Her Smell

 

Written and directed by Alex Ross Perry, Her Smell is the story of a punk rock singer’s life of excess starts to take its toll upon being a mother as she deals with her band falling apart, dealing with old peers, and a new act on the rise. The film is an exploration of a woman dealing with changes as well as the fact that she is self-destructive as she hurts those including herself to the path of success. Starring Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Ashley Benson, Gayle Rankin, Eric Stoltz, Amber Heard, Dylan Gelula, Agyness Deyn, Dan Stevens, and Virginia Madsen. Her Smell is a riveting and evocative film from Alex Ross Perry.

Stories about rock stardom and such often follow a formula in how they’re formed, how they become successful, more success, sex, drugs, alcohol, fights, they break-up, some tried to do solo careers, and then reunite. It’s a story that’s been told a million times yet what Alex Ross Perry does in this film is really the study of a singer whose love of rock n’ roll and excess would eventually takes its toll on herself, her family life, and her band. Notably as it’s told in five different scenes detailing the fall and resurrection of Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) who is the singer/guitarist for the punk rock band Something She as there’s brief segments in between detailing the band’s rise. Perry’s script is more about Becky and her attempt to try and be this rock star as well as a mother despite the fact that she’s divorced and at odds with her ex-husband and her own mother. The five segments all play into Becky and her band in their good times but mostly bad times with the second and third segments showcasing Becky’s self-destructive behavior and how she destroys her relationships with those who care about her. The fourth and fifth takes places years after the events of the first three segments as it relates to what she lost but also her own fears.

Perry’s direction does have some style in its approach to long static shots as well as tracking shots in some parts of the film yet much of it is straightforward. Shot on various locations in New York City as well as the upstate area for one segment, the film play into these moments in time as the first segment is about a performance from Something She and its aftermath and the second segment is about a failed recording session that lead to the band’s break-up while a new band in Akergirls watch in horror. The usage of close-ups and medium shots don’t just add to the intimacy of some of the tension but also in how much Becky is willing to destroy herself and everyone else in her path just as some are trying to help her. Even as it would capture the chaos during a scene in the third act where Becky and Something She drummer Ali van der Wolff (Gayle Rankin) have an intense physical fight backstage.

There are a few wide shots in the film yet Perry chooses to focus on these moments that play into Becky’s wild behavior and her need to have answers whether it’s spiritual or as a way to maintain this persona as a wild punk rock star. There is a lot of attention to detail in what is going on with and around Becky as the dramatic tension that occurs such as a failed recording session that lead to the band’s break-up shows more attention towards Ali and bassist Marielle Hell (Agyness Deyn) who are struggling to keep it together but are aware that the band is done. By the time the film moves towards the fourth and fifth segments, things do quiet down as it play into Becky coming to terms with what she’s lost but also what she still has. Even towards the end as she tries to figure out if she has to play this wild persona or just be a mother to her daughter. Overall, Perry crafts an exhilarating yet intense film about a punk rock singer’s struggle to be all sorts of things including being a mother.

Cinematographer Sean William Price does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of low-key interior lighting for some the backstage scenes and in some of the stage lighting as well as natural interior/exterior lighting for the segment at Becky’s home with some blurry flashes for some of the concert performances. Editor Robert Greene does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in letting shots linger for a while as well as providing a few rhythmic cuts for dramatic effect. Production designer Fletcher Chancey, with set decorator Paige Mitchell and art director John Arnos, does fantastic work with the look of some of the backstage area in some of the shows as well as the look of the studio and Becky’s home. Costume designer Amanda Ford does nice work with the costumes from some of the stylish clothes that the bands wear as well as the ragged look in their clothing.

Hair/makeup designer Amy L. Forsythe does terrific work with the look of the Akergirls in their colorful hairstyle as well as how they would evolve in the coming years in contrast to the chaotic look of Becky. Sound editor Ryan M. Price does amazing work with the film’s sound in the way music is presented live as well as the way music is recorded in a studio and other aspects of the sound as it plays into the chaos of Becky’s life. The film’s music by Keegan DeWitt and Alicia Bognanno is incredible with DeWitt providing a low-key ambient score for some of the dramatic moments of the film while Bognanno writes some of the original songs for Something She and Akergirls while music supervisor Rob Lowry provide a couple of songs that Becky sings including a song by Bryan Adams and one from Charles Manson.

The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Daisy Pugh-Weiss as Becky’s daughter Tama, Hannah Gross as Tama’s stepmother Tiffany, Craig Butta as a studio recording engineer, Alexis Krauss as musician at the film’s final segment, Keith Poulson as Ali’s husband, Lindsay Burdge as Marielle’s partner, Eka Darville as a shaman who doesn’t seem to have Becky’s best interests, and Amber Heard in a small role as Becky’s former mentor Zelda E. Zekiel as a woman who is trying to help Becky to get her into the right path of life. The performances of Ashley Benson, Cara Delevingne, and Dylan Gelula in their respective roles as Roxie Rotten, Crassie Cassie, and Dottie O.Z. of the band Akergirls are fantastic as a new band who admire Becky as they see her as an influence only to realize how troubled she is to herself and to their own career. Eric Stoltz is excellent as the music manager Howard Goodman who manages both Something She and Akergirls as someone trying to maintain some control while starting to lose patience with Becky as he has a lot to lose with her drug abuse. Virginia Madsen is brilliant as Becky’s mother Ania as a woman who had seen Becky at her best and at her worst as she’s trying to help her but also knows when something horrible is to come.

