The Lost Daughter

 

Based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter is the story of a woman vacationing in Greece is disrupted by the presence of a young mother forcing her to think about her own past. Written for the screen and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film is an exploration of a woman dealing with her own past but also being fascinated by this young mother who is struggling in the new world of motherhood. Starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Paul Mescal, Dagmara Dominczyk, Jack Farthing, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Ed Harris. The Lost Daughter is a riveting yet haunting film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The film is a simple story of a college professor traveling to Greece for a vacation where she observes a young mother dealing with her daughter who had lost her doll prompting this woman to think about her own past and struggles as a young mother back then. It’s a film that explores the idea of motherhood and how not everyone embraced it as a woman is forced to look back when she was a young woman to two little girls and watch this woman endure the same issues. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s screenplay is largely a straightforward yet reflective narrative where it follows Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) who goes to Greece on a holiday from work as she rents a small apartment for the time as she watches many people including this young woman in Nina (Dakota Johnson) struggling to take care of her young daughter Elena (Athena Martin). Even as Elena is surrounded by a group of people including family as many of them are terrible and not really helping Nina with her struggles.

For Leda, she is forced think about her time as a young woman (Jessie Buckley) in taking care of her two daughters with her often-absent husband Joe (Jack Farthing). Gyllenhaal’s script often shows Leda in situations where she is just trying to keep things to herself but is often surrounded by people in Nina’s circle who are quite cruel including a pregnant woman in Callie (Dagmara Dominczyk) who wants Leda to move her chair away from her party but Leda politely refuses. Leda would often encounter people who are quite mean to her with the exception of Nina and the apartment caretaker Lyle (Ed Harris) as with the former often coming to her for advice. It would force Leda to think about her own young life and how being a mother to two young girls wasn’t just overwhelming but also suffocating at times as the older Leda often looks on with a sense of regret but also warning Nina that things are going to be much tougher.

Gyllenhaal’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in terms of the setting but also in the air of intimacy into the two stories of this one woman dealing with her role as a mother but also observing this young woman struggling. Shot on location in Spetses, Greece as the small town, beaches, and houses are characters in the film as this tranquil getaway for Leda and many others. Gyllenhaal does use some wide shots to get a scope into some of these locations but uses medium shots to play into the conversations within the characters as well as lots of close-ups to play into some of the anguish as well as young Leda’s own sexual desires that include a scene of her masturbating while wearing headphones to block out her screaming kids. Gyllenhaal plays into this idea of motherhood and it’s not for everyone where the young Leda is more concerned with her own desires and her work rather than be with her daughters who are both seeking her attention. The doll that belong to Elena that Leda realized was in her bag following a moment where Elena had been lost and Leda found her is a symbol of Leda needing to redeem herself but also look back at her own faults as a mother.

Gyllenhaal’s direction also play into Leda struggling to deal with some of the other vacationers though she befriends Nina, Lyle, and a young Irishman named Will (Paul Mescal) who works at the bar at the beach. Gyllenhaal often has the camera in these locations of where Leda walks onto a hill that leads to the beach but also these small locations in the town where she wants to enjoy herself despite some of the awful young locals and tourists who say horrible things to her. The third act does play into the events that Leda regretted in her past during a conversation with Nina as it flashes back to the young Leda going on a trip for a lecture where her own desires come into play among meeting a college professor named Hardy (Peter Sarsgaard). Gyllenhaal would also reveal this key moment that opens the film of Leda walking down the beach at night with a wound in her stomach as it is also a symbolic moment about the many struggles of motherhood and the sacrifices it took to accept this role. Overall, Gyllenhaal crafts an evocative yet chilling film about a middle-aged woman looking back at her faults as a mother years ago as she observes the struggles of a young mother during a vacation in Greece.

Cinematographer Helene Louvart does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as for some of the exterior scenes in the daytime. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts as well as some unique transitions into the flashbacks. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Christine Vlachos and art director Monica Sallustio, does brilliant work with the look of the apartment that Leda lives in as well as the home she had when she was younger and some of the places she go to in the town nearby. Costume designer Edward K. Gibbon does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with a few of the stylish clothing and swimsuits that Nina wears.

Tattoo designer Panos Kondylis does nice work with some of the tattoos that Nina has as well as some of the people in her circle wear as it play into the idea of youth. Special effects supervisor Solon Giannoutos and visual effects supervisor Antonis Kotzias do terrific work with the special effects as it is largely minimal including a scene involving a young Leda and a doll and other bits of set dressing. Sound editor Leslie Shatz does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the sparse sounds heard in a location to give it that sense of realism. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchcliffe is wonderful for its mixture of blues and orchestral string music that play into the drama while the film soundtrack features original music by Greek artist Monika along with music from the Talking Heads, Bon Jovi, Judy Garland, and Roberta Flack.

The casting by Kahleen Crawford is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Alexandros Mylonas as an older professor that the young Leda meets in a flashback, Alba Rohrwacher and Nikos Poursanidis as a couple of hikers the young Leda, her daughters, and husband meet, Panos Koronis as a Greek man named Vassili who is one of the few in Nina’s circle that is kind to her, Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Nina’s husband Toni, Robyn Elwell and Ellie Blake in their respective roles as Leda’s daughters Bianca and Martha, Ellie James and Isabelle Della-Porta in their respective roles as the voices of the older versions of Bianca and Martha, Jack Farthing as the young Leda’s husband Joe who is trying to do his job as well as be a good father, and Athena Martin in a wonderful performance as Nina’s young daughter Elena. Peter Sarsgaard is superb in a small role as college professor named Hardy whom the young Leda has an affair with during her seminar trip over translations she had created.

