After Hours

Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Joseph Minion, After Hours is the story of a man who goes out in New York City where he would have a series of misadventures during the course of an entire night. The film is a look into a man trying to get back home when a planned date with another woman doesn’t go as he hoped it would be as he would meet various strangers during the course of this night. Starring Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, John Heard, Verna Bloom, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Teri Garr, and Catherine O’Hara. After Hours is a wild and exhilarating film from Martin Scorsese.

Set in the span of 24 hours, the film follows a computer word processor who meets a woman at a diner and later asks her out late one night and then everything goes into complete chaos due to a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, loss of money, and all sorts of fucked-up shit. It’s a film that is a misadventure set in the Soho section of New York City where this man is in a world that is very spontaneous and unpredictable which is foreign to him as he spends much of time working. Upon meeting this woman on a night after work as she notices a book he’s reading, he thinks he gets a chance to break from his monotonous life. The film’s screenplay by Joseph Minion, with contributions by Martin Scorsese, plays into this 24-hour time span where it begins at an office where Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) is showing a new employee what to do as he copes with the outcome of how the rest of his life would be at work.

In meeting Marcy Franklin (Rosanna Arquette), he feels like this is someone who might want to go out with but things start to go wrong when he rides a cab and loses a $20 bill that he was supposed to be for the cab driver. During his date with Marcy, he learns about some things about her that disturbs him while he also meets Marcy’s sculptor roommate Kiki (Linda Fiorentino) whose paperweight sculptures is something that Paul wants. The night would only get worse when he meets a bartender (John Heard), an oddball waitress (Teri Garr), a woman that is part of a vigilante group, and other assortment of characters where Paul is later accused of burglary and gets himself into these horrible situations.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is definitely stylish in the way he would present the film as it is shot on location in New York City with much of it shot in the Soho section of the city. While there are some wide shots of the locations as well as scenes that play into the suspense and paranoia that Paul would go through for much of the film. Scorsese would utilize some close-ups and medium shots to play into Paul’s interaction with the people he would meet during the course of the film as it is shot on some actual locations as well as a few sets that are created. Scorsese wouldn’t just create this world that is unpredictable which is far removed from the world of clean and spacious apartments and work places that Paul is known as it’s not just the diners and bars he would go to but also a club that is quite arty and chaotic. 

Notably for the fact that some of the characters he meet are either from the world of art or are part of this sub-culture that is Soho. The direction is also stylized for some crazy scenes such as scene in the cab where it’s sped-up to play into the maniacal world that Paul is about to embark. Even as there are elements of repetition that play into the suspense and paranoia that include encounters with a couple of burglars as well as local vigilante group who believe he is a burglar. The element of humor is key to the film as it add to the craziness that Paul endured all because he wanted to go on a date with a person he doesn’t know. Overall, Scorsese creates a thrilling and exciting film about a man’s bad night in Soho.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for the way many of the exteriors at night look and in how some of the interiors are lit while the few daytime shots outside of Soho are presented in a more naturalistic look. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does amazing work with the editing as it has a lot of style in the usage of dissolves, different frame speeds, jump-cuts, and other stylized moments to play into the humor and manic suspense. Production designer Jeffrey Townsend, with set decorator Leslie Pope and art director Stephen J. Lineweaver, does fantastic work with the look of the art-punk club known as Berlin as well as the loft apartment Kiki and Marcy live as well a diner and a bar that Paul would go into.

Costume designer Rita Ryack does nice work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward to play into the different sub-cultures of Soho from the art-punk look of Kiki to the more 60s-inspired look of the waitress Julie. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound in maintaining a lively atmosphere to some of the locations as well as how music sounds in a location. The film’s music by Howard Shore is excellent for its eerie electronic score that play into the suspense and drama while the film’s soundtrack would feature an array of different musical styles at it include some classical pieces from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach as well as jazz pieces from Cole Porter and the Gershwin brothers plus contemporary music from Joni Mitchell, the Monkees, Peggy Lee, and Bad Brains as well as some classic blues and rock music.

