Set in 2002 Toronto, the film revolves around a thirteen-year old Chinese-Canadian girl who experiences growing pains as it leads to becoming a red panda with her mother trying to stop the curse from happening at a worst possible time as it plays into expectations and identity for this young girl. It is a film that does play into this young girl coming of age as her issues is sort of a metaphor about young women having their periods when it is really about a relationship between this young girl and her strict and overprotective mother. The film’s screenplay by Domee Shi and Julia Cho is set during a time period when teen-pop music was still hot with teenage girls being into boy-bands with this Chinese-Canadian girl in Meilin “Mei” Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is someone torn with not just pleasing her mother Ming (Sandra Oh) but also wanting to do things other teenage girls do as she and her three fans are big fans of this boy-band known as 4*Town while gaining an attraction for boys.
Ming would discover drawings Mei made over a young convenience store clerk as she would embarrass Mei as it would lead to a dream involving red pandas as Mei would discover herself as a red panda the next morning. For Mei, it comes at the worst time as Ming would discover this and reveal she went through the same thing but claims to have a cure for it as a ritual would be performed on the day of a red moon lunar eclipse. Mei’s friends would discover Mei as a red panda but accepts her problems as they would support her until a game of dodgeball where an antagonistic classmate gets her angry as she becomes the red panda much to the delight of a lot of her classmates who thinks she is the cutest thing. Mei and her friends would use the red panda as a way to raise money to buy concert tickets to see 4*Town while not revealing anything to Ming as the concert is a week before the red moon lunar eclipse yet Ming’s mother/Mei’s grandmother Wu (Wai Ching Ho) is set to arrive in Toronto for the ritual with Mei’s aunts as well where a lot of revelations are unveiled. Even as it play into Ming’s own experiences as the red panda and her own relationship with her mother forcing Mei to make decisions for herself and what she wants.
Shi’s direction is definitely full of lively visuals and lavish presentation as it is set in 2002 Toronto during a lively time in popular culture as it relates to the music teenagers were listening to. Even as there’s a lot of attention to detail in Shi’s direction as it relates to the people living in Toronto as there’s not just Asians but also people of Indian/Pakistani/Punjab descendants, Koreans, African-Canadians, and many others where it is this community where everyone lives together and interact where Mei helps her parents run one of the few Chinese temples in the city. With the aid of animation supervisors Aaron J. Hartline and Patty Kihm as well as production designer Rona Liu, with art directors Jason Deamer, Carlos Felipe Leon Ortiz, Laura Meyer, and Kristian Norelius, in bringing a lot of attention to detail on the look of the Lee’s family temple and the places in and around Toronto. The city is a key character in the film as it play into Mei’s own growth as well as this sense of conflict over doing everything to please the parents or to follow your heart.
Shi’s direction does have a lot of wide shots that often feature shots of CN Tower in the background as well as the Rogers Centre (then known as the SkyDome) with the latter being the centerpiece of the film where 4*Town is to perform. There are some unique close-ups and medium shots that Shi creates in the animation as it plays into Mei’s emotional mood swings such as the moment she discovers she became a red panda as well as her mother’s reaction. The film’s third act relates to not just the ritual that would free Mei from her red panda persona but also this concert that she and her friends want to go to as it plays into a conflict that Mei goes through. Even as there’s revelations about her mother and her own complicated relationship with Mei’s grandmother as it culminates with this moment of a young girl trying to understand her mother and the pressures of a child having to do whatever they can to live their own life but also to please their parents. Overall, Shi crafts a riveting and intoxicating film about a young girl dealing with growing pains by turning into a red panda.
Cinematographers Mahyar Abousaeedi and Jonathan Pytko do amazing work with the film’s cinematography in creating lighting schemes for some of the interior scenes at night as well as the look of the ritual for the film’s climax. Editors Nicholas C. Smith and Steve Bloom do excellent work with the editing in playing up some of the humor and action-inspired moments with some straightforward cuts as well as some stylistic moments. Visual effects supervisor Danielle Feinberg does nice work with the visual effects to help enhance the look of some of the sets as well as creating some effects for some of the filmed video stuff that Mei and her friends create. Sound designer Ren Klyce and co-sound editor Coya Elliott do brilliant work with the sound as it help play into the way music sounds from afar as well as the sound effects in Mei’s transformation into a red panda. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is incredible with its mixture of traditional Chinese instruments and orchestral elements to play into this clash of cultures while its music soundtrack features additional music from Destiny’s Child, DJ Casper, and a couple of Asian boy bands plus original songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for the fictional group 4*Town that features vocals from O’Connell, Jordan Fisher, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, and Grayson Villanueva as the group singing these songs in the style of early 2000s pop music as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is wonderful as it feature some notable small voice contributions from the quartet of Lori Tan Chinn, Lillian Lim, Sherry Cola, and Mia Tagano as Mei’s aunts, Lily Sanfelippo as a classmate in Stacy who is among the first who sees the red panda as she thinks it is cute, Sasha Roiz as one of Mei’s teachers in school, Addie Chandler as a convenience store clerk whom Mei and her friends have a crush on, Tristan Allerick Chen as a classmate named Tyler whom Mei and her friends aren’t fond of as he’s often antagonistic towards them, and James Hong in a terrific small voice role as a local elder in Mr. Gao who helps take part in the ritual as its shaman. Wai Ching Ho is fantastic as Mei’s grandmother/Ming’s mother Wu as a woman who is aware of what is going on with Mei while also trying to reconnect with Ming feeling that there’s unfinished business. Orion Lee is excellent as Mei’s father/Ming’s husband Jin as a man who is often quiet while understanding what is going on yet believes that Ming is expecting too much from Mei where he would discover something about Mei’s time as a red panda that would prove to be inspiring.
