Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and written by Bryan Sipes, Demolition is the story of an investment banker whose life unravels following his wife‘s death as he copes through destruction and chaos while meeting a single mother who answered his complaint letter. The film is an exploration of grief as well as how someone copes with loss at its most unexpected. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Judah Lewis, Heather Lind, Polly Draper, Debra Monk, C.J. Wilson, and Chris Cooper. Demolition is a mesmerizing yet offbeat film from Jean-Marc Vallee.
After a car accident that left his wife dead, an investment banker becomes numb where an incident involving a vending machine forces him to write a complaint letter that reveals a lot as it’s answered by a single mother who is intrigued by this complaint. While coping with this loss, the man would vent his numbness and uncertainty if he ever loved his wife through dismantling certain things around him as it becomes a metaphor for his loss. Bryan Sipes’ screenplay doesn’t just explore the lack of grief that Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) is feeling for his late wife Julia (Heather Lind) but also questions about himself and what he’s done with his life. By writing these letters of complaints over a vending machine that refused to give him some candy, he would notice things he never paid attention as well as deconstruct things in his home to see what made them work.
When he meets Karen Moreno (Naomi Watts) who answered one of his complaint letters, he would become friends with her as she struggles with raising a teenage son in Chris (Judah Lewis) as well as parts of her own life. Davis would help Karen deal with Chris where a conventional script would’ve had them fall in love but Sipes would go for something else where it’s more platonic as Karen is already in a relationship with someone. Still, Davis finds some fulfillment in his time with Karen and Chris which is in sharp contrast to his own meetings with his father-in-law Phil Eastwood (Chris Cooper) whom he also works for. Phil never thought Davis was good enough for his daughter at first but comes to care for him but becomes bewildered by Davis’ odd behavior. Even as some revelations about Julia come to ahead where Phil wants to set up a scholarship and foundation in her name but Davis isn’t sure if it’s a good idea.
Jean-Marc Vallee’s direction is quite simple for the intimacy that he creates throughout the film as it begins with the fatal accident that would leaves Davis unharmed but Julia dead. Shot on location in New York City and areas near the city, the film play into this world where it has this strange schism of class structure of upper class and middle class where Davis is part of the former and Karen is part of the latter. While there’s some wide shots in the film, Vallee would go for close-ups and medium shots to create something that is simple as well as some bits of hand-held cameras. Vallee would also create paralleling images as it relates to Davis’ own reflections of his time with his wife on certain locations or memories as it play into the search for his own feeling for his wife. It adds to this sense of wandering in the film as it can be comical at times or dramatic. Though there’s a few moments in the third act where it does a go a bit overboard in the dramatic aspects of the film. Vallee does manage to find a way to not let it overwhelm the story as well as provide something that is fitting to Davis’ journey through grief. Overall, Vallee creates an engaging and somber film about a man going through grief through destruction and opening himself to new worlds.
Cinematographer Yves Belanger does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the naturalistic daytime exterior scenes as well as the usage of low-key lights for some scenes at night as well as some stylized looks for some of the interior scenes. Editor Jay M. Glen does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts and flashback montages as well as in some of the slow-motion moments in the film. Production designer John Paino, with set decorator Robert Covelman and art director Javiera Varas, does amazing work with the look of the home that Phil and his wife live in as well as the very shiny home of Davis and Julia which is sharp contrast to the more quaint and colorful home of Karen and Chris. Costume designer Leah Katznelson does wonderful work with the costumes from the mid-upper class posh look of Julia, her parents, and Davis along with the more stylish and casual look of Chris and Karen with the former embracing a more ambiguous look.
Visual effects supervisor Marc Cote does nice work with some of the minimal visual effects which consists mainly of set-dressing for a few scenes including the film‘s opening sequence. Sound editor Martin Pinsonnault does superb work with the sound from the way music is heard on location or some of the sound effects at a party or in scenes where Davis is destroying something. Music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a wonderful soundtrack that consists a mixture of classical music as well as some rock songs with the latter often being a driving force for Davis as he starts to take on a new lease on life.
The casting by Jessica Kelly and Suzanne Smith is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from Malachy Cleary and Debra Monk as Davis’ parents, Polly Draper as Julia’s mother Margot, C.J. Wilson as Karen’s boss/boyfriend Carl whom Chris isn’t fond of, and Julia Lind in a wonderful performance as Davis’ wife Julia who often appears in flashbacks as someone that did love Davis. Judah Lewis is excellent as Chris as a 15-year old kid that is struggling to find himself as well as deal with the lack of a strong fraternal figure in the family. Chris Cooper is brilliant as Phil Eastwood as Julia’s father that is trying to cope with the loss of his daughter while being baffled by Davis’ odd behavior which only creates some anger towards him.
Naomi Watts is amazing as Karen Moreno as a customer service person who reads Davis’ letters as she is intrigued by him while befriending him as she deal with her troubled life involving her son and things in her own life. Finally, there’s Jake Gyllenhaal in an incredible performance as Davis Mitchell as an investment banker whose life unravels after his wife’s death where he begins to deconstruct and destroy things where it’s a performance filled with some humor and charm but also a sense of restraint in his approach to grief as it’s one of Gyllenhaal’s finest performances.
Demolition is a marvelous film from Jean-Marc Vallee that features great performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts. It’s an odd yet compelling film that explores grief and how a man tries to cope with loss while finding some aspect of life he can connect to. In the end, Demolition is a remarkable 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) - Dallas Buyers Club - Wild (2014 film) - (Big Little Lies (TV miniseries))
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Noah Baumbach and written by Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Mistress America is the story of a young college student who moves to New York City where she would meet her future step-sister who takes her on an adventure around the city. The film is an exploration into a young woman coping with trying to fit in as she would find herself living through her future stepsister whom she would get close to. Starring Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Heather Lind, Cindy Cheung, and Kathryn Erbe. Mistress America is a charming and witty film from Noah Baumbach.
