Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

 

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the sequel to the 2019 film in which a detective is invited to the home of a tech billionaire with many of his friends as it leads to a murder mystery and so much more. The film explores a billionaire who believes he is to be murdered but something else happens forcing a detective to take charge as the role of Benoit Blanc is reprised by Daniel Craig. Also starring Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Henwick. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is an exhilarating and riveting film from Rian Johnson.

Set during the 2020 pandemic, a tech billionaire invites his closest friends to his island for a getaway weekend to solve his own murder mystery with the renowned detective Benoit Blanc being a surprise guest where he realizes something is wrong. It is a film that explore the world of the rich in which five people who are either famous or are influential go to this Greek island to meet their friend to celebrate the launch of a new formula yet things don’t go well where everyone has a motive. Rian Johnson’s screenplay has an offbeat structure though much of its narrative is straightforward as it involves these five people who are all close friends with this tech billionaire in Miles Bron (Edward Norton) as they’ve all become successful because of him. Among those he invites are his head scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), the governor of Connecticut in Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), controversial fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and men’s right influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) while Jay brings her longtime assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and Cody brings his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).

Another invitation was sent to Bron’s former business partner in Alpha co-founder Cassandra “Andi” Brand (Janelle Monae) who reluctantly goes while an additional invitation was sent to Blanc where Bron has no clue who sent that invitation. The weekend getaway isn’t just a reunion between old friends who all met at a bar they used to hang out but also to announce the launch of a new alternative fuel that Bron wants to present to the world much to the concerns of both Toussaint and Debella believing that this fuel is dangerous. Johnson’s script doesn’t just play into this event where Bron is expected to be murdered only for the night to not go as planned. It’s also in the characters as Debella’s governor campaign was funded by Bron as she reluctantly allows him to create a factory for his new fuel while Toussaint is also someone who raises concerns about the fuel yet is forced to cover up for him to save his reputation. Jay is a politically-incorrect former model-turned-designer who is in trouble as she is being blackmailed to make a statement to save Bron while Cody is dealing with declining interest as he wants to be part of Bron’s new media outlet.

Then there’s Andi as she was the one introduced Bron to everyone and was the smartest person around until Bron became powerful and she was forced out of the company they created with Cody, Debella, Jay, and Toussaint testifying on his behalf to get Andi out. The script also play into this island that these people are in, that also has another guest in a slacker named Derol (Noah Segan) who just lazes around and doesn’t do anything, as it’s run by this alternative fuel that Bron believes will create good yet when a key character dies. Everything becomes questionable but also raises a lot of questions about why Bron wanted to be the victim in a play-murder mystery where nearly everyone on this island has a motive in wanting to kill him. Yet, it is Blanc that is trying to figure things out but there is questions into how he got an invitation that is revealed in the second half as it plays into more intrigue while raising the stakes into the suspense and drama itself.

Johnson’s direction is definitely stylish not just for its playful sense of intrigue but also setting it almost entirely in this Greek island as it is shot on location in the island of Septses in Greece with some interior scenes set in New York City shot on location in Belgrade. Yet, the film opens with Cody, Debella, Jay, and Toussaint each receiving a big box as they call each other that is revealed to be a mysterious series of mini-games that ultimately unveils this invitation. It then cuts to a scene of Andi in a garage with the box herself as she just smashes it with a hammer while Blanc’s first scene is him in a bathtub playing a game with some celebrities on his laptop is the moment he gets the mysterious invite. While a lot of Johnson’s compositions are straightforward with its approach to wide and medium shots to establish the locations but also in scenes that are showed from one perspective and then be shown in another perspective from another character that wasn’t shown onscreen.

Johnson also maintains attention to detail when it comes to close-ups or shots that was shown previously in a scene be shown again where it is all about the small details. Notably in some of the dialogue with Blanc being someone who is a lot smarter than people realize yet has his limits in serving justice since he’s out of his jurisdiction to do something because he’s in another country. Bron’s house itself is a character in the film where the centerpiece of it is the model of a large glass onion on top of the house while the dining room features the actual painting of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa that Bron had purchased from the Lourve. The house does play into this metaphor of the glass onion where there are many layers but the center of it is where the truth is held as it leads to this climax. Even as the many characters in the film are all guilty of something with some coming clean yet others are unwilling to come clean in order to save themselves as it play into people of wealth as they’re more concerned with maintaining their reputations and power instead of doing the right thing. Overall, Johnson crafts a rapturous and evocative film about a detective who is invited to an island for a murder mystery game only for things to go wrong with everyone being a suspect.

