Stoker

Directed by Chan-wook Park and written by Wentworth Miller with additional contributions by Erin Cressida Wilson, Stoker is a teenage girl who gets an unexpected from her uncle following the death of her father. The film is an exploration into the world of family as it goes into very dark places as it relates to a man’s relationship with his teenage niece where it goes into harrowing territory. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermont Mulroney, Lucas Till, Alden Ehrenreich, Phyllis Somerville, and Jacki Weaver. Stoker is a mesmerizing yet chilling film from Chan-wook Park.

The film is about a young teenage girl named India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) whose life is shaken by the death of her father (Dermont Mulroney) as the only person in her life is her mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) whom she doesn’t have much of a relationship with. The arrival of her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) whom India had never known about shake things up even more as he raises a lot of intrigue for both India and Evelyn as the latter clings to Charlie for companionship. Still, something doesn’t feel right for India as mysterious disappearances involve people she knows start to happen while she becomes entranced by Charlie’s charm. After learning more about Charlie, India would also uncover more dark secrets about what really happened to her father as well as why she never heard about Charlie in the first place.

Wentworth Miller’s screenplay does explore the life of this young woman who is quite detached from reality in some ways as she is known to be gifted in art, piano-playing, and being a very skilled hunter. Yet, she’s also a loner as she always wears these schoolgirl shoes since childhood as she is very close to her father but her relationship with her mother hasn’t been easy. Notably as Evelyn is an unstable individual who seems to envy India over her relationship with her father while she has always been lonely. By the time Charlie comes to the house, Evelyn wants to be with him until she learns that Charlie is more interested in India that increases the already troubled relationship between the two women. Once India learns more about Charlie, she is both repulsed and fascinated by his secrets.

Miller’s script allows the mystery to unfold slowly while playing with the tropes of what is expected in a suspense/thriller. There are small characters who only appear briefly as they seem to know more than what India and Evelyn might realize. Yet, it does add to this element of mystery where it gives India a chance to piece things out where the third act has her not only making some realizations about herself but also why her father has never said anything about Charlie. Miller’s script also has some stylish dialogue that includes a few voice-overs and monologues including a very chilling one from Evelyn towards India that reveals a lot of the jealousy a mother has towards her daughter.

Chan-wook Park’s direction is very stylish though not in its look as Park is able to keep some of the visual elements a bit simpler where it’s shot on location in Nashville, Tennessee. Yet, Park is able to infuse a lot of interesting images to present this mixture of family melodrama with some suspense where he plays into the world of death as well as family. Park’s direction does have him using a lot of interesting framing devices to play into the sense of detachment between mother and daughter and how someone like Charlie could be placed in the middle of this lingering tension. Even where Park is intrigued by the mother-daughter tension where not a lot is revealed yet it is clear in the acting that these two women don’t really like each other but they still want something from another.

Park also creates some very interesting images to not just play out the suspense and melodrama but also do with a large degree of style. Notably in the tracking shots where his camera is often moving to capture the sense of movement such as India wandering around the house to observe Charlie. There are also images that play out the sense of style where Park would re-create images to explore India’s mind as she is pondering about her own persona that is dark at times but also girlish. Things do get unveiled in the third act where it goes into very dark territory that does play into Park’s fascination with violence as well as sexuality where it shows India becoming more of a woman to the surprise of her mother that adds more tension between the two. Overall, Park creates a very entrancing yet visceral film about family and the dark secrets that lurk in them.

Cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon does excellent work with the film‘s photography to play out some of the beautiful look of some of the location exteriors as well as some beautiful lighting schemes for some of the scenes at the Stoker home including its dark basement. Editor Nicolas de Toth does spectacular with the film‘s very stylized yet seamless editing that is filled with an array of jump-cuts and dissolves including some montages and match cuts that are just exquisite in its imagery and impact. Production designer Therese DePrez, along with set decorator Leslie Morales and art director Wing Lee, does amazing work with the look of the Stoker home as well as some locations around the area including the Stoker garden.

Costume designers Kurt and Bart do brilliant work with the costumes from the clothes that Charlie wears to the stylish yet clean-cut dresses and shoes that India wears to display her transition from teenager to womanhood. Sound designers Chuck Michael and John Morris do superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of some of the exterior locations including some scenes set in the house to play up that air of suspense. The film’s music by Clint Mansell is phenomenal for its eerie yet intoxicating score that is filled evocative piano pieces and brooding orchestral pieces as well as additional piano duets by Philip Glass along with songs by Lee Hazelwood with Nancy Sinatra and Emily Wells.

The film’s cast is just marvelous as it includes some noteworthy appearances from Ralph Brown as a sheriff, Lucas Till as a classmate who constantly harasses India, Alden Ehrenreich as another classmate who is interested in India, Judith Godreche as a doctor, Phyllis Somerville as the Stoker family maid, Dermont Mulroney as India’s father Richard, and Jacki Weaver in a terrific appearance as India’s great aunt Gin who definitely knows a lot about some of the Stoker family secret. Nicole Kidman is great as Evelyn as a woman seemingly trying to put on a façade to deal with her grief as she clings to Charlie for companionship while harboring some resentment towards her own daughter over Charlie and her late husband Richard.

