Based on the characters by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, Ocean’s 8 is a spin-off film of the Ocean’s trilogy from the 2000s in which Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie leads a group of women to take part in a big heist at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Directed by Gary Ross and screenplay by Ross and Olivia Milch from a story by Ross, the film is a heist film in which eight different women take part in a heist as it play an event that is attended by celebrities where lots of riches are at. Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden, and Richard Armitage. Ocean’s 8 is an exhilarating and enjoyable film from Gary Ross.
After being released on parole from serving five years in prison over a con game gone wrong, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) teams up with her former partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett) with five other women to take part in a heist at the Met Gala that is hosted by actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway). It’s a film that is sort of a revenge film but it’s really a heist film that play into a group of women wanting to get rich and steal a diamond necklace that is worth more than $150 million. The film’s screenplay by Gary Ross and Olivia Milch follows Ocean’s plan to rob the Met Gala to get this ultra-expensive necklace from Cartier that is to be worn by Kluger yet knows she can’t pull this off by herself as she had a plan for this heist for years. Especially after what happened to her the night she got arrested and her then-lover in arts dealer Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) put her in jail.
The film does have a unique structure as the first act is about the planning of the heist where Ocean and Lou gather a group of people for the heist including the jewelry maker Amita (Mindy Kaling), the street hustler/pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina), the hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), the disgraced fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), and an old friend of Ocean in Tammy (Sarah Paulson) who is a suburban mom that still fences good at her home. The second act is about the actual heist that takes place at the Met Gala where there is a lot that is happening but also things that do play into what isn’t being shown and where the players are at in the roles they’re in for the heist. The film’s third act is about the aftermath as well as a twist into the heist that revolves around other people who might know what happened.
Gary Ross’ direction is stylish as it play into the idea of the heist as he focuses more on the planning and the players involved as well as their contributions to this heist at the Met Gala. Shot on location in New York City, the film does use the locations as well as being able to shoot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where the Met Gala is held annually as there is this element of realism that Ross would create in the direction that has characters be at the actual event with real celebrities. There are some wide shots in some of the locations in the city yet Ross would take great advantage of the interiors at the museum including scenes during the Met Gala where it is this lavish and enchanting world where the elite eat the finest foods and look at the rare pieces of art and jewelry. There are also some medium shots and close-ups that play into the characters interacting with one another as well as the attention to detail as it add to some of the intrigue as well as this need for repetition of certain scenes where there is something else that is happening that integral to the story.
Ross’ direction also play into some of the low-key events as it relates to Ocean’s own thirst for revenge towards Becker as well as her history with Lou and Tammy who also knew about Ocean’s affiliation with her brother Danny who is presumed to be dead. The status of Danny remains ambiguous as there’s a couple of cameos from members of his gang who appear yet the film does remain a women’s gang as it relates to the heist as well as an aftermath that raises question into how this necklace got stolen. Even as it also reveal more about Kluger’s role in the heist as someone who was a target but also seems to know more about what was going on. Overall, Ross crafts a witty yet adventurous film about a group of women stealing a diamond necklace at the lavish Met Gala.
Cinematographer Eigil Bryld does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as much of the exterior lighting in the daytime is straightforward with some low-key interior lighting for the scenes at the main base for the gang to the interiors of the Met Gala inside the Museum of Modern Art. Editor Juliette Welfling does brilliant work with the editing as it is stylized with its montages, jump-cuts, split-screens, and rhythmic cuts that help play into the film’s energetic and comedic tone. Production designer Alex DiGerlando, with set decorator Rena DeAngelo and supervising art director Chris Shriver, does amazing work with the look of the home base that Ocean, Lou, and the gang work at as well as the design of the presentation of the Met Gala in the middle of the museum. Costume designer Sarah Edwards does incredible work with the costumes as it is largely stylized to play into the personality of the characters including the gowns that they would wear at the Met Gala
Makeup artists Joanna and Louise McCarthy, along with hairstylist Liliana Meyrick, do fantastic work with the look of the gang with the disguise that Ocean would have as well as the hairstyle that Nine Ball and Weil would sport. Visual effects supervisors Jiwoong Kim, Vico Sharabani, and Asaf Yeger do terrific work with some of the set dressing for scenes at the Met Gala along with the 3D printing design of the jewels. Sound editor Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound as it is straightforward along with the mixes of the atmosphere of the Met Gala with its crowds. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton does wonderful work with the film’s music with its mixture of electronic music along with playful organ backgrounds that add to the film’s energetic tone while music supervisors Gabe Hilfer and Devoe Yates provide a soundtrack of a wide array of music from Sammy Davis Jr., Eamon, the Notorious B.I.G., Kelis featuring Too $hort, Dorothy Ashby, Sofi Tukker with Nervo, Alisa Ueno, the Knocks, Patti Page, Amy Winehouse, and Nancy Sinatra.
The casting by Shayna Markowitz and Debra Zane is great as it feature cameo appearances from Elliott Gould and Qin Shaobo reprising their respective roles in Reuben Tishkoff and “The Amazing” Yen who were part of Danny’s gang. Other notable small roles include the quartet of Elizabeth Ashley, Dana Ivey, Marlo Thomas, and Mary Louise Wilson as four old ladies who were hired by Ocean for a crucial role in the heist, Nathanya Alexander as Nine Ball’s younger sister Veronica, and Dakota Fanning as a young starlet that Weil would be pictured with to rouse jealousy in Kluger. James Corden is terrific as the insurance fraud investigator John Frazier who plays a key role in the third act as someone trying to find out who stole the necklace as he suspects Ocean. Richard Armitage is superb as the arts dealer Claude Becker as a former lover of Ocean who betrayed her and put her in prison as he becomes a target for revenge as he would attend the Met Gala as Kluger’s date.
Awkwafina and Rihanna are fantastic in their respective roles as the street hustler/pickpocket Constance and the hacker Nine Ball with Awkwafina providing a comical and lively performance as Constance and Rihanna being low-key yet cool as Nine Ball. Mindy Kaling and Sarah Paulson are excellent in their respective roles as the jewelry maker Amita and the suburban mom/fence Tammy with Kaling providing some humor and determination as a woman desperate to leave the shadow of her family while Paulson is more straightforward as a woman secretly doing criminal stuff to fund her lifestyle as she would take a job working at the Met Gala to help with the heist. Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant as Rose Weil as a disgraced fashion designer whose is in serious debt as she is looking for a break as she joins the gang to pay off her debts but also revive her name as it’s a mixture of comedy and drama.