Cinematographer Steve Yedlin does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful and natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes along with some stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Bob Ducsay does brilliant work with the editing with its emphasis on rhythmic cutting to play into the suspense as well as a few montages for some of the film’s humorous moments. Production designer Rick Heinrichs, with set decorator Elli Griff and supervising art director Andrew Bennett, does excellent work with the look of Bron’s lavish home including his glass onion office room with all of its gadgets and other aspects of the home itself. Costume designer Jenny Eagan does fantastic work with the costumes from the stylish look of Byrd and Andi as well as the more casual look of the other characters.

Hair/makeup designer Jeremy Woodhead does terrific work with the look of the characters in a flashback scene of how they met in the late 90s/early 2000s and they would look in the present. Special effects supervisor Paul Stephenson, along with visual effects supervisors Fabricio de Vasconcellos Baessa Antonio, Geoffrey Basquin, Sameer Malik, David Sadler-Coppard, Boyd Shermis, and Erik Winquist, does nice work with some of the visual effects relating to this hydrogen-based fuel substance as well as some elements of set dressing for some of the scenes in Greece. Sound designer Josh Gold and co-supervising sound editor Matthew Wood do superb work with the sound in the way a strange hourly dong sound appears as well as other elements of sound of how things sound from afar in a particular scene and how it would sound up close.

The film’s music by Nathan Johnson is incredible for its luscious music score that is filled with Eastern European-inspired orchestral arrangements with its strings, harpsichords, and bombastic percussions as it adds to the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film while music supervisor Julie Glaze Houlihan creates a soundtrack that features a couple of songs by David Bowie plus the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nat King Cole, Toots and the Maytals, and in the film’s closing credits is the where the film’s title comes from in a song by the Beatles.

The casting by Bret Howe and Mary Vernieu is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Dallas Roberts as Debella’s husband, Jackie Hoffman as Cody’s mother, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the voice of Miles’ clock in the hourly dong, and Noah Segan as a slacker living in Miles’ home who doesn’t really do anything other than be a comic relief. Madelyn Cline is fantastic as Cody’s girlfriend Whiskey who seduces Miles for her own reasons while dealing with the chaos that is happening as she ponders about her time with Cody. Jessica Henwick is terrific as Jay’s assistant Peg who often has to clean her boss’s messes while also wondering the decisions that Jay often makes as she is sort of a conscious in the film. Dave Bautista is excellent as Duke Cody as a video-game Twitch streamer/men’s rights activist who is dealing with declining interest as he hopes to be part of Bron’s new media outlet but also carries some guilt as it relates to Andi. Kate Hudson is brilliant as Birdie Jay as a former-model-turned fashion designer who often says stupid and politically-incorrect things unaware of their meanings as she is dealing with her own scandals where she is being blackmailed by Bron knowing it will ruin her.

Kathryn Hahn is amazing as Governor Claire Debella of Connecticut who worries about Bron’s new idea knowing it will cause trouble but is forced to give in so that she can save her political career. Leslie Odom Jr. is superb as Lionel Toussaint as Bron’s head scientist who is aware of the dangers of this new creation that Bron is trying to push yet has to sit back and be quiet due to the fact that he also has a reputation to protect. Edward Norton is incredible as Miles Bron as a billionaire/tech mogul who has invited his friends to his island as he hopes to offer them a glimpse into the future into a new hydrogen-based alternative fuel believing it will help the world unaware of its dangers while is also arrogant in his beliefs and ideals that makes him a major target towards his old friends.

Janelle Monae is phenomenal as Cassandra “Andi” Brand as Bron’s former business partner who gets a reputation as she is often seen from afar and is quiet until when she decides to speak while Monae brings a lot of layers into her performance that is full of humor but also some depth into a woman who felt cheated as well as wanting some idea of justice. Finally, there’s Daniel Craig in a sensational performance as Benoit Blanc as the renowned detective who gets a mysterious invitation to Bron’s island while trying to uncover everything that is going on as he also has a lot of questions about everyone around him where Craig brings some humor as well as a lot of wit into his character that makes Craig a joy to watch while the scenes he has with Monae are also a joy in the way they help each other.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a spectacular film from Rian Johnson that is headed by great performances from Daniel Craig and Janelle Monae. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous locations, its approach to suspense and drama, and an exhilaratingly rich music score by Nathan Johnson. It is a film that isn’t just full of excitement and thrills but also a film that explores a group of people on an island dealing with a murder mystery and much more with a detective trying to solve it and uncover some dark truths. In the end, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a tremendous film from Rian Johnson.