Matthew Goode is superb as Charlie where he has this very clean-cut look where he is handsome and charming but also has a very dark demeanor that is very intoxicating to watch as he later unveils more and more about who he really is. Finally, there’s Mia Wasikowska in a remarkable performance as India Stoker where Wasikowska displays a chilling restraint to her role as well as a low-key dark humor to her role as she just commands every scene she’s in by doing so little while also being quite confrontational as it’s definitely one of Wasikowska’s finest performances.

Stoker is an incredible film from Chan-wook Park that features top-notch performances from Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, and Nicole Kidman. While it’s a very stylized thriller with some unique images and themes on family, it’s also an interesting one that plays into some of the dark traits about families. For fans of Chan-wook Park, the film definitely serves as a reminder into why he’s one of the best filmmakers working today where he infuses the film with a lot of exotic imagery and heavy themes. In the end, Stoker is a tremendous film from Chan-wook Park.

Chan-wook Park Films: (The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream) - (Trio) - Judgment (1999 short film) - JSA: Joint Security Area - Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance - (If You Were Me-Never Ending Piece and Love) - Oldboy - Three Extremes-Cut - Sympathy for Lady Vengeance - I'm a Cyborg but That's OK - Thirst - (Night Fishing) - (Day Trip) - The Handmaiden - (The Little Drummer Girl (2018 TV Series)) - Decision to Leave

© thevoid99 2013

Lovely & Amazing

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, Lovely & Amazing is the story of a family of women and a child as they each deal with all sorts of insecurities as they deal age, body image, and other issues. The film is an exploration of the lives of three different women and a pre-teen African-American child as they all try to figure out their place in the world. Starring Brenda Blethyn, Catherine Keener, Emily Mortimer, Raven Goodwin, James LeGros, Clark Gregg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dermont Mulroney, Aunjanue Ellis, and Michael Nouri. Lovely & Amazing is a poignant yet heartbreaking comedy-drama from Nicole Holofcener.

Jane Marks (Brenda Blethyn) is a middle-aged woman is set to have plastic surgery in hopes to look younger. While her adult daughters Michelle (Catherine Keener) and Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer) aren’t fond of the idea as is their adopted pre-teen African-American sister Annie (Raven Goodwin). They all are hoping for the best as Jane falls for her surgeon Dr. Crane (Michael Nouri) during the procedure. Michelle meanwhile, is dealing with issues with her artistic pursuits as it’s not bringing income to her family as she is at odds with her husband Bill (Clark Gregg). For the aspiring actress Elizabeth, she is still dealing with her physical insecurities as a photo shoot for her was a disaster for her while her relationship with boyfriend Paul (James LeGros).

With Jane wants the overweight and troublesome Annie to find a positive African-American role model in a swimming coach in Lorraine (Aunjanue Ellis). Annie has a hard time dealing with the fact that she’s an African-American while her older sisters try to help her out as she would often play with Michelle’s daughter Maddy (Ashlyn Rose). Unable to get money for her art, Michelle takes a job working at a one-hour photo shop as she befriends its 17-year old manager Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal). Elizabeth’s acting career is starting to take off as she gains an audition with film star Kevin McCabe (Dermont Mulroney) which didn’t go well though McCabe thought she was good as they later went out for dinner.

When Jane’s surgery leaves her in a coma, the sisters all try to deal with what’s happening as Michelle embarks on a fling with Jordan while Annie starts to act out. With the premiere of Elizabeth’s new movie is happening, the sisters attend as they would all face their own problems about themselves and their mother.

The film is about four different women in different age groups and situations as they all try to come to terms with who they all are. With each hoping to make something of themselves, they would also face the certain realities of their own situations as it becomes harder for them to deal with. In reality, the film is a character study of sorts as well as displaying the kind of insecurities that women go through. For some, it’s a physical insecurity. For others, it something much more as Nicole Holofcener delve into these issues without going into a heavy-handed route by letting the audience figure out these characters.

For Jane, she’s a woman who is already a mother to two adult women as she is hoping to look and feel young in the surgery. What happens would force her to endure something unexpected as she also tries to flirt with her surgeon. For the eldest daughter Michelle, she is a woman who feels like her marriage is on the outs due to her unkind husband as she is also a kid of sorts who likes to watch cartoons and eat cereals with her daughter. Elizabeth is a woman with a nice figure but feels very insecure about herself as she would often take in stray dogs while her boyfriend becomes very uninterested. In the young Annie, she is a young African-American child living with a White family as she has a hard time dealing with her own racial identity while she just acts out and is becoming overweight.

The script allows Holofcener to figure these people out as they all want something to identify with while Michelle and Elizabeth each engage into different affairs due to their unhappy love life. Yet, the men they would be with for these affairs are very different individuals who appreciate who they are although they’re clearly not the right kind of guys to be with. Still, Holofcener does make them complex enough to be interesting men while maintaining her focus on the women as they try to figure themselves out.

Holofcener’s direction is truly engaging in the way she presents the film although many of the shots and compositions are pretty straightforward. Despite that lack of style, Holofcener does make up for it by being very up-front on the film’s dramatic moments while knowing when to put humor in a few scenes. One notable scene that is very confrontational involves a fully-nude Elizabeth asking Kevin McCabe what is wrong with her body. McCabe would be reluctantly honest as it is one of the most uncomfortable moments ever presented on film. It’s a moment in the film where nudity is allowed to help tell a story rather than just be a sex scene or an excuse just to have nudity.

