2018 Blind Spot Series: Don't Look Now

Based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier, Don’t Look Now is the story of a couple traveling to Venice as they deal with the recent death of their daughter where they start to encounter strange things that they see or is around them. Directed by Nicolas Roeg and screenplay by Allan Scott and Chris Bryant, the film is an unconventional suspense-drama that play into a couple’s grief as they encounter strange events during their trip to Venice. Starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato, and Renato Scarpa. Don’t Look Now is a haunting and evocative film from Nicolas Roeg.

Following the death of their daughter at a small pond in their backyard, the film follows a couple as they go to Venice to deal with their loss while the husband works in restoring an ancient church as he would see strange things as it relates to his grief. It’s a film that play into the ideas of death where a couple both have different ideas of coping as they also deal with things that are unexplained. The film’s screenplay by Allan Scott and Chris Bryant follow John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) and his wife Laura (Julie Christie) as they’re in Venice for the former’s work while the latter meet two elderly sisters in Heather (Hilary Mason) and Wendy (Clelia Matania) as the former is blind but is also a psychic. While Laura is still reeling from the loss of her daughter, she finds solace through Wendy’s psychic contacts believing that the Baxters’ daughter Christine (Sharon Williams) is trying to contact them.

Laura believes it is true but John is skeptical although he would see strange things involving someone wearing a red coat similar to what Christine wore on the day she died as well as things that Laura believes is Christine trying to contact them. John focuses on his work while accepting that his daughter had died but the mysterious encounters and near-death experiences have him wondering if there is something going on. Even when Laura briefly leaves Venice to return to England to check on their son Johnny (Nicholas Satler) who had been injured in school where John stays behind as he becomes befuddled by what he believes is real.

Nicolas Roeg’s direction is stylish from the film’s opening sequence that starts off innocently with two kids playing in the backyard while John and Laura are at home doing their usual activities until John notices something and runs to the pond to find his daughter drowning. Shot largely on location in Venice with the scenes in England shot at Hertfordshire, Roeg would use some wide shots to establish the locations but also to maintain that air of intrigue in what John sees as it relates to the mysterious figure in the red raincoat in scenes at the canal bridges in the city. Roeg would also use medium shots and close-ups for some of these moments as the latter would play into ideas of symbolism as if they’re signs of what is to come. Roeg would slowly build up the ideas of suspense while maintaining an atmosphere that does play into grief with Laura turning to Wendy and Heather for help as she is convinced that something isn’t right and that she and John should leave Venice.

With this air of grief and loss, the film would include this intense sex scene that is shot with some hand-held cameras and is cut in a montage of the John and Laura getting ready for a night on the town. There is an air of realism into the sex scene as it play into their love for each other and the need to cope with their loss. Yet, the strange events that occur including one near-death experience for John would play into what is happening and why. Notably in the third act as the ideas of reality and fantasy begin to blur as recurring images of Christine’s drowning would also emerge as Roeg would also include this strange subplot about a series of mysterious murders in Venice. Particularly as it would collide with the main story that has John wondering if everything he sees is real or is it all a fantasy. Overall, Roeg crafts a rapturous yet eerie film about a couple’s grief manifesting into strange events in Venice.

Cinematographer Anthony Richmond does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key approach to lighting for many of the exterior scenes at night along with the usage of lighting for some of the interior sets in the film. Editor Graeme Clifford does excellent work with the editing as it has these stylish usage of montages such as the sex scene as well as other stylish moments that play into the suspense and blur between reality and fantasy. Art director Giovanni Soccol and set decorator Francesco Chianese do amazing work with the look of the hotel room the Baxters were staying at as well as some of the interiors of the church that John is restoring.

Sound editor Rodney Holland does fantastic work with the sound as it help play into the suspense and drama as well as creating moments that add to locations. The film’s music by Pino Donaggio is incredible for its rich and hypnotic score with its usage of piano, flutes, and string instruments to maintain that chilling approach to suspense and drama as it’s a highlight of the film.

The casting by Miriam Brickman and Ugo Mariotti is wonderful as it include some notable small roles from Nicholas Satler as the Baxters’ young son Johnny, Sharon Williams as their daughter Christine, David Tree and Ann Rye as a couple who run Johnny’s school, Leopoldo Trieste as the hotel manager, Renato Scarpa as a police investigator in Inspector Longhi, Bruno Cattaneo as a detective in Sabbione, and Massimo Serato as Bishop Barbarrigo as a man who is concerned about John’s state of mind while wondering if what he’s seeing is true. The performances of Hilary Mason and Clelia Matania are amazing in their respective roles as the sisters Heather and Wendy with the former being a blind psychic who believes something would happen to the Baxters while the latter is this warm person that is sort of Heather’s spokesperson as she is also aware something isn’t right.

Finally, there’s the duo of Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland in phenomenal performances in their respective roles as Laura and John Baxter. Christie plays up the sense of grief of a woman still dealing with the loss of her daughter where she is seeking answers for her grief as well as believing that their daughter is warning them about something. Sutherland provides a performance that is based on man accepting what had happened yet is dealing with all of these strange things he is seeing as well as the fact that he might be repressing something about himself. Christie and Sutherland together are a joy to watch as they play up to their loss and need for each other but also deal with the fact that they lost a child and haven’t really done much to confront that loss.

Don’t Look Now is a tremendous film from Nicolas Roeg that features great performances from Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland. Along with its ensemble cast, entrancing visuals, eerie music score, and chilling setting, it’s a film that play into the ideas of grief as well as mysterious events that link to loss. Even as it’s a film that isn’t a conventional horror film but rather a suspense-drama that has elements of horror to showcase a couple’s encounter with grief. In the end, Don’t Look Now is a magnificent film from Nicolas Roeg.

Nicolas Roeg Films: Performance - Walkabout - (Glastonbury Fayre) – The Man Who Fell to Earth - (Bad Timing) – (Eureka) – Insignificance – (Castaway) – (Aria-Un ballo in maschera) – (Track 29) – (The Witches (1990 film)) – (Heart of Darkness (1993 film)) – (Two Deaths) – (Full Body Massage) – (Samson and Delilah) – (Puffball)

© thevoid99 2018

2018 Cannes Marathon: The Go-Between

(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the novel by L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between is the story of a young boy who is invited to his rich friend’s home where he becomes a go-between for his friend’s sister and a tenant farmer neighbor who are having an affair. Directed by Joseph Losey and screenplay by Harold Pinter, the film is a coming-of-age film in which a young boy discovers love and its many complications as well as the differences of social classes and environments. Starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton, Edward Fox, Michael Gough, and Dominic Guard. The Go-Between is a ravishing and evocative film from Joseph Losey.

