Ocean's 8

Based on the characters by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell, Ocean’s 8 is a spin-off film of the Ocean’s trilogy from the 2000s in which Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie leads a group of women to take part in a big heist at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Directed by Gary Ross and screenplay by Ross and Olivia Milch from a story by Ross, the film is a heist film in which eight different women take part in a heist as it play an event that is attended by celebrities where lots of riches are at. Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, James Corden, and Richard Armitage. Ocean’s 8 is an exhilarating and enjoyable film from Gary Ross.

After being released on parole from serving five years in prison over a con game gone wrong, Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) teams up with her former partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett) with five other women to take part in a heist at the Met Gala that is hosted by actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway). It’s a film that is sort of a revenge film but it’s really a heist film that play into a group of women wanting to get rich and steal a diamond necklace that is worth more than $150 million. The film’s screenplay by Gary Ross and Olivia Milch follows Ocean’s plan to rob the Met Gala to get this ultra-expensive necklace from Cartier that is to be worn by Kluger yet knows she can’t pull this off by herself as she had a plan for this heist for years. Especially after what happened to her the night she got arrested and her then-lover in arts dealer Claude Becker (Richard Armitage) put her in jail.

The film does have a unique structure as the first act is about the planning of the heist where Ocean and Lou gather a group of people for the heist including the jewelry maker Amita (Mindy Kaling), the street hustler/pickpocket Constance (Awkwafina), the hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna), the disgraced fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter), and an old friend of Ocean in Tammy (Sarah Paulson) who is a suburban mom that still fences good at her home. The second act is about the actual heist that takes place at the Met Gala where there is a lot that is happening but also things that do play into what isn’t being shown and where the players are at in the roles they’re in for the heist. The film’s third act is about the aftermath as well as a twist into the heist that revolves around other people who might know what happened.

Gary Ross’ direction is stylish as it play into the idea of the heist as he focuses more on the planning and the players involved as well as their contributions to this heist at the Met Gala. Shot on location in New York City, the film does use the locations as well as being able to shoot at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where the Met Gala is held annually as there is this element of realism that Ross would create in the direction that has characters be at the actual event with real celebrities. There are some wide shots in some of the locations in the city yet Ross would take great advantage of the interiors at the museum including scenes during the Met Gala where it is this lavish and enchanting world where the elite eat the finest foods and look at the rare pieces of art and jewelry. There are also some medium shots and close-ups that play into the characters interacting with one another as well as the attention to detail as it add to some of the intrigue as well as this need for repetition of certain scenes where there is something else that is happening that integral to the story.

Ross’ direction also play into some of the low-key events as it relates to Ocean’s own thirst for revenge towards Becker as well as her history with Lou and Tammy who also knew about Ocean’s affiliation with her brother Danny who is presumed to be dead. The status of Danny remains ambiguous as there’s a couple of cameos from members of his gang who appear yet the film does remain a women’s gang as it relates to the heist as well as an aftermath that raises question into how this necklace got stolen. Even as it also reveal more about Kluger’s role in the heist as someone who was a target but also seems to know more about what was going on. Overall, Ross crafts a witty yet adventurous film about a group of women stealing a diamond necklace at the lavish Met Gala.

Cinematographer Eigil Bryld does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as much of the exterior lighting in the daytime is straightforward with some low-key interior lighting for the scenes at the main base for the gang to the interiors of the Met Gala inside the Museum of Modern Art. Editor Juliette Welfling does brilliant work with the editing as it is stylized with its montages, jump-cuts, split-screens, and rhythmic cuts that help play into the film’s energetic and comedic tone. Production designer Alex DiGerlando, with set decorator Rena DeAngelo and supervising art director Chris Shriver, does amazing work with the look of the home base that Ocean, Lou, and the gang work at as well as the design of the presentation of the Met Gala in the middle of the museum. Costume designer Sarah Edwards does incredible work with the costumes as it is largely stylized to play into the personality of the characters including the gowns that they would wear at the Met Gala