Rian Johnson Films: Brick - The Brothers Bloom - Looper - Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - Knives Out - (Knives Out 3)

© thevoid99 2023

Dr. T and the Women

Directed by Robert Altman and written by Anne Rapp, Dr. T and the Women is the story about the life of a Texan gynecologist whose life begins to fall apart after his wife’s mental breakdown as he finds himself seeking companionship in the form of a golf instructor in the wake of his daughter’s upcoming wedding. The film is an exploration into the life of a man and the women he’s surrounded by as he tries to deal with the changes in his life. Starring Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Kate Hudson, Tara Reid, Liv Tyler, and Andy Richter. Dr. T and the Women is a witty yet sensational comedy from Robert Altman.

The film is about the tumultuous life of a renowned Texan gynecologist who is beloved by the rich women of the state as things around him starts to fall apart. His wife has a mental breakdown that has her regressing to a childlike state while his sister-in-law has moved in to his house as they’re all getting ready for the wedding of his eldest daughter who is carrying a secret of her own. Meanwhile, a former golf pro has arrived into his golf club as he forges a relationship with her to escape from his chaotic life until some big news about his daughter and his wife come ahead as well as an overloaded schedule that finally culminates into his daughter’s wedding. For this man known as Dr. Sullivan Travis aka Dr. T (Richard Gere), it’s a world that he lives in surrounded by all of these women where he does find time to hang out with the guys. Yet, he remains devoted to the women in his life no matter how crazy they are.

Anne Rapp’s screenplay is quite loose in its premise though it does take time to explore the other characters such as the eldest daughter Dee Dee (Kate Hudson) and her younger sister Connie (Tara Reid) where the latter is a conspiracy theorist. Along with his loopy sister-in-law Peggy (Laura Dern) and his wife Kate (Farrah Fawcett), the film explores this unique family life that Dr. T has where he does love them no matter how screwed up they are. Yet, Kate’s mental breakdown and regression into a childlike state has the family, with the exception of Connie, going into all sorts of trouble where Peggy drinks and stumbles into situations while Dee Dee is being secretive underneath her posh exterior as it concerns her maid of honor Marilyn (Liv Tyler). For Dr. T, all of these revelations and troubles has him going to this former golf pro in Bree (Helen Hunt) who offers him an escape from his troubles while she becomes aware of the crazy world he live in.

Robert Altman’s direction is fascinating for the way he explores the life of this gynecologist who lives in Dallas, Texas. Particularly in a posh setting where many of Dr. T’s clients are these rich women who adore him and some try to flirt with him. Still, there is that element of chaos in Altman’s direction in the way he presents the waiting room where there’s a lot of women chattering or talking to the reception for an appointment or scenes in the mall where Kate would have her breakdown. While a lot of the framing is straightforward as Altman shoots on location in Dallas and other nearby locations. The film’s climax near the end that involves something that Connie feared but it would be in a bigger context that relates to the chaos that Dr. T had been through. While the presentation of that scene is imperfect, it does make sense of what Altman was trying to say. Overall, Altman creates a delightful yet whirlwind film that explores the world of a doctor and the women in his life.

Cinematographer Jan Kiesser does excellent work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of Dallas in its exteriors as well as some of the scenes in the film‘s interior settings. Editor Geraldine Peroni does wonderful work with the editing to capture the chaos in the waiting room as well as some of the film‘s comical moments like Kate‘s breakdown in the mall. Production designer Stephen Altman, with set decorator Chris L. Spellman and art director John Bucklin, does nice work with the look of Dr. T‘s office and his waiting room as well as Bree‘s apartment and the home that Dr. T lives in.

Costume designer Dona Granata does terrific work with the costumes to display the world of posh Texas without any cowboy gear as well as the camouflage clothes that Dr. T and his male friends wear on their hunting trips. Visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson does some good work with the film‘s lone visual effects sequence although it doesn‘t look realistic. Sound editor Frederick Howard does some fine work with the sound to capture the chaos of the waiting room with its overlapping dialogue as well as the scenes involving the rain. The film’s music by Lyle Lovett is amazing as it is mostly a playful take on country with bits of jazz and blues to complement the world that is Texas.

