American Summer is a hilarious and heartfelt comedy from David Wain.

The film is essentially the story about a camp director and several staff members at a Jewish summer camp as they spend their last day looking for love or deal with their own issues in the course of an entire day. In this day, a lot happens surrounding many characters as they each hope to give this last day something for themselves and the kids to remember. There’s the camp director Beth (Janeane Garafalo) who falls for an associate astrophysics professor named Henry (David Hyde Pierce) as they both are unsure how to express their attraction towards one another. Meanwhile, a young camp counselor in Coop (Michael Showalter) has a crush on another camp counselor in Katie (Marguerite Moreau) who is dating the unfaithful Andy (Paul Rudd).

While the script that David Wain and Michael Showalter doesn’t have much of a traditional structure in order to leave room for the actors to improvise and do things that has nothing to do with any big storylines. Its lack of plot does allow the script to focus on the characters and their own desires to find love or something that can make their last day at camp a great one. A lot of which involved with people all finding something whether it’s the arts and crafts teacher Gail (Molly Shannon) dealing with her divorce, talent show director Gail (Amy Poehler) trying to create the best show, a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran in chef Gene (Christopher Meloni) dealing with demons, or a counselor in Victor (Ken Marino) trying to score with one of the counselors in Abby (Marisa Ryan).

Wain’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions yet he does display a sense of looseness in the way he directs actors in a scene. Notably as he would create moments that do play into the idea of summer camp where it’s all about doing silly things as well trying to capture the sense of innocence that occurs in summer camp. While there’s a lot of storylines that occur between many characters, Wain does ensure that he finds the time to let many individual stories unfold while adding bits of humor to occur. Sometimes, there’s humor that is absurd in a few sequences which does lead to the climatic talent show where a lot happens. Overall, Wain creates a very funny comedy about the joys and exuberance of one entire day at a Jewish summer camp in 1981.

Cinematographer Ben Weinstein does excellent work with the film‘s colorful photography to display the beauty of the locations set in Maine to capture the beauty of the summer. Editor Meg Reticker does nice work with the editing by creating some unique rhythmic cutting to play out some of the comedy that occurs including a hilarious montage of what some of the camp people do outside of camp. Production designer Mark White, along with set decorator Lisa Scoppa and art director Bryan Hodge, does fantastic work with the look of the summer camp as well as some of the cars to make it look like it‘s 1981.

Costume designer Jill Kliber does great work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual as well as ragged to play out what people would wear in 1981. Sound editor Stephen Altobello does very good work with the sound to capture the energy and atmosphere of the activities that occur in camp. The film’s music by Theodore Shapiro and Craig Wedren is a real delight with its mixture of folk-based music and upbeat rock to play out the sense of nostalgia. Music supervisors Alison Chernick and Paul Parreira create a wonderful soundtrack that features music from Loverboy, KISS, Jefferson Starship, Kenny Loggins, and Rick Springfield.

The casting by Susie Farris is incredible for the rich ensemble that is created for this film. Notable small roles include Judah Friedlander as Gail’s ex-husband, Nina Hellman as the camp nurse Nancy, Kevin Sussman as the eccentric wannabe robot Steve, Joe Lo Truglio as the counselor Neil, Marisa Ryan as the slutty Abby, Samm Levine as the voice of the radio broadcaster Arty, and H. Jon Benjamin as the voice of a mixed vegetables can. Other noteworthy yet funny performances include Elizabeth Banks as the very sexy counselor Lindsay, Molly Shannon as the heartbroken arts and crafts teacher Gail, Amy Poehler as the obsessive drama teacher Susie, Bradley Cooper as Susie’s drama associate Ben, A.D. Miles as Gene’s apprentice Gary, Zak Orth as the fun-loving counselor J.J., and Ken Marino as the sex-obsessed Victor who hopes to get laid at the end of the day.