Dagmara Dominczyk is fantastic as Callie as a pregnant American tourist who is part of Nina’s circle as she is quite cruel while often being bossy while her kindness never feels sincere as she is someone who thinks knows everything and makes Nina insecure. Paul Mescal is excellent as the bartender Will who works at a beachside bar whom Leda befriends as he helps her out with the locales on the island but also observes the people who frequent though he also takes an interest in Nina. Ed Harris is brilliant as Lyle as apartment’s caretaker as a man that Leda befriends where he spent much of his time in this small town knowing a lot of the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes along while sharing his own stories of struggle with Leda but in a different way. Dakota Johnson is amazing as Nina as a young woman who is struggling with taking care of her young daughter while feeling her marriage is crumbling prompting her to find her own desires as she is being suffocated by people in her circle where she turns to Leda for help.

Finally, there’s the duo of Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman in tremendous performances in their respective roles as the younger and older version of Leda Caruso. Buckley’s performance showcases a woman that isn’t just struggling with taking care of two young girls but also someone who is just feeling suffocated in the role as she has her own desires. Even though she has rare moments where she shows affection and time towards her daughters as it only play into a woman that knows what she has to do but is overwhelmed by having to be a mother. Colman’s performance is more reserved as the older Leda with the exception of a scene where she is antagonized by a bunch of young asshole men at a movie theater and threatens them. Still, Colman has a performance that showcases a woman with a sense of regret but also harboring the pain that she had as a young woman as it is definitely one of Colman’s great performances who also can sing as she sings along to Bon Jovi.

The Lost Daughter is a phenomenal film from Maggie Gyllenhaal as it features great performances from Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, and Dakota Johnson. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a somber music soundtrack, and its exploration of the themes of motherhood and its many struggles. The film is a fascinating thematic study that explore a woman looking back about her time as a young mother as well as watch a young mother dealing with similar struggles including unhappiness. In the end, The Lost Daughter is a sensational film from Maggie Gyllenhaal.

© thevoid99 2022

mother! (2017 film)

Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, mother! is the story of a couple whose quiet life in the country is disrupted by visitors who come in for some unknown reasons causing all sorts of trouble. The film is an unconventional horror story revolving around unexpected visitors as it explores the idea of idol worship and desires to start a family. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, Brian Gleeson, Kristen Wiig, and Ed Harris. mother! is a visceral and harrowing film from Darren Aronofsky.

The film follows the life of a couple living in the middle of the country as a writer (Javier Bardem) is struggling to write a new book while his wife (Jennifer Lawrence) is finishing the redecoration of their house where they get some unexpected visitors that would shake everything up. It’s a film that explores the idea of worship as the writer is dealing with the expectations of a new book as he has writer’s block as well as the fact that starting a new life hasn’t helped him with his wife seemingly happy with the tranquility in shaping their home. Yet, she would see things such as a beating heart inside the house as if it’s haunted as it would worsen with the arrival of an ailing doctor (Ed Harris) who is later joined by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Darren Aronofsky’s screenplay is filled with a lot of themes as the writer is willing to have guests in his home as the doctor is a fan of the writer’s work as it later goes into chaos due to the people that come to the house. For the wife, it becomes overwhelming as these visitors would disrupt everything as the wife questions her husband’s generosity as she believes he is selfish and often too inviting as well to the point that he neglects her. All of this happens during its first half as the second half becomes about the arrival of a new person for the writer and his wife but also more chaos and tragedy that would loom throughout due to the fact that writer revels in the worship of his readers who have taken his work way too seriously.

Aronofsky’s direction is definitely stylish in the way he would open and end the film in the same way as if it’s all part of something biblical. Shot near Montreal, the film is set entirely in a country house in the middle of nowhere as it serves as this kind of idyllic world where the wife is in charge while her husband struggles with trying to write a new book. While there’s some wide shots in the film for much of the exteriors, Aronofsky aims for something more intimate with the usage of medium shots and close-ups as there’s a lot of emphasis on the latter. Notably in moments where the wife would touch the wall as if there is something living in the house as it would show the image of a heart beating as if the house is real. Aronofsky would create moments that are quite calm yet there is something that is uneasy such as the wife’s interaction with the doctor’s wife who would say these very offbeat yet cruel things throughout the film as it would baffle the wife who becomes more uneasy. Another part of Aronofsky’s direction that is unique is the fact that he would shoot close-ups of certain objects as well as the focus of a crystallized object at the writer’s office.

Things would intensify during the second act when the doctor and his wife would receive a visit from their two sons (Brian and Domhnall Gleeson) as it adds more chaos where Aronofsky’s usage of hand-held cameras to follow the action would show the sense of disruption at the house. Notably in the third act following the aftermath of the release of the writer’s new book where it’s just mayhem. There’s moments in this sequence that is quite ridiculous as well as grotesque but there’s also some dark humor in the film that add to the insanity of what is happening. Even as the writer is forced to see what his work has done as it adds a lot of religious and biblical allegory into everything that has happened with the wife at the center of it all. Overall, Aronofsky crafts a chilling and intense film about a couple’s tranquil life disrupted by strange visitors.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural colors for some of the daytime exteriors as well as some low-key lighting and moods for many of the interior scenes including the ones at the basement and for the scenes at night. Editor Andrew Weisblum does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other stylized cuts to play into the suspense and heightened drama that looms throughout the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorators Larry Dias and Martine Kazemirchuk plus art directors Isabelle Guay and Deborah Jensen, does amazing work with the look of the house and the way the different rooms look as well as how they would look in its decayed form including the basement. Costume designer Danny Glicker does nice work with some of the costumes as it is mostly casual with a bit of stylish clothing from the things the doctor’s wife wears as well as a dress the wife would wear in the third act.