Other moments of Holofcener’s direction involves the Annie character as this young girl is definitely lost in her identity as Holofcener presents these subtle moments where she pretends to play dead while swimming in a pool. Holofcener presents Annie as a lost child who is unsure about who she is as she would be quite up-front about everything as she curses and likes to eat a lot of food. There’s a scene where she and Michelle have a moment as Annie asks if she likes her straightened hair. Michelle reveals her answer in a direct yet calm manner as she understands what Annie is going through without really saying more. It’s these little moments of drama and humor that makes the film so much more than just a typical comedy-drama as Holofcener creates a very broad yet heartwarming film.

Cinematographer Harold Bosmajian does an excellent job with the film’s low-key digital photography that is a bit grainy but very entrancing for its simple look. Notably in the nighttime interiors where it doesn’t need lots of light while maintaining a sense of mood for the dramatic moments of the film. Editor Robert Frazer does a nice job with the editing by playing it a bit straight while utilizing a few jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts for some of the intensity of the film’s dramatic moments. Production designer Devorah Herbert and art director Missy Parker do some terrific work in creating the set piece such as the homemade artwork that Michelle makes as well as the look of Jane’s clean, spacious home.

Costume designer Vanessa Vogel does a very good job with the costumes as a lot of it is quite casual for the men and women while it also includes some designer stuff that Elizabeth wears including the sheer dress she wears in the opening scene. Sound editor Kelly Oxford does some fine work in the sound editing from the intimacy of some of the locations that occur to the raucous atmosphere of the pool hall where Lorraine runs the swimming school. The music by Craig Richey is quite remarkable for its keyboard-driven score with folk-driven pieces to play up the drama that occurs in the film. Music supervisor Amy Rosen creates a soundtrack that is very low-key as it includes a lot of indie acts like Pillbox, Josh Rouse, Elwood, and Bleu.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is remarkable for the ensemble that is created as it includes small but notable performances from Christine Mourad as Elizabeth’s agent Cindy, Ashlynn Rose as Bill and Michelle’s daughter Maddy, Dreya Webber as Michelle’s friend Donna, James LeGros as Elizabeth’s cynical and disinterested boyfriend Paul, and Clark Gregg as Michelle’s smarmy and unsupportive husband Bill. Other noteworthy supporting roles include Michael Nouri as Jane’s attractive surgeon Dr. Crane, Dermont Mulroney as big-time film star Kevin McCabe, Aunjunae Ellis as Annie’s kind but concerned swimming coach Lorraine, and Jake Gyllenhaal as Michelle’s teenage photo-shop manager Jordan whom she would have a brief affair with.

Raven Goodwin is superb as the young African-American child Annie who is confused by her identity while acting out as she deals with her mother’s surgery as it’s a very raw yet charming performance for the young actress. Brenda Blethyn is excellent as the humorous and excited Jane who is hoping to look and feel young while trying to help her daughters with their own situations. Emily Mortimer is great as the insecure Elizabeth who is trying to get an acting career going while dealing with her own physical flaws as Mortimer delivers one of her most vulnerable moments by going full-on nude in front of a guy as it’s a truly confrontational yet unsettling performance from the British actress. Finally, there’s Catherine Keener in a brilliant performance as Michelle who tries to find success as an artist while dealing with a failing marriage as she also has to help out her other sisters as it’s a witty yet touching performance from Keener.

Lovely & Amazing is a spectacular yet smart film from Nicole Holofcener. Featuring an amazing ensemble cast led by Catherine Keener, Emily Mortimer, Brenda Blethyn, and Raven Goodwin. It’s a film that doesn’t stray into conventions about women and their own issues about their physicality, age, and identity while it’s also one that is quite strong. Even if the characters are flawed but real enough for people to be engaged by. Lovely & Amazing is a rich and poignant drama that is told with a sense of wit and realism better than its creator Nicole Holofcener.

Nicole Holofcener Films: Walking & Talking - Friends with Money - Please Give - Enough Said - The Auteurs #22: Nicole Holofcener

© thevoid99 2012

Bastard Out of Carolina

Based on Dorothy Allison’s novel, Bastard Out of Carolina is the story of a young woman’s illegitimate daughter who becomes a victim of the physical and sexual abuse of her stepfather during the 1950s in rural South Carolina. Directed by acclaimed actress Anjelica Huston in her directorial debut with a teleplay by Anne Meredith, the TV-film explores a woman’s struggle to love her husband while dealing with her daughter’s abuse as her family watches in horror. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ron Eldard, Glenne Headly, Dermont Mulroney, Grace Zabriskie, Diana Scarwid, Lyle Lovett, Susan Traylor, Michael Rooker, and in film debut, Jena Malone along with narration by Laura Dern. Bastard Out of Carolina is a harrowing and heartbreaking film from Anjelica Huston.

After giving birth to her first baby in a state of unconsciousness, following a car accident, and then losing her first husband (Dermont Mulroney) before the birth of second child. The life of Anney Boatwright (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has been a difficult one as she’s raising two young girls in Reece (Lindley Mayer) and Ruth Anne (Jena Malone), who is also called Bone, while living with her mother (Grace Zabriskie) and surrounded by a close though dysfunctional family. When her brother Earl (Michael Rooker) introduces Anney to Glen Waddell (Ron Eldard), Anney is smitten by Glen as the two start a relationship though Anney’s mother isn’t sure about the relationship while knowing that Glen comes from a very rich family.

