Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the story of a woman who rents three billboards to bring attention into why the local police haven’t made any effort into finding out who killed her daughter. It’s a film that explores a small town unraveled by a woman’s need for justice where its chief wants to help but is dealing with personal matters prompting his deputy to cause a lot of trouble. Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, and Sam Rockwell. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a visceral and eerie film from Martin McDonagh.

A young woman had been raped and killed outside a small town in Missouri as her mother becomes consumed with guilt and rage as the investigation hasn’t gone anywhere prompting her to rent three billboards outside of the home that asks its local police chief why hasn’t there been any arrests. The film is about these three billboards which has caused a lot of trouble for this small town in Missouri as its police chief is dealing with the fact that he’s dying from cancer despite the fact that he does want to help. Yet, there are those who are angered by the billboards including a deputy who acts out by causing all sorts of trouble unaware of what he’s supposed to do for the town. Martin McDonagh’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this small town rocked by a murder only to be more unhinged when Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) decides to rent these three billboards outside of a town that is on her way home where it reads the following message in sequential form: “Raped while dying”, “And still no arrests”, and “How come, Chief Willoughby?”

While Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is upset over the billboards, he does understand Mildred’s anger as he is still unable to get a break over the murder of Mildred’s daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton). Adding to his trouble is the fact that he’s diagnosed with cancer as he’s become more concerned with his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish) and his two daughters. Though he tries to continue his job as well as find any clues with Angela’s murder with Deputy Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) helping him despite the fact that he doesn’t like Mildred nor does he do what is right by the law as he is prejudiced and takes the law into his own hands. One of McDonagh’s key aspects of the script isn’t just the structure and this exploration for peace and justice in a small town. It’s also in the development of the characters as both Mildred and Chief Willoughby are individuals want some idea of justice as the first two acts revolve around both of them with the former being a single mother with a teenage son in Robbie (Lucas Hedges) as she also has a contentious relationship with her ex-husband Charlie (John Hawkes).

Then there’s Dixon who is this mama’s boy that is very hot-headed and eager to succeed in the force but is also a dimwit who prefers to read comic books and listen to music on his earphones than do his job. There are people in the force who would question why Willoughby would keep him on the job as it would be unveiled in the third act where it play into Dixon’s development as a character. Especially as he would find his true calling that would give him a sense of purpose as well as give some kind of hope and peace to Mildred and Chief Willoughby.

McDonagh’s direction is definitely evocative in terms of the imagery he creates where it is shot mainly in Sylvia, North Carolina as this small town of Ebbing, Missouri with its usage of mountains and routes with certain curves on the road. Yet, there is this one location of these three abandoned billboards that would be at the center of the film as they would appear constantly whether it’s in a wide shot or in a close-up. Since the billboards are below a hill where Mildred can see hit from her house, it is placed in an area outside of town where it would get a lot of attention where McDonagh’s would showcase how some would react to these billboards. Notably Chief Willoughby and Dixon who would see these billboards as it just add to their reaction whether it’s serious or comical. The humor in the film does have an aspect of darkness but also in the way Mildred deals with people including a local priest as she puts him in his place.

McDonagh would also use close-ups and medium shots to get an intimate look into the lives of the characters in the film as he would show what they’re like as Mildred is just a woman who works in a shop that is just consumed with grief and anger as she lives with her teenage son. Chief Willoughby lives in a farm with his family while living in the small town is Dixon with his mother as they all have different lives and personalities yet are part of this very diverse community that is coming apart by Mildred’s actions. Even in some of the moments that involve arson and violence with the latter coming from Dixon as he beats up a local advertising agent. It’s a gruesome scene but it play into the sense of loss that Dixon is dealing with and his inability to control himself as he would later find that control during a tense meeting with a man at a bar. It’s a moment that shows that despite many of Dixon’s flaws, there is still a man that is just trying to do good for his community. Even in a world where justice is hard to come by for a woman just wanting peace for her daughter and those who had suffered through this murder. Overall, McDonagh crafts a mesmerizing yet gripping film about a woman calling attention for justice for her daughter’s rape and murder.

Cinematographer Ben Davis does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights and such for many of the scenes set at night to a more naturalistic look for the interior/exterior scenes set in the day. Editor Jon Gregory does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Merissa Lombardo and art director Jesse Rosenthal, does fantastic work with the look of some of the locations including the police precinct building and the look of the billboards. Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual including the uniforms Chief Willoughby and his team wear.

Special makeup effects designer Leo Corey Castellano does terrific work with the look of a character late in the film as it play to escalation of tension in the film. Visual effects supervisor Tyler Gooden does wonderful work with the visual effects as it is mainly based on scenes involving fire. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does superb work with the sound with the way some of the scenes in the small town occurs as well as some of the film’s violent moments. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its mixture of low-key orchestral music with some country textures to play into the location of where the film is set while music supervisor Karen Elliott provides a fun and offbeat soundtrack that include music from ABBA, the Four Tops, and a mixture of music genres ranging from folk, country, rock, and classical music.

The casting by Sarah Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Amanda Warren as Mildred’s friend/co-worker Denise, Darrell Britt-Gibson as a billboard painter who helps Mildred in posting the ads, Kerry Condon as the advertising agent secretary Pamela, Clarke Peters as a man who would come at the film’s second half to take charge of the investigation, Nick Searcy as the local priest who tries to help Mildred only to get a lashing about what he does, Christopher Berry as a mysterious visitor of the town, Sandy Martin as Dixon’s mother who is also prejudiced, Zeljko Ivanek as the precinct desk sergeant Cedric Connolly, Samara Weaving as Charlie’s dim-witted 19-year old girlfriend Penelope, Riya May Atwood and Selah Atwood as Chief Willoughby’s daughters, and Kathryn Newton as Mildred’s daughter Angela in a lone flashback scene on the night she was to be killed. Caleb Landry Jones is terrific as the billboard advertising agent Red Welby who takes Mildred’s money to post the ads where he would later get himself into serious trouble with Dixon.

Lucas Hedges is superb as Mildred’s son Robbie who is dealing with the action of his mother as he considers moving in with his father as he also realizes the need for justice. Peter Dinklage is fantastic as James as a local who is a friend of Mildred as he would help get out of trouble during the film’s third act as a way to give her something she didn’t have in her marriage to Charlie. John Hawkes is excellent as Mildred’s ex-husband Charlie who had been abusive to her as he feels that her action with the billboards have done nothing but bring trouble. Abbie Cornish is brilliant as Willoughby’s wife Anne who is dealing with her husband’s illness as well as the impact of the billboards where she does meet with Mildred in a scene during the second act as it play into the injustice that everyone is dealing with.