Michael Ian Black is funny as the very secretive McKinley whom J.J. and Gary wonder what he does and try to get him laid. Christopher Meloni is hilarious as the shell-shocked chef Gene who always says some very crazy things as he is complete denial about his issues. Marguerite Moreau is wonderful as Katie who finds herself connecting with Coop as she is having issues with Andy. Paul Rudd is awesome as the somewhat douchy Andy as he is a guy that just wants to be cool yet treats Katie very poorly. Michael Showalter is delightful as the socially-awkward Coop who tries to woo Katie while doing whatever to win her heart. David Hyde Pierce is fantastic as the astrophysics associate professor Henry who falls for Beth as he tries to find a way to win her while connecting with the kids at the camp. Janeane Garafalo is terrific as Beth as she tries to deal with the chaos of the camp while trying to win over Henry by studying astrophysics.

Wet Hot American Summer is a marvelous comedy from David Wain. Featuring a brilliant ensemble cast and lots of hilarious moments, it’s a film that truly captures the spirit of life during a summer camp. It’s also a film that isn’t afraid to be absurd or off-the-wall while finding time to be sweet and full of heart. In the end, Wet Hot American Summer is an extraordinary film from David Wain.

David Wain Films: (The Ten) - (Role Models) - (Wanderlust)

© thevoid99 2013

Hellboy

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 7/10/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on Mike Mignola's comic book, Hellboy is the story of a red, demonic creature from Hell as he is raised by a professor while fighting other demons for the U.S. government. Directed by Guillermo del Toro with script adaptation by del Toro and Peter Briggs along with additional work from Mike Mignola, the film is a different take on the comic book hero by focusing on a monster with a heart while straying from the origin stories of most comic-book film adaptations. Playing the role of the titular character is del Toro regular Ron Perlman as the cast includes Doug Jones, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, Jeffrey Tambor, Ladislav Beran, Karel Roden, and John Hurt. The result is an entertaining yet visually-astonishing film from Guillermo del Toro.

After encountering a creature during an attack on Nazis in 1944, a young professor named Trevor Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor) would take this little red infant with a big hand and little devil horns and raise him as he's dubbed Hellboy. 60 years later, Bruttenholm (John Hurt) runs the top secret Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) that Hellboy is a part of along with a fish-like psychic humanoid named Abe Sapien (Doug Jones w/ the voice of Abe Sapien). A young FBI agent named John Myers (Rupert Evans) joins the team as he's selected to be part of the team as he fills in for the absent Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) who has checked into a mental hospital due to her control issues with her pyro-kinetic abilities. Myers joins Hellboy and Abe on a mission to fight a creature that is starting to attack the city where Hellboy would encounter a mysterious man (Karel Roden) where Abe discovers that the man is a revived Grigori Rasputin. With Rasputin's aide Isla von Haupstein (Biddy Hodson) and their assassin Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (Ladislav Beren), Bruttenholm realizes what is going on through Abe's psychic visions.

After the battle with the monster, Hellboy sneaks out to visit Liz where she is later visited by Rasputin who makes her lose control of her powers. After discovering the eggs that were latched on Hellboy's body from the fight with the monster, Abe and Bruttenholm figure out what is going on as Bruttenholm revealed to Abe and Myers that he's dying and doesn't want Hellboy to know. After Liz's hospital incident, Myers convinces her to return to the BPRD following another botched mission where Hellboy encountered more monsters including the assassin Kroenen. Though Hellboy is happy for Liz's returns, she decides to spend time with Myers much to his dismay. Bruttenholm discover Kroenen's body as he is aware it's going to back to life where he would also encounter Rasputin who tries to get Bruttenholm to see a vision of the role that Hellboy is destined to play. After Rasputin's break-in and Kroenen's escape, FBI head Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor) takes over as Hellboy, Liz, and Myers go to Russia with Manning to stop Rasputin with the aid of a corpse named Ivan (voice of Guillermo del Toro). There, Hellboy is forced to deal with his true roots and destiny where he faces Rasputin and various creatures in all-out battle over the fate of Earth.