Anne Hathaway is amazing as actress Daphne Kluger as the host of the Met Gala who is full of herself and bitchy towards people as she is someone that is an obvious target but there’s a lot more to her as it play into a woman that is just dealing with the world she’s in. Cate Blanchett is incredible as Lou Miller as Debbie’s girlfriend/partner-in-crime who works at restaurants and such as she is eager to renew her relationship with Ocean as well as be someone is also a mastermind in the world of crime knowing that it can help her financially. Finally, there’s Sandra Bullock in a remarkable performance as Debbie Ocean as the sister of the famed thief Danny Ocean who had just been released in prison on parole as she is seeking revenge for the man that put her in prison but also hoping to get a major payday through the one thing she and her family are good at as it’s a performance full of charm and wit.
Ocean’s 8 is a marvelous film from Gary Ross. Featuring a great ensemble cast, fantastic locations, a cool music soundtrack, and lots of fun and exciting moments. It’s a film that never takes itself seriously while taking the time to create a heist as well as focus on the players who are involved. In the end, Ocean’s 8 is a remarkable film from Gary Ross.
Gary Ross Films: (Pleasantville) – (Seabiscuit) – The Hunger Games - (Free State of Jones)
Related: Ocean's Eleven - Ocean's Twelve - Ocean's Thirteen
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Ron Mann and written by Len Blum, Altman is a documentary that explores the life and career of one of American cinema’s great artists in Robert Altman. Featuring audio interviews with his widow Kathryn Reed Altman, their children, and the people who had worked with him. The film plays into Altman and his peculiar approach to filmmaking and storytelling along with rare footage of behind-the-scenes footage and rare home movies provided by his family. The result is an enchanting and exhilarating portrait of one of American cinema’s great voices.
The term “Altmanesque” is something that best describes the style of the kind of films that Robert Altman makes which are based on real things that are happening with overlapping dialogue while refusing to play by traditional and conventional aesthetics that usually happens in mainstream cinema. For those that had worked with him and those like Paul Thomas Anderson who was inspired by him, it’s a term that means many thing. Especially to a man that didn’t live his life by conventional means as he was someone that liked to have a good time and treat his actors and collaborators as part of his family. It’s a film that isn’t just a tribute to Altman but also to his body of work which were all defined by its refusal to play by the rules whether they were successful or not.
Each chapter opens with a collaborator of Altman such as Lily Tomlin, Lyle Lovett, Sally Kellerman, Elliott Gould, Michael Murphy, Paul Thomas Anderson, Keith Carradine, Robin Williams, and several others to each define the term “Altmanesque” in their own way. These chapters would play into Altman’s early life where he served in the U.S. Air Force in World War II and later found his way into the film industry when he co-wrote the screen story for a film called Bodyguard in 1948 for RKO Pictures. The film would also play into Altman’s time doing industrial films and documentaries during the 1950s, his work on various TV series where he would meet his third wife Kathryn Reed, and his first films as a feature-film director where he would clash with studio heads about how to tell a story.
By the time he broke through with M.A.S.H. in 1970, things would definitely go up as Altman would often have his own family on the set where director Ron Mann would reveal not just a few rare short films but also some rare behind-the-scenes moments and such to show how Altman’s children were part of the set. Notably as his son Stephen would start out as a props man and later be his father’s production designer while Matthew Reed Altman would become a camera operator for much of his father’s films. The success that Altman would have for much of the 1970s where he was able to remain independent while working with studios gave him the chance to create a studio of his own in Lion’s Gate Films (not the US/Canada studio of the same name) that launched the career of Alan Rudolph and several others.
The film would play into Altman’s own innovations as a filmmaker where he would find new ways to record a lot of overlapping dialogue through little microphones on the actors while Altman and a sound mixer would find out which dialogue to use and how to mix it right the way to make it feel natural. While his innovations would be used for a lot of films by other filmmakers including Hollywood, the film also played into Altman’s own exile from Hollywood until 1992’s The Player where he made a big comeback. Some of the scenes that Mann would create would be presented through the work of art directors/animators Matthew Badiali and Craig Small who would create some background images of what Altman might’ve been doing during those times.
With the aid of cinematographer Simon Ennis in shooting some of the testimonies from Altman’s collaborators and Kathryn Reed Altman for its ending along with editor Robert Kennedy to compile footage of Altman’s earlier work and rare home films. Even as the sound work of John Laing would help play into Altman’s innovations in capturing overlapping dialogue while the music of Phil Dwyer and Guido Luciani is playful with its jazz-based score. Music supervisor Mike Rosnick would maintain that sense of playfulness with the music to play into the different periods of time.
Altman is a phenomenal documentary film from Ron Mann. It’s a film that anyone who loves the work of Robert Altman must see this not just for some of the rare home movies and interviews he does but also into a study of his methods. For anyone new to Altman might think of the film as a nice place to start though his own work is the best way to look into the man and his work. In the end, Altman is a remarkable film from Ron Mann.
© thevoid99 2015
Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye is the story of a detective who tries to find the people who are involved in the murder of his best friend in Los Angeles. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Leigh Brackett, the film is an update of Chandler’s novel as it’s set in 1970s Los Angeles where a man trying to do what is right finds himself in a world that is very complicated. Starring Elliott Gould, Sterling Hayden, Nina Van Pallandt, Jim Bouton, and Mark Rydell. The Long Goodbye is an entrancing and gripping film from Robert Altman.
A murder has just happened as a man who is accused of his wife’s death goes to his gumshoe friend for help only to be presumed dead in Mexico starting a gumshoe’s journey to find the truth. It’s a film that doesn’t just subvert the ideas of traditional film noir and suspense films but it is also set into a world where it’s about greed and selfishness that clashes with old school ideals. In the middle of this is the gumshoe Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) who is a private detective who learns that his best friend’s wife was murdered as he would also deal with his friend’s eventual suicide in Mexico prompting him to believe that something isn’t right. What would happen is that Marlowe would drive all over Los Angeles to find some truth only to encounter a series of strange characters and things that stray from the norm.
Leigh Brackett’s screenplay definitely strays from a lot of the conventions of film noir as well as doing a complete deconstruction of Chandler’s novel such as setting the story in 1970s Los Angeles as opposed to something like the 1940s. While Brackett retains much of the language that is expected in noir in terms of its stylistic and rhythmic approach to dialogue, it’s in the characterization that is subversive. Notably the character of Marlowe as if he was presented in a traditional noir film. He would be someone that is quite aggressive in his findings or be very smart and cooperative while often having some kind of voiceover narration. What Brackett does is turn that persona upside down by presenting Marlowe as an everyman of sorts as someone who bumbles his way into a situation while being difficult towards the police and be concerned about finding the right kind of food for his cat.
