Set in 1988 in Texas, the film revolves around a hitman dealing with terminal lung cancer as he survives a failed hit where he finds a young prostitute as they go into hiding with the prostitute’s young sister as they figure out what to do next. It’s a film that plays into a man who is dealing with not just impending death but also the fact that someone tried to kill him while befriending this young prostitute. The film’s screenplay by Nic Pizzolatto, with additional work from Melanie Laurent, is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it is more of a study of this man who is dealing with death and is trying to protect this young woman he found during this attempt on his life from his boss who had kidnapped the young woman into prostitution. They hide out in Galveston while they make a stop at small town in Texas where the prostitute Rocky (Elle Fanning) retrieves her 3 1/2-year old sister Tiffany (Anniston and Tinsley Price) where the hitman Roy Cady (Ben Foster) would later learn whom Rocky had shot. Roy wouldn’t just deal from the fact that he’s somewhat involved in a shooting but he also has his own troubles not just with his lung cancer diagnosis but also his boss back in New Orleans who wants him dead.
Laurent’s direction does bear some style in the compositions yet much of her approach is straightforward in terms of the suspense and drama. Shot largely on location in areas near and around Savannah, Georgia with some shots at Galveston, Texas, Laurent plays into this world of rural Texas with some of its beaches and suburbia landscapes while also grounding it with locations that aren’t pretty. There are wide shots in some of the locations that include shots of clouds to play into this emergence of an upcoming thunderstorm as it adds to the dreary tone of the film. Still, Laurent does find way to bring some hope for scenes at the beach with Rocky and Tiffany as well as a scene in the third act of Rocky and Roy having a bit of fun.
Laurent would use close-ups and medium shots for those moments as well as some shots that play into the drama including some suspenseful moments that includes a climax where Laurent uses a tracking shot that goes on for a few minutes. Laurent also play into this air of intrigue as well as it play into Rocky and her relationship with Tiffany as Roy would have some discoveries but also deal with his own criminal ties as he’s become burned out to the point that he would threaten his own boss as a showdown would occur but with an aftermath that takes place 20 years later. Overall, Laurent crafts an evocative yet chilling film about a dying hitman trying to help a young prostitute and her young sister.
Cinematographer Arnaud Potier does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key lights for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night as well as natural lighting for many of the scenes in the daytime. Editor Joseph Krings does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts for dramatic effect. Production designer Lisa Myers and set decorator Teresa Strebler do fantastic work with the look of the motel that Roy, Rocky, and Tiffany live in as well as a factory that Roy works at. Costume designer Lynette Meyer does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual that include some of the fashionable yet skimpy dresses that Rocky wears.
Special makeup effects artist Jamie Kelman does amazing work with the look of Roy late in the film as he deals with his health and the beatings he’s taken from other criminals. Visual effects supervisor Lucien Harriot does terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly set dressing. Sound designer Roland Vajs does superb work with the film’s sound in capturing the atmosphere of the locations as well as in some of the intense moments involving the film’s violence. The film’s music by Marc Chouarain and Eugene Jacobson is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score with soothing strings, electronic textures, and hollow percussions while music supervisor Marissa Gallien provides a soundtrack that largely consists of country and blues with bits of heavy metal and a song from Big Star in Thirteen.
The casting by Kerry Barden, Tracy Kilpatrick, and Paul Schnee is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from CK McFarland as a motel owner who is suspicious towards Roy and Rocky, Robert Aramayo as a low-level criminal who lives at the Galveston motel who tries to get Roy involved in a scheme, Adepero Oduye as a former flame of Roy in Loraine whom Roy hadn’t seen in more than a decade, Maria Valverde as a hooker friend of Roy in Carmen who is one of the few that Roy can trust, and Beau Bridges in a terrific small role as Roy’s boss Stan Pitco who tries to set Roy up. The performances of Anniston and Tinsley Price as the young Tiffany are a joy to watch with Lili Reinhart in a fantastic small appearance as the older Tiffany who appears towards the end of the film.
Finally, there’s the duo of Ben Foster and Elle Fanning in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Roy Cady and Rocky. Fanning provides that air of naiveté as a young prostitute with little direction in her life as she is trying to do what she can for Tiffany while also trying to steer away from the world of prostitution despite her need for money. Foster’s performance is reserved in the anguish he carries as a man that is dying from terminal lung cancer while also dealing with the fact that someone tried to have him killed as he deals with impending death but also what to do with the remaining days of his life. Foster and Fanning together are a joy to watch as they display that air of uncertainty but also the fact that they’re two lonely people dealing with the cards they’ve been given.
Galveston is a remarkable film from Melanie Laurent that features great performances from Ben Foster and Elle Fanning. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, a compelling yet intense screenplay from Laurent and Nic Pizzolatto, and a somber music score. The film is a fascinating look into two people who both encountered dark situations as they deal with uncertainty as well as to try find hope in a hopeless world. In the end, Galveston is a marvelous film from Melanie Laurent.
Melanie Laurent Films: (The Adopted) – Respire - (Tomorrow (2015 film)) – (Plonger) – (The Nightingale (2022 film)) – (The Mad Woman’s Ball)
© thevoid99 2021
Based on the short story by Neil Gaiman, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is the story of a teenage boy in the late 1970s who goes to party where he befriends a mysterious young woman who is revealed to be an alien. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell and screenplay by Mitchell and Philippa Goslett, the film is a genre-bending film that explores first love as well as identity during the age of punk in Great Britain. Starring Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Matt Lucas, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman as Queen Boadicea. How to Talk to Girls at Parties is an exhilarating and whimsical film from John Cameron Mitchell.
Set in 1977 Britain during the age of punk, the film revolves around a young man who goes to a party where he meets a young woman unaware that she might be an alien as he introduces her to the world of punk and love. It’s a film that takes a simple premise of first love and identity as it is told in a stylistic manner that is set during the summer of 1977 where the Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee is happening as a young teen in Enn (Alex Sharp) is a young artist trying to contribute to the world of punk by creating a fanzine with a couple of his friends in Vic (Abraham Lewis) and John (Ethan Lawrence). The film’s screenplay by John Cameron Mitchell and Philippa Goslett does play into the tropes of the coming-of-age storyline as well as the ideas of first line but there’s also some odd sci-fi moments as it relates to the young woman Enn meets in Zan (Elle Fanning) who is part of a colony of strange people as she is frustrated with their ideals until she meets Enn and his friends at the party that her leaders are hosting.
Zan’s encounter with humanity such as meeting Enn’s mother (Joanna Scanlan), dancing to soul music, eating pancakes, and other things do have elements of humor and curiosity. Notably as Zan also finds herself talking to her master PT Waldo (Tom Brooke) who would inhabit the body of someone near her in warning her about what she’s embarking. Still, Zan wants to learn about so many things as she turns to the punk leader Queen Boadicea as she is kind of this wild maternal figure for all of the young punks where she would encourage Zan to express her own feelings with Enn’s help. This would eventually lead to a conflict with the group of people Zan was with as well as those she met including Enn whom she has fallen for. It would play into the idea of individuality and humanity with Zan in the middle of this conflict as there are those that want to maintain this idea of perfection and being with these ideals also carrying some flaws in the same way that Enn’s own ideals have their own flaws.
