Poison (2023 short film)

 

Based on the short story by Roald Dahl, Poison is the story of a man who learns that a snake has slithered onto his stomach as a fellow traveler and a doctor try to save him. Written for the screen and directed by Wes Anderson, the short film is the fourth and final short film in a series of adaptations of stories by Roald Dahl where it explores a man dealing with a life-and-death situation where two men try to save him. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, Eliel Ford, Benoit Herlin, and Ralph Fiennes. Poison is a chilling and mesmerizing short film by Wes Anderson.

The 17-minute short film revolves around a British man who is lying still as a friend of his learned there is a snake sleeping on the man’s stomach as he asks for a doctor to help observe the situation. It is a film that plays into a life-and-death scenario as Wes Anderson maintains a straightforward narrative into the script with Timber Woods (Dev Patel) being the narrator of sorts as he watches over his British friend Harry Pope (Benedict Cumberbatch) lying still on his bed as a snake has fallen asleep on his stomach. Woods calls Dr. Ganderbai (Ben Kingsley) about the situation as he arrives where he observes everything as he knows that Pope is in deep shit. It plays into this sense of tension along with some revelations about what is going on with Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) popping in for a couple of scenes as he also talks about the snake that is on Pope’s stomach.

Anderson’s direction aims for a straightforward style while shooting much of the action is shot in a 2:35:1 aspect ratio with the two Dahl scenes shot in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio. Shot at Maidstone Studios in Kent, England, Anderson does bring in some unique compositions where the widescreen aspect ratio allows him to provide a bigger canvas to play into the suspense. Notably when Anderson uses wide and medium shots to get a scope into the situation including shots from above that plays into the scale of the room and what is at stake. There are also some close-ups as it plays into Pope as he is sweating as well as Dr. Ganderbai where it adds to the dramatic suspense. Even though Dr. Ganderbai would use some methods he knows that would prove to be risky, it adds to what is at stake. Overall, Anderson crafts a riveting yet whimsical film about a life-and-death situation involving a snake.

Cinematographer Robert Yeoman does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for many of the interior/exterior sets as well as the emphasis on heightened colors for the scenes involving Dahl. Editors Barney Pilling and Andrew Weisblum do excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, along with set decorators Cathy Featherstone and Anna Pinnock plus art directors Claire Peerless and Kevin Timon Hill, does brilliant work with the look of the home that Pope and Woods lived in as well as the artificial background sets and the home of Dr. Ganderbai. Costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone does fantastic work with the clothes of Dr. Ganderbai as well as the pajamas that Pope is wearing.

Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon does nice work with the look of the characters with their facial hair. Special effects supervisors Chris Reynolds and Nick Roberts do terrific work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it consists of moving sets and a brief shot of a snake that is in a jar that Dahl has with him. Sound mixer Valentino Gianni does superb work with the sound in the way sparse noises sound from outside as well as the emphasis on silence. Music supervisor Randall Poster does a wonderful job with the film’s minimal music soundtrack as it features a song by Jarvis Cocker in the film’s final credit in the feature-length version of the film.

The film’s remarkable ensemble cast includes two notable small roles from Benoit Herlin and Eliel Ford as a couple of stagehands with Ralph Fiennes in a superb appearance as Roald Dahl who comments on a couple of moments in the story. Dev Patel is incredible as Timber Woods as a friend of Pope who is narrating everything that is happening while also observing into a dangerous situation that could be fatal to Pope. Ben Kingsley is great as Dr. Ganderbai as a doctor who knows how to deal with snakes while he observes the severity of the situation knowing that one mistake is costly. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a tremendous performance as Harry Pope as a man lying in bed as he believes a snake is sleeping on his stomach as he is restrained but also terrified in this life-and-death situation.

Poison is a phenomenal short film by Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and a gripping story about a life-and-death situation. It is among one of Anderson’s finest short films as well as a great adaptation of a short story by Roald Dahl. In the end, Poison is a sensational film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - The Swan - The Rat Catcher - The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) – (Asteroid City) - (The Phoenician Scheme)

© thevoid99 2024

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

 

Based on the short story by Roald Dahl, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is about a man who learns about a guru who sees things without using his eyes hoping to master this technique to cheat at gambling. Written and directed for the screen by Wes Anderson, the 37-minute short film is the first of a four-part short film series that adapts the works of Dahl as it is told in the offbeat yet meticulous style that Anderson is known for. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Dev Patel, and Richard Ayoade. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is an imaginative and wonderous film from Wes Anderson.