The casting by Pam Dixon is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small roles from Robert Hays, Matt Malloy, and Andy Richter as Dr. T’s hunting buddies, Lee Grant as Kate’s examiner Dr. Harper, and Janine Turner as a flirtatious patient who keeps insisting that there’s something wrong with her. Tara Reid is pretty good as the conspiracy-obsessed Connie who is suspicious about her sister’s possible secret while Kate Hudson is OK in a somewhat underwritten role as the older sister Dee Dee who aspires to be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader while carrying a secret as she’s set to get married. Liv Tyler is terrific as Dee Dee’s friend Marilyn who also knows about Dee Dee’s secret as her meeting with Dr. T ends up being very awkward. Laura Dern is very funny as Dr. T’s sister-in-law Peggy who always stumble around certain things as she definitely has a drinking problem.

Shelley Long is wonderful as Dr. T’s loyal assistant Carolyn who helps him deal with the chaos while keeping a secret of her own towards that revolves around Dr. T. Farrah Fawcett is superb as the troubled Kate who regresses into a childlike state where Fawcett brings a lovely sense of humor to her role. Helen Hunt is excellent as Bree Davis who befriends Dr. T as she represents the one woman whose life isn’t filled with lots of complications as she sympathizes with Dr. T. Finally, there’s Richard Gere in a marvelous performance as Dr. T as he is this very kind man that finds his life falling apart as he is desperate to hold on to whatever he has left only to nearly fall prey to the chaos of his life.

Dr. T and the Women is a remarkable film from Robert Altman that features a superb leading performance from Richard Gere. The film is an interesting view into the life of a man who surrounds himself with the women in his life while dealing with all of the turmoil that occurs as things start to fall apart around him. It’s also a film that showcases the world of women and they seek the help from a man in order to help them find themselves. In the end, Dr. T and the Women is an extraordinary 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 - 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 - Gosford Park - The Company (2003 film) - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2013

Almost Famous

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous is the story of a teenage rock journalist who gets a chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine to cover an up-and-coming rock band on tour.  The film is based largely on Crowe’s experience as a rock journalist in the 1970s as it also explores the music scene of the time.  Starring Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Anna Paquin, Zooey Deschanel, Noah Taylor, Jimmy Fallon, Fairuza Balk, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs.  Almost Famous is an enriching yet outstanding film from Cameron Crowe.

William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is a 16-year old aspiring rock journalist, who lives with his college professor mother Elaine (Frances McDormand), as his fascination with rock music has caught the attention of notorious music critic Lester Bangs.  Bangs gives William an assignment to do a concert review for Black Sabbath as William tries to get backstage where meets a few young ladies who refer to themselves as Band-Aids led by the exotic Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) and a band called Stillwater who let him go backstage.  Intrigued by the band including its guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), William later joins Penny to meet them at Continental Hyatt House as her companion in order to see Russell.  After getting a call from Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres (Terry Chen), William gets a chance to go on the road to cover Stillwater.

Though his mother isn’t keen on the idea, she lets William go on the road as he joins Stillwater and the Band-Aids on tour.  William notices the band trying to make it despite some set-backs and tension between Russell and vocalist Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) who is paranoid about having William around.  With William’s period on the road being much longer than he had anticipated, he gets a call from Fong-Torres about extending the piece into a cover story.  When Stillwater’s record label brings in Dennis Hope (Jimmy Fallon) to co-manage the band with Dick Roswell (Noah Taylor), Dick and Russell decide to sell the Band-Aids to the band Humble Pie that leaves Penny devastated.

After arriving to New York City, William tells the band about their chance to be on the cover of Rolling Stone as he becomes concerned about Penny who also comes to the city.  After some turbulent moments, William gets some advice from Bangs about what to write as he would reveal everything he had saw about the band he‘s adored for so long.

The film is a semi-autobiographical story of Cameron Crowe’s life as a teenage rock journalist where he covered the music scene of the 1970s during his time with Rolling Stone magazine.  There, he allows the character of William Miller to go through a lot of the things Crowe had experienced such as groupies, rock n’ roll excess, tension, and all of things that went on during a crazy era in rock n’ roll.  Meanwhile, the young William Miller would meet a few people that would intrigue such as an exotic groupie named Penny Lane and a brilliant guitarist whose talents starts to overshadow the rest of his band mates.