The trio of Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Ava Morse are amazing in their respective roles as the aggressive and energetic Korean-Canadian Abby Park, the mellow Indo-Canadian Priya Mangal, and the tomboyish Miriam Mendelsohn as Mei’s best friends who are big fans of 4*Town as they also help Mei with her dilemma despite the fact that Ming thinks they’re a bad influence. Sandra Oh is brilliant as Mei’s mother Ming as a woman who expects the best from her daughter but is also strict and overprotective where she slowly unravels over what Mei becomes as well as not letting Mei be herself. Finally, there’s Rosalie Chiang in an incredible voice performance as Meilin “Mei” Lee as a thirteen-year old Chinese-Canadian teenager who experiences growing pains in the form of a red panda whenever she gets really emotional as she doesn’t just deal with this new identity but also her own issues with her mother but also not wanting to go against her as it is a performance filled with energy and angst.
Turning Red is a phenomenal film from Domee Shi. Featuring a great ensemble voice cast, themes of growing pains and generational conflicts, dazzling visuals, and an amazing music score and soundtrack. The film isn’t just this compelling coming-of-age film that explores a young girl coming of age but also an exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and the expectations parents have towards their children that are overwhelming at times. In the end, Turning Red is a sensational film from Domee Shi.
Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) – (Finding Nemo) – The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) – (Cars 3) – Coco (2017 film) - The Incredibles 2 - (Onward) – Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) – (Lightyear) – (Elemental (2023 film)) – Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)
© thevoid99 2023
The film follows the misadventures of a Chinese immigrant living in America running a laundromat with her husband as she is being audited by the IRS where a man who is an alternate version of her husband warns her about an event that threatens the multiverse as all hell breaks loose. It is a film with an offbeat premise that plays into the life of this women as well as these “what if” scenarios about the kind of life she could’ve had depending on the decisions she’s made in her life. The film’s screenplay by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert plays into the dysfunctional life of Evelyn Quan (Michelle Yeoh) as she is dealing with her elderly father Gong Gong (James Hong) who is visiting her for Lunar New Year while doesn’t want to tell him that her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is a lesbian with a girlfriend in Becky (Tallie Medel). Things for Evelyn and her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) aren’t going to great as Waymond is thinking about divorcing Evelyn feeling like he’s let her down as they’re dealing with the IRS as an auditor in Deidre Beaubeirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis) who is looking over the family’s taxes where things become strange due when a version of Waymond emerges into his body to warn Evelyn about something crazy.
It all relates to a multiverse that is being threatened by this evil figure from a universe known as Alpha with Alpha-Waymond being able to get into his own body to communicate with Evelyn as other alternate version are around including Deidre who would constantly fight Evelyn. Evelyn would also encounter these alternate versions of herself through her mind including an idea of “what if” as it plays into what if she and Waymond never married as well as other things in her life. Most notably her relationship with Joy as it is filled with a lot of issues leading to an Alpha version of her known as Jobu Tupaki who is wreaking havoc on the entire multiverse with Evelyn being its main target. It also adds to the stake where both Joy and Waymond would go in and out of being possessed by their Alphaverse versions as they also deal with an Alphaverse version of Gong Gong who believes that Joy, when she’s possessed by Tupaki, is a greater danger as it relates to her nihilistic views.
The direction of the Daniels is definitely stylish as it play into these ideas of the multiverse as much of the film is shot on location at Simi Valley in California. While much of the compositions are straightforward in its close-ups and medium shots, there is a lot style to the overall presentation as nearly half of the film is set at the IRS building where much of the action occurs. Notably as there’s some wide shots in the location while the scenes in the multiverse would have the Daniels use different aspect ratios including a sequence of Evelyn as a movie star and other elements that play into alternate realities and “what ifs” scenarios. Even as there’s bits of animation such a crude kids’ drawing in a brief moment as there are these moments of surrealism that occur throughout the film. Notably in the scenes set in Tupaki’s home base as it is a home to her nihilistic views with the symbol of it is shaped like a bagel as there are a lot of references to bagels including how the Alphaverse is suffering due to the death of cows which is the source for cream cheese.