Sam Rockwell is incredible as Jason Dixon as a police deputy that is this odd mixture of someone who is ignorant and is willing to do something stupid but there’s also a good person in there where Rockwell toes the line between being profane and being decent where he later goes through a transformation of sorts in the third act where he realizes what needs to be done. Woody Harrelson is remarkable as Chief Bill Willoughby as a local police chief who is the target of Mildred’s billboards as he is aware of what he needs to do but he’s also dealing with his own illness as it’s a role that displays some humility but also some dignity. Finally, there’s Frances McDormand in a phenomenal performance as Mildred Hayes as a woman who is consumed with grief and guilt over the loss of her daughter as she rents three billboards to get attention and justice for her daughter as it’s a role of anguish, rage, and humor in which McDormand just seizes every ounce of energy and anger into her role while displaying this I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude about a world that is dark while clinging to some idea of hope.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a tremendous film from Martin McDonagh. Featuring a great ensemble cast, beautiful locations, an offbeat music soundtrack, and themes about justice and the need for action in a world that doesn’t get anything done. It’s a film that showcases what some will do in a call for action but also to make sense in a world of injustice where there are those that want to do what is right no matter how complicated the world can be. In the end, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a magnificent film from Martin McDonagh.

Martin McDonagh Films: (Six Shooter) – In Bruges - Seven Psychopaths

© thevoid99 2017

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Written and directed by Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene is the story of a young woman who returns home to live with her older sister after being in a cult for two years.  Trying to return to normal life, the young woman struggles with her new surroundings as she‘s haunted by her time with the cult.  Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, Brady Corbet, and John Hawkes.  Martha Marcy May Marlene is a haunting yet evocative film from Sean Durkin.

After leaving a cult in the middle of the Catskill Mountains, Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) finds herself in a small town as she calls her older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson) whom she hadn’t seen or talked to in two years.  Lucy picks her up as she lets Martha stay at a lake house in Connecticut with Lucy’s husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) who are there on vacation.  Lucy is bewildered by Martha’s behavior as she does odd things around the house while being very secretive about her time with a cult that is led by a man named Patrick (John Hawkes).  Martha reflects on her time with the cult where she was called Marcy May as she struggles to re-introduce herself to society.  Paranoia would eventually seep into Martha’s mind as it starts to take a toll on Ted and Lucy as things eventually come crashing down.

What happens to a young woman who had disappeared for two years as a member of a cult as she tries to return to a normal society?  That is what writer/director Sean Durkin asks in this very compelling film about a woman lost in her surroundings as she seeks to find help in her older sister.  Yet, she is haunted by her time with the cult that involved all sorts of things including theft, manipulation, and violence as she was the favorite of this ominous cult leader.  Her odd behavior towards her surroundings in Lucy’s lake house would eventually cause tension between herself, Lucy, and Lucy’s husband Ted.  Even as Ted would try to do something to help Martha only to become frustrated with Lucy struggling to deal with her loyalties.

The film’s screenplay features a narrative that moves back and forth from Martha’s time with the cult to her time with Lucy and Ted.  Even as the script would allow scenes to parallel with one another as it would eventually play out Martha’s struggle to be normal.  The screenplay also serves as a character study where Martha would say odd things at Lucy and Ted’s home that includes a dinner scene where she defies Ted’s views on the world yet is unable to say what is better.  The film has a very unique structure in how the story is told through this cross-cutting narrative where the film’s third act would reveal the moments that would make Martha leave the cult as well as unraveling of her behavior that would force Lucy to make a big decision.

Durkin’s direction is entrancing in the way he frames his actors and have them match another composition to emphasize Martha’s confusion and what she’s going through.  Even as he shoots the film in remote locations in the Catskill Mountains where Martha is part of the cult as it involves farm life and activities that is reminiscent to hippie communes.  In the lake house in Connecticut, Durkin creates a world where it almost feels a bit claustrophobic from Martha’s view though the framing is far more open in its presentation.  Durkin always creates interesting shots to present Martha in her surroundings from the close-ups at Ted and Lucy’s home to more wandering medium, wide shots in the Catskill Mountains.  Even in scenes such as Martha feeling paranoid where she acts out her anger at a bartender during a party held by Ted and Lucy where the camera is shot from feet away from the action yet is aware of what is happening. 

It is to establish that the film becomes darker as Durkin slowly reveals what drove Martha to flee the cult while reminding the audience that leaving the cult isn’t as easy as it seems.  Durkin’s camera work in the third act gets more unsettling as it progresses where it leads to an ending that has an air of ambiguity.  Particularly as it plays to Martha’s state of mind as she starts to unravel as it leads to confrontation where Durkin plays out the emotional intensity that is happening.  Overall, Durkin creates a very intriguing yet mesmerizing film about a young woman lost in the world.

Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes does brilliant work with the film‘s photography to capture the natural beauty of the locations as the camera also has a graininess to capture these locations while utilizing more stylish lights for some of the film‘s nighttime interior settings.  Editor Zachary Stuart-Pontier does fantastic work with the editing to create matching transitions to move the story back and forth as well as some methodical cuts to play out the tension that is building between Marcy, Lucy, and Ted.  Production designer Chad Keith and art director Jonathan Guggenheim do excellent work with the set pieces from the decayed farm world that the cult lives in to the more spacious, pristine lake house that Ted and Lucy live in.

Costume designer David Tabbert does nice work with the costumes to establish the differing worlds that Martha and Lucy live in with Martha in more casual clothing with Lucy in more stylish, casual dresses.  Sound mixer Micah Bloomberg does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the farm as well as the sparse intimacy in the lake house location.  The film’s music by Daniel Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans is amazing for its haunting sound with its mix of folk and low-key string music to play out the drama and suspense that occurs in the film.

The casting by Randi Glass and Susan Shopmaker is terrific for the ensemble that is created as it features some noteworthy small appearances from Louisa Krause, Julia Garner, and Maria Dizza as female members of the cult, Christopher Abbott as another cult member, and Brady Corbet as the cult member Watts who is friends with Martha as he would later try to convince to return to the cult.  Hugh Dancy is very good as Ted who tries to get to know Martha and befriend only to become frustrated by her behavior.  Sarah Paulson is wonderful as Martha’s older sister Lucy who tries to figure what happened to Martha while feeling frustrated over her behavior.  John Hawkes is incredible as the cult leader Patrick who has this very dark presence about him as he does thing to Martha that would question herself as he would also guide her into places that she knows is wrong.