Set in the span of a summer in the Norfolk countryside in the year of 1900, the film revolves around a 12-year old boy who becomes a messenger for his best friend’s older sister and a farmer who lives nearby unaware that they’re having a secret affair. It’s a film that plays into a boy dealing with the world around him in the course of the summer as he lives in an estate with this rich family where he befriends a young woman and her family. Harold Pinter’s screenplay is largely straightforward yet it would have bits of flash-forwards as it relates to its protagonist Leo Colston (Dominic Guard) who is given the chance to live in this lavish countryside estate in Norfolk, England for the summer with his friend Marcus Maudsley (Richard Gibson) whose parents (Michael Gough and Margaret Leighton) welcome Colston as they show him around their world. Yet, Leo is interested in Marcus’ older sister Marion (Julie Christie) who is also fascinated with Leo as she helps him fit in with their world as Leo notices Marion talking to a tenant farmer named Ted Burgess (Alan Bates) who lives nearby the Maudsley estate.

Pinter’s script would play into this growing conflict within Colston as he is asked by Marion to run to Burgess’ farm and give him a message and vice versa where he becomes this messenger unaware of the contents of these notes. Yet, Colston would figure out what is going on as Marion is being pursued by an estate owner in Hugh, Viscount Trimingham (Edward Fox) whom Colston meets and actually likes but he relates to Burgess more as they both come from similar backgrounds. Once Colston is aware of this connection between Marion and Burgess, he struggles to keep it a secret as he’s also coping with news within the family that would become troubling as suspicion emerges among family members as well as the news of Marion’s engagement to Hugh.

Joseph Losey’s direction does have bits of style in some scenes yet much of it is very straightforward to capture this posh and lavish world that Colston is surrounded by. Shot on location in various parts of Norfolk including Norwich, the film does play into this idyllic world where everyone is living in this lavish home and relax in open landscapes near farms where harvest hasn’t arrived yet. Losey would use wide shots to capture the beauty of the farmland and gardens while he would maintain an intimacy through the close-ups and medium shots for much of the drama. Notably the scenes where Colston would engage Marion or Burgess in their present environment as Colston would walk or run through fields to be their messenger. Yet, things would intensify during the film’s second act with the presence of Hugh who isn’t a bad man but he’s more of a man that is suitable for Marion in terms of social status.

Since the film also would feature these offbeat flash-forwards as it relates to an old man (Michael Redgrave), it would play into Colston’s own role in this secret affair as he’s also in the world of magic where he would try to infuse his wisdom in magic to help them. Instead, things become complicated as Colston would endure not just disappointment but also ideas of adulthood as it would climax with his thirteenth birthday party hosted by Mrs. Maudsley who has been suspicious of her daughter’s frequent disappearances. The moment wouldn’t just be a loss of innocence for Colston but also a truth that many are forced to face as it relates to the idea of love and the taboos it has in high society. Overall, Losey crafts a majestic yet haunting film about a boy being a messenger for two lovers in a secretive affair in the summer of 1900 in Norfolk, England.

Cinematographer Gerry Fisher does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it play into the natural beauty of the British countryside in the daytime exteriors with the usage of low-key lights for the scenes at night. Editor Reginald Beck does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few jump-cuts to play into the flash-forwards in the film. Art director Carmen Dillon does brilliant work with the art direction with the look of the estate as well as its interiors as well as Burgess’ farm. Costume designer John Furniss does amazing work with the costume with the look of the dresses the women wore in those times as well as the clothes the men wore in high society in the early days of the 20th Century.

The makeup work of Bob Lawrence and hairstyling of Stephanie Kaye is fantastic for the hairstyles that the women had as well as the scar that Hugh sports on his face. Sound recordists Bob Bremner and Mike Rutter do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural elements of the locations as well as carriages sounded in those times. The film’s music by Michel Legrand is incredible as it is a major highlight of the film with its piano-based orchestral score that play into the drama as well as the sense of longing between Marion and Burgess.

The film’s remarkable cast include some notable small roles such as an early appearance from Jim Broadbent as a cricket spectator, Roger Lloyd-Pack as a family friend in Charles, Amaryllis Garnett as Marion’s friend Kate, Richard Gibson as Colston’s friend Marcus who would invite Colston to live with him during the summer, Michael Gough as Mr. Maudsley who is kind to Colston as they collaborate on things relating to nature, and Michael Redgrave in a small yet terrific performance as an old man in the film’s flash-forwards. Edward Fox is superb as Hugh, Viscount Trimingham as a noble figure and family friend of the Maudsley who would show Colston the ways of the world but is also aware of the class divide as he’s pursuing Marion just to ensure that she’ll be fine. Margaret Leighton is fantastic as Mrs. Maudsley as the family matriarch who runs the estate as she becomes suspicious about Marion’s activities outside of the home as well as what Colston does outside the home.

Dominic Guard is brilliant as Leo Colston as a 12-year old boy who is invited to stay at the lavish estate of his schoolmate where he deals with his surroundings as well as being a messenger between two people as he copes with all of the emotional complications that would lead to this loss of innocence. Alan Bates is amazing as Ted Burgess as a tenant farmer who lives nearby as he’s a simple man that likes to run his farm as he gives Colston some advice on life and love as he’s cagey about his relationship with Marion knowing that it would hurt her socially if anyone knew about it. Finally, there’s Julie Christie in an incredible performance as Marion Maudsley as a woman who is from a posh and respected family that finds joy in Colston as she asks him to be a messenger as she tries not to reveal her own feelings for Burgess as it’s a performance with a sense of restraint but also anguish over what she’s being asked to do and what she wants putting Colston in the middle.

The Go-Between is a sensational film from Joseph Losey that features top-notch performances from Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard, and Margaret Leighton. Along with its gorgeous setting, haunting premise, and Michel Legrand’s sumptuous score, it’s a film that explores a boy being caught in the middle over a secretive affair between two people of different social classes. In the end, The Go-Between is a spectacular film from Joseph Losey.

© thevoid99 2018

Fahrenheit 451 (1966 film)

Based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 is the story of a fireman who becomes a fugitive over reading literature in a dystopian future where his job is to burn books and all forms of literature. Directed by Francois Truffaut and screenplay by Truffaut and Jean-Louis Richard, the film is Truffaut’s only English-language film as he would take on the world of dystopia. Starring Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, and Cyril Cusack. Fahrenheit 451 is a compelling yet very flawed film from Francois Truffaut.

Set in a world where books are banned and to be burned in fear of subversive activities and anti-social ideas, the film is an exploration into a fireman whose job is to burn these books where he suddenly reads one as he questions everything that he’s doing and the world around him. The concept itself is very unique where the fireman known as Montag (Oskar Werner) would eventually become a fugitive for his actions yet he realizes that the things that he’s oppressing are real feelings and the ideas that make people be alive instead of conforming to what society wants.

The premise itself is definitely intriguing yet it’s told in a style where Francois Truffaut definitely wants to be a bit of Alfred Hitchcock and infuse his own style. Yet, some of the film’s dialogue sounds very unrealistic as it really hurts the story as well as affect some of the performances. Another problem with the script involves Montag’s superior (Cyril Cusack) who is never really defined while Montag’s wife Linda (Julie Christie) is quite one-dimensional as her only motivation is conformity.