After the two wed and Anney is expecting another child, things seem to go well until one night when Glen is waiting in the car with Reece and Bone as he wakes Bone up and molests her. Bone becomes confused over what happened as the child Anney gave birth to died stillborn as she and Glen move to various places as Glen struggles to hold down a job. During a visit to the home of Glen’s father (Pat Hingle) where things go wrong, Glen later takes out all of his frustrations on Bone as she would have to endure countless abuse until a doctor asks Anney about what’s going on. Bone, Reece, and Anney stay temporarily with Anney’s sister Alma (Susan Traylor) and her husband Wade (Lyle Lovett) until Glen asks Anney to come home.

When Anney’s older sister Ruth (Glenne Headly) falls ill, Bone is asked to help take care of her, Ruth wants to know what is going on with Glen as she asks Bone about what he’s been doing to her. Bone couldn’t muster up the courage to tell as she returns home to endure another beating as Earl and her aunt Raylene (Diana Scarwid) find out what Glen did to Bone. Earl and Raylene let Bone stay at Raylene’s river home as another family crisis involving Alma brings the family together. When Bone tells her mother that she won’t come because of Glen, Anney finds herself torn between her love for both Glen and Bone.

Films about child abuse can often lead to sentimental and very overwrought ideas but this film is not about child abuse. Instead, it’s about a woman torn between the devotion of her new husband who loves and cares for her though he also has a temper and acts like a grown child. The other thing that this woman loves is her eldest yet illegitimate daughter as she had grown up without a real father figure though she was able to be loved by a man who was later killed in an accident. For this woman, she is desperate to have a man in her life away from her mother and her rural background. Yet, she also has her daughter whom she loves so much but couldn’t bear to see her be harmed in such a gruesome way.

Anne Meredith’s teleplay definitely goes into depths of what Anney Boatwright is going through as she had someone who loved her but then died right away as she hopes to find someone who can get her out of the environment she lives in. While Anney has a family that does love and care for her, despite being quite dysfunctional, she needs a man to be with her so she wouldn’t have to take care of her tired mother. While Glen isn’t a complete bad man, he is earnest in his love for Anney and Reese while is also a victim of abuse from the way his father treats him. Due to what he’s gone through, Glen is forced to take out all of his anger and yearning to be loved by abusing Bone.

The narration, that is told by Laura Dern as the older Bone, has Bone reflecting on the misfortune of her entire life as due to the confusion of her birth certificate, Bone was certified a bastard from the day she was born. Though Anney wants to do good for Bone, her devotion to Glen makes Bone feel more on the outs as she clings to the people in her extended family such as the spiritual Ruth, the playful Earl, and the hardened but wise Raylene. Since she feels like Glen doesn’t love her at all and going through all of this abuse, Bone becomes a much more weary and grounded child that has lost her innocence. Through all of this, she becomes more confused into why her mother would still be in love with a man that would do a thing to her.

Anne Meredith’s script gives director Anjelica Huston the chance to create a film that doesn’t stray into the conventions of TV movies while allowing herself to get her hands dirty in exploring its subject matter. Huston’s direction has a wonderful sense of intimacy for a lot of the dramatic scenes while some of it is very eerie. Notably the scene where Bone is being molested for the first time as Huston has the camera solely focused on Bone. Huston knows what to do while not making it too graphic as she also keeps some of the scenes simple in the way she presents the film. Overall, it is an impressive directorial debut from Anjelica Huston.

Cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond does an excellent job with the photography as it‘s straightforward though is set in a very gray time as it‘s shot on location in North Carolina. Richmond also creates some amazing shots and shadings to emphasize the dark tone of the film for scenes of Bone dealing with everything around her. Editor Eva Gardos does a wonderful job with the editing to maintain a leisured pace to the film while doing a few rhythmic cuts to play up some of the intense drama and heightened moments in the film.

Production designers Nelson Coates and Van Broughton Ramsey, along with set decorator Burton Rencher, do great work with the art direction to play up the world of rural South Carolina in its poor, working class environment that many of the characters live in. Ramsey’s work on the costume design is superb to play up that poor look with its very casual yet grimy clothing while making some stylish clothes such as Anney‘s waitress dress. Sound editor David Hankins does a nice job with the sound to play up the sparse intimacy of the homes that Bone goes to as well as a few scenes to liven things up for its large ensemble cast.

The film’s score by Van Dyke Parks is pretty good for its haunting yet dramatic orchestral score to play up some of the harrowing moments of the film. The music soundtrack that is supervised by Robin Urdang features an array of old-school 1950s gospel and country music that features pieces from Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, the Carter Family, George Jones, Wanda Jackson, and Blind Willie Johnson as the music pieces selected for the film is a major highlight.

The casting of John Brace and Linda Lowy is brilliant as they created what is truly an amazing ensemble cast. Small but notable appearances include Dermont Mulroney as Anney’s kind first husband Lyle, Richard Todd Sullivan as Ruth’s husband Travis, Christina Ricci as Ruth’s teenage daughter Dee Dee, and Pat Hingle as Glen’s spiteful father. Other notable small but memorable roles include Lindley Mayer as Bone’s younger sister Reece, Lyle Lovett as Bone’s uncle Wade, Susan Traylor as the no-nonsense Alma, and Grace Zabriskie as Anney’s tough and suspicious mother who has mixed feelings about Glen early on.