The film is the simple story of a rich man who discovers a book about a doctor’s report on a guru who can see things without his eyes where the man hopes to master this skill to cheat at gambling. It is a film told in a multilayered style as it is told through different characters with Roald Dahl (Ralph Fiennes) doing the narration as well as how he authored this story with claims that it is based on a real man. Notably as the titular character (Benedict Cumberbatch) was at an event bored where he walked to the library where he discovered this book written by Dr. Chatterjee (Dev Patel) who recounts his meeting with a circus performer in Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley) who asked to be blindfolded for an upcoming performance. Dr. Chatterjee and his colleague Dr. Marshall (Richard Ayoade) would ask Khan these questions about where he learned this trade where Khan would tell the story of how he met this guru (Richard Ayoade) as it plays into Henry Sugar’s obsession to learn this skill, yet it would succeed in learning it, but its aftermath would prove to be unfulfilling.

Wes Anderson’s direction plays in a style that includes a lot of static shots and so much mindfulness in the setting where it does feel like the fourth wall is broken. Shot on location at the Maidstone Studios in Kent, England, Anderson’s usage of un-broken long shots, unique camera angles, and sets being moved from set to another adds to this unconventional presentation where characters narrate this story and the layers upon which it plays into Sugar’s newfound obsession. While the film is shot in a 1:33:1 full-frame aspect ratio on 16mm film to maintain an intimate style while still using some wide shots. Anderson’s usage of medium shots and close-ups do add to the sense of whimsy as well as intrigue into whether these stories were true as the characters would talk to the camera to play into this ambiguity with actors also playing multiple roles. It would all play into this journey of a rich yet lonely man who wants more money and wealth, yet it is through this skill to see things without his eyes that would reveal so much more than what wealth can offer to him. Overall, Anderson crafts a delightful and rapturous film about a rich man’s discovery of a secret skill that can make him wealthier.

Cinematographer Robert Yeomen does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of vibrant colors and heightened lighting for some of the daytime exteriors as well as stylish lights and low-key lights for some scenes at night. Editors Barney Pilling and Andrew Weisblum do excellent work with the editing as it has a few jump-cuts while a lot of it is straightforward in its cutting in allowing shots to linger for a few minutes. Production designer Adam Stockhausen, with supervising art director Kevin Timon Hill plus set decorators Cathy Featherstone and Anna Pinnock, does brilliant work with the look of the sets in the interiors of Sugar’s home, the hospital in India, and some of the backdrops created for Khan’s story. Costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone does fantastic work with the costumes in the posh clothing that Sugar wears as well as the different clothing that Dahl and other characters wear.

Hair/makeup designer Frances Hannon does amazing work with the hair/makeup design in the different looks that the characters would have included Sugar late in the film. Special effects supervisor Chris Reynolds, along with visual effects supervisors Jep Hill, David Lebensfeld, Tim Ledbury, and Grant Miller, does terrific work with the special effects in some of the backdrops with some little mechanical animation in the background and rear projection in a few bits. Sound editors Wayne Lemmer and Christopher Scarabosio do superb work with the sound as it plays into some of the natural sound effects as well as some sound effects created to play into the environment the characters are in. Music supervisor Randall Poster creates a wonderful soundtrack that consists of a classical music piece that is played sparingly in parts of the film.

The film’s ensemble cast features a few small appearances from Jarvis Cocker in various roles as friends of Sugar as well as a casino receptionist and David Gant as a casino croupier. Richard Ayoade is excellent in a dual role as Dr. Marshall who assists Dr. Chatterjee in his study of Khan as well as the Great Yogi who would teach Khan this trick to see things without his eyes. Dev Patel is amazing in a dual role as Dr. Chatterjee who is fascinated by Khan’s story where he would author the book that Sugar would read and as Sugar’s family accountant John Winston who would oversee Sugar’s business later in the film. Ben Kingsley is brilliant in a dual role as the circus performer Imdad Khan who would gain fame through a trick in seeing things without his eyes where he presents himself in a calm manner and in another role as a casino blackjack dealer.