The Daniels also use different film references such as the sequence of Evelyn as a film star as she meets a version of Waymond as it is told in a style similar to the films of Wong Kar-Wai. There are also these weird moments as it play into this element of absurdity such as people having hot dogs for fingers or a strange version of Ratatouille involving a raccoon. The film is broken into three parts as it play into the journey that Evelyn would take as she also wonders all of the things that are happening as it relates to her family and their own fragile relationship. Even as it forces Evelyn to make some changes and realize about the decisions in her life would make an impact as she ponders about what if she chose this scenario or that one yet it is Waymond who would be the one to realize what must be done as it would give Evelyn a reason to save her family. Overall, the Daniels craft an evocative and wondrous film about a woman trying to save her family and confront her own life decisions relating to the multiverse.
Cinematographer Larkin Seiple does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the look of the rooms in the IRS building as well as being low-key in its presentation with usage of vibrant lights at the palace that belongs to Tupaki. Editor Paul Rogers does amazing work with the editing as it has elements of style in montage-style match cuts, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts that play into the action and drama. Production designer Jason Kisvarday, with set decorator Kelsi Ephraim and art director Amelia Brook, does excellent work with the look of the laundromat as well as the IRS office floor and other sets to play into the different multiverses that Evelyn would encounter. Costume designer Shirley Kurata does fantastic work with the costume from the clothes that Deidre wears as well as the different kind of clothes that Joy wear in the many personas she would have as Tupaki.
Special effects makeup artists Jason Hamer and Hiro Yada do terrific work with the design of some of the props such as the hot dog fingers as well as some of the makeup that Tupaki would wear. Special effects supervisor Jonathan Kombrinck and visual effects supervisor Zak Stoltz do incredible work with the visual effects in creating the look of some of the visual effects and the machines that are used to track individuals as well as the design of the bagel at Tupaki’s world. Sound editors Brent Kiser and Andrew Twite does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created as well as the way rooms sound on location. The film’s music by the band Son Lux is incredible for its rich score that is filled with unique ambient textures, offbeat percussion arrangements, somber string arrangements, and other elements that play into the suspense, drama, and humor as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisors Bruce Gilbert and Lauren Marie Mikus cultivate a soundtrack that features more original music from Son Lux that include collaborations with David Byrne, Mitski, Nina Moffitt, Hanna Benn, Andre 3000, yMusic, Rob Moose, and Randy Newman along with music from Claude Debussy for a key moment in the film.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Michiko Nishiwaki as a kung-fu rival of Evelyn from an alternate universe, Andy Le and Brian Le as a couple of Alpha Trophy Jumpers that Evelyn and Alpha-Waymond deal with, Audrey Wasilewki and Peter Banifaz as a couple of RV officers working with Alpha-Waymond in a van, Sunita Mani and Aaron Lazar as actors in a musical that Evelyn often watches, Biff Wiff as a regular customer at the laundromat in Rick who is friendly with the family, Tallie Medel as Joy’s girlfriend Becky whom Evelyn thinks is a nice person but doesn’t approve of the relationship in fear of her dad, Harry Shum Jr. as a rival hibachi chef Evelyn deals with in an alternate universe as it reveals a big secret about what he does, and Jenny Slate in a superb small role as the customer known as Debbie the Dog Mom who always carries a dog and always talk while also plays an alternate version that Evelyn deals with.
Jamie Lee Curtis is brilliant as Deirdre Beaubeirdre as an IRS auditor who is trying to go after Evelyn’s family over their taxes while she also plays alternate versions of Deirdre as an antagonist force against Evelyn as well as being her life partner in an alternate universe. James Hong is excellent as Gong Gong as Evelyn’s father who is often demanding and disapproving of everything Evelyn does and doesn’t like Waymond while the Alpha-verse version is a more cunning individual who believes that sacrificing Joy would save the multiverse. Stephanie Hsu is amazing in a dual role as Joy and Jobu Tupaki where Hsu brings an angst and wit as Joy as someone that is trying to find herself and such while Hsu brings a lot of charisma as Tupaki as this oddball antagonist who wears weird clothes and such yet is such a joy to watch.
