Coriolanus

Based on the play by William Shakespeare, Coriolanus is the story of a general who seeks a spot in the world of politics only to put himself in trouble as he seeks the aid of an enemy to seek revenge. Directed and starring Ralph Fiennes in the titular role of Caius Martius aka Coriolanus and screenplay by John Logan, the film is a modern take of Shakespeare’s tragic play as it set in a 21st Century re-imagining idea of Rome where a man’s ambitions get him into trouble prompting him to fight back. Also starring Jessica Chastain, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, John Kani, James Nesbitt, Lubna Azabal, and Brian Cox. Coriolanus is a gripping and evocative film from Ralph Fiennes.

A powerful yet polarizing Roman general seeks to be in the world of politics yet a couple of political officials and local Romans successfully banish him from the city forcing the Caius Martius Coriolanus to seek the alliance of his sworn enemy in Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to seek revenge on Rome. It’s a film that play into the fallacy of ambition and vengeance as it follows a man whose arrogance and disdain for low-class citizens puts him at odds with those in the Roman Senate where a couple of tribunes try to discredit him as they would do things that are just as bad as what he’s done. John Logan’s screenplay opens with Coriolanus’ rise as a general who is cunning in his beliefs as well as maintaining some rule in Rome while is at war with a neighboring nation of Volsci that is led by Aufidius. Coriolanus’ victory against Aufidius would give him stature with Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) encouraging him to go into politics.

Logan’s script doesn’t just retain much of the dialogue written by William Shakespeare but also its approach to character study with characters scheming and such for their own gain such as the characters of the tribunes Brutus (Paul Jesson) and Sicinius (James Nesbitt) vehemently dislike Coriolanus as they even gain the alliance of citizens who hate Coriolanus to join them. The film’s second half play into the aftermath of a TV interview with Coriolanus that fell apart as he’s been exiled from Rome with his family angry over the government with longtime family friend in Senator Menenius (Brian Cox) trying to smooth over the conflicts. Coriolanus goes to Volsci to find Aufidius to allow him to settle their conflict yet Aufidius is moved by his journey allowing Coriolanus to join him as both men have issues with Rome and its government that would create this unlikely alliance.

Fiennes’ direction definitely bears elements of theatricality in some scenes yet some of the film also bear elements of modern-day political films as it is shot on location partially in Britain but also areas such as Serbia and Montenegro where the story is set in the early 21st Century as if the idea of Roman times is in the modern world. The usage of the locations add to this air of chaos that is happening where Rome is presented as this rich and organized world that is shot on Britain while Volsci and other locations shot in Serbia and Montenegro showcase a world that hasn’t prospered like Rome has. Fiennes’ compositions does have elements of style such as the battle scenes where he presents it with hand-held cameras for close-ups and medium shots including the scene of Coriolanus on a TV show where he goes after his critics including the tribunes who are scheming against him. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations as well as scenes involving crowds and in some eerie compositions to play into the position of power. Fiennes does maintain this air of theatricality in the direction with the actors and how would place them into a frame or to create this chaos in the riots.

Even the usage of TV news add to the dramatic elements of the film as it play into Coriolanus’ journey where the third act shows him going mad with vengeance with little chance of seeing reason and make peace. Fiennes’ direction showcases a man on the edge as he is intent on destroying Rome but there are those who love and care about him who want him to stop. The tragedy isn’t just about Coriolanus’ downfall and descent into madness but also the compromises he had to make where Fiennes showcases a man who had put himself into a world that he doesn’t know little about but only to make more enemies than he did when he was just a soldier. Overall, Fiennes craft a riveting and chilling film about a Roman general’s downfall and his revenge against those who ousted him from Rome.

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd does brilliant work with the film’s grainy digital cinematography as its usage of close-ups add to the grimy detail of the visuals as well as maintaining a drab yet naturalistic look for the scenes set at Volsci. Editor Nicolas Gaster does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and montages while maintaining some unique rhythm to capture the energy of some of the monologues. Production designer Ricky Eyres, with set decorator Lee Gordon and art director Radoslav Mihajlovic, does amazing work with the look of the Roman government buildings and the home that Coriolanus and his family lives in as well as the drab home base of Aufidius. Costume designer Bojana Nikitovic does fantastic work with the look of the Roman military uniforms as well as the posh clothing of the Coriolanus family that is a sharp contrast to the more rugged look of the Volsci and its people.

Hair/makeup designer Laura Schiavo does terrific work with the look of the scars on Coriolanus’ face and body as well as the tattoos he would later gain. Special effects supervisor Jason Troughton and visual effects supervisor Angela Stanley do some nice work with the look of some of the TV footage along with a few set-dressing for scenes to play into the atmosphere of war. Sound editor Oliver Tarney does superb work with the sound as it play into the raucous atmosphere of the protests, riots, and sounds of war along with the disconcerting tone in some of the dialogue in certain rooms or sets. The film’s music by Ilan Eshkeri is wonderful for its low-key orchestral/ambient score that play into the dramatic suspense as well as some of the film’s war scenes while music supervisor Ian Neil provides a music soundtrack that features a traditional music piece performed by Goran Bregovic as well as a couple of contemporary pieces by Lisa Zane and Sheer K.