Truffaut’s direction does have some very entrancing moments in the way he presents a futuristic world where even though it’s quite colorful. It’s still an oppressive one where it is a world where there are rules and everyone has to act a certain way and watch the same TV show where they can feel like they’re part of something. Truffaut does create some unique compositions as well as some very striking scenes where books are being burned but there are aspects of the film where the suspense doesn’t work. Even in some scenes where it involves special effects as it looked very clumsy as it doesn’t play to Truffaut’s sensibilities as a director. Even in his approach to satire and the little humor that it has doesn’t work along with some dream sequences as it seems that Truffaut is trying to do something but it never really says anything for the story. Despite some of its flaws, the film is still a fascinating film on censorship in a dystopian world.

Cinematographer Nicholas Roeg does excellent work with the film‘s vibrant colors for the look of the town that the characters live in as well as some of the interior lighting schemes that help sets a mood for the film. Editor Thom Noble does fantastic work with the stylized editing with some usage of dissolves and jump-cuts though much of it is straightforward. Production designer Syd Cain, with additional work from costume designer Tony Walton, does brilliant work with the design of the houses and the fire truck where it plays to this offbeat idea of a futuristic dystopia while the costumes are presented in a simplistic manner. The sound work of Robert T. MacPhee and Norman Wanstall is terrific for some of the sound effects that is created as well as the way the sirens sound to play into that sense of terror. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is brilliant as it helps play into the film‘s suspense with its orchestral flourishes that also include some unique instrumentals from marimbas, xylophones, and other things to play into the film‘s offbeat sensibility.

The casting by Miriam Brickman is wonderful as it would feature some notable small roles from Alex Scott as a man Montag would meet late in the film, Jeremy Spenser as a man with an apple, Bee Duffell as a woman whom the firemen would confront for having a large amount of books, and Anton Diffring in a dual role as a school headmistress and as the Captain’s associate Fabian. Cyril Cusack is good as the Captain who leads the firemen in burning the books where there’s a lot of charm in his performance but it’s also underwritten where he doesn’t seem to say much about the past which could’ve helped into what Montag wanted to do.

Oskar Werner has his moments as the film’s protagonist Montag but is never really engaging at times as the dialogue he recites is quite stilted since he is German and speaks English quite awkwardly. Finally, there’s Julie Christine in an amazing performance in a dual role as Montag’s wife Linda who is eager to conform and in the role of a schoolteacher named Clarisse who would give Montag some ideas as well as show him a world that it is outside of society.

Fahrenheit 451 is a stellar film from Francois Truffaut. Though it is definitely his weakest picture as it doesn’t really play to many of the ideas that Truffaut would explore with many of his films. It is still an intriguing one for the way he would interpret Ray Bradbury’s famed novel. In the end, Fahrenheit 451 is a pretty good film from Francois Truffaut.

Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - The Soft Skin - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - The Wild Child - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Man Who Loved Women - The Green Room - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours

The Auteur #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2)

© thevoid99 2014

Shampoo

Directed by Hal Ashby and written by Warren Beatty and Robert Towne, Shampoo is the story of a hairdresser who deals with his own issues on commitment while seducing many of his female clients in Los Angeles. Set in the span of 24 hours during Election Day in 1968, the film is an exploration into a man dealing with his own identity while his world is starting to change in the course of an entire day as it‘s loosely based on the life of a renowned hairdresser Jay Sebring who would be one of the victims of the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders by the Manson Family. Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Tony Bill, Carrie Fisher, and Jack Warden. Shampoo is an exhilarating and chaotic film from Hal Ashby.

Set in the day of the life of hairdresser George Roundy (Warren Beatty) on what is a very crucial day in American history that is Election Day 1968. The film plays into a world where a man’s often carefree life of doing women’s hair and fucking them starts to finally blow up as he faces his own identity as well as the fears in growing up and being committed to someone. Especially as he has a girlfriend in aspiring actress Jill (Goldie Hawn) while sleeping with a rich woman in Felicia (Lee Grant) whose husband Lester Karpf (Jack Warden) is having an affair with one of George’s former lovers in Jackie Shaw (Julie Christie) who still has feelings for George. In the day, George is working on Felicia and Jackie’s hair while trying to get a loan so he can start his own hair salon as he feels unappreciated by his boss Norman (Jay Robinson). Yet, it all comes to ahead through a couple of parties later in the night as it’s not just Roundy’s life that starts to fall apart but also the reality that is to come upon Richard Nixon in becoming the President of the United States of America.

The film’s screenplay by Warren Beatty and Robert Towne doesn’t just explore a man’s life starting to fall apart in a day where things are about to come to an end. It’s a film where a man is trying to grow up but he often succumbs to his own trappings in sleeping with women throughout the course of an entire day. Upon George’s own turbulent journey in juggling his affairs and work, there’s a lot that is happening as Jill just got a job offer that could help her as she befriends producer Johnny Pope (Tony Bill). While George deals with Felicia and Jackie, he would also have an encounter with Lester and Felicia’s 19-year old daughter Lorna (Carrie Fisher) who hates her mother. All of which plays into his own failings as a man and it would eventually start to blow up in a crazy night where he is invited by Lester to a dinner that Jackie, Felicia, and Jill attend with Pope as Jill’s date.

The screenplay also features some racy dialogue such as Jackie’s own drunken desires at the dinner while the script features this sense of foreboding as the world of free love and drugs is starting to come to a dark end. Especially as Lester is a conservative who has a lot of connections to the Nixon campaign though he is aware of politics’ fallacies while he would also encounter a party with hippies as he realizes that they’re not so bad. Yet, it’s an encounter that would also reveal more about George’s own issues with commitment as his own world starts to fall apart. After that climatic party, George not only faces himself but also the realities that are lurking as it becomes clear how distracted he is in his own bullshit and not knowing about the other people in his life. Even as he also deals with the world of women as it becomes clear that he still has a lot to learn about them.

Hal Ashby’s direction is very compelling for the way he creates a world where the characters are unaware of what is about to happen on Election Night and what is to come in the coming years. It plays into this sense of dramatic irony as the audience know what is coming as it would play into a sense that an end of an era is happening for George Roundy. Much of the film is set in Los Angeles where it plays into a world where the rich and established collide with the more idealistic youth culture as Ashby does create something where the two different cultures seem to try and get to know each other during Lester’s encounter with hippies as he decides to loosen up a bit and not worry about his reputation. Ashby infuses a lot of offbeat humor into these situations as well as the dinner-party scene where it is about a celebration of what is to come but it features a moment that showcases how absurd it is.

The direction also has Ashby use some very inventive framing devices in the way he puts his actors into a frame. Some which involve an actor in the background while the other is shot in a near close-up where the actor in the background is obviously listening or wanting to do something. There’s also moments in the framing where there’s these intricate crowd scenes as it’s shot in a wide frame where the main characters are in the background or in the middle of the frame in a medium shot to play into the sense of chaos they’re in. All of which plays into Roundy’s own messy life as its ending is him trying to come to terms with his life and what he wants to do. Especially in who he wants to be with where it’s an ending full of irony where even though he says that he wants to grow up and live a normal life. It is clear that he is more likely to screw things up and live the same life that he knows. Overall, Ashby creates a very witty yet tender film about a man’s life falling apart in the span of an entire day.

Cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with the colorful look of its daytime interior/exterior scenes to the use of lights for some of the scenes at night as well as the psychedelic party that many of the characters go to. Editor Robert C. Jones does brilliant work with the editing with its seamless approach to rhythms for some of the film‘s humorous scenes along with some unique cutting for some of the dramatic reactions in the film. Production designer Richard Sylbert, with set decorator George Gaines and art director W. Stewart Campbell, does fantastic work with the many homes of the characters to play into their personalities as well as the psychedelic party where most of the characters go to. Costume designer Anthea Sylbert does amazing work with the costume in the design of the late 60s clothing that many of the characters wear to play into their personalities.

Hair stylist Jan Van Uchelen and hairdresser Kathryn Blondell do terrific work with the design of the hair styles and cuts some of the women characters would sport to play with what George is creating Sound editor Frank E. Warren does superb work with the sound in the way some of the music is presented as well as the radio and television as it would play into the sense of foreboding in the film‘s political climate. The film’s music by Paul Simon is wonderful as it’s a very low-key piece that is only used sparingly to play into George’s melancholia with its simple folk-based sound. The film’s music soundtrack includes pieces by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Buffalo Springfield, the Monkees, Herb Alpert, Jefferson Airplane, and the Cookies as it’s all played on location to capture that period in time.

The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is incredible as it features a few cameo appearances from Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & Papas, co-writer Robert Towne, and Howard Hesseman as partygoers in the psychedelic party, Jay Robinson as George’s worrisome boss Norman, Ann Weldon as a salon co-worker, and in her film debut, Carrie Fisher as Lester and Felicia’s daughter Lorna who would have a few tricks up her sleeve as a way to react her hostilities towards her mother. Tony Bill is terrific as the producer Johnny Pope who tries to help Jill with her career while being a very good guy though he is mistaken by Lester as George’s boyfriend. Jack Warden is excellent as Lester Karpf as this rich businessman with all sorts of connections who offers George the chance to run his own salon while dealing with his own marriage to Felicia as well as his affair with Jackie as it’s role that is a bit comical but also a bit serious.

Lee Grant is amazing as Lester’s wife Felicia as she is one of George’s many lovers as she is very demanding while becoming tired in her marriage where her discovery about the things in her life starts to show her acting out. Goldie Hawn is brilliant as George’s girlfriend Jill as this insecure and neurotic aspiring actress who is unsure about the part she is to get as she also starts to question about the state of her relationship with George until she makes her own discoveries. Julie Christie is fantastic as Jackie Shaw as this very posh woman who is torn in her devotion for Lester and her feelings for George as she starts to unravel about the decisions she’s making. Finally, there’s Warren Beatty in a phenomenal performance as George Roundy as this very immature man who is good at his job but the years of sleeping around with women and such has made him lose sight of things as he wants to become a responsible adult but has so many issues that prevents him from doing what is right as it’s Beatty at his most vulnerable.

Shampoo is a remarkable film from Hal Ashby that features great performances from Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, and Jack Warden. Along with a great script from Beatty and Robert Towne as well as witty commentary on a world that is changing through a sex-obsessed hairdresser. The film is definitely of Ashby’s finest films as well as showcasing a period in time where many of the behaviors and attitudes of the 1960s would start to fall apart in a much bleaker decade. In the end, Shampoo is a spectacular film from Hal Ashby.

Hal Ashby Films: The Landlord - Harold & Maude - The Last Detail - Bound for Glory - Coming Home - Being There - Second-Hand Hearts - (Lookin’ to Get Out) - (Let’s Spend the Night Together) - (Solo Trans) - (The Slugger’s Wife) - 8 Million Ways to Die

© thevoid99 2014

Away From Her

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 10/2/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the short story The Bear Came the Mountain by Alice Munro, Away from Her is the story of a couple's blissful life is changed when the woman suffers from Alzheimer's disease as her husband copes with the changes as he takes her to a nursing home. Written for the screen and directed by Sarah Polley, the film is an exploration into the world of Alzheimer's disease where a man tries to deal with his wife's illness. Starring Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Kristen Thomson, Michael Murphy, and Wendy Crewson. Away From Her is a startling yet enchanting film from Sarah Polley. 

The film is an exploration into the life of a couple where a woman starts to lose her memory as she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease as her husband tries to cope with the disease as he reluctantly takes her into a nursing home. It's a drama that showcases a man dealing with the disease and the unexpected changes it would have as Grant (Gordon Pinsent) is forced to watch his wife Fiona (Julie Christie) become attached to another patient in Aubrey (Michael Murphy) whose wife Marian (Olympia Dukakis) also watches. For Grant, it's a hard pill to swallow as he deals with the new change in his life as it's a film that could've become a sappy melodrama. Instead, it's a film that is about the loss and the fear of that loss.

What Sarah Polley does with her script and direction goes for a meditative approach of a woman's disintegration as her husband is forced to watch her mind leave with her not remembering who she is half of the time. The script is wonderfully structured with the first act about the beginning of the end and Grant's first trip to the Meadowland facilities, the second is about him coming to terms about Fiona's relationship with Aubrey, and the third act is about her continuing disintegration through the disease.

The dialogue feels realistic that also includes text from many books read in the film while some of the words do end up being funny just to add a bit of humor to a very serious drama. The direction that Polley has taken is very observant and enchanting as she takes the camera to unveil a woman's disintegration where she would pull the camera away to dramatize its sadness. What is really amazing in Polley's approach to the film is how restrained the drama is since the actors are given more dimension while not being overly sentimental or very dramatic to emphasize the subject matter. While the film is a bit flawed due to a few pacing issues where the entire film does move very slow, it works to convey that sense of emotional, mental disintegration. Overall, Polley proves herself to be a very strong director who can channel a scene while not doing to much to convey heavy emotions.

Cinematographer Luc Montpellier brings a wonderfully dreamy look to some of the film's sequences at the Meadowlands while the rest is very intimate and colorful while the exterior shots is gorgeous with the white snow laid down on the Canadian film location. Production designer Kathleen Climie and art director Benno Tutter create a low-key look to the film's Meadowlands facility along with an intimate, earthy look to the home of Grant and Fiona. Costume designer Debra Hanson plays to the film's natural look with clothing that looks normal with the exception of a tacky, striped sweater and a yellow dress that Julie Christie wears that in the former, causes Grant to be upset.

Editor David Wharnsby brings a wonderful approach to the editing by not doing any stylized or fast-cutting but rather in playing with the film's structure to make the film play like memory of sorts which gives the film a unique feel and tone. Sound designer Jane Tattersall definitely adds a nice tone to the film's sound with the use of cars, elevators, and objects to convey the intimate feel of the Meadowlands where it's nearly silent as well as Grant and Fiona's home. Jonathan Goldsman brings a plaintive, subtle score of guitars and piano to convey the sadness and emotional intensity of the film to convey the tragedy while not overdoing it which definitely works in the film.