Special effects makeup artists Mathieu Baptista and Shane Shisheboran does terrific work with some of the makeup for the look of some of the people that would emerge at the house as it adds to the insanity that occurs in the film. The visual effects work of Kenneth Caines and John Mangia does fantastic work with the visual effects from the look of the heart as well as some of the stranger things that occur in the house that would haunt the wife. Sound designers Paula Fairfield and Craig Henigan do superb work with the sound from the way some of the sounds of the house is presented as well as how objects are heard as it help add to the film’s approach to suspense and horror. The film’s music by Johan Johansson is wonderful as it’s very low-key with its approach to ambient music as it’s used very sparingly as sound texture while the only real piece of music in the film is a cover of The End of the World by Patti Smith.

The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Stephen McHattie as a zealot, Kristen Wiig as the writer’s publisher, Jovan Adepo as a mysterious cup holder, and the duo of Domhnall and Brian Gleeson as the feuding sons of the doctor and his wife. Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer are phenomenal in their respective role as the doctor and his wife with Harris as this kind and curious man that is eager to meet the writer as he is becoming very ill while Pfeiffer is just sublime as this very bitchy and intrusive woman that wants to know what is in the mind of the wife.

Javier Bardem is remarkable as the writer as this man that is struggling to write something as well as be attentive to his wife where he’s trying to find inspiration as it’s a very complex role of a man trying to be this figure for his adoring fans but also be there for his wife. Finally, there’s Jennifer Lawrence in a sensational performance as the wife as this young woman struggling to create a life for herself and her husband as she deals with these intrusive visitors as well as the neglect she’s getting from her husband as it’s a role of anguish and terror of a woman trying to protect the home she’s created.

mother! is a marvelous film from Darren Aronofsky that features incredible performances from Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris. Along with its eerie visuals, biblical references, eerie suspense, and moments of horror, it’s a film that is willing to push all sorts of boundaries and raise discussion though some of its presentation is flawed. In the end, mother! is a riveting film from Darren Aronofsky.

Darren Aronofsky Films: Pi - Requiem for a Dream - The Fountain - The Wrestler - Black Swan - Noah (2014 film)

The Auteurs #2: Darren Aronofsky

© thevoid99 2017

Snowpiercer

Based on the graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette, Snowpiercer is post-apocalyptic film set in an ice age where survivors are living on a train as the poor and hungry rebel against the elite as they try to take over the train. Directed by Bong Joon-Ho and screenplay by Joon-Ho and Kelly Masterson from a screen story by Joon-Ho, the film is a futuristic dystopia where class is being separated as it all takes place inside a train. Starring Tilda Swinton, Chris Evans, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner, Alison Pill, Song Kang-ho, Go Ah-sung, and Ed Harris. Snowpiercer is a thrilling yet mesmerizing film from Bong Joon-Ho.

Set in an ice age in the middle of the 21st Century where survivors of the ice age live inside a train. The film is about a rebellion led by the poor who live on the tail-end of the train as they trek through their way to front to confront the mysterious creator of the train. It’s a film that explores not just class structures where the poor is forced to suffer and eat protein bars, unaware of its true substance, while enduring all sorts of abuse as the only person from the front they meet is the train minister Mason (Tilda Swinton). For a young man in Curtis (Chris Evans), it’s all too much for him to take as he would lead the rebellion with the help of his mentor Gilliam (John Hurt) where they free the gates designer Minsu (Song Kang-Ho) and his daughter Yona (Go Ah-sung) only to encounter all sorts of horrors of the train they’ve been living in.

The film’s screenplay does begin with bits of exposition about how the ice age had begun all due to an experiment, that was to combat global warming , suddenly went wrong and led to this dystopia where its survivors live on the train. Yet, that is only in the first few minutes as it fast-forwards 2031 where Curtis and his friends Edgar (Jamie Bell), Tanya (Octavia Spencer), and Andrew (Ewen Bremner) are planning a revolt where both Tanya and Andrew want to retrieve their respective child who had been taken by an associate of the train’s creator Wilford (Ed Harris) who is seen by Mason and the elite as a god. For Curtis, seeing friends die and children taken away as well as the horrors he had experienced has him wanting to confront Wilford as the journey he and his friends take becomes an arduous one where they see things that don’t make sense as it shows how oppressed they are.

Yet, Mason is just a spokesperson for the elusive Wilford as she is eventually taken hostage to take Curtis and his band of rebels to the train and its different compartments. Upon these encounters with the compartments, there are these strange ideas of satire in the way Wilford’s teachings are handled as it has this very offbeat approach to dark humor. A lot of it is quite absurd yet it adds that film’s approach of dystopia where everyone has to be in the train in order to survive or else endure the horrors of what is outside as the ice age is still happening. There are images of what is outside the train as it on the same track for an entire year that spans all over the world in this massive track that goes from continent to continent. All of which plays into a world where there maybe no hope yet Curtis believes the answer to that hope is at the front of the train and its engine.

Bong Joon-Ho’s direction is very chilling in the way he maintains a sense of atmosphere as it’s shot almost entirely inside a train. There are a few wide shots in the film yet much of the compositions that Joon-Ho creates are focused on medium shots and close-ups along with some unique camera angles to play into the sense of terror and suspense. At the same time, there’s an element of claustrophobia as some of the compositions are very tight as is the train compartments where the poor cluttered inside to showcase the tension that is building up. Some of which involve these very gruesome images of violence where Joon-Ho brings in a lot of shooting styles from hand-held to more controlled approaches of action and suspense while also creating some moments that is all shot in one take

There is that sense of build-up into each compartment that Curtis and his character go through as Joon-Ho creates these set pieces inside the train compartments that are very surreal as well as off-putting. Some of which is played for laughs such as this very strange scene where Curtis and his gang encounter a schoolteacher (Alison Pill) who is a very cartoonish character just like Mason in some respects. Of course, things become more dangerous and deadly where it would play into not just Curtis’ motivations into meeting Wilford but also the chance to know why he was put into these situations. Curtis’ meeting with Wilford is very climatic but also filled with a lot of revelations into Wilford’s own motivations that showcases a lot about humanity and its fallacies. Overall, Joon-Ho crafts a very intense and provocative film about a revolt inside a train in a futuristic ice age.

Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo does amazing work with the cinematography from the grimy look and lighting in some of the compartments such as the tail end to the array of lighting styles to play into the different look of the compartments to showcase its offbeat and surrealistic tone. Editors Steve M. Choe and Changju Kim do brilliant work in the editing in creating some very unique rhythms to play into the film‘s action, drama, and dark humor along other stylish cuts from slow-motion and such to play into its action. Production designer Ondrej Nekvasil, with set decorator Beata Brendtnerova and art director Stefan Kovacik, does superb work with the design of the train compartments from the very drab and stuffy look of the tail compartment to the very different settings of the compartments to play into its offbeat tone.

Costume designer Catherine George does excellent work with the costumes from the ragged look of the poor to the more colorful and cartoonish look of the rich. Hair/makeup designer Jeremy Woodhead does nice work with the look of the Mason character in her very weird presentation from her hair and teeth that makes her more like a cartoon than a serious authority figure. The visual effects work of Kang Changbae and Eric Durst is spectacular for not just the look of the train in its exteriors but also in some of the action set pieces as well as what Earth looked like in its ice age. Sound designers Sung Rok Choi, Timothy Nielsen, and Dave Whitehead do fantastic work with the film‘s sound from the way the train sounds inside and out to the some of the atmosphere in the different train compartments. The film’s music by Marco Beltrami is wonderful for its orchestral flourishes along with some bombastic, electronic-based pieces while some of the film’s soundtrack includes a classical piece by Johann Sebastian Bach as well as a song from Cream.

The casting by Jenny Jue and Johanna Ray is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Paul Lazar as the maker of the mysterious protein bars, Tomas Lemarquis as a Wilford agent known as Egg-head, Marcanthonee Reis as Tanya’s five-year old son Tim, Steve Park as an officer of Mason, Emma Levie as a strange associate of Wilford, Clark Middleton as a poor painter who makes portraits for his friends, Vlad Ivanov and Adnan Haskovic as Mason’s muscle-men, and Luke Pasqualino as the mute fighter of the rebellion known as Grey. Ewen Bremner is terrific as the angry yet resourceful Andrew while Alison Pill is very funny as the offbeat teacher who tries to teach children the ideas of Wilford.

Ed Harris is excellent in a small yet very memorable role as the mysterious Wilford as a man who runs the train as he believes that he can save the world. John Hurt is amazing as the aging rebel leader Gilliam as he would guide Curtis into leading the rebellion as he hopes to confront Wilford himself. Octavia Spencer is brilliant as Tanya as the woman of the group who aids Curtis so she can retrieve her son. Tilda Swinton is great as the train minister Mason as she is this very cartoonish and offbeat character that tries to assert authority but is really a slimy coward. Jamie Bell is superb as Curtis’ sidekick Edgar who aids him in every way while doing a few funny things yet proves to be very reliable in every situation. Go Ah-sung is fantastic as the clairvoyant Yona as this young woman who can see through the gates while being an emotional compass of sorts in the film as she deals with the different worlds she’s never encountered.

Song Kang-ho is phenomenal as the drug-addicted gate designer Namgoong Minsu as a man who can open gates while making some realizations of his own about what is happening in and out of the train. Finally, there’s Chris Evans in a remarkable performance as Curtis Everett as a rebel leader who had seen and endured so much as he decides to take charge and confront Wilford as it’s a role filled with command but also anguish over some of his decisions as it’s a truly Evans in one of his best roles to date.

Snowpiercer is an outstanding film from Bong Joon-ho. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as captivating themes on humanity, dystopia, and class structure. It’s a film that manages to do a lot of things where it’s not just an action film with brains but it’s also quite funny at times as it hits all of the marks and more. In the end, Snowpiercer is a sensational film from Bong Joon-ho.

Bong Joon-ho Films: Barking Dogs Never Bite - Memories of Murder - The Host - Tokyo!-Shaking Tokyo - Mother - Okja - Parasite - Mickey 17 - The Auteurs #44: Bong Joon-ho

© thevoid99 2014

Gravity (2013 film)

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and written by Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron, Gravity is the story of two astronauts struggling to survive in outer space after a satellite debris crashed their space shuttle. The film is an exploration into the world of outer space where two astronauts deal with survival as they do whatever it takes to return to Earth. Starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Gravity is an absolutely tremendous film from Alfonso Cuaron.

What happens to two astronauts as they’re stranded in outer space after a satellite debris has crashed their space shuttle leaving the two to survive and reach for whatever space craft there is left? That’s pretty much a summary of the film as it is about these two astronauts floating and drifting around in outer space as one of them in Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) is a veteran astronaut on his last mission as he has to guide Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) to a space station as she has to cling on to him in order to survive. Yet, Dr. Stone is someone that is carrying a lot of emotional baggage and anxiety as she’s on her first space mission where she has to do a lot of the work while carrying little oxygen that she has. Even as she and Kowalski have to through many obstacles as the satellite debris orbits around the earth every 90 minutes in their path.

The screenplay by Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron does have a traditional three-act structure yet its plotting and approach to suspense is very different as it is about survival where a lot of things have to happen. Especially as Dr. Stone has to be the one to get inside the International Space Station with a couple of Soyuz space capsules to get one of them used so they can reach the Chinese Shenzhou space capsule that will get them home. Of course, it’s not just the satellite debris that becomes a problem but the fact that some of the equipment inside the space station and the capsules are either out of date or have parts that aren’t working. It just adds to the stakes that Dr. Stone and Kowalski have to deal with as the former is wracked with fear and frustration where the latter has to tell her to stay calm and do whatever to survive and go back home.

