Knight of Cups

Written and directed by Terrence Malick, Knight of Cups is the story of the troubled life of a Hollywood screenwriter who goes on a personal journey to find live and self-discovery during his trip to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Rumored to be part of an informal trilogy with The Tree of Life and To the Wonder as the films are semi-biographical stories on Malick’s own life. The film is partially inspired by the Christian allegory The Pilgrim’s Process and the passages Hymn of the Pearl and Acts of Thomas as they’re featured in a film that plays into a man trying to find his own existence in a decadent world. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Wes Bentley, Imogen Poots, Antonio Banderas, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Brian Dennehy, and the voice of Ben Kingsley. Knight of Cups is a rapturous and exhilarating film from Terrence Malick.

Surrounding himself in Los Angeles and the world of Hollywood, the film revolves around a screenwriter coping with himself and struggles as he surrounds himself with different women while dealing with issues in his family including his father. It’s a film that doesn’t really have much of a plot nor a traditional narrative structure as it is largely loose in its storytelling structure where it’s largely based on the Knight of Cups tarot cards as each card represents a part of the journey that film’s protagonist Rick (Christian Bale) takes. Along the way, he deals with loss but also regret into things in his past while being aware of the environment he’s in that is filled with temptation, immorality, and decadence. In the course of the film, there are a lot of voice-over narration not just from Rick but also the many characters who are part of his life either temporarily or permanently while there is also this mysterious voice by an unseen character (Ben Kingsley) who recites passages and texts that relate to these tarot cards.

The lack of a conventional screenplay does allow its writer/director Terrence Malick to not just take on some major risks of what he would do as a storyteller. He would also go very deep into a world that might seem disconnected from the real world but also display that sense of disconnect as it relates to the reality that is encountered. Shot largely in Los Angeles as well as some scenes shot in Las Vegas, the Californian/Nevada deserts, and other parts of the American Midwest including St. Louis. It is a film that showcases that sense of conflict in a man who is embarking on this journey of self-discovery where he ventures into all sorts of things with different kinds of people. Among them are representations in the themes of the tarot cards in the form of Rick’s many different lovers in Della (Imogen Poot), a model named Helen (Freida Pinto), a spirited stripper named Karen (Teresa Palmer), a mysterious young woman named Isabel (Isabel Lucas), his ex-wife Nancy (Cate Blanchett), and a former lover in Elizabeth (Natalie Portman).

The usage of wide and medium shots for many of the film’s locations as well as close-ups for some of the intimate moments are very potent in their imagery while Malick’s usage of hand-held cameras in its mixture of 35mm film and digital just add to the sense of beauty of these images. Yet, there is so much more as it play into something that is very off-kilter as it relates to Rick’s own sense of uncertainty, loss, and self-discovery where the camera sort of acts as this unknown being watching over him. Plus, the narration acts as that sense of internal conflict within Rick who is yearning for some meaning in his life but is tempted by things such as money, beautiful women, and all of these things. The scenes involving Rick’s brother Barry (Wes Bentley) and their father Joseph (Brian Dennehy) show that sense of conflict that looms over Rick as well as loss where the narration reveal that they’re all suffering with Barry venturing into a self-destructive path that claimed the life of his brother.

Malick’s usage of handheld cameras do have this very evocative feel to the way everything is filmed while he also plays with time-lapse imagery. While it largely a style that is very experimental and certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It plays into something that does feel very personal where Malick is showing a world that he was a part of but one that showcases that struggle from having it all but also leaving a world where things were simpler. Adding to that air of simplicity is specter of spirituality as it relates to the character of Isabel, some of Helen’s private activities, and what Malick shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas as it play into something is calling into Rick in his own personal journey and in the words of this unseen narrator. Overall, Malick creates an intoxicating yet enchanting film about a man’s personal journey of self-discovery through the chaotic world of Hollywood.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki does spectacular work with the film‘s very naturalistic cinematography to play with the many looks of the locations in the day as well as the scenes set at the home of this amoral millionaire along with some dazzling images of scenes set at night including a strip-club and the scenes set in Las Vegas which is so gorgeous to look at as it‘s one of the highlights of the film. Editors Mark Yoshikawa, Geoffrey Richman, Keith Fraase, and A.J. Edwards do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and disparate cutting montages to play into sense of wonderment that occurs throughout the film as well as some abrupt cuts to help structuralize the film. Production designer Jack Fisk, with set decorator Beauchamp Fontaine and art director Ruth De Jong, does amazing work with the some of the interiors in the homes that Rick encounters including a mansion in its dining room along with the look of the strip club with its neon lights.