It’s not just Marlowe that strays from the ideals of noir but it’s also in the characters he meet such as the novelist Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden) as he is essentially a washed-up alcoholic with money problems who rambles about his life and is abusive towards his wife Eileen (Nina Van Pallandt). Eileen is another character that doesn’t play to the tradition of noir as she could’ve been a love interest but the script allows her to be so much more as it is clear that she might know what happened but there’s complications. Then there’s mob boss Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell) who is a man that just wants his money as he is quite intimidating but sensible unless he doesn’t get what he wants where he turns out to be very dangerous. It all plays into this world that Marlowe is in as it is one where he is being the cuckold while trying to make sense of things as he just wants to know what really happened to his friend and his friend’s wife.
Robert Altman’s direction is quite stylish in terms of staying true to the elements of film noir but it is infused with an offbeat sensibility that makes it a very unconventional film. Notably as he would present it in a world that is very modern but has this sense of conflict of old-school ideas with a new age of individuals who care more about themselves. While it is shot largely in Los Angeles with a few shots in Mexico, the film does play something that is very modern though much of its tone is a mixture of old school noir with an offbeat sense of humor that is more akin to the world of the 1970s. Notably as there are elements that are very quirky such as the fact that Marlowe is always seen lighting a match to smoke a cigarette or a character playing variations of the title song that appears frequently in the film.
Altman’s usage of medium and wide shots not only help play into the vast look of the locations but also play into a world that is very lively and chaotic as Altman knows where to place his actors into a frame. Notably as he doesn’t use a lot of close-ups while keeping things very natural and on location such as an opening sequence where Marlowe is looking for cat food at a 24-hour supermarket at 3 in the morning. Altman’s approach to capturing some of the chaotic moments that involves multiple characters talking with lots of overlapping dialogue do help play into a world that is confusing but also offbeat. Even as he uses some long takes and tracking shots while knowing when to play the elements of suspense and infuse it with something humorous or something much darker. Overall, Altman creates a very engaging and riveting film about a gumshoe private detective trying to uncover a mystery in Los Angeles.
Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of available light for some of the nighttime interior scenes along with naturalistic lights for the scenes in the day as Zsigmond‘s photography manages to play something that strays from convention in order to capture a moment in time. Editor Lou Lombardo does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and various rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as the film‘s offbeat humor. Costume designers Kent James and Majorie Wahl do excellent work with the design of the different clothes from the clothes of the men to some of stylish dresses of the women.
The sound work of John Speak and Dick Vorisek is terrific for not just the naturalistic approach to sound but also in the sound editing to capture some of the pieces of music and match it up along with the vast sounds of the party scenes. The film’s music by John Williams is fantastic as it is largely a jazz-based score that only appears in few instances for some of the film’s suspenseful moments while the title song that is written by Williams and Johnny Mercer is played in various styles on location or as part of the score.
The film’s cast is marvelous as it features some notable small appearances from Jack Knight, Pepe Callahan, and Vincent Palmieri as a few of Marty’s hoods, Rodney Moss as supermarket clerk Marlowe meets early in the film and in jail, Jerry Jones and John S. Davies as a couple of LAPD detectives that Marlowe despises, Jo Ann Brody as Marty’s girlfriend, Stephen Coit as the lead detective Farmer, Ken Samson as the Malibu Colony security guard who does great old Hollywood star impressions, David Arkin as young hood named Harry who takes a liking towards Marlowe’s often-topless neighbors, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his early film appearances as a hulking yet silent hood who works for Marty. Henry Gibson is superb as Dr. Verringer as a private hospital doctor who was treating Wade while asking for money. Jim Bounton is excellent as Marlowe’s friend Terry Lennox who asks Marlowe for help as he would later be accused of killing his wife and later be dead prompting Marlowe to find some truth.
Mark Rydell is fantastic as Marty Augustine as this crime boss who just wants what is owed to him as he’s a character that has something that is quite calm but is also very dangerous in one notable moment that is scary. Nina Van Pallandt is amazing as Eileen Wade as Roger’s wife who has been trying to deal with his debt as well as helping Marlowe with the case as she knows a lot more than she seems. Sterling Hayden is brilliant as Roger Wade as a washed-up and troubled novelist who is dealing with money troubles as he deals with the ways of the world while concealing knowledge about the night Terry’s wife was killed. Finally, there’s Elliott Gould in a phenomenal performance as Philip Marlowe as this gumshoe private detective that deals with a case that becomes complicated throughout the course of his journey as Gould brings a humility and wit to his performance that strays from all of the ideas of what is expected in a film noir protagonist.
The Long Goodbye is a magnificent film from Robert Altman. Featuring an incredible performance from Elliott Gould along with a strong supporting cast, enchanting music, and Vilmos Zsigmond’s beautiful photography. The film isn’t just a fascinating take on the world of film noir but it’s also one of Robert Altman’s finest films in terms of taking a genre and put a different spin on it. In the end, The Long Goodbye is an outstanding film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie's Fortune - Dr. T and the Women - Gosford Park - The Company - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, Ocean’s Thirteen is the third and final film of the Ocean’s trilogy as Danny Ocean and his team decide to ruin a new casino and its owner in an act of revenge when one of Ocean’s friends gets conned out of his dream and nearly dies of a heart attack. The film is a heist film but also a comedy in which Danny Ocean and his gang return to Las Vegas and make sure a businessman’s premiere night is ruined as they seek the help from an unlikely person. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Eddie Jemison, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Andy Garcia, Eddie Izzard, Vincent Cassell, David Paymer, Ellen Barkin, and Al Pacino as Willy Bank. Ocean’s Thirteen is an exhilarating and fun film from Steven Soderbergh.
The film is a revenge tale of sorts when Willy Bank cheats Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould) out of his partnership of a casino that leads to Reuben suffering a near-fatal heart attack forcing Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the rest of the gang to seek vengeance on Bank and ruin his new casino. While it is a simple premise of a revenge/heist film, it’s also a film about brotherhood and loyalty where Ocean and the gang help out one of their own while getting help from an ally of theirs from the past as well as a foe in Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) who also despises Bank and wants the gang to steal some prestigious diamonds that Bank has won. Along the way, the gang that is expanded to thirteen do whatever it takes to ruin the opening night of Bank’s casino and make sure that Reuben gets the chance to be happy again.
The film’s screenplay by Brian Koppelman and David Levien does have a very unique structure where the first half is about Reuben’s heart attack and the gang wanting to get back at Bank for what he did as well as plan the heist and to make sure that Bank loses more than half a billion dollars on opening night. Yet, the stakes are much bigger as the casino known as the Bank gives the gang even bigger challenges as they seek the help of friend Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard) who learns that his old roommate in Greco Montgomery (Julian Sands) has created an artificial intelligence system that can scope out anyone to see if anything they did in the casino is illegal as the only way to disable it temporarily would be through a natural disaster.