The casting by Mary Colquhoun is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Bronson Pinchot as an employee Paul is trying to teach, Larry Block as the cab driver, Dick Miller as a diner waiter, Rocco Sisto as an odd coffee shop cashier, Clarence Felder as a punk club bouncer, Will Patton as Kiki’s boyfriend Horst, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin as the two burglars who constantly steal things, and Verna Bloom in a terrific role as a woman at a club named June that Paul meets very late in the film. Catherine O’Hara is superb as a woman named Gail who helps Paul at first until she suspects him as a burglar while Teri Garr is fantastic as Julie as a bar waitress who hates her job while wanting to be an artist due to the drawings she makes. John Heard is excellent as Tom Schorr as a bartender who offers to help Paul out in getting a subway token as he would cope with sudden news that would shape his life.

Linda Fiorentino is brilliant as the oddball sculptor Kiki who dresses in punk clothes as she is also someone who has an abstract view on art. Rosanna Arquette is amazing as Marcy as a woman that Paul meets and goes on a date with as she is someone with some secrets as it relates to her past which disturbs Paul. Finally, there’s Griffin Dunne in an incredible performance as Paul Hackett as a man who works at an office who goes on a date only to endure the craziest night of his life as he deals with all sorts of shit as it’s a very manic and energetic performance from Dunne.

After Hours is a sensational film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring a great cast, a thrilling and offbeat premise, a killer music soundtrack, and stylish visuals, the film is definitely a wild yet fun film that explore what happens when a date night goes horribly wrong. In the end, After Hours is a phenomenal film from Martin Scorsese.

Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) – (Street Scenes) – Boxcar Bertha – (Mean Streets) – Italianamerican – Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York – American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) – Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas – Cape Fear - The Age of Innocence (1993 film) - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) – (Casino) – (Kundun) – (My Voyage to Italy) – Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) – Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) – No Direction Home – The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) – (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The Fifty Year Argument) – Silence (2016 film) – (The Irishman (2018 film)) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)

© thevoid99 2017

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

Directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is about the unique relationship between actress/entertainer Debbie Reynolds and her daughter in actress/writer Carrie Fisher. The film follows the lives of the two women as Reynolds is about to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actor Guild in 2015 while Fisher is working on Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the film feature rare footage and old interviews about the two as well as new footage of their life together before their tragic deaths in December 2016. The result is a dazzling and heartfelt film from Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens.

Shot from late 2014 to early 2015, the film follows the life and relationship of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher as they both live next door to each other while working on respective projects. The film follows the two on what they do together and separately yet remain close to each other no matter how turbulent their lives were. Notably through Reynolds’ marriage to singer Eddie Fisher in the 1950s were they were Hollywood’s It couple until Fisher left her for Elizabeth Taylor which was considered scandalous at the time leaving Reynolds to care for Carrie and son Todd while marrying a rich businessman in Harry Karl that ended in divorce in 1973 due to Karl’s compulsive gambling, drinking, and sleeping with hookers. For Fisher, she too would have a life of chaos through her own bipolar disease, drug and alcohol abuse, a messy marriage to Paul Simon, and all sorts of shit that also gave Fisher material to write that included the book Postcards from the Edge which was adapted into a hit film by Mike Nichols that was about Fisher’s own relationship with her mother.

Though Reynolds and Fisher were able to go through all that stronger than ever, the film follows the two as they deal with all sorts of things while they’re surrounded by a close entourage that includes Todd, his wife Catherine Hickland, Carrie’s daughter in actress Billie Lourd, Carrie’s assistant Abe Gurko, a former babysitter of Carrie, childhood friend Griffin Dunne, and a couple of dogs. The film follows the two and most of the entourage as they all tell stories about the two with Todd being the one who is given a lot to say as he talks about what his mother and sister both had to deal with as well as his father Eddie. The film also has some revelations about what entertainers used to continue to perform which Todd reveal was crystal meth as his father never knew what he was using as it would eventually destroy his career. The film also feature footage of Carrie seeing her father a few months before he died as well as an interview in 1995 between Carrie and her maternal grandmother about Reynolds.