Gayle Rankin and Agyness Deyn are amazing in their respective roles as Something She drummer Ali van der Wolff and bassist Marielle Hell as two women who are trying to keep the band together with the former as a drummer who is also wild but also in control until a major fight backstage while the latter is someone who is trying keep everything in control until she has had enough. Dan Stevens is incredible as Becky’s ex-husband Danny as a man who cares about Becky and their daughter yet is trying to get her help but also be there as a mother to their daughter. Finally, there’s Elisabeth Moss in a spectacular performance as Becky Something as the singer/guitarist for the band Something She as a woman just trying to be this wild persona and a mother to a young girl but is troubled by her drug abuse and need to control everything as it is Moss at her most energetic and most vulnerable as it is definitely the performance of her career.

Her Smell is a tremendous film from Alex Ross Perry that features a phenomenal leading performance from Elisabeth Moss. Along with its ensemble cast, fascinating character study, simplistic yet chilling presentation, and an energetic music soundtrack. It’s a film that explores a woman trying to balance responsibility and stardom but also destroy those including herself on her path as well as cope with everything she’s gained and lost. In the end, Her Smell is a sensational film from Alex Ross Perry.

Alex Ross Perry Films: (Impolex) – (The Color Wheel) – (Listen Up Philip) – (Queen of Earth) – (Golden Exits)

© thevoid99 2020

5 to 7

Written and directed by Victor Levin, 5 to 7 is the story of a young writer who meets a married woman as he would have an affair with her unaware that it’s part of an arrangement she has with her husband. The film is an exploration of love as well as young man finding out that the woman he’s with is having an open marriage with her husband. Starring Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella, and Glenn Close. 5 to 7 is a majestic and fascinating film from Victor Levin.

Set entirely in New York City, the film revolves around a young writer whose encounter with a married French woman lead to an arranged affair between five to seven PM. It’s a film with a simple concept as it is largely told by this young man in his 20s who is trying to find himself as a writer but also find ideas to become a great one. Upon meeting this beautiful Frenchwoman in her 30s, he would have this affair but would have to meet between five and seven PM as he would learn that she is married to another man who is also in an open relationship with another woman. Victor Levin’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of its protagonist Brian Bloom (Anton Yelchin) who is quite young as he hasn’t experienced enough with his life to create anything of worth in his desire to be a writer. When he meets Arielle Pierpont (Berenice Marlohe), he would gain some experience in this affair yet he becomes enamored by Arielle and her life. Though the script does follow scenarios that is typical of romantic-comedies, there are more complexities as it play into this arrangement as well as what it could for Brian’s future.

Levin’s direction is quite simple as it is shot on location in New York City and its various locations where it play into Brian living in a city where it’s known for giving birth to many writers as the city itself is a character in the film. Many of the compositions are simple with its usage of close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy of the scenes as well as in some of the parties. There are a few wide shots in the film yet Levin is more about Brian being part of Arielle’s life as she has two kids while introducing her to his parents who are baffled by this arrangement. The direction is also very playful as it owe a lot to elements of the French New Wave for much of the film’s first half that would include a lot of tracking shots yet the style would become more controlled and less stylized for the third act. Notably as it would play into Brian’s own view of the world and his own idea of love where things become complicated but there are things he would have to accept in his development as a man. Overall, Levin creates an engaging yet charming film about a young man’s affair with a married woman.

Cinematographer Arnaud Potier does excellent work with the cinematography in the way many of the rooms are lit from inside as well as the naturalistic exterior shots in the daytime. Editor Matt Maddox does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few jump cuts and montages in some sequences. Production designer Jeannine Oppewall and set decorator Susan Perlman do fantastic work with the look of the hotel suite Brian and Arielle would often meet at as well as Brian‘s quaint apartment and the lavish one Arielle lives in with her husband.

Costume designer Heidi Bivens does wonderful work with the costumes from the suits that Brian wears to the stylish clothes that Arielle wears. Sound designers J.M. Davey and Zach Seivers do terrific work with the sound as it is mostly low-key to play into the locations as well as in some of the parties that the characters go to. The film’s music by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans do superb work with the music as it‘s mostly a mixture of classical and waltz-based music with bits of jazz while music supervisor Laura Katz create a soundtrack filled with jazz, classical, and some French pop music.