The film’s second half is set on opening night where it’s about the scheme where Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), who poses as an assistant for Yen (Shaobo Quin) who plays a real estate billionaire, would seduce Bank’s assistant Abigail Sponder (Ellen Barkin). Yet, a lot more chaos happens as Virgil and Turk Malloy (Casey Affleck and Scott Caan, respectively) take part in a protest for Mexican workers that would be successful in the scheme while Benedict’s involvement isn’t just funding the gang when they needed money to create a natural disaster. Benedict has a bigger grudge towards Bank who had always prevented him from winning the prestigious Five Diamonds Award as Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) would pose as a critic of that award while the real critic (David Paymer) would endure the most humiliating moments of his life.
Steven Soderbergh’s direction is very stylish as well as lavish for the way he presents the world of casinos including the one that Bank wants to create as it displays his very egotistical personality. Much of it involves some massive wide shots and some second unit work as the look of the casino from the exterior displays how crazy Bank is as a person in making sure that his casino is the best. Soderbergh adds in a lot of humor not just in the schemes that Danny Ocean and the gang creates but also in how the way the react to certain things and such as Danny becomes sentimental when watching Oprah Winfrey. There’s also a sense of nostalgia in Danny and Rusty (Brad Pitt) who look at what Las Vegas has become as they think about how much Reuben was there for them as they think of him as a father and friend.
In his Peter Andrews alias, Soderbergh’s photography has a lushness in many of its interiors for the scenes at Bank’s casino with its red and yellow while Soderbergh infuses it with a lot of stylish shots to play into that look. Even as the exteriors in Las Vegas and Los Angeles maintains that sense of beauty that is the American West Coat. Still, Soderbergh makes sure that the film is about more than just payback and ruining one man’s life as it’s a film about friendship and honor. Overall, Soderbergh crafts a very enjoyable film about a gang rallying for an ailing friend and go after the man who hurt their friend.
Editor Stephen Mirrone does brilliant work with the editing with its use of montages and stylish cuts to play into the sense of craziness and planning that goes on as well as the humor in the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and supervising art director Doug J. Meerdink, does fantastic work with the look of the casino from its posh interior setting to the home where Reuben lives. Costume designer Louise Frogley does amazing work with the costumes from the dresses that Sponder wears as well as the clothes that the men wear.
Visual effects supervisor Thomas J. Smith does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the cologne that Linus uses to woo Sponder. Sound editor Larry Blake does superb work with the sound from the sound effects in the casino to the way some of the machines sound. The film’s music by David Holmes is excellent for its mixture of jazz and upbeat electronic music while he also supervises the soundtrack to include some jazz classics including songs by Frank Sinatra.
The casting by Debra Zane is great as it features appearances from producer Jerry Weintraub as a friend of the gang, Oprah Winfrey as herself, Bob Einstein as a FBI agent, Noureen DeWulf as a casino expo girl, Olga Sosnovska as the casino manager Rusty bribes, Julian Sands as the artificial intelligence game designer Greco Montgomery, and David Paymer as the unfortunate Five Diamonds Award critic who endures the worst conditions in his stay at Bank’s casino. Vincent Cassel is terrific in reprising his role as Francois Toulour from the second film as he seeks revenge on the gang while Ellen Barkin is wonderful as the very sexy and cunning Abigail Sponder who aids Bank in ensuring that things go well only to become seduced by Linus in his character. Al Pacino is excellent as Willy Bank as this very slimy casino owner who cheats Reuben out of his dream and dismisses Danny’s plea as he is a man full of ego and vanity as it’s a role that Pacino is perfect in.
Eddie Izzard is fantastic as the tech genius Roman Nagle who joins the gang as he also has a grudge towards Greco as he wants to get a nice share and help the gang. Andy Garcia is brilliant as longtime foe Terry Benedict who helps the gang in humiliating Bank while having a few tricks in his sleeve as he wants something in return for helping them. Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, and Scott Caan are amazing in their respective roles as Livingston Dell, Yen, Saul, Virgil, and Turk as they all contribute some humor to the film while Bernie Mac is superb in his role as Frank Catton as it’s one of his final performances.
Elliot Gould is incredible as Reuben Tishkoff as a man who just wants to get his chance to run a casino as he nearly dies while seeing what his friends are doing for him. Matt Damon and Brad Pitt are hilarious in their respective roles as Linus Caldwell and Rusty Ryan where they both put on disguises and do some funny things. Don Cheadle is also hilarious as Basher who would pretend to be a stuntman to distract Bank while George Clooney is marvelous as Danny Ocean who leads the team into targeting Bank and make his night a living hell.
Ocean’s Thirteen is a phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh. Armed with a great cast and an engaging premise, it’s a film that definitely serves as a fitting finale to the trilogy. Especially as it’s a film that just promises fun and excitement with characters audiences want to root for. In the end, Ocean’s Thirteen is a dazzling film from Steven Soderbergh.
Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros: The Equilibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)
The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
Related: Ocean's 8
© thevoid99 2014
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written and starring Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks is the story of a novelist struggling to write a novel as he creates his idea of the perfect woman only for her to actually come to life. The film is a look into the world of writers and their imagination and how their creation can sometimes go out of control. Also starring Paul Dano, Elliott Gould, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Chris Messina, and Steve Coogan. Ruby Sparks is a witty and charming film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
The world of writing often contains struggles where one person has this big success yet has trouble comprehending why it was successful in the first place and how to create a follow-up worthy of that success. In this film, it is about a young writer whose first novel was considered a classic yet it’s been 10 years since he wrote a new novel as he’s struggle to write a second one. Dealing with writer’s block and a break-up, he suddenly has these dreams about his idea of the perfect woman where he writes about her. Then she appears out of nowhere as they would have a relationship while he realizes that he can do things to her through his typewriter only for things to eventually go out of control. Even as the writer is forced to face some harsh truths about himself and all of his flaws as his relationship with his creation starts to wind down.
Zoe Kazan’s screenplay is largely a comedy though it does have a lot of truths into what writers go through when they try to write. A lot of it involves writers just facing the blank page and having no idea what to do as Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano) has a lot of pressure on him to deliver the second novel. Kazan’s script does reveal the pratfalls of the sophomore slump where Calvin spends his time talking to his shrink (Elliott Gould) and his brother Harry (Chris Messina) revealing all of his problems. Then comes these dreams that appear in Calvin’s head as he sees his idea of the perfect woman in this titular character that Kazan also plays. She is definitely someone who is quirky, offbeat, comical, melancholic, twee, and all of the things that Calvin wants. Once Harry learns what Calvin has created, he encourages him to do things as if Calvin is the creator.