Ralph Fiennes is incredible in a dual role as Roald Dahl as the man who revealed how learned this story about Henry Sugar and his meetings with him and in a small role as a policeman who is upset with an incident that Sugar causes. Finally, there’s Benedict Cumberbatch in a phenomenal dual performance as the titular character who is this wealthy man that becomes obsessed in learning this skill so he can win at gambling only to gain something even more fulfilling while Cumberbatch also plays a small role as a makeup artist who works for Sugar later in the film.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a tremendous film by Wes Anderson. Featuring a great cast, wondrous visuals, and an inventive screenplay. It is a short film that takes one of Roald Dahl’s overlooked short stories and turns into a story of a man’s obsession in a story he read only to find something far more valuable than what he originally intended to use with this skill he discovered. In the end, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a spectacular film from Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson Films: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Hotel Chevalier - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - Moonrise Kingdom - Castello Cavalcanti - The Grand Budapest Hotel - Isle of Dogs - The French Dispatch - Asteroid City - The Swan – The Rat Catcher – Poison – The Phoenician Scheme - The Auteurs #8: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson Film Soundtracks: Bottle Rocket - Rushmore - The Royal Tenenbaums - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Seu Jorge-The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions - The Darjeeling Limited - Fantastic Mr. Fox - (Moonrise Kingdom) – (The Grand Budapest Hotel) – (Isle of Dogs) – (The French Dispatch) – (Asteroid City)

© thevoid99 2024

The Green Knight

 

Based on an anonymous poem entitled Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Green Knight is the story of King Arthur’s nephew in Sir Gawain who goes on a quest to confront a mysterious creature whom he had faced off the year before. Written for the screen, edited, and directed by David Lowery, the film is an interpretation of the King Arthur legend about his nephew and his journey into acceptance as Sir Gawain is portrayed by Dev Patel and the titular character portrayed by Ralph Ineson. Also starring Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan, Erin Kellyman, and Sean Harris as King Arthur. The Green Knight is an audacious and surreal film from David Lowery.

The film revolves a young knight who confronts a mysterious figure known as the Green Knight as the young knight would go on a quest one year later as he would take part in an arduous journey filled with challenges and surrealistic moments. It is a film that explores a young man who is the nephew of King Arthur as he accept the challenge of the Green Knight during a Christmas banquet as Sir Gawain becomes a knight yet knows he has a duty to fulfill. David Lowery’s screenplay is largely straightforward narratively yet it takes on an episodic approach as it play into Gawain’s own journey and his desire to win the acceptance of his uncle though the creation of the Green Knight came from his own mother (Sarita Choudhury) who hopes that her son will pass this challenge and become king one day.

Much of the film’s first act is about Gawain confronting the Green Knight, dealing with his fame in the course of a year, and the duty he has to fulfill while he is also devoted to a commoner in Essel (Alicia Vikander) who gives Gawain a token for his journey as does his mother in a girdle that would protect him. The second act is about the journey north where Gawain doesn’t just contend with the land around him but also various people such as a scavenger (Barry Keoghan), a mysterious young lady (Erin Kellyman), and others including a lord (Joel Edgerton) and his wife (Alicia Vikander). Gawain is also accompanied by a fox in that journey where it does play into his development as a young man seeking to prove himself but also contend the idea if he’s worthy or not to be his uncle’s right-hand man.

Lowery’s direction is definitely stylish as it doesn’t play into the rules expected in a fantasy film set in medieval times but rather something more grounded and grimy in its presentation. Shot largely on location in landscapes in Ireland, the film does use the locations as a character as this physical challenge that also has these elements of surrealism that Gawain would encounter. Lowery’s usage of the wide and medium shots play up into the scope of these locations including some of the scenes in the castle as it is set largely in dreary conditions with very few set in places that are beautiful. Lowery’s usage of tracking shots also play into some of the sense of adventure Gawain occurs but also in scenes that showcases his youthfulness early in the film but also in moments that are also quite striking at times. Notably in scenes at the castle as there is a sense of beauty to the way the exterior settings lights up the interior including the scene of the Green Knight’s arrival. Lowery’s usage of close-ups play into some of the sense of terror and emotions that Gawain and some of the people he meets as it adds to this journey he would encounter as some relate to death while others relate to desires.