The direction by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens is quite simple as they’re aided by cinematographers Vasco Nunes and Billy Pena where it‘s shot with hand-held cameras and some hidden cameras to play into what Reynolds and Fisher do in their lives. Yet, there’s moments where there is action happening off-camera provided by sound editor Kate Bilinski as it relates to Reynolds being ill as Bloom and Stevens know not to have her on camera out of respect for her. Editors Penelope Falk and Sheila Shiraz would help Bloom and Stevens in gathering all of the home movie footage and newsreel about Reynolds‘ time in the limelight as well as footage from the films she and Fisher had both appeared in. The film’s music by Will Bates is playful as it play into the show tunes and pop that Reynolds was famous for as well as music that she sang in some of her films with Fisher singing along to those songs. The film would culminate with Reynolds receiving her lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild in early 2015 as it play into the bond she has with Carrie and the family that adores and care for them.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is a phenomenal film from Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens. It’s a documentary that documents Hollywood royalty at its finest as well as a powerful relationship between mother and daughter who are just as interesting as any mother-daughter duo. It’s also a fitting tribute to two iconic women who mean so much to the world as they will be missed. In the end, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is a sensational film from Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens.

Related: (Wishful Drinking)

© thevoid99 2017

Dallas Buyers Club

Based on a 1992 article from The Dallas Morning News by Bill Minutaglio, Dallas Buyers Club is the story about the drug-addicted and homophobic rodeo cowboy Ron Woodruff who is diagnosed with AIDS as he seeks to find medicine to help himself and the new allies he gains in gays and transsexual. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and screenplay by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, the film is an exploration into a period where a hustler tries to find illegal medicines to help himself and those suffering from AIDS as Woodruff is played by Matthew McConaughey. Also starring Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, and Denis O’Hare. Dallas Buyers Club is fascinating yet tremendous film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

The film is based on a true story about a rodeo cowboy named Ron Woodruff who is notorious for his drug abuse and sexual appetite for women where he finds himself as he is later diagnosed with AIDS. After being prescribed the AZT drug which didn’t make him any better as he was only given 30 days to live. He travels to Mexico where he finds a slew of FDA-unapproved drugs that would manage to help him long. The film explores Woodruff’s desire to stay alive as well as organize a club for himself and other AIDS-stricken individuals to get the help they needed as he is aided by transvestite named Rayon (Jared Leto) and a kind doctor named Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner) where the latter is trying to understand what can help AIDS patients. In turn, Woodruff gets the attention of the federal government who wants to shut him down but Woodruff’s resilience and hustling skills would manage to keep those with a short death sentence a chance to live a little bit longer.

The film’s screenplay does play into Woodruff’s life from the moment he is diagnosed to his fight against the FDA as this homophobic rodeo cowboy becomes this unlikely ally for the gay community in Texas. The first act is about Woodruff’s discovery of his condition and his willingness to stay alive despite the prejudice he receives from old friends who is convinced he’s become gay which is untrue. In meeting the stern though sympathetic Dr. Saks and later one of her patients in Rayon, Woodruff realizes he has to do things and get the help from unlikely people to not just help himself but those with AIDS. Woodruff and Rayon starts a secret club where people pay $400 a month to get these unapproved prescriptions that Woodruff had to get from places around the world.

Though Woodruff and Rayon have a somewhat testy relationship as Woodruff isn’t fond of gays and Rayon isn’t fond of Woodruff’s attitude. The two become an unlikely pair that manages to be one of the script’s highlights. Even as they have to face homophobes, the government, and business-minded doctors who are trying to prevent from getting the help they need. While the activities that Woodruff does is illegal where he even helps out an old friend, he’s only doing something in the hopes that he and many others can just simply stay alive during this horrific plague that was happening in the late 1980s. Particularly in a world that is strange and filled with different extremes like the state of Texas.