The casting by Jina Jay is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Jon Snow as a TV anchorman, Harry Fenn as Coriolanus’ young son Martius, Dragan Micanovic as Coriolanus’ subordinate Titus, Slavko Stimac as a Volsci lieutenant who doesn’t trust Coriolanus, the duo of Lubna Azabal and Ashraf Barhom in their respective roles as leading protestors against Coriolanus in Tamora and Cassius, and John Kani in a terrific performance as Rome’s leader General Cominius who is trying to ensure peace and reason despite so much opposition and controversy. Paul Jesson and James Nesbitt are superb in their respective roles as tribunes Brutus and Sicinius as two political figures who hate Coriolanus as they scheme to discredit him only to put Rome in danger during its second half. Jessica Chastain is fantastic as Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia as a woman trying to be supportive but also raises concern for her husband’s well-being as she also copes with his exile.

Brian Cox is excellent as Menenius as a Roman senator who is close with Coriolanus’ family as he is eager to help Coriolanus anyway he can while having to deal with the opposition as he struggles to maintain order and later to try and reason with Coriolanus in his vengeance towards Rome. Vanessa Redgrave is brilliant as Volumnia as Coriolanus’ mother who is an influential figure in Rome as she encourages her son to go into politics while being very angry at the tribunes who successfully banished him prompting her to get her son back and see reason. Gerard Butler is amazing as Volsci military leader Tullus Aufidius as Coriolanus’ sworn enemy who is hoping to destroy Rome and Coriolanus where he is later moved by Coriolanus’ determination following his exile as he helps him seek revenge on Rome. Finally, there’s Ralph Fiennes in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a general who is a polarizing figure for his disdain towards common folk while is eager to rise to power only to be kicked out of Rome prompting him to seek vengeance as there’s an intensity to his performance but also an eeriness of a man driven to the edge.

Coriolanus is a marvelous film from Ralph Fiennes that features a great ensemble cast, a modern take on William Shakespeare’s character study, gritty visuals, and themes of ambition and vengeance. It’s a film that explore a man’s descent into madness in his attempt to go into politics only to be banished by the people in his home country as he also endures humility and shame that prompts him to seek revenge but at the cost of his own spirit and soul. In the end, Coriolanus is a remarkable film from Ralph Fiennes.

Ralph Fiennes Film: The Invisible Woman (2013 film) - (The White Crow)

© thevoid99 2019

The Five Obstructions Blog-a-Thon #3: Match Point

In the third part of Nostra’s Five Obstructions Blog-a-Thon here is that next obstruction:

Since I’ve been watching a lot of films by Woody Allen this past summer, I recently revisited one of Allen’s great films in Match Point. I have a review that I wrote back in 2006 where my recent re-watch had me wanting to do another review as I decided to do this other one where I share the same views with various other critics about the film. Here is that review:

Woody Allen’s 2005 film Match Point is considered a return-to-form for the filmmaker after a period of films that were either received poorly or got mixed reviews. Yet, it is this drama about a former tennis pro who marries the daughter of a rich businessman who later engages into an affair with his brother-in-law’s American girlfriend that later gets complicated as it’s a film that mixes romance, drama, and suspense. Conceptually, it covers familiar territory for the romantic drama, but it reaches to be like Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. This solid, well-observed and cerebral presentation signifies that Woody is back in full stride after some recent so-so works. Though laden with thematic references to Strindberg's plays, Verdi's opera, modern art and tennis, it overall comes closest in narrative to his Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Allen opens Match Point with the image of a tennis ball hitting the net, and after a lot of casual conversations about the role that luck plays in shaping a life, the movie simplifies in its second half, becoming about one simple question: On which side of the net is that ball going to fall? The image repeats later—this time with a ring that hits a guardrail—and at that point, the movie really could've ended with a hard ironic twist. Yet, Allen is far smarter than that where it plays into the idea of luck and how luck can seal a man’s fate in the decisions he makes including in the most despicable actions such as infidelity and much more.

The lead role of Chris played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is a very interesting character as someone who was once a gifted tennis pro but life after tennis has left him little opportunities. Yet, he still manages to find ways to navigate into places that is foreign to him to see how he can thrive in that world. In fact, as played by Meyers, Chris always is aware of his opportunities and always is playing a kind of mental tennis with people. He may not have a grand design, but he always knows where he is placing the ball and what he hopes to achieve. There, he allows the mentality to get him a job at the club where he meets Tom Hewett, played by Matthew Goode, whose father is a rich businessman.

The handsome Chris is quickly taken into the Hewett family fold. Not as easily absorbed into the posh family's good graces is Nola (Scarlett Johansson), Tom's fiancée. Nola, the daughter of an alcoholic single mother, is heatedly disliked by Tom's controlling mother (Penelope Wilton). When Chris first encounters the sexy Nola, he develops a strong attraction to her but embarks on a relationship with Chloe, Tom's sunny sister (a superb Emily Mortimer). Tom breaks up with Nola and marries someone else. Chris marries Chloe, who enlists the aid of her affable father (Brian Cox) to get Chris a job and help him up the corporate ladder. Still, Chris is entranced by Nola as he wouldn’t see her for months until she shows up at an art gallery where he was supposed to meet Chloe.

Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johansson show different faces of womankind. Mortimer's Chloe is the nurturing, supportive female: one who takes her husband's denial of an affair at face value and whose primary goal in marriage is to give her parents grandchildren. It's a role that Mortimer slides into without difficulty. Johansson, on the other hand, is simultaneously self-sufficient and needy. It’s the flaws of Nola as well as her background that has Chris feel attracted towards her. What passes between Chris and Nola is not only desire, but also recognition, which makes their connection especially volatile.

Notably in the third act where Nola drops a bombshell that would affect Chris’ family life as he tries to keep things a secret. Rhys-Meyers - an underrated actor - takes time to warm to Woody's ways, but ultimately delivers a subtle, affecting portrait of a man torn between two women and ways of life as he realizes the decision that he has to make. One of which would involve Chris taking on drastic measures that would be extreme. Allen has, however, stuck with his recent nasty streak, and underneath its lovely, icy cinematography, Match Point is a noir supreme; Fritz Lang would have loved it. Yet no matter how dark things get, the characters still behave in a rational, believable way. Unlike most Hollywood films, no one does anything stupid out of sheer stupidity. Here, the missteps occur because of misdirected passion.

It’s a film that is more about the idea of luck and how it can drive a man’s fate. The movie is more about plot and moral vacancy than about characters, and so Allen uses type-casting to quickly establish the characters and set them to their tasks of seduction, deception, lying and worse. It’s one of the reasons why this film is considered one of Allen’s finest though it doesn’t rank with some of the great films of his career like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah & Her Sisters, and Crimes & Misdemeanors depending on one’s taste of what someone thinks of Allen’s overall career. Still, Match Point is sexy, mysterious, suspense-driven, eventful and essentially quite unforgettable that shows that Woody Allen still has it.

The quotes in bold are from the following in the exact order:

Dennis Schwartz, Ozu’s World Movie Reviews
Noel Murray, AV Club
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Claudia Puig, USA Today
James Beradinelli, ReelViews
AO Scott, New York Times
Andy Jacobs, BBC
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Gary W. Tooze, DVD Beaver

© thevoid99 2013

2012 Cannes Marathon: Welcome to Sarajevo

(Played in Competition for the Palme D’or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on Natasha’s Story by Michael Nicholson, Welcome to Sarajevo is about a British reporter who is reporting the war in Sarajevo where he encounters an orphanage as he hopes to save the life of a girl he meets. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce, the film is among one of the first features film to be created about the Bosnian war in the early 1990s. Starring Stephen Dillane, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Fox, Goran Visnjic, and Emily Lloyd. Welcome to Sarajevo is a chilling yet mesmerizing film from Michael Winterbottom.

It’s 1992 as the Serbians try to wreak havoc on Sarajevo where ITN reporter Michael Henderson (Stephen Dillane) and his cameraman Gregg (James Nesbitt) are covering the battle where an American reporter named Flynn (Woody Harrelson) walks in the middle of the battlefield. While Henderson is joined by producer Jane Carson (Kerry Fox) and reporter Annie McGee (Emily Lloyd), he still has to contend with the competitive Flynn for a story where they gain a local named Risto (Goran Visnjic) to translate and drive them through town. There, Henderson comes across an orphanage in ruins where he meets a nine-year-old girl named Emira (Emira Nusevic) who is among the many orphans who are lost in the war.

Feeling compelled to tell reveal what is going on in Sarajevo, Henderson makes the orphanage his story as he wants to help save the children. When a United Nations aid worker named Nina (Marisa Tomei) arrives, she reveals that she can only help some of the kids to be transported to Italy. Henderson makes a deal to have Emira be part of the bus transport as he and Gregg join Nina on the treacherous journey to the boat that will evacuate the children to Italy. Though the journey was tough due to an encounter with a group of Chetnik troops who end up taking some of the children back. Though the remaining group was able to reach the ship, Henderson decides to take Emira to England to live with his wife (Juliet Aubrey) and children as he returns home.

Months later, Henderson receives a call from Carson about Emira’s mother (Vesna Orel) who is still alive and wants Emira back home. Henderson returns to Sarajevo to deal with the matter with help from Risto and a hotel concierge named Zeljko (Drazen Sivak) where they meet Emira’s uncle (Vladimir Jakanovic) who reveals what had happened. Though Henderson was able to find Emira’s mother, he wonders if giving Emira back to her mother would be the right thing as Sarajevo is becoming more undone by war.

The film is essentially a war drama where a news reporter covering the Bosnian war as he encounters an orphanage where he goes beyond the role of a reporter to save the life of one child. Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce creates a story that is about a war where a reporter is among a group of many trying to tell the world what is going on. Though it feels new and the world doesn’t seem to understand what is happening, his discovery of an orphanage that is in the frontline of this battle has him telling the world what is going on prompting the United Nations to get involved though things eventually become complicated due to political issues. At the center of this story is a reporter who feels that something has to be done as he would end up encountering more disturbing images of war. Boyce’s script does play to that drama while bringing insight into the chaos that is happening for the characters to be involved in.