Lowery’s approach to surrealism isn’t just in the form of the fox and this young woman that Gawain encounters in the second act but also in scenes that include a horde of giants and other events that play into Gawain’s own journey. Even as Lowery serves as his own editor where he uses a bit of jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to add to the film’s suspense and drama. There are also scenes where Lowery would circle a certain location as it play into Gawain’s fate along with these moments in the film’s third act where he would finally meet the Green Knight. It is a climax that is about bravery but also everything Gawain learned in his journey to face this mysterious being who is actually more human than Gawain realizes. It is followed by a sequence that is surreal as it play into Gawain’s own decisions and attachments toward ordinary things but also its outcome. Overall, Lowery crafts a rapturous and evocative film about a young knight going on a quest to confront a mysterious figure one year after their first confrontation.

Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of filters to add a mood to a few bits of the film including its third act as well as its emphasis on natural lighting to play up the dreary landscapes that Gawain would encounter. Production designer Jade Healy, with set decorator Jenny Oman plus art directors Christine McDonagh and David Pink, does amazing work with the look of the interiors at the castle as well as the home of the lord and lady and some of the design of the places that Gawain goes to including the Green Knight’s chapel. Costume designer Malgosia Turzanska does excellent work with the ragged clothes that Gawain wears as well as the design of the crowns the king and queen wear and the gorgeous blue dress the lady wears. Hair designer Eileen Buggy and makeup/prosthetics designer Audrey Doyle do fantastic work with not just the hairstyle of the lady as well as Essel but also the look of the Green Knight.

Special effects supervisor Paul Byrne and visual effects supervisors Kev Cahill do incredible work with some of the effects of the Green Knight but also in the design of the fox that follows Gawain and other aspects of the film that add to its surreal tone. Sound designer Johnny Marshall and co sound-editors Christopher Barnett do superb work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film as it help play into the atmosphere of the location as well as the way nature sounds and other elements that add to the suspense including sparse sounds of objects in the film. The film’s music by Daniel Hart is phenomenal as its usage of dissonant folk and vocal choirs add to the film’s surrealistic presentation as well as some of its suspense as well as its usage of strings and woodwinds as the music soundtrack include these traditional folk pieces that add to the journey that Gawain embarks on.

The casting by Louise Kiely is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from the trio of Nita Mishra, Tara McDonagh, and Atheena Frizzell as Gawain’s sisters who assist their mother in forms of witchcraft, Emmet O’Brien as the magician Merlin, Helena Browne as a blind woman that lives at the home of the lord and lady, and Megan Tiernan as a woman that Gawain would meet late in the film. Barry Keoghan is terrific in his small role as a scavenger that would harass Gawain on his quest while Erin Kellyman is superb in her small role as a mysterious young woman Gawain meets at an abandoned house. Kate Dickie and Sean Harris are fantastic in their small roles as Queen Guinevere and King Arthur with the former being a figure that is uneasy about the task Gawain is to endure while is forced to read the Green Knight’s letter in a scene while Harris’ role as the latter is a different take on King Arthur as a man giving Gawain advice on what he is going to face but also remind him that the quest is really a test.

Sarita Choudhury is excellent as Gawain’s mother as a variation of Morgana Le Fay as a woman who hopes for great promises for her son while is also is hoping her son would be able to pass the test against the man she created. Joel Edgerton is brilliant as the Lord as a man who offers Gawain shelter and rest while is aware of what Gawain is to face as he wants something of Gawain in return as it’s a low-key yet charming performance from Edgerton. Ralph Ineson is amazing as the titular character as this mysterious figure who is eager to be challenged in a game of honor as he’s also someone that may be intimidating but also understanding of what is at stake.