Jean-Marc Vallee’s direction is very engaging from the way he opens the film with Woodruff having sex with two women at a rodeo show which represents the life he leads as he’s a man of danger and recklessness. There is something that at first feels laid back but it then becomes this serious drama where Woodruff is diagnosed with AIDS as he is given a 30 day death sentence. Yet, Vallee keeps a sense of liveliness going to play into Woodruff’s denial with the use of hand-held cameras that aren’t very shaky as well as close-ups to showcase the truth that is Woodruff doesn’t want to face. Since it is a film that only takes place in the span of a few years in the 1980s starting with the announcement that Rock Hudson had AIDS where Woodruff boasts that Hudson is an idiot for turning down all of that fine pussy. It is a film that is also about a particular moment in time and in a place like Texas where AIDS is considered a largely homosexual disease or for those who are drug addicts.

The direction becomes more stylish by the film’s second act where Vallee loosen things up as well as inject some humor into the film for many of the moments between Woodruff and Rayon. There’s also moments where the direction is also quite playful to showcase Woodruff’s approach to hustling as he would return from trips all around the world to relax in Texas in an attempt to regain some humanity. Once Woodruff has to face foes who are proven to be far more cruel than he was to gays while having to deal with the realities of his disease. The film does get more dramatic where Woodruff becomes determined as Vallee uses some unique sound design to play into Woodruff’s growing illness.

Yet, there is a payoff that occurs in the end where despite the fact that Woodruff would eventually die from the disease in 1992. Vallee manages to create something that is unique as well as find an unlikely protagonist for audiences to root for while delving into some of the history of the AIDS epidemic. Overall, Vallee creates a very powerful and mesmerizing film about a man’s desire to stay alive and help those who are also suffering from the cruel disease of AIDS.

Cinematographer Yves Belanger does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of low-key lights for the scenes at night in its interior and exterior settings along with some very vibrant shots for some of the film‘s daytime exterior scenes. Editors Martin Penza and Jean-Marc Valle do amazing work with the editing where it does play into a sense of style from its use of jump-cuts, abrupt transitions, and montages to play into the impact of the disease as well as Woodruff‘s determination to hustle. Production designer John Paino, with set decorator Robert Covelman and art director Javiera Varas, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the motel rooms where Woodruff and Rayon run their operation to some of the buildings and hospitals the characters go to.

Costume designers Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson do terrific work with the costumes from the cowboy clothes of Woodruff to the more flamboyant look of Rayon. Makeup artist Melanie Deforrest does wonderful work with the look of Rayon in his drag persona as well as the look of Rayon and Woodruff in their physical declines. Visual effects supervisor Marc Cote does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such as the backdrops of cities that Woodruff travels to. Sound editor Martin Pinsonnault does brilliant work with the film’s sound to convey some of the atmosphere of the locations as well as the ringing sound in Woodruff’s head as he is dealing with the disease he is suffering. The film’s soundtrack largely consists of a mix of country music as well as some dance-pop at the gay clubs while the rest of the soundtrack is dominated by the music of T.Rex whose leader Marc Bolan is someone that Rayon is fond of.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Rich Delia, and Paul Schnee is just incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Deerhunter vocalist Bradford Cox as Rayon’s lover, James DuMont as Rayon’s father, Michael O’Neill as a FDA official who keeps trying to ruin Woodruff’s business, and Griffin Dunne as an eccentric doctor living in Mexico who would help supply Woodruff with FDA-unapproved medicine. Steve Zahn is terrific as the cop Tucker who is an old friend of Woodruff who becomes aware of what he’s doing but decides to keep Woodruff’s activities a secret. Dallas Roberts is pretty good as Woodruff’s friend David Wayne who later pushes Woodruff away because of AIDS only to get confronted when Woodruff defends Rayon. Denis O’Hare is excellent as Dr. Saks’ boss Dr. Sevard as a man who leads the AZT drug trials while becoming suspicious of Woodruff’s activities as well as Dr. Saks’ involvement.