Finally, there’s Elizabeth Olsen in a phenomenal performance as Martha.  Olsen displays a great sense of restraint as a woman lost in the world as she tries to deal with her new surroundings.  There is also a sense of darkness in the way Olsen makes Martha a bit confrontational as well as a naivete to the way she perceives about the way the world works.  Olsen is a real discovery as she really creates a performance that is captivating to watch from start to finish.

Martha Marcy May Marlene is an outstanding film from Sean Durkin that features a remarkable performance from Elizabeth Olsen.  Along with noteworthy supporting work from John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, and Hugh Dancy.  It is a film that is truly compelling to see a woman lost in the world as she has no idea how to get herself back.  It’s also a film that revels in the world of cults and how they can disengage themselves from reality.  In the end, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a brilliant film from Sean Durkin.

© thevoid99 2012

Higher Ground

Based on Carolyn Briggs’ memoir This Dark World: A Story of Faith Found and Lost, Higher Ground is the story of a woman whose life goes through various changes when she becomes religious at 18 only to question her beliefs as a married adult. Directed and starring Vera Farmiga with a screenplay by Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe, the film explores the world of faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman in the course of her life. Also starring John Hawkes, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, Dagmara Dominczyk, Joshua Leonard, and Bill Irwin. Higher Ground is a compelling drama from Vera Farmiga.

Following a period where her mother Kathleen (Donna Murphy) had a miscarriage that would ruin the marriage between her mother and father CW (John Hawkes), a young girl named Corinne (McKenzie Turner) is dealing with a troubled aftermath as she attends church with her young sister Wendy (Taylor Schwenke). At the church, Pastor Bud (Bill Irwin) has a sermon where Corinne accepts Jesus into her heart where she watches her parents’ marriage disintegrate. Years later as an 18-year old (Taissa Farmiga), Corinne meets a young rock singer named Ethan (Boyd Holbrook) where they have a relationship that would lead to Corinne getting married and having a baby. The marriage nearly crumbles following an accident when Ethan’s band goes on the road where he and Corinne decide to give their life towards God.

Time has passed as Corinne (Vera Farmiga) is now an adult with two kids another on the way while she and Ethan (Joshua Leonard) are part of a community of followers that includes Corinne’s friend Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk). A visit from Wendy (Nina Arianda) starts off well until Wendy’s lifestyle starts to get to Ethan while Corinne becomes fascinated by Wendy’s views on God and faith. Though Corinne loves the community, she starts to feel slighted by its restrictions over what to wear and such where it starts to overwhelm her after getting her third child. When Annika starts to feel ill leaving Corinne worried, the result would have an impact on Corinne’s views as it would lead to her marriage to finally unravel. Notably as she starts to have doubts about the way God works leading to Corinne to wonder if she had taken the right path to righteousness.

The film is about a life of a woman spanning through four different decades of her life where she encounters the world of Jesus Christ and faith only to find herself questioning about God’s will. It’s a compelling story that is about faith and doubt in the eyes of a woman who starts off going through tragedy only to find solace in God but later becomes doubtful following the restrictions of her community and various incidents that would impact her doubts. Carolyn Briggs and Tim Metcalfe’s screenplay does an excellent job in exploring Corinne’s life in the world of God and such. When it comes to the film’s third act, it gets a bit drawn out because the story starts to drag a bit as Corinne starts to break away from her old life to try and find something new. There’s nothing bad about it but it just takes a lot of out of what the first 2 acts had done in terms of dramatic execution.

Vera Farmiga’s direction is quite engaging and stylish for the way she opened the film with a baptism and then cuts to the narrative to follow this woman’s life. Shot on location in upstate New York, the film has gorgeous images of the fields and cliffs to play out the world that Corrine and her community live in. Farmiga also knows how to set up dramatic moments with her framing and having the actors be placed to create dramatic tension. A lot of it is very interesting despite the flaws in the third act where it loses a bit of steam. While the film is a dramatic take on a woman’s life, Farmiga isn’t afraid to put in some humor including a strange fantasy scene to play out what Corinne might be feeling. Overall, Farmiga does a solid job in creating an insightful film about a woman’s exploration towards faith.

Cinematographer Michael McDonough does excellent work with the film‘s photography from the lush look of the interiors for the scenes in the 60s and 70s to a more naturalistic look for the scenes in the 80s and 90s with some gorgeous exterior shots of the locations. Editor Colleen Sharp does nice work with the editing to create something that is straightforward without a lot of style while maintaining a leisured pace for the film. Production designer Sharon Lomofsky, with art directors Shawn Carroll and Lisa Meyers and set decorator Diana Bregman, does fantastic work with the set pieces such as the homes that Corinne lives in to the churches that she attends.

Costume designer Amela Baksic does wonderful work with the clothes that Corrine wears to explore her evolution and personality through the dresses she wears in the 70s and 80s to a more casual look in the 90s. Sound editor Robert Hein does terrific work with the sound from the intimacy of the churches to the way music is performed in a lot of those scenes. The film’s score by Alec Puro is superb for its folk-driven sound while its soundtrack that is assembled by music supervisor Levon Broussalian features a lot of folk-based religious music.

The casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Ebon-Moss Bachrach as community member Luke, Norbert Leo Butz as community leader Pastor Bill, Barbara Tuttle as Bill’s wife, Sean Mahon as the Irish mail carrier that Corinne befriends late in the film, Jack Gilpin as a therapist Corinne meets, Michael Chernus as Annika’s husband Ned, and Bill Irwin as the inspiring Pastor Bud. In the roles of Corrine and Ethan’s children, there’s Flynn Hawkey, Luella Roche, and Sarah Little as the eldest daughter Abigail, Sarah Banks and Zoe Allegra as Lily, and Matthew Biltonen as the young child Gabe.

Boyd Holbrook is excellent as the young Ethan with his energetic performance while Kaitlyn Rae King is very good as the teenage Wendy with Taylor Schwenke who is also good as the younger Wendy. McKenzie Turner is wonderful as the young Corinne while Taissa Farmiga is amazing as the teenage Corinne who feels lost in her world as she falls for the young Ethan. Donna Murphy is brilliant as Corinne’s outgoing mother Kathleen while John Hawkes is terrific as Corinne’s troubled yet laconic father CW as the two have a great moment in a scene in the third act. Nina Arianda is superb as Corinne’s troubled sister Wendy who tries to figure out her sister’s world while admitting she is troubled. Dagmara Dominczyk is great as Corinne’s best friend Annika whose view on faith would shape Corinne’s view later on.