Crowe’s screenplay starts off with a prologue of how a young William (Michael Angarano) was introduced to the world of rock n’ roll by his older sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel) who despises her mother’s New Age ideas and flees to become a stewardess.  It then leads into this main narrative of William trying to become a rock journalist at the age of 16 though his mother hopes that he becomes a lawyer.  His love of rock would get him to meet the notorious Lester Bangs who would offer him advice about what not to do in the world of rock journalism such as be friends with the rock star.

During William’s journey, he would unfortunately become friends with Stillwater though the band is wary of him because he represents the enemy they don’t want to play for.  Yet, William is the one who could make them really famous as they’re a band on the rise only to deal with all sorts of tension that is sparked by a t-shirt at one point.  All of this is told from this young man’s perspective who is watching a band he loves just trying to get everything together as he’s intrigued by their guitarist who is aware of the role he’s playing as well as the fact that he’s beyond them musically.

Then there’s Penny Lane, this groupie who is in love with Russell Hammond but also someone who really loves the music.  With the group of girls she’s a part of, she’s in it to have a good time and enjoy the music.  Unfortunately, she knows that Russell is married and a decision that Russell would make in the film’s second half would have a great impact on her forcing William to come to her aid.  It would be a moment where William realizes what he has to do not just as a fan but also as a journalist as he’s set to write a piece that would legitimize him as a true rock journalist.

Crowe’s direction is quite straightforward in terms of compositions but the way he recreates the late 1960s and early 1970s is still magical for the air of nostalgia and authenticity that is presented.  Notably as the film features a lot of references to rock lore such as the Continental Hyatt which was famously known as the Riot House.  Crowe always know how to frame his actors and capture the excitement of what it’s like to be at a rock concert or be in the middle of a discussion as he’s shooting a lot of from William’s perspective.  Notably as Crowe creates shots to reveals William’s on-going struggle to get a story and interview Russell.

One of the key aspects of Crowe’s direction is the way he balances humor and drama where he adds a lot of subtlety to the former.  Notably as he plays to the misadventures that goes on when a band is on the road such as a comical moment when the bus decides to leave Jeff behind.  Since this is a film that is about music in some ways, Crowe also knows how to use music to elevate a scene such as the famous Tiny Dancer sequence where the band sing Elton John’s song following a very crazy moment that had Russell partying with people while tripping on drugs.  It’s one of Crowe’s great moments as the overall work he does with the film is outstanding as he creates what is a truly engrossing coming-of-age tale about a teen and his love for rock n’ roll.

Cinematographer John Toll does brilliant work with the film‘s lush and colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of the various locations inside along with more layered coloring for the interiors as Toll‘s work is a technical highlight.  Editors Joe Husting and Saar Klein do fantastic work with the editing to play out the energy of the concert performances as well as other montages such as the band partying with the Band-Aids.  Art directors Clay A. Griffin, Clayton Hartley, and Virginia L. Randolph, along with set decorator Robert Greenfield, do excellent work in re-creating the look of William‘s home as well as other props to create the feel of the early 1970s.

Costume designer Betsy Heimman does wonderful work with the costumes such as the bellbottoms and clothes the men wear to more lavish clothing the Band-Aids wear.  Sound editor Michael D. Wilhoit does superb work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the live concerts as well as the intimacy that goes in the bus and backstage meetings.  The film’s score by Nancy Wilson is terrific for its low-key, folk-driven sound to maintain a sense of ambience for some of the film‘s quieter moments. 

Music supervisor Danny Bramson creates an incredible soundtrack that features an array of different music from the late 60s and early 70s from acts like Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath, the Raspberries, Simon & Garfunkel, Yes, the Beach Boys, Elton John, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, and many others.  The original music for the band Stillwater is provided by Nancy Wilson and Peter Frampton, with contributions from Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, as it is true rock n‘ roll at its finest.