The film's cast is definitely wonderful assembled by Polley's brother John Buchan that includes memorable, minor performances from Nina Dobrev as a teenager bored by her holiday visit at the Meadowlands, Ron Hewat as an ex-sports announcer who still does play-by-play, and Angela Watson in a small role as a doctor. Wendy Crewson is excellent in her role as the Meadowlands supervisor by acting both professional and caring who reminds Grant of what he has to face. Kristen Thomson is wonderful as the very sympathetic nurse Kristy who bonds with Grant over Fiona while often reminding him that it's never easy to deal with loss. Michael Murphy is great despite having no dialogue and having to be in a wheelchair yet adds life through the facial responses he makes in the film. Olympia Dukakis is brilliant as Marian, Aubrey's wife who understands what Grant is feeling though she is a bit upset over what Fiona was doing to Aubrey while coming to terms over their relationship.

Gordon Pinsent is incredible in his performance as Grant. An icon known to Canadians, Pinsent's performance is wonderfully restrained and subtle as in some ways, he's the observer for the audience watching his wife becoming detached from him. Pinsent's tender chemistry with Julie Christie is wonderful to watch as if they're both a couple who have known each other for a long time. Julie Christie delivers a truly radiant performance as Fiona. Looking very beautiful for her age and almost youthful in some ways, Christie remains jaw-dropping with her performance as she brings subtlety and an innocence to her approach in playing a victim of Alzheimer's without being overly-dramatic.

Away From Her is a remarkable film from Sarah Polley that features great performances from Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. It's a film that is a very smart and engaging film for the way it explores the world of Alzheimer's disease without delving into heavy-handed melodrama. Especially as Polley balances it with being a love story and a story about loss. In the end, Away from Her is an extraordinary film from Sarah Polley.

Sarah Polley Films: Take This Waltz - Stories We Tell - Women Talking

© thevoid99 2014

Nashville

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/13/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joan Tewkesbury, Nashville is a multi-layered story about different groups of people coming together for a country music convention where the world of politics and celebrity collide in the course of five day that leads to a climatic concert. The film explores the world of celebrity culture through a variety of stories that features more than 20 characters. With an all-star cast that includes Keith Carradine, Lily Tomlin, Shelley Duvall, Michael Murphy, Geraldine Chaplin, Henry Gibson, Ronee Blakley, Gwen Welles, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Jeff Goldblum, Allen Garfield, Scott Glenn, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, and many more. Nashville is a superb, sprawling, yet eerie film from Robert Altman.

Replacement party candidate Hal Phillip Walker is set to appear in Nashville, Tennessee in the hopes to win another primary for the U.S. Presidency as a BBC news reporter named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) is making a documentary about the city. Opal accidentally interrupts a recording session for country legend Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) as she meets his son Bud (Dave Peel) while she attends another session featuring gospel singers led by a local housewife in Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin). Linnea's husband Delbert (Ned Beatty) has a meeting with Californian businessman John Triplette (Michael Murphy) while a mysterious man (Jeff Goldbum) arrives on a motor-tricycle where a cook named Wade Cooley (Robert DoQui) and waitress/aspiring singer Sueleen Gray (Gwen Welles watch). Another aspiring singer in Winifred Albuquerque leaves her husband Star (Bert Ramsen) at a traffic jam as Nashville is waiting for the arrival of famed country singer Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley).

Delbert, Triplette, Haven, Bud, and Haven's mistress Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley) are at the airport to meet Barbara Jean and her husband Barnett (Allen Garfield) while a soldier named Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn) watches while a folk trio named Bill (Allan F. Nichols), Mary (Cristina Raines), and Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) arrive to the city as does a woman known as L.A. Joan (Shelley Duvall) who meets her uncle Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn). Jean is sent to the hospital as many await to give interviews or to meet her as Mr. Green later gets a visit from musician Kenny Fraiser (David Hayward) asking to rent a room. Jean's appearance is canceled as everyone in town including African-American country singer Tommy Brown (Timothy Brown) play gigs all over the city while Linnea gets some strange calls from Tom Frank who sleeps around with some of the women in the city. Sueleen auditions for a man named Trout at a club where she passes the audition despite her poor vocal quality. At a show at the Grand Old Opry, Connie White (Karen Black) fills in for Jean who steals the show much to the dismay of Barbara Jean who is still at the hospital. With a big concert at the Parthenon still set, Bill and Mary's relationship is deteriorating as Triplette asks them to play.

Barbara Jean finally plays a show but the performance was shambolic making Triplette and Barnett worried if she will be involved for the big show. At a club later that night, Tom Frank reveals his vulnerability in a song called I'm Easy as Linnea watches while Sueleen attends the gig she received where it's revealed to be not what she expected. On the day Hal Phillip Walker arrives for the show, all of the people big and small in the past four day come together for the big moment where reality and tragedy collide.

Given upon the film's attitude towards idol-worship and politics, the timing couldn't have been any better for a film like Nashville. Even in today's view where whatever cynicism that had been growing in the mid-70s has only served as a reminder to today's harsh times. While a lot of credit should go to Altman for his improvisation, chaotic style in collaboration with his actors. Much of the credit should also go to screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury for telling this story of ordinary people including celebrities and political officers coming together in a place as American as Nashville.

A lot of the film reveals the kind of cynicism and disillusionment that came out of the 1960s. The character of Lady Pearl reveals these feelings when reflecting on her love for the Kennedys and her anger towards her own state for letting Richard Nixon win that state because they didn't want to vote for someone who is Catholic. A lot of the film's political overtones from the voice of P.A. guy talking about the candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen throughout the entire film.

It's not just politics that drives the course of this story, but also celebrity in which, you have some major celebrity figures in characters like Haven Hamilton, Barbara Jean, Connie White, and Tommy Brown. There's a scene in which the African-American Brown, based on the country singer Charley Pride, is called a racial slur, not by a white man but from one of his own. There's also a scene in where Barbara Jean starts to ramble where it shows the folly and downside of celebrity where it becomes a disappointment to somebody in the audience.

Largely because they're forced to see this iconic figure be something they don't want to see, human. Jean is an interesting character who starts to fall apart from the pressures of celebrity as well as the competition against rival Connie White. There's even a couple of walk-on cameo appearances from Altman regulars Elliot Gould and Julie Christie playing themselves intrigued by this event going on in Nashville.

The city itself is a major character since it's the melting pot of not just where country music is but also the place where Hal Phillip Walker hopes to win. There's a moment where John Triplette uses Nashville hoping to get more votes though he has no care for them. Right before the film's climatic concert, there's a scene of Triplette and Barnett arguing about political motives that revels in how a country has become unsure of their own future concerning the government. After this argument comes this tragedy that would foreshadow an event in the years to come. Plus, in this tragedy comes this wave of disillusionment, loss, and confusion. It is there that someone takes this tragic moment and tries to create something to get people together. This is where the genius of Robert Altman occurs.