Most comic book adaptations often tell the story of how heroes became who they are and such. For Hellboy, it's different though the film's first 10-15 minutes tell the story of how he's found by Professor Bruttenholm. Instead, the film does act like a standard, comic book type of film but with a mix of dry humor, lots of action, and elements of horror and fantasy. Co-writer/director Guillermo del Toro plays true to the film's comic book standard story while adding a bunch of hilarious one liners, a sense of improvisation, a lot of action, and moments of fantasy. Though the plot and story has moments of predictability that comes with most comic book film adaptations, del Toro makes up for it with humor and accessible characters where Hellboy knows he's a hero. One who likes to eat loads of pancakes, Baby Ruth, chomp on cigars, and listen to Tom Waits.

The direction of del Toro is truly superb with a lot of style and flair as he creates a film that is true to the look of a comic book but meshed with fantasy. From the look of New York City and New Jersey to the look of Russia, del Toro has amassed a look that is true to his love of comics and fantasy while adding elements of monsters and creatures that are a mix of puppetry and visual effects. Guillermo del Toro also creates moments where he lets the audience have a break from the action for characters to develop and even delve into humor and drama. The approach that del Toro creates is truly solid and definitely a film that is true to both his own vision as well as Mike Mignola.

Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro creates a wonderful look to the film on a visual scale with use of blue-green lights for some of the film's exterior scenes in Russia as well as some of the battle scenes with Sammael. Navarro's sepia-like, yellowish look is truly wonderful and awash with style as Navarro's work is definitely a highlight of the film. Editor Peter Amundson does some excellent job with the film's leisurely yet rhythmic pacing while creating great cuts for action and drama for the film's sense of style and such. Production designer Stephen Scott along with set decorator Hilton Rosemarin, and supervising art director Simon Lamont do an amazing job in the look of the underground base that Hellboy lives in, the look of New York City, and the world of Rasputin.

Costume designer Wendy Partridge does an excellent job with the film's costumes with the Nazi garb that Rasputin and his cohorts wear to the long trench coat that Hellboy wears as it adds a sense of coolness to the character. Makeup designer Rick Baker does an amazing job with the film's look for several of the film's characters including Hellboy, Abe Sapien, and Sammael. Especially in the work Baker and his team create for the actors in playing those roles along with Baker's brilliant special effects work. Visual effects supervisors Edward Irastorza and Jonathan Rothbart do great work on the look of the monsters and look for some of the film's spectacular scenes that involves Rasputin's look into the future and such. Sound designer Steve Boeddeker and editors Frank E. Eulner and Robert Shoup do great work in the sounds of gunshots, growls (provided by Guillermo del Toro), and such to add a sense of fantasy and horror to the mix.

Music composer Marco Beltrami does some excellent work on the film's music with use of a string orchestra to emphasize on the film's action, drama, and humor while creating triumphant themes for some of the film's action. Beltrami's score is definitely excellent and top notch. The soundtrack features a diverse mix of music ranging from Tom Waits, Vera Lynn, Pete Yorn covering Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Red Right Hand, Palo Alto, Johnny Crawford, and Al Green for emphasis on humor and such.

The casting by Jeremy Zimmerman is definitely top notch with cameos by del Toro and comic book writer Mike Mignola as onlookers in a battle scene along with cinematographer Guillermo Navarro's two kids Alvaro and Emilio also as onlookers. Small roles from Angus MacInnes as a World War II sergeant, Jim Howick as a WWII corporal, and in the roles of FBI agents, Brian Caspe James Babson, and Stephen Fisher. Brian Steele does some great work in playing the Sammael monster with his miming movements while notable, standout small roles from Corey Johnson and Kevin Trainor as their respective roles as Agent Clay and the young Professor Bruttenholm are also good. Biddy Hodson is excellent as Rasputin's loyal assistant and lover Isla with her sneering delivery while Ladislav Beran is great as the mute assassin Kroenen.