The casting by Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram, and Heidi Levitt is great as it features appearances from real-life figures Julian Bond, Daniel Bouloud, Alan Gilbert, and David Remnick as themselves along with Milo Mungier Jacob and Brune de Drueille Senecterre in their respective roles as Arielle’s children Marc and Elodie and Eric Stoltz in a one-scene performance as the renowned editor Galassi. Glenn Close and Frank Langella are fantastic as Brian’s parents respectively in Arlene and Sam Bloom with Close as the more quirkier of the two while Langella is the more uptight who isn’t that fond of the relationship. Lambert Wilson is excellent as Arielle’s husband Valery as a man who loves his wife but also has a mistress as he tries to create a situation where everyone is happy as he also sees promise in Brian’s writing talents.

Olivia Thirlby is amazing as Valery’s mistress Jane as an editor who is able to help Brian sort out the arrangements of these affairs but also get him the chance to get his work published as she would be a friend to him. Berenice Marlohe is brilliant as Arielle Pierpont as a woman who meets Brian as she embarks on an affair with him as she learns about some of the aspects of American culture while becoming unsure if she can have a real relationship with him. Finally, there’s Anton Yelchin in a remarkable performance as Brian Bloom as a young writer trying to find experience in life as he meets and falls for Arielle while pondering if he can have a future with her despite their arrangements in Arielle’s open marriage.

5 to 7 is a marvelous film from Victor Levin that features incredible performances from Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, and Olivia Thirlby. It’s a romantic comedy that is very low-key yet is filled with some charm as well as some compelling ideas on open marriages and experiences for the young. In the end, 5 to 7 is an excellent film from Victor Levin.

© thevoid99 2017

Highball

Directed by Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach, Carlos Jacott, and Christopher Reed, Highball is the story about a newlywed couple who decide to throw parties in order to improve their social lives in the course of an entire year. The film is a look into the world of marriage and friendships as they‘re tested in a trio of parties where things happen in weird ways. Starring Justine Bateman, Peter Bogdanovich, Dean Cameron, Chris Eigeman, Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, and Christopher Reed. Highball is a messy and incomprehensible film from Noah Baumbach.

The film revolves around the lives of a newlywed couple in Travis (Christopher Reed) and Diane (Lauren Katz) as they decide to throw parties in the course of a year in order to improve their social life with their friends. Instead, things go wrong in a trio of parties where there’s some spats, misunderstandings, discussions that go horrible wrong, and all sorts of confusion while one of the guests in Darien (Eric Stoltz) is always bringing a date who is a famous actress. The screenplay that Noah Baumbach, Christopher Reed, and Carlos Jacott explore the idea of these parties where everyone is eager to have a good time but something always go wrong. Things get messier and weirder where couples break up, a guest always instigate things, and there’s always something to make things even worse.

Baumbach’s direction is very intimate as he sets the film entirely in an apartment in Brooklyn where people are always gathering around to socialize and do things. Shot in six days with leftover film stock, the direction is quite loose while Baumbach would insert scenes of the New York City streets in between each segment of the film that is wonderfully edited with dissolves and such. The rest of the film itself unfortunately meanders where there’s gags involving a record company employee named Miles (John Lehr) and his boss (Chris Eigeman) while a guest named Felix (Carlos Jacott) spars with another guest (Noah Baumbach). There are moments that are funny including a guest (Peter Bogdanovich) making various impressions but it starts to lose its luster by the third act and things get more ridiculous as things wore on. Overall, Baumbach creates a very troubled and often dull micro budget film that really isn’t sure what it wants to be.

Cinematographer Steven Bernstein does nice work with the cinematography where it does have some grainy camera work for many of the film‘s interior settings to capture the mood of the parties. Production designer Shanya Tsao does terrific work with the design of the parties to play up the holiday or theme of the parties. Costume designer Katherine Jane Bryant does wonderful work with the costumes including the designs of the Halloween costumes the guests wear at the party. Sound editor Jason Kaplan does excellent work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the parties as well as some of the backdrops of conversations heard in the background. Music supervisor Dean Wareham creates a fine soundtrack that features some of his own music plus some dreamy folk songs of his own including a few stuff played in the parties.

The film’s cast is a highlight of the film as it features appearances from Ally Sheedy and Rae Dawn Chong as themselves who are dates of Darien, Louise Stratten as a woman dressed up as a subway train, Catherine Kellner as a party guest dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Dean Cameron as a magician in the first party, Dean Wareham as a guest in the New Year’s Eve party, and Peter Bogdanovich as a guest who dresses up as a director in the Halloween party while doing many impressions of famous actors from the past.

Other small roles include Justine Bateman as the guest Sandy who is a friend of Diane, Annabella Sciorra as another friend of Diane in Molly, John Lehr as the somewhat dim-witted Miles, Noah Baumbach as the low-key yet smart-ass Philip, Chris Eigeman as Miles’ annoyed boss Fletcher, and Carlos Jacott as the very brash and pushy Felix. Lauren Katz is very good as Diane as a woman trying to get the party right while being frustrated by Felix while Christopher Reed is excellent as Travis who is a friend of Felix but couldn’t get anything through to Diane because he never tells her anything.