Alicia Vikander is incredible in a dual role as Essel and the lady as she is seen in a pixie-cut and an ordinary look for the former as someone that grounds Gawain and offers him hope while Vikander’s role in the latter is one of an enchanting seductress that is this embodiment of temptation who tests Gawain’s sense of morals and values. Finally, there’s Dev Patel in a phenomenal performance as Sir Gawain as a young knight who is eager to prove to himself that he is worthy to be his uncle’s right-hand man as he endures many challenges where Patel maintains that air of determination and hardened revelations as someone that is trying to understand his quest but also what he has to do as it is a career-defining performance for Patel.

The Green Knight is a sensational film from David Lowery that features a phenomenal leading performance from Dev Patel. Along with its ensemble cast, surrealistic presentation, ravishing visuals, eerie sound design, and a chilling music score from Daniel Hart. It is a fantasy film that breaks away from convention to focus on a man’s test of will as well as dealing with himself and revelations about whether he’s up to the task or not to face this mysterious and imposing figure. In the end, The Green Knight is a tremendous film from David Lowery.

David Lowery Films: Ain't Them Bodies Saints - (Pete’s Dragon (2016 film)) – (A Ghost Story) – (The Old Man & the Gun) – (The Year of Everlasting Storm) – (Peter Pan & Wendy)

© thevoid99 2021

Lion (2016 film)

Based on the book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose, Lion is the true story of a man who was separated by his family as a young boy where he was adopted by an Australian couple as he would later go on a search to find his original family. Directed by Garth Davis and screenplay by Luke Davies, the film follows the path of a man who trying to find his family with the help of those who cared about him including his adoptive family. Starring Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, David Wenham, Rooney Mara, Divian Ladwa, and Nicole Kidman. Lion is a rich and evocative film from Garth Davis.

Told largely in the span of more than 25 years, the film follows a young boy who is separated from his older brother where he accidentally boards a train and is suddenly lost where he’s later adopted by an Australian couple who would raise him. It’s a film that follows the journey of a boy searching for his family only to restart the search many years later as a man where he begins to raise questions about himself and what happened to his mother, his older brother, and younger sister. Luke Davies’ script doesn’t waste time early in the film where the young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) follows his older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) who is trying to find work while Saroo naps at a bench on a train where he accidentally enters a train that leaves where he arrives in Calcutta several days later. Much of the first act has Saroo lost in Calcutta trying to find his way back home but has no idea where he’s at nor does he speak Bengali since he speaks a more rural Hindu-based language.

He would encounter people that might seem good but he immediately realizes that it’s not what it seems until he’s taken into an orphanage where he is later aided by a woman in the orphanage in finding his family but has gotten no response. Yet, she would tell him that an Australian couple in John Brierley (David Wenham) and his wife Sue (Nicole Kidman) are interested in adopting him. The second act largely takes place in Tasmania, Australia where Saroo finds a home and a family that loves him where they adopt another Indian child in Mantosh (Keshav Jadhav) who has a hard time adjusting to his new surroundings. 20 years later as the older Saroo (Dev Patel) is training to manage hotels while he dates an American student in Lucy (Rooney Mara), Saroo gets a reminder of his old home forcing him to go into a search to find his family through the usage of Google Earth. Though he is reluctant to tell his adopted parents on what he’s doing, it would become an obsession that nearly drives him apart from those who care about him.

Garth Davis’ direction is definitely mesmerizing for not just the way he captures a man caught between two different worlds but wanting to hold on to them as well as make peace with the world he was lost in when he was a child. Shot on various locations in India such as Kolkata and Melbourne, Australia along with Tasmania, the film does play into this journey that a boy would take as he would travel from Khandwa to Calcutta as Davis would use a lot of wide shots to establish the locations as well as the sense of wonderment that the young Saroo would endure. Much of Davis’ direction is intimate with its usage of hand-held cameras for the close-ups as well as the medium shots to capture Saroo’s family life with John and Sue. Though a lot of Davis’ compositions are straightforward, there are elements of style late in the second act where the older Saroo would see his older brother at a certain location as well as paralleling images to play into a location in Australia and matched with India. The usage of Google Earth is crucial to the story as it play into Saroo’s search and what he can remember about certain locations which leads to the film’s climax where he returns home to see if his family is still there. Overall, Davis crafts a riveting and touching film about a man’s journey to find his family with the support from the people who raised and cared for him.