Joshua Leonard is fantastic as Corinne’s husband Ethan who tries to maintain his musical side while becoming confused by his wife’s behavior as he tries to hold on to his faith. Finally, there’s Vera Farmiga as Corinne where Farmiga’s performance is entrancing in the way she tries to deal with God and religion only to become confused by her world and its restrictions as it’s one of Farmiga’s essential performances.

Higher Ground is a stellar and fascinating film from Vera Farmiga as it features a terrific ensemble cast that includes Joshua Leonard, Dagmara Dominiczyk, Taissa Farmiga, Donna Murphy, and John Hawkes. For audiences that is interested in the world of religious communities and faith will definitely find the film intriguing despite the flaws it carries in its third act. In the end, Higher Ground is a film worth seeing from its star and director Vera Farmiga.

© thevoid99 2012

From Dusk till Dawn

Directed by Robert Rodriguez and screenplay by Quentin Tarantino based on an original story by Robert Kurtzman, From Dusk till Dawn is the story of two bank robbing brothers who take a family hostage as they travel to Mexico where they all enter a bar that is very mysterious as they later have to battle vampires. The film is a horror-comedy that involves Rodriguez’s stylish approach to violence as well as Tarantino’s snappy and witty dialogue. Starring George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Salma Hayek, and Cheech Marin with appearances from John Saxon, John Hawkes, Michael Parks, Kelly Preston, Danny Trejo, Tom Savini, and Fred Williamson. From Dusk till Dawn is a fun and in-your-face film from Robert Rodriguez.

After robbing a bank and then dealing with a bloody gun battle with Texas Ranger Earl McGraw (Michael Parks) and a liquor store clerk (John Hawkes), Seth Gecko (George Clooney) and his younger brother Richard (Quentin Tarantino) are on the run as they hope to reach Mexico to meet with a crime boss named Carlos (Cheech Marin) to split the money. The brothers have a hostage (Brenda Hillhouse) whom Richard is interested in as they stop at a motel where things go wrong until a faith-challenged pastor named Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel) checks in. Jacob is with his young adult daughter Kate (Juliette Lewis) and her adopted Chinese brother Scott (Ernest Liu) as they’re going to Mexico where they’re confronted by Seth. Seth asks Jacob to drive his RV to Mexico as Richard, Kate, and Scott all go in for the ride.

After a tense moment involving a border guard (Cheech Marin) at the border, the five are able to make it to Mexico where they stop at the rendezvous point at a bar called the Titty Twister. Things seemed fine where Seth, Jacob, Richard, Kate, and Scott all have drinks as they’re later entertained by the exotic stripper Satanico Pandemonium (Salma Hayek). Yet, a scuffle with a guy named Chet Pussy (Cheech Marin) and the bartender Razor Charlie (Danny Trejo) leads to trouble where it is revealed that the bar is filled with vampires. With help from the whip-wielding Sex Machine (Tom Savini) and the quick-witted Frost (Fred Williamson), the Gecko brothers and the Fullers go on an all-out war the vampires.

The film is essentially a story about two bank robbing-brothers who kidnap a family to Mexico where they later fight off vampires in a strange bar. In the writing style of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s soaring approach to action. It’s a film that does a whole lot more than its B-movie premise suggests while still being a silly, stylish, and over-the-top kind of film that both Tarantino and Rodriguez love. The script that Tarantino creates does have a lot of fast-paced and stylish dialogue that is a trademark of his work as the film starts off as a Tarantino film for its opening scene. While the script is among one of the more straightforward works in terms of narrative structure and dialogue. Tarantino does succeed in creating a story that does help build an element of suspense as well as making characters who are more than what they seem to be.

The direction of Robert Rodriguez is truly a joy to watch from the opening scene between Earl McGraw and the liquor store clerk that is very straightforward and charming to the dark intensity that follows where the Gecko brothers are properly introduced. While Rodriguez maintains a keen sense of style in the film’s violent moments filled with a few slow-motion shootouts and some frenetic fights that goes in the bar scenes. Rodriguez knows how to create tension without going overboard by taking his time and wait for the payoff. Also serving as the editor, Rodriguez is able to create a wide array of style to the cutting in order to create a film that plays up to Tarantino’s fast-paced dialogue while also being able to slow things down. Overall, Rodriguez creates a very solid and exciting film that does a whole lot more than its vampire-action genre suggests.

Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro does a brilliant job with the film‘s stylish photography from the very sunny look of the desert exteriors of Texas to the more exotic array of lights and dark settings created at the Titty Twister bar scenes. Production designer Cecilia Montiel, along with set decorator Felipe Fernandez del Paso and art director Mayne Berke, does an excellent job with the design of the Titty Twister bar interiors as well as the hall that everyone is at for the fight and Satanico Pandemonium‘s dance. Costume designer Graciela Mazon does a nice job with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual except for the leather clothing that Sex Machine and Razor Charlie wear.

Visual effects supervisors Diana Dru Botsford and Daniel Fort do fantastic work with some of the film‘s special visual effects such as the human transformation into vampires as well as some of fire that occurs once the vampires are killed. Sound editor Dean Beville does some great work in the sound from the way the vampires growl sound to the layers of gunshots and all sorts of sound effects made during the fights. The film’s score by Graeme Revell is very good for its mix of suspenseful orchestral pieces to a mixture of Texas blues music that is rampant in the film’s soundtrack. Notably as it features contributions from ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmie Vaughn, the Blasters, and Tito & Tarantula that appears as the Titty Twister’s house band.

The casting by Elaine J. Huzzar and Johanna Ray is superb for the ensemble that is created ranging from famous character actors to actors famous for being in certain genre films. Making small appearances include John Saxon as a FBI agent, Kelly Preston as a TV news reporter, John Hawkes as the liquor store clerk, Michael Parks as Texas Ranger Earl McGraw, Brenda Hillhouse as the Gecko brothers’ hostage, Danny Trejo as the badass bartender Razor Charlie, horror film guru Tom Savini as the whip-wielding Sex Machine, and blaxploitation icon Fred Williamson as the war veteran Frost. Notable supporting roles include Cheech Marin playing three roles such as a border patrol guard, the gangster Carlos, and in a hilarious performance as the pussy-talking Chet Pussy.