Mitchell’s direction is stylish in the way he portrays 1977 Great Britain as well as setting it in the suburbs rather than the cities as much of it is shot on various locations in England in towns like Sheffield and suburban areas in London. While Mitchell would include some wide shots of the locations as well as some moments inside the clubs and the house where Zan and the people she’s with early in the film live in. The film opens with these strange visuals of six symbols that would represent a different colony of these mysterious visitors as Zan is part of a colony whose color is yellow and it then cuts to Enn waking up. Much of Mitchell’s direction is straightforward in terms of compositions in the way he frames the actors in a close-up or in a medium shot while he would infuse stylistic slanted shots in some scenes as well as stylistic shots that play into the frenzy of the punk rock scene.
While the meshing of sci-fi ideas and this grounded sense of drama in the punk rock world isn’t totally successful in some parts of the film. Mitchell does play into these ideals and their flaws as it relates to the third act where the punks and the aliens collide in this approach to absurd humor. Even as it would include a key musical moment in the film where Zan and Enn would sing during the second act as it play into not just the former finding aspects of herself but also the both of them connecting in ways that is indescribable in a surreal sequence. It would lead to moments in the third act as it would play into Enn’s future and how his encounter with Zan and the world of aliens and punk rock would inspire him. Overall, Mitchell creates a wild yet endearing film about a young punk who falls for a mysterious young girl in 1977 Britain.
Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key and naturalistic colors for many of the daytime exteriors and interiors in the scenes at Enn’s home and in the many surroundings through a more stylish look in the lighting for the scenes in the punk club and at the home of the aliens. Editor Brian A. Kates does brilliant work with the usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as some stylish slow-motion cuts for scenes to play into the sense of joy in some of the characters. Production designer Helen Scott, with set decorator Hannah Spice and art director Caroline Barclay, does fantastic work with the look of the punk club that Queen Boadicea lives and runs as well as the odd apartment and rooms where the aliens live at. Costume designer Sandy Powell does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that the different aliens wear in their bright colors to the look of the punks to play into how outrageous both groups are.
Hair/makeup designer Sian Grigg does incredible work with the look of the aliens in their hairstyles and makeup as well as the look of Queen Boadicea and some of the punks as it’s a highlight of the film. Special effects supervisor Scott MacIntyre and visual effects supervisor John Bair do terrific work with the visual effects as it play into the film’s opening sequence as well as the musical performance that include this weird yet entrancing sequence that play into Enn and Zan’s love for each other. Sound editors Benjamin Cheah and Gregg Swiatlowski do superb work with the sound in the way music sounds live as well as the way objects sounds including some of the sparse moments in the film. The film’s music by Nico Muhly and Jamie Stewart is wonderful for its mixture of somber ambient music pieces along with low-key electric-folk music to play into some of the film’s dramatic moments while music supervisor Michael Hill provides a fun soundtrack of the music that was playing in the times from acts/artists such as the Damned, the Silvertones, Dub Specialist, the Dischords, A.C. Newman, the Velvet Underground, and Jamie Stewart as well as some original songs co-written by John Cameron Mitchell.
The casting by Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein, Emily Jacobs, and Karen Lindsay-Stewart is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Lara Peake as a six-fingered young girl named Wainswain, Jed Shardlow as a PT Stella male, Nansi Nsue as a member of the same colony that Zan is in, Jumayn Hunter as a DJ who plays music at Queen Boadicea’s home, Joey Ansah as PT named Bob, Stephen Campbell Moore as a record executive at a show early in the film, Alice Sanders as a pink-haired punk girl named Spinning Alice, and Edward Petherbridge as the alien cult leader PT First as this cult leader who is eager for all of his followers and other leaders to follow everything he believes in.
Joanna Scanlan is terrific as Enn’s mother as a kind woman who helps Zan out with the ideas of womanhood while Tom Brooke is superb as Zan’s mentor PT Waldo as an alien who is concerned about Zan’s departure and her encounter with humanity. Abraham Lewis and Ethan Lawrence are fantastic in their respective roles as Vic and John as Enn’s friends who both have different encounter with the aliens as the former becomes sexually confused while the latter is in awe of the music he hears. Matt Lucas is excellent as PT Wain as a colony leader who wants Zan out of the group believing she is a threat to what she has known as he tries to stir up trouble. Ruth Wilson is brilliant as PT Stella as a colony leader that is known for sexual stimulation as she is a being that wants to seduce humans to great pleasure.
Nicole Kidman is great in her role as Queen Boadicea as a punk leader who is trying to run a club and seek out the next big thing where she isn’t fond of a lot of people but is fascinated by Zan who she sees as someone unique as it’s Kidman at her best. Alex Sharp is remarkable as Enn as a young punk who aspires to be an artist as he befriends Zan and introduce her to punk while dealing with his own issues relating to his father and his own self-being. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in an incredible performance as Zan as a young woman who arrives on Earth as an American teenager who would discover the world of punk and the ideas of humanity as it’s a performance filled with a sense of energy, natural comic timing, and being fierce once she starts to sing like a punk as it’s one of Fanning’s finest performances.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a marvelous film from John Cameron Mitchell that feature top-notch performances from Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, and Nicole Kidman. Along with its offbeat premise, killer music soundtrack, and dazzling visuals, it’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules despite a few bumps in trying to mesh different genres. In the end, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a remarkable film from John Cameron Mitchell.
John Cameron Mitchell Films: Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Shortbus - Rabbit Hole - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Mike Mills, 20th Century Women is the story of a single mother with a teenage boy who seeks the help of a teenage neighbor, a young punk artist, and a bohemian handyman in raising her son during the late 1970s. Based on Mills’ own life, the film is an exploration of a young boy coming of age as he is introduced to new things while his mother is dealing with her own role in life. Starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, and Billy Crudup. 20th Century Women is an evocative and enchanting film from Mike Mills.
Set in 1979 Santa Barbara, the film revolves around a middle-aged single mother who is having a hard time connecting with her son as she is filled with a very unconventional group of people who live or frequent at her home including a punk artist, a teenage neighbor, and a handyman. She turns to them for help while dealing with the growing changes in the modern world which she has a hard time understanding including the emergence of punk and the growing sense of turmoil in America. Mike Mills’ screenplay doesn’t just explore a mother and son dealing with growing pains but also the emergence of new cultures and new things around them with the former trying to make sense of everything while the latter is just trying to find himself. Even as both of them provide voiceover commentary and such to express not just what they’re dealing with but also what is ahead as Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening) would reveal her own fate through the narration.
Dorothea’s son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) is only 15 years old as he has no idea what he wants to do nor who he is as his only real friend is his neighbor Julie (Elle Fanning) who is two years older than him as she would often sneak around to sleep in his bed just to talk and sleep. Living with Dorothea and Jamie is the punk artist Abbie (Greta Gerwig) who is recovering from cervical cancer as she spends her time doing art photography and make her money as a photographer as she and Julie would help Dorothea guide Jamie into manhood. The only other man living in Dorothea’s home is the handyman William (Billy Crudup) who doesn’t have much to offer to Jamie but manages to bond with Dorothea and Abbie as he helps them in their own issues. Mills’ script doesn’t just explore these unique individuals as they’re all going through some form of existentialism but also wonder what has put them in this certain moment in their lives.