Cinematographer Greig Fraser does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lights for many of the exterior scenes with some low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Alexandre de Franceschi does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, stylish match cuts, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Chris Kennedy, with set decorators Nicki Gardner and Seema Kashyap plus art directors Janie Parker and Ravi Srivastava, does fantastic work with the look of the home that John and Sue live in as well as Saroo’s home in Melbourne plus some of the places in India. Costume designer Cappi Ireland does nice work with the costumes from the ragged clothes of the young Saroo walking around in India to the more casual look of the older Saroo and the people in his life.

Visual effects supervisors Julian Dimsey and Sid Jayakar do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects that relate to Google Earth and a few moments of set dressing. Sound designer Robert Mackenzie does superb work with the sound as it play into the many locations as well as the array of sounds that Saroo remembers from his time as a child. The film’s music by Hauschka and Dustin O’Halloran is wonderful for its mixture of Indian string music with some ambient textures to play into the sense of wonderment that Saroo endures while music supervisor Jemma Burns provide a mixture of music ranging from Indian-pop to electronic music and pop from acts like Hercules and Love Affair, Sia, Enigma, and Mondo Rock.

The casting by Kirsty McGregor is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Riddi Sehn as a man in a café who would find the young Saroo and take him to the authorities in the hope his family would find him, Tannishtha Chatterjee as a young woman in Calcutta who finds Saroo and gives him shelter for a while, Nawazuddin Siddiqui as a friend of that woman who has ideas for Saroo that makes the boy uncomfortable, Keshev Jadhav as the young Mantosh, Abhishek Bharate as Saroo’s older brother Guddu, Divian Ladwa as the older Mantosh who remains a troubled soul, Priyanka Bose as Saroo’s biological mother, and Deepti Naval as Saroj Sood who is an outsider of the Indian orphanage system as she would be the one to make sure Saroo finds a good home and would get him adopted by the Brierleys. David Wenham is superb as Saroo’s adoptive father John Brierley as a kind man that is very patient with Saroo and Mantosh as he is also someone that is becoming concerned with the former’s growing distance from everyone. Rooney Mara is fantastic as Lucy as an American student who becomes Saroo’s girlfriend as she is concerned about his distance as she wants to help him find his family.

Sunny Pawar is excellent as the young Saroo as this young boy who is trying to find his way back home as he endures poverty, different language and cultural barriers while eventually finding a home and a family that loves him. Dev Patel is brilliant as the older Saroo as a man who finds himself dealing with his identity as well as the need to find his family where his obsession nearly drives him away from those who care about him. Finally, there’s Nicole Kidman in a truly radiant and intoxicating supporting performance as Saroo’s adoptive mother Sue as she provides this air of warmth and gracefulness from the first scene she’s in as a woman that is full of love where it’s Kidman at her most restrained as well as one of her finest performances.

Lion is an incredible film from Garth Davis that features great performances from Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel, and Nicole Kidman. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous locations, and a touching story of loss and the need to return home. It’s a film that captures the journey of a boy who becomes a man in his need to find his original family as well as bring together those who raised and cared for him. In the end, Lion is a sensational film from Garth Davis.

© thevoid99 2018

Slumdog Millionaire

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/19/08 w/ Additional Edits.

2007's sci-fi drama Sunshine brought Danny Boyle to a genre that he hadn't explored as the director created a film that definitely was unique. Despite a controversial third act that left some viewers and critics bewildered, Boyle continued to move forward. Ever since his return to the spotlight following the high-profile flop of 2000's The Beach, Boyle had been exploring various genres ranging from children's drama with Millions, to the zombie-gore fest of 28 Days Later and its sequel 28 Weeks Later which he served as a producer and shot second unit. Boyle returns once again to the big screen in 2008 with another new genre exploration as he travels to India and Bollywood for his 2008 drama Slumdog Millionaire.

Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy based on Vikas Swarup's book Q & A, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from Mumbai who is on live TV playing an Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. Yet, as he's interrogated by police who accuse him of cheating, he reflects on every answer he said on the show in relation to memories of his childhood and the love for a young woman he hoped would see him on the show. A mix of Bollywood and Boyle's kinetic, stylish filmmaking style, it's a film that is truly uplifting and original. Starring Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irfan Khan. Slumdog Millionaire is an intoxicating, intense, and inspiring masterpiece from Danny Boyle.