Makeup artists Joanna and Louise McCarthy, along with hairstylist Liliana Meyrick, do fantastic work with the look of the gang with the disguise that Ocean would have as well as the hairstyle that Nine Ball and Weil would sport. Visual effects supervisors Jiwoong Kim, Vico Sharabani, and Asaf Yeger do terrific work with some of the set dressing for scenes at the Met Gala along with the 3D printing design of the jewels. Sound editor Paul Hsu does superb work with the sound as it is straightforward along with the mixes of the atmosphere of the Met Gala with its crowds. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton does wonderful work with the film’s music with its mixture of electronic music along with playful organ backgrounds that add to the film’s energetic tone while music supervisors Gabe Hilfer and Devoe Yates provide a soundtrack of a wide array of music from Sammy Davis Jr., Eamon, the Notorious B.I.G., Kelis featuring Too $hort, Dorothy Ashby, Sofi Tukker with Nervo, Alisa Ueno, the Knocks, Patti Page, Amy Winehouse, and Nancy Sinatra.

The casting by Shayna Markowitz and Debra Zane is great as it feature cameo appearances from Elliott Gould and Qin Shaobo reprising their respective roles in Reuben Tishkoff and “The Amazing” Yen who were part of Danny’s gang. Other notable small roles include the quartet of Elizabeth Ashley, Dana Ivey, Marlo Thomas, and Mary Louise Wilson as four old ladies who were hired by Ocean for a crucial role in the heist, Nathanya Alexander as Nine Ball’s younger sister Veronica, and Dakota Fanning as a young starlet that Weil would be pictured with to rouse jealousy in Kluger. James Corden is terrific as the insurance fraud investigator John Frazier who plays a key role in the third act as someone trying to find out who stole the necklace as he suspects Ocean. Richard Armitage is superb as the arts dealer Claude Becker as a former lover of Ocean who betrayed her and put her in prison as he becomes a target for revenge as he would attend the Met Gala as Kluger’s date.

Awkwafina and Rihanna are fantastic in their respective roles as the street hustler/pickpocket Constance and the hacker Nine Ball with Awkwafina providing a comical and lively performance as Constance and Rihanna being low-key yet cool as Nine Ball. Mindy Kaling and Sarah Paulson are excellent in their respective roles as the jewelry maker Amita and the suburban mom/fence Tammy with Kaling providing some humor and determination as a woman desperate to leave the shadow of her family while Paulson is more straightforward as a woman secretly doing criminal stuff to fund her lifestyle as she would take a job working at the Met Gala to help with the heist. Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant as Rose Weil as a disgraced fashion designer whose is in serious debt as she is looking for a break as she joins the gang to pay off her debts but also revive her name as it’s a mixture of comedy and drama.

Anne Hathaway is amazing as actress Daphne Kluger as the host of the Met Gala who is full of herself and bitchy towards people as she is someone that is an obvious target but there’s a lot more to her as it play into a woman that is just dealing with the world she’s in. Cate Blanchett is incredible as Lou Miller as Debbie’s girlfriend/partner-in-crime who works at restaurants and such as she is eager to renew her relationship with Ocean as well as be someone is also a mastermind in the world of crime knowing that it can help her financially. Finally, there’s Sandra Bullock in a remarkable performance as Debbie Ocean as the sister of the famed thief Danny Ocean who had just been released in prison on parole as she is seeking revenge for the man that put her in prison but also hoping to get a major payday through the one thing she and her family are good at as it’s a performance full of charm and wit.

Ocean’s 8 is a marvelous film from Gary Ross. Featuring a great ensemble cast, fantastic locations, a cool music soundtrack, and lots of fun and exciting moments. It’s a film that never takes itself seriously while taking the time to create a heist as well as focus on the players who are involved. In the end, Ocean’s 8 is a remarkable film from Gary Ross.

Gary Ross Films: (Pleasantville) – (Seabiscuit) – The Hunger Games - (Free State of Jones)

Related: Ocean's Eleven - Ocean's Twelve - Ocean's Thirteen

© thevoid99 2019

George Michael: Freedom

Directed by George Michael and David Austin, George Michael: Freedom is a documentary film about the life and career of the British singer who achieved fame as part of the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley and later becoming a successful solo artist. Made largely in 2016 just before Michael’s shocking death on Christmas Day on that year with manager/friend David Austin completing the film. The film has Michael tell his own story through his own words with archival interviews and rare footage as well as testimonies from friends and musicians like Sir Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Nile Rodgers, and Mark Ronson as well as friends such as James Corden, Ricky Gervais, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, and Christy Turlington. The result is an engaging and evocative film from George Michael and David Austin.