Abbie with her health and views on feminism which she introduces Jamie to while Julie copes with being sexually-active and not wanting to have sex with Jamie because she wants to be his friend. For Dorothea, she is introduced to the L.A. punk culture that Jamie and Abbie is interested in as she’s introduced to by the latter with William as well as some of things in the modern world where it’s baffling at times but also exciting such as a moment where she and William compare/contrast to the music of Black Flag and Talking Heads to see this growing division in the world of punk. There are also moments in the dialogue that play into Jamie’s growth and interest in female sexuality as it would make Dorothea uneasy. Even as she would start to know things in Jamie’s life as she ponders if she’s made the right decision in having two different women guiding him into his manhood.
Mills’ direction definitely has a flair for style in the way it uses still photographs, film clips, and other things to play into not just the many images and events of the 20th Century but also what was looming into the 21st Century as it relates to the things then-U.S. president Jimmy Carter was saying in his crisis of confidence speech as it appears during a pivotal moment in its third act. Shot mainly in Santa Barbara, California with some locations shot in Los Angeles and New York City, the film plays into this sense of change that is looming in the year of 1979 just before the arrival of Ronald Reagan, the end of punk, and the uncertainty of the Cold War. While these images and ideas are certainly prevalent throughout the film, Mills focus on the life of these five unique people who are part of this very unconventional family. Mills’ usage of the wide shots aren’t just to establish the locations but also the growing disconnect that looms throughout the film between Dorothea and Jamie as well as the former’s own detachment from the modern world.
Mills’ direction also has these very intimate moments with the close-ups and medium shots as it play into Jamie’s relationship with Julie as well as the scene of Dorothea and William listening to Abbie’s punk records. Mills’ compositions are quite precise in the way he would put the actors in a frame while having a looseness in some of the scenes involving the punk shows. There are also these entrancing moments of scenes set on the road or Jamie on his skateboard as it play into everyone trying to find their own paths in life. Mills would also infuse elements that are quite surreal in the road scenes as well as these touching moments that showcase Dorothea’s own sense of nostalgia for the 1940s as well as her own sense of hope for Jamie when he becomes an adult. Overall, Mills crafts a touching yet majestic film about a middle-aged single mother trying to find some help to guide her teenage son into manhood.
Cinematographer Sean Porter does brilliant work with the film’s beautiful and colorful cinematography to capture the natural look of the daytime exterior scenes to the usage of low-key lights for some of the interior scenes at night. Editor Leslie Jones does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and montages that help play into the sense of time that the characters are dealing with. Production designer Christopher Jones, with set decorators Tracy Spadorica and Neil Wyzanowski, does fantastic work with the look of the house that Dorothea and Jamie live in as they’re trying to restore with William as well as their bedrooms that display their personalities. Costume designer Jennifer Johnson does nice work with the clothes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of the characters without deviating too much into certain styles that was so prominent in the late 1970s.
Visual effects supervisor Patrick Murphy does terrific work with a few of the film’s visual effects which is mainly for the driving scenes as it has this air of surrealism. Sound designer Frank Gaeta does superb work with the sound as it play into the way some of the music is presented as well as how certain sounds are captured naturally for some of the scenes at the house. The film’s music by Roger Neill is amazing as it is mainly this hypnotic ambient score that play into the sense of the unknown that the characters are embarking while music supervisor Howard Paar creates a mixture of music from the 40s such as big-band music from Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Fred Astaire, & Rudy Vallee as well as some of the music of the late 1970s from Devo, the Germs, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Clash, David Bowie, Black Flag, Talking Heads, the Raincoats, the Buzzcocks, and Suicide.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Mark Bennett is great as it feature some notable small roles from Finn Roberts as a classmate of Jamie who despises Talking Heads, Allison Elliott as Julie’s mother, Thea Gill as Abby’s mother in a flashback, Waleed Zuaiter as a co-worker of Dorothea in Charlie, Darrell Britt-Gibson as the punk club bouncer Julian, and Alia Shawkat as a young woman Jamie meets at the punk club named Trish. Billy Crudup is brilliant as William as a bohemian handyman that is very good in making pots and fixing things as he talks frequently with Abbie and Dorothea about his failings with women while being a good listener for the two. Elle Fanning is amazing as Julie as a 17-year old high school student who is Jamie’s best friend as she copes with her growing pains and dealing with having sex as she doesn’t want sex to ruin her friendship with Jamie.
Greta Gerwig is excellent as Abbie as a punk photographer/artist who is trying to find herself as she also copes with the aftermath of her cervical cancer as well as introduce Jamie to ideas of feminism that causes some issues with Dorothea. Lucas Jade Zumann is fantastic as Jamie as a fifteen-year old kid dealing with growing pains and his own identity as well as try to understand his mother while exploring the world of punk rock and feminism in the hopes he can become a good man. Finally, there’s Annette Bening in an incredible performance as Dorothea Fields as a woman in her fifties that is dealing with a world that is ever-changing as she understands why she is disconnected from her son while wanting to explore the modern world as it’s a performance filled with humility but also some joy and realism as it’s one of Bening’s finest performances of her career.
20th Century Women is a phenomenal film from Mike Mills. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an incredible music score and soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, and a compelling story about family and growing up. It’s a film that explores life in the late 70s during a tumultuous yet exciting time where things are changing with an uncertainty all in the eyes of five different yet unique individuals. In the end, 20th Century Women is a spectacular film from Mike Mills.
Mike Mills Films: (Paperboys (2001 film)) - Thumbsucker - Beginners
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan, The Beguiled is the story of a wounded Union soldier who is taken in to an all-girl’s school in the American South where his presence would cause a disruption among the girls and women at the school. Written for the screen and directed by Sofia Coppola, the film is different take on novel as opposed to the 1971 film directed by Don Siegel as it is more about women giving into temptation and girls dealing with the presence of a man during the American Civil War. Starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice, Oona Laurence, Emma Howard, and Addison Riecke. The Beguiled is a rich yet eerie film from Sofia Coppola.
Set in 1864 Virginia during the American Civil War at an all-girl’s school that is isolated from the battlefields and towns in the South, the film is a simple story in which a young girl from that school found a wounded Union soldier as she takes him in to the school where he’s to be healed from his wounds. Yet, his presence at the school would mark a change as the film is more about the life of these women at a school where they live in a very remote and isolated environment away from the battlefield while being aware of what is happening outside of the school. Even as there would be Confederate troops stopping by every once in a while to check up on the school as its headmistress Miss Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman) is running the school as she knows the procedures of what to do when a Yankee is at her home while a couple of the students would be lookouts.