Costume designer Jacqueline West does excellent work with the clothes that many of the characters wear including the Armani suits that Rick wears and some of the stylish dresses that many of the women in the film wear. Visual effects supervisor Jamison Scott Goei does fantastic work with the film‘s lone visual effects sequence as it relates into the mysterious elements of the universe described in one of Rick‘s voice-over narrations. Sound designers Joel Dougherty and Will Patterson do incredible work with the sound in the way much of the voice-over narrations as well as the sounds of the cities and locations mix without overwhelming each other along with some textures into the parties and such as it add so much to the world that Rick is being tempted by. The film’s music by Hanan Townshend is superb for its classical-based score with its serene string arrangements and low-key percussions while music supervisor Lauren Marie Mikus creates a soundtrack filled with classical pieces as well as contemporary music where the latter play into the parties scenes and what is playing on Rick’s car.

The casting by Francine Maisler and Lauren Grey is phenomenal as it features appearances from Joe Manganiello, Ryan O’Neal, Fabio, Danny Strong, Beau Garrett, Nick Kroll, Nicky Whelan, Jelly Howie, and Katia Winter as themselves appearing in Hollywood parties. Other notable small appearances include Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Clarke, Joel Kinnaman, Peter Matthiesson, and Clifton Collins Jr. as colleagues of Rick who are part of that world as well as appearances from Nick Offerman, Michael Wincott, and Shea Whigham in small roles as Hollywood business personalities, Dane DeHaan as a tarot reader’s son, Jamie Harris and Lawrence Jackson as a couple of burglars, Patrick Whitesell and Rick Hess as a couple of agents, Cherry Jones as a relative of Rick’s, and Armin Mueller-Stahl as a priest who provides Rick some guidance into his own sense of doubt. The voice of Ben Kingsley as this unseen figure is superb for the sense of mystique that looms over the film as well as providing a sense of spiritual context into Rick’s journey.

Imogen Poots is fantastic as this rebellious fling of Rick’s in Della who asks Rick questions about his faithfulness and direction in life while Teresa Palmer is excellent as this stripper named Karen who entrances Rick as she accompanies him to Las Vegas. Freida Pinto is wonderful as the model Helen that Rick meets at a party as he briefly goes out with her while being intrigued by what she does at her home while Isabel Lucas is terrific as this innocent and playful young woman who is interpreted as this angelic figure that helps him find his way home. Wes Bentley is brilliant as Rick’s brother Barry as a man accompanying Rick throughout Los Angeles as he copes with his own issues as well as those relating to their father. Brian Dennehy is amazing as Rick and Barry’s father Joseph who deals with aging and being phased out while providing some somber narration as it relates to much of the text and legends of the tarot cards that would help guide Rick in his journey.

Antonio Banderas is incredible as a Hollywood playboy named Tonio as a man that represents all forms of temptation and immorality as someone that has a lust for life, excess, and women as he is sort of a comical figure in the film but also that representation of what Rick could be. Natalie Portman is radiant as Elizabeth as a former lover of Rick whom he loved dearly as she is seen as someone that could help find redemption for him as well as provide a link into what he could have if he chose the right path. Cate Blanchett is remarkable as Nancy as Rick’s former wife who devotes her time helping people as a physician as she copes with the love they had lost as well as the fact that there’s still feelings for one another as she is a representation of what he had and later gave up. Finally, there’s Christian Bale in a tremendous performance as Rick as a Hollywood screenwriter lost in the world of decadence and temptation as he copes with loss, guilt, and uncertainty where Bale doesn’t say a lot in the film but say a lot in his voice-over work where he would display that anguish and conflict of a man trying to find himself in his own personal journey of self-discovery.