Glenne Headly is very good as Bone’s saintly yet lively aunt Ruth who tries to get everyone to feel good while becoming very concerned about Bone during her illness. Diana Scarwid is excellent as aunt Raylene, a wise yet grounded woman who takes Bone in while trying to make understanding of everything Bone has gone through. Michael Rooker is wonderful as Bone’s uncle Earl who is a fun guy that loves his niece while being the only true male protector she has when dealing with Glen. Ron Eldard is great in a terrifying performance as Glen, an immature man who truly loves Anney yet harbors great resentment towards Bone as Eldard truly brings a complexity to a man that hates this young girl for making Anney choose between him and her.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is superb as Anney, a woman that has experienced loss and turmoil as she is desperate to hold on to the man that loves while being tormented by the fact that he abuses her daughter. Leigh’s performance is definitely harrowing for the fact that this woman is in complete conflict while she doesn’t make Anney a character to despise for the decisions that she makes. Finally, there’s Jena Malone in her feature-film debut as it is truly one of the most outstanding debut performances for any actress. Malone brings a wide range ideas into her role as someone who can be very charming and witty in light-hearted scenes while showing that she’s capable of being very engaging in darker scenes. Though she was only 10 when she did the film, it is truly a performance for the ages for the way she exudes all of the anguish and emotional turmoil that Bone goes through as it’s a mesmerizing yet heartbreaking performance from Jena Malone.

Bastard Out of Carolina is a marvelous though unsettling TV-film from Anjelica Huston that features a great ensemble cast led by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jena Malone. It’s not an easy film to watch due to its subject matter and the fact that Huston doesn’t hold things back in terms of its dark themes. Bastard Out of Carolina is a sensational yet eerie film from Anjelica Huston.

© thevoid99 2011

Undertow

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/7/05 w/ Additional Edits.

Since emerging with his dreary, dramatic debut feature George Washington in 2000, the Arkansas-born, North Carolina-native David Gordon Green was becoming the new cinematic voice for the American South with his realistic outlook at the poverty of the South and its hazy beauty. Often channeling the influences of Robert Altman and Terrence Malick, Green was becoming a favorite among critics, notably Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert who highly praised the director and his debut feature. Green re-emerged in 2003 with his sophomore feature, All the Real Girls that was a more traditional, romantic drama starring Green regular Paul Schneider plus Zooey Deschanel and Patricia Clarkson.

The film received similar acclaim while Roger Ebert gave All the Real Girls like his debut feature, four out of four stars while champion him as one of the most gifted young directors he's seen. Green was also getting praise from independent film director Gus Van Sant. Another iconic director Green got praise from was none other than the reclusive but legendary Terrence Malick who not only loved his work but would also help produce Green's next project, an unconventional thriller/chase drama entitled Undertow.

Based on a story by Lingard Jervey that was later turned into a script by Green and Joe Conway, Undertow is a thriller about a reclusive, quiet family living in a farm in Georgia whose idyllic, quiet life is disrupted by a man's brother who had just returned from a stint in prison. Driven by envy, greed, and rage, the life of a man and his two sons are changed when murder occurs and the two young boys run away from their uncle. Taking influences from some of the Southern films of the 1970s plus the work and narrative style of Malick, Undertow is more than just an homage to 1970s cinema with a bit of Green's unconventional style of storytelling. Starring British actor Jamie Bell, Dermont Mulroney, Josh Lucas, Devon Alan, Kristen Stewart, and Shiri Appleby. Undertow is a brilliant, in-your-face thriller that brings beauty and danger to the South.

For the secretive Munn family from a secluded farm in rural Georgia, there’s not much to do but raise hogs and fix broken things in the town. Yet for the teenager Chris (Jamie Bell), he rebels against the safety of his father John's (Dermont Mulroney) as he causes trouble and gets chased by cops after breaking the window of the house of girlfriend Lila (Kristen Stewart). The day couldn't have been worse since it was Chris' ten-year-old brother Tim's (Devon Alan) birthday. Tim doesn’t mind if he celebrates his birthday with just his father and brother. John prefers to live quietly while still mourning the death of his wife and mother's children. The boys do nothing but raise hogs while John goes miles away for work with the ever-frail Tim refusing to eat normal feed while eating stuff like dirt and paint.

Though Chris might rebel against the quiet life that his father wants since it prevents him from seeing Lila, that begins to change with the arrival of his uncle Deel (Josh Lucas) who had just gotten out of prison. Deel's arrival only makes John uneasy though he needs him to watch over the boys. Deel helps out though he couldn’t notice of Chris' rebellion as he takes him out for a ride in his car. Deel asks Chris if he knew about any coins that John still had. Chris doesn't know where they are as does Tim. The coins were taken by John and Deel's late father from a Mexican ferryman and John claims the coins are cursed by the ferryman. Deel wants his share but John has had them hidden. Finally, after days of waiting, Deel terrorizes the home as he reveals a shocking family secret and demands for the coins as murder ensues. Chris and Tim run away with the coins as Deel tries to find them.