Ke Huy Quan is incredible as Waymond Wang as Evelyn’s meek husband who felt like he had let Evelyn down as he deals with the chaos of their marriage and family life while Quan also play alternate versions of Waymond as the Alpha-verse version is a cunning warrior with an offbeat sense of humor and a version of what if Evelyn never married him as it is a great performance from Quan. Finally, there’s Michelle Yeoh in a tremendous performance as Evelyn Quan Wang as a laundromat owner who is dealing with tax issues and a chaotic family life who finds herself in the middle of this event relating to the multiverse as she also deals with different versions of herself from alternate universes as well as a lot of “what ifs” scenarios as it has Yeoh display not just humility and great physicality but also in her comedic reactions as it is truly a career-defining performance for the actress.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert that features a great ensemble cast lead by Michelle Yeoh with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Along with its dazzling visuals, quirky music score, its mixture of genres, and its story revolving around a woman having to save her family and their fates relating to the multiverse. It is a film that unconventional in its overall presentation as well as being this film that plays into the importance of family no matter how many versions they are in different universes. In the end, Everything Everywhere All at Once is an outstanding film from Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
Related: Swiss Army Man - (The Death of Dick Long)
© thevoid99 2023
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/13/09 w/ Additional Edits.
Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson with a screenplay by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger based on a story by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris. Kung Fu Panda tells the story of a kung fu-loving panda in ancient China who is mistakenly chosen to become a legendary warrior. Meanwhile, an angry tiger breaks free from prison to wreak havoc on a peaceful valley as the only person that can stop is the panda. A mixture of martial arts films with comedy, light-drama, and inspirational drama. It's a film that is truly entertaining while having something to say. With an all-star voice cast that includes Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, Ian MacShane, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, and Jackie Chan. Kung Fu Panda is a charming, fun, and entertaining film from Mark Osborne & John Stevenson.
The film is a lot of things but really, it's about a panda who becomes an unlikely hero despite the fact that he's clumsy, fat, and not knowing a lot of skills that a kung fu master would have yet. There's something else that makes the film far more than just an entertaining film with action sequences and comedy. It's about how a teacher like Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) can make a fat, clumsy panda like Po (Jack Black) into a warrior that he's destined to be. At first, Shifu is convinced that Po is not the Dragon Warrior only to realize that he might be the only person that can help rectify the mistake he made in raising Tai Lung (Ian MacShane) to believe that he would be the Dragon Warrior.
While Shifu has taught his students in ways that is traditional, with Po, he realized that he can't teach him the same way he taught the Furious Five. In this unconventional approach, both teacher and student bond while becoming unlikely heroes where the student gains confidence while the teacher finds a sense of redemption and peace that he's craving for. That's one of the big themes about the film while the secret revealed in the Dragon Scroll is actually much simpler than it is. For someone as inexperienced and with a limited knowledge of kung fu like Po to face someone as fierce and as skilled as Tai Lung seems like a total mismatch. Yet, it's not about how many moves or how fast or powerful your moves are. It's all about what you can do with what little you know and how to apply while still getting the job done.
The writers of the film do an amazing job in creating universal themes that aren't heavy-handed along with memorable characters and development for the story to be engaging. The direction of Mark Osborne and John Stevenson is truly superb in its recreation of ancient China along with sequences and set pieces that are phenomenal. Notably the action sequences that move with great rhythm and composed with great style that is similar to the film work of Zhang Yimou as well as Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. At the same time, they make a martial arts film that isn't a parody but rather as an action film with dabbles of humor and drama. The visual look of the film is definitely stunning as they do raise the bar for everything they did in comparison to the other work that Dreamworks animation do. While it may not have the vast visual flair of Pixar, Osborne and Stevenson do succeed in crafting a solid film that is entertaining and enlightening.
The animation is definitely phenomenal with some fantastic lighting designs by cinematographer Yong Duk Jhun along with art direction by production designer Raymond Zibach and art director Tang Kheng Heng in the look of the Jade Palace and prison where Tai Lung stayed. Clare De Chenu's editing is definitely phenomenal in its sense of rhythm while using jump-cuts and freeze-frames for the action sequences to keep things going. Sound designer Ethan Van der Ryn and sound editor Erik Aadahl do great work in the sound of swords and grunts that goes on for the action sequences. The music of Hans Zimmer and John Powell is wonderful for its mixture of intense orchestral pieces for action scenes along with traditional Chinese music for its scenery and atmosphere. The soundtrack also includes a fantastic cover of Kung Fu Fighting performed by Cee-Lo and Jack Black.