Karel Roden, who worked with del Toro on Blade II, is brilliant as the villainous Rasputin whose desire for power and terror is matched by his huge presence as a man who is hell-bent on destroying the world and such. Roden's work is great for just being an excellent villain. Jeffrey Tambor is wonderfully funny as Tom Manning, the FBI director who often has issues with Hellboy as he serves as the comic relief for the film. Rupert Evans is excellent as John Myers, the agent sent to be Hellboy's reluctant partner as he tries to help Liz deal with her issues while trying to help Hellboy about his role. Though Doug Jones doesn't actually speak, with an un-credited David Hyde Pierce doing the voice, Jones' performance as Abe Sapien is great for its movements and such as Jones brings life to the character.

John Hurt is wonderful as Professor "Bloom" Bruttenholm, Hellboy's adopted father who worries for what would happen to his son when he won't be around. Hurt's performance is full of class and brilliance as an old man whose knowledge of the occult and magic shows a man who teaches his son about doing what is right. Selma Blair is great as Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic woman with special powers struggling to deal with those powers and the harm it has caused as well as her relationship with Hellboy. Blair's performance is definitely the anchor needed for Hellboy's own recklessness as the chemistry she and Perlman have is great.

Finally, there's Ron Perlman in the title role as it's a rare leading performance for the veteran actor for any kind of U.S. studio picture. Perlman definitely sells the role with such wit, humor, and charm as he plays a hero who likes being a hero while getting to smoke a cigar and fighting monsters. It's the kind of role that most actors can't do but Perlman does it with such ease, it's as if he's born to play the character as he proves he can be a badass with a heart of gold despite being the biological son of the Devil. It's a great performance from Perlman who often doesn't get a lot of work outside Europe or playing roles fitted for character actors.

Hellboy is a superb and well-crafted film from Guillermo del Toro that features an outstanding performance from Ron Perlman. Along with with great supporting work from Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Hurt, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, and Jeffrey Tambor. It's a comic-book action film that has great visuals as well as a strong story that is a cut above most comic-book adaptations. Notably as it features a lot of heart in the complex relationships that del Toro wanted to create that allows its audience to relate to its titular character. In the end, Hellboy is an entertaining yet evocative film from Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro Films: Cronos - Mimic/Mimic (Director's Cut) - The Devil's Backbone - Blade II - Pan's Labyrinth - Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Pacific Rim - Crimson Peak - The Shape of Water - Nightmare Alley (2021 film) - Pinocchio (2022 film) - The Auteurs #10: Guillermo del Toro

© thevoid99 2012

Full Frontal

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Coleman Hough, Full Frontal is an experimental film set onto an entire day in Hollywood where people gather around for a birthday party. Featuring a film-within-a-film, the project blurs the line between fiction and reality as it allows Soderbergh to experiment with digital filmmaking. Starring Catherine Keener, David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, Mary McCormack, David Hyde Pierce, Blair Underwood, and Julia Roberts. Full Frontal is a strange but often indulgent experimental film from Steven Soderbergh.

A film produced by a man named Gus is currently underway as starring in the film are Calvin (Blair Underwood) and Francesca (Julia Roberts) about an actor and reporter falling in love during a flight from NYC to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Gus’s birthday is coming as a screenwriter named Carl (David Hyde Pierce) and his wife Lee (Catherine Keener) are invited. Yet, Carl and Lee are going through their own marital issues as Carl confides in his worker Lucy (Erika Alexander) about what is happening. Lee meanwhile, deals with people who are fired as she takes some pleasure in humiliating fired employees while finding an inflatable globe in her parking spot.

Lee’s sister Linda (Mary McCormack) has been invited to the party as she tries to find love through Internet while working as a masseuse for a hotel as she later meets Lee for lunch. Carl’s writing partner Arthur (Enrico Colantoni) is trying to get a play going as he has to deal with a passionate yet antagonistic actor (Nicky Katt) who is playing Adolf Hitler. With the day going on as Carl’s life is having trouble and Lee going through her own emotional issues as she is having an affair. Linda meets a man named Phil (David Duchovny) who asks for a massage where things get weird as Linda learns who he really is. At Gus’s party, people attend the party except for Carl and Arthur, the latter was uninvited, as something horrifying happens prompting some people to think about their own issues.