Salma Hayek is excellent as the sexy and devilishly charming Satanico Pandemonium while Ernest Liu is alright as the more naïve and reluctant Scott Fuller. Juliette Lewis is terrific as Kate who starts off as a reluctant friend of the Gecko brothers to becoming a full-fledge badass. Quentin Tarantino is very good as Richard Gecko who often has these strange fantasies about what women says to him while dealing with a wounded hand. Harvey Keitel is great as the conflicted Jacob Fuller who tries to deal with his own issues while helping out the Gecko brothers fight off the vampires. Finally, there’s George Clooney in a brilliant performance as the cool Seth Gecko who leads the way against the vampires while trying not to be a total criminal as he actually shows some compassion.

From Dusk till Dawn is an incredible and ass-kicking film from Robert Rodriguez and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino. Featuring a wonderful cast, great music, and lots of gory yet top-notch violence. It’s a film that doesn’t hold back in what it wants to be while making it a whole lot of fun to watch. Notably as it’s all about killing vampires with all sorts of things with catchy dialogue and amazing scenery. In the end, From Dusk till Dawn is an entertaining and thrilling film from Robert Rodriguez.

Robert Rodriguez Films: (El Mariachi) - (Roadracers) - (Desperado) - Four Rooms-The Misbehavers - (The Faculty) - (Spy Kids) - (Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams) - (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over) - (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Sin City - (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D) - Grindhouse-Planet Terror - (Shorts) - (Machete) - (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World)

© thevoid99 2012

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/3/06 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written, directed, and starring Miranda July, Me and You and Everyone We Know is a multi-layered ensemble drama about lonely people trying to connect with other people. One story involves a performance artist/cab driver who falls for a divorced man along with stories about a 14-year old kid getting the attention of young girls while a 7-year old boy meets someone on the Internet. Also starring John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, and Carlie Westerman. Me and You and Everyone We Know is a delightful, idiosyncratic debut from the multi-talented Miranda July.

Shoe salesman Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) has just gotten divorced from his wife Pam (JoNell Kennedy) as he gets shared custody of their sons in 14-year old Peter (Miles Thompson) and Robby (Brandon Ratcliff). While Richard struggles to connect with his sons as they've become more interested in chatting online on the Internet. A struggling performance artist named Christine Jeperson (Miranda July) works part-time as a cab driver for the elderly as she helps out an old man named Michael (Hector Elias). With Christine buying shoes for Michael at the mall, she meets Richard who was working as she falls for him. Richard's co-worker Andrew (Brad William Henke) finds himself being tempted by two young teenage girls in Heather (Natasha Slayton) and Rebecca (Najarra Townsend) over their interest in sex.

Peter and Robby's online chatting has them also interested in sex where Robby's strange idea in chatting with a mysterious person gets more intriguing. Particularly as Peter becomes an interest towards Heather and Rebecca in their discovery for sex as they get him involved for help where it ends up being awkward for all of them. Peter meanwhile, becomes more interested towards a younger girl named Sylvie (Carlie Westerman) who saw Peter with the two other girls. When Christine decides to take a tape to an art gallery director in Nancy Herrington (Tracy Wright), Christine later bumps into Richard as she tries to connect with him. Richard however is still dealing with his divorce while Peter becomes ill while Christine ponders about her own loneliness.

Now the idea of connecting various characters in a number of stories is a style that is old that is made famously by the seminal works of Robert Altman. What Miranda July does is take that ensemble, multi-story world into a new level where it's fresh and original. Notably for its awkwardness of how unusual people are trying to connect with one another. Especially in the discoveries of sex and things where the young kids are trying to figure it out, including their own idea about the future. Even July's character Christine is trying to connect with not just on her own eccentricity but also through her art where it reveals her strange personality but also an artist who has something to say. This approach truly creates not just something that is very original but unique in the themes its conveying about loneliness.

July's script is filled with natural stories where the connections between character doesn't feel contrived and the situations are in are felt more naturally in its humor and dramatic context. Particularly how the kids try to discover the strange world of sex, even in its most perverse to the point that all the characters involved in that situation are just weird and unsure. July's fascinating screenplay is helped even more by her wondrous direction where she observes all the characters and their situations even as they attempt to try connect with one another. July's camera often focuses on not just the characters but the objects and things around them, especially in their own suburban environment where everyone feels lonely with very few people to talk to. What July creates is a debut feature that is filled with wonderful imagery and moments that speaks true to her characters and the lonely world they live in.

Helping July in her vision is cinematographer Chuy Chavez whose colorful photography helps with July's eccentric vision with shades of blue for evening sequences while all sorts of colors come out in every way to convey the feelings of the characters. Production designer Aran Mann and art director John Wyatt also help out July in her strange vision with the design of not just Richard's small, shabby apartment but the objects from Sylvie's hope chest and the museum things that includes some of July's own material. The costumes of Christine Wittenborn also reveal the strange, quirky personality of the characters involved, including some of July's own clothing which are filled with strange shirts and decaying shoes. Editors Andrew Dickler and Charles Ireland do wonderful job with the film's strange rhythm in its 92-minute running time with quirky cuts and solid editing that helps the film convey its own sense of style, especially in its presentation to convey what those characters are feeling.

The film's music is filled with strange, quirky score treatment by Michael Andrews along with original music from Ryeland Allison which helps conveys the loneliness and odd behaviors of the characters. The rest of the music is filled with cuts by Spiritualized, Cody ChesnuTT, and Virginia Astley where all the music is film creates a wonderful, poignant soundtrack.

Finally, we have the film's wonderful, ensemble cast that includes some nice, small performances from Ellen Greer as Michael's ailing wife, JoNell Kennedy, Colette Kilroy as Sylvie's mom, and Amy French as Nancy's assistant. In the role of the two underage girls discovering sex, Natasha Slayton and Najarra Townsend are excellent in their performances as naive, Lolita-like girls who get into more than they bargain for in their discovering of sex. Carlie Westerman is even better as a younger girl who not only gets her first glimpse of sex but is more innocent in her dream to have a family while holding items she hope would be useful for her own future. Tracy Wright is also excellent in the role of the museum director who is really troubled in finding something that would stand out for her museum while dealing with her own loneliness. Brad William Henke brings humor to a troubling performance as Richard's co-worker who is attracted to young girls but is aware of that what he's doing is wrong as he tries to deal with his perverse ideas.

Hector Elias is also excellent in the role of Michael, an old man who is about to mourn the upcoming passing of his wife while helping Christine with her project. Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff give the best performances of the young cast as two young boys growing into a world where they discover sex with Thompson giving the more mature performance as a boy being confused. Ratcliff meanwhile, plays the more innocent role as his innocent suggestion leads to immense amounts of confusion as the boy discovers the world of sex. John Hawkes is extraordinarily amazing in his role as Richard who is desperate to try and connect with his own sons while dealing with the awkwardness of Christine as he and July have wonderful, natural chemistry as Hawkes delivers an amazing performance. Finally, there's Miranda July in a wonderful performance as Christine whose emotional struggle to connect with her art and personality is very troubling as July sells every moment of failure and heartbreak in a wonderfully, sympathetic performance.