Altman isn't concerned about politics, lifestyles, or the cult of celebrity but people, real people even if they're celebrities or political lackeys. Altman's observant yet improvisational direction proves that there's a lot of life in any part of a place like Nashville. Even in a scene where Opal goes to a car dump to prepare narration for her documentary as she is trying to figure out what to say. Altman shows the folly of humanity and how events can lead to surrealism. The character of Linnea Reese is a woman who is a loving mother and wife who cares for her deaf children while her husband is more distracted by this political event rather than paying attention to what his son is trying to say. Altman reveals the folly of people trying to follow something as confusing in politics and celebrity. The moments in the film are often filled with overlapping dialogue to convey the atmosphere of what is going on and where these people are. What are they reacting to or what are they thinking. Altman isn't trying to reveal any kind of answers rather than letting the audience themselves involved in what they think is happening. The result is a truly superb, sprawling direction from the late, great Robert Altman.

Cinematographer Paul Lohmann does excellent work in capturing the wonders that is Nashville from the Parthenon, the Grand Old Opry, and the clubs that make this place unique with its colorful, documentary-like camera work. Set decorator Robert M. Anderson also plays to the film's authentic look of the city with its intimate look for the clubs to the colorful, spacious home of the Reese family. Costume designer Jules Melillo does great work in creating the lavish costumes of the country singers as well as the laid-back clothes of the folk trio Bill, Mary, & Tom to the look of regular people. Editors Dennis M. Hill and Sidney Levin do great work in putting together the stories and characters together with some wonderful editing to move one story to another and see how they all relate to another. Sound editor William A. Sawyer along with Chris McLaughlin and James E. Webb also do amazing work with the sound to convey the sense of tension and atmosphere in the scenes that's happening, notably the way the music is captured.

With many of the actors including Altman contributing music to the film, the soundtrack is wonderfully memorable from the songs Ronee Blakley sings that is pure traditional country to the other songs by Karen Black, Henry Gibson, and Timothy Brown that shows the wonders of country in the 1970s. The musical performances are memorable with Gwen Welles doing a hilariously bad rendition of the songs she sings. Lily Tomlin also does some wonderful music while the real standout is Keith Carradine and his Oscar-winning song I'm Easy. The performance of It Don't Worry Me by Barbara Harris truly memorable while other songs features contributions from Richard Baskin and Gary Busey. It's one of the finest soundtracks ever assembled.

Then, we have the film's large, ensemble cast and it's truly filled with some of the most memorable characters assembled on film. From notable small performances from Gailard Sartain as a diner patron, screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury as the voice of Tom's lover and Kenny's mother, Howard K. Smith as a TV reporter, Merle Kilgore as Trout, composer Richard Baskin as a piano player named Frog, James Dan Calvert and Donna Denton as the Reese's deaf children, and cameos from Altman regulars Elliott Gould and Julie Christie as themselves. Notable small performances from Bert Remsen as Star, Jeff Goldblum as the tricycle man, and David Arkin as Norman are exceptionally memorable for their individual moments. Allan F. Nichols and Cristina Raines are also excellent as the bickering couple of Bill and Mary who are stuck in a tempting love triangle with band mate Tom. Gwen Welles is great as the naive dreamer Sueleen whose belief that she can sing is undermined by the fact that she can't until this moment of humiliation. Robert DoQui is also great as Gwen's friend who reminds her of her lack of talent despite his cynical attitude.

Karen Black is excellent as the bitchy, vain Connie White who has a nicer personality onstage but offstage, she's a mean, egotistical singer with little respect for Barbara Jean. Timothy Brown is also excellent in his brief role as the Charley Pride-inspired Tommy Brown while Scott Glenn is also good in his small role as a soldier who had a nice story about Barbara Jean. Barbara Harris gives a comical, memorable performance as a struggling singer named Albuquerque who is hoping for her own break where she has an amazing scene in the film's finale. David Hayward is also great as the mysterious Kenny who seems lost in the world he is surrounded by as a musician trying to find a place to fit in. Dave Peel is wonderful as the sweet, intelligent Bud Hamilton who enjoys the role of helping his father's business matters while aspires for something more. Allen Garfield is great as Barbara Jean's frustrated, caring manager who is trying to take care of his wife but couldn't deal with the way she's being used.

Keenan Wynn is wonderful as Mr. Green, L.A. Joan's uncle who is dealing with his wife's illness and his niece's single-minded personality. Shelly Duvall is wonderful as the loopy, icon-obsessed L.A. Joan who is more concerned about public events and icons rather than her own aunt. Barbara Baxley gives a wonderfully touching performance as the sweet yet cynical Lady Pearl whose loss of hope for politics reveal a dark anger to the way she reacts towards her own background. Henry Gibson is great as country legend Haven Hamilton who is trying to organize things while dealing with his own celebrity and his city's reputation. Ned Beatty is excellent as the neglectful Delbert Reese while Altman regular Michael Murphy is also great as the political lackey John Triplette, who makes an insulting comment on Nashville. Ronee Blakley gives a wonderful performance as the fragile yet enchanting Barbara Jean whose presence as a singer is wonderful to watch only to see her fall apart with her rambling.

Geraldine Chaplin is wonderful as the eccentric, loopy Opal who tries to create a story but isn't sure what to do while being selfish for her own gain. Altman regular Keith Carradine is great as the burned out, womanizing Tom Frank who has a great moment with his performance of I'm Easy. In her feature-film debut and first of many films for Altman, Lily Tomlin gives a phenomenal performance as Linnea Reese with her caring, conflicted woman who loves her children but tries to deal with her husband's neglect and her own role as a wife.

Nashville is a magnificent film from Robert Altman that features an outstanding ensemble cast and a captivating screenplay from Joan Tewkesbury. The film is definitely one of the great examples of what a multi-layered ensemble film should be as it doesn't lose sight on the big themes while allowing small moments to play out. It's also a film that is also not afraid to tackle big subjects that are more relevant than ever since its original release. In the end, Nashville is a tremendous film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2013

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/26/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on the novel McCabe by Edward Naughton, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is the story about an entrepreneurial gambler who teams up with a brothel madam to become business partners for ventures in a town that is just developing in the late 1800s. Directed by Robert Altman and screenplay by Altman and Brian McKay, the film is a revisionist western set in the Pacific Northwest during the late 1800s where it explores ambition and the people that would come in to ruin the dreams of these two individuals. Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Rene Auberjonois, William Devane, John Schuck, and Hugh Millais. McCabe & Mrs. Miller is an evocative yet entrancing film from Robert Altman.