Highball is a drab yet disappointing film from Noah Baumbach. While it features themes about adulthood that he’s known for, it’s a film that gets bogged down by too many things happening where not much makes sense. Though it does have moments that are funny and is a bit impressive in terms of the small budget it has. It’s a film that really doesn’t offer much as it gets too repetitious at times while some of the characters don’t become interesting anymore. In the end, Highball is a disappointing yet dull film from Noah Baumbach.

Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We’re Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach

© thevoid99 2013

Pulp Fiction

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from an original story by Tarantino and Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction is a multi-layered story about intersecting events around Los Angeles involving a mysterious briefcase, a gold watch, and a crime boss’s wife. The film is an exploration into the world of crime, drugs, and other situations involving various people in the span of a few days in Los Angeles. Starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Eric Stolz, Christopher Walken, Rosanna Arquette, Maria de Medeiros, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, and Bruce Willis. Pulp Fiction is a thrilling and captivating film from Quentin Tarantino.

The film is essentially a multi-layered story revolving around various people in the course of a few days in Los Angeles. The first involves two gangsters named Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) retrieving a mysterious briefcase for their boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) where things eventually go wrong following as they‘re forced to call on a man known as the Wolf (Harvey Keitel). Another story involves Vincent Vega taking Wallace’s wife Mia (Uma Thurman) to dinner where things go wrong when she accidentally overdoses on heroin. Then there’s the story about a gold watch that belongs to a boxer named Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) who doesn’t throw a fight under Wallace’s orders where he eventually crosses paths with the man that leads to all sorts of trouble involving some seedy individuals.

It’s all part of this unique world that Quentin Tarantino sets up where it doesn’t play into the traditional schematics of a crime film. Instead, it’s about the lives of various people who are part of a world full of drugs and violence along with those who don’t want any part of it. Tarantino takes the approach of what legendary French filmmaker says about narrative structure where the film has a beginning, a middle, and an end but doesn’t necessarily have to follow in that order. Even as the film opens with a scene involving a couple named Pumpkin (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) eating a diner as they’re about to rob it as the film would later return to this couple towards its ending. Then the narrative cuts to the first half of Vincent and Jules story where they would get the mysterious briefcase and kill the young man who had it.

This would then go into the Vincent-Mia narrative that opens with a scene where Wallace tells Butch Coolidge to throw the fight and then goes directly to Vincent’s story. The narrative would then go into Butch’s story that opens with a prologue about this gold watch that belonged to his father as he would retrieve it only to encounter all sorts of trouble including Wallace himself. The narrative then goes back to Vincent and Jules’ story where it would reach its ending involving Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. It’s all part of the schematics Tarantino wants to set up to tell a story that doesn’t follow a traditional narrative but rather to help use this unconventional approach for its dramatic impact.

It’s not just the way Tarantino takes this unconventional approach to the narrative that makes the screenplay unique but the character themselves. Vincent Vega is a hitman who has just returned from Europe that has a love for heroin and having a good time though he is quite flawed about some of the things he does and the trouble he brings. Jules Winnfield is another hitman who would always have a biblical quote to say something before he kills someone where an incident would have him face some very deep questions about his own existence. Mia Wallace is a woman who loves to do cocaine as she was once an actress who starred in a failed pilot. Butch Coolidge is an aging prizefighter who loves his father’s gold watch as he has a French girlfriend named Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros). Marsellus Wallace is an intimidating crime boss with a big presence but also a man who will show a bit of mercy if necessary.

Tarantino’s direction is intoxicating for the way he presents the film with its sense of style and graphic depiction of violence. Particularly in the way he opens the film with this chat between Pumpkin and Honey Bunny at a diner where he maintains a sense of intimacy as well as stylized shots for this conversation. Tarantino would maintain this kind of intimacy in many group shot scenes while creating a world that is stylized. From the suits Jules and Vincent wears to the clothes that Mia wears at her dinner with Vincent. It’s all part of this very unique world that these characters live in where they live by their own rules and talk in their own language. Even in the places these characters go into such as the 50s/60s style restaurant that Vincent and Mia go into where waiters and waitresses dress up like icons of that time.

Another aspect of Tarantino’s direction is the way he depicts graphic violence where it is very stylized but also realistic in terms of its impact. Notably in some key scenes such as Vincent and Jules meeting with a young man or Butch’s encounter with Marsellus where they meet a couple of sick men who will do very awful things to them. Tarantino does find ways to create interesting framing devices to maintain an element of suspense in some scenes while knowing when not to show too much. There’s also the MacGuffins in both the gold watch and the mysterious brief case. While there is information known about the gold watch, there is nothing known about what’s inside the brief case as Tarantino maintains a sense of ambiguity throughout the film. Overall, Tarantino creates a truly engaging yet exciting film that explores the world of crime in Los Angeles.