The boys keep on running till they stopped at the home of a poor but caring black couple named Wadsworth (Eddie Rouse) and Amica Pela (Patrice Johnson) where they received shelter with a bit of work for exchange. After learning that Amica called for Deel, the boys go on the run again as Deel keeps looking for them. Chris knew that they couldn't resort to stealing every time while the idea of going to their maternal grandparents often comes into question since they didn’t like their father. Chris tries to get work at the docks but because he wasn't of age yet, he and Tim continued to go on the run as Tim becomes frail. Chris does everything he can to steal and succeeds to help Tim only that Deel is getting closer into finding them. After arriving in a town by train, they meet a young homeless girl named Violet (Shiri Appleby) who takes them to her abode with other homeless folks as they know an upcoming confrontation with Deel is coming soon.

Most chase thrillers have a tradition of being on-going with a lot of action and a bit of a break in its usual structure. David Gordon Green's approach was not only channeling a bit of Southern Gothic drama but also the stories he read as a kid which are referenced in the books that Tim reads. The first half of the film is a contemporary, bleak drama with a lot of Southern Goth textures about family and mysticism about the coins with a morality point from the John Munn character. Then the film begins to change into a chase film through the South as if the audience is watching a lost episode of The Dukes of Hazzard but with some dark humor and no Daisy Dukes walking around. Green channels not just the Southern films of the 70s he grew up with but also starts the film off with a bang where Chris gets into trouble while the film credits have a 70s feel to it.

Green's ability to pay homage of the 1970s Southern films shows that his roots are still intact in where he came from. He encompasses the South just as it is. It's very bleak, it's also a bit dreary, and it has a beauty to it that is indescribable. It's that same idea that makes All the Real Girls an appealing film in itself. Green manages to capture an authenticity to the look, even as the film moves forward to its final act. There is very little humor in what Green carries, especially in the environment he's in as the kids talk about little mosquito-like creatures that leave out big marks on the skin that are called "chiggers". There's an unconventional style in how Green tells the story from the script and his directing approach since he makes the film its own with a bit of things he loved including a brief narrative style of Terrence Malick that broadens the story more.

Helping Green in capturing the authenticity of the film's look is his longtime cinematographer Tim Orr. Orr brings the realism of its look with very little lighting in the film's nighttime sequences, especially with fire as the source of light. In the film's scenes in the dirty, garden-like shelter the homeless people are in, there's something beautiful in its lighting with sunlight and all sorts of reflections that come in that are magnificent. Orr aims for realism and beauty, even in the ugliest of places as he goes for what Green wanted, a feeling that you are there and for those in the South, that's what it really looks like. Even in the film's production design from Richard Wright, the film has a distinctive look with the way the Munn home looks like where it looks a bit poor and broken but it's still holding in its own to the shops, garage stations, and the shelter where the places have an authenticity to it as does the costumes of Jill Newell.

Green's longtime editors Steven Gonzales and Zene Baker give the film a nicely, stylized editing structure that gives the movie its unconventional style and approach. Even in the way the film would look where the shots would suddenly go into different color schemes with some freeze-frame then fade-out editing styles. There's a nice rhythm and presentation into the way the film is edited. Even in the sound work of Christof Gerbert, the film has a realistic way of its sound from the creatures heard in the woods to the sounds of ships at the docks. Everything that is also captured in sound is the tense-filled score of Phillip Glass who brings in that mix of drama and tension that surrounds the film and the characters in their present environment along with some music ranging from country, blues, and rock that is played in its soundtrack from frequent Green collaborators Michael Linnen and David Wingo.

Then there's the film great cast that are filled with actors and non-actors. Small performances from Pat Healy as a mechanic, William D. Turner as a worm-eating dock worker, and Bill McKinney as the boys' grandfather are wonderful to watch as does the poverty-stricken but content couple of Wadsworth and Amica Pela played by Eddie Rouse and Patrice Johnson. Rouse and Johnson bring depth into their performances as a couple that lost some things but still pride on themselves for living and giving the boys shelter. Kristen Stewart and Shiri Appleby also give wonderful performances as the love interests of Chris with Stewart being the naive one in her illuminating presence as Appleby plays a grittier, desperate one who is helped by Chris.

Dermont Mulroney is brilliant as the strict but morally caring John Munn who does all he can to take care of his boys while protecting them from things he feel would trouble them. Mulroney brings a bit of humor but a lot of heart as a father who is still grieving while trying to teach his sons right from wrong. Josh Lucas gives an intense performance as the repressed, dangerous Deel with an intimidating presence that the audience will know will be scary to watch. Lucas steals every moment onscreen, even when he's being quiet and restrained in one of his best performances. Devon Alan is amazing as the young, 10-year old Tim with his affinity for books and eating weird stuff while proving to be a great companion as a kid who has an intelligence and a way he deals with things at a young age in what is the film's real breakthrough performance.

Jamie Bell gives a riveting performance as the trouble-making Chris who does all he can to rebel but when he’s faced in a situation that is life-threatening, he does all he can to take care of his little brother. Bell also displays a true Southern accent with all the quirks and schemes that makes him an authentic Southern boy. Bell brings energy, depth, and heart to an amazingly complex character that's a bit of Huck Finn and a bit of the rebellion of Kit in Terrence Malick's Badlands.