The 2005 MGM Region 1 DVD shows the film in its 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen format along with its 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound for English. The special features though are minimal since they show several film trailers and previews for other movies. The only special feature for the film is shown are six deleted scenes. Three of them involve Robby's innocent yet perverse idea of sex. Another is an alternate version of Peter's meeting with Sylvie at school and two more scenes involves Sylvie discovering a girl she knows working as a model. While the scenes are nice to see, it's understandable why they got cut and if they were kept in the film, it would disrupt its rhythm. The DVD overall is nice but hopefully in the future, more features especially from July's own input would be revealed.

Me and You and Everyone We Know is a mesmerizing debut film from Miranda July. Featuring a great supporting performance from John Hawkes, it's a film that is truly unique and original with lots of great visual touches and an endearing theme about human contact. While a lot of its eccentric ideas and July's approach to the story telling might be twee to some viewers. There is something that is still unlike anything out there as it really shows something new that a lot of people haven't seen. In the end, Me and You and Everyone We Know is an enchanting debut film from Miranda July.

Miranda July Films: The Future - Kajillionaire

© thevoid99 2011

Contagion

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, Contagion is the story of a world threatened by a mysterious virus as panic ensues while doctors try to find the cure. The film is a harrowing thriller with multiple storylines as doctors race to create a cure while ordinary people are panicking as a blogger tries to create chaos through allegations of corruption. Starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Sanaa Lathan, Elliot Gould, and Kate Winslet. Contagion is a chilling yet hypnotic thriller from Steven Soderbergh.

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis feeling ill from a business trip at Hong Kong. Suddenly feeling ill and having a seizure, her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) takes her to the hospital where something bad happens as she and her son (Griffin Kane) are hit with a deadly virus. While Mitch is revealed to be immune with his daughter Jory (Anna Jacoby-Heron) arriving, more news about the disease that Beth received has reached the CDC in Atlanta. CDC head Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) asks his colleague in Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) to investigate what happened in Minneapolis as news about mysterious deaths in Asia and Europe have emerged. Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) is asked by the World Health Organization in Switzerland to investigate what happens as she goes to Hong Kong for answers.

Back in Atlanta, Dr. Cheever and Dr. Ally Hextal (Jennifer Ehle) try to figure out what does the disease do as Hextal goes to Dr. Ian Sussman (Elliott Gould) for some help. Yet, Dr. Sussman is dealing with the presence of a blogger named Alan Krumweide (Jude Law) who is demanding some answers while believing that there is something going on. When Rear Admiral Lyle Haggerty (Bryan Cranston) asks Cheever to not expose anything more, Hextal reluctantly asks Sussman to stop with his research only for him to find a breakthrough. Realizing that the virus is more complicated and a vaccine would take a lot of time, panic is starting to ensue. Dr. Mears meanwhile, continues to investigate as things start to go wrong while telling Mitch and Jory to stay home thinking that the disease could be much worse.

In Hong Kong, Dr. Orantes makes some discoveries about how Beth contracted the disease as she wants to report it to her superiors only for her associate Sun Feng (Chin Han) to stop her because his village is in trouble and he wants to help them. During a TV interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Cheever tries to maintain calm only to go head-to-head with Krumweide who accuses Cheever of trying to prolong the vaccine for profit. With the world in chaos and the race to create a vaccine becoming more intense, panic spreads worldwide as millions of people start to die from this mysterious disease.

What happens when a world is thrown into chaos by an epidemic where doctors try to figure out what happened and how this disease is spread while trying to create a cure at the same time? Meanwhile, there’s ordinary people in a state of panic as they couldn’t touch each other in the risk of infection while the media tries to uncover all that is happening with a rogue blogger trying to maintain that there’s a conspiracy going on. This is what director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns create in this film where it’s about a world in panic through a strange epidemic where lives are at risks and a cure is unavailable for the time being though this rogue blogger claim that there is a cure and the government is preventing it for profit.

Burns’ multi-layered script is definitely filled with intrigue and character study as there’s a lot of stories that revolves around in this film that is all about panic. There’s the story of a man who lost his family through disease as he tries to protect his teenage daughter while a doctor from the CDC tries to help only to come head-to-head with the disease. There’s also the CDC head who is trying to do what is right as his wife (Sanaa Lathan) is in Chicago while trying to keep the world calm as he has to deal with this crazy, conspiracy-driven blogger. The Alan Krumweide character is a man trying to make it as a blogger while wanting to prove that there is a cure but what he ends up doing is cause trouble and questions about his own motives.

Other narratives such as a French doctor’s trip to Hong Kong to find the source of how the disease spread worldwide and a doctor trying to create a cure add to the sense of chaos that surrounds the film. Yet, many of these characters all go through some kind of personal change or have personal motivations to do what they do. Mitch Emhoff just wants to protect his daughter while Dr. Cheever wants to help all that he can including a janitor (John Hawkes) whom he often confers with every day at work. Burns’ script definitely plays up to the sense of fear and paranoia that surrounds the character as well as the fact that they could all die from something as drastic as this mysterious disease. Despite a few flaws for this multi-based narrative where some stories don‘t get revisited until later in the film, Burns does succeed with creating an exciting and chilling story.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is definitely intense in terms of what he presents as it starts off calm until a montage of Beth, a Japanese businessman, a Hong Kong waiter (Tien You Chui), and an Ukranian model (Daria Strokous) starts to feel ill and succumb to the disease. The first five-ten minutes indicate that this won’t be a conventional epidemic thriller as Soderbergh chooses to play with the rhythms by maintaining a sense of dread throughout the film. Since the film takes place in various locations such as Hong Kong, Geneva, Tokyo, London, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Atlanta. Soderbergh makes it aware that the epidemic is worldwide with various characters from around the world trying to make sense or investigate what has happened.

Throughout the film, Soderbergh does try to inject some calmer moments to give the audience a break such as the story that includes Mitch and his daughter as her boyfriend (Brian J. O’Donnell) wants to see her. Notably in the third act as the race to find a cure winds down as Soderbergh slowly tries to make things feel normal while the world remains a mess through images of trash lying on the street and empty cities being shown. The presentation of the film where Soderbergh also acts as cinematographer, in his Peter Andrews alias, has him giving the cities different looks to emphasize the state of paranoia in the world. Using some blue though darker looks for the winter scenes and yellow-sepia for some of the scenes inside like the Hong Kong and CDC interior scenes so the locations can have a different look and feel. While the overall presentation is solid despite a few flaws in the story and its multi-layered narrative, Soderbergh does create a compelling yet eerie film about the world of epidemics.