The film plays into a college student who goes to Columbia to become a writer as she has trouble fitting in until she decides to meet a woman in her late-20s who is about to become her step-sister where the two hang as the student finds inspiration for her own writing. It’s a film where this young woman would live through the whirlwind life of an older woman who dreams of opening her own restaurant and do other things as she would also try to help her. Especially as the two are in need to do something in their lives as they cope with love affairs and ambition. It’s a film that plays into the world of growing up as it is largely told from the perspective of Tracy Fishko (Lola Kirke) who is a freshman trying to make it as a writer but awkward attempts to socialize and such would get him some disdain from fellow students and such. It’s until she meets Brooke (Greta Gerwig) where Tracy’s life changes.
The film’s screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach explores these two women who are both in a state of transition as Tracy is trying to find herself as a person and as a writer while Brooke is trying to raise money to open a restaurant as she does all sorts of things. Even as Tracy is desperate to join the college’s school magazine as her first attempts were poor but she would find a muse in Brooke and later help Brooke with all of these situations as it would include confronting an old nemesis who Brooke claims had taken some of her ideas. The film would feature some witty dialogue that plays into Brooke’s persona as she is this person that likes to think and talk fast while being very excited yet is also flawed as she can’t cope with aspects of reality or negativity. Most notably in the film’s third act where she and Tracy go to Connecticut to meet with an old friend where a lot of drama happens.
Baumbach’s direction is quite simple as a lot of it is shot in New York City where it is set during the autumn where Tracy is experiencing her first semester. Much of it showcases a sense of awkwardness in its approach to humor as it relates to Tracy’s attempt to socialize where she has a roommate who doesn’t like her and is seen as a weirdo by some. With his simple approach to close-ups and medium shots, Baumbach maintains something that is intimate as well as something that feels loose which plays into Brooke’s lively personality. The city itself is a character as much of it is presented in very low colors to play into the season as opposed to the scenes set in Connecticut where it’s kind of surreal and more colorful. It plays into the kind of world that Brooke and Tracy aren’t exactly familiar with as they’re both facing a much harsher reality where it does become comical but with a sense of cynicism into how these two young women conduct themselves with their lives and desires in life. Overall, Baumbach creates a compelling yet funny film about two young women coping with reality and growing up in New York City.
Cinematographer Sam Levy does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key colors and lighting for scenes at night to play into the feeling of New York City in the autumn without being too vibrant or colorful with the exception of the scene set in Connecticut. Editor Jennifer Lame does fantastic work with the editing with its inspired usage of jump-cuts and other montage-cutting style that plays into the frenetic energy of New York City and college life. Production designer Sam Lisenco, with set decorator Katie Hickman and Ashley Fenton, does amazing work with the look of the apartment loft that Brooke lives in as well the empty place for her restaurant and the home of her old friends in Connecticut.
Costume designer Sarah Mae Burton does nice work with the costumes from the beret that Tracy wears to the more stylish clothes that Brooke wears. Sound editor Paul Hsu does terrific work with the sound as it‘s low-key where it captures moments that happen on location as well as a few moments that are very comical. The film’s music by Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips is brilliant for its dream-like score that is a mixture of lush electronic pieces with jangly guitars to play into something that is more akin to college music of the 1980s while music supervisor George Drakoulias would provide a soundtrack that is more diverse that features music from Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Paul McCartney, Ace of Base, Toto, Hot Chocolate, Suicide, and Frederic Chopin.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is great as it features appearances from Dean Wareham as a neighbor of Brooke’s old friends in Connecticut, Mickey Sumner as a woman who looks like Brooke, Cindy Cheung as pregnant guest of Brooke’s old friend Mamie-Claire who Tracy’s friends befriend, Michael Chernus as Brooke’s former boyfriend Dylan who would give her some advice about her career, Heather Lind as Dylan’s wife and Brooke’s old friend Mamie-Claire who is a representation of who Brooke doesn’t want to be, and Kathryn Erbe as Tracy’s mother who would suggest for Tracy to meet Brooke. Jasmine Cephas Jones is terrific as a classmate of Tracy who is very suspicious that her boyfriend Tony is falling for Tracy. Matthew Shear is superb as Tony as a writing classmate of Tracy that is impressed with her writing but is consumed with his own life while dealing with the reality that he might not be as good.
Lola Kirke is brilliant as Tracy as this young college freshman who is trying to find herself in her new surroundings as she copes with her social awkwardness and what she wants to do as a writer as it’s just a real breakthrough for Kirke. Finally, there’s Greta Gerwig in an amazing performance as Brooke as a woman in her late 20s that beats to her own drum as she is a vivacious in the way she talks and lives while is someone who is unable to deal with reality when it comes at her face as it’s a very complex and funny performance from Gerwig.
Mistress America is a phenomenal film from Noah Baumbach that features incredible performances from Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke. It is a film that plays into the world of young women trying to find themselves trying to find out what to do as well as face the harsh realities of the world. Especially as it’s a film that is very smart as well as being very funny in the way life is. In the end, Mistress America is a sensational film from Noah Baumbach.
Noah Baumbach Films: Kicking and Screaming - Highball - Mr. Jealousy - The Squid & the Whale - Margot at the Wedding - Greenberg - Frances Ha - While We're Young - De Palma - The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) - Marriage Story - (White Noise (2022 film)) - The Auteurs #41: Noah Baumbach
© thevoid99 2015