Michael Winterbottom’s direction is truly engaging for the way he creates the film as if he is reporting what is happening as he utilizes news footage, video camera looks, and other stylistic shots to display what is going at a hotel in Sarajevo. Shot on location in Sarajevo and parts of Croatia, there is an added realism to the way Winterbottom presents the film as he always have the camera center a world where it looks like it’s the worst place in the world. With some hand-held camera work to display some of the film’s intense moments, Winterbottom always maintain suspense to let it play out as if something is going to happen. Notably the film’s opening credits sequence where an upcoming wedding ceremony is marred by gunfire as it definitely sets the tone for the film. Overall, Winterbottom creates a truly intense and hypnotic war drama that reveals the chaos that was happening in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s.

Cinematographer Daf Hobson does excellent work with the film‘s very vibrant and colorful cinematography for many of its exterior settings while creating a more low-key look for the film‘s interior scenes at the hotel as well as video-camera look for some of the news footage that is shot. Editor Trevor Waite does incredible work with the editing in utilizing rhythmic cuts for some of the film‘s battle scenes along with inter-splicing news footage with the fictional footage shot in the film. Production designers Mark Geraghty and Kermal Hrustanovic, with set decorator Constantin Nikolic and supervising art director Terry Pritchard, do wonderful work with the look of some of the hotel interiors including Ritso‘s apartment that is filled with lots of records and books.

Costume designer Janty Yates does nice work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual while some of it includes uniforms that soldiers wear. Makeup/hair designer Anne Oldham does good work in the look of Emira from her more short-hair look in Sarajevo to a more girlish look once she starts to live in England. Sound editor Peter Baldock does amazing work with the sound to capture the sense of terror that occurs in battle from the gunfire and explosions to the way it’s sound at the hotel. The film’s score by Adrian Johnson is superb for the way it plays out the sense of ruin that happens through its low-key orchestral score. Music supervisors Laurence Kaye and Steve Lindsey create a soundtrack that is a wide mix of music ranging from a darkly-comic use of Bobby McFerrin‘s Don‘t Worry Be Happy along with a compelling use of Remo Giazatto’s Adagio in G Minor for a poignant moment in the film The rest of the soundtrack features a wide mix of music from acts like Blur, the Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, Teenage Fanclub, and Massive Attack to play out the music of the times.

The casting by Simone Ireland and Vanessa Pereira is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it includes small but notable appearances from Juliet Aubrey as Michael’s wife, Vladimir Jakanovic as Emira’s uncle, Vesna Orel as Emira’s mother, Drazen Sivak as the friendly hotel concierge Zeljko, and Gordana Gadzic as the orphanage manager Mrs. Savic. Other noteworthy small roles include Emily Lloyd as a fellow reporter who uncovers some dark secrets about the war, James Nesbitt as a comical yet thrill-seeking cameraman, and Marisa Tomei in an incredible performance as a sympathetic United Nations aid worker who tells Michael Henderson about what he’s doing for Emira is illegal.

Emira Nusevic is wonderful as the child Emira who is just trying to deal with the chaos of her home as she seeks a way to leave. Kerry Fox is terrific as producer Jane Carson who tries to deal with all of the stories that needs to be told as she also becomes very friendly with Ritso. Goran Visnjic is great as the Bosnian Ritso who guides Michael into the world of Sarajevo while revealing the increasing dangers that is happening when Michael returns from Britain. Woody Harrelson is excellent as the brash American reporter Flynn who revels into the world of danger while bringing some humor to the situations in the film. Finally, there’s Stephen Dillane in a marvelous performance as Michael Henderson who decides to go beyond his role as a reporter to save a child’s life due to everything he encounters in this horrific war.

Welcome to Sarajevo is an extraordinary yet harrowing film from Michael Winterbottom. Armed with an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Stephen Dillane, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Fox, Emily Lloyd, James Nesbitt, and Goran Visnjic. It’s a film that really goes into deep into the terror that was happening during the Bosnian war in the early 1990s. It’s also a film that really serves as a great historical piece to explain some of what was happening and why the fighting occurs from an outsider’s perspective who know little about this war. In the end, Welcome to Sarajevo is a wonderfully stylish yet compelling film from Michael Winterbottom.

Michael Winterbottom Films: (Rosie the Great) - (Forget About Me) - (Under the Sun) - (Love Lies Bleeding) - (Family (1993 TV film)) - (Butterfly Kiss) - (Go Now) - (Jude) - I Want You - (With or Without You (1998 film)) - Wonderland (1999 film) - The Claim - 24 Hour Party People - In This World - Code 46 - 9 Songs - Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story - The Road to Guantanamo - A Mighty Heart - Genova - The Shock Doctrine (2009 film) - The Killer Inside Me - The Trip (2010 film) - (Trishna) - (Everyday) - The Look of Love - (The Trip to Italy) - (The Face of an Angel)

© thevoid99 2012

Bloody Sunday (2002 film)

Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, Bloody Sunday is the story about the 1972 shootings in Derry, North Ireland in which 26 protesters died in the hands of the British Army. Inspired by Don Mullan’s 1997 book Eyewitness Bloody Sunday, the film explores the event that happened from the perspective of those who saw it all. Starring James Nesbitt, Simon Mann, and Tim Pigott-Smith. Bloody Sunday is a chilling yet harrowing film from Paul Greengrass.