The casting is excellent with some cameo voices from Wayne Knight, Laura Kightlinger, JR Reed, and Jack Black's Tenacious D partner Kyle Gass. Michael Clarke Duncan's voice as the prison warden Vachir is wonderfully comical along with Dan Fogler as the scared goose Zeng. Randall Duk Kim provides the right notes for the wise tortoise Master Oogway while James Hong provides a nice warmth and humor to the role of Po's goose father Mr. Ping. In the roles of the Furious Five, Seth Rogen provides some nice humor as Mantis while David Cross plays straight man as the calm, restrained Crane. Lucy Liu is very good as the sensitive Viper while Jackie Chan adds some humor and restraint as Monkey. In the role of Tigress, Angelina Jolie is excellent as the humorless and skillful warrior who doesn't respect Po only to realize that she is not strong enough to face Tai Lung.
Ian MacShane is great as Tai Lung, the fierce warrior who is anxious to attain the Dragon Scroll while is filled with lots of hate and anger over the fact that he wasn't chosen the first time around. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Master Shifu, a skillful master who at first ridicules Po while possessing no humor until he realizes how he can reach him where Hoffman displays a sense of warmth and charm. Finally, there's Jack Black who is perfectly cast as Po, the title character who is this clumsy yet funny panda who becomes this great warrior while displaying some vulnerability and confidence that makes his character appealing.
Kung Fu Panda is a marvelous film from Dreamworks Animation. With an amazing voice cast and phenomenal technical work, it's a film that is visually stunning but also entertaining. While the story is formulaic but works, it is a film that is worth watching over and over again as Kung Fu Panda is just a fun, enlightening film to watch.
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by John Carpenter and screenplay by W.D. Richter from an original story by Gary Goldman and David Z. Weinstein, Big Trouble in Little China is about a trucker who helps his friend save his friend’s fiancee from a gang of mysterious Chinese bandits led by an ancient sorcerer. The film is a blend of fantasy and horror with a mix of comedy as it revels in mysticism, martial arts, and the absurd. Starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, and James Hong. Big Trouble in Little China is a funny yet extremely-exciting film from John Carpenter.
Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) decides to help out his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) to help pick up Chi’s fiancee Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) at the airport so he can collect money he just won at a bet. An encounter with a Chinese street gang leads to Yin’s capture as Burton and Chi try to save her where they drive towards the San Franciscan area of Chinatown as they find themselves in a middle of a gang war that would later include three magicians and a sorcerer named Lo Pan (James Hong). Burton and Chi escape with the surviving members of the Chang Sing group as they hide out at a restaurant owned by Chi’s uncle as an American lawyer named Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) wants to help out along with Chi’s friend Eddie Lee (Donald Li) and the magician Egg Shen (Victor Wong) to see why Lo Pan is here.
Burton infiltrates a brothel to find Yin only to see her be captured by the three magicians under Lo Pan’s service Shen and Chi believes it’s all part of Lo Pan’s plan to regain his strength as a man of flesh as he continues to roam the Earth as a ghost only to stop the curse by marrying a woman with green eyes. Burton decides to join the plot to stop Lo Pan as he and Chi try to retrieve the captured Gracie and her journalist friend Margo (Kate Burton) as they infiltrate one of Lo Pan’s work shops where they meet Lo Pan as an aging, crippled man. Finally able to escape, things seem fine with Shen’s help until they realized that Gracie was captured by one of Lo Pan’s monster where Lo Pan notices that Gracie also sport green eyes. Shen, Chi, Burton, and the remaining members of the Chang Sing gang decide to battle Lo Pan and his army to save Gracie and Yin in an all-out war during Lo Pan’s wedding ceremony.
The film is essentially a story about a guy helping his friend to save his fiancee only to encounter all sorts of trouble in a violent street gang, three evil magicians, and a sorcerer who is trying to gain immortality by marrying a woman with green eyes and later sacrifice her. While the plot maybe simple, the screenplay makes it more than what the plot suggests since it is an adventure film mixed in with fantasy, martial arts, comedy, and bits of the western. Leading all of this is the film’s protagonist Jack Burton who is this street-tough kind of guy who may not have a lot of brains but does have enough guts to take on anything as all he wants is to get his truck back. Helping him is Wang Chi as he is essentially much smarter and far more skilled than Burton in terms of kicking ass and such where he also knows about the world that Burton is about to enter. The script also creates some intriguing ideas into the world of Chinese mysticism where it is essentially about good vs. evil.
John Carpenter’s direction is definitely a marvel to watch in the way he creates a film that essentially blends all sorts of genres though it largely takes place in San Francisco and its Chinatown area. Carpenter creates some amazing imagery in the film such as the scenes in the underground of Chinatown that is filled with strange monsters, eerie surroundings, and all of this mysticism that adds an element of horror to the story. Still, Carpenter manages to make the film be about a battle between good and evil where he creates these dazzling action sequences filled with sword fights and martial arts battle that is energetic while adding bits of humor to these moments. Overall, Carpenter creates a truly witty and fun film that refuses to take itself seriously and just let the audience have a good time.