The direction of Alfonso Cuaron is definitely out of this world in not just the way the presents the film as it’s set entirely in outer space. It’s also a film where what happens when two people are in outer space where something goes drastically wrong and they’re in absolute danger that is a matter of life and death. Much of the film is set in outer space where there is a sense of unknown and it’s a world that is very different. Everyone is floating and has to wear space suits or else they die. There is no walking for much of the film as the characters are often floating around or sometimes spin-drift as they have no idea what to do or to hold on to. That element of suspense is very gripping and also very dangerous in the idea that something like this could actually happen.

Many of the technical elements that Cuaron puts in has him making a lot of shots set with many long takes including this very intense sequence that is very long where the satellite debris has crashed with Dr. Stone attached to an arm as she suddenly have to take off her belt where she suddenly drifts in a circle. It’s shot largely in one entire take where it goes from Dr. Stone spinning in space where the camera moves closer to her as it is shown from her perspective and inside the spacesuit as she’s struggling to breath whatever oxygen she has left and having to hear Kowalski’s voice who is trying to get her back. It’s among the many moments in the film where it is about that sense of danger and need to survive. Some of the shots set inside the space station and capsules are quite intimate yet the characters are either floating around or sitting on a chair on a seatbelt tied on them.

The direction of Cuaron also plays into the emotion of the characters where both Dr. Stone and Kowalski have to talk to each other as they’re the only survivors of this horrific incident that left their crew dead. Yet, there is also that sense of isolation where Dr. Stone has to be the one to go inside the space station and capsules as she’s left alone dealing with the chaos as well as the emotional baggage that she’s carrying. Cuaron’s camera is always on her as it’s mostly her story as she is on her first space mission and has to do things to survive no matter how inexperienced she is. Overall, Cuaron creates a thrilling yet exhilarating film about survival in outer space.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, with additional work from Michael Seresin, does incredible work with the look of the film in terms of its lighting and imagery as he creates amazing lighting schemes for many of the exteriors set in space to the use of low-key lights for the scenes inside the space station and capsules as Lubezki‘s work is an absolute highlight of the film. Editors Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger do brilliant work with the editing by creating cuts that capture the element of suspense while using very little cutting to play out every action that occurs to get the sense of danger that goes on in space. Production designer Andy Nicholson, with set decorator Rosie Goodwin and supervising art director Mark Scruton, do fantastic work with look of the space shuttle as well as the space station and capsules in its interior scenes.

Costume designer Jany Temime does excellent work with the look of the astronaut and cosmonaut space suits that Dr. Stone would wear in her journey. Visual effects supervisors Chris Watts and Timothy Webber do phenomenal work with the visual effects in not just the way outer space looks outside of earth but also in the look of the debris as it‘s another technical highlight of the film. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle is amazing for the atmosphere he creates in the way satellite debris sound as well as the air of silence that occurs in space where it‘s a world of the unknown. The film’s music by Steven Price is superb for its chilling yet intense music that ranges from calm, ambient pieces to thrilling, orchestral-based suspenseful cuts to play out the action while music supervisor Alejandro de la Llosa uses an array of music that is played in the background such as a country song that Kowalski likes to hear.

The casting by Richard Hicks and David Rubin is great as it features a lot of voice actors playing the role of the other astronauts and those in mission control with the most famous being Ed Harris as the NASA mission control director. The performances of George Clooney and Sandra Bullock are outstanding in the way they play to the sense of danger they deal with as well as their struggle to survive. While Clooney gets to bring a bit of humor in his role as Kowalski, he adds that grounding that his character needed in order to ensure that Dr. Stone would not panic. Bullock is in top form as Dr. Ryan Stone where she plays into that sense of fear and anxiety of what she’s facing as well as being someone that has to succeed despite her inexperience as Bullock brings a lot of emotional weight to her performance.

Gravity is a truly magnificent film from Alfonso Cuaron. Thanks to the remarkable performances of Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as well as its phenomenal technical work from its crew including cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. It’s a film that is unlike anything that is out there as well as a gripping suspense film set in space that bends all sorts of genres as well as what to expect in the world of science fiction. In the end, Gravity is a triumphant achievement from Alfonso Cuaron.

Alfonso Cuaron Films: Solo Con Tu Pareja - A Little Princess - Great Expectations (1998 film) - Y Tu Mama Tambien - Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - Children of Men - Roma (2018 film)

Related: Aningaaq - The Auteurs #11: Alfonso Cuaron

© thevoid99 2013

A History of Violence

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/30/06 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, A History of Violence is about a quiet, peaceful man living in a small, quiet town with a loving family whose lived is changed forever by an act of heroism. He is then confronted by a gangster who claims that he was once a killer. Directed by David Cronenberg and adapted screenplay by Josh Olson, the film is a study of a man who could be a case of mistaken identity or has a violent past that's finally caught up to him that threatens to shatter the idyllic life he has with his family. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ashton Holmes, Stephen McHattie, Ed Harris, and William Hurt. A History of Violence is a sprawling, intelligent, thrilling masterpiece from one of cinema's eccentric auteurs.

A young little girl names Sarah Stall (Heidi Hayes) screams in her bedroom after having a nightmare. She is then comforted by her father Tom (Viggo Mortensen) while her older teenage brother Jack (Ashton Holmes) suggests that she puts a nightlight on to keep the monsters away. Mother Edie (Maria Bello) looks on to see that the next morning, Sarah feels much better as everyone goes on their daily life in their quaint, small town in the middle of Indiana. Edie works at a local law firm while Tom runs his own diner that often features regular customers from the town. Jack meanwhile, makes a great catch during baseball practice that upsets the school's sport star Bobby (Kyle Schmid) as Jack's use of nonviolence only antagonizes the bully. The day ends with Jack spending time with his girlfriend Judy (Sumela Kay), Sarah at a sleep over, and Tom and Edie reliving their youth on a great night.