It’s January 30, 1972 as local politician Ivan Cooper (James Nesbitt) is organizing a peaceful protest march across the town of Derry. Meanwhile, Major General Ford (Tim Pigott-Smith) and Colonel Wilford (Simon Mann) are organizing a group of troops to counter the protest anything toes wrong. With a young named Gerry Donaghy (Declan Duddy) joins the protest as Cooper is trying to get ready to lead the protest with Eamonn McCann (Gerard Crossan) and Bernadette Devlin (Mary Moulds). Confusion arises during the march when some protesters sees British snipers up on the walls as violence starts to ensue between protesters and British troops leading to the incident known as Bloody Sunday.

Since the film is a dramatic interpretation of what happened in on that horrible day in the span of 24 hours. Writer/director Paul Greengrass creates a film that revels into what happened and show from two different sides as they get ready for this day. On the one corner, you have this peaceful protester who is hoping to make a difference on this day despite the anger of other protesters over some of the things that has happened. On the other corner is the British army that is organizing a way to stop the protests as soldiers want revenge for those they’ve lost. Tension is there as things start off a bit smoothly but paranoia ensues leading the unfortunate incident that occurred.

While the script is a very loose one with a simple structure where the third act is its aftermath in which soldiers have to report to their superiors while protest leaders have to comfort families and such. It is still an engrossing one for the way it allows to go back and forth to emphasize on its differing perspectives without really taking sides.

The lack of a conventional script allows Greengrass to create a film where it’s all about being in the center of everything that is happening. Presented in a cinema verite style with lots of shaky hand-held cameras where it intensifies for the big violent scene. Since the film is about this horrible moment in the history of the world, Greengrass chooses to let things build up to that violent moment while using unconventional cutting styles to create something that feels abrupt and rhythmic so he can gain some perspective of what is going on. The overall work Greengrass creates is truly mesmerizing but also confrontational for the way he recreates the infamous Bloody Sunday incident.

The extraordinary work of cinematographer Ivan Strasberg is definitely one of the film‘s technical highlights in terms of its verite style where there‘s a bit of grain to the look for many of the daytime scenes while utilizing natural lights that is available to maintain a sense of realism. Editor Clare Douglas does a brilliant job with the film‘s stylized editing with a constant use of jump-cuts and fade-out transitions to create a jerky rhythm to play up the chaos and tension of what goes on in the film. Production designer John Paul Kelly and art director Padraig O’Neill do excellent work on the set pieces as a lot of the locations are in Dublin while using the actual streets in Derry to create the sense of ruin that occurred at the time.

Costume designer Dinah Collin does nice work with the costumes from the uniforms the British army wear to the 1970s street clothing the protesters wear. Sound editor Danny Longhurst does a fantastic job with the sound to capture the intimacy in small moments along with the chaos that surrounds during the battle between protesters and the British army. The film’s sole piece of music in the film is in the final credits to a live version of U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday.

The casting by John and Ros Hubbard is superb for the ensemble that is created as its cast featured mostly non-actors. Among the cast in the film includes Gerard McSorley as police Chief Supt. Lagan, Kathy Keira Clarke as Ivan’s girlfriend Frances, Edel Frazer as Gerry’s girlfriend, Declan Duddy as the young protester Gerry, Mary Moulds as Bernadette Devlin, Gerard Crossan as Eamonn McCann, Tim Pigott-Smith as Major General Ford, and Simon Mann as Colonel Wilford. Finally, there’s James Nesbitt in a terrifying performance as Ivan Cooper as a man that is trying to lead a peaceful protest only to find himself in the middle of a violent battle that he couldn’t comprehend as it’s definitely one of Nesbitt’s best roles.

Bloody Sunday is an outstanding yet gripping film from Paul Greengrass for its harrowing recreation of the Sunday Bloody Sunday massacre of January of 1972. The film is definitely one of the best pieces about the Irish-British tension without taking sides as Greengrass shows a film where it’s about the human struggle as he goes right into the middle of what is happening. It’s not an easy film to watch in terms of its presentation and its emphasis on realism but it doesn’t try to hammer any ideas or give answers to questions that really can’t be asked. In the end, Bloody Sunday is a marvelous film from Paul Greengrass.