Cinematographer Dean Cundey does amazing work with the film‘s photography from the more straightforward look of the locations in San Francisco to the more colorful look of Lo Pan‘s underground lair. Editors Steve Mirkovich, Mark Warner, and Edward A. Warschilka do fantastic work with the editing to utilize stylistic, rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action scenes while slowing things down in some of the film‘s suspenseful moments. Production designer John J. Lloyd, along with set decorator George R. Nelson and art director Les Gobruegge, does superb work with the set pieces from the places in Chinatown to the lair of Lo Pan that is filled with ancient Chinese artifacts and other dark places.
Costume designer April Ferry does nice work with the costumes from the more rugged look of Jack Burton to the more stylish clothes of Lo Pan and the bridal gowns that Gracie and Lin have to wear. Special effects makeup designer Steve Johnson and special effects supervisor Greg C. Jensen do terrific work with the film‘s special effects from the look of the monsters to some of the stranger moments involving those monsters. Sound recorder Robert Renga does wonderful work with the sound to capture atmosphere of the battle scenes as well as the more intimate moments involving the characters. The music by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth is brilliant for its electronic-driven score to play up the dark mood of the film as well as more playful pieces to convey its humor.
The casting by Joanna Merlin is great for the ensemble that is created where it features some noteworthy small roles from Chao-Li Chi as Wang Chi’s uncle, Suzee Pai as Wang Chi’s fiancee Miao Yin, Kate Burton as the journalist Margo, Donald Li as Wang Chi’s friend Eddie Lee, Al Leong as one of Lo Pan’s man with a hatchet, and as the trio of the evil magicians, Carter Wong as Thunder, Peter Kwong as Rain, and James Pax as Lightning. James Hong is excellent as the villainous Lo Pan with his eerie makeup work and chilling presence while Victor Wong is wonderful as the more eccentric magician Egg Shen who adds a bit of humor the role. Dennis Dun is superb as Wang Chi as the guy who is more in control of everything he does as he’s determined to get his fiancee back. Kim Cattrall is wonderful as Gracie Law as Cattrall provides a woman who isn’t a pushover as she tries to help out Burton and Wang into defeating Lo Pan.
Finally, there’s Kurt Russell in a magnificent performance as Jack Burton. Russell displays a great sense of wit to the role where he adds a bit of a John Wayne drawl to the role while isn’t afraid to make a fool of himself. It’s a role that has Russell being very funny as well as being badass as it’s definitely one of his great performances.
Big Trouble in Little China is a marvelous film from John Carpenter that features an incredible performance from Kurt Russell. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself so seriously while giving audiences something to cheer for and have fun. It’s filled with lots of actions, comedy, and terror that provides enough entertainment for its audience. In the end, Big Trouble in Little China is a remarkable film from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned (1995 film) - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward
The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2012
Considered to be one of the greatest noir films ever made, Chinatown tells the story of a detective investigating a murder that involves a dispute over water in California circa 1937. Directed by Roman Polanski with an original screenplay by Robert Towne. Chinatown is considered to be one of the finest mysteries ever told as it also became the first film produced by former Paramount studio head Robert Evans. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, Burt Young, Diane Ladd, Perry Lopez, and John Huston. Chinatown is an extraordinary masterpiece that is still captivating more than 35 years since its release.
After being hired by a woman named Mrs. Mulwray (Diane Ladd) to investigate her husband, whom she accuses him of adultery. Private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes goes after Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), a chief supervisor working the L.A. County Water and Power Department. Following him through public meetings and everything else that involved water. Gittes learns that Mr. Mulwray is having an affair with a young woman (Belinda Palmer) as he takes pictures with help from his associates Duffy (Bruce Glover) and Walsh (Joe Mantell). The pictures become public where Jake is suddenly being sued by a woman (Faye Dunaway) who is revealed to be Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray.
Realizing he’s been duped all along, Gittes wants to know why when he wants to talk to Hollis Mulwray himself. After getting some information at Mulwray’s office and meeting with another supervisor named Russ Yelburton (John Hillerman). Gittes notices pictures of Hollis with an old man (John Huston) whom he previously saw in one of Walsh’s pictures revealed to be Noah Cross, Evelyn’s father. Gittes goes to a reservoir to meet with Mulwray where he also comes across his former police partner Lt. Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez) where Hollis Mulwray is found dead. Evelyn is asked to go to the police station for questions as she turns to Jake for help as she wants him to investigate what happened.