Knight of Cups is a phenomenal film from Terrence Malick. Largely in part to its ensemble cast, a compelling premise, gorgeous visuals, and intoxicating music. It’s a film that is definitely challenging while not being something for everyone due to the fact that is told in a very unconventional form. Even as it displays some big questions about the world of temptation, loss, and life itself in ways that is very personal in the hands of its creator. In the end, Knight of Cups is a sensational film from Terrence Malick.

Terrence Malick Films: Badlands - Days of Heaven - The Thin Red Line - The New World - Tree of Life - To the Wonder - Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience - (Voyage of Time: Life's Journey) - Song to Song - A Hidden Life - (The Way of the Wind)

© thevoid99 2016

Miral

Directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Rula Jebreal that is based on her own novel, Miral is the story of a young girl who is raised at an orphanage as she later grows into a woman as she tries to find understanding amidst the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The film is a dramatic account into a young who was raised and taught by Hussein Hind as her attempts to teach Palestinian refugees has her wondering about the realities of the world as the titular character is played by Freida Pinto. Also starring Hiam Abbass, Yasmine Al Masri, Ruba Jebreal, Alexander Siddig, Willem Dafoe, Stella Schnabel, Omar Metwally, and Vanessa Redgrave. Miral is a compelling yet flawed film from Julian Schnabel.

The film is based on Rula Jerbreal’s own accounts as she was raised in the famed Dar Al-Tifel institute that brought in Palestinian girls who didn’t have a home. The film isn’t just about the founding of the institute by Hussein Hind (Hiam Abbass) but also the young girl who would come to this institute as she would be raised and taught by Hind until she encounters the realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the First Intifada. It’s a film where the girl named Miral would come of age during that period as she wants to help any Palestinian resistance group in fighting the Israelis but is also torn with the need to continue Hind’s ideas of education and negotiation for a peaceful resolution. The film’s screenplay does have this odd structure where it starts off with how Hind founded the Dar Al-Tifel institute in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War as well as who Miral’s mother was.

The first act begins with Hind’s funeral as it would cut into events preceding the moment she began this institute where it was by accident as she wanted to help out. Even as she gets the help of an American friend named Eddie (Willem Dafoe) who would help her gain some political connections to ensure the safety of her institute. The story then moves into the Six Day War period where it revolves around a woman named Nadia (Yasmine Al Masri) who would spend six months in prison for slapping a woman on the bus as she would marry a man named Jamal (Alexander Siddig) and have a daughter named Miral. Yet, the sense of shame in Nadia’s life would lead to her death as Jamal sends Miral to the institute as he is unable to take care of her though he’s a good father. The film’s second half is about Miral as she copes with not just the realities of what is happening outside of the institute but also the need to fight back against the Israelis in what is a very complicated situation.

While it’s a film that showcases what the Palestinians were going through as Miral would become prejudiced towards Israelis. It’s not an anti-Israeli film but rather a portrait of what a young woman is dealing with as she would involve herself into actions that can be defined as terrorism. The film’s second half has Miral fall for a Palestinian rebel leader named Hani (Omar Metwally) who wants to fight against the Israelis but also wants a peaceful solution as he would steer Miral into ideas that has her hating the Israelis. Yet, her own encounters with the violence as well as other events that complicate things force her to find a way to deal with what she’s learned. Though the script does get clunky in Miral’s development, it does play into the growth that Miral would go into as she tries to maintain the guidance of her mentor.

Julian Schnabel’s direction is quite stylish but only in its look and presentation as he aims for something that is close to a cinema verite style. Especially as he was able to shoot on location in Israel in its many cities like Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other locations near Palestinian states. Much of it would have Schnabel utilize a lot of hand-held cameras and strange camera angles to play into the drama though the film starts and ends with Hussein’s funeral as it indicates how important she was to Miral. Schnabel would go for a lot of simplistic compositions as well as lots of medium shots and close-ups plus a few wide shots. Even as it plays to the sense of chaos that is emerging that Miral would encounter during a scene where she and her schoolmates go to a refugee camp to teach children as they’re forced to watch a house be destroyed.