Editor Stephen Mirrone does an excellent job with the film‘s editing by creating wonderful rhythms for some of the film‘s suspenseful moments along with rhythmic cuts and smooth transitions for the audience to be aware of what story they‘re following. Production designer Howard Cummings and set decorator Cindy Carr do some great work with the art direction including the creation of empty stores and messy cities to emphasize the film‘s eerie tone. Costume designer Louise Frogley does some nice work with the costumes with a lot of the people dressing very casual while the protective suits that Dr. Hextal wears looks real to what doctors wear when handling diseases.

Sound editor Larry Blake does a fantastic job with the sound design to capture the chaos of the crowd scenes as well as the voices of reporters heard on TV to maintain the sense of fear that is prevalent in the film. The film’s score by Cliff Martinez is superb for its hypnotic yet throbbing electronic score with elements of somber piano melodies. Martinez’s score plays to the sense of dread that is played out along with the uncertainty as it helps enhance the drama without doing too much.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is brilliant for the large ensemble that is created for this film that includes small appearances from Griffin Kane as Mitch’s young stepson, Brian J. O’Donnell as Jory’s boyfriend, Tien You Chui as an ill-fated Hong Kong waiter, Josie Ho as the waiter’s sister, Daria Strokous as an Ukranian model hit with the disease, Armin Rohde as Dr. Orantes’ superior, Larry Clarke as Dr. Mears’ Minneapolis’ associate, Demerti Martin as Dr. Hexel’s associate, Enrico Colantoni as a CDC official, Monique Gabriela Curnen as a journalist friend of Krumweide, Sanaa Lathan as Dr. Cheever’s wife, Dr. Sanjay Gupta as himself, and John Hawkes as a CDC janitor whom Dr. Cheever confers with.

Other notable small performances include Chin Han as a Hong Kong medical specialist who kidnaps Dr. Orantes for his own personal reasons while Bryan Cranston is very good as Lyle Haggerty, a government official who tries to help smooth things for Dr. Cheever with the press. Elliott Gould is great in a small role as Dr. Sussman who uncovers some data about the virus while Gwyneth Paltrow is pretty good in a small but memorable performance as Beth Emhoff, the woman who contracts the deadly disease early in the film. Jennifer Ehle is superb as Dr. Hexel who tries hard to find a cure while finding out how does the disease work while newcomer Anna Jacoby-Heron is radiant as Mitch’s daughter Jory who tries to deal with her father’s protectiveness and her own isolation. Marion Cotillard is stellar as Dr. Orantes, a WHO doctor who tries to find the source of the disease only to be caught up by someone’s own personal world while Kate Winslet is wonderful as Dr. Mears who tries to deal with everything in Minneapolis as well as its outbreak in the city.

Jude Law is amazing as Alan Krumweide, a blogger who tries to uncover the conspiracy of CDC irregularities for his own gain as Law commands a fierce performance as a man causing trouble. Laurence Fishburne is excellent as Dr. Cheever, a CDC head who tries to calm things down while going through his own personal issues as well as being overwhelmed by the events that is happening. Matt Damon is fantastic as Mitch Emhoff, a man who loses his family while trying to protect his daughter from people with the disease as he tries to deal with everything around him.

Contagion is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from Steven Soderbergh led by a magnificent ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, and Jennifer Ehle. Fans of epidemic thrillers will definitely enjoy the film for its suspense and chaotic tone of the film. For fans of Soderbergh, it’s one of his more accessible but also edgy films where he allows himself to be unconventional but also play with the conventions of a thriller. In the end, Contagion is a masterful yet terrifying film from Steven Soderbergh and company.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean’s Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2011

Winter's Bone

Based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel, Winter’s Bone tells the story of a 17-year old girl living in poverty with her young siblings at the Ozarks Mountains.  When the home she and her sibling live in is in danger as they face even worse poverty, the girl tries to find her father where she discovers a dark world of drugs as she turns to her uncle for help.  Directed by Debra Granik with a script adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini, the film is a haunting coming-of-age tale set into a world that is mystifying as rural as the Ozarks.  Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Garrett Dillahunt, Dale Dickey, Lauren Sweetser, Sheryl Lee, and John Hawkes.  Winter’s Bone is a compelling yet harrowing drama from Debra Granik and company.

17-year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) lives in a rural area in the Ozarks Mountains in Missouri with her two young siblings in Sonny (Isaiah Stone) and Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson).  Also living with them is their mother Connie (Valerie Richards) , who is depressed and withdrawn as they scrape by with whatever they live with.  Even as they get help from their neighbor Sonya (Shelley Waggener) who often takes care of their horse.  When a sheriff (Garrett Dillahunt) arrives to reveal to Ree that her father Jeesup has skipped bail and used the house as collateral.  Ree realizes that she needs to find him or else her family will be homeless.

Ree asks for help including her friend Gail (Lauren Sweetser), a friend of her dad’s name Little Arthur (Kevin Breznahan), and a woman named Victoria (Cinnamon Schultz).  Victoria is the girlfriend of Ree’s uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) who doesn’t know where his brother is as he suggests to not dwell on finding Jeesup.  After a suggestion from Little Arthur’s girlfriend Megan (Casey MacLaren), Ree walks to meet with Thump Milton (Ronnie Hall) whom she fears.  She goes to his place to meet Merab (Dale Dickey) who says that Thump is too busy and suggests to forget about what is happening.  Yet, Sonya’s boyfriend Blond Milton (William White) would reveal news about what might’ve happened to Jeesup as Ree decides to continue the search.

With Gail’s help, she and Ree meet up with Jeesup’s old girlfriend April (Sheryl Lee) who saw Jeesup two months ago as she realized that he’s been acting stranger than usual.  Realizing that her family home is in danger and a bails bondsman (Tate Taylor), she tries to have a meeting with Thump only to get herself in even greater danger.  Teardrop comes by to settle things as he reveals what his brother was up to as he decides to help her.  With days away from losing the house, Ree tries to find ways to get money while Teardrop investigates the whereabouts of his brother.  What they find is more shocking as well as the motive for the dark underworld Jessup had been involved with.