With Gittes now on the case to find out what happened to Hollis Mulwray, he also learns about why Mulwray was murdered relating to the owner ship of the water. Gittes ends up getting into a confrontation with a corrupt sheriff named Mulvihill (Roy Jenson) and his associate (Roman Polanski) who cuts Jake’s nose. After that incident, Gittes gets a call from the woman who pretended to be Mrs. Mulwray about the obituaries which mentioned some names. Gittes meets with Noah Cross about Hollis Mulwray where Cross asks Gittes to find Hollis’ mistress. After finding out about some recent landowners that included one of the deceased names at the obituary. Gittes goes to an orange grove plantation where he gets in trouble with landowners until Evelyn saves him.
Jake and Evelyn learn more about the motivation for Hollis’ murder in relation to his protest towards a dam being built to prevent water from landowners in the valley. After evading Mulvihill and his henchmen, Jake and Evelyn hide at her home where Evelyn reveals more about her father. Evelyn, later gets a call from her butler Kahn (James Wong) to go to a house. Jake would follow Evelyn as he learns about Evelyn’s dilemma. After getting another call about some more information about Hollis’ body, Jake confronts Evelyn about Hollis and the mistress where some awful truths come out. Even as Escobar is going after Jake over withholding evidence as it relates to Noah Cross where it would lead to a climatic confrontation.
What was supposed to be part of a trilogy of stories involving Jake Gittes, the film is an allegory of sorts of the dark, cynical tone of what was happening in the 1970s during the Watergate scandal. Both screenwriter Robert Towne and director Roman Polanski decided to create a story about corruption set in the late 1930s in the age when film noir was big. The end result is an intoxicating yet eerie mystery-thriller that has the attitude of the 1970s and take it back in time to the late 1930s. A film that has all of the ingredients of a stylish noir film that is entertaining and engrossing.
Part of this genius belongs to screenwriter Robert Towne whose witty, rhythmic dialogue is part of the film’s brilliance. Setting the film during the real-life California Water Wars during the early 1900s. Towne was able to use that incident as a backdrop while focusing on why was this chief supervisor for the water department was killed and who killed him. That’s where Jake Gittes comes in as he goes very deep into finding out what is going on. Though he was originally supposed to do a job to uncover a man committing adultery, he gets more than he bargains for while nearly losing a nose.
Gittes is the typical gumshoe P.I. in a lot of noir films yet has an attitude that sets him apart from those protagonists from the past. Even as he is a man who is trying to be good while dealing with demons he had in the past in his days as a beat cop at Chinatown. Then there’s Evelyn Mulwray, the femme fatale of sorts but one with a much bigger secret. Though she reveals the secret in a famous dialogue, what is revealed is a woman still haunted by what happened to her and how she tries to keep her husband happy despite not being faithful to her husband and vice versa. Still, in the classic noir formula, Evelyn does become a formidable ally to Gittes whenever he gets himself into trouble and such.
Towne’s approach to the structure of the story is unique not just to the genre but also to its period. The first act revolves around Gittes’ discovery of Hollis Mulwray’s murder, Evelyn hiring him, and his confrontation with Mulvihill. The second act has Gittes meeting his first meeting with Noah Cross and his meeting with landowners. The third act begins with Gittes confronting Evelyn about the mysterious woman at her home which leads to some troubling revelations as well as other dark secrets. Even to the climatic confrontation at Chinatown. Towne’s script is truly mesmerizing as it is definitely one of the best examples of a great screenplay.
The direction of Roman Polanski is truly intoxicating with its hypnotic presentation in terms of framing and capturing a moment on film. Polanski’s camera always follow the action as if he is playing an invisible observer to see what Jake Gittes is doing. At the same time, he also gives the viewer a chance to soak Los Angeles circa 1937. Still, Polanski is interested in divulging into the mysterious death of Hollis Mulwray as well as all of the issues that occurred in the Water Wars. Shooting scenes of rivers, oceans, and ponds become symbolic for the motivation of Gittes’ investigation. Even in the tiny pond at the Mulwray’s home inside their garden where Gittes would find a major clue.
Polanski’s eerie direction, in terms of capturing action and scenery, is a highlight along with the way he captures the actors in their performances. Whether it’s using a close-up or a two-shot with various actors. He always has his eye on Nicholson, who appears in nearly every frame of the film. Even as he gets the chance for the actors to feel relaxed or give in to some kind of crazed performance. The overall result of Polanski’s work is magnificent as this is definitely one of his crowning achievements in his prolific career.
Cinematographer John A. Alonzo does an amazing job with the film‘s lush photography to encompass its noir tone. Alonzo’s photography also has great shadings for many of the film’s sunny day interiors along with wonderful nighttime scenes that play up the dark mood of the film. Editor Sam O’Steen does fantastic work with the film‘s editing that includes a leisured pace to the film. Even with fast-paced rhythmic cutting to play up to the snappy dialogue and intense scenes as O’Steen’s editing is truly one of the film’s technical highlights.