Cinematographer Andrzej Sekula does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and vibrant cinematography from the look of the nighttime exteriors in Los Angeles to the daytime exteriors along with some very colorful shots of some of the locations such as Marsellus Wallace‘s bar and the restaurant that Vincent and Mia eat at. Editor Sally Menke does amazing work with the editing to help play out the film‘s unconventional narrative style along with some rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s violent moments along with the rhythm to Vincent and Mia‘s dance scene. Production designer David Wasco, along with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Charles Collum, does wonderful work with the set pieces such as the home of Marsellus and Mia Wallace to the stylized look of the restaurant that Vincent and Mia go to.

Costume designer Betsy Heimann does nice work with the look of the suits Jules and Vincent wear along with the clothes that Mia Wallace wears as well as the Wolf‘s tuxedo. Sound editor Stephen Hunter Flick does terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the restaurant as well as the tense intimacy of the scene where Butch and Marsellus are inside a place run by two sick fucks. Music supervisor Karyn Rachtman does fantastic work with the film’s soundtrack that is a wide mix of soul, rock, rockabilly, country, surf music, and pop ranging from acts like Dusty Springfield, Dick Dale, Kool and the Gang, the Tornadoes, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry, the Centurions, Urge Overkill, Maria McKee, the Revels, the Statler Brothers, and the Lively Ones.

The casting by Ronnie Yeskel and Gary M. Zuckerbrod is incredible for the large ensemble that is created for the film as it features some notable small performances from Julia Sweeney as a junkyard owner’s daughter, Quentin Tarantino as Jules’ friend Jimmie, Frank Whaley as the man who had the briefcase named Brett, Phil LaMarr as Brett’s friend Marvin, Alexis Arquette as a man who tries to kill Jules and Vincent, Steve Buscemi as a waiter dressed up as Buddy Holly, Angela Jones as a death-obsessed cab driver, Kathy Griffin as a car crash witness, and the duo of Duane Whitaker and Peter Greene as the two sick fucks who try to torment Butch and Marsellus.

Christopher Walken is great in his small but unforgettable performance as Captain Koons who tells a young Butch about the significance of the gold watch that belongs to Butch’s father. Eric Stolz and Rosanna Arquette are excellent in their respective roles as the drug dealer Lance and his wife Jody where they would take part in one of the film’s most tense moments. Ving Rhames is wonderful as the very intimidating crime boss Marsellus Wallace while Maria de Medeiros is very good as Butch’s French girlfriend Fabienne. Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer are terrific as the diner-robbing couple Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. Harvey Keitel is superb as the professional Winston Wolf who makes sure Jules and Vincent clean up their mess in a short span of time.

Bruce Willis is marvelous as the aging prizefighter Butch Coolidge who deals with Marsellus wants him to do only to get himself into serious trouble as he tries to get back his father’s gold watch. Uma Thurman is brilliant as Marsellus’ wife Mia who has a love for cocaine and five-dollar milkshakes while proving herself to be an engaging person to hang out with as it’s definitely one of Thurman’s great roles. Samuel L. Jackson is amazing as the hitman Jules Winnfield who loves to do bible quotes before he kills as he maintains an air of intimidation while going into an existential frame of mind following a chilling moment. Finally, there’s John Travolta in an outstanding performance as the very cool Vincent Vega as a hitman who is truly a guy who lives by his own rules and has no qualms about killing anyone while doing whatever to not get himself into serious trouble.

Pulp Fiction is a magnificent film from Quentin Tarantino that features an amazing collective of actors that includes John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and many others. It’s a film that is still as vibrant and as engaging nearly 20 years since its release. Armed with amazing visuals, a fun soundtrack, and witty dialogue, it’s truly a film that is one for the ages. In the end, Pulp Fiction is a riveting yet mesmerizing film from Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino Films: Reservoir Dogs - Four Rooms: The Man from Hollywood - Jackie Brown - Kill Bill - Grindhouse: Death Proof - Inglourious Basterds - Django Unchained - The Hateful Eight - Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Related: The Auteurs #17: Quentin Tarantino - Growing Up with Quentin Tarantino

© thevoid99 2012

Kicking and Screaming (1995 film)

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach and from a story by Baumbach and Oliver Berkman, Kicking and Screaming is the story of a group of young people who deal with post-college life as they are unsure of what to do afterwards. The film explores several characters who are on the verge of adulthood as they also deal with life without education and college parties. Starring Josh Hamilton, Carlos Jacott, Chris Eigeman, Olivia d’Abo, Parker Posey, Elliott Gould, and Eric Stoltz. Kicking and Screaming is a delightful yet engaging film from Noah Baumbach.

The film is essentially the story of a group of post-college graduates dealing with life after college as they all figure out what to do while reminiscing their life as students. Leading the pack is Grover (Josh Hamilton) who had just broken up with his girlfriend Jane (Olivia d’Abo) after she decides to take post-graduate study to Prague. Grover spends most of his time with his friends Max (Chris Eigeman), Otis (Carlos Jacott), Skippy (Jason Wiles), and a bartender/student named Chet (Eric Stoltz) as they all go through their own personal odyssey into finding life after school. While Skippy chooses to remain a student with his girlfriend Miami (Parker Posey), Otis becomes unsure of what to do as he eventually takes a job at a video store. Max meanwhile, comments on everything as he is the most unsure of what to do as he and Grover hang around the campus.