With many films about artists who have passed, it’s often told from the perspective of those who knew that person or outsiders who had observed that person’s body of work. With George Michael just before his own untimely passing, he was fortunate to tell his own story through his own words as well as cultivating all of the footage of interviews and stuff he did in his lifetime as well as getting others to share their perspectives of the highs and lows he went through. The film mainly focuses on certain periods of his life such as his time in Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley where they didn’t take themselves very seriously in their approach to stardom. When the group split-up in 1986, it was a mutual decision as Michael knew that he had been yearning for solo stardom. When his solo debut album Faith was released in 1987, it was bigger than it expected to be as Michael admittedly felt overwhelmed by its massive success.

The film is broken into chapters as one devotes itself to his second album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, the third chapter is about meeting Anselmo Felepa in 1991 who would be the love his life, the fourth is about Michael’s fight with Sony, and the fifth is the release of his third album Older and the aftermath of his life and career. Much of Michael’s struggle with the success of Faith had to do with his struggle over the persona he created as he just wanted to be a normal person people would see in the neighborhood and spend time with his dog. In making Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 in which several artists like Liam Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Elton John, and comedian James Corden all reveal their favorite bits on the album. Music executives from Sony in Britain talked about why Michael chose not to promote it as it had to do with him wanting to take a step back and just take some time off for himself. The people at Sony from the British and European division made the effort to promote the album for Michael which did extremely well but in America is where things soured.

The artists and British executives all felt that Michael was treated unfairly by the American division in Sony who stated that he was an artist for a certain demographic and had to cater to that demographic as well as do tours, music videos, and all sorts of things. Michael refused as the video for Freedom ’90 that was directed by David Fincher and featured supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista lip-syncing the song was made with Michael’s involvement but it wasn’t enough for the American division at Sony. The film would unveil footage and testimonies from the British executives who felt that Michael’s suit against Sony was bad for all sides as they felt they let Michael down. Even though Michael would lose his lawsuit against Sony in 1994, many felt that Michael’s stand did help provide artists the chance to say something towards the record companies they were working for.

Many of the interviews were shot by cinematographer Graham Smith and recorded by sound recordist Julian Wilson under David Austin’s direction as they all give their testimonies as well as look at a vinyl record of Michael’s second album to listen to. Blige, Wonder, and Rodgers also discuss Michael’s love for soul music as they felt the criticism he received in the late 80s when Faith was big and winning awards in the R&B/Soul category was unfair when he was actually faithful to the genre. Michael, via audio, understands the criticism as it only added to the anxieties he was dealing during the tour for Faith. Editors Jerry Chater, Gene Limbrick, and Gwyn Moxham would cultivate the many footage and interviews in the film along with some rare home movie footage including Michael’s time with Felepa as well as some rare behind-the-scenes footage of a few music videos that were being made.

At the heart of the film is the music as it showcased how wide-ranging Michael was with the music whether it’s through pop, hip-hop, rock, soul, folk, jazz, and bossa-nova. It showed that gift he had for making great music as well as being someone who was able to create his own voice and legacy. At the same time, he never took himself seriously as he wasn’t afraid to make fun of himself as well as be generous to others. Overall, Michael created a film that showed who he was and not afraid to show his flaws with the help of his friend David Austin creating what was to be Michael’s final artistic piece.

George Michael: Freedom is a marvelous film from George Michael and David Austin. Featuring some entertaining rare footage and tidbits from friends, it’s a film that showcases one of the greatest singers that ever lived and why he made an impact in the world of popular music. In the end, George Michael: Freedom is a remarkable film from David Austin and the late, great George Michael.

© thevoid99 2017

Begin Again

Written and directed by John Carney, Begin Again is the story of a struggling music executive who finds a young singer-songwriter as the two collaborate on making an album through various locations in New York City. The film is an exploration into two people who both endured failures and disappointments as they try to do something together to express their love for music. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Catherine Keener, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Mos Def, and James Corden. Begin Again is a touching and enjoyable film from John Carney.