Paul Greengrass Films: (Resurrected) - (The Theory of Flight) - (The Bourne Supremacy) - United 93 - (The Bourne Ultimatum) - (Green Zone) - Captain Phillips

© thevoid99 2012

Match Point

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/27/06 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Woody Allen, Match Point returns to the dramatic theme of morality and murder that he discussed in 1989's Crimes & Misdemeanors. This time, the setting for Allen's new film is in the upper-class world of London society where an ex-Irish tennis pro found himself climbing up the world of upper-class British society as he meets a client's sister and their family only to be tempted by his client's American fiancee. The film discusses on how luck can do things for a young man as he is forced to choose between a modest lifestyle or a safe, secure lifestyle with all the works. Starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Penelope Wilton, James Nesbitt, Ewen Bremner, and Brian Cox. Match Point is an excellent, return-to-form feat from Woody Allen.

After a period of playing professional tennis, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is searching for a new life after being bored from playing tennis. After taking a job working as a tennis instructor for a posh country club, he meets a young man named Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) who becomes a tennis student. After a conversation about opera, Tom invites Chris to watch an opera with his family including Tom's sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer), his father Alec (Brian Cox), and mother Eleanor (Penelope Wilton). After being invited frequently to the Hewett home, Chris becomes attracted to Chloe while being in awe of the hard work Alec has done with his life. During a party, Chris meets Tom's American fiancee Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) as Chris finds himself attracted to Nola's sensuality.

After a series of double dates and dinners, Chris learns of Nola's background as he meets her again when she's up for an audition that fails as she continues to struggle as an actress. While Chris feels happy with Chloe, he's surprised at the generosity he's been getting from Alec who accepts him immediately into the family as is Eleanor who doesn't have the same feelings towards Nola. During a day at the Hewett home, Eleanor's suggestions and criticism about Nola's failed desire to become an actress gets to her as she walks out upset as Chris comes after her where they begin a fling. The affair only becomes brief as Nola wants to move on and after she broke up with Tom, she leaves the U.S. With Tom marrying a woman named Carol (Rose Keegan), Chris marries Chloe but his obsession with Nola troubles him.

The result of his obsession only troubles Chloe's desire to want a child as Chris' new job working in his father-in-law's firm leaves him a bit unfulfilled. Then one day at a museum, Nola appears as he asks her phone number. Immediately, a secretive affair happens as Chris finds his fulfillment with Nola but a secure future with Chloe though their attempts to create a child only troubles them. Then when the affair gets more intense, Nola doesn't want the affair to be secretive anymore. Chris finds himself in a bind as he learns some distressing news from Nola as she demands that he should leave Chloe. Chris turns to an old friend in Henry (Rupert-Penry Jones) about his situation where a life with Nola could be modest but there's no future but with Chloe, he is secure and can get anything. While Chloe becomes suspicious of what's going on, Chris goes to a drastic decision that will haunt him.

While the story of Match Point isn't anything groundbreaking, particularly in the third act which resembles the dramatic situation in Allen's 1989 masterpiece Crimes & Misdemeanors. What is new is where Allen goes to where originally, it was supposed to be in Long Island, New York but due to financial situations, London becomes a new background where everything works. Not only does Allen explore the posh world of London but he uses the city as a new world that he never has been to by delving into Alfred Hitchcock for his script. The story does reference the idea of luck but in a more realistic yet cynical point of view where Allen comes to the conclusion that the world isn't very happy. Particularly when the third act is explored by two detectives in Inspector Dowd (Ewen Bremner) and Detective Banner (James Nesbitt).

While Allen's direction is his most entrancing since Husbands & Wives, it's because he aims for an observant view of how these characters live and how they behave. By the third act, it begins to deconstruct itself from this study of a man trying to work his way into the upper class only to find a way to mess with it. In that third act, not only does Allen rip himself off but also Hitchcock on how he plots things and how he uses elements of mystery where the conclusion overall becomes a bit more cynical and nihilistic. In many ways, this is Allen at his most bleakest. His strength as a director is only topped more in his role as a writer. The script is by far is most inspiring and solid since Crimes & Misdemeanors where in the previous film, he explores the morals and in Match Point, he goes into the idea of trying to get away with it without any moral consent.

Both stories have certain parallels in the way Nola is a bit like Anjelica Huston's character Dolores and Chris is a bit like Martin Landau's Judah Rosenthal. The difference is that the characters in Match Point aren't just younger but are in entirely different situations of sympathy and where their characters stand. What is similar is in the situations they're in terms of where they're at in their lives where both Chris and Judah are living in respected, posh lifestyles and how their affairs would threaten their positions and the people around them. Both men not only could find ways to reason with their lovers but choose crime to deal with it. The only difference is the moral aftermath and the situations that result. The Nola/Dolores characters are both desperate, neurotic, and passionate but only the Dolores character seems to be more in sympathy since she's the one more ridden with guilt while Nola really has nothing to offer. In many ways, this is Woody Allen reaching into old territory and finding something new to say.

Helping Allen in his observant vision is cinematographer Remi Adefarasin who does a wonderful job in capturing the beauty world of posh London with his lighting techniques of the interiors and exteriors in its grey skies. Production designer Jim Clay and set decorator Caroline Smith do a great job in not capturing the locations of the rich world of London but finding every way where this world does feel a sense of comfort as opposed to the more simplistic world of Nola. The costumes by Jill Taylor also reveal the posh world, particularly the suits of Chris and Tom and the dresses for Chloe and Nola. Alisa Lepselter, who has been Allen's editor since 1999's Sweet & Lowdown, does a wonderful job in giving the film a leisurely pace in its near two-hour running time which makes it Allen’s longest film to date.