The film is about a day in the life of six people as most of them would get together for a party as they deal with things about them. Then there’s subplot of a film within a film where an actor and a reporter going on a flight together where a love letter is found. Then when that subplot moves back into the main narrative, the actors who play the people in the story are shown for who they are as actors with Calvin being more prominent. The main narrative consists of four people each dealing with their own issues with relationships, loneliness, and sex as two of them would go to this party where things unravel along with a big surprise.

Coleman Hough’s script has some intriguing moments in its study of failing relationships and sexual dynamics but its improvisational tone tends to create a story that often lags for the first half of the film. Things do get better in the second half when things begin to unravel while the ideas of reality and fiction also becomes a bit clearer though it’s all part of an experimental approach to storytelling.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is presented in a varying degree of styles. For the film-within-a-film story entitled Rendezvous, it is presented as a polished film that has the look and feel of a Hollywood film that includes a snazzy score by Jacques Davidovici. Even as it includes the making of another film that Francesca’s character is watching as the film features an appearance from Brad Pitt. Then there’s the stuff with the main narrative where it’s all shot in grainy, digital-video at a time when digital film wasn’t in its more polished stage. Soderbergh’s approach to the main portion of the film is to present it in a mixture of cinema verite along with the compositions and rhythm of the French New Wave. With Soderbergh serving as the cinematographer, under his Peter Andrews alias, he creates a look that is intriguing but often very indulgent.

Things do move very slow throughout the first half as there’s a lot of cross-cutting through each portion of the film from the Francesca/Calvin movie to the individual stories involving the other characters. With Sarah Flack providing a lot of stylized editing including jump-cuts for the main portion of the film, it comes off as a bit tiresome and gimmicky throughout the film. At the same time, because the film doesn’t have a traditional narrative where the looseness of the story goes a little overboard. Soderbergh’s attempt to be improvisational has some moments but he would often shoot things out of focus in an attempted to be stylized. Unfortunately, Soderbergh doesn’t create enough moments to make into a solid and engaging film. While it is a very pretentious film that lacks substance, it is at least a film that tries to stray from the conventions of traditional cinema.

The casting of Debra Zane is pretty good as it features appearances from January Jones as a receptionist, legendary producer Jerry Weintraub as a man who counsels Carl about his career, Rainn Wilson and Sandra Oh as fired employees that Lee humiliates, Erika Alexander as a co-worker of Carl, Tracy Vilar as a friend of Carl’s, Jeff Garlin as an actor who plays a fictional version of Harvey Weinstein, Brad Rowe as a film crew guy that tries to get into a conversation with Francesca, and cameo appearances by Brad Pitt as himself, Terence Stamp as a man on a plane in the Rendezvous portion, and David Fincher as a director making a film-within-a-film.

Nicky Katt is very good as a fiery actor who verbally abuses the people around him while Enrico Colantoni is also good as the playwright Arthur trying to find love online. David Duchovny is excellent in a small role as a guy who feels turned on by a massage as it’s kind of a precursor to the smarmy Hank Moody character he would play in the TV show Californication. Julia Roberts is all right as Francesca where as the actress, Roberts gets a chance to be loose and funny while in the character she plays in Rendezvous, Roberts is her usual charming self. Blair Underwood is stellar as Calvin, an actor who has a lot of charm while often given questions about his own status while dealing with his own sexual consumptions.

Mary McCormack is great as Linda, Lee’s sister who is dealing with her own loneliness while an encounter with a man turns out to be a nightmare as it gets even worse as she ponders about ever finding love. Catherine Keener is pretty decent as the weary yet biting Lee who is dealing with her own issues though it doesn’t have much weight since it’s the kind of performance that’s been seen from Keener from so many films. David Hyde Pierce is the film’s best performance as Carl, a screenwriter/magazine writer dealing with a lot of issues as he ponders about his own loneliness and his crumbling marriage as he goes through a horrible day.