Jennifer Garner is amazing as Dr. Eve Saks as this very kind doctor who wants to help people while is also someone who isn’t afraid to speak her mind as Garner makes her very engaging and complex while not preying into the typical female supporting characters tropes that is often expected. Jared Leto is marvelous as Rayon as this charming transvestite who doesn’t take shit from anyone while proving to be a very capable individual who can get Woodruff to connect with the gays while some of the most startling moments that Leto does is the scene where his character meets his father in the most shocking way that shows how far Rayon is willing to help Woodruff as it’s definitely a career-defining performance for Leto.

Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in an outstanding performance as Ron Woodruff where McConaughey brings in that Texan charm that he’s known for with a kind of swagger what makes him an enjoyable presence. Yet, he balances that with a sense of grit and humility as a man realizing that he’s going to die as he is determined to find a way to live his life without a death sentence hanging over his head. The scenes McConaughey has with Leto are just fun to watch as well as the fact that both actors did some serious efforts to look ragged while McConaughey also has some nice chemistry with Garner to showcase a man finally being grounded and cool as it’s definitely McConaughey at his finest.

Dallas Buyers Club is a magnificent film from Jean-Marc Vallee that features an astounding performance from Matthew McConaughey. Along with strong supporting performances from Jared Leto and Jennifer Garner, it is a film that explores a man’s willingness to survive during the AIDS epidemic with the help of some unlikely people and becoming a better man. Especially as he also fights against strong foes who were trying to prevent him from getting better and doing things that were really wrong. In the end, Dallas Buyers Club is a sensational film from Jean-Marc Vallee.

Jean-Marc Vallee Films: (Black List) - (Los Locos) - (Loser Love) - (C.R.A.Z.Y.) - The Young Victoria - (Café de Flore) - Wild (2014 film) - Demolition (2015 film) - (Big Little Lies (TV miniseries))

© thevoid99 2013

Snow Angels

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/15/09.

With three acclaimed films to his credit by 2007, David Gordon Green is considered to be one of American cinema's most promising young directors. Since his 2000 landmark debut film George Washington, Green's dream-like yet harrowing portrait of life in the American South has earned him praised from critics, notably Roger Ebert. Compared in some respects to the legendary yet elusive Terrence Malick, Green followed up his debut with 2003's romantic-drama All the Real Girls and 2004's thriller Undertow in which the latter was co-produced by Malick. After an attempt to get an adaption of the legendary John Kennedy Toole classic novel A Confederacy of Dunces with help from Steven Soderbergh as one of the screenwriters failed to get off the ground. Green took a break to plan several projects before taking on an adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's small-town drama Snow Angels.

A multi-layered story about young teenager dealing with the disintegration of his parents marriage as well as a long-standing crush with a former babysitter who is currently having relationship problems with her ex-husband. When the woman and her ex-husband starts to boil over due to an affair, the young man suddenly finds himself falling for a quirky young high school girl as a small town begins to lose its innocence. Written for the screen and directed by David Gordon Green, Snow Angels marks as a huge departure for the director as he moves North to create an enchanting yet eerie tale of small town life that is close to his own small town world in the South. With an all-star cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, Nicky Katt, Olivia Thirlby, Jeanetta Arnette, Amy Sedaris, Tom Noonan, and Griffin Dunne. Snow Angels is an enchanting yet harrowing drama from David Gordon Green.

Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano) is a high school teenager dealing with new changes in his life. His parents Don (Griffin Dunne) and Louise (Jeanetta Arnette) are splitting up as Arthur tries to cope with it with school work and marching band practice. Around the same time, Arthur works as a bus boy at a local Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whom he's had a crush on. Annie is dealing with her own problems raising her four-year old daughter Tara (Gracie Hudson) by herself while her ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) has become a Born-again Christian and just landing a job selling carpets. Though Glenn does get to see Tara from time to time, he hopes to have Annie back in his life while maintaining his own sobriety. It's around the same time Arthur befriends a new student in the nerdy yet charismatic Lila (Olivia Thirlby).

With Glenn starting to get things in order, Annie has an affair with a cop named Nate (Nicky Katt) who is married to Annie's friend Barb (Amy Sedaris) who also works with her as a waitress at the Chinese restaurant. The affair becomes secretive for awhile until Glenn starts to suspect something as Barb also finds out. With Annie stressed out in her own life while trying to raise Tara, Glenn starts to confront Annie and Nate over this affair as trouble starts to brew. Arthur meanwhile, learns that his dad is seeing someone as he starts to get close with Lila whom he's becoming attracted to. Then one day, a sick Annie is at home with a cold when her daughter is suddenly gone. Turning to Barb for help, a whole town tries to find something. What happens would change things forcing Glenn to become insane while a distraught, angry Arthur leans closer towards Lila. Then comes a day when the lives of an entire town would change forever.

The film is about disconnection and connections into the lives of various individuals in a small, Northern town in America. While small-town life isn't new to what screenwriter/director David Gordon Green has explored. The location and setting is very different from his three previous films as he goes into the north during a winter season. While Green's script definitely delves into the lives of the three main individuals of Arthur, Glenn, and Annie. He does create a faithful version of Stewart O'Nan's novel though the story overall is uneven. While there's enough work that's put into the coming-of-age story of Arthur, it's overshadowed by the drama of Glenn and Annie which reaches tragic proportions. Yet, it's setting and study of characters is what definitely attracted Green to this story as he puts enough attention towards major characters and supporting ones as he delves into a small town setting.

Green's direction is truly majestic in its setting though the film is shot mostly in Canada. Green's rich compositions and dramatic staging is what keeps this film compelling as he goes deep into the drama but knows when to pull away. While there's not much humor, Green knows when to use it when it's necessary. The drama is more theatrical in its performance but Green knows when to have his actors not delve into melodrama or high theatrics. It's all restrained except in parts for high drama as he knows when to place his camera to capture all that is going on. Even in getting shots from a character's perspective or a scenery that is enchanting with shots of nature that is reminiscent of the work of his mentor Terrence Malick. Overall, Green's direction shows a maturity in the young director who takes some of his old tricks and refine them for better dramatic effect.

Green's longtime cinematographer Tim Orr does brilliant work with the usage of snow and sunlight for the film's exterior, daytime scenes. Orr's photography maintains the richness that Green wanted for the film as there's a beauty to the look of small town life. Even the nighttime exteriors are well shot with low-lights and an intimacy for the drama with a beautiful shot one of the film's final scenes involving falling snow and a football field. Orr's camera work in the interiors is intimate as in a couple of bar scenes, it's low-lit to emphasize the dark mood of one of its major characters. The overall work of Tim Orr is truly phenomenal as he's one of the best young cinematographers working in the field.

Editor William M. Anderson does excellent work with the film's stylish editing with the use of fade-outs, jump-cuts, and rhythmic cutting to create transitions that seems abrupt yet energetic for the story. Green's longtime production designer Richard A. Wright, along with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Terry Quennell, does some fine work with the look of the high schools, Annie's home, and other locations that has a nice, quaint small-town feel. Costume designer Kate Rose does good work with the costumes in creating casual clothing for the actors with Olivia Thirlby's Lila character standing out the most with a yellow coat and hat along with cat-like glasses to create a unique look for her. Sound editor Larry Blake does brilliant work with the sound in capturing the quaint feel of the small town with layering of noises as well as the sounds of instruments and such for the film. Notably its opening sequence with the thundering sounds that would set the film's dramatic tone in place.