Then one night as Tom is about to close his diner, two men enter wanting for a cup of coffee when they start to cause some trouble. With one of the men in Billy (Greg Byrk) is harassing a waitress and the other named Leland (Stephen McHattie) is holding the place hostage, Tom takes drastic action and immediately kills the two men while getting injured. Tom becomes a hero as he is shocked by his violent actions though the town thought what he did was brave. The next day after Tom returns to the hospital, his diner was busier than ever as Edie helped out when a few mysterious men arrive. One of them was a man named Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) who carries a big scar and disfigured eye on the left side of his face as he tells Tom he recognizes him as a man named Joey Cusack. Tom tells Fogarty that he has no idea who Joey Cusack is as him and Edie tell Fogarty to leave the diner. Edie calls a local sheriff in Sam Carney (Peter MacNeill) to question Fogarty as he learns that Fogarty works under a local mob syndicate in Philadelphia under the authority of Richie Cusack (William Hurt).

Tom becomes paranoid about Fogarty's presence as he believes that he might come back while Jack's nonviolence stance is also pushed to the edge by Bobby. On a day when she takes Sarah shopping, Edie finds herself stalked by Fogarty as she decides to put a restraining order on Fogarty and his men. Tom is upset over Jack's actions as he learns that Fogarty has been stalking Edie when Fogarty arrives at the house again with Jack as his hostage. A standoff that turns ugly finally shakes the life of the entire family as Edie demands to know the truth from Tom as he lays injured in the hospital. For Tom, he is forced to reveal everything as he decides to meet and confront Richie Cusack in Philadelphia.

A film about violence, notably in a setting like a small town in Indiana might not seem like the type of environment for a director like David Cronenberg. Yet, violence is often a subject that Cronenberg does as the film is really more of a character study piece. Cronenberg is aware of what the audience could expecting but he does it in a way that builds up momentum while subverting the audiences' expectation as he makes the character of Tom Stall a far more complex character. What is more surprising that for a film that runs at around 96 minutes, Cronenberg and screenwriter Josh Olsen keeps the momentum and many of the film's scenes told in a more simplistic approach. Particularly in the way they also approach many of the film's sexual and violent content.

Cronenberg's been notorious for his approach to sex and violence as the two sex scenes between Tom and Edie are very different. The first is very playful and innocent while the second is more brutal in the terms of where they are emotionally. The violence is also very graphic from the film's first opening scene which has a long, opening take of four minutes as the whole sequence stands for about seven minutes. This sequence is very reminiscent of a very similar violent scene of the first 20 minutes of Sergio Leone's classic epic-Western, Once Upon a Time in the West. Then the film cuts to a far more innocence sequence of a young girl screaming from a nightmare. It's Olsen's script and structure that really maintains a sense of momentum and development of the film's major characters. Even when the film requires some sense of tension.

Cronenberg and Olsen's display of conflict is a theme that is reminiscent of all of Cronenberg's movies. For this film, the conflict is about a man dealing with his own self where could be a case of mistaken identity or was he another man with a dark past? It's truly a Cronenberg film for that conflict, even when Tom's actions affect his family, particularly his own wife and son who have to contend with their own identities. Even in the third act when Tom confronts Richie, it's one of the best scenes because of why Richie is trying to find his brother and his hatred over him. Still, Cronenberg uses many of those moments, even the violent ones to have some kind of emotional aftermath where the film's ending is perfect for its tone. While it might seem to be Cronenberg's most accessible work, it doesn't stray away from the themes that he's delved in throughout his career.

Helping Cronenberg with his vision is longtime cinematographer Peter Suschitzky whose photography style captures a serene atmosphere early in the film that turns ugly as the lighting becomes more disturbing for its tone. Suschitzky also takes full advantage of the film's locations where most of it is in Canada to bring an idyllic, quaint American small town feel that later shifts to more darker lighting and claustrophobic tone in the film's Philadelphia sequences. Longtime production designer Carol Spier and art director James McAteer also do great work in the film's look from the world of the small town where everything looks like an American small town to the shift of the more worldly look of Richie Cusack. Longtime costume designer and Cronenberg's sister Denise also captures the look of the small town with plaid shirts that is in sharp contrast to the black suit that Ed Harris wears.

Longtime editor Ronald Sanders does a wonderful job with the film's editing by presenting some tight cutting, shifting sequences, perspectives, and a pacing style that is true to the film's tone that doesn't make it too long or too short. Sound mixer Glen Gauthier and editors Wayne Griffin and Michael O'Farrell also do great work on the film's sound that captures the atmosphere of the film's tone from its building structure. Longtime composer Howard Shore also does great work in creating dramatic tension and intensity to the film's many scenes while not making them into manipulative moments as many of his presentation is quaint and lyrical that works for the brilliant composer.

Finally, there's the film's amazing cast that includes such notable small performances from Sumela Kay as Jack's girlfriend Judy, Kyle Schmid as the local bully Bobby, Gerry Quigley and Deborah Drakeford as Tom's diner employees, and longtime Cronenberg actor Peter MacNeill as the suspicious but good-hearted sheriff Sam. Greg Byrk and Stephen McHattie make memorable appearances as the two thugs in the film's opening scene and the diner scene when they try to rob Tom and his diner. Heidi Hayes is also good as the young Sarah who is the real innocent figure of the Stall family who keeps them grounded as she does something really amazing in the film's last scene. Ashton Holmes is wonderful as Jack, a young man whose ideals about violence is changed as he struggles to deal with his own ideas and the role that his father is.

While he's only in the film for about ten minutes in the final act, William Hurt delivers a performance that is just filled with shock as he plays a crime boss with a whole lot of charm and hatred. Hurt's performance is so memorable and so filled with great dialogue, it ends up standing out on his own as he brings a lot of terror and black humor to the performance that it's truly a magnificent performance from the often underrated actor. Ed Harris is also great as the menacing Carl Fogarty with a quiet, stoic presence while he maintains a sense of restrained anger and coolness to his role that makes him a far memorable villain. Maria Bello is the film's best supporting performance as Edie who starts off as a woman who seems to have the perfect life until she and her own life is threatened by not just these dark forces but also the possibility of her husband's identity. Bello brings an old-school style of old Hollywood acting that is more complex than the typical wife role as she combines a sense of strength and darkness to her role as she is now becoming one of the more overlooked actresses of her generation.