Noah Baumbach’s screenplay explores the fear of emerging into adulthood as well as the fear of failure as many of the characters in the film have no idea where they’re going. Throughout the film, Grover reflects on his relationship with Jane as he deals with her phone messages where he would fill his heartbreak by having sex with younger students. Whenever Grover is with his buddies, they do trivia and such while discussing about what to do next in life as Otis is anxious about failure as he forms a friendship with Chet. Chet is a man in his early 30s who often hangs around campus as he is also a bartender where he reveals why he’s still a student in a notable scene between him and Grover. The script also explores the world of relationships as it involves Max dealing with loneliness as he would eventually hook up with an underage student in Kate (Cara Buono).

The script features a unique structure that begins on graduation day and then ends the film during finals. The structure helps unveil how these characters deal with their sense of no direction as it progresses to the point where they begin to learn more about each other and what they really at this stage in life. While there’s a looseness to the story, it still plays to the fact that these people are wandering around just trying to see where they can go or what they need to do to fill their time.

Baumbach’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of the compositions that Baumbach creates as he doesn’t aim for any sense of style. Instead, he chooses to focus on the world of college life as realistic as it is through the perspective of this small ensemble. Not wanting to make something that reveled in sentimentality, Baumbach wanted to make sure that film felt loose in the way he has his actors be present at a location. Whether it’s in the campus, a club, or in the dorms, Baumbach find ways to create some sense of atmosphere in the film where the characters would comment on something or ponder what are they doing here. Baumbach also uses flashback to help tell Grover’s storyline as he pines for Jane by creating scenes where it’s shot in monochrome colors to introduce the flashback. Overall, Baumbach creates a very compelling yet witty film about the world of post-college life.

Cinematographer Steven Bernstein does nice work with the film‘s cinematography to display the colorful world of the college campus along with some stylish lights for some of the film‘s club scenes. Editor J. Kathleen Gibson does excellent work with the editing to create some rhythmic cuts for the conversations including a scene where Kate berates a truck driver. Production designer Dan Whifler and set decorator Gail Bennett do wonderful work with the set pieces such as the house that the guys live in to some of the dorms that Grover visits.

Costume designer Mary Jane Fort does terrific work with the costumes to play out the slacker look of some of the characters along with the more stylish clothes that Miami wears. Sound mixer Ed White does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the parties as well as the scenes in the bar. The film’s music by Phil Marshall is very good for its electronic score to play out Grover’s flashbacks with Jane. The soundtrack features a wide mix of music that includes Pixies, Blondie, Bob Marley, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Nick Drake, They Might Be Giants, Alex Chilton, and Freedy Johnston.

The casting by Ellie Kanner is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from Perrey Reeves and Marissa Ribisi as a couple of students Grover sleeps with, Dean Cameron as a video store manager, Noah Baumbach as a student who asks a very provocative question, Christopher Reed as the Euro-trash student Friedrich, and Elliott Gould in a small but funny role as Grover’s dad. Cara Buono is a delight as the underage student Kate who deals with Parker Posey is wonderful as the outgoing Miami who deals with Skippy’s slacker lifestyle as well as the changing times of the parties. Olivia d’Abo is excellent as the aspiring writer Jane who leaves Grover as she is seen in flashback as someone who confides in Grover over their love of writing.

Jason Wile is very good as the directionless Skippy who decides to enroll again as away to figure out his life. Eric Stolz is great as the very witty and philosophical bartender/student Chet who revels in his experience as a student while basking in the fact that there’s still a lot of things to learn. Carlos Jacott is amazing as the neurotic Otis who deals with the idea that he might face rejection as well as musing on his insecurities as it’s a very funny performance. Chris Eigeman is incredible as the talkative Max who deals with his own lack of direction and social life as he ponders about what to do. Finally, there’s Josh Hamilton in a remarkable performance as Grover who deals with his break-up with Jane as well as his own lack of direction as he tries to finish his own work as a writer.

***Additional DVD Material Written from 1/6/15-1/16/15***

The 2006 Region 1 DVD from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a newly restored high-definition digital transfer under the supervision of its writer/director Noah Baumbach with a new Dolby Digital 5.1 audio remix as the film is given a richer look as well as a broader sound. The special features of the DVD all relates to its production as the first of these supplements is a 12-minute interview with Noah Baumbach. Baumbach discusses the genesis of the script as well as what he wanted to say. He also talked about how it got passed through while discussing how the script would change over the years into the final version of the film. The interview also has Baumbach talking about its production as well as some of the aspects of the marketing which he didn’t like but it did end up helping the film into becoming the cult classic that it is.