After introducing Ruby to his mother (Annette Bening) and stepfather (Antonio Banderas) where Ruby seems to enjoy herself and starts to flesh out on her own. Calvin starts to take control as the second act winds down yet it eventually goes out of control where Ruby becomes more complicated as if she was human as she becomes needy, lazy, fluent in French, and all sorts of things as it’s done in a comical but also light-dramatic manner. Even as the third act is a bit dramatic as it unveils more of Calvin’s flaws as a person and as a writer where he has to face some truths about himself.
The direction of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris is quite straightforward in terms of its framing and presentation yet they manage to keep things very lively throughout the film. Notably as it’s shot largely in Los Angeles and parts of California where it is this sunny world where a young writer is struggling to create his second novel. A lot of it involves simple shots that are carefully framed to establish this sense of difficulty a man faces as a writer while it includes some scenes where Calvin has to attend Q&A sessions about his first book to explore the world of the writer. Things loosen up once Ruby appears in the film as there’s elements of dream-like sequences as well as a scene where Calvin imagines Ruby’s life as he lies down on a couch during a therapy session. There are scenes that add a sense of improvisation and chaos to play out the comedy where it is very stylized as well as the drama that occurs in the third act. Overall, Dayton and Faris create a very fascinating and engaging comedy-drama about creation and how imagination can become reality.
Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does excellent work with the film‘s colorful cinematography as it plays to the beauty of the Californian locations as well as some of its nighttime scenes in Los Angeles. Editor Pamela Martin does nice work with the editing as it‘s quite stylized with the use of jump-cuts to capture some of the energy of the humor as well as a few fade-outs to help structure the story. Production designer Judy Becker, with set decorator Matthew Flood Ferguson and art director Alexander Wei, does amazing work with the look of Calvin‘s home as well as the bohemian home of his mother and stepfather.
Costume designer Nancy Steiner does wonderful work with the costumes in the stylish clothes that Ruby wears from her colorful socks to the dresses she wears. Sound editors Aaron Glascock and Byron Wilson do superb work with the sound from the intimacy of Calvin‘s home to some of the moments at the social gatherings Calvin and Ruby attend. The film’s music by Nick Urata is brilliant for its lush, orchestral score to play out some of the humor and romantic elements of the film. Music supervisor Dan Wilcox creates a fantastic soundtrack that consists a mix of classical music, French pop, and some indie music.
The casting by Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis-Wagner is just phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable small appearances from Aasif Mandvi as Calvin’s agent Cyrus, Toni Trucks as Harry’s wife Susie, Alia Shawkat as a fan of Calvin’s whom he met at the Q&A session, and Deborah Ann Woll as Calvin’s ex-girlfriend Lila who confronts him at a party. Elliott Gould is excellent as Calvin’s therapist Dr. Rosenthal who tries to understand Calvin while Steve Coogan is superb as a fellow novelist who tries to give Calvin some advice. Chris Messina is wonderful as Calvin’s older brother Harry who is baffled by Ruby’s appearance as he gives Calvin some advice on what to do with Ruby. Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas are great in their respective roles as Calvin’s bohemian mother Gertrude and his artistic stepfather Mort where they are a joy to watch as they bring more fun to the film.
Paul Dano is brilliant as Calvin Weir-Fields as a young man just troubled by the pressures he has as a writer as he’s seeking some form of inspiration as Dano has this great sense of comic timing and dramatic humility to make Calvin an engaging and flawed individual. Finally, there’s Zoe Kazan in a remarkable performance as the titular character as she displays all of the attributes of what an ideal dream girl is as well as distorting it to make her a more realistic person who is very flawed and complicated. It’s truly a real breakthrough for Kazan as she and Dano are the highlights of the film with their approach to comedy and drama.
Ruby Sparks is a marvelous film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris that features an amazing ensemble cast and a very captivating and humorous script from its star and screenwriter Zoe Kazan. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the world of the writers but also subverts the idea of reality and fantasy to see how the creation can go overboard and overwhelm the creator. In the end, Ruby Sparks is a sensational film from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Films: Little Miss Sunshine - Battle of the Sexes (2017 film)
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joseph Walsh, California Split is the story of two gamblers who become friends over their love of gambling as they go to casinos in order to have a major score. The film is an exploration into the world of gambling and the effects it has on the people who are entranced by that world. Starring Elliott Gould and George Segal. California Split is an extraordinary film from Robert Altman.
In the world of gambling, one has to figure out how to score and win big so that person can have money and spend. In this film, it’s about these two different men who love gambling as they team up together for one big score after they had been mugged by a gambler who felt ripped off by the two men. Along the way, they do things that will help them win money and have a good time but the lifestyle starts to take its toll on one of the men in Bill Denny (George Segal) as he finds himself in debt. When he decides to go Reno to gamble with the more experienced Charlie Walters (Elliott Gould), something happens to Bill at Reno where Charlie has to sit back and watch while the aftermath would have some profound effect for these two men.
Joseph Walsh’s screenplay explore the world of gambling where it is about playing cards the right way or trying to shoot at a craps table or picking the right horse to win at the racetrack. Still, it is about these two different men who have an interest in gambling. In Charlie Walters, here’s a guy who is very experienced in that world and is very obsessed about what to do and knowing what to pick where he will even throw someone off their game so he can win. In Bill Denny, here’s a man with a job as a magazine writer who is fascinated by gambling and has won a few games here and there but has no experience in winning big.
The two team up together in order to make big money together as Walters is a more compulsive gambler who knows the lifestyle that includes drinks and women while it is still new to Bill. For Bill, he goes deep into this world where he wins but then loses as he finds himself in trouble. There, he goes into a major character development in which he realizes what he has to do to be a full-time gambler that requires a lot of sacrifices. Seeing how Charlie is able to deal with it makes Bill uneasy where he will take a risk to go to Reno for one big score where it wouldn’t see how far Bill will go to win but will also test his friendship with Charlie.
Robert Altman’s direction is quite straightforward for the most part though he does manage to pull in some interesting framing devices for the film. Yet, he keeps the camera in tact to uncover this world of casinos and racetracks to explore a world that is quite chaotic in some aspects but also very organized. For the scenes outside of those environments such as Charlie’s home or the place where Bill works. The direction is very different as it’s tighter and more focused to see how these two men live outside of the gambling world where Bill maybe uneasy about it but has accepted it. For Charlie, he feels more out of place as he longs to make money through gambling. While a lot of the film takes place in California, it’s climax is in the more colder environment of Reno, Nevada where things are a bit different except in the casinos.
Still, there is tension in the direction that occurs where Bill is eager to make his score where he could succeed and fail. The aftermath is the most interesting moment because of where these two men have come to as well as the result of what it takes to gamble. There’s an ambiguity to that world where it can be great when someone wins but also very terrifying when someone loses. Overall, Altman creates a truly mesmerizing yet entertaining film about the world of gambling.