Full Frontal is an interesting though meandering film from Steven Soderbergh. While some might appreciate the film as an experimental piece with digital video, it is a film that will frustrate and bore conventional audiences since it doesn’t have a traditional plot. For fans of Soderbergh, they might be compelled in what Soderbergh was trying to do with digital video as he would go into further explorations that will lead to films like Bubble and The Girlfriend Experience. Full Frontal is not the kind of film that anyone that wants to see a traditional story will see. Still, the film does offer something to those that wants to be challenged and watch a filmmaker like Steven Soderbergh take risks even if some of the ideas don’t work as Full Frontal is still intriguing depending on one’s taste.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean’s Eleven - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - (Pt. 2)

© thevoid99 2011

A Bug's Life

1995’s Toy Story ushered in a new era of cinema with the advent of computer-animated films as that film was the first feature-length computer-animated film ever made. The success of that film helped Pixar Animations studio as they were set to create various new projects that would help build the studio and their relationship with distributor in Walt Disney Studios. For their second feature film, the studios chose to create a film that mixes Aesop’s fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper and Akira Kurosawa’s legendary 1957 film The Seven Samurai into A Bug’s Life.

Directed by John Lasseter, with additional direction by Andrew Stanton, and scripted by Stanton, Donald McEnery, and Bob Shaw that was based on a story by Lasseter, Stanton, and Joe Ranft. A Bug’s Life tells the story of a worker ant who seeks help from other insects to fight off against grasshoppers whom they had been gathering food for. Unaware that the insects he hired are circus insects, he teams up with them to fight off the grasshoppers they had been slaving for. With an all-star voice cast that includes Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary, David Hyde Pierce, Phyllis Diller, Madeline Kahn, Bonnie Hunt, Brad Garrett, Roddy McDowall, and John Ratzenberger. A Bug’s Life is a fun yet adventurous film John Lasseter and company.

With ants gathering food for grasshoppers before the harvest is to end, Flik (Dave Foley) is an inventive ant who tries to get things better only to cause trouble as his latest invention has him causing an accident. The accident has upset Hopper (Kevin Spacey) who demands that the ants work double-time before he and his group of grasshoppers return for harvest’s end. Wanting to find a way to keep things going and get rid of Flik, Flik suggests getting other insects to help rebel against Hopper and grasshoppers. Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) likes the idea thinking it will get rid of Flik as she lets him go. Upon his journey to the city, Flik encounters a group of fired circus performers he believes are warriors as he asks them for help.

The troupe takes the job thinking it’s a gig as they’re welcomed by the ants led by the queen (Phyllis Diller) as she along with many believe are the warriors that will help them. Yet, the troupe realizes through a celebration of what they’re asked to do as Flik learns that they’re really circus performers. When the queen’s youngest daughter Dot (Hayden Panettiere) is in danger from a bird, the troupe and Flik save her as they decide to stay. Realizing that Hopper is afraid of birds, Flik and the troupe create a bird with a group of ants to stop Hopper and his gang. With the plan working, everything seems to be in place until the arrival of the troupes’ former boss P.T. Flea (John Ratzenberger). With Hopper finally returning and the ants worried, it’s up to Flik and the troupe to remind the ants who are the stronger species.

The film is about an ant who rebels against a group of grasshoppers by hiring a group of circus performers to help him and the ants out. Yet, it’s a plot that is sort of similar to Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 epic The Seven Samurai that is about a group of villagers asking seven samurai warriors to fight against rebels. Still, John Lasseter and his team of writers do create a story where an ant is trying to make up for his mistakes while trying to win over the acceptance of a princess who is groomed to become the next queen.