The 26-minute conversation between Baumbach and actors Josh Hamilton, Chris Eigeman, and Carlos Jacott has the four talking about the film and the production. Even as they all talk about the characters and the story itself while Baumbach also revealed some of the difficulties that went on in pre-production. The actors talk about their approach to improvisation which added to the film’s comedy as well as their experience in the New York Film Festival in 1995 where it premiered and the film’s difficulty to be marketed to a wide audience. They also talk about its cult and how it managed to endure over the years as the four men are surprised by how good it still is.

One major special feature in the DVD is a 2000 short film entitled Conrad and Butler in “Conrad and Butler Take a Vacation” that stars Carlos Jacott and John Lehr who both wrote the short with Baumbach as it included notes about the short which Baumbach made on digital video in the spring of 2000 as a part of something in the hopes that it would be a TV show and a film that never materialized. It revolves around two guys who had nothing to do as they both take a vacation in the home one of the guys’ grandparents where everything they had planned to do doesn’t happen. It’s a very funny 30-minute short due to the sense of improvisational humor and banter between Jacott and Lehr.

There’s nine minutes of three deleted scenes that is featured where Baumbach explains through text into why they got cut out. The first is a scene between Grover and Jane where Jane revealed she went out with Chet. The second scene involving Grover and Marisa Ribisi’s Charlotte character at a club as it plays to Grover’s aimlessness in sleeping with freshmen college girls as he later meets one of her roommates who is with another guy which becomes awkward. The third and final scene involve Skippy and John Lehr’s Louis character where the latter was supposed to be a bigger character but it got cut as Baumbach created Chet as it plays to Skippy meeting Louis and see what he’s become. The nine-minute brief interview segments with Baumbach and cast members Cara Buono, Chris Eigeman, Olivia d’Abo, Josh Hamilton, and Carlos Jacott for a special on the Independent Film Channel in 1995 basically has everyone talking about the film and their own interpretations of the story as well as their own experiences. The special features also include a theatrical trailer for the film.

The DVD set also features an essay from the famed Chicago-based film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum entitled Reasons for Kicking and Screaming. The essay talks about the film and Baumbach’s approach to humor as well as create something that is real about post-graduate life. Especially as it plays to the world of characters who are overly-intellectual as they would often embark on the realization that they don’t have the answers for everything as well as the fact that they say they’ve read this but haven’t. Rosenbaum talks about the connections Baumbach would have with filmmakers like Whit Stillman and Wes Anderson as the latter is a collaborator of Baumbach. Even as Rosenbaum believes that Baumbach’s greatest influence in the film is Jean Renoir in terms of creating long takes to get the actors comfortable and talk through dialogue easily. It’s a wonderful essay that really gets the film in every way and form.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Kicking and Screaming is an extraordinary film from Noah Baumbach. Armed with an amazing ensemble cast, witty dialogue, and engaging views on post-college life. It’s a film that revels into the world of pre-adulthood that is filled with great realism and humor as it follows a group of people unsure of where to go. In the end, Kicking and Screaming is an outstanding film from Noah Baumbach.

Noah Baumbach Films: Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach

© thevoid99 2012

Mr. Jealousy

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, Mr. Jealousy is the story of a writer whose new relationship with a woman is shaken when he learns that her old boyfriend is a famous writer. Filled with jealousy, he follows the man as he pretends to be another person as part of a therapy group. The film explores a man whose insecurities try to have him be compared to his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Starring Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, Chris Eigeman, Carlos Jacott, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Brian Kerwin, Bridget Fonda, and Peter Bogdanovich. Mr. Jealousy is a witty adult-comedy from Noah Baumbach.

Aspiring writer/part-time teacher Lester Grimm (Eric Stoltz) has just been introduced to Ramona Ray (Annabella Sciorra) by their friends Vince (Carlos Jacott) and Lucretia (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). After a few successful dates, Lester and Ramona have become a couple as they’re both excited for Vince and Lucretia’s upcoming nuptials. When Ramona divulges her own life to Lester that included a brief affair with a newly-famous writer named Dashiell Frank (Chris Eigeman) during her days in college. Lester reluctantly reads Frank’s new book as he later spots him walking into a group therapy session where Lester accidentally walks into the building as he becomes part of the group therapy under Vince’s name.

Headed by Dr. Poke (Peter Bogdanovich), Lester and Dashiell are among the people in the group of Lester pretends to be Vince as he takes shot at Dashiell’s insecurities while Lester discusses some of Vince’s problems. Though Vince was reluctant to have Lester divulge information, the two do trade secrets about what is happening although nothing secretive is revealed in the therapy sessions. Suddenly, Lester and Dashiell become friends as they discuss their own issues to each other though Lester remains under the name of Vince. After Ramona revealed to Lester about meeting a former boyfriend named Stephen (Brian Kerwin), Lester becomes confused on whether that the woman Dashiell wrote about is Ramona. Vince decides to join the group therapy as a British man named Leo revealing Lester’s jealousy issues to the group making Lester feeling very uncomfortable.