John McCabe (Warren Beatty) arrives on a horse to a small town where he stops at a saloon to gamble where he meets its own Sheehan (Rene Auberjonois) and a patron named Smalley (John Schuck). McCabe stays at the saloon where he reveals in wanting to build a new saloon and a gambling casino as well as a bathhouse. With Smalley and other men helping out, McCabe also bring in three homely women as prostitutes until a brothel madam named Constance Miller (Julie Christie) looks on as she meets with McCabe. Miller is aware that McCabe wants to create a brothel but felt the women he brought in aren't good enough as she can get more classier girls from Seattle where they make a deal for Miller to run the brothel while Miller also helps McCabe become successful. With the town being built as a group of people arrive including a barber named Washington (Rodney Gage) and a young woman named Ida Coyle (Shelley Duvall), the small town is finally completed where McCabe and Mrs. Miller's business ventures become successful.

With Ida becoming a prostitute for Mrs. Miller after the death of her husband and the arrival of a young cowboy (Keith Carradine), a local mining business is interested in buying out McCabe as two men in Sears (Michael Murphy) and Hollander (Anthony Holland) offer McCabe a substantial deal. McCabe's decision upsets Miller who thinks that McCabe should've taken the deal but McCabe wants to stick to his dream of running a small independent business. After some discussions with Miller, McCabe starts to consider the offer as he turns to a lawyer (William Devane) who tells McCabe what he should do. Meanwhile, a gunman named Butler (Hugh Millais) arrives with two men whom McCabe believe are from the mining company. After an incident that leaves both McCabe and Mrs. Miller shaken, McCabe realizes what he must do to save his dream.

While Miller & Mrs. McCabe, like many Westerns, have a shootout scene. Altman presents the scene in a more unconventional way, especially done in a hazy, snowy way where McCabe is battling Butler but at the same time, something else is going on in the town. Altman's directing style done in widescreen camera angles is very succinct and elegant in its look, notably for the fact that it doesn't look like any other Western. Thanks to a strong, ambiguous script by him and Brian McKay, the film is filled with many ideas and comparisons to the time of the late 1800s and the Vietnam-era of 1971. The film's business ideals and sense shows the idealism of the 1960s with many of the dialogue done in a more contemporary way with a lot of profanity. Yet, when the third act begins with death, it's not just McCabe's dream that falls but also something that many film critics had suggest that the death of an even bigger dream. This is why Altman's directing is so dead-on in its presentation, especially since he knew that big business would take over the little business soon, one way or another.

Whereas most Westerns had a desert, sunny look, Altman chose for a bleak, rainy, snowy look in McCabe & Mrs. Miller where he shot the film, entirely in Canada. Helping Altman with his hazy vision is the grainy, desaturated cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond, who brings a colorless look of muddy grounds, leaves, and everything else that isn't bright except for the sunlight in one scene. For the lighting, Zsigmond goes for candlelights in a lot of the interior scenes while in the exteriors, goes for graininess in its look. With production designer Leon Erickson and art directors Phillip E. Thomas and Albert J. Locatelli, the film has a very detailed look of the late 1800s Western saloons, bathhouses, and brothels, especially the bridges that connect in some of the lake areas. The film also has a strange, atmospheric sound with its wind and music box chimes that is captured wonderfully while Lou Lombardo's editing really helps give the film a nice pacing while in the shootout scene, help plays to the film's unconventional style.

Then, there's the film's soundtrack which features three songs by Leonard Cohen, The Stranger Song, Sisters Of Mercy, and Winter Song which all came from Cohen's debut album. The use of Cohen's songs helps bring a dark, bleak atmosphere where everything is amiss and a sense of doom is set to emerge. Winter Song serves a nice accompaniment to the opium-induced mind of Mrs. Miller while The Stranger Song is perfect for the brooding McCabe. Sisters Of Mercy is also wonderfully used for the three homely prostitutes McCabe brings. Even in their extended instrumental sections that Cohen added to the film, it's melancholic folk-driven tone really gives the film a different feel in comparison to many Westerns.

Then, there's the film's amazingly sprawling cast of actors. Hugh Millais is wonderfully sadistic and charismatic as Butler with his British, roguish tone where he seems like a likeable villain while Michael Murphy and Anthony Holland are sleazily brilliant in the respective roles of Sears and Hollander. Shelley Duvall is lovely as the aloof mail-order bride Ida who doesn't know much but her scenes with Christie are wonderfully executed. William Devane is exquisitely charismatic as McCabe's attorney who shares his dreams in a way that seems very off but with some humor. Rene Auberjonois is also wonderful in his small role of Sheehan as is John Schuck as McCabe's business associate, Smalley. Rodney Gage, Bert Remsen, and many other small characters are wonderfully acted but biggest standout in the smallest of roles is Keith Carradine as a doomed, young cowboy who gets killed for no reason since all he wanted was to get new socks inside the saloon.

Warren Beatty, often seen as an iconic, handsomely old man, brings in an amazing performance as John McCabe. In his bearded look, Beatty brings a mix of humor, romanticism, idealistic, and charm to his role as the somewhat simpleton, chauvinistic McCabe. The scenes where Beatty talks to himself are funny sometimes but also sad since there's a sense of doom laying for him. Beatty really shines in this performance where he plays against type as a man who is just a bumbling, two-bit gambler who achieves something more than his simple, foolhardy dream. Julie Christie is the film's best performance, not to mention that she received an Oscar nod for Best Actress for this film, thanks to her Cockney British accent and smart, business tactics as Mrs. Constance Miller. Though the character was more interested in her opium pipe rather than the world around her, Christie brings grace and sympathy to her role, as a woman who is trying to ignore the world around her yet couldn't escape it. Christie also brings a sexiness that is a wonderful presence despite not showing a lot of skin as she transcends her beauty with grit and intelligence.

Beatty and Christie are wonderful together in their scenes and thankfully, Altman chose for them to go more into a sense of business rather than into a full-on romance. Though, there's hint of it, Beatty and Christie chose to act like business partners rather than reluctant lovers. Though the two care about each other, they know what's important first. It's one of the best pairings in cinema.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a magnificent film from Robert Altman that features incredible leading performances from Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in the title roles. Armed with a great supporting cast, Vilmos Zsigmond's lush cinematography, strong themes, and Leonard Cohen's seductive soundtrack. It's a film that is definitely among one of Altman's best films as well as one of the most unconventional westerns of that genre. In the end, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is a brilliant film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple) - (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - Fool for Love - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie’s Fortune - Dr. T & the Women - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2013

Finding Neverland

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/28/04 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

The story of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan has been beloved by many children all over the world since it arrived as a play in the early 1900s. Since then, many film adaptations had come across the board. The most famous was by Walt Disney in his animated version of the film while most recently; Australian director P.J. Hogan shot a new version in late 2003. Yet, not many knew the story of how Peter Pan became created through the imaginative mind of J.M. Barrie. In 2004, Monster's Ball director Marc Forster told the tale of J.M. Barrie's creation based on a book by Allan Knee about the family that inspired Barrie to create Peter Pan entitled Finding Neverland.