The film is a coming-of-age tale of sorts since it’s about a 17-year old girl trying to save her family’s home where she would discover a dark underworld that her father had been involved in.  Yet, it’s more about the journey where Ree is someone already forced to grow up and act like an adult as she lives quite poorly with two young siblings to raise.  Yet, she has all of the things a 17-year old wants including a life at high school.  Still, she is devoted to her family that needs her as she takes care of her mentally-ill mother and her two young siblings.  When she’s faced of losing that family and sense of security, she has to go into this treacherous adventure.

While she would get help from various people, there are two people who would warn her about the world she’s about to enter.  One is her uncle Teardrop, a meth-head who is hostile yet doesn’t want Ree to enter this treacherous world as he knows something that he doesn’t want her to know.  The character of Teardrop is an anti-hero of sorts who doesn’t want to get into any trouble but is reluctant about helping out his niece since she’s the closest thing to family that he has.  The other character Ree encounters is Merab, an enforcer who works for an underworld boss who is intimidating and fierce as she doesn’t want Ree to find out about anything.

The film’s screenplay succeeds in not just bringing life to the characters that Ree meets but also her surroundings in the Ozarks Mountains.  Yet, it’s Debra Granik’s direction that really brings a haunting yet hypnotic quality to the film.  Shot on locations in the Ozarks Mountains in Missouri, there is a very realistic quality to the film where there’s very little sunlight in the film as the weather is mostly gray.  Yet, it works to bring a look that feels real as if someone is at those mountains.  More importantly, Granik’s direction plays things very quietly while always having the camera on the characters in intimate and sparse moments.

For the film’s more intense, dramatic moments, Granik definitely aims for suspense by having the camera follow the action.  Notably a scene where Ree tries to follow Thump Milton at a cattle ranch and call out his name.  Even as it would lead to a violent scene where Ree would encounter Milton and his gang including the vicious Merab.  Every scene including a meeting between Ree and an army recruiter (Russell Schalk) has something to do with the story.  Overall, Granik’s direction is superb for her eerie compositions and gritty approach to storytelling.

Cinematographer Michael McDonough does a fabulous job with the film‘s cinematography with its realistic yet wonderful look for many of the film‘s exterior scenes.  Even at night where the darkness feels real and adds suspense to the film including a chilling scene at the lake.  Most of the interiors are very intimate in its lighting while the camera is mostly steady with a few hand-held shots as McDonough’s work is wonderful to watch. 

Editor Affonso Goncalves does an excellent job with the film’s editing by presenting it in a straightforward manner while maintaining a leisured pace for the film.  Even in creating fast-paced cuts and rhythms for the more suspenseful scenes of the film.  Production designer Mark White and set decorator Rebecca Brown do fantastic work with the decayed, messy look of the home Ree and her family lives in along with the surroundings of the other characters filled with decayed trailer parks and broken down cars.  Even as it adds a real sense of authenticity to what it really looks like in the world of the rural South.  Costume designer Rebecca Hofherr does a very good job with the film’s costumes as it plays to the realistic tone with characters wearing flannel and other winter-like clothing.

Sound editor Damian Volpe does a superb job with the film‘s sound in capturing the eerie atmosphere of the Ozarks from the winds and lakes nearby to the interior places such as the cattle halls and bars that the characters interact in.  The film’s score by Dickon Hinchliffe is definitely one of the film’s technical highlights as it plays to haunting tone of the film with sparse, ambient-like pieces driven by guitars and keyboards.  Even as the rest of the film’s music is a mixture of folk and traditional music.

Casting by Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee is phenomenal as many of the people in the film are non-actors which adds authenticity to the characters the people play.  Among the notable small performances include Cody Brown as Gail’s husband Floyd, Russell Schalk as an army recruiter, Beth Domann and Charlotte Jeane Lucas as a couple of Merab’s acquaintances, Tate Taylor as a no-nonsense bails bondsman, Kevin Breznahan as a fellow meth-head named Little Arthur, Casey MacLaren as Little Arthur’s girlfriend as Megan, William White as Ree’s neighbor Blond Floyd, and Ronnie Hall as crime boss Thump Milton.  Other notable small roles include Sheryl Lee as an ex-girlfriend of Ree’s father, Valerie Richards as Ree’s depressed, mute mother, Lauren Sweester as Ree’s friend Gail, Cinnamon Schultz as Teardrop’s girlfriend Victoria, and Shelley Waggener as sympathetic neighbor Sonya.

Garrett Dillahunt is very good as the local sheriff who reminds Ree of what she’s facing as he is also a man trying to do good though has issues with Teardrop during a showdown between the two.  Isaiah Stone and Ashlee Thompson are excellent in their respective roles as Sonny and Ashlee, the two young siblings of Ree who are aware of what is going on as they help her out in hunting food and such.  Dale Dickey is amazing as Merab, Thump Milton’s enforcer who is an intimidating presence in look and in performance.  Dickey brings a chilling and forceful performance as a woman no one wants to mess with as she is also someone who doesn’t want a young girl like Ree to get into the dark underworld she surrounds herself with.

John Hawkes is superb as Teardrop, Ree’s meth-head uncle who is a hostile man not wanting to get Ree into the dark underworld of drugs.  Yet, when he realizes that his brother is missing and Ree needs his help.  He becomes an unlikely sympathetic figure despite his flaws as Hawkes plays the character with an uneasy yet quiet performance as a man haunted by his own demons as wants to know the truth about his brother’s disappearance.  Finally, there’s Jennifer Lawrence in what is a definitely breakthrough role as Ree Dolly.  Lawrence’s performance is truly outstanding in the way she plays a young girl beyond her years as she is also someone who acts like a mother to her young siblings while determined to find out what happened to her dad.  It’s a very grounded role that has a young woman wanting to find out the truth, even if it puts her in danger as Lawrence steps up to the play by maintaining a calm approach to her character.  It’s definitely one of the year’s best performances.

Winter’s Bone is a phenomenal film from Debra Granik that feature a great performance from Jennifer Lawrence.  Along with wonderful supporting roles from John Hawkes and Dale Dickey, it’s a film that truly solidifies all that is good with no-holds-barred, raw, and compelling American indie cinema.  Even as it gives a director like Debra Granik a chance to be profiled more as she is definitely a true visionary.  Audiences wanting a thriller or suspense film with lots of realism will find it in a film like this as it doesn’t play to any rules while creating characters that are truly engaging.  In the end, Winter’s Bone is an exhilarating and captivating film from Debra Granik and company.

Debra Granik Films: Down to the Bone - (Stray Dog (2014 film)) - Leave No Trace

© thevoid99 2011