When Ramona becomes suspicious about Lester’s therapy sessions and why he lied about missing a date. She and Lucretia starts to follow Lester and Vince in the therapy sessions where Ramona meets Dashiell as Dashiell later talks about meeting Ramona at a group session leading to a major blow-up for all involved.

The film is about a man with jealousy issues after learning about his new girlfriend’s former relationship with a man that is now a famous writer. Wanting to know this man and see how he can better himself for this woman, he takes part in a group therapy session where things become complicated as his best friend suddenly gets involved to further complicate things. It’s a film where Noah Baumbach explores the world of jealousy as he follows Lester Grimm in this journey as the story is told by a narrator (Noah Baumbach) who divulges into Lester’s past as well as Ramona’s own quirks. The screenplay features characters that all seem to have it together while Lester is the one trying to get past his jealousy issues only to go back into old habits. Largely because he’s faced moments in his young life where he’s been dumped or been unable to express his feelings towards another girl.

In Ramona, she becomes this ideal woman that Lester might feel that she is the one until she reveals all of these lovers she had including Dashiell. This would prompt him to find out about Dashiell where he accidentally follows him as he learns about this man while pretending to be someone else. Yet, Dashiell is revealed to be someone who is having his own issues about himself and admitting that he wasn’t a great person in the past. This would lead to Lester to finally open a bit as he gets to know Dashiell as it would only complicate his jealousy issues and his relationship with Ramaona. It’s a script that is a comedy of manners though at times, it does play off as a bit pompous as the characters are quite high-brow.

Baumbach’s direction is straightforward in terms of its compositions as a lot of is shot in New York City. Many of the compositions in the way Baumbach directs his actors in a frame and have the camera move around to be in the center of these group therapy sessions. The film opens with a prologue of sorts about Lester’s life as the scenes are repeated frame for frame but played by Vince when he plays Leo for the therapy session. Baumbach’s approach to humor is more about the situation and character rather than gags. While the film has a lot of references to films and high art, there is an element of pretentiousness to it that makes the film feel a bit smug at times. Despite the few flaws it has, Baumbach does create a very compelling romantic comedy-drama.

Cinematographer Steven Bernstein does some pretty good work with the photography that is very straightforward for a lot of the interior and exterior shots of NYC and the apartments that the characters live in. Editor J. Kathleen Gibson does some excellent work with the film‘s stylish cutting employing lots of rhythmic cuts, montages, and jump-cuts to play with the film‘s easy-going pacing. Production designer Anne Stuhler, along with set decorator Candis Heiland and art director Roswell Hamrick, does some nice work with the apartments to contrast the different worlds of the more middle-class Lester and the more posh Dashiell.

Costume designer Katherine Jean Bryant does some wonderful work with the costumes that includes some very stylish clothing for Ramona. Sound mixer Jeff Pullman does terrific work with the sound from the intimate moments of the therapy sessions to more raucous moments in a dinner scene. The film’s score by Robert Een is a wonderful mixture of jazz and reggae to play up the humor of the film while the score features some folk-driven pieces performed by the dream-pop band Luna. Assembling the film’s soundtrack is music supervisor William Ewart as he creates a soundtrack that features Georges Delerue, Harry Chapin, and Leonard Cohen.

The casting by Todd M. Thaler is excellent for the ensemble that is created as it includes Eddie Kaye Thomas as a Spanish-language student, Noah and Nico Baumbach as a couple of former dates of Ramona, John Lehr as a friend of Vince and Lester, Brian Kerwin as an ex-boyfriend of Ramona in Stephen, and Bridget Fonda as Dashiell’s stammering girlfriend Irene. Legendary filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich is superb as the very helpful Dr. Poke who leads the group therapy sessions that Lester, Dashiell, and Vince attend. Marianne-Jean Baptiste is very good as Vince’s fiancée Lucretia who wonders about Vince’s comments about therapy. Carlos Jacott is great as Lester’s friend Vince who is interested about Lester’s portrayal for the therapy sessions while he would sport a wonderful British accent as Lester’s doppelganger Leo.

Chris Eigeman is excellent as Dashiell, Ramona’s ex-boyfriend who tries to deal with his own issues as a writer while befriending Lester in the group therapy. Annabella Sciorra is lovely as the superstitious Ramona who tries to deal with Lester’s behavior as their relationship starts to progress. Finally, there’s Eric Stoltz in a remarkable performance as the confused Lester whose jealousy issues have him questioning himself while befriending Dashiell that would further his anxiety over his relationship with Ramona.

Mr. Jealousy is a very good film from Noah Baumbach that features stellar performances from Eric Stoltz, Annabella Sciorra, and Chris Eigeman. While it’s an imperfect film that might be too-high brow for some viewers. It is still a quite engaging comedy that is very smart in its portrayal of young 30-something dealing with love. In the end, Mr. Jealousy is a charming romantic-comedy from Noah Baumbach.

Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking & Screaming - Highball - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - Mistress America - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach

© thevoid99 2012