It’s among these key moments in the film that is quite powerful as it plays into Miral’s development though some of the film’s violent moments are quite minimal as Schnabel would use stock footage and newspaper clippings to help tell the story. Even as he would use these moments to play into certain moments in time as well as the various wars between Israel and Arab nations. All of which would have Miral encounter these events as well as moments that those she is connected with would endure. Even as she would gain some understanding about how peace works and why it’s so hard to achieve. Overall, Schnabel creates a very captivating yet uneven film about a woman coming of age as a Palestinian in Israel.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography as it features a very vibrant and colorful look to some of the film‘s daytime scenes while going for low-key and naturalistic lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Juliette Welfling does amazing work with the editing as it is very stylized with its approach to jump-cuts, montages, and in the way it uses stock footage to help tell the story. Production designer Yoel Herzberg and art director Nir Alba do brilliant work with the look of the homes that Miral and her father lived in as well as some of the parts of the institute. Costume designer Walid Mawed does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly straightforward to play in the look of the 1980s for its second half along with stylish clothes for its first half.

Visual effects supervisor Stephane Dittoo does terrific work for some of the film‘s minimal visual effects as it relates to the small violent moments that occur in the film. Sound editor Adam Wolny does superb work with the sound to convey some of the sounds of chaos as well as sparse elements in the film‘s quieter moments. The film’s music by Olivier Daviaud is exquisite for its use of somber strings to play into the sense of tragedy and drama while music supervisors Julian Schnabel, Rebecca Delannet, and Astrid Gomez-Montoya create a soundtrack filled with classical pieces as well as cuts by Pete Townshend, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Ennio Morricone and Gillo Pontecorvo, A.R. Rahman, and Tom Waits.

The casting by Yael Aviv is great is it features notable small roles from Makram Khoury as politician who would help Hind with the founding of the institution, Shredi Jabarin as Miral’s cousin Ali, Stella Schnabel as Ali’s Jewish girlfriend Lisa, Ruba Blal as Nadia’s cellmate who is given three life sentences for a bombing in a movie theater, Yolanda El Karam as the young Miral, and Vanessa Redgrave in a small yet wonderful performance as Bertha Spafford as a party host that Hind would meet early in the film. Willem Dafoe is superb as Eddie Spafford as a U.S. military officer who helps Hind with creating the institute and to ensure that she would be safe. Yasmine Al Masri is terrific as Miral’s mother Nadia as a woman who is shamed and humiliated as she copes with the guilt she carries that would lead to her own death.

Omar Metwally is excellent as Hani as a Palestinian resistance leader who is trying to find ways to deal with the Israelis as well as eventually coming to the realization that peace needs to happen. Alexander Siddig is amazing as Miral’s father Jamal as a man who tries to raise her as he later copes with her rebellion as he tries to steer her in the right path with Hind’s help. Hiam Abbass is incredible as Hussein Hind as a Palestinian woman who created an orphanage and institute to protect young children as she would also be a mentor to Miral to teach her the ways to a peaceful resolution. Finally, there’s Freida Pinto in a remarkable performance as the titular character as a young woman who is awakened by the realities of her surroundings as she struggles to wanting to fight as well as instill Hind’s teachings as it’s a very complex and eerie performance from Pinto.

Despite its uneven and messy narrative, Miral is still a worthwhile film from Julian Schnabel. Armed with a great cast as well as a unique perspective from the Palestinian side in the Israeli-Palestine conflict, it’s a film that isn’t afraid to ask questions but also with wanting to create understanding in a very complicated situation. In the end, Miral is a stellar film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteur #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2015

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Directed by Rupert Wyatt and written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an origin story of how a scientist took care of an ape named Caesar and was then forced to be taken by cruel caretakers leading to a revolt with help from other apes. Based on the original Planet of the Apes novel by Pierre Boulle, the film explores Caesar’s development from a normal ape into a leader. Starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, and Andy Serkis as Caesar. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an exciting and thrilling film from Rupert Wyatt.