Green's longtime music composer David Wingo along with Jeff McIlwain brings a quiet yet plaintive score with acoustic guitars and ambient textures to play to the film's somber, small-town feel. The soundtrack consists of material ranging from blues to country with songs by Gene Autry, Shane Hartman, Tony Berg, Josh Crocker, Benji Hughes, indie-rock stalwarts Explosions in the Sky, and a soft-rock song from Bread. Another song that is used for humor and dramatic effect is Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer which is performed by a marching band.

The casting by Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins, Paul Schnee, and Suzanne Smith is wonderfully assembled for its usage of big and small characters. Memorable small roles include Connor Paolo as Arthur's friend Warren, Deborah Allen as Annie's mom, Brian Downey and Carroll Godsman as Glenn's parents, Leah Ostry as Lila's sister, Daniel Lillford as Glenn's boss, Lita Llewellyn as a cop, Hugh Thompson as a police investigator, Angela Vemeir as Don's new girlfriend, and Tom Noonan in a funny role as the band leader. Gracie Hudson is good as Glenn and Annie's wild, energetic 4-year old girl Tara while Jeanetta Arnette is excellent as Arthur's mother Louise who is trying to deal with the split from her husband. Griffin Dunne is very good as Arthur's dad Don, a man confused about his role while trying to communicate with Arthur about the flaws of being a man.

Amy Sedaris is great as Barb, Annie's friend and co-worker who feels betrayed when she learns that her husband Nate is having an affair with Annie only to realize something more troubling. Nicky Katt is very good as Nate, a womanizer who is bored by his own marriage while his affair with Annie is also running out of steam. Olivia Thirlby is wonderful as Lila, the girl who would be a shining light to Arthur. Thirlby, known to audiences for her role as the best friend in Juno, is full of charm and wit while displaying an innocence to her that is insatiable to watch. Michael Angarano is excellent as Arthur, the young teen dealing with all that's going on around him as he comes of age in finding his first girlfriend and coping with the stuff that goes on his own. Angarano's performance is very realistic in the hang-ups of being a teenager while he has great chemistry with both Olivia Thirlby and Kate Beckinsale.

Kate Beckinsale, whose acting career in recent years has been spotty with action films and light drama, gives a performance that is describe as a return to form of sorts following her mid-90s breakout period. Stripping away the glamour for something more realistic and homegrown, Beckinsale's role as a stressed-out mother dealing with her child while juggling an affair and the presence of her ex-husband shows Beckinsale in playing a character that is realistic but also flawed. Along with a legitimate American accent, the British beauty displays grace and despair into her role as it's a phenomenal role for the actress. Finally, there's Sam Rockwell in a tour-de-force performance as Glenn. A man who is trying to improve himself though is often forgetful and pushy. Rockwell has some great scenes with Beckinsale as he displays a man who loses control while convinced he's doing what God asks him to do. It's a brilliant role for the actor who always gives a lot into his roles whether it's doing humor or drama as he's one of the best actors of his generation.

While it doesn't have the dreamy quality of George Washington, the romanticism of All the Real Girls, or the flat-out humor and entertainment factor of 2008's Pineapple Express. Snow Angels is still a harrowing yet intriguing drama from David Gordon Green featuring a superb ensemble led by Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Angarano, and Olivia Thirlby. Fans of Green's films will enjoy the richness and intimate small-town setting he creates while seeing that the Southern director is becoming more mature in his work. In the end, Snow Angels is an entrancing, dark, yet touching drama from David Gordon Green.

David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Undertow - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) - (The Sitter) - (Prince Avalanche) - Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) - (Our Brand is Crisis) - (Stronger (2017 film)) - Halloween (2018 film) - (Halloween Kills) - (Halloween Ends)

© thevoid99 2011