The casting by Gail Levin is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some memorable small roles from Bijou Phillips as Band-Aid Estrella Star, Rainn Wilson as Rolling Stone co-editor David Felton, Liz Stauber as Russell’s wife Leslie, Jay Baruchel as an obsessed Zeppelin fan, Peter Frampton as Humble Pie’s road manager Reg, Terry Chen as Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres, Anna Paquin as Band-Aid Polexia Aprhodisia, Fairuza Balk as Band-Aid Sapphire, Mark Kozelek as Stillwater bassist Larry Fellows, and John Fedevich as Stillwater’s quiet drummer Ed Vallencourt.  Other notable supporting roles including Michael Angarano as the young William, Zooey Deschanel as William’s older sister Anita, Jimmy Fallon as the band’s more professional manager Dennis Hope, and Noah Taylor as the Stillwater’s more raucous manager Dick Roswell.

Jason Lee is excellent as Stillwater vocalist Jeff Bebe who tries to deal with the growing attention towards Russell as well as the presence of William.  Philip Seymour Hoffman is brilliant as legendary music critic Lester Bangs who guides William on what to do when going on tour and how to be a true rock journalist.  Kate Hudson is great as the exotic Penny Lane who is so full of life as Hudson brings a lot of energy and charisma to a very eccentric yet loveable character.  Billy Crudup is wonderful as the very talented Russell Hammond who tries to deal with the fact that he’s the most mature member of Stillwater as he finds someone like William whom he can talk to. 

Frances McDormand is superb as Williams’ mother Elaine who worries about her son possibly doing drugs while hoping that he becomes responsible.  Finally, there’s Patrick Fugit in a remarkable performance as William Miller as this young rock fan who goes on the ride of his life as he becomes friends with the rock stars and hang out with groupies as it’s a real breakthrough for Fugit.

Almost Famous is an outstanding film from Cameron Crowe.  Featuring a fantastic soundtrack and a top-notch ensemble cast, it’s definitely a film that is very lively and captures the essence of rock n’ roll.  Not only is it one of the best films about music and a place in time but also a very compelling coming-of-age film told from a young fan who loves music.  In the end, Almost Famous is an extraordinary film from Cameron Crowe.

Cameron Crowe Films:  (Say Anything…) - (Singles) - (Jerry Maguire) - (Vanilla Sky) - (Elizabethtown) - The Union - Pearl Jam 20 - We Bought a Zoo - Aloha

© thevoid99 2012

The Killer Inside Me

Based on the novel by Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me is the story of a sociopath deputy sheriff whose good-natured persona is a cover for a sinister one as he has a very troubled affair with a hooker that would lead to all sorts of trouble. Directed by Michael Winterbottom and screenplay by John Curran, the film is an exploration into the mind of a man carrying a very dark, troubled mind. Starring Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Ned Beatty, Tom Bower, Simon Baker, Elias Koteas, and Bill Pullman. The Killer Inside Me for all of its entrancing approach to suspense falls flat due to some very convoluted ideas.

After being asked by superior in Sheriff Bob Maples (Tom Bower) and a construction tycoon named Chester Conway (Ned Beatty), deputy sheriff Lou Ford (Casey Affleck) deals with a prostitute named Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba) who is having an affair with Conway’s son Elmer (Jay R. Ferguson). Yet, Lou would have a sadomasochistic affair with Joyce while having a relationship with local schoolteacher Amy Stanton (Kate Hudson). With Conway wanting Joyce out of town, she and Lou devise a plan to extort Conway as Conway and Maples agree to the payoff. Yet, Lou would do something that would change everything that would have him risk his reputation as a law-abiding officer.

While District Attorney Howard Hendricks and a local journalist named Joe Rothman (Elias Koteas) suspect Lou. There isn’t a lot of evidence about Lou though Joe knows a lot about Lou’s troubled childhood where he suggests to Lou that he should leave town. After a suspect in a young local teen named Johnnie Papas (Liam Aiken) was arrested, Lou would help the kid although things start to get more grim. When Amy wants to marry him, Lou tries to aim for a normal life until a local bum (Brent Briscoe) reveal what he knows as Lou’s life starts to unravel. Even as more suspicion would arise leading to complications where Lou would face some dark truths.

The film is about a small-town deputy sheriff whose dark mind that involves an affair with a sadomasochistic-loving prostitute leads to trouble where murder, blackmail, and all sorts of mysteries would be involved. A story like this set in the 1950s and told from the perspective of its troubled protagonist would’ve a very interesting story told. However, drawn-out story lines, underwritten characters, and lots of flashback scenes about Lou’s life end up creating a story that loses its suspense as well as its impact. Screenwriter John Curran does a good job with the film’s narration and see how Lou would execute things but some of the narration goes a little overboard at times. Curran succeeds in exploring Lou’s mind and motivation but he doesn’t do enough to make the suspense be more surprising.