The film revolves around a music executive who is down on his luck as he stumbles into a club where he hears a song from a young woman as he wants to sign her to his label and make her album. While it is a simple story of two people who both endured moments in their life as they’re down on their luck as they find something that brings them together through the love of music. For the music executive Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo), he wants to find something that matters regardless if it sells or not as he was once a great music producer whose life has not gone well and has a shaky relationship with his daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld). For Gretta James (Keira Knightley), she’s a singer-songwriter still stinging not just from the break-up of her musician boyfriend Dave Kohl (Adam Levine) who cheated on her. It’s also in the fact that really cares about the music and learns that Kohl has sold out in order to become part of the machine.

John Carney’s screenplay has a unique structure where its first act is about Dan stumbling into the club meeting Gretta who reluctantly sings in a club after being prodded by her friend/musician Steve (James Corden). It plays into what Dan and Gretta were doing on the day before they meet as well as the latter and her relationship with Dave. Most notably in how it fell apart when Dave returned with a new song where Gretta learned that he cheated on her. The second act is about Dan and Gretta collaborating to make the album as Dan reluctantly produced himself as he is aware that he’s not getting any support from his label nor his business partner/label head Saul (Mos Def). With a group of several unknown musicians and Steve, Dan would record Gretta’s album on any location as they’re eventually aided by Violet in a means to reconnect with her father. It’s third act isn’t just about the reality of the music industry but also about Dave who returns to meet Gretta as it becomes clear how much he’s changed as it plays into what Gretta wants for herself and her music.

Carney’s direction is very simple as it plays into the wonders of New York City and how music fills that world where Dan and Gretta are eager to make use of its many locations and record whatever they can flesh out musically. Much of it involves a lot of hand-held camera movements with lots of close-ups and medium shots as Carney doesn’t really go for anything big. Yet, he does manage to find moments that are engaging such as Gretta and Dave’s break-up scene where it is about the song that Dave created and their reactions which has Gretta very upset. Carney also creates moments that are lively not just in the outdoor sessions where Dan is recording Gretta and her band but also in a moment where the two walk around New York City listening to music from their earphones. It is all about the love and power of music where Dan would also reveal why things with him and Violet hadn’t been easy until he invites her to play on Gretta’s record where it is this cathartic moment. The scenes involving Dave and the results of Gretta’s record doesn’t just play into some of the cynical realities of the music business but also what music is supposed to be for the artist rather than what Dave and Saul represent. Overall, Carney creates an exhilarating film about two people who find salvation through their love for music.

Cinematographer Yaron Orbach does excellent work with the cinematography from the naturalistic yet colorful look of the scenes set in the day to the usage of lights for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Andrew Marcus does nice work with the editing as it‘s straightforward with some stylish jump-cuts and montage cuts to play into its energy and humor. Production designer Chad Keith, with set decorator Kris Moran and art director Anne Goelz, does fantastic work with the look of the apartments Steve and Dan live in to play into their personalities as well as the massive loft apartment Dan and Gretta lived in where things were good.

Costume designer Arjun Bhasin does terrific work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the rich designers suits that Saul and Dave wear. Visual effects supervisor Yuval Levy does good work with the minimal visual effects that is used which includes an acceptance speech Dave does that Gretta and Steve see on YouTube as well as an inspiring scene of what Dan sees in Gretta‘s performance. Sound editor Lewis Goldstein does superb work with the sound to capture every layer of the music as it‘s presented on location as well as the atmosphere of the clubs and other venues.

The film’s music by Gregg Alexander is amazing as it‘s a very low-key yet melodic-based score that features elements of folk and pop while music supervisors Matthew Rush Sullivan and Andrea von Foerster bring in music from Stevie Wonder and other artists yet it’s the originals song by Alexander, John Carney, Glen Hansard, and other writers that is the heart of the film as it includes Lost Stars and other songs that Knightley would sing as well as the songs that Levine sings.