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a former street child from Mumbai who is currently playing on an Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire where he is one question away from winning the grand prize. Yet, he's immediately arrested by authorities, including the show's host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), who believe that he's cheating. After being tortured, the police's chief interrogator (Irfan Khan) starts to talk to him about every question he answered on the game show. For Jamal, each question and answer lead him to reflect on his young life like the time when he was a young child (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar), he got the autograph of a big-time Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan (Feroz Abbas Khan). Yet, he also would experience the death of his mother (Sanchita Couhdary) during an anti-Muslim raid. With his older brother Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail), they find a young girl named Latika (Rubiana Ali).

The young Jamal befriends Latika though as the three kids meet a man named Maman (Ankur Vikal) who takes them in where they gain shelter and such. Yet, Salim discovers a dark side to Maman where he's introduced to the world of crime. When Jamal was about to take part in Maman's scheme, Salim creates an escape where the brothers and Latika make an escape but Latika is still taken by Maman. Jamal and Salim begin a life of being vendors in the trains until years later, they are kicked out as they're in the area near the Taj Mahal. Now as teens, Jamal (Tanay Chheda) and Salim (Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala) make a living as unofficial tour guides where they make a lot of money. Yet, Jamal still wants to return to Mumbai hoping to find Latika (Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar) as Jamal wants to live a straight, clean life. Yet, Salim is still intrigued by crime that he manages to locate Latika where he makes an encounter Maman. Yet, Salim manages to get the attention of another crime lord named Javed (Manesh Manjrekar) as Salim claims Latika as his own.

Now years later towards the present time, Jamal works as an assistant in a call center where he finds Salim (Madhur Mittal), who is now a lieutenant for Javed. Salim reveals to Jamal that Latika (Freida Pinto) lives with Javed as he tries to get her to leave. Instead, she couldn't because she is now a prisoner for both Javed and Salim where he decides to get her attention by taking a shot at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. At the interrogation room, he reveals why he played the game to the interrogator who makes a huge decision for Jamal's future.

The film is a simple tale of a young man trying to get the attention of the woman he loves through a game show. Yet when he gets suspected of cheating, the character of Jamal reveals why he chose those answers which each answer links to a moment from his life. The film is about memory as Jamal reveals why he chose this answer and what link in his life does he have with that answer. Yet, with a show like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, there's three life-lines to choose from as Jamal is given. One of those question that he didn't know, he went to the audience. Another was using the 50-50 where Jamal took a risk. The other involves the call from a friend/family that provides one of the film's climatic moment.

Simon Beaufoy's screenplay definitely moves back and forth from present time to Jamal's memories as a child and his journey as a young man. Yet, its emphasis on memory and a young man's desire to capture the attention of the girl that he loves is a story that is truly inspiring. It's a film that is about the idea of destiny where for Jamal, it's about living a life that is straight and without any kinds of troubles. Yet for his older brother Salim, he lives a life of crime believing that money can bring happiness until he is given a conflict about loyalty. The character of Latika is a young woman who brings a balance to the boys as she delves into conflict in her feelings for Jamal and the world of materialism she's been given from Salim despite his jealousy towards her. What Beaufoy creates is a sense of tension yet at the center is Jamal and how he chooses his destiny with those two people watching him.