Viggo Mortensen brings what is probably his best performance to date as Tom Stall. Early in the film, Mortensen has a nice, boyish image that is filled with innocence and comfort that he is very likeable in the film around everyone including the audience. Yet, when he takes action, his development changes as he has to go deeper into darker areas. Mortensen really owns the film as he combines his own sense of paranoia, darkness, heartbreak, and guilt into a great role as he has great chemistry with all of the actors around him. Notably his scenes with Bello and Holmes reveal his range in emotions while his scenes with Harris and Hurt reveal how he can stand out with those actors. Overall, it's a magnificent performance from the actor who's been known for his work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

For anyone who wants a smart, thrilling mystery should check out A History of Violence from the often cerebral and disturbing David Cronenberg. Fans of Cronenberg no doubt, will find this film to be among as one of his best. With a great cast led by Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and a cameo-of-sorts from William Hurt, the film has a lot going for while being faithful to the actual graphic novel of the same name. While for anyone interested in Cronenberg will find this film as a good start, it will also reveal how much of a brilliant storyteller he is. In the end, A History of Violence is without a doubt one of the year's best films.

David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - M. Butterfly - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011

The Way Back

2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World was a film that garnered lots of acclaim from critics as it also received several Oscar nominations. Despite the acclaim, the film was a modest hit in the U.S. while its overall grosses worldwide did help cover the film’s massive budget. For its director Peter Weir, it was another of his great films as he would spend the next seven years taking on various projects. Among them was an adaptations of Pattern Recognition by William Gibson and Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram. Other projects included War Magician and Shadow Divers as none of them got past the development stage. Weir finally got a project going based on the true story about a group of prisoners escaping the Siberian Gulag during World War II based on The Long Walk by Slawomir Rawicz that would be entitled The Way Back.

Directed by Peter Weir with an adapted script by Weir and Keith Clarke. The Way Back tells the story of a young Polish POW who is sent to the cold Siberian prison where he meets fellow prisoners from around the world. The young man along with other prisoners decides to escape the prison as they go into a treacherous journey through the cold mountains of Siberia and into the desert where they‘re later joined by an orphaned teenaged girl from Poland. Starring Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Gustaf Skarsgard, Dracos Bucur, and Ed Harris. The Way Back is an exhilarating and adventurous film from Peter Weir.

It’s 1939 as Janusz (Jim Sturgess) is being interrogated for possible crimes in being a spy which he denies. When his wife (Sally Edwards) reveals, under torture, that he did commit crime, he is sent to the Gulag in Siberia for twenty years. Entering the Gulag in 1941, Janusz meets an actor named Khabarov (Mark Strong) who claims to know a way to escape the Gulag. Yet, Janusz learns from an American prisoner named Smith (Ed Harris) that Khabarov is just trying to make his own way out as Janusz refuses to give up. When a brutish, tattooed prisoner named Valka (Colin Farrell) overhears a conversation with Janusz and Khabarov, he decides to join in Janusz’s plan to escape.

Joining Janusz, Smith, and Valka for the escape are four other men that consists of a Lativan priest named Voss (Gustaf Skarsgard), a Yugoslav accountant named Zoran (Dracos Bucur), an artist named Tomasz (Alexandru Potocean), and a 17-year old Polish boy named Kazik (Sebastian Urzendowsky). During a snowstorm and a blackout in the prison, the men escape as they trek through the cold forest of Siberia as they make their way South in hopes of reaching Mongolia. Along the way, they go further into the mountains hoping to reach a lake while they wear wooden masks during the heavy snowstorm. During the long journey, Janusz finally finds the lake as everyone goes to the lake.

Along the way, they learned that a young Polish girl named Irena (Saoirse Ronan) has been following them as Smith isn’t sure in taking another person to the journey. Still, she follows them as they reluctantly let her join the trek to Mongolia. Encountering everything from mosquitoes to icy waters, they finally reach the Russian-Mongolian border only to learn that Mongolia is a Communist state. Realizing that the only place to go to is India for freedom, the group goes on a trek through the Gobi desert where they have to deal with all sorts of challenges to get across to their destination.

The film’s plot about a group of men and a young girl trekking through Siberia to India seems like the kind of film that doesn’t really do much in terms of plotting. In the hands of Peter Weir, it becomes an extraordinary experience about endurance and survival. Though the film’s opening dedication does spoil the ending which is the only big mistake the film makes. Weir and co-screenwriter Keith Clarke decides that the film shouldn’t just be about the journey but also the characters.

Janusz is the character who drives the film as he knows he’s innocent and hopes to return to his wife whom he loves and knows that she is carrying a lot of guilt for putting him in prison. He is then joined by several characters who would help him escape and take part in this journey. While there are a couple of minor characters like the shady Khabarov and the young Kazik that do get a chance to shine. They’re just minor players who would help everyone else. Smith is an American who came to Russia to find work only to be suspected as spy. Smith is the old man who would be Janusz’s right hand man as he’s also someone not very sentimental as he tells Janusz about his kindness which he perceives as a weakness.

Yet, the arrival of Irena would become the person that the men in the journey would feel protective for. She becomes their angel of sorts as at one point during an encounter with Mongolians in the desert. Smith would say that Irena is his daughter as their relationship becomes somewhat of a father-daughter relationship as the rest of the men are her brothers. The character of Valka is a brutish man who is an admitted thief and is willing to do anything to survive. Yet, he becomes someone who would help everyone for their survival while maintaining his belief as a man who loves Stalin despite everyone else’s opinions.