The Region 1 DVD from United Artists/MGM is shown in the 16x9 Widescreen format of 1:85:1 presentation plus 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound in English, Spanish, and Portugese plus French, Spanish, and Portugese subtitles. The DVD also includes several features including the film's trailer and promos for other MGM releases. Special features includes 2 deleted scenes with an introduction from David Gordon Green apologizing for the poor film quality of the deleted scenes but showed what they could've been. The first is an extended scene of Amica talking about her baby that later died and her remorse in a wonderful dramatic scene. The other comes very late in the film where Tim and Deel talk as he ponders the parallels between his relationship John and Tim's with Chris. The animated photo gallery is shown with one of the songs in the soundtrack playing in the background. Each picture moving with shots of the film's cast and crew playing around and relaxing as it includes an appearance from Gus Van Sant holding the camera.

The Behind-the-Scenes documentary produced and co-hosted by Josh Lucas with an optional introduction from the actor as he talks about making Undertow and his experience of making the film. The documentary called Under the Undertow is a 28-minute documentary shot by Lucas, Bell, and the entire cast and crew reveal the relax, laid-back style of everyone involved with a lot of hi-jinks and on-set arguments with a make-up artist and assistant director plus a car that got lost and never found. The doc also includes comments from the actors including Devon Alan who enjoys the acting and doesn't really want to do it for money but wants to have fun and make into a career. The doc also reveals the devotion to realism and authenticity in the 30-day shoot in the Spring of 2003 where the film was shot mostly around Savannah, Georgia and parts of South Carolina.

The final special feature in the DVD is an audio commentary track from David Gordon Green and actor Jamie Bell. Bell, who was watching this film for the very first time, talked about perfecting his Southern accent for weeks before the film and like many of the actors, everyone was in character, notably Devon Alan who was the most professional out of all of them, to the surprise of the older actors. Green discussed a lot of the locations and technical ideas of the film while bringing in a few friends from his films and character actors from movies he loved like Bill McKinley from Deliverance and references to other movies like Macon County Line, Bad Boys with Sean Penn, and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot by Michael Cimino.

Another discussion that everyone wanted to hear is the involvement of Terrence Malick. Green talked about Malick wanted to give Green a script for Undertow after seeing his debut film that Green began to work on with Joe Conway. Malick noticed how his influence was used and helped him out during filming as Green acknowledges him not just as a great film director but also a great mentor. Green and Bell's conversations are filled with hilarity and tidbits where they discussed how both Josh Lucas and Dermont Mulroney both injured themselves during the fight scene, Bell also got injured, and how Green wanted to find a Southern Billy Elliot for his film only to use Bell in the end.

Undertow is a brilliant, stylish thriller from David Gordon Green featuring amazing performances from Jamie Bell, Devon Alan, Josh Lucas, and Dermont Mulroney. While traditional thriller fans will find the structure a bit too unconventional, fans of Southern 70s films like Deliverance and Macon County Line will definitely enjoy the film and the references it has as well its ode to the South. The film has it all, witty dialogue, nice action work, some great drama, nice humor, a great atmospheric tone, and an authenticity to what it really was like in the South.

It was no surprise that the film received a lot of acclaim plus another four-star review from Roger Ebert who put the film in the top ten list of his favorite films of 2004. The real person who should be thanked for having this film is the legendary Terrence Malick who gave a young director like David Gordon Green a chance to create a unique vision as the young 30-year old filmmaker is truly becoming a future cinematic voice for American cinema.

David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Snow Angels - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) - (The Sitter) - (Prince Avalanche) - Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) - - (Our Brand is Crisis) - (Stronger (2017 film)) - Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)

© thevoid99 2011

About Schmidt

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/4/04 w/ Additional Edits.

One of the most enduring and influential actors to grace the silver screen, Jack Nicholson gave moviegoers roles anyone can remember. Whether it's a werewolf, a joker, a sailor, a drunk, or all sorts of crazy guys. After winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1997 for As Good as it Gets, Nicholson took a break from acting. By this point, an actor of his caliber and age would end up retiring or end up playing roles that are familiar to an audience. Unfortunately for some of those veteran actors, they end up playing themselves to the point that they've lost their edge. For Jack Nicholson, he found the right role in 2002 in a bleak-comedy from Alexander Payne about a 66-year old retiree trying to stop his daughter from getting married to a loser while wondering what meaning his life had to anyone entitled About Schmidt.

About Schmidt is a film about ageing and what could've been with your life at an old age. From the Louis Begley novel adapted into a script by Payne and Jim Taylor, About Schmidt has all of the offbeat humor that Payne's previous films Citizen Ruth and Election had.  Unlike those previous films, this one is more harrowing. Payne's bleak look on About Schmidt reveals the fear of growing old and not being useful to anyone. The casting of a legend like Jack Nicholson in the role of Warren R. Schmidt is indeed inspiring, especially since Nicholson does something he hasn't done in this role, which was restraining himself. With a rich cast including Kathy Bates, Hope Davis, and Dermont Mulroney, About Schmidt is a funny, offbeat drama from Alexander Payne.

The film begins as Warren R. Schmidt is counting down the seconds of his final day as an executive vice president at the Woodmen insurance company in Omaha, Nebraska. When the day ends, a new chapter of his life begins as he goes to a retiring party with his wife Helen (June Squibb) as he looks on at all the people celebrating his life including best friend Ray Nichols (Len Cariou). Warren feels calm but awkward about his present life, as he couldn't believe that he's now retired as he returns home as he gets a call from his daughter Jeannie (Hope Davis) about a robe she and her fiancée Randall Hertzel (Dermont Mulroney) gave him. Warren doesn't think much of Randall as he begins his new life as a retiree with Helen as they have breakfast in the motor home they just bought and he goes to his office to find his replacement not needing him at all with his old files in a trash bin.