Cinematographer Paul Lohmann does excellent work with the photography from some of the low-key lighting in some of the bars and casinos to the more vibrant look of the Californian exterior settings. Editors Lou Lombardo and O. Nicholas Brown do terrific work with the editing to capture the energy of the casinos and racetracks as well as more methodical moments in the non-gambling scenes. Art director Leon Ericksen and set decorator Sam J. Jones do nice work with the look of Charlie‘s home and the office that Bill works as well as a few touches for the casinos they attend.
Sound editor Kay Rose does wonderful work with the sound to capture the craziness in the race tracks and the casinos to showcase the world of gambling. The music soundtrack consists of an array of music that plays to the world of casino life courtesy of Phyllis Shotwell who provides some funny renditions of standards.
The casting by Scott Bushnell is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Jeff Goldblum as one of Bill’s editors, Bert Remsen as a drag queen Bill and Charlie meets, Edward Walsh as a gambler who mugs Bill and Charlie early in the film, and screenwriter Joseph Walsh as Bill’s bookie. In a couple of wonderful performances, there’s Gwen Welles and Ann Prentiss as a couple of lady friends of Charlie who hang out with him and Bill as they also encounter their world of gambling.
Finally, there’s the duo of Elliott Gould and George Segal in fantastic performances in their respective roles of Charlie Walters and Bill Denny. Gould brings a lot of humor as the fast-talking Charlie who always hustle in order to make his living as he’s also a man that knows what to do. Segal also brings humor to his role but also a sense of dramatic weight to his character who finds himself in trouble over his gambling losses. The two together make a great duo in the way they interact with each other as they’re a major highlight of the film.
California Split is a marvelous film from Robert Altman that features incredible performances from Elliott Gould and George Segal. Thanks to its intriguing approach to explore the world of gambling, it’s a film that is very funny but also very compelling that explores the world of gamblers and what they have to do to win. For fans of Altman, this film is definitely one of his key works in the 1970s as well as one of his finest films of his career. In the end, California Split is a superb film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie's Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/13/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.
Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joan Tewkesbury, Nashville is a multi-layered story about different groups of people coming together for a country music convention where the world of politics and celebrity collide in the course of five day that leads to a climatic concert. The film explores the world of celebrity culture through a variety of stories that features more than 20 characters. With an all-star cast that includes Keith Carradine, Lily Tomlin, Shelley Duvall, Michael Murphy, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Ronee Blakley, Gwen Welles, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Jeff Goldblum, Allen Garfield, Scott Glenn, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, and many more. Nashville is a superb, sprawling, yet eerie film from Robert Altman.
Replacement party candidate Hal Phillip Walker is set to appear in Nashville, Tennessee in the hopes to win another primary for the U.S. Presidency as a BBC news reporter named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) is making a documentary about the city. Opal accidentally interrupts a recording session for country legend Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) as she meets his son Bud (Dave Peel) while she attends another session featuring gospel singers led by a local housewife in Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin). Linnea's husband Delbert (Ned Beatty) has a meeting with Californian businessman John Triplette (Michael Murphy) while a mysterious man (Jeff Goldbum) arrives on a motor-tricycle where a cook named Wade Cooley (Robert DoQui) and waitress/aspiring singer Sueleen Gray (Gwen Welles watch). Another aspiring singer in Winifred Albuquerque leaves her husband Star (Bert Ramsen) at a traffic jam as Nashville is waiting for the arrival of famed country singer Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley).
Delbert, Triplette, Haven, Bud, and Haven's mistress Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley) are at the airport to meet Barbara Jean and her husband Barnett (Allen Garfield) while a soldier named Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn) watches while a folk trio named Bill (Allan F. Nichols), Mary (Cristina Raines), and Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) arrive to the city as does a woman known as L.A. Joan (Shelley Duvall) who meets her uncle Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn). Jean is sent to the hospital as many await to give interviews or to meet her as Mr. Green later gets a visit from musician Kenny Fraiser (David Hayward) asking to rent a room. Jean's appearance is canceled as everyone in town including African-American country singer Tommy Brown (Timothy Brown) play gigs all over the city while Linnea gets some strange calls from Tom Frank who sleeps around with some of the women in the city. Sueleen auditions for a man named Trout at a club where she passes the audition despite her poor vocal quality. At a show at the Grand Old Opry, Connie White (Karen Black) fills in for Jean who steals the show much to the dismay of Barbara Jean who is still at the hospital. With a big concert at the Parthenon still set, Bill and Mary's relationship is deteriorating as Triplette asks them to play.
Barbara Jean finally plays a show but the performance was shambolic making Triplette and Barnett worried if she will be involved for the big show. At a club later that night, Tom Frank reveals his vulnerability in a song called I'm Easy as Linnea watches while Sueleen attends the gig she received where it's revealed to be not what she expected. On the day Hal Phillip Walker arrives for the show, all of the people big and small in the past four day come together for the big moment where reality and tragedy collide.
Given upon the film's attitude towards idol-worship and politics, the timing couldn't have been any better for a film like Nashville. Even in today's view where whatever cynicism that had been growing in the mid-70s has only served as a reminder to today's harsh times. While a lot of credit should go to Altman for his improvisation, chaotic style in collaboration with his actors. Much of the credit should also go to screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury for telling this story of ordinary people including celebrities and political officers coming together in a place as American as Nashville.
A lot of the film reveals the kind of cynicism and disillusionment that came out of the 1960s. The character of Lady Pearl reveals these feelings when reflecting on her love for the Kennedys and her anger towards her own state for letting Richard Nixon win that state because they didn't want to vote for someone who is Catholic. A lot of the film's political overtones from the voice of P.A. guy talking about the candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen throughout the entire film.
It's not just politics that drives the course of this story, but also celebrity in which, you have some major celebrity figures in characters like Haven Hamilton, Barbara Jean, Connie White, and Tommy Brown. There's a scene in which the African-American Brown, based on the country singer Charley Pride, is called a racial slur, not by a white man but from one of his own. There's also a scene in where Barbara Jean starts to ramble where it shows the folly and downside of celebrity where it becomes a disappointment to somebody in the audience.
Largely because they're forced to see this iconic figure be something they don't want to see, human. Jean is an interesting character who starts to fall apart from the pressures of celebrity as well as the competition against rival Connie White. There's even a couple of walk-on cameo appearances from Altman regulars Elliot Gould and Julie Christie playing themselves intrigued by this event going on in Nashville.