Production designer Richard Sylbert, along with set decorator Ruby Levitt and art director W. Stewart Campbell, do a spectacular job in re-creating late 1930s Los Angeles with the use of old cars and places. Costume designer Anthea Sylbert does a glorious job with the costumes from the suits and hats the men wear to the dresses, hats, and shoes that the women wear. There’s something to the look and feel in the costumes that is mesmerizing as it adds authenticity to the film.
Sound editors Howard Beals, Bob Cornett, and Roger Sword do excellent work with the sound to capture gunshots and the atmosphere surrounding the locations. Music composer Jerry Goldsmith create what is truly one of the best film scores ever composed for a film. Goldsmith’s lush, scintillating score filled with swooning trumpets and an elegant orchestra to play up the drama of the film along with broad arrangements for many of the film’s suspense sequences. Featuring a soundtrack filled with jazz music from other composers, it’s one of the best film scores/soundtracks ever made.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is marvelous with the array of memorable small and big roles that are portrayed on film. Among the number of memorable small roles include Ron Howard’s father Rance as an angry farmer at a meeting, Cecil Elliot as an old woman Gittes sweet-talks to, Fritzi Burr as Hollis Mulwray’s secretary, Belinda Palmer as Hollis’ mistress, Nandu Hinds as Gittes’ secretary, Richard Bakalyan as Escobar’s associate Loach, and Darrell Zwerling as Hollis Mulwray. Other notable small yet memorable roles include Burt Young as a client of Gittes named Curly, Bruce Glover and Joe Mantell as Gittes’ respective associates of Duffy and Walsh, James Hong as Evelyn’s butler, John Hillerman as the evasive Yelburton, Diane Ladd as the fake Mrs. Mulwray, Roy Jenson as the sleazy Mulvihill, and Roman Polanski in the memorable role as a knife-wielding thug.
Perry Lopez is excellent as Lt. Escobar, a by-the-books detective who becomes suspicious about Gittes’ involvement with Evelyn Mulwray as there’s an ambiguity over what side he’s on. John Huston is brilliant as Noah Cross, a shady businessman who is hell-bent on having power as he tries to manipulate Gittes. Though it’s a small role, Huston truly stands out with his gravelly voice and intimidating presence as it’s definitely a classic role from the famed Hollywood icon. Faye Dunaway is superb as Evelyn Mulwray. Dunaway’s cool yet eerie performance is definitely her most iconic performance of her career. Dunaway exudes the idea of a femme fatale while her motivations to help Gittes in the investigation adds to her veiled persona. It’s really an amazing performance from Dunaway.
Finally, there’s Jack Nicholson in one of his finest performance as Jake Gittes. Nicholson gives a humorous yet cunning performance as a detective trying to find out what is going on. There’s no quit in a guy like Gittes as he goes head on to find the truth. Nicholson is pretty restrained throughout the film though his monologue about his nose shows a man being intense without going overboard. Nicholson gets a chance for others, including Dunaway and Huston, to shine in the scenes he’s in as he just takes a back seat of sorts. Even with Dunaway where the two have chemistry that is fiery at times but also intoxicating. It’s definitely an example of Nicholson’s brilliance as an actor.
Released in June of 1974, the film was a massive hit with audiences and critics. Nominated for several Oscars including Best Picture, the film won Robert Towne an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. At the Golden Globes months earlier, the film won four for Best Picture, Best Director for Roman Polanski, Best Screenplay for Towne, and Best Actor for Jack Nicholson. The film’s legacy lived on as in 1991, it was selected to be part of the National Film Registry. At the same time, the film has consistently been put on many top films list as one of the best. Though a 1990 sequel directed and starring Nicholson called The Two Jakes with a screenplay by Robert Town was a critical and commercial failure. It did nothing to taint the brilliance of Chinatown.
Chinatown is truly one of the greatest films ever made. Thanks to Roman Polanski’s enchanting direction, Robert Towne’s marvelous screenplay, and the tour-de-force performances of Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. It’s a film that continues to be as timeless since its original 1974 release as it will always capture the hearts and mind of new viewers. For film buffs wanting to discover the work of Roman Polanski will no doubt see this film as one of his quintessential as well as those interested in the work of Jack Nicholson. In the end, Chinatown is a classic noir film that is entertaining and engaging from the wondrous mind of Roman Polanski.
Roman Polanski Reviews: Knife in the Water - Repulsion - Cul-de-Sac - The Fearless Vampire Killers - Rosemary’s Baby - Macbeth (1971 film) - (What?) - The Tenant - Tess - (Pirates) - Frantic - Bitter Moon - Death and the Maiden - The Ninth Gate - The Pianist - Oliver Twist (2005 film) - The Ghost Writer - Carnage (Venus in Fur) - (Based on a True Story) - (An Officer and a Spy) - (The Palace)
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