Sofia Coppola’s screenplay, which also feature bits of the 1971 screenplay by Albert Maltz and Irene Kamp that was directed by Don Siegel, definitely goes a different angle with the story though the plot does remain the same. Notably as Coppola chooses to focus more on Miss Farnsworth, the teacher Edwina Morrow (Kirsten Dunst), and the five remaining students at the school as many of them had fled while the slaves who had help run the house had fled as well. These seven women are just trying to live their lives and run the house as one of the young girls in Amy (Oona Laurence) is picking mushrooms where she would find Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell). Cpl. McBurney is an interesting character as an Irish immigrant who only served in the Union for money once he arrived as he hopes to go west as he intrigues both Miss Farnsworth and Morrow as there’s elements of temptation for those two women
Miss Farnsworth is definitely a maternal figure of sorts for all of the girls as she is just trying to do her job as she is trying not to give in and do what needs to be done. In Morrow, here’s a woman that is quite worldly but has a melancholia to her having been cooped up in the house for so long as she sees Cpl. McBurney as a way out of the school. Then there’s the teenage student Alicia (Elle Fanning) who is fascinated by Cpl. McBurney as she would try to seduce him as it would set things off at the house. Especially with the second half of the story as it’s tone as this calm and carefree story would become something much darker. Notably as it play into all of these elements of temptation and lust as well as the attempt to return things to normal as it involves a sense of danger and suspense. Another aspect of Coppola’s script is the attention to detail she has in some of the dialogue as it help play into some of the plot schematics as well as in the characters as a couple of them are suspicious of Cpl. McBurney’s presence.
Coppola’s direction is truly ravishing in not just creating a film that is filled with gorgeous imagery but also create something that is quite claustrophobic in its setting as well as in using the 1:66:1 aspect ratio which is an offbeat look for the film. Shot on location in Louisiana with many of the interiors of the house shot at the actual home of actress Jennifer Coolidge. Coppola uses the many exteriors to play into a world that is quite detached from the action of the American Civil War as Coppola’s usage of wide shots would help play into that world as well as knowing where to use the wide shots for scenes that are crucial to the plot. Many of the interior shots in the film would have Coppola use a lot of medium shots with some wide shots and close-ups as it aspect ratio help play into the film’s claustrophobic tone as well as show a world that is very orderly with everyone having a role to play.
Coppola would create moments that are intriguing such as the conversations Cpl. McBurney would have with Miss Farnsworth and Morrow as she knows where to frame them and play up the sense of temptation that looms throughout the film. By the time the film reaches that shift in tone to play into some of the suspense and heightened drama. Even as Coppola knows where to use a close-up or a medium shot in certain moments as create something that is very suspenseful without the need of a music score to build it up. Notably in a scene where everyone is having dinner as the dialogue would play into things that help add to the suspense as it is Coppola’s attention to detail that is so important which makes these little moments in the film so important. Overall, Coppola creates an evocative yet chilling film about a group of girls and women bringing in a wounded Union soldier during the American Civil War.
Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd does incredible work with the cinematography as its emphasis on natural lighting doesn’t just play into much of the exteriors set in the day and night as well as some of the daytime interiors but also in the usage of candles as the source of light for many of the interior scenes at night as they’re just gorgeous to look at. Editor Sarah Flack does excellent work in the editing with its usage of jump-cuts in some scenes as well as allowing shots to continue for a bit rather than go into a straight fast-cut as it is one of the film’s highlights. Production designer Anne Ross, with set decorator Amy Beth Silver and art director Jennifer Dehghan, does amazing work with the look of some of the interiors at the Coolidge house as well as provide the right kind of furniture and props that were used in those times. Costume designer Stacey Battat does fantastic work with the look of the white dresses the girls and women wear as well as Cpl. Burney’s uniform as well as the formal gowns that the girls and women wear for the special dinners.
The makeup work of Stacy Kelly does terrific work with the makeup the girls would wear for the formal dinners while Elvis Jones would provide the look of Cpl. McBurney’s wounded leg. Visual effects supervisor Joseph Oberle does nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it relate to the Cpl. McBurney’s wounded leg as it would also serve as a key moment for the film’s third act. Sound designer Richard Beggs, along with co-sound editor Roy Waldspurger, does brilliant work with the sound from the way cannons and gunfire are heard from afar to the sparse moments at the house as well as some of the most chilling moments in the film. The film’s music mainly feature music that is performed on location whether it’s sung or performed in a music room as it’s mainly the traditional music of the time while the score is essentially a variation of Claudio Monteverdi’s Magnificat performed by Phoenix with arrangements by Laura Karpman as it only appears sparingly in moments that are very quiet.
The casting by Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels is wonderful as it feature a few notable small roles and appearances from Wayne Pere as a Confederate captain, Matt Story as a Confederate soldier, and Joel Albin as a cavalry officer as they appear briefly to check on Miss Farnsworth and her school. Addison Riecke is superb as Marie as one of the young students who takes a liking to Cpl. McBurney as she would help him while Emma Howard is fantastic as Emily who is a bit suspicious of Cpl. McBurney as she is just trying to do her duties while lamenting the loneliness she and the girls are dealing with in their environment. Oona Laurence is brilliant as Amy as the girl who would find Cpl. McBurney as she would take a liking to him while raising concerns about what would happen to him. Angourie Rice is excellent as Jane as the prim student that is also suspicious of Cpl. McBurney as her own father is an officer for the Confederate while being a very talented musician.
Elle Fanning is amazing as Alicia as the teenage student who takes a great liking towards Cpl. McBurney as she sees him as an object of desire where she would vie with Miss Farnsworth and Morrow for his affections. Kirsten Dunst is incredible as Edwina Morrow as a teacher who lived in towns and know a lot about the world yet is someone that is quite melancholic who keep things to herself as she falls for Cpl. McBurney in the hopes she would get out of the school. Colin Farrell is remarkable as Corporal John McBurney as an Irish immigrant who joins the Union for money as he becomes wounded and later cared for by Miss Farnsworth, Morrow, and the students where he tries to return the favor only expressing his fear in returning to war but also would do things that play into his own desires. Finally, there’s Nicole Kidman in a phenomenal performance as Miss Martha Farnsworth as a school headmistress who is a deeply religious woman that is trying to maintain order as she copes with the temptation of Cpl. McBurney’s presence as well as make sense of the chaos that would come later as Kidman definitely sells that sense of conflict and torment that shows a woman who has been through a lot but is trying to maintain some sense and order in her school.
The Beguiled is a tremendous film from Sofia Coppola. Featuring a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, intoxicating sound work, masterful editing, and a hypnotic music soundtrack. The film is definitely a very unusual yet entrancing suspense-drama that explore women dealing with temptation by a man’s presence as well as an exploration of innocence loss during one of the tumultuous periods in American history. In the end, The Beguiled is a spectacular film from Sofia Coppola.
Sofia Coppola Films: Lick the Star - The Virgin Suicides - Lost in Translation - Marie Antoinette - Somewhere - The Bling Ring - A Very Murray Christmas - On the Rocks - Priscilla (2023 film)
Sofia Coppola Soundtracks: Air-The Virgin Suicides OST - The Virgin Suicies OST - Lost in Translation OST - Marie Antoinette OST - (The Bling Ring OST) - (Priscilla OST)
Related: The Beguiled (1971 film) - The Video & Ads 1993-2008 - Favorite Films #1: Lost in Translation - The Auteurs #1: Sofia Coppola - Favorite Films #4: Somewhere - 10 Reasons Why Lost in Translation is the Best Film Ever...
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and screenplay by Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham from a story by Refn, The Neon Demon is the story of a young and aspiring model who travels to Los Angeles where she is part of a modeling agency only to raise the ire of other models over her youth and beauty. The film is a study in the world of glamour and what will women will do to maintain their beauty and fight those to earn a coveted spot. Starring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Karl Glusman, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Bella Heathcote, Desmond Harrington, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves. The Neon Demon is an eerie yet evocative film from Nicolas Winding Refn.