Then there’s the circus troupe who are a very eccentric, lively bunch. There’s the intellectual stick-bug Slim (David Hyde Pierce), a male-centric ladybug named Francis (Denis Leary), a fat yet hungry caterpillar named Heimlich (Joe Ranft), a black widow named Rosie (Bonnie Hunt), the moth Gypsy (Madeline Khan), Manny the cricket (Jonathan Harris), Dim the beetle (Brad Garrett), and twin ticks who barely speak English (Michael McShane). They’re just a bunch of insects needing a job while using their talents to fight off against Hopper and his gang while being accepted by the ant colony. Yet, they become more than that as the script allows them to develop and forge an alliance with the ants. The grasshoppers may be villains but that’s only because their leader Hopper is a ruthless insect who is aware of how weak his species are and tries to use his wit and power against the ants.

The direction of John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton is definitely very broad as they shoot everything with wide angles to let the audience be enraptured by the locations the characters are at. Since this is the first film from Pixar to use the widescreen format, it allows Lasseter and Stanton to go for bigger compositions and to create more ants to help fill in the frame. The action sequences allows the directors to move the camera move and create some exciting sequences. The overall work is definitely phenomenal as John Lasseter, with additional help from Andrew Stanton, creates a lively yet magical film.

Cinematographer Sharon Calahan does some fantastic work with the lighting for many of the exteriors of the ant hill as well as its surroundings while the inside look is truly gorgeous. Editor Lee Unkrich does a great job with the editing by creating wonderful rhythmic cuts for the film’s action moments along with more relaxed cuts for the dramatic and funny moments. Production designer William Cone, along with art directors Tia W. Kratter and Bob Pauley does a wonderful job with the look of the ant hill and city that Flik goes to along with the interiors of the ant colony itself. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editor Tim Holland do amazing work with the sound from the grasshoppers breaking through to the circus event where P.T. Flea create a fiery stunt.

The film’s score by Randy Newman is definitely a highlight of the film as its orchestral score is thrilling with loads of pieces to complement the emotions and adventurous moments of the film. Even as it features another Newman original song in The Time Of Your Life to play up the joy and humor of the film.

The voice cast that is assembled by Mary Hidalgo and Ruth Lambert as it features various voices such as Frank Welker as the scary grasshopper Thumper along with the bird plus Edie McClurg as the young ants’ teacher Mrs. Flora and Roddy McDowall as one of the ants’ key top figures in Mr. Soil. Other notable small roles include John Ratzenberger as the greedy P.T. Flea, Jack Angel as a bunch of flies, and Richard Kind as Hopper’s dim-witted brother Molt. For the roles of the circus troupe, there’s standout performances from Michael McShane as the foreign-talking ticks Tuck and Roll, Brad Garrett as the sensitive beetle Dim, Madeline Kahn as the exotic moth Gypsy, and Jonathan Harris as the dramatic Manny.

Joe Ranft is hilarious as the overweight Heimlich who sports a German accent and has an insatiable appetite while Denis Leary is really funny as a tough ladybug who eventually gives in to his feminine side when he spends time with the little ants. David Hyde Pierce is really good as Slim, a stick-bug with a wonderful intellect who wishes he wasn’t just a prop while Phyllis Diller is great as the queen who is trying to maintain her colony’s safety while prepping Atta for her big role. Kevin Spacey is superb as the villainous Hopper who is smarter than a lot of his grasshopper minions while trying to realize that he has to be smart unless the ants realize how powerful they are.

Hayden Panettiere is wonderful as the queen’s youngest daughter Dot who is determined to fly while seeing Flik as a role model as someone who doesn’t quit. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is excellent as Atta, a princess who is trying to become a leader as she learns the importance of trust. Finally, there’s Dave Foley in a brilliant voice performance as the everyman Flik who tries to make a difference while being the one to stand up against Hopper.

A Bug’s Life is an extraordinary film from John Lasseter and Pixar studios proving that they have ambition and do big ideas. While it may not be up there with more revered films like the Toy Story trilogy, or the films that other Pixar directors like Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird, and Pete Docter has done. It is one of the essential films of their large collection of films as it help set the stage for the ambition that the studio would do in later films. In the end, A Bug’s Life is a glorious yet entertaining film from Pixar studios.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters, Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

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