The city itself is a major character since it's the melting pot of not just where country music is but also the place where Hal Phillip Walker hopes to win. There's a moment where John Triplette uses Nashville hoping to get more votes though he has no care for them. Right before the film's climatic concert, there's a scene of Triplette and Barnett arguing about political motives that revels in how a country has become unsure of their own future concerning the government. After this argument comes this tragedy that would foreshadow an event in the years to come. Plus, in this tragedy comes this wave of disillusionment, loss, and confusion. It is there that someone takes this tragic moment and tries to create something to get people together. This is where the genius of Robert Altman occurs.
Altman isn't concerned about politics, lifestyles, or the cult of celebrity but people, real people even if they're celebrities or political lackeys. Altman's observant yet improvisational direction proves that there's a lot of life in any part of a place like Nashville. Even in a scene where Opal goes to a car dump to prepare narration for her documentary as she is trying to figure out what to say. Altman shows the folly of humanity and how events can lead to surrealism. The character of Linnea Reese is a woman who is a loving mother and wife who cares for her deaf children while her husband is more distracted by this political event rather than paying attention to what his son is trying to say. Altman reveals the folly of people trying to follow something as confusing in politics and celebrity. The moments in the film are often filled with overlapping dialogue to convey the atmosphere of what is going on and where these people are. What are they reacting to or what are they thinking. Altman isn't trying to reveal any kind of answers rather than letting the audience themselves involved in what they think is happening. The result is a truly superb, sprawling direction from the late, great Robert Altman.
Cinematographer Paul Lohmann does excellent work in capturing the wonders that is Nashville from the Parthenon, the Grand Old Opry, and the clubs that make this place unique with its colorful, documentary-like camera work. Set decorator Robert M. Anderson also plays to the film's authentic look of the city with its intimate look for the clubs to the colorful, spacious home of the Reese family. Costume designer Jules Melillo does great work in creating the lavish costumes of the country singers as well as the laid-back clothes of the folk trio Bill, Mary, & Tom to the look of regular people. Editors Dennis M. Hill and Sidney Levin do great work in putting together the stories and characters together with some wonderful editing to move one story to another and see how they all relate to another. Sound editor William A. Sawyer along with Chris McLaughlin and James E. Webb also do amazing work with the sound to convey the sense of tension and atmosphere in the scenes that's happening, notably the way the music is captured.
With many of the actors including Altman contributing music to the film, the soundtrack is wonderfully memorable from the songs Ronee Blakley sings that is pure traditional country to the other songs by Karen Black, Henry Gibson, and Timothy Brown that shows the wonders of country in the 1970s. The musical performances are memorable with Gwen Welles doing a hilariously bad rendition of the songs she sings. Lily Tomlin also does some wonderful music while the real standout is Keith Carradine and his Oscar-winning song I'm Easy. The performance of It Don't Worry Me by Barbara Harris truly memorable while other songs features contributions from Richard Baskin and Gary Busey. It's one of the finest soundtracks ever assembled.
Then, we have the film's large, ensemble cast and it's truly filled with some of the most memorable characters assembled on film. From notable small performances from Gailard Sartain as a diner patron, screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury as the voice of Tom's lover and Kenny's mother, Howard K. Smith as a TV reporter, Merle Kilgore as Trout, composer Richard Baskin as a piano player named Frog, James Dan Calvert and Donna Denton as the Reese's deaf children, and cameos from Altman regulars Elliott Gould and Julie Christie as themselves. Notable small performances from Bert Remsen as Star, Jeff Goldblum as the tricycle man, and David Arkin as Norman are exceptionally memorable for their individual moments. Allan F. Nichols and Cristina Raines are also excellent as the bickering couple of Bill and Mary who are stuck in a tempting love triangle with band mate Tom. Gwen Welles is great as the naive dreamer Sueleen whose belief that she can sing is undermined by the fact that she can't until this moment of humiliation. Robert DoQui is also great as Gwen's friend who reminds her of her lack of talent despite his cynical attitude.
Karen Black is excellent as the bitchy, vain Connie White who has a nicer personality onstage but offstage, she's a mean, egotistical singer with little respect for Barbara Jean. Timothy Brown is also excellent in his brief role as the Charley Pride-inspired Tommy Brown while Scott Glenn is also good in his small role as a soldier who had a nice story about Barbara Jean. Barbara Harris gives a comical, memorable performance as a struggling singer named Albuquerque who is hoping for her own break where she has an amazing scene in the film's finale. David Hayward is also great as the mysterious Kenny who seems lost in the world he is surrounded by as a musician trying to find a place to fit in. Dave Peel is wonderful as the sweet, intelligent Bud Hamilton who enjoys the role of helping his father's business matters while aspires for something more. Allen Garfield is great as Barbara Jean's frustrated, caring manager who is trying to take care of his wife but couldn't deal with the way she's being used.
Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Mr. Green, L.A. Joan's uncle who is dealing with his wife's illness and his niece's single-minded personality. Shelly Duvall is wonderful as the loopy, icon-obsessed L.A. Joan who is more concerned about public events and icons rather than her own aunt. Barbara Baxley gives a wonderfully touching performance as the sweet yet cynical Lady Pearl whose loss of hope for politics reveal a dark anger to the way she reacts towards her own background. Henry Gibson is great as country legend Haven Hamilton who is trying to organize things while dealing with his own celebrity and his city's reputation. Ned Beatty is excellent as the neglectful Delbert Reese while Altman regular Michael Murphy is also great as the political lackey John Triplette, who makes an insulting comment on Nashville. Ronee Blakley gives a wonderful performance as the fragile yet enchanting Barbara Jean whose presence as a singer is wonderful to watch only to see her fall apart with her rambling.
Geraldine Chaplin is wonderful as the eccentric, loopy Opal who tries to create a story but isn't sure what to do while being selfish for her own gain. Altman regular Keith Carradine is great as the burned out, womanizing Tom Frank who has a great moment with his performance of I'm Easy. In her feature-film debut and first of many films for Altman, Lily Tomlin gives a phenomenal performance as Linnea Reese with her caring, conflicted woman who loves her children but tries to deal with her husband's neglect and her own role as a wife.
Nashville is a magnificent film from Robert Altman that features an outstanding ensemble cast and a captivating screenplay from Joan Tewkesbury. The film is definitely one of the great examples of what a multi-layered ensemble film should be as it doesn't lose sight on the big themes while allowing small moments to play out. It's also a film that is also not afraid to tackle big subjects that are more relevant than ever since its original release. In the end, Nashville is a tremendous film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
© thevoid99 2013
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/4/07 w/ Additional Edits.
Based on the novel by Richard Hooker, M.A.S.H. is the story about an eccentric group of medical personnel working during the Korean War as they defy the world of the military and all sorts of authority. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Ring Lardner, the film is an exploration into the world of military service and how some deal with their time. With an all-star cast that includes Elliott Gould, Donald Sutherland, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, Bud Cort, Rene Auberjonois, Tom Skerritt, Fred Williamson, Roger Bowen, John Schuck, and Michael Murphy. M.A.S.H. is an absurd yet chaotic war-comedy from Robert Altman.