In hopes to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, scientist Will Rodham (James Franco) believes that he’s made a breakthrough from an ape he had been experimenting on. After telling his boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) about his breakthrough, Will presents it to a board which becomes a disaster after the ape he experimented has broke out of her cell due to a misunderstanding. With Jacobs deciding to have the apes killed, Will learns through fellow scientist Franklin (Tyler Labine) about a baby ape that Will’s ape was trying to protect. Will takes the baby home where they would live with Will’s father Charles (John Lithgow) who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Amazed by the ape’s growing intelligence, Will calls the ape Caesar as he believes that Caesar is the key to the cure he’s searching for to help his father. After meeting primatologist Caroline (Freida Pinto) to help treat an injury for Caesar, she becomes part of the family where Charles’ condition seems to improve for a few years. Yet, Caesar starts to feel like he’s treated like a pet as Will reveals the truth about his background and why he took him in. When Charles starts to fall ill due to dementia, an incident involving Charles and a neighbor (David Hewlett) has Caesar fighting the neighbor to protect Charles. Due to the incident, authorities force Will and Caroline to put Caesar to an animal shelter that is run by the cruel John Landon (Brian Cox) and his vicious son Dodge (Tom Felton).

While Will reluctantly returns to work to find a cure only to feel compromised by Jacobs over the testing of apes. Back at the shelter, Caesar is befriended by fellow apes including a circus orangutan named Maurice (Karin Konoval), Rocket (Terry Notary), and a big gorilla named Buck (Richard Ridings) as they organize a revolt. When Will learns that Jacobs’ new version of the drug is flawed and fatal to humans, he quits as he tries to get Caesar back. Instead, Caesar chooses to stay as he briefly leaves the shelter to help find ways to make his fellow apes smarter as they lead an attack on the Landons and those that oppose them to Will’s horror.

The film is an origin story with a lot of references to the 1968 film which included the famous line “Get your hands off me you damn dirty ape”. Yet, it does create a lot of ideas of how the Earth was taken over by the apes as well as more ideas over what happened to the humans. Still, it’s a film about a man’s relationship with this little chimpanzee he would call Caesar and how he would shape this chimpanzee’s outlook on life and later play part in his revolt against humanity. Though the Will Rodham character is a flawed man that just wants to save his father’s life, he does care for Caesar and treats him more than just an animal. The script that Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver works in creating that relationship arc and basing the ideas for what would come in the stories that are previously told though there are flaws in the script. The Caroline character is sort of a one-dimensional figure who just plays the girlfriend while antagonists like the Landons don’t have much to do other than be mean to Caesar.

Rupert Wyatt’s direction is quite extraordinary with its presentation as he does more than just make a typical summer blockbuster action film that is loaded with CGI-effects. Since the apes are performed by actors in motion-capture visual effects, it adds a certain realness to the way the apes are presented not just physically but emotionally. Notably in their interactions to humans and some of the big action sequences in its third act. Wyatt does create some amazing tracking shots for some of the cage hallways in the shelter along with wonderful steadicam camera shots for some of Caesar’s movements around Will’s home. Overall, Wyatt creates a truly exhilarating and fun action film with a bit of drama and lots of energy.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does an excellent job with the film‘s stylish cinematography from the naturalistic, lush look of the redwood forest scenes at Muir Woods National Monument along with darker lighting schemes for some of the nighttime interiors at the shelter. Editors Conrad Buff IV and Mark Goldblatt is pretty good for the fast-paced rhythm of the action scenes while utilizing montages for some of Caesar‘s growing development and slower cuts for the dramatic moments. Production designer Claude Pare, with set decorator Elizabeth Wilcox and supervising art director Helen Jarvis, does incredible work with the set pieces from Caesar’s room in Will’s home along with the building Will works at and the play room at the shelter where Caesar leads his revolt.

Costume designer Renee April does nice work in the costumes as the close are mostly casual including a red shirt worn by Caesar. Visual effects supervisors Dan Lemmon and Erik Winquist do a spectacular job with the visual effects for the way the apes look along with some of the action sequences that happen as it is truly the film‘s highlight in terms of its technical field. Sound designer Chuck Michael and sound editor John A. Larsen do some fantastic work in the sound work from the stark yet hollow world of the shelter to the more raucous bombast of the action scenes that occur in the film. The film’s score by Patrick Doyle is superb for playing up to the bombast with loud percussions and soaring string arrangements while going for a more low-key approach in the dramatic portions of the film.