Directed by Forster with an adapted script by David Magee, Finding Neverland is a film about Barrie's relationship with Llewelyn-Davies family where he meets them in a park one day with his imagination leading the helm. While finding time to get to know the mother and her four young sons, Barrie's relationship becomes a question amidst London's high society. While Barrie creates his story and play, he tries to balance his life as an artist and as an adult with the heart of a child while dealing with the realities of the world. Starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman, Radha Mitchell, Ian Hart, Kelly MacDonald, along with newcomers Freddie Highmore, Joe Prospero, Nick Roud, and Luke Spill. Finding Neverland is a movie that lives up to the imaginative world of Peter Pan and its creator.

It's 1903 London as playwright James Matthew Barrie (Johnny Depp) watches the premiere of his new play that receives lukewarm reviews as Barrie was disappointed with the results. Meanwhile, his wife Mary (Radha Mitchell) wants to rise up to the world of the upper-class in high society London as Barrie tries to figure out what to do next. Taking his dog Porthos for a walk to the park, he comes across a family playing in the park led by their mother Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies (Kate Winslet). With the four boys in the eldest George (Nick Roud), Jack (Joe Prospero), Peter (Freddie Highmore), and the youngest Michael (Luke Spill), Barrie is intrigued by the family as he gets to know them as Sylvia is familiar with Barrie's writing. Though Peter isn't impressed by Barrie's imaginative ideas, the rest are as Mary learns that Barrie has met Sylvia in hopes to meet Sylvia's mother Emma (Julie Christie) for her own social status.

The dinner with Llewelyn-Davies doesn't go well due to Barrie's playfulness with the children as he spends more time with Sylvia and her sons seeking ideas for his new projects. While he gets a lots of suspicious rumors swirling around from his friend/noted author Arthur Conan Doyle (Ian Hart), Barrie maintains that it's all innocent as he invites Sylvia and her sons to his cottage home in the country. Turning to his producer in American businessman Charles Frohman (Dustin Hoffman) for help to gather actors for his new play. When Sylvia becomes ill and Peter feeling very upset about it, Barrie takes them home to Emma who is not impressed by Barrie's presence as too is Mary who felt left out.

Finally coming up with the ideas from his time with Sylvia and her sons as he calls the play Peter Pan while George, Jack, and Michal visit the rehearsal. Barrie talks with George about what to do as he realizes that George needs to be the man in the family. With his play set to open and the high-society crowd is set to see this new play, Barrie decides to leave some seats open for a different audience. With an actress (Kelly MacDonald) playing the role of Peter Pan while Peter watches the show, it would become a hit as Barrie shows the Llewelyn-Davies family a world that could exist through their imagination.

While it's not a perfect film, Finding Neverland does succeed in its balance of a character-driven story of a man trying to find inspiration for a play that he wants to present to children. Marc Forster brings a wonderfully inspiring directing style where he plays with camera angles and shots while leaving everything with a sense of childlike imagination. It's not just a wonderful family drama but the film has a bit of comedy and adventure that both children and adults can enjoy. While David Magee's script does drag a bit on some spots, it succeeds in its characters development and sentimentality that is very understated through Forster's imaginative directing. Even though the Peter Pan character never grew up, in the movie, everyone grows up a bit but still retaining that innocent childlike feeling.

Helping Forster with its dreamy, spectacular visuals is cinematographer Robert Schafer with his wonderfully uses of colors in the stage and imaginative sequences while giving the film a wonderful look in the period scenes. The visual effects by Stuart Brisdon also helps in the film's dreamier, stage sequences along with the production design work of Gemma Jackson and art director Peter Russell for not just the detailed look of early 1900s but also the world of Barrie along with the detailed look of costumes from designer Alexandra Byrne. With Matt Chesse's wonderfully paced editing style, the film looks magnificently gorgeous. Jan A.P. Kaczmarek's lush, orchestral score really gives the film a sweeping feel without feeling melancholic and having that nice, dreamy feel to the dreamier sequences of the movie.

Making this film one of the best family films of the year goes to an extremely talented cast of actors with small performances from Kelly MacDonald, Ian Hart, and Angus Barnett as the actor who plays the dog Nana in the stage play. Radha Mitchell is excellent in James' social-climbing wife that could've been a character cliche but Mitchell thankfully, chose to get away from the traps and brought a sympathetic view to her character since she often feels left out in James' world while she has great scenes with Johnny Depp. While Luke Spill and Joe Prospero are wonderful in their respective roles as Michael and Jack Llewelyn-Davies, Nick Roud stood out more as the eldest brother George whose character gets to shine when he has a very poignant scene with Depp that shows a transition from boy to man.

The best supporting performance in the whole film clearly goes to Freddie Highmore as Peter thanks to his melancholic performance as a disillusioned young child who refuses to believe in imagination. Highmore's best scenes are with Depp in an older-younger brother kind of combo that is so emotionally powerful as Highmore is the film's emotional core as this young lad is proving himself among the greats like Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman along with the talented Depp and Kate Winslet. Dustin Hoffman is the film's restrained comic relief in the film as Barrie's producer and guide while delivering some great lines in the movie. Hoffman is truly magnetic in his scenes with Depp while playing the role as a father figure of sorts who is afraid of losing money though he believes in Barrie's vision.

Julie Christie is amazing in the role as the stern, disciplined grandmother who is trying to protect her daughter from being hurt while trying to deal with her social standing. Christie brings a classical grace to her performance as well as a bit of comedy in a sequence where she talks like a pirate with a hook on, as it's wonderful to see the legendary Christie in a film. Kate Winslet, again, proves herself to be one of the best actresses of her generation in a motherly like performance that is filled with maturity and dignity. After coming off the Charlie Kaufman/Michel Gondry quirky comedy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Winslet proves to be prolific in her work as she has wonderful chemistry with Depp without lying to the point of romance but as a woman who doesn't have a lot of time left leaving her imagination to be her strength. This isn't just one of Winslet's most enduring performances but one that truly shines in the film.

Then there's Johnny Depp who provides another great leading performance after coming off a Best Actor Oscar nod as the kooky Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Depp does a bit of his pirate stuff in the film while balancing his eccentric side with his dramatic, fatherly tone in a performance that is rich and complex. While we see Depp do things that are funny with the heart of a child, we also see a man who knows that he is an adult and a writer while trying to find a balance for it where he knows that he has to be a man. It's truly one of Depp's most realistic and charming performances as this film is likely to guarantee him another Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Despite a few minor flaws, Finding Neverland remains one of the year's best films thanks to Marc Forster's inspiringly-awe direction and top-notch performances from Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman, and newcomer Freddie Highmore. Thanks to some spectacular visuals, a lush score, and a mix of sentimentality, drama, and comedy, it's purely one of the best family films of the year. Anyone who loved the story of Peter Pan will find this film to be very informative while being entertained at the same time. If you believe in your imagination, Finding Neverland will fulfill all those dreams.

Marc Forster Films: (Everything Put Together) - (Monster's Ball) - (Stay (2005 film)) - Stranger Than Fiction - (The Kite Runner) - Quantum of Solace - (Machine Gun Preacher) - (World War Z)

© thevoid99 2011