Then there is the music where in previous films, Allen goes for jazz pieces but in this film he goes for opera. The opera music uses it as a dramatic crutch while bringing the emotional tension and drama where Allen plays the film as if it was an opera where tragedy is to come. His choice of music by Guiseppe Verdi, Gioacchino Rossini, Carlo Gomes, Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, and Andrew Lloyd Webber definitely creates a wonderful film soundtrack and a nice introduction mix-tape for opera music.

Finally, we have the cast which includes nice, small performances from Rose Keegan, Rupert-Penry Jones, Geoffrey Streatfield as Chris' boss at the firm, and Margaret Tyzack as Nola's neighbor. Ewen Bremner and James Nesbitt are excellent in their roles as detectives with differing views on things where Bremner seems more cynical while Nesbitt is more imaginative in his ideas of how crime is committed. Penelope Wilton is wonderful in his role as Eleanor whose views can be hurtful but is a woman who only wants the best for her children despite her own ideals. Brian Cox is perfect as this generous, warm man who has accomplished everything while wanting to give Chris a shot for his own hard work and providing comfort for everyone around him, including Nola. Matthew Goode is also excellent as the charming Tom who likes to show off while being friendly to Chris while his own actions for Nola on their break-up reveals a flaw about his own reputation in front of his family.

Of the supporting cast, Emily Mortimer is the real star as a naive, scorned woman who may live a posh life but has at least some knowledge of the world outside her. Mortimer displays a sweetness and restraint as a scorned woman who becomes suspicious while feeling she might not be enough for Chris as Mortimer really gives a masterful, truly sympathetic performance as she tries to give everything for her husband. Scarlett Johansson is also excellent in her performance as Nola where she starts off as this fragile, neurotic young woman who has trouble trying to start a career while getting into an affair. By the third act, Johansson makes her character to be very unlikable although it doesn't entirely work since it's more of a caricature of Anjelica Huston's character in Crimes & Misdemeanors where Nola has no motivation for what she can do with her life with Chris.

Finally, there's Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in his best performance to date as Chris Wilton. What Rhys-Meyers did which was a wise decision for a Woody Allen film was being a Woody Allen protagonist but without acting like Allen. Rhys-Meyers definitely brings a performance that is brilliant in terms of trying to protect himself while delving into bad deeds. When it comes to the situation and decisions he's in, Rhys-Meyers shows the morality and anguish his character is in as he plays it perfectly while having great chemistry with both Johansson and Mortimer.

While it's not a groundbreaking film, Match Point is truly a superb effort from Woody Allen who definitely has made his best film since Crimes & Misdemeanors. Thanks to a great cast led by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, and Penelope Wilton, Allen has finally got his mojo back. Though it's unclear if he can keep it going, this film does prove in why Woody Allen is one of the best as he delves into some new territory of cynicism and justice. While new fans could find something attractive about the film, old fans will definitely be pleased as Woody Allen scores with Match Point.

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

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

© thevoid99 2011

Millions

 Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/4/09.

After making a comeback with the 2002 zombie-inspired thriller 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle finally returned to the cinematic spotlight following the high-profile flop with 2000's The Beach. With Boyle now set to do whatever he wanted, a sequel for 28 Days Later seemed likely as Boyle instead let someone else take the reins for 2007's 28 Weeks Later which he produced and did some shooting for. Instead, Boyle decided to collaborate with Frank Cottrell Boyce, the screenwriter who wrote several films with another famed British director in Michael Winterbottom. Boyle and Boyce decided to collaborate on a project based on a book Bryce had written entitled Millions.

Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Millions tells the story of a seven-year old boy moving to a new suburb with his older brother and father following the death of his mother. One day, a bag of money is flung from a train as he is convinced that it's a gift from God. Wanting to use the money for good before everything turns to the Euro currency, the boy is forced to share the money with his selfish older brother while robbers are trying to retrieve for their own reasons. Starring Alex Etel, Lewis McGibbon, James Nesbitt, Daisy Donovan, and as himself, Leslie Philips. Millions is an uplifting, inspiring film from the team of Frank Cottrell Bryce and Danny Boyle.

Following the death of their mother (Jane Hogarth), two young boys in Anthony (Lewis McGibbon) and 7-year old Damian (Alex Etel) move to a suburban area with their widowed father Ronnie (James Nesbitt). Damian's fascination with spiritual saints has him seeing them in his imagination. While Anthony thought that Damian's fascinations were baffling while Ronnie thought it was just childish. Damian's interest which included Latter-Day Saints neighbors in the suburb have increased his imaginations when one day, a bag of money is flown from the air and lands on his imaginary train. Showing Anthony the money, Damian wants to use it for good in his hopes to become a saint. Anthony however, wants to use it for his own reasons in getting cell phones and such.