The casting by Debra Zane is remarkable for the ensemble that is created as it features notable small roles from Tyler Labine as Will’s lab friend Franklin, Jamie Harris as a shelter caretaker, and David Hewlett as Will’s hot-headed neighbor Hunsiker. Brian Cox is very good as the slimy animal shelter head John Landon while Tom Felton is also good, despite being one-dimensional, as the crueler Dodge Landon. David Oyelowo is stellar as Will’s boss Jacobs who becomes consumed with greed as he uses Will for his own financial gain. Freida Pinto is decent as the very caring Caroline although she doesn’t get much to do than just be the supportive girlfriend. John Lithgow is excellent as Will’s ailing father Charles who becomes fond of Caesar while dealing with his own disease.

James Franco gives a terrific performance as Will Rodham by displaying a man that just wants to help his father while forming his own bond with Caesar as he tries to help the chimpanzee in his ordeal. The performances by Karin Konoval, Richard Ridings, Christopher Gordon, and Terry Notary as the apes Caesar befriend are superb for the physicality and emotional expressions they give to those apes making them more than just CGI-creations. Yet, the best work in that field as well as the best performance in the film is Andy Serkis as Caesar. In the way he expresses the varied emotions as well as Caesar’s physicality, Serkis does something that goes beyond the parameters of what a motion-capture performance can do. Notably as Serkis gets Caesar to speak a few words in the film’s climatic revolt to exemplify Caesar’s growth in intelligence as it’s definitely a performance like no other.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a marvelous and entertaining action-blockbuster film from Rupert Wyatt that features an outstanding performance from Andy Serkis. This is a film that gives the Planet of the Apes franchise a much-needed boost after being away from theaters for so long as well as very misguided remake back in 2001. For fans of action-blockbusters, this film is among one of the best that offers more than just entertainment. In the end, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an engaging yet pleasurable film from Rupert Wyatt.

Related: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - War for the Planet of the Apes

© thevoid99 2012

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Written and directed by Woody Allen, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is an ensemble comedy about a couple’s long relationship falling apart while their daughter’s marriage is also going into trouble as she falls for another man. Meanwhile, their son-in-law becomes fascinated by an exotic beauty he sees. The film is Allen’s fourth feature shot on location in London as it explores relationships falling apart as it delves into different age groups about the problems of love. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Lucy Punch, Antonio Banderas, Anna Friel, Pauline Collins, Ewen Bremner, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is light-hearted although very messy film from Woody Allen.

After 40 years of marriage, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) leaves Helena (Gemma Jones) for a life of feeling young as Helena turns to a fortune teller Cristal (Pauline Collins) for help. Their daughter Sally (Naomi Watts) is going through financial struggles as she hopes to open an art gallery while her husband Roy (Josh Brolin) is having trouble trying to finish a novel having only achieved brief success with just one book. While Sally later gets a job working at an art gallery for a man named Greg (Antonio Banderas) whom she falls for while Roy starts to become entranced by a woman living across the street from him named Dia (Freida Pinto).

Alfie’s life is in an upswing where he marries a prostitute/actress named Charmaine (Lucy Punch) which revolts Sally as she helps introduce Greg to an artist friend named Iris (Anna Friel). Helena continues to seek advice from Cristal where she meets an occult bookseller named Jonathan (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) who is still mourning the loss of his wife. Roy’s frustrations over the lack of progress about his new book has him turning his attentions towards Dia as they become friends despite the fact that she’s engaged to be married. Sally’s infatuation with Greg has her realizing that something is going on as she and Roy start to fall apart due to the news over his new novel.

When Roy hears that his aspiring-novelist friend Henry (Ewen Bremner) had been killed in a car accident, Roy does something out of desperation so that he can impress Dia. Meanwhile, Alfie’s marriage to Charmaine starts to unravel due to her youthfulness as he wonders what he’s been doing. When Sally decides to strike out on her own, she confessions to Greg her feelings towards him as she realize that it will be a lot harder for her to start over. Notably as Roy’s life starts to take a dark turn when he is given some startling news as everyone ponders how did everything go wrong.