It's the Korean War as two surgeons named Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland) and Duke (Tom Skerritt) arrived onto base and steal a jeep to go the M.A.S.H. unit miles away from where the fighting is going on. They meet their superior, Lt. Col. Blake (Roger Bowen) along with Cpl. "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff), Father "Dago Red" Mulcahy (Rene Auberjonois), and dentist Capt. "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck). While Hawkeye and Duke were drafted into the war, they reveal to be just ordinary guys that just want to help people. Unfortunately, they're forced to live in the same tent with the religious, tough Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall). Going on with their business in surgery and flirting with nurses including Lt. "Dish" Schneider (Jo Ann Pflug), Hawkeye finds a new partner in arriving surgeon in "Trapper John" McIntyre (Elliott Gould).
Trapper John doesn't like the way things are run, especially when Burns blames the death of a patient on an orderly named Private Boone (Bud Cort). Trapper John responds to Burns' attitude by punching him just as new head nurse Major Margaret O'Houlihan (Sally Kellerman) arrives. O'Houlihan's arrival only increases Trapper John and Hawkeye's battle against authority. When they learn that O'Houlihan is having an affair with the married Burns, they learn her nickname to be "Hot Lips" as the medical personnel decide to play a prank on them. After getting Burns into the hot seat, John and Hawkeye continue to work on their wily ways while getting help from their Korean assistant Ho-Jon (Kim Atwood). When Hawkeye learns that Painless Pole is dealing with a problem that reveals that he's not a Don Juan, he finds a solution that will help him as the entire personnel including some reluctance from Dago Red, get involved. After another prank that involved Hot Lips, Hot Lips threatens to resign to Col. Blake.
When John and Hawkeye continue their wild ways, they learn that they can go to Japan to help operate on the son of a congressman. Still, dealing with the authority, Hawkeye and John continue to break the rules as they demand for some food and time to play golf and meet women with the building's doctor Capt. "Me Lay" Marston IV (Michael Murphy). Returning from Japan, they learn that General Hammond (G. Wood) wants to challenge Col. Blake for a football match with his unit. The rowdy personnel including Hot Lips decide to get a ringer named Spearchucker (Fred Williamson) for help to win some money. There, the general is forced to see for himself what the M.A.S.H. unit is really all about.
While films about war often show different sides of what goes on and off the battlefield. Robert Altman chooses to go outside of not just the battlefield but the conventions of war films by making not just an anti-war film but also anti-military. There's not a lot of mention of what was going on in the Korean War but rather as an allegory of sorts about Vietnam and its intentions. So, Altman chooses to explore the military in all of its absurdity and find characters that audiences can relate to. Then there's the story or rather... the lack of a story and plot. Still, Altman chooses to make fun of these things and defy authority through the film's central characters and supporting roles.
While the screenplay and story revels on what it was like working in the M.A.S.H. unit, it's really about a few, ordinary men trying to do their jobs and live their life while trying not to be pushed by their authority figures. Conflict is an important part of the film as characters such as Hawkeye and Trapper John duke it out with anyone like the mean Frank Burns who blames patients deaths on interns or Hot Lips for her strict guidelines. Yet, Altman's direction that is filled with chaos, overlapping dialogue between characters, and scenes that included more than two people in a frame. This became known as the Altman style and it feels very real to its audience where everyone from the big lead to a supporting player gets to have their moments. While the film incorporates a lot of style into this war comedy that includes a lot of low-brow humor and a football game in the end. To the casual film goer, it seems like one too many genres in a film yet Altman makes the film consistent through its irreverent humor where as a result, it's a no-holds-barred, witty comedy about war and the little people involved.
Cinematographer Harold E. Stine does excellent work in capturing the surreal, worldly look of the army bases and cities that the M.A.S.H. unit visit. Art directors Arthur Lonergan, Jack Martin Smith, and Michael Friedman also do excellent work in creating the tents and quirky look of the camps as well as some of the Japanese bases and sushi restaurants. Editor Danford B. Greene does excellent work in bringing rhythm and style to the film's editing with some perspective cuts as well as playing to the film's humor. Sound mixers Bernard Freericks and John D. Stack do great work on the sound to convey the atmosphere and mood of the scenes and settings they're in. Composer Johnny Mandel brings a comical film score to the film while the famous song Suicide Is Painless by Mandell and lyrics by then 14-year old Mike Altman is wonderfully funny ballad about one of the film's characters.
Then there's the cast which is very important to any Altman film. Notable small yet memorable performances from G. Wood, Kim Atwood, Indus Arthur as Col. Blake's mistress, Bobby Troup as Staff Sgt. Gorman, Cathleen Cordell as the head nurse in Japanese base, Danny Goldman as Cpt. Murrhardt, Corey Fischer as Cpt. Bandini, and in their film debuts, Fred Williamson as Spearchucker and Bud Cort as an intern. The voice of Sal Viscuso is very memorable for all the information he reveals about what movies are playing and such. Other small performances from Altman regulars Michael Murphy and Rene Auberjonois are wonderfully memorable for the brief scenes they're in while series regular Gary Burghoff is funny as Radar. Jo Ann Pflug is excellent as the nurse Lt. "Dish" Schneider while John Schuck gives a great performance as Painless Pole. Roger Bowen is wonderfully funny as the leading authority figure Lt. Col. Blake with his own quirky ideas about leading a unit.
Though he's known for dramatic roles, Robert Duvall is given to do a bit of comedy as the insane, religious Frank Burns. Duvall is great in willing to play a comic foil who takes himself too seriously and is willing to compromise his own beliefs. Sally Kellerman is wonderfully funny as another comic foil in Hot Lips with her hysterical behavior after her humiliating moments and her cheering as a cheerleader. Kellerman is very funny in the role that is definitely memorable. Tom Skerritt is also great as Duke with his mischievous ways and love for dope and Hot Lips. Donald Sutherland gives a wonderfully laid-back, funny performance as the easy-going Hawkeye who likes to flirt and cause trouble. Altman regular Elliott Gould is also extremely funny as Hawkeye's partner-in-chaos Trapper John with his hatred for authority and willingness to cause chaos. Gould and Sutherland really own the film by just adding memorable moment and one-liners after another.
M.A.S.H. is an off-the-wall yet extremely hilarious film from Robert Altman. Armed with a great ensemble cast and biting themes on war and authority, it is definitely one of the great films about military service. Notably as it isn't afraid to poke fun at the dark side of dealing with death and such. For those new to Robert Altman, this film is definitely one of the best places to start. In the end, M.A.S.H. is an incredibly funny film from Robert Altman.
Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion
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