The casting by Jeanne McCarthy is brilliant as it includes notable small roles from Cee-Lo Green as rapper Troublegum who helps Dan find musicians and Mos Def (under his real name Yasiin Bey) as Dan’s old friend and business partner Saul who tells him about why he can’t help Dan because of the changes of the music business. Catherine Keener is wonderful as Dan’s ex-wife Miriam who is surprised by Dan’s recent enthusiasm as she would later help him in making Gretta’s album. Adam Levine is superb as Gretta’s ex-boyfriend Dave Kohl who became successful despite the things he had done for her as he copes with not just success but also the fact that he has made a lot of compromises for the music he and Gretta made in the past for the sake of commercialism. James Corden is fantastic as Gretta’s friend Steve who is a street musician who not only helps Gretta cope with her break-up but also to get her to play music again as he would also help Dan in the recording of her album.

Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as Dan’s daughter Violet who isn’t just dealing with growing pains but also not having her dad around as she copes with his frequent absences until she is asked to join his project where she reveals her brilliance as a musician to her father. Keira Knightley is remarkable as Gretta James as a songwriter who just loves to make music as she copes with her ex-boyfriend and his success as well as the need to make music that is true and honest while Knightley shows she can really sing. Finally, there’s Mark Ruffalo in a marvelous performance as Dan Mulligan as a once-famous producer turned music executive who experiences some bad luck until he hears Gretta’s song where he collaborates with her as a way to make something that is meaningful again as Ruffalo brings a lot of humor and some great chemistry with Knightley.

Begin Again is a phenomenal film from John Carney that features great performances from Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley. The film isn’t just about the celebration of music but also in the idea of how music can mean so much to people in an age where purity is being coerced by commerce. In the end, Begin Again is a sensational film from John Carney.

John Carney Films: (On the Edge) - Once - (Zonad) - Sing Street

© thevoid99 2015

All or Nothing

Written and directed by Mike Leigh, All or Nothing tells the story of three families living in working-class London as they each deal with the changes in their lives. Along the way, they all intersect to discuss their own lives and the messiness that is around them. Starring Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, James Corden, Alison Garland, Ruth Sheen, Sally Hawkins, and Daniel Mays. All or Nothing is a good although extremely dreary film from Mike Leigh.

Phil Basset (Timothy Spall) is a miserable cab driver who works on long hours day and night as a cab driver for a company run by Neville (Gary McDonald). His friend Ron (Paul Jesson) also works in the same company but always manages to get into some accident that leaves him ailing for money. Phil and Ron’s family life are messy as they each deal with their own world. Phil’s wife Penny (Lesley Manville) works as a supermarket cashier with friend/neighbor Maureen (Ruth Sheen) whose daughter Donna (Helen Coker) is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Jason (Daniel Mays). Penny’s daughter Rachel (Alison Garland) works at nursing home while her younger brother Rory (James Corden) is an angry, obese teenager who refuses to do anything.

Ron’s wife Carol (Marion Bailey) is an alcoholic always intoxicated while their daughter Samantha (Sally Hawkins) is a slacker trying to find work while dealing with a creepy stalker (Ben Crompton) near her apartment. Everyone works as they all try to deal with their day-to-day lives as Donna learns she’s pregnant making Jason very upset. When Maureen learns what happens, she tries to sort things out while Rachel is being flirted by an old man (Sam Kelly). On another typical day when Phil is working as he has a French woman (Kathryn Hunter) as a passenger. Phil has a realization about his life leaving him to shut off his phone and just drive somewhere. Yet, the timing turns out to be bad when a family emergency brings everyone together.

The film is about a trio of dysfunctional families living their lives in London as they all live in the same apartment building interacting with one another and go on with their lives. They all try to help each other while some are going through the motions of working and doing things when they work with the exception a few people who don’t really do anything. Yet, they’re all pretty miserable as the main focus is on the Basset family where there’s a couple whose marriage is pretty much on the outs which affects the family. The other two stories about a mother and her pregnant daughter and the other family who are an absolute mess help balance out the rest of the film.

Leigh’s story has the same kind of improvisational yet free-flowing feel that is common with all of his films since he doesn’t really use a script to tell the story. The problem with this film is that there’s not much to tell as the first act starts off very slow and almost becomes a bit repetitive though it seems like that is what Leigh is aiming for. At the same time, because everyone looks like a mess with the exception of a couple of scenes where one of them has Maureen and Penny go out to a club looking pretty clean and normal though Carol remains a mess. Throughout the story, there’s a lot of scenes where Phil drives his cab and deals with an array of passengers and comes home where Penny doesn’t seem to enjoy him around. For Phil, feeling unloved and unhappy would cause him to drift from everything but at the wrong time in the film’s climatic moment.