With the money they have used for a limited amount of time as the pounds would quickly become useless as the Euro will start to arrive. Damian and Anthony learn about it during a seminar hosted by Dorothy (Daisy Donovan). Wanting to use the money for good, what he spent gets Damian in trouble along with Anthony as Anthony claims they stole the money from Mormons. Things get worse when Anthony learns that the money Damian found was stolen by robbers making Damian feel terrible. Even as a man (Christopher Fulford) is lurking around wanting to get the money. After befriending Dorothy, Ronnie invites her to dinner where Anthony feel suspicious.

During a Christmas play, the robber confronts Damien about the money where Damien tries to hide the money at his old home. After being picked up by Ronnie, their new home was robbed and ransacked as Ronnie learns about the money. Wanting to use it for his own reasons, Damien feels scared after the robber wants the money as Ronnie, Anthony, and Dorothy decide to go on a shopping spree and convert the money to Euros. It's in that moment that Damien learns a valuable lesson about money and wanting to do good.

The film is in several ways, a spiritual story with a message. Particularly on the subject of death and how one copes with it. While the story might lean towards sentimentality and the message about money and what wrongs it can bring can be a bit overbearing. Writer Frank Cottrell Boyce does create a story about a boy's fascination with saints and all of their stories about their own miracles. He often asks about his mother, who does eventually appear in the film. At the same time, the boy's fascination with saints and wanting to do good also gives him a harsh reality that some might not believe in miracles. The story is well-written as Bryce creates a coming of age story that follows a boy trying to understand miracles and what it takes.

Director Danny Boyle does a superb job with the direction by emphasizing on the imagination of a child. Starting off with a scene of a house being created shows Boyle's energetic, fluid direction as well as unique compositions to display the film's location and setting. Boyle always kept the camera on the boy to give the audience a point of view of the boy while creating a world around him. The robbery scene shows Boyle's genius in creating a scene that is energetic while maintaining its sense of imagination as it's told from a child's perspective. In many ways, it's a family film that's unconventional but with a strong message about miracles and faith that's wonderfully told by Danny Boyle.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle does a spectacular job with the film's look and camera angles as he maintains the colorful look of the suburban location near Manchester and other cities. Mantle's work is very different from his usual, hand-held, grainy, loose camera work for something more straightforward yet have the kind of energy and unique compositions that Boyle wanted. Editor Chris Gill does a great job with the editing with the use of rhythmic jump-cuts, wipe-transitions, and other cutting styles to maintain its sense of energy and imaginative tone for the film. Production designer Mark Tildesley along with set decorator Michelle Day and art directors Mark Digby and Denis Schnegg do an excellent job with the look of Damian's cardboard train and playhouse, the home that he lives in and the places he goes to.

Costume designer Susannah Buxton does a fine job with the costumes from the school uniforms the boys wear to the casual clothing that everyone else wears. Visual effects supervisors Peter Bach and Adam Gascoyne do great work in the visual effects look of the star above the sky, the creation of the houses, and other effects to emphasize on the film's imagination. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does brilliant work with the film's sound to capture the energy of the robbery, the atmosphere of kids playing, and the imaginative world of Damian. Music composer John Murphy creates a light-hearted score filled with somber melodies and arrangements to emphasize on the film's innocence. Along with music from Feeder, Muse, the Clash, and traditional music for the film's varied, energetic moments and innocent scenes.

The casting by Beverley Keogh and Gail Stevens is wonderful with small appearances from Enzo Clienti as St. Francis, Alun Armstrong as St. Peter, Nasser Memarzia as St. Joseph, Mark Chatterman as the school headmaster, screenwriter Frank Cottrell Bryce as the theater teacher, and renowned British actor Leslie Phillips as himself in a commercial for the Euro conversion as he's joined by Page 3 model Jo Hicks. Other notable small performances from Jane Hogarth as Damian and Anthony's mother, Pearce Quigley as a community policeman, and Christopher Fulford as the robber are memorable as is Daisy Donovan as Dorothy, the woman who would become Ronnie's new girlfriend much to Damian's excitement and Anthony's suspicions. Veteran actor James Nesbitt does an excellent job as the widowed father who is trying to give his sons a better life while starting anew only to deal with a robbery where his emotions and pride gets the best of him.

Lewis McGibbon is great as Anthony, the older brother who just wants the money for his own reasons yet is really hiding the pain of his mother's death as he tries to deal with his younger brother's fascination with saints. Finally, there's Alex Etel as Damian who delivers a superb performance as a boy believing in saints. Etel's performance really captures the film's sense of imagination as it's done with such wonderment and curiosity that it's a true, natural performance. Etel's performance is really the soul of the film that manages to keep the audience engaged into the story and his development while maintaining his sense of faith.

While the film may not be as gritty as Trainspotting or Slumdog Millionaire, Millions is still a captivating film from Danny Boyle with help from writer Frank Cottrell Boyce. While some might not enjoy the film's sentimental tone and religious message, it's a film that is still inspiring and has something to say that is relevant to audiences. While it's not a conventional family film, it's one that doesn't cheapen itself into mush or any kind of family film hijinks. In the end, Millions is an inspiring, hopeful, and powerful film from director Danny Boyle and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce.

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

© thevoid99 2010