The film is about two different couples who fall out of love as they all seek to find some sort of new companionship or answers that will help them. Eventually, these four people and the new partners they meet would all face difficulty in their lives as they all wonder if they’ve made the right decision. Woody Allen’s screenplay does create characters that are quite compelling but a lot of them don’t really have qualities that are redeeming. Alfie is a fool while Helena is easily manipulated by the guidance of a possible fraud. Roy is an idiot who leaves a great chance to be a doctor as he becomes desperate to write another so he can impress this young woman. Sally meanwhile, is a woman who falls for an art gallery guy only to become jealous when he’s with someone else that she knows.

Allen’s script has a lot of storylines that tries to mesh itself together but often comes up as really uneven. While the voiceover narration by Zac Orth isn’t distracting as he tries to clue in what the characters are going through and their situations. Yet, it’s not enough to help the story where it often feels unnecessary at times. Allen’s direction is engaging at times for the way he lets the light-comedic moments unfold as well as a few dramatic moments. Still, there’s moments where Allen doesn’t do enough to keep it interesting as some of the intimate shots feels awkward at times. Despite some very good moments and interesting concepts, Allen ends up creating a film that is really cluttered with too many stories and a lot of un-likeable characters.

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond does a nice job with the cinematography to complement the colorful look of sunny London for its daytime scenes as a lot of it straightforward including the nightclub scenes where Alfie spends time with Charmaine. Editor Alisa Lepselter does a very good job with the editing to maintain something that has a bit of stylistic flairs while a lot of it just plays it straight. Production designer Jim Clay, along with set decorator John Bush and art director Dominic Masters, does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as the homes the characters live in that includes Alfie‘s posh apartment and the flat that Iris lives in filled with her paintings.

Costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor does a lovely job with the costumes created from the racy clothing that Charmaine sports to the array of red clothes that Dia wears that attracts the more casual Roy. Sound mixer Peter Glossop does a fine job with the sound to capture the locations around London such as its park and crowded places the characters go to. Music soundtrack producer Stefan Karrer does a superb job with the soundtrack as it features an array of different musical styles ranging from jazz, opera, and a flamenco theme revolves around Roy’s attraction towards Dia.

The casting by Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto, Gail Stevens, and Juliet Taylor is wonderful as it features a great ensemble that includes appearances from Ewen Bremner as a writer friend of Roy, Christian McKay as one of Roy’s poker friends, Fenella Woolgar as a friend of Sally, Anupam Kher as Dia’s literary-loving father, and Neil Jackson as Dia’s fiancé Alan. Other notable small roles include Anna Friel as Sally’s artist friend Iris, Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Helena’s new spiritual beau Jonathan, and Pauline Collins in a very funny role as the fortune teller Cristal. Antonio Banderas is very good in a very low-key performance as the charming yet somber Greg while Freida Pinto is a joy to watch as the exotic Dia despite the fact that the script doesn’t give her a lot to do. Lucy Punch is very funny as the sexy and vivacious Charmaine who seems to enjoy the attention she gets from Alfie though she has a hard time dealing with his world and her needs.

Gemma Jones is quite fine as Helena for the way she always talks about her visits with Cristal and talking about her own issues as it’s a big part for Jones despite the fact that the character is sort of pathetic. Josh Brolin is excellent as Roy as he spouts all of the frustrations of being a failed writer while displaying a sensitivity to the scenes he has with Freida Pinto despite the fact that his character makes some bad decisions. Naomi Watts is wonderful as Sally, a woman with a crush on her boss as she ponders about her own future and the frustrations she has with the things happening around her. Finally, there’s Anthony Hopkins in a nice role as the vital Alfie where Hopkins gets to feel very youthful as well as be played by a fool as it’s very humorous performance from Hopkins.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is a troubled yet mediocre film from Woody Allen. Despite the talented cast he’s gotten to work with, it’s a film that has a lot of ideas but nothing to make it consistent along with characters people can root for. The film is among one of Allen’s worst features due to its willingness to try and do a lot but creates a film that is very confusing and uninspiring. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is an overall mess of a film from Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What’s Up, Tiger Lily? - Take the Money & Run - Bananas - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love & Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories-Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don't Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra’s Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2011

Slumdog Millionaire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© thevoid99 2010