The film follows the life of a young and aspiring model whose key to success is her beauty where she is signed to a modeling agency despite being underage where she finds herself having to compete with older models who despise her. It’s a film with a simple plot yet it doesn’t play by any rules in terms of conventional narrative as it’s more about what this young girl is encountering as well as the people she meets. The film’s screenplay by Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham doesn’t just explore the dark and demanding aspects about the modeling world in terms of its cynicism but also how this young girl with a pure sense of beauty and innocence threaten those who doesn’t just need work but also try to maintain their own beauty as they’re getting older. For the character Jessie (Elle Fanning), she is someone who came from a small town in Georgia as she meets a young photographer who takes some photos and somehow managed to get connections with the biggest and best people in the business.
Jessie is someone that is truly the embodiment of innocence as she is someone that lives alone in a seedy motel in Los Angeles run by a strange and mysterious man in Hank (Keanu Reeves). When the makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone) takes notice of her, she becomes this guardian of sorts for Jessie as she would introduce her to a couple of models in Sarah (Abbey Lee Kershaw) and Gigi (Bella Heathcote) who are both still beautiful but are struggling to get work as they see Jessie with disdain. Aside from Ruby, the only other person that Jessie meets who treats her kindly is a young photographer named Dean (Karl Glusman) whose photos would give Jessie the connections in the world of modeling. Still, Jessie encounters things that are odd as it play into her innocent persona which would descend as the story develops. Especially as her descent would lead her to dark places as well as the people she meets who have an agenda towards her.
Refn’s direction is definitely stylish not just in the compositions that he creates but also in this world that is quite surreal in its overly-stylized setting. Shot on location in Los Angeles where it is a character in the film as this world of glamour and beauty that is entrancing but also has this air of darkness as it is set in the highly-competitive world of modeling. Refn’s usage of the wide shots would play into that world of glamour as well as capture some of the chaotic events of the modeling world with the usage of tracking and dolly shots while he would also use medium shots for scenes involving multiple characters in a conversation. Refn’s framing and how he puts his actors into a composition are key such as the scene in the bathroom between Jessie, Ruby, Gigi, and Sarah where Refn as Jessie at the edge of the frame to emphasize how much of an outsider she is. There are also these weird moments in the film that add to the surrealism that Jessie encounters such as a cougar in her motel room, the things she dreams or sees on the runway during a show, and some of the offbeat behavior of the people in the modeling world including Gigi and Sarah.
Refn would also create some ambiguity into the characters that Jessie meets such as Ruby and Hank. The latter of which is very creepy as he’s only in a few scenes yet is someone that is quite unsettling for how he presents himself and the things he says as it is something Dean would be shocked by. Then there’s Ruby as she is kind of this maternal figure of sorts in the film for Jessie but she too is offbeat. Notably for what Refn reveals in the other job that she has as it’s also even more unsettling to great extremes as it reveals how far Jessie has descended into the world she’s in. The film’s climax is definitely eerie and definitely plays into something that is very violent as it play into the horrifying cynicism of the modeling world as a key character states some harsh truths on beauty. Overall, Refn creates a rapturous yet scary film about a young model’s arrival into a very dark and brutal world.
Cinematographer Natasha Braier does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and evocative cinematography with its usage of many colored lights and mood including neon lights as it help play into the high-octane modeling world for many of the interiors as well as the exterior scenes at night while going for something natural and beautiful in other exterior scenes in the day and night. Editor Matthew Newman does excellent work with the editing as it is stylized with some rhythmic cuts while maintaining some moments that are straightforward including a few montages. Production designer Elliott Hostetter, with set decorator Adam Wills and art director Austin Gorg, does fantastic work with the look of the studio sets as well as the seedy motel that Jessie lives and the home that Ruby is house-sitting at. Costume designer Erin Benach does amazing work with the costumes to play into the high-octane world of fashion with all of its designs including in the casual clothes the women wear.
Special makeup effects work by Ruth Haney, Kristy Horiuchi, and Dean Jones, with hair stylist Enoch H. Williams IV, do superb work with the makeup from the macabre look of Jessie‘s first shoot as well as some of the things she and the other models had to look as well as in the hairstyles. Visual effects supervisors Peter Hjorth, Sunit Parekh, and Tonni Zinck do terrific work with the visual effects as it only play to a few scenes such as a few things that Jessie sees as it relates to the surreal elements of the film. Sound designers Anne Jensen and Eddie Simonsen do incredible work with the sound as it has these unique textures and mixes as it play into the suspense and horror as well as some of the surreal elements as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Cliff Martinez is phenomenal for its eerie yet haunting electronic score with the layers of synthesizers and ambient textures as the soundtrack would also feature some cuts by other electronic acts as well as pop singer Sia.
The casting by Nicole Daniels and Courtney Sheinin is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Jamie Clayton as a casting director for a shoot, Charles Baker as Hanks’ assistant Mikey, Houda Shretah as Sarno’s assistant and Alessandro Nivola in a small yet terrific role as the fashion designer Robert Sarno who has some very biting and cynical ideas about the world of fashion and what beauty really is. Desmond Harrington is superb as the photographer Jack McCarther as this professional who is creepy but also has an eye for talent while Christina Hendricks is fantastic as the modeling agent Roberta Hoffman who sees the beauty in Jessie as well as give her some advice about how to forge ahead in the world of modeling. Karl Glusman is brilliant as Dean as a young photographer who takes photos of Jessie for her first photo shoot as he is one of the few kind characters in the film that becomes taken aback by the cynicism and narcissism of the fashion industry.
Keanu Reeves is excellent as the motel manager Hank as this very creepy and lecherous individual who seems to be more concerned with money than one’s well-being as he gives this great monologue of sorts of the kind of business that he does. Abbey Lee Kershaw is amazing as Sarah as model who is quite bitchy as she is desperate to get back in the game and get work as she has a real disdain towards Jessie because of what Jessie is able to get. Bella Heathcote is remarkable as Gigi as another model who is the nicer of the two as she is someone obsessed with trying to look good as she would also do a lot of plastic surgery as it play into the harsh reality of beauty at all costs.
Jena Malone is incredible as Ruby as a makeup artist who is this strange yet offbeat maternal figure of sorts for Jessie as she is someone who had seen a lot but also carries a very dark secret. Malone’s performance is also quite complex where she is very kind and warm to Ruby but there are elements that are quite scary as she does things that are very extreme as it is very chilling performance. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in a spectacular performance as Jessie as this young 16-year old girl who knows the only thing she has in the world is her beauty as she starts off as this embodiment of innocence as her naivete is key to that performance. By the second half as she encounters these surreal elements, Fanning does become a big darker but also anguished as someone who sees that she is growing up too fast as well as thinking maybe there is a real cost to natural beauty as it is a career-defining performance for Fanning.
The Neon Demon is a tremendous film from Nicolas Winding Refn that features phenomenal performances from Elle Fanning and Jena Malone. Along with a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, an eerie music soundtrack, and gripping themes on beauty. It’s a film that showcases the world of modeling at its most cutthroat as well as going into great lengths into what women will do to remain beautiful in a very dark world. In the end, The Neon Demon is a magnificent film from Nicolas Winding Refn.