Director Michael Winterbottom does a superb job in re-creating the look of 1950s Texas, though it’s shot in New Mexico, while utilizing some very entrancing compositions of the locations as well creating wonderful shots for some of the film’s dramatic moments. The problem is that he is unable to do more with the film’s script in setting up the suspense as its score would often for-tell that something is about to happen. It’s an idea that is quite clichéd with suspense as one would expect a director as unconventional with Winterbottom to do something different. Instead, Winterbottom chooses to play things straight while utilizing offbeat music to play up some of the darker moments. Then there’s Winterbottom’s approach to the film’s violence where it is one of the most unsettling moments of the film. It’s definitely one of the more unforgettable moments of the film but it is certainly not for everyone. Still, there’s a reason for its graphic depiction to dwell into Lou Ford’s sick mind. Despite that approach as well as other moments in the film, Winterbottom unfortunately doesn’t do more to make the film more visceral and entrancing as it could’ve been.

Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind does an excellent job with the film‘s very colorful cinematography from the sunny yet lush look of many of the film‘s daytime interior and exterior settings to more entrancing looks for some of its nighttime scenes. Editor Mags Arnold does a nice job with the editing in utilizing rhythmic cuts to play up Ford‘s troubled state of mind though there‘s parts where the pacing lags a bit due to its conventional approach to suspense. Production designers Rob Simons and Mark Tildesley, along with set decorator Jeanne Scott, do great work with the look of Ford‘s lavish home as well as the look of the cars and appliances of that period.

Costume designer Lynette Meyer does a wonderful job with the costumes in the design of 1950s clothing that the women wear from the more conservative dresses of Amy to the more stylish look of Joyce. The visual effects by Mark Knapton and Gus Martinez do some work in the film‘s lone visual effects scene towards the end of the film where the results aren‘t very good. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does terrific work with the sound to create tension in some of the film’s chilling moments as well as quieter ones such as Ford’s conversation with Johnnie Papas.

The film’s score by Melissa Parmenter and Joel Cadbury is pretty good for its low-key orchestral score though at times, it is used to help set up the suspense which only makes things seem more predictable. Music supervisor Chadwick Brown provides a nice soundtrack of country, blues, and ragtime music of the 1950s though some of the way is used was very misguided.

The casting by J.C. Cantu and Mary Vernieu is terrific for the ensemble that is created as it includes notable small roles from Liam Aiken as the young accused teen Johnnie Papas, Jay R. Ferguson as Chester’s playful son Elmer, Brent Briscoe as the mysterious bum who tries to blackmail Lou, Elias Koteas as a sympathetic journalist who tries to help Lou get out of town, and Bill Pullman as an attorney who shows up late in the film despite a very bad and over-the-top performance when he first appears in the film. Tom Bower is very good as Lou’s chief Bob Maples whose love for Lou starts to fall apart once Lou becomes a suspect as he tries to cope with it. Simon Baker is excellent as the cunning D.A. Howard Hendricks who tries to push Tom’s button’s any way he can. Ned Beatty is superb as the smarmy Chester Conway who tries to get Lou to buy out Joyce.

Jessica Alba gives a pretty decent performance as the submissive hooker Joyce who falls for Lou where Alba has a nice screen presence although she gives a very awkward performance in the film’s heavier moments. Kate Hudson is horrible as Lou’s girlfriend Amy where it’s not just that the character is underwritten but Hudson’s performance is at times over-the-top or underperformed where she seems to be sleepwalking through the role. Finally, there’s Casey Affleck in a tremendous performance as the chilling Lou Ford where Affleck brings a wonderful charm to his character that is balanced by a very dark demeanor. It’s definitely a very entrancing performance by Affleck who definitely has the right touches to play this character.

For all of its ambition and emphasis to explore the dark mind of a troubled man, The Killer Inside Me is a truly lackluster film from Michael Winterbottom. Despite Casey Affleck’s performance and some fantastic moments in the direction, the film falls short in terms of building up its suspense as well as trying to draw-up too many things about the Lou Ford character. For fans of Michael Winterbottom, the film will serve as a letdown considering the fact that he chooses to create something more straightforward while not doing enough to make the suspense genre more intriguing. In the end, The Killer Inside Me is a very disappointing film from Michael Winterbottom.

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

© thevoid99 2012