One day, Warren scours through the channels till he finds the Childreach service as he decides to call and help a poor child. A few days later, he gets a letter where the child he sponsors is a little boy from Tanzania named Ndugu. He writes Ndugu a letter where he channels his frustrations about his life how he calls his replacement "a cocky bastard". He also writes about his family and how he disapproves Jeannie of getting married to Randall and how his wife Helen now irritates him with little things like the way she smelled, she sits, and how she makes him urinates sitting down. He wonders, "Who in the hell is this old woman living in my house?" He sends $11 in a check and the letter as he tells Helen he's going to the post office and upon his return; she dies all of a sudden. Jeannie and Randall come to Omaha to comfort Warren, as he is subdued over the whole thing.  Yet, Randall talks to him about a pyramid scheme while Jeannie criticizes Warren over the fact that he bought a cheap coffin for her mom and that he needs to take care of himself now.

Helen's death leaves Warren to be a mess as he leaves the house to be messy as he begins to discover love letters Ray had sent her a long time ago. Warren snaps at Ray as he decides to leave for a trip while writing letters to Ndugu. Warren begins to relive his adolescents by visiting his old fraternity house in the State of Kansas University and his old childhood home, which became a tire store. One day during a stop, he meets up with a couple named John and Vicki Rusk (Harry Groener and Connie Ray) where they invited him to dinner as they talk about their kids and sorts. When John was away, Warren talks to Vicki about his wife as he felt, she understood him better than his wife did as he makes a pass at her forcing him to leave. He then ponders if he was ever good enough for Helen as he decides to stop Jeannie from marrying Randall by going to Denver.

Warren arrives at Denver where he meets Randall's hippie mother Roberta (Kathy Bates) at her house while having dinner with Jeannie, Randall, his brother Duncan (Mark Venhuizen), and Randall's divorced father Larry (Howard Hesseman) with his new wife Saundra (Cheryl Hamada). Warren couldn't believe Jeannie is going to be married to this strange, bohemian family as he begs Jeannie to reconsider but she has already decided to marry Randall. Warren's night gets worse when he sleeps at Randall's room and on a waterbed of all things that made him stiff and disjointed. Jeannie is angry and stressed over the plans of the wedding and her dad in this situation as he tries to get up but he becomes a zombie of sorts during rehearsals for the wedding. Things get worse for Warren as he begins to wonder what difference has he made for anyone.

While Citizen Ruth and Election were extremely funny and offbeat, About Schmidt is more of a dramatic film with elements of humor. Alexander Payne truly deserves credit for bringing in light-hearted comedy to the film's bleak tone. Even with its drab, grayish-look from cinematographer James Glennon gives the film its bleakness while presenting the world of Middle America that is often overlooked. Payne's harrowing view is pretty funny on some cases, especially the way Nicholson's Schmidt character looks at all the things in America including museums and arrowheads. Payne is truly one of the best American filmmakers in the past decade and About Schmidt is truly an amazing American story despite its the cynical tone towards aging.

Hope Davis delivers an enchanting yet powerful performance as Jeannie.  A woman wanting to get married though her stress can lead her to act bitchy towards her dad, who is trying to help. Dermont Mulroney is hilarious as the waterbed salesman Randall. While he looks like a cartoon with a mullet and a weird mustache, he's a kind of guy who is just nice despite the fact that he's a nincompoop. The smaller performances of June Squibb, Len Cariou, Howard Hesseman, Harry Groener, and Connie Ray, all standout in their respective roles while the best supporting performance overall goes to Kathy Bates. Bates brings in a brash, funny performance as this bohemian, hippie woman who curses a lot, does all of these weird things and most of all, gets naked in a hot tub with Nicholson. Bates deserves kudos for showing the world what a real woman looks like, as it's one of those "Whoa!"moments.

The film's best performance easily goes to Jack Nicholson. Usually, Nicholson would've done things in a more offbeat, crazy sort of way where he's loose and abrasive. For the Warren Schmidt character, he doesn't do any of that since it would've been too easy for him and he would end up parodying himself. What Nicholson does is give a restrained, somewhat relaxed approach to his character and at times, make himself feel awkward. It's Nicholson not trying to be young but actually, accepting his age in a role that is classic Nicholson. Nicholson manages to balance a sense of comedy into his performance as he drools during the rehearsal while putting in some his mastery in drama to the more heartwarming performances, especially in the film's final scene.

While it's not as funny as Election or his 2004 film Sideways, About Schmidt is still a strong, funny drama from Alexander Payne featuring a masterful performance from Jack Nicholson. Fans who loved Nicholson in the past will be amazed at his performance while Payne fans will love this comedy for its offbeat, relaxed tone. Even the supporting performances of Mulroney, Davis, and Kathy Bates will keep the audience watching, especially in the more shocking moments. It's a film that's both entertaining while not trying to be too real for its audience. In the end, Payne delivers another winner with About Schmidt as Jack Nicholson proves himself again as an enigmatic actor.

Alexander Payne Films: Citizen Ruth - Election - Sideways - Paris Je T'aime-14th Arrondissment - The Descendants - Nebraska - (Downsizing) - The Holdovers - (Tracy Flick Can't Win) - The Auteurs #5: Alexander Payne

(C) thevoid99 2010