While Beaufoy's screenplay is filled with a wonderful structure, character development, and plot devices. It's Danny Boyle's direction that really takes the film to spectacular heights. With co-director Loveleen Tandan shooting several sequences in India, Boyle goes right in front for many of the film's hyper-active Mumbai scenes in its slums and poverty-stricken world. Yet, Boyle creates a style that is definitely colorful and dream-like. With its hand-held camera style and sense of suspense in the film's game-show sequences. Boyle also goes for a range of emotions whether it's something innocent and uplifting in the scenes with the children or something dark in the film's crime and suspense sequences. Yet, Boyle creates a film that is definitely engaging and inspiring that feels complete with a great Bollywood tribute sequence at the end.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle creates probably one of the year's best shot films with his kinetic, stylish cinematography filled with an array of colors in many of the film's exterior scenes. Mantle's hand-held work and the way he captures a scene with his camera as all of the action and chase scenes are done with such precision. Mantle's work is by far one of the year's best work in cinematography along with wonderful interior shots in some of the film's present-day sequence with some grainy, digital work. Editor Chris Dickens does amazing work in the film's editing with its hyper-active style without going into speedy, Hollywood-style cutting in its emphasis to capture the action. Dickens also goes for a rhythmic style of editing for the film's back-and-forth transitions from present to past and so on while using rewinds and shimmering slow-motion style for its sense of emotional tone. Dickens' editing is definitely brilliant in its emphasis on style.

Production designer Mark Digby and set decorator Michelle Day do excellent work in some of the film's non-Mumbai scenes with the decay of the orphanage scene, the posh world of Javed and Salim, and the modern world of Bombay. Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb does excellent work with the film's costumes from the decaying clothes to the kids to the more stylish clothing of the older versions of the main characters. Sound designers Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers do excellent work the sound work in creating the tension for the game-show sequences and Mumbai scenes with its on-location sounds.

The music score composed by A.R. Rahman is brilliant with its percussion-driven, Indian-inspired score to capture the energy of the chases along with guitars and strings to accompany the themes of characters and such. With contributions from Sri Lanka singer M.I.A. in a few tracks including the song Paper Planes from her 2007 album Kala, it's an intoxicating, powerful soundtrack that is filled with a lot of traditional Indian and Bollywood music that it's easily one of the year's best work in music.

The casting by Gail Stevens and Loveleen Tandan do brilliant work with the film's casting with small yet memorable performances from Saurabh Shukla as a police sergeant, Sanchita Couhdary as Jamal and Salim's mother, Chirag Parmar and Siddesh Patil as the orphan boy Arvind, Feroz Abbas Khan as legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, and Manesh Manjrekar as crime boss Javed. Ankur Vikal is excellent as Maman, the crime boss disguised as an orphanage leader. Anil Kapoor is great as the game show host who couldn't believe that Jamal is winning due to his background as he's often surprised. Irfan Khan is excellent as the police inspector who interrogates Jamal while being amazed at how those answers were linked to Jamal's life. Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala are great as the young Salim with Ismail as the young boy intrigued by crime and Gajiwala as the teen Salim who tries to be powerful in his role as the older brother.

Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar is good as the teen Latika who is glad to see Jamal until she is forced to be with Salim in order to save Jamal. Madhur Mittal is very good as the older Salim with his stylish, gangster look as he reveals a conflict into his loyalty to his brother or to the world of crime that he's living with. Rubiana Ali is great as the child version of Latika with her natural, enchanting performance while Freida Pinto is really good as adult Latika who feels conflicted in her imprisoned life and her fear for Jamal's safety as Pinto is just intoxicating to watch. In the triple role of Jamal, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar is great as the boy version with his innocence and ability to just do what's right while Tanay Chheda is also great as the teen version who brings out funny stories as a guide while being devoted to Latika. Dev Patel is brilliant as the adult Jamal who is just a straight-laced young man just wanting to get the attention of the woman he loves as he just links to everything he thinks about with those answers. Patel's performance is exhilarating as he brings a lot of human qualities to a character as he's playing a game that would make anyone nervous.

Slumdog Millionaire is easily one of 2008's best films from Danny Boyle thanks to an inspiring story and Boyle's colorful, cinematic style. Thanks to a great cast of mostly unknown actors, with the exception of Bollywood star Irfan Khan, it's a film that is a true rag-to-riches tale with lots of action, humor, drama, and excitement. Fans of Danny Boyle will no doubt be amazed at what he creates as it's definitely his most exciting and fulfilling film since Trainspotting. In the end, for a film that is inspiring and hopeful, Slumdog Millionaire is the film to see.

Danny Boyle Films: Shallow Grave - Trainspotting - A Life Less Ordinary - The Beach - 28 Days Later - Millions - Sunshine - 127 Hours - Trance - Steve Jobs (2015 film) - T2 Trainspotting - (Yesterday (2019 film))

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