It’s not just Weir’s ability for audience to get to know these characters which include other supporting characters like Tomasz, Voss, and Zoran as they would bring their own personalities to the journey. Even as the film would have bits of humor through the dialogue as some of it is in Russian and Polish. The screenplay also has a great structure in how to tell the story despite not having a lot of plot-points or conventional story ideas. Though it would lag in a few places, the overall work in the script is superb.

Weir’s direction for the film is definitely top of the line in what is expected from a cinematic master. Shooting on location in places like Bulgaria for the scenes in Siberia plus other locations such as Morocco, Pakistan, and India for the rest of the film. Weir takes audiences into a journey as if they’re part of this long walk from Siberia to India as he always has the camera following the group or have long shots of them walking together. Part of Weir’s brilliance as a director is him always having a wide depth of field where he allows the audience to soak the vast locations they’re walking on.

Whether its coldness of the snow and heavy storms in Bulgaria as Siberia or the big sandstorms the group encounters in the desert. Weir allows the audience to get a feeling of the location with close-ups of the ground or vast long shots. There is always something that Weir is interested in and he’ll shoot it. Even if with actors interacting with nature while taking a chance to even get in touch with where they’re at. It’s definitely directing at its finest as Weir secures another film that goes up there with his vast filmography.

Cinematographer Russell Boyd does an amazing job with the film’s vast, sprawling camera work as he creates naturalistic images that are truly dazzling on film. From the snowy regions near the Himalayas and other mountains to the wondrous deserts. Boyd’s photography is truly exquisite not just for its realistic look at the locations but also in playing to the emotional tone of the film as creates dream-like images for scenes at night as well as a mirage-like sequence. Boyd’s work is definitely top-notch in what is expected for a film like this.

Editor Lee Smith does an excellent job with the film’s editing which is mostly straightforward as it moves quite well for a film with a near two-and-a-half hour running time. Smith also manages to keep the film going with rhythmic cuts for some intense, fast-paced scenes while a lot of the scenes of walking is slow but in a leisured pace.

Production designer John Stoddart and art director Kes Bonnet do a fine job with the few set pieces made for the film such as the prison where the prisoners were staying early on to the Soviet Union-Mongolia border arc they encounter. Costume designer Wendy Stites does a very good job with the ragged costumes the characters wear including the dress that Irena wears and the pants and boots the men wear in their journey. Sound editor Richard King does a spectacular job with the film’s sound in capturing the broad atmosphere of the locations the characters encounter whether it’s the snowstorms or a sandstorm. King’s work is definitely one of the film’s technical highlights

Music composer Burkhard von Dallwitz brings a wonderful epic, soaring score that plays to the journey of the characters. Filled with sweeping string arrangements and a huge orchestra, von Dallwitz’s score is definitely one of the film’s highlights as it helps play up to the film’s vast presentation.

The casting by Lina Todd is wonderful for what is definitely inspired casting not just for its well-known actors but also lesser-known ones. Smaller performances such as Sally Edwards as Janusz’s wife, Zahary Baharov as the interrogator in the opening scene, Stanislav Pishtalov as the prison superintendent, and Sebastian Urzendowsky as Kazik, the young prisoner suffering from night blindness. Alexandru Potocean is excellent as Tomasz, an artist who makes drawings as he keeps the morale of the group high while being a dreamer with high hopes. Gustav Skarsgard is amazing as Voss, a former priest hoping to find a home to maintain some kind of spirituality for those seeking something to believe in as he has a great scene where he and Saoirse Ronan are inside a decayed Buddhist temple.

Dracos Bucur is superb as Zoran, a Yugoslav accountant who brings some much needed humor to the film whether is the desire for salt or maintaining some kind of hope needed once they reach their destination. Mark Strong is very good in a small role as Khabarov, an actor who has the idea to escape prison but doesn’t believe anything will happen. Colin Farrell is phenomenal as Valka, a thug who is very pro-Stalin as he is an admitted thief but a person who cares about freedom as he helps his friends to their journey. Saoirse Ronan is just spectacular in her role as Irena, a young Polish girl who forges an unlikely bond with the prisoners. Even in her scenes with the more cynical Smith where the chemistry between Ronan and Ed Harris is one of the film’s touching yet low-key moments.

Jim Sturgess gives what is definitely his best performance yet as Janusz. A young man desperate to return home as his willingness to escape and go home becomes one of the key moments into why the film is so captivating to watch. Even as tries to maintain hope for his group as Sturgess proves himself to be a capable lead when he’s armed with a great cast. Finally, there’s Ed Harris in one of his best roles as Mr. Smith. A cynical American who came to the Soviet Union for work only to be in prison as he tries to maintain a realist approach to the journey. Even in being an unlikely father figure for both Janusz and Irena as he also some great scenes with the rest of the cast as Harris solidifies his position as one of the finest actors working today.

The Way Back is an amazing film from Peter Weir and company. Featuring a great ensemble cast led by Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Saoirse Ronan, and Colin Farrell along with new discovers in Dracos Bucur, Gustav Skarsgard, and Alexandru Potocean. It’s a film that is a great testament of courage and survival as its captured through masterful filmmaking. Fans of Weir will no doubt enjoy the film for its adventurous vision and large canvas as it’s something that should be seen more. In the end, The Way Back is a stunning yet engrossing film from Peter Weir.

Peter Weir Films: (3 to Go-Michael) – (Homesdale) – (Whatever Happened to Green Valley?) - (The Car That Ate Paris) - Picnic at Hanging Rock - (The Last Wave) - The Plumber (1979 TV film) - Gallipoli - The Year of Living Dangerously - (Witness) - (Mosquito Coast) - Dead Poets Society - (Green Card) - (Fearless) - (The Truman Show) - Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World

© thevoid99 2011