Leigh’s direction is pretty good as he keeps things straight in his direction. Yet, there’s a lack of style that happens throughout with the exception of a few scenes. Leigh is always creating something that is engaging about the way a family has dinner together or having a moment together. There is something that is compelling in what he tries to create though it starts off very slow where nothing is happening and it ends up becoming very depressing. Things do pick up in the film’s climatic moment that includes a very emotional scene in the realization about a family’s life. While the ending is a bit cheerful, it does feel a bit unresolved as far as the two other families are concerned though it’s open for interpretation about what could happen. Overall, Leigh creates something that is intriguing but lacks a lot of weight to keep things going.

Cinematographer Dick Pope does an excellent job with the photography in capturing the nighttime setting of London with a very gorgeous look while most of the film, with the exception of a scene at the beach, is very straightforward. Editor Lesley Walker does a good job with the editing as she maintains a mostly straight approach to the cutting while using fade-outs for the transitions to keep things movie.

Production designer Eve Stewart and art director Tom Read do fine work with the look of the film from the dreary apartments everyone lives in to the old folks home that Rachel works at. Costume designer Jacqueline Durran does nice work with the costumes by maintaining a mostly casual look that is very grimy while the clothes that Maureen wear the karaoke scene is pretty stylish. Sound editor Peter Joly doe some stellar work in capturing the sound for the various locations throughout the film including the chaos of the London streets. The film’s score by Andrew Dickson is pretty good for a lot of the smooth, orchestral pieces played in the film that adds a sense of melancholia throughout. Yet, it also becomes a bit aggravating as it’s always played in between many of the film’s transitions.

The casting by Nina Gold is really the highlight of the film as it includes some standout small performances from Diveen Henry as Neville’s sister, Gary McDonald as the cab service boss Neville, Kathryn Hunter as a French passenger, Sam Kelly as the old man that flirts with Rachel, Robert Wilfort as a doctor, and Ben Crompton as the creepy Craig. Other notable performances include Daniel Mays as the very abusive Jason, Marion Bailey as the often-intoxicated Maureen, and Paul Jesson as the frustrated Ron. Helen Coker is very good as the troubled yet abused Donna while Sally Hawkins is extraordinary as the sexy though lonely Samantha. Ruth Sheen is superb as Maureen, Donna’s mother who tries to help her daughter out while proving to be a tough, no-holds-barred woman who can get things in control and deal with Jason.

James Corden is excellent as Rory, an obese teenager who often spouts insults at his mother as he lazes around in the couch and smoke cigarettes only to finally get into some trouble. Alison Garland is brilliant as Rachel, a quiet young woman who works at a nursing home as she tries to keep things organized while being the one who watches her parents’ marriage break apart. Timothy Spall is great as Phil, a depressed cab driver who tries to cope with everything around him as Spall has a very dirty look where he is unshaven and hasn’t washed his hair. Finally, there’s Lesley Manville in a radiant role as Penny. A woman who tries to help out though she is unaware that she seems to be not really helping as she gives what is truly a heartbreaking performance.

All or Nothing is a decent though grim film from Mike Leigh despite an intriguing premise and a superb cast. While it’s a film that has a lot of Leigh’s unconventional storytelling ideas and intriguing study of characters and situations. It’s a film that doesn’t have much weight as it starts off very slow and tedious for about the first half only to pick up in the second half. It’s a film that isn’t among his greats like Naked, Secrets & Lies, and the films he made after this. Yet, it is still a compelling piece as All or Nothing is a film with some good moments that could only come from someone as revered as Mike Leigh.

Mike Leigh Films: (Bleak Moments) - (The Permissive Society) - (Knock for Knock) - (Hard Labour) - (Nuts in May) - (Abigail’s Party) - (Kiss of Death) - (Who’s Who) - (Grown-Ups) - (Home Sweet Home) - (Meantime) - (Four Days in July) - (High Hopes) - Life is Sweet - Naked - Secrets & Lies - Career Girls - Topsy-Turvy - Vera Drake - Happy-Go-Lucky - Another Year - Mr. Turner

© thevoid99 2011