Based on the non-fiction novel Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934 by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies is the story of the final year of bank robber John Dillinger that features his relationship with Billie Frechette as well as being pursued by FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann, Ronan Bennett, and Ann Biderman, the film is look into the final years of Dillinger’s life as well as the manhunt lead by Purvis as Dillinger is portrayed by Johnny Depp and Purvis is portrayed by Christian Bale. Also starring Marion Cotillard, Stephen Dorff, Channing Tatum, Jason Clarke, David Wenham, Lili Taylor, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, and Billy Crudup J. Edgar Hoover. Public Enemies is a riveting and intense film from Michael Mann.
Set from 1933 to 1934 during the Great Depression, the film is about the final year of John Dillinger who was notorious for robbing banks as he is being pursued by Melvin Purvis upon the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation led by J. Edgar Hoover. It’s a film that explores what some considered to be the golden age of bank robberies with gangsters robbing places left and right with no one to challenge them until the formation of the FBI where Hoover hires Purvis to hunt Dillinger after Purvis had taken down another gangster in Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). The film’s screenplay by Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, and Michael Mann has a unique structure where much of its first half is about Dillinger’s success in robbing banks but also not killing innocent people as he maintains a folklore persona for robbing banks and helping people in need.
It is also around this time he would meet Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) who would become his girlfriend as the relationship would be something Dillinger cherishes. Yet, Frechette would be the key to Purvis in trying to find Dillinger as the film’s second half is about Dillinger’s fall where he would get captured and later break out of prison only to learn that members of his gang are scattered with a few he can rely but also other gangsters who play by different rules. It would force Dillinger to rely more on Frechette and hide but also know that Purvis is determined to capture him and bring him to justice. It is a film that does play into a world that is changing where criminals used to have ideas and rules in what they have to do but power eventually becomes misused leading to people of power from the government to handle matters.
Mann’s direction is stylish in its approach to hand-held cameras to capture the action as well as shooting the film on high-definition digital video instead of the traditional 35mm where the look of the film has a crudeness in some of its movements and scenes where the camera shakes. It adds to its offbeat look where it gets a lot of detail in the visuals yet it does feel jarring at times as it is a step away from the norm expected in a gangster film. Shot on various locations in Columbus, Wisconsin as well as various towns in Illinois and Wisconsin along with parts of Chicago and Milwaukee. Along with actual locations where Dillinger did some of his robberies, Mann would maintain an air of grittiness to the visuals as well as use flares for scenes at night that play into the suspense and drama. Even as Mann would use wide shots not just in getting a scope of the locations but also in scenes where some of Purvis’ men are hiding to see where Dillinger could be as well as the scene early in the film where Purvis goes after Pretty Boy Floyd.
Mann’s usage of close-ups and medium shots also add to the drama and suspense where it does play into some of the situations that Dillinger and Purvis put themselves through as well as the exchanges they have with other characters. While there are some dramatic liberties in the film that relate to some of the people Dillinger meet like Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) as well as when Pretty Boy Floyd was killed. Mann does use the rise-and-fall narrative of Dillinger that play into a man who is considered a folk hero yet just wants to have money and have a good time but is aware that time is running out for him. The film’s climax is all about the locations and geography where Mann takes great care into the events that would mark an end of an era for the world of the gangsters and the emergence of a new world order. Overall, Mann crafts a gripping and rapturous film about the final year in the life of John Dillinger and the manhunt led by Melvin Purvis.
Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in its approach to low-key lighting and the usage of available light to get a grittiness of the film though it does have that crude look expected from digital video that is jarring at times. Editors Paul Rubell and Jeffrey Ford do brilliant work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg plus art directors Patrick Lumb and William Ladd Skinner, does amazing work with the look of some of the places re-created including restaurants, houses, and other places the characters go to. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that the women wore including Billie’s fur coat and the suits the men wore in those times.
Special effects supervisor Bruno Van Zeebroeck and visual effects supervisor Robert Stadd do terrific work with some of the special effects that relate to the action along with a few set-dressing pieces in the visual effects. Sound editors Laurent Kossayan and Jeremy Peirson do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sounds of gunfire and sirens that add to the suspense. The film’s music by Elliot Goldenthal is wonderful for its bombastic string arrangements that add to the drama and suspense to play into the grandeur of Purvis’ manhunt while music supervisors Bob Badami, Bruce Fowler, and Kathy Nelson create a soundtrack that features a lot of the music of the times ranging from jazz, blues, ragtime, and pop that would become standards of the time.
The casting by Avy Kaufman and Bonnie Timmermann is great as it feature some notable small roles from Matt Craven as FBI agent Gerry Campbell, Carey Mulligan as a young woman in Carol Slayman who provides Dillinger and his gang a hideout, Leelee Sobieski as Dillinger’s date Polly Hamilton on the night of his death, Branka Katic as another date of Dillinger in Anna Sage on that night, Emile de Ravin as a girlfriend of one of Dillinger’s friends, Bill Camp as the gangster Frank Nitti who refuses to help Dillinger during the second half to cover their bookkeeping scheme, John Ortiz and Domenick Lombardozzi as a couple of Nitti’s men, Giovanni Ribisi as a gangster in Alvin Karpis, Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley whose prison would hold Dillinger for a while, David Wenham and Spencer Garrett as two of Dillinger’s men in their respective roles as Harry Pierpont and Tommy Carroll, and Michael Bentt as the prisoner Herbert Youngblood who helped Dillinger break out of prison during the second half.
Jason Clarke and Stephen Dorff are terrific in their respective roles as Red Hamilton and Homer Van Meter as a couple of Dillinger’s associates who are among his closest allies with Clarke being the closest of the two who helps him escape and handle small matters while Dorff is the getaway driver who also knows what not to do. Stephen Graham is superb as Baby Face Nelson as a gangster who is violent and unruly as he is the kind of person Dillinger is reluctant to associate himself with while Channing Tatum is fantastic in his brief one-scene performance as Pretty Boy Floyd as a young gangster who gets gunned down by Purvis. Stephen Lang is excellent as the Texas Ranger Charles Winstead as the man who would kill Dillinger as he is also someone that is a man of principle and honor where he helps Purvis in pursuing Dillinger. Billy Crudup is brilliant as J. Edgar Hoover as Dillinger’s supervisor who is the public face of the FBI whom he’s just started as he ensures America that the world of crime will end.
Marion Cotillard is incredible as Billie Frechette as the woman who would be the love of Dillinger’s life in his final year as she would learn about who he is and would help him while unknowingly be used as bait to get him where it’s a performance that has Cotillard display a toughness as well as gracefulness that isn’t expected in characters that play a certain type. Christian Bale is marvelous as Melvin Purvis as a FBI agent who is tasked to pursue Dillinger with different methods as he is a cunning and cautious man that just wants to put Dillinger behind bars but is also someone that wants to do what is right where he later finds himself not agreeing with Hoover’s ideals. Finally, there’s Johnny Depp in a phenomenal performance as John Dillinger as the famed bank robber who likes to steal money and live a good life but is also someone that doesn’t kill unless it is necessary as it’s a low-key yet charismatic performance from Depp who displays charm as well as a melancholia as it relates to Dillinger’s fall.
Public Enemies is a remarkable film from Michael Mann that features great performances from Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard. Along with its ensemble cast, high-octane action, gritty presentation, and sumptuous music soundtrack, it’s a film is intense while play into the thrill of a period in time that was dangerous. Though its presentation is flawed due to the jarring visuals in the high-definition digital, it is still a film expected from Mann in its approach to showcasing the world of the gangsters during the Great Depression. In the end, Public Enemies is an awesome film from Michael Mann.
Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief - The Keep – Manhunter - L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans - Heat – The Insider – Ali – Collateral – Miami Vice – Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari - (Heat 2) - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the biography First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen, First Man is about the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong from his early days as a pilot to being the first man to walk on the moon as he deals with challenges in his professional and personal life. Directed by Damien Chazelle and screenplay by Josh Singer, the film is an unconventional bio-pic of the famed astronaut who deals with the dangers of his job as well as the events in his personal life as he is played by Ryan Gosling. Also starring Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Jason Clarke, Ciaran Hinds, Patrick Fugit, Christopher Abbott, Lukas Haas, and Kyle Chandler. First Man is an enthralling and evocative film from Damien Chazelle.
July 20, 1969 was a momentous moment in the history of civilization when Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon as it was the culmination of a decade long journey during the space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union to reach the impossible. For all of the fame that Armstrong would receive for this accomplishment lies a man who endured professional and personal challenges including moments of tragedy as he would withdraw from fame and even in his own family to focus on what he must do as an astronaut. Josh Singer’s screenplay focuses on Armstrong’s life as a test pilot in 1961 to the moment he returns home from the moon which would also include his first marriage to Janet Shearon (Claire Foy) as well as life with their children including the death of his daughter Karen at age 2 as she had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor and died of complications related to pneumonia.
The script would have Armstrong not just deal with the job in hand as he and other astronauts try to figure out what to do and also what not to do. Even as Armstrong would deal with a couple of tragedies while he would also have a near-death experience during the Gemini 8 mission with David Scott (Christopher Abbott) where the capsule docking with the Agena Target Vehicle as part of a docking experiment had the capsule separated and rolled around orbit. Yet, more problems including the Apollo 1 testing session that lead to the death of Virgil “Gus” Grissom (Shea Whigham), Ed White (Jason Clarke), and Roger Chaffee (Cory Michael Smith) forces Armstrong to make sure nothing else goes wrong as he would eventually be selected to command the Apollo 11 mission with Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) and Michael Collins (Lukas Haas).
Damien Chazelle’s direction is definitely intense not just for the idea of what it’s like being in a jet plane or in a space capsule but also the sense of fear of what to do in case something bad happens. Shot largely in locations near Atlanta including studios in Atlanta along with additional locations in Los Angeles, the film does play into a moment in time where so much is happening while there is an air of innocence into the Armstrong home life. Even as they would have other astronauts as neighbors and their kids playing with each other as Chazelle aimed for a natural look into these scenes as it would also play into the sense of loss that the Armstrong family would endure as well as the chaos that would happen during the course of Armstrong’s time as an astronaut including tragedy that affected this small community of people. Chazelle would use some wide shots for these scenes as well as a maintain a looseness into the camera by shooting with a hand-held camera for close-ups and medium shots to get an intimacy as well as some of the dramatic tension that occurs between the Armstrongs.
For the scenes inside the capsules, there is this claustrophobic element where Chazelle doesn’t just give the audience an idea of what it is like inside a space capsule, a test-jet plane, and other test modules as well as the lunar module. The usage of shaky camera during a rocket launch or seeing what Armstrong and his crew are seeing from their perspective adds to the sense of fear that these men have to face. Even in the sound where it has this element of something could go wrong add to the atmosphere of what is happening. The sequence set on the moon and its landing with stock footage of people watching the event happening is definitely a majestic moment with its usage of wide shots as a look into what Armstrong might be thinking about on the moon though his face isn’t shown on the helmet as it play into everything he’s endured to reach this monumental feat. Overall, Chazelle crafts a mesmerizing yet astonishing film about the life of Neil Armstrong and his struggles with his job and life at home.
Cinematographer Linus Sandgren does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for many of the scenes in the neighborhood including the scenes at night along with some stark yet vibrant lighting for the scenes at the mission control centers in NASA and the low-key lighting for the scenes inside the space capsules and lunar module. Editor Tom Cross does excellent work with the editing as it has some unique rhythmic cuts to play into the drama along with some stylish jump-cut montages for a few recurring flashback scenes from Armstrong’s perspective. Production designer Nathan Crowley, with supervising art director Erik Osusky plus set decorators Randi Hockett and Kathy Lucas, does amazing work with the look of the machines and such for the astronaut training as well as the interior/exterior of the space capsules and how small they as well as the mission control rooms and the homes of the astronauts. Costume designer Mary Zophres does terrific work with the costumes from the clothes that everyone wears on a casual day as well as the astronaut clothes that are worn for the missions.
Special effects supervisor J.D. Schwalm and visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert do incredible work with the special effects with the look of the exteriors of outer space and the moon as well as the usage of practical effects to give the scenes in space an air of realism as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designer/sound editor Ai-Ling Lee and co-sound editor Mildred Iatrou do tremendous work with the film’s sound in creating that sense of atmosphere of what goes on in space where the metal sound like it’s bending or about to break as well as the lack of sound when someone is in outer space or on the moon as it’s a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Justin Hurwitz is superb for its usage of low-key strings, ambient pieces, and usage of the theremin to help maintain an atmosphere that is calm but also disconcerting at times in some of the drama and suspenseful moments in the film. The film’s music soundtrack features an array of music from the 1960s including a few classical and show tune pieces as well as some country and folk music from Gene Autrey, Peter, Paul, & Mary, the Kingston Trio, Samuel Hoffman with Les Baxter, Johnny Ace, the Chantels, and a poetic piece by Gil Scott-Heron who is seen briefly on the film as he is played by Leon Bridges.
The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Kris Swanberg as Elliot See’s wife Marilyn, Lucy Stafford as Karen Armstrong, Luke Winters and Gavin Warren in their respective roles as the older and younger version of Rick Armstrong, Conor Blodgett as Mark Armstrong, Ethan Embry as astronaut Pete Conrad, Pablo Schreiber as astronaut Jim Lovell , J.D. Evermore as NASA flight director Christopher C. Kraft Jr., Cory Michael Smith as astronaut Roger Chaffee, and Brian d’Arcy James as test pilot Joseph A. Walker who gets Armstrong on board to NASA. Shea Whigham is terrific as Virgil “Gus” Grissom as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts who help the new astronauts prepare for what to expect for Gemini and later Apollo. Patrick Fugit is superb as Elliot See as an astronaut in training who befriends Armstrong as he was set to command his own mission only to die tragically during a training mission.
Olivia Hamilton is fantastic as Ed White’s wife Patricia who befriends Janet as they share their stories of fear for their husbands but also what they had to endure at home. Christopher Abbott is excellent as Dave Scott as Armstrong’s co-pilot on Gemini 8 who experiences that near-death experience as he also tries to understand what went wrong. Kyle Chandler is brilliant as NASA chief officer/former astronaut Deke Slayton who makes sure things go smoothly while Ciaran Hinds is amazing as Robert R. Gilruth who is a flight director for NASA who helps oversee the making of the Apollo missions. Jason Clarke is incredible as Ed White as an astronaut who would become the first American to do the spacewalk while trying to understand Armstrong’s distant persona as it relates to loss. Lukas Haas is remarkable as Michael Collins as the capsule module pilot who helps Armstrong and Aldrin reach the moon and ensure their safety.
Corey Stoll is sensational as Buzz Aldrin as the film’s comic relief of sorts as he often says off-color things while being someone who does take his work serious as he would accompany Armstrong on their momentous mission to the moon. Claire Foy is phenomenal as Janet Shearon as Armstrong’s then-wife who deals with loss as well as the sense of fear of what could happen to her husband as she is also someone who doesn’t take shit from anyone as it is a riveting performance from Foy. Finally, there’s Ryan Gosling in a magnificent performance as Neil Armstrong as a test pilot/engineer who is tasked with what has to be done as he deals with the many dangers of his job but is also restrained and distant due to the fact that he’s still reeling from the loss of his daughter and later deal with the loss of colleagues as it’s a performance that is filled with restraint but also with a sense of determination and drive giving Gosling a career-defining performance.
First Man is a tremendous film from Damien Chazelle that features great performances from Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, eerie sound design, a soothing yet haunting music score, and a gripping story about what astronauts had to endure and the chaos that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a film that doesn’t play towards the conventions of the bio-pic while also being this study of a man trying not to fail in preparation for his mission to go to the moon while dealing with grief. In the end, First Man is an outstanding film from Damien Chazelle.
Damien Chazelle Films: Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench – Whiplash - La La Land -Babylon (2022 film) - (The Auteurs #76: Damien Chazelle)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Matt Reeves and screenplay by Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes where the ape Caesar and a human being try to forge a peace treaty between the apes and humans only to be undone by forces from both sides. The film is an exploration into a group of humans trying to survive and make peace with a group of apes while Caesar deals with his role as a leader as Andy Serkis reprises his role as the ape. Also starring Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Keri Russell, Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell, and Gary Oldman. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a tremendous film from Matt Reeves.
Taking place more than a decade after the events of the previous film where a virus nearly wiped out humanity, the film is about Caesar and his family of apes dealing with the presence of surviving humans as Caesar doesn’t want a war as he and a man try to create peace between the two. Yet, Caesar’s attempt to create peace with the humans would be undone by one of his own in Koba (Toby Kebbell) who never trusted humans as he begins to question Caesar’s loyalty towards apes. While it’s a film with a simple premise, there is so much more as it plays to the theme of family as Caesar tries to hold on to his own family as his eldest son Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) is caught between his father’s teachings and Koba’s methods. Especially as the human that Caesar meets in Malcolm (Jason Clarke) is trying to help humanity and his own family as it would remind Caesar of his own past.
The film’s screenplay explores the world of family as Caesar and his band of apes live in the woods where they are able to survive without electricity and all sorts of things that humans need as many follow Caesar’s teachings of apes together be stronger than anything or anyone. Yet, that is put to the test once the apes learn that there are a large group of humans that have survived where Caesar wants to ensure them that they don’t want a war. Though Malcolm and his wife Ellie (Keri Russell) along with his son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) would go to the apes’ home with a few humans to revive an old dam so that humans can have power again to survive. Caesar was a bit reluctant to trust them but understands that Malcolm actually means well though Koba is still suspicious thanks to a distrustful associate of Malcolm. Koba’s actions would definitely drive the film’s second act as he would do things that would have Caesar question everything himself as a war is about to happen with Koba leading the apes and a military leader in Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) leading the survivors.
Matt Reeves’ direction is typical of what is expected in a blockbuster film but he infuses it with not just a lot of great visuals and elaborate set pieces. He balances it with some real drama where it is about the apes and humans trying to create peace. While Reeves does use a lot of wide shots and some amazing tracking and crane shots for some of the film’s action scenes as well as the first battle between apes and humans. He also goes for close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama and also forge a bond between Caesar and Malcolm that reminds Caesar of his own past. Especially in the third act where Malcolm and his family would help Caesar as it proves some big revelations about the ideas of the world and how important family is as it relates to Caesar’s own relationship with Blue Eyes. Reeves knows when to put some moments that are quite cheerful in a film that is very dark and bleak at times. Even as it does play into this climax where Caesar would have to stop Koba from wreaking havoc and Malcolm stopping Dreyfus from creating more trouble as Dreyfus’s actions is motivated by fear. Overall, Reeves crafts a very compelling and thrilling film about apes and humans trying to live together in peace only to succumb to fear and hate.
Cinematographer Michael Seresin does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the naturalistic yet desolate look of the scenes set in the forests to the more stylized yet entrancing shots of the cities set at night. Editors William Hoy and Stan Salfas do fantastic work with the editing from the opening credits montage to reveal what happened in the events leading to the film as well as some rhythmic cuts for the action where it doesn‘t deviate from fast-cutting editing styles. Production designer James Chinlund, with set decorator Amanda Moss Serino and supervising art director Naaman Marshall, does superb work with the look of the forest homes that the apes live in to the ruined houses and fortresses the humans live in.
Costume designer Melissa Bruning does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for what the humans wear. Visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri does brilliant work with the visual effects from the motion-capture look of the apes where it has an air of realism in the way they look in the performances as well as some of the set dressing for what San Francisco would look like in the future following the virus epidemic. Sound designers Will Files and Douglas Murray do amazing work with the sound from some of the sound effects as well as the apes sound and some of the moments in the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is incredible as the score is filled with some thrilling orchestral themes that are full of unique string and percussive arrangements as well as some bombastic themes for the action scenes.
The casting by Debra Zane is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Jon Eyez and Enrique Murciano as a couple of Malcolm’s associates who would help him restore the dam as they gained the trust of the apes, Kirk Acevedo as another associate of Malcolm who would get the group in trouble as well as he doesn’t trust the apes, and Kodi Smit-McPhee as Malcolm’s son Alexander who would befriend the orangutan Maurice through his drawing and love of books. In the small role of the apes, there’s Judy Greer as Caesar’s wife Cornelia, Terry Notary as Caesar’s friend Rocket, Doc Shaw as Rocket’s son Ash who is Blue Eyes’ best friend, and Karin Konoval as Maurice who is Caesar’s closest advisor and one of the few who knows that human beings aren’t really so bad. Nick Thurston is terrific as Caesar and Cornelia’s eldest son Blue Eyes who becomes torn with the ideas of his father and Koba’s actions as he would see up close into the latter’s actions as Thurston would be one of the few apes to actually speak. Keri Russell is excellent as Malcolm’s wife Ellie as a former doctor who would gain Caesar’s trust when she helped the ailing Cornelia while being aware of what could happen as she tries to maintain a sense of hope for herself, Alexander, and Malcolm.
Jason Clarke is fantastic as Malcolm as a good man who just wants peace as he would be a reminder to Caesar on the good qualities of humanity as he tries to help defuse the situation between apes and humans. Gary Oldman is superb as Dreyfus as a military leader who is trying to get ready for any conflict as he is driven by grief and fear to fight the apes. Toby Kebbell is brilliant as ape Koba as this scared lab ape who has a huge distrust and hatred for humans as he questions Caesar’s loyalty where he would take action and eventually cause trouble. Finally, there’s Andy Serkis in a phenomenal performance as Caesar where Serkis brings that physicality to his performance as well a sense of weight as an ape who had seen it all but is aware that apes nor man are better than one another as he tries to come to terms with what he might lose and the future that his family would face.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a remarkable film from Matt Reeves. Armed with a great cast that includes Andy Serkis leading a group of actors in playing apes through performance-capture technology. The film is definitely a sequel that isn’t just superior than its predecessor but also offers so much more than what most summer blockbuster films usually bring. Even as it has strong themes on the idea of family as well as the concept of conflict. In the end, Dawn of the Planet Apes is a sensational film from Matt Reeves.
Related: Rise of the Planet of the Apes - War for the Planet of the Apes
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is the story of a millionaire in the Roaring 20s as he lives an extravagant life as his new neighbor tries to get to know him and the mysteries about this millionaire. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, the film is a stylized take on the famed novel with lots of lavish set pieces with a soundtrack that is mixture of 20s jazz with contemporary pop music. Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Debicki, Jason Clarke, and Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim. The Great Gatsby is a lavish yet mesmerizing film from Baz Luhrmann.
The film is the story a mysterious millionaire who throws these lavish parties in the hopes that an old flame would return to him to rekindle the love they once had. Yet, it is told largely from the perspective that millionaire’s neighbor Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) who is given personal access to the life and mind of this mysterious man known as Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) as he recalls his time with the millionaire to a doctor (Jack Thompson). While Carraway tells this story, he delves into the mystery of Gatsby and his love for Carraway’s cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) who is married to a former polo player in Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Yet, secrets are unveiled as Carraway tries to guard everything about Gatsby who is eager to revive an old past that can’t be replicated.
The screenplay that Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce creates moves back-and-forth as it is told from a weary Carraway at a hospital many years after the events of the story. While it’s a narrative device that Luhrmann had used before, it does help to play into the many mysteries that are slowly revealed. Notably the character of Gatsby himself as he throws these very lavish parties but few people see him with the exception of Carraway and a famed golf pro in Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki) as the latter sort of knows Gatsby. There is still a traditional three-act structure in the film where the first act is about Carraway’s arrival in 1920s New York City where he lives next door to Gatsby as he later meets him. The second act is Carraway reintroducing Gatsby to Daisy as the two try to replicate what they once had. The third is Gatsby’s attempt to win Daisy all over again for good in an attempt to repeat the past only to be exposed by the jealous Buchanan.
Carraway is the film’s observer as he would also take part in some of the decadence that occurs but he’s also the great protector where he would guard secrets but sometimes it would be the detriment to those involved. The character of Daisy is sort of this aloof young woman who has married this former polo champion who is also a philandering man with a mistress in Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher). By coming back to Gatsby, she is eager to find happiness again but she becomes conflicted in her devotion to Buchanan who is suspicious about Gatsby as he becomes a very conniving individual eager to expose Gatsby to the world. He would also be the person that would play into Gatsby’s fall in the third act as it leads to some tragic consequences that Carraway would never recover from.
Luhrmann’s direction is definitely outrageous as he goes for something that is very decadent as well as extravagant to play up the energy of the 1920s. Still, it emphasizes into what Luhrmann wanted to reveal into a world that is sort of out of touch with reality where Gatsby is this shadowy party host who has more ambiguous intentions for these parties. For the Carraway character, Luhrmann displays him as a man who is in the action but also out of the action as a man lost in a very crazy world. Luhrmann definitely creates a lot of compositions and set pieces that play up to that sense of excitement where these parties are out of control. Yet, he also does slow things a bit when it comes to the romance between Gatsby and Daisy as if it’s all about trying to repeat the past.
Since it is told from Carraway’s perspective as it uses a lot of voice-over narration, it does play into something where it is about a young man trying to find himself in the wake of this very chaotic period of time. Though there’s some flaws in the narration since it does give away a lot, it does help to flesh out some of the characters. While there are moments in the film where the decadent moments can be a bit overwhelming, it is balanced by some very lush scenes that unveil a sense of longing as well as the tragedy that comes into play in the third act. The direction is very stylized in where Luhrmann places the camera as well as the setting he creates where there is some tension but also drama. Overall, Luhrmann creates a very exciting and poignant film about love and secrets in a period of decadence.
Cinematographer Simon Duggan does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography with its exotic colors of the daytime and nighttime exteriors including some lighting schemes in the interiors plus some lush coloring for some of its flashback scenes. Editors Matt Villa, Jason Ballantine, and Jonathan Redmond do some nice work with the editing though it sometimes go a bit fast to play out that sense of chaos while it does slow down a bit as the film goes on to get a sense of what is happening in the drama. Production/costume designer Catherine Martin, with set decorator Beverley Dunn and supervising art director Ian Gracie, does amazing work with the lavish set pieces such as the Gatsby home and the look of 1920s New York City while the costumes are very colorful and full of style as it plays to the period of the times.
Hair designer Kerry Warn and makeup designer Maurizio Silvi do brilliant work with the look of the characters from the hair and some of the makeup to play that sense of sensationalism. Visual effects supervisor Tony Cole does terrific work with the visual effects for some of the exteriors of New York City to some backdrops for the surroundings the characters inhabit. Sound designer Wayne Pashley does superb work with the sound from the way the parties play out with its sense of energy to some of the intimate moments in the film. The film’s music by Craig Armstrong is wonderful for its lush orchestral music to play out the sense of romance between Gatsby and Daisy as well as some more heavy pieces to play out it‘s melancholia. Music supervisor Anton Monsted creates a very fine soundtrack of music that features an array of 20s jazz music mixed in with contemporary pop music from Jay-Z, the xx, Lana del Rey, Emile Sande, Fergie, and many others.
The casting by Nikki Barrett and Ronna Kress is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some appearances from Barry Otto as a partygoer, Conor Forgarty as Gatsby’s butler, Adelaide Clemons as Myrtle’s cousin Catherine, Callan McAullife as the young Gatsby, and Jack Thompson as Carraway’s doctor Walter Perkins. Amitabh Bachchan is excellent as the gangster Meyer Wolfsheim as a man who is full of charisma as he treats Gatsby like an old friend while Jason Clarke is terrific as the oblivious George Wilson. Isla Fisher is wonderful as the very needy mistress Myrtle Wilson who feels slighted by Buchanan while Elizabeth Debicki is amazing as the very fun yet knowing Jordan Baker who guides Carraway into the world of the rich.
Joel Edgerton is great as the very devious Tom Buchanan as a man who does love Daisy but is suspicious about Gatsby though he admits to his own flaws as a man. Carey Mulligan is superb as Daisy Buchanan as a young woman who becomes conflicted in her devotion to Tom and her love for Gatsby as she’s also sort of flighty. Tobey Maguire is brilliant as Nick Carraway as an outsider who becomes part of the world while becoming the one person bearing the responsibility to carry the secrets he has learned from the people he meets. Finally, there’s Leonardo diCaprio in a remarkable role as Jay Gatsby as he’s a man that exudes charm and with while being totally cool where diCaprio also shows some humor in his performance as well as humility in the third as it is one of his finest performances.
The Great Gatsby is a marvelous film from Baz Luhrmann that features a phenomenal performance from Leonardo diCaprio. Along with a great supporting cast and some amazing technical work, the film is definitely a very sensational and excessive film that isn’t afraid to be style over substance. While it does have some flaws, it is still a film that is engaging for exploring that world of 1920s decadence as well as a man’s desire to reclaim the past. In the end, The Great Gatsby is a sprawling yet exciting film from Baz Luhrmann.
Baz Luhrmann Films: Strictly Ballroom - William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet - Moulin Rouge! - Australia - The Auteurs #23: Baz Luhrmann
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty is the story about a CIA officer who goes on a long search for Osama Bin Laden as it takes many years until he is finally captured. The film is an exploration into one of the great manhunts in American history and what it took to finally bring down the man who orchestrated the 9/11 attacks. Starring Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, and James Gandolfini. Zero Dark Thirty is a haunting yet gripping film from Kathryn Bigelow.
The film is essentially the story about one of the greatest manhunts in American history concerning Osama Bin Laden as it the story spans eight years into the search for the man who orchestrated the attacks on 9/11. Leading the pack is a CIA officer named Maya (Jessica Chastain) as she arrives to Pakistan in 2003 where she witness interrogation tortures and all sorts of things while being part of a team trying to find out where Bin Laden is. Through some trials and tribulations where she sees people come and go. Maya becomes intent on finding Bin Laden after a prisoner she interrogates reveals information about a courier. It is through this courier known as Abu Ahmed where Maya believes that he is the link to finding Bin Laden where it would take some guess work and determination to finally find and kill Bin Laden.
Mark Boal’s screenplay doesn’t play to a lot of conventions in terms of what is expected in a thriller with some action as a lot of the story takes place inside embassies, interrogation rooms, and military bases. While the story does take place largely from 2003 to the night Bin Laden was finally killed in May of 2011, the narrative does jump from one year to another to establish the long work it took for Maya and many to find Bin Laden. Even as the narrative plays to key moments in history such as the London bombing in 2005, the Islamabad Marriot Hotel bombing in 2008 that Maya and her friend Jessica (Jennifer Ehle) survived, and the 2009 Camp Chapman attack.
These events as well as the departure of friends and colleagues would eventually drive the very timid and naïve Maya into a determined woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to find Bin Laden and have him killed. While she does become a target where she survives a shooting in Pakistan, she doesn’t give up easily as she becomes obsessed with finding the courier. While her determination does have those questioning whether they’ll find something or just feel like they’re wasting their time. After the first two acts approached the narrative slowly where it does like they’re not going anywhere due to false information and such. It’s the film’s third act that becomes the payoff as it’s momentum is heightened as it leads to the film’s climatic moment where a group of Navy SEALs raid Bin Laden’s compound.
Kathryn Bigelow’s direction is truly mesmerizing in the way she explores a world where it is about what is happening behind the scenes where a group of American officials are trying to find out where Bin Laden is. Notably as she maintains an air of intimacy in many of the scenes that take place in the board room while it’s also tense at times due to the fact that information is unveiled or something bad is happening. While part of the film does take place in embassies and buildings where Bigelow always have a camera moving around whenever characters are walking. She always stop to create some fantastic images that includes a scene where the American embassy in Pakistan is surrounded by protestors as officials watch from the inside.
With a few second unit shots around parts of the Middle East including Kuwait, many of the film’s exteriors were shot in India including its deserts in order to not gain issues from shooting on actual locations. Yet, it does manage to present a world that doesn’t seem to enjoy the idea of Americans prying into their world. There’s some intense action scenes involving a few bombings where Bigelow knows how to stage something that is intense while the torture scenes reveal how graphic things are without going over the top. One part of the film that is really interesting is the way Bigelow opens the film where it’s just a blank screen where audio recordings of the 9/11 attacks are happening to establish why people were intent on this manhunt for Bin Laden.
For the film’s climatic raid that would unveil the death of Bin Laden, the action is definitely gripping from the use of night vision footage and hand-held cameras without being overly shaky. There’s definitely an element of suspense and terror over the fact that anything could go wrong as the soldiers themselves act very cautiously. Notably as they don’t want to kill innocent people while a few outside of the compound are aware that neighbors are looking at them. It is truly a moment in film that is just entrancing due to what will happen and its result. Overall, Bigelow creates a provocative yet captivating film about the greatest manhunt in American history.
Cinematographer Greig Fraser does brilliant work with the film‘s photography from the sunny look of some of the film‘s exteriors and interior settings to the more stylish array of lights for scenes at night including a key moment at Area 51. Editors William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor do incredible work with the editing by employing lots of methodical cuts for some of the film‘s suspense along with a few montages to display moments of news and such in some of the more chilling moments. Production designer Jeremy Hindle, along with supervising art director Rod McLean and set decorators Lisa Chugg and Onkar Khot, does amazing work with the design of the embassies and its offices to the look of the military camps.
Costume designer George L. Little does nice work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual though the officials wear suits as well as veils for the women. Visual effects supervisors Chris Harvey and Mike Uguccioni do terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects that includes the film‘s climatic raid involving the helicopters riding over the mountains. Sound designer Paul N.J. Ottosson does excellent work with the sound from the film‘s opening moments through the layers of mixing of phone taps and other intimate moments as well as the action scenes. The film’s music by Alexandre Desplat is superb for its low-key yet ominous orchestral score to play up the suspense and drama that occurs throughout the film while incorporating Middle Eastern music to help establish the world the characters are living in.
The casting by Mark Bennett, Richard Hicks, and Gail Stevens is fantastic for the ensemble that is created specifically for this film. In small but memorable roles, there’s Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Frank Grillo, and Taylor Kinney as the Navy SEALs who hunt down Bin Laden, Reda Kateb as a man interrogated and tortured early in the film, Fares Fares as an Arabian CIA specialist who helps track down the courier, Edgar Ramirez as a CIA specialist operator who goes on the look out for the courier in Pakistan, Harold Perrineau as a CIA official Maya works with, and James Gandolfini in a small but amazing performance as then-CIA director Leon Panetta. Kyle Chandler is excellent as Islamabad CIA chief Joseph Bradley while Mark Strong is great as CIA official George who is furious over the lack of progress.
Jennifer Ehle is amazing as Maya’s colleague Jessica who helps Maya with finding out the mysteries while being her friend as they go out together. Jason Clarke is superb as the CIA officer Dan who specializes in tortures while helping Maya out in her search as he would do unconventional things to get information. Finally, there’s Jessica Chastain in an outstanding performance as CIA officer Maya. Chastain’s performance is truly eerie to watch as a woman who starts out as this CIA officer who is new to her job as she later becomes determined and obsessed with capturing Bin Laden where she is willing to display her confidence in the belief that he is there somewhere as it’s definitely one of the year’s best performances.
Zero Dark Thirty is a magnificent yet chilling film from Kathryn Bigelow that features an incredible performance from Jessica Chastain. Armed with Mark Boal’s eerie script and a strong supporting cast that includes Jason Clarke, Jennifer Ehle, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, and James Gandolfini. The film is definitely an intriguing dramatization into what it took to find Osama Bin Laden. While it’s not an easy film to watch at times due to its unconventional structure and slow build-up. It is still a film that is compelling for the way it reveals how one person was willing to find one of the most wanted men around the world. In the end, Zero Dark Thirty is a tremendous film from Kathryn Bigelow.
Kathryn Bigelow Films: The Loveless - Near Dark - Blue Steel - Point Break - Strange Days - The Weight of Water - K-19: The Widowmaker - The Hurt Locker - The Auteurs #29: Kathryn Bigelow
© thevoid99 2013