Nicolas Winding Refn Films: Pusher - Bleeder - Fear X - Pusher II - Pusher 3 - Bronson - Valhalla Rising - Drive - Only God Forgives - The Auteurs #12: Nicolas Winding Refn
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Sally Potter, Ginger & Rosa is the story of two young girls living in the 1960s as they cope with the threat of nuclear holocaust during the Cold War as well as a growing divergence between the two. The film is a coming of age tale set entirely in the year of 1962 Britain during the period of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a young woman fears about the concept of no future. Starring Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Alessandro Nivola, Christina Hendricks, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Jodhi May, and Annette Bening. Ginger & Rosa is a compelling and touching film from Sally Potter.
The film revolves around the lives of two 17-year old girls in 1962 Britain as they cope with the idea of nuclear holocaust as they both diverge into different paths where one of them tries to do something about it while the other falls in love. It’s a film that is a coming-of-age tale set in the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis where two girls are trying to have fun but certain events in their lives would change things. While Ginger (Elle Fanning) and Rosa (Alice Englert) have many similarities in their personalities and adventures as they were both born on the same day to young mothers. The latter would find herself be drawn to Ginger’s free-spirited father Roland (Alessandro Nivola) in his views of being independent and wild as he encourages Ginger to do so. Yet, Ginger is becoming interested in poetry as she also tries to find herself through activism.
Sally Potter’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the relationship between the two girls but also the events that would drive them apart. Notably Rosa’s actions as she likes to drink and smoke while make out with boys while Ginger is confused if she wants that as she becomes more passionate about activism as well as poetry. While Rosa isn’t exactly a bad person but rather someone who does bad things, her lack of a father figure and need for one in Roland would create a schism in her friendship with Ginger who would also lash out over the state of the world. The film’s second half would have Ginger live with her father but it becomes clear that it’s not ideal where she turns to family friends including an experienced activist in Bella (Annette Bening) who knows what Ginger is dealing with but also tell her there is still a solution to the chaos of the world.
Potter’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions she creates yet does manage to create some dazzling visuals as it relates to the world that Ginger and Rosa are living in. Shot largely in locations near Kent in Britain, the film does play into a small-town yet post-war feel in a world that is changing but grounded as much of the film is set in a working class environment where kids are listening to jazz and rock n’ roll. While Potter uses a lot of wide shots to capture the scenes set on Roland’s boat and in some location shots, she maintains an intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups. Especially as it plays into Ginger’s own growing pains and confusion as it would culminate into the third act where she begins to realize that the world she is in as it relates to her father is just as complicated as what is happening around her. Even as Rosa becomes a more complicated person to the point that Ginger has no clue how to comprehend everything around her. Overall, Potter crafts a mesmerizing coming-of-age film about two teenage girls diverging into different paths amidst the growing threat of a nuclear holocaust.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to create some very vibrant and colorful looks for many of the exterior scenes set in the day and night along with some low-key lighting for some of the interior scenes in the film. Editor Anders Refn does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few stylish bits such as an opening montage on Ginger and Rosa‘s lives as well as some scenes that play into Ginger‘s emotional turmoil. Production designer Carlos Conti, with set decorator Liz Griffiths and art director Andrea Matheson, does fantastic work with the look of Roland‘s home with its somewhat-Bohemian look that is a sharp contrast to the simplistic yet more spacious home that Ginger lives with her mother. Costume designer Holly Waddington does excellent work with the costumes with the look of early 1960s fashion including the turtleneck sweaters the girls would wear.
Hair/makeup designer Tara McDonald does terrific work with the hairstyles of Ginger and Rosa with the former having dyed red hair as well as the look of young men in Teddy-boy haircuts. Visual effects supervisor Martin Madsen does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is just essentially bits of set dressing for some of the locations. Sound editor Eddie Simonsen does superb work with the sound in not just capturing some of the moments in the locations but also in the way the reports on the radio about the Cuban Missile Crisis is being presented. Music supervisor Amy Ashworth creates a wonderful soundtrack that features different kinds of music from classical, jazz, and rock n’ roll as it features contributions from Franz Schubert, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Miles Davis, the Shadows, Les Paul, and Django Reinhardt.
The casting by Irene Lamb and Heidi Levitt is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Andrew Hawley as the lead activist Tony that Ginger befriends, Luke Cloud as Rosa’s father who is only seen briefly early in the film, and Jodhi May in a wonderful role as Rosa’s mother Anoushka who deals with her daughter’s behavior as well as the activities she is doing. Oliver Platt and Timothy Spall are excellent in their roles as two family friends named Mark who help Ginger in dealing with the chaos of the world as well as provide their own insight into the way things are. Annette Bening is fantastic as Bella as an activist friend of the American Mark who would help Ginger in answers about the ways of the world while calling out on some of Roland’s own bullshit idealism.
Christina Hendricks is amazing as Ginger’s mother Natalie as a former artist turned homemaker who becomes overwhelmed with her daughter’s activities and her husband’s infidelities where she struggles to maintain some sanity over what is happening in her family life. Alessandro Nivola is superb as Ginger’s father Roland who is this free-spirited pacifist who encourages his daughter to be independent and free but often does a lot of bad things as it includes sleeping with other women and students where one of them would be too much for Ginger to deal with. Alice Englert is remarkable as Rosa as a 17-year old girl who becomes more fascinated by boys rather than the reality of nuclear holocaust as she starts to dress more stylish and act a certain way where she would make Ginger feel uncomfortable. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in an incredible performance as Ginger as a 17-year old girl dealing with the reality of what is coming as she leans towards her poetry to cope with not just that reality but also the one close by as it relates to her disintegrating friendship with Rosa and her relationship with her father.
Ginger & Rosa is a marvelous film from Sally Potter that features a mesmerizing performance from Elle Fanning. Along with a great supporting cast as well as a compelling premise that play into real world situations from the views of a young lady. It’s a coming-of-age film that plays a lot into what happens when a bomb will drop and two young girls different reaction to that reality. In the end, Ginger & Rosa is a rapturous film from Sally Potter.
Sally Potter Films: (The Gold Diggers) - (Orlando) - (The Tango Lesson) - (The Man Who Cried) - (Yes) - (Rage)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga from a story by Inarittu and Arriaga, Babel is a hyperlink story set in three different parts of the world as a couple trying to save their marriage in Morocco while their children are being taken to Mexico by their maid so she can attend her son’s wedding as a third story revolves around a young deaf woman in Japan. An exploration into cultural differences, isolation, and death in what is the third part of Inarritu’s trilogy of death, the film is a multi-layered tale with different strands of narrative as these characters are all connected by circumstances in their environment. Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garcia Bernal, Adriana Barraza, Emilio Echevarria, Clifton Collins Jr., Elle Fanning, Nathan Gamble, and Rinko Kikuchi. Babel is a tremendously harrowing yet evocative film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Set in three different places in the part of the world as it relates to the concept of the Tower of Babel where everyone started to speak in different languages where no one could understand each other. The film is about a trio of different stories set in three different places around the world. All of which are connected in a crisscross narrative style as an American couple are in Morocco trying to save their marriage where a major event shakes the couple that involved a couple of young boys are trying to kill jackals where they unknowingly cause something. In Mexico, the American couple’s children are back in San Diego as their maid is eager to go to her son’s wedding only to not find anyone prompting her to take the children to Mexico with her nephew as the trip back would be a treacherous one. The third and final story explored a young deaf woman in Japan who is dealing with the loss of her mother as well as growing awareness of her sexuality.
The film’s screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga definitely takes the concept of the Tower of Babel where it explores the idea of misunderstanding and miscommunication in a post 9/11 world where everyone is almost walking on eggshells. The story about the American couple in Richard and Susan Jones (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, respectively) showcase a couple still dealing with the death of their infant son as they’re on a trip to Morocco with tourists as another story emerges about a couple of young boys in Ahmed (Said Tarchani) and Yussef (Boubker Ait El Chaid) who had just gotten a rifle that their father got for a trade where things went wrong. The story would get dramatic as the collision of this story in Morocco would have involve diplomacy issues where the boys get into trouble. It’s a story that plays into a sense of grief but also in a world where tension between Americans and North Africa is very fragile all because of a simple accident.
The second story set in Mexico that concerns the Jones children and their maid Amelia (Adriana Barazzo) as the script would have the children receive a call from their father just as he is dealing with something that is happening in Morocco as two versions of this conversation are presented but in different moments in the narrative. Amelia’s decision to take Debbie (Elle Fanning) and Mike (Nathan Gamble) to Mexico is a foolish one but it’s much more complicated as it involves her nephew Santiago who would get into trouble on their way back from Mexico. It is in that moment where it plays into the sense of mistrust and misunderstanding as Amelia isn’t a legal resident which adds to the stakes of the drama. The third story in Japan doesn’t seem like it would connect anything with the other two though both stories do appear in the background but it does play into the themes that Arriaga is exploring. It involves Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) as she is troubled by her mother’s passing as well as the lack of attention she gets from her father which has her wanting to explore sexually. Even as two detectives come in asking for her father which plays into the events of the two stories.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s direction is definitely intense in terms of not just the situations that occur but also in the drastic stakes that play into much of the film’s drama. The usage of non-linear and crisscross narrative definitely gives a certain edge to Inarritu’s approach to the filmmaking as he aims for a varied degree of different cinematic styles for each location. Some of which involve hand-held cameras for scenes set in Morocco and Mexico while going for something more straightforward in scenes set in Japan. Yet, Inarritu manages to make each story have a different feel in its varied filmmaking style as he would maintain intimate moments between various characters through some close-ups and medium shots. Even as it plays to some of the realism and dramatic stakes of the film.
The direction also play into the ideas of young people coming-of-age sexually such as Yussef who is curious about a girl who lives in one of his homes as well as Chieko who would reveal her exposed crotch to schoolboys as she isn’t wearing underwear. It plays into a sense of growth for these two people who emerge into adulthood yet face real problems that prove to be just as challenging since they’re still children in some respects. Especially as the dramatic stakes become more intense such as Amelia trying to get Debbie and Mike back to the U.S. through the desert as well as Richard and Susan coping with their own encounter with death as things get intense as well as gripping from a visual sense. Particularly in the third act where all of these different stories do come together to see how all of these people are connected in ways that are unexpected. Overall, Inarritu creates a very somber yet exhilarating film about human disconnection and miscommunication in a world that is often very complicated.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does brilliant work with the film‘s very stylized cinematography with its usage of dark shades to surround some of the images as well as its approach to grainy stock footage as there‘s a mixture of beauty and ugliness in the camera work as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. Editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrone do amazing work with the editing to create some unique transitions to move from one story to another with elements of jump-cuts and other offbeat rhythmic cuts to play into the action and drama. Production designer Brigitte Broch does excellent work with the set pieces from the houses in San Diego and Mexico to the posh apartment that Chieko lives with her father in Tokyo.
Costume designers Gabriela Diaque, Miwako Kobayashi, and Michael Wilkinson do terrific work with the costumes from the red dress that Amelia wears to the wedding as well as the schoolgirl uniform and stylish clothes that Chieko would wear. Sound designer Martin Hernandez does fantastic work with the sound to convey the layers of sounds in the film‘s different locations including a club scene in Tokyo in how sound is heard and not heard plus some textures that really play into the drama of the film. The film’s music by Gustavo Santaolalla is incredible for its very haunting music that is a mixture of chilling ambient pieces with some stark and plaintive folk-based cuts to play into the drama while music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein brings in a diverse soundtrack filled with traditional Mexican/hip-hop music, J-pop, and Middle Eastern music.
The casting by Gigi Akoka and Francine Maisler is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Clifton Collins Jr. and Michael Pena as a couple of border patrol officers that Amelia would encounter in different scenes, Abdelkader Bara as a man who owned the rifle as he traded it to Abdullah, Mustapha Rachidi as Yussef and Ahmed’s father Abdullah, Peter Wight as a British tourist, Damian Garcia as Amelia’s son Lucio, Cynthia Montano as Lucio’s bride Patricia, Koji Yakusho as Chieko’s father, Yuko Murata as Chieko’s fellow deaf friend, Shigemitsu Ogi as a dentist Chieko tries to seduce, Nobushige Suematsu as a classmate of Chieko, Kazunori Tozawa as a detective who arrives at Chieko’s apartment, and Satoshi Nikaido as the younger detective whom Chieko tries to connect with. Other noteworthy small roles include Emilio Echevarria in a terrific role as an old flame of Amelia as well as Mohammed Akhzam as the Moroccan tour guide Anwar whom Richard would befriend.
Elle Fanning and Nathan Gamble are excellent in their respective roles ad Debbie and Mike as two kids who find themselves in danger as it relates to a decision Amelia made. Gael Garcia Bernal is fantastic as Amelia’s nephew Santiago who would drive Amelia and the kids to Mexico and back only an act of poor judgment would cause some trouble. Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Chaid are superb in their respective roles as Ahmed and Yussef as two boys whose game of target practice would have serious consequences as they try to figure out what to do. Adriana Barazza is brilliant as Amelia as a Mexican maid/nanny for Debbie and Mike who is trying to watch the children as she reluctantly takes them to Mexico so she can attend her son’s wedding as she endures horrific circumstances when she tries to get the children back home.
Rinko Kikuchi is amazing as Chieko as a young deaf woman still grieving over the loss of her mother as she tries to act out sexually and emotionally in the hope to connect with someone. Finally, there’s Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Susan and Richard Jones where Blanchett brings a reserved approach to her performance as a woman grieving over loss and the state of her marriage while Pitt plays a man trying to find ways to save his marriage while dealing with cultural differences due to the situation he is facing.
Babel is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Armed with an incredible cast as well as a intricate and captivating screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film is definitely a very powerful film that showcases the world as a whole and how many in different parts of the world deal with similar situations into isolation, death, and miscommunication. In the end, Babel is a tremendously visceral and thrilling film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films: Amores Perros - The Hire-Powder Keg - 11'9'01-September 11-Mexico - 21 Grams - To Each His Own Cinema-Anna - Biutiful - Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - The Revenant - The Auteurs #45: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the memoir by Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo is the story about a widower and his two children starting over as the man buys a zoo in the hopes to revive it as well as do something that matters again. Directed by Cameron Crowe and screenplay by Crowe and Aline Brosh McKenna, the film is an exploration into how Mee did something impulsive while growing to care for his new world with his children. Starring Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning, Patrick Fugit, Colin Ford, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Angus Macfadyen, Carla Gallo, and John Michael Higgins. We Bought a Zoo is a superb yet engaging film from Cameron Crowe.
The film is essentially a dramatization into how Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) impulsively buys a zoo as a way to start over after the death of his wife six months earlier and as a way to give his two kids a new life. There, he deals with the fact that the zoo needs to be renovated as it’s costing him a lot of money prompting those who work at the zoo to deal that he might leave and everything will be gone. For Mee who is an adventurer, he ponders whether to salvage what he’s lost or to save the zoo that he has bought and has grown to care for. It’s a film that explores a man who is dealing with grief and uncertainty where he does something impulsive in the hopes that it can help his children and also do something new with his life.
The screenplay by Cameron Crowe and Aline Brosh McKenna definitely explores this man’s impulsive decision as life after his wife’s death hasn’t been easy. He quits his job as an adventurous journalist before he’s about to be laid off while his 14-year old son Dylan (Colin Ford) just got expelled as he’s spending lot of his time drawing macabre images. For Benjamin, he has no idea what to do where he goes house-hunting with his 7-year old daughter Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) where they stumble upon a home with the zoo as it’s backyard. While Rosie is excited about living with a zoo, the moody Dylan isn’t as he becomes more withdrawn.
In buying this zoo, Mee has to deal with the fact that it’s been unused for 2 years as those who are at the zoo are the ones taking care for it as they’re paid by the state. Leading the staff is a young zookeeper named Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) who is baffled into why Mee would buy a zoo with no knowledge of how to run things or to take care of animals. Yet, Mee counts on Kelly and the staff to help him as well as the services of his older brother Duncan who is baffled into why Benjamin would do something like this. Still, there’s lots of trials and tribulations that occur that would push Benjamin to the breaking point as there’s those that doubt him and even Benjamin himself. Yet, it would take something for Benjamin to realize that he can’t give up though it would raise issues if he’s still doing the right thing.
The script does allow Mee to be flawed as even Mee himself knows he could screw things up. Yet, he is also dealing with the fact that his son has been moody where Dylan feels like he can’t do anything right as he is also trying to deal with the affections of Kelly’s cousin Lily (Elle Fanning). The script does allow Crowe and McKenna to explore the dynamics of family as well as the loss that Benjamin and Dylan are still dealing with. Notably as it relates to Benjamin’s concern for a Bengal tiger named Spar who is ailing where Kelly tells Benjamin that he has to do something or else things will get worse much to Benjamin’s frustrations.
Crowe’s direction has him trying to find a balance between something that is funny but also heartfelt and dramatic without going overboard. Though not everything is perfect, Crowe does allow the film to be told as it slowly tells Mee’s approach to become part of the world of the zoo where he learns how to talk to animals. The humor that Crowe provides is very light-hearted as it includes some very funny scenes involving the zoo’s carpenter Peter MacCready (Angus Macfadyen) who has a grudge towards strict zoo inspector Walter Ferris (John Michael Higgins). Crowe also keeps a lot of the compositions to be straightforward while employing some exotic imagery that is obviously a nod to the visual style of Terrence Malick.
Crowe also knows how to put his actors in a dramatic situation where he knows when it’s time for the heavy drama. The one aspect of the film that doesn’t work and that is unnecessary are scenes involving Mee seeing images of his late wife. It’s a dramatic crutch that really drags the film a bit as it includes an ending that is overdrawn. It’s Crowe feeling that he needs to establish more of Mee’s grief as a way to explain things when he doesn’t need to. Despite that flaw in the storyline, Crowe is able to keep things engaging as he does end up making a very enjoyable film that explores loss and the chance to start all over again.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful and lush photography for many of the film‘s daytime scenes while using some more low-key colors for the scenes at night and in the rain as well as the scenes inside the bar that the zoo staff hangs out at. Editor Mark Livolsi does terrific work with the editing to play out some of the humor and dramatic moments of the film. Production designer Clay A. Griffith, along with set decorator Wayne Shepherd and supervising art director Peter Borck, does great work with the sets from the look of the animal enclosures for the zoo as well as the look of Mee‘s home and the bar that the zoo staff hang out at.
Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual to play up the personalities of the characters. Sound editors Mildred Iatrou Morgan and Ai-Ling Lee do superb work with the sound to create the layer of sound work in some scenes including a key conversation between Mee and Kelly. The film’s music by Jon Thor Birgisson aka Jonsi is fantastic for it’s dreamy yet exotic score led by Birgisson’s vocals and serene musical accompaniment as it also includes a piece from his band Sigur Ros. The film’s soundtrack includes an array of music from Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Temple of the Dogs, Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Wilco, Echo and the Bunnymen, solo work from Pearl Jam members Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready, the Isley Brothers, Otis Rush, Bon Iver, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers that is just fun to listen to.
The casting by Gail Levin is brilliant for the ensemble that is created for the film as it features some memorable small roles from Kym Whitley as a Home Depot clerk that Benjamin and Rosie meets, Stephanie Szostak as Benjamin’s late wife Katherine, Peter Reigert as Benjamin’s old boss, J.B. Smoove as the real estate agent who sells Mee the house next to the zoo, and Carla Gallo as the zoo’s bookkeeper Rhonda. Patrick Fugit is very good as zoo’s craftsman Robin who helps Mee talk to animals as he has a pet monkey named Crystal. John Michael Higgins is terrific as the very snide inspector Walter Ferris who is a stickler for making sure things are in order as he annoys everyone. Angus Macfadyen is great as the very brash but helpful carpenter Peter MacCready who has a grudge towards Ferris as he is very loyal to the zoo.
Maggie Elizabeth Jones is a total delight as Rosie as she says some very funny things while being the one person in the film who has together as adores the zoo. Colin Ford is wonderful as the troubled Dylan who has a hard time dealing with his own issues as well as the presence of Lily as he has no idea how to talk to someone like her. Elle Fanning is amazing as Lily as a young farm girl who is intrigued by Dylan while doing whatever to help around the zoo and such. Thomas Haden Church is excellent as Mee’s brother Duncan who is baffled by what his younger brother is doing where he eventually helps out and realizes what can be done.
Scarlett Johansson is marvelous as Kelly as she is a zookeeper who knows what to do while admitting to having a very pathetic social life as she is just making sure things go well as it’s a very different role for Johansson. Notably as she doesn’t play a sexual being in favor of a real young woman as it’s definitely one of her great performances where she also has some superb chemistry with the film’s lead in Matt Damon. Damon’s performance is definitely fantastic for the way he plays up Benjamin Mee’s uncertainty as well as him impulsiveness where Damon gets to be funny but also dramatic as it’s a performance that really shows the kind of range and enthusiasm Damon has in a meaty role like this.
We Bought a Zoo is an excellent and heartwarming from Cameron Crowe. Featuring a wonderful ensemble cast led by Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, the film is definitely a film that the family could enjoy while not taking itself too seriously. While it does have its flaws, it is still a film that is compelling for the way it explores impulsive decisions and taking on something adventurous. In the end, We Bought a Zoo is a remarkable film from Cameron Crowe.
Cameron Crowe Films: (Say Anything) - (Singles) - (Jerry Maguire) - Almost Famous - (Vanilla Sky) - (Elizabethtown) - The Union - Pearl